LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
August 08/09
Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ
according to Saint Matthew 16:24-28. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever
wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For
whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my
sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son
of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory, and then he will repay
everyone according to his conduct. Amen, I say to you, there are some standing
here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his
kingdom
Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special
Reports
Australia: Down Under Jihad?By
Walid Phares/Counterterrorism
Blog /07/08/09
The
Palestinians deserve the scolding that they got from Saudi King Abdullah-The
Daily Star 07/08/09
International Christian Concern:
Petition
for Christians in Northern Nigeria 07/08/09
Release: ICC: Islamic Extremists
Kill Three Pastors, Raze Twenty Churches in Nigeria 07/08/09
Latest
News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for August
07/09
How France sank the original Mideast peace-Jerusalem
Post
Hariri's Vacation Continues, No
Two-Way Contacts-Naharnet
Soaid
to Jumblat: No One has Right to Put Conditions on March 14-Naharnet
DHL Pays $9.4 Million Fine For Shipping To
Iran, Sudan, Syria-AHN
MIDDLE EAST: Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah
rattle sabers-Los Angeles Times
Franjieh: Jumblat Not Convinced of Anything, His Only Concern is Protecting the
Druze-Naharnet
Hariri to discuss cabinet
with Saudi king – sources-Daily
Star-Naharnet
ISF to launch crackdown on
unruly motorists
in Kesrouan region-Daily
Star-Naharnet
Barak says any provocation will
be met
with all necessary force-Daily
Star-Naharnet
New TV calls for solidarity
with
presenter Eid-Daily
Star
Italy launches project to get
women in government-Daily
Star
NGO seeks to end education
inequality-Naharnet
EU presidency condemns recent mass execution in Iran-By
Agence France Presse (AFP)
Iran is the problem, not settlements – US-By
Agence France Presse (AFP)
Rifi to
Moscow to be Briefed on Russian Training Programs-Naharnet
Jumblat Warns He Will Put
Conditions on March 14 Forces, Says Assad Now More Mature-Naharnet
Fadlallah: We Have Become
a Nation That Doesn't Know What it Wants-Naharnet
U.S: Hizbullah, Hamas
Exploiting Government Vacuum-Naharnet
Bassil: FPM Adamant about
Getting Key Cabinet Post-Naharnet
Hariri in Beirut This
Weekend, will Meet Jumblat Upon Arrival-Naharnet
Syria Welcomes Jumblat's
Visit which is Likely after Cabinet Formation-Naharnet
Letter from Obama to Assad
… More Openness-Naharnet
France Rules Out Military
Escalation on Border-Naharnet
International Tribunal
Spokeswoman Susan Khan Resigns-Naharnet
Israel Says Tanks to Get
New Anti-Missile System-Naharnet
Wahhab Conveys Syrian
Message of Love and Appreciation to Jumblat-Naharnet
Barak says any provocation will be met with all necessary force
Israeli defense minister objects to Hizbullah participation in cabinet
By Patrick Galey /Daily Star staff/Friday, August 07, 2009
BEIRUT: Israel’s war of words with Lebanon intensified on Thursday, as Israeli
Defense Minister Ehud Barak vowed his country would meet any military
provocation with “all necessary force” and objected to Hizbullah’s participation
in the cabinet. In an interview with Israeli public radio, Barak said “we cannot
accept that a neighboring UN member state should have in its government
representatives of a militia that has more than 40,000 rockets,” in reference to
recent media reports that Hizbullah has built up a significant arsenal since
2006.
Barak hinted that in his view, Israel didn’t strike hard enough at Lebanon’s
infrastructure during the summer war of 2006, which killed more than 1,200
Lebanese civilians and targeted roads, bridges, power stations, and Beirut
International Airport. He said international pressure was exerted on Israel at
the time to refrain from inflicting disproportionate damage.
“What happened in the second Lebanon war will not happen again … at the time a
message from the United States indicated we must spare Lebanon’s
infrastructure,” he said
Hariri in Beirut This Weekend,
will Meet Jumblat Upon Arrival
Naharnet/Political impasse continues to prevail over Lebanon as media reports
said Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri was likely to arrive in Beirut this
weekend to resume talks on government formation. During this week, Hariri's
activity was limited to a telephone contact with Egyptian President Hosni
Mubarak in which the two men discussed the latest developments in Lebanon,
pan-Arab Asharq al-Awsat reported Friday. An-Nahar newspaper, for its part,
quoted Mustaqbal MPs as saying that next week will be a "pivotal week" with
regards to the political scene since the main reaction to Druze leader Walid
Jumblat's latest statements should come from Hariri himself. They pointed out
that a lot of information that had been circulated in recent days "lacked
precision." Meanwhile, the daily al-Liwaa quoted a senior Mustaqbal official as
saying that Hariri will meet Jumblat upon arrival to listen to him firsthand.
Beirut, 07 Aug 09, 13:09
U.S: Hizbullah, Hamas Exploiting Government Vacuum
Naharnet/President Barack Obama is replacing the "global war on terror" with a
new U.S. strategy more narrowly focused on al-Qaida and relying more on a
broader effort to engage the Muslim world, a top aide said. John Brennan,
Obama's chief counter-terrorism advisor, said al-Qaida remains a "persistent and
evolving threat" to the United States and is being aggressively targeted by the
new administration. "But describing our efforts as a 'global war' only plays
into the warped narrative that al-Qaida propagates," Brennan said in comments to
a think tank here. "It plays into the misleading and dangerous notion that the
U.S. is somehow in conflict with the rest of the world," he said.
Brennan said Washington believes that Hizbullah and Hamas "are exploiting the
institutional vacuum to secure social services for the poor, while they carry
out heinous terrorist acts."
In a question and answer session, Brennan suggested that the new administration
was prepared to reach out to groups like the Hizbullah that move away from their
"terrorist core."
"We the United States are willing to engage in a dialogue with any organizations
or groups that are dedicated to realizing peaceful solutions to existing
problems," he said.
"Those elements within Lebanon, be they Hizbullah or others, know the United
States has tried to be a very honest broker there regarding support for Lebanese
institutions and those who shun terrorism will in fact gain favor with the
United States." "The same thing with the Palestinian community: those
Palestinians that are really going to ensure that they pursue a path towards
peace that does not bring terrorism to bear are going to be partners of the
United States," he said.
He said Obama was bringing to the issue "a fundamentally new and more effective
approach" by attacking the longer-term problem of Muslim extremism through
diplomacy and political and economic strategies. "Indeed, the counterinsurgency
lessons learned in Iraq and Afghanistan apply equally to the broader fight
against extremism: we cannot shoot ourselves out of this challenge," he said.
"We can take out all the terrorists we want -- their leadership and their foot
soldiers. But if we fail to confront the broader political, economic, and social
conditions in which extremists thrive, then there will always be another recruit
in the pipeline, another attack coming downstream," he said.
Brennan outlined ambitious goals for promoting economic and political
development in poor, conflict-ridden regions of the world as well diplomatic
efforts to restore U.S. standing among Muslims. His speech came on the
anniversary of a 2001 U.S. intelligence warning famously ignored by then
President George Bush that said al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden was plotting
attacks on the United States. "President Obama is under no illusions about the
imminence and severity of this threat," Brennan said. "Indeed, he has repeatedly
and forcefully challenged those who suggest that this threat has passed."
Brennan invoked his own credentials as a longtime CIA officer who served as the
agency's station chief in Saudi Arabia to defend Obama against critics who have
questioned his commitment to the fight against terrorism.
"Over the past six months we have presented President Obama with a number of
actions and initiatives against al-Qaida and other terrorist groups. "Not only
has he approved these operations, he has encouraged us to be even more
aggressive, even more proactive, and even more innovative, to seek out new ways
and new opportunities for taking down these terrorists before they can kill more
innocent men, women, and children," he said. Brennan said al-Qaida and its
affiliates were "under tremendous pressure."
"After years of U.S. counterterrorism operations, and in partnership with other
nations, al-Qaida has been seriously damaged and forced to replace many of its
top-tier leadership with less experienced and less capable individuals," he
said. "Nevertheless, al-Qaida has proven to be adaptive and highly resilient and
remains the most serious terrorist threat we face as a nation," he added. "The
group's intent to carry out attacks against the United States and U.S. interests
around the world -- with weapons of mass destruction if possible -- remains
undiminished, and another attack on the U.S. homeland remains the top priority
for the al-Qaida senior leadership," he said.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 07 Aug 09,
08:09
Hariri's Vacation Continues, No Two-Way Contacts
Naharnet/Media reports about contacts between Prime Minister-designate Saad
Hariri and majority and minority leaderships are not true, well-informed sources
told Naharnet on Friday.
The sources said Hariri did not contact the parliamentary leaderships on cabinet
formation and is still on vacation with his family. Asked about his return to
Beirut, the sources told Naharnet: "The vacation is ongoing." Media reports had
said that Hariri was likely to arrive in Beirut this weekend to resume talks on
government formation. An-Nahar newspaper quoted Mustaqbal MPs as saying that
next week will be a "pivotal week" with regards to the political scene since the
main reaction to Druze leader Walid Jumblat's latest statements should come from
Hariri himself. They pointed out that a lot of information that had been
circulated in recent days "lacked precision." Meanwhile, the daily al-Liwaa
quoted a senior Mustaqbal official as saying that Hariri will meet Jumblat upon
arrival to listen to him firsthand. Beirut, 07 Aug 09, 15:05
Soaid to Jumblat: No One has Right to Put Conditions on
March 14
Naharnet/March 14 General-Secretariat Coordinator Fares Soaid hit back at MP
Walid Jumblat who warned he was going to put conditions on March 14. "Not any
March 14 leader can put conditions on our coalition," Soaid said in remarks to
LBC television. Soaid justified Jumblat's latest statements, saying the Druze
leader has a "different reading of the new phase than that of some March 14
figures."On Western openness to Syria, Soaid asked: "Syria is seeking to
negotiate with Israel. Do we negotiate with Israel?" Beirut, 07 Aug 09, 12:18
Franjieh: Jumblat Not Convinced of Anything, His Only
Concern is Protecting the Druze
Naharnet/Marada Movement leader Suleiman Franjieh believed that Progressive
Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat is "not convinced of anything, but
safeguarding the Druze community and this is his right.""His (Jumblat's) mind is
focused in this direction only," Franjieh said in an interview with LBC's Kalam
el-Nass talk show late Thursday. Franjieh deemed that Jumblat's strength stems
from the people's support for him. He pointed that the global atmosphere has now
changed. "There is a Syrian and Iranian reality in the region and the United
State has changed its policy toward them," Franjieh noted. "There is also
recognition that the Syrian regime is there to stay and will not change. Jumblat
has seen this fact and he is more daring than others to decide to return to his
previous positions," he added. Franjieh believed his relationship with Free
Patriotic Movement Leader MP Michel Aoun is "inevitable destiny." He reiterated
his demand for veto power and pointed that his share in Cabinet and that of Aoun
should be three Maronite ministers. Franjieh said he supports having a "strong"
President for the Republic, adding that he welcomes suggestions for amending the
Constitution. Beirut, 07 Aug 09, 09:14
Rifi to Moscow to be Briefed on Russian Training Programs
Naharnet/Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi will travel to
Moscow after midnight Friday to be briefed on police training programs in
Russia. Rifi will visit the Russian capital for several days on the head of a
delegation from the ISF general directorate and upon an invitation from the
Russian interior ministry. He will meet with top security officers and visit
police training institutes to receive a briefing on training programs and
techniques used by Russian police. Beirut, 07 Aug 09, 16:54
Jumblat Warns He Will Put Conditions on March 14 Forces,
Says Assad Now More Mature
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat announced he was
suspending his party membership in March 14 forces and said Syrian President
Bashar al-Assad has become well versed in politics and more mature. "I am
suspending my party membership in the General Secretariat of March 14 Forces
until things become clearer," Jumblat said in an interview published by the
daily As-Safir Friday. "If the guys in March 14 do not want to see things the
way they are, then this is a problem," he warned. Jumblat rejected continuation
of the deeply divided Lebanon between two political camps –March 8 and March 14.
He hailed, however, a centrist leadership. He pointed out that the Lebanese
political right -- represented by the Phalange Party, the Lebanese Forces and
the majority of the March 14 coalition – has increased in recent years, adding
that "they don't care about what is going on in the region.""All they care about
is how they can deal with the issue of Palestinian refugees once and for all,"
he added. The Druze leader warned that he will put conditions on March 14 "until
it takes a decisive decision.""Will it (March 14) remain where it is -- a
hostage to the narrow-mindedness, or will they speak Arabic?" Jumblat asked. On
Assad, Jumblat believed that the Syrian president has become well versed in
politics. "President Bashar Assad today is different from that in 2000 or 2005.
He has become more versed and more experienced," he said.
Beirut, 07 Aug 09, 08:25
Fadlallah: We Have Become a Nation That Doesn't Know What
it Wants
Naharnet/Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah criticized Friday the
Lebanese for "not being able to run the country without foreign intervention."
"We have become a nation that does not know what it wants," he said during his
Friday sermon. Beirut, 07 Aug 09, 14:57
Bassil: FPM Adamant about Getting Key Cabinet Post
Naharnet/Telecommunications Minister Jebran Bassil said a decision by Free
Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun to abandon his demand for proportional
representation in Cabinet was the "maximum they could get." "Facilitation
efforts stop here," Bassil said during a political meeting the FPM held at
Rimmal resort, adding that Tayyar will not give up his right to a key Cabinet
seat. The daily As Safir said Thursday's Tayyar meeting with a large number of
political cadres was aimed at sending out "political messages" to PM-designate
Saad Hariri, stressing the "successful experience" of Aoun's movement in
assuming responsibility of a key and sensitive services portfolio. Beirut, 07
Aug 09, 13:01
Syria Welcomes Jumblat's Visit which is Likely after
Cabinet Formation
Naharnet/Syria has sent welcome "political" messages on the visit of Progressive
Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat and Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri
and even Christian leaders within the March 14 coalition. The daily An-Nahar
on Friday said a letter from Syria to Jumblat conveyed by Tawheed leader Wiam
Wahhab stressed that "Damascus road is open anytime." "This does not mean that
the roads are closed in the face of any other Lebanese, particularly Hariri and
March 14 Christian" leaders, the letter said. Pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat,
meanwhile, quoted Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa as saying "there is no
need for political preparation for Jumblat's visit as differences between us are
now history."It said Jumblat has decided to visit Damascus following declaration
of a new Lebanese government, adding that he will meet Syrian President Bashar
Assad and senior Syrian officials. Tawheed Party leader Wiam Wahhab on
Thursday conveyed to Jumblat a "message of love and appreciation" from Damascus.
Wahhab told reporters that Syria is Jumblat's "family and home.""What links the
Druze sect with Damascus is far larger than all of us," Wahhab said, hoping that
everyone would "come to understand this issue as it is not directed against
anyone."Jumblat, in turn, said he is keen on ensuring the success of
PM-designate Saad Hariri's mission in forming a new government of national
unity. Beirut, 07 Aug 09, 12:08
Letter from Obama to Assad … More Openness
Naharnet/Press reports on Friday uncovered that US President Barack Obama has
sent a three-page letter to Syrian leader Bashar Assad that tackled the
situations in Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan. Contents of the letter were not
revealed. A senior Arab diplomatic source, however, told the daily Al-Akhbar in
remarks published Friday that Obama has showed willingness to "cooperate" with
Syria. The source said Damascus has responded "positively" to Obama's letter. He
felt sorry for "some Lebanese who still live in the past … Syria and the U.S.
are now halfway through an understanding, while they (Lebanese) are still
concerned about the Cedar Revolution." Beirut, 07 Aug 09, 11:07
France Rules Out Military Escalation on Border
Naharnet/France has downplayed threats by Israel against Lebanon. French
diplomatic sources said remarks by Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak "only
represent some tension that occurs from time to time.""It is not in the interest
of any side to engage in any hostile action against the other," one source told
the daily An-Nahar in remarks published Friday. The sources stressed that UNIFIL
was playing its peacekeeping role alongside the Lebanese army in southern
Lebanon, adding that Hizbullah is a political party and "it is only normal to
have representatives in both Parliament and Cabinet." They said Hizbullah
rearmament and violation of Lebanese airspace and Israel's unwillingness to
withdraw from Lebanese territory "adds to the growing tension between Israel and
Lebanon."France called on both Lebanon and Israel for full implementation of
U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701. Beirut, 07 Aug 09, 10:16
International Tribunal Spokeswoman Susan Khan Resigns
Naharnet/Special Tribunal for Lebanon spokeswoman Susan Khan has resigned for
"personal reasons."She will quit her post at the STL headquarters in The Hague
November 9. Khan joined the STL in March 1, when the tribunal was launched. She
is the second official to resign in as many months. STL Registrar Robin Vincent
resigned in April. Beirut, 07 Aug 09, 09:49
Israel Says Tanks to Get New Anti-Missile System
Naharnet/The Israeli army will begin equipping its tanks with a new anti-missile
system, following stinging losses due to missiles fired by Hizbullah in the 2006
Lebanon war, officials said.
The Trophy system uses radar to track incoming missiles and fires a projectile
to explode the missiles before they reach their target, a military official
said. Tests of the system were successful and it will be installed on the latest
generation Merkava IV tanks. According the private television station Channel 10
the system is expensive, costing around 350,000 dollars (245,000 euros) per
unit. Israel has been searching for a new defense against missiles after
Hizbullah militants during the Second Lebanon War scored a number of damaging
strikes against the Merkavas, considered one of the strongest tanks in the
world. Israel media have reported that of 25 modern guided missiles fired by
Hizbullah militants, a quarter penetrated the tank's formidable armor and caused
death or injuries among crew members.(AFP) Beirut, 07 Aug 09, 09:34
Wahhab Conveys Syrian Message of Love and Appreciation to
Jumblat
Naharnet/The leader of the Tawheed Party Wiam Wahhab conveyed to 'Democratic
Gathering' parliamentary bloc and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid
Jumblat a message of love and appreciation from Damascus. Following their
meeting at later Clemenceau residence in Beirut on Thursday Wahhab told
reporters: "Syria is his [Jumblat's] family and home, what links the Druze sect
with Damascus is far larger than all of us. I hope that everyone would come to
understand this issue, as it is not directed against anyone. Moreover, Jumblat
is keen on the Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri and on making his mission a
success in quickly forming a national unity government."
He went on to add: "Everyone must come to understand our distinctiveness as
Druze, and the distinct relationship we have with Damascus. What Walid Bayk did
goes beyond the issue of government formation." Wahhab explained that the
Progressive Socialist Party leader's statements last Sunday concerning the March
14 forces is not linked to the formation of the next Lebanese government but to
other "calculated issues." He added that the Druze sect is keen on safeguarding
the Muslim line. "But this is not directed against anyone." Saying the Muslim
line is threatened all the way from Iraq to Lebanon.
"As for Syria, she is keen on maintaining equal and good relations with all
Lebanese, on the condition in having a united Lebanon that safeguards the
resistance, security" and the Arab identity of the country. Wahhab
described Jumblat's relationship to Syria as an old association "that had its
bad moments.""However, such moments are now wiped out from Syria's book and
Walid Bek's book as well and the coming days would witness positive developments
not just for the Druze but for Lebanon as well," Wahhab said. For his part,
Jumblat said: "We Lebanese when we visit Damascus apply the Taef accord that
determined who is our friend and who is our enemy."
He added that the Taef accord set distinct relations with Syria. "We also
welcome the rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Syria," Jumblat said. He
described the Taef accord in saying it called for holding distinct relations
with Syria, and armistice with Israel."Which means, no peace, no settlement, no
reconciliation and no relations with Israel," the progressive socialist leader
said. "We shall study every incident in the right time for the benefit of both
the Lebanese and Syrian states as well as for the special relationship among the
Muslims. This talk is not directed against the Christians, rather to remove all
of the residues of the events of May 7 2008 and to further establish the
relationship our people in the mountains with those at Jabal al-Arab," he said.
Beirut, 06 Aug 09, 21:30
The Palestinians deserve the scolding that they got from Saudi King Abdullah
Friday, August 07, 2009
Editorial-Daily Star
Palestinian leaders deserve the scolding that they got on Thursday in the form
of an open letter from Saudi King Abdullah published in Al-Hayat. The letter,
which was addressed to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, warned that “even if
the whole world agreed” to the creation of a Palestinian state, such a goal
would never materialize “so long as the Palestinian house is divided.”
The letter could not have come at a more appropriate time, given that divisions
between the two main Palestinian factions are apparently compounded by deepening
schisms within the long-dominant Fatah party. Many had hoped that this week’s
Fatah congress – the first such party gathering in 20 years – would see the
rejuvenation of a movement that has become bogged down by corruption and
complacency. Instead, it was kicked off amid charges by younger reformers that
the meeting had been “hijacked” by the older generation, which they accused of
packing the congress at the last minute with supporters who would guarantee
their election to the party leadership.
Added to these inter-party divisions is the ongoing dispute between Fatah and
Hamas – a rivalry that has spilled over into violence on several occasions over
the last few years. Far from appearing ready for the necessary compromises
the last few years. Far from appearing ready for the necessary compromises, both
Hamas and Fatah have willfully sabotaged efforts to reconcile their two
factions.
The end result of all of this infighting is that the Fatah congress, which
should have been a prime venue for advancing the cause of Palestinian statehood,
has been reduced to little more than a side show. The gathering has failed to
generate the desired media buzz, and what little coverage has been given to the
event has emphasized the utter disunity of the Palestinian leadership.
The world is witnessing an unprecedented international push for a resolution to
the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, but both Fatah and Hamas have proven unable to
capitalize on this momentum. Both parties should be deeply engaged with each
other in drawing up diplomatic strategies aimed at ending decades of occupation.
But instead they’ve divided themselves against their own interests, ensuring
their own irrelevance. The two principle Palestinian parties appear more
concerned with their own bitter feuds than they are with bringing the enemy to
account.
Perhaps King Abdullah said it best in his open letter when he offered the
following criticism: “I’ll be honest, brothers The criminal enemy [Israel] could
not over long years of continued aggression have inflicted as much damage to the
Palestinian cause as did the Palestinians themselves in a matter of a few
months.” At a time when a coherent message demanding statehood might create
enough international pressure for Western countries to finally stop allowing
Israel to break international law, the Palestinians are busy battling it out
among themselves.
Hariri to discuss cabinet with Saudi king – sources
By Elias Sakr /Daily Star staff/Friday, August 07, 2009
BEIRUT: Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri is expected to meet with Saudi King
Abdullah bin Abdel-Aziz in Morocco to discuss the formation of a new government,
a source close to the Future Movement leader told The Daily Star on Thursday.
Hariri was expected to meet with the king late Thursday, after The Daily Star
went to press. Meanwhile, caretaker Prime Minister Fouad Siniora discussed the
latest domestic developments with President Michel Sleiman at Baabda
Presidential Palace, focusing on the ongoing process of forming a new
government. The cabinet formation process has been thrown into a doubt in recent
days, after Druze leader Walid Jumblatt said he was no longer allied with the
March 14 movement, headed by Hariri. But the source from Future stressed that
despite Jumblatt’s recent statements, his share of ministers in the new cabinet
would continue to be calculated as part of the March 14 coalition’s allotted 15
seats. In the formula that has been adopted in principle, 10 government posts
would go to the opposition, with Sleiman receiving the remaining five, in a
proposed 30-member government. “The agreement between political parties on the
15-10-5 formula is still valid and Jumblatt’s ministers will be part of the
March 14 share,” the Future Movement source added
Petition for Christians in
Northern Nigeria
International Christian Concern (icc@persecution.org)
August 6, 2009
Since the introduction of Sharia law in northern Nigeria in 1999, religious
violence has resulted in the death of 12,000 Nigerians, the displacement of
thousands more, and the destruction of places of worship and private property.
The most recent violent attacks occurred on July 26 and 27, when the Islamic
extremist group known as Boko Haram carried out attacks targeting government
security officials, innocent civilians, police stations, and churches. Hundreds
died as a result of these attacks. This violence, which started in Bauchi state,
also engulfed the northern Nigerian states of Borno, Kanu and Yobe.
The Islamists razed twenty churches in Madiguri, Borno state and killed several
Christians including: Sabo Yakubu, pastor of a Church of Christ congregation in
Nigeria, Reverend Sylvester O Akpan, pastor of National Evangelical Mission, and
Reverend George Orji, pastor of Good News of Christ Church.
In addition, in April 2009, several Christians were injured and places of
worship destroyed after a group of Muslims attacked Christians while they were
celebrating Easter in Niger State.
In February 2009, 11 people were killed and 14 churches and one mosque were
burned down in Bauchi after Islamists carried out attacks against Christians in
the city. Hundreds of innocent people lost their lives following one of the
worst instances of religious violence in Jos in November 2008.
The violence and the resulting wanton destruction of lives and property are
avoidable. Nigerian security officials have repeatedly failed to take preventive
measures before such attacks occur. Also, Nigerian officials repeatedly fail to
bring the perpetrators of these attacks to justice.
Would you join us petitioning the ambassador of Nigeria to take steps to protect
the Christian minority in northern Nigeria? Please follow the instructions below
and have your signatures back to us by September 19.
Here's How You Can Help
#1 Pray: The first thing you can do to help is stop right now and ask the Lord
to intervene.
#2 Next, review our petition. Nigerian officials are concerned about their
relationship with the United States and other countries, so when the people
shout, they will listen. We have also found that evil prefers to stay hidden and
when we shine the light on it, it flees.
#3 Electronically sign the petition by clicking here.
#4 Print out the petition and take it to your church and have everyone you know
sign it. Send it back to us so we can present it to the Egyptian Ambassador.
Feel free to print out extra signature pages for large numbers of sign ups. When
you have collected all your signatures, please mail the signature pages to
(please note that our address has changed!):
ICC
PO Box 8056
Silver Spring, MD 20907
or fax them to us (301-585-5918).
Please get them back to us by September 19.
#5 Forward this email to all your email contacts and ask them to do the same.
Sincerely in Christ,
Jeff King
President, ICC
International Christian Concern
P.O. Box 8056
Silver Spring, MD 20907
Phone: (800) ICC-5441
Fax: (301) 585-5918
Australia: Down Under Jihad?
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
By: Walid Phares
Every time a liberal democracy was targeted by jihadi terror; from 9/11,
Madrid's trains, London's subways, Holland's Van Gogh assassination, to all
other terror-related arrests in France, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Italy, and
Denmark, a similar question was repeated senselessly: "Why do they hate us?"
Unfortunately in all of these Western societies, the political debate about the
root causes and future of jihadi violence failed to answer this seminal
question. Furthermore, a stunningly compromised expertise failed its governments
by dragging authorities into chronic misinterpretation of what is happening and
what to do about it. One more time, the experiment is repeating itself in
Australia. Here is why:
As in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and other Western
democracies, law enforcement and counterterrorism agencies have been efficient
in monitoring the threat, swift in responding and lucky in uprooting networks
planning terror. With the exceptions of the first strikes of 2001 in New York,
2004 in Madrid and 2005 in London, police and security teams have been able to
stop the plots before they are executed; knock on wood so far. But these law
enforcement heroes are operating under the aegis of questionable government
strategies, or rather non-strategies, with dramatic consequences. The latest
arrests made in Melbourne, Australia, are another example.
Thanks to a massive counterterrorism operation with multiple raids throughout
the state of Victoria, four Australian citizens of Somali and Lebanese heritage
were arrested at dawn. Police and agencies executed 19 search warrants, which
resulted in the stopping of a plot to launch a suicide attack in Melbourne, a la
Mumbai, on an army base. Nayef el Sayyed, Saney Edow Aweys, Wissam Mahmoud
Fattal, Yacqub Khayre, and Abdirahman Ahmed, aged between 22 and 26, were
arrested and charged with preparing a terrorist attack on the Holsworthy army
base in southwest Sydney. Other suspects were under arrest already, one
accordingly was cooperating. More arrests could be made.
Authorities said the operation "disrupted a terrorist attack that could have
claimed many lives." Australian officials were concerned that a Somali jihadist
had obtained a "fatwa" (religious edict) from Somalia calling for attacks in the
country within weeks. It is believed that at least two of the conspirators have
links to Somali Shabab al-Jihad, a group with ties to al-Qaida. Australia was
lucky to have aborted the strike. But more ominous is the bigger picture.
Australia, regardless of Somali and Lebanese connections in this particular
operation, is on the al-Qaida international list of Kuffar (infidel) countries
to be hit; and Canberra must realize that is part of the jihadi campaign against
democracies; even though its current government is dismantling the so-called
"war on terror," linguistically.
Jihadi ideology and strategies cannot be changed or affected by the wishful
thinking of their victims. That is what Washington, London, and the rest of the
partners in the so-called "overseas contingency operations” are learning day
after day from Waziristan to North Carolina. Australia's new school of thinking
on the confrontation, emulating U.S. and U.K. "new" doctrines, argues that by
not pinpointing the ideology of the threat, it will just go away, or at least it
would be sidelined.
Almost a month before the August arrests, Attorney General Robert McClelland
launched "project lexicon," a study on the "language surrounding terrorism." As
argued by British and American experts before, the Australian report found that
"several of the words or phrases used to describe terrorism had the inadvertent
effect of glorifying violent criminal behavior." It added that "rather than
framing terrorism as a struggle by describing it as a "war" or "jihad", acts of
terror should be described as serious criminal acts usually directed at innocent
civilians."
Obviously, the Australian report, as with its Western cousins, fell into the
trap of the jihadi war of ideas aiming at confusing and mitigating democracies
by taking out their main weapon against the jihadists: to expose their ideology
and rally the counter jihadist Muslims.
The evidence to such failure in identifying the threat came few weeks later as
agencies were arresting people in their early 20s. As we saw in Georgia in the
U.S., and in Birmingham in the U.K., a lexicon banning clear words only
contributes to the defeat of democracies. For such wrong analysis is responsible
for legitimizing jihadism in the eyes of indoctrinated youth. Naturally, if
jihadism is not exposed, jihadi ideologues and cadrescan operate freely and in
full legitimacy to further recruit.
Worse, by banning the use of extremely important terms, these medieval-like
lexicons terminate the ability of analysts, let alone the public, to detect the
"threat." The West in general, and Australia in particular, will unfortunately
continue to experience the catastrophic effects of blurring their own vision, as
most seasoned experts in jihadism believe the plots we have already uncovered
are only the beginning.
Why did Australia’s government insist on inflicting its country to further risks
of radicalization? Not only did it create a lexicon to confuse its law
enforcement and public, but just one day before the arrests of the Salafi
jihadists, the Australian Communications and Media Authority handed the jihadi
Khomeinists a propaganda victory. Hezbollah TV, banned in the U.S. and in some
European countries, was granted a license to broadcast. Al Manar, funded by the
Iranian regime, promotes suicide bombings. Its capacity to produce jihadist
minds is by far superior to the radical sheiks of Somalia and their fatwas.
The question is not why the jihadists are thrusting through the last safe
Western society, but it is why Australia's policy makers are being duped by
their experts
**Dr Walid Phares is the author of Future Jihad: Terrorist Strategies against
the West and a senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.
He is a Co-Secretary General of the Trans Atlantic Parliamentary Group on
Counter Terrorism. To visit his Web site go here now.