HezbAllah TV (Al Manar) Broadcasting in Indonesia

HezbAllah Television station, Al Manar, has begun broadcast in Indonesia. The Coalition Against Terrorist Media has started a campaign to see if they can get it removed from the airwaves. Indonesia also hosted the large gathering of Hizb ut Tahrir, whom I believe to be the “political wing” of Al Qaeda, late last year.

From AHN:

Windsor Genova – AHN News Writer

Washington, D.C. (AHN) – A global coalition of Muslim, Christian, Jewish and secular organizations urged Indonesia’s state-owned television network Wednesday to stop broadcasting a television channel operated by Hezbollah.

A press statement from the Coalition Against Terrorist Media called for Indonesia Telkom to follow the lead of other major satellite companies and cease its ties to al-Manar, Hezbollah’s propaganda arm.

“The Jakarta government should not be enabling the broadcast of al-Manar because it uses the Quran to justify terrorism and violence,” said Mark Dubowitz, manager of the Coalition.

Al-Manar also recruits terrorists, provides “operational surveillance” to Hezbollah, and violates the European Television Without Frontiers Directive, which prohibits “any incitement to hatred on grounds of race, sex, religion or nationality,” according to the statement.

More from CATM:

Al-Manar has been found to be in breach of the European Television Without Frontiers Directive (TWFD). According to Article 22a, “Member States shall ensure that broadcasts do not contain any incitement to hatred on grounds of race, sex, religion or nationality.”  

When al-Manar was launched, its website stated its purpose: to wage “psychological warfare” against its enemies, including the United States. That goal remains the same today. In an interview, an al-Manar official said its programming is meant to “help people on the way to committing what you call in the West a suicide mission.”  Implementing its goal, many of al-Manar’s videos aim to recruit terrorists. Al-Manar uses music videos and programs aimed at children glorifying suicide bombers and encouraging children to engage in terrorist activity.

In urging Indonesia Telkom to cease its relationship with al-Manar, Dubowitz said, “Indonesia Telkom’s relationship with al-Manar cannot be seen merely as a business transaction. In today’s world, corporations have global responsibilities besides earning a few extra dollars for its shareholders. Moreover, transacting commerce with terrorist entities can’t help shareholder value.”

Asiasat, Eutelsat, Globecast, NSS, Intelsat, Hispasat, Amazonas, TARBS and most recently Thaicom are some of the satellite companies that have ceased broadcasting al-Manar.

CATM, a coalition of Muslim, Christian, Jewish and secular organizations and individuals in Europe, the Middle East and the United States, works to educate the public, the satellite industry and governments about media outlets that are owned or funded by terrorist organizations and those who advocate or incite violence.

Cheerless Leader Lost?

couric.jpgI don’t normally write about cruft like this — I mean who watches evening news nowadays anyway? However on seeing this story I had to do this post because the title for it popped into my head, a pun that plays at many levels.

There you have it.

Katie Couric is rumored to be leaving as anchorperson at CBS Evening News due to tanking ratings:

Katie Couric, who left her coveted spot on the “Today” show for the chance to anchor a nightly news program, is likely to leave CBS News well before her contract ends in 2011, the Wall Street Journal reported today.

Yesterday Was Black Tuesday

Yesterday was black Tuesday, Microsoft has released a new batch of patches for security fixes, you need to head off to Microsoft Update and get patched if you use Microsoft Operating Sytems or Office Packages on your computer:

MS08-019 Important

Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Visio Could Allow Remote Code Execution (949032)

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS08-019.mspx

MS08-021 Critical

Vulnerabilities in GDI Could Allow Remote Code Execution (948590)

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS08-021.mspx

MS08-022 Critical

Vulnerability in VBScript and JScript Scripting Engines Could Allow Remote Code Execution (944338)

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS08-022.mspx

MS08-023 – Critical

Security Update of ActiveX Kill Bits (948881)

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS08-023.mspx

MS08-024 – Critical

Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer (947864)

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS08-024.mspx

MS08-018 Critical

Vulnerability in Microsoft Project Could Allow Remote Code Execution (950183)

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS08-018.mspx

MS08-020 Important

Vulnerability in DNS Client Could Allow Spoofing (945553)

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS08-020.mspx

MS08-025 Important

Vulnerability in Windows Kernel Could Allow Elevation of Privilege (941693)

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS08-025.mspx

PPP vs MQM Clash in Karachi Claims 7 Lives

Riots and mayhem broke out today between differing “lawyer groups”, in reality PPP lawyers vs. MQM lawyers. Five people were burnt to death trapped on the upper floor of a building, and a seven year old child was shot in the head.

This factional fighting goes back nearly to the founding of the state of Pakistan, and it takes only thin excuse for either side to act out. It’s a shame that it’s overwhelming goals of the new government. Party leads from both sides really need to get this under control.

From AP:

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — A street fight between political rivals spiraled into rioting in Pakistan’s biggest city Wednesday, with armed men smashing cars and setting fires. Five people burned to death in one building and two were shot and killed.

It was the worst political violence Pakistan’s new government has faced since taking office last month, vowing to curtail the powers of U.S.-allied President Pervez Musharraf and cement democracy after eight years of military rule.

The trouble broke out when pro- and anti-government attorneys punched and beat each other with sticks near the main courts complex in Karachi. Soon after, armed men in began shooting and torching cars in several districts, witnesses said.

A nearby building was set ablaze, and five charred bodies were found on the sixth floor, said police officer Syed Sulaiman. Two other people died of gunshot wounds, including a paramedic whose ambulance came under fire while trying to the injured.

Salman Naguri, a 22-year-old shopkeeper, said he saw two men on a motorbike shoot at passing ambulance, which crashed into an electricity pylon.

“For 15 or 20 minutes an injured man was crying for help from inside the ambulance but nobody helped him,” Naguri said. When another ambulance crew arrived, the man was dead, he said.

Much more on the incidents that led up to today’s violence from Darwaish at All Things Pakistan.

Previously:

Television Censored in Karachi

Less than a Year Ago in Karachi

The London 7/7 Bombers had Scouts

Like most terror operations involving suicide bombers there are scouts who survey and locate targets and target areas first. Sometimes the scouts act as handlers on the side, holding a remote to detonate the bomb if the bomber changes their mind or loses nerve

Like most terror operations involving suicide bombers there are scouts who survey and locate targets and target areas first. Sometimes the scouts act as handlers on the side, holding a remote to detonate the bomb if the bomber changes their mind or loses nerve.

Right now the London terror trials reveal the miscreants who assisted the bombers.

From The Daily Mail:

These are the three men accused of helping the 7 July bombers to identify possible targets in London.

The three were due to stand trial today – the first prosecution in connection with the atrocity – on charges of conspiring with the four suicide bombers to cause explosions.

As a jury for their trial was sworn in today, a judge lifted an order banning publication of drawings or photographs of the accused men.

Waheed Ali, 24, Sadeer Saleem, 27, and Mohammed Shakil, 31, all deny conspiring to cause explosions.