MFS - The Other News

                          Morning Posting.

• HT:IsraelMatzav.Guess who attacked Sarah Palin? With Sarah Palin under attack for 'inciting' the maniac in Tucson last weekend, perhaps this is the time to remind people of some of those who have attacked Palin in the past.The Nazi website Stormfront - which I will not link - attacked Sarah Palin during the 2008 election campaign because of this 2008 article from The American Thinker in which the picture at the top is shown. If you look at the right side of the picture by the window, you will see an Israeli flag on display.One of the commenters on the thread also raised the issue of Palin's lapel pin, which includes both an Israeli and an American flag.I don't believe the Stormfront crowd is the kind of company most of us want to be keeping.Read the full story here.

• Death Threats Against Sarah Palin at 'Unprecedented Level,' Aides Say.An aide close to Sarah Palin says death threats and security threats have increased to an unprecedented level since the shooting in Arizona, and the former Alaska governor's team has been talking to security professionals.Palin responded in detail today to the attacks leveled against her, but while her intentions may have been to shift the blame away from herself, she instead put her in the hot seat again. "Journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood libel that serves only to incite the very hatred and violence they purport to condemn," she said in an early morning Facebook post today.Liberal political commentator and Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz pointed out that the term has been used frequently as a metaphor and in a broader context. "The term 'blood libel' has taken on a broad metaphorical meaning in public discourse," he said in a statement to biggovernment.com. "I myself have used it to describe false accusations against the State of Israel by the Goldstone Report. There is nothing improper and certainly nothing anti-Semitic in Sarah Palin using the term to characterize what she reasonably believes are false accusations that her words or images may have caused a mentally disturbed individual to kill and maim." Read the full story here.

• HT:SultanKnish.The Muslim Terrorist as Eternal Victim.Up until the winter of 09, Muzzammil Hassan was known as the founder of Bridges TV, one of those ubiquitous ventures meant to normalize Islam in the American context. There was all the usual talk about promoting moderate Islam, even though Bridges TV broadcast "Current Issues" which focused on building bridges to such average Americans as David Duke and assorted other Neo-Nazis and shock collar wearing types. Then in a shocking turn of events, Muzzammil Hassan beheaded his director of programming and wife at the TV station after she had received an order of protection against him.Now almost two years later, Hassan will finally get his day in court. And his defense will be that he was a battered spouse, who was abused by his diminutive wife, until after years of physical abuse, he snapped and was forced to kill her. And behead her. Never mind that his previous two wives each filed for divorce on the grounds of domestic abuse, and that the family of his second wife actually sacrificed two goats in thankfulness that she escaped the marriage alive. Or that the murder happened less than a week after Hassan was served with divorce papers. In his own mind, Hassan is still the victim. And while this murder is only one case, it provides a narrow window into a mindset in which the perpetrator is always the victim.Hassan is a pathetic caricature of what every Muslim terrorist is, a bully and a thug, who beats the weak and then runs to hide when justice comes his way. Who is a furious warrior when his victim is weak, and a sniveling coward whining about oppression when he's finally held to account.Read the full story here.

• HT:TheFoundry.Half of All States Now Suing to Stop Obamacare.If it is allowed to be implemented, Obamacare will eventually do deep and irreparable harm to our nation’s budget deficit. But while Obamacare is more of a long-term threat to fiscal health at the federal level, it is a clear and present danger to the states. Of the 34 million Americans who gain health insurance through Obamacare, over half (18 million) will receive it through Medicaid.While Obamacare will pay for all of the benefit expansion for the first three years of the law, and 90% of it after that, Obamacare never pays for any of the state administrative costs for adding those 18 million Americans to their welfare rolls. That amounts to billions in unfunded federal mandates for states to absorb. That is why 33 Republican governors signed a letter to the White House and Congress making an emphatic appeal that Obamacare’s Medicaid provisions be repealed.Read the full story here.

• HT:AtlasShrugs.Lawsuit Filed to Stop the Ground Zero Mosque.By Lawrence D. Jones|Christian Post ReporterNEW YORK – A conservative legal group asked the New York Supreme Court on Tuesday to halt construction of the Islamic cultural center near ground zero.The American Center for Law and Justice, which represents 9/11 first responder firefighter Tim Brown in a lawsuit against the Park51 project, is seeking an injunction in any demolition and construction at the downtown Manhattan site.The group alleges that Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his office overstepped their legal boundaries in assisting the developers of the $100 million project.Court filings revealed several emails between Bloomberg's office and the Park51 developers.In one email, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, who is spearheading the project, wrote to a commissioner of the Community Affairs Unit in the mayor's office thanking her for drafting a letter to the Lower Manhattan Community Board 1 advocating for the project.ACLJ counsel Brett Joshpe also asked the court to grant discovery in the case, noting that the mayor's office has not fully responded to the group's Freedom of Information Law request for communications between Bloomberg, the New York City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission, and the Islamic center's developers."There is a disturbing pattern of stonewalling by the City and Mayor's Office in providing information about what's clearly been a politically tainted process from day one," said Josphe in a statement."The limited release of documents by the Mayor's Office underscores our concerns."Read the full story here.

• HT:sweetness-light.How Could Loughner Afford A $500 Glock?Glock 19: How did Unemployed Jared Loughner Buy Popular, Expensive Pistol?The Glock 19 Costs $400-$500, Not Including Bullets and Magazines. The gun Jared Lee Loughner allegedly used to try to assassinate Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is a popular firearm around the world. Questions remain how Loughner, with no record of recent employment, could afford a $500 Glock 19. Little is known about Loughner’s employment record. He volunteered at a local pet shelter in January and February of last year, according to the New York Times, which reported he was told not to come back after he refused to follow the rules about where to walk the dogs. Loughner said on his application at the shelter that he worked at an Eddie Bauer store in Tucson from October 2008 to November 2009… Given that our new unemployment benefits which now extend for three years, Mr. Loughner could easily still be collecting unemployment from his job at Eddie Bauer. The top unemployment benefit in Arizona as of 2009 was $240 a week. Which should be plenty for someone still living with his parents.By the way, you will notice that ABC News did not wonder where Mr. Loughner got the money for his daily marijuana smoking.If it turns out that he did purchase this pistol with extended unemployment money should Congress be held partly responsible? What will Ms. Pelosi say?Should people be allowed to buy guns with federal money?Loughner legally purchased the Glock at a Sportsman’s Warehouse chain store in Tucson, Ariz., on Nov. 30 after passing a background check.Hmmmm......Just listening to that awfull gut feeling that doesn't go away.Read the full story here.

• HT:RightTruth.Obama Begins His 2012 Campaign in Tucson Arizona on Wednesday, January 12, 2011.Passing out t-shirts and displaying banners emblazoned with the words "Together We Thrive", what was billed as a memorial for the Tucson massacre victims took on the look and feel of a campaign event for Barack Obama. Michelle Malkin calls it a "bizarre pep rally" a "branding of the Tucson massacre" a "sea of white and blue [no red]".President Obama used to preach that there was no “Red America” and no “Blue America,” just one America.But tonight at the memorial for the Tucson massacre victims, it will be was a sea of blue as the White House unveils the “Together We Thrive” logo and slogan.The tone for the evening was set prior to anyone stepping foot on the stage or at the podium. The Democrat political stage managers, as Malkin calls them, set the mood as they approached attendees, passing out t-shirts. T-shirts! Who ever heard of t-shirts being passed out at a memorial service? Listening to Obama use, and I do mean use, little 9 year-old Christina-Taylor Green's death in the manner he did was simply repulsive. See and watch the speech here.As to some in the crowd, the shouting and whistling, it sounded like a "hope and change" rally from early 2008, not a time or mourning and remembering those whose lives were cut short or changed forever. There were 'cheers and whoops' all night, similar to a rock band playing and the drunk crowd whistling and cheering them. Or maybe it was more like a sporting event. I have seen funerals and memorials that were celebrations of life, but this was very strange.The use of references to God, and Heaven, and the many scriptures quoted from the Holy Bible, coming from so many Democrats, was out of character.It was all rather odd. Very odd. But the mood set by the Obama front men and organizers seems clear: "Let the campaigning begin!"Hmmmm.....A bit of info on what Obama was doing at Valerie Jarret's house for 5 hours after the shooting would be nice.Was he watching the games?The shooting did not cut their "Appetite" it seems?5 HOURS OF DINING !Read the full story here.

• HT:AhmadiyyaTimes.Pakistan court convicts imam and son for blasphemy.MULTAN, Pakistan — A Pakistan court has jailed a Muslim prayer leader and his 20-year-old son for life on controversial blasphemy charges in the rural centre of the country, court officials said Tuesday.The case follows the killing of Punjab provincial governor Salman Taseer by his bodyguard last Tuesday, after the outspoken politician called for reform of the law that was recently used to sentence a Christian woman to death.Mohammad Shafi, 45, and his son Mohammad Aslam, 20, were arrested in April last year for removing a poster outside their grocery shop advertising an Islamic event in a nearby village which allegedly contained Koranic verses.The prosecution alleged organisers of the event, which commemorated the anniversary of the Prophet Mohammad's birth, said the pair had "pulled the poster down, tore it and trampled it under their feet," Karim said."The judge sentenced them to life imprisonment on charges of blasphemy and ordered them to pay a fine of 200,000 rupees ($2,350) each," he said.Liberal politicians and human rights activists in Pakistan say the blasphemy law, which carries the death penalty for the worst offences, is sometimes used to settle personal scores and encourages Islamist extremism.Defence counsel Arif Gurmani vowed to challenge the verdict in the high court because "it has been given in haste" and was the result of inter-faith rivalries, he said."Both are Muslims. The case is the result of differences between Deobandi and Barelvi sects of Sunni Muslims," he said.Read the full story here.

• Erdogan: Lieberman is a problem.Turkish leader says Netanyahu government 'worst in Israel's history,' Hamas not a terror organization; stresses no ties until Israel apologizes for Marmara raid.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government "is perhaps the worst in Israel's history, or at least the unluckiest," said Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Thursday, adding that Hamas "is not a terrorist movement."He reiterated that relations between Jerusalem and Ankara would not return to normal until Israel apologized to Turkey for the IDF's takeover of the Gaza aid ship Marmara, paid compensation to the families of the nine activists killed, and lifted the blockade on the Gaza Strip."When they meet these conditions, we'll reassess the situation," Erdogan said.Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman's recent remarks that Erdogan is a "liar" and that Ankara's demand for an apology was "more than chutzpah" also angered the Turkish prime minister.Hamas is a far lesser problem according to Erdogan. During an interview, the Turkish leader said Hamas was not a terrorist group, and its members were not terrorists, but "people defending their land."He explained that Hamas had "not been given a chance," and that "all options for action had been denied them, and every possible hurdle had been placed before them. Its ministers and members of parliament have been imprisoned."Hmmmm.....Hamas and Iran are the good guys,a man is judged by the friends he keeps,get Turkey out of NATO!Read the full story here.

• HT:IslamInEurope.Greece: Bishop condemned for calling Islam a "catastrophic worship".The government on Tuesday (January 11th) condemned anti-Islamic comments by a senior Orthodox official after protests from Greece's Muslim community. Commenting on a bombing in Egypt on New Year's Day, Greek Bishop Seraphim of Piraeus described Islam as a "catastrophic worship" that is incompatible with Greece's Constitution.Government spokesperson George Petalotis said the bishop's remarks "foment racial and religious hatred".The Muslim Union of Greece yesterday condemned comments by Bishop Seraphim of Piraeus claiming that Islamic rhetoric had provoked last week’s massacre at a Coptic Church in Egypt and said Greece’s Muslims were open to religious dialogue.“We must protect our society from interchanges that undermine its foundations. We as Muslims are always open to interfaith dialogue... so as to make loud and clear to everyone what the great faith of Islam stands for,” the union said in a press release.It was responding to a statement written by the bishop last week, describing the attack in the Egyptian port of Alexandria as “a gruesome crime... by the Islamists [which] reveals clearly the truth that has been deviously hidden under the pacifist preaching of so-called interreligious dialogues.” Seraphim also calls for the revocation of a law allowing the construction of a mosque in Athens, describing it as a “religious aberration [that] would act as dynamite for social cohesion and peace as the main objective of this false religion is its prevalence through violence.”Read the full story here.

• HT:Ansamed.Kosovo :Organ trafficking ,TURKISH Dr Frankenstein arrested. A Turkish doctor, rechristened ''the monster'' or ''Dr Frankenstein'' by the Kosovar press and ''the vampire'' by the Serbian press, has been arrested as he is suspected of being involved in human organ trafficking in Kosovo. The news was reported today in Pristina by the European mission EULEX, confirming news released by the Turkish media.''EULEX confirms that Dr. Yusuf Sonmez was arrested by the Turkish authorities yesterday in Istanbul,'' said EULEX spokeswoman Kristiina Herodes, who added that the doctor denies any involvement. She added that it is not yet known if and when the Dr. Sonmex will be extradited to Pristina, where the private clinic Medicus is located, at the centre of events regarding the illegal transplanting of human organs, primarily kidneys.The clinic was closed in 2008 after an investigation by the Kosovar police that hypothesised the illegal trafficking of organs. Reports of illegal organ transplants in the Medicus clinic are also contained in the report by Dick Marty, the Swiss rapporteur from the Council of Europe, who reported organ trafficking in Kosovo and Albania at the end of the 1990s using Serb prisoners, and in which the current Premier, Hashim Thaci, at the time leader of the Albanian pro-independence UCK, is alleged to have been personally involved.Hmmmm.....Not JEWS harvesting organs but TURKS !Read the full story here.

• China Unlikely To Accept Iran Nuclear Invite; Russia Undecided. China says it is unlikely to accept Iran's recent offer to tour its nuclear facilities.Iran has invited Russia, China, and Hungary, which currently holds the European Union presidency, to tour the sites this month. Other major powers involved in talks on Iran's controversial nuclear program -- the United States, Britain, France, and Germany -- were not invited. The EU has already indicated it will not go.Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said any gesture that indicated greater openness from Iran should be welcomed, but cautioned that such a visit could never replace regular inspections from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) or talks with the major powers.Iran has restricted IAEA inspections, while the next round of talks between Iran and the six major powers is set for January 21-22 in Istanbul.A number of Western governments suspect Tehran of trying to develop a nuclear weapons capability, something the IAEA has said it cannot rule out.Hmmmm....Good just let Iran and their accomplice Turkey stand alone!Read the full story here.

• Muslims urged to avoid nutmeg in food.Muslims can use a little amount of nutmeg as a flavour in their food but it is better to avoid it altogether, according to a new Islamic edict issued Tuesday.The Fatwa (Islamic edict) Centre at the General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Endowments in Abu Dhabi issued the edict in response to a question by an Emirati woman through its website, Alkhaleej daily reported.“Islamic scholars have authorized the use of a very little amount of nutmeg in food to give it a good flavour on the grounds that a tiny amount of solid intoxicants is not prohibited,” the centre said in its new Fatwa.“This means there is no problem adding a little amount of nutmeg to food but it is better and religiously safer to avoid using it altogether.”Nutmeg is a spice from the nutmeg tree, which is native to several Indonesian islands.Hmmmm.....Everything you ever wanted to ask,but was afraid to ask?Read the full story here.

• Obama phones Saudi king.President Barack Obama on Tuesday telephoned Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah in New York where the monarch is recovering from surgery, a White House spokesman said.Obama "spoke to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia to wish him well as he continues to recover from his recent surgery, and thanked him for receiving Secretary (of State Hillary) Clinton in New York last week," the spokesman said.Obama also brought up Lebanon with the Saudi king, with Prime Minister (Saad) Hariri set to visit the White House on Wednesday."The President told the King that, in light of their shared commitment to Lebanon's welfare and to supporting (Hariri), he looks forward to continuing to work together with Saudi Arabia and other partners to support Lebanon's sovereignty, independence, and stability."Hmmmm.....Listening to his masters voice?How to impose a peaceplan on Israel at the UN?Read the full story here.

• HT:Memri.Discussion About the Concept of Jihad on Pakistani Television: 'Other Prayers Can be Postponed... But Jihad Cannot be Deferred'; 'Muhammad Said That a Person Who Dies Not Having Waged Jihad... Is Like One Who Died in a State of Hypocrisy'; 'It Has Been Stated Most Explicitly In The Koran... Fight Those Who Interfere With Establishing the Rule Of Allah; 'Today, In Every Part of the World, Muslims are Being Forced to Wage Jihad in Their Own Defense'"One Thing Should Be Clear to All of Us: The Law of Allah Should Be Followed in This World, and the Muslims Are Responsible for Its Implementation... It Has Been Stated Most Explicitly In the Koran... Fight Those Who Interfere With Establishing the Rule Of Allah"Mohammad Hanif Tayyab: "And By the Grace of Allah, It [Islam] Has Spread with Speed Despite All Obstacles; Today, In Every Part of the World, Muslims Are Being Forced to Wage Jihad in Their Own Defense""All Three Of Us Have Maintained That Jihad Stands for the Glory of Religion [Islam]; It Does Not Stand For the Glory of America; Jihad Would Be for the Glory of Islam"Hmmmm......Obama "Islam is a great religion".Read and see the full story here.

• HT:InvestigativeProject.CAIR Imagery Makes Obstructionist Goal Clear.Any question about the Council on American-Islamic Relations' (CAIR) attitude toward law enforcement in terrorism investigations has been put to rest by the group's San Francisco chapter."Build a Wall of Resistance," a poster announcing a Feb. 9 event published on the group's website says, "Don't Talk to the FBI."A dark, sinister FBI agent is shown lurking in front of people's homes as doors slam shut.CAIR's hostility toward law enforcement is long-standing, but the organization's rhetoric has increased since the FBI cut off formal communication with the group in 2008. That decision was based on exhibits admitted into evidence during a terror-financing trial in Dallas that showed CAIR founders were part of a Hamas-support network.It remains to be seen what, if anything, will result from the FBI investigation in Minneapolis and Chicago. CAIR, in one image, has spoken more than 1,000 words about its hostility toward law enforcement.Hmmmmm....."We don't want to take over your country"but we won't cooperate with your law inforcement?Read the full story here.

• HT:TheAmericanDream.25 Hard Questions That You Will Not See Asked On CNN, MSNBC Or Fox News.There is a reason why so many millions of people are turning to the alternative media for their news today. The truth is that there are a whole lot of important things that the mainstream media will simply not talk about. There are a whole lot of other important issues that the mainstream media will tease their viewers with but then subsequently "whitewash" with the "official story" that none of us is supposed to question. Have you ever noticed how CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, ABC, NBC and CBS all seem to come up with the exact same version of "the truth"? But over the past several years we have seen a great awakening take place. Millions of Americans are sick and tired of being spoon-fed establishment propaganda like a bunch of small children and they are searching on the Internet for alternative media outlets that are asking the hard questions and that are willing to at least explore answers that are not part of "the officially sanctioned" version of the truth.Posted below are 25 hard questions that you will not see asked on CNN, MSNBC or Fox News. Sure, they may "tease" their viewers by "touching" on some of these issues, but they will never dig deep and they will never ask the really tough questions that are not "politically correct".If a tough issue is brought up on one of these networks, it may be debated by a couple of establishment "talking heads", and we will be told that both sides are being presented so that we can "decide", but it is all a big dog and pony show. The truth is that the big media companies will never really do anything that threatens the big money interests that own them or the big money interests that pour billions of advertising dollars into their organizations.Some of the big news companies may be a little bit more "blue" and some of them may be a little bit more "red", but the versions of the news that all of them produce are always incredibly similar.Wouldn't you just love it if the big media companies would tackle some of the questions posted below with some real honesty?Read the full story here.

• HT:AsiaNews.Confucius back in Beijing with a statue in Tiananmen Square.The sculpture is opposite the Mao portrait. It symbolises the regime’s u-turn on Confucian precepts.An eight-metre bronze statue of Confucius on a 1.6-metre marble base now overlooks the east side of Tiananmen Square. The statue is in front of the north gate of the newly renovated National Museum of China. The sculpture faces Changan Avenue, Beijing’s main thoroughfare, on the opposite side from where the portrait of Mao looks out.In the past few years, the Chinese government has made a u-turn and rehabilitated Confucius, after purging his teachings during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). The government has recently invested US$ 7.5 million to set up nearly 300 Confucius Institutes in 78 countries to promote the Chinese language and culture.A rising number of mainland universities have set up Chinese studies institutes with Confucian teachings at their core. The rediscovery of Confucius represents an attempt to inject more spirituality in society after the age of Communist materialism.Some also view the revival as part of the authorities’ attempt to strengthen China's "soft power" domestically to counter an invasion of Western culture. Praising Confucius is also useful in promoting respect for the authorities, one of the fundamental tenets of the old sage.
  Hmmmmm......Confucius say to West and America"Yu So Phukt"?Read the full story here.

• HT:MiddleEastForum.Radical Muslims in America.All the Benefits and Still Turning to Jihad.Recent remarks by Attorney General Eric Holder on the threat posed by "radicalized" American Muslims are revealing—not just because of what they say regarding the domestic situation, but for their international implications as well. According to Holder:"[T]he threat is real, the threat is different, the threat is constant. The threat has changed … to worrying about people in the United States, American citizens—raised here, born here, and who for whatever reason, have decided that they are going to become radicalized and take up arms against the nation in which they were born. It is one of the things that keeps me up at night. You didn't worry about this even two years ago—about individuals, about Americans, to the extent that we now do." Holder noted that while he was confident in the United States' counter-terrorism efforts, Americans "have to be prepared for potentially bad news…. The terrorists only have to be successful once."Holder's assertion that "the terrorists only have to be successful once" has important implications: aside from the obvious—that it only takes one strike to create devastation on U.S. soil—it is also a reminder that when people argue that most American Muslims are moderate, and only a few are radical, it does not help our security. It took nineteen to commit 9/11; and we have already seen that some American Muslims are radical. According to Holder, in the last two years, 50 of the 126 people charged with terrorism were U.S. citizens.In short, America needs to rethink its strategy for the war on terrorism—both at home and abroad. Domestically, this means cracking down without compunction on anything that smacks of Islamist activity, without fear of being "politically incorrect;" it means better monitoring of jihadist websites which play a major role in radicalizing American Muslims, such as Inspire (which was started by a North Carolina Muslim); and it means exercising prudence when granting visas to people from dubious backgrounds. Internationally, it means understanding that the one solution to war promoted by most Western politicians—spreading Western values and ways of governance—is no solution at all.Hmmmm....But does Hussein Obama want this?Read the full story here.

• Turkish Friendship Offering To Armenia Riles Erdogan. It was meant as a symbol of friendship that would help to heal the wounds of a long history of bloodshed, bitterness, and recrimination between Turkey and Armenia.Instead, an imposing monument in the eastern Turkish city of Kars near the two countries' border threatens to become yet another victim of their tortured relations after incurring the wrath of Turkey's mercurial prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.In a visit to Kars on January 8, Erdogan showed emphatically that he was unimpressed by the sculpture's subliminal message of peace by denouncing it as a "freak" and calling for its demolition. The prime minister, a former Islamist, voiced particular display that the towering structure threatened to overshadow the shrine of Hasan Harakani, a revered 11th-century Muslim figure."They have put a freak near the shrine," "Hurriyet" quoted Erdogan as saying. "They have erected something weird. The municipality will turn that place into a nice park."The target of Erdogan's ire was a 35-meter stone structure -- as yet unfinished -- by a prominent Turkish artist, Mehmet Aksoy. Featuring a divided human figure one half of which extends a hand to the other half, it is supposed to symbolize efforts to end a century of enmity between Turkey and Armenia.The sculpture, called the Statue of Humanity, was commissioned at a time when the two countries were involved in intensive talks aimed at overcoming hostilities fueled by allegations that the mass killings and deportations of Armenians by Ottoman forces in the World War I era constituted genocide.But it has been bitterly criticized by Turkish nationalists as a craven concession to the Armenia genocide accusations, which Turkey has long denied."I don't think he has even thought of this aspect [ties with Armenia]. He just decided to speak his mind and it is very unfortunate because first, it is not up to the prime minister to tell what is good and what is bad in art," Aktar says. "And two, the way he described the sculpture and the way he kind of ordered its destruction, is extremely worrisome, not because of the sculpture per se but also regarding his mood. After eight years in power he really now gives the impression that he is very, very tired."Hmmmm.....Or he's very totalitarian,and unwilling even to mention the Armenian genocide?Read the full story here.

• HT:MiddleEastForum.The latest terrorist tactic: litigation.On December 29, Scandinavian authorities arrested five terrorists planning an attack in Denmark. Almost as interesting as what they targeted is what they spared and the lessons it holds for future counterterrorism efforts.The plot was to storm the Copenhagen newsroom of Jyllands Posten and murder its staff. It was the fourth attempt this year by Islamic extremists to punish the newspaper that published the Mohammed cartoons. But the terrorists are guilty of selective prosecution. They have yet to strike Politiken, which also published the cartoons, even though its offices are literally next door.It is logical that Jyllands is the principal target because it sparked the controversy. It was Jylland's editor, Flemming Rose, who originally commissioned the cartoons in 2005. A Danish comedian had told interviewers he would publicly urinate on the Bible, but would not dare do the same to the Koran. Rose's message was that Islam should be treated equally, not specially.Nevertheless, there is a second reason Politiken is not a target. It already surrendered, vanquished by the nonviolent instrument of a civil lawsuit.In 2008, extremists nearly murdered Kurt Westergaard, who drew one of the original cartoons. In response, Politiken reprinted the cartoons as part of a unified stand against intimidation of the press. The defiance didn't last. A Saudi law firm claiming to represent 94,923 descendants of Mohammed threatened it with legal action and the paper caved. On February 26, 2010, it effectively apologized for defending free speech.This is a textbook illustration of how litigation has become a complementary and sometimes superior strategy for Islamic extremists who traditionally relied on physical violence alone to intimidate their opponents.This plan presupposes a clear basis for civil suits. In 1994, Congress passed a bill making it illegal to use force against persons exercising abortion rights and permitting victims to sue for damages. With only minor modifications, this law could be expanded to cover threats against free speech rights as well.For example, officials are investigating whether the recent plot is connected to the 2009 arrest of two Chicago men for conspiring to attack Jyllands Posten. According to the indictment, Tahawwur Rana and David Headley gained access to Jylland's offices on the pretext of purchasing advertising for their immigration services company. Once inside, they conducted videotape surveillance of the premises which they provided to co-conspirators in Pakistan who recommended using a truck bomb.Hmmmm.......The religion of peace.Read the story full here.

• Canada- Land fizzing like soda pop: farmer says CO2 injected underground is leaking.A Saskatchewan farm couple whose land lies over the world's largest carbon capture and storage project says greenhouse gases seeping from the soil are killing animals and sending groundwater foaming to the surface like shaken soda pop.The gases were supposed to have been injected permanently underground.Cameron and Jane Kerr own nine quarter-sections of land above the Weyburn oilfield in eastern Saskatchewan. They released a consultant's report Tuesday that links high concentrations of carbon dioxide in their soil to 6,000 tonnes of the gas injected underground every day by energy giant Cenovus (TSX:CVE) in an attempt to enhance oil recovery and fight climate change"We knew, obviously, there was something wrong," said Jane Kerr.A Cenovus spokeswoman said the company doubts those findings. She pointed out they contradict years of research from other scientists."It's not what we believe," said Rhona Delfrari.Since 2000, Cenovus has injected about 16 million tonnes of carbon dioxide underground to force more oil from an aging field and safely store greenhouse gases that would otherwise contribute to climate change.But in 2005, the Kerrs began noticing algae blooms, clots of foam and multicoloured scum in two ponds at the bottom of a gravel quarry on their land. Sometimes, the ponds bubbled. Small animals — cats, rabbits and goats — were regularly found dead a few metres away.Then there were the explosions."At night we could hear this sort of bang like a cannon going off," said Jane Kerr, 58. "We'd go out and check the gravel pit and, in the walls, it (had) blown a hole in the side and there would be all this foaming coming out of this hole.""Just like you shook up a bottle of Coke and had your finger over it and let it spray," added her husband.The water, said Jane Kerr, came out of the ground carbonated."It would fizz and foam."Alarmed, the couple left their farm and moved to Regina."It was getting too dangerous to live there," Cameron Kerr said.Lafleur said there's no way the heavy concentrations of the gas he found could have been naturally generated."Biogeneic gas is simply not the source of this tremendous amount of CO2, both from a volume point of view and from the isotope point of view."All reservoirs leak. Every one of them."Read the full story here.

• HT:ShalomLife.Canadian Fire Fighting Airplanes to be Sent to Israel.The Israeli Prime Minister Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Canadian Minister of National Defense, Mr. Peter Gordon Mackay have agreed yesterday to a $200 million contract which will see Israel purchase 6 firefighting aircraft and other equipment from Canada. The aircraft won't be ready for two years. Until then, Israel will least the aircraft which will be flown by Canadian pilots.According to the agreement between the two countries, the Canadian aircraft will be examined by the Israeli Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).As was reported exclusively in Shalom life, a Canadian bombardier fire fighting airplane was due to be sent to Israel to participate in the multi-national effort to extinguish the deadly fire. The aircraft was never sent as the fire was contained.The immediate lesson from the Carmel fire was that Israel needed a better equipped fire fighting department to be better prepared for future disasters. The budget was found and the Canadian solution seemed the best for the Israeli needs.Before delivery of the purchased aircraft, Israeli pilots will go through a training program in which they will learn how to operate and maintain the Canadian airplanes and also learn about the tactics and methods that Canada has developed from its experience in such situations.Read the full story here.

• Women using vitiligo injection for fairness.Doctors report increase in women seeking the injection sold illegally for Dh5,000; Serious side effects include cancer.An increasing number of women in the UAE are turning to drugs used to treat vitiligo patients, to whiten their complexion and get fairer skin.Health experts have warned that the misuse of such drugs can cause of serious diseases like cancer.These girls are so desperate to become ‘white’ that they go to the extent of taking “the eldoquin injections used to treat vitiligo”, according to one doctor who receives several requests to provide the treatment.Vitiligo is a chronic disorder that causes depigmentation of patches of skin. It occurs when melanocytes, the cells responsible for skin pigmentation, die or are unable to function.Dr Ghada Abu Elhosn, a dermatologist at Al Buhaira Medical Center in Sharjah said that these injections are being sold illegally in the private sector in the country.“Doctors purchase these injections from other countries such as the US. They are very expensive. One dose of it can cost around Dh5,000. And in order for a normal girl to get the desired result, she has to take a number of injections. However, most girls who want to change their skin colour do not care about the cost. They are ready to pay any amount to get the desired results.”She pointed out that she receives many girls who come seeking to get this injection. “However, we do not give it to them because it can cause serious diseases such as cancer, liver problems, lack of immunity and many more. It is not worth it.”Aisha, a 35-year-old national mother of two said that she has been trying to get this injection for many years.“I am not fair. My husband is fairer than me. I tried many whitening creams and tonics, but the results are not satisfying. Once I stop using them, I go back to my natural color. This is annoying as everybody see my husband more handsome and with better skin color.”Hmmmm....."Beauty is in the eye of the beholder"?Read the full story here.

• HT:Memri.Iranian Journalist: Saudi Regime the Most Dangerous in the Middle East, after Israel.At a panel discussion on politics in Saudi Arabia, hosted by the Iranian news agency Mehr, staff member Hassan Hanizadeh called the Saudi regime the most dangerous to the Islamic world, and to the Arabs in particular, second only to Israel, citing the regime's negative involvement in Lebanon and Iraq and negative treatment of women and of its Shi'ite minority. Hanizadeh said that Bandar bin Sultan, whom he referred to as a "CIA agent," was the most influential figure in Saudi Arabia, but that he would not inherit King 'Abdallah's throne due to the fact that his mother had been a slave.Source.