Good Yom Tov!

Sukkos is called "Zeman Simchaseinu"--the "time of our rejoicing." Thus, the holiday is particularly associated with rejoicing, and I hope you have an especially joyous one. I usually don't post on Chol Hamo'eid--see you after Simchas Torah.

"'We are no less than Jews who defend their religion,' Egypt minister" (Ahram Online)

I don't think I've ever called an "insulator" anti-Semitic, but if one was, I'd be the first:

Minister of Endowment Talaat Afify said Muslims are no less than "Jews" who, when insulted, "get up in arms and accuse insulatorsof anti-Semitism," referring to a recent anti-Islam film and offensive cartoons of the Prophet Mohamed.

In a speech in a conference held Saturday in the city of Beni Suef, Upper Egypt, Afifi also condemned defending the Prophet Mohammed by "extremism, violence and torching embassies." These methods, according to him, do nothing but inflame an already explosive situation.

"That's why we had approached the UN to swiftly pass legislations criminalising blasphemy and sacrilegious acts to religious figures.

Early in September, an American-made movie portraying the Prophet Mohammed as a womaniser and a fool sparked a torrent of anti-American unrest in Egypt, Libya and dozens of other Muslim countries over the past two weeks, resulting in attempt to storm the US Embassy in Egypt and the death of the US ambassador to Libya.

Days later, obscene cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed naked were issued in the French satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo which further inflamed tension across the Muslim world.

This story illustrates that someone is a little too obsessed with Jews. Wouldn't it be great if all that resulted from the "Innocence of Muslims" or the Charlie Hebdo cartoons was Muslims complaining about "Islamophobia"?

"Pakistani leaders demand execution of anti-Islam filmmaker" (IRNA-Iran)

These articles always try to make the offense sound generic: "blasphemy twoards the divine Prophets of God," but Moses appears in cartoons all the time and I have never seen evidence of any Muslim offense--not to mention the fact that one also sees representations of the Al-mighty in cartoons and movies. We are also told that the movie "hurt the feelings of billions of Muslims," as if the Muslims are saying "How can you hurt our feelings like that O West after all we've meant to each other." That doesn't seem to be quite the nature of the reaction and I am more than a little reminded of the volcanic anger expressed by the North Korea press agency after South Korea was less than respectful about Kim Jong Il.

Codenaming the US-made movie, Pakistani religions and political leaders on Wednesday unanimously demanded execution of all those who have made the blasphemous film.

The leaders at a conference said that the entire Muslim Ummah is shocked at the film and the statement by President Barack Obama that the sacrilegious film cannot be banned indicates that the US government is unfortunately involved in the shameful act.

The All Parties Conference was organized by Qaumi Majlis-e-Mushawarat to pay respect to the Holy Prophet (P).

A joint statement issued at the conference said that such anti-Islam actions could cause clash of civilizations and trigger a third world war.

It said that all Muslim countries should play their role for passing a law criminalizing the acts of blasphemy towards the divine Prophets of God(P).

The statement further said that the Muslim countries should form 'their own United Nations' to protect sanctity of their religious beliefs, conveying the fact that the present day UN is not that of the world naitons, but of the five of them alone.

It also condemned publication of blasphemous cartoons by a French magazine adding that freedom of expression has become a tool against the sanctities of the world Muslims.

The statement said that the Christian Pastor Terry Jones and the makers of the film 'Must Be Hanged' over the act and the US envoys 'Must Be Expelled' from all Muslim countries in protest against the sacrilegious movie.

It added that the haughty west has hurt the feelings of billions of Muslims by making the movie and they should quit their negative policies immediately, or face the inescapable aftermaths of them.

The statement also called for closing of NATO supply routes in Pakistan and urged the owners of containers to stop transporting the NATO goods to protest against the blasphemous acts.

It asked leaders of Pakistan to come on to the streets to record their protest over the anti-Islam movie.

It further said that demonstrations will continue across Pakistan against the sacrilegious movie.

Chairman Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) Senator Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani, Chief National Solidarity Council Qazi Hussain Ahmad, Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Chief Syed Munawar Hasan, Chief of the DPC, Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, Awami Muslim League Chief, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, Hafiz Hussian Ahmad of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Defense analyst Lt. General (Retd) Hamid Gul, Senior Vice President of Pakistan Awami Tehreek, Agha Murtaza Poya and former minister Muhammad Ijaz-ul-Haq attended the conference.

Yom Kippur

Gemar Chasimah Tovah!

Easy Fast!

Here is "Yom Kippur in a Nutshell" from chabad.org:

Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year--the day on which we are closest to G‑d and to the quintessence  of our own souls. It is the Day of Atonement -- "For on this day He will forgive you, to purify you, that you be cleansed from all your sins before G‑d" (Leviticus 16:30).

For twenty-six hours--from several minutes before sunset on Tishrei 9 to after nightfall on Tishrei 10--we "afflict our souls": we abstain from food and drink, do not wash or anoint our bodies, do not wear leather shoes, and abstain from marital relations.

Before Yom Kippur we perform the Kaparot atonement service; we request and receive honey cake, in acknowledgement that we are all recipients in G-d's world and in prayerful hope for a sweet and abundant year; eat a festive meal, immerse in a mikvah, and give extra charity. Late afternoon we eat the pre-fast meal, following which we bless our children, light a memorial candle as well as the holiday candles, and go to the synagogue for Kol Nidrei services.

In the course of Yom Kippur we hold five prayer services: Maariv, with its solemn Kol Nidrei service, on the eve of Yom Kippur; Shacharit--the morning prayer; Musaf, which includes a detailed account of the Yom Kippur Temple service; Minchah, which includes the reading of the Book of Jonah; and Ne'illah, the "closing of the gates" service at sunset. We say the Al Chet confession of sins eight times in the course of Yom Kippur, and recite Psalms every available moment.

The day is the most solemn of the year, yet an undertone of joy suffuses it: a joy that revels in the spirituality of the day and expresses the confidence that G-d will accept our repentance, forgive our sins, and seal our verdict for a year of life, health and happiness. When the closing Ne'illah service climaxes in the resounding cries of "Hear O Israel... G-d is one" and a single blast of the shofar, followed by the proclamation, "Next year in Jerusalem." Then joy erupts in song and dance (a Chabad custom is to sing the lively "Napoleon's March"), followed by the festive after-fast meal, making the evening after Yom Kippur a Yom Tov (festival) in its own right.

"Plot to Sabotage Iran's Nuclear Equipment Fails" (Fars News-Iran)

This one is fascinating:

Senior Iranian parliamentary officials revealed on Saturday that German company Siemens intended to sabotage Iran's nuclear program by selling a booby-trapped equipment to Tehran.

Chairman of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi told the Parliament's news agency, ICANA, Iranian security experts discovered small explosives embedded in equipment Tehran bought from Siemens for its nuclear program.

Boroujerdi said Iranian security experts discovered the explosives and removed them before detonation. The authorities believe that the booby-trapped equipment was sold to derail uranium enrichment efforts, he said.

Boroujerdi said, "The equipment was supposed to blow up after installation in order to destroy our (nuclear) systems."

"But the wisdom of our experts thwarted the enemy conspiracy."

Siemens said its nuclear division had had no business with Iran since the 1979 revolution.

Some Iranian officials have also suggested in the past that specific European companies may have sold faulty equipment to Iran with the knowledge of American intelligence agencies and their own governments, since the sales would have harmed, rather than helped, the country's nuclear program.

The campaign against Iran includes the abduction of scientists, the sale of faulty equipment and the planting of a destructive computer worm known as Stuxnet, which sought to disrupt Iran's uranium enrichment activity in 2010.

Iran's nuclear chief, Fereidoun Abbasi, said Monday that separate attacks on Iran's centrifuges - through tiny explosives meant to disable key parts of the machines - were discovered before the blasts could go off on timers.

Abbasi also told the UN nuclear agency in Vienna that "terrorists and saboteurs" might have infiltrated the International Atomic Energy Agency, after the watchdog's inspectors arrived at the Fordo underground enrichment facility shortly after power lines were blown up through sabotage on Aug. 17.

Iran has several times complained that the IAEA is sending spies in the guise of inspectors to collect information about its nuclear activities, pointing to leaks of information by inspectors to US and other officials.

Five nuclear scientists and researchers have been killed in Iran since 2010. All the Iranian scientists have been assassinated by Israel's Mossad spy agency as well as the CIA and Britain's MI-6, according to Iranian intelligence ministry.

Boroujerdi said repeated leaks of nuclear information to Iran's adversaries by the IAEA would justify a cut of Tehran's ties with the UN nuclear watchdog agency.

"Iran has the right to cut its cooperation with the IAEA should such violations continue," he said.

Many Iranians would not want to see nuclear-armed Mullahs. I somehow can't imagine Siemens selling them booby-trapped equipment.

"IRGC has no military presence in Syria: IRGC chief" (Mehr News-Iran)

Mehr from Mehr:

The commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps has said that if Israel attacks Iran, IRGC missiles will leave nowhere intact in Israel and nothing will remain of the country.

Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari made the remarks during a press conference in Tehran on Sunday.

He also stated that Iran would reconsider its nuclear commitments if international organizations cannot prevent Israel from carrying out its military threats against the Islamic Republic.

“Iran’s nuclear capability is at an acceptable level, and such actions cannot deal a serious blow to it. But if international organizations cannot prevent the Zionist regime from taking such an action, Iran will reconsider its commitments in this regard, and the situation will change,” Jafari said in response to a question by an Associated Press correspondent about the possibility of Israel launching a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

“But it does not mean that we will move toward developing nuclear weapons,” he added.

He also said, “The Zionist regime sees its existence in danger, and in view of its criminal nature and the fact that it is in the habit of killing, of course it tries to resolve its problems through taking military action and issuing threats. But it is a remote possibility that the Zionist regime would take such an action without the permission of the United States because it is aware that in that case it would achieve nothing.”

The United States will not support an Israeli military action against Iran because its forces and bases in the vicinity of Iran are within range of IRGC missiles and Muslims in the region and the rest of the world support the Islamic Republic, he stated.

No military presence in Syria

Elsewhere in his remarks, Jafari said that the IRGC has no military presence in Syria, but added that a number of IRGC personnel are in the crisis-hit country providing non-military assistance.

“Since the establishment of the (IRGC) Qods Force, the force has been pursuing the goal of supporting oppressed nations, particularly Muslim (nations). A number of Qods personnel are also present in Syria, but that does not mean that we have a military presence in the country,” he said.

He went on to say that the IRGC is providing financial and advisory assistance to Syria, since it is a link in the chain of resistance.

On the Islamic Republic’s response to a military attack against Syria, the IRGC commander said that it would depend on the situation.

“We cannot say now with certainty that Iran will support Syria militarily if it comes under a military attack, and it completely depends on the situation,” he explained. [...]

I guess that's the last word on all those subjects. Who can you trust if not Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari? ("Mehr" is Yiddish for "more," by the way.)

"Anti-film demos, a manifestation of Muslims’ might" (Mehr News-Iran)

This is from one "Samad Ghaempanah . . . a political analyst and expert on Middle East and African studies based in Tehran":

The demonstrations over the insulting movie, which was recently posted on the internet, have targeted the United States and its embassies across the world, especially in Muslim countries.

The masses in the Muslim world are accusing U.S. officials of deliberately promoting animosity toward Islam in order to counter its rising influence in the West.

There are two hypotheses that attempt to explain the situation in regard to the sudden outbreak of violent reactions to the film.

According to the first hypothesis, the political developments in the Arab world over the past two years have seriously undermined the position of the U.S. in the region. The fall of pro-Western governments in the Arab world has dramatically undermined U.S. influence in the region and Washington has lost its reputation as a superpower in the Islamic world. Muslims have now found the courage to protest against the U.S. and its hegemomnistic policies, and the awakened masses in Muslim countries will no longer tolerate any insults to their religion and identity.

According to the second hypothesis, the U.S. government is fundamentally opposed to any moves or actions that intensify violence in the Middle East. In this viewpoint, the U.S. is seeking to establish security and stability in the region because otherwise it would have to bear the huge cost of conflict and tension in one of the world’s most sensitive geopolitical regions. Thus, according to this line of reasoning, the U.S. government could not have had a hand in the production of “The Innocence of Muslims”, an amateurish film funded and produced by a Zionist based in Southern California.

However, the U.S. government’s ostensible support for democracy and freedom of religion on the one hand and its approval of anti-Islam propaganda on the other hand is a paradox that is deeply rooted in U.S. officials’ hegemonistic ideas. This paradoxical conduct gives weight to the first hypothesis and proves that the U.S. is not at all happy about the rising might and influence of Islam in the world and regards it as a serious threat to its interests in Muslim countries.

Muslims have clearly understood the United States’ duplicitous support for democracy and freedom of expression, which is being used as a cover to insult Muslims and their sacred values. This awakening of the masses in the Muslim world is expected to create more and more risks for U.S. interests in the future and it is just the beginning.

It is funny that two "hypotheses" are not about the same thing. It's also funny that they can't seem to grasp that freedom of speech means just that. Things will be said that go against US policy, especially the policy of a leftist President who presented himself as ideally suited to bringing about a great new understanding between Muslims and the West. Ain't understanding mellow.

"Egyptian MP Calls for Arab-Islamic Front to Combat Zionist Plots" (Fars News-Iran)

Despite Shi'ite-Sunni tensions, the Khomeinists seem to be a political model for the Muslim Brotherhood, as this article may illustrate:

An senior Egyptian lawmaker urged Cairo to strengthen ties with Arab and Islamic states in a bid to establish a front against the Zionists' plots.

Speaking to FNA in Cairo on Saturday, Naji al-Shahabi called on President Mohammad Mursi's government to end Egypt's dependence on the US and form a diverse foreign policy and establish stronger ties with emerging powers and Islamic states.

"We advocate diversity in foreign policy and tendency towards the East, China, India and Brazil with our emphasis specially laid on the development of ties with Iran, Turkey, Damascus, Riyadh, Indonesia and all Islamic states," Shahabi said.

"We want the creation of an Arab-Islamic axis, an axis with the capability to confront the plots hatched by the Zionists against the Arab and Islamic world."

Earlier this week, Mursi said Iran plays an important role in resolving the regional crises, and underlined that Tehran and Cairo should be united in dealing with global challenges.

"When the follower of unrighteousness are united in their unrighteous path, why should not we go united in our right position when dealing with global challenges," Mursi said in a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi in Cairo on Tuesday. [...]

"Israel root cause of all world problems: Iran envoy" (PressTV-Iran)

Due to certain events in Europe in the 1930s and 40s, the world knows--or should know--what this sort of dehumanization leads to. Time is running short, and the current president is particularly good at wasting time:

Iran’s Ambassador to Beirut Ghazanfar Roknabadi says although Israel is the main reason behind all international problems, Washington continues to support the Zionist regime.

“The security of the Zionist regime [of Israel] is the most important issue for Washington officials and they consider it sacred,” Roknabadi added in an interview with Lebanon’s Al-Manar television.

Referring to Israel’s recent military drills, he stated that Iran’s response to any foolish act by the Zionists will be very painful.

Turning to the 16th Non-Aligned Movement summit in Tehran, Roknabadi said the fact that 120 countries agreed to the establishment of the Palestinian government with al-Quds as its capital has enraged the Zionist regime of Israel. [...]

Rosh Hashanah

I won't be posting again until Tuesday night. What is this Rosh Hashanah business anyway?

The festival of Rosh Hashanah --the name means "Head of the Year" --is observed for two days beginning on Tishrei 1, the first day of the Jewish year. It is the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, and their first actions toward the realization of mankind's role in G-d's world.

Rosh Hashanah thus emphasizes the special relationship between G-d and humanity: our dependence upon G-d as our creator and sustainer, and G-d's dependence upon us as the ones who make His presence known and felt in His world. Each year on Rosh Hashanah, "all inhabitants of the world pass before G-d like a flock of sheep," and it is decreed in the heavenly court, "who shall live, and who shall die... who shall be impoverished, and who shall be enriched; who shall fall and who shall rise." But this is also the day we proclaim G-d King of the Universe. The Kabbalists teach that the continued existence of the universe is dependant upon the renewal of the divine desire for a world when we accept G-d's kingship each year on Rosh Hashanah.

The central observance of Rosh Hashanah is the sounding of the shofar, the ram's horn, which represents the trumpet blast of a people's coronation of their king. The cry of the shofar is also a call to repentance; for Rosh Hashanah is also the anniversary of man's first sin and his repentance thereof, and serves as the first of the "Ten Days of Repentance" which culminate in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Another significance of the shofar is to recall the Binding of Isaac which also occurred on Rosh Hashanah, in which a ram took Isaac's place as an offering to G-d; we evoke Abraham's readiness to sacrifice his son and plead that the merit of his deed should stand by us as we pray for a year of life, health and prosperity. Altogether, the shofar is sounded 100 times in the course of the Rosh Hashanah service.

Additional Rosh Hashanah observances include: a) Eating a piece of apple dipped in honey to symbolize our desire for a sweet year, and other special foods symbolic of the new year's blessings. b) Blessing one another with the words Leshanah tovah tikateiv veteichateim, "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year." c) Tashlich, a special prayer said near a body of water (an ocean, river, pond, etc.) in evocation of the verse, "And You shall cast their sins into the depths of the sea." And as with every major Jewish holiday after candlelighting and prayers we recite Kiddush and make a blessing on the Challah.

May you be sealed and inscribed for a good and sweet year.

"Outrage is growing across the Muslim world over the five-million-US dollar movie that was financed by more than 100 Jews." (Fars News-Iran)

The Khomeinists are mono-maniacally consistent:

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani condemned the sacrilege of Islam in a US movie, and underlined that Washington should account for such blasphemous acts.

The US government must be held accountable for such insults to the Islamic sanctities, Larijani said on Wednesday, adding, "The US politicians' claims of supporting and respecting different cultures are … a blatant lie."

He said that such blasphemous acts show that earlier slogans of US President Barack Obama that he respects Muslims are obvious lies.

Outrage is growing across the Muslim world over the five-million-US dollar movie that was financed by more than 100 Jews.

On Thursday, the angry Iranian students chanted anti-US and anti-Israeli slogans and burnt the US flag to voice their protest against the sacrilege of Islam in the US movie.

The Iranian students burnt the US flag in front of the Swiss embassy in Tehran - which hosts the US interests section in Iran - to condemn the blasphemous movie against Islam.

They also chanted "Death to the US" and "Death to Israel" slogans, and expressed disgust at the US and the Zionist regime's anti-Islam policies.

Iranian people in Tehran and other cities across the country also plan to stage protests on Friday at the desecration of Islam in the sacrilegious movie produced by an Israeli-American man in the US. [...]

When the Mo-toon protests were raging it was constantly and falsely claimed that Fleming Rose, the editor of the Jyllands-Posten, was Jewish. And then Iran decided that a cartoon contest mocking the Holocaust was the way to hit back. Carlos Latuff won second prize.

PressTV-Iran: "CIA, Mossad team up to insult Islamic values"

This is courtesy of one Gordon Duff, who has been featured on PressTV in the past. It also includes an attack on the Mormons:

He calls himself a religious leader, a “preacher,” this Terry Jones, the man responsible for blaspheming the prophet Mohammed. He has made threats before, burned the Holy Quran, spouted obscenities, demanded attention and has acted with demonic intent.

This week, Jones released a streaming video on his website attacking Islam and purposefully attempting to incite violence against the United States.

The timing of his video, on an obscure website that is nearly impossible to find and its release through the Middle East was no accident. This was very much an attempt on the part of political forces to harm the image of the United States and was only a part of a much larger conspiracy.

Jones, to most, is an uneducated and lower class figure in a backward area of the American south. His congregation is largely made of weak minded people on the fringe of society, easily coerced and influenced. He has few followers.

However, Jones has another following, one not so easy to detect. Jones moved to Germany in 1981 and established a religious cult in Cologne. Thus, his ties while there were with Israeli intelligence and the P2 Masonic lodge, better known as “Operation Gladio,” the group responsible for the murder of Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro and terror bombings that went on into the 90s.

Jones real background is that of an intelligence asset. His personal weakness is narcissism. His strength is his ability to hide behind what appears to be backward and ignorant exterior while actively working as an intelligence agent for a combination of rogue CIA elements, extremists in the former Stasi German group now called the DVD who partner with Israel’s Mossad.

Jones is a spy, CIA trained, run by rogue handlers, and heavily promoted by Mossad elements throughout the Middle East and able to garner national news attention in the US when anyone else of his minor following and total lack of credibility would be ignored.

Instead, his every obscene move, his every blasphemy, from his tiny and forgotten church, reaches, not just the front page of every paper but is announced and spread throughout the Islamic world by the hundreds of Israeli agents that infiltrate every Mosque.

The relationship between the Mossad and DVD is now well known. German built submarines armed with Russian built nuclear weapons patrol of Iran as we speak, their Israeli crews ready to start World War III.

Inside the US, rogue elements of Bush era intelligence privatization, initially under Blackwater Corporation and its various successors, still actively run agents, manage narcotics processing and distribution and intimidate world leaders through threats against their families.

Jones is part of this operation, tasked with destabilizing Egypt and Libya, tasked with providing an Islamophobic backdrop for Netanyahu’s upcoming visit to the United Nations and providing support for extremist elements in Europe and the US who see President Obama too “morally flexible” in his dealings with Iran.

Jones has another job in attacking Islam. He is tasked with interpreting texts carefully selected to seem objectionable.

You see, in order to start a war, Mitt Romney must be elected president. However, Romney belongs to a religious group most Christians find to be a heretical cult.

In fact, it was only days before they were to lose their legal standing as a tax free institution, because of their institutionalized racism, that they suddenly opened their church to other cultures. Attacks on Islam are now being made because the following texts, long hidden by powerful financial groups tied to criminal elements in the US, are being made public.

These are the beliefs of the Mormon Church, the beliefs Mitt Romney accepted and taught:

“Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African race? If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be” (Book of Mormon10:110; Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon Church) [...]

“From the days of the Prophet Joseph Smith even until now, it is has been the doctrine of the Church, never questioned by any of the Church leaders, that the Negroes are not entitled to the full blessings of the Gospel.” (Joseph the First) [...]

--- These tenets of Mormonism, racial hatred, dehumanization, scriptural heresy and the wide distrust they have fostered throughout every religious and non-religious group within the US has made the cost of rigging a presidential election to put a candidate in power willing to enslave America to Israel nearly impossible.

Every day, Romney goes down in the polls, hated by African Americans, hated by Catholics, hated by Jews, hated in the North, hated in the South, a man with no known political beliefs other than what the “crowd of the moment” wants to hear.

Terry Jones distraction, orchestrated by the Mossad, the DVD and the rogue CIA groups even more mindless than the officially sanctioned ones, have but one task meant to alter electorate perception in favor of Romney, in favor of war, and take the focus off these despicable religious beliefs.

When the CIA’s Terry Jones exalts the beliefs of his own racist past and that of his friend Mitt Romney, he might well heed these words of the prophet: "O mankind! Be careful of your duty to your Lord Who created you from a single soul and from it created its mate and from them twain hath spread abroad a multitude of men and women." (The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 4(An-Nisa'): Verse 1) [...]

Back in 2010 when Jones was threatening to cause a religious war through Quran burnings, I, assisted by Ambassador/Congressman Mark Siljander (author of A Deadly Misunderstanding - A Congressman’s Quest to Bridge the Muslim/Christian Divide), called Jones. Siljander spoke with Jones and his congregation and temporarily defused the situation.

Siljander made powerful enemies in doing so, not for the first time.

Today we sit, one American dead, embassies attacked, waiting for the next move, a false flag attack like was perpetrated to blame Muslims like “9/11” or a mysterious explosion on a ship in the Persian Gulf reminiscent of the USS Maine incident that led to war with Spain in 1898.

America has a long history of false flag terrorism to begin wars; I won’t even go into the Tonkin Gulf incident.

[...]

Let's be thankful for that.

Iran's PressTV interviews David Duke about 9/11. Guess who he blames?

Duke is their kind of expert! They seem to think he is still in the Louisiana House of Representatives, and he describes himself as having a "PhD in History." Here's a sample:

[...] Press TV: When you’re alluding to the possibility of it being an inside job, are you saying an inside job as far as the officials within the United States or are you saying that it’s possible that the Israelis have been behind it with American officials knowing about it? If you could expand on that a little bit for me, sir.

Duke: First off, there’s a lot of opinions. It’s very hard to know the answer. You have a surreptitious, covert operation in the United States and you had massive Israeli spying in the United States of America. To say that we have all the answers or we know all the facts of what happened and what didn’t happen, it’s hard to do that.

As a historian, as a man with a PhD in History, I want to go on hard, cold facts. And the hard, cold facts that we have without any dispute is the fact that five Israelis were arrested in New York, Mossad agents filming and documenting the attack. They were cheering the attack, according to all the witnesses involved. They were absolutely, certainly Mossad agents. They failed lie detector tests.

We know that Israelis agents were on the same street as Mohammad Atta.

We have lots of evidence that Israel had a huge spy operation going on in the United States at this time.

We also know that Israel certainly had a lot to gain from these attacks. In fact, because of these attacks we’ve had greater presence of Americans in the Middle East. We’ve had more support going to Israel.

We’ve had a clampdown of the opposition in this country, people against the Israeli policies. We also had the Iraq War which was taking out Israel’s enemy at the time, Saddam Hussein. This is an old, old story with Israel and this country.

We also know that Israel was possibly facing war crimes, trials in Europe with Ariel Sharon at the time, and we had the United Nations pointing out that Israel was a racist state. [...]

That's so meaningful coming from David Duke. This would be funny, if nukes were not almost within the Khomeinist grasp.

"‘There is ample room for diplomacy’ with Iran: Chomsky" (Mehr News-Iran)

Iran doesn't admit to working towards nuclear weapons anyway. So how will a "nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East" help anything? Don't ask Chomsky:

“There is ample room for diplomacy,” Chomsky tells the Mehr News Agency in a short interview.

Following is the text of the interview:

Q: What is your assessment of the recent meeting between Iran and the major powers in Moscow?

A: Unfortunately, it got nowhere. And prospects do not look good.

Q: So do you think that such a situation may lead to a war and that the sides cannot resolve the dispute through diplomacy?

A: We can be fairly confident that war will only make matters worse. There is ample room for diplomacy. In fact, one excellent opportunity is arising this December, when there will be a conference on establishing a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East. The idea has enormous support, but probably, as in the past, it will be blocked by the U.S. (and Israel), with Europe toddling along politely behind the master. Unless, that is, there is a massive demonstration of popular support in the West. The lack of reporting is designed to undercut that threat.

Because Zionists control the press, no doubt.

"we’re not talking about Irvine, for goodness sake"

A Muslim chaplain at Northeastern was just exposed in a video as a terror-supporter and removed from his position. The following paragraph caught my California-dwelling eye:

But more importantly, Jacobs made the point that if a person with so many public connections to terrorism has been permitted to mentor students at a place like Northeastern University – “we’re not talking about Irvine, for goodness sake,” then it is clear that “the same kind of thing can happen anywhere.”

Follow the link to the Jewish Press article to see the video. Of course, ultra-leftists have made some of what the video talks about semi-respectable. Terek Mehenna has been defended on Huffpo, for instance, and the "Free Mumia" crowd also wants to free Aafia Siddiqui, and Norman Finkelstein is a raving nutcase and Israel-hater with a weakness for anti-Jewish ethnic slurs but not exactly an anti-Semite. (These distinctions give me a headache.)

"Hamas Envoy Urges All Muslims to Help Free Palestine through Collective Efforts" (Fars News-Iran)

If there is any doubt about what the slogan "Free Palestine" means:

Representative of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) Khaled Qadoumi called on the world Muslim states to contribute their share to the efforts made for the freedom of Palestine, stressing that the holy land of the Islamic Ummah can only be set free through the collective efforts of the worldwide Muslims.

"Freedom of Palestine is a responsibility which should be shared by all Muslims," Qadoumi said, addressing a gathering on Islamic Resistance in Iran's Central city of Isfahan on Wednesday.

He pointed to the Palestinian nation's continued resistance against the Zionist regime, and noted, "We feel that we are not alone in our resistance because Islamic nations such as Iran and Syria are backing us in this regard."

His remarks came days after Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei asked participants in the 16th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Tehran to pay special attention to the Palestinian issue, and called on the American backers of the Israeli regime to accept Iran's proposal for a referendum in the Palestinian lands to determine the country's fate.

The Leader reminded the Zionists' bloody occupation of Palestine over 6 decades ago, and blamed the Zionist regime for waging various wars, massacre and state-sponsored terrorism in the last decades.

He blamed the western world for supporting and defending the Zionist regime of Israel against the oppressed Palestinian nation.

The leader further renewed Iran's solution to the Palestinian issue, calling for a "comprehensive referendum to be attended by all the indigenous residents of Palestine, including those refugees who have been away from their motherland for decades to determine the country's fate".

The Iranian supreme leader cautioned the US against the continue support and defense for the Zionist regime of Israel, reminding that decade-long support for the Israeli regime has incurred many costs and losses on the American people.

Ban asks Mr. Supreme "as the Muslim world leader, to help the UN resolve the regional crises" (Fars News:-Iran)

I wonder if he really called him "the Muslim world leader."

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a recent meeting with Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei in Tehran asked Ayatollah Khamenei, as the Muslim world leader, to help the UN resolve the regional crises.

"As a supreme leader and also religious leader of not only Iran, but also this region, you can play crucially important role," the UN chief said during the meeting with the Supreme Leader in Tehran on Wednesday on the sidelines of the 16th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in the Iranian capital.

"You have an important role to play; you have been playing in the situation in Lebanon, Iraq. I know you are very much concerned for situation in Bahrain.

"These are all the areas that Iran has been playing and will continue to play an important role," the UN chief added.

"I like to focus on one area today, on Syria. One of my main purposes of coming to meet you is to ask you to exercise maximum influence in resolving this crisis in Syria," Ban Ki-moon said.

"I think in this region, only Iran can play this crucially important role," reiterated the UN chief. [...]

"Palestinian throws bag of bombs at checkpoint" (Ynet News)

Thank G-d for checkpoints:

A Palestinian man who was denied entry to Israel by security forces stationed at the Hashmonaim checkpoint dropped a bag containing explosives and fled the scene on Wednesday.

A explosives expert who was alerted to the scene found four pipe bombs in the bag, which were then safely detonated. The security forces have launched a manhunt for the suspect.[...]

If they find him, we won't find about it from Reuters although they might cover a story about a settler hurting an olive tree.

Fars News (Iran): Holocaust "alleged" and Jews "doing the same crimes with the Palestinians"

Fars News currently features what you would call, I guess, a photo-essay: a series of Holocaust photos paired with contemporary photos and meant to prove that Jews are doing the same thing to the Palestinians blah blah blah. The title of this rancid little feature is "Who is Worse, Zionists or Nazi?" The introductory blurb, however, does not seem to want to admit that the Nazis did anything:

These are the same pictures that the Jewish people have shown to the world for decades to win the nations' sympathy for what they have allegedly suffered with Hitler and his army, as if no other people had been treated like them in World War II. But now they are doing the same crimes with the Palestinians. Just check this out

And, of course, the pictures are ones that "the Jewish people have shown to the world," as if the world would not otherwise have them. Khomeinists deny the Holocaust, not just Ahmadinejad.

Kim Jong Un not lost in the supermarket

The corpulent young general continues his father's invaluable field guidance activities, in this case visiting a restaurant and supermarket. Although I'm sure his waistline could do without any further great leaps forward, there is no sacrifice he won't make for the masses:

Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, first chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, together with his wife Ri Sol Ju, visited Haemaji Restaurant before its opening to business.

He went round different places of the restaurant to learn in detail about its construction, display of goods, service program, varieties of dishes and their quality.

He first looked round the supermarket for fruits, vegetables, milk and meat and drinks.

He expressed great satisfaction, saying that the supermarket looks unique and delicate and its display is peculiar. It was built in such a way as to be a model impeccable in any aspect, he added.

He stressed that it is of particular importance to fix proper prices of foodstuff and work out well business strategy in order to put the supermarket on a regular footing.

At a booth, he noted that corn fry smells nice and tasted it.

At a dinning room he said that overhead lighting, wall decoration and furniture look convenient and comfortable.

He was pleased to see rice prepared with assorted mixtures on griddle, saying the people would like it.

He went round with keen attention the meat and fish shop selling varieties of fresh fishes and various parts of meat.

He went up to the first floor by a peculiar escalator and looked round one by one various dinning rooms serving varieties of dishes of different countries. He said he was very pleased to see those rooms arranged to suit the characteristic features of the relevant countries.

He dropped in at the bread shop selling varieties of tasty and quality bread. He praised the restaurant for arranging the stands in such a creative and unique manner as to fully ensure hygiene and convenience.

At the coffee shop he sat on a stool, saying it looks comfortable.

He expressed great satisfaction over the construction of the restaurant, saying there is very friendly environment and he liked everything there.

He extended thanks to the soldier-builders for having successfully built the restaurant as required by the new century and to the officials of the field concerned for arranging it in an impeccable manner as intended by the party.

He set forth tasks to be fulfilled to manage and operate the restaurant.

The future of Songun Korea is surely bright!

"Supreme Leader: Iran, N. Korea Have Common Enemies"

What does North Korea do, exactly, to "resist" the "arrogant powers"? I guess that involves sharing missile technology with Iran:

Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei in a meeting with President of North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) Presidium Kim Yong Nam underlined that Tehran and Pyongyang have common enemies due to their resistance against the arrogant powers.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran and North Korea have common enemies since the arrogant powers cannot bear independent governments," Ayatollah Khamenei said during the meeting in Tehran on Saturday.

He also stressed that there are abundant grounds for the expansion of relations and increasing cooperation between Iran and North Korea.

Kim Yong Nam and his accompanying delegation arrived in Tehran earlier this week to attend the 16th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit on August 30-31.

Earlier in the day, President Ahmadinejad received Kim Yong Nam at his office in Central Tehran, where the two sides discussed an array of issues, specially mutual cooperation.

After the meeting, the two countries endorsed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in scientific and academic grounds.

The MoU was signed by Iranian Science, Research and Technology Minister Farhad Daneshjou and Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun.

The document required mutual cooperation in various scientific and technological grounds between Iran and North Korea and is expected to cause a leap in the scientific ties between the two Asian nations.

Just a "leap"? Not a "great leaping advance"?