Week In Review August 26, 2011

A number of issues have been expanded on this week. The most important of which, I think, include Syria and Department of Homeland Security.

Syria
In 1963 the al-Assad family took control of Syrian leadership. Basher, the current president, was born shortly after. He took power when his father died; in 2000 and 2007 Basher was “elected” after running unopposed each time. The al-Assad family has long been involved in chemical weapons (receiving several plane loads from Iraq in 2002), weapons proliferation with Iran, as well as routinely their subjects, err, citizens (he was elected, after all).

So what? Here the world can see that a slightly less megalomaniac than Ahmadinijad is doing precisely what Saddam Hussein and Mommar Khadafy did. Where they were forcibly and violently removed from power, after 32 and 42 years in absolute control, the al-Assad family stands unopposed by anyone outside of Syria. In fact, the UN cannot even bring a full coalition of outrage in a letter about al-Assad as Russia and China (both receiving US development funds as well as other US aid) are siding with al-Assad. I say siding with as they are not opposing nor speaking out, they are blocking further (useless) sanctions and any actual action that would follow the eventual and blatant violation of sanctions. Again, the “So What” here is that al-Assad is slaughtering his own subjects. Russia, China, and Iran are all backing al-Assad. Iran has funded, armed, and made numerous deals and deployments into Syria. Russia, China, and Iran have all stated that they want to, not just see, but be part of the destruction of the United States.

Now what? Not that I advocate total annihilation or genocide; I do, however, believe in the pre-emptive strike in order to defend a nation’s sovereignty and safety. A nation may also conduct a pre-emptive defensive strike to protect allies that are unable or incapable of defending themselves. Self-Defense on a national basis is what I am calling it. Right now, due to the START Treaty that Obama unwisely signed with the Russians, we now have a surplus of nuclear weapons. Does anyone see a problem with Syrian Green Glass? Yes, take a tactical nuke and put it into Basher al-Assad’s palace. No big loss of oil there. One homicidal and deeply twisted dictator and his entire family line are taken out. No ground troops from the US or coalition nations in harm’s way, done.

What about Obama’s Executive Order 13338? That? The executive order that prohibits us from buying oil from a country that produces less oil yearly than the US uses in a month? I think I called that an empty gesture from an empty suit. Representative Granger wants to see something with teeth, like having the $2 BILLION tax dollars budgeted to Egypt removed if they continue to oppose Western interests.



The Department of Homeland Security preparedness grant program awards for fiscal year 2011 puts $2.1 BILLION tax dollars into security initiatives and response organizations. None, or very little, of this $2.1 BILLION tax dollars seems to go into answering the questions presented by Dr. Jim Giermanski, Chairman Powers Global Holdings, Inc.

1.  Does DHS believe and support the use of Container Security Devices (CSDs) as being consistent with law, foreign security programs, non-government organizations, and the private sector bottom-line needs?

2. Does DHS believe that container security technology and CSDs serve as revenue producers for the private sector?

3. Why is the official policy on physical security for containers sealed "doors-only?"

4. Other than the incentives claimed by CBP for the private sector's participation in C-TPAT, what U.S. government incentive is used to encourage the use of CSDs?

5. Why is DHS not participating with the EU and other nations who are working together to develop an international standards and protocols for CSDs?

6. What can Congress do, but has not done to encourage CSD usage? 

7. What has DHS done with respect  to informing and encouraging Congress to ratify the Rotterdam Rules recognizing that these new Rules improve supply chain security?

8. Given increased security concerns about Mexico, what CSD pilots or programs have been used or tested in Mexico/U.S. cross-border commercial practices?

9. In which CSD pilots, if any, has DHS participated?

10. Why is DHS not complying with the mandates of the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 with respect to CSD for usage HAZMAT movements?

11. If Trade Facilitation is one goal of CBP, why wouldn't CBP/DHS required the use of CSDs knowing that their usage is a financial benefit to the user as well as to the government?

12. Since DHS admits that transshipments are a legitimate security concern, why hasn't DHS mandated CSD usage for all containers inbound to the United States which transit a transshipment port?

13. Why has the "Green Lane" concept not yet been implemented in seaports to encourage CSD usage?

14. Why continue weak programs such as CSI knowing there is no actual verification of container contents?

15. Why is it that DHS/CBP has not yet addressed the current proven vulnerability of using the required 433.5 to 434.5 MHz spectrum in our ports knowing and admitting in writing along with the Office of the Secretary of Defense that the vulnerability truly exists as indicated in this DHS statement: ... these technologies...can be exploited and potentially used to trigger an explosive device.

16. Has DHS funded or directed an empirical study of the impact of closing all U.S. seaports and land ports-of-entry as a result of one or two dirty bomb blasts in the U.S. ports?

So, this week, while Ron Paul and 77% of the sitting democrats voted against enabling rules of engagement that actually PROTECT our military personnel, Janet Napolitano is spending $2.1 BILLION of our tax dollars on initiatives and response.

So what? DHS has put another $2.1 BILLION tax dollars into feel good initiatives rather than actually identifying and stopping threats.

Now what? I propose we do away with the Department of Homeland Security. But, they are there in case of a National Emergency, you say. What about the National Guard? Aren't they dual hatted to serve in support of the military AND to serve their states in response to national emergencies? Well, yes, they are. What about the highly important and visible role they play at airports? Don't most airports already have police, fire, rescue, and security elemnts working there? Well, yes, they do. Now what, you ask. The government tears down, repeals the institutionalized walls outlawing the sharing of information that Hillary Clinton was instrumental in putting up and allow the standing and proven methods of investigative, law enforcement, intelligence, and common sense to work.

Oh, yes, support Electrolux, they said that putting more sharia compliant rules in play within their organization sucks.

Thank you and have a great weekend.

Syria

A few weeks ago I said that al-Assad would not step down. As time passed, videos, and reports came out depicting the slaughter being unleashed against the Syrian people.  As bodies were dumped off pick-up trucks into the ocean protestors continued. I suppose when you know that you are going to die you may as well go down screaming what you believe.

It was not until after UN leadership spoke about alleged atrocities ongoing in Syria that US leadership spoke up at all. The feeling I had was that our leadership was going to wait for the UN to say what was wrong and then we would lock step and parrot the weak and watery leadership for the UN. Blogs and tweets showed up relentlessly at White House pages. Finally, the page 8 articles from Lames Stream Media were noticed. Clinton spoke out and an international coalition was being built to do something. The coalition, US, EU, and UN (the UN being largely OIC and OPEC) spoke out against al-Assad.

This coalition called for a cease to hostilities and for al-Assad to step down. The threat of criminal charges in the International Criminal Court would appear to have been noticed. New sanctions were not seen as threatening enough by the regime, as Assad had clearly said that he could get all the resources he needed. Clearly, the political solution that Assad had insisted was going to come from his people was more the rest of the world tapping on his shoulder.

Al-Assad said that he stopped the killing of his people on the 18^th. The weekend would appear to have been quiet; however, Monday morning brings more bodies in fresh blood. I am (sarcastically) quite certain that these two protestors were shot either accidentally (which will, of course result in the troops being severely dealt with) or they were violent and well armed Syrian versions of Schwarzenegger from the movie Commando and these guards had simply acted in accordance with protecting themselves.

Al-Assad will not step down. He will continue to scoff and throw shoes at the rest of the world. He knows that, like al-Bashir the president of Sudan (indicted for war crimes and crimes against his own people due to committing similar attacks as al-Assad), he will not be apprehended. No one is going to go into Syria to catch him. Any country he goes to quietly will not turn him over to the ICC. And, like al-Bashir, the Obama administration and Clinton State Department will likely move to restore relations with al-Assad within the year.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2011/08/22/world/middleeast/22syria.xml
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/18/syria-assad-claims-military-operations-stopped

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14577333

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/indepth/2011-08/22/c_131064442.htm

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/un-rights-chief-likely-to-call-for-syria-to-be-referred-to-international-criminal-court/2011/08/17/gIQA7Iz2LJ_story.html

I cannot wait for the horror stoires and the accounts of mass rapes and mutilations to begin.

US Tax Dollars For Mosques

Could the mosques being rebuilt with your tax dollars be proven to have been used as weapons storage, training centers, and/or points from which to stage violent attacks from be proven? Using any religious building in such a manner is illegal under international and religous law. If we are rebuilding mosques that had been destroyed because they were used in such a manner, is this giving aid to the enemy?
On August 4th I posted a summary of the US giving $33.486 BILLION dollars to the Middle East. Paying for mosques and NOT paying for rebuilding of churches is, to many (including me), a blatant discrimonatory act. Our First Amendment says that Congress shall make no law in the repsect of establishing one religion over another. What about this? Can the president say build that mosque and have Congress pay for it while ignoring the slaughter of Christians in Niger and Nigeria? Is this administration going to reimburse for the reconstruction of churches throughout the Balkans? Absolutely not.

The other issue with paying for mosques to be built is how many of the mosques destroyed had been selected as targets because of ongoing activities that were deadly to US Forces. This would include housing and training insurgents and weapons/munitions storage.

Recently, Libyan snpiers were firing from mosques roof tops. NATO operations chief denounced Qaddafi for his use of mosques as firing positions. When the US went in to take down Hussein, there were weapons and gunmen on and around mosques. When we went into Kuwait, in the first Gulf War, there were gunmen and weaponssystems on mosques. In Israel (a country where Arabs have more rights and freedoms than in Arab countries) Hamas uses mosques for everything that can be tied to attacking Israel. In January a mosques that had been used as a rocket storage facility to attack Israel was struck. This resulted in "a lengthy series of secondary explosions and a large fire caused by the ammunitions stockpiled in the mosque."

Written on August 8, 2011 by Giacomo

US Tax Dollars Building Mosques Overseas

A debt plan passed that doesn’t cut debt or spending and now the Standard and Poors has lowered the US credit rating because they believe the plan failed to accomplish what was needed. The President continues to talk about increasing taxes on the wealthy and other politicians are looking at cutting Social Security and Medicare benefits.

All the while, the US State Department, headed by Secretary of State Hillary ‘Spendem’ Clinton is spending hundreds of millions of  US taxpayer dollars to repair and rebuild mosques in the Middle East. They are also providing internet service to Islamic Imans as seen in the following news report:

The same State Department would not dare spend a penny on Christian churches or internet service for Christian pastors here in the US as it would be a violation of the supposed separation of church and state. Why are we spending our money on a religion that has vowed to destroy us when we have people in our own country that are losing their jobs and homes?

This is an outrage to the American people and we need to make our outrage known to our political leaders and tell them to take Clinton’s government checkbook away from her and her colleagues.


http://www.usf-iraq.com/?option=com_content&task=view&id=9614&Itemid=21


Read more: US Tax Dollars Building Mosques Overseas | Godfather Politics http://godfatherpolitics.com/412/us-tax-dollars-building-mosques-overseas/#ixzz1UWrL8E1M

http://idfspokesperson.com/2009/01/02/iaf-strike-on-mosque-used-as-weapon-storage-site-2-jan-2009/

UN human rights experts urge Syria to end use of violence against civilians

The UN is urging them?! Why isn't the UN leading the charge to cut off funding? Why aren't we, the US, leading the charge to cut off funding?

5 August 2011 – As the crackdown by the Syrian Government against its own people continues unabated, a group of United Nations human rights experts today renewed their call for an immediate end to the violence used by the authorities against ongoing protests.
“The Government of Syria cannot be allowed to violate with impunity its obligation to uphold international law nor attack the very citizens it has sworn to protect without consequences,” the experts stressed in a news release.
“We unequivocally call on the Government of Syria to immediately cease the violent crackdown, stop the killings and pursue dialogue through peaceful processes,” they added.
The call by the experts, who all report in an independent and unpaid capacity to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, comes two days after the Security Council condemned the widespread violation of human rights in Syria and the use of force against civilians by the security forces.
The country has been rocked by deadly civil unrest since mid-March, with the Government cracking down on protesters demanding greater civil liberties. Similar protests have erupted across North Africa and the Middle East since the start of this year, having already toppled regimes in Tunisia and Egypt, and leading to ongoing conflict in Libya.
Media reports say that Syrian security forces opened fire today on protesters who poured into the streets by the tens of thousands as the regime continued its assault on the besieged city of Hama, where around 100 people are reported to have been killed in recent days.
The experts said they continued to receive reports of the systematic use of excessive force resulting in killings and injuries; allegations of torture, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and detention of protestors; targeting of human rights defenders; and unjustified limitations on freedoms of peaceful assembly and expression.
The Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Maina Kiai, stressed that freedom of peaceful assembly is core to any democratic society.
“It is of utmost importance that the Government finally addresses the legitimate concerns of peaceful protestors, instead of silencing their voices with brute force,” said Mr. Kiai.
The UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Christof Heyns, added that the indiscriminate use of heavy artillery against demonstrators cannot be justified.
“No State is allowed to use its military force against an unarmed civilian population regardless of the situation prevailing on the ground,” he stated. “The killings that result are clearly arbitrary executions and punishable under international law.”
Also speaking out today were the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Juan Méndez; the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Frank La Rue; and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human rights defenders, Margaret Sekaggya.
The Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, Jeremy Sarkin, and the Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, El Hadji Malick Sow, also joined the call on Syria to end its violent crackdown.

Forced conversions to Islam are rising

In the United States this is still called kidnapping and rape Pakistan: Bishop of Islamabad warns forced conversions to Islam are rising as another Christian girl is abducted As with the situation in Egypt, this is not at all the first time we have seen such behavior in Pakistan. Two such prominent cases in Pakistan have been those of Saba (or Sarah) and Anila Masih, and Farah Hatim. The news organization Fides has reported that "at least 700 Christian girls are kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam every year." Hindu girls are targeted as well, and many cases go unreported, or are brushed aside by authorities. Here is yet another case. Thankfully, Mariam Gill was returned to her family, but not surprisingly, her thwarted captor is making threats. "Punjab: Christian woman forced to convert and marry her kidnapper," by Jibran Khan for AsiaNews, August 6 (thanks to Kenneth):

Islamabad (AsiaNews) – Another young Christian woman in Pakistan has been abducted and forced to convert to Islam and marry her kidnapper. Despite a formal complaint, police did not intervene because the author of the crime is a “respectable businessman”. Local Muslim religious authorities also claim that the woman’s conversion was legal. However, her case however is similar to that of Farah Hatim (see Jibran Khan, “The drama of Farah Hatim, common to many women in Pakistan,” in AsiaNews 25 July 2011) and is indicative of a climate of impunity for people who abuse Christian women. The bishop of Islamabad warns that the “the cases of forced conversion are rising at an alarming rate”.

Mariam is a young Christian woman from Kahota, a town some 20 kilometres from Pakistan’s capital of Islamabad. She was abducted on Wednesday by one Muhammad Junaid, a local Muslim, who forcibly converted her to Islam and married her.

The young woman’s father, Munir Gill, said that Junaid is an “important businessman”. He had “his eyes on my daughter and asked her for marriage.” He complained to the man’s fathers “without results”.

“Mariam went to the market on Wednesday, but never returned,” said her brother Sohail Gill. “We searched for her everywhere. Some people in the market told us that they saw Muhammad Junaid forcefully taking Mariam from the market. We went to the police to register a case, but they delayed the application and showed no interest in the matter.”

Yesterday, a local Muslim religious leader, Maulana Hafeez Aziz, “converted Mariam to Islam and celebrated her marriage with Muhammad Junaid”.

The police are no help:

“Muhammad Junaid is a respectable Muslim businessman,” said Amir Mirza, a police officer in Kahota. “The young woman converted and married him of ‘her own free will’.

It would not be surprising if she were also forced to sign a document stating she converted freely, so that on paper, there was "no compulsion in religion" (Qur'an 2:256). Islamic law is replete with various means of coercion to attempt to induce non-Muslims to convert, and Sharia enforced on society ensures believers and non-believers at least go through the motions of observing the laws. Ultimately, those in power could care less about splitting hairs on where persuasion ends and "compulsion" begins, and challenging them could endanger life and limb.

For Maulana Hafeez Aziz, “Muhammad Junaid is a true follower of Prophet Muhammad. He has fulfilled Sharia. Converting a non-Muslim is a pious act. Only a true Muslim can do that.”

But:

Yesterday, Mariam Gill was interrogated by local officials. She told them that she was abducted and forced to convert and that she has no intention of abandoning Christianity.

At the end of the meeting, they decided to return the young woman to her family, urging the two sides to reach an agreement. However, Muhammad Junaid issued threats, saying that if he did not get the young woman back, there would be “terrible consequences” to pay.

Contacted by AsiaNews, the bishop of Islamabad Rufin Anthony described the case as “a dreadful incident”. In his view, “the cases of forced conversion are rising at an alarming rate. The matter needs to be checked, kidnapping of Christian girls is becoming a common practice in Punjab. Law enforcement agencies need to enforce the law.”

Young Christian women are not alone. Many young Hindu women have been forced to flee across the border into India in the face of government and police indifference.

“It is time to take concrete action to guarantee the safety of minorities in Pakistan,” the prelate said.

http://www.gnsec.com/modules/d3pipes/index.php?page=clipping&clipping_id=51465

Somalia Famine Fight

Pakistan Kills Its Own

Yet ANOTHER government that is part of the United Nations is killing more of its own people based on ETHNICITY. What will the president say?

Fighting in Pakistani city of Karachi claims 34 lives

Shops and vehicles have been set ablaze

At least 34 people have been killed since Monday in the latest bout of ethnically fuelled violence in Pakistan's southern city of Karachi.

Officials said 11 people were shot dead on Tuesday, while 23 had been killed the previous day.

Targeted killings and clashes claimed more than 200 lives in Karachi in July.

Armed groups supported by Pakistan's main political parties are said to be responsible. Police officials say the groups are controlled by criminals.

But critics say that Pakistan's ruling coalition appears unwilling to bring them to account.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik said Karachi was enduring "a reign of terror and bloodshed", and that the government would pursue "every possible action to restore peace".

"We have ordered surveillance planes to be brought to Karachi for locating and weeding out the killers," he added.

Injured people have been pouring into hospitals

"I want to warn those... miscreants that... you have tested the government enough. Neither our people nor our government will tolerate any more of this. There will be strict action... I won't say anything else now. You will see the action yourself."

Provincial home department official Sharfuddin Memon said some bodies had been found riddled with bullets, and others showed signs of torture and were tied up in sacks.

"The criminals want to destabilise the efforts for a permanent peace in the city," he said.

Police said dozens of motorcycles were set alight inside a factory, and that a roadside restaurant and several vehicles were also torched.

In a recent report, the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said 490 people had been killed in targeted killings in Karachi during the first half of the year, compared with 748 in 2010.

'Game of death and destruction'

The BBC's Syed Shoiab Hasan in Karachi says that the killings are becoming increasingly indiscriminate.

“Start Quote

Karachi is in the grip of a multi-sided wave of insecurity-driven political, ethnic and sectarian polarisation”

End Quote

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan

Our correspondent says that it is not just political activists who are being targeted - shopkeepers, cafe owners, truck drivers and even pedestrians have all been gunned down.

Increasingly, he adds, there is an ethnic dimension to the violence - members of both the Pashtun and Urdu speaking communities have been targeted.

Shops and vehicles have been set ablaze and markets have been shut for several days in the affected areas.

Police officials say activists of the Pashtun-dominated Awami National Party (ANP) as well as those of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) - supported by the majority Urdu speaking community in the city - are responsible for much of the violence.

The parties have continued what is increasingly a battle for land and votes - despite being partners in the country's ruling coalition.

Our correspondent says that the government appears helpless to stop the violence, which has wreaked havoc.

Security officials say this is because senior politicians are protecting many of those involved in the killings.

They say the violence will continue until security forces are allowed to arrest these men.

On Monday, the HRCP called for a political solution.

"Karachi is in the grip of a multi-sided wave of insecurity-driven political, ethnic and sectarian polarisation that has greatly undermined its tradition of tolerance and good-neighbourliness," it said.

"While gangs of land-grabbers and mafias have tried to exploit the breakdown of law and order, they do not appear to be the main directors of the horrible game of death and destruction; that distinction belongs to more powerful political groups and it is they who hold the key to peace.”