Editor and Researcher Elisa Vandernoot

American Freedom Alliance Weekly Gazette

THE WEEK AT A GLANCE

This Week's Editorial

The Rise of the Watermelon Activists
By Avi Davis

It was a startling fact to learn.   Watermelon, one of the most popular fruits on our planet, is 92% water.   Those big, oblong cylinders are then, surprisingly enough, actually more barrels of H2O than they are a food stuff.  

How looks can deceive.

There are many kinds of watermelon – nearly 1200, in fact - but whenever we think of one it is usually the Carolina Cross variety-  very green on the outside and very red on the inside –  that pops into our imagination. 

I thought about that color contrast at AFA’s recent Los Angeles seminar  The  Green Movement: From Common Sense and Compromise to Coercion and Control, held  in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 21.  After the day was over I actually had an entirely different view of watermelons. 

The seminar presented five speakers, who, one after the other, described the green movement and its operating philosophy of sustainability as a rehash of the same communist principles and ideas, effectively discredited  in the West for over a generation.  

Steve Milloy,  the author of Green Hell: How Environmentalists Plan to Control Your Life and What You Can Do to Stop Them, opened the seminar with a sweeping history of the environmental lobby and how it has always masqueraded as a benign, non-ideological movement, when in fact its focus is on the acquisition of  political power and the control of our most vital institutions, in order to impose a new form of  social and political order on society. 

Claudia Rosett, a journalist and fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies in Washington D.C.  followed with a bracing commentary on the United Nations and its use of international environmental policy to penetrate sovereign jurisdiction of Western nations.  She pointed out the life long quest of  U.N. potentates such as Canadian industrialist Maurice Strong to impose a new order on humanity, one in which the rights of the environment are elevated above human rights and national law is superceded by international jurisdiction.   

Michael Shaw, the President of Freedom Advocates, presented an eye-opening examination of the way the Green movement’s philosophy of sustainability has penetrated into the very heart of our society, with local councils and even homeowners associations adopting the tenets of Agenda 21  (see my own article about this U.N. document  here).  Shaw presented damning evidence of the way ICLEI – the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, the U.N.’s vehicle for Agenda 21, uses its extensive influence in American townships through its  plans for  social engineering and behavior modification, to bring individuals in line with its environmental objectives. 

More important than this though, Shaw demonstrated how ICLEI’s focus on land usage is an attempt to impose a regime of land redistribution in the name of environmental protection.  It promotes a modern form of  collectivization wherein citizens will be told where and how they will live.  (You can get more an idea about this by visiting the ICLEI site  here)  

 It is also ICLEI’s job to implement United Nation’s policies that restructure our representative form of government through global and regional development.  Policies and programs take control from our representative government and put that control into the hands of regional, non-elected boards.  It  threatens, according to Shaw, a soviet-styled system that is based on regionalism.   

Ashley Thorne,  the Director of Communications at the National Association of Scholars, followed with a convincing presentation of the way the  philosophy of sustainability is being indoctrinated into our students all over the country.    Several universities, such as the University of Delaware, maintain compulsory sustainability training for freshmen and there are  schools which make a course in sustainability mandatory.  Nearly 650 college professors have signed on to the ACUPP ( American College and University President’s Climate Commitment) which is a document calling upon University presidents to impose stringent sustainability restrictions upon their campuses and to institute more courses in sustainable growth.         Read More

Avi Davis is the President of the American Freedom Alliance in Los Angeles..

Want to comment on this article?   See Avi Davis’ blog The Intermediate Zone

__________________________________________________________________

Best of The Intermediate Zone this week

Avatar: A Review
The Palestinian Graveyard Spin
Prepare Ye for the Apocalypse: The Fundamentalist Left's Vision of Your Future
Shooting Michael Moore
A True Prisoner of Conscience
Toyota and its U.S Battles


Avi Davis can be contacted at adavis@americanfreedomalliance.org

NEWS: EUROPE AND AMERICA

Islamic radicals 'infiltrate' the Labour Party-Andrew Gilligan
A Labour minister says his party has been infiltrated by a fundamentalist Muslim group that wants to create an “Islamic social and political order” in Britain.
The Islamic Forum of Europe (IFE) — which believes in jihad and sharia law, and wants to turn Britain and Europe into an Islamic state — has placed sympathisers in elected office and claims, correctly, to be able to achieve “mass mobilisation” of voters. Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, Jim Fitzpatrick, the Environment Minister, said the IFE had become, in effect, a secret party within Labour and other political parties. “They are acting almost as an entryist organisation, placing people within the political parties, recruiting members to those political parties, trying to get individuals selected and elected so they can exercise political influence and power, whether it’s at local government level or national level,” he said. “They are completely at odds with Labour’s programme, with our support for secularism.” (Telegraph.co.uk)

Austria: 54% see Islam as threat to West
According to a recent IMAS study, 59% of Austrians are 'somewhat opposed' to building minarets. There's a big gap between the public opinion and what is expressed. Just over 20% of Austrians describe themselves as religious, compared to 30% 35 years ago. The ethnic population differs clearly from the Muslim population. 54% of Austrians - slightly more men than women, older people more than younger - see Islam as a 'threat for the West'. The respondents have a growing sense that such views can't be talked about openly. This according to a large-scale study by the IMAS agency on the topic of 'religion and freedom', conducted for the Internationalen Instituts für Liberale Politik (International Institute for Liberal Policy) and obtained exclusive by Presse. Only 4% would agree if a family member would marry a Muslims. By 3% of respondents that was already the case, and in Vienna it was above average. On the acceptance of minarets: 59% said they were 'somewhat against'. 51% thought the building of mosques and wearing a headscarf should be banned altogether. (Islamineurope)

EU: Most beautiful minaret contest
COJEP International and IMCOSE (Muslim Initiative for European Social Cohesion) with the support of Council of Europe, ISESCO and Organisation of Islamic Conference have launching a contest to select the most beautiful existing Minaret in Europe through a photographic competition. Mosques, with or without their minarets have been a permanent addition in the aesthetics of our urban landscapes. They are a reflection of the presence of the Muslim communities in our cities and in the company of other faiths and beliefs, convey a message of common living, peace and respect. It is however unfortunate, that lately some populist politicians and a section of media has made minarets an issue to curtail fundamental rights. It is therefore important that the universal peaceful presence of Islam is visible and its followers are able to practice their religion openly as is the case with other religions. This photo contest is also intended to remove the misplaced fears and prejudices in European societies that Islam and Muslims undermine the Western values and cultures.
(Cojep.eu)

Five European states back burka ban-James Blitz
More than half of voters in four other major European states back a push by France’s Nicolas Sarkozy to ban women from wearing the burka, according to an opinion poll for the Financial Times. As Mr Sarkozy presses ahead with plans to ban the wearing of the burka in public places, the FT’s latest Harris poll shows the move is not just strongly supported in France, but wins enthusiastic backing in the UK, Italy, Spain and Germany. The poll shows some 70 per cent of respondents in France said they supported plans to forbid the wearing of the garment which covers the female body from head to toe. There was similar sentiment in Spain and Italy, where 65 per cent and 63 per cent respectively favoured a ban The strength of feeling in the UK and Germany may seem particularly surprising. Britain has a strong liberal tradition that respects an individual’s right to full expression of religious views. But here, some 57 per cent of people still favoured a ban. In Germany, which is also reluctant to clamp down in minority rights, some 50 per cent favoured a ban. (Financialtimes)

U.S. to Offer Smart-Bomb Kits, Drones to Pakistan-YOCHI J. DREAZENWASHINGTON––The Pentagon will transfer sophisticated laser-guided bomb kits to Pakistan, escalating the Obama administration's recent push to better arm Islamabad for its military campaign against the country's Islamic militants. U.S. military officials said that Pakistan would soon receive equipment capable of converting 1,000 traditional munitions into "smart bombs" that can more precisely strike targets on the ground. American officials hope the reconfigured bombs will help Pakistan minimize civilian casualties as it battles insurgents in the country's lawless tribal regions. Pakistan will also soon take possession of a dozen American-made surveillance drones and 18 late-model F-16 fighter jets, sharply expanding the Pakistani military's ability to track and strike targets in remote, insurgent-controlled parts of the country. The laser-guided bomb kits could spark some unease in India, whose top officials have been warily watching the expanded U.S. military aid to Pakistan and wondering if the weapons would one day be turned against them. (WSJ)

Muammar Gaddafi calls for jihad on Swiss after ban on building minarets-Roger Boyes
Muammar Gaddafi has appealed for jihad against Switzerland, long regarded as one of the most peaceful nations in the world. The Libyan leader’s call for a holy war was, he said, a response to a Swiss referendum in November to ban the construction of minarets on mosques. It is the low point in a relationship that has been deteriorating since 2008 when Colonel Gaddafi’s son Hannibal was briefly detained in Geneva after allegedly beating his servants. “Any Muslim in any part of the world who works with Switzerland is an apostate, is against (the Prophet) Muhammad, God and the Koran,” Colonel Gaddafi said at a rally broadcast on television. He made the speech to mark the Prophet’s birthday, ensuring that many Arabs would take the call seriously. It was not clear how he wanted Muslims to target Switzerland. “The masses of Muslims must go to all airports in the Islamic world and prevent any Swiss plane landing, to all harbours and prevent any Swiss ships docking,” he said, apparently unaware that Switzerland does not have a merchant navy, or coast. (Timesonline.co.uk)

Danish daily issues apology over prophet drawing- JAN M. OLSEN-AP
COPENHAGEN -- A Danish newspaper on Friday apologized for offending Muslims by reprinting a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad with a bomb-shaped turban, rekindling heated debate about the limits of freedom of speech. Danish daily Politiken said its apology was part of a settlement with a Saudi lawyer representing eight Muslim groups in the Middle East and Australia. It drew strong criticism among Danish media, which previously had stood united in rejecting calls to apologize for 12 Muhammad cartoons that sparked fierce protests in the Muslim world four years ago. Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen expressed surprise at Politiken's move, saying he was worried that Danish media no longer were "standing shoulder to shoulder" on the issue. Politiken said it did not mean to offend Muslims in Denmark or elsewhere when it reprinted one of the most controversial cartoons, showing Muhammad wearing a turban shaped like a bomb with a lit fuse. Islamic law generally opposes any depiction of the prophet, even favorable, for fear it could lead to idolatry. (Washingtonpost)

ACADEMIC FREEDOM

How Bad Is the Indoctrination in our Colleges?-David Horowitz
How bad is the indoctrination process in American colleges? I had occasion to see for myself an answer to this question when I recently visited the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. This is a state school with 20,000 students, and while I was there I audited an hour-and-a-half lecture about the Warren Court’s landmark decisions on civil liberties by a well-known and highly respected political scientist named Sheldon Goldman, a nationally recognized expert in the field. There are no open conservatives on the faculty of the University of Massachusetts and none that the conservative students who were hosting me could identify. My student hosts were political science majors and the absence of conservative professors was a real problem for them given the extreme and abusive nature of many of their professors. One professor gave an exam, for example, that consisted of a speech by President Reagan. The exam question was: Explain why Reagan is wrong. Another professor was a militant leftist who required a paper on the Vietnam War. (Frontpagemagazine)

Free Speech: A Casualty of Intimidation?-Herbert London
Jake Witzenfeld, president of Cambridge University’s Israel Society, cancelled a talk by Benny Morris, a distinguished Israeli historian, for fear the Israel Society would be portrayed as a mouthpiece for Islamophobia. The trial of Geert Wilders, in Holland, has received almost no attention from the media panjandrums in the West for fear the issue might lead to Muslim incitement, particularly in cities like Rotterdam where the Islamic population is near a majority. Yale University Press refused to publish cartoons about the Prophet Mohammed in a book about the cartoons and the aftermath of the original publication, for fear of a possible violent response from Islamic adherents. Yes, these craven responses all appear with the word “fear” since that word has trampled the meaning of freedom in nations that have fought for its defense over centuries. In one moment, intimidation has trumped free speech and cowardice has subordinated any display of courage. I find it astonishing that a heralded center of learning, a major university press and a nation that once fought against totalitarian impulses could so easily justify their actions. Whatever happened to a belief in freedom of speech and a faith in the power of debate to reveal the truth that counters censorship? (Familysecuritymatters)

MEDIA BIAS

Colonel Richard Kemp blasts media's Israel coverage-Jenni Frazer
A leading defence figure has warned of "dark forces" exploiting the international media, including the BBC, and insisted that some criticism of Israel "is based on antisemitism". Retired Colonel Richard Kemp told a 400-strong audience at the Zionist Federation's 110th anniversary dinner it had been a "privilege" to work alongside members of the Israel Defence Forces during his 30-year career. In October, he spoke to the UN Human Rights Council and challenged the findings of the Goldstone Report, insisting the Israeli Defence Forces did "more to safeguard the rights of civilians in a combat zone than any other army in the history of warfare". He told the ZF audience of how Hamas had "lured" Israeli forces into civilian areas, or using women, children, and even disabled people to attack IDF troops. But Israel, said Colonel Kemp, "went to the most incredible lengths in Gaza to protect human life", initially by recruiting intelligence on the ground. But in response, he said: "Hamas has reintroduced crucifixion to deal with supposed spies." (Jewishchronicle)

Oscar-nominated The Hurt Locker upsets Iraq veterans-Nick Allen
A group of US veterans of the Iraq war have taken aim at The Hurt Locker, which is a favourite to win the Oscar for best picture on Sunday.
The war film, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, has been nominated for nine Oscars.
It tells the story of a driven bomb disposal expert Staff Sergeant William James, played by Jeremy Renner, who serves with the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (E.O.D.) unit. It was written by Mark Boal, a journalist who was embedded with US forces, but some veterans have vocally criticised the accuracy of the film ahead of the Oscars ceremony. Paul Rieckhoff, executive director and founder of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said much of the film made soldiers out to be reckless cowboys. He said the film was "silly and inaccurate" and had received "nine more Oscar nominations than it deserves." "Many of our members around the country have noted the flawed portrayal of E.O.D. and the other – to the civilian eye – seemingly minor mistakes," he said in an article for Newsweek magazine. (Telegraph.co.uk)

When Liberal ‘Journalists’ Attack, Real Americans Suffer-Brad Thor
Andrew Breitbart’s recent smackdown of Max Blumenthal [1] at CPAC (for his vicious smears against James O’Keefe) serves as a reminder to us all that when Liberal “journalists” attack, they have one goal – and it isn’t reporting the truth. It is to win at any cost no matter what the damage is to the victim. It is called the politics of personal destruction and it reflects the utter nihilism of Liberalism. The tactic has been used repeatedly by the left (see Sarah Palin), but is particularly disturbing when used as a cudgel to destroy decent, hard-working Americans. One such decent, hardworking (and extremely patriotic) American is Barrett Moore, founder of Triple Canopy [2]. I met Barrett a couple of years ago in Chicago at a luncheon for Navy SEAL, Marcus Luttrell [3] author of the bestselling novel, Lone Survivor and boy do the Liberals hate him. As I mentioned, Moore was the founder of Triple Canopy, one of America’s first private military companies [4](or PMC) and under his stewardship, he assembled one of this nation’s most impressive fighting forces – most of whom were retired members of the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment [5]-Delta (1st SFOD-D) (Delta Force) – and sent them overseas to help carry our burden in Iraq.

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

EHRENFELD: Ending British abridgement of free expression-Rachel Ehrenfeld
The Senate Judiciary Committee recently concluded during a hearing on the Free Speech Protection Act (S.449) on Feb. 23 that "foreign libel lawsuits are chilling Americans' First Amendment rights." The Free Speech Protection Act provides protection to all U.S.-based authors and publishers from libel judgments in any country that has lesser protection for free speech than the U.S. Constitution. Thebill applies only to judgments rendered in countries where the authors do not have sufficient personal or professional ties, and allows for collection of legal fees, and when appropriate, damages from the "libel tourist." The committee discussed the possible measures to protect Americans' rights to "candid commentaryand uninhibited information that our laws are designed to foster and protect," said the chairman, Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, Vermont Democrat. The billpending in the Senate, and related laws recently passed by some states, have sparked vehement criticism by prominent British figures. They have seized the opportunity to attack the United States, the U.N. Committee on Human Rights and me. (Washingtontimes)

Europe Cracks Down on Bloggers, Not Terrorists-Paul Belien
There is terrorism and there is Islamophobia. Of these two the latter is apparently the more serious misdemeanor. Europe is introducing draconian measures to monitor the internet for so-called “racism,” but at the same time the European Parliament has decided to deny America access to servers with international banking data that relate to terrorist organizations. Last January, the French Inter-ministerial Committee on Racism and Anti-Semitism met to discuss measures to ban from the Internet those websites deemed by public moralists to be “racist.” The French government is acting in accordance with resolutions of the European Parliament that urge the member states of the European Union to “combat racism and xenophobia.” The French authorities are currently working on “a plan of action at the national and international levels, mobilizing public authorities, Internet operators and special-interest groups” to combat “the expression of racist commentary on the Internet.” (Brusselsjournal)

ANTISEMITISM

Anti-Semitism Rising in France-Hana Levi Julian
(Israelnationalnews.com) Anti-Semitism in France is strongly on the rise, according to the 2009 annual report released late last week by the Jewish Community Protection Service (SPCJ). The organization reported that 832 anti-Semitic incidents were recorded in France in 2009, as compared with 474 such incidents in 2008 - a 75% increase. The statistics were gleaned from records in the organization's Aid to Victims Department, which cross-checked the figures with data published by the French Ministry of Home Affairs. Included were “statistics, comments, analyses and extracts from sentences handed out by courts in cases involving anti-Semitism,” according to the Council Representing Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF). CRIF President Richard Prasquier attributed the increase to the French population's anger at Israel during its counter-terrorist operation in Gaza, Cast Lead, last January. (INN)

Cologne tolerates 'anti-Semitic’ exhibit-BENJAMIN WEINTHAL
Many on local council oppose German prosecutor's decision, urge action.
BERLIN – A crude anti-Israel exhibit in Cologne’s Cathedral Square in the heart of the bustling pedestrian zone does not meet the criteria of inciting hate, Rainer Wolf, a spokesman for the public prosecutor in Cologne, told The Jerusalem Post on Monday. Wolf said the public prosecutor plans to dismiss the complaint of Gerd Buurmann, a non-Jewish theater director, who filed a grievance in February, asserting a violation of Germany’s hate-crime law. Buurmann told the Post that he is “horrified” by the decision and plans to now participate in a civil legal action against Walter Herrmann, the exhibitor of the anti-Israel exhibit.
Herrmann’s long-standing exhibit, “Cologne Wailing Wall,” has been deemed anti-Semitic by critics in the Cologne City Council and a commentator from the large daily Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger. (Jpost)

Canadian Jews Concerned over Rising Anti-Semitism-Gil Ronen
(Israelnationalnews.com) B'nai Brith Canada's annual audit on anti-Semitic incidents reported 1,264 such incidents in 2009, representing an 11.4% increase over 2008, and a more than five-fold increase in incidents over the past decade. There were 884 cases of harassment, 348 of vandalism. Incidents of violence doubled from last year, to 32. In addition, a survey of the Jewish community commissioned by B'nai Brith shows Canadian Jews deeply concerned about the rising influence of radical Islamism – an ideology that paints Jews as the enemy – and security threats to Jewish schools and houses of worship. Anti-Israel campaigns on campus, such as the annual “Israel Apartheid Week” event, are also a source of anxiety according to this poll. Jews as 'vermin,' ‘sewer rats,’ ‘dogs’ “We note that the highest number of incidents for the year – 209 – occurred in January 2009, coinciding with the war in Gaza”, noted Frank Dimant, Executive Vice President of B’nai Brith Canada. “This is the pattern elsewhere in the world as well. (INN)

Cut Israel a Break-Gil Stein
NAZI PROPAGANDA films were made to convince the world that Germany was a peace-loving nation that was forced to attack Poland. With the creation of the web and the access the 24-hour "news," it is so much easier to spread lies and half-truths. The Arab propaganda machine has done a terrific job of creating a fictional reality that portrays terrorists as victims and their victims as evil. The small country created by refugees and surrounded by hostile neighbors is the international bully, while terrorists supported by despots are the world's heroes. Muslim leaders deny the historical Jewish ties to Jerusalem even though Jews have lived in the city continuously since before the birth of Islam. They have created the myth that Israel came about because of the European Holocaust. Modern Zionism had its roots in the 19th century and early 20th (Tel Aviv celebrated its centennial last year). The Holocaust may have made international support of a Jewish state more politically acceptable, but the groundwork for a Jewish homeland was started well before World War II. (Metrosantacruz)

Australia Diary-Melanie Phillips
I think I may have died and gone to heaven. I am in Australia as the guest of the United Israel Appeal, to talk to Australian Jews about what can only be described as Britain’s derangement on the subject of Israel and, by extension, America and the war to defend the free world. In Britain, supporting Israel has become an activity to be undertaken only by consenting adults in private. Zionism is now the liberation movement that dare not speak its name. But in Australia, I meet people who not only see nothing untoward about the UIA and even openly support Israel. Many are concerned by what they see and hear of Britain. They have relatives there; they visit but don’t recognise it. I hardly saw an English person there, they say. I tell them that in Britain this kind of talk would be deemed racist, maybe even a hate crime. The Australian Jews strike me as a robust and confident community. This is surely because they have nothing to fear from their fellow Aussies, who are on the same page. (Spectator.co.uk)

British Baroness: Israel Went to Haiti to Harvest Organs-Carol Gould
If you think the title of this article is an early April fool or if you are Jewish and think this story is a Purim shpiel [1], you will be disappointed. British Baroness Tonge, also known as “Jihad Jenny [2],” has been bellowing to the world that Israel must clear its name after being accused by a Palestinian newspaper of making its way to earthquake-hit Haiti in order to harvest organs. Over Valentine’s Day weekend the Liberal Democrat Party sacked the baroness, who is also a physician, as shadow health minister. Since then there has been talk of her being sacked as party whip. Her comments were published in the Jewish Chronicle of February 12 after the Palestine Telegraph [3], of which she is a patron, ran a story about Israel harvesting organs. She said to the JC: “The IDF and the Israeli Medical Association should establish an independent inquiry immediately to clear the names of the team in Haiti.” Okay, I can already hear the jokes about Israel harvesting passports [4] for junkets to Dubai, but the concept of body-plundering is a throwback to the murderously anti-Semitic blood libel legacy of British and European history, when Jews were accused of harvesting Christian blood for use in religious rituals. (Jew-hatred reached a fever pitch after the York massacre [5] and they were expelled from England [6] in 1290 until readmission in the seventeenth century.) (Pajamasmedia)

TERRORISM, security and policy

Taliban and Al Qaeda Financiers Are Tied at the Hip!!-By Victor Comras
Could it be that while the Taliban is awash with cash, Al Qaeda is struggling for every dime? This is the supposition that emerges from recent assessments by different sets of experts. But can such a thesis stand in the face of the continuing close cooperation between the Taliban and Al Qaeda, and with what is now occurring in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Yemen, and elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa? International terrorism alerts are now at their highest levels since just after 9/11. And senior US officials are warning that a major terrorist attack against the United States should be considered imminent. The thesis that Al Qaeda may be running out of cash has been given increased credence recently at the Council of Foreign Relations and several other think tanks. The fall-off in donations to al Qaeda, they maintain, stems largely from the increased pressure being placed on potential terrorist financiers by national and inteernational regulators, and may also reflect the general international economic downturn. (Counterterrorismblog)

U.K. to Ban Somalia's Al-Shabab-AP
LONDON—The British government said Monday it was going to ban Somali terrorist organization al-Shabab, an al Qaeda-linked Islamist group fighting the anarchic country's transitional government. British Home Secretary Alan Johnson said he had issued an order banning al-Shabab, a group some say could be active among Britain's large and socially deprived community of Somali refugees. The ban would make membership in al-Shabab a criminal offense and bar Britons from raising money for the group. It must be approved by Parliament before it goes into force, but that is largely a formality. Britain is home to one of the largest Somali communities in Europe, and terror experts have recently expressed concern that the hard-line group may be recruiting and raising money from the Somali community in the U.K. (WSJ)

Terrorists using econo-jihad to paralyze Western economies
Jerusalem, March 2 (ANI): An expert has said that Jihadist terror organizations have set economic terrorism as their new target, intending to harm and paralyze Western economies, the United Sates in particular. The claim was made by Professor Gabriel Weimann, expert researcher of terrorism over the Internet at the University of Haifa in Israel. Prof. Weimann monitored websites hosted by terrorist and terrorism-supporting organizations. "For the Jihadists, the present economic crisis signifies an ideal opportunity and platform to leverage a economic terrorist campaign," he said. In the course of a study that was carried out over a number of years, Prof. Weimann surveyed public and encoded websites run by Islamic terrorist organizations, forums, video clips, and radically all the information related to Islamic Jihad terrorism that is flowing through the network. According to Prof. Weimann, the focus on economic terrorism was set in motion with the September 11 attack on the Twin Towers, when Osama bin Laden stated on the video tapes that he sent out that these attacks mostly damaged the United States' economic base and that these attacks, which cost 500,000 dollars to carry out, cost the US 500 billion dollars. (Oneindia.in)

Britain now centre for Hamas support-Martin Bright
The full extent of the Hamas political and propaganda operation in Britain has been revealed in a shocking new report into the Palestinian terror organisation's supporters in this country. According to the Jerusalem-based Intelligence and Terrorism Information Centre, Britain has become a hub for Hamas activities in Europe, including virulently antisemitic propaganda aimed at children. The report identifies Britain as a vital strategic centre for the terror group and names key Hamas activists in this country. Many of them cannot be named for legal reasons. Britain as a Focus for Hamas's Political Propaganda and Legal Activities in Europe warns that this country's tradition of toleration has allowed supporters of the Palestinian terrorist organisation to develop a sophisticated activist and media operation. The report also accuses Hamas of involvement in the legal moves to arrest Israeli opposition leader Tzipi Livni as a war criminal. (Jewishchronicle)

How the Islamist Mindset Rationalizes — and Promotes — ‘Sex Sins’-Raymond Ibrahim
Is it inconsistent for Muslim “holy warriors” to engage in voyeuristic acts of lasciviousness? Because would-be jihadists and martyrs have been known to frequent strip bars — such as the 9/11 hijackers and Major Nidal Hasan [1], whose “late-night jiggle-joint carousing stands at odds with the picture of a devout Muslim” — many Americans have concluded that such men cannot be “true” Muslims, leading to the ubiquitous conviction that they are “hijacking Islam.” In fact, Islamists rely on several rationalizations — doctrines, even — that make “jiggle-joint carousing” consistent with Muslim piety. Considering that Islamic law permits sex slaves (Koran 4:3), who can be kept topless [2] by their masters, and makes sex one of the highest paradisiacal rewards, this should come as no great surprise. However, to elaborate: First, the doctrine of taqiyya allows Muslims residing among infidels to deceive the latter by, among other things, behaving like infidels, e.g., frequenting strip bars: “Taqiyya [3] [deception], even if committed without duress, does not lead to a state of infidelity — even if it leads to sin deserving of hellfire.” (Pajamasmedia)

KSM Deserves Military Justice-Victoria Toensing
Ronald Reagan's policy of trying terrorists in civilian courts is not applicable post 9/11.
In the 1980s, the Reagan administration established a policy for trying terrorists in civilian courts. Why did it do so? And why shouldn't we try alleged September 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Christmas Day bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab in these courts? I was the official responsible for creating the Justice Department's terrorism unit in 1985. I know the basis for its policy of trying terrorists in federal courts—and why it is no longer applicable. In the 1970s and early 1980s, terrorists were targeting Americans abroad, but the United States could not prosecute them because our courts did not have jurisdiction over acts committed outside of our borders. Countries that had jurisdiction either refused to prosecute or, after a conviction, allowed the terrorists to escape. (Recall U.S. Ambassador to Sudan Cleo A. Noel Jr., who was murdered by eight Black September terrorists in 1973, three of whom disappeared from an Egyptian prison.) Thus, the Reagan policy was borne of the need to establish international prosecution of terrorism. In December 1984, Congress passed legislation giving our courts jurisdiction over certain terrorists acts committed outside our borders. (WSJ)

Political Correctness is Jihad against our military- Dr. Laurie Roth
Since 9/11 we have seen a war unfold on two major fronts in Afghanistan and Iraq. The stakes have been and still are high with Islamic fundamentalist killers who hide behind all kinds of names, seeking to kill the infidels….you and moi. It is a stupid waste of time to talk only about Al Qaeda since the mother alien has many murderous body parts such as Hamas, Hezbollah, Al Kae Da, Taliban and many more peppered through out the world. The common bond is nothing but their devotion to radical Islam. They think they are doing the will of Allah. By now most of us understand our enemy, especially those who flew in the plane over Detroit on Christmas. It wasn’t a Scottish Highlander who tried to blow up the plane. What most of us don’t seem to understand, including our own military criminal investigators, President and congress is that our troops are innocent until proven guilty. Today I interviewed Neal Pucket, the military attorney who has defended a ton of our noble troops against what I call Jihad of political correctness against them. I met Neal when he was representing Lt. Col. Allen B. West, when he was representing him against charges that could have sent him to prison for threatening a known terrorist in Iraq to give him information as to where snipers were hiding so his men wouldn’t be killed. (Canadafreepress)

GLOBAL GOVERNANCE AND RADICAL ENVIRONMENTALISM

Prof Phil Jones, climate scientist, admits sending ‘awful’ e-mails-
Ben Webster, Environment Editor
The integrity of climate change research is in doubt after the disclosure of e-mails that attempt to suppress data, a leading scientific institute has said. The Institute of Physics said that e-mails sent by Professor Phil Jones, head of the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia, had broken “honourable scientific traditions” about disclosing raw data and methods and allowing them to be checked by critics. Professor Jones admitted to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee yesterday that he had “written some very awful e-mails”, including one in which he rejected a request for information on the ground that the person receiving it might criticise his work. In a written submission to the committee, the institute said that, assuming the e-mails were genuine, “worrying implications arise for the integrity of scientific research in this field and for the credibility of the scientific method as practised in this context”. The e-mails contained “prima facie evidence of determined and co-ordinated refusals to comply with honourable scientific traditions and freedom of information law”, it added. (Timesonline.co.uk)

The Brewing Tempest Over Wind Power-Robert Bryce
People living near turbines increasingly report sleep deprivation, headaches and vertigo. The wind lobby says there's no proof.
Imagine this scenario: The oil and gas industry launches an aggressive global drilling program with a new type of well. Thousands of these new wells, once operational, emit a noxious odor so offensive that many of the people living within a mile of them are kept awake at night. Some are even forced to move out of their homes. It's easy to predict the reaction: denunciations of the industry, countless lawsuits, and congressional investigations. Now substitute wind for oil and gas and consider the noise complaints being lodged against wind projects around the world. The Obama administration has made the increased use of wind power to generate electricity a top priority. In 2009 alone, U.S. wind generation capacity increased by 39%. But more wind power means more giant turbines closer to more people. And if current trends continue, that spells trouble. In 2007, a phalanx of wind turbines were built around Charlie Porter's property in rural northern Missouri. Soon, Mr. Porter began to have trouble sleeping. So did his wife and daughter. The noise, he told me, made sleeping almost impossible. "We tried everything—earplugs, leaving the TV station on all night." Nothing worked. Late last year he moved his family off their 20-acre farm. (WSJ)

SCIENCE, SOCIETY AND CULTURE

TAU scientist seeks to use scorpion venom as a painkiller- JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
TAU researchers suggest venom could be used to replace opiate-derived painkillers such as morphine.
Scorpions are feared not only for their threatening appearance but also because of their highly toxic venom. Yet Tel Aviv University researchers now suggest that this venom could be used to replace opiate-derived painkillers such as morphine, which can be addictive and dangerous. Plant science Prof. Michael Gurevitz is looking into developing a novel painkiller based on natural compounds found in scorpion venom. As these peptide compounds have evolved over millions of years, some of them show high efficacy and specificity for certain components of the body with no side effects, says Gurevitz. The toxins found in scorpion venom interact with sodium channels in the nervous and muscular systems, and some of these sodium channels communicate pain, says Gurevitz. “The mammalian body has nine different sodium channels, and only a certain subtype delivers pain to the brain. (Jpost)

Instead of facing reality, many young British Muslims take refuge in delusion and self-pity-Douglas Murray
I debated Tariq Ramadan last night in London for Intelligence Squared, the British Council and the BBC. I’ll link to the video here once the BBC put it out. The motion was “Europe is failing its Muslims”. I argued of course that it was not Europe that was failing its Muslims, but Islam that was failing Europe, indeed Islam that is failing Muslims. Ramadan was seconded by the former Dutch diplomat Petra Stienen. I was seconded by Flemming Rose, the Danish Jyllands-Posten editor who commissioned the famous Danish cartoons. The fact that Flemming was my number two wasn’t publicised in the run-up to the debate because of the security threat around him. Just last October two men were arrested in Chicago for another alleged plot to murder him. And on the first day of this year an axe-wielding Somali Muslim broke into one of the cartoonist’s houses and attempted to decapitate him. So there were more police than usual and Flemming and I had more burly security men than we usually would for a discussion. In a way this proved a lot of the argument that Flemming and I were making. I’ve been told not to pre-empt the results until the BBC screens the debate. (Telegraph.co.uk)

The eternal wonder of Alice in Wonderland
Spirited and suspicious of authority, Lewis Carroll's greatest creation has much to teach us today, says Philip Hensher.
A middle-class child, even one born in the 1960s, had one thing drilled into him or her. When a grown-up was good enough to entertain you as a guest, you produced a ritual phrase when you left: "Thank-you-for-having-me-I've-had-a-lovely-time." Possibly the same phrase survives, even now, among old-hat tendencies of parenthood. So imagine the delight for a child when he read, in a book published 100 years before he was born, a seven-year-old heroine's thoughts on leaving a tea-party. "At any rate I'll never go there again. It's the stupidest tea-party I ever was at in all my life." The hosts – a Mad Hatter, a March Hare and a Dormouse – behave abominably, first offering their seven-year-old guest wine, and then telling her there isn't any. "Then it wasn't very civil of you to offer it," Alice says, before an argument breaks out about who has behaved worse. Even as a child, one could see that social encounters had rules, and that these were being joyously broken on every side. (Telegraph.co.uk)

Iron-Horse Stampede-Mark Lewis
The rise and fall and possible resurgence of the railroad
When Warren Buffett announced last fall that Berkshire Hathaway would buy the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, some kibitzers wondered what he saw in a business based on 19th-century technologies. The answer, for those who care to look, can be found in Christian Wolmar's "Blood, Iron and Gold." Mr. Buffett is communing with the ghost of James J. Hill, the one-eyed visionary who established the Great Northern Railway in 1889. Many years and many mergers later, it remains the ancestral corporate heart of the Burlington Northern. Hill's story is part of the epic romance of the railroads, skillfully recounted by Mr. Wolmar. The railroad was born in Britain in the early 1800s as a means of transporting coal from mines to market. But proprietors of the early railways, such as the Liverpool & Manchester in Britain and the Baltimore & Ohio in the U.S., quickly discovered that people could also be profitably transported over great distances. The result was a revolution. "It is almost impossible to exaggerate the profound impact of the railways," Mr. Wolmar writes. "They transformed the agricultural economies, which had prevailed since mankind emerged from the caves, into the industrial age." (WSJ)

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