I have to say, I’m very skeptical of Sy Hersh’s claim of widespread racism against the president in the upper ranks of the military.  Are there racists in the uniformed services?  Of course there are, but no more so than in the general population; probably less, I would think.  And given how quickly your military career can come to a screeching halt if you are even suspected of racist attitudes, I have a hard time imagining some kind of bigoted cabal of generals and admirals at the Pentagon.  Having said that, it’s clear that there is a battle of wills going on, at least between Obama and Gen. McChrystal, over the future of America’s military commitment in Afghanistan, and it’s escalated to the point where McChrystal may have even leaked classified information.  My personal view is that we cannot abandon Afghanistan, if for no other reason than that of brutal self-interest; if Afghanistan collapses into warlord anarchy or a new Taliban dictatorship, it will once more be a breeding ground for the likes of Osama bin Laden, not to mention a destabilizing influence on Pakistan, with its brittle democracy, paranoid military, compromised intelligence service and nuclear weapons.

KABUL (Reuters) – Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar issued a statement Saturday telling people of the West not to listen to U.S. President Barack Obama’s justifications of war and vowing to defeat NATO troops like other invaders of history.

In a statement posted in English on a Taliban website, shahamat.org, marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan and attributed to the reclusive Taliban leader, Omar said U.S. and British offensives in recent months had been a failure.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan calls on the public of the West not to be deceived by the assertions of Obama, who says the war in Afghanistan, is a war of necessity. The West does not have to wage this war,” the statement said.

“The public of the West should also not be deceived by the assertions of the General Secretary of NATO and British prime minister who claim the war in Afghanistan is for the defense of the West. Such deceiving and baseless utterances must not confuse you.”

A Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousuf, said the statement was genuine. The precise whereabouts and health status of Omar are not known, as he does not appear in public.

Obama, who has already ordered 21,000 extra troops to Afghanistan this year, is expected to consider a request for more troops from his commander there in coming weeks.

There are now more than 100,000 Western troops in Afghanistan, two thirds of them Americans.

“The invaders should study the history of Afghanistan from the time of the aggression of the Alexander,” the statement said.

“Still, if they are bent on ignoring the history, then they themselves saw with their own eyes the events of the past eight years. Have they achieved anything in the past eight years?”

U.S. commanders believe the reclusive Taliban leader has been hiding in Pakistan since he was driven from power in Kabul in 2001 after refusing to turn over al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden after the September 11 attacks on the United States.

A press officer for U.S. and NATO-led troops in Afghanistan, Captain Elizabeth Mathias, declined to comment on the statement.

(Editing by Mike Peacock)

Courtesy: Reuters

Always remember, never forget…

I took these photos on a trip to New York City in 2004. I will never forget that trip or the time spent at the former site of the World Trade Center.

Some men aren’t looking for anything logical, like money.  They can’t be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world…BURN.

11. İçerden ticaret: Olayların nasıl gelişeceğini bilenler tarafından 11 Eylül öncesinde “put options” denilen eylemle iki havayolları şirketi üzerinden büyük karlar sağlandı, tam olaylar sırasında ikiz kulelerden henüz tam bilinmeyen yüzlerce milyon dolarlık borsa hisse alım satımı gerçekleştirildi. İkiz kuleler ve 7 no’lu binanın sigortası üzerinden büyük paralar kazanıldı.

12. Saldırıyı gerçekleştirenler: Saldırıyı gerçekleştirenlerle ilgili bilgiler ve ortaya çıkan veriler ve hikayeler çoğunlukla mucizevi ve şüpheli olarak söylenebilir. Önemli belgeleri içeren çantaların uçağa yetişmemesi, ikiz kulelerin temelinde (ground zero) mucizevi saldırgan pasaportunun bulunması, saldırganların 11 Eylül’den günler veya haftalar öncesinde kaldıkları motelde belgeler bulunması vb.

13. Osama bin Ladin kimdir? Osama bin Ladin’in videolarının gerçek veya sahte olduğuna kim karar veriyor? En önemli videolardan biri olan Kasım 2001 tarihli olan ve bin Ladin’in olayların sorumluluğunu üstlendiği video sahte çıktı. Osama bin Ladin Temmuz 2001′de Dubai’yi ziyaret edip bir CIA ajanı ile görüştü mü? 10 Eylül günü bir Pakistan askeri hastanesinde dializ tedavisi gördü mü? Osama’nın kaçmasına hep neden izin verildi? (Clinton ve Bush dönemleri) Al-Kaide CIA tarafından Sovyetler’e karşı Afganistan’da kuruldu ve desteklendi. Bu oluşum ne zamana kadar ABD ve müttefiklerinin operasyonlarında kullanıldı? 11 Eylül’den önce bu oluşuma ait insanlar Bosna, Çeçenya ve Kosovo’da neler yaptılar?

14. Sistematik olarak soruşturmayı hasır altı etme: Uçakların kara kutuları ikiz kulelerin altında bulundu, fakat “yok oldular” ve komisyon raporu var olduklarını kabul etmedi. Resmi görevliler sürekli delilleri ortadan kaldırdılar. (New York Hava Trafik kontrörlerinin kasetleri gibi) Sibel Edmonds ve Anthony Shaffer gibi gerçekleri söyleyenler kınandı, işlerinden oldu ve bu tür konuşmak isteyenlere net bir mesaj gönderildi. FBI içinde “başarısız” olanlar terfi ettirildi.

15. Beyaz Saray ikiz kulelerin çevresindeki havanın teneffüs edilebilir olduğunun ilan edilmesi için kurumlara baskı yaptı. Bu da, şu anda sayısı tam bilinmeyen, birçok sağlık problemi yarattı. Bu aynı zamanda, yönetimin insan hayatını başka çıkarlar için gözden çıkarabildiğinin bir göstergesi olarak yorumlandı.

16. Dünya Ticaret Merkezi yıkıntısının illegal olarak hemen götürülüp yok edilmesi yıkımın mekaniğinin araştırılmasını da imkansız hale getirdi.

17. Anthrax: Belli kişilere, Afganistan saldırısı ile eş zamanda posta yoluyla zehirli anthrax gönderilmesi 11 Eylül araştırmalarına bir şüphe uyandırmaya yönelikti. Ayrıca bu kişilerin senatoda “US Patriot Act” kanununa karşı kişiler olması da manidardı. Ayrıca bu postaların gönderildiği yer olarak ABD ordusu tespit edildi fakat zehirin kaynağının bulunabilme soruşturması FBI tarafından iptal edildi.

18. Araştırmaların engellenmesi: Bush yönetimi anthrax gönderilen kongredeki muhalefetin 11 Eylül soruşturmalarını ertelemesi için baskı yaptı. Bunun sonunda bağımsız bir kurulu araştırmaları bir yıldan fazla ertelendi. Devamında Henry Kissenger’i baş araştırmacı atayarak ve gerekli bütçeyi sağlamayarak komisyonun çalışmalarını önlemeye çalıştılar.

19. Resmi Yalanlar: Rice, Rumsfeld ve Bush, elimizdeki diğer tüm delillerin aksine “kimse uçaklarla binalara saldırıları hayal edemezdi (öngöremezdi)” dediler.

20. Pakistan bağlantısı: Pakistan gizli servisi ISI, Muhammed Atta’ya 11 Eylül’den hemen önce $100,000 gönderdi. Bu bilgi, araştırmayı yapan iki senatör (Bob Graham and Porter Goss) 11 Eylül sabah ISI şefi Mahmud Ahmed’le buluşmalarına rağmen resmi raporlarda yer almadı. Kongrenin yaptığı araştırmanın %25′i makaslandı, bu bölümler daha çok saldırının finanse edilmesi üzerineydi. Graham daha sonra müttefiklerin bu terör ağının finansmanına bulaştıklarını ama bunun 30 yıl sonra ortaya çıkacağını söyledi.

Devam edecek…

Imotsats till sina företrädare så har det här paret uppenbarligen inget behov att profilera sig som den som “visar var skåpet skall stå” utan verkar faktiskt genuint intresserade av lösa saker.

Framför allt tycker jag se att i motsats till tidigare exempel har Obama förstått att man inte kan kalla Iran för diverse fula ord och samtidigt stryka Israel medhårs när Israel river arbiska israelers hus och palestiners hus. Nu har vi sett en moderering av kritiken mot Iran som ger det inhemska motståndet möjlighet att agera utan att behöva konfrontera beskyllningar om att vara USAs bandhund. Vi må tycka vad vi vill om Iran och dess styrelseskick men den innehåller en begränsad demokrati och det fanns en iransk president som ville närma sig USA men men stöttes bort av västerländska fundamentalister. Hade den förra regimen i USA haft minsta lilla klokskap hade man då tagit tillfället i akt och inkluderat Iran i sin lilla klubb, “Vi som hatar Bin-Ladin”. Nej istället så bejakar man sammarbetet med Saudi Arabien som fullständigt saknar spår av demokrati och fortsätter sin obehagliga stil med att förlåta allt från de som är på “vår sida”. Som sagt “västerländs fundamentalism” som inte är ett dugg bättre moraliskt sett än att låta alla tanter i samhället klä sig i Burka och ett alldeles utmärkt sätt att dra undan mattan för de i motsidans läger som hävdar dialog.

Senast idag påpekade Hillary Clinton apropå Honduras att det är rätt korkad av den legitime presidenten i exil att hålla på med spel för gallerierna, förhandligar pågår och då skall man sitta stil i båten. Jag känner att vi här har ett par som ser slutmålet som huvudsaken, en fredlig värld, och det står över kortsiktiga opinionspoäng.

Bra jobbat vill jag säga…

I have always been ridiculously interested with extreme stances/people (which is why I’ve seen every documentary on extreme Christians, obesity, drug abuse, and serial killers)… the way people cannot look away from a trainwreck. Which is why I jumped with glee when Westboro Baptist Church released this video…

Alternate video link here, here, and here.

That’s right, you heard it. “God hates the world (that means you) and all her people (and that means you). You lived out your vain lives!” The best part is easily at 4:34 where we have George W. Bush, Larry King, Osama Bin Ladin, and Michael Jackson together (because God hates ‘em!)… oh wait! There’s Martin Luther King Jr. WHAT A JACKASS OF COURSE GOD MUST HATE HIM!

i'd like to see the biblical passage this comes from, please

Most importantly, we must notice what is being held up and waved around in the back of this little choir. A sign saying “The World is Doomed” obviously fits the general tone of the song. And wouldn’t you know that the flag being waved is a Canadian flag!? OF COURSE! Bite your tongue, America’s hat. Maybe God hates YOU, eh?

NV/R,

Maria

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• Former Head of CIA bin Laden Unit Wants Him to Nuke Us!

  “Former” CIA asset and TV celebrity Michael Scheuer: “The only chance we have as a country right now is for Osama Bin Ladin to deploy and detonate a major weapon in the United States … ” Scheuer has been lionized by millionaire (limosine) “liberal” Amy Goodman.\n\nTPMCafe.com\n\nMichael Scheuer, the former head of the CIA station dedicated to capturing bin Laden, wants his erstwhile quarry to nuke us……..

  tags: nuke, CIA, bin Laden

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Anhand eines konkreten Einzelschicksals klagt Alex Gibney in diesem Dokumentarfilm die Anwendung von Folter durch das US-Militär an. Im Jahr 2002 hatte der afghanische Taxifahrer Dilawar gerade drei Passagiere aufgenommen, wurde er von Angehörigen der Besatzungsarmee in Afghanistan verhaftet und ins Gefängnis von Bagram gebracht. Fünf Tage später war er tot, ebenso wie ein Mithäftling eine Woche früher. Die Autopsie des Leichnams führt zu dem Ergebnis, dass beide Opfer von schweren Misshandlungen wurden, denen sie mutmaßlich durch das Verhörpersonal ausgesetzt waren.

Gibney stellt einen Zusammenhang zur Doktrin des damaligen Verteidigungsministers Donald Rumsfeld her, der dem US-Kongress die Zustimmung abrang, bei der Vernehmung von Kriegsgefangenen Foltermethoden zuzulassen. Somit ist dieser Film ein Appell an die politisch Verantwortlichen, an vorderster Stelle US-Präsident George W. Bush, auf den Pfad der Zivilisation zurückzukehren und die Menschenrechte auch in Zeiten globaler terroristischer Bedrohung einzuhalten.

The idea that a man can conduct a global jihad against the most powerful country in the world from remote places in the world with just a cell phone and or a courier to take his electronic messages all over the world should now be considered  no more than a myth.  Technology exists that enables us to know the exact location of any and all cellphones, what’s being said on them and what’s being said around them!  Check out the video on the link above.

There are so many theories about what happened on September 9,2001 it’s hard to sort it all out at times.  One thing I am certain is that a man in an Afghanistan cave did not coordinate the pinpoint precision attacks on NYC on that day.  That was a fete not even superpowers of the day, i.e. Russia, Israel, UK, France, et.al could not do.  That there was complicity of the physical attack with other “forces” in my mind is no doubt.  Equally of no doubt in my mind is the fact that evidence has been tampered with, withheld, changed, compromised to keep the real facts obscured until the end of time.  Well it doesn’t always work out that way that things are concealed until the end of time and the news that explosive residue was found in the particles following the explosion is as explosive as the blasts on that day.

Investigators found red-grey plates in the dust found after the destruction of the “twins”, which scientists identified as the remains of an active high quality substance created via nanotechnology, whose characteristics reveal that a high energy pyrotechnic or explosive material is in question, which falls into the thermite category.

The international sale and distribution of super-thermite is strictly supervised and limited. Dr. Niels Harrit participated in the investigation of the fall of the WTC towers. He is a professor of chemistry at the Copenhagen University. After a study by international scientists was published, their discovery about the fall of the towers was broadcast by Danish national television, at prime time, in a show where dr. Niels Harrit was a guest.

“Scientific research showed that the two airplanes were not the cause of the fall of the WTC towers in 2001. Nano-thermite explosives were found in the rubble, which could not have been in the planes. Scientists believe that a number of tonnes of explosives were placed in the buildings” said the show host on Danish national television before his guest came on, who was the scientist dr. Niels Harrit.

Harrit says that they cannot claim that only thermite was in question, which dates back to 1893. He described the behaviour of the reactive substance and said that it creates iron heated to 2,500 degrees Celsius.

“Nano-thermite is reduced to tiny particles, perfectly mixed. When they react, the heating occurs much faster. Thermite can serve as the perfect explosive, and it contains much more energy than ordinary dynamite” explains the scientist.

When asked why he thinks that nano-thermite caused the twin towers to fall, Harrit said that probably because that substance was there. “There were only two planes, and three towers fell. We know how much dust there was after the fall. We also know how much inactivated thermite we found. That is like a loaded pistol, the material did not react for a reason. We are talking about tonnes, probably 100 tonnes of the material” explains Harrit.

You can check out the youtube video interview with Dr. Harrit below.  George Bush’s hand was forced on September 9, 2001 by a political ruling class that wanted expansion of US power in the Middle East and the “stans”, an expansion which is continuing till this day, but with each passing “revelation” about 911 it becomes apparent to me it was a contrived event with tentacles reaching back into the bowels of the federal government.

TERRORISM
In the 21st century, most of the countries face different kinds of external and internal problems. But the most devastating problem which the whole world faces today is “terrorism”. In the last two decades terrorism has become such a big problem that it cannot be solved unless one delves into its origin.
Use of terror or unpredictable violence against governments, public or individuals to attain certain objectives is called terrorism. The generally accepted definition of terrorism is that it is the use of violence against civilians by sub-national groups for political purposes. It is a contentious description, because it has gained a high emotional charge. It is one of the major reasons of violations of human rights. The twentieth century witnessed great changes in the use of practice of terrorism. Terrorism has no sanction in the religion, morality or international law. Terrorism as now a day has assumed global proportions sparing no country and no people. There are a number of terrorist organizations all over the globe. Many of them possess weapons of mass destruction. Some resort to suicide bombing while other speaks the language of bullet.
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion. Terrorism first puts down roots in the mind of an individual on account of demoralization, depression, helplessness and subjugation by others. It simmers in a corner of his brain and whenever he sees aggression, the simmer becomes a bonfire. He also starts doing the same things which others did to him, forgetting that such things drove him to become a heartless person in the first place.
The roots of terrorism are complex. It has in one way or the other to do some thing with injustice, danger, poverty, unequal distribution of wealth, ill treatment to minorities etc. or connected with the denial of human rights or desire for separate identity. It is almost true that “one man’s freedom fighter is another man’s terrorist”, the notable exception being those freedom fighters who specifically try to avoid killing civilians. So, one man’s freedom fighter is nearly always someone else’s terrorist. Every violent act has two sides: the side of the person who commits violence (“aggressor”), and the side of the recipient (“victim”). Those who are “terrorists” in the Western view are indeed the “freedom fighters” in the Arab view. It is because of this dual nature, or rather, dual sidedness of terrorism that the UN can not agree on a definition of terrorism. Because of this, it has been suggested that the definition should be that a terrorist is anyone who commits an action that would be defined as a war crime under the Geneva Convention in times when war is not formally declared. However, since the High Level Panel Report in December 2004, the UN is moving towards a consensus around a conventional definition of terrorism. Whatever may be the definition, terrorism has become now an international problem. The people of the world face personal and collective danger from the spread of terrorism. The acts of violence carried out by lone individuals or small, unrepresentative groups of people bring tragedy into other people’s lives.
A number of causes for terrorism can be identified. After the 9/11 atrocity, western media uncritically reported the opinion of American leaders that the cause was simply that the Islamists behind the attack were motivated simply by jealousy of American democracy and prosperity. This view has been recently repeated by the conservative philosopher Roger Scruton, who identifies resentment as the ultimate cause of all terrorism.
In some ways, selfish, uncaring behavior on the parts of groups of people mirror the adolescent stage of individuals, where personal concerns or grievances become out of proportion. Professor Scruton is at pains to emphasize the emotions of hatred and resentment that is a characteristic of terrorists, and tends to over emphasize envy as the cause of the emotion, rather than oppression. He chose a broad definition of terrorism, including the French and Russian revolutionaries, and the Nazis. Part of the background to current waves of terrorism is the lack of a proper balance between the liberty of the individual and the needs of society as a whole. The rights of an individual to act as he/she wishes can never be absolute. On this subject, Bahá’u'lláh, the Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, wrote:
“We find some men desiring liberty, and priding themselves therein. Such men are in the depths of ignorance. Liberty must, in the end, lead to sedition, whose flames none can quench…. That which beseemeth man is submission unto such restraints as will protect him from his own ignorance, and guard him against the harm of the mischief-maker. Liberty causes man to overstep the bounds of propriety, and to infringe on the dignity of his station. It debases him to the level of extreme depravity and wickedness.”
In many cases, the cause which the terrorist espouses is driven by a sense of injustice, as when a nation does not have independence in the family of nations, or where a minority feels that its rights are ignored. The world must ensure that no situations of political injustice continue, thereby removing this kind of terrorist’s motivation, justification and support.
If oppression is a root cause of terrorism, this must be seen as a failure of democracy, since democracy should prevent oppression if it is working properly. By definition, democracy is that system of governance where ultimate political power rests with the people, who may choose to lend their power to representatives. In systems terms, democracy provides negative feedback loops from the governed to the governors, in order to inhibit the human tendency for power to corrupt the powerful.
Modern terrorist activity has one remarkably constant feature – rejection of the domination of the terrorists’ land and people by a people viewed to a greater or lesser extent as foreign. The IRA, the Basque separatist group ETA, the Palestinians, the Tamil Tigers, the Chechens, and most lately, Iraqi insurgents, these have all used violence against civilians in pursuit of their political goal, which is in each and every case, the liberation and self determination of their people from a government that claims to administer the land occupied by “their (that is, the terrorists’) people”. The government is to some extent perceived as foreign, and its treatment of “their people” is seen as unfair. Terrorism is a often associated with nationalism. The terrorist call is for foreign administrators (and troops) to be pulled out now- and they are prepared to use violence to do it.
So why then did Al-Qaeda hit the US on 9/11? Osama Bin Laden is no exception to the “oppression” or “foreign occupation” rule. He does perceive territorial domination by America in Saudi Arabia. He wants American/Christian, troops out of his Holy Land. Bin Laden also associates his movement with the Palestinian cause, who similarly want Israel out of Palestine – although, thankfully, there are now moderates preparing to accept the right of the state of Israel to exist. And now, Operation Iraqi Liberation (OIL) has given him the aim of getting America out of Iraq.
Muslim/Arab people do have a perceived territorial grievance of against America. But there is more. Professor Scruton says “if you want to know why the US has become a prime target for modern terrorists, you only have to look at its lifestyle.
Religion adds another dimension to conflict and thus is frequently used by the terrorist as an excuse for his actions, despite the fact that every religion forbids murder, and demands that individuals love others. The golden rule, found in each religion, is that we should treat others as we wish to be treated. The moral codes of true religion have lost their impact and this religious belief is such a strong determinant of conflict that believers define their existence not just in time, but for all eternity. This sometimes gives them superhuman courage, as when martyrs chose death by burning rather than to deny their beliefs.
Scruton and others ascribe Muslim anti-US sentiment in Middle East populations as displaced resentment against their own authoritarian governments. Again, there may be some truth in this, but this is not to exculpate the US of all guilt.
The other side of the “envy” coin is poverty, which is often assumed to be the cause of terrorism. In fact, the evidence for this is weak, but there is one aspect of poverty that could fruitfully be addressed. In areas of deprivation, for example Sadr city in Baghdad, Islamic radicals can get support by setting up social help agencies. The IRA used similar tactics in the Six Counties. This adds political value to the humanitarian virtue of relieving poverty.

Any how the need of the hour is that weapons of war throughout the world may be converted into instruments of reform and developments and that rivalry and conflict may be removed from the midst of men and spoke out against all violence, saying that, there is no glory for him that committed disorder in the earth after it has been made so good.”
“Spread not disorder in the land, and shed not the blood of any one, and consume not the substance of others wrongfully.” And let we adopt the policy of non-violence of Mahatma Gandhi, who said liberty and democracy become unholy when their hands are dyed red with the blood of innocents.

Dr. Ashiq Hussain
R/O Kakoo, Bhalessa, Doda J & K.
C/O Deptt. Of Chemistry Govt. Degree College Kishtwar
E.mail : drasiqhussain@rediffmail.com

A lot of this depends on whether or not this story will get picked up in the Muslim world, but that being said it is potentially significant that the  theological founder of their movement thinks they are going the wrong way.  

Sayyid Imam al-Sharif, who goes by the nom de guerre Dr Fadl, helped bin Laden create al-Qaeda and then led an Islamist insurgency in Egypt in the 1990s.
But in a book written from inside an Egyptian prison, he has launched a frontal attack on al-Qaeda’s ideology and the personal failings of bin Laden and particularly his Egyptian deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri.
Twenty years ago, Dr Fadl became al-Qaeda’s intellectual figurehead with a crucial book setting out the rationale for global jihad against the West.
Today, however, he believes the murder of innocent people is both contrary to Islam and a strategic error. “Every drop of blood that was shed or is being shed in Afghanistan and Iraq is the responsibility of bin Laden and Zawahiri and their followers,” writes Dr Fadl.
The terrorist attacks on September 11 were both immoral and counterproductive, he writes. “Ramming America has become the shortest road to fame and leadership among the Arabs and Muslims. But what good is it if you destroy one of your enemy’s buildings, and he destroys one of your countries? What good is it if you kill one of his people, and he kills a thousand of yours?” asks Dr Fadl. “That, in short, is my evaluation of 9/11.”…..(more)…….