Tel-Chai Nation

Today, there was a news report on Israel National News about how Yad L'Achim, a Hasidic group of troubleshooters, helped to rescue a Jewish girl from the Muslim father who held her hostage in his home in Tul Karem:

A Yad L'Achim special: Eight hareidi-religious Jews in disguise rescued a Jewish girl from her Moslem father's home in the PA-controlled city of Tul Karem, east of Netanya.

Accounts differ as to how precisely the rescue took place, but it was clearly planned thoroughly in advance. The story began several years ago when an Arab man from Tul Karem met a Jewish girl from Ashdod, and it was "love at first sight," according to the Arab. The Jewess has a different version, however; she says he first fooled her into believing he was Jewish - and neglected to mention that he was already married with children. In fact, when the two later married and moved to Tul Karem, the first wife and five children lived nearby, without her knowledge.

The Jewish woman said her husband forbade her to go outside and beat her, and also later beat her daughter, born five years ago.

[...]

After a while, the woman went to visit her mother in Ashdod, taking her daughter with her. A few days later, she informed her Moslem husband that she was not returning. The man was willing to accept his second wife's departure, but not that of his daughter - and he traveled to Ashdod and snatched her back to Tul Karem. He later claimed that back in Tul Karem, she "flowered," and that she had complained of being beaten by her grandmother "and not being allowed to stay up past 8 PM."

The mother then called Yad L'Achim, an organization that actively combats Christian missionaries and helps Jewish women suffering in Moslem villages. One account says that the religious men came into the town dressed as Arabs and asked directions for the man's house, while others say they were dressed as IDF soldiers and arrived under the guise of a terrorist-arresting operation. In any event, they entered the house, took the man and the 5-year-old girl, sped out of town, and immediately afterwards, released the father.

Meanwhile, another car was bringing the mother and grandmother to meet them. A Yad L'Achim operative who took part in the rescue was quoted in the Maariv newspaper as describing the emotional reunion: "The little girl had been sitting curled up in the car, then she got out, barefoot and with pajamas, and when she saw her mother, they embraced and fell together on the road, together with the grandmother."

The reunited mother and daughter are now in an undisclosed location, planning the legal battle to allow them to stay together. The father, for his part, has filed a complaint with the police of both Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Yeah right, the "paleswinian inferiority", a terrorist clan that should not be viewed as legitimate. But then, the Israeli police should not view the "father's" claims as legit either, considering that he's guilty of child abduction, just like a Pakistani clothes manufacturer who kidnapped the daughter he had with a Scottish woman he married who later converted back to Christianity. (See also this Dhimmi Watch entry that talks about how children in Sweden were kidnapped to the mideast, and one of the abductors was described as a paleswinian Arab.)

Read the rest of the INN article, where they also have links to a few other reports about Jewesses who stupidly married Muslims and ended up victims of abusive relationships. This same problem has also been experienced by women of Christian backgrounds, and of course, European and American ones. Last year, a Christian archbishop warned Christian women not to marry Muslim men, and I hope there's some rabbis out there who can say the same to Jewish women. Even Buddhist representatives need to make it clear to women of Buddhist backgrounds why even they shouldn't do it.

Labels: islam, Israel, Judaism, misogyny

I watched Tony Blair's conference to the Labour comittee a few days ago. It was really hilarious at times, and at others it was just simply disappointing. He predictably was unwilling to admit the truth about Islam. From The Australian (via Normblog):

[O]f course, the new anxiety is the global struggle against terrorism without mercy or limit.

This is a struggle that will last a generation and more. But this I believe passionately: we will not win until we shake ourselves free of the wretched capitulation to the propaganda of the enemy, that somehow we are the ones responsible.

This terrorism isn't our fault. We didn't cause it. It's not the consequence of foreign policy. It's an attack on our way of life. It's global. It has an ideology. It killed nearly 3,000 people including over 60 British on the streets of New York before war in Afghanistan or Iraq was even thought of.

It has been decades growing. Its victims are in Egypt, Algeria, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Turkey. Over 30 nations in the world. It preys on every conflict. It exploits every grievance. And its victims are mainly Muslim.

This is not our war against Islam.

This is a war fought by extremists who pervert the true faith of Islam. And all of us, Western and Arab, Christian or Muslim, who put the value of tolerance, respect and peaceful co-existence above those of sectarian hatred, should join together to defeat them.

Sigh. Once again, another derivation of countless other arguments made in recent years that some corrupt fanatics just hijacked "a peaceful religion." And so, any impact that could've been had when Tony made clear that we shouldn't fall for the enemy's propaganda was rendered inert. It's moral equivalency, and I want to make clear that moral equivalency is something that could be the death of us all.

And while it's true that in a way, Muslims are their own victims, that's not what Blair meant, unfortunately. Rather, he meant that as an apology of sorts to Muslims themselves, suggesting that they're "misunderstood". Please, Blair, do tell us about it.

His claims to have successfully cracked down on crime in Britain also ring hollow at best, especially when looked upon in light of the authorities' decision to only conduct raids on terror suspects with the Muslim leadership's approval.

Labels: londonistan

Europe continues to learn about the kind of Muslim customs that first began in this area of the globe. Check out the info that Snapped Shot's got of the riots that took place just recently in Brussels, when a Morrocan Muslim was killed in prison (Hat tip: Michelle Malkin). Here's also a video of the rioting that went on, with stone-throwing included. Oh, and did I mention that there's been almost no coverage of the riots by the MSM, if at all? Boos to the MSM!

Others on the subject include EU Referendum, The Right Nation, BizzyBlog, Jeremayakovka, Where Terror Strikes, The Autopsy, A Blog for All, Ace of Spades HQ, Ne Pas Subir, Cantor, Ironic Surrealism, I like Your Style, Old War Dogs, Classical Values.

Labels: belgium, islam, jihad

Well, I just got back from the vacation I took in Eilat. Had quite a good time there, tripping up and down the shorewalk, girl watching, pool swimming and even some TV viewing. And the food I ate there was swell!

I'll be getting back to more blogging soon, but first, I gotta put all the old clothes in the laundry, and get some dinner. It's been a big day.

One more reason why Britain is no longer a role model for the west to follow, especially when seeing how Chicago's authorities have been cooperating with CAIR recently. From the Times of London (via Michelle Malkin and Tigerhawk):

Police have agreed to consult a panel of Muslim leaders before mounting counter-terrorist raids or arrests. Members of the panel will offer their assessment of whether information police have on a suspect is too flimsy and will also consider the consequences on community relations of a raid.

As Tigerhawk says:

This is, of course, the single worst idea in law enforcement since Prohibition. For starters, why wouldn't the principle behind it, if it can be said there is a principle, extend to all groups? Did the British meet with the Irish before raiding the IRA so as to avoid offending Irish sensibilities? If this concept is valid in the country that gave us our legal system, it is hard to see why American police shouldn't meet with Italians and Russians before raiding the Mafia, Columbians before busting cocaine dealers, and a panel of CEOs before pursuing Sarbanes-Oxley violations. Otherwise there might be consequences for "community relations."
Of course, it would never cross the mind of the police to consult a panel of ordinary Londoners, the past and future victims of successful terrorist attacks, to see if they think the evidence in hand before a raid is too "flimsy."

Like I said, Britain, in its current self-destruct mode, cannot serve as a role model in law enforcement for western countries any longer. The political correctness and dishonesty that have long run rampant in British society, something which Melanie Phillips once spoke about when her book, Londonistan, went to press, is beginning to take its toll for real now. It's no wonder that even Robert Spencer now refers to the isle as "The Islamic Republic of Britain". The country is in a shambles, in a process of crumbling that's been going on already for quite some time.

Note also this recent Guardian poll found by Little Green Footballs that shows that one in 10 British Muslims would not inform police about terror plots being planned. It could be even worse than that.

Others appalled at this include Old War Dogs, BizzyBlog, IRIS Blog, Sister Toldjah, Jihadi du Jour, Florida Cracker, Conservative Blog Therapy, Semperluc HUMANity, Broken Chair.

Labels: islam, londonistan

I'm going to Eilat this week, something I do almost every autumn. So there may not be any updates until Thursday, unless I can find a public internet spot to use. (I once did find one, but only time will tell if I can find computer access there now.) So here I go soon to enjoy the beach in Eilat, some of the pizza resturants they've got there as well, and to see what other tourist attractions they've got there this time.

I wish a good week to everyone.

The latest polls show that Ehud Olmert is losing more than ever in public support in Israel.

Outrage has sprung up over what's been done to the Arizona 9-11 Memorial (Hat tip: Hot Air, IBA, and Ace of Spades). Speaking of which, let's not forget that the design of the Memorial in Pennsylvania may still need to be checked up on, because that too could be in danger of leftist tampering.

Bill Frist wants a vote on the immigration bill focusing on border security. I hope it's something positive he means, otherwise, he himself won't be worth the effort in voting for.

Security's been tightened up at Guantanamo Bay.

A Venezuelan "diplomat" was detained in the US, and the tyrant Chavez just whines on. Cry us a nice cold bath, Chavez, because we don't care.

Hezbollah's leader, Nasrallah, has said that their weapons will not be surrendered. No surprise there.

It looks like the Democrats' chances of getting a lead over Republicans has lessened considerably in the latest polls.

Violence has erupted again in East Timor.

And read Oliver North's latest column on latest developments at the UN.

While people's attentions are focused on Iran's own nukes, it appears that once again, another dictatorship, that being Egypt's, has been all but ignored. From the Jerusalem Post (Hat tip: Independent Conservative):

President Hosni Mubarak on Thursday called for Egypt to pursue nuclear energy, as the US ambassador said Washington would be willing to help its Mideast ally develop a peaceful program.

Mubarak echoed a call made earlier this week by his son, Gamal, who many believe is being groomed to succeed his father. The proposal surprised some, who saw it as a jab at the United States, which is locked in a confrontation with Iran over its nuclear program.

"We must increase our exploitation of new energy sources, including the peaceful uses of nuclear energy," President Mubarak said in a televised speech at the closing session of a three-day conference of his ruling National Democratic Party.

"I call for a serious debate (in Egypt), taking into consideration what nuclear tecnology can provide by way of clean, inexpensive energy sources," he said.

He said Egypt was "not starting from zero. We have knowledge of this technology, enabling us to move forward with it."

The US ambassador, unfortunately, is making differentiations between Egypt and Iran:

US Ambassador to Egypt, Francis Ricciardone, said the United States had no problem with an Egyptian nuclear program and is ready to supply technology to help.

"There is no comparison between Iran and Egypt in this field. Iran has a nuclear weapons program, but using nuclear power for peaceful means is a totally different matter," he told the Egyptian TV station El-Mehwar.

"If Egypt, after detailed study on this subject, decides that nuclear power is a positive thing and important for Egypt, we can cooperate in this field. Why not?" he said.

Because given that there too, they've got anti-Americanism, anti-Israelism, and anti-westernism galore, not to mention persecution of the Coptic Christians, that's why we cannot underestimate their true intentions.

So I think it's strongly advised that everybody be on the alert regarding Mubarak. In fact, given that the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt is now rising in political power there, that's another reason why Egypt may be a danger: because they could continue the research if they get anywhere closer to power there.

Labels: Egypt

The AP Wire reports the unsurprising news about Ismail Haniyeh, but pretends that Mahmoud Abbas is a "moderate":

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas said Friday he will not recognize a government that recognizes Israel - his clearest statement yet on the terms of sharing power with the moderate Fatah movement.

Haniyeh spoke a day after moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas indicated that a coalition government of Hamas and Abbas' Fatah would recognize the Jewish state.

"I personally will not head any government that recognizes Israel," Haniyeh said in a mosque sermon in Gaza City on Friday, laying out his group's positions.

That doesn't surprise me. But the AP should just shut up about moderacy, which they try to imply that Abbas is. Let's be clear, he does not recognize Israel any more than the Hamas does, and is as anti-semitic and anti-American as just about any other blind follower of Islam.

Lord Carey of Clifton, a former archbishop, has also come out in support of pope Benedict (H/T: Michelle Malkin). And, the hitman who tried to attack pope John Paul in 1981, of all people, is urging him not to visit Turkey, as he may be planning on doing in November:

THE former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey of Clifton has issued his own challenge to “violent” Islam in a lecture in which he defends the Pope’s “extraordinarily effective and lucid” speech.

Lord Carey said that Muslims must address “with great urgency” their religion’s association with violence. He made it clear that he believed the “clash of civilisations” endangering the world was not between Islamist extremists and the West, but with Islam as a whole.

“We are living in dangerous and potentially cataclysmic times,” he said. “There will be no significant material and economic progress [in Muslim communities] until the Muslim mind is allowed to challenge the status quo of Muslim conventions and even their most cherished shibboleths.”

Lord Carey’s address came as the man who shot and wounded the last Pope wrote to Pope Benedict XVI to warn him that he was in danger. Mehmet Ali Agca, the Turkish gunman who tried to murder John Paul II in 1981 and is now in prison in Turkey, urged the Pope not to visit the country in November.

“I write as one who knows about these matters very well,” Agca said. “Your life is in danger. Don’t come to Turkey — absolutely not!”

That's certainly amazing that the criminal who tried to commit such a vile crime in the early 80s would now say something sensible. And, it's good that the current pope is getting more support from various other Christian representatives.

Unfortunately, on my side of the spectrum, I am embarrassed to say that there is a rabbi, of all people, who seems unimpressed at the pope's courage. Rabbi Shlomo Amar (via Dhimmi Watch), sadly enough, does not share the same feelings:

In an official statement presented to Muslim leaders over the weekend, Chief Sephardi Rabbi Shlomo Amar expressed sorrow over Pope Benedict XVI's condemnation of Islam.

"I am very sorry about the deprecating things said against Islam," said Amar, in a letter that seemed to put the blame for the turmoil between Muslims and Christians on the shoulders of the Pope.

"Our way is to respect all religions, nations and peoples according to their customs," continued Amar. "As the prophet [Micah] said: 'For let all people walk everyone in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.

"And even when there is a struggle between peoples it is wrong to make it a religious struggle. Love truth and peace.'"

With all due respect, Amar: please. cut. it. out.

Amar does not speak for me, nor does another rabbi by the name of Menahem Fruman, who helped him write the statement.

Rabbi Amar, please, retire.

Others on the subject include It Shines for All, Sierra Faith, Old War Dogs, Hyscience, Freedoms Zone, Right Voices.

Labels: Christianity, islam

They certainly seem to have better law enforcement there than on the English side of the isle. From The Scotsman:

POLICE said yesterday they had smashed Scotland's biggest drugs ring after detaining 11 people in a series of dawn raids in the west of the country and Amsterdam.

Fifteen properties were searched during the operation, which was the culmination of a three-year international drug-smuggling investigation.

Led by Scottish detectives, Operation Folklore has already seen nine convictions for drug dealing and money laundering, and the seizure of 12 tonnes of narcotics worth about £61 million.

One hundred and fifty officers took part in yesterday's, raids, in Castlemilk, Cathcart, and Burnside in Glasgow.

They also swooped on a property in nearby East Kilbride, as well as on another in an upmarket residential district of Amsterdam.

Computers and documents were seized, along with drugs and a five-figure sum of cash.

It is understood no one was detained in the swoop in the Netherlands, although police did recover some items.

Police believe that the alleged drugs gang was supplying drugs throughout Scotland.

I'm sure they were, so please, report better than that, and I think everything will be fine.

If anyone's confused, yes, even Holland is mentioned here, ditto their capital of Amsterdam, since the gang must've had some connections with a Dutch drug cartel as well. I don't know if the gang there was run by Muslims, or if that had anything to do with the non-arrests over there, but I do know that, in contrast to the efforts made by Scottish police, the Dutch law enforcers come up pretty lame on this one.

Labels: Europe

Here's a video podcast that One Jerusalem published last week in which Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about the threat posed by radical Islamofascism at a dinner for American Friends of Likud in New York. And see also Jewish Current Issues' entry on the subject, which has more plus a transcript.

See also this report from the NY Sun.

Pakistan ostensibly discussed rewoking its laws involving rape, but I didn't expect them to yield any convincing results, mainly because of how they tie into Islam. And they did not. Thus, rape crimes still continue uninterrupted, such as this horrific case reported in the Australian (via IRIS Blog):

REPORTS of yet another pack rape in Pakistan emerged over the weekend as plans to amend laws aimed at making it easier to punish rapists stalled in the Islamabad parliament because of opposition from ultra-conservative Islamic parties.

The News International said a mother and daughter in a rural area had been abducted and gang-raped for 12 days because the daughter continued her schooling in defiance of villagers in her home near Multan.

The newspaper said the daughter had recently attained a masters degree in education at the Bahauddin Zahariya University. Precise details of what happened are sketchy, but it appears that the girl's father was also attacked by the assailants and that police took 12 days to act and save the women.

Reports of the rape claimed involvement by "a minister of state" but did not name him.

The case recalls that of Mukhtaran Mai, a woman who was imprisoned after she was raped in June 2002. She was freed only after intervention by the Pakistan Supreme Court.

Her case caused a global outcry at the time and highlighted the injustice of Pakistan's Islamic Hudood Ordinances, which criminalise all sex outside marriage.

Under the ordinances, unless the complainant in a rape case produces four male witnesses to support her claims, she will herself face punishment.

As a result, it has been almost impossible to prosecute rape cases, and thousands of Pakistani victims of rape are languishing in jail.

According to Pakistan's Human Rights Commission, a woman is raped every two hours and there is a gang rape every eight hours in Pakistan.

The Hudood Ordinances were introduced 17 years ago when the then military dictator General Zia ul-Haq was installing shariah law in Pakistan as a way of impressing his conservative Islamic backers at home and abroad.

Rape crimes like this one can only be stopped once Islam is as well. On a related note, it's most likely that the victims were wearing burkas, so the monsters who did this certainly can't make up their shitty excuses like some Muslims in non-Muslim countries have done when raping non-Muslim women.

For more on Pakistan's tolerance of rape crimes, here's a topic from Dhimmi Watch that talks about it.

Also available at Blue Star Chronicles, bRight & Early, Diane's Stuff, Leaning Straight Up, Mark My Words, Point Five.

Labels: misogyny, pakistan

There may be better security in Paris just now, but in the suburbs, if anywhere, there's definetely still chaos, especially if the police turn their members into sacrifices, as appears to be the case so far, when two officers were savagely beaten by Muslim rioters (via IRIS Blog):

Youths wielding iron bars beat up two riot policemen patrolling a rough housing project in a southern Paris suburb, police officials said Wednesday.

One officer was hospitalized with a double fracture of the skull during Tuesday night's incident in Corbeil-Essonnes, a police source said. His colleague reportedly sustained facial and body injuries.

Police were called in to disperse the gang of up to 30 youths who stoned the unmarked police car as it patrolled the area, police officials said.

The police got out of their car, were encircled and attacked. Some of the youths were armed with iron bars, according to reports.

No arrests were made following the incident, police said.

"These youths fear nothing," a police union official said on LCI television.

It's no surprise when police are too jelly-spined to act convincingly, and bueracracy dictates that they cannot act properly either. It's mainly the police chief's fault in this case, for not providing backup, and no doubt for also tying the officers hands (if they'd tried to defend themselves by running the thugs over, it's possible that they would've ended up on the receiving end of a prosecution). I think a dismissal is in order here.

Update: more on this from The Scotsman (via Tim Blair):

A PARIS policeman was in hospital with serious head injuries last night after youths attacked him and a colleague in an incident that renewed fears about violence and crime in France's tinderbox suburbs.

The police captain suffered a double fracture of the skull and almost lost an eye after he and his driver were lured into a trap and assaulted in the suburb of Corbeil-Essonnes, south of Paris, said a police union official.

Nicolas Sarkozy, the interior minister, was to visit the officer in hospital after meeting senior staff to discuss the attack, which came the same day as a leaked report by a top government official that warned of soaring crime in his area.

"I will do everything to find those responsible. We will find them, one by one. Not one of them will remain unpunished," said Mr Sarkozy, condemning Tuesday's late night attack as "a veritable lynching".

David Barbas, national secretary of the SNOP police union, said the two were stoned while driving in an unmarked car. "They got out to see who had done it when about 20 youths set upon them," he said.

The officer's life is no longer in danger after surgery, he added.

Thank goodness. Also, I'm very impressed by how Sarkozy's made special visits to victims of Muslim violence in France to cheer them up and listen to their story up front. This is the third time I know of when he's made a special personal visit to the victims, something that a lot of politicians should also follow as a role model. That's how to impress upon the public.

Labels: Europe, France

If it didn't happen before, it certainly did now. From Israel National News:

Despite an IDF-perceived Hamas interest not to fire Kassams at Israel, three more such rockets were launched at Israel this morning, causing injuries and some panic.

One of the rockets hit a street in southern Sderot, another landed in Kibbutz Gevim, just south of Sderot, and a third landed harmlessly near Netiv HaAsarah, between Gaza and Ashkelon. Property damage resulted in the kibbutz, including to a chicken coop, though no one was hurt.

In Sderot, however, the results were worse. The rocket landed at the intersection of the Sinai and Natan Elbaz streets at around 7 AM, just seconds after the sounding of the Red Color early-warning alarm (replacing Red Dawn). One person suffered injuries categorized as light, and several people were treated for shock; they were evacuated to Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon. Several cars and buildings were damaged, and an electric line was also downed for a short while.

Just last week, army sources noted a drop in Kassam rocket attacks on Israel, based on the perception that it was the interest of Hamas to temporarily stop such bombardments.

Throughout Israel over the weekend, Border Guard police - on their usual mission to locate Arabs who remain within the Green Line illegally - found 917 such illegal aliens. Six of them had been wanted by the security forces. Twenty-one drivers of such Arabs, eight Israelis who illegally employed them, and three who provided them with lodging were also arrested.

In addition, four wanted terrorists - of Fatah and the Islamic Jihad - were arrested in Shechem and Hevron.

As long as the Hamas is in Gaza, and Islam is the rule there, there will only be more sectarian violence of this sort.

Related note: two kassam launchers were neutralized in Gaza.

Also available at Adam's Blog, Basil's Blog, bRight & Early, The Bullwinkle Blog, Jo's Cafe, Leaning Straight Up, Mark My Words, Point Five.

Does anyone remember Dr. Laura Schlesinger, the controversial radio host? Well, you can read a two-part interview with her at The Radio Equalizer, here and here, that's recommended for reading. I'm glad to see she's still working.

Hat tip: The Anchoress.

An update related to a previous topic, the following report from the Telegraph shows that the number of freed convicts who were sentenced to life for dangerous crimes has trebled (tripled) in five years:

The number of life-sentence prisoners being released from jail has almost trebled in only five years, new figures have revealed.

The annual total of "lifers" allowed out onto the streets has risen from 125 in 2000 to a record 351 last year.

Twenty-six of the 1,500 freed since 2000 have subsequently been convicted of further serious sexual or violent crimes.

The figures undermine the Government's pledge to be "tough on crime", say critics, who have accused officials of putting the public at risk with the widespread releases.

The alarming statistics were revealed by Sir Duncan Nichol, the chairman of the Parole Board, as he called for his organisation to be removed from Home Office control and transferred to Lord Falconer's Department for Constitutional Affairs.

The figures and Sir Duncan's reorganisation call will be fresh blows to John Reid, the Home Secretary, whose department is still reeling from the scandal of the wrongly freed foreign prisoners that led to the sacking of his predecessor, Charles Clarke.

David Davies, a Tory MP, said: "The public are being failed by a system which allows murderers and rapists back on to the streets to commit more offences. A life sentence should mean what it says, but at the moment it just means a few years watching television in a comfortable cell. We are the victims of a confidence trick by the Home Office."

Speaking at a conference at Cambridge University's law faculty, Sir Duncan also disclosed that 14 per cent of the 125 prisoners released in 2000-01 were subsequently recalled for re-offending or breaching licence conditions. But 28 per cent of the 330 life sentence prisoners released in 2003-04 were returned to jail.

Figures from the board's last annual report suggest that parole panels have become more willing to agree to the release of lifers. Between 1999 and 2001 only 17.2 per cent of applications were approved, but between 2002 and 2004 that figure rose to 21.5 per cent.

Most life sentence inmates serve a minimum number of years fixed by the trial judge, then come before a parole panel which decides whether they can be released. Research has found that panels have become more reluctant to overturn the verdict of the Probation Service when it recommends inmates for release.

The Human Rights Act of 2000 gave life sentence prisoners the right to read and challenge reports written about them. However, experts fear that the legislation has encouraged officials to be more lenient.

Another factor behind the sharp rise in releases is a jump in the number of life sentences handed down by judges. Many come under Labour's "two strikes" law, which was introduced in 1997 and imposed a life sentence on anyone convicted of a second serious sexual or violent offence — only for it to be repealed last year. The Sunday Telegraph revealed this year that one prisoner had been freed after serving only 15 months of a life sentence.

The Home Office was criticised this year after the murder of a young mother, Naomi Bryant, by Anthony Rice, who was released after serving 15 years of a life sentence for attempted rape. Andrew Bridges, the chief inspector of probation, said that Rice's human rights were put ahead of protecting the public.

Verna Bryant, the victim's mother, plans to sue the Government over the release of her daughter's killer.

I hope she does, because they deserve it. With news like this, it comes as no surprise to me if Tony Blair won't be missed upon departure from office. As premier, he's responsible for the appointment of these goons who destroy the justice and law enforcement system in Britain further and further, and he should know better than to let the inmates run the asylum. Not for nothing is the public in Britain angry at him, and his departure from office, if he means what he says, will be quite welcome.

Labels: londonistan

I know that Nidra Poller may not be counting her chickens before they hatch when it comes to the lawsuit filed by France 2 against three media watchdogs who dared question the validity of the al-Dura footage that France 2 broadcast back in 2000. But until the outcome of that trial can be figured out, while Caroline Glick does make some good points about British prime minister Tony Blair's bad stance on Israel in her latest column, I must still take issue with her overestimating his understanding of the threat of global jihad. As she says here:

...for all this, Tony Blair is Israel's best friend in Europe today. He is Israel's best friend because, as opposed to all his colleagues in both Britain and the EU, Blair at least recognizes that the global jihad is a threat to the free world and that the cost of not fighting the forces of jihad will be the loss of our freedom.

Soon Israel's closest European friend will exit the world stage after being effectively sacked by his own Labor party last week. British political commentators say that chances are slim that Blair will manage to hold the reins of power as a lame duck for the next twelve months as he pledged. More likely, he will leave 10 Downing Street in a matter of months.

Let me make things clear here. Given that, over the years of his premiership, he failed to crack down on crime in Britain, and the news report spoken about in this topic only compounds that even more (for more, read here, here and here), and pretty much allowed terror gangs to operate in Britain as well, and that his speech decrying anti-Americanism (but probably not anti-Israelism) was probably...just that, this is exactly why I'll shed no tears over his departure.

And while we're at it, this may be a good time to point to where Blair really screws up: as told in this article from the UK Guardian (Hat tip: Ace of Spades HQ), Blair may be willing to recognize the Hamas as legitimate:

Tony Blair yesterday offered a spur to the deadlocked Middle East peace process by offering to recognise a future Palestinian power-sharing government, even if it includes ministers from Hamas.

Speaking after a meeting with the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, Mr Blair said the international community should support a government of national unity agreed between Hamas and Mr Abbas's more dovish Fatah party. This was conditional on the government as a whole recognising Israel, renouncing violence and accepting past interim peace deals.

"If such a government is formed, I believe it is right that the international community deal with such a government," Mr Blair said, on the second day of a three-day visit to the Middle East.

Is this the kind of politician whom Glick thinks is the best friend even America and the advocates of fighting terrorism have in Europe? I don't think so. If you ask me, Silvio Berlusconi, the former premier of Italy, was far better a friend than Blair ever was, yet she doesn't even mention him here.

In fact, she doesn't even mention how Nicholas Sarkozy, as interior minister of France, has, however slowly, due to the upper bureacracy's (Chirac, Villepin and their goons) efforts to undermine him, been making things safer for Jews and women in France. As she tells here:

Writing in Frontpage magazine this week, Islamic expert Andrew Bostom reported that in November 2005, Stephen Steinlight, the former director of education at the US Holocaust Memorial Council told a conference in Washington that on average, Muslim attacks against Jews in Paris occur twelve times a day. According to Steinlight, with this frequency of attacks, French anti-Semitic violence is approaching the level of anti-Semitic violence in Germany during the days of the Weimar Republic.

While this was certainly so in the pre-Sarkozy days, which were most definitely horrible, things have certainly improved there since he took over. Sarkozy, who paid a visit to the Jewish community in Paris following the murder of Ilan Halimi, and the dreadful spectacle of having the Tribu-Ka march through there with their vile prejudice, has certainly improved law enforcement there. That doesn't mean there isn't still rabid Muslim violence against Jews there. There is, but it's not on the same level it was 6 years ago. You could say that Sarkozy is the friend you don't hear about, partly due to the fact that the MSM in France has been trying to keep mum about some of the good things he does. You'd think that Glick would at least give him the credit the MSM won't, but she's not proving much better this way, and certainly not if she downplays the fact that Tony Blair is worthless as a leader.

I realize I can't expect too much from even one of the better columnists like Glick - of course there are times when I disagree with even those I like - but even so, I think that Glick could do better.

Labels: Europe, Italy

Two more cases of jihadists threatening free speech and countries have come up this week. First, there is the Islamic world's violent (surprise surprise) reaction to Pope Benedict's very courageous criticism of Islam. There's more about the case here.

In the wake of this, the New York Times once again shows off its dhimmitude by saying that the pope owes the Islamofascists a "deep and persuasive apology". Uh-uh, NYT, he owes them no such thing, and was very brave to take them to task. I'm sure he knew quite well what he was getting into here, and it's good to find some good folks with the courage to speak out. It's a shame that more violence erupted, but the thing is, it just proved the pope's point - that Islam is violent. Michelle Malkin backs the pope in full, and points to some obscene photos that the online jihadists have been putting on the black market.

Islamofascists have now run amok, vandalizing five churches in Shechem and Gaza (H/T: Hot Air and Michelle), and an Italian nun in Somalia was murdered (also via Hot Air). More photos and news at Gateway Pundit. I think it's time for politicians everywhere to start openly condemning the Islamofascists and call for a ban on the so-called religion.

As reported by David Warren (via Betsy's Page), the BBC was one of the worst offenders in taking the pope's words out of context, one of the things that led to the violent reactions:

The BBC appears to have been quickest off the mark, to send around the world in many languages, including Arabic, Turkish, Farsi, Urdu, and Malay, word that the Pope had insulted the Prophet of Islam, during an address in Bavaria.

He had not, of course. Pope Benedict XVI had instead quoted, carefully and without approval, remarks by the learned 14th-century Byzantine emperor, Manuel II Palaeologus, in debate with a 14th-century learned Persian. He was trying to provide a little historical depth to present controversies about the meaning of "jihad", and his very point was that on their own respective theological terms, Muslims and Christians were bound to talk past each other today, in the same ways as they did seven centuries ago. But in the most conscientious media reports I have seen, even the Byzantine emperor is quoted out of context.

The Beeb is one of the worst tools who shine the shoes of the enemy, and who try to keep the west in a state of fear, reluctant to speak the truth about the dangers we face today.

Next up, the al Qaeda have declared jihad against France (surprise surprise!). Here's the video of Zawahiri's issuing the threat at Hot Air. Trouble is, does Jacques Chirac take the case seriously? Because, as No-Pasaran (also via Gateway) explains, the MSM in France sure don't. From AP (also via Gateway Pundit):

PARIS - Al-Qaida has for the first time announced a union with an Algerian insurgent group that has designated France as an enemy, saying they will act together against French and American interests.

Current and former French officials specializing in terrorism said Thursday that an al-Qaida alliance with the Salafist Group for Call and Combat, known by its French initials GSPC, was cause for concern.

"We take these threats very seriously," Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy said, adding in an interview on France-2 television that the threat to France was "high" and "permanent," and that "absolute vigilance" was required.

Al-Qaida's No. 2, Ayman al-Zawahri, announced the "blessed union" in a video posted this week on the Internet to mark the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States.

France's leader[s] have repeatedly warned that the decision not to join the U.S.-led war in Iraq would not shield the country from Islamic terrorism. French participation in the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon could give extremists another reason to strike.

The national police had no immediate comment on the announced alliance, but officials have long regarded the GSPC as one of the main terror threats facing France.

French experts agreed, but also noted the group has been severely weakened by internal divisions, security crackdowns and defections in Algeria, a former French territory still working to put down an Islamic insurgency that reached its most murderous heights in the 1990s.

Weakened or not, the GSPC is still dangerous, and must be stopped. It's good that Sarkozy is the interior minister, and is making efforts to improve law enforcement. And I hope that now, they're realizing more than ever that no matter how much appeasement they make in France, it will not help one bit.

Others on the subjects include Wizbang, La Shawn Barber, two more from Michelle, Purple Avenger, Chickenhawk Express, Gina Cobb, Alarming News, Alphabet City, The Autonomist, Dumb Ox News, Strategic Outlook Institute, Plus Ultra, Sma' Talk Wit' T, Coalition of the Swilling, Jihadi du Jour, Mike's Noise, California Conservative, Pink Flamingo Bar & Grill, Paxalles, Amy Proctor, Sierra Faith, Confessions of a Pilgrim, Three Knockdown Rule, KP Cubed, Stop the ACLU, Marvin's Word, Right Voices.

Labels: Christianity, Europe, France, Italy, jihad

Oriana Fallaci, one of the oldest critics of Islam who didn't bend over backwards, passed away at 77 in her hometown of Florence this week. May her memory be blessed (in Hebrew: zikhrona levrakha).

MILAN (Reuters) - Oriana Fallaci, one of Italy's best-known writers and war correspondents who goaded the world's great and issued a vitriolic assault on Islam after the September 11 attacks on the United States, died on Friday aged 77.

Fallaci died in her home town of Florence after battling cancer for several years, a hospital official said.

Aggressive and provocative to the end, Fallaci made her name as a tenacious interviewer of some of the most famous leaders of the 20th century.

She quarreled with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, provoked U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger into likening himself to a cowboy, and tore off a chador (enveloping Islamic robe) in a meeting with Iranian revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

"A great Italian and brave writer has died who has led a life full of passion, full of love, with great civil courage," Ferruccio De Bortoli, editor-in-chief of Il Sole 24 Ore newspaper, told Reuters.

De Bortoli first published the angry essay that turned into Fallaci's controversial best-seller, "The Rage and the Pride," which described Islam as oppressive and Arab immigrants in Europe as dirty, foul-mouthed and bigoted.

She called on Europeans to defend their culture and values instead of adjusting to immigrants' needs.

"The book was a great appeal to be proud of our identity," De Bortoli, former editor of Corriere della Sera newspaper, said. "It's the strongest testimony to the emotional and intellectual reaction to the September 11 (2001) attacks."

In a later book, "The Force of Reason," Fallaci wrote that the Islamic faith "sows hatred in the place of love and slavery in the place of freedom."

An Italian judge later ordered Fallaci to stand trial on charges she defamed Islam, but the case never went to court.

'DISASTROUS CONVERSATION'

The storm she triggered with her anti-Islamic essays came as no surprise to Fallaci, who courted controversy throughout her career and ended as a reclusive and angry writer in New York.

Fallaci set the pace for a daring life when she joined Italy's anti-fascist resistance as a teenager during World War Two, then showed the same fearlessness as a war correspondent.

She covered conflicts in Vietnam, the Middle East, and Latin America at a time when few women braved the front lines, and was shot and beaten in 1968 during student demonstrations in Mexico.

Later, she succeeded in fiction with novels including "A Man," inspired by her love affair with Greek resistance fighter Alexandros Panagoulis.

Her exchanges with Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir, the Shah of Iran, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and other leaders, collected in her book "Interview with History," stood out for her provocative, uncompromising questioning.

In her interview with Kissinger, Fallaci needled the U.S. statesman until he agreed that the Vietnam War was "useless."

Kissinger later wrote that her interview with him was "the single most disastrous conversation I have ever had with any member of the press."

According to Fallaci's own anecdotes, she had a shouting match with Arafat and opened an interview with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi by ridiculing his political manifesto as "so small and insignificant it fits in my powder puff."

Many loved her confrontational style but others accused her of slander and taking quotes out of context to spice up a story.

Italian President Giorgio Napolitano said: "With Oriana Fallaci, we lose a journalist of global fame, an author of great success, a passionate protagonist of lively cultural battles."

And one of the boldest critics of Islam in Europe. And while the imam who tried to sue her for "insulting Islam" cannot do so now, it's very sad to lose her. She was one of the best of Europe and she also stood with Israel.

I strongly recommend buying her books, such as The Force of Reason and The Rage and the Pride. Plus, read also this translation of one of her Italian essays on the London bombings.

While we're on the subject, Michelle Malkin is offering "I will not submit" t-shirts on Cafe Press. I strongly recommend buying them, for the whole family, in fact. They make for great wearing indeed.

Others mourning Fallaci's loss include Industrial Blog, It Shines for All, Babalu Blog, Wall Street Cafe, Stop the ACLU, OpinionBug, Hyscience, Dave Lucas' Notes, Woman Honor Thyself, Liberty and Justice.

Labels: Europe, Italy

History News Network writes about anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism in Turkey:

Yesterday I attended a conference on antiterrorism in the US, India, Israel and Turkey. One of the most startling comments was made by Professor Deniz Ulke Aribogan of Bilgi Istanbul University. She called for a serious American marketing campaign to counter the anti-American and anti-Semitic marketing campaign that she sees flooding Turkey.

Turkey may not be the worst country where Islamists maintain a presence, but Aribogan's got some good points; we cannot ignore whatever bigotry is going on there any more than we can in a lot of other countries where Islam is certainly the main "law" imposed.

Labels: anti-americanism, turkey

The political and court situation in France can be very awful (if you want to know just how bad, see this item from Ace of Spades) and that's certainly the case now, what with France 2, the TV channel that conducted the fauxtography with a Muslim boy named Mohammed al-Dura, now suing three local media monitors who dared to question the Pallywood photo-fakery's authenticity. Here's some of the info from Honest Reporting and Backspin (via Michelle Malkin), and also from Pajamas Media and Politics Central, where Nidra Poller is providing coverage of the trial.

And, here's some commentary from Israel Hasbara Committee:

Is it defamation to question the media? I would say that it’s downright irresponsible not to. But remember, this is 21st century France, and the Lady of the Republic has been raped, Lady Liberty’s in bondage, and Lady Justice has a migraine - as she’s been standing on her head for way too long.

But what is most difficult for a lot of us Anglos to understand, is that this is more about a French code of honor than anything else. People are being put on trial for expressing opinions that dishonor or embarrass France, as France 2 Television represents the French Republic. Forget the courts - this calls for a duel.

On that, let me say this: France 2 TV does not represent the French public, and it's because of them and their refusal to give coverage to and condemn many of the violent crimes by Islamofascists in France that the Lady of the Republic was raped, Lady Liberty bound and gagged, and Lady Justice developed a migraine, from the inability of the justice, law, media and political system to stand behind her and defend the former two.

The Al-Dura trials begin this 14 September in Paris. The mainstream media may not deem the story fit for coverage (which in and of itself is intriguing and worthy of investigation), so I guess it’s up to us concerned and informed folks to push this issue into the headlines.

Perhaps it’s the public’s love affair with the macabre, and their lust for the sensational which enticed France 2 television to recklessly release footage reportedly depicting the shooting to death of a young boy, and the wounding of his father - at the hand of the Israelis (at least that’s what the voiceover said). In the rush to air 55 seconds of exclusive footage, which was rushed to France 2 by their Palestinian cameraman who filmed the scene; 27 minutes of rushes (unedited footage) were deliberately left on the editing room floor. France 2’s Charles Enderlin was so anxious to get the news out, that he generously distributed the 55 second clip free of charge to the global media.

Despite the incredible questions surrounding the case, France 2 has persistently refused to release the unseen footage to the general public. However, those few who have seen the footage report that it’s rather embarrassing, as it essentially records 24 minutes of youths feigning injuries, and ambulances evacuating the uninjured.

This is not some over-the-top conspiracy we are dealing with. Highly regarded journalists and historians have gone out on a limb to question and probe the circumstances surrounding the case - the kind of people who can comfortably sip Chardonnay and discuss liberty, equality’, and brotherhood with top intellectuals in Paris - and they can do it in French (uh, let’s see... that would be liberté, egalité’, et fraternité). The kind of people who have Harvard, Princeton and Oxford under their belts and whose writings are published in the the Atlantic Monthly, Commentary Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, and respected academic periodicals.

But the mainstream, mediocre media just doesn’t want to go there. They’ve lost their ability for serious introspection, cutting edge journalism and investigative reporting. And why bother when, thanks to that very same media, so much of the public is dumbed down, passive and scandal-fatigued anyway?

Some argue that even if France 2 was negligent in handling the affair, why obsess over an event which happened six years ago. Leave it for the history books and get on with it already.

Except that it isn’t exactly history yet. At present, we’re still living, in realtime, the results of France 2’s rendering and editing of that footage. Inasmuch as there’s a surprising lack of blood in the footage, there’s been a staggering amount of blood spilled in this world in the name of Mohammed Al –Dura’s image.

[...]

Whether we’re dealing with negligence, recklessness, or outright lies; the handling of the Al-Dura affair by France 2 was obscene, irresponsible and possibly devious. It must be taken seriously by the public.

Asking the right questions now and demanding valid answers may be the best way to avert further tragedy.

Absolutely correct. The Augean Stables, which has a number of posts on the al-Dura scandal plus commentary, is also covering the trial, with even one post that's in French.

I certainly hope the defense does its best, and, most importantly of all, demands in a counter-suit that the TV station show us all the reels filmed in their entirety, so that everyone can see what's going on. As far as I'm concerned, France 2, which most certainly does not represent the French citizenry, deserves to go out of business.

Update: Poller says that it's an encoraging start (also via Backspin). And it will be more if the lawyers make their case as I recommended it.

Others on the case include Strange Women Lying in Ponds, Little Green Footballs, What Was I Thinking, Snapped Shot, Colin Meade, The Belmont Club, Neo-Neocon, Atlas Shrugs, Shrinkwrapped.

Labels: Europe, France

It seems that Ariana Huffington, the owner of the Huffington[-Puffington] Post, attacked the Iraqi Kurds, as the following newsletter from Kurdistan - The Other Iraq, explains:

BLOG ALERT

Commentator Arianna Huffington Makes Disparaging Remarks About Plight of Iraqi Kurds Under Saddam Hussein

* Chairman of Kurdistan Development Corporation Invites Ms. Huffington to Visit Iraqi Kurdistan to Gain a Better Understanding for Herself

In an appearance last night on the O'Reilly Factor, commentator Arianna Huffington, who runs the blog website, www.HuffingtonPost.com dismissed the plight of the Kurds under dictator Saddam Hussein. Huffington also attacked a television ad campaign by the Kurds to thank Americans for helping liberate them from Hussein's reign of tyranny.

Huffington inaccurately stated that, "I think the Kurds were free before we invaded Iraq. But how have the conditions of the Kurds changed since we invaded Iraq?"

When shown a television commercial by Mr. O'Reilly titled "Thank You America" Ms. Huffington responded by saying, "I think that spot is sad. It is sad to use people in the interests of promoting an agenda." She added that in her belief, "The Kurdistan -- the position -- the position of the Kurds has not changed one iota since we invaded Iraq. What has
changed is the position of Americans, who are less safe because we invaded Iraq."

The ad in question can be viewed for yourself here: www.TheOtherIraq.com

Responding to the comments made by Huffington, Ms. Bayan Rahman, Chairman of the Kurdistan Development Corporation, made the following statement:

"I was saddened to see the comments made by Arianna Huffington on the 'O'Reilly Factor" television show. One of the reasons we started our public relations efforts here in the United States, was to tell the story of Iraqi Kurdistan that has until now not been told."

"Hundreds of thousands of innocent civilian Kurds were killed by Saddam Hussein. Over 5,000 in one chemical weapons attack against the Kurdish city of Halabja. Even after the United States and Great Britain provided air protection with the "No Fly Zone," Saddam's tanks still stood pointed at our cities and our people.

"But now the people of Iraqi Kurdistan are free. We've implemented a flourishing democracy. We are rebuilding our nation from the devastation brought about by Saddam Hussein. And now we've passed free market economic reforms to encourage American companies to come and help rebuild Iraqi Kurdistan into a vibrant bastion of freedom and success in the Middle East.

"I invite Ms. Huffington to come to Kurdistan, as our guest, so that she may learn the truth and join our efforts to help tell the story of The Other Iraq."

- Ms. Bayan Rahman
Chairman, Kurdistan Development Corporation
www.TheOtherIraq.com

*A copy of the transcript from last night's O'Reilly Factor follows:
________________________________________________________

HUFFINGTON: I think Iraq has been a tragic disaster.

O'REILLY: OK. I want to play you a spot that's running on FOX News right now, and I want your reaction. Roll tape.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Saddam's goal was to bury every living Kurd. He failed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, America.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you!

ANNOUNCER: The Kurds of Iraqi Kurdistan just want to say thank you for helping us win our freedom.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you for democracy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, America.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'REILLY: How do you react to that?

HUFFINGTON: I think it's sad. I want to know who's paying for it. I want to know who...

O'REILLY: The Kurdistan government is. You think it's propaganda?

HUFFINGTON: Of course it's propaganda.

O'REILLY: You don't think the Kurds are free because of us?

HUFFINGTON: I think the Kurds were free before we invaded Iraq. But how have the conditions of the Kurds changed since we invaded Iraq?

O'REILLY: All right. So you think that's a total -- that's a total lie?

HUFFINGTON: I think that spot is sad. It is sad to use people in the interests of promoting an agenda.

O'REILLY: Yes, but the Kurdistan -- the Kurdistan government...

HUFFINGTON: The Kurdistan -- the position -- the position of the Kurds has not changed one iota since we invaded Iraq. What has changed is the position of Americans, who are less safe because we invaded Iraq.

O'REILLY: All right. I don't -- I disagree with you. I think Saddam persecuted the Kurds. I think they have a free -- and -- so what?

HUFFINGTON: So what? Our job is not to go there and save the Kurds. Our job to keep Americans safe.

O'REILLY: All right. OK. So what, the Kurds are free.

Well well well. This shows just what leftofascists like Huffington are suffering from - lack of caring for human life, certainly according to a selective position. This is exactly why nobody with sense should waste their time on her or her website.

Labels: Iraq

I just took part in another bloggers conference One Jerusalem sponsored, this time with Republican Senator Rick Santorum (click here for audio). This may be the most prominent guest I've had the pleasure of being online with.

The main topic was about Iran's approching nuclear menace. The day when they may have nuclear missiles ready for attacking Israel and anywhere else in the world could be even nearer than we think, and that's why preparations must be made for stopping Iran's dictatorship, led by the notorious Ahmedinejad, from achieving their savage goals. It's becoming more and more clear every day that war with Iran is inevitable.

In my opinion, a pre-emptive strike to stop Iran's dictatorship is the best choice to make. So the sooner any and all allied forces (with the downright exception of the UN, which is simply unreliable) can be prepared to deal with Iran, the better the chances can be in defeating the tyrant Ahmedinejad.

Again, thanks very much to One Jerusalem for the invitation to the conference.

The other participants include Jewish Current Issues, Atlas Shrugs, The American Thinker, Israpundit, Regime Change Iran, Liberally Conservative, Gateway Pundit, Boker Tov Boulder, Broadsword, Mere Rhetoric.

Labels: conferences, United States

I remembered seeing this topic on the Aqoul blog, that, while it didn't actually mention Jean-MarieDhimmi Le Pen, it did give a very good hint just how he reached the second round in France's elections in 2002. As it says here, Lionel Jospin, who was actually one of the better liberal politicians back then

lost Arab votes ... after infuriating them by his statements against Hezbollah...

This explained everything. As noted by CNN back in 2002, Le Pen's Front National party had otherwise dropped the anti-immigrant stance from their platform, one of the reasons why the Islamofascists in France may have seen in Le Pen as the lesser evil (for them, but for us he's equal to them in such terms), and bigots like him and them pretty much go hand in hand with each other. Thus, realizing how much they had in common (they don't like Jews, Blacks, French, Asians, stuff like that), so Le Pen and plenty of Islamists pretty much broke whatever ice was between each other, and thus, an alliance was formed, as most likely stands the case now. Thus, while he may ostensibly attack certain imams for hatemongering, but NOT Islam itself, as was the case in a recent speech he gave in Toulon, he need not worry about putting off that many Muslims in France: they will be able to tell that in truth, he's on their side, and few objections will be raised even now. If there's anything that will certainly impress the Islamists, it's Le Pen's attacks on Israel in which he drew a bizarre moral equation between the IDF and Hezbollah as "militias".

Note also that in the 2002 elections, the gap between Le Pen and Jospin was very narrow, one more clue to how Le Pen got ahead.

If there's anyone whom Le Pen could very likely get votes from this coming election, it's the Islamofascists in France, and yes, there most certainly will be some who'll vote for him. Look out.

Labels: Europe, France

Former IDF chief of staff Moshe Yaalon had this to say about how the government handled the war with Hezbollah:

Former IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Yaalon continued his attack against the military and political echelons in the aftermath of the war in Lebanon and called on Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and current Chief of Staff Dan Halutz to resign.

In an interview to Haaretz magazine, Yaalon slammed the decision to launch a ground operation, during which 33 soldiers were killed.

"This move was part of a (political) spin; it had no distinct military purpose," he said. "It was aimed at providing a sense of victory. You cannot act in such a way. You do not send soldiers to carry out a futile mission after the political results have already been determined. To me this is corrupt."

Asked specifically whether the soldiers died for the sake of a political spin, Yaalon said "Yes, and this is why people must resign. You do not need a commission of inquiry for this; those who made the decisions should take responsibility and step down."

"Olmert cannot say 'I didn?t know.' Even if he does not have military experience and never acted as defense minister, he knows how you go to war; this is not how it's done."

Yesterday, Udi Adam, one of the army commanders who oversaw the war resigned. If Olmert and Dan Halutz are smart, they'll do the same.

Labels: Lebanon

From Reuters, here's something that may or may not give a clue to the identity of a gunman in Montreal:

OTTAWA (Reuters) - A gunman opened fire inside a downtown Montreal college on Wednesday and at least four people were taken away by ambulance, television networks said.

The incident happened at Dawson College in central Montreal, which is attended by around 10,000 students.

Television pictures showed students fleeing from the campus and a pool of blood on the front steps of the college.

CTV said one eyewitness spoke of up to 20 shots being fired while another said the shooting had taken place in the college's cafeteria.

In December 1989 a gunman shot and killed 14 young women in Montreal's Ecole Polytechnique, before turning the gun on himself.

What they don't mention here is that the gunman who murdered 14 women those 17 years ago was an Algerian, and most likely a Muslim too. Is it possible that the gunman in this situation was of a similar background, and was acting out of similar motivations?

Update: here's a fuller story on the horrifying incident, in which one student, tragically a female one, was murdered:

MONTREAL (AP) - A young man in a black trench coat and a mohawk haircut opened fire Wednesday at a Montreal college, slaying a woman and wounding at least 19 other people before police shot and killed him, witnesses and authorities said.

Unfortunately, the police as usual do something that seems to have become the norm these days:

Police dismissed suggestions that terrorism played a role in the lunch-hour attack at downtown Dawson College, where scores of panicked students fled into the streets after the shooting began. Some had clothes stained with blood; others cried and clung to each other. Two nearby shopping centers and a daycare center also were evacuated and subway service was disrupted.

Let's be clear here: in order to prevent violent crimes like these from happening, that's why hard questions such as if this was an act of terrorism cannot be avoided.

Although the Dutch government was brought down over Rita Verdonk's harrassment of Ayaan Hirsi Ali a few months ago, the current setup isn't proving much better, not the justice minister they've got anyway. From Expatica (via Michelle Malkin):

AMSTERDAM — Dutch Justice Minister Piet Hein Donner has provoked an angry response by stating it has to be possible for Sharia Law to be introduced in the Netherlands via democratic means.

The Christian Democrat (CDA) minister made the suggestion during an interview for the book 'Het land van haat en nijd' (the land of hate and malice) which was published on Wednesday.

Donner indicated he was not happy with the tone of the integration debate in the Netherlands.

Muslims, he said, just like Protestants and Roman Catholics, have a right to the perceptions of their religion, even if that included dissenting rules of behaviour such as imams refusing to shake hands with women.

He went on to say: "It must be possible for Muslim groups to come to power [in the Netherlands] via democratic means. Every citizen may argue why the law should be changed, as long as he sticks to the law.

"It is a sure certainty for me: if two thirds of all Netherlanders tomorrow would want to introduce Sharia, then this possibility must exist. Could you block this legally? It would also be a scandal to say 'this isn't allowed!

"The majority counts. That is the essence of democracy."

His remarks are contrary to the stance taken by MP Maxime Verhagen, leader of the CDA in parliament. Verhagen had expressed concern Sharia Law could be introduced in city districts where Muslims are already in the majority.

Right-wing MP Geert Wilders of the Party for Freedom has posed written questions to Donner.

Wilders said Donner should be defending Dutch norms and values and resisting the introduction of "barbarous Sharia Law" in the Netherlands. The minister will face a motion of no confidence if he sticks to his views, Wilders warned.

Labour (PvdA), the largest opposition party, has also expressed surprise at Donner. MP Jeroen Dijsselbloem said Donner seemed to be forgetting that several points of Sharia Law are in conflict with the Dutch Constitution. "The Minister for Justice must invest his energies in opposing these sorts of opinions rather than signalling that such ideas can form part of our democracy," Dijsselbloem said.

An excellent argument there, Mr. Dijsselbloem, but that's not even the half of it - MANY parts of shari'a and the koran are in conflict with constitution, of Holland and of many other countries as well.

And Donner's saying that it has to be possible to introduce shari'a by democractic means?!? Puh-leez. It's time for new elections even in Holland. Effective immediately.

Others on the subject include It Shines for All, Theology Geek, Keen Arrows, Old War Dogs, Riehl World View.

Labels: islam, Netherlands

Some al Qaeda terrorists tried to attack the US embassy in Syria earlier today, which shows that Syria is yet one more area in the mideast to crumble:

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - Syrian guards foiled an attempt by suspected al-Qaida-linked militants to blow up the U.S. Embassy on Tuesday, exchanging fire outside the compound's walls with gunmen who shouted "God is great" and tried to storm in with automatic weapons and hand grenades.

The brazen, midmorning assault in a heavily guarded neighborhood of the capital could highlight the Syrian regime's weakening grip on militants, who have battled Syrian security forces repeatedly in recent years.

The attack, which left at least 10 civilians and a Chinese diplomat wounded, came amid high tension between Washington and Damascus.

This also shows that al Qaeda is very near Israel, and could be maintaining operations over in Syria as well.

Labels: syria

National Review (Hat tip: Betsy's Page) reprints an article by Byron York from 2001 that shows what Bill Clinton's real record on fighting terrorism was like:

June 25, 1996, a powerful truck bomb exploded outside the Khobar Towers barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, tearing the front from the building, blasting a crater 35 feet deep, and killing 19 American soldiers. Hundreds more were injured. When news reached Washington, Presi dent Bill Clinton vowed to bring the killers to justice. “The cowards who committed this murderous act must not go unpunished,” he said angrily. “Let me say again: We will pursue this. America takes care of our own. Those who did it must not go unpunished.” The next day, leaving the White House to attend an economic summit in France, Clinton had more tough words for the attackers. “Let me be very clear: We will not resist” — the president corrected himself — “we will not rest in our efforts to find who is responsible for this outrage, to pursue them and to punish them.”

As Clinton spoke, his top political strategist, Dick Morris, was hard at work conducting polls to gauge the public’s reaction to the bombing. “Whenever there was a crisis, I ordered an immediate poll,” Morris recalls. “I was concerned about how Clinton looked in the face of [the attack] and whether people blamed him.” The bombing happened in the midst of the president’s re-election campaign, and even though Clinton enjoyed a substantial lead over Republican Bob Dole, Morris worried that public dissatisfaction with Clinton on the terrorism issue might benefit Dole.

Indeed, Morris’s first poll showed less support for Clinton than he had hoped. But by the time Morris presented his findings to the president and top staffers at a political-strategy meeting a few days later, public approval of Clinton’s response had climbed — something Morris noted in his written agenda for the session:

SAUDI BOMBING — recovered from Friday and looking great
Approve Clinton handling 73-20
Big gain from 63-20 on Friday
Security was adequate 52-40
It’s not Clinton’s fault 76-18

The numbers were a relief for the re-election team. But soon there was another crisis when, on July 17, TWA Flight 800 exploded and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on its way from New York to Paris. There was widespread suspicion that the crash was the result of terrorism (it was later ruled to be an accident), and Morris’s polling found the public growing uneasy not only about air safety but also about Clinton’s performance in the Khobar investigation. Morris found that the number of people who believed Clinton was “doing all he can to investigate the Saudi bombing and punish those responsible” was just 54 percent, while 32 percent believed he could do more. Morris feared that White House inaction would allow Dole to portray Clinton as soft on national security.

“We tested two alternative defenses to this attack: Peace maker or Toughness,” Morris wrote in a memo for the president. In the “Peacemaker” defense, Morris asked voters to respond to the statement, “Clinton is peacemaker. Brought together Arabs and Israelis. Ireland. Bosnia cease fire. Uses strength to bring about peace.” The other defense, “Toughness,” asked voters to respond to “Clinton tough. Stands up for American interests. Against foreign companies doing business in Cuba. Sanctions against Iran. Anti-terrorist legislation held up by Republicans. Prosecuted World Trade Center bombers.” Morris found that the public greatly preferred “Toughness.”

So Clinton talked tough. But he did not act tough.

Yep, that pretty much describes how Clinton managed his business when it came to America's security at the time he was president. And polling his response to terrorist attacks? Let's be clear here, it's dealing effectively with the terrorists and stopping them that matters, NOT how popular the politician in question is with the public.

Clinton stands to be remembered in history as one of the most irresponsible and self-absorbed presidents in America's history, and I think his wife, Senator Hilary, is destined to be in the same position as well.

Update: more shocking news from a bit earlier: WorldNetDaily reports about how the Canadian Red Cross has issued a belated and limp apology for having led to the death of 3000 people by infected blood. But that's not the half of it. Apparently, former president Clinton was involved at the time he was governor of Arkansas:

As governor of Arkansas, Clinton awarded a contract to Health Management Associates to provide care to the state's prisoners. The president of the company was a long-time friend and political ally of Clinton and was later appointed by him to the Arkansas Industrial Development Commission. Later, he was among the senior members of Clinton's 1990 gubernatorial re-election team.

Health Management Associates struck a deal with the state, signed by Clinton, to collect and sell blood from Arkansas prisoners. Because of the exploding AIDS crisis, U.S. regulations did not permit the prisoner blood to be sold legally within the United States. But HMA found a willing buyer in Canada – Connaught, a Toronto blood fractionator, which didn't know the source of the supplies. The blood was also sold to other countries.

Sales continued until 1983, when HMA revealed that some of the blood might be contaminated with AIDS and hepatitis.

Whistleblower Michael Galster, who conducted orthopedic clinics in the Arkansas prison system during the period blood was collected, charged HMA officials knew the blood was tainted as they sold it to Canada and a half-dozen other countries.

His thanks was an arson attack on his clinic.

Yikes. This is very serious. And the international press is guilty of ignoring and hiding this information from the public. Something that seems to be the least known Clinton scandal.

I don't know about you, but I think there should be indictments over this crime. If ever there was a reason for an international human-rights tribunal to be invoked for trial and punishment of those responsible for a massive human-rights violation, this would seem to be the appropriate case.

I couldn't agree more. The RC should be ashamed of themselves for their brutality and contempt for human life, and the world media that supressed this info should also be ashamed for sweeping it under the rug. And Clinton too should be investigated.

Labels: Canada, jihad, political corruption, terrorism, United States

It's now the fifth year since September 11, 2001, when the al Qaeda murdered almost 3000 people in the World Trade Center. This is my entry for the memorial service.
Thanks to MightyCrusaders.Net for the tribute banner.

Others remembering include the following: Allahpundit and Bryan at Hot Air, Plus, here's a Vent hosted by Robert Spencer of Jihad Watch (and see also this discussion about the AP's attempts to blame America at a very inappropriate time). Then there's three topics by Ms. Underestimated, nine topics by Michelle Malkin, including this, this, this, this, this, this, and this, Mary Katherine Ham, One Jerusalem, La Shawn Barber, Debbie Schlussel, Old War Dogs, Woman Honor Thyself, A Lady's Ruminations, Pajamas Media, Confederate Yankee, Conservative Blog Therapy, Sister Toldjah, Stop the ACLU, Catholic Single Girl, Enzee, Michael Freund (via IRIS Blog), Church and State, Webloggin, The Jawa Report, Israelly Cool, Westbankblog, Conservative Musings, The Dread Pundit Bluto, Guns and Butter Blog, The Korea Liberator, Leaning Straight Up, Chuckoblog, Daniel Pipes, Daled Amos, Israpundit, Basil's Blog, Gribbit's Word, CustomerServant, California Conservative, The Florida Masochist, Toadpond, The Cassandra Page.

Labels: anti-americanism, jihad, terrorism, United States