TresSugar

Front Page: Not al-Qaeda in Iraq Leader, UN Halts Myanmar Aid, Hezbollah Seizes West Beirut

CitizenSugar — Fri, 09 May 2008 06:55:16 -0700

Not al-Qaeda in Iraq Leader: The United States military in Iraq says a man arrested and detained yesterday in Mosul is not in fact the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, though an earlier statement from the Iraqi defense ministry said that Abu Ayyub al-Masri had been captured. An American military spokeswoman said al-Masri had not been arrested and that confusion had arisen because a man with a similar name to the al-Qaeda in Iraq leader had been detained.

UN Halts Myanmar Aid: The UN has suspended relief supplies to Myanmar today after the military government seized the food and equipment that had been sent into the country. The government had said it would accept supplies but not aid workers and would distribute the supplies as it saw fit. A statement from the Myanmar Foreign Ministry said the country is not in a position to receive rescue teams. A UN spokesman said he had never seen delays like this before in delivering relief supplies and aid officials.
Hezbollah Seizes West Beirut: After heavy gunfire broke out yesterday, armed members of the militant group Hezbollah have seized most of western Beirut, exiling supporters of the Western-backed government there. The fighting ignited after a government decision on Monday to shut down Hezbollah's telecommunication network. At least 11 people have been killed and many more injured in the city in three days of clashes.

Front Page: Key al-Qaeda Leader Killed, Bush, Paulson Promise Improvements, Austrian Incest Dad Fit For Trial

CitizenSugar — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 07:00:18 -0700

Key al-Qaeda Leader Killed:
The US military has announced that the second-in-command of al-Qaeda in Iraq has been killed. The militant leader Abu Qaswarah had ties to senior al-Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He was killed in a raid on Oct. 5 in Mosul, a city described as the military as one of the group's last strongholds.
Bush, Paulson Promise Improvements:
President Bush and Treasury Secretary Paulson said today that confidence and cash will rehabilitate the economy, but that improvements will take time and patience. Bush said he's confident the economy will "come back" in the long run. Speaking on the $250 billion bank investment announced yesterday, Paulson said, "There's no doubt that the way to get the maximum bang for the taxpayers here was to invest in banks."
Austrian Incest Dad Fit For Trial:
Josef Fritzl, the Austrian man accused of holding his daughter in the cellar for 24 years and fathering seven children with her, has been declared mentally fit to stand trial. The court said the psychiatric evaluation of the 73-year-old found him lucid enough, but that he suffers from a "profound personality disorder."

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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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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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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.

Source

Headline: al-Qaeda Recruiting Children

LibertySugar — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 11:00:35 -0800

Recent footage released by the US military shows images of young Iraqi boys wearing suicide vests, kidnapping civilians at gunpoint, posing with automatic weapons, and chanting pro-al-Qaeda slogans. US officials claim that al-Qaeda is increasingly training children as young as 10 years old to kidnap and kill innocent people.

The videos, aired today during a joint US-Iraqi press conference, are being used by al-Qaeda as propaganda to recruit boys and send a broader message across Iraq that will indoctrinate a new generation. An Iraqi official also reported that militants kidnap children not only for recruitment purposes, but also to demand ransoms. The money collected funds the terrorist organization's operations.

The use of children as the pawns of terrorists is alarming and tragic - as was last week's news that two mentally retarded women strapped with remote-control explosives were used as homicide bombers. What do you think this says about the future of al-Qaeda?
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Happy Birthday "Mission Accomplished." Are We Even Close?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 01 May 2008 08:00:32 -0700

Today marks the fifth anniversary of George W. Bush standing on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln, with the now infamous banner declaring, "Mission Accomplished." Bush didn't utter those words himself - what he said was:

"Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed."

In "prevailing", we've recently seen the fifth anniversary of US presence in Iraq, and seen more than 4,000 casualties.

In convenient timing, the US State Department released a report yesterday confirming al-Qaeda is still the greatest terrorist threat to the US and its allies. The news is part of the department's annual Country Reports on Terrorism. In year five of "Mission Accomplished," the number of terror-related deaths rose by 8 percent in 2007, and says "the ability of [Iraqi] attackers to penetrate large concentrations of people and then detonate their explosives may account for the increase in lethality of bombings in 2007."

The White House announced yesterday that they've paid the price for the banner. Press Secretary Dana Perino said the sentiment, which now seems laughably premature, was actually just not specific enough. The banner apparently was meant for the ship's crew. Perino said, "President Bush is well aware that the banner should have been much more specific and said `mission accomplished' for these sailors who are on this ship on their mission. And we have certainly paid a price for not being more specific on that banner."

Do you buy that explanation? Regardless of Bush's words on that day, saying combat has ended and the US has prevailed, did we all just misunderstand the intended recipient of the prominently located banner? Has the White House paid the price for the vagueness of the message? After five years, is the fact that the State Department is still calling al-Qaeda the greatest threat mean we're surprisingly far from accomplishing any mission?

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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

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Front Page: North Korea Declares Nuclear Program, Iraq Bombings, Immigration Raid

CitizenSugar — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 07:02:25 -0700

North Korea Declares Nuclear Program:
North Korea has submitted for inspection the long-awaited declaration of the extent of its nuclear program. Immediately after the move, the Bush administration announced it would remove the country, formerly on the "axis of evil" list, from the list of states who sponsor terrorism, as well as lifting commercial restriction on the country. President Bush said, "this can be a moment of opportunity for North Korea. If it continues to make the right choices it can repair its relationship with the international community."

Attack Kills 33 in Iraq:
At least 33 people have been killed in two massive bombings in Iraq today, including 18 people hit by a car bomb in the northern city of Mosul. The US military gave initial reports from Mosul saying that another 71 civilians and nine policemen were wounded. The second attack was carried out by a suicide bomber, killing the mayor and 14 senior members of an anti-Qaeda group. US commanders have said that Mosul is the country's last urban stronghold of al-Qaeda.
Immigration Raid Leads to 160 Arrests:
Federal immigration agents raided a used clothing plant in Houston, leading to 160 arrests, 70 percent of whom were women. The raid was the largest ever in the area, and the second major raid in Houston in the past two months. Two hundred immigration agents were involved in what was part of a yearlong investigation. A lawyer for the company said, “We want to abide by the law, and we're going to abide by the law. If we have an illegal employee, we don’t know it. No way. Tell us what the law is, and we’ll obey it.”

Source

Check This: Iraq War Protesters, I'm Listening

LibertySugar — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:24:40 -0700

Today's protests made me proud to be an American. In our political dialogue, sometimes the voices of everyday Americans get drowned out. While I can understand the annoying disruption caused by people blocking the busy streets with their bodies, think of how much attention and influence they would command if they did it every day.

In the last five years, 4,000 US soldiers and tens of thousands of Iraqis have died. Millions of Iraqi refugees are displaced. The war costs US tax payers $600 billion per year. Al Qaeda has entered Iraq. America's standing in the world has diminished. If the majority of Americans want something to change, they should not be complacent.

Those with a concentrated interests in the Iraq war have the incentives and means to assert such interests. The organized industries can make their case to policymakers. But the average American doesn't have the ear of those in power. That is why I think it is crucial for Americans to manifest their dissent. Only then can we know the sentiment of the people. Whether you agree or disagree, the conversation must be had.

Walking among the protesters this afternoon did not make me nervous. Everyone I saw was peaceful, yet frustrated. Check out this great video of what was going on right outside Sugar HQ.

Have a different opinion? Check out Citizen's response.