Some notes on Wikileaks documents

First thing, a war is a war. It’s not a very loving and caring thing to do, specially when the other “team” is using children, women or elderly people, as spies or as suicide bombers. Or even persons whose intelligence level is disputable or who have psychiatric problems. In every war, since the beginning of mankind there have been episodes which any sane person would find disgusting if he had been told about them.

That said, and considering the insistence on Human Rights abuses on the Iraqi war (someone caring to see how many times Saudi Human Rights abuses in peaceful time are on newspapers and magazines’ main pages? Oh, no, please, these guys have oil!!), there are other things I would like to point out:

1. Firstly, the immediate consequences for Iraqi PM could be devastating. “There has been no evidence found in the documents that Mr. Maliki was aware of the grisly acts of torture and beatings. However, the timing of the documents’ release comes just as his Shiite bloc, known as State of Law, has made gains in securing the majority of parliamentary seats needed to form a new government“. Now, his opponents, Mr. Allawi and Haider Mulla, both want an investigation on the leaked documents, specially about some illegal detentions. Well, accountability is natural in any democracy, although let’s hope Islamist terrorists don’t profit from this information. As they are brutal by nature, they don’t care about publicity or accusations. Something which obviously make themselves a little different from “peaceful” politicians.
2. Secondly, the Iraqi WMD: there is an article in Wired (found) that speaks about how Wikileaks warlogs prove their existence: “WikiLeaks’ newly-released Iraq war documents reveal, U.S. troops continued to find chemical weapons labs, encounter insurgent specialists in toxins, and uncover weapons of mass destruction“. Of course, we have to wonder why these warlogs weren’t published to show their existence, something which would have ended a lot of speculations and ferocious critics on the subject.
3. And thirdly, the participation of Iran and Syria in the Iraqi war, supporting the so-called “insurgence“, is clear considering the content of the documents. Most of the people are speaking about Iran, that “provided paramilitary training to Shiite Muslim insurgents“, something not specially striking if we consider the good relationship between Al-Sadr, the Iraqi cleric in “charge” of the Mahdi militia, and Iranian Govt, among other data. But there were smuggling operations from Iraq to Syria documented in those documents, with Syrian guards’ support. But not only smuggled things were passing through the Syrian-Iraqi borders: “The WikiLeaks documents describe hundreds of “foreign fighters”, including dozens of Syrian citizens, using the country’s remote eastern desert as a transit point into Iraq. In June 2005, Iraqi border police engaged a group of men who crossed the border illegally to recover a disabled vehicle – which was “believed to be used in smuggling [operations].” The police came under fire – not from the men recovering the vehicle, but from Syrian border guards“.

I mention that “smuggling operations” because there were satellite photos that allegedly proved that Iraqi WMD had been smuggled to Syria. Will Wikileaks’ released documents provide more evidence about that claim?

UK: IFE supported Rahman Luftur wins on Tower Hamlets (III)

Livingstone might benefit from Rahman’s victory, as it has allowed him to resuscitate his ‘Red Ken the insurgent’ pose – and you can’t get much more cynically subversive than this latest stunt. Questions will and should be asked of his close association with an ally of the Islamic Forum for Europe, to say nothing of Rahman’s alleged campaign irregularities. Logically this should damage Livingstone, but the areas from where he will draw his support are not really like Tonbridge Wells. 

via The Islamic Republic of Tower Hamlets | The Spectator.

The author is referring himself to the support “Red Ken” gave to Rahman before the elections. The question now is, if that support (after the Labour candidate, Red Ken recommended to vote for Lutfur so the Tories couldn’t win) could cause his expulsion from the party (don’t think that will happen). It also opens the question about what party in that case, would Red Ken choose to support.

Meanwhile, Labour will embark in an enquiry about what has happened (isn’t it obvious?) and Ed Milliband continues to be silent on the issue, despite being questioned on the issue.

(Gee. I love that cartoon 😛 ).

Background:
UK: Islamist organization receives funds secretly.
UK: Charity praised by PM and Prince Charles, linked to Hamas.
IFE supported Ratman Lutfur wins on Tower Hamlets: 1, 2.

Sweden: police detain Turkish man wanted by Belgium on suspicion of terrorism

Swedish police say they have detained a Turkish man wanted in Belgium on suspicion of terrorism.

Security police spokesman Patrik Peter says the man was arrested at Stockholm’s Arlanda airport on Friday after arriving on a plane from Syria.

It is unclear if the man planned to stay in Sweden or had tickets to continue his journey to another destination.

Peter said on Sunday that Belgium issued a European arrest warrant for the man several months ago, amid suspicions of terrorism and other crimes, but declined to give any more details and did not identify the suspect.

A Swedish court has up to 30 days to decide if the man, who is in his 30s, should be extradited to Belgium.

via The Canadian Press: Swedish police detain Turkish man wanted by Belgium on suspicion of terrorism.

UK: Tony Blair’s sister-in-law Lauren Booth converts to Islam after ‘holy experience’ in Iran

I sincerely hope her “holy experience” wasn’t with Ahmadinejad… Now, seriously, I really can’t take this woman very seriously:

Tony Blair’s sister-in-law has converted to Islam after having a ‘holy experience’ in Iran.

Broadcaster and journalist Lauren Booth, 43 – Cherie Blair’s half-sister – said she now wears a hijab head covering whenever she leaves her home, prays five times a day and visits her local mosque ‘when I can’.

She decided to become a Muslim six weeks ago after visiting the shrine of Fatima al-Masumeh in the city of Qom.

‘It was a Tuesday evening and I sat down and felt this shot of spiritual morphine, just absolute bliss and joy,’ she told The Mail on Sunday.

When she returned to Britain, she decided to convert immediately.

‘Now I don’t eat pork and I read the Koran every day. I’m on page 60. I also haven’t had a drink in 45 days, the longest period in 25 years,’ she said.

‘The strange thing is that since I decided to convert I haven’t wanted to touch alcohol, and I was someone who craved a glass of wine or two at the end of a day.’

Refusing to discount the possibility that she might wear a burka, she said: ‘Who knows where my spiritual journey will take me?

Source.

So this woman converts to a religion and haven’t read its “holy” book on its entirety. 😯 How can she tell then that she agrees with it?

And then, she refuses to deny the possibility of wearing a burqa. 😯 Poor daughters.

Iran: Multiple Reports of Secret Group Executions in Vakilabad Prison

Iran’s Judiciary should immediately institute a moratorium on all executions at Vakilabad Prison in Mashad and provide a transparent response to allegations of excessive numbers of executions at the facility, said the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran today.

The Campaign continues to receive credible reports from former Vakilabad prisoners about repeated, unannounced group executions of inmates. Reliable sources indicate that numerous executions have taken place inside Vakilabad over the last year and more than 600 inmates remain on death row.

Authorities reportedly executed ten inmates in Vakilabad as recently as Tuesday, 12 October. The numbers of executions publicly announced by the authorities are considerably lower than the actual numbers. Amnesty International reports that at least 388 executions took place in Iran in 2009.

“These reports of Mashad executions indicate that Iran is executing even more people–dramatically more– than now estimated,” said Aaron Rhodes, a spokesperson for the Campaign.

“Especially given the Iranian government’s lack of transparency concerning executions, the Judiciary needs to provide a full account of what is happening inside Vakilabad’s death row,” he added.

Source.

Nonetheless, despite this or other facts coming from Iran lately, like chopping robbers’ hands, arresting or expelling journalists who don’t agree with their sick theology, jailing filmmakers, bloggers and Human Rights activists and sentencing Muslims who convert to other religion to death, they are going to sponsor a conference about “Human Rights in the US“. 😯

Certainly, they are not the more appropriate people to speak about any other country’s record of Human Rights. Anyway, would they dare to speak about Saudi Arabia, Pakistan or Sudan’s Human Rights? I guess not.

The reason is clear: condemning US while Iranian record of Human Rights’abuses increases every day.

Opinion: Is Sarkozy ready to declare multiculturalism dead?

Is Nicolas Sarkozy ready to repeat the words of Angela Merkel on Saturday in front of the young Christian Democrats? The finding of a failure of multicultural system, according to the the Chancellor, is identical to that observed in France and throughout Europe and described in this blog regularly. “Multiculturalism has failed, absolutely failed,” Merkel agreed, driven by a view that is in the process of radicalization vis-à-vis immigration and especially of Islam. “We feel bound to Christian values. Whoever does not accept that has no place here,” she said. “We do not need an immigration burden on our social system,” she said, finding that training for the unemployed should take precedence over the recruitment of immigrant workers. She nevertheless considers it necessary to skilled immigration, adding that “Islam is part of Germany.”

Italy’s MP Fiamma Nirenstein:”Islam Does Not Like Christians”

Jewish Italian MP Fiamma Nirenstein (pictured) was reconfirmed this week as Vice President of Italy’s Foreign Affairs Committee. In addition, she was also appointed an official consultant on Israel and the international Jewish communities by Italian Foreign Minister Frattini.

Earlier this week, Nirenstein commented on Christian leaders who criticize Israel yet ignore violence by Arabs. She pointed out that “Islam does not like Eastern Christians: it has forced them to flee and now they account for only 6% of the population in the Mideast“, and added that the only country where the number of Christians has grown is Israel, where 163,000 Christians live today, a number which is expected to grow to 187,000 by the year 2020. “In Muslim countries, on the other hand, Christians are on the wane, but the 50 churches present in the Holy Land seem not to notice. They prefer to dump on Israel, where they enjoy full freedom of worship and expression,” said Nirenstein.

via Italy’s MP Fiamma Nirenstein:”Islam Does Not Like Christians” – Politics & Gov’t – Israel News – Israel National News.

She is right: just listen to the Christians from those countries and it’s clear as water (1, 2, 3). It’s really shameful that there are so many “Christians” who spend so many time critizising the “Jooooossssss” instead of searching for viable solutions for the present “unhealthy situation“.

U.N.: Vote on ‘Religious Defamation’ Resolution to be held in December

For the sixth year in a row, the U.N. General Assembly will vote in December on a resolution presented by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) that calls on governments to act against “religious defamation.”

Similar resolutions have been passed every year since 1999 by the U.N.’s main human rights body. However, in both the UNGA and the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, the resolutions have drawn declining support in recent years.

Last December’s UNGA vote passed by 80-61, with 42 countries abstaining. The 19 vote margin was the smallest number yet; margins in the four previous years’ votes had ranged from 33 to 57.

Over the past five years, only seven countries have changed their position to “no.” The rest of the difference has been the result of non-Muslim developing countries shifting from supporting the measure, to abstaining.

Those who oppose the resolution, including religious freedom, freedom of expression, legal and humanist advocacy groups, believe that this trend will continue until the OIC measure fails altogether.

But the OIC is hoping that incidents over the past year, especially the Quran-burning and “Ground Zero mosque” episodes in the U.S. and the Swiss ban on the building of minarets, will help to rally supporters.

Although the OIC resolutions profess to cover all religions, only Islam and Muslims are cited by name. Last year’s text expressed concern that “Islam is frequently and wrongly associated with human rights violations and terrorism” and referred also to the “ethnic and religious profiling of Muslim minorities.”

While the resolutions themselves are non-binding, they open the door for the OIC’s attempts to amend the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which is legally binding.

Christian ministries working among persecuted religious minorities are ramping up their lobbying of governments that have voted for the resolution or abstained in the past, and are calling for public support.

via Christian Web News – cwnewz.com – U.N. to Vote on ‘Religious Defamation’ Resolution.

Open Doors USA has launched an advocacy campaign against this UN Resolution, on the basis that it’s against freedom of religion.

Afghanistan: Taliban Attack Main UN Compound in Herat Dressed in Burqas

Reuters reports that four Taliban suicide bombers dressed as women and police attacke the main UN compound in Herat, in Western Afghanistan. Herat is the largest city in the area with a population of 3 million.

Herat is a commercial hub and violence by the Taliban and Islamist is usually less active. Herat is under control of the Italian NATO contingent.

There were no UN casualties. The attack was initiated with a car bomb at the gate and two suicide bombers blowing themselves up. The fourth insurgent was shot inside the compound before he could blow up his suicide vest.

“The incident is over and there are no U.N. casualties,” said Kieran Dwyer, chief U.N. spokesman in Kabul. The interesting fact in this attack is that the insurgents were dressed in all encompassing burqas. Others were in police uniforms.