The Death Struggle Within Islam

There is a war breaking out within Islam, writes Boaz Ganor, founder and executive director of the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) in Herzliya. That war pits "the culture of Islamic radicalism against the rest of the world, which includes the majority of Muslims worldwide," Ganor writes in a report published Friday by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.

"Terrorists and fundamentalists are misusing the democratic apparatus of the state in order to promote their goals. When fundamentalists win in democratic elections, it is one man, one vote, one time, and there is no way to get rid of them except through violence," Ganor writes.

But American policymakers fail to grasp the danger. For example, White House Counter-Terror advisor John Brennan has said that "Islamists and Jihadists are not our enemy." By doing so, the United States "is sending a confusing message to its allies worldwide," Ganor writes.

While al-Qaida has yet to achieve its goal of establishing an Islamic caliphate to rule the world, Ganor believes "it is succeeding in achieving its intermediate goals to gain hearts and minds that buy into its version of Islam."

Over the past decade, there has been competition in the Muslim world between a "pragmatic axis" led by Saudi Arabia and an Iranian axis which Ganor believes is winning, with Hamas taking power in Gaza and Hizballah toppling the Lebanese government headed by Prime Minister Sa'ad Hariri.

Free elections are not the most important aspect of democracy, he contends. Properly understood, the term must also include respect for human rights and women's rights.

But priorities change when people are exposed to years of incitement and indoctrination. For example, many "come to believe that becoming a shahid (suicide bomber) is the most important goal of every patriotic Palestinian youth," Ganor writes. In this atmosphere, it isn't a big surprise when they support Hamas in free elections, as Palestinians did in 2006.

To counter this, he suggests establishing a new Marshall Plan, modeled after the U.S. initiative to aid Europe after World War II. The plan would be used to support "pragmatic regimes that have not yet faced internal revolutions," with the money coming from Muslim sources, like Saudi Arabia and the Arab Gulf states.

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U.S. Sees Lashkar-e-Tayyiba as Dangerous as al-Qaida

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told top Indian security officials in New Delhi Friday that the Pakistan-based terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) is as much of a threat as al-Qaida.

"The LeT is ranked right up there with Al Qaeda and Al Qaeda-related groups as a terrorist organization, one that seeks to harm people and take innocent lives," Napolitano said in a joint press conference with Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram. "In the US perspective, the LeT is an organization of the same ranking as the Al Qaeda-related groups."

Napolitano's assertion came in the midst of the trial of Pakistani-Canadian Tahawwur Rana, accused of complicity in the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people. A key witness in the trial, American-Pakistani David Coleman Headley, who has admitted to involvement in the attacks, has also implicated LeT and the Pakistani Intelligence service (ISI). LeT, however, denies any involvement.

The U.S. would make Headley more available to Indian authorities following the conclusion of his trial, Napolitano said. She refused to comment, however, on the role of the ISI in the 2008 plot.

Napolitano was visiting India as part of the first round of Indo-U.S. Homeland Security talks aimed at increasing strategic cooperation between the two countries who agree they face a common threat.

A key focus deals with India's suspicion that Pakistan continues to support terrorism despite international pressure. In a statement, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that U.S.-Pakistani relations had reached a turning point following the killing of Osama bin Laden, but that Pakistan must "take decisive steps in the day ahead" to combat terrorism.

Clinton's remarks followed a meeting with civilian and military leaders in Pakistan aimed at restoring ties between the two nations after the U.S. launched a unilateral and secretive strike on bin Laden in Pakistan's borders. Clearing Pakistan's top officials from any guilt in sheltering bin Laden, Clinton still cited other issues plaguing Pakistan, such as corruption and extremism, and emphasized that the United States cannot solve Pakistan's problems despite being a "very good friend" and providing the nation with billions of dollars in aid. Such troubles, she asserted, ultimately must be solved by Pakistan's leadership

Terror Suspect Convicted in JFK Plot

Jurors in New York Thursday convicted a man in connection with a failed plot to blow up John F. Kennedy International Airport. The suspect, Kareem Ibrahim, is a Trinidadian who allegedly joined the plan in May 2007 and tried to convince his co-conspirators to reach out to Iran for financial and logistical help. A government informant, Steven Francis, infiltrated the group and recorded its conversations, assisting authorities in foiling the plot before it materialized.

The initial plan for the attack was devised by Russell Defreitas, a former cargo worker at JFK Airport. His idea was to blow up fuel lines and tanks to bring down "the whole of Kennedy," according to a recorded conversation. Defreitas, along with two other co-conspirators, have already been sentenced in the case. Ibrahim faces life in prison when he is sentenced in October.

Prior to Ibrahim's recommendation to contact Iran, the plot members sought the assistance of Abu Bakr, leader of the group Jamaat Al Muslimeen ( JAM), Assistant U.S. Attorney Zainab Ahmad told jurors. JAM was responsible for a 1990 coup attempt in Trinidad that resulted in two dozen deaths. The JFK plotters hoped to either receive direct support from JAM or to use JAM to get in contact with Adnan el Shukrijumah, an al-Qaida operative who is wanted in connection with terrorist attacks against the United States.

Ibrahim advised the group not to work with JAM and instead told Defreitas that he was sending "an associate" to travel overseas to garner support for the plan, according to the June 2007 criminal complaint under which he was arrested. The associate, Kadir, was arrested on the plane en route to Iran, although Defense Attorney Michael Hueston argued that there was no evidence to support the claim that Ibrahim recruited Kadir to travel to Iran to get aid for his mission.

"Why doesn't he [Ibrahim] mention it?" Hueston said. "Because it never happened."

"Resistance Day" Showcases Terrorist Objectives

Palestinian factions are strengthening a reconciliation deal that will "liberate Palestine," while Hizballah pledged its commitment to violence during Wednesday's "Resistance Day." Both major Palestinian groups and Hizballah have rejected American efforts to weaken local terrorist organizations and to revive moribund peace talks.

Former Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath visited the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip Thursday, becoming the highest ranking Fatah figure to visit since Hamas seized control in 2007. The dialogue focused on the Palestinian Authority's intention to declare an independent state at the United Nations in September, a move rejected by both American and Israeli leaders. The visit also incorporated talks with Hamas and other Palestinian groups over the latest developments in the region, particularly speeches by American President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"We will remain steadfast and we will continue because this is a national and strategic interest," Shaath said in reference to the reconciliation pact. "Without it we won't be able to liberate Palestine and with it we will be able to establish the Palestinian state."

Independent of Hamas' embrace of violent resistance, the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) reported that Fatah officials recently honored the families of dozens of Palestinian terrorists serving time in Israeli prisons. The families of honorees, many of whom are serving multiple life sentences for killing dozens of Israeli prisons, each received a token of appreciation from the government.

Hizballah's Hassan Nasrallah also rejected American counterterrorism efforts and interference in local affairs, including America's backing of the UN Special Tribunal on Lebanon, during celebrations of "Resistance Day." In reference to Israeli rejections of Hizballah's rearmament since 2006, Nasrallah "said these missiles will remain present in the equation of the region, and no one will be able to grab them, neither in Lebanon nor in the world."

Nasrallah dismissed peace efforts proposed in Obama's and Netanyahu's recent speeches. "When we listen to these speeches we become more certain of our choices. The developments in the last three decades proved that the correct choice and the realistic one is that of the popular armed Resistance," Nasrallah said. "The unrealistic, maddening, depressing…humiliating choice is that of negotiations."

Russia and America Bond on Terror Designation

The U.S. State Department has designated an al-Qaida-linked Russian terrorist organization, the Caucasus Emirate (IK – Imarat Kavkaz), and offered a $5 million reward for its leader. The move, which was accompanied by a joint statement by the Russian and American presidents, illustrates a new level of cooperation between the two nations in counterterrorism affairs.

The Secretary of State designated Russian Islamist group, the Caucasus Emirate (IK), for a series of deadly attacks on Russian civilians. "In December 2009, investigators identified a May 15, 2009 suicide bombing outside the Chechnya Interior Ministry as being organized under Doku Umarov, IK's senior leader," said a statement about the designation. "Since its attack against a Russia high-speed rail train in November 2009, IK has continued to threaten the Government of Russia. In addition to its attack on the high-speed Nevsky Express, IK also claimed responsibility for the January 2011 bombing at the Domodedovo airport that killed 36 people."

The U.S. also authorized a substantial reward for the group's senior leader Doku Umarov, who was named as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in June 2010. Umarov has led the group's effort to "establish an Islamic emirate through violence in the North Caucasus, Southern Russia, and Volga regions of the Russian Federation, with Umarov as its Emir," a State Department press release about the reward said. "Umarov has issued several public statements encouraging followers to commit violent acts against CE's declared enemies, which include the United States as well as Israel, Russia, and the United Kingdom."

A joint statement issued by the Russian and American presidents pledged additional cooperation, particularly in the area of transportation security. "We reaffirm our common view of the threat to global security posed by al Qa'ida and advocate continued cooperation to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat this terrorist organization," said the joint statement, which was posted on the White House's website. "Protection of the traveling public remains a key focus of our efforts. We intend to enhance our cooperation by putting in place measures to strengthen security in airports serving our two countries and enhance cooperation on other modes of transportation. We remain committed to constructively exploring additional steps we could take, both bilaterally and in multilateral fora."

"In particular, we intend to discuss how we can improve in-air security through the deployment of law enforcement personnel on select flights, the state-of-the-art in explosives detection measures, and how we can work together in multilateral organizations to improve global supply chain security."

Russia has not been cooperative with all American counterterrorism efforts. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with members of Fatah, as well as terrorist organizations Hamas and PFLP, according to a recent article on the website of Hamas' military wing. The Palestinian delegation "praised Russia's efforts to support inter-Palestinian reconciliation" and "reiterated their wish to strengthen Russian-Palestinian ties, including the [joint] promotion of the Palestinian cause and the protection of rights and interests of the Palestinian people."

The United States rejected the reconciliation agreement over Hamas' continued support for terror and rejection of Israel's existence.

At AIPAC, President Delivers Skewed History Lesson

"Obama Presses Israel to Make Hard Choices" was the front-page New York Times headline after President Obama's speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Sunday. The headline referred to Obama's assertion that the June 4, 1967 borders must be the basis for future Israeli-Palestinian talks.

In his AIPAC speech, the president made important points about the importance of U.S.-Israel security cooperation and the need to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. But those were largely ignored in media accounts of the president's remarks.

"What the world heard and what the world understood – even if many Jewish Democrats remain in denial – is that Obama believes Israel must be pressured hard if there is to be peace. His condescending manner at AIPAC made it clear that he considers Israel to be the primary obstacle to peace," Jonathan Tobin wrote on Commentary magazine's blog "Contentions."

According to Tobin, the president omitted a number of key historical points from his AIPAC speech. Specifically, he left out the fact that Israel has repeatedly made "hard choices" to relinquish territory for peace. In 1993, Israel signed the Oslo Accords, paving the way for Yasser Arafat to take over Gaza and Jericho. In 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza. Tobin also observes that Israel "offered Arafat in 2000 and 2001 and his successor Mahmoud Abbas in 2008, a Palestinian state in virtually all of the West Bank, a share of Jerusalem and Gaza and was turned down every time."

Some other "hard choices" include the following: Israel relinquished the entire Sinai Peninsula twice - after the 1956 Suez campaign, which followed years of raids from Gaza-based terrorists, and again following the 1979 peace treaty with Egypt. In May 2000, Israel unilaterally withdrew from its southern Lebanon "security zone." The terrorist organization Hizballah filled the void, building a military infrastructure there and triggering the 2006 war.

Although he puts much of the onus on Israel, the president is also demanding changes from the Palestinian side. During a Wednesday joint press conference in London with British Prime Minister David Cameron, Obama warned the Palestinians not to try to circumvent direct negotiations with Israel by winning a statehood endorsement at the United Nations. He also said that if the terror organization Hamas still refuses to recognize Israel and renounce violence, "it is very difficult to expect Israelis to have a serious conversation" with a Palestinian state.

Egypt Ends Hamas Isolation

Egypt has permanently ended the closure of the Rafah Crossing into Gaza, effectively ending a four-year isolation of the territory and its Hamas government. Israel, which led the blockade to cut off the terrorist organization, called the move "a dangerous development," although not contrary to the provisions of the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty.

Egypt will open the crossing starting Saturday from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. every day except Fridays and holidays, according to the BBC. The move also is symbolic of the increasing ties between the Hamas and the new Egyptian government, which recently said it would recognize an unilateral decision to declare a Palestinian state. Egypt also advised the United States to back a Palestinian declaration, even though Hamas has promised it will not recognize Israel and will not relinquish terror.

The opening of the territory means more open shipping of goods into Gaza and greater freedom of movement for Hamas members and terrorists connected to the rising Salafi extremists in the territories. "Palestinian women of all ages will be exempted from visas as will men under 18 or over 40," the Egyptian state news agency MENA reported.

Hamas expressed its strong satisfaction with the move. "The Egyptian decision to open the Rafah crossing in a permanent way is a courageous initiative and a new success for the Egyptian revolution, after the successful completion of Palestinian reconciliation," said Hamas political member Izzat al-Rishq, in an Arabic-language article on the website of Hamas' Information Office.

"In a related context, the leadership denounced the repeated Zionist attacks on the historical character of Jerusalem, stressing that such attacks will not exceed the determination of the Palestinian people in its adherence its land and defense of its rights," the article added.

On the other hand, Israel expressed concerns about smuggling and security. "This is a dangerous development that could lead to weapons and al-Qaida smuggling into Gaza," Vice Premier Silvan Shalom said.

There was no reaction from American officials at publication time.

U.S. Reported Ready to Evacuate Yemen Embassy

With Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) growing in strength, Washington is preparing to evacuate its ambassador from Yemen, the London Telegraph reported Wednesday. The British Embassy and many other Western missions have drastically reduced their presence in the capital Sana'a because of the danger of attack.

"Yemen is standing on the edge of a precipice," a Western source said. "The rule of law has almost totally collapsed and AQAP can maneuver with unimpeded and unprecedented freedom. The current risk is as high as it could be."

Non-essential diplomats were ordered to leave Yemen Thursday, after an explosion at a weapons storage center killed 28 people

More than 100 people have died since Sunday in fighting between troops loyal to Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has ruled Yemen for 32 years, and Sadiq al-Ahmar, one of the president's most bitter tribal opponents.

The security situation took a turn for the worse on Tuesday, with troops loyal to Saleh launching attacks on Yemeni troops who had defected from the military and were trying to protect anti-government demonstrators. The Telegraph described a chaotic situation in which thousands of people fled Sana'a as plainclothes gunmen roamed the streets firing at will, while regime foes attempted to storm the interior ministry and occupied the national airline headquarters.

AQAP has been a major beneficiary of the mounting chaos in Yemen and the political turmoil surrounding Saleh, once an important U.S. ally in the war against AQAP. The New York Times reported last month that counterterrorism operations in Yemen "have ground to a halt" and that the group had become able "to operate more freely inside the country and to increase plotting for possible attacks against Europe and the United States."

AQAP has been linked to the Fort Hood massacre, the underwear bomber's attempted suicide bombing of a plane near Detroit, and the attempted bombing of two air cargo flights last October.

Iranian Government Defends Nazi Remarks After Retraction

Iran defended pro-Nazi remarks from Danish director Lars von Trier, after the Cannes film festival banned the controversial film producer from attending. Although von Trier recanted his remarks several times, Iranian Deputy Culture Minster for Cinematic Affairs Javad Shamaqdari attacked the "fascist behavior" which violated "freedom of speech."

"I really wanted to be a Jew and then I found out that I was really a Nazi, you know, because my family was German – Hartmann, which also gave me some pleasure," Lars Von Trier said at a press conference for the film festival. "What can I say? I understand Hitler… I think I understand the man. He's not what you would call a good guy, but yeah I understand much about him and I sympathize with him a little bit."

He also claimed that he was "very much for Jews, but no, not too much because Israel is a pain in the ass."

Shamaqdari's response attacked the "dark stain on its history," left by banning von Trier from participating in the event. "After 64 years, it is sad to see the traces of fascist behavior in the Cannes organizers' decision to expel one of the acclaimed European filmmakers," Shamaqdari wrote in a letter published by Iranian news sites. "Perhaps it is necessary to provide a new definition of freedom of speech for encyclopedias. Otherwise, the behavior Cannes exhibited toward Von Trier by forcing him to apologize several times causes everybody to recall the churches' medieval treatment of Galileo."

Iran frequently skirts the line between anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism, in addition to regular calls by Iranian political leaders for the destruction of the Jewish state.

Les productions de la Plume, a French company belonging to Holocaust denying director Dieudonné M'bala M'bala, and Iran's Haft Aseman Cinematic Company (HACC) have recently inked a contract to make a film adaptation of a play entitled "The Anti-Semite," said Iran's Tehran Times on Monday. The movie, which is based on "anti-Zionist" views, will show how "Zionists" in 1714 contributed to slavery in Europe. Zionism was not founded as a movement until the late 19^th century.

Al-Shabaab at War, Somali Government for Peace

Al-Shabaab has accused African peacekeeping soldiers of murder and destroying the Somali economy, in an effort to hit back against pro-government forces. In the meantime, Somali transitional President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed has invited the terrorist group to join his effort at nation building, provided that they renounce and expel all foreign jihadists.

The terrorist organization has recently issued a flurry of statements, matching the running campaign they are fighting with the transition government and African peacekeeping force AMISOM.

"Although the people of Mogadishu are being fought for their determination to adopt the Islamic Shari'ah as their source of governance, the crusaders, who serve as mercenaries propelling America's global war on Islam along the East African coast, have this time focused primarily upon the destruction of their economy," al-Shabaab said in a recent statement posted in jihadi forums.

"Having failed to achieve their desired objectives because of the strong resistance from the Mujahideen and having seen the corpses of their comrades and commanders dragged in the streets of Mogadishu on a regular basis, the objective of the crusaders is now to target innocent civilians and to destroy the fabric that holds the people of Mogadishu together, leaving them fragmented and disoriented," the group added.

This statement was followed up by others about al-Shabaab military successes, as well as a late eulogy of Osama bin Laden on the Somali al-Shabaab forum alqimmah.net.

Although al-Shabaab claims it is fighting for "the establishment of Islamic Shari'ah" in its totality over Somalia, the nation's transitional president "invited al-Shabaab loyalists who are ready to abandon their militant ways to join the rest of the country in nation building."

President Ahmed appears to be appealing to increasingly worn-down al-Shabaab fighters, who have been defecting in droves when they realize that the terrorist organization is violating Islamic law. A recent defector, 15-year-old Abdulkadir Mohammed, explained the lure of the group.

"I thought that al Shabaab was right in their fighting against Somali government, because they misguided and lured me after I was persuaded [pro-government forces] are apostate ones who deserted Islam," Mohammed said in an interview with All Headline News.

"Most of fighters at the battlefield are very young teenagers like me or younger than me. The commanders and foreign fighters come at the frontline only if the battles intensify," he explained. "What made the situation so worse is that they you can't go back to retreat, because foreign and Somali militants will kill you."

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