The world will be a better place when it realizes that we are all in the fight against the same enemy. As long as "enlightened" Westerners try to make hair-splitting distinctions between the murderous intentions of Hamas/Hezbollah/Al Aqsa/Islamic Jihad and the murderous intentions of Al Qaeda, they will not understand the nature of the war that we are in now, one that we didn't declare but that the enemy declared against us centuries ago.
Friday, July 08, 2005
- Friday, July 08, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
The world will be a better place when it realizes that we are all in the fight against the same enemy. As long as "enlightened" Westerners try to make hair-splitting distinctions between the murderous intentions of Hamas/Hezbollah/Al Aqsa/Islamic Jihad and the murderous intentions of Al Qaeda, they will not understand the nature of the war that we are in now, one that we didn't declare but that the enemy declared against us centuries ago.
- Friday, July 08, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
In April 2004, Sayful Islam, head of the Luton branch of Al-Muhajiroun (Arabic: "the immigrants"), an Islamist British group, announced that he supports Osama Bin Laden "100 percent" in the quest to achieve "the worldwide domination of Islam." "When a bomb attack happens here, I won't be against it, even if it kills my own children....But it is against Islam for me to engage personally in acts of terrorism in the UK because I live here."
In an August 2004 story in the New Statesman, "Why Terrorists Love Britain," Jamie Campbell cited Mohamed Sifaoui, author of Inside Al Qaeda, that it has long been recognized by the British Islamists, by the British government, and by UK intelligence agencies that as long as Britain guarantees a degree of freedom to the likes of Hassan Butt [an overtly pro-terrorist Islamist], the terrorist strikes will continue to be planned within the borders of the UK but will not occur there.
But in January 2005, Omar Bakri Mohammed, a Syrian immigrant to the UK who headed Al-Muhajiroun, determined that the covenant of security had ended for British Muslims because of post-9/11 anti-terrorist legislation that meant "the whole of Britain has become Dar ul-Harb [the Abode of War, the territory open for Muslim conquest]." Therefore, "the kuffar [unbelievers] has no sanctity for their own life or property." Thursday's explosions mark the end of the "covenant of security."
Let's hope they also mark the end of an era of innocence, and that British authorities now begin to preempt terrorism rather than wait to become its victims. (FrontPageMagazine)
The multiple, simultaneous explosions that took place on the London transportation system were the work of perpetrators who had an operational capacity of considerable scope. There was careful planning, intelligence gathering, and a sophisticated choice of timing as well as near-perfect execution. We are faced with a deadly and determined adversary who will stop at nothing and will persevere as long as he exists as a fighting terrorist force. We are in the throes of a world war, raging over the entire globe. We are in for the long haul and we must brace ourselves for more that will follow.
The executives must be empowered to act resolutely and to take every measure necessary to protect the citizens of their country and to carry the combat into whatever territory the perpetrators and their temporal and spiritual leaders are inhabiting. The rules of combat must be rapidly adjusted and international law must be rewritten to permit civilization to defend itself. There is no doubt that international cooperation is essential. Yet this cannot replace the requirement that each and every country effectively declare itself at war with international Islamist terror and recruit the public to involve itself actively in the battle. The writer, who heads the Center for Strategic and Policy Studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, is a former head of the Mossad. (Jerusalem Post)
Anybody who tells you these bombers are fighting for the rights of Muslims in Iraq, Palestine, or Chechnya should look at the places they chose to bomb. Aldgate? The poorest and most Muslim part of the country. Edgware Road? The center of Muslim and Arab life in London and, arguably, Europe. Does anybody need greater evidence that these Islamic fundamentalists despise Muslims who choose to live in free societies, and they would enslave Muslims everywhere if they were given the opportunity? Nor is this tit-for-tat revenge for deaths in Iraq: very similar jihadist plots have been foiled in France and Germany, countries that opposed the invasion. Anybody who doubted that the fight against Islamic fundamentalism - a murderous totalitarian ideology - was always our fight should know better now. (Independent-UK)
According to witnesses, Theo van Gogh, the Dutch film-maker, who was shot by an Islamist assassin on his way to work in Amsterdam last November, tried to reason with his assailant. "Surely we can discuss this," he kept saying as the shots kept coming. Van Gogh was reacting like BBC reporters did Thursday, assuming that the man who was killing him may have some reasonable demands which could be discussed in a calm, democratic atmosphere. But sorry, old chaps, you are dealing with an enemy that does not want anything specific, and cannot be talked back into reason through anger management or round-table discussions. Or, rather, this enemy does want something specific: to take full control of your lives, dictate every single move you make round the clock and, if you dare resist, he will feel it his divine duty to kill you. (Times-UK)
When jihadist-style bombings happen in Riyadh, that is a Muslim-Muslim problem. That is a police problem for Saudi Arabia. But when al-Qaeda-like bombings come to the London Underground, that becomes a civilizational problem. Every Muslim living in a Western society suddenly becomes a suspect, becomes a potential walking bomb. Either the Muslim world begins to really restrain, inhibit, and denounce its own extremists, or the West is going to do it for them.
The greatest restraint on human behavior is what a culture and a religion deem shameful. The Muslim village has been derelict in condemning the madness of jihadist attacks. To this day, no major Muslim cleric or religious body has ever issued a fatwa condemning Osama bin Laden. (New York Times)
Thursday, July 07, 2005
- Thursday, July 07, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
:
"US officials reacted with little public fanfare to the terrorist attacks in London on Thursday"
"after a series of explosions hit London's transport network in an apparent terror attack. ..."
"as dealers calculated the potential economic fall-out from terror attacks in central London. ... "
Well, it didn't take long for Reuters to show its hypocrisy. It even quotes Blair calling it a terrorist attack without putting it in scare quotes.
Remember - 9/11 was never described by Reuters as a terrorist attack.
Here was Reuters' policy in the wake of 9/11:
" Throughout this difficult time we have strictly adhered to our 150-year-old tradition of factual, unbiased reporting and upheld our long-standing policy against the use of emotive terms, including the words 'terrorist' or 'freedom fighter'. We do not characterise the subjects of news stories but instead report their actions, identity or background. As a global news organisation, the world relies on our journalists to provide accurate accounts of events as they occur, wherever they occur, so that individuals, organisations and governments can make their own decisions based on the facts."
Apparently, the Reuters style manual only applies if the victims are Jews or Americans.
- Thursday, July 07, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
However, most people would agree that for people who could pose a future threat, who have stated an intent to kill Westerners, it is prudent to keep a close eye on them and to be ready if and when such a threat materializes.
And, aside from the loony tree-hugging Left, most reasonable people would agree that Western powers are quite justified in responding forcefully and directly to successful terror attacks.
But when dealing both with terror and crime, for some reason the West is lenient on those whose attacks are not successful. Only when there are mass casualties is there any resolve to strike back, hard, at the terrorists. When the damage is "limited"or the plot is foiled, then it is only expected to give a "proportional" response. For some reason it is not considered fair to have a massive counterattack when the terrorists didn't fully succeed.
This makes no sense. Sending a few cruise missiles, as Clinton did after the 1998 Al Qaeda attacks on US embassies (when "only" 200 people died), is not only ineffective - it is counterproductive. It emboldens the terrorists to try again.
Today was not the first time that terrorists targeted London. Scotland Yard has foiled other attacks. It seems obvious to me that when a country or an organization intends to kill massive numbers of people, and shows its seriousness by actually attempting such an attack, that one is morally obligated to pro-actively make sure that this nation or organization is not going to remain a threat.
Right now, in almost all cases, Islamic terror pays. Terror is being rewarded today in Israel and elsewhere and it has been successful in making heroes out of Muslim murderers throughout the world. Terrorists get fame, they get recruits, they get money, and they get political results. Unless this calculus changes dramatically, unless there is a concerted and united effort to make sure that terrorists will lose far more by each attack than they gain, we will continue to see more and more days like today.
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
- Wednesday, July 06, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
An imam at the Islamic Society of Mid-Manhattan and a lecturer on Islamic studies at Manhattanville College, Ahmad Dewidar, was recently called "the face of the next generation of Muslims in America." He has met with President Bush, Mayor Giuliani, Governor Pataki and U.N. Secretary-General Annan.
Recently, Dr. Dewidar attended the annual Conference of the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs in Egypt, where he gave a series of interviews. In one that aired on MBC TV on June 9, he discussed the spread of Islam in America. He referred to sermons he had heard in 1995 that stated, "We are going to the White House so that Islam will be victorious, Allah willing, and the White House will become Muslim House." To view the broadcast, visit www.memritv.org.
On June 15, Dr. Dewidar was interviewed by the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood's Web site, www.ikhwanonline.com. When asked about how the attacks of September 11, 2001, impacted the spread of Islam in America, he said that he witnessed hundreds of Americans converting to Islam. Hinting at an American government conspiracy related to the attacks, he said, "Whether or not these events were planned, or pinned on the Muslims, or something else - [it] provided an opportunity for [the American government] to legislate dubious laws that restrict the growth and presence of Islam in the U.S."
Regarding American skepticism toward Islam following September 11, 2001, he said, "The media - most of which is under Zionist control - has helped to spread this perception." Later in the interview he said that "the Jews" control the press. When asked, "What is the extent of the Muslim community's influence on American society?" He answered, "The Zionist community numbers only 3 million, but they control the government, the politics, the economy, and the media in the U.S."
Also while speaking to the Web site of the Muslim Brotherhood, he denounced President Bush's policy in the Middle East, claiming it was dictated by Natan Sharansky: "This Jew has despicable goals, and we see their effects today in America's actions in the region, imposing its opinion and its outlook on democracy, education, and political involvement on our countries."
Dr. Dewidar and Sheik al-Gamei'a's interviews shared some themes, such as blaming Islam's poor image in America on a Zionist-controlled press. They also both said the Zionists control political decision-making and economic institutions. Both were extremely positive on the future of Islam in America and discussed a trend of Americans converting to Islam following September 11, 2001.
While the New York press has yet to pay this story adequate attention, it is being discussed by blogs such as Little Green Footballs. Others, such as Solomonia.com/blog, wrote about Dr. Dewidar's statements: "Before MEMRI - people could give these kinds of interviews abroad and no one would ever be the wiser. While still not broadcast widely, at least now, there's a chance of people wising up." On June 30, EconoPundit wrote: "MEMRI.org's most important contribution has been to make it harder for Middle East leaders to say one thing to their English-speaking audience while saying opposite and often contradictory things to their non-English-speaking constituents and allies. It now seems MEMRI's mandate has extended itself to U.S. Islamic leaders as well.
- Wednesday, July 06, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
As I've said time and time again, the only thing consistent about Arab actions vis a vis Israel is the desire to not allow any Jews to own land in the Middle East. Everything else is window dressing.
Palestinian Authority Civil Affairs Mohammed Dahalan, in charge of coordinating disengagement with Israel, has raised questions on the status of the current Gaza Strip border demarcations, according to National Security Council chief Giora Eiland.
A moshav, Netiv Ha'asara, is situated in the disputed area.
According to Eiland, in talks with Israeli counterparts, Dahalan claimed the northern Gaza border had been moved 2 km to the south, and the Palestinians were demanding that it be recognized as such according to 1949 armistice lines.
But Eiland insisted Israel had made it "clear" to the Palestinians that the Gaza border recognized by Israel was set with Egypt in 1950 in a protocol with a map, and the same border was reconfirmed in 1994 under the Oslo accords. He said that the protocol had recognized a land swap in which the territory of the strip had been moved south by 2 km but had also moved to the east.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
- Tuesday, July 05, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
Background: Treaty already obligates Egypt to stop arms smuggling
The Sharon team reportedly wants a written Egyptian commitment to stop the
arms smuggling from Egypt into the Gaza Strip before Israel retreat from the
Philadelphi Corridor - a narrow strip between Egypt and Gaza. It should be
noted that Egypt is already obligated to do this per the Peace Treaty
Between Israel And Egypt signed on March 26, 1979. It is far from clear why
the Sharon team considers the signing of an additional piece of paper to
have significance given that Egypt has ignored the very same obligation for
over a quarter of a century. If anything, the fact that a new piece of
paper is being signed indicates that that is all it is - a piece of paper.
Text follows:
www.knesset.gov.il/process/docs/egypt_eng.htm:
Smuggling weapons to kill Israelis falls into Article III.2.:
'...Article III 2. Each Party undertakes to ensure that acts or threats of
belligerency, hostility, or violence do not originate from and are not
committed from within its territory. . .. Each Party also undertakes to
refrain from organizing, instigating, inciting, assisting or participating
in acts or threats of belligerency, hostility, subversion or violence
against the other Party, anywhere, and undertakes to ensure that
perpetrators of such acts are brought to justice.'
Smuggling through the tunnels - regardless of the purpose is also illegal:
'Annex I Protocol Concerning Israeli Withdrawal and Security Agreements
Article II 2. Access across the international boundary shall only be
permitted through entry check points designated by each Party and under its
control. Such access shall be in accordance with laws and regulations of
each country.'
- Tuesday, July 05, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
"Secret documents known as "martyrs' kits" obtained by The Post provide a startling glimpse into the world of suicide bombers, who are recruited with promises that their families will be well taken care of financially.
These kits ensure that the families of Hamas, PLO and Palestinian Islamic Jihad killers get generous "charitable donations" from Saudi Arabia-based organizations and, while he was in power, Saddam Hussein.
The documents reviewed by The Post include a martyr kit for Maher Kamel Hbeishe, a Hamas fanatic who blew himself up on a Haifa bus Dec. 2, 2001, killing 15 Israelis and wounding 40.
Much of the kit's paperwork carries the corporate logo of the Arab Bank — the Middle East's most important and influential financial institution — and the numbers of the accounts through which his family was paid.
The cover on Hbeishe's file — in the records of Saudi relief committees — proclaims: "the martyrs receive reward from their Lord, they and their light."
Replete with florid Arabic tributes to dead terrorists, the paperwork explains the manner of death, making it clear that the bank knew exactly whom it was giving money to and why.
If the terrorist were successful, the family would receive $5,316; being wounded or captured would earn them a lesser amount.
Though small by Western standards, the payments are more than six times the West Bank's average annual income of $850.
To get its money, Hbeishe's family was most likely contacted by the so-called "social welfare arm" of Hamas and instructed to open up an Arab Bank account. Then representatives of Hamas would use the information in the martyrs' kit to provide the bank with the name of the attacker and the beneficiaries getting checks.
The Saudi charities — called relief committees — that provide the funding for the terrorists make no secret of their activities, even taking out full-page ads in newspapers. One such ad listed more than 1,000 individuals who had been wounded or captured by the Israelis during the intifada and whose families were eligible for benefits.
Every ad explicitly directs the family members to go to Arab Bank.
- Tuesday, July 05, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
Dozens of militants linked to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah group stormed a government building in Gaza on Saturday, demanding he make good on a deal to recruit them into the Palestinian security forces.
About 40 armed militants from the group, some masked, raided the Palestinian Legislative Council building in the town of Rafah to protest the delay in the move, but said they were not using violence or holding anyone hostage.
Also, this:
In Tulkarm on Monday, some 20 Fatah gunmen went on a shooting spree in the center of the city, accusing the PA leadership of failing to fulfill its promise to pay them salaries.
The gunmen went earlier in the day to a local bank to check if the PA had deposited money in their accounts. When they discovered that the money had not arrived, they took to the streets, shooting into the air and chanting slogans against the PA.
- Tuesday, July 05, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
After the security services identified Hamas efforts to transfer the infrastructure for Kassam rockets from Gaza to the West Bank, an official verification of this trend has arrived. An article on the Hamas website warns: "The Kassam in the West Bank will be the main deterrent weapon in the next phase....The entire distance from Netanya to Tulkarm is no more than 4 kilometers. Ramallah and Bethlehem are adjacent to Jerusalem; the entire distance between Kalkilya and occupied Tel Aviv is no more than 7 kilometers." The article explained that intense efforts have been underway for the last two years in Jenin and Nablus to develop this capability. (Maariv-Hebrew, 5Jul05)
Here's a map of which parts of Israel are vulnerable to Kassams and Katyushas from the Defensible Borders website, which looks like it may become a very nice resource.
- Tuesday, July 05, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
French diplomats living in Algeria asserted that the French government is concerned about a possible alliance between the Algerian fundamentalist organization, 'Salafist Group for Call and Combat' and Al-Qaeda in Iraq led by Abu Musab Al Zarqawi. According to the sources, the alliance will target French citizens who live in Iraq and French interests in general all over the world. French diplomats expressed the concerns of their intelligence services to Asharq Al Awsat saying that the Algerian Salafist Group for Call and Combat wish to integrate with global Jihad.
Monday, July 04, 2005
- Monday, July 04, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
This is only the latest pessimistic analysis I have seen. But I have read many of them, from people who seem to have stellar credentials in political or military matters. However, I have yet to read any article giving a realistic scenario of Palestinians not increasing their attacks on Jews in the wake of the Gaza withdrawal. Sometimes I'll see a throwaway comment like "Peace negotiations will be kickstarted by the disengagement" but I cannot recall one time that there was any evidence behind it.
If anyone has such an article, please let me know.
Sunday, July 03, 2005
- Sunday, July 03, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
and my recent Mets logo:
.)
I'm also going to be going on a few business trips in the next few weeks so posting will be sporadic. My heyday of putting together articles worthy of Havel Havalim seems to be behind me, alas.
But check out parshablog's Linkify, a very cool Mozilla Firefox add-on that notices any reference to verses in the Tanach or Talmud on web pages and links them to the appropriate page on the Mechon Mamre or e-daf sites. Very nice!
Friday, July 01, 2005
- Friday, July 01, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
Just six weeks before Israel is due to evacuate its Gaza Strip settlements, the U.S. general charged with reforming the Palestinian security forces said Thursday that they were not yet ready to enforce internal security or prevent attacks on Israeli targets. Army Lt. Gen. William Ward told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee the Palestinians had not yet forged their disparate security groups into a single force under a centralized command. Ward depicted a Palestinian force that is woefully unprepared to handle internal policing duties or stop attacks on Israel after Israeli forces withdraw from Gaza. The Palestinian security force has more than 58,000 members, Ward said, but no more than 22,000 "actually show up for work."That's where he is wrong. They contribute, all right - just on the wrong side.
He said the force was like 'a social welfare net,' with the payroll including officers who do not 'contribute to the day-to-day security situation on the Palestinian street.'
The Washington Post adds:
Like daily terror attacks, shootings, killings, attempted bombings, arms smuggling, allowing terrorists to go free from jail, criticizing Israel for doing the PA police job, encouraging Palestinian kids to become martyrs, and accusing Israel of poisoning poor Palestinians.
Assistant Secretary of State C. David Welch, who has traveled repeatedly to the region to assist Israeli-Palestinian coordination on the Gaza withdrawal, echoed Ward's assessment. "Overall, Palestinian performance on confronting violence has been far from satisfactory, and this is a real shortfall and area of concern," Welch said.
Ward said he had completed an inventory of the equipment needed by the Palestinians, including vehicles, clothing and basic infrastructure. Some of it will be supplied by the Europeans, and he said he was working to expedite it through Israeli customs.
Israeli officials have drawn the line at providing lethal weapons to the Palestinian security. They have pointedly told their Palestinian counterparts that if they need weapons, they should simply collect the illegal ones on the streets.
Ward demurred when asked whether Abbas's strategy of trying to co-opt militant groups -- rather than confront them -- would work in the long run. He said that he did not "know if I'd do business that way" but that it "has created an atmosphere that is allowing other things that are important to occur."