Investment

» lcha - What Muhammad means to Muslims

In response to What Muhammad means to Muslims posted by Kirk:

The "we must take all measures to avoid a clash of civilizations" seems to be all well and good when it comes to respecting Mohamad but where was the Muslim outcry, to avoid a clash of civilizations, when the Taliban destroyed that thousand year old Buddha statue in Afghanistan years ago.

There are all sorts of other examples I won't go into because we all know what they are. Suffice to say, when the Muslim community shows respect for the other religions of the world, I'm sure the rest of the world will show respect for theirs and the clash of civilizations will cease.

-- posted by lcha

» rasputin - Jihad

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I've been doing some studying of jihad and jihadists and I've found some interesting material on the history and nature of jihad. So, I figured I'd share some of the references. Perfect reading for the poiltics junkie and those who want to know what we in the West are facing.

http://www.jihadwatch.org/

http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals...

Here's a link to testimony by one of my favorite terrorism analysts, Walid Phares. He appeared before the U.S. House International Relations Subcommittee on International Terrorism and Nonproliferation.

http://counterterrorismblog.org/2006/09/...

"Future Jihad" by Walid Phares

Good interview with Steve Emerson from Journal of Counterterrorism.

http://counterterrorismblog.org/site-res...

Plus this. It's long, but it's cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHGK3qTdI...

-- posted by rasputin

» rasputin - Walid Phares on Hezbollah

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This is a bit dated but still relevant, instructive and seemingly prescient.

Reprinted from NewsMax.com

Expert: Iran Poised to Be 'Mother of All World Threats'
Dave Eberhart, NewsMax
Friday, Aug. 11, 2006
WASHINGTON – For anyone who still thinks the Israeli-Lebanon war is just a border scuffle, one Middle East expert shouts a dire warning:

"As soon as a cease-fire occurs, the 'Hezbollah Blitzkrieg' will crumble the 'Lebanese Republic of Weimar' and install its own 'Khumeinist Republic' on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean. The consequences of such a development are far beyond imagination for the region and the world. Hezbollah would have paved the way for Iran to create the mother of all world threats since Hitler."

So cautions Professor Walid Phares, author of "Future Jihad," a visiting fellow with the European Foundation for Democracy in Brussels and a senior fellow with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies in Washington, D.C.

In an exclusive interview with NewsMax, the Lebanese-born Phares likens the current Hezbollah offensive in Lebanon to a "putsch" – with the convoluted aims of re-establishing a pro-Syrian-Iranian regime in Lebanon, reconstructing a third wing to the Tehran-Damascus axis, re-animating the Arab-Israeli conflict, rejuvenating Syrian dominance, isolating Jordan, reaching out to Hamas, crumbling Iraq, and unleashing Iran's nuclear programs.

The author also sees half-measures and premature truces as catalysts to even bloodier future conflicts:

"If Israel takes 40 kilometers [into the southern belly of Lebanon] and sits, Hezbollah and its allies will take the rest of the country and eliminate the Cedars Revolution [the Lebanese democracy movement]. That is a certainty. Then the two camps will clash in a wider war in few more months."

As a corollary, however, the expert advises that if Israel gets even more aggressive and moves instead through the Bekaa (a fertile valley in Lebanon and Syria, located about 19 miles east of Beirut), it would shut down the Syrian-Lebanese borders (a major supply line for war materials flowing to Hezbollah).

But such a definitive move, says the author, would bring Syria into the conflict, and Israel would then have to engage the Assad regime (Bashar al-Assad, the president of Syria).

Meanwhile, Phares suggests, under the scenario outlined above, Iran would not sit still but would intervene in a more covert way than has been seen thus far.

However, he advises, Iran doesn't have a land passage to Syria, so it would strike back by igniting an "intifada" in Iraq.

"But this will put Iran on the path of the U.S. coalition, leading the region to global confrontations," Phares predicts. "Israel could also reach the Syrian borders, but instead of a war with Damascus, Assad would accept a MNF [Multi-National Force] at this time to save his regime, which sounds the most realistic."

Phares then projects that a MNF in control of the borders would isolate Hezbollah from Syria and Iran – enabling a new Lebanese army to slowly take back control of the country, leading Israel to withdraw behind the borders.

Neighboring Jordan will try to remain neutral – unless Iranian forces try to link up with Syria via Iraq, says Phares. Jordan, he adds, will in the end most likely side with NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization).

For its part, Egypt will face increasing domestic Jihadism but will refrain from cross-border activities, he predicts.

The Risk of an Explosion

The author forecasts some bad outcomes.

If the Lebanon conflict persists too long or if Hezbollah takes over, Jihadi forces in Jordan and Egypt will explode, he predicts.

"In short, if Lebanon falls to Jihadism, all Arab countries will experience similar moves. If the free-Lebanese regain control, democracy forces will move forward in the region. It is a geopolitical crossroad," Phares says.

Phares emphasizes that the old parameters of a "buffer zone" don't work anymore.

He sees as the key for everyone in the region finding security, stability, freedom, and eventually peace – the stopping of the flow of weapons and support from Iran to Hezbollah.

"Israel can establish all the security zones," Phares instructs, "the U.S. and the U.N. can issue all the resolutions, and the Lebanese army can be sent to any area – as long as the Lebanese-Syrian borders are open between the Assad regime and Nasrallah's [Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the current secretary-general of the Lebanese Islamist party Hezbollah] militia, the war will go on."

The Issue of the Lebanese Army

Along with reciting the reams of regional history necessary to understand the origins of the quagmire, Phares tells NewsMax what he sees as intriguing subplots, including a draconian one to rid Hezbollah of the Lebanese army.

The author argues that no changes were made inside the Lebanese army to bring it in harmony with the Cedars Revolution (discussed below).

"So, what you have there is an army of which 80 percent of its officer corps and about 65 percent of its ranks dislike the Baathists, Iranians and Hezbollah – but it is still chained to a pro-Syrian president and paralyzed by [Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad] Seniora's unwillingness to disarm Hezbollah."

But despite the mixed allegiances of the Lebanese army, Hezballoh still wants it out of the way.

Phares opines that Nasrallah wants to move units of the Lebanese army southbound. Hezbollah would then trigger yet more violence with Israel, leading to the latter having to take on the whole Lebanese army.

"Nasrallah is pushing Siniora to send the army to southern Lebanon to be slaughtered," says Phares. "He wants Israel to destroy the Lebanese army – the institution which in the long term could dismantle the deep terror roots of Hezbollah, once a multinational force deploys and all borders are secured."

Phares pauses for a moment in his analysis of what could come to pass in the near term and looks out to a distant and perhaps hopeful future:

"If democracies allow Jihadism to crush the civil societies of the region, it would take at least two generations to begin another democratic revolution in the Middle East," the author opines. "So, by the end of this century, in this case, you have two scenarios: either bloody war in the region, with greater genocide than ever – and also possibly a number of nuclear blast spots ...

"However, if the international community focuses on assisting the peoples of the region to get rid of the Jihadi-fascism and the remnants of Baathism, in one hundred years you'll be able to ski in Lebanon, enjoy pastries in Damascus, and watch the clever female prime minister of Iran discussing environment issues with her colleague in Afghanistan.

"Jihadists would be looked at as the weird small fractions in the secular multiparty parliaments of the region who are still arguing how they lost the opportunity to re-establish a caliphate in the early century ..."

Lost Horizons

But whether the international community rises to its finest hour remains to be seen, says Phares.

Look back at the Cedar Revolution, he suggests.

The so-called Cedar Revolution was the chain of demonstrations and popular civic action in Lebanon triggered by the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on February 14, 2005.

Following the demonstrations, Syrian troops completely withdrew from Lebanon on April 27, 2005. The pro-Syrian government was also disbanded. History in the region since that time has been defined mostly by Hezbollah wanting to undo the progress toward democracy.

Since the Cedars Revolution, says Phares, no single event has shown the international community greater expression from Lebanon. And that is what Hassan Nasrallah wants to destroy, he maintains.

"His [Nasrallah's] real war waged at his own timing against Israel aims in fact at destroying the Cedar Revolution, the single most dangerous popular resistance against terrorism in the history of Lebanon and the region," argues the scholar.

Continuing, the author says: "The U.S. and Europe loved the images of youth and women chanting freedom in Beirut for many days and thought this was Eastern Europe all over again. They were right, but they missed the point.

"These masses were desperately calling on the international community for help. 'We showed you that we want freedom despite the threats of the most oppressive regimes (Syria and Iran) and of a terrorist organization; we've displayed all the courage of the world, alone and without weapons, responding to the calls of spreading democracy,' said the leaders of the Cedar Revolution's NGOs [non-governmental organizations]."

Poignantly, Phares says that the people of Lebanon were begging, in fact, "Now come and protect us – at least as you did for the Afghan and Iraqi voters."

Meanwhile, the author says, Hezbollah and its masters were watching the Western response: "Lots of celebrations and powerful speeches on both sides of the Atlantic. But inside Lebanon, the old wolves were back to work."

The long story short, says the expert: Syria, Iran and Hezbollah outmaneuvered the Lebanese politicians, as well as the West, by, among other things, keeping pro-Syrian Emile Jamil Lahoud, president of the Republic of Lebanon, at the helm.

"It was terrible how the Lebanese politicians lost all the opportunities provided by the Cedar Revolution," laments Phares, "but it is worse that the bureaucrats in the U.S. and Europe didn't understand what Hezbollah was doing."

Phares says he regrets that no one policy regarding the Cedar Revolution was ever put forth. Billions of dollars were spent on the War of Ideas and Iraq while requests by Lebanese NGOs, small media and civil society groups ready to resume the Cedar Revolution were left unheard, he adds.

Roots of Crisis

Phares argues that Washington and Brussels relied too much on a Lebanese Cabinet that had been penetrated by Hezbollah.

"How can you have U.S. officials sitting with the Lebanese Cabinet in the presence of Hezbollah ministers and talk about the Lebanese army disarming this organization? The naivete with which Hezbollah's offensive was dealt with is stunning."

-- posted by rasputin

» rasputin - More from Phares on Jihad

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Phares and Bahbudi in the Washington Post: "The Axis of Jihadism"
By Op Ed
Aug 30, 2006, 18:16

LETTER TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC ON THE AXIS OF JIHADISM

Behrooz Bahbudi and Walid Phares

The Washington Post

Because for 11 years years, the American public wasn’t informed about the threat that lead to September 11 and because the classrooms and newsrooms of the United States were not educated enough about the global threat of “Jihadism,” we feel it is incumbent on individual citizens to educate themselves about this danger and mobilize to prevent a Future Jihad looming around the world and at home. It is important that American citizens understand who the “Jihadists” are, what they want to
achieve, and how they are proceeding. Without this knowledge, the American public will be unable to be
part of the political debate about national security and the War on Terror. And if deprived from the support of an informed public, the US Government, now and in the future, cannot sustain difficult decisions pertaining to the defeat of the Terrorist enemy.

The ideology of the Terrorists: Jihadism

American and other democratic societies around the world, including Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, Hin du,
Muslim and other, have been subjected to an international ideological campaign by the ”Jihadists” who
aim to bring about a worldwide domination, that is the creation of a totalitarian global regime, similar to
the Taliban. Their ideology opposes Democracy, Pluralism, Secularism, and is a direct threat to Peace.
“Jihadism” rejects international law as we know it, the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, most governments around the world, women’s rights as agreed on in modern times, free
arts and expression, and any interpretation of the universe, history, and values other than their ow n.
“Jihadism” discriminates against all humans who do not abide by their vision. It calls them “Kuffars ”
(Infidels). This ideology prescribes violence against the “Infidels” should they be Christians, Jews ,
Hindus, Muslims or others; it calls for a global warfare against all who oppose them; and it terms t his war
“Jihad”. Hence, this ideology, in its various forms and expressions, is against international law and
should be banned by the international community.

Jihadists: The Two Forces

There are two major “trees” of Jihadism: The Salafists and the Khumeinists. The Salafists, influenced by
the radical Wahabis and the “Muslim Brotherhood” call for the removal of the current Arab and Muslim
Governments and their replacement by a worldwide power they call “Caliphate.” The Salafist movement
produced al Qaeda and its affiliates around the world and identifies itself as “The International Sa lafi
Jihadi Movement.” It is omnipresent in the Muslim world and has a significant presence inside democracies worldwide. The Salafi Jihadists established the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. This was the model they wished to multiply around the globe. The Khumeinists are the Jihadist followers of the teachings of Iranian Ayatollah Ruhallah Khumeini. They have established what they call an “Islamic Republic” in Iran and have funded movements, including Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Iranian Regime
oppresses its own peoples and seeks regional and world expansion through Terrorism and Nuclear threat.

Axis of Jihadism

Each of the two “Jihadi” blocs has its own strategy and area of action: al Qaeda and the Salafists h ave
infiltrated many countries and penetrated some government institutions in the Muslim world. They have
also established cells within Western and other democracies. The Khumeinist Jihadists have full cont rol
of Iran’s regime and created an axis of terror in the Middle East, including the Baathist regime of Syria
and Hezbollah. Both powers aim at crumbling America, undermining democracies and repressing freedoms in the Arab and Muslim world. Although with different long-term goals, the Jihadi Salafists and Khumeinists have converging interests against common enemies: democracies. In many places and on different occasions the two blocs of Jihadism have established interim alliances: the regimes in Iran,Syria and Sudan and the organizations of al Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah,Islamic Jihad, Jemaa Islamiya, and many others have cooperated: against democracies and civil societies, they have formed an axis of Jihadism.
This is what the American public and civil societies around the world are up against since the 1990s. The victims of Jihadism belong to all ethnicities and religions: from the Muslim Sunni civilians in Algeria, the
black Africans in Sudan, the Copts of Egypt, Shiites and Kurds of Iraq, Christians and others in Lebanon, innocents in Indonesia, Iran, to the societies of Russia, Argentina, India, Europe and the United States. In short, humanity is under attack by Jihadism.

The American people must learn more about the ideological movement that is waging war against them. The American public must ask the U.S. Congress to investigate Jihadism.

Dr Behrooz Bahbudi
President, Global Unity Partnership. US citizen born in Tehran, educated in Iran, Australia, Canada and the US. Advocate for Democracy in the Greater Middle East

Dr Walid Phares
Senior fellow, Foundation for the Defense of Democracies
Professor of Middle East Studies

© Copyright 2003 by YourSITE.com

-- posted by rasputin

» rasputin - Hezbollah recruiting Shi'ite youth

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http://www.intelligence.org.il/eng/eng_n...

-- posted by rasputin

» Normxxx - Sept. 11 Attack Econ Drag

Sept. 11 Attacks Drag on the World Economy Today: Kevin Hassett

By Kevin Hassett | 14 September 2006

Sept. 11 (Bloomberg)— The painful human costs of the 9/11 attacks are on our minds today as we mark the fifth anniversary of that terrible day. There were economic costs as well. What would the world economy look like if Sept. 11 never happened?

The attacks changed it in two distinct ways.

First, there was significant and immediate damage back in 2001. The closing of America's borders, the halt of international travel, and the CNN-effect on consumer spending sent growth into a nosedive that September. That gloomy month contributed to one of the worst third quarters in years, with U.S. gross domestic product declining 1.4 percent.

In retrospect, it seems clear that the U.S. wouldn't have had an official recession that year since there might have only been one quarter of negative GDP growth in 2001, the first.

Following the chain of events forward, the Federal Reserve aggressively reduced interest rates to levels not seen since the 1950s and held them low for some time. As spending by businesses plummeted, housing demand was stimulated by the low interest rates, keeping the economy afloat.

Looking back, it seems likely that we might be talking less of a collapsing housing bubble today if 9/11 had never happened.

Just as significant has been the intangible damage to the economy. The attacks taught the world that the risk to all of us is much higher than we believed. That realization has made market participants a great deal more risk averse.

That increased risk aversion has driven up the prices of assets that are perceived to be safe and depressed those of assets that may be more exposed to a sharp decline if another terrorist attack occurs. In this way, the intangible damage leads to visible symptoms.

Asset Prices

This has helped boost the price of gold and other commodities, as well as of government bonds. The yield on the 10— year U.S. Treasury, which closed at 4.77 percent on Sept. 8, is about three-quarters of a percentage point lower than in June 2001.

Given that the economic-growth and inflation rates are both higher than they were back then, we might well expect interest rates today to be as much as a percentage point higher than they now are. Flight to safety because of fears of terrorism probably explains much of the difference.

The avoidance of volatility is also seen in stock valuations. The price-to-earnings ratio of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index spent the first two years of this millennium ranging from 23 to 40. Last week, that ratio was about 17.

Again, it is likely that a good bit of that change is attributable to risk aversion that was heightened by 9/11. The index would have to rise 37 percent to reach the lowest P/E level in the two years before the terrorist attacks.

[ Normxxx Here: But earnings are also at record highs. And as earnings rates rise to the top of the channel (and exceed it), P/E ratios go down. ]

Middle East

Equally significant may be the impact of the attacks on the events in and economies of the Middle East.

Many Middle East nations share a common trait in their relative political oppression. Indeed, they rank among the least politically free countries in the world, according to the annual World Freedom survey conducted by Freedom House, a nonprofit organization that tracks the spread of freedom throughout the world. The survey ranks countries by political and civil freedom on a scale of one to seven, with one being the most free and seven the least. For context, the average world rating for both measures of freedom is about three, or closer to free than not.

Saudi Arabia, home to most of the Sept. 11 hijackers, and Syria, a state sponsor of terrorism, received a rating of seven for both political and civil freedoms, a distinction they share with only six other countries, including North Korea and Sudan.

Freedom Rankings

According to the Index of Economic Freedom, published by the Heritage Foundation, these nations differ in economic freedom as well. Ranked on a scale from one to five, with a lower score representing greater freedom, half of the nations examined were freer than the world average, while half were less free. Iran, for example, received a score of 4.5, the second worst in the index, while Jordan received 2.8, a score reflecting a freer economy than the world average of 2.98.

By comparison, Hong Kong was ranked as the freest economy in the world with a score of 1.28, while the U.S. was tied for eighth at 1.84.

There is ample evidence that the lack of freedom undermines economic growth, and the miserable standard of living in most Muslim-dominated Middle Eastern countries can be attributed to their position in these rankings. Indeed, the International Monetary Fund recently released a careful analysis of the Arab growth deficit. Except for oil, things look very bad indeed.

Immune to Freedom

Compare that with the rest of the world. The past few decades have seen an enormous spread of freedom across the globe, from Asia to the former Soviet Union, and with that freedom has come striking improvement in economic wellbeing. The Middle East continues to be more or less immune to these forces.

The decline of totalitarian regimes elsewhere in the world suggests that their existence is perilous at best. The world's citizens prefer freedom. Osama bin Laden has doubtlessly had a negative effect on the spread of economic freedom. His radical agenda gave repressive regimes in the Middle East an excuse to tighten their grips on power, thwarting the spread of liberty that has brought prosperity to so many other regions of the world.

[ Normxxx Here: And not just fear of OBL; a move to loosen the screws (under Carter) helped mightily in giving us modern day Iran. Deposing SH has given us a tripartite civil war in Iraq (of which we were well warned in advance), and destabilized the whole ME— even Turkey is poised to move quickly to seize Iraqi Kurdistan, if Iraq falls completely apart (and Iran gets two-thirds of the rest). Hezbollah and Syria, and Hamas and the Palestinians, are arming to dispose of Israel 'once and for all,' when Israel attacks Iran's nuclear sites (fully backed by the Arab 'street' throughout the ME). Even the current Iraqi 'government' is on record as backing Iran's 'right' to nuclear sites. ]

That leads to the final point. Regardless of the damage Bin Laden inflicted on western economies with his heinous attacks, the harm he has done to the standard of living of the Muslims throughout the Middle East is far worse.

If 9/11 had never occurred, we would all be better off,

[ Normxxx Here: By something considerably north of $1 Trillion, worldwide. ]

but the biggest economic winners might have been the world's Muslims.

[ Normxxx Here: But, do they really care? ]

(Kevin Hassett is director of economic-policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute. He was chief economic adviser to Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona during the 2000 primaries. The opinions expressed are his own.)

-- posted by Normxxx

» bob90245 - Expert: No peace with Muslims, ever

Expert: No peace with Muslims, ever

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,...

Ynetnews.com ^ | Published: 09.14.06, 16:38 | Yaakov Lappin
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Professor Moshe Sharon tells counter-terrorism conference Iran's regime is seeking Armageddon, says no peace ever possible with Muslim world
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The Iranian government is seeking nuclear weapons in order to bring about an apocalypse, Professor Moshe Sharon, a professor of Islamic studies from the Hebrew University, told the annual conference at the Counter-Terrorism Institute in Herzliya Thursday.
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Iranian president says nuclear standoff with West can be resolved peacefully; adds: ‘there is no need for UN sanctions against his country; US should moderate its language’
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Sharon said there was "no possibility of peace between Israel and the Palestinians whatsoever, for ever," since the Arab and Islamic world viewed the establishment of Israel as a "reversal of history," and would never accept Israel .
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He described peace agreements with Arab Muslim states as "pieces of paper, parts of tactics, strategies," adding that they have "no meaning."
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"The root of the problem between us and the Arab world is Islam. Islam is not only a religion. It is a culture, politics… a state, Islam is everything. It has been like this, and it will be like this for the foreseeable future," Sharon said.
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"Islam is a messianic religion… from the very beginning, it talked about the end of the world," Sharon said. In Islam, "Allah is the king of the end of days," Sharon explained, before addressing the Shiite Islam guiding Iran .
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According to Sharon, the Iranian regime genuinely believes that the Shiite messiah, the twelfth Imam (also known as the Mahdi), "is here. And he will come. And first, he will establish the Shiite house of Ali. This is a time of messianic expectation."
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"What moves today the Iranian government, prime minister, is first and foremost the wish to bring about the twelfth Imam." The power of the ayatollahs in Iran came from the grassroots and popular belief that they can "contact the Mahdi. Everybody believes," Sharon said.
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'Nuclear weapons for apocalypse'
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"How will they bring him? By an apocalypse. He (the Mahdi) needs a war. He cannot come into this world without an Armageddon. He wants an Armageddon. The earlier we understand, the better. Ahmadinejad wants nuclear weapons for this," Sharon declared.
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Israel was a side issue for Iran, the professor said, adding that Iran was using Israel as a means "to enter the Islamic world" and dominate it. "But they cannot bluff the Saudis, the Wahabbis… the Shiite are hated by the Sunnis. The Saudis are far more apprehensive of nuclear weapons in the hands of Iran than Israel," he said.
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Speaking to Ynetnews about the possibility of a military conflict with Iran, Sharon said: "The only way to avoid military confrontation with Iran is to leave this military confrontation to powers bigger than Israel."
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"I'm not so sure that the business with Iran will be finished without confrontation, but it's not an Israeli business," he added.

-- posted by bob90245

» runner26 - Al-Qaida Against France

Al-Qaida Joins Algerians Against France
Sep 14, 5:07 PM (ET)

By JOHN LEICESTER and OMAR SINAN

(PARIS (AP) - Al-Qaida has for the first time announced a union with an Algerian insurgent group that has designated France as an enemy, saying they will act together against French and American interests.

Current and former French officials specializing in terrorism said Thursday that an al-Qaida alliance with the Salafist Group for Call and Combat, known by its French initials GSPC, was cause for concern.

"We take these threats very seriously," Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy said, adding in an interview on France-2 television that the threat to France was "high" and "permanent," and that "absolute vigilance" was required.

Al-Qaida's No. 2, Ayman al-Zawahri, announced the "blessed union" in a video posted this week on the Internet to mark the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States.

France's leader have repeatedly warned that the decision not to join the U.S.-led war in Iraq would not shield the country from Islamic terrorism. French participation in the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon could give extremists another reason to strike.

The national police had no immediate comment on the announced alliance, but officials have long regarded the GSPC as one of the main terror threats facing France.

French experts agreed, but also noted the group has been severely weakened by internal divisions, security crackdowns and defections in Algeria, a former French territory still working to put down an Islamic insurgency that reached its most murderous heights in the 1990s.

"The GSPC is losing speed and has suffered very significant losses in recent months," said Louis Caprioli, former assistant director of France's DST counterterrorism and counterintelligence agency.

Some GSPC fighters took advantage of a recent Algerian amnesty for Islamic insurgents and others have been killed, said Caprioli, who works for Geos, a risk management firm.

Of the 800 combatants that GSPC was estimated to have had last year, probably no more than 500 remain, and the group has had no operational cells in France since the late 1990s, he said.

But Caprioli and others also said an alliance of GSPC and al-Qaida could increase the terror risk for France - not least because al-Zawahri's designation of the country as a worthy target could inspire extremists to take action.

In his video, Al-Zawahri hailed "the joining up" of the GSPC with al-Qaida as "good news."

"All the praise is due to Allah for the blessed union which we ask Allah to be as a bone in the throats of the Americans and French Crusaders and their allies, and inspire distress, concern and dejection in the hearts of the traitorous, apostate sons of France," he said.

"We ask him (Allah) to guide our brothers in the Salafist Group for Call and Combat to crush the pillars of the Crusader alliance, especially their elderly immoral leader, America."

Although GSPC leaders had previously sworn allegiance to al-Qaida, al-Zawahri's video marked the first al-Qaida recognition of a union between the two, French terror experts said.

"From now on, the links are official, legitimate, and they are taking part in the same combat," said Anne Giudicelli, a former French diplomat specializing in the Middle East who runs the Paris-based consultancy Terrorisc.

Sarkozy said it was "not by chance" that al-Qaida used the emblematic Sept. 11 date to announce the insurgency movement's alliance with al-Qaida.

"But there is nothing new," he added, noting that the GSPC had done the same three years ago.

The GSPC, in its own statement on a Web site used by militants, confirmed the alliance and urged other militant groups to also join al-Qaida.

Giudicelli said the alliance could act as a green light for al-Qaida and GSPC militants to operate together and thus raises the risk for France.

"The Americans have become harder to target domestically, so they are trying to widen the field of action and strike their allies," she said.

---

Omar Sinan is based in Cairo, Egypt. Associated Press writer Verena von Derschau in Paris also contributed to this report.

-- posted by runner26

» bob90245 - POPE = HITLER? ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF MUSLIM OVERKILL.

POPE = HITLER? ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF MUSLIM OVERKILL.
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http://www.catholicleague.org/06press_re...
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Catholic League for Religious and .
Civil Rights ^ | September 15, 2006 | Dr. William Donohue
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Catholic League president Bill Donohue commented today on the latest Muslim reaction to Pope Benedict XVI’s address at Regensburg University on September 12:
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“It is a mark of a civilized people that they answer discourse they find disagreeable in a rational manner. Sadly, many Muslims are responding to the pope’s speech in an irrational way, making true dialogue next to impossible. To compare the pope to Hitler, as a high-ranking Turkish official did, is the mark of an uncivilized person. To burn the pope in effigy, as the thugs in Srinagar, India, have done, is also the mark of incivility. Both are classic examples of Muslim overkill.
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“Ironically, these pathetic examples underscore the central message of the pope’s address: he was beckoning the world to embrace both faith and reason. Reason unhinged from faith delivers a debased conception of mankind, the result of which has often been violence on a grand scale. But it is also true that faith unhinged from reason is capable of delivering the same outcome. Sadly, this part of the pope’s message has gone unheard in much of the Islamic world.
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“Pope Benedict XVI is a brilliant philosopher and theologian. He offers so much to so many, and that is why it is sad to see this kind of reaction. Fortunately, he is also a courageous man, and will not be intimidated from speaking the truth.”
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More here:
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http://michellemalkin.com/archives/00593...

-- posted by bob90245