Washington D.C., U.S.A. — Survivors of Iran-backed bombings in Beirut in 1983, at the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia in 1996, and families who lost loved ones in these attacks praised the House and Senate for coming to agreement on an Iran sanctions bill, especially for including language that clarifies and strengthens current law governing collection of court awarded judgments against Iran for its role in the two terrorist events.

The survivors and families from across the United States said they are now closer to being able to hold Iran responsible for murdering 241 American service men in Beirut and 19 at the Khobar Towers and for maiming many others at both locations.

“This legislation is a major step in making sure that Iran understands that it will have to face responsibility for killing and injuring Americans. No legislation or legal judgment can repair the awful damage Iran did to all of our families, but at least we can all know that our country stands behind us in seeking justice forIran’s murderous rampages,” said Lynn Smith Derbyshire National Spokesperson for the Beirut Families and whose brother, Marine Captain Vincent Smith, was killed in the bombing.

The American victims of Iranian terrorism groups commended Congress for taking a strong stand in an array of sanctions areas. They said they were particularly grateful to the Senate Banking Committee, especially Senators Robert Menendez (D-NY) and Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL); the House Foreign Affairs Committee; especially the Chair, Representative Ileana Ross-Lehtinen (R-FL); the House Financial Services Committee and Chair, Spencer Bachus; the House Judiciary Committee and Chair, Lamar Smith(R-TX); and Representative Robert Turner (R-NY) as well as the tireless efforts of House and Senate staffers for their collective efforts in assuring that provisions that will make it easier to make Iran pay for its terrorism were included in the omnibus bill.

The groups urged expeditious passage of a final bill and expressed hopes that President Obama will sign it into law promptly.

Image Courtesy of    Official U.S. Air Force

The article Beirut and Khobar Bombing Victims Praise Iran Sanctions Bill appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

iPakistan is a new social media initiative set up by a group of Pakistani university students to change the global perception of Pakistan. Reaching out to others via the web, their aim is to re-brand Pakistan and break the stereotypes that often result in discrimination and prejudice towards its people.

Type out ‘Pakistan’ in the Google Images search bar and scroll down the first few pages: one would find pictures of maps,  the Pakistani flag and images that spell out a country torn between poverty and war. Although this may be the harsh reality in some parts of Pakistan, it is not the only reality of this South Asian country, as some are prone to believe.  With the kind of news surfacing daily regarding the conflicts, bomb blasts and political issues of not only the country, but also its neighbors’ it’s not hard to see why most people have a negative outlook on Pakistan. Rehman Ilyas aims to change this by replacing the post 9/11 images of terrorism, extremism and war zone to that of extremely talented youths, scenic landscapes and rich culture.

As a Lahori studying at the University of Hong Kong, Ilyas found himself subject to questions about Pakistan ranging from relatively normal ones such as “Do you have any malls there?” to more ridiculous ones like “Is there Taliban in your family?” He was always aware of the injustice done by the world media news in regards to their portrayal of his country but he was unaware of the severity of it until he arrived in Hong Kong.

“People only got to see that 1% of Pakistan in which the War on Terror is going on, in the media, and take that to be representative of the entire Pakistan,” he said.

Instead of merely complaining, he took action and decided to play his part in correcting the wrongly propagated image of his country. He started with doing his own online research on the subject and pitching the idea to his friends, followed by doing pilot tests on Facebook and a trial website. A survey was even conducted to realistically depict what the world thinks of Pakistan. Tackling the issues from there, what initially started out as a personal contribution to his country has now expanded to a website and a Facebook page with contents from over 80 team members, a diversified group of youths spread over 10 countries all intent on introducing the real Pakistan to the world.

Ilyas also intends to reach out to the world for a greater purpose that could help Pakistan in a myriad of other ways. According to him, “The 2011 floods in Pakistan were worse than the Asian Tsunami and the Haiti Earthquake combined, and an area the size of England was inundated in water. Despite all this, the media coverage and global aid intervention received wasn’t even close as compared to these other recent natural calamities, simply because people around the world were not interested in helping out a country which in their minds, harbors terrorist groups and is a base camp for terrorist activities around the world.”

Setting the global views straight, even one person at a time, could slowly prove to be beneficial for 180 million Pakistanis. With Pakistani businessman and traders at exhibitions around the world facing difficulties when questioned about bringing in supplies reliably to and from a war zone, Ilyas’ project could have a positive effect on his country economically as well.

Along with changing the way others perceive his country, Ilyas would also like to see a few changes within the nation itself. Speaking for a majority of the population, he said, “Most Pakistanis crave for a change of leadership. We are done with having the same corrupt leaders elected again and again, and this needs to end now. Pakistan is blessed with both vast natural resources and human capital, and given the right leadership we have the potential to develop into a regional superpower.”

Another sub-project that Ilyas has been working on is ‘Romancing the Border’ and is aimed at another issue spread across the nation: the social gap between Indians and Pakistanis. With most youths having been raised with a mindset bearing hatred for the other side, the stereotypical views separate the youths despite the fact both sides may be similar to each other in a lot of aspects. Backed by Stanford University’s Peace Innovation Lab, this cross-border initiative provides an online platform for youth from both sides of the border to interact with each other and to encourage pro-social behaviors between Pakistanis and Indians.

Having received positive responses so far regarding iPakistan from both Pakistanis and foreigners, Ilyas hopes to reach out to the masses and in the foreseeable future, instead of us receiving war torn images of Pakistan as soon as we Google the word, iPakistan will appear on the top search results and bring about a positive first impression of the country.

Perhaps it is a sign of change in the world when youths stand up to defend their country, and not in the traditional means of violence or crude words, but by showing the rest of us what their nation is capable of, what makes it beautiful, and most importantly, what makes it their home and source of pride. With that, Ilyas leaves us with one last statement on his beloved homeland, “We are not a country supporting terrorism. In fact, we are the country which has sacrificed the most in the war against terrorism.”

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

The article iPakistan: Seeing Pakistan in a New Light appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Washington, U.S.A. – An experts panel hosted by the Carnegie Endowment and Atlantic Council warned that al-Qaeda terrorists are consolidating their position in northern Mali — buoyed by drug-trafficking, kidnapping ransoms, Libyan arms, and an influx of extremists. As the international community deliberates next steps on the Mali ”meltdown,” analysts worry about the spread of an Arc of Instability across Africa’s Sahel.

“Terrorists are consolidating their position by the day in northern Mali and the international community just talks,” said Maman Sidikou, Niger’s Ambassador to the US. He cited the influx of Libyan arms, kidnappings, and control by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) of drug-smuggling routes. “Al-Qaeda has the resources, arms, and ideology to turn young people’s minds. They are the driving force.” Why would international leaders “wait while this turns into another Afghanistan?”

For Western aid-workers, Rossella Urru of Italy and Ainhoa Fernandez de Rincon and Enric Gonyacons of Spain, it was day 222 of captivity since their Oct. 23 kidnapping from a Polisario-run refugee camp near Tindouf in Algeria, reportedly assisted by camp-insiders. They are believed held in northern Mali by an al-Qaeda offshoot, Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), that threatens to kill one of them if its ransom demands aren’t met. More than half of Westerners kidnapped in Africa are now held in northern Mali, news reports indicate.

“Northern Mali is turning into a Star Wars bar of extremists from across the region,” said Dr. J. Peter Pham, Director, Atlantic Council’s Ansari Africa Center. “The last thing Africa needs right now is another Failed State” attracting bad actors.”  He added that “pragmatism” holds together the ideologically diverse groups now in control — Tuareg-led separatists, Ansar Dine Islamists, AQIM, and MUJAO.

“The meltdown in the north came in conjunction with the coup in the south,” said Anouar Boukhars, co-leader of Carnegie’s Mauritania working group and assistant professor, McDaniel College. He and panelist Rudolph Atallah, senior fellow, Atlantic Council, outlined the complex history that provided the “ingredients for the conflagration.”

Al-Qaeda’s consolidation in northern Mali underscores growing volatility across Africa’s Sahel.Multiple reports are linking instability in the region to other militants and groups in the Maghreb and Sahel, including members from the Polisario-run camps.

The article Al-Qaeda Consolidating Position in Northern Mali appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

In a continued attack against the education of women in Afghanistan, 160 female students were poisoned Tuesday at a school in the north-eastern province of Takhar. The second wave of violence in only a week’s time, the incident follows a similar pattern as the first, with police suspecting the classroom had been sprayed with a toxic material before the girls arrived to take their lessons.

Aged 10 to 20, the students reportedly smelled a strange odor upon entering the room, before experiencing symptoms such as headaches and dizziness, with many vomiting before losing consciousness. All were immediately taken to the hospital; most were discharged after only a few hours.

While none of the victims are in critical condition from the poisoning, there remains the obvious potential for emotional trauma after the incident – which is undoubtedly the true goal of this vicious assault. Extremists in Afghanistan, including the Taliban, have long opposed the many attempts to educate women in the country.

From throwing acid in the faces of girls on their way to school, to setting off bombs near institutions that allow education for both sexes, it has never been a secret how these groups feel about the women of their country garnering knowledge.  One of the major goals of their campaign is to keep women ignorant, and what better way is there to do so than to emotionally scar girls from attempting to go to school again? From making these children fear the concept of it?

While no one has formally claimed responsibility for the poisoning of the schools, many have already pronounced the Taliban as the guilty party due to their history of violence and threats against schools and women. The militant group, however, denies any culpability in the incident, instead going so far as to claim that NATO and the United States are attempting to frame them for the heinous act.

Whether the Taliban was involved or not, the poisonings only serve to further increase concern about a potential comeback for the insurgents in the government, after the Western states agreed to pull their military forces out of the country by the year 2014.

The Taliban held a strong reign on Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, when U.S troops invaded to try and foster democracy within the nation.  Prior to U.S intervention, there was a ban on education for women, which many believe will come back into effect if the Taliban find themselves in a position to return to power.

Image Courtesy of   Lizette Potgieter / Shutterstock.com

The article Another School Poisoned in Afghanistan, 160 Girls Fall Victim appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Anders Behring Breivik, who has been psychologically evaluated by psychiatrists, insists he is not crazy and that taking the insanity plea would be worse than death. This has a lot of people wondering, what is sane about killing 77 people?

Breivik has admitted his crime and told the court last week in chilling detail and with no remorse, how he went about killing 69 civilians that were attending a political youth camp on Utoya, an island just outside of Oslo, Norway.

According to VOANews, “he told a court filled with relatives of those he killed that at first he was hesitant to carry out his plan to shoot as many people as he could when he arrived on Utoya Island. But he said the killing got easier once he shot his first victim in the head.”

Another eight people had already been killed from a bombing that Breivik orchestrated at a government building in Oslo. He claims he got the idea of executing his plan after extensively researching Timothy McVeigh. McVeigh is infamously known for his anti-government antics and is commonly referred to as the Oklahoma City Bomber after killing 168 people and injuring an additional 600 in 1995.

Breivik, who has strong anti-Islamic beliefs, has mentioned at every one of his court appearances that he killed those people “in order to fight multiculturalism in Norway and what he sees as a Muslim invasion of Europe.”

If Breivik is found sane, the maximum sentence he will receive is a 21 year prison sentence, which reflects that Norway does not have the death penalty. Is a 21 year prison sentence too lenient for taking the lives of 77 people?

While the government system seems to be acting extremely lenient toward Breivik’s sentencing in comparison to other nation’s standards, several Norwegians are not taking his massacres lightly. Tens of thousands of Norwegians defied Breivik as they gathered in Oslo on April 26. At the gathering, Norwegians united by singing a folk song about multiculturalism.

Civilians attending the event also listened to the stories of some of those who survived Breivik’s attacks and then went to the courtroom where a few survivors testified. One woman who worked at the government building discussed how, after the bomb detonated, “she fell into a coma and lost her memory.” Another man, who also worked at the government building discussed how he survived the blast but lost eighty-percent of his eye-sight as a result.

Breivik has been subjected to two psychological analyses; the first declared that he was insane while the second declared that he was sane. Breivik was outraged by both results while claiming the first analysis attempted to show him as unintelligent and that those who diagnosed him were simply making “evil fabrications” against him. The second psychological test result was that Breivik is sane but is “narcissistic and dissocial.” However, many contend that there is nothing sane about either incident. Breivik has remained emotionless and expression-less throughout the trial as details are unraveled of what he has done. The mass murder told the court last week that, “I embrace death. I looked at the action on July 22 as a suicide mission.”

Breivik has been charged with pre-meditated murder and terrorism. While he admits what he has done, he still rejects the idea that he is criminally guilty of anything. If 33-year-old Breivik decides to take the insanity plea, he would be institutionalized at a psychiatric care facility rather than face prison time.

Regardless of Breivik’s final sentencing, he is standing his ground. He was hopeful that Norway would change its immigration policy after his attacks in July. He is upset that nothing has been changed.

Breivik has warned prosecutor Inga Bejer Engh that “there are currently two other one-man cells in Norway ‘planning attacks’ and who could strike at any time.” Until that day comes however, Anders Behring Breivik will be infamously known in history as carrying out the deadliest massacre ever committed by a lone gunman.

The article Norway Killer: Would Rather Face Death than Insanity Plea appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

On April 2, the U.S. government offered a $10 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Hafeez Saeed, the spiritual chief of Pakistan’s Lashkar-i-Taiba militant group and an alleged mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

A yearlong investigation by ProPublica and PBS’ Frontline explored the role of American David Coleman Headley in planning the three-day raid by gunmen of Lashkar-i-Taiba supported by Pakistan’s intelligence service, the ISI.

As Propublica reported, Headley revealed that Saeed helped plan the Mumbai attacks. He credited Saeed for inspiring him to jihad and, after his arrest, told interrogators about Saeed’s ties to Pakistani intelligence. “He is very close to ISI,” Headley said of Saeed. “He is well protected.” (For more, see the complete coverage.) The U.S. State Department also offered a reward for Hafiz Abdul Rahman Makki, another senior Lashkar boss.

The announcements show how much U.S-Pakistani relations have deteriorated as the Obama administration has taken a harder line with Islamabad. When Headley was indicted in late 2009 for conducting reconnaissance for the attacks that killed 166 people, U.S. authorities tried to avoid diplomatic tensions by refraining from publicly identifying Lashkar masterminds involved in the deaths of six Americans and other Westerners as well as Indians in Mumbai.

Last year, U.S. prosecutors indicted midlevel Lashkar chief Sajid Mir, an ISI officer named Major Iqbal and two other accused plotters. Prosecutors detailed the ISI’s central role in the attacks during a federal trial in Chicago of an accomplice of Headley.

The case, along with the discovery of Osama bin Laden in a military garrison town, raised alarming questions about the ISI’s support for terrorism and escalated tensions with Pakistan.Although U.S. prosecutors have not indicted Saeed, the offer of the reward is clearly intended to increase pressure on Lashkar, the ISI and the Pakistani government.

Saeed is a powerful public figure in Pakistan and has held mass rallies in recent months in which he denounced the West and India.Pakistani authorities have occasionally placed him under brief house arrest, but Western and Indian counterterror officials say he continues to run Lashkar with the support and protection of the Pakistani government.

Pakistani authorities have also refused to arrest Mir, Major Iqbal and other suspects despite abundant evidence against them. Their whereabouts, like Saeed’s, are well-known.

The trial in Pakistan of Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Lashkar’s military chief, and a few others charged in the Mumbai case has stalled. As ProPublica reported last year, Lakhvi continues to lead the group from jail and authorities have refused to confiscate his cell phone despite a direct appeal from a senior U.S. official to the director of the ISI.

“This is a name-and-shame tactic directed at two of the most public figures in Lashkar,” said Stephen Tankel, an American University professor and author of the book “Storming the World Stage” about the group. “It appears to be part of a long-term effort to exert pressure on the Pakistani government.”

by Sebastian Rotella, ProPublica, April 3, 2012, 2:22 p.m.

The article $10 Million Bounty for Alleged Mumbai Plotter Ups Pressure on Pakistan appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

On Wednesday, 8 February 2012, the NBC Rock Center TV program website ran a provocative story, “Israel teams with terror group to kill Iran’s nuclear scientists, U.S. officials tell NBC News.” The article claims, “Deadly attacks on Iranian nuclear scientists are being carried out by an Iranian dissident group that is financed, trained and armed by Israel’s secret service, U.S. officials tell NBC News, confirming charges leveled by Iran’s leaders.”

In conducting covert operations against Iranian nuclear scientists and engineers, the NBC story asserts that Israel’s intelligence service supposedly uses as a proxy the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MeK), an Iranian dissident group the State Department classifies as a terrorist organization.

According to Professor Raymond Tanter, former member of the National Security Council staff in the Reagan-Bush White House and now President of the Iran Policy Committee, “Left out of the NBC story is that the State Department categorizes the MeK as a terrorist group despite the law and facts.” Tanter added, “Tehran’s anti-MeK propaganda machine also routinely blames the MeK for terrorist actions, irrespective of evidence to the contrary.”

Consider an October 2011 criminal complaint filed by the Justice Department against Iranian agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force charged with involvement in a foiled plot to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador to the United States. In discussing Tehran’s role in the plot, the former head of the Department of Justice 2007-2009, Attorney General Michael Mukasey, made an assessment of the law and facts concerning the MeK terrorist designation.

General Mukasey said on 14 October 2011, “Continued listing [of the MeK] is totally unjustified as a legal matter. There are no facts that justify maintaining MeK on the terrorist list.”

And what is Tehran’s response when confronted with evidence of its own complicity in the Saudi assassination plot? Professor Tanter said, “The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security blames Israel and the United States and asserts MeK involvement. Even the State Department promptly denied MeK responsibility in the plot to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador and accused Tehran of fabricating news stories to exploit skepticism about the scheme.”

Tanter added, “A similar pattern is apparent in the accusation reported in the NBC story by Mohammad Javad Larijani, a senior aide to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, of alleged collusion between the MeK and Israel to assassinate Iranian nuclear scientists. “Larijani simply fabricated a narrative associating Israel with the MeK to exploit uncertainty about the nature of those who are engaged in assassinating Iranian scientists,” according to Tanter.

The NBC story claiming to connect Israel to the MeK also alleges an association of the MeK to al Qaeda. Supposedly, the MeK cut a deal with Pakistani-born terrorist Ramzi Yousef a year after he masterminded the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center in New York City. Yousef also built a bomb that MeK agents allegedly placed in a shrine in Mashad, Iran, in June 1994 . 

The IPC book,  Terror Tagging  authored by Professor Tanter with the Foreword by General Mukasey, refers to the bombing of the Mashad shrine mentioned in the NBC report implicating the MeK and linking it to one of the operatives in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing—Yousef. Tanter stated, “Contrary to the NBC anonymous U.S. government source, an open Pakistani source accuses a Pakistani militant not the MeK as having connections to Yousef to carry out the 1994 shrine bombing.”

Although [the Iranian] government blamed the Mujahedin-e-Khalq in a TV show to avoid sectarian conflict between Shia and Sunni, the Pakistani daily “News” of March 27, 1995 reported, “Pakistani investigators have identified a 24-year-old religious fanatic Abdul Shakoor residing in Lyari in Karachi, as an important Pakistani associate of Ramzi Yousef. Abdul Shakoor had intimate contacts with Ramzi Ahmed Yousefand was responsible for the June 20, 1994, massive bomb explosion at the shrine Imam Ali Reza in Mashhad.

At the time of the 1994 Mashad bombing, the MeK denied any role. And a few years later, during one of the regime’s regular factional feuds, a former member of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence asserted that the bombing had been perpetrated by the Ministry, and in particular, by Saeed Emami, then one of its deputies.

A main theme of the NBC story is its assertion, anonymously backed by American officials, of collusion between Israel and the MeK. That claim provides a convenient rationale for the Iranian regime to engage in terrorist attacks against Israeli diplomats.

“Accusing Israel of using as a proxy a ‘terrorist’ organization to assassinate Iranian nuclear scientists provides false legitimacy for Iranian assassination plots in Washington as well as a trio of plots and bombings against Israelis in New Delhi, Tbilisi, Georgia, and Bangkok, Thailand,” according to Professor Tanter.

Regarding the anonymous leak that lends a veneer of credibility to the NBC story, on 11 February 2012, former Director of the FBI, Judge Louis Freeh, called for an investigation of the leak to NBC because it damaged U.S. national security; and former Governor of Vermont and presidential candidate, Howard Dean, said, “Either the source committed treason or committed the usual Washington sin of lying to the press.”

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/idfonline/

The article NBC Deceived about Israel’s Secret Attacks against Iranian Scientists appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The producers of The Third Jihad: Radical Islam’s Vision for America have a direct response to media outlets that have referred to the critically-acclaimed documentary as an “anti-Islam” or “hateful” film.

“Claims that The Third Jihad is an anti-Islam film are ignorant and misinformed,” says Raphael Shore, Producer of The Third Jihad. “These claims are meant simply to defame the filmmakers and prevent the public from judging the film for themselves.”

The film opens with the following frame in bold letters for all viewers to read: “This is not a film about Islam. It is about the threat of radical Islam. Only a small percentage of the world’s 1.3 billion Muslims are radical.” The film’s message urges the Muslim community to look within itself to root out the indoctrination that affects a minority of Muslims.

Narrator Dr. Zuhdi Jasser

“The New York Times and other media outlets are conveniently choosing to overlook the fact that the film isolates a small sector of the Muslim community, and more importantly that the film is narrated by Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, the founder and president of the American-Islamic Forum for Democracy [http://www.aifdemocracy.org ],” Shore added.

Dr. Jasser is a devout Muslim and a full-time physician and has served the United States of America admirably as medical officer in the US Navy and as an attending physician to the US Congress.

The documentary is founded on credible evidence presented by the FBI of a ‘Manifesto’ published by radicals calling for the implementation of extremist ideology-both violent and politicized-within the United States.

Yet the media are blasting the film’s usage by the New York Police Department in their counterterrorism training.

“There is a very good reason the NYPD selected to show The Third Jihad to nearly 1,500 police officers, and other law enforcement agencies have done the same,” Shore said. “The film deals with the very real process of radicalization and indoctrination of anti-American ideology taking place in some sectors of the Muslim community today.”

While many media outlets are presently taking a noticeably negative stance – before even watching the film – the film has been spotlighted in over 100 interviews since its release in 2009.

The film’s narrator, Zuhdi Jasser, has consistently appeared in mainstream media outlets including MSNBC, CNN and Fox News, and has published Op-Eds in numerous mainstream publications including the Wall Street Journal to point out concerning trends within the Muslim community.

Experts

Jasser is not the only credible expert to appear in The Third Jihad, nor is NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly.

The film’s producers conducted exclusive interviews with:

-Former Director of Homeland Security Tom Ridge,

- Former Director of Central Intelligence R. James Woolsey

- Former NYC Mayor Rudolph Giuliani

- Former Associate Director of the FBI

- Former FBI Asst. Dir. of Public Affairs John Miller

- Senator Joseph Lieberman

- Professor Bernard Lewis

- New York Times Best-selling Author Ayaan Hirsi Ali

- Former CIA Officer Clare Lopez

- Former CIA Officer Wayne Simmons

- New York Times Best-selling Author Mark Steyn

- And more (http://tinyurl.com/about3J)

Screenings

Since its release in 2009, The Third Jihad has screened and continues to be screened at several hundred locations across the United States including at the Library of Congress, Museum of Tolerance, Directors’ Screen Guild, and the National Press Club.

The film previously aired on cable television’s AmericanLife TV Network, and is currently available on Netflix and Amazon OnDemand.

Praise

The film has also received notable praise from some of the nation’s leading policy makers.

“It is imperative that The Third Jihad reaches a mass audience in the U.S. so that the urgency of this threat becomes clear to the American public,” declared US Rep. Ros-Lehtinen (FL), Chairwoman of the House Foreign Relations Committee.

Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (AZ) said, “The Third Jihad alerts Americans to the dangers of Islamic radicalization in our own communities. Zuhdi Jasser is sounding the alarm before it is too late.”

Rudy Giuliani called the film, “a wake up call for America.”

“Those that have blasted the film are attempting to stifle an important debate about the internal state of the Muslim community in America, and whether politicized Islam and indoctrination pose tangible security threats,” Shore added.

“We hope that the general public will consider the sensitive content in the film, and will not simply accept the baseless innuendos being made in the media. We invite the general public to watch and judge the documentary for themselves.”

The Third Jihad is now available for free viewing online at http://www.thethirdjihad.com.

Image Courtesy of  https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Third-Jihad-Movie/55200400800

The article The Third Jihad: Producers Respond to Anti-Islam and Hate Claims appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

In a transparent attempt to win favor with the powerful tourism industry, President Obama announced that his administration will waive consular interview requirements for people renewing U.S. Visas. He also directed his administration to expand the number of countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program.

Citizens of VWP nations can enter the U.S. without obtaining a Visa in advance.  The net result of both changes – counterintuitive in a post-9/11 world – is that millions of additional people will enter the U.S. with less scrutiny.

“The changes the President is making to the Visa issuance process, without Congressional approval, weaken important safeguards against terrorism and increase the potential for more Visa over-stayers,” stated Dan Stein, president of Federation for American Immigration Reform. “The longstanding requirement for an in-person interview allows trained consular officers to identify people who might pose a threat to national security or who are likely to remain in the United States illegally.”

The proposal to significantly expand the VWP program ignores explicit warnings made by the 9/11 Commission which cited the VWP as a weakness that can be easily manipulated by terrorists. “It is exceedingly reckless to operate a Visa waiver system, much less expand it, in an age where terrorists carry many different passports.

Moreover, the U.S. still has no comprehensive system that matches the entry and exit of foreign travelers to ensure we are alerted when Visa holders stay in the country illegally,” Stein cautioned. This move by the Obama administration is the latest in a two-year campaign of unilateral policy changes designed to minimize immigration enforcement.

It is also a clear effort to appeal to business interests in an election year. The timing and location of the announcement is designed to boost the President’s sagging popularity in Florida, a state he believes he must win in November.

“President Obama claims his new initiatives will create jobs. If the President really wants to change immigration policy to expand jobs, he’d restore credibility to our immigration system by securing our border, stepping up interior enforcement, supporting mandatory E-Verify, and substantially reducing legal immigration.

That would reduce foreign competition for scarce jobs that Americans need.  And in the process, not one of those things would jeopardize national security,” Stein concluded.

9438733474 / Shutterstock.com

The article Obama’s Weakening of Visa Requirements May Have Security Risks appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

According to award-winning novelist and relative of Columbine shooting victim, Daniel Rohrbough, there is a direct link to school shootings and Al-Qaeda. “When I researched school shootings, more and more evidence pointed to how the Internet is being used to infiltrate, deceive, and recruit boys into the dark world of terrorism,” says Linda Rohrbough.

Formerly a computer book author, Rohrbough discovered a link between school shootings and Al-Qaeda while searching for answers after her nephew was gunned down at Columbine. “My first inkling of the connection to Al-Qaeda was when I attended the Columbine memorial service. I recognized General Colin Powell at the center of the platform in full military dress. He was never mentioned or introduced, and he never spoke. He was just there.”

Powell is an expert on the Middle East, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and credited for successful execution of Operation Desert Storm, which expelled the Iraqi army from Kuwait.

Further reports unveiled the Columbine shooters bragged theirs would be the first of many shootings. Also, the teenage shooters low-level formatted the hard disk drives of their computers before heading out to kill. Rohrbough wanted to know, “How could they know other shootings would follow? And why erase their hard disk drives? What were they trying to hide?”

Fortunately, in two cases, the authorities got to computers before the low-level format was complete. First, in a school shooting in Paris, and second, when a teenager in Florida flew his dad’s plane into a building. In both cases, e-mails traced back to Al-Qaeda operatives. Most recently, three teens in Louisiana were caught before shooting and are being held on conspiracy to commit terrorism charges.

Rohrbough’s extensive research resulted in her new novel, The Prophetess One: At Risk, published on April 20th, 2011, the 12th anniversary of the Columbine shooting.

Image Courtesy of  Randy Miramontez / Shutterstock.com

The article School Shootings Have Direct Link to Al-Qaeda, Author Says appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

A 27-year-old man living in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn was charged Friday for providing monetary support to terrorists. Agron Hasbajrami, an Albanian citizen, assisted terrorists and planned to join their radical efforts abroad, according to the New York Times.

Prosecutors reported Friday that Hasbajrami was arrested Tuesday as he attempted to board a flight to Istanbul using a one-way ticket at Kennedy International Airport. His destination was Pakistan, where Hasbajrami intended to join a jihadist organization.

According to The New York Times, Hasbajrami, who had been living legally in Brooklyn since 2008, send more than $1,000 to Pakistan over the past year with the intention that the money be used to support terrorist activity. Hasbajrami told his contact in Pakistan that he wanted to “marry with the girls in paradise,” a common reference to dying as a martyr while fighting jihad.

After his arrest, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents found several handwritten notes in his residence, including one that said, “Do not wait for invasion, the time is martyrdom time,” prosecutors said. On Thursday Hasbajrami was by a grand jury. He was to be arraigned before Judge Lois Bloom of United States District Court in Brooklyn on Friday afternoon.

A defense lawyer had not yet been assigned, reported the New York Times. “The vigilance of law enforcement has resulted in the capture of another alleged aspiring terrorist bent on traveling overseas for violent jihad,” said Loretta Lynch, U.S. Attorney in Brooklyn. “We will spare no effort in stopping terrorists before they strike.”

According to the detention order, e-mails intercepted by the F.B.I. revealed that Hasbarjami had planned to leave the country in August but cancelled the flight because he thought he might be caught. In other e-mails, Hasbarjami’s contact in Pakistan instructed him to bring money for food and a weapon.

According to The Wall Street Journal, if Hasbajrami is convicted of the change of providing material support to terrorists, he faces up to 15 years in prison. Prosecutors are expected to ask that he be held without bail.

The article Brooklyn Man Arrested For Supporting Terrorists appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The US Homeland Security Department has acknowledged a ‘credible and specific’ report that al Qaeda is planning to blow up infrastructure in New York on the anniversary of the national tragedy that struck the United States 10 years ago on September 11.

New York’s mayor Michael Bloomberg told the press that the intelligence of the threat was uncorroborated but because of the nature of the situation, nobody was willing to take chances. “We know the terrorists regard the anniversary as an opportunity to strike again. We do live in a world where we must take these threats seriously,” Bloomberg said according to British newspaper The Guardian.

Intelligence agencies are behind the warning. To the Huffington Post, a US intelligence official said, “US counterterrorism entities have been alert for any leads, and for the first time we’ve received specific and credible – but unconfirmed – threat information linked to the 9/11 anniversary.

Any and all leads related to possible plots are of course being run to ground, and the US will bring every resource to bear to ensure the security of the American people.” The assistant director of the FBI in New York, Janice Fedarcyk, told The Guardian that initial suspicion was raised during the raid at Abbottabad, Pakistan that killed Osama Bin Laden.

The obtained intelligence showed that al-Qaida had an interest in several important dates – including 9/11. President Barack Obama has requested redoubled effort from the counter-terrorism forces in order to clarify the nature of the threat and Fedarcyk was sure to stress that “sometimes this reporting is credible and warrants intense focus, other times it lacks credibility and is highly unlikely to relate to real plots that are underway.”

Citizens of New York will have to deal with tightened security around the city. Sky News reports that extra police will carry out checks on cars around tunnels and bridges while there will be more bag inspections on the subway and more resources put into radiation and bomb monitoring.

Mayor Bloomberg said that while the authorities are taking additional measures to protect the city in anticipation of the weekend, he would like New Yorkers to go about their business as usual. “The best thing we can do to fight terror is to refuse to be intimidated by it.

For the past 10 years we have not allowed terrorists to intimidate us, we have lived out lives without fear and we will continue to do so,” said Bloomberg.
Ryan Rodrick Beiler / Shutterstock.com

The article New York Steps Up Security After 9/11 Anniversary Threat appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The man behind the bombing and mass shooting which resulted in the death of 76 people in Norway on Friday has revealed to his lawyer, Geir Lippestad, that he believes he is a ‘savior’ of Norway and Europe. The attorney told the Associated Press in an interview that he believes his client is “ insane” but did not know if he was going to use an insanity defense.

Apparently, Anders Behring Breivik is unaware of the impact his actions have had and he asked his attorney how many people he had killed — a question Mr. Lippestad said he did not answer.

In a statement to AP, Lippestad explained “His reason [for the attacks] is that he wants to start a war against democracy, against the Muslims in the world, and as he said he wants to liberate Europe and the Western world.”

“He asked me if I was shocked and if I would explain to him what happened,” Lippestad continued. “He didn’t know if he had succeeded with his plan.”

The Huffington Post reported that Breivik has admitted to taking drugs to boost his performance during the killing spree and believes his ‘operation’ has gone according to plan. “He expects that this is a start of a war that will last for 60 years. But his mind is very [...] well I don’t want to comment more on his mind, but that’s what he believes,” said Lippestad, who himself is a member of the targeted Labour Party. “He looks upon himself as a warrior. And he started this war, and takes some kind of pride in that.”

Breivik has insinuated that he is part of a wider network across Europe called ‘Knights Templar’ which is dedicated to what the 32-year-old has described as ‘anti-jihad’ in his 1,500-page manifesto. However, police have stated that they believe he acted alone, despite no conclusive evidence excluding accomplices. European security officials have in any case heightened their awareness of far-right statements online.

On Tuesday, the Norwegian police began publishing the names of some of the victims, revealing devastating last minutes before death. Gunnar Linaker, 23, was on the phone with his father when Breivik opened fire. Roald Linaker told AP “He said to me: ‘Dad, dad, someone is shooting,’ and then he hung up.”

More names will be revealed in the coming days as victims are being identified and their relatives informed.

The article Oslo Killer Anders Behring Breivik: Lawyer Suspect Insanity appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The 32-year-old Anders Behring Breivik who took responsibility for the twin attacks in Norway on Friday, appeared in court Monday, admitting to the massacre but denying the terrorism charges.

The charges against him refer to ‘destabilizing vital functions of society, including government, and causing serious fear in the population’, according to the BBC. Breivik had requested to wear a uniform to the hearing but was denied by the court. He had asked for full media presence, but this was also denied as Judge Kim Heger ruled that Breivik might be using the opportunity to signal yet unidentified accomplices.

According to the Norwegian penal code, the crimes of the right-wing extremist can result in up to 21 years of prison, but the Norwegian police is considering charging the attack according to a revised section of the law that refers to crimes against humanity. One of the clauses in the 2008 revision includes the persecution of a group based on their political convictions. This could give Breivik up to 30 years in prison.

So far, Breivik has to remain eight weeks in custody under a letter-, visitation- and media ban. Four of these weeks will be in total isolation. During the hearing, he recognized that he would be spending the rest of his life in prison.

According to Breivik’s lawyer, the 32-year-old does not believe his act was wrong. Breivik also claimed that people would try to shoot him on the way to the hearing and is under the impression that torture is common practice in Norwegian prisons. “He has a different understanding of how it is to be in prison, completely removed from reality,” said his lawyer, Geir Lippestad.

The prosecutor Christian Hatlo, described Breivik’s appearance in court as ‘calm’. “He had a great need to explain why he had done what he did. He was to some extend allowed to do so but once he started to read from his alleged manifest, and that started to drag on, he was interrupted by the judge.”

Breivik had argued that he “was acting to save Norway and Europe from ‘Marxist and Muslim colonisation’” and according to a BBC report, he claimed that his operation was aimed specifically at Norway’s governing Labour Party. He accuses them of failing the country on immigration.

Two psychiatrists have been appointed to assess Breivik’s mental health.

The article Norway Massacre: Breivik’s Court Appearance Spoke of His Alternate Reality appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

This afternoon, a bomb exploded in the capital of Norway outside the offices of Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and a number of surrounding buildings. An eyewitness reportedly saw the blast shattering all the windows in the high-rise building. “I saw three or four injured people being carried out of the building a few minutes later,” Ole Tommy Pedersen told AP.

Within 45 minutes, the city centre was evacuated and the police confirmed that people had been killed. Both police and military was on the scene and the injured were treated in the streets.

According to the New York Times, the terror group Ansar al-Jihad al-Alami, or the Helpers of the Global Jihad, has claimed responsibility for the bombing.

Meanwhile, a youth camp linked to the leading Norwegian Labour party was involved in a shooting outside Oslo and it is believed that the two events could be linked. Norwegian police have confirmed that at least 30 people have been killed in the camp shooting when an unknown gunman, dressed as a police officer, opened fire indiscriminately on the attendees. The camp was taking place on the island Utoeyais and some tried to flee the violence by jumping into the water.

Seven people have so far died from the bombing in Oslo and two are badly injured. Residents are advised to stay at home.

Timeline:

• 1.30pm: Massive car bomb explosion kills at least seven in Oslo
• 3.30pm: Between 25 and 30 dead as man disguised as police officer opens fire on island youth meeting Norwegian prime minister was due to attend
• Eyewitnesses say bodies floating in the sea around the island
• Man arrested on the island was 6ft tall, had blonde hair and spoke Norwegian – reports he was shot and wounded before being detained
• Police fear explosives may have been laid at camp
• Unknown group called ‘Helpers of the Global Jihad’ said to have posted message saying this is reaction to publication of Muhammed cartoons
• Islands residents told not to reveal their location on Twitter or Facebook
• British Foreign Minister William Hague condemns ‘horrific’ attack
• Oslo Mayor: ‘Wish I were on island to be shot instead of children’
• Police believe the two attacks may be linked

The article Double Terrorist Attack on Norway Leaves More than 30 People Dead appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

It has been about 10 years since the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Even though its been ten years, Ground Zero has not been forgotten and continues to move forward. Proposed in 2006, New York City is building the Freedom Tower, which will be the city’s new commercial building. The building is not suppose to replace the twin towers, but instead it is built for remembrance of those who lost their lives and it is a symbol of the power of America. With an estimated completion in 2013, the World Trade Center will now consist of five different buildings and areas with the hopes of creating an economic boost for the United States. There will be five new skyscrapers, a September 11^th memorial and museum, a transportation hub, retail complex, and a center of performing arts. The site will be built with some of the worlds most famous architects including; David Childs and Santiago Calatrava with hopes of creating a substantiate and safe World Trade Center.

The first tower will soar over 1, 776 feet over New York City, making it Americas tallest building. It will be known as the Freedom Tower and will be the main office space of the new design. The second tower will be 1, 349 feet and will be composed of the Performing Arts Center topped off with an eighty foot antenna. The last three towers will all rise around 900 feet with restaurants, memorials, and more. Besides the Freedom Tower, the memorial for September 11^th will be the most significant of the project with two pools that will stand in place of where the twin towers use to be. It will have two waterfalls, which will soon be the two biggest man made waterfalls of all time. All 3,000 lives that were taken on the attacks will be engraved around the edges of the pool. This will recognize the lives lost from the trade centers, the pentagon, and the plane crashes. Any visitors of the memorial and museum will go through a series of experiences in order to get the full effect of the tragedy.

“The design strives to make visible of what is absent,” stated Micheal Arad, one of the architects on the project. He stresses the main goal of the new World Trade Center is the remembrance of the lives lost. Even though it has been over ten years, and with the recent passing away of Osama Bin Laden, fear is still a factor in terrorist attacks in New York City. The World Trade Center’s other main goal, because of this, is safety. Some of the primary safety precautions of the new site include; fireproofing, structural stability, chemical air filters, wider staircases for evacuating, safer elevators, three feet deep concrete walls for refugee in case of attack, and an extra staircase for fire fighters. The site developer, Larry Silivstein, states that it will be one of the biggest and most expensive projects that America has ever seen, with hopes of healing the agony the terrorists left on the United States. The project is estimated to cost over two billion dollars, using some of the most expensive materials and designers.

Ten years ago, the largest tragedy hit the United states and now, ten years later, the largest memorial will be built. The new World Trade Center project could never and will never replace the twin towers. Instead, it will keep the lives lost remembered and honored. Wars, attacks, and millions of lives lost have been working towards this goal for years. The Freedom Tower will become a new symbol for the United States just as Lady Liberty has become. The new tower represents our country’s ability to move forward and to overcome all evil.

Image Courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/28722563@N05/

The article The New Freedom Tower Project in New York, Overcoming September 11th appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Six individuals are charged in South Florida and Pakistan for conspiring to provide financing to murder, maim and kidnap persons overseas as well as providing financing to the Pakistani, Taliban- a designated foreign terrorist organization.  South Florida U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer announced all six defendants would be charged on four-count indictments.

The defendants charged: Hafiz Muhammed Sher Ali Khan, 76, a U.S. citizen resident of Miami;  his son Irfan Khan, 37, a U.S. citizen resident of Miami;  and one other son, Izhar Khan, 24, a U.S. citizen resident of North Lauderdale, Fla.  Three other individuals also charged residing in Pakistan,  Faisal Ali Rehman, Alam Zeb and Amina Khan.  Amina Khan is daughter of Khan and her son Alam Zeb is Khan’s grandson.

Hafiz Khan and Izhar Khan were arrested by FBI agents in South Florida and are schedule to appear in federal court in Miami at 1:30 p.m. Monday, May 16, 2011.  Irfan Khan was arrested in Los Angeles and is expected to make an appearance in court the same day.   The remaining defendants are at large in Pakistan.  If convicted for each count of the indictment-could face 15 years in prison.

The FBI in collaboration with the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) had been investigating from around 2008 through November 2010 suspicious bank accounts and wire transfers from the U.S. to the Pakistani Taliban.  The funds were intended to buy guns to sustain militants, their families and support terrorism.

According to the allegations the defendants provided money and financial services to support the Pakistani, Taliban.  As of December 2007, the Pakistani-based terrorist organization was formed by an alliance of radical Islamist militants.  The U.S. State Department designated the Pakistani Taliban as a Foreign Terrorist Organization under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality act on August 12, 2010.  In Afghanistan, the Pakistani Taliban has ties to both al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer stated, “Despite being an Imam, or spiritual leader, Hafiz Khan was by no means a man of peace. Instead, as today’s charges show, he acted with others to support terrorists to further acts of murder, kidnapping and maiming. But for law enforcement intervention, these defendants would have continued to transfer funds to Pakistan to finance the Pakistani Taliban, including its purchase of guns. Dismantling terrorist networks is a top priority for this office and the Department of Justice.”

“Today terrorists have lost another funding source to use against innocent people and U.S. interests. We will not allow this country to be used as a base for funding and recruiting terrorists,” said John V. Gillies, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Office. “I remind everyone that the Muslim and Arab-American members of our community should never be judged by the illegal activities of a few.”

According to the indictment, the Pakistani Taliban has committed remorseless violence acts against Pakistan, allies, U.S. and enforcement of strict Islamic law known as Sharia.  Countless suicide bombings resulting in the death of civilians, Pakistani Police, army, government personnel, and other brutal acts of murder, kidnapping and maiming.  The indictment alleges that defendant Khan supported the Pakistani Taliban through a madrassa or Islamic school.  Khan alleged to use the madrassa as shelter and has sent children from the madrassa to train to kill Americans in Afghanistan.

The Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for attacks against U.S. interests, including the December 2009 attack bombing at a U.S. military base in Khost, Afghanistan.  Along the Pakistan border seven U.S. citizens were killed.  An April 2010 suicide bomb killed six Pakistani citizens at the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar.  On May 1, 2010, Faisal Shahzad attempted to detonate an explosive device in New York City’s Times Square.  Lastly, the most recent devastating suicide attack on May 13, 2011 killed 80 people at a military training facility in northwest Pakistan.  The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility.

The allegations in the indictments recorded conversations in July 2009 between Khan and Irfan plotting an attack on the Pakistani assembly that resemble the September 2008 suicide bombing of the Islamabad Marriott Hotel in Pakistan.  On September 2010 another recorded conversation, Hafiz Kahn provided information to a Pakistani Taliban militant in Karachi that the mujahideen in Afghanistan had killed seven American soldiers and declared his wish that God kills 50,000 more.

In closing, Mr. Ferrer noted, “Let me be clear that this is not an indictment against a particular community or religion. Instead, today’s indictment charges six individuals for promoting terror and violence through their financial and other support of the Pakistani Taliban. Radical extremists know no boundaries; they come in all shapes and sizes and are not limited by religion, age or geography.”

An indictment is only an accusation and a defendant are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

(Sources: Federal Bureau of Investigation Miami Field Office)

The article Florida, Six Charged in Financing Terrorism appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.