The Obama Administration’s Islamist Whitewashing Campaign

By Joseph Klein

The Obama administration continues to deny that we are at war with Islamist jihadists. Indeed, the word “jihad” itself is forbidden in Obama-land if used to describe the Islamist warriors. At its highest levels, the Obama administration insists on using bland euphemisms rather than accurate language describing the Islamist ideology we are fighting. As far as the Obama administration is concerned, the global war against Islamist killers is an “Overseas Contingency Operation.” The Fort Hood massacre, in which thirteen people were killed and dozens more wounded by an Islamist jihadist, is described  by Obama officials as “workplace violence.” [more...]

Voices of Palestine: Ahmad Bahr

By Joseph Klein

Ahmad Bahr is the deputy speaker of Hamas’s Palestinian Legislative Council. He has praised the signing of a reconciliation agreement between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party as a great triumph for the Palestinian cause against the “black agendas and malicious objectives” of Israel and the United States. It turns out that the Hamas deputy speaker has some "malicious objectives" of his own. [more...]

7-28-11 National Security Updates

By Ryan Mauro

Confronting Muslims of the Americas

On April 16, the United Muslim-Christian Forum (UMCF) held an interfaith event in Owego, New York, featuring Christian and Muslim speakers, including the mayor of the town. Its Web site proudly hosts a photo of Binghamton Mayor Matthew T. Ryan holding a UMCF sign. Far from the model of tolerance it casts itself as, the UMCF is a front for an anti-Semitic, Islamic extremist group named Muslims of the Americas (MOA), and the keynote speaker warned that Allah will destroy whoever supports Koran burnings, and possibly the entire country. [more...]

Motorcycle Assassins Strike Again?

Another Iranian nuclear scientist was assassinated on July 23, making him the fourth to be killed in the past two years. The regime denies that he was connected to the nuclear program, and is accusing Israel and the U.S. of carrying out an act of terrorism. If a foreign intelligence service is the culprit, then it is the latest shot fired in a wide-ranging covert campaign to delay the day when Iran finally gets a nuclear bomb. [more...]

Iran Bails Out Syria

The Iranian regime is running to the rescue of Syrian President Bashar Assad, who is struggling to contain a growing revolution against his rule. The protests continually reach new heights despite the killing of over 1,700 and imprisonment of 12,000. Now, Iran is offering Assad a massive $5.8 financial aid package in a desperate attempt to stabilize its ally. [more...]

7-22-11 National Security Updates

By Ryan Mauro

The Mumbai Bombings’ Message

The terrorists behind the three bombings in Mumbai on July 13 that killed at least 23 people obviously want to torpedo any dialogue between India and Pakistan, but the Pakistani government (or at least the ISI and other extremist factions) may want to send a message: You need us. [more...]

The Coming Islamist Takeover of Yemen

The Arab Spring is about to add another dictator to its tally: Yemeni President Saleh. He is still being treated in Saudi Arabia for wounds from a dramatic assassination attempt, and officials say it will be “months” before doctors release him. It is increasingly unlikely he’ll come back to his home country, and if he does, civil war may erupt. This regime change is hardly being talked about, but it is one that Islamists are eagerly awaiting. [more...]

Panetta Warns Iran

Fourteen American soldiers were killed in Iraq last month, the highest monthly total since 2008. The rise in attacks has caused Defense Secretary Panetta to bluntly warn Iran that the U.S. will do what is necessary to defend its soldiers. Iran is escalating its proxy wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a new wave of violence should be expected if Iraq announces U.S. soldiers will stay past this year. [more...]

Watch Ryan on Fox News Channel.

7-15-11 National Security Updates

By Ryan Mauro

U.S. Hints at Regime Change Following Attack on Syrian Embassy

The revolution in Syria is an opportunity to dramatically alter the balance of power in the Middle East in our favor.

Secretary of State Clinton is warning Syrian dictator Bashar Assad that he “is not indispensable and we have absolutely nothing invested in him remaining in power,” a marketed escalation in rhetoric following attacks on the U.S. and French embassies that were undoubtedly orchestrated by the Syrian regime. The statement is just short of a direct call for Assad’s resignation, though that is likely to come soon. [more...]

Hezbollah Sets Up Shop in Mexico

A Tucson Police Department memo from September 2010 has been leaked onto the Internet by hackers, and it warns that Hezbollah has set up shop in Mexico. The terrorist group has linked up with the Mexican drug lords, and is even said to have a large arms stockpile in the country. Terrorist groups are looking at the raging drug war in Mexico as an opportunity to further their deadly ambitions. [more...]

U.S. Hits Pakistan’s Wallet

The U.S.-Pakistani relationship is continuing its fast downward spiral. The Pakistani government has expelled over 100 American advisors and is demanding the closure of a base used for drone strikes. The U.S., fed up with Pakistani duplicity, is now withholding $800 million in military aid. The U.S. needs to prepare for the day when the Pakistanis fully cease their meager cooperation. [more...]

Yemen: The Next Pakistan

By Ryan Mauro

Al-Qaeda should be discouraged by the killing of Osama Bin Laden, the drone campaign in Pakistan and its retreat in Somalia, but things are looking up for the terrorist group in Yemen. The revolution against President Saleh’s regime has enabled Al-Qaeda to expand its base, as the U.S. rushes to build a base for drones that won’t be completed for another 8 months. [more...]

The Nuclear Axis of Evil Advances

By Ryan Mauro

The United Kingdom is accusing Iran of testing nuclear-capable ballistic missiles in violation of U.N. Resolution 1929. At the same time, North Korea is moving full speed ahead with its weapons programs. It is well known that the two collaborate on their WMD efforts, and it must be assumed that any progress will be shared. Recent advances by the two members of the Axis of Evil show that the West’s strategy against them is failing to stop their pursuit of the world’s deadliest weapons. [more...]

6-30-11 National Security Updates

By Ryan Mauro

The End of Chavez?

Hugo Chavez has not been seen in public since June 10, when he underwent surgery in Cuba. The Venezuelan government insists he was successfully treated for a pelvic abscess, but there are consistent rumors that the strongman has prostate cancer. The opposition is demanding answers, while the government says Chavez is ruling from Havana. [more...]

Turkey Turns on Assad

The Syrian government’s savagery has ruptured the friendship the Assad regime has enjoyed with Turkey since Prime Minister Erdogan came to power. There is now a refugee crisis on the border, and the Turkish military may be deployed to create a buffer zone to protect the Syrians that President Assad is trying to starve and abuse into submission. [more...]

Muslim Brotherhood Shadow Candidate Surges in Egypt

According to an unscientific online poll, a new Islamist candidate is gaining steam in Egypt’s presidential race named Mohammed Selim al-Awa. He presents himself as a democratic "reformist" with no political affiliation, but he has made several concerning statements and is suspected by some experts of being the favored candidate of the Muslim Brotherhood. [more...]

6-23-11 National Security Updates

By Ryan Mauro

The New Al-Qaeda Chief

Al-Qaeda has officially made its deputy-leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, its chief. Zawahiri is a divisive but deadly figure, commonly believed to be more important to Al-Qaeda operations than even Osama Bin Laden. This makes him America’s number one target, and it will be a struggle for him to manage the group’s vast networks while protecting his own life. [more...]

Turkey Turns on Assad

The Syrian government’s savagery has ruptured the friendship the Assad regime has enjoyed with Turkey since Prime Minister Erdogan came to power. There is now a refugee crisis on the border, and the Turkish military may be deployed to create a buffer zone to protect the Syrians that President Assad is trying to starve and abuse into submission. [more...]

Was Iran Behind 9/11?

A lawsuit has been filed accusing Iran and Hezbollah of “direct support for, and sponsorship of, the most deadly act of terrorism in American history.” Drawing on the knowledge of two Iranian intelligence defectors, three 9/11 Commission staffers and various experts, and eight law firms are placing blame for the September 11 attacks on the Iranian regime. If successful, the lawsuit will put to rest the notion that a nuclear Iran can be lived with. [more...]

War Powers Showdown

By Joseph Klein

Things are heating up over Libya and I do not mean just NATO’s sustained aerial bombing campaign. President Obama is facing a challenge in Congress and in court over his failure to seek congressional authorization for U.S. military involvement in the Libyan war in accordance with the United States Constitution and the War Powers Resolution. And while the Obama administration seems to think that all it needs to do is to act within the authority granted by the United Nations Security Council, tempers are beginning to fray at the Security Council, too, as the war drags on. [more...]

6-17-11 National Security Updates

By Ryan Mauro

'Kick in the Gut' for Al-Qaeda Killers

On June 3, Al-Qaeda may have suffered its biggest blow since the killing of Osama Bin Laden when a drone strike targeted Ilyas Kashmiri, an elite commando and possible replacement for the terror chief. Pakistani officials are certain of his demise but U.S. officials are skeptical. If Kashmiri was killed, then Al-Qaeda has lost one of its most prized operatives, and the West can celebrate the loss of a terrorist whose skill earned him the nickname "the commando commander." And on June 11, the head of Al-Qaeda’s operations in East Africa was killed in Somalia, making him possibly the third senior commander to be killed in six weeks. [more...]

Syrian Military Splitting

At least 5,000 Syrians have fled to Turkey as the Assad regime is crushing Jisr al-Shughour after soldiers and police officers refused to fire on civilians. More and more stories are coming out of soldiers defecting and security personnel being executed for disobeying orders. These fissures in the military bring the threat to the Assad regime to a new height. [more...]

Zawahiri’s New Videotape Shows Leadership Crisis in Al-Qaeda

For al-Qaeda's number two, it's a question of trying to keep the organization together in the aftermath of bin Laden's death.

The video of Ayman al-Zawahiri released on June 8 is most noteworthy for what he did not do. Despite being the official second-in-command of al-Qaeda, he did not declare, or even hint, that he is now the group’s official head. This indicates that Zawahiri is fearful of creating a fissure by asserting his authority, aware that the rank-and-file is not united behind him. It also means that the top leadership has been unable to communicate to decide on a successor, allowing contradictory reports that Zawahiri, Saif al-Adel, or Hamza bin Laden have taken the helm to spread confusion. [more...]

Zawahiri’s New Videotape Shows Leadership Crisis in Al-Qaeda

By Ryan Mauro

For al-Qaeda's number two, it's a question of trying to keep the organization together in the aftermath of bin Laden's death.

The video of Ayman al-Zawahiri released on June 8 is most noteworthy for what he did not do. Despite being the official second-in-command of al-Qaeda, he did not declare, or even hint, that he is now the group’s official head. This indicates that Zawahiri is fearful of creating a fissure by asserting his authority, aware that the rank-and-file is not united behind him. It also means that the top leadership has been unable to communicate to decide on a successor, allowing contradictory reports that Zawahiri, Saif al-Adel, or Hamza bin Laden have taken the helm to spread confusion. [more...]

U.N. Still Stupefied on Syria

By Joseph Klein

The United Nations Security Council continues to sink lower and lower in an effort to find language acceptable to all members condemning the Syrian government’s ruthless massacre of its unarmed citizens. Meanwhile, under the leadership of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whom Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has recently called a “reformer,” more than 1,000 civilians have been killed to date.

Rather than confront directly the evil of mass murder imposed by the Syrian regime, the latest draft resolution proposed by the United Kingdom “calls upon all sides to act with utmost restraint.” Moral equivalency between the acts of government forces and protesters was an attempt to win over Security Council members such as India who complained that there were “armed extremists among the protesters” and wanted the Council to condemn the demonstrators as well. [more...]

6-10-11 National Security Updates

By Ryan Mauro

 

Al-Qaeda Eyes Yemen

Crowds of protesters are celebrating in the streets of Sanaa following President Saleh’s departure to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment after three rockets struck his palace. Their cheers may be premature, as he has given no indication that he will give up his fight to stay in power. The momentum does seem to be on the side of the opposition, but serious concerns linger about what a post-Saleh Yemen will look like. [more...]

UN Nails Iran and Syria

The International Atomic Energy Agency is calling Iran and Syria out for their secret nuclear activities, specifically warning of Iranian work on nuclear warheads. The incriminating reports may pave the way for additional sanctions on the two rogue states that will, hopefully, delay Iran’s drive for a nuclear bomb. [more...]

Syria Descends

In Iran, Neda Soltan became the face of the Green Revolution after video of her bloody death hit the Internet. Now, in Syria, a 13-year old boy named Hamza al-Khateeb has become her equivalent after his tortured corpse was given to his family. The animal-like savagery of the Assad regime is making the Syrian people more determined to be victorious, even as Secretary Clinton complains of the international community’s dithering. [more...]

6-2-11 National Security Updates

By Ryan Mauro

Obama: Regime-Changing Neocon?

Like his predecessor, the president has embraced the concept of spreading democracy in the Middle East.

Everyone was so focused on the part of President Obama’s Middle East speech about a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders that his transformation into a democracy-spreading, regime-changing neocon was missed. He proclaimed the goal of American foreign policy in the Middle East is “to promote reform across the region, and to support transitions to democracy.” Those are more polite words for incremental regime changes of all the undemocratic governments. [more...]

The Second Egyptian Revolution?

Egypt’s top prosecutor has announced that former President Hosni Mubarak will be prosecuted, possibly in a military court, for ordering the killing of protesters and corruption. The ousted leader may face the death penalty. This will be a test of Egypt’s experiment with democracy, as there is a high potential for a show trial. The decision came as major protests are planned for Friday against the military leadership. They are being called the "Second Egyptian Revolution." [more...]

A Changing Al-Qaeda

It’s been almost a month since Osama Bin Laden was killed, and Al-Qaeda still has not officially named his successor. There are contradictory reports about whether his second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahiri or a top operational commander, Saif al-Adel, has taken the helm. Whatever the case may be, Saif al-Adel’s influence will increase and his ties to Iran and criticism of his colleagues could lead to significant changes in Al-Qaeda’s strategy. [more...]

"Tsunami of September"

The Israeli Defense Minister is warning of the "tsunami of September" when the U.N. will vote on recognizing an independent Palestine. Spain will recognize a Palestinian state even before then. International pressure against Israel is ratcheting up, and at the same time, Fatah has buried the hatchet with Hamas and seeks to do the same with Palestinian Islamic Jihad. [more...]

Afghan Death Toll Rises; Media Interest Declines

By Joseph Klein

The war in Afghanistan gets little attention by the mainstream media these days. But the loss of American lives continues to mount. Just last week, seven U.S. troops were killed by a powerful bomb, which had exploded in a field where they were patrolling on foot. At least twenty-eight Americans have been killed in May 2011 alone, according to the Associated Press. [more...]

5-26-11 National Security Updates

By Ryan Mauro

Power Struggle in Iran

The Iranian regime’s plans for regional domination have hit a bump: its own leaders’ thirst for power. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and President Ahmadinejad have had a falling out, and the number of parliamentarians seeking Ahmadinejad’s impeachment is quickly growing. [more...]

Assad’s Answer to Obama: Bloodshed

Last Thursday, President Obama told Syrian President Bashar Assad to “lead that [democratic] transition or get out of the way.” He has answered with continued bloodshed, including firing upon mourners at a funeral on Saturday. [more...]

Iran Blinks Over Bahrain

On Monday, May 16, Iran and the pro-American Arab states had a frightening stare-down as Iran sent a flotilla to Bahrain to support the Shiites protesting against the ruling Royal Family. The provocation came after months of heated rhetoric and threats. As the region stood on the verge of another major crisis and possibly war, Iran blinked. [more...]

5-17-11 National Security Updates

By Ryan Mauro

Report: Obama Moving Towards Regime Change in Syria

Yes, you read that title correctly. According to the Associated Press, the Obama administration is close to changing course on Syria and supporting the removal of Bashar Assad from power. The decision has not yet been made - and this is likely a calculated leak meant to deliver a last warning to Assad - but this is nonetheless a huge change in policy. An official has told the AP: "we are getting close" to demanding the Syrian dictator’s resignation. Apparently the language is already being crafted, with the report stating: "The first step would be to say for the first time that President Bashar Assad has forfeited his legitimacy to rule." This will be coupled with language supporting a transition towards democracy - a softer way of saying two words the Obama administration is so reluctant to utter: "regime change." [more...]

Backlash in Pakistan

The Bin Laden raid has caused a fierce backlash in Pakistan as the U.S. is accused of violating the country’s sovereignty. The Pakistani government now faces enormous pressure, at home and from the U.S., and has chosen to tote an anti-American line and deny any wrongdoing. This atmosphere is giving momentum to the government’s political opponents who are pushing it to become even more hostile to the U.S. [more...]

Al-Qaeda's Rising Leaders

Al-Qaeda has confirmed the death of Osama Bin Laden but has not yet officially named a successor, indicating that the senior leadership is having difficulty communicating and possibly a reluctance to embrace Ayman al-Zawahiri as their new chief. New figures will fill the leadership gap left by Bin Laden’s absence and the inevitable arrests and deaths that will follow, but it is unclear if they can unite behind a common figurehead and strategy. [more...]

The Palestinians Manufacture Their Own “Catastrophe”

By Joseph Klein

Ismail Haniyeh, the Prime Minister of Hamas in Gaza, told thousands of worshippers on Sunday May 15th to pray for the end of Israel, adding: “Palestinians mark the Naqba with great hope of bringing to an end the Zionist project in Palestine.” In a coordinated multi-front assault from Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, and Lebanon, tens of thousands of Arab protesters heeded the Hamas terrorist’s call. Marking Palestinian Nakba Day (the day of the “catastrophe,” as they like to refer to the day of Israel’s creation), they streamed en masse to Israel’s various borders, intending to infiltrate the Jewish State and wreak havoc. [more...]

5-6-11 National Security Updates

By Ryan Mauro

Show the bin Laden Corpse Photos

The country is still in a state of euphoric celebration from the May 1 assassination of Osama bin Laden, and America wants to see the photos of his corpse. Proof is required to put a dent in the still-popular 9/11 conspiracy theories and to maximize the demoralization of al-Qaeda and bin Laden’s sympathizers. The White House should not be deterred about concerns over Muslim "sensitivities" and should immediately release the photos that the world needs to see. [more...]

The Mystery of Bin Laden's Compound

Many political observers are pointing out that Bin Laden’s hideout was so obvious that the Pakistanis had to have known that the chief of al-Qaeda was living there. Did the Pakistanis know? The answer appears to be obvious. But new information from documents released by Wikileaks raises another serious question: Shouldn’t we have known? [more...]

Is bin Laden the End of Terrorism? - The Dilemma of Islamic Jihad

By Al Fadi

Osama bin Laden is no more. The official announcement came on May 1st, 2011 when President Obama revealed to the world that the U.S. has captured and killed the leader of Al Qaeda via a covert operation conducted by the NAVY Seal and the CIA. However, as a former Muslim myself, who was born and raised in Saudi Arabia in the same town where bin Laden lived, who was an acquaintance and a close friend with some of bin Laden’s family and cousins, who once was radical and at some point, almost joined in with bin Laden’s effort to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan, I asked myself this very important question: DID WE WIN THE WAR ON TERROR? [more...]

The Death of bin Laden

By Brigitte Gabriel

This is a significant moment for America in our War on Terror. It shows that America has penetrated Al-Qaida on the highest level. Osama's death was not accomplished by a distance drone long shot hoping to kill him. This was accomplished by deep infiltration of the Al-Qaida organization on a human level by the U.S.

This means that Osama was betrayed by his inner circle, which will cause great damage to Al-Qaida and to the global Jihad movement by showing them that we can infiltrate and get anybody we want sooner or later.

This is great PR for America and a significant defeat for Al-Qaida. It doesn't mean that the War on Terror is over; it means that the hero of the jihadi movement worldwide is gone. No one can replace Osama bin Laden in stature and charisma. Neither Al-Zawahiri nor Al-Awlaki have the star power nor the experience in jihadi strategic planning or operations like bin Laden.

4-28-11 National Security Updates

Palestinian "Reconciliation" Won't Last Long

On Wednesday, Hamas and Fatah reached a reconciliation agreement that includes the formation of a unity government that will last until general elections are held within one year. The groups claimed that all areas of disagreement had been settled, including with security arrangements. It is being hailed as an achievement, but it ends the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and is bound to ultimately fail. [more...]

Exposing Iran’s End Times Vision

Reza Kahlili, a former member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps who spied for the CIA, obtained and released a secret documentary produced by the Iranian regime last month that claimed that President Ahmadinejad, Supreme Leader Khamenei and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah are the incarnations of prophesied figures. Their religious command is to lead a final war that destroys Israel to trigger the arrival of the Hidden Imam. The publication of this video has thrown a wrench into the regime’s plans by embroiling it in a political crisis. [more...]

4-21-11 National Security Updates

By Ryan Mauro

Is Proxy War About to Erupt in Bahrain?

Anyone who has seen the Iranian regime’s film "The Coming is Near" knows the Middle East is on the verge of exploding. The question is what spark will light it. The region seems to shift daily, but right now, it looks like Iran has chosen Bahrain as the place to pounce. [more...]

Obama Justice Department Saves Brotherhood Fronts

Investigative journalist Patrick Poole has broken a blockbuster story about how the Obama Administration’s Justice Department blocked plans to prosecute a co-founder of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and others labeled “unindicted co-conspirators” in the Holy Land Foundation trial. Rep. Peter King, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, has written a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder and is requesting answers by April 25. [more...]

NOTE: Ryan is available for updates on the uprisings throughout the Middle East, which he's following very closely. Watch Ryan on Fox & Friends.

4-14-11 National Security Updates

By Ryan Mauro

The Mullahs Rescue Assad

The regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad is in big trouble. It has killed over 200 civilians since the anti-government uprising began, but the unrest is spreading across the country. Assad has been forced to turn to Iran for help, and now, the Reform Party of Syria has just revealed that the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps is overseeing the effort to save the regime. [more...]

Qaddafi’s Muslim-American Friends

Muammar Qaddafi’s willingness to slaughter his own people has long been known and is undeniable. It is hard to imagine that any human being would be willing to embrace him but the Nation of Islam and the Council on American-Islamic Relations did just that. Louis Farrakhan continues to even uphold him today, denying that he is guilty of any wrongdoing. [more...]

4-7-11 - National Security Updates

By Ryan Mauro

Libyan Rebels Sinking

The seesaw battle in Libya rages on, with the rebels asking for a truce and in a full-scale retreat from cities they recently re-captured. The weaknesses of the rebel forces mean that they will need significant, long-term outside assistance to survive unless the coalition decides to remove Qaddafi from power. The West now faces a catch-22: It can provide the rebels with what they need, knowing there are Islamist elements among them or the rebels will go to those willing to help them, which could include Al-Qaeda, Hezbollah and other Islamists. [more...]

Al-Qaeda Seizes Town in Teetering Yemen

According to Yemeni officials and the state-controlled press, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has seized the city of Jaar and declared an "Islamic Emirate" in Abyan Province. This is certainly a frightening development that raises concerns about the future of the Yemeni uprising, but there is more to the story than meets the eye. There are strong indications that President Saleh is using - and has used - the terrorist group to bolster his tenuous grip on power, claiming that the country faces peril without him. [more...]

Iran and the Final Grand Jihad

The documentary produced by Ahmadinejad’s office makes it clear that the Iranian regime sees itself as religiously commanded to lead a united Arab coalition to destroy Israel in the near future. Interestingly, it said that the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood, though it is Sunni, is “in accordance with the Hadith.” The uprisings in the region are being seen as a green light for a new offensive to begin in the Middle East and Islamist forces are moving quickly to maximize their gains. [more...]

NOTE: Ryan is available for updates on the uprisings throughout the Middle East, which he's following very closely. Watch Ryan on Fox & Friends.

The Dilemma of Qur'an Burning & Violence: Hyper Radical Reaction or Mere Hypocrisy?

By Al Fadi

For the past few days we have been hearing news from Afghanistan regarding riots to protest the burning of a Qur'an in Florida. The results of these riots were the killing and injuring of tens of people, all for the sake of one book. Although no one should condone acts of burning the Qur'an or any other books for that matter, the puzzling question remains, why is it such a big deal when it comes to the Qur'an? In order to answer this question, one must understand the Islamic view concerning the Qur'an.

Perhaps the most sacrosanct belief of the Islamic faith is that the Qur’an is a miraculous book. It is believed to be the ultimate miracle of Islam: not only a book sent down from heaven, but a perfect book in language and structure that could never be replicated by mankind. As such, the Qur’an is not to be challenged. When questions arise, most Islamic scholars deal with them only from the perspective that the Qur’an is a miraculous message from Allah. If, in fact, this assumption could be proven to be in error, Muslims would be empowered to subject the Qur’an to true critical analysis, in the same fashion that all other religious texts in history have been analyzed. [more...]

The Obama Administration Finally Reverses a Dangerously Dumb Decision: No Circus Trial in New York For KSM

By Joseph Klein

It took two years, but the Obama administration finally announced that self-professed 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his four alleged co-conspirators will face prosecution by a military tribunal in Guantanamo. Attorney General Eric Holder, appearing as if he had been waterboarded into reversing his prior decision to try them in a federal court in New York, made the announcement yesterday. The reversal spared the nation from a made-for-TV Al Qaeda propaganda circus and allowed New Yorkers to breathe a sigh of relief that they won’t have to host these monsters in their backyard. Nevertheless, Holder just couldn’t miss an opportunity to take a swipe at Congress for what he called its “unwise and unwarranted” restrictions on where alien enemy combatants could be tried. This left him no choice but to abandon his original boneheaded decision to call for a civil trial in New York. [more...]

White House Meets Reality

By Brigitte Gabriel

The Obama Administration’s belated decision to reverse course and proceed with military commission trials for 9/11 Mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his four associates shows the Administration’s disregard for reality has now come full circle.  We can thank the newly elected members of Congress for this turnaround, as they sought to represent the will and wishes of most Americans who did not want to grant terrorists trying to destroy our way of life the same Constitutional rights granted to U.S. citizens. This is also a victory for the family members of the 9/11 victims and for all Americans fed up with political correctness and waiting for justice to be served on those who committed the unconscionable mass murder of 3,000 innocent Americans on 9/11 nearly a decade ago.

Attorney General Holder’s announcement that “Congress made me do it” came less than 24 hours before many family members of the 9/11 victims were planning to descend on Capitol Hill and testify before a key Senate Committee as to the Obama Administration’s failure to act in seeking justice for the 9/11 actions.  Perhaps, the White House, watching its approval numbers plummet, changed course after realizing that on this very sensitive issue, almost 70% of Americans, regardless of their political affiliation, do not want terrorists, and in particular Khalid Sheik Mohammed and his associates, tried in American civilian courts.

As they await their trial, Khalid and associates can continue living in what these Gitmo prisoners term in Arabic, “Al muntazah al-dini lilmujaheden al Muslimin," “The Religious Resort for Islamic holy warriors.”  They can continue enjoying their three halal meals a day in accordance with their religious dictates. They have radio, television, soccer games, air-conditioning, clean clothes, and servants - meaning American GIs, who wait on them hand and foot. They have Islamic chaplains and are handed Korans by people so concerned as not to offend, that they wear latex gloves and carry the book with two hands. Oh, and by the way, Khalid Sheik Mohammad has exercise equipment in his prison cell.

As the trial now goes to the military commission for adjudication, let’s quickly recount 5 reasons why Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his associates should not have been tried in the civilian court system:

1. To try him in civilian court would have given him the world stage he desired for declaring Jihad against the United States. He would have used his time in the limelight to share his fundamentalist 7th Century interpretation of the Koran that teaches that the violent later passages supersede and replace the earlier peaceful verses - a doctrine known as "Abrogation."  This doctrine leads followers like KSM, Major Nidal Hasan and others to claim Koranic sanctioning of their violent actions. Why would we give him such a platform? 

2. The case against him would have been in jeopardy, as much of the information would have been declared inadmissible due to national security concerns. Even though Attorney General Holder all but guaranteed conviction of KSM and his cronies (a guarantee that undermined the very rationale the Administration offered for holding the trial in civilian court system) the hard reality of the matter is that KSM and his associates acted as enemy combatants / terrorists. To allow their defense attorneys in the discovery stages of the trial to have access to sensitive national security information that led to their apprehension would have been unacceptable to reveal and therefore inadmissible in court. 

3. The civilian jury members would have had a target put on their heads, for the rest of their lives. Could you imagine if you were called for jury duty and had to vote to convict an individual with documented ties to an international network of terrorists that included Osama Bin Laden?  Think that person might feel they have a target on their head?

4. The unbelievable cost to taxpayers to host and protect such a trial would have been staggering. NYC would have paid in the neighborhood of $1 Billion dollars just to provide security for the court cases themselves.

5. It would have incentivized more jihad attacks against civilian targets.  Why attack military targets where you will get less attention? If civilian targets warrant civilian trials with the corresponding publicity that comes with it, then expect more civilian targets from the jihadists.

Common sense and the will of the people won over political correctness. Whatever the reasons for the Obama Administration’s reversal, we at ACT! for America welcome the decision.

Brigitte Gabriel is an international terrorism analyst and a two times New York Times best-selling author of Because They Hate and They Must Be Stopped.  She is the President of ACT for America, the largest national security grassroots movement in the United States. She can be reached via www.actforamerica.org