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Hopefully, President Obama will recognize that McCain is right here, just as President Bush ultimately had to admit it. Senator McCain has given a very important speech about our ability to win–not stave off defeat–win in Afghanistan. “Success is possible in Afghanistan. Afghans reject the Taliban. Just 4 percent of Afghans wish them to rule [...]
Archive for February, 2009
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Mexico Watch: February 29, 2009
Posted by Ryan Mauro on February 28th, 2009
President Calderon says that it is untrue that the government has “lost any part–any single part” of its territory to the drug gangs. The report says that 6,290 people died in 2008 during the war (the previous report I cited had the number as around 5,300. Approximately 1,000 Mexicans have died so far in 2009, [...]
Ladies And Gentlemen, Your New National Intelligence Council Director! (Crickets Chirping)
Posted by Ryan Mauro on February 28th, 2009
I’ve been pretty supportive of President Obama’s staffing choices. Then…he chose this guy. Chas Freeman, the former ambassador to Saudi Arabia; former director of the Saudi-funded Middle East Policy Council; and basically, acting as an unofficial ambassador and publicist for the Saudi Royal Family. He also helped promote historically inaccurate Saudi textbooks, and has denied that [...]
Third-in-Command of CIA Convicted of Bribery
Posted by Ryan Mauro on February 28th, 2009
Kyle Foggo, the third-in-command of the CIA, has been convicted of bribery. Foggo was appointed by former CIA Director Porter Goss, a man who I admire but obviously made a major error here. It’s possible that Goss simply attributed the rumors about Foggo’s alleged womanizing (including contact with foreign females that were not reported) to [...]
State Department Special Advisor Advocates Engaging Muslim Brotherhood
Posted by Ryan Mauro on February 28th, 2009
The State Department has named the respectable Dennis Ross as a Special Advisor to the Secretary of State for the Gulf and Southwest Asia. Previous reports indicated that Ross was going to be the ambassador to Iran once diplomatic relations were restored, and while that is still possible, it is likely that the Obama Administration [...]
Putin in Trouble?
Posted by Matthew Avitabile on February 27th, 2009
With oil prices remaining relatively low and the global economy in an accelerated slowdown, Russia could be a real loser to the times. Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister of that country, could find himself in an unpopular position. Such a position, with weak economic backing, could cause Russia to start another sensationalist assault on a neighbor, [...]
Tags: Chief Muslim Brotherhood Theologian Condemned by European Muslims for Calling for Second Holocaust
Posted by Ryan Mauro on February 27th, 2009
The Middle East Media Research Institute deserves everyone’s praise for translating and bringing attention to this videotape of Sheikh Yousef al-Qaradawi, the Muslim Brotherhood’s chief theologian, calling for a new holocaust and describing the last one as a punishment sent by God. The Islamic Council of Norway, imams in Denmark and Sweden, and leaders of regional [...]
Al-Fadl’s Attack on Al-Qaeda Shows Three Types of “Jihadists”
Posted by Ryan Mauro on February 27th, 2009
The Middle East Media Research Institute has a great analysis of the radical Islamic movement: “In essence, the founding figures of the jihadist movement today fall into three camps. 1) Al-Qaeda and its unconditional supporters; 2) jihadist scholars who are supportive of the global jihad, but critical of specific tactics and practices (e.g. Al-Maqdisi and [...]
Some Muslim Cab Drivers in Minneapolis Refusing Service to Avoid Sin
Posted by admin on February 27th, 2009
As you may remember, there has been concern about the disappearance of Somalis in Minneapolis and elsewhere following a call by an Al-Qaeda-affiliate for Somalis to fight alongside them in the civil war there. There are growing signs that the Somali community in this area is becoming radicalized, with some Muslim cab drivers in the [...]
FBI Raids Office of Iranian Scientist in Charge of UF’s Nuclear Institute
Posted by Ryan Mauro on February 27th, 2009
Some big news: Gainesville, Florida – A nuclear space power institute at the University of Florida has been raided by the FBI. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Rhew in Tallahassee says search warrants were served at the university’s Innovative Nuclear Space Power and Propulsion Institute. University of Florida spokesman Steve Orlando says the FBI was [...]
Kuwait Captures AQ Recruiter On Way Out of Iran
Posted by Ryan Mauro on February 27th, 2009
File this one away for the next time someone claims the Iranian regime has put the Al-Qaeda members on its territory under “house arrest.” Kuwait has captured a major Al-Qaeda recruiter on his way out of Iran, who also served as a courier between Al-Qaeda’s leadership in Iran and Afghanistan. This proves that there is indeed [...]
Libya To Allow Foreign Newspapers
Posted by Ryan Mauro on February 26th, 2009
In some pretty remarkable news, the Libyan government has decided to allow foreign newspapers to be sold in the country, including the International Herald Tribune, Financial Times and Newsweek. The former rogue nation only has a population of 6 million though, so the media better not be hoping that this new market saves their necks.
Yemen Now Requires Woman’s Consent for Marriage. In related news, ugly men flee Yemen.
Posted by Ryan Mauro on February 26th, 2009
A friend of mine was reading this article about demographics in Israel and found this remarkable line: “Even Yemen, the flagship of robust Arab demography, is adopting family planning. This month it approved a new law setting the minimum age for marriage at 17 for boys and girls, prohibiting marriage without the consent of the woman [...]
Mexico Watch: Feb. 26, 2009
Posted by Ryan Mauro on February 26th, 2009
Contacts of mine whom I greatly respect have correctly faulted me for not talking about the emerging crisis in Mexico enough. As you may recall, a DOD report says that Mexico and Pakistan are in a league of their own in terms of countries that may collapse in the next year. As the drug war [...]
India Names Names in Mumbai Case
Posted by Matthew Avitabile on February 26th, 2009
With the aftermath of one of the worst terrorist attacks in years, India is attempting to find those responsible for the Mumbai assault. India has now narrowed down that list and is implicating two Pakistani officers among the 38 people charged. Such an accusation, if true, would exhibit that the Pakistani military has little control [...]
