Weasels vs. AIDS Relief

Bush in Tanzania fighting AIDs

By Michael Gerson

Wednesday, January 28

Some of the personnel stumbles of the Obama administration -- including the abortive nomination of Bill Richardson as commerce secretary -- resulted from incompetent vetting. William Lynn's reception as deputy secretary of defense has been complicated by hypocrisy -- the administration's attempt to gain political credit for a restrictive lobbying ban it swiftly violated to get a qualified appointee.

But one major personnel error was made from malice. And it calls into question the depth and duration of President Obama's "new politics."

During Obama's transition, Dr. Mark Dybul was initially asked to stay on as the coordinator of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) for several months until a replacement could be found and confirmed. Because Dybul was the main architect of the program and one of its guiding visionaries, few were surprised by the offer. With Ambassador Randall Tobias, Dybul organized the most staggeringly successful foreign assistance effort since the Marshall Plan -- eventually helping support lifesaving AIDS therapy for more than 2 million people.

While I worked at the White House -- from 2001 to 2006 -- I saw Dybul combine the ability to build bipartisan consensus for PEPFAR on Capitol Hill with exceptional compassion for the victims of a cruel and wasting sickness. It mattered little to the Bush administration that Dybul was openly gay or that he had contributed to Democratic candidates in the past. He was recognized as a great humanitarian physician -- a man of faith and conscience -- almost universally respected among legislators, AIDS activists, foreign leaders and health experts. Almost.

A few radical "reproductive rights" groups -- the fringe of a fringe -- accused Dybul of advocating "abstinence only" programs in AIDS prevention. It was always a lie. Dybul consistently supported comprehensive prevention efforts that include abstinence, faithfulness and condom use -- the approach that African governments themselves developed. In fact, Dybul was sometimes attacked from the right for defending a broad definition of AIDS prevention, including programs to address prostitution and transgenerational sex. Over the years, PEPFAR distributed 2.2 billion condoms -- hardly an "abstinence only" approach.

By encouraging Dybul to stay until his successor was in place, the Obama administration displayed a generous spirit, as well as a practical concern for continuity in a vital program.

Then, the day after the inauguration, Dybul received a call asking him to submit his resignation and to leave by the end of the day. There was no chance to reassure demoralized staffers, or PEPFAR teams abroad, or the confused health ministers of other nations. The only people who seemed pleased were a few blogging extremists, one declaring, "Dybul Out: Thank you, Hillary!!!"

Bush honored by Liberian Pres Ellen Johnson-Shirleaf highest order of distinction during a ceremony at the Executive Mansion in Monrovia, February 21, 2008.

Full article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/27/AR2009012702673.html?referrer=digg

Palestinian civilians: Hamas made us stay in homes used by gunmen

More than 1,250 Palestinians were reportedly killed during Israel's offensive against Hamas in the coastal territory. Israel has been harshly criticized for the large number of civilians among the Palestinian dead, of whom they numbered more than half according Gaza officials.

But the Italian paper also quoted a doctor at Gaza City's Shifa Hospital as disputing the number of Palestinians said to have been killed in the campaign.

"It's possible that the death toll in Gaza was 500 or 600 at the most, mainly youths aged 17 to 23 who were enlisted by Hamas - who sent them to their deaths," he said.

The Gaza doctor was further quoted as saying: "Perhaps it is like Jenin in 2002. At the beginning they spoke about 1,500 dead, and at the end it turned out to be only 54 - of whom 45 were militants."

He was referring to the Israel Defense Forces battle with Palestinian militants in the West Bank town that took place during Operation Defensive Shield at the height of the second intifada.

Top IDF officer: Hamas made 'monstrous' use of children during Gaza op

The IDF Gaza Division Commander on Thursday, meanwhile, branded Hamas' use of women and children during the offensive in Gaza as "monstrous" and "inhumane."

Brig. Gen. Eyal Eisenberg said the civilians were sent by Hamas to transfer weapons to gunmen during the offensive. He also accused the Islamist militant group of booby-trapping many of the civilians' homes.

"Entire families in Gaza lived on top of a barrel of explosives for months without knowing," Eisenberg said.

The officer asserted that despite international calls for investigations into alleged war crimes, the Israel Defense Forces soldiers adhered to moral principles while fighting in Gaza.

Full story:http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/024567.php

New Iraq Emerges from Tyranny and War

I have been following Iraq the Model since day one. Here is a bit of news that may surprise you about what is really happening over there, from someone who knows.



Iraq has started to reap the benefits of the status of forces agreement with the United States. The United Nations Security Council voted to set the ground for relieving Iraq from the restrictions of Chapter Seven of the UN Charter.

In fact, the remaining effects of previous resolutions will from now on serve only to protect Iraq’s assets from claims by other parties, not to impose anything on the people of Iraq. Sovereignty, which was lost two decades ago under Saddam Hussein’s capricious and belligerent reign, is being restored to the nation.

The Security Council resolution 1859 states, among other things, that Iraq is no longer a threat to its neighbors, region, or the world. The United States has succeeded in transforming a bellicose, autocratic state into a friendly one that is making steady progress towards becoming a self-sustaining democracy — the international community is finally coming to recognize this transformation. This resolution is bound to make a positive impact on the domestic and regional levels. First and foremost it is a testimony to the United States’ true desire to help Iraq get on its feet and relieve it from restrictions that belong to a past era — the United States is indisputably a friendly protector of Iraq, not an occupier as many like to claim.

However, this achievement did not receive as much attention in the Arab media as did the shoes of a disturbed young journalist — not surprisingly, since the resolution strengthens the credibility of the United States, which the dictators in the region always love to attack.
The headlines, as expected, were reserved for the resignation of the speaker of Iraq’s parliament. It was an attempt to highlight political contests in Iraq that ironically ignores two important facts. First is the fact that pluralistic parliaments tend to look “messy”; second, that other parliaments in the region enjoy fake stability only because they exist under the rule of one man, one party, or one family.

Domestically, the resolution is a blow dealt to all those nostalgic for the totalitarian past. Those people had exhausted their lungs screaming and rallying against a security agreement with the United States. The voice that prevailed at the end was that of Iraq’s elected parliament in choosing to open a new era of cooperation and mutual respect between Iraq and the nation that liberated it from tyranny, and continues to protect its interests as we speak.

Whereas Arab nationalists and Islamist extremists ended up with a pair of shoes, Iraqis ended up with their sovereignty, democracy, and friendship with the United States. Those hypocrites did not lift a finger to help Iraq at a time of hardship. On the contrary, they used all the means they could muster to bring democratization in Iraq and the Middle East to a halt. But despite the vicious attacks, Iraq and the United States moved hand in hand to overcome the countless obstacles and present the model of reform and democracy that is taking shape with every dispute Iraqis resolve in the parliament and every new brick they lay in a new building.

The headlines for those cynics do not go beyond the throw of a shoe, whereas my headlines look into the future and speak of a new Iraq. My headlines speak of agreements with our friends in American industries who will help us have 24 hours of electricity and equip a strong army dedicated to serving and protecting the Iraqi nation. This is a future where Iraq’s billions are used in transparent contracts to build the country and improve economic ties with our true allies and friends, not in shady deals for building palaces, supporting terrorists, and procuring tools of aggression.

My headlines speak of symbols of sovereignty returned to Iraqi hands, of France forgiving Iraqi debts, and of the first Christmas festival ever in downtown Baghdad. Iraqis gathered on the beautiful street of Abu Nawas to celebrate Christmas and to honor Iraqi Christians who stood with their brethren courageously against the forces of evil.

My headlines look up to new elections in which many incumbent and new parties will compete for Iraqi’s votes. Whether those parties are qualified or not is something for the Iraqi voters to decide. What popular participation in elections by both voters and parties indicates is that everyone knows their part in building the country, through ballots not bullets — more and more people are adhering to the model of the future and moving away from the shadows of a dark past.

My headlines speak of universities, airports, businesses, and parks that we build with patience and hope.

My headlines say that coup rumors were, well, rumors and that all officers arrested have been released with dignity. Today in Iraq the state does not execute people on mere suspicions, as was the case in the past. Today in Iraq power is transferred by means other than coups.

When hypocrites and extremists sober up from their shoe hangover they will see a new Iraq which will not be easy for them to recognize. Even harder for them will be to contain the tides of freedom and democracy which are bound to reach their shores and shake the foundations of dictatorships and extremism.

http://iraqthemodel.blogspot.com/

Between the monsters and the weak

A moving poem for you:
Between the monsters and the weak by

Michael Marks for more of his work go to:

http://iwvpa.net/marksm/

The sun beat like a hammer.
Not a cloud was in the sky.
The mid-day air ran thick with dust,
My throat was parched and dry.

With microphone clutched tight in hand
And cameraman in tow,
I ducked beneath a fallen roof,
Surprised to hear, "Stay low."

My eyes blinked several times
Before in shadow I could see,
The figure stretched across the rubble,
Steps away from me.

He wore a cloak of burlap strips,
All shades of grey and brown,
That hung in tatters till he seemed
To melt into the ground.

He never turned his head
Or took his eye from off the scope,
But pointed through the broken wall
And down the rocky slope.

"About eight hundred yards," he said,
His whispered words concise,
Beneath the baggy jacket
He is wearing a device.

A chill ran up my spine
Despite the swelter of the heat,
"You think he's gonna set it off
Along the crowded street?"

The sniper gave a weary sigh
And said, "I wouldn't doubt it,"
"Unless there's something this old gun
And I can do about it."

A thunderclap, a tongue of flame,
The still abruptly shattered;
While citizens that walked the street
Were just as quickly scattered.

Till only one remained,
A body crumpled on the ground,
The threat to oh, so many,
Ended by a single round.

And yet the sniper had no cheer,
No hint of any gloat,
Instead he pulled a logbook out
And quietly he wrote.

"Hey, I could put you on TV,
That shot was quite a story!"
But he surprised me once again --
"I got no wish for glory."

"Are you for real?" I asked in awe,
"You don't want fame or credit?"
He looked at me with saddened eyes
And said, "You just don't get it.

You see that shot-up length of wall,
The one without a door?
Before a mortar hit,
It used to be a grocery store.

"But don't go thinking that
To bomb a store is all that cruel,
The rubble just across the street --
It used to be a school.

The little kids played soccer
In the field out by the road."
His head hung low, "They never thought
A car would just explode.

"As bad as all this is though,
It could be a whole lot worse."
He swallowed hard, the words came
From his mouth just like a curse.

"Today the fight's on foreign land,
On streets that aren't my own,"
"I'm here today 'cause if I fail,
The next fight's back at home."

"And I won't let my Safeway burn,
My neighbors dead inside,
Don't wanna get a call from school
That says my daughter died;

I pray that not a one of them
Will know the things I see,
Nor have the work of terrorists
Etched in their memory."

"So you can keep your trophies
And your fleeting bit of fame,
I don't care if I make the news,
Or if they speak my name."

He glanced toward the camera
And his brow began to knot,
"If you're looking for a story,
Why not give this one a shot."

"Just tell the truth of what you see,
Without the slant or spin;
That most of us are OK
And we're coming home again.

And why not tell our folks back home
About the good we've done,
How when they see Americans,
The kids come at a run."

"You tell 'em what it means to folks here
Just to speak their mind,
Without the fear that tyranny
Is just a step behind;

Describe the desert miles they walk
In their first chance to vote,
Or ask a soldier if he's proud,
I'm sure you'll get a quote."

He turned and slid the rifle
Into a drag bag thickly padded,
Then looked again with eyes of steel
As quietly he added;

"And maybe just remind the few,
If ill of us they speak,
That we are all that stands
Between the monsters and the weak."

President Bush Makes Farewell Address to the Nation

God Bless you, President Bush Thank you for keeping us safe and fighting for freedom at home and abroad.




East Room
8:01 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Fellow citizens: For eight years, it has been my honor to serve as your President. The first decade of this new century has been a period of consequence -- a time set apart. Tonight, with a thankful heart, I have asked for a final opportunity to share some thoughts on the journey that we have traveled together, and the future of our nation.

President George W. Bush delivers his farewell address to the nation Thursday evening, Jan. 15, 2009, from the East Room of the White House, thanking the American people for their support and trust. White House photo by Chris Greenberg Five days from now, the world will witness the vitality of American democracy. In a tradition dating back to our founding, the presidency will pass to a successor chosen by you, the American people. Standing on the steps of the Capitol will be a man whose history reflects the enduring promise of our land. This is a moment of hope and pride for our whole nation. And I join all Americans in offering best wishes to President-Elect Obama, his wife Michelle, and their two beautiful girls.

Tonight I am filled with gratitude -- to Vice President Cheney and members of my administration; to Laura, who brought joy to this house and love to my life; to our wonderful daughters, Barbara and Jenna; to my parents, whose examples have provided strength for a lifetime. And above all, I thank the American people for the trust you have given me. I thank you for the prayers that have lifted my spirits. And I thank you for the countless acts of courage, generosity, and grace that I have witnessed these past eight years.

This evening, my thoughts return to the first night I addressed you from this house -- September the 11th, 2001. That morning, terrorists took nearly 3,000 lives in the worst attack on America since Pearl Harbor. I remember standing in the rubble of the World Trade Center three days later, surrounded by rescuers who had been working around the clock. I remember talking to brave souls who charged through smoke-filled corridors at the Pentagon, and to husbands and wives whose loved ones became heroes aboard Flight 93. I remember Arlene Howard, who gave me her fallen son's police shield as a reminder of all that was lost. And I still carry his badge.

As the years passed, most Americans were able to return to life much as it had been before 9/11. But I never did. Every morning, I received a briefing on the threats to our nation. I vowed to do everything in my power to keep us safe.

Over the past seven years, a new Department of Homeland Security has been created. The military, the intelligence community, and the FBI have been transformed. Our nation is equipped with new tools to monitor the terrorists' movements, freeze their finances, and break up their plots. And with strong allies at our side, we have taken the fight to the terrorists and those who support them. Afghanistan has gone from a nation where the Taliban harbored al Qaeda and stoned women in the streets to a young democracy that is fighting terror and encouraging girls to go to school. Iraq has gone from a brutal dictatorship and a sworn enemy of America to an Arab democracy at the heart of the Middle East and a friend of the United States.

President George W. Bush embraces his daughters Barbara and Jenna as he receives a standing ovation from invited guests and members of his staff and Cabinet at the conclusion of his televised farewell address to the nation Thursday evening, Jan. 15. 2009, in the East Room of the White House. White House photo by Chris Greenberg There is legitimate debate about many of these decisions. But there can be little debate about the results. America has gone more than seven years without another terrorist attack on our soil. This is a tribute to those who toil night and day to keep us safe -- law enforcement officers, intelligence analysts, homeland security and diplomatic personnel, and the men and women of the United States Armed Forces.

Our nation is blessed to have citizens who volunteer to defend us in this time of danger. I have cherished meeting these selfless patriots and their families. And America owes you a debt of gratitude. And to all our men and women in uniform listening tonight: There has been no higher honor than serving as your Commander-in-Chief.

The battles waged by our troops are part of a broader struggle between two dramatically different systems. Under one, a small band of fanatics demands total obedience to an oppressive ideology, condemns women to subservience, and marks unbelievers for murder. The other system is based on the conviction that freedom is the universal gift of Almighty God, and that liberty and justice light the path to peace.

This is the belief that gave birth to our nation. And in the long run, advancing this belief is the only practical way to protect our citizens. When people live in freedom, they do not willingly choose leaders who pursue campaigns of terror. When people have hope in the future, they will not cede their lives to violence and extremism. So around the world, America is promoting human liberty, human rights, and human dignity. We're standing with dissidents and young democracies, providing AIDS medicine to dying patients -- to bring dying patients back to life, and sparing mothers and babies from malaria. And this great republic born alone in liberty is leading the world toward a new age when freedom belongs to all nations.

For eight years, we've also strived to expand opportunity and hope here at home. Across our country, students are rising to meet higher standards in public schools. A new Medicare prescription drug benefit is bringing peace of mind to seniors and the disabled. Every taxpayer pays lower income taxes. The addicted and suffering are finding new hope through faith-based programs. Vulnerable human life is better protected. Funding for our veterans has nearly doubled. America's air and water and lands are measurably cleaner. And the federal bench includes wise new members like Justice Sam Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts.

When challenges to our prosperity emerged, we rose to meet them. Facing the prospect of a financial collapse, we took decisive measures to safeguard our economy. These are very tough times for hardworking families, but the toll would be far worse if we had not acted. All Americans are in this together. And together, with determination and hard work, we will restore our economy to the path of growth. We will show the world once again the resilience of America's free enterprise system.

Like all who have held this office before me, I have experienced setbacks. There are things I would do differently if given the chance. Yet I've always acted with the best interests of our country in mind. I have followed my conscience and done what I thought was right. You may not agree with some of the tough decisions I have made. But I hope you can agree that I was willing to make the tough decisions.

The decades ahead will bring more hard choices for our country, and there are some guiding principles that should shape our course.

While our nation is safer than it was seven years ago, the gravest threat to our people remains another terrorist attack. Our enemies are patient, and determined to strike again. America did nothing to seek or deserve this conflict. But we have been given solemn responsibilities, and we must meet them. We must resist complacency. We must keep our resolve. And we must never let down our guard.

At the same time, we must continue to engage the world with confidence and clear purpose. In the face of threats from abroad, it can be tempting to seek comfort by turning inward. But we must reject isolationism and its companion, protectionism. Retreating behind our borders would only invite danger. In the 21st century, security and prosperity at home depend on the expansion of liberty abroad. If America does not lead the cause of freedom, that cause will not be led.

As we address these challenges -- and others we cannot foresee tonight -- America must maintain our moral clarity. I've often spoken to you about good and evil, and this has made some uncomfortable. But good and evil are present in this world, and between the two of them there can be no compromise. Murdering the innocent to advance an ideology is wrong every time, everywhere. Freeing people from oppression and despair is eternally right. This nation must continue to speak out for justice and truth. We must always be willing to act in their defense -- and to advance the cause of peace.

President Thomas Jefferson once wrote, "I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past." As I leave the house he occupied two centuries ago, I share that optimism. America is a young country, full of vitality, constantly growing and renewing itself. And even in the toughest times, we lift our eyes to the broad horizon ahead.

I have confidence in the promise of America because I know the character of our people. This is a nation that inspires immigrants to risk everything for the dream of freedom. This is a nation where citizens show calm in times of danger, and compassion in the face of suffering. We see examples of America's character all around us. And Laura and I have invited some of them to join us in the White House this evening.

We see America's character in Dr. Tony Rehcasner, a principal who opened a new charter school from the ruins of Hurricane Katrina. We see it in Julio Medina, a former inmate who leads a faith-based program to help prisoners returning to society. We've seen it in Staff Sergeant Aubrey McDade, who charged into an ambush in Iraq and rescued three of his fellow Marines.

We see America's character in Bill Krissoff -- a surgeon from California. His son, Nathan -- a Marine -- gave his life in Iraq. When I met Dr. Krissoff and his family, he delivered some surprising news: He told me he wanted to join the Navy Medical Corps in honor of his son. This good man was 60 years old -- 18 years above the age limit. But his petition for a waiver was granted, and for the past year he has trained in battlefield medicine. Lieutenant Commander Krissoff could not be here tonight, because he will soon deploy to Iraq, where he will help save America's wounded warriors -- and uphold the legacy of his fallen son.

In citizens like these, we see the best of our country - resilient and hopeful, caring and strong. These virtues give me an unshakable faith in America. We have faced danger and trial, and there's more ahead. But with the courage of our people and confidence in our ideals, this great nation will never tire, never falter, and never fail.

It has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve as your President. There have been good days and tough days. But every day I have been inspired by the greatness of our country, and uplifted by the goodness of our people. I have been blessed to represent this nation we love. And I will always be honored to carry a title that means more to me than any other - citizen of the United States of America.

And so, my fellow Americans, for the final time: Good night. May God bless this house and our next President. And may God bless you and our wonderful country. Thank you.

Judge Leon: Yet Another Gitmo Terrorists' Hero in a Robe

Have nothing to add. It speaks for itself.. go to link for more great articles.

By Debbie Schlussel

You gotta wonder about Federal Judge Richard Leon.

He just ordered the release of Al-Qaeda terrorist Mohammed El-Gharani from Guantanamo Bay. Leon claims that testimony from other Gitmo detainees that El-Gharani was in Al-Qaeda is "unreliable."

But El-Gharani, a Black Muslim from Chad, was captured in Pakistan when he was 14. Hmmm . . . I'm sure he was just, um, "visiting" Pakistan (by himself at age 14) for a little R & R, right? Or maybe it was to date one of those Paki "hotties" in hijabs and niqabs? Newsflash: Chadians don't normally go to Pakistan as their primary tourist destination or vacation getaway of choice.

The judge seemed to be hung up on El-Gharani's age. But that's clueless. Anyone reading a paper or watching even the liberal-dominated mainstream news media knows that Al-Qaeda--and all Islamic terrorist groups--recruit them young.

The feds say that Gharani stayed at an al-Qaeda-affiliated guest house in Afghanistan, fought in the battle of Tora Bora following the US-led invasion, and served as a courier for senior al-Qaeda operatives.

But, you know, Judge Richard Leon, knows better. Here's a clue for Hizzoner Judge Leon: Pakistan isn't a regular tourist destination for Chadian teens. There is a reason this guy was in Pakistan, and it wasn't a good one.

G-d save this sinking nation from these clueless, dangerous judges.

http://www.debbieschlussel.com/archives/2009/01/judge_leon_gitm.html

Sufi Muslim Shaykh Hisham Kabbani-Flint MI-Fights Wahhabism

This Muslim Shaykh-member of Sufi Islam is a brave and honorable man. This mans message is a side of Islam not many westerners hear...He and the others speaking out against Wahhabism need to be heard. To bad OUR media, western organizations, politicians and "peace activists" choose to listen and react to what the enemies of freedom and liberty have to say.. They say those are the Muslims we should be appeasing, not embracing men like this fine religious leader.


Sufi Muslim Shaykh Hisham Kabbani of Flint, Michigan, has spoken to U.S. Government officials about the threat of Wahhabist Islam. Shaykh Kabbani also struggles against Wahhabism within the American Muslim community.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2pty6W0tLE

Women Against Shariah Website

Finally a women's organization that isn't afraid to fight against Shariah today.

A Powerful site... Support Women Against Shariah. A who's, who of women that have their own action organizations, written books, and appeared on TV and radio and others in the fight against Shariah that make up this very informative and important website.

About Us

The mission of Women Against Shariah is to prevent and outlaw the imposition of shariah law in the United States for both Muslim and American women as either a parallel legal system or a replacement for existing laws. Additionally, we hope to empower women worldwide to resist shariah.

It is our position that shariah law imposes second class status on women and is incompatible with the standards of liberal Western societies and the basic principles of human rights that include equality under the law and the protection of individual freedoms. The shariah code mandates the complete authority of men over women, including the control of their movement, education, marital options, clothing, bodies, place of residence and all other aspects of their existence. Further, it calls for the beating, punishment, and murder of women who don’t comply with shariah requirements.

In our efforts to stem the encroachment of shariah in the West, we are focusing on the following objectives:

• Education of the American public about the inherent human rights violations and the attempt to undermine or replace U.S. law and American statutes with Islamic shariah


• Publicizing of important issues related to sharia requirements such as honor killings, forced marriages, child marriage, polygamy, female genital mutilation, violence against women, etc.


• Alerting policy makers and legislators to potential human rights and equal rights violations and working toward the development of possible remedies and legal actions


• Building coalitions with like-minded organizations to develop policy initiatives and interventions for victims of shariah.

http://womenagainstshariah.blogspot.com/

The Main Obstacle to a Peaceful Solution with Hamas

by Maurice Ostroff | January 4th, 2009

President Sarkozy and other intermediaries should focus on the insidious role of incitement in the tragic violence that plagues the Middle East.

In his moving appeal on December 30, for an end to the tragic events in Gaza, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was among very few opinion makers to recognize and focus on the most critical, but sorely neglected, aspect of the conflict. Very cogently he appealed to both sides to "curb their inflammatory rhetoric."

It is indeed unfortunate that so few recognize that while not only adults, but even children from their earliest years, continue to be indoctrinated to hate, any brokered cessation of rocket firing by Hamas and of retaliation by Israel cannot last.

For example, a report by Palestinian Media Watch disclosed that the new textbooks issued by the PA Ministry of Education in 2006 continue to reject Israel's right to exist. Palestinian terror against Israel is defined as acts of glorious heroism and fighting Israel is taught as a religious battle for Islam worthy of a great reward from Allah. They teach and idealize Jihad – war for Islam – and Shahada – death for Allah – as basic Islamic principles to which to aspire.

Unless President Sarkozy and other intermediaries insist on curbing this type of incitement, any truce can be nothing more than suppression of a symptom, while the underlying cause continues to fester.

Typical of the incitement that is the most formidable barrier to peaceful co-existence is the following extract from an address by Hamas MP and cleric Yunis Al-Astal, which aired on Al-Aqsa TV on April 11, 2008.

"Very soon, Allah willing, Rome will be conquered, just like Constantinople was, as was prophesized by our Prophet Muhammad. Today, Rome is the capital of the Catholics, or the Crusader capital, which has declared its hostility to Islam, and has planted the brothers of apes and pigs in Palestine in order to prevent the reawakening of Islam – this capital of theirs will be an advanced post for the Islamic conquests, which will spread through Europe in its entirety, and then will turn to the two Americas, and even Eastern Europe." (Translated by MEMRI)

In a paper titled "Islam's Mandatory War Against Jews and Israel", Itamar Marcus, Director of Palestinian Media Watch, describes how Islamic holy leaders teach that Jews are the eternal enemies of Allah and that the killing of Jews is Allah's will.

Full article here:
http://www.intellectualconservative.com/2009/01/04/the-main-obstacle-to-a-peaceful-solution-with-hamas/

Andrew Breitbart Presents - BIG HOLLYWOOD -(pop) culture move to the right

The article tells the story, no need for an introduction.

Wash. Times: A Million Stories To Tell

by Andrew Breitbart

On Tuesday, I launch Big Hollywood, a big group blog that will feature hundreds of the big minds from the fields of politics, journalism, entertainment and culture.

Big Hollywood is not a "celebrity" gabfest or a gossip outpost - it is a continuous politics and culture posting board for those who think something has gone drastically wrong and that Hollywood should return to its patriotic roots.

Big Hollywood's modest objective: to change the entertainment industry. To make Hollywood something we can believe in - again. In order to give millions of Americans hope.

Until conservatives, libertarians and Republicans - who will be the lion's share of Big Hollywood's contributors - recognize that (pop) culture is the big prize and that politics is secondary, there will be no victory in this important battle.

Hollywood is no longer an American industry. And it took a prolonged war in which the studios and most of the stars didn't show up to fight for America to draw attention to this hard truth.

American corporations, the FBI, the CIA and elected U.S. officials are the bad guys in flicks these days. Radical Islamists are seldom vilified while the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines are smeared too often.

Film production - and countless jobs - have been steadily shipped abroad for cost-cutting purposes. Standing ovations at Cannes and Golden Globes - not American popular opinion - determine who wins the Oscar. And homegrown actors are hailed as First Amendment heroes for speaking out against the United States.

The anti-hero rules this celluloid world. Nihilism is packaged as edginess. And there's zero sense that anyone's watching out for quality control. Even the respected awards are often given to the most outlandish and gratuitously deplorable.

In 2003, Meryl Streep told the Wall Street Journal: "We export the crap. And then we wonder why everybody hates us and has a distorted picture of what Americans are."

http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/

Dutch Socialist MP calls for Intifada against Israel

Dhimmified moron of the day

http://infidelsarecool.com/2009/01/03/video-dutch-socialist-mp-calls-for-intifada-against-israel/

Afghan girl says acid attack won't stop her lessons

Want to praise the bravery of this Afghan girl disfigured by an acid attack and still determined to continue her education, despite risk to her life.

By Mohammad Aziz

KABUL (Reuters) - A victim of an acid attack on schoolgirls in Afghanistan said Saturday she was determined to stay in school and finish her education even if that meant risking death.

The girl, who gave her name as just Shamsia, was the most seriously injured of a group of girls attacked outside their school by unidentified men in the southern city of Kandahar on Wednesday.

"I'll continue my schooling even if they try to kill me. I won't stop going to school," Shamsia said from her bed at Afghanistan's main military hospital in Kabul.

Shamsia, 17, suffered damage to one of her eyes when the men pulled off the girls' head scarves and threw acid in their faces. She has been brought to hospital in the capital for treatment.

There was no claim of responsibility for the attack but it bore the hallmarks of the Taliban, who banned girls from school during their hardline rule from 1996 to 2001.

The insurgents have attacked and destroyed hundreds of schools across the country since they were forced from power in 2001, after the September 11 attacks on the United States.

While some teachers and school caretakers have been killed, most of the attacks on schools have been at night and violence against children has been rare.

The attack on the schoolgirls has shocked a country long used to violence. President Hamid Karzai said the men responsible were the enemies of education.

Shamsia, much of her face covered in a yellow ointment, said she had to finish her lessons to help the country.

"I'll continue going to lessons. I'm studying to be able to build our country," she said.

Senior education official Najiba Nuristani, who was visiting Shamsia in hospital, was also defiant.

"These incidents, these suicide attacks, can not stop education in Afghanistan, especially for girls," she said.

Shamsia's doctor, Mohammad Wali, said the girl had suffered damage to an eye but was in good condition. A medical panel would decide if she needed to be sent to India for treatment, he said.

(Writing by Robert Birsel; Editing by Jeremy Laurence)

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE4AE1HQ20081115