Right Truth

Iran and Al-Qaeda Source of Growing Terror in Yemen

Iran and Al-Qaeda Source of Growing Terror in Yemen

via Realite EU

New evidence indicates that both Iran and al-Qaeda are exploiting Yemen as a base for increasing terror against the west and Saudi Arabia.

Yemeni forces embarked this week on a full-scale military campaign to eradicate the al-Qaeda’s network in the conflict-ridden country after reports surfaced that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the suspect in the failed attempt to blow up a passenger airline en route to Detroit from Amsterdam on Dec. 25, received training and explosives for the attack from an al-Qaeda cell in Yemen.[1]

Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attempted airliner bombing as retaliation for an operation against the group’s Yemen-based cell.[2]

Another connection to al-Qaeda’s Yemen network surfaced last month when it was discovered that Maj. Nidal Malik Hassan, the Fort Hood shooter that killed 13 on Nov. 5 at the Texas military compound, was in E-mail communication with Anwar Al-Awlaki, a radical Islamic cleric in Yemen with ties to al-Qaeda.^[3]

At least two former terror suspects released from Guantanamo Bay in November 2007 are in Yemen commanding al-Qaeda operations.[4]

Despite al-Qaeda’s Sunni orientation of Islam, the terrorist group has a tendency to align itself with former enemies, such as the al-Houthis.[5] Allegedly, hundreds of al-Qaeda terrorists are descending on Yemen from around the globe and the majority of the terrorist group’s resources are now allocated there.[6] 

Yemen has evolved as a hub for al-Qaeda activity in the Gulf and is the birthplace of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden’s father.[7] In October 2000, al-Qaeda Islamists in Yemen attacked the U.S. navy ship USS Cole, killing 17 U.S. servicemen.[8]

Iran, another former al-Qaeda enemy turned ally, is also increasing its activities in Yemen.

Arab and Egyptian sources reveled that intelligence agencies in the region report a secret meeting in Yemen took place in November between high-level officials from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps, Hezbollah and the Yemen-based Shia al-Houthi militants to plan and coordinate a new strategy for escalating the Saudi-Yemen border conflict.[9]

This secret meeting is perhaps the most compelling evidence to date of Iran’s direct logistical, financial and military support of the al-Houthi militants.[10]

Yemen’s National Security Chief Ali Muhammad Al-Anesi confirmed “Iran supports the Houthi rebels in Saada financially, politically and through the media,”[11] in an interview with Al-Hayat at the Manama Dialogue security summit in Bahrain on Dec. 15.

Al-Ansi also questioned why Iran has yet to condemn the conflict, asking if Iran really isn’t party to the insurgency along the Yemen-Saudi border, Tehran should have condemned it.[12] He also accused the al-Qaeda Islamist group of supporting the al-Houthi efforts to destabilize the Yemeni government.[13]

The Iran - Al-Qaeda Connection

·  Iran became a safe haven for senior al-Qaeda officials who left Afghanistan in 2001 and has since been a thoroughfare for al-Qaeda members in transit to operative locations throughout the Middle East.[14]

·  Asharq Al-Awsat recently revealed that the wife of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, his six children and 11 grandchildren have been living in Iran since 2001.[15] Their captivity has prevented al-Qaeda attacks on Iranian soil.[16]

·  In November 2008, security officials intercepted a letter written by bin Laden’s son Saad, thanking Iran for "monetary and infrastructure assistance” in carrying out a double car bombing on the American embassy in Yemen that killed 16.[17] Signed by al-Qaeda’s second in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, the letter lauds Iran’s Revolutionary Guards for aiding al-Qaeda establish a Yemen network and Tehran’s “vision” for assisting the organization set up new terror bases throughout Yemen after cells in Iraq and Saudi Arabia were forced to disband.[18]

Iran-backed Shia al-Houthi Militants

Iran is sparking the violence in northern Yemen through its political and military support of the al-Houthi militants, a Shia offshoot sect within the Zaidi movement.[19] Since 2004, the Iran-backed Shia al-Houthi militants have been fighting against the Yemeni government, but the conflict has now reached a boiling point.[20]  On Nov. 15, Yemen's counter-terrorism Chief General Yahya Salih told Al-Jazeera in an interview that “there is no doubt” that Iran is supporting and financing the Houthi proxy war against the government of Yemen.[21]  

The militant group is named after Hussein Al-Houthi, an Al-Haq party representative in the Yemeni parliament from 1993 to 1997, who sought to overtake the government due to its alliance with the United States.[22] The Yemeni government alleges that the militant group seeks to establish an independent Shiite state in northern Yemen.[23]

This conflict consists of sectarian strife between Yemen’s Sunni Muslim majority and its Shia minority.[24] Shia Muslims comprise the majority of Iran’s total population (90-95 percent) and nearly 40 percent of Yemen’s population is Shia.[25]

While this conflict has not been heavily reported in the Western media, the Arab press has been increasingly critical Iran’s interference, pointing to further disquiet about Iran’s hegemonic ambitions in the region.[26]

Iran Threatening Yemen’s Sovereignty

·  The Yemeni Navy seized an Iranian ship on Oct. 26 off of Yemen’s northwestern coast in the Red Sea, carrying anti-tank missiles intended for the Houthi militants.[27] Government sources also revealed that the five Iranian crewmen aboard the ship were weapons experts.[28]

·  Iranian Fourth Fleet’s presence in the Gulf of Aden facilitates the Islamic Republic to increase its weapon smuggling operations to terrorist groups and Shia Islamists in Yemen and in Somalia, according to experts in an interview with the Egyptian government weekly Akhbar Al-Yaum.[29] Experts also said that Iran was smuggling weapons to Yemen via Eretria.[30]

·  On Oct. 19, the President of Yemen Ali Abdullah Salih accused certain Iranian dignitaries of funding the proxy war fought by the Houthi militants and of trying to create a “Shiite zone” along the Yemen-Saudi border; adding that the militants “have been trained in the same manner followed by Hezbollah in south Lebanon."[31]

·  Sheikh Abdul Majid al-Zandani, the head of Yemen's Imam University, said "The way events are moving in this country latest indicates to us that Iran wants to export the Shia ideology by force, which we utterly reject."[32]

Gulf Countries Deride Iran’s Proxy War

Iran’s role is arming the northern Yemenite minority is now threatening neighboring Saudi Arabia, forcing the Kingdom’s involvement in the conflict.[33] Saudi Arabia imposed a naval blockade in the Red Sea on Nov. 10 to prevent Iran from attempting to ship additional weapons to militants in northern Yemen.[34]

Referencing Saudi Arabia’s involvement, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki warned "Those who pour oil on the fire must know that they will not be spared from the smoke that billows."[35]

Iran’s proxy war against the government of Yemen, along the border of Saudi Arabia is forcing Arab leaders to speak out. Egypt’s Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said on Oct. 4 "We reject... any kind of rebellion and we reject any foreign interference [in Yemen]. Egypt is wholly supporting - with all its power and capabilities - its sister Yemen."[36]

Hezbollah Aiding Militants: Striking Similarities between Militia Groups in South Lebanon and Yemen

In a March 28 interview with the London daily al-Hayat, Salih said “Lebanese Hezbollah activists are giving wide-scale aid to the Al-Khawthi group in Yemen. They are providing military and logistics training: The Al-Khawthis received training from a number of specialists and entities associated with Hezbollah, in assembling bombs, mines and explosives.”[37]

Head of the Sanaa-based Future Studies Centre Fares al-Sakkaf says that similarities exist between the Huthi militants and the Iran-backed group Hezbollah. Both are military wings with a political branch.[38]

On Nov. 16, the Shiite militants in Yemen claimed they launched a Katyusha rocket in their attack at on a Saudi military base.[39]

The Katyusha rocket is the primary weapon Iran provides to Hezbollah. The Lebanese-based Iran proxy group is in possession of more than 40,000 Katyusha rockets.[40]

Hezbollah receives substantial amounts of financial, training, weapons, explosives, political, diplomatic, and organizational aid from Iran and Syria. Iran probably provides financial and military assistance worth about $25-50 million. Hezbollah is closely allied with, and often directed by, Iran, but has the capability and willingness to act independently.[41]

---

Footnotes below the fold.

Arise, Alley Cats, Arise!

Arise, Alley Cats, Arise!

By R.J. Godlewski

© December 31, 2009, All Rights Reserved.

“I learned years ago that predators don’t like to hunt people who hunt predators. Having people piss in their pants when they see you is a good way to insure a tranquil existence”,  Daniel.  SECRETS OF STREET SURVIVAL – ISRAELI STYLE: STAYING ALIVE IN A CIVILIAN WAR ZONE by Eugene Sockut, Pg. 12.

    A new dawning is upon us and quaint thoughts of giving are quickly fading into expectations of halfhearted resolutions. Regardless, our future is no less dangerous than the year that is concluding today as I write these very words. Our world is merely a fuse along which our individual lives burn with varying degrees of intensity. Whether we, as individuals, reach the charge that will detonate everything we know into a million infinitesimal pieces is impossible to know.

    In his informative book, Eugene Sockut reminds us that “Alley cats assume anything living is an enemy, and even when proven wrong, still keep a high state of alert just in case” – this is why alley cats are nature’s perennial survivors. We humans could learn a thing or two from these otherwise vagrant animals.

    Two thousand and ten promises to be a pivotal year in all of our lives. Unless enough citizens intercede, our federal government will assume responsibility for our healthcare, the brutal terrorists detained down at Guantanamo Bay will arrive in America’s heartland (some will work legal magic just blocks away from Ground Zero), and our economy will continue to accelerate into bankruptcy under the weight of unsustainable national debts. Add to these representative concerns a mid-term election and we can expect another round of political bickering, ignored promises, and gratuitous representation from our chosen officials.

    Amidst calls for a new political party, I see al-Qaeda terrorists probing our defenses. Amidst calls for national healthcare, I see radical Islamists nearing the possession of nuclear weapons. Amidst calls for a “kinder, gentler” America, I see our enemies train to become more brutal and arbitrary in their actions. Instead of independent alley cats, we have become a bunch of pussies.

    If there is one thought that you need to consider for the coming twelve months, it is that our federal government has become an aider and abettor to our enemies. President Barack Obama has assumed the role of an Alfonso “The Big Fella” Capone – untouchable, thriving upon a carefully crafted ambiance of personal appeal. He cares very little about the wake of destruction in his path, his “image” and perceived deeds are all that matter; not the innocent lives his compatriots extinguish carrying out his personal desires. Attorney General Eric Holder has done a great job of cloning both “Pretty Boy” Floyd and John Dillinger into one indigestible figure. His well-groomed looks and “boyish” mannerisms craftily mask a genuinely arrogant personality.

    As for Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano – well, let us just say that it would be to our mutual advantage if she parroted Ma Barker in more than just appearances. Not even the Bonnie Parker-wannabe Hillary Clinton is aggressive enough to admit the existence of global terrorists much less speak of the need to single out radical Islam as the world’s preeminent threat to survival.

    This brooding clan of amateurish felines in Washington simply wish to ape the more pacifist aspects of New Testament Christianity by turning all four cheeks towards our enemies and attempting to forgive them for placing us upon our impending crucifixion, but even Christ knew that there was no greater love than to defend one’s friends to the death. The Obama Administration is not defending us in the least. If anything, they are simply reminding us of the comical Simpsons episode in which the Springfield “brainiest” thought they could better manage society to the exclusion of those bred with common sense. Let’s hope that our ‘show’ does not end in such disaster.

    Alley cats survive because they are far more alert and express more genuine common sense than any other breed of animal. They can sniff out a threat from a mile away even while lazily sunning themselves on the neighborhood fence. My family once possessed something of a reasonable facsimile – Seymour, a mangy white feline who himself possessed a rather nasty scar along his left eye incurred from fighting a much larger canine opponent who tried to attack our other cat, Smoky. Seymour 1, Dog 0 – it spent a week in the animal hospital being stitched back together. In comparison, President Obama reminds me more of Marmaduke – except that Marmaduke is lovable.

    President Obama’s administration simply wants to euthanize his entire constituency. They want to appease our enemies, bankrupt our nation, and propel us into the laughingstock of the entire planet. Our illustrious president – “the One” – has done nothing more than illustrate the stereotypical, urbane and hip Ivy leaguer who, as in the Simpsons Mensa episode, is far too smart to explain his actions to us mere mortals.

    As for myself, I prefer to emulate good ol’ Seymour. I never leave my house without my trusty Taurus .45 OSS stocked with Hornady TAPs and at least one spare magazine. For home perimeter defense, I prefer an AK-74 for distance and my AKMS armed with super incendiaries for anything that broaches this zone. Should anyone survive this encounter, there are always the shotguns.  Of course, firearms are often a last line of defense. Therefore, I consider my best weapon to be my personal library where I study my enemy in a manner that would turn Sun-tzu green with envy. I study explosives, psychology, physics, chemistry, electronics, cyber warfare, economics and finance, as well as geography and languages. Add to these modern studies the heritage of farmers and gamekeepers and a childhood growing up on an island and I instinctively know the needs and lessons of hunting, fishing, hiking, camouflage, and other field craft most others only learn through the big screen and Blu-Ray discs.

    That I am a scrapper makes very little difference, however. I am but an inconsequential speck in God’s infinite universe. I do what I do because it is what He intended for me to be. Laugh if you want, but when God spoke to me, I listened. I cannot “prove” His visitation but the evidence is far stronger than that purported for manmade Global Warming – you just will have to look for it yourself. I do not substantiate anymore than I explain. It’s called faith and it’s more powerful than any adversary, any doctrine, and any piece of artificial legislation on the planet. Yet, again, it’s not about me. The future rests in your hands.

    Do you possess the life of an alley cat within your own soul? Are you prepared to fight like hell against any adversary? Are you more confident in your own abilities than those transient authorities charged with protecting us are? When confronted, will you act like lovable – if unsightly – Seymour and fight like hell even against much larger opponents? Or are you just another pussy like that inhabiting Washington? If you do not decide in 2010, you will never have an opportunity in 2011. Short fuses warrant quick responses.

Have a Happy and Safe New Year! R.J.

Morning News Roundup

Here's a quick roundup of morning news.  It's a crazy world out there friends.

Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei loves caviar and vulgar jokes, defector claims

A defector from the private guard of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader, has given the first comprehensive account of the private life of the secretive figure who has led the country for 20 years. (continue)

Interpol: The International Enforcement Arm of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Andy McCarthy asks an important question about President Obama’s notorious order to grant immunity to agents of Interpol: “Why Does Interpol Need Immunity from American Law?”

Being constrained by the Fourth Amendment, FOIA, and other limitations of the Constitution and federal law that protect the liberty and privacy of Americans is what prevents law-enforcement and its controlling government authority from becoming tyrannical.

2009 Chickens and their 2010 Roost

by Victor Davis Hanson

http://townhall.com/columnists/VictorDavisHanson/2009/12/31/2009_chickens_and_their_2010_roost

Unrest in Iran: The Vindication of George W. Bush

by Larry Elder

Immigrant Investor Program Offers A Green Card

NPR - ‎2 hours ago‎

Foreigners can get a quick green card if they invest between $50000 and $1 million in an American business — and can show it created 10 jobs. ...

Bloggers Subpoenaed After Security Memo Posted Online

As the government reviews how an alleged terrorist was able to bring a bomb onto a U.S.-bound plane and try to blow it up on Christmas Day, the Transportation Security Administration is trying to find out who leaked a security directive to bloggers.

TSA special agents served subpoenas to travel bloggers Steve Frischling and Chris Elliott, demanding that they reveal who leaked the security directive to them. The government says the directive was not supposed to be disclosed to the public.

Source – Read Full Article

 

San Francisco: America’s homegrown anarchic totalitarianism

 A quick, and personal, history of San Francisco’s decline from the 1960s to the present by Bookworm Room

More wealthy Chinese go for Green Card

China Daily - Shen Jingting - ‎Dec 24, 2009‎

The EB-5 visa for Immigrant Investors provides a method of obtaining a green card for foreign nationals who invest money in the United States. ...

More wealthy Chinese seek US green card UPI.com

President Tasks Postal Service to Distribute Countermeasures in Case of BioWeapon Attack, Bob McCarty

Rush Limbaugh admitted to Honolulu hospital

"Rush was admitted to and is resting comfortably in a Honolulu hospital today after suffering chest pains," the statement said. "Rush appreciates your prayers and well wishes and will keep you updated via rushlimbaugh.com and on his radio program." 

Rumors of Limbaugh's death are premature.  Wikipedia announced him dead.  Oops.  Wishful thinking on someone's part I presume.

The Interpol question, By Michelle Malkin

Last week, Steve Schippert at ThreatsWatch first raised questions about a White House executive order that appears to give Interpol immunity from American law.

See Steve’s full analysis here.

Andy McCarthy weighed in here with more questions:

Two-year-old raped and left to die because her father refused to convert to Islam

Over at Weasel Zippers Momma asks: "When will our President stand up for the rights of Christians all around the world?" Good question. I wonder if he will be able to stop praising Islam long enough even to consider doing such a thing. "Family flees 'horrific' abuse: Given asylum in Canada after couple's daughter was raped as toddler in Pakistan," by Tom Godfrey for the Toronto Sun, December 29 (thanks to Weasel Zippers):

A seven-year-old Pakistani girl and her family have been given asylum in Canada after reports the child was raped and left to die when her Christian father refused to convert to Islam.

The identities of Baby Neeha and her family are being protected by immigration officials, said human rights lawyer Chantal Desloges and One Free World International, a church that was instrumental in getting the family here.

(Click to enlarge, hat tip David)

"Information at post suggests subject may be involved with Yemen-based extremists," the cable from the diplomats in Abuja to Washington said"

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2009/12/31/2009-12-31_failure_to_communicate_bumbling_counterterror_agency_never_tried_to_follow_up_on.html#ixzz0bGpshkTt

California: Microstamping triggers backlash from gun industry

California regulators have approved far fewer semi automatic pistols for sale in the wake of a state law that required new safety devices in 2006 and 2007. Now, with a new bullet stamping law scheduled to take effect in 2010, the gun industry predicts it will introduce even fewer new models in California rather than install a device necessary to trace individual casings to a statewide database.

Read About It: The Sacramento Bee

Wanna be Xmas Plane Bomber was a Facebooker

Russia will save earth from the asteroid.

Though the Nigerian was linked to extremists in Yemen, an Al Qaeda hotbed, "his father never said he was a jihadist," explained one U.S. intelligence official. "Sometimes there is no smoking gun."

Counterterror agency never tried to follow up on Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab clues before Flight 253

BY James Gordon Meek
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2009/12/31/2009-12-31_failure_to_communicate_bumbling_counterterror_agency_never_tried_to_follow_up_on.html#ixzz0bGp8ylQY

The Ibbetson WrightRoad Victimization Index

The Ibbetson WrightRoad Victimization Index

    Turn on the television, switch on the radio, or open a magazine, and you are likely to hear a discussion on the continual victimization of one group or another based on race, religion, or gender at the very least. Centered within this narrative are the power-wielders with their thirst for absolute control, and the helpless victims that must continually gasp for air under the boot of domination. The Ibbetson WrightRoad Victimization Index offers an easy-to-understand guide to what happens when one group interacts with another, as well as a no-nonsense evaluation of how victimization works in the modern society.

    The victimization index owes its conception to the work of Houston radio talk show hosts Damon Rexroad and James Wright (www.conservativefunhouse.com.) Pondering the ramifications of interracial violence, they came up with a numerical system of understanding whether society would react with praise or punishment to an act of violence based on factors such as race, gender, religious/political affiliation, etc. I have been graciously allowed to extend and develop the theoretical foundations of this unique concept.  Before we observe and apply the victimization index, it is important to understand how victimization has come to be applied in this country.

    America is a very compassionate country. The United States has traditionally been marked by the unique spirit that includes a tendency to root for the underdog, naturally supporting the victims of oppression, against those who would look to dominate a lesser group or individual for their own self-seeking purposes. After all, the story of the throwing off of oppression is truly an American tale in itself. However, the American perspective on victimization versus the modern liberal highlights vast differences in perception. The founders of this country would have seen their position as victims of England’s oppression as a short-lived situation they would resolve, and not a life-long label to gain power through manipulation. 

    Unfortunately, the term victim today has been hijacked, and its true meaning altered from a descriptor of the oppressed to a label often used by counter culture, anti-biblical, special interest, and anti-American groups. The word itself—victim—now carries less of a connotation of helplessness and need for assistance, and is more often used to describe a position of power through entitlement. In this liberal scheme, the majority progressively becomes ruled by the minority. In short, to be labeled a member of a victimized group is to gain massive formal and informal power. The victimization index allows both for both positive and negative consequences. Formal consequences include the presence (or lack) of fines and prison sentences, and informal consequences can come from news articles, television stories, reactions from family and friends, etc.

    The victimization index is a numerical reflection of the modern liberal narrative of the most oppressed to the least oppressed and goes as follows:

1. Muslim Male
2. Gay/Lesbian
3. Black Male
4. Black Female
5. Hispanic Male
6. White Female
7. Hispanic Female
8. Muslim Female
9. White Male
10. Conservative

    From the index it is simple to determine the potential outcomes (formal and informal consequences) “based on individual-on-individual, (or group-on-group) interaction” by simply subtracting the index scores of the person who initiates an action with the person who receives the action. After subtracting the index scores, if the ending result is a positive score (+), the more positive the score, the more likely negative (formal and informal) consequences will take place. If the end result comes out to be a negative score, the more negative the score (-) the more likely positive (formal and informal) consequences will occur. The scoring is as easy as it is accurate. Let’s try a few examples and then readers can apply the victimization index as many times as needed to demonstrate its validity. How about when looking at border security, Jim Gilchrist, white male (9), calls for securing the border and creates the Minutemen Project that affects, among others, Hispanic males (5). Well, that’s 9-5=+4 which brings about negative informal consequences for Gilchrist such as being called a racist and being ambushed by radical liberals while giving university speeches.

    Let’s go the other way, Barack Obama, black male (3), disparages a Cambridge police officer, white male (9) with abusing his authority against a minority professor at a university. Here the math is 3-9=-6. Note we are over half way up the positive consequences scale. So, Obama does not receive the Nobel Peace Prize for falsely injecting racial conflict, but instead is allowed to have a beer-summit with all parties involved at the White House and is later described as a grand peacemaker. Conversely, Joe “the plumber,” white male (9), asks then candidate Barack Obama, black male (3), on the campaign trail a question about business taxes and a much different situation occurs. Sorry Joe, but 9-3=+6 and it’s time to turn your life upside down. When liberal activist Jeanine Garofalo accuses Rush Limbaugh of being the spiritual leader of a racist tea-bagger movement, no matter how you do the math (white female to conservative 6-10=-4 or lesbian to conservative 2-10=-8), Garofalo is guaranteed book deals and TV show appearance invitations. As a person begins to fully comprehend the victimization index, it becomes easier to answer questions of how an identified radical Muslin, like U.S. Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan, could continue to operate despite sending red flags to so many people in the military. It is not that Hasan adeptly fooled onlookers, it’s that few were in a rush to face the consequences of testing the index’s outer limits of being a white male or conservative to point the finger at today’s victim “king” in the Muslim male (10-1=+9 or 9-1=+8).   

    The simple truth, is you can do this all day with the same outcome; the numbers just don’t lie. The lowest rung on the index is the conservative (10), and it is important to note that all identity, (race, sex, religion, etc.) is taken away from this person. To be a conservative in the modern world of liberal victimization is to be all but faceless. The Ibbetson WrightRoad Victimization Index is not meant to provoke, rather to describe the world as it currently exists. As important as this current reality is the evidence that this index is in continual flux. If society has the capability to alter our conception of victimization then it must be possible, it must be within our ability to lift triumph over victimization, and success over failure. I not only believe Americans can do this, but I also see it as in our true nature to do so. These are the numbers I would prefer to add up in our country’s future. 

Paul A. Ibbetson is a former Chief of Police of Cherryvale, Kansas, and member of the Montgomery County Drug Task Force. Paul received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Criminal Justice at Wichita State University, and is currently completing his PhD. in sociology at Kansas State University. Paul is the author of the books Living Under The Patriot Act: Educating A Society and Feeding Lions: Sharing The Conservative Philosophy In A Politically Hostile World. Paul is also the radio host of the Kansas Broadcasting Association’s 2008 and 2009 Entertainment Program of the Year, Conscience of Kansas airing on KSDB Manhattan 91.9 f.m. www.ibbetsonusa.com. For interviews or questions, please contact ibbetson91.9@gmail.com

Obama, whose side are you on?

That is the question of the day for Obama from the Iranian protesters and from the American protesters.  Obama, whose side are you on?  Yes, I said American protesters, those of us who are against government takeover of private business and more right here in the United States. 

In Iran the anti-government protesters are out in the streets again but this time they are not alone.  The government has sent out hundreds of thousands of pro-government protesters to face down the opposition. God bless those in opposition of the Mullahs and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

"You should repent ... otherwise the system will confront you as a 'mohareb' (enemy of God)," cleric Ahmad Alamolhoda told a Tehran rally, directing his remarks at reformist leaders, state TV reported. Under Iran's sharia (Islamic law) the sentence for a mohareb is death.  (Reuters)

Pro-government rallies were staged in Shiraz, Arak, Qom and Tehran, among other cities. Demonstrators at a rally in Tehran chanted "Death to Mousavi." Some shouted "Rioter hypocrites must be executed" and held up a banner that read: "We sacrifice our blood for the supreme leader."

The government gave all civil servants and employees a day off to attend the rallies and organized buses to transport groups of schoolchildren and supporters from outlying rural areas to the protests.

Hard-line cleric Ahmad Alamolhoda called opponents of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei supporters of Satan.  (NPR)

Perhaps as the Christian Science Monitor suggests, the Iranian opposition needs a symbolic act from Obama.

President Obama should take note: Among the more than 1,500 arrests made during Iran’s recent and perhaps largest protests in three decades, the most telling one is that of the sister of Shirin Ebadi, a human-rights lawyer and the 2003 Nobel peace laureate. 

Noushin Ebadi, a university professor and not an active dissident, was arrested Monday merely for talking by phone with her famous and honored sister, who has been forced to live in self-exile in London.  [snip]

Shirin Ebadi is the most well-known Iranian who has stood up for such ideals as freedom of speech, democracy, and human rights in Iran. After winning the Nobel Peace Prize, her center on human rights in Tehran was shut down and her medal taken away. And now, strangely, the Islamic regime believes it can suppress the spread of those ideals by arresting her innocent sister.  [snip]

Given the widening dissent in Iran, it may be time for President Obama to invite Ebadi to the White House for a high-profile visit. Such a public meeting would send a signal to Iranians that the United States stands for the same ideals that Ebadi has championed.  (CSM)

In U.S. news, Sammy Benoit, in his article "A Decade and it's Three Crises", compares Presidential Chief-of-Staff Rahm Emanuel with Joseph of the Holy Bible, showing exactly what Americans are in for:

When famine hit, Joseph didn't let the crisis go to waste. Pharaoh's storage buildings were the only place to get food. Joseph used that advantage to make the Egyptian people totally dependent on government. He made them sell their land and livestock to the to the Pharaoh in exchange for food. In the end, everyone found himself working for the government.

The downside was that when a Pharaoh who "knew not Joseph" arose, he sent Joseph's people into slavery for the next 210 years. Will the result of Emanuel's not wasting a crisis include the rise of a president who knows not the Constitution? Will the people of Emanuel's adopted land become the slaves of their government? Such a future can be fought only by an American people who understand what's happening and possess the will to fight it off. Hopefully the next decade will be called the Decade of Government by the People.  (read it all)

The next year 2010 should be very interesting, a real turning point for Americans and Iranians.  Congress will be trying to push a finished government health care bill through both houses.  They will bring up and try to push through an immigration bill (amnesty).  And who knows what else they will try to do.

For Iran, there is a rumor that Ayatollah Khamenei might be fleeing from a burning ship:

A letter published on the Iranian websites claims that Ayatollah Khamenei is planning a possible escape to Russia.

There were rumors floating around yesterday that Ayatollah Khamenei was preparing to flee Iran.
Today Planet Iran posted a letter written on the official Islamic Regime letterhead that discusses Khamenei’s possible to escape to Russia.  (Gateway Pundit, via Jawa Report)

  

I'm not holding my breath for the evil leaders of Iran to tuck tail and head for safer ground and I'm certainly not holding my breath for America's current administration to surrender.  What I am certain of is that both the Americans and the Iranians are both fed up with their leaders.

The good news for Americans is that we have the freedom to go to the polls and vote these guys out and vote in new, fresh faces that will truly represent our conservative beliefs.  I pray for a day that the Iranians will have that same freedom.

Government Owned GMAC

The federal government said Wednesday it will take a majority ownership stake in the troubled auto lender GMAC, providing another $3.8 billion in aid to the company, which has been unable to raise from private investors the money it needs to staunch its losses.

The new aid package for GMAC, coming as most large banks are repaying the government, underscores both the problems afflicting the company and its importance to the Obama administration's efforts to revive the auto industry.

GMAC, which already has taken $12.5 billion in direct federal aid along with other forms of government support, is the largest lender to General Motors and Chrysler dealerships and to their auto-buying customers.

The Treasury Department said it will increase its stake in GMAC to 56 percent from 35 percent. It also will hold about $14 billion in what amount to loans that GMAC may eventually be required to repay. The government plans to appoint four of the company's nine directors.

The above quote comes from an article by By Binyamin Appelbaum at the Washington Post.  As Mr. Applebaum points out, "GMAC becomes the sixth company taken over by the federal government in the last two years, joining mortgage financiers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, automakers General Motors and Chrysler, and the insurance company American International Group. The government also owns a large stake in Citigroup. "

My questions are, where does this stop?  Who can stop it?  And what further damage to our economy, private businesses and America's future will take place if the Obama administration is left unchecked?

Nominations Are Up

Welcome to the latest edition of the Watcher’s Council nominations, some of the best writing from a group of the most incisive blogs in the`sphere. Every week, the members nominate two posts each, one of their own and one from outside the group for consideration by the whole Council. The Council votes to pick the winners in each category and the results can be seen in this space on Friday morning.

COUNCIL NEWS:

This week, The OyVaY Blog took advantage of our generous link whorage offer this week, and earned honorable mention. If you wish to have your blog earn an honorable mention and have a piece of yours appear on the Watcher’s Council page next week, the opportunity is open and up for grabs.

Here’s how you do it:

Make a post on your site linking to this week’s Council winners when they’re posted Friday morning.

Send me an e-mail by Tuesday 5 PM with the subject line ‘link whorage’ at rmill2k@msn.com with a link to the post you wrote linking to this week’s winners and a link to a new piece you’ve written and want to showcase that you want to appear here the following week.

We”ll do the rest, and the increased traffic and the resulting fame and notoriety are all yours!

So, without further ado, let’s see what we have this week….

Council Submissions

• Wolf Howling - Ashura – A New Phase To The Revolution
• Right Truth - 300 terrorists in Yemen planning terror attacks: Bare your body and pay them money!
• The Razor - Hard Choices Needed to Stop Terrorism
• Bookworm Room- The Princess and the Frog — Disney’s Gift to American Blacks
• The Provocateur - Sarah Palin: Crazy Like a Fox
• The Glittering Eye - The Underwear Bomber
• Soccer Dad - What’s There To Debate
• Mere Rhetoric - Obligatory Post About New Organ Harvesting Story That Provides “No Evidence” For Organ Harvesting Libel
  
• The Colossus of Rhodey - Liberal Trek
• American Digest - The Emperor’s New Speech Impediment
• Rhymes With Right - A Global Warming Observation
• Joshuapundit - The Christmas Crotch Bomber – How He Almost Succeeded And How To Stop Him In The Future

Honorable Mentions

• The OyVay Blog - Tweeting About Iran

Non-Council Submissions

• Submitted By:The Watcher– Commentary/Jonathan Tobin - Comic Book Hate: a New Chapter in Anti-Israel Bias at the New York Times
• Submitted By: Wolf Howling – Doug Ross @ Journal - Judicial Watch Announces Most Corrupt Politicians of 2009 Awards
• Submitted By: Joshuapundit – Seraphic Secret Suicide in Slow Motion
• Submitted By: Right Truth – Powerline - Obama and the Iranian protesters — mutuality of interests but not of spirit
• Submitted By: The Razor – Volokh Conspiracy - The Unorganized Militia Once Again is Needed
  
• Submitted By: Bookworm Room – Impeach Obama Campaign.com - Does The Left Want To Impeach Obama Too?
• Submitted By: The Glittering Eye – Serious Medicine Strategy - Surgery For Life: How Romanticism and Religion Are Working With Science To Improve Medicine
• Submitted By: Soccer Dad – The Volokh Conspiracy - Assessing Airport Security Measures
• Submitted By: Mere Rhetoric – Hudson New York - Shhh…Mubarak is building a wall
• Submitted By: The Colossus of Rhodey – Discriminations - Are Republicans More Principled Than Democrats?
• Submitted By: American Digest– Rhymes with Cars & Girls - The Smart People Crowd
• Submitted By: Rhymes With Right – Gates Of Vienna - The Death Bells of the Occident
• Submitted By: The Provocateur – Dick Morris - Griffith’s Switch Illustrates Death of Moderate Dems

No Mercy For Terrorists

...   the West had better wake up and understand that these acts of terrorism have absolutely nothing to do with the alleged American “occupation” of Iraq or the alleged Israeli “occupation” of Palestine or with alleged past western crimes of colonialism, imperialism, capitalism, Crusadism–or with issues of poverty and illiteracy. Bin Laden and Abdulmutallab are educated and wealthy and not all that altruistic. Jihadists, martyr-killers, suicide bombers, all believe that they are doing what the Qu’ran commands them to do: Kill the infidel, take over all infidel lands. For those who say that this is not their Islam, I say: Bring on that Islamic Reformation. If it were ever needed, it is needed now. [snip]

And, think about it: Abdulmutallab was willing to set fire to his genitals. The explosives were not only taped to his leg; they were also contained in a condom-like pouch in his crotch inside his underwear. If anyone out there is willing to think symbolically, psycho-analytically, here goes: We are looking at a young man whose sexuality is literally “on fire,” whose ability or desire to procreate is all bound up with his desire to kill and die.

The above quote comes from the article "The Lonely, Murderous Sons of Allah: A Psycho-analytic View" By Dr. Phyllis Chesler, you can go read it.  Let me say that I don't care about the terrorists' childhood,  or their family situations, or their financial situations, or their educational background, or their birth status in their families, whether they relate well to others, or if they were abused, or if their mothers were "shamed", or if their daddy didn't give them enough attention.

I.  Don't.  Care. 

As far as I'm concerned all terrorists, including Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab should be interrogated by our counterterrorism experts and every drop of information be extracted from him.  To all the ACLU folks and whining liberals I say "Get over it."

..

Other reading:

Judicial Watch’s ten most corrupt politicians, Hot Air

Stop the Gitmo Closing Now, Frank Gaffney

Does ACLU Share Blame for Christmas Day Attack, Stop the ACLU.

Web posts suggest lonely, depressed terror suspect.

Hundreds of teens of unidentified race (but race doesn't matter, we're all individuals, right?) take over Connecticut mall, blocking and harassing shoppers . by Lawrence Auster.

Obama and the Iranian protesters -- mutuality of interests but not of spirit. Powerline

Buchanan Wishes 'Merry Christmas' To Journo With 'Deep-seated Contempt For White Gentile Culture', NewsBusters

White House Non-Response Response, Murdoc Onlike

Islam's War on America 2009: Jihad in Review.  Atlas Shrugs.

300 terrorists in Yemen planning terror attacks: Bare your body and pay them money!

Abu Bakr al-Qirb, Yemen's foreign minister, warns that there are possibly 300 militants planning terror attacks on the United States from Yemen.  al-Qirb even admitted that there are not only al-Qaeda members in Yemen, but al-Qaeda leaders there.  Like Pakistan, Yemen wants 'help' to fight the terrorists (money and equipment).  He said,  "We need more training, we have to expand our counter-terrorism units and provide them with equipment and transportation like helicopters."  Well, we need money here in the US for full body scanners at airports.  Or do we? Not everyone agrees.

With 79% of Americans believing there will be another big terror attack in the United States within the next year, and Americans getting fed up with re-active government rather than pro-active, it's time to stop all the stupid rules at the airports and install full body scanners. (Or not, see below.)  Full-body imaging scanners, or so-called "naked scanners," might have spotted the explosive materials officials said Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had sewn into his underwear.  According to the Transportation Safety Administration, 19 airports across the country already give passengers the option to undergo a full-body imaging scan instead of a pat-down.  (ABC)

Metal detectors currently used to screen passengers wouldn’t have found the  explosive allegedly carried aboard by the suspect, said former Federal Aviation Administration security chief Billie Vincent. Only more sophisticated devices such as low-level X-rays and millimeter-wave technology would work, Vincent said.[snip]

Advanced Equipment

Companies such as OSI Systems Inc., Smiths Group Plc, Safran SA and L-3 Communications Holdings Inc. may benefit from any requirement that airports get more security equipment. London-based Smiths is the world’s biggest maker of airport scanners. Safran, based in Paris, is the world leader in biometric technologies, such as fingerprint scanners. New York- based L-3 also makes scanners for airport use.

L-3 has “developed a more sophisticated system that could prevent smuggling of almost anything on the body,” said Howard Rubel, an analyst at Jefferies & Co., who has a “hold” rating on the stock. “Speed and privacy issues have slowed its introduction.” [snip]

OSI’s Rapiscan unit makes machines that can detect liquids and other potential explosives beneath passengers’ clothing. In October, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration placed an order valued at $25 million for Rapiscan’s imaging equipment, the Hawthorne, California-based company said.  (Bloomberg)

From ABC:

Advanced imaging technology could help airport personnel scan for foreign objects, such as explosive materials, on a passenger's body. But critics say the technology is a violation of privacy and advocate for other security options.

(Transportation Security Administration)

"Airport security is the last line of defense and not a very good one," said Bruce Schneier, a security technologist and author. "You pick a defense, [terrorists] look at it and then they pick an attack you haven't thought of."

He argued that it's "magical thinking" to attempt to thwart terrorist attacks by reacting to their last threats. Instead, he said, the government should boost investigation and intelligence efforts.

Enter the Israelis.  Now this is what I'm talking about.  This is what is lacking in the United States.  This is what we need.

Isaac Yeffet, former head of security for the Israeli airline El Al, argued that people, not technology, hold the keys to enhanced public safety.

"The best security is not technology, the best security is a qualified and well-trained human being," he said.

Instead of deploying the revealing -- and potentially embarrassing -- full-body scans, Yeffet advocated for higher investments in airport security personnel.

He said security staff should be college grads, fluent in at least two languages and trained to authenticate travel documents and carefully question passengers about their travels.

"I want to make sure that when you talk to the passenger, you talk to every passenger and look them in the eyes," he said. "I have to ask all the questions. ... Through your answers, here I can determine if you are bona fide or suspicious."

Trained airport personnel can detect irregular body language and dubious explanations, but technology can't he said, adding, "I use technology to help me, not replace me." (ABC, image via Drudge)

The Christmas day underwear attack is not the first of that kind and probably won't be the last. On August 28, the Saudi Arabian deputy minister of interior, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, survived a bombing attack by Abdullah Hassan al Asiri, launched by an al Qaeda cell based in Yemen. 

Steve Emerson discusses the rash of terror plots in 2009 and quotes  Zeyno Baran, director of the Hudson Institute's Center for Eurasian Policy and others in the counterterrorism community:

Baran warned against exaggerating the potential benefits of "better integrating" Muslims into American culture to prevent radicalization. She noted, for example, that the British doctors who attempted to carry out a series of car bombings in London and Glasgow two years ago appeared to be "well integrated" medical professionals. But the outward signs of professional and social success masked the reality that they had become devoted jihadists.

In an interview, former FBI counterterrorism chief Steve Pomerantz expressed skepticism about the idea that better integration of Muslims would reduce the jihadist threat in the United States. "You only become integrated if you want to," he said. [snip]

... Walid Phares, director of the Future of Terrorism Project with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

"The radicalized individuals are influenced by the demonization of the U.S. government which triggers decisions in their own head. When you convince individuals that the government is after their community and you apologize for jihadists worldwide, you end up contributing to the psychological incitement for violence inside the U.S. as well."  (read it all, you really should)

Which brings us home to the United States where we have a President who has made it his mission to go around the world demonizing this country. We have a president who can't even tell children on Christmas that Jesus is the reason for the holiday. A president who does not celebrate Christmas, doesn't attend church, and cannot find a church home since spending 20 years under Rev. Jeremiah Wright's radical tutelage.

No amount of scanning machines can make up for that.  We are fighting for our physical and national survival.  Out of the top ten Conservatives, very few are in Washington.

So what should our reaction be to terror attacks like the one on Christmas day?  Mary Kate Carey writes:

"Security failed," said Doron Bergerbest-Eilon, Israel's senior-ranking counterterrorism officer from 1997 to 2000 and a former national regulator for aviation security, in the Washington Post. "The system repeatedly fails to prevent attacks and protect passengers when challenged," he said, adding that, in the minds of security experts, "for all intents and purposes, Northwest Flight 253 exploded in midair."  [snip]

 ... are we going to start proactively looking at their mindset and their motivations and deny them entry to the United States? There are various versions of this politically incorrect argument on the blogosphere today, many of which I agree with, but David Brooks put it best on This Week:

"It's an ideological thing. This guy [Farouk Abdul Mutallab], as I said, fit the classic profile. He's rich. He's trapped between two worlds, the traditional world of his imagined past and the modern world of being a mechanical engineer. And this is just like the 9/11 guys, sort of like the Fort Hood guy. And so they're trapped between these two worlds, and they imagine some pure Islamic ideology of the past which they're going to act out by killing people. And it's the ideology that matters, and it can happen to somebody living in London or Hamburg or anywhere else around the world, and then they find Yemen."

This isn't about taking away fingernail clippers and juice boxes. This is about keeping track of people who have an ideology of murderous hate and keeping them away from our public transportation, our infrastructure, and our families. The president announced this afternoon he'd ordered a review of the no-fly list. Air travel is not a right, it's a privilege. So is entering the United States. The sooner the administration decides to expand—and enforce—that list, the safer we will be.  (continue)

Well, Amen and Amen.  Hello Washington.  Are you listening???

Unbelievable

Two of the four leaders allegedly behind the al Qaeda plot to blow up a Northwest Airlines passenger jet over Detroit were released by the U.S. from the Guantanamo prison to a terrorist-rehab program in Saudi Arabia in November, 2007, according to American officials and Department of Defense documents.  From the Saudi  "art therapy rehabilitation program" the terrorists, described as military commanders, were set free and moved to Yemen, according to U.S. and Saudi officials. (ABC)

Guantanamo prisoner #333, Muhamad Attik al-Harbi, and prisoner #372, Said Ali Shari, were sent to Saudi Arabia on Nov. 9, 2007, according to the Defense Department log of detainees who were released from American custody. Al-Harbi has since changed his name to Muhamad al-Awfi.

Both Saudi nationals have since emerged in leadership roles in Yemen, according to U.S. officials and the men's own statements on al Qaeda propaganda tapes.

Bush was too lenient with the terrorists?  As Hot Air notes:  "Yemen is notorious for jihadi jailbreaks, from mass escapes like the one in 2006 where 23 AQ operatives went loose to the U.S.S. Cole bomber who broke out of prison twice until finally — I kid you not — Yemen simply let him go after he gave them his solemn word that he’d cool it with the jihadism. "

As Pamela Geller says, "This is why releasing enemy combatants is a mentally deranged leftist policy. Jihadis are not "rehabilitable" unless they ..........convert out of Islam."  Or I would ad, "unless they are killed" since the only trustworthy terrorist is a dead one.

Remember, Obama is getting ready to send the first 6 of the 97 Guantanamo detainees to Yemen in his efforts to close Gitmo.

Also, there was a third questionable man on NW Flight 253:   according to yet another passenger, there was a third man on the plane who was “very calmly” videotaping the entire flight, including the moment when the passengers jumped the bomber.  Hot Air asks:

Sounds like he’s not the same guy as the mysterious Indian man described by Haskell, as the latter was supposedly arrested on the spot whereas the former was allegedly allowed to leave and is now being sought by the feds. How big of a cell was on this flight, exactly?

Good question.  A.C. McLeod reminds me of a Memphis terror connection to Yemen and the infamous Imam.  Carlos Bledsoe, aka Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad,  Abdulmutallab and Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan of Fort Hood have something in common --  Imam Anwar al-Awlaki who they both corresponded with via email and who was believed to be in Yemen.  Read A.C.'s article here.

Here are the bomber panties as Mark Steyn calls them, via ABC:

And then there's this genius, who after everything we've gone through with the Muslim Nigerian underwear bomber:  FBI: Man Flew Into LaGuardia With Firecracker - Passenger Taken Into Custody After Device Found Wedged Between Seats On Piedmont Airlines Flight Into LaGuardia.

Stupid is, as stupid does, whether it's Forrest Gump, a passenger on a plane, or our government.