Right Truth

Who creates, trains and supplies terrorists? (open trackbacks)

The leaked sentence from the NIE report this week that sent the Left on a tear, blaming terrorism on Iraq, has stirred a discussion about what really does cause terrorism. One would think that there was no such thing as terrorism before Iraq, which simply shows one's ignorance of history. I read a great article by Michael Rubin at National Review Online that deals with the question, "Who Creates Jihadists?". (all emphasis mine)

Jihadism is seldom spontaneous. Iraqis and Saudis don’t merely watch al-Jazeera, get pissed off, and go out to hunt Americans. Rather, there are networks that recruit and train. Part of our difficulties in Iraq and elsewhere stem from our failures to get at these networks. Before blaming Iraq for increasing the jihadist threat, a few questions:

* Specifically, how do jihadists join the jihad? * Do they simply purchase high explosives at the bazaar or do they get supplied? If so, by whom? Who funds them? How does the money get there?

(Interviewing Iraqis earlier this month, they noted two patterns: An increase in shipments through diplomatic pouches to the Iranian consulates in Karbala and Basra, as well as shipments of appliances like television sets to import-export companies in al-Anbar, which then sell them, using the cash to purchase supplies).

Someone has to recruit, indoctrinate, train, and arm the terrorists. Someone has to support these terrorists while they are training, someone has to pay the bills, pay for transportation, food, clothes, supplies. Where does the original recruitment take place? In the mosques? How do the terrorists learn to shoot, to build bombs, to fly planes. How do they know where to go to learn these things? These are all questions that need to be answered if we are truly going to fight this war on terror.

If we are serious about stopping terrorism we must know what's going on in the mosques and get rid of the imams that preach hate and recruit new terrorists. We must stop all funding here in the USA and around the world. We must not only find the individuals who fund terror, we must find the companies, the organizations, and the countries that fund terrorism. Then DO something to stop the flow of those funds.

We must find where all the training camps are and either destroy them or contain them in some way, even if they are right here in the United States. We know that terrorists train right here in the United States to fly airplanes. Close monitoring of all these schools and students is a MUST, because we know that al-Qaeda has a fixation on using airplanes as weapons.

Laura Mansfield reports that would-be terrorists are using paint ball to learn to shoot accurately and learn about military tactics.

“They're using paintball for paramilitary training,” said Jeffrey Epstein, president of America's Truth Forum.

“They're tying paintball into a larger, more grand-scale mission...they're using it to network and bring other Muslims together for communication and to indoctrinate,” Epstein explained.

Mansfield supplied CBN News with an al-Qaeda tape posted on a Muslim message board in the U.S.

It begins with images of missiles taking out America, then moves on to a speech by Adam Gadahn, an American-born member of al-Qaeda.

Next come scenes of two men playing paintball. But that's not all. The men also conduct mock suicide bombings, and practice explosives training.

But most of the footage shows them playing paintball, until the video ends with this chilling message: “Feel the rush! High speed paintball!" and then more images of missiles hitting America.

Think that's too strange to believe? Here are examples:

One of the London subway bombers, Mohammed Khan, was an avid paintball player. Likewise, 17 Toronto Muslims charged this summer with plotting terrorist attacks in Canada used paintball to train.

“The CSIS, which is the Canadian equivalent of the FBI, is starting to investigate who's playing paintball in Canada,”...

Another Canadian Muslim charged with planning terrorist attacks, Mohammed Khawaja, played paintball. Here in the U.S., two Georgia Muslims charged earlier this year with plotting attacks against u.s. targets played as well.

The most notorious case occurred in the Washington, D.C. area. A group of 11 American Muslims there have been convicted for plotting to wage jihad against u.s. troops in Afghanistan and Indian troops in Kashmir. They trained by playing paintball in the northern Virginia countryside. (more)

Canada sees this threat and are doing something about it. We have this going on all over the United States. Are WE doing anything? Not that I know about. Mr. Rubin goes on:

Among European terrorists, how many received training in Afghan or Pakistani terror training camps? If they received such training, is their terror really homegrown? (In this regard, the Bush administration’s willingness to ignore terror training camps in southwestern Somalia may one day be seen in retrospect as just as negligent as Clinton’s willingness to ignore camps in Afghanistan. [snip]

# It may be tempting for political reasons to blame Iraq or, for that matter, Israel’s existence and occupation for jihadism and terrorism. If so, what did Iraq or Israeli have to do with Muslim Brotherhood terrorism pre-1948 (again, see this declassified document). What did Iraq or Israel have to do with Islamist slogans shouted in the French riots? What did Iraq or Israel have to do with the Danish cartoon controversy?

# Does engaging terror-sponsoring regimes work (note this declassified document (.pdf), about US engagement toward the Taliban)?

"Iraq appears to be the latest excuse. If not Iraq, then Afghanistan. If not Afghanistan, then Saudi Arabia. If not Saudi Arabia, then Sicily or Spain." says Mr. Rubin. And THAT is exactly the point. Any excuse can be blamed, but in reality there is NO EXCUSE. Evil is evil and it will be and do what it will ... without excuse and simply because evil enjoys destruction of good. So we need to find all connections to these future terrorists and clean house.

If we turn a blind eye to Somalia where Islamic Courts and sharia law are taking over; or if we avoid things that seem harmless like paint ball groups and flight schools; or if we allow imams, mosques, charities, and organizations like CAIR here in the United States to continue to recruit . . . we will surely regret it tomorrow.

A few years from now, will President Bush be on the hot seat like former President Clinton was this past week, being asked why HE didn't do more to stop the recruitment and funding of terrorists? Or will he be asked why HE didn't do more to stop Iran's nuclear program? Will he be asked why he didn't do more to stop the takeover of Somalia? Only time will tell.

Related and a must read: "Which One Are You?" ... a sheep, a sheep dog, or a wolf? via When Evil Prospers

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Zawahiri and Friends

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North Korea, missile radar, and more

South Korea and the United States are taking a new approach toward North Korea to get talks started again. New approach ... same as the old approach, or just redrawing the line in the sand, again? But not to worry, the U.S. military has 'activated a high-powered radar outpost in northern Japan that will enable it to track ballistic missiles in the region amid concerns about North Korea'.

The so-called X-Band radar is so powerful it can identify baseball-size objects from thousands of miles away and is designed to differentiate between decoys and real missile warheads.

It is part of a sweeping, multibillion dollar defense shield that also includes the joint production of new missiles capable of intercepting and destroying incoming missiles and the deployment of advanced Patriot interceptor missiles around Japan. source

Walk softly and carry a big stick? Always be prepared? Trust and verify? How about don't trust anybody, verify everything, and have many big sticks.

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun said Thursday that his country has informed North Korea of a South Korea-U.S. joint approach aimed at jump-starting the stalled talks on the North's nuclear weapons program, but that Pyongyang hasn't yet given a response.

In Washington earlier this month, Roh and President Bush agreed to formulate a "joint comprehensive approach" aimed at bringing the recalcitrant North back to the so-called six-party talks that also involve China, Russia and Japan.

Roh told MBC television in a program to be aired later Thursday that Seoul delivered the proposal to Pyongyang before his trip to Washington... [snip]

North Korea has refused to come to the nuclear talks since last year, demanding Washington to lift financial restrictions against a bank where it held accounts. The U.S. has launched an investigation into the bank, Macau-based Banco Delta Asia, accusing it of complicity in alleged counterfeiting and money laundering by the Pyongyang regime.

Seoul has previously indicated that Washington should lift the financial restrictions, with chief presidential security adviser Song Min-soon saying that the assets there could be unfrozen as part of a process where both sides take steps to resolve the impasse. source

Go see the 'live world map at Tao of Defiance. You can watch world disasters and emergencies live and in progress.

Some blogs you should check out:

Karen's Korner, Here Comes The Brides by Gary L. Bauer
Dive Desk-Log has must see video
Born Again Redneck, Al-Gore - oops - Al-Zawahiri says "Bush is a liar"
Dangerous Liberty, Are all Darwinists Intellectually Lazy? Or Intellectually Dishonest?
Below the Beltway, Stupid Congressional Tricks
bandit.three.six, B36 News - 29 September

Mark Foley, Pervert

Mark Foley, Republican from Florida, pervert. There's no other way to put it, unless you use the word pedophile, sexual stalker, disgrace to humanity. His political affiliation has nothing to do with it. He is OUT and that is what matters.

In 2003, Foley faced questions about his sexual orientation as he prepared to run for Sen. Bob Graham's seat. At a news conference in May of that year, he said he would not comment on rumors he was gay. He later decided not to seek the Senate seat to care for his parents.

According to the CREW posting, the boy e-mailed a colleague in Alexander's office about Foley's e-mails, saying, "This freaked me out." On the request for a photo, the boy repeated the word "sick" 13 times.

He said Foley asked for his e-mail when the boy gave him a thank you card. The boy also said Foley wrote that he e-mailed another page. [snip]

ABC News reported Friday that Foley also engaged in a series of sexually explicit instant messages with current and former teenage male pages. In one message, ABC said, Foley wrote to one page: "Do I make you a little horny?"

In another message, Foley wrote, "You in your boxers, too? ... Well, strip down and get relaxed." source

That's the same Mark Foley, who 'as chairman of the Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus, had introduced legislation in July to protect children from exploitation by adults over the Internet'.

He also sponsored other legislation designed to protect minors from abuse and neglect.

"We track library books better than we do sexual predators," Foley has said.

And he once accused the Supreme Court of "siding with pedophiles over children."

May he get everything he deserves!
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Hispanics Convert to Islam

Hispanics, specifically American Hispanics, are converting to Islam at a rapid pace. Is this of interest to you? Would it be of interest if I told you it is all the Republican's fault? Well, that's what the article says.

. . . a growing number of Hispanics across the US who have found common ground in a faith and culture bearing surprising similarities to their own heritage. From professionals to students to homemakers, they are drawn to the Muslim faith through marriage, curiosity and a shared interest in issues such as immigration.

The population of Hispanic Muslims has increased 30 percent to some 200,000 since 1999, estimates Ali Khan, national director of the American Muslim Council in Chicago. Many attribute the trend to a growing interest in Islam since the 2001 terrorist attacks and also to a collision between two burgeoning minority groups. They note that Muslims ruled Spain centuries ago, leaving an imprint on Spanish food, music, and language.

"Many Hispanics ... who are becoming Muslim, would say they are embracing their heritage, a heritage that was denied to them in a sense," says Ihsan Bagby, professor of Arabic and Islamic studies at the University of Kentucky.

The trend is a sign that Islam is becoming more Americanized and more indigenous to the country, Bagby says. As Republican positions on issues such as immigration push Muslim Hispanics and blacks in a less conservative direction, Islam could move in the same direction...Christian Science Monitor

I found this information over at Sweetness and Light who added this:

By the way, this piece looks suspiciously like a one year old article from the Miami Herald. Which in itself smacked of being a CAIR press release.

Apparently it is very important to get this message out over and over again.

And the CSM is only too happy to oblige.

You can go read the entire article. Some highlights: The fastest growth is in New York, Florida, California, and Texas . . . The demand for Spanish Korans is growing . . . It is getting more common to hear Spanish in mosques and have Hispanic imams . . . And here's the kicker, "Earlier this year Muslims joined Hispanics in marches nationwide protesting immigration-reform proposals they felt were unfair."

Yes, ...there it is,... the Muslims support illegal aliens. How long will it be before Hispanic Muslims will be recruited for jihad???
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Protest against Minutemen and more illegal alien info

As congress gets ready to leave Washington headed for their home states, they will pat themselves on the back for passing legislation on a 700 mile fence across the U.S. Mexican border. They could have passed comprehensive immigration legislation months or years ago, but they wait until the last minute and pass a bill they hope will win them favor with voters at home.

A little review is sometimes good. In The American Daily, David Tatosian reminds us of the 2004 elections, where George W. Bush won 51% of the vote and then proceeded to say this:

In answer to a question on illegal immigration at a White House Q and A, the President stated, “…First, we want our border patrol agents chasing crooks and thieves and drug runners and terrorists, not good-hearted people who are coming here to work. And therefore, it makes sense to allow the good-hearted people who are coming here to do jobs that Americans won't do a legal way to do so… we ought to have a system that recognizes people are coming here to do jobs that Americans will not do… Family values do not stop at the Rio Grande River… People are coming to put food on the table, they're doing jobs Americans will not do… legalize the process of people doing jobs Americans won't do; take the pressure off of employers so they're not having to rely upon false Ids… Our people are compassionate. The system we have today is not a compassionate system. It's not working…”

In an instant the President of the United States destroyed the shaky majority of American citizens that had reelected him. That he did so to fulfill the morally impoverished desires of illegal aliens indicates a tragic and dangerous character flaw that cannot, and will not be ignored.

That he continues to pander to those illegals, despite the outcry and opposition of a vast majority of American citizens (far exceeding 51%) is not simply outrageous and indictable, it is evil. (read it all)

Well 'evil' is a little harsh, but I know where he is coming from. He goes on to say, " . . . thank the President for his candor. What other President, King, Prime Minister or Caliph in history had dedicated himself so blatantly to the expatriation of his own citizens for the benefit of foreign nationals?" Obviously voters will remember this when they vote in November 2006 and again in 2008.

Local activists protest book-signing by Minuteman Project founder Jim Gilchrist

The signs read, “No Terrorist Racism in Ventura County,” “Shame on You Borders” and “No Human Being is Illegal.” The shouts from the crowd of approximately 30 protestors outside of Borders Book Store in Thousand Oaks ranged from the boilerplate “Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho, the Minutemen have got to go” to an angry “Racists go home” to an even more creative “Down with the geriatric fascist.”

And what was all the commotion about?

Jim Gilchrist, founder of the highly controversial anti-illegal immigration group, the Minuteman Project, was about to make a book-signing appearance at the store. The Minutemen, considered by many to be vigilantes, have made headlines by organizing civilian patrols of the U.S.-Mexico border. Gilchrist’s new book, co-authored by Jerome Corsi, Minutemen: The Battle to Secure America’s Borders, is a first-hand account of the authors’ views on what they consider America’s lax immigration policies. [snip[

Despite the heated rhetoric, the book signing and protest concluded without altercation. Osmond felt the demonstration was a success and was encouraged by what he felt was an “energetic turnout.” --By STEPHANIE KINNEAR, Ventura County Reporter

Also reporting:
Petition Online to stop illegal aliens from Protect Our Borders
Senator Frist for breakfast, stickNstein
stickNstein, Environmentalists jump up on the wall….and they should…
Common Sense America, Illegal Immigration: Another American Family Torn Apart
The Uncooperative Blogger, Dead Aliens Still Cost US Taxpayers and DHS Trying to Hide the Truth From Congress on the Border
Common Sense America, Illegal Immigration: Mexico Warns United States
Red Hot Cuppa Politics, Onion Growers Crying Over Lack Of Labor
The Amboy Times, Feds Sued For Murders By Illegal Alien
stickNstein, The Wall Bill passes 71-28…..now the employers(the real issue) and Illegals with fraudulent documents stopped at Army Base

**This was a production of The Coalition Against Illegal Immigration (CAII). If you would like to participate, please go to the above link to learn more. Afterwards, email the coalition and let me know at what level you would like to participate.**

Zawahiri broadcast 9/29/06, roll tape

The new Zawahiri tape has been delivered, broadcast and is being scrutinized by intelligence officials. Zawahiri says United States President George W. Bush is a "deceitful charlatan" and says "be aware that the liberation of our captives is a debt on our shoulders which we must fulfill, with Allah's help and power".

He questions his motives for initating the War in Iraq, ridiculing the false prexets under which it was conducted. To this end he cites the purported links of Saddam Hussein to al-Qaeda, and the presence of weapons of mass destruction. He also addresses the capture of Khalid Shaikh Muhammad and questions that if it helped in the "war on terror" then “why are your troops retreating in secrete from the south and east of Afghanistan?... Bush...be aware that the liberation of our captives is a debt on our shoulders which we must fulfill”. Other individuals who have been captured, such as Ramzi Yusef, Omar Abdul Rahman (the "Blind Sheikh") and Abu al-Faraj al-Libi are also cited.

In the Arabic portion, Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri discusses the issue of the Pope Benedict XVI's slanderous comments to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, by prefacing such attacks as beginning with the Satanic Verses of Salmon Rushdie, followed by desecration of the Qur'an at Guantanamo Bay, and banning of the hijab in French schools. He states that the current pope is reminiscent of Pope Urban II, who "provoked the people of Europe to fight the Muslims" in the Crusades. Zawahiri disregards Christinaity due to its "supersitions" and alleged irrationality, but avers that Muslims are not enemies of Jesus as Pope Urban II claimed. On the pope's comments directly, Zawahiri adds: "if Benedict attacked us, we will respond to his insults with good things. We will call upon him, and all of the Christians to become Muslims who do not recognize the Trinity or the crucifixion, and say that Allah united with the human." SITE

It sounds like Zawahiri has been listening to the Democrats talking points, doesn't it?

"And be aware, you deceitful charlatan, that you are not facing individuals or organizations, but rather are facing the Muslim nation in which the spirit of Jihad flows and which refuses humiliation under Zionist/Crusader arrogance" he says. source

The SITE Institute (Search for International Terrorist Entities Institute), which monitors terrorists' online activities, announced the Ayman al-Zawahiri tape in advance of it's release. As-Sahab productions, al-Qaeda's media production group, reports Zawahiri's topic will be the September 12, 2006 remarks by Pope Benedict XVI on Islam, U.S. President George W. Bush, and Sudan's Darfur region. It has been less than a month since Zawahiri's last tape, September 11, 2005. source

Reports of Osama Bin Laden's death last week have yet to be proven or disproved. The report that he died of Typhoid Fever did seem strange, since it can easily be treated with antibiotics. We have not seen him on video since he appeared on Al Jazeera on October 29, 2004, just before the November elections in the U.S.

... and even if untreated it is fatal in less than 20 percent of cases, according to the U.S. government’s Center for Disease Control. And if Saudi intelligence officials did have information about bin Laden’s death, they probably would pass it on to American intelligence officials. That reportedly did not happen. source

The Taliban says that Osama Bin Laden is alive and well, living outside of Afghanistan. Well, how do they know, let's aske them for some proof, heh.

The Dubai-based al-Arabiya television, monitored in Beirut, Tuesday quoted Taliban spokesman Mohammed Hanif as saying "the brothers in al-Qaida say that bin Laden is alive and what they said is true."

The presumed Taliban spokesman told al-Arabiya in a telephone interview that bin Laden was outside Afghanistan. source

The much publicized NIE report, after reading the declassified portions, come to the conclusion that al-Qaeda is 'damaged' and 'scattered' and 'if the jihadists are perceived to have failed [in Iraq], "we judge fewer fighters will be inspired to carry on the fight"'. The report suggests that killing or capturing bin Laden, Zawahiri and Zarqawi would help. Of course since the report was finished Zarqawi was killed. One down, two more to go. More on the report from Aljazeera if you're interested.

Condi Rice gave an interview to the New York Times and here is one of her comments:

The first point that I would make is that it should be no surprise to anyone that as you choose to confront terrorists in a pretty aggressive and offensive way, that they will do everything that they can to fight back, including finding new sources and new excuses for recruitment. That should surprise no one. So at one point, the excuse for recruitment was our forces in Saudi Arabia. You need to know that of course, al-Qaida makes no distinction between the war in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq in their recruiting. They have even tried to latch on to what may be attitudes about Sudan. source

Muslims say that the Koran (Quran) teaches peace, love and acceptance of others, but Osama Bin Laden said, "Death is better than living on this Earth with the unbelievers among us", from "How do the terrorists justify terror?"

U.S. Port Security May Pass in Congress

Congress may have reached a tentative agreement on United States port security legislation, which outlines steps to protect the nation's 361 ports from what could be catastrophic attacks from chemical, biological or nuclear devices. The proposed legislation could be voted on today, Friday, as members try to rush through as much legislation as they can before heading home.

The bill, said Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, chairwoman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, "will make a real difference to the security of our country." Democrats, while lauding the measures taken in the bill, said it didn't go far enough, stressing that the nation wouldn't be safe until all 11 million cargo containers that enter the nation every year are inspected. All containers should be inspected as they are loaded at overseas ports, said Rep. Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat. "By the time they reach American ports it is too late." Democrats were also upset that the final version apparently would drop provisions in the original Senate bill that approved US$4.5 billion for rail and mass transit security. They pointed to terrorist attacks on rail systems in London, Madrid, Spain, and Bombay, India, as evidence of the vulnerability of American railways. [snip]

It would require the nation's 22 largest ports, which handle 98 percent of all cargo entering the country, to install radiation detectors by the end of next year. source

Congress seems to forget that the much aligned Dubai Ports World deal would have checked every container before it left ports headed to the U.S. That deal was turned down by folks afraid of Dubai Ports World's connection to the Arab world. Dubai Ports World promised Congress it would sell off its interests in American terminals to an American company within 6 months, but has asked for an extenion of 6 weeks for that deal to go through.

Iraq today

Iraq, and not the overall war on terror, seems to be the rally point for Democrats as we near the November elections. Granted, things could certainly be better in the 4 regions where the terrorists seem to be active. We don't hear much about the rest of the country, which seems to be doing quite well.

The bad news, a quarter of a million Iraqis have fled their homes and registered as refugees in the past seven months, data released on Thursday showed, amid an upsurge in violence that has accompanied the Ramadan holy month. I thought Ramadan was supposed to be a month of fasting, prayer and peace. Moqtada al-Sadr is continuing to be nothing but trouble. According to one general, the U.S. military will be changing the way they deal with him and his Mehdi Army. I think Sadr should have been dealt with at the very beginning.

The sectarian killing continued in Baghdad, where police said they had found the bodies of 40 victims -- bound, tortured and murdered -- in the last 24 hours. [snip] . . . a surge in death squad killings since February by militants within the Mehdi Army of cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, including some who had become "rogue" and were no longer under Sadr's control.

The death squads have been seeking out victims using lists of targets and placing them before clerics who give religious sanction to their killings, . . . source

The United States and Britain believe that Iran is providing munitions to the terrorists in Iraq. A 'senior U.S. military official' in a briefing with journalists in Baghdad on Wednesday:

He estimated that Iran has sent "millions of dollars" to the Mehdi Army militia of Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, . . .

Iranian weapons found in Iraq include surface-to-air missiles and anti-tank rockets like those used by Hezbollah in Lebanon against
Israel, as well as tank-destroying Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) that have become common in roadside bombs used to attack U.S. and British troops.

But the official gave far more detail, and said the latest weapons finds -- including explosives bearing factory stamps indicating they come from Iran -- show that the policy of arming Iraqi militia is supported at high levels in Iran and not the work of rogue Iranian operatives. source

Saddam's trial has become a joke and as long as he continues to have a platform the people of Iraq still fear he may one day gain control and power over them again. Saddam's lawyers are boycotting the trial 'to protest alleged violations of judicial procedures and the removal of the original chief judge, Abdullah al-Amiri'.

Al-Amiri — who was replaced last week by his deputy, Mohammed Oreibi al-Khalifa — was accused of being too soft on Saddam.

Al-Khalifa appointed replacement lawyers so the trial could continue. source

Some good news, Iraq's Central Criminal Court has convicted and sentenced 22 'insurgents', incuding men from Syria, Yemen, France, Lebanon, and Iraq. 'Since its establishment in April 2004, the Central Criminal Court has held 1,537 trials for suspected insurgents. The proceedings have resulted in 1,309 convictions with sentences ranging up to death.'

Al-Qaeda in Iraq has called for more fighters, saying 4,000 had been killed. That figure is probably very low. Their leader says they are 'in dire need' of more fighters.

Al-Qaida in Iraq's leader, in a chilling audiotape released Thursday, called for nuclear scientists to join his group's holy war and urged insurgents to kidnap Westerners so they could be traded for a blind Egyptian sheik who is serving a life sentence in a U.S. prison.

The fugitive terror chief said experts in the fields of "chemistry, physics, electronics, media and all other sciences — especially nuclear scientists and explosives experts" should join his group's jihad, or holy war, against the West.

"We are in dire need of you," said the speaker, who identified himself as Abu Hamza al-Muhajir — also known as Abu Ayyub al-Masri. source

Not that I put any faith in the United Nations, but they say that al-Qaeda activity in Iraq will decrease. More good news from Jordan, where a 'Jordanian military court sentenced two Jordanian militants to three and five years in prison on Wednesday for trying to slip into Iraq via Syria to fight the U.S. military'.

In New York, 'an Iraqi Kurd was charged after a sting operation involving a bogus plot to kill a Pakistani diplomat'.

Yassin Aref, 36, took the stand for the second day in his federal trial after a security expert had testified on Wednesday that Aref met with known terrorists while he worked at the Islamic Movement of Kurdistan.

Aref and co-defendant Mohammed Hossain, 51, are charged with conspiring to help an
FBI informant launder $50,000 from the sale of a shoulder-fired missile in a U.S. sting based on false plans to assassinate Pakistan's U.N. ambassador in New York.

Both are charged with conspiring to provide material support to the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed, which is classified as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department. source

China National Petroleum Corp has signed an oil agreement with Iraq's Ahdab oilfield and expects output to increase from 30,000 barrels per day (bpd) to full capacity of 90,000 over two years. Russia is prepared to start work at the giant West Qurna oilfield if a deal with Baghdad can be worked out. This is all encouraging news.

Don't forget that the Kurdish region of Iraq is peaceful, growing, and enjoying commercial success. They have bee providing their own security and doing a great job. They would have no problem splitting off from the rest of Iraq. A three-way split is seriously being considered by many in Iraq. Time will tell.

A Game: Name that religious extremist

Try this fun quiz (answers at the bottom)

Name that religious extremist

. . . pick which quote goes with which source: Al-Qaida’s Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, or Topeka’s Westboro Baptist Church leader Fred Phelps.

It’s harder than you’d think. Here are the quotes:
A) “Death is better than living on this earth with the unbelievers among us, making a mockery of our religion.”
B) “Stay tuned — it won’t be long and you will have so many dead bodies . . . that you won’t be able to bury them.”
C) “Regardless of how the world has changed after (Sept. 11), ‘Death to America’ will remain our reverberating and powerful slogan: Death to America.”
D) “The world and the United States of America . . . in particular, have deeply corrupted themselves and incurred the wrath of God.”
E) “Your doomed destiny will be annihilation, misfortune and abjectness.”
F) “God hates the U.S.A. and America is doomed.”
G) “The Bush presidency was a bunch of cocky fools. . . . They threw themselves, their people and their nation into a sea of fire from which they are uselessly trying to secure themselves.”

Answers: A) Bin Laden, B) Phelps, C) Nasrallah, D) Phelps, E) Ahmadinejad, F) Phelps, G) Zawahiri. WE Blog

A must read article at BlogBat, "Here’s the Official ACLU Wheel of Torture... Some fun from the humor-in-truth file -- Uncovered from the secret vaults of the ACLU" Go read it, you will laugh but you will also be informed at the insanity of the left.

Also see "Who Said It -- Al Gore or the Unabomber?" for more fun.