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Lebanon's Sunni bloc built militia, officials say ... more

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a copy of new letter from Al-Qaida leader Mustafa Abu al-Yazid confirming the death of Al-Qaida lieutenant Abu Sulaiman al-Otaibi (a.k.a. Mohammed al-Thibaiti) during clashes with the "crusaders and apostates" in the Paktika province of Afghanistan. According to Saudi media, Abu Sulaiman was a former student at Imam Mohammed bin Saud University and had close contacts with influential Muslim clerics in Saudi Arabia. Upon leaving Saudi Arabia and arriving in neig ... more

Der Vizepr #228;sident der EU-Kommission, G #252;nther Verheugen, hat in einem Interview mit der BILD am Sonntag vor #8220;Lifestyle-Regulierung #8221; und einer Gesellschaft, #8220;in der den Menschen vorgeschrieben wird, wie sie in ihren eigenen vier W #228;nden zu leben haben #8221;, gewarnt. Gleichwohl bef #252;rwortet er aber eine striktere #8220;gesetzliche Regelung #8221;, die die Automobilindustrie dazu zwingen sollte, die von der EU-Kommission angepeilten Schadstoffrichtwerte #8220; ... more

DEBKAfile ��s Middle East sources report that in the last 48 hours, Damascus has broadcast new, intransigent policy positions through diverse channels under the influence of Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert ��s legal plight and the swift victories its ally, Hizballah, has achieved in Lebanon. 1. Leaders in Olmert ��s position are only capable of making war �� not peace, according to leaks from Damascus to Arab media. For this reason, Syrian officials claim after the fact that they exposed the ... more

Via Andrew Sullivan, I discovered this article, in which John C. Hulsman compares different approaches to foreign policy using The Godfather as a metaphor. THE STRATEGY that ultimately saves the Corleone family from the Sollozzo threat and equips it for coping with multipolarity comes from Michael, the youngest and least experienced of the don ��s sons. Unlike Tom, whose labors as family lawyer have produced an exaggerated devotion to negotiation, and Sonny, whose position as untested heir appar ... more

Just when I thought that I was the silliest of them all ... there seems to be a pretender who wants to pull the Persian rug from under my pedicured feet. How dare you? Never mind ... he can do whatever he wants to - even change the calender to suit his needs! He is after all a dictator - and I am merely a princess! [...] ... more

*** WARNING: This may or may not contain a spoiler for those awaiting the Survivor finale! Just finished from watching Survivor - and Amanda didn't win, although Ozzy proclaimed his love to her. Pavarti won and Cice was sidelined - just like that poor ice cream scooper with the doggy hairstyle. In Arabic: يعني أم القمل أماندا ما فازت ... فازت الخايسه أم ضرطه بافارتي!! فهامتون واللا اشرح من تاني ؟؟؟ وإلي ما إت� ... more

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We've known about Islamberg for a long time now (this is our February 2006 post on it), and I can't help but wonder why it is that even though Jamaat ul-Fuqra has been involved in terror attacks and sundry criminal activities, recruited thousands of members from federal and state penal systems, and appears to be operating paramilitary facilities for militant Muslims, it remains to be placed on the official US Terror Watch List and freely operates this radical Islamic camp, and others. ... more

The Center for American Project #8217;s Ben Furnas responded to my post about the political Left #8217;s misunderstanding of health insurance markets by . . . showcasing the political Left #8217;s misunderstanding of health insurance markets.  I claimed that the individual market provides reliable to lots of very sick people  #8212; protection better than or equal to that provided by job-based health insurance.  Furnas responds: The main reason (not mentioned by Cannon) that some people who ... more

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Militants were withdrawing from the streets and shops were reopening in the Sadr City district of Baghdad on the first day of a cease-fire between Shiite extremists and U.S.-backed Iraqi forces, after two months of intense clashes. Full Story ... more

Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the Zimbabwean opposition, announced over the weekend that despite brutal attacks on hundreds of his party's workers and fears for his own life, he would soon return home to face President Robert Mugabe in a runoff election. Full Story ... more

The Sri Lankan president on Sunday hailed his party's election victory in the country's tense Eastern Province as a mandate to push ahead with his war against Tamil Tiger rebels in the north. Full Story ... more

(Lebanon) Update: Lebanese Army caught in crossfire between Druze and Hezbollah gunmen. Also Lebanese army won't take on Hizbollah ... more

British troops guide US Marines on anti-Taleban raids in Afghanistan ... more

The article below was written by Colby Buzzell. It appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle last week. Colby might be going back to Iraq for a second time.Return to Sender - Iraq Veteran Gets the Call AgainSan Francisco Chronicle - Thursday, May 8, 2008When I voluntarily enlisted in the Army, I remember asking my recruiter about the fine print on the contract about being called back up to active duty once my enlistment was completed. He assured me not to worry, that every contract said that and ... more

With her striking, Middle Eastern beauty, she was the sister every Israeli would like to have had: talented, warm, spontaneous, unspoiled. She was a cliché -- the ninth child of poor Yemenite immigrants, a star who made it from the back streets of South Tel Aviv to Hollywood, then came home. But she transcended the cliché. Ofra was Israel's pop star laureate. Her fans spanned generations and ethnic divides. She was chosen to sing in Oslo when Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres and Yasser Arafat rece ... more

With her striking, Middle Eastern beauty, she was the sister every Israeli would like to have had: talented, warm, spontaneous, unspoiled. She was a cliché -- the ninth child of poor Yemenite immigrants, a star who made it from the back streets of South Tel Aviv to Hollywood, then came home. But she transcended the cliché. Ofra was Israel's pop star laureate. Her fans spanned generations and ethnic divides. She was chosen to sing in Oslo when Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres and Yasser Arafat rece ... more

To help with the overflow of posts over the past several days, here is a mini-index that should help you find what you're looking for - click here for events from Days 1 and 2 of Hizballah's assault:Updates:Day 3: Night-time Mountain RaidDay 4: Army CommandDay 4: Trouble in TripoliDay 5: Mountain Raid ReduxImages:Day 3: Taking BeirutDay 3: OccupationDay 4: Marching for the FutureDay 4: Terror AccomplishedDay 4: Beirut Will Not DieDay 5: Mountain BombardmentDay 5: Mountain AssaultedVideo:Day 3: A ... more

China aims to strengthen macroeconomic controls and continue with a tight monetary policy to prevent its economy from overheating and inflation from worsening, Vice Premier Wang Qishan said. Full Story ... more

(India) Terror returns to Jammu ... more

A Whose-State-Is-It-Anyway Update. "Hezbollah rocks eastern villages," from the BBC, May 11: Control of several villages loyal to Lebanon's pro-government Druze leader Walid Jumblatt has been handed to the army after an attack by Hezbollah. The group's fighters used heavy weapons and small arms to attack the mountain settlements south-east of Beirut. A truce was called after the Druze capitulated to avoid bloodshed, a BBC correspondent reports. It follows four days of fighting in which Hezb ... more

"Saudi scholar Hatoon al-Fassi did a study about 'Women In Pre-Islamic Arabia' and found that women enjoyed more rights 1300 years ago than they are today in the Kingdom." - Middle East Online.Clerics, ministers and businessmen gathered at a forum in Riyadh in April to discuss women in the workplace. Unfortunately, no women were allowed to attend! ... more

I don't think the situation for Obama can get any worse. Haven't we listed just about every terrorist organization in history is in support of Barack Obama--marxist, socialist, Islamic, you name it - he has their endorsement. In "Obama ��s Church Printed Pro-Hezbollah Articles", Steve Gilbert outlines the reason why the ... ... more

(Lebanon) Fighting rages in Mount Lebanon ... more

Lebanese media is claiming that the USS Cole just passed through the Suez Canal. They are claiming that the ship is on the way to the Lebanese coast.Friends on Facebook chat tell me that they think this will just hand Hezbollah another propaganda victory. A political analyst with the Quantum Group says that this is a good development and will put Hezbollah and Syria in their place. He suggests that the US hit Syria, not Lebanon.Lebanese have no idea what is going on. We are left trying to fi ... more

Now that's a question I never thought I'd actually try and answer in my blog. It's not as if the question never crossed my mind before, but hey, there are certain things we just chuckle and leave it at that. It seems like such a ludicrous topic to even consider and then, there's that delicate matter of 'how to talk about such a hush-hush thingy' out in the open? It would have been left at that if not for a very interesting post on Shakespeare Company, a writers group on Ryze.com, a... [. ... more

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Mastering the art of coping with stress, the Lebanese already have a set of jokes about the situation (Via +961) خبر عاجل: أعلن الله (سبحانه وتعالى) انسحابه من الحزب خبر عاجل: يستنكر حزب الله الاعتداء على تلفزيون المستقبل و يتهم السلطة ادارة سوكلين تقوم بحملة نظافة تحت شعار �� النظافة من الايمان �� و تشكر ملشيات المقاومة الاسل� ... more

Nope, guess again Unless you live in a rural area, there is probably a mosque (or more than one) in your town, and most people -- including local law enforcement officials -- regard them in much the same way as they do the local churches: with complete indifference. It is generally considered to be in the worst possible taste to suggest that possibly, just possibly, it might be worth checking into the local mosque's sources of funding, and what they're teaching there. As a Las Vegas city coun ... more

A prayer for Jack Idema from Fahim: You fought for the people who were left so behind..You fought for the women who were treated like slaves ��You fought for the children who were sexually attacked ��.You fought for a country and freed it as well ��You fought for America to stop the terror ��I will ... ... more

Heavy fighting broke out Sunday between pro- and anti-government forces in the central mountains overlooking the Lebanese capital, sending echoes of gunfire and explosions rolling across Beirut, security officials said. Full Story ... more

Iraq's ambassador to the United States says his country still needs U.S. reconstruction assistance, despite large Iraqi fiscal surpluses driven by record-high oil prices. VOA's Michael Bowman reports from Washington, where the ambassador spoke on U.S. television. Full Story ... more

DEBKAfile ��s Middle East sources report that the police investigations hanging over prime minister Olmert ��s head are beginning to undermine his government ��s ability to engage in Middle East diplomacy. Most political circles have begun the countdown to his political demise in the short term. Sunday night, Cairo had not finally confirmed that Egyptian intelligence minister Gen. Omar Suleiman would keep his Monday, May 12, date in Jerusalem. ... more

Politrickin #8217; is my new favorite word and that Geico lizard line is just damn funny. I #8217;d almost consider voting for the man if he really campaigned like this. Copyright © 2007 by John Little of Blogs of War. ... more

#8220;The best Mother #8217;s day present I got this year was the death as a shahid [martyr] of Abbas #8221; as quoted in the official Palestinian Authority daily, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, on March 21, 2001 (cited Pipes, 2001). #8221; Und mit dieser Freude #252;ber den Liebesbeweis ihres Sohnes steht die pal #228;stinensische Mutter in der islamischen Welt nicht alleine da. Einen Selbstmordattent #228;ter in der Familie zu haben, erf #252;llt das Mutterherz mit Stolz. Mit dem Islam hat das trotzd ... more

In "From Dove to Hawk" in Newsweek, May 8 (thanks to Paul Green), controversial Israeli historian Benny Morris finally notices that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not about land, but is fueled by a religious imperative: ...Con­trary to current historiographic discourse I believe there is such a thing as the Truth—what, why and how things happened—and I've always sought it in my research. If I've since come to a much bleaker opinion about the possibility of reconciliation be­tween Jews ... more

"Arroyo will leave the presidency with blood on her hands." True to the constant practice of Islamic groups, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front indulges in finger-pointing rather than introspection, and blames the government for the breakdown of peace talks. Nothing it has done gives it any responsibility for anything. "Muslim guerrillas blame Philippine president for stalled talks, say they're ready for war," from The Associated Press (thanks to Twostellas): MANILA, Philippines: Muslim guerril ... more

The Arab League has decided to dispatch a ministerial committee headed by Qatar to Lebanon to help resolve the situation, and offered the Lebanese army "logistical assistance" if needed. Once in Lebanon, this committee will "formulate ideas" and organize dialogue outside Lebanon, possible Qatar. Looks like Hizbullah will have some time to create more facts on the ground before anything substantial takes place. I was watching a talk show on LBC, they had a Saudi journalist arguing that the ... more

Shiite gunmen fire during clashes between pro-government supporters of Druse leader Walid Jumblatt and Shiite gunmen and their allies in Chouweifat south of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, May 11, 2008. Heavy fighting broke out between pro- and anti-government supporters in Lebanon's central mountains overlooking the capital Sunday sending echoes of gunfire and explosions rolling across Beirut, security officials said. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)The first two images are of Aley while the remaining were ta ... more

F #252;r den #252;berzeugten #214;kologisten gibt es nichts Sch #246;neres als gro #223;e Wirbelst #252;rme. Ok, das stimmt so nicht ganz. Wirbelst #252;rme der St #228;rke 3-5, die ein bis zwei Wochen lang dumm und planlos durch den Pazifik geistern, findet der #214;kologist nicht so toll, nein, er beachtet sie nicht mal. Dagegen entz #252;ckt es ihn so richtig, wenn mal einer #252;ber bev #246;lkerte Gebiete zieht und dabei m #246;glichst viele Opfer hinterl #228;sst, denn dann lohnt es si ... more

(Lebanon) In Lebanon's Druze mountain, mothers mourn ... more

Just when you thought the world couldn't possibly get crazier, yes, it's the Islamic Saudi Academy about which the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom expressed "significant concerns" that the school was promoting, according to Cinnamon Stillwell, "a brand of religious intolerance that could prove a danger to the United States." Cinnamon has the details. ... more

When you send your child to public schools, the last thing you expect them to be taught is Islam. However, that's exactly what's happening in schools across the America. According to a new report by the American Textbook Council, an independent organization that researches and reviews textbooks, history textbooks being used by hundreds of thousands of public school students across the U.S. are blatantly promoting Islam... The new report is from the American Textbook Council, which was establish ... more

Fubar has reminded me of this old post from last year:Jumblatt: Lebanese army will not intervene in case of coup The Lebanese army would not intervene if the Hizbullah-led "opposition" invaded the government building to overthrow Fouad Siniora's cabinet, Walid Jumblatt told Aljazeera yesterday, quoting a letter he said he received from an army general. "This implies a coup d'etat and a great catastrophy," he said. Jumblatt added that he asked army commander Michel Suleiman not to a ... more

Following the burning down of a major anti-Syrian media outlet, fellow blogger Charles Malik writes about Hizballah and Iran's distorted reporting on the situation in Lebanon, here is a quote, but read the whole thing (its short), its well worth it:Hezbollah's propaganda and the accompanying propaganda from Iran's English language Press TV is utterly preposterous. They are telling blatant lies about the Beirut population being happy about Hezbollah's takeover. They claim that everything in Beiru ... more

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Oh man! -- I'd hate to be Bill Clinton. How many dishes, pots and pans has he had to duck since Obama's MSM rump-swabs have now all but declared Barack Obama the Democratic Party's presidential nominee? How much anger and bitterness will he have to endure in the coming months now that the likelihood of a Barack Obama nomination looks more like an inevitably after his wife's tepid win in Indiana? -- a lot, I hope.Still, the question remains as to why Hillary Clinton refuses to concede defeat. Is ... more

In K #246;ln bezichtigt B #252;rgermeisterin Scho-Antwerpes die politische Konkurrenz des Antisemitismus, ohne daf #252;r mehr Belege zu haben, als ein dumpfes Vorurteil. Ein Medienjournalist macht sich gar die M #252;he, tausende PI-Kommentare zu durchforsten, um Islamkritikern braunen Dreck ankleben zu k #246;nnen. Wenn es solchen Heuchlern wirklich ernst w #228;re mit ihrer Sorge #252;ber braunes Gedankengut, k #246;nnten sie es leichter haben. Sie m #252;ssten nur genug multikulturelles Int ... more

The fighting in the Chouf has died down.Most of the Lebanese news channels showed the same footage and mounted their cameras in the same place. However, the commentary was entirely different.Hezbollah's al-Manar refers to all pro-government political parties as militias and fighters. They refer to all opposition militias (ie, the guys with guns on my street from Amal and SSNP), as parties.Amal's NBN is irrate that al-Arabiya refers to their armed gunmen causing chaos in the streets of Beirut a ... more

Remember a few weeks ago when Claire McCaskill claimed that he #8217;d already locked up a bunch of superdelegates but that they were holding off on declaring their intentions while the rest of the primaries shook out? [ #8230;] Read the rest raquo; ... more

Last week, El Tinklenberg was endorsed by the Blue Dog Democrats, a group often thought to be comprised of moderate Democrats in the House. Mr. Tinklenberg is running against my representative, Michele Bachmann. I #8217;ve often thought that this group was similar to the DLC in that they #8217;re still liberal, just not as crazy as loons like Maxine Waters and Dennis Kucinich. According to the Club For Growth #8217;s Congressional Scorecard, that #8217;s sometimes the case but it isn #8217;t alw ... more

Google has a dedicated donation page up: Join recovery efforts mobilizing around the world to assist cyclone victims in Myanmar (Burma). Below, we #8217;ve selected two among many worthy organizations. Your donation will help survivors and other disaster victims rebuild their communities and their lives. In addition, when you donate on this page, Google donates too. We #8217;ll donate up to $1 million to help organizations provide relief. Burma Cyclone is monitoring the crisis. Copyright © 2007 ... more

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Abu Suleiman al-'Uteibi (identified in the Saudi press as Muhammad al-Thubaiti, a young Saudi cleric) was killed in Afghanistan's Paktia Province during a skirmish with coalition forces there, according to a press release from Al-Qaida in Afghanistan today. The statement clarifies that al-'Uteibi had arrived in Afghanistan six months ago after leaving Iraq. Al-'Uteibi seems to have been a favorite of Abu Musaab al-Zarqawi's, having arrived in Iraq from Saudi Arabia shortly before the latter's de ... more

Mcain LaRaza 2 messes some buffet By Colin McNickle TRIBUNE-REVIEW Sunday, May 11, 2008 Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain continues his courtship of the most radical element of illegal alien apologists. He'll speak to the annual conference of the National Council of La Raza in San Diego on July 14. Sen. McCain is no stranger to the group, characterized by columnist Michelle Malkin as the "militantly ethnocentric, anti-immigration-enforcement Hispanic lobbying group. " ... more

Illegal Alien Arrested On Forcible Rape Charges in Bossier Parish Posted: May 9, 2008 08:55 AM PDT Updated: May 9, 2008 08:55 AM PDT An illegal allien was arrested by Bossier Parish deputies Thursday on charges of forcible rape. Villalt Carlos Canales is accused of attempting to force his cleaning lady to have sex with him. TOPICS, Ilelgal Immigration, Illegal Immigrants, rape, Bossier Parish, LA, forcible rape, deported, aggravated assault, battery with a dangerous weapon and simple battery, ... more

SNL has been giving Hillary a hard time for a while but this sketch takes it to a whole new level. Copyright © 2007 by John Little of Blogs of War. ... more

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Update 6:45 pm: Clashes persist in the Aley mountain district and PSP leader Walid Jumblatt declares that "Hizballah wants to dominate Mount Lebanon, that is why the ceasefire hasn't been applied."Heavy fighting was reported today in the Chouiefat foothills area, just south of Beirut, and in the mountain district of Aley. Machine gun, RPG, and sniping fire was reported throughout the day, and casualties are being reported.According to the [anti-Syrian] Kataeb (Phalangist) website, Hizballah lau ... more

This Friday when I got few tickets to watch a play by WMC Toastmasters, Bahrain at Gulf Air Club, Salmabad, I went with an open mind. Because this is the first time I am going to a theatre in Bahrain. And I must say it was a wonderful experience. The play was an adaption of Othello. Content was localized, character names were changed to Arabic names and story moved to an unknown location in Arabia. It was no amateurish performance. Dialogues had a perfect blend of local content and the... ... more

Nepalese police have arrested some 560 Tibetan women, including many Buddhist nuns, after breaking up demonstrations against China's crackdown in Tibet. Full Story ... more

After the Future TV Network, The official website of the Lebanese forces was shut down by Hezbollah #8217;s #8220;freedom fighters #8221;. I was told that the site will be back in around 2 hours. e, a large scale operation, spearheaded by Wi2am wahhab and Talal arselan is taking place to purge Mount Lebanon of Mr. Jumbalt #8217;s PSP. For live info, go to Lebanon Files(Arabic) and to Naharnet for English. For a Lebanese Forces blog, check ouwet.com. If anything happens to this blog, I will st ... more

(Lebanon) Hezbollah blames Druze chief for Lebanon kidnaps, deaths ... more

(Iraq) Iraq initiates major al-Qaida operation ... more

(Lebanon) Death toll rises as Lebanon simmers ... more

The American University of Beirut canceled classes tomorrow. This is distressing news because AUB tries never to cancel classes, even when the Lebanese government calls for schools to officially close after assassinations or for national holidays (like Armenian Christmas).The Lebanese American University's website claims that classes will be held tomorrow, but they might change their minds given that Choueifat and the Chouf are currently under barrage.What is most disturbing to Lebanese high sc ... more

Druze and Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt and PSP higher up and Minister of Information Ghazi Aridi spoke earlier on TV with trepidation in their voices asking for the Druze to stop fighting.Jumblatt ordered his followers in Aley to hand their weapons over to rival Druze leader and opposition member Talal Arslan. Arslan urged the opposition to stop attacking the Chouf and the Druze residents there.However, the television images show large fires in the Chouf. Friends living in ... more

From the Confederate Yankee and Times UK Online: "Barack Obama sacks adviser over talks with Hamas" Reliably, the Obama Middle East Policy Advisor only met with Hamas because he belongs to a "peace outfit" - a leftist crazy 'conflict resolution' think tank. Isn't it interesting that Obama would fire someone for ... ... more

A prominent member of al Qaeda was killed in fighting with U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan, the group said in a statement posted on an Islamist website on Sunday. Full Story ... more

Prime Minister Gordon Brown pledged on Sunday to do "whatever is necessary" to preserve the United Kingdom in face of demands for Scottish independence. Full Story ... more

Romesh Ratnesar takes to the pages of TIME to ask, in apparent seriousness, #8220;Is It Time to Invade Burma? #8221; The disaster in Burma presents the world with perhaps its most serious humanitarian crisis since the 2004 Asian tsunami. By most reliable estimates, close to 100,000 people are dead. Delays in delivering relief to the victims, the inaccessibility of the stricken areas and the poor state of Burma #8217;s infrastructure and health systems mean that number is sure to rise. With as ... more

IDF troops arrest Palestinian terror suspect in Kaladiya ... more

Islamists target Somalis in terror campaign ... more

(UK) Anti-terror police arrest Muslim author and former al-Qaida recruiter as he boards flight to Pakistan ... more

Pakistan - Blast damages Swat mosque and 2 killed in Dera Bugti clash ... more

Pakistan - US considering ��Anbar model �� for FATA ... more

(Israel) 21 Qassams hit the Negev on Saturday, lightly hurting five ... more

(UK) Terror Police Quiz 'Al Qaeda Recruiter' ... more

(Iraq) Sadr City Bomb Squad: Looking for Trouble Before It Explodes ... more

Fighting in North and East Lebanon - New fighting between supporters of government and opposition ... more

Areas in Aley are being bombed by Hizbullah artillery, and clashes broke out between Hizbullah, pro-Syrian Arslan and Jumblatt's PSP in Choueifat, forcing many residents to flee. My parents, who live in the area, have fled under gunfire and heavy bombardment. Walid Jumblatt in a phone call to LBC, described the clashes as unfortunate clashes between Shias and Druze, and said he agreed to Arslan's mediation offer to stop hostilities. A breathless Jumblatt called on his fighters to remember th ... more

Der TV-Sender Phoenix hat sich zum 60. Geburtstag Israels ein besonderes Schmankerl einfallen lassen: Die Dokumentation #8220;Israel - die Besatzungsmacht #8221; von Gerd Helbig und Karin Storch ist wirklich ein Muster an journalistischer Hochkultur. Man konnte sich diesen nicht-antisemitischen, neutralen unfassbaren Beitrag in den letzten Tagen bereits vier Mal (!) auf Phoenix antun, heute um 18 Uhr erneut. raquo; Beschwerde-Emails ausdr #252;cklich erw #252;nscht: info@phoenix.de (Sp #252;rn ... more

Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry argues for abolishing the minimum voting age and letting kids vote #8220;when they decide they want the vote. #8221; Matt Yglesias seconds the emotion. Gobry #8217;s argument is long and largely defies excerpting. It boils down to: Setting maturity at 18 is arbitrary. Kids will grow up and face the consequences of current policy decisions, so should have some say over them. It would diminish the ability of the elderly to succeed in rent seeking behavior. Any argum ... more

This happened in the city of Qum, a city famous for religious education and a pilgimage center for the Shiites. The city is the most internationally populated in the country, since many seekers of shiite religious studies come to study in this city from different countries in the region and even it is a host to many converts from Africa, USA, Europe and elsewhere in the world. There are many Afganis who live or study or work in the city as well, but their status is very different. The governmen ... more

Altered Face? Really? The New York Times, true to the New Duranty Times moniker Hugh Fitzgerald has given it, has run a gushing profile of Ali Ardekani, the young Muslim filmmaker who made "Who Hijacked Islam?," (linked in the picture above) among other shorts designed to stir up righteous indignation against the venomous Islamophobes who misrepresent Islam as anything other than a Religion of Peace. "Who Hijacked Islam?," as you can see, is a herky-jerky, hectoring, eye-rubbing affair, but i ... more

Sudan's government says it has halted an attack on the country's capital Khartoum by hundreds of rebels from Darfur. Full Story ... more

Weil es einigen Vertretern der Religion des Friedens �� in Jidda (Saudi-Arabien) missfiel, dass in der Hafenstadt erstmals ein Basketballturnier f #252;r Frauen stattfand, musste die Veranstaltung nach Drohungen gegen den Direktor des Fitnessclubs abgebrochen werden. raquo; USA Today: Saudi women shed veils to play basketball (Sp #252;rnase: Bernd) ... more

(Iraq) Charity is other face of militant group - Sadr's movement ''has established itself as the main service provider in the country" ... more

Purchases Linked N. Korean to Syria - NK firm acquired key materials from vendors in China Europe, secretly transferring to Syrian construction site ... more

Those of you have been following RMIT rsquo;s superhuman efforts to privilege Muslims (see e.g. RMIT #39;s Human Rights Centre (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=1172 Itemid=64), Surely RMIT doesn rsquo;t fund TERROR! (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=516 Itemid=64), RMIT Welcomes New Students (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=347 Itemid=64), RMIT EMBRACES ISLAM (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=171 Itemid=64) - 22/01/200, RMIT rsquo;s Dark Interior (index.php ... more

Would you believe Obama knew everything, and he's known it for ages ? So says Stanley Kurtz at the Weekly Standard: [...] To the question of the moment--What did Barack Obama know and when did he know it?--I answer, Obama knew everything, and he's known it for ages. Far from succumbing to surprise and shock after Jeremiah Wright's disastrous performance at the National Press Club, Barack Obama must have long been aware of his pastor's political radicalism. A careful reading of nearly a year's ... more

Verses 21-26 of sura 24 warn the believers not to imitate Satan (v. [ #8230;] Read the rest raquo; "http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/hotair/main?a=Qiv77X"> ... more

Posting a cartoon every weekday leaves no room for me to simply share news, ideas, and other stuff with you, so here's a Dry Bones feature called: 'Sunday Mail: Letters from Dry Bones'.Party TimeWe Israelis celebrated the 60th according to the Hebrew calendar (which fell this year on May 8) We partied, went to the beach, had barbecues, waved flags, went to parades, and sat in holiday traffic jams. But according to the civil calendar, Israel ��s anniversary is celebrated on May 14. And so it is ... more

Here #8217;s how Antoine Hindi, an FPM (Aountis) reader of this site sees thing: -Hizballah used arms internally and lost their right to claim otherwise-FPM condoned the use of violence - very negative in their street-LF Samir Geagea embarrassed himself with ridiculous claims and revealed his true size-Jumblatt ��s new image was lost and he returned to being a sleazy, murdering warlord-The claims that 14th March is a legitimate government was lost as allpeople witnessed first hand their armed fo ... more

Somalian Islamists ambush govt troops ... more

Hamas militant killed in Gaza explosion ... more

Qaeda says key member killed in Afghanistan - web - Abu Suleiman al-Otaibi, formerly one of the group's leaders in Iraq, was killed ... more

Lebanon troops patrol Beirut after Hezbollah pullout ... more

Signs of normalcy in Iraq's Sadr City amid cease-fire ... more

The Islamic Courts Union are back -- in some areas of Mogadishu. "Islamists target Somalis in terror campaign: Islamists target white aid workers," by Alex Strick van Linschoten in the Sunday Times, May 11 (thanks to Morgaan Sinclair): When Ibrahim Saeed Abdullah saw a neighbour’s cinema burnt down by a barrage of grenades, he realised that he had no choice but to heed the death threats he had received from the big men with guns in their hands and hatred in their hearts. Last week he closed t ... more

Nach dem Motto #8220;sie sind gar nicht alle schlecht #8221;, will Schottland mit Hilfe muslimischer Polizisten die #8220;Islamophobie #8221; bek #228;mpfen und Vorurteile in der ungl #228;ubigen Bev #246;lkerung abbauen. Au #223;erdem will man Muslime dazu ermutigen, ebenfalls die Polizeilaufbahn einzuschlagen. Eine wirksame vertrauensbildende Ma #223;nahme zur Bek #228;mpfung von #8220;Vorurteilen #8221; w #228;re die konsequente Distanzierung von Verbrechen im Namen des Islam, das Einst ... more

Irgendwie ist Pfingsten (an dieser Stelle: Ein frohes Pfingstfest allen PI-Lesern!) auch nicht mehr das, was es einmal war: W #228;hrend das multikulturelle Kreuzberg heute standesgem #228; #223; den #8220;Karneval der Kulturen #8221; feiert, findet passend zum christlichen Pfingstereignis - das bekanntlich auch als #8220;Geburtstag der Kirche #8221; bezeichnet wird - in Dillingen mit tatkr #228;ftiger Unterst #252;tzung von B #252;rgermeister Franz-Josef Berg (CDU) das gr #246; #223;te t #252 ... more

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday blamed the Islamist Hamas movement for all attacks from the Gaza Strip and warned that "calm" would be imposed by force if they did not cease. "Hamas is the dominant force in the Gaza Strip. It is responsible (for all attacks) and will be called to bear the consequences of its activities. We do not intend to accept this reality," he told a weekly cabinet meeting. Full Story ... more

Big news people! Lots of serious web surfing and phone calls with people in Sudan but for now, let me quickly go through what needs to be highlighted. WHAT? WHEN? WHO? The Darfurian rebel group Justice and Equality Movement mounted a bold attack on Khartoum less than two days ago but was stopped at the outskirts of the city by the Sudanese Armed Forces. It was a big battle involving helicopters and significant aerial bombardment. At the moment, things like the number of casualties and amount ... more

(Stars and Stripes) Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Minor has watched friends die on combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, including the teenage translator killed by a grenade tossed into a Kirkuk street. Minor gave his Purple Heart to her family.He was a college student in Ohio until recently, when he decided to return to Iraq, he said, so that a new father in his Reserve unit wouldn’t have to go.“I’d take a dozen of him for 20 of my soldiers,” said Sgt. 1st Class John Pumma, Minorâ€� ... more

(Stars and Stripes) Officials at the National Endowment for the Arts will expand their popular “Operation Homecoming” writers’ workshops to include veterans this year, helping them and their active-duty counterparts write about the war experience.The NEA will host 25 writing workshops across the country this year, including several at veterans centers for the first time, according to program directors. Nationally acclaimed writers such as Jeff Shaara, Andrew Carroll, Tobias Wolff ... more

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A former Islamist radical who says he helped 200 British Muslims train for jihad has been arrested on terrorism charges at Manchester airport. Hassan Butt, 27, who claims to have once been a spokesman for the banned group al-Muhajiroun, was arrested on Friday. Full Story ... more

Turkey said on Sunday it had launched air and artillery attacks against Kurdish separatist rebels in northern Iraq overnight after an insurgent strike on a military base. Full Story ... more

Four people, including a woman and a child, have been killed in an operation against al-Qaida near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, the U.S. military said Sunday. The military says the woman and child were riding in a vehicle targeted south of Mosul. It says two armed men were also killed. Full Story ... more

Sri Lanka's government has claimed victory in key provincial elections in the ethnically-mixed east of the island, saying the win is a major boost for its war against the Tamil Tigers. Full Story ... more

Gaza Strip - A member of the militant group Hamas has been killed in an explosion along Gaza's fence with Israel, the group said Sunday. The Islamic group's military wing says the member was killed and another injured during a "holy mission." Such language is used when explosives meant for an attack on Israel explode prematurely. Full Story ... more

Six people, including a train driver, have been detained over a train crash in eastern China that killed 72 people in the nation's worst rail accident in over a decade, state press said. Full Story ... more

Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani said Saturday that the coalition will not split as it has to steer Pakistan out of crises.At a press conference in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, Gilani said that there was no disagreement between the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) over the restoration of deposed judges and meeting the May 12 deadline. Full Story ... more

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DEBKAfile ��s military sources report that three weeks before Hizballah seized western Beirut, the Shiite terrorist group took delivery of 35 fast speedboats for use with explosives from Iran. The craft can threaten US Sixth Fleet and Israel Navy shipping close to Lebanese shores, reach Israel ��s Haifa and Ashdod Mediterranean ports and raid its coastal oil installations.They were delivered in mid-April by an Iranian freighter at the Syrian port of Latakia and trucked to Naimah port south of Be ... more

Given the hectic events of the past several days, it has been hard to keep up with all the material and analysis [some of it excellent] being presented on the present crisis. In this post I highlight two posts, one �� by Michael Young [DailyStar] �� from the first day of Hizballah ��s attack, and another �� by fellow blogger Abu Kais [From Beirut to the Beltway] �� from the day the group began withdrawing its militia from the streets of Beirut. Both are excellent and I encourage readers to ... more

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Dr. Susan Rice, one of Sen. Obama #8217;s top foreign policy advisers, got caught telling a whopper today. LGF gets credit for catching this whopper: Susan E. Rice, a former State Department and National Security Council official who is a foreign policy adviser to the Democratic candidate, said that ��for political purposes, Senator Obama ��s opponents on the right have distorted and reframed �� his views. Mr. McCain and his surrogates have repeatedly stated that Mr. Obama would be willing to m ... more

This is an update to Kawther Salam's story about the Palestinian Orphanage in Hebron. At 1.00 in the morning on the 30th of April, the Israeli Army raids orphanage in Hebron, home to 110 girls, seizing all equipment from community sewing workshop. The Hebron Orphanage for girls is run by the Charitable Islamic Society,(I.C.S) and houses 110 [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Video and Photos: Israeli Army Raid and Loot Hebron Orphanage home to 110 girls", url:... [...] ... more

[Update 2 (10 May 08)]: We're up to $242. We're moving kind of slowly, but hopefully it will pick up soon. I wanted to make a few revisions to the contest. My schedule is getting awefully hectic in the next two weeks. As such, I want to make sure I do this right. The D #038;C camp is in July, so I'm going to extend the raffle until 15 June. Additionally, for every dollar donated, you will get a chance to win one of the many prizes we're featuring. When you make your donation, please indi ... more

[youtube]ejTmistHFw0[/youtube] Is Obama Caught up in Gay Murder Scandal? - Larry Sinclair He starts out with Boycott Oprah Winfrey. And talks about "the trinity of Hell"...which he characterizes as Obama, Wright and Winfrey. This is amazing. He talks about how white folks lovingly promoted Winfrey when she was a ... ... more

Two years ago, Sen. Debbie Stabenow was re-elected to a second term. Unfortunately, she still hasn #8217;t learned Economics 101. Proof that she #8217;s clueless about economic principles is what she said while delivering the Democrats #8217; weekly radio address. Here #8217;s one example of Sen. Stabenow #8217;s economic illiteracy: #8220;Republicans want more drilling, more consumption and mor