MFS - The Other News

                        Morning Posting.

• Updated !Earthquakes in the last 24 hours in the world seismic activity in St Helena 4.9! More info here.

• Updated - Enviroment Pollution in The North sea - Official situation update Nr 3:

Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell has said it is working to stop a leak at one of its North Sea oil platforms. The leak was found near the Gannet Alpha platform, 180 km (113 miles) from Aberdeen, Scotland. The company would not say how much oil may have been spilt so far, though it said it had "stemmed the leak significantly". One of the wells at the Gannet oilfield has been closed, but the company would not say if production was reduced. The company says it has sent a clean-up vessel to the location and has a plane monitoring the surface. The leak was found in a flow line connecting an oil well to the platform. Shell confirmed the leak was continuing but said it was being reduced and was "not a significant spill". The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change said it was in contact with Shell and investigating the incident in the usual way. The department's spokesman added that it understood from Shell that there was a "finite amount of oil that can be dispersed" but stressed that regulators were taking the leak seriously.The Health and Safety executive confirmed it was monitoring the situation. A Scottish government spokesman also said it was monitoring the situation and would update ministers, adding that Marine Scotland, which manages Scotland's waters, was in close contact with key organisations including Shell. A Shell spokesman said it was "managing" the leak. "We deployed a remote-operated vehicle to check for a sub-sea leak after a light sheen was noticed in the area. "We have stemmed the leak significantly and we are taking further measures to isolate it. "The sub-sea well has been shut in, and the flow line is being de-pressurised," he added. It is unknown how much oil may already have been spilt. The Gannet oil field reportedly produced about 13,500 barrels of oil per day between January and April of this year. Friends of the Earth Scotland said the spill showed the dangers of offshore drilling in the North Sea. "Any spill, however small, should serve as a warning sign and encourage us to look to a clean, renewable energy future, rather than continuing to invest in dirty oil," said Juliet Swann, head of campaigns at the environmental group. The field is co-owned by Esso, a subsidiary of US oil firm Exxon but operated by Shell.Source.

• Japan : For the most accurate info on the nuclear disaster go to : Paul Langley's Nuclear History Blog.Here.

• OMG ! 9/11 First Responders Not Invited To 10th Anniversary Ceremony At Ground Zero.(Matzav).First responders will not be invited to this year’s 9/11 ceremony at Ground Zero. That’s the word from city officials who say there isn’t enough room for the tens of thousands of firefighters, police and other rescue workers.According to a report by the Daily News, security issues and making sure that all of the victims’ families will be able to participate in the 10th anniversary of 9/11, contributed to first responders not being invited to the ceremony.Phil, a construction worker at Ground Zero, says the city needs to figure out a way to have first responders at this anniversary.“I think that they should be allowed to go because too many of their brothers and sisters lost their lives and they should be the first ones that are included,” he said. “They should make it happen. I’m sure there are going to be a lot of people here who shouldn’t be here.”First responders will be given a separate ceremony at a later date.Both President Barack Obama and former president George W. Bush will be at this year’s ceremony as well as former mayor Rudy Giuliani and other dignitaries, meaning extra security will be on hand.In addition, only a limited number of lawmakers from the Tri-state area will be allowed to attend.On Friday, House Speaker Rep. John Boehner said the government would be paying for representatives from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to attend the ceremony.An estimated 91,000 police, firefighters and other first responders helped with the search and rescue efforts in the wake of the September 11th attacks.Hmmmm......Obama: ""Muslim Americans were first-responders.On this tenth anniversary we honor these men and women for what they are, American heroes."Read the full 'scandal' story here.

• Muslim Brotherhood In Our White House – Vetting Obama.(NewZeal).Stated by a Muslim Liberal Democrat Marxist who worked and campaigned for Barack Obama:

“I want you to focus and I hope you can talk to your families and your friends and your neighbors that when someone says that there is a penetration of Jihadi Islamists within Canadian society, do not dismiss it as some right-wing xenophobic racist rant.

Today in the White House there are three members of the Muslim Brotherhood that influence Obama’s policy.

■One is Rashad Hussain of Indian origin who is the American Ambassador to the 52 nation organization of Islamic countries.

■Dialia Mogahed who writes his speech who comes from the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.

■Just day before yesterday, another woman, an academic, was appointed in that circle.

This is happening while we sit silent and I say that as a Liberal Democrat, as someone who worked and campaigned for Barack Obama.We have evidence in Canada of this penetration that’s going on.”Tarek Fatah, a moderate Muslim advocate and Liberal Democrat Marxist, told an auditorium filled with thousands of Canadians at Ideacity that “the religion of Islam is being used as a tool by a fascist force.”Americans need to know, as Tarek clearly states…

“Instead of bringing victory over the fascist forces of the Muslim Brotherhood, we now recognize that their infiltration is right up to the American White House, but we can’t say that.”“Today we are fighting another idea of Islamo-fascism that has shut our mouths and we can’t speak because we’re too scared that someone may turn around and call us a racist. And mind you, everyday as I speak, a few dozen Muslims would have been killed by now by these Jihadi’s.”

He says that he has seen his own “fellow travelers betray the cause of Social Justice and align themselves with the most horrendous fascists that you could ever meet.” The far-left has joined with radical Islamists and they are working together. Recall that Glenn Beck warned of this in January 2011 and now, from inside the Liberal Democratic movement, Tarek sees it with his own eyes and speaks out about it.America’s government-controlled media fail to report the truth, which is why many Americans research, self-educate and become citizen journalists in order to bring you the truth. On this subject, we have previously explained that Islamism is not a religion; it is a complete system comprised of totalitarian rule over day-to-day life – political, financial, legal, social, cultural and religious – and its mission is Jihad. Tarek explains this too.

“Please understand that there is a distinction between Islam as a faith which, along with every other religion, has its own problems, and “Islamism,” which is an ideology, a political ideology, that says that Western Civilization has to be destroyed.”

“The books that are distributed at Eaton Centre and the Dundas Square clearly state by the founders of the Muslim Brotherhood that all Western countries have to be destroyed.”

Obama’s embrace of those who hate America and actively pursue the destruction of our country from within and externally has been on display for quite awhile and it’s time we see, speak and hear the truth.Obama brought the Muslim Brotherhood into our White House; no one but Obama did this. He brought George Soros into our White House, an anti-Semite who aided the Nazi’s and a financial terrorist who is making billions off the economic misery Obama has purposely caused in our country. Many Americans fail to understand this while the media hides the truth. From corrupt dictators (e.g. inviting President Ali Bongo of Gabon to the White House) to domestic terrorists (e.g. Bill Ayers) to self-proclaimed Communist/Marxist (e.g. Van Jones), these, and many more like them, are the people Obama brings into our White House… these are his friends and associates.Do you know people like this? Do you work with people like this? Would you appoint three Muslim Brotherhood members to the White House if you were President?As Tarek says, talk to your families, friends and neighbors; show them the warning from this Liberal Democrat Marxist.“Why is it happening? Because we are not speaking out. And the dangers we face… if we do not confront them today, our children will not forgive us tomorrow.”Read and see (Video) the full story here.

• New Muslim 'Reality' Show Is Anything But.(MEForum).The American TV network TLC recently announced that it is making a reality series following the lives of Muslims living in America. The program—called "All American Muslim"—will follow five Muslim families in Dearborn, Michigan, hoping to expose the "misconceptions and conflicts" they face "outside and within" their own community…In a statement TLC's general manager Amy Winter said:…"Through these families and their diverse experiences, we will explore how they blend their values and traditions with everyday life in America." She added the program would provide: "Insight into their culture with care and compassion."In other words, at a time when the need for objective knowledge concerning Islam is at a premium, many Americans are to be subliminally indoctrinated on what Islam is really about—not through Muslim theology or history, nor yet politics and current events—but rather by a "reality" show of a handful of American Muslims.One of TLC's goals in airing this program is to show us "diversity" in Islam: According to the network's statement: "The families featured in the series share the same religion, but lead very distinct lives that oftentimes challenge the Muslim stereotype."For example, there is a girl that "sports piercings and tattoos"—as if the fact that a tattoo-wearing American female who identifies herself as a Muslim is supposed to tell us anything about Islam. Other characters are not so colorful, but are formulated simply to gain sympathy for Muslims: their claim to fame is that they are "trying to find the balance between their traditional Muslim roots and American culture," or working "tirelessly to educate … about the Muslim religion in an effort to reduce discrimination and ignorance."In short, through five families who supposedly represent a religion of over one billion, the show is dedicated to depicting Muslims as "just like us." Indeed, one might argue that these five families are not even representative of their own Muslim neighbors in Dearborn, chosen by the producers for having "one of America's largest Muslim populations and has the largest mosque in North America."In fact, Dearborn is also a hotbed of Muslim extremism, where the FBI had a shoot-out in the streets with jihadists; where a former resident was indicted in a Hezbollah terror plot targeting Israel; where one American politician says Sharia law holds sway; and where a Christian preacher was threatened by shouts of "Allahu Akbar!"Will these sorts of "diverse experiences" find their way into the reality show?What is more ironic is that TLC's motives appear superfluous and unnecessary: the same report does not conclude by saying that, because anti-Muslim sentiment is on the rise in America it needs to be combated by such shows, but quite the opposite: "The announcement comes as positive attitudes in America towards Muslims appear to be on the rise. Earlier this year CNN found that 46 percent of Americans have a positive view of American Muslims, while 26 percent have an [sic] negative view. In 2002, the number of Americans with a positive view of Muslims stood at 39 percent."One may argue that this is just a show, and that people should know better than to base their opinions of Islam on it. While this is true, it is also true that the ideas and images that the media presents to us tend to condition people's perceptions and opinions— a consequence especially critical at a time of war.If one truly wished to understand the differences between the Muslim and Western mindsets, one need only look to their respective medias. Far from trying to depict the "other"—the infidel—as "just one of us," the Arab media is devoted to making the West look as if it is on a "crusade" to destroy Islam, and that the Jews are "pigs and monkeys" who are behind any number of animal-related conspiracies. Meanwhile, here is America's media, floating in an idealistic, Utopian bubble, conditioning minds accordingly.Raymond Ibrahim, a widely published author on Islam, is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center and an Associate Fellow at the Middle East Forum.Hmmmm........." The mosques are our barracks, the domes our helmets, the minarets our bayonets and the faithful our soldiers".Read the full story here.

• Obama and Erdogan grant Assad 15 days to finish uprising. Call-up in Turkey .(Debka).Thursday night, Aug. 11, US President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan agreed to set Syrian President Bashar Assad the deadline of Aug. 27for extinguishing the popular uprising against his rule and starting to implement genuine democratic reforms. This decision followed Erdogan's report to Obama on the Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu's six-hour conversationwith Assad Tuesday, Aug. 9.debkafile reports that Assad apparently convinced his Turkish guest that, with a free hand, he would finish off the revolt in 10 to 15 days and then get down to introducing political reforms including free elections with full opposition participation. If he went back on his word, then Obama and Erdogan would talk again about a possible US-Turkish military operation in Syria. They decided to trust Assad "one last time" regardless of his broken promises in the past.Our Washington sources report exclusively that Davutoglu covered six main points in his talk with Assad:

1. The Syrian ruler asserted with complete confidence that the protest would be over in 10-15 days;

2. He has no illusions about the uprising disappearing for good and expects further outbreakst at least until the end of next year.

3. He promised to forestall fresh flare-up by instituting genuine reforms.

4. After their advisers left the room, Assad showed the Turkish foreign minister intelligence materials with documents and photos as evidence that the rebels fighting his regime were Islamic extremists, members of the Muslim Brotherhood and al Qaeda. He said that if they carried the day in Syria they would move on to Turkey. He therefore asked Ankara for more patience to allow him to subdue these forces.This was a reference to Erdogan's statement last Saturday, Aug. 6, that Turkey's patience with Syrian brutality was "running thin."

5. The Syrian ruler asked for an assurance that Ankara "would not to use Syria for a Turkish (and therefore NATO) campaign against Iran."In the background of this demand was a comment Russia's NATO ambassador Dmitry Rogozin made on Aug. 5 that NATO was planning a military campaign against Syria to help overthrow the Assad regime "with the long-reaching goal of preparing a beachhead for an attack on Iran."

6. Turning to soft soap, Assad said earnestly that he would rather see Turkish than Iranian influence in Iraq and offered to work with Ankara (and through Turkey the US) to achieve this end.This was a transparent attempt to con Washington into believing he was willing to drive the Iranians out of Iraq by pandering to its long-held illusion that if the Americans tried hard enough, they could separate him from his foremost ally and prop.After Obama and Erdogan agreed on their next Syrian steps, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told a CBS interviewer Thursday that US policy now hinges on "building the chorus of international condemnation" to make things clear to Assad. Even then, she did tell him to go – only, "Well, I think we've been very clear in what we have said about his loss of legitimacy."only, "Well, I think we've been very clear in what we have said about his loss of legitimacy."The Secretary of State mentioned China, Brazil and India in the context of her "international chorus." Our Washington sources report she was basing her remark on Erdogan's undertaking to bring the three powers on board for UN Security Council authorization of NATO intervention in Syria if the US goes along with his plan for a two-week respite for Assad to finish the job and he breaks his word on reforms.Surely the president had not forgotten that Erdogan tried this stunt less than a year ago when he failed to harness the same trio for useful intercession in the Iranian nuclear crisis.Tuesday, Assad invited the Turkish minister and reporters (no foreign correspondents wanted in Syria) to see for themselves that he was pulling his tanks out of Hama (after their guns had brutalized protesters for weeks). None were allowed to leave the official vehicles (lest they see whole sections of a major city reduced to rubble). As soon as Davutoglu flew out,the tanks rolled back into the city.On the ground meanwhile, Turkish papers reported Friday Aug. 12 that Ankara had called up reserves and transferred them to the Syrian border to deal with a new and heavy influx of Syrian refugees. "An animal quarantine center has also been set up," said one report, "as Turkey expects not only people but also animals to cross the border in case of a NATO strike on Syria."Hmmmmm......It seems i was right when hinting that Erdogan provides cover for Assad's actions, Obama the defender of Israel's enemies..Read the full story here.

• Iran agrees to fund Syrian military base.(Telegraph).Iran has agreed to fund a new multi-million-dollar military base on the Syrian coast to make it easier to ship weapons and other military hardware between the two countries, according to Western intelligence reports.Under the terms of the deal, which was concluded after a high-level Syrian delegation visited Tehran, Iran is to assist with the development of a new military compound at Latakia airport which will be completed by the end of next year. The aim of the agreement is to open a supply route that will enable Iran to transfer military hardware directly to Syria.Western security officials say the deal was agreed following a visit to Tehran in June by Muhammad Nasif Kheirbek, Syria's deputy vice-president for security affairs and an ally of President Bashar al-Assad.Iran and Syria have enjoyed a close strategic alliance for decades, founded on their mutual antipathy towards the West. In return for Iranian military support, Syria has supported Tehran's attempts to develop the Islamic fundamentalist Hizbollah militia into a major political force in neighbouring Lebanon.In recent months, Iran has been deeply alarmed at the nationwide protests in Syria against the Assad regime. Western diplomats claim that Iran has been sending riot control equipment, as well as intelligence monitoring techniques and oil, to Damascus to help Mr Assad regain control over his country.But Iranian efforts to provide clandestine support have suffered several setbacks after Turkish officials intercepted a number of arms shipments destined for Syria.The Latakia deal was negotiated by Mr Kheirbek, who has been identified as one of the most powerful figures within Syria's security establishment. Mr Kheirbek, whose son also holds a senior post in Syria's internal security, is now the subject of US sanctions over his liaison role with Hizbollah in southern Lebanon. During his visit to Tehran, he met Ghasem Suleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Revolutionary Guards.Under the terms of the agreement, Iran plans to fly hundreds of tons of weapons to Latakia on freight planes which have a capacity of up to 40 tons each.Teams of Iranian Revolutionary Guards officers are to be stationed at Latakia on a permanent basis, where they will co-ordinate the arms shipments with officials from Syria's Mukhabarat intelligence service.A similar joint command centre was set up at Damascus international airport earlier this year, but Latakia is regarded as a more suitable destination as it is not subjected to the same level of scrutiny as Damascus. For this reason Iran has agreed to provide $23 million to build a new complex at Latakia airport to handle the arms shipments, which are likely to include machineguns, rockets and medium-range missiles.Hmmmm.......Thanks Hussein for closing both eyes?Read the full story here.

• Media Unearths Rick Perry's College Transcripts In Nothing Flat, But Somehow Unable to Find Any Record of Barack Obama's Existence.(DougRoss).You may have missed the Left's preemptive attack on Rick Perry. The GOP candidate's transcripts were "mysteriously released" a few days ago, which smacks of another odd disclosure.In 2004, Barack Obama's GOP opponent for Senate -- Jack Ryan -- "mysteriously" had his sealed divorce records un-sealed. But I'm sure that's just coincidental. You know, I find the media quite honest and diligent. It mocks and vilifies Rick Perry's college transcripts, yet somehow forgot about checking Barack Obama's:

1. Occidental College records and transcripts -- Not released
2. Columbia University records and transcripts -- Not released
3. Columbia Thesis paper -- 'not available'
4. Harvard University records and transcripts -- Not released
5. Medical records -- Not released
6. Illinois State Senate schedule -- 'not available'
7. Illinois State Senate records -- 'not available'
8. Law practice client list -- Not released
9. Certified Copy of Original Birth certificate -- Not released
10. Harvard Law Review articles published -- None
11.  University of Chicago scholarly articles -- None
12. Record of Baptism -- Not released or 'not available'

But I'm sure that's just an innocent oversight.Read and see the full story here.

• Agenda 21: US (Obama) and UN Share a Global Vision.(BigGovernment).In its preamble, Agenda 21, Chapter 1 states “Humanity stands at a defining moment in history. We are confronted with a perpetuation of disparities between and within nations, a worsening of poverty, hunger, ill health and illiteracy, and the continuing deterioration of the ecosystems on which we depend for our well-being. However, integration of environment and development concerns and greater attention to them will lead to the fulfilment of basic needs, improved living standards for all, better protected and managed ecosystems and a safer, more prosperous future. No nation can achieve this on its own; but together we can – in a global partnership for sustainable development.”In other words, the goal of the United Nations is social and economic justice through a redistribution of wealth scheme using the threat of anthropogenic (man-made) global warming or climate change to implement the market based solution of carbon emissions trading. The International Monetary Fund has proposed a plan for a Green Fund to achieve this goal.Following this Earth Summit President George H. W. Bush declared:

“Effective execution of Agenda 21 will require a profound reorientation of all human society, unlike anything the world has ever experienced –a major shift in the priorities of both governments and individuals and an unprecedented redeployment of human and financial resources. This shift will demand that a concern for the environmental consequences of every human action be integrated into individual and collective decision-making at every level.” –signed by G.H. Bush, 1992

Despite pressure from the United Nations partners, U.S. delegates did not sign on to the convention.When the cap and trade legislation failed to pass, Senator John Kerry (D-MA) said “The Obama administration has again reminded Washington that if Congress won’t legislate, the EPA will regulate. Those who have spent years stalling need to understand: killing a Senate bill is no longer success. And if Congress won’t legislate a solution, the EPA will regulate one, and it will come without the help to America’s business and consumers contained in the American Power Act.” It is apparent in his statement that this administration is intent on pursuing this agenda with or without Congressional approval.In April of 2010 Jon Stewart, of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, interviewed Lisa P. Jackson, the Administrator of the E.P.A. During their discussion she stated that they were waiting for the price of carbon to be established so that we could meet our obligations to the country and the entire world. At the time I did not understand what she was talking about, but it is apparent now what she meant.The United States made commitments to the global community that it would implement emissions reductions, and even though this country never ratified this treaty it is intent on complying with its dictates.Hmmmm.....The Obama Administration is now recruiting graduate students to agitate for what it calls "environmental justice." What are the chances that the 'supercongress' (Kerry) acts on this?Read and see (Video) the full story here.

• Al Qaeda operatives in Yemen 'planning deadly ricin attack' on US, Obama warned.(DailyMail).Intelligence officials have warned Barack Obama that a dangerous regional arm of Al Qaeda is trying to produce the deadly poison ricin to use in attacks against the United States.Al Qaeda's affiliate in Yemen is believed to have been trying to acquire large quantities of castor beans, which contain the toxic rich protein.It is thought the poison would be packed around small explosives which could disperse the white powdery substance on detonation.It is so deadly that even a speck of it can kill someone if inhaled or taken into the blood stream.The poison was used in the 1978 assassination in London of Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov and, in 2002, police raided a facility said to be plotting its manufacture in the UK capital.Al Qaeda intend on detonating the explosives in enclosed areas like shopping centres and airports.But there are limits on ricin because it loses its potency in dry, sunny conditions, like those in Yemen, and is not easily absorbed through the skin like other nerve agents.America has been bracing itself for a backlash from terrorists after Osama Bin Laden was killed earlier this year.Mr Obama was briefed by top security aides about the latest threat last year but was told by that an attack is not imminent.Senior administration officials said ricin was among the threats being tracked by a secret government task force created after printer cartridges packed with powerful explosives were found in cargo bound for Chicago in October 2010, according to the New York Times.It said the task force was working with Saudi officials and with the remnants of Yemen's intelligence agencies to counter the threat.It said regional Al Qaeda affiliates, especially in the Arabian Peninsula, were seen as a menace to the United States and U.S. interests abroad.The virtual collapse of Yemen's government has enabled Al Qaeda to widen its control in the country and strengthen its operational ties with al Shabab, the Islamic militancy in Somalia. The US government is working with what is left of Yemen's intelligence agencies and those of neighbouring Saudi Arabia to try to root our terror plots early.Hmmmm.....Don't worry the 'commander in Chief' has every 'hole' covered?Read the full story here.

• Syrian gunboats fire on coastal city; 10 killed.(Ynet).VIDEO - Syrian gunboats firing heavy machine guns pounded impoverished districts of Latakia on Sunday, killing at least 10 people in a renewed assault on the Mediterranean coastal city, activists said.As the gunships blasted waterfront districts, ground troops backed by tanks and security agents stormed several neighborhoods. The sharp crackle of machine-gun fire and loud explosions could be heard across the city. The intense operations in Latakia, a key port city once known as a summer tourist draw, are part of a brutal government crackdown on several Syrian cities meant to root out protesters demanding the ouster of President Bashar Assad. Latakia has a potentially explosive sectarian mix. Sunnis, which are a majority in Syria, live in the city's urban core, while Assad's minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam, populates villages on the city's outskirts, along with small minorities of Christians, ethnic Turks and other groups. The attacks on predominantly Sunni areas of Latakia, a city with a population of more than 600,000, raised concerns of sectarian bloodshed in a country that has already seen an alarming rise in sectarian tensions since the start of the uprisings. On Saturday, at least 20 tanks and armored personnel carriers rolled into the city's al-Ramel district amid intense gunfire that sent many residents fleeing the area. Activists said at least two people were killed.The al-Ramel neighborhood has seen large anti-Assad protests since the uprising against the regime began in mid-March. On Friday, as many as 10,000 people took to the streets there on Friday, calling for Assad's ouster. After their initial assault on the city Saturday, Syrian security forces stormed several districts in Latakia again on Sunday. At least ten people have died in the shooting, said Rami Abdul-Rahman, head of the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the activist network the Local Coordination Committees.An aggressive new military offensive that began with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at the start of August has killed several hundred people in just one week.Read and see the full story here.More here.

• Video: Rabbi Metzger Blesses Glenn Beck's Israel Event.(ArutzSheva).Ahead of his “Restoring Courage” rally which will take place in Israel on August 24, American talk show host Glenn Beck had the opportunity to meet with Israel’s Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger.The two discussed the upcoming event and the rabbi offered his support.Speaking to Rabbi Metzger, Beck described the event as a “gathering of people from all over the world who wish to stand for Israel and for the Jewish people.”As he did when he addressed members of Knesset, Beck said he was inspired by the words of Biblical Ruth, who followed her mother-in-law, Naomi, to Israel from Moab and promised her that “Your people shall be my people and your G-d shall be my G-d.”“That’s what needs to be said,” Beck told Rabbi Metzger. “We need to say that, so we are gathering together.”Beck asked Rabbi Metzger to take part in the rally and deliver the Prayer for the Welfare of the State of Israel, to which Rabbi Metzger agreed.“I thank you and I appreciate your visit,” the rabbi told Beck. “[I appreciate] what you’ve done, what you do and what you will do to our holy land and our nation because we are suffering from bad public relations.”Earlier this week it was announced that Herman Cain, a Tea Party candidate for president, plans to join Beck in the rally.Cain, a staunch supporter of Israel, is a successful businessman who a few months ago was considered a non-starter as presidential timber. Perhaps for the lack of any Republican party presidential hopeful to lead the pack, he has gained momentum despite his total lack of experience in politics.Hmmmm......“Your people shall be my people and your G-d shall be my G-d.”Read and see the full story here.

• Israel attacks PA bid for ‘full member’ status at UN.(JPost).PA confirms Abbas planning application in effort to achieve statehood recognition; PMO says only negotiations can advance peace process.The Prime Minister’s Office attacked Palestinian Authority statements Saturday regarding its intention to seek unilateral statehood at the United Nations through an application for full-member status in that body.It accused PA President Mahmoud Abbas of avoiding direct negotiations and said that his decision was both “expected and regrettable.“Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu still believes that only through direct and honest negotiations – not through unilateral decisions – will it be possible to advance the peace process,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.It issued its comments in reaction to a Ramallah briefing by PA Foreign Minister Riyad Malki, who said that Abbas planned to apply for full UN membership next month.“I think that the president, when he gets to the United Nations and meets the secretary general, will present the application,” Malki said.He narrowed down the timing of the application to September during Abbas’s visit to New York, but when asked to give a specific date, Palestinian officials said it would still have to be determined.This year’s 66th General Assembly meetings are set to open officially on September 13, with high-level meetings of world leaders expected to start on September 20.The Palestinians in the past have spoken of a September deadline for seeking statehood from the United Nations.A Palestinian official told The Jerusalem Post, however, that the Palestinian strategy now is to turn to the UN with a request for membership. It’s a move that would give the Palestinians statehood status.UN membership requests must go through the Security Council, which then makes a recommendation to the General Assembly. Five nations — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States — can veto a membership request at the Security Council.The United States – which has opposed Palestinian statehood initiatives at the United Nations – has said it would veto such bids.The Palestinian official told the Post, that Abbas might separately ask the General Assembly to upgrade the PLO status at the UN from that of an “observer mission,” to a “non-member state.”Such a request does not have to go through the Security Council and only needs majority approval at the United Nations. The official said that such a move would still confer the status of statehood on the Palestinians.An Israeli spokesperson said only direct talks with Jerusalem could lead to a comprehensive peace deal, whereas unilateral moves were likely to provoke violence.Opposition leader Tzipi Livni (Kadima) said on Saturday that “The Palestinian decision is bad for Israel, and only one person is responsible for this diplomatic failure: Netanyahu.”Livni continued: “Netanyahu’s inability to understand the situation and his refusal to continue negotiations – which Kadima had been holding in keeping with Israel’s best interests – are leading Israel to one of the most dangerous diplomatic failures in its history,” she said in a statement.“Rather than establishing a Palestinian state through an agreement with Israel, Netanyahu is causing the world to establish a state in opposition to Israel’s position.“Kadima reiterates its call to renew negotiations before September,” she concluded.MK Arye Eldad (National Union) on Saturday called on Israel to cancel the Oslo Accords in reaction to the Palestinian announcement.“The Government of Israel should announce immediately that with this application to the UN, the Oslo Accords will be canceled and Israel should declare that Israeli law will be implemented in Judea and Samaria,” Eldad said in a statement.Hmmmm.....Can you trust Obama to veto the bid?.....Yeah exactly, i would go with cancelling the Oslo Accords!Read the full story here.

• Gunmen, suicide bombers attack on Afghan governor's compound leaves 19 dead.(AlArabiya).A gun and suicide attack on an Afghan governor's compound killed 19 people and wounded nearly 40 others on Sunday in the latest Taliban assault raising fears about security just outside the capital Kabul.Abdul Basir Salangi, the governor of Parwan province, told a local television channel while gunbattles were underway that six suicide bombers had stormed the main provincial administration.“I'm inside,” Governor Salangi told Tolo News, referring to a compound that houses his office and other administration offices in Parwan province, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Kabul.“So far there have been five blasts,” he said, adding that a stand-off between the insurgents and Afghan security forces was underway.“Six suicide bombers attacked while we were holding a meeting,” he said.Insurgents, often from the Taliban, have launched a series of attacks against government targets over the past year, often in the east of the country near the porous border with Pakistan's largely lawless tribal lands.Violence across Afghanistan in 2010 reached its worst levels since the Taliban were toppled by U.S.-backed Afghan forces in late 2001, and 2011 has followed a similar trend.US and other NATO commanders have claimed success in halting the momentum of a growing insurgency in the Taliban heartland in the south over the past year, although insurgents have shown a worrying ability to hit back with strikes against targets in once relatively peaceful parts of the country.Read the full story here.

• Muslim peacekeepers: A vital linchpin or a redundant duplication?(TodaysZaman).If it could just prevent Bosnia from ever happening again, it is worth the challenge the Muslim world will face building it, experts say of a debate concerning the establishment of a peacekeeping force which is going on within the body of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), with the aim of offering a complementary force to the already existent peacekeeping efforts of the UN and NATO.Although the debate goes back almost a decade, the first leader to voice the need to establish a peacekeeping force at a gathering of the OIC, formerly known as the Organization of the Islamic Conference, was Syrian President Bashar al-Assad when he called on the Muslim world to protect the region through its own efforts as he delivered the opening speech at the 36th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Damascus in 2009.Now the same leader finds himself the most recent reason for sparking the debate once again, as the Muslim world sits on the fence, remaining concerned about developments in the Arab Spring, but finding itself face to face with a lesser evil should Western forces mobilize an intervention force to topple Assad, much like they did in the recent example of Libya.“In light of past incidents, Western peacekeeping forces do not inspire confidence in Muslim countries,” said Yasin Aktay, director of the Institute of Strategic Thinking (SDE), an Ankara-based think tank established in 2009. “Western intervention aiming to solve disputes in Muslim countries has ended up damaging countries that were already in distress,” Aktay elaborated for Sunday’s Zaman. “I believe a homebred Muslim peacekeeping force would be more effective than the UN and NATO, given their familiarity with the sensitivities of their own society.”Although OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu announced preparations for the foundation of such a non-aggressive but mediatory force at a think tank forum in İstanbul in 2010, he also acknowledged that the process would be painful, with some of the OIC members raising doubts about the possible functions of such a force as well as the already difficult task of funding and training a large unit of peacekeepers.Regardless of the final word on the dispute, the OIC advisory body explained that the world should rest assured that “the OIC would not act on its own judgment alone and draw its authority from the UN Security Council when forming such a force,” but before that, a lot has to be done to make peacekeepers a feasible project.“The OIC peacekeepers, if they ever come to be, will function to complement the other international forces, refraining from acting in the same spots with them and adopting a gradual approach, starting from a coordination of humanitarian aid deliveries,” according to the advisory body.Since the subject of OIC peacekeepers remains a heated debate in light of developments in the Arab Spring and the Palestine-Israel conflict, many believe that even “the shadow of the peacekeepers” would function as a deterrent for iron-fisted leaders of the Muslim world and for external forces threatening Muslim minorities. However, there is also concern that the Muslim community might be setting up the need for external intervention itself by calling on the international community whenever in need, as well as decreasing the chances for a homegrown solution.“The Muslim world is responsible for the current perception that its democratization process can only be achieved through the help of external forces, particularly the UN and NATO,” explained Kürşad Zorlu, a vice dean at Ahi Evran University in Central Anatolia, and a participant in the 38th OIC foreign ministers session in Kazakhstan, to Sunday’s Zaman.For the establishment of a peacekeeping force in the OIC, Zorlu warned that the process “should be transparently held, right before the eyes of the world, so that people know it is not an army to challenge them, but peacekeeping support,” to prevent anxieties among non-Muslims.“How you clarify the intentions and present the force is just as important as the substance -- it should not lead to a strengthening of the ‘otherness’ Muslims are already faced with around the world,” the academic stated. “There is no point in getting sucked into an adventure that will damage the Muslim community.”In response to debates on whether such a force gathering along religious lines would pose a threat to non-Muslim communities, experts agree that the force should be designed in a way that would allow it to act only as protection for civilians who have been subject to massacres in their homelands as well as other places. “If such a force existed at the time of [the war in] Bosnia, the violence may not have happened at that blood-chilling rate,” Aktay said, adding, “The forces would be a clear invitation to warring parties to act reasonably.”Hmmmmm.......Or a third possibility?Preparing the 'Mahdi's Army?Read the full story here.

• Problem of teenage brides persists in eastern Turkey.(TodaysZaman).Most teenage girls spend their summer enjoying a break from school, hanging out with friends, spending time with family, perhaps even vacationing at the beach. But in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa, 13-year-old F.D. spent last Monday giving birth to a baby boy.According to the Turkish Civil Code, a person is allowed to marry at the age of 18 without parental consent. An individual may marry at age 17 with parental consent and at age 16 under special circumstances with court approval.Director of the Strategic Thought Institute (SDE) Professor Yasin Aktay says families get around the marriageable age laws. Some families who want their daughters to get married early appeal to the court for approval, but most simply skirt the state altogether.Underage marriages mostly take the form of an imam nikahı -- a religious ceremony that is unregistered and goes undetected by the state. Women’s rights group Uçan Süpürge’s (Flying Broom) coordinator Selen Doğan of the Child Brides project said she was not surprised by the news in Şanlıurfa.“As far as I know, around 40 percent of youngsters in Şanlıurfa marry under the age of 18. The latest news did not surprise me, but it is very sad and thought-provoking,” she said.The Şanlıurfa Police Department and Şanlıurfa State Hospital told Sunday’s Zaman that while they could not provide any sort of statistics, they did see many “child bride” cases.According to Doğan, the rate of underage marriages in Şanlıurfa has been high for many years, but except for a few regional studies, it is hard to obtain in-depth and current data.Sociology experts agreed and pointed to the culture of rural southeast and east Turkey as an explanation.“Underage marriages are well known in Turkey. It’s a part of the culture,” Aktay said.Likewise, Bahçeşehir University sociology department head Nilüfer Narlı explained that the issue was “largely ignored for quite some time because it was thought to be OK in rural areas.”Years ago, girls were thought to be a type of burden for low-income rural families, Narlı said. In a region where honor and reputation reigned, families married their daughters off when they reached puberty because “that was when the worrying and talking started,” she said. The rural mentality was that it was better to marry one’s daughter off as soon as possible as a sort of protection for both the girl and the family’s reputation, Narlı added.Aktay and the prosecutor both observed that females tend to mature more quickly in the more rural areas of because of the way of life and mentality there. “I see many child brides in my office, and many of them appear much older than they are.”A prosecutor who wished to remain unnamed agreed with the sociologists. “There are still underage marriages in Turkey, but it is not common. In some rural settlements and in southeastern Turkey underage marriages are more common than in other parts,” he said.The unnamed prosecutor, however, said that he does not enjoy punishing the husbands of child brides in court. Most of the underage brides he sees wanted to marry their husbands, he said. Additionally, most of the cases are initiated when the underage bride’s doctor notifies the police.In most cases, the prosecutor said, the underage bride marries at around 14 years of age and becomes pregnant at 15. Still a crime, the prosecutors investigate the case. “If we arrest the man, the girl will be in a miserable situation with her baby,” he said.If the underage bride is 13 years old or younger, the husband is usually arrested because the situation is unacceptable for society, the prosecutor said. If convicted, husbands are typically sent to prison for eight to 15 years.A report by Hacettepe University presented to Parliament in 2011 indicated that underage child marriage may be more prevalent than some think. According to the report, almost 40 percent of Turkish women between the ages of 15 and 49 were married by the time they turned 18.The Child Brides project, therefore, was created in April 2010 to further research, raise awareness of and mobilize political change on the issue of underage and forced marriage in Turkey. Doğan said the project, conducted in 54 cities across Turkey, will be completed in October of this year, and there will be a meeting on Oct. 27 in Ankara to discuss its findings.Doğan is also working on a book on the issue of child brides.While the sociologists said that underage and forced marriages take place mostly in the East and Southeast, Doğan said: “Everyone thinks this is an issue in eastern Turkey and the Kurdish area, but that’s not true. We’ve been to 54 different cities. This issue is everywhere.”Hmmmm......Keep Turkey out of the European Union!Read the full story here.

• India - New Delhi: Vaccines used without tests : Rajya Sabha told.(NewKerala).New Delhi, Aug 12: Rajya Sabha was today informed that the Union Health Ministry was using the Pentavalent Vaccine, a vaccine developed to cure five ailments, in Kerala without test trials.Raising the issue as a Special Mention, CPI(M) member K N Balagopal said the vaccine had produced negative results in Sri Lanka and Bhutan but India was using it in Kerala on an experimental basis.Mr Balagopal said there was a need to conduct a detailed study on the vaccine before introduction in the country.Vice Chairmaan P J Kurien, while taking serious note of the development, directed the government to take note of the statement made by the member.He said it was serious if Mr Balagaopal's observation was correct.''...The government should take note...If this is correct, this is serious,'' he added.Hmmmm......Paging Dr Mengele?Read the full story here.