Month: August 2007

Brother of JI Leader Arrested in California

bali-bombing.jpg

They are two of 11 siblings of Malaysian descent, according to court documents. And they did most of their talking across the distance by coded e-mail using Malaysian language. They called guns “iron” and government agents were called “dogs.” Bombs were called “prizes” or “presents.”

Authorities have arrested Rahmat Abdhir, who is a US Citizen of Malaysian descent in Sunnyvale California. His brother, Zulkifli Abdhir, is a suspected leader of Jemaah Islamiyah, an Al Qaeda affiliated group responsible for killing 202 people in a nightclub bombing in Bali, Indonesia in 2002. Story at Breitbart,  photo to the left depicts victims of the Bali bombing, which used a car bomb.

Continue reading “Brother of JI Leader Arrested in California”

Phoenix Rises Enroute to Mars

nasa_phoenix_mars_210_3aug07.jpgThe Phoenix Mars mission hit a rain delay yesterday and instead took off this morning. The launch was clean, and one of our frequent commenters caught the trail, but not the takeoff — Aknot describes the scene below:

I verified the launch schedule before I left for work (3 am) and checked my watch at 5:10 am. The morning sky was cloudless and the moon was at my back…perfect! At 5:45 I saw a strange cloud formation in the sky and said “crap”, I missed it.

The trail was amazing, being lit up by the moon behind me or the city lights (Tampa and Orlando) in front of me. It looked like a huge white wispy ring but later you could better see the trail as the sun came up and changed some of it to an orange glow. The last half hour it was visible it resembled a smoke trail straight from a RoadRunner/Wile E. Coyote cartoon with loop-de-loops, u-turns, and circles.

It’s on my list of things to do to go down and watch a shuttle launch, Aknot watches from the Tampa area every launch. Continue reading “Phoenix Rises Enroute to Mars”

Iman Ali’s Home Raided in Murder Investigation

This is as predictable as the sunrise. The Movie, Khuda Kay Liye has taken Pakistan like wildfire and paints the lives of different Pakistanis post-9/11. Iman Ali stars in the movie, and extremists don’t like it. Since the movie is so popular they cannot attack it, so instead they go after the most vulnerable — the actress.

iman-ali.jpgThis is as predictable as the sunrise. The Movie, Khuda Kay Liye has taken Pakistan like wildfire and paints the lives of different Pakistanis post-9/11. Iman Ali stars in the movie, and extremists don’t like it. The movie is so popular they cannot attack it without gaining ire, so instead they go after the most vulnerable — the actress. (See this previous post about why movies about Pakistan usually use Bollywood actress’ instead of Pakistanis.) Continue reading “Iman Ali’s Home Raided in Murder Investigation”

Black Muslims Adopt Taliban Tactics in Oakland

your-black-muslim-bakery.jpgThe Taliban is known for destroying shops that sell goods “forbidden” under their version of Sharia in both Pakistan and Afghanistan, and they are known for targeted assassinations against opposition leaders. In Oakland California, both tactics appear to have been used against the community this week.

Police have raided Your Black Muslim Bakery and seized multiple weapons after a prominent bay-area black journalist was slain. This comes after a year-long investigation for crimes including murder, robbery, and kidnapping.

UPDATE: Black Muslim Bakery and Yusef Bey are NOT part of Nation of Islam as a commenter pointed out. Indeed, during the violence against merchants in the area Nation of Islam members passed out flyers condemning violence against the store owners.

I stand duly corrected, and have fixed the title of this story, thanks.

UPDATE: SUSPECT CONFESSES

Note to investigators: The Journalist killed by them did a few stories on them — it was only when he started investigating their financing that they killed him. Perhaps you should follow the money too?

Continue reading “Black Muslims Adopt Taliban Tactics in Oakland”

Beauchampian Prose

nosferatu.pngThe journalistic landscape is littered with the corpses of failed journalists, staked through their black hearts by reality. They seek an eternal life of Pulitzer fame by betraying truth; but then one day truth dawns phoenix-bright and burns them to an ashen husk.

To win a Pulitzer you must venture into the realm of “literary reporting” where framing and gritty angle are more important than objective reality — you must sell out truth and fully prostrate yourself at the altar of nihilism as the entry-tithe to the kingdom.

Update: Beauchamp fully recants. Continue reading “Beauchampian Prose”

Pakistan Update

20070803_ed03.jpgMusharraf met with the military leaders to discuss the Indian nuclear deal, and more meetings of the Pakistan military commanders are underway even as on the political front the coalition between PPP and PML-Q continues to jell.

The government continues to expel foreign students from madrassas who don’t have a “non-objection certificate” from their country’s government in an effort to crimp the inflow of foreign extremists. 554 students were deported, and 717 cases are under further consideration. Continue reading “Pakistan Update”

Al Qaeda and Taliban Declare War on Pakistan

Al Libi released a tape that essentially seconds Al Zawahiri in declaring war on Pakistan and the Pakistani government.

pakistan-flag.jpgThe Al Qaida schism reported by Newsweek and others in my earlier post here was either exaggerated, or Al Libi has been brought into line and the split has healed for now. If I were in AQ or the Taliban I would still be watching my back; terrorists shouldn’t think think they can trust their allies anymore, because they still aren’t all in agreement. Al Libi released a tape that essentially seconds Al Zawahiri in declaring war on Pakistan and the Pakistani government. Continue reading “Al Qaeda and Taliban Declare War on Pakistan”