TresSugar

Front Page: Secret Order Let US Attack al Qaeda Anywhere

CitizenSugar — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 08:00:00 -0800

A classified US order from 2004 authorized the US military to attack al Qaeda anywhere in the world. The order has allowed the US to secretly attack militants in Syria, Pakistan, and other places. - New York Times
President-elect Barack Obama will meet President Bush in the Oval Office today, to begin the transition of power. The two are expected to discuss the economy, the war in Iraq, and national security. Laura Bush will give Michelle Obama a tour of the White House. - CNN
Three bombs that exploded moments apart in Baghdad, Iraq yesterday left at least 28 people dead. Two of the explosions were car bombs and the third was a suicide bomber who blew himself up in the crowd trying to rescue people. - BBC News
An argument over Sunday's Alabama-LSU overtime football game ended with an Alabama couple shot to death. - Alabama Press-Register
A backlash against California's Proposition 8 has erupted. This weekend, same-sex marriage supporters protested the new law outside churches around the state, including a Mormon tabernacle. - San Francisco Chronicle

Spain Says No to Asylum For Osama Bin Laden's Son

LibertySugar — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 11:30:00 -0800

Yesterday Spain told Omar bin Laden, one of Osama bin Laden's 19 sons, that he was not welcomed there. The 27-year-old Saudi citizen lives in Egypt with his 52-year-old British wife, but while in Madrid for flight layover, he appealed for asylum. Omar argued that his pacifist stances put his life at risk in the Middle East. Even so, Spain rejected his petition. An anonymous Spanish official said Omar simply did not meet refugee requirements.

Before the UK rejected a similar asylum request, Omar hoped to move to his wife's hometown in England. Perhaps to his detriment, during a January interview with the Associated Press, Omar chose not to renounce his father. He did say that unlike his father, he wanted to be an "ambassador of peace." Before he made the decision to choose peace over violence, Omar trained at an al Qaeda camp. He says that since he left the camp in 2000, he has had no contact with his father.

Omar and his wife think the stigma of their last name has prompted Western countries to reject Omar's bid for asylum. Even if that accusation is true, is it a fair basis?

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Front Page: Bush to Keep Guantanamo Open, Obama Leaving Campaign Trail, Saudi Arabia Charges 991 Al Qaeda Suspects

CitizenSugar — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 06:56:52 -0700

Bush to Keep Gitmo Open:
Though he'd previously stated a desire to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Bush has now decided not to do so, and did not consider proposals from the State Department and Pentagon to transfer the prisoners elsewhere. His current view appears to be that closing the prison would involve too many political and legal risks. It will remain open for the rest of his term.

Obama Leaving Campaign Trail:
Barack Obama is canceling almost all of his campaign events on Thursday and Friday to go visit his suddenly gravely ill grandmother in Hawaii. According to a spokesman, ''Sen. Obama's grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, has always been one of the most important people in his life, along with his mother and his grandfather." He's going so he can "spend some time with her.''
Saudi Arabia Charges 991 al Qaeda Suspects:
Saudi Arabia has charged 991 suspected al Qaeda militants with attacks that left 164 dead and that seem to range back to 2003, though specifics aren't yet clear. The country has been reluctant to charge militants in the past, fearing retribution from local sympathizers. A spokesman said, "In the past few years, the kingdom has been the target of an organised terrorist campaign linked to networks of strife and sedition overseas," before linking that campaign to al Qaeda.

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Front Page: Nelson Mandela Turns 90, EU to Give Billion to Africa, Arrests in Plot Against Bush

CitizenSugar — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:00:18 -0700

Nelson Mandela Turns 90:
Marking his 90th birthday today, Nelson Mandela celebrated by urging generosity:"there are many people in South Africa who are rich and who can share those riches with those not so fortunate who have not been able to conquer poverty." He said he was tickled people wanted to celebrate the birthday "of a retired old man who no longer has power or influence".

EU to Give Billion to Africa:
The EU has a plan to give $1 billion euros of unspent EU farm subsidies in aid to African farmers. The money was allocated to EU agriculture, but hasn't been spent - sending the cash to Africa could help fix food shortages and soaring prices. Some question the move's legality, but EC President Barroso says: "The impact of high food prices is particularly severe for the world's poorest populations."
Arrests in Plot Against Bush:
Israel arrested six Arabs today for attempting to set up an al Qaeda cell in Israel and claiming that one of the men had planned to attack helicopters used during a visit by President George W. Bush. One of the suspects had allegedly used his cell phone to film the landing site of the president, and then used al Qaeda websites to ask advice in how to shoot down the helicopter. Bush's last visit to Israel was in May.

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Front Page: Voters Led to Polls in Zimbabwe, N. Korea Blows, al-Qaeda Figure Dead

CitizenSugar — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 07:00:10 -0700

Voters Led to Polls in Zimbabwe:
As the Zimbabwe election dawns, any voter turnout could be credited to fear. Marshals are rounding up and leading voters to polling stations, with reports that voters fear punishment or even death if they can't produce the red-tipped finger that signifies a vote. One woman says, "I've got no option but to go and vote so that I can be safe." Not just a vote, a vote for current President Robert Mugabe, as a man concurs, “I voted for Mugabe because I didn’t want to risk my life.” Voters are being told to copy down the serial number on their ballot so that it could later be confirmed that they voted for Mugabe. Opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai (who dropped out on Sunday) said, “today is not an election. Today is a shameful humiliation, another tragic day in our nation’s history.”

North Korea Blows:
A huge explosion rocks North Korea as the country demolishes its nuclear cooling tower, one day after agreeing to release the details of it's nuclear program. The tower was the largest visual symbol of the problematic program; its destruction is seen as "a significant and very important step," according to a State Department official.

al-Qaeda Figure Dead:
The US military reports that a militant killed earlier this week has been identified as the leader of al-Qaeda in Mosul. The man whose goes by the name Abu Khalaf had planned and executed many attacks before being shot and killed by US troops during a raid in Mosul. For the past month, US and Iraqi forces have been battling to drive al-Qaeda from the city, which US and Iraqi officials say is al-Qaeda's last urban stronghold in Iraq. Mosul has seen several large attacks in past days, directed toward local anti-Qaeda leaders.

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Equal Opportunity? Women Want Right to Serve - in al Qaeda

CitizenSugar — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:30:30 -0700

Al Qaeda and the United States military do share one thing in common: the debate to allow women in combat.

Ayman al-Zawahiri, Al Qaeda’s second in command, stated in April that the terrorist group does not have women in its ranks and that the women’s role should be restricted to domestic work and nurturing children. This raised an outcry from women eager to fight and who believe their right to fight are being denied.

The director of the SITE Intelligence Group which monitors Internet sites that cater to more militant factions said:

Women were very disappointed because what al-Zawahiri said is not what’s happening today in the Middle East, especially in Iraq or Palestinian groups. Suicide operations are being carried out by women, who play an important role in jihad.

Experts indicate that there are no women in Osama bin Laden’s inner decision-making core group, but outside that group there are many offshoots where women may play important roles. In a bleak variation of starting on the bottom rung, women are increasingly serving as suicide bombers. In Iraq since the 2003 invasion, women have been responsible for at least 20 attempted suicide bombings and the US military has said in the past year they have captured al Qaeda members suspected of being trained to use suicide belts. Though al Qaeda is an all-boys club, women are signing up other places. To find out where, read more.

Other groups in the Middle East have come to terms with the fact that women soldiers should be counted among their ranks. Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, has an open policy when it comes to utilizing women soldiers. Huda Naim, a women’s leader in Hamas said: “A lot of girls I speak to . . . Want to carry weapons. We don’t have a special militant wing for women . . . But that doesn’t mean we strip women of the right to go to jihad.”

The Internet is giving women anxious to serve, a voice. One said, "How many times have I wished I were a man . . . When Sheikh Ayman al-Zawahiri said there are no women in al Qaeda, he saddened and hurt me. I felt that my heart was about to explode in my chest. . . . I am powerless." Does it stand to reason that if women are compelled to serve in the military, they would feel the same ideological pull to serve in organizations like al Qaeda and Hamas? Should they be allowed to serve?

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Front Page: Bush Proposes Food Aid, Labour Loses in UK, Blast in Yemen

CitizenSugar — Fri, 02 May 2008 06:58:51 -0700

Bush Proposes Food Aid: President Bush has proposed an additional $770 million in emergency food assistance to be sent to poor countries. The action is in response to rising food prices resulting in social unrest in several nations. Days before, Democrats in Congress had called for an increase, and the speedy announcement highlighted how quickly the global food crisis had risen to the top of Washington’s agenda. President Bush said, “in some of the world’s poorest nations, rising prices can mean the difference between getting a daily meal and going without food." The $770 million would be included in next year’s budget, increasing total American food assistance to $2.6 billion.

Labour Loses in UK: In what has been called a "big moment" for the Conservative Party, elections just held in the UK showed the Labour Party suffering its worst results in at least 40 years. BBC research suggests Labour won 24 percent of votes cast in England and Wales, behind the Tories on 44 percent. Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the results were disappointing and that "the test of leadership is not what happens in a period of success but what happens in difficult circumstances." Results should be announced later today in the race to be London mayor.
Blast in Yemen: A blast this morning at the entrance of a mosque killed at least eight people and left 45 wounded. The mosque is in the Saada region of Yemen, the site of a Shiite rebellion. The Arabian peninsula country has been repeatedly hit by violence in recent weeks. Two attacks in the capital Sanaa in March and April targeted US interests and responsibility was claimed by the local wing of al Qaeda.

Front Page: Indonesia Sentences Militant, PA Votes, Carter and Hamas

CitizenSugar — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 06:57:21 -0700

Indonesia Sentences Militant: An Indonesian court has sentenced Abu Dujana, a suspected military commander of an al Qaeda-linked terror network, to 15 years in prison. He is thought to be leader of the military wing of Jemaah Islamiyah, a group with ties to al Qaeda with an aim to turn Southeast Asia into a Muslim "superstate." The court found Dujana guilty today of illegally possessing firearms and explosives, and of harboring suspected terrorists. He's also thought to have had direct involvement in the Bali nightclub bombings of 2002 that killed more than 200, mostly Western, tourists. Dujana described Jemaah Islamiyah as "an underground organization," saying "it will continue to exist and continue to move on with its plans" to create an Islamic state under Sharia law despite his capture.

PA Votes: Pennsylvanians head to the polls tomorrow voting in their primary, and deciding who gets the bigger slice of the 158 delegate pie. Polls show Clinton with a small but not devastating lead, indicating that the race will continue on to Indiana and North Carolina.

Carter and Hamas: Former US President Jimmy Carter reports after meeting Hamas leaders in Syria, that Hamas is prepared to accept the right of Israel to "live as a neighbour next door in peace." Carter was troubled that the US and Israel would not meet the group. His visit with the group has caused controversy, which he defends by saying, "the problem is not that I met with Hamas in Syria. The problem is that Israel and the United States refuse to meet with someone who must be involved." Carter said Hamas had said that it would accept an Israeli state within its pre-1967 borders if such an agreement was approved by Palestinians.

Which Country Gives the Most Money to Terrorists?

LibertySugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:00:09 -0700

We constantly hear about Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan, but which country gives the most money to al Qaeda? Why, it's Saudi Arabia, a close US ally.

This week, Stuart A. Levey, a top financial counter-terrorism official in the Bush Administration, told a Senate committee that Saudi Arabia is the number one terrorist bankroller. Levey stressed that the Saudi government has provided operational cooperation against terrorists; but, the Kingdom has failed to eliminate dangerous funding networks as it promised it would years ago. For example, the government has not imposed charity oversight in order to stop "donations" to al Qaeda.

The fact that a US ally is the leading source of terrorist funds, shows that the situation in the Middle East cannot be expressed as good guys vs. bad guys. Just yesterday, al Qaeda's number two man said it was in the interest of al Qaeda to see Iran fail. But, wait - I thought the US didn't like Iran.

The US depends on other countries to help stop the flow of money to al Qaeda. Are you surprised by the revelation that its allies aren't doing their part?

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CNN Edits Video, Rewrites McCain's Gaffe

CitizenSugar — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:00:10 -0700

It's the perfect storm. Just yesterday tons of you had opinions on McCain's al Qaeda/extremists flub, the day before we took a peek at the nature of spin in the news cycle, and now this marriage of the two: CNN ran edited footage of the event (edited for brevity probably, but!) with splicing, which made it appear as though John McCain immediately corrected himself. That was not the case. To make matters stickier, the heavily edited footage was used to back up Wolf Blitzer's report that McCain "quickly corrected" the statement.

This instance is one of many reports surfacing pointing attention toward less-than-critical media reporting of the event. Both Reuters and Special Report used language directly from the McCain campaign's statement saying that the candidate "misspoke." Their use of the campaign's wording gives objective authority to a political interpretation.

Does this heighten your skepticism about the "news?" Or is this an example of business as usual something you expect? Are you surprised how one 60-second clip can effectively rewrite history?