15 posts tagged “middle east”
General David Patraeus is being promoted from Baghdad Command to Central Command in the Middle East.
This is happening after Admiral Fallon abruptly resigned the CentCom position in March over strategy disagreement with the Bush Administration. Fallon opposed “The Surge” while Bush and Patraeus agreed it was a need. Patraeus obviously won out and it looks like he is taking the old bosses job.
With “The Surge” being way more successful than its opponents could ever have imagined; speculation must begin to arise as to the position of CentCom Commander for Patraeus. This is so particularly because of all the saber rattling from Iran and the promise of retaliation even from Democratic candidate Hillary.
Iran is supplying terrorist enemies of America and America’s ally Israel. Is the Bush Administration planning some kind of strike on Iran? It is just something to think about.
JRH 4/23/08
Brigitte Gabriel’s Act for America has sent a copy of an email of a so-called moderate Mohammedan. The email was forwarded to her as she explains. The email is a demonstration of the mind of the so-called moderate Mohammedan. In essence willing to say “Islamist terrorism” is bad, but the American fight against them is evil.
Not only that the forwarded email demonstrates the pervasive attitude of the 9/11 attacks on American soil; viz. that they Mohammedans were not responsible. The forwarded email takes a Truther attitude in that it was a government conspiracy in which President Bush teamed up with Israel to create a state of war against the Middle East.
The email goes on to name all the anti-Islamist writers and pundits who are trying to educate America about Mohammedanism as racist hate mongers. The perception of racist hate monger is no doubt the Mohammedan mind cannot wrap around the fact that their revered holy writings emphasize intolerance, hate and supremacist attitudes toward anything non-Mohammedan or critical of Mohammedanism.
Below is the partially unedited forwarded email as emailed to me from Act for America. I say partially because where the original has a response in red from Act for America I am making bold print and placing a space between the Mohammedan’s email and Act for America’s responses.
JRH 3/18/08
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Inside the Worldview of a Middle Eastern Muslim
Act for America
Sent: March 17, 2008 10:09:32 AM
Recently, one of our members forwarded us an email thread containing correspondence she had with a Middle Eastern Muslim, who professes not to support any anti-American organization. The email from the Muslim is a stunning window into the thinking of Muslims in the Middle East. While one cannot generalize the views of one Muslim to all Muslims, other empirical evidence, such as survey research, confirms that much of what this Muslim is expressing is commonly held by Muslims in the Middle East.
We have inserted commentary in red where appropriate. What you see below is the exact text and layout of the email as it was sent to our member. As you read it, keep in mind that this is coming from someone who professes to be peaceful and not anti-American.
my dear girl with all do respect, u seem to like and support every anti islamic, anti arab site in America's and admire people like pipes and Brigitte who r racist and fanatic.
[this is a common ad hominem response by Muslims to those who speak out against militant Islam. They are unable to dispute the facts that support the critique of militant Islam, so they resort to name calling and attacking the person].
I don't support any anti christian or anti american site or group. Yes i disagree with american policies in the middle east, but i wish no harm to anyone. there is no islamic authoritarianism in america..trust me on that, there no hidden extremist or sleeping cells.
[a remarkable disregard for publicly verified facts; sleeper cells in America have been uncovered and some broken up].
this all the creation of the Israeli propaganda machine in order to keep Islam the new enemy and to keep attention from israel crimes in the middle east and from the real threat to america, the jewish zionist sleeper cells, who have caused so much damage to america.
[the preceding is standard anti-Jewish, anti-Israeli conspiratorial rhetoric].
examples of these cells,richard perl, wolfowitz, doug fieth,allan dershweitz,and eliot abrams in the nsc.most of these people at one time of another spied for Israel and passed american secrets to israel. these people were in power to drag america into war in iraq, causing the death of a million iraqi and thousands of americans soldirs.they are the real threat to america, not to mention the billions of dollars they made america loose. as for cair, its doing wat jewish american organization did 30 years ago but to a lesser scale.cair is defending muslims because of the hysteria against islam in america now.but unlike jewish organizations, cair does not work against america.who do u think is against prayers in schools, and christmas decorations in public buildings? its jewish organizations in america.although i think cair over does it sometimes but it has no agenda.
[CAIR has no “agenda”? Its actions demonstrate it is intent on manipulating public opinion, stifling debate, and shutting down criticism of militant Islam. What’s more, in spite of CAIR claiming it is a “mainstream” organization, numerous leaders of CAIR have been investigated, some arrested, some indicted, for ties to terrorism. In December papers were filed in federal court alleging CAIR is in fact tied to terrorist groups and has attempted to deceive America about those ties].
NO BODY WANTS TO CHANge AMERICA AND MAKE IT MUSLIM, I CHALLENG U AND UR FRIEND BRIGITE TO GIVE ME THE NAME OF ANYBODY WHO IS TRYING TO ISLAMIZE AMERICA.or the extremist hiding in order to destroy america, its rubbish.
[For just one example, how about the D.C. Imam who has called for the replacement of America with the North American State of Islam?]
as i told u, after 9/11 and after thousands of man hours of investigations the FBI found no connection to any muslim in america with the hijackers.
[this is a widely held, and completely unfounded, conspiracy theory among Muslims, that the Mossad, in league with the Bush Administration, are the ones who were really behind 9/11.]
now not all muslims in america r perfect same as christians.if anyone breaks the law he should b charged. I don't understand why u r surprised why i don't like Brigitte? i dont because she is ignorant and racist.
[another ad hominem attack]
how would u feel if i will start a group tomorrow called wake up america.it will focus on extremist christians-since most american are- and dangerous characters who r likey to kill, rape, steal, attack and might harm other americans.all the statistics say I am right, the crime rates is high, for sure people will b killed and robbed. wat do u think,,just like brigit, but ill replace muslim with christian in her site. then u always say i have muslims friends and u don't want to hurt their feelings, i do believe u, but then u associate with all muslim haters and bashers. How about this...i like american and i like u, but ill be friends with operators of alqaida sites and bin laden.how does that feel? ill never do that. I like america and like for america to have a fair policy in the middle east.I like america the way its. i dont want america to turn into a 3rd world country.i want all faiths to b in america in peace.to respect each others. Islam has been in america for a hundreds years, how come we heared nothing about it before 9/11.why they did not change america before
________________________
ACT for America
P.O. Box 6884
Virginia Beach, VA 23456
www.actforamerica.org
ACT for America is an issues advocacy organization dedicated to effectively organizing and mobilizing the most powerful grassroots citizen action network in America, a grassroots network committed to informed and coordinated civic action that will lead to public policies that promote America’s national security and the defense of American democratic values against the assault of radical Islam.
Even as key Arab leaders were pretending to find a common ground for a two State solution between Israel and Arabs that call them selves Palestinians they are apparently working for a Middle Eastern rapprochement of Arab leaders including Shi’ite Iran.
This demonstrates how duplicitous Arab involvement at the Annapolis Peace Conference was. It provides explanations of the Saudi led delegation of Arabs laying on the table demands on Israel that would effectively lead to the future annihilation of the Jewish State of Israel.
The result of an Arab rapprochement would lead to a direction of radical Islam. This means that the Muslim Middle East is beginning to view the power of America as not absolute and that playing old Cold War politics by courting the interests of the EU, Russia and China might further the ingrained Dar al Islam vision of a more confederated Muslim Middle East.
Obviously political nationalism foisted by the various titular heads of Muslim nations would prevent a united Muslim Middle Eastern political entity; however the goals of destroying Israel could become a united end game.
Victory upon victory by Israel over deficient Arab militaries began to wear them down from maintaining political normalcy in global economic involvement. When it became apparent that America was becoming the global hegemon and the old USSR was crumbling and China’s military complex was not even close to challenge America’s military, various Arab leaders began to view their religious hatred of Israel through the filter of real politics.
Some like Egypt and Jordan normalized political relations with Israel and others like Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Syria spoke a hostile game but left Israel alone (particularly after Israel bombed an Iraq nuke plant).
Then transnational terrorism aided by Muslim nations who saw a clandestine client to test America and Israel has proven to chip the armor of invincibility, especially on Israel.
So now scary things are emerging, one example being Egypt seeking to normalize relations with radical Iran (the preeminent supporter of client terrorism). And Saudi Arabia is pitching as a go between in the Arab world with diplomatic contact Iran. Saudi Arabia via Wahhabi millionaires is probably the second most preeminent of transnational terrorism.
The result is a subtle association leaning toward radical Islamicism in the Middle East.
Possible Outcomes of Pakistani Crisis Might Even Change a Democrat’s Mind
Pervez Musharraf has imposed martial law in Pakistan. The official reason is because radical murdering Islamist terrorists are trying to bring their Theo-Political ideology as the rule of law and depose Musharraf.
I am certain there is an element of truth to the official reason; however I am betting the actual reason is elements outside of the military within the regime are trying to depose Musharraf, specifically Pakistan’s version of the Supreme Court.
Pakistan’s Supreme Court was about to rule on the legality of Musharraf’s election as President while retaining his spot as the head of the Pakistani military. The talk was the Court ruling was not going to happen to Musharraf’s benefit.
Although I am certain Musharraf would have used the military to brush off such a judicial ruling it would have angered the people in such a way that rioting might lead to sympathy to the radical Islamists followed by a Khomeini style people’s revolution.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and eight other judges refused to support Musharraf’s “emergency order.” Musharraf’s response was to depose the Chief Justice and rename another to replace him – Abdul Hameed Dogar.
Then there is the position of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto who returned to Pakistan recently under a deal with Musharraf to bring back democracy to Pakistan while siding with her families old military enemies to draw the people away from radical Islamism. Bhutto is a secular Socialist Muslim.
Bhutto officially complained about the Martial Law order; however I sense she understands her future in Pakistan will only occur with the military’s support combined with a hoped for elective support from the Pakistani people. Bhutto would be executed summarily if the likes of al Qaeda or the Taliban got their hands on her.
What was America’s official reaction? This from BBC News:
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the declaration of emergency rule was "highly regrettable" and called upon Pakistan to have free and fair elections.
In essence the US response was the politically correct response; a deposed Musharraf would be a huge hit on America’s war effort in the Middle East. It would be tough for America to lose an ally in Pakistan which could happen if Musharraf was deposed. There is the possibility that the Pakistan military might simply replace Musharraf with another top dog general and continue the policy of Musharraf under a different military political Administration.
Again though, a deposed Musharraf would pour prestige and allegiance of the Pakistani people to the radical Islamists. This could lead to a similar scenario of a Khomeini style revolution in Pakistan that the military could not stop without outright butchery and genocide.
What is the worst that could happen? O not much, a nuclear armed Wahhabi-Sunni-Taliban-al-Qaeda Islamist nation that hates America. The only plus would be incredible Sunni power probably would end the friendship with Shi’ite Iran who has no doubt been aiding the Waziristan Sunni radicals. I also suspect the old socialists in India will change their minds in rejecting America’s proffered hand of friendship and join in with American against radical Islamists in Pakistan and Iran.
Muslim Pakistan and Hindi India are nearly blood enemies and I suspect India could not stand for Mohammedan nuclear proliferation in the Middle East than America or Europe (although for different reasons).
Thus what Musharraf has done may be reported with media calm of just another dictatorial move in Pakistan; however I suspect the American military and policy strategists are scrambling to develop multiple alternative measures to choose from depending on which way the Pakistani crisis swings.
This is what happens when a Mohammedan leaves the religion of peace and tries to marry a gal born a Christian in Iran.
For the details, go to Gateway Pundit (with a hit tip to MidEast Truth).
These are the kind of incidents that make me question the existence of a group of Mohammedans known as moderate.
Youssef Ibrahim writes about Saudi Arabia from the perspective of former CIA Agent Robert Baer. The picture is not pretty. The picture painted of Saudi Arabia is that of an evil Mohammedan Kingdom bent on global subversion via Wahhabi fundamentalism coupled paradoxically with wealthy Saudis living the life of a Western hedonist.
Think of that! Next to Israel, Saudi Arabia is considered by many (especially pro-Arabists) to be central as an American ally in the Middle East as well as a source of political stability. Indeed the fact is Saudi Arabia via the dissemination of evil propaganda and the duplicity of the most corrupt versions of Western hedonism is emerging as an enigmatic source of political instability in the Middle East.
This polarity of Wahhabism and hedonism could topple the Saudi Monarchy or the entire royal family much as the Shah of Iran was deposed. It just takes one moronic President in the image of Jimmah Carter for that to happen.
JRH 8/29/07
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Saudi Arabia: The Islamist Cage
BY YOUSSEF IBRAHIM
August 27, 2007
The New York Sun (Print Version)
A former prime minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif, recently declared he was returning home to try to regain power after six years of exile — in Saudi Arabia. The day that the monster of Uganda, Idi Amin, was removed from power in 1979, he flew to a country where sanctuary as a Muslim African leader would be guaranteed upon his arrival — Saudi Arabia.
And in 1970, immediately following the death of an Egyptian dictator, Gamal Abdel Nasser, the leadership of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood movement returned home in droves to try to Islamize their native land — after two decades in Saudi Arabia.
Thus, Saudi Arabia ever expands its fundamentalist cage.
Robert Baer, a 20-year veteran of the CIA and the author of "Sleeping With the Devil: How Washington Sold Our Soul for Saudi Crude," has often described the Saudis as the world's primary financiers of terrorism, the source of much of Al Qaeda's leadership, and an incubating station for radical Islam.
Though such activities have come back to haunt the Saudis and their allies in America — Islamist terror struck home in 1995, 1996, and 1998 bombings, two American embassies were attacked in Africa, and the USS Cole was bombed in Yemen in the leadup to the attacks of September 11, 2001 — the Saudi system continues to perpetuate the model.
The reason, according to Mr. Baer and other Middle East analysts, is that Saudi Arabia runs on two currencies: the riyal and Islam.
Neither Saudi society nor its ruling establishment can escape: All of its constituent elements — from business and charity to religious instruction, law enforcement, and foreign relations — rattle inside the cage of the country's fundamentalist obsessions: The Saudi flag contains a Koranic verse. The Saudi monarch wraps his authority in Islam as "the custodian of Mecca and Medina." Saudi foreign aid is based on building fundamentalist madrassas and mosques, supporting such fundamentalist groups as Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, and spreading Koranic instruction worldwide.
Arab and Muslim expatriate workers who have lived and worked in Saudi Arabia — easily numbering 50 million over the last three decades — return imbued with a model of militancy that duplicates an Osama bin Laden-style path toward jihad against their home societies.
This vicious cycle mattered little when oil was cheap and the Saudis were a mere curiosity. But Saudi Arabia's power grew as it was transformed into a prime energy source in the 1970s, a huge financial influence in the 1980s, and an immense lobbying presence in the 1990s.
By the late '90s, there were full-size mirror images of Saudi Arabia's stilted brand of Islam in Egypt, Pakistan, Somalia, the Philippines, Chechnya, Bosnia, and Kosovo, as well as among Muslim communities in Europe, Australia, and America. More mirror images are in the making.
In one of his many interviews since leaving the CIA, Mr. Baer gave an interesting analysis of the elements that make for the creation and exportation of this model, describing Saudi Arabia as both hapless and evil.
"They feel humiliated by colonialism, by the United States, by Israel — call it what you want. They feel they are citizens or subjects of a country that has never fought a war, and yet spends so much money on defense. They're humiliated that they don't take the Israelis on, because their army is worthless. They sit around and they read the Koran. And they get on these Islamic Web sites, and they watch Al-Jazeera. And they go to the mosque."
In other words, the Saudis do little except rattle around within the cage of their own fundamentalism. This deep confusion is reflected throughout the ruling family, which contains both princes who are Westernized — in such vulgar aspects as drinking, womanizing, gambling, and wearing diamond-studded Rolex watches — and others who leave a mosque only to enter a charity that nurtures madrassas turning out little bin Ladens.
Their schizophrenia is exemplified in such global personalities as Prince Al-Walid bin Talal, a multibillionaire businessman who simultaneously invests his billions in America while funding both the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which is the American chapter of the jihadist Muslim Brotherhood.
In the end, the Saudis are just rattling around in their cage. A society with no social project except to produce more Muslims, deeper Muslims, better Muslims, ends up as one that produces Muslim fanatics and terrorists.
Now, with oil prices having moved north of $70 dollar a barrel, a lot more trouble will be coming our way out of the Saudi cage.
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The original New York Sun URL: http://www.nysun.com/article/61322
© 2007 The New York Sun, One SL, LLC. All rights reserved.
There is no doubt that the Middle East is becoming more and more complex in the interaction of the nations and their agendas in the region.
Who is aligned with whom? Does Israel have any friendly Arab nations that will fight on its side? Since the Palestinian-Arab people are apparently divided between Hamas and the Palestine Authority, will the PA become an ally of Israel to squash Hamastan? Will Israel attack Syria? Will Syria attack Israel? Will Hezbollah attack Israel at the bequest of Iran? Will Shi’ite Hezbollah team up with Sunni Hamas (add a smidgeon of the Syrian military into the mix) in a two front assault on Israel with Iran waiting in the background to decide whether or not to become personally involved in such a fracas? Will Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel team up to confront Iranian aspirations to be the hegemon of the Middle East? Will America abandon the Middle East (and its Western Democratic ally Israel) to allow the nations to duke it out and enter a weakened battle weary area to indulge on perceived (depending who runs the White House) National Interests? OR will the dang Middle Eastern erupt into global war because of outside National Interests such as Russia, China, Japan, India, America and the EU? AND if a global war erupts who will side with whom?
Yeah man this is what I am talking about: Wars and Rumors of Wars. I did not even mention transnational Islamist multiple terrorist organizations which are more numerous than just al Qaeda.
Here is what got me thinking on this geopolitical lava dome ever growing until some kind of pressurized explosion occurs: Guy Bechor writing for the YnetNews.com Opinion section speculates that all these juicy arms deals to Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel is a message that America will eventually pull out of the Middle Eastern region to allow those nations to deal with the nuke WMD aspirations of hegemonic hungry Iran.
Now think about that speculation! Saudi Arabia (Wahhabi Sunnis), Egypt (Muslim Brotherhood Sunnis) and Israel (secular and religious Jewish Zionists) as a Middle East team against radical Shi’ites managed by Iran (including a remarkable smattering Sunnis). Could the Saudi’s and Egypt cooperate militarily with Israel for a common goal of neutralizing an Iran ramping up to become armed with nuclear WMD?
The only thing I see is chaos!
Shi’ite Iran and Wahhabi Sunni Taliban have been fierce enemies in the past, so much so that Iran did not complain when America invaded Afghanistan to topple the Taliban regime and it Stateless ally al-Qaeda.
Apparently the deep hatred Sunni and Shi’ites have had for centuries has transformed by mutual hatred of the United States. There have been major indicators that Iran has been supplying weapons and supplies to the Taliban hiding in the Afghan mountains enabling them to be a continuous threat to the anti-Taliban government and American/coalition forces trying to secure Afghanistan.
So here is the picture: Iran says that Israel will soon be wiped off the map; Iran trains and supplies terrorists Hamas (Sunnis in the Gaza), Islamic Jihad (Shi’ites in Gaza) and Hezbollah (Shi’ites in Lebanon); Iran has made mutual defense pacts with Syria and Sudan; Iran has trained and anti-American militant Shi’ites in Iraq; Iran as stated above is aiding the Taliban AND I would say it is a pretty good guess that NOW Iran is aiding al-Qaeda in some form or fashion. This is a bleak picture for Middle Eastern peace particularly as it affects the National Interests of America and Israel.
I must note that these Sunni/Shi’ite alliances are tenable. There mutual hatred could blow up into a division followed by unification due to a perceived American threat. It is quite complicated on who are enemies and friends at any given moment. The only thing that seems to be linear is both Wahhabi and Shi’ite schools of thought desiring a return to medieval harsh Sharia Law, it is only the interpretation that separates the sects and an American ideology of democratic Liberty and an American military presence that unites them.
What is so complicated about holding rogue nations accountable for actions that destabilize peace? Until recently the Middle Eastern rogue nations militarily were mere popcorn (some doused in oil) nations only capable of making the sounds of many little pops. It was only through nations that have or have been military powers that these popcorn rogues had military weapons. Now due to the fear of the loss of oil Western nations are allowing rogue Iran to become a nuclear power with the capability to do something more than a little a pop. Iran is moving toward a thermal nuclear BOOM.
Then there is Syria: A rogue nation that is geographically smack in the middle of active Islamofascist terrorists without sovereignty. Syria has basically become a rogue sovereign nation client of Iran. Syria’s Baathist Party functions similar to Saddam’s Baathist Party. Saddam’s minority Sunnis ruled ’s majority Shi’ites with brutality. Assad’s minority Alawite Mohammedan sect rules the majority Sunni sect in Syria. Alawites are somewhat cousins to the Shi’ites of Iran except they go beyond the reverence of Mohammed’s cousin Ali as the legitimate heir of Mohammed, they have deified Ali.
Assad’s Syria has become a bold rogue as the client of nuclear emerging Iran. Thus Assad has massively aided Shi’ite Hezbollah and Sunni Hamas and probably lesser known murdering Islamofascist terrorists. Assad has taken dead Yasser Arafat’s mantle of deceiving the West with the preferment of peace while telling the Mohammedan Middle East to resist the West violently and destroy Israel vehemently.
The more America and the West tries appeasing negotiation with Syria and Iran the closer the globe comes to another to another all out World War.
Greg Lewis postulates in a short essay: Perhaps Terrorists Really Do Speak for Islam. I tend to agree with Lewis.
All the acts of brutality, torture and atrocity that includes men, women and children of both the Mohammedan cult and Western non-believers of Mohammed’s dubious revealed words from a demon called Allah as mediated by an angel disguised in light called Gabriel (in English).
I recently answered the propagandized accusations by a Mohammedan that did not even have the courage to use a name other than “anonymous.” His multiple posts did not one time condemn the acts of radical Islamist terrorism. Instead “anonymous” chose to deflect the heinous brutality of Mohammedans by comparing them to bad things America and Israel have perpetrated.
There is not one super power in modern history that has made mistakes in policy choices. Of those modern Super powers or regional hegemonic powers that utilize Democracy as the rule of law, not one can be accused brutal executions and unutterable torture. America’s so-called acts of torture are a mosquito bite compared to Mohammedan torture and violence.
Hitler was responsible for 12 million genocidal murders of which 6 million were Jews.
Stalin was responsible for 13 million genocidal murders.