Hezbollah, Iran May Get 'Arm' Inside U.N. Security Council

That is what UN is all about.

(FOX News) On Jan. 1, 2010, Hezbollah and its de-facto ruler Iran could have a direct line to the Security Council and gain access to all the confidential information to which Security Council members are privy.

In October the U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly voted for Lebanon to be the Asian bloc's new non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for a 2-year term.

Earlier today the Lebanese Government endorsed Hezbollah's demand allowing it to keep its huge weapons arsenal. In doing so the Lebanese government is able to maintain its shaky unity government in which Hezbollah, a designated terrorist group by the U.S. state department, holds two ministries.

[Walid] Phares says that one needs to look no further than the group that controls the Lebanese foreign ministry: AMAL, the Lebanese Resistance Detachments. The small Shiite party is strongly allied with Hezbollah. It holds influence over Lebanon's foreign policy, which in turn gives Hezbollah enormous influence over what goes on at places like Lebanon’s United Nations Mission.

The consequences of Lebanon's membership on the Security Council will be far-reaching in two important areas says Phares: "It will be more difficult for the council to disarm Hezbollah, and problematic in sanctioning Iran."

Attack of the killer tomatoes

(Somalia) I don't know about you, but I just love going to the pictures, be it watching Doctor Who during the 60s, Abba the movie during the 70s or even the latest blockbuster. I do enjoy visiting the local picture house.

Then came the advent of the VCR, and films we would never dream to see in a million years hit our front rooms. You know, films that are so dire, shooting the cast would do the world a favour. Yes, I am pointing my finger at the 80s straight to VCR 'Attack of the Killer Tomatoes'.

I'm glad to say that recent films haven't been as bad as that last one (I'm currently watching the second series of Star Trek on Blue Ray, and while the special effects may have been dodgy on the original, they have improved them for the Blue Ray).

Anyway, the point of my post is, ever watched a film which you stopped watching after a few minutes?

Well, it seems that feeling came across a member of the Religion of Peace the other day in Somalia, who was so pissed off by a film being shown in a make-shift picture house, he decided to lob a hand grenade inside in which to air his displeasure.

24 injured people later makes me wonder: were they showing a re-run of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes?

Muslim Separatists Claim Responsibility For Russian Train Bombing Which Killed 26 and Wounded Some 100

Chechen rebels claim Russian train bombing.

MOSCOW (AP) — Chechen rebels claimed responsibility Wednesday for last week's Russian train bombing, which killed at least 26 people and injured scores of others, a Web site sympathetic to the militants said.

The claim, posted on the Kavkazcenter.com site, could buttress the suspicions of officials who are tracing the attack to Islamist separatists in Russia's North Caucasus region. It also raises fears of a fresh wave of attacks outside the region after a five-year break — a renewal of violence that would mirror the growing unrest inside the region.

The separatist statement, issued on behalf of Chechen separatist leader Doku Umarov, claimed Friday's bombing of a Moscow-St. Petersburg express train was carried out on his orders.

"We declare that this operation was prepared and carried out ... pursuant to the order of the Emir of Caucasus Emirate," or Umarov, the statement said.

More...

Windows' black screen of death

The news is reporting that the latest calamity to befall Microsoft Windows is the black screen of death, and as of yet, Gates' billion dollar empire hasn't come up with the reason why. Now, lucky for me, I haven't experienced this issue but if you have, you must be pulling your hair out. Here's a fix while reading up on the subject. (I gleaned it from Prevx)

If you have these symptoms you can safely try our free Black Screen Fix. It will fix the most common cause we have seen of this issue. Running the fix program is easy under normal circumstances, simply download with your browser using the link above and run the program. However, if you are trying to do this from the PC which has the black screen it is a bit more tricky. In these circumstances follow the procedure below:


1) Restart your PC

2) Logon and wait for the black screen to appear

3) Make sure your PC should be able to connect to the internet (black screen does not appear to affect this)

4) Press the CTRL, ALT and DEL keys simultaneously

5) When prompted, Click Start Task Manager

6) In Task Manager Click on the Application Tab

7) Next Click New Task

8) Now enter the command:


"C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe" "http://info.prevx.com/download.asp?GRAB=BLACKSCREENFIX"


Note this command assumes that you are using internet explorer as your browser, if not substitute your browser path and file details for those of iexplore.exe or use the Browser option of Task manager to locate it.


9) Click OK and your browser should start up and begin the download process

10) When prompted for the download Click run, the black screen fix program will download and run to automatically fix the issue.

11) Now restart your PC and the black screen problem will hopefully be gone.


I must stress that this tool will not fix all black screen issues. There can be many causes. But if your black screen woes began in the last 2 weeks after a Windows update or after running any security program (including Prevx) to remove malware during this time then this fix will have a high probability of working.

Europeans are beginning to have those "morning after" thoughts about Obama

Searching in Vain for the Obama Magic.

(SPIEGEL) Never before has a speech by President Barack Obama felt as false as his Tuesday address announcing America's new strategy for Afghanistan. It seemed like a campaign speech combined with Bush rhetoric -- and left both dreamers and realists feeling distraught.

One can hardly blame the West Point leadership. The academy commanders did their best to ensure that Commander-in-Chief Barack Obama's speech would be well-received.

Just minutes before the president took the stage inside Eisenhower Hall, the gathered cadets were asked to respond "enthusiastically" to the speech. But it didn't help: The soldiers' reception was cool.

I even noticed that at least two of the cadets were trying hard not to fall asleep during his speech.

One didn't have to be a cadet on Tuesday to feel a bit of nausea upon hearing Obama's speech. It was the least truthful address that he has ever held. He spoke of responsibility, but almost every sentence smelled of party tactics. He demanded sacrifice, but he was unable to say what it was for exactly.

An additional 30,000 US soldiers are to march into Afghanistan -- and then they will march right back out again. America is going to war -- and from there it will continue ahead to peace. It was the speech of a Nobel War Prize laureate.

More...

For comparison, here's how President George W. Bush was received at West Point a year ago:

What a remarkable difference. And nobody asked the cadets to respond "enthusiastically".

Fort Hood Killer Charged With 32 Counts of Attempted Premeditated Murder

Premeditated murder carries the death penalty.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — An Army psychiatrist was charged Wednesday with 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder in the deadly mass shooting at Fort Hood that also injured more than two dozen soldiers and two civilian police officers, military officials said.

Maj. Nidal Hasan already is charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder after the Nov. 5 shooting in a building at the Texas base where soldiers must go before being deployed. Witnesses said he jumped on a desk and shouted the words "Allahu Akbar!" — Arabic for "God is great!" Army officials say he was armed with two pistols, one a semiautomatic capable of firing up to 20 rounds without reloading.

The additional charges come less than 24 hours after Hasan's civilian attorney was notified that the Army planned to evaluate Hasan to test his competency to stand trial as well as his mental state at the time of the shooting.

More...

This kind of bragging is never a good thing

It'll make you look stupid later on. Just ask Saddam.

(NYT) Ahmadinejad also said Israel could not do a "damn thing" to stop the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, which the West suspects is a front to build bombs. Iran says it is enriching uranium only for power plant fuel, not for nuclear warheads.

Turkey: Minister says Muslims should 'empty' Swiss accounts in light of the minaret ban vote

Ankara, 2 Dec. (AKI) - Muslims should consider withdrawing their money from Swiss bank accounts in response to the country's ban on construction of minarets, a Turkish minister said. "I am certain this (vote) will prompt our brothers from Muslim countries who keep their money and investments in Swiss banks to review their decision," said Egemen Bagis, cited by Turkish daily Zaman.

Bagis is the chief negotiator for Turkey's European Union accession as well as minister for European affairs.

More...

And Turkey wants -- even demands -- to be accepted in the EU? After this? LOL!

Video: Apaches Blast Enemy Fighters in Afghanistan

ZABUL PROVINCE, Afghanistan -- Two Apache helicopters from 2nd Battalion, 82nd Aviation Regiment, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, were conducting area reconnaissance and surveillance when they received a call for assistance from a ground element of the 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, also known as Task Force One Fury. The ground element was under attack by indirect fire from insurgents attacking their small Afghan National Army outpost in eastern Zabul Province. The Apaches, on closing in on the ambush site, recognized an Afghan National Army Ranger truck and determined both visually and through communication with the ground force that the trucks were being operated by enemy fighters. Insurgents had mounted anti-aircraft guns in the back of the stolen trucks, and fired on the Apaches. The Apaches destroyed some of the enemy vehicles. The joint ANA and coalition effort resulted in the recovery of two stolen ANA Ranger trucks, the death of nearly 20 enemy fighters and the seizure of roughly 15 motorcycles and a significant amount of weapons including two anti-aircraft systems, various rifles, ammunition and bomb-making material.

Indonesian "activists" want to ban "free sex"

An Indonesian activist holds a banner during a demonstration marking World AIDS Day in Jakarta, Indonesia. (AP Photo)

So, do they want everybody to pay for sex?

Obama's West Point speech: Setting up our military to fail

Ralph Peters dissects the declaration of Obama's set-to-lose Afghanistan strategy.

Just plain nuts: That's the only possible characterization for last night's presidential declaration of surrender in advance of a renewed campaign in Afghanistan.

President Obama will send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan -- but he'll "begin the transfer of our forces out of Afghanistan in July of 2011." Then why send them?

If you're going to tell the Taliban to be patient because we're leaving, what's the point in upping the blood ante? For what will come down to a single year by the time the troops hit the ground?

Does Obama really expect to achieve in one year what we haven't been able to do in more than eight?

Adding to the confusion, Obama qualified his timeline by insisting that "we will execute this transition responsibly, taking into account conditions on the ground."

If conditions of the ground are key, why announce a pullout date?

And what did this "new strategy" come down to, otherwise? More of the same, but more: More troops, more civilians, more partnership.

Well, the troops will go, the civilians won't -- and the partnerships are a fantasy.

Our president is setting up our military to fail -- but he'll be able to claim that he gave the generals what they wanted. Failure will be their fault.

He's covering his strong-on-security flank, even as he plays to our white-flag wavers. His cynicism's worthy of a Saddam.

Obama's right about one thing, though: The Afghans "will ultimately be responsible for their own country." So why undercut them with an arbitrary timeline that doesn't begin to allow adequate time to expand and train sufficient Afghan forces? Does he really believe that young Afghans are going to line up to join the army and police knowing that we plan to abandon them in mid-2011?

Does the 2012 election ring a bell?

What messages did our president's bait-and-switch speech just send?

To our troops: Risk your lives for a mission I've written off.

To our allies: Race you to the exit ramp.

To the Taliban: Allah is merciful, your prayers will soon be answered.

To Afghan leaders: Get your stolen wealth out of the country.

To Pakistan: Renew your Taliban friendships now (and be nice to al Qaeda).

This isn't just stupid: It's immoral. No American president has ever espoused such a worthless, self-absorbed non-strategy for his own political gratification.

On the other hand, the stage lighting and the camera angles at West Point were terrific. Our president looked good. Jaw jutting high (in his "hope" pose), he decried political partisanship -- but spent more time blaming Bush and Iraq for our Afghan problems than he spent blaming the Taliban (check it with a stop-watch).

Nor did Obama miss a single chance to praise himself, insisting that he's already transformed our relationship with the Middle East (please notify the Iranians, al Qaeda, Hezbollah and Hamas) and that all of his dithering demonstrated wisdom.

This guy loves to hear himself talk. The last quarter of the speech was boiler-plate rhetoric that wandered off into the clouds. And that human-rights stuff? Where was that during his visits to China and Saudi Arabia? Hypocrisy, thy name is Barack.

Above all, where was the strategy? And where are the four-star resignations over a policy designed to squander American lives just to give an administration political cover?

After eight years of failure to create effective Afghan security forces and a responsible government, does anyone believe we can do it in 12 to 18 months?

"Target the insurgency"? Does that mean our soldiers will finally be permitted to go after our enemies and kill them? Nope. Those troops are going to "secure population centers." We'll be passive and let the enemy choose where and when to strike.

When fighting insurgents and terrorists, if you're not slamming them up against the wall and breaking their bones, you're losing. Obama isn't sending more troops -- he's sending more targets.

More...

Video: Chris Matthews calls West Point the "Enemy Camp"

After President Obama's speech at West Point about Afghanistan, Chris Matthews calls West Point the "Enemy Camp". Can you believe this shit?

How the Islamic republic of Scotland treats convicted terrorists

(Scotlandistan) When the Scottish National Party released Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi, the convicted Lockberbie bomber, on compassionate grounds in August (they said he only had 3 months to live... 4 months later he's still around), the Scottish government went to extremely great steps in which to ensure that Mohmed Al Megrahi got to the plane safely.

It appears in a nation not known for targeted assassinations, roadside car bombs or even suicide bombings, he was fitted out with a bulletproof vest and driven to the airport in a bomb proof vehicle. It seems the Scottish were worried that somebody may try to top Megrahi, so they took steps in which to protect him.

Yup, in a nation known for the Glasgow kiss as its primary form of attack, the jocks ensured they prostrated themselves just that little bit more in which to placate the Religion of Peace.

The things the Scottish will do for Allah.

Iraq shoe thrower gets the boot

(Paris) Muntazer al-Zaidi became the poster boy for the liberal/Muslim worlds when he threw his shoe at President Bush. Oh how the world loved him and how his family painted him as only a victim.

Anyway, today in the cheese-eating surrender monkey land (France), Muntazer al-Zaidi was cashing in on his fame by giving a TV interview, when out of the audience somebody threw a shoe at him (and missed). Straight away, his brother laid into the thrower (another Iraqi) in which to express his displeasure. (While the mainly French crowd watched)

Strange how the family of Muntazer al-Zaidi, which opined all the time that their shoe thrower brother was an innocent man and had been savagely beaten at the time, should resort to pure physical violence against another so called innocent man.

But hey, what's the point of telling the truth if you can only be a victim?

Former Muslims United applauds Swiss referendum victory banning Minarets, “the bayonets of Islam”

Nonie Darwish, executive director and co-founder of Former Muslims United (FMU) applauded the results of a Swiss Republic referendum banning the construction of minarets among the approximately 150 Mosques serving 400,000 Muslims in Switzerland. Minarets are Muslim towers to call the faithful to prayers through loud speakers five times daily. These towers are symbols to both Muslims and non-Muslims of the Islamization of Europe, America and other Western democracies.

Ms. Darwish of FMU said: "the Swiss referendum victory is the equivalent of banning what Turkish PM Erdogan called: ‘the bayonets of Islam.’ Supporters of a ban claim that allowing minarets would represent the growth of an ideology and a legal system - Sharia law - which are incompatible with Swiss democracy. The Swiss Referendum victory drew a red line against Islamization in Europe.”

She also noted that “this referendum victory is a credit to Swiss citizens, especially women voters who viewed construction of Minarets as leading to adoption of other graphic elements of Sharia law including wearing of burkas in public by Muslim women.” Darwish also pointed out that polls taken after the victory in the Swiss Referendum in neighboring Germany indicated that a similar effort there might win a plurality of votes.

Darwish added that "many Muslim groups are denouncing the ban as oppression to freedom of religion. However, such Muslim groups will be more credible if they first denounced the oppression of religious minorities in Muslim countries who make it illegal to practice any religion other than Islam. Muslim groups who claim that they are oppressed in Europe should be the first to stand up and yell "not in the name of my religion" when Churches are burnt in Muslim countries. But instead all we hear from Muslim groups is "I am a victim" and "I am offended" while the blood of non-Muslims is being shed in the name of Sharia.

Former Muslims United is a US-based civil rights organization with the goals of seeking the protecting the human and civil rights of Apostates from Islam in accordance with the laws of the United States and its Constitution.


Co-founders of Former Muslims United
Nonie Darwish, Ibn Warraq, Amil Imani, Wafa Sultan,
Mohammed Asghar, Mano Bakh, Walid Shoebat

For more information on Former Muslims United go to formermuslimsunited.org

Surreal: Islamic clerics in countries that persecute non-Muslims nonstop are accusing the Swiss of discrimination

ZURICH (WSJ) -- Muslim leaders from around the world condemned a vote in Switzerland to ban the construction of minarets in the Alpine country, raising fresh fears of a backlash against Swiss interests around the world.

Voters in Switzerland approved a referendum Sunday to ban the building of new minarets on mosques. Nearly 58% of voters, and all but four of the country's 26 cantons, supported the initiative, with support for the ban reaching 70% in some regions.

Political and religious leaders of Muslim countries were quick to condemn the vote. Maskuri Abdillah, head of Indonesia's biggest Muslim group, Nahdlatul Ulama, said the vote reflected "a hatred of Swiss people against Muslim communities."

Egypt's top cleric, Ali Gomaa, called the referendum an "insult" to Muslims, while the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the largest international Muslim group with 57 member states, called the vote a "recent example of growing anti-Islamic incitements in Europe by extremist, anti-immigrant, xenophobic, racist, scare-mongering ultraright politicians who reign over common sense, wisdom and universal values."

More...

Egypt, where Copts are routinely beaten, killed, subject to Muslim mob violence.

And, is the Organization of the Islamic Conference trying to say that Muslim countries are a direct opposite to "extremist, anti-immigrant, xenophobic, racist, scare-mongering" regimes?

E.U. to Propose Dividing Jerusalem

This is an absolute non-starter.

(Israel) The Foreign Ministry on Tuesday lashed out at a European Union plan to call for the division of Jerusalem between Israel and the Palestinians, saying such a move would harm the chances of renewing Middle East peace negotiations.

EU foreign ministers are expected to issue an official call next week for Jerusalem to be divided, in order to serve as the capitals of both Israel and a Palestinian state. A draft document authored by the current holder of the rotating EU presidency, Sweden, and implying that the EU would recognize a unilateral Palestinian declaration of statehood, has been obtained by Haaretz.

"The process being led by Sweden harms the European Union's ability to take part as a significant mediator in the political process between Israel and the Palestinians," said a statement by Israel's Foreign Ministry.

"After the important steps taken by the government of Israel to enable the resumption of negotiations with the Palestinians, the European Union must now exert pressure on the Palestinians to return to the negotiating table. Steps like those being led by Sweden only contribute to the opposite effect," said the statement.

Jerusalem is waging a diplomatic campaign to keep the EU from issuing such an endorsement, but diplomats close to the EU deliberations believe it is almost inevitable.

More...

This EU effort, lead by Sweden, will only result in another war. But the countries that lived through the 1938 Munich Pact just wouldn't learn.

Pakistan: Suicide bomber kills anti-Taliban lawmaker

MINGORA, Pakistan (Reuters) - A teenage suicide bomber killed an anti-Taliban provincial lawmaker in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday after walking into the official's house along with guests and blowing himself up.

More than a dozen people were wounded in the attack in Swat valley, police said.

More...

The suicide bomber must've been an honor student in the local madrasa.

Italy: Ex-Guantanamo inmates face terror charges in Milan

The two are suspected to be members of the main subsidiary of the Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb known as the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (nothing says "religion of peace" better than "Preaching and Combat").

Milan, 1 Dec. (AKI) - Two Tunisians held at the United States military prison at Guantanamo Bay have been flown to Italy to face international terrorism charges. Abel Ben Mabrouk bin Hamida Boughanmi, 39, and Mohammed Tahir Riyadh Nasseri, 43, were handed over to the Italian authorities late Monday and flown to Milan where they face arrest warrants.

The pair are suspected of being members of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), one of the main components of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

"Both the detainees are the subject of detention orders by Italian judicial authorities and they will be put on trial in Italy," the Italian justice ministry said in a statement

But. There is always a but.

However, Italian media reports cited judicial sources who suggested that both men could be freed if their seven-year detention at Guantanamo is 'recognised' by the judges in their trial.

More...

Another major spying scandal at Gitmo

This could have potentially devastating consequences for our national security.

(NY Post) A number of Arabic and Pashtu interpreters at the terror-war detention center at Guantanamo Bay are under active investigation for omitting valuable intelligence from their translations of detainee interrogations, among other security breaches. This could taint some of the evidence at the "9/11 trial" in New York and proceedings against other detainees.

Remarkably, the Pentagon never cleaned up the "mole infestation" at its highest-security facility after the FBI busted a Muslim spy ring at Gitmo in 2003.

The 2003 probe involved at least two Arabic interpreters with high-level security clearance. Senior Airman Ahmad al-Halabi, a Syrian native, and former Army linguist Ahmed Mehalba, an Egyptian native, were later convicted of stealing or mishandling classified documents.

What's even more remarkable here is that the FBI has a "Jews need not apply" policy, because Jews aren't loyal (but Arabs are?). Despite a shortage of Arabic translators, the FBI turned down applications for linguist jobs from nearly 100 Arabic-speaking Jews in New York following the World Trade Center attacks.

Six years later comes a new problem with Muslim personnel who have virtually unfettered access to detainees and intelligence at Gitmo. Professional military security and intelligence officials at Gitmo did the preliminary probe, then prepared a classified summary and are now briefing top officials and members of Congress in Washington. An active FBI criminal probe is also under way.

The possible new spy ring involves several Arabic linguists, some also Egyptian and Syrian immigrants. They're suspected of, among other things:

* Omitting valuable intelligence from their translations of interrogations.

* Slipping notes to detainees inside copies of the Koran.

* Coaching detainees to make allegations of abuse against interrogators.

* Meeting with suspects on the terror watchlist while back in the United States.

Officials say some of the suspected "dirty" linguists -- who met privately in a locked mosque at Gitmo -- have had access to 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed and other high-value al Qaeda detainees.

"Three years of investigations have revealed the presence of pro-jihad/anti-Western activities among the civilian-contractor and military-linguist population serving Joint Task Force Guantanamo," states a copy of a classified Gitmo briefing, prepared in May for the FBI, CIA and Congress' intelligence committees.

The report explains that dirty Arabic linguists have gathered classified data involving detainees, interrogations and security operations in an effort to "disrupt" Gitmo operations and US "intelligence-collection capabilities."

It goes on to specifically finger the Muslim Brotherhood, a terrorist organization. The US operations and front groups of the Egypt-based brotherhood are the subject of my recently released book, "Muslim Mafia," which first revealed the contents of the secret Gitmo report.

"These actions are deliberate, carefully planned, global, and to the benefit of the detainees and multiple terrorist organizations, to include al Qaeda and Muslim Brotherhood," the briefing states.

How did this happen at the highest security facility in the world? In the wake of the Abu Ghraib scandal, US officials went from waterboarding terrorists to handing them prayer rugs and Korans, while calling them to prayer five times a day. Pentagon political correctness dictated turning a blind eye to any questions of loyalty among Muslim linguists and chaplains.

Compromised interrogations could affect releases and trials -- and the problems go much further.

At least one in seven former Gitmo detainees has returned to terrorism or militant activity. Some recidivists had met with the suspect Muslim translators. Others were privately counseled by Muslim chaplains and lay leaders also under investigation for security breaches.

If they fed intelligence to these repatriated detainees, then al Qaeda and the Taliban may know what we know about them and adjust accordingly.

Prisoners released from Gitmo are allowed to keep their Korans -- and it's camp policy not to search the holy books. Non-Muslim personnel can't even touch them. There's no telling what military secrets have been compromised.

Also in question is just how far the enemy has penetrated our critical foreign-language program -- not just at Gitmo, but across the entire national security and intelligence complex. Many Arabic linguists are contractors who rotate in and out of the federal security agencies leading the War on Terror.

More...

Iran seizes five British sailors to raise stakes in stand-off with West

It's only a matter of time...

Don Surber summarized it nicely.

(Times Online) Diplomatic tension between Britain and Iran deepened yesterday with the news that Tehran is holding five British sailors after their yacht apparently strayed into Iranian waters.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said that the crew members were taken from their yacht Kingdom of Bahrain on November 25 after she was stopped by Iranian naval vessels while sailing from Bahrain to Dubai.

Sources named the five Britons as Oliver Smith, 31, an experienced sailor from Southampton, as well as Sam Usher, Oliver Young, 21, from Saltash in Cornwall, Luke Porter, 21, from Weston-super-Mare and Dave Bloomer, a presenter on Radio Bahrain. Mr Porter is reported to have spoken to his father Charles yesterday.

Charles Porter, 48, said: "He said he was in good spirits and he said he was being well looked after". His son told him the yacht had strayed 500 yards into Iranian waters near the island of Sirri.

More...

Islamic finance in action: UAE government said it would not guarantee the debt of state-owned Dubai World

Dubai World, the state-owned UAE company that, among other things, wanted to buy port management businesses in six major American seaports in 2006 and owns more than $15 billion of assets in Australia, currently owes its creditors $59 billion and is on the brink of default.

And the UAE government says tough luck.

Dubai, 30 Nov. (AKI) - The stock markets of the United Arab Emirates slid on Monday as the government said it would not guarantee the debt of state-owned Dubai World. The market reopened for the first time since the entity sought to delay billions of dollars in debt last week.

Abu Dhabi's main stock market lost a record 8.3 percent, while Dubai's index lost 7.3 percent, in the largest fall in a year.

The National Bank of Abu Dhabi tumbled by 9.7 percent, amid fears that the region's banking industry will suffer serious damage.

Dubai World, which has total debts of 59 billion dollars, shocked markets around the world when it asked creditors on Wednesday if it could postpone its forthcoming debt payments until May 2010.

More...

According to the NYT report,

Issuance of loans and bonds that comply with Shariah, or Islamic law, has skyrocketed in recent years, as oil-rich Middle East nations ramped up spending and the global credit crunch led debt investors into emerging markets.

Anyone want to buy a sharia-compliant bond real cheap? No guarantees, though.

Pakistan: More than 60 terrorists killed in tribal region

Islamabad, 30 Nov. (AKI/DAWN) - Pakistan's security forces have killed at least 60 militants and arrested 87 others, including Uzbeks and Afghans, during operations in the Khyber tribal region near the border of Afghanistan.

Commandant Brigadier Fayyaz told a media conference on Monday that security forces had cleared the area of militants.

Security forces also recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition.

They also destroyed 27 vehicles, ten hideouts and five tunnels, he said.

That was not bad, to say the least.

Mauritania: 4 Spanish aid workers 'kidnapped by Al-Qaeda'

Why do European and North American aid agencies, amid all these kidnappings, keep sending their workers to these countries is beyond me.

Nouakchott, 30 Nov. (AKI) - Three Spanish aid workers have been kidnapped in Mauritania by militants linked to Al-Qaeda, Spain's interior minister said on Monday. "It all suggests that it is a kidnapping. If so, and I believe it is, it all appears to be a kidnapping by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. It wouldn't be the first time they have kidnapped European and North American aid workers in that area," said interior minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba quoted by Spanish media.

The aid workers belong to a non-governmental organisation called Barcelona Accio Solidaria or BAS.

However, the African news agency APA on Monday said that the total number of kidnapped workers was four not three, as Spanish media suggested.

More...

Gaza work accident: 1 dead, 1 wounded in a car explosion

Don't you just hate when that happens?

GAZA, Nov 30 (Reuters) - A car exploded in the Gaza Strip under unclear circumstances on Monday, killing a militant from a group linked to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement and wounding another, medical workers said.

An Israeli military spokeswoman denied Israel was involved, saying "there was no Israeli army activity in the area" in the Hamas-ruled enclave at the time of the blast.

Witnesses said Israeli warplanes were flying overhead when the vehicle blew up in Shati Refugee Camp in Gaza, setting off a fire that completely destroyed it.

The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades of Fatah said one of its members was killed and another was wounded. But no militant group accused Israel of staging an attack, and media reports said the blast may have been an accidental explosion of ammunition inside the vehicle.

Egypt mufti says Swiss minaret ban insults Muslims

Oh, cry me a river.

CAIRO (AFP) — Egypt's Mufti Ali Gomaa denounced a vote to ban new minarets in Switzerland on Sunday as an "insult" to Muslims across the world, while calling on Muslims not to be provoked by the move.

So if you a normal (non-Muslim) country, and you — rightfully — don't want your cityscapes be spoiled by minarets and neither do you want to hear those annoying, bleating calls to Muslim prayers, you are insulting and provoking Muslims worldwide.

A solid majority of Swiss voters chose in a referendum to ban the construction of new minarets, the towers attached to mosques from which the call to prayers is announced.

"This proposal...is not considered just an attack on freedom of beliefs, but also an attempt to insult the feelings of the Muslim community in and outside Switzerland," Gomaa, the Egyptian government's official interpreter of Islamic law, told the state-run news agency MENA.

He encouraged Switzerland's 400,000-strong Muslim community to use "dialogue" and legal means to contest the ban, which he described as "provocative behaviour."

The rightist Swiss People's Party (SVP) -- Switzerland's biggest party -- had forced the referendum after collecting a mandatory 100,000 signatures from eligible voters within 18 months.

Gomaa also called on Muslims not to be affected "by this provocation," adding that Islam "considers humanity a single family."

Egypt is the most populous Arab country and was at the forefront of a backlash against Denmark in 2006 after a Danish newspaper printed cartoons of the Prophet Muhammed.

Hamas Bans Women Dancers, Scooter Riders in Gaza

Lovely. Obviously, this kind of things isn't on the Free Gaza movement's agenda.

Nov. 30 (Bloomberg) -- The Islamic Hamas movement banned girls last month from riding behind men on motor scooters and forbade women from dancing at the opening of a folk museum. Girls in some public schools must wear headscarves and cloaks.

Signs of Hamas’s creeping Islamization are everywhere in Gaza, the Mediterranean coastal enclave that Hamas has run by itself since 2007. Gaza is already politically divided from the West Bank, the Palestinian territory administered by the secular Fatah movement.

“Ruling by itself, Hamas can stamp its ideas on everyone,” said Mkhaimar Abusada, a political science professor at Gaza’s al-Azhar University. “Islamizing society has always been part of Hamas strategy.”

More...

Somali pirates hijack Saudi oil tanker going to US

Is time yet to start dealing with pirates the way it was done in the old days?

(CNN) -- An oil tanker bound for the United States was hijacked off Somalia with a crew of 28 aboard, maritime authorities said.

The M/V Maran Centaurus was commandeered about 600 nautical miles northeast of the Seychelles, on its way to New Orleans, Louisiana, according to the Maritime Security Center.

The crew consists of 16 Filipinos, nine Greeks, two Ukrainians and a Romanian, said the security agency, which is run by the European naval force.

The 300,000-ton tanker, which started out from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was seized Sunday. It had changed course westward, toward Harardhere or Hobyo, along Somali's central-western coast.

More...

Mein Kampf is a hit on the streets of Bangladesh

Mein Kampf is among several books that are most popular in Bangladesh — one of the poorest Muslim countries.

Last week, it did unusually well because many bought the book to give it away as an Eid al-Adha present. Naturally.

(BBC) Booksellers touting their wares amid the heavy traffic in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, have discovered an unusual best-seller.

Adolf Hitler's autobiography manifesto Mein Kampf is selling as well as Dan Brown's latest novel, The Lost Symbol.

The street vendors in Dhaka are found at every major road junction and intersection.

Most of the sellers are young boys and many compete with beggars to attract the attention of motorists.

Last week, Mein Kampf did unusually well because many bought the book to give it away as an Eid present.

More...

Indonesian militants demand implementation of sharia law to stop HIV

They prefer to fight the HIV the fun way — using whipping, beheading and stoning.

JAKARTA (AFP) — Several hundred hardline Muslim protestors staged rallies in Indonesia Sunday to urge the government to prevent the spread of HIV by implementing Islamic law.

Ahead of World AIDS Day on December 1, members of the Hizbut Tahrir group took to the streets in several cities including Jakarta, Solo, Yogyakarta and Makassar.

"We urge everybody to support the application of sharia in an Islamic caliphate so that, God willing, all of us will be free from the HIV/AIDS threat," Hizbut spokeswoman Febrianti Abassuni said in a statement.

In the capital, more than 200 female demonstrators urged the government to close down brothels and ban condoms, which they said encouraged "free sex and unhealthy behaviour".

One banner read: "Prostitutes, drug users and homosexuals are the agents of immorality."

Around 270,000 Indonesians are estimated to be infected with HIV, and AIDS has claimed about 8,700 lives in the Muslim-majority nation of 228 million people, according to the UNAIDS agency.

Anti-Islamist elected leader of major UK political party

Well, at least one British political party is fed up with the spread of Islam and its impudence in the UK, and has clearly demonstrated that it intends to push back.

Hopefully, this is just the beginning.

LONDON // An avowed anti-Islamist has been elected leader of a major political party in Britain.

Lord [Malcolm] Pearson of Rannoch was named as the new leader of the UK Independence Party (Ukip) at the weekend, after convincingly beating four other hopefuls in a vote among party members.

Although Ukip does not have any MPs in the national parliament, it attracted the second-highest number of votes behind the Conservatives in European elections held over the summer.

In choosing the 67-year-old peer to succeed Nigel Farage – who stepped down as leader to concentrate his efforts on winning a parliamentary seat in next spring’s general election – members have opted for a man determined to tackle Islamic fundamentalists and, according to his critics, much more.

More...

Iran Earmarks $20 Million to Support Terrorists

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's parliament passed a law on Sunday earmarking $20 million to support militant groups opposing the West and investigate alleged U.S. and British plots against the Islamic Republic.

Looks like some serious bowing and lengthy apologies will be needed to resolve this issue.

The legislation is widely seen as a response to Western criticism of Iran's violent crackdown against protesters following the disputed June presidential election. Lawmakers started debating the outline of the bill in August when Iran's hardline leaders were fending off allegations that security forces had tortured opposition activists detained during the demonstrations.

The text of the legislation says the money is to "support progressive currents that resist illegal activities by by the governments of the U.S. and Britain." Iranian officials often use such terms to describe militant groups.

It was not immediately clear which groups would receive funding from Iran, but Tehran already backs the Islamic militants Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The bill also taps funds to "confront plots and unjust restrictions" by the Washington and London against Tehran and to disclose "human rights abuses by the two countries."

More...

Now, this is the problem that Bamster and Co. can't claim they've inherited from the Bush administration.

But they will anyway.

Afghan Officials: 26 Militants Killed Near Pakistan Border

Good. If only they could keep that up.

(VOA) Officials in eastern Afghanistan say border guards backed by coalition air strikes have killed at least 26 militants near the Pakistani border.

No security guards were reported killed during the hours-long battle in Khost province.

More...

Iran approves building 10 uranium enrichment sites

Looks like Obama's voodoo diplomacy, hell-bent on apologies and talking to Iran without preconditions, is bearing fruits.

(JPost) The Iranian government approved a plan Sunday to build 10 new uranium enrichment facilities, a dramatic expansion in defiance of UN demands it halt the program.

The decision came only days after the UN nuclear watchdog agency censured Iran over its program, demanding it immediately stop building a newly revealed enrichment facility near the holy city of Qom and freeze all uranium enrichment activities.

A Cabinet meeting headed by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ordered the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran to begin building five uranium enrichment sites that have already been studied and propose five other locations for future construction within two months.

In Vienna, spokeswoman Gillian Tudor said the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency would have no comment, but the announcement is likely to stoke already high tensions between Iran and the West over its controversial nuclear activities.

More...

And if that wasn't enough of a bitch slapping to Obama, Iranian MPs urge less cooperation with IAEA:

Earlier on Sunday, Iranian lawmakers urged the government to prepare a plan to reduce cooperation with the IAEA over its rebuke.

Egyptian State Security Accused of Cover-up in Muslim Riots

It appears to be Egypt's official state policy toward its non-Muslim population -- let the Muslim mob loot and destroy and then force the victims into accepting extrajudicial reconciliation with the perpetrators, thus denying them any form of compensation for the incurred damages.

All of this happens in the country where Obama told the world that "throughout history, Islam has demonstrated through words and deeds the possibilities of religious tolerance and racial equality."

Cairo (AINA) -- In an effort to cover up the Muslim mob violence against the Copts which broke out last week in the town of Farshoot and neighboring villages (AINA 11-22-2009, 11-23-2009), and in view of the complete news blackout imposed by the Egyptian government, Egyptian State Security has intensified its pressure on the Coptic Church in Nag Hammadi and the victims of the violence into accepting extrajudicial reconciliation with the perpetrators, and opening their businesses without any compensation. Similar State Security scenarios have been experienced by Copts in all sectarian incidents in the past, in which they always come out as losers, having been forced to give up civil and criminal charges, while the criminals get away scot-free.

"There will be no reconciliation before full financial compensation has been paid to the Coptic victims, and the criminals are brought to justice, so that safety and security can be restored to the district," said Bishop Kirollos of the Nag Hammadi Diocese.

Free Copts reported that Bishop Kirollos has sent his grievance to President Mubarak, the Prime Minister , the People's Assembly and the Shura Council, asking for speedy financial compensation to the Coptic victims.

In solidarity with the affected businessmen, the remaining Farshoot Coptic merchants have closed their shops in protest.

It has been reported that orders were given to the police in Farshoot by Qena State Security not to issue police reports to the victims; instead, they have to travel 60 KM away to make their reports with the Attorney General in Qena. The authorities have not yet carried out estimates of the losses in spite of several demands made by the Church.

It is estimated that 10 pharmacies and 55 shops and businesses in Farshoot, Abu Shousha, Kom Ahmar and el-Aaraky were looted, vandalized and torched, with total losses exceeding 5 million Egyptian Pounds (1 million USD).

State Security has been putting pressure on the Church to convince the victims to open their stores, "despite the fact that they were told that the victims have no money to clean up and decorate their shops after being looted, vandalized and torched by Muslims, nor the money to buy stock," Bishop Kirollos told activist Wagih Yacoub of the Middle East Christian Association (MECA). "Having failed to make me bend to their pressure, State Security has tried putting pressure on the victims, but without success. I told them that no pharmacy or shop will be opened before the rights of my children in the Diocese are fully restored."

Having failed to get results from the Church, State Security has drawn in the help of the area's members of parliament. "They are trying to pacify the people by holding conferences, to make the matter 'go to sleep', so that they would escape paying any compensation to the victims," he commented. "But I am now sending a message to the parliament members: 'If you don't support the Christians, the Christians will boycott the coming elections.' Let them look for someone else to make them win."

People who were forced to attend those conferences said that they were told that having to close down their businesses "does not look good to the outside world, and would harm the reputation of Egypt on the international level."

One other pressure tactic often used successfully by the State Security to enforce its decisions on the Church is taking into custody innocent Copts and using them as "hostages" in what has come to be know[n] as their "Let go and I will let go" policy.

"State Security has taken into custody fours Copts who were victims of the violence, they were told they would be detained until they forfeit their claims and sign a 'reconciliation' note, so as to make it appear as a case of personal differences between individuals," Bishop Kirollos told Free Copts.

More...

Global Warming Cash Grab

For the past 60 years, the Third World has received billions in aid money in which to alleviate poverty, hunger and the bad governance of their own governments. For a long time now their leaders have used the stigma of colonialism in which to eek out a few more pennies from the West so as to purchase Huge Black Mercedes cars, Ray Ban sunglasses and very modest mansions.

Problem is, due to the economic climate, people in the West are asking: “What have you done with all the billions you have received?”

In fact, a lot of folks are now promoting the idea that unbridled aid has simply led to dependency led cultures where handouts are preferred to working for a living.

Take for example Ethiopia. In 1991 it had a population of around 53 million, today it has a population of 77 million of whom 77% are living in poverty. I personally don’t have a problem helping my fellow man, but I do when 18 years later he comes back with 8 kids in tow demanding I help him out further.

With the knowledge that Western people are starting to question the aid money they have been handing over, the angle of attack has changed from "we are poor because you used to rule us" to "we are dying because of climate change and you have to pay for it".

Only yesterday the socialist leader of the UK agreed on a plan of action which will see £10 billion go to fight global warming in the third world countries (on top of the £15 billion we are handing over to teach African school children, the £1 billion of crop research in the third world countries and the rest).

Clambering onto the bandwagon, India demanded the other month that the West should pay for green policies within its borders, as did the South Americans the other day demanding that the West should pay for the upkeep of the Amazon rain forest.

The last really rankles me, as one of those countries, Venezuela, has pocketed $800 billion in revenue from oil sales. Yet instead of doing something constructive with all that money, under the leadership of Hugo Chavez the country has spent it on a bombastic anti-American policy courting the world's most oppressive regimes, purchasing weapons of war and destabilizing the whole region with words of war. So what has he achieved with all that money? Well, the country has the highest crime rate in South America, it has regular power and water cuts (2 days in a week) and it has problems feeding its people.

And there lies the problem with the third world and the state of their countries. It has nothing to do with colonialism, global warming or even the threat of invasion by the US. But rather with bad governance,which instead of good practice, runs on backhanders, nepotism and I want what you have but bugger if I am going to pay for it mindset which has ruined every almost every African country to-date.

Swiss voters say "Nein Danke!" to minarets

Ulrich Schlueer, member of the right wing Swiss people's party and co-president of the Initiative Committee to ban minarets and Walter Wobmann, president of the Initiative Committee to ban minarets shake hands Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009 in Egerkingen, Switzerland. Swiss voters approved a move to ban the construction of minarets in a Sunday vote on a right-wing initiative that labeled the mosque towers as symbols of militant Islam, projections by a widely respected polling institute showed. (AP Photo)

(Bern) Well, they put it to the vote and they have said enough's enough to the building of minarets in Switzerland. Strangely enough, the bBC appears to be stunned by this shock decision and is starting to peddle the-Swiss-can-only-be-racist line. I quote:

The BBC's Imogen Foulkes, in Bern, says the surprise result is very bad news for the Swiss government which also fears unrest among the Muslim community.

and

The president of Zurich's Association of Muslim Organisations, Tamir Hadjipolu, told the BBC that if the ban was implemented, Switzerland's Muslim community would live in fear.

I was also struck by this statement:

The government opposed the ban, saying it would harm Switzerland's image, particularly in the Muslim world.

Seeing as how Switzerland has bent over backwards in which to apologize to Libya for arresting little Gaddiffi for assault... I mean, they have dropped all charges, received a public apology from the PM. Yet for all that contrition, the Libyans have cut ties with the Swiss, arrested their people on false charges and have demanded financial compensation.

It seems the Swiss people have a better understanding of Islam than the government or the bBC.

Sharia law is just so great

(Sudan) Last year the head of the Church of England advocated that Sharia law could have a place in the UK. This stance was backed up by certain British law makers a few months later. It seems they have looked and admired certain Islamic countries which have two law systems in place, one for Muslims and one for non-Muslims. You know, like Nigeria, Malaysia and Sudan.

Problem is, what happens when Muslims don't play by the same rules that you do? News has come out in the wash how in Sudan a 16-year-old Sudanese Christian girl (from the south) was taken off the streets by the police and given 50 lashes for wearing a below the knee length skirt. It seems the pious policewoman and the even more pious judge took no notice of the law which stipulates that Christians are exempt from Sharia law, that a child under 18 cannot be whipped or placed in the dock without her family present (never mind a lawyer).

In seems that under Islamic Sharia law there really is a different law for non-Muslims, the law that you are guilty no matter what. But hey, that doesn't stop British liberals trying to shove it down our throats.

Second Bomb Blast At Russian Train Crash Site

A second bomb placed to kill the rescue workers.

The death toll from the original blast now stands at 39, with 18 still missing and more than 90 being treated in hospitals.

(Sky News) A second bomb has gone off at the site where an explosive earlier sent a luxury express train careering off the tracks in Russia killing dozens of people.

The less powerful bomb is not thought to have injured anyone, the head of Russia's state railway operator said.

The train was originally derailed by a bomb equivalent to 7kg (15lb) of TNT, the head of Russia's domestic intelligence service told Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

Several carriages of the Nevsky Express travelling from Moscow to St Petersburg were sent off the tracks near the town of Bologoye, 200 miles from Moscow.

"Two wagons were completely overturned... several people were completely crushed under the metal. I heard screams, moaning," police officer Andrei Abramenko, who was travelling on the train, said.

A unnamed source in Moscow's law enforcement agencies has been quoted as saying: "A one-metre-diameter hole has been found next to the railway track."

More...

Hajj devil stoning ritual biggest swine flu risk

In other words, the danger of the worldwide swine flu outbreak makes hajj pilgrimage a threat to the entire world.

MINA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Millions of Muslim pilgrims, many wearing surgical masks, jostled together shoulder-to-shoulder furiously casting pebbles at stone walls representing the devil Saturday — the hajj ritual of highest concern to world health authorities watching for an outbreak of swine flu.

The annual Islamic pilgrimage draws 3 million visitors each year, making it the largest yearly gathering of people in the world and an ideal incubator for the H1N1 flu virus.

So far, only around 60 flu cases have been uncovered, but health officials warn it is likely spreading silently among pilgrims — and the true extent of the push that hajj has given to the virus won't be known until later, after the faithful have returned to their home countries around the world.

More...

Russia: Home-made bomb caused train crash that killed 26

UGLOVKA, Russia (AP) — Russian officials opened a terrorism investigation Saturday, saying that a homemade bomb planted on the tracks of the high-speed Moscow-to-St. Petersburg route caused a derailment that killed at least 26 people and injured dozens more.

The head of Russia's Federal Security Service, Alexander Borotnikov, was quoted by the Interfax and RIA Novosti news as saying that an improvised explosive device equivalent to 15 pounds (7 kilograms) of TNT had detonated when the train passed over it Friday night. Remains of the device were found at the site of the crash, Borotnikov said.

"Indeed, this was a terrorist attack," Interfax cited Vladimir Markin, a spokesman for federal prosecutors, as saying.

If terrorism is confirmed, the train derailment would be Russia's deadliest terrorist strike outside the volatile North Caucasus region in years. The high-end train was popular with government officials and Russian business executives.

More...

IAF Strikes Gaza Rocket Launcher, Killing Al-Qaeda Terrorist

Let's call it a Good Friday.

(JPost) A Palestinian terrorist was killed on Friday morning when the IAF struck a Gaza terror cell preparing to fire rockets into Israel, according to the IDF.

In a statement, the army said that the terrorist belonged to the Jaljalatt terror organization, a Salafist movement operating in the Gaza Strip and influenced by al-Qaida.

The IDF said that the rocket launching pad was also hit in the air raid near northern Gaza's Jabalya refugee camp.

Gaza emergency services said three others were wounded, one of them seriously.

More...

Iranian pilgrims stage peaceful "Death to America, death to Israel" protest at hajj

I heard Islam is the religion of peace, and that we shouldn't jump to any conclusions when one (or a group) of the faithfuls commit a mass murder while chanting praises to Allah.

ARAFAT, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Iranians chanted death to America and Israel on Thursday as some 2.5 million Muslims, drying out after a day of torrential rains, continue their hajj pilgrimage and mass at the site of the prophet Mohammed's last sermon.

Ignoring Saudi warnings against political activity, the Iranians called for Muslim unity against the "enemies" of the faith in their camp at Mount Arafat outside of Mecca.

"Death to America, death to Israel," thousands of Iranians chanted inside a huge tent on the Plain of Arafat.

More...

Philippine Official Says Massacre Victims Were Sexually Mutilated

DAVAO CITY, the Philippines — Most or all of the 22 women among the 57 people massacred Monday in the southern Philippines were sexually mutilated, the authorities said Friday, adding grim details to the catalog of horrors that has already emerged.

“Even the private parts of the women were shot at,” the justice secretary, Agnes Devanadera, said on national television. “It was horrible. It was not done to just one. It was done practically to all the women.”

Ms. Devanadera said that the zippers of the women’s pants had been undone and that some of the women had had their pants pulled down. She said the authorities were still trying to determine whether the women had been raped, but “it is certain that something bad was done to them.”

More...

Words fail me.

Israel's Muslim Birthrate Falls 25%

So much for the Muslim demographic time bomb in Israel.

JERUSALEM (AFP) — The birth rate among Israel's Muslim Arab minority has fallen by a quarter since 2000, official figures showed on Friday.

The annual birth rate fell from 3.8 percent in 2000 to 2.8 percent at the end of 2008, according to the figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics released on the occasion of the Muslim Eid Al-Adha holiday.

More...

Saudi beheading news: Man to be decapitated for witchcraft

They are really tough on witches in that people-loving kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Riyadh (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Saudi Arabia should overturn a death sentence imposed on a Lebanese national convicted of practicing witchcraft during a visit to the conservative kingdom, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report. The international human rights group also complained about the increasing use of charges of 'witchcraft,' crimes that are vaguely defined and arbitrarily used, to arbitrarily arrest and detain people across the kingdom.

The report highlights ongoing complaints over the Saudi justice system, which, whilst based on Islamic law, leaves a wide leeway to individual judges and can often result in dramatically inconsistent sentences.

Ali Sibat, a Lebanese psychic who made predictions on a satellite TV channel from his home in Beirut, was arrested by religious police in the holy city of Madinah during a pilgrimage in May 2008 and then sentenced to death by decapitation on 9 November this year.

“He was the most popular psychic on the channel,” said May al-Khansa, Sibat’s lawyer. “The number of callers, including from all over the Gulf, spiked in number when he appeared,” she added. “He was told if he confessed to witchcraft, he will be released and allowed to return to Lebanon.”

Sibat’s case is not unique. Dozens of people are arrested each year on charges like witchcraft, recourse to supernatural beings, black magic and fortune telling. These practices are considered polytheistic and severely punished according to Sharia rules.

More...

Key Anti-Taliban Figure Assassinated in Pakistan

During the last 24 hours, 2 anti-Taliban tribal leaders were killed, one along with his son. Also, 30 Taliban were killed in 2 separate military operations.

KHAR, Pakistan (AP) — A key anti-Taliban tribal leader was assassinated Friday in a roadside bombing, the latest in a series of attacks against pro-government militias in the Afghan border area of northwestern Pakistan.

Elsewhere, authorities found the bullet-riddled body of another tribal elder who was seized from his home late Thursday in an attack that also left his son dead.

Violence has increased in Bajur and other northwestern tribal regions since the army launched an offensive in South Waziristan in mid-October. Fifteen Taliban fighters were killed in operations over the past 24 hours in South Waziristan, a military statement said Friday.

Pakistani troops took control of three important militant strongholds in the Bara area of Khyber tribal region, killing another 15 insurgents.

More...

Iran steals Nobel Peace Prize medal

(Iran) Shirin Ebadi is the Iranian human rights lawyer who in 2003 was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Instead of being proud of her achievement, the government in Iran has confiscated her medal from a Bank strong box and demands she pays tax on her award ($1.3 million) which Iranian law stipulates is free from any taxation. (other than Allah's tax)

Just so that she gets the message, the mullahs in Tehran made sure that her husband and her brother received a good kicking so as to speed things up.

Isn't living in a peaceful Islamic country great?