Arsonists Who Targeted British Publisher Convicted

Three men have been convicted in the September 2008 arson at the office of Martin Rynja, whose Gibson Square publishing house published The Jewel of Medina, a novel about Aisha, the child bride of the Prophet Mohammed.

According to a London Times article, two men admitted their roles in the attack, which involved poring diesel into Rynja's mail slot and lighting it on fire. No one was injured. A third man, who was alleged to be the getaway driver, was convicted by a jury this week. The Times quoted John McDowall, deputy assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command describing what investigators learned about the suspects:

"Photographs, tapes and documents found at their homes showed the violent mindset of this trio of arsonists. This was a professional, proactive investigation which left Ali Beheshti and Abrar Mirza with no choice but to admit their guilt when faced with overwhelming evidence."

One suspect, Ali Behesti attracted police attention in 2006 after attending protests against Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed. There, he held banners that promised to "Massacre those who insult Islam" and dressing his 20-month-old daughter in a hat that read "I love al-Qaeda."

Random House withdrew plans to publish the novel in the U.S. last year after concerns the story might prompt a violent backlash from some Muslims similar to the Danish cartoon controversy. Beaufort Books snapped up domestic rights to the book last fall.

Win Win

Tuesday was a good day for the Department of Justice as it secured convictions in two terrorism cases.

In New York, a jury convicted Oussam Kassir on all 11 counts against him, including conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and providing that support.

Prosecutors say Kassir created "a jihad training camp in Bly, Oregon" to prepare fighters to go to Afghanistan and help Al Qaida. He also operated web sites that featured instructional material on making bombs and poison:

"As used by the conspirators in this case, the term "jihad" meant defending Islam against its enemies through violence and armed aggression, including, if necessary, through murder to expel non-believers from Muslim holy lands."

Kassir is scheduled to be sentenced in September. Two co-conspirators are in custody in England and awaiting extradition to face trial. Read more about the verdict here and here.

In Miami, meanwhile, a jury convicted five men of conspiracy to provide material support to Al Qaida. A sixth defendant was acquitted in this trial and another acquitted in the first mistrial. The "Liberty City Six" verdict came after two mistrials and tremendous criticism of the government case. The defendants pledged "bayat," or a loyalty oath to Osama bin Laden, and discussed blowing up an FBI office in South Florida and the Sears Tower in Chicago.

An informant posed as an Al Qaeda operative and discussed obtaining weapons and other supplies with the defendants. Critics of the case questioned whether the men were capable of acting on their threatening talk.

Sentencing is scheduled for July. Read more about the Miami verdicts here and here.

Armchair quarterbacks and supporters of accused terror suspects delight in prosecutions that end in mistrials and acquittals. The perseverance of prosecutors and law enforcement officials warrants praise and recognition of their success.

Jasser: Shariah Debate Rooted in Denial

An interesting debate over Shariah law and democratic society is playing out over at the Huffington Post. Last month, an imam named Faisal Rauf wrote about his belief that Shariah, or Islamic law, can be compatible with American ideals and freedoms.

This drew a detailed and pointed rebuttal Monday from M. Zuhdi Jasser, the Arizona phycisian and Navy veteran whose organization, the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, seeks to confront and expose Islamist ideology from a devout Muslim's perspective.

Islamists, who merge faith and politics in seeking religious law as a form of governance, "are also part of a global movement which stands against western secular liberal democracies," Jasser writes. While many Shariah advocates espouse or engage in violence, many are peaceful. But that does not minimize the threat it poses to democracy:

"There must be a clear demarcation between the domain of the cleric's laws and the domain of our government's laws -- i.e. our Establishment Clause. The American Establishment clause is incompatible with any form of Shariah. Imam Rauf ignores this fact. It is no longer 'God's law' when it is interpreted into any manifestation of human law. 'God's law' is only 'God's law' within the personal relationship of an individual with God. Once a human collective interprets law if it is done in the name of religion, it is theocracy, not God's law. Rauf's linkage to the Declaration of Independence rings on deaf ears. No matter which way he spins it, one faith cannot create a system of laws for all humanity unless it comes from a supremacist theocratic mindset."

He argues that Muslims need to come to terms individually when they seek conflicts between religious and secular law. But the emphasis must be on the individual, or the march toward theocracy begins:

"Thus law cannot be defined by one faith -- it must be derived from reason."

Jasser covers much more important ground in his article, which can be read in full here.

Is U.S. Aid Indirectly Benefitting Hizballah?

There's a disturbing report in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz that recent Lebanese crackdowns on Israeli intelligence cells has been "apparently aided by American training and equipment."

To be clear, the U.S. is not coordinating with Lebanon in the crackdown, which has resulted in the arrests of 17 people allegedly sending information about Hizballah to Israel. Better training and better equipment for Lebanese security is credited with helping break the cells. Those improvements were advanced by $1 billion in American aid since 2006, the story says, "including $410 million in security assistance to the Lebanese military and police."

According to Haaretz:

"Hezbollah-controlled Al-Manar television reported that the suspects' job
was to collect information on potential targets such as the group's
installations and the homes of its leaders."

U.S aid to Lebanon is said to be up for review following next month's Lebanese elections. If there's any chance it is being used to benefit Hizballah, even indirectly, that support must be severed.

Is Washington Readying Confrontation With Israel Over Nuclear Deterrent?

The Obama Administration's call for Israel to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) could jeopardize a 40-year-old secret agreement between Washington and Jerusalem and make Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's May 18 meeting with President Obama a difficult one. Speaking Tuesday at a United Nations meeting on the future of the NPT, Assistant Secretary of State Rose Goettemoeller flatly declared:

"Universal adherence to the NPT itself – including by India , Israel, Pakistan and North Korea – also remains a fundamental objective of the United States."

Since a September 25, 1969 summit between President Richard Nixon and Prime Minister Golda Meir, the United States and Israel have had this understanding: Both nations would keep quiet about Israel's nuclear weapons. Israel would refrain from testing them, while the United States would not pressure Israel to sign the NPT, which limits nuclear weapons to five countries: the United States, France, Britain, Russia, and China.

Today, however, the Obama Administration is seeking talks with Iran over its nuclear program, and Tehran says there can be no progress so long as the Islamic Republic is treated differently from Israel. On Monday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad Ali Hosseini said that nuclear cooperation by the United States, Britain and France with Israel occurs "in total disregard with [sic] the obligations under" the NPT and remains "a source of real concern for the international community, especially the parties to the treaty in the Middle East."

Faced with Iranian stonewalling, the Obama Administration has been sending mixed signals about how far it is prepared to go in pressuring Israel. Goettemoeller declined to say whether the administration would press Israel to sign the NPT. Washington Times reporter Eli Lake got mixed signals when he put the question to administration officials: A "senior White House official" described Israeli and Iranian nuclear programs as unrelated "apples and oranges." But, asked whether the Obama Administration would press Israel to join the NPT, the official replied: "We support universal adherence to the NPT. [It] remains a long-term goal." When asked the administration's position on the 1969 understanding, the senior White House official had no comment.

If Obama leans on Netanyahu over signing the NPT, look for the Israeli leader to push back – hard. During the 1998 Wye River peace negotiations, Netanyahu sought a personal commitment to the Nixon-Meir understanding from President Clinton because of Israeli concerns about a treaty barring the production of fissile materials that can be used to make nuclear weapons. Israel was worried that the treaty might oblige it to allow inspections of its Dimona facility. Aluf Benn of Ha'aretz reported on a letter Netanyahu sent Clinton during the Wye River talks which contained the following passage: "We will never sign the treaty, and do not delude yourself, no pressure will help. We will not sign the treaty because we will not commit suicide."

In an appendix to the Wye River accord, President Clinton sent a letter to Netanyahu promising in writing that the United States would preserve Israel's strategic deterrence capabilities and ensure that they would not be damaged by future Mideast arms-control initiatives.

Read more about the U.S.-Israel nuclear weapons issue here.

4th Circuit Upholds Green Quest Raids

A 2002 raid on a series of Northern Virginia businesses and the homes of their officers suspected of terror financing was handled properly and was not the product of any false claims by law enforcement, an appellate court ruled this week.

The 4^th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected arguments from two women whose home was searched that agents misled a court to obtain the warrant, and then mistreated them during the search by breaking down their door, guns drawn and later handcuffing the women for several hours during the search. The women, the wife and daughter of Iqbal Unus of the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT), claimed Treasury Agent David Kane, author of the affidavit used to secure the search warrant, fabricated information. For example, they argue he made up the label of "the Safa Group" for the web of businesses operating out of the same Herndon office building with the same corporate officers that also were subjects of the 2002 searches.

The 4^th Circuit rejected this claim, writing:

By using the term "Safa Group," not only did Agent Kane not make a factual misrepresentation, he made no factual representation at all. He simply applied a label in order to shorthand the identification of the persons and entities being investigated. On the second page of the Affidavit, Kane stated, "For ease of reference, I will refer to the web of companies and charities . . . as the 'Safa Group.'" [Emphasis added]

The investigation continues, with its focus believed to be on the IIIT itself. A refusal to testify before a federal grand jury in the case, despite a grant of immunity, prompted criminal contempt charges against admitted Palestinian Islamic Jihad supporter Sami Al-Arian. A decision on his motion to dismiss the contempt case is expected soon.

The Washington Post has more here. Journalist Douglas Farah also weighs in here.

Andrew McCarthy: Obama, Holder Go Soft on Al Qaeda Terrorists

The Justice Department (DOJ) and the FBI are waging a questionable public relations campaign to persuade the American public that they are tough on terrorism despite mounting evidence to the contrary, says former federal prosecutor Andrew McCarthy. DOJ issued this April 30 press release announcing the guilty plea of Ali Saleh Kallah Al-Marri in connection with a plot to carry out a second wave of terrorist attacks against the United States after September 11. Attorney General Eric Holder took a backhanded swipe at the Bush Administration's approach to jihadist terror in announcing Al-Marri's plea, touting the result as a reflection of "what we can achieve when we have faith in our criminal justice system and are unwavering in our commitment to the values upon which the nation was founded and the rule of law."

So what exactly did Holder and the Obama Administration achieve with the Al-Marri plea? Writing at National Review Online, McCarthy analyzes the results and concludes that a dangerous terrorist is getting off very lightly:

"What was that result? What did Holder get from reversing George W. Bush's policy of detaining enemy combatants during wartime, the practice under which Al-Marri spent the last seven years in a brig? Al-Marri was permitted by the Justice Department to plead guilty to a single count of material support to terrorism, maximum sentence 15 years imprisonment with the possibility that Al-Marri may simply be given credit for time served and released."

Here are excerpts from the DOJ press release announcing Al-Marri's plea which describe his role in al Qaeda's plan to commit a second wave of mass murder in the United States following September 11:

"Al-Marri was instructed by KSM [9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed] to enter the United States no later than Sept. 10, 2001. Al-Marri and his family arrived in the United States on September 10, 2001. Al-Marri conducted online research of various cyanide compounds, including hydrogen cyanide, potassium cyanide, and sodium cyanide. He reviewed toxicity levels, locations where these items could be purchased, and specific pricing of the compounds. He also explored obtaining sulfuric acid, a well-known binary agent used in a hydrogen cyanide binary device to create cyanide gas. Al- Marri believes that the government would prove at trial that this is the method taught by al Qaeda for manufacturing cyanide gas.

Al-Marri agrees that the government would prove at trial that his research into cyanide compounds is consistent with research conducted by persons trained in camps teaching advanced poisons courses to terrorist organizations, including al Qaeda. He also agrees that the government would prove at trial that an almanac recovered at his residence was bookmarked at pages showing dams, waterways and tunnels in the United States, consistent with al Qaeda attack planning regarding the use of cyanide gas."

A 15-year sentence for that kind of involvement in plots against America "grossly undersells the grave seriousness of his war crimes," McCarthy writes. He's no armchair quarterback. He prosecuted Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman for conspiring to blow up New York landmarks and assassinate political leaders.

The Obama Administration has already released – without trial, al Qaeda operative Binyam Mohamed, assigned by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to carry out further mass-murder attacks against the United States. Read more about him here.

Italian Mosques Dominated by Muslim Brotherhood?

An Italian researcher is out with a startling claim that up to 60 percent of his country's mosques are run by the Muslim Brotherhood. Alexandre Del Valle, a University of Paris researcher, also raised questions about halal butchers in Italy, who may be helping fund terrorist groups.

News reports about Del Valle's claims do not offer details about any data he used to reach this conclusion. It would be nice to know and to see whether any commensurate study could be done in the U.S.

It is well documented the Muslim Brotherhood members in the United States started the Muslim Students Association (MSA), the Muslim American Society (MAS), the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and other organizations. Many of the same people helped establish mosques throughout the country.

Wolf: President has "Moral Obligation" to Inform Americans About Uyghurs

A Virginia Congressman wants President Obama to declassify and release publicly all information about a group of Chinese Uyghurs who have been held at the Guantanamo Bay detention center for more than seven years, but who may be released soon and allowed into the U.S.

In a letter dated Friday, U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) wrote of "grave concerns" he had about the possible release of the Uyghurs, who were detained after being captured in an Afghan training camp. Last fall, an appeals court blocked a lower court order that would have prompted the men's release and admission to into America.

While the administration has made no formal decision, news reports indicate some of the 17 Uyghurs who have been in Guantanamo could be sent to America, perhaps to Virginia suburbs that have a Uyghur community. Before that happens, Wolf wrote, the public deserves a full accounting of the men's background:

"Information I have received indicates that the Uyghurs may be more dangerous than the public has been led to believe. I write today asking that you declassify all intelligence regarding their capture, detention, and your administration's assessment of the threat they may post to Americans, prior to any decision to release them. The American people deserve to have all the facts about these individuals before they should be expected to tolerate their presence in our communities."

Wolf also wants the Administration to explain how it will monitor the Uyghurs once they were released, something he called a "moral obligation" for the Administration:

"The American people cannot afford to simply take your word that these detainees, who were captured training in terrorist camps, are not a threat if released into our communities."

See Wolf's letter to the President here.

Tough Questions on Guantanamo Closing

The Obama Administration continues working toward its goal of closing the Guantanamo Bay detention center by January without much more clarity about what happens to the dozens of jihadis still housed there. A few countries have indicated a willingness to accept some detainees, but it's still possible men considered threats to the United States could be imprisoned or even freed here.

As Fox News reported:

Republican lawmakers on Wednesday blasted President Obama for what Sen. Kit Bond calls a "ready, fire, aim" policy that demands the facility be closed by next year without a plan for placing the remaining prisoners -- or even determining whether they will be freed or put through a criminal trial.

"Like me, Missourians -- all Americans -- are still waiting for Obama to make the case that his decision to release the detainees at Guantanamo is in our country's national security interest; the president has failed to make the case that the release of these terrorist-trained detainees will make us safer; the president has failed to make the case that the release of these terrorist-trained detainees won't pose a threat to American citizens," Bond said in a speech on the Senate floor.

In addition, former federal prosecutor Andy McCarthy notes that any "acclimation" costs associated with releasing the detainees into society – wherever that may be – are likely to be financed by U.S. taxpayers. McCarthy offers 9 pointed questions for the administration to answer before it releases anyone else or proceeds further on its plans. They include clearly defined standards by which a detainee is "cleared" for release and an explanation of what prompted their original incarceration as enemy combatants.

As McCarthy explains it:

"So to complete the picture, we now have an FBI out beating the bushes — and taking lots of flak for it — to try to find out which radical Muslims in the United States may be embedded jihadists who've gotten paramilitary training from al Qaeda, and we've got an Attorney General and a President who are simultaneously planning to embed in the United States jihadists who've gotten paramilitary training from al Qaeda."

McCarthy's questions merit answers.

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