For Immediate Release Lebanon

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
November 5/07

Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 19,1-10. He came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house." And he came down quickly and received him with joy. When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner." But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost."

Releases. Reports & Opinions
Understanding the Wahhabist Infiltration of America. By Frank Salvato. Canada Free Press. November 4/07

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for November 4/07
Sfeir Hammers Majority and Opposition on Presidential Election.Naharnet
Lebanon on the World Map, Syria Under Watch-Naharnet
Bush to Discuss Lebanon, Iran, Syria with Sarkozy, Merkel-Naharnet
France Warns Syria Over Lebanon-Naharnet
Arab, Western Powers Reject Intimidation in Lebanese Election-Naharnet
Mideast peace framework proving elusive. AP
Syria, US Spar Over Lebanon.The Associated Press
Lebanese MP. Hajjar Accuses Hizbullah of Preparing for Civil Unrest.Naharnet
Israel: Hezbollah has triple number of land-to-sea missiles.Ha'aretz
Report: Syria vetoes summit against peace conference.Ynetnews
Syria, France discuss stability.New Europe
New Satellite Surveillance System Was Key Israeli Tool In Syria Raid.Independent Media Review Analysis (IMRA)
Arab, Western Powers Reject Intimidation in Lebanese Election-Naharnet
France Warns Syria Over Lebanon. Naharnet
Moussa: No Hint of Imminent Lebanon Settlement. Naharnet
Iraq Conference Promises Baghdad Support to End 'Terrorism.Naharnet
Lebanese army on high alert.Earthtimes
Rice against 'compromises' with Lebanon's pro-Syrian opposition.AFP
Shadow of the gun looms over Lebanon crisis.Reuters
Hezbollah Says It Has Grown Stronger.The Associated Press
Rice meets Syrian foreign minister on Lebanon.Washington Post
Syria slams US 'interference' in Lebanese politics.International Herald Tribune, France
Nahr al-Bared Camp (Lebanon): 2 Short Films.Bay Area Indymedia
Nasrallah: Hezbollah backs Hariri-Aoun talks.Tehran Times, Iran
Musharraf declares state of emergency in Pakistan. AP
Iraq vows to arrest Kurdish rebel leaders.Reuters
Zawahiri Calls for Holy War against Western targets in Maghreb. Naharnet

Sfeir Hammers Majority and Opposition on Presidential Election
Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir on Sunday stressed that the election of a president is a collective mission that should neither be boycotted nor unilaterally carried out.
Sfeir made the remark in his Sunday sermon, hitting at both the March 14 majority that threatens to elect a president by simple majority and the Hizbullah-led opposition that pledges to boycott the election session, stripping it of the needed quorum to convene. "The society's good requires a commitment to the constitutional logic, especially as related to the election of a president. It is a mission that should not be dealt with unilaterally or boycotted," Sfeir said. "Unilateral practice of this duty, like boycott, bear grave repercussions on the nation as a whole," he added. Beirut, 04 Nov 07, 14:38

Hajjar Accuses Hizbullah of Preparing for Civil Unrest
MP Mohammed Hajjar, a member of the Democratic Gathering Bloc headed by Druze chief Walid Jumblat, on Saturday accused Hizbullah of preparing for civil unrest across Lebanon. He said former cabinet minister Wiam Wahhab was to carry out the plan in the mountains, former MP Abdul Rahim Mrad in the Bekaa, Gen. Michel Aoun in Jbeil (Byblos) and Kesrouan, Muslim scholar Fathi Yakan in the north, and former cabinet minister Suleiman Franjieh in Zgorta – al Zawiya region.
Hajjar, in an interview with Kuwait's daily Assiyassa, indicated that the unrest could be sparked once the March 14 ruling majority elect a president by a half-plus-one vote of MPs. "This is what Gen. Aoun pointed to when he talked about an expected coup, and which Hizbullah leaders daily threaten with," Hajjar added.
He urged the Lebanese army and security forces to launch raids in search of weapons to be during the turmoil "upon clear orders from the Syrian regime."
Beirut, 04 Nov 07, 00:38

Lebanon on the World Map, Syria Under Watch
The United States, France and major Arab powers have served a warning to Syria stressing that Lebanese Presidential elections should be held without foreign intervention … or else. Meanwhile, the European troika comprising France, Italy and Spain, also is to "sound the alarm" that Lebanese presidential elections should be held in line with the nation's constitution, within constitutional scheduled and without foreign intervention. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem refused to attend a meeting in Istanbul grouping foreign ministers of the United States, France, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates in addition to Arab League Secretary general Amre Mussa to officially receive a joint statement notifying Damascus of the western-Arab support for electing a new Lebanese head of state to succeed Syrian-backed President Emile Lahoud whose extended term in office expires on Nov. 24.

The pan-Arab daily newspaper al-Hayat reported that
Muallem responded to the invitation by saying: "I am not the person to be invited to a meeting in the last minute." Commenting on the topic of discussion, which is Lebanon, Muallem reportedly said: This is a Lebanese issue that should be decided on by the Lebanese. This is the true respect for Lebanon's sovereignty and independence." Rice and her French counterpart Bernard Kouchner had separately met Muallem on the sidelines of the conference on Iraq held in Istanbul and relayed strongly-worded messages to Syria to refrain from interfering in the Lebanese presidential election.
"We have made it very clear to Syria ... that a political vacuum in Lebanon could destabilize the entire region and would not be in Syria's interest," Kouchner said on Friday following talks with Muallem. "Regular elections need to be held at the set dates in line with the constitution," he said, adding: "We are counting on Syria being capable of acting responsibly. "I clearly told Mr. Muallem: if the process takes place in the way it is meant to constitutionally, then Lebanon wins, Syria wins and we all win. If not, the international community cannot remain indifferent," Kouchner added.
The newspaper an-Nahar quoted an unidentified western diplomat as saying Kouchner's talks with Muallem "do not mean an end to Syria's isolation. The meeting was a step in the right direction to inform them (Syrians) that ending the isolation is conditional to staying away from interfering in Lebanon."
Rice met Muallem Saturday and her advisor on Iraq David Satterfield, who took part in the talks, told al-Hayat the secretary of state stressed that "there is a chance for all the parties, Syria included, to take the appropriate decisions" on Lebanon. "All the states, including the United States, are watching what is happening on the ground," Rice told Muallam, according to Satterfield. Satterfield said Rice stressed to Muallem that the forthcoming Lebanese president should be "the result of free Lebanese choice without any foreign intervention. He should be committed to Lebanon's sovereignty and the implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolutions 1550 and 1701 as well as the international tribunal" that would try suspects in the 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri and related crimes. After the talks with Muallem, Rice and Kouchner met Mussa and the four Arab foreign ministers and issued a statement rejecting any interference or intimidation in Lebanon's presidential election process. After Muallem refused to attend the meeting, stating that he was on his way to the airport to leave Turkey, the statement was referred to the Syrian ambassador in Turkey, the newspaper an-Nahar reported.
It quoted Rice as saying "The joint statement was to be presented to the Syrians (Muallem) on behalf of all of us … we were hoping to deliver it to them in person."
An-Nahar quoted the Central News Agency, which is a privately-owned newsletter, as reporting that the foreign ministers of France, Italy and Spain would issue a joint statement on Lebanon "warning against … vacuum in the presidential office if a new head of state was not elected within the constitutional schedule."
The statement, which would rather be an appeal to the Lebanese factions, would urge the Lebanese to "pacify their country regarding regional disputes," CNA reported. Beirut, 04 Nov 07, 11:19

Bush to Discuss Lebanon, Iran, Syria with Sarkozy, Merkel
U.S. President George W. Bush rolls out the red carpet next week for French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, eager for their views on Iran's nuclear program, Lebanon's presidential elections, Syria and Iraq. The high-stakes week of diplomacy, which will also see Bush host Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, comes as Washington seeks more sanctions against Tehran and worries about democratic reforms in Russia.
Bush will host his French counterpart at the White House on Tuesday for an official dinner, then squire him on Wednesday to the Mount Vernon estate of the first U.S. president, George Washington. The two leaders were expected to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of the Marquis de Lafayette, the French soldier and diplomat who played a key role in the American Revolution.
Merkel was to get an even juicier diplomatic plum, arriving Friday for a weekend stay at Bush's beloved "Prairie Chapel" ranch in Texas, a prize reserved for especially close allies. Bush and his guests will have a full diplomatic plate: "Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Middle East peace process, Kosovo, Burma, Afghanistan and Darfur, Trade, NATO, transatlantic relations, climate and energy security" are also on the menu, according to White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe.
But the issues of Iran -- which denies U.S. charges that it seeks nuclear weapons and has bucked international pressure to freeze uranium enrichment -- and Russia -- including Moscow's relations with Tehran and its cloudy political future -- will dominate.
U.S. officials worry that term-limited Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has suggested he may become prime minister after stepping down next year, is backing away from democratic reforms. Bush, who spoke to Putin by telephone two weeks ago, "wants to hear from both Sarkozy and Merkel about their recent meetings with Putin, and how they think things are developing with our Russian friends," said Johndroe.
The U.S. president, who recently imposed new U.S. sanctions on Iran, wants the UN Security Council to approve a third round of its own punitive measures and needs France -- a permanent council member -- and Germany to be on board.
U.S. officials say Bush hopes that Russia, angry at Washington over plans to deploy a missile defense system in its eastern European backyard, will not oppose such a move. The head of the U.N. atomic watchdog agency, Mohamed El-Baradei, and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana are due to report back on Iran's nuclear program in November, said Johndroe. "If their reports are not positive, then we are headed to a third sanctions regime," he said, adding that "any discussion of issues before the U.N. Security Council is going to lead to 'where does Russia stand?'."
Johndroe warned against characterizing this week's two meetings as summits on Iran, but said the issue of the Islamic Republic's suspect atomic drive "will get its fair share of attention." The meetings also highlight the evolving relationship between the Bush administration and France and Germany, which fiercely opposed the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, but have since changed leaders.
Bush and Merkel "have a very good rapport. They get along quite well. They speak to each other very honestly and openly, and that enables them to solve problems," said Johndroe. Bush and Sarkozy have also "been getting along quite well. They see eye to eye on the need for France and the United States to be have good relations. Friends can, of course, disagree," he said. As for critics who say Sarkozy is overly pro-American, "It's very fashionable to be anti-American, so it's not surprising that some would say that. But at the end of the day, there is a strong desire (in France) to have solid relations," said Johndroe.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 04 Nov 07, 13:04

France Warns Syria Over Lebanon
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner warned Syria that the international community could not "remain indifferent" to the current political vacuum in Lebanon.
"We have made it very clear to Syria ... that a political vacuum in Lebanon could destabilize the entire region and would not be in Syria's interest," Kouchner said on Friday following talks in Istanbul with his Syrian counterpart Walid Muallem. "Regular elections need to be held at the set dates in line with the constitution," he said, adding: "We are counting on Syria being capable of acting responsibly. "I clearly told Mr Muallem: if the process takes place in the way it is meant to institutionally, then Lebanon wins, Syria wins and we all win. If not, the international community cannot remain indifferent," Kouchner said.
Their meeting on the sidelines of a conference on Iraqi security marked the first high-level contact between the two countries since the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005. Former French President Jacques Chirac suspended high-level talks with Syria after his friend Hariri was killed in Beirut in February 2005. An initial U.N. inquiry implicated Damascus, although it has denied any involvement. Friday's talks came after Kouchner cancelled a September meeting in New York in response to the assassination of a Lebanese anti-Syrian MP. Lebanon's ruling coalition has accused Damascus of being behind the killing of Lebanese MP Antoine Ghanem in a car bomb in a Beirut suburb in September, a charge rejected by the Syrians. The Lebanese government has been paralyzed since November last year when opposition forces, which include Iran- and Syria-backed factions, withdrew their six ministers from the cabinet. There is currently a deadlock on electing a new president -- a parliamentary session to vote on a successor to pro-Syrian incumbent Emile Lahoud has twice been postponed and is now scheduled for November 12. Fears are running high in Beirut that the standoff between the pro- and anti-Syrian camps could lead to two rival governments, a grim reminder of the end of Lebanon's civil war when two administrations battled it out.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 02 Nov 07, 20:35

Arab, Western Powers Reject Intimidation in Lebanese Election
The United States, the Arab League, Egypt, France, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on Saturday rejected any interference or intimidation in Lebanon's presidential election process. After a meeting organized by the United States, foreign ministers from the six countries together with the general secretary of the Arab League insisted in a statement that Lebanon's presidential election had to be free and fair. The text had been drawn up by the United States before being approved by all parties. It was issued on the sidelines of the conference in Istanbul on Iraqi security attended by the foreign ministers and senior officials from Iraq, its neighbours, the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and the Group of 8 countries. Earlier Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had a bilateral meeting here with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, said U.S. Ambassador to Baghdad Ryan Crocker. Presidential elections in Lebanon have been twice deferred due to a lack of consensus over who should replace the pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud, whose term runs out on November 24. Fears are running high in Beirut that the standoff between the pro- and anti-Syrian camps could lead to two rival governments, a grim reminder of the end of Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war when two administrations battled it out.(AFP) Beirut, 03 Nov 07, 21:05

usharraf declares emergency in Pakistan
By MATTHEW PENNINGTON,
Associated Press Writer
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Gen. Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency in Pakistan on Saturday, suspending the constitution, replacing the chief justice before a crucial Supreme Court ruling on his future as president, and cutting communications in the capital.
His leadership threatened by an increasingly defiant court and an Islamic movement that has spread to Islamabad, Musharraf's emergency order accused some judges of "working at cross purposes with the executive" and "weakening the government's resolve" to fight terrorism.
Seven of the 17 Supreme Court judges immediately rejected the emergency, which suspended the current constitution. Police blocked entry to the Supreme Court building and later took the deposed chief justice and other judges away in a convoy, witnesses said.
In an address to the nation late Saturday on state-run television, Musharraf said Pakistan was at a "dangerous" juncture, its government threatened by Islamic extremists. He said he hoped democracy would be restored following parliamentary elections.
"But, in my eyes, I say with sorrow that some elements are creating hurdles in the way of democracy," said Musharraf, who was wearing civilian clothes and spoke firmly and calmly. "I think this chaos is being created for personal interests and to harm Pakistan."
He claimed that 61 terrorists have been freed on order from the court — an apparent reference a case that has been led by the now-deposed chief justice to press authorities over suspects held by intelligence agencies without charge.
"Extremists are openly roaming," he said "And no one knows whether any of the these freed men were behind recent bomb attacks."
Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, a longtime rival of Musharraf who recently returned from eight years of exile, flew back to Pakistan from Dubai where she was visiting family. She left the airport under police escort; her house was surrounded by paramilitary troops.
After her arrival at Karachi's Airport, Bhutto said she did not believe there would be fair elections as long as emergency rule remained in place.
"Unless Gen. Musharraf reverses the course it will be very difficult to have fair elections," she told Sky News television by telephone. "I agree with him that we are facing a political crisis, but I believe the problem is dictatorship, I don't believe the solution is dictatorship.
"The extremists need a dictatorship, and dictatorship needs extremists."
The government halted all television transmissions in major cities other than state-controlled Pakistan TV. Telephone service in the capital, Islamabad, was cut.
Musharraf said some independent TV channels had contributed to the atmosphere of uncertainty in the country.
The order drew swift complaints from the United States and Britain — Musharraf's main Western allies. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged restraint on all sides and a swift return to democracy in Pakistan.
The United States "does not support extraconstitutional measures," Rice said from Turkey, where she was participating in a conference with Iraq's neighbors.
But, in justification, the emergency order obtained by The Associated Press said "the constitution provides no solution for this situation, there is no way out except through emergent and extraordinary measures," it said.
Musharraf, who seized power in a 1999 coup and has been a close ally of the United States since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, has struggled to contain spreading Islamic militancy that has centered along the Afghan border and spread to the capital and beyond. Hundreds have died in recent weeks.
Pakistanis have increasingly turned against the government of Musharraf, who failed earlier this year to oust Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry — the chief justice replaced Saturday.
Rice said that to her knowledge, U.S. officials had yet to hear directly from Musharraf after his declaration.
"Whatever happens we will be urging a quick return to civilian rule" Rice told reporters traveling with her in Turkey, and a "return to constitutional order and the commitment to free and fair elections."
Crucial parliamentary elections meant to restore civilian rule are due by January. Musharraf himself was overwhelmingly re-elected last month by the current parliament, dominated by his ruling party, but the vote was challenged. The Supreme Court has emerged this year as the main check on Musharraf's dominance and is due to issue a verdict before his current term expires Nov. 15.
Most analysts thought Musharraf was on shaky legal ground in his re-election by lawmakers last month — a vote that was boycotted by most of the opposition — but they still expected the court to rule in his favor to prevent further destabilizing Pakistan.
However in recent days some judges had made comments that they would not be swayed by threats from senior officials that an emergency might be declared if the court ruled against the general.
The seven Supreme Court judges rejected the declaration of emergency and ordered top officials, including the prime minister, and military officers not to comply with it. The two-page ruling said there were no grounds for an emergency "particularly for the reasons being published in the newspapers that a high profile case is pending and is not likely to be decided in favor of the government."
At least seven trucks brought armed police and paramilitary ranger troops to Constitution Avenue that passes in front of the court, Parliament and the official residences of the president and prime minister.
Paramilitary troops behind rolled barbed wire blocked access to an official compound housing lawmakers — barring even wives, children and even a ruling party senator from entering.
Bhutto, seen by many supporters as key to a possible return to democracy, went to Dubai after being targeted by assassins in Pakistan last month. Suicide bombers attacked her homecoming parade after eight years in exile, killing more than 140 people.
Musharraf's order allows courts to function but suspends some fundamental rights guaranteed by the constitution, including freedom of speech. It also allows authorities to detain people without informing them of the charges.
In Karachi, about 100 police and paramilitary troops surrounded Bhutto's house and a bomb disposal squad searched the building, witnesses said.
There were reports of gunfire in several districts of the city, but it appeared to be aerial firing, police said.
The emergency was expected to be followed by arrests of lawyers and other perceived opponents of the government, including civil society activists and possibly even members of the judiciary itself, a ruling party lawmaker said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
Private Geo TV reported the arrest of the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Aitzaz Ahsan — a lawyer for Chaudhry in the case that led to his reinstatement in July. With telephone lines cut, it was not possible to contact government spokesmen for confirmation.
Nawaz Sharif, a former prime minister who was deported in September as he tried to return from exile, condemned the emergency and said Musharraf should resign. He also urged the people of Pakistan to rise against Musharraf.
"If you don't do it today, it will too late then," he told Geo TV from Saudi Arabia.
**Associated Press writers Zarar Khan, Sadaqat Jan and Munir Ahmad in Islamabad and Ashraf Khan in Karachi contributed to this report.

Understanding the Wahhabist Infiltration of America
Religion Frank Salvato, Managing Editor
November 2, 2007
Part of the reason many Americans don’t appreciate the significance of Osama bin Laden’s declarations of war against the United States and the West is because they are completely oblivious to the in-roads radical Islam has made within the United States. Radical Islamists (i.e., Islamofascists, Wahhabis) understand that the conflict must take place on multiple fronts: militarily, economically, diplomatically and ideologically. Because they understand the complexity of the confrontation and the ability of the West to adapt to challenges – albeit lethargically – they employ multiple tactics in their aggressive pursuit of victory. The West’s addiction to sensationalism, epitomized by our limited attention to detail, unless it plays in the superficial 24-hour news cycle, facilitates the successful infiltration of radical ideology into Western society.
Much to the chagrin of the multicultural and the proponents of diversity, those who promote radical Islamist ideology thrive on the fact that the politically correct culture of the West – and the United States in particular – deems it inappropriate to question religious practices or teachings. With this politically correct “wall of separation” in place little if any scrutiny is given to the information disseminated within any given religious institution. This directly facilitates the ideological advancement of Wahhabism, the most radical and puritanical form of Islam, within the mosques of the United States.
To accurately understand the depth of infiltration of the Wahhabist ideology on American soil we need to examine the ideology and how it is advanced within the United States.
Wahhabism is a fiercely fundamentalist form of orthodox Sunni Islam. After a brief examination of its tenets it is clear that it is one of division, domination and hate.
Wahhabism originated circa 1703 and is the dominant form of Islam in Saudi Arabia. Wahhabists believe that any and all evolution of the Islamic faith after the 3rd century of the Muslim era – after 950 A.D. – was specious and must be expunged. Consequently, Wahhabism is the form of Islam that Osama bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahri practice.
This radically fundamentalist dogma is fanatically bigoted, xenophobic and lends itself to serve as the catalyst for much of the Islamofascist aggression being perpetrated around the world. It is a wrathful doctrine that rejects the legitimacy of all religious philosophy but its own. Wahhabism condemns Christians, Jews and all other non-Muslims, as well as non-Wahhabi Muslims. Wahhabists believe it is a religious obligation for Muslims to hate Christians and Jews.
It stresses a worldview in which there exist two opposing realms that can never be reconciled -- Dar al-Islam, or House of Islam, and Dar al-Har, or House of War, also referred to as Dar al-Kufr, House of the Infidel. When Muslims are in the Dar al-Har, they must behave as if they were operatives in a conflict who have been tasked with going behind enemy lines. The Wahhabist ideology permits Muslims to exist “behind enemy lines” for only a few reasons: to acquire knowledge, to make money to be later employed in the jihad against the infidels, or to proselytize the infidels in an effort to convert them to Islam.
Wahhabist doctrine specifically warns Muslims not to imitate, befriend or help “infidels” in any way. It instills hatred for United States because we are ruled by legislated constitutional law rather than by tyrannical Sharia law. Wahhabists are instructed by edict to, above all, work for the creation of an Islamic state where ever they may dwell.
It is because of the Wahhabist ideology’s cruel and unyielding fanaticism that we in the United States should be concerned with its prevalence within the mosques of our nation.
After the Iranian Islamic Revolution of 1979 – an unprecedented action by the fundamentalists of the Shi’ite sect, the Saudi Arabian government responded by coming to terms with the fundamentalist Wahhabist movement of the Sunni sect. The Saudis, in return for a declaration of non-aggression, began to finance the construction of mosques in countries around the world. An estimated $45 billion has been spent by the Saudis to finance the building and operational costs of mosques and Islamic schools in foreign countries, including in North America.
Through the funding of mosques, Islamic Centers and their operations, Saudi Arabia is exporting the Wahhabist ideology. It is not unusual to find that the presiding cleric in any given mosque within the United States is a Wahhabist and that his teachings have been sanctioned and financed by the Saudi government and vetted by the Muslim Brotherhood.
Two of the more predominant mosques in the United States that have received funding from the Saudi government, and that adhere to the Wahhabist ideology, are the al Farooq mosque in Brooklyn, New York, and the King Fahd mosque in Los Angeles, California. Both mosques welcomed a number of the hijackers who piloted the planes into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania on September 11th, 2001.
In 2005, Freedom House, a 501(c)(3) organization concerned with the mounting threats to peace and democracy, released a report titled, Saudi Publications on Hate Ideology Invade American Mosques. This examination of a comprehensive sampling of mosques and Islamic Centers across America shows that literature available in an overwhelming number of them indicates deference for the Wahhabist ideology.
Among some of the edicts – or fatwas – issued through this literature:
▪ “[I]t is basic Islam to believe that everyone who does not embrace Islam is an unbeliever, and must be called an unbeliever, and that they are enemies to Allah, his Prophet and believers.”
▪ “[O]ur doctrine states that if you accept any religion other than Islam, like Judaism or Christianity, which are not acceptable, you become an unbeliever. If you do not repent, you are an apostate and you should be killed because you have denied the Koran.”
▪ “Be dissociated from the infidels, hate them for their religion, leave them, never rely on them for support, do not admire them, and always oppose them in every way according to Islamic law.”
▪ “Never greet the Christian or Jew first. Never congratulate the infidel on his holiday. Never befriend an infidel unless it is to convert him. Never imitate the infidel. Never work for an infidel. Do not wear a graduation gown because this imitates the infidel.”
▪ “Those who reside in the land of unbelief out of their own choice and desire to be with the people of that land, accepting the way they are regarding their faith, or giving compliments to them, or pleasing them by pointing out something wrong with the Muslims, they become unbelievers and enemies to Allah and his messenger.”
▪ “To be true Muslims, we must prepare and be ready for jihad in Allah’s way. It is the duty of the citizen and the government. The military education is glued to faith and its meaning, and the duty to follow it.”
With this ideology being taught in mosques across America, there is little reason for speculating as to why hatred exists for American principles, culture and ideology not only within the Islamic community, but among the societally disenfranchised and ideologically vulnerable in the United States who are being indoctrinated into this radical form of Islam.
This brings to the forefront a bothersome question. Why aren’t those of the American Fifth Column, who are predisposed to seeking out the haters among us, calling out the Wahhabist bigots who preach their hate in American mosques?
We in the West – and especially in the United States – must immediately seek out a greater understanding of not only the basic elements of the threat of radical Islam, but the extent to which it has already infiltrated our society. If we continue to remain ignorant of the facts surrounding this very real war against our way of life, we will lose our nation with nary a shot being fired.
**Frank Salvato is the vice president and executive director of Basics Project a non-profit, non-partisan, 501(C)(3) research and education initiative. He also serves as the managing editor for The New Media Journal. His writing has been recognized by the US House International Relations Committee and the Japan Center for Conflict Prevention. His organization, Basics Project, partnered in producing the first ever national symposium series addressing the root causes of radical Islamist terrorism with events taking place in Washington DC, Las Vegas, NV, Dearborn, MI and scheduled to take place in additional locations across the country. Mr. Salvato has appeared on The O'Reilly Factor on FOX News Channel and is the host of the NMJ Radio show broadcast global on NetTalkWorld global talk radio and broadcast live on BlogTalk Radio. His opinion-editorials are syndicated nationally and he is occasionally quoted in The Federalist. Mr. Salvato is available for public speaking engagements.

"Are We Ready for Iran?"
NRO The Tank
Walid Phares checks in with three important questions:
"We must ask ourselves:
Is there a U.S. strategy to counter and contain an Iranian terror campaign against the U.S. and its allies in response to the latest economic sanctions leveled by Washington against the Sepah-e Pasdaran – the Islamic (Iranian) Revolutionary Guard Corps — and other elements of the regime?
Is there a strategy to prevent a long-range terror campaign by Hezbollah against Americans overseas and on U.S. soil?
Are these questions warranted or just alarmist?
I would argue they are indeed warranted, and I also strongly recommend a profound analysis of where America and its allies are in the confrontation with the Khomeinist regime and its axis.
While 30 U.S. senators have – oddly I might add — sent a letter to the White House warning against any military action targeting the Iranian regime or any of its subsidiaries, the war rooms in Tehran, Damascus, and southern Beirut (specifically al Dahiyeh) are busy cooking-up the latest plans to strike back at the United States, regionally, globally, and inside the American homeland.
Those of us who have been observing Iran and noting the direction of its various strategies have already concluded that the Pasdaran is carefully deploying its pawns for the right moment, or should we say, the right moments. Additional analysis in this regard will be made available in the near future.
Meanwhile, some recent culturally based war-preparations have begun to surface, and Middle East experts cannot ignore them.
On the web – specifically in pre-recorded and streaming videos — "songs of wars" are being released. In some of the lyrics one can hear, "Let's get ready for the Americans in Iran, in Iraq, in Lebanon, and in other places [hinting at the U.S. mainland].” After a 15-year pause, Hezbollah hymns are refocusing on the Americans.
Is the U.S. aware of this trend, and are we prepared?"
Dr Walid Phares is the Director of the Future Terrorism Project at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.
*****
"The falafel flap"
CQ HOMELAND SECURITY – SPYTALK
Nov. 2, 2007 By Jeff Stein, CQ National Security Editor
Walid Phares: Iranian intelligence targets immigrants in the US
But that doesn’t mean serious subversives aren’t here, says Walid Phares, director of the Future Terrorism Project at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies in Washington.
“The threat coming from the Iranian regime is not only through its agents inserted in the Iranian exiled community, but also from infiltration of other communities, such as the Syrian and Lebanese as well,” he said.
“The penetration of the Iranian community by . . . Iranian agencies targets the older Iranian-American groups,” he added, “that is, immigrants, as well as those who consider themselves political exiles.”
Traditionally, he continued, all totalitarian states make sure to penetrate exile communities, including “let alone the Iranian one.”
Full article here: http://cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=hsnews-000002620892

Mideast peace framework proving elusive
By ANNE GEARAN, AP Diplomatic Writer
JERUSALEM - At the outset of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's latest diplomatic mission to the region, Israel's top negotiator acknowledged on Sunday that there were problems trying to frame a blueprint for a peace deal with the Palestinians.
The two sides are at odds over whether the blueprint should spell out ways to resolve issues that have derailed peace talks in the past — namely, final borders between Israel and a future Palestinian state, sovereignty over disputed Jerusalem, and a solution for Palestinians who became refugees after Israel's creation in 1948.
Israeli and Palestinian teams have been meeting in hopes of reaching the outlines of a future peace agreement, which they hope to present at a U.S.-hosted Mideast conference expected later this year.
The Palestinians are pushing for a detailed agreement, while Israel wants a more vague document that would give it flexibility. The Palestinians also want a deadline for establishing a Palestinian state, even though earlier deadlines have been set and ignored.
"There is no tension in the meetings, there is a good atmosphere, in fact, but yes, there are problems," Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Israel's lead negotiator, said before meeting with Rice, who is trying to narrow gaps ahead of the peace conference.
Livni didn't elaborate. But her acknowledgment of problems was a departure from Israel's past refusals to publicly discuss disputes with the Palestinians as they try to cobble together the joint platform.
The Palestinians, by contrast, have openly discussed their dissatisfaction with Israel's desire for vagueness and its objection to drafting a timeline for an accord.
An outline for a peace deal is supposed to be the centerpiece of the international conference that President Bush hopes will include major Arab states, including some that do not recognize Israel. The initial, outline agreement would provide a springboard for full-fledged negotiations on producing a Palestinian state.
Rice said little about her agenda for two days of closed-door sessions with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, although she had said beforehand that she did not expect to produce a written version of the outline on this trip.
Israel and the Palestinians have not announced progress on drafting a blueprint since Rice last visited the area three weeks ago. Her current trip is her eighth this year.
The fact that no date for the conference has been set reflects the broad divide.
The meeting, which Bush announced over the summer, is expected to take place in late November or December in Annapolis, Maryland.
Israel and the United States are bargaining only with the moderate government of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank, freezing out Islamic Hamas militants who seized control of the Gaza Strip in June.
"There is a willingness to do this, even though the situation on the ground, especially in Gaza Strip, is complicated," Livni said.
The seaside strip is the smaller of two Palestinian territories that together would make up an eventual Palestinian state. But the U.S. and Israeli focus now is on making the West Bank a working model of what that state could look like.
"They're working on some knotty issues," Rice told reporters Saturday on her way to Israel. "I want to help make sure they're working in a straight line ahead."
She was also meeting Sunday with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Blair is now an international envoy working to improve Palestinian government institutions.
On Monday she has meetings scheduled with Abbas, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and chief negotiator Ahmed Qureia.
On Saturday, Fayyad told The Associated Press that Palestinians won't regard U.S.-led Middle East peace efforts as credible unless a deadline is set for a deal.
Israel has rejected a timeline, and the U.S. has been cool to the idea.
Fayyad said he was not issuing an ultimatum, but warned the situation on the ground is not static. With continued Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank, prospects for a two-state solution were getting dimmer every day, he said.