'Summer Olympics' Al Qaeda Terrorist Released from Gitmo by Obama 'admin' Sneaked into Brazil, Whereabouts Unknown.

Al Qaeda Terrorist Released from Gitmo by Obama 'admin' Sneaked into Brazil, Whereabouts Unknown. HT: JudicialWatch.

With the summer Olympics just a few weeks away in Brazil, a veteran Al Qaeda operative released from Guantanamo to Uruguay has gone missing and authorities in Latin America believe he sneaked into Brazil after being denied legal entry. The Islamic terrorist’s name is Jihad Ahmad Diyab an in late 2014 President Obama sent him to Uruguay along with five fellow Gitmo inmates as part of a misguided plan to shut down the U.S. military prison at the Naval base in southeast Cuba.

Now officials from Uruguay, Brazil and the United States are scrambling to find Diyab, according to news reports in Uruguay that quote high-level government officials.

Diyab’s Department of Defense (DOD) file says he’s a high-risk terrorist that poses a threat to the U.S., its interests and allies. “Detainee is a member of the Syrian Group comprised of dismantled terrorist cells that escaped Syrian authorities and fled to Afghanistan (AF) in2000,” the DOD file states. “Detainee was sentenced to death in absentia, probably for his terrorist activities in Syria.

Detainee is assessed to be a Global Jihad Support Network (GJSN) document forger who provided services to the network operated by Zayn al-Abidin Muhammad Husayn aka (Abu Zubaydah), ISN US9GZ-010016DP (GZ-10016), supporting European, North African, and Levant extremists facilitating their international travels. Detainee is an associate of several other significant al-Qaida members to include Ali Muhammad Abdul Aziz al-Fakhri, 11 September 2001 recruiter Muhammad Zammar, and other facilitators and identified document forgers.”


Nevertheless, Obama sent Diyab off to Uruguay in December 2014 and the country’s president at the time granted him and his five cohorts “refugee” status, which means they get to come and go as they please. Read the full story here.

Video - ON THE CHILDREN'S CANCER WARD IN SÃO PAULO Israel's Albert Einstein Hospital.

ON THE CHILDREN'S CANCER WARD IN SÃO PAULO Israel's Albert Einstein Hospital.(Bild).

Touching care: Two nurses dancing and singing with a very sick girl. It smiles, it jumps in his crib up and down. It is happy. All worries, all pain is forgotten for a moment.

The photo was taken in early August on the children's cancer ward of the hospital Israelita Albert Einstein in Sao Paulo (Brazil). Since then, the video on the net circulating, it moved many people, is a hundred thousand times on Facebook shared.

Every day, the two sisters take care of seriously ill children. Certainly not an easy task: it requires special attention towards the little patients early in life have to take a hard battle - they perhaps can not win.

The names of the two young women are not known, but what they do is exemplary.

Hmmm....Sigh compare to HAMAS.

2014 Soccer World Cup final - Germany 1 - Argentina 0....God is German it seems

Iran sacks diplomat after allegedly fondling underage girls in a swimming pool in Brazil.

Iran sacks diplomat after allegedly fondling underage girls in a swimming pool in Brazil.(AA).Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday it has sacked one of its diplomats who allegedly fondled underage girls in a swimming pool in Brazil, where he was stationed before being recalled. “After an investigation into the violations by the Iranian employee of the Iranian embassy in Brazil, it was found his behavior was contrary to administrative regulations and Islamic conduct ... thus he was dismissed,” the ministry said in a statement. Brazilian media identified the diplomat as Hekmatollah Ghorbani, 51, and reported that he groped at least four Brazilian girls aged between nine and 15 in a Brasilia pool last month, making them cry and attracting the fury of their parents. He was arrested but quickly released when Brazilian police verified his diplomatic immunity. Iran’s embassy in Brasilia had initially defended the diplomat by issuing a statement claiming the groping allegations were the result of a “cultural misunderstanding”. But foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast subsequently said the diplomat had been recalled and would be “dealt with”, even though he also asserted that the incident was being twisted by Western and Arab media. In Iran, men and women of any age are not permitted to share swimming pools. Iranian officials and representatives are expected to follow Islamic rules while abroad.Read the full story here.

MFS - The Other News

                          Morning Posting.

• Live broadcast info from Japan directly ! Here.

• Libya Live Blog - April 08. Here .(Al-Jazeera).

• Middle East Live Blog here .(Al-Jazeera)

• Updated !Earthquakes in the last 24 hours in the world seismic activity in Japan between 5.1 and 6.0 today. More info here.

• Latest official Situation Update No. 76.

Fukushima Nuclear Accident Update Log   here .

Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant.All reactors have been in cold shutdown since the 11 March earthquake.NISA has confirmed that two out of the three lines supplying off-site power to the site were lost following the 7 April earthquake. Off-site power continues to be supplied through the third line. Cooling of the spent fuel pool was temporarily lost, but has subsequently been restored.

• HT:The Blaze.Live Blog: Will the government shut down tonight? Read and see everything here.

• Breaking News: Officer shot dead and another is fighting for life after sailor opens fire as mayor visits nuclear sub HMS Astute.An officer was killed and another is fighting for his life after a shooting spree by a sailor on board the Royal Navy's flagship nuclear submarine.Police arrested an armed guard after the incident today which is said to have happened on the HMS Astute in Southampton docks as guards were changed over at midday.The shooting occurred as local dignitaries, including the city's mayor and city's chief executive were touring the £1.2 billion boat, which had docked on Wednesday after 46 days at sea.Four police cars, an unmarked police car and an ambulance have all been seen heading to Eastern Docks, where the gunman had opened fire with a 9mm pistol.Hampshire Police confirmed two-and-a-half hours after the incident that one person had been killed and another suffered life-threatening injuries.Reports also suggested the man arrested over the shooting is 'current service personnel', though police also refused to confirm or deny those claims as they liaised with officers at Southampton docks on Friday afternoon.A 50m exclusion zone around the submarine is patrolled by MoD police officers 24 hours a day.The submarine arrived on Wednesday, following 46 days at sea for the 98-strong crew, for a five day visit.A police spokesman said: 'Hampshire police were called by their Ministry of Defence colleagues at 12.12pm today and are currently liaising with them to establish the exact circumstances of the incident.'We can confirm that there has been one fatality and another person is in a life-threatening condition.'In both cases next-of-kin have not yet been notified, but officers are in the process of informing the families.'People should be reassured there is no risk to public safety.'Hampshire Constabulary and the MoD are keen to stress this incident is not terrorist related.Read the full story here , more here

• HT:HumanEvents.The Muslim Brotherhood in America: Deputy National Security Advisor McDonough Meets with Hamas Support Entity.It is being reported that on Sunday, March 6th, Denis McDonough, the Deputy National Security Advisor to the President of the United States attended the ADAMS Interfaith/Government Summit in Sterling, Virginia.The implications of this are frightening and shocking – and may be criminal.ADAMS (All Dulles Area Muslim Society) is led by its Executive Director, Mohammad Majid. Majid is also the President of the largest Muslim Brotherhood / Hamas support entity in North America – the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA).A significant amount of evidence has been entered into federal terrorism trials revealing ISNA is not only the largest Muslim Brotherhood entity in North America, but is a cover and support organization for Hamas (Islamic Resistance Movement). Hamas is designated as a “Foreign Terrorist Organization” (FTO) by the United States Government.

The remarks made by Deputy National Security Advisor McDonough on 3/6/11 at the ADAMS Center are on the White House website for all to read. His comments began with: “Thank you (Imam Majid), also, for being one of our nation’s leading voices for the values that make America so strong, especially religious freedom and tolerance. Whether it’s here at the ADAMS Center, or as President of the Islamic Society of North America, you’ve spoken with passion and eloquence, not only about your own Islamic faith, but for the need to build bridges of understanding and trust between faiths.”So, Mr. McDonough knows Mohammad Majid is the leader of ISNA.

His remarks further included: “Over the past two years, I—along with my White House colleagues—have benefited from the advice of many of your organizations through our Office of Public Engagement. Because, after all, your communities have the same concerns as all Americans—the economy, education, health care, the safety of our children and our country.”

Actually Mr. McDonough, the Muslim Brotherhood is only concerned with its objectives, which are the same as Al Qaeda’s – the re-establishment of the global Islamic State (Caliphate), under which Shariah (Islamic Law) is enforced. The HLF related rulings and all the evidence are available to the public via the Northern District of Texas’ own website, so the information is readily accessible.Again, we must ask the same tired question – why are those charged with our national security, violating their Constitutional oaths to do so and taking actions which appear to support our enemies?Hmmmm....Can we start impeachment now?Read the full story here.

• HT:CreepingSharia.UK: Muslims seek 100ft minaret on mosque overlooking Sandhurst military college.Building a mosque with 100ft minarets overlooking Sandhurst military college would cause needless and drastic changes to an historic town, it was claimed yesterday.A planning inquiry into the scheme was told the design would mean demolishing a former Victorian school and obliterate the view of a wood.The local Bengali Welfare Association wants to build the mosque with minarets, classrooms and a morgue on the site of the former school in Camberley, Surrey.But Ministry of Defence officials raised concerns that the minarets would overlook Sandhurst Royal Military Academy parade ground – used by every new officer recruit in the Army.Local historians and residents also argue that the town’s heritage should be protected.John Pugh-Smith, a barrister representing a local pressure group, claimed that the mosque’s features were not required by Islamic tradition.He said evidence from Dr Taj Hargey, chairman of the Muslim Educational Centre of Oxford and Imam of Oxford Islamic Congregation, will also show a sexist bias in the plans.The local Bengali Welfare Association wants to build the mosque with minarets, classrooms and a morgue“He will explain that neither the large dome nor the two minarets, features that would dominate the surrounding street scene, are required aspects of Islam.“Dr Hargey also draws attention to the fact that the proposed development would promote gender inequality by keeping women separate from the body of the prayer hall and only allocating approximately 15 per cent of the available space for their needs.“This manifest imbalance in space and facilities for women is in defiance of and not in conformity with Islam. It is also contrary to current UK government gender equality initiatives.”The inquiry is considering Surrey Heath Borough Council’s decision to reject the plans. Christopher Lockhart-Mummery QC, for the Bengali group, rejected claims that the mosque would pose a security risk or overlook the college.Read the full story here.

• Gates Explains Military Pay During Shutdown to Troops in Baghdad During What Is Likely his Last Visit to Iraq.Speaking to a group of 200 soldiers in Baghdad, Defense Secretary Gates drew Army cheers of “Hooah” from the crowd when he eased their concerns about the government shutdown and said “first of all, let me say you will be paid.” Gates’s comment came during a question and answer session when one of the soldiers about how the government shutdown might affect them. He then joked, “as a historian it always occurred to me the smart thing for government was always to pay the guys with guns first.”Turning serious he explained to them how if there is a government shutdown, days the troops in the field would get half a paycheck for this pay period, but get back pay in the future.“But in all seriousness, based on some stuff I read this morning, if the government shuts down starts on the 8th and goes for a week, you’d get a half a check. If it goes from the 15th to the 30th, you wouldn’t get a pay check on the 30th but you would be back paid for all of it. So that’s the deal and I’m, you know, frankly, I remember when I was your age I did a lot of living from pay check to pay check and so I hope this thing doesn’t happen.”

Later speaking to reporters Gates explained that if the shutdown goes through the 30th then they’d miss a paycheck. But he explained how a shutdown would affect their families at home more than it would those serving in the field.“Now they get paid in rear, obviously, so over time they won’t lose anything, but you all know as well as I do, a lot of these young troops live pretty much paycheck to paycheck. And I start to think about the inconvenience that its going to cause these kids and a lot of their families, even half a paycheck delayed can be a problem for them so I hope they work this whole thing out.”Gates also told the group of soldiers this would likely be his last trip to Iraq, another indicator that his timetable for stepping down from his post might be this summer.“I don’t know how many trips I’ve made to Iraq and this will probably be my last one. I just wanted to come and say thank you," Gates said, adding that “working with you all has been the greatest privilege and the greatest honor of my life.”Hmmmm.....Only difference it's Obama who choose not to pay them!During the last government shutdown, in 1995, troops continued to receive their paychecks.Read the full story here.

• HT:BigGovernment.Obama: I’ll Shut Down the Government and Suspend Military Pay.Rather than accept a few billion in budget cuts (read rounding error), President Obama has signaled his willingness to shut down the federal government. (Yah!) For those keeping score at home, any government shutdown that happens is on Obama’s plate. He is the President. All on him.The worst part of this whole debate is the Obama Administration’s decision to hold military pay hostage to the budget debate. For the last few decades, government shutdowns have been guided by an OMB directive issued during the Reagan Administration. Under this directive, military personnel would continue to receive the paychecks while politicians argued about the budget. The Clinton Administration, during the last government shutdown, kept the paychecks flowing.But, not Obama.The Obama Administration has overturned the old OMB directive and has decided to suspend military paychecks if there is a government shutdown. No reason to do it…but they have decided to. Reprehensible.Hmmmm....A 'Commander-in-chief' who despises his men&women?Read the full story here.

• Government Shutdown Disgrace: Soldiers Will Have To Rely On Charities For Food.The Obama Administration pushed hard to make sure that unemployment compensation was extended a few months back. But thus far they have resisted attempts to make sure that our soldiers get paid in the event of a government shutdown. As a result, charities are getting ready to make food and money for gas available for our soldiers and their families. Handouts for servicemembers doing their jobs? Disgraceful.The Marine Corps Times reports: “Military relief societies are poised to help service members and their families in the event of a government shutdown that interrupts military pay.Officials for the relief societies stress that they aren’t able to “backfill the entire payroll,” but they can help with quick loans for emergency necessities such as food and gasoline until pay resumes.The societies remind service members and families who are not near an installation — or who can’t get in touch with their installation’s relief society — to contact their local chapter of the American Red Cross, which has reciprocal agreements with all the military relief societies. The societies also have reciprocal agreements with each other, too, so that soldiers who are near a Navy base can seek help from the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, for example.”Hmmmm......Thank you 'Commander-in-Chief'?Read the full story here.

• HT:HotAir.Obama: I’ll veto funding for the troops.Consider this a trap well set and sprung. Frustrated that the Senate won’t pass any budget bill while the House continues to negotiate to the brink of a government shutdown, John Boehner proposed a one-week CR to keep government open for a week and to secure defense funding through the end of the year. A few minutes ago, the White House stated categorically that it would veto the one-week CR if it passes the Senate in an e-mail blast.Really? Will Obama really argue that he can’t abide a one-week CR so much that he’s willing to shut down the government and leave the troops without income for an indeterminate amount of time? This statement concedes that this bill takes the troops out of the line of fire in the budget debate. Kirsten Powers recognized the obvious, remarking on Twitter: “Can’t believe Obama fell for the “funding the troops” trick. He’ll have to change position on veto threat.”One source on the Hill thinks that Harry Reid has a weak hand on this, not for the least of reasons that a number of Democrats are already facing tough re-election campaigns in 2012. Do they want a shutdown fight over abortion? Not likely. Moreover, the source points out that the White House statement is nothing than a process argument. The White House doesn’t offer one specific substantive point in opposition to HR1363. This might be a big bluff, but the President may be looking for a way to rally his dispirited base.Meanwhile, there’s hope for those about to find themselves with lots of free time. Are you a federal worker anxious about government shutdowns? Feeling oddly ambitious lately, and perhaps slightly productive? Consult with your AFSCME or SEIU representative and see if DisplacetraTM is right for you! Laura Ingraham provides some government-shutdown comedy relief today in this mockutisement for relief from the notion that the days of whine and moroses may be ending after all.Read and see it all here.

• HT:AceofSpades.Story Correction: Clinton Did Pay Military in 1995 Shutdown, But...Corrected: This story was wrong as written. It's below, but here's the scoop.First, the Air Force Times did get this wrong, leading to the confusion, which got picked up by Mike Flynn.But like I said-- that story gets it wrong. Here's why the troops got paid on time in 1995.Read the full story here.

• HT:TheAmericanDream.Government Shutdown 2011? – 16 Things You Need To Know.Is it actually going to happen? Are we actually going to see "Government Shutdown 2011"? Will the streets of Washington D.C. soon be eerily quiet as hundreds of thousands of federal workers are temporarily sent home? Right now Barack Obama, Harry Reid and John Boehner all say that they want to reach a deal and avoid a government shutdown, but the deadline is coming up fast. The current spending bill that the government is operating under expires at the end of Friday. If the Republicans and the Democrats do not come to an agreement before then, the U.S. government will "shut down" at 12:01 AM Saturday morning. The Republicans have proposed a plan to extend government funding for one more week so that negotiations may continue, but the Democrats have rejected it. Obama has summoned Reid and Boehner to the White House tonight in an attempt to hash out a deal, but most observers are not particularly optimistic. Sadly, government debt is going to expand at a mind blowing pace this year no matter who wins this battle.

Both sides are attempting to play political hardball. During the 2010 campaign, the Republicans promised to cut $100 billion from the budget for 2011 and they know that Tea Party activists are going to hold them accountable. The Democrats control the Senate and the presidency and they probably figure that when push comes to shove that many of the new, inexperienced Republicans in the House can be intimidated into giving in.But in the end it really doesn't matter that much who wins this battle. The Republicans are proposing $61 billion in budget cuts which would cut the budget deficit for 2011 by only 3.8 percent. The Democrats are proposing $33 billion in budget cuts which would cut the budget deficit for 2011 by just 2.1 percent.Is that extra 1.7 percent really going to make a massive difference over the long run?Of course not.But right now Republicans and Democrats are both in the mood for a fight, so we really might actually see a government shutdown.If the government does shut down, it probably won't be for too long. The longest government shutdown of all time ended in early January 1996 and it lasted just 21 days.So exactly what would happen if there is a government shutdown in 2011? If it does actually happen, the following are 16 things you will need to know....Read the full story here.

• HT:DougRoss.In between soirees, President Obama vows to cut off funding for the troops even as top General says they could get sent to Libya.Is this the schedule of a man worried about anything?I have a busier damn schedule on the weekends -- and I'm a nobody!Oh, but the President did have time for another fancy dinner party last night with master race-baiter Al Sharpton.Is this a man worried about a government shutdown, or coming up with a budget, or even working on plans to reduce unemployment? Eh, that was a rhetorical question.As for the troops?The White House blasted the GOP's Continuing Resolution (CR) designed to fund the troops until the end of the fiscal year.The Administration strongly opposes House passage of H.R. 1363, making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2011, and for other purposes. As the President stated on April 5, 2011, if negotiations are making significant progress, the Administration would support a short-term, clean Continuing Resolution to allow for enactment of a final bill.In other words, for this president, the troops come last. They are just another political chit to be used to advance the radical Left's agenda.Oh, and one more bit of good news: "General: U.S. may consider troops in Libya."This was not the change you were promised, drones.Hmmmm....Sounds more like a dictator enjoying himself on the misery of others.Read the full 'story' here.

• The new Obama 2012 banner ads are here!See the full thing here.

• HT:JoelC.Rosenberg'sBlog.Dangerous momentum building for unilateral declaration of Palestinian state in September: Bible warns nations not to divide the land of Israel.On Tuesday, Israeli President Shimon Peres met with President Obama at the White House. Initial reports suggest they discuss the stalled peace process and how to proceed. I hope that behind closed doors Peres was very clear and direct with Obama about what a dangerous road the Palestinians are on. Indeed, Prime Minister Netanyahu has continually offered direct negotiations with the Palestinians, yet the Palestinians keep refusing to sit down and talk face to face. They claim Netanyahu isn’t serious about making peace or new concessions. Yet Netanyahu was the first Israeli leader ever to give land to Yasser Arafat when he gave away Hebron in 1997. I pray that Peres conveyed to the American President what Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said last month: “We are facing a diplomatic-political tsunami that the majority of the public is unaware of and that will peak in September. It is a very dangerous situation, one that requires action….Paralysis, rhetoric, inaction will deepen the isolation of Israel.” An isolated Israel is not likely to feel secure enough to make peace with the Palestinians. What’s more, when Israel’s enemies (like Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas) see Israel increasingly isolated, they are more likely to launch a new war.

Publicly, the Obama administration says it opposes the Palestinian plan to unilaterally declare. But there is growing concern among pro-Israel leaders in Washington that should the issue come before the U.N. Security Council, Obama might direct his U.N. ambassador to abstain rather than to veto such a resolution.Jesus Christ said, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” (Matthew 5:9) Those who truly seek peace will encourage diplomacy, not rash, arrogant, unilateral actions on either side. Sadly, there are far too many leaders in the epicenter who do not seek true peace, and too many leaders around the world who are encouraging reckless behavior.

Bible prophecy makes it clear that the nations of the world will, in the last days, divide up the land of Israel. But the Scriptures are also crystal clear that the nations will face the judgment of Almighty God for doing so. “For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and bring them to the Valley of Jehoshaphat ["the Lord judges"]. Then I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; and they have divided up My land.” (Joel 3:1-2).Let the nations be warned by the God of Israel: they are on a dangerous and disastrous road. I pray they will turn around before it is too late.Read the full story here.

• HT:Politico.GOP lawyer drafts Obama impeachment.A prominent libertarian constitutional lawyer and civil libertarian has drafted an article of impeachment against President Obama over his attack on Libya, throwing down a legal gauntlet that could be picked up by some Congressional RepublicansBruce Fein, a former Reagan administration official in the Department of Justice and chairman of American Freedom Agenda writes in his 15-page argument of Obama's course that "Barack Hussein Obama has mocked the rule of law, endangered the very existence of the Republic and the liberties of the people, and perpetrated an impeachable high crime and misdemeanor."Fein is a small-government conservative who worked on the impeachment of President Bill Clinton and also called for the impeachment of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, and his work doesn't represent the Republican Party line. But it comes as some Republicans on the Hill, led by Senator Rand Paul, object vociferously to Obama's decision to strike targets in Libya without Congressional authorization."He's been more bold than any other president," said Fein, who said Obama has failed to secure congressional approval for his military action in a much more brazen way than previous administrations. "If he can wipe out the war powers authorization, why can't he wipe out Congress's authority to spend?" asked Fein. " If we're going to be a government of laws, and not descend into empire, this is Caesar crossing the Rubicon.".Fein said a number of Congressional offices have expressed interest in his proposal.Hmmmm....Finally an honest politician and patriot?Read the full story here.

• What unites and divides Turkey and Iran – on Israel.By Burak Bekdil.
  Karim Sadjadpour, an associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, recently recalled what an Arab Shiite friend of his reminded him: “Iran wants to fight America and Israel down to the last Palestinian, Lebanese and Iraqi.” In contrast, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Turkey, most probably, wants to fight America and Israel down to the last Palestinian, Lebanese, Iraqi and Iranian.Since the spectacular ascension to power in late 2002 of Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party, or AKP, secularist Turks have accused Turkey’s new elite of having a hidden agenda to turn Turkey into Iran. This column, however, has invariably argued that Iran would be the last role model for Turkey’s Islamist rulers. No, it was not only the unbridgeable sectarian difference; it was far more complex than that.True, Iranian petrodollars are used to finance Islamic radicals like Khaled Meshaal in Syria, Moktada al-Sadr in Iraq and Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon. True, the same petrodollars may have been used to finance less radical Turks through lucrative energy deals in Iran for the power center’s most beloved in Turkey.True, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s Iran and Erdoğan’s Turkey may be sharing a lot not necessarily in terms of love but of hate – hatred for the damned infidels. It is also true that the two neighbors have enjoyed a war-less history since 1639, despite long periods of hostility, rivalry, deep hostility, near-war, almost-war and cold war. But their differences are by nature divided and often mutually exclusive despite their common unnamed foreign policy doctrine in favor of “neo-Third Worldism.”Erdoğan and his men, for the Shiite mullahs in Tehran, are too Western, too little Muslim, too Sunni and too shrewd (for a Turk); they are probably a modern-day Trojan Horse in the eyes of their Shiite neighbors. And Ahmadinejad’s Iran, for the Sunni mullahs in Ankara, is too Shiite, discreetly too hostile/rivaling, too ambitious and possibly too unreliable. As one AKP “foreign policy connoisseur” recently told me: “We know they are suspicious about us despite all the polish on the outset. And they know we know.” Sounds like a challenging chess game.And the confirmation for Ankara’s suspicion that Tehran is probably too unreliable did not come too late when Iran touched a raw Turkish nerve. The mullahs have permitted the screening of Rigran Khzmalyan’s “Armin Wegner – Genocide Photographer” film which Tehran will host on April 24, adding flavor to the political meaning. The film on the Armenian genocide may also be broadcast on one of Iranian TV channels, newspapers reported. So, the show has been not much different across the Turkish-Iranian border since 1639.And then fast forward to 2011, the fundamental – though not fundamental enough to block opportunist deals – differences between the makers and traders of fine Iranian carpets – Iranians and Turks – are still there: Muslim Turks want “smaller Israel,” whereas Muslim Iranians want “no Israel.”The trouble is that the mullahs think they are smarter than all evil foreign men. They may be right. But they should not underestimate the Sunni mullahs, be they in Ankara or in Pennsylvania.Read the full story here.

• HT:AstuteBloggers.Jihad slaughter in Brazil.A Muslim convert in Rio de Janeiro butchered at least 11 people.At least 11 people, mostly children, died Thursday and more that 15 were wounded when an armed man attacked a school in Realengo in the poor suburbs of Rio de Janeiro.According to a preliminary police report, the attacker - a 24- year-old former student at the school - was among the dead after shooting himself in the head. He attacked Tasso da Silveira school, where some 400 students ages 9-14 were in classes. [...]Beltrami described the letter as 'the words of a person who no longer believes in anything, full of sentences that made no sense and references to Islamic fundamentalism.'Beltrami said the attacker was friendly as he went into the school, chatting with administrators and teachers and asking for permission to address the children. When he reached the third floor of the building, the suspect entered one of the classrooms and started to shoot at students, killing nine girls and one boy.The attacker apparently committed suicide upon being chased by a police officer who had been called in by a student who managed to escape the building.Roselane de Oliveira, a sister of the attacker, told Rio de Janeiro radio station Band News that the young man 'was very strange.''He had no friends, and he spent all his time on the Internet,' she said.In recent months, she said, he appeared to have got closer to Islam.Police stressed, however, that there was no concrete evidence that the attack had either a religious or a political motive.Read the full story here.

• HT:BigPeace.Microsoft Reaches Out to the Muslim Brotherhood.Yesterday, Grover Norquist’s weekly Americans for Tax Reform conclave was the venue for an announcement by Suhail Khan that he was becoming director for external affairs for Microsoft. Khan’s transformation into a corporate lobbyist comes amidst rising concerns in conservative circles about his longstanding family and personal ties to the Muslim Brotherhood (MB or Ikhwan) in America and his positions in favor of such MB priorities as building the Ground Zero mosque, closing Guantanamo Bay, prohibiting “secret evidence,” repealing the Patriot Act, dissembling about shariah, etc.An interesting question is why Microsoft would recruit such an individual at this moment? Perhaps it is seeking to position itself for good relations with the Muslim Brotherhood as that shariah-adherent movement becomes ascendant in the Middle East. After all, an Egyptian executive of rival Google, Wael Ghonim was seen by some as the face of a hip, secular, democratic new order destined to emerge from the ashes of Mubarak’s autocracy. Ghonim, however, has been literally shunted aside by the increasingly emboldened Brothers: On February 18, 2011, he was physically precluded from getting on stage when the Ikhwan’s spiritual leader, Yusef al-Qaradawi led a crowd (estimated to have been over a million strong) that had been convened in the revolution’s famed Tahrir Square to welcome him home – a la Khomeini’s triumphal return to Iran in 1979 –in calls for the “conquest of the al-Aqsa mosque [in Jerusalem].”The good news is that Khan’s service as a lobbyist means an end to the pretense that he is a “conservative leader” – a vehicle for facilitating his influence operations within the movement. His “Inclusion Coalition” – which was revealed during a panel Khan convened on the margins of the 2011 Conservative Political Action Conference as a vehicle for promoting “inclusion” of such toxic and anti-conservative groups as Louis Farakhan’s Nation of Islam and La Raza inside the conservative tent – will hopefully disappear, too.Read the full story here.

• "The War on Christianity'.Seattle School Renames Easter Eggs “Spring Spheres”.A sophomore at a local private high school thinks an effort to make Easter politically correct is ridiculous.Jessica, 16, told KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson Show that a week before spring break, the students commit to a week-long community service project. She decided to volunteer in a third grade class at a public school, which she would like to remain nameless.“At the end of the week I had an idea to fill little plastic eggs with treats and jelly beans and other candy, but I was kind of unsure how the teacher would feel about that,” Jessica said.She was concerned how the teacher might react to the eggs after of a meeting earlier in the week where she learned about “their abstract behavior rules.”“I went to the teacher to get her approval and she wanted to ask the administration to see if it was okay,” Jessica explained. “She said that I could do it as long as I called this treat ‘spring spheres.’ I couldn’t call them Easter eggs.”Hmmmm......Spring Spheres $$ for short?Read the full story here.

MFS - The Other News

                      Morning Posting.

• Live broadcast info from Japan directly ! Here.

• Libya Live Blog - March 20. Here.

• Updated !Earthquakes in the last 24 hours in the world ,lots of seismic activity globally today! More info here.

• Updated : The wind directions over Japan. Here.

• Latest official Situation Update No. 48.On 20.03.2011 at 11:07 GMT+2

The Citizens' Nuclear Information Center (CNIC) urged the Japanese government to evacuate as quickly as possible the people currently staying within the 20-30 km zone from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plants, who have been instructed to stay indoors until further notice. These people should be far away from the nuclear plant that poses an increasing danger as large amounts of radioactive material might be released from Nuclear Unit No. 3, which is loaded with fuel containing plutonium, the CNIC said in a statement today. CNIC noted it has been urging the Japanese government to prioritize evacuation of pregnant women, infants and children. “We once again strongly urge the government to take these actions.” It is also necessary to evacuate people from areas outside the 30 km zone that have been contaminated with significant amounts of radioactive materials “and we demand that the government proceed to a rapid evacuation.” The center added that a short-term stay in these areas for the purpose of rescue operations will not entail major risk. Meanwhile, progress to contain the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant experienced ups and downs Sunday as operations to cool down the boiling spent fuel pools by throwing water proceeded smoothly, while authorities at one point found the need to tackle the rising pressure in the No. 3 reactor's containment vessel. Separately, the Ministry of Science and Technology said Sunday that a trace of radioactive substances such as iodine was detected in dust or rain drops in Tokyo and five other eastern Japan prefectures--Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Chiba and Yamanashi--in 24-hour surveys through Sunday morning. But the ministry said there is no threat to human health.

Situation Update No. 47. On 20.03.2011 at 04:23 GMT+2

Japaense health officials said Saturday that radiation levels in spinach and milk from farms near the tsunami-scarred Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant exceed government safety limits. The Science and Technology Ministry said also that miniscule amounts of radioactive iodine have been detected in the tap water in Tokyo and the prefectures neighboring Fukushima in the first sign that contamination from the stricken nuclear complex had seeped into the food chain. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano, meanwhile, insisted the contaminated foods "pose no immediate health risk." After the announcements, Japanese officials immediately tried to calm an already-jittery public, saying the amounts detected were so small that people would have to consume unimaginable amounts to endanger their health. Edano said someone drinking the tainted milk for one year would consume as much radiation as in a CT scan; for the spinach, it would be one-fifth of a CT scan. A CT scan is a compressed series of X-rays used for medical tests.

Situation Update No. 46. On 19.03.2011 at 11:09 GMT+2

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said on Saturday that radiation levels have exceeded allowable limits in spinach and milk following radioactive leaks at the troubled Fukushima nuclear plant. The top government spokesman said that the tainted milk and spinach was found in Fukushima and Ibaraki prefectures respectively. It was the first case of food being contaminated by radiation since the March 11 quake caused radioactive leaks at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. On average, the dose of radiation one absorbs after a year's consumption of the contaminated milk is equivalent of taking one CT (computed tomography) scan in hospital, he said. While the radiation level in the case of spinach is just one fifth of the dose, Edano added. Edano did not give more detailed information but urged the public to remain calm. Source .

• Gaddafi: We're not afraid; this will be a long war.In TV broadcast, Libyan leader warns of prolonged battle, says 'Libyan people will destroy all British, American traitors and entire Christian pact'.Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi said on Sunday airstrikes on Libya by Western countries amounted to terrorism and said he would defeat his enemies. In an address broadcast on state television, he said his country was preparing for a long war and that all Libyans were carrying weapons to defend the country."We will not leave our land and we will liberate it," he said. The television broadcast carried Gaddafi's voice, without showing any images of him."Who are you, Barbarians? We will defeat you. We will not die – you will die," he said."We are not afraid. Libya will rise against you and spread weapons to all the Libyan people and they will destroy all the British and American traitors and this entire Christian pact. Whoever cooperates with you will die," Gaddafi stated.The Libyan leader noted that he has opened up the arms depots to Libyans, and said everyone is armed with "automatic weapons, mortars, bombs." European and US forces unleashed warplanes and cruise missiles against Gaddafi's troops in the biggest Western military intervention in the Arab world since the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Libyan state television said 48 people had been killed and 150 wounded in the Western air strikes. It also said there had been a fresh wave of strikes on Tripoli early on Sunday.There was no way to independently verify the claims.CBS News on its website said on Sunday that three US B-2 stealth bombers had dropped 40 bombs on a "major Libyan airfield" that was not further identified. A Pentagon spokesman said he had no information about such an attack. French planes fired the first shots on Saturday in a campaign to force Gaddafi's troops to cease fire and end attacks on civilians. The warplanes destroyed tanks and armored vehicles near the rebels' eastern stronghold, Benghazi.US and British warships and submarines launched 110 Tomahawk missiles overnight against air defenses around the capital Tripoli and the western city of Misrata, which has been besieged by Gaddafi's forces, US military officials said. They said US forces and planes were working with Britain, France, Canada and Italy in operation "Odyssey Dawn". Denmark said it had four fighter planes ready to join in on Sunday and was awaiting US instructions.Read the full story here.

• Iran warns Libyans of West's 'colonial' intentions.Foreign Ministry spokesman says Western countries 'enter with seductive slogans, but follow their own interests.' Turkey's Erdogan urges Gaddafi to give up power. Iran warned Libyans on Sunday not to trust Western powers launching air strikes against Muammar Gaddafi's troops, saying their aim was to gain neo-colonial control over the oil-rich nation.Tehran has voiced support for the uprising against the Libyan leader, part of what it considers an "Islamic awakening" in the Arab world.But as a long-time foe of the United States which in recent years has invaded and stationed troops in two of its neighbors, Iraq and Afghanistan, Iran expressed deep suspicion over Western military intervention in Libya."The records and the actions of the dominant countries in occupying oppressed countries means their intentions in such moves are always in doubt," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast was quoted as saying by students' news agency ISNA.Erdogan repeated that he had called Gaddafi several times this month and suggested he appoint a president with popular backing as a way to end the crisis.NATO-member Turkey said late on Saturday it would make the necessary and appropriate national contribution to implementing the UN-authorized no-fly zone over Libya and measures to protect civilians. "I wish to see an end to the bloodshed and to see the will of the Libyan people dominant," Erdogan said. Hmmmmm.....Wow such a 'swift' action from NATO member Turkey.Read the full story here.

• Iran dispatches warships to Gulf of Aden.Iran is dispatching a squadron of warships to the Gulf of Aden to protect its merchantmen against pirate attacks.Commander of Iran's First Naval Zone Fariborz Qaderpanah said: "The 13th fleet of warships, comprised of Tonb and Delvar vessels is tasked with boosting security for Iranian merchant containers and oil tankers in the Gulf of Aden and north of the Indian Ocean for a period of 60 days."Qaderpanah said that over last two years, the Iranian fleet has successfully "managed to display its powerful presence in turmoil-stricken Gulf of Aden, and foil any attempt to impair transportation routes along the country's sea border," the Fars news agency reported Friday.Under the terms of several U.N. Security Council resolutions, nations can deploy warships to the Gulf of Aden and coastal waters of Somalia to protect their merchantmen against the pirates and, after giving notice to Somali government, enter Somali territorial in "hot pursuit" of pirates.Iran has begun further deployments of its naval forces abroad, last month sending two warships through the Suez Canal to Latakia, Syria.The commander of the Iranian navy, Commodore Habibollah Sayyari said: "This was a great honor for the Islamic Republic of Iran to be able to fly the proud Iranian banner in the waters of the Mediterranean."The Suez Canal is under the control of Egypt, and only those countries that are not hostile to that country can pass through that canal."Israel expressed its concern over the transit. In a veiled reference to Israel, Sayyari added, "The enemies were truly agitated as the result of this visit and by putting pressure on Egypt and Syria they were trying to prevent it from going ahead. However, with God's grace, the enemy realized that it had no place in the world and in the regional countries and those operations proved to be the greatest defeat for them."The two Iranian warships will operate in the same waters as Combined Task Force 150, a naval alliance dominated by the United States and based in Djibouti, which is also conducting anti-piracy patrols.Read the full story here.

• HT:ThExaminer.Potential new deep water oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico-100 mile sheen reported.The U.S. Coast Guard is currently investigating reports of a potentially massive oil sheen about 20 miles away from the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion last April.According to Paul Barnard, operations controller for the USCG in Louisiana, a helicopter crew has been dispatched to the site of the Matterhorn SeaStar oil rig, owned by W&T Offshore, Inc.Multiple reports have come in of a sheen nearly 100 miles long and 12 miles wide originating near the site.Independent pilots, including John Wathen of the Waterkeeper Alliance, and Bonnie Schumaker with Wings of Care, are currently flying out to investigate the spill. Schumaker reports having seen the sheen on Friday, March 18, and confirms that it is rapidly expanding.A Louisiana fisherman, who has chosen to remain anonymous at this time, also reports fresh oil coming ashore near South Pass, LA, and that cleanup crews are laying new boom near the beach.Hmmmm.......Just now that Obama is giving brasil new deep water drilling permits?Read the full story here.

• HT:BigGovernment.Obama: US to Be Major Purchaser of Brazilian Oil.Prices for Brent crude hit more than $117 last week as the civil war in Libya continued and are likely to rise further after the start of UN-backed action against Col Gaddafi’s forces.Traders are also concerned about protests and tensions in a number of other oil-producing nations in the region.Mr Obama spoke of the US’s desire to secure more of its oil from Brazil in future after talks with his counterpart, President Dilma Rousseff, in Brasilia at the start of a two-day visit to Latin America’s biggest country. “I have told her that the United States wants to be a major customer, which can be a win-win for both our countries,” he said.Brazil possesses some of the world’s biggest offshore oil reserves in the pre-salt area off its south-east coast. Ms Rousseff has stated her desire to export the vast majority of oil from the fields as the country concentrates on using renewable sources of energy such as hydroelectric power and ethanol for domestic needs.Speaking in a newspaper interview just before Mr Obama’s arrival, she made what seemed a clear sales pitch, asking “which other country in the world has the oil reserves that Brazil has, that is not at war, that does not have an ethnic conflict, which respects contracts, has clear democratic principles and vision, is generous and in favour of peace?”Mike Froman, a senior White House adviser on international economic affairs, also spoke of a “natural potential strategic partnership”with Brazil.Much of the money raised from deals to sell oil to the US and other countries could go towards infrastructure improvements as the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro approach. Mr Obama’s visit to Brasilia also saw the US sign an agreement to help Brazil in its preparations for the sporting events, which could see America training security teams and helping with planning and infrastructure challenges. Many key works, especially at Brazil’s creaking airports, are currently well behind schedule and US companies with experience of preparing for major events will hope the deal may also help them cash in.Hmmmm.....Seems i made a 'Bullseye' yesterday when i said thew Brazilian offshore drilling was Obama's reason for visiting,create some more Brazilian jobs.Read the full story here.

• Obama’s Interior Department Gives Final Approval to Brazilian Oil Company’s Gulf of Mexico Deep Water Floating Facility.The U.S. Interior Department said on Thursday it gave final approval for Petrobras to use the first ever deepwater floating production storage facility in the Gulf of Mexico.The facility will be used when the company begins oil and natural gas production at its Chinook-Cascade project in the near future, the department said. Petrobras is based in Brazil.A Petrobras official who asked not to be identified told Reuters that production would begin in May.The floating facility has a daily production capacity of 80,000 barrels of oil and 16 million cubic feet of gas. It can be disconnected and moved out of the path of a storm, unlike permanently moored production platforms, preventing long-term supply disruptions because of storms.“These regulatory approvals pave the way for safe, new production of oil and gas resources in the Gulf of Mexico,” said Michael Bromwich, who heads the department’s agency that oversees offshore drilling.Hmmmm.....So let me get this straight American companies don't get drilling permits but Brazilians do?Read the full story here.

• Obama: The ‘Pay More at the Pump’ President.American Solutions is re-launching Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less for one big reason: President Obama’s continuing war on American energy is dramatically increasing the price of gas and diesel.To be fair, President Obama is in favor of drilling…but just not in the United States.His numerous bans, restrictions, and proposed taxes are hamstringing America’s ability to produce more oil and gas and are thereby increasing gas and diesel prices. In fact, even the federal government projects that domestic oil production will drop by 220,000 barrels per day in 2011 due to the President’s anti-drilling agenda. Production in 2012 will drop even more.If we produce less oil, we will produce less gasoline, which means higher prices at the pump.To avoid the justified political blame that comes with rising gas prices while having no coherent policy to develop more American energy and lower prices, President Obama and his allies in the Congress are now scrambling to show that they’re trying to lower gasoline prices.But instead of arguing for more American energy to lower prices, they’re arguing for more taxes on oil and gas companies, which will only raise gas prices even more as new energy taxes will simply be passed on to the consumer in the form of higher gas prices.So here’s President Obama’s bottom line argument for how to lower gas prices: higher gas prices will lead to lower gas prices.Somewhere George Orwell is smiling.But there is in fact a cruel logic to President Obama’s argument. The more Americans have to spend on gasoline, the poorer they will be and the less they will be able to afford driving. Higher gas prices also means a less robust recovery from the Great Recession.So poorer Americans and economic stagnation will lead to lower overall demand for gas and diesel and put downward pressure on gas prices.That’s President Obama’s strategy for lower gas prices: higher taxes, declining incomes, job loss, food stamps, and economic stagnation.But Americans don’t want this future. We want lower taxes, more take home pay, more jobs, higher economic growth and lower gas prices.Yes, we want all of these outcomes, which is why Americans overwhelmingly support more domestic drilling for oil and gas to lower our energy prices and create more jobs.It’s time to drill here and drill now.Hmmmmm......."If he really wanted to destroy America would he do anything different."Read the full story here.

• Arab unrest spreads to Syria, thousands march.Protests enter third day, four killed this week authorities to free children held over protest graffiti.Thousands of Syrians demanded an end to 48 years of emergency law on Saturday, a third straight day of protests emerging as the biggest challenge to Syria's rulers since unrest swept the Arab world this year."No. No to emergency law. We are a people infatuated with freedom," marchers chanted as a government delegation arrived in the southern town of Deraa to pay condolences for victims killed by security forces in demonstrations there this week.Syria has been ruled under emergency law since the Baath Party, which is headed by president Bashar al-Assad, took power in a 1963 coup and banned all opposition.The government sought to appease popular discontent in Deraa by promising to release 15 schoolchildren whose arrests for scrawling protest graffiti had helped fuel the demonstrations.An official statement said the children, who had written slogans inspired by uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt on walls, would be released immediately. The statement was a rare instance of Syria's ruling hierarchy responding to popular pressure.Security forces opened fire on Friday on civilians taking part in a peaceful protest in Deraa demanding the release of the children, political freedoms and an end to corruption. Four people were killed.Read the full story here.

• British Muslim who entered Miss Universe contest receives death threat.Shanna Bukhari was subjected to a tide of online hate after entering the British heats of the beauty contest. Now she fears her life could be in danger.When Shanna Bukhari decided she wanted to be the first Muslim to represent Britain in a global beauty pageant, she suspected the road ahead might not be smooth, but nothing could have prepared her for the abuse she received."I have felt in fear for my life," said the 24-year-old Miss Universe contestant. The attacks escalated last week when Bukhari received her first death threat.The censure has come from various quarters, ranging from Muslims who claim that she is denigrating the name of Islam, to white supremacists who say that an Asian cannot represent the UK, and to women who condemn beauty pageants as an affront to feminism.Bukhari, born in Blackburn, grew up in Lancashire and is no stranger to intolerance. When she was nine, she ended up in hospital after a man screaming racist abuse had thrown a brick at her, causing so much damage to her stomach that she suffered a blood clot and had to undergo surgery.The attacks on the Manchester-based English literature graduate began after a local newspaper ran an article 10 days ago revealing her ambition to become the first Muslim to represent Great Britain at the beauty contest. Since then, she has received around 300 messages a day on her Facebook page, a handful of which are abusive. Most of the negative comments have come from a minority of Muslim men. "I get people saying, 'you're not a Muslim' and 'you're using religion to get attention'. I said they were the ones bringing religion into it. I'm not representing Islam; I just want to represent my country, and of that I am very proud. They are trying to control me, using religion as a tool to attack."Bukhari accuses her abusers of having the same sort of mindset as those who support "honour" killings and beat women. Many of the comments are, she says, from individuals who want sharia law instead of a liberal democracy. "We simply live in a multicultural society where there are significant numbers of Muslims. Islam is about peace; abusing me is itself wrong in Islam."Away from the religious-themed criticism, Bukhari detects a broader anti-female resentment from men who combine sleaze with slurs. "Maybe it's because I'm a woman saying to other women 'stand up for yourself, don't let anyone dictate what you can do or can't'. Some men don't like that," she said.But not all the abuse is from men: Bukhari has also attracted opprobium from feminists. "I've had a few girls saying 'shame on you' or 'rot in hell'. But I'd like to know what their real issues are, so we could have a constructive debate."The abuse that truly shocked Bukhari arrived last Tuesday in the form of an online racist rant. Within hours she had shut down her Facebook fan page, but a friend was then sent a number of internet links to images of people murdered for standing up for their principles. "She rang up and said, 'Shanna, you need to be very careful because he's trying to make me aware that things will happen'. Not a direct death threat perhaps, but he was trying to say that something is going to happen to me."Bukhari cites the thousands who have offered their backing. Support has come from Spain, the Middle East, Pakistan, India and China. Most women supporters say she represents not just a role model for Muslim women, but all those who refuse to be cowed by bullies.During last month's semi-final for Britain's Miss Universe candidate Bukhari received the most public votes. Britain has never won the title. It is increasingly possible that its first victor might also be its first Muslim representative.Read the full story here.

• HT:CreepingSharia.Muslim Student Association Pledge of Allegiance: Jihad is my spirit, I will die to establish Islam (video).The MSA has branches on hundreds of campuses in the U.S. and Canada and many of its campus leaders have engaged in and been arrested for waging jihad. The video above clearly indicates MSA members at UCLA, and elsewhere, are willing to die spreading Islam. The Koran is their law (sharia), and jihad is their way. Get it?Hmmmmm......"We don't want to take over your country"?Read the full story here.

• HT:TheAmericanDream.27 Amazing Statistics About The Real Estate Crash That Never Seems To End: More Foreclosures, More Underwater Mortgages And More Home Price Declines.The real estate crash that never seems to end appears to be getting even worse. Home prices continue to go down, the number of underwater mortgages is soaring and the number of foreclosures set an all-time record in 2010. The peak of the housing market was in 2005 and the subprime mortgage crisis erupted in 2008. Shouldn't things be getting better by now? How many years is this real estate crash going to go on for? Home builders and those that work in the construction industry are deeply suffering because new home sales continue to hover around record lows. Mortgage professionals are having a really hard time because very few people are seeking home loans and many of those that are seeking loans cannot get approved. Real estate agents all over the country are pulling their hair out in frustration and large numbers of them have left the industry completely. The United States has never had such a prolonged real estate slump in the post-World War 2 era. Unfortunately, there are a whole lot of indications that the real estate crash is going to get even worse.The rapidly rising price of oil, the horrific crisis in Japan and instability in the Middle East all threaten to plunge the world into another major economic downturn. That is really bad news for the real estate industry. Already there are not nearly enough jobs for everyone in the United States and without good jobs American workers simply cannot buy homes.In addition, many of those that would like to buy homes are finding that they cannot get approved for home loans. Before the real estate crash, lending standards were incredibly loose, but now the pendulum has swung very far in the other direction.Well, for the U.S. real estate industry every single month is a complete and total nightmare. But instead of being exactly like the previous month, each new month seems to bring news that is just a little bit worse than the month before.Will this nightmare ever stop?The following are 27 amazing statistics about the real estate crash that never seems to end....Read the full story here.

• HT:TranslatingJihad.European Council for Fatwa and Research: "The apostate is killed in order to protect the religion and the community".Translated from the Muslim Brotherhood-linked European Council for Fatwa and Research, 16 Aug 2008:

Title: Is killing interpreted as restricting freedom of conscience?Date: 16 August 2008

Q: One who converted to Islam from Poland, was asked by a wicked atheist about the penalty for one who apostatizes from the religion of Almighty Allah. What should he respond? He interprets killing as restricting freedom of conscience.

A: The issue of killing the apostate is a function of the state. His judgment belongs with the Islamic government. This is not the concern of Islamic foundations, associations, or centers. A group of Salafis and Imams are of the opinion that not every apostate should be killed, but rather only those who openly commit apostasy, or call for fitna, or voice harmful things against Allah and His Prophet (peace be upon him) and the believers. [The apostate] is killed in order to protect the religion and the community from his corruption, and not to restrict freedoms, as he by his action is infringing on the rights of others. The interests of the state and the society come before individual self-interest. In truth, this issue is similar to what is termed in contemporary law as “high treason” because of the harm to the public that it causes.Hmmmm....."The Religion of peace".Read the full story here.

• Many Egypt Christians vote 'no', fearing Islamists takeover.CAIRO, March 19 (Reuters) - Many Egyptian Christians say they voted on Saturday to reject proposed constitutional amendments in a referendum because they fear hasty elections to follow may open the door for Islamist groups to rise to power.If the amendments are approved, parliamentary elections will take place in late September followed by presidential elections in December, giving scant time for new parties to organise, including ones representing the aspirations of Christians.Foremost among these aspirations is the creation of a civil state where religion is not a basis for legislation.It is widely assumed that quick elections would give an advantage to the well-established Muslim Brotherhood, a group founded in the 1920s which has emerged as the best organised political force since Hosni Mubarak was toppled from power."I fear the Islamists because they speak in civil slogans that have a religious context, like when one said he believed in a civil Egypt but at the same time no woman or Copt should run for president," said Samuel Wahba, a Coptic doctor."I voted 'no' because, as an Egyptian, I want a new complete constitution...it's not based on the 'yes' of Islamist groups," said Ramy Kamel, a Coptic lawyer. Hmmmm......Crackdown on the 'traitors of the revolution' in 3....2.....Read the full story here.

• And now for something completely different.Very close encounters of the 'super moon' kind: Amazing pictures of our lunar neighbour... the nearest it's been in 20 years.Look to the skies tonight and you might just notice something different. For the first time since 1992, a 'super moon' is shining down on us. That means it is brighter and closer to Earth than unusual. Here, we present a gallery of lunar snaps to celebrate the rare phenomenon...Read and see the full story here.

MFS - The Other News

                          Morning Posting.

• Live broadcast info from Japan directly ! Here.

• The official English twitter account of Prime Minister’s Office of Japan. Most of the information provided here will be translation of @ Kantei_Saigai.

• Updated !15 Earthquakes in the last 14 hours in North-America ,lots of seismic activity globally today! More info here.

• Updated : The wind directions over Japan. Here.

• Radioactive iodine detected in Tokyo tap water.Trace amounts of radioactive iodine were discovered in tap water in Tokyo in the wake of the disaster at the crippled nuclear plant Fukushima, Japanese media said on Saturday.Radiation above the national safety level was also found in the water supply infive other prefectures, said an official from Japan's science ministry, which is monitoring radiation levels.Source.

• Google reacts to Japanese tsunami with a Person Finder tool. Here.

• Latest official Situation Update No. 45. On 19.03.2011 at 10:07 GMT+2.

The following is the known status as of Saturday morning of each of the six reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and the four reactors at the Fukushima Daini plant, both in Fukushima Prefecture, which were crippled by the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami on March 11.

Fukushima Daiichi plant

- Reactor No. 1 (Operation suspended after quake) Partial melting of core, cooling failure, vapor vented, building housing containment of reactor damaged by hydrogen explosion, roof blown off, seawater being pumped in.

- Reactor No. 2 (Operation suspended after quake) Damage to reactor containment structure feared, cooling failure, seawater being pumped in, fuel rods fully exposed temporarily, vapor vented, building housing containment of reactor damaged by blast at adjacent reactor No. 3, blast sound heard near suppression chamber of containment vessel.

- Reactor No. 3 (Operation suspended after quake) Partial melting of core feared, cooling failure, vapor vented, seawater being pumped in, building housing containment of reactor badly damaged by hydrogen explosion, seawater dumped over spent-fuel storage pool by helicopter Thursday, water sprayed at it from ground three days in a row through Saturday.

- Reactor No. 4 (Under maintenance when quake struck) Renewed nuclear chain reaction feared at spent-fuel storage pool, fire at building housing containment of reactor Tuesday and Wednesday, only frame remains of reactor building roof, temperature in the pool reached 84 C on Monday.

- Reactor No. 5 (Under maintenance when quake struck) Cooling resumed Saturday in spent-fuel storage pools.

- Reactor No. 6 (Under maintenance when quake struck) Emergency power generator restored Saturday, some fuel rods left in reactor cores.

Fukushima Daini plant

- Reactors No. 1, 2, 3, 4 (Operation suspended after quake) Cold shutdown, not emergency status anymore. Source .

• Japan finds abnormal radiation in milk, spinach.Nuclear nightmare may have only just begun.Japan has detected abnormal levels of radioactivity in milk and spinach in areas near a stricken nuclear plant, but the foods pose no immediate threat to humans, government spokesman Yukio Edano said Saturday.The contaminated milk was found in Fukushima prefecture, where the quake-damaged atomic power station is located, while the tainted spinach was discovered in neighbouring Ibaraki prefecture, Edano told reporters."Radiation exceeding the limit under Japanese law was detected," he said.The spokesman said the health ministry has ordered authorities in both prefectures to investigate where the products came from, how they were distributed and -- depending on their findings -- suspend sales.He urged consumers to remain calm, noting that even if a consumer were to drink the contaminated milk for a year, the radiation level would be the equivalent of one CT scan. AFP.Japanese authorities earlier this week issued a recommendation that people leaving the area near a tsunami-crippled nuclear power plant should ingest iodine, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Saturday. Taken as pills or syrup, stable iodine can be used to help protect against thyroid cancer in the case of radioactive exposure in a nuclear accident. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also said radiation at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant had stabilised at "significantly higher" levels than normal, but these were still in a range allowing on site recovery measures. At the site on Saturday, engineers attached a power cable to the outside of the facility in a desperate attempt to get water pumps going that would cool down overheated fuel rods and prevent the deadly spread of radiation.Hmmmm.....Reminds me so much of Chernobyl.Read the full story here.

• Low radioactivity seen heading toward N. America.Low concentrations of radioactive particles are heading eastwards from Japan’s disaster-hit nuclear power plant and are expected to reach North America in days, a Swedish official said on Thursday. Lars-Erik De Geer, research director at the Swedish Defense Research Institute, a government agency, was citing data from a network of international monitoring stations established to detect signs of any nuclear weapons tests. Stressing that the levels were not dangerous for people, he predicted the particles would continue across the Atlantic and eventually also reach Europe. ”It is not something you see normally,” he said by phone from Stockholm. But, “it is not high from any danger point of view.” He said he was convinced it would eventually be detected over the whole northern hemisphere. ”It is only a question of very, very low activities so it is nothing for people to worry about,” De Geer said.”In the past when they had nuclear weapons tests in China ... then there were similar clouds all the time without anybody caring about it at all,” he said. Before he spoke, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission advised any Americans living near Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear plant to move at least 50 miles (80 kilometers) away but it played down the risks of contamination to the United States.“All the available information continues to indicate Hawaii, Alaska, the US Territories and the US West Coast are not expected to experience any harmful levels of radioactivity,” it said in a statement on Wednesday.Read the full story here.

• HT:AmnonAndJonathan.Potassium iodide is Poison ?Popping potassium iodide already? Really bad idea. Poison control centers hear early reports of sickness from preventive pills.By JoNel Aleccia Health writer.As demand spikes for potassium iodide in the wake of Japan’s nuclear crisis, U.S. poison control centers are starting to receive reports of illness in people who’ve ingested the drug aimed at protecting against radiation sickness.At least seven people have reported reactions to the drug, often called by its chemical name, KI, including two who said they were suffering from serious symptoms including vomiting, racing heart and dizziness or vertigo.That’s according to Jessica Wehrman, a spokeswoman for the American Association of Poison Control Centers, which tracks reports from 57 poison control centers nationwide.Radiation has not been detected in the U.S., but some worried Americans are already hoarding the pills — and apparently taking them already — as a precaution. Wehrman said poison control centers have received nearly 130 queries about protection against radiation exposure and the crisis in Japan.A text message poll of 98 physicians in California, Oregon and Washington, conducted by Truth On Call for msnbc.com, found that 18 percent of doctors had fielded questions from patients this week about the health impacts of radiation exposure, and two were asked for potassium iodide.Panic could spark a “mini-epidemic” of potassium iodide ingestion and overdoses, predicted Dr. Leonard Wartofsky, spokesman for the Endocrine Society and a thyroid expert.Hmmmm.....do not use these pills unless the gov warns for a potential threat of radioactive iodine.Read the full story here.

• HT:SultanKnish.The Muslim Terrorist War against Israeli Families.The brutal murders of the Fogel family, including the partial decapitation of a 3 month old baby, the stabbing a 3 year old twice in the heart, and the murder of both their parents, along with an 11 year old brother who was staying up late reading in bed, have shocked the world. But the Muslim terrorist tactic of massacring families is not a new one. It has been a signature move of the PLO in its various phases, especially the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade.Many of us would like to think that men who murder children are an aberration even in a terrorist movement. That perhaps the terrorists who murdered the Fogel family did not deliberately target children. It would be nice to think that we live in a world where such acts are an aberration rather than a tactic. Sadly that isn't so. We live next door to evil. And it is vital that we see that and not look away.Almost 10 years ago to the date, Mahmoud Mahmed Mahmoud Amrou set up a sniper rifle and took aim at a mother and father walking with a stroller. In the stroller was their baby daughter. She was 10 months old. Mahmoud had three targets in front of him. The parents were the easiest targets. Instead Mahmoud took aim and shot a 10 month old little girl in the head. Consider the head of an adult and a child. Which is easier to hit from a distance? Her parents were young. Her father capable of military service. Her mother could still have more children. Even from the tactical standpoint of a terrorist, they were better targets. But Shalhevet Pass, the 10 month old baby girl was the one he shot in the head. Her father suffered leg injuries because the bullets were aimed at the level of the stroller.Mahmoud Amrou was no random serial killer. He was a member of the Tanzim militia, a terrorist arm of the Palestinian Authority which crosses over extensively with the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade. He confessed that the attack had been ordered by Tanzim and Al-Aqsa commander Marwan Zaloum. The terrorist atrocities of these Fatah terrorist groups were backed at the highest level of the Palestinian Authority. And when Palestinian Authority leader Abbas was campaigning in 2002 in Hebron, he called out, "Mercy on the souls of all the martyrs. Mercy on the soul of Marwan Zaloum."Hmmmm....“Violence does not build up the kingdom of God, the kingdom of humanity. On the contrary, it is a favorite instrument of the Antichrist, however idealistic its religious motivation may be,” Pope Benedict XVI.Read the full story here.

• HT:BarenakedIslam. FBI CHIEF confirms agency’s ban on outreach to CAIR because of ties to terrorist groups.Kind of thought this was a fait accompli after several CAIR members were jailed or deported, while others were named unindicted co-conspirators in the Holy Land terror financing federal case in 2008? So, why is CAIR still allowed to operate as a phony Muslim ‘civil rights’ terrorist front group in this country?WND -In stunning testimony on Capitol Hill, the head of the FBI explained his agency has cut off ties to the most influential Muslim organization in America due to concern sover its leaders’ association with terrorism.Since the Justice Department linked the Washington-based (CAIR) Council on American-Islamic Relations to a 2008 terror-finance case, the FBI has refused to work directly with the group’s national office or any of its 30-plus chapters across the country.Wednesday’s hearing held by the House Judiciary Committee marked the first time FBI Director Robert Mueller has narrowed down the cause of concern to CAIR’s “national leadership.”“We have no formal relationship with CAIR because of concerns with regard to the national leadership,” Mueller testified. CAIR’s current executive director is Nihad Awad.Hmmmm......."Don't talk to the FBI"?Read the full story here.

• HT:TranslatingJihad.Yusuf al-Qaradawi: "The Islamic Shari'ah Governs All of the Actions" of Muslims.Shaykh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, explains in his book "Al-Din wal-Siyasa" (Religion and Politics) that religion and politics in Islam are inseparable: "The Islam which was initiated by Allah did not set aside any of the facets of life without committing itself to its legislation and guidance for it--by its nature--is comprehensive in all aspects of life: material and spiritual, individual and society."Al-Qaradawi begins this section of his book by citing the efforts of "the Islamic reformers [to] blend politics with religion." Among these reformers are such notables as Ibn 'Abd-al-Wahhab, Hassan al-Banna, and al-Mawdudi. He explains that all of them strove to put into practice the comprehensiveness of Islam, for three reasons: first, the comprehensiveness of the doctrine of Islam; second, Islam rejects the partitioning of its rulings; and third, life is an indivisible and inseparable unit, and so is man.I plan to write about this in greater detail at a later date, but I think one important thing to take from this is that Islam, being a complete and comprehensive religiopolitical system as al-Qaradawi explains below, leaves no room for Western systems of law. Islam is not like Christianity which can separate between what is God's and what is Caesar's. In Islam, everything belongs to Allah, even and perhaps especially political power and the right to legislate. Thus the problem is not just that Islam is incompatible with Western liberal democracy, but in essence it chokes it out, leaving no room for it. This obviously does not bode well for those hoping for any type of democratic reform in the Middle East (at least one which respects the human rights and equality of all its citizens), especially considering a recent poll shows that a huge majority of Egyptians want more Islam, not less, in politics.Hmmmm......How about this for the Sharia education classes in the USA?Read the full story here.

• With stroke of a pen, Obama gives terrorists an edge.Under the guise of "reaffirming America's commitment to humane treatment of detainees," the Obama administration announced last week a revolution in the rules governing how the United States protects itself from al-Qaeda and other terrorists. Although the president has thrown a meaty bone to a determined segment of his political base — which opposed a full force, military response to the Sept. 11 attacks — with a stroke of his pen he has also made the American people less safe.From now on, according to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the U.S. will comply with part of a treaty known as Protocol I Additional to the Geneva Conventions "out of a sense of legal obligation." These are code words, which mean that the U.S. acknowledges this particular provision, Article 75, which extends "fundamental guarantees" to any detainee, as a binding form of international law — even though the Senate has never consented to its formal ratification. Today, the Geneva Conventions include four treaties: governing the treatment of wounded soldiers on land, those wounded or shipwrecked at sea, prisoners of war and civilians in occupied territory. These agreements date to 1949 and have been ratified by more than 190 countries, including the United States.The U.S. flatly rejected this effort, embodied in Protocol I. President Reagan said this agreement was "fundamentally and irreconcilably flawed" for the very reason that it gave rights traditionally reserved to the armed forces of states who obey the basic rules of war to guerrillas and terrorists, who do not. Indeed, groups such as al-Qaeda seek military advantage by rejecting rules they expect the U.S. and other civilized states to follow.Protocol I is, in fact, a grab bag. Some of its provisions do restate customary international law — such as longstanding prohibitions on deliberately attacking civilians — but many do not. Article 75 contains both. To determine which is which, it must be measured section-by-section, often line-by-line and word-by-word, against other sources of international law and practice.By accepting an important part of this treaty as a legally binding form of international law, President Obama has done an end run around the Senate and eliminated much of the flexibility the U.S. has to deny captured al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters the rights enjoyed by regular, lawful soldiers.If the United States must now effectively treat its terrorist enemies like honorable POWs as a matter of law, and not merely as a policy decision, this should be accomplished through the Constitution's treaty ratification process. Then the Senate and the American people can have a full and fair debate on the matter. The president might well have firmed up his political support as we move toward the 2012 elections, but he has done so at the cost of U.S. national security interests.Hmmmmm........"They don't trust me because of my middle name"among a million other things.....YES!Read the full story here.

• Obama arrives in Brazil, begins Latin America tour.BRASILIA, Brazil - U.S. President Barack Obama landed in Brazil's highland capital of Brasilia on Saturday for the start of a three-country, five-day tour of Latin America to promote greater economic ties and improved regional security.The trip comes despite urgent issues back in the United States, including the possibility of U.S. military action against the regime of Libya's Moammar Gadhafi.Obama singled out the economic benefits of the trip, noting the rapid growth of Brazil and Chile, the second country on his itinerary. In his Saturday radio and internet address Obama noted that the United States exports more than three times as much to Latin America as to China.Brazil stands out for its strategic and economic importance to the United States. As the world's seventh-largest economy, it is a member of an exclusive club of influential developing nations along with Russia, India and China, collectively known in economic circles as the BRIC nations. Obama is looking to reset the U.S. relationship with Brazil, an emerging economic power that even without being hostile has annoyed Washington with its independent ways."What is clear is that in an increasingly global economy, our partnership with these nations is only going to become more vital," Obama said in his weekly radio address Saturday.After Brazil, Obama travels to Chile, which has established itself as one of the wealthier nations in South America. His third and final stop is in El Salvador.Hmmmmm.....Flashback....Obama Underwrites Offshore Drilling Too bad it's not in U.S. waters but in .......BRAZIL,redistribution of wealth anyone?Read the full story here.

• Helen Thomas: Jews in total control of US.Helen Thomas: Jews in total control of US.Veteran US reporter lashes out at Israel again in Playboy interview, says Jewish lobbies control power in America – from White House and Congress to Hollywood and financial markets.Veteran US reporter Helen Thomas lashed out at Israel in an interview published Friday, standing by fiery comments which forced her to quit as doyenne of the White House press corps last year. Speaking to Playboy, she denied she was anti-Semitic but railed against Jewish lobbies she said controlled power in America, from the White House and Congress to Hollywood and financial markets."I'm not anti-Jewish; I'm anti-Zionist. I am anti-Israel taking what doesn't belong to it. If you have a home and you're kicked out of that home, you don't come and kick someone else out."Jewish lobbies had power across the board in the US, she added. "Everybody is in the pocket of the Israeli lobbies, which are funded by wealthy supporters, including those from Hollywood."Same thing with the financial markets. There's total control ... It's real power when you own the White House, when you own these other places in terms of your political persuasion. Of course they have power," she added."I'm not retired! I was fired. In fact, I'll die with my boots on," she said in the interview, which was conducted in Washington where she took Playboy contributing editor David Hochman to her favorite Palestinian restaurant, the magazine said.Hmmmmm......With Spring the bad weeds start appearing again!Read the full story here.

• HT:JihadWatch.Florida circuit court judge allows case to proceed under Islamic law.What was that Hamas-linked CAIR and other Islamic supremacist groups were saying about how it was utterly fanciful that Sharia would ever be used to judge cases in American courts?Hmmmm......Wat happened to "We don't Want To Take Over Your Country"?Read the full story here ,more here.

• Palestinian militants fire rockets into Israel.Dozens of mortars shells hit south.Hamas military wing claims responsibility for more than 50 mortar shells fired at western Negev communities. Two people lightly hurt; building sustains heavy damage. IDF bombs Gaza targets in response; injuries reported.More than 50 mortar shells were fired at the western Negev from the Gaza Strip in several barrages Saturday morning. The mortars exploded in open areas within the Sdot Negev and Eshkol regional council.Two people were lightly injured by shrapnel in one of the kibbutzim and were evacuated to the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba. A building sustained heavy damage. Eshkol officials said dozens of mortar shells exploded within the regional councils. Local residents were ordered to enter shelters. Loud blasts were reported in the area. The Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades claimed responsibility for the mortar fire, saying it acted in response to IDF strikes in the past week. The group issued a statement saying that the mortars were directed at Israeli military targets.The Israel Defense Forces responded to the attack by firing artillery at suspicious targets in the southern Gaza Strip. Israel Air Force helicopters bombed targets in Dir al-Balah and Khan Younis.Hmmmm.....I'm sure the Obama admninistration will find a way to blame the Joooos for this one also.Read the full story here.

• Germany - Penalties for Forced Marriage : Berlin Passes New Integration Measures.Those who force women and girls into marriage can now face up to five years in German prison, under a new integration measure passed by the German parliament on Thursday.The German parliament approved a law on Thursday which calls for up to five years in prison for anyone forcing a girl or woman into marriage. The new law would also give non-German citizens who are forced by their husbands or families to leave the country after their marriage a legal right to return to Germany.The parliament in Berlin also addressed several other issues related to the integration of foreigners in the society. In a move to prevent marriages of convenience, foreigners wedded to German citizens will now have to be married three years before a divorce in order to get their own independent residence permit. Prior law required them to be married two years.Foreigners may now only get an unlimited residence permit when they have successfully completed an integration course, which includes language instruction and a proficiency exam. And young foreigners, between the ages of 15 and 21, who have lived in the country and attended school for six years, and who fall into the category of immigrants who are "tolerated" by the government until it reviews their status, will soon have the right to their own independent residence permit, provided that they are "well-integrated."The new interior minister, Hans-Peter Friedrich -- a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative coalition -- who took over during a reshuffling of the cabinet following the resignation of Defense Minister Karl Theodor zu Guttenberg, said that German society is not prepared to accept forced marriages, and called on foreigners to take more responsibility for their own integration. "Those who live here must speak German," he said.Shortly after taking office, Friedrich made headlines when he said: "That Islam is part of Germany is a fact that cannot be proved by history." The statement contradicted German President Christian Wulff, who said on the anniversary of German unification in October that "Islam is a part of Germany."Hmmmm......."Change' and it aint the Obama kind of change.Read the full story here.

• HT:TranslatingJihad.The Muslim Brotherhood Glorifies and Encourages Female Jihadists.Writing for the European Council of Fatwa and Research, a Muslim Brotherhood-linked organization headed by Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Dr. 'Ali Muhiy al-Din al-Qarah Daghi in his 2006 treatise "Al-mar'a wal-musharika al-siyasia wal-dimuqratia" (Women and Political and Democratic Participation) lists six political rights that women may enjoy under Islam (see pp. 45-47). Most of these are your basic run-of-the-mill stuff: the right to vote, to run for office (except for head of state), participate in political demonstrations, participate in the police and security forces (with some conditions), and participate in forming unions. But what really stood out to me was that the shaykh also listed as one of these rights, the right to participate not only in defensive jihad, but in offensive jihad as well :(Scholars) unanimously agree on (the right of women) to participate in defensive jihad, i.e. when there’s an infidel occupation of a Muslim country. This includes killing and so forth, and everything which enables it. (Women may) also participate in offensive jihad, commensurate with their disposition.Wait a second, what does he mean by "killing and so forth"? I thought jihad was an inner spiritual struggle?! Must be some sort of Islamophobe.So it appears that, contrary to popular belief, women actually enjoy many rights in Islam. Among these is the right to participate in jihad (including offensive jihad) and kill Jews and polytheists. This is all according to the 'moderate' Muslim Brotherhood, or at least this is what they feel comfortable saying in Arabic.Hmmmm.......You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. (Matt. 5:38-39) .Read the full story here.

• HT:Persian2English."Life And Death in Iran's Prisons".Hundreds dead or injured in Ghezel Hesar prison clashes, phones cut off.According to the HRANA group, at least 150 prisoners are dead or injured after bloody clashes erupted in Karaj’s Ghezel Hesar prison on the night of March 15th. Thousands of prisoners from units 2 and 3 launched a protest after hearing the news of plans to execute ten inmates.During the protest approximately 3,000 prisoners attempted to break the doors of their cells while chanting, “Executions must stop.” Security forces attacked the prison cells, resulting in bloody clashes and the transfer of some prisoners from their cells. Reports indicate that prison guards used live ammunitions to control the protesters. Consequently, nearly eighty prisoners were seriously injured or killed, but the number of those shot is at 150 or higher. A handful of officers along with the deputy warden of the prison, Mr. Safakhil suffered leg injuries during the clashes. The prisoners who protested are either serving a heavy sentence or facing imminent execution.The Committee for the Defense of Political Prisoners reported on March 16th that some people attacked the prison from the outside in an attempt to free some of the detainees. According to these reports, some prisoners escaped. The news of the escapes has not been confirmed by other sources.The latest news indicates that Ghezel Hesar prison is under lock down after riot police forces entered the grounds. On March 19th, the RAHANA group reported that phone privileges have been cut off for prisoners until further notice. Yesterday morning, some prisoners were able to make brief phone calls to their families, but by noon, all communication was cut off.The Iranian regime’s Fars News Agency reported that after destructing the prison facilities, breaking windows, and attacking the guards, protesters attempted to escape the prison. The report did not mention the use of live ammunitions against the protesters, but did confirm the death of a few inmates as a result of “inflected injuries and smoke inhalation.”On March 16th, the Reuters news agency reported 14 deaths and 33 injuries, citing Iran’s State TV as the source.Hmmmm......No word from the defender of the oppressed to busy on the beach in Rio i guess?Read the full story here.

• UN Secretary General’s Report Shows Need for Special Human Rights Monitor in Iran.The release of a report by the UN Secretary- General, Ban Ki-moon, on the human rights situation in Iran should encourage the UN Human Rights Council to establish a special monitoring and reporting mechanism, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said today.“The message of this report is clear, it is time for the Human Rights Council to deal with the dramatically deteriorating situation in Iran by establishing a monitoring mechanism during its current session,” stated Aaron Rhodes, a spokesperson for the Campaign.The 14 March 2011 “Interim Report of the Secretary- General on the Situation of Human Rights in Iran,” which was mandated by General Assembly Resolution 65/226, documents Iran’s grave and deteriorating human rights situation.The report notes: “The Secretary-General underscores the valuable contribution special procedures mandates can make to monitoring and reporting on the human rights situation in Iran, as well as facilitating technical assistance in relevant areas.”The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran appealed to all members of the Human Rights Council to follow the Secretary- General’s evaluation and implement a special mechanism, which will allow the United Nations to gather more information on an ongoing basis and be in a better position to assist the Iranian people, as well as, to press the government to cooperate to improve their human rights.The report focused on the failure of Iranian authorities to cooperate with UN special mechanisms. No thematic Special Rapporteur has been allowed to visit the country since 2005, despite a “standing invitation” by Iran. What is more, the report noted a “low rate of reply” to urgent communications by Special Rapporteurs about massive numbers of reports of major human rights violations in Iran they have received.The Secretary General’s report also documented widespread torture, amputations and floggings; the lack of due process in Iran’s courts; the persecution of human rights defenders and political opposition figures; laws permitting juvenile executions; and legal discrimination against women, concluding that major legal reforms would be needed to bring Iran into compliance with its human rights treaty obligations.Since August 2010, the Campaign has documented mass, secret executions, mainly of alleged drug-traffickers, which have driven the execution rate to record highs. Iran executed at least 542 persons in 2010, as compared to 94 in 2005 when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad assumed power. Around 150 have been executed already in 2011, or one approximately every eight hours.“Failure to act on Iran now would be a repudiation of the entire United Nations human rights system and threaten a positive trend in the Middle East,” Rhodes said. “Council members have an opportunity to rise above regional politics and to show the Council can effectively promote human rights.”Hmmmm.....Let me think ...perhaps the UN could give Iran a couple of more seats in the Human rights commission thus making the problem 'dissapear'?Read the full hypocrite story here.

• HT:Memri:Video : Former Lebanese Minister and Hizbullah Ally Wiam Wahhab Compares Women Wearing the Niqab to Garbage Bags.Read and see the full story here.