FreedomsZone

Retiring IDF Air Force Commander On Striking Iran: "Nothing Is Impossible"

Outgoing Air Force Chief Maj. Gen. Eliezer Shkedy on Monday in addressing the Iranian threat says he remains concerned about the Iranian threat, and hints future missions may prove extent of Israel's reach:

[...] "Nothing is impossible. Air Force officers are providing remarkable responses to the various issues at hand, and this includes dealing with long ranges," Air Force officers are providing remarkable responses to the various issues at hand, and this includes dealing with long ranges,"

"The IAF is outstanding, and it is prepared for any mission the country will task it with," he said.

[...] "Much is being done at the moment, and the results speak for themselves."

"Nothing is impossible"? You have to admire the way this man thinks, as well as admire his performance.

Just ask the Syrians about the nuke facility that they use to have. Iran's a lot further away, but I have little doubt that the IDF will find a way to successfully execute its mission should it determine that it's necessary.

Continue reading "Retiring IDF Air Force Commander On Striking Iran: "Nothing Is Impossible""

Posted by Richard at 4:59 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Jimmy Carter And Harvard Take Saudi Money And Help Hoster Of Telethons For Suicide Bomber Families Islamise America

Back in September 2005, writing on the story of Prince Al Waleed bin Talal, hoster of telethons for suicide bomber families buying a large share of Fox News (initially reported by Debbie Schlussel), MilitantIslamMonitor.org wrote that Prince Al Waleed bin Talal had recently been a guest of the Arab American Anti Discrimination Committee where he pleged millions for a new building for the organization as well to to other Muslim groups to help Islamise the United States. MIM also wrote that Al Waleed runs a holding company, is one of the most visible funders of Islamist organisations in the United States, and that the purchase of a large share (5.6%) of Fox News was a sign that militant Islam is making steady inroads into the fabric of American society almost unnoticed. The purchase of large share of what was considered a conservative station by a Saudi Prince known for his financial support for Islamist activities, demonstrated that Militant Islam not only has come to America, it is "taking over significant areas of American life."

Well, apparently, that hasn't changed, and Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, whose $10 million contribution was turned down by Rudy Giuliani in the days after the 9/11 attacks, is showering American colleges and political institutions (like the Jimmy Carter Center for Peace and the James Baker Institute) with multi-million dollar donations: Harvard Islamic Studies Program Opened.

Clearly, the likes of Harvard and Jimmy Carter have no qualms about taking money from hosters of telethons for suicide bomber families and helping Islamists Islamise America.

Continue reading "Jimmy Carter And Harvard Take Saudi Money And Help Hoster Of Telethons For Suicide Bomber Families Islamise America"

Posted by Abdul at 9:31 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

While Lebanon's "300" Resist Hezbollah, The West Sits On Its Hands

Hezbollah's "Immortal Guards" against the "300â€³?

Walid Phares reminds us that while we in the West are busy living our daily lives, a beast is busy killing the freedom of a small community on the East Mediterranean: Lebanon. And as of last week, Iran's proxy for taking over the Middle East (my description, not Walid's) - the mighty Hezbollah, armed to the teeth with 30,000 rockets and missiles and aligning thousands of self described "Divine soldiers" have been marching across the capital, terrorizing its population, shutting down media, taking its politicians and the Prime Minister as hostages, and looting at will. As you read this, ""the hordes of Lebanon's "Khomeinist Janjaweeds" have conquered already half of the Middle East's cultural capital, Beirut, Hezbollah has occupied West Beirut and has since sent its storm troops in multiple directions to resume the blitz,"" and the only ones daring and willing to stand in their way are a few hundred Druze fighters in Aley and the Shuf - who have decided to fight on their own: Hezbollah's "Immortal Guards" against the "300â€³?...

[...] After securing the Muslim side of the city, the "Immortal Guards" -since most of the Hezbollahis believe in martyrdom as a path to eternal after-life, encircled the mostly Druze Mountain from all directions. Closing in from the coast, the south and the Bekaa, thousands of fighters and their heavy artillery were ordered into battle this week end. The massive "Persian" Army is now attempting to take these passes into the Bekaa and from there into the North and the Christian Mountain. In a sense these may become Lebanon's Thermopylae: A vast Hezbollah Iranian-backed Army unleashing its power against few Lebanese Spartans, to dislodge them and open the paths for the rest of the country. Indeed, it looks like the few hundred Druze fighters in Aley and the Shuf - who have decided to fight on their own, may become Lebanon's "300". The vision is chilling. Despite the calls by their leader Walid Jumblat, now hostage to the Pasdaran in Beirut, to desist from resisting, the mountainous peasants decided to fight and resist the onslaught. The balance of power is terribly uneven. The forces of Hassan Nasrallah, hyper armed by "Xerxes" Ahmedinijad, line up thousands of soldiers, Special Forces, missiles and endless containers of ammunition. They have hardened their battle experience through years of fighting against a powerful Israeli Army, Air Force and Navy. Nasrallah is convinced that his Army of Suicide-bombers has defeated the region's nuclear super power in 2006. Hence, a few "hundreds" of Druses won't even stand for a day. Logically, he is correct. The Lebanese Army was tamed by Hezbollah, the Sunnis of Beirut collapsed in few hours, the Christians are intimidated, the U.S and Europe fears Hezbollah's Terror and the Arab regimes are terrified by his myth. Who on Earth will resist the Khomeinist Xerxes? Well so far, Lebanon's 300 have.

[...] This huge force, by Lebanon's standards, was joined by an undetermined number of real Iranian Guards, shipped from Tehran to man sophisticated weapons offered by the Khamanei regime as a gift to topple the democratically elected Government of Fuad Seniora. In addition, from the four corners of the country, Jihadist and ultra radical organizations have joined the fray including: The Nazi-like SSNP, the Amal Movement, the Wi'amWahhab pro-Syrian militia, and many others. And to top it, Damascus was able to neutralize the Lebanese Army which has been equipped recently by the United States. Its Commander, a candidate for the Presidency of the Republic was "convinced" by the Assad regime to open the passages to Beirut and all other regions for the hordes to thrust into their enemies' backyards. Reminding us of the tales of Greek Antiquity, this Xerxes -Khomeinist- Army burst into the capital, whipping out the thin internal security forces and reigning with brutality.

(Continue reading: Lebanon's "300" ...

In a sense, Lebanon's "300" are "our" 300 as well; those few Druze are apparently the only people in Lebanon willing to stand up against shia terrorists, Iran, and Syria, and they stand for the right of free people to resist the Islamic wave of terror stoked and funded by the radical Islamists of Iran. As the West sits idly by and allows Lebanon's 300 to fight alone, we are essentially telling Hezbollah and Iran that all our talk about freedom and democracy, and our willingness to defeat radical Islam, is just that - talk. Nothing but empty rhetoric.

Continue reading "While Lebanon's "300" Resist Hezbollah, The West Sits On Its Hands"

Posted by Abdul at 8:07 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Todays Change Of Pace Redux - Ofra Haza: If Only Her Message Of Peace In the ME Were Heeded

With her striking, Middle Eastern beauty, she was the sister every Israeli would like to have had: talented, warm, spontaneous, unspoiled. She was a clichÃ© -- the ninth child of poor Yemenite immigrants, a star who made it from the back streets of South Tel Aviv to Hollywood, then came home. But she transcended the clichÃ©.
Ofra was Israel's pop star laureate. Her fans spanned generations and ethnic divides. She was chosen to sing in Oslo when Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres and Yasser Arafat received the Nobel Peace Prize. She sang again at the memorial concert after Rabin's assassination. Ehud Barak and Bibi Netanyahu paid public tribute after her death. Peres eulogized her at the graveside.

In the way of a change of pace, here's a repost of what was originally posted on Hyscience on April 29, 2007: The incredible Ofra Haza - The Greatest Israeli Singer That Ever Lived (You might want to turn up your speakers - especially in listening to the 1st video below - "Middle East"). Ofra is said to have bridged the divide between Israel and Arab countries - and has been described as having the most upper harmonic overtones of any singer in history!

Ofra Haza (Hebrew: ×¢×¤×¨×” ×—×–×”; November 19, 1957 - February 23, 2000) was a popular Israeli singer, actress and international recording artist.

Of Yemenite Jewish ancestry, Haza was born the youngest of nine children in the poor Tel Aviv neighborhood of Hatikvah. She became an instant local and then national success story, the subject of great pride for many Israelis of Yemenite origin.

Her voice has been described as mezzo-soprano, of near-flawless tonal quality, capable of lending itself to a variety of musical styles with apparent ease. It is thought likely that Haza's voice had the most upper harmonic overtones of any singer in history, reaching as many as 32 on some songs (edit - the great Yma Sumac could sing just 5) , such as "Love Song" from the album Shaday (1988) - see video clip below.

Inspired by a love of her Yemenite-Jewish culture, the appeal of her musical art quickly spread to a wider Middle Eastern audience, somehow bridging the divide between Israel and the Arab countries.

Here Ofra Haza sings "Middle East" - Rome Olympic Stadium - 1993 (note that this song about terrorism in the ME was sung 14 years ago - long before the U.S. went into Iraq)

[...] In my Promised Land In the Middle East What will we do about terrorism? In my Promised Land In the Middle East What can we do about fanaticism? You and I on parallel lines You and I, we are the key Dreams are not enough To lead and guide us To peace In the Middle East Oh, oh, oh...
In the Middle East

Oh, oh, oh...

Desire for peace
Such yearning for peace
Does your country do
What you believe in?
In my Land there is war
And we're losing our soul
And ideology
Is losing meaning
You and I on parallel lines
You and I, when can we meet?
Dreams are not enough
To lead and guide us
To peace
In the Middle East

Oh, oh, oh...

In the Middle East

Oh, oh, oh...

[...] Flare lights, flowers, mothers, fathers,
Homeland, green fields and tears
Borders, rivers, desert, Dead Sea
We are the key
Flare lights, flowers, mothers, fathers,
Homeland, green fields and tears
Borders, rivers, desert, Dead Sea
When can we meet? (more).

Here is Ofra Haza singing Kaddish - the Jewish mourner's prayer. In this video, her incredibly beautiful voice is remarkably obvious.

For salvation, Kaddish,
For redemption, Kaddish,
For forgiveness, Kaddish,
For health, Kaddish,
For all the wars victims, Kaddish,
For all the holocaust victims, Kaddish

Yerushalaim Shel Zahav (Jerusalem of Gold)

Ofra Haza at Montreux Jazz Festival in 1990. - Love Song

[Lyrics in extended post]
If only somehow, as Ofra Haza did with her singing - Arab and Jew could again learn to share something together besides hate!

Ofra Haza's greatest international recognition came with the single "Im Nin Alu", taken from the album Shaday. Here she sings it at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1990.

Continue reading "Todays Change Of Pace Redux - Ofra Haza: If Only Her Message Of Peace In the ME Were Heeded"

Posted by Richard at 9:31 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Andrew Sullivan: Vote For Obama Because Brown-skinned People, Hamas And Iran Love Him

If you're thinking, "You've got to be kidding!" - well, not really.

Tom Maguire comments on Andrew Sullivans view that you should vote for Obama:

So let me project Sully's view onto the current dust-up - we should vote for the black guy because of his cosmetic appeal to brown-skinned third worlders, but we should be appalled at the suggestion that third-world jihadists will consider him likely to be more sympathetic. Is everybody clear?
I am not.
PILING ON: Jimmy Carter, famous Democrat, former President and lifetime clown, met with Hamas; if Hamas were asked to guess which party is more likely to be sympathetic to them, can we think of a reason they would answer "the Democrats"?

Beirut Falling into Hizbullah Hands

Jeha has been mapping the fight: (Click map to enlarge. More maps here ...) The situation in Beirut is dire, with Hizbullah gunmen "shia thugs" having taken control of large parts of Beirut and forced the closure of MP Saad Hariri's media outlets in a major confrontation with Prime Minister Fouad Saniora's government. Only yesterday, the Army Warned that "Tension Threatens Unity of the Troops":The Lebanese Army Command on Thursday warned that persisting violence "poses a threat to unity of the military establishment" and offered to help the feuding factions work out a settlement. The command, in a communiquÃ©, said...

Continue reading "Beirut Falling into Hizbullah Hands"

Posted by Abdul at 7:38 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

OPEC: 'There is Clearly No Shortage of Oil in the Market'

This is coming from what is essentially a mouthpiece for the oil and gas industry, but regardless of the source, this report - if true, begs the question of why are gas prices continuing to rise so drastically, with what has been almost daily increases (Note: an AP report says the same thing): In recent months, oil prices have become increasingly volatile, mainly driven by financial market developments and the increased flow of speculative funds into oil futures. The turmoil in some global equity markets and the considerable depreciation in the US dollar have encouraged investors to seek better returns...

Continue reading " OPEC: 'There is Clearly No Shortage of Oil in the Market'"

Posted by Abdul at 8:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Lebanon Explodes

(Map of the fighting - HT Jehas' Nail) Hezbollah and the Sunni Militias are fighting in Lebanon right now. Live reports from Lebanon here, images of the fighting can be found here. No surprise, the Hezbollah has essentially declared war on the Lebanese government. Syria is most definitely involved. Naharnet reports that Hizbullah has linked its private telephone networks to the Syrian Army's communications system as well as to Syria's mobile telephone network allowing Syrian intelligence to operate freely in Lebanon and avoid Lebanese controls. Here's Some observations into Sayyed Hassan Nassrallah's speech. It provides some insight into how...

Continue reading "Lebanon Explodes"

Posted by Abdul at 4:58 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

The 'Unthinkable Motive' Of Liberals (Video)

In this clip, Sam Harris "touches on a blind spot shared by many commentators, especially on the left (HT - David Thompson). David Thompson on Sam Harris, "root causes" and the left's disbelief in Islam as a motive for terrorism... "I think liberals, almost by definition, don't know what it's like to really believe in God. They don't know what it's like to be sure that the book they keep by their bedside is the literal word of the creator of the universe and that death is merely a passage to an eternity of happiness. And so they find it...

Continue reading "The 'Unthinkable Motive' Of Liberals (Video)"

Posted by Richard at 11:03 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Did Obama Lie About His Muslim Childhood?

"My father was from Kenya," he said, "and a lot of people in his village were Muslim. He didn't practice Islam. Truth is he wasn't very religious. He met my mother. My mother was a Christian from Kansas, and they married and then divorced. I was raised by my mother. So, I've always been a Christian. The only connection I've had to Islam is that my grandfather on my father's side came from that country. But I've never practiced Islam." - (Obama explaining his connection to Islam, as reported by MSNBC)Apparently questions earlier in the campaign about Obama being raised...

Continue reading "Did Obama Lie About His Muslim Childhood?"

Posted by Richard at 8:06 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)