Introduction By The Inquisitr’s Political Commentator Wolff Bachner:

No one likes to learn the information they have been fed by the mainstream media and many of our elected leaders is tainted by willful ignorance, denial, and out-right lies. When the average American is told the downtrodden Christian population in Muslim majority nations is being deliberately annihilated, most people either shake their heads in stunned disbelief or they start screaming “ISLAMOPHOBE” at the top of their lungs.

Americans have been fed a a steady diet of guilt and blame for so long that they are starting to believe the country is somehow responsible for every terrorist act and bloody war being fought across the globe. It doesn’t matter that since 9/11 there have been more than 20,000 acts of terror committed by men and women who proudly quote the Koran and proclaim the superiority of Islam to anyone who is willing to listen. We continue to give credence to Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., who announced “America’s Chickens are coming home to roost!” after the World Trade Center lay in ruins and 3000 innocent Americans lost their lives.

Our government, for reasons we can only speculate, continues to pour hundreds of millions of dollars into the Arab Spring, and they refuse to say one word against the ruthless persecution of the Copts in Egypt or the uprooting and murder of the Christian minority in war torn Syria. America continues to send deadly weapons and financial support to the “so-called freedom fighters” in Libya, despite the murder of Ambassador Christopher Stevens at the hands of those same al-Qaeda affiliated “Freedom Fighters.” Nor will the current administration speak out for the 85 million Christians in Nigeria who have been brutalized since 2001 by Boko Haram, a terrorist group dedicated to imposing Sharia Law on all of Nigeria and devoted to killing anyone who refuses to convert to Islam.

Last year, the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, the highest authority in all of Islam, proclaimed that every church in the Arabian Peninsula should be burned to the ground. Unlike the American politicians and journalists who constantly claim the violence is caused by poverty and the lack of social justice, the Grand Mufti was bluntly honest about where his inspiration to burn every church to cinders originated. He was inspired by the the Koran and the 7th century CE legal commentaries written by Islamic scholars, especially the Hadith in which Mohammad told his followers not to allow one Christian church to exist in any nation ruled by Islam. The Grand Mufti was more than happy to follow the Koran and Islamic law to the letter, no matter what the rest of the world thinks.

There is a great debate raging in the West about reaching out to moderate Muslims. Unfortunately, many Muslims living in the Middle East, Africa and Asia do not agree with the concept of moderate Islam. Prime Minister Erdogan of Turkey, leader of one of the most technologically advanced and powerful Middle Eastern nations, refuted the entire concept of Moderate Islam when he said, “It is unacceptable for us to agree with such a definition. Turkey has never been a country to represent such a concept. Moreover, Islam cannot be classified as moderate or not, Islam is Islam.” He went on to say, “The mosques are our barracks, the domes are our helmets, the minarets are our swords, and the faithful are our army.” It should be noted that Turkey also leads the world in imprisoned journalists.

While it is possible for two societies to fundamentally disagree and still co-exist in a peaceful manner, it will not work when one side refuses to acknowledge reality, creates a mythical “Religion of Peace” and ignores the constant human rights violations. The West has chosen to overlook the subversive activities and constant doublespeak when dealing with the Islamic world. Prominent Imams and political leaders pontificate about religious equality for all faiths in English and then completely support  Islamic supremacy when speaking to their own citizens. The comments made by President Morsi of Egypt in 2009 are case in point, when he called Jews “descendants of apes and pigs” in an Arabic language speech to the Muslim Brotherhood, while claiming he respects Israel’s right to exist when speaking to American and European reporters.

Our jaded leaders and the mainstream media continue to make all sorts of excuses for every act of intolerance and persecution in the Islamic world, blaming it on colonialism, cultural differences and the lack of modern social benefits. We shake our heads in dismay when we read about the terrified kid in Saudi Arabia who will have his spine severed by a surgeon as punishment under Sharia Law for crippling another teenager. We excuse such completely barbaric behavior by saying we shouldn’t judge another nation’s ancient religious traditions. The Saudi Royal family laughs at us, cripples kids, and beheads women for witchcraft. We refuse to hold adults responsible for savage acts of inhumanity and we conveniently forget that an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind!

Enough of my opinions for the present, let’s turn the floor over to our good friend, and Inquisitr contributor, Raymond Ibrahim for another no holds barred interview exposing Islam’s new war on Christians.

The Inquisitr interviews Raymond Ibrahim, world renowned expert on terrorism and the author of The al-Qaeda Reader:

Wolff Bachner: Raymond, your ground breaking new book, Crucified Again: Exposing Islam’s New War on Christians, has just been published and it is available from Amazon.Com or in bookstores across America. Why did you decide to write the book and what has the reaction been to such a powerful and controversial study?

Raymond Ibrahim: Thanks, Wolff. I wrote the book to fill the vacuum, since the mainstream media and others—such as the Obama administration—have to varying degree decided to ignore or whitewash this otherwise growing epidemic of human pain and suffering. If any other group but Christians were being attacked as they are in the Islamic world, their plight would make international headlines. But because from childhood on up in America—from high schools to universities, from the media to Hollywood—Americans are conditioned to think of Christians and their history as the fanatical and intolerant, it is difficult to acknowledge that, in fact, Christians are by far the most persecuted religious group around the word, especially the Islamic world. A January 2013 Reuters report estimates some 100 million Christians around are being persecuted for their faith. Thus I wrote this book to give voice to the many voiceless Christians suffering under Islam.

Wolff Bachner: How bad is the situation today for Christians in Muslim majority countries?

Raymond Ibrahim: The situation has gone from bad to worse, particular in light of the so-called “Arab Spring” and the Obama administration’s enthusiastic support for it, despite the fact that it continually exposes its true face as an Islamic takeover. Almost every single country that Obama has helped rebels and opposition forces to topple the secular ruling regimes has gotten markedly worse for Christians. Under Gaddafi, one never heard of Libya’s immensely small Christian minority suffering. Post-Gaddafi, and thanks to Obama’s support for the al-Qaeda linked jihadis who were always a part of the opposition, the very few churches there are under attack and bombed; nuns are harassed and forced to flee; Christians possessing Bibles are arrested and tortured (one recently died from his torture). It is the same now in Syria, which, under secular strongman Bashar Assad was tolerant towards its Christian minorities. Now, the “freedom-fighters”—code for the Obama-supported foreign jihadis—are targeting Christians for killing, displacement, and hostage taking for ransoms. The atrocities being committed are many and barbaric—beheadings, enslavements, rapes, and wholesale massacres—filling the over 300 pages of Crucified Again.

Wolff Bachner: Is the widespread persecution a product of modern social and political grievances or does the hatred of non-Muslims have a long tradition in Islam?

Raymond Ibrahim: This is a good and important question. The persecution is 100% a product of Islamic tradition. Consider: the Christians being persecuted by Muslims are identical to their persecutors: they share the same race and ethnicity; speak the same languages; are nationals of the same countries. There is nothing to distinguish the Christian from the Muslim in widely different countries like Egypt, Nigeria, and Indonesia—except, of course religion. Moreover, in all the countries I survey in Crucified Again, Christians are also politically marginalized and poorer than their Muslim counterparts. Thus it is clear that Muslim attacks on Christians and their places of worship are animated first and foremost by religious hostility, as there is no other valid or even conceivable reason to explain the violence daily visited on Christians under Islam. And yes, this hostility has a very long tradition in Islam and its teachings and doctrines, much of which I cover in the book.

Wolff Bachner: Is life improving for Christians in countries like Libya, Yemen, Sudan, Morocco, and Tunisia since the uprisings against the region’s dictators and monarchies?

Raymond Ibrahim: No, life is getting worse. Once of the most overlooked phenomena of our age is that Muslims are returning to Islam. This sounds redundant and meaningless, but I speak of a “lost history” that has blinded the West to the implications of this return. In short, because Islam is a religion that makes might right, after the Islamic world was subjugated by the West beginning with Napoleon’s easy conquest of Egypt in 1798, Muslims began seeing Westernization as pivotal to success, and thus largely turned their backs on Islam, being “Muslim” only in name. However, around mid-20th century, beginning in earnest in the “liberal” 1960s, when Western culture took a nosedive, became sexually and morally unrestrained, apologetic for itself, and seeing Western civilization, especially Christianity, as the root of the world’s sufferings, Muslims went from trying to emulate the West, to having great contempt for it, and naturally began returning to their own heritage, Islam and its Sharia—all of course to “multicultural” Western applause, since, to the West, Islam and its Sharia were, and continue to be portrayed, as great things. But of course, as Muslims turn to Islam, so too do the things of Islam—like Christian persecution—return. In fact, because I believe this era and its significance are pivotal not only to understanding Muslim persecution of Christians, but the rise of Islam as a political force, I have an early, and important chapter titled “Lost History,” where I fully elaborate on this theme.

Wolff Bachner: How has the withdrawal of US forces impacted the lives of Christians in Iraq and Afghanistan? Dr. Wagdi Gonium, a popular radical cleric in Egypt, ridiculed America when he said, “What do you think — that America will protect you? Let’s be very clear, America will not protect you. If so, it would have protected the Christians of Iraq when they were being butchered!”

Raymond Ibrahim: Honestly, the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq and Afghanistan has not really exacerbated the sufferings of Christians, as they were still being persecuted even when U.S. forces were there. In fact, if anything, the presence of U.S. forces sometimes enables the persecution of Christians. For example, I have a whole section in Crucified Again explaining the concept of collective punishment, and how vulnerable, indigenous Christian are regular attacked in response to the actions of U.S. forces or the West in general, as many Muslims conflate the West with Christianity (when Muhammad cartoons are published in Europe, Christians around the Islamic world are attacked, their churches bombed). Speaking of churches, although some existed in Afghanistan before the U.S. invasion, a year ago the last church was formally demolished by the U.S.-installed government—and while U.S. troops were there. As for Iraq, the year following the ousting of Saddam Hussein, in 2004 and under U.S auspices, jihadis went on a church bombing spree, destroying countless churches and killing many Christians.

Wolff Bachner: Why is the Obama Administration, and the Bush Administration before them, so unwilling to say one word about the horrible violence being done to Christians across the Islamic world? For a nation that prides itself on protecting the helpless, the United States seems to have buried its head in the sand when it comes to the suffering of Christians.

Raymond Ibrahim: Quite true. There is a difference, however subtle, between Bush’s handling and Obama’s: when Bush “liberated” Iraq, and jihadis went on, among other things, a Christian persecution spree, it was still unknown to most U.S. politicians that that would be a consequence; there really weren’t many precedents to go by. On the other hand, even before Obama came to power, the fate of Christian minorities in countries “liberated” from the grip of autocrats was known (since the ousting of Saddam, more than half of Iraq’s indigenous Christians have either been killed or fled their homeland). So there was a precedent for the Obama administration to go by. Nonetheless, the administration has done all it can to empower radical forces under the umbrella of the “Arab Spring,” and the same pattern that took place a decade earlier in Iraq—the persecution of Christians, not to mention jihadi intolerance for all that is non-Islamic—has, as expected, come to all of those countries where Obama helped empower the Islamist opposition—including Egypt, Libya, and now Syria, where a recent fatwa, an Islamic decree, made it permissible for jihadis to rape all non-Sunni women, as a reward for waging jihad to empower Sharia law in Syria.

Wolff Bachner: Why do you think so many citizens in Western nations are unaware of the persecution of Christians? Every time a Jew dares to build a house on Jewish land in Jerusalem there is a major protest and its front-page news, but hundreds of Churches have been burned in the Middle East, Africa and Asia without a word in the Mainstream media.

Raymond Ibrahim: I discuss this at length in Crucified Again. In a nutshell, the mainstream media, to a great extent, exists to validate its liberal narrative, a narrative which suggests that all violence is a byproduct of some material, tangible grievance. Thus the Arab-Israeli conflict is a favorite topic for them to cover, for no matter how many rockets are shot into Tel Aviv by Hamas and Hezbollah, that will only be portrayed as proof positive that Muslims in PA territories are aggrieved and frustrated, and thus lashing out at their Israeli “oppressor.” And no matter how many times jihadi groups articulate their rage in purely Islamic terms, the media will portray their animus as a product of grievance and land conflict. On the other hand, the media finds it difficult to rationalize away Muslim attacks on Christians—Christians who are of the same race, ethnicity, and speak the same language as their Muslim persecutors. In this context, the media can’t portray the violence as a “land” dispute or a product of “grievance” (if anything it is the ostracized and politically dis-empowered Christian minorities who should have grievances). So since they can’t articulate the attacks on Christians in the established secular paradigm, their primary recourse is not to report on Christian persecution, for it is a phenomenon which throws a wrench in their otherwise well-oiled narrative of “Muslim-violence-is-a-product-of Muslim-grievance.” Other times, when they have no choice but to report on it—I have in mind the most spectacular attacks on Christians, where dozens are often killed—but only after using their entire arsenal of semantic games and relativistic, equivocating language that minimizes the religious element.

Wolff Bachner: How can the United Nations claim to be dedicated to world peace, yet they refuse to discuss or debate the treatment of Christian Copts in Egypt, the forced conversion to Islam of thousands of Christians, the violent jihad against Christian worshipers in countries like Nigeria or the public calls from prominent Islamic leaders to destroy every church in the Arabian Peninsula?

Raymond Ibrahim: Because most of those in the United Nations are byproducts of the mainstream media’s secular and liberal narrative so that, like many in the Western world, they simply cannot see Christian persecution for what it is, and much prefer to focus on those peoples whom the powers that be have bestowed the honor of being portrayed as persecuted people, chief among them Muslim Palestinians (who, ironically, often persecute the Christian minority in their midst).

Wolff Bachner: What do you foresee as the future of Christianity if the West continues to ignore the rampant persecution and murder of Christians across the Middle East, Africa and Asia?

Raymond Ibrahim: Extinction. Many forget that, when Islam burst out of Arabia during the first major wave of Islamic conquests in the 7th century, half of the world’s entire Christian population lived precisely in those lands we nonchalantly call the “Arab World”—from Morocco to Egypt in north Africa, from Syria to Turkey in Asia. Fourteen hundred years of sporadic jihads and dhimmitude has seen the slow decimation and forced conversion of Christians to Islam, making that region nearly purely Islamic. With the exception of the Christian “golden age” during and after the colonial era, when Muslims were Western-leaning, today’s jihad has resumed in an effort to eradicate Christianity from its birthplace—the Middle East—once and for all.

Wolff Bachner: What can a concerned private citizen do to help end the persecution of Christians in the Islamic world? Can they do anything to help or is it simply too late?

Raymond Ibrahim: It’s nearly too late—in some countries like Iraq, the indigenous Christian population has been decimated, and outside of Egypt, the whole of north Africa has something less than 1% of a Christian population—but there are many Muslim majority nations where Christians exist and are fighting for survival, Pakistan, Egypt, and Syria for example. Concerned citizens should contact their representatives, and visit some of the human rights organizations that fight for Christian survival I list in Crucified Again. Most importantly, they should spread the word. At this point, our paralysis is fundamentally tied up to our ignorance.

IMPORTANT UPDATE 1:00 AM CST:

Breaking news on a disturbing article just published by Raymond Ibrahim about the fate of an American citizen and Christian pastor, Saeed Abedini, rotting away in prison in Iran since the beginning of the year. The Iranian born pastor returned to the land of his childhood to open an orphanage and visit his family. He was charged with “threatening the national security” of Iran and sentenced to a minimum of eight years imprisonment in one of the worst prisons on the planet.

The pastor was sentenced in January of 2013. Since then the State Department has excluded Abedini from its Iran Prisoners List and President Obama refuses to answer questions about the case or speak out to demand the release of an American citizen being held in violation of every UN Treaty on human rights and religious freedom. We can only speculate that disarming law abiding American citizens, playing golf with Tiger Woods, and ridiculing Republicans is more important to the President than a devout and dedicated Christian pastor who is being tortured by a totalitarian religious theocracy that hangs teenage homosexuals from cranes in the public square and finances most of the world’s terrorists.

Here is an excerpt from the article:

“In January, an American Christian was sentenced to an eight-year prison sentence on charges of “endangering national security” in Iran. A 32-year-old married father of two from Boise, Idaho, Pastor Saeed Abedini traveled to his country of origin last year to visit family and help build an orphanage, only to be arrested and sent to Tehran’s brutal Evin prison.”

“According to Fox News, Abedini, a Muslim convert to Christianity—also known as an apostate deserving of death under Islamic Sharia law—is “facing physical and psychological torture at the hands of captors demanding he renounce his beliefs.” In a recent letter smuggled to family members, he recounted the “horrific pressures” and “death threats” he endures: “My eyes get blurry, my body does not have the strength to walk, and my steps become very weak and shaky… They are only waiting for one thing… for me to deny Christ. But they will never get this from me.””

Read the full story on the Human Events website.

‘Crucified Again: Exposing Islam’s New War On Christians’: The Inquisitr Interviews Author Raymond Ibrahim is a post from: The Inquisitr

Introductory Comments By Wolff Bachner:

Yesterday, The Inquisitr presented Part One of Raymond Ibrahim’s ground breaking article, Death to Churches Under Islam: A Study of the Coptic Church. For many of our readers, his article was a stunning introduction to a devastating Human Rights crisis that is endangering more than 10 million innocent human beings; Coptic Christians who simply want to worship the god of their choice, and be treated as equals, in the nation their ancestors inhabited hundreds of years before the birth of Mohammed and the creation of Islam.

Mr. Ibrahim described the history of the Muslim conquest of Egypt and the cruel treatment of those Copts who refused to convert to Islam. Their churches were burned by the thousands, Coptic property was stolen by Muslim looters or confiscated by the Caliphate, helpless nuns and priests were raped and murdered with impunity, and entire Christian families were sold into slavery.

Until the fall of the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century, the Copts were forced to pay the Jizya tax imposed by Islam as a penalty on “unbelievers and infidels.” As Mr. Ibrahim so clearly illustrated, all this was done with the sanction of Islamic law and documented in detail by proud Muslim historians, who celebrated the persecution of the Copts as a fate they deserved for refusing to accept Allah.

Today, in Part Two of his article, Mr. Ibrahim introduces us to Coptic life in the modern era. Since the fall of Mubarak in 2011, the persecution of the Copts shifted from the more subtle economic and social inequality imposed by the previous government to a level of violence and oppression that has not been seen in several centuries.

Once again, history is going full circle, as the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafis take advantage of their now absolute control of Egypt to return the nation to the ruthless, authoritarian Muslim theocracy of 7th and 8th century; a time when every Christian in Egypt was forced to live under Islamic law that condemned all non-Muslims to a life of misery as permanent second class citizens:

“Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.” – Quran (9:29)

While we sit here in America, fretting about taxes, gun control and the Boston Marathon bombing, Coptic Christians are being threatened with genocide, robbed, assaulted, raped and murdered on a daily basis. Hundreds of thousands of Copts have fled Egypt since Morsi came to power last year and the millions of Copts who are unable to leave Egypt are living in constant fear for their lives.

The dedicated Islamists in the Morsi government are openly calling for the restoration of the Jizya tax on the Copts and they constantly warn that if Morsi falls from power, the Muslims will hold the Copts responsible and wipe them out to the last man, woman and child.

“A message to the church of Egypt, from an Egyptian Muslim: I tell the church — by Allah, and again, by Allah — if you conspire and unite with the remnants [opposition] to bring Morsi down, that will be another matter…. our red line is the legitimacy of Dr. Muhammad Morsi. Whoever splashes water on it, we will splash blood on him. I’m warning you now: do not play with fire! What do you think — that America will protect you? Let’s be very clear, America will not protect you. If so, it would have protected the Christians of Iraq when they were being butchered!” -  Dr. Wagdi Ghoneim, a popular Muslim Cleric and Radical Islamist firebrand.

The situation in Egypt is explosive and the potential for violence threatens to embroil the entire region in a bloodbath of unthinkable proportions. This must be prevented and the Coptic Christians of Egypt must be granted fully religious, economic, social and political equality. Not in a week or a month or a year or a decade, but today. As the fallen American President, John Fitzgerald Kennedy said, so many years ago, “The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened.”

Death to Churches Under Islam: A Study of the Coptic Church, Part Two

By Raymond Ibrahim

The Modern Era

The sort of Muslim attacks on Christian churches described by the historian Maqrizi and conforming to the Conditions of Omar are reoccurring with increased frequency. Again, while the patterns described above are occurring all around the Muslim world—sometimes even in the West—modern day Egypt alone, with its significant Christian population, offers an abundance of recent examples.

After some 14 centuries of persecution and church attacks, Egypt’s Copts ushered in the 2011 new year by having one of their largest churches attacked: during midnight mass in the early hours of January 1, 2011, the Two Saints Coptic Church in Alexandria, crowded with hundreds of Christian worshippers praying for the new year, was bombed, leaving at least 23 dead and approximately 100 injured. According to eyewitnesses, “body parts were strewn all over the street outside the church. The body parts were covered with newspapers until they were brought inside the church after some Muslims started stepping on them and chanting jihadi chants,” including “Allahu Akbar!” Islam’s victory cry since the days of Muhammad. Eyewitnesses further attest that “security forces withdrew one hour before the church blast.” One year earlier, “drive-by Muslims shot to death six Christians as they were leaving church after celebrating Christmas mass in 2010” in Nag Hammadi.

No Church Bells, Crosses, or Renovations

The story of St. George Coptic Church in Edfu is especially instructive of the plight of churches in Egypt. Built nearly a century ago, during the Christian “Golden Age,” St. George was so dilapidated that the local council and governor approved its renovation and signed off on the design. Soon local Muslims began complaining, making various demands, including that the church be devoid of crosses and bells—as stipulated by the Conditions of Omar—because they were “irritating Muslims and their children.” Leaders later insisted that the very dome of the church be removed. Arguing that removal of the dome would likely collapse the church, the bishop refused. The foreboding cries of “Allahu Akbar!” began; Muslims threatened to raze the church and build a mosque in its place; Copts were “forbidden to leave their homes or buy food until they remove the dome of St. George’s Church”; many starved for weeks.

Then, after Friday prayers on September 30, 2011, some 3,000 Muslims rampaged the church, torched it, and demolished the dome; flames from the wreckage burned nearby Christian homes, which were further ransacked by rioting Muslims. Security, which was present, just “stood there watching,” according to Christian eyewitnesses. Edfu’s Intelligence Unit chief was seen directing the mob destroying the church. Even the governor of Aswan appeared on State TV and “denied any church being torched,” calling it a “guest home.” He even justified the incident by arguing that the church contractor made the building three meters higher than he had permitted: “Copts made a mistake and had to be punished, and Muslims did nothing but set things right, end of story,” he proclaimed on TV.

It was this incident which caused Egypt’s Christians to protest in October 2011, leading to the Maspero Massacre, when the Egyptian military intentionally targeted and killed dozens of Christian protesters, including by running them over with armored vehicles—even as state media lied by portraying the Christians as the aggressors and the military as the victim, a narrative which the Western mainstream media gullibly disseminated.
In July 2011, a Muslim mob went on a violent spree, attacking, among others a 5-month pregnant Christian woman and other Christians who were “beaten with iron rods and pipes.” According to Fr. Estephanos of the region, “The real reason behind this assault was the church bell, which has greatly angered the Muslims in the village. This is the first time such an incident has taken place in this village which is 60-75% Christian, and the reason is definitely the presence of the church bell.” As seen in the Conditions of Omar, church bells are forbidden in Islam.

Similarly, in October 2011, in the Upper Egyptian village of Elmadmar which only has two churches to serve 15,000 Christians, Muslim mobs surrounded one of these two churches, St. Mary’s Church, hurling bricks at it and trying to demolish it, while chanting “No to the church.” Although it has had state security approval to operate, its license was still pending. According to the priest, “Muslims claim that we hold a mass every day at 4 PM, and we ring the church bell, which the church does not have, besides singing hymns, which they claim disturbs them.”

Collective Punishment

Many attacks on Coptic churches occur in the context of “collective punishment,” which also has echoes tracing back to the Conditions of Omar. After naming any number of other conditions—including not displaying crosses, not ringing bells, not singing loudly—the Conditions of Omar concludes by having Christians agree that “if we change or contradict these conditions imposed upon ourselves . . . we forfeit our dhimma [covenant], and we become liable to the same treatment you inflict upon the people who resist and cause sedition.”

Accordingly, throughout Islamic history to the present moment, anytime any Christian anywhere has been accused of breaking Sharia’s dhimmi laws, churches—at once the most obvious and vulnerable representation of Christianity—are first to be attacked in retribution by the Muslim mob, often in the context of collective punishment.

This has centuries of historical precedents. While discussing the status of churches in the Middle East after the Islamic invasions, Bat Ye’or writes “they were often burned or demolished in the course of reprisals against infidels found guilty of overstepping their rights.” Collective punishment is even doctrinally approved: the Yemeni jurist al-Murtada wrote, “The agreement will be canceled if all or some of them break it.” At the other end of the Arab world, the Moroccan jurist al-Maghili taught that “the fact that one individual (or one group) among them has broken the statute is enough to invalidate it for all of them.”

Thus, for some 14 centuries churches have been treated as hostages to guarantee good (that is, submissive) Christian behavior. For example, in March 2011, a Muslim mob attacked the local Church of the Two Martyrs in Sool, south of Cairo, burning it down, even as a Muslim prayer leader called on Muslims to “kill all the Christians.” Adding insult to injury, the attackers played “soccer” with the ancient relic-remains of the church’s saints and martyrs. Afterwards, throngs of Muslims gathered around the scorched building where they spent some 20 hours pounding its walls down with sledgehammers to cries of “Allahu Akbar.”

Even minor details like desecrating the relics of Coptic saints have immense continuity. Discussing the Muslim attack on the Church of Shubra, Maqriz writes: “after it had been demolished, the fingers of a [Christian] martyr which were kept in a casket…. Were then burnt in presence of the Sultan…”

Neither the military nor state security appeared—and this was happening near Cairo, Egypt’s capital, not some inaccessible village. After demolishing it, a group of Muslims held prayers at the site and began making plans to build a mosque atop the destroyed church—a live example of history, almost identical to the examples recorded a millennium earlier by the Egyptian historian Maqrizi and others. Because of the attack, Copts in Sool fled to adjacent villages. Women who remained in the village were sexually assaulted.

Less violently, in January, 2012, before a bishop was going to celebrate Epiphany Mass in the Abu Makka church, several Muslims, mostly Salafis and Muslim Brotherhood members, entered the building, saying that the church had no permit and no Christian can pray in it. One Muslim was heard to remark that the building would be suitable for a Muslim mosque.

In May 2011, throngs of Muslims, estimated at 3,000, fired guns and rifles and hurled Molotov cocktails at Coptic churches, homes, and businesses in the Imbaba region near Cairo: twelve Christians were killed—some shot by snipers atop rooftops—232 injured; three churches were set aflame to cries of “Allahu Akbar,” while Coptic homes were looted and torched. As usual, Egyptian leadership did little to stop this rampage, showing up nearly five hours after it began, providing ample time to terrorize the Copts. One priest said “I called everyone, but no one bothered to come. I mourn all those young people who died.” The pretext for this particular attack was that a Christian girl had converted to Islam and the Coptic Church had supposedly responded by abducting and torturing her into renouncing Islam. Muslims found this argument persuasive, of course, because that is precisely what Islam requires Muslims to do to female apostates who convert to Christianity.

In February 2012, thousands of Muslims attacked a Coptic church, demanding the death of its pastor, who, along with “nearly 100 terrorized Copts sought refuge inside the church, while Muslim rioters were pelting the church with stones in an effort to break into the church, assault the Copts and torch the building.” They did this because a Christian girl who, according to Islamic law, automatically became a Muslim when her father converted to Islam, fled her father and was rumored to be hiding in the church. Again, one is reminded that the Conditions of Omar stipulate that Christians shall not prevent any of their family members from converting to Islam—or in this case, aid a hapless Christian who, because of Sharia law, found herself Muslim one day.

No to Churches, Period

In June 2011, hundreds of Muslims surrounded another St. George Church, south of Minya, vowing to kill its priest—who was locked inside serving morning mass to several parishioners. The Muslims cried “We will kill the priest, we will kill him and no one will prevent us,” adding that they would “cut him to pieces.” As usual, police and security forces gave the terrorists ample time to terrorize—appearing a full five hours after the incident began; and when they escorted the priest out, it “looked as if he was the criminal, leaving his church in a police car.” Several reasons were given for this attack, from claims that the priest had earlier tried to make renovations to the 100-year old church, to claims that the priest refused demands from local Muslims that the Christians in the region must pay jizya.

In May 2011, hundreds of Muslims, angered by the prospect of a government-closed church re-opening in their neighborhood, protested and rioted in front of the church, causing the provisional military authority to back away from its promise to reopen it. Before its scheduled reopening, the Church of the Virgin Mary and St. Abraam in Ain Shams, a poor section of northeastern Cairo, was surrounded by Muslims preventing anyone from getting in and trapping the priests who were inside. Fights ensued between Copts and Muslims, leading to the injury and arrest of the former. Muslims besieged the church and threatened to kill the head priest of the congregation, trapping those inside.

Other times, the mere rumor of a church being built or renovated prompts Muslim violence and chaos. On January 16, 2013, hundreds of Muslims in the village of Fanous destroyed a social services building belonging to a Coptic Church while chanting Islamic slogans. Security forces arrived only after the building was completely destroyed. “The social services building had all the necessary government permits; it had a reception hall on the first floor and a kindergarten on the second. But the Muslims insisted that it would become a church.” Even so, surrounding mosques began called on Muslims through their megaphones to go and help their Muslim brethren in Fanous, because Christians were “building a church.”

Earlier, in March 2012, some 1,500 Muslims—several armed with swords and knives and shouting Islamic slogans—terrorized the Notre Dame Language School in Upper Egypt, in response to calls from local mosques which falsely claimed that the private school was building a church: “Two nuns were besieged in the school’s guesthouse for some eight hours by a murderous mob threatening to burn them alive”; one nun suffered a “major nervous breakdown requiring hospitalization… The entire property was ransacked and looted. The next day the Muslims returned and terrorized the children. Consequently, school attendance has dropped by at least one third.”

In fact, attacks on convents in Egypt—often followed by mass rapes—have a long history. Maqrizi recounts several, including one at the hands of a caliph, Marwan II (r.744–50). During one of his raids ordered on churches and monasteries, Marwan “made captive a number of women from among the nuns of several convents. And he tried to seduce one of them.” The account describes how the enslaved nun deceived him into killing him, by telling him she had a magic oil that make skin impenetrable: “She then took some oil and anointed herself with it; then stretched out her neck, which he smote with the sword, and made her head fly. He then understood that she preferred death to defilement.”

Islamic Supremacism

Other attacks are simple byproducts of the culture of Islamic supremacism, and the hate and contempt it engenders for Christians and their “houses of infidelity.” On Friday, February 15, Muslims in the village of Sarsena attacked and set fire to the church of St. George and hurled stones at it. This latest assault was prompted by Salafi Muslims instigating the villagers to attack the church because it is “an unlawful neighbor to the Muslims who live adjacent to it and must therefore be moved.” According to the report, “The mob climbed to the church dome and started demolishing it and setting it on fire. The dome collapsed into the burning church and caused great damage. Muslims used bricks from the dome and the holy cross and hurled it at the altar inside the church, causing part of it to be demolished; all the icons of saints were destroyed.” Security was present throughout this entire attack but did nothing.

In October 2012, another group of Muslims, led by Mostafa Kamel, a prosecutor at the Alexandria Criminal Court, broke into the Church of St. Mary in Rashid near Alexandria and proceeded to destroy its altar, under claims that he bought the 9th century church, which, in fact, was earlier sold to the Copts by the Greeks due to the latter’s dwindling numbers in Egypt.  Two priests, Fr. Maximos and Fr. Luke, rushed to the police station for aid. Kamel and his two sons also came to the police station where they openly threatened to kill the two priests and their lawyer. Said Fr. Maximos: “We stayed at the police station for over six hours with the police begging prosecutor Kamel and his two sons not to demolish the church”; Fr. Luke said that the prosecutor had earlier lost all the cases he brought against the church, “So when this route failed, he tried taking the matter into his own hands.”

In June 2012, because many visiting Christians came to attend service, Muslims surrounded St. Lyons Coptic Church during Divine Liturgy “demanding that the visiting Copts leave the church before the completion of prayers, and threatening to burn down the church if their demand was not met.” The priest contacted police asking for aid only to be told to comply with Muslim demands, “and do not let buses with visitors to come to the church anymore.” Christian worshippers exited halfway through Mass to jeers outside. As they drove away, Muslims hurled stones at the buses.

The same story repeated itself in October 2012, when a Muslim mob consisting mostly of Salafis surrounded the St. George Church in the Beni Suef Governorate.  Armed with batons, they assaulted Christians as they exited the church after Sunday mass, leaving five hospitalized with broken limbs.  The Salafi grievance was that Christians from neighboring villages—who have no churches to serve them—were traveling and attending St. George.  The priest could not go out of church for hours after mass, even though he contacted police, who only came after a prominent Coptic lawyer complained to the Ministry of Interior concerning the lack of response from police, saying “I want the whole world to know that a priest and his congregation are presently held captives in their church, afraid of the Salafi Muslims surrounding the church.”

This desire to make things complicated for Christians by not allowing them to enter churches out of their jurisdiction is echoed by Muslim prophet Muhammad’s command to Muslims: “Do not initiate the Salam [peace greeting] to the Jews and Christians, and if you meet any of them in a road, force them to its narrowest alley,” which has always been interpreted to mean that Muslims should make things hard on dhimmis.

Outside Egypt

Amazingly, even when Copts quit their homeland in hopes to practice their Christian faith in peace, Muslim persecution follows them. Most recently, in New Jersey, two Coptic Christian youth were found buried, decapitated and with their hands cut off. Police say they have not been able to unearth the motive of their murderer, a Muslim. Yet one cannot but remember the haunting words of the Koran: “I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve, so strike [them] upon the necks [decapitate them] and strike from them every fingertip.” [Koran 8:12]

Coptic churches are under attack outside Egypt. In Libya, for example, where, thanks to U.S. support, “freedom fighters” took over the nation, on Sunday, December 30, 2012, an explosion rocked a Coptic Christian church near the western city of Misrata, where a group of U.S. backed rebels hold a major checkpoint, killing two. Two months later, on February 28, another Coptic Christian church located in Benghazi, Libya, was attacked by armed Muslim militants, resulting in serious injuries for the priest and an assistant. This is to say nothing of the approximately 100 Coptic Christians who were arrested and tortured—including with acid and by having their heads shaven, concentration camp style—on the accusation that they were trying to “proselytize” to Libyans. One Christian man, Ezzat Atallah, died under torture.

The attacks on Christian churches have now even reached North America. In Canada in late October 2012, just as happens regularly in Egypt, a Molotov cocktail was hurled through the window of a newly opened Coptic church near Toronto.  Unlike in Egypt, however, firefighters came quickly, even as “Police have no suspects or motive in the incident.” Needless to say, for centuries, Copts have only been all too familiar with the suspects and motives. Thus as Egypt’s Christians flee their indigenous homeland searching to worship in peace, the jihad of hate follows.

Conclusion

While the above anecdotes, both past and present, have almost exclusively dealt with Egypt, the fact is that churches throughout the entire Islamic world have experienced, and continue to experience, a similar pattern of abuse at the hands of Muslims. The key to understanding why Egypt is especially paradigmatic has to do with numbers. How many Christians and Muslims there are in any given country—especially their ratio to one another—is the primary factor behind which countries see the most and least attacks on Christian churches. For example, Saudi Arabia, which is vehemently more anti-Christian than Egypt, also sees much less accounts of persecution of Christians. The reason for this conundrum is simple: Saudi Arabia has nipped the problem in the bud by banning Christianity altogether; there are no churches to bomb or burn. Similarly, the ravages of the historic jihad have seen the decimation of Christianity in Muslim lands not traditionally deemed “radical.” For instance, the whole of north Africa—which, prior to the Islamic conquests, was Christian, giving the world giants like St. Augustine who played a major role in articulating Western Christianity—sees much less Christian persecution than Egypt, simply because there are virtually no Christians left to persecute (less than 1% of the entire population, from Morocco to Libya).

On the other hand, the very large numbers of Christians in Egypt—according to the baptismal records of the Coptic Orthodox Church, there are some 16 million Christian Copts in Egypt—prompt regular attacks on Christian churches. Thus, due to the large number of Christians in modern day Egypt, that nation offers a live glimpse of history—a live glimpse of the fate of Christians and their churches under centuries of Islam, and the true reason millions of Christians ended up converting to Islam: to evade oppression as Christians.

End Of Part Two – Be sure to join us next week for Part Three of this series, when we conduct an interview with Raymond Ibrahim to discuss his new book, Crucified Again: Exposing Islam’s New War on Christians.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of Wolff Bachner and Raymond Ibrahim and do not reflect the opinion of The Inquisitr.

The Fate Of Egypt’s Coptic Christians: Part Two With Raymond Ibrahim is a post from: The Inquisitr

Introduction By The Inquisitr’s Wolff Bachner:

The Coptic Christian Church of Egypt was once the world’s largest Christian community. After the Islmaic conquest that began in 639 CE, the invaders gave the Copts a choice of converting to Islam or death and most of Egypt’s Christians became Muslims. The great congregation of Christian believers was scattered and the Copts of Egypt began their slow descent as a powerless minority.

Recently, we witnessed the unprecedented attack on Cairo’s St. Marks Cathedral, the most sacred site in Coptic Christianity. The attack by a heavily armed mob of Muslim Brotherhood supporters was witnessed by security forces and Egyptian police, who refused to intervene while hundreds of Christians trapped inside the Cathedral were pelted with fire bombs and snipers fired into the building from the surrounding rooftops. To the world’s Coptic faithful, the attack on the Cairo Cathedral is as serious as an attack on the Vatican would be to Roman Catholics or an attack on the Kaaba in Mecca would be to Muslims.

Every day, more Christian Churches are burned in Egypt, more Copts die at the hands of the mob, more Coptic teenage girls are kidnapped, forced to convert to Islam and marry their abductors, and more Copts flee their homeland for safety in foreign countries. The international community has barely noticed the unrelenting persecution of 10 million human beings and the constant calls for genocide by Salafi and Muslim Brotherhood Preachers. Obama continues to give hundreds of millions of dollars to the Morsi government and sends jet fighters and tanks to arm the same soldiers who do nothing when the Copts are being attacked, unless they use the tanks to run over Coptic mourners on their way to bury their dead.

Raymond Ibrahim is the son of Coptic Christian parents who left Egypt to find freedom in America. He is recognized around the world as a leading expert on al-Qaeda and militant Islam. As the author of The Al Qaeda Reader, Mr. Ibrahim was the first scholar to translate the actual writings of Osama Bin Ladin and Ayman al-Zawahiri. His ground breaking work gave the non-Muslim world insight into the religious philosophy that is the motivating factor behind everything the Radical Islamists do and say; all of which is based on their interpretation of the Qu’ran and 1400 years of Islamic jurisprudence.

Over the years, many apologists for Radical Islam have used most American’s lack of fluency in Arabic as an excuse to claim Westerners misunderstand the Qu’ran or they are being lied to by people who hate Muslims. Raymond Ibarhim grew up speaking English and Modern Arabic and he speaks both languages with equal skill. He is also fluent in classical Arabic, the original language of the Qu’ran, He has studied the Qu’ran and he has studied the Hadith, the Sunnah, and Sharia; all in their original Arabic. He is fully versed in Islam and he can not be dismissed as a Western outsider, ignorant of the practices and language of Islam.

Raymond Ibrahim is one of the few brave individuals willing to put his life and his reputation on the line to inform the world about the plight of the Coptic people. He has written extensively about the persecution of Coptic Christians in Egypt and the assault on their faith by the Muslim Brotherhood, Salafi extremists, and the Morsi government. His new book, Crucified Again: Exposing Islam’s New War on Christians, will be released later this month. The book is a must read for anyone who cares about human dignity and the right to worship the god of your own choosing, free from persecution and oppression.

Many of our readers are already familiar with the work of Raymond Ibrahim as a contributor to The Inquisitr and through several in-depth interviews he conducted with our political writer, Wolff Bachner. Over the next few days we will be presenting a three part article by Mr. Ibrahim, Death to Churches Under Islam: A Study of the Coptic Church. The article will reveal the danger facing 10 million innocent human beings in Egypt, who are at risk of genocide simply because they have chosen to worship Jesus Christ.

Part One of Raymond Ibrahim’s article will introduce you to the early history of the Coptic Christian Church and give you a clear picture of what life was like for Coptic Christians after Islam conquered the region in the 7th century. The documentation for Mr. Ibrahim’s article does not come for Western historians. It comes directly from the writings of Islamic scholars and historians dating back to the actual events. The faithful recorders of Islamic history never tried to deny or hide the truth. They kept accurate records of the events of the times, unvarnished by any fear of outside criticism or political correctness. To the great Muslim writers, Islam was the only correct religion and they felt no need to apologize for wishing to make it the one faith for all of mankind.

Join us now for Part One of Raymond Ibrahim’s powerful article. The very survival of ten million Copts hangs in the balance.

Death to Churches Under Islam: A Study of the Coptic Church, Part One

By Raymond Ibrahim

Christians throughout the Islamic world are under attack. Unlike Muslim attacks on Christians, which are regularly confused with a myriad of social factors, the ongoing attacks on Christian churches in the Muslim world are perhaps the most visible expression of Christian persecution under Islam. In churches, Christians throughout the Islamic world are simply being Christians—peacefully and apolitically worshiping their God. And yet modern day Muslim governments try to prevent them, Muslim mobs attack them, and Muslim jihadis massacre them.

To understand the nature of this perennial hostility, one must first examine Muslim doctrines concerning Christian churches; then look at how these teachings have manifested themselves in reality over the course of centuries; and finally look at how modern day attacks on Christian churches mirror the attacks of history, often in identical patterns. The continuity is undeniable.

Because tracing and documenting the treatment of churches across the thousands of miles of formerly Christian lands conquered by Islam is well beyond the purview of this study, a paradigm is needed. Accordingly, an examination of the treatment of Christian churches in Egypt suffices as a model for understanding the fate churches under Islamic dominion. Indeed, as one of the oldest and largest Muslim nations, with one of the oldest and largest Christian populations, Egypt is the ultimate paragon for understanding all aspects of Christianity under Islam, both past and present. [For a complete survey of the fate of Christians and their churches throughout the entire Muslim world, both past and especially present, see author’s new book, Crucified Again: Exposing Islam’s New War on Christians (Regnery, April, 2013).]

Muslim Doctrine Concerning Churches

Sharia law is draconian if not hostile to Christian worship. Consider the words of some of Islam’s most authoritative and classic jurists, the same ones revered today by Egypt’s Salafis. According to Ibn Qayyim author of the multi-volume Rules for the Dhimmis, it is “obligatory” to destroy or convert into a mosque “every church” both old and new that exists on lands that were taken by Muslims through force, for they “breed corruption.” Even if Muslims are not sure whether one of “these things [churches] is old [pre-conquest] or new, it is better to err on the side of caution, treat it as new, and demolition it.”

Likewise, Ibn Taymiyya confirms that “the ulema of the Muslims from all four schools of law—Hanafi, Shafi‘i, Maliki, Hanbali, and others, including al-Thawri, al-Layth, all the way back to the companions and the followers—are all agreed that if the imam destroys every church in lands taken by force, such as Egypt, Sudan, Iraq, Syria … this would not be deemed unjust of him,” adding that, if Christians resist, “they forfeit their covenant, their lives, and their possessions.” Elsewhere he writes, “Wherever Muslims live and have mosques, it is impermissible for any sign of infidelity to be present, churches or otherwise.”

Echoing the words of the jurists that the church is “worse than bars and brothels” and “houses of torment and fire,” in August 2009, Dar al-Ifta, an Al Azhar affiliate, issued a fatwa likening the building of a church to “a nightclub, a gambling casino, or building a barn for rearing pigs, cats or dogs.” In July 2012, Dr. Yassir al-Burhami, a prominent figure in Egypt’s Salafi movement, issued a fatwa forbidding Muslim taxi-drivers and bus-drivers from transporting Coptic Christian priests to their churches, which he depicted as “more forbidden than taking someone to a liquor bar.”

Regardless, one need only examine the Conditions of Omar—an influential document Muslims attribute to 7th century Caliph Omar, purportedly ratified with a conquered Christian community—to appreciate the plight of the church under Islam. Among other things, conquered Christians had to agree:

Not to build a church in our city… and not to repair those that fall in ruins or are in Muslim quarters;…. Not to clang our cymbals except lightly and from the innermost recesses of our churches; Not to display a cross on them [churches], nor raise our voices during prayer or readings in our churches anywhere near Muslims; Not to produce a cross or [Christian] book in the markets of the Muslims;…. [I]f we change or contradict these conditions imposed upon ourselves . . . we forfeit our dhimma [covenant], and we become liable to the same treatment you inflict upon the people who resist and cause sedition.

History

When it comes to churches, Islamic history is a testimony to Islamic doctrine: under Muslim rule, from the 7th century to the present, tens of thousands of churches that were once spread across thousands of miles of formerly Christian lands, were attacked, plundered, ransacked, destroyed and/or converted into mosques. Such a large number is consistent with the fact that, at the time of the Muslim conquests, half of the world’s entire Christian population lived in those lands invaded and subjugated by Islam.

According to one medieval Muslim historian, over the two-year-course of a particularly ruthless Christian persecution campaign, some 30,000 churches were burned or pillaged in Egypt and Syria alone. Major church attacks during Abbasid rule include when “the Muslims in Jerusalem made a rising [in 936] and burnt down the Church of the Resurrection [believed to be built atop the tomb of Christ] which they plundered, and destroyed all they could of it.” Nearly a century later, Caliph Hakim bi-Amr Allah (r. 996-1021) ordered that the already ravaged Church of the Resurrection be torn down “to its very foundations, apart from what could not be destroyed or pulled up, and they also destroyed the Golgotha and the Church of Saint Constantine and all that they contained, as well as all the sacred gravestones. They even tried to dig up the graves and wipe out all traces of their existence.”

A Coptic Paradigm

The history, or plight, of Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Church is well preserved. The History of the Patriarchate of the Egyptian Church, for instance, a multivolume chronicle begun under Coptic Bishop Severus ibn al-Muqaffa in the 10th century, records innumerable massacres and persecutions over the centuries, from destroyed churches, to crucified Christians, to raped and murdered nuns.

However, to bypass the objection that Christian writers may have been biased against their persecutors, let us content ourselves with the famous history of Taqi al-Din al-Maqrizi (1364 – 1442), the most authoritative Muslim scholar of Egyptian history in the Middle Ages. His account appears especially objective when one considers that the pious Muslim Maqriz was no friend to the Christians. For example, after recounting centuries of persecution and church destruction at the hands of Muslims, Maqrizi concludes by sounding like a modern-day Salafi, blaming Christians for their own persecution: “For from the traces they left, will then be seen how shamefully they intrigued against Islamism and the followers of it, as any one may know who looks into the lowness of their origin, and the old hated of their ancestors towards our religion and the doings thereof.”

In Maqrizi’s account, things appear relatively quiet during the first century of Islam’s occupation of Egypt (circa 641-741), no doubt due to the fact that Christians still numerically overwhelmed their Muslim conquerors. By 767, however, after decades of Coptic uprisings in face of abuses, “heavier hardships than ever fell upon the Christians, who were obliged to eat the[ir] dead; while their new churches in Egypt were destroyed. The church of Mary anent (alongside) that of Abu Senuda in Egypt was also pulled down, as well as that in the ward of Constantine, which the Christians entreated Suliman bin Ali, Emir of Egypt, to spare for fifty thousand dinars; but he would not.” By 845, al-Mutawakal ordered Christian churches to be pulled down. In 912, “the great church in Alexandria, known as that of the Resurrection, was burnt down.” In 939, “the Muslims made another rising in the city of Askalon, where they demolished the Greek Church of Mary, and plundered what was in it.”

Then comes the era of the aforementioned Caliph Hakim bi-Amr Allah, who decimated the Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem. In the words of al-Maqrizi:

And in his [al-Hakim’s] time, hardships such as one never saw befell the Christians…. He then laid his hands on all endowments of the churches and of the monasteries, which he confiscated to the public treasury, and wrote to that effect to all his provinces. He then burnt the wood of a great many crosses, and forbade the Christians to buy men or maid servants [which were often set free]; he pulled down the churches that were in the street Rashida, outside the city of Misr [Old Cairo]. He then laid in ruins the churches of al-Maqs outside Cairo, and made over their contents to the people, who plundered them of more goods than can be told. He threw down the convent of al-Qosseir, and gave it to the people to sack….He then set about demolishing all churches, and made over to the people, as prey and forfeit, all that was in them, and all that was settled on them. They were then all demolished, all their furniture and chattels were plundered, their endowments were forfeited to others, and mosques were built in their place. He allowed the call to prayer from the church of Senuda in Misr; and built a wall around the church of Mo’allaqa [the Hanging Church], in Qasr esh-Sema. Then many people [Muslims] sent up letters to request to be allowed to search the churches and monasteries in provinces of Egypt. But their request was hardly delivered [at headquarters], when a favorable answer was returned to the request; so they took the vessels and chattel of the churches and of the monasteries, and sold them in the market places of Egypt, together with what they found in those churches of gold and silver vessels, and things of the kind; and bartered their endowments. The emir also wrote to the intendants of the provinces to support the Muslims in their destruction of the churches and of monasteries. And the work of demolition in Egypt was so general in the year 1012, that according to statements on which one can rely, as to what was demolished at the end of the year 1014, both in Egypt and in Syria and the provinces thereof, of temples built by the Greeks—it amounted to more than 3,000 churches [the original Arabic says 30,000]. All the gold and silver vessels in them were plundered, their endowments were forfeited; and those endowments were splendid and bestowed on wonderful edifices.

Finally, after describing different forms of persecutions against Christians during Hakim’s reign, Maqrizi, the Muslim historian, makes an interesting observation: “Under these circumstances a great many Christians became Muslims.” In another place, after recounting how “the greater number of the churches of the Sa‘id [Upper Egypt] had been pulled down, and mosques built in their stead,” the historian notes again the typical consequence: “more than four hundred and fifty Christians became Muslims in one day.”

It bears repeating that the Muslim Maqrizi had no great love for Egypt’s Christians, and made disparaging observations concerning them in his volumes—thereby making his account of persecution all the more trustworthy.

Because Hakim’s persecution was so terrible and far-reaching, most modern Western historians acknowledge it, even as they portray it as an aberration of a madman, implying that Christians suffered only under his rule. Yet there is no dearth of Muslim leaders throughout the whole of Islamic history that did not at one time or another persecute Christians and their churches.

If Hakim is remembered as a terrible and insane tyrant, consider Caliph Harun al-Rashid, who in the West is depicted as a colorful and fun-loving prankster in the Arabian Nights. Though renowned for his secular pursuits—including riotous living, strong drink and harems of concubines, to the point that a modern day female Kuwaiti activist referred to him as a model to justify the institution of sex-slavery—Harun al-Rashid was still pious enough “to force Christians to distinguish themselves by dress, to expel them from their positions, and to destroy their churches through the use of fatwas by the imams.” Similarly, Saladin (Salah ad-Din)—another Muslim ruler who is habitually portrayed in the West as magnanimous and tolerant—commanded that all crucifixes on Coptic church domes be destroyed, and that “whoever saw that the outside of a church was white, to cover it with black dirt,” as a sign of degradation.

Indeed, in 1354, well after the “mad caliph” Hakim was gone, churches were still under attack, including by Muslim mobs, who, according to Maqrizi, “demolished a church anent the Bridge of Lions, and a church in the street el-Asra in Misr, and the Church of Fahhadin within the precincts of Cairo; also the Convent of Nehya in Djizah, and a church in the neighborhood of Bataq al-Tokruni; they plundered the wealth of the churches they demolished, which was great; and carried away even the woodwork and slabs of alabaster. They rushed upon the churches of Misr and Cairo…”

Such was the state of affairs of churches under Islam, explaining how, over the course of nearly 14 centuries, former centers of Christianity like Egypt, were reduced to sporadic enclaves that came to resemble dilapidated strongholds of Christianity surrounded by a sea of Muslim hostility.

And such is the state of affairs of Christian churches throughout much of the Muslim world at this very moment as the past returns to the present.

End Of Part One.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of Wolff Bachner and Raymond Ibrahim and do not reflect the opinion of The Inquisitr.

The Fate Of Egypt’s Coptic Christians: Part One With Raymond Ibrahim is a post from: The Inquisitr

When we last interviewed Dr. Manfred Gerstenfeld of the Jerusalem Center For Public Affairs, it was a week before the 2012 Presidential election in the United States. During that interview, we focused on Obama’s difficulties with Israel, and we discussed how Mitt Romney might benefit the Jewish state if he were to win the election.

Since that time, Obama won the election, and Romney has disappeared from the public view. Despite all the predictions of doom and gloom should Obama win a second term, the American President has been surprisingly pro-Israel since his re-election. Granted, Mr. Obama still appears to be as naive as ever when it comes to the Palestinians and the Muslim Brotherhood, but, at the same time, he has supported Israel in the world forum and continues to maintain strong military ties with the Netanyahu Government.

The current state of affairs in Arab countries is one of constant turmoil and bloodshed. The Muslim Brotherhood and the radical Islamists are poised to take control of the entire region and the anti-Jewish rhetoric is as vicious as ever. The Palestinians still refuse to sit down at the negotiating table with Israel, and they continue to demand the right of return, half of Jerusalem, and a return to the 1967 Auschwitz borders that would leave Israel indefensible. All of these points are major red lines for the Jewish state, and to accept the endless demands of the Palestinians would be national suicide. Israel continues to invite the Palestinians to negotiate a permanent peace with no pre-conditions and the Palestinian chair at the negotiating table sits empty.

While peace remains ever elusive, the rockets continue to fly from Gaza and millions of Israelis are still forced to live with one foot in the bomb shelter. In Europe, violent Jew hate is becoming a common occurrence as the Jewish population finds itself under attack. Cemeteries are vandalized, Jewish schools and synagogues require armed guards, and Jews can no longer safely walk down the streets of Europe wearing a Star of David or a Kippah.

While the future for the world’s Jews looks bleak, the state of Israel remains their one safe haven. The importance of a Jewish state can not be understated, and, to gain a better understanding of the difficulties the nation of Israel faces just to survive and prosper, we turn once again to our good friend, the eminent Dr. Manfred Gerstenfeld.

Wolff Bachner: Dr. Gerstenfeld, thank you for taking time from your busy schedule for a second interview with The Inquisitor. It is always a pleasure to speak with you about the important issues facing the nation of Israel and the Jewish people.

Recently, Barack Obama made his first visit to your country as the President of the United States. Despite the criticism of Obama from some of Israel’s politicians, you were supportive of the American president when we spoke before the US elections in October of 2012.

Were you pleased with the President’s recent visit to Israel and do you feel that he is the strong supporter of Israel that he claims to be?

Dr. Gerstenfeld: I only had a partly positive opinion of President Obama before the U.S. 2012 presidential elections. I wrote that the Obama administration has been supportive of Israel after an initially hesitant period and that we should give the President credit for all the good things he has done for Israel. This expressed itself in supplying military equipment, fighting the cyber war and broad strategic collaboration. The United States has also consistently supported Israel in the United Nations. Furthermore, Obama personally intervened in the life-threatening situation for Israel’s embassy personnel in Cairo during the Egyptian mob attack in September 2011.

I pointed out that there were two major issues why most Israelis do not have a positive opinion of the U.S President. The first one is that his image as an internationally weak president is also bad for Israel, as the U.S is Israel’s main supporter. The second one is his appeasement policy toward the Muslim world. Obama does not seem to assess the massive violence coming out of parts of the Muslim world correctly. This was clear from his overtly positive 2009 speech in Cairo to the Muslim world. During his first term, many highly problematic extremist Islamists were received at the White House. In addition, the betrayal of long time political allies such as Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was shocking.

It is clear that during his March visit, Obama – and his speech writer – made a major effort to please the Israelis. This became possible because expectations in Israel before his visit were very low. His popularity rating in Israel has increased considerably due to his visit. I also have a somewhat more positive opinion of Obama now than I had before the visit. Yet the two major problem issues remain.

After his visit, I wrote that there was one speech which he didn’t make – a public address in Ramallah to Palestinian youngsters, like he did in Jerusalem to Israeli students. I have recently published in the Jerusalem Post the text of an imaginary speech he could have made there. Some of it reads: “The Palestinians west of the Jordan River are one of the world’s few nations desiring their own state that could attain it soon. If you want a better future, create a party which promotes real peace with Israel and start pressuring your leaders to accept what the Israelis are proposing. Then you can help build a second Palestinian state in addition to Jordan. Afterwards, make sure that your state lives in peace with all of its neighbors. All of this is far more important for your future than anything else.”

The question of whether he is the strong supporter of Israel that he claims to be, can be answered with another question: Can a rather weak president be a strong supporter of Israel?

Wolff Bachner: Do you think Obama takes the Iranian threat seriously and will he continue to back Israel if the current situation starts to escalate, or, god forbid, a war breaks out between Israel and Iran?

Dr. Gerstenfeld: If flies on the walls of the White House could answer an interviewer, one would probably get a much better answer from them than I can give. The issue may not be whether Obama takes the Iranian threat seriously. He probably does. He is however, likely to do everything possible to avoid war.

From the U.S. point of view, it would probably be better if Israel fought Iran with U.S backing than if the United States entered itself into a direct armed conflict. It is likely that in view of the poor outcome of the Iraq war and the even more meager results expected after the end of the war in Afghanistan, Obama is reluctant to be drawn into another armed conflict. One major consideration is the difficult financial situation the United States finds itself in and the potentially enormous costs involved in another armed conflict in the Middle East. The developments in North Korea probably further lessen Obama’s desire to get directly involved in such a new Middle East conflict.

Wolff Bachner: Many critics of the state of Israel claim the Israeli government and the United States are exaggerating the Iranian nuclear threat as an excuse to start a war with Iran.

Dr. Gerstenfeld: The problem is not that Israel and the U.S. are exaggerating the Iranian nuclear threat, but that many critics are greatly underestimating the enormous hatred of others existing among large numbers of supporters of fundamental Islam. These critics have learned little or nothing from, for instance 9/11, where middle class Saudis were radical enough to murder thousands of civilians and commit suicide for a perverse ideal. From studies by the Pew Research Center we know that there are least 100 million, but probably many more devotees of Bin Laden in the Muslim world.

Israel has no desire to start a war with Iran, yet it does not want to be at the mercy of genocidal hate mongers. They should have been brought before an international court by Western countries which have signed the U.N. genocide convention long ago. All these countries have failed in their duties under international law.

Wolff Bachner: Do you believe that Iran represents a real threat to the people of Israel or is it being overstated to fan the flames of wars?

Dr. Gerstenfeld: From what I have heard from many experts, this threat is real.

Wolff Bachner: Why should Israel be allowed to have nuclear weapons, if the Iranians are prohibited from having them?

Dr. Gerstenfeld: There is a major legal reason: Israel is not a signatory of the non-proliferation treaty, like India and Pakistan. Iran has ratified the treaty and thus is prohibited from having the weapons. Furthermore, Israel has never threatened any country with genocide, while Iran’s leaders have. Iran under its Islamic leadership is what is called a “crazy state.”

Wolff Bachner: The Israeli government just agreed to apologize to Turkey and pay restitution to the Turkish citizens who died on the Mavi Marmara. In your opinion, did Obama pressure Netanyahu to apologize to Turkey?

Dr. Gerstenfeld: For Obama the conflict between Turkey and Israel is a real problem. He wants the two countries to collaborate against Muslim fundamentalism, in particular concerning Iran. This becomes problematic, as Erdogan is a Muslim fundamentalist himself. A Turkey less hostile to Israel may be perhaps somewhat more helpful in containing Iran. To what extent did Obama pressure Netanyahu? Only they can answer this question.

Wolff Bachner: Do most Israelis agree with the apology or do they still view Turkey as a potential enemy that is looking to gain prestige in the Muslim world by attacking Israel at every opportunity?

Dr. Gerstenfeld: I cannot speak for most Israelis. In July 2011, I wrote an article stating that it would be a mistake for Israel to apologize to Turkey. I still think it is a mistake. Erdogan is the type of inciteful politician who cannot be trusted by anyone.

Wolff Bachner: How can Israel ever have normal relations with Turkey after the intense anti-Jewish rhetoric of Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan over the last two years?

Dr. Gerstenfeld: The anti-Israel rhetoric of Erdogan started long ago. Already in 2004 and out of the blue, he accused Israel of state terrorism. As long as he is in power, it is unlikely that there will be normal relations between Turkey and Israel.

Wolff Bachner: One of the major criticisms of President Obama is that he is too supportive of Egypt and the Muslim Brotherhood.

Why do you think Obama is supportive of Morsi, an unabashed Jew hater who called for the destruction of the state of Israel when he was leader of the Muslim Brotherhood?

Why would Obama send billions in aid and advanced jet fighters to Egypt when Morsi is turning Egypt into a Muslim theocracy, violently oppressing his own people, and openly backing Hamas, a terrorist organization?

Dr. Gerstenfeld: Obama may consider that chaos in Egypt is even worse than the current Morsi presidency. In this context, he may assume that American aid to Egypt may be the only tool which gives the United States some leverage over the Muslim Brotherhood there. He may also think that the Egyptian army may use the military aid to re-establish order in the Sinai peninsula. Perhaps Obama also hopes that ultimately the army will take over the Egyptian government. The attitude of Morsi toward Hamas seems rather ambivalent. He understands that the interests of Hamas complicate Egypt regaining control of the Sinai. A few days ago, rockets were shot from the Sinai into Eilat again. This shows anew that the Egyptians are not in control there. The best answer is probably that Obama wants to see how matters pan out. He can always stop U.S aid at a later stage. All my answers here are speculative though.

Wolff Bachner: Critics of the relationship between Israel and the United States argue that American dollars are used to kill innocent Palestinians. Others are grumbling that America should stop military aid to Israel and force the Israeli government to make peace with the Palestinians. Still others claim the United States is wasting their money on an ungrateful ally when the American economy is in trouble.

Do you believe that Israel is an honest peace partner with the Palestinians?

Dr. Gerstenfeld: I think that most Israelis want peace, however the so-called “peace process” with the Palestinians has so far had many very negative aspects for Israel. The Oslo agreements gave the Palestinian Authority an infrastructure in their territories to mobilize large parts of the Muslim world for anti-Israel and anti-Semitic hate-mongering campaigns.

Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza in 2005 was a dramatic step showing that it is an honest peace partner. The Palestinians are not. They did not even want to negotiate about the withdrawal. Israel then left Gaza unilaterally, which stressed its peace intentions. The withdrawal rather quickly enabled Hamas to take control of Gaza and shoot rockets into Israel. When Israel defended itself, these actions were often condemned by Western governments and NGOs. Many biased Western media also criticized Israel’s defensive measures instead of the Palestinian aggression. Instead of advancing “peace for peace” the Israeli left has promoted the radically misconceived “land for peace.” So while the “two-state solution” is in principle preferable, it is unlikely to be reached with the present Palestinian rulers, be it Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.

When Obama spoke to Israeli students, he said that he genuinely believed that Israel has true partners in Palestinian President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad. How hollow that was soon became clear when Fayyad resigned a few weeks later. Abbas’ democratic mandate as president ended four years ago in 2009. It is doubtful whether he would be re-elected in free elections. Advising Israel to make peace with such ‘broken reeds’ is bad advice.

Wolff Bachner: Do the Israeli people want peace and are they willing to live side by side with a state of Palestine?

Dr. Gerstenfeld: It is often said that there are no wrong questions, only wrong answers. Yet, this is a wrong question. You make peace with your enemies, yet you cannot make peace with people who believe that peace is just an intermediate stage to annihilate you.

Wolff Bachner:  How would you respond to those who claim that Israel is an ungrateful ally that does not deserve to receive foreign aid from America?

Dr. Gerstenfeld: Israel no longer receives economic aid. All U.S. aid is military. It is largely spent in the U.S., creating jobs there. In 2010 Steve Rothman, then a U.S. House Representative, wrote an article for Bloomberg titled, “U.S. aid to Israel provides huge return on investment.” If one wants to find ungrateful allies, the Europeans come way before Israel. The United States bled its soldiers in a major way for their reestablishment as independent states in the Second World War. The U.S has never risked its soldiers for Israel. If one wants a prime candidate for an ungrateful ally, Saudi Arabia quickly comes to mind.

Wolff Bachner: Does Israel need more foreign aid from the United States, considering the growth of the Israeli economy, or is this really a matter of maintaining a positive relationship between two long time allies?

Dr. Gerstenfeld: I don’t think Israel will ask for more aid other than for specific projects such as the the Iron Dome, which will also benefit the U.S. and NATO countries.

Wolff Bachner: The negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel have been at a complete stand still since the end of the 10 month freeze in settlement construction in 2010. The Palestinians have refused to resume peace negotiations until Israel agrees to another full settlement freeze.

What gives Israel the right to build settlements in the disputed territories?

Dr. Gerstenfeld: The Israeli government had asked a commission to investigate this matter. It was headed by retired Israeli Supreme Court Judge Edmond Levy. The report concluded that settlements are not illegal under international law and that the 1949 Geneva Convention regarding transfer of populations is not relevant to Israeli settlements, because Israelis have the legal right to settle in Judea and Samaria.

Wolff Bachner: Do you believe Israel has a legal claim to some of the land or do you agree that the settlements are not helpful to the peace process?

Dr. Gerstenfeld: I think that Israel was attacked and as such, has certain legal and moral claims to part of the land that is beyond the 1967 armistice lines. The settlements are part of the price the Palestinians are paying for their aggression against Israel in 1948 and their continued unwillingness to make true peace. The more the Palestinians delay peace talks with all their pre-conditions, the higher the price they should pay. Yet I believe that it would have been better to put all settlements into a few blocs.

Wolff Bachner: Would it do any real harm for Israel to stop building in the disputed territories and freeze construction at the existing settlements as a goodwill gesture to the Palestinians?

Dr. Gerstenfeld: The Palestinians do not deserve any more good will gestures. Their ill intentions have been amply revealed in the past. As said previously, the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in 2005 was a huge, albeit mistaken, goodwill gesture from Israel. It was also a confidence building act, which turned into a disaster. Without it, there would not have been a huge number of rockets raining down on Israel in the past years.

Wolff Bachner: The Arab States, the United Nations, and the OIC have allowed the Palestinians to languish in refugee camps for 64 years and refused to grant them citizenship in any Arab nation. Instead of caring for their brothers and sisters like the Israelis did with their refugees in 1948, the Arab States have used the Palestinians as a political weapon to bash Israel at every opportunity and demand that Israel allow more than four million Palestinians the right of return to live in the Jewish state.

Why should Israel agree to allow 4 million or more Palestinians the right of return and destroy forever the Jewish character of the nation? After all, didn’t the world’s governments agree to re-establish Israel in 1948 specifically as the one Jewish state and to provide a safe haven for the Jewish people?

Dr. Gerstenfeld: I am not sure that the 4 million mentioned is a correct number. Even more importantly, the great majority of these people are not “refugees.” If we use the standard definition of refugees, there were perhaps 600,000 true Palestinian refugees in 1948, and a much smaller number in 1967. A substantial percentage of them is no longer alive and the others are mostly elderly. Most of the other people mentioned included in the figures for “refugees” are “ descendants of refugees” rather than genuine refugees.

Wolff Bachner: Is the right of return an absolute deal breaker as far as Israel is concerned?

Dr. Gerstenfeld: Israel may let a few genuine refugees in. They are old people who can no longer procreate. The place for the refugees and their descendants to go, if they wish to, is the Palestinian territories which may ultimately become a second Palestinian state, if and when the Palestinians finally want peace.

Wolff Bachner: Israel is one of the world’s smallest nations with a geographic area the size of New Jersey. The Palestinians are demanding more land from Israel and insisting the Jewish state return to “Auschwitz” borders that would endanger every single Israeli.

Dr. Gerstenfeld: Israel is hopefully not going to return to the “Auschwitz borders” – an expression which was coined in a somewhat different way by former Israeli Foreign Minister Abba Eban. Today, Israeli politicians prefer to use the expression “indefensible borders.” In negotiations for a true peace and if such a peace is concluded, a Palestinian state will have to be demilitarized. The risk will always exist that such a state will be taken over by one of the extremist Muslim movements.

Wolff Bachner: How can Israel be expected to give up any more land when the nation is so small that it is barely able to sustain its current population?

Dr. Gerstenfeld: The question of sustaining its population on a small territory is not dramatic for Israel at the moment. It is more a question of how one uses the land than the size of the land. Israel’s current population can be sustained on its territory from before the 1967 war modified to include major settlement areas.

Wolff Bachner: Why would Israel even consider returning to borders that would expose the entire nation to rocket attacks that could reach every corner of Israel in a matter of seconds and render Israel indefensible?

Dr. Gerstenfeld: As said, an eventual second Palestinian state will be a demilitarized one. After the disastrous experiences Israel has endured since the Oslo agreements were signed, plus the Gaza withdrawal, Israel cannot and should not do anymore risk-taking.

Wolff Bachner: In addition to the ongoing conflict between the Arab nations and Israel, many of the 1.6 million Arabs who are Israeli citizens openly advocate for the end of the Jewish state.

Dr. Gerstenfeld: According to the latest figures released before Israel’s Independence Day in April this year, there are 1.6 million Arabs in Israel. We should avoid stereotyping. Opinions among Israeli Arabs diverge. We do not know how many of them would prefer the destruction of Israel and live in a corrupt Palestinian Arab state. Few Israeli Arabs openly advocate for an end to the Jewish state. There is no doubt however, that there is an Arab “fifth column” in Israel. They are for instance, people who would have liked Hizballah to win during the Second Lebanon War, but they are in the minority of Israeli Arabs. Several, but far from all Arab parliamentarians in Israel, are seen by many Israelis as members of such a “fifth column.” One Arab party Balad, memorialized the Palestinian dead after Israel’s Pillar of Defense campaign a few months ago. Its former Parliamentarian Azmi Bishara fled Israel in 2007 and is considered a fugitive from law and suspected of collaboration with Israel’s enemies.

Wolff Bachner: What does the future hold for the relationship between the Jews of Israel and the Arabs of Israel?

Dr. Gerstenfeld: A genuine peace agreement would certainly improve the situation, but as said, it seems far off at the moment. As far as the Israeli government is concerned, it must try to improve the situation of the Israeli Arabs, without taking risks with the potentially subversive elements among them. To identify and observe the latter is what Israel’s domestic secret service is concentrating on.

Wolff Bachner: Can Jews and Arabs ever live together in peace in Israel or is the situation going to continue to escalate until there is open civil war within Israel?

Dr. Gerstenfeld: “Ever” is somewhere remote in the future. A civil war in Israel between Jews and Arabs also seems remote. The majority of the Arabs here know very well that their quality of life, their legal rights and freedom of expression under Palestinian rule would quickly deteriorate. There is no reason for them to fight. Only some potential Israeli Arab collaborators with Palestinians would take such a step if Palestinian rulers thought it convenient.

Wolff Bachner: The Middle East is in complete turmoil at the present time. Libya is the hands of the Islamists, Syria is in the middle of a prolonged civil war that has killed more than 50,000 civilians, and Egypt has been completely taken over by the Muslim Brotherhood.

How great a threat to Israel is the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and the constant bloodshed in much of the Middle East?

Dr. Gerstenfeld: In the first place, the decrease in stability is a threat to the people in those countries. The number of murdered in Syria is often estimated at roughly 70,000. In Libya, tens of thousands were murdered. Egypt is in deep crisis in many areas. Its lack of control of the Sinai peninsula is already a problem. How much of this will spill over into Israel cannot be forecast at the moment.

Wolff Bachner: What can Israel do about the massive amounts of weapons that may fall into the hands of terrorists as governments fall in Libya and other Arab nations?

Dr. Gerstenfeld: Israel probably cannot do very much about this. The first victim of this development has not been Israel, but the African state of Mali, where the French had to intervene to defeat the Islamist insurrectionists.

Wolff Bachner: Why do you think so many people refuse to protest against the violence and death that is occurring in much of the Arab world and focus all their criticism on Israel?

Dr. Gerstenfeld: There is no single reason for this. Often we are also dealing with two separate issues. Regarding the violence in the Arab world, one major aspect is what one might call Western “humanitarian racism.” It is a little-known form of racism which posits that only white and powerful people can be responsible for their actions and crimes. I interviewed Somalian refugee Ayaan Hirsi Ali when she was still a Dutch parliamentarian. She said: “In Socialist eyes, whoever isn’t white or Western is a victim, and this includes Muslims, Palestinians, and immigrants. My position is that I am not a victim. I am responsible for my acts like anybody else and so are all people.”

This attitude of many Westerners – part of the socialists and many others – Hirsi Ali uncovered is a profoundly racist one. If one posits that some people can not be held responsible for their acts, it means that one ostensibly places them on the same level as animals, which also cannot be held responsible for their acts. Again, these attitudes are deeply racist. This humanitarian racist attitude also goes against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that all people are responsible for their acts. Far more attention should be given to humanitarian racism in Western societies. One will thus expose the many racists in what is often called the “anti-racist camp.” This subject of racists in the anti-racist camp, people who discriminate against others by denying their responsibilities, deserves to become a topic for major study.

As far as hate mongering against Israel is concerned, humanitarian racism also plays a role. If Israel’s enemies cannot be held responsible for their deeds, then Israel becomes the sole country responsible for what happens in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This is another evil consequence of humanitarian racism. It is easy to identify humanitarian racists if they write or express themselves on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. If they accuse and attack Israel and look away from the genocidal propaganda of the largest Palestinian party Hamas, the glorification of murderers of civilians by the Palestinian Authority, Palestinian terrorism and so on, they are humanitarian racists. Of a somewhat similar type are people who frequently ask Israel to take additional “confidence-building measures” – as if the Gaza withdrawal has not been enough of an example of a totally failed “confidence-building step.”

This is however, only one among several reasons. Another reason for the lack of protest against Arab violence derives from the influence of what one might coin the leftist-Islamist alliance. After the fall of Communism, the extreme left discovered in the Muslim immigrants and their descendants  a potential new proletariat. This happened at a time when the classic working class, which was their main audience, had been shrinking. One often finds a disproportionately large number of left-wingers among European journalists. The same goes for NGOs. After the major terrorist attacks in Madrid in 2004 and in London in 2005, there is also fear of further violence by some Muslims.

A further reason is the mutation of anti-Semitism into anti-Israelism. Anti-Semitism is an integral part of European culture. This should not be confused with claiming that most Europeans are anti-Semites, which is not true. After the Second World War and the Holocaust, classic religious and nationalistic anti-Semitism became unfashionable, even though they now are re-emerging. Anti-Israelism on the other hand, often contains classic anti-Semitic motifs which are falsely presented as “general criticism of Israel.” If you criticize Israel the same way that you censure other countries, there is no problem. Once you start using modern mutations of classic anti-Semitic motifs, such as, “Israel represents absolute evil,” “Israel is a Nazi state,” “Israel entered Gaza to kill Palestinian women and children,” “The Jewish people have no right to self-determination,” etc., you are an anti-Semite who tries to disguise himself as a critic of Israel.

Wolff Bachner: Dr. Gerstenfeld, your new book, Demonizing Israel and the Jews: 57 Interviews, will be released in April of 2013. The demonization of Israel is quite common around the world and many experts are referring to this behavior as the new Jew hate.

Why did you decide to write the new book and what did you discover while you were writing?

Dr. Gerstenfeld: In today’s society, which is often called “post-modern,” everything is fragmented. The essence of a demonization process of a person or a country is simple to analyze. One needs a perpetrator who demonizes somebody, one needs a demonizing message to transmit and one needs a vehicle to transmit the demonization. Where it gets complicated is that in the demonization of Israel, there are many categories of perpetrators, among which are Arab and Muslim states, Muslims in the Western world, the extreme left, academics, media, NGO’s, trade unions, politicians, liberal and extremely conservative church leaders etc. This is a sign of contemporary fragmentation of issues.

In ancient days, Christian anti-Semitism had one major demonizing message. The Jews were falsely accused of deicide, the killing of the alleged son of God. Today the messages of demonization and the Jews are greatly fragmented also. The same goes for the transmission tools such as media, the U.N., the social media and so on. I considered that in such a fragmented reality, a book of interviews including very diverse experts from many countries on many subjects, could offer an impression of the many aspects of this demonization and how complex the issue of the current diabolization of Israel and the Jews is.

Wolff Bachner: Do you agree that anti-Israel sentiments are being used to disguise modern Jew hate and how serious is Jew hate today, especially in Europe and the Western nations?

Dr. Gerstenfeld: Classic Jew-hate in Europe manifests itself in various ways. It has greatly increased due to the non-selective mass immigration of Muslims originating from countries where anti-Semitism is endorsed by many. This non-selective mass immigration of Muslims is the largest challenge that European Jewry has encountered in the past 50 years. While the few data we have all show that anti-Semitism coming out of Muslim communities is disproportionately larger than anti-Semitism in the native European communities, the latter are due to their much larger size, still the main source of anti-Semitism.

Wolff Bachner: Do you see a return to the anti-Jewish violence that occurred prior to World War Two?

Dr. Gerstenfeld: One cannot speak here in generalities. It changes from country to country and sometimes even from town to town. In some European countries, pre-war violence against Jews was very minor and it is now already bigger.

Wolff Bachner: Can Jews continue to live safely in Europe with massive Muslim immigration and the hostility towards Israel from many of Europe’s political leaders?

Dr. Gerstenfeld: One cannot speak in generalities here either. The third largest Swedish town, Malmö, is often considered the capital of European anti-Semitism. This is due to the anti-Semitic violence and hate mongering coming out of parts of the local Muslim community, combined with a Social Democrat mayor who is a part-time anti-Semite. The Jewish community there has shrunk considerably in recent years.

Yet in general anyone who lives in a certain location has many considerations to weigh before he or she leaves. Employment is a major issue. Family circumstances are another. Furthermore, if one wants to emigrate, one has to ask whether one’s language, professional and social skills enable one to make a good living elsewhere. We have seen this very clearly under the anti-Semitic and anti-Israel hate mongering regime of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Most of the Venezuelan Jews left the country and moved abroad, but there are still 9,000 Jews who remained there.

Wolff Bachner: After World War Two, the Jewish people regained some of their ancient lands in the Middle East to re-establish the state of Israel. The nations of the world offered the Arabs of the region a country of their own to exist side by side with the Jewish state. The Arab States unanimously refused the offer and nine Arab nations declared war on the Jews within minutes of the final UN vote to create the modern state of Israel. The invading Arab armies swore they would drive the Jews into the sea and promised a bloody massacre that had not been seen since the days of Genghis Khan. Israel, however, won the war and survived to become the only Democracy in the entire Middle East.

Even today, there are people all over the world who claim that Israel has no right to exist. The voices raised against the nation of Israel place 100 percent of the blame on “the evil Zionists” and refuse to admit that Israel’s Palestinian “peace partners” have founding charters that call for the destruction of the state of Israel and the death of every Jew on the planet Earth. The same people who rant against the existence of Israel are willfully ignorant of the simple fact that the terror war against Jews in the Middle East began long before 1948 and the persecution of the Jewish people has continued unabated for almost two millennium.

How can rational people consider the establishment of Israel illegal and immoral, but they have no complaints about Britain and France creating the modern Islamic states of Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan and Saudi Arabia from other portions of the Ottoman Empire?

In many Arab nations, women live as second class citizens, homosexuals are executed in the public square, and non-Muslims are abused and terrorized. In Israel, homosexuals, women, and people of all religions have the freedom to live their lives as they choose. How have Israel’s enemies managed to so completely distort the truth about the Jewish state that Israel has become one of the most hated nations on earth, despite all the progress of the last 64 years?

What can the nation of Israel do to change the world’s opinion, short of giving in to every demand and committing national suicide?

Is there any chance for Israel to even get a fair hearing from the world community or is the nation of Israel facing a future of complete isolation, much like South Africa in the days of racial apartheid?

Is there any realistic hope for peace between Jews and Arabs or are we condemned to a never ending struggle between the Jewish nation of Israel and the Arab world?

How do the people of Israel manage to survive and prosper with their heads held high in the face of such relentless hatred?

Dr. Gerstenfeld: This is a long list of questions. Some of them have already been answered. Others would require an additional interview. Let me just answer one major question. The Israeli government can indeed do much more to counter the demonization campaign against the country.

In my upcoming book I write that “Israel is confronted with a major war by Arab states and their allies. This confrontation is post-modern in nature. Attackers do not always use all of the means at their disposal. This war is enduring, but not continuous, and manifests itself in many fragmented ways. One component is military and violent in nature. It expresses itself through wars, suicide attacks and other terrorist assaults. Since Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, frequent rocket attacks and other terrorist activity from there are important elements of this kind of warfare.

Another facet of this huge confrontation with Israel is cyber war. Israel’s Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu said in 2012 that many attempts are being made to infiltrate Israel’s computerized systems, largely by Iranian cyber warfare. To combat this, Israel established a National Cyber Directorate in 2011. Netanyahu also stated, “We are building a digital Iron Dome,” indicating that Israel intends to make its system against cyber attacks as effective as the one against rocket strikes. A few weeks ago we saw that major cyber attacks by anonymous hackers against Israeli sites were not very successful.

A third category in this battle is the propaganda war. Due to its inherent fragmentation and the often indirect ways perpetrators phrase their anti-Semitism, the propaganda war is far more opaque than the other two. It is in this last field where our newly established Israeli government should initiate a major defense endeavor, as it is doing in its military and cyber wars.

A Few Final Thoughts:

After interviewing Dr. Gerstenfeld for the second time, I remain convinced that he is a man of peace, who would prefer to see his nation living side by side with her Arab neighbors, working together to turn the Middle East into a modern technological wonder.

There are many obstacles to peace. The relentless hatred expressed by the Islamists is certainly turning the region into battlefield. The threats to Israel from her neighbors, and from Iran, are real and have continued unabated from the moment the UN voted to re-establish the state of Israel in 1948. On the eve of Israeli independence, nine Arab nations invaded Israel and threatened to drive the Jews into the sea. The Arabs lost that war and now, 64 years later, the leader of the Palestinians, Abbas, says the Arabs made a mistake when they rejected a Palestinian state to exist alongside Israel in 1948.

The violent fanaticism of many Arab politicians and Islamic religious leaders stands in direct opposition to the concept of a democratic state. The people of Israel will never agree to a single state under Islamic rule in which Jews are once again forced to live as dhimmis. This is the type of nation the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas would like to see standing in place of the Jewish nation of Israel.

The world seems to have forgotten that Israel was re-established on her ancestral lands by a 33 to 13 vote of the United Nations in 1948, based on the legal rulings of the League of Nations and the San Remo Conference. At the same time land was partitioned from the defeated Ottoman Empire for the state of Israel, the modern nations of Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia were created. While no one has the slightest concern about the legitimacy of those nations, there are constant calls to dissolve the state of Israel.

Six million Jews didn’t suddenly parachute into Israel. The Jewish people have maintained a continuous presence in Israel for 3500 years and Jews have been the majority in Jerusalem since the first official census in 1852. Jerusalem is mentioned 667 times in the Old Testament and 144 times in the New Testament. Jerusalem is not mentioned once in the Koran.

The idea of ejecting six million Jews from Israel and creating a Palestinian state in its place may be the dream of Israel’s enemies, but it will not take place unless the world is prepared to witness another holocaust. Surely, after 1900 hundred years, enough Jewish blood has been spilled. It is time for the people of the region to reject the endless calls to destroy Israel and learn to live in peace. If the world is willing to accept 56 Islamic states, then there every reason to accept the one single Jewish state.

Am Yisrael Chai – Let all the people of the region learn to live together in peace and brotherhood.

Wolff Bachner
April 19, 2013

Biography of Dr. Manfred Gerstenfeld:

Dr Manfred Gerstenfeld was born in Vienna, grew up in Amsterdam and moved to Israel in 1968. He has a Ph.D. in Environmental Studies from the University of Amsterdam. Gerstenfeld was a board member of the Israel Corporation and other Israeli companies. He was an editor of The Jewish Political Studies Review, co-publisher of the Jerusalem Letter/Viewpoints, Post-Holocaust and Anti-Semitism and Changing Jewish Communities and a member of the council of the Foundation for Research of Dutch Jewry, of which he was formerly the vice-chairman. He is a member of the Board of Fellows at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, a respected Jerusalem based think tank. He was chairman of the Board of Fellows from 2000 until 2012.

What Lies Ahead For The State Of Israel: An Interview With Dr. Manfred Gerstenfeld is a post from: The Inquisitr

While no one has claimed responsibility for the Boston Marathon explosions, former GOP Congressman Pete Hoekstra said the bombings feel like a terrorist attack. Hoekstra, who represented Michigan’s 2nd district, was the former chairman of the powerful House Intelligence Committee. Speaking just hours after the horrific explosions that killed three and wounded more than 140, Congressman Hoekstra said, “The gut feeling is your heart just goes out to all the folks in Boston — and here we go again as a country with a very, very tragic event.”

As the nation mourns and tries to come to terms with the possibility of another terrorist attack, the Federal government and the city of Boston have mobilized every possible asset to discover the cause of the explosions. Police and intelligence experts are sifting through the rubble and interviewing hundreds of witnesses as they try to solve this terrible crime and bring the guilty to justice.

Congressman Hoekstra stressed that the investigation has just begun and identifying those responsible is a difficult and time consuming process:

“It’s way too early to identify the circumstances behind this and who the people responsible might be. We’ll have experts going over the bomb-making material very quickly and again, you’ll be able to determine the sophistication of that explosive device and begin estimating the kind of background and knowledge that was going to be necessary to pull off the kind of explosives and the coordination that you saw today.”

Although there are no clear suspects at this point, Mr. Hoekstra did indicate that he believes the explosions have all the earmarks of a foreign terrorist attack:

“I think the short list would be probably al-Qaida out of the Maghreb region [of Northwest Africa] or it would be al-Qaida on the Arabian Peninsula out of Yemen, where al Awlaki came from and gave us the Detroit [underwear] bomber. We’ve always said — and we’ve known, we’ve stopped countless of these attacks and planned attacks in the United States — and we’ve always said some day someone might be able to get through and be successful.”

Before anyone gives in to temptation and starts pointing fingers, it might be wise to remember what happened when Anders Brevik began his murderous rampage in Norway. The Sun, a popular British tabloid, jumped the gun and ran headlines blaming al-Qaeda. A few hours later, a right wing extremist was arrested and The Sun was forced to print an embarrassing retraction.

Hopefully, cooler heads will prevail and no one will spread false information about the terrible tragedy in Boston. The last thing our nation needs right now is an explosion of rumor mongering. This is a time for healing and we should direct our thoughts to the victims and their families.

Congressman Pete Hoekstra Says Al-Qaeda May Have Role In Boston Marathon Explosions is a post from: The Inquisitr

The hate mongers from the Westboro Baptist Church are at it again, trying to spread their Satanic messages of evil to the world. Earlier this evening, The Inquisitr reported that the WBC expressed their support for the Boston Marathon Bombings on Twitter and Facebook and threatened to picket the funerals of the victims.

Over the past few months, the WBC has repeatedly failed to show up for planned demonstrations. Ever since the church was completely owned by Anonymous after they announced their intentions to picket the funerals of the Newtown Shooting Victims, the Westboro Baptist Church has kept a rather low profile. For a group that claims to have God on their side, they are exhibiting a large amount of cowardice, which is the normal behavior pattern for mentally disturbed hate mongers.

Most sane human beings, even those of us who still believe in a higher power, have long since abandoned the concept of a perfect being who spends his or her time punishing the human race.  Just as we refuse to obey the dogma of any church that instructs us to hate other religions, we refuse to embrace the divisive rhetoric of the Westboro Baptist Church. Just as we choose to love every one of our brothers and sisters, no matter their race, gender or sexual orientation, we refuse to spread the loathsome words of the Phelps family and their brainwashed followers.

Since we do accept and support freedom of speech, the members of the WBC have the right (in the United States) to spew their filth and make absolute fools of themselves. On the other hand, the time has come to hold the adult members of the WBC to the same standards as any other American citizen when it comes to the welfare of their minor children.

In most modern societies, any parent who straps a sign covered with hate speech on a minor child, and encourages that child to endanger their safety by parading in public, would receive an immediate visit from the child protection services. Perhaps Governor Brownback of Kansas would be so kind as to explain why the members of the Westboro Baptist Church get a free pass to teach this sort of hate to their children and put their kids at risk. Do they get an exemption from human decency and the laws of civil society simply because they attach some religious significance to their ravings?

While I certainly do not advocate any retaliation or physical violence against the members of the Westboro Baptist Church, I shudder to think what may happen if they show up in Boston to picket the funerals of the Marathon bombing victims. Obviously, the Westboro Baptist Church would love to incite a riot. That way they could proudly display the victim card right next to their well-worn, self-righteous idiot card.

The time has come for the American people to inform the Phelps family and the members of their so-called church that we will not tolerate anyone spreading a message of hate in the name of some twisted fantasy. For every member of the church that shows up in Boston, we should put 10,000 counter-protesters in the streets and celebrate our love for each and every member of the human race.

We should also send messages of support to the victims and their families. Take a moment and go to Twitter and Facebook to let the Westboro Baptist Church know that you choose kindness over brutality and mercy over judgement. Lets drown their message of hatred in a sea of overwhelming love.

Image by Samuel Perry / Shutterstock.com

This commentary is the sole opinion of Wolff Bachner and does not reflect the opinion or the policies of The Inquisitr or Inquisitr.com.

Westboro Baptist Church Pours On The Hate: Threatens to Picket Boston Marathon Funerals [Commentary] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Hearkening back to the days of Strom Thurmond, Lester Maddox and George Wallace, current Georgia Governor Nathan Deal proved once again that the ugly ghost of segregation is not truly dead. While the question of how Wilcox County High School was able to hold “separate but equal” segregated proms in 2013 certainly bears investigation by Eric Holder’s Department of Justice, Governor Deal not only refused to condemn the racially separated proms, but he insulted the brave young students who are attempting to hold the school’s first integrated prom. The noble Governor refused to condemn the schools’ tolerance of racial separation and his spokesman called the integrated prom a “silly publicity stunt.”

Perhaps the good Governor will resort to another common practice from the days of segregation and slavery and take his spokesman Brian Robinson to the woodshed for a good flogging. When a local television station asked if the Governor planned to support the student’s efforts to hold their own integrated prom, Robinson replied that the Governor had nothing to say about the matter. Mr. Robinson then added fuel to the fire by attacking Better Georgia, a non-partisan activist group supporting the students. Robinson conveyed this pearl of wisdom in an email to the television station:

“This is a leftist front group for the state Democratic Party and we’re not going to lend a hand to their silly publicity stunt.”

Georgia has a centuries long, unfortunate history of obnoxious Caucasian Governors who supported slavery and segregation. Even after the passage of the Civil Rights Act Of 1964, Georgia remained resistant to change. The fact that in the year 2013 Governor Deal would be willing to continue this ugly tradition makes one wonder if he is a fit person to represent the great state of Georgia.

Happily, many of Georgia’s elected officials were willing to speak out on behalf of the students, who at great risk to their own safety, decided to put an end to Wilcox High School’s racist proms. State Representative Edward Lindsey, a Republican, the State House majority whip, Republican Representative Buzz Brockway, and State Senator Steve Henson, a Democrat and Senate minority leader, all took a stand and expressed their approval of the student’s efforts to end segregation in Georgia.

While we have come to expect some resistance to abandoning the hateful policies of the past, it is truly alarming that an institution of higher learning would support this sort of behavior. Wilcox County High School was desegregated more than 30 years ago, but the school administration managed to circumvent the spirit of the law by allowing white and African American students to hold privately financed proms.

Recently, the police refused to allow a bi-racial student to attend the 2013 white only prom. For any young person to be stopped by the police and prevented from attending a high school dance because of the color of their skin or the race of their parents is simply disgusting and completely unacceptable. The state of Georgia and the Governor owe an apology to the individual student and to all the students of Wilcox High.

At the present time, Wilcox High officials claim they are carefully examining the possibility of holding an integrated prom in 2014. This is simply not enough. The time has come for school officials to call for an immediate end to any and all segregated activities involving Wilcox students. Any educator who endorses segregation on any level is dishonoring their profession.

Some Americans may be tempted to call for the involvement of the Secretary of Education and US Department of Education in this matter, but as a supporter of States Rights, I believe it is incumbent on the 10,000,000 million citizens of Georgia to put an end to the vestiges of segregation in their states educational institutions.

Perhaps the final word on this troubling incident should go to the folks from Better Georgia, who implored Governor Deal to put aside his partisan politics and stand up for the civil rights of the children of Georgia:

“Gov. Deal has once again proven that he would rather call us names than do the right thing.

Better Georgia has called on ALL elected officials to support these students who are leaders in their community. We are calling on Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians and Independents.

This is not a partisan issue.”

 
This commentary is the sole opinion of Wolff Bachner and does not reflect the opinion or the policies of The Inquisitr or Inquisitr.com.

Georgia Governor Nathan Deal: A Sad Reminder Of Southern Segregation is a post from: The Inquisitr

Over the last few months, the United States has been assailed by a never ending barrage of bizarre insults and rambling threats of nuclear annihilation from North Korean strongman, Kim Jong Un. While some people find the insane rhetoric of the glorious leader amusing, most Americans remain sadly unaware that North Korea may have the ability to bring our republic to her knees.

Although North Korea’s nuclear program has not progressed far enough to launch an all out missile attack on the United States, Kim Jong Un’s military has the means and the will to kill millions of Americans with an electromagnetic pulse weapon. The Heritage Foundation described an EMP attack in detail in a 2010 white paper:

“EMP is triggered by the detonation of a nuclear weapon at a high altitude over the earth. As a result of this detonation, an electromagnetic field radiates down to the earth, creating electrical currents. These fields cause widespread damage to electrical systems — the lifeblood of a modern society like the U.S. In turn, the damaged electronic systems can cause a cascade of failures throughout the broader infrastructure, including banking systems, energy systems, transportation systems, food production and delivery systems, water systems, emergency services, and — perhaps most damaging — cyberspace. Effectively, the U.S. would be thrown back to the pre-industrial age following a widespread EMP attack.”

On April 9th, 2013, President Reagan’s former National Security adviser, Frank Gaffney, appeared as a guest on CNBC’s Kudlow Report. Gaffney expressed concern about the North Korean satellite that will pass over the United States later this week and discussed the possibility that North Korea may have already acquired a satellite mounted EMP device from Russia.

“Amid heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula, the North Korean government told foreign governments to leave South Korean territory for their safety. Today, Kim Jong Un’s government may launch missiles in a provocative test. Gaffney points out that Obama’s actions and rhetoric toward American nuclear disarmament is dangerous, and has contributed to North Korea’s aggressiveness. In addition, what’s the possibility of North Korea’s use of Electromagnetic Pulse attack?”

According to Gaffney, and other prominent National Security experts, the danger is real and the effects of an EMP attack on our way of life would be devastating. Several government funded studies estimated that up to 200 million Americans will die from starvation and disease in the first year after an attack. The United States would resemble the South after Sherman’s march to the sea and the country we all know and love would simply cease to exist.

America’s allies are also highly concerned about electromagnetic pulse warfare. Recently, James Arbuthnot, the Chairman of the British House Of Commons Defence Committee, spoke with BBC Radio 4′s Today program about the alarming likelihood of an EMP attack :

“I personally believe that it’s quite likely to happen. It’s a comparatively easy way of using a small number of nuclear weapons to cause devastating damage. The consequences if it did happen would be so devastating that we really ought to start protecting against it now, and our vulnerabilities are huge.”

The danger to America is not just in the imagination of a few alarmists and disgruntled critics of the Obama Administration. Five bipartisan commissions and independent US government studies all came to the same conclusion: EMP is a deadly threat to the American people. At the present time, the country is basically defenseless against an electromagnetic pulse attack. We must act now to protect the nation against this terrible new weapon or we risk losing our precious gift of freedom forever.

America In Danger: Nation Unprepared For An EMP Attack is a post from: The Inquisitr

Welcome back to Part Two of The Inquisitr’s hands-on review of Star Wars: The Old Republic’s Rise Of The Hutt Cartel Expansion. Today we will examine the class quest chain and leveling from 50 to the new level cap of 55.

As we mentioned previously, the class quests begin with an in-game mail that advises the player to head for their personal spaceship and access the holo-terminal. Once aboard  I received instructions to head for the Makeb Orbital platform, where I met with Darth Marr, a fellow member of the Sith Dark Council.

Lord Marr told me that a new mineral, Isotope-5 , had been discovered on Makeb. The mineral is capable of providing unlimited power from just a few ounces and Isotope-5 would be a great benefit to the Empire. Unfortunately, a corrupt scientist on the planet informed the leaders of the Hutt Cartel about the discovery of Isotope-5 and the Hutts sent a mercenary army to seize control of Makeb.

The Hutts mined the mineral in order to create an unstoppable droid army and managed to destabilize the planet’s core in the process. The planet is slowly being torn apart from the inside out and the millions of inhabitants are in danger. As a Sith Lord, I am not in the least bit concerned about the innocent civilians, but I do need to stop the Hutts and recover as much Isotope-5 as possible before the planet is destroyed.

Makeb is a glorious looking planet populated by a variety of sentient creatures and a strange menagerie of hostile beasts. The planet is somewhat unstable and subject to regular ground quakes that do a great deal of damage. Players must remain alert at all times as the planet is not particularly friendly to outsiders. Riding through areas on your speeder at top speed is likely to attract a large following of angry beasties who will dismount you and have you for dinner.

While there are no ground breaking new gimmicks in the Rise Of The Hutt Cartel Expansion, SW:TOR’S strong point has always been the the story telling and this expansion develops that part of the game to a high art. The story-line will keep you involved from start to finish and you will not be disappointed with the outcome. SW: TOR still has the most enjoyable leveling experience of any online game in existence.

The Sith Sorcerer quest line provides ample opportunity for my character to behave in the manner expected of a member of the Dark council of the Sith; ruthless, merciless, and completely focused on accomplishing all my goals no matter how many thousands of people will die as a result of my actions.

The progress to level 55 moves at a brisk pace. You wont need more than a few days to get to to the level cap and the new end game. Along the way, you certainly want to do as many daily quests as possible and save up all the basic commendations you earn from the quests. Basic comms are what you need to reequip your character to get ready for the end-game, so don’t be lazy and slack off on the dailies.

Players may complete their class quest line before they reach level 55, but there will still be plenty to do to get you to the cap. Repeatable dailies, flash-points, and a quest chain that sends players to Dromund Kass should do the trick.

If that isn’t enough to make you happy, Bioware introduced Macrobinoculars and Seeker Droids to the game and they come with a variety of new missions. These items will unlock access to additional story-lines and allow players to discover rare loot scattered throughout the galaxy. When you reach level 52, you will be able to complete a quest that will allow you equip the Macrobinoculars and learn their functions. Later, you will begin another quest that will introduce the Seeker Droid. While the new items are not absolutely essential to progressing in the game, they will add a great deal of variety and additional content, so I do suggest completing their quest chains.

When I stopped playing last night, my character was level 54 and I had completed my entire class quest chain. I don’t want to reveal too many details of the story, but I will say that the final boss fight was extremely well designed and quite challenging. My guildmate Mattgruff from The Sith Imperial Navy and my friend Atoli from the Sith Morte Sindacato Guild joined me and we managed to defeat our opponents in a rather spectacular encounter.

Now that we have examined the basics of the class quests and leveling, I am about to login to the game and complete my last half level to 55. When that is done, I will be able begin the four new Hard Mode Flashpoints and the two level 55 Operations: Terror From Beyond and Legions of Scum and Villainy. After I have played some of the new end-game content, I will return and let everyone know if Bioware lived up to their promise to revitalize Star Wars: The Old Republic. So far, they have done an excellent job and I am hoping the level 55 end-game content will be as enjoyable as the class quests. Until next time, happy gaming.

SW:TOR Releases The Rise Of The Hutt Cartel Expansion: Hands-On Review Part Two is a post from: The Inquisitr

Welcome gamers to Part One of The Inquisitr’s hands-on review of the new Star Wars: The Old Republic Rise Of The Hutt Cartel Expansion. Over the next few days, the gaming writers here at The Inquisitr will actually play through the new content and provide you with a step by step description of all the latest features. But before we begin, it is essential to understand the importance of this expansion.

When SW: TOR was released in December of 2011, the game attracted 1.7 millions players. Sadly, things went south quickly, and within weeks, players began to realize that the folks at Bioware neglected to provide the promised open world PvP,  and SW: TOR lacked sufficient end game content. Players began to abandon Star Wars: The Old Republic by the thousands and by March of 2012, the population of active players dropped to less than 700, 000 paying customers.

After this rude awakening, Bioware responded by offering a free to play and a pay as you go model in addition to the monthly subscription. The company also announced a major expansion for the spring of 2013 and that would be followed by regular releases of additional content. They acknowledged the players complaints about the lack of open world PvP  and promised to add more raids, flash points and group activities.

It remains to be seen if Bioware will live up to their promises and  they will be able to re-invigorate Star Wars: The Old Republic. Certainly the gaming community is hoping they will succeed and that there will be a massive influx of new players, as well as the return of many of the former players who gave up on the game. The online gaming world deserves a great Star Wars game and with some polishing, SW: TOR could be great.

Enough of the past. Now that we have examined the problems and expressed our sincere hopes that Bioware will be able to give us the game we always wanted, lets begin our review of the expansion.

The Rise Of The Hutt Cartel expansion was available for pre-order early access on Tuesday, April 9, 2013. Immediately upon logging in to the Prophecy Of The Five Server, after not playing for three weeks due to work, I was greeted by my guild mates in The Sith Imperial Navy, who welcomed me back to the game. One of the best things about online gaming is belonging to a guild, especially when your guild mates are friendly, decent human beings. Guilds take gaming from a solitary activity to a social event and my friends in SIN have a real talent for making the game fun.

As I greeted my guild mates, I received an in-game mail instructing me to head for my space ship and access my holo-transmitter. I was asked to bring my Sith Sorcerer, Darth Ghodzilla, to the Hutt controlled planet of Makeb, where I was met by my fellow member of the Dark Council, a malevolent and dangerous Sith lord by the name of Darth Marr.

Darth Marr informed me that the Sith empire was in danger and it was up to me to save us from disaster. A powerful new mineral had been discovered on Makeb, attracting the attention of nefarious forces, including the Hutt Cartel and the Republic. The Hutts planned to use the mineral to power an unstoppable droid army and challenge the Sith for control of the Galaxy, while the Republic wanted to save the planet’s civilians from slavery at the hands of the Hutts. Since a few ounces of the mineral can also power a star destroyer, I must stop our enemies and acquire the mineral for the Empire.

With this task in mind, I began my class quest chain, and the journey from level 50 to the new level cap of 55. Tomorrow, I will return and tell you about my first two days of leveling. The new planet looks great and the initial quests on Makeb are original and exciting. So far, so good, but before we part company for today, let me share with you the official description of The Rise Of The Hutt Cartel Expansion from Bioware:

“Welcome to the Digital Expansion: Rise of the Hutt Cartel and Game Update 2.0: Scum and Villainy”

SW:TOR Releases The Rise Of The Hutt Cartel Expansion: Hands-On Review is a post from: The Inquisitr

Readers of The Inquisitr are quite familiar with the excellent selection of online games offered by Norway’s Funcom. The company is the home of some of the world’s most innovative MMORPGS.

Recently Joel Bylos was promoted from his job as team leader for The Secret World to the important position of Creative Director for Anarchy Online, The Secret World, and the Age Of Conan.

Here is a brief excerpt from Joel’s letter to the Funcom community after the news of his promotion became public:

“Hi all,”

“As you may have heard, I recently agreed to take on the mantle of Creative Director for Funcom’s live titles: The Secret World, Age of Conan and Anarchy Online. It’s a huge honor to step into this role on multiple projects and have the ability to drive forward the creative direction of three of the most unique titles in the MMORPG space.”

Now Joel and his talented team are responsible for the online experience of well over a million gamers and we thought this would be a great time to sit down with him for an in-depth interview. He kindly consented and we are pleased to present our conversation with Funcom’s Joel Bylos.

Wolff Bachner: Joel, congratulations on your promotion at Funcom. How much has your new role added to your already busy schedule and how do you manage to keep up with the incredible work load?

Joel Bylos: Thanks, it’s exciting and daunting at the same time! The new role changes my workload in the day to day quite a bit right now, with me needing to get my mind around the different challenges and nuances of each game.

Once I have a solid plan in place for each of the games, I will be able to distribute my workload so that each game gets the attention it needs from the live team. As for how I manage to keep up – focus, coffee and knowing when to delegate!

Wolff Bachner: You had the pleasure of working with Ragnar Tornquist on The Secret World. What did working with Ragnar teach you and how important was his influence on TSW?

Joel Bylos: I don’t think Ragnar’s influence can be understated on The Secret World.

The entire concept was his and he championed it from the beginning until the launch. There isn’t really any part of the game that he didn’t influence in some way – the factions, the storyline, the atmosphere – these all spring from the vision that he had for the game.

Of course, game design is a collaborative process and the entire team forged and tempered The Secret World into what it is today – but Ragnar was vision holder for it all.

Wolff Bachner: Who are the members of the team you will be working with in your new position and what are their responsibilities?

Joel Bylos: There are probably a few too many people for me to go through the entire list here, but I can talk about a few specific people.

Firstly, Scott Junior, the Executive Producer. He has been the Producer on The Secret World for the last few years and his main responsibilities are keeping us on track and making sure we can deliver. Scott is the responsible one who stops the chaos before it seeps out the door!

Romain Amiel, Lead Designer. Romain was the Lead Gameplay Designer on The Secret World and the Ride of the Godslayer expansion for Age of Conan. He has been my partner in crime and design for the last 5 years or so – together we have done everything from Ymir’s Pass in Age of Conan to Kingsmouth in The Secret World. Romain’s most recent work includes the final levels in both the Issue #5 and Issue #6 content.

Andrew Ryker, Lead Systems Designer. Andrew was a Senior Systems Designer on Age of Conan and then when he moved over to The Secret World, he took on the role of Lead Systesm Designer. Andrew controls the numbers and designs the ways in which players can destroy each other in the games – he’s recently been in charge of making the Auxiliary weapons such as the Whip.

The team is full of similarly experienced people and thus the games are in good hands.

Wolff Bachner: As you know, The Inquisitr has followed the progress of The Secret World since the very beginning and we think the game has unlimited potential. Will your new responsibilities affect your ability to focus on the development of TSW?

Joel Bylos: Actually the plan for The Secret World, which I made before the restructuring, is largely intact. A few dates and deliveries have shifted around, but in generally we plan to deliver for The Secret World exactly what we were planning to deliver. That means regular issues and the large Tokyo zone coming as a part of one of those issues.

Wolff Bachner: What does the future have in store for The Secret World? What are your immediate plans and your long term goals for the game?

Joel Bylos: I made a fairly comprehensive outline of updates coming for The Secret World in 2013 during my last Game Director’s letter which can be found here.

In general terms, we want to keep adding more of what players love to the game and keep telling the story and taking it in the right direction. Tokyo is definitely going to be an exciting update. It’s the perfect environment for The Secret World; modern and with plenty of Japanese style horror.

Wolff Bachner: Anarchy Online has been around since 2001. Does Funcom have plans to update the game’s engine and bring the technology up to 2013 standards? What can we expect from Anarchy Online in the months to come?

Joel Bylos: Currently we are hard at work on the engine upgrade for Anarchy Online. This will bring in the advanced lighting, shadows, grass and other bells and whistles from the DreamWorld engine. The models in the game are the original Anarchy models, but over time we will be adding more and more upgraded models to the game.

In addition to the engine upgrade we are working on the updated new player experience. This will, bundled with the new engine, give prospective players a gentler entrance to the world of Anarchy Online and help them to get into this decade old game with a minimum of fuss.

Wolff Bachner: The Age Of Conan suffered difficulties at launch that limited its initial success. There are millions of gamers out there who may not realize they are missing out on one of the most exciting and immense MMOS ever created. What can you do to convince more players to try this great game?

Joel Bylos: One of the first things we are doing is improving the membership model of the game – increasing the reason for new players to enter the game and stay in the game. In addition we are bringing over several of our quality of life features from The Secret World, things like auto-loot and better key mapping.

Age of Conan is definitely a great game, and it’s an MMO that initially sold very well (it’s sold over 1.5 million copies) but had its share of problems following launch. Since then it’s grown and become more and more robust, and following the successful move to F2P it opened up to a lot of new players.

Wolff Bachner: What changes and improvements do you have planned for the loyal fans who are already playing Age Of Conan?

Joel Bylos: For the veterans who have been with us for a long time we will continue to expand the game, adding both PvE and PvP content to expand the world of everybody’s favorite barbarian.

We’re also paying close attention to the new movie project which sees Arnold Schwarzenegger reprising some role as the barbarian – we’d love to see if there are events in the movie which will tie well to content in the game.

Wolff Bachner: What new games can we look forward from Funcom and what lies ahead for Joel Bylos?

Joel Bylos: Currently Funcom is working on the LEGO Minifigures MMO internally and progress on that game is looking really solid. I’ve spent some time in the current build and I am pretty impressed with how far they have come in such a short time.

Funcom is going through some exciting changes right now. Besides the establishment of the centralized live team working on the three major live MMOs, we also recently announced that we’ve established a mobile and tablet development team in Montreal. They’re already working on two LEGO projects.

As for me, I am firmly focused on securing the future of the three game under my charge. Three worlds, three settings…infinite possibilities!

Online Gaming Has A Bright Future At Funcom: An Interview With Creative Director Joel Bylos is a post from: The Inquisitr

On Thursday, March 14, 2013, the United States Department of Justice indicted Reuters Deputy Social Media Editor Matthew Keys on three counts of hacking related felonies. Keys is accused of helping Anonymous hack the Tribune Company and one of its publications, The LA Times. If convicted, Mr. Keys is facing the possibility of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Keys, a resident of Sacramento, California will be arraigned on April 12, 2013 in Sacramento, and he is being defended by Michael Petrik of the Office of the Federal Defender for the eastern district of California.

According to the DOJ, Keys, 26, first contacted the Anonymous hacking collective after he was terminated from his web producer job at the Sacramento television station KTXS-Fox 40. In December of 2010, Keys is alleged to have entered an online forum under the alias of AESCracked  and encouraged Anonymous members to “go f— some shit up.”

Keys is accused of providing an Anonymous member with a username and password that would allow the hackers to access the content management system of Fox 40 and the LA Times. One hacker known as Sharpie later told Keys that he “had a whole front page layout made for the Chicago Tribune, but there [sic] sysadmins were good” and quickly removed him from the system. Another hacker claimed he changed a story on the LA Times website after gaining access by using the information he received from Mr. Keys.

While the Justice Department moved forward with the charges, Mr. Keys proclaimed his innocence  He insisted that all his contacts with Anonymous were made in the capacity of an investigative journalist. Prior to the events that led to his indictment, Keys even mentioned the LA Times hack in an article for Reuters, but he gave no indication of any involvement with the hackers. According to Keys, “I identified myself as a journalist during my interaction with the top-level Anonymous hackers and at no time did I offer said individuals any agreement of confidentiality.”

After the news of Keys indictment was made public, Reuters issued a brief statement about the case against their employee:

“We are aware of the charges brought by the Department of Justice against Matthew Keys, an employee of our news organization. Thomson Reuters is committed to obeying the rules and regulations in every jurisdiction in which it operates. Any legal violations, or failures to comply with the company’s own strict set of principles and standards, can result in disciplinary action. We would also observe the indictment alleges the conduct occurred in December 2010; Mr. Keys joined Reuters in 2012, and while investigations continue we will have no further comment.”

Despite the pressure of pending Federal charges, Keys seems to be upbeat and optimistic. Earlier this afternoon, he made the following post to his Twitter feed:

I am fine. I found out the same way most of you did: From Twitter. Tonight I’m going to take a break. Tomorrow, business as usual.

— Matthew Keys (@TheMatthewKeys) March 14, 2013

Reuters Employee Matthew Keys Charged With Helping Anonymous Hack Tribune Co. is a post from: The Inquisitr

Once in a great while in our world of strife and suffering, a story comes along that changes everything — a simple tale that will have no effect on the strength of our economy or end the nuclear threat of North Korea but has still has the ability to empower each and every one of us. Such is the story out of El Paso Texas where a local high basketball game occurred that has the power to teach us all a lesson worth learning.

Mitchell Marcus is the team manager for the Coronado High School Thunderbirds. He is developmentally disabled, and he adores the sport, so when he applied for the job as team manager, Coach Peter Morales was happy to have the dedicated young man join the squad.

Over the season, Mitchell became more than just the team manager. ”He’s just an amazing person that our basketball team loves being around,” said Coach Morales, who often had Mitchell join him at the chalk board to help prepare the team before a game.

To repay Mitchell for his efforts, Coach Morales had a special plan for the final game of the season. In the locker room before the team took the court for the first quarter, he told Mitchell to put on a team uniform and suit up for the game. Mitchell was thrilled to be able to wear the uniform of a player, and he walked up and down the sidelines with pride.

But what no one knew, including Mitchell, was that the coach planned to put his team manager into the game for the final 90 seconds. No matter what the score, even if it meant the Thunderbirds might lose the game, Mitchell would have his chance to play basketball in a high school game.

The game clock ticked down to 90 seconds, and Coronado was leading by a solid 10 points when the Coach signaled for time and told Mitchell to get in the game. The crowd erupted into cheers of “Mitchell, Mitchell,” and young Mr. Marcus had his moment in the sun.

Things did not go as well as we might have hoped. Although Coronado managed to increase their lead, Mitchell missed several opportunities to score a basket, and it looked like he would have to be satisfied with just having played in the game. As Coach Morales stated, ”He wasn’t going to be able to score, but I was hoping that he was happy that he was just put in the game.”

There were only a few seconds left in the game, and Mitchell had just lost a pass out of bounds under his own basket. Franklin High School’s number 22, Jonathon Montanez had the ball on the sideline, and it looked like the game would end without Mitchell making the basket of his dreams.

Then something happened that no one watching the game will ever forget, something wonderful and truly remarkable that can teach us the meaning of caring for our fellow human beings. Instead of passing the ball to his teammate, Jonathon Montanez loudly called out Mitchell’s name and got his attention. He threw the ball to Mitchell, and, with only seconds on the clock, Mitchell turned and scored a basket.

The greatest turnover in the history of basketball occurred in a Texas High School basketball game. One young man taught us all the meaning of sportsmanship, and another had a moment that will stay with him for the rest of his life. We salute all of the remarkable people involved in this story. This is an example of the individual miracles that make America the great nation we all know and love.

High School Basketball Game Teaches Americans A Lesson Worth Learning is a post from: The Inquisitr

Parents of students at the Mission Viejo Elementary School in Aurora, Colorado erupted in rage over a letter they recently received from Principal Andre Pearson. The letter, which was sent to local parents to announce a new tutoring service, stated at the top of the document that the program was only available to ‘Students of Color.’

Nicole Cox, who has a 10-year-old daughter in need of tutoring, was highly offended by the letter:

“I was infuriated. I didn’t understand why they would include or exclude certain groups. We have come so far in all of these years to show everybody that everyone is equal, that everyone should be treated equally … this is a form of bullying.”

Principal Pearson realized he upset many parents with the letter and he attempted to diffuse the situation by sending the following voice mail to Ms. Cox’s home:

“This is Andre Pearson. It’s focused for and designed for children of color, but certainly, if we have space for other kids who have needs, we can definitely meet those needs.”

Sadly, the abject insensitivity of the letter seems to have escaped Mr. Pearson. One can only imagine the outrage that would be printed in every newspaper across America if a principal sent out a letter informing parents that the new tutoring program was only available to white students.

The issue of racism has received a great deal of attention lately. Even the Lego Toy Company was accused of racial discrimination over a Star Wars play set. However, the people of Aurora are firm believers in racial diversity and no one has attacked Principal Pearson, who is African-American, on the basis of his race.

Meanwhile, the Cherry Creek School District stands by their claim that there is no discrimination or segregation in any of the area’s schools. When asked who was to blame for the incident, Tustin Amole, Director of Communications for the district said, “The communication the principal sent out was wrong. He made a mistake and he has apologized for that.”

Mr. Pearson has refused to speak to the press or grant any interviews, but the damage has been done. Local parents are angry and there are demands for the principal to be disciplined or fired. While the national media has  chosen to ignore this story, it is a sad commentary on the post-racial America President Obama promised us in 2008.

Principal Excludes White Students From New Tutoring Program is a post from: The Inquisitr

When US leader Barack Obama visits Israel in March of this year, he will receive the prestigious Israeli Presidential Medal Of Distinction. The award was announced Monday by Israeli President Shimon Peres in recognition of President Obama’s “unique and significant contribution to strengthening the State of Israel and the security of its citizens.”  The Israeli medal is similar to France’s ”Legion of Honor” or the “Order of Canada.”

Although Mr. Obama toured Israel as a United States Senator, he has not visited the Jewish State since he was elected President. Critics of Obama have made much of the fact that the President didn’t stop in Israel to pay a courtesy call on Prime Minister Netanyahu when he was only a short plane flight away delivering his Cairo Address to the Muslim World on June 4, 2009.

The relationship between Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Obama has been contentious and adversarial, with Obama making demands that angered the Israeli leader. President Obama stunned Netanyahu when the Prime Minister visited America in 2011, insisting Israel accept the borders that existed before the 1967 war as a starting point for negotiations with the Palestinians.

Not only did the Prime Minister of Israel declare that 1967 borders were “indefensible,” but he had the chutzpah to lecture the President on Israel’s defense needs, talking down to Obama like the American President was a schoolboy.

While many Israelis spoke with pride about Netanyahu’s powerful defense of his nation, Obama was outraged. The President stormed out of the meeting for a private dinner with his family and refused to pose for a photo-op with the Prime Minister. The next day, the Israel leader addressed the United States Congress, where he received more standing ovations than they gave Obama during his State of the Union address.

Prime Minister Netanyahu also managed to put aside his anger over the events of November, 2011, when French President Sarkozy was overheard on a hot mic calling Mr. Netanyahu a “liar.” Obama, who was chatting privately with Sarkozy, replied, “You’re sick of him — but I have to deal with him every day!”

Recently, both Netanyahu and Obama were re-elected and they seem to have repaired their personal relationship; at least in public. Perhaps it is not a co-incidence that the medal was awarded by a committee appointed by President Peres, who is on good terms with the American leader. Peres is known to be a member of the Israel peace movement and he strongly supports the Obama plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Mr. Peres was awarded America’s Presidential Medal of Freedom by Obama on June 13, 2012 and the meeting between the two men was quite cordial. Shimon Peres will reciprocate the honor and present Israel’s Presidential Medal Of Distinction to his American counterpart during a State dinner at the President’s residence in Jerusalem in March of 2013.

The Israeli President spoke highly of Mr. Obama when he announced the award:

“Barack Obama is a true friend of the State of Israel, and has been since the beginning of his public life. As president of the United States of America, he has stood with Israel in times of crisis. During his time as president he has made a unique contribution to the security of the State of Israel, both through further strengthening the strategic cooperation between the countries and through the joint development of technology to defend against rockets and terrorism. [President Obama] is a symbol of democratic values who exemplifies the spirit of equality of opportunity in American society.”

Obama To Receive Israel’s Presidential Medal Of Distinction is a post from: The Inquisitr

Once again, the battle is raging between those who look on the establishment of the United States as successful nation building and those who would denigrate America’s founders as slave owning racists who murdered the native inhabitants. In keeping with the revisionist view of history, the USDA (The US Department of Agriculture) spent $200,000 of the taxpayer’s money on sensitivity training. As part of the program, lecturer, and “citizen of the world,” Samuel Betances conducted a group session during which he ordered the audience to chant “The Pilgrims were illegal aliens” and “America was founded by outsiders who are today’s insiders.”

Concerned citizens are asking why the Obama Administration is spending large sums of money on sensitivity training when our nation is 16 trillion dollars in debt. They want to know why the training was not intended for public disclosure even though it was funded with public money.

Maintaining the lecture’s secrecy was apparently of great concern to the US Department of Agriculture. When USDA Training Administrator Vincent Loran asked Mr. Betances for a copy of the video, he sent him an email to assure him the lecture would never be made available to the public:

“It will not be used for or show [sic] in any way shape or form.”

Conservative government accountability watchdog Judicial Watch heard about the training and filed a Freedom of Information Act request in May of 2012 to obtain a video of the lecture. They finally received a copy of the information nine months later.

One might wonder what is so unusual about the presentation that our government forced the taxpayers to sue in order to view the material? Did the USDA have concerns about the content of the lecture, or was there something more sinister involved?

The answer to this question is rather interesting. Mr. Betances, according to his own words, received his training from former Chicago Mayor Richard Daley. Michelle Obama worked for Mayor Daley, and many members of the Obama Administration have deep connections to the Daley machine and progressive politics.

Among those Obama officials from Chicago is former White House Chief of Staff William M. Daley, brother of Mayor Richard M. Daley and son of Mayor Richard J. Daley. Curious taxpayers wonder if Mr. Betances’ company was selected to produce the lecture on merit or because of his ties to the Daley family?

Judicial Watch also expressed great concern over the attitude expressed in the lectures, which they see as nothing less than political correctness run amok and an attempt to demonize White males. Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton spoke on behalf of his organization:

“This USDA diversity training video depicts out-of-control political correctness. Can someone please explain how any of this helps USDA employees to better serve the American taxpayer? This video further confirms that politically correct diversity-training programs are both offensive and a waste of taxpayer money. No wonder it took over half a year to obtain this video from the Obama administration.”

While Americans are certainly divided on the future direction of our nation, many citizens are highly offended by the relentless attack on our culture. They wonder why the Federal government spends money to deliver a message that is hostile to the accomplishments of our nation and the good works of those who came before us.

As a taxpayer, you must decide if our government should be spending your tax dollars on sensitivity training or if the money would be better spent on feeding the hungry and educating our children. Should we spend our energy sub-dividing America into racial and social groups, or will America become the post-racial nation Obama promised before he was elected in 2008?

Here are some of the comments and videos by Samuel Betances. Read them for yourself and decide if you think our government should spend our dwindling resources on “diversity training.”

“White males founded the USDA! Say ‘Thank you, white males.’ I know it got stuck, some of you couldn’t get it out. I understand. Let’s try that again. Go ahead. Notice I’m not saying, ‘Thank you for slavery, or sexism, or what happened to the indigenous Native American folks.’ I’m saying thank you for what? I’m saying, ‘Thank you for establishing the agency in which those of us that are not white males seek to play a larger role.’ We’ve got grievances! This institution, like all federal institutions, have not been fair.”

“I want you to say that America was founded by outsiders – say that – who are today’s insiders, who are very nervous about today’s outsiders. I want you to say, ‘The Pilgrims were illegal aliens.’ Say, ‘The Pilgrims never gave their passports to the Indians.’”

USDA Cultural Transformation Training by MaDmOnkyKungFu

US Government Employees Ordered To Chant ‘Pilgrims Were Illegal Aliens’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/531543/us-government-employees-ordered-to-chant-pilgrims-were-illegal-aliens/feed/ 8 http://www.inquisitr.com/524010/sarah-palin-not-joining-al-jazeera-the-daily-currant-strikes-again/ http://www.inquisitr.com/524010/sarah-palin-not-joining-al-jazeera-the-daily-currant-strikes-again/#comments Thu, 14 Feb 2013 18:10:23 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=524010

If there was ever a case of sweet revenge, this is it!. Last week, The Daily Currant ran a story that claimed Sarah Palin would be taking a new job as host and commentator for Al Jazeera America. While most professional journalists were wise enough to realize the source of the story was a parody website, one over-anxious reporter [...]

Sarah Palin Not Joining Al Jazeera: The Daily Currant Strikes Again is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

If there was ever a case of sweet revenge, this is it!. Last week, The Daily Currant ran a story that claimed Sarah Palin would be taking a new job as host and commentator for Al Jazeera America. While most professional journalists were wise enough to realize the source of the story was a parody website, one over-anxious reporter from The Washington Post,  Suzi Parker, fell for the scam hook, line and sinker, and reported the fake news as fact.

Although The Washington Post later scrubbed the story from their website, the damage was done and Suzi Parker is now the butt of bad jokes by late night talk show hosts and stand up comics everywhere. The unfortunate Ms. Parker tried to salvage her reputation the way most liberals do when they get caught with their pants down; she made a vague statement blaming the mistake on The Daily Currant and replaced the original column with one that went on at great length to declare that Sarah Palin was a has-been media hound, desperate to cling to her 15 minutes of fame.

Sorry Suzi, but you got nailed. You ran an article with the smug title “Sarah Palin’s plan to reach ‘millions of devoutly religious people’ through Al-Jazeera” and you didn’t even bother to verify your source or double check the information. No amount of fudging the truth will ever hide the fact that you jumped the gun and leaped on the story with gusto. Your even used a quote from The Daily Currant to illustrate your article:

“As you all know, I’m not a big fan of newspapers, journalists, news anchors and the liberal media in general,” Palin told the Web site The Daily Currant. “But I met with the folks at Al-Jazeera and they told me they reach millions of devoutly religious people who don’t watch CBS or CNN. That tells me they don’t have a liberal bias.”

This entire sad spectacle is typical of the aggressive and often openly hostile attitude of modern journalists. All Ms. Parker needed to do was type “DailyCurrant.Com” in her browser’s address bar and she would have discovered the truth about the website. Instead, she thought she found the perfect opportunity to ridicule a politician she disliked and she missed the disclaimer:

“About | The Daily Currant”

“The Daily Currant is an English language online satirical newspaper that covers global politics, business, technology, entertainment, science, health and media. It is accessible from over 190 countries worldwide – now including South Sudan.”

“Our mission is to ridicule the timid ignorance which obstructs our progress, and promote intelligence – which presses forward.”

“Q. Are your news stories real?”

“A. No. Our stories are purely fictional. However they are meant to address real-world issues through satire and often refer and link to real events happening in the world”

The real clincher in this utterly stunning display of incompetence can be found in the titles of the articles on the front page of The Daily Currant website. Here is a small sample that will make it abundantly clear only a five-year-old child or someone with no concern for the truth could possibly imagine these stories have any basis in reality:

“Obama to Declare America A ‘Socialist State’”

“Catholic Church Considering Jerry Sandusky as Next Pope”

“Vladimir Putin Kills Grizzly Bear With Bare Hands”

“Glenn Beck Calls 911 After Accidentally Eating Halal Pizza”

“Sean Hannity Says Obama ‘Sabotaged’ Super Bowl”

Chad Sinclar, of The Daily Download, wrote the best comment on the whole affair and anyone who is concerned with the state of our Mainstream Media might want to read his words:
 

“One click. That’s all it would have taken for Suzi Parker, the author of this phony gem, to discover that the entire site is full of fake news.”

“Is this what The Washington Post has come to? Stooping so low that neither its reporters nor its editors can perform the most basic fact checking?”

“Parker and The Post made a second egregious mistake: They waited too long. The Currant story was published on February 4. The Post’s story? It published eight days later.”

“Now, if Sarah Palin was in fact joining Al Jazeera American, don’t you think more news outlets would have picked up on that? Perhaps MSNBC or her old chums at Fox News? Let’s be honest, it’s not as if The Post was sitting on the story for eight days to triple-check the facts.”

“The gross oversight in editing, the lazy reporting and the utter lack of common sense at The Post is astounding.”

As would be expected, Palin and her supporters are having a blast making fun of The Washington Post for their mistake:

Hey @washingtonpost, I’m having coffee with Elvis this week. He works at the Mocha Moose in Wasilla. #suziparkerscoops#idiotmedia

— Sarah Palin (@SarahPalinUSA) February 12, 2013

A @washingtonpost writer once promised not to write about me for a month. That was a good month for me. #idiotmedia

— Sarah Palin (@SarahPalinUSA) February 12, 2013

Sarah Palin joining Al Jazeera as a host would be a riot!

— PTRAway (@PTRAway) February 5, 2013

 
And my personal favorite, a double jab at Al Gore:

#suziparkerscoops The truth is out – Sarah Palin invented the internet!

— CaliKat (@CaliKat2) February 12, 2013

 
 

Any fair minded person should be saddened by the level of mindless hate Democrats, Progressives and Liberals have visited upon Sarah Palin. What makes their behavior even more alarming is the number of women who are leading the charge to vilify Palin; a woman who broke through the barriers to become Alaska’s Governor and a Vice Presidential candidate. It is becoming more apparent with every passing day that Conservatives may be on to something when they say Liberals only believe in free speech when you agree with them.

While we are sure The Washington Post will survive this latest and quite hilarious debacle, it is a sad commentary on the decline of a newspaper that helped remove Richard Nixon from the Oval Office. Oh, how the mighty have fallen!

 
 
Photo Credit: Christopher Halloran / Shutterstock.com

Sarah Palin Not Joining Al Jazeera: The Daily Currant Strikes Again is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/524010/sarah-palin-not-joining-al-jazeera-the-daily-currant-strikes-again/feed/ 1 http://www.inquisitr.com/523663/piers-morgan-slams-the-pope-for-resigning-hollywood-stars-join-the-attack/ http://www.inquisitr.com/523663/piers-morgan-slams-the-pope-for-resigning-hollywood-stars-join-the-attack/#comments Thu, 14 Feb 2013 15:04:49 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=523663

A frail, tired 85-year-old man who dedicated his entire life to his religious beliefs announced his retirement the other day and the global elite went nuts. Leading the criticism of Pope Benedict XVI was British talking head and CNN Host, Piers Morgan, who definitely decided there was a conspiracy behind the Pope’s resignation. As a Catholic, I’m not buying this. [...]

Piers Morgan Slams The Pope For Resigning: Hollywood Stars Join The Attack is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

A frail, tired 85-year-old man who dedicated his entire life to his religious beliefs announced his retirement the other day and the global elite went nuts. Leading the criticism of Pope Benedict XVI was British talking head and CNN Host, Piers Morgan, who definitely decided there was a conspiracy behind the Pope’s resignation.

As a Catholic, I’m not buying this. Popes don’t just quit because they’re tired. What’s going on here??

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 11, 2013

Perhaps 38 years from now, when Mr. Morgan is 85, if he is lucky enough to reach that glorious age and retain his faculties, he will be a bit more sympathetic towards Pope Benedict. Morgan and many of his fellow super stars seem to believe that, when someone becomes Pope, they have been given death sentence by God. According to the critics, no Pope is permitted to say “I’m not able to do this anymore” and step down to a quiet life of contemplation and prayer.

The venom directed Pope Benedict began the moment his name was mentioned as a possible successor to Pope John Paul II. Throughout Europe and the United States, opponents of the Roman Catholic Church have referred to Pope Benedict as “Ratzi the Nazi,” a vicious play on his given name, Joseph Ratzinger, and his German background.

Yes, Pope Benedict served in the Nazi Youth as a teenager in the 1940s. The penalty of refusal was death and imprisonment of the person’s family. Whatever his sins, there is no proof that the Pope was a supporter of Adolph Hitler. After the news of his resignation hit the news, the Internet was full of comments calling the Pope a Nazi. As usual, blind hatred triumphed over human decency.

Pope Benedict XVI was probably not the best choice for Pope in the first place, at least from a health standpoint. He was 78 when he became Pope and he had a pacemaker implanted before he ascended to the Papacy. During his reign, Benedict had an assortment of health issues, and he grew visibly frail with the passing of time. He has all the appearances of an elderly man who is slowing down rapidly, and anyone with an ounce of compassion should realize that a few more months of performing the strenuous duties of the Pope could prove fatal.

Observers of the Roman Catholic Church realized from the start that Pope Benedict was a scholar and a religious philosopher, not a leader or a politician.  He would be happier writing a treatise on the meaning of faith than leading the world’s one million Catholics  During his time as Pope, Benedict probably lulled more of the faithful to sleep with his speeches than any Pope before him. At this point of his life, he can probably best serve his church by living in quiet retirement and writing about his spiritual beliefs and church doctrine.

But no matter the reason, and no matter how frail the Pope may be, the haters are out in full force to criticize his every word. The paranoid conspiracy theorists are having a field day with the Pope’s resignation, predicting the end of the Roman Catholic Church and the Apocalypse. There is even a prophecy, attributed to St. Malachy, that is reputed to predict the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI and the destruction of Rome.

“In an extreme persecution of the Holy Roman Church, there will sit Peter the Roman, who will feed the sheep through many tribulations, which once concluded, the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the fearful Judge will judge his people. The end.”

Today’s world seems to thrive on the opinions of the famous, whose pronouncements often fill the headlines. True experts on the Church are ignored and millions base their opinions on the words of talk show hosts, out of work actors, and angry former Catholics.

Soledad O’Brien, Morgan’s colleague at CNN, speculated the Pope might be resigning over the sex scandals that have devastated the church in recent years. When she delivered her piece on CNN about the Pope’s retirement, her guest was filmmaker Alex Gibney, who directed a film about the scandal, Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God.

Ms. O’Brien’s intention was obvious. The pope resigned, and who did Soledad choose to join the discussion? She picked an ultra liberal filmmaker who focuses on child molestation by Roman Catholic priests. O’Brien hammered the point home with her comments to Mr. Gibney:

“There also has to be some pressure and impact from what you really talked about; the sex scandal that has been a huge problem and enveloped much of the Catholic Church over the last decade.”

Conservative journalist and proud Catholic convert at age 40, John Nolte, went after Soledad with gusto. He accused her of attacking the Pope as part of a continuing campaign by the left and their enablers in the Mainstream Media to force the Roman Catholic Church to surrender on the issues of abortion, gay marriage and pre-marital sex.

Of course: @soledad_obrien already asking if “sex scandals” exhausted the Pope.

— John Nolte(@NolteNC) February 11, 2013

Ms. O’Brien responded that “it was her job to ask questions” and promptly blocked John Nolte on Twitter. CNN”s Nick Robertson then commented that he hoped the next Pope would be less of a “hardliner.” The Pope’s resignation has become a field day for American liberals, who are attacking the Roman Catholic Church with renewed energy.

After the comments by O’Brien and Robertson, Piers Morgan was not about to be outdone by his co-workers at CNN and he savaged the Pope again today with a lovely Valentines day tweet. The ever considerate Mr. Morgan basically called Pope Benedict a quitter, completely ignoring the fact that Pope John Paul II was 64 when he became Pope and Pope Benedict XVI was 78:

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 14, 2013

Our week would not be complete if the fromerly famous of Hollywood didn’t have a go at the Pope as well. Here are a few charming comments from a selection of Jersey Girls, overweight Scientologists, and Latin Pop Stars:

Ricky Martin ‏@ricky_martin The #Pope resigns? I didn’t know that was even possible. Apparently, the last time a pope resigned was the year 1415#IfYouRintrested

Debi Mazar ‏@debimazar Surprised thr was no twttr announcement from the #POPE who recently joined.He really had nothing 2 say.They r supposed 2 die in service..hmm

Kirstie Alley ‏@kirstiealley So The Pope just announced he’s stepping down…which I didn’t know was an option… did you ?

Despite the obvious question as to why a Scientologist would care about the Pope in the first place, and the astonishing amount of venom directed towards a frail elderly Priest, there have been a few sane opinions about the Pope’s resignation. One reader of The Guardian may have summed it up best with his simple comment:

“Positions for life are meaningless – Stuart, Czech Republic”

“I think the fact that he’s stepping down means it is a position to be occupied by the best possible person. Positions for life are meaningless – if someone could get such a position and then make a lot of mistakes and still keep his position, that isn’t right. Even the Queen of the Netherlands retired a position which is for all intents and purposes is given by god.”

We will reserve our judgement on religious philosophy and stick to the issues at hand. The Pope has resigned after serving his Church faithfully for 62 years. He stepped down from one of the most powerful positions in the world for the good of his church. Now is the time to wish Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger well and allow him to retire in peace. May his days be long and filled with joy.

Photo Credit: miqu77 / Shutterstock.com

Piers Morgan Slams The Pope For Resigning: Hollywood Stars Join The Attack is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/523663/piers-morgan-slams-the-pope-for-resigning-hollywood-stars-join-the-attack/feed/ 1 http://www.inquisitr.com/520077/marines-guns-disabled-before-obama-inaugural-parade-guns-are-now-the-enemy-in-america/ http://www.inquisitr.com/520077/marines-guns-disabled-before-obama-inaugural-parade-guns-are-now-the-enemy-in-america/#comments Tue, 12 Feb 2013 03:49:07 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=520077

COMMENTARY | Military and Conservative websites exploded in rage today when the news surfaced that the United States Marines marching in last months Inaugural Parade had their weapons disabled prior to the start of the event. Critics of the President believe that Mr. Obama dishonored the Corps and proved that he openly distrusts his own military. Gun rights activitists [...]

Marine’s Guns Disabled Before Obama Inaugural Parade: Guns Are Now The Enemy In America is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

COMMENTARY | Military and Conservative websites exploded in rage today when the news surfaced that the United States Marines marching in last months Inaugural Parade had their weapons disabled prior to the start of the event. Critics of the President believe that Mr. Obama dishonored the Corps and proved that he openly distrusts his own military. Gun rights activitists view the attitude of the President and his supporters as an attack on the Second Amendment. They wonder if guns and their owners are now the enemy in America

This is not the first incident involving a high ranking Obama official and the disarming of US troops. When Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta visited Afghanistan on March 14, 2012, US soldiers were ordered to leave all their weapons outside the tent where Panetta would be speaking. It is important to remember our troops were disarmed in an active war zone at the request of the Obama Administration. The NY Times reported on the incident:

“In a sign of the nervousness surrounding Mr. Panetta’s trip, the Marines and other troops who were waiting in a tent for the Defense Secretary to speak were abruptly asked by their commander to get up, place their weapons — M-16 and M-4 automatic rifles and 9-mm pistols — outside the tent and then return unarmed. The commander, Sgt. Maj. Brandon Hall, told reporters he was acting on orders from superiors.”

“All I know is, I was told to get the weapons out,” he said. Asked why, he replied,“Somebody got itchy, that’s all I’ve got to say. Somebody got itchy; we just adjust.”

Prior to this controversial incident, our troops always maintained possession of their weapons when US officials, including Secretary Panetta, visited. Considering the number of Americans shot by our Afghan allies, we might wonder why Panetta would disarm the very men who would protect him if the need arose. Instead of giving our troops the ability to defend the Secretary, the soldiers would have been forced to use their own bodies to shield Panetta, most likely at the cost of their lives. While our brave soldiers have a long history of heroic sacrifice to save the lives of others, the act of disarming them reeks of paranoia and distrust.

Now you can think what you like about all of this. You can keep the blinders on and continue to believe Obama is the greatest President in the history of the United States. You can join the legions of his supporters, who follow Obama without question, even as their paychecks shrink with the passing of each month.

Or you can join with the 48 percent of the nation who do not support Obama’s Progressive agenda and his constant attempts to divide our nation into racial and social groups. Obama was not elected to represent Latinos or African-Americans or Muslims or Jews or any other group. He was elected to represent the 315 million legal citizens of the United States. We have witnessed four years of class warfare, used to magnificent effect to secure Obama a second term.

No matter which side you are on, have no doubt that there are powerful forces, led by the President, who would much prefer to disarm the entire nation. He has a track record dating back to the beginning of his political career, advocating for a ban on handgun ownership, support for unconstitutional local gun bans, and a fixed limit on gun purchases. Obama is simply lying to the American people when he claims he has always supported the Second Amendment.

Gun control advocates show their ignorance of the Constitution when they babble on about supporting the right of Americans to hunt and participate in target shooting. The Constitution proclaims “the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed” and it says nothing what so ever about hunting or target shooting. The Constitution of the State of Connecticut makes this clear by stating in Section 15, “Every citizen has a right to bear arms in defense of himself and the state.”

Since the tragic events in Aurora, Colorado and Newtown, Connecticut, gun rights in American have been under a massive assault. The Democrats in the Senate are determined to force a bill through the Congress that is designed “To regulate assault weapons, to ensure that the right to keep and bear arms is not unlimited, and for other purposes.” So there we have it, the bill is intended to alter an Amendment to the Constitution without the legality of a Constitutional Convention or a new Amendment.

We can only guess what the “other purposes” might be; we do know that Senator Feinstein, the bill’s author, stated in 1996, that if she had the votes in Congress she would have happily banned gun ownership of any kind forever:

“If I could have gotten 51 votes in the Senate of the United States for an outright ban, picking up every one of them — Mr. and Mrs. America, turn them all in — I would have done it.”

We have seen an unprecedented assault on gun ownership in America. Michael Moore claimed Americans own guns ““because too many white people are afraid of black people.” British Fop Piers Morgan demonized Americans as violent savages and insulted anyone who dared to defend the Second Amendment. Chris Rock announced that we should obey the President on everything because “Obama is our boss and the Dad of the nation!”

Vice President Biden promptly inserted his foot in its usual location, his mouth, and told a reporter “Nothing we’re going to do is going to fundamentally alter or eliminate the possibility of another mass shooting or guarantee that we will bring gun deaths down to 1,000 a year from what it is now.” After admitting the truth, Biden said we should pass the Assault Weapon Ban anyway.

The President shamelessly trotted out several sweet looking young children to announce his 23 actions on gun control and the gun banners recruited Gabby Giffords, who is still suffering from a noticeable speech defect, to appeal for the assault weapon ban. Nothing is off limits in the full court press to restrict gun ownership in our nation.

The entire push to ban guns, from disarming the troops in Afghanistan to disabling their weapons in a Presidential parade, reeks of contempt and distrust. The use of propaganda, clever advertising, and emotional ads that have no basis in law, fact or reality, illustrates the shameless organized campaign to force an illegal change to our Constitution on the American people.

There is a simple and straight forward process if the American people want to alter our guns rights; its called an amendment to the Constitution. If the gun control fanatics think they have the support to change the Second Amendment by getting two-thirds of the House and two-thirds of the Senate to vote in favor of an Amendment and three-quarters of the 50 State Legislatures to ratify the Amendment, THEN GO FOR IT!

The current attempt by a small handful of powerful politicians to alter the Second Amendment by jamming the Assault Weapon Ban Of 2013 down the throats of the American people borders on Fascism and flies in the face of the principals on which our nation was founded.

Over the last few centuries, we have witnessed one nation after the other descend into chaos and dictatorship, beginning with the disarmament of honest citizens. Is America about to take that dangerous first step on the road to tyranny? The time is at hand for Americans to decide their future. Support the Second Amendment and say “NO” to the Assault Weapon Ban of 2013.

Marine’s Guns Disabled Before Obama Inaugural Parade: Guns Are Now The Enemy In America is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/520077/marines-guns-disabled-before-obama-inaugural-parade-guns-are-now-the-enemy-in-america/feed/ 11 http://www.inquisitr.com/519744/neverwinter-and-defiance-open-betas-an-exciting-weekend-for-online-gaming/ http://www.inquisitr.com/519744/neverwinter-and-defiance-open-betas-an-exciting-weekend-for-online-gaming/#comments Tue, 12 Feb 2013 01:15:45 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=519744

The recent weekend was an incredibly exciting time for online gamers, with the first open beta for the Dungeons & Dragons‘  MMORPG Neverwinter and the second open beta for Trion Worlds’ MMOFPS Defiance. 2013 promises to be an exciting year for fans of video games and the online gaming community is looking forward to schedule jam packed [...]

Neverwinter and Defiance Open Betas: An Exciting Weekend For Online Gaming is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

The recent weekend was an incredibly exciting time for online gamers, with the first open beta for the Dungeons & Dragons‘  MMORPG Neverwinter and the second open beta for Trion Worlds’ MMOFPS Defiance. 2013 promises to be an exciting year for fans of video games and the online gaming community is looking forward to schedule jam packed with exciting new MMOS. The Inquisitr was invited to participate in the open beta for both of these exciting new games and we were happy to accept the invitations. Although we didn’t get much sleep over the weekend, we were able to spend a full day with each game.

Join us now for a look at the open beta weekends for Dungeons & Dragons’ Nverwinter and Trion’s Defiance.

DUNGEON & DRAGONS’ NEVERWINTER FIRST OPEN BETA WEEKEND:

Neverwinter is the latest installment in the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) massively multiplayer online role-playing game universe. The game is slated for release in the spring of 2013 on the Microsoft Windows platform. There will be at least two more open beta weekends, and players purchasing one of the two founders packs are guaranteed access to the betas, plus early access when the game goes live.

The team at Cryptic Games described Neverwinter in glorious detail:

“ABOUT NEVERWINTER:”

“One hundred years have passed since the Spellplague forever changed the magical and mysterious lands of Faerûn. Mighty empires fell and great cities toppled, leaving only monster-haunted ruins and survivors struggling to rebuild.”

“The city of Neverwinter, the Jewel of the North, seemed blessed by the gods. While the rest of the Sword Coast was devastated by the event, Neverwinter survived largely intact. But this was only a temporary reprieve from its inevitable doom. Nearly 75 years later, a volcanic eruption rained fire, ash and molten fury upon the city, annihilating everything in its wake.”

“Today, Neverwinter has restored much of its former glory. Lord Neverember of Waterdeep has taken the city under his protection and put forth a call to all adventurers and heroes of the Savage North to help rebuild Neverwinter in the hopes that one day he can lay claim to her throne and crown. But evil forces conspire in the dark places of the world, seeking to undermine all…”

“Neverwinter Reborn”
“Explore and defend one of the most beloved cities from Dungeons & Dragons as it rises from the ashes of destruction. This action RPG set in an immersive MMO world will take you from the besieged walls of the city to subterranean passageways in search of forgotten secrets and lost treasure.”

“Challenging, Complex, Classic”
“Epic stories, action combat and classic roleplaying await those heroes courageous enough to enter the fantastic world of Toril and the ruined City of Neverwinter.”

“Build Your Fantasy”
“Easy-to-grasp adventure creation tools empower players to add their own tales to the Forgotten Realms campaign setting. Bring compelling quests to life and build challenging levels! Share creations with the entire world in-game. Become a part of the existing Dungeons & Dragons universe… Then build a new one.”

“Forge Your Path to Glory”
“Encounter dangerous foes and perilous environments. Work strategically with others to overcome nightmares, demons, monsters and beasts of legend.”

“New D&D, Beloved D&D”
“Neverwinter is a true Dungeons & Dragons experience, brought to life with the dynamic Cryptic game engine. In the classic D&D setting of the Forgotten Realms, players will explore and defend one of the most beloved cities from Dungeons & Dragons, as it rises from the ashes of destruction.”

The game itself looks spectacular. The graphics are simply outstanding, bringing the world to life in an brilliant rainbow of colors and attention to detail that is absolutely stunning. The designers at Cryptic Games have managed to capture weather effects to perfection; snow, rain and sunny skies are all portrayed naturally and help make Neverwinter a living, breathing world.

Every spell or attack has a vivid animation that enhances the excitement, but the effects do not interfere with the speed of combat. Even the dust on the ground is kicked up into the air as you trudge through dungeons, while rocks and pebbles fall perilously from above.

Neverwinter offers online gamers the very best of traditional D&D dungeon exploration and open world questing. Players choose between a wide ranges of classical races and classes, build their character, and jump into a huge world full of mystical enemies and creatures. PvP is an integral part of Neverwinter and players can even design their own quests and dungeons through a feature called The Foundry.

Combat in Neverwinter is action packed and forgiving. I took my guardian fighter to level 20 in the open beta weekend and although the combat was fast and furious, I was never in danger of dying. I was able to survive by using a powerful selection of six basic attacks and on rare occasions, a health potion. This is MMO combat at its simplest and its very best.

Dungeon & Dragons’ Neverwinter is brilliantly executed, wonderful to behold, and easy to learn. The game offers gamers all the features they have come to know and love about D&D, honed to perfection in one outstanding package. If you are looking for a game is simple, straight forward and absolutely great fun, this is the MMO for you.

DEFIANCE SECOND OPEN BETA WEEKEND:

My weekend would not have been complete without spending time playing Defiance, the exciting new MMOFPS from Trion, the people who brought us Rift. The second open beta weekend for Defiance gave us an opportunity to explore more of the game world and test out the abilities of our characters.

Defiance is an ambitious collaboration between Trion and the SyFy Network, combining the game with a new series that will debut on cable this spring. Events that take place in the TV show will have an impact on the events in the game, and there is even a plan to import a character from the game into the TV show at some point during season one.

While this all sounds very exciting, our readers are here to find out about the second beta weekend. Unlike many of the other MMOS available to online gamers, Defiance will be available on the XBox 360 and PlayStation 3, in addition to the Microsoft PC platform. This should be exciting news for owners of gaming consoles, who tend to get short changed by the online gaming industry.

The game is up against some rather stiff competition from Planetside 2 and Firefall, both of which are outstanding new MMOFPS. While Planetside 2 takes place on an alien world, Firefall and Defiance are both located on a shattered earth following a great apocalypse.

Here is a detailed description of the game from the game’s developers at Trion Worlds:

“WHAT IS DEFIANCE?”

‘A NEW FRONT LINE ON THE NEW FRONTIER”
“Join the futuristic online open-world shooter where thousands of players scour a transformed Earth competing for alien technology. Hunt alone or with others as you improve your skills and level up, unlocking powerful weapons that will help you survive the massive battles that await.”

“LIMITLESS GAMEPLAY. REVOLUTIONARY WARFARE.”

“UNIQUE OPEN-WORLD SHOOTER”
“Shoot the way you want, with a multitude of weapons, armor, and special abilities that evolve with experience. Custom character creation means you can play as human or alien, modifying your appearance to become a unique citizen of the Defiance world.”

“AN EVOLVING ONLINE WORLD”
“Fight for survival in a constantly evolving environment with regular content updates and dynamic events. Play solo, or join tens of thousands of simultaneous live players in a futuristic San Francisco Bay Area that’s a fully-realized open world. You’ve never imagined a 3rd-person shooter this huge.”

“THE GAME NEVER ENDS”
“Experience dynamic missions, massive co-op battles, and endless exploration across a gigantic game environment. Plus, brought to you by Syfy, the Defiance TV series is a revolutionary weekly drama that impacts the game, and gives you the chance to change the show.”

Perhaps the tie in with SyFy, and the availability on console platforms will give Defiance an edge over the competition. The game is certainly on a far with other top of the line FPS when it comes to game play and it takes full advantage of everything the excellent Havoc game engine has to offer. Gameplay is smooth, combat is exciting and the game looks great. Defiance has all the pieces in place to provide online gamers with a first class experience and it is still early in the beta testing period. That being said, for Defiance to forge ahead of the competition, Trion will certainly have to come up with some truly innovative new ideas as they continue the development and testing cycle.

There is much more to come for both of these great new games in the weeks and months ahead. Be sure to visit The Inquisitr often for all the news on these two exciting MMOS and the most up to date date information on the exciting world of video gaming.

Neverwinter and Defiance Open Betas: An Exciting Weekend For Online Gaming is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/519744/neverwinter-and-defiance-open-betas-an-exciting-weekend-for-online-gaming/feed/ 4 Defiance Second Open Beta Weekend http://www.inquisitr.com/519454/itavia-flight-870-crash-mystery-deepens-court-rules-missile-hit-plane/ http://www.inquisitr.com/519454/itavia-flight-870-crash-mystery-deepens-court-rules-missile-hit-plane/#comments Mon, 11 Feb 2013 21:42:43 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=519454

On the fine, clear summer’s night of June 27, 1980, Itavia Flight 870 was on a routine flight from Bologna, Italy, to Palermo, Sicily. Suddenly, the plane vanished from radar and plunged into the Tyrrhenian Sea, near the island of Ustica. All 81 passenger’s – 68 adults and 13 children – were killed as the plane broke apart upon impact. [...]

Itavia Flight 870 Crash Mystery Deepens: Court Rules Missile Hit Plane is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

On the fine, clear summer’s night of June 27, 1980, Itavia Flight 870 was on a routine flight from Bologna, Italy, to Palermo, Sicily. Suddenly, the plane vanished from radar and plunged into the Tyrrhenian Sea, near the island of Ustica. All 81 passenger’s – 68 adults and 13 children – were killed as the plane broke apart upon impact. Over the last 32 years, there have been many theories about the cause of the crash and the controversial case crawled at a snail’s pace through investigations, military tribunals and court hearings. Finally, last week, Italy’s highest criminal court ruled the Italian Government’s Ministries of Defense and Transportation Ministries would have to pay compensation to some of the victim’s families. The court found there was “abundantly clear” evidence a missile caused the crash of Flight 870.

Although the court ruled on the cause of the crash and awarded compensation to some of the families, the ruling failed to answer the one essential question about the disturbing case; who was responsible for bringing down the plane? Andrea Purgatori, the Italian investigative journalist who wrote a book about the crash  and co-authored the film, The Rubber Wall, about the investigation, made a witty and appropriate statement about the court’s decision:

“It’s like the O. J. Simpson affair, where he got off in criminal court but was found guilty in a civil procedure and had to pay damages.”

There have been many theories over the years about the cause of the crash. The Italian Government first suspected a terrorist bomb might have been placed in the aircraft’s lavatory, but no group has ever come forward to claim responsibility. Italy was in the midst of a terrorist war at the time, and just five weeks later, the Bolgona train station was bombed, killing 85 people. The bombing was blamed on far right, neo-fascists, although this case is also riddled with controversy.

During the last three decades, there have been several sensational prosecutions stemming from the crash of Flight 870. Four high ranking Italian Generals were tried for treason and obstructing investigations and several Air Force officers were investigated for wiping clean military flight tracks and radar scans on the night of the crash. However, no charges were filed against the officers and the Generals were all acquitted.

Perhaps the most sensational theory about the crash of Flight 870 involves a NATO plot to assassinate Libyan dictator Qaddafi, who was rumored to be flying over the Mediterranean on the night of June 27, 1980. According to theory, Qaddafi’s Soviet made Tupolev jet was flying in the slipstream of Flight 870 to avoid detection by Italian military radar, when two French Mirage fighters, operating under orders from NATO, were dispatched to rid the world of an annoying madman. One of the fighters launched a missile at Qaddafi, but the projectile went astray, struck the Italian passenger plane, and Flight 870 was blown to bits.

While the story sounds like something out of a Hollywood spy movie, the misfired missile theory gained credibility when Qaddafi’ was overthrown and the files of the Libyan Secret Police were opened. Amid the reports of terrorist plots, murders, assassination of rivals, and sadistic torture of political prisoners, a file was discovered detailing the entire sordid affair of Flight 870, including the missile attack that struck the Italian aircraft.

The existence of such a file is damning in its own right, but contained in the report was information that the Italian SISMI, the nation’s secret service, tipped off the Libyan dictator about the plot to bring down his jet. According to the file, Qaddafi’s pilot was able to divert the jet at the last minute and the French pilots actually fired on a Libyan MIG sent to protect Qaddafi. This may sound far fetched, but we should remember that in 1986, Italian politician Bettino Craxi warned Qaddafi that American F-111′s were about to bomb his compound in Tripoli, thus saving the Libyan leader’s life.

There are a few other rather nasty details surrounding this case. According to an Italian television investigation of the case, 36 individuals associated with the crash investigation have died under mysterious circumstances, including one man who slipped on a banana peel in a subway station and another who was run over by a tricycle. In 2008, Francesco Cossiga, who was Prime Minister of Italy at the time of the crash, told a journalist Flight 870 was shot down by the French Military. Cossiga died two years later of a respiratory infection.

Even with the decision of the High Court to order the Italian Government to pay compensation to families of the crash victims, no one has been named as the responsible party in the death of 81 human beings. The Italian Government was only found liable for not providing proper radar protection to Flight 870. Despite the court’s opinion that an errant missile caused the crash, we still have no legal ruling on who murdered the 81 helpless passengers of Itavia Flight 870.

Itavia Flight 870 Crash Mystery Deepens: Court Rules Missile Hit Plane is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/519454/itavia-flight-870-crash-mystery-deepens-court-rules-missile-hit-plane/feed/ 0 http://www.inquisitr.com/515951/obamas-benghazi-consulate-debacle/ http://www.inquisitr.com/515951/obamas-benghazi-consulate-debacle/#comments Sat, 09 Feb 2013 14:08:00 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=515951

Commentary | Much has been said over the last few months about the debacle in war torn Benghazi, Libya that led to the destruction of the United States Consulate and the deaths of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, Sean Smith  Glen Doherty, and Tyrone Woods. Although the Obama Administration failed miserably to protect the consulate and the men who lost their [...]

Obama’s Benghazi Consulate Debacle: A Video History Of The President’s Failure [Commentary] is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

Commentary | Much has been said over the last few months about the debacle in war torn Benghazi, Libya that led to the destruction of the United States Consulate and the deaths of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, Sean Smith  Glen Doherty, and Tyrone Woods. Although the Obama Administration failed miserably to protect the consulate and the men who lost their lives, Mr. Obama’s highly talented clean up crew did a world class job of protecting the President and delaying any investigation until well after the 2012 Presidential election.

The manner in which the President, members of his Cabinet, and his obliging team of yes men, including Press Secretary Jay Carney, managed to evade and obfuscate any and all inquires into the September 11, 2012 terrorist attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi should go down in American history as the greatest example of how to effectively deflect a horrendous Presidential failure and still win an election.

Certainly, the legendary sign from Harry Truman’s desk that reads “The Buck Stops Here!” was thrown out the window early in Obama’s first term, probably after “Blame Bush” was uttered for the 1000th time, but following the events in Benghazi, the President retrieved it from the bushes and ran it over several times with a steamroller.

We might expect that a President running for re-election will do everything possible to protect their legacy and defeat their opponent. We certainly understand that Obama was facing a serious challenge from Mitt Romney. However, our President swore an oath to “preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States” and the well being of 315 million American citizens should come before his personal ambition. President Obama and his campaign advisers made a deliberate decision to do everything in their power to sweep Benghazi aside until after November 6, 2012 and the American people have been ill served by their actions.

The first step in the Benghazi cover-up was the Administration’s dishonest attempt to portray the attack on the Consulate as a spontaneous reaction to an anti-Muslim video that appeared three months earlier on YouTube.  Obama used the occasion of his annual address to the United Nations General Assembly to hammer the point home, mentioning the video six times in his speech.

“In every country, there are those who find different religious beliefs threatening; in every culture, those who love freedom for themselves must ask how much they are willing to tolerate freedom for others.”

“That is what we saw play out the last two weeks, as a crude and disgusting video sparked outrage throughout the Muslim world. I have made it clear that the United States government had nothing to do with this video, and I believe its message must be rejected by all who respect our common humanity. The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam.”

 

Working in tandem with the President, the White House trotted out UN Ambassador Susan Rice, who made the rounds of the Sunday news shows, and repeatedly blamed the video for the attack. Americans heard Rice emphasize two key Administration talking points on every major television network: ”Spontaneous Protest” and “Anti-Muslim Video.” Ambassador Rice took a bullet for Obama, completely misled the American people, and demolished her dream of becoming the next Secretary of State.

 

When embassy cables and other official State Department documents began to surface and it became clear that Benghazi was a premeditated attack by terrorists, the White House was forced to change its narrative and switch to the Washington version of a prevent defense. Hillary Clinton announced the formation of an Accountability Review Board and then refused to discuss Benghazi until the ARB submitted their report after the November election.

Much to the disappointment of Americans who put the truth ahead of getting re-elected, the mainstream media continued their herculean effort as front-line cheerleader’s for the President. They did their utmost to ignore anything that ran counter to the official White House narrative, and did everything they could to portray anyone who doubted the President’s version as little better than the birthers. During the Presidential debates, the Moderators, all well known Obama supporters, did their best to avoid asking any questions about Benghazi.

Someday in the distant future, the second debate between Obama and Romney may be mentioned as the day the independent press finally died in America. The normally unflappable Romney was stunned to silence when Crowley interrupted him mid-sentence as he was commenting on Obama’s handling of the Consulate attack. Unbelievably, Crowley, a well known and outspoken Obama supporter, took it upon herself to join the debate, dispute Romney’s statement on Obama’s response to the attack, and recite talking points to shore up the President’s narrative on Benghazi.

Unfortunately for Mitt Romney, the White House strategy on Benghazi worked and Obama was re-elected. We can only speculate how things might have turned out if General Petraeus, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, General Dempsey, Charlene Lamb and Eric Nordstrom had testified prior to the elections. The delay in testifying was nothing short of a blot on the honor of the Presidency and an insult to the families of four dead Americans.

 

Imagine for a moment how the people might have voted if Hillary Clinton had testified in late October instead of January, 2012. How would they have reacted when she shouted, “What Difference Does It Make” at a United States Senator, after he asked about the four Americans brutally murdered by terrorists. Perhaps she will blame her incredibly thoughtless words on her famous concussion.

The only word to describe Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Programs Charlene Lamb’s testimony is “chilling.” Lamb repeatedly refused to increase the security for the Benghazi Consulate, despite months of pleading from the head of the security team in Libya. Lamb not only ignored the requests, but she ordered him not to ask again, even after the British Ambassador’s motorcade was hit with an RPG while driving through the streets of Benghazi, the Tunisian Consulate in Benghazi was bombed, and the International Red Cross headquarters in Benghazi was attacked.

Joining  Ms. Lamb in front of the House Committee investigating Benghazi was State Department Former Regional Security Officer Eric Nordstrom. Prior to his testimony before the committee, he was interviewed by House lawyers and he told them the security at the Benghazi Consulate was dangerously low. After making his initial statement, Nordstrom was ordered by superiors at the State Department not to have any further contact with the House investigators. When he finally testified, he informed the committee that his prepared statement was screened by State Department officials prior to his appearance before the committee. Once again, the American people were treated to a sanitized, misleading, incomplete version of Benghazi.

This week, the final group of witnesses spoke about the conduct of President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Leon Panetta and General Martin Dempsey portrayed a disinterested Obama, who was out of contact with the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from the evening of the attack in Libya until the following day. In plain English, our Ambassador and three other Americans were dead, and the President was AWOL.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was also unavailable to Panetta and Dempsey from the beginning of the attack until the following day. General Dempsey expressed his amazement when Senator Graham told him that Secretary Clinton testified she had never seen the August 15, 2012 cable from Ambassador Stevens. The cable to the State Department warned that the security at the Benghazi Consulate was not strong enough to stop an attack.

Bill Kristol of the Weekly Standard wrote about the behavior of Barack Obama on the night of the attack on our Consulate in Benghazi, Libya:

“While Americans were under assault in Benghazi, the president found time for a non-urgent, politically useful, hour-long call to Prime Minister Netanyahu. And his senior national security staff had to find time to arrange the call, brief the president for the call, monitor it, and provide an immediate read-out to the media. I suspect Prime Minister Netanyahu, of all people, would have understood the need to postpone or shorten the phone call if he were told that Americans were under attack as the president chatted. But for President Obama, a politically useful telephone call—and the ability to have his aides rush out and tell the media about that phone call—came first.”

 

 

President Obama and members of his Administration made a conscious decision to mislead the American people by blaming an old YouTube video with only 3500 views for the attack. They disregarded the fact that the attack came on the anniversary of 9/11 and they ignored the reports that had been appearing in the media for weeks prior to the attack, threatening to burn down US diplomatic facilities in the Middle East and kidnap our diplomats unless the “Blind Sheikh” was freed.

The American people were deliberately deceived in order to win an election, four Americans were murdered by savages, and it was business as usual in Washington, D.C.. Chris Stevens, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty, and Tyrone Woods cry out from their graves for the truth. We are still waiting for your reply, Mr. President.

Obama’s Benghazi Consulate Debacle: A Video History Of The President’s Failure [Commentary] is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/515951/obamas-benghazi-consulate-debacle/feed/ 2 http://www.inquisitr.com/512975/three-cops-shot-one-killed-in-riverside-county-california-suspect-wanted-for-monica-quan-murder/ http://www.inquisitr.com/512975/three-cops-shot-one-killed-in-riverside-county-california-suspect-wanted-for-monica-quan-murder/#comments Thu, 07 Feb 2013 14:19:44 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=512975

Three Riverside County, Calfornia police officers were shot this morning – one in Corona and two in Riverside — by a shooter who is believed to be Christopher Jordan Dorner, the fired former Los Angeles police officer wanted for Sunday’s coldblooded murder of Cal State Fullerton assistant basketball coach Monica Quan and her fiance, Keith Lawrence. In today’s shootings, [...]

Three Cops Shot, One Killed In Riverside County, California: Suspect Wanted For Monica Quan Murder is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

Three Riverside County, Calfornia police officers were shot this morning – one in Corona and two in Riverside — by a shooter who is believed to be Christopher Jordan Dorner, the fired former Los Angeles police officer wanted for Sunday’s coldblooded murder of Cal State Fullerton assistant basketball coach Monica Quan and her fiance, Keith Lawrence. In today’s shootings, one officer was killed and two were wounded.

The three police officers were shot late Wednesday night. The first incident occurred in Corona when an officer was grazed by a bullet. The second shooting occurred a few hours later in the city of Riverside where one officer died at the scene and the second officer was seriously wounded. Riverside County Police are conducting a manhunt for the suspect, who may be armed with several weapons.

Christopher Dorner became the prime suspect in the murder of Monica Quan and Keith Lawrence after police discovered a manifesto that Dorner posted to the Internet threatening to murder Los Angeles police officers. Dorner made a list of officers with whom he had a grudge and law enforcement sources reported that security has been sent to their homes.

One the officers threatened by Dorner was Monica Quan’s father, Randy Quan, a retired LAPD captain. Mr. Quan was involved in the department review that led to Dorner’s dismissal from the force. According to statements from Dorner, Captain Quan represented him at the hearing and Dorner accused him of not properly defending him.

Mr. Dorner spelled out his grievances against Captain Quan in great detail in his manifesto. He accused Quan of representing the interests of the Los Angeles Police Department and essentially hanging him out to dry to protect the department. He swore revenge on Captain Quan with a chilling threat to “terminate” his family.

“Your lack of ethics and conspiring to wrong a just individual are over. Suppressing the truth will leave to deadly consequences for you and your family. There will be an element of surprise where you work, live, eat, and sleep. I never had the opportunity to have a family of my own, I’m terminating yours.

“He [Captain Quan] doesn’t work for you, your interest, or your name. He works for the department, period. His job is to protect the department from civil lawsuits being filed and their best interest which is the almighty dollar. His loyalty is to the department, not his client. The violence of action will be high…. I will bring unconventional and asymmetrical warfare to those in LAPD uniform whether on or off duty.”

Police have expressed grave concerns that Dorner is determined to kill as many police officers as he can, and they warned the public not to approach him. Dorner made his intentions clear when he posted a message warning that he would not stop killing until his name was cleared by the Los Angeles Police Department.

“The attacks will stop when the department states the truth about my innocence, PUBLICLY!!!”

Three Cops Shot, One Killed In Riverside County, California: Suspect Wanted For Monica Quan Murder is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/512975/three-cops-shot-one-killed-in-riverside-county-california-suspect-wanted-for-monica-quan-murder/feed/ 3 http://www.inquisitr.com/512900/obama-backs-down-instructs-doj-to-give-drone-memo-to-congress/ http://www.inquisitr.com/512900/obama-backs-down-instructs-doj-to-give-drone-memo-to-congress/#comments Thu, 07 Feb 2013 10:12:24 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=512900

In a move that surprised many observers of the Washington political scene, President Obama reconsidered his refusal to provide Congress with a copy of the classified DOJ memo outlining the administration’s legal justification for targeted killings. The controversial document will now be made available to the Congressional Intelligence Committees holding hearings on the nomination of John Brennan to head the [...]

Obama Backs Down, Instructs DOJ To Give Drone Memo To Congress is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

In a move that surprised many observers of the Washington political scene, President Obama reconsidered his refusal to provide Congress with a copy of the classified DOJ memo outlining the administration’s legal justification for targeted killings. The controversial document will now be made available to the Congressional Intelligence Committees holding hearings on the nomination of John Brennan to head the CIA. The decision was confirmed Wednesday afternoon by a highly placed source within the Obama Administration, who requested anonymity.

Late Wednesday night, Senator Wyden of Oregon acknowledged that he spoke personally with the President and Obama assured him the document would be available to the Select Senate Intelligence Committee. Obama also told Wyden that provisions would be made to show the document to Senators not on the Intelligence Committee. President Obama has no plans to release the document to the public and several groups are preparing to file a FOIA request for the document and sue the Administration if they are denied access.

The demand to allow Congress to review the classified Department of Justice copy of the document intensified after a unclassified copy of a white paper on the ruling was leaked to NBC News. John Brennan was one of leading voices in the creation of Administration’s drone policy and Congress made it perfectly clear they expect the Obama Administration to make the document available before they consider Brennan’s nomination.

After the unclassified document was published and it became known that the Obama Administration claimed they have the legal authority to use drones to kill American citizens anywhere in the world without the benefit of legal consul or due process, critics of the Administration were outraged. They accused the President of ignoring the Constitution and taking the unprecedented step of legalizing the murder of American citizens by simply placing their names on a top secret list.

Meanwhile, Democrats on the Intelligence Committee are celebrating the decision to release the document as proof of the President’s support for Democracy. Senator Wyden praised the President for sharing information with the Congress:

“I think this is an encouraging first step. We need to conduct robust oversight of the intelligence community and find a way to make sure the American people understand the rules under which a president may make these consequential decisions.”

Senator Feinstein took a break from trying to force her Assault Weapon Ban on the American people to compliment the President for releasing the document to a secret committee of eight Democrats and seven Republicans:

“I am pleased that the president has agreed to provide the Intelligence Committee with access to the OLC opinion regarding the use of lethal force in counter terrorism operations. It is critical for the committee’s oversight function to fully understand the legal basis for all intelligence and counter terrorism operations.”

Perhaps our diligent Senators are satisfied, but one might wonder why the Senators and the President feel they have no obligation to release the document to the American public. After all, any American citizen could become a target for a drone if their name ends up on a White House kill list. That certainly gives every single American citizen a right to clearly understand why our President feels he has the legal authority to kill Americans without due process in violation of our Constitutional rights.

[Photo by Ted Majdosz]

Obama Backs Down, Instructs DOJ To Give Drone Memo To Congress is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/512900/obama-backs-down-instructs-doj-to-give-drone-memo-to-congress/feed/ 4 http://www.inquisitr.com/512863/ahmadinejad-informs-the-world-were-a-nuclear-state-but-we-wont-strike-israel/ http://www.inquisitr.com/512863/ahmadinejad-informs-the-world-were-a-nuclear-state-but-we-wont-strike-israel/#comments Thu, 07 Feb 2013 09:04:58 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=512863

On the eve of his visit to Cairo, Iranian President Ahmadinejad declared to the world that the nation of Iran is a nuclear state, but he promised not to attack Israel. In an interview published Wednesday by Egyptian daily Al-Ahram, Ahmadinejad had several pronouncements for the Western powers and another warning for Israel. As usual, he refused to mention Israel [...]

Ahmadinejad Informs The World: ‘We’re A Nuclear State, But We Won’t Strike Israel’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

On the eve of his visit to Cairo, Iranian President Ahmadinejad declared to the world that the nation of Iran is a nuclear state, but he promised not to attack Israel. In an interview published Wednesday by Egyptian daily Al-Ahram, Ahmadinejad had several pronouncements for the Western powers and another warning for Israel. As usual, he refused to mention Israel by name and referred to the Jewish State by the insulting term of Zionist entity.

“Even though the Zionists are intent on attacking Iran, Iran is not planning a military strike against them, because our system is defensive. Launching missiles or a fighter jet would not be difficult [for Israel], but what is important is the reaction to such a strike, as well as Iran’s defensive capabilities.

“They want Iran to go back to what it was in the past, but they won’t succeed. They assume we’ll give in to pressure; such thoughts are misguided. We’re already an industrial and nuclear country, a country that has conquered space. For years we have been thinking about sending a human being into space, and we will do that, with Allah’s help. We must ensure development and growth and bring them to pass, and the world must acknowledge our progress.

“For us, supporting the Palestinian people is a matter of human importance in every sense. The Palestinians must receive their rights, and the Zionists are moving closer and closer toward the edge.”

While the United States and its allies have yet to declare that Iran actually posses a nuclear weapon, the Obama Administration has indicated they believe the Islamic nation has begun the enrichment process to produce high grade nuclear fuel for an atomic bomb. Other well informed military experts claim Iran already has three or four nuclear weapons, courtesy of North Korea, and the battle over enriched uranium is a sham to hide the truth.

Opponents of Ahmadinejad are actively protesting his visit to Egypt, accusing him of trying to stir up violence between Shiite and Sunni Muslims. Egypt has been on shaky ground with Iran since 1979 when the Khomeini Regime named a Tehran street after Anwar Sadat’s assassin, Khaled Eslamboli.

Egyptians are also angry over Iran’s support for Assad in Syria and Ahmadinejad was forced to flee a Cairo Mosque after supporters of the Syrian rebels tossed shoes at him. Egyptian security forces arrested four men outside the Mosque, all of whom are member’s of Egypt’s large Sunni community.

President Ahmadinejad denied his government was involved in the Shiite proselytizing that is causing unrest in Egypt, but he admitted it may be occurring. His government has refused to prosecute any Iranians who are involved in causing agitation by trying to convince Sunnis to convert to the Shiite Branch of Islam.

Ahmadinejad continued his policy of insulting Jews and Israel while making outlandish and provocative claims that the United States and Israel are conspiring to dominate the Islamic world and slaughter the Palestinian people. While most political leaders may scoff at his remarks, the nation of Iran has openly declared they will support any nation or terrorist group that is willing to fight against Israel.

The Iranian President concluded his remarks by making more threats against Israel:

“The people of Iran are ready to march on Israel to wipe it out if it launches into an adventure against Tehran and attacks the country. The Zionists… hope to aggress Iran and attack it, but they are very afraid of the Iranian reaction and of the consequences of such an attack. Our defense forces are capable of dissuading any aggressor and making him regret his act.”

Ahmadinejad Informs The World: ‘We’re A Nuclear State, But We Won’t Strike Israel’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/512863/ahmadinejad-informs-the-world-were-a-nuclear-state-but-we-wont-strike-israel/feed/ 3 http://www.inquisitr.com/512807/hagel-confirmation-postponed-new-tape-containing-controversial-comments-on-israel-surfaces/ http://www.inquisitr.com/512807/hagel-confirmation-postponed-new-tape-containing-controversial-comments-on-israel-surfaces/#comments Thu, 07 Feb 2013 07:21:28 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=512807

Already wounded and bleeding profusely, former Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel’s nomination may have been dealt a mortal blow on Wednesday when the Senate suddenly postponed the vote on his confirmation. Citing problems with newly disclosed comments by Hagel on Israel, and questions about his business dealings, Armed Services Committee Chairman, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., announced the vote would not take place until [...]

Hagel Confirmation Postponed: New Tape Containing Controversial Comments On Israel Surfaces is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

Already wounded and bleeding profusely, former Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel’s nomination may have been dealt a mortal blow on Wednesday when the Senate suddenly postponed the vote on his confirmation. Citing problems with newly disclosed comments by Hagel on Israel, and questions about his business dealings, Armed Services Committee Chairman, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., announced the vote would not take place until next week at the earliest.

Hagel’s 2007 address to The National Council on US – Arab Relations came to light yesterday after the organization published a copy of the speech and released an audio tape. Hagel told his audience that the United States must hold unconditional talks with the Iranian Government and the US needs to “reverse optics” in its relationship with close ally, Israel, if America wants to restore its credibility as an honest broker for Middle East peace.

During his speech, Hagel made an alarming comment that echos the sentiments of those who engage in racial hatred of the Jewish people and of those nations who deny that Israel has a right to exist.

“There’s no question in the Arab-Israeli issue that Israel is a nation today as a result of the United States.”

In plain words, Hagel questioned the legitimacy of the nation of Israel and suggested the United States should reverse its policies towards one of its closest allies to establish credibility with nations who have a long history of tyranny, many of whom have openly called for the destruction of Israel.

Hagel may claim he was speaking in the context of the support the US shows to Israel, but these are the words spoken by all of Israel’s enemies who would like to deny the fact that the nation of Israel first existed 3500 years ago. The Jewish people have steadfastly maintained a continuous population in Israel for 3500 years and they have been the majority in Jerusalem since the first official census in mid 19th century. To claim that Israel exists because the United States somehow created the Jewish State not only denies the realities of history, but it plays into the hands of every Jew hater on the planet.

Much has been made about Hagel’s lack of enthusiasm for taking a hard line on Iran, his apparent negative attitude towards Israel, and his refusal to designate Iran’s Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization. While Hagel is certainly entitled to his opinions about Iran and Israel and the Senate is equally entitled to reject him as Secretary of Defense for said opinions, observers are baffled by his obstinate refusal to to certify the Revolutionary Guard a terrorist group. The evidence is absolutely conclusive that the IRG trains terrorists while supplying them with world class weapons and financial support. The IRG also sent troops to fight alongside Assad’s military as they massacre Syrian civilians.

Compounding Hagel’s problems are the concerns raised by Republican Senators about his business dealings. The Senator’s are demanding details on all payments of more than $5,000 that Hagel received over the past five years as well as a list of the groups he addressed and their donors. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., made it clear he will not vote on the nomination until Hagel answers all the question the committee has put to him.

 ”I’m not going to make any decision on Sen. Hagel until we get all the information we’ve requested.”

Hagel issued a typical politician’s denial and claimed he does not have legal access to the information requested by the Senate:

“My role with respect to the entities you identify is as a current and former board or advisory board member. I was not involved in the day-to-day management of any of these firms, and have not been involved with some for the firms for years now. Thus, as a matter of fact, I do not believe I have any of the information requested. More importantly, the information you seek is legally controlled by the individual entities and not mine to disclose.”

Freshman Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has been a firebrand in the opposition to Chuck Hagel and he is believed to be the leading force behind the delay in the confirmation vote. Cruz and his colleagues made their position quite clear in their letter to Senator Hagel:

“Your refusal to respond to this reasonable request [for more information] suggests either a lack of respect for the Senate’s responsibility to advice and consent or that you are for some reason unwilling to allow this financial disclosure to come to light.

“This Committee, and the American people, have a right to know if a nominee for Secretary of Defense has received compensation, directly or indirectly from foreign sources. Until the Committee receives full and complete answers, it cannot in good faith determine whether you should be confirmed as Secretary of Defense.”

The Senate raised some serious questions about Mr. Hagel, and he displayed a stunning lack of knowledge and competence during the hearings. Although his nomination is probably assured because the Democrats hold a 55 to 45 majority in the Senate, only two Republicans said they will vote in favor of his nomination.

Critics of the President and the Hagel nomination are asking one important question. Is Chuck Hagel the best choice to be the next Secretary of Defense, or are the American people watching a battle of wills between the opposition and a President determined to have his way, no matter the cost to the nation?

Hagel Confirmation Postponed: New Tape Containing Controversial Comments On Israel Surfaces is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/512807/hagel-confirmation-postponed-new-tape-containing-controversial-comments-on-israel-surfaces/feed/ 4 http://www.inquisitr.com/512418/obama-says-its-ok-to-kill-americans-with-drones-and-the-people-cheer-commentary/ http://www.inquisitr.com/512418/obama-says-its-ok-to-kill-americans-with-drones-and-the-people-cheer-commentary/#comments Thu, 07 Feb 2013 01:59:17 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=512418

Commentary | Most Americans are probably unaware that in 1976, President Ford signed an Executive Order outlawing political assassinations. Executive Order 11905 has been affirmed by every President since, and both Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan actually strengthened Ford’s edict. Despite the clear prohibition against political murder, the Obama Administration not only ignored these long standing rules, but added American citizens [...]

Obama Says Its OK To Kill Americans With Drones And The People Cheer [Commentary] is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

Commentary | Most Americans are probably unaware that in 1976, President Ford signed an Executive Order outlawing political assassinations. Executive Order 11905 has been affirmed by every President since, and both Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan actually strengthened Ford’s edict. Despite the clear prohibition against political murder, the Obama Administration not only ignored these long standing rules, but added American citizens to the kill list. Instead of reacting with outrage, most citizens are cheering the President’s decision. The Liberals, who claim to uphold human rights are silent, as are the Conservatives, who strongly supported the use of drones on foreign citizens.

Our 44th President, Barack Obama, believes he has the power to order the death of American citizens anywhere in the world, without due process, without conclusive evidence, without giving the target the right of an attorney, without a trial, and without a guilty verdict. We can now be blown to atoms by simply adding our names to a top secret list and pushing a button on a joystick in a command center.

The support for this murderous policy among the public is enormous. Eight out of every ten Americans support the use of drones and two out every three approve of using them to kill their fellow citizens. They base their support on the claim that drones kill our sworn enemies while saving our soldier’s lives. The response is based on pure emotion; after all don’t we want to kill the bad guys and save the lives of the good guys?

However, very few of the supporters of drone attacks are willing to consider the consequences of their use. How many innocent victims have been killed by drones when they go just a few yards off target or we failed to detect the target’s wife and children in the house with him? How many non-political civilians have been radicalized after their home was demolished in a drone attack?

How exactly would the lives of our nation’s soldiers be protected if we use a drone to kill an American in one of the 50 states or the legally recognized US territories? The Posse Comitatus Act prohibits the use of the military on American soil, except when there is an organized and widespread insurrection against the Federal government. Local law enforcement, not the military, is delegated to enforce the law in the United States.

At best, the current use of drones in the so-called War On Terror is a badly thought out policy of convenience. It is war on the cheap and the consequences be damned. One can only imagine the uproar in the press, and among the Democrats in Congress, if George Bush were the one behind the current drone policy. If Bush, not Obama, had issued the White Paper justifying the use of drones to kill Americans, every headline would be screaming for his impeachment. Every talking head, including British fop Piers Morgan, would bellowing “Bush is a killer” at the top of their lungs.

As of this date, drones have been used in foreign nations, but the White Paper issued by the Justice Department places no restrictions on where drones may be used in the future. Simply stated, Mr. Obama has declared that he has the power to kill Americans without due process anywhere on the planet, and he also has the power, under the frightening NDAA, to imprison our citizens indefinitely, without legal representation, and without even bothering to notify their families. If the Administration decides the individual is a threat to national security, they can be blown to bits or disappeared forever with the stroke of a Presidential pen.

Put aside your emotions and any inclination you may have to patriotically support anything the President tells you is for the good of the nation. Instead, let this sink in for a moment. The current President of the United States has made an absolutly unilateral decision, without the support of Congressional legislation, that he has the power to detain American citizens essentially forever or even kill them by simply putting their name on a secret kill list. Now, let me ask you one simple question. Do you honestly feel that that Obama is acting in a manner that follows the Constitution? Do you honestly believe the President of the United States should be able to order the death of American citizen’s without trial, legal representation, evidence or a guilty verdict?

Former Congressman and Morning Joe host, Joe Scarborough, was one of the few voices who spoke out against  Obama for his drone policy, when he made the following comment on MSNBC:

“There are no checks and there are no balances. We can kill you. We can pick you out of a list and drop a bomb on you, and not only can we kill you, we can then kill your 16-year-old son who is not even affiliated with al Qaeda, and then we can blame it on the father for us having to kill the son.”

The Obama Administration disputes its critics by the use of the nebulous and questionable legal language we witnessed in the stunning Justice Department Memo written to justify the murder of US citizens under the so-called Laws of War.

“The condition that an operational  leader present an ‘imminent’ threat of violent attack against the United States does not require the United States to have clear evidence that a specific attack on U.S. persons and interests will take place in the immediate future. An informed, high-level official of the U.S. government may determine that the targeted American  has been recently involved in activities posing a threat of a violent attack and there is  no evidence suggesting that he has renounced or abandoned such activities.”

Not only does the DOJ White Paper justify murdering Americans, the document makes no effort to define “recent” or “activities” or who might be a “high level official.” The 16 page memo simply grants the Obama Administration power to kill any citizen they decide are leaders of al-Qaeda or members of their “associated force.” The terms are vague enough to include almost anyone and there is absolutely no concern that citizens of the United States have certain special protections under the Constitutions. Instead, it gives President Obama the power of life and death over each and every citizen of our nation.

Obama’s Justice Department ruling on the use of drones relies on the concept that the War on Terror meets the definition of a legally declared war. How this magically allows the President to kill United States citizens on American soil is quite a reach, even if we were to accept the concept that the Patriot Act is somehow a legal declaration of war.

Certainly Mr. Obama would be hard pressed to cite any precedent set by prior Administrations that permitted the execution of citizens without trial, even when our nation was fighting a declared war. There are many examples of our soldiers and citizens who were brought to trial for treason against the United States during time of war. None of them were summarily executed on the order of the President without due process.

Perhaps the loyal opposition in the Republican Party will show some spine and speak out against the Obama Administration’s use of drones to kill Americans on Thursday, when John Brennan begins his confirmation hearing to become Director of the CIA. Brennan is the chief architect of the Obama Administration’s drone policy and the hearings are the perfect opportunity to bring this controversial policy out in the open. However, the vast majority of Republicans support the use of drones and it remains to be seen if using drones to kill our own citizens is enough to make them reconsider their support.

The founders of our nation warned against America becoming embroiled in foreign wars. They desired to create a nation of limited government, that gave all powers not specifically granted to the central, federal authority to the citizens and the individual States. The use of drones to kill foreign citizens is a matter of ethics and morality, but the use of drones to kill American citizens is a serious Constitutional issue. To allow the President of the United States to make a unilateral declaration that he has the right to order the murder of American citizens by placing their name on a secret kill list is a dangerous step on the road to tyranny.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Obama Says Its OK To Kill Americans With Drones And The People Cheer [Commentary] is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/512418/obama-says-its-ok-to-kill-americans-with-drones-and-the-people-cheer-commentary/feed/ 7 http://www.inquisitr.com/509807/north-korean-government-releases-youtube-video-showing-american-cities-under-attack/ http://www.inquisitr.com/509807/north-korean-government-releases-youtube-video-showing-american-cities-under-attack/#comments Tue, 05 Feb 2013 12:27:59 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=509807

North Korea still intends to conduct the country’s third nuclear test later this month despite intense pressure from the United States and the international community. Seemingly unconcerned about threats of new sanctions, Kim Jong-un and his Generals stunned most sane human beings by releasing a YouTube Video that shows New York City engulfed in flames after a missile attack. The video [...]

North Korean Government Releases YouTube Video Showing American Cities Under Attack is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

North Korea still intends to conduct the country’s third nuclear test later this month despite intense pressure from the United States and the international community. Seemingly unconcerned about threats of new sanctions, Kim Jong-un and his Generals stunned most sane human beings by releasing a YouTube Video that shows New York City engulfed in flames after a missile attack.

The video was uploaded to YouTube on Saturday by North Korea’s official website, Uriminzokkiri, which is responsible for distributing news, information, and propaganda for all state run media. While YouTube users shook their heads in astonishment over the video, North Korean officials seem quite happy to do everything in their power to inspire fear at every opportunity.

The video portrays a sleeping astronaut on the Korean version of the space shuttle, contentedly dreaming after being launched into orbit. After catching the American intelligence services napping with their successful missile program, North Korea proudly boasted that the rocket could be used to carry an astronaut or to strike the United States with an atomic weapon.

As the video continues, ”We Are The World”  plays in the background, lulling the viewer into a false sense of peace and security while the space shuttle circles the globe. The sleeping astronaut passes high above a reunified Korea and the camera zooms in for closeup of millions of happy Koreans cheering for the great leader.

The flight continues joyfully until the shuttle approaches the United States. The rocket’s view-port is suddenly filled with the image of an American flag, which is pulled away to reveal New York City in flames. Missiles fly in every direction, skyscrapers burn and crumble, and the city is turned into a raging inferno of death and destruction. The scene ends with a blinding flash of light, obviously intended to indicate a nuclear blast.

Our North Korean tour of the planet winds down with stock footage of the successful launch of a ballistic missile, shot in glorious color and perfect focus. We are treated to a long range shot of the missile as its strains to escape the confines of gravity, and then the camera zooms in for a tight NASA style closeup of the rocket lifting off the launch pad. The video closes with a final shot of our hero astronaut, who sleeps peacefully, despite his dreams of nuclear Armageddon.

Certainly the visuals contained in this video convey an unmistakable threat, but the new leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, has none of the style and subtlety that has long been a proud tradition of Asian politics. Using written words like a 50 pound sledge hammer to pound the message to smithereens, the screen is covered with large Korean captions that are just dripping with hostility and malice. As America is happily obliterated in an orgy of rage and hatred, the viewer is left with little doubt that North Korea would be quite happy to see the United States annihilated.

“Somewhere in the United States, black clouds of smoke are billowing. It seems that the nest of wickedness is ablaze with the fire started by itself.

“Despite all kinds of attempts by imperialists to isolate and crush us… never will anyone be able to stop the people marching toward a final victory. His dream will surely come true.”

One hopes that this mind boggling video will not escape the vigilance of the State Department and the White House. Mr. Obama will now have to consider his priorities very carefully. While he is traveling around the United States giving lectures about gun ownership, North Korea is delivering a nuclear sized threat against the American people.

North Korean Government Releases YouTube Video Showing American Cities Under Attack is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/509807/north-korean-government-releases-youtube-video-showing-american-cities-under-attack/feed/ 2 http://www.inquisitr.com/509674/anonymous-releases-personal-information-of-4000-bank-executives/ http://www.inquisitr.com/509674/anonymous-releases-personal-information-of-4000-bank-executives/#comments Tue, 05 Feb 2013 05:03:49 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=509674

While most of America spent their Sunday watching the Super Bowl, the Hacktivist collective Anonymous was hard at work, hacking the website of the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center and posting the personal information and Internet log in credentials of 4,000 American bank executives. According to ZDNet, the bankers on the list appear to be “”management at community [...]

Anonymous Releases Personal Information Of 4,000 Bank Executives is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

While most of America spent their Sunday watching the Super Bowl, the Hacktivist collective Anonymous was hard at work, hacking the website of the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center and posting the personal information and Internet log in credentials of 4,000 American bank executives. According to ZDNet, the bankers on the list appear to be “”management at community banks, community credit unions and more, across the United States.”

While it is not known for certain where the information came from, there is a high possibility the list was acquired by hacking the servers of the Federal Reserve. Anonymous posted several Twitter messages taunting the government and hinted the information was released as part of Operation Last Resort; an Anonymous hacking action undertaken to force the Federal government to reform computer crime laws following the suicide of Internet activist Aaron Swartz.

The document was also posted to Pastebin, a content sharing website that Anonymous uses to mirror all its file dumps and public statements. The Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center promptly took down the compromised webpage, but, due to the extensive amount of mirror sites on the Internet, it was too late to stop the spread of the banker’s personal data.

Anonymous has been undergoing some internal conflict as of late due to a dispute between Anonymous X-Sect, an affiliated group, and other Anonymous members, who objected to their public criticism of Operation Last Resort. Anonymous X-Sect was concerned that the operation asked people to download an encrypted file from a link on a government website. They felt this was highly suspicious and Operation Last Resort might be phishing expedition or a false flag operation designed to justify a government crackdown on Internet Freedom.

After voicing their objections to Operation Last Resort on Facebook and Twitter and asking for some input from the Anonymous community, the group was repeatedly hacked by a small group of individuals claiming to be Anonymous members. Following several days of harassment,  X-Sect broke with long standing Anonymous traditions and reached out to The Inquisitr for a rare one-on-one interview to explain their concerns.

Due to the loose knit structure of Anonymous, it is difficult to verify the authenticity of any claims or actions attributed to the group. Anonymous has no leaders and no political affiliations  They speak in general terms about ending censorship, sharing information to the benefit of all, and keeping the Internet free of government interference. The invisible collective expresses a strong dislike of big government, predatory capitalists, and bankers who rob from the poor to give to themselves.

Most people are not aware that the overwhelming majority of people who say they are Anonymous members are not hackers but work in a more public capacity to support the group’s activities. As a result, the hacktivist movement is being pulled in two directions. There is disagreement between the hardcore hackers who are happy to do their own thing as they see fit and the members who would like to see Anonymous develop into a more focused movement for change and progress.

As Anonymous continues to grow and cope with its own success, this latest Operation is sure to get the attention of the Federal government. So far, Anonymous is refusing to speak to the media about Sunday’s data release, and the group has relied on provocative Twitter posts to get their message to the public. It seems that after a week of internal conflict, Anonymous is back on track and doing business as usual.

There is a strong possibility Sunday’s data dump is the first stage of the retaliation Anonymous promised if the demands made by Operation Last Resort were ignored. The day chosen to release the personal information of the 4,000 bankers has a direct tie-in to the death of Aaron Swartz and the group’s complaints about his ruthless treatment by The US Prosecutor’s office.

On January 28, 2013, the House Oversight Committee sent an open letter to US Attorney General Eric Holder that was highly critical of the vagueness of the Federal computer crime laws. Intended to be a bi-partisan statement, the letter was signed by Republican Congressman, Darrell Issa, and liberal Democrat, Elijah Cummings.

The committee posed hard questions about the government’s prosecution of Aaron Swartz and asked Holder directly if Aaaron Swartz was singled out for a harsh sentence because of his Internet activism and his strong anti-SOPA campaign. Holder was given a deadline of February 4, 2013 to respond, and, on Sunday, one Anonymous @OpLast Resort tweet made it clear that the Justice Department better come up with some answers on Monday.

The next few days may yield some interesting surprises depending on how Eric Holder decides to respond to Issa and Cummings’ request and how Anonymous reacts if Holder ignores the House committee, as he has done on many other occasions.

Now we have your attention America: Anonymous’s Superbowl Commercial 4k banker d0x via the FED acjic.alabama.gov/documents/oops… #opLastResort #Anonymous

— OpLastResort (@OpLastResort) February 4, 2013

And Yes 2day is DDay 4th Feb tic Toc on the Holder clock! We Want Answers oversight.house.gov/wp-content/upl… #oplastresort #floodthecourt Feb 6th

— OpLastResort (@OpLastResort) February 4, 2013

Anonymous Releases Personal Information Of 4,000 Bank Executives is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/509674/anonymous-releases-personal-information-of-4000-bank-executives/feed/ 8 http://www.inquisitr.com/509499/chris-kyles-accused-killer-on-suicide-watch-tied-to-chair-after-being-tasered-by-jail-guards/ http://www.inquisitr.com/509499/chris-kyles-accused-killer-on-suicide-watch-tied-to-chair-after-being-tasered-by-jail-guards/#comments Tue, 05 Feb 2013 02:48:09 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=509499

Eddie Ray Routh, the 25 year old former US Marine accused of murdering Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle, remains on suicide watch in the Erath County Jail, after being charged with one count of capital murder and two counts of murder. The suspect is being held on three million dollars bail in the fatal shooting of Kyle, author of the best-selling book “American Sniper,” and [...]

Chris Kyles Accused Killer On Suicide Watch, Tied To Chair After Being Tasered By Jail Guards is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

Eddie Ray Routh, the 25 year old former US Marine accused of murdering Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle, remains on suicide watch in the Erath County Jail, after being charged with one count of capital murder and two counts of murder. The suspect is being held on three million dollars bail in the fatal shooting of Kyle, author of the best-selling book “American Sniper,” and his friend and neighbor, Chad Littlefield.

Routh was booked into the the jail in Stephenville, about 75 miles southwest of Fort Worth, after being arrested on Sunday night, following a short police chase near his home in Lancaster. Mr. Routh was placed in solitary confinement, due to police concerns about his mental state and the repeated death threats being made against him. After being fed late Sunday night, Routh refused to return his meal tray, and appeared ready to assault the jailers. Several guards entered his cell, tasered him once, and placed Routh in a restraint chair, shackling his arms and legs.

Details have begun to emerge about Mr. Routh’s turbulent life since his return from Iraq. He was a patient at the Green Oaks Psychiatric Hospital twice during the last five months for violent threats, depression, and unusual behavior. On September 2, 2012, he was taken to the hospital after making threats to kill his family and commit suicide, according to Lancaster police records.

Mr. Routh was found walking down the road with no shirt or shoes and smelling of alcohol  He informed the police he was a former Marine and he was having great difficulty coping with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The police report noted, ”Eddie stated he was hurting and that his family does not understand what he has been through.”

In January of 2013, Routh was returned to the psychiatric hospital, after a woman called the police and reported that she was concerned for his safety. There is speculation that Routh’s mother may have reached out to Chris Kyle in an attempt to find help for her son.

Kyle worked with veterans and their families through his FITCO Cares foundation, which gave exercise equipment to physically and emotionally wounded former soldiers. He and Mr. Littlefield also spent time privately counseling veterans and it is believed the two men were helping Routh work through his problems stemming from his depression and PTSD.

Chad Littlefield, who has been overlooked by the media since the shootings, was singled out for praise by FITCO director Travis Cox:

“He’s a very gentle, sweet-hearted man, just a great man, kind of quiet. He just really cared. … He wanted to do whatever he could to help veterans and help see that vision of serving others that Chris had. He shared that vision with all of us. He was a great man.”

Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield were well known to their friends and neighbors in the community for their extraordinary efforts to help veterans who were having difficulty adjusting to civilian life. The pair took Routh to the Rough Creek Lodge on Saturday afternoon, hoping the companionship of two guys who understood what he was going through would help him relax and find some peace.

Tragically, it appears that Eddie Routh idolized and admired Chris Kyle. Since his arrest, he has refused to speak about the shootings with the police and he has yet to meet with his attorney. Perhaps someday we may know what caused the death of Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield, but for the moment, all we can do is remember the kindness they were willing to show to a wounded warrior, and pray their families are able to find some peace in their time of trial and terrible grief.

Our hearts go out to the families of Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield and to the family of Eddie Routh. We can only hope that our nation will finally begin to truly realize the enormous price our soldiers pay when they go off to distant foreign lands to fight and die in America’s wars. To every single man and woman who has ever served our country, we stand and salute you.

 

Chris Kyles Accused Killer On Suicide Watch, Tied To Chair After Being Tasered By Jail Guards is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/509499/chris-kyles-accused-killer-on-suicide-watch-tied-to-chair-after-being-tasered-by-jail-guards/feed/ 0 http://www.inquisitr.com/509386/five-adorable-cheetah-cubs-unveiled-by-australian-zoo/ http://www.inquisitr.com/509386/five-adorable-cheetah-cubs-unveiled-by-australian-zoo/#comments Tue, 05 Feb 2013 00:20:12 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=509386

Five adorable cheetah cubs born at the Monarto Zoo, near Adelaide, Australia, made their official debut last week after being kept in the den with their mother, Nakula, since their birth in October 2012. The five healthy cubs, two males and three females, were kept out of the public eye in order to assure their survival after their mom [...]

Five Adorable Cheetah Cubs Unveiled By Australian Zoo is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

Five adorable cheetah cubs born at the Monarto Zoo, near Adelaide, Australia, made their official debut last week after being kept in the den with their mother, Nakula, since their birth in October 2012. The five healthy cubs, two males and three females, were kept out of the public eye in order to assure their survival after their mom lost her entire first litter in 2008.

Incredibly cute cheetah cubs have been making headlines with regularity recently. In April of last year, two cubs were born in a life and death struggle at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Virginia. After giving birth to her first cub, the mother suddenly stopped having contractions and only one of the three remaining cubs was saved by an emergency cesarean section.

Now the five little Australian cheetah tykes are finally out and about, running through the high grass of their outdoor habitat with their proud mother and thrilling zoo goers with their antics. The five cubs are the first new litter born in Monarto in almost a decade, and the zoo’s head carnivore keeper Michelle Lloyd is just delighted.

“It’s been nine years since we last had a Cheetah litter at Monarto and, amazingly, Nakula was one of the cubs born in the last litter all those years ago. It’s a lot of fun to watch the cubs running around on exhibit; they’re very energetic and definitely love the space. Nakula has a big job keeping up with them all but she’s doing great. They are so tough to breed in captivity so it’s huge for the region… To see [Nakula] go on and be a breeding female is the icing on the cake.”

In the wild, the cheetah population is declining at an alarming rate. Ravaged by an infectious eye disease and routinely murdered by farmers seeking to protect their livestock, the cheetah population has dwindled to just 12,400 animals spread across 25 African nations. Cheetahs are included on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) list of vulnerable species (African subspecies threatened, Asiatic subspecies in critical situation) as well as on the US Endangered Species Act list of threatened species.

Mother Nakula has been quite busy lately. She gave birth to a single cub in June, who was hand raised by the staff to ensure his survival after the zoo’s vet became concerned that her milk would dry up without more cubs to raise. Nakula began another breeding cycle almost immediately, and the zoo was rewarded with five healthy baby cheetahs in October.

Keeper keeper Michelle Lloyd spoke with pride about Nakula’s adventures with motherhood:

“Soon after we removed the single cub Nakula cycled again and mated successful with one of our breeding males. Unlike last time, we definitely knew Nakula was pregnant by her size and behavior. And she actually gave birth after the exact same gestation period as she did with the hand-raised cub – 92 days!”

Now five energetic, rambunctious young cheetahs are running about in the bright Australian summer sunshine, driving their protective mom crazy while delighting visitors to the zoo. Since many of us live thousands of miles from the Monarto Zoo, we thought you would enjoy some videos of Nakula and her five cubs romping about their enclosure. Without further ado, we present Nakula and the kids:

Photo Credit: David Mattner for Monarto Zoo

Five Adorable Cheetah Cubs Unveiled By Australian Zoo is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/509386/five-adorable-cheetah-cubs-unveiled-by-australian-zoo/feed/ 1 http://www.inquisitr.com/508908/seal-chris-kyle-attacked-by-ron-paul-on-twitter/ http://www.inquisitr.com/508908/seal-chris-kyle-attacked-by-ron-paul-on-twitter/#comments Mon, 04 Feb 2013 21:20:37 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=508908

Former Republican Presidential hopeful Ron Paul shocked and offended many Americans today with his comments on Twitter about murdered Navy SEAL and war hero, Chris Kyle. Paul posted a tweet that read in part, “Chris Kyle’s death seems to confirm that “he who lives by the sword dies by the sword.” Kyle,38, was shot in the back [...]

SEAL Chris Kyle Attacked By Ron Paul On Twitter is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

Former Republican Presidential hopeful Ron Paul shocked and offended many Americans today with his comments on Twitter about murdered Navy SEAL and war hero, Chris Kyle. Paul posted a tweet that read in part, “Chris Kyle’s death seems to confirm that “he who lives by the sword dies by the sword.”

Kyle,38, was shot in the back on Sunday at a shooting range in Erath County, Texas. Chad Littlefield, 35, a friend and neighbor of Mr. Kyle was also killed in the attack. The police arrested, Eddie Routh, 25, at his home several hours after the bodies were discovered and charged him with capital murder. Routh has received numerous death threats and he is being held on suicide watch.

Chris Kyle was known far and wide as the greatest sniper in American military history. During four tours of duty in Iraq, Kyle recorded 255 sniper kills, 160 of which were officially confirmed by the Pentagon. Kyle fought in every major battle of Operation Iraqi Freedom. and he was shot twice and injured in six separate bomb blasts. For his valor, Kyle was awarded two Silver Stars and 5 Bronze Stars.

After returning to America and retiring from the Navy in 2009, Kyle began a successful Security Company and established a foundation to help veterans suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In 2012, Kyle wrote a best selling autobiography,  American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History.

Although Kyle had a business to run, plus a wife and two kids, he dedicated much of his free time to helping troubled vets. Erath County Sheriff Bryant told reporters it was not unusual for Kyle to take vets he was helping on outings to the shooting range:

“This shooter is possibly one of those people that he had taken out to the range, to mentor, to visit with, to help him.”

While it may sound highly unusual to take a man suffering from PTSD to a shooting range, experienced military veterans have said that Ron Paul is way off base with his remarks. Kyle believed by taking someone suffering from PTSD to the range, they could use familiar skills while bonding with guys who had also experienced the horrors of war.

Kyle’s friend and former SEAL Rorke Denver agreed with the concept:

“While it sounds backwards, I actually think time on the range and using those skill sets in a controlled and safe environment could be a huge benefit to veterans.”

Former U.S. Army Ranger Sean Parnell spoke about Chris Kyle and his work with veterans on Fox and Friends this morning:

“A lot of people are asking why are you taking somebody that’s struggling out to go shooting. Well shooting for guys like us in the military is a very, very familiar skill set. It’s like taking a basketball player out to shoot hoops, you know. And so, shooting with military veterans that are trying to re-adjust can be very healing, and Chris [Kyle] really used that well to his advantage to help people.”

“Chris is probably one of the most kind, compassionate people that you’d ever meet. He dedicated his life to helping veterans readjust from combat and that’s what I want people to take away from this.”

Most people reading Paul’s comments about Chris Kyle are furious with him. They feel that Paul is not only blaming Kyle for his own murder, but he basically called Chris a warmonger. Twitter exploded with a flood of comments condemning Paul for his thoughtless words:

Chris Kyle’s death seems to confirm that “he who lives by the sword dies by the sword.” Treating PTSD at a firing range doesn’t make sense

— Ron Paul (@RonPaul) February 4, 2013

@ronpaul So all veterans, once done serving our nation with honor, deserve to be murdered as civilians? Wow.

— Razor (@hale_razor) February 4, 2013

Grandpa’s talking to the furniture again twitter.com/RonPaul/status… — David Burge (@iowahawkblog) February 4, 2013

Amash’s attacking McCain for joking abt an Iranian dictator and Ron Paul is saying that Kyle’s murder was deserved. Good day for GOP so far! — Sonny Bunch (@SonnyBunch) February 4, 2013

“Ron Paul” or whatever repugnant creep from the swamps writes his tweets deleted the one about how the murdered SEAL had it coming. — John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) February 4, 2013

I didn’t think I could possibly loathe @ronpaul more, yet here we are. Well done, jackass.

— The H2 (@TheH2) February 4, 2013

Yes, Ron Paul, some veterans with PTSD go to the gun range for therapy bit.ly/Up3tc6

— TwitchyTeam (@TwitchyTeam) February 4, 2013

While the citizens of our nation speak out loud and clear in defense of a true American patriot and hero, Chris Kyle, the staff of The Inquisitr would like to express our deepest respects and heartfelt condolences to Chris Kyle’s wife Taya, his two children, and to everyone who loved him. He was a giant among mere mortals. Non sibi sed patriae.

SEAL Chris Kyle Attacked By Ron Paul On Twitter is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/508908/seal-chris-kyle-attacked-by-ron-paul-on-twitter/feed/ 0 http://www.inquisitr.com/508379/japanese-car-makers-abandon-plans-to-develop-fully-electric-automobiles/ http://www.inquisitr.com/508379/japanese-car-makers-abandon-plans-to-develop-fully-electric-automobiles/#comments Mon, 04 Feb 2013 17:56:54 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=508379

Nissan’s Vice Chairman, Takeshi Uchiyamada, who is often referred to as the “father of the Prius,” announced that his company would follow in the footsteps of Japanese auto giant Toyota  and abandon plans to roll out a fully electric vehicle. “Because of its shortcomings — driving range, cost and recharging time — the electric vehicle is not a viable replacement for most [...]

Japanese Car Makers Abandon Plans To Develop Fully Electric Automobiles is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

Nissan’s Vice Chairman, Takeshi Uchiyamada, who is often referred to as the “father of the Prius,” announced that his company would follow in the footsteps of Japanese auto giant Toyota  and abandon plans to roll out a fully electric vehicle.

“Because of its shortcomings — driving range, cost and recharging time — the electric vehicle is not a viable replacement for most conventional cars. We need something entirely new.”

Both Nissan and Toyota have indicated that current battery technology makes marketing fully electric vehicles impractical. Japanese automakers will concentrate on fuel-cell cars that convert hydrogen to electricity until more efficient and affordable batteries become available.

Even the White House has backed off on their plans for electric vehicles, despite President Obama’s focus on green technology. Last week, the Obama Administration announced they were abandoning the goal to put one million fully electric vehicles on the road by 2015. Instead the President will recommend a program to develop more affordable advanced vehicles over the next nine years.

Speaking in advance of Energy Secretary Steven Chu’s speech at the 2013  Washington D.C. Auto Show, an Energy Department official continued to mention the 2015 target date, despite the White House statements to the contrary:

“Whether we meet that goal in 2015 or 2016, that’s less important than that we’re on the right path to get many millions of these vehicles on the road.”

Adding to the confusion over fully electric cars, many of the world’s leading automobile builders are developing highly efficient internal combustion engines that will get excellent mileage from gasoline and provide stiff competition for battery powered vehicles. Even Ford is rethinking their plans for the future, cancelling the hybrid version of the Escape.

The continuing concerns over just how the auto industry plans to overcome the many problems associated with fully electric automobiles has certainly shaken the confidence of car builders and the general public. Car buyers are becoming increasingly aware that fully electric cars still require a major technological breakthrough before they can compete with vehicles that use fossil fuels.

 
 

Japanese Car Makers Abandon Plans To Develop Fully Electric Automobiles is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/508379/japanese-car-makers-abandon-plans-to-develop-fully-electric-automobiles/feed/ 6 http://www.inquisitr.com/508095/newtown-shooting-parent-you-will-take-my-ability-to-protect-my-victoria-from-my-cold-dead-hands/ http://www.inquisitr.com/508095/newtown-shooting-parent-you-will-take-my-ability-to-protect-my-victoria-from-my-cold-dead-hands/#comments Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:35:17 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=508095

After the first reports of a shooter at the Sandy Hook Elementary School were received by officials at nearby Reed Intermediate School, Victoria Stevens’ classroom was placed in lock-down. Although Victoria’s school was not attacked, her classmate’s little sister was murdered during Adam Lanza’s horrifying rampage. Recently, Victoria’s father, Bill Stevens, was asked to testify at the Gun Violence Hearings [...]

Newtown Shooting Parent: ‘You Will Take My Ability To Protect My Victoria From My Cold Dead Hands!’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

After the first reports of a shooter at the Sandy Hook Elementary School were received by officials at nearby Reed Intermediate School, Victoria Stevens’ classroom was placed in lock-down. Although Victoria’s school was not attacked, her classmate’s little sister was murdered during Adam Lanza’s horrifying rampage. Recently, Victoria’s father, Bill Stevens, was asked to testify at the Gun Violence Hearings in the Connecticut State Capitol and his comments certainly upset advocates of strict gun control. Stevens voiced his strong support for the Second Amendment and the right of law abiding  American citizen’s to own guns to defend their homes and family. Unlike the Newtown parents who spoke in favor of the Assault Weapon Ban, Stevens’ testimony was ignored by the mainstream media.

Bill Stevens is not the only Newtown parent to testify in support of the Second Amendment. Mark Mattioli, who lost his son James at the hands of Newtown shooter Adam Lanza, also spoke against adding more restrictive laws to limit gun ownership. Mattioli chastised lawmakers for not enforcing laws already on the books and spoke about the need for better parenting  and civil behavior. He testified that people must be held accountable for their actions instead of finding an endless list of reasons to excuse anti-social conduct.

Mr. Stevens began by pointing out that government officials in the State Capitol benefited from the very protections the anti-gun legislation would deny the average citizen. He reminded everyone listening that security for schools was “quite different from the elaborate security you all enjoy here at the Capitol.” Driving home his point, he added with a touch of sarcasm, “It was fun getting frisked on the way in.”

Stevens expressed his dismay over the testimony of some of the other witnesses at the hearings. He reminded the audience that our rights, as defined in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, were granted by our creator and they are the birthright of all Americans.

“These rights are inalienable and are endowed by our Creator, not you politicians, to all citizens regardless of gender, race., or creed. There is due process, legislation is not due process. You want to take my rights away, let’s go to court.”

Quoting from the Connecticut State Constitution,  Stevens said “There’s no registration, There’s no permitting. There’s no background checks. It’s quite clear.”

SEC. 15. Every citizen has a right to bear arms in defense of himself and the state.

SEC. 16. The military shall, in all cases, and at all times, be in strict subordination to the civil power.

The audience in attendance erupted in applause as Stevens spoke in support of the Constitution. Continuing his testimony, Stevens then addressed the rush to pass new and restrictive gun laws before all the facts are known. He pointed out that the hearings on Sandy Hook and gun violence have just begun and the conclusions will not be known before late summer.

Critics of the Assault Weapon Ban of 2013 have been making the same point since Diane Feinstein submitted the bill when the Senate reconvened in January of 2013. Much has been said about the speed at which the bill was delivered, yet the Senate has been unable to pass a budget for three years, as required by law. They wonder if the Assault Weapon Bill is like the Obamacare, which Nancy Pelosi told Americans they could read after it was passed.

As he testified, Mr. Stevens focused on his right to defend his home and his daughter Victoria. He spoke emotionally about the cold December morning when Adam Lanza burst into the Sandy Hook Elementary School and murdered 20 students and six teacher in cold blood:

“Unfortunately, her friend’s little sister was murdered in Sandy Hook that day when lock-down and 911 were not enough to protect her from an evil person. Not protect her from an assault rifle or some type of inanimate object, but from an evil person.”

Stevens then told everyone listening that he will never surrender the right to protect his child:

“My guns are not dangerous. They are at home, locked up, collecting dust and cat hair. But criminals and tyrants, tyrants especially, beware, ‘lock down’ is not an option at the Stevens’ residence and 911 will be dialed after the security of my home has been established!

“Why is that same security that my daughter enjoys at home with her dad not available at school in Newtown? That is what you should be considering, not making her dad a criminal.

“Charleton Heston made the phrase, ‘From my cold dead hands’ famous,” And I will tell you here today, you will take my ability to protect my Victoria from my cold dead hands!”

Pounding his fist on the witness table for emphasis, Bill Stevens rose and exited the hearing. Despite the applause from the audience, the national media has made little effort to report on Mr. Stevens’ courageous defense of the Constitution. More the shame, for when we ignore law aiding citizens who speak in defense of gun ownership and the Constitution, we begin to surrender our freedom.

Newtown Shooting Parent: ‘You Will Take My Ability To Protect My Victoria From My Cold Dead Hands!’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/508095/newtown-shooting-parent-you-will-take-my-ability-to-protect-my-victoria-from-my-cold-dead-hands/feed/ 12 http://www.inquisitr.com/506958/obama-shotgun-photo-inspires-hilarious-photoshop-revisions-of-the-iconic-image/ http://www.inquisitr.com/506958/obama-shotgun-photo-inspires-hilarious-photoshop-revisions-of-the-iconic-image/#comments Sun, 03 Feb 2013 09:12:53 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=506958

Much has been made of President Obama’s claim that he is an avid skeet shooter and, therefore, a devoted supporter of the Second Amendment. Republicans were heard laughing from coast to coast, and the White House responded by releasing a photo of the President, in his best blue jeans and perfectly ironed t-shirt, happily blasting away with his [...]

Obama Shotgun Photo Inspires Hilarious Photoshop Revisions Of The Iconic Image is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

Much has been made of President Obama’s claim that he is an avid skeet shooter and, therefore, a devoted supporter of the Second Amendment. Republicans were heard laughing from coast to coast, and the White House responded by releasing a photo of the President, in his best blue jeans and perfectly ironed t-shirt, happily blasting away with his trusty shotgun. Perhaps the President should have discouraged the idea because some very clever folks decided that altering the original photograph in dozens of truly twisted ways, and posting the results on the World Wide Web was the perfect activity for a rainy afternoon.

And ya know what folks: They were absolutely right. Internet users are rolling in the aisles as one new version after another of Obama with a shotgun appears on Twitter and dozens of other popular websites. So far, we are happy to report that the vast majority of the altered images have been basically tasteful and only mildly sarcastic, and no one has really gone for the jugular in a mean and vicious manner. Despite the mainstream media’s constant attempts to convince Americans that Conservatives are all Dr. Evil wannabes who live to slander the President, almost all of the images are simply good-natured attempts to bring some humor to a very serious subject.

Critics of the President are wondering why they never heard a single word about his skeet shooting hobby before since Mr. Obama is quite fond of writing and talking about every second of his life since the moment of his birth. Of course, the President didn’t help himself when he made the following statement to a skeptical public:

“Yes, in fact, up at Camp David, we do skeet shooting all the time. Not the girls, but often times guests of mine go up there.” (We are trying to picture Benjamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas waiting their turn on the line, shotguns in hand.)

Meanwhile, experienced shooters are wondering about Obama’s skeet shooting style. He may end up with a dislocated shoulder if he insists on holding the shotgun that high, but who is going to correct Barack Obama when he has a loaded weapon in his hands? The vast majority of Americans are thinking, “Nice Try, Mr President, but we don’t buy the story” and hoping he doesn’t pull a Gerald Ford and injure an innocent bystander.

We will leave it to some of America’s more dedicated investigative journalists to get to the bottom of this story — if there are any left who are willing to dig for information about Mr. Obama. While we wait for the results of their probe, you might enjoy a choice selection of our very favorite versions of that renowned contemporary photograph, “Modern American President With Shotgun.”

Be vewwy vewwy quiet, I’m hunting Wepubwicans.

— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) February 2, 2013

Photo of Palin with gun=unmitigated evil. Photo of Obama with gun today=exemplary person

— M.Joseph Sheppard (@MJosephSheppard) February 2, 2013

Obama Shotgun Photo Inspires Hilarious Photoshop Revisions Of The Iconic Image is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/506958/obama-shotgun-photo-inspires-hilarious-photoshop-revisions-of-the-iconic-image/feed/ 5 Obama With Shotgun Obama Gets Bin Ladendengotshottonite_zpsdc199504 Obama Kills Bambi You voted for Mitt? http://www.inquisitr.com/506895/chris-kyle-former-navy-seal-and-americas-greatest-military-sniper-murdered/ http://www.inquisitr.com/506895/chris-kyle-former-navy-seal-and-americas-greatest-military-sniper-murdered/#comments Sun, 03 Feb 2013 07:09:08 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=506895

One of our nation’s greatest military heroes fell today, allegedly at the hands of another veteran suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Chris Kyle, a former Navy SEAL sniper with 255 kills (160 confirmed kills) in Iraq, was one of two men murdered at an Erath County, Texas shooting range at approximately 3:30 pm CST, Saturday, February 2, [...]

Chris Kyle, Former Navy Seal And America’s Greatest Military Sniper, Murdered is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

One of our nation’s greatest military heroes fell today, allegedly at the hands of another veteran suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Chris Kyle, a former Navy SEAL sniper with 255 kills (160 confirmed kills) in Iraq, was one of two men murdered at an Erath County, Texas shooting range at approximately 3:30 pm CST, Saturday, February 2, 2013.

A suspect, identified by police as Eddie Routh, 25, was arrested in his home at 8:30 pm CST. The second victim has been identified as Chad Littlefield, 35, a friend and neighbor of Mr. Kyle. Both of the murdered men, and the alleged shooter, lived in  Midlothian, Texas.

Erath County Sheriff Tommy Bryant, confirmed the capture of the suspect:

“The suspect has been caught and is in custody in Lancaster. Erath County sheriff’s investigators and Texas Rangers are securing a capital murder warrant.”

According to local station WFAA/Channel 8, an unnamed source reported that Kyle and Littlefield took Routh to the range to help him deal with his PTSD. Routh is alleged to have turned on his friends, shot them both in the back, and then fled in Kyle’s pickup truck.

Kyle, 38, leaves behind a wife and two children. During his 10 years as a Navy SEAL, during which he served four combat tours in Iraq, he was awarded two Silver Stars, five Bronze Stars with Valor, two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, and one Navy and Marine Corps Commendation.

In 2012, Chris went on a national  media tour to promote his autobiography, American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History. While he was being interviewed on the Opie and Anthony Radio Show on January 4, 2012, Kyle began to talk about an infamous alleged altercation he had with former Governor of Minnesota and fellow Navy SEAL, Jesse Ventura.

Chris claimed he punched Ventura in the face after the Governor made derogatory comments about the troops. The altercation is alleged to have take place at the 2006 wake for Michael A. Monsoor, a Navy SEAL who was killed in action in Iraq. Ventura vehemently denied the altercation ever took place and sued Kyle for defamation. The case remained unresolved at the time of Kyle’s murder.

During his four tours of duty in Iraq, Kyle was shot twice and wounded in six separate IED explosions. He left the military in 2009 and moved to Texas to live with his wife Taya and raise his children. At the time of his death, Kyle was the President of Craft International, a company that provides military, law enforcement, and civilian training, and private security services.

Chief Petty Officer Kyle was so feared by the insurgents in Iraq that they named him Al-Shaitan Ramadi (The Devil of Rahmadi) and placed a $80,000 bounty on his head. His total of 160 confirmed kills made Kyle the most successful sniper in American military history. Kyle surpassed the total of his personal hero, the legendary White Feather, Carlos Hathcock, a USMC sniper with 93 confirmed kills in Vietnam.

The Inquisitr salutes Chris Kyle for his courage and service to the American People. We send our heart felt condolences to his wife and family. Go with grace, Chris, you earned your rest. Non sibi sed patriae.

— Jason Allen Hathaway (@jasonhathaway) February 3, 2013

BREAKING:3 sources tell News 8 Navy sniper Chris Kyle was murdered tonight at gun range near Glen Rose.Suspect in custody in Lancaster. — Sandra Turner (@wfaasandra) February 3, 2013

This is the Chris Kyle I knew. A man who worked tirelessly for other veterans. The world has lost an amazing man. twitter.com/brittneyboop/s…

— Brittney (@brittneyboop) February 3, 2013

Chris Kyle, Former Navy Seal And America’s Greatest Military Sniper, Murdered is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/506895/chris-kyle-former-navy-seal-and-americas-greatest-military-sniper-murdered/feed/ 10 http://www.inquisitr.com/506785/anonymous-x-sect-exclusive-interview-hacktivists-explain-criticism-of-attack-on-ussc-gov/ http://www.inquisitr.com/506785/anonymous-x-sect-exclusive-interview-hacktivists-explain-criticism-of-attack-on-ussc-gov/#comments Sun, 03 Feb 2013 04:15:36 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=506785

By now, anyone who watches television, reads a newspaper or surfs the Internet has heard of Anonymous, the hacktivist collective that declared war on oppression, child pornography, big government, and Internet censorship. Anonymous and their affiliates have taken part in highly publicized attacks on Paypal, USSC. Gov, the Westboro Baptist Church, the Church of Scientology, the Department of Justice, [...]

Anonymous X-SecT Exclusive Interview: Hacktivists Explain Criticism Of Attack On USSC. Gov is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

By now, anyone who watches television, reads a newspaper or surfs the Internet has heard of Anonymous, the hacktivist collective that declared war on oppression, child pornography, big government, and Internet censorship. Anonymous and their affiliates have taken part in highly publicized attacks on Paypal, USSC. Gov, the Westboro Baptist Church, the Church of Scientology, the Department of Justice, the Israeli Government, Strategic Forecasting, and many other prominent targets since the group was founded in 2003.

Describing Anonymous is complicated. The public knows them from their YouTube videos announcing their attacks, complete with a spokesperson wearing a Guy Fawkes mask, voicing their battle cry, “We are Anonymous. We are Legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us.” The world hears about the latest Anonymous hacking adventure from the mass media, who hype every episode as if we were watching the doomsday scenario in the movie: WarGames.

Anyone can join Anonymous, simply by participating in the movement, and supporting the group’s principals. In reality, Anonymous are not hackers, they are activists who use their hacking skills as a tool of civil disobedience to fight against the system they oppose. In their worldview, they are fighting tyranny. The government, of course, views them simply as criminals and cyber-terrorists.

On January 25, 2013,  a person or persons claiming to be Anonymous hacked USSC. Gov, the website of the United States Sentencing Commission. The attack, called Operation Last Resort, attracted a storm of media attention and supporters initially celebrated the event as a triumph over the Leviathan know as the Federal Government. The website was defaced in memory of Internet Activist Aaron Swartz, who committed suicide several days earlier; a list of demands was posted, along with a link to download an encrypted file claiming to contain information about prominent public figures that would “bring down the government and cause chaos.”

A week after Operation Last Resort, the file remained encrypted and no information was released. The government basically ignored the threats and Janet Napolitano continued to demand a crackdown on the so-called cyber terrorists.

Behind the scenes, people in the hacktivist movement were beginning to wonder what exactly was going on. Why would anyone go to the trouble of hacking an important government website, make serious demands cloaked in threats of retribution, and then drop the issue? People began to wonder who was really responsible for the attack on USSC. Gov and what was the true purpose of Operation Last Resort?

All hell broke loose when a group named Anonymous X-SecT began to ask these same questions publicly on their websites and Facebook pages. They also offered some possible answers. They wondered if Anonymous was really behind Operation Last Resort or if it was a false flag attack by an intelligence agency of the United Sates Government. Was Operation Last Resort intended to identify anyone who downloaded the data bomb and build a file to be used against them in a government crackdown?

Anonymous X-SecT also raised another frightening possibility. What if Operation Last Resort was actually the effort of a highly sophisticated criminal organization, intended to gather personal information and hijack users computers? Could Operation Last Resort have been the phishing expedition to end all phishing expeditions, designed to enrich powerful cyber criminals?

Instead of receiving a rational response that resulted in a productive dialog, several members of the hacktivist community decided to attack Anonymous X-SecT. They claimed X-SecT betrayed the movement and proceeded to hack their websites and Facebook pages. Obscenity laced messages were directed at X-SecT, along with a good deal of personal slander.

Clearly, the response from a vocal minority of the community was to try and shoot the messenger. Instead of addressing the issues X-SecT raised, and inspiring dedicated activists to work more effectively for change as Anonymous X-SecT had intended, a small group decided to impose a heckler’s veto on their own allies.

All of these events took place in full view of the public on the Internet, and eventually came to the attention of The Inquisitr’s Wolff Bachner, who wrote a detailed article about Operation Last Resort and the issues raised by Anonymous X-SecT.

After the article was published by The Inquisitr on Thursday, January 31, 2001, several reader comments were posted below the article that criticized Anonymous X-SecT, including one that contained a threat to take over X-SecT’s Facebook pages and groups. Co-incidentally, The Inquisitr received a tweet from Anonymous X-SecT, offering to sit down for an exclusive interview. The group said they wanted to clear the air and explain why they went public with their criticism of Operation Last Resort.

As a rule, Internet activists are not overly fond of the press, and they rarely grant interviews. The Inquisitr decided to accept the offer, and in the wee hours of the morning on Saturday, February 2, 2013, Wolff Bachner conducted a no-holds barred, one-on-one conversation with Xero Flux, the spokesperson of Anonymous X-SecT.

INTERVIEW WITH XERO FLUX OF ANONYMOUS -X-SECT:

Wolff Bachner: I’m here with Xero Flux, who is the designated spokesperson for Anonymous X-Sect. He will be answering our questions about his group and the uproar created when X-SecT decided to criticize Operation Last Resort.

Before we discuss the infighting in the hacktivist community, I’m sure our readers would like to know more about your group.

The name of your group is Anonymous X-SecT. How are you affiliated with the hacktivist collective that has come to be known as Anonymous? Is there an actual structure or can anyone use the name Anonymous?

Xero Flux: Our individual affiliations vary drastically. As does the entirety of anonymous. Eventually after using chats long enough you can get to know certain people. It goes from there depending on those involved. People tend to link up with those they feel they can trust. Usually small groups form and operations develop. We have yet to see an operation that utilized all of anonymous and its collective power.

We do want to make clear before we go further that Anonymous X-SecT is not a hacking group (nor has ever claimed to be or done a single hacking or illegal activity), but yes we understand the general perceptions within the public that anyone with that “anonymous” tag is a shadow hacker. This simply is not the case. In fact the large majority of anonymous “members” are not hackers, but rather activists, protestors, artists, and everyday people.

We have the same contact within the structure of anonymous as anyone. Being that anonymous has no structure there simply is no “official” communication method. So when an operation appears, you have nobody official that can confirm it whatsoever. You either follow the band wagon, or don’t participate.

In theory nobody can join anonymous because we are all anonymous to begin with, but as anonymous has evolved so have the unspoken rules. In the older days once identity was exposed you were out, that was it. Now, people like me who have not hidden their identity’s are just as welcome. So yes. Anyone can claim the anon tag or step up and be a voice, create a sect, and so on. The only thing that can stop a corrupt cell or person claiming the anonymous banner is if the message is corrupt enough that other anons will we react appropriately. Anon is becoming more volatile as each week passes, and for awhile X-SecT has been a lone voice in the community trying to repair the holes we see that are popping up.

Since there are no official rules, the majority usually keep to certain agreements; (for example You do not hack or assault other Anons, you do not rat out those you have worked with on specific operations, and the one we have broken today, by speaking with media.) We do this because with recent events we no longer have the ability to do our work effectively and if other anons wont back us up, we will do whatever we can to assure our opinion, information, and opinion is released to the public.

Wolff Bachner: What are the goals of your group? Do you have a specific philosophy or do you follow the anything goes, free for all attitude that the mainstream media always refers to when they describe the hacktivist movement?

Xero Flux: We have no one goal, but what binds and keeps us together is the defense of our freedom of expression, the protection of internet freedoms, and to take back our birth rights of true freedom from the tyrannical governments who have hijacked them.

As for a purpose, we would have to say simply to raise awareness and assist those seeking answers on what is going on around the world as well as to aid those frightened, confused, or scared after coming to grips with some of the data we share. We do not tell people what to believe, as we only give them the data in the hopes of stimulating their minds. We let them do the rest on their own, but we are there if they could use a friend, an opinion, or even someone just to relate with during a rough day of coping with the situation. We are all in this together and we feel obligated to do what we do, because we can. We all found each other for a reason! We do not believe in coincidences.

We do have some basic internal guidelines within X-SecT. While we all believe in total freedom, we understand the chaos that comes from zero organization. In example if we speak as X-SecT as I am right now, we have to make sure you do not add your personal opinion unless the majority of the sect agrees. (Determined through internal debate and discussions) We also have basic decency rules for our public pages/sites/posts. Adult content, irrelevant postings, spam, the usual unwelcome eye sores to any online media is not tolerated. We believe in freedom of speech, but when trying to raise a point on information that shakes the core of the person you are speaking with, if they see for example a half naked babe posted right after – they will most likely not take us seriously. It’s hard enough getting folks to honestly look at facts in this day and age. We are not the only ones who employ this type of basic common sense and decency, so yes the mainstream media is distorting the facts on this one, big surprise!

X-Sect is a year old this week and we have only had to remove one person. So, overall this system is working for us very well.

It’s very rare if not impossible to get all sects on board with a single operation or ideal with so many people involved, and the vastly differing views on politics, religion, and society that come along with that. This is partially why Anonymous is what we call in a make or break phase. How Anonymous as a collective handles these ridiculously accepted internal issues and how the public relations pans out will either give anonymous more strength, or divide it further into chaos. We URGE all Anonymous to unify. Stop the infighting, stop the drama, get back to what got you started in the movement! Most importantly, when you see childish behavior speak out. It’s only becoming so prevalent because its tolerated.

Wolff Bachner: How do you plan to achieve your goals? What can you, as a small group of concerned Internet activists, do to affect change and keep the World Wide Web free of government control?

Xero Flux: By doing what we have been doing as X-SecT for a year now. Posting, commenting, sharing videos, bugging the guy on the street to research the NDAA and so on. We have seen first hand after aiding new comers that they turn around and do the same. Essentially we are all ripples of the same truth waves. Almost a cyber version of pay it forward. This is how anonymous is growing so quickly and has such an influx of non-hacking members. Once the ripple effect is large enough we expect the truth to be nearly impossible to keep hidden behind the distorted lies, and smear campaigns..

At the moment, admittedly no we do not have the magic answer to fix the internet censorship issue, but we believe the answer will not be hard to produce once the majority of the world are ready for real change. So we move on with providing information and aiding those willing to learn. In the hopes one day we will have enough awareness to create that effective change.

Wolff Bachner: Why did Anonymous X-SecT decide to risk the wrath of the community and come forward with your concerns about Operation Last Resort? Why were you concerned about Operation Last Resort?

Xero Flux: We are always speaking out, this time it just happened to be on something with the name anonymous attached to it. As with all our research we researched with neutral views and were left with many questions, little information, and a lot of risk. We spoke out immediately for two main reasons:

1) To protect ourselves digitally by stating and making clear we had nothing to do with this operation. As we feel this is being used to tag anons for future false flags, arrest, or even assassination.

2) To warn our brothers and sister so they would see our concerns and collectively address them. Nothing hurts us more than to see people mislead without looking at facts or asking questions. It hurt us greatly to see allies following something with such shady signs of manipulation.

Wolff Bachner: What do you think is the real purpose behind Operation Last Resort. Have you been able to pinpoint any specific evidence that makes you think Operation Last Resort was a false flag operation or a scam?

Xero Flux: That’s a tricky one. Nobody really knows (of who is talking) and that’s the problem. All we do know for certain is the operation leaders enjoy asteroids… and playing games with the American public as well as fellow anons. When they threatened the US government with chaos if demands were not met we feel they crossed a very serious line that puts not just those participating in danger, but anyone under the anonymous banner.

We honestly just feel this is a set up as detailed in your previous article. Our list of concerns has not shrunk since they were posted.

Anons with ability to hack USSC would not play games like this, make threats, and produce no data. Then ask the public to download an unknown file. None of it adds up to what we have seen with other larger projects. No collaboration of sects, just bang here it is!

Wolff Bachner: Who is attacking Anonymous X-SecT for speaking out about Operation Last Resort and why are they doing it?

Xero Flux: This is one we need to be careful with as we are not out to slander people, but according to “self admissions” they are Antisec’s (Ben Burnette and DaBlack Packet) who are doing the hacking, while they have younger uninformed anon goons spamming and trying to troll us into oblivion.

As for why such an attack – ask them, as they have changed their reason at least 3 times now and by the time I write it down it will have changed yet again. These people have no moral code and are not legitimate freedom fighters, they are self admitted trolls that also claim to be anonymous. After what we have seen, documented, and discovered we can say with 100% certainty they are not working for good or the collective itself.

Hacking a website that thousands visit over personal grudges hurts all those people locked from that information. All because they disagreed with an opinion.

They started all this by one day demanding I (Xero) take down the page on our website regarding this operation, or our website would be hacked, “final and only warning” -DaBlack Packet.

We refused and still do. It is our right to question whatever we wish and we refused to be pressured  or censor ourselves. We did not insult anyone and we clearly stated our concerns and left it at that. The following day you published the article regarding our stance and that’s when they went ballistic.

Within hours they had hacked just about everything we had control of. Spamming, insulting people on our accounts, deleting our posts, kicking admins. Just utterly defaced our community. Affecting over 3,000 people in private groups we created for others, which they also destroyed by closing. All this because they didn’t get their way in censoring our opinion on the operation.

We have a hard time believing random hackers with this type of access and skill are spending this much energy on us. It all appears to be pressure from the top. Factor in Facebook still not replying to a single one of us and both hackers are still posting as us as we speak here. Why would Facebook allow this? Who really knows, but sadly, this is not the first time we have been put through this with them and their complete lack of assistance.

Wolff Bachner: Operation Last Resort, and the confusion about who was behind the attack on USSC.Gov, has created a quite a bit of chaos in the internet activist community. Is there a sense among Anonymous X-SecT members, and in the larger community, that the movement is in jeopardy?

Xero Flux: Well, before this operation went public there already was much worry that the movement was being hijacked as well as split apart. This is also why we took it slow in our reaction to this operation. As not to make rash decisions during critical times.

Many anons also believe along with us that these types of attacks and operations are classic signs and tactics of a divide and conquer agenda, while others are blindly supporting this operation for whatever reason they have concluded. Most, from our polling, appear to be the younger, less experience anons that get sucked up into these types of psyops.

Wolff Bachner: The great majority of Americans base their knowledge of Anonymous on what the mainstream media tells them. They think of Neon in the Matrix, hiding in his tiny room, hacking the planet to spread chaos and bring down the system. The government has portrayed Anonymous as a group of dangerous criminals, who will crash trains, tamper with traffic lights, shut down power plants, and empty people’s bank accounts; an out of control collective that is endangering people’s very lives.

Is the media giving an accurate picture of internet activists or is there more to the hacktivist movement? Is the government misrepresenting the movement in order to crack down and take control of the World Wide Web?

Xero Flux: Is the media giving an accurate picture of what we are about? Absolutely NOT. Some independent media outlets do spread the message properly, but the usual suspects – you know, the alphabet channels, definitely distort the message and use well known tactics to fit their agenda. The big media machines will not give anonymous members who are not paid off a voice, it is that simple. We have written enough emails and made enough phone calls that if they wanted real answers, they could have them. Instead we don’t even get a sorry not interested reply.

Wolff Bachner: Why are so many people willing to openly identify themselves as part of Anonymous and run the risk of serious legal issues, financial damage, and even imprisonment?

Xero Flux: This is a great question and one we hope it opens the eyes of some of your readers who may doubt anything we have to say. Simply put, we have no fear. We are sick of waiting for a hero to arrive and will not tolerate the lies, distortion, and manipulation any longer. With a mask on you can only do so much. Hacking a website will only do so much. Those who risk themselves like we do honestly do it for the greater good even though many may see it as the opposite.

When the game is in the 4th quarter, and 30 seconds are left on the clock, you don’t have time to pussy foot around, and for activists like us a mask is in the way, its takes away our credibility, and aids sites like Facebook in banning us for not providing proper identification. All bumps in the road that many would rather just drive over and pray they don’t bottom out.

Wolff Bachner: Is hacking really the main activity of the community or are most of the people who self identify as Anonymous also using legal means of protest to build a movement for change?

Xero Flux: Absolutely not. In fact it’s the least you see going on. Yes, Operations attacking pedophiles go an all the time, and others are ongoing, but in regards to the size and amount of people participating, it’s not even a small fraction of those who would be called or call themselves anonymous. Most if not all large hacks by anonymous were done by small groups of people, not the collective itself. Many just love to jump on the bandwagon to feel as if they did it. They need to feed that ego.

Wolff Bachner: Do you believe Anonymous can, or even should, evolve to become a more focused movement for change and personal freedom? Can the hactivist movement find a place as the internet’s version of Occupy, without having to rely on hacking and other illegal activities?

Xero Flux: Yes it can, but it will take serious dedication and courage from those in the shadows, as well as those on the “front lines” as we call it. Front lines being when you deal with the public directly trying to make your case and share the core information the media machines distort.

It’s amazing how scared of information so many people are. We can easily evolve if the majority does not allow a select few to determine the direction the collective moves. To grow and survive anon must learn to utilize the great power of so many voices and separate skill sets.

Assuming hacking can solve world issues is pretty much a pipe dream at this point. The activist angle is the only viable angle left to legally keep the message spreading in order to increase the effect the collective has. Until these issues are addressed, groups will just continue to argue with each other and be pitted against each other by the manipulators. The power of one person’s voice is so under-rated…. If people only understood the power their voice has if they truly stand up and use it. Combine that with the size and scope of anonymous and you have an unstoppable collective capable of anything.

Wolff Bachner: Aaron is gone but his work lives on. Without addressing the dispute over Operation Last Resort, what would you like to say about Aaron Swartz and his contribution making the world a better place?

Xero Flux: We have nothing but love for Aaron, and his work. We just want to make sure that is noted. As for his work, he is an inspiration. He had the courage to do what he felt was right, and deserved a heroes welcome, not attacks from a so called government of the people. We can only hope to build from the ripple he has created. We will always be grateful to him for his dedication and courage.

Wolff Bachner: Is there anything you would like add before I thank you for time, and we go our separate ways?

Xero Flux: You pretty much nailed it. The only thing we would like to add is we expect heavy assault when this is published, and we accept that. However we are not here to play cloak and dagger games. We are here to share information on what is going on with the world. So to anyone who is involved in new operations assaulting us, just think for a moment that you are assaulting people who have done nothing but assist thousands openly. While those accusing us of everything but the kitchen sink came out of thin air and go unquestioned.

THE ROAD AHEAD FOR ANONYMOUS X-SECT AND THE HACKTIVIST MOVEMENT:

Those of us who are old enough to have lived through the 1960′s, especially those of us who participated in the Anti-War movement and the Hippie rebellion, have seen this before. An idea gives birth to a movement for change. People unite to build a better world and they risk everything to work for their goals.

At first they are successful. The movement is fresh, young, full of energy and people truly believe in the possibility of change. But slowly and surely, their own success comes back to haunt them. The establishment fights back, the media latches on to the latest hot topic to sell more ad space, and the police begin to crack heads.

Then the infighting and paranoia starts to take over, dedicated activists turn on each other, and all the good that was accomplished is washed away in a sea of chaos and destruction.

Hopefully, the new generation of activists will learn from the mistakes of their predecessors and not allow themselves to meet the same fate as the protesters of the 1960′s. Dreams of a new world gave way to drug addiction and death and the movement plunged into darkness.

Today, there are more than a dozen military conflicts taking place on planet earth and hundreds of thousands have died. Poverty and disease is widespread and the world economy is controlled by a few hundred billionaires and major corporations. Faith and spirituality is being exploited by religious extremists determined to prove their G*d is the strongest.

Politicians come and go, promising Hope and Change but nothing ever changes. How many of us are better off today than our parents were in their prime? How many of us have massive debts, a low paying job, and no prospects for a decent future? Is working until we die, while living hand to mouth, an acceptable fate for each of us?

Anonymous struck a chord with millions of activists who have had enough of the status quo and broken promises. The movement is much more than a few talented hackers, hiding in the shadows. There are millions of energetic people, ready and willing to come out from behind the mask and unite with common purpose to find newer and more effective ways to battle oppression and tyranny.

The next step is up to the hacktivist movement. Will they fall into chaos, as we did in the 1960′s, and consume their dreams in flames or will they rise like the Phoenix from the ashes and triumph to build a new and better world?

Anonymous X-SecT Exclusive Interview: Hacktivists Explain Criticism Of Attack On USSC. Gov is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/506785/anonymous-x-sect-exclusive-interview-hacktivists-explain-criticism-of-attack-on-ussc-gov/feed/ 29 http://www.inquisitr.com/505329/osama-bin-ladens-son-in-law-arrested-in-turkey-prior-to-bombing-at-us-embassy-in-ankara/ http://www.inquisitr.com/505329/osama-bin-ladens-son-in-law-arrested-in-turkey-prior-to-bombing-at-us-embassy-in-ankara/#comments Fri, 01 Feb 2013 17:56:19 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=505329

Reports from the Turkish news media indicate that Osama Bin Laden’s son-in-law, Suleyman M, was arrested just hours before the suicide bomb blast at the United States Embassy in Ankara. Agents from the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), acting on a CIA tip, arrested Suleyman at a hotel in the Çankaya district of Ankara. The Turkish daily newspaper, Milliyet, reported that Suleyman entered the country [...]

Osama Bin Laden’s Son In Law Arrested In Turkey Prior To Bombing At US Embassy In Ankara is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

Reports from the Turkish news media indicate that Osama Bin Laden’s son-in-law, Suleyman M, was arrested just hours before the suicide bomb blast at the United States Embassy in Ankara. Agents from the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), acting on a CIA tip, arrested Suleyman at a hotel in the Çankaya district of Ankara. The Turkish daily newspaper, Milliyet, reported that Suleyman entered the country illegally by using a fake Saudi Arabian passport.

After his arrest, Suleyman M was taken before a Turkish magistrate, who initially ruled that the prisoner would be released, since he committed no other crimes in Turkey besides the passport violation. However, MIT agents took Suleyman back into custody in the courtroom and returned him to the police department, where he will be held until he is deported to Iran.

Following the destruction of the World Trade Center on 9/11, Suleyman disappeared from the al-Qaeda camp in Afghanistan, and his whereabouts remained unknown until he resurfaced in Iran in 2002. The Iranian government, to avoid any appearance of openly supporting al-Qaeda, kept Suleyman, and other members of Osama Bin Laden’s immediate family, under house arrest at a luxury villa in Tehran.

Suleyman M maintained a low profile in recent years, and it is rumored that he traveled to Turkey on his forged passport in order to seek asylum. It is alleged that he hoped to reside in Ankara while he negotiated to return to Saudi Arabia, where his wife currently resides.

The United States requested that the Turkish government turn Suleyman over to the CIA for interrogation, but it is reported Turkey refused the request. Certainly, the CIA would like an opportunity to question Bin Laden’s son-in-law about his involvement in al-Qaeda and ascertain if he has any knowledge of future terrorist operations.

There has been no official comment from either Turkey or the United States on any possible link between Suleyman and the perpetrators of today’s suicide bombing at the United States Embassy. It remains to be seen if there will be any friction between the two NATO allies, should Turkey deport Suleyman to Iran without giving the CIA an opportunity to interrogate one of Osama Bin Laden’s closest surviving relatives.

Osama Bin Laden’s Son In Law Arrested In Turkey Prior To Bombing At US Embassy In Ankara is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/505329/osama-bin-ladens-son-in-law-arrested-in-turkey-prior-to-bombing-at-us-embassy-in-ankara/feed/ 0 http://www.inquisitr.com/505003/patty-andrews-dead-at-94-last-surviving-member-of-andrews-sisters-singing-trio/ http://www.inquisitr.com/505003/patty-andrews-dead-at-94-last-surviving-member-of-andrews-sisters-singing-trio/#comments Fri, 01 Feb 2013 10:00:55 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=505003

An era truly ended on Wednesday, January 30, 2013 when Patty Andrews, last surviving member of the beloved Andrews Sisters Trio, died of natural causes at the age of 94. The wonderful voices of Patty, and her sisters Maxene and LaVerne, helped millions of GIs survive the weariness and fear of World War II, and they were widely admired as [...]

Patty Andrews Dead At 94: Last Surviving Member Of Andrews Sisters Singing Trio is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

An era truly ended on Wednesday, January 30, 2013 when Patty Andrews, last surviving member of the beloved Andrews Sisters Trio, died of natural causes at the age of 94. The wonderful voices of Patty, and her sisters Maxene and LaVerne, helped millions of GIs survive the weariness and fear of World War II, and they were widely admired as America’s sweethearts. Often called the “greatest girl group of all time” by music critics, the sisters charted 90 hits as a trio and 12 more performing with the legendary Bing Crosby.

The Andrews Sisters performed with many of the most popular big band leaders of 1940s and 1950s including Glen Miller, Benny Goodman, Jimmy Dorsey, and Tommy Dorsey. Famous for their tight harmonies and a swinging rhythm, the three sisters exhibited an air of exuberance and joy as they thrilled their audiences with their performances. Their hits included ”Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” “Rum and Coca Cola,” “Bei Mir Bist Du Schön,” and “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree.”

As their popularity increased, the Andrews Sisters appeared in 16 motion pictures. They survived the comic madness of Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, performing as themselves in Road to Rio. The sisters provided soothing vocals and charm to contrast the manic genius of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, co-starring in Buck Privates and Hold that Ghost. They also appeared in popular wartime musical extravaganzas including Hollywood Canteen, Follow The Boys, and What’s Cookin’?.

Over a career that spanned several decades and three devastating wars, the sisters sold more than 75 million records. Musical tastes began to change in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and the trio broke up in 1967 when LaVerne Andrews died of cancer. Patty managed some success with a solo career, and her older sister Maxene became Dean of Women at Tahoe Paradise College.

After almost a decade out of the public eye, The Andrews Sister’s experienced a brief return to popularity in the 1970s when a young Bette Midler had a major hit with her cover of “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.” Patty and Maxene began to perform again as a duo, and the two sisters appeared on Broadway in 1974, starring in the Sherman Brothers’ nostalgic World War II musical, Over Here!. The play also launched the career of a little known actor by the name of John Travolta.

Sadly, the two surviving Andrews Sisters’ return to the spotlight dissolved into bitterness and financial disputes. Patty’s husband sued the producers of Over Here!, causing the cancellation of a major road tour and alienating Maxene. After the disappointment of the play, Patty and Maxene became distant and their estrangement lasted until Maxene’s death from a heart attack in 1995. They briefly reunited on October 1, 1987 for the dedication of the Trio’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but they never managed to reconcile.

Patty Andrews was born in Minneapolis to Peter Andreus (1884–1949) and Olga Andrews (1886–1948) on February 16, 1918. She was married twice and raised a step daughter, Pam Dubois. Patty’s first husband was Martin Melcher, who married an up and coming young actress named Doris Day after the divorce. Patty then married Walter Weschler, the trio’s pianist, in 1951. The couple enjoyed a successful 60 year marriage that ended with Walter’s death at 88 in 2010.

Bette Midler spoke for millions of Americans who knew and loved the Andrews Sisters and their music. Midler expressed her appreciation for their outstanding talent and their dedication to the nation:

“When I was a kid, I only had two records and one of them was the Andrews Sisters. They were remarkable. Their sound, so pure.

“Everything they did for our nation was more than we could have asked for. This is the last of the trio, and I hope the trumpets ushering (Patty) into heaven with her sisters are playing Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.”

Patty Andrews Dead At 94: Last Surviving Member Of Andrews Sisters Singing Trio is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/505003/patty-andrews-dead-at-94-last-surviving-member-of-andrews-sisters-singing-trio/feed/ 0 http://www.inquisitr.com/504722/star-wars-actor-terence-stamp-had-issues-with-george-lucas-we-didnt-get-on-at-all/ http://www.inquisitr.com/504722/star-wars-actor-terence-stamp-had-issues-with-george-lucas-we-didnt-get-on-at-all/#comments Fri, 01 Feb 2013 02:30:08 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=504722

British actor Terence Stamp may have 79 films to his credit, but after his recent comments about the rocky relationship between the actor and George Lucas during the filming of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, he probably won’t be invited back to reprise his role as Chancellor Valorum. In an interview with Empire Magazine, Stamp was [...]

‘Star Wars’ Actor Terence Stamp Had Issues With George Lucas: ‘We didn’t get on at all’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

British actor Terence Stamp may have 79 films to his credit, but after his recent comments about the rocky relationship between the actor and George Lucas during the filming of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, he probably won’t be invited back to reprise his role as Chancellor Valorum.

In an interview with Empire Magazine, Stamp was quite candid about his trials and tribulations working with the Star Wars director and producer:

“We didn’t get on at all. I didn’t rate him that much as a director, really. I didn’t feel like he was a director of actors; he was more interested in stuff and effects. He didn’t interest me and I wouldn’t think I interested him.”

Stamp spoke about his strange experience with Lucas on the day he was set to shoot a scene with Natalie Portman:

“I came all the way back from Australia to do it. I didn’t want to but my agent leaned on me and I wanted to meet Natalie Portman because I’d seen her in The Professional. And I did meet her and she was absolutely enchanting. But on the day I’m supposed to do my scene with her, for which I’d traveled halfway around the world, I said, ‘Where’s Natalie?’ And George says, ‘That’s Natalie,’ and points to a bit of paper on the wall. It was just boring.”

Although Stamp’s role in The Phantom Menace was small, the always charming actor appeared in many outstanding movies over the course of his career. He was unforgettably beautiful and innocent as the doomed sailor in Billy Budd. Stamp’s performance in the 1962 film based on the Herman Melville novel earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and he received a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Male Newcomer.

During his 51 year long journey as an actor, Terence Stamp appeared in films by some of the greatest directors in the cinema, including William Wyler’s The Collector,  Modesty Blaise for director Joseph Losey, and John Schlesinger’s Far From The Madding Crowd. Stamp even took on the role of a middle aged drag queen in Stephan Elliott’s The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

Stamp is probably best remembered by contemporary American audiences for his supporting role as General Zod in Superman and Superman II.  In 2008, Stamp portrayed General Ludwig Beck in the Tom Cruise vehicle, Valkyrie, and in 2012, Stamp was nominated for a British Independent Film Award for Best Actor in Song for Marion.

Now 74 years old, it is highly doubtful that Stamp is even slightly concerned about offending the tender sensibilities of Mr. Lucas. After all, Lucas is probably more than a little bit pleased with his four billion dollar payday from Disney, and the ever debonair Mr. Stamp is still having a wonderful life speaking his mind and doing things his way.

‘Star Wars’ Actor Terence Stamp Had Issues With George Lucas: ‘We didn’t get on at all’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/504722/star-wars-actor-terence-stamp-had-issues-with-george-lucas-we-didnt-get-on-at-all/feed/ 1 http://www.inquisitr.com/503744/wildlife-activists-demand-ioc-reject-japans-bid-to-host-olympics-over-annual-dolphin-slaughter/ http://www.inquisitr.com/503744/wildlife-activists-demand-ioc-reject-japans-bid-to-host-olympics-over-annual-dolphin-slaughter/#comments Thu, 31 Jan 2013 18:54:52 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=503744

A political tsunami is brewing between the Japanese government and animal rights activists over Japan’s bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympics. Representatives of the IOC will be in Tokyo on March 4, 2013 and animal rights activists plan to petition the International Olympic Committee to reject Japan as a potential host nation until the country bans the gruesome annual slaughter [...]

Wildlife Activists Demand IOC Reject Japan’s Bid To Host Olympics Over Annual Dolphin Slaughter is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

A political tsunami is brewing between the Japanese government and animal rights activists over Japan’s bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympics. Representatives of the IOC will be in Tokyo on March 4, 2013 and animal rights activists plan to petition the International Olympic Committee to reject Japan as a potential host nation until the country bans the gruesome annual slaughter of thousands of dolphins by the fishermen of Taiji.

“We respectfully ask that you do NOT consider Japan’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic bid, until the Japanese Government agrees to end the brutal Taiji Dolphin Drive Hunt, by making it illegal to hunt Dolphins in Japan. If Tokyo wants the honour of being an Olympic Host City, Japan must be held accountable for allowing fishermen in Taiji to continue this unnecessary annual dolphin hunt in the name of tradition. Since 2009 there has been a worldwide outcry condemning this barbaric and outdated hunt. Still, in 2013, Japan refuses to address and discontinue this annual slaughter. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) cannot ignore this.”

Japan is one of the leading killers of whales and dolphins on the planet. Numerous nations and wildlife organizations have spent years pleading with the Japanese government to permanently ban whaling and outlaw the Taiji dolphin slaughter, but Japan remains unwilling to comply. Almost 2000 wild dolphins are legally slaughtered in an annual orgy of violence that literally turns Taiji Bay red with blood and protesters are convinced losing an opportunity to host the Summer Olympics may finally force the Japanese government to end the dolphin hunt.

International groups have offered to redevelop the scenic village of Taiji into a world heritage site for dolphin and whale watching. Several wildlife organizations volunteered to raise funds to replace the income the villagers would lose if they stop slaughtering the dolphins. Every single offer or solution has been rejected, with villagers claiming their ancient traditions will be lost if they abandon the killing of dolphins.

Dolphin drives are among the most terrifying, inhumane, and brutal methods to kill intelligent marine mammals ever devised. The participants go out into the ocean with a fleet of small boats, and whenever a suitable pod of dolphins is spotted, they lower a steel pipe into the water. The pipe is struck repeatedly with mallets, which panics the dolphins and disrupts their sensitive sonar.

As the dolphins attempt to flee in confusion, the fishermen herd them into the shallow bay and cut off their escape with nets and barricades. After quickly selecting a few prime specimens to be sold to marine exhibits around the world, the remaining victims are mercilessly murdered by driving a metal pin into the cervical region of the dolphin, severing the brain-stem. Although the Japanese government claims this method is instantly fatal, observers of the slaughter reported that many of the dolphins took up to seven minutes to die in thrashing, screaming agony.

This inexcusable slaughter of a highly intelligent mammal, with a brain larger than the brain of a human being, was first brought to the attention of the world in 2009 by the Academy Award winning documentary, The Cove. The Japanese government and the residents of Taiji did everything they could to prevent the film from being made, and afterwards, lied repeatedly about the intentions of the filmmakers.

Following the world wide backlash over the film, the kill zone in Taiji was covered with tarpaulins to prevent any outsiders from being able to witness the murder of these amazing creatures. But no matter how many yards of canvas are rolled out over the bay, it is impossible to disguise the screams of pain and terror from hundreds of dolphins as they are being hacked to death.

The residents of Taiji have long claimed this is a matter of culture and tradition. This excuse has allowed the dolphin drive to continue year after year, in spite of the pleas of concerned citizens around the world. Dolphins are highly social, intelligent creatures that deserve to live free in the world’s oceans without fear of predation by Homo Sapiens. To allow this slaughter to continue, and reward Japan by allowing them to host an Olympic games, is simply unacceptable.

Wildlife Activists Demand IOC Reject Japan’s Bid To Host Olympics Over Annual Dolphin Slaughter is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/503744/wildlife-activists-demand-ioc-reject-japans-bid-to-host-olympics-over-annual-dolphin-slaughter/feed/ 3 http://www.inquisitr.com/503371/anonymous-x-sect-claims-intelligence-agency-not-anonymous-hacked-ussc-gov/ http://www.inquisitr.com/503371/anonymous-x-sect-claims-intelligence-agency-not-anonymous-hacked-ussc-gov/#comments Thu, 31 Jan 2013 15:51:29 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=503371

On January 26, 2013, USSC.Gov was hacked by a person or persons claiming to be members of Anonymous. The hackers named the attack Operation Last resort and they posted a moving tribute to fallen internet activist Aaron Swartz, plus a list of demands for the United States government. The message warned the government that unless they began to respect Human [...]

Anonymous X-SecT Claims Intelligence Agency, Not Anonymous, Hacked USSC.Gov is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

On January 26, 2013, USSC.Gov was hacked by a person or persons claiming to be members of Anonymous. The hackers named the attack Operation Last resort and they posted a moving tribute to fallen internet activist Aaron Swartz, plus a list of demands for the United States government. The message warned the government that unless they began to respect Human Rights, freedom, and Democracy, damaging information would be revealed to the American people. Now, a week later, another member of the internet’s activist community, Anonymous X-SecT, is warning the public that a government intelligence agency was responsible for Operation Last Resort.

Included in the message posted on USSC.Gov was a link to download a file the hackers claimed contained encrypted information that would create world wide chaos and destroy many powerful public figures. As with Julian Assange’s notorious “insurance file,” the data will only accessible if and when a key is released to unlock the file. So far, as with the WikiLeaks files, there has been no further word about the secret file or what it may contain.

After we first became aware of the claims made by Anonymous X-SecT, we decided to investigate. We quickly discovered the group maintains a large and rather public presence on various websites and they were by no means shy about their disdain for the people who hacked USSC.Gov.

Anonymous X-SecT has several serious concerns about Operation Last Resort, beginning with their doubts that real Anonymous members would actually ask the public to download locked files. The potential risk to anyone who is foolish enough to trust a file from a link posted by self proclaimed hackers on a public website run by the United States government is enormous. While many of our readers are already aware of the risks, we will go over them briefly.

A large percentage of internet users have experienced first hand the total mayhem that can occur when you download a file from an unknown source. Your computer may end up being used in a network of servers used to spam porn emails by the millions. You may have permitted a rogue’s gallery of internet criminals to access to all your personal information, including your credit card numbers, Paypal account and online bank accounts. Of course, there is even the remote possibility that if you follow the link from USSC.Gov to the download, you may be added to a wide assortment of government databases, including those maintained by the CIA, NSA, DOJ and the FBI.

The people at Anonymous X-SecT have a long list of issues with Operation Last Resort, which they outlined on their website:

“We are getting many questions on facebook and Xero is getting many via this websites contact form regarding Operation Last Resort. While we cannot give you direct proof this is a propaganda operation we can give you the reasons why it appears as such.”

“1) On Sunday I (Xero Flux) was able to reach AnonymousIRC (one of the more reputable Twitter channels for long term trusted Anonymous activity) and they claim the USSC on @doxbin is a faked, and comprised of data ripped from a two year old document they released. (Typical Cointel style, take others work and give it a facelift.)”

“2) The night of release they were caught censoring posts asking questions or pointing out that this operation forces all sects to comply and goes directly against the core anon protocol.”

“3) Nobody on IRC can vouch for the credibility of those leading this operation. Anonymous is one thing but when your fellow anons are completly clueless who you are and where you came from when you bust out the gates with an operation this scope is quiet suspicious.”

“4) The same day literally hours before this release Department of Homeland security named Cyber threats a severe issue and is trying to use this threat to enact SOPA style laws with executive order. This operation gives them a perfect example of WHY.”

“5) This paints all anons as hacktivists, something anyone with a brain knows it a complete media machine lie to discredit ACTIVISTS under the same banner.”

“6) A youtube acocunt claiming/admitting to hacking a government site would not be permitted to STILL be active (Note: It is Tuesday Morning 4:16am and still up). It would be ripped down as soon as the first fed hit the video after the hack. YET it;s still up, with no penalty and everyone ignores this fact.”

“7) ALL credible sources/anon cells to date have no idea who is running this operation. It came out of thin air and is using old anon operations data claiming its new.”

“Make up your own mind but you know where we stand. We wont be downloading “warheads” or supporting this is any way as we truly believe this will bite those who participate in the ass. As it labels us all terrorists looking for “CHAOS” and if you dont think cyber authorities will take this to the cleaners, you’re still a noob.”

The very nature of the hacktivist movement makes it difficult, if not almost impossible, to make sense of this situation. However, Anonymous X-SecT presented some serious food for thought with their comments. You will have to ask yourself if you believe the Obama Administration or the United States government would hack their own website, post an encrypted file to download that supposedly contains top secret information, and then collect personal information on anyone who tries to download the file.

This latest twist and turn in the Anonymous saga also points out an important flaw in the concept of an activist organization that is made up of hundreds of people who don’t know each other and share no common ideology. When Anonymous first began, the concept worked well because it was totally unexpected. But as they became better known, and started to go after bigger targets, it became increasingly difficult to figure out exactly who was doing what to whom.

There are millions of people who consider Julian Assange, Bradley Manning, and Anonymous heroes who fight for justice and the open exchange of information. We will not pass judgement on them, but we will agree that the internet must remain free from any government interference. The World Wide Web may be the last bastion of truth and freedom and allowing the United Nations or any nation’s government to control or censor any part of the internet would be a catastrophic step on the road to tyranny.

Anonymous X-SecT Claims Intelligence Agency, Not Anonymous, Hacked USSC.Gov is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/503371/anonymous-x-sect-claims-intelligence-agency-not-anonymous-hacked-ussc-gov/feed/ 32 http://www.inquisitr.com/503294/ronald-reagans-chicago-home-to-be-demolished-may-become-parking-lot-for-obama-library/ http://www.inquisitr.com/503294/ronald-reagans-chicago-home-to-be-demolished-may-become-parking-lot-for-obama-library/#comments Thu, 31 Jan 2013 12:58:10 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=503294

The rumors are flying fast and furious in the Windy City. While it has been confirmed that Former President Ronald Reagan’s childhood Chicago home was sold by the current owner and the building is scheduled for demolition, the reports that the space will be used as parking lot for the Obama Presidential Library remain unconfirmed. [...]

Ronald Reagan’s Chicago Home To Be Demolished: May Become Parking Lot For Obama Library is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

The rumors are flying fast and furious in the Windy City. While it has been confirmed that Former President Ronald Reagan’s childhood Chicago home was sold by the current owner and the building is scheduled for demolition, the reports that the space will be used as parking lot for the Obama Presidential Library remain unconfirmed.

Apparently President Reagan’s former homes have become a hot commodity as of late. His 4700 square foot home in California’s luxurious Pacific Palisades recently went on the market for a cool five million dollars. The home was a gift from General Electric in the 1950′s to thank Reagan for hosting the The General Electric Theater on CBS.

President Reagan lived in the Chicago apartment building at 832 E. 57th Street way back in 1915, and, judging by outside appearances, the building has seen better days. Reagan survived a near-fatal case of pneumonia when he lived in the building, but he maintained fond recollections of playing with his siblings in nearby Hyde Park.

In his memoirs, President Reagan recalled seeing horse drawn fire engines “come down the street at full gallop, the sight made me decide I wanted to be a fireman.” Obviously, his ambitions changed as he grew up, and eventually Ronald Reagan became the much loved and greatly respected 40th President. Republicans and Conservatives still remember Reagan as America’s greatest President and often cite his term in office as an example of Democracy in action.

Reagan’s home was sold to the University of Chicago, and legal approval was granted to demolish the building. Soon, the rumors about university’s plans for the property began to gain traction, due in part to the school’s extensive lobbying to become the location of the Obama Library.

Rumor mongers and critics of President Obama may be unhappy to learn that the University of Chicago is also building a major new hospital nearby, and they may need the property for that project. Even White House Press Secretary Jay Carney denied the rumors, advising everyone to “stand down” with a post on his twitter page. For good measure, Carney added a sarcastic, “‘The report is false. Shocking, I know’ to his tweet.

The man who sold the property the University, Frank Grabowski, told reporters the Chicago official he spoke with about the sale was aware President Reagan lived in the building as a child but “wasn’t concerned and wanted to pull it down.”

One can only imagine what critics of President Obama will read into Mr. Grabowski’s comments. The word is already out on Conservative website’s that the Chicago Democratic machine wants the building torn down because it is a reminder of a successful Republican President. While most rational people may doubt that there is a deep dark conspiracy involved, many have expressed the view that Reagan was an important historical figure and his childhood home should be preserved.

For the moment, a last minute stay issued this month by the city of Chicago has the demolition on hold. Advocates of preserving the home for posterity have 90 days to convince the powers that be to change their minds. It has been suggested that The University of Chicago could make more money for their endowment fund if they renovated the building and turned it into a museum.

Once again, the wonderful spectacle of the American partisan politics is on display in all its glory in the Windy City. Hip Hip Huzzah!

Ronald Reagan’s Chicago Home To Be Demolished: May Become Parking Lot For Obama Library is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/503294/ronald-reagans-chicago-home-to-be-demolished-may-become-parking-lot-for-obama-library/feed/ 1 http://www.inquisitr.com/503196/rupert-murdochs-sunday-times-commits-blood-libel-publishes-vile-anti-jewish-cartoon/ http://www.inquisitr.com/503196/rupert-murdochs-sunday-times-commits-blood-libel-publishes-vile-anti-jewish-cartoon/#comments Thu, 31 Jan 2013 08:52:33 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=503196

Blood libel and slander against the Jewish people and the nation of Israel reared its ugly head in Britain last Sunda, when the Rupert Murdoch owned Sunday Times published a vile cartoon that portrayed a big nosed, hunchbacked Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu embedding helpless Palestinians in brick wall while using their blood for mortar. At the bottom [...]

Rupert Murdoch’s Sunday Times Commits Blood Libel: Publishes Vile Anti Jewish Cartoon is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

Blood libel and slander against the Jewish people and the nation of Israel reared its ugly head in Britain last Sunda, when the Rupert Murdoch owned Sunday Times published a vile cartoon that portrayed a big nosed, hunchbacked Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu embedding helpless Palestinians in brick wall while using their blood for mortar. At the bottom of the cartoon was the caption “Israeli Elections. Will Cementing Peace Continue,” leaving no doubt about the target of the artist’s attack. Just for good measure, the disgusting cartoon was published on International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

After complaints about the cartoon poured in from offended readers, The Sunday Times bragged about their pro-Jewish credentials and tried to support the newspaper’s indefensible decision to publish the cartoon with the following comments:

“It is aimed squarely at Mr. Netanyahu and his policies, not at Israel, let alone at Jewish people. It appears today because Mr. Netanyahu won the Israeli election last week. The Sunday Times condemns anti-Semitism, as is clear in the excellent article in today’s Magazine which exposes the Holocaust-denying tours of concentration camps organised by David Irving.”

Rupert Murdoch, who seems to have abandoned the hands on style of corporate management that made him famous, tweeted his apologies for the cartoon:

“Gerald Scarfe has never reflected the opinions of the Sunday Times. Nevertheless, we owe major apology for grotesque, offensive cartoon.”

However, no amount of apologies will ever explain how any editor at a world famous newspaper could actually display the lack of judgement required to print this filth on the same day the world remembers the death of six million Jews in Adolph Hitler’s concentration camps.

While most of the modern civilized world accepts the reality of the Holocaust, many of the world’s younger citizens remain blissfully unaware that the Jewish people have been slandered and butchered for 1900 years since the Romans destroyed the Second Temple in 72 CE. After conquering Israel, the Romans banned Jews from Jerusalem, killed thousands, and enslaved hundreds of thousands. The population of Israel was scattered like dust to the four corners of the earth.

Despite the endless persecution and the tribulations of the Diaspora, the Jewish people never gave up their hopes to return to their homeland of Israel. Against all odds, Jews somehow managed to maintain a sizable continuous population in Israel for the next 1900 years until the nation was re-established in 1948.

Critics of Israel are quick to forget that Jews have been the majority in Jerusalem since the first recorded census in 1851 and long before that according to most historians. It is well past time to put an end to the lies that portray Israeli Jews as invaders with no historical roots in the Middle East who magically parachuted by the millions into Israel in 1948.

Blood Libel, as seen in cartoon in question, has been the source of untold suffering for European Jews over the centuries. They were burned alive or driven into exile over the lie that Jews killed Christian children and used their blood to make Passover Matzoh. Shouts of blood Libel led to terrifying pogroms in most European nations. Under the ruthless authority of the Czar and the Russian Orthodox Church, entire villages were ransacked. Jews abandoned their family homes and literally tried to walk to the borders of Russia in an attempt to escape the bloodshed.

As the Breitbart News website so aptly pointed out, ”blood libel against Jews, which incredibly claimed that Jews used the blood of Christians to bake their matzos for Passover, originated in Norwich, England in 1144. This was followed by England forcing the Jews to wear special badges in 1216, forcing Jews to attend conversion sermons in 1278, and being the first European country to expel their Jewish populations in 1290.”

There is a temptation in some quarters to dismiss the cartoon as an aberration or an example of bad taste, but sadly, another incident occurred on International Holocaust Remembrance Day that makes it clear Jews are being singled out for slander in Europe.

Former Prime minister of Italy, Silvio Berlusconi, showed up at a memorial to Italian victims of the Holocaust on Sunday and stunned the audience when he made an outrageous speech that praised Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini for “having done good.”

“It is difficult now to put oneself in the shoes of who was making decisions back then. Certainly the [Italian\ government then, fearing that German power would turn into a general victory, preferred to be allied with Hitler’s Germany rather that oppose it.

“Within this alliance came the imposition of the fight against, and extermination of, the Jews. Thus, the racial laws are the worst fault of Mussolini, who, in so many other aspects, did good.”

Everyone has the right to voice their opinion about the situation in the Middle East, but it is important to point out that Prime Minister Netanyahu has never advocated killing Muslims, Palestinians, or Arabs. He has never advocated wiping any Arab Nation off the face of the earth.

However, there are literally thousands of comments and speeches in the world’s media made by Palestinian and Arab leaders and clerics calling for the annihilation of Israel and genocide against every Jew on earth. Even Israel’s so-called partner for peace, Mahmoud Abbas, published a doctoral dissertation denying the Holocaust.

The time has come for the Sunday Times, and all the newspapers that dedicate so much space to attacking Israel every time a Jew builds a house to show the same dedication to providing honest coverage of the relentless Jew hate that pollutes the Arab media.

Europe’s Jews are afraid to walk down the street in most European cities wearing any item of clothing or Jewelry that indicates that they are Jewish. Jewish children were gunned down in Toulouse, France, and Jewish cemeteries throughout Europe are routinely defaced with swastikas and Arabic slogans supporting Palestine and calling for the death of Jews.

Every now and then some well meaning person will quote George Santayana, who wrote in Reason in Common Sense, The Life of Reason, Vol.1, ”Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Listeners will nod in agreement, or chuckle in disapproval, and promptly continue to repeat the mistakes of the past.

Last Sunday, history did repeat itself, and The Sunday Times published a horrifying Blood Libel on Holocaust Remembrance Day. Is anyone chucking dismissively or doubting the seriousness of this disgusting slander against the Jewish people and the nation of Israel? Perhaps now people will realize why Jews are so fond of saying  ”Never Again” when referring to the Holocaust.

Rupert Murdoch’s Sunday Times Commits Blood Libel: Publishes Vile Anti Jewish Cartoon is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/503196/rupert-murdochs-sunday-times-commits-blood-libel-publishes-vile-anti-jewish-cartoon/feed/ 3 http://www.inquisitr.com/503074/white-house-disputes-reports-of-blast-at-iranian-nuclear-facility/ http://www.inquisitr.com/503074/white-house-disputes-reports-of-blast-at-iranian-nuclear-facility/#comments Thu, 31 Jan 2013 05:38:59 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=503074

On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said there was no credible evidence of the reported explosion at the Fordow Nuclear Facility in Iran. The news of a catastrophic blast at the secret underground site was first reported Friday, January 25, 2013 by Reza Kahlili, a former member of the feared Revolutionary Guard who infiltrated the Iranian government [...]

White House Disputes Reports Of Blast At Iranian Nuclear Facility is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said there was no credible evidence of the reported explosion at the Fordow Nuclear Facility in Iran. The news of a catastrophic blast at the secret underground site was first reported Friday, January 25, 2013 by Reza Kahlili, a former member of the feared Revolutionary Guard who infiltrated the Iranian government as a member of the CIA.

Writing for the highly controversial news website, WND, Kahlili claimed his information came from highly placed former members of the Iranian government, including Hamidreza Zakeri, who served in the Islamic regime’s Ministry of Intelligence and National Security.

The report was not taken seriously until Monday of this week when The London Times corroborated the story, citing information from Israeli intelligence officials in Tel Aviv. After the Times published their information, the story rapidly gained traction, with articles about the blast appearing in The Australian, Business Insider, and several other mainstream newspapers.

Word of the blast was also verified on Monday afternoon by London’s Missing Peace Foundation. The group cited information provided by Dr Ali Reza Nourizadeh, a senior researcher and director of the Center for Arab & Iranian Studies.

Speaking by telephone, Nourizadeh not only confirmed the destruction at the Fordow nuclear site, but he also claimed the city of Qom, where Fordow is located, was encircled by forces of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. He added the Iranian government arrested several local journalists who leaked stories about the blast, confiscating their computers and cell phones.

Despite all the reports concerning Fordow, most world governments remain highly skeptical. Iran vehemently denies that there was any incident at Fordow, and even the Obama Administration dismissed the story for lack of evidence. When asked at a press conference if there was any truth to the WND report, Jay Carney only needed one sentence to reject the entire article:

“We have no information to confirm the allegations in that report, and we do not believe the report is credible.”

Members of the International Atomic Energy Agency, who have repeatedly accused Iran of lying to IAEA inspectors to hide a nuclear weapons program, told reporters they have no proof of any explosion or damage at Fordow. Speaking to the Associated Press, IAEA Spokeswoman Gill Tudor said the agency did not support the claims made by WND:

“Iran’s denial of an incident at the Fordow uranium enrichment plant is consistent with our observations.”

While there is some evidence of previous incidents at Iranian nuclear facilities, including the Stuxnet computer virus and a major explosion that killed a General in the Revolutionary Guard and wiped out a missile manufacturing plant, we may never have any reliable information about Fordow.

Verifying anything happening in Iran is next to impossible. The country is larger than France, Italy, and Spain combined and contains vast regions of isolated, lightly populated mountainous terrain. The Iranian government has an unlimited number of places where they could hide a nuclear facility and finding them would be extremely difficult. Even if a facility was discovered, it is more than likely that most Western governments would classify the information as top secret.

WND continued to insist their story is accurate and made additional claims about the Iranian nuclear and germ warfare programs. WND highlighted the following reports in today’s article:

A secret nuclear site in Najaf Abad.

A list of Iranian scientists working on a nuclear bomb.

A secret uranium enrichment site in Khondab, where the Russians and North Korean scientists are helping with Iran’s nuclear bomb program.

The secret bio-weapons site in Marzanabad, where, with the help of Russia, Iran has mastered production of eight microbial agents, arming its missiles with biological warheads.

Another nuclear site at Bonab, where, with the help of Russians, uranium enrichment is taking place using laser technology.

The world needs to know if Iran is trying to make an atomic bomb or if, as some sources claim, they have already received atomic weapons from another nation. A nuclear Iran is a threat to the peace and stability of the planet. We can only hope the editors of WND clearly understand the responsibility that is placed upon them when they make claims about nuclear facilities in Iran. Rumor mongering is not journalism.

White House Disputes Reports Of Blast At Iranian Nuclear Facility is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/503074/white-house-disputes-reports-of-blast-at-iranian-nuclear-facility/feed/ 1 http://www.inquisitr.com/502886/colin-powell-says-obamas-economic-policies-working-blames-poverty-on-lack-of-education/ http://www.inquisitr.com/502886/colin-powell-says-obamas-economic-policies-working-blames-poverty-on-lack-of-education/#comments Thu, 31 Jan 2013 02:51:40 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=502886

Former Secretary Of State Colin Powell sat down for an exclusive interview with Bill O’Reilly yesterday and expressed his opinion on the plight of the poor in America. Powell told his host that Obama’s economic policies were working and that African-American and Latino poor would begin to recover when they receive education for the jobs that are in demand. [...]

Colin Powell Says Obama’s Economic Policies Working: Blames Poverty On Lack Of Education is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

Former Secretary Of State Colin Powell sat down for an exclusive interview with Bill O’Reilly yesterday and expressed his opinion on the plight of the poor in America. Powell told his host that Obama’s economic policies were working and that African-American and Latino poor would begin to recover when they receive education for the jobs that are in demand.

The conversation between the two became a bit heated, when General Powell asked O’Reilly ““Why do you only see me as an African American, Bill? That troubles me. I’m an American.” O’Reilly responded by reminding him that Powell was the one who had accused the Republicans of racism and spoke about the lack of Republican support for policies to help African Americans.

O’Reilly: “So you basically said to yourself I’m still going to support the guy even though his economic policies haven’t worked for African Americans and pretty much anyone else.”

Powell: “I’m not speaking as an African American. […] But we have seen a doubling of the stock market, the financial system has stabilized, the economy is starting to improve.”

Critics of Secretary Powell were quick to point out that African Americans, Latinos, and all poor Americans, have suffered under Obama. A recent Census Bureau report found that 46.2 million Americans (one in every six) are currently living in poverty. While the stock market may be growing, the banks bailed out by Obama may be flush with cash, and the large corporations receive major tax breaks and rake in the profits, the poor do not invest in the stock market or receive dividends on their investments in General Electric.

General Powell, who still claims to be a Republican, openly endorsed Obama for President in 2008 and 2012. Recently he gave a series of interviews in which he slammed the Republican Party for their conservative policies and accused them of supporting birthers, fanatics and racists.

“Republicans have to stop buying into things that demonize the president. I mean, why aren’t Republican leaders shouting out about all this birther nonsense and all these other things? They should speak out. This is the kind of intolerance that I’ve been talking about where these idiot presentations continue to be made and you don’t see the senior leadership of the party say, ‘No, that’s wrong.’ In fact, sometimes by not speaking out, they’re encouraging it. And the base keeps buying the stuff.”

Secretary Powell is entitled to his opinions, but many prominent Conservatives were happy to disagree with him. Republican leaders were quick to point out that it was the Republican Party that pushed the 1964 Civil Rights Act through the Congress, while the Democrats voted against it and led a 57-day filibuster against the Bill in the Senate.

The General commented recently that he supported Obama due to the “dark vein of intolerance” running through the Republican Party and their support for policies that victimize minorities. Much has been written about the fact that John McCain was the most liberal minded Republican Candidate for President in the modern era and Conservatives dispute Powell’s claim that he was pushed to support Obama in 2008 due to the right wing extremism of his party.

In the world full of political double speak and evasive answers to softball questions, it is likely the American public will never know the truth about General Powell’s stunning attack on his own party. However, we do know that when Powell was the Secretary of State he supported the policies of Bush and Cheney. The reward for his loyalty, and decades of dedicated service to his nation, was to be called an “Uncle Tom” by Liberals and Democrats.

The General certainly stirred up a hornets nest with his recent comments. No matter which party you support, there is one thing we can all agree on. It is high time we stop dividing Americans by race, religion or national origin. Instead we should remember the words of President Theodore Roosevelt, written a few weeks before his death in 1919:

“We should insist that if the immigrant who comes here does in good faith become an American and assimilates himself to us he shall be treated on an exact equality with every one else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed or birth-place or origin.”

“But this is predicated upon the man’s becoming in very fact an American and nothing but an American. If he tries to keep segregated with men of his own origin and separated from the rest of America, then he isn’t doing his part as an American. There can be no divided allegiance here. . . We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language, for we intend to see that the crucible turns our people out as Americans, of American nationality, and not as dwellers in a polyglot boarding-house; and we have room for but one soul loyalty, and that is loyalty to the American people.”

Colin Powell Says Obama’s Economic Policies Working: Blames Poverty On Lack Of Education is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/502886/colin-powell-says-obamas-economic-policies-working-blames-poverty-on-lack-of-education/feed/ 2 http://www.inquisitr.com/502647/hillary-blames-bush-for-lack-of-funding-to-secure-benghazi-consulate/ http://www.inquisitr.com/502647/hillary-blames-bush-for-lack-of-funding-to-secure-benghazi-consulate/#comments Thu, 31 Jan 2013 00:03:28 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=502647

Commentary | Outgoing Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton demonstrated that she has all the credentials to run for President in 2016. Clinton sat down with Fox News host Greta Van Susteren for a one on one interview and promptly blamed Bush for the lack of funds to secure the United States Consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Although there was [...]

Hillary Blames Bush For Lack Of Funding To Secure Benghazi Consulate is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

Commentary | Outgoing Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton demonstrated that she has all the credentials to run for President in 2016. Clinton sat down with Fox News host Greta Van Susteren for a one on one interview and promptly blamed Bush for the lack of funds to secure the United States Consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

Although there was little hope that Greta would ask Hillary any questions of substance in the interview or press her on her evasive answers, she did manage one general question about the attack on our consulate in Benghazi that resulted in the destruction of the facility and the death of Ambassador Stevens, Glen Doherty, Tyrone Woods, and Sean Smith.

Van Susteren lobbed a perfect softball pitch to Clinton with her question about Benghazi:

“Number one is in light of what’s happened, can Americans now feel safe or satisfied that we are moving to secure all our consulates and embassies for our diplomats overseas?

Instead of assuming any responsibility for being totally out of the loop on the constant requests for security for the Benghazi Consulate, Clinton responded like a true American leader: She blamed George Bush the Younger:

“Now, it’s not all a question of money. I am the first to say that. You know, you have to have the right people and the right job, making the right decisions. But money is a factor. And ever since the Bush administration, our requests for security monies from Congress have not been met. So you’ve had to make priority decisions. And it’s been difficult.”

Sadly, the American public are the true victims of Van Susteren’s utter unwillingness to press Hillary on the issues. She didn’t ask Clinton how she was able to remain unaware of more than six months of security requests from a consulate in a war zone. After Hillary echoed her employer, President Obama, and blamed Bush for the lack of funds, Greta let her off the hook and didn’t ask a single question about the wasteful spending by the State Department. Since the worshipful Van Susteren was completely unwilling to ask these questions, we will have to do the job for her.

Wolff Bachner: Secretary Clinton, you testified that you were not personally aware of the many complaints from Ambassador Stevens, and other State Department officials, about the lack of proper security at the  Benghazi Consulate. Are you seriously making the claim that a consulate located in a nation that just experienced a violent revolution did not require extra security? A consulate in the most volatile region of the world was forced to plead for months for proper security and you didn’t have an inkling that they needed enhanced protection? Are you telling us that not one person in the State Department came to you and told you that Ambassador Stevens was deeply concerned about the possibility of a terrorist attack on the consulate? Are you telling us you were unaware that militant Islamists were trailing Ambassador Stevens for months and had openly published death threats against him on Facebook and other well known Jihadi websites? Websites that we certainly expect the State Department to monitor on a full time basis to better protect our diplomats and the nation.

Hillary Clinton: (still waiting for an answer)

Wolff Bachner: Secretary Clinton, you testified under oath and blamed the Bush Administration and Congress for not meeting your funding requests. Are you seriously telling the American people that when you establish a consulate in one of the most dangerous places on the planet, a country overrun by heavily armed Islamist militias, you do not have contingency funds to provide proper security? Are you actually saying that the State Department, which allocated over one billion dollars to fight global warming, lacks the funds to protect our diplomats? If you lacked the funds to properly protect a consulate in a war zone, why did your budget planners allocate $100,000 to send three comedians on a tour of India and spend 85 million dollars on an Embassy we will never use? You spent almost six million dollars to preserve cultural sites in 100 foreign nations, but you lacked the funds to protect American diplomats in Libya.

Hillary Clinton: (still waiting for an answer)

The ability to “Blame Bush” seems to be an important trait for any Democrat who has the ambition to seek the highest office in the land. The ability to evade a direct answer on any and all questions is also high on the list of desirable qualities for America’s leaders. Hillary performed flawlessly in front of the Congress, and by doing so, she is now being touted as the front runner for 2016. Apparently waving your fists in the air while refusing to directly answer questions, and placing the blame on others, is a quality that many Americans appreciate in their Presidential candidates.

If Hillary Clinton is the Democratic Candidate for President in 2016, we can only hope the voters remember this conversation between the Secretary of State and a United States Senator.

Sen. Ron Johnson:  ”A simple phone call to people in Benghazi would have established immediately that there was no protest. Why wasn’t that known?”

Hillary Clinton: (Shaking her fists in the air) ”With all due respect, what difference at this point does it make?”

Hillary Blames Bush For Lack Of Funding To Secure Benghazi Consulate is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/502647/hillary-blames-bush-for-lack-of-funding-to-secure-benghazi-consulate/feed/ 3 http://www.inquisitr.com/500060/anti-gun-zealot-mayor-bloomberg-uses-armed-security-detail-to-bully-reporter/ http://www.inquisitr.com/500060/anti-gun-zealot-mayor-bloomberg-uses-armed-security-detail-to-bully-reporter/#comments Tue, 29 Jan 2013 14:52:48 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=500060

Commentary | Jason Mattera, the senior investigative reporter for Talk Radio Network, and a credentialed reporter, found out the hard way what happens when a journalist asks the Mayor of New York City a question that makes him uncomfortable. Mattera approached Bloomberg on the public sidewalk as the Mayor was leaving a meeting of U.S. Conference of [...]

Anti Gun Zealot Mayor Bloomberg Uses Armed Security Detail To Bully Reporter is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

Commentary | Jason Mattera, the senior investigative reporter for Talk Radio Network, and a credentialed reporter, found out the hard way what happens when a journalist asks the Mayor of New York City a question that makes him uncomfortable. Mattera approached Bloomberg on the public sidewalk as the Mayor was leaving a meeting of U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Washington. After showing his credentials and introducing himself, Jason asked Bloomberg if he would disarm his security team in the spirit of gun control.

Granted that Mattera can be a bit pushy, having aggravated many prominent politicians with his obnoxious questions and aggressive behavior. He enraged Joe Biden when he tried to ask the Vice President why he wished that opponents of the Job Bill knew what it was like to be raped or robbed. Jason asks provocative questions, and tends to kept repeating them, until he either gets an answer, he gets run off by security or the subject stomps away in a huff.

In the case of Mayor Bloomberg, he actually had the grace to shake Mattera’s hand and told him he would have to get back to him on the question. The entire time Mattera was trying to interview the Mayor, Bloomberg’s rather huge and heavily armed body guards acted more like pro football linemen than professional security. Five of the NYPD officers assigned to protect the Mayor constantly jumped in front of the diminutive Mattera and bodied him out of the way.

As Bloomberg began to enter his SUV, one of the officers grabbed Mattera by the arm and began to push him down the street. Realizing that the interview was over, Matera began to walk away and that’s when the real fun began.

One of the Mayor’s security detail, Officer Stockton of the NYPD, followed Jason and his camera crew down the street and demanded identification from Mattera. The flustered reporter asked the annoyed officer if he even had jurisdiction in Washington and Stockton replied in the affirmative.

Stockton then tried to direct Mattera to another location to continue the questioning, but the exasperated reporter declined the request and once again showed Officer Stockton his press credentials. The police officer then demanded to see a picture id or drivers license. Mattera wisely complied, and once again, began to walk away.

A few moments later, Officer Stockton, who was about 20 yards behind Jason and obviously following him, loudly demanded Mattera’s date of birth. Jason told the officer that his DOB was none of his business, and continued to beat feet down the sidewalk, while proclaiming that he was being followed. At this point, Stockton finally turned away and the confrontation ended.

We all might wonder if this is standard security procedure for any journalist who dares to ask the Mayor an impertinent question, and more importantly, we wonder if the bully squad was acting on direct orders from Mayor Bloomberg. It does seem that reporters who make the political elite uncomfortable are occasionally singled out for a hands on demonstration of power.

In 2010, we witnessed North Carolina Democrat Rep. Bob Etheridge attack a well dressed student journalist who politely walked up to him, holding a microphone, and asked him if he fully supported the Obama agenda. The unhinged Congressman gabbed the student by the arm, attempted to swat his video camera out of his hand, and when the student finally yanked his arm away, Etheridge tried to to apply a choke hold to the young man’s neck. Etheridge paid the price for his behavior, losing his seat in Congress in the next election.

A few days after the recent confrontation with Mayor Bloomberg, Mattera spoke to a former New York Prosecutor who claimed the NYPD officer had no jurisdiction to stop and interrogate the reporter. Jason happily tweeted the news to the world.

We checked with a former NY prosecutor who said there is no such thing as “security jurisdiction.” Paging Bloomberg: breitbart.com/Big-Journalism…

— Jason Mattera (@JasonMattera) January 28, 2013

After all this transpired, Sean Hannity invited Jason Mattera to discuss the incident on Fox, but the conversation rapidly degenerated into a Liberal vs. Conservative shouting match. Democrat Christy Setzer attempted to justify the Mayor’s strong belief in gun control, and the use of his heavily armed security, by saying, “The average New Yorker is not the Mayor of New York City. There is certainly a big difference.” Setzer then claimed that the common citizen does not have the training of police officers and are therefore not qualified to handle guns for self defense.

Obviously, Ms. Setzer knows absolutely nothing about gun ownership or she would not be making such ridiculous claims. The vast majority of American gun owners know the rules of gun safety, practice more than the police, and many are considerably better shots than the vast majority of  Bloomberg’s highly touted NYPD. Setzer compared advocates of the right to self defense to “vigilantes and overenthusiastic volunteers,” which is typical of the contempt liberals have for “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms.”

Watch this astonishing video and make up your own mind. Is America on its way to becoming a police state or is the security detail just being cautious? Is Jason Mattera just an annoying putz, as his critics claim, or was the freedom of the press violated by the Mayor’s bodyguards?

Anti Gun Zealot Mayor Bloomberg Uses Armed Security Detail To Bully Reporter is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/500060/anti-gun-zealot-mayor-bloomberg-uses-armed-security-detail-to-bully-reporter/feed/ 5 http://www.inquisitr.com/499908/devastating-explosion-at-key-iranian-nuclear-facility-confirmed-by-london-times/ http://www.inquisitr.com/499908/devastating-explosion-at-key-iranian-nuclear-facility-confirmed-by-london-times/#comments Tue, 29 Jan 2013 10:40:14 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=499908

According to the London Times, the arch Conservatives at World Net Daily finally got one right. On Friday, WND reported the destruction of Iran’s top secret uranium enrichment facility at the Fordow nuclear installation. Fordow, buried deep under ground, is reported to have completely collapsed in a massive explosion, trapping 200 workers in the ruins of the facility. WND published a report [...]

Devastating Explosion At Key Iranian Nuclear Facility Confirmed By London Times is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

According to the London Times, the arch Conservatives at World Net Daily finally got one right. On Friday, WND reported the destruction of Iran’s top secret uranium enrichment facility at the Fordow nuclear installation. Fordow, buried deep under ground, is reported to have completely collapsed in a massive explosion, trapping 200 workers in the ruins of the facility.

WND published a report on the explosion written by a former Iranian Revolutionary Guard officer and CIA agent named Reza Kahlili,  An author of several alarmist books and dozens of articles, Kahlili claims Iran intends to bring about a nuclear apocalypse in order to create an Islamic paradise on earth. For months now, critics have ridiculed his writings and claimed that WND is not a reliable source for news.

However on Monday, reports began to circulate in the mainstream media that there might be something to the story. Finally the London Times published an article confirming the story, citing Israeli intelligence officials in Tel Aviv, who discussed the story with the British newspaper.

“An explosion is believed to have damaged Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility, which is being used to enrich uranium, Israeli intelligence officials have told The Times. Sources in Tel Aviv said yesterday that they thought the explosion happened last week. The Israeli Government is investigating reports that it led to extensive structural damage and 200 workers had been trapped inside.

“One Israeli official said: “We are still in the preliminary stages of understanding what happened and how significant it is.” He did not know, he added, if the explosion was “sabotage or accident”, and refused to comment on reports that Israeli aircraft were seen near the facility at the time of the explosion.”

When asked about the explosion at Fordow, Home Front Defense Minister Avi Dichter, a former head of Israel’s Shin Bet security service, gave no hint of Israeli involvement but welcomed the news:

“Any explosion in Iran that doesn’t hurt people but hurts its assets is welcome.”

Iran claims that no explosion took place at Fordow and denies that Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapon. During last year’s failed P5+1 negotiations, Iran refused Western demands that they permanently abandon the Fordow facility. Israel remains convinced that installation is being used to enrich Uranium to the 20 percent level as a step towards producing a nuclear bomb.

“Washington and its Western allies accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian nuclear program, while they have never presented any corroborative evidence to substantiate their allegations. Iran denies the charges and insists that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.”

Friday’s article in WND contained specific details of the Fordow disaster. According to WND, the source was a former member of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and National Security.

“According to a source in the security forces protecting Fordow, an explosion on Monday at 11:30 a.m. Tehran time rocked the site, which is buried deep under a mountain and immune not only to airstrikes but to most bunker-buster bombs. The report of the blast came via Hamidreza Zakeri, formerly with the Islamic regime’s Ministry of Intelligence and National Security.

“The blast shook facilities within a radius of three miles. Security forces have enforced a no-traffic radius of 15 miles, and the Tehran-Qom highway was shut down for several hours after the blast, the source said. As of Wednesday afternoon, rescue workers had failed to reach the trapped personnel.

“The site, about 300 feet under a mountain, had two elevators which now are out of commission. One elevator descended about 240 feet and was used to reach centrifuge chambers. The other went to the bottom to carry heavy equipment and transfer uranium hexafluoride. One emergency staircase reaches the bottom of the site and another one was not complete. The source said the emergency exit southwest of the site is unreachable.”

It is quite possible the full story about Fordow may never be known, as Iran refuses to allow International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors access to all of their nuclear facilities. The IAEA also believes that Iran may have several top secret nuclear installations buried deep underground in remote areas that are still undetected by United Nations inspectors and US spy satellites.

While many observers of the world’s political scene take news from WND with a grain of salt, it appears that something serious occurred in Fordow. Newspaper around the world are now quoting Friday’s WND article as a source and recent satellite photos show a rather extensive hole in the ground where a large building used to exist. The Inquisitr will continue to follow the story and update our readers as new information becomes available.

Devastating Explosion At Key Iranian Nuclear Facility Confirmed By London Times is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/499908/devastating-explosion-at-key-iranian-nuclear-facility-confirmed-by-london-times/feed/ 8 http://www.inquisitr.com/499754/father-of-six-year-old-newtown-victim-gun-laws-are-not-the-problem/ http://www.inquisitr.com/499754/father-of-six-year-old-newtown-victim-gun-laws-are-not-the-problem/#comments Tue, 29 Jan 2013 05:56:07 +0000 Wolff Bachner http://www.inquisitr.com/?p=499754

“The problem is not gun laws; the problem is a lack of civility.” Those were the words spoken today by Mark Mattioli, when he testified at a hearing of the Gun Violence Task Force in Hartford, Connecticut. Mr. Mattioli struggled at times to maintain his composure as he spoke about the loss of his six-year-old son, James Mattioli, who was among the [...]

Father Of Six-Year-Old Newtown Victim: ‘Gun Laws Are Not The Problem’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]>

“The problem is not gun laws; the problem is a lack of civility.”

Those were the words spoken today by Mark Mattioli, when he testified at a hearing of the Gun Violence Task Force in Hartford, Connecticut. Mr. Mattioli struggled at times to maintain his composure as he spoke about the loss of his six-year-old son, James Mattioli, who was among the 20 young children murdered in the Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Instead of attacking the rights of citizens to own guns, Mr. Mattioli courageously chose to focus on the need for parents to once again become the primary educators of their children. He refused to embrace the bitterness of those who would impose their will on law abiding Americans.

Mr. Mattioli spoke about the politicians across the nation who make the claim that gun violence in America is a complicated issue. He expressed the belief that law abiding citizens are more than capable of participating in an open discussion of the Second Amendment.

Instead of advocating for stricter gun laws, assault weapon bans, and more Federal intervention, Mattioli said every American citizen should be accountable for their actions and the government must enforce existing laws.

“We do not need complex laws. I am a big proponent of individual accountability and enforcement, so if there are going to be laws, we should enforce them.”

The Federal Government has failed to properly enforce existing gun laws. There were more than 70,000 NCIS background checks rejected in 2010, out of which more than 4,000 were deemed a violation of law and referred for prosecution. Less than 50 of those cases were actually prosecuted, and less than 10 resulted in a conviction.

Vice President Biden, when asked by the NRA why the law was not enforced, replied that the government was too broke and too busy. The all powerful Federal government, which employs 2.7 million people, lacks the time and the manpower to prosecute serious felonies punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

“And to your point, Mr. Baker, regarding the lack of prosecutions on lying on Form 4473s, we simply don’t have the time or manpower to prosecute everybody who lies on a form, that checks a wrong box, that answers a question inaccurately.”

In plain English, Vice President Biden is telling us the government actaully lacks the resources to prosecute 4000 Federal felonies, but they will somehow find the time, the manpower, and the hard cash to control the weapons purchases of every American while permanently banning more than 150 guns and forcing more than 100 million gun owners to join a new Federal Gun Registry.

After addressing the issue of gun laws, Mattioli spoke passionately about his family. He strongly disagreed with those politicians who would take the choices about child rearing and education out of the hands of parents and allow schools to replace parents as the primary influence on our children.

Mark spoke about his own childhood and how his mother reacted when she found out he stole some bubble gum from a local store. Mr. Mattioli’s mom promptly drove her son back to the store and made him return the gum. He apologized to the store owner and promised never to steal again.

“That is the kind of parenting we need. Parenting is where we need to focus our attention.”

Mattioli also spoke about the inability of current gun laws to prevent criminals from using guns to commit murder. He focused his attention on the city of Chicago, which has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation but is riddled with gun violence:

“Chicago has some of the toughest gun laws in the country and I would say to people who wanted to have a civil discussion on the topic that I don’t think the gun laws are protecting the people, let alone the 500 who perished last year in that city. What have those laws done to make Chicago a safer city? Nothing, I propose.

“Criminals, by definition, break the law. What we experienced at Sandy Hook, did (he) break the law? Of course, (he) broke the law. Is one more law….I don’t care if you named it ‘James’ law’….I don’t want it.

“I think we have more than enough (laws) on the book. We should hold people individually accountable for their actions and we should enforce laws appropriately and I would say that we are not currently enforcing them appropriately.

“Can’t we do better? Yes!”

When Mark Mattioli finished his remarks, many in the audience rose to their feet to applaud his courage. Perhaps more Americans might listen to this parent, who had his world shattered by Adam Lanza and still believes in the Constitution instead of listening to overpaid British talking heads like Piers Morgan who belittle our Constitution and hyper partisan Vice Presidents who make excuses for not enforcing the law.

Father Of Six-Year-Old Newtown Victim: ‘Gun Laws Are Not The Problem’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

]]> http://www.inquisitr.com/499754/father-of-six-year-old-newtown-victim-gun-laws-are-not-the-problem/feed/ 4