Report from B.C. on 2010 Olympics

	Canadians for Language Fairness Inc. P.O. Box 40111 Bank & Hunt Club Postal Outlet 2515 Bank Street. Ottawa, ON, K1V 0W8 Tel (613) 321-7333 Fax (613) 524-3247 Website: http://www.languagefairness.ca/ Email: clf1@sympatico.ca
September 27, 2009 British Columbia, a province with only 1.5% of its population made up of French-speakers, is getting a huge boost of spending to promote the French language because of the winter Olympics to be held next year. The Federal government is desperately trying to show the world how bilingual Canada is and no expense is being spared to create that illusion. Bilingual French-speakers are being recruited from Quebec and New Brunswick & all sorts of programs are hurriedly put together that the Feds hope will give the world the impression that Canada is indeed bilingual. Another report also said that two-thirds of the participants are coming from Quebec. Why is this so? Are we now giving French athletes from Quebec priority participation in the Olympics? Alastair has been very hard at work gathering information on what is being done and reporting on how effective the huge amounts of money spent have been. Here is his report: Kim, 1. It will be recalled that earlier on I challenged the Canada-BC Agreement on the promotion of official languages, the title being misleading since it only deals with Francophones. Thanks to Dot Fuhrman I subsequently received an amendment which changes the title to simply Promotion of Francophone Minorities in BC. The Agreement has cost taxpayers a total of $2.8 million over 2 years. $750,000 from the Feds and $750,000 from the BC government per year. 2. The Nanaimo Francophone's Bonjour Program is, so far, off to a slow start. After their glossy brochure issued last year, plus other fanfares, it now seems like a damp squib. So far only 4 hotels and one B&B, out of a total 23, have responded with service in French available. When I called at the Howard Johnson Hotel and asked what service they have for French visitors, it took them a long time to find anything and eventually I was given 2 pieces of paper with information in French. I have sent letters to the 4 main hotels suggesting a multilingual service. I have also sent you a copy of the 4 Categories for availability of French. I also confirm that I have visited many businesses and few are interested in the Bonjour Program. The manager of a predominant and popular restaurant told me that they wanted nothing to do with providing any service in French. Likewise a popular coffee shop takes the same attitude. Another big hotel (the Dorchester, a Best Western) showed little interest. So far, I have only seen 2 decals on windows, one on a French cafe and one is on the Post Office window, which is to be expected. The Post Office now has an employee at the main counter who is bilingual. The decal simply says ...."Francais/English" . I now wonder whether the Nanaimo Francophones will accelerate their Bonjour Program nearer the Olympics. 3. Saturday 11th July saw the first British Heritage Festival to take place in BC. This was at our large Beban Park recreation complex. It was a great success with approximately 2,000 people attending. It was self supporting with no funding from any government. The organiser tells me that he is already planning for a larger Festival next year. Francophones take note !!!. (Kim’s comment – once addicted to the government funding teat, they are not likely to want to come off – welfare breeds welfare!!) 4. The Nanaimo Francophones have recently received yet another government grant of $60,584 for the Official Language Community Program. Their fiscal report for 2008 shows in part: "Gifts in Kind" comprising goods and services, unspecified .............$226,129 Grants and Government contributions .......................................... $222,293 Total.......................................................................................... $448,422. Where do they spend this money I wonder, because their current newsletter reads in part.......Due to government funding cuts in the Arts & Culture areas the NFA faces serious funding challenges. Their Board of Directors have suggested that a garage sale will help. There are no cuts as far as I can see. The $449,422 above is about the same amount received in previous years. Another announcement (a surprise) is that they will be starting courses in English. Level 1 next month, October. (Kim’s question - are they suggesting that the 1.5% French-speakers are not already bilingual? Amazing!!!) 5. I recently visited our museum, now relocated in the new Conference Center. It is nicely done until I arrived at a large area all about hockey. All the hockey history and displays have descriptions/signs etc. predominantly in French. English is always on the right or below, contrary to the guidelines on the display of official languages. This in an English speaking city, for goodness sake!! Upon departure visitors are asked to write their comments on "small" slips of paper. I had no hesitation in expressing my dismay for the predominance of French in the hockey section. I have since been told that this is only temporary. Oh yeah, and for how long is “temporary”?. A weak excuse. Like many departments these days they are not flush with money and it is obviously an expensive operation to install and then remove this whole hockey area. Maybe the Feds are helping out? 6. I have been in touch with the Central V.I. Multicultural Society and obtained a copy of their Annual Report and Fiscal Report for 2008. No funds are shown going to the Francophones. They seem to concentrate on assisting new immigrants to settle here with employment, all done in English. I believe French speaking immigrants are handled by the Nanaimo Francophones. That's about all for the time being. Alastair. Letter Editor, sent 09-20-09 Vancouver Sun Re: Bilingual Olympics I thought this Olympics, hosted by British Columbia, primarily funded by British Columbia and located in British Columbia was British Columbia’s Olympics. So why is it being used to showcase Canada in general and B.C. in particular as being a functioning bilingual entity when this is not born out by fact? How can Canada be a bilingual country when the unrestricted use of English in Quebec is against the law? When every aspect of Quebec’s language law (Bill 101) is designed to suffocate the growth and visibility of the English language? When Quebec’s only official language is French? Why are Canadians in the ROC (Rest of Canada) being forced to support a hugely expensive French immersion education program & French services program for the ROC when Government stats show the French residency to be just 3% outside Quebec when there is no comparable English immersion in Quebec? Is it not disingenuous of B.C., the Federal Government and Quebec to use the up-coming Olympics to (falsely) present to world visitors that Canada is a functioning bilingual country? Vanoc and the B.C. Government have had to (import?) French speakers from Quebec to support this charade for heaven’s sake! . Al. C. Johnson French Quarter set for Granville Island Part of Granville Island will become a lively French Quarter celebrating francophone culture during the 2010 Olympic Games -- with tourism exhibitions, street entertainment, a farmers' market and a long lineup of French-Canadian entertainers. By The Vancouver Sun September 24, 2009 Part of Granville Island will become a lively French Quarter celebrating francophone culture during the 2010 Olympic Games -- with tourism exhibitions, street entertainment, a farmers' market and a long lineup of French-Canadian entertainers. Place de la Francophonie 2010 will operate Feb. 10-28 next year with the help of a $1.7-million federal grant, Heritage and Official Languages Minister James Moore announced Wednesday. Support for the estimated $3-million project will also come from the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee, several Canadian provinces and from food and beverage sales at the pavilion. The federal investment in the Granville Island showcase is part of a larger effort to promote francophone culture during the Games, Moore said. In addition to the latest grant, the federal government announced last week it would contribute $7.7 million for translation, bilingual signage and medal ceremonies language services during the Olympics. "The Games are officially bilingual and many Canadian athletes will be francophones so respecting the official languages and having projects like this is invaluable," Moore said. Place de la Francophonie will be within walking distance of Vancouver athletes' village and Moore expects it will encourage Games participants and visitors to enjoy Vancouver and spend money while getting a strong flavour of francophone culture. Jean Cote, who heads the corporation that will operate Place de la Francophonie, said funding problems caused by the recession forced organizers to scale it back significantly. "The recession came at us like crazy, but at the end of the day, we have sufficient funding and we're back on track with a tremendous facility," he said. The pavilion will operate under four tents near the False Creek Community Centre -- with a main entertainment stage, a food showcase, a tourism exhibition and a sports bar where it will be possible to watch live events. Vanoc, which will contribute about $250,000 worth of value-in-kind support for the facility's entertainment programming, has been criticized for not doing enough to incorporate French into the 2010 Games, but Moore feels the organizing committee has come "an incredibly long way" since its early days when it held press conferences with no one who could speak French. "There will always be critics and nothing will ever be perfect -- that's just the nature of these big massive displays of organization," he said. "But with these kinds of investments and projects, there will never have been an Olympics that will be more respectful of the French and English fact of Canada and the ." The first roster of artists to perform at Place de la Francophonie includes musicians The Porn Flakes, singer-songwriter Pierre Lapointe, singing group Mes Aieux, country-folk musicians Cowboys Fringants, and singers Daniel Lavoie, Damien Robitaille, Ariane Moffatt and Gregory Charles. bconstantineau@vancouversun.com © (c) CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc. Kim’s comments: so not satisfied with having created a French-only province, we are now going to create French quarters in English-speaking provinces? Most linguistic groups create their own little corner e.g. a Chinatown or a Little Italy but the French must get government assistance to do this? Is this what they call being a “vibrant culture”? PS: If anyone receiving our newsletter have problems with the format, please contact me & I might be able to use a different format so that you can read the newsletter without having to scroll back & forth. Kim

Security Weekly: Mexico: Emergence of an Unexpected Threat

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This is FREE intelligence for distribution. Forward this to your colleagues. Mexico: Emergence of an Unexpected Threat By Scott Stewart September 30, 2009 At approximately 2 a.m. on Sept. 25, a small improvised explosive device (IED) consisting of three or four butane canisters was used to attack a Banamex bank branch in the Milpa Alta delegation of Mexico City. The device damaged an ATM and shattered the bank’s front windows. It was not an isolated event. The bombing was the seventh recorded IED attack in the Federal District — and the fifth such attack against a local bank branch — since the beginning of September. The attack was claimed in a communique posted to a Spanish-language anarchist Web site by a group calling itself the Subversive Alliance for the Liberation of the Earth, Animals and Humans (ASLTAH). The note said, “Once again we have proven who our enemies are,” indicating that the organization’s “cells for the dissolution of civilization” were behind the other, similar attacks. The communique noted that the organization had attacked Banamex because it was a “business that promotes torture, destruction and slavery” and vowed that ASLTAH would not stop attacking “until we see your ashes.” The group closed its communique by sending greetings to the Earth Liberation Front (ELF), the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) and the “eco-pyromaniacs for the liberation of the earth in this place.” Communiques have also claimed some of the other recent IED attacks in the name of ASLTAH. DISTRIBUTION If you did not receive this report directly from STRATFOR and would like more geopolitical intelligence reports, join our free email list On Sept. 22, authorities also discovered and disabled a small IED left outside of a MetLife insurance office in Guadalajara, Jalisco state. A message spray-painted on a wall near where the device was found read, “Novartis stop torturing animals,” a reference to the multinational pharmaceutical company, which has an office near where the IED was found and which has been heavily targeted by the group Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC). Novartis is a large customer of Huntingdon Life Sciences, the research company SHAC was formed to destroy because Huntingdon uses animals in its testing for harmful side effects of drugs, chemicals and consumer items. A second message spray-painted on a wall near where the device was found on Sept. 22 read, “Novartis break with HLS.” Two other IEDs were detonated at banks in Mexico City on the same day. More Free Intelligence Video: China: Hyping a Green Economy Watch the Video These IED attacks are the most recent incidents in a wave of anarchist, animal rights, and eco-protest attacks that have swept across Mexico this year. Activists have conducted literally hundreds of incidents of vandalism, arson and, in more recent months, IED attacks in various locations across the country. The most active cells are in Mexico City and Guadalajara. For a country in the midst of a bloody cartel war in which thousands of people are killed every year — and where serious crimes like kidnapping terrorize nearly every segment of society — direct-action attacks by militant activists are hardly the biggest threat faced by the Mexican government. However, the escalation of direct-action attacks in Mexico that has resulted in the more frequent use of IEDs shows no sign of abating, and these attacks are likely to grow more frequent, spectacular and deadly. The Wave Precisely quantifying the wave of direct-action attacks in Mexico is difficult for a number of reasons. One is that the reporting of such incidents is spotty and the police, the press and the activists themselves are often not consistent in what they report and how. Moreover, is often hard to separate direct-action vandalism from incidents of plain old non-political vandalism or tell the difference between an anarchist IED attack against a bank and an IED attack against a bank conducted by a Marxist group such as the Popular Revolutionary Army (EPR). Then there is the issue of counting. Should a series of five Molotov cocktail attacks against ATMs or the destruction of 20 Telmex phone booths in one night be counted as one attack or as separate incidents? If we count conservatively — e.g., consider a series of like incidents as one — we can say there have been around 200 direct-action attacks to date in 2009. But if we count each incident separately, we can easily claim there have been more than 400 such attacks. For example, by our count, there have been more than 350 Telmex phone booths smashed, burned or otherwise vandalized so far this year. (Activists will do things like glue metal shavings into the calling-card and coin slots.) However, for the sake of this analysis we’ll go with the conservative number of about 200 attacks. Now, Telmex seems to be the most popular target so far for direct-action attacks. In addition to hitting phone booths, activists also have attacked Telmex vehicles and offices and have cut Telmex cables. From their statements, the activists appear to hold a special hatred for Carlos Slim, one of the richest men in the world and the chairman of Telmex and several other companies. In many ways, Slim — a patriarchal billionaire industrialist — is the personification of almost everything that the anarchistic activists hate. In addition to Telmex and banks, the activists also have attacked other targets such as restaurants (including McDonald’s and KFC), meat shops, pet shops, fur and leather stores, luxury vehicles, and construction equipment. The activists’ most common tactics tend to be on the lower end of the violence scale and include graffiti and paint (frequently red to symbolize the blood of animals) to vandalize a target. They also frequently release captive birds or animals as well as use superglue and pieces of metal to obstruct locks, pay phones and ATM card readers. Moving up the violence continuum, activists less frequently will break windows, burn buildings and vehicles, and make bomb threats — there have been at least 157 incidents involving arson or incendiary devices so far in 2009. To help put this into perspective, these activists have conducted more arson attacks in Mexico to date in 2009 than their American counterparts have conducted in the United States since 2001. At the high end of the violence spectrum are the IED attacks, and this is where there has really been an increase in activity in recent weeks. In the first six months of 2009, there were several bomb threats and hoaxes and a few acid bombs, but only two real IEDs were used. In June, July and August there was one IED attack per month — and so far in September there have been seven IED attacks in Mexico City alone and one successful attack and one attempted attack in Guadalajara. Again, by way of comparison, these eight IED attacks by Mexican activists in September are more than American activists have conducted in the United States since 2001. Proliferation of IEDs There are several factors that can explain this trend toward the activists’ increasing use of IEDs. The first is, quite simply, that IEDs generate more attention than graffiti, glue or even an arson attack — indeed, here we are devoting a weekly security report to activist IED attacks in Mexico. In light of the overall level of violence in Mexico, most observers have ignored the past lower-level activity by these activist groups, and IEDs help cut through the noise and bring attention to the activists’ causes. The scope and frequency of IED attacks this month ensured that they could not be overlooked. The second factor is the learning curve of the cells’ bombmakers. As a bombmaker becomes more proficient in his tradecraft, the devices he crafts tend to become both more reliable and more powerful. The improvement in tradecraft also means that the bombmaker is able to increase his operational tempo and deploy devices more frequently. It is quite possible that the few IEDs that were reported as hoaxes in March, April and May could have been IEDs that did not function properly — a common occurrence for new bombmakers who do not extensively test their devices. The third factor is thrill and ego. In many past cases, militant activists have launched progressively larger attacks. One reason for this is that after a series of direct-action attacks, the activists get bored doing lower-level things like gluing locks or paint-stripping cars and they move to more destructive and spectacular attacks, such as those using timed incendiary devices. For many activists, there is a thrill associated with getting increased attention for the cause, in causing more damage to their targets and in getting away with increasingly brazen attacks. Finally, in recent years, we have noted a shift among activist groups away from a strict concern for human life. Many activists are becoming convinced that less violent tactics have been ineffective, and if they really want to save the Earth and animals, they need to take more aggressive action. There is a small but growing fringe of hard-core activists who believe that, to paraphrase Lenin, you have to break eggs to make an omelet. The Ruckus Society, a direct-action activist training organization, explains it this way in a training document: “There is a law against breaking into a house. However, if you break into a house as part of a greater good, such as rushing into the house to save a child from a fire, it is permissible to break that law. In fact, you can say that there is even a moral obligation to break that law. In the same way then, it is permissible to break minor laws to save the Earth.” In general, activists do not condone violent action directed at humans, but neither do they always condemn it in very strong terms — they often explain that the anger that prompts such violence is “understandable” in light of what they perceive as ecological injustice and cruelty to animals. In recent years there has been a polarization in the animal rights and environmental movements, with fringe activists becoming increasingly isolated and violent — and more likely to use potentially deadly tools like IEDs in their attacks. Confluences The very name of ASLTAH — the Subversive Alliance for the Liberation of the Earth, Animals and Humans — illustrates the interesting confluence of animal rights, ecological activism and anti-imperialism/anarchism that inhabit the radical fringe. It is not uncommon for one cell of independent activists to claim it carried out its attacks under the banner of “organizations” such as ELF, ALF or SHAC. In true anarchistic style, however, these organizations are amorphous and nonhierarchical — there is no single ELF, ALF or SHAC. Rather, the individual activists and cells who act on behalf of the organizations control their own activities while adhering to guidelines circulated in meetings and conferences, via the Internet, and in various magazines, newsletters and other publications. These individual activists and cells are driven only by their consciences, or by group decisions within the cell. This results in a level of operational security that can be hard for law enforcement and security officials to breach. As noted above, these activists have been far more active in Mexico than they have in the United States. One reason for this is that the operating environment north of the border is markedly different than it is in Mexico. In the United States, the FBI and local and state police agencies have focused hard on these activists, and groups like ELF and ALF have been branded as domestic terrorists. There have been several major investigations into these groups in recent years. South of the border it is a different matter. Mexican authorities are plagued with problems ranging from drug cartels to Marxist terrorist/insurgent groups like the EPR to rampant police and government corruption. Simply put, there is a vacuum of law and order in Mexico and that vacuum is clearly reflected in statistics such as the number of kidnappings inside the country every year. The overall level of violence in Mexico and this vacuum of authority provide room for the activists to operate, and the host of other crime and violence issues plaguing the country works to ensure that the authorities are simply too busy to place much emphasis on investigating activist attacks and catching those responsible for them. Therefore, the activists operate boldly and with a sense of impunity that often leads to an increase in violence — especially within the context of a very violent place, which Mexico is at the present time. This atmosphere means that the activist cells behind the increase in IED attacks will be able to continue their campaigns against assorted capitalist, animal and ecological targets with very little chance of being seriously pursued. Consequently, as the IED campaign continues, the attacks will likely become more frequent and more destructive. And given Mexico’s densely populated cities and the activists’ target sets, this escalation will ensure that the attacks will eventually turn deadly. If you repost this article on a website, include a link to http://www.stratfor.com/?utm_source=SWeekly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=090930&utm_content=repost

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FSM Security Update: 09-30-09 *Nuclear Weapons – More At Stake than Just ‘Reduction’ *

September 30th There are only two choices left on Iran - an Israeli or U.S. military strike now, or a nuclear Tehran soon. ‘Green economy' destined to fall as Van Jones did. Obama's ‘summer of confusion.' Obama and the Leaders of Islam; Allies under the Crescent Moon? Exclusive: Britain's Street Protests - What is Going On? (Part Three of Four) Adrian Morgan For the UAF and the far left, anyone who has concerns about the spread of Islam is de facto a racist or fascist, a person whose fears possibly mask notions of genocidal intent. Exclusive: Britain's Street Protests - What is Going On? (Part Four of Four) Adrian Morgan "He tried to fight his way out but was knocked to the ground...One of the youths then pulled out a knife and stabbed him...Blood was pouring out and I thought he was going to die. It was terrifying." Exclusive: Obama Makes UN Hungry for More Worldwide Anti-Democratic Behavior James Carafano, PhD, Presidential Policy: Does It Make the Grade? It was a busy Washington week for national security and foreign policy matters. The White House probably thinks it did pretty well. I think not. Exclusive: Nuclear Weapons - More At Stake than Just ‘Reduction' (Part One of Two) Peter Huessy Are we making it dramatically easier for an enemy to strike at America's nuclear forces in a crisis? The British Police Forget Their Main Reason for Existing Melanie Phillips Britain's police force should spend less time chasing down perpetrators of "hate crimes" and focus their efforts on the violent crime that seems to be spinning out of control in the UK. All the President's Olympic Cronies Michelle Malkin How can we explain President Obama's extraordinary intensity about Chicago's bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics? Can we say, "political payback?" UN-Enviable Record Peter Brookes After decades, the United Nations still falls short on advancing peace, security, human rights and economic development - despite plenty of funding. NEW FSM POLL! Obama Traveling to Denmark to Pitch Olympic Bid Video: Jindal "The Debate is Over- People Don't Want Government Run Plan" Video: Sources: Sarkozy Thinks Obama is ‘Incredibly Naive and Grossly Egotistical' Video: School Defends Pro-Obama Program A virus called 'Shariah' Video: NSA-Intercepted E-Mails Helped Convict Would-Be Bombers Video: Democrat explains the GOP health-care plan...."Don't Get Sick! And if You Do Get Sick, Die Quickly!"' Audio: "They have gone out of their way to destroy Sarah Palin" Rush Limbaugh Why Obama Bombed on Health Care ..... Horse Doctors Who is General Stanley McChrystal? Hezbollah Prepared to Hold the U.S. Hostage Chris Carter "We are only waiting for the supreme leader's green light to take action. If America wants to ignite World War III ... we welcome it." Exclusive: Just Suppose... Gabriel Garnica, Esq. Imagine a teacher who asks the class to forgive the school for enforcing attendance, smoking, drinking and other regulations... Caption Contest: Top Entries - September 30 And the winner is... Today's Hot Topics We choose, you peruse. NYC terror suspect pleads not guilty, kept in jail U.S. to Send Home Thousands More Troops From Iraq Without Bush, media lose interest in war caskets By: Byron York Ex-Democratic fundraiser sentenced to 24 years Senate panel rejects Gov't-run insurance option Chávez and Gaddafi urge redefining of ‘terrorism' Americans Dislike Universal Care, So Why Isn't Congress Listening? Who Will Speak for the Mothers? Glenn Beck! The Iran Charade Obama's call to extend the academic calendar may bring with it a host of unintended consequences, Netanyahu vs. Ahmadinejad and the U.N. Appeasers Outsourcing American Security Honor China, Not Its Communism Two peace-loving Gaza rockets hit Israel Effort to defund ACORN faces hurdles We've Been Talking to Iran for 30 Years by Michael Ledeen More Schoolkids Indoctrinated to Praise Obama by Rush Limbaugh Escape to Montana - Canadians seek a private option. Is This Any Way To Fight A War? By Pamela Geller Obamacare Pushing Voters to GOP by Donald Lambro Senate panel rejects public option twice An Indefensible Decision on Missile Defense Obama's Globalism: We Are the World Bilingual forms to aid '10 census How the First Family Can Lead on Swine Flu

Rubin in NY Daily News: "It takes much more than talk to stop Iran's stonewalling"

	Middle East Forum September 30, 2009
MEF Home Research & Writings Middle East Quarterly http://www.facebook.com/pages/Middle-East-Forum/76783091854 http://twitter.com/meforum
It takes much more than talk to stop Iran's stonewalling by Michael Rubin New York Daily News September 30, 2009 http://www.meforum.org/2474/more-than-talk-iran-stonewalling Send RSS Share: Tomorrow, U.S. diplomats and their Russian, Chinese and European counterparts will join Iranian officials to discuss the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. The meeting follows new Iranian missile tests and exposure of a second covert Iranian nuclear enrichment facility. Iran enters the negotiations defiant. "The announcement of the enrichment facilities will be Iran's winning card," Kayhan newspaper, the mouthpiece of the Supreme Leader, editorialized last Sunday. The meeting will be a nail in the coffin of the Obama doctrine. Throughout his campaign, President Obama preached unconditional diplomacy. "We need a President who'll have the strength and courage to go toe-to-toe with the leaders of rogue nations, because that's what it takes to protect our security," Obama declared during his campaign. Within a week of his inauguration, Obama offered Tehran an olive branch, promising that should Iran unclench its fist, it would find a willing partner in him. The President sought a fresh start. In order to neutralize historical baggage, he apologized for real and perceived American wrongs, such as the 1953 CIA-sponsored coup that overthrew Iran's populist prime minister. He reached out with letters, interviews and intermediaries. The President's aides - Secretary of State Clinton, for example - described Obama's strategy as nuanced. Negotiating without precondition would not only force the Islamic Republic to show its true face, but it would give Washington time to construct a united international front. Diplomats scurried the globe, courting Moscow and Beijing, whose UN Security Council veto threat has watered down sanctions for years. The administration also imposed a time line: If Iran did not respond constructively to negotiation offers by last week's G-20 meeting, then the administration would impose, in Clinton's words, "crippling" sanctions. Two mistakes, however, will condemn Obama's diplomacy to failure: First, the President assumed that other leaders share his goodwill. If Iranian leaders did not respond to diplomacy offered without preconditions, what reasonable state would not support the U.S. position? Governments, however, are not neutral arbiters; they act in their own interests. Russia's refusal to compromise its position after Obama this month rescinded a U.S. pledge to build an anti-ballistic missile base in Poland is a case in point. As devastating to diplomacy's success has been the administration's insistence on sequencing talks, sanctions and military preparation. The Obama administration has delayed consideration of sanctions let alone anything more robust during this grace period. Some - Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) for one - suggest the White House should extend the deadline for diplomacy because summer unrest distracted Iran. Any delay in sanctions is dangerous. Failure to abide by deadlines and red lines heightens the chance of miscalculation as Tehran will only conclude that it can act with impunity. Proponents of diplomacy may chafe at labeling Obama's rush to engage as naive. After all, President Richard Nixon flew to China and, at the height of the Cold War, President Ronald Reagan talked to the Soviet Union. The comparison, however, underlines Obama's weakness. Even as they talked, neither Nixon nor Reagan suspended military preparations. Indeed, it was Reagan's willingness to build and use both the U.S. military and covert capacity that catalyzed Soviet defeat. If the world is to avoid war or a nuclear Iran, talk is not enough. Engagement is a tactic, not a strategy. If Obama waits to prepare militarily until talks run their course, then the United States will fail. Military preparations take months. The Iranian leadership will not engage sincerely until faced with a credible threat, nor will European allies - let alone Russia and China - make concessions if they see the commander in chief twiddling his thumbs. The military option should be the last resort. The irony is that without a finger on the trigger, diplomacy will fail. Michael Rubin, a senior editor of the Middle East Quarterly, is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and a senior lecturer at the Naval Postgraduate School. Related Topics: Iran Michael Rubin
To subscribe to the MEF mailing lists, go to http://www.meforum.org/list_subscribe.php You may post or forward this text, but on condition that you send it as an integral whole, along with complete information about its author, date, publication, and original URL. The Middle East Forum

[unitedstatesaction.com news] September 29, 2009 News - UnitedStatesAction.com

September 29, 2009 News - UnitedStatesAction.com

(U.S.) The most important questions about the Zazi case, answered
http://www.tnr.com/article/world/the-plot-thins

(U.S.) Accused al Qaeda Bomb Maker Held Without Bail
-- Najibullah Zazi Pleads Not Guilty In Terror Case
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/zazi-held-prison-suspected-al-qaeda-terrorist-denied/story?id=8701880
-- Terrorism Suspect Pleads Not Guilty
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/nyregion/30terror.html?_r=1&hp
-- Terror Suspect Zazi Pleads Not Guilty to Conspiracy Charges
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,557104,00.html?test=latestnews
-- NYC terrorism suspect to be arraigned Tuesday
-- AP: "Najibullah Zazi is to be arraigned in a Brooklyn courtroom on charges he conspired to use weapons of mass destruction. The 24-year-old airport van driver and former coffee cart vendor has denied any wrongdoing"
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090929/ap_on_re_us/us_nyc_terror_17
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=8698399

(U.S.) Officials: NYC Plot Operational, Not Just Aspirational
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113290720

(U.S.) Stadiums, Hotels Warned To Watch For Terrorists
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/09/28/ap/government/main5347086.shtml

(U.S.) AP source: NYC terror probe focuses on accomplices
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gT-Kwm3eHQPp5qw5B5yzpuy07XuwD9B0J5600
-- AP source: Accomplices in NYC terror plot known
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gT-Kwm3eHQPp5qw5B5yzpuy07XuwD9B0HLJ80

(U.S.) Dallas: Undercover terror stings prompt cries of 'entrapment'
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jBSevj7TRT9WIwHzjafRPSTrrUQQ

(U.S.) Dallas: Teen attended high school, baby-sat, got married before arrest on terror charges -- Hosam Maher Husein Smadi
http://www.star-telegram.com/crime/story/1644686.html
-- Christian Science Monitor: "Dallas terror plot: Troubled Jordanian teen or jihadist?"
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0930/p06s01-wome.html

(Pakistan) Balochistan: 'Taliban have new havens around Quetta'
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\09\30\story_30-9-2009_pg1_4
-- Taliban has a new haven in Pakistan: US
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/06-taliban-has-a-new-haven-in-pakistan-us-rs-03
-- No drone strikes in Balochistan, Kayani tells US
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\09\30\story_30-9-2009_pg1_6

(Pakistan) Balochistan: Patterson says Quetta Shura high on US list
-- Patterson: "You cannot tolerate vipers in your bosom… Our concern is whether Pakistan really controls its territory."
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/world/11-patterson-says-quetta-shura-high-on-us-list--il--09
--- Anne Patterson previously met with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI)'s Maulana Fazl ur-Rehman - "defender of the interests of the Taliban" to promote "democracy"
http://www.dawn.com/2007/11/21/top8.htm
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/pakistan/mma.htm
http://www.unitedstatesaction.com/blog/imm-articles/086.html#G

(Pakistan) FATA: Over 10,000 Taliban in FATA: DG ISPR
-- "There are more than 10,000 Taliban present in Waziristan, including Uzbeks and other foreign militants, a private TV channel quoted Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Major General Athar Abbas as saying on Tuesday"
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\09\30\story_30-9-2009_pg1_5

(Pakistan) FATA: Drone strikes, jets kill 16 in Waziristan
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\09\30\story_30-9-2009_pg1_1
-- US missile strike in Pakistan kills 5, wounds 3
--- "An unmanned US drone fired a missile at a suspected militants' hideout in Darogha area of South Waziristan tribal agency, bordering Afghanistan"
http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2028157&Language=en
-- Pakistan: Taliban militants targeted in drone attack
http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Security/?id=3.0.3824743208

(Pakistan) FATA: 5 militants killed in Khyber infighting
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\09\30\story_30-9-2009_pg7_18

(Pakistan) NWFP: 28 Taliban held in Swat
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\09\30\story_30-9-2009_pg1_2

(Pakistan) Blog report on "The Kerry-Lugar Pakistan Authorization Bill"
http://theafpakreader.wordpress.com/2009/09/29/peanuts/

(Pakistan/U.S.) Kerry-Lugar bill imposes restrictions on US, not Pakistan: Haqqani
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\09\30\story_30-9-2009_pg7_34
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=200840

(Pakistan/U.S.) US imposes tough 'no terror' conditions on aid to Pak
-- Times of India reports: "Effectively implicating Pakistan in acts of terrorism in the region and across the world, including against India, US lawmakers have imposed stringent conditions on Pakistan (requiring monitoring of compliance by Washington) while okaying a five-year, $ 7.5 billion dole for Islamabad till 2014."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/world/us/US-imposes-tough-no-terror-conditions-on-aid-to-Pak/articleshow/5069952.cms

(India J&K) Militants kill three Indian soldiers in IHK
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\09\30\story_30-9-2009_pg7_33

(India J&K) Farmer's daughter disarms terrorist and shoots him dead with AK47
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/6244076/Farmers-daughter-disarms-terrorist-and-shoots-him-dead-with-AK47.html

(Afghanistan) 30 Afghan civilians killed in roadside bomb blast
-- "A bus packed with Afghan civilians hit a roadside bomb near the southern city of Kandahar Tuesday, killing 30 people and wounding 39, underscoring the dangers civilians face as the eight-year war turns increasingly violent"
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090929/ap_on_re_as/as_afghanistan
--- Roadside bomb kills 12 Afghan civilians
http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2028171&Language=en

Afghanistan: Taliban blamed for deadly bus attack in south
http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Security/?id=3.0.3824426653

(Afghanistan) NATO chief assures Obama on Afghan war support
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE58P0Y120090929
-- NATO is in Afghanistan for the long haul, says Anders Fogh Rasmussen
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/Afghanistan/article6854507.ece
-- NATO chief tells US to stop attacking European allies
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/6244032/Nato-chief-tells-US-to-stop-attacking-European-allies.html

(Afghanistan) Time running out in Afghanistan to defeat insurgency: United Nations
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/world/south-asia/Time-running-out-in-Afghanistan-to-defeat-insurgency-United-Nations/articleshow/5070309.cms

Afghan war is winnable with local support - McChrystal
http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2028138&Language=en

(U.S.) Washington DC: Bin Laden becomes camp fashion icon
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/world/bin-laden-gets-camp-fashion-makeover/story-e6frev00-1225781001226
-- Bin Laden sports 'I love Guantanamo' T-shirt
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,26145444-23109,00.html

(U.S.) More Saudi help needed on terror finance: U.S. report
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE58S69R20090929

(U.S.) Ex-U.S. military officials press to close Guantanamo
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE58S6V120090929

(U.S.) Seven Algerians to be among batch of inmates to be freed from Guantanamo
http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2028298&Language=en

(U.S.) Bush officials face liability for terror policies
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hRh2OMc1xO2GJ2_AXd8y0PJ6iuHAD9B0IBOG0

(Iraq) 4,000 more troops to come home from Iraq
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33079855/ns/world_news-conflict_in_iraq/

(Iran) US eyes energy, financial sanctions on Iran
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090929/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_us_iran_sanctions_6

Iran says will not discuss second nuclear plant
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSLT56449320090929

Iran MPs tell world powers not to repeat "mistakes"
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE58S1IP20090929

Iran nuke chief: IAEA inspection soon
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1254163539684&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
-- For China, Iran uranium plant no game changer
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE58R2MU20090928

Iran to Allow Swiss Access to Detained U.S. Hikers
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,557143,00.html?test=latestnews

Palestinian gunmen fire 2 rockets at S. Israel, no casualties -- Israel
http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2028359&Language=en

Hamas accepts Egypt's unity initiative
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1254163537493&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Gaza: "Analysis: The Islamic republic of Gaza"
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1254163537553&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Hamas Clamps Down in Gaza
http://www.investigativeproject.org/blog/#1441

(Israel) 50 Palestinians arrested in Jerusalem
http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2028169&Language=en

(Somalia) 13 civilians killed as mortars hit Somali capital
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g7OaI4_kjeHA-o4UhlmP7vlWmrrwD9B0DUF00

(Somalia) Tension Mounting in Kismayo as Somali Islamists Jostle for Power
http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-09-28-voa23.cfm

Somali govt troops re-take Baladwayne town
http://www.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUSLS241856._CH_.2400

(Yemen) Al Qaeda in Yemen Worries the West
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125417307132347371.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_world

(Libya/Venezuela) Gaddafi, Chavez sign anti-terror treaty
-- "On Venezuela visit, Libyan leader slams West, suggests forming 'NATO for the South' - 'SATO'"
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1254163539299&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

(Turkey) Al-Qaeda threatens Turkey
http://en.trend.az/regions/met/turkey/1548943.html

(Russia) "Kadyrov: Representatives of 50 states helped Chechens in Jihad against Russia"
http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=6490

(Canada) Third security certificate amounts to double jeopardy, Jaballah's lawyers say -- Mahmoud Jaballah
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5htu-EHoDymxYIfJZipql2W5y1JfA

(Canada) Terror suspect wants apology from Ottawa -- Adil Charkaoui
http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2009/09/29/11194691-sun.html

(Philippines) Two U.S. soldiers killed by bomb in Philippines
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/MAN489084.htm

Arab Liberals Eight Years After 9/11: Obama's Overtures Towards Iran, Extremists Seen as a Sign of Weakness
http://memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=IA55109

Al Qaeda takes multiple hits from US forces
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0929/p99s01-duts.html

Al Qaeda Bombers Learn from Drug Smugglers
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/09/28/eveningnews/main5347847.shtml

Islamic Supremacist War on Women:

"Tolerance=Racism: Newspeak vs TruthSpeak about FGM" by Phyllis Chesler
http://www.phyllis-chesler.com/624/tolerance-racism-newspeak-vs-truthspeak-about-fgm

Pakistan's The News: "Honour killing cases"
-- reports that Sindh police department workshop "aims to sensitise the trainees on the issue of violence against women thereby providing them an in-depth knowledge of the human rights’ concept while making them familiar with the international Human Rights standards for law enforcement officers."
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=200684

Other News:

Iraq: Is nowhere safe for Christians?
http://members4.boardhost.com/acnaus/msg/1254187996.html

Egypt: "Muslim Convert to Christianity Prevented From Leaving Egypt"
-- "Egyptian authorities have prevented Maher El-Gowhary, a Muslim-born Christian convert, from leaving the country. He was detained at Cairo Airport. His passport confiscated and he was advised that he is barred from traveling on orders from a 'higher authority'."
-- "Maher and his 15-year-old daughter, Dina, who also embraced Christianity, were traveling to China on 17th September 2009, on a two-week holiday."
http://www.aina.org/news/20090925191939.htm
http://www.persecution.org/suffering/newssummpopup.php?newscode=10903

(Indonesia) Church in Indonesia Wins Legal Battle to Worship in Building
http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/indonesia/9921/

Nigeria: Islamic Group Urges Establishment of Zakat Body
http://allafrica.com/stories/200909290369.html

(UK) Islamic Bank of Britain loses £4.6 million over six months
http://www.birminghammail.net/news/top-stories/2009/09/29/islamic-bank-of-britain-loses-4-6-million-over-six-months-97319-24806193/

(U.S.) Texas congressional candidate wants to ban Muslim immigrants
http://www.newspress.com/Top/Article/article.jsp?Section=NATIONAL&ID=565657848966479904

(U.S.) Muslim Capitol Hill Rally Falls Short of Attendance Goal
-- "Among those present were around 50 protesters, who -- though few in number -- were audible enough to prompt organizers at one point in time to ask for respect."
-- "'We would never come to a prayer meeting that you have to make a disturbance,' Hamad Chebli, imam of the Islamic Society of Central Jersey, said from the speaking stand. 'Please show us some respect.'"
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20090927/muslim-capitol-hill-rally-falls-short-in-attendance/index.html

(India) Pastor in India Seriously Wounded by Suspected Hindu Extremists
http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/india/9888/

UN says caste system is a human rights abuse
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/6239842/UN-says-caste-system-is-a-human-rights-abuse.html

France: New threat letter sent to Sarkozy
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/world/europe/New-threat-letter-sent-to-Sarkozy-/articleshow/5069558.cms

Against Totalitarianism News:

Communist China: AP reports on "Six decades of change in China"
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/specials/interactives/_international/china60_timeline/index.html?SITE=YAHOO&SECTION=HOME
-- AP report does not discuss human rights or human freedom

Communist China / NYC: Epoch Times Reports on John Liu
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/t/john-liu-china-connection/
http://www.realcourage.org/2009/09/communist-china-nyc-epoch-times-reports-on-john-liu/

Communist China: Capitalism finds a home in the village where Chairman Mao was born
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6854433.ece

Against Misogyny News:

Guinea junta troops 'killed and raped hundreds at democracy rally'
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article6853982.ece

U.S Senate Committee on Foreign Relations - "Violence: Global Costs and Consequences" - October 1 - 2:30 PM - 216 Hart Senate Office
http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/2009/hrg091001p.html

Because I Am A Girl Human Rights Report
http://www.becauseiamagirl.com.au/pdf/State-of-the-worlds-girls_2009_Full.pdf

Against Racial Supremacism News:

(Bulgaria) Ku Klux Klan Meeting Took Place in Bulgaria's Asenovgrad
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=108275

Facebook Poll Asks if Obama Should be Killed
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/09/28/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5347004.shtml

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Israeli Minister Barak Facing Arrest in England

	The Phyllis Chesler Organization
Israeli Minister Barak Facing Arrest in England British Lawyers Try to Have Israel's Minister of Defense Arrested as a War Criminal by Phyllis Chesler Pajamas Media September 29, 2009 http://www.phyllis-chesler.com/625/israeli-minister-barak-facing-arrest-in-england Send Comment RSS Share: Excerpt: Really, guys, you can't be serious. I am afraid they are maliciously, purposively serious. The noose continues to tighten around the collective Jewish neck, just as I feared it would. The United Nations just listened to Qaddafi speak—Amadinejad too: they honored these terrorists, monsters, menaces to decent people everywhere, beginning with their own people. The monsters came, they left, and neither assassin nor legal eagle sent them on a way-way trip to Hell or to the Hague. But British lawyers, acting on behalf of 16 Palestinians, just tried to have Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak arrested for his alleged "war crimes" and "crimes against humanity" in Gaza—partly based on their interpretation of the infamous Goldstone Report. How Goldstone could have lent his good name to this treacherous, ignoble document is slightly above my pay grade; only God can judge him now. Earlier today, Anne Bayefsky referred to the Goldstone Report as a blood libel, quite equivalent to the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. I totally agree with her. Read the complete original version of this item... Related Topics: Israel
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