text:
Iran and Syria threaten to retaliate for Israeli air strike
US officials said Israel launched a rare air strike inside Syria on Wednesday. The target was a convoy believed to be carrying anti-aircraft weapons bound for Hizbollah, the powerful Lebanese militant group allied with Syria and Iran.
Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul-Karim Ali said Damascus "has the option and the capacity to surprise in retaliation."
In Iran, the semi-official Fars news agency quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian as saying the raid on Syria will have significant implications for Israel.
Hizbollah condemned the attack as "barbaric aggression" and Syrian ally Russia said it appeared to be an unprovoked attack on a sovereign nation.
In Israel, a MP close to hard-line Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stopped short of confirming involvement in the strike. But he hinted that Israel could carry out similar missions in the future.
The Syrian ambassador said he could not predict when Damascus would retaliate. He told Hezbollah's al-Ahd news website that it was up to the relevant authorities to prepare the retaliation and choose the time and place.
Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi condemned the air strike on state television, calling it a clear violation of Syria's sovereignty. Iran is Syria's strongest ally in the Middle East, and has provided President Bashar al-Assad's government with military and political backing for years.
Russia, Syria's strongest international ally, said Moscow is taking "urgent measures to clarify the situation in all its details."
"If this information is confirmed, we have a case of unprovoked attacks on targets in the territory of a sovereign state, which grossly violates the UN Charter and is unacceptable," Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "Whatever the motives, this is not justified."
Hizbollah, closely allied with Syria and Iran, said it "expresses full solidarity with Syria's command, army and people."
Hizbollah did not mention any convoy in the statement but said the strike aimed to prevent Arab and Muslim forces from developing their military capabilities.
The Syrian military denied the existence of any weapons shipment and said a scientific research facility outside Damascus was hit by the Israeli warplanes. It said the target was in the area of Jamraya, northwest of Damascus and about 15 kilometres (10 miles) from the Lebanese border.
Maj. Gen. Abdul-Aziz Jassem al-Shallal, who became in December one of the most senior Syrian army officers to defect, told The Associated Press by telephone from Turkey that the targeted site is a "major and well-known" centre to develop weapons known as the Scientific Research Center.
Al-Shallal, who until his defection was the commander of the Military Police, said no chemical or nonconventional weapons are at the site. He added that foreign experts, including Russians and Iranians, are usually at such centres.
Regional security officials said on Wednesday that the targeted shipment included sophisticated Russian-made SA-17 anti-aircraft missiles, which if acquired by Hizbollah would enable the militants to shoot down Israeli jets, helicopters and surveillance drones. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief the media.
Israeli MP Tzachi Hanegbi, who is close to the prime minister, said pinpoint strikes are not enough to counter the threat of Hizbollah obtaining sophisticated weaponry from Syria.
"Israel's preference would be if a Western entity would control these weapons systems," Hanegbi said. "But because it appears the world is not prepared to do what was done in Libya or other places, then Israel finds itself like it has many times in the past facing a dilemma that only it knows how to respond to," he added.
He was referring to Nato's 2011 military intervention in Libya that helped oust dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
"Even if there are reports about pinpoint operations, these are not significant solutions to the threat itself because we are talking about very substantial capabilities that could reach Hizbollah," he added.
Syria's civil war has sapped Assad's power and threatens to deprive Hizbollah of a key supporter, in addition to its land corridor to Iran. The two countries provide Hizbollah with the bulk of its funding and arms.
Earlier this week, Netanyahu warned of the dangers of Syria's "deadly weapons," saying the country is "increasingly coming apart."
The same day, Israel moved a battery of its new "Iron Dome" rocket defence system to the northern city of Haifa, which was battered by Hizbollah rocket fire in the 2006 war. The Israeli army called that move "routine."
The Israeli army will not say whether Iron Dome was sent north in connection to this operation. It does note that it has deployed the system in the north before.
Syria and its allies, including Hizbollah, deny there is an uprising against the government and say what is happening is part of a conspiracy against Damascus because of its support for anti-Israeli groups.
Hizbollah said the attack is part of that conspiracy "that aims to destroy Syria, its army and vital role in the line of resistance" against Israel.
he is said to dwell in the castle of Kronborg, his beard grown down to the floor, and to sleep there until some date when Denmark is in mortal danger, at which time he will rise up and deliver the nation
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Iran and Syria threaten to retaliate for Israeli air strike
The Telegraph.
Posted by Holger Awakens at 12:06 PM 1 comment: Links to this post
Big Surprise - Russia Stands With the Butcher Assad, Condemns Israeli Airstrikes On Syrian Chemical Weapons
The Russians are a loose cannon in a world right now that can't stomach loose cannons. How different it might be if we had an American President who would put Putin in his place instead of Mr. MomJeans in the White House who ignores every thing the Russian bear does.
The story comes from DAWN.
Israel strike on Syria 'unacceptable': Russia
MOSCOW/ BEIRUT: Russia said Thursday it was checking reports of an Israeli air strike against Syria but would condemn the "unprovoked" attack if the information proved true.
The foreign ministry said it was "deeply concerned" by Syrian claims its military research centre had come under Israeli fighter jet attack and other reports of bombs being dropped on a convoy near the Lebanese border.
"If this information is confirmed, then we are dealing with unprovoked strikes against targets located on the territory of a sovereign state, which brazenly infringes on the UN Charter and is unacceptable, no matter the motive used for its justification," said a ministry statement.
Russia added that it was taking "urgent measures" to clarify the situation.
"We once again call on the end to all violence in Syria, underscoring the inadmissability of any type of intervention from abroad, and the start of inter-Syrian dialogue based on the Geneva agreements of June 30, 2012," the Russian statement said.
Russia has outraged Western and Arab nations by refusing to join international calls for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down and continues to supply its Soviet-era ally with weapons.
Moscow has for its part repeatedly expressed concern at foreign intervention in a country that is its last major ally in the Middle East.
Russia has strongly backed a pact bickering world powers agreed to last year in Geneva a bid to form a transition government.
That accord defined no specific role for Assad and proved to be unacceptable to the armed opposition because of its demands on him to step aside.
UN-Arab League crisis envoy Lakhdar Brahimi has used urgent shuttle diplomacy in recent weeks to push the Geneva accord on all parties in a bid to halt the escalating violence.
But Brahimi told the Security Council this week that the pact could not be saved in its current form and needed to be altered to work.
"I'm not calling on the Security Council to take action because the Geneva declaration that contains, indeed, a lot of elements that would provide for a reasonable solution to the conflict cannot be implemented as it," Brahimi told the Security Council in published remarks.
"It needs action from the Council and I have suggested a few ideas to them."
A top Russian official quickly rejected the idea of the Security Council taking action because "the Council has already made a number of important decisions" on Syria.
"I do not think that in current conditions, the UN Security Council will start work on a new resolution," Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov told the Interfax news agency.
"We are not talking about that yet," Gatilov said.
Russia has vetoed three Security Council resolutions sanctioning Assad for violence that UN estimates say has killed more than 60,000 people since March 2011.
Hezbollah condemns raid
Meanwhile, Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group also condemned Israel's air raid on Syria. The Thursday statement said Hezbollah "expresses full solidarity with Syria's command, army and people," and called the strike "barbaric aggression".
US officials said the air strike targeted a convoy believed to contain anti-aircraft weapons bound for Hezbollah.
The Syrian military denied the existence of any such shipment and said a scientific research facility outside Damascus was hit by the Israeli warplanes.
Hezbollah did not mention any convoy in the statement but said the strike aimed to prevent Arab and Muslim forces from developing their military capabilities.
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Video: Raining Hellfires
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Video: I Finally Find a News Reporter I Like
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Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Israel reportedly strikes convoy of Syrian weapons
And it's good to see Israel taking a stand to protect her people.
The story comes from The Long War Journal.
Israel reportedly strikes convoy of Syrian weapons
The Israeli Air Force reportedly carried out an airstrike on a Syrian weapons convoy last night. While some accounts have suggested that the convoy may have been carrying chemical weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Associated Press reports that the primary target was Russian-made SA-17 anti-aircraft missiles, which were likely destined for Hezbollah.
It is currently unclear whether the strike, which was confirmed to Reuters by four sources, took place in Syrian or Lebanese territory. A high-ranking Lebanese security source told the Daily Star that "[n]o strike took place on Lebanese soil." Haaretz reports that a Lebanese source has said the strike took place near the city of al-Kassir in western Syria, which is approximately 15 kilometers from Lebanon's border.
While Israeli officials have not confirmed the strike, Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon reportedly told Israel Radio on Wednesday that Israel will "not compromise on the security of the northern front."
On Wednesday evening, the General Command of the Syrian Army and Armed Forces said that Israel had struck "a scientific research center responsible for raising the levels of resistance and self-defense in Jamraya area in Damascus Countryside," according to state-owned Sana. According to the Syrian news agency, two workers were killed and five others injured.
Over the past week, Israeli officials have expressed increased concern with regard to the situation in Syria. On Sunday, Israel deployed Iron Dome batteries in the north, including near Haifa, although an IDF spokesman said the deployment was "not related to any current situation assessments."
The following day, Israel's National Security Council head Yaakov Amidror was sent to Moscow for a "lightning visit" in an attempt "to convince the Kremlin to take steps to prevent Syria's stockpiles from falling into the hands of terrorist groups." On the same day, the New York Times reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "had [recently] been in marathon meetings for several days with military and intelligence chiefs and senior ministers, with unusual strictures on secrecy."
On Tuesday, Al-Monitor reported that IDF intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi was meeting with officials at the Pentagon, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey.
Also on Tuesday, the Commander of the Israeli Air Force, Major General Amir Eshel, said that "[t]he weakening governance in neighboring countries heralds greater exposure to hostile activity - Syria is the best example of that. We must deal with a wider array of enemies and adversaries than ever." Eshel added: "We work every day in order to lessen the immediate threats, to create better conditions so that we will be victorious in future wars."
He also warned that "[i]f a threat appears in the long, medium or short range, the Israel Air Force has the ability to exercise force almost instantly, and [implement] almost unlimited options at almost any location."
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Video: Footage of French Airstrikes On Mali
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'I feel like a stranger where I live' - How the Muslims Have Changed London
Family Security Matters.
'I feel like a stranger where I live'
As new figures show 'white flight' from cities is rising, one Londoner writes a provocative personal piece about how immigration has drastically changed the borough where she has lived for 17 years.
"When you go swimming, it's much healthier to keep your whole body completely covered, you know." The Muslim lady behind the counter in my local pharmacy has recently started giving me advice like this. It's kindly meant and I'm always glad to hear her views because she is one of the few people in west London where I live who talks to me.
The streets around Acton, which has been my home since 1996, have taken on a new identity. Most of the shops are now owned by Muslims and even the fish and chip shop and Indian takeaway are Halal. It seems that almost overnight it's changed from Acton Vale into Acton Veil.
Of the 8.17 million people in London, one million are Muslim, with the majority of them young families. That is not, in reality, a great number. But because so many Muslims increasingly insist on emphasising their separateness, it feels as if they have taken over; my female neighbours flap past in full niqab, some so heavily veiled that I can't see their eyes. I've made an effort to communicate by smiling deliberately at the ones I thought I was seeing out and about regularly, but this didn't lead to conversation because they never look me in the face.
I recently went to the plainly named "Curtain Shop" and asked if they would put some up for me. Inside were a lot of elderly Muslim men. I was told that they don't do that kind of work, and was back on the pavement within a few moments. I felt sure I had suffered discrimination and was bewildered as I had been there previously when the Muslim owners had been very friendly. Things have changed. I am living in a place where I am a stranger.
I was brought up in a village in Staffordshire, and although I have been in London for a quarter of a century I have kept the habit of chatting to shopkeepers and neighbours, despite it not being the done thing in metropolitan life. Nowadays, though, most of the tills in my local shops are manned by young Muslim men who mutter into their mobiles as they are serving. They have no interest in talking to me and rarely meet my gaze. I find this situation dismal. I miss banter, the hail fellow, well met chat about the weather, or what was on TV last night.
More worryingly, I feel that public spaces are becoming contested. One food store has recently installed a sign banning alcohol on the premises. Fair enough. But it also says: "No alcohol allowed on the streets near this shop." I am no fan of street drinking, and rowdy behaviour and loutish individuals are an aspect of modern British ''culture'' I hate. But I feel uneasy that this shopkeeper wants to control the streets outside his shop. I asked him what he meant by his notice but he just smiled at me wistfully.
Perhaps he and his fellow Muslims want to turn the area into another Tower Hamlets, the east London borough where ''suggestive'' advertising is banned and last year a woman was refused a job in a pharmacy because she wasn't veiled.
On the other hand, maybe I should be grateful. At least in Acton there is just a sign in a shop. Since the start of the year there have been several reports from around London of a more aggressive approach. Television news footage last week showed incidents filmed on a mobile phone on a Saturday night, in the borough of Waltham Forest, of men shouting "This is a Muslim area" at white Britons.
The video commentary stated: "From women walking the street dressed like complete naked animals with no self-respect, to drunk people carrying alcohol, we try our best to capture and forbid it all."
Another scene showed hooded youths forcing a man to drop his can of lager, telling him they were the "Muslim patrol" and that alcohol is a "forbidden evil". The gang then approached a group of white girls enjoying a good night out, telling them to "forbid themselves from dressing like this and exposing themselves outside the mosque".
Worse, though, is film footage from last week, thought to have been taken in Commercial Street, Whitechapel, which showed members of a group who also called themselves a "Muslim patrol" harassing a man who appeared to be wearing make‑up, calling him a "bloody fag". In the video posted on YouTube last week, the passer-by is told he is "walking through a Muslim area dressed like a fag" and ordered to get out. Last Thursday, police were reported to have arrested five "vigilantes" suspected of homophobic abuse.
There are, of course, other Europeans in my area who may share my feelings but I'm not able to talk to them easily about this situation as they are mostly immigrants, too. At Christmas I spoke to an elderly white woman about the lack of parsnips in the local greengrocer, but she turned out to have no English and I was left grumbling to myself.
Poles have settled in Ealing since the Second World War and are well assimilated, but since 2004 about 370,000 east Europeans have arrived in London. Almost half the populations of nearby Ealing and Hammersmith were born outside the UK. Not surprisingly, at my bus stop I rarely hear English spoken. I realise that we can't return to the time when buses were mainly occupied by white ladies in their best hats and gloves going shopping, but I do feel nostalgic for the days when a journey on public transport didn't leave me feeling as if I have only just arrived in a strange country myself.
There are other "cultural differences" that bother me, too. Over the past year I have been involved in rescuing a dog that was kept in a freezing shed for months. The owners spoke no English. A Somali neighbour kept a dog that he told me he was training to fight, before it was stolen by other dog fighters. I have tried to re-home several cats owned by a family who refuse to neuter their animals, because of their religion.
In the Nineties, when I arrived, this part of Acton was a traditional working-class area. Now there is no trace of any kind of community – that word so cherished by the Left. Instead it has been transformed into a giant transit camp and is home to no one. The scale of immigration over recent years has created communities throughout London that never need to – or want to – interact with outsiders.
It wasn't always the case: since the 1890s thousands of Jewish, Irish, Afro-Caribbean, Asian and Chinese workers, among others, have arrived in the capital, often displacing the indigenous population. Yes, there was hateful overt racism and discrimination, I'm not denying that. But, over time, I believe we settled down into a happy mix of incorporation and shared aspiration, with disparate peoples walking the same pavements but returning to very different homes – something the Americans call "sundown segregation".
But now, despite the wishful thinking of multiculturalists, wilful segregation by immigrants is increasingly echoed by the white population – the rate of white flight from our cities is soaring. According to the Office for National Statistics, 600,000 white Britons have left London in the past 10 years. The latest census data shows the breakdown in telling detail: some London boroughs have lost a quarter of their population of white, British people. The number in Redbridge, north London, for example, has fallen by 40,844 (to 96,253) in this period, while the total population has risen by more than 40,335 to 278,970. It isn't only London boroughs. The market town of Wokingham in Berkshire has lost nearly 5 per cent of its white British population.
I suspect that many white people in London and the Home Counties now move house on the basis of ethnicity, especially if they have children. Estate agents don't advertise this self-segregation, of course. Instead there are polite codes for that kind of thing, such as the mention of "a good school", which I believe is code for "mainly white English". Not surprising when you learn that nearly one million pupils do not have English as a first language.
I, too, have decided to leave my area, following in the footsteps of so many of my neighbours. I don't really want to go. I worked long and hard to get to London, to find a good job and buy a home and I'd like to stay here. But I'm a stranger on these streets and all the "good" areas, with safe streets, nice housing and pleasant cafés, are beyond my reach. I see London turning into a place almost exclusively for poor immigrants and the very rich.
It's sad that I am moving not for a positive reason, but to escape something. I wonder whether I'll tell the truth, if I'm asked. I can't pretend that I'm worried about local schools, so perhaps I'll say it's for the chance of a conversation over the garden fence. But really I no longer need an excuse: mass immigration is making reluctant racists of us all.
Posted by Holger Awakens at 2:45 AM 2 comments: Links to this post
Labels: Britain, Islam, Sharia Law
Pakistani Fighter Jets Pound Taliban, 40 Dead In Airstrikes In Orakzai and Khyber
The story comes from DAWN.
Jets blitz suspected militant hideouts in Khyber, Orakzai; seven killed
PESHAWAR: At least seven suspected militants were killed early on Wednesday when army jets pounded militant hideouts in the northwestern tribal regions of Orakzai and Khyber.
Upper Orakzai's assistant political agent Muhammad Rafique told Dawn.com that three militant hideouts were destroyed in the bombardment, adding that seven militants had reportedly been killed in the strikes.
The jets struck suspected militant hideouts in the Ublan area of Orakzai tribal region and near the Khyber tribal region's border with Orakzai.
Earlier on Tuesday, security agencies had claimed to have killed 33 militants affiliated to the outlawed Lashkar-i-Islam (LI) and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in multiple jet strikes conducted in the remote Tirah valley of Khyber and in the Mamozai area of Orakzai.
Khyber and Orakzai are among Pakistan's seven tribal districts near the Afghan border which are rife with homegrown insurgents and are alleged to be strongholds of Taliban and Al Qaeda operatives.
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Video: How About 70 JDAMs in 7 Minutes?
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Video: Time To Panic?
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Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Saudi Arabian Scholar Convicted of Torturing 5 Year Old Daughter To Death Gets Off With Paying a Fine
But hey, when you are a scholar and know about the ways of Mohammed...you're good to go in Saudi Arabia. Good thing they don't have a war on women there.
The story comes from Emirates 24/7 via The Religion of Peace.
Scholar accused of killing daughter ordered to pay diya
A Saudi court ordered a well-known local scholar to pay diya (blood
money) after he was convicted of torturing his five-year old daughter to death. His wife quickly reacted by saying she would appeal to demand her husband's death.
Newspapers in the Gulf Kingdom said the unnamed scholar is still in jail until he pays diya to his wife over the death of his daughter.
The woman said she had not appointed a lawyer during the trial to demand execution of her husband on the grounds she is "ignorant in the law."
"The body of my daughter has been in the morgue for nearly four months.. I have just received a court permit to bury her," she said.
In a report in late 2012, the Saudi Arabic language daily Alyoum said the scholar often appears on a local satellite TV channel to deliver religious lectures.
The paper said his daughter Lama died in hospital after spending several weeks suffering from broken arms, skull fracture and head bruises.
It quoted the girl's mother as saying her daughter had been systematically tortured by her father and his new wife before she was admitted to hospital in a serious case.
Posted by Holger Awakens at 12:59 PM 1 comment: Links to this post
Labels: Islam, Saudi Arabia
Video: Howitzer Time For the Taliban
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Executed Bodies of 68 Men and Teen Boys Found In River In Syria, Toll Could Reach 100
Like we have said here before...Bashir Assad doesn't mess around but hey, don't forget that it's the Israelis in the Middle East who are the bad guys.
The story comes from DAWN.
Bodies of 68 executed young men, boys found in Syria
ALEPPO: The bodies of at least 68 young men and boys, all executed with a single gunshot to the head or neck, were found on Tuesday in a river in the Syrian city of Aleppo, a watchdog and rebels said.
A Free Syrian Army captain at the scene said at least 68 bodies had been found and that many more were still being dragged from the water, in a rebel-held area.
The bodies were found in the Quweiq River, which separates the Bustan al-Qasr district from Ansari in the southwest of the city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
"Until now we have recovered 68 bodies, some of them just teens," said Captain Abu Sada, adding that all of them had been "executed by the regime."
"But there must be more than 100. There are still many in the water, and we are trying to recover them," he added.
A volunteer said as he helped load one of the bodies on a truck: "We don't know who they are because there was no ID on them".
At least 15 bodies could already be seen on the truck, with others continuing to arrive.
Abu Sada said they would be taken to the hospital at Zarzur where relatives could seek to identify them.
"Those who are not identified will be buried in a common grave," he added.
Posted by Holger Awakens at 4:41 AM No comments: Links to this post
Labels: Syria
Welcome To the New America...Now Your Son Gets To Have a Homosexual Boy Scout Leader
USA Today.
Boy Scouts may soon welcome gay youths, leaders
As early as next week, the Boy Scouts of America may announce it will allow gay Scouts and troop leaders, a spokesman for the group has told USA TODAY.
If this policy shift is approved by the national board meeting next week, it will be a sharp reversal of the Scouts' decades-old national policy banning homosexuals.
"The policy change under discussion would allow the religious, civic or educational organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting to determine how to address this issue," BSA spokesman Deron Smith said in a statement to USA TODAY.
Only seven months ago, the Boy Scouts affirmed its ban on gays after a nearly two-year examination of the issue by a committee of volunteers convened by national leaders of the Boy Scouts of America, known as the BSA. However, local chapters and some members of the national board — corporate CEO Randall Stephenson of AT&T and James Turley of Ernst & Young — called for a reconsideration.
The proposed new policy would leave decisions on membership and leadership up to the BSA' s 290 local governing councils and 116,000 sponsoring religious and civic groups.
"Scouting has always been in an ongoing dialogue with the Scouting family to determine what is in the best interest of the organization and the young people we serve," Smith told USA TODAY.
"The Boy Scouts would not, under any circumstances, dictate a position to units, members or parents. Under this proposed policy, the BSA would not require any chartered organization to act in ways inconsistent with that organization's mission, principles or religious beliefs," he said.
While some cheered the announcement, others said it would ruin Scouting.
The announcement comes after a campaign to change the policy that lasted more than a year and garnered more than 1.2 million online signatures at Change.org, according to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), an advocacy group.
GLAAD spokesman Rich Ferraro told USA TODAY the Boy Scouts were taking an important "first step" that he hopes will lead to ending a national ban and allowing gays to participate in an important national cultural institution.
"The Girl Scouts, 4H Clubs and the U.S. military are fully inclusive, and that's what we need from the Boy Scouts of America," Ferraro said. "Until then, there will be young people out there who are harmed by this."
"This would be an incredible step forward in the right direction," said Zach Wahls, Eagle Scout and founder of Scouts for Equality. Wahls said his group will work with BSA councils and chartering organizations across the country to end exclusion of gays.
Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, said a policy change would be "nothing less than disastrous for the Boy Scouts of America."
The Southern Baptist Convention views homosexuality as sinful based on Scripture and not acceptable as normal behavior, Mohler said. Ending a national policy on gays would raise a question in the mind of every Scout's parent and require families to research the policy of each Scout troop and sponsoring organization before joining, he said.
"This is going to raise a fundamental question for the Southern Baptist Convention at the national level and in the churches" about whether to reconsider a decades-old relationship with the Boy Scouts, Mohler said.
While that decision would be up to individual Southern Baptist churches, Mohler said: "I'm quite assured that those churches will be reconsidering that relationship if this policy goes into effect."
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins called the potential policy shift "a serious mistake."
In a statement Monday, Perkins said, "If the board capitulates to the bullying of homosexual activists, the Boy Scouts' legacy of producing great leaders will become yet another casualty of moral compromise."
Posted by Holger Awakens at 4:30 AM 1 comment: Links to this post
Labels: Boy Scouts of America, Homosexuality
Monday, January 28, 2013
Israel Deploys Iron Dome To Northern Part of the Country ...For When the Israelis Need To Strike Syria
An Israeli daily said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had "urgently dispatched" his national security adviser to Moscow, where he will meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. He is expected to ask the Russians to use their influence to try to prevent the weapons from falling out of Bashar al Assad's control. — AFP Photo
The Israelis are plenty concerned about the situation in Syria and, unlike many in America, the Israelis know that the chemical weapons available in Syria are not safe in either Assad's hands OR the rebels' hands so they are taking measures that are needed to protect the Israeli people.
From the article at DAWN:
Israel is increasingly worried that Syrian chemical weapons could fall into the hands of extremist militants and is taking military and diplomatic steps to prevent it, local media and a security source said Monday.
Two batteries of Israel's Iron Dome missile defence system have been deployed to the north of the country in case military action against targets in neighbouring Syria or Lebanon becomes necessary, a security source told AFP on condition of anonymity.
He said Israel believes Lebanon's Shia Hezbollah group has a large number of forces in Syria that are supporting President Bashar al Assad against Sunni rebels, but which are also keen to grab his chemical weapons if he falls.
"A decision to attack in Syria or Lebanon will need to be implemented immediately," if it is taken, he said. "There won't be time then to start deploying."
This isn't some sort of bluff on Israel's part - the last thing they need right now is to be engaged in some sort of operation in Syria or Lebanon but the fact of the matter is that those chemical weapons, in the wrong hands, could literally be placed at Israel's northern border in a heartbeat.
Israel deploys air defence, diplomacy on Syria concerns
JERUSALEM: Israel is increasingly worried that Syrian chemical weapons could fall into the hands of extremist militants and is taking military and diplomatic steps to prevent it, local media and a security source said Monday.
Two batteries of Israel's Iron Dome missile defence system have been deployed to the north of the country in case military action against targets in neighbouring Syria or Lebanon becomes necessary, a security source told AFP on condition of anonymity.
He said Israel believes Lebanon's Shia Hezbollah group has a large number of forces in Syria that are supporting President Bashar al Assad against Sunni rebels, but which are also keen to grab his chemical weapons if he falls.
"A decision to attack in Syria or Lebanon will need to be implemented immediately," if it is taken, he said. "There won't be time then to start deploying."
The Israeli army played down its manoeuvres, saying that only one battery had been moved north.
"As part of the operational deployment programme, which includes changing locations throughout Israel from time to time, (an) Iron Dome battery is currently in the north," it said.
The Maariv daily said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had "urgently dispatched" his national security adviser to Moscow, where he will meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
He is expected to ask the Russians to use their influence to try to prevent the weapons from falling out of Assad's control.
The newspaper said that Netanyahu met US ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro on Sunday. Shapiro said on Monday that the two countries were closely coordinating on events in Syria.
"There is a genuine discussion between our intelligence services," he told Israeli public radio.
"There are two dangerous possibilities," he said. "Either the regime will use chemical weapons against the Syrian people or the chemical weapons will pass to Hezbollah or to other extremist organisations." "We want to prevent both those possibilities taking place," he added.
Witnesses in northern Israel reported intense Israeli air force surveillance over Syria and Home Front Defence Minister Avi Dichter said the state was watching events in its neighbour closely.
"Israel, and not only Israel, is keeping an eye, a very close eye, and trying to understand in the most precise way possible what is happening to the (weapons) stockpiles," he told public radio.
"It's a problem that has to be dealt with from two aspects," he added.
"One is how to reduce what is (stockpiled) and the other is how to deter anyone intending to get his hand on it, to let them know that their hand will be badly burned if they even think about it, certainly if we're talking about terror organisations."
Cabinet colleague Benny Begin said Israel was already preparing for the day after Assad.
"It looks like Syria will fragment into smaller sections and there will be a measure of anarchy there for some time after the fall of Assad," he told army radio. "We have to prepare for what lies in store, and there is a responsible government doing just that."
According to Israeli media reports, Netanyahu on Wednesday convened an emergency discussion with the security establishment and his inner cabinet on the situation in Syria and the risk of it losing control of chemical weapons.
Posted by Holger Awakens at 2:14 PM 1 comment: Links to this post
Hillary's Lesson in Escaping the Blame Game
The Awakening on Saturday night, you'll have heard me come down on the farce of the testimony by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's at the Benghazi hearings. I held nothing back in regards to the total disregard by this public official for giving the American people what they deserve...the truth.
This article at Family Security Matters goes deeper into just how Hillary was able to appear and then disappear, unscathed. Only in America at this moment in history could someone sit in front of the cameras and do what Hillary Clinton did and still be considered a viable candidate for President in 2016.
This article at Family Security Matters goes deeper into just how Hillary was able to appear and then disappear, unscathed. Only in America at this moment in history could someone sit in front of the cameras and do what Hillary Clinton did and still be considered a viable candidate for President in 2016.
Hillary's Lesson in Escaping the Blame Game
If you thought the long-anticipated Hillary hearings were going to be a feet-to-the fire payback for Benghazigate, then maybe you should think again.
In her back-to-back appearances Wednesday, departing Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton left Senate and House Republicans hitless, winless and basically befuddled. Little Leaguers enjoy a 10-run rule that brings such uneven contests to merciful endings -- so the little nippers can lick their wounds and try again another day. If Congress had anything similar, Mrs. Clinton might have ended her testimony hours earlier, beaten rush-hour traffic across town and made it back to Foggy Bottom long before happy hour.
Maybe the Republicans in Congress felt sorry for the former senator from New York, bested by Barack Obama for the presidency, wounded by the Benghazi tragedy and discredited by a damning Accountability Review Board of her State Department stewardship. Republican Sens. Ron Johnson, Rand Paul and John McCain tried their best one-liners against her, slightly recycled from recent campaign rhetoric. Mrs. Clinton answered calmly, projecting an undiminished resolve to correct the security oversights for which she repeatedly assumed responsibility. When pressed too hard by Mr. Johnson, she deftly took his head off, handed it back to him and then kept right on running up the score. Of her hostile questioners, only Mr. McCain emerged with his dignity fully intact.
The House hearing would have been a rerun, except that dispirited Republicans and ebullient Democrats settled down to an utterly predictable pattern of five-minute statements thinly disguised as questions. The only action all afternoon came from watching Mrs. Clinton's head alternate between gracious nods to her oh-so-polite questioners on both sides of the aisle. Apparently, they had watched their Senate colleagues and decided a farewell coronation for Mrs. Clinton was the far safer bet. Even the Hillary Nutcracker doll atop my bookcase seemed to grin more broadly.
Benghazi was only the latest episode of a three-decade epic in which Mrs. Clinton has become one of the great survival stories of American politics. Extending back through the mists of Whitewater, Paula Jones, Troopergate and the unique challenges of being President Bill Clinton's long-suffering wife, Hillary could have starred in her own soap opera. Instead she kept reinventing herself, epitomizing one of the signature phrases of those years and evolving from first lady to New York senator to presidential candidate to secretary of state. She is the Democrats' Iron Lady, masterfully preserving her long-range ambitions and options, whatever they might be.
For Republicans savvy enough to give the devil her due, she can also teach some important survival lessons.
First, being smart is much better than the alternative. As K.T. McFarland of Fox News pointed out, Mrs. Clinton was far too shrewd to be mousetrapped into performing the hapless role of administration apologist memorably played by United Nations Ambassador Susan E. Rice. Bill Clinton famously avoided military service during the Vietnam War to maintain his own "political viability." Mrs. Clinton seems to have the same idea, and she walked out of the hearings this week with her head held high, eclipsing Mrs. Rice, once her all-but-designated successor.
Second, positioning and timing are all-important. Mrs. Clinton has a poker player's sense of knowing just when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em. As a junior senator, she zealously protected defense installations in her district and became a special advocate for New Yorkers serving in uniform. Opposing the Iraq War while campaigning for president, she subsequently became a close political ally of Gen. David H. Petraeus. While such alliances are fleeting, her permanent interest as former secretary of state may be evolving into a latter-day Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson -- a long-neglected Democratic vacancy.
Third, the past usually catches up with you when you least expect it. Mrs. Clinton's announced intention of decompressing may mask another perceptive calculus about sidestepping the challenges of Mr. Obama's second term. The short list of contradictions includes a resurgent al Qaeda across North Africa, the Syrian powder keg and looming conflict with Iran. Especially with Iran, the potential fallout includes imponderables from cyberwar at your automated teller machine to suicide bombers in American shopping malls. Mr. Obama's likely successors in either party can surely appreciate what might happen if such cataclysmic events -- finally too big to lie about -- also shatter the prevailing media-Democratic consensus.
Foreseeable events can sometimes materialize suddenly, creating tectonic shifts in the American political landscape. Mrs. Clinton already understands that, together with something her Republican interlocutors should grasp as well. Benghazi was tragedy, precedent, prologue -- all wrapped into one -- and is best appreciated not as a "gotcha" but as a benchmark against daunting future challenges.
Posted by Holger Awakens at 3:55 AM No comments: Links to this post
Labels: Benghazi, Hillary Clinton
What Exactly Was the Explosion At Iran's Fordow Nuclear Site?
The story comes from The Telegraph.
Mystery over 'explosion' at Iran's Fordow nuclear site
A report published on Right-wing news website WND on Friday, quoting a defected Iranian intelligence officer, claimed that a massive blast had ripped through the nuclear facility, buried deep within the guts of a large mountain.
The alleged blast was said to have erupted at 11.30am last Monday – on the eve of the Israeli election – partially destroyed the nuclear site and trapped 240 people underground. Tehran held Israel responsible, the report said.
More than a week later, the report is yet to be verified by a single independent source. If true, it would be the most significant attack on Iranian nuclear capabilities to date and could spark a fierce reaction from the Islamic State.
And yet on Sunday evening, Shamseddin Barbroudi, deputy head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organisation, assured Iranian reporters there had been no explosion at the nuclear facility whatsoever.
Earlier the same day, Avi Dichter, Israel's home defence minister, had been unable to confirm the unsubstantiated reports but nonetheless, welcomed them. "Any explosion in Iran that doesn't hurt people but hurts its assets is welcome," he said.
Speaking privately, officials in Israel's foreign ministry – known to have an extensive surveillance network monitoring Iran's key nuclear sites – claimed they had no reliable intelligence of an explosion at Fordow.
One theory put forward by Shlomo Aronson, an expert in Israeli foreign security policy at Jerusalem's Hebrew University, is that Tehran had deliberately leaked false reports about a blast to prevent international inspectors from entering the site.
"They [Tehran] are more than capable of inventing such a story – although if it's true, a damaged Fordow would definitely benefit Israel," Mr Aronson conceded.
"Israel would do anything within its power to stop the Iranian nuclear programme. This includes tactics that fall just short of, or substitute, a direct attack, such as the cyber war that has been raging for the past few years or acts of sabotage on Iran's nuclear facilities."
Buried 300 feet underground, the nuclear fortress at Fordow is immune to air strikes or bunker bombs. It is thought to contain more than 2,700 centrifuges enriching uranium to more than 20 per cent. But unlike Natanz, which has more than 10,000 centrifuges, it is not a nuclear reactor and therefore not as valuable to the Iranian nuclear programme.
Tehran has repeatedly blamed Israel for a string of explosive disasters that have hit Iranian nuclear targets, including the death of Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, one of Natanz's top nuclear scientists, killed when his car exploded in January last year.
Whilst pleading ignorance of last Monday's alleged blast, a senior Israeli official conceded that penetrating a fortified facility such as Fordow would be neither impossible nor without precedent for Israeli's intelligence services.
"Anything man-made, we can penetrate," one Israeli official told The Daily Telegraph.
Posted by Holger Awakens at 3:43 AM 1 comment: Links to this post
Video: Marines in Afghanistan
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Video: Mutt and Jeff
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Sunday, January 27, 2013
Muslim who raped girl, 13, not jailed because his "religion doesn't teach that sex with a child is wrong"
Family Security Matters.
Muslim who raped girl, 13, not jailed because his "religion doesn't teach that sex with a child is wrong"
A muslim who raped a 13-year-old girl he groomed on Facebook has been spared a prison sentence after a judge heard he went to an Islamic faith school where he was taught that women are worthless.
Adil Rashid, 18, claimed he was not aware that it was illegal for him to have sex with the girl because his education left him ignorant of British law.
Yesterday Judge Michael Stokes handed Rashid a suspended sentence, saying: 'Although chronologically 18, it is quite clear from the reports that you are very naive and immature when it comes to sexual matters.'
Earlier Nottingham Crown Court heard that such crimes usually result in a four to seven-year prison sentence.
But the judge said that because Rashid was 'passive' and 'lacking assertiveness', sending him to jail might cause him 'more damage than good'.
Rashid, from Birmingham, admitted he had sex with the girl, saying he had been 'tempted by her' after they met online.
They initially exchanged messages on Facebook before sending texts and chatting on the phone over a two-month period.
They then met up in Nottingham, where Rashid had booked a room at a Premier Inn.
The girl told police they stayed at the hotel for two hours and had sex after Rashid went to the bathroom and emerged wearing a condom.
Rashid then returned home and went straight to a mosque to pray.
Posted by Holger Awakens at 11:30 AM 2 comments: Links to this post
Labels: Islam
Taliban and Rival Group Battle It Out in Kyber in Pakistan...52 Dead So Far In Power Struggle
The story comes from DAWN.
Fighting rages between militants in Tirah valley
PESHAWAR: At least 12 more militants were killed Sunday as intense gun-battles continued between two rival groups in Pakistan's restive tribal region of Khyber agency, officials said.
Fierce clashes erupted three days ago when members of the Tariq Afridi faction of the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) launched an attack in the Bagh-Maidan area of Tirah valley on Friday, capturing a building belonging to the pro-government Ansarul Islam (AI) militants.
"The Ansar-ul-Islam group re-took their centre after intense fighting," said another senior local administration official.
The approximate number of deaths from three days of fierce clashes has now reached 52. A senior security official confirmed the approximate death toll and said fighting was ongoing.
The area is cut off to journalists and aid workers so it was not possible to confirm the death toll independently.
The Ansarul Islam, led by local commander Munsif Khan, opposes Mangal Bagh's Lashkar-i-Islam and the TTP, who frequently launches attacks on Pakistani troops.
Sadat Afridi, a spokesman for the pro-government AI, says his group has vowed to flush out TTP militants from Tirah valley as they "carry out attacks on mosques and public places, which is against Islam."
Khyber is among Pakistan's seven semi-autonomous tribal districts near the Afghan border, rife with homegrown insurgents and home to religious extremist organisations including the al Qaeda and Taliban.
The remote Tirah valley holds strategic significance for militant groups. On one side, it shares a border with Afghanistan. On the other it leads to the plains of Bara, which connect the agency to the outskirts of Peshawar.
Khyber also links several agencies to each other, serving as a north-south route within Fata. The region has been long fought over by a mix of militant groups, including the TTP, the Ansarul Islam and Mangal Bagh's Lashkar-i-Islam.
Posted by Holger Awakens at 8:16 AM 1 comment: Links to this post
Blog Talk Radio: The Awakening - " Worth Fighting For "
The Awakening
" Worth Fighting For "
Listen to internet radio with Holger Awakens on Blog Talk Radio
Posted by Holger Awakens at 8:05 AM No comments: Links to this post
Labels: Blog Talk Radio, The Awakening
ISAF Troops In Afghanistan Target Al Qaeda Yet Again In Kunar Province - Hey Wait, I Thought Joe Biden Said We Only Had 100 Left in the Country
The fact of the matter is this - the Taliban are well poised to hit Afghan forces hard when American troops leave Afghanistan and we don't even have to worry our little heads over whether or not the Taliban will then extend an invitation to al Qaeda to come back in....THEY'RE ALREADY THERE!
The story comes from The Long War Journal.
ISAF launches another raid targeting al Qaeda in Kunar
On Jan. 25, the International Security Assistance Force reported another operation in Afghanistan's eastern Kunar province targeting a Taliban leader associated with al Qaeda. This follows a report three days ago of a similar operation on Jan. 23 in Kunar province that targeted an al Qaeda-linked Taliban leader.
According to the Jan. 25 report, Afghan and Coalition forces succeed in locating the target and killing him on Jan. 24. Alhough it is not clear if he was the same leader targeted in the raid the day before, ISAF identified him as "Wali," a "Taliban leader and al-Qaeda facilitator." He was killed in Dangam district, as opposed to Ghaziabad district where the previous raid occurred. Apart from being the second operation targeting al Qaeda in Kunar province in two days, it was also the second this year.
ISAF said that Wali "coordinated activities between the Taliban and al Qaeda within the province." He also "organized attacks against Afghan and coalition forces" in the district and "oversaw the movement of weapons and suicide vest components." ISAF revealed to The Long War Journal that Wali was of Pashtun descent, meaning he likely originated from somewhere along the Afghan-Pakistan border.
The previous report said that a joint Afghan and Coalition force conducted an operation in Ghaizabad district, Kunar province on Jan. 23. This raid did not locate the targeted al Qaeda-associated Taliban leader, however, but did kill two unidentified insurgents.
Kunar province, which borders Pakistan, has emerged as one of the most active areas of operation for al Qaeda in Afghanistan. According to The Long War Journal's investigation of ISAF operations targeting the group within Afghanistan, there were 16 raids targeting members of al Qaeda, or insurgents linked to the group, in Kunar province in 2012. That is more than double the number of raids against al Qaeda in the province that were conducted prior to the surge of NATO forces, according to The Long War Journal study [see LWJ report: Al Qaeda-linked Taliban commander targeted in Kunar raid, for more details on al Qaeda's continued presence in Kunar province].
Posted by Holger Awakens at 7:59 AM No comments: Links to this post
Labels: al Qaeda, War in Afghanistan
Saturday, January 26, 2013
10 Sharia cases in U .S. & outcomes
Below are ten cases of American Muslim families that have encountered conflicts between the Equal Protection under the Constitution they should have received, and legal discrimination imposed on them by Shariah law in American Courts (excerpted from "Shariah Law and American State Courts"). [There are many more, but these are interesting. The ALAC bills in the TX House and Senate should be filed by next week.]
In cases 1-3, the Appellate Courts upheld Shariah law; in cases 4-7, the Trial Courts upheld Shariah, but the Appellate Courts reversed (protecting the litigant's constitutional rights); in cases 8-10, both Trial and Appellate Courts rejected the attempts to enforce Shariah law.
Ten American Families and Shariah in American State Courts
Cases 1-3
1978 Parveen Chaudry v. M. Hanif Chaudry, M.D., (http://shariahinamericancourts.com/?p=155 ), Shariah law of Pakistan, New Jersey, 1978: Appellate Court upheld foreign Shariah law, overturned Trial Court. Wife denied support and child support and division of property; prenuptial agreement signed by parents giving her only $1,500 from marriage upheld by Appellate Court.
1986 Laila Adeeb Sawaya Malak v. Abdul Latif Malak (http://shariahinamericancourts.com/?p=77 ), Shariah law of Lebanon/UAE, California, 1986: Appellate Court upheld foreign Shariah law and denied mother custody, reversing Trial Court.
1996 Joohi Q. Hosain (FKA Malik) V. Anwar Malik, (http://shariahinamericancourts.com/?p=124 ), Shariah law of Pakistan, Maryland, 1996: Trial and Appellate Courts upheld foreign Shariah law and denied mother custody. She lost custody because going to custody hearing in Pakistan would have risked prison, torture or execution.
Cases 4-7
1988 Pamela Tazziz v. Ismail Tazziz (http://shariahinamericancourts.com/?p=133 ), Shariah law of Israel, Massachusetts, 1988: Trial Court upheld foreign Shariah law of Israel (which has parallel Shariah court system ) requiring mother of four children to bring family to Shariah hearing; Appellate Court reversed.
1997 In re the Custody of R., minor child. Dato Paduka Noordin v. Datin Laila Abdulla, (http://shariahinamericancourts.com/?p=228, Shariah law of Philippines, Washington, 1997: Trial Court upheld foreign Shariah law of Philippines (which has parallel Shariah court system) granting father custody; Appellate Court reverses, allowing mother to contest Philippines Shariah court custody decision.
2009 Saida Banu Tarikonda, v. Bade Saheb Pinjari (http://shariahinamericancourts.com/?p=139 ), Shariah law of India, Michigan, 2009: The Trial Court accepted a "talaq" divorce (the husband says "I divorce you" three times, no prior notice to wife required). The Appellate Court reversed.
2010 S.D., Plaintiff-Appellant, v. M.J.R., (http://shariahinamericancourts.com/?p=197 ), Shariah law of Morocco, New Jersey, 2010: Pregnant mother is beaten and raped by her husband, Trial Court refuses restraining order citing foreign Shariah law. Appellate court reverses and grants restraining order.
Cases 8-10
2001 Magda Sobhy Ahmed Amin v. Abdelrahman Sayed Bakhaty (http://shariahinamericancourts.com/?p=114 ), Shariah law of Egypt and Lebanon, Louisiana, 2001: Mother convicted under foreign Shariah law of Egypt for leaving Egypt with child for U.S. without husband's permission; Under Egyptian Shariah law, father files for divorce and custody; Trial Court and Appellate court do not grant comity.
2005 Bita Donboli, Respondent, and Nader Donboli (http://shariahinamericancourts.com/?p=236), Shariah law of Iran, Washington, 2005: Mother is dual citizen of U.S. and Iran, alleges beatings, not allowed to leave Iran with son without husband's permission, and refuses to comply with foreign Iranian Shariah law custody decree. Trial and Appellate Courts uphold her position.
2007 Irfan Aleem v. Farah Aleem (http://shariahinamericancourts.com/?p=126 ), Shariah law of Pakistan, Maryland, 2007: Trial Court rejected argument permitting a foreign Shariah law "talaq" divorce to prevent community division of property; Appellate Court upheld.
Posted by a12iggymom at 3:16 PM 1 comment: Links to this post
US Southern Air Defense being shut down
H/T Wilson: This is interesting. I guess I would like to know what excuse they are giving for this action? Because seagulls are trying to mate with the balloons? What? We need the money for food stamps? Excuse me but I be getting back to my food storage program.
what else is new…
what else is new…
Obama to Shut Down Southern Air Defense Systems: "It Will Be Open Season for Terrorists Flying In With Nukes, Low Altitude Missiles, Or Even Full Scale Invasion of America
As the U.S. government continues to expand surveillance and monitoring systems to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars within the borders of the United States, a recent announcement regarding the country's southern air defense systems is raising eyebrows.
Our southern border is, in part, protected by the Tethered Aerostat Radar System (TARS), which utilizes moored balloons hovering at about 15,000 feet to identify low flying aircraft and missiles that may penetrate the border and cross into U.S. airspace.
The system is utilized by the U.S. Air Force, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection for a number of missions including detection of drug smuggling and preservation of the air sovereignty of the continental United States.
According to Exelis Systems Corporation, the company that built and jointly maintains TARS with the U.S. Air Force, the government has ordered a complete shutdown of Aerostat flight operations:
As the U.S. government continues to expand surveillance and monitoring systems to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars within the borders of the United States, a recent announcement regarding the country's southern air defense systems is raising eyebrows.
Our southern border is, in part, protected by the Tethered Aerostat Radar System (TARS), which utilizes moored balloons hovering at about 15,000 feet to identify low flying aircraft and missiles that may penetrate the border and cross into U.S. airspace.
The system is utilized by the U.S. Air Force, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection for a number of missions including detection of drug smuggling and preservation of the air sovereignty of the continental United States.
According to Exelis Systems Corporation, the company that built and jointly maintains TARS with the U.S. Air Force, the government has ordered a complete shutdown of Aerostat flight operations:
The government also indicated its intent that aerostat flight operations will cease on March 15, 2013, and that the remainder of the fiscal year will be used to deflate aerostats, disposition equipment, and prepare sites for permanent closure. We are currently reviewing all the details of the RfP and evaluating the possible impacts on the program and our workforce. We continue to communicate with the government on this matter, and we will have more information in the coming days and weeks.
Posted by a12iggymom at 3:08 PM 2 comments: Links to this post
Twelve Bloody Years After the 9/11 Attacks and His Khalid Sheik Mohammed Going To Go Free?
From the article at The Telegraph:
However, Brig Gen Mark Martins, the chief prosecutor, said the charge of conspiracy should be dropped because it was no longer "legally viable" following a court ruling that conspiracy – a charge that seeks to punish suspects for association with al-Qaeda – was not a recognised war crime under international law. This meant it could not legitimately be brought before a war-crimes tribunal such as Guantánamo.
The ruling by an appeals court in Washington DC overturned the conviction against Osama bin Laden's driver, Salim Hamdan, and has also undermined the conviction of Ali Hamza al-Bahlul, who made al-Qaeda propaganda films.
I have a simple question. What in the sam hell does international law have to do with how the United States of America deals with the prosecution of the murderer of 3,000 of our people? KSM's plot was committed on American soil against American citizens - the only law that matters is American law and if our laws state that an affiliation of someone with al Qaeda makes you a conspirator, then you are a conspirator. And I could give a shit less what some liberal hippie judge has to say in Washington, D.C.
Fry this motherfucker.
September 11 trial threatened by legal dispute
The US defence department is at loggerheads with the chief prosecutor at Guantánamo Bay over what the charges should be. The five men, whose pretrial hearings reconvene at the naval base next week, face eight different charges.
However, Brig Gen Mark Martins, the chief prosecutor, said the charge of conspiracy should be dropped because it was no longer "legally viable" following a court ruling that conspiracy – a charge that seeks to punish suspects for association with al-Qaeda – was not a recognised war crime under international law. This meant it could not legitimately be brought before a war-crimes tribunal such as Guantánamo.
The ruling by an appeals court in Washington DC overturned the conviction against Osama bin Laden's driver, Salim Hamdan, and has also undermined the conviction of Ali Hamza al-Bahlul, who made al-Qaeda propaganda films.
Gen Martins said retaining the conspiracy charges against the September 11 suspects could leave the prosecution open to "legal challenge" and cause "uncertainty and delay". However, Guantánamo Bay's "convening authority" – a branch of the Pentagon – said it would be "premature" to drop the conspiracy charges, hoping that the Supreme Court might reinstate their legality.
Richard Kammen, the lead counsel for Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, who was convicted in Yemen over the bombing of USS Cole but is also facing conspiracy charges at Guantánamo, said the government had seriously undermined Gen Martins's position as chief prosecutor. "The sub-context of this is, 'Who's in charge?' And to what extent does Gen Martins have any real authority in this case, other than to give speeches?" said Mr Kammen.
He added that preserving the conspiracy charges could open the door to an appeal against all the charges being faced by the September 11 co-conspirators and al-Nashiri. "If one of the main charges was conspiracy, and that was reversed, you would expect the appellate court to recognise that so impacted the rest of the trial that any other conviction would have to be reversed as well," he said.
Gen Martins has indicated that he plans to press ahead with his request by petitioning the military judge in the September 11 trial to strike out conspiracy as a separate charge.
That would present the judge, Col James Pohl, 61, with the unenviable choice of either denying the requests of both defence and prosecution lawyers, or overruling his court's own convening authority.
Col Morris Davis, a former Guantánamo chief prosecutor who resigned in 2007 in protest at the Pentagon meddling in the tribunals, said the dispute between two major government departments undermined the credibility of the tribunals.
He suggested that the government was clinging to the conspiracy charges because they were needed in cases against many of the detainees.
"They don't need conspiracy charges in the major cases like the September 11 attacks, where they are just a safety net or fallback charge," he said. "The problem is that for a lot of lesser cases, that's about all you could ever charge with."
Posted by Holger Awakens at 3:00 PM No comments: Links to this post
Labels: 9/11, Khalid Sheik Mohammed
Libyan Prime Minister Agrees With Hillary Clinton Regarding Benghazi Attack...What Difference Does It Make?
The Prime Minister of Libya just can't seem to understand what all of the fuss is about the Benghazi attack...he called it all an "exaggeration." You know, do 4 Americans were murdered in an al Qaeda plot and terror attack, so what? Yes, the American ambassador was killed but what is the big deal?
So let me get this straight - America invested the money and risked the lives of our military in freeing that country from Ghadaffi and when it's all over, the Libyans can't even help protect the lives of our embassy people and when those embassy people end up dead, the response from the Libyans is ....what is everyone so damn upset about?
The story comes from CNS News.
So let me get this straight - America invested the money and risked the lives of our military in freeing that country from Ghadaffi and when it's all over, the Libyans can't even help protect the lives of our embassy people and when those embassy people end up dead, the response from the Libyans is ....what is everyone so damn upset about?
The story comes from CNS News.
Libyan PM Calls Reaction to Benghazi Attack an 'Exaggeration'
(CNSNews.com) - The prime minster of Libya called the reaction by countries around the world to the Sept. 11, 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi an "exaggeration."
Prime Minister Ali Zeidan added that everything that is being said at this point about the attack is "just guesses."
"What happened in Benghazi, I think there was exaggeration on behalf of some countries who took some preventive measures and we can understand that," Zeidan said through an interpreter during a discussion Friday at the 43rd World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
"They asked their citizens to leave, but the reality is that these people of foreign nationality live very peacefully in Libya, and there are security measures to protect them" he said.
Discussion moderator Fareed Zakaria of CNN then asked Zeidan, "Do you have an al Qaeda presence in Libya?"
Zeidan responded, "It is said that that is so. There are some Islamists whose beliefs are close to those of al Qaeda but the reports we received from our security apparatus show that there are a few people who have come who are known to be affiliated with al Qaeda but there are not many."
However, Zakaria pressed further: "So you do not believe the attack on the American Consulate in Benghazi was an attack by al Qaeda?"
Zeidan replied that the Libyan government's investigation into the attack is ongoing and "We have not reached any final conclusions."
"We have to talk to all of the witnesses and all of the accused and then we will draw conclusions," Zeidan said.. However, everything being said now is really just guesses."
The attack on the American consulate in Benghazi, which took place four months ago, left four Americans dead, including U.S. Ambassador Chris Stephens.
The State Department received information to indicate the Islamist militant group Ansar al-Sharia claimed responsibility.
On Thursday at a Pentagon press conference, outgoing Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said of the attack in Benghazi, "If we find out who the perpetrators were, we're going to go after them."
He added: "Americans were killed and we don't stand by when Americans were killed and not take action."
Posted by Holger Awakens at 6:11 AM No comments: Links to this post
Russian Operations In Chechnya Kill 11 Muslim Terrorists Including 2 Islamic Caucasus Emirate Leaders
It's been awhile since the Russians have put this kind of hurt on Chechen Muslim terrorists but the latest operation netted two high ranking Islamic Caucasus Emirate leaders among a total of 11 dead jihadis.
I rarely cheer for the Russians but when they kill off these scumbags, I'm there waving the "Go Russia" banner.
The story comes from The Long War Journal.
(Hat Tip: Hal Bregg)
2 Islamic Caucasus Emirate leaders reported killed in Chechnya
Russia Today reported that Khuseyn (or Hussein) and Muslim Gakayev, two senior leaders in the Islamic Caucasus Emirate, were among 11 terrorists killed during a Russian military operation in Chechnya:
Two men, wanted for at least 5 terrorist acts, have been killed in a special forces operation in Chechnya. The Gakayev brothers were deemed more dangerous than militant Doku Umarov, by Chechen leader, Ramzan Kadyrov.
The two brothers, Khuseyn and Muslim Gakayev, are said to be responsible for the deaths of many law enforcers and civilians and were on Russia's wanted list for 11 years. The pair were killed during an operation on Thursday in the Vedeno district, one of the regions hardest hit by fighting in the area.
"Two Gakayev brothers, were on the federal wanted list for involvement in the terrorist acts and the murders of law enforcers and civilian" the press center of the Russian Interior Ministry told the media.
Ramzan Kadyrov, President of the Russian Republic of Chechnya, noted that the two men were more dangerous than terrorist at large Doku Umarov. Umarov has been linked to a spate of deadly terrorist attacks targeting Russian civilians...
The Gakayev brothers made several high-profile attacks, most recently a suicide bomb attack on an interior ministry vehicle that killed four last August. They were also blamed for an attack on the Chechen parliament in 2010 that killed at least six people, and an assassination attempt at the residence of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. After this, Kadyrov announced a reward for information on their activities.
While the Islamic Caucasus Emirate has not confirmed the deaths of the Gakayev brothers, Kavkaz Center, a mouthpiece of the terror group, confirmed that "heavy fighting is taking place in the mountains of Vedeno district " in Chechnya, and said Russia forces "have surrounded a group of Mujahideen by the will of Allah."
The nature of the statement at Kavkaz indicates that important leaders were present in Vedeno:
Killed and wounded are reported among the Mujahideen. The exact number is not known. The situation for the Mujahideen is serious, but invaders and puppets also incurred losses. More 15 enemies of Allah have been reported eliminated and wounded.
We ask all Muslims to do prayers for the Mujahideen. Ask your children, as well as patients from friends and relatives to do prayer, as Allah answers the prayer of the Muslims of this category.
Your tahajjud (night prayer) prayers would be very helpful. It is hard time for the Mujahideen and they in need of prayers of the Muslims, who, Allah's willing, will find their words of help for the Mujahideen on the balance of the Judgment Day!
Khuseyn Gakayev is one of several senior leaders who attempted to oust Doku Umarov as the Caucasus Emirate's emir in the summer of 2010. Umarov reconciled with Khuseyn in July 2011, and named Khuseyn the deputy commander of the eastern front [see LWJ report, Internal divisions resolved, claims Caucasus Emirate].
Posted by Holger Awakens at 6:01 AM 2 comments: Links to this post
Labels: Chechnya, Islamic Caucasus Emirate, Russia
Video: Letting the JDAM Do Its Job
Posted by Holger Awakens at 5:54 AM No comments: Links to this post
Video: IED Then the Ambush
Posted by Holger Awakens at 5:42 AM No comments: Links to this post
Friday, January 25, 2013
The Deception By America's Islamists
This article from Radical Islam chronicles the deception. Pass the word along. Get wise, America.
Islamist Interfaith Deception in Virginia
Last month, a new mosque called the ICNA (Islamic Circle of North America) Islamic Center opened in Alexandria, Virginia. ICNA, an Islamist group with origins in the Jamaat-e-Islami of Pakistan, framed its inauguration as an interfaith victory, giving thanks to the three churches that let them worship on their premises as the mosque project was completed.
The two-story mosque replaced a house that was bought by ICNA in 2000. It says the facility cost $850,000 to build and can accommodate about 150 people. Good Shepherd Catholic Church, St. Luke's Episcopal Church and Aldersgate United Methodist Church allowed ICNA's Northern Virginia chapter to worship as the mosque was being built
ICNA's use of Aldersgate United Methodist Church led to a favorable segment on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, which praised its pastor and mocked an evangelical critic. In one scene, the critic is seen saying mosques wouldn't allow their premises to be used for Christian prayers. The correspondent joked about how embarrassing it'd be for him if the show cut to a clip of Christians being invited to a mosque.
Ironically, the clip shown on the Daily Show featured Mohammed El-Filali of the Islamic Center of Passaic County, a mosque with extensive ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas. El-Filali led a chant comparing Israeli Prime Minister Sharon to Hitler at a rally in 2002. He also refused to condemn Palestinian suicide bombers in an interview with the Associated Press.
The pro-ICNA churches and the Daily Show apparently didn't take the time to pop ICNA's name into a search engine. If they did, it wouldn't have taken long to find documentation of the group's Islamist history.
Its origins lie with a Pakistani Islamist group called Jamaat-e-Islami. ICNA's own publication said in 1996 that it was founded with the "organizational development methodology" of Jamaat-e-Islami's founder. A former ICNA president and secretary-general, Ashrafuzzaman Khan, was indicted by Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal in October for his role as "chief executioner" in at least 18 horrific and brutal political assassinations in 1971. Khan belonged to the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami.
A 1991 U.S. Muslim Brotherhood strategic memorandum, which says its "work in America is a kind of grand jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within," lists ICNA as one of "our organizations and the organizations of our friends." The memo refers to productive meetings between ICNA and the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood "in an attempt to reach a unity of merger." ICNA has long held its annual conferences in conjunction with the Muslim American Society, an arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, in apparent fulfillment of this objective.
ICNA has not abandoned its Islamist ideology since then. Its 2010 handbook laid out a five-level strategy towards achieving a "united Islamic state, governed by an elected khalifah in accordance with the laws of shari'ah (Islamic law)," right in line with the Muslim Brotherhood doctrine of gradualism. Its last conference in December featured at least a dozen Islamist speakers, including ones that have supported Hamas and have ties to the Brotherhood. (Among the event's sponsors were Turkish Airlines and the DISH Network.)
ICNA and its Islamist allies understand the power of the interfaith message. Interfaith relations have become a more prominent feature on their websites and their conferences. For example, American Muslims for Palestine had Reverend Donald Wagner of Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding speak at its conference. Major campaigns of activism are done with interfaith coalitions.
Another interfaith campaign ICNA is involved in is the placement of billboards in the Orlando and Daytona Beach areas that say, "Same Family, Same Message." It directs readers to ICNA's website, WhyIslam.org. These billboards aren't just about making Jews, Christians and Muslims feel like they can relate to each other. It's about dawah. The basis of Islam is that Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Mohammed are part of the same family with the same message from Allah. Islam is, in this view, the way all three faiths are hemmed together.
The "interfaith outreach" carried out by American Islamists runs contrary to the bloody images of the destruction of churches by Islamist terrorists. When Islamists in America (like ICNA) wear suits and ties and talk "interfaith," they appear to be the alternative Muslim voice we seek.
To be "moderate" is as simple as condemning terrorism and shaking hands with a pastor, and if you oppose this type of interfaith engagement and say something, then the uninformed see you as intolerant, paranoid and bigoted.
Unfortunately, for most Americans, it is easier to believe that critics of ICNA are fear-mongers than to believe that these groups can simultaneously be likeable, charitable and non-violent as well as deceptive and Islamist.
Posted by Holger Awakens at 12:19 PM 1 comment: Links to this post
Labels: Islam in America, Stealth Jihad, Taqiyya
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Weather.com Getsa Redesign
The Weather Company has launched a redesigned new homepage for weather.com that focuses on local experiences, revamped look and improved navigation.
"We've been hard at work on our next evolution of the homepage and have completely reimagined it all based on user feedback," said Cameron Clayton, president, digital division, at The Weather Company in a statement. "The new page previously launched in beta to a small portion of weather.com users, and our engagement is taking off with the new features and unparalleled access to weather analysis. The increased local relevance and reimagined news storytelling creates an experience that prioritizes the most important local information for our customers, and exploring our exclusive coverage is easier than ever before."
As part of the push to localize the home page, users will now show local forecast, local weather alerts, local traffic information, and local news right on the homepage.
The redesign is also optimized to work on a variety of screen sizes from large screen TVs to tablets and mobile phones and features simplified navigation tools.
Looking forward the company plans to expand its already extensive social media features and to improve existing user generated features.
The television industry's top news stories, analysis and blogs of the day.

subset: commoncrawl


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Was saddened to hear the news that my teen heartthrob died. I loved Davy Jones. And although I never met him … I was certain he was in love with me.
Amazing how some characters become bigger than life. Ebenezer Scrooge, Anne of Green Gables, Frodo. Davy Jones.
I filmed a girl the other day who was convinced she was Katniss Everdeen of the Hunger Games.
What is it that makes a character larger than life? Zany misadventures, talent, hard times, and a bit of luck.


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Reading what other women have written is hugely beneficial to many of us as well. Finding the stories that resonate, the experiences we share, and the words for feelings we hadn't been able to flesh out yet. There is healing in feeling validated and understood. And in finding once again, that you are not alone.
Which is why we're such huge fans of Addiction Hope and Recovery's series: Tips From Women in Recovery. These women have powerful stories, truths and insights to share -- and it makes us especially proud to see so many of the women in Our Togetherness Communities involved in this series.
Shay wrote, Trust Yourself. Visit her blog, A Wife Redeemed.
Buffalo Gal wrote, Feeling It. Visit her blog, Kill Your Own Buffalo.
Kilee wrote, Allow Yourself To Feel. Visit her blog, 12 Steps With Christ.
Jane wrote, Knowledge Is Power. Visit her blog, Learning From My Husband's Pornography Addiction.
Shay wrote, Owning My Story. Visit her blog, A Wife Redeemed.
Wildflower wrote, Sense of Self. Visit her blog, Bloom Where You're Planted.
And The Togetherness Project's own founder, Jacy wrote, This is NOT a Reflection of You. Visit her blog, My Name is Jacy.


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Hands of God
Carlos Corral
USA, Drama, 2009
83 min, HDV, Color
Dr. Michael Vidal is in his final year of surgical residency and has just been named senior chief resident at his hospital. After his father's death, he slowly begins to lose touch with reality and resorts to drinking while on the job. As he begins to question his profession, a patient befriends him and offers him a second chance at understanding his father.
Regional Premiere
Carlos Fernando Corral was born in 1983 in Phoenix, AZ and raised in El Paso, TX. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, his past films include Sobre Tu Cadaver, Breaking Borders: Cross-Dressers & Drag Queens of El Paso, TX, and Santos. Carlos and his brother Octavio currently manage MindWarp LLC in El Paso, TX.
Producer: Carlos Corral
Production Companies: MindWarp Entertainment
Screenwriter: Carlos Corral
Cinematographer: Benny Ontiveros
Editor: Carlos Corral
Sound Design: Carlos Corral, Christopher Robleto
Music: Neal Barenblat, Saul Irigoyen
Cast: Manny Rubio, Jim Daross, Marco Naylor, Frank Laverpool, Carlos Corral, Alyssa Sherman, Sandy Salinas, Laura Patricia Carrillo, Jose Angel Herrera, Maria Luisa Holguin, Cristina Holguin, Eduardo Holguin, Armando Beltran, Nomar Rizo, Raymond Niemira, Carlos Humberto Corral, Eduardo Valdez, Phillip Skylier Blake, Richard Thomas, Monica Chavira, Mia Villarreal, Samuel Ponzio, Esteban Guaderrama, Ivan Salcido, Felix Castaneda, Efren Lemus, Karen J. Moore
Alamo South Lamar - Sat. April 23 1:00 PM
Buy Tickets


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Frequently Asked Questions

If you have a question that is not answered here, please  contact us and we will be happy to assist you.

The owner of Hess Fine Art, Mr. Jeffrey Hess, is a nationally recognized leading expert in Rolex watches. Some items, such as Rolex watches, are heavily counterfeited. Hess Fine Art buys only genuine brand name luxury watches. We are highly experienced in spotting fakes, not just Rolexes, but all luxury brands. Bring in your watch and we'll evaluate it.
We have several experienced Graduate Gemologists on staff who can determine the authenticity of your jewelry. We can tell you how much gold, silver, or platinum, or other metals are it contains as well as determine the grade of the diamond or gemstone.
Yes. When buying rare and valuable items, trust is a serious issue. It isn't just what you buy, it is who you are buying from. Since the dawn of online sales, we have built up a loyal clientele of worldwide buyers.
A third party sells your items on your behalf. Hess Fine Art will get the highest price from a worldwide audience of collectors. A legal contract is signed by both parties. We work together to set the terms of the agreement.
Selling is the fastest way to get money. You walk in with your item, you walk out a few minutes later with cash. With a consignment, you get paid after a buyer has purchased your item. This can take days or weeks, depending on various factors such as the terms of the consignment agreement and the specifics of the item. Get in touch with us and we'll explore which option is best for you.
Yes, we do appraisals with an offer to buy. No, we don't do appraisals for insurance purposes.
Street parking is available in the front. There is a parking lot in back. From 4th Street North, turn onto 12th Avenue North (next to the Tropical Smoothie) and the parking lot is immediately on the right.


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As we celebrate the start of the second week of The Championships 2017 our friends at Lanson have partnered with us again for one lucky winner to Win a bottle of their Black Label Champagne. Jacketed with this year's limited edition green neoprene sleeve imitating the Wimbledon lawn courts, with two white court lines housing the label.
From everyday aperitifs to rare vintages, the Lanson family of champagnes offers a range to suit different tastes. And all share that unmistakeable stamp of freshness that lies at the heart of Champagne Lanson's style. House of Lanson
This universally loved non-vintage brut champagne, with its eponymous Black Label, is the flagbearer for Lanson's house style. Made from a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes, it's mouthwateringly fresh, crisp and full of flavour.
A brilliant straw colour, with hints of amber, Lanson Black Label has a fine stream of persistent bubbles. The nose Fresh and pure with aromas of flowers and a touch of honey, balanced with ripe citrus fruits and gently toasty flavours.
The long and slow maturation process in cool cellars gives this champagne finesse and a smooth texture. It makes the perfect aperitif.
A universally loved non-vintage brut, Lanson Black Label embodies the refined characteristics of the Lanson house style: an uplifting combination of power, freshness and elegance.
Enter Now
To win simply enter your details below.
Todays competition is now closed. Please check our Win pages for further #WimbleWin giveaways.


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The Wall Street Journal, December 1, 2012 - "The Great Yield Gamble"
Ben Levisohn and Joe Light's "The Great Yield Gamble" reports on the riskier investments that offer higher yields, such as high yield bond funds and structured products. Some of these investments are more complicated and riskier than necessary. The article quotes Craig McCann on the merits of reverse-convertible structured notes. Learn more about structured products from SLCG's free database of structured product analysis.


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There are few things in life which please me more than making lists and being so organised it hurts (those few things probably include correct grammar usage, Lucozade Orange and an afternoon nap). So the horrendously geeky side of me silently rejoiced (okay probably not so silently) when we returned from our very first family break away having not forgotten ANYTHING the baby needed. Okay it was only for two days/one night, okay we were in a town centre rather than out in the wilderness fending for ourselves so feasibly could have purchased anything we'd forgotten, okay it's not that much of a big task as filling a changing bag was in the very early days. But still!
In terms of packing, I made sure to take extra of everything – you never know when that double poonami might strike! And packed everything up into little freezer bags. So all her nappies were in one, each separate outfit in one, swimming stuff, toiletries etc. It meant it was incredibly easy to locate anything we needed and it also made things a lot easier when it came to unpacking once we returned home.
Alexandra's still just about in her moses basket so we took that with us rather than the travel cot, it was ideal really as we could fill it with all our stuff in the boot. Luckily we have a baby who travels well (she got very used to an hour each way in the car while hospital visiting!) so she slept pretty much the entire time to Buxton in Derbyshire, about an hour and a half away from our home. We took the sling and the pram with us so she could alternate depending whether we were in the town centre or out on a walk. There was a hotel swimming pool so we could have our regular Friday night swim, then we popped her into her babygrow and she came to dinner with us in her car seat. Having her in her night clothes meant we could easily transfer her into her moses when we got back up to our room.
All in all it was a lovely first night away as a family, helped massively by how good she was the whole time! We'll definitely be trying to get away for a little longer in the spring and we're keeping our fingers crossed I might be able to fly by the end of this year (as in, be medically fit to board a plane not actually learn to fly – although that would be cool too) so we can take Alex abroad.
Harriet and Alexandra x


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Herbaria or pressed plant collections have historically been the only accurate way to study botany.
The Herbaria collection contains material collected by Thomas Bruges Flower (1817 to 1899), Sir John St Aubyn (1758 to 1839), I.N.W. Keys (donated 1909) and G.C. Bignell (1826 to 1910). Specimens have been collected over a long time period, from the mid-1700s to the present day in Devon and the surrounding area.
St. Aubyn herbarium
The herbarium (pressed plant collection) dates from 1793 to 1803 and consists of approximately 1000 specimens. The collection provides a comprehensive insight into not only the local ecology at the time, but also the use of plants in medicine and the presence of new cultivars.
Associated with the specimens are many important collectors of the period who knew St Aubyn. The notes on the herbarium sheets are exceptionally detailed and the specimens themselves are in good condition. See the St. Aubyn collection page for more about this fascinating collection, or view all these specimens on our online database.
Thomas Bruge Flower herbarium
Thomas Flower's herbarium (a collection of pressed plants) was one of the most important lost collections of British flowering plants. Its rediscovery in the 1980s was a major botanical event. There are approximately 2000 specimens in the collection, covering most species found in the British Isles in the early 19th century.
About Dr Thomas Bruges Flower [PDF]
We still have no idea how this herbarium ended up in Plymouth. The history of the herbarium is by no means clear. Of the few papers written about Thomas Flower, one suggests that the herbarium was left to his family. His last surviving granddaughter, Miss Catherine Harper of Bath, is supposed to have claimed that she had a collection of Flower's. She later denied the statement. In the same article, it is reported that when someone tried to track down the herbarium in the 1940s they couldn't find it. The herbarium was last seen in Wiltshire in 1937, two years before its accession date at Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery.
The mysterious appearance of the collection at Plymouth can be more easily explained though and is more due to world events than Museum policy. It is believed that the outbreak of World War II in 1939 interrupted the Museum's monthly Committee meetings. Usually during these assemblies, new items entering the museum would be recorded in the minutes. With no meetings taking place at this time, collections like Flower's were not recorded.
George Carter Bignell Pressed seaweed
Bignell amassed a large collection of pressed marine algae collected in and around Plymouth. They are still in their original bound book which was purchased from auction in 1994. You can view this collection in an online catalogue.


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Look at some of the completed pillows from the crochet class I taught recently at my local yarn store. Don't they look great? The students did a great job. It was a lot of fun to see how different they could look just by changing up the yarn and buttons! I really enjoy seeing the feeling of accomplishment that a person has when they complete a project. A couple students went on to make more than one pillow. I'm so proud!
FYI – You can find my pattern for this pillow in the Winter 2012 issue of Crochet! Magazine.


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Campbelltown Blues seal impressive win
A strong opening quarter guided the Campbelltown Blues to a solid win over UTBS Bats on Saturday.
The Blues bounced back from last week's narrow loss to seal a 9.13 (67) to 7.3 (45) win at Waverley Oval, despite missing some key players.
The match marked round five of the Sydney AFL men's division one competition.
The Blues exploded out of the gate with a four-goal opening quarter to lead by 24 points at the first break.
UTS came back in the second quarter, aided by a strong breeze, but the Blues managed to contain them to just two goals.
Campbelltown led by 12 points at half time.
The Blues again impressed in the third term, scoring three goals to one, to take a 28-point lead into the final break.
UTS outscored its opponents in the last quarter, but the Blues finished winners by 22 points.
Trysten Stanmore was arguably best on ground for the Blues, scoring three goals.
Congratulations to Blues pair Cameron Gordon and Chris Fretwell for both kicking their 50th goals for the club.
Campbelltown's men's reserves fell 13.8 (86) to 6.7 (43) against the Camden Cats.
The Blues women's side also lost 3.7 (25) to 0.2 (2) against Newtown Breakaways.
The South West Blues under-19s men's side won after opponents Penrith Rams forfeited.


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Luiza talks beauty shoots and makeup secrets…
Model Luiza talks beauty shoots and makeup secrets…
Do you enjoy modelling beauty?
Yes, I love it. I always learn something from the makeup artist and get inspired with the
makeup looks they do.
Whats your favourite makeup look?
I'm obsessed with a natural glowing skin makeup right now. But a cat eye and red lips is my
fave makeup look for going out.
What's your favourite brand of makeup?
It's hard to choose one! I love Smashbox, Maybelline and Charlotte Tilbury.
What's your biggest beauty secret?
I spray Thermal Water on my face after removing makeup.
Follow Luiza here.


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2016-2017 Annual Geography Awards
The following is the transcript used by Geography Professor Dan Montello while presenting during the annual awards Colloquium on May 25, 2017. Jose Saleta's speech is also featured in the body of the text when he presents the Jose Saleta Award for Outstanding Contributions to Geography.
Jose Saleta Award for Outstanding Contributions to Geography:
To being, we would like to acknowledge one of our favorite long-time staff members who worked tirelessly and competently for us, Mr. Jose Saleta. Jose accepted a position outside the University a few years ago, but while he was in Geography, he was an assistant to Reg Golledge and then served as our Graduate Program Assistant. In fact, before all that, he was a graduate student in our department during the early 90s. Whatever he did, he did competently with fine manners and a cheerful disposition, with elegance one might say. So it truly thrills me to introduce the man himself, who is here to personally announce the Jose Saleta Award for Outstanding Contributions to Geography. This year's award goes to Dylan Parenti.
Transcript of Jose Saleta's award presentation: "I was honored last year to receive this award that is named after me and I am really glad to give it this year to a staff member that actually deserves it. During the time in which I was the graduate assistant, all the staff did a personality test, and this person and I were the only ones in our group. It was the 'I am not happy until you are happy' group, so I must have answered a couple of questions wrong, but he was in the right group for sure. This person is the only one who can't take a break when the computers go down. It is my privilege and honor to give the Jose Saleta Award to Dylan Parenti."
Graduate Awards
The award recipients for 2016-2017:
Leal Anne Kerry Mertes Scholarship Award was established to award an undergraduate or graduate scholar in natural or social sciences for conducting outstanding field research. Dr. Mertes was a professor in our department during the 1990s who specialized in river geomorphology. The scholarship is awarded to talented and deserving students enrolled in any UCSB department where fieldwork is an integral component of research training. For the purpose of this scholarship, "field work" is defined as studying, sampling, observing, and/or measuring natural or human phenomena in the environments in which they normally exist. The funds support both the scholarly activities and expenses associated with the fieldwork (for example: stipends, travel expenses, research supplies, research preparation costs). This year, the Leal Ann Kerry Mertes Scholarship goes to Erica Goto (from the Department of Geography) in the amount of $2,200.
The annual Department of Geography Excellence in Teaching Award is given to a graduate student who has an outstanding teaching and TAing track record, in terms of both quality and quantity. This award is made annually to a graduate student who has a record of doing a lot of TAing and instructing for us, receiving outstanding course evaluations, outstanding written comments from students, outstanding evaluations of their TA work by the course instructor and/or outstanding design of courses, sections or lab syllabi or activities. This year's award, including a $500 prize, goes to Kevin Mwenda.
The Jack Estes Memorial Award was established in memory of Jack Estes, Professor of Geography at UCSB from 1969 to 2001. Jack was Director of the Geography Remote Sensing Unit. His primary research interests involved the use of remote sensing and geographic information systems technology for analysis of earth researches. He conducted or supervised research for NASA on land-use change, crop identification, and advanced soil moisture conditions; for the U.S. Forest Service on fire fuels monitoring and modeling; and for the Environmental Protecting Agency on pollution detection and modeling, and resources management. The award is given for outstanding research achievement working in the area of remote sensing. This year's award, including a $1,000 prize, goes to Erin Wetherley.
The Jack and Laura Dangermond Graduate Fellowship is awarded to an outstanding graduate student in Geography studying within the area of Geographic Information Science. The recipient will hold the title "The Jack and Laura Dangermond Fellow" in residence for 2017-2018 and will receive a stipend of $5,000, allowing its holder to devote more time to imaginative and creative research. Jack and Laura Dangermond are the co-founders, and President and Executive Vice President, respectively, of Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI). ESRI is a major industrial supplier of software in the field of GIS. This year, the Jack and Laura Dangermond Graduate Fellowship is awarded to Sara Lafia.
Undergraduate Awards
Now, we have three Undergraduate awards we would like to present. Undergraduate awards are normally handed out during our Geography Graduation ceremony in Buchanan quad, which will be on Saturday, June 17th this year, but these three award winners are continuing students and will not be attending that ceremony, so we celebrate their accomplishments today.
The Jack and Laura Dangermond Undergraduate Fellowship– Jack and Laura Dangermond have also established a fellowship award for a promising undergraduate geography student, chosen for their outstanding academic achievement in the GIS series of classes. This year's Dangermond Fellowship Award, including a $2,000 stipend, goes to Elizabeth Szulc.
Akella Family Scholarship in Geography – The Akella Family Scholarship supports undergraduate students with high academic achievement and compelling family/personal circumstances, such as re-entry/non-traditional students, extended family responsibilities, and the like. The award is available to all Geography majors at any time during their academic career. This year's award, including a $1,000 prize, goes to Jonathan Trautman.
The Nicholas Bourdakis Memorial Award – The Bourdakis Fund was established after the tragic death of Nicolas in February 2001, struck by a car while walking in Isla Vista. He had just declared Geography as his major. This fund helps keep Nick's memory alive by supporting future generations of outstanding undergraduate Geography students at UCSB. This year's award, including a $1,000 prize, goes to Lauren Enright.
Congratulations to all our awardees!