Huge Gun Battle In West Bank - No, Not Israelis...It's The Palestinian Authority Police vs. Hamas, Six Dead

Police forces of the Palestinian Authority stormed a house known as a Hamas gathering spot in the West Bank today and that set off a huge gun battle - the result was three Hamas fighters killed and three Palestinian police killed. Gotta love it, huh? Here's some of the details of the raid by Palestinian police at the story over at Breitbart:

Forces loyal to the moderate Palestinian president stormed a Hamas hideout in the West Bank and set off a fierce gunbattle that left six dead Sunday, the worst violence since the factions fought a pitched battle over Gaza two years ago.

Among those killed in the raid were two top Hamas militants who had been on the run from Israel for years. An unarmed Hamas supporter and three Palestinian policemen linked to Abbas' forces also died.
Tens of thousands of backers of Hamas and other militant groups marched in several places in Gaza City, protesting the raid and calling Abbas a "collaborator" with Israel. Abu Obeida, a spokesman for the Hamas military wing, threatened "tough and harsh reprisal."

Initially, about two dozen officers stormed the house, breaking down the door, said a policeman who participated in the raid. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters. The Hamas men lobbed a grenade and opened automatic fire, killing three officers and wounding two critically, he said. Other officers fled, then brought in reinforcements.
The ensuing battle lasted until midmorning Sunday. Police say they found bombs, suicide belts and bullets in their search of the house.

The Palestinian Authority and Abbas have tried to keep a lid on Hamas influence in the West Bank and this raid was supposed to show that it won't be tolerated but what ensued showed how much weaponry Hamas has brought into the West Bank. I'm sure the Israelis are cheering the death of the two prime Hamas targets and at the same time, my guess is that Hamas will strike back within the next two days - I'm not sure if that will take place in the West Bank or if Hamas will find some poor saps in Gaza loyal to the PA and make an example of them, but either way, I'm all for this jihadi on jihadi violence.

For those anticipating President Obama's speech this week which will undoubtedly contain various references to the establishment of a Palestinian state, well, look at how well these clowns handle their own situation. This is exactly why NO ARAB COUNTRY has lifted a single finger to get these misfits a state.

6 dead in battle between Hamas, Palestinian police

QALQILIYA, West Bank (AP) - Forces loyal to the moderate Palestinian president stormed a Hamas hideout in the West Bank and set off a fierce gunbattle that left six dead Sunday, the worst violence since the factions fought a pitched battle over Gaza two years ago.
Militants lobbed grenades and fired automatic weapons to push back the raid in a two-story building in Qalqiliya, a West Bank town known for its strong Hamas presence. That drew dozens of President Mahmoud Abbas' forces to the hideout.

When it was over, pools of blood, tear gas canisters and hundreds of spent shell casings littered the floor. Walls were partly burned down during the battle.
Qalqiliya, which elected a Hamas mayor in 2005, was tense Sunday. Women gathered near the scene heaped insults on policemen. Sporadic gunfire erupted in other areas of town, and police said the shots came from Hamas loyalists targeting officers, though there were no reports of injuries.
The two factions have made intermittent attempts to reconcile since Hamas seized Gaza in 2007, leaving rival Fatah in control of only the West Bank. But Sunday's bloodshed showed just how little progress has been made.
The split has complicated Mideast peace efforts because the Palestinians cannot negotiate with Israel in a single voice and Hamas refuses to recognize the Jewish state.
Abbas has backed Washington's peace efforts, and the raid underscored his determination to rein in militants as part of his obligations under the U.S.-backed "road map" peace plan. Last week, Abbas met at the White House with President Barack Obama and renewed a pledge to crack down on militants and honor other commitments under the road map.
The U.S. has been training Abbas' elite forces to help him affirm his control of the West Bank and prepare for eventual statehood. Many of the security men involved in the shootout had undergone U.S.-supervised training in Jordan, police said.
Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdeneh said going after militants is key to one day setting up a Palestinian state.
"To build our country and our state, we need to have one authority, one gun, one law," he said.
Since Hamas' Gaza takeover, Abbas' security forces have detained hundreds of Hamas supporters in the West Bank and closed the group's institutions and charities.
Among those killed in the raid were two top Hamas militants who had been on the run from Israel for years. An unarmed Hamas supporter and three Palestinian policemen linked to Abbas' forces also died.
Tens of thousands of backers of Hamas and other militant groups marched in several places in Gaza City, protesting the raid and calling Abbas a "collaborator" with Israel. Abu Obeida, a spokesman for the Hamas military wing, threatened "tough and harsh reprisal."
The Qalqiliya clash began late Saturday when Palestinian troops surrounded a hideout of Mohammed Samman, a leader of Hamas' military wing, and his assistant, Mohammed Yassin. Both had been on Israel's wanted list for six years, Palestinian security officials said.
Initially, about two dozen officers stormed the house, breaking down the door, said a policeman who participated in the raid. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters. The Hamas men lobbed a grenade and opened automatic fire, killing three officers and wounding two critically, he said. Other officers fled, then brought in reinforcements.
The ensuing battle lasted until midmorning Sunday. Police say they found bombs, suicide belts and bullets in their search of the house.
Security officials seized the bodies of the Hamas militants, fearing a public burial would turn into angry protests against the Palestinian Authority. Muslim tradition demands the dead should be buried quickly.
Hamas officials in the West Bank said that some 40 loyalists of the group had been arrested in Qalqiliya in the past week as part of the search for the top two fugitives. Some 200 Hamas supporters are in Palestinian Authority custody.

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Just What Do The Muslims of the World EXPECT From Obama?

This article here from Breitbart comes out just before President Obama's speech this week from Egypt where he will address the muslim world. Many of us are expecting that speech to be more apologies for American behavior in the past and some of us are even expecting some derogatory insults from him regarding the Israelis. But what exactly do the muslims that will hear the speech want from him? What's the buzz in the muslim world about an American President with an islamic name? Let's look at what some expect:

Respect for Islam, a prescription for Palestinian statehood and assurances of a speedy U.S. pullout from Iraq—that's what Muslims from Morocco to Malaysia want to hear from President Barack Obama this week when he addresses them from this Arab capital.

Obama "has to walk the talk," said social activist Marina Mahathir, daughter of Malaysia's former prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad.

"It's true that Obama's election created a new wave of hope," said Jordan-based political analyst Mouin Rabbani. "But if he pulls the same tricks as his predecessor—making some nice statements and doing the opposite in practice—people will be disabused of their illusions quite quickly."

After the Bush years, one of the darkest periods in U.S.-Muslim relations, there is now a chance for reconciliation, said Shibley Telhami, a Mideast scholar at the University of Maryland who conducts annual public opinion surveys around the Middle East.
"The most striking is the openness toward President Obama and the expressed hopefulness about American foreign policy, something profoundly new, given the last eight years," he said.

"If he wants to win the hearts of Muslims, then there must be peace for all of the Middle East," said M. Salim Abdullah, 78, a Muslim of Bosnian descent who heads an Islamic research library in Soest, Germany.

Okay, enough. You can see throughout those comments what the muslims want - they don't want just words...they don't want fancy rhetoric...they don't want a list of promises ....and no, they don't even want apologies for America's actions of the past. It's simple what they want even though they veil it in fancy sentences and paragraphs: these muslims wants an assurance from Barack Hussein Obama that he will work with the muslims to destroy Israel and that Obama will assist the muslim world in bringing America to submission.

Now, some pali sympathizers and Leftists will come into my comments now and say that isn't what these muslims are saying and to that I simply say, you are wrong. The one guy said that in order for Obama "to win the hearts of Muslims, there there must be peace for all of the Middle East." So what does that mean? When he says "all" of the region, he is speaking specifically of the palestinians. And so, what Obama has to do is establish a peaceful palestinian state at the expense of Israel - that is what they will demand.

What Barack Obama won't tell the average American is that he is very well aware of what the muslims of this world want and that is the World Caliphate. They demand world submission to their so-called religion. Obama knows this, he's no dummy. The arrogance of Obama is that he actually thinks HE can control the wave of submission - he actually sees himself as the Global Leader. What people do not get is that Barack Obama has an ego larger than any individual human in the history of the planet. He actually thinks he can summon the praise and devotion of radical islamists and at the same time preside over a nation of Western Christians and Jews. Some would call that psychotic, some would call that crazy. I simply call it planned, ordered and evil.

Muslims want tangible change on Mideast from Obama

Obama's offer of a new beginning is seen as an attempt to stem the growing influence of extremists—particularly Iran, with its regional and nuclear ambitions—and to bolster moderate Muslim allies.
It comes just days ahead of crucial elections in Lebanon and Iran—where the appeal of militancy will be put to the test—and amid worsening violence in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The American leader's soaring oratory and Muslim roots have kindled hope among Muslims. But they will judge him by his actions, not his words, said 20-year-old Mohammed Wasel, sipping sugar cane juice with friends after mosque prayers in Cairo's Abbasiya neighborhood.
"There will be a lot of talk, but I seriously want to see something real coming out of this speech, something tangible," Wasel said, expressing a view shared by an Eritrean social worker in Rome, a retired teacher in Baghdad and a Palestinian mayor in the West Bank.
Obama "has to walk the talk," said social activist Marina Mahathir, daughter of Malaysia's former prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad.
But with rising hopes come the risk of disappointment. Obama isn't expected to present a detailed vision of a Mideast peace deal—potentially the most effective antidote to anti-Western sentiment—until later.
And there is doubt the U.S. president can change entrenched foreign policy, particularly what is perceived in the Muslim world as Washington's pro-Israeli bias. What Muslims see as America's repeated failure to hold Israel to its international obligations is a sore point. A construction freeze in Israeli West Bank settlements—Obama wants it, Israel rejects it—is shaping up as a major test.
"It's true that Obama's election created a new wave of hope," said Jordan-based political analyst Mouin Rabbani. "But if he pulls the same tricks as his predecessor—making some nice statements and doing the opposite in practice—people will be disabused of their illusions quite quickly."
Obama will also go to Saudi Arabia and meet King Abdullah on his Mideast trip. But he is not visiting Israel, though just a short flight away.
The president's initial actions have earned him good will. He's reached out to Muslims in an interview with an Arab satellite TV station, in video message to Iranians on the Persian new year and in a speech to the Turkish parliament. He ordered Guantanamo prison closed within a year and said the U.S. would not engage in torture, reversing two Bush policies seen here as having targeted Muslims.
After the Bush years, one of the darkest periods in U.S.-Muslim relations, there is now a chance for reconciliation, said Shibley Telhami, a Mideast scholar at the University of Maryland who conducts annual public opinion surveys around the Middle East.
"The most striking is the openness toward President Obama and the expressed hopefulness about American foreign policy, something profoundly new, given the last eight years," he said.
In the latest survey, 73 percent of 4,087 respondents felt positive or neutral toward Obama. The poll had margins of error ranging from 3.6 to 4.5 percentage points, in the six Arab countries where it was conducted in April and May.
The positive results for Obama seem remarkable for a region where four in five people still hold unfavorable views of the U.S., and Venezuela's stridently anti-American President Hugo Chavez was named most admired foreign leader.
If Obama wants to rally Muslim support to rein in Iran, analysts say, he will have to prove his good intentions elsewhere. In particular, he needs to move to end Israel's occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, lands the Palestinians want for a state.
"If he wants to win the hearts of Muslims, then there must be peace for all of the Middle East," said M. Salim Abdullah, 78, a Muslim of Bosnian descent who heads an Islamic research library in Soest, Germany.
A pullout of Iraqi troops according to schedule would also go a long way toward restoring Muslim confidence. But despite Obama's timetable—he plans to withdraw most U.S. troops by September 2010 and pull all out by the end of 2011—many are upset by the ongoing violence and fear Iraq could one day disintegrate.
Obama's choice of Cairo as the venue for his speech highlights problems that have long fed militancy in the Arab world. Authoritarian rule, poverty and a lack of opportunity deprive many of the young of a say in their future.
Youth unemployment in the Middle East and North Africa is the highest in the world, with one in four young Egyptians sitting idle, the U.N. says. Nearly 20 percent of Egypt's 79 million people live on less than $2 a day. Islamic militants from Egypt, including al Qaida's No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahiri, have exported their violent ideology. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, like other U.S. allies in the region, tolerates little opposition.
Obama will have to strike a balance between raising human rights violations in Egypt and elsewhere in the region, while not sounding like he is trying to impose U.S. values. The Bush administration's pro-democracy campaign in the Middle East was widely seen as hypocritical, particularly after the U.S. refused to deal with the Islamic militant Hamas despite its 2006 election victory in the Palestinian territories.
"When someone talks to me with dignity and respect, then I will feel I could follow him," said 19-year-old Mustafa Ragab. He spoke after Friday prayers at a Cairo mosque, where the preacher promoted the idea of dialogue ahead of Obama's visit. "I think Obama will be able to make the Arabs feel that way."
Beyond shared concerns, different parts of the Muslim world have particular issues.
While the U.S. draws down forces in Iraq, it is building them up in another Muslim country, Afghanistan, as part of its intensifying war on the Taliban. But the Afghan government says mounting civilian deaths are undermining support for the campaign.
Kabul shopkeeper Abdul Wasi, 34, said sending more U.S. troops is futile. "The experience of our three decades of war shows that in the end, it will not work," said Wasi, 34. "Since Obama came in, nothing has changed for us."
Iranians say they want Obama to ease economic sanctions, in place since 1995, and push for a resumption of ties.
"The sanctions the U.S has imposed so far have only damaged ordinary people in Iran," said Tehran mechanic Abbas Taghizadeh.
Millions of Muslims in Europe struggle to win acceptance and shed the stigma of extremism, without sacrificing their customs. They have fought for the right to build mosques and have girls wear headscarves in schools, a sign of religious observance. Obama may not have much to offer in their struggles.

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UAW Workers Vote At New York Plant: Work For Less or Lose All Jobs? They Voted To Lose Jobs

Way to go United Auto Workers! Once again you have proven your leadership to be nothing short of brilliant. At the Magna parts plant in Syracuse, New York, the UAW took a vote that would make wage and benefit concessions in order to keep the plant open and save their jobs - this from the article over at Breitbart. The UAW workers proceeded to vote "No" to the new contract and the plant will be closed and all 1,400 workers will lose their jobs. Like I said, what a bunch of Einsteins.

Now, perhaps the Union here has some inside information that President Obama will open the plant back up after his Government buys the plant and begins to run it, but I don't think Magna operations are quite visible enough for that to happen....lol.

So, 1,400 union drones just voted to slit their throats - and now they can all shuffle along in the unemployment lines and make the kind of wages the rest of us make. Enjoy your newfound economic security, putzes! Oh and don't let it bother you that your Union bosses who told you to vote "No" are all on a plane for their new assisgnment at another location where they will enjoy the same pay, the same benefits, the same perks...that you paid for.

Union rejects bid again to keep NY plant open

EAST SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - Members of a United Auto Workers union have rejected a contract aimed at saving a suburban Syracuse plant from closing.
UAW Local 624 president Scott Stanton says 68 percent of the workers voting opposed the contract in a vote Saturday.
It's the third time workers have rejected contracts with concessions that could have kept the parent company, Magna International Inc., from shutting down the struggling New Process Gear plant.

A Magna spokeswoman wouldn't immediately comment.
After the second rejection, the Canadian company began closing the factory, which makes parts for trucks and sport utility vehicles. It employs 1,400 workers.

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Intelligence Report: Al Qaeda Is Present In Every Province Along The Afghan/Pakistan Border

This really is a great article here at Asia Times that reveals a three month intelligence investigation into al Qaeda's role in the ongoing wars in Afghanistan and now in Pakistan and it reveals that al Qaeda is working behind the scenes to help drive the two war strategy against the West. What this intelligence is pointing out is that al Qaeda has reversed the role it took in Iraq - in Iraq, al Qaeda in Iraq fought on the front lines against the Americans under its own "flag" while in the border area of Afghanistan and Pakistan, al Qaeda is directing its warring partners in the efforts against NATO forces. Here's some of the details:

Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network is seizing a greater role behind the scenes in Afghanistan and Pakistan in an effort that could block the Barack Obama administration's stated goal of denying the terror network sanctuary in South Asia. A three-month investigation of al-Qaeda's activities, from Nuristan in the north to Paktika in the southeast, suggests that bin Laden's terror network - working through Afghan and Pakistani partners - is present in almost every Afghan and Pakistani province along the fluid border areas between the two countries.

But Mahsud and several of his deputies, who operate on both sides of the border, have created a strong bridge linking the Pakistani Taliban with the Afghan Taliban in a two-front war with a border that has proven impossible for US and Pakistani forces to control. "Al-Qaeda is operating parasitically on the successes of the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban by providing them with critical services, including global media networks, resource mobilization and precious human capital," said Vahid Brown, an al-Qaeda analyst with West Point's prestigious Combating Terrorism Center (CTC).

That last paragraph tells it all - al Qaeda is like a support network to the dual forces of the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan and making it more and more difficult for NATO forces to focus in on one enemy. Not only is al Qaeda providing a lot of the logistical and communication support but they are flooding more and more foreign fighters into the manpower mix.

It's my opinion that the only way that these dual Taliban forces along the border can be fought and that the goal of zeroing in on al Qaeda operations in Pakistan can be accomplished is if the Afghan/Pakistan border literally is erased. One force, that being a military force of NATO, Afghan and Pakistani troops under one command operating on both sides of the border could attack the dual forces of the Taliban - obviously, this would require Pakistan allowing NATO forces into the battlegrounds of Pakistan and the coordination of centralized command but this report certainly shows the futility of two forces trying to contain two enemies united in two different theatres.

Al-Qaeda spreads its tentacles

KHOST, Afghanistan - Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network is seizing a greater role behind the scenes in Afghanistan and Pakistan in an effort that could block the Barack Obama administration's stated goal of denying the terror network sanctuary in South Asia. A three-month investigation of al-Qaeda's activities, from Nuristan in the north to Paktika in the southeast, suggests that bin Laden's terror network - working through Afghan and Pakistani partners - is present in almost every Afghan and Pakistani province along the fluid border areas between the two countries. Interviews with US military commanders and American radio intercepts of Arab and Chechen fighters as well as confirmed captures or kills of foreign fighters inside Afghanistan bolster the findings. More alarming to Western terrorism analysts and US commanders, however, is the recognition that al-Qaeda has succeeded in goading its regional partners into accepting the idea of a "two-front-war" against US-North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces in Afghanistan and the government in Pakistan. That war in turn guarantees bin Laden's network permanent safe havens along the porous border between the two nations, from which it can plan larger international terrorist attacks. Unlike in Iraq, where al-Qaeda chose to participate directly in battles with its own frontline fighters and under its own brand name, bin Laden's al-Qaeda network in South Asia is increasingly content to play a role behind the scenes, influencing key players in the struggle and furthering its political interests, said Western terrorism analysts and Afghans. American terrorism experts say that al-Qaeda's leadership has chosen the senior leader of Pakistan's Taliban, Baitullah Mahsud, as their point man. Uzbek and Chechen "trigger men", most of whom have been living opposite across the border in the North and South Waziristan tribal areas in Pakistan, have helped Mahsud, 34, consolidate his own authority up and down the border in the past year. In March, the US government offered a US$5 million reward for Mahsud, whom it says is a "key al-Qaeda facilitator", or ally, responsible for multiple suicide attacks. Pakistani officials in Afghanistan and Pakistan said this week that Mahsud was using al-Qaeda's highly trained gunmen in the Pakistani Taliban's ongoing guerrilla struggle in the Swat Valley. Mahsud bullied his way into a position of leadership across most of Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas earlier this year when a new coalition of insurgent groups confirmed him as their "supreme commander" in February. American counter-insurgency efforts in Afghanistan are focused on building a bulwark against al-Qaeda, which the Barack Obama administration deems an essential part of the puzzle for peace in South Asia. But Mahsud and several of his deputies, who operate on both sides of the border, have created a strong bridge linking the Pakistani Taliban with the Afghan Taliban in a two-front war with a border that has proven impossible for US and Pakistani forces to control. "Al-Qaeda is operating parasitically on the successes of the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban by providing them with critical services, including global media networks, resource mobilization and precious human capital," said Vahid Brown, an al-Qaeda analyst with West Point's prestigious Combating Terrorism Center (CTC). An Afghan, working with Western forces in Afghanistan and who asked to remain anonymous, said he had monitored al-Qaeda radio traffic in a Paktika province district that is a stronghold of the Haqqani network, run by Sirajuddin Haqqani. "I set up a radio scanner two months ago and I picked up Chechens and Arabs talking regularly," he said. "At one point, we heard an Arab talking to a Chechen say, 'Hey, the money has come in, you can attack soon'." The Afghan said that an Afghan al-Qaeda figure, Maulvi Twaha, who he said he had personally seen shoot dead five Afghan students in 2001, was operating openly in the province, assisting foreign agents and fighters to enter and leave the region. An American, embedded as a trainer with the Afghan National Army, confirmed similar radio traffic. "It sounds from radio chatter like they have more recruits coming in, including Arabs, Uzbeks, Turkmen and Chechen fighters," said US Army Major Cory Schultz, 37, from the San Francisco Bay Area. A leading al-Qaeda propagandist and ideologue, Abu Yahya al-Libbi, an escapee from the US prison at Bagram in July 2005, claimed in a propaganda booklet released in mid-March that Pakistan's army should be treated as an occupying infidel army waging an offensive war on an invaded Muslim population. He told Pakistanis that it was incumbent on them, as "good Muslims", to fight their own government. Al-Libbi has helped the Pakistani Taliban set up successful propaganda operations of their own with FM broadcast stations that operate through portable Chinese transmission boxes. "Abu Yahya al-Libbi translates the network's ideas to a popular audience" on both sides of the border, said Brian Fishman, also at West Point's CTC. Al-Libbi maintains close ties to the "Tora Bora Front" in eastern Afghanistan, north of the White Mountains, and has been interviewed on the website of the front, which is the domain of Mujahid Khalis, the son of deceased mujahideen leader Younus Khalis, who welcomed bin Laden to Afghanistan from Sudan in 1996. Al-Qaeda's proxy Mahsud has aligned his fighters closely with those of Mullah "Radio" Fazlullah, whose insurgents are fighting a protracted war with Pakistani forces well to the north of Waziristan and centered in the region of Swat in Pakistan. In a 2007 interview with this correspondent, Fazlullah did not mince words in support of al-Qaeda's goals in neighboring Afghanistan and around the globe: "When Muslims are under attack in Iraq and Afghanistan, we have a duty to fight back against the American crusaders and their allies," he said. Other leading insurgent groups led by Jalaluddin Haqqani's son, Sirajuddin, as well as Mullah Nazir, who operate along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border out of Waziristan, have been forced to agree to the new al-Qaeda-backed strategy for the two-front war, said Western terrorism analysts. Though bin Laden remains the head of al-Qaeda, operational control and support for wars in South Asia is largely believed to be the work of his right-hand man, Dr Ayman al-Zawahiri, who lives in the tribal areas of Pakistan. Other leading American terrorism experts said al-Qaeda had made significant adaptations meant to enhance its own power base, albeit usually well hidden behind the scenes. "Al-Qaeda is acting as a force multiplier by providing funding, assistance in propaganda efforts using its print and video outlets, strategic planning ability and aid on tactics," said Seth Jones, an advisor to the US military and the author of the forthcoming book, Afghanistan: Graveyard of Empires.

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Muslims In Greece Protest Again About Torn Up Koran Notes

I don't know if you saw this the other day when the first protests started, but I did not. Apparently an Iraqi guy in Greece was stopped by police and in his possession were some papers that had some excerpts of the Qur'an written on them. One of the policemen tore up those papers and this "horrible" attack on the holy book of islam sparked violent protests by Greek muslims and today, new protests took place by about 1,000 muslims in Greece.

Okay, let me get this straight - some doofus from Iraqi decides to write some crib notes from the Qur'an onto a couple of sheets of yellow legal pad paper which, for some reason, a Greek policeman rips up and that constitutes a HUGE INSULT against allah and the Qur'an?!! Hmmm...makes me wonder...if a muslim writes a verse from the Qur'an on the cover of a book of matches and someone lights a match from it and it catches fire and goes poof...is that gonna cause a riot by 10,000 muslims? I'm guessing the Greek policeman probably thought the chicken scratch was probably a note about how to best screw a goat in the ass. But even if this cop KNEW what it was, who gives a rip? Have you ever noticed just how angry every muslim in this world seems to be? I'm serious...these people will riot, protest, burn shit, and shout at the top of their longs at the drop of a hat.

It's actually funny to me how much the muslims resemble the Leftist Democrats in America - both are incredibly miserable in their own skins...the muslims get that way by worshipping a fake god and believing in a violent political ideology...the Left in America wallows in a mired personality of personal failure and a self worth mode below that of vermin. How many attacks on Christianity are there each and every day across the globe? Thousands? And we don't see a single protest, no outrage...why? Because the Christians are comfortable in their Faith and their own skins - the muslims on the other hand KNOW DEEP DOWN that they are wrong, that they are destined for failure and an eternity of suffering..and when you experience that, you'll stomp your feet and throw shit at the police and shop windows too.

Here's the complete story from Breitbart:

Muslims in fresh Athens demo over alleged Koran insult

More than 1,000 Muslim migrants and leftists demonstrated in Athens Friday over an alleged police insult to the Koran, a week after two similar protests degenerated into clashes with anti-riot police.
The protest was called by leftist and anti-racist groups after a police officer allegedly tore up some sheets of paper with extracts from the Muslim holy book belonging to an Iraqi migrant during an identity check last week.

"We want this officer put on trial, and we ask the government to protect our prayer sites in Athens," said Zuri, a Moroccan protester.
"But we intend to set a good example and refrain from violence, Islam is a religion of peace," he said.
Scores of police on foot and on motorbikes were mobilised to maintain order and keep the migrants who marched on parliament from coming into contact with a few dozen neo-Nazi militants staging a street gathering a few blocks away.
The far-right group was commemorating the fall of Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire, to the Ottoman Turks in 1453.
Greece's main Muslim and migrant organisations distanced themselves from the migrant demonstration, preferring to take judicial action instead.
"Our problems can be solved by dialogue, not demonstrations," said Ahmet Moavia, head of the Greek Migrants' Forum.
"The real agenda is migrants' rights in Greece which include issues of religion," he told AFP.
"Muslim Arabs will not participate because there is a political agenda which has nothing to do with Islam," said Naim El Gadour, chairman of the Muslim Union of Greece.
"We filed a complaint against the officer, we chose the path of justice and peace and we will adhere to it."
Rights groups report an increase in racist attacks on migrants in Athens in recent weeks. Last weekend, unknown assailants set fire to a basement flat housing a mosque and injured five men from Bangladesh sleeping inside.
More than a dozen migrants and police were injured last week in clashes that marred two days of Muslim rallies over the alleged insult to the Koran.
Scores of cars and a handful of shops had their windows smashed.
Police made 46 arrests at the time.
Muslim groups have demanded an apology over the incident which the government has so far failed to give. Calls to identify the officer who allegedly tore the Koranic verses have also been ignored.
Community elders also note that Greece has failed to honour years of pledges to build a mosque and a cemetery in Athens where over 100,000 Muslims live.
There are around one million migrants legally living in Greece, roughly nine percent of the country's population, most of them from neighbouring Albania.
Another 80,000-100,000 migrants are believed to be residing in the country illegally according to the interior ministry.

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Good Sign From Pakistan: Taliban Shaving Off Beards, Captured Hiding With Refugees

You know, this really IS a good sign that the Pakistani military is putting a can of whoopass on the Taliban in the Swat Valley operation as police are capturing Taliban who are hiding amongst civilian refugees to try and escape the onslaught. Here's the entire article from Breitbart:

Police: Taliban suspects among Pakistani refugees

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - A senior police official says 39 suspected Taliban fighters have been arrested hiding among refugees from fighting in Pakistan's northwest.
The police chief of the Mardan district where camps have been set up to house some of the around 2 million people who fled the military offensive in the Swat Valley says alleged Taliban had disguised themselves among the refugees.

Syed Akhtar Ali Shah said the 39 suspects had shaved off the beards that many conservative Muslims consider a sign of piety.
The military says it has killed more than 1,100 militants in its month-old campaign to rout the Taliban from Swat and surrounding regions, an offensive that is strongly backed by Washington.

So 39 of the "mighty warriors" of the army of Mullah Omar are resorting to shaving off their beards and cowering amongst the women, children and goats outside of Swat ... don't know if that's going to be much of a recruitment tool for the Taliban.

One thing you will notice over the last two weeks - there literally have been NO reports of schools being blown up in Swat or any women beheaded or local governmental officials being kidnapped. Notice that? Well, one has to hope that the Pakistani government has noticed it as well and continues to put the hammer to the Taliban in the Swat Valley. And even more hopefully, it would be stellar to see the Pakistani military take this offensive to even more districts and provinces.

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Bomb In Mosque Kills 15 in Iran...yes IRAN...Was This The Long Reach of Al Qaeda?

I don't know about you but it really doesn't pain me much to see terrorist attacks against Iran...LOL. This is a bit like a mass murderer getting offed when he returns home from a fresh kill. The interesting part of this, of course, is that Iran doesn't see that many terror attacks and also, this one reeks of al Qaeda planning.

So, we have fifteen dead Iranians in a mosque and here's the article at Breitbart that describes the group that more than likely pulled this off:

An explosion in a mosque killed 15 people near Iran's volatile border with Pakistan and Afghanistan on Thursday and a local official said it was a terrorist attack.
The blast went off in Zahedan, the capital of a lawless province that frequently witnesses clashes between police and gangs involved in drug smuggling. It has also seen attacks by an Islamic militant group called Jundallah, which claims to be fighting for rights of Sunni Muslims in mainly Shiite Iran but is suspected of al-Qaida links.

The blast went off as the mosque's cleric was delivering a weekly speech denouncing the Bahai faith and Wahabiism—an austere brand of Sunni Islam practiced mostly in Saudi Arabia, according to local news reports. Such speeches are not unusual in Iranian mosques.

We know from our experience with al Qaeda in Iraq that mosques are a favorite target of al Qaeda and the links to this group, Jundallah, further help point the finger to al Qaeda and more than likely the al Qaeda personnel in neighboring Pakistan.

Wouldn't it be interesting if the Iranians lost their heads on this and tried to retaliate against al Qaeda in Pakistan? hahaha. I mean, we could literally see al Qaeda and Taliban running around inside of Pakistan...with the Pakistani army on their heels along with some Revolutionary Guards from Iran and the whole time, about three divisions of Indian forces on the border just waiting for a piece of 'em too! It would be a beautiful site, wouldn't it?

Anyway, to the mullahs in Tehran, I can only hope you will see an attack like this each and every day for the next year and then perhaps you will better understand the Israeli way of life living next to your henchmen, Hezbollah and Hamas.

Explosion in mosque kills 15 in southeast Iran

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - An explosion in a mosque killed 15 people near Iran's volatile border with Pakistan and Afghanistan on Thursday and a local official said it was a terrorist attack.
The blast went off in Zahedan, the capital of a lawless province that frequently witnesses clashes between police and gangs involved in drug smuggling. It has also seen attacks by an Islamic militant group called Jundallah, which claims to be fighting for rights of Sunni Muslims in mainly Shiite Iran but is suspected of al-Qaida links.

Alaeddin Mazari, a local journalist in Zahedan, told The Associated Press that the explosion occurred in the second biggest Shiite Muslim mosque in the city, some 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) southeast of the capital, Tehran.
Ali Mohammad Azad, the governor of Sistan-Baluchistan province where Zahedan is the capital, told the official Islamic Republic News Agency the explosion happened at 7:45 p.m. (16:15 GMT) and said a terrorist was involved, but didn't provide further details. He told state television that he detained some suspects who planned additional attacks ahead of the June 12 presidential election.
The state news agency said 80 people were injured in the explosion and no group had taken responsibility. It quoted an unnamed official as saying part of the mosque was destroyed and rescue teams were transferring the bodies of the dead and injured.
In 2007, Jundallah, or God's Brigade, killed 11 members of the country's elite Revolutionary Guards in Zahedan.
Sectarian violence has been rare in other parts of Iran, but not totally absent.
Iran hanged three men last month for their involvement in a bombing inside a packed Shiite mosque in April 2008 that killed 14 people in the southern city of Shiraz, about 550 miles (885 kilometers) south of Tehran.
The blast went off as the mosque's cleric was delivering a weekly speech denouncing the Bahai faith and Wahabiism—an austere brand of Sunni Islam practiced mostly in Saudi Arabia, according to local news reports. Such speeches are not unusual in Iranian mosques.
Iran's Revolutionary Court said the three were members of the Iran Royal Association, a little known monarchist group that wants to overthrow the country's ruling Islamic establishment. It said they had ties to the U.S.
Tehran has repeatedly accused the U.S. and Britain of backing militants and opposition groups. Both countries deny it.

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Jordan, West Bank Should Become a Palestinian State

By Findalis



From Memri

Lebanese Writer Farid Salman: Jordan, West Bank Should Become a Palestinian State, Which Will Absorb the Refugees

Following are excerpts from an interview with Lebanese writer Farid Salman, which aired on OTV on May 6, 2009.

View the clip here.

"Jordan is An Invention... I Don't Know Whether to Laugh or Cry When I Hear a Jordanian Say That He is Jordanian... He Has Forgotten That He's Palestinian"

Farid Salman: "Jordan is an invention. Transjordan, which was an emirate, and later became the Hashemite Kingdom, is part of Palestine. Britain created it in order to crown one of the sons of Hussein, from the Arabian Peninsula, over part of Greater Syria - over Palestine. This continues to be the perpetual reason... Without removing it, the Palestinian issue will not be resolved. It's impossible."

Interviewer: "Some people in Israel talk about the Jordanian option..."

Farid Salman: "They are right."

Interviewer: "In the days of Abba Eban..."

Farid Salman: "We missed an opportunity with Abba Eban."

Interviewer: "This is why the Black September battles of 1969 and 1970 took place, and the crisis was shifted here, to Lebanon. But King Hussein stabilized his throne..."

Farid Salman: "It wasn't him. The English stabilized the throne. Glubb Pasha did it for his grandfather, and the English continue to do so to this day. The Israelis also [stabilized the Jordanian rule]. The Zionist regime in Israel is against peace. It doesn't want peace.

"Abba Eban was one of the most important people in Israel, but we did not know how to benefit from him, and eventually the Zionists got rid of him. They sent him to teach in America, thus removing him from the scene. He could see the truth.

"Today, I don't know whether to laugh or cry when I hear a Jordanian say that he is a Jordanian, and that there are Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan. He has forgotten that he is a Palestinian. What do you mean 'Jordanian?' The East Bank is just like the West Bank. The Jordanian king was behind the war in Lebanon. He sent the Palestinians to Lebanon. We must not forget the role that Jordan played in Lebanon." [...]

The Anti-Zionist "Jewdanians... Have Now Gained Power, Along With Obama"

"With regard to Israel, I am very optimistic. For 40 years, I have been writing about this issue - about Zionism and about the people I call 'the Jewdanians' - that group of Jews around the world who are against the Zionist philosophy and state. They have now gained power, along with Obama. They began..."

Interviewer: "With the plan of the first Bush..."

Farid Salman: "In Madrid..."

Interviewer: "Yes."

Farid Salman: "They are the ones who brought Obama to power. They supported him financially. A few weeks ago, they announced that they were establishing a lobby. Until now, they operated behind the scenes, but now it is out in the open. An existential Israeli crisis has emerged among the Jews themselves - between the Zionists and the non-Zionists. The Zionists in power today - Lieberman and Netanyahu - no peace plan can possibly emerge from them. They will bring about a Jewish crisis in Israel and worldwide, and I believe they will be the losers. If they do not lose, that will be the end of the Zionist regime in Israel."

"When A Palestinian State Is Established, And Jordan Becomes The Palestinian State, Along With The West Bank... It Will Invite The Palestinians"

Interviewer: "That is the solution, in your view?"

Farid Salman: "Of course. When this happens, we won't need Israeli approval for the resettlement

Interviewer: "Can the Jewdanians, who support Obama, realize what the solution is, and grant the Palestinians the Right of Return?"

Farid Salman: "We have turned the Right of Return into a casus belli... Let me tell you something - when a Palestinian state is established, and Jordan becomes the Palestinian state, along with the West Bank..."

Interviewer: "That is the solution, in your view?"

Farid Salman: "Of course. When this happens, we won't need Israeli approval for the resettlement... Once there is a Palestinian state, it will invite the Palestinians. Jordan can receive 30 million [Palestinians]. In New York alone, there are 20 million people."

Interviewer: "Do you think that we are at the beginning of a process of the collapse of regimes in the region?"

Farid Salman: "Of course."

Interviewer: "Like dominoes, one will lead to the toppling of the other?"

"There is a Plan to Increase the Number of Sunnis by Resettling the Palestinians in Lebanon"

Farid Salman: "Undoubtedly. There is no other solution for the Middle East. Who invented the story of refugee resettlement in Lebanon? Let's be clear - the Sunnis. Al-Hariri did, and his sister continues in his path. The Palestinian ambassador in Lebanon is their accomplice."

Interviewer: "Abbas Zaki?"

Salman: "Him, along with Fuad Siniora. There is a plan to increase the number of Sunnis by resettling the Palestinians in Lebanon. They are the ones talking about resettlement. The day the Palestinian issue is resolved, and they have a state - in Jordan, the West Bank, wherever it may be..."

Interviewer: "Arafat used to say: 'Give me a state even on the back of a donkey.'"

Farid Salman: "Wherever it may be... Half a million Palestinian in Lebanon will go to their state. End of story. We won't be needing the approval of Israel or the world. It will be their state, and they will be invited there. End of story."

For those of you who don't know your history or who some of the people mentioned are, I'll explain:

Jordan as a nation never truly existed in ancient history. There is mention of a Kingdom of Petra, the region that is now Jordan has been conquered by the the Persian Empire, the Seleucids, the Romans , and Muslim Arabs. So in ancient times no nation called Jordan ever existed. Nor did it exist until April 11, 1921 when Great Britain decided to reward their "good friend" Emir Abdullah with 78% of the Palestinian Mandate (that was reserved by the League of Nations for a homeland for Jews). Thus Jordan, or as it was called then, Trans-Jordan was born.

It was after the 6-Day War, when Israel finally regained control of the West Bank that Trans-Jordan became simply Jordan.

Thus in fact, Jordan is the true Palestinian nation.

Black September was an attempt by the PLO (headed by Yassir Arafat) to overthrow the government of Jordan and replace it with the PLO. The Jordanian military thwarted the attempted overthrow and assassination of King Hussein, and the Jordanian government kicked out removed the PLO and their supporters from Jordan. They fled to the only nation which would give them sanctuary: Lebanon.

Abba Eban was an Israeli statesman. Born in Cape Town, South Africa on February 2, 1915. a graduate of Queens College, Cambridge, he was Israel's first ambassador to the United Nations and was elected Vice President of the UN General Assembly in 1952. He is considered one of the fathers of modern Israel, and a giant in diplomatic circles. He set the tone for Israel's diplomatic efforts for the last 63 years. He died on November 17, 2002.

A bit of history. But the reality is that the 2 State Solution that is being touted by the EU, UN and the US is looking like a pipe(bomb) dream each and every day. The Palestinians do not want it, they want all the land from the river to the sea as the Hamas and PLO charters both specify. And now it is not just the far right who are opposing the 2 State Solution, it is the mainstream Israelis who oppose it too:

Minister of Strategic Affairs Moshe (Boogie) Yaalon believes that the time has come for Israel to “free itself from the failed paradigm” of the “two-state solution.” Yaalon spoke Tuesday at a meeting of MKs dedicated to finding an alternative to the creation of a Palestinian Authority-led Arab state.

While the creation of a PA-led state in Judea, Samaria and Gaza is perceived as a necessity both in Israel and worldwide, such a state would not solve the Israel-PA conflict, said Yaalon. In fact, he said, it is doubtful that the possibility of creating such a state exists, due to Arab and Muslim reluctance to take any step that would imply recognition of Israel or compromise on Arab claims to the entire Land of Israel.

Israel's mistake lies in accepting a-symmetrical talks with the PA, Yaalon said. From the beginning of talks, he explained, Israel has accepted the idea of a Palestinian national movement with the PA as its representative, while the PA has resolutely refused to accept the Jewish national movement of Zionism or the idea of a Jewish homeland in the land of Israel.

Furthermore, while the PA demands that Arabs and Muslims be allowed to live in Israel, Israel accepts that a PA state would not have Jewish citizens, he said. And while Israel gives in on crucial issues such as the status of Jerusalem or the borders of a PA state, the PA refuses to bend in the slightest.

Read the full story here.

No proposal that Netanyahu would bring to the negotiating table will ever satisfy the Palestinians, and no proposal that they bring would be allowed by any Israeli Knesset. Thus the region is at a stalemate, and this time President Obama will not be able to charm Netanyahu or the Israelis into making a deal that would effectively destroy their nation.

The time has come to recognize and remember the true history of the region, and sent the PA, Hamas and the rest of the Palestinians back to the two-thirds of the Palestinian Mandate, back to Jordan, the real state of Palestine!

Obama Administration Continues To Favor Terrorists Over Israel, Israelis Tell Obama To Piss Up A Rope

You know, deep down....Hillary Clinton is either hating her new role as Secretary of State right now or she is trying to get back at Bibi Netanyahu for some of his tough stances taken with her husband years ago, but the crux of the latest conflict between the U.S. and Israel is this - the Obama administration has told Israel it must stop all settlement construction (even that construction in present areas needed to accomodate growth) and the Israelis have now said they are going ahead with the construction.

Here are some of the details from Breitbart:

Israel said Thursday it will press ahead with housing construction in West Bank settlements despite a surprisingly blunt U.S. demand that it stop all the building.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Wednesday the U.S. wants a halt to all settlement construction—including "natural growth." She was referring to Israel's insistence that new construction is necessary to accommodate the growth of families already living in existing settlements.

Clinton said Obama told Netanyahu last week when the two met at the White House that the U.S. sees stopping settlements as key to a peace deal that would see a Palestinian state created alongside Israel.
"He wants to see a stop to settlements—not some settlements, not outposts, not 'natural growth' exceptions," Clinton said. "We think it is in the best interests (of the peace process) that settlement expansion cease. That is our position. That is what we have communicated very clearly. ... And we intend to press that point."

Okay, maybe I've missed it but what has Barack Obama asked of the Palestinians so far in the process? What concessions or act of faith has Obama asked of Abbas or anyone in the Palestinian Authority? Anyone? Anything?

Barack Obama takes over as President and his magical solution to the Middle East situation is to warn the Israelis that they better not take any action towards Iran's nuclear threat and now he is telling them that they have to cave in to the Palestinian demands of no settlement construction. In return, Obama has requested that the Palestinians.....ummm....hmmm....hold on a second.....(searching).....nope....nothing.

Perhaps we need a reminder of what Obama said about Israel before he got elected:

"Israel's security is sacrosanct,"

Well folks, just chalk that up to another lie that Obama stated in order to get elected President. Thankfully, the Israelis have decided that they don't need this inexperienced, terror-sympathizing rookie President on their side. I do find it interesting that in the first 120 days of his Presidency, Barack Obama has been tougher on Israel than North Korea, Iran, Cuba, Russia and Venezuela combined.

Israel rebuffs US call for total settlement freeze

Government spokesman Mark Regev responded to the demand by saying "normal life in those communities must be allowed to continue." He confirmed that this meant some construction will continue in existing settlements.
The new conflict with Washington comes on the day President Barack Obama is meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House. Abbas has said the Palestinian demand for freezing settlements will be at the top of his agenda in the talks.
The new U.S. administration has been more explicit in its criticism of Israeli settlement policy than its predecessor. But Regev said the fate of existing settlements will be determined in peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
The U.S. and much of the world consider the settlements an obstacle to peace because they are built on land the Palestinians claim for a future state. More than 280,000 Jewish settlers live among more than 2 million Palestinians in the West Bank.
Regev said Israel has pledged to build no new settlements and to remove unauthorized Jewish outposts in the West Bank.
Israel and the U.S. each have new leaders with strikingly different approaches to Israeli-Palestinian relations. Netanyahu refuses to endorse Palestinian independence, a notion supported by Obama, his predecessor and the previous Israeli government.
Clinton said Obama told Netanyahu last week when the two met at the White House that the U.S. sees stopping settlements as key to a peace deal that would see a Palestinian state created alongside Israel.
"He wants to see a stop to settlements—not some settlements, not outposts, not 'natural growth' exceptions," Clinton said. "We think it is in the best interests (of the peace process) that settlement expansion cease. That is our position. That is what we have communicated very clearly. ... And we intend to press that point."

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Devastation In Lahore, Pakistan As 30 Are Killed In Suicide Squad Attack

Today in Lahore, Pakistan...Pakistani civilians bore the brunt of the Taliban lashing out against the government for the ongoing offensive in the Swat Valley. A suicide squad of jihadists attacked in Lahore with guns, grenades and a VBIED killing 30 civilians and injuring an amazing 250. Some off the wall, unheard of group claimed responsibility but this was definitely a Taliban and al Qaeda in Pakistan operation. Here are some of the details from the article at Breitbart:

A suicide squad using guns, grenades and a van packed with explosives targeted police and Pakistan's intelligence agency Wednesday, killing 30 and wounding 250 in an assault seen as revenge for the month-old army campaign against the Taliban in the Swat Valley.
The midmorning blast on a crowded street damaged an area nearly as big as a city block, mangling cars, spraying bricks in all directions and leaving behind a swimming pool-size crater. Most of the dead and injured were civilians.

A group calling itself Tehrik-i-Taliban Punjab claimed responsibility for the bombing in a Turkish-language communique posted on Turkish jihadist Web sites Wednesday, saying it was related to the fight in Swat, according to SITE Intelligence Group. The claim could not be verified and the group's relationship to the Taliban was unclear.

Like I said above, I don't believe for a minute that this new group even existed 48 hours ago - this is simply the Taliban and al Qaeda trying to sidestep any more direct punishment. At the same time, this bears a lot of the hallmarks of an al Qaeda planned operation - granted, the fact that the suicide attack involved small arms and grenades sounds more like the Taliban or Lashkar-e-Taiba, but the car bomb is all al Qaeda and the fact that this attack was so far away from the Swat Valley says to me that al Qaeda is trying to shape public opinion across the country. Let's face it, the Taliban right now cannot strike back much in the Swat Valley, so their al Qaeda brethren are masterminding this plan to turn the public against the government - if enough of these attacks occur in major cities of Pakistan, al Qaeda will expect the people to rise up against the government and demand an end to operations in Swat.

This is similar to the approach of al Qaeda in Iraq - when the sledding for al Qaeda got tough in Anbar province, they stepped up attacks in Baghdad and other areas trying to create more sect rifts and public fear.

The people of Pakistan are going to live (or die) through many more of these attacks - they let the beast of the Taliban and al Qaeda into their country and now they have to live (or die) with the consequences. If you are a Pakistani, you better grit your teeth, look past this carnage and understand that your only hope of life and peace are to drive the Taliban and al Qaeda completely out of your country or kill them all where they hide. And I do mean ALL of them.

Suicide squad kills 30, wounds 250 in Pakistan

Interior Minister Rehman Malik said militants were striking out because they were losing the fight with government forces battling to uproot extremists in the valley and the tribal areas in the northwest near Afghanistan.
"I believe that anti-Pakistan elements, who want to destabilize our country and see defeat in Swat, have now turned to our cities," Malik told reporters.
A group calling itself Tehrik-i-Taliban Punjab claimed responsibility for the bombing in a Turkish-language communique posted on Turkish jihadist Web sites Wednesday, saying it was related to the fight in Swat, according to SITE Intelligence Group. The claim could not be verified and the group's relationship to the Taliban was unclear.
Washington and other Western allies back the Swat campaign and are watching closely, seeing it as a test of the government's resolve to combat the spread of extremism in Pakistan.
The attack in Lahore, Pakistan's second-largest city, was far from the restive Afghan border region where the Taliban have established strongholds from which officials say they have launched attacks on Western forces in Afghanistan.
It was the third deadly assault since March in Lahore, the intellectual and cultural heart of the Punjab, the country's most populous province. Before March, it had largely escaped the violence that has plagued many parts of the country, but officials now fear militants may be choosing targets there to make the point that nowhere is beyond their reach.
Officials said three suspects had been detained.
Police and government officials described a coordinated assault on a compound that housed several government buildings, including a Punjab provincial government office, a police emergency call center and buildings housing the Inter-Services Intelligence agency, or ISI.
A white van pulled up in a narrow street separating the police and ISI buildings, police officer Sohail Sakheera told The Associated Press. Two gunmen stepped out from either side of the van, took cover behind concrete barriers protecting the buildings and opened fire, one on the ISI building, the other at the police building. A grenade was lobbed at the ISI building, he said.
A driver remained in the van.
Security guards returned fire and the fighting lasted several minutes, until one of the attackers was hit by ISI sharpshooters. Then a huge explosion erupted as the bomb was detonated.
"The moment the blast happened, everything went dark in front of my eyes," witness Muhammad Ali said.
The police building collapsed, crushing some officers and trapping others. Walls were sheared off the ISI building.
A crater several yards in diameter and several feet deep marked the exact spot of the blast, which provincial government official Sajjad Bhutta said was caused by 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of explosive.
The ceilings of several operating rooms in a nearby hospital fell in, injuring 20 people.
Raja Riaz, a senior provincial government minister, told reporters about 30 people were killed and at least 250 wounded. Fifteen police and several intelligence agents were among the dead, officials said. The remainder of the dead and the bulk of the wounded were civilians caught in the blast or hit by shrapnel.
The police building appeared to catch the brunt of the explosion, but one expert said the ISI headquarters was likely the main target. The complex is the main operations center for the ISI in Punjab.
The building also served as an ISI interrogation center, where operatives including Ahmed Omar Saeed Shaikh, who was later convicted in the murder of U.S. journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002, were held for a time, agency officials told the AP on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk to the media.
U.S. officials and others in the past have accused the ISI of having links to militant groups, including the Taliban in Afghanistan. But the secretive agency has also been responsible for capturing and interrogating senior al-Qaida figures and collecting intelligence that helps the military's campaign against militants in the border region.
Mohammad Amir Rana, an expert on Pakistani militant groups with the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies, said the ISI office would have been viewed as significant by the terrorists because it is the provincial headquarters for the agency.
"The message is very strong and that is that whoever is involved or have role in the ongoing military operation in Swat, they would be targeted," he said.
The army says at least 1,100 militants have been killed in a month of fighting in Swat, and that the Taliban is in retreat.
The military on Wednesday said troops had cleared militants out of Piochar, a village in a remote part of Swat that is the rear base for Taliban leader Maulana Fazlullah, and predicted that Mingora, the largest town in the valley, would be cleared of militants within three days.
The army on Wednesday invited refugees from the fighting to return to two villages, the first to be declared safe enough. More than 2 million refugees have fled, an exodus that aid officials warn could turn into a humanitarian disaster.

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North Korea Says It Cannot Guarantee The Safe Sailing Of U.S. Ships

North Korea, fresh off the latest round of missile firings, has responded to South Korea's decision to join in a ship inspection program that the U.S. initiated a few years ago by calling the South's decision a "declaration of war" and also, is threatening the safety of U.S. ships in the area of five islands off the Korean coast. I've come to the conclusion that the North Koreans haven't been selling nuclear technology information to the Iranians for the typcial monetary remuneration...no, it appears the Iranians have traded their own brand of world defiance for the Koreans' assistance. Seriously, look at the complete about-face by the North Koreans in the past 12 months - from disarming their nuclear weapons to openly inviting war and threatening to strike the United States. A coincidence that this all started when it became apparent that the United Nations had lost all control of Iran's nuclear proliferation? I think not.

Here's some of the details from the article at Breitbart:

North Korea on Wednesday called South Korea's decision on Tuesday to join the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative "a declaration of war" against it and warned it will respond militarily to any attempt to inspect its ships.

North Korea's armed forces will regard South Korea's '"full participation' in the PSI as a declaration of war against the DPRK," the statement said.
"They will regard any hostile actions against the DPRK, including checkup and inspection of its peaceful vessels, as an unpardonable encroachment on the DPRK's sovereignty and counter them with prompt and strong military strikes," the statement said.

Pyongyang said it could no longer guarantee the legal status of five islands under South Korean control or the safe sailing of U.S. and South Korean ships in the area.
"They should bear in mind that the DPRK has tremendous military muscle and its own method of strike" capable of conquering "any targets in its vicinity at one stroke" or hitting the United States, the statement said.

So what is next? Will the Obama administration actually follow through on its threat of using the PSI ship stoppage? Will the South Koreans continue to feel reassured that America will stand by them if they decide to stop a North Korean vessel? I, personally, cannot see the U.S. coming anywhere near a North Korean ship - in fact, I think we will probably see the following: the North Koreans will PURPOSELY sail a suspect ship into international waters and literally INVITE an interdiction and we will more than likely see the U.S. steer clear of anything to do with that ship.

Barack Obama's personality is one of avoiding conflict - he bailed on his career as an attorney...a vocation that is based on conflict and confrontation, for a "career" as a community organizer. He headed up a committee on Afghanistan yet never made a single trip to that country to observe the military conflict there. Let's face it...Obama's whole campaign was based on some sort of political guerilla warfare, jihad if you may - his use of intimidating "under the radar" caucus tactics won him the nomination over Hillary Clinton. Name one time where Obama has gotten into the face of anyone. When Nicarauga's Daniel Ortega stood up at that podium and slammed America for what seemed hours....Barack Obama sat there. And took it.

So no, I don't see any follow through on any tough talk here but I do predict that North Korean continues to stick that sharp stick in the side of America and South Korea. One more prediction - in the next month or so, you will see South Korea rescind its decision to join the ship inspection initiative as they will have, by then, seen how they have been left out in the wind by Obama.

LEAD: N. Korea warns of military response to inspection of ships+

North Korea's armed forces will regard South Korea's '"full participation' in the PSI as a declaration of war against the DPRK," the statement said.
"They will regard any hostile actions against the DPRK, including checkup and inspection of its peaceful vessels, as an unpardonable encroachment on the DPRK's sovereignty and counter them with prompt and strong military strikes," the statement said.
DPRK is the acronym for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The PSI, launched in 2003 by then U.S. President George W. Bush, is an international effort to interdict the transfer of banned weapons and weapons technology.
South Korea has had observer status in the PSI, but the previous government had refrained from full membership so as not to anger the North. It announced its participation after North Korea carried out its second nuclear test on Monday.
North Korea argued it is no longer bound to the armistice, saying that South Korea's participation in the PSI violates international law and denies the armistice.
Once the armistice loses its binding force, the Korean Peninsula "is bound to immediately return to a state of war from a legal point of view and so our revolutionary armed forces will" resort to corresponding military actions, the statement said.
The statement did not elaborate on what the military actions might be.
Pyongyang said it could no longer guarantee the legal status of five islands under South Korean control or the safe sailing of U.S. and South Korean ships in the area.
"They should bear in mind that the DPRK has tremendous military muscle and its own method of strike" capable of conquering "any targets in its vicinity at one stroke" or hitting the United States, the statement said.

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Has Obama Selected America's First Gay/Lesbian Supreme Court Justice?

In the proud tradition of MSNBC, CNN, NBC, CBS, and ABC and their thorough and revealing reporting on the nomination of Sarah Palin as the Republican Vice Presidential candidate in 2008, it behooves us to carry on with that investigative journalism in regards to President Obama's choice for the U.S. Supreme Court, namely Sonia Sotomayor. As we witnessed last year, the crack news teams from the above-mentioned mass media were quick to discover many revelations about a female candidate seeking a very high political office - Sarah Palin's daughter was mentioned as the actual mother of Palin's newborn son, Palin's husband was investigated as well and Palin was put into the spotlight for the "Trooper Scandal" as well as interviewed on her reading habits and knowledge of the earth's continents.

So now, we have another female nominated for a very high office in this land, and it should be very apparent, based upon the track record of Barack Obama's vetting of potential appointees, that Sonia Sotomayor should certainly be taken to task over her personal life over all of these years. As MSNBC and CNN would so proudly condone, one should actually take a fine toothed comb to Sotomayor's tax returns over the past decade to be sure she has been paying her taxes - that is only logical based upon the tax problems inherent in numerous Obama appointees to his Cabinet.

But there is one aspect of Sonia Sotomayor's life that does require some investigation. Certainly the editors of the New York Times, Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews of MSNBC would concur that the fact that Sotomayor was divorced in 1983 after a brief seven year marriage and did not have ANY children is certainly sufficient evidence to point to Sotomayor's being a lesbian. Right, Olby?

In case you haven't noticed, the Gay and Lesbian activist groups in America are THRILLED with Sotomayor's nomination. Guilt by association? Well, I'm sure these groups backing Sotomayor's nomination will be perceived as just as concrete of evidence as the fact that MSNBC reported that Sarah Palin's religious beliefs certainly made her a radical evangelical intent on making Christianity the national relgion of America. Here's what the gay and lesbian website, Bay Windows, had to say about Sonia Sotomayor:

If confirmed, she will become the first Hispanic member of the U.S. Supreme Court, the second woman on the high court bench, and the third woman ever to have served there.Early reaction from gay legal activists is positive.

Long-time gay legal activist Paula Ettelbrick said she met Sotomayor in about 1991 when they both served on then-New York Governor Mario Cuomo’s advisory committee on fighting bias."Nobody wanted to talk to the queer person at that time," said Ettelbrick, who represented Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund. "She was the only one [on the advisory committee] who made a point to come over and introduce herself. She was totally interested [in gay civil rights issues] and supportive."

And this little snippet at the end of the Bay Windows article:

There were rumors early on that the president was considering, on his short list for the nomination, two open lesbians and both Stanford Law professors - Pam Karlan and Kathleen Sullivan.

So, it appears that Barack Obama was definitely intent on naming a gay or lesbian to the Supreme Court and one could argue that his choice of Sotomayor does just that but Obama skates by some of the repurcussions of that by choosing someone that perhaps fits more into the "don't ask, don't tell" mode? Is it important if Sonia Sotomayor is a lesbian? Was it important if Sarah Palin believed in life at conception? You decide.

So, we have a new Supreme Court Justice nominee who has very little written about her personal life. A brief marriage in her college days to a man that has yet to be identified - do we actually know IF she was married? No children came out of this marriage. And the fact is that no one seems to have any idea who is in Sonia Sotomayor's life at the moment.

Let's face it - the crack investigators at the New York Times, the Washington Post, MSNBC, CNN, NBC, CBS and ABC need to get on this pronto!

Is Sonia Sotomayor a lesbian? I don't know for sure. But it is certain that if MSNBC, CNN and the three major news networks promptly being their sifting through Sotomayor's garbage, mail and public records, as they did in the dead of night in Wasilla, Alaska...the facts are sure to come out.

It Appears That Hell Froze Over: Pakistani Government Turns Down Peace Deal From Taliban in Swat Valley

I gotta tell ya, I was holding my breath reading this story from CNN where the Taliban have offered to put down their weapons in the Swat Valley in return for the peace deal previously negotiated....I was almost turning blue waiting to read that the government had agreed...but then, there it was...like a bright laser beam out of the darkness: the Pakistani government told the Taliban to go pound sand. Yes, for the first time in recent memory, the new government of Pakistan actually said no to the Taliban! But believe me, I won't rest easy because you never know what tomorrow will hold. But in the meantime, let's relish in the fact that the beaten up Taliban are panicking and trying to pull out all stops to get the army's shelling off their backs.

Here's some of the details from the article:

The Pakistani Taliban -- under pressure in fighting with the military -- said Tuesday it wants to return to a peace deal that recently collapsed.

That collapse sparked the ongoing massive military operation, a Taliban spokesman said Tuesday.
Taliban militants in Swat Valley have announced that they are willing to disarm if the Pakistani government allows sharia, or Islamic law, to be implemented in the region, a spokesman for Taliban mediator Sufi Mohammed said.
The government rejected the offer, saying the Taliban must pull out of Swat or face arrest, state information minister Syed Sumsam Ali Shah Bukhari said Tuesday. According to Bukhari, the offer shows that the Taliban's morale is down and they are retreating.

Now, I hate to rain on my own parade but I hadn't even thought about another possible twist to this scenario. What if the Obama administration contacts the Pakistani government and insists that they take the Taliban's deal?! Hmmm....wouldn't that make President Obama a hero with the Taliban, huh? I doubt that Obama would frown on any implementation of sharia law anywhere and he might just feel this olive branch to the Taliban might help his efforts in Afghanistan to reach out to the so-called "moderate" Taliban there. Okay, I see you shaking your head but look me in the eye and tell me this just COULD NOT happen. See? You can't.

The Pakistani military has these numbnuts on the run, they've inflicted heavy casualties on the Taliban and could actually run the Taliban out of the Swat Valley in about a month - one can only hope and pray that they put the pedal to the floor on this and see that it gets done and that they don't stop there and keep pushing them north, north, north.

Taliban seek return to peace deal in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- The Pakistani Taliban -- under pressure in fighting with the military -- said Tuesday it wants to return to a peace deal that recently collapsed.

That collapse sparked the ongoing massive military operation, a Taliban spokesman said Tuesday.
Taliban militants in Swat Valley have announced that they are willing to disarm if the Pakistani government allows sharia, or Islamic law, to be implemented in the region, a spokesman for Taliban mediator Sufi Mohammed said.
The government rejected the offer, saying the Taliban must pull out of Swat or face arrest, state information minister Syed Sumsam Ali Shah Bukhari said Tuesday. According to Bukhari, the offer shows that the Taliban's morale is down and they are retreating.
The lastest round of fighting has killed an estimated 1,100 Taliban militants and 75 Pakistani security personnel, Pakistan's military said Tuesday. Another 226 Pakistani security personnel have been wounded, the military said.
Mohammed negotiated the previous deal between the Taliban and the government, which called for the same arrangement.

That deal fell apart because the Taliban refused to disarm and moved into the Buner district, located outside of the region that the government allowed them to control.
The government has said it will only allow sharia if it does not contradict Pakistan's constitution. There are many interpretations of Islamic law, but the Taliban's version has curbed human rights, forcing women indoors, men to grow beards, and shops to stop selling movies and music.