Family & Friends

The "Spike" Auckland NZ  2010

Top

Walid Shoebat - 3

Friends

This is a very important story, especialy for many that believe Allah is G-d.  The BBC covered this story yesterday and it has been a bone of contention in Malaysia for over a year. The issue is that Malaysia which is a Muslim country with a large minority of other religions including Christianity, has banned the use of Allah in Bibles as the name of G-d. That Allah can only be for the use by Muslims. Walid agrees with the Muslims of Malaysia and they are correct. Allah is the deity of the Muslims and not the G-d of the Jews or the Christians. Christians and Jews who believe that "we all worship the same G-d " are decieved and it is proven by the following statement:

"In our country, if one refers to Allah or mentions the kalimah (verse) Allah, it will bring to one's mind that it refers to the God for the Muslims. Kalimah Allah is sacred to the Muslims and its sanctity must be protected. Thus, kalimah Allah is not just a mere word or translation of the word of God as described in the Herald, but it is a specific name for the Muslim's God. The usage of kalimah Allah as an interpretation of the word of God may...
more by Syed Hamid Albar - Dec 14, 2009 - Malayasia Star

The above is from the horses mouth, and we reiterate that this statement is true.

Also, ask yourself the question; how Muslims can proclaim their hatred for Jews and Chrisians which is a standard teaching in the Middle East, in all mosques, yet most  in the West believe that we all pray to the same G-d? The Muslims themselves state that Allah is only applicable to them. When will the penny drop and how many more terror attacks will we have to endure before we will recognize that we are in a spiritual war with Islam the seed of Ishmael versus Judeo Christian ideals and the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel).

Shalom

Keith Davies
Executive Director Walid Shoebat Fdn
................................................................
This email should only be sent to those who have asked to receive it.
To unsubscribe, return to the web form where you first subscribed and
click the "unsubscribe" button, or contact the owner of the website.

Top

Save Prisoners from Hanging

Shocking Video? Iranian Protesters Save Prisoners from Hanging in Sirjan & Attack Police Truck ? Regime Thugs Shoot Down Protesters

Sunday, December 27, 2009, 12:23 AM

Jim Hoft

Iranian protesters in Sirjan rescued two prisoners being hanged by the brutal regime. They rushed the Iranian officials smashed up their truck and cut the prisoners down.

Doug Ross posted photos of the prisoners being rescued. The regime called in assistance and shot and killed a number of protesters.

This young man was shot in the groin by the killer regime and is bleeding profusely. In this amazing video the protesters rescue the prisoners and then are shot at by the regime:

The Western media reported that the prisoners were rescued by relatives but it looks more like the whole town helped with the rescue. The Western media also said that the regime shot dead two ?gunmen? but the only ones with guns in the video are the regime thugs. NCR-Iran reported on the the prisoner rescue.

On Tuesday, December 22, the scene of a public hanging of two prisoners, Esmail Fathi-Zadeh and Mohammad Esfandiarpoor, in Sirjan turned into a confrontation between protesting people and the suppressive forces. Local residents and families of the two prisoners confronted the suppressive forces by hurling stones and chanting slogans.
During the clashes yesterday morning, people took advantage of the chaos and removed the prisoners from the scene set up for their hangings. According to earlier reports on Tuesday, one of the prisoners was thought to have been killed.
Having lost the control of the situation, the suppressive forces mobilized more of their agents across the city and re-captured the two prisoners and brought them back to the hanging ropes.
Local residents were angered by the regime?s henchmen and became more fierce in their protest against the hangings. In fear of the escalation of unrest, the suppressive forces opened fire on defenseless people killing at least five and dozens more were wounded. A number of the wounded were taken to hospitals in Kerman, the provincial capital. Some of the wounded are in critical state. A group of local residents and families of the two have been arrested. During the clashes, a number of vehicles belonging to the suppressive forces were set on fire.

A protester lays lifeless in the street after the regime shot him dead in Sirjan.
The Obama Administration was not available for comment.

Top

Hezbollah's "Lebanonization"

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Hezbollah's "Lebanonization"

Manuela Paraipan: Why is the Lebanonization of Hezbollah a chimera? 

Tony Badran: This is a rather timely question with the recent unveiling of Hezbollah's so-called new political manifesto. 

The conventional wisdom and the dominant interpretation of this document, in the media, is that it signals the "Lebanonization" of the Islamist group and its "evolution" away from Islamist rhetoric and other maximalist positions. In many ways, this is merely a recycling of the old argument put forth by Augustus Richard Norton and others starting in the late 1990s. Both the old theory and its current reincarnation miss the mark, and in fact have been thoroughly discredited and disproved by events.

Manuela Paraipan: How so?

Tony Badran: The Lebanonization theory is an amalgam of various misreadings of Hezbollah.

It was stipulated in the late '90s that Hezbollah was merely concerned with purely Lebanese goals, namely the liberation of southern Lebanon, and that once Israel withdrew, Hezbollah would close shop. Indeed, Norton wrote in 1998 that Hezbollah was "preparing for life after resistance."

Very clearly, this has been shown to be wrong.

Hezbollah today has dissociated its armed status from an Israeli withdrawal from the disputed Shebaa Farms, and has linked it to Israel's very existence: so long as Israel exists, Hezbollah's reasoning goes, it will constitute a threat to Lebanon, a threat that can only be countered by its continued armed status. At the same time, Hezbollah’s manifesto includes the “liberation” of Jerusalem, which the organization describes as a “religious duty.”  This duty carries great peril for Lebanon.

In order to support this argument of a purely Lebanese outlook for Hezbollah, its proponents went to great lengths to dissociate the group from any acts of global terrorism. One argument was that since the group had Shiite support and maintained "social networks," that somehow meant that it can no longer be dubbed a terrorist group.

Furthermore, as I showed almost two years ago, there was a systematic denial on the part of the majority of Hezbollah analysts of any ties between the group and terror mastermind, Imad Mughniyeh.

After Mughniyeh's assassination this façade fell apart as the Party openly hailed him as an exalted member of its triumvirate of "martyred" leaders (along with Abbas Musawi and Ragheb Harb). Furthermore, reports of Hezbollah's involvement in Iraq, the arrest of its cells in Egypt, Azerbaijan, and the foiling of one of its plots in Turkey, not to mention its networks in South America, have all demolished any argument denying Hezbollah's global reach.

Similarly, the Party's openly declared subservience to the Ruling Jurisconsult (al-wali al-faqih) -- the Supreme Guide of Iran, Ali Khamenei, as well as they Party's organic ties to the Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), make a mockery of any claim of "Lebanonization."

In brief, the "Lebanonization" theorists get it exactly backwards. As the Shiite organization’s deputy secretary general himself says,  Hezbollah seeks to "integrate the rest of society" into its vision and project, not the other way around.

Manuela Paraipan: Could the status quo ever change?

Tony Badran: The precedents aren't encouraging. When Lebanon had a comparable situation with the PLO's parallel state on its soil, that unsustainable situation ended in all-out war. The events of May 2008, in particular, placed Lebanon on a similar path. There is a fundamental difference, of course, in that the rank and file of Hezbollah is comprised of Lebanese citizens, and the organization enjoys strong support in the Shiite community. However, Hezbollah is an essential part of Iran's objective to be the region's primary power. The Shiite organization is part of an ongoing battle for the region, as they themselves say. Their weapons are therefore directly tied to the fate of the Iranian regime and its strategic goals.

Either way, the prospects for Lebanon aren't great.

In the case of an Israeli or American attack on Iran, Hezbollah is likely to be part of the subsequent retaliation, which means that Lebanon will pay a heavy price. In the case Iran goes nuclear, then Hezbollah's arms will have a nuclear umbrella, which renders Lebanon's situation even bleaker.

Top

Uprising in Iran ...

Top

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab

TELEGRAPH  CO.UK

Airline bomber suspect 'defended Taliban'

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian accused of trying to blow up Northwest Airlines Flight 253, defended the Taliban in classroom discussions, his high school teacher has said.

By Stephen Adams
Published: 11:01AM GMT 27 Dec 2009

Abdulmutallab, now 23, believed the Taliban were "right and proper" to blow up the Bamiyan statues of Buddha in March 2001, said history teacher Mike Rimmer.

The terrorist suspect, accused of trying to detonate a bomb on board the Airbus A330 as it came in to land at Detroit airport on Christmas Day, also defended their crackdown on harmless activities such as kite flying.

At the time Mr Rimmer, a Briton who taught teenage Abdulmutallab at the British School of Lomé in Togo, west Africa, did not think such talk truly indicated extremist views.

Mr Rimmer described the Nigerian as a "model pupil" who was interested in world affairs.

He said: "In 2001 we discussed the Taliban in class.

"All the other Muslim kids thought they were a bunch of nutters with beards, and could not understand why they did such things as banning kite flying.

"But Umar seemed to think that was reasonable.

"Even when they blew up the Bamiyan statues he thought that was right and proper."

The Taliban provoked worldwide outrage when they destroyed the two 1,700-year-old sandstone statues near Bamiyan, in the foothills of the Hindu Kush mountains. The demolition was carried out after an edict by Mullah Mohammed Omar, then the Taliban leader, to destroy all non-Islamic statues.

Explaining what he thought of his pupil's remarks at the time, Mr Rimmer said: "I wasn't unduly worried. I thought he was just playing devil's advocate."

He added: "A lot of people have strange views when they are young."

Mr Rimmer, who taught Abdulmutallab for three years between about 14 and 16 years old, said the boy also gained the nickname 'The Pope' while at the boarding school, "because he was so pious and high-minded". He "grimaced" at being called that, recalled Mr Rimmer.

On another occasion, during a trip to London, Abdulmutallab objected to being taken to a pub for lunch.

The teacher said: "Umar came up to me and said, 'Mr Rimmer, you should not be taking us into pubs. We do not want to be in a building associated with alcohol.' "

He remembered his pupil with fondness.

"He was very interested in world affairs and would stay behind after lessons to discuss issues. For a teacher, that was just wonderful."

"He was a very personable boy; he could have gone into politics. He could have become the president of Nigeria. But now his future doesn't look bright at all."

Mr Rimmer said he was contacted by Abdulmutallab in 2006, after setting up a website to keep in touch with his former pupils.

"He said that he was going to Yemen to study Arabic. At the time I had not heard that it was a hotbed of al-Qaeda, and I just thought he was being adventurous."

During his time as his history teacher he took him on four school trips, two to Ghana and two to London.

He said: "I thought I knew him well, but obviously I didn't."

He said the suspect came from a "wonderful" Nigerian family, who looked after those less fortunate than themselves.

"The Mutallabs brought their son up very well indeed," he said. "They will be devastated by this."

---

Flight 253 terrorist Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab led life of luxury in London before attempted attack

BY Rich Schapiro
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Originally Published:Sunday, December 27th 2009, 1:07 AM
Updated: Sunday, December 27th 2009, 9:59 AM

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab lived a life of extraordinary privilege before he turned to terror.
The son of a wealthy Nigerian banker, Abdulmutallab was educated at top schools in AfricaBritain - and dwelled in homes worth millions, his relatives said.
The baby-faced extremist's last known address was a $4 million flat in one of London's poshest neighborhoods.
Police in London scoured the swanky apartment Saturday in search of clues as to what - or who - might have led Abdulmutallab, 23, to try to blow up a packed jet over Detroit.
The flat, in London's West End, is surrounded by several of the city's best-known tourist haunts, including Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square.
Historic theaters, expensive hotels and exclusive retail stores are all within walking distance of Abdulmutallab's former pad.
He reportedly hails from a far more humble place, the Nigerian border town of Katsina.
Abdulmutallab's father, Dr. Alhaji Umaru Mutallab, was a government minister during the 1970s and went on to become the head of the First Bank of Nigeria.
As a teen, Abdulmutallab attended the British International School in Lome, Togo, a Nigerian paper reported.
There, he quickly acquired a reputation as a devoted Muslim.
"At the secondary school, he was known for preaching about Islam to his schoolmates and he was popularly called 'Alfa,' a local coinage for Islamic scholar," according to The Day.
After his secondary school, Abdulmutallab went to the prestigious University College London
Abdulmutallab was apparently sent to Dubai by his father after finishing his education in London.
CNN reported he fled to Yemen, a hotbed of militant activity, soon after and cut off all communication with his family.
Who Abdulmutallab met with in Yemen remains unclear. But by the time he left the country, he had apparently become a radicalized extremist bent on inflicting carnage in the West.
This past May, he reportedly tried to return to Britain for a six-month program, but his visa application was denied by the United Kingdom Border Agency.
An official told the Times of London "he was applying to study at an educational establishment that we didn't consider to be genuine."
Seven months later, Abdulmutallab completed his descent from the promising child of a wealthy family to a brazen terrorist when he tried to set off an explosive inside Northwest Flight 253. and in 2005 to study engineering. He graduated three years later.

Top

Operation Cast Lead ( Gaza, year after!... )

 

Gaza: Siren, moment of silence for war victims

At precise time at which Operation Cast Lead started, siren sounded throughout Gaza Strip in memorial for its victims. Hamas prime minister: We forced enemy to retreat without violating our principles. Memorial activities to last 22 days, same as war

Ali Waked

Published:

12.27.09, 15:39 / Israel News

At 11:20 am on Sunday, the exact time at which Operation Cast Lead was launched one year ago, a minute-long siren was sounded throughout the Gaza Strip as residents of the coastal enclave stood to pay their respects to victims of the offensive.

In addition, a number of rallies are being held throughout the Gaza Strip, and Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniyeh will give a televised speech.

Posters of Israeli leaders in the Gaza Strip (Photo: AFP)

In a statement to the press, Haniyeh said that the war wasn't a walk in the park for the enemy and that new war will bring about another defeat for the enemy: "The Strip won because of its durability and the Zionist enemy's failure to implement the objectives it set for itself during the war. The resistance continued in its path and forced the enemy to retreat without giving up on even one of its principles and its right to bear arms and defend the Palestinian people."

Haniyeh mentioned that the Strip was under continual fire for 22 days, but that the "enemy" found it difficult to subdue it.

The Palestinians claim that 1,450 residents were killed during the operation.

A spokesperson from Hamas' Interior Ministry said that the purpose of the memorial events is "to expose the massacre to the world. The Zionist war leaders must be put on trial."

Standing in memory of the war's victims on Sunday (Photo: AFP)

Deputy Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Dr. Ahmed Bahar, said at the beginning of the anniversary events that the Palestinian people have embraced the resistance, bringing the only guarantee for victory.

"The enemy wanted to defeat the resistance and Hamas, but the ones who fell and were defeated were the enemy, its desire, and the desire of the American administration," he said.

Dr. Bahar scathingly attacked the Obama administration, which, according to him, has falsely pretended to present changes in the US' traditional stance. "But this administration will reap only failures and disappointments. How can the resistance be defeated when the movement is celebrating the anniversary of its founding with the participation of hundreds of thousands (of supporters)?"

Memorial activities marking the anniversary of Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip will last 22 days, the same number of days the war lasted. Activities will include exhibitions, processions, and conferences @ each of which will emphasize Hamas' supposed victory.

On the Israeli side of the border, there also was an attempt to mark the war's anniversary. A few dozen left-wing activists tried to march to the Gaza Strip in protest against the continued siege of the coastal enclave. The police arrested 16 of them as they tried to cross the border into the Strip.

Sderot Police Commander Shimon Nahmani said: "A group of 16 people entered unauthorized and without prior coordination (with the authorities) and held a protest on the location. We had to employ a reasonable amount of force, but we didn?t beat anyone," he said.

"They are currently being interrogated at the station, and may be charged with entering a closed military zone without a permit and holding an illegal demonstration."

---

Top

Infidel stud.

HERO 2009! Kaffir of the Moment! Infidel of the Year Award!

Jasper Schuringa

Schuringa said he heard a big bang that sounded like a firecracker going off. He told CNN that he was the one who was able to subdue Abdulmutallab. CNN was not able to independently confirmSchuringa's account.

Schuringa said someone started yelling: "Fire! Fire!"

Then there was smoke. That's when Schuringa said he knew something was terribly wrong.

When he noticed that Abdulmutallab was not moving, he grew suspect. He jumped over the passenger next to him and lunged over Abdulmutallab's seat.

Schuringa said he saw that Abdulmutallab had his pants open and he was holding a burning object between his legs.

"I pulled the object from him and tried to extinguish the fire with my hands and threw it away," Schuringa said.

He said he managed to pull an object tucked between Abdulmutallab's legs.

"Water! Water," Schuringa screamed. He heard fire extinguishers as he pulled Abdulmutallab out of his seat and dragged him to the front of the plane.

Schuringa said Abdulmutallab seemed dazed. "He was staring into nothing."

Schuringa said he stripped off Abdulmutallab's clothes to make sure he did not have other explosives on his body. A crew member helped handcuff him.

He said other passengers applauded as he walked back to his own seat.

"My hands are pretty burned. I am fine," he said. "I am shaken up. I am happy to be here."

---

My hero! Here is my vote for kaffir of the year! Make that filthy kaffir of the year! Infidel stud. Has Obama brought him up on charges yet? Any hate crime charges pending?  ( Pamela Geller )

---

Northwest Bomb Plot Planned by al-Qaeda in Yemen

The plot to blow up an American passenger jet over Detroit was organized and launched by al-Qaeda leaders in Yemen who apparently sewed bomb materials into the suspect's underwear before sending him on his mission, federal authorities tell ABC News.

Investigators say the suspect had more than 80 grams of PETN, a compound related to nitro-glycerin used by the military. The so-called shoe bomber, Richard Reid, had only about 50 grams kin his failed attempt in 2001 to blow up a U.S.-bound jet. Yesterday's bomb failed because the detonator may have been too small or was not in "proper contact" with the explosive material, investigators told ABC News.

Investigators say the suspect, Abdul Farouk Umar Abdulmutallab, a 23-year old Nigerian student whose birthday was last Tuesday, has provided detailed information about his recruitment and training for what was supposed to be a Christmas Day suicide attack.

According to the authorities, Abdulmutallab says he made contact via the internet with a radical imam in Yemen who then connected him with al-Qaeda leaders in a village north of the country's capital, Sanaa.

Authorities say they do not yet know if the imam was the same one who was in contact with Maj. Nidal Hasan prior to his alleged attack on soldiers at Fort Hood last month. American-born Anwar Awlaki has lived in Yemen since 2002 and is considered a major recruiter for al-Qaeda by U.S. authorities. He survived a U.S.-backed air strike earlier this week.

The suspect in the Northwest Airlines attack told FBI agents he lived with the al-Qaeda leader in Yemen for about a month and was not allowed to leave as he was trained in what to do and how to do it, authorities said.

At some point, according to the account, Abdulmutallab said he was joined by a Saudi citizen whom he described as an al-Qaeda bomb maker.

Bomb Sewn Into Underwear

The device intended to blow up the Northwest flight was made at the location in Yemen, according to Abdulmutallab, and consisted of a six-inch packet of powder and a syringe with a liquid. Both were sewn into the student's underwear so they would be near his testicles and unlikely to be detected, he told agents.

Authorities say the combination of the liquid in the syringe with the powder created the flash bomb, which was extinguished by passengers and air crew.

Investigators are conducting tests to determine the exact nature of the powder and chemicals used.

Abdulmutallab suffered second-degree burns in his genital area, investigators told ABC News.

The al-Qaeda affiliate in Yemen has increasingly taken on a lead role in coordinating major terror attacks as the U.S. has disrupted al-Qaeda training camps in Pakistan, according to American authorities.

Authorities say the suspected bomber was traveling on a visa issued by the State Department on June 16, 2008 and valid until June 12, 2010. Officials tell ABC News he was on a U.S. "terror watch list" but not on the "no fly" list, which would have prevented him from boarding the flight.

He had previously traveled to the U.S. on an 11-day trip to Houston in Aug. 2008.

Published reports in Nigeria said Abdulmutallab's father had contacted the U.S. embassy six months ago about concerns his son had become radicalized and could pose a threat to the U.S. One report said the father could not understand why his son was allowed to board a flight to the U.S. given his warning.

P.S.  This I call:-   " Cojones Ala PETN Fondue ! ".

Top

Pressure Cooker !

Dec 26, 2009 9:36 | Updated Dec 26, 2009 10:00

IDF kills three Al-Aksa Martyrs Brigade operatives in Nablus

IDF soldiers killed six Palestinian terror operatives in operations in the West Bank and the northern Gaza Strip early on Saturday morning.
In Nablus, troops surrounded the homes of three Al-Aksa Martyrs Brigade operatives and opened fire, killing the men.
The men were aomng the planners of Thursday's West Bank terror attack near Shavei Shomron, in which Rabbi Meir Chai was murdered, Army Radio reported. The Imad Mughniyeh Group that claimed responsibility for the shooting attack had claimed to be affiliated with Fatah's Aksa Martyrs Brigade.
The men were identified as 38-year-old Raed Sukarji, 39-year-old Ghassan Abu Sharkh, and 33-year-old Anan Subih. According to the Palestinian news agency, Sukarji's wife was also reportedly wounded in the operation.
Ghassan Abu Sharkh's brother Nayef was a former commander of the Aksa Martyrs Brigades in Nablus and was killed by the IDF in 2004.
Also overnight Friday, three Palestinians who had apparently tried to infiltrate Israel from the northern Gaza Strip were killed by IDF troops.
Soldiers identified several people crawling near the Gaza border fence and alerted a helicopter, which opened fire and killed them. Weapons were discovered near the men's bodies.

Israel kills 6 Palestinians over settler's death

December 26, 2009 -- Updated 1056 GMT (1856 HKT)

Jerusalem (CNN) -- Israeli forces killed six Palestinians in separate incidents in the West Bank and Gaza early Saturday, acts that quickly drew Palestinian condemnation.

The first incident happened in the West Bank city of Nablus, where the Israeli military killed three Palestinians it said were responsible for the death of an Israeli civilian in the West Bank this week.
Israeli forces entered Nablus overnight to locate the suspects and killed them Saturday morning, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. Palestinian medical officials and witnesses confirmed the deaths.
The strike was a joint operation by the Israeli military and Israeli security services, a spokeswoman for the Israeli military said. She said all three men were known militants associated with Fatah militant groups.
Israeli forces found four guns at the place where one of the suspects was killed, the IDF said.
"The Israel Defense Forces will act firmly against those who aspire to harm citizens of the state of Israel and Israeli security forces, and will not rest until those involved in the murderous act are brought to justice," said Maj. Gen. Avi Mizrachi of the IDF.
The IDF blamed the men for the killing Thursday night of Israeli settler Meir Avshalom Hai, who lived in the settlement of Shavei Shomron in the northern West Bank. The 54-year-old father of seven was shot and killed in his car near the entrance to the settlement, said Col. Avi Gill of the Israeli military.
The Israeli military spokeswoman could not say what proof or evidence they had against the three Palestinian suspects, who all lived in Nablus.
Two of the Palestinians, both 40, had been imprisoned in Israel in the past; one of them had been a senior member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the militant wing of the ruling Fatah party in the West Bank, according to the IDF.
The third man, who was 36, had been involved in widespread militant activity and had been an arms dealer and supplier, the IDF said.
Palestinian medical officials in Nablus said two of the men suffered gunshots to both the upper body and the head.
Witnesses near the site of the operations told CNN more than 50 Israeli military vehicles supported dozens of soldiers and that the city became a closed military zone. The witnesses also said it appeared the men could have been arrested rather than killed.
"All three were killed in cold blood," said Dr. Ghassan Hamdan, director of the Palestinian Medical Relief Committee in Nablus, who visited all of the locations where the military operation took place.
"The Israeli military could have easily arrested them but it shows that this was not the intention," Hamdan told CNN. "This was clearly assassination and liquidation of Palestinian people in cold blood. ... My experience and what I saw on the bodies describes that they have been killed in cold blood."
The Israeli military said it could not immediately comment on the allegations.
Hamdan said there was evidence on one of the bodies that the man had been interrogated before being killed, though he did not say what that evidence was.
The operation in Nablus followed a separate incident Saturday morning, in which three Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike along the northern border between Gaza and Israel.
The three men were observed moving along the Palestinian side of the border fence, a spokesman for the Israeli military told CNN. The Israelis fired warning shots but the men continued to move along the fence, at which point an Israeli military aircraft fired at and killed the men, the spokesman said.
The military believed the three men had "intention to carry out a terrorist attack" but could not confirm whether the men were observed carrying weapons or explosives, the spokesman said.
An adviser to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and spokesman for the Palestinian Authority, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, condemned the two incidents.
"The Israeli escalation in the West Bank and Gaza and the return to the policy of assassinations and random killings in virtual excuses shows that the the Israeli government decided to destroy the independence and security of the Palestinian people and is pulling our people into a bloody circle of violence," Rudeineh told CNN.
"The Israeli government should bear the responsibility for the killings and also bear the responsibility for the dead end in moving the peace process forward because of Israel's refusal to stop the policy of settlement and to commit to the references of the peace process," he said.

Rudeineh called on the international community, and especially the U.N. Security Council, U.N. General Assembly and the Middle East quartet of Russia, the United States, European Union and United Nations, to intervene immediately "to stop the crimes of the Israeli occupation."

CNN's Kevin Flower contributed to this report.

Top

Christmas Present !...

Last Updated: December 25. 2009 10:42PM

Suspected al-Qaida attack fails on flight to Detroit

U.S. says Nigerian tried to detonate explosive device during landing

David Shephardson and Leonard Fleming / The Detroit News

Washington -- Federal officials and police are interviewing a 23-year-old passenger from Nigeria who they say tried to ignite a powdery substance on a Northwest plane that landed Friday at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport, injuring himself and two passengers.The Nigerian man on a flight from Amsterdam told authorities he was directed by al-Qaida to explode a small device in flight over U.S. soil, according to ABC News.

Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., identified the suspect as Abdul Mudallad, a Nigerian. CBS news sources identified the man as Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab.

King said the flight began in Nigeria and went through Amsterdam en route to Detroit.

Authorities have not corroborated that link and the credibility of the man's statements are being questioned.

"The United States government believes the event was an attempted act of terrorism," a White House official told The Detroit News on condition of anonymity.

The suspect had been in a law enforcement intelligence database but was not on the government's no-fly list, a law enforcement official told ABC.

Two people noticed the attempt to ignite the substance and a third person jumped on the man and subdued him, an airline official told NBC News.

The passenger, who was traveling on Northwest Airlines Flight 253 that was carrying 278 passengers, was not identified. He was being questioned Friday evening, according to a U.S. national security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was continuing.

"He appears to have had some kind of incendiary device he tried to ignite," said one of the U.S. officials.

White House spokesman Bill Burton told The Detroit News that President Obama was keeping close tabs on the incident.

"The president was notified of the incident this morning between 9:00 and 9:30 Hawaii time by the president's military aide," he said. "The president subsequently convened a secure conference call with John Brennan, his Homeland Security and Counter-terrorism adviser, and Denis McDonough, NSS chief of staff. He asked to arrange subsequent secure call and in that call instructed that all appropriate measures be taken to increase security for air travel. The President is actively monitoring the situation and receiving regular updates. There is currently no change to his schedule."

Authorities initially believed the passenger had set off firecrackers that caused some minor injuries.

Delta Air Lines spokeswoman Susan Elliott said the passenger was subdued immediately. She had no details on the injuries. Delta and Northwest have merged.

One passenger from the flight was taken to the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, hospital spokeswoman Tracy Justice said. She didn't know the person's condition, or whether the person was a man or woman. She referred all inquiries to the FBI.

An FBI spokeswoman in Detroit said the incident is being investigated. It came just as the flight, an Airbus 330, was arriving in Detroit.

Passenger Syed Jafry, a U.S. citizen who had flown from the United Arab Emirates, said the incident occurred during the plane's descent. Jafry said he was seated three rows behind the passenger and said he saw a glow, and noticed a smoke smell. Then, he said, "a young man behind me jumped on him."

"Next thing you know, there was a lot of panic," he said.

Rich Griffith, a passenger from Pontiac, said he was seated too far in the back to see what had happened. But he said he didn't mind being detained on the plane for several hours. "It's frustrating if you don't want to keep your country safe," he said. "We can't have what's going on everywhere else happening here."

President Barack Obama was notified of the incident and discussed it with security officials, the White House said. It said he is monitoring the situation and receiving regular updates from his vacation spot in Hawaii.

J.P. Karas, 55, of Wyandotte said he was driving down a road near the airport and saw a Delta jet at the end of the runway, surrounded by police cars, an ambulance, a bus and some TV trucks.

"I don't ever recall seeing a plane on that runway ever before and I pass by there frequently," he said.

Karas said it was difficult to tell what was going on, but it looked like the front wheel was off the runway.

The Homeland Security Department said passengers may see additional screening measures on domestic and international flights because of the incident.

"We encourage those with future travel plans to stay in touch with their airline and to visit www.tsa.gov for updates," the department said.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has been briefed on the incident and is closely monitoring the situation.

The department encouraged travelers to be observant and aware of their surroundings and report any suspicious behavior to law enforcement officials.

Staff Writer Catherine Jun and the Associated Press contributed.

Top

NOA - Ave Maria

Achinoam Nini  ( Noa )

Top

Eat your heart out !!!

Israeli Female Soldiers On Why They Fight As Well As Men (VIDEO)

The Israeli military is considered one of the best in the world, and every citizen must serve in it in order to keep their citizenship. One of the main distinctions of Israeli conscription is that it includes women. While a portion are exempt for a variety of reasons, often religious, most serve their time, and many are assigned to infantry combat units that put them directly in harm's way.
The CNN report below is an interesting look at Israeli women soldiers and why they are just as capable as their male counterparts. They certainly don't lack confidence. Staff Sgt. Davida Loecher makes her case:

That's the reason I came to combat unit. To prove that women can do it. Just to show them that I can be better and I can do more. And I could tell you that a lot of girls in this unit could take guys in a lot of missions, take guys physically, mentally.

---

War Zone Pregnancy Punishments Dropped

Top

Where is Santa?

NORAD Santa Tracker 2009: Track To See Where Santa Is RIGHT NOW

| 12/24/09 08:50 PM |

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. ? Even Santa Tweets.

A military installation in Colorado has been issuing Christmas Eve reports of Santa Claus' progress to eager children for more than five decades.

Now the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, uses more than a phone bank and large glass screen to track the jolly old man. Google Earth, Twitter and a Web site tricked out with video now help millions of children worldwide keep track of Santa's sleigh.

According to NORAD, Santa began his latest flight early Thursday at the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean. He was off the southern tip of South America by Thursday evening, local time. Historically, Santa visits the South Pacific first, then New Zealand and Australia. NORAD points out that only Santa knows his route.

But children who want to follow Santa's route ? perhaps to know how late they can stay awake before he's in the neighborhood ? can now contribute a mobile phone number for text message updates from the military.

NORAD had received 40,359 phone calls and hundreds of Facebook comments by Thursday evening on Santa's whereabouts, Army Maj. Mike Humphreys said.

NORAD's Santa tracking tradition started in 1955 by accident. The (Colorado Springs) Gazette ran a Sears Roebuck ad that told kids to dial a number if they wanted to talk to Santa.

But the number was one digit off. When the first call came to NORAD's predecessor, a military colonel who answered the phone played along. Unable to break the boy's heart, he sounded a booming "Ho, ho, ho!" and pretended to be Santa Claus.

When more calls poured in, Col. Harry W. Shoup stopped playing Santa. Instead, staffers at the military installation started pretending to be checking the radars for Santa's sleigh.

NORAD now issues reports in five languages. NORAD's main mission is monitoring air and space threats against the U.S. and Canada.

______________________

On the Net:

http://www.noradsanta.org

Top