France has openly joined the war on terrorism and more specifically has declared war on radical Islams biggest network, al Qaeda. Sarkozy administration policies aimed at curbing the openness of what it views as radical practices of extreme Islam in his country has agitated radical Islamic groups world wide.

The banning of the traditional Muslim female head covering known as the burka enraged one group that is part of the al Qaeda network. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb(AQIM) is based in North Africa and are formerly known as the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC). The GSPC originated from a sect within the Armed Islamic Group or GIA. Here is where it gets interesting because it was this group, GIA, that was blamed for series of bombings that rocked France in 1995. The Salafist Group for Call and Combat formally merged with al-Qaida in 2006 and spread through the Sahel region — parts of Mauritania, Mali and Niger.

France is the home to the largest Muslim population in Western Europe. France culture has made a stand to remain secular and to promote equality for women. In 2009 French legislators expressed concern that more and more Muslim women were wearing a burqa or a niqab which covers the entire body, sometimes leaving only a gap for the eyes. After French president Sarkozy stated that the Muslim burqa was not welcome in France because they are a symbol of the subjugation of women the radicals abroad began to voice their opposition to what they view as an attack on Islam. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb threatened “revenge” against France for “religious terrorism” over criticism and the banning of Muslim women from their religious obligation to wear the burqa. “It said the French were committing these injustices ‘at a time when their denuded women … flock to our land and occupy our beaches and streets, outrageously defying the feelings of Muslims’.” Al Qaeda’s north African wing threatened revenge against France for launching a “war” against Muslim women who wear full burqas that cover them from head to toe, according to a Web statement posted in the group’s name. It said Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb vowed “before God not to be silent in the face of these provocations and injustices and do all in our power and take revenge at the first opportunity against France and its interests wherever they may be found, for the honour of our daughters and our sisters”.

The Latest Events: The Kidnapping and Murder Of French Aid Worker Michel Germaneau.

In April of this year al Qaeda in North Africa delivered on their threat to France when they kidnapped and held hostage a 78 year old aid worker named Michel Germaneau. Germaneau was taken in Niger by al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, and was later taken to Mali, officials said. A French-Mauritanian led raid to free French aid worker Michel Germaneau inside Malian territory has raised tension between the two nations. The 78-year-old engineer Germaneau was killed after the failed attempt to free him. AQIM leader Abdelmalek Droukdel said in a statement broadcast by al-Jazeera that Mr Germaneau had been killed in revenge for a raid in which six militants died. Mr Sarkozy said: “Convinced that he was condemned to a certain death, it was our duty to try to save him from his captors. Unfortunately Michel Germaneau was not there.”

Last year, the group said it had executed the British hostage, Edwin Dyer, and it is still thought to be holding two Spanish aid workers, Roque Pascual and Albert Vilalta, who were seized in Mauritania in November.

In a message today, July 27, 2010, al Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahri said in an audio recording that a bill passed by French lawmakers which could fine women for appearing in public with face-covering veils was “an attack on Islam”. “This is the freedom of the infidels and not the freedom of Muslims who hold fast to their religion,” the Egyptian militant leader said. “France with all its power is unable to expose the head of a nun but it attacks every veiled woman.” “What France is doing…should prompt us to hold on to our true religion in face of their deviant ideologies.

“My Muslim sisters, hold on to your hijab, even if it would cost you your money, education and jobs.

“You are mujahedat (female holy warriors) in the most important battlefield.”

Other European countries, including Belgium and Spain, are considering bills similar to France’s law

Two Saudi clerics have declared Muslim women are exempt from wearing full veils in France, but added they should avoid visiting it as tourists.

Also Read

France Banning The Burqa

Radical Islam In Europe ( July 2008)

Even before the September 11, 2001 attacks on America, Europe had been struggling with assimilating a growing and more vocal Muslim population. The majority of Muslims in Europe have and will continue to live in peace without partaking in violence or supporting it. Many Muslims in Europe have adapted to European life and have…

In recent days and more than likely in the weeks, months, and possibly years to come Pakistan’s intelligence service will be under the microscope for their role in not only the war in Afghanistan, but also being labeled as a terrorist group itself. The evidence has been there for the past two decades and many top level U.S. governmnet officials likely has seen the Pakistan ISI as a necessary evil in the war on terror.

The Pakistan Inter-Services Intelligence agency was created in 1948 and has become the most powerful of Pakistan’s three intelligence agencies. It’s initial purpose was to unite intelligence from various agencies including the Pakistan Military. The primary focus was Pakistan’s long time enemy India.

Things changed dramitically in the eighties when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and disrupted the entire region. The ISI, which by this time has become the most powerful intelligence agency in the governmnet, provided the reached out arm for cooperation between the Afghans and the United States to defeat the communist invaders in neighboring Afghanistan. Pakistan and Afghanistan not only share a border but also a common culture known as Pashtun. The Pashtun lived by a strict code of conduct and they do not view borders as important. In their eyes they are not so much Pakistani or Afghan but rather Pashtun or when describing their way of life, Pashtunwali.

A special Afghan Section was created within the ISI and fell under the command of colonel Mohammed Yousaf who was to oversee the coordination of the war against the Soviets and the communist backed Northern Alliance who was given control of the Afghanistan goverment. A number of officers from the Pakistan ISI’s Covert Action Division received training in the US and many covert action experts of the CIA were attached to the ISI to guide it in its operations against the Soviet troops by using the Afghan Mujahideen. It was a war by proxy that in the end was very successful for all parties involved. In the end however there will be no happy ending to these partnerships.

It was the training and organization provided by the ISI to the Mujahideen and the foreign Islamic fighters that flocked to the region to assist in the defeat of the Soviets that was the original driving force of modern day global terrorism. Training camps were established by the ISI and the Mujahideen in Afghanistan and Pakistan even after the war. Their purpose was to have a ready force against any other foreign invaders into the Muslim world. It was this orgainization of a far reaching international network created in the war to attain recruits and funding that led to Osama bin Laden and a few others to create al Qaeda. In the 1990’s It was the ISI that viewed what had become an unstable Afghanistan in the years following the war that led them to create the Taliban. The Taliban was to provide in Afghanistan a stable and cooperative neighbor to Pakistan. The best way for Pakistan ISI to accomplish this was to put their creation in power and allow them to rule with an iron fist so that any opposition would be crushed ensuring future control. The Taliban swept through the country defeating warring warlords that splintered the country. The relationship with the ISI has continued since the inception of the Taliban in 1994 until today. Now however in a strange chain of event it is now the United States that is battling the Islamic fighters. America and her allies find themselves in a stagnate war that has never truly fought the right type of war. The road to winning in Afghanistan is and always was in defeating Pakistan and it’s ISI.

Recent Developments

Wikileaks website in recent days has released government secret documents that claim that representatives of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) met the Taliban in Afghanistan to help them organize attacks on American forces and Indian targets. This is a bad political development for everyone. The United States has given Pakistan billions in aid that has been used to allow the Taliban to wage war in Afghanistan. The U.S. is funding the enemy that it is at war with. How is the government going to explain this is almost impossible to imagine. The U.S. and coalition troops are taking increasing casualties and if the pattern continues many more young gifted military personnel will be lost in this conflict.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai immediately responded to the Wikileaks reports by calling for the US to do more to address the support of Pakistan for the Taliban, who are largely drawn from the Pashtun ethnic group that straddles the Afghanistan-Pakistan frontier

This Is Nothing New

The revelation that the Pakistan ISI is supporting the Taliban in the war with the U.S. is nothing new to readers of Terroristplanet.com. We have run numerous articles on the topic over the past few years that have been consistent on this latest leak of top secret documents. We list the related articles below to provide a better understanding of this connection. The facts have been out even before 911. Many former CIA and other intelligence community writers have pointed out this relationship in their books. Yossef Bodansky in his “Bin Laden: The Man Who Declared War on America” goes in depth on this relationship of the ISI and modern terrorist groups originating in the outlaw Pakistan and Afghanistan region. He states that the Pakistan ISI was already playing a crucial role in aiding radical Islam even before 911. Government officials have been aware of this fact as well since U.S. intelligence is provided regularly to them on Pakistan’s ISI relationship with the Taliban. The question from here forward is how smart is it to provide the Pakistan government with aid so that it can continue to aid the ISI in their support of the Taliban in their war against the U.S.. The American public should not allow this aid to continue to flow into the hands of the murderers of our patriotic sons and daughters no matter the political games involved in the Afghanistan War when the only way to stop the Taliban is by defeating Pakistan and the ISI.

Pashtunwali: “The Pashtun Way” (April 2008)

Pashtunwali, The way of the Pashtuns Inside the remote areas of the Hindu Kush mountain range that borders Afghanistan and Pakistan an entire group of people have carved out a way of life that is as unique as their customs. The border serves as an imaginary line designed to separate the Pashtun peoples. In their…

PAKISTAN: THE FRONT LINE OF TERRORISM (August 2008)

PAKISTAN: THE FRONT LINE ON TERRORISM Why Is Pakistan So Important To The War On Terrorism. 9/01/2008 Update: ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s top security official Monday admitted that al Qaida’s leadership moved freely in and out of the country and vowed that “no mercy” would be shown to extremists based in its tribal territory that borders…

Obama’s Quagmire: Pakistan and Afghanistan (March 2009)

Obama’s Quagmire: Pakistan and Afghanistan, A warning of Haste and History. Understanding The Past and the People in the Pakistan and Afghanistan Quagmire and How America got There President Obama did not start this war. George Bush did not start this war either. Radical Islam created this quagmire that President Obama must navigate through and somehow…

The Taliban – Opium Connection (March 2008)

The connection between the resurgence of the Taliban and the continuing escalation of poppy cultivation is much more than mere coincidence. The Taliban has always been deeply connected to, and in all reality has controlled, the amounts of opium available in the world black markets. The explosion in poppy cultivation is occurring in Taliban

Terrorist Group: Lashkar-e-Taiba

Terrorist Group: Lashkar-e-Taiba Lashkar-e-Taiba also known as Lashkar-e-Toiba, Army of the Good, translated as Army of the Righteous, or Army of the Pure. Operates out of the region of Lahore, Pakistan and run numerous training camps in the disputed region of Kashmir. The main goal of Lashkar is not only to gain control over Kashmir, which…

Deadly Attacks In Mumbai, India (November 2008)

Deadly Attacks In Mumbai, India Unthinkable? No. Is the deadly attacks in Mumbai a new form of terrorism? No, but it did show that terrorists are willing to plan large scale attacks that do not need airplanes, large trucks filled with explosives parked in a lower level parking garage or in front of an embassy

Where is Osama bin Laden?

Where is Osama bin Laden? So, Where is Osama bin Laden.  Based on the majority of articles, reports, and investigations it appears that Osama bin Laden is in either Afghanistan or Pakistan near the border tribal areas where there is no Pakistan or Afghanistan forces.  Where U.S. troops cannot infiltrate because of the resistance from

Pakistan: Facts and History

The roots of Pakistan’s reputation as a haven for jihadists run deep. It was, after all, in the city of Peshawar that Al-Qaeda was born after ISI, Pakistan’s military intelligence, started to recruit Arabs to fight in the Afghan jihad Climate: mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north. Terrain: flat Indus plain in…

Terrorist Profiles: Mullah Mohammed Omar

Mullah Mohammed Omar: Taliban of Afghanistan Leader  “I am considering two promises. One is the promise of God, the other is that of Bush. The promise of God is that my land is vast. If you start a journey on God’s path, you can reside anywhere on this earth and will be protected… The promise…

As America debates the Arizona illegal immigration law there may be dangers far greater than most may realize or admit that are being attracted to our Southern border in hopes of gaining anonymous entry into the United States. The next deadliest event to happen on American soil may walk right across our border undetected.  These individuals will more than likely be  part of a larger terrorist cell network that leads back to our enemies abroad.  Terror cells according to many reports are in South and Central America waiting for a conflict between the U.S. and Iran at which time they will be activated.  All part of a global plan set in place by Iran utilizing the terrorist arm known as Hezbollah.  Sounds far fetched but the facts are the facts.

Many believe that our border controvesy is not only about illegal immigration into our country but more about American security. America’s enemies are not uninformed. There are groups that seek to utilize any method possible to enter the country and to do damage to the United States even if it means only strolling across the U.S. Mexico border. Infiltrating America without a trace of information to be tracked by. Seems like a perfect plan for a would be terrorist. Far fetched probably not if you consider what many informed public officials and experts have stated over the past few years. Many believe and have stated that the miltitant group Hezbollah, also know as Hizbollah, is operating throughout South America and even along the troubled border of America and Mexico. Formed in 1982 in response to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, this Lebanon-based radical Shia group takes its ideological inspiration from the Iranian revolution and the teachings of the late Ayatollah Khomeini. The Iran-backed Lebanese group has long been involved in narcotics and human trafficking in South America’s tri-border region of Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. Increasingly, however, it is relying on Mexican narcotics syndicates that control access to transit routes into the U.S.

In the past few days Rep. Sue Myrick has asked Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano to step up investigations of terrorists who might be operating on the U.S.-Mexico border. Myrick, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, wants Napolitano to establish a fact finding task force on the presence of Hezbollah in Mexico. “I believe Hezbollah and the drug cartels may be operating as partners on our border,” Myrick wrote to Napolitano, who is secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, in a letter last week. “I believe we need to do more intelligence gathering on Hezbollah’s presence on our border.”

In March of 2009 the New York Times reported: Hezbollah is using the same southern narcotics routes that Mexican drug kingpins do to smuggle drugs and people into the United States, reaping money to finance its operations and threatening U.S. national security, current and former U.S. law enforcement, defense and counterterrorism officials say.

In a 2007 Telemundo and MSN report on the presence of Hezbollah in South America the article stated:The Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia has taken root in South America, fostering a well-financed force of Islamist radicals boiling with hatred for the United States and ready to die to prove it, according to militia members, U.S. officials and police agencies across the continent. Mustafa Khalil Meri, a Hezbollah militiaman in Paraguay, says the militant Islamist group would take violent revenge inside the United States if it were to attack Iran.

According to Mexican officials Hezbollah has been involved in training the opposition (drug cartels and zetas) to the Mexican Army and is starting to be seen throughout the country. Homeland Security has said that there are Hezbollah members operating in the U.S. and it is reasonable to believe they are in contact with other Hezbollah in Mexico and around the world.

In March 2006 FBI Director Robert Mueller said that his agency busted a smuggling ring organized by the terrorist group Hezbollah that had operatives cross the Mexican border to carry out possible terrorist attacks inside the U.S. “This was an occasion in which Hezbollah operatives were assisting others with some association with Hezbollah in coming to the United States,” Mueller told a House Appropriations subcommittee.

In November 2005, an al-Qaida operative who was on the FBI’s terrorist watch list was captured near the Mexican border, housed in a Texas jail and turned over to federal agents, according to Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas.

In December 2008 Mexican prosecutors say they won a 60-year prison term for a human smuggler who helped about 200 people sneak into the U.S., including Hezbollah supporters. Salim Boughader Mucharrafille was arrested in 2002 and convicted on organized-crime and immigrant-smuggling charges. Boughader, a Mexican of Lebanese descent, ran a cafe in the city of Tijuana, across the border from San Diego, California. Among those he smuggled were sympathizers of Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based group that U.S. authorities have labeled a terror organization.

From an investigation from an Atlanta news station: Channel 2 Action News anchor Justin Farmer traveled to Arizona to view a detention center near Phoenix. He viewed records that show illegals in custody from from Afghanistan, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Sudan and Yemen. ….

A recent congressional report on the border threat confirmed members of Hezbollah have crossed the Southwest border. It shows photos of military jackets with Arab insignias found on the border. One depicts a picture of a plane crashing into the twin towers in New York City. Dave Stoddard was a border patrol agent for 20 years. “The American public has been kept in the dark about this issue,” he said. “In my experience, for every one apprehended, at least 10 escape apprehension.”

The congressional report also revealed the route Middle Easterners take to get the United States. It showed they travel from Europe to South America, then to the tri-border region. That’s where they learn to speak Spanish. The report said they then travel to Mexico and blend in with other illegals.

Law enforcement officials believe one of the world’s most wanted terrorists may have traveled into the U.S. in 2004 by coming through the mountains on the Mexico border. Federal agents confirmed Adnan Shurkajumah spent time in Atlanta just prior to Sep. 11th, and left on a bus. He is a Saudi Arabian pilot and bomb expert with a $5 million bounty on his head. In 2004, Shurkajumah was one of seven Al-Qaida members agents were looking for after they were spotted in Central America and believed headed to the United States through Mexico . Federal agents now say Shurkajumah seems to have disappeared.

In August 2008 The LA Times reported Western anti-terrorism officials are increasingly concerned that Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based Shiite Muslim militia that Washington has labeled a terrorist group, is using Venezuela as a base for operations. As part of his anti-American foreign policy, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has established warm diplomatic relations with Iran and has traveled there several times. The Bush administration, Israel and other governments worry that Venezuela is emerging as a base for anti-U.S. militant groups and spy services, including Hezbollah and its Iranian allies.

In April 2010 Amid growing concern about the illicit drug trade across the U.S.-Mexico border, the terrorist groups Hezbollah and Hamas have been linked to South American drug trafficking organizations–and the money Hezbollah and Hamas make from narco-trafficking is used to finance their organizations, according to the non-partisan Congressional Research Service (CRS). “International terrorist groups, including Hamas and Hezbollah, have also reportedly raised funding for their terrorist activities through linkages formed with DTOs in South America, particularly those operating in the tri-border area (TBA) of Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina,” stated CRS in an April 30 report.

There are many reports that the street gang MS 13 has worked with and has  ties to Hezbollah terror cells in Mexico and the United States.  There is a lot of money to be made by both MS 13 and for Hezbollah in the international drug trade as well as human smuggling activities.

The sad reality of this article is no matter how many reports and investigations conclude the same thing, that Hezbollah is using our pourous borders to threaten America in case of a conflict with Iran, many will say that this is paranoia. An overeaction to right wing ideologies. In the end it may just be exactly what is happening. The immigration debate should not in anyway threaten the security of the American homeland. For those that are more concerned about the rights of illegal immigrants than their fellow Americans I ask of you to acknowledge that an unsecured border where individuals enter the country without a trail of information of knowing where they are from or why they are here is not a responsible stance in post 911 times. 

See Also:

Terrorist Group Profile: Hizballah

Hizballah: a.k.a. Party of God, Islamic Jihad, Islamic Jihad for the Liberation of Palestine Back Ground Information Formed in 1982 in response to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, this Lebanon-based radical Shia group takes its ideological inspiration from the Iranian revolution and the teachings of the late Ayatollah Khomeini. The Majlis al-Shura, or Consultative Council,…

In recent days al Qaeda leadership has released a new terrorist video featuring Adam Gadahn. Gadahn is a California born Islamist convert that is wanted by the FBI for treason. He was radicalized in a San Diego Mosque and has provided material support to al Qaeda. He has released messages in the past either alone like this video or with al Qaeda second in command Ayman al-Zawahiri. It appears that the terrorist organization utilizes Gadahns English skills and insights to slowly grow an audience of young American Muslim converts that can possibly radicalized by his messages. It appears to most that you would have to be pretty naive to fall for his rhetoric but in the end if he is able to convert only a few to carry out attacks in America then he would be successful in the eyes of the terrorist organizations’s leadership that has utilized his Western language skills to seek sympathizers.

Below is a two part video of the message relased by Gadahn.

Second Part of Adam Gadahn Video

Gadahn’s message is one of pointing out events that have weakened President Obama’s Administration. He warns Obama that he needs to stop supporting Israel and that the United States needs to remove itself from the Muslim world completely. He also added that the United States has to free all captive Jihadist that are being held. Failure to meet any of the demands listed in the video will lead to a resistance that will not end until radical Islam wins.

See Also:

Terrorist Profiles: Adam Gadahn

Adam Gadahn Aliases: Abu Suhayb Al-Amriki, Abu Suhail Al-Amriki, Abu Suhayb, Yihya Majadin Adams, Adam Pearlman, Yayah, Azzam the American, Azzam Al-Amriki Background Information Adam Gadahn grew up on a goat farm in the Riverside California area. He was home-schooled until the age of 16 when he moved in with his grandparents in Santa Ana, CA….

You have probably come across a story or two in the news lately regarding bloody violence involving ethnic Kyrgyz. Most will not know where or what Kyrgyz is let alone what is causing the violence. This article hopes to provide an understanding of the situation that is taking place in this part of  Kyrgyzstan which is located in Central Asia.

Background Information On Kyrgyz

Kyrgyz is a majority Muslim Turkic ethnic group that is found mainly in the country Kyrgyzstan. They are a tribal people with a history dating back to 201 B.C.. The Kyrgyz were situated in Central Siberia in the Upper Yenisey River Valley. Their people came under control of a kagnate of other peoples including the Uigur. In 840 a revolt led by Yenisei Kyrgyzes brought down the Uigur Kaganate. After the end of Uigur control, the Kyrgyes from the Yenisei Valley took a dominating role in the region. The center of the Kyrgyz Kaganate moved to Jeti-su, and brought about a spread south of the Kyrgyz people, to reach Tian Shan mountains and Eastern Turkestan. This brought the Kyrgyz to the borders of China and Tibet.

The Kyrgyz dominance began to fade over the next 200 years and in the begininng of the 13th century their region fell under the control of the expanding Mongol Empire that ruled over the Kyrgyz region until late into the 14th century. Significant numbers of Kyrgyz relocated into China and segments converted to Tibetan Buddhism. Kyrgyzstan was annexed by Russia in 1864 and remained under Soviet control until  it achieved independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Ethnic Kyrgyz represent approximately 53% of the population of Kyrgyzstan. The next larest minority in the country is Russians who represent 18% of the population.

What Is The Kyrgyz Violence About?

In April 2010 protests movements led to the removal of Kurmanbek Bakiyev who was selected the 2nd president of Kyrgyzstan and served from 2005 until April of 2010 when government offices were taken over and Bakiyev fled the country.  Even after his 2005  election the struggle to create a stabile and non-corrupt government has remained a challenge.  Various factions as well as organized crime elements have attempted to create a resistance to attain power in the country.   Bakiyev received most of his support from the southern part of Kyrgyzstan where there the largest part of the Uzbek ethnic minority reside.

Even though he was elected in 2005 it only took until 2006 before Bakiyev was the target of large protestors that felt that he led the government with too much presidential power. He was accused of not following through with campaign promises to limit presidential power, give more authority to parliament and the prime minister, and eradicate corruption and crime. It was during this time that political murders of parliament members, riots in prisons and basic overall corruption began to strain his leadership.

Amazingly among the accusations of corrpuption and voter fraud , Bakiyev was re-elected in 2009. Under his rule in recent months he has strengthened relations with China.  It was in this friendship that Bakiyev hoped he could get enough investment and support in order to solve his country’s energy problems. Kyrgyzstan has suffered from rolling black out over the past few years especially during the winter months.  The instability created by blackouts have long term effects on a country in turmoil.  A feeling of betrayal comes over a population that can no longer count on a government that cannot provide simple electricity and heating needs for it’s people.

Kyrgyzstan in the past has had strong connections to Russia as a result of being part of the former Soviet Union. The country had grown dependent on Russia even after the indepence that they achieved  in 1991.  Kyrgysstan relies on Russia for energy and economic investments.  A riff began between the two old partners during the Bakiyev administration that strained their relations.  This cooling off friendship created a void for Kygrzstan that is much more of a follewer than an independent state.  This need of dependence upon more powerful energy producing and investment giving allies is what more than likely had Bakiyev turning more towards China for assistance.  China provides a great opportunity for Kyryzstan.  It will come with a price as it did with Russia though.   Most of the strains with Russia resulted from decisions that Bakiyev made that Russia felt affected their military stance in the region. In February 2009, while in Moscow, Bakiyev announced the eviction of the US Air Base from Kyrgyzstan.  He provided this statement right after a meeting with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev.  In return Russia promised to deliver a $2 billion investment into the country. In a turnabout the U.S. base did not get evicted, because the United States offered more rent.  This turnaround by Bakiyev upset Moscow and Russia  has since said that it will be un able to deliver on their promised aid and investments, explaining it is due as a result of the current economics crises.  This reaction by Russia has created major issues for Kyrgyzstan.  Without Russian investment and aid the country would suffer shortages of supplies and energy.

The current violence in Kyrgyzstan is pitting the ethnic Kyrgyz and the ethnic Uzbek that mostly inhabit the southern part of the country where former President Bakiyevhad much support.  The Uzbeks represent approximately 12% of Kyrgyzstan’s population.  The Uzbeks are a predominantly Sunni Muslim ethnic group.    Since the break up of the Soviet Union the Uzbek population in Kyrgyzstan has vied for autonomy and even separation from the rest of the country.  Uzbekistan to the south of Krygystan is a homeland to a majority Uzbek ethnic group that also has populations in other Central Asian countries such as Afghanistan, Turkmenistan,  Russia and even Mongolia.  The Kyrgyzstan situation boiled even before the current conflict between ethnic Kyrgyz and ethnic Uzbeks that blew up in April 2010.  In 1990,  The Osh Riots pitted Kyrgyz and Uzbeks against one another over disputed agricultural land which is a limited resource in the Osh region.  There was widespread civil disobedience and fighting.  According to the official figures, 5000 criminal acts were committed during the conflict, 300 people were killed, over a thousand wounded, and hundreds of houses were destroyed.  The fighting was only stopped by the intervention of Russian troops that sealed the border between the two ethnic groups.

The overthrow of the Bakiyev Government was encouraged by Russia.   On April 1, 2010 the Eurasian Daily Monitor reported that for weeks the Kremlin has utilized the Russian mass media to destroy Bakiyev.  Negative Newspapers and TV news programs revealed his connection to corruption.  The Russian media also has tried to connect Bakiyev and his government with involvement in the killing of journalist Gennady Pavluk last December.  The President’s son was accused of involvement in government corruption.

The Russian media dominates the Kyrgyzstan airwaves and the impact of the negative press for the leasership leading up to the overthrow has to have a large impact.  It appeared that Russia felt that it was time for a new puppet in their back yard.  The forming of a new relationship with superpower China appears to have been the final straw that broke this camel’s back.

Ethnic clashes between the Kyrgz and Uzbeks began and the death toll numbering perhaps as high as 1,000 was estimated in the first days of the restart of clashes that began in early June of 2010. Almost all the reports noted that the violence was mostly one-sided, with Kyrgyz massacring Uzbeks and the latter fleeing to cross the border into Uzbekistan.  It was the creation of the new countries with borders that did not take into consideration ethnic groups.  These minority ethnic groups are unwilling to give up their identity and they in all reality do not intend to change their ways.  Within the same borders were mixes of majorities with minorities ethnic groups that created this modern dilemma.  It is odd as the same thing occurred in Africa when it was carved up during colonial times and then the borders were redrawn to carve up the resources of the continent.  It is a failed model of placing potential enemies within the same borders that leads to ethnic cleansing episodes that we have seen in Africa as well as Eastern Europe.  Majorities want to wipe out troublesome minorities or in other cases stronger ethnic groups wipe out the weaker ethnic group.    Since the clashes have dimmed in recent days, the Uzbeks claim they no longer trust the government to protect them and are calling on the UN to administer their areas.  Even on Monday, June 21, 2010 there is still unrest in the region.   Kyrgzstan authorities raided an Uzbek village killing 2 and injuring at least 23 people in what they called a search for criminals and weapons.

The south remains tense following clashes between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks that began June 10 in the cities of Osh and Jalalabad, and killed an estimated 2,000 people. Some 400,000 people have fled the violence, with many Uzbek refugees still fearful of returning home and to their lives.

Throughout our lives we have seen peace treaties negotiated and signed to prevent future conflicts from recurring again in the future. To come to an agreement to end hostilities among two nations that both agree to conform to the demands of the accepted and signed results of negotiations. This definition of a peace treaty is more in line with what Westerners and many other parts of the world believe. In the Muslim World this is not the case unless it is between two Muslim nations.

Peace treaties among Muslim nations are acceptable However a peace treaty between a Muslim country and a non-Muslim country is not. This is where the word Hudna comes into play. A few non-Arabic speakers attach complicated meaning to “hudna,” but in reality, its definition is simple. Hudna in different variations can mean calm, tranquillity or an intermission. In the language of politics, “it means the cessation of hostilities, which does not necessarily imply the end of the conflict,” said Rashid Khalidi, the director of Columbia University’s Middle East Institute. “It’s the standard term for an armistice.”

Below is an Interesting video on the struggle for Israel and Palestinian Peace Process

Hudna is an greement that Muslim nations enter into with non-Muslim nations. Hudna is the Islamic process of covenant or peace treaty with non-believers. It is not meant to be kept. There are two reasons that Hudna is important to Islamic nations and militant groups.

We see Hudna in the conflict between Israel and Hizballah. It seems that Hizballah calls for peace after the conflict heats up and begins to experience too much damage at the hands of the more superior and better armed Israeli forces. It is never meant to be a lasting peace. It is the same with the Palestinians. They enter into peace treaties such as the Oslo Peace Accords that the rest of the world saw as a peace treaty in the Western sense, but in the end it was only meant to get as many concessions as the Palestinians could get as well as a time to regroup and be rearmed so that in the next battle they will be in a stronger position. There was never an intent for lasting peace on the side of the Palestinians nor Hizballah in these laughable agreements. It is like calling a timeout. In their eyes the only peace is an end to the state of Israel. Hudna will become more important in the near future as more conflicts between Muslims and non-Muslim nations occur such as the looming Iran and Israel dilemma that we are seeing unfold in the Middle East.

The length of a Hudna is not meant to last for more than ten years.

Update Monday May 3, 2010:  A man was arrested late Monday night in connection with the failed Times Square bombing, administration officials said. The suspect, Faisal Shahzad, a 30-year-old U.S. citizen from Pakistan, allegedly purchased the sport utility vehicle for cash on Craigslist that authorities found packed with explosives in New York on Saturday night.  Shahzad was arrested attempting to leave the country on a flight to Dubai from JFK International Airport.  Police said the bomb would have created a fireball that likely would have killed or wounded many people, making it the most serious bombing attempt in the United States since the Christmas Day attack aboard a commercial flight bound for Detroit.

Update Sunday May 2, 2010:  

NYPD top police spokesman Paul Browne says more than 100 pounds of a substance found in the back of an SUV parked on a busy city street near a theater showing “The Lion King” was fertilizer.  The odd thing is that unlike the ammonium nitrate grade fertilizer that has been used in terror attacks including the Oklahoma City bombing, Browne says this fertilizer would not have caused a massive explosion.

Original Story

As the rest of America enjoyed their first Saturday in May, New York City once again was targeted for an act of terrorism.   This time as New Yorkers and tourists filled the busy streets a deadly plan was put into action.  A failed car bomb attempt in the heart of the city’s most popular tourist spot, Times Square. Around 6:30 p.m. on Saturday evening.  Luckily an alert street vendor noticed a Green Nissan Pathfinder with white smoke emitting from it’s interior. He immediately alerted a NYPD Police Officer that called for the bomb squad and back up after his initial investigation.

The Pathfinder contained 3 propane tanks,  gasoline containers, fireworks, batteries, clocks, and a small black box. There was enough explosive components to create significant loss of life to any one within the blast zone. The bomb lacks sophistication, but still was capable of doing a lot of damage if the detonator would not have malfunctioned. It was close to 12 hours before the vehicle was removed from the site as the entire area was closed off to pedestrian and car traffic. The SUV was parked in the center of Times Square near a theater and among restaurants. It could have been disastrous if the bomb would have exploded during the busy time of evening with all the theaters, hotels and restaurants in the vicinity. This attack was meant to do maximum damage.

Even though there is no clues available to the news or public at this time, as the case is less than 12 hours, it is much more likely that it was an international terrorist attempt by a single radical or a terrorist cell than it would be an act by a domestic terrorist.   A domestic terrorist would not likely target a location such as a tourist attraction. Domestic terrorists tend to direct their attention to symbols of government. International terrorists are much more likely to hit a tourist spot such as times square because of  the desired result of the instillment of fear into the hearts and minds of Americans. It would have been a very messy event in one of America’s most popular tourist attractions.

Of interests to police and FBI investigators is that there are cameras throughout the area that can provide information about who conducted the failed car bombing attempt. The  video accessed by authorities provided footage of the green Nissan Pathfinder driving down a street near by just minutes before it was parked and the detonation failed. The fact that the materials did not explode will provide many clues. Serial numbers and or bar codes on the items can provide clues as to where certain items were purchased.  Hair samples and finger prints should be easily  obtained through the investigation process as the terrorist would have assumed that he would have been successful and the evidence that is now available would have otherwise been destroyed in the explosion.  It is failed attempts such as this that provides investigators and law enforcement authorities with the most insight in how terrorists plan and carry out their attacks.

What Does The Failed Car Bomb Terrorist Attack At Times Square Mean For America

It is interesting how lucky we have been in the latest of a string of failed or foiled terrorist attacks by internationalal groups mainly with direct links to al Qaeda groups. The foiling of the planned terrorist attack that was to take place in NYC on the anniversary of 911 attacks that tool place this past September in 2009 where Najibullah Zazi and others that were part of a terrorist sleeper cell were nabbed in the early operational stages of their failed attempt. Then again when a suicide bomber aboard a Detroit bound airliner on Christmas day failed in his attempt to blow the plane he was on when the bomb strapped to his leg failed to detonate. The fortunate luck continued today when the SUV failed to explode in Times Square. So what does this failed attempt demonstrate for the outlook of a future attack on American soil? It means in a nutshell that terrorist organizations are eagerly targeting us on a fairly consistent basis in the past few years and it will continue for years to come with possible increased regularity if recent events are any clue to the determination of these radicals.

The foiled bombing attempt by the Zazi cell mentioned above was attempting to use hydrogen peroxide as a major component to their bomb. Today’s bomb was composed of propane and gasoline as the main explosive components. Terrorists are using very simple ingredients that are readily available for purchase just about anywhere. It is more important than ever for the public, especially vendors, to be vigilant against terrorists getting their hands on large amounts of these rudimentary components that could be used to make explosives.

Lashkar-e-Taiba also known as Lashkar-e-Toiba, Army of the Good, translated as Army of the Righteous, or Army of the Pure.
Operates out of the region of Lahore, Pakistan and run numerous training camps in the disputed region of Kashmir. The main goal of Lashkar is not only to gain control over Kashmir, which is a major area of dispute between Pakistan and India, but to establish a Muslim state that unites Muslim populations throughout South Asia.” LeT” was founded more than 20 years ago with the help of Pakistani intelligence officers as a proxy force to challenge Indian control of Jammu and Kashmir. The Lashkar-e-Taiba group has repeatedly claimed through its journals and websites that its main aim is to destroy the Indian republic and to annihilate Hinduism and Judaism. LeT has declared Hindus and Jews to be the “enemies of Islam”, as well as India and Israel to be the “enemies of Pakistan”.

Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) And The ISI
It appears that Lashkar-e-Taiba has a close relationship with the Pakistan Intelligence Agency known as the ISI. The Lashkar-e-Taiba has gained strength in recent years to become a more effective militant outfit with the help of Pakistans main spy agency, the ISI. Lashkar-e-Taiba, also simply known as LeT, according to a 2008 New York Times piece has been helped by the ISI while other terrorist groups have been clampeded down on as a result of 911 and other world wide attacks by terrorist groups operating out of the troubled Pakistan. The ISI has enabled LeT to raise money as well as continue to train militants in the Kashmir territory. The Pakistan Intelligence agency (ISI) has always been considered a conduit in the world of terrorism. Corruption in the organization has linked insiders to the Taliban, al Qaeda, Lashkar and a host of other Islamic terrorist groups. Lashkar-e-Taiba may be special to many in the intelligence agency because of their resistance in the Kashmir Region they provide against Pakistan’s key enemy India. In March 2010, “The LeT is a deadly serious group of fanatics. They are well financed, ambitious, and most disturbingly, both tolerated by, and connected to, the Pakistani military,” said Gary L Ackerman, chairman of the House subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia of the House committee on international relations.

And it is the same Pakistani military, to which the Obama administration is selling advanced arms, he pointed out. Testifying before the Congressional committee, Marvin G Weinbaum, from the Middle East Institute — a Washington-based think tank, said despite the government official ban of LeT, ISI continued to consider the organisation as an asset. The Mumbai attacks and subsequent Headley investigations reveal that the LeT has the international capabilities and ideological inclination to attack western targets whether they are located in South Asia or elsewhere.

On September 12, 2006 the propaganda arm of the Lashkar-e-Taiba issued a fatwa against Pope Benedict XVI demanding that Muslims assassinate him for his controversial statements about the prophet Muhammad. During this period the clash in cultures throughout Europe and the Middle East are at a boiling point.

Origins of a Movement
Lashkar-e-Taiba, meaning “army of the pure” has been active since 1993. It is the military wing of the well-funded Pakistani Islamist organization Markaz-ad-Dawa-wal-Irshad, which was founded in 1989 and recruited volunteers to fight alongside the Taliban. During the 1990s, experts say LeT received instruction and funding from Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), in exchange for a pledge to target Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir and to train Muslim extremists on Indian soil. Pakistan’s government has repeatedly denied allegations of supporting terrorism.

Leadership of Lashkar-e-Taiba
The group has its headquarters in Muridke near Lahore in Pakistan, say experts, and is headed by Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, a former Islamic-studies professor. In December 2008, New Delhi demanded that Islamabad hand over Saeed as a suspect wanted for terrorism in India, including the November 2008 Mumbai attacks. In February 2009, Pakistani officials admitted that the attacks had been planned in Pakistan, and in November, a Pakistani court charged seven men for planning the attacks, including LeT’s chief of operations Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi. Pakistan says it does not have evidence to charge Saeed.

Al Qaeda Connection
In this part of the world things are seen differently than in the West. The West attempts to put everything into specific boxes with labels attached to them. In reality that concept does not work when attempting to connect the dots in Pakistan and Afghanistan. These groups will work together or assist one another in a type of blend where it is difficult to tie down who was involved and who was not. While Al Qaeda has provided financing and other support to Lashkar in the past, their links today remain murky. Senior al  Qaeda figures have used Lashkar safe houses as hide-outs, but Lashkar has not merged its operations with Al Qaeda or adopted the Qaeda brand, American officials said.

In April 2008 an Indian newsource stated that there was an interesting development that was picked up on the radar screen in India that predicted a new troublesome blend of radical Islam when The merger of Dawood Ibrahim’s gang with the Lashkar-e-Toiba at the behest of Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). This led to Indian security agencies becoming more concerned since the extremists ties will expand the ISI’s reach into India. In Novemeber of 2008 Lashkar-e-Taiba carried out the deadly attacks in Mumbai, India that led to the deaths of over 170 individuals in one of the most brazen and deadliest terrorist attacks since the September 11 attacks in New York.

Lashkar-e-Taiba Major Terrorist Attacks
Though there are many other LeT associated attacks, particular in Kashmir and other India provinces, below are the most deadly and significant attacks by the organization

The Chittisinghpura massacre: March 20, 2000. Wearing Indian Army fatigues to avoid detection, members of LeT came into the village in two groups at separate ends of the village of Chittisinghura in the region of Kashmir. They first lined up the rounded up Sikhs, who had been celebrating the Holi and Hola Mahalla Festival, in front of their Gurdwaras and opened fire. 36 people were killed.

2002 Kaluchak Massacre 14 May 2002 The terrorist attack which took place near the town of Kaluchak in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir began when three terrorists attacked a tourist bus from the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh and killed 31 people. The terrorists who were dressed in Indian army fatigues, while returning fire, attempted to escape in the direction of the Army’s family quarters, located on the main road. They also threw grenades on some vehicles parked in the vicinity. Upon entering the family quarters they again fired on Army family members present in the premises.The terrorists were eventually cordoned off and killed.

2003 Nadimarg Massacre 23 March 2003. Once again LeT utilized Indian army fatiques while entering the village of Nadimarg in the Kahmir province in a late night attack. They gathered together Hindus including elderly, women and children and lined them up against a wall before emptying their Ak-47’s into them. Afterwards the terrorists went onto dismember the bodies of the dead and loot the village. Victims included 11 men, 11 women, and two small boys who were lined up and shot and killed by the gunmen.

2005 Delhi bombings 29 October 2005 Lashkar-e-Taiba also was connected to a series of bombings in Delhi that resulted in the deaths of 62 people. The attacks were on two different market places and one bus. The attack coincided with the beginning of a major Hindu, Sikh and Jain holiday known as the festival of Diwali that would begin two days later. At this point Lashkar is becoming a growing and very active threat in the region.

2006 Varanasi bombings 7 March 2006 Two separate blasts resulted in the death of 28 people and injuring over a hundred others. The two bombings were planned and carried out almost simultaneusly at a temple and rail station at approximately 6:20 p.m. local time. The first attack was carried out at the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple near the Banaras Hindu University. Hundreds of pilgrims were worshipping at the temple as it was a Tuesday, believed to be particularly holy by the devotees of Hanuman, a deity at the temple. The bomb was placed in a container near a gate at the temple where women usually sit. The second blast occurred at the waiting area of the travel office at the Varanasi Cantonment Railway Station. Both attacks were set up for maximum damage and loss of life. Six other explosive devices were loacted and destroyed throughtout the city before they could be detonated.

2006 Doda massacre 30 April 2006. Lashkar once again utilized fake or stolen Indian military fatigues in two separate attacks that result in the slaughter of 35 Hindus in the Jammu and Kashmir region. In the first attack twenty two unarmed Hindu villagers, mostly shepherds or their families, were lined up and gunned down by Lashkar Islamic terrorists in Thawa village in Kulhand area of Doda district in the late hours of April 30th. The second attack, a few hours later in the neighbouring Lalon Galla village where 13 Hindu shepherds kidnapped by suspected terrorists were shot dead on the same day. Victims included a small child the age of 3.

2006 Mumbai train bombings: 11 July, 2006 A deadly attack carried out by Lashkar-e- Taiba in Mumbai. A series of seven bomb blasts took place over a period of 11 minutes on a Suburban Railway in Mumbai. In a deadly display of coordinated terrorism 211 lives are lost and the carnage maimed about 407 people and seriously injured another 768. This attack shows the growing deadly progress that Lashkar had been making in coordinating attacks for maximum damage and loss of life.

2006 Malegaon bombings 8 September 2006 A series of bomb blasts took place on 8 September 2006 in Malegaon. The explosions, which caused the deaths of at least 37 people and injured over 125 more, took place in a Muslim cemetery, adjacent to a mosque, at around 3:15 p.m. local time after Friday prayers on the Shab e Bara’at holy day. Most of the blast victims were Muslim pilgrims. Security forces spoke of “two bombs attached to bicycles”, but other reports indicated that three devices had exploded.

2008 Mumbai attacks November 26 lasting until November 29, 2008
Of all the terror attacks since the September 11, 2001 attacks this one was the one that sent shivers up my spine. The brazen act symbolizes the deadliness of simplicity in the world of terrorism. Lightly armed men with very little military training were able to hold one of the world’s largest cities in a terroristic siege. The plan was simple. Send 10 young radicalized young men to kill as many people as possible before they themselves are killed and martyered. Lashkar-e-Taiba was set on getting the world’s attention by orchestrating how deadly and cruel they can be. They were wanting to steal the spotlight from al Qaeda as the world’s most feared terrorist group. In the end 9 of the ten terrorists were killed and one that was injured was taken captive.

The reason that this is so chilling is because this “blueprint” could easily be carried out anywhere in the modern world, even occurring in the streets of the United States.

The crew of ten arrived in the piers in the South section around 10p.m. local time after sailing from Karachi across the Arabian Sea. They sailed in an Indian fishing boat that they hijacked and killed the crew immediately except for the captain who piloted the boat to Mumbai. At this point they slit his throat. They arrived on shore in inflatable boats and were seen by bewildered fishermen that watched them arrive and suspiciously removed their cargo of backpacks carrying their weapons, ammo, explosives and a small amount of dried fruits. The young men had cell phones that were connected at the other end to older handlers in Pakistan that provided orders and constant contact on what their next move was in order to follow a plan set forth many miles away to be carried out that day in Mumbai.

The group took a taxi from the fishing slums to the inner city and left a bomb in the taxi that was scheduled to explode an hour later. They threw a grenade into a bar and began firing their automatic weapons into the patrons. A second group went to the rail station where once again a bomb was left in the taxi that they rode in set to explode an hour later. The terrorists arrived and settled in before they opened up their back packs and brandished their assault rifles and began opening fire throughout the station. Minutes prior it was reported that the men were actually talking with other travellers before they began the attack. People that were shot relied on playing dead just to survive the ordeal as anything that grabbed their attention also drew their fire.

The police were outgunned and many even ran away from the scene. For fifteen minutes the terrorists were able to select who lived and died that day. The group killed 52 people at this train station and wounded scores more. Many of the victims were from the same family as they were planning to travel together. Chaos was created without a decisive plan on how to stop them. They had no idea what the next target could be. The bombs placed in the taxis exploded and killed the drivers and the passengers that were unfortunate enough to hail those taxis..

An interesting aspect of this crime was that Indian intelligence were able to pick up the phone conversations that were carried out between the controllers in Pakistan and the terrorists in Mumbai. The controllers were able to keep a tight noose on the young men and made sure that they carried out their plan to the tee. They were constantly encouraged to finish their job.

As the attack at the train station was being carried out by two terrorist, two more youths armed blasted their way into the Trident Oberoi Hotel, one of Mumbai’s biggest. Staff was killed as well as patrons waiting in the lobby. The two gunmen then turned their attention to a restaurant in the hotel and began killing diners. Visitors inside the hotel locked themselves in their room to avoid the gunfire. Ten were killed on a narrow landing in one of the most gruesome events of the attack. The two gunmen were eventually killed by Indian Special Forces. The last one was killed in the bathroom where he was hiding after his partner was killed.

Two more militants about that same time walked into the Taj Hotel and began opening fire as they were later joined by two more that had previously attacked a cafe a few blocks away killing 11 patrons. At this point there were four gunmen in the Taj Hotel. The controllers ordered the gunmen to start fires in the hotel to create an atmosphere of fear. After accomplishing this they began going from room to room looking for more people to kill. The fire blazed aout the windows of one of the wings of the hotel that created a picture for headlines acrosee the world. Indian special forces eventually arrived killing the gunmen.

The two gunmen from the train station went into a neighborhood and killed a man in his home while eating dinner. The Gunmen then went to a hospital and looked for hostages they shot and killed a police commander. The two men eventually left the hospital and were confronted by police killing the driver and overtaking the vehicle and eventually driving away.

Keep in mind that at this point there are still gunmen killing people at the Trident Oberoi hotel and holding hostages. The next target that the terrorists hit was the Nariman House a Jewish owned establishment that served as an a religious outreach house. This is where they killed a Rabi and his guests. The gunmen ramained after killing a total of nine Jewish people. On Friday after approximately 36 hours special forces rushed the historic landmark and killed them. The gunmen that carried out the attacks at the train station crashed into a police roadblock and were shot by police ending their reign of terror hours prior to this event.

In the end the 9 of the ten terrorist were killed and one was in custody. The little over 36 hours of terrorism came to an end and resulted in the killing of 173 civilians and wounding of at least 308 more. This type of attack is not that complicated and yet it’s efficiency in the violence that it is able to produce is mindnumbing. The India police were quoted as saying that they were prepared for a terrorist attack but not for 5 simultaneously occuring throughout the city. In the future local and government authorities has to keep this type of attack in the back of their minds. Coordinated lightly armed men attacking major cities anywhere would be a tough test for authorities.    See Also:  Deadly Attacks In Mumbai, India (November 2008)

Where Does Lashkar-e-Toiba go from here?
After the Mumbai attacks Lashkar continued to operate and it took some time before Pakistan would even admit that the attack was planned inside their country. They arrested some members of the group but left the top echelon in place. Lashkar-e-Toiba is a dangerous group that has benefitted greatly from the war on terror. They received funding for their cause but did not get all the negative attention that al Qaeda harbored. Their amnitions are high and their support in the world of radical Islam has grown over the years well into the Middle East. They are a group that probably doesn’t fall under the al Qaeda umbrella of control. however it is likely that they would be capable of carrying out an attack abroad especially since their rhetoric has become more international in nature when making their threat. The blueprint for Mumbai is one that America has to take notice of when preparing for the next terrorist attack that more than likely will happen one day. This was a lesson for the whole world community of how simple and deadly terrorists can be. It appears that ar least since the Mumbai attacks that Lashkar has not reached past their regional targets in Kashmir and Jammu.

For years now we have written about the endless violence that has erupted in Mexico. Thousands upon thousands have been killed since the drug cartels ratcheted up their wars with one another for control of the drug trade that leads to America. Tourists are staying away as organized crime is creeping into once popular tourist hot spots. In the end Mexico is losing out on the huge revenues that the tourist spots brought into the country not to mention the jobs that they once created. Mexico is in a self destruct mode and the corruption plaqued government can not stop the spiral as they watched their authority throughout cartel ran regions dissapear. Gory news reports of daily shootouts between drug cartel hitmen are fueling concerns among Americans, Canadians and Europeans that Mexico is increasingly unsafe, even though most of the violence is along the U.S. border, far from top tourist areas.

So how bad is it in Mexico? Well cartels and other organized crime groups have began launching offensives against Mexico Military bases. Drug gangs in Mexico have attacked two army bases in a serious escalation in the country’s drug war. Eighteen gang members died in the ensuing gun battles, in which gunmen attacked in force in bulletproof vehicles, using hand grenades and assault rifles. The attempts to blockade soldiers inside their bases were part of seven attacks across two northern border states of Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon. Traffickers previously have fought with army patrols, but the attempt to blockade garrisons came after weeks of an intense, bloody power struggle between two rival organizations, the Gulf cartel and its erstwhile paramilitary allies, the Zetas, to control the region bordering South Texas. The Mexican army says two soldiers and two gunmen died in a shootout in a northern Mexico area that has seen a recent spike in drug violence just today.

A Mexican government report has been leaked stating that 23,000 people have died in drug-related violence in Mexico since the beginning of a government crackdown on drug gangs in late 2006. According to the report, violence has surged this year, with 3,365 people already killed in the first three months of 2010. That announcement comes as officials face a new front in their war against the drug gangs. Two of Mexico’s most powerful cartels have joined forces to battle government security forces as well as a third cartel seeking its own slice of the cross-border drug trade

ACAPULCO: Five people, including a woman, her young son and a police officer, were killed on today in a daylight shootout in the hotel zone of Acapulco on Mexico’s Pacific coast, local police said. The coastal region is a flashpoint in Mexico’s brutal drug gang violence, in which more than 22,700 have died since the end of 2006, but attacks mostly occur at night and on the outskirts of the famous beach resort. Wednesday’s shootout occured mid-afternoon, said police chief Hector Paulino Vargas. A taxi driver and another driver were also killed, and five others were injured, local police officials said. Local media said federal police and gang members had been involved in the shootout.

The area most affected by the latest spate of violence has been the northeastern Gulf coast state of Tamaulipas, where authorities said 19 people have been slain and eight wounded in clashes that either pitted the armed forces against cartel gunmen or rival gangs against one another Since this past Sunday. The battles mainly occurred in cities along the eastern part of the U.S.-Mexico border, where fearful parents began keeping their children home from school beginning Tuesday. Tamaulipas prosecutor Jaime Rodriguez said Wednesday that the gun battles took place between Sunday and Tuesday, resulting in the deaths of 19 people, including a municipal police officer, while six police are reported as missing.

In some respects, the Mexican problem is the result of Colombia’s successful war on the Cali and Medellín drug cartels in the 1990s. Pablo Escobar Gaviria, the notorious leader of the Medellín Cartel, was gunned down by police commandos in 1993. Brothers Gilberto and Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela, who formed and ran the Cali Cartel, were captured in 1995, and later extradited to the United States to serve 30-year prison sentences. Although the Cali and Medellín cartels continued to operate, the removal of their leaders weakened them and created an opening for Mexican organized crime groups, such as the Guadalajara Cartel led by Miguel “El Padrino” (“the Godfather”) Ángel Félix Gallardo and his successors, to seize control of the lucrative North American drug trade,

The Sinaloa gang is the country’s largest cartel, based on the volume of drugs it moves. It grew out of the coastal state of Sinaloa, once known for its poppy fields and opium gum produced by Chinese immigrants. Now it is produced by hundreds of thousands of Mexican campesinos. The Sinaloa Cartel operates up Mexico’s Pacific coast and along the U.S. border — from Tijuana in the west, to Ciudad Juárez and Nuevo Laredo in the east. Since a different chief, or capo (the Mexican cartels have adopted the same terminology as their mafia counterparts), controls each territory, the Sinaloa Cartel has also become known as “The Federation.” But at the top of the chain sits Félix Gallardo’s former lieutenant, “El Chapo” Guzmán; Forbes magazine estimates his wealth at $1 billion. The U.S. government is offering a $5 million reward for his capture.

The second group is the Gulf Cartel, founded in the 1970s in the northeastern border state of Tamaulipas, along the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf Cartel grew dramatically during the chaos of the early 1990s, expanding its territory and moving from drug trafficking into direct sales, while engaging in a host of other nefarious rackets. The growth inevitably brought them into conflict with “El Chapo” Guzmán and the Sinaloa Cartel. But while the Sinaloa Cartel tried to maintain the veneer of a legitimate business enterprise, the Gulf Cartel burnished a bloody, violent image.

At its core was Los Zetas, originally a small group of deserters from the Mexican Special Forces, hired in 2000 by the Gulf Cartel’s former leader, Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, to serve as his bodyguards. But Los Zetas was not content to run merely security. Following the capture of Cárdenas Guillén in 2003 by Mexican authorities (sentenced to 25 years in prison by a U.S. federal court in Feburary 2010), Los Zetas started to branch off from the cartel and began independently building capacity in the drug trade and violent crime in general, engaging in kidnapping, extortion, and killings.

The Mexican Drug Cartels and their splinter drug gangs are becoming even more brazen in their targets. An employee of the US consulate in Ciudad Juarez and her husband were shot dead while driving home with their baby, who escaped injury, in March of 2010. Lesley Enriquez, 35, and Arthur Redelfs, 34, were returning from a child’s birthday party with others when gunmen stopped their cars at an intersection and opened fire. Police discovered the couple dead of bullet wounds, their baby screaming in the backseat. A third adult, the husband of a Mexican employee of the consulate, was also killed and two children in his car were injured.

The violence in Mexico has been escalating for years and is boiling over as a result of local authorities and even federal authorities under the control of Mexico’s government are losing the war against drug cartels that bring in billions of dollars from the U.S. and Canadian drug trade. Despite momentary press releases from the corrupt and failing government claiming that they have won a few battles the big picture is growing dimmer as each day brings news of more deaths as a result of uncontrolled violence in Northern Mexico. Mexico is a narco state that is failing and in the end the United States will have to employ their own forces as the cartels and gangs continue to grow their operations in American cities. The by products of the cartel drug trade is accompanied by kidnapping, murder, human trafficking, illegal immigration and a host of other societal issues all wrapped up in one package. America is becoming more at risk each day despite reports saying that the violence is not spreading across the border. Ask authorities in many U.S. cities and they will tell you that many of the drugs in their city streets are part of this border problem. The Mexican Drug Cartels have turned into a more organized “Mafia” style enterprise that is not limited by an imaginary border.

Federal authorities had been investigating members of a Michigan-based Christian Militia known as the “Hutaree” which claims they are preparing to fight the Antichrist when he arrives on Earth.   Authorities said they have been monitoring the group for some time but were forced to “take them down” over the weekend after learning of an imminent threat against police, Barbara McQuade, the U.S. attorney leading the prosecution said Tuesday.  In total their was nine suspects arrested in the conspiracy to commit a well thought out plan against law enforcement and their families.  Eight members of a small group of “Christian warriors” were arrested in several Midwestern states and a day later the FBI nabbed a ninth suspect, Joshua Stone, following a standoff at a trailer in rural Michigan.

Members of Hutaree had been undergoing paramilitary training, including learning how to shoot guns and make bombs since 2008, according to an indictment. Authorities seized guns in the raids but would not say whether they found explosives.

The federal indictment alleges the group was planning a violent attack sometime in April. The plan was to kill a member of local law enforcement, then attack the funeral procession with weapons of mass destruction. The indictment further alleges the group would use the attack as a catalyst for a more wide-spread uprising against the government

Who Are The Hutaree

The Hutaree is a Christian Militant Group that is based in Adrian, Michigan and was founded sometime in the Spring of 2008. The website translates thier name Hutaree as to mean “Christian Warriors”. The following is a excerpt from their website that states their main cause:

From visiting their website it is apparent that their militia main concern is with the Book of Revelations that prophesises that the anti-christ will return and that Christians are told to prepare for this event and resist him. The group has opted to be the protectors of the Chrisitian Faith. Something I did not come across was threats or essays of committing violent acts nor did I come across any “hate” speeches. What I found were a lot of verses from the Bible to explain why they were gathering as a group. I keep reading in the newspaper that they are a “Right Wing Threat”, but nowhere could I conclude that they had any political agenda or were even part of the Tea Party movement. I guess what I am saying is that just because they say they are Christian does not mean that they are Republican, Democrat, or any other Right Wing or Left Wing conspiracy. If the charges are proved then what you will have is basically an extremeist fringe Christian Militia. We cannot conclude that the group represents anyone elses agenda or beliefs other than their own.

However, somewhere along the path to being God fearing Christians, the group sounds like they got lost or confused. To kill a police officer, only to plan a subsequent more fatal attack which would kill hundreds that attend the would be victim officer’s funeral which would undoubtdly include families, wives, and sadly enough even children is not only not Chrisitan but are the acts of pure domestic terrorism. The plan was taken right out of al Qaeda’s play book of combining attacks where the first would kill and create panic that attracted people to the scene, to then carry out the second attack to kill first responders. In this case the people attending the funeral of the would be slain police officer.

The Hutaree, if charges are correct, are not a Christian organization at all. You can not base your organization on twisted enterpertations of God’s Word to commit acts of cold blooded murder to any of God’s children and expect to be called Christian. It is more delusional thinking and being lost in someone’s morbid Kool-aid idea of Christianity that in reality does not exhist in the true religion itself.

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