OBAMA PROMISED WARRIOR FOR SHI-ITES?

Cue Twilight zone music, EXCEPT this is in FORBES MAGAZINE!

I'll put the article below and link, but I have to tell you, I've an ardent fan of politics for years but I NEVER KNEW BIDEN WAS THIS IN BED WITH TEHRAN!!

(Alan note: the Persian diaspora reports Biden has been granted the honorary title of ayatollah! For all his years of supporting islamic iran)

Biden was an early supporter of the Khomeinist revolution in 1978-1979 and, for the past 30 years, has been a consistent advocate of recognizing the Islamic Republic as a regional power.

He has close ties with Khomeinist lobbyists in the U.S. like Houshang Amir Ahmadi and has always voted against sanctions on Iran.

I have no doubt now that Israel must take action quickly. Here is the article. It's even more frightening that it is in Forbes. I'd actually prefer it to be on Coast to Coast, but its a real deal.

Our liberal idiots regard Obama as a "messiah" and now we have this fullfillment of prophecy of Islam.

Commentary Obama and Ahmadinejad Amir Taheri 10.26.08, 1:33 PM ET Is Barack Obama the "promised warrior" coming to help the Hidden Imam of Shiite Muslims conquer the world?

The question has made the rounds in Iran since last month, when a pro-government Web site published a Hadith (or tradition) from a Shiite text of the 17th century.

The tradition comes from Bahar al-Anvar (meaning Oceans of Light) by Mullah Majlisi, a magnum opus in 132 volumes and the basis of modern Shiite Islam.

According to the tradition, Imam Ali Ibn Abi-Talib (the prophet's cousin and son-in-law) prophesied that at the End of Times and just before the return of the Mahdi, the Ultimate Saviour, a "tall black man will assume the reins of government in the West."

Commanding "the strongest army on earth," the new ruler in the West will carry "a clear sign" from the third imam, whose name was Hussein Ibn Ali. The tradition concludes: "Shiites should have no doubt that he is with us."

In a curious coincidence Obama's first and second names--Barack Hussein--mean "the blessing of Hussein" in Arabic and Persian.

His family name, Obama, written in the Persian alphabet, reads O Ba Ma, which means "he is with us," the magic formula in Majlisi's tradition. Mystical reasons aside, the Khomeinist establishment sees Obama's rise as another sign of the West's decline and the triumph of Islam.

Obama's promise to seek unconditional talks with the Islamic Republic is cited as a sign that the U.S. is ready to admit defeat.

Obama's position could mean abandoning three resolutions passed by the United Nations Security Council setting conditions that Iran should meet to avoid sanctions.

Seeking unconditional talks with the Khomeinists also means an admission of moral equivalence between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic.

It would imply an end to the description by the U.S. of the regime as a "systematic violator of human rights." Obama has abandoned claims by all U.S. administrations in the past 30 years that Iran is "a state sponsor of terrorism."

Instead, he uses the term "violent groups" to describe Iran-financed outfits such as Hamas and Hezbollah.

Obama has also promised to attend a summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference within the first 100 days of his presidency. Such a move would please the mullahs, who have always demanded that Islam be treated differently, and that Muslim nations act as a bloc in dealings with Infidel nations.

Obama's election would boost President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's chances of winning a second term next June.

Ahmadinejad's entourage claim that his "steadfastness in resisting the American Great Satan" was a factor in helping Obama defeat "hardliners" such as Hillary Clinton and, later, it hopes, John McCain.

"President Ahmadinejad has taught Americans a lesson," says Hassan Abbasi, a "strategic adviser" to the Iranian president. "This is why they are now choosing someone who understands Iran's power."

The Iranian leader's entourage also point out that Obama copied his campaign slogan "Yes, We Can" from Ahmadinejad's "We Can," used four years ago.

A number of Khomeinist officials have indicated their preference for Obama over McCain, who is regarded as an "enemy of Islam."

A Foreign Ministry spokesman says Iran does not wish to dictate the choice of the Americans but finds Obama "a better choice for everyone."

Ali Larijani, Speaker of the Islamic Majlis, Iran's ersatz parliament, has gone further by saying the Islamic Republic "prefers to see Barack Obama in the White House" next year.

Tehran's penchant for Obama, reflected in the official media, increased when the Illinois senator chose Joseph Biden as his vice-presidential running mate.

Ahmadinejad has described the U.S. as a "sunset" (ofuli) power as opposed to Islam, which he says is a "sunrise" (toluee) power.

Last summer, he inaugurated an international conference called World Without America--attended by anti-Americans from all over the world, including the U.S. Seen from Tehran, Obama's election would demoralize the U.S. armed forces by casting doubt on their victories in Iraq and Afghanistan, if not actually transforming them into defeat. American retreat from the Middle East under Obama would enable the Islamic Republic to pursue hegemony of the region.

Tehran is especially interested in dominating Iraq, thus consolidating a new position that extends its power to the Mediterranean through Syria and Lebanon. During the World Without America conference, several speakers speculated that Obama would show "understanding of Muslim grievances" with regard to Palestine.

Ahmadinejad hopes to persuade a future President Obama to adopt the "Iranian solution for Palestine," which aims at creating a single state in which Jews would quickly become a minority.

Judging by anecdotal evidence and the buzz among Iranian bloggers, while the ruling Khomeinists favor Obama, the mass of Iranians regard (and dislike) the Democrat candidate as an appeaser of the mullahs. Iran, along with Israel, is the only country in the Middle East where the United States remains popular.

ALSO READ THIS ARTICLE BY THE SAME AUTHOR

An Obama presidency, perceived as friendly to the oppressive regime in Tehran, may change that.

http://aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=2&id=14500

Amir Taheri is the author of 10 books on Iran, the Middle East and Islam. His new book The Persian Night: Iran Under the Khomeinist Revolution will be published by Encounter Books in November.

RELIGION IN THE WORKPLACE

RELIGION IN THE WORKPLACE©

View details at link at bottom

Religious Accommodation:
A Common-Sense Response for Thinking, Reasoning, Responsible, and Civilized Employers and Managers

An Islamic proselytizing organization offers an employer’s guide to religious accommodation. Following this outrageous one-sided guideline amounts to accepting an imposition of religious, cultural, social, and political beliefs on those of us who are not Moslem

Most of us who are affected by this gross imposition are people who work hard and are honest, decent, responsible, civilized people.

The Islamist organization—see Writer’s Notes at the end of this to learn more about Islam) is a proponent of the installation of an Islamic government replacing our Constitutional republic.


One of the many ways this is effort is being done is by imposing their unfair Islamic rules on employers, a form of social conditioning, or….brainwashing beginning the establishment in our minds of the status of being subservient to Islam…..

Some companies such as Dell Computers and Whirlpool have reportedly been sued over the issue of Islamic religious accommodation where apparently misinformed and ignorant judges may have ruled against companies who are ignorant of and about Islam.


I believe that it is possible if not probable that judges who ruled against American companies failed to seek or take into consideration known and understood Islamic laws and accepted, established Islamic traditions.

I quote from a document that I obtained over the internet, produced by an organization representing religious, social, and politically totalitarian oriented Islam – and provide my opinions in italics regarding what this means and how do deal with those guidelines. At the end, I offer a couple of vignettes and some pointers.

This writer is most thankful to be in this great nation where the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America guarantees the right to speak out and to express an opinion as is done herein.

An employer’s Guide to Religious Accommodation

The events of September 11, 2001 , have significantly impacted our nation. As a result of these events, our workplaces have seen an increase in tensions and incidents directed towards employees because of their religion, ethnicity, national origin and dress.


Discrimination and harassment in the office is unlawful. Employers must fulfill their responsibility to assure that all employees are protected against discrimination and harassment.


Apparently, there has been a significant increase in discrimination claims by Moslem employees against employers and co-workers in the workplace.


I suspect that many of these claims are provoked and inspired by outside sources. This activity is in itself a form of discrimination in an effort to establish obsequious dhimmitude* servile status on employers and employees. It is part of an insidious plan to create a frame of mind among non-Moslems that they are inferior to Moslems and must submit to Moslem/Islamic dominance.

An employer is required to make an effort to accommodate an employee’s religious practices or beliefs when an employee makes a request.

An employer’s refusal to accommodate is justified when the employer has made a good faith effort and can demonstrate that the accommodation would result in an “undue hardship” defined as an accommodation imposing more than a ‘de minimis’ (minimal, or very small) cost on the employer.

Most accommodation cases involve requests for rearrangement of work schedules, time for religious observations (prayer), & wearing of religious clothing or symbols. In most cases, accommodation is little or no hardship to the employer.

I believe that the rule requiring compliance applies to employers with fifteen or more employees, but this may differ in different states. Employers with fewer than fifteen employees can also find themselves responding to onerous demands for religious accommodation.

The definitions of effort and minimal or very small are an issue here. An employer needs to establish what is minimal regarding time, effort involved, budget, facilities and management, architectural and engineering requirements, financial benefit (and loss), the impact on general employee morale, inter-company relations, profits and losses, attitudes, etc. If the ‘de minimis’ cost is demonstrably significant, the employer need not comply.

A request from a Moslem can turn into a demand that can be onerous. In my opinion, it’s blackmail!

PREVENTING HARASSMENT & DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RELIGION & NATIONAL ORIGIN

As an employer you can….

To learn more about this, go to the website: http://www.malsion.biz/

CONFLICT & TERROR 10/15 (PLUS)

British man pleads guilty to failed bomb attackPosted on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 at 8:14amA 22-year-old man has pleaded guilty to attempting a suicide bomb attack on a family restaurant. Nicky Reilly pleaded guilty at a London court Wednesday to attempted murder and engaging in preparation for terrorism by researching how to make bombs. Full Story

British government minister warns of terror threatPosted on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 at 8:15amThe threat of another major terrorist attack is building in Britain, a government security minister said Tuesday, a day after the House of Lords rejected a measure that would have extended the amount of time police can hold terror suspects without charge. Full Story

Iceland slashes rates, seeks Russian help in crisisPosted on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 at 8:16amIceland's central bank slashed interest rates on Wednesday and officials pursued efforts to get help from Russia in tackling the worst economic crisis in the island's history. Full Story

Turkish plane 'hijacker' subduedPosted on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 at 8:21amA hijacker who tried to take over a Turkish Airlines plane has been overpowered by fellow passengers, officials say. They say the passengers on board the plane flying from Antalya to St Petersburg, Russia, quickly subdued the man, who claimed to have a bomb. Full Story

Caracas banks hit by Lehman failurePosted on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 at 10:34amWhile stock markets all over the world were ravaged in recent weeks, there was one oasis of calm: Venezuelas tiny exchange, cosseted by capital controls, actually rose slightly on days where historic losses were being recorded elsewhere. But a handful of local banks and broker-dealers are facing serious losses, particularly after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, and some may even share a similar fate. Collectively, banks may have been left holding as much as $400m (290m, #230m) in structured notes guaranteed by the US bank. Full Story

Argentina fails to strike deal on national airlinePosted on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 at 10:35amArgentinas government, which is seeking to re-nationalise its flag carrier Aerolineas Argentinas, failed on Tuesday to reach agreement with Spanish owners Marsans on how much the troubled company is worth. With the airline crippled by debts of $890m and staff strikes, Marsans agreed in July to sell up at a mutually agreed price, but stark differences over what the loss-making company is worth have raised the prospect of a prolonged battle for control. Full Story

2 Killed on Thai-Cambodian BorderPosted on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 at 10:37amThai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged rocket and rifle fire for about an hour on Wednesday, according to reports from the scene, threatening to escalate a tense confrontation at the border over a disputed 900-year-old mountaintop temple. At least two Cambodian soldiers were reported killed. Several hundred soldiers from both sides have faced each other at the border since July, when Unesco, the United Nations agency, approved Cambodias request to have the temple named a World Heritage Site. Full Story

Saudi Arabia: Executions Rose in 2007Posted on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 at 10:39amThe number of people executed in Saudi Arabia quadrupled last year, according to a report released Tuesday by Amnesty International. At least 158 people were executed in the kingdom in 2007, compared with 39 in 2006, Amnesty reported. The report also said that about half of the 1,695 people known to have been executed in the kingdom over the past 23 years were citizens of foreign countries, mostly workers from developing countries like Somalia and Sudan. Full Story

Venezuela: Protests at PrisonsPosted on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 at 10:40amThousands of relatives of inmates staged sit-in protests on Tuesday in prisons across the country to protest poor conditions and the abuse of inmates. Hundreds of inmates die each year in prison violence. This has fueled complaints that President Hugo Chavez has done too little to stem crime and improve the judicial system, which often allows people to languish in prison for years without a trial. Full Story

Italy: Mafia Threat InvestigatedPosted on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 at 10:41amThe Naples anti-Mafia prosecutor opened an investigation on Tuesday into new death threats against a muckraking journalist after a police informant revealed that the Mafia intended to kill him by Christmas. The warning of threats against the journalist, Roberto Saviano, 29, came from a police informant connected to the Casalesi organized-crime family, news reports said. Full Story

37 Rebels, 6 Soldiers Killed In Latest Sri Lanka FightingPosted on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 at 10:41amHeavy fighting broke out across Sri Lanka's northern area of Kilinochchi, leaving 37 Tamil Tiger rebels and six soldiers dead, the defense ministry said Wednesday. It said 34 rebels and 25 soldiers were also wounded in the fierce fighting that took place on several fronts Tuesday. Full Story

Top Philippine court rejects Muslim autonomy dealPosted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 8:00amThe Philippine Supreme Court threw out on Tuesday a proposed accord to grant minority Muslims expanded autonomy after Christian protests and renewed fighting convinced the government to abandon the deal.

The court had already blocked the planned Aug. 5 signing of the agreement after Christian politicians in the main southern region of Mindanao, scene of a decades-long Muslim rebellion, claimed it violated the constitution and could lead to the partition of the Philippines.

The move angered Moro Islamic Liberation Front guerrillas, who went on a rampage Aug. 18, shooting or hacking to death at least 37 people in several southern towns. The violence prompted President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to suspend the autonomy talks. Full Story

China, Russia unveil boundary markersPosted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 8:02amChina and Russia have jointly unveiled boundary markers in a final step toward resolving a territorial dispute along their eastern border. The two Cold War rivals battled over the frontier in the '60s and '70s, but have agreed to a settlement under which Russia will reportedly return 67 square miles (174 square kilometers) of territory to China. Tuesday's ceremony that included diplomats, the military, police and local officials followed an exchange of documents affirming the border agreement, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Full Story

Dozens dead in latest Sri Lanka fightingPosted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 8:04amThe Sri Lankan army said Tuesday it has killed 38 Tamil Tiger rebels involved in a fierce counter-attack in the island's war-torn north. The defence ministry said its troops fought pitched battles and beat back rebel assaults along several fronts in the north on Monday. It said three government soldiers died in the fighting. There was no comment from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who are battling a government push to dismantle their northern mini-state. Full Story

Afghan bomb kills nine civiliansPosted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 8:05amA bomb blew up a small bus in Afghanistan on Tuesday killing nine civilians, two of them children, while Taliban assassinated a senior provincial government official, authorities said. Another six civilians were wounded in the bomb blast in the southern province of Uruzgan, provincial police chief Juma Gul Hemat said. He blamed the attack on the "enemies of Afghanistan", a phrase that usually means insurgents from the Taliban, an Islamic group that was in government between 1996 and 2001. Full Story

48 killed in road accidents in IndiaPosted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 8:07amA series of road accidents killed at least 48 people and injured another 64 in north and northeastern India on Tuesday, government officials and police said. At least 20 people were killed in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand when the bus they were traveling in fell into a 500-foot-deep (152-meter-deep) gorge, Amit Chandola, a government spokesman told Associated Press. The bus was carrying about 40 passengers and plunged as the driver tried to negotiate a turn on the curving mountain road, he said, adding that 20 people have been rescued so far. Full Story

Terror cell 'sought revenge' for Nahr al-Bared defeatPosted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 9:21amA "terrorist" cell said to have been behind three bomb attacks in Lebanon was seeking revenge for the army's victory over an extremist Islamist group last year, a security official said on Monday. Full Story

Panel endorses new law on Constitutional CouncilPosted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 9:22amParliament's Administration and Justice Committee on Monday canceled interviews with 74 candidates for the Constitutional Council and decided to endorse a draft law concerning the council recently submitted by Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar. Full Story

Bassil says some Lebanese have helped terroristsPosted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 9:23amTelecommunications Minister Jebran Bassil on Monday accused Lebanese citizens and security officials of financing terror. Bassil, a member of General Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement, told supporters in Batroun "there are Lebanese citizens who financed, through foreigners, terror in the North ... Officials with some Lebanese security agencies collaborated with [terrorists] and provided political and security cover for them under the pretext of confronting factional groups and establishing factional balance." Full Story

Arab Israeli arrested for driving on Jewish holidayPosted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 9:24amIsraeli police arrested an Arab Israeli man who drove his car during the Yom Kippur holiday in an incident which sparked four nights of rioting in the northern town of Acre, police said on Tuesday. "Tawfik Jamal was remanded in custody for three days for reckless endangerment and harming religious sensitivities," said police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld. Full Story

Israeli official says Livni closer to PM postPosted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 9:25amPrime Minister-designate Tzipi Livni's Kadima Party initialed a partial agreement Monday on bringing the Labor Party into a new governing coalition, but several issues remained to be settled before a formal pact, a Labor official said. Livni also will need to attract support from smaller parties to form a new government to replace the one headed by former Kadima leader Ehud Olmert, who resigned as prime minister under the cloud of a corruption investigation. Full Story

Israels Leading Parties Sign a Draft Agreement to Form a New GovernmentPosted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 9:27amThe main partners in Israels departing government, the Kadima Party of Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and the Labor Party of Defense Minister Ehud Barak, signed a draft coalition agreement on Monday, moving Ms. Livni an important step closer to forming a new government, representatives of the parties said. Full Story

Sovereign Funds Now Prefer Hoarding Cash to Rescuing U.S. Financial FirmsPosted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 9:28amDont expect Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds to jump on the bailout bandwagon. Given the recent volatility in the stock markets, some large sovereign wealth funds have been hoarding cash, much like the hedge funds and institutional investment funds that have been running for cover. Full Story

Iran Interfering in U.S.-Iraq Security PactPosted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 9:29amThe commander of U.S. forces in Iraq said Sunday that American intelligence reports suggest Iran has attempted to bribe Iraqi lawmakers in an effort to derail a bilateral agreement that would allow U.S. troops to remain in Iraq after the end of this year. Full Story

Immediate measures to deal with Christians displacementPosted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 9:30amThe Iraqi Premier Nouri al-Maliki on Sunday said that his government will take immediate measures to solve problems that Christians face in Mosul city, referring that he will order to provide protection to them, but without specifying when. Full Story

Syria to open embassy in LebanonPosted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 9:33amThe Hamas government in Gaza said on Tuesday it will not permit thousands of protesting teachers to return to work. The West Bank-based teachers union called for a strike in Gaza in August, which was widely seen as an attempt to disrupt daily life in Gaza and weaken Hamas. Full Story

US Consulate in Mexico guarded after attackPosted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 10:29amAdditional police guarded the U.S. Consulate in Monterrey on Monday as investigators analyzed a security video in search of assailants who shot at the building and threw a grenade that failed to explode. Two men attacked the consulate in northern Mexico about midnight Saturday when it was closed, the consulate said in a statement. Nobody was hurt in the assault, which left the gate pockmarked. Six spent .45-caliber casings were found at the scene.

Anger over dams on Amazon tributaryPosted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 10:39amIt is quiet here on the wrong side of progress. Hot wind blows dust across the dry bluffs. The brown river runs wide and placid.In his painted wooden skiff, Francisco Evangelista de Abreu, a fisherman, motors up-current. Two river dolphins crest and submerge. His mind is elsewhere. The dam is coming.Full_Story

Evo Morales to Andean SummitPosted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 10:43amBolivian President Evo Morales leaves for the Ecuadorian city of Guayaquil Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Andean Community of Nations (CAN), which is facing one of its worst crises ever. Morales yesterday highlighted the importance of that new top level meeting for the discussion of agreements with the European Union (EU).Full_Story

Cuba looks at foods, energyPosted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 10:48amnder the theme "Foods and Energy in the 21st Century," the 11th edition of the International Conference on Food Sciences and Technology (CICTA-11) begins Tuesday. Parallel to this event, starting today through October 17 at the Havana's Conference Center, is the Fourth Latin American and Caribbean Meeting on Cacao and Chocolate. Full_Story

Oil Contract Scandal Snares Peru Energy MinisterPosted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 10:53amPeru's energy minister has resigned over allegations that key government officials were accepting kickbacks in exchange for steering lucrative oil contracts to a Norwegian-based company.Energy Minister Juan Valdivia quit Monday, one day after a local television program aired a audiotape of a conversation between Alberto Quimper, a high-ranking official in the state energy agency Perupetro, and a member in President Alan Garcia's APRA political party.Full_Story

Mexico peso strengthens, stocks go up on U.S. planPosted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 10:57amMexico's peso strengthened on Tuesday and stocks soared as a U.S. plan to inject $250 billion into troubled banks helped break the ice in credit markets, emboldening investors to return to emerging markets. The peso MEX01 firmed 0.83 percent to 12.3 per dollar, marking its second day of gains after being battered for eight straight sessions, while the IPC stock index .MXX jumped 3.76 percent 22,925 points.Full_Story

Journalists targeted in latest Mexico drug violencePosted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 11:00amAs drug-related violence continues to worsen across the border in Mexico, journalists are being increasingly targeted. Mexico's widening war with drugs has claimed more than 3,000 lives this year alone. On Sunday, assailants opened fire on the US consulate in the northern Mexican city of Monterrey, reports the Associated Press. Nobody was injured in that attack, but on Saturday gunmen killed six young men at a family party in the gang-plagued Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez, reports AP.Full_Story

Left-leaning president's election gives hope to landless ParaguayansPosted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 1:46pmOn the edge of a farm here, Rogelio Silva, a peasant organizer, looked out over the half-dozen tents where his Paraguayan compatriots were cooking soup over a campfire. Near the roadside, two banners tied between trees expressed a common sentiment in Paraguay's agricultural heartland these days."Get out, Brazilians," one read."Land or death," read another.Peasant farmers, emboldened by the election of Fernando Lugo as president in April, have been invading dozens of farms along the border with Brazil. They say that Paraguayan land is being occupied illegally by Brazilian farmers, and that corrupt officials have allowed these outsiders to acquire land for decades.Full_Story

Bomb hits school bus in PakistanPosted on Thursday, October 9, 2008 at 6:08amAt least eight people were killed when roadside bomb exploded close to a prison van and a school bus in north-western Pakistan, officials say. Full Story

Police: Blast in Pakistan's capital wounds 9Posted on Thursday, October 9, 2008 at 6:09amAn explosives-laden vehicle rammed an anti-terrorist squad building Thursday in a part of Islamabad that houses several police facilities, wounding at least nine people, officials said. Full Story

Sri Lanka minister survives blastPosted on Thursday, October 9, 2008 at 7:20amA suspected suicide bomber in Sri Lanka has killed at least one person in an attack apparently targeting a government minister, officials say. Full Story

Taiwan says president to meet China officialPosted on Thursday, October 9, 2008 at 8:27amChina's top negotiator on Taiwan will meet the island's president for the first time, a Taipei official said on Thursday, in what would be a further sign of improved relations between the diplomatic rivals. The two sides would also sign deals on regular flights and direct cargo shipments, P.K. Chiang, Taiwan's top negotiator on China policy, told Reuters. Chen Yunlin, head of China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait, would meet President Ma Ying-jeou in Taiwan at the end of October or at the beginning of November, Chiang said. Full Story

3 Asian central banks slash interest ratesPosted on Thursday, October 9, 2008 at 8:29amSouth Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong all slashed interest rates Thursday, joining in a chorus of cuts by central banks around the world aimed at fighting the global financial crisis. The moves follow Wednesday's coordinated rate reductions led by the U.S. Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank. China's central bank also cut rates Wednesday, thought did not say if it was part of the joint action. Investors generally cheered the moves, although stock market gains faded as trading progressed and investors reassessed the severe strains on credit markets. Full Story

Protesters reported beaten, detained in ChinaPosted on Thursday, October 9, 2008 at 8:30amPolice have beaten and detained protesters holding a rally in southern China to seek compensation for damaged property, an activist group said Thursday. Human Rights in China said in a statement that more than 500 police and paramilitary police clashed Wednesday with hundreds of village protesters in rural Sanjiang Town in Guangdong province's Xinhui District. It said the protest followed a typhoon which collapsed the local dam, damaging farmland, fish ponds and farm property. Villagers blamed government officials for illegally selling and removing trees around the dam, which may have caused it to collapse, the group said. Full Story

Thai court drops charges against protest leadersPosted on Thursday, October 9, 2008 at 8:32amA Thai court dropped charges of insurrection Thursday against the main leaders of a protest movement bidding to topple the government, two days after the worst street unrest in Bangkok for years. The decision by the Appeals Court opens the way for them to surrender -- as they have promised to do -- but offers no long-term solution to the political turmoil hobbling the country. It followed Tuesday's clashes between police and protesters which left two people dead and hundreds injured, and left negotiations between the two sides in tatters. Full Story

US, Vietnam reach cargo Open Skies pactPosted on Thursday, October 9, 2008 at 8:34amFormer enemies turned trade partners the United States and Vietnam have agreed to lift restrictions on air cargo routes between the two countries, the US embassy said in a statement on Wednesday. The Open Skies pact for all-freight services, initialled Tuesday during a visit by a US delegation but yet to be formally signed, removes restrictions on carrying cargo to or from third countries, the statement said. "The agreement will strengthen and expand our already strong trade and tourism links with Vietnam and provide benefits to American and Vietnamese cargo carriers and to shippers while preserving our commitments to aviation safety and security," the US embassy said. Full Story

'Yom Kippur riot' in Israeli cityPosted on Thursday, October 9, 2008 at 9:14amRiots have broken out in the mixed city of Acre, reportedly triggered when an Israeli Arab man drove his car during the Yom Kippur religious holiday. Full Story

Roadside bomb kills senior Shiite lawmakerPosted on Thursday, October 9, 2008 at 9:17amTwo Shiite lawmakers say a senior member of anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's movement has died of wounds suffered in a roadside bombing in Baghdad. Officials say Thursday's explosion occurred as Saleh al-Auqaeili's car passed about 200 yards (meters) away from an Iraqi army checkpoint in a heavily secured area near Baghdad's main Shiite district of Sadr City. Full Story

Iraq elections likely coming in early 2009Posted on Thursday, October 9, 2008 at 9:27amIraq's presidency council passed a critical law Wednesday to organize provincial elections that were originally scheduled for Oct. 1 and now are likely to be held sometime early next year. Approval of the law fulfills a major U.S. government benchmark and marks an important advance in the political sphere, which has lagged behind improvements in security. Full Story

Iraq offers free returns for its Syrian refugeesPosted on Thursday, October 9, 2008 at 9:27amThe Iraqi embassy in Damascus is organizing free journeys for refugees who want to return from Syria  the second such project in as many years  though two days into the campaign Wednesday, there have been no takers. A large black banner plastered on the wall of the embassy urged Iraqis to register to return home. Similar posters have been placed on religious centers and offices of Iraqi parties in Damascus. Full Story

Syria says 2 missing Americans arrestedPosted on Thursday, October 9, 2008 at 9:29amTwo American journalists who went missing during a vacation in Lebanon eight days ago were arrested Thursday in Syria after they crossed the Lebanese-Syrian border with the help of smugglers, Syrian officials said. Holli Chmela, 27, and Taylor Luck, 23 were detained after they crossed into the country, the Syrian foreign ministry said. It said the two will be handed over to the U.S. Embassy following a completion of "necessary measures." Full Story

Hamas ready to discuss electionsPosted on Thursday, October 9, 2008 at 9:31amHamas officials in Cairo say they will meet representatives of the rival Fatah movement this month to discuss the timing of fresh Palestinian elections. Senior officials from Hamas, the militant movement in control of Gaza, made the announcement after talks with Egypt's intelligence chief in Cairo. Full Story

Iraq: Bomb Kills Senior Shiite LawmakerPosted on Thursday, October 9, 2008 at 10:04amA bomb struck a convoy carrying lawmakers loyal to anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Thursday in Baghdad, killing a prominent member of the Shiite bloc, officials said. Full Story

Glasgow Doctors Planned Car-Bomb Terrorism Campaign, Jury ToldPosted on Thursday, October 9, 2008 at 10:40amTwo doctors on trial for planting car bombs in central London and later attacking Glasgow airport aimed to perpetrate a campaign of terror attacks, prosecutors told a British jury today. Full Story

Snap election called in UkrainePosted on Thursday, October 9, 2008 at 10:41amPresident Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine has dissolved parliament weeks after the collapse of the country's ruling pro-Western coalition. Full Story

European shares rally after interventionPosted on Thursday, October 9, 2008 at 10:42amMost global stock markets have rallied after investors absorbed news of a co-ordinated interest rate cut. Banking shares helped to push the UK's FTSE 100 index 1.7% higher while France's Cac index climbed 2.7% and Germany's Dax index added 1.9%. Full Story

German exports slump in downturnPosted on Thursday, October 9, 2008 at 10:47amGerman exports suffered their biggest annual fall for five years in August in a clear sign that the global financial crisis is hitting the real economy. The world's biggest exporter of goods saw year-on-year exports fall by 2.5%. Full Story

Alleged leaders of 6 Imperial Valley-based drug rings indictedPosted on Thursday, October 9, 2008 at 11:05amFederal authorities Wednesday announced indictments against the alleged leaders of six drug distribution rings charged with transporting cocaine and methamphetamine for one of Mexico's largest drug cartels. Thirty-five people face smuggling and conspiracy charges in what authorities described as a trafficking network based in the Imperial Valley. About $20 million in drugs and cash were seized during the 18-month investigation, according to federal prosecutors. Full Story

Spain increases security before national dayPosted on Thursday, October 9, 2008 at 11:24amSpain increased security across the country before its national day on Sunday because of the threat of an attack by Basque separatist group ETA, a top interior ministry official said Wednesday. Full Story

Courtesy Terrorism Research Center, Inc.

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http://foia.fbi.gov/foiaindex/weather.htm

1976, the FBI's Chicago Field Office prepared a summary which described the activities of the Weather Underground Organization, also known as Weathermen. This organization described itself as a revolutionary organization of communist men and women. The FBI's analysis of its motivations, beliefs, and international travels are outlined in this summary.
Part 1a
Part 1b
Part 1c
Part 2a
Part 2b
Part 2c

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OBAMA MENTOR AYRES ALSO GANG RAPIST

1960's Michigan Coed: William Ayers 1965 Gang Rape [WARNING: GRAPHIC LANGUAGE]FrontPageMagazine & WorldNetDaily ^ 2008-10-08, 2006-01-04 Donna Run & Aaron Klein
I read occasionally of former Weatherman Bill Ayers and his wife Bernardine Dohrn, both now not only accepted, despite their bombing campaign against America in the 1960s and 70s, but successful , establishment educators whose opinions on social issues are taken seriously. Every time I see Ayers’ name I shudder with fear and rage and realize that I will never be able to erase the mark he left on my life one evening 40 years ago.

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TERROR RELATED ROUND UP - WITH SOURCE LINKS

Spain's Supreme Court has acquitted 15 men who were convicted earlier this year of membership in an Islamic terrorist group, but upheld the convictions of five others from the same trial, according to a summary of the rulings issued Tuesday and viewed by CNN.
On appeal, the Supreme Court ruled there was insufficient evidence to prove that the 15 were members of a terrorist group, as the lower court held.
The 20 men, mainly Algerians and Moroccans, were convicted by the National Court last February of Islamic terrorist activity. None was found guilty of the more serious charge of plotting to destroy Madrid's anti-terrorism courthouse with a truck bomb.

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“Kurdistan Brigades” Pledges Allegiance to Al Qaeda-led Group
Posted by CBS News Investigates http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/10/06/monitor/entry4504531.shtml?CMP=OTC-RSSFeed&source=RSS&attr=InternetTerrorMonitor_4504531
Al Qaeda-led Islamist State of Iraq released a new video showing training by what the group identified as “The Kurdistan Brigades” in northern Iraq. The 30-minute video starts with the military commander of the team reading a communiqué in which he declares his allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq under the leadership of Abu Omar al Baghdadi. “We are your brothers in the Kurdistan Brigades and we pledge our allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq,” said the man on the tape. “To the two Kurdish puppets, Jalal Talabani and Masud Barzani, I swear by God that we have no mercy or sympathy towards the traitors who sold themselves to the enemies of God. Your throats will be slit,” he added. The clip also shows the operatives undertaking various combat training such as the art of assassination, evacuating the injured and preparing roadside bombs.

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Blackburn terror suspects in court, arrests were made by Greater Manchester Police Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) threat posted on www.al-ekhlaas.org
Today, October 06, 2008, 9 hours ago wbi@comcast.net (BILL WARNER)
http://wwwwbipicomlink.blogspot.com/2008/10/blackburn-terror-suspects-in-court.html
Friday 3rd October 2008. Blackburn terror suspects in court, arrests were made by Greater Manchester Police Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), threat posted on http://www.al-ekhlaas.org/. FOUR suspected terrorists appeared in court over threat to kill Gordon Brown. Ishaq Kanmi, 22 Ilyas Iqbal, 21 Abbas Iqbal, 23 and 24-year-old Muhammad Ahmed are charged with a string of offences including soliciting the Prime Minister's murder. Kanmi, of Cromwell Street, Blackburn, is charged with soliciting murder and being a member of al Qaida. He is alleged to have posted a message on a website http://www.ek-ls.org/ (http://www.al-ekhlaas/) (which appears to be now shut down for the fourth time this year), encouraging readers to murder Mr Brown and former PM Tony Blair, on January 2 this year.

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The Scott Shane Whitewash: Obama and Ayers (updated)
Clarice Feldman
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2008/10/the_scott_shane_whitewash_obam_1.htmlToday the NYT carries a report by Scott Shane which purports to demonstrate that contrary to the work of unnamed bloggers (ahem), the Ayers/Obama contact was minimal.
This front page account represents the Times' acknowledgement that there has been some significant story that they've been sitting on, but the report so completely fiddles with the truth that it would made a first rate case study in a class on propaganda.

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http://tinyurl.com/4yllse

October 06, 2008
First Published: 18:51 IST(6/10/2008)
Last Updated: 01:03 IST(7/10/2008)
Yahoo software engineer is brain behind IM’s terror e-mails
If the aliases Munawar and Mannu are to be cut out of Mohammed Mansoor Asgar Peerbhoy, the 31-year-old software engineer from Pune comes from a family of well-educated people. His mother is a lecturer in a college while his father is a well-educated businessman.
Mansoor, who studied at one of Pune’s best schools, was ranked third when he graduated as a computer engineer from Pune University. He landed a commendable job as principal software engineer with Yahoo India’s software development department with a hefty pay cheque of Rs 19 lakh.
But Mansoor got indoctrinated at a local mosque he visited and went on to become a key member of Indian Mujhahideen. His indoctrination started when Riyaz Bhatkal and his brother Iqbal handpicked him, and tutored him.
Mansoor, initially, refused to be involved in blasts. So Iqbal asked him to hack into websites that preached against jehad or Islam. Mansoor was happy to do such things, said a crime branch official. But he continued to stay away from the vicious ring of Indian Mujhahideen.
It was when blasts rocked Mecca Masjid that Mansoor finally joined the ranks of the terror group. Iqbal showed him CD-ROMs, which depicted Muslims being killed in blasts. Iqbal convinced him through these CD-ROMs that it was for the educated people to get involved to carry forward jehad.
On September 28, when crime branch officials arrested him and quizzed him, Mansoor revealed the entire details on how he had planned and sent the terror e-mails before the blasts.

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Animal rights activists organised 'six-year terror campaign'
to not show photographer information -->
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article4891862.ece#cid=OTC-RSS&attr=797084 to not show image description -->
Eight animal rights activists co-ordinated an international, six-year blackmail campaign in an attempt to shut down Huntingdon Life Sciences, a court heard yesterday.
Threatening letters, hoax bombs and sanitary towels allegedly contaminated with HIV were sent to companies that did business with the Cambridgeshire-based research laboratory in an attempt to create a “climate of fear” that would isolate HLS and force it to shut.

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http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=51423WASHINGTON, Oct. 7, 2008 - Afghan national security forces and coalitionforces killed 43 militants in Qalat district of Afghanistan's Zabul provinceOct. 5, military officials reported. Afghan and coalition forces on patrol received heavy weapons, machine-gunand sniper fire from militants in multiple locations. The combined forcesresponded with small-arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire as well asclose-air support, killing the militants.

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Terror emails tracked, 20 held for blasts, Mumbai Police solved the mystery of emails sent by Muslim Indian Mujahideen (IM) before Ahmedabad blasts !
Today, October 06, 2008, 3 hours ago wbi@comcast.net (BILL WARNER)
http://wwwwbipicomlink.blogspot.com/2008/10/terror-emails-tracked-20-held-for.html

Terror emails tracked, 20 held for blasts, Mumbai India: In a major breakthrough, the Mumbai Police have solved the mystery behind the terror emails sent by the Muslim Indian Mujahideen (IM) before the Ahmedabad and New Delhi serial blasts. Police Commissioner Hasan Gafoor said here Monday that the three techies who had sent the emails have been arrested, along with 17 others who were responsible for a string of terror bombings in different cities. Mohammed Mansoor, Asghar Peerbhoy, alias Munna (31), working as a principal software engineer in an MNC on a salary of Rs.1.9 million per annum ($40,174.00, 1 USD equals 47.3 INR); Salman Kadar Shaikh alias Mobin (24), working as a senior technical advisor in an IT firm; and Asif Bashiruddin Shaikh (22), a mechanical engineer.

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Terror emails tracked, 20 held for blasts, Mumbai Police solved the mystery of emails sent by Muslim Indian Mujahideen (IM) before Ahmedabad blasts !
Today, October 06, 2008, 3 hours ago wbi@comcast.net (BILL WARNER)
http://wwwwbipicomlink.blogspot.com/2008/10/terror-emails-tracked-20-held-for.html

Terror emails tracked, 20 held for blasts, Mumbai India: In a major breakthrough, the Mumbai Police have solved the mystery behind the terror emails sent by the Muslim Indian Mujahideen (IM) before the Ahmedabad and New Delhi serial blasts. Police Commissioner Hasan Gafoor said here Monday that the three techies who had sent the emails have been arrested, along with 17 others who were responsible for a string of terror bombings in different cities. Mohammed Mansoor, Asghar Peerbhoy, alias Munna (31), working as a principal software engineer in an MNC on a salary of Rs.1.9 million per annum ($40,174.00, 1 USD equals 47.3 INR); Salman Kadar Shaikh alias Mobin (24), working as a senior technical advisor in an IT firm; and Asif Bashiruddin Shaikh (22), a mechanical engineer.

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don't think they haven't thought about doing it here, as well...
Resurgent Taleban vow to disrupt 'joke' presidential election
Tom Coghlan in Kabul
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article4894496.ece#cid=OTC-RSS&attr=797093
The Taleban threatened to attack polling stations and candidates during Afghanistan’s second presidential election, due to be held next summer, as the lengthy and dangerous process of voter registration began yesterday.The chief spokesman for Mullah Omar, the Taleban’s leader, told The Times that the group would use its increasing influence in the country to disrupt the poll. “This is not an election, it is a joke that is putting dust in people’s eyes,” said Qari Yousuf Ahmadi. “Where will they have an election? How much of Afghanistan belongs to the Government and foreign troops?”

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TERROR RELATED ROUND UP - WITH SOURCE LINKS

Security officials plan to combat threat of the lone terrorist

Richard Norton-Taylor
The Guardian,
Friday October 3 2008

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/oct/03/uksecurity.terrorism
The "lone terrorist" individual, self-radicalised and not connected to any group, forms a new potential threat, according to senior Whitehall security sources who are drawing up a new strategy to counter what they say is the continuing serious threat of attacks.

Officials are pursuing a twin-track approach: countering terrorists' bomb-making skills and internet activity, and addressing the grievances of young Muslims, including concerns about British foreign policy.

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Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/7653486.stm


It's notable that the foreign press pays more attention to this story than our own press does -

Weathermen: Home-grown US radicals
By Joe Boyle BBC News

Sarah Palin has accused presidential candidate Barack Obama of "palling around" with terrorists - referring to his acquaintance with a former member of the Weather Underground. So who were the Weather Underground?

(They have been Obama's friends)

Embroiled in an unpopular war in Vietnam, with many of the grievances of the civil-rights movement still unanswered, the US government was facing widespread protests in the late 1960s.

Often those who rebelled were rich in idealism but unable or unwilling to take concrete action.

On 8 October 1969, all that changed. A newly-formed group of left-wing extremists, dubbed the Weathermen, went on the rampage in a well-planned protest in Chicago - the so-called Days of Rage riots.

A police station in the city was bombed, and protesters engaged police in combat on the streets. More than 250 of the rioters were arrested, and the FBI began to follow the movements of the Weathermen very closely.

They were a splinter-group from Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) - a product of the student radicalism endemic in college campuses in the late 1960s.

The group had recently published an article in the society's newspaper rejecting peaceful protest in favour of communist revolution. The article signed off with the Bob Dylan lyric: "You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows."

According to the FBI, several of their members had travelled to Cuba and North Vietnam during 1969.

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Officials say Taliban Mad Over Alleged US Strike

http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=14292

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan, (AP) - The Taliban are unusually angry about the latest suspected U.S. missile strike in Pakistan, a sign a top militant may have died in the attack, officials and residents said Sunday amid reports the death toll rose by two to 24.

Elsewhere in Pakistan's northwest, an official said some 15,000 Afghans had left a tribal region the military is trying to wrest from insurgents, but that tens of thousands more had yet to meet a government ultimatum to get out by Sunday.

The U.S. has ramped up cross-border strikes on alleged al-Qaeda and Taliban targets along Pakistan's side of the border with Afghanistan, straining the two nations' anti-terror alliance.

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http://sofiaecho.com/article/new-radical-islam-in-bulgaria-claims/id_32160/catid_66

New 'radical Islam in Bulgaria' claims15:47 Sun 05 Oct 2008 - Clive Leviev-SawyerJust days after Sofia hosted a forum on how teaching at schools could beused to forestall radical Islam, a researcher gave an interview allegingthat extremist Islamic sects were operating in eastern Bulgaria.

In an interview with Bulgarian news agency Focus, associate professorTatyana Dronzina - described as an expert on conflict and terrorism research- was quoted as saying that Turkish-linked radical sects Nurju,

Suleymandjand Miligurush were believed to be active in the eastern part of thecountry.There were some grounds for believing that people linked to these sects weretrying to make contact with pupils in Muslim religious schools in Shoumen, Rousse, Momchilgrad and in the Islamic Institute in Sofia as well, Focusquoted Dronzina as saying

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Saturday, October 04, 2008 17:39 IST

http://intellibriefs.blogspot.com/2008/10/india-after-mad-terror-outfits-planned.html

MANGALORE: Some sketches and other incriminating documents seized from the four terror suspects arrested at Mangalore on Friday indicated they had been planning a BAM (Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Mangalore) blasts after the recent MAD (Mumbai,Ahmedabad, Delhi) blasts.The joint-operation, the Mumbai police, Karnataka's police and anti-Naxal squad, succeeded nabbing four Indian Mujahidin activists with substantial cash, CD, explosives, Jihad material, credits cards and active mobile sets. In all, 11 people were picked up, of whom four have been placed under arrests, and the remainder let off after interrogation.

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Pointless and useless exercise. No understanding whatsoever of relationship of underlying Islamic ideology to terrorism.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7649763.stm

UK terror strategy to be updated

The government is updating its counter-terrorism strategy to focus more on preventing the radicalisation of Muslims, the BBC has learned.

Officials are increasingly aware of a threat from loners unconnected to al-Qaeda who have become radicalised.
A top priority for the government's strategy, known as Contest, will be reducing the supply of terror recruits.

Working with local communities and dealing with the role of the internet will be key to the updated strategy.

The government's terrorist threat level has remained pegged at its second highest rating - severe - since last summer.
'Severe' threat level

Senior Whitehall officials say the police and security service are working near capacity and the threat level is unlikely to be reduced soon.

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http://islamineurope.blogspot.com/2008/10/denmark-new-anti-islam-group-might.html

Denmark: New anti-Islam group might attract terrorist attacks

Khader was interviewed in Weekendavisen (DA). I will translate the interview in the upcoming days.---------Denmark will continue to be in the terrorists' sights, maintains Hans Jørgen Bonnichsen, former operative chief of PET, after parliament member Naser Khader created a new association of internationally famous Islam critics. The association will make Copenhagen the epicenter of the fight against Muslim fanaticism.

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http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2008/10/05/terrorists-target-prisoners-in-wales-91466-21966563/

Terrorists target prisoners in Wales

by Andrew Dagnell, Wales On Sunday

AL-QAEDA terrorists have targeted Muslim criminals holed up in Welsh jails in an attempt to recruit them for a holy war, probation officers have said.

The officers believe that attempts have been made to convert one in 10 of the estimated number of Muslims across Welsh prisons, including Parc and Cardiff.

The campaign is being led by 150 hardcore Muslim terrorists who are operating on the inside of jails across Wales and England, preying on young, petty criminals who are serving
time for minor offences.

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http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20081005/news_1n5imam.html

Muslim cleric's victory in deportation fight short-lived

Homeland Security to appeal decision granting residency
By Elizabeth Llorente THE RECORD
October 5, 2008

HACKENSACK, N.J. – What was expected to be a day of jubilation at the Islamic Center of Passaic County in Paterson yesterday turned into one of bitterness as news spread that the mosque's spiritual leader must renew his fight against deportation.

“We thought it was over,” said Awatif Abadrabbo, referring to the announcement by Homeland Security Department officials who were appealing an immigration judge's ruling last month granting Imam Mohammad Qatanani permanent U.S. residency.

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http://www.unitedstatesaction.com/blog/imm-articles/101.html

British Government Efforts against "Extremists" Ignores Jihad and Islamic SupremacismAugust 31, 2008
by Jeffrey Imm

In the global war against Jihad, the United Kingdom is a key battlefield of vital importance to American national security. British Jihadists have planned or attempted three mass casualty terrorist attacks on the United States homeland - led by Dhiren Barot, Richard Reid, and a team of jihadists who sought to target transatlantic jets from UK to Washington DC, New York, Chicago, and San Francisco.

The national security debates over American homeland security must not lose sight of the continuing threat of Islamic supremacists in the United Kingdom to the United States and other nations. But the past several weeks have shown a willingness of British government agencies to ignore the basis behind such Jihadist threats.

This has been seen in the recent MI5 report that states that Jihadists are not "religious zealots" and that there is "no single pathway" to Jihad, ignoring the ideology of Islamic supremacism. This has also been seen in the British Home Office's inconsistencies in trying to discredit Al-Qaeda, while promoting an individual who calls for Jihad in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Israel. Such combined denial and inconsistencies should be troubling to Americans.

On further inspection, these actions are part of a larger challenge for the British government and for American national security in honestly addressing and confronting the Islamic supremacist ideology behind Jihad. Recent studies have shown that many young British Muslims continue to believe violence is justified by religion, and over the past several months, some Americans have finally seen excerpts from videotapes from British Jihadists in the August 2006 transatlantic jet terror plot - where such Britons justify their actions based on an Islamic Jihad against America.

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Alleged top al-Qaeda figure Abu Rami killed in shoot out
Deborah Haynes in Baghdad

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article4881266.ece

An alleged, top al-Qaeda figure accused of masterminding one of the deadliest car bombings in Iraq and the videoed execution of a Russian diplomat, has been killed in a shoot out with coalition forces in Baghdad, the US military said today.

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CONFLICT & TERROR 10/02

Ukraine PM says ready to revive pro-West coalitionPosted on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 at 8:11amUkrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said on Wednesday that she would accept any conditions to salvage the former Soviet state's pro-Western coalition. Full Story

Pakistan names new intelligence chiefPosted on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 at 8:11amIn a move that could herald changes in Pakistan's approach toward Islamic militants, the government Tuesday named a new chief of its powerful intelligence agency. Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha, the director-general of military operations, was appointed head of the Inter-Services Intelligence agency, or ISI, which has worked closely with the CIA and other U.S. intelligence groups. Full Story

Japan opposition leader calls for snap electionPosted on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 at 8:12amDemocratic Party leader Ichiro Ozawa, charging the ruling party had lost its ability to govern after two premiers quit in a year, called on Wednesday for an early election to seek the people's will. Full Story

Al Qaeda says it was behind Algeria bombingPosted on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 at 8:14amAl Qaeda's north Africa wing said it was behind a deadly suicide bombing in Algeria on Sunday, according to a statement posted on the Internet on Wednesday. A car bomb exploded in the Takdemt district near the coastal town of Dellys, 100 km (62 miles) east of Algiers, on Sunday, killing three people and wounding six. Full Story

French police clash with youthsPosted on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 at 8:16amA French police officer was shot and wounded during clashes with youths that broke out after a teenager was killed in a car crash while fleeing the police, the authorities said Tuesday. Full Story

Islam convert gets 35 years in plot to attack mallPosted on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 at 8:44amA one-time admirer of Osama bin Laden who plotted a hand-grenade attack at an Illinois mall jammed with Christmas shoppers  and tried to trade two stereo speakers for the weapons  was sentenced to 35 years in prison Tuesday. Full Story

Olmert says peace requires Israeli withdrawalsPosted on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 at 9:05amIsrael will have to give up virtually all of the West Bank and east Jerusalem if it wants peace with the Palestinians, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said in a farewell interview published Monday. Olmert, who began talks with the Palestinians and Syria during his soon-to-end term, also said Israel would have to leave the Golan Heights in order to obtain peace with Syria. Full Story

Iran to set up TV station in BoliviaPosted on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 at 9:07amA senior Iranian diplomat has said that Iran plans to set up a TV station in Bolivia. Hojjatollah Soltani added that negotiations to conclude an agreement by the two sides' news institutes are underway. Full Story

Iraq forces gain more control, but lose more livesPosted on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 at 9:08amThe number of Iraqi security forces killed in September rose by nearly a third to 159 compared with the same period last year, Associated Press figures showed Tuesday. U.S. troop deaths for the same period fell by nearly 40 percent to 25.

The figures are a sign that U.S. military is increasingly relying on the Iraqis, including U.S.-allied Sunni fighters, to take the lead in operations so they can assume responsibility for their own security and let the Americans eventually withdraw. Full Story

Iraq taking control of anti-Qaeda fighters from US forcesPosted on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 at 9:09amIraq began taking control of 100,000 Sunni Arab anti-Qaeda fighters from US forces on Wednesday, amid concerns that many in the militia credited with curbing the bloodshed in the country will be neglected. The transfer of responsibility and payments for all "Sons of Iraq" begins with 54,000 men in the province of Baghdad. Full Story

Iraq remains 'locked in conflict'Posted on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 at 9:10amThe US defence department says the fundamental character of the conflict in Iraq remains unchanged, despite dramatic security improvements there. In its quarterly report to Congress, it said Iraq remained locked in a communal struggle for power and resources. Full Story

Lebanon bombing death toll risesPosted on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 at 9:11amSecurity sources in north Lebanon say two more people have died of their wounds from Monday's bomb explosion. The deaths take the number of those killed in the incident to seven. It is not clear who carried out the attack, which targeted an army bus in Tripoli. Full Story

Gaza's useful mercenariesPosted on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 at 9:11amDespite the exhaustion apparent on his face, the young officer made a point of shaking hands with his soldiers and thanking them for their efforts. It had been a long night of clashes and incredibly harsh conditions. For over 11 hours last Tuesday night, this officer and his rapid response soldiers had pursued members of the Daghmash family that lives in Al-Sabra, a southwest neighbourhood of Gaza City. Full Story

Suicide bombers kill 12 at Baghdad mosquesPosted on Thursday, October 2, 2008 at 2:38amSuicide bombers struck two Shi'ite mosques in Baghdad on Thursday as worshippers marked the end of the Ramadan fasting month, killing 12 people and wounding 31, police said. Full Story

UN raises Pakistan security level after hotel bombPosted on Thursday, October 2, 2008 at 6:45amThe United Nations raised its security level for the Pakistani capital after the Sept. 20 truck bombing of Islamabad's Marriott Hotel, U.N. officials said Thursday. Full Story

Maritime security group says Somali piracy soaringPosted on Thursday, October 2, 2008 at 6:46amA Danish intelligence company specializing in maritime security says there was a dramatic increase in the number of seamen held by Somali pirates in September. Full Story

Pirates off Somalia get $18-30 million ransoms: reportPosted on Thursday, October 2, 2008 at 6:47amPiracy in the Gulf of Aden has cost shippers between $18-30 million so far this year in ransoms and is threatening global business, British think-tank Chatham House said on Thursday. Full Story

U.S. raids hurt terrorism fight: Pakistan ministerPosted on Thursday, October 2, 2008 at 6:48amU.S. military raids against militants inside Pakistan threaten to hurt progress being made against them by Pakistani forces and are an intrusion on Pakistan's sovereignty, the country's new foreign minister said on Wednesday. Full Story

Courtesy Terrorism Research Center, Inc.

CONFLICT & TERROR 10/01

U.S. envoy on Korean peninsula to revive nuclear dealPosted on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 8:12amU.S. diplomat Chris Hill arrived in Seoul on Tuesday ahead of a visit to North Korea to try to save a crumbling disarmament-for-aid deal and prevent Pyongyang from rebuilding its aging nuclear plant. North Korea has threatened to restore its nuclear plant -- frozen and being disabled under the deal -- that makes bomb-grade plutonium, in anger at not being dropped from a U.S. terrorism blacklist and by Washington's verification demands.

"Let's see if we can come up with measures that will allow us to verify their declaration," U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Hill told reporters at Incheon airport near Seoul. Full Story

South Korea eyes Thai centre for North's refugeesPosted on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 8:13amSouth Korea is considering building refugee centers in Thailand, Mongolia and Russia to house North Koreans fleeing their homeland in search of asylum, according to documents seen by Reuters Tuesday.

Hundreds of North Koreans flee the hermit state every year, usually crossing into China and then on to a third country on their way to eventual asylum in South Korea, human rights groups say. Many end up in Thailand, packing detention facilities. South Korea grants asylum to the North Koreans at a slower rate than they have been arriving, creating a bottleneck that has strained ties between Seoul and Bangkok. Full Story

Kidnappers target the rich, influential in AfghanistanPosted on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 8:15amMohammed Hashim Wahaaj, a large Afghan doctor with a bushy beard, thought he was going to die. "Bring a sword to cut off his head," he recalls one of his abductors as saying. "They made me lie down in a position when you are cutting the head of a cow or lamb. I thought: in a few minutes, they will cut off my head," the 44-year-old doctor told AFP. Full Story

Asia urges action on US bailout as shares plungePosted on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 8:16amAsia was shaken Tuesday by the collapse of the U.S. financial bailout effort, with the region's political leaders expressing hopes for a quick solution and Japan's central bank injecting more cash into money markets to promote liquidity and lending. "This is a bad development,"

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said of the U.S. House of Representatives' rejection Monday of a $700 billion plan to rescue ailing financial companies burdened with piles of bad mortgage-related debts. "The outcome has caused a major impact not only the U.S. economy but also the world economy," said Japan's Economy and Fiscal Policy Minister Kaoru Yosano, urging Washington to renegotiate a workable package. Full Story

India's IT sector eyes opportunities amid global turmoilPosted on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 8:18amIndia's flagship outsourcing industry expects some pain from the latest global financial turmoil but insists it could emerge a winner with companies shifting more work to the country. The sector, an economic mainstay that generates 40 billion dollars in annual export revenues, traditionally views bad times as offering potential as Western companies cut costs by moving work to cheaper destinations offshore. Industry body Nasscom believes the trend will be the same this time, though it could take longer. Full Story

West Bank settler violence challenges IsraelPosted on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 8:55amArmed with guns, slingshots, knives and stun grenades, Jewish settlers pelted the house of Palestinian Nahla Makhlouf with stones, uprooted young trees and painted the Star of David on her walls. Full Story

Lebanese Parliament holds final debate on 'new' electoral lawPosted on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 8:58amParliament was due to ratify late Monday the new electoral law under which next year's parliamentary polls will be held. The new law, an amended version of the 1960 qada-based electoral law, was agreed on by Lebanon's rival politicians during the Doha talks last May. Full Story

Iraq to Tender Oil Fields in Second Licensing RoundPosted on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 9:04amIraq is planning to announce this year a list of oil fields, mostly discovered but undeveloped, to be tendered in its second licensing round, Iraqi oil sources said Monday. Full Story

Iraq oil shipments start to arrivePosted on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 9:06amThe Kingdom has in the past 10 days received a total of 10,000 tonnes (74,000 barrels) of oil from Iraq at an average of 7,400 barrels a day. Full Story

Dubai Municipality urges residents to send pictures of tankers illegally dumping sewagePosted on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 9:08amThe municipality urged people to send pictures they have taken of tankers illegally dumping sewage to the Environment Department. The municipality plans to take immediate action by confiscating the tanker and imposing a huge penalty on the company that owns the tanker. Full Story

UAE investors who dealt with Lehman to lose most of savingsPosted on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 9:08amUAE-based investors who invested their savings in capital protected structured notes and preferred stocks from Lehman Brothers stand to lose most of their investments, Gulf News has learnt. Full Story

Olmert wants to keep key colonies in West BankPosted on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 9:09amIsrael should withdraw from nearly all territory captured in the 1967 Middle East war in return for peace with the Palestinians and Syria, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was quoted on Monday as telling a newspaper. Full Story

Lebanon MPs Adopt Election LawPosted on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 9:11amThe Lebanese parliament adopted a new electoral law overnight in a key move aimed at paving the way for legislative polls due early next year. The move was the final step of a peace deal struck in May between Lebanon's rival pro- and anti-Syrian factions to end an 18-month political crisis that had brought the country to the brink of civil war. Full Story

'Mobsters' held in Naples raidsPosted on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 10:05amAbout 30 suspected mobsters have been arrested around Naples in the latest stage of what Italy's interior minister has called a "war" with the mafia. Full Story

Top Barclays exec murdered while helping homeless manPosted on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 10:06amA top Barclays executive was beaten to death by a group of youths in Norwich as he tried to stop them attacking a homeless man, Norfolk police said on Tuesday. Frank McGarahan, 45, was standing at a taxi rank in central Norwich in the early hours of Sunday morning when the incident occurred. Full Story

$4M paid for release of Malaysian shipsPosted on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 4:33pmSomali pirates have released two Malaysian oil tankers and their crews in exchange for ransom a month after hijacking the vessels, a shipping company official said Tuesday. Full Story

Tough security reforms for MexicoPosted on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 at 6:35amMexican President Felipe Calderon has announced new measures to fight the wave of drug-related violence that has swept the nation this year. Among the pledges made by Mr Calderon in a televised address was a promise to create a department to monitor and tackle corruption among Mexican police. Full Story

EU monitors begin Georgia patrolsPosted on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 at 6:36amThe first European Union observers have entered the buffer zone around South Ossetia, as they begin monitoring a ceasefire between Georgia and Russia. Full Story

Suspected US missile strike kills 6 in PakistanPosted on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 at 6:37amA missile strike by a suspected U.S. drone killed at least six people in a Pakistani tribal region near the Afghan border, two Pakistani intelligence officials said Wednesday. Full Story

Two Koreas agree to military talks: defence ministryPosted on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 at 6:40amSouth and North Korea have agreed to hold military talks this week amid a deadlocked nuclear disarmament deal, the South Korean defence ministry said Wednesday. Full Story

Holiday bombings kill 27 in BaghdadPosted on Monday, September 29, 2008 at 1:38amFive bomb attacks struck Baghdad on Sunday, three of them aimed at civilians who were out holiday shopping and strolling. Security sources said at least 27 people had been killed and 84 wounded. Full Story

Officials say 15 dead or hurt in Lebanon explosionPosted on Monday, September 29, 2008 at 2:09amA car bomb exploded near a military bus carrying troops to work in northern Lebanon on Monday, killing and wounding at least 15 people, Lebanese security officials said. Most of the casualties were soldiers, the officials said. Full Story

4 Afghan bodyguards die in attack on politicianPosted on Monday, September 29, 2008 at 5:13amGunmen targeting an Afghan provincial council chief killed four of his bodyguards, while a Taliban leader died in an airstrike in central Afghanistan, officials said Monday. Gunmen in the southern city of Kandahar tried to kill Mohammad Hashim, the provincial council chief of neighboring Zabul province, said Fauwzia, a council member who goes by one name. Full Story

Maoists blow up CRPF vehicle in Bastar before Prez Patil visitPosted on Monday, September 29, 2008 at 8:10amSuspected Maoist insurgents triggered a landmine blast to blow up a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) vehicle in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh on Monday, hours before President Pratibha Patil was scheduled to visit the area. A CRPF deputy commandant and a driver were killed, while five other troopers were injured. Full Story

Bomb blast in Sri Lankan capital wounds fivePosted on Monday, September 29, 2008 at 8:40amA bomb hidden inside a van exploded in a market area of Sri Lanka's capital Colombo on Monday, wounding five people and damaging nearby vehicles, authorities said. Police said the bomb was the latest set off by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), separatist guerrillas who are fighting one of the world's longest-running insurgencies since taking up arms against the government in 1983. Full Story

US ambassador appeals for patience in IraqPosted on Monday, September 29, 2008 at 1:07pmU.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker on Sunday accused Iran of trying to interfere with a new security pact between Iraq and the United States, and said Americans need to view Iraq with "a sense of strategic patience" because the stakes in the region are so high. Full Story

Iraq buys 12 US-made reconnaissance planesPosted on Monday, September 29, 2008 at 1:09pmIraq's Defense Ministry says it has bought new U.S.-built reconnaissance planes. Defense Minister Abdul-Qadir al-Obeidi says the King Air planes were delivered a few days ago. Full Story

Arab nations 'will reject any partial peace deal' with IsraelPosted on Monday, September 29, 2008 at 1:10pmArab nations will totally reject any partial or interim solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict because historically such arrangements have become permanent, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said on Saturday. Full Story

Olmert says Israel Must Give Up Almost All West BankPosted on Monday, September 29, 2008 at 1:10pmIsrael's interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Israel must give up virtually all the occupied West Bank including east Jerusalem, insisting in an interview published on Monday this was key to achieving peace with the Palestinians. Full Story

Car Bomb Kills 17 in Syria Near Intelligence OfficePosted on Monday, September 29, 2008 at 1:11pmA powerful car bomb exploded near a Syrian intelligence agency office Saturday morning in Damascus, the Syrian capital, killing 17 people and wounding at least 14 in the worst attack the country has seen since the 1980s. Full Story

Syrian troops 'dig trenches inside Lebanese territory'Posted on Monday, September 29, 2008 at 1:12pmSyrian troops were allegedly digging long trenches between the regions of Rachaya and Haqel Ashty in the Kfarkouq area near the northern Lebanese border, according to Al-Mustaqbal newspaper on Sunday. According to the newspaper, Syrian troops have remained in this area despite the Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon in April 2005. Full Story

MPs overhaul Lebanese election law, but not everyone is satisfiedPosted on Monday, September 29, 2008 at 1:14pmSenior government figures said over the weekend they were "disappointed" that proposed reforms to electoral laws were blocked by Parliament on Saturday, and pledged to continue pushing for "radical" change after next year's parliamentary elections. Full Story

Explosion rocks north Lebanon city of TripoliPosted on Monday, September 29, 2008 at 1:15pmA bus carrying soldiers in the north Lebanese city of Tripoli was struck by an explosion on Monday, witnesses and media said. Full Story

Owners must protect vessels from piracyPosted on Monday, September 29, 2008 at 1:16pmThe complexities of the tragic and serious situation in Somalia continue to spill around the Horn of Africa with a steady escalation of danger to vessels as pirates increase their attacks on merchant ships. Full Story

Agency founded to shore up nuclear securityPosted on Monday, September 29, 2008 at 5:17pmU.S. non-proliferation campaigners launched an agency on Monday aimed at sharing information to improve security at the world's nuclear sites. "Global nuclear security is only as strong as the weakest link in the chain. We can't afford to wait for a security Chernobyl before we act," said Charles Curtis, president of the Washington-based Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), referring to the 1986 Soviet nuclear reactor meltdown. Full Story

Bomb blasts in India kill two - local mediaPosted on Monday, September 29, 2008 at 5:18pmTwo separate bomb blasts in western India killed at least two people and injured several more, local media reported on Monday. A blast, which appeared to be caused by a crude bomb, killed one person and injured several people in the town of Modasa in the state of Gujarat, local television said. Full Story

Mexico drug slayings leave 16 dead in TijuanaPosted on Monday, September 29, 2008 at 5:19pmPolice found 16 bodies dumped in the seedy Mexican border city of Tijuana on Monday in what the state attorney general's office said could be a revenge attack for the arrest of a local drug gang hit man. Twelve bodies were left in a heap with plastic bags tied over their heads within view of a primary school in the east of the city. The school was closed for the day but local residents gathered on rooftops of nearby houses to gape at the victims, who had been shot in the head. Full Story

Russia calls for revived anti-terror coalitionPosted on Monday, September 29, 2008 at 5:20pmRussia has called for a revival of the global anti-terrorism coalition that formed after Sept. 11, 2001, but that started to unravel with what it called the subsequent domination by a single power - a veiled reference to the United States. "The solidarity of the international community fostered on the wave of struggle against terrorism turned out to be somehow 'privatized,"' Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov of Russia said Saturday at the UN General Assembly annual ministerial meeting. Full Story

Police say New York City homicides back upPosted on Monday, September 29, 2008 at 5:21pmHomicides in New York City have jumped 10 percent this year over the same time period last year, police statistics show. Crime statistics show that so far this year, there have been 377 homicides in New York City, compared to the 344 reported during the same time period of 2007, the New York Post reported Monday. Full Story

Austria sees return of extreme rightPosted on Monday, September 29, 2008 at 5:22pmn 2000, Austria was shunned by most of its European Union partners after Wolfgang Schssel invited the far right Freedom party into a coalition with his conservative Peoples party. Eight years later, the possible return to government of the extreme right is high on the political agenda again after two far right parties scored massive gains in Sundays general election. Full Story

Bomb blast in Colombo, 5 injuredPosted on Monday, September 29, 2008 at 5:23pmAt least five were injured in a blast that took place in Colombo on Monday, hospital sources said. According to military sources, five vehicles were also damaged in the blast. They added that the blast took place in the busy Pettah market area of Colombo, located next to the Fort, a heavily guarded area of government offices. Full Story

2 bombs kill at least 6 in western IndiaPosted on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 7:31amTwo bombs exploded in separate towns in western India in crowded markets packed with Muslim shoppers, killing six people and wounding 45 others, police said Tuesday. Full Story

Taliban chief vows 'safe retreat' for foreign troops: statementPosted on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 7:32amTaliban supremo Mullah Mohammad Omar Tuesday offered international forces safe passage if they withdrew from Afghanistan and ordered his fighters to drop certain tactics, such as attacks in mosques. Full Story

At least 144 dead in India Hindu temple crushPosted on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 7:32amAt least 144 people were killed and scores injured on Tuesday in a massive stampede at a Hindu temple in the western state of Rajasthan, a senior state official said. Full Story

Karzai asks Saudi Arabia for help in peace talksPosted on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 7:33amAfghan President Hamid Karzai said Tuesday he has asked the king of Saudi Arabia to help facilitate peace talks with the Taliban in order to bring an end to the Afghan conflict. Full Story

Japan's unemployment rises, spending fallsPosted on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 7:35amJapan got a triple dose of bad economic news Tuesday when numbers showed that family spending dropped sharply, the jobless rate rose to a two-year high and industrial production at the nation's vital manufacturers declined. Full Story

Global stock markets rebound after plunge on bailout failurePosted on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 7:35amBargain-hunting helped lift the London, Paris and Hong Kong stock markets on Tuesday after investors worldwide had dumped shares following the unexpected rejection of a US financial bailout package. Full Story

Dexia bank gets $9.2 billion bailoutPosted on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 7:36amDexia became the second Belgian bank this week to get a government and shareholder bailout Tuesday when Belgium, France and Luxembourg said they would inject almost 6.4 billion euros ($9.2 billion) to keep it afloat. Full Story

Courtesy Terrorism Research Center, Inc.