Fundamental differences
From a different conversation; someone wrote: I think there's a distinction to be made between religion and fundamentalism. Fundies, of whatever persuasion, are certainly dangerous.I try to be careful...
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"But what about the abortion clinic bombers?"
In several conversations, I've seen a very common effect, almost an instinctive reaction: When you put forward the proposition that "Jihadism is a serious problem," the response will often:-- Quickly...
View ArticleJimmy Carter's Maps, Cash, Elections, and Misrepresentations
The more I learn about Jimmy Carter, the faster my respect for this ex-President dwindles. Carter's CashFirst of all, there is the Carter Center's odd situation -- funded in part by terrorist...
View ArticleThe Iran Hostage Crisis
Here's an interesting set of documents. It's a PDF file, containing classified notes from Carter's 1980 attempts to cut a deal with the Iranians to release the hostages.This link outlines many details...
View ArticleSeptember 11th, or February 26th? War, or Crime?
We tend to forget that the first successful attack on US soil by jihadists took place on February 26th, 1993, fourteen years ago this week. The fictionalized retelling in “The Path to 9/11” reminds us...
View ArticleOne viewpoint of the Iraq theater
I'm largely in agreement with this -- there are phrasings that I would change, but not the general substance.This is an analysis of the current conflict in Iraq, set against a larger one.:2. The...
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Individual worth versus "thar" societies
With a hat tip to the illustrious C_Eagle, this is a very interesting essay. It contrasts societies based upon guilt -- such as Northern Europe and the US and Japan, with thar-based societies such as...
View ArticleReligion as an Excuse to do Horrible Things
From a conversation in another forum about radical Islam: I responded to a writer who suggested thatWhile I think religion can be very good but many people try to twist it into an excuse to do horrible...
View ArticleMainstream vs. Jihadist
I have long spoken about the fact that jihadists are not mainstream Islam.What I'm unfortunately seeing is the line being continually blurred. I've envisioned a set of concentric rings with jihadists...
View ArticleUsama Bin Ladin's American Video
Here's the transcript of it, a PDF file.Usama bin Ladin's voice has been certified by the CIA as his. Oddly, they apparently did this, and had a transcript out, before the new video even appeared on As...
View ArticleLeague of Nations on Palestine, 1930
I just read a rather lengthy document dated late 1930 from the League of Nations (the failed predecessor to the United Nations).It discusses the massacre of Jews by Arabs, primarily from August 1929 to...
View ArticleSeptember 11 -- Renamed?
On another LJ, there is a complaint about this date being called "Patriot Day". The writer was concerned about, among other things, the "loss of liberty" that followed (I disagree here -- LH), and...
View ArticleIran and al Qaida -- The Proxy War
Thomas Joscelyn writes about the Middle East, in this case specifically Iran. He noted in the 9/11 Commission Report that they recommended a separate investigation into Iran's links with al Qaida --...
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Wafa Sultan on al-Jazeera
A hat tip to RoseOfAurora who sent me the first video link, which led me to the others. For most of these, non-Arabic speakers will probably turn the sound off after a while; they are subtitled.This is...
View ArticleThe movie Fitna
The movie Fitna -- add a dot com to that phrase and you can see it for yourself -- is a short film by a Dutch politician named Geert Wilders. The word means approximately "ordeal" or "persecution" in...
View ArticleThe Modern World and Shari'a Law
What happens when modern technology combines with the widespread practice in Islamic cultures of honor killings?The participants use their cell-phone cameras to catch close-ups of the girl's face as...
View ArticlePakistan Update: Hopeful
I was greatly concerned about Pakistan due to the potential for chaos right after the resignation of Pervez Musharraf.The political situation is still troubling, but I'm actually a bit more hopeful...
View ArticleA Look Back: 7 years and 15
To me, the Jihadist War started on February 26, 1993, with the bombing of the World Trade Center. More than a thousand were injured; six died.Our primary enemy is the group of jihadists loosely under...
View Article"Molotov Cocktail's the local drink..."
"... we mix 'em up right in the kitchen sink"So goes the song, talking about homemade explosives. In the news in the past few days, I've been hearing the rockets that Hamas has been firing into Israel...
View ArticleAl Qaeda in Somalia
This message from Al Qaeda a few weeks ago is focused on their activity in the pirate stronghold.http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/02/23/alqaeda.somalia/index.htmlWe were doing airstrikes on...
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