Alberto Gonzales, one of Bush’s legal architects of torture in the current war on terror has honoured us with a visit to Cairo, where he defended “extraordinary renditions� of Islamist suspects, but refused to confirm Egypt was (and is) one of the receiving countries. Continue reading Gonzales defends renditions in Cairo
Tag: Terrorism
Marx and Bin Laden
I came across an interesting article on Marxism and Terrorism. I recommend reading all of it. I couldn’t help but drawing parallels between the behavior of some of the 1800s European anarchists (discussed by the author in the beginning of the article) and the current Islamist Takfiri groups, especially in their justification of civilian casualties with the no-one-is-innocent approach. If you don’t have time, then just scroll down to the section on “Today’s Islamist terroristsâ€� that tackles Al-Qa3da and suicide bombings. The author argues there’s nothing unique about Islamic cultures that would produce suicide bombers, providing a secular analysis to the phenomenon. Continue reading Marx and Bin Laden
Gitmo military trials rejected by Supreme Court
The US supreme court directed a blow to Bush’s “war on terror,� ruling today against the administration’s plans to prosecute Gitmo detainees in military courts. Already, the US president is in terrible unease about the island’s gulag, which has been denounced by virtually all rights groups across the globe as well as well as America’s own allies. He expressed in Vienna this month his desire to close it down during a summit with EU states. Continue reading Gitmo military trials rejected by Supreme Court
Al-Qa3da’s media matrix
I came across an interesting AP report on Al-Qa3da’s As-Sahab media productions. We can never know for sure if the interviewed cameraman indeed met Dr. Ayman el-Zawahiri, as he alleges. After all, you would think those guys are under constant monitoring, by Pakistani and US intelligence services, and Zawahiri’s hideout could have been found a long time ago then. Still, I think the report enlightens us a bit about how this secret media matrix works.
Cameraman Sheds Light on al-Qaida Videos
By KATHY GANNON
The Associated Press
Sunday, June 25, 2006
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — The bitter winter winds were howling through the Afghan mountains when, cameraman Qari Mohammed Yusuf says, a courier brought a summons from al-Qaida’s No. 2: “The emir wants to send a message.” Continue reading Al-Qa3da’s media matrix
Chain of hatred
I previously posted on the blog a letter from a former Islamist detainee, narrating the torture he went through in prison, during our 1990s Dirty War. I was going through my inbox today, and came across a good article from last September by my friend Sara Khorshid, who writes for Islam Online, and other media outlets.
Sara’s report demonstrates clearly, how the regime’s abuses are breeding the next generation of terrorists. Continue reading Chain of hatred
Sara’s report demonstrates clearly, how the regime’s abuses are breeding the next generation of terrorists. Continue reading Chain of hatred
Zawahiri hails Zarqawi in new video
Al-Jazeera broadcasted Friday night a new video by Dr. Ayman el-Zawahiri, the deputy head of Al-Qa3da, where he acknowledged Zarqawi’s death, and hailed him as a “martyr.” The Doha-based Satellite channel had aired a video by Zawahiri, only a day before, where he denounced the “massacre” by US troops against Afghan civilians last month, suggesting that the tape was filmed sometime after the traffic accident that involved US army troops that killed Afghans, sparking riots and more deaths on May 29.
New Zawahiri video
Al-Jazeera has just aired few minutes ago a new video by Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden’s aide, where he accused the US army of conducting a “massacre against civilians in Kabul” last month. He also called up on Afghanis to support the “mujahideen” in their fight against Western military presence.
Al-Jazeera said it obtained the video from the internet. Continue reading New Zawahiri video
Al-Jazeera said it obtained the video from the internet. Continue reading New Zawahiri video
Afghan security orders journalists to report “more good news”
This is just pathetic…
The best Karzai’s government could come up with–in response to Taliban’s mounting attacks on NATO, local government troops as well as civilians, since spring of this year–is sending Afghani intelligence agents to intimidate Kabul’s press corps into reporting “more good news.â€� Here are excerpts of Newsday report by James Rupert:
Afghanistan orders journalists to report more good news
KABUL, Afghanistan — The war against the Taliban has gone badly these last months, but Afghanistan’s national intelligence agency has devised a secret plan to reverse the tide of bad news.
In a coordinated action this week, the intelligence men drove up to TV stations and newspapers in SUVs and dropped off an unsigned letter ordering journalists to report more favorable news about the government. In particular, the letter said, they should avoid “materials which deteriorate people’s morale and cause disappointment to them.”
The men from the National Security Directorate would not give their names, and to better ensure secrecy, the letter instructed journalists that “publishing or copying this document is unauthorized.”
Immediately, of course, it was Afghanistan’s top story: The government was imposing censorship, and press groups were protesting in outrage. By Monday night, the fire reached China, where President Hamid Karzai is traveling. (Full story)
The best Karzai’s government could come up with–in response to Taliban’s mounting attacks on NATO, local government troops as well as civilians, since spring of this year–is sending Afghani intelligence agents to intimidate Kabul’s press corps into reporting “more good news.â€� Here are excerpts of Newsday report by James Rupert:
Afghanistan orders journalists to report more good news
KABUL, Afghanistan — The war against the Taliban has gone badly these last months, but Afghanistan’s national intelligence agency has devised a secret plan to reverse the tide of bad news.
In a coordinated action this week, the intelligence men drove up to TV stations and newspapers in SUVs and dropped off an unsigned letter ordering journalists to report more favorable news about the government. In particular, the letter said, they should avoid “materials which deteriorate people’s morale and cause disappointment to them.”
The men from the National Security Directorate would not give their names, and to better ensure secrecy, the letter instructed journalists that “publishing or copying this document is unauthorized.”
Immediately, of course, it was Afghanistan’s top story: The government was imposing censorship, and press groups were protesting in outrage. By Monday night, the fire reached China, where President Hamid Karzai is traveling. (Full story)
The Road to Gitmo
A movie on Guantanamo, based on the true story of the Tipton Three, is to start showing in US theatres tomorrow June 23, amid increasing calls for shutting down the island’s gulag. George Bush announced Wednesday in Vienna the US ‘wants to end Guantanamo,’ and send most of the detainees back to their home countries. Some would be put on trial in the US, he added though.
Zarqawi’s successor
Neither the name Ayyoub al-Masri nor Abu Hamza al-Muhajer rang a bell. But after having a look at Zarqawi’s alleged successor’s photo, Islamist lawyer Montasser al-Zayat suggested to Al-Hayat, that the new head of the militant network in Iraq might be a man by the name Youssef al-Dardeeri, an Islamist from one of the Upper Egyptian provinces, who lived for sometime in el-Zawya el-Hamra neighborhood in Cairo. Continue reading Zarqawi’s successor