Navy SEALs Face Charges for Allegedly Giving Terrorist Fat Lip

Hat Tip: Carlos Echevarria

Those who orchestrated the attacks on the World Trade Center are now entitled to due process afforded in a civilian criminal justice system. Yet three brave Navy SEALs who apprehended a terrorist are courting controversy for allegedly giving him a fat lip.

Here are some details, courtesy of Fox News:

Navy SEALs have secretly captured one of the most wanted terrorists in Iraq — the alleged mastermind of the murder and mutilation of four Blackwater USA security guards in Fallujah in 2004. And three of the SEALs who captured him are now facing criminal charges, sources told FoxNews.com.

The three, all members of the Navy's elite commando unit, have refused non-judicial punishment — called an admiral's mast — and have requested a trial by court-martial.

Ahmed Hashim Abed, whom the military code-named "Objective Amber," told investigators he was punched by his captors — and he had the bloody lip to prove it.

Now, instead of being lauded for bringing to justice a high-value target, three of the SEAL commandos, all enlisted, face assault charges and have retained lawyers.

If found guilty the Navy SEALs could lose or forfeit some pay and/or will be sentenced to mild confinement. As for the U.S. being held to a higher standard, fighting wars against brutal religious lunatics is incredibly complex and our military often fights with their hands tied behind their backs. Those fanatics, who lynched and burned contractors, are not decent people who should be treated with kid gloves. I can imagine that it is very difficult for those in the military to operate when they have to put their own lives at risk and treat enemies with undeserved respect.

Also See:
- Family Member Upset With Obama Over Dropped Charges Against USS Cole Terrorist
- Four Guantanamo prisoners handed over to Iraq

The Jew from Kuwait

Hat Tip: Ra'anan; Sergio

A Kuwaiti citizen learned of his maternal grandmother's Jewish faith, ultimately leading him to question his perception of Israel and Jewish people. Mark Halawa's story is fascinating and demonstrates a fierce will to bring together Middle Eastern people by refuting preconceived ideas which are largely a product of indoctrination. Despite a clear shared history and culture, there seems to be no end in sight to hatred and unnecessary conflict.

To me, it is neither shocking or strange that there are Jews from Kuwait. My family, who are also from the Middle East, know plenty of Jews from the Gulf. It is very interesting, however, to read a story from a man who grew up in a Muslim family and was able to form his own ideas regarding Israel and the rest of the Middle East. His hopeful tone is also inspirational.

Here is an excerpt of Halawa's story, published today, courtesy of aish.com:

....I still keep in close contact with my family and old friends. They’re wonderful people and I love them very much. Yet it’s hard to relate to them on many levels. In the Arab world there are tons of misconceptions and misinformation regarding Israel. So I am working to develop a program to educate Arabs about Jews and Judaism, to dissolve the stereotypes propagated by the Muslim media and schools. I hope that my unique background can help bridge some of that divide.

Another way I hope to achieve this is to help establish economic relations between Israel and Arab countries. That would create trust and shared experience, which could be directed toward the goal of a genuine and lasting peace.

Another issue I’m trying to address is how the Arab world is filled with Holocaust denial. This past summer I went to Auschwitz, and I am working to produce the first-ever Arabic documentary about the Holocaust. I want to explain to Muslims in their own language exactly what happened.

It often seems like the Arab-Israeli conflict is intractable. Yet I believe in today’s world, there is a real opportunity for a breakthrough. Arabs today have a more universal education, which makes them more open and curious. Also they are meeting Israelis and Jews in their travels around the world, which breaks down misconceptions. And as we saw during the recent protests in Iran, many young people in the Muslim world are yearning for reform. On top of all this, they have high-speed Internet access which opens up all kinds of new avenues of communication, and the possibility of forming new friendships unrestricted by borders or political agendas. Perhaps this can be the basis of a grassroots movement to mend relations and hopefully one day achieve peace.

The other issue that needs urgent attention is intermarriage in Israel. Unfortunately, a story like my grandmother's is not so rare. Many young Jewish women are wooed by Arab men and brought back to live in their villages. The children and grandchildren are never told the truth, especially with political tensions and the emotional unrest this would cause a family. As a result, many Jews are lost to our people. My mother has five sisters, and from there I have a few dozen cousins who are all Jewish -- all living as Muslims in the Middle East. I recently met a seventh-generation Israeli, whose cousin married a Palestinian and went to live in Saudi Arabia; her descendents are Jews living in Saudi Arabia.

All my relatives know that I’m practicing Judaism, and for the most part they’re accepting. I can talk to them about Judaism and they’re politely interested. We love and respect each other. My father is resistant, however, given that secularism and war against Israel are the two ideological pillars of his life. When I first became interested in Judaism, I didn’t tell him straight out. We were having a political discussion and I mentioned that I support the State of Israel. That ignited a big clash and I’ve learned to only discuss these matters with him in an indirect way. I always know when I’ve crossed the line; he gets angry and calls me a “Zionist.”

The other big exception -- not surprisingly -- is my grandmother. I’ve asked her a number of times for more information about her family background, but she refuses to talk about it. Maybe one day I will find the key to opening her up.

Growing up, I was taught that Jews were the source of all evil, descended from monkeys and pigs. On the other hand, I had the image of my grandmother holding her small prayer book with the Hebrew letters, praying with tender devotion. She is the sweetest person I know and there's no way she came from a bloodthirsty gang of murderers. She gave me a Jewish soul, and in her own way, it was she who kept my Jewish spark alive.

Click here to read the full story.

Also See:
- The Silent Exodus of Jewish Refugees
- 1,000,000 Middle Eastern Jews
- The Persecution of Jews in Syria
- The Persecution of Jews in Iraq

Iranian-Canadian Filmmaker and Journalist Recalls Iran Imprisonment

Hat Tip: Ben

An Iranian-Canadian filmmaker and Newsweek reporter, Maziar Bahari, was imprisoned by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard for 118 days this year. This brave man is now speaking out about Iranian protests and the theocratic regime.

Here is a brief excerpt from CBS News about Bahari's will to document Iranian protests and his subsequent imprisonment:

Peaceful demonstrations turned into riots when paramilitary members of the Revolutionary Guard, called the Basij, came on motorcycles, wielding rifles and batons. They laid into the crowd.

Journalists were banned from being anywhere near the demonstrations, so people stole images with cell phones and beamed them to the rest of the world. It was to become the "YouTube revolution."

"The violence. You'd never seen anything like that?" Simon asked Bahari.

"Never," he replied. "I always had a very scary image of the Revolutionary Guards in my head but I didn't know how far they could go."

Bahari took the risk of shooting some pictures, which more than anything else would later get him into trouble with the regime. He filmed a group of demonstrators attacking a base of the Basij, that paramilitary branch of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard.

The protestors were throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails. "Basically they want to take over the Basij base," Bahari explained.

"This isn't a demonstration. It's a riot," Simon remarked, looking at video of the crowds. "And the demonstrators just keep on going."

"That's it," Bahari said.

According to Bahari the Basij, armed with rifles, started firing, shooting down a man who had climbed on a fence.

The man was killed. In all, Bahari said five people were killed during this uprising at the base.

Days later, he watched as Iran's most powerful man, Ayatollah Khamenei, accused the foreign media of fomenting the unrest. The supreme leader warned the demonstrators that if they continued protesting they would be crushed....

Read the full report here. Watch Bahari's interview with CBS here.

Related Posts:
- Iran reportedly kills seven lawyers
- Iran Murders Twenty People on Saturday Morning
- Ahmadinejad Condemns Obama; Snipers Continue Murdering Protesters
- Neda Agha-Soltan: The Face of Iranian Protests

Also See:
- New Footage Shows Iran's Financing and Support of Hamas and Hezbollah
- Israeli Navy Intercepts 500 Tons of Hezbollah-Bound Iranian Arms

Kassam Hits Negev Region in Israel

Many Israeli politicians have failed to recognize that it is impossible to trust the word of a terrorist faction. Or perhaps, even worse, Israeli politicians are content that it's only a few rockets landing in backyards of residents in southern Israel with only an occasional physical injury or death.

Much of the media, including in Israel, have reported that this latest attack on Monday evening comes despite Hamas assurances for a ceasefire.

After Israel's withdrawal from Gaza following Operation Cast Lead earlier this year, there were similar talks of a ceasefire. This is merely the latest in Palestinian "ceasefire" fire.

From Y-Net News:

A Qassam rocket landed in Israel's Negev region Monday evening, about 48 hours after Hamas declared that terror groups in Gaza had reached an agreement to halt rocket attacks on Israel.

The rocket landed in an open area near a kibbutz located within Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council limits, but caused no injury or damage.

At around 6:50 pm the "Color Red" alert sounded in Israeli communities located near the Gaza Strip. Locals reported hearing a massive explosion.

"I did not think (the Hamas declaration) marked the end of the story," said Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council head Alon Schuster. "Israel is satisfied with the fact that (the rocket attacks) have not resulted in a major disaster, and in the meantime the government is continuing to deal with Gilad Shalit's release and maybe we'll bomb another (weapons smuggling) tunnel in Gaza....

Read the full report here.

Also See:
- Naomi Watts & Liev Schreiber Give An Exclusive Tour JNF's Secure Indoor Recreation Center in Sderot
- JNF's Sderot Indoor Recreation Center Opens In Israel
- Colonel Richard Kemp's Address to the United Nations

Lakers Legend Has Leukemia, Speaks Out to Shed Light On Disease

"I heard the word 'leukemia,' and I thought this was definitely a death sentence." -Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to ABC News

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is arguably one of the finest basketball players of our time. He is known for his unstoppable offense and highly dominant defense abilities. The 62-year-old former basketball player was recently diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia and is now receiving necessary treatment to treat this formidable disease. Cancer, in general, is a frightening disease. My own paternal grandfather died at a relatively young age following his diagnoses with leukemia. It is a terrible thing to witness a person who is initially so strong or young deteriorate. Medical science is getting better, and this basketball legend hopes that talking about his illness will help to shed light on this disease.

From the Los Angeles Times:

.... Abdul-Jabbar said he is being treated with a medicine that specifically targets the abnormal protein that causes leukemia. "I responded well to the treatment," he said. "I just want that to continue to keep happening."

Abdul-Jabbar said he wasn't feeling particularly ill last year, but was having frequent hot flashes and was sweating constantly. He said his doctor told him to get some blood tests.

"By having the hot flashes, I knew something was up. But I didn't think that it was going to be something as serious as leukemia," Abdul-Jabbar said.

Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, played 20 pro seasons, 14 with the Lakers, and retired after the 1988-89 season.

He was known throughout his career as a player who took his health seriously; he was one of the first pro athletes to take up yoga.

"If it wasn't for my health-consciousness, I would have just passed on the effects [of the leukemia symptoms] as something I could ignore," Abdul-Jabbar said. "But I felt it didn't make sense to ignore it."

His family has a history of cancer, Abdul-Jabbar said. A grandfather and an uncle died of colon cancer. "So I have the gene for that," he said. "Cancer is a scary thing and you have to deal with it seriously."

Abdul-Jabbar, a special assistant coach with the Lakers, said his condition won't affect his work with the team; he said he plans to fly back to Los Angeles on Friday. There have been reports that he could be offered a consulting job with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Abdul-Jabbar said he spoke out about his disease because he wants to shed light on leukemia. More information about the condition is available on his Facebook page, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Patient Advocate, including links to websites providing details about the condition.

"The fact that you can manage the disease means that you can live your life," Abdul-Jabbar said. "The fact that you have to go and get your blood analyzed and consult with your doctor might be a minor inconvenience, or you have to take your medication every day. But if you do these things, you can lead a normal live."

You can follow Kareem's updates on his new Facebook page.

Females in the Israeli Air Force

I'm impressed with IDF soldiers whether they are men or women. However, it is always nice to see female soldiers attain great success in their military careers. From the Jerusalem Post:

The IAF's Air Defense Division is known for its high proportion of female soldiers, but last week one of its units made history with the appointment of a fourth female battery commander, giving it the title of the "most female battalion in the IDF."

The battalion is made up of four Patriot and Hawk missile batteries. Until last week, three of them were commanded by women. Last Thursday, command over the fourth battery was handed over to a female officer as well.

"This is a good feeling," said Capt. Revital Uzon, commander of a Hawk missile battery in the battalion. "In the beginning we laughed about it, but ultimately there is no difference if the battery commanders are male or female."

Israel first received the Hawk surface-to-air missile from the United States in 1965. The missile was used extensively during the Yom Kippur War in 1973. The battalion also operates Patriot Missiles and played a key role during Juniper Cobra, the joint missile defense exercise held last month with the United States.

Uzon, 23, enlisted into the Air Defense Division at 18 and volunteered for three years - as opposed to the mandatory two years - as required for women who wish to serve in combat positions. She later went to Officer Training School and spent a year as an instructor at the Air Defense Division Training Base south of Beersheba.

"I decided to sign on for more service since I felt that this was the best way to serve my country and influence what happens here," she said. "It is a lot of responsibility, but we are ready and train for what we do every day."

Col. Yariv Shnapp, commander of the training school, said that the IAF gained from the appointment of additional female commanders. He predicted that within five years, the first female officer would command an air defense battalion.

"The IAF believes that male and female soldiers can do everything and what really matters is motivation and the willingness to contribute," Shnapp said.

While women made up only a third of new recruits in the Air Defense Division, they currently fill 50 percent of the command posts in the battalions, he said.

Also See:
- Thank Israeli Soldiers

Alabina: Vengan, Vengan (Ya Habaybi, Ya Ghaybine)

"Ya Habaybi, Ya Ghaybine" is my favorite Farid al-Atrash song. Al-Atrash is a very famous Druze singer who is often considered to be the best Arabic singer in the last century.



Esther "Eti" Zach (aka Ishtar) does an amazing cover for this classic song on her 1998 "Sahara" record. There are Spanish influences in this song as Ishtar is singing with Los Ninos de Sara, a Gypsy band. Together, they are known as the world music group Alabina. Zach, who was born in Israel, has strong roots to the Middle East due to her Mizrahi (Middle-Eastern) Jewish parents. Ishtar performs in Arabic, Hebrew, French, Spanish, and English.

Also See:
- Ishtar feat. Los Ninos de Sara: Yalla Beena Yalla

Mexican-American Surgeon Shows How American Dream Still Lives

Hat Tip: Stuart

The following story of Dr. Alfredo Quinones is inspiring. This individual, as a young man, immigrated illegally to America due to poverty back home. He demonstrated a fierce work-ethic and has become a proud American citizen.

Quinones defied all odds. He worked hard to put himself through Harvard Medical School and graduated at the top of his class.

Israeli Organization Restores Sight for Hundreds in Developing Nations

Hat Tip: Gary Nash

Israeli volunteers from an organization called "Eye from Zion" have been restoring the sight of patients from developing nations. The project is aimed to aid those who lack access to proper medical treatment.

Here's the story from Israel21C:

"At first, I thought I'd die." That's what an ex-Mossad (Israel's Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations) chief said about his first "operation." Yoram Hessel, now the director of Eye from Zion, wasn't talking about a secret operation for the Israel government. He was referring to sight-restoring cataract surgery that he had witnessed firsthand.

After observing about 50 cataract operations in countries such as Vietnam, China and the Muslim country of Azerbaijan, Hessel, now an international businessman with his consultancy Vintage Crown is overflowing with enthusiasm about how a relatively straightforward operation can change peoples' lives. In addition to his career in business, Hessel donates his time to Eye from Zion to restore sight to people in developing countries.

He's seen cataracts the size of buttons removed from people's eyes. "It's amazing what you get out of the eye, what they take out," he tells ISRAEL21c.

Eye from Zion grew out of the vision of Israeli businessman Nati Marcus. Since its founding about three years ago, it has grown into a core group comprising five or six influential Israelis like Hessel. With their help, through missions undertaken by dozens of Israeli doctors who donate their time and expertise, Eye from Zion has restored sight to hundreds of people.

With an industry standard tool called a Phaco machine, the Israeli eye doctors use sound waves to blast out a cataract, breaking it into pieces and then sucking it out. Most of the patients who arrive at the mobile clinic are nearly or completely blind in both eyes....

Read the entire Israel21C report here.

Also See:
- Ethiopian Jews assisting victims of Rwandan genocide
- Kibbutz Solar Farm will ‘Help Fight Terror’
- Major Electric Car Agreement Signed by 19 Israeli Companies
- Shai Agassi: Revolutionizing the Electric Car in Israel

Peace Talks Must Include Mizrahi Refugee Demands

Hat Tip: Gary Nash

The following is good news. However, I am skeptical that anything will ever be done to address the plight of up to 1,000,000 Middle Eastern (Mizrahi) Jews who were compelled to leave their homes. My family were among them and would not have left their native lands if not for the discriminatory laws and pogroms under Arab Nationalistic leadership.

Nonetheless, it is increasingly important to address this widely neglected issue. It is the memory of my grandparents, who lost everything, including many of their family members, that personally motivates me.

From Arutz 7:

The Knesset has passed an initial reading of a proposal, stipulating that negotiations on Arab refugees must include demands for compensation of Jewish refugees from Arab countries.

Hundreds of thousands of Jews from Arab countries made Aliyah [immigration] to Israel in its early years, after being banished and forced to leave behind property and asset worth billions of dollars. A legislative proposal on the issue by Knesset Member Nissim Zev (Shas) passed its preliminary Knesset reading on Sunday.

The bill stipulates that in any negotiations with the Palestinian Authority on the rights of Arabs who left Israel in 1948, the government of Israel would be required to present its own demands for reparations for the Jews of Arab countries.

Echoing a Congressional Resolution
MK Zev says his proposal is anchored in both a United Nations resolution and the U.S. Congress. “The Jews from Arab countries are defined as refugees by the United Nations,” he emphasized. “It’s not something we made up, but rather a U.N. definition. In addition, the American Congress itself resolved, in 2008, that the rights of these Jewish refugees must be recognized in the course of the negotiations.”

The resolution, passed by the House of Representatives in April 2008, recognized Jewish refugees from Arab countries who were forced to flee their homes in the aftermath of the creation of the State of Israel. It requires U.S. officials involved in any Middle East peace negotiations that deal with the Arab refugees to "also include a similarly explicit reference to the resolution of the issue of Jewish refugees from Arab countries."

More Jewish Refugees than Arabs
One Congressional co-sponsor said at the time that “it’s not just the Arabs and Palestinians in the Middle East, but also Jewish people who themselves were dispossessed of their possessions and their homes, and were victims of terrorist acts.” Another said there were more Jewish refugees than Palestinian refugees, and “their forced exile from Arab lands must not be omitted from public discussion on the peace process."

Read the full report here.

Related Posts:
- The Persecution of Jews in Iraq
- The Persecution of Jews in Syria
- 1,000,000 Middle Eastern Jews

Also See:
- Nazism and Radical Islam
- The Forgotten Refugees
- Recognition for the Silent Jewish Refugees

Happy Veteran's Day!

(Creative Commons)

I would like to wish our troops a Happy Veteran's Day.

Thank you for your service and protecting the freedoms we value so much! Let's remember our troops, both past and present, and all they have done and continue to do for this country.

Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall was erected in order to restrict emigration from East Germany to West Germany. Because East Germany was under the control of the Soviet Union, a Communist society was established. East Germany's economy was dismal and individual freedoms stifled, which caused many people living in the eastern part of the country to want to escape the repressive conditions of East Germany. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 was celebrated around the world. November 9, 2009 marked the 20th anniversary of the destruction of the barrier.

Here is an interesting two part analysis from the Ayn Rand Institute regarding this historical event:

Memorial Service Held at Fort Hood

A memorial service was held today at Fort Hood.

Here is a 9-minute clip from part of the memorial service:


"Here at Fort Hood, we pay tribute to 13 men and women who were not able to escape the horror of war, even in the comfort of home," remarked President Obama. The president, however, seemed to caution against linking the attack at Fort Hood with any religion, stating that no religion condones such behavior.

While the majority of human beings are not likely to condone terrorist attacks, there have been radical Muslims here in the United States that have expressed support and praise for the Fort Hood murderer. To disregard the fact that the Fort Hood shooter allegedly expressed support for Islamic suicide bombers and Islamic jihad is remarkably disingenuous. According to some sources, the shooter attempted to reach out to Al Qaeda and gave a presentation in support of Islamic holy war in front of his colleagues.

It is very unfortunate that Major Nidal Hasan was not investigated at the first signs of trouble, whether his issue was his mental health or his religious/political convictions. However, I am extremely skeptical of claims that this psychiatrist who has never been deployed overseas suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). If that's true, thousands of psychiatrists treating patients today are suffering, because of their patients' experiences, from various forms of trauma and thereby unequipped to treat anyone for mental health issues.

Also See:
- Female Officer Stopped Fort Hood Shooter
- Fort Hood Shooter May Have Exhibited Signs of Radicalism
- Alleged Fort Hood Shooter Frequented Local Strip Club

New Footage Shows Iran's Financing and Support of Hamas and Hezbollah

On November 4, 2009 the Israeli Navy intercepted an Iranian ship near Cyprus, which is 100 miles west of the Israeli coast. The Iranian ship was sailing under an Antiguan flag. The ship was transporting 500 tons of weapons from Iran and intended for the Shi'ite Hezbollah terrorist group in Lebanon.

It is well-known that Iran provides Hezbollah and Hamas with weapons. The Israeli military has released new footage reaffirming Iran's sponsorship of Hezbollah and Hamas.

The following Israeli military footage is from November 4th. It shows the 500 tons of Iranian weapons which were meant for Hezbollah:


It is also well-documented that Iran has financed Hamas. The following footage from January 2002 shows an Iranian shipment of weapons which was bound for Gaza:


Also See:
- Israeli Navy Intercepts 500 Tons of Hezbollah-Bound Iranian Arms
- Hezbollah stockpiles 40,000 rockets near Israel border
- Weapons Cache Discovered by IDF Forces in Nablus on June 3, 2009

Female Officer Stopped Fort Hood Shooter

Sergeant Kimberly Munley, a female civilian police officer, acted quickly to stop the Fort Hood shooter from harming any more people. Sgt. Munley is has been referred to as a quick-thinking officer and a hero (and rightfully so). Munley was struck in both thighs and her wrist. The woman's father told local news that his daughter is "tough" and that she "will pull through this."

From the Washington Post:

Sgt. Kimberly Munley, a civilian police officer, was outside directing traffic Thursday when the killing began.

Inside the soldier readiness facility on this Army post, Maj. Nidal M. Hasan, an Army psychiatrist unhappy about his upcoming deployment to Afghanistan, opened fire with two pistols, one of them semiautomatic, officials said. The gunfire was continuous, methodical and well-aimed. Unarmed soldiers scattered or dropped to the floor.

He shouted "Allahu Akhbar!" -- "God is great" in Arabic -- and emptied as many as six magazines during the rampage, according to Lt. Gen. Robert Cone and other Army officials.

Munley, 34 years old and trained in tactics developed in the wake of the Columbine massacre, raced toward the gunfire. She arrived at 1:27 p.m., about four minutes after the first 911 call, as Hasan was fleeing the building, according to official accounts.

Munley rounded a corner and fired twice at Hasan. He fired back and charged at her, according to the accounts. Munley dropped to the ground in a protective position and began firing back.

At some point, Hasan began to fumble with his gun. "He's reloading," someone screamed, according to an officer on the scene.

In the exchange, Munley was struck in both thighs and one wrist. Hasan was shot four times, including at least once in the torso.

Hasan, 39, is hospitalized and remained on a ventilator Friday. He is suspected of acting alone in a rampage that killed 13 people and wounded at least 30 others....

Read the full, detailed report here.

I hope that all those who were wounded in yesterday's attack make a quick, full recovery.

Why they love to hate us: Hating on the Jews

Hat Tip: Gabriel Koshinsky

A friend and reader published an article regarding the reasons for antisemitism over at The Chimes, Capital University's official school paper.

The article, written by Gabriel Koshinsky, makes reference to the fact that Jews, a tiny minority of the world's population, are commonly thought to maintain an enormous control. Here is an excerpt from the article:

Anti-Semitism and Jew-hating goes back thousands of years. We have been the root of stereotyping and the chosen scapegoats of numerous societies from ancient Greece to our modern day world. I will leave the facts to themselves, but my basis for writing this column is to answer why anti-Semites love to hate us.

During the Medieval Ages we were accused of being the anti-Christ, and creating the plague. On top of this we were accused of being covetous business merchants which led to the Spanish Inquisition. We were scapegoats during the gradual demise of the Czar. In 1905, Jews were labeled Communists by the Romanov regime. During this time the Elders of the Protocols of Zion was published by the Russian Secret Police to undermine the Bolsheviks. It claimed Jews were making plans to takeover the world. In 1933, Jews were accused of bankrupting Germany and ripping off the German working man.

Now in the Middle East, we are the center of attention. Our enemies use anti-Zionism as a word shift but clearly echo the same fallacies of our conspiracy for world domination and lobbying tactics. Palestinians have been bought into the notion in order to distract themselves of the mass corruption among their leaders, just as peasants were incited to start the pogroms in reaction to famines.

Like it or not, Jews are the people tyrants, racists, and institutions that sought to gain or take away power. Somehow they believe 2 percent of the Jewish population in the United States and even less in other nations control the strings of society. What's tragic is that while Islamic Extremists have spouted off claims of blood libel, and Jewish attempts for world domination, they have done so at the expense of any possible peace agreement....

Read the full article here.

Also See:
- The Pipeline of Hatred: Islamic Anti-Semitism and Anti-Israelism
- Age old anti-Semitic stereotypes alive in Europe

Unemployment in the U.S. Over 10 Percent

Ten percent is the highest unemployment rate America has had in more than two decades. However, the actual number of individuals who are unemployed is likely to be much higher considering that some people are either not eligible for unemployment benefits or are not certified to work in the U.S.

President Obama (and President Bush) signed bailout plans which have not alleviated any of the country's fiscal problems. The current plans are reminiscent of President Roosevelt's arbitrary New Deal which created many fiscal failures. Excessive borrowing will also eventually yield unwanted results when future generations will have to pay back staggering sums of money.

From Fox News:

Just hours after the government announced that the jobless rate topped 10 percent for the time since 1983, President Obama signed new legislation to provide additional unemployment benefits to Americans thrown out of work.

At a news briefing in the White House Rose Garden on Friday, Obama said the sobering national unemployment numbers are regretful, and pledged to work hard to restore the struggling economy.

Nearly 16 million people are unemployed and the economy shed a net total of 190,000 jobs in October -- less than the downwardly revised 219,000 lost in September -- the Labor Department said Friday. August job losses were also revised lower, to 154,000 from 201,000....

Read the full report here.

Also See:
- "Cash for Clunkers" Likely Cost Americans $24,000 Per Car

Fort Hood Shooter May Have Exhibited Signs of Radicalism

Update (November 6, 2009, 10:10AM): Someone claiming to be a contributor from salafimanhaj.com left me a comment stating that my article alleges Hasan wrote for their site. My article did not make such a claim anywhere. I have added a couple of words to my initial blog post. To clarify, commenting on a website or a document from a site does not make someone a contributor. I never used the word "contributor" in conjunction with Hasan's name even once, therefore it makes little sense to suggest I was alleging that he contributed to any website. I have not, in any place on this blog, alleged anything about salafimanhaj.com's political or religious stances and have no reason to do so.

Major Nidal Hasan, who murdered 13 of his colleagues on November 5, might have exhibited some signs of radicalism long before the attack at Fort Hood.

Earlier this year Hasan allegedly posted comments online praising suicide bombers. Scribd.com lists the source of the article on which Hasan is said to have posted comments as being from salafimanhaj.com. "If one suicide bomber can kill 100 enemy soldiers because they were caught off guard that would be considered a strategic victory," commented a user named "NidalHasan" on a document entitled "Martyrdom in Islam Versus Suicide Bombing." According to a colleague of the shooter, Hasan has expressed sympathy for the jihadist who murdered two military recruiters in June 2009.

Hasan's comments on the internet sparked the interest of federal law enforcement. However, an official investigation was not opened.

Hasan, who is 39-years-old, was never deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. Therefore arguments that he suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder make very little rational sense. The shooter is the son of Muslim parents from a town near Jerusalem. At first glance he seemed to be a level-headed individual from a good family. However, a very troubling portrait of the shooter is now emerging.

Here are some additional details from Fox News:

WASHINGTON — His name appears on radical Internet postings. A fellow officer says he fought his deployment to Iraq and argued with soldiers who supported U.S. wars. He required counseling as a medical student because of problems with patients.

There are many unknowns about Nidal Malik Hasan, the man authorities say is responsible for the worst mass killing on a U.S. military base. Most of all, his motive.

For six years before reporting for duty at Fort Hood, Texas, in July, the 39-year-old Army major worked at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center pursuing his career in psychiatry, as an intern, a resident and, last year, a fellow in disaster and preventive psychiatry. He received his medical degree from the military's Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., in 2001.

While an intern at Walter Reed, Hasan had some "difficulties" that required counseling and extra supervision, said Dr. Thomas Grieger, who was the training director at the time.

Grieger said privacy laws prevented him from going into details but noted that the problems had to do with Hasan's interactions with patients. He recalled Hasan as a "mostly very quiet" person who never spoke ill of the military or his country.

"He swore an oath of loyalty to the military," Grieger said. "I didn't hear anything contrary to those oaths."

But, more recently, federal agents grew suspicious.

At least six months ago, Hasan came to the attention of law enforcement officials because of Internet postings about suicide bombings and other threats, including posts that equated suicide bombers to soldiers who throw themselves on a grenade to save the lives of their comrades.

They had not determined for certain whether Hasan is the author of the posting, and a formal investigation had not been opened before the shooting, said law enforcement officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss the case.

Read the full Fox report here.

Also See:
- Horrific Shooting at Fort Hood
- Shootings carry echoes of 2003 grenade attack on 101st Airborne
- Fort Hood gunman reportedly shouted 'God is great' during rampage

Horrific Shooting at Fort Hood

ABC News has identified Major Malik Nadal Hasan as the shooter. Brian Ross of ABC identified the gunman as a convert to Islam. Two other soldiers were apprehended and are being questioned. It is unclear, however, whether the incident was a jihadist attack or a random act of violence. Authorities have not yet named a motive for the attack. 12 people were murdered and 31 wounded in the shooting.

Update (11/05/2009, 7:58PM): It turns out that the shooter is still alive despite initial reports that he was shot dead. The two soldiers taken in for questioning were released. A second press conference held at Fort Hood suggests that Hasan is suspected to be the only gunman. Malik Nadal Hasan is not a convert to Islam, but was born Muslim and is an ethnic Middle Easterner who is from Virginia. According to a cousin of the shooter, Hasan is American-born and felt like he was being persecuted due to his Middle Eastern heritage. A colleague of Major Hasan, Major Terry Lee, says that Hasan felt that the U.S. has no business in Iraq and that Hasan was sympathetic to the jihadist who shot down two military recruiters in Arkansas earlier this June. Authorities have not yet indicated Hasan's motive.

Update (11/6/2009, 8:40AM): Another soldier has died from his injuries from yesterday's shootings. That brings the death toll to 13. More information has been released about the shooter.

Here are some details from ABC News about the attack that took place this afternoon:

Twelve people have been killed and 31 wounded in a shooting spree at a Texas military base in a murderous rampage that officials believe was carried out by an Army officer.

The suspected gunman was identified by ABC News as Major Malik Nadal Hasan.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, R-Texas, told Fox News that military sources informed her that the gunman was about to be deployed to Iraq.

The shooter was killed and two other suspects, who are also soldiers, have been apprehended, Lt. Gen. Robert W. Cone said.

The general said there were "eyewitness accounts of more than one shooter," and the others were tracked to an adjacent facility.

Cone called the attack "a terrible tragedy, stunning." He said the community was "absolutely devastated."

President Obama called the Fort Hood shootings a "horrific outburst of violence."

"It is difficult enough to lose" soldiers overseas, but it is "horrifying that they should lose their lives at an Army base in the U.S.," he said.

The president said "my prayers are with the wounded and the families of the fallen."

Read the full report here.

My thoughts are with those impacted by this terrible act. This is a very sad day for Americans.

Israeli Navy Intercepts 500 Tons of Hezbollah-Bound Iranian Arms

The U.S. State Department has referred to Iran as the world’s "most active state sponsor of terrorism." It is a well-known fact that Iran provides Hezbollah and Hamas with weapons. It makes perfect sense considering that both terror groups, in effect, are Iranian proxies which can target Israel from the North and South. On November 4, 2009 the Israeli Navy intercepted an Iranian ship near Cyprus, which is 100 miles west of the Israeli coast. The Iranian ship was sailing under an Antiguan flag.

From Bloomberg:

The Israeli navy intercepted a ship heading for Syria and seized an unprecedented 500-ton haul of weapons from Iran intended for the Shiite Muslim Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, the army said.

“This is the largest cache of smuggled weapons ever to be seized by Israel,” an army spokeswoman, Avital Leibovitz, said in a phone interview today. “The cache includes thousands of rockets as well as hand grenades and mortar shells.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and his Syrian counterpart, Walid Muallem, rejected Israel’s allegations during a joint press conference in Tehran today, Iran’s state-run Press TV reported.

Israel seized the ship 100 miles (160 kilometers) off its Mediterranean coast and discovered 40 containers carrying the weapons, Leibovitz said. The vessel was flying the flag of Antigua and was stopped late yesterday due to “suspicions” about the vessel, she added.

The seizure reflected “a well-known Iranian technique, taking advantage of cargo ships flying different flags in order to smuggle containers loaded with large amounts of highly volatile weaponry to terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah,” the army said in a statement. Israeli officials have accused Iran and Syria previously of supplying weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Islamic Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip....

Read the full report here.

Also See:
- Hezbollah stockpiles 40,000 rockets near Israel border
- Weapons Cache Discovered by IDF Forces in Nablus on June 3, 2009

'Westernized' Woman Hit by Father's Car Dies from Injuries

On Monday NBC in Arizona reported that a young Iraqi-American who was targeted by her father in an apparent "honor killing" died from her injuries.

Noor Almaleki (pictured, left) moved to the United States from Iraq with her family in the mid-1990s. News reports indicate that Noor's father took issue with his daughter, who he perceived as being "too western." Noor Almaleki refused an arranged marriage and lived with her boyfriend (who is also an Iraqi Muslim).

Faleh Almaleki, a barbaric and despicable character, ran over his daughter and the mother of her boyfriend. The mother is expected to survive. Faleh Almalaki fled to London but was denied entry. He has confessed to the crime and is in custody.

From Fox News:

A young Iraqi woman whose father allegedly hit her with his car because she had become too Westernized died from her injuries Monday after lying in a coma for nearly two weeks.

Noor Faleh Almaleki, 20, underwent spinal surgery and had been in a hospital since Oct. 20, when police say her father ran down her and her boyfriend's mother with his Jeep as the women were walking across a parking lot in the west Phoenix suburb of Peoria.

The other woman, Amal Khalaf, is expected to survive.

Faleh Hassan Almaleki, 48, fled after the attack but was arrested Thursday when he arrived at Atlanta's airport, where he was sent from the United Kingdom after authorities denied him entrance.

Peoria police interviewed him and brought him back to Arizona over the weekend, but have declined to release what Almaleki said to them.

At a court hearing over the weekend in Phoenix, county prosecutor Stephanie Low told a judge that Almaleki admitted to committing the crime.

"By his own admission, this was an intentional act and the reason was that his daughter had brought shame on him and his family," Low said. "This was an attempt at an honor killing."

Family members had told police that Almaleki attacked his daughter because he believed she had become too Westernized and was not living according to his traditional Iraqi values.

Almaleki, wearing a jail uniform, said only his name and birth date during the hearing. He has declined requests to be interviewed.

Almaleki had faced charges of aggravated assault, but Peoria police spokesman Mike Tellef said the charges will be upgraded in light of Noor Faleh Almaleki's death.

Police said the Almalekis moved to Peoria from Iraq in the mid-1990s.

Also See:
- Honor murder claims life of mother of six in Jordan
- Women told: 'You have dishonored your family, please kill yourself'
- Prominent Muslim Leader Beheads Wife
- Muslim Leader in NY Beheads Wife, Media Ignores

Mission Rescues Yemen's Jews

Most reports indicate that between 250 to 300 Jews remain in Yemen. Prior to 1948 the Jewish population in Yemen numbered at over 55,000 (in Aden, there were another 8,000). Over the last few months, several families have left their country for Israel due to increased antisemitic violence. About 60 have been secretly transported to the United States according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.

From the Wall Street Journal:

In his new suburban American home, Shaker Yakub, a Yemeni Jew, folded a large scarf in half, wrapped it around his head and tucked in his spiraling side curls. "This is how I passed for a Muslim," said the 59-year-old father of seven, improvising a turban that hid his black skullcap.

The ploy enabled Mr. Yakub and half a dozen members of his family to slip undetected out of their native town of Raida, Yemen, and travel to the capital 50 miles to the south. There, they met U.S. State Department officials conducting a clandestine operation to bring some of Yemen's last remaining Jews to America to escape rising anti-Semitic violence in his country.

In all, about 60 Yemeni Jews have resettled in the U.S. since July; officials say another 100 could still come. There were an estimated 350 in Yemen before the operation began. Some of the remainder may go to Israel and some will stay behind, most in a government enclave.

The secret evacuation of the Yemeni Jews -- considered by historians to be one of the oldest of the Jewish diaspora communities -- is a sign of America's growing concern about this Arabian Peninsula land of 23 million.

The operation followed a year of mounting harassment, and was plotted with Jewish relief groups while Washington was signaling alarm about Yemen. In July, Gen. David Petraeus was dispatched to Yemen to encourage President Ali Abdullah Saleh to be more aggressive against al-Qaeda terrorists in the country....

Read the full Wall Street Journal Report here.

Also See:
- Majority of Yemenite Jews Preparing to Leave Yemen
- 16 Yemenite Jews Arrive in Israel, Flee Persecution
- Welcoming New Jewish Immigrants Home from Yemen to Israel
- Yemeni Jews Fearful
- The Yemenite Jews