washingtonpost.com, September 13, 2008 "Nuclear ring was more advanced than thought, UN says" : The nuclear smuggling ring headed by Pakistani scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan possessed a broader range of secret nuclear designs than was previously known and shared them electronically among members of the network, a U.N. watchdog group said yesterday.

A report by the International Atomic Energy Agency also acknowledged large gaps in investigators' understanding of the smuggling ring, raising concerns that Khan's nuclear black market may have had additional customers whose identities remain unknown.

"Much of the sensitive information coming from the network existed in electronic form, enabling easier use and dissemination," the Vienna-based agency stated in an internal report, copies of which were obtained by several news outlets and nonprofit groups. Among the key documents, the report said, were instructions for making enriched uranium, and "more disturbingly, information related to nuclear weapons design." US and UN officials have previously confirmed that blueprints for at least two types of nuclear weapons were found on computers owned by Swiss businessmen associated with Khan.

Yesterday's report summarized the IAEA's five-year investigation into Libya's former weapons program, which the country's leader officially renounced in 2003. Libya acknowledged being a longtime customer of Khan's, and it voluntarily turned over evidence, including hundreds of documents, that described the country's business dealings with the Pakistani scientist...

See also a background on the nuclear drawings:

cbsnews.com (AP) January 23, 2004, "Libya gives up nuclear weapons pix" : Libya has handed U.N. inspectors drawings of a nuclear weapon, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Friday, in the most concrete sign that the North African nation was serious about building such arms. "We have been shown nuclear weapons drawings that the Libyans have in their possession,"Mark Gwozdecky, chief spokesman for the UN nuclear watchdog agency, said in Vienna. "We have put those drawings under our seal, and they are secure." Asked about the significance of the drawings and the IAEA's announcement that it had them, a diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity said: "It's the first time anyone has acknowledged" that Libya entertained intentions of building such a weapon.

Agency inspectors are in Libya, along with a separate team of US and British experts, to take inventory of its nuclear arms program, part of plans to scrap the weapons of mass destruction that the country admitted last month to possessing. The diplomat, who is familiar with the agency's work in Libya, said the drawings did not depict a complete weapons system such as a missile, but showed a device more like a warhead. He described it as "a device that goes 'boom' which can be put on a missile or can be put into a bomb form." ...

9.12.08 In her first big interview, Palin says, 'I'm ready'

September 12 - For the last two weeks, Democrats and even some Republicans have asked: Does Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska have enough experience to hold the second-highest office in the nation, or the presidency if the need arises? "I’m ready," Ms. Palin answered without any hesitation in an interview with ABC News on Thursday, saying she had felt no doubt about accepting Senator John McCain's offer to run as his vice-presidential nominee.

"I answered him yes, because I have the confidence in that readiness and knowing that you can't blink," Ms. Palin told her interviewer, Charles Gibson. "You have to be wired in a way of being so committed to the mission, the mission that we’re on, reform of this country and victory in the war."

It was perhaps the most confident answer she supplied in a sometimes tense and generally probing interview with Mr. Gibson. It was her first session with a major news organization since she joined Mr. McCain's Republican ticket two weeks ago and was immediately transformed from an obscure, first-term governor to a national political star.

At times visibly nervous, at others appearing to hew so closely to prepared answers that she used the exact same phrases repeatedly, Ms. Palin most visibly stumbled when she was asked by Mr. Gibson if she agreed with the Bush doctrine. Ms. Palin did not seem to know what he was talking about. Mr. Gibson, sounding like an impatient teacher, informed her that it meant the right of “anticipatory self-defense.”

At a separate event on Thursday, a deployment ceremony for her son Track and thousands of other soldiers heading to Iraq from Fort Wainwright, Alaska, Ms. Palin told them they would be fighting "the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced in the death of thousands of Americans." The comments sounded reminiscent of the disputed connections the Bush administration once made, but no longer does, between Iraq and the Sept. 11 attacks. But a senior McCain campaign aide said Ms. Palin did not believe Saddam Hussein played a role in the attacks. [More>>nytimes.com]

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9.12.08 Suspected US missile kills about 12 people in Pakistan

MIRANSHAH, Pakistan (AFP) September 12 - A missile fired by a suspected US drone Friday killed about a dozen people in a Pakistani tribal area where international forces in Afghanistan have been targeting al-Qaeda militants. The missile hit a house on the outskirts of Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan, a local official said, in the fifth such strike in two weeks targeting Taliban or al-Qaeda fighters hiding out in the rugged tribal area.

"The pre-dawn strike destroyed the house and 12 people were killed<" the official told AFP, with another 10 people wounded. The 12 were believed to be rebel fighters, locals said, adding that the house hit in the Tol Khel area had been rented by an Afghan militant organization, Al Badar, and was being used as an office. Al Badar, backed by former guerrilla leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, has previously conducted operations against Afghan and international forces based across the border in Afghanistan, residents and a security official said.

Missile strikes targeting militants in Pakistan in recent weeks have been blamed on US-led coalition forces or CIA drones based in Afghanistan. Pakistan does not have missile-equipped drones. Pakistan and the United States have been drawn into a dispute over the strikes, with Pakistan army chief General Ashfaq Kayani this week strongly criticizing them and insisting no deal existed to allow foreign troops to conduct them. As well as the missile strikes, Pakistan for the first time accused Afghanistan-based troops of carrying out a direct attack on its territory, a raid in the South Waziristan tribal zone that left 15 people dead. [More>>khaleejtimes.com]

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9.12.08 Fresh clashes leave 25 Taliban militants dead in Bajaur

PESHAWAR, Pakistan, September 12 - Security forces killed 25 more militants in fresh clashes that broke out in Bajaur Agency on Friday, said official sources. The militants were killed in the operation at Loisam, Sangkhata, Shankai areas of Bajaur Agency, the sources said. The ongoing clashes have continued for six weeks and have killed about 700 militants.

The security forces also continued operation against militants in tribal region of Darra Adamkhel. However no loss of life was reported. Meanwhile, experts under the surveillance of security forces surveyed the destroyed bridges to open the Indus Highway, which is closed for a couple of weeks. People are facing severe problems because of closure of Kohat tunnel and Indus highway. [>thenews.com.pk]

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9.12.08 Pakistan black nuke network had sophisticated info

VIENNA (AP) September 12 - The UN nuclear monitoring agency says the black market nuclear network operating from Pakistan had substantial and up-to-date information on how to make an atomic bomb. The International Atomic Energy Agency says much of the sensitive information was passed on to customers in electronic form. [More>>thejakartapost.com]

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9.12.08 US firm ambushed again in Afghan south, 23 dead

KABUL (Reuters) September 12 - At least 23 people were killed when Taliban insurgents ambushed a US security firm convoy in southwestern Afghanistan on Friday, provincial officials said, the second attack on the firm in as many days. Farah provincial police chief Khalilullah Rahmani said 15 of the dead were Taliban militants killed in the fighting that broke out following the ambush. Rahmani said US Protection and Investigations, a firm involved in escorting supplies for coalition forces, also suffered casualties but he had no details.

..Separately, the US military said coalition forces had killed more than 10 militants and detained two during operations in eastern Afghanistan that also targeted the network of veteran Taliban commander Jalaluddin Haqqani. US forces have focused on Haqqani's network this week, firing missiles from drones into a house and a religious school founded by him in Pakistan's tribal region just across the border, killing 23 people, mostly his relatives. [Full story>>khaleejtimes.com]

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9.11.08 Nation marks 7th anniversary of terror attacks

NEW YORK (AP) September 11 - The nation paused Thursday to mark the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks with heartfelt remembrances at the World Trade Center site, the dedication of a memorial at the Pentagon and a planned visit to ground zero by the presidential candidates. Relatives of victims killed at the World Trade Center gathered in a park in lower Manhattan for readings from dignitaries and a recitation of the names of the dead. Later Thursday, Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain were due at ground zero to pay silent respects.

"Today marks the seventh anniversary of the day our world was broken," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at the start of the ceremony, calling Sept. 11, 2001, a "day that began like any other and ended as none ever has." The ritual in New York included moments of silence in the morning at 8:46, 9:03, and 9:59 and 10:29 — the times when two hijacked jets slammed into the trade center buildings and the twin towers fell. [More>>abcnews.go.com]

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Editorial note: Americans, and all of the friends and relatives around the world of those who were lost or injured in the 9/11 attack, may be offended by the following opinions from the Middle East:

alarabiya.net, September 11, "No consensus on who was behind Sept. 11: poll" : DUBAI - Seven years after the attacks on the United States on September 11 that left nearly 3,000 dead many people do not believe that al-Qaeda was responsible or do not know who to blame, according to a survey released Wednesday. The global public opinion survey found that majorities in eight out of the 17 nations polled did not believe al-Qaeda was behind the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington. Nor was there any consensus on another possible perpetrator, although significant minorities in many countries blamed the US government itself, and in a few Israel. In the Arab and Muslim countries polled majorities attributed the attacks to the US government, Israel, or simply had no answer...[More>>; See related stories, of Middle Eastern views:

arabtimesonline.com (Editorial by Ali Ahmed Al-Baghli, former Minister of Oil) "Tell us Laden - what was gained?" Thursday marks the seventh anniversary of the so-called 9/11 attack on the US, which was engineered by al-Qaeda terrorists under the leadership of Osama Bin Laden — a fugitive.  We should ask Bin Laden and his followers — including MPs, those claiming to be Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) experts with extremist ideologies, and recruiters of suicide bombers in Kuwait — to present a report on the profits and losses the Arab and Islamic world incurred from the 9/11 attacks. In international conferences and through the media, the Americans blamed all Muslims and Arabs for the loss of innocent lives during the attack.  However, Muslims and Arabs repeatedly denied al-Qaeda's involvement in this heinous crime, pointing out how Christians and Jews have continued to malign Muslims...

iran-daily.com, September 11, (Editorial by Amir Ali Abolfath) "Bush's 9/11" : Seven years ago today the world entered a new and highly unpredictable era. The collapse of the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York and the attack on the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001 raised many troubling questions on how the world’s largest terrorist operation was engineered and visibly disrupted the international order.

There are a variety of hypotheses on 9/11. The US government officially claims al-Qaeda terrorists masterminded the attack to harm American interest on its own soil. However, opponents of the embattled Bush regime believe al-Qaeda operatives, coming from an impoverished and war-ravaged Afghanistan, could not target the huge US military and commercial centers in a few minutes. Analysts in no small numbers, including many sympathetic to the United States say masterminds from within the US ruling establishment were behind 9/11 to create the grounds for George Bush to unleash his formidable firepower and take revenge.

..Small wonder that 9/11, all the gloom and doom it carries, and the catalog of unanswered queries related to it, has become synonymous with the name of George W. Bush who spread the “terrorism tumor“ across frontiers under the nonsense of fighting terror. Bush is responsible for killing hundreds of thousands of innocent people...

daralhayat.com, September 9 (Editorial by Mostafa Zein) "Seven years of the War on Terror" : ...We should remember that the Iraq war began with a lie. The White House announced, after September 11 and the invasion of Afghanistan, that the Iraqi regime was involved in making weapons of mass destruction...al-Qaeda entered Iraq with the invasion, which was a golden opportunity for the group. It turned Iraq, with militias coming from Iran, into a center of religious and sectarian struggle, spreading this model throughout the region (what is happening in Lebanon is the best example).

..After seven years of the war on terror, Bush is preparing to leave the White House, leaving behind some big accomplishments: al-Qaeda has expanded its activities, from Pakistan to the Arab Gulf. It is even regaining its strength in Afghanistan. Iraq is still drowning in the chaos of warring sects and religions. Freedoms in the Middle East have declined. The US-Israeli war against Lebanon two years ago did away with a democracy that was the dream of Arabs. The chances for peace seem more distant than any time before. Repressive regimes are getting stronger on the backdrop of religious conflicts...

Like many other Americans, I remember exactly where I was when the terrorists attacked. I heard the report on the radio as it was happening as I was driving to my newspaper office. I asked my publisher if the unbelievable story was true and he replied that it was true. The story was on the evening news on the major TV networks and continued to dominate the news for weeks thereafter. Some of the early news reports following the terrorist attack showed Moslems around the world celebrating the attack. On this grave day of remembrance we are again reminded that there are people who have a different view of the cause and the World Trade Center event that resulted in the murder of 3,000 innocent civilians from around the world.

Since the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq we have been continuously reminded of Islamist suicide bombings and other attacks against innocent civilians, most of which have been against other Moslems. Since 2004 Maravot News has recorded most of the daily news reports of such attacks and we have asked how it is that Islam's Allah advocates murdering innocents. We have also quoted the Koran at length. Many verses of the Koran claim that the Koran was written to confirm the Bible. The Koran derives its authority from the Bible (Old Testament and New testament — Gospels). The Koran also recognizes Jesus as the Messiah (See IMRANS 3.45). See, for example, Philistia Triumph thou because of me," Chapter 9, page 31, Maravot News, "Why the Crusade & Jihad?"etc.). The "Messiah" is a term that was coined in the Bible, meaning "anointed one" and referring to a promised savior of the world after the manner of King David and of the seed of King David. The Gospels, translated into Greek, called the "Messiah" by the term "Christ." In simple terms the Koran recognizes Jesus as the Christ, as well as his Gospel. The Koran's advocacy of murdering "the unfaithful" seems to conflict with the very teachings of Christ that it says it confirms.

There seems to be a major disconnect between the teachings of the Bible and the Koran. The Bible condemns murder and it advocates peace and teaches the forgiveness of those who trespass you and turning the other cheek. There is no doubt that those who claim to follow the teachings of the Koran have a substantial misunderstanding of the teachings the Koran claims to confirm. It causes one to wonder how God could be divided against himself. Many Moslems tend to think that Allah is a god separate from the God of the Bible. See Maravot News 7.08.08 story 7.04.08 Sikh group joins protest against ban on use of word "Allah" in Malaysia.

I am particularly amazed that the imams (teachers/preachers of Islam) have no understanding of the Koran's verses that claim to confirm the Bible (called in the Koran "The Jewish Scriptures" and the "Gospel of Jesus.") Since 1989, about forty thousand readers every month from over 90 nations around the world have been exposed to this discussion from maravot. I lament that I have yet to make a connection on this revelation with pastors and imams of the faiths that derive their authority and guidance from the Bible.

Mel Copeland

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9.11.08 Nasrallah: No peace in Middle East as long as Israel exists

September 11 - Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah said in a recent interview that as long as Israel exists, there will be no peace in the Middle East. "The region will not see the light of peace or any stability because of Israel's aggressiveness and militant nature," Nasrallah said. Despite hiding out in a bunker since 2006's Second Lebanon War, Nasrallah recently spoke to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting radio station, Army Radio reported. [More>>haaretz.com]

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9.11.08 NATO says won't take part in Pakistan raids

BRUSSELS, September 11 - NATO will not take part in a proposed U.S. strategy of conducting raids into Pakistan from Afghanistan against Taliban and al-Qaeda militants, a spokesman said on Thursday. "The NATO policy, that is our mandate, ends at the border," James Appathurai told a regular news briefing. "There are no ground or air incursions by NATO forces into Pakistani territory." Appathurai said he was sure the issue would be discussed when 26 NATO defence ministers debate Afghan strategy at a Sept. 18-19 meeting in London. But he added: "Let me stress, it is not NATO that will be sending its forces across the border." [More>>thenews.com.pk; See related story, cbsnews.com, September 11, "Busk ok'd secret US strikes in Pakistan."]

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9.11.08 5 nabbed for generating terrorist hype online

JEDDAH, September 11 - Saudi authorities arrested five men on charges of promoting militant activities on Islamic Internet forums, the Interior Ministry announced yesterday. "Each of the men used more than one user name to persuade unsuspecting victims in a decisive dialogue," said ministry spokesman Gen. Mansour Al-Turki. "One engages in a dialogue thinking it's with a group of people sharing their opinions when it's actually one person supporting one thought."

The five suspects, three Saudis and two foreigners, were encouraging others on these forums to take up arms in Afghanistan and Iraq. The five men were arrested independently and are not considered to have been working together, said Al-Turki. The ministry would not confirm media reports that the two foreigners arrested were an Egyptian and a Syrian. Nor would the ministry divulge details into how these men were caught, citing security concerns. [More>>arabnews.com]

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9.11.08 At least 20 killed in attack on Pakistan mosque

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AFP) September 11 - At least 20 worshippers were killed and 30 wounded when suspected militants hurled grenades and fired into a mosque in northern Pakistan during Wednesday evening prayers, an official said. "Militants surrounded the mosque, threw grenades and then started indiscriminate firing, killing 20 people and wounding 30 others," a senior security official told AFP.

He said the attackers fled into the mountains after the attack in the remote region of Dir district in North West Frontier Province, near the Afghan border. Local district official Mahmood Khan said three grenades were lobbed into the mosque which hit the last two rows of the congregation. Children were among the victims, he said. The district borders on Bajaur and Swat districts where Pakistani troops are heavily engaged in a crackdown on al-Qaeda and Taliban-linked militants. [More>>alarabiya.net]

BAGHDAD, September 11 - Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant has conveyed leaders' dissatisfaction with al-Qaeda's operations in Iraq, according to the US military, which says it has uncovered letters authored by the terror outfit's No. 2 man. Ayman al-Zawahiri allegedly wrote the March letters -- which the military released Wednesday and which were translated by CNN — to Iraqi militant groups with ties to al-Qaeda. "It is in their own words. It is reflective of what they are saying about themselves,"said Brig. Gen. David Perkins, a spokesman for the Multi-National Forces in Iraq.

Al-Zawahiri conveys advice from al-Qaeda's chief, bin Laden, on how to improve the group's performance and passed along dissatisfaction among al-Qaeda members and leaders over a range of issues. Complaints revolve around the group's recruiting efforts, poor communication between al-Qaeda central and al-Qaeda in Iraq, ineffective and dishonest propaganda techniques, and the growing difficulty in moving "assets" from other countries into Iraq. It has become very evident that it has become extremely difficult for al-Qaeda to bring assets in from outside of Iraq," Perkins said. "Therefore, we know more and more they have to generate their own operatives inside Iraq and they have to generate their own financial capabilities."

The first letter is to Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq. The letter conveys accusations that al-Masri is too isolated to keep tabs on his operatives and questions his ability to lead al-Qaeda's branch in Iraq. It also questions the manner in which al-Qaeda in Iraq's umbrella group, the Islamic State of Iraq, was established. Al-Zawahiri asks al-Masri to respond to the allegations from other al-Qaeda leaders. "[Al-Zawahiri] was concerned he wasn't getting any regular updates on Iraq. He wasn't getting any regular communication from al-Masri," Perkins said. "He was very dissatisfied with the quality of recruits they were getting to conduct operations in Iraq." [More>>cnn.com]

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9.11.08 Greece unearths treasures at Alexander's birthplace

ATHENS (Reuters) September 11 - Archaeologists have unearthed gold jewelry, weapons and pottery at an ancient burial site near Pella in northern Greece, the birthplace of Alexander the Great, the culture ministry said on Thursday. The excavations at the vast cemetery uncovered 43 graves dating from 650-279 BC which shed light on the early development of the Macedonian kingdom, which had an empire that stretched as far as India under Alexander's conquests.

Among the most interesting discoveries were the graves of 20 warriors dating to the late Archaic period, between 580 and 460 BC, the ministry said in a statement. Some were buried in bronze helmets alongside iron swords and knives. Their eyes, mouths and chests were covered in gold foil richly decorated with drawings of lions and other animals symbolizing royal power. [More>>khaleejtimes.com]

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9.11.08 Cholera outbreak spreads in Iraq

September 11 - Babel, a central Iraqi province, is on alert after Iraqi authorities declared it a disaster zone marking the country's latest cholera outbreak. At least five people died on Thursday while 90 new cases had been reported, local and national health officials said. Babel's provincial council, said: "The laboratory reports from Babel health department indicate there are 200 cases of suspected cholera, vomiting and diarrhea in the province." At least 20 people, including seven children and two women, have died from cholera in the past three days, a local official said. [More>>aljazeera.net]

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9.11.08 New 'super worms' may clean up heavy metals

September 11 - A metal-eating earthworm that can survive the toxic environment of heavily contaminated soils is being recruited in the fight to clean up the polluted land of former industrial sites. Scientists believe earthworms have undergone rapid evolutionary changes at abandoned mines in Britain, which have enabled them to survive and even thrive in an environment rich in toxic heavy metals. The researchers hope it may be possible to breed the worms and distribute them around contaminated sites in the hope they can help rid the soil of heavy metals.

"A combination of laboratory, field and synchrotron X-ray experiments have led to the finding that metal-tolerant populations of super earthworms are evolving," said Mark Hodson of the University of Reading. Earthworms can consume 30 times their own body weight each day and the super worms ingest large quantities of potentially toxic metals such as arsenic, lead, zinc and caesium, Dr. Hodson told the science festival. [>independent.co.uk; See press release, reading.ac.uk, September 10, "Worms turn detective to help with contaminated land."]

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9.10.08 Surprise Opec cut pushes oil above $100

September 10 - Crude oil prices climbed back over the critical $100 level after Opec on Wednesday surprised the oil markets by announcing that it would make a small but symbolic reduction in its output because the oil cartel views the market as oversupplied. The move was immediately criticized by western countries’ energy watchdog and risks triggering a backlash in Washington less than 60 days ahead of the US elections.

Traders had been betting that the group, which controls about 40 per cent of world oil production, would maintain the status quo, and at best make gradual unannounced reductions in its production. Instead, Opec, after a five-hour session in Vienna, agreed to abide by the production limit it had set for its members in September 2007. This would reduce the group's production by 520,000 barrels per day over the next 40 days to 28.8m bpd. The price of Brent crude, the European benchmark, jumped $1.65 to $101.99 on Wednesday, rising from a five-month low of $98.89 on Tuesday. West Texas Intermediate, the US benchmark, rose 64 cents to $103.90. [More>>ft.com; See related stories:

bbc.co.uk, September 10, "Britain 'to fall into recession' " : The UK, Germany and Spain will fall into recession in 2008, the European Commission has predicted. Brussels said the three countries would see two negative quarters of economic growth in a row, which is the technical definition of a recession. In its latest economic forecast, the commission also downgraded its outlook for eurozone growth again. It said the 15-nation euro bloc would now grow by 1.3% this year, against previous projections of 1.7%. Earlier this month, data showed the region's economy shrank by 0.2% between April and June - the bloc's first decline since its creation in 1999...

aljazeera.net, September 10, "Lehman losses hit world stocks" : World stocks have slipped after Lehman Brothers, the fourth largest US investment bank, reported a massive third-quarter loss of about $4 billion. Lehman, the latest credit crisis casualty, had already reported losses of $2.4 billion in the second quarter...World stocks, meanwhile, fell toward two-year lows on Wednesday as the problems faced by Lehman stoked concern that banks are struggling to rebuild capital and financial markets remain brittle...

thejakartapost.com (AP) September 10, "US study links oil prices to speculation" : An independent study of oil markets concludes that speculation by large investors was a primary reason for the surge in oil prices during the first half of the year and for the more recent price declines. It said investors poured $60 billion into oil futures markets during the first six months of the year as oil prices soared from $95 to $145 a barrel and since then have withdrawn $39 billion from those same markets as prices have retreated. Michael Masters of Masters Capital Management, which did the study, said the flow of money — not major changes in supply and demand — caused the volatile movement of oil prices. The report was released Wednesday by Senate and House sponsors of bills to put additional curbs on oil market speculation. (end)

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9.10.08 Pakistan 'al-Qaeda leaders killed'

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9.09.08 Terrorists planning to attack US, Europe: President Bush

WASHINGTON, September 9 - United States President George W. Bush on Tuesday announced he would cut US troops strength in Iraq by 8,000 in coming months, and that he would send 4,500 troops to Afghanistan by January, when he leaves the White House. In November a Marines battalion was to be deployed in Afghanistan, to be followed by an army combat unit in January, Bush told an audience at the National Defense University. President Bush described Pakistan as a major war on terror battleground like Afghanistan and Iraq.

He added that extremists are using violence and terror to impose their will on whole populations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan and they are killing innocent people in Karachi, Islamabad and other major cities. He began by outlining the challenges in Iraq, asserting that the frontline in the war on terror is changing from Baghdad to Afghanistan. As a result, his administration has now transferred 8,000 troops from Iraq to Afghanistan. Bush said that the Afghan National army would be doubled over the next 5 years asserting that terrorists will not be allowed to win in Afghanistan. [>thenews.com.pk]

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9.09.08 Christian Iraqi militia fight back against al-Qaeda

TEL ASQUF, Iraq (AFP) September 9 - With Kalashnikovs slung over their shoulders, Iraq's first Christian militia enforces one simple rule on the border of this little village. "Anyone not from Tel Asquf, is banned." This village in northern Iraq's flashpoint Nineveh province, frequently targeted by Sunni and Shiite fighters, has now taken security into its own hands with armed patrols and checkpoints at the village's four entrances. "The terrorists want to kill us because we are Christian. If we don't defend ourselves, who will?" asked militia group leader Abu Nataq.

Associated with the "Crusader" invaders and regarded as well-off, they are often victims of sectarian violence, killings and kidnappings at the hands of both Sunni and Shiite Islamists, as well as criminal gangs. Iraq's Christians, with the Chaldean rite by far the largest community, were said to number as many as 800,000 before the 2003 US-led invasion, but this number is believed to have halved as people fled the brutal sectarian violence.

Neighborhood militias have become popular in Iraq, particularly with the rise of the Awakening groups — former Sunni insurgents who switched sides and are now paid by US forces to battle al-Qaeda. "We used to pay "jezya" (protection money) and they would leave us alone," Nataq said in reference to a tax levied on the Christian community by al-Qaeda in exchange for peace. The term harks back to the seventh century, a period of great expansion in Islam when Christians and Jews were forced to pay taxes to the majority Muslims. [More>>alarabiya.net; See also metimes.com, September 9, "Iraq spawning surge of militias."

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Editorial note: Among the Christian communities in Iraq are the Assyrians. They claim to be the original, indigenous people of Iraq.

Mel Copeland

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9.09.08 Low vitamin B12 level may cause brain shrinkage in old