Feelings, (nothing more than?) feelings ...

The terror attacks and trials in the UK have implications for the United States. An al Qaeda cell is on its way to the United States, or may already be here. Hamas has been inside the U.S. for 45 years. Hezbollah, al-Qaeda, and who knows how many other terrorists groups have cells inside the United States already. We've spent BILLIONS on Homeland Security, and today Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff is having "feelings."

With the rush of Ayman al-Zawahiri tapes in the last few weeks, it doesn't take a rumbling gut to know that al-Qaeda would love to strike us and that they always have plans in the works.

Today's video from Ayman al Zawahiri was only 4 minutes, 24 seconds long, and was released with English subtitles and an English transcript. Zawahiri was inviting the Pakistanis to join the fight for the Ummah and turn against Musharraf and his hunting dogs (military). (Laura Mansfield and MEMRI)

Zawahiri's short and long term plan:

Al-Zawahiri ends the video by mapping out a two-part strategy. The short-term plan involves targeting "Crusader-Jewish interests … in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine and Somalia and everywhere we are able to strike their interests." The long-term plan is to change the "corrupt and corrupting" regimes in the Muslim world once the crusaders and Jews have been defeated and can no longer support these regimes. (StratFor)

Zawahiri has released at least three videos in the last few weeks. The quick turn-around between current events and the airing of videos, shows us that Zawahiri may not be in that proverbial cave with Osama bin Laden. In the past, it seemed to take weeks to get a video from production to air-time. Not any more. But as Zawahiri told us himself, he has access himself to internet. The July 4, As-Sahab production video of Zawahiri was comprised of "a number of short audio and video cameos of other people to underscore the points al-Zawahiri is attempting to make." StratFor called it "a jihadist version of "The Daily Show."

The 'take-away' from the July 4 Zawahiri tape was his opinion that the problems jihadists were having are caused by "lack of unity." They have Islamic State of Iraq, Hamas, Hezbollah, (Fatah?), and on and on.

During the video, al-Zawahiri not only calls for unity among the jihadists and nationalists in Iraq, he also tries to reach out to the Palestinians, Shia, Arab nationalists and Kurdish nationalists. (StratFor)

In the July 10 video, "he threatens the United Kingdom for knighting author Salman Rushdie." The June 25 video was actually an audio with a still shot of Zawahiri

SocalPundit on Iraq:

It would appear that Democrat leaders are undaunted by their recent failure in passing law that would cut off funds to the war in Iraq. Today, with the help of 6 B.A. Republicans, they almost succeeded in passing from debate a measure that make it next to impossible for the military to sustain current force levels. The details of this failed bill are irrelevant. [snip]

To Olympia Snowe (the latest B.A. Republican) and all the rest I say, Aw, nuts!

In Israel:

On August 14, 2007 an election with worldwide ramifications will be held in Israel.

The Likud Party will be holding it's election for Party Chairman. This Chairman will also be the candidate who will run for Prime Minister of Israel from the Likud at the next General Election, which will probably be held within months.

As all current polls are showing that the Likud will produce the next Prime Minister, in essence, this vote is to determine who the next Prime Minister of the State of Israel will be

There are only 2 candidates vying for this position - Moshe Feiglin and Benjamin Netanyahu, and they have wildly differing viewpoints. (source)

UK Muslims say "Not in our name", (source) and in the next breath they say, "that if the Government and “some police officers and sections of the media” continued to “demonise Muslims… Britain will have to deal with two million Muslim terrorists, 700,000 of them in London”. Now that sounds fishy.

On Chertoff, here's what blogs are saying:

'TO BUSH ADMINSTRATION and CONGRESS: How about some border security? Shut it down now, at least until Chertoff's gut tells him its OK again. ' Stormwarning's Counterterrorism Blog

Chertoff Should be Fired., 911 Blogger

Chertoff's Gut: Al-Qaeda Could Strike This Summer, Wired

"what color code in the Homeland Security Advisory System is associated with a 'gut feeling?' What sectors should be on alert as a result of your “gut feeling?”, The Raw Story

Media Monarchy:

"There continues to be no credible, specific intelligence to suggest that there is an imminent threat to the homeland," White House spokesman Tony Fratto said.

"There is no emergency meeting," he said.

Odds and Ends:

VIDEO: Radical Islam's Exploitation Of The Internet

The Democrats are pushing to cut funding to Israel.

Al Qaeda Promises Attack in UK and US

Los Angeles Times publishes Hamas propaganda, No More Spin

Al-Qaeda on the Run: Feasting on the Moveable Beast, Michael Yon

Old Sunlight vs Ancient Sunlight -An Analysis of Home Heating and Wood, The Oil Drum
_________________________________________________________
Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, Perri Nelson's Website, Blog @ MoreWhat.com, The Virtuous Republic, Rosemary's Thoughts, DeMediacratic Nation, Jeanette's Celebrity Corner, Webloggin, Stuck On Stupid, Leaning Straight Up, Cao's Blog, The Amboy Times, Diary of the Mad Pigeon, third world county, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, Blue Star Chronicles, Planck's Constant, Dumb Ox Daily News, Right Voices, The Yankee Sailor, and Public Eye, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Comments

[Thomas F Anderson]

Freedom Now said, "Have you ever thought that the Democrats want another attack to happen?(See how silly Tom's ranting is?)"

To answer your question, yes I have. Democrats can profit from war just as easily. And when I say Democrats, I don't mean just the politicians, I mean Democrats with power, influence, and money.

I don't think Republicans or Democrats sit around trying to plot evil, but I do believe they think of ways to take advantage of situations. And when I say "take advantage", I mean exploit a situation at the expense of others to suit their interests (which is usually money).

LBJ and his cronies were bad, Nixon and his cronies even worse. The verdict is still out on GWB.

Incompetence doesn't discriminate. Republicans and Democrats have already proven that.

By the way, I am and always will be an independent. And yes, independents can be just as incompetent.

If you visit my website, you will get an idea of what it means to be non-partisan.

For more of my views concerning the original post "Feelings, (nothing more than?) feelings," please read the following:
http://the-independent13.blogspot.com/2007/07/war-on-terror-fear-campaign-montage.html

[Freedom Now]

Have you ever thought that the Democrats want another attack to happen?

(See how silly Tom's ranting is?)

[Stormwarning]

PS: I meant Mr. Anderson, not Mr. Friedman.

[Debbie]

Good example Michael. We allow this type of fund raising on our college campuses, in the communities, mosques. This should be stopped.

Thanks for your comments and contribution to the discussion D. OX, Thomas F Anderson, Stormwarning.

[michael]

Debbie:
You said: Hamas has been inside the U.S. for 45 years.
--

I attended the Dearborn campus of University of Michigan in the mid 90's, and I remember one "multicultural" even at which there was a table dedicated to collecting donations for the "resistance in palestine."

Some discreet inquiries at that table (I didn't let on that I'm Jewish!) revealed that everyone there was a member of Hamas...

[Stormwarning]

OK, Mr. Friedman, now you get one: "That's plain dumb." Start from one point. NO ONE wants another attack. You could ask if the Democrats want to see the dominoes fall in the Middle East by a precipitous withdrawal from Iraq (Iraqi Interruptus).

A few more points:

1) I never thought that Chertoff was the right man for the job;

2) I think he's an idiot for expressing his "gut feelings."

3) There are Intel reports that al Qaeda has had time to reconstitute itself along the invisible, non-existent Afghan-Pak border.

4) If an attack doesn't happen now, it will happen now (or tomorrow, or next week or next month)...its simply a matter of time

5) Sept. 11th may have been a "perfect storm" but it doesn't have to happen again to still be a devastating attack

6) Wannabee jihadists (some would call them the start-ups of terror) can claim inspiration from bin Laden and still not be connected to al Qaeda

7) think IRA tactics

Want more? Read my blog sometime later today...[when I actually have time to finish the post I already started writing].

[Thomas F Anderson]

Has it ever occurred to anyone that the Neocons might want another attack to happen? Just a thought...

[D. Ox]

At the risk of breaking into a Barry Manilow song (... "Feelings...wao,..wao...wao feeeeelings") we just have to recognize that we are at a diseased stage of civilization when our "leaders" reason like chimps.