IED Found Near the Capitol

Years ago the famous American novelist Sinclair Lewis wrote a well-known novel about it can't happen here. This type of thinking should be dispelled as a man was arrested near the Capitol when an IED, a rifle, and ammunition was allegedly found in his Jeep. The man stopped to ask police for directions near the Capitol building at about 11 a.m. EDT Friday, at the intersection of 2nd and Independence Avenue Southeast. The alert officer responding noticed a rifle case on the car seat and inspected the jeep and discovered the contraband. Library of Congress employees near where the jeep was stopped were evacuated as a precaution, and several roads are closed while police continue their investigation. The IED is on its way to the FBI facility in Quantico, Va., for analysis. Kudos to the alert officer protecting Washington.

Malaysia Works to Make Sea Lanes Safer

Malaysia is demonstrating a forthright policy by deploying its navy to Somalia. I believe that many nations should be more involved in security issues, especially those that occur within their regional domain and Malaysia has done just that. Malaysia is sending three navy ships to the coast of Somalia to protect merchant vessels from piracy. The ships will begin patrolling in the Gulf of Aden in the next few days. The seas off Somalia, close to busy shipping routes and therefore of direct interest to Malaysia, have some of the highest rates of piracy in the world. The country has been without a functioning central government for 17 years and has suffered from continual civil strife. If only China and India would get more involved, and support Malaysia, the piracy issue could very well be eliminated.

McCain Down and Out?

It would be extremely difficult to count out John McCain, despite the media's penchent for burying him prematurely, after watching his acceptance speech at the Republican Convention. He was conciliatory, humble, if feisty in his closing arguments which asked people to fight with him for America. He is a guy who you really can't consider out of the running when he quite obviously is just the guy who he says he is. While he does not have Obama's smoothness in the prepared speech, there really is no effective counter once he relates his narrative about having both arms broken and depending on two fellow prisoners of war to feed him. How do you counter a story like that? He has a powerful narrative of service and dedication to country. He is not out of the running just yet.

Chrome Makes Impressive Debut

The widely bally-hooed Google Inc.'s new Chrome browser grabbed 1% of the browser market in its first day out in public. U.S.-based tracking company Net Applications Inc., and Irish vendor StatCounter, placed Chrome's total market share at around 1%, less than 24 hours after the browser's launch, passing rivals such as Opera and Netscape in the process.

Palin Introduces Herself to America

Palin accomplished major goals in her speech at the Republican Convention. She came across as a fighter, praised her party's nominee, attacked her opponent, actually, an indictment of Obama's lack of achievement, and spoke dynamically as a down-to-earth woman and mother. She should help McCain in crucial middle America states and is an asset. The surprise choice of Palin will help McCain appeal to women and broaden the appeal of the Republican party. It was a good choice. She has only had less than a week to prepare which is revealing. She is not a studied and rehearsed vice-presidential nominee. We are viewing the real deal.

Google Browses

Graphic source: Google

Google finally launched its own Web browser which ends years of speculation that the search company had designs on the browser market. The new browser, Chrome, was released and thus the company now competes against Microsoft, Mozilla, Opera, and Apple, all of which distribute browsers of their own. Chrome, still in beta, is only available in a version that runs under Windows XP or Windows Vista although others are fast at work expanding the shine of Chrome.

Anbar Now in Iraqi Hands

Indicative of the increasing well-being of the U.S. effort in Iraq is that the United States and the Multi-National Force-Iraq is transferring security in Anbar Province over to Iraqi responsibility. Anbar is the eleventh province to be transferred to Iraqi security responsibility since the first province transferred to Government of Iraqi security control in July 2006. The transfer of security responsibility in Anbar is significant because it is geographically the largest province in Iraq and borders three countries.

Upcoming Attractions

Now back online you can look forward to upcoming attractions: Joe Biden for President, updates on glaciers in Alaska, Montana, and global warming, review of Cirque du Soleil, the Beatles "LOVE," Las Vegas Show, and many other new features. Stay tuned.

Somali Man Found Dead with Cyanide

The Somali Justice Advocacy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota is back in the news again. A year ago, on 24 August 2007, the St. Paul police were shocked as a security tape documented that ten witnesses ignored a woman's cries for help while she was beaten and sexually assaulted for nearly 90 minutes by Somali immigrant Rage (note a joke, that is his real name) Ibrahimman. The Advocacy Center defended the actions of the alleged perpetrator. The attack lasted over an hour while the witnesses did nothing. The surveillance video clearly showed men and women looking out their apartment doors or starting to walk down the hallway before retreating as the woman was assaulted according to police spokesman Tom Walsh.

Nonetheless, Omar Jamal, the executive director of the Somali Center defended Ibrahim. Ibrahim was charged with several counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct; in fact, he was sentenced in the rape on 19 July 2008 and will spend the next 12 years in prison.

Now the Somali group is at it again and they are protesting that no one should conclude that deadly Denver cyanide is linked to terrorism. Saleman Abdirahman Dirie, 29, of Ottawa was found dead Monday, and police say a powder found in his room was cyanide. The cause of death hasn't been established but so far the police do not suspect foul play and the FBI says there's no apparent connection to terrorism. Still, no one has established why Dirie had cyanide either.

Libya In From the Cold: At What Cost?

Libya and the U.S. signed a compensation deal for American victims of Libyan attacks and U.S. reprisals, paving the way for full normalisation of ties between the two countries. The deal will see compensation paid for U.S. victims of Libyan attacks in the 1980s. In particular, the U.S. wants Libya to fully compensate families of the victims of the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am flight over Lockerbie, Scotland, that killed 270 people, and a Berlin disco bombing that killed two Americans. In addition, under this agreement each country's citizens can receive fair compensation for past incidents since the U.S. bombed Libya in retaliation for terrorist attacks. The U.S. retaliated against Libya with several U.S. airstrikes on Tripoli and Benghazi on April 16, 1986, in which 41 people were killed, including an adopted daughter of Kadhafi. Since 2006 the U.S. normalised relations between the two countries by dropping Libya from a State Department list of state sponsors of terrorism and raising diplomatic relations to the level of ambassadors. Both houses of Congress passed a bill that grants Libya immunity from lawsuits once compensation has been paid through the fund.

My question here is what do the victims of Libyan terrorism have to say on the issue? I'm not finding any public comment by them. I wonder if they are being fully represented and if they are satisfied with compensation for their loved ones now that Congress has accepted the deal.

In addition, is there a slippery slope at work here? Will AQAM (al-Qaeda and Allied Movements) someday seek relief in American courts for compensation?

The compensation payments must be weighed against the relative benefit of having Libya return to the civilized community of nations as Libya sheds its past as a rogue state.

Sobering Assessment of Counter-Terrorism

On August 12, 2008, U.S. national intelligence officer (NIO) for transnational threats Ted Gistaro addressed The Washington Institute's Special Policy Forum. Mr. Gistaro was appointed NIO in November 2006 after nearly two decades of service with the Central Intelligence Agency. He provided a sobering assessment of counter-terrorism efforts. The U.S. has made progress in security measures which have helped disrupt known plots against us since 9/11. On the other hand, al-Qaeda is the most serious terrorist threat to the United States, and we remain in the heightened threat environment noted in the July 2007 National Intelligence Estimate.

Cyberwarfare is Here to Stay: Georgia

The defacement of Georgia President’s official web site. Graphic source: ZDNet

In the wake of the recent cyberwar, the pattern of attack by hacktivists or a hacker militia, was identified in the blogosphere:

distribute a static list of targets, eliminate centralized coordination of the attack; engaging the average internet users, empower them with DoS [Denial of Service] tools; distribute lists of remotely SQL injectable Georgian sites; abuse public lists of email addresses of Georgian politicians for spamming and targeted attacks; and, destroy the adversary’s ability to communicate using the usual channels.

Dancho Danchev, the blogger noted above, is an independent security consultant and cyber threats analyst. What are we to make of understanding cyberwarfare? The attacks will be de-centralized, and, although controlled, will not have a central command and control center. Cyberwarfare will more quickly escalate, as opposed to other forms of attack, in that the average non-activist can be drawn into the mix quickly. This escalated attack is similar to the effect of insurgents who hide amongst a civilian population, and who, to varying degrees, are concealing or cooperating with the insurgents. The publicly available Georgian government sites were attacked since the information is easily accessed. The ordinary media outlets of government services, which naturally are employed to calm the population and to broadcast messages of reassurance and reliable information, are cut off. In the case of the government of Georgia, Blogger was employed and alternate non-Georgian sites had to be found to broadcast government information.

Cyberwarfare is an added dimension of 21st Century war and is here to stay. The fact that Georgian government sites were so easily dismantled is a warning for other countries to be preparing now.

How American is Obama?

The recent revelation, and reservations expressed in a policy memo by Hillary Clinton's one-time chief strategist Mark Penn, challenging Barack Obama's "American roots," are instructive. In a March 2007 memo Penn noted: "all of these articles about his boyhood in Indonesia and his life in Hawaii are geared toward showing his background is diverse, multicultural and putting that in a new light. Save it for 2050," according to Atlantic magazine writer Joshua Green who broke the story. Penn continued: "It also exposes a very strong weakness for him -- his roots to basic American values and culture are at best limited. I cannot imagine America electing a president during a time of war who is not at his center fundamentally American in his thinking and in his values."

As expressed on this blog, I do wonder about an Indonesian madrassa education and being raised in an areligious Muslim household. Americans advocate diversity, which is the positive side of Obama, but at what cost? Are American values, while we are engaged in two horrific conflicts in very different parts of the world, to be completely set aside?

Now I'm wondering how many Clinton supporters are pondering the same thing.

Let's Get Accustomed to Cyber War

As documented by The Shadowserver Foundation, while Russian troops advanced into Georgia they were preceded by attacks on Georgian government sites. I think the point is that 21st Century warfare will routinely include the Cypersphere.

Russia Imitates the Cold War

Graphic source: BBC

As Russian troops invade Georgia the French and the Germans, who import a great deal of their energy supplies from Russia, look the other way. Only the U.S., in the person of George Bush, has publicly condemned the Russian parallel to their 21st Century re-enactment of 20th Century imperialism. Bush used some of the strongest language against Russia since the end of the Cold War stating that this is a: "dramatic and brutal escalation".

I do not know which is more despicable, the Russian agression or the French and German cowardice in the face of naked agression. Russia, in shades of Hungary in an earlier invastion in 1956, or Czechoslovakia in 1968, is doing what appalled the world before: invading smaller, neighboring countries.

The Russians are entering Georgia by using the breakaway region of Abkhazia as an excuse since this appears to be a broadening of the conflict over South Ossetia.

Fighting erupted last Thursday when Georgia sent its army to regain control of South Ossetia which, like Abkhazia, has had de facto independence since the early 1990s, the Russians appeared to back these moves previously.

The Russians though are clearly the aggressors, an EU-brokered peace agreement has already been signed by Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili.

Not all countries, such as France and Germany, have been silent but they have issued statements: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland issued a joint statement saying that as "once-captive nations of Eastern Europe" they share a "deep concern" about Russia's actions towards Georgia.

Presidential candidate McCain also weighed in on the crisis, supporting his earlier statements on the conflict from months ago; Obama remains on the golf course vacationing in Hawaii.

Note on Ralph Peters, New Glory: Expanding America's Global Supremacy

Although much of what Ralph Peters states, as a retired Lieutenant Colonel and intelligence officer, makes sense, his argument is lost by a lack of clarity and editing. His prose reads more like commands, as a person accustomed to lead, rather than reasoned, thoughtful argumentation.

He writes for example that there is good thinking and sound analysis going on in think tanks (p. 65) but then he fails to quote any of the cited writers nor does he refer to them again. The reader is left to ponder what could be of value in the think tanks if Peters does not bother to quote them? In fact, he does not even bother to include a bibliography so we don't really know to what or to whom his ideas are related. He clearly takes issue with academics, leftists, and other straw men. But since he does not interact with either his supporters, or his critics, any argument he favors is undercut with his stentorian pronouncements.

He makes much of his pronouncements favoring women's rights and issues, as he does of human rights generally which is a positive aspect of the book; however, he does not quote any academic nor does he makes use of any leftist arguments of those who might agree with him. The effect is simply to weaken an otherwise sound argument. He unnecessarily alienates those whom he might convince or realize the valuable insights he might have. Academe has an important role to play in that regardless of one's ideological commitment an author's arguments are strengthened with interaction with others.

The failing to realistically wrestle with the issues leaves him flailing when addressing critical geopolitical areas and issues. He barely discusses Afghanistan, Iran, or Pakistan for example although they are central to his thesis that the U.S. should expand its global supremacy. In a world which includes Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, intractable areas of the world, we are left to ponder how Peters proposes that the U.S. should proceed.

The work appears to be cobbled together from disparate ideas and a clear conservative agenda which necessitates including everything including the kitchen sink. He races through world geopolitical issues, human rights, women's rights, the backwardness of Islam, a conservative agenda, the doctrines of the various military service branches, and their reforms. Its all too much, too quickly, and too superficially presented. The effect of his prose in fact, is a diatribe, and few parts of the world or critical issues are discussed in any meaningful or sufficiently weighty manner even if the reader would tend to agree with him in the abstract.

A major concern is the military role throughout the Middle East, something that would be of interest to the general reader appreciating his military and intelligence background. Yet, since he just brushes by areas of major concern such as Afghanistan and Iran, his insights fail to convince. If an intelligence officer does not appreciate the significance of these regions, he is not believable as he discusses other, lesser critical areas of concern.

This is not to say the book does not have a contribution to make although along these lines Thomas P.M. Barnett's The Pentagon's New Map, is more convincing. Peters' has his prescriptions and recommendations, but similar to Barnett in his lesser work, Blueprint for Action, both fail to convince. The average American seeks guidance in security matters from our gatekeepers but neither Peters nor Barnett are really helpful. In Peters' case, its almost as if we are left with the same military history of the past. We don't really know what to do, yet, once engaged and fighting, our military performs magnificently. The world has never seen better soldiers which is an American strength and officers such as Peters serve this country well.

Islamofascist Hiding in Plain Sight

Graphic source: FBI

Shouldn't something about the Aafia Siddiqui (Arabic: عافية صديقي‎) case dispel the lie that Islamofascists are poor, destitute Arabs who are fighting for a just cause? She is female, a mother of three children, highly educated, in elite American Universities no less, and yet, she was situated to know highly placed AQ operatives who killed Americans. Until stymied herself, it may be revealed that she intended to do the same. We will have to wait until details emerge in court if and when she is convicted.

That she was highly acclaimed is not in dispute. She was awarded the Carroll L. Wilson Award for her research proposal, "Islamization in Pakistan and its Effects on Women." As a junior, Siddiqui received a $1,200 fellowship through MIT's LINKS program to help clean up Cambridge elementary school playgrounds. She graduated from MIT in 1995. Subsequently she studied neuroscience at Brandeis University receiving the Ph.D. degree in 2001 for her dissertation, entitled "Separating the Components of Imitation." In 1999, while living in Boston, she and her later estranged husband Khan founded the nonprofit Institute of Islamic Research and Teaching which has subsequently failed to maintain its non-profit status.

The West enabled her to gain an education that she could not have dreamed about in her own dysfunctional environment. Yet, she hoped to use this Western-given education as a lethal weapon against itself. She even elicited sympathy for her cause while a fugitive from the FBI. The lethal results of her efforts, and those of her collaborators, would eliminate the freedoms afforded her in the West.

Is this the end of the story?

The current location of Siddiqui's three children remains unknown. Because her children were born while she was a US resident they are American citizens. Stay tuned: more to come.

The Good German Review

Why didn't someone warn me about this clunker? The pace is ponderous, the story predictable, and it displays none of the charm of "Casablanca," despite the obvious allusions to a classic film. George Clooney plays a journalist but goodness, after getting beaten up repeatedly, you would think he'd start packing a gun and learn how to use it. He is in the Army after all. Cate Blanchett is totally unbelievable in a role that supposedly fired up several men with desire for her. I would have left her in Germany. Tobey Maguire is interesting in his role, since he gets to be one of the people who beats up Clooney, in fact, its an odd role for him since he looks like he should have gotten beaten up as Spiderman. This is a totally forgettable film. It is appropriate, and even more depressing in black and white, since color would not have helped this Schwarzes und Niederdrücken film anyway.

Free Security Tools

Campus Technology ran a helpful story about free security tools. If you enjoy free technology the article is helpful and informative since I've used the tools described in the article.

Note on Dodds, The Greeks and the Irrational

This is a classic. Although at points it sounds dated, written as it was in an age dominated by Freud, the central thesis holds up well and is an important corrective to the predominant view of the Greeks as rational. Doods brings into question the view that religion is rational which I believe is an even more important, and long-lasting contribution. The earliest Age of Reason is more complex according to Dodds and he quite effectively surveys the counter irrational tradition coursing through Greek myths and philosophy. The more typical view of the Greeks overemphasizes the Ionian Enlightenment while Dodds wants us to see a more complex view including Pythagoran sounds, hints of Indian religion and mysticism, reincarnation associated with the cultic mysteries, and the polytheism denatured by later monotheism. Dodds reviews later European thought of Hegel and Nietzsche and others while expounding on the richness of the Greek artistic tradition as with Euripides' 'rationalizing.' Dodds, along with Gilbert Murray, points out that the Greek 'irrational' is not all that far removed from Indian culture during the Axial Age. Greek literary tradition is more akin to Indian thought than many care to consider. We may know less about rational Enlightenment, after Kant, than many thinkers care to admit.

The text is clear with a plethora of lengthy and fascinating sidelights contained in the copious notes. Composed originally as a series of lectures the text is academic but stimulating.

Note on Creel, Richard, Religion and Doubt: Toward a Faith of Your Own

This is really an excellent short work introducing undergraduate students to the study of religion. The author does not assume students have a background in religion or if they are currently religious. The idea is to build an understanding of religion that arises from a personal point of conviction, whatever that may be. I think this is an effective approach given the fact that fewer and fewer students are religious, do not think of religion in confessional terms, and yet, have a shocking lack of understanding of religious issues.

Thug Propaganda

One of the posts by an independent journalist on a counter-terrorism blog commented on thug insurgent propaganda. I want them to remain anonymous for security reasons but I thanked them for their insights which I will quote here (corrected just for grammar, clarity, and spelling):

One rule in reading AQ (or any insurgent) propaganda;
They always excessively exaggerate their strength and success. Part of the rules of the game;
- Their objective is to appear stronger than they are in reality, that is, unbeatable. When in fact, they are fighting with the tactics of the weak because they are so very weak;
- If they have five people in a cell doing bombings, it is a battalion, 10 is a brigade, etc.;
- They will always claim more casualties than they actually killed, usually by a factor of three or more and wounded are claimed killed (3 WIA will result in 10 KIA claim);
- They love being called an insurgent or militia since such terms confer legitimacy on them. Most of what they actually do would be familiar to a Chicago Mobster or a gang member.

I think these insights are valuable in that as long as I have been monitoring the thug websites and interacting with their supporters, these exaggerations seem to hold true. Unfortunately for many Americans, and mainstream media reporters as well, they buy into thug propaganda hook, line, and sinker. I see mainstream reporters naively repeat what thugs say which is a terrible way to practice journalism. The actual information is available if people would just look a bit for accurate data. We are significantly losing the information battle of the war.

August Order of Battle

Graphic source: The Long War Journal

The Order of Battle for August has been released. There were major changes in July mostly due to new formations, re-subordinations, and reorganizations. The Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program notified the U.S. Congress of Iraqi government plans to purchase up to $10.8 billion worth of weapons, equipment, and support services. The Iraqis seem to be planning beyond the interdiction stage to the next phase of national defense. They are making progress.

Olympic Ordeal for China

Kashgar in China's Xinjiang province Graphic source: ©AFP/Graphic

Things heated up again in China as insurgents in the western area of the country attacked in anticipation of the Olympic games. Sixteen policemen were killed and another sixteen were injured in a grenade attack in the largely Muslim-populated Xinjiang region. The latest attack follows deadly bomb blasts in Kunming last month and in Shanghai in May, killing a total of five people, for which a Muslim militant group with ties to Xinjiang claimed responsibility.

Acts of Savagery and Barbarity

Graphic source: BBC

One person is stabbed repeatedly on a bus in Canada and is then beheaded; in India a stampede at a temple kills 140, the victims included 40 children. Which act is normal? Which act is religiously inspired?

The stampede happened at the Nainadevi temple in the Bilsapur district of Himachal Pradesh state, during a nine-day Hindu religious festival.

I have only questions and no answers but at least in this instance religion led to more savagery, brutality, and will not end. Most people would agree that stopping a brutal death is a good thing. Efforts will be made to make buses more secure. I am not so sure any efforts will be made to end insanity that passes for religion.

Peters Re-Drawing of the Middle East

Graphic source: Ralph Peters, "Never Quit the Fight"

Who is to say that the Middle East might be better off looking like Ralph Peters recommends? His vision is to re-draw the boundaries to reflect the traditional antagonisms inherent in the region. Let's face it, its difficult to imagine things being much worse.

The retired lieutenant colonel and former intelligence officer stirred quite a bit of controversy with his statement in the article "Constant Conflict" wherein he states:

There will be no peace. At any given moment for the rest of our lifetimes, there will be multiple conflicts in mutating forms around the globe. Violent conflict will dominate the headlines, but cultural and economic struggles will be steadier and ultimately more decisive. The de facto role of the US armed forces will be to keep the world safe for our economy and open to our cultural assault. To those ends, we will do a fair amount of killing.

Constant conflict is the wave of the future. He may indeed be correct. It is clear that the current boundaries in the Middle East are untenable.

Middle East Lukewarm or Hostile About Obama

As summarized by the BBC, the Middle Eastern reaction to Obama's visit was lukewarm at best, at worst it was skeptical of any change in American foreign policy. The pundits stuck to the issues of personal concern and do not comment on any thing else that might concern Americans or others around the world. They are apparently weighing Obama strictly on the issues of concern to Middle Easteners.

EDITORIAL IN PALESTINIAN AL-QUDS

Visits by senior leaders to this country - Israel and the Palestinian territories - are coming thick and fast, and the visit by Obama is just the latest... These repeated visits and this clear bias towards Israel's position once again emphasise the strength and influence that Israel and its allies have across the world.

AHMAD HANNUN IN PALESTINIAN AL-QUDS

Obama's visit to Israel is part of a sad farewell party for the Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, who is clinging to his premiership like a limpet to a rock... As for Obama, he wants Israel to give him additional support to help him reach the White House, and for that he reads out his supportive policies to the leaders of Israel.

HAFITH AL-BARGHUTHI IN PALESTINIAN AL-HAYAT AL-JADIDAH

What would have happened if Obama put on his head a Palestinian keffiyeh [chequered scarf] in the same way that he twice put on the Jewish skullcap? This would have been balanced behaviour, but he did not do it and will never do it. The reason for this is that his 15-hour visit was put on to demonstrate his solidarity and support for Israel's policy.

WALID NUWAYHID IN BAHRAIN'S AL-WASAT

Obama's tour is not exploratory, but rather aims to send a message to American domestic opinion that he is reasserting US administrations' traditional priorities on Middle Eastern issues. And because these issues have grown in number under George Bush, Obama started his tour in Afghanistan, as it was the first victim, followed by Iraq, the second victim, to Palestine, as it is indispensable for confirming established US principles.

AHMAD ZAYBAN IN QATAR'S AL-RAYAH

With regard to substance, Obama did not move away from US policy constants in his statements during his current tour in the region, with only some differences in details and tactics.

The reaction by Middle Eastern commentators is consistent with a poll taken in the region. For example, a March-April 2008 Pew Research poll taken in 24 Arab and non-Arab countries showed that in the Arab nations of Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan, confidence in Obama ranged from 23 percent in Jordan to one in three in Lebanon. About a quarter felt similarly about McCain.

Pakistani Intelligence Supports Insurgency

The New York Times ran another outrageous story charging that Pakistani Intelligence (ISI) aided insurgents in the Kabul, India embassy bombing which killed 54 people.

The evidence consists of intercepted communications between Pakistani intelligence officers and the insurgents who carried out the attack. C.I.A. emissary, Stephen R. Kappes, the agency’s deputy director, had been ordered to Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, even before the attack. However, the intercepts were not detailed enough to warn of any specific attack. The ISI officers involved had not been renegades, indicating that their actions might have been authorized by superiors.

The actual embassy attack was probably carried out by members of a network led by Maulavi Jalaluddin Haqqani, whose alliance with Al Qaeda and its affiliates has allowed the terrorist network to rebuild in the tribal areas. Haqqani battled Soviet troops during the 1980s and has had a long and complicated relationship with the C.I.A. He was among a group of fighters who received arms and millions of dollars from the C.I.A. during that period, but his allegiance with Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda during the following decade led the United States to sever the relationship. Haqqani and his sons now run a network that Western intelligence services say they believe is responsible for a campaign of violence throughout Afghanistan, including the Indian Embassy bombing, and an attack on the Serena Hotel in Kabul earlier this year.

Also, American officials also charged that members of the Pakistani intelligence service provide insurgents with details about the American campaign against them.

Indian officials had already accused the ISI of helping to orchestrate the Embassy attack.

Pakistan and India clashed again in the Kashmir which undermines a cease-fire established in November 2003. Indian and Pakistani soldiers fired at each other for more than 12 hours overnight Monday, in what appears to be the most serious violation of the cease-fire. The nightlong battle came after one Indian soldier and four Pakistanis were killed along the border.

Pakistan is no friend of the U.S. and if the UN were a potent force they should impose sanctions. The lawlessness of the Pakistanis seem to know no bounds. They are quickly degenerating into a rogue state.

Where Is the Public Outcry of Discrimination Against Buddhists?

Graphic source: CNN

I find it ironic that a popular culture news site such as CNN can run a feature entitled "Buddha's Warriors" without any public outcry. On the other hand, despite the fact that Muslims have been associated with worldwide violence, something that is not identified with Buddhism, there is a public outcry of discrimination when public figures suggest that Islam possibly has something to do with a martial, warrior mentality. Islam even has a doctrine which is suggestive of a warrior mentality, jihad, a point that is not shared with Buddhism.

CIA Presses Pakistan Plays

Maulavi Jalaluddin Haqqani Graphic source: The New York Times

The C.I.A. seems to have been more confrontational than in the past and their recent assessment earmarks the links between members of the spy service, the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI, and the militant network led by Maulavi Jalaluddin Haqqani, who appears to act as a proxy for Al Qaeda.

A C.I.A. official, Stephen R. Kappes, the agency’s deputy director, was apparently more direct in communicating American displeasure with Pakistan while on a recent visit. The public face is the one displayed by Bush with the Pakistani Prime Minister but behind the scenes the communication must have been blunter.

The loyalties of the various players is unclear. Just last weekend for example, Pakistani military and intelligence officials thwarted an attempt by the central government to put the ISI more directly under civilian control. Thus, it is unclear whether Pakistan officials are covering for the insurgents, or if the ISI has rogue elements that the government chooses to ignore.

The Afghan government has stated that the recent suicide bombings which killed dozens at the Indian Embassy in Kabul was conducted with the approval of the ISI.

According to the Times article: it was the ISI, backed by millions of covert dollars from the C.I.A., that ran arms to guerrillas fighting Soviet forces in Afghanistan in the 1980s. It is now American troops who are dying in Afghanistan, and intelligence officials believe those longstanding ties between Pakistani spies and militants may be part of an effort to destabilize Afghanistan.

Is there likely to be any fruit borne by Pakistan's latest effort at countering the insurgency? What happened yesterday is indicative I believe. According to the Times: "On Tuesday, Pakistani security forces raided an abandoned seminary owned by Mr. Haqqani, Pakistani officials said. No arrests were made."

This is simply more of the same, the Pakistanis make another feeble attempt at counter-terrorism as a show to the Americans. Oops! Haqqani is not at his abandoned seminary, who knew?

NASA Launches Historical Portal

Graphic source: NASA

This image is a cutaway illustration of the Explorer I satellite with callouts. The Explorer I satellite was America's first scientific satellite launched aboard the Jupiter C launch vehicle on January 31, 1958. The Explorer I carried the radiation detection experiment designed by Dr. James Van Allen and discovered the Van Allen Radiation Belt.

NASA last week launched a new interactive Web site, jointly developed with the non-profit Internet Archive, which is a single online resource featuring enhanced search, visual, and metadata capabilities. The portal stores more than 140,000 digitized high-resolution NASA photographs, audio, and film clips. Web 2.0 elements are scheduled to follow this initial launch.

Quick Fix for Much Bigger Issue

Forty years ago, the U.S. was the world's biggest oil producer. But in 1970 U.S. crude oil output peaked. More importantly, the 9.6 million barrels produced a day was enough to cover the bulk of the country's needs. Currently, U.S. crude production covers only 42% of the country's needs. After that, we are dependent on foreign oil and the repressive regimes that guarantee the availability of oil to us. Despite Nixon's clarion call for "Project Independence" in 1973 we have done little to make that vision real.

On the world front, Matthew Simmons, a voluble Houston-based consultant, states that the world hit its sustainable peak oil level in May 2005.

The immediate obstacle to oil though is political as whatever resources we have left remain isolated in Alaska's wilderness preserves and on the Outer Continental Shelf off the Atlantic, Pacific and eastern Gulf of Mexico coasts.

These should be opened up immediately.

Thereafter, in Iraq, where the world's biggest untapped prospects lie, major oil firms should invest in the country which would help both the U.S. and Iraq.

None of these obvious statements are an answer since they are simply an immediate fix while we wean ourselves away from dependence on foreign oil.

The next President should be thinking long and hard on seriously implementing the vision that Nixon sought in '73.

Bush Weak Before Pakistan

Today begins a week of frustration as President Bush praised Pakistan's prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani for his commitment to their joint battle against extremists. This is a joke.

Neither leader addressed the latest clash in Pakistan, a missile strike that hit a madrassa housing insurgents just inside the border with Afghanistan.

Bush said: "Pakistan is a strong ally and a vibrant democracy."

Pakistan double-deals with the insurgents who are killing our troops. It is not a vibrant democracy but large swatches of its territory are under the de facto control of various competing insurgent groups.

Until Washington gets tough with countries that will stab us in the back or our troops are unleashed the situation will continue in the insurgents favor who trade lives for time. They are waiting us out knowing that the CIA is limited in their actions and since we have no troops in Pakistan they can bide their time. In the meantime, the insurgents, many of whom are viewed highly by Pakistan, can raid our troops in Afghanistan before beating a hasty retreat across the border of protection of Pakistan.

The threat of nuclear weapons falling into the hands of the insurgents has allowed Pakistan to snooker the U.S. into feeding them more cash. They are playing up the terrorist threat to the hilt and yet do nothing to stop them.

Ranking Terrorist Threats: Do Nothing Until You Hear From Me

On the Counterterrorism Blog Madeleine Gruen and Frank Hyland have released their second installment on the homegrown terrorism threat in the U.S.

They are clear on the criteria used for the threats. The terrorist group must have "the presence, the level of intention, and the capability to carry out its threat." Although a number of groups would like to carry out acts they are not able thus they are ranked lower as a result.

Al-Qa’ida (AQ) is on the top of a list such as this and thereafter each threat is ranked from the most likely to least likely.

The Groups:

1. Al-Qa’ida & Al-Qa’ida-Inspired Individuals or Groups:

An unnamed group or individual then is at the top of the list. The authors are playing the numbers. With the size of our population and the relative unhindered legal and illegal access to weapons and explosives, along with out course our continuing unpopular policies here and abroad, "the odds are high that someone will see coverage of an incident abroad - Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel - and react." The exact nature and timing of such a threat is virtually impossible to predict. "The perpetrators are not necessarily members of a network, often do not know each other, and therefore leave no `tracks' to follow from one to the other." The organization of AQ consists of groups, cells, and individuals that act independently.

The two World Trade Center attacks were by people who received training in terrorist camps; currently however, Westerners have attended AQ training camps in Pakistan and/or Afghanistan. Moreover, the UK attacks were "AQ-inspired native-born men who carried out the attacks on London commuters in July 2005."

At a subsequent point the authors promise to consider "US-based groups that have no clear-cut physical ties to AQ, but that abide by the same ideological doctrines as AQ and which are unabashed supporters of AQ, such as As-Sabiqun."

The second rank consists of White Nationalist Groups who have carried out attacks but they have "been relatively disorganized. . . lacked funding, and its adherents have not been as ideologically committed as they have been committed to a social network and cults of personality." For these reasons, I believe this places them at a significantly distant second to AQ.

The authors then rank the Lebanese Hizballah (LH) at number three but they continue to outline the group's major strengths. In this regard, I believe they are in fact more dangerous than the White Nationalist Groups. For example, the authors contend that the group have access to weapons, explosives, have the motivation, and the requisite skills in order to carry out a successful attack here. Hizballah meets all of these criteria. In addition, they maintain that LH has "undoubtedly carried out the pre-attack surveillance necessary not only to carry out at least one attack, but to do it in short order after receiving the `Go' from their masters in Tehran and Beirut. Members of the group have insinuated themselves into many of the major metropolitan areas of the US." They are entreched in criminal activities already such as cigarette smuggling thus they have the tactical and monetary resources for an attack. LH has already hit Buenos Aires.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) places fourth mostly because for decades they have had an infrastructure presence in the U.S. PIJ leader Fathi Shqaqi was assassinated in 1995 when University of South Florida Computer Engineering Professor Ramadan Shallah immediately left Florida, journeyed to the Middle East and assumed the chairmanship of PIJ. They are here.

The fifth place finisher, HAMAS, has been successful elsewhere in politics whereas in the U.S. they have been involved in lengthy legal proceedings against their fund-raising arm--The Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development--at one time the leading Islamic charity in the U.S. I have no doubt they could strike but I believe they are significantly less of a threat than the higher ranked groups.

Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT) is a political Islamist organization that is present in the U.S. HT has not been directly linked to a terrorist attack but its published ideological doctrine and strategy are identical to AQ’s. We have to live with this group I believe, until, or unless they break the law. The group does not even use the HT name in the U.S. so they may be difficult to even identify.

Muslim Brotherhood (MB) is arguably the most influential of all Islamist groups but the authors have not identified the group with violence in the U.S. thus they must simply bear watching.

The eighth and final grouping, the USA General Store, is a catchall for groups such as the Tamil Tigers, or the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) who exploit or extort funds from American contacts.

Most of the analysis seems to hinge on the weaknesses inherent in the security posture of the U.S. In the same way that key Counterterrorism expert Steven Emerson writes, the threat is non-specific, unnamed, and general enough that little can be done except act in defense, or in reaction to a violent act or acts. Given the constitutional constraints on legal action, and the paucity of actual, physical attacks, the groups remain little more than named threats. The threat is very real, lethal, and places Americans in the uncomfortable and unfamiliar role of facing domestic threats. I would predict that little will be done until or unless said groups or individuals actually act. Although our security posture has undoubtedly improved since 9/11 we are by no means safe. Hence, the frustrating position for Americans to watch and wait.

U.S. Let Bin Laden Get Away During Two Administrations

Salim Ahmed Hamdan, right, said his boss, Osama bin Laden, left, was gleeful about killing people on 9/11. Graphic source: Miami Herald

It is a strange world when I have to agree with Islamic insurgents but Bin Laden's driver, Salim Ahmed Hamdan, is correct on at least one point. The U.S. let the insurgents slip away.

Hamdam told a pair of FBI agents that it was America's fault that the al Qaeda leader is alive.

He stated: ''You had these opportunities, America. You didn't do anything,'' FBI agent George Crouch Jr. testified Friday at Salim Hamdan's war-crimes trial.

The U.S. could have killed bin Laden in Khartoum, Sudan, before he moved to Afghanistan in 1996; we could have killed him after al Qaeda's 1998 U.S. twin bombings of two U.S. embassies in East Africa; or Bin Laden could have been eliminated after the October 2000 suicide bombing of the USS Cole, in Aden, Yemen, which left 17 U.S. sailors dead.

Hamdam said: ''bin Laden was emboldened.'' So he struck with the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. And nearly 3,000 people died.

Hamdam opened up in particular to a Lebanese-born FBI agent named Ali Soufan who was praised as well as an interrogator in Lawrence Wright's, The Looming Tower.

The testimony is chilling and corresponds in rough outline to what key counter-terrorist experts have said in contrast to George Tenet and Louis Freeh's self-serving accounts of fighting al Qaeda.

Pakistanis Steal More Money From Americans: Americans No More Secure Than Before

Graphic source: Sharpshooter-maj.com photo by Stuart Freer

It is one of those mind-boggling stories that is surely designed to upset you if you have been paying attention at all to the Pakistani situation. The U.S. is transferring Pakistani counter-terrorism aid in favor of a fighter jet upgrade. What are they thinking in Washington? As Pakistan has become the latest and best haven for the Islamic insurgency, and therefore desperately need counter-terrorism funding to lock down the insurgents, and the potential of obtaining nuclear material, the Pakistanis are now going to get: a jet upgrade?

The Pakistanis play our politicians to the hilt. Using nuclear weapons as their creed, they extract more from us, make a show of attacking terrorists to demonstrate their commitment against the war on terror, and then Pakistani government officials either look the other way, or know about insurgent safe havens and possess the intelligence that would be invaluable to American efforts to root insurgents out. The Pakistanis have so far stolen $10 billion from us since 9/11. And, yet, the insurgents are in their backyard. Polls taken show that many Pakistanis support the Taliban anyway. Its mind-boggling how blind Americans can be.

Upgrading U.S.-supplied F-16 fighter planes is not going to assist the engaged troops on the ground currently across the border in Afghanistan. Pakistani Prime Minister Yousef Raza Gilani is visiting next week and he should be grilled on the insurgency. Who cares about Pakistan's aging fleet of F-16 fighter jets? Those upgraded jets will not protect America, or Americans on the ground in the region.

About $230 million in aid money has been approved by Congress for military equipment and training that had been earmarked for law enforcement and counter-terrorism purposes.

The Pakistani explanation is that the F-16s are used against the insurgents. Hows about U.S. fighters take care of that problem?

The other excuses do not make sense either. Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmoud Qureshi visited earlier this month and the administration believes the upgrade is a way to both enhance the Islamabad government's anti-terrorism capabilities, and ease its financial burden in the face of soaring energy and food prices. Huh? It may help Pakistan with its costs, but I believe Americans have problems with rising energy costs as well and the upgraded jets will not improve the security of Americans.

Senate Democrat Patrick Leahy and House Democrat Nita Lowey, both of whom chair key foreign affairs appropriations subcommittees, expressed reservations about the aid shift. They are correct.

President Bush is to meet Prime Minister Gilani at the White House next Monday for talks expected to be dominated by aid and security issues. Why doesn't Bush find out we need to know about the insurgents who are fighting, and killing Americans, and take them out?

The Innovative Educational Outlet Just-In-Time

For today's class, we are going to review all the educational tools available, including the latest Education 2.0 implements. We have text messages, ring tones, songs, chants, poetry, cassettes, the web, pamphlets, magazines, multiple languages, DVDs, and fliers. This is just-in-time education at its best.

What innovative and yet comprehensive American educational facility is this?

The answer is: none.

This is the Taliban undermining the Afghan government. The International Crisis Group, based in Brussels, Belgium, reported that the Islamist insurgency is making a violent comeback and innovatively employs all these tools to defeat the Coalition.

The Taliban's propaganda machine widely exploits collateral damage and civilian killings by Coalition forces. On the other hand, the Afghan government and the Coalition barely mentions the Taliban's atrocities of ruthlessly killing or torturing those who disagree or oppose them. Indeed, in the wake of the sparse interest that the Western, mainstream media has in these event, independent journalists usually can not verify conflicting claims. Journalists often report the Taliban claims.The Taliban gets its message out both to the West; and craftily, the Taliban employs songs, religious chants, and poetry that appeals to Afghan nationalism and Islamic pride. The Taliban wins on both counts for their double-sided message.

The Coalition is getting whupped in the information aspect of the war.

Japanese Sleipnir the New Contender in the Browser Wars

Like most of the new contenders in the browser wars a Japanese software company has an entry in the international market. As Internet Explorer and Firefox have dominated the field the new entry, the Sleipnir browser, has arrived. The difference is said to be in the high level of customization that the browser allows. In particular, the browser contains the selection either the Trident or Gecko layout engines for each Web site visited. Trident was developed by Microsoft Corp. and is used in Internet Explorer while Gecko is used in Mozilla's Firefox. Since web browsers display information differently, in Sleipnir the user can click a small button in the bottom left of the browser and switch between Trident and Gecko, i.e., users can choose the best one for the particular site.

The first time I tried it the browser would not run Gecko and it told me to run Addons and Install. I couldn't find it easily so the first-time around was a bit of a struggle.

Saudis Spew Hatred Through Madrassa Textbooks

In an update to stories about Saudi textbooks, Slate ran an article about current revisions. The story was about a report published by the Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom. One example is a question that appears in a recent edition of a Saudi fourth-grade textbook, Monotheism and Jurisprudence, in a section that attempts to teach children to distinguish "true" from "false" belief in god:

"Q. Is belief true in the following instances:
a) A man prays but hates those who are virtuous.
b) A man professes that there is no deity other than God but loves the unbelievers.
c) A man worships God alone, loves the believers, and hates the unbelievers."

The correct answer, of course, is c). According to the Wahhabi imams who wrote this textbook, worship of God includes hating unbelievers too. By the same token, b) is also wrong. Someone who worships god cannot be said to have "true belief" if they love unbelievers.

"Unbelievers" are Christians and Jews.

This question is typical of the new, "revised" Saudi textbooks. Previous versions contained even darker passages and the Saudis agreed to clean up their act, and this is the clean-up, to eliminate the disparaging remarks about other religious groups.

The textbooks in question do not remain in Saudi Arabia, a nation that is no ideological friend to the U.S. The texts are written and produced by the Saudi government and subsequently distributed, free of charge, to Saudi-sponsored schools throughout Africa and South America. Muslim British textbooks contain books that call Muslims to kill all apostates.

The West is charged with cultural imperialism so I will now wait to hear from American academics who will denounce the Saudis as religious and cultural bigots.

Iran Supports Hezbollah: Iraq

As reported on the Long War Journal, Coalition special forces teams, likely the terrorist hunter-killer teams of Task Force 88, have captured a Hezbollah Brigades propaganda specialist during a raid in New Baghdad. The propaganda specialist uploads web sites with imagery and video taken from attacks on Iraqi Security and Coalition forces. The really annoying part of this effort is that then the propaganda is believed hook, line, and sinker but gullible Americans. Since the mainstream media has little presence in Iraq, and is not reporting by and large, the propaganda is then seen as reliable evidence that the insurgents are doing really well.

In this case, the propagandist is a part of the Hezbollah Brigades, or the Kata'ib Hezbollah. Multinational forces Iraq indicates the group receives support from Iran, and is an “offshoot of Iranian-trained Special Groups." US forces captured Ali Mussa Daqduq inside Iraq in early 2007; he is a senior Hezbollah commander tasked with setting up the Mahdi Army Special Groups.

Any dealing with Iran must include the evidence that Iran is actively engaged in killing U.S. troops.

"Pickens" Not So Slim

T. Boone Pickens, oilman and financier, launched a low-key but effective campaign for his “Pickens Plan,” a call for energy independence that includes greater reliance on natural gas and wind power. He has more details on his web site.

What Do You See?

Graphic source: The New York Times

Satire reveals something real through stripping away the veneer. The cover depicts the worse fears of misunderstanding Americans who fear the worse the Obamas have to offer the U.S. It says little about the Obamas themselves but it is a satire of American misunderstandings. I don't think it demeans either Michelle or Barack at all. The laugh is on American ignorance of which there is much.

Japan Backs Out of Supporting Coalition

Japan backed out of an earlier commitment to dispatch its Self-Defence Forces (SDF) to Afghanistan now that the security situation has declined. Nonetheless, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's ruling party plans to extend a special law for another year that allows the SDF to continue refueling mission past January in the Indian Ocean to support the Coalition. Japan's war-renouncing constitution limits the SDF's use of arms outside of Japan which is of course a limitation that does not hinder AQAM (al-Qaeda and Allied Movements).

Six Ways to Wage Ideological Warfare on Islamism

Graphic source: Global Security


During a statement that aired in September 2007 Abu Yahya al-Libi, a prominent al-Qaeda recruiter, provided six ways to wage ideological warfare: highlight the views of jihadists who renounce violence; publicise stories about jihadist atrocities against Muslims; enlist Muslim religious leaders to denounce jihadists as heretics; back Islamic movements that emphasize politics over jihad; discredit and neutralize jihadist ideologues; and play up personal or doctrinal disputes among jihadists. This is a beginning. I would like to see any educational leaders in the West begin this path.

NASA Confirms Water Deltas on Mars

This is a color-enhanced image of the Jezero Crater delta on Mars which NASA scientists are saying once held a lake. Researchers contend that ancient rivers ferried clay-like minerals (shown in green) into the lake which formed a delta. Clays tend to trap and preserve organic matter which makes the delta a good place to look for signs of ancient life. Graphic credit: NASA/JPL/JHUAPL/MSSS/Brown University.

Some of the latest, dramatic photos have been released and scientists are confirming that what appeared on Mars for some time, deltas and rivers, are, in fact, deltas and rivers. This is a dramatic development nonetheless and confirms what we had thought about the Red planet. This confirmation has implications about the uniqueness of life on Earth. We may not have always been alone.

Mainstream Media and American Lack of Interest in Pakistani Threat

Despite the serious decline in security along the Pakistani border with Afghanistan I would not think much will come of it. A survey of the leading mainstream news outlets reveals a lack of interest. They simply note more troops may be needed in the area. The war on terrorism and the possibility that rogue elements in these areas seems to have fallen off the list of Washington's interests. No wonder the elephant continues to be attacked.

Petraeus Drawdown Exactly as Planned

Graphic source: September 2007 graph from Gen. Petraeus' testimony before Congress.

The U.S. is not undergoing an accelerated withdrawal as falsely reported by The New York Times. The pace for drawing down troops was publicly available and announced last year by General David Petraeus during his September 2007 testimony before Congress. The graph demonstrates that the current pace is following his plan. The U.S. military planned to draw down to 15 combat brigades by July which has happened and targeted a drawdown to 12 combat brigades by the end of this year. The decision to draw down to 12 brigades will be made sometime in September based on security considerations. In March of 2009, the U.S. will decide to draw down to about 10 combat brigades.

As noted by Bill Roggio, of the Long War Journal:

The reality is that as the media focused on deriding General Petraeus's testimony on the state of the security situation in Iraq, they ignored the military's assessments on the planned posture of U.S. forces in Iraq in 2008 and beyond. Now that the U.S. is moving forward with its plans, their failure to note the timeline last year is characterized as an acceleration.

The drawdown in Iraq is exactly as Petraeus announced it months ago.

Taliban Overrun Pakistani Outpost

With the Taliban developing a massive, coordinated attack which destroyed a Pakistani paramilitary fort in Hangu, I wonder how long the Pakistanis can claim sovereignty in the tribal regions. Afghanistan's President Karzai has virtually declared war against Pakistan in his most recent statement yesterday, critically for Coalition interests is that the Taliban have virtually free reign in the outlying districts. This has got to stop.

Afpak Lack of Sovereignty: Coalition Should Respond Vigorously

As AQ has slithered out of Iraq due to their recent losses the Afpak region has become a hotbed of fighting. In a massive attack insurgents tried to overun a Coalition base but they failed to take it. Although many insurgents were killed the Coalition lost 9 troops as well.

The security situation is grim because Pakistan seems unable to rule the largely lawless tribal regions. At the loss of our own troops, the Coalition can ill afford Pakistan's inability to reign in the Taliban and AQ. Pakistan's sovereignty is not absolute. It obviously must not be absolute or they would not have conceded areas to the insurgents. We can not continue to handicap our troops while they are in harm's way while the lawless attacks persist.

If Afpak can not secure its sovereignty and the training camps and insurgents continue uninhindered we have to act more vigorously. Afpak has abdicated their sovereignty thus these areas should be regarded as they are in other places and instances as under international law. In short, lawless, non-state territories, regarded as havens of piracy and brigandry, need to be dealt with forthwith.

The U.S. acted vigorously in fighting the Berber pirates, or in the intrusion of the U.S. across the border with Mexico to defeat Pancho Villa, and so we should act now.

We should not announce our attacks or ask for permission since we do not intend to occupy territory in Afpak, on the other hand, it might be possible to persuade Pashtun tribal leaders that the insurgents are no good for their areas. As in all precious areas, the locals eventually wise up and call for the removal of the insurgents and AQ. The locals would be better off backing the Coalition.

Special forces should be deployed in the tribal areas, if they are not already, and call on air strikes to defend against Taliban and AQ reprisals. High value targets of opportunity should be hit hard.

I would hope that the vacationing politicians in Washingon are advocating effective and forthright action.

Obama's Forged Birth Certificate and Pious Muslim Schooling

Graphic source: Israel Insider

An anomaly on the published document, and doubts of the authenticity of Obama's birth certificate by Hawaiian state officials, has clouded Obama's candidacy. Obama's published certificate does not contain the offical seal and authenticating marks on the document. An anomaly has been identified by certificate documents experts in regards to Obama's birth certificate, originally posted by Obama advocate Jay Mckinnon, which would indicate that Obama's certificate has been tampered with; and, coupled

Graphic source: Israel Insider

with the fact that Obama's half brother Malik has indicated that his brother was raised as a Muslim and attended a particularly devout Indonesian Muslim school, more serious doubts about Obama's background should be considered. The Fight the Smears website, an official Obama website does not address the issue or offer effective counter evidence. The site simply posts a copy of the tampered document.

Chinese Uyghur Situation a Golden Opportunity for U.S. Diplomacy

Map of the Western (purple) and Eastern (blue) Göktürk khaganates at their height, c. 600 CE. Lighter areas show direct rule; darker areas show spheres of influence. Graphic source: Wikipedia Commons

The Uyghur peoples of China are a Turkic people of Central Asia who live primarily in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (also known by its controversial name East Turkistan or Uyghurstan). In shades of widely dispersed ethnic groups, there are Uyghur diasporic communities in Pakistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Germany, Canada, Turkey, and a smaller one in Taoyuan County of Hunan province in south-central China, as well as in major Chinese cities like Beijing and Shanghai.

But that is not all. There is a U.S. connection as well which implies that their fate is somehow connected to the U.S. as well, as there are Uyghur enclaves in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, and Washington, DC.

In a possible conflict the Uyghurs of China may ally themselves with their co-religionists, Muslims, throughout Asia and the Middle East. This situation presents an excellent opportunity for diplomacy. The Chinese can assist the Coalition, provide greater assets for security in the region, on the one had, yet the U.S. can promote human rights and disabuse China of the notion that it can repress Muslims indiscriminately. China is particularly apt to listen to world opinion currently as host of the Olympic Games. So how is China doing?

According to the Times of India:

Chinese authorities have replaced top police and security officials in the Muslim dominated Xinjiang province, which is the hotbed of separatism and political violence. They have also closed down 41 "illegal" places of worship.

Chinese authorities claimed the houses of worship were used as training grounds for conducting a "holy war." Xinjiang, which borders central Asia and Pakistan, has been tied to a pro-independence movement connected to its co-religionists across the border.

82 "suspected terrorists" have been held in the past six months in view of fears that they might disrupt the Olympic Games.

The re-organization brought one of the three new core commanders to the fore, Hanabati Sabukhaya, an officer from the Kazak race, since Xinjiang borders Kazakisthan and several other countries including Pakistan and Russia, the choices are based on age-old ethnic conflicts. This will no doubt increase the tension, or at least temporarily, quell the political opposition.

The opportunity will likely be lost on U.S. diplomatic efforts. The Islamic world largely is suspicious of U.S. foreign policy and one primary reason is that the U.S. makes little tangible efforts to protect the human rights of Muslims.

Map of the Uyghur Khaganate and areas under its dominion (in yellow) at its height(not correct) see Uyghur Empire, c. 820 CE. Graphic source: Wikipedia Commons

Robert Fisk, The Great War For Civilization: The Conquest of the Middle East

Although the thought of Noam Chomsky is amply represented in Fisk's journalistic tour-de-force in this work, he never acknowledges him and makes no reference to his ideas throughout. A reference to Chomsky does appear in the bibliography though but this is a form of dissembling from an otherwise forthright journalist.

Fisk's work is a fascinating study which waves his personal journalistic odyssey, psychological makeup, and family history into a compelling conquest narrative. "Bill," his war veteran father, gripped the teen age Fisk by trampling upon the hallowed British battlefields of his father's WW I battle memories.

Will Fisk reconcile his liberal, journalist's aversion to the horrors of war with his father's crotchety, war-scarred experience?

We won't know for sure but as readers we are offered a rare glimpse into the mind of a journalist who will be interpreting chaotic Middle Eastern violence through his lense of Chomsky and as a journalist haunted by his father's wartime memory.

Chomsky--Paul Berman tells us in Terror and Liberalism--holds that corporations greedily command the press and governments, and with these institutions at their behest, "drench the world in blood and misery" (p. 146). The freedom instinct though animates the human spirit to resist and the freedom instinct battles the greedy instinct. The battle between the two instincts explain nearly everything we see in world events.

As the Chomskyian view has unfolded and interpreted American foreign policy since the 1960s, Chomsky's analysis does not admit that pathological mass movements exist (Berman, 147). As described by Berman, we are all seduced by the attractive belief that "people are bound to behave in more or less reasonable ways in pursuit of normal and identifiable interests. It was a belief that the world is, by and large, a rational place" (Berman, 153). It is as Berman states: "In this country, we are all Noam Chomsky" (Berman, 153).

On the contrary, pathological mass movements, especially those based on faith, do exist. Blinded by Chomsky, Fisk is oblivious to what "should now be obvious to everyone that Muslims have more than their fair share of the latter," i.e., bad beliefs (Harris, The End of Faith, p. 108). Fisk is left with the lack of explanatory power inherent in many commentators who attribute the roots of Muslim violence on the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, the collusion of Western powers with corrupt dictatorships, and the endemic poverty and lack of economic opportunity plaguing the Middle East. He usually can not see that he is also dealing with Middle Eastern elites and the `best and the brightest' of Middle Eastern society.

As Harris comments, the usual explanations do not account for the virulent theological hair-splitting that characterizes political Islam. Harris states:
the world is filled with poor, uneducated, and exploited peoples who do not commit acts of terrorism, indeed who wold never commit terrorism of the sort that has become so commonplace among Muslims, and the Muslim world has no shortage of educated and prosperous men and women, suffering little more than their infatuation with Koranic eschatology, who are eager to murder infidels for God's sake (Harris, p. 109).

Not only poor and uneducated are willing Islamic terrorists but the educated Muslim elites are ardent jihadists.

Islam is a religion of struggle and of conquest. If it were not, the bloodshed between the rival claimants to Mohammed's mantle, Shia and Sunni, would have reconciled long ago. But without the equivalent of a Reformation movement, the Koran is seen as a document as if wafted down the clouds from heaven, and all human actions are seen as subject to divine review. The Koran is beyond reproach or is not critically examined.

Indeed, one of the central propositions of Western thought is self-criticism (Paul Cartledge, Thermopylae, p. 205). The West is not beyond reproach but it is a tradition that reflects upon itself, criticizes the tradition, and re-applies and innovates with new ideas. Fisk describes Amira Hass, for example, the Israeli journalist who lives, voluntarily, though some might argue foolishly, in Ramallah in the heart of the Palestinian homeland. There is reflection and self-criticism in this valiant perspective.

Although the conquest, and the failure to grasp the futility of not criticizing received Islamic thought occurs before his eyes, Fisk only sees the conquest characterized by his psychology and his own private battle with inheriting British culture. Fisk sees: The West vs. Middle East, Christian vs. Muslim, Israeli vs. Palestinian, Power vs. conquest--all mediated as his conflict with "Bill," his father.

Fisk writes of "an arrogance of power" (p. xxi) as "the sins of fathers visited upon their children" (p. xxii). Indeed, Fisk is reporting "Bill" vs. Fisk. Fisk reflects that in 1992 he "stood upon the very paving stone"
where "Gavrilo Princep stood as he fired the fatal shot that sent my father to the trenches of the First World War. . . . That was the year in which my father died. This is therefore the story of his generation. And of mine (p. xxii).

Fisk is reporting his personal struggle and conquest of his father.

The parallels continue in Fisk's odyssey. The British descend on Afghanistan resulting in a series of British-Afghan Wars (1838-42, 1878-80, 1919-21) only to leave their dead behind. During the period of British aggression Bill is dispatched to fight in WW I; and while reporting, Fisk surveys early British accounts of Afghanistan characterized by "British heroism" and "Muslim savagery" (p. 35).

This survey will in turn be undone by Westerners such as British soldiers. And, the West will get what it has coming to it as a result.

In an account such as this then, the Ottoman slaughter of Armenians, although related, is not seen as a Middle Eastern atrocity. Fisk describes it as the "First Holocaust." Haven't the Germans flagellated themselves over the Holocaust? Have the Turks?

Fisk does not equate Middle Eastern atrocities as in the same class as Western intrusions in his detailed presentation of material. For example, on 17 May 1987 the USS Stark was hit by Iraqi Mirage missiles in the Persian Gulf where 37 American sailors were incinerated (p. 215). In this tragic mistake no human details are provided about the American sailors. They barely seem to exist. They don't have names and we do not learn anything personal about them. The only voices that are heard belong to impersonal U.S. government officials and statements.

Yet, an almost exact parallel exists in the unfortunate and mistaken shooting of the Iranian Airbus on 3 July 1988 by the U.S. but according to Fisk has an "appalling human dimension" (p. 259). Fisk details the human aspect of the atrocity and describes the families, the horror, and the sickening maiming of limbs and the deaths at American hands.

This is by no means the only human atrocity committed by the Americans. Fisk tells us of Raafat al-Ghossain, who dies at the hands of an American bomb in Libya on 15 April 1986. The eighteen year old artist, on holiday from school in England, and the family, wealthy Palestinian refugees live and work in Libya. Yes, there is the photograph of Raafat taking part in several Palestinian demonstrations in England Fisk tells us, but never mind, we are provided with an insight into her hopes, dreams, laments, and the desire for her to return to the family's Palestinian homeland. In any case, she fell victim to American bombing.

What are we to make of this? In a world where there are no innocents, no one is innocent.

The possibility that Raafat was a more dangerous student radical, or someone simply at the wrong place at the wrong time does not occur to Fisk. The American bombing, or acts brought on at least as much by Libyan leader Khadafi's intransigence, as American hard-line bombing strategy, is not entertained.

Fisk seems to miss that human cruelty and atrocities are the monopoly of no one. There are many losers in the appallingly inhuman atrocities in the clashes of the Middle East. Arafat, the betrayer of Palestine, comes off easily in Fisk's account. Why?

However, the banality of atrocities, and the unflinching Middle Eastern cultural value of death seems to escape Fisk's grasp. He can lament the deaths of ordinary persons of any culture, and I believe rightfully so, but Muslim v. Muslim atrocities, regardless of how outrageous, fail to elicit a response.

Most troubling though is the discussion of post-colonial Algeria. Granted France performed horribly in Algeria but how long can France be held responsible for post-independence civil wars? The tricks of government, according to Fisk, were learned from the French during the colonial era. Its as if the 1990s Islamic internecine struggles were somehow immune from inventing their own diabolical means of destruction (p. 522-585). "The Plot" is Algerian paranoia though which saw the U.S. behind every bush (p. 546). Dialogue with Islamists was thought to be suspect as well. If anything, the U.S. hoped the Islamic conflict could be resolved. Even when the Islamists and the Algerian government commit mutual, despicable horrors, even invoking the Koran's blessing, Fisk fails to criticize (p. 548). Though the U.S. was not present during the horror, according to Fisk though, they can be criticized for arriving with too little, too late, along with the U.N. which should bear responsibility for human rights abuses (p. 585). Its damned if you do, damned if you don't kind of thinking. The section on Algeria is not for the faint of heart. Do not eat before reading this section.

Why do Islamic societies produce such heinous abuses of humanity? I would certainly like to know. If there is no Plot, because we know the U.S. has no designs on backwater places like Algeria or Libya, why are the Islamists so brutal? Why is there so much killing and bloodshed? Fisk does not tell us.

At some level, Westeners, including Fisk, are profoundly motivated to act with integrity, compassion, and reflect seriously on their behavior. I fear Fisk is seduced by the same phantasmal (Michael B. Oren, Power, Faith, and Fantasy, pp. 13-14) force that has clouded so many Western observers. He seems though to have no expectation of somewhat reasonable behavior by his informants, though in at least one instance he himself has to fear for his physical safety while under personal attack in Afghanistan.

I hope Mr. Fisk can resolve his issues of self-flagellation through which he sees the Middle East, or the Other, and in that way overcome how his father never accepted the basic humanity of the Other during his wartime experience. Fisk is filled with outstanding powers of observation, and he is an extremely important source because of his early access and interviews with Bin Laden (Michael Scheuer, Through Our Enemies Eyes, pp. 408-09), his journalistic relationship with Arafat, and his touching descriptions of ordinary Middle Easterners and their experience. His reporting though is tainted by a naivete about his subjects. The Middle East, as anyone will tell you, is a rough neighborhood.

Fisk defines war early on as "about death and the infliction of death" (xviii). Yes, Mr. Fisk, you got that right.

Benjamin Franklin Opposes Surveillance

ACLU Challenges Surveillance Law

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and several other groups filed a lawsuit to counter a law allowing the U.S. government to intercept the phone calls and e-mail messages of people with suspected ties to terrorism.

The ACLU is opposing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Amendments Act.

As approved by the Senate on Wednesday, the law allows the U.S. National Security Agency and other intelligence agencies to conduct surveillance of a wide range of people "reasonably believed" to be outside the U.S. The law also will likely require a U.S. court to dismiss more than 40 lawsuits that have been filed against telecommunication carriers that allegedly participated in the NSA program before there was court oversight of the surveillance.

The FISA Amendments Act still allows broad, un-targeted surveillance, including spying on U.S. residents who are talking with people overseas, said Jameel Jaffer, director of the ACLU National Security Project.

The law allows the "massive acquisition of U.S. citizens' and residents' international communications," Jaffer added. "It permits the government to conduct intrusive surveillance without ever telling the court who it intends to surveil, what phone lines or e-mail it intends to monitor, where the surveillance targets are located, or why it is conducting the surveillance."

The new law violates the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, prohibiting the government from unreasonable searches and seizures, the ACLU said.

Author and journalist Chris Hedges, former Middle East bureau chief for The New York Times, stated that the FISA Amendments Act will make it difficult for journalists, especially those who report on overseas issues, to do their jobs. The difficulty is in determining whether journalists, since they are reasonably outside the U.S., are subject to surveillance. The new law impacts negatively on the First Amendment because Congress is not to prohibit the freedom of the press.

Hedges raised questions on whether the law will negatively effect the voices of "whistle-blowers, human-rights activists, dissidents, true-tellers and people with a conscience to rise up and speak against the audacity of those in power."

In 2007, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit threw out a similar lawsuit against the surveillance program brought by the ACLU because they didn't have standing to sue the government in that they couldn't demonstrate they were targeted by the secret program.

Amendment IV states:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

The new law abrogates the citizen's rights to be secure in the person and their papers. Its a bad law that has not been proven to be effective in thwarting terrorism.

"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." -- Benjamin Franklin

Iranians Doctored Missile Fauxtographs

The Western media has a penchent for accepting anything uncritically from Middle Eastern sources but fortunately, Charles Johnson, a debunker, noticed how the Iranians fudged their recent missile launches.