150 hallucinatory images of superstorm Sandy.

Bounty crew member's body found, captain still missing

150 hallucinatory images of superstorm Sandy.HT: HLN.(Google Translate).

Video - LIVE Superstorm Sandy Coverage - The Weather Channel.

New York Black out.

...RECORD HIGH WATER LEVEL AT THE BATTERY NY... A RECORD HIGH WATER LEVEL OF 13.88 FEET WAS SET AT THE BATTERY NY TODAY AT 9:24 PM. THIS BREAKS THE OLDEST OFFICIAL RECORD OF 10.02 FEET SET IN 1960 WITH HURRICANE DONNA.

Picture - Floodwaters inundate Ground Zero construction site in NYC.

HT: Jon Passantino@passantino.

Sandy power outages hit 4.1 million as of 10pm.

MFS - The Other News

                       Morning Posting.

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

• "Dreams of my father"?Revealed: Barack Obama's 'playboy' father planned to have future president ADOPTED.(DailyMail).President Barack Obama's father made plans to have the future president adopted, astonishing new documents have revealed.When his 18-year-old wife, Ann Dunham, was five months pregnant, the elder Mr Obama told immigration officials they planned to give the baby away to the Salvation Army.Then a student at the University of Hawaii, immigration officials were investigating him because they believed he had more than one wife - and had already been warned about his 'playboy ways'.The revelation comes just months after the president finally put to rest claims he was not a U.S. citizen by releasing his full birth certificate.In an interview to renew his visa in 1961, Mr Obama's father, then 24, insisted he had divorced his wife at home in Kenya before marrying Miss Dunham, who was pregnant with his child.It reads: 'Subject got his USC [U.S. citizen] wife ‘Hapai’ [Hawaiian for pregnant] and although they were married they do not live together and Miss Dunham is making arrangements with the Salvation Army to give the baby away.'As history attests, the couple kept the baby, but the revelation gives a fascinating glimpse into Mr Obama's relationship with his father, who he barely saw when he was growing up.As an 18-year-old student married to a black man in 1960s America, Miss Dunham may have come under pressure to give her child away.Although mixed-race marriage was legal in Hawaii, it was banned in 22 states, and in many of those it was a felony.In his memoir, Dreams From My Father, the president himself wrote that his mother might have thought about putting him up for adoption.Even in big cities, he said, 'the hostile stares, the whispers, might have driven a woman in my mother’s predicament into a back-alley abortion - or at the very least to a distant convent that could arrange for adoption.'It could have been an attractive option for his father. Despite claiming he was divorced, he was still married to his first wife - with whom he had two children - and he was struggling financially to support them.The memo was written in April 1961 by Lyle H. Dahling, an administrator in the Honolulu office of the then-U.S. Immigration and Naturalisation Service, his father.It has only now been released after a Freedom of Information request from a biographer writing about Mr Obama's father.It is not clear whether the young couple made definite plans to put a young Barack up for adoption, or whether his father made the story up to placate immigration officials and help him secure a visa.When students applied to extend their stay in the U.S., officials would take into account their academic and behavioural record.Being a bigamist with a young baby would hardly impress the authorities - although he claimed to have divorced his first wife, in fact they were still married, and he was supporting two children at home in Kenya.The documents revealed immigration officials even considered charging with bigamy so they could deport him.In the end, Mr Dahling settled on monitoring his behaviour rather than bringing charges.The memo reads: 'Mrs McCabe [the university's foreign student adviser] further states that [Obama] has been running around with several girls since he first arrived here and last summer she cautioned him about his playboy ways. '[Obama] replied that he would "try" to stay away from the girls.'Family members on both sides have said had never heard any discussion of adoption.According to former White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, the president had never been told his mother had thought about giving him away.He added that the White House had not tried to discover whether Miss Dunham had ever made arrangements with the Salvation Army, because Mr Obama 'is absolutely convinced that she did not'.Of Mr Obama's claim to immigration, he told the Boston Globe: 'He was trying to convince immigration to let him stay. 'So, part of his effort was to convince immigration that some of the responsibilities that he had he would not continue to have.’But while Mr Obama's father seems to have considered adoption, relatives of his mother say they never heard her speak about it.Charles Payne, Miss Dunham's maternal uncle, said: 'I never heard any talk of adoption whatsoever. 'Ann decided she had done this and this was her child and she was going to take care of him.'From day one, as far as I could tell, she and Madelyn [Dunham] and Stanley [Dunham] were all completely committed to Barack.'Just two years after his son was born, Mr Obama left his family in Hawaii and moved to Harvard, where he married for a third time.Hmmmm..........Read the full 'story' here.

• Top local democrat Milton Ohlsen III was indicted today for planting a bomb in a parking garage that injured a local attorney.(BigGovernment).A former Democratic political operative has been indicted by federal authorities for allegedly planting a bomb in a Clayton parking garage in 2008. The bomb went off, seriously injuring a Clayton attorney. Police believe he was not the bomber’s intended target.Milton Ohlsen iii nicknamed “Skip” is well known to law enforcement. He’s also well known in Democratic political circles. The feds now say he’s the one who planted a bomb in a garage at 190 Carondolet plaza in Clayton on October 15, 2008.Federal prosecutors say ohlsen made the bomb and put it in the parking garage where it went off and injured clayton attorney John Gillis.Federal agents say Gillis was the wrong target. They say Ohlsen was actually trying to kill attorney Richard Eisen who drove a similar car. Eisen represented Ohlsen’s wife in a messy divorce case.Starting in 2004 Ohlsen was used as a consultant by the Missouri Democratic party. He even had lunch at the governor’s mansion with then-governor Bob Holden.The bombing victim John L. Gillis said he was doing “reasonably well” after receiving a series of skin grafts to treat burns caused by the bombing.Hmmmm......."Domestic terrorisme"?Read the full story here.

• Obama’s terrorist ‘catch and release’ policy.(WashingtonPost).By Marc A. Thiessen.This morning The Post reports that a Somali terrorist named Ahmed Abdulkadir Warsame was held and interrogated on a Navy ship for more than two months before being flown to New York to stand trial. The Post reports this morning that he “is the first foreign terrorism suspect captured by the administration outside the United States and moved to this country for trial.” This news comes a week after Vice Adm. William McRaven told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Obama administration has no clear plan for handling captured terrorist leaders if they are caught alive outside the war zones of Afghanistan and Iraq. McRaven testified that that “in many cases” suspects captured in secret are taken to a U.S. Navy ship until they can be tried in a U.S. court or transferred to the custody of an allied country, but if neither option is feasible, he said, the terrorist is let go. “If we can’t do either one of those, then we will release that individual,” McRaven told the committee.Which leaves the obvious question: If Warsame is the first suspect to be transferred to the United States for trial, what happened to the others?The United States’ top special operations commander told Congress that because the United States has no place to hold captured terrorists we have simply been letting them go. In his testimony, Adm. McRaven used the phrase “in many cases,” which seems to indicate that not only has this happened, but it has happened in numerous instances. Well, exactly how many al-Qaeda terrorists have been taken into U.S. custody on Navy ships and released by the Obama administration? Who are these terrorists? Where were they captured? Who decided to release them? Where were they released? And what has become of them since?Until now, it was believed that the administration was not capturing senior terrorists alive outside the war zones of Afghanistan and Iraq, but simply killing them. Last year, The Post reported that there had been no known high-value detentions by the United States since Obama took office. Now, it appears, we have indeed been capturing such terrorists — and setting them free. If so, this is an outrage. With Adm. McRaven’s testimony, and today’s news, the administration owes the American people — and the United States Congress — some answers, and fast.Hmmmmm........"I will stand with my Muslim Brothers"?Read the full story here.

• TSA....Airport agent 'took passenger's iPad and stuffed it down his trousers'... and stole $50,000 worth of devices from luggage.(DailyMail).The list of consumer complaints against the TSA over recent months may soon have to include theft, in addition to groping and racial profiling.That's because a Transportation Security Administration worker has been charged with two counts of grand theft for allegedly stealing electronics out of passengers' luggage, authorities in Florida said Thursday. According to the Broward County Sheriff's Office, Nelson Santiago-Serrano, 30, was caught by a Continental Airlines employee stealing an iPad from a suitcase in Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport's Terminal 1 on Monday.Mr Santiago-Serrano was allegedly seen trying to stuff the device into his pants, reports the Broward-Palm Beach New Times.Police say that after they arrested him on Monday, he admitted to stealing computers, GPS devices, video cameras, and other electronics from bags he was supposed to be screening. Cops say Mr Santiago-Serrano would then take pictures of the items, then list them for sale online. They say many of the items would be sold before he even finished his shift at the airport. Detectives claim he stole an estimated $50,000 from fliers over the past six months.Police are asking people to come forward if they think they had something stolen, but they say chances of actually recovering the goods are not good.Mr Santiago-Serrano was released on a $4,000 bond Tuesday, though police say they may file additional charges against him soon.According to the Broward County clerk of courts, he does not have a lawyer or any scheduled court dates.He reportedly no longer works for the TSA, though he had started with the agency in January 2009. Recently, allegations had surfaced that TSA agents in Newark airport had engaged in racial profiling of passengers, by singling out Hispanic men for additional screening.One agent was disciplined and others received training after colleagues accused them of acting as 'Mexican hunters'.Hmmmmm.......Read the full story here.

• Center for Security Policy Urges Rejection of Proposed $700 Billion in Defense Cuts.(TrevorLoudon).Washington, DC; July 7, 2011: Media reports today indicate that national security spending could be cut by as much as $700 billion as part of a deal on the debt limit – almost twice the amount originally proposed by President Obama.The Center for Security Policy believes such cuts are antithetical to the time-tested practice President Reagan called “Peace through Strength.” It is the height of irresponsibility to commit to reductions of that magnitude without a proper analysis of how they would be apportioned and to what effect. That would be true in a world less perilous than today’s; it will be even more true if, as has been the case in the past, massive Pentagon defunding of this kind invites aggression by the myriad dangerous foes whose emergence will make tomorrow’s even more perilous.In response to the proposed $700 billion in cuts, Frank J. Gaffney, Jr., President of the Center for Security Policy remarked:

President Obama’s own Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, warned that $400 billion slashed from Pentagon funding over the next 12 years could result in ‘in a hollowing out of the force from a lack of proper training, maintenance and equipment and manpower.’ That being the case, it is safe to say that $700 billion in cuts over the same time period would be simply disastrous — significantly diminishing America’s ability to defend itself, while emboldening its enemies.Treating investments in national defense as indistinguishable from lower priority types of government spending invites otherwise avoidable wars – whose costs in national treasure and, more importantly, in lives needlessly lost would make the problem of today’s national debt pale by comparison. America’s deficit is surely a cause for concern. But it cannot be safely alleviated by actions that have the effect of undercutting the national security and jeopardizing the safety of the American people.Hundreds of useless, even counterproductive US Government agencies will take few, if any cuts.But the one Department that keeps Americans safe from their enemies, will likely be gutted under leftist Defense Secretary Leon Panetta – former friend of life long communist Hugh DeLacy.Why do you think that might be?Hmmmm......If he wanted to destroy america would he do anything different?Read the full story here.

• Obama administration appeasing Turkey and Russia, giving the keys for US defence to Turkey..(WashingtonTimes).The Obama administration is about to make another concession to Russia on missile defense by concluding an agreement with Turkey to base a radar there that would monitor Iranian missile launches.The deal is raising questions about whether the administration gave in to a Turkish demand that no missile-tracking data from the radar be shared with Israel or other non-NATO members. The demand was based on the Turkish government’s increasing Islamist and pro-Iranian policies.The TPY-2 radar deal has been under discussion for the past year and goes against a plan by the George W. Bush administration to place a radar in one of two former Soviet republics, Georgia or Azerbaijan.Moscow opposed putting the radar in those states, claiming it would threaten Russia’s nuclear missile forces.Earlier concessions by the Obama administration included canceling plans to deploy 10 long-range missile interceptors in Poland in favor of its less-capable “phased adaptive approach” that relies on untested missile defense systems, specifically a future long-range version of the Navy’s SM-3 interceptor.A senior U.S. national security official said the Turkish agreement for the radar is expected to be completed in the next week.“It’s yet another concession to the Russians,” the official said. A second official said conclusion of deal was imminent.Also, placing the radar in Turkey will provide less capability against a future Iranian long-range missile targeted against the United States, the first official said.State Department spokesman Mark Toner said discussions on a forward-based radar have been under way for sometime.Mr. Toner said the phased adaptive approach missile defense is “not about Russia.”The misslie defense progam “is a better system that will provide fuller protection to our NATO allies and the United States and it will do sooner than the previous system.”William Burns, nominee to be deputy secretary of state, was asked last week if he thought Israel should be blocked from using the TPY-2 radar data, as Turkey suggested in conditioning its role in NATO missile defenses.Mr. Burns did not answer directly. He replied that the phased adaptive approach and NATO missile defenses “are for the defense of NATO and Europe.” He said the Pentagon has “separate and robust missile defense cooperative efforts with Israel.”“The United States has stated consistently that it reserves the right to use information from U.S. sensors in whatever ways it deems necessary,” Mr. Burns said in response to written questions posed by Sen. Mark Kirk, Illinois Republican, as part of the nomination process.A Turkish Embassy spokeswoman had no immediate comment.A classified Jan. 26, 2010, State Department cable said the Turkish government was still debating how to respond to U.S. requests to put the radar and possibly other missile defenses in Turkey.The cable, made public by the anti-secrecy site WikiLeaks, said Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had told President Obama that “such a system must be implemented in a NATO context to diminish the political cost that his government will likely bear, both in terms of domestic politics and in Turkey’s relations with Iran.”“Erdogan is concerned that Turkey’s participation might later give Israel protection from an Iranian counterstrike,” said the cable, labeled “secret.”The Czech Republic recently pulled out of plans to host a missile early-warning radar as part of the administration’s program. Prague officials claimed their participation was rejected because the system would have provided data on missile attacks but was not connected to interceptors that could shoot them down.In February, four Republican senators wrote to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates urging him to put the radar in Georgia instead of Turkey.“We believe the U.S. should deploy the most effective missile defenses possible — in partnership with our allies — that provide for protection for the U.S. homeland, our deployed forces and our allies,” said the letter by Sens. Jon Kyl of Arizona, James E. Risch of Idaho, James M. Inhofe of Oklahoma and Mr. Kirk.Hmmmmm..........."I will stand with my Muslim Brothers "?No wonder Obama has weekly phonecalls with Erdogan?Read the full story here.

• President Obama faith adviser, Eboo Patel Speaks Alongside Defender of WTC Bombers.(Vinienco).President Obama’s faith adviser, Eboo Patel, spoke this past weekend at the main event of a three-day convention held by the Muslim Students Association, or MSA, a controversial group founded by the Muslim Brotherhood. Patel appeared on a panel alongside Tariq Ramadan, grandson of the notorious founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, and Siraj Wahhaj, who was named as a possible co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Wahhaj has also defended the convicted WTC bomb plotters and has urged the Islamic takeover of America.The MSA event was part of a larger weekend convention in which several U.S. Islamic groups held a series of speaking engagements. The convention was arranged by the Islamic Society of North America, itself an unindicted co-conspirator in a scheme to raise money for Hamas. Patel was featured on a panel at what was billed as the “main session” of both the MSA and ISNA conventions. The session was titled “I took the Road Less Traveled by, and that has made all the Difference.”A description of the panel on the ISNA website states, “We live in a society in which immersion is encouraged and in which we are often confronted with evil. Muslims have always been challenged, but Islam is a guiding star that can help us overcome these challenges as we strive to remain faithful. We must remain confident and unified as we make our short journey through this life. And sometimes, we must be ‘strangers.’”Panel participants with Patel were Ramadan, Wahhaj and Islamic author Yasir Qadhi. Ramadan’s maternal grandfather was Hasan al-Banna, who in 1928 founded the Muslim Brotherhood. Osama bin Laden routinely referred to al-Banna in al-Qaida doctrine. Ramadan’s father, Said Ramadan, led the Brotherhood throughout the 1950s and then was exiled from Egypt to Switzerland.Wahhaj is an African American convert to Islam via the Nation of Islam.He repeatedly has urged the U.S. to accept Islamic law. Discover the Networks notes Wahhaj in 1991 predicted America will fall unless it “accepts the Islamic agenda.”The next year, he stated, “Hear what I’m telling you well. The Americans are not your friends … The Canadians are not your friends. … The Europeans are not your friends. Your friend is Allah, the Messenger and those who believe.”Also, in a 1992 address to an audience of Muslims in New Jersey, Wahhaj expressed his desire to replace the U.S. government with an Islamic caliphat“If we were united and strong,” Wahhaj said, “we’d elect our own emir (leader) and give allegiance to him. … [T]ake my word, if 6-8 million Muslims unite in America, the country will come to us.”In 1995, Wahhaj was named by U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White as a possible co-conspirator to the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. He objected to that designation, noting in his defense that he had eaten “dinner with Secretary of State [Madeleine] Albright – after the list” of co-conspirators had been released.Discover the Networks notes in the summer of 1999, Wahhaj testified as a character witness for convicted terror mastermind Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman. Wahhaj stated, on the record, that he considered it an honor to have had an opportunity to host Abdel-Rahman at his mosque, describing the latter as a “respected scholar … bold … [and] a strong preacher of Islam.”

‘Burn down master’s house’

 Both the ISNA and the MSA, meanwhile, have sordid histories of their own.The MSA was established mainly by members of the Muslim Brotherhood in 1963. In January, Amir Abdel Malik-Ali, keynote speaker at the MSA’s West Regional Conference, recited the MSA “pledge of allegiance,” which is a direct adoption of the Muslim Brotherhood’s own credo.The MSA pledge states: “Allah is my lord. Islam is my life. The Koran is my guide. The Sunna is my practice. Jihad is my spirit. Righteousness is my character. Paradise is my goal. I enjoin what is right. I forbid what is wrong. I will fight against oppression. And I will die to establish Islam.”WND previously attended an MSA event at which violence against the U.S. was urged by speakers.“We are not Americans,” shouted one speaker, Muhammad Faheed, at QueensboroughCommunity College in 2003. “We are Muslims. [The U.S.] is going to deport and attack us! It is us versus them! Truth against falsehood! The colonizers and masters against the oppressed, and we will burn down the master’s house!”The MSA in 1981 founded the Islamic Society of North America.ISNA was named in a May 1991 Muslim Brotherhood document – “An Explanatory Memorandum on the General Strategic Goal for the Group in North America” – as one of the Brotherhood’s likeminded “organizations of our friends” who shared the common goal of destroying America and turning it into a Muslim nation, according to Discover the Networks.In December 2003, U.S. Sens. Charles Grassley and Max Baucus of the Senate Committee on Finance listed ISNA as one of 25 American Muslim organizations that “finance terrorism and perpetuate violence.”The U.S. government released a list of approximately 300 unindicted co-conspirators” and “joint venturers” in the 2007 Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development trial, the largest terrorist financing scheme in American history, in which the groups were accused of raising money for Hamas.Islam scholar Stephen Schwartz describes ISNA as “one of the chief conduits through which the radical Saudi form of Islam passes into the United States.”According to terrorism expert Steven Emerson, ISNA “is a radical group hiding under a false veneer of moderation” that publishes a bimonthly magazine, Islamic Horizons, that “often champions militant Islamist doctrine.” The group also “convenes annual conferences where Islamist militants have been given a platform to incite violence and promote hatred,” states Emerson. Emerson cites an ISNA conference in which Muslim Brotherhood official Yusuf Al Qaradhawi was invited to speak.In February, Obama named Patel, a Chicago Muslim, to his Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

U.S. ‘ideal place for renewal of Islam’

Patel is the founder and executive director of Chicago-based Interfaith Youth Core, which says it promotes pluralism by teaming people of different faiths on service projects.Patel is himself tied to ISNA, having spoken and several ISNA events, including the convention this past weekend.Patel is listed on ISNA’s official speakers bureau.Based on his own comments, Patel apparently is a member of ISNA. Upon the August 2007 election of the group’s president, Ingrid Mattson, Patel told USA Today, “I’m proud to have her elected as my president.”Another ISNA speaker is Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the controversial Muslim leader behind the plan to build the Islamic center and mosque two blocks from Ground Zero.WND reported, Patel has close ties to Rauf. The two have been documented together discussing America as “the ideal place for a renewal of Islam.”Rauf wrote a book in 2004 that had two different titles, one in English and the second in Arabic. In the U.S., his book was called “What’s right with America is what’s right with Islam.”The same book, published in Arabic, bore the name “The Call From the WTC Rubble: Islamic Da’wah From the Heart of America Post-Sept. 11.”It has emerged that the Arabic edition of Rauf’s book was produced, with Feisal’s cooperation, by ISNA.Rauf, meanwhile, wrote the afterword to Patel’s 2006 book “Building the Interfaith Youth Movement: Beyond Dialogue to Action.”Patel is listed as one of 15 “Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow” on the website of the American Society for Muslim Advancement, which is led by Rauf.Patel, meanwhile, has been caught in a series of controversial remarks about the U.S.WND reported Patel declared that everything he was taught about Christopher Columbus, Thomas Jefferson and American “fairness” and “equality” was wrong.WND also reported Patel blasted what he called the “myths” of America – describing them as beliefs that the country is “a land of freedom and equality and justice.”Patel has talked about “rage” he felt against the U.S. after claiming to experience prejudice in the country.Patel stated the faith movement gave him a “way to have a radical view of the world – radical equality, radical peace, radical possibility – that is love-based, not anger-based.”He wrote that had he been around in the 1960s, he may have joined William Ayers’ anti-American Weather Underground terrorist group.Hmmmm.......Some "Faith adviser"!Don't worry once the elections come closer Obama will go back to church.Read the full story here.

• We can have a Ground Zero Mosque, but not a memorial that actually memorializes 9/11.(WashingtonTimes).This Sept. 11, the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks upon America, New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg will dedicate the massive, $600 million National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center. What Americans have not been told is that this “memorial” will remake Ground Zero so that it does not acknowledge 9/11.Instead of acting as a constant reminder of the attacks, a symbol for us and future generations of the evil that struck, the death and destruction it caused and the heroism and sacrifice in response, the memorial will wipe out all evidence and memory of the attacks.Replacing all reminders of the attacks will be two immense “voids” with gigantic subterranean waterfalls designed to express exclusively, as per architect Michael Arad, the continuing “absence in our lives caused by these deaths.”About 500 trees will be planted upon the site. They are, we are told by memorial officials, “traditional symbols of the rejuvenation of life.” They also will eradicate all trace and memory of what stood there for 30 years and its destruction on Sept. 11.The cause of “these deaths,” how these people came to be absent - that is, 9/11 - has been deemed irrelevant and even contrary to your memorial “experience.”The memorial is not about that; it’s about you.Cities and towns across America have humbly requested a segment of the twisted steel of the WTC to feature in their own modest Sept. 11 memorials. The only memorial where one is not welcome is the “national” memorial at Ground Zero. Those iconic remnants, exactly because they are iconic, are considered far too gauche for the jury of intellectuals and artists who chose the design.The National September 11 Memorial at the WTC will not include the iconic WTC “Sphere” - again, exactly because it is iconic. “The Sphere” stood in the center of the WTC plaza for 30 years as a symbol of world peace. On 9/11, though badly damaged (a piece of one of the planes tore through it) it survived the attacks in place and was embraced by many Americans as a symbol of the nation’s strength and resiliency.That is why it cannot be returned.It sits at Battery Park, about a half-mile from Ground Zero, where it was installed March 11, 2002, the six-month anniversary of the attacks, as a “temporary” memorial. Battery Park is undergoing its own renovations, and “The Sphere” will have to moved.One 9/11 anniversary at Ground Zero, Mr. Arad told me that returning “The Sphere” would be “didactic.” That is, it would tell us what to think.Somehow disposing of it is not telling us what to think.This is like banishing the USS Arizona from the USS Arizona Memorial.Read the full story here.

• US Congress votes in favor of PA aid suspension.(Ynet).US House of Representatives backs proposal that will see aid to PA suspended should it pursue unilateral statehood bid in UN. A week after the Senate approved a similar proposal; the US House of Representatives on Thursday overwhelmingly backed the idea of suspending aid to the Palestinian Authority if it continues to refuse a negotiated settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They also rejected Palestinian pursuit of statehood through the United Nations.The vote was 407-6 for the nonbinding resolution that also called on the Obama administration to consider suspending aid to the Palestinian Authority in light of the deal between the government and Hamas - considered a terrorist group by Israel and the US.The resolution said the goal was two states "a democratic, Jewish state of Israel and a viable, democratic Palestinian state, living side-by-side in peace, security and mutual recognition."The House had debated the measure on Wednesday but postponed the vote to ensure lawmakers had a chance to vote. Republicans and Democrats signaled their strong support for Israel and a resumption of direct negotiations that collapsed last fall."We stand by Israel as our most valued ally. It is time for the Palestinian Authority to accept a peaceful solution to this conflict," said House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va.Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 Democrat in the House, said he strongly believed that to ensure "the long-term viability of the Jewish democratic state, peace must be negotiated. It cannot and will not be imposed from outside."The administration has said the Palestinian push for a UN vote on its statehood this fall has not helped the peace process, a point echoed by lawmakers."What, exactly, would UN General Assembly recognition of a Palestinian state do for the Palestinians? Absolutely nothing," said Rep. Howard Berman of California, the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee. "It would be seen by Israel and many others as an act of bad faith, creating yet another obstacle to successful talks."Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., the chairwoman of the committee, raised the prospect of cutting off aid."Continuing to provide assistance to the Palestinians - assistance amounting to $2.5 billion in the last 5 years alone - is certainly not the answer," she said.Hmmmmm..........A pitty they did not realise this ten years ago.Read the full story here.

• Russia calls on UN to redraw map of the Arctic to grab lion's share of untapped 90 BILLION barrels of oil.(DailyMail).The mineral-rich Arctic is at the centre of a new land grab by nations desperate to get their hands on its icy energy treasures - including 90 billion barrels of oil. Russia, Norway, the United States, Canada and Denmark all want a share of the seabed beneath the Arctic territory which is believed to also hold 30 per cent of the world's untapped gas resources, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.Now Russia has announced that it is to formally submit an application to the United Nations next year in the hope of redrawing the map of the Arctic, giving itself a bigger share of the resource-rich area.The plan follows a pledge last week to send troops and weapons to its icy north to guarantee and secure its Arctic interests.The formal application to the United Nations would change the region's borders and allow exploitation of the energy-rich Arctic territory.'I hope that next year we will present a formal, scientifically grounded application to the commission of the U.N.,' state-run RIA news agency quoted Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov as telling a government maritime board.Russia has said it will spend millions of dollars on studies to prove that an underwater mountain range rich in oil, natural gas and mineral deposits is part of its own Eurasian landmass. Canada and Denmark reject the claim, saying the geographical formation, known as the Lomonosov Ridge, which stretches across the Arctic Sea, is a geographical extension of their own land.Global warming has boosted expectations that the Arctic may provide new mining, fishing and shipping prospects as the ice cap melts.Russia submitted an application to the U.N. to claim the Lomonosov Ridge in 2001, but the document was returned and Moscow was asked to provide more proof for its claim.Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said late last month that Russia would finish its mapping of its Arctic shelf by 2013 and submit its application to the U.N. on its claim to the Lomonosov Ridge by 2014.Canada has said it will submit its application on the territory in 2013.The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea says that any coastal state can claim undersea territory 200 nautical miles from their shoreline and exploit the natural resources within that zone.Hmmmm......No word from Anti Oil exploration Comrade Obama.Read the full story here.

• Iran Publishes List of 26 U.S. Officials To Be Tried in Absentia.(Memri).Iran has published a list of 26 U.S. officials whom it intends to try in absentia for what it calls their crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition, the Majlis has announced that Iran means to revoke all agreements and contracts with countries or private companies that have any economic ties with these 26 individuals. Following is the list, in the original English as published by the Iranian news agency Fars.

1. Former FBI Chief Director Thomas J. Pickard, for human rights violations, including his involvement in the 1993 siege on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, and the death of over 80 of the cult's followers. He is also wanted for human rights violations during his tenure as the CIA station chief in Afghanistan and Iraq in 2003.
2. Former commander of the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay Geoffrey D. Miller, who was the commander [of this prison] between 2002 and 2007, and has been charged with the torture of inmates.
3. Current Guantanamo commander Rear Admiral Jeffery [sic] Harbeson, for human rights violations at the detention center since 2010.
4. USS Vincennes Captain Will Rogers III, for the killing of 290 Iranian civilians onboard Iran Air Flight 655, which was shot down by the USS Vincennes on July 3, 1988.
5. Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who served in this post from 1975 to 1977 and from 2001 to 2006, for the killing of thousands of civilians in the US-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He is also charged with [involvement in] human rights violations and torture at two notorious prisons, Abu Ghraib in Iraq and Bagram in Afghanistan.
6. Paul Bremer, the U.S. administrator in Iraq from May 2003 to June 2004.
7. General Tommy Franks, who led the U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.
8. Commander of the U.S. forces in Iraq Raymond Odierno, for his major role in the massive violation of human rights in Iraq.
9. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, commander of the U.S. troops in charge of torturing prisoners in Abu Ghraib, for human rights violations and for his role in U.S. state-sponsored terrorism.
10. Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz for his role in the crimes committed against the Afghan and Iraqi people.
11. Gen. John McKean, former U.S. Deputy Chief of Staff, for his role in massacring civilians, torturing prisoners in Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo, and violating human rights in Afghanistan and Iraq.
12. The United States' first administrator in Iraq in 2003, charged with human rights violations and the massacre of civilians in Iraq.
13. U.S. Defense Department official Richard Pearl [sic], for his role in planning the military invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq and the crimes committed by the U.S. troops in these two war-torn states.
14. Richard A. Cody, Deputy Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army in 2003, for complicity in the massacre of civilians, torture of prisoners in Abu-Ghraib and Guantanamo, and violation of human rights in Iraq and Afghanistan.
15. Gen. James Mathews [sic], commander of the U.S. operations in Iraq, for his role in the 2003 massacre of civilians in Fallujah, Iraq, and his involvement in crimes against humanity.
16. Gen. George Casey, the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army from 2003 to 2007, for his complicity in the massacre of the civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan, the raiding and occupation of the Iranian consulate in the city of Erbil in northern Iraq, and the illegal arrest, abduction and torturing of five Iranian diplomats for over 2.5 years.
17. Gen. David Petraeus, former commander of the U.S. troops in Iraq and commander of the U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, for massive violation of human rights, massacre of civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as complicity in drug-trafficking.
18. Gen. Janis Karbinsky [sic], former commander of Abu-Ghraib prison and former officer responsible for U.S. prisons in Iraq, for torturing prisoners and massive violation of human rights in Iraq.
19. Gen. Steve Casbon [sic], Abu-Ghraib Prison official, for torturing prisoners and massive violation of human rights in Iraq.
20. Gen. Stanley McCrystal [sic], commander of the U.S. troops in Afghanistan, for massacre of civilians, torture of prisoners in Bagram, violation of human rights and complicity in drug-trafficking.
21. Gen. Jack Bridgez [sic], Commander of the U.S. Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, for his role in providing logistic backup and training for the anti-Iranian terrorist group Jundollah, and for supporting terrorism, massacring civilians, and [committing] massive human rights violations in Afghanistan.
22. Luis [sic] Freeh, former CIA Chief, for human rights violations, and complicity in the torture of prisoners in Afghanistan and Iraq.
23. Robert Muller [sic], former CIA Chief, for human rights violations, and complicity in the torture of prisoners in Afghanistan and Iraq.
24. Gen. James Jones, former national security advisor to the U.S. president, for his support of terrorism, especially the anti-Iranian terrorist organization Mojahedin-e Khalq (MKO), and for aiding terrorist groups in Afghanistan and Iraq.
25. Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, former chief of staff of the U.S. Army in 2007, for his role in the massacre of civilians, torture of prisoners in Guantanamo and Bagram, and human rights violations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
26. Stuart A. Levey, the incumbent and first Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence in the United States Treasury Department, for his role in the violating human rights by imposing illegal sanctions on the Iranian people."Hmmmm......." Iran means to revoke all agreements and contracts with countries or private companies that have any economic ties with these 26 individuals. Does this mean Turkey also?Source .

• Canada Faces Islamist Menace – A Young Muslim’s Admirable Warning.(Ross'sRightAngle).Natasha Fatah, a young Muslim lady in Canada, had an excellent article in Wednesday’s Globe and Mail, warning us of the menace to Canada presented by Islamists.She begins by telling of her own parents.

My parents left behind Pakistan and chose Canada for the same reasons many other Muslim immigrants came here 20, 30 or 40 years ago: for democracy, freedom, stability and modernity. And herein lies a common misconception amongst “mainstream” Canadians: They’re convinced that, in the average Muslim household, it’s the parent who represents conservatism and tradition, and the Canadian-born children who are modern and fighting against this oppression. This is a falsehood. Many of our parents, who immigrated here from Muslim countries in South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, did so specifically out of their respect for Western values. Elder Muslims may be modest and socially conservative in their personal lives. But, by and large, the parents in Muslim-Canadian households believe in the core values of this society.Well, I have always hoped this was the case. It seems a brainless thing to do, emigrating from a backward sharia sty to a civilised country, if you actually want to live in a backward sharia sty.Mind you, I’m not sure many older immigrants of any creed realise that Canada has been going downhill in terms of civilised values, for years, ever since Turdeau.Gay marriage, suppression of free speech, soft-on-crime policies, and the other depraved trappings of a PC society, are unattractive to mature people, although immature persons, of any age, find the PC morass appealing. Lots of good immigrants, and having canvassed during elections here and there, I know this to be true, have no time for the revolting ‘progressive’ agenda – they’re good citizens. Brown, black, yellow or white, we could do with more of them. Taking a few of Indonesia’s persecuted Ahmadis would be no bad idea.However, Ms. Fatah quickly moves to the nub of the problem, the way too many young aliens – and I use the term not in relationship to citizen status but to the fact that the individulas we are about to discuss are not Canadian in any real sense, any more than that nasty little terrorist, Omar Khadr was it, imported from Gitmo, and most of his kin, are Canadian. They’re not. They are enemies of the West. And as Ms. Fatah explains, they are not alone.It’s their children – in desperate need for identity – who have turned to conservative, hard-line and politicized Islam for the answers. This trend to embrace a politicized Islam has led to bloodshed in many parts of the world and is growing rapidly – and going unchecked – in Canada.But, as most young hijabis will defiantly tell you, “it’s my choice to cover my hair.” If they’re making that choice for themselves, then it’s a choice their mothers from India, Turkey and Uganda rejected.Fatah tells us that she has ‘spoken to many parents in the Pakistani and Somali communities who’ve “lost” their children to the jihad….She hits the nail on the head when she says clearly that there’s a difference between Islam and Islamism. Islam is a religion, a faith, as beautiful and as flawed as any other, which can be practised as liberally or as conservatively as we choose. Islamism, however, is a doctrine that uses Islam as political ideology, mandating sharia law, armed jihad against all non-Muslims and, ultimately, a domination of Islamism over the West. It’s this Islamism that’s seizing young Muslims.And it’s that Islamism which should see them deported as fast as possible. I doubt she would agree with me, but that’s the most effective antidote to the poison afflicting sharia-freaks. They have grown up in Canada, forcefully reject Western values, and should therefore be sent packing, to give them a chance to live amongs savages.What else would we do with people like those she describes in her account of her experience in a university’s (two universities’) ’Muslim students associations. I was told to sit behind the men, not next to them. That it would be better if I covered my hair. That sharia is the optimal way to resolve personal, legal and political issues. I was even told that, when filling out a form, the ink from my pen should not touch the ink of a “brother’s” pen. ‘Obviously these sharia-freaks are border-line psychos, and if we don’t expel them, then a spell of in-patient treatment at a mental hospital needs thinking about. But that costs a lot of tax-payers’ money, of which the nauseating fanatics have had plenty already, school and college wasted on such barbaric young slugs.Why can’t they be just a little bit grateful for what Canada has given them, or at least intelligent enough to recignise, as Faatah does, that there was no golden age of Islam (that) they’d like to bring back to Canada, a golden age that could bring us all into the Dark Ages….If only more immigrants and their off-spring shared her view that ‘Islam is the religion I practise and the reason I wanted to join the Muslim students association. Islamism is the ideology spreading throughout our campuses, and the reason I left the group.’And I’d also have to write about many more subjects. I’d be quite happy to do so, but for the foreseeable future, until Western Governments are forced to awaken to the need for strong steps, I’d best be getting on with it.Regardless of what other Canadians think of them, it’s getting harder to ignore Islam, and young Muslims, in Canada. Islam is Canada’s fastest-growing major religion. According to a Statistics Canada estimate, the Muslim population will soar to 2.9 million by 2031 from its 2006 base of 884,000 adherents. Hmmmm.......Islamism....A minority bullying the majority?Read the full story here.

• Stop in the name of Love?Turkish Cypriot imam under investigation after spraypainting own mosque.(HurriyetDaily).An imam in Turkish Cyprus is under investigation for allegedly spraying his own mosque with graffiti after falling in love with a Russian woman who did not return his feelings, daily Hürriyet reported on its website Thursday.Veli Özsorun, an imam at Güzelyurt district's Aydınköy village in Turkish Cyprus, reportedly met a Russian woman known as Snejana three years ago and fell in love with her. His love, however, was unrequited.Reportedly seeking to proclaim his love for all to see, Özsorun sprayed graffiti all over the mosque that said he wanted Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the island's renowned Naqshbandi sheikh, Nazım Kıbrısi, to be witnesses at his wedding.The Directorate of Religious Affairs has begun an investigation into the matter.Village residents said Özsorun had been an imam at the village for seven years but started acting strangely after meeting the Russian woman.Hmmmm....."The lord works in mysterious ways"?Read the full story here.

• Disfigured Saleh appears defiant but keeps dialogue door open.(Al-Arabia). By James M. Dorsey.Embattled Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh appeared emaciated and scarred, but in his first public sighting since the June bombing of his presidential compound in Sana’a that forced him to seek medical treatment in Saudi Arabia, clearly had not lost any of his feistiness or defiance. Speaking in a pre-recorded, seven-minute television address, Mr. Saleh accused his opponents of having an “incorrect understanding of democracy,” but insisted that he wished to share power and engage in dialogue with protesters who have been demanding his immediate departure after 33 years in office.For those protesting on the streets of Yemeni cities for the past four months, Mr. Saleh had nothing new to offer.Protesters and tribesmen, who fought pitched battles with Saleh loyalists in the streets of Sana’a will put little faith in the words of a man who several times agreed to a deal negotiated by the Saudi-led Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) that would have eased him out of office but then refused to sign it at the last minute.Mr. Saleh will also have failed to curry favor with his opponents by not giving any indication on whether he intended to return to Yemen once he had recovered from severe burn wounds as a result of the attack on his compound. However, Mr. Saleh’s appearance, sitting rigidly and hardly recognizable in a chair, his hair covered with a Saudi-style red and white checkered hair dress, his face scarred and his hands bandaged coupled with his disclosure that he had undergone eight operations since his departure for Saudi Arabia on June 5, suggested that his possible return would not be imminent.For Yemenis waiting to see Mr. Saleh for the first time since the attack, this could prove to be a reason to engage in a dialogue that could bring Yemen back from the brink.In the only opening in his brief remarks, Mr. Saleh endorsed Vice President Abdrabbu Mansour Hadi to engage in dialogue with his opponents. That may not seem like much of a concession, but Mr. Hadi enjoys a degree of credibility that Mr. Saleh no longer can command. Mr. Hadi has emerged as an acceptable interlocutor for Mr. Saleh’s opponents who see him as more conciliatory. Most, if not all, past meetings between opposition forces and the Saleh government have been held in his office. Mr. Hadi has also come under increasing domestic and international pressure since Mr. Saleh’s departure to Saudi Arabia to fully assume the powers of the presidency.Mr. Saleh stopped short of granting Mr.Hadi that power but seemed to want to lend greater credibility to his call for dialogue. His endorsement of Mr. Hadi allows the vice president to back off his refusal so far to act without Mr. Saleh, who constitutionally remains Yemen’s leader.All in all, Mr. Saleh’s address is certain to be viewed by his opponents as more of what they see as his duplicitous rhetoric. Nonetheless, the visual impact of the severity of his injuries coupled with his endorsement of a dialogue offers an albeit slim chance of breaking the deadlock.To end the crisis however, Saudi Arabia and the United States will have to increase pressure on Mr. Saleh to agree to step down and accept that only a popularly elected leader rather than a figure identified with the existing power structure will be able to introduce the political and economic reforms that will satisfy the protesters and put Yemen on the road to recovery.Read and see the full story here.

• Top Egyptian politician Ahmed Ezz El-Arab, Wafd Party leader calls Holocaust, 9/11 fabrications, adding Anne Frank's memoirs 'fake.'(Imra). The vice chairman of Egypt’s top secular party told the Washington Times in an interview last week that the September 11 terror attacks, the Holocaust and Anne Frank’s diary are all historical fabrications.“The Holocaust is a lie,” Ahmed Ezz El-Arab, Wafd Party leader told the Washington Times in Budapest where he was attending the Conference on Democracy and Human Rights.He went on to explain that it was factually impossible to claim that the Nazis killed 6 million Jews, saying “the Jews under German occupation were 2.4 million. So if they were all exterminated, where does the remaining 3.6 million come from?”The Egyptian politician acknowledged that the Nazis may have killed “hundreds of thousands” of Jews, but discounted the plausibility of gas chambers and skinning Jews alive, calling them “fanciful stories”.El-Arab’s Holocaust denial did not stop there, and the Egyptian politician went on to attack the authenticity of Anne Frank’s diary, the memoirs of a teenage girl who hid from the Nazis in Amsterdam, only to be discovered and die in a concentration camp.The Wafd leader recalled studying the novel that is one of the most widely distributed publications to date as a doctoral student in Stockholm. “I could swear to God it’s a fake,” he said. “The girl was there, but the memoirs are a fake.”El-Arab concurred with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s denial of the Holocaust – but discredited his motives.“He’s a hateful character, so whatever he says can be criticized,” he told the Washington Times, adding “what he says about the Holocaust is true, but he doesn’t say it because it’s true. He says it out of hatred to the Israeli state.”When asked about future peace with Israel, El-Arab attempted to assuage fears that a new Egyptian government would cancel the 1979 treaty.The Egyptian politician told the Washington Times that there is “no chance at all” that would happen,” adding “Egypt will not go to war unless it’s attacked,” he said.El-Arab’s historical revision was not reserved for the Holocaust alone, and he also shared his theories on the September 11 attacks and their perpetrators with the Washington Times.The Wafd leader denied that Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaida leader who was recently killed in an American raid on his compound in Pakistan, was behind the attacks.“He could not have the know-how or the ability to do it,” El-Arab said, calling the dead al-Qaida leader “an American agent.”The Egyptian politician added “if he had the ability, one plane only landing on the Knesset would give more effect.”El-Arab blamed the CIA, Israel’s Mossad and the “military-industrial complex”.Despite his Holocaust-denying views, it seems as though El-Arab’s overall opinion on the Jewish people is favorable, telling the Washington Time that he believes that there was once a Jewish temple in Jerusalem, entitling the Jews to a historical claim on Israel’s capital.“The Jews are there,” he said. “Good or bad, they are there.” However, he made sure to follow up with the clarification: “You cannot as a human being think of exterminating 6 million or 5 million or whatever. That’s crazy.”Hmmmmm.......Obama's ...'Speaking Partners'.Read the full story here.

• Shame on Cuba: Blind Eye to Human Trafficking.(Heritage).“If the girls give me trouble I hurt them.” These are the words of human trafficker Aktham Zuhair Salem Madanat. Known for trafficking girls from Cuba to the United Kingom, Madanat had no qualms about openly discussing how he lured 10- and 11-year-old girls into the sex trade. In fact, Madanat is one of many involved in the lucrative human trafficking market throughout Cuba and beyond.In order to fight human trafficking, the State Department annually presents its Global Trafficking in Persons Report, a survey of 184 countries that measures compliance with human trafficking regulations specified in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA).The 2011 Report places Cuba and Venezuela on the Tier 3 list.The Tier 3 designation is reserved for countries that do not comply with the minimum requirements in TVPA. Noncompliant countries receiving U.S. assistance can be sanctioned.Cuba’s placement on Tier 3 is both warranted and necessary. Because prostitution is not criminalized for anyone over the age of 16, it is difficult to track child prostitution in Cuba. Economic malfeasance in Cuba has forced many young women into the sex-for-sale industry. Cuba’s tourism industry generated around $2 billion just in the past year, and illicit sex is a burgeoning part of the tourism industry profile. In fact, it has been suggested that the Cuban government even encourages sex tourism as a source for foreign cash that keeps the communist regime afloat.Fidel and Raul Castro have turned a blind eye to sex tourism and human trafficking. One of Fidel Castro’s flippant brush-offs included the following: There are no women forced to sell themselves to a man, to a foreigner, to a tourist…Those who do so do it on their own, voluntarily and without any need for it. We can say that they are highly educated hookers and quite healthy…Hmmmmm........"The best of the best"?Read the full story here.

Outrage at the 9/11 Memorial

MFS - The Other News

                          Morning Posting.

• HT:RightSideNews.State Secession or Washington Debt Depression.Everyone with any intelligence in the US and around the world knows that there is no way for Washington to manage the tens of trillions in debt and unfunded liabilities short of ultimate repudiation or hyperinflation. Thanks to Wall Street bankers and the Anglo-American financial elite, our ruinous debt-financing Ponzi scheme has also been exported to most Western nations. These politicians have made a compact with the devil in delivering vote-buying programs and postponing the interest and debt reduction to future generations. Watch the cuts and subsequent riots in Greece, Ireland, the United Kingdom and you'll see just a little of the future for the United States with its faltering world reserve currency status.The question is, should the citizens and the formerly sovereign states of the United States wait for Washington's foreign creditors to seize the remaining government and private assets left after our politicians have finished with us?Our politicians are in the process of totally bankrupting the country, individual states and municipalities and in less than a decade will have confiscated most private wealth and placed tens of trillions of more debt on future generations. Should we act now before Congress and our politicians loot our personal, retirement and real estate wealth, destroy our Treasury obligations and kill the dollar and democratically take matters into our own hands before the looming dollar and debt crisis?Hmmmm......Passing legislation to use alternative methodes of legal tender is a start.The U.S. Constitution, Art. I Sec. 10 Cl. 1, states, in part:No State shall ... coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; ...Read the full story here.

• Turkey - A strange photograph.There was a photograph splashed on the front pages of many newspapers Thursday. It was not something as odd as the awestruck Recep Tayyip Erdoğan listening in full surrender to an Afghani Islamist radical sheikh, but equally shocking.The photograph was issued by Hezbollah in Beirut in announcing a secret meeting at a secret location between Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani and wise country Turkey’s foreign minister, Wiseman Ahmet Davutoğlu. Hossain Halil, the chief political advisor of Nasrallah, was sitting on the right-hand side of the Hezbollah leader, who was sitting on a comfortable armchair placed in front of the Lebanese flag and the Hezbollah pennant. Next to Nasrallah was sitting the Lebanese prime minister and on the far left side of the photograph there was Davutoğlu, sitting comfortably on a sofa, listening to Nasrallah with full ear.In its bid to make Turkey a “world power” or a “wise country” that plays an important role not only in its region but also in global politics, the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, government has been undertaking proactive initiatives while for pure domestic political reasons resorting to sheer nationalist rhetoric and Israel-bashing tactics at home that it hopes to cash in on in upcoming June polls. Such tactical moves, naturally, besides the probable contribution to domestic political standing of the ruling AKP, can win the prime minister and his party fame and prestige in the Arab neighborhood, while also drawing the ire of some long-time allies, prompting “Where is Turkey going?” “Is Turkey drifting East?” or other such nasty questions.Is a Turkey frequently coming together in photographs with leaders of organizations, be it Hezbollah or Hamas, that refuse to condemn terrorism, maintain heinous tactics of terrorism including suicide bombers and which still believe that through terrorist violence they could achieve their political aims, the Turkey that we want?Now, what was Davutoğlu doing in that nasty photograph? Or what has Davutoğlu been trying to achieve for the past few days of shuttle diplomacy in the region? What is he trying to salvage? Is he promoting Turkey’s interests or trying to help Tehran and Damascus convince Saad al-Hariri to agree to let the murderers of his father get away with what they did – and continue in the same fashion – and save his coalition with Hezbollah. Why is Turkey trying to achieve that “noble” goal? Because it wants the maintenance of “peace and stability” in Lebanon.Funny, is it not? Peace and stability will be achieved by surrendering to injustice, by letting criminals not be held responsible for their crime.Turkey could indeed be a global power or a role model for a vast region from the Ural mountains to the Middle East and down to Africa when and if it becomes a “true democracy” and decides to export its soft power rather than standing with the dictators in the Middle East and elsewhere for the sake of “stability.” But, of course, before it can start to export democracy Turkey must itself manage to become a land of democracy with individual freedoms and respect for the supremacy of law.Turkey deserves to be represented in different photographs, but unfortunately for now it is in the league of Hezbollah!Hmmm..........Iran's valet?Read the full story here.

• 9/11 mastermind DID behead Daniel Pearl: FBI matches veins in terror chief's arms to those of killer seen on video. The September 11 mastermind who claimed to have beheaded Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl has been proven to be right, according to a new federal investigation.Khalid Sheik Mohammed, at one time the No.3 in Al Qaeda, had confessed to the 2002 murder of the journalist after his arrest in Pakistan a year later.But because of the admission by the U.S. government that he had been 'waterboarded' while in CIA custody, his confession was not deemed to be reliable. He is currently being held at the U.S. detention centre in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.Now federal agents have compared the veins in his arms to those of the killer seen on video beheading Pearl and concluded it was the same man. Instead, four men including a British national were imprisoned for the killing although they were not present during the murder.They were convicted of the killing because Pakistani authorities knowingly relied on perjured testimony and ignored other leads, the report concluded.Hmmm....He confessed,you got proof so what's the hold up to execute him?Read the full story here.

• Michelle Obama blamed for rise in pedestrian deaths in the U.S.Michelle Obama has had the finger of blame pointed at her for the increase in number of pedestrian deaths in the U.S..The First Lady initiated a campaign called 'Let's Move!' designed to encourage more youngsters to walk to school, in a bid to help tackle the country's obesity problem.But critics have said the scheme has back-fired after the figures for road deaths in the first six months of 2010 were revealed.In the period between January and June last year there were 1,891 road related deaths, which - while being only seven more than during the same period the previous year - bucked a trend that had been going down for four years.It was a 0.4 per cent increase and in 18 states there was an increase in the numbers, according to a study on Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by state.This caused a stir and Governors Highway Safety Association Director Barbara Harsha blamed Mrs Obama and was quoted as saying in the Washington Examiner: 'There's an emphasis these days to getting fit, and I think people doing that are more exposed to risk [of getting hit by a vehicle].'And GHSA spokesman Jonathan Adkins told 630 WMAL that Michelle Obama is 'trying to get us to walk to work and exercise a little bit more. While that's good, it also increases our exposure to risk.'Hmmmm....."Let's Move".Read the full story here.

• So who wrote O, the anonymous depiction of a tired and tetchy president who swears and hates the press?It's the guessing game that is dominating dinner parties the length and breadth of Washington.Who wrote O?The fictional account of a president's bid to win election in 2012 is published by Simon & Schuster on Tuesday next week, and all they will own up to is that the author is 'someone who has been in the room with Obama and knows this world intimately'Swearing in public is about as bad as the president gets in O, although that famous scene when cameras capture him 'leering' at the rear end of a woman in a crowd lands him in deep trouble with the First Lady - unnamed but quite obviously Michelle. Her silent disinterest in him at bedtime is the punishment reserved for those of his offences that embarrassed her as well as him.O comes across as tired and tetchy, and fed up with being unfairly treated by the press. But for the most part he is portrayed with affection. The same cannot be said for the media figures who surround him, especially those in new media, perhaps suggesting the author may be from an old media background.Naturally, the finger is being pointed at any number of people, among them Chicago mayoral candidate Rahm Emmanuel, David Plouffe, Obama's new senior adviser, and, more surprisingly, TV comedian Stephen Colbert. But leading the pack of front-runners has to be Joe Klein, who in 1996 had to come clean about being the author of Primary Colors.Hmmm.....Then there's off course O himself?Read the full story here.

• Dubai sex case Briton 'was sacked for flirting'.A British woman locked up in Dubai after being caught in bed with a banker had been let go from a former job amid concerns about her flirtatiousness, her ex-boss claimed yesterday.Danielle Spencer, 31, has been in ­custody since falling foul of the Gulf state’s strict morality laws when she unwittingly found herself at the centre of a sordid love triangle.The £100,000-a-year property analyst had spent the night with New Zealander Toby Carroll, only for his Brazilian former girlfriend to burst in and find them in bed together, according to police in Dubai.He had apparently broken up with the woman – named only as Priscilla – the day before, and she flew into a rage, allegedly slashing at furnishings with a knife while a terrified Miss Spencer hid in the bathroom.They were all arrested and have remained in custody since December 12 – with the two women having to share a ­single large police cell along with up to 90 other female suspects.Both Miss Spencer and Mr Carroll – a property analyst for HSBC bank – may be charged with having sex outside marriage, a criminal offence in the strict Muslim emirate for which a British pilot’s wife and her lover were jailed for a month in 2009.Yesterday her ex-boss at an estate agency described her as ‘a Walter Mitty character’ who had been asked to leave after barely a month for fear that her behaviour would cause a scandal by Dubai’s standards.‘She could be extremely flirtatious, both with colleagues and clients,’ said the ­British businessman. ‘Danielle sent me photographs of herself in modelling poses.‘Needless to say she quickly became rather popular, but she was becoming an embarrassment for the firm. Extramarital sex is illegal here, and while the authorities will turn a blind eye if you’re discreet, I thought she was being pretty flagrant.’’Last night her mother Angela Genter, who has remarried, wept as she told how she was desperate to visit her but couldn’t afford to fly to Dubai.‘My stomach is in a knot and I honestly don’t know what I can do to help her,’ she told the Daily Mail. ‘It’s every parent’s worst nightmare. I am at the end of my tether.‘She knows the laws out there and we have to respect their system. But as a mother I just want her out of prison so she can get her life back to normal.’Mrs Genter has been told her daughter will be bailed if a surety is put up, but she can’t afford a lawyer to represent her.The British Embassy said it was offering consular assistance.Read the full story here.

• HT:Memri.IHH Head: Noah's Ark, Titanic, Mavi Marmara – Three Ships That Will Never Be Forgotten.At a ceremony in Beirut honoring the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza, with the participation of Lebanese politicians, representatives from the Iranian, Turkish, and Palestinian Authority Embassies in Lebanon, representatives of the Palestinian factions, and former British MP George Galloway, Bulent Yildirim, the head of the Turkish IHH organization that led the flotilla, said that there were three historic ships that would never be forgotten – Noah's Ark, the Titanic, and the Mavi Marmara. He said that the Turks had sacrificed nine martyrs whose blood had mingled with the blood of the Arabs and with the global conscience. Relatives of those killed on the Mavi Marmara expressed pride in their loved ones' martyrdom for the sake of Palestine and Jerusalem.Hmmmm.....Anyone still doubting where Turkey stands?Read the full story here.

• Muslim Coalition for Peace-USA. Fifth column column developping in America?Training Summit for Muslim Peace Activists despite the climate of fear and hatred against Muslims.January 8, 2011 could very well turn out to be a milestone in the history of Muslim civil rights activism and inter-faith bridge building. On that cold blustery morning, Muslim Peace Coalition organized an initiative to educate the Muslim community and other members of the public on the methods needed to peacefully combat the growing Islamophobia. In spite of the inclement weather and the climate of fear and hatred against Muslims more than 150 community and youth leaders attended the day long peace leaders training retreat. During the training retreat the news of the Arizona massacre broke, underlining the spread of hatred that is threatening the unity of this nation and the urgent need to mobilize against it. The program was specifically designed to train the public on the proper techniques needed to successfully organize and mobilize for the April 9th mass anti war and anti-islamophobia rally. The event took place in the Islamic Center of Long Island and ran from 9 am till 6 PM. Representatives from various Muslim and non Muslim organizations were in attendance.The day commenced with a recitation from the Quran which called for the standing up for justice even if it means speaking out against yourself or your own kin. This was followed by the welcome address by Dr. Shaik Ubaid, the New York chapter co-chair of MPC who spoke about the reasons for the launch of the peace coalition and the goals of the training retreat . This was followed by a moving and informative talk regarding the history of peace movements in the United States given by Kathy Kelly. Kathy Kelly, who many consider to be the conscience of America had just returned from Afghanistan. Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid spoke about how wars are damaging America’s economy and international standing. He talked about the need to organize against war and terrorism. His comprehensive power point presentation also showed how involving the youth in peaceful methods to fight islamophobia will prevent their radicalization.The final session was a solidarity session where leaders of more than 25 inter-faith alliances, peace groups, churches and synagogues spoke against Islamophobia. They expressed solidarity with the Muslim community in the backdrop of Congressman King’s announced hearings. The national and local leaders of the peace and inter-faith groups urged a large turnout for the April 9th rally against war and Islamophobia. Hmmmm.......On what FBI figures is he basing on?The only rise in racial hatred is the increase of anti Jewish attacks!Who's Abdul Malik Mujahid ?"Mujahid", BTW, is Arabic for "one who makes jihad" or "one who fights in a war for Islam." And we have seen protests against the war in Vietnam,those were not Vietnamese protesting in the US Streets.Muslims protesting in the US streets against the war on the enemies of America won't be accepted like the Vietnam protests!Read the full  story here.

• That's how to deal with pirates: South Korean commandos storm hijacked tanker and rescue all crew alive.South Korean navy commandos stormed a ship hijacked by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean last night and rescued all the crew.Eight pirates were killed in the raid on the chemical freighter, which was seized along with 21 crew on January 15 in the Arabian Sea while en route to Sri Lanka.The captain of the 11,500-ton Samho Jewelry was shot in the stomach during the attack, and three commandos also suffered wounds.Colonel Lee Bung-Woo, a spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said: 'Our special forces stormed the hijacked Samho Jewelry earlier today and freed all hostages.'During the operation, our forces killed some Somali pirates and all of the hostages were confirmed alive.'Eight South Koreans, two Indonesians and 11 from Myanmar were on board the vessel when it was attacked after setting out from the UAE.Seoul ordered a destroyer on patrol in the Gulf of Aden to give chase and President Lee Myung-Bak ordered 'all possible measures' to save the crew.Hmmm.....You don't mess with South Korea?Read the full story here.

• HT:WND.Ground Zero imam: 'We have more of a right to Moses'.Urges Muslims 'wherever they are' to 'compete' with other religions.Muslims have "more of a right" than Jews to the biblical prophet Moses, declared the imam who has become the new face of the proposed Islamic cultural center near Ground Zero in New York City. Imam Abdallah Adhami also urged Muslims to "compete" with other religions. "We must be doing it first, we must compete with you to be doing more of that. We want to fast Ashura too, because that's the day God saved Moses; that is certainly a day to be celebrated. We have more right to Moses," stated Adhami in a 2008 lecture obtained and reviewed by WND. Ashura is an Islamic fast day that commemorates Muslim events, including the Islamic claim that Moses fasted on that day to express gratitude to God for liberating the Israelites from Egypt."We must be doing it first, we must compete with you to be doing more of that. We want to fast Ashura too, because that's the day God saved Moses. That is certainly a day to be celebrated. We have more right to Moses. This possessiveness of goodness." Adhami then urged his followers to compete with other religions "Wherever you are, compete, race with each other in goodness. This is the ethos, this is the driving force that compels the Muslim to say I want to be at the front of that discourse, even though it might be unpopular right now." Adhami stated he recognized his views were "politically incorrect." Still, he repeated his assertion Muslims must compete with others. "Are we going to deny reality people, or are we going to move into a different dimension and start doing something to address this?" he asked.Hmmmm....Reality tells us it high time Congressman Peter King starts investigating the Islamic extremists in America.Read the full story here.

• HT:JihadWatch.Obama adviser Mogahed says West must show respect for Islam to ease Muslim anger toward U.S.Thus in Mogahed's world, if you see the cause of the tensions between the West and the Islamic world as religious, then you will more likely see that conflict as inevitable, but that will work to "the advantage of engagement." So apparently she thinks it is a good thing for people to see the conflict as caused by religion, although she actually thinks it is caused by politics.And in the background of this gobbledegook is the fact that in the Islamic world, the distinction between politics and religion is purely artificial. She based her statement on findings and recommendations of a research conducted by ADGC. The focus of her lecture was on attitudes by Muslims and Westerners toward interactions between their societies, highlighting new dimensions of the Muslim-West relationship.As a key finding, Dalia said the most meaningful action to display respect for Islam revolves around religious symbols, as 72 per cent of Muslims say abstaining from desecrating Islam's holy book and religious symbols would be very meaningful to them....In other words, curtail the freedom of speech and adopt Sharia restrictions regarding speech about Islam, and we'll be making progress.Hmmmm.....Anybody still believing the "We don't want to take over your country" Al-taqiyya story?Read the full story here.

• Canada - Muslim charity squandered money for poor.Devout Muslims donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to one of Canada’s largest Islamic organizations on the promise that the cash would be used to help the poor.But only one in four dollars donated to a special pool of money at the Islamic Society of North America Canada (ISNA Canada) actually reached the needy.Mismanagement of more than $600,000 is among the findings in a scathing audit obtained by the Star.A “very small portion . . . is distributed to the poor and needy and the major portion is spent on the administration of the centre,” concluded the 2010 audit of the previous four years. ISNA Canada is embroiled in controversy, with the audit revealing the practice of giving free perks to family members of a top official; the improper issuing of charitable tax receipts; and the diversion of charity money to private businesses. At the centre of it all is long-time secretary general Mohammad Ashraf, who has recently announced he is stepping down.Ashraf would not answer a series of questions from the Star.“Don’t ask me anything,” Ashraf told a reporter who visited the organization’s Mississauga headquarters, marked by a graceful minaret overlooking the Queen Elizabeth Way. The 73-year-old microbiologist said he is “being transitioned into retirement” and that he is “restricted” from commenting on the audit.For more than 30 years, Ashraf has been the leader of ISNA, a national organization that is also the hub for Mississauga’s Muslim community. It houses the city’s most visible mosque and provides a variety of services, including a Muslim high school and a halal meat certification agency.ISNA Canada draws in close to $1 million in charity donations a year. The audit looked closely at one portion of those donations, an obligatory alms giving called Zakat and Fitrah meant to aid the needy. The audit found that of about $810,777 collected over four years, only $196,460 went to aid the poor.After prayer, Zakat is considered by some Muslims to be the most important pillar of the Islamic faith. It requires Muslims to give a minimum of 2.5 per cent of their wealth each year to the poor.To mark the beginning of Ramadan, Ashraf sent out a letter in August 2010 urging all of ISNA Canada’s members to donate money for “helping needy Muslims not only in Canada, but all over the World.”The auditor, brought in by the ISNA Canada board, took issue with how charity cash was used to cover everything from beefing up security — including $60,000 for installing cameras and frequently changing locks — to health benefits for Ashraf’s daughters, even though they don't work for ISNA Canada.The organization has been spending more than $6,500 each year on the health plans for Ashraf’s daughters, Saadia and Uzma. Saadia’s premium has since been returned, the audit said.“Spending for personal expenses out of the charity’s funds is unethical,” the auditor wrote, saying it is “tantamount to misappropriation of funds.”The audit shows tens of thousands of charity dollars were shuffled from ISNA Canada to its affiliated services and businesses, several of which have secretary-general Ashraf as a director. Federal rules forbid charities from spending donations on business activities that do not aid the charity.The auditor also uncovered multiple cases where Ashraf or the organization inappropriately gave and received charity tax receipts, repeatedly violating federal charity rules.In a review of the financial statements for the halal meat certification agency, a business branch of the Society that certifies meat as permissable to eat under Islamic rules, the auditor discovered Ashraf had received a $15,000 tax receipt after moving money from the agency’s business account over to ISNA Canada and claiming it was a “personal donation.”Former board members told the Star Ashraf diverted profits from the certification agency to a secret account from which he paid himself and at least two family members. They say the board had no knowledge of this.The business’ revenue from the halal certification business is “supposed to come to the parent organization” as the donations do, said Syed Imtiaz Ahmad, former president of ISNA Canada.“(Ashraf) was directing it to an account he had opened and not telling us,” he said.Ashraf’s reign at ISNA Canada will come to an end March 31.Audit report of ISNA Canada (pdf).Hmmmm......."Halal"........I sincerely hope that Canadian Revenue Agency keeps digging in this case.Read the full story here.

• The World is sinking: Dubai islands 'falling into the sea'. The islands were intended as the ultimate luxury possession, even for Dubai.But the World, the ambitiously-constructed archipelago of islands shaped like the countries of the globe, is sinking back into the sea, according to evidence cited before a property tribunal. The islands were intended to be developed with tailor-made hotel complexes and luxury villas, and sold to millionaires. They are off the coast of Dubai and accessible by yacht or motor boat. Now their sands are eroding and the navigational channels between them are silting up, the British lawyer for a company bringing a case against the state-run developer, Nakheel, has told judges. "The islands are gradually falling back into the sea," Richard Wilmot-Smith QC, for Penguin Marine, said. The evidence showed "erosion and deterioration of The World islands", he added. With all but one of the islands still uninhabited – Greenland – and that one a showpiece owned by the ruler of Dubai, most of the development plans have been brought to a crashing halt by the financial crisis.According to the company, 70 per cent of the World's 300 islands have been sold. Nakheel is also behind Dubai's famous Palm-shaped offshore developments. Villas in the only one near completion, Palm Jumeirah, were given to or bought by footballers including David Beckham and Michael Owen. Though few celebrity buyers were found for The World, it was rumoured – or joked – that Brad Pitt and Angeline Jolie had considered Ethiopia. Many investors who did buy the islands proved unwilling or unable to finance further work when Dubai's property prices halved in the space of a year.A spokesman for Nakheel insisted the islands were not sinking. "Our periodical monitoring survey over the past three years didn't observe any substantial erosion that requires sand nourishment," a statement said.Hmmmm......Chuckle.Read the full story here.

• HT:Aina.World Will Be Forced to Depend on OPEC Oil, Believes BP.This is the frank admission of BP in a detailed new analysis acknowledging that the role of international energy majors is changing.According to the BP Energy Outlook, OPEC, the 12-member cartel of oil-producing countries, is about to enter a new age of dominance over the market.BP's forecast shows that over the next 20 years OPEC will become as powerful as it was in 1970s -- the decade when the cartel presided over a series of oil shocks and shortages. The OPEC nations' share of global production is likely to rise from 40pc to 46pc over the period covered.In fact, 75pc of all growth in oil reserves over the next two decades is expected to come from OPEC nations, which include Kuwait, Iran, Angola, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Nigeria..The Energy Outlook showed that the world will need to explore in remote regions like the Arctic and deeper water than ever before if it is to keep pace with a 1.7pc annual rise in consumption -- a 39pc increase over 20 years.It predicts that demand will rise to about 102m barrels of oil per day by 2030, an increase of 16.5m barrels from today's level.Saudi Arabia should be able to add another 3m barrels, but the biggest growth is forecast to come from Iraq increasing its output from 2.5m to 5.5m barrels per day.An additional 2m barrels of production should come from Canada's controversial oil sands, while biofuels made from corn or sugar are predicted to provide a huge 5m barrel uplift.The growth of gas as a cleaner alternative to oil and coal means that BP expects the three major fossil fuels to eventually have an equal share of the market at about 27pc of consumption. Nuclear, renewable energy and hydropower are expected to serve around 7pc of the market each.To the concern of environmentalists, BP's chief economist Christof Ruehl predicted "to the best of our knowledge" carbon dioxide emissions would rise by 27pc over the next two decades.If his prediction comes true, it would mean the world missing its targets on keeping down carbon emissions by a mile. World leaders are trying to limit the extra emissions to 24bn tonnes by 2030 through international agreements on climate change.Hmmmm......Stop drilling Mr President?If you wanted to destroy America would you do anything different?Read the full story here.

• Path Is Sought for States to Escape Debt Burdens.Policy makers are working behind the scenes to come up with a way to let states declare bankruptcy and get out from under crushing debts, including the pensions they have promised to retired public workers.Unlike cities, the states are barred from seeking protection in federal bankruptcy court. Any effort to change that status would have to clear high constitutional hurdles because the states are considered sovereign. But proponents say some states are so burdened that the only feasible way out may be bankruptcy, giving Illinois, for example, the opportunity to do what General Motors did with the federal government’s aid. Beyond their short-term budget gaps, some states have deep structural problems, like insolvent pension funds, that are diverting money from essential public services like education and health care. Some members of Congress fear that it is just a matter of time before a state seeks a bailout, say bankruptcy lawyers who have been consulted by Congressional aides.Bankruptcy could permit a state to alter its contractual promises to retirees, which are often protected by state constitutions, and it could provide an alternative to a no-strings bailout. Along with retirees, however, investors in a state’s bonds could suffer, possibly ending up at the back of the line as unsecured creditors.For now, the fear of destabilizing the municipal bond market with the words “state bankruptcy” has proponents in Congress going about their work on tiptoe. No draft bill is in circulation yet, and no member of Congress has come forward as a sponsor, although Senator John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, asked the Federal Reserve chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, about the possiblity in a hearing this month. House Republicans, and Senators from both parties, have taken an interest in the issue, with nudging from bankruptcy lawyers and a former House speaker, Newt Gingrich, who could be a Republican presidential candidate. It would be difficult to get a bill through Congress, not only because of the constitutional questions and the complexities of bankruptcy law, but also because of fears that even talk of such a law could make the states’ problems worse.“They are readying a massive assault on us,” said Charles M. Loveless, legislative director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. “We’re taking this very seriously.”Discussion of a new bankruptcy option for the states appears to have taken off in November, after Mr. Gingrich gave a speech about the country’s big challenges, including government debt and an uncompetitive labor market.Hmmmm......Helloooo....It's already being prepared,time to read this guys?Read the full story here.

• HT:Imra.Rising food prices spell trouble for Arabs.CAIRO, Jan. 20 (UPI) -- Rising food prices, which triggered the downfall of the Tunisian regime and rioting in Algeria, threaten further trouble across the Middle East and North Africa, a region heavily dependent on food imports.The food crisis along with mushrooming populations, expanding desertification, dwindling water resources and growing unemployment create an explosive mix across the volatile region at a time when many fear new wars may soon erupt.The surprise downfall of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali Jan. 14 amid violent street protests over food prices, poverty, unemployment and decades of repression has galvanized people across the region that stretches from the Atlantic in the west to the shores of the Indian Ocean in the east.Algeria also saw street protests sparked by increased process for basic food items, including milk, sugar and oil, in which as many as 20 people were killed, mainly by security forces. Rampant unemployment was also a factor.Similar, though less intense, protests were reported in Jordan and Libya.The Middle East, with an agricultural sector severely limited because of water scarcity, is particularly vulnerable to food price shocks.Climate change is accelerating the decline in food production through water shortages, reduced rainfall, desertification and coastal flooding.In the last two decades, the region has been jolted by three waves of food riots, most recently in 2008 when prices spiked higher before global recession reduced demand.Now prices are climbing again. The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization reported Jan. 5 that its worldwide food price index hit a record high in December, exceeding the 2008 peak.The FAO's index, which covers the average prices of such staples as meat, dairy products, cereals and cooking oil, was up 25 percent from the same period in 2009.The World Bank observed in a recent report on food security in the Arab world that "Arab countries are very vulnerable to fluctuations in international commodity markets because they are heavily dependent on imported food."Arab countries are the largest importers of cereal in the world" -- more than 58 million metric tons in 2007 -- "and most import at least 50 percent of the food calories they consume."It added that "of greater concern for Arab countries is that structural and cyclical forces are creating a system that is very sensitive to supply shortfalls and ever-increasing demand, making future price shocks very probable."Arab states' population growth rates are among the highest in the world. The population of the Arab world was 73 million in 1950. Now it's more than 333 million, four times higher.The World Bank expects that to double again by 2050, to around 600 million.Rich Arab states such as Saudi Arabia have bought huge tracts of land from Brazil to Indonesia in recent years in a bid to combat global food shortages, water scarcity and desertification and ensure long-term food security.Lennart Bage, president of the U.N. International Fund for Agriculture Development in Rome, says that land was long considered less important than oil or mineral resources. But now "fertile land with access to water has become a strategic asset."As populations expand while the amount of farmland and water supply shrinks, resource wars are expected to erupt across the Middle East and Africa in the years ahead.Hmmmm......War for food?Read the full story here.

• The 2011 World Watch List.An In-depth Look at the Top 50 Christian Persecuting Countries.What is the World Watch List?Each year Open Doors releases the World Watch List, a detailed analysis of Christian persecution worldwide. In this free resource, countries are evaluated and ranked according to the severity of persecution that occurred in the past year.We offer the World Watch List free as part of our mission at Open Doors to inform and inspire others with the message of the persecuted.Top 10 Countries.   1.North Korea  -  2.Iran  -  3.Afghanistan   -  4.Saudi Arabia  -5.Somalia  -  6.Maldives  - 7.Yemen  -  8.Iraq -  9.Uzbekistan  -  10.Laos. Hmmm....How many are Islamic? Read and see the full story here.

• HT:Michelle Malkin.The Philadelphia Horror: How mass murder gets a pass.The mainstream news reports about Philadelphia’s serial baby-killer Kermit Gosnell and his abortion clinic death squad only scratch the surface of his barbaric enterprise. You must, must, must read the entire, graphic, 281-page grand jury report (embedded after my column below) to fully fathom the systematic execution of hundreds of (not just seven) healthy, living, breathing, squirming, viable babies — along with an untold number of mothers who may have lost their lives in his sick, grimy chamber of horrors as well. It is explicit. It is enraging. It will haunt you.Hmmmm.....The Philadelphia "Dr Mengele"? Read the full story here.

• HT:AmnonAndJonathan."Open war".Israeli Olympic chiefs ready to help Palestinians, says committee.Representatives of Israel's Olympic committee are ready to help Palestinian athletes train for the London 2012 Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Thursday.The offer came during a "constructive and cooperative" first meeting of Israeli and Palestinian Olympic officials in the Swiss city of Lausanne hosted by IOC President Jacques Rogge, the Olympic body said in a statement.The meeting at IOC headquarters was a first attempt to broker an agreement over obstacles Palestinian athletes and players say they face, hampering training and travel to compete in sports events."In the short run, priority will be given to assisting Palestinian athletes to move towards their dream of taking part in the Olympic Games in London next year," it added.A second meeting will be held in two months time.The Olympic chief's visit came two months after the head of the Palestinian Olympic Committee (POC) vowed "open war" against Israel, as the dispute escalated when Palestinian footballers were blocked at the Jordanian border.Read and see the full story here.

• HT:DougRoss.The Battle Next Time: a Brief History of the Alinsky-inspired Tactics of Media Matters, John Podesta and Legacy Media.The specious claim that Sarah Palin and the Tea Party were somehow linked to the Tucson massacre was a professional, coordinated hit job -- that 'just happened' to get picked up and marketed by the mainstream media.As I have documented, that false connection started with bloggers at DailyKos and Think Progress using Twitter to push the issue into the mainstream media within hours of the shooting with the help of their followers. The ruthless efficiency with which the left-wing blogosphere tied Palin to the shooting, and the success of their efforts in equating Palin with mass murder, is a lesson we should not forget.It wasn't the first time this has happened; and it certainly won't be the last.The Left Fears Sarah Palin Like No Other GOP Candidate.Hmmmm......Riehl described a set of too-good-to-be-true coincidences that tied Obama adviser David Axelrod to the anti-Palin smears. Read the full story here.

• Turkey calls for powerful UN statement against Israel.The UN Security Council has to make a powerful statement against Israel, which has been imposing its will on the Palestinian people by ignoring international law, Turkey’s top diplomat in New York has stated. Israel’s imposition on the Palestinian people is being carried out by the building of settlements in Palestinian territories, the eviction of Palestinian residents and by tightening its occupation of the Palestinian territories, Ambassador Ertuğrul Apakan, Turkey’s permanent representative to the UN, explained on Wednesday during an open debate of the UN Security Council regarding the situation in the Middle East, the Anatolia news agency reported.The UN Security Council should make a powerful statement on such unilateral actions by Israel and should not avoid this responsibility, Apakan warned.The Turkish diplomat also remarked that Israel still hasn’t presented to the UN its findings following an enquiry into a May 31 raid on an aid flotilla.Also Wednesday, Arab nations submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council condemning Israeli settlements in the West Bank. However, a vote is not expected any time soon because of a likely US veto. Turkey has lent support to the resolution.The point of the resolution, diplomats say, is to highlight Washington’s isolated position on the Security Council, show the Palestinian population that the Palestinian Authority is taking action, and pressure Israel and the United States on the settlement issue.Hmmmm.....The seize of the hatred Turkey is displaying towards Israel makes even the Palestinians look good.Read the full story here.

• Chinese Government Threatens to Use Force to Close Catholic Orphanage for Disabled Children. Chinese government officials have told Roman Catholic Bishop Julius Jia Zhiguo of Zhengding, China, that he must sign an agreement giving the Chinese government control of a church orphanage for disabled children and that if he does not do so the government may use force to seize the facility.In the past, the Chinese government has repeatedly imprisoned Bishop Jia, including as recently as last year, because he will not renounce his allegiance to the Holy See.We beg the world media and leaders to have the moral courage to stand up for the approximately one hundred helpless disabled orphans who live in the orphanage and appeal to the Chinese government not to carry out its threat.Approximately twenty years ago, someone abandoned a handicapped infant on the doorstep of Bishop Jia Zhiguo's residence. The good bishop took the baby into his home, and that child is now about twenty years old.Soon after Bishop Jia rescued this first disabled baby, word spread of what he had done, and more disabled babies were left on his doorstep. Over two decades, hundreds of disabled babies were brought to the bishop--some of them very sick—and this good man took every one of them in and made sure they were cared for.Unfortunately, some of the babies did not survive. But at least they were all baptized before they went home to God's house.To help care for the abandoned children, the Bishop founded a community of thirty Catholic nuns, who devoted themselves to caring of these disabled orphans. The orphanage currently cares for more than one hundred children, who range in age from a few months to 20. The facility is located in WuQui, Jinzhou, Hebei.Bishop Jia has never joined the Catholic Patriotic Association, an official church sponsored by China’s Communist government that does not recognize papal authority over the church. In China today, the Roman Catholic Church is an illegal organization, and Bishop Jia, as a true and faithful Catholic, must serve as an underground bishop.Bishop Jia has spent approximately twenty years in prison, and has been arrested thirteen times just since 2004.In December, 2010, Mr. Yin of the United Front Department of Jinzhou, Mr. Guo of Political Secretary, Mr. An of the Bureau on Religious Affairs of Jinzhou, Communist Party Secretary in the Village Wuqiu, and Director Chen of the Public Security Bureau of Shijiazhuang took Bishop Jia away on three different occasions. They tried to force Bishop Jia to sign an agreement to release all his orphans to the government, and to disperse the thirty Catholic nuns who have been serving the orphanage.The writing is now on the wall. I believe that the authorities will soon carry out their threats by forcibly closing this orphanage.The Cardinal Kung Foundation today asks that those individuals and organizations who have a special focus on children, family and human rights, take up this special call to action. Please urge the Chinese Government to cease the harassment of Bishop Jia Zhiguo and not to dismantle this unique orphanage, which is truly a large family, which serves as a home to so many disadvantaged and handicapped children.Contact the Chinese Embassy in your country and let them know that you, and the world, are keenly interested in this development and these children. Those who live in the United States may write to Ambassador Zhang YeSui, Embassy of The People's Republic of China, 3505 International Place, N.W., Washington, D.C., 20008. Time is of the essence. Please protect these helpless orphans. Make your appeal to the higher authorities of the Chinese government not to disrupt the care and love of these one hundred disabled orphans.--Mr. Kung runs the Cardinal Kung Foundation, an organization based in Stamford, Conn., which is dedicated to informing the public about the persecution of the Roman Catholic Church in China. The website of the Cardinal Kung Foundation iswww.cardinalkungfoundation.org.But Jesus said, "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven."Matthew 19:14 .Hmmmm.....protect a fellow Christian Mr President?Read the full story here.

• Rise of Freedom: Project Rebirth.Just six months after the terror attacks of 9/11, March 11, 2002, to be specific, a camera was placed in the graveyard of St. Paul’s church. This final resting place sits across the street from what was Ground Zero. Since that day the camera has taken a picture every five minutes, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.Time lapse photography isn’t new, but this is one of the most ambitious efforts ever undertaken with this filmmaking technique."That's the thing that is somewhat unexpected the emotional power of the time lapse,” said Brian Rafferty.Rafferty is the Chairman of Project Rebirth and the emotional power he refers to is something you need to see to believe. “I don't know how to explain it but it's a powerful thing to watch," he said.The film “Rebirth” makes its premiere this Friday, Feb. 20 at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival in Utah. But you can get a preview of this amazing footage tonight on Fox Report with Shepard Smith, 7 p.m. ET.All told there are 14 cameras circling and chronicling the building of the new World Trade Center, and what they have captured to date is monumental."We have 900 hours of footage thus far," said Rafferty.But this literal rebuilding of office towers is only one part of Project Rebirth’s mission.Hmmmm......Never Forget It were not Mazzle Tov screeming Jews who did this!Read the full story here.

• Breakthrough Laser Could Revolutionize Navy's Weaponry.The Navy has passed a major milestone in its quest to build an incredibly powerful new anti-aircraft gun.Scientists with the Navy's Office of Naval Research have demonstrated a prototype system capable of producing from thin air the electrons needed to generate ultrapowerful, "megawatt-class" laser beams for the agency's next-generation system. "The injector performed as we predicted all along," said Dinh Nguyen, senior project leader for the Free Electron Laser (FEL) program at the Los Alamos National Lab, N.M. "But until now, we didn't have the evidence to support our models. We were so happy to see our design, fabrication and testing efforts finally come to fruition."He said the group is hoping to set a world record with the futuristic new weapon -- which could be the Holy Grail of military lasers. FEL technology generates powerful laser beams by passing a stream of electrons -- those tiny, charged particles of matter -- through magnetic fields. Using electrons means avoiding the hassle of chemical fuels that are required for ordinary gas lasers, and bypassing the heating issue of electronic lasers.FEL lasers can also be calibrated more specifically for anti-aircraft purposes, the Navy said, to adjust for precipitation, cloud cover, or humidity.Quentin Saulter, FEL program manager for the Navy's research arm, said the implications of the FEL's progress are monumental. "This is a major leap forward for the program and for FEL technology throughout the Navy," Saulter said. "The fact that the team is nine months ahead of schedule provides us plenty of time to reach our goals by the end of 2011."The research team hopes to have a full-power prototype by 2018, which would have the ability to instantly blast targets in the sky.Navy ships have become vulnerable in modern times to supersonic missiles because of their slower defense systems, the agency worries. "The FEL is expected to provide future U.S. Naval forces with a near-instantaneous laser ship defense in any maritime environment throughout the world,” Saulter said.Hmmmmm......Hu said we couldn't do it?Read the full story here.

• HT:IslamInEurope.Italy: Islamic terrorism comedy breaks box office records.An Italian produced comedy with an Islamic terrorism theme entitled 'Che Bella Giornata' or 'What a Beautiful day' has broken the country's all time box office records for a locally produced film,hauling in a massive 42 million dollars and counting, in just two weeks after its release.The film's plot revolves around a security guard who falls in love with an Arab woman who is planing to bomb the Milan Duomo.The movie's success has also dethroned Roberto Benigni's Holocaust-theme 1997 film and triple Oscar winner 'Life Is Beautiful,' which held the title of highest-earning local film for 13 years running.Produced by Medusa film, for an average Italian budget of around 6.6 million dollars, Medusa CEO Giampaolo Letta said the picture has performed beyond the company's "most optimistic expectations.".Source.

• And now for something completely different!German Big Brother star "Sexy Cora"dies after SIXTH breast enlargement operation.A German porn star has died following complications during her sixth breast enlargement.Cora, real name Carolin Berger, had been in a coma for nine days following the operation when she died yesterday.The 23-year-old had gone under the knife to boost her bust from a 34F to a 34G.The clinic in Germany where she had the enhancement is now being investigated.Her family were called to the hospital where they were told that Cora had been without oxygen during the op for 15 minutes and was in 'serious condition.'The heavily tattooed adult actress had come to the nation's attention as a contestant in the German Big Brother house.She behaved more and more outrageously, finally peeling off and flirting topless with a fellow housemate.Her death was mourned in the German tabloid newspapers today.'Sexy Cora is dead,' read the headline in Bild.'[Her] frail, 48kg [106 lb] body struggled against death for 224 hours. She lost. Cora is dead!'Prosecutors have announced they are investigating the 54-year-old anaesthesiologist and the 49-year-old surgeon who performed the operation at the Alster Clinic, in Hamburg, on suspicion of negligent homicide.Read the full story here.Video report here(German).