Tag Archives: Taliban

Nov 25 2017

European Holiday Life With Jihad – New Threats, Weak PC Governments and Terror Barricades Decorated for Christmas…


Re-Posted from The Conservative Tree House on November 25, 2017 by

This image from Sweeden speaks so loudly:

Concrete K-Rail Barriers, positioned to stop terrorist attacks by vehicles, dressed up like Christmas decorations around the local holiday markets.  What a ridiculously sad and pathetic visual of everything wrong in Europe.

Amid the anxiety of anticipating the next Jihadist attack, which everyone knows is not if – but rather ‘when’, it would appear joy is somewhat lowered on the scale of relativity.

EUROPE – The Islamic State has issued chilling threat to attack Christmas markets in the Britain, France and Germany in pictures circulated among supporters.

The jihadis have circulated images on messaging apps including one in which a black-clad hooded figure is seen standing over a kneeling Santa Claus with an image of Regent Street in the background.

A message in English, French, and German says ‘Soon on your holidays’ with the clear implication that London can expect a terrorist attack over the holiday season.  (read more)

 

Nov 24 2017

Horrific Islamist Attack in Egypt – Northern Sinai Mosque Targeted Killing 235…


Re-Posted from The Conservative Tree House on November 24, 2017 by

Against the backdrop of the first border opening between Egypt’s northern Sinai and Gaza; and against the ongoing efforts by the al-Sisi led coalition to move toward peace between Arabs and Israelis; the extremists strike back today with a horrific terrorist attack against the Al Rawdah mosque in Bir al-Abed, west of El Arish, the main city in North Sinai.

(Reuters) CAIRO – Militants killed more than 230 people at a mosque in North Sinai on Friday, detonating a bomb and gunning down worshippers in the deadliest such attack of Egypt’s modern history, state media and witnesses said.

Worshippers were finishing Friday prayers at the mosque when a bomb exploded, witnesses said. Around 40 gunmen set up positions outside the mosque with jeeps and opened fire from different directions as people tried to escape.

”Four groups of armed men attacked the worshippers inside the mosque after Friday noon prayers. Two groups were firing at ambulances to deter them, said Mohamed, a witness.

The public prosecutors’ office said in a statement 235 people had been killed and 109 more wounded. (read more)

Hours after the attack, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ordered Egypt’s military to launch air strikes on targets in mountainous areas around Bir al-Abed, security sources and witnesses said.

“The armed forces and the police will avenge our martyrs and restore security and stability with the utmost force. What is happening is an attempt to stop us from our efforts in the fight against terrorism, to destroy our efforts to stop the terrible criminal plan that aims to destroy what is left of our region.” ~Egyptian President al-Sisi

The terrorist group Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, once allied to al Qaeda, declared allegiance to Islamic State in 2014.  Arabiya news channel and some local sources said some of the worshippers were Sufis, whom groups such as Islamic State consider targets because they revere saints and shrines, which for Islamists is tantamount to idolatry.

White House: “The United States condemns in the strongest terms todays horrific terrorist attack at a mosque in Egypts North Sinai province. We offer our condolences to the families of those killed and wounded, and we stand with the people and government of Egypt against terrorism. There can be no tolerance for barbaric groups that claim to act in the name of a faith but attack houses of worship and murder the innocent and defenseless while at prayer. The international community must continue to strengthen its efforts to defeat terrorist groups that threaten the United States and our partners and we must collectively discredit the extremist ideology that forms the basis of their existence.”

(link)

 

Nov 14 2017

Why Iran is a Major Threat


Armstrong Economics Blog/Middle East

Re-Posted Nov 14, 2017 by Martin Armstrong

The Yemeni Civil War is an ongoing conflict that began in 2015 between two factions. Each is claiming to constitute the Yemeni government. This is really a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Tran. The Houthi forces control the capital Sana’a who are allied with forces loyal to the former president Ali Abdullah Saleh backed by Saudi Arabia. They are opposed by Yemen’s Shiite rebels who are loyal to the religious government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, based in Aden, supported by Iran.

To grasp what this is all about, one must understand Islam. Saudi Arabia in Sunni that boils down to a separation of church and state. They are fighting the Shiite forces of Iran, which believe that religion should control the state. Therefore, the ballistic missile fired by Yemen’s Shiite rebels toward the Saudi capital was manufactured by Iran as if this should be any surprise given that Iran is their backer.

This conflict in the Middle East is religious based. This is similar to the threat of Russia back in the Cold War days when Nikita Khrushchev ruled Russia and the ideology that Marxism would conquer Capitalism was the entire issue. Here we have Iran which is similarly a threat to the world political structure because this is where religion should rule the state. Christianity went through that where the state was ruled by religion and to circumvent religion, kings appointed their political allies as priests, bishops, and cardinal. That led to the Investiture Controversy which was the major conflict between the Pope Gregory VII and the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV during the 11th century.

Emperor Henry declared Pope Gregory was no longer pope and the Romans should choose a new pope because of political disputes. When Pope Gregory heard of this he excommunicated Henry IV, declared he was no longer emperor and absolved his subjects from the oaths they had sworn to him. This was the battle of kings to control the Church for political gain.

Even if we look at England and Henry VII’s break with the Catholic Church, one need only just look before the headline. Henry’s Queen was  Catherine of Aragon (1485–1536) who was the aunt of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (1500–1558) and was originally Charles I of Spain. Charles V had imprisoned the Pope Clement VII (1478– 1534) following the Sack of Rome in May 1527. Correct, the Holy Roman Emperor invaded Rome to take control of the Church and imprisoned the Pope. There was no way Charles V would allow Henry VIII to annul the marriage with his aunt. Once again we have evidence of kings controlling religion for political purposes.

What is unfolding in the Middle East is similar to the war between Protestants and Catholics, which was really for political and economic power. The corruption in the Church was not the design of the Pope when it had been the kings who appointed people in their domain to run the Church – not the Pope. Nothing could illustrate this point more than the case of Saint Thomas Becket (c. 1119–1170), who was a personal drinking buddy of the King. When he appointed him as Arch Bishop of Canterbury, he suddenly found religion. He then stood up to the King and he was slain right at the Altar.

 

This is a similar nature where here it is the religious Shite seeking to take control of the Middle East and overthrow kings. The recent Saudi Arabia incident of shooting down the Iranian missile on November 4th, 2017 near Riyadh’s international airport, illustrates just how confrontational this really is. Why Obama cut any sort of a deal with Iran given their political beliefs, is truly beyond contemplation.

Nov 12 2017

The Saudi-Iran Brewing War


Armstrong Economics Blog/Middle East

Re-Posted Nov 12, 2017 by Martin Armstrong

The turmoil in the Middle East has been instigated in part by fiscal mismanagement. When the money was rolling in with high oil prices, it was assumed, as always, that whatever trend is in motion will remain in motion. Consequently, the government expanded their spending assuming money would continue to flow in. When oil broke, the fiscal mismanagement has been exposed for all to see if they care to look.

Falling oil prices have decimated revenues and trade in the region. Security worries about terrorism, particularly in the US, have led to cuts in airline routes. Then there has also been a long-running diplomatic and trade impasse between Saudi Arabia and its allies on the one hand, and Qatar on the other. Now the good-old-days of easy money and rapid growth has led to concerns about over-capacity, waste, and corruption that nobody cared about when money flowed like oil.

We are witnessing the beginning of a Middle East War between the Suni and Shite where the latter opposes kings and the state should be ruled by religious leaders. Iran and its Lebanese ally, the militant Shia group Hezbollah, claim the Saudis detained Mr. Saad El-Din Rafik Al-Hariri is a Lebanese-Saudi politician who has been the Prime Minister of Lebanon since December 2016. They allege that Saudi Arabia forced his resignation. Rex Tillerson said he had received assurances that Mr. Hariri was free to leave anytime.

According to Reuters, there was “no line-up of Saudi princes or ministry officials, as would typically greet a prime minister on an official visit to King Salman”, they reported with senior sources close to Hariri and top Lebanese political and security officials said. Reuters reported that Hariri’s phone was confiscated, and the next day he was forced to resign as prime minister in a statement broadcast by a Saudi-owned TV channel.

If this is true, then we are witnessing indeed a proxy-war emerging once again in Lebanon. This is a major struggle that is, in fact, seeking to reshape the Middle East with the war building between the conservative Sunni monarchy of Saudi Arabia and Shi‘ite revolutionary Iran. These two groups have already been in conflicts that have emerged in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, where they back opposing sides. This appears to be now expanding to destabilize Lebanon, where the Saudis have opposed the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, which is Lebanon’s main political power and part of the ruling coalition. The historical profile of war involving Lebanon is as follows:

  1. First Arab-Israeli War (1948–1949), which involved Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Transjordan, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.
  2. 1958 Lebanon Crisis
  3. Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990) Syrian occupation of Lebanon and the Israeli Security Zone
  4. South Lebanon Conflict (1985–2000)
  5. July War (2006) Hezbollah and Israel Stalemate
  6. Fatah al-Islam Rebellion (2007)
  7. 2008 conflict in Lebanon Hezbollah victory
  8. Syria War spillover in Lebanon (2011-2017)

Interesting enough, there have been eight events in 69 years and that works out to 8.625-year cycle on the surface without correlating it to history. According to Reuters, Hariri had to be removed because he was unwilling to confront Hezbollah.

What we can determine, is from a cyclically perspective, 2017 was the turning point from which we should expect to see a rise in the clash between Iran and Saudi groups.

When you turn the conomy down, that is historically when tensions rise.

Nov 10 2017

Sacred Hate Speech


– There’s a lot of talk about hate speech these days. YouTube, Facebook, and others are going to eliminate hate speech. Well I wish them luck with that, but I’m going be talking about some hate I bet they’re not able to eliminate: the hate that is found within the doctrine of Islam for the unbeliever.

For instance, Quran 98:6. The unbelievers amongst the Christians, Jews, and pagans will be in the fire of Hell. These are the worst of creatures. Who’s of the worst of creatures? People such as myself. Now, I don’t know, but when I’m called the worst of creatures, does this qualify for hate speech? Then we have a piece of hate speech that’s repeated five times a day by every good Muslim. The first sura of, or chapter of, the Quran has seven verses, and Muslims repeat these every time they pray. The seventh verse says, not those who anger Allah nor those who go astray. Who are these people who angers Allah? The Jews. Who goes astray? The Christians. So constant prayer by Muslims condemns the Christians and the Jews.

Now then, let’s talk a little bit more about hate, sacred hate. Quran 48:29. Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, and those with him are the severe against the Kafirs and merciful amongst themselves. Notice that Muslims are to be severe amongst people such as myself but merciful unto themselves. This is sacred hate and sacred love. It has a technical name and is part of the ethical system of Islam. Al-Walaa wal-Baraa, hating what Allah hates, Kafirs, loving who Allah loves, Muslims.

Is this hate speech? Quran 8:55. Surely the vilest of animals in Allah’s sight are the Kafirs. The vilest of animals. Other translations of this verse are lowest of animals. So, I’m the lowest of animals according to Allah. Hate speech? I don’t know; might be.

Quran 4:144. O ye who believe, Muslims, take not Kafirs for friends rather than believers. Do you wish to offer Allah an open proof against yourself? In other words, having a Kafir as a good friend is proof for Allah that you’re not a good Muslim. Here’s another verse.

Quran 66:9. Strive hard against the Kafirs and the hypocrites, moderate Muslims, and be firm against them. Their abode is Hell, an evil refuge indeed. So Muslims are to strive against me.

Now then, it’s not just the Quran, but the Sira and the Hadith, which are the Sunnah of Muhammad, also include hate. Let’s take one example. Muhammad, in the last nine years of his life, committed 95 acts of jihad. Is this hate when he was sending out people to kill, rape, torture, and steal? I don’t know; it seems like it might be.

Islamic doctrine is filled with hate, but I am officially called a hater by CAIR, the Committee on American-Islamic Relations, and SPLC, the Southern Poverty Law Center. Why? Because of talks just like the one you’re hearing now. For this kind of talk, I’m called a hater. When I talk about how Allah hates, I’m the one who’s the hater. So join me in becoming a hater. That is, a scholar of Islam who knows what Islam says about you, the Kafir. Thank you.