Summons of Syrian ambassador by State Department made no mention of N-weapon at issue Feb. 25

Missoula, Feb. 27 (Al-Masakin)–Acting U.S. State Department spokesman Robert Wood told reporters at the daily press briefing this morning that the meeting between Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs Jeffrey Feltman and Syrian Ambassador Imad Mustafa Feb. 26 was “a very frank discussion” and that Ambassador Feltman pointed out “a number of concerns that the United States has about Syrian behavior and activities,” which, alluding to Syria’s support for Palestinian resistance groups, included “terrorist organizations,” Syria not being “good neighbor to Iraq,” and Syria’s alleged interference in the internal affairs in Lebanon. 

The United States does not distinguish between Palestinian groups resisting Israeli occupation and terrorist organizations such as al-Qaeda.

He made no reference to “Syria’s acquisition of nuclear and non-conventional weaponry” as he had on a return to a question taken to the Secretary of State Feb. 25.

For his part, the Syrian Ambassador told the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) “The meeting was constructive… it was characterised by a mutual respect, the discussions mainly concentrated on finding solutions, not registering stances…both sides agreed to hold other meetings to continue dialogue on different raised issues.”   

Senators John Kerry and Howard Berman visted Syria Feb. 21 in an effort to boost dialogue between Damascus and Washington.

EHC / EHC

United States opposed to Iceland’s proposed whale harvest

Missoula, Feb. 27 (Al-Masakin)–The United States opposes Iceland’s Feb. 18 decision to uphold its harvest quota for 150 fin and 100 minke whales to be harvested in Icelandic waters. 

In a press release today the U.S. State Department said: “We are deeply concerned that stocks of fin and minke whales are not adequate to support this harvest. We also believe this action will undermine the ongoing ‘future of the International Whaling Commission’ efforts, of which Iceland is a participant.

“We call upon the Government of Iceland to rescind this decision and to focus on the long-term conservation of whale stocks, rather than on the short-term interests of its whaling industry.”

EHC / EHC

Iran to host international Moot Court for alleged Israeli war criminals March 4-5

View Rate : 1230 #            News Code : TTime- 189880        Print Date : Monday, February 23, 2009 Iran to hold symbolic trial for Israel’s war crimes Tehran Times Political Desk

TEHRAN – Iran will soon host a “symbolic trial” for Israel’s war crimes which will pave the way for an official trial, Community for Supporting Palestinian People secretary general said on Sunday.

Iran is not the only country that intends to hold such trial and this movement has caused “consternation” in Israel, Ali Akbar Mohtashamipour told reporters in a press meeting in Tehran.

Iran’s Chief Prosecutor Ayatollah Qorban-Ali Dori-Najafabadi will be in charge of the symbolic trial, he added.

He also said parliament speakers from 15 Muslim and non-Muslim countries have accepted Tehran’s invitation to attend a 2-day international conference in support of Gaza people which will begin on March 4.

Iran’s Majlis speaker Ali Larijani will chair the March conference.

The conference will condemn Tel Aviv’s war crimes and seek arrest of the Zionist criminals, Mohtashamipour added.

Parliamentary committees from 30 countries will also attend the conference, he added.

Members of the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC), the Arab League, and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) have also been invited, he pointed out.

He stated that another purpose of the upcoming conference in Tehran is to collect evidence of Israel’s crimes from all parts of the world.

Ayatollah Rafsanjani at Friday sermon in Tehran claims Iran ready to prove weapons play no role in Iranian N-program

Ex-President: No Room for Military Weapons in Iran’s N-Program TEHRAN (FNA)- Tehran’s provisional Friday Prayers leader Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said here Friday that Iran is ready to prove in talks that military weapons have no room in Iran’s nuclear program.

“Absolutely, manufacture of military weapons has no position in Iran’s nuclear program. We are ready to prove the issue in talks,” Ayatollah Rafsanjani, who is the Head of the Experts Assembly and the Expediency Council Chairman, said in his second Friday prayers sermon to large groups of Tehrani Friday prayers worshipers. “Definitely, the Friday prayers leader does not say anything wrong from the Friday prayers tribune; neither does he give an awry promise because it (the sermon) is like saying two units of prayers. Those listening to this sermon should know that we do not wish to divert our nuclear program towards military side and we are ready to prove the issue in talks”, the Islamic republic news agency quoted him as saying. He said, “If you have good intention towards talks, so do not seek pretexts. Talks should be long, constant and logical, while being free of any threat, intimidation and warning so that we can reach a point that is fact. I tell you for sure that in Iran’s nuclear program there is no room for manufacture of military weapons. Those are you who insinuate the wrong concept to the world public opinion and minds; don’t do that. You terrify the region; that’s not to anybody’s interest.” Commenting on recent Iran report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Head, Mohammad ElBaradei, Iran’s former president said the report is double-standard and not good. “Despite announcing that there is no reason for Iran going after military works, the report continued to leave the ambiguity why Iran does not implement the additional protocol?” He added, “We have not signed the additional protocol and have neither given any commitment.”

16 Bay Area residents arrested for trying to obtain false passports

Missoula, Feb. 27 (Al-Masakin)–The U.S. Attorney’s office for the Norther District of California in a press release today announced that the  U.S. Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) has arrested 16 people since Dec. 2008 for giving false information in order to obtain American passports.  More than 125 Bay Area residents have been prosecuted for similar crimes since 2007.  According to the DSS the charges are a result of its zero-tolerance policy towards impostors who try to obtain authentic American passports.

According to court records and proceedings, the following 16 defendants all made misrepresentations of their identity on applications for passports:

• Berta Aldana-Fernadz of San Francisco, is alleged to have possessed an authentic United States passport in a false name. Aldana-Fernadez was previously charged on December 5, and her case is in progress.
• Efrain Molina of South San Francisco is alleged to have applied for a passport using another person’s birth certificate. Molina was arrested by DSS Special Agents on December 15, and his case is in progress.
• Antonio Flores of San Jose Calif., was convicted of possessing a fraudulent Social Security Number when he applied for a passport. Flores previously self-surrendered to DSS Special Agents and was convicted on December 9. FLORES awaits sentencing.
• Francisco Asis of Concord, Calif., was convicted of possessing a false driver’s license when he applied for a passport. Asis was previously arrested by DSS Special Agents and was sentenced to two years probation on December 10.
• Gabriel Zuniga-Murrillo of San Lorenzo, Calif., was convicted of possessing a fraudulent birth certificate when he applied for a passport. Zuniga-Murrillo previously self-surrendered to DSS Special Agents and was sentenced to three years probation on December 16.
• Victor Topete of Pittsburg, Calif., was convicted of possessing a false identification document when he applied for a passport. Topete was previously arrested by DSS Special Agents and was sentenced to three years probation on December 16.
• Gloria Paniagua of Pacifica, Calif., was convicted of possessing a false identification document when she applied for a passport. Panigua was previously arrested by DSS Special Agents and was sentenced to one year probation on January 16.
• Billy Joe Blu Degolyer of Pacifica, was convicted of selling his birth certificate to another person, who then used it to apply for a passport. Degolyer previously self-surrendered to DSS Special Agents and was convicted on January 22. Degolyer awaits sentencing.
• Julio Kleber Lemos Souza of Daly City, Calif., is alleged to have applied for passport using another person’s birth certificate. Souza eluded arrest on February 2 and remains a DSS fugitive.
• Rodigo Carvalho of San Francisco, is alleged to have applied for a passport using another person’s birth certificate. Carvalho eluded arrest on February 2, and remains a DSS fugitive.
• Juan Ruiz-Gonzalez of Concord, Calif., is alleged to have applied for a passport using another person’s birth certificate. Ruiz-Gonzalez was arrested by DSS Special Agents on February 5, and his case is in progress.
• Gabriel Soto-Magana of Santa Rosa, Calif., is alleged to have applied for a passport using another person’s birth certificate. Soto-Magana was arrested by Department of Homeland Security officers in San Diego on February 14, and is in the process of being transferred to federal court in San Francisco where his case is in progress.
• Maria Floreano of Rohnert Park, Calif., is alleged to have applied for a passport using another person’s birth certificate. Floreano self-surrendered to DSS Special Agents on February 20, and her case is in progress.
• Matthew Blake Morrow formerly of Concord, is alleged to have applied for a passport using counterfeit school records and false witness statements used to prove his identity. Morrow was Indicted on February 18 and is in the process of being transferred from Tennessee state prison to federal court in Oakland, where his case is in progress.
• Victor Hugo Barajas of Redwood City, Calif., is alleged to have applied for a passport using another person’s birth certificate. Barajas was arrested by DSS Special Agents on February 24, and his case is in progress.
• Miguel Peral Cervantes of Berkeley, Calif., is alleged to have applied for a passport using another person’s birth certificate. Cervantes has agreed to self-surrender to DSS Special Agents on February 26, and his case is in progress.

Each of the individuals listed above was charged with violating 18 U.S.C. § 1542, False Statement in Application for a Passport or 18 U.S.C. § 1028, Fraud in Connection with Identification Documents. The maximum statutory penalties for these offenses ranges from one to 10 years of imprisonment, although any sentence following conviction was or would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Electronic court filings and further procedural and docket information are available at https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

EHC / EHC

Photos: Friday prayer in the Holy Land

Fri Feb 27, 8:27 AM ET

Palestinian worshippers attend Friday prayers in the Arab neighborhood of Silwan in east Jerusalem February 27, 2009. Palestinians said on Monday the Israeli-controlled municipality of Jerusalem was preparing to evict 1,500 Palestinians and demolish over 80 homes in the eastern part of the disputed city. The more than 80 homes slated for demolition are in the neighbourhood of al-Bustan, in the Silwan area of East Jerusalem. Most of the houses in al-Bustan were built in the 1980s and 1990s, according to the Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem.REUTERS/Ammar Awad (JERUSALEM)

Fri Feb 27, 9:56 AM ET

Palestinians pray outside at a protest during a rainstorm in the neighborhood of Silwan in east Jerusalem, Friday, Feb. 27, 2009. The worshippers were protesting a possible plan by Israeli authorities to destroy some 80 Palestinian houses to make room for an archaeological park. Israel says many of the houses were built without permits, something local residents deny.(AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)

Fri Feb 27, 9:53 AM ET

Palestinians pray in the street during Friday prayers after being prevented from entering the Al Aqsa Mosque, in Jerusalem’s Old City, Friday, Feb. 27, 2009. Israeli police placed restrictions on prayers at the holy site fearing protests against a possible plan by Israeli authorities to destroy some 80 Palestinian houses to make room for an archaeological park in the Silwan neighborhood. Israel says many of the houses were built without permits, something local residents deny.(AP Photo/Dan Balilty)

Fri Feb 27, 9:23 AM ET

Palestinians pray outside at a protest during a rainstorm in the neighborhood of Silwan in east Jerusalem, Friday, Feb. 27, 2009. The worshippers were protesting a possible plan by Israeli authorities to destroy some 80 Palestinian houses to make room for an archaeological park. Israel says many of the houses were built without permits, something local residents deny.(AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)

Fri Feb 27, 9:06 AM ET

Palestinians pray outside at a protest tent during a rainstorm in the neighborhood of Silwan in east Jerusalem, Friday, Feb. 27, 2009. The worshippers were protesting a possible plan by Israeli authorities to destroy some 80 Palestinian houses to make room for an archaeological park. Israel says many of the houses were built without permits, something local residents deny.(AP Photo/Tara Todras-Whitehill)

Fri Feb 27, 9:20 AM ET

Palestinians, some wearing prayer rugs on their heads, gather before praying outside at a protest tent during a rainstorm in the neighborhood of Silwan in east Jerusalem, Friday, Feb. 27, 2009. The worshippers were protesting a possible plan by Israeli authorities to destroy some 80 Palestinian houses to make room for an archaeological park. Israel says many of the houses were built without permits, something local residents deny.(AP Photo/Tara Todras-Whitehill)

ISESCO condemns Israeli Channel 10 for libel to Prophet Mohammed one week after insult by the same to Jesus and Mother Mary

Feb 26, 2009   ISESCO strongly condemns Israeli TV offense against Prophet Mohammad Rabat, Morocco, (SANA)-The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) on Thursday strongly condemned the Israeli TV, channel 10th offense against the Prophet Mohammad, describing this act as shameful and indecent. “This heinous act is a new evidence of the Zionist entity’s racism whose record is full of crimes and violations of the international law and religious values,” the Rabat- based Organization said in a statement, referring to another offense against Jesus Christ and his mother Mary the Virgin last week. ISESCO called on the international community to condemn such offenses against the God’s prophets, Islamic and Christian sanctities and symbols. The Israeli TV, Channel 10 on Wednesday broadcast a program offending the Prophet Mohammad after one week of a previous offense against the Jesus Christ. Mazen ———————————– RELATED: Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) condems Israeli libel of Jesus Christ and Mother Mary

Secretary of State Clinton will attend and participate in the donor’s conference for Gaza recovery hosted by Egypt on March 2, to meet with Palestinian officials in W. Bank thereafter

Missoula, Feb. 26 (Al-Masakin)–U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton arriving in Egypt March 1 will meet with Special Envoy for Middle East Peace George Mitchell and other high-level representatives and will attend and participate in the donor’s conference for Gaza recovery at Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt on March 2. 

Thereafter the Secretary will meet with Israeli and Palestinian officials in Israel and in the West Bank respectively.  The Secretary is not expected to visit Gaza.

On March 5 Mrs. Clinton will meet with NATO officals in Brussels to discuss the upcoming NATO summit where the allies will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the organization.  The date of that summit has not been announced.  While in Brussels the Secretary will meet separately with EU officials.  She will then travel to Geneva.

After meeting with Swiss officials to discuss U.S.- Swiss cooperation the Secretary will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss a number of issues of mutual interest, including possibilities for a follow-on agreement to START, and U.S.-Russian cooperation in areas such as Afghanistan.

After that the Secretary will meet with Turkish officials in Ankara.  The tour will end March 7.

EHC / EHC

Navy Adm. Patrick M. Walsh concludes conditions of confinement at Guantanamo Bay are consistent with Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions however suggests some improvements be made

Missoula, Feb. 26 (Al-Masakin)–In stark contrast to the independent review, Current Conditions of Confinement at Guantanamo: Still in Violation of the Law, conducted by the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), Admiral Patrick M. Walsh said at a press conference at the Pentagon on Monday that the conditions at the Guantanamo Bay detention facilities do indeed comply with Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions with respect to the humane treatment of prisoners. 

 

His statement to this effect was however qualified by the assertion: “The chain of command responsible for the detention mission at Guantanamo consistently seeks to go beyond the minimum standard in complying with Common Article 3,” the Armed Forces Press Service reported on Tuesday. 

 

The Admiral thereafter made several recommendations asserting that the detainees needed more “human-to-human contact, recreation opportunities with several detainees together, intellectual stimulation and group prayer.”

 

In his report Review of Department Compliance with the President’s Executive Order on Detainee Conditions of Confinement with respect to Common Article 3 Admiral Walsh said “No prohibited acts were found.”

 

This is not to say that the conditions of confinement there are not in fact very harsh, but to say that the conditions of confinement are not in violation of the law.  In his conclusions the Admiral said that conditions of confinement must be looked at in terms of what may be considered humane today vis-à-vis what would be considered humane over a prolonged period of detention.

 

“While our review has determined that all conditions of confinement are currently in conformity with Common Article 3, our list of recommendations calls attention to those actions that we think will assist USSOUTHCOM in its continuing efforts to enhance humane conditions of detention in Guantánamo.

 

“The Review Team recognized the value of socialization throughout the detention facilities, especially considering the length of time individuals at Guantánamo have been detained. The key to socialization is providing more human-to-human contact, recreation opportunities with several detainees together, intellectual stimulation, and group prayer. Socialization is essential to maintain humane treatment over time,” the report released Feb. 23 said.

 

Admiral Wash in his report conceded that prolonged uncertainty about their future was having a detrimental impact on the mental health of those detained there.

 

“The Review Team is convinced that the ability of detainees to understand their future has a direct correlation to detainee behavior and conditions inside the camp population, and will impact the long-term ability to comply with Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions. Rising tension and anxiety among the detainees leads to acts of defiance, non-compliance with camp rules, and manifestations of self-harm or attempts to injure or kill camp personnel. Therefore, we recommend seeking immediate assistance through the interagency process to expeditiously determine the detainees’ future and take action to repatriate or transfer detainees as appropriate. Increased emphasis in this regard will help the [Joint Detention Group] JDG Commander manage the detainee population consistent with Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions.

 

“Not knowing when they might depart Guantánamo (for home or elsewhere) has almost certainly increased tension and anxiety within the detainee population,” the Admiral in his report said.

 

With respect to alleged detainee humiliation through forced nudity the report maintained:

 

“Search for and seizure of contraband take a graduated approach: guards use a detainee “pat-down” search first, followed by an electronic wand or “Rapiscan” system to search private areas; if those means are not available or sufficient, guards conduct a modified strip search, respecting detainee privacy; complete strip searches are a last resort, only authorized by [Joint Detention Group Commander] CJDG. Female guards are not authorized in areas of the camps that would provide them a view of detainees showering; female guards are not permitted to be present when strip searches occur, nor are they authorized to operate “Rapiscan” systems.

 

Rapiscan Systems manufactures “hands-off” electronic people screening which the manufactures claims their screening systems produce “high resolution images that enable the operator to easily identify concealed threat and contraband items…ideal for high security environments because both organic (e.g. explosives, narcotics, ceramic weapons) and inorganic (e.g. metal) materials are apparent in the image” and use “advanced techniques to protect the privacy of the person being screened while enabling effective detection of threat items.”

 

The DoD report on searches of detainees concluded: “No prohibited acts were found and conditions are humane.”

 

EHC / EHC

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad submits bill on Universal Jurisdiction and international war crimes, awaits Majlis and Guardian Council approval

View Rate : 1125 #            News Code : TTime- 189890        Print Date : Monday, February 23, 2009 Ahmadinejad submits intl. war crimes bill Tehran Times Political Desk TEHRAN — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad presented a bill to the Majlis on Sunday calling for the investigation of international war crimes. In January, the cabinet approved the bill calling for the prosecution of individuals charged with committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, especially against Muslim people, in any part of the world. According to the bill, massacring people or depriving them of basic necessities and blocking the supply of humanitarian assistance with the aim of exterminating all or part of a population because they practice a particular religion or inhabit a particular region are all considered genocide and those convicted of such offenses will be sentenced to death or receive a prison sentence ranging from 15 years to life. Displacing people, racism, rape, and other similar inhumane actions perpetrated against a civilian population on a large scale in order to carry out the policies of an organization or a government are deemed to be crimes against humanity and those convicted of such offenses will be sentenced to 10 to 20 years imprisonment, the bill states. The bill also defines the deliberate murder of people, illegal confiscation of assets, forcing captives to fight against their own country, taking hostages, using toxic weapons, starving civilians, and recruiting children under 15 year olds for military operations as war crimes. If the bill is approved by the Majlis and the Guardian Council and becomes a law, the Iranian Judiciary will designate some of its courts in Tehran for holding trials

Gaza: State Department unsure if pasta counts as humanitarian aid

Missoula, Feb. 25 (Al-Masakin)–State Department spokesman Robert Wood responding to questions about Israel’s refusal to allow pasta into the Gaza strip said that he was uncertain as to whether or not pasta should be considered humanitarian assistance.  Israel is currently only permitting rice into the region.

“I…can’t tell you whether…pasta should fall… into that category of humanitarian assistance or not,” Mr. Wood said at the State Department’s daily press briefing this morning.

Mr. Wood, on behalf of the State Department, implied that the phrase “humanitarian assistance” might apply only to things which are determined to be ”absolutely necessary,” but conceded that that decision would be best left to the NGOs and other international organizations such as the UNRWA in the area, the very organizations which have complained that they are being denied that right by Israel. 

Q. “Shouldn’t all food and medicine be allowed into Gaza at this point? I mean, is that really…even a question about dual use?”

A. “I can’t give you an assessment of…whether all of these things are absolutely necessary to meet the humanitarian needs of the Gazan people. That’s better left to those international organizations and NGOs…who are in the area trying to work on this issue. I just can’t make that kind of determination,” Robert Wood said.

When asked whether or not Israel should use the denial of aid as political weapon and tie aid to the release Gilad Shalit the Spokesman refused to comment. During the Q & A that followed Mr. Wood said that he did not believe the question as to whether or not Israel ought to be deciding what kinds of food Palestinians should eat was a legitimate question.  The edited transcript of that Q & A follows.

Q. “Do you think that Israel should be tying the amount of aid and supplies getting into Gaza to the release of Corporal Gilad Shalit?  Some people in Israeli Prime Minister Olmert’s staff have complained…that aid is being used as a political tool.”

A. ”It’s not for me…to engage in these types of…issues.”

Q. “You can’t say whether…aid should be used as a political weapon?”

A. “Well, aid should never be used a political weapon. But again, I’m not engaged in those discussions that are going on with regard to, you know, the opening of the borders and with regard to the ceasefire.”

Q. “Is Israel honoring the ceasefire in terms of allowing the aid? Are they meeting their obligations?”

A. “I just can’t give you that kind of assessment at this point…But we’re going to continue to push, as I said, to get humanitarian supplies in to the people of Gaza.”

Q. “But can you imagine any circumstance under which pasta could be considered a dual-use item? Or…is rigatoni somehow going to be used as a weapon?”

A. “I’m not involved in those discussions…And I think we should leave it.”

Q. “Can you take a question on the pasta, please?”

A. “I’m not going to take the question on the pasta.”

Q. “Why?”

A. “Because it’s…We’re trying to get humanitarian supplies in…to the people in Gaza.”

Q. “Do you think food is a humanitarian supply?”

A. “Food certainly is.”

Q. “All kinds of food?”

A. “I’m not able to tell you.”

Q. “Can…you take the question of what kind of food that the U.S. thinks is a humanitarian supply?”

A. “I’m not going to take that question, because I don’t think it’s a legitimate question.”

Q. “Should Israel decide what food the Palestinians need?”

A. “I’m sorry, Elise…I’ve spoken on it.”

EHC / EHC

Media Alert: Acting Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman to meet with Syrian Ambassador Imad Mustafa Thursday, Feb. 26: To discuss Syria’s alleged acquisition of N-weapon

Missoula, Feb. 25 (Al-Masakin)–State Department spokesman Robert Wood confirmed that Acting Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman will meet with Syrian Ambassador Imad Mustafa Thursday morning Feb. 26 at the State Department.  Syria’s active support for Palestinian organizations on Washington’s list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), human rights, and alleged Syrian interference in Lebanese domestic affairs will be on the State Department’s agenda.

The State Department has also asserted that Syria has acquired nuclear weapons and other WMDs.

“There remain key differences between our two governments, including our concerns about Syria’s support to terrorist groups and networks, Syria’s acquisition of nuclear and non-conventional weaponry, interference in Lebanon and worsening human rights situation.

“This meeting is an opportunity to use dialogue to discuss these concerns,” Robert Wood said this morning.

EHC / EHC

Al-Masakin interview with Creationist Adnan Oktar, Part I

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/02/24/18573005.php

Interview with Mr. Adnan Oktar by Edward Campbell, February 12th 2009

adnan_oktar_24feb09.pdf
download PDF (172.6 KB)

Q. Darwinists are raving all over the media about the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin. One noteworthy media outlet claims “Modern biology would be totally incomprehensible without Darwin’s enormous contributions.” From a scientific point of view, is that a true statement? Is biology comprehensible without Darwin? Is there any serious opposition to Darwinism within the scientific community?

A. It is obvious that a theory unable to explain how the living cell, or even a single protein formed can contribute nothing to biology. That is an empty slogan. Anyone with any understanding of biology can see that. The use of such slogans is one of Darwinists’ best-known tactics. By making such statements they intend to prevent people seeing the truth and to eliminate any research, thought or independent evaluation of the data, in other words to manage people as they want.

Darwinism is a hindrance rather than a support to countless branches of science, such as biology, paleontology, zoology and genetics. It is an ideology that has led hundreds of scientists and thousands of students to spend decades following a lie, to millions of dollars beings spent on trying to prove Darwin’s irrational and unscientific claims, and in short to a waste of time, money and energy.

The death of Darwinism is a liberation for biology and other branches of science and an opening of the way to freedom of thought, broad thinking and the ability to research and enquire free of pressure. The only reason why the great majority of scientists say they believe in Darwinism is the pressure from the Darwinist global mafia. How else can one account for a rational person espousing a theory that even a primary school student would never believe?

Darwinists have literally constructed a global dictatorship and Darwinist imposition reigns supreme. They never leave in peace any scientist or academic who does not think like them, who does not espouse evolution or who makes statements even hinting at opposition to evolution.

It is impossible for any scientist who says he is against evolution to rise in his career, make himself heard, or come by the means needed to perform the research he wishes. A great many professors have been removed from their posts as a requirement of this imposition of Darwinism for defending the fact of Creation. The most recent example of this is Michael Reiss, erstwhile director of Education at the British Royal Academy, who suggested that Creation should be taught in schools. There are many others.

Q. A colleague of mine, a journalism student, is obsessed with exposing the Freemasons and this drive is the principle reason he decided to go to journalism school. There are many people who have trepidation over the existence of this cult, but under the current political climate most people who talk about the dangers of Freemasonry are dismissed as kooks. But from what I understand the neophyte to that religion is threatened with physical violence should he ever reveal the secrets of his brothers.

The oath of a Master Mason in part says: “I will keep a worthy brother Master Mason’s secrets inviolable, when communicated to and received by me as such, murder and treason excepted.” This obligates a Freemason to remain silent on crimes committed by another Mason, even in a court of law, and to a whole host of possible crimes. The neophyte is threatened should be break this oath to have his tongue torn out, his left breast torn open, his throat cut from ear to ear, etc.

Is that oath to Freemasonry real or is it just drama? Would a Masonic lodge actually carry out these threats? Besides succumbing to Shirk through the practices of Freemasonry, what is the principle danger of Freemasonry to the peace loving world?

A. This is a classic Masonic tactic. It is a tactic of depicting these things as illusory concepts that could never happen in real life and that have nothing to do with them in order to conceal the satanic aspect of freemasonry from the public. Freemasonry is an organization that has direct links to Satan, and they describe this in their own journals. They describe Satan as a beacon lighting their way. And the spilling of blood is an important ritual for freemasonry.

There are many instances of Masonic killings, both historical and in the present day. But people tend not to have a wide-ranging knowledge of freemasonry, although Allah has made my books instrumental in their now being much better informed. My book Judaism and Freemasonry is the most effective and striking work on the subject. People used not to know what atheist Zionism was, and it was important for people to have comprehensive information about freemasonry.

There were books about freemasonry, but they were largely defamatory or fantastical accounts. My book was a very satisfying one, fully documented and with technical descriptions based on scientific evidence. This was the first time the Turkish nation came to have a comprehensive understanding of freemasonry, and the book caused a huge furor. I can say there was hardly a home in Turkey without a copy. I described the difference between Judaism and atheist Zionism in great detail, as well as the oppression inflicted by atheist Zionists and fully documenting the links between them and the freemasons. It was very satisfying in that sense.

Even at middle and high school I suspected that the wars, revolutions and conflict in the world were not spontaneous. As I researched the matter I came across freemasonry. I had found the answer. I saw that these things were not spontaneous, that wars and revolutions were organized, and that wars were planned right down to their beginnings and ends. I saw also applied to revolutions. Masons admit that themselves. Many people are unaware that Karl Marx was a freemason. And Lenin. Nobody realized that Hitler was a great admirer of freemasonry and had close ties to it. Nobody realizes the connection between Mussolini and freemasonry. Nobody knows what lodge he was registered with. One imagines all these things were random events, but they were not.

It was the masons who set the French Revolution in motion. The Masons even executed their own kind during the French Revolution. That is how fanatical they were. That is how sinister freemasonry is. It is an organization with tentacles all over the world, and as a Muslim, I cannot ignore it. Because freemasonry directly targets devout Muslims, Christians and Jews. It regards religious people as the main threat.

The Masons’ success in spreading strife and corruption is well hidden. They constantly and covertly organize and manage troubles and problems. It is the masons who direct the communists. And masons who direct terror. It was the masons who managed Saddam. They used the man and then cast him off like an old shoe. They first used him in the commission of massacres. Saddam was nothing without Masonic backing. He was powerless. It all came to an end when the masons decided he should be destroyed.

Freemasonry is a very sinister system. Very secretive. It enters the body like a bacterium and gradually eats it away and kills it. The disease has to be accurately diagnosed if there is to be any cure. It is essential therefore that it be exposed. I have exposed this evil organization in my works, insha’Allah.

Q. My personal impression of Freemasonry is that it is a principle disseminator of Zionist ideology. From what I understand both Christians and Jews are allowed to join. For instance the candidate needs only to profess one’s faith in God, but is not required to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. From what I understand however Muslims are not permitted by the Masonic lodge, of course Islam itself prohibits the practices of Freemasonry, but Freemasonry is discriminatory. For instance the Masonic lodges that go by the initials AF & AM does not permit black people either. Albert Pike, the author of the Masonic textbook Morals and Dogma, was a Confederate General.

Isn’t Freemasonry in addition to being a secretive cult which threatens its members also a manifestly racist organization? Is the so-called “Southern Jurisdiction” of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, which propounds Albert Pike’s book, connected to any other racist organizations like the KKK?

A. Let me make it plain that communism, fascism, racism, terror and anarchy are all scourges organized and disseminated by freemasonry. Masons do not hide this fact, but describe what they go in their own publications quite shamelessly. They describe how they kill, spread anarchy, cause wars, incite revolutions and darken the lives of thousands of people.

Freemasonry is widespread in Arab countries, too, and in other Muslim countries. It is true that the Qur’an, the Torah and the Gospels are kept in Masonic lodges, but the masons use these scriptures to hide their own irreligiousness. They try to give the impression they are not opposed to religion. They do not therefore reveal their true faces to novices.

As you know, freemasonry consists of many ranks and grades, and one of the main principles of freemasonry is “gradually shedding light on the sleeping eye.” In other words, the novice mason is not told everything at once. They turn him away from religious virtues, a healthy conscience and spiritual values only gradually, and with every new grade one becomes more disposed to establishing direct links with Satan.

Masons are terrified of Satan. They fear him in the way God is feared. They do whatever Satan says. If he tells them to shed blood, they shed blood. If he tells them to incite conflict, they incite conflict. If he wants wars, they start wars. That is why freemasonry sets up all kinds of racist, fascist, communist and terrorist organizations, directs and supports them. There is nothing surprising in that. It is freemasonry’s whole raison d’être.

EHC / AO / EHC
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Al-Masakin News Agency
http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com/

Former CIA officer calls 9-11 Commission Report “a whitewash”

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/02/23/18572792.php

Former CIA officer Michael Scheuer calls 9-11 Commission report “a whitewash” at University of Montana lecture

michael_scheuer.23feb09.pdf
download PDF (52.9 KB)

By Edward Campbell

Missoula, Feb. 23 (Al-Masakin)—Former CIA officer in charge of the bin Laden tracking unit and Machiavellian political theorist Michael Scheuer (pronounced “Sh-oi-er), a Catholic, speaking today at the University of Montana said that the 9-11 Commission Report is “a whitewash” designed to protect the careers of American politicians not an attempt to cover-up alleged CIA involvement in the 9-11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C.

He discounted the 9-11Truth movement and said that at the level of intelligence the amount of evidence that al-Qaeda was behind the attacks is overwhelming. At the same time however, Mr. Scheuer asserted that when the 9-11 archives are eventually made public “the American people will be shocked” at the dereliction of American politicians to deal with the threat posed by Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda. “The 9-11 Commission Report was a whitewash designed to hide culpability,” he said.

He likewise discounted the theories that Osama bin Laden was on kidney dialysis, that bin Laden was following a form of numerology based either on the Qur’an published by assassinated Imam Rashad Khalifa who was murdered by the Al-Farooq organization at his mosque in Tucson in 1990 or upon numerology of his own design. He also did not believe that the 9-11 hoaxes generated shortly after the attacks were orchestrated by al-Qaeda itself, but that an attack of such catastrophic size easily lends

itself to conspiracy theories. He said he felt no animosity towards the movement saying that America has free speech and everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but nevertheless did not feel that the 9-11 Truthers have presented anything that is very convincing. He also maintained that from an intelligence perspective we have every reason to believe that bin Laden is alive and said that through rumors about bin Laden’s alleged kidney failure the American people are “being fed a bill of goods.”

He instead placed the blame for the 9-11 terrorist attacks on American foreign policy which continues to support despotic regimes such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Algeria and Israel. He furthermore denounced the Israeli lobby, said that America has lost the war in Afghanistan, and that America will probably never leave Iraq. “We came, we saw, and we got stuck.”

He went on to say that American foreign policy is not going to change and that President Obama’s mantra about change was about the last thing that was actually going to happen.

Mr. Scheuer praised, on the other hand, the CIA saying he very much enjoyed working for the agency. He said that the CIA is not the rogue organization that it is frequently made out to be calling such accusations made since the Church Commission “off the mark.”

Al-Masakin News Agency
http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com/

Three judge panel of the ICC to publish decision on possible arrest warrant for Sudan’s President Omar Al Bashir March 4

Missoula, Feb. 23 (Al-Masakin)–The International Criminal Court (ICC) shall publish its decision on whether or not to issue an arrest warrent for Sudan’s President Omar Al Bashir for the crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

In an effort to quash media rumors about a possible arrest warrant being issued for Al Bashir, the three judeg panel of Pre-Trial Chamber I,  after noting the Prosecution’s application for an arrest warrent for Al Bashir made July 14, 2008, article 58 of the Rome Statute, which established the procedure for issuance of summons and arrest warrents for failure to appear, and article 68 which protects the witness and victims of the crimes, decided to make a public announcement on the disposition of the case March 4.

EHC / EHC

Vice President Biden acknowleged torture of detainees was a powerful recruiting tool for al-Qaeda at swearing-in of new CIA Director Leon Panetta

Missoula, Feb. 23 (Al-Masakin)–Vice President Joseph Biden at swearing in ceremony for new CIA director Leon E. Panetta Feb. 19 acknowleged torture and detainment of suspects at Guantanamo Bay prison was a powerful recruiting tool for al-Qaeda. 

Refering to Executive Order Ensuring Lawful Interrogations, which revoked Executive Order 13440 of July 20, 2007, the Executive Order to Close Guantanamo Bay Detention Facilities, Executive Order Review of Detention Policy Options, signed Jan. 22, 2009, the Vice President said. 

“He issued an executive order to reverse the policies that in my view and the view of many in this Agency caused America to fall short of its founding principles and which gave al-Qaeda a powerful recruiting tool. As a result of these orders, we will close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. We will have a single standard across the government for interrogation of – in armed conflict. And we’ll ensure the Red Cross access to all those who are detained in armed conflict,” the Vice President said.

EHC / EHC

IFJ and FAJ release report on Israeli targeting of media during recent Gaza war

Missoula, Feb. 23 (Al-Masakin)–International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Federation of Arab Journalists (FAJ) released a 32 page report Friday detailing the results of their joint fact finding Solidarity Mission to Gaza Jan. 22-23. 

The report has confirms Israel targeted media personnel during the recent Gaza war.  The report Justice in the News: A response to Targeting of Media in Gaza found the media was subjected to intimidation, direct military assault, and unlawfully blockaded from Nov.5, 2008 until Israeli ceased hostilities Jan. 18.  The Israeli media has been prohibited from entering Gaza since Oct. 2006.

 

The IFJ’s Secretary General Aidan White demanded an end to “double-talk” on the issue of the Israeli targeting of media and demanded a United Nations investigation into what he called “premeditated and precise” assaults on journalists working there during the conflict.

 

“Here was reckless intimidation of media on a shocking scale that should not go unpunished. If it does, it leaves journalists and media exposed to the threat of attack in any conflict at any time in the future,” Mr. White said at a press conference in Brussels on Friday.

 

The report also condemns the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) for threats and intimidation in their attempts to control the media.

 

The report cites in evidence the Dec. 28 bombing of the Al-Aqsa Television, the Jan. 9 assault on Al-Johara media tower, and the Jan. 15 attack on the Al-Shuroug media tower. 

 

The report demands Israel be held accountable by the interantional community for numerous violation of the Geneva Conventions and U.N. Security Council Resolution 1738 which in 2006 condemed attacks on journalists, media professionals and associated personnel, in armed conflicts, emphasized that intentional attacks on civilians constituted War Crimes, and recalled the Geneva Conventions which obligated states to search for the persons responsible for such attacks and place them on trial in a court of law. 

 

EHC / EHC

 

 

 

 

 

Photos: Torture victim Binyam Mohamed repatriated to U.K.

Mon Feb 23, 10:36 AM ET

Former British resident Binyam Mohamed, back right, who has been held at Guantanamo Bay leaves a plane at Northolt military base in west London Monday Feb. 23, 2009. A former British resident who claims he was brutally tortured at a covert CIA site in Morocco has been freed from Guantanamo after nearly seven years in U.S. captivity — an ordeal that could come back to haunt the U.S. and British governments. Wearing a tan sweater, a white cap and carrying a bundle of documents, Binyam Mohamed landed at Northolt military base Monday — the first Guantanamo prisoner released since President Barack Obama took office.(AP Photo/ Lewis Whyld/PA Wire)

Mon Feb 23, 9:09 AM ET

Former British resident Binyam Mohamed, top, who has been held at Guantanamo Bay steps from a plane at Northolt military base in west London Monday Feb. 23, 2009. A former British resident who claims he was brutally tortured at a covert CIA site in Morocco has been freed from Guantanamo after nearly seven years in U.S. captivity — an ordeal that could come back to haunt the U.S. and British governments. Wearing a tan sweater, a white cap and carrying a bundle of documents, Binyam Mohamed landed at Northolt military base Monday — the first Guantanamo prisoner released since President Barack Obama took office.(AP Photo/ Lewis Whyld/PA Wire)

Victim of CIA torture Binyam Mohamed repatriated to U.K.

 

News Code: 368310

GMT: 2/23/2009 1:51:35 PM

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‘Tortured’ Guantanamo detainee back in UK

London, Feb 23, IRNA — UK resident Binyam Mohamed returned to Britain Monday after being incarcerated at the US internment camp in Guantanamo Bay for more than four years and allegedly previously tortured by the CIA.

His arrival comes after a London High Court ruling that evidence of how the 30-year old Ethiopian may have been tortured, and what Britain’s MI5 security agency knew about it, must remain secret because of serious threats from the US.

Binyam’s lawyer, Stafford Smith, who is director of Reprieve human rights group, is pressing for the evidence to be released. “He is a victim who has suffered more than any human being should ever suffer,” Smith said.

He was originally arrested in Pakistan in 2002, before the CIA secretly flew him to Morocco where he was allegedly brutally tortured. Later he was flown to Afghanistan before being sent to Guantanamo Bay.

In a statement, Binyam said that the worst moment of his captivity was when he realized his alleged torturers were receiving material from UK intelligence agents.

“I have to say, more in sadness than in anger, that many have been complicit in my own horrors over the past seven years,” he said. “It is still difficult for me to believe that I was abducted, hauled from one country to the next, and tortured in medieval ways — all orchestrated by the United States government.”

Prior to his release, the British resident ended a month-long hunger strike ago after visits from his lawyers, Foreign Office officials and a UK doctor, who passed him fit to travel.

Previously the British government insisted that it was not responsible for residents held in Guantanamo Bay, but on Sunday Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said Binyam would be allowed ‘temporary admission’ into the UK.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband, who is under pressure to release the evidence about his alleged torture, said his release was the first step towards the goal of closing Guantanamo Bay.

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End News / IRNA / News Code 368310

Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) condems Israeli libel of Jesus Christ and Mother Mary

Missoula, Feb. 23 (Al-Masakin)–The Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu in a press release Feb. 22 condemnded the Israeli Channel 10 for broadcasting libelous content against the Christian Prophet Jesus Christ and his Mother Mary.

The Secretary General reaffirmed the consistent position of the Organization of the Islamic Conference against disrespect and defamation of the Prophets of the revealed faiths and the insult of religious symbols.

Ekmeleddin also express the organizations solidarity with Christians in the Holy Land and urged the people of all faiths to take a unified position against the defamation of religions and beliefs and insulting symbols that are sacred to different religious faiths.

The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations which has membership of 57 states spread over four continents. The Organization is the collective voice of the Muslim world and ensuring to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world. The Organization was established upon a decision of the historical summit which took place in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco on 12th Rajab 1389 Hijra (25 September 1969) as a result of criminal arson of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem.

 

EHC / EHC