The Great Hamas & Fatah Enigma!

The Great Hamas & Fatah Enigma!

Historically The Hamas organization of Palestine was active in violent responses to Israel's incursions into Palestinian territories. They are alleged to have encouraged suicide bombers to invade the territories of Israel, in reaction to Israel domination, and usurpation of Palestinian lands.

Their is an alleged clause in Hamas's Party Constitution, that stipulates for the destruction of Israel. And the possibility of Israel & Palestine living alongside each other as soverign states, was never accepted by Hamas.

So this new victory at the polls which gives them a majority in parliament, has frightend many western leaders, and amazed middle eastern leadership also.

Hamas is a beginner at playing politics. This will be a new reality for them as a political and religious movement to reconcile. Statesmanship will be expected of them by the world at large. Financial aid from donor countries, Easterrn and Western alike, is absolutely necessary for the Palestinian people to survive.

The former oppostion to Israel as a legitimate neighbor, and a soverign state will have to be accepted, and their ambassadors must prepare to negotiate and hold discussions with Israel. Reorientating themselves to this reality is vital for the peace process, and the maintenance of peace within the region.

The possibility of a Palestinian State in the near future hinges upon what policies and actions are taken now in this regard. And the former aggresive tactics towards Israel will have to cease immediately.

The Palestinian people have spoken democratically for the first time, their disgust for currupt government. They have chosen Hamas as their Political administrators, based on their track record of positive, honest, and meaningful assistance hitherto, in times of need.

And I hope that the Palestinian people will never have to regret taking this decision.

Om Shanti.
Derryck S. Griffith.
Educator & Advocate.
Manhattan.
New York City.

Asama Bin Laden's latest Threat To The USA:

Jan 20, 2006:

By LARA JAKES JORDAN


WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States has no plans to raise the security threat level because of a new tape of Osama bin Laden saying al-Qaida is planning attacks, counterterrorism officials said Thursday.

The White House firmly rejected bin Laden's suggestion of a negotiated truce. "We don't negotiate with terrorists," Vice President Dick Cheney said in a television interview. "I think you have to destroy them."

Counterterror officials said they have seen no specific or credible intelligence to indicate an upcoming al-Qaida attack on the United States. Nor have they noticed an uptick in terrorist communications "chatter" - although that can dramatically increase or decrease immediately before an attack.

The audiotape, released by the Arab television network Al-Jazeera, brought new attention to the al-Qaida leader after a yearlong lull in his public statements.

The Homeland Security Department said it would not raise the national threat alert at this time. But the tape prompted increased security at Los Angeles International Airport and other precautions at the city's port and water and power facilities.

"At this time, we lack corroborating information suggesting that al-Qaida is prepared to attack the United States in the near term," said Homeland Security spokeswoman Michelle Petrovich. "But we recognize that al-Qaida remains committed to striking the homeland."

The FBI has asked the 103 joint terrorism task forces and intelligence units at its 56 field offices to re-examine its cases and investigative leads in light of the bin Laden tape. "Do you see something in your area of operation that might be assessed as more significant than it was the day before?" said an FBI official on condition of anonymity because he was discussing an internal FBI communication.

The national terror threat level currently stands at yellow, the middle of five grades, signifying an elevated risk of attack. The government has raised the alert level to orange, signaling a high threat risk, seven times since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

The tape, which Al-Jazeera said was recorded this month, represents bin Laden's first public communication since December 2004. Since then, al-Qaida's No. 2 leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, has served as the terror network's public face.

The recording was released only days after U.S. missile attacks in Pakistan that Pakistani officials said killed four senior al-Qaida operatives.

CIA analysts verified the recording as bin Laden's voice. They offered no details about how they reached that conclusion, but in the past the agency has verified authenticity in part by comparing new recordings to earlier messages.

Cheney said the tape showed that al-Qaida has been hobbled, because "they didn't have the ability to do anything on video" and because it had been so long since bin Laden had been heard from.

Still, "I think we have to assume that the threat is going to continue for a considerable period of time." the vice president said in an interview with Fox News Channel. "Even if bin Laden were no longer to be a factor, I still think we'd have problems with al-Qaida."

Homeland Security officials alerted states about bin Laden's comments in a routine call Thursday morning, Petrovich said.

In Los Angeles, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said city police deployed additional resources at their airport and "posted signage indicating that bomb sniffing dogs and searches will occur frequently." He described the measures as precautionary.

Sharon Gang, a spokeswoman for District of Columbia Mayor Anthony A. Williams, said the capital was not raising its terror alert level. Across the Potomac River in Virginia, the information did not trigger any alarms, said Steve Mondul, the state's deputy preparedness director.

Over the past year, there has been much speculation about bin Laden's whereabouts and even whether he was still alive.

The tape apparently provides no definitive answers to either question, but there was speculation that it might be an attempt to show supporters that bin Laden was still around.

"He has made threats before, but there hasn't been a public utterance for a long time, and for that reason no one is being dismissive of it," said one counterterror official, speaking on condition of anonymity while the tape was still being analyzed.

FBI assistant director John Miller, who as a television news correspondent interviewed bin Laden in the 1990s, said bin Laden appeared to be trying to show he still controls his terrorist network, but that the tape should not alarm Americans.

"We've seen this message before, the demands and threats. In rare instances, tapes have been followed by attacks. But in many more, they haven't been," Miller said.

President Bush was told about the audiotape Thursday, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.

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COMMENT:

Whether or not Asama Bin Laden is caught or killed, will not stop the increasing conversion to his Jihadist crusade. Ever since the invasion of Afghanistan & Iraq, these wars have in fact motivated more Arabs and other Moslems in the middle east, to get involved in the struggle to expel all foreigners from their territories.

It does not matter who is in charge of the movement internationally, these fanatics feel that the Moslem world is threatened by westerners, and their religious beliefs and practices are in danger.

So any clever Jihadist Mullah will use this fear to advocate for Jihadist action, against what they perceive are enemies of Islam, and the Islamic world

Peace!
Derryck S. Griffith.
Educator & Advocate.
Greenwich Village.
New York City

A New Spectre Of Religious Fervor Is Afoot!

January 07-2006:

A New Spectre Of Religious Fervor Is Afoot:

Today I heard on WBAI Radio comments from people who have been reading books on religion and religious beliefs. One person said that religion is within you, not without, and those who seek religion from the other (or outside themselves) are foolish. Suggestions were given to the radio host to read Mary Baker Eddy's books on religion, and any other book written by women on such matters.
It is and has been my view for years now, that religion is another mode of mental and psychological control of people. With the promotion of fear for one's afterlife destiny, religious charlatans have concocted numerous scenarios on what humans should do to prevent eternal damnation. Because of the fear of physical death, (and I am sure this fear was induced into the minds of humans), by those who felt that this is another method that can be used to frighten people into submission to certain religious beliefs and practises. Islam & Christianity used very aggressive and violent methods of oppressing people into submission to this belief system
The Spanish Inquisition was a case in point. The Crusaders was another. And the prophet Mohamed's Jihad against infidels, in his campaign to gain converts was yet another. Today, the world is divided between the Christian West, and The Islamic East, in terms of religious converts, and sphere of influence.The ever present distrust, suspicion, and fear for the imposition of each hemispheric philosophy upon the other, is very real indeed. With the advent of one supreme global military power like the USA, and the fear of pre-emptive military strikes against those nations that do not comply with the wishes of this supreme power. Several nations are seeking nuclear technology, in order to be equipped with the type of weaponry, that will be a deterrent to any threat from America, or any other nation that has those weapons. The USA, Russia, North Korea, Iran, China, Israel, India, France, Germany, and Pakistan, are the current nations that have this capability.
The USA, Britain, Russia, & The EEC, have been trying via the UN to get other nations to adhere to a certain nuclear proliferation treaty enshrined into the United Nations Charter. But some nations claim that they need nuclear technology in the form of electricity, to help boost their internal production, and economic development. Nations like Iran, North Korea, and China, have long since said that they will not allow any UN charter to stiffle their internal developmental plans, for nuclear technology. So the back and forth political posturing goes on between North Korea, Iran, and The USA. Meanwhile, the rest of the world watches and speculates how these talks, threats, and verbal battles will eventually playout!
The long overdue Peace Accord between the Palestinians & Israel hangs in the balance. Ariel Sharun (indisposed Israeli Prime Minister) now convalesing, has arbitrarily taken some action, in relation to territorial settlements. But he refused to have anything to do with the current Palestinian Authority. Now that he is indisposed medically, and elections are due in the next few months. All of the Middle East awaits the results of the next Israeli Political Administration, and what it will do to help or hinder the peace process proposals.
I Report You Decide!

Derryck S. Griffith.
Educator & Advcate.
http://profiles.yahoo.com/derryckgrifith
http://profiles.yahoo.com/derryck_mimbari.