Iraq

Yahoo: Full Coverage: Iraq

BBC News: The struggle for Iraq

FOX News: NEWS ON IRAQ

Official Website of Multi-National Force - Iraq

Guide: Armed groups in Iraq

Operation Iraqi Children

What Did The Democrats Say About Iraq's WMD

Who are the insurgents in Iraq?

Captured Iraqi Terrorist Ramzi Hashem Abed

Former Al-Qaeda Official in Charge of Training in Iraq Jawhar Shehada Talks from Lebanon about His Activity and Declares: Yes, I Am a Terrorist

Persian BBC

BBC launches Persian TV channel
The BBC's newest satellite TV channel has gone on air, a Farsi language service for viewers mainly in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

BBC awaits response to Persian TV
The launch of BBC Persian television is part of the BBC's strategy for - in the words of the head of the World Service, Nigel Chapman - "having the right services in the right media for each part of the world".

War in Gaza

"Israel withdrew from Gaza, but Gaza later became the scene of a power struggle between the Palestinian Authority, representing the old guard of the secular PLO, and the newer Islamic-inspired forces of Hamas. Hamas prevailed." -BBC

Hamas violently took over Gaza.

Gaza: Armed Palestinian Groups Commit Grave Crimes | Human Rights Watch

Hostilities continued between Israel and Hamas. Hamas launched lots of rockets into Israel

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Sderot longs for end to rockets

Israel stopped attacking to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, and Hamas raided the aid trucks and sold the contents to the highest bidders.
Hamas raids aid trucks, sells supplies

From BBC:
Gaza crisis: key maps and timeline

Gaza crisis spills onto the web

Profile: Gaza Strip
Q&A: Gaza conflict
Who are Hamas?
Middle East conflict: History in maps

Language of Hamas
Gaza offensive - in maps
In pictures: Conflict continues


Hamas police 'seize aid for Gaza'

San Francisco, Jan 10, 2009.

Vile anti-Semitism has been openly expressed during recent pro-Hamas rallies in places like Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Columbus, and San Francisco.

An attack on supply trucks in Gaza.

Israelis watch Israel's offensive in Gaza from a hill near the southern town of Sderot January 17, 2009.

Raed Jarrar

Trouble-maker Raed Jarrar has hit the jackpot.

U.S. resident Raed Jarrar was boarding a JetBlue flight from New York to Oakland, California, when he was told to remove his shirt, which had Arabic writing on it. Below the Arabic and written in English: "We will not be silent." He was told other passengers felt uncomfortable, but of course this meant nothing to him.

Why would you try to board an airplane wearing something that disturbs people or makes them afraid? If you really didn't know, when approached about it why wouldn't you politely and quickly turn the shirt inside out or put something else on, instead of making a big stink? Why would you disturb people and cause trouble?

The ACLU was happy to file a lawsuit.

240,000 dollars awarded to man forced to cover Arab T-shirt

Payout for Arabic shirt passenger
An air passenger forced to cover his T-shirt because it displayed Arabic script has been awarded a payout of $240,000 (£163,000), his lawyers say.

JetBlue, TSA Officials Pay $240G in Damages Over Arab T-Shirt Flap
Jarrar was approached by security officials who told him to remove his T-shirt with the words "We will not be silent" as he waited near the front of a JetBlue flight at JFK Airport because it apparently made other passengers feel uncomfortable.

Jarrar, a U.S. resident, eventually agreed to cover his shirt with one provided by the airline and was subsequently allowed aboard the aircraft, the AFP reported. His seat, however, was changed from the front to the back of the jet.

From the ACLU: TSA Officials and JetBlue Deliver Settlement in Discrimination Lawsuit

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Raed Jarrar

The shirt does appear a bit ominous or menacing. It seems meant to be cautionary or even intimidatory.

"We will not be silent". Who is "we"? Since the shirt features Arabic writing presumably it means Arabs. What will Arabs not be silent about?The U.S. is currently at war in two Arab countries, has been attacked by Arab terrorists, has STOPPED MANY ATTACKS by Arab terrorists, and is constantly being threatened by Arab terrorists.

But at the end of the day, the buffoon Jarrar got the attention he wanted and even some cash. But he will undoubtedly continue his two-faced advocating for pro-terrorist ideas in the Middle East.

You have only to read Jarrar's blog to see that he is interested in criticizing the U.S. and U.S. leadership. He is against the Iraq war, and for several years has advocated the complete withdrawal of coalition forces from Iraq - so leaving Iraqis at the mercy of criminals and extremists seems like a good idea to him. He seems to be against the new Iraqi government, so does an overthrow by radicals, a failed state where terrorists can thrive, seem like a good idea to him? He has constantly advocated "leaving Iraq to Iraqis". Why is he not as critical of acts of terrorism in Iraq and elsewhere as he is the U.S.?

Raed's motivations are questionable at best.

Raed closed the comment section of his blog because his propaganda and anti-Americanism were being challenged. And it was becoming clear that those who agreed with him were Islamists, America-haters, and hard-leftists. He claimed he closed his comments because he was afraid of being held legally responsible for what was written by other people in the comments, he even mentioned fearing the U.S. government and being sent to Guantanamo which is just silly. Interestly, his comments were closed a short time after I myself made a comment questioning the purpose of having a PayPal account for donations on the blog.

Raed and his girlfriend Niki, who also blogs, are both very anti-Israel.

RAED'S AMUSING SPECULATION
I wonder if Raed still thinks that U.S. forces blew up the al-Askari shrine?

Is he really just a poor misguided fool, or something more sinister?