Now, therefore ~
Do not deceive yourselves.
If any one of you thinks he is wise
by the standards of this age,
he should become a "fool"
so that he may become wise.
~ 1 Corinthians 3:18
No nuke commitments until Israel joins NPT: EgyptEgypt has ruled out any additional nuke commitments unless Israel signs NPT, even as it asked for making the West Asia a nuclear free zone.People's Assembly of Syria condemns Israel's violation against Palestinians
The top legislature of Syria condemned Israel's violation against occupied Palestine territory, its people and religious holy sites, the official Syrian Arab News Agency reported.Syrian Visits Washington as Part of Regional Détente
The Kuwaiti daily Al-Siyassa reports that Palestinian Authority president and Fatah leader Mahmoud 'Abbas has submitted a request to Syrian officials to open the Fatah offices in Damascus, and to renew Fatah activity in refugee camps in Syria. The Fatah offices were closed in 1983 following a dispute between Yasser Arafat and Syria.Fatah and Hamas set for surface unity
'American training will be utilized to kill Jews'Hamas denies return of Abbas troops to Gaza
Egypt's al-Ahram daily reported Saturday that pro-Abbas forces, who were routed by Hamas in June 2007, would return to Gaza under the agreement and they will help open Rafah crossing point between Egypt and Gaza, since an international protocol says this crossing can not open without these forces. "The government of Ismail Haneya (Hamas), which was endorsed by the parliament, will remain in charge of all security affairs," al-Bardaweel told reporters.
Hamas, Fatah to end power struggle
Yousef Majlaton moved into the Jerusalem neighborhood of Pisgat Zeev for such comforts as proper running water and regular garbage pickup. But he represents a potentially volatile twist in the Israeli-Palestinian dispute over the holy city. The hillside sprawl of town houses and apartment blocks was built for Jews, and Majlaton is a Palestinian. Pisgat Zeev is part of Israel's effort to fortify its presence in Jerusalem's eastern half, which it captured in the 1967 war. But Majlaton, his wife and three kids are among thousands who have crossed the housing lines to Pisgat Zeev and neighborhoods like it in a migration that is raising tempers among some Jewish residents. It wasn't so much the politics of this contested city that drew Majlaton to Pisgat Zeev; it was the prospect of escaping the potholed roads and scant municipal services he endured for 19 years while renting in an Arab neighborhood. "You see that air conditioner?" he said, pointing to the large wall unit cooling his living room. "In the Arab areas, the electricity is too weak to run one that big."Police close Temple Mount, Arabs riot
The Temple Mount does not exist alongside the Western Wall, and neither Jews nor Christians should be allowed to pray on the Mount site, Dimitri Diliani, the spokesman for Fatah in Jerusalem, told WND in an interview. Fatah, once named by the U.S. as a Mideast "peace partner," is the party led by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Diliani spoke hours after Fatah and PA officials were accused of inciting a riot on the Temple Mount, claiming Jews were threatening the site. "Don't use the term Temple Mount," Diliani lectured WND. "It doesn't exist. I don't know where it is. I cannot see any Temple. Can you? No one can find any trace of it. The area you refer to is only a Muslim holy site."Sayyed Nasrallah: We will never recognize Israel’s right to exist
Nebraska woman's bags arrive from Syria, she doesn'tWansah Hadgi, 32, of Lincoln was returning from a monthlong trip to visit relatives in Syria when she disappeared. She was due to arrive home on Sept. 11.Christians Worldwide Prayed for Peace of Jerusalem Sunday
When Mosab Hassan Yousef publicly proclaimed he was a Christian, he caused a shockwave throughout the Palestinian world. Yousef is the son of one of the founding leaders of Hamas, which has a wing considered to be an international terrorist organization.Greek INTIFADA against participation of Israeli in UNESCO Symposium:
On Sunday, Yousef told his story at Emmanuel Baptist Church through a dialogue with the Rev. Wade Burleson. A former terrorist himself, Yousef was arrested by Israeli special forces for being the head of the Hamas youth organization and was taken to a detention center. While at that center, he was tortured by the Israelis. He then was sent to Megiddo prison, a large prison where other Hamas members are kept.
While there, he saw members of Hamas torturing other members of Hamas. Later when he was invited to attend a Bible study, he read the Bible and was instantly changed, he said. He began to study scripture and realized the terrible things done in the name of religion by those who consider themselves “great believers.”
The Greek Association for Solidarity with the Palestinian People, INTIFADA, has called for a cultural and academic boycott of the symposium entitled Intercultural Encounters in the Hellenized Orient organized by UNESCO in Paris. Amongst the speakers in this event is Israeli panelist Ehud Netzer who is scheduled to lecture on The Near East: Judea and Hellenism.11-year Sentence Upheld For Prof Linked To Hamas
A federal appeals court on Friday upheld a sentence of more than 11 years in prison for a former business professor who refused to answer grand jury questions about his relationship with the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a claim by former Howard University professor Abdelhaleem Ashqar that the trial judge erred when she sharply increased his sentence because of alleged ties to a terrorist organization.Texas Terror Suspect Made Video for Bin Laden, FBI Says
A jury in a high-profile 2007 trial acquitted Ashqar of racketeering involving financial, logistical and other support for Hamas in its long-standing conflict with the government of Israel. But the same jury convicted him of obstruction of justice and contempt for refusing to answer a 2003 grand jury's questions about Hamas after receiving immunity for prosecution for any illegality that he might admit.
Texas terrorism suspect Hosam Smadi recorded a seven-minute video message for al Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden before his arrest on charges of plotting to blow up a Dallas building, an FBI agent testified Monday. No details of the message were provided in court. But FBI Special Agent Thomas Petrowski said the video was recorded in a hotel room with the assistance of undercover FBI operatives and Smadi intended for it to be delivered to or seen by bin Laden, the fugitive leader of the terrorist network behind the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington.Ihsanoglu encouraged by Obama
The engagement policies in Washington can help restore the U.S. image in the Muslim world, the head of the Organization of the Islamic Conference said. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the secretary-general of the OIC, delivered a series of speeches in Washington on strategies for improving U.S.-Islamic relations. Ihsanoglu stressed that in order to rebuild relations between the United States and the Muslim world, both parties should pursue efforts to overcome mutual doubts and suspicions.Remarks With Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference:
He argued that while the United States is not historically a colonial power, its behavior in terms of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan has damaged its reputation, the OIC said. He went on to blame Washington for its "partisan policy" in terms of the Israeli-Palestinian issue, saying the United States has not been an "honest broker" in the peace process because of its ties to Israel.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, it’s a great honor to formally welcome the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Countries. I have known the Secretary General for a number of years, and I look forward to working closely with him in my new position. And I’m personally delighted to have you here to and to welcome you.Keep off Kashmir, India tells OIC
SECRETARY GENERAL IHSANOGLU: Thank you, Madame. This is really a pleasure and honor for me personally and officially, and I would say this is the first encounter, official encounter, as Secretary General of OIC and Secretary of State of United States.
We have a long association, and I have been delighted to know Madame since 1996. And today, in my first visit, I would like to express that the Muslim world has appreciated President Obama’s Cairo speech, and that historical speech has created great expectations in the Muslim world, and particularly the six points he made reference to. And we in the OIC are ready to cooperate with the United States on the fulfillment of the dreams of the President and his ambitions towards the Muslim world. I personally feel that this is a great opening and that everybody has to cooperate to fulfill these dreams and ambitions.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you, sir.
SECRETARY GENERAL IHSANOGLU: Thank you, Madame.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you all.
Egyptian State Security forces arrested a group of Christian Copts in different parts of the city in Alexandria, after severely assaulting them in front of their neighbors. Their wives were also arrested, but because of intense objection protests by neighbors at the way they were handled and of the screams of their terrified children, they were released. The men who were arrested are relatives of Rafaat Girges Habib, a man who helped a Coptic father free his kidnapped daughter from her Muslim husband's home. The arrests continued until Habib turned himself in to the police.UAE Issues Nuclear Energy Law, Establishes Regulator
Rotterdam's new Islamic mayor seen as test of ethnic integrationAt the Tony Blair Faith foundation talk on Wednesday the most memorable moment came when John Reynolds, the chairman of the Church of England's Ethical Advisory Group, described protectionist policies towards Africa as "a fucking disgrace". But that's hardly news. It is the view of almost everyone who cares about development and poverty.
Tariq Ramadan, who should have been interesting, spoke with great force and passion, but when I tried to write down his main points, the only one I could fix was the need to co-operate with all faiths, with atheists and agnostics too, in bringing ethics to the market. "They may not talk about god, but they talk about the same values as us", he said.
The veiled women clutch their children's hands as they scurry past the liquor store, ignoring rows of vodka bottles on their way to the Muslim butcher next door. Across the street, male customers emerge from the Climax sex shop with their purchases and quickly stride away without a second glance at the Turkish kebab restaurant opening for lunch.London to host Abu Dhabi Investor Forum
Testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee: Steve Coll, President, New America Foundation Source: Government of the United States of AmericaThank you for this opportunity to testify about the effects of U.S. policy in Afghanistan on the stability and political evolution of Pakistan.Congress readies Iran sanctions if diplomacy fails
The Obama administration is backing the role of Mohammed ElBaradei...NATURALLY!
War with Iran is now inevitable. The only question is: Will it happen sooner or later? Tehran's recent missile tests and war games suggest that the apocalyptic mullahs have reached the same conclusion.This writer argues: Ahmadinejad has no Jewish roots
Moreover, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's mother is a Seyyede. This is a title given to women whose family are believed to be direct bloodline descendants of Prophet Muhammad. Male members are given the title of Seyyed, and include prominent figures such as Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei. In Judaism, this is equivalent to the Cohens, who are direct descendants of Aaron, the brother of Moses. One has to be born into a Seyyed family: the title is never given to Muslims by birth, let alone converts. This makes it impossible for Ahmadinejad's mother to have been a Jew. In fact, she was so proud of her lineage that everyone in her native village of Aradan referred to her by her Islamic title, Seyyede.Jews in Iran
Maurice Motamed, the country's Jewish MP, has criticised Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's denials of the Holocaust but is otherwise a staunch supporter of the radical president's foreign and security policies. "I am an Iranian first and a Jew second," he said.Qatar National Bank denies investing in Iran oilfield
Nigeria may sell stakes in Western oil firms to help China"There is no doubt that when one looks at Nigeria, it is such a heartbreaking scene we see. The number of people living in Nigeria is going up. The number of people facing food security and health challenges are going up... because the revenues have not been well managed," she said.China Resists UN Security Council Talks on Myanmar
... Daewoo International Corp. said Aug. 25 it would invest 2.1 trillion won ($1.68 billion) in a Myanmar gas project to supply China National Petroleum Corp.China's CNPC ups, BP lowers stake in Iraq oil deal
MUSING GLOOMILY on the prospects of a diplomatic solution to the row over Iran’s nuclear programme, a Financial Times columnist, Gideon Rachman, this week recalled Otto von Bismarck’s observation that “the great questions of the day will be decided not by speeches, or by resolutions of majorities, but by blood and iron”.As new talks begin with Iran amid western concerns over its continuing refusal to abandon its enrichment plans, there are fears that China will block further pressure through tougher UN Security Council sanctions.'Dear Leader' welcomes Chinese Comrade
Rachman might well also have recalled – in this week of celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the foundation of the People’s Republic of China – Mao’s dictum that political power grows out of the barrel of a gun. Or of oil, for that matter, which matters a great deal to China.At the G20 meeting last week, China’s statement on Iran, unlike Russia which appears to be edging towards support for sanctions, simply called on Iran to co-operate with the International Atomic Energy Agency. China subsequently insisted that sanctions were not the way to go.
The Chinese Prime Minister, Wen Jiabao, arrived in North Korea for talks with its reclusive leader Kim Jong Il yesterday amid hopes of advancing nuclear disarmament by the pariah state after months of tension.French President Appoints Special Envoy To North Korea
At the end of 2008 dozens of activists claimed they had been abducted by the security services.Somalia: Al-Shabab martyrs imposes new rules in Mogadishu
Putin urges foreign investors to tap Russian gas fieldsIran’s traditional emblem has been the Persian lion. Russia’s should be a vulture: Prime Minister Vladimir Putin intends to feed on the carcass left by any confrontation with Iran. For Moscow, this crisis isn’t about Tehran’s acquisition of nukes. It’s about Russia’s acquisition of a stranglehold on global energy markets.Russia's litany of unsolved murders
The trouble started when Vladimir Dolgikh, the chief of the Moscow Veterans Committee, complained to the Oleg Mitvol, prefect of of Moscow’s northern administrative district, about the Anti Soviet Kebab House. The owner’s intention was certainly not malicious. The restaurant stands opposite the Soviet Hotel on Leningradsky Prospect in Northern Moscow, making the “Anti” epithet a nice play on words. But when the owners put up their sign after renovations this summer, Dolgikh complained that the pun was “inappropriate.” The offending banner was duly dismantled on September 18.Nuclear policy blitz capped by US-Russian negotiations in Moscow
US and Russian negotiators have concluded a 6th round of nuclear talks leading up to the ratification of a new nuclear agreement between the two countries. The START I (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) treaty, signed in 1991 is set to expire in December 2009, and the talks over the spring and summer are aimed at creating a new treaty. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will travel to Britain, Ireland and Russia next week, October 9-15 to engage in , "wide-ranging talks on economic and counter-terrorism cooperation and arms control," ending in Moscow where she and her Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are slated to hammer out final details and sign the new treaty.
Top French groups set for lucrative Kazakhstan dealsTop French companies, including aerospace group EADS (EAD.PA: Quote, Profile, Research) and energy groups Total (TOTF.PA: Quote, Profile, Research) and GDF Suez (GSZ.PA: Quote, Profile, Research), are set to win lucrative Kazakhstan contracts, said a source from the French Presidential office. The contracts are likely to be signed next week, when French President Nicolas Sarkozy visits Kazakhstan from Tuesday.Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan sign documents on Trans-Caspian project
Kazakhstan is becoming increasingly recognized and respected on the international political scene, and it is no surprise that Almaty and Astana have become host to a growing number of various regional and international meetings and symposia. More and more business tourists have become interested in visiting the country, and you may find yourself becoming one of them.Saudi Arabia participates in the 18th meeting of UNWTO in Kazakhstan
An amnesty on the assets of illegal businesses has begun in Kyrgyzstan RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports. According to the law signed by President Kurmanbek Bakiev on October 1, Kyrgyz citizens now have the opportunity to legalize any financial assets or property that were acquired illegally. The amnesty will end on December 31.US Air Force Band, Falcon 'rocks N Wows' Kyrgyz Audience
Anyone who declares such assets will be free of any punishment or fines. This is the second attempt by the Kyrgyz government to get people to legalize so-called shadow capital. A similar attempt in 2007 produced few results. Neighboring Kazakhstan has had two such amnesties and Tajikistan has issued one.
All eyes were on the musicians during their grand entry into the city of Karabalta. According to resident villagers, it was the first time in history of the town that any military team of musicians would visit them with such an unprecedented show.France, Spain to use Kyrgyz air base
"for unsatisfactory performance of duties, weakening of control over the work of railway transport of the country and failure to take appropriate measures to ensure the growth of the industry."EC sanctions project on protection of human rights in Turkmenistan
Saturn Couldn't Escape GM's Dysfunctional OrbitI agree with my colleague Daniel Harrison’s take that forming a single global agency to supervise all financial institutions is, to put it technically, crazy talk. But it’s equally important to recognize how fractured government oversight helped cause the banking crisis, along with the threat it now poses to financial reform.Recession Is Over; Depression Has Just Begun
Federally Funded Research Center Cometh:With SAIC -Frederick, Inc. as its prime contractor, the new facility will be the only Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) in the countryHOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY TO SPEAK AT HER ALMA MATER
Santa Clara University has announced that U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano will speak on global security issues at the campus later this month, on the same weekend she celebrates her 30th reunion. The former Arizona governor and current Homeland Security chief was class valedictorian when she graduated from Santa Clara University with a political science degree in 1979, according to the school.INSIDE WASHINGTON: Obama moving slowly on judges
A chilling new report by investigative journalist Ryan Singel provides startling details of how the FBI's National Security Branch Analysis Center (NSAC) is quietly morphing into the Total Information Awareness (TIA) system of convicted Iran-Contra felon, Admiral John M. Poindexter. According to documents obtained by Wired:
A fast-growing FBI data-mining system billed as a tool for hunting terrorists is being used in hacker and domestic criminal investigations, and now contains tens of thousands of records from private corporate databases, including car-rental companies, large hotel chains and at least one national department store. (Ryan Singel, "FBI's Data-Mining System Sifts Airline, Hotel, Car-Rental Records," Wired, September 23, 2009)
Pope warns of 'new colonialism'Yet when it comes to mobilizing the citizenry, FEMA faces challenges measuring performance for its two most ambitious citizen outreach efforts, Citizen Corps and the Ready Campaign, according to testimony late last week by William Jenkins, Jr., GAO's director of homeland security and justice issues. Jenkins testified before the House Homeland Security subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness, and Response.
Jenkins, citing a just published GAO study he authored titled, Emergency Management : Preliminary Observations on FEMA’s Community Preparedness Programs Related to the National Preparedness System, said the study found that, in regard to the Citizens Corps, FEMA relies on states to verify the accuracy of data for its principal performance measure, the registered number of established volunteer organizations across the country. However, FEMA does not have a process for monitoring state validation efforts. In regard to the Ready Campaign the study found that although the Ready Campaign controls the content of its message, it is not positioned to control the distribution of its message or measure whether its message is changing individuals' behavior.
“FEMA,” the study says, “promotes citizen preparedness and volunteerism by encouraging collaboration and the creation of community Citizen Corps, CERT, and Fire Corps programs, including the number of Citizen Corps councils, CERTs, and Fire Corps established across the country as its principal performance measure.”
However, the study adds, FEMA faces challenges ensuring that the information needed to measure the number of established, active units is accurate.
Among the experts invited by the Pope to address the synod - which has only advisory powers - will be the former head of the joint UN/African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur.
DOJ Under the New AdministrationPresident Obama's promise for change is sending ripple effects across large sectors of the economy, including corporate legal departments. Stricter enforcement of regulations, which was lax under recent administrations, already requires greater attention to global litigation practices—and we are only months into the new administration. Increased enforcement of regulations like the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) is casting a spotlight on the Obama administration's attempts to rejuvenate corporate regulatory enforcement. So far this year, over 120 companies including Sun Microsystems, Inc., and Intel Corporation have come under investigation by the Department of Justice because of potential FCPA violations. (By contrast, there were 100 cases in all of 2008).Law Suit Filed - DHS for Documents on "Reforms" to 287(g)
What is the Obama administration's response to the success of this program? Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano decided to implement "reforms" to weaken it as part of her comprehensive "review" of all border security policies. Judicial Watch, of course, wants to know everything about how and why this incomprehensible decision was made, which is why we filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) last week.Napolitano Announces New DHS Cybersecurity Hiring Authority
"We're not getting a cyber czar; we're getting a coordinator. A czar is a bad idea. A coordinator is a great idea," Homeland Security Deputy Undersecretary Philip Reitinger said today at the launch of a Spy Museum cybersecurity exhibit. He also defended the prolonged process for hiring the official, who will report jointly to the National Security Council and National Economic Council. "We need the right person, not a person immediately," he said.Richard Dawkins vs. "The Creationistas"
Anne-Marie Mai informs that she has nominated Bob Dylan and says “Bob Dylan shows that American art and literature is worthy of the prize. I think he’s one of the foremost artists in poetry.”Folk Alliance Lifetime Achievement Award For Bob Dylan
Berkeley may sign onto U.N. treatiesBerkeley would become the first city in the United States to independently try to comply with U.N. treaties on torture, civil rights and racial discrimination, if the City Council passes a measure on the issue tonight.Disagreements Over Who Is a Terrorist Undermining Civil Liberties
The FBI’s release of portions of its internal manual for investigations is stoking fears among some civil liberties and Muslim organizations that the federal law enforcement agency is engaged in intrusive surveillance of political and religious groups with no connection to crime or terrorism.NYC: Surveillance Will Expand To Midtown
The Domestic Investigations and Operations Guide was posted on the FBI’s website last week in response to numerous requests and at least two Freedom of Information Act lawsuits. While the bulk of the 270-page document was made public, numerous sections were whited out, with notations that their disclosure might compromise the FBI’s investigative techniques.
Particularly troubling to watchdog groups was the deletion of almost the entire section about guidance on “undisclosed participation” by the FBI or its informants in domestic groups. “That section governs the use of information gained by participating in political organizations or houses of worship,” said Farhana Khera of Muslim Advocates, a legal advocacy group. “The concerns of the Muslim community are over the use of informants that are going into mosques, sometimes without the knowledge of the leadership of the mosque. The concern many feel is over attending mosque services for the fear the FBI might be looking over their shoulder.”
A network of private and public surveillance cameras, license plate readers and weapons sensors already established in Lower Manhattan as an electronic bulwark against terrorist attacks will soon expand to a large patch of Midtown Manhattan, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said Sunday as they announced the allocation of $24 million in Homeland Security grants toward the effort. Mr. Bloomberg said the expanded monitoring network would cover the areas between 30th and 60th Streets, from the Hudson to the East River.Advocates object to FBI surveillance guidelines
Civil liberties and Muslim groups say domestic surveillance guidelines recently revealed by the FBI show the agency could be spying on Americans who are not involved in crime or terrorism.Obama's Promise of Transparency
Hopes for an effective law that would protect the public’s access to essential news from inside government have been dealt a severe setback by the Obama administration.
South Dakota: Powertech revising uranium mining permit applicationsA company that wants to mine uranium northwest of Edgemont is going ahead with its plans despite having to re-do applications for state and federal permits.Powertech USA has already submitted a revised application to the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission and is working on revisions to its application for a state permit.Powertech USA, a subsidiary of Powertech Uranium Corp. of Canada, plans to inject chemically treated water into holes to dissolve uranium, then pump out the solution and collect the uranium for processing.Talison Minerals to restart Wodgina tantalum mine
The method is called in situ mining.The company has finished drilling exploration holes at a 10,580-acre site in the Dewey-Burdock area, which lies 13 miles northwest of Edgemont and spans parts of Custer and Fall River counties.On Friday, an environmental critic of such in situ uranium mines said the NRC and the state of South Dakota had rejected Powertech permit applications."A unique thing about the Dewey/Burdock project is it's the first time that a license application has been rejected as unacceptable, in my experience," said Paul Robinson, research director of the Southwest Research and Information Center in Albuquerque, N.M. Robinson was in Rapid City to speak to a conference of the Western Mining Action Network, a mining reform group.However, officials with the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources said the state did not reject Powertech's application for an underground injection control permit.
Privately held Talison supplied about a third of the world's tantalum before suspending operations at its Wodgina mine in northwest Australia last November...The state of tantalum
Roskill has released a new report looking at the worldwide Tantalum supply and demand. Tantalum is used extensively in the Semiconductor industry and its supply availability can impact device cost drastically. In late 2009, the global tantalum market bore little resemblance to that of a year earlier. In mid-2008, tantalum consumption was on a strong growth trend in its principal markets, electronics and aerospace superalloys, which make up around 75% of tantalum consumption. Adequate primary supply was in place to meet the industry’s needs, along with substantial quantities of scrap, which is mostly generated during capacitor manufacture. Things then changed rapidly. In the second half of 2009, the tantalum market faces a period of uncertainty that will, quite possibly, remain until 2012.Australia: Volcanic eruption 'could occur near Bundaberg'
