MFS - The Other News - What the main papers don't say.

                    Morning Posting.

• Updated !Earthquakes in the last 24 hours in the world seismic activity situation Northern Mariana Islands 5.1 !More info here.

• Translating Zero Hedge: Your Wages Will Be Cut In Half.(VidRebel).Yesterday Zero Hedge ran a story that most people will never see or really understand. Zero Hedge reported that the Russians have sold off half of their US Treasury bonds over the past year. China has been dumping their dollar holdings too but still have over a trillion dollars left. Other foreigners have been dumping their dollars too. The current US inflation rate is 12%. Ben Bernanke has been creating trillions of dollars to bail out banks in Europe, to buy worthless securities from US banks and to fund the US debt. That will accelerate inflation. Inflation will go from 12% to 15% and then 20% in less than a year. The media will no longer be able to repeat the lie that the inflation rate is only 3 1/2%. Inflation will become an issue in the 2012 races for congress, Senate and the presidency.Accelerating inflation will force people overseas to dump any dollars they receive for selling Americans food, clothes, electronics, cars, oil and other raw materials as soon the transaction is completed. This phenomenon is called an increase in the velocity of money. It is a sign your economy is transitioning from an inconveniently high rate of inflation to hyperinflation. The US dollar is an international reserve currency which means that if France wants to buy food from Brazil they will likely have to use US dollars to make that transaction.I would define hyperinflation as beginning at 25% for an international reserve currency like the dollar. That is why when inflation surged in the latter part of the Carter presidency (1979-1980) Chairman of the Federal Reserve Paul Volcker raised interest rates. Home mortgages went to 15 1/2%. Ben Bernanke cannot raise interest rates today. His only option would be to devalue the dollar which is what he said he would do in that now infamous speech he made in Washington DC on 11-21-2002.That means after the 2012 elections the Russians, the Chinese, Iran, Venezuela plus their clients states and a few other nations can and will force a devaluation of the dollar by refusing to accept Federal Reserve Notes in international trade. If Americans balk, China just has to dump a hundred billion dollars and buy commodities driving the price of food out of the reach of WalMart shoppers. Of course I realize the Chinese will just be doing what the bankers want them to do. An international conference will be held at which the dollar will be devalued by about 40% as predicted by Bernanke. This will complete that 50% pay cut I have been predicting.The Chinese will have dumped most of their dollars before the conference so that their economy will not be harmed by a dollar devaluation. If Americans can’t afford to buy Chinese products, China will just sell them to people whose currencies were revalued upwards.I would suggest you buy storable food, silver coins (not collectibles) and household items that will just increase in cost.Hmmmmm......He promised "CHANGE" now you get what you voted for!Read the full story here.

• FOIA Documents Show Obama Justice Department Coordinating Voter Registration Drives With ACORN’s Project Vote.(DCExaminer).. . . Readers will also recall that ACORN activists have long been involved in voter registration fraud, either directly or through its Project Vote affiliate. At least 70 ACORN/Project Vote employees have been convicted of voter registration fraud in a dozen states since 2006. According to a 2009 House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform report, approximately a third of the 1.2 million new registrations turned in by the two groups in 2008 were fraudulent.Despite all this, documents obtained recently by Judicial Watch via the Freedom of Information Act suggest that President Obama — who was employed by Project Vote as a community organizer early in his career — and Attorney General Eric Holder have no qualms about working closely with present and former ACORN and Project Vote operatives on voter registration drives aimed at people on public assistance. Take, for example, an April 2009 letter to deputy assistant attorney general Sam Hirsh from former ACORN attorney and current Project Vote director of advocacy Estelle Rogers. She described preparations for a subsequent meeting about Department of Justice plans concerning National Voter Registration Act litigation in states deemed not being sufficiently aggressive in registering public assistance recipients.Among those to be included in the meeting, according to the Rogers letter, were Nicole Kovite, director of the public agency project for Project Vote; Spencer Overton, deputy assistant attorney general for legal policy; Cecilia Munoz, then-director of intergovernmental affairs in the Obama White House; and Tino Cuellar, special assistant to the president for justice and regulatory policy. Munoz was recently promoted to chief domestic advisor to Obama.Hmmmm.......Thugocracy in it's natural habitat?Read the full story here.

• Success story #4,035 for Obama open border policies: beheadings in U.S. "look like work of drug cartels".(DougRoss).But remember, folks: the border "is as safe as it's ever been" (in the words of DHS Chief Janet Napolitano). Except for those pesky beheadings here in the U.S.:Three beheadings in two different states and they happened here in the United States, not Mexico. Former DEA supervisor Phil Jordan says all three beheadings have cartel written all over them. They happened in Arizona and Oklahoma in the past year.A murder mystery is now unraveling on a stretch of North Reservation Road in Tucson, Ariz. County workers found a headless man lying on the side of the road Jan. 6. The man's hands and feet were reportedly missing, too. "It would lead me to believe the message wanted to be sent. This is one of the ways they do it in Mexico, Colombia and other places," says Jordan... Jordan says the cartels are getting bolder in carrying out their beheadings across the border. He says we only used to see these crimes in Mexico....More than 600 miles from the border, a 19-year-old human trafficking victim was found beheaded in Oklahoma. Carina Saunders was stuffed into a bag and left in a grocery store parking lot....Investigators in Chandler, Ariz., say cartel operatives came from Mexico to kill 38-year-old Martin Alejandro Cota Monroy. His beheaded body was found in his apartment."One is too many; two is too many. Three should send an alarm," says Jordan.You know what I would do if I were Attorney General Eric Holder?That's right -- I'd sue states for enforcing federal immigration law. No matter how many murders, kidnappings, rapes, drug- and human smuggling operations, and related violence that American citizens must suffer.Because Democrats need the votes, man. They need the votes!Read the full story here.

• US Jewish publisher regrets Obama hit scenario.(JPost).A Jewish newspaper publisher in the US apologized on Friday for suggesting in a column published last week that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu consider deploying Mossad agents to assassinate US President Barack Obama.Atlanta Jewish News owner and publisher Andrew Adler suggested that Netanyahu deploy Mossad agents to “take out a president deemed unfriendly to Israel” in the case that Iran got a nuclear weapon.In his column he listed three options for Israel to counter Iran’s nuclear weapons. The first was to launch a pre-emptive strike against Hezbollah and Hamas and the second was to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities. The third, according to Adler, was to “give the go-ahead for US-based Mossad agents to take out a president deemed unfriendly to Israel in order for the current vice president to take his place and forcefully dictate that the United States’ policy includes its helping the Jewish state obliterate its enemies.” “Yes, you read 'three' correctly," the publisher continued. "Order a hit on a president in order to preserve Israel’s existence. Think about it. If have thought of this Tom-Clancy-type scenario, don’t you think that this almost unfathomable idea has been discussed in Israel’s most inner circles?” In an interview with JTA Friday, Adler expressed contrition for his column."I very much regret it, I wish I hadn't made reference to it at all," Adler said of a presidential assassination.He also told the Internet site Gawker, which first reported on his column, that he had published his piece to see what kind of reaction he’d get from readers but that he in no way endorsed such action or thought Israel was considering it.According to JTA, the many calls and emails he received were overwhelmingly negative.The Anti-Defamation League strongly condemned the column, with National Director Abraham Foxman saying in a statement, “There is absolutely no excuse, no justification, no rationalization for this kind of rhetoric. It doesn’t even belong in fiction. These are irresponsible and extremist words. It is outrageous and beyond the pale. An apology cannot possibly repair the damage.”Read the full story here.

• DEMOCRAPOLA!(AM).Myth: Democracy elected Hitler to power.Democracy is not perfect what so ever. It has so many flaws and yet there are many positives to it. Adolf Hitler knew of its flaws and used it to get himself into power. Nobody expected him to do what he did.Read the full story here.

• US mulls closing embassy in Syria as security worsens.(JPost).WASHINGTON - The United States warned on Friday that it may soon close its embassy in Syria due to the worsening security situation, a move that could exacerbate tensions between Washington and Damascus over its bloody crackdown on protests."While no decision has been made, we have serious concerns about the deteriorating security situation in Damascus," the State Department said in a written statement."We have also advised the Syrian government that unless concrete steps are taken in the coming days, we may have no choice but to close the mission," the statement continued. The US threat came as the White House said it believed Syrian President Bashar Assad no longer had full control over the country, an escalation of US rhetoric against Damascus after 10 months of unrest.One US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Syrian government did not have much time to address US security concerns."We want something to happen sooner rather than later," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity, adding that the decision to shutter the embassy could come soon.Closing the embassy -- while not tantamount to formally severing diplomatic ties -- would sharply reduce direct communications between Damascus and Washington, which has led a campaign of international sanctions against Syria while making clear it has no appetite for military action.White House spokesman Jay Carney repeated on Friday a US call for Assad to halt a bloody crackdown on protesters and to step down, saying his fall was "inevitable" and suggesting that his grip on power was slipping."It is clear that's his regime is no longer in full control ... of the country, and is only taking Syria toward a dangerous end," Carney said. "There has been defections of senior military officials and a parliamentary representative recently."But he gave no further backing for the US claim, saying only that these developments demonstrate momentum against Assad.Read the full story here.

• A Third US Aircraft Carrier arrives In Waters Off Iran Amid Threat To Block Strait Of Hormuz.(RTT).The USS Abraham Lincoln joined its sister ship, the carrier USS John Stennis, to test Iran's warning against any carrier sailing through the Persian Gulf.The United States has sent another aircraft carrier to the Arabian Sea off the Strait of Hormuz amid Iran's threat that it would block the vital shipping route for oil tankers carrying Gulf oil to the rest of the world.The USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in the Arabian Sea on Thursday to replace USS John Stennis, which has left the region through the western Pacific. USS Abraham Lincoln, along with USS Carl Vinson, forms the U.S. Navy's standard two-carrier strike group in the Middle East, under the control of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command in Bahrain.Although the U.S. Navy portrayed it as part of a normal rotation and not a deliberate buildup of force, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said at a Pentagon news conference on Wednesday that the U.S. military was now "fully prepared" to deal with any Iranian effort to close the Strait of Hormuz, a vital Gulf avenue for international oil shipments.The U.S. 5th Fleet is based in Bahrain, and all American ships to return to their base must go through the Strait of Hormuz, the bottleneck between Oman and Iran. The U.S. Defense Department had already made it clear that its warships would continue to remain in the Persian Gulf at all cost despite the Iranian threat. Read the full story here.

• GOP Officially Endorses One-State Solution.(MitchellPlitnick).Last week in New Orleans, the Republican National Committee officially adopted a resolution supporting a one-state solution in Israel-Palestine.This news came to me via a very trusted source, but both I and my source were puzzled by the fact that we could find nothing in the media confirming this. I called the RNC, but they would neither confirm nor deny.So, I contacted Cindy Costa, the RNC’s National Committeewoman from South Carolina who was listed as the sponsor of the resolution. Here’s our e-mail exchange: Me: Dear Ms. Costa,

I am a correspondent for several web-based news outlets, including Inter Press Service. I received the resolution below today, and would like to write an article about it. I just wanted to check with you that this was in fact an officially adopted RNC resolution. Can you please let me know? Thanks.

Costa: Yes it was adopted unanimously by the RNC last Friday at our winter meeting in New Orleans. CindySo, that seems pretty clear. I reprint the entire text of the resolution below (and I sent it fully to Ms. Costa so she could confirm the full text), but the key passage is this one:  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the members of this body support Israel in their natural and God-given right of self-governance and self-defense upon their own lands, recognizing that Israel is neither an attacking force nor an occupier of the lands of others; and that peace can be afforded the region only through a united Israel governed under one law for all people.I don’t see how anyone could read that as anything but a statement in support of a one-state solution. The RNC officially supports not only continued Israeli possession of all the land it currently controls, but advocates “one law for all people,” which does not exist now.Israelis behind the Green Line live under Israeli law. So do settlers. But Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem are subject to a conglomeration of laws based on previous Jordanian law from before 1967, Israeli emergency laws and military regulations mostly adopted after 1967, and even some measure of old Ottoman laws, these particularly applied in East Jerusalem.So, there is no interpretation possible other than that the RNC is also advocating complete Israeli annexation of the West Bank, including granting citizenship to the Palestinians living there.So, here is the full text of the resolution adopted last week by the RNC. There’s plenty more that rational people will find disturbing in it, whatever your views on Israel-Palestine:

AN RNC RESOLUTION TO COMMEND THE NATION OF ISRAEL FOR ITS RELATIONS WITH THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

WHEREAS, Israel has been granted her lands under and through the oldest recorded deed as reported in the Old Testament, a tome of scripture held sacred and reverenced by Jew and Christian, alike, as the acts and words of God; and

WHEREAS, as the Grantor of said lands, God stated to the Jewish people in the Old Testament; in Leviticus, Chapter 20, Verse 24: “Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey”; and

WHEREAS, God has never rescinded his grant of said lands; and

WHEREAS, along with the grant of said lands to the Jewish people, God provided for the non-Jewish residents of the land in commanding that governance must be in one law for all without drawing distinction between Jewish and non-Jewish citizens, as contained in Leviticus 24:22, and

WHEREAS, the Nation of Israel declared its independent control and governance of said lands on May 14, 1948, with the goal of re-establishing their God-given lands as a homeland for the Jewish people; and

WHEREAS, the United States of America, having been the first country to recognize Israel as an independent nation and as Israel’s principal Mideast ally, has enjoyed a close and mutually beneficial relationship with Israel and her people; and

WHEREAS, indeed, Israel is the United States of America’s greatest friend in the Mideast; and

WHEREAS, the roots of Israel and the roots of the United States of America are so intertwined that it is difficult to separate one from the other under the word and protection of almighty God; and

WHEREAS, there are those in the Middle East who have sought to destroy Israel from its inception as anation; and

WHEREAS, those same enemies of Israel also seek to destroy the United States of America; and

WHEREAS, the United States of America and the nation of Israel have enjoyed cordial and mutually beneficial relations since 1948, a friendship that should continues to strengthen with each passing year.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the Republican Nation Committee that the committee by this resolution commends the nation of Israel for its relations with the United States of America.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the members of this body support Israel in their natural and God-given right of self-governance and self-defense upon their own lands, recognizing that Israel is neither an attacking force nor an occupier of the lands of others; and that peace can be afforded the region only through a united Israel governed under one law for all people.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and Senate Leadership and each of the legislatures of the states within the United States of America with the request and recommendation of this body that a similar resolution to that stated herein be proposed within their respective bodies.Sponsor–Cindy Costa National Committeewoman South Carolina.Read the full story here.

• Napolitano's meeting with cops from across the nation was all flash, but no substance, say her critics. (Examiner).By Jim Kouri.Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, Attorney General Eric Holder and Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism John Brennan today at the White House met with senior state, local and tribal law enforcement officials to discuss the President Barack Obama's Strategic Implementation Plan for Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States. What surprised many of the attendees was the fact that not once did Napolitano mention Islamic extremism or Muslim terrorists. Many of the police commanders attending found the presentation to be a "vague and politically correct" exercise. Those invited were sheriffs and chiefs of police from states, cities and counties throughout the U.S., including representativesfrom the organizations such as International Association of Chiefs of Police, Major Cities Chiefs Association, National Sheriffs’ Association, National Native American Law Enforcement Association, Governors Homeland Security Advisors Council,Criminal Intelligence Coordinating Council, International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, and others. “Engaging local communities is critical to our nation’s effort to counter violent extremism and violent crime, and this meeting brings together many of our partners,” said Secretary Napolitano. “The Department of Homeland Security will continue to collaborate with our state and local law enforcement partners and engage the public in our efforts to combat violent extremism, while protecting civil rights and civil liberties.” But throughout the meeting, it was noticeable that was no mention of Islamic terrorists -- including homegrown radicalized American Muslims - during the Obama White House meeting. Secretary Napolitano discussed her department's support of local communities by enhancing already existing partnerships of federal, state and local law enforcement such as joint task forces, but she neglected to discuss Joint Terrorism Task Forces,such as the successful group of New York City police officers and agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. "I find it astounding how [Secretary] Napolitano could be so longwinded yet never once used the words "Islamic,""Islamists," "Muslim terrorists," or any names of known terror groups. It's as if Holder and Napolitano never read the report issued by the House Committee on Homeland Security, chaired by Congressman Peter King during 2011, said one of the attendees who requested anonymity since his superior is a Democrat mayor. Rep. King of New York endured much criticism for holding a series of hearings as part of his probe of homegrown Islamic terrorism and so-called "lone wolf" terrorists. Napolitano mentioned expanding government grants to counter violent extremism and violent crime regardless of ideology,but neglected to mention religious extremism as practiced by al-Qaeda, Al Shabaab, Hamas, Hezbollah, Army of Islam and the Muslim Brotherhood. The former Arizona governor stated that "DHS is continuing to implement recommendations from the DHS Homeland Security Advisory Council Countering Violent Extremism Working Group, such as developing a curriculum for state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement focused on a community-oriented policing approach to countering violent extremism and violent crime." Her priority however was the DHS’ Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties which she said is dedicated to educatingcommunities and state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement on cultural awareness across the nation."Cultural awareness? How about the fact Islamic terrorists want to murder Americans and destroy the Western world and its practice of pluralism and religious freedom?" asks attorney and political strategist Mike Baker. During her presentation, Secretary Napolitano reiterated President Obama’s call for Congress to take action to prevent layoffs of law enforcement and first responders, and keep our communities safe by passing legislation such as the American Jobs Act. The legislation would provide $5 billion in assistance to states and local communities to create or save thousands of law enforcement and first responder jobs across the country. DHS has also collaborated with federal, state, local, and private sector partners, and the general public, to expand the “If You See Something, Say Something™” campaign. Originally implemented by New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority and now licensed to DHS for a nationwide campaign, the “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign is a simple and effective program to engage the public to identify and report indicators of terrorism, crime and other threats to the proper transportation and law enforcement authorities, said Napolitano. "Unfortunately, Napolitano failed to give examples of "when you see what, what do you say and to whom do you say it"in light of the Obama Administration's broad definition of 'racial profiling,'" Baker said.Hmmmm........."If you know your enemy and you know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself you will succumb in every battle." ~ The Art of War by Sun Tzu.Read the full story here.

• Knesset members who met with Hamas should move to Gaza'.(Ynet).Reports revealing that additional Arab members of Knesset had met with Hamas figures in the West Bank stirred a storm in the halls of parliament on Friday, some MKs calling to have their immunity removed immediately and their parties disqualified."If Arab members of Knesset sanctify martyrdom so much, they should become martyrs themselves and serve as role models," said MK Miri Regev (Likud). "Then, they'll make room for the Arab public to elect more suitable representatives and not terror supporters," she added. On Thursday, Ynet reported that a photo of MK Hanin Zoabi (Balad) alongside four known Hamas members was uncovered during an IDF raid on Hamas offices in the West Bank city of Tulkarem.The photo, taken in June 2009 depicts a smiling Zoabi alongside Hamas parliamentary speaker Aziz Dwaik – the movement's most senior representative in the West Bank – and Mariam Saleh, the former minister of women's affairs in Hamas government in Gaza. On Friday it was revealed that two United Arab List-Ta'al MKs had also met with the Hamas figures earlier. Masud Ganaim and Ibrahim Sarsur visited the home of Dwaik, 64, to offer their support after he was released from an Israeli prison in June 2009. Dwaik was arrested again on Thursday.MK Anastasia Michaeli, who was suspended from Knesset after she spilled a glass of water on MK Raleb Majadele during a Knesset discussion called for the "immediate establishment of a parliamentary commission of inquiry."Michaeli added that "these criminals' immunity must be revoked immediately as well as their wages. We must act firmly against them for betraying the State of Israel. We must also make sure that this sort of betrayal leads to the disqualification of such parties." MK Yoel Hasson (Kadima) said he will approach the Knesset's legal adviser "to examine whether their acts constitute harm to the state's security and a breach of trust as well as support of a terrorist organization – offenses that will prevent them from serving as members of Knesset," he said.Kadima MK Ronit Tirosh added that Ganaim and Sarsur "should resign and move to Gaza to sit with their friends from Hamas."Earlier on Friday, Ganaim and Sarsur claimed the meeting was legitimate as the people concerned were "political figures fighting against the occupation."MK Ganaim said, "We visited the house together with several other members of the Palestinian council. Hamas was legally and legitimately elected in what the whole world admitted were just elections and we went to visit the officials after they were released from jail."Referring to claims they were in contact with figures who were jailed for aiding terror, Ganaim said: "As political figures they should never have been arrested. Our arrival there was not in violation of the law. I, as a Knesset member or a private person, am allowed to visit a person who was wrongly arrested. It has never been proven they were involved in the alleged activity. They have a right as occupied individuals to fight for life in dignity."Read the full story here.

 

• Ankara looks for no Iranian oil options.(HurriyetDaily).By Serkan Demirtaş.In light of sanctions proposed by the US against Iranian crude oil exports, Turkey is working on a plan to avert difficulties on the matter. A working group has been formed to analyze the situation ahead of FM’s crucial visit to Washington.Turkey is working on a plan to avert the political and economic difficulties it could face as a result of the Washington-proposed sanctions against Iranian crude oil exports, which make up nearly one third of the country’s daily consumption. Though Turkish officials voiced their intention to seek exemption from sanctions, (as they would only abide by U.N. Security Council resolutions), the government is weighing various ways to gradually reduce Iranian oil imports, including by using Saudi Arabia and Russia as potential alternative suppliers. The United States imposed a fresh round of sanctions against financial institutions dealing with the Iranian Central Bank late December, aimed at hampering Iran’s crude oil exports to international markets. The U.S. is threatening to impose sanctions on the financial institutions of other countries if they “engage in a financial transaction for the sale or purchase of petroleum or petroleum products to or from Iran after 180 days of the enactment of the law,” signed by President Barack Obama on Dec. 31, 2011. In official remarks, Turkey has openly said it would only implement sanctions if they were imposed by the U.N. Security Council but also added it would consider seeking an exemption from measures against Iran given its unique position. However, despite whether Turkey abides, the law will have a direct effect on Turkish financial institutions as a result of the country’s nearly 9 million tons of crude oil purchases from Iran. The country’s sole refiner, Tüpraş, renewed the deal to buy the same amount of oil from Iran in 2012, but Reuters reported that it was planning to meet Saudi Arabian oil authorities this month in order to secure an alternative supply. Tüpraş did not comment on the story late Friday.Turkey has two ways to protect its financial institutions from being imposed with sanctions by the United States. Sanctions will not be imposed on the financial institutions of a country if it significantly reduces the volume of crude oil purchased from Iran in the designated time frame, or if the price and supply of petroleum and petroleum products in countries other than Iran is sufficient. Obama is set to submit reports every 180 days to analyze the global situation. The second way is to get a waiver from the U.S. administration, under certain conditions, for a limited time of not more than 120 days. Even if Turkey could get a waiver it would only be valid for two terms of 120 days, as described by the law. Under these conditions, Turkey has not officially demanded a waiver from the U.S., as sources expect this will be one of the top issues during Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu’s trip to Washington in the first half of February.Amid ongoing discussions over sanctions against Iran, Ankara and Tehran signed a deal late Thursday to increase their trade volume to $30 billion by 2015. Apart from commitments to further deepen cooperation in the field of energy, Urban Planning and Environment Minister Erdoğan Bayraktar said the two countries were working on improving cooperation in the banking system. “Work is underway for Turkey to enter the Iranian banking system and for Iran to enter the Turkish banking system. We plan very important steps on money transfer,” he said, without giving details.However, cooperation with Iran on the banking system seems to be unlikely, as Turkish financial institutions have been directly warned that engaging in such transactions from or to Iran will put their business with the American companies in danger.Hmmmm.....Sanctions that benefit Obama's prefered buddy Turkey?Can NATO trust Turkey?Read the full story here.

• Netanyahu: Iran has decided to become a nuclear state. Action needed before it is too late.(Debka).Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Thursday night, Jan. 19 that Iran had decided to become a nuclear state. He urged action before it was too late to stop Iran completing the construction of a nuclear weapon. His statement at the end of a visit to Holland gave Gen Martin Dempsey, on his first visit to Israel as Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, the message he will be asked to take back to President Barack Obama. It also contradicted Defense Minister Ehud Barak's statement that Tehran had not yet decided to go nuclear.Netanyahu has kept the Iranian cards close to his chest. His statement therefore caught wrong-footed the Israeli officials, including Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who in the last 48 hours had asserted that Iran had not yet decided whether to build a nuclear bomb and there was still time for US-led sanctions to work.Gen. Martin Dempsey begins his first visit to Israel as Chairman of the Joint US Chiefs of Staff amid a major falling-out between the two governments over the handling of Iran's nuclear weapon potential. debkafile's military and Washington sources confirm that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands by the view that Iran is advancing its plans to build a nuclear bomb full speed ahead, undeterred even by the threat of harsher sanctions. Netanyahu therefore stands by his refusal of President Barack Obama's demand for a commitment to abstain from a unilateral strike on Iran's nuclear sites without prior notice to Washington.The US president repeated this demand when he called the Israeli prime minister Thursday night Jan. 13. Netanyahu replied that, in view of their disagreement on this point, he preferred to cancel the biggest US-Israel war game ever staged due to have taken place in April. The exercise was to have tested the level of coordination between the two armies in missile defense for the contingency of a war with Iran or a regional conflict.The prime minister was concerned that having large-scale US military forces in the country would restrict his leeway for decision-making on Iran.debkafile's sources doubt that President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu are in any mood to respond to Barak's effort to cool the dispute. Obama needs to be sure he will not be taken by surprise by an Israel attack in the middle of his campaign for re-election, especially since he has begun taking heat on the Iranian issue.Republican rivals are accusing him of being soft on Iran. And while the economy is the dominant election issue, a majority of Americans disapprove of his handling of Iran's nuclear ambitions by a margin of 48 to 33 percent according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll this week.Wednesday (Thursday morning Israel time), President Obama responded by reiterating that he has been clear since running for the presidency that he will take "every step available to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon."Echoes of Barak's arguments were heard in the words of US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, Wednesday night: "We are not making any special steps at this point in order to deal with the situation. Why? Because, frankly, we are fully prepared to deal with that situation now."Panetta went on to say that Defense Minister Barak contacted him and asked to postpone the joint US-Israeli drill "for technical reasons."Before he took off for a short trip to Holland, Netanyahu instructed Barak and IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz not to deviate in their talks with Gen. Dempsey from the position he took with the US president, namely, no commitment for advance notice to Washington about a unilateral strike against Iran.The Israeli prime minister is convinced that, contrary to the claims by US spokesmen and media, that current sanctions are ineffective insofar as slowing Iran's advance toward a nuclear weapon and the harsher sanctions on Iran's central bank and oil exports are too slow and will take hold too late to achieve their purpose.Netanyahu fears that dialogue between Iran and the five powers plus Germany (the P5+1) will resume after bowing to an Iranian stipulation that sanctions be suspended for the duration of the talks. Once again, Tehran will be enabled to steal a march on the US and Israel and bring its nuclear weapon program to conclusion, unhindered by economic constraints.Hmmmmm.........."Pour les vaincre, messieurs, il nous faut de l'audace, encore de l'audace, et toujours de l'audace et la Patrie sera sauvée!" ~ Danton. Read the full story here.

• Longtime Hamas leader Mashaal asks to quit.(AP).GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal has decided not to seek another term, the movement said Saturday, paving the way for a possible leadership contest at a time when the anti-Israeli Islamic group faces far-reaching decisions on whether to stay the course of militancy or moderate.However, Hamas suggested Mashaal could be asked to stay on, in what would be a boost for his more pragmatic line.Mashaal could not be reached for comment Saturday, but his decision not to seek another term as head of Hamas' political bureau was confirmed in a Hamas statement. Mashaal, who like other top Hamas leaders is based in Syria, has led the 15-member bureau since 1996, or nearly twice as long as permitted under Hamas rules.Hamas said Saturday the final decision on Mashaal's future will be left to the 55-member Shura Council, which oversees the political bureau and authorizes key decisions. Mashaal was last reaffirmed in his post in April 2009, and it is not clear if and when the Shura Council would appoint a successor.Word of Mashaal's decision comes at a time of change in Hamas' relationship with its parent movement, the pan-Arab Muslim Brotherhood. The Brotherhood has scored election victories in Egypt and Tunisia following the pro-democracy protests of the Arab Spring over the past year, and has urged Hamas to moderate.Brotherhood leaders have encouraged Mashaal to pursue reconciliation with Palestinian rival Fatah, led by Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and to abandon violence, according to several Hamas figures.In discussions within Hamas, Mashaal has praised the pragmatism of the Brotherhood and proposed that Hamas take steps toward becoming a strictly political movement, rather than also maintaining a parallel military wing. This would eventually require a decision to halt attacks on Israel, something Hamas has so far avoided.In recent months, Mashaal has led attempts to reconcile with Fatah, although he has encountered some opposition from senior Hamas activists in the Gaza Strip, controlled by the Islamists since they seized the territory from Abbas in 2007. The Gaza branch of Hamas would likely lose jobs and influence in any reconciliation deal.Mashaal is to meet with Abbas in Cairo early next month to try to move bumpy reconciliation efforts forward. The rivals had previously agreed to hold general elections in the Palestinian territories in late spring, but smaller gestures, such as mutual prisoner releases, have not yet been carried out, suggesting continued distrust.Some in Fatah expressed concern Saturday that a Hamas leadership change could put reconciliation on hold."Mashaal had a significant role in pursuing reconciliation," said Amin Maqboul, a Fatah negotiator in the talks with Hamas. "We hope that his successor takes the same path, particularly ... since there are some forces in Hamas in Gaza who are not interested in reconciliation."Raed Naerat, a West Bank-based Hamas expert, said he expects the movement to stay on Mashaal's current course, arguing that his policies have been endorsed by the collective leadership.Some said the Arab Spring may be influencing Mashaal's strategy."With this step, Mashaal wanted to emphasize that Hamas is a democratic movement, but the final decision will be made by the Shura Council," said Ahmed Yousef, a Hamas figure in Gaza who spoke to Mashaal earlier in the week.Hmmmmm.........Read the full story here.

• Egypt: Female former member of Muslim Brotherhood tells all.(DocsTalk).Jihad Watch.Surprise! It's a self-serving, dysfunctional organization. "In memoir, ex-Muslim Sister paints an unflattering picture," by Noha El Hennawy for Al Masry Al Youm, January 16 (thanks to The Religion of Peace): As the Muslim Brotherhood strives to project the image of a moderate and democratic political organization, a book featuring the angry account of a former member has hit the market."The Memoirs of a Former Sister: My Story with the Muslim Brotherhood" is the testimony of Intissar Abdel Moneim, an Alexandria-based novelist and author. With a compelling style and sharp language, the book takes the reader on a journey exploring the internal politics of the 83-year-old organization, placing special emphasis on discrimination against female members. Throughout her work, Abdel Moneim decries the sisters’ internalization of oppression as women are socialized in a way that compels them to accept male dominance within the organization — and the household.Early in the book, Abdel Moneim condemns what could be interpreted as the Brotherhood’s exploitation of the permissibility of polygamy in Islam.“One of the areas where the Brothers have exploited the idea of blind obedience and submission is polygamy,” she writes, adding that a brother would take second and third wives for no valid reason. “When the [first] wife complains, a session is held for her where other sisters would remind her of the importance of obedience, patience and submission to God’s will and to [the husband]’s will,” she writes.To understand the roots of the subjugation of women, Abdel Moneim unpacks the writings of Hassan al-Banna, the group’s late founder. Here, the author summons her courage and puts forth a vehement critique of the group’s canonized leader, who is rarely questioned, even by the most vocal ex-brothers.Banna's teachings sought to limit women to "catering to their husbands' desires and to reproduction," Abdel Moneim writes.The book dismisses Banna's dictum that there is no need to invest heavily in girls' education and that women should be trained only to serve as housewives and mothers. Abdel Moneim feels that this sentiment is contradictory to true Islam.“It is true that Islam says that a woman’s primary role is to raise children, but it does not say that this is her only role and that she should not do anything beyond it. Neither the Koran nor the Sunna [Prophet Mohamed’s sayings and deeds] nor the sayings of the prophet’s companions and successors barred her from learning any sciences. The matter has been left for her to decide, according to her needs and circumstances," writes Abdel Moneim.Unfortunately, the situation does not need explicit statement in the Qur'an or Sunna for a critical mass of other parameters to make it the logical conclusion of certain attitudes and behaviors. For example, the obsession with control of women (Qur'an 4:34), and the paranoia in Muslim societies about purity and honor work against women's independence.She goes on to criticize Banna's insistence that men and women should be separated. With a scathingly sarcastic tone, the author argues that Banna’s view portrays humans as if they are mere animals who have little control over their impulses.“You cannot by any logic perceive all people as mere female and male sex organs that roam the streets looking for the moment of intercourse like cats," the book reads. Abdel Moneim attributes Banna’s rigid outlook to his rural background.This outlook still shapes the group’s perception of women’s roles within the organization and in the society at large. It justifies why the Muslim Sisters' division cannot operate independently from the Brothers, why no woman is admitted into the group's highest bodies, namely the Shura Council and the Guidance Bureau, and why the group will not acknowledge a woman's right to rule, according to the book. [...]... the author bashes the Brotherhood’s internal dynamics, arguing that it is based on nepotism rather than merit. To substantiate her claim, she refers to her personal experience recounting that she was not easily admitted into the group because she was not the daughter, the sister or the wife of one of the Muslim Brotherhood's heroic or wealthy figures. For both men and women, such family ties are required to facilitate one’s upward mobility within the organization, according to Abdel Moneim.Hmmmm...........Was Mrs. Weiner (Huma Abedin), the Deputy Chief of Staff to Hillary Clinton unaware that her mother was reported as a member of the Muslim Brotherhood? Read the full story here.

• UK - Pilot with terror links deemed a security risk accuses airline of racism after losing his job.(Dailymail).A British airline pilot arrested over an alleged terrorist plot is claiming racial and religious discrimination after losing his job.The pilot, a Muslim, was judged a security risk because of his close links to two alleged extremists suspected of ‘planning to use an aircraft as part of a hostile or terrorist act’. Because of draconian reporting restrictions imposed last week by an employment tribunal, the man cannot be identified and neither can his employer.Despite this, a well-known British carrier said in a letter that the pilot was ‘in a position to cause considerable harm’ and added that it was in the ‘national interest’ to ensure he never flew commercial aircraft again. Concerns about the two suspected extremists – one is a business partner of the pilot’s brother – were first raised when they paid for flying lessons and a light aircraft in cash.During a raid on the London home of one of the pair, detectives found documents relating to the operation of aircraft, a flight map of the UK and literature from an Islamic extremist group banned in many countries.The pilot, who lives in South-East England and was based at Heathrow, has known the men for ten years and rented a flat from one of them. In October 2007 the pilot himself was arrested – and immediately suspended by the airline – but was never charged. Both his landlord and the other man were prosecuted under the Terrorism Act. Charges against one of the men were later dropped and the other was cleared by a jury.It was at this point that the airline began an internal investigation into the pilot’s conduct, having been passed information about him by Scotland Yard’s SO15 anti-terrorism command at the time of his arrest.The investigation heard claims, denied by the pilot, that he had suggested the September 11 attacks were ‘comparable to the United States’ wars in Afghanistan and Iraq’.On another occasion, while returning to the UK, it was alleged he had read a book on the flight deck which, he explained to the colleague who was captaining the plane, put a ‘different perspective on 9/11’.Details of the extraordinary case have never previously been disclosed.The pilot’s discrimination claim began last week at a tribunal in Havant, Hampshire, where he claimed his employers had effectively ruled that he was ‘guilty by association’.He told the hearing that it was ‘inconceivable that the treatment that I have received . . . would have happened to a non-Muslim or to someone of a different race’.Although the pilot’s case is likely to attract the support of human-rights campaigners, there will be considerable sympathy too for the airline, which said yesterday in a statement that ‘the safety and security of our customers, aircraft and employees is always our number one priority and we will never compromise this area of our business’.The airline added that following information from the police ‘we carried out a thorough investigation and risk analysis and concluded that the claimant was not suitable for work in his role’.Before the hearing began on Thursday, the pilot’s legal team successfully obtained a temporary restricted reporting order preventing him being identified. The reasons for the order, which is being challenged by lawyers for The Mail on Sunday, were not given, although they are understood to relate to illness.Read the full story here.

• Atheist Indonesian in protective custody after being beaten by mob.(Telegraph).The atheist identified as Alexander, who goes by just one name, now faces five years imprisonment for blasphemy after police officially arrested and charged him on Friday.The Indonesian Council of Ulema, the Islamic religious authority, reported him over his remarks on a Facebook page he moderated which said: "God does not exist" Mr Alexander, 31, turned up at his government planning offices in Dharmasraya, western Sumatra, on Wednesday to be confronted by a group of men who beat him and then took him to the police.Born a Muslim, Mr Alexander ceased religious activities in 2008 saying he did not believe in God because of all the crime in the world and the number of natural disasters that befell mankind."If God exists, why do bad things happen?" he asked. "There should only be good things if God is merciful." The police chief for Dharmasraya, Senior Commander Chairul Aziz, said the 'ulema' and other religious authorities believed Mr Alexander had defiled Islam by using passages from the Koran to denounce God.Under the Indonesian criminal code blasphemy is defined as publicly expressing feelings or taking some action that spreads hatred, abuse or taints a religion in a way it would cause someone to disbelieve any of the country's six official religions."So it meets the criteria of tainting a religion, in this case Islam," said Commander Chairul. Hmmmm.....Obama :"Indonesia is an example of religious tolerance".Read the full story here.

• Muslims in Egypt Burn Christian Homes and Shops, Attack Church.(Aina).By Mary Abdelmassih. A Muslim mob attacked Copts today in the Upper Egyptian village of Rahmaniya-Kebly, Nag Hammadi, Qena province, destroying and torching their homes, straw huts and shops, while chanting Allahu Akbar. No one was reported killed or injured (video). According to reports, security forces were present but did not intervene and the fire brigade arrived 90 minutes late.An eye-witness said that a straw hut belonging to a Copt was torched to clear the area for a mosque. There are more than 300 mosques in the village and one church.According to Coptic residents, the reason behind the violence was the parliamentary elections. The Salafists wanted to prevent Copts, who number more than 50% of the inhabitants (20,000), from voting because they intended to vote for two moderate Muslims and not the Salafi candidates. "No Copt from Rahmaniya-Kebly was able to vote today, so the Salafists will win the elections," said a witness. Copts were forcefully prevented from voting.US-based WAY TV, which covered live today's Rahmaniya attacks, called commander Osama, head of security at Rahmaniya, who said "everything was OK" -- despite live pictures on TV of the burning homes. Joseph Nasralla of WAY TV spoke to security and made them aware that the videos of the fires were being broadcast in the U.S. and Middle East, which caused the immediate dispatch of security vehicles. By late evening the violence had stopped.In another incident today, a large number of Salafis and members of the Muslim Brotherhood entered the Abu Makka church, in Bahteem, Shubra-el-Khayma, Qaliubia province, and informed the congregation that the church has no licence and no one should pray in it. One Muslim said the 1300 square meter church would be suitable for a mosque and a hospital.Bishop Marcus of Shubra el Khayma was scheduled to inaugurate the incomplete church and celebrate the Epiphany mass in the evening. According to Coptic witnesses the Bishop cancelled the festivities, which angered the congregation, who were not informed of the reason. A witness said the Muslim promised to be back tomorrow.Read the full story here.

• “B For Bendetta” steers an online laugh in Egypt at the expense of the FJP.(BikyaMasr).CAIRO: Egyptian online activists started a mockery campaign on Twitter over a recent Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) newspaper headline that read “Anarchists “Bandetta’s” mask leads chaos on January 25,” writing “Bandetta” instead of “Vendetta.”A hastag #BforBandetta mocking the spelling has trended on Twitter, as tweeps make jokes at the expense of the party.The FJP is the political arm of Egypt’s powerful Muslim Brotherhood, and recently came on top of the first parliamentary elections in the country, gaining a leading role in the future of Egypt.@SaraHKhaled wrote “#BforBandetta Remember Remember the Fifth of NoBember,” while,  @gr33ndata Tarek Amr wrote, “The name is the Breedome and Bustice Party.”Host of ON TV’s al-Bernameg, Bassem Youssef @DrBassemYoussef , wrote: “Watch out for Bandetta! Damn you free education.”Some pro-military rule groups have recently started a scare campaign against anarchists activists, portraying them as an evil group aiming to bring down the state.A previous scare campaign against the liberals, led by political Islamists, has worked. Its results are manifested in the results of the parliamentary elections.Hmmmm.......'Ve haf vays of making you tock.'Read the full story here.

• Militant Islamism, Islamism, Islam.(DocsTalk).By Clifford D. May.U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has described the Muslim Brotherhood as “secular.” Vice President Joseph Biden recently said the Taliban “is not our enemy.” According to John Brennan, assistant to the president on counterterrorism, terrorists who proclaim they are motivated by religion should not be described using “religious terms.”Where do such ideas come from? In large measure from advisers -- so perhaps it would be instructive to examine more closely what those advisers are actually saying. U.S. Navy Commander Youssef H. Aboul-Enein has, according to the jacket notes on his book, “Militant Islamist Ideology: Understanding the Global Threat,” published by the Naval Institute Press, "advised at the highest levels of the defense department and the intelligence community.” Raymond Ibrahim, a young analyst for whom I have great respect, recently gave the book a withering review. My reading is less harsh. I think Aboul-Enein, who was born in Mississippi and raised in Saudi Arabia, is grappling, seriously and sincerely, with the pathologies that have arisen from within the Muslim world and struggling to formulate a coherent American response. That should not suggest that his efforts have been entirely successful.Aboul-Enein states that "the challenge to America’s national security in the 21st century" comes from "militant Islamist ideology." Good for him for not defaulting to “violent extremism,” a term designed to hide rather than to reveal. He urges that policy-makers adopt a “nuanced” approach to this challenge -- one that “disaggregates” militant Islamism from both Islam and Islamism.To charge that “all Islam is evil,” he says, is a mistake. For many Muslims, Islam is “a source of values that guide conduct rather than a system that offers solutions to all problems.” It is no less incorrect, he adds – with more intellectual honesty than many other analysts have demonstrated -- to “insist that all Islam is peaceful.” Islamic scripture provides ample justifications for hating, oppressing and killing non-Muslims. But it is neither accurate nor productive, he argues, to confirm the militants’ claim that theirs is the only authentic interpretation of Islam – that Muslims not waging a “jihad” against “infidels” are, at best, misguided; at worst, traitors to their faith.As for Islamists, he confirms that they seek “unacceptable outcomes for the United States in the long run.” Allow me to offer one example: Mohammed Badie, Supreme Leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, said last year that Muslims should strive for “a government evolving into a rightly guided caliphate and finally mastership of the world.”Despite that, Aboul-Enein argues that Islamism has “potential” as an “alternative to militant Islamist Ideology.” His rationale: Islamists intend to achieve their objectives not through violence but “within the political and electoral frameworks of the countries in which they operate.”This is where, in my view, he gets lost in the analytic woods. Islamists may prefer ballots to bullets. But is that because, as Aboul-Enein asserts, they “abhor the violent methodologies espoused by militant Islamists”? Or is because they see elections as a less bumpy path to power?Sheikh Yousef Qaradawi, the Muslim Brotherhood’s spiritual leader, has said that Islam will “conquer Rome … not by the sword but by preaching.” But if you were to infer that he has a moral objection to violence, you’d be wrong. The proof: Qaradawi has praised Hitler for his “punishment” of the Jews, adding, “Allah willing, the next time will be at the hand of the believers.”What’s more, Aboul-Enein’s book is filled with examples of Islamists who became militant Islamists – who picked up weapons when peaceful means failed to achieve the ends they sought, and who did so without remorse.He devotes an entire chapter to Sayyid Qutb, who evolved from an Islamist intellectual into “perhaps the most influential militant Islamist thinker of the late 20th century.” Among the experiences that militarized Qutb: a fellowship in the U.S. in 1948-50. In the sleepy rural town of Greeley, Colo., Qutb attended church socials where men and women danced together. Based on such shocking experiences, he developed an “utter contempt for American society, which he viewed as decadent.” (Given a chance to avoid execution in Nasser’s Egypt in 1966, Qutb told his sister: “My words will have more meaning if they execute me!”)Aboul-Enein can’t quite decide whether Hamas, which is committed to the genocide of Israelis, “is an Islamist or militant Islamist group.” He seems conflicted, also, in regard to Saudi Arabia, praising King Abdullah whom, he writes, has “attacked terrorism, praised Saudi security forces in breaking cells, and exposed the realities of their ideology.”However, Aboul-Enein also notes, “Saudis have unfortunately been heavily involved in militant Islamist groups, even volunteering to fight American forces in Iraq.” And it was Saudi royals who gave refuge and teaching positions to such exiled militant Islamists as Sayyid Qutb’s brother, Muhammad Qutb, and to Abdullah Azzam, whose slogan was “Jihad and the rifle alone.” Among their star students at King Abdul-Aziz University in Jeddah was the young Osama bin Laden.Aboul-Enein laments, too, the fact that “Saudi Islamist Wahhabism,” the ultra-orthodox variety of Islam that is the kingdom’s state religion, is “colonizing Islam around the world through money and proselytizing” and that these efforts are changing “the character of Muslim nations such as Indonesia or Morocco, marginalizing Sufism or the Maliki school of Sunni Islam in North Africa” in ways that are “not in the long-term interest of the United States or other nations.”Perhaps most difficult to square in Aboul-Enein’s analysis is simply this: On the first page of his book he describes militant Islamists as Muslims who call for “the strictest possible interpretation of both the Quran (Muslim book of divine revelation) and the hadith (the Prophet Muhammad’s actions and deeds).” On the last page of his book, he endorses President George W. Bush’s charge that “Militant Islamists have hijacked Islam.” But can strictly interpreting Islamic scripture really be synonymous with hijacking Islam? If not, small wonder that so many American officials advised by Aboul-Enein and others sound confused.Clifford D. May is president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a policy institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.Read the full story here.