New jihad code threatens al Qaeda

By Nic Robertson and Paul Cruickshank, CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/11/09/libya.jihadi.code/

September 8, 2009

CIA Torture Probe Endangers the War on Terror
Donald Lambro
Wednesday, September 02, 2009

http://townhall.com/columnists/DonaldLambro/2009/09/02/cia_torture_probe_endangers_the_war_on_terror

The Justice Department's decision to investigate the interrogation methods used by the Bush administration's war on terrorism sent a chilling message to CIA agents that they could be prosecuted for protecting our country from another attack.

Despite President Obama's promise to CIA personnel earlier this year that he did not want to reopen the debate over aggressive-interrogation practices in the previous administration, Attorney General Eric Holder named a special prosecutor to go after agents who acted with the approval of the Bush Justice Department's legal rulings.

Holder not only overruled Obama -- who caved in to his attorney general and said it was his call -- he dismissed the bitter opposition of CIA Director Leon Panetta and even attorneys in his own department.

It was the latest move in a number of actions that have defanged the CIA and reduced its effectiveness in the war on terror, after eight years of foiling numerous plots that has kept our country safe.

Seven months into his presidency, Obama has moved to close down the Guantanamo Bay facility for prisoners in the war against terrorism. He has issued directives that have tied the hands of intelligence agents trying to discover terrorist plots against Americans before they occur. He has removed the CIA's authority for interrogation and placed it in the White House. He has undercut CIA chief Panetta, raising questions as to who is running the agency, Panetta or the White House's political agents.

His administration has even banned Bush's phrase, "war on terrorism," and in the past few months needlessly released top-secret intelligence documents that have given Al Qaeda and the Taliban terrorists a treasure-trove of information about interrogation policies and practices.

And now he has given in to Holder's plan to prosecute some of the CIA's best agents, breaking a solemn public pledge to the nation's chief intelligence agency that its agents would not be persecuted simply for doing their job.

"President Obama's decision to allow the Justice Department to investigate and possibly prosecute CIA personnel, and his decision to remove authority for interrogation from the CIA to the White House, serves as a reminder, if any were needed, of why so many Americans have doubts about this administration's ability to be responsible for our nation's security," said former Vice President Richard Cheney.

People who have talked to Panetta recently say his embattled agency is suffering from deep morale problems as agents wonder why the White House seems to be spending more time and effort investigating them than stepping up the war on terrorism.

Career CIA agents now have good reason to fear that Holder's -- and now the president's -- special prosecutor, John H. Durham, will be coming after them with both guns blazing and maybe other former top officials in the Bush administration.

"Once Durham starts digging," the Washington Post reported this week, "... the veteran prosecutor could uncover evidence that leads him higher up the chain of command in an inquiry that grows broader than what the Justice Department outlined Monday."

The dangerous precedent this sets is contrary to Obama's oft-repeated intention to focus on the future, not the past. Instead, his administration is now intent on prosecuting public officials who acted at the time under legal opinions cleared by the Justice Department.

Administration officials say the president is sensitive to the damaging impact that a criminal investigation could have on the CIA and has drawn a tenuous line that they describe as a "balancing act."

But through information gathered from high-value terrorist prisoners during CIA interrogations, we know that our enemies are plotting to attack again and kill as many Americans as they can. This isn't a time for a nuanced "balancing act." It is a time to send a message to those who would do us harm that we are using all of the tools, methods and weapons at our command to protect our national security.

That was the clear, unmistakable message President Bush sent to our enemies, and no one can quarrel with the fact that the policies, programs and actions he implemented successfully defended us for eight years.

But that is not the message the Obama administration is sending as batteries of lawyers are being sent in to defend terrorist detainees, some of whom who are either being read their Miranda rights or sent back to their homelands where many have resumed their terrorist lives.

Indeed, instead of stepping up the war on terrorism, his administration seems to be declaring war on America's intelligence apparatus with plans to mount a criminal investigation against a frontline national-security agency.

"It doesn't appear to be a serious move" to combat terrorism, Cheney said Sunday on Fox News. "It's a direct slap at the CIA."

It is also another egregious example of this administration's misguided retreat in a war where failure is not an option.

FBI Director's Letter to Scotland on Flight 103

bomber Megrahi's release...

Click here

August 18, 2009

Terrorism and extremism is worldwide...

In Russia...

http://www.russiatoday.ru/Top_News/2009-08-18/blast-russia-nazran-ingushetia.html

Suspected Honor Killings near Kingston, Canada...

http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/2009/07/026996print.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

October 9, 2008... FBI's most wanted...

Please Read what the crime was... this was an Islamic killing- the father did not approve of the daughters' lifestyle

http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/fugitives/vc/murders/said_y.htm

September 21 and 22, 2008... Islamic Extremism

slightly updated October 11

Because I do not believe in re-inventing the wheel, there are several links that you should read to obtain a very basic grasp of this topic. I attended a three day symposium on this topic. I discussed the symposium afterwards with Dr. David Charney, the psychiatrist who debriefed the spy Robert Hansen- the movie "Breach" 's main character. Dr. Charney compared the volume of information to "trying to drink from a fire hydrant".

As I started this section, I wanted to help readers understand a bit of the history of terrorism and the reasons behind some of the events we see happening. There are several women who have told their stories in public forums and have even published books. One is Nonie Darwish, the daughter of an Israeli assassinated shahid (martyr). Here is a link to her Wikipedia listing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonie_Darwish . Her web site is at http://www.arabsforisrael.com . Why would someone whose father was killed by Israel have a web site "Arabs for Israel"??? Please read a bit from both web sites before continuing.

Another person whose audio book "Because They Hate" I just finished is Brigitte Gabriel. She is a Christian originally from Lebanon. The first four CDs are an amazing fact filled story of the Lebanese civil war. The next four seem to be the result of the trauma she suffered and contain an almost excessive intensity of warnings for America and the West in general as to the hatred and plans of Muslim extremists. Her web site is at http://www.americancongressfortruth.com WARNING!!!!! When I checked her site 9/21, I found it to obviously have been hacked. As of 9/22 it was restored and safe. Some people do not want her to be heard. Be sure your browser has current patches, etc. Her Wikipedia information is here... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigitte_Gabriel

A third woman is Laura Mansfield. Her web site is at http://www.lauramansfield.com/subscribers/ Ms. Mansfield has written several insightful books and has amazing translations and videos related to al Qaeda.

There are books and many articles on the causes of terrorism. There are many kinds of terrorism. The one I will talk about and which most people are concerned with is centered on Islamic extremism. The Arab, and in particular Muslim, culture revolves around Islam. Islam revolves around the Koran. The Arabic language is even based on the Koran. The Koran sets the laws and the mullahs (priests) interpret the law. This law dates from the time of Muhammad. It includes provisions for beheadings, lying, etc. Please read a bit about it from this article from the Council on Foreign relations... http://www.cfr.org/publication/8034/ What do you think of Sharia law? There are many parts you probably did not know. A woman's vote is 1/2 that of a man's. If a woman is to not a virgin when she is to marry, she is to be killed by her brothers and father. A man can have four wives. Cutting off a man's fingers or hand is a suitable punishment for a crime. There are many more. Here are excerpts from the Council of Foreign Relation website:

"Many Islamic nations--such as Jordan, Kuwait, Pakistan, and Yemen--have certain criminal laws that reflect traditional Islamic practice, banning Muslims, for example, from drinking or selling alcohol. Enforcement of these laws is often spotty, and non-Muslims are generally exempted. The vast majority of Islamic nations no longer apply the traditional corporal punishments for violations of specific Quranic criminal laws. These punishments include flogging, amputation, and stoning.

For which crimes does the Quran mandate specific punishments?

Five crimes known as the Hadd offenses, Lombardi says. Because these offenses are mentioned in the Quran, committing them is considered an affront to God. They are:

Wine-drinking and, by extension, alcohol-drinking, punishable by flogging
Unlawful sexual intercourse, punishable by flogging for unmarried offenders and stoning to death for adulterers
False accusation of unlawful sexual intercourse, punishable by flogging
Theft, punishable by the amputation of a hand
Highway robbery, punishable by amputation, or execution if the crime results in a homicide.

"The traditional punishment for Islamic apostasy--leaving Islam for another religion or otherwise abandoning the Islamic faith--is death. "

The line above may cause trouble for Barack Obama if he is elected... many Muslims may not give him respect. http://www.danielpipes.org/article/5544

Below I mentioned the crusades. Islam has never ended that war. In extremist Islam there are three classes of people. 1) Those who are practicing Muslims. 2) Those who practice no religion and could join Islam (innocents) and 3) Those who practice another religion (infidels) . Infidels are considered enemies and should be killed. When you hear about attacks, those who we find to be innocent, like those in the World Trade Center, are not considered innocent by the extremists. You hear about women suicide bombers? Many become suicide bombers to redeem themselves for misdeeds under Islam and to help their families who might otherwise be required to kill them. Shocked? This cannot be true... not in the 21st century. I was too. But it IS true. Remember the teacher with the teddy bear named Muhammad? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7112929.stm Also, I am not being politically correct here... in reference to the Prophet Mohammed, each reference should have "peace be upon him" or a similar phrase added after his name. You do know that Osama Bin Laden believes in Jesus Christ as a prophet, don't you? Truth is stranger than fiction. And scarier.

A thought question...

"Was the bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan on September 21st a tactical error by Al Qaeda?"

A video link... warning- graphic violence

http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/1854.htm

April 17, 2008... some comments on Iraq and comments by Osama bin Laden

There are more than a few people who wonder why we stay in Iraq. The typical reason to stay seems to be to keep Iraq's government from falling. What was the reason we went into Iraq? Weapons of mass destruction? The War on Terror? One very well informed retired high placed FBI counterintelligence officer says we cannot have a "War on Terror", since terror is a method, not an object. He says this war is a "War of Ideas". Whether it is a war on terror, or ideas, it IS a war between radically different ideas of how the world should be. Islamic extremists believe the world should have one God, one legal system, and one government. Palestine was and still is the rallying point at the heart of the issue. Last month, bin Laden released a message about Palestine, addressing why al Qaeda is not more active there. It is not easy to read. The Ummah refers to worldwide Islam, in particular the radical kind. In another blog I'll talk about that topic. Here is an excerpt... some items are marked in red by me for emphasis.

March 2008

Excerpt from Osama bin Laden: The Way To Rescue Palestine

Date: March 21,2008

English translation (as released by Jihad Media Batallions)

My Islamic Ummah, the liberation from these false fetters and the total submission and slavery for Allah Who has no partner is the way to make the man free; then he can participate in freeing his Ummah (nation), Palestine and al-Aqsa masjid. By that he can find the open doors leading to the way of freedom and dignity, to the fields of men and combat, to the battlefields and the fighting in the cause of Allah, like in Afghanistan, Wazirestan, the Islamic Maghreb, Somalia, Kashmeer, Chechnya and most important of them Baghdad the capital of the Caliphate and its neighborhoods in which the enemies being defeated. In these fields and under the shadows of swords the glory is growing, the oppressors being defeated and the believers breasts being healed.

My Islamic Ummah (nation), it is not hidden from you that the fields of the Jihad today for standing up for our people in Palestine is the Iraq's field, so you should concentrate on it and support the Jihad there. The help and supporting the Jihad in Iraq is the duty of the neighboring countries, so the Levant's people all the Levant, the blessed land's people must feel the great grace of Allah on them and they must support and help their brothers Mujahideen in Iraq, by Allah it is a great opportunity and a big duty for our brothers immigrants from Palestine who are interdicted from the Jihad in al-Quds (Jerusalem), they should forget the illusions of the parties and groups drowning in the stratagem of the polytheist democracy, and should hurry to take their sites in the frontlines of the Mujahideen in al-Rafedain Land to be the real support and to trust in Allah. Then He will help them (Allah Willing) to be the point of departure towards the blessed Aqsa Masjid, so the Mujahideen from outside Palestine will meet their brothers inside it to iterate another Hitteen battle (Allah Willing), then the Muslims will be victorious.

If you read this carefully, you will see that the battle does not just involve the US, but other countries too. (ie. Chechnya with Russia) It is truly a world war. Bin Laden requests al Qaeda fighters focus on Iraq, and particularly Baghdad. Where else have you heard the word Caliphate used? Did the president of Iran mention it? Did you know Iran now has 6000 centrifuges for enriching uranium? There is only one use for this technology. Perhaps our presence in Iraq is not such a bad investment, even though the implementation was pretty poor.

If you want some unbiased Iraq information... check out Michael Yon's site.

What am I saying here? I think we need to understand what is happening in the world today much better than we do. As I write this, here are some items from the Terrorism Watch Board at http://www.intelcenter.com/

Turkey

Security forces on alert for five al-Qaeda members (two Algerians and three Tunisians) reportedly entering Turkey from Syria on forged Moroccan passports

European Union
Growing al-Qaeda threats against EU, possible indicators of coming attack

Tunisia/Algeria
Approaching deadline for Austrian hostages being held by al-Qaeda Maghreb

Philippines
11 Apr: Makati City Police Director Superintendent Gilbert Cruz and Army National Capitol Region Command Capt. Carlo Ferrer confirm threat against embassies in Manila, security increased for British, Australian and Israeli embassies

US/Israel
al-Zawahiri on 24 Mar.: O Muslims: This is your day! Hit interests of Jews, Americans and everyone who takes part in aggression against Muslims. Study targets, collect funds and bring in ammunitions. Plan carefully, then storm

These are just some. In the next "installment", I'll try to describe a bit about radical Islam and why we don't hear more from peaceful Muslims protesting what al Qaeda is doing. Please feel free to email me questions or comments!

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