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Renowned rationalist Christopher Hitchens has a new piece in Vanity Fair chronicling the struggles of Lebanon between extremism and liberalism. Check it out if you have a minute: Lebanon is the most plural society in the region, and the “March 14” coalition, the group of parties that leads the current government, essentially represents the Sunnis, [...]
Archive for March, 2009
Ex-Gitmo Detainee Becomes Taliban Commander
Posted by Ryan Mauro on March 31st, 2009
From The New York Times: A front-line commander during the Taliban government, Mullah Zakir was captured in 2001 in northern Afghanistan and was detained at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, until his release in 2007, Afghan Taliban members contacted by telephone said. Zakir is reportedly instrumental in handling relations between the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban forces. Zakir’s [...]
Muslim Brotherhood Fronts in U.S. Threaten to End FBI Outreach
Posted by Ryan Mauro on March 31st, 2009
The American Muslim Task Force, which consists of several of the Muslim Brotherhood front groups, and the Muslim Public Affairs Council, another MB affiliate, are threatening to end all outreach programs with the FBI in retaliation for the agency’s use of informants. They also defended Ahmadullah Niazi, who was recorded by an informant referring to Bin [...]
Obama to Meet Assad?
Posted by Matthew Avitabile on March 30th, 2009
US President Barack Obama may reportedly meet with the dictator of Syria, Bashar al-Assad. This comes from the Israeli site, Debka. This would apparently attempt to reinforce reaching out to the Muslim world. To lend wings to Obama’s outreach to the Muslims, White House circles Monday, March 30, leaked word that his team took a [...]
Posted in The Middle East 
Tags: Assad, foreign policy, Israel, Obama, Palestine, Syria, Turkey 
No Comments »Iranian Experts in North Korea for Missile Launch
Posted by Ryan Mauro on March 30th, 2009
15 Iranian missile experts arrived in North Korea early March to help the Stalinist country preparing ithe launch of its long-range missile, dubbed a “communications satellite,” which the Japanese are threatening to intercept if it crosses into their airspace. The group arrived in early March, bringing with them a letter from President Ahmadinejad to Kim Jong-Il “stressing the importance [...]
Report Says Israeli Drones Carried Out Strike in Sudan
Posted by Ryan Mauro on March 30th, 2009
The Times Online says that Israel used unmanned aerial vehicles to destroy the truck convoys in Sudan that was going to deliver arms to Hamas. The paper says the strike was conducted because the product being delivery was especially important for Hamas: 40-mile range Fajr3 rockets that would allow them to attack Tel Aviv. The raids were [...]
Russia Creating Special Military Force for the Arctic
Posted by Ryan Mauro on March 30th, 2009
It seems Russia is really serious about its claims to the Arctic and is making a special military force specifically to enforce those claims. Perhaps they know water will be the “next oil” and are preparing.
Pakistan Not Tackling Radical Islamic Infrastructure
Posted by Ryan Mauro on March 29th, 2009
The New York Times is reporting that the Taliban leaders in Pakistan are coordinating their plans to combat the arrival of additional U.S. forces in Afghanistan, planning to send more IEDs and suicide bombers. They also reported that the expansion of Taliban capabilities in Afghanistan is due to the direct participations of members of the Pakistani [...]
An Interview With Ryan Mauro
Posted by Matthew Avitabile on March 28th, 2009
I was fortunate enough to interview World Threats’ Ryan Mauro on my blog, Jumping in Pools. Take a look at the interview here.
Mexico Watch: March 27, 2009
Posted by Ryan Mauro on March 28th, 2009
The U.S. is sending millions of dollars worth of surveillance equipment to Mexico to help them fight the drug gangs. The President has also sent hundreds of more personnel to the border to help man checkpoints. The U.S. is also going to spend $700 million on joint efforts with the Mexican authorities and use more federal agents [...]
Saudi Arabia: We’ve Fired 3200 Extremist Clerics
Posted by Ryan Mauro on March 28th, 2009
The Saudis say they are working hard to stop the proliferation of extremist ideas from their kingdom, but 35 clerics have called for the banning of music on TV, and banning the appearance of women on TV and in print media. If that’s not extremist, then I don’t know what is. Here’s the Saudi statement on their [...]
Update on Sudan Airstrikes: Three?
Posted by Matthew Avitabile on March 27th, 2009
ABC News is now reporting that there may have been not one or two but three strikes by Israel against arms smugglers in the Sudan recently. These weapons were reportedly Iranian-supplied. Developing…. Today, a Sudanese Foreign Ministry representative said there were two separate bombing raids against smugglers in January and February. The Sudanese minister for [...]
Former Member of CAIR Lobbies Florida Politicians In New Group
Posted by Ryan Mauro on March 27th, 2009
From CAN: Press Conference Warns of Muslim Political Group Tied to Terrorism On March 10, a group of counter-terrorism experts and activists held a press conference in Tallahassee, Fl., to bring attention to a group called United Voices for America, which they allege is tied to terrorism and radical Islam. The press conference coincided with [...]
Israel Likely Behind Air Strike in Sudan, Possibly Launched Second One in Feb
Posted by Ryan Mauro on March 27th, 2009
The Transportation Minister of Sudan has confirmed that a “major power” launched an air strike in Sudan destroying trucks. The confirmation comes after a report surfaced that two months ago U.S. aircraft bombed 17 trucks in Sudan destined to deliver arms for Gaza. The report claimed that the trucks carried satellite phones, Kalashnikovs and explosives.The [...]
4,000 More Troops to Afghanistan
Posted by Matthew Avitabile on March 27th, 2009
The President has announced that the United States would send an additional 4,000 troops to aid the ISAF mission in that country. This comes on top of the 17,000 troops that are already being sent to reinforce the mission: “The situation is increasingly perilous,” Obama said in a somber speech in which he sought to [...]
