Avraham's One Village - JEWISH & benei Noach's ONE VILLAGE Barukh haba: Readers' Corner

[Torah.org] Jewish Community in Tbilisi, Georgia in Crisis

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 23:41:45 GMT

[A Voice From Hebron] Time is Running Out (by Gary M Cooperberg)

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:00:43 GMT

Time is Running Out
by Gary Cooperberg, A Proud Member of This Community!

B”sd

A Voice from Hebron by Gary M. Cooperberg
P.O. Box 1444, Kiryat Arba-Hebron, Israel 90100
Tel. 972-2-996-3761 Fax 972-2-996-1778
Email: gary@projectshofar.org - Website: http://www.projectshofar.org/

Time is Running Out — August 19, 2008

In less than two weeks the month of Elul begins. Every morning, at the end of our prayers, we sound the Shofar to remind ourselves that the Day of Judgment is nearly upon us. It is time for introspection in order to prepare ourselves for the Days of Awe that are coming very soon.

It would seem that the times in which we are living require that we redouble our efforts to please our Creator. Our world has never been in greater peril than it is today. Our leaders here in Israel are turning loose murderers by the hundreds and we are no closer to seeing Gilad Shalit released. Shimon Peres has no trouble pardoning Arab murderers, yet he refuses to pardon Jewish prisoners who had the audacity to shoot back when attacked by Arab terrorists. Prime Minister Olmert has a new Friday afternoon tradition of being questioned by the police, even as he is busily making plans to give away more of the Jewish homeland to terrorists.

Even if we get new elections, there is no one to vote for. All the candidates are cut from the same cloth. Not one recognizes the sanctity of the state. It is from such leaders that terror is born.

And while Jews in the United States may smugly point to the above facts, among many others, as good reason not to leave America and come home to Israel, in a very short time they will realize the mistake they are making. I am convinced that after the upcoming elections in the USA, that country will become an Obamanation. I do not believe in American democracy. I believe that Obama has been chosen already, in spite of the alleged elections. His handlers have already formulated a plan to change the USA to meet their needs. As has always been the case in the past, it will be the Jew who is first to be sacrificed. All the ills of the world will be blamed upon us and the day will come when Jews living in the USA will be lucky if they can leave alive, never mind with their possessions.

As we listen to the warning cries of the Shofar during the month of Elul, let us understand that, just as Abraham could not understand why G-d required him to sacrifice his only son, we too cannot understand why He would command us to leave the good life in the USA to live in an Israel with self-destructive leaders. It is not for us to understand why. It is just for us to know that this is His Will for His People.

Stop reading the newspapers and go back to the Bible. The entire world is depending upon us to simply be good Jews and come home.

I am considering another whirlwind visit to the states in the beginning of November. Depending upon how many invitations I get I will decide. If you would like me to visit in your area please let me know by email, gary@projectshofar.org.

Project Shofar is dedicated to spreading these truths wherever it is possible to do so. It is sounding the alarm, to Jew and Gentile alike,to open our eyes to the G-dly process that is presently underway, and work to support it. We dare not stand idly on the sidelines.

If you would like to support the concepts espoused by the Voice from Hebron, and the physical work of Project Shofar, click the "Make A Donation" below to donate now by credit card.

(Click here and scroll to the bottom of the page to donate)

Or, you can send a tax deductible contribution to:

Project Shofar, Inc.
P.O. Box 181191
Casselberry, FL 32718

Thank you for your support of Project Shofar!

Gary makes regular speaking tours to the states and strives to reach out to all who express an interest in the ongoing process of Zionist Redemption, Jew and Gentile alike. An observant Jew, Gary will not enter into a church sanctuary, but will be happy to address groups in a social hall or other secular location. Should you wish to invite him to your area feel free to send him an email at gary@projectshofar.org.

Fmr. Italian Pres.: We Paid for Immunity From Terrorist Attacks (by Nissan Ratzlav-Katz)

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 23:20:18 GMT

Fmr. Italian Pres.: We Paid for Immunity From Terrorist Attacks

by Nissan Ratzlav-Katz

(IsraelNN.com) In a letter appearing in the weekend edition of the respected Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, former Italian President Francesco Cossiga revealed that the government of Italy agreed to allow Arab terrorist groups freedom of movement in the country in exchange for immunity from attacks in Italy.

Cossiga wrote that the government of the late Prime Minister Aldo Moro reached a “secret non-belligerence pact between the Italian state and Palestinian resistance organizations, including terrorist groups,” in the 1970s. According to the former president, it was Moro himself who designed the terms of the agreement with the foreign Arab terrorists. Ironically, Moro later met his death at the hands of homegrown Italian terrorists, the Red Brigades, in 1978. Cossiga was president of Italy from 1985-1992 and is today a senator-for-life in the Italian legislature.

“The terms of the agreement were that the Palestinian organizations could even maintain armed bases of operation in the country, and they had freedom of entry and exit without being subject to normal police controls, because they were ‘handled’ by the secret services,” Cossiga explained.

As Interior Minister, Cossiga said that he learned PLO members in Italy had diplomatic immunity as representatives of the Arab League. When he became alarmed by the heavy weapons defenses installed around the homes of PLO members living in Rome, the guards were persuaded to switch to light arms.

In his letter, the former Italian president also linked the Arab terrorist groups of the 1970s with the Italian far-left.

According to Cossiga, he received a telegram from the head of an anti-Israel terrorist group headquartered at the time in Beirut requesting the return of one of their surface-to-air missiles that had gone missing. The missile was intercepted by Italian police while being “driven on the streets by a well-known ideologue of the extra-parliamentary left!” Cossiga wrote.

In an article in Corriere della Sera the week before Cossiga’s admission, a former leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) also claimed that his terror group and the Italian leadership had reached an accord protecting Italy from attack in exchange for Italian non-interference in PFLP activities in Italy. The former PFLP boss, Bassam Abu Sharif, later became a senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and personal advisor to the late arch-terrorist Yasser Arafat.

While there were several terrorist attacks on targets in Italy in the years following the alleged “protection” deal, most of them could be traced to Abu Nidal’s terrorist organization. Abu Nidal rejected the authority of the PLO leadership and many of his attacks, including those in Rome, were assassinations of PLO figures and other Arab diplomats.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/127247

[Torah.org] New! Free Instant Hebrew CD

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 22:58:17 GMT

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[Chabad.org] The Parshah in a Nutshell, Eikev

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:14:12 GMT

The Parshah in a Nutshell, Eikev

Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25

In the Parshah of Eikev ("Because"), Moses continues his closing address to the Children of Israel, promising them that if they will fulfill the commandments (Mitzvot) of the Torah, they will prosper in the Land they are about to conquer and settle in keeping with G-d's promise to their forefathers.

Moses also rebukes them for their failings in their first generation as a people, recalling their worship of the Golden Calf, the rebellion of Korach, the sin of the Spies, their angering of G-d at Taveirah, Massah and Kivrot Hataavah ("The Graves of Lust"); "You have been rebellious against G-d," he says to them, "since the day I knew you." But he also speaks of G-d's forgiveness of their sins, and the Second Tablets which G-d inscribed and gave to them following their repentance.

Their 40 years in the desert, says Moses to the people, during which G-d sustained them with daily manna from heaven, was to teach them "that man does not live on bread alone, but by the utterance of G-d's mouth does man live."

Moses describes the land they are about to enter as "flowing with milk and honey," blessed with the "Seven Kinds" (wheat and barley, grapevines, figs, pomegranates, olive oil and dates), and the place that is the focus of G-d's providence of His world. He commands them to destroy the idols of the land's former masters, and to beware lest they become haughty and begin to believe that "my power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth."

A key passage in our Parshah is the second chapter of the Sh'ma, which repeats the fundamental mitzvot enumerated in the Sh'ma's first chapter and describes the rewards of fulfilling G-d's commandments and the adverse results (famine and exile) of their neglect. It is also the source of the precept of prayer and includes a reference to the resurrection of the dead in the Messianic Age.

[Chabad.org] The Meaning of Making Money

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:07:22 GMT

The Meaning of Making Money

By Tzvi Freeman

"If life is full of meaning, why am I spending it hustling other people for their money?"

Don't think the question was invented by our bourgeois-bohemian, save-the-world-and-get-rich-too generation. It's been around since G-d handed Adam a hoe and kicked him out of the garden. Just that most of Adam's children worked that hoe with their hands. Today, we are all plowing the earth with our heads. And that can mean a pretty muddy head.

We plow the earth with our heads. And that can mean a pretty muddy head... Some of us like mud. Some think mud is disgusting and run away from it. A lot of us try to compromise--we'll just get a little bit dirty and try to wash up often. In which case we end up with a bifurcated life in which our principal occupation is making money and finding meaning is a pastime.

What we really want is a way to have it all. We want to discover that selling widgets is actually a path to higher consciousness and that true enlightenment doesn't have to be accessed in serene meditation remote from humanity--you can grab it from a corporate desk overlooking downtown Atlanta. Maybe even a law firm.

But if widget sales are all about getting hold of other people's money, then how can there be any nexus between this and your personal spirituality?

We have to re-examine what business is all about. Perhaps business, too, is about discovering meaning. About discovering jewels in that mud.

The master Kabbalist, the "Ari" (Rabbi Isaac Luria, 1534-1572), had our question five hundred years ago--but on a more basic level: If man is a spiritual being, why must he eat? Animals, it would seem, are less spiritual than people. Vegetables seem even lower--and the earth, air and sunshine would appear to be at the rock bottom. Yet vegetation is nurtured by those "inanimate" elements (indicating that they possess a vital force which it itself lacks), animals are nurtured by both those elements and the vegetation, and human beings rely on all three. Why, the Ari asked, is the pyramid turned upside down?

The real reason we eat is not for ourselves, but for the sake of our food Or maybe it's not upside down. Maybe, in some way, those animals hold within them a divine spark that is far beyond anything the human can attain on his own. Maybe the deeper you go into the earthiness of planet earth, the brighter the sparks become, so that the greatest sparks are found in the earthiest places. Which means that the real reason we eat is not for ourselves, but for the sake of our food. To uncover those sparks and connect them back to their source--and to one another.

Which is just what the Ari and his students taught: That all of human endeavor is meant to be a way to reconnect the world and reveal its G-dly power.

There is a caveat, however, to this process: In order to rescue a spark from its captivity within your food, you need to stay one step above it. If you're "grabbing a bite," the bite is grabbing you. Meaning that if it's the food that's demanding, "You need me. You must eat me. Eat me now!" and you stoop and obey--then it's not the spark that's being lifted up, but you that's being dragged down. Eating, the Ari explained, must be treated as any other spiritual activity, with composure, with mindfulness--as a human being.

Just like Adam with that hoe uncovered the power of the earth to produce bushels of food, so the widget seller has discovered a way to enhance human life with a simple array of wires and plastic. The systems analyst, too, is constantly in the process of digging value out of the abyss into which it has fallen. The orthodontist uncovers enhancement to human life so that no young lady need go without a pretty smile.

Turns out that business really is about finding meaning--about finding and exposing the secret power of the world around us. And not only the power to enhance human life, but also the power of miracles and wonders and beautiful deeds. The infinite light hidden in finite places.

...The deeper we enter the caverns of mundane life, the more brilliant are the jewels we find--as long as we stay above while we enter within... The widget guy found that infinite light hidden in an inner city high school, when he realized how his widgets could be used as a tool for teaching cooperation and literacy. The Atlanta executive revealed it in his own office when he arranged for a weekly lunch 'n learn session with a local rabbi who discusses Talmudic business ethics. As for the orthodontist, she finds it every day, in the wonderful smiles she brings to young people, especially the ones from underprivileged families, who she takes as clients pro bono.

The deeper we enter the caverns of mundane life, the more brilliant are the jewels we find--as long as we stay above while we enter within. Meaning: As long as we remember that the purpose of our occupation is not the obvious one of making money, but a deeper, higher purpose. Because we are all, in truth, spiritual beings navigating a material world.

As the Psalmist writes, "Those who go down in ships to the sea, who do their craft in the mighty waters; they are the ones to see the works of G-d, catching His wonders in their net."1

FOOTNOTES
1.	Psalms 107:23-24.

[VideoJug Film] - The Girl Who Silenced The World For Six Minutes

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 21:05:57 GMT

A VideoJug Film - The Girl Who Silenced The World For Six Minutes

Hello, I found this great film at VideoJug.com and thought you might be interested.

Here's the Link - The Girl Who Silenced The World For Six Minutes

Sent by: Kimberly

DoD News Briefing with U.S. EUCOM Director of Logistics and Security Assitance

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 20:59:24 GMT

DoD News Briefing with U.S. EUCOM Director of Logistics and Security Assitance

Release Date: Aug 16, 2008

Transcript

LT. COL. JOHN DORRIAN (spokesman, U.S. European Command): This is Lt. Colonel John Dorrian, calling from U.S. European Command. I want to thank you all for joining us today.

I have with me here today U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Steven J. Romano. He is here to discuss the U.S. military role in providing logistical support and humanitarian assistance that is being taken into Georgia. Admiral Romano is U.S. European Command's director of Logistics and Security Assistance.

Rear Admiral Romano is overseeing EUCOM's efforts to move humanitarian relief supplies into Georgia. Prior to his assignment at EUCOM, the admiral worked at the Pentagon, at the Joint Chiefs of Staff National Military Command Center, where he helped coordinate the Department of Defense's logistical efforts -- (inaudible) -- after the Pakistan earthquake and Hurricane Katrina.

European Command has component commands here in Europe, whose subordinate forces from the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps are stationed in Europe ready to accomplish missions such as providing logistical support to move humanitarian aid supplies into Georgia. Today's interview with Admiral Romano will focus on the logistical support we're providing at the request of the government of Georgia and the U.S. ambassador.

We'll start with a brief statement from Admiral Romano and then we'll take questions at the end of his statement. I ask the guests to be courteous to one another and mute their phones when not speaking, and limit questions to today's subject.

LT. COL. DORRIAN: Without further ado, this is Rear Admiral Steven J. Romano.

RDML ROMANO: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. As you can imagine, we've had a busy week here at EUCOM, and I wanted to take a few minutes to share some facts and figures on how EUCOM has supported the State Department USAID's humanitarian efforts in Georgia.

The Department of State is the lead federal agency for these foreign humanitarian relief operations, and the Department of Defense is supporting State's efforts. Commander U.S. European Command is the overall commander of U.S. military's efforts, with U.S. Army Europe as the execution lead, with significant support from U.S. Air Forces Europe and U.S. European Command's other service components.

To date, we've flown 86 short tons of supplies on two C-17s and two C-130 aircraft from Ramstein Air Base to Germany into Tbilisi. The supplies include level of care supplies to relieve suffering, such as cots, sleeping bags, blankets, sheets, and over 1,200 pounds of antibiotics. We have established a sustainment air bridge of critically needed relief supplies into Tbilisi.

We are coordinating closely with the Department of State, USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance, to identify critical relief supplies in support of our mission. We have established a forward element in Tbilisi, which is coordinating for onward movement with U.S. embassy, USAID, government of Georgia, assistance into Tbilisi. The State Department can provide you more details on which NGOs are assisting with distribution.

In addition to the relief supplies mentioned, we've also provided such assets as bandages, splints, field exam tables and other medical supplies. These State Department supplies, stored at U.S. Army Assistance Program Warehouse in Pirmasens, Germany, near Ramstein Air Base, are being moved to the air base, where they are loaded on air craft and flown to Tbilisi.

We wouldn't be able to get these supplies to the people of Georgia without the incredible level of partnership and cooperation between State Department, USAID and the Department of Defense. Everyone has done a great job in pulling together to help the people of Georgia, and we look forward to continuing to do our part to support these efforts.

LT. COL. DORRIAN: Ladies and gentlemen, this is Lieutenant LT. COL.onel Dorrian from EUCOM.

Again, please keep your phones on mute unless you're speaking. What I'd like to do now is to call on each of the folks that we have as having RSVPed, so that we can take questions in kind of an orderly fashion. And we want to make sure you know that everybody isn't talking at once. So without further ado, I have notes here. NBC News, are you on the line?

Q Yes, we are. This is Andy Eckhart

LT. COL. DORRIAN: Okay, Andy, go ahead.

Q Admiral, the question I would have is, is this anything out of the ordinary for you, this mission that you're conducting right now? And do you expect more aid to be flowing into Tbilisi, into Georgia?

RDML ROMANO: Here at EUCOM, we are focused on the crisis, and we're focused on delivering relief supplies to the people of Georgia in the most expeditious manner possible, both delivering supplies from Germany and coordinating follow-on relief supplies from the United States, in what I would characterize as a sustained effort to have a consistent flow of material into the country of Georgia.

LT. COL. DORRIAN: Okay. Associated Press?

Q Hi, sir. Matt Moore from Berlin. In terms of the aid that's being sent out, any -- I know -- I know that once you guys get it ferried to the airport in Tbilisi -- has there been any sort of concern, what with the wobbly cease-fire and, of course, the level of rhetoric that's been taking root today in Moscow as well as across the rest of Europe about bringing some of this aid in through -- via the Black Sea? In other words, is this going just to be solely an air bridge, or is this going to be expanded at all to an air and sea bridge?

RDML ROMANO: Sir, currently we are working other delivery options, which might include ferrying relief supplies across the Black Sea into Georgian ports, as well as potentially moving relief supplies through the strait into the Black Sea from the Mediterranean.

Q Thank you, sir.

LT. COL. DORRIAN: Okay, Stars and Stripes?

Q Can you hear us from here?

RDML ROMANO: Yeah, give it a shot.

Q This is Lisa Burgess, at the Pentagon. Can you talk about why -- the types of supplies you're bringing, with sleeping bags and the bandages? There's no food aid coming in. That is not something that you assess is being needed at this point? And who is providing the medical care for these people?

RDML ROMANO: Okay. Ma'am, with regard to food supplies, the World Food Program is assisting the government of Georgia to deliver food to the effected people. The Department of Defense is standing by to process and coordinate requests for food. And we have a capability to do so and are standing by and prepared to move humanitarian Ãƒ? daily rations or other food commodities as requested by USAID in coordination with the World Food Program.

In terms of the medical question, the government of Georgia has only asked for medical supplies. And as a result, we have made the commitment to flow critical medical supplies to help the folks that have been hurt. Q May I ask why so many antibiotics?

RDML ROMANO: Initially, ma'am, we got a request for antibiotics, some 1,201 pounds worth, as a result of a request made that those items be pushed forward immediately following the combat. Over.

LT. COL. DORRIAN: Okay. Pentagon Channel.

Okay. Reuters.

Q (Off mike) -- types of planes that have landed so far in Tbilisi, because I missed that at the beginning.

And my other question is, are you satisfied that you can get all you need to get into Georgia, as quickly as you need to get it? And perhaps you could discuss some of the problems, logistical or otherwise, that you've had in getting the supplies through.

RDML ROMANO: Yes, sir.

To date, we've flow two C-17s and two C-130 aircraft, delivering relief supplies to Tbilisi. And I might comment that the C-17 aircraft was on the ground in Tbilisi within less than 96 hours from the beginning of the crisis. And that required a significant coordinated effort with our components, USAID and Department of State.

From now throughout the weeks, we have airlift missions scheduled for sustainment into Tbilisi; on average, two C-130 aircraft per day. And we continue to work with U.S. Embassy and USAID to facilitate distribution, once this arrives at the airfield in Tbilisi. So we believe we have adequate capacity and relief supplies, to continue to sustain this effort in the weeks to come. Over.

Q Are there any specific problems that you've had, whether in transporting the supplies or at Tbilisi Airport or in Georgia?

RDML ROMANO: Sir, we've been very fortunate that the warehouse, that we've been pulling these relief supplies from, is co-located, vicinity of Ramstein Air Base. And this is a State Department supply stored at an Army warehouse. And so that's been able to give us efficiency, in terms of pulling the material from the shelves and then getting them to the aircraft within hours.

Once arriving in Tbilisi and using crisis coordinators on the ground, we've been able to move those products in an effective manner, off the airfield and then on to warehouses in the vicinity of Tbilisi.

So right now we haven't experienced any significant problems, and we expect to continue this sustained flow in the weeks to come.

Q Thank you.

LT. COL. DORRIAN: Okay. AFP's Jim Mannion.

Q This is Jim Mannion. I know that the assessment team has only been on the ground for about 24 hours, but I wonder if you could talk about what the scope of the requirements is going to be in the weeks ahead in terms of what the Georgians' needs are. And also if you could be more -- a little bit more specific about the supplies that are going to be brought in from the Mediterranean, I think you said. Will that be on pre-positioned ships or on U.S. naval vessels, if you could provide some details there? Thank you.

RDML ROMANO: Yes, sir. With regard to the scope of the operation, we anticipate that the scope of the operation in terms of the need will grow, and Open Press is reporting that, as well as the indications that we're getting from the government of Georgia and USAID and embassy personnel on the ground. As the result of that, we are flexing the -- our capability to provide additional relief supplies and to increase airlift using strategic airlift and United States strategic -- United States Transportation Command aircraft.

So we expect the scope to increase. We expect the need to grow, and we are positioning and planning to respond to that growth using strategic airlift and increased capacity with respect to relief supplies. In terms of naval forces, the naval forces in our naval component are planning currently to deliver relief supplies via the maritime domain, as well as an option to use pre-positioned assets in the Mediterranean.

LT. COL. DORRIAN: Okay, Air Force Times, Mike Hoffman.

Q Hello, Admiral. How are you? This is Mike Hoffman.

My question to you, sir, is, why the choice to switch from the C- 17s to the C-130s? And I would -- also wanted to ask if there were any -- and this might have been asked already, but have there been -- there's been reports that there's been problems getting some of these emergency supplies throughout Georgia. What are you guys doing to improve that?
RDML ROMANO: All right, with regard to the question on the C- 17s, a decision was made to use the C-17 aircraft because of its capacity and its speed, to facilitate the immediate delivery of critical supplies within the first -- within 96 hours of the crisis.

Q Okay.

RDML ROMANO: That aircraft gave us the ability to get in, principally, faster than the C-130. And then the decision was made to use the C-130s to sustain the capability over time.

In terms of distribution within the country, USAID and U.S. embassy personnel are assessing working with the government of Georgia, assessing capabilities and capacity within the country and are providing us their feedback, and assess as we move through this crisis. As we learn of requirements passed to us by USAID, we continue to develop solutions to get those needed relief supplies to the country and then working with the government and USAID to get them distributed. Over.

Q The supplies that are going to be flown over, are they going to change from, you know, medical supplies and mostly bedding to, you know -- I'm just wondering what -- how this is going to change over the next couple weeks.

RDML ROMANO: We currently, sir, have a plan to move tents in, as it was identified as a requirement. And we're working for a transportation solution to bring in shelter tents. And we are -- we are in receipt of USAID's prioritization list, which includes -- principally, priority one is personal hygiene kits, and then prepackaged rations, cots, bedding and blankets and then tents and mobile kitchens. So we're getting feedback in terms of prioritization and we're working to get those priority items to the country as quick as we can.

Q My last question, sir, is who's providing the protection for this air bridge? Is it Georgians or are there going to be security forces, personnel from the Air Force stationed in Tbilisi? Who's really protecting these flights?

RDML ROMANO: Yes, sir. I'll have to -- I'll have to get back with you on that. I don't have total visibility, but we'll take that for the record and get back to you in terms of how those relief supplies are being protected.

Q I'm mostly really worried about, you know, the aircraft. They're flying in, you know, flying out. Who's providing, you know, the overwatch for these C-130s?

RDML ROMANO: Sir, the commercial airport at Tbilisi is open and several nations have aircraft flying in. And we've been told that the Russians have agreed -- have agreed to allow airlift to pass and to allow the humanitarian mission to continue.

LT. COL. DORRIAN: Okay. Washington Times. Kelly Hearn.

Q My question has been addressed. Thank you.

LT. COL. DORRIAN: Okay. Excellent. Do we have someone from CNN? Okay, nothing heard. Oh, go ahead? Nothing heard.

I understand the Pentagon press corps has a number of people standing by. I don't have a detailed list of who's there, but we're ready to take a couple more questions here.

Q Kimberly Dozier from CBS. I wanted to ask if you could shed some light on the role that the military advisers and other folks on the ground are playing to help you hand out some of this aid or unload it at the airport. Are the folks already prepositioned there, who had other jobs before this conflict, are they taking an active role in this effort?

RDML ROMANO: Ma'am, as I understand, the U.S. embassy and the U.S. military personnel there are helping with assessments. They're also helping offload relief supplies at the airfield as well as helping get those relief supplies to the government of Georgia.

Q Helping with the assessments; does that mean going with this dozen or so people who are going into some parts of the country and figuring out what's needed where?

RDML ROMANO: Yes, ma'am. The U.S. military are in support of USAID's lead effort to assist them with observing and assessing the needs throughout the Tbilisi area. Over.

Q Throughout Tbilisi, does that mean outside Tbilisi at all? Do you know whether they go on north to Gori or, you know, how far outside the capital?

RDML ROMANO: Yes, ma'am, I don't have visibility of that, and again I'll have to get -- I'll have to get back to you.

LT. COL. DORRIAN: Okay, next question? Press corps? Q Yes. Sir, how many folks all told -- in Germany, EUCOM, in Georgia -- are involved in this exercise?

RDML ROMANO: Sir, I would characterize the number in the hundreds in terms of all the components. It may be more than that, but hundreds.

LT. COL. DORRIAN: Okay. You know what?

We probably have time for one more question.

Q What is the name of that warehouse you were talking about, the German warehouse, the State Department --

RDML ROMANO: Yes, ma'am. Let me get back to my notes here and -- yes, ma'am, the name is -- it's the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Center-Europe -- USAMMCE -- Humanitarian Assistance Program Warehouse. And it's in Pirmasens, Germany, and I'll say it again: the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Center-Europe's Humanitarian Assistance Program Warehouse.

And I'd like to make another comment, if I could. As a logistician, probably one of the most important aspects of the initial mission was to reassure our government -- our Georgian partners of our commitment to assisting them in their -- in this time of need. And the Georgians have witnessed us deliver these materials at the airport and said seeing the first C-17 arrive was an impressive sight, and they were greeted with cheers and a visible sense of relief.

And we appreciate the fact that we are helping the Georgians. That's our mission, and we intend to continue this sustained operation over the coming weeks.

LT. COL. DORRIAN: Okay, everybody. This is Lieutenant Lt. Colonel Dorrian. I want to thank everybody for signing in. The Admiral has to go, but if you have any follow-up question, I guess we owe you an answer as to, you know, where the military assessment teams are traveling throughout the country. And if there's anything else, let me know what that is, and we'll try to get answers for those questions as well.

Q Could I ask a real quick question before we go? This is Mike Hoffman -- (off mike).

RDML ROMANO: Sure. Go. Go ahead.

Q I was just wondering if there are any plans of flying into any other cities other than Tbilisi with this aid.

RDML ROMANO: We'll have to get back to you on that one as well. We don't have any plans right now for anything except Tbilisi. Q Okay.

RDML ROMANO: Okay. Thanks very much, everyone. I really appreciate your tuning in. And as more information becomes available and -- we'll most certainly try to stay in touch. Please don't hesitate to give us a call at EUCOM, and thanks again.

Copyright (c) 2008 by Federal News Service, Inc., Ste. 500 1000 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20005, USA. Federal News Service is a private firm not affiliated with the federal government. No portion of this transcript may be copied, sold or retransmitted without the written authority of Federal News Service, Inc. Copyright is not claimed as to any part of the original work prepared by a United States government officer or employee as a part of that person's official duties. For information on subscribing to the FNS Internet Service, please visit http://www.fednews.com or call(202)347-1400

U.S. European Command Directorate of Logistics and Security Assistance

url = http://www.eucom.mil/english/FullStory.asp?art=1792

[One Jerusalem] End of Week Review - Sat, Aug/16/08

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 04:14:10 GMT

http://www.onejerusalem.org/blog/archives/2008/08/weekly_review_a_2.asp

End of Week Review: August 15, 2008

Dear Friend of Jerusalem,Here are the latest headlines from the One Jerusalem Blog:

● Son of Hamas Leader Discusses Why He Left His Family and Faith: (read more)

● Gush Katif Evacuees Need Our Help: We received this letter from our friend Anita Tucker:Dearest friends who care and feel It is Tisha B'Av morning, marking for caring people the world over the end of an extended, so sad period, marking the enemy's penetrating the walls...(read more)

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[One Jerusalem] End of Week Review - Sat, Aug/16/08

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 04:13:39 GMT

http://www.onejerusalem.org/blog/archives/2008/08/weekly_review_a_2.asp

End of Week Review: August 15, 2008

Dear Friend of Jerusalem,Here are the latest headlines from the One Jerusalem Blog:

● Son of Hamas Leader Discusses Why He Left His Family and Faith: (read more)

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The West’s Islamist Infiltrators (by Daniel Pipes)

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 04:05:36 GMT

The West’s Islamist Infiltrators
August 15, 2008, 2:22 pm

by Daniel Pipes*

Aafia Siddiqui, 36, is a Pakistani mother of three, an alumna of MIT, and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Brandeis University. She is also accused of working for Al-Qaeda and was charged last week in New York City with attempting to kill American soldiers.

Her arrest serves to remind how invisibly most Islamist infiltration proceeds. In particular, an estimated forty Al-Qaeda sympathizers or operatives have sought to penetrate U.S. intelligence agencies.

Story continues below…

Such a well-placed infiltrator can wreck great damage explains a former CIA chief of counterintelligence, Michael Sulick: “In the war on terrorism, intelligence has replaced the Cold War’s tanks and fighter planes as the primary weapon against an unseen enemy.” Islamist moles, he argues, “could inflict far more damage to national security than Soviet spies,” for the U.S. and Soviet Union never actually fought each other, whereas now, “our nation is at war.”

Here are some American cases of attempted infiltration since 2001 that have been made public:

The Air Force discharged Sadeq Naji Ahmed, a Yemeni immigrant, when his superiors learned of his pro-Al-Qaeda statements. Ahmed subsequently became a baggage screener at Detroit’s Metro Airport, which terminated him for hiding his earlier discharge from the Air Force. He was convicted of making false statements and sentenced to eighteen months in jail.

The Chicago Police Department fired Patricia Eng-Hussain just three days into her training on learning that her husband, Mohammad Azam Hussain, was arrested for being an active member of Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi (MQM-H), a Pakistani terrorist group.

The Chicago Police Department also fired Arif Sulejmanovski, a supervising janitor at its 25th District station after it learned his name was on a federal terrorist watch list of international terrorism suspects.

Mohammad Alavi, an engineer at the Palo Verde nuclear power plant, was arrested as he arrived on a flight from Iran, accused of taking computer access codes and software to Iran that provide details on the plant’s control rooms and plant layout. He subsequently pleaded guilty to transporting stolen property.

Nada Nadim Prouty, a Lebanese immigrant who worked for both the FBI and CIA, pleaded guilty to charges of: fraudulently obtaining U.S. citizenship; accessing a federal computer system to unlawfully query information about her relatives and the terrorist organization Hizballah; and engaging in conspiracy to defraud the United States.

Waheeda Tehseen, a Pakistani immigrant who filled a sensitive toxicologist position with the Environmental Protection Agency, pleaded guilty to fraud and was deported. WorldNetDaily.com explains that “investigators suspect espionage is probable, as she produced highly sensitive health-hazard documents for toxic compounds and chemical pesticides. Tehseen also was an expert in parasitology as it relates to public water systems.”

Weiss Rasool, 31, a Fairfax County police sergeant and Afghan immigrant, pleaded guilty for checking police databases without authorization, thereby jeopardizing at least one federal terrorism investigation.

Nadire P. Zenelaj, 32, a 911 emergency operator of Albanian origins, was charged with 232 felony counts of computer trespass for illegally searching New York State databases, including at least one person on the FBI’s terrorist watch list.

Three other cases are less clear. The Transportation Security Administration fired Bassam Khalaf, 21, a Texan of Christian Palestinian origins, as an airport baggage screener because lyrics on his music CD, Terror Alert, applaud the 9/11 attacks. FBI Special Agent Gamal Abdel-Hafiz “showed a pattern of pro-Islamist behavior,” according to author Paul Sperry, that may have helped acquit Sami Al-Arian of terrorism charges. The Pentagon cleared Hesham Islam, an Egyptian immigrant, former U.S. Navy commander, and special assistant to the deputy secretary of defense, but major questions remain about his biography and his outlook.

Other Western countries too – Australia, Canada, Israel, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom – have been subject to infiltration efforts. (For details, see my weblog entry, “Islamists Penetrate Western Security.”)

This record prompts one to wonder what catastrophe must occur before government agencies, some of which have banished the words “Islam” and “jihad,” seriously confront their internal threat?

Westerners are indebted to Muslim agents like Fred Ghussin and “Kamil Pasha” who have been critical to fighting terrorism. That said, I stand by my 2003 statement that “There is no escaping the unfortunate fact that Muslim government employees in law enforcement, the military and the diplomatic corps need to be watched for connections to terrorism.”

*Philadelphia Bulletin
August 12, 2008
http://www.danielpipes.org/article/5834

INDIAN MUJAHIDEEN: RISE OF JIHAD (Judith Apter Klinghoffer)

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 04:02:48 GMT

Judith Apter Klinghoffer http://hnn.us/blogs/entries/53326.html

INDIAN MUJAHIDEEN: RISE OF JIHAD

Kashmir is a burning and Indian Mujahadin are a bombing. In a recent speech, the Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh admitted that the very unity of India was being challenged.

Terrorism, extremism, communalism and fundamentalism have emerged as major challenges to the unity and integrity of our country.

Here is the text of a pamphlet released by "Indian Mujahideen in the land of Hind," an Islamist group which takes credit for the recent strings of bombing in India. It is entitled: THE RISE OF JIHAD, REVENGE OF GUJARAT. An Indian friend sent it to me. I skipped a few Koran quotes at the beginning. It makes chilling reading:

Here we are back - the Mujahideen of India - the terrorists on the disbelievers - the radicals of Islam - after our triumphant and successful assault at Jaipur, once again calling you all, who disbelieve in Allah and His Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) to accept Islam and bear witness that there is none to be worshipped except Allah, and that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah. Accept Islam and save yourselves.
O Hindus! O disbelieving faithless Indians! Haven’t you still realized that the falsehood of your 33 crore dirty mud idols and the blasphemy of your deaf, dumb, mute and naked idols of ram, krishna and hanuman are not at all going to save your necks, Insha-Allah, from being slaughtered by our hands? Nor is your fictitious faith in monkeys, pigs and nude statues going to save you from the Wrath of Allah and His Humiliating Punishment. Know that it is only the true confession of the Oneness of Allah Alone, with no associates, that can save your blood from being spilled on the streets of your own cities.
We call you, O Hindus, O enemies of Allah, to take an honest stance with yourselves lest another attack of Ibn-e-Qasim sends shivers down your spines, lest another Ghauri shakes your foundations, and lest another Ghaznawi massacres you, proving your blood to be the cheapest of all mankind! Have you forgotten your history full of subjugation, humiliation, and insult? Or do you want us to repeat it again? Take heed before it is too late!
Yes! We - the terrorists of India – THE INDIAN MUJAHIDEEN, - the militia of Islam whose each and every Mujahid belongs to this very soil of India - have returned, to execute the compulsion of Allah:

"Fight them (the disbelievers), Allah will punish them by your hands and bring them to disgrace, and give you victory over them and He will heal the hearts of those who believe." (Qur'an 9:14).

Here we begin the answer to your tyranny and oppression, raising the illustrious banner of Jihad against the Hindus and all those who fight and resist us, and here we begin our revenge with the Help and Permission of Allah, - A terrifying revenge of our blood, our lives, and our honor that will Insha-Allah terminate your survival on this land.
Remember, O you Gujarati Hindus! O you filthy, shameless and foul creatures! O you Gujarati Hindus, most immoral and the most gutless cowards! Remember whom you have fought against! You have fought against the inheritors of a Messenger of Allah, of a Prophet of Allah whose terror was cast on the enemy from a distance of a month’s journey.
You have fought against the warriors who love death more than you love life, who fight for a cause that makes them enter a never-ending Paradise, who fight for an absolute purpose - the purpose of making Islam superior over all religions.
So wait! ................ Await now……….! Wait only for five minutes from now! .... Wait for the Mujahideen and Fidayeen of Islam and stop them if you can - who will make you feel the terror of Jihad. Feel the havoc cast into your hearts by Allah, the Almighty, face His Dreadful Punishment, and suffer the results of fighting the Muslims and the Mujahideen. Await the anguish, agony, sorrow and pain. Await, only for 5 minutes, to feel the fear of death.
All Praise and Glory be to Allah, Who Alone Helps His slaves, Who Alone Fulfils His Promise, and Who Alone Defeats the enemy.
O leader of disbelieving cowards and eunuchs, Narendra Modi!
O you base-born of illegitimate birth!
O you spineless coward!
You boast of the pride of Gujarat and pride of Gujaratis. You brag of your filthy faith and conviction in Hindutva. You are the one who claims to be committed and devoted to Gujarat. You sick politician who used Hinduism to complete your evil desires. Look! We are back with the Will of Allah, striking in your own land. With the Will of Allah, assaulting and ruining your own cities, raiding and ravaging your own territory! Show us where has all your Gujarati asmita (pride) gone? Look, you have incurred Allah's Wrath, You have provoked the Mujahideen to massacre you and your five and a half crore multitude of pathetic infidels who tortured us in the post- Godhra riots asking “where is your Allah”? Here He Is, The Most Supreme, The Most Sublime, with His Punishment to chastise you by our hands. We swear by Allah in Whose Hands are our lives, we will make you, O Modi, an example and a lesson, that the enemies of Islam should learn from. This is our beginning! Our commencement! Our Opening Launch! To burn you alive in your own Hell - your own Gujarat.
O You sick criminals of the Hindu Parishad! You nasty dogs of the RSS! Yes! We know you, we identify you by your ugly faces! We will not be satisfied until we make each and every criminal pay for every drop of blood you spilled and for each and every cry of the oppressed women and children. Our swords are ready to cut off your veins and to push you into the Hell Fire. This is our assurance to you, a promise to you, a pledge to you, which Allah Alone, The Most Exalted with His Will shall fulfill.
This is our Qisaas - our revenge, and in it lies our life. In the light of the injustice and wrongs on the Muslims of Gujarat, we advance our Jihad and call all our brethren under it to unite and answer these irresolute kafireen of India. We call you, O Muslims of Gujarat, to elevate yourselves from the fear of these wretched hindus, to unify all your courage and bravery that you have in your hearts. Come! Move forward and grasp the hold of the Qur'an and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace be upon him). Get stimulated and reinforce all your strength to revive the same valor and daring as that of the Sahaabah (companions) of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) had. Show these weak-willed hindu cowards the onslaught of Khalid bin Waleed, the determination of Ali bin Abi Talib, the bravery of Saad bin Abi Waqqas, the heroism of Abu Bakr and Umar, and the guts of Talhah and Zubair. Let these spineless Hindus know that you inherit fearless courage of Salahuddin Ayyubi, Tariq bin Ziyad and Muhammad bin Qasim.
O Muslims of Gujarat! Inspire yourselves from the Qur’anic chapters of ‘Anfal’ and ‘Taubah’ and from the events of ‘Badr’ and ‘Uhud’. I ask you: Do you still hesitate to fight these hindus? Just think how much you and we have suffered during and after the riots. Think of the fraud perpetrated on us in the name of the Nanavati Commission. Remember the blasphemy of the Government in the name of judiciary and the fast-track courts. O my brethren! I ask you and make you witness over yourself. I ask you what good these bastard police and military have ever done for us? They all are one, and they unite for only one purpose - the annihilation of Muslims.
The terms Democracy, secularism, equality, integrity, peace, freedom, voting, elections are yet another fraud with us. Have you forgotten what the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “The believer is not stung twice by the same hole”. I ask you, who has healed your wounds so far? Congress, or BJP? Do you still want the media and agencies like “Tehelka” to expose your torture and make money in return of your burnt dead bodies and present all this in front of the judiciary so that they can watch this ‘drama’ of your killing and laugh at you, seeing you cry and beg for justice. By Allah! This is much more humiliating for us than being killed by their hands.
O Muslim youth of Gujarat! O you force of Islam! Stand up and rise! Fulfill your duty towards Allah:

“O you who believe! Fight those disbelievers who are near you and let them find harshness in you and know that Allah is with those who keep their duty unto Him. (Qur’an 9: 123)

“Go forth light armed or heavy armed and fight with your wealth and your lives in the way of Allah, that is better for you if you but knew.[(Qu’ran 9: 41).

Come, O Muslim Youth! Make your preparations with whatever you have. Join our ranks and help us – the ranks of Indian Mujahideen to strengthen the Jihad against the Hindus. Get ready with all the weapons you have. Plan and organize your moves. Select your targets. Target these evil politicians and leaders of BJP, RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal, who provoke the masses against you. Target and kill the wicked police force who were watching the “fun” of your bloodshed and who handed you to the rioting sinful culprits. Target their hired
With these triumphant attacks, we send our message to all those faithless infidels and their hypocrite allies from amongst the so called Muslims like Arshad Madni & Mehmood Madni who have bartered their faith in return of just one seat in the Parliament and we hereby declare an ultimatum to all the state governments of India, especially to those of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra to stop harassing the Muslims and keep a check on their killing, expulsion, and encounters. We warn you of your foolish plots that you plan against us, thinking that you can curb our missions and foil our targets. Here are our demands that you must fulfill if you hope for your well being.
a) You agitated our sentiments and disturbed us by arresting, imprisoning, and torturing our brothers in the name of SIMI and the other outfits in Indore, Ujjain, Mumbai, and in other cities of Karnataka. We hereby notify you, especially the ATS and the STF and the governments of Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, to release them all, lest you become our next targets and victims of our next attack. Don’t consider us heedless about the crimes you have committed in recent Indore riots and all this will be, Insha-Allah brought to account very soon.
b) We warn the Andhra Pradesh government, specifically the Hyderabad Police, to release the imprisoned Muslim youth immediately, and to be wise with yourselves. We are watching you, and our ground-work to gun you down has already begun. Insha-Allah, we will be rid of you very soon.
c) To the Maharashtra government and the rascals like Vilasrao Deshmukh and R.R. Patil, we announce the deadline to take heed before it is too late. Don’t think we informers and spies even if they are the disloyal and betraying munafiqeen (hypocrites) of our Ummah. O Muslims of Gujarat! If a petty population of Rajasthani Gujjars can use force for fulfilling their needs, then are we even more subjugated than these backwards? are unaware of the SRPF attacks on our Masjids and our homes, the insult of our Qur’an and your enmity with the Muslims in Digras and the nearby areas in Yavatmal and of the burning alive of three Muslims in Jalna with the backing of police. Yes! It is all being recorded and you will face the ill consequences thereof. And also the troubles faced by the Madrasa students and Muslim women in Mumbai Western Railways. We wonder at your memory. Have you forgotten the evening of 7/11/2006 so quickly and so easily?
You try to fool us in the name of fast-track courts made for ’93 riot cases, through which you wish to free the actual Hindu culprits like Madhukar Sarpotdar who was caught red-handed with illegal firearms while the innocent Muslims arrested in the bomb blast case are being tried in the courts for years and years. Is this the hellish justice you speak of? I urge all the Muslims of Maharashtra to denounce those Muslim MLA’s who prove themselves to be the loyal dogs of Congress and NCP. Beware! O you criminals! you are already on our hit-list and our cross-hair now! We also alert Mukesh Ambani to think twice before usurping and building a citadel on a land in Mumbai that belongs to the Waqf Board, lest it turns into horrifying memories for you which you will never ever forget.
d) The news of the lawyers of the Bar Council in UP denying to fight the cases of our Muslim brethren has already reached us. Remember, you are provoking us to repeat the same blasts in civil courts that blew up your bodies into pieces.
e) Lastly, we intimidate and threaten the Media and the News channels, especially the TIMES OF INDIA and the TIMES NOW to be extra cautious in their propaganda war against the Muslims. Your biased and impartial approach to the news and the noise and the politics you make of ‘Islamic Terrorism’ indicates your hostility, hatred and fear that you grudge against Muslims and your loyal allegiance to the cunning ones who call themselves the “Intelligence Bureau”. You become dumb when it comes to the oppression and torture of the Muslims, faced in riots, firing, encounters, police custodies, remand homes and civil courts and your propaganda turns violent to project the ‘brutality’ of ‘Islamic terrorists’ and their ‘ruthlessness’ and their ‘merciless mentality’ and so on. We warn you to end this hypocrisy or get ready for a bloody slaughter.
The Indian Mujahideen hereby claim the sole responsibility of the Gujarat serial blasts, planned and executed by Indians only and it is our request to Lashkar-e-Toiba and other organizations, for the sake of Allah, not to claim the responsibility for these attacks.
This message is a declaration of hostility towards all those who fight Allah, His Messenger, and His Religion. While hoping for the Help and Victory from Allah we declare that such and more severe attacks shall continue irrespective of what the blamers blame us for.

The hosts (of the kafireen) will all be routed and will turn and flee. [Qur’an 54: 45].

We ask Allah to forgive us and Have Mercy on us and Aid us to conquer the unbelievers and Guide us to raise His Word and degrade His enemies with His Will Alone.
And peace be upon His Messenger, and all those who follow the Guidance.

Signed in script by Al Arbi and AmenAlhindi (?)

Posted on Friday, August 15, 2008 at

[newsmax.com] Terrorism Expert: Karen Hughes Gave Money to Bad Guys (Kenneth R. Timmerman)

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:46:10 GMT

Terrorism Expert: Karen Hughes Gave Money to Bad Guys

Sunday, August 3, 2008 5:16 PM

By: Kenneth R. Timmerman Article Font Size

A longtime adviser and close confidant of President Bush funneled millions of dollars in U.S. government grants to radical Islamist organizations, many of whose leaders have been convicted or indicted in terrorism cases in the United States, respected terrorism expert Steven Emerson told Congress last week.

“When Ms. [Karen] Hughes was appointed as undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, she set the tone to continue a disastrous policy of outreach with Islamist partners,” Emerson told the House International Relations Committee.

Among the recipients of the State Department grants actively championed by Hughes was Ahmed Younes, formerly an official with the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), a group that has “publicly challenged the designation of Hezbollah and Hamas as terrorist organizations” and whose leaders “have made extreme statements defending terrorist organizations,” Emerson said.

Another beneficiary of Hughes’ outreach program to American Muslims was Aly Abuzaakouk, the executive director of the American Muslim Council (AMC) and a former director of the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIHT).

The North Virginia-based IIHT “is suspected of being a pivotal cog in the Muslim Brotherhood’s high command in America," according to federal law enforcement records newly released to Emerson’s Investigative Project on Terrorism under the Freedom of Information Act.

Many of the State Department grants championed by Hughes were conducted under the Citizen Exchange Program, but went to U.S.-based Islamist groups or their leaders to sponsor overseas speaking tours.

Since 2004, The State Department has provided $340,000 in taxpayer dollars to the Palestinian American Research Center (PARC), co-chaired by Columbia University professor Rashid Khalili, who served as a spokesman for late Palestinian Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat at a time when the PLO was still considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. government.

The funding to PARC was “disturbing considering the radical, divisive positions of many of its leaders and the unbalanced views espoused by fellows of the organization,” who consistently blame Israel for violence in the Middle East but not once condemned Palestinian terrorism and extremism, Emerson said.

In addition to the grants to known Islamist organizations, Hughes brought Islamist leaders to Washington, D.C., and personally attended conferences held by anti-American organizations, Emerson said.

The outreach policy championed by Hughes “legitimizes Islamism to the world and sends mixed messages to our allies,” while “sending a terrible message to moderate Muslims who are thoroughly disenfranchised by the funding,” said Emerson.

Citing earlier warnings by Emerson and other experts, Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., wrote to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on July 10, demanding that she instruct the State Department to cancel all outstanding grants to radical Islamist groups.

When Coburn learned last year that the State Department was funding radical Islamist entities, he requested a meeting with Goli Ameri, who at the time was the nominee to become the assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs, the bureau that issues and manages the grants.

“During the discussion of her nomination,” the senators wrote, “Ms. Ameri promised Senator Coburn that the State Department would stop funding these entities once she was confirmed.”

And yet, shortly after Ameri was confirmed, one of the groups cited by the senators and by Emerson for its ties to the Muslim Brotherhood announced that it had just received fresh funding from the State Departtment office that was now under Ameri’s control.

The new funding was awarded as a subgrant to the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), “a Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated organization, [which] was an unindicted co-conspirator in last year’s terrorist financing trial against the Holy Land Foundation," Emerson told Congress.

Despite ISNA’s known ties to terrorist-related entities, Hughes attended the group’s 2005 national conference in Chicago, and “held private meetings with organization leaders and delegates, including representatives of the Muslim Students Association,” another “Muslim Brotherhood-linked group,” Emerson said.

A number of groups that the State Department has funded or collaborated with have links to entities such as al-Qaida, Hamas and Hezbollah, all of which are designated as terrorist organizations by the United States government, Emerson revealed in his testimony.

“The question is: Why should the State Department spend U.S. taxpayer dollars to work with Islamists who actively oppose the foreign policy goals of the United States and subscribe to a supremacist, oppressive ideology?” Emerson said.

He recommended that “the State Department discontinue its cooperation with Islamist groups.”

Shortly before the last week’s hearing, supporters of MPAC protested in front of the Sherman Oaks, Calif., offices of Rep. Brad Sherman, the Democratic chairman of the House International Relations Subcommittee on Terrorism and Nonproliferation that had asked Emerson to testify.

Responding to the noisy protest, Sherman told reporters that the hearing would go on as scheduled, “to make sure that the State Department is not giving U.S. tax dollars to those on the other side in the war on terrorism.

"I know there are many in our community so desperate for peace that they want us to sweep under the rug the pro-terrorism positions of some groups,” Sherman said. “There are groups in the Islamic world truly dedicated to peace, but we should not blind ourselves to the fact that some are not."
http://www.newsmax.com/timmerman/hughes_bush_terrorists/2008/08/03/118677.html

OU-IPA Washington Wire - Friday August 15, 2008

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:55:08 GMT

Welcome to the Wire!

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From the IPA

The IPA's short movie on Jerusalem can be seen here.

From the Campaign Trail

In his quest to find a running mate in this historic election year, Sen. John McCain is apparently looking to one of the nation’s smallest minority groups: Jewish Republicans. For more on the latest Eric Cantor VP buzz click here.

From Israel

Stepped-up international pressure and sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program are hurting its economy, making trade financing and payments difficult and discouraging foreign investment, according to an IMF report published on Thursday. Read more here.
Hamas says that Gilad Shalit could be released in a week, but terms of a deal with Israel keep shifting. Read the full story here.
The Egyptian government has informed Hamas that it will not reopen the Rafah border crossing until the movement releases kidnapped IDF soldier St.-Sgt. Gilad Schalit. Read more here.

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Avraham's One Village - JEWISH & benei Noach's ONE VILLAGE ***Barukh haba***: Readers' Corner

[Torah.org] Jewish Community in Tbilisi, Georgia in Crisis

[A Voice From Hebron] Time is Running Out (by Gary M Cooperberg)

Time is Running Out — August 19, 2008

Fmr. Italian Pres.: We Paid for Immunity From Terrorist Attacks (by Nissan Ratzlav-Katz)

[Torah.org] New! Free Instant Hebrew CD

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The Parshah in a Nutshell, Eikev

[Chabad.org] The Meaning of Making Money

The Meaning of Making Money

[VideoJug Film] - The Girl Who Silenced The World For Six Minutes

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DoD News Briefing with U.S. EUCOM Director of Logistics and Security Assitance

DoD News Briefing with U.S. EUCOM Director of Logistics and Security Assitance

[One Jerusalem] End of Week Review - Sat, Aug/16/08

[One Jerusalem] End of Week Review - Sat, Aug/16/08

The West’s Islamist Infiltrators (by Daniel Pipes)

INDIAN MUJAHIDEEN: RISE OF JIHAD (Judith Apter Klinghoffer)

INDIAN MUJAHIDEEN: RISE OF JIHAD

[newsmax.com] Terrorism Expert: Karen Hughes Gave Money to Bad Guys (Kenneth R. Timmerman)

OU-IPA Washington Wire - Friday August 15, 2008

Avraham's One Village - JEWISH & benei Noach's ONE VILLAGE Barukh haba: Readers' Corner