by Jerry Gordon (July 2009)

more>>>

Details here.

And if it's okay with the Saudis, it's okay with us:

WASHINGTON – Vice President Joe Biden signaled that the Obama administration would not stand in the way if Israel chose to attack Iran's nuclear facilities, even as the top U.S. military officer said any attack on Iran would be destabilizing.

I heard this said around and about in the internet over the last week and something about her clear eyes and wholesome face made it ring true.
A German publication now has a picture of her wearing a crucifix which was cropped out in the version which was given the most publicity, as here in The Guardian (for all I do not rate the Guardian I am not accusing them of doing the cropping, by the way)
I do not understand German well enough to translate and my efforts with Bablefish have been the subject of some mirth from the linguists here so I will link to the German site. Hat tip Jihadwatch.
I agree with those posters at JW who ponder, not whether she was the target because she was a Christian, but who cropped out the cross, and why?
If she was out and about on the streets of Iran then we know she would have been swathed in a scarf, Muslim, Christian, Jew, Bah'ai, Zoroastran or agnostic, there are no exceptions.
Her cross would not have been on view to distinguish her although for all I know there are subtle ways of distinguishing, in the same way that I am told that an Irish Catholic could once tell an Irish Protestant and vice versa, merely by the sit of their hat.
 

BBC: Robert McNamara, who served as US defence secretary during the Vietnam war and the Cuban Missile Crisis, has died aged 93.

Mr McNamara, who served under presidents John F Kennedy and Lyndon B Johnson, was also an architect of the US policy of nuclear deterrence.

After leaving the Pentagon he became president of the World Bank.

His wife Diana said he had suffered failing health for some time and died in his sleep at home in Washington DC.

Before taking up the post as Pentagon chief in 1961, Mr McNamara was the president of Ford Motor Company, turning the company around in the post World War II era.

He is most closely associated with overseeing the involvement of the US in Vietnam from 1961 to 1968...

 I wonder if they issue cyanide pills for this situation. Fox News:

CAIRO —  The Taliban's Web site claims it has captured a missing U.S. soldier American authorities had earlier said may have been kidnapped.

The Web site said Monday that the Taliban had "arrested a drunken American soldier" five days ago.

They said the soldier was still in their custody but would not elaborate on his whereabouts or their plans for him.

The Web site provided no proof of their claim....

The Washington Times has a report on Rick Warren's speech at the ISNA conference:

The Rev. Rick Warren, one of America's best-known evangelical Protestant pastors, pleaded with about 8,000 Muslim listeners on Saturday night to work together to solve the world's greatest problems by cooperating in a series of interfaith projects.

"Muslims and Christians can work together for the common good without compromising my convictions or your convictions," Mr. Warren said during an evening session of the annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) at the Washington Convention Center.

"I am not interested in interfaith dialogue but interfaith projects," said the pastor of the 24,000-member Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., who is widely known for his bestseller "The Purpose-Driven Life."

"Talk is cheap ... but love is something we do together," he added. "As the two largest faiths on this planet - more than 1 billion Muslims and 2 billion Christians - as Muslims and Christians, we must believe in this. As more than half the world, we must do something to model what it is to live in peace, to live in harmony."

His 25-minute speech, which was met with light applause at several intervals, included three suggestions: create a coalition to end religious stereotyping, work together to restore civility to American society and take a common stand against attacks on freedom of religion and freedom of speech.

Criticizing the media as being "clueless as to what you believe as well as what I believe," Mr. Warren called for a "coalition of people of good will to say we are not going to allow this stereotyping of anyone. It is the truth that sets us free and we're not going to allow this."

ISNA U.S. President Ingrid Mattson introduced the pastor as a "distinguished guest" whom organizers wanted to invite because of his worldwide charitable projects.

Noting that Mr. Warren gives away 90 percent of his salary, she added, "Here is someone who, in charitable giving, is very stiff competition."

The pastor, who usually dresses in informal Hawaiian shirts, arrived in a beige suit and yellow tie. He began his speech with the common Arabic greeting "Asalam alakum," or "Peace Be Upon You." Mr. Warren said he was "deeply humbled and honored by this invitation," then cracked a few jokes about his unworthiness in being there.

Although he is an evangelical pastor, Mr. Warren was sparse in his mentions of Jesus and God. Muslims believe Jesus was a prophet but not God incarnate.

"My deepest faith is in Jesus Christ," the preacher said at one point. "I am committed not only to the good news but the common good. Scripture says 'love your neighbor as yourself.' I am commanded to respect everybody."

(...)

Several speakers talked of progress among America's millions of Muslims, culminating with their being recognized by President Obama - whose father was Muslim - in his inauguration speech.

Outside, investigator Dave Gaubatz was being set up as a dangerous neo-nazi with the DC police by the ISNA's security apparatus. That story is here.

I have noticed a lot of small reports in local papers of graffitti and minor vandalism to Mosques and islamic centrles over the last year. I am not surprised at this more extensive plot against islamic property. Only surprised that something like this did not happen sooner, but we are a patient and tolerant people in the main.
I also doubt the inference that the BNP are behind it.
The Times
A network of suspected far-right extremists with access to 300 weapons and 80 bombs has been uncovered by counter-terrorism detectives.
Thirty-two people have been questioned in a police operation that raises the prospect of a right-wing bombing campaign against mosques. Police are said to have recovered a British National party membership card and other right-wing literature during a raid on the home of one suspect charged under the Terrorism Act.
In England’s largest seizure of a suspected terrorist arsenal since the IRA mainland bombings of the early 1990s, rocket launchers, grenades, pipe bombs and dozens of firearms have been recovered in the past six weeks during raids on more than 20 properties. Several people have been charged and more arrests are imminent. Current police activity is linked to arrests in Europe, New Zealand and Australia.
The operation had thrown up evidence that suspects were communicating online.
“The internet gives it reach and scope,” said Bettison. “The big bad wolf is still the Al- Qaeda threat. But my people are knocking over right-wing extremists quite regularly. We are interdicting it so that it doesn’t first emerge into the public eye out of a critical incident like an explosion.”
Police are examining allegations that many of the guns were manufactured or reactivated, then sold over the internet to viewers of a right-wing website. Details of the previously secret operation were disclosed by Sir Norman Bettison, the chief constable of West Yorkshire, to security officials.
The Melbourne Herald Sun says
AUSTRALIAN police have made no arrests despite reported connections here with a plot by far-right extremists to blow up British mosques.New Zealand authorities have confirmed they were asked to investigate links there to a terrorist network, but Australian authorities will not confirm that there is any links here. . . the Australian Federal Police rejected suggestions any arrests had been made.
“The AFP has not charged any persons in relation to the matters described in the media report,” an AFP spokeswoman said today.
But the spokeswoman also admitted Australian authorities were not sure about what Australian arrests had been referred to in the English reports.
The AFP also refused to say whether it had been in contact with UK authorities, whether it was conducting further inquiries, or whether any Australians had been questioned over the plot.
“Even if we were, we wouldn’t say,” the spokeswoman said.
AFP officials did not release details of any ongoing investigations, she said.
But the spokeswoman also appeared to hint that there may be no link at all, saying the AFP was not expected to issue any further statements on the issue.
New Zealand authorities have also played down any New Zealand link, but confirmed contact with UK officials seeking information about the group.
The NZ police minister’s office has told the Dominion Post that West Yorkshire police had contacted New Zealand police some months ago asking them to investigate.
“Nothing came of it and there were no arrests,' a spokesman said.
So either the Australian and New Zealand police are being very discreet so as not to jeopardise any investigation of their own or West Yorkshire police are exaggerating.
It is a sad indictment of the disillusionment with our public institutions in the UK that I am more inclined to believe the Australian police.
I said weeks ago that we are in for an interesting summer and I didn't mean Wimbledon.

From The Australian
THE official death toll from the violence in China's restive Xinjiang region has reached 140 - much higher than first thought - and several hundred people have been arrested.
Police were still searching for about 90 other people in Urumqi - the capital of Xinjiang - where the riots occurred, according to Xinhua.
The arrests came after thousands of members of China's Muslim Uighur minority rampaged through city streets, burning vehicles and blocking traffic.
The BBC has some pictures here.