Director Nina Shea (center) briefed President George W. Bush and his staff, including National Security Advisor Stephen J. Hadley and Chief of Staff Andrew Card on the issue of extreme shari'a in both Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
Picture and caption from the web site:
http://www.freedomhouse.org/religion/
Radical Islam's Move on AfricaThe Washington Post, Page A-25, October 16, 2003By Paul Marshall
Many students from Pakistan's madrassas, or radical Islamist schools, are leaving to avoid arrest in a government crackdown on Islamic extremism. Some are going to Saudi Arabia, but hundreds are heading to more surprising shores -- to Africa. Last month Mohammad Jamil, a spokesman for the Federation of Madrassas, said, "About 500 have already moved to South Africa. . . . Others are planning to pack their bags."
The United States has taken notice but has so far done little to address this developing threat, either by challenging those exporting radical Islam or by promoting democracy.
Islamic extremists in Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania have turned to terrorism, and non-Islamic dictators, such as deposed Liberian strongman Charles Taylor, have developed economic links with al Qaeda. But more alarming is the spread of rigid forms of Islam, which are historically rare south of the Sahara and which are creating division, chaos and violence in both East and West Africa.
Islamists in Kenya are pushing to expand Islamic law, or sharia, to include sentences of amputation in certain crimes, as well as stoning in cases of adultery, practices already in place in Nigeria. The chairman of Kenya's Council of Imams and Preachers, Ali Shee, has warned that Muslims in the coastal and northeastern provinces will break away if sharia is not expanded.
Tanzania is experiencing a similar push for Islamic law. Saudi Arabia is funding new mosques there, and fundamentalists have bombed bars and beaten women they thought inadequately covered. Mohammed Madi, a fundamentalist activist, told Time magazine last month, "We get our funds from Yemen and Saudi Arabia. . . . Officially the money is used to buy medicine, but in reality the money is given to us to support our work and buy guns."
Before President Bush's visit this year to usually quiet Malawi, government security forces, assisted by Americans, arrested five suspected Muslim militants (two Turks, one Saudi, one Kenyan and a Sudanese) and flew them out of the country. In response, Muslim mobs rioted in Mangoci, burned six churches and attacked local priests. In Zambia this summer, police raided an Islamic school and found 280 students confined in cages, where they were forced to study military tactics and Arabic.
Similar patterns are evident in West Africa. The civil war in Ivory Coast has complex roots, but like other conflicts spanning religious divides, such as in Serbia or Chechnya, it has taken on a fanatic coloration. Muslim rebels have been sporting T-shirts adorned with Osama bin Laden's face superimposed over a map of the country. Extreme Islamic law continues to spread and provoke violence in Nigeria, a country bin Laden has singled out as "ready for liberation." Meanwhile, Senegal, Gambia, Niger, Mauritania, Chad and even historically democratic Mali are also experiencing Islamist unrest, with riots and, in some cases, coup attempts.
This Islamization is being pushed by Sudan and Saudi Arabia, which are trying to replace local variants with their own restrictive systems. But as this newspaper has reported, Libya's Moammar Gaddafi is also a major player. While he has provided financial support to thugs of Christian background, such as Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe and Charles Taylor, his goal, announced before 15,000 people in Benin in 2000, is to "make Islam triumphant in Africa."
The Bush administration is sending Special Forces personnel and upgrading anti-terrorism work in Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Mali, Niger, Chad and Mauritania. But it is also thawing relations with Gaddafi, complimenting Sudan for "good cooperation" on terrorism and treating Saudi Arabia as an ally. Instead, the United States should demand that Tripoli, Khartoum and Riyadh cease their export of radicalism to Africa. It should also encourage democratic development through the Millennium Challenge funds.
If, as President Bush has said, "America is committed to the success of Africa" and has a "long-term commitment" to developing democracy there, it needs to counter the threat to democracy posed by the spread of extremist forms of Islam.
The writer is senior fellow at Freedom House's Center for Religious Freedom.
© 2003 The Washington Post Company
Exactly my point. The War on Terror must be won, so that 3rd world countries in need, will get the support they need. Sending money and supplies to these countries, that could end up in the hands of "terrorists" is not helping the people who need it. Look for example at the freighter carrying relief supplies to Tsunami victims. IT JUST DISAPPEARED! How many times has our money and UN money and supplies ended up in the hands of the men who are inflicting terror.
We need to get behind the President on the war on Terror so that people who need help, good people, can get the aid and comfort they need.
posted by Michele @ 3:44 PM
14 Comments:
Anon,
Before you make your comments, which I'm sure you will, take time to breathe.
Wouldn't it be more productive for our Country if you directed your "hate" to the enemy at hand, and back the President in our war. I shouldn't have to remind you that several (not a few) backed this war on terror. I know as an American Citizen, if a Democrat had won the office, and we were in this war, I would back him in the war. Democratic Senator Zell Miller at the time, even spoke at the Republican Convention because of his support on the War of Terror.
Anon 2 and maddie,
You know I had typed up a long response to both of your posts, but I stopped and thought well I am only helping your blog by responding on it. So since you maddie, seem to think that Bush was right when he said WMDs exist in Iraq and that instead a little patience before using military action might have been in line, then I cannot comprehend what you wake up and read everyday. This is me signing off because I rather not waste my time on people that cannot read between the lines. You brought up religion in just the way that puts it on your sleeve, read your history, and the bible again, we are not supposed to fight wars. Jesus never spoke of it!
Oh before I do sign complete off, I have ONE question...did you enlist in the military today? if not please provide a detailed explination why you did not and what you are doing to recruit for the military?
I think Bush showed great patience. He gave Saddam a deadline in which to open up his country to inspectors from the UN. All Saddam had to do was let the UN do their job and we wouldn't be in Iraq. All Bush did was enforce the UN Resoultion that gave Saddam a deadline in which to open up his Country to inspectors. It was Saddam's choice to not let inspectors in.
What would of been a crime, is if we would of just ignored the UN Resolution and did nothing. That would send the message, hey the UN resolutions mean nothing, so why obey them. That is exactly the problem with the UN. They don't enforce anything they sanction. They are an institution of words and threats, and never follow through with punishment for not cooperating. Even when there were UN Sanctions on Iraq, France and Germany were still selling arms to Iraq. So if countries in the UN do not even cooperate, and go against what the UN is trying to accomplish, what good is this?
President Bush did the right thing. He followed through with the consequences of the Resolutions by the UN. He was also backed by Senators from both parties to do this. I see no LIE here.
No I did not enlist in the military today, I played golf. However, last week I sent a letter to the troops telling them of my appreciation. I also shake their hands, or give them a hug when I pass them on the street, telling them how much I appreciate them.
I am too old to enlist. They wouldn't want me. If they ever needed people, to fight this war on terrorism, and started taking older people, then I would go. I mean that with all my heart. I'd be dangerous too, because as a mother, I have quite a bit of retaliation to do, for all of our son's and daughters who have been injured and lost their lives. Another reason they wouldn't want me. I'm surethey would nickname me MOMBO.
:)
P.S. Is it my job to recruit soldiers? We have a volunteer military, that is the best of the best. I'm very near Ft. Bragg, so I have had the pleasure of knowing many of these men and women. They love their job, and inspire me each meeting. I really don't think they need me to recruit men and women, they have done a fine job.
Helping my blog? Help it to do what? This is just a fun site for me. I don't care whether people comment or not, but if they do, I feel they at least deserve an answer or a response. I will miss you!
From Mary Jo Kopechne
I would have been 66 years of age this year. Read about me and my killer below:
When Senator Ted Kennedy was merely just another Democrat bloating on Capitol Hill on behalf of liberal causes, it was perhaps excusable to ignore his deplorable past.
But now that he's become a leading Republican attack dog, positioning himself as Washington's leading arbiter of truth and integrity, the days for such indulgence are now over.
It's time for the GOP to stand up and remind America why this chief spokesman had to abandon his own presidential bid in 1980 - time to say the words Mary Jo Kopechne out loud.
As is often the case, Republicans have deluded themselves into thinking that most Americans already know the story of how this "Conscience of the Democratic Party" left Miss Kopechne behind to die in the waters underneath the Edgartown Bridge in July 1969, after a night of drinking and partying with the young blonde campaign worker. But most Americans under 40 have never heard that story, or details of how Kennedy swam to safety,
then tried to get his cousin Joe Garghan to say he was behind the wheel.
Today's young voters don't know how Miss Kopechne, trapped inside Kennedy's Oldsmobile, gasped for air until she finally died, while the Democrats' leading Iraq war critic rushed back to his compound to formulate the best alibi he could think of.
Neither does Generation X know how Kennedy was thrown out of Harvard on his ear 15 years earlier -- for paying a fellow student to take his Spanish final. Or why the US Army denied him a commission because he cheated on tests.
As they listen to the Democrats' "Liberal Lion" accuse President Bush of "telling lie after lie after lie" to get America to go to war in Iraq, young voters don't know about that notorious 1991 Easter weekend in Palm Beach, when Uncle Teddy rounded up his nephews for a night on the town, an evening that ended with one of them credibly accused of rape.
It's time for Republicans to state unabashedly that they will no longer "go along with the gag" when it comes to Uncle Ted's rants about deception and moral turpitude inside the Bush White House.
And if the Republicans don't, let's do it ourselves by passing this forgotten disgrace around the Internet to wake up memories of what a fraud and fake Teddy really is. The Democratic Party should be ashamed to have the national disgrace from Massachusetts as their spokesman.
And the GOP needs to say so out loud!!!!!!!!
Rick Richardson (GWB2004)
From Mary Jo Kopechne
I would have been 66 years of age this year. Read about me and my killer below:
When Senator Ted Kennedy was merely just another Democrat bloating on Capitol Hill on behalf of liberal causes, it was perhaps excusable to ignore his deplorable past.
But now that he's become a leading Republican attack dog, positioning himself as Washington's leading arbiter of truth and integrity, the days for such indulgence are now over.
It's time for the GOP to stand up and remind America why this chief spokesman had to abandon his own presidential bid in 1980 - time to say the words Mary Jo Kopechne out loud.
As is often the case, Republicans have deluded themselves into thinking that most Americans already know the story of how this "Conscience of the Democratic Party" left Miss Kopechne behind to die in the waters underneath the Edgartown Bridge in July 1969, after a night of drinking and partying with the young blonde campaign worker. But most Americans under 40 have never heard that story, or details of how Kennedy swam to safety,
then tried to get his cousin Joe Garghan to say he was behind the wheel.
Today's young voters don't know how Miss Kopechne, trapped inside Kennedy's Oldsmobile, gasped for air until she finally died, while the Democrats' leading Iraq war critic rushed back to his compound to formulate the best alibi he could think of.
Neither does Generation X know how Kennedy was thrown out of Harvard on his ear 15 years earlier -- for paying a fellow student to take his Spanish final. Or why the US Army denied him a commission because he cheated on tests.
As they listen to the Democrats' "Liberal Lion" accuse President Bush of "telling lie after lie after lie" to get America to go to war in Iraq, young voters don't know about that notorious 1991 Easter weekend in Palm Beach, when Uncle Teddy rounded up his nephews for a night on the town, an evening that ended with one of them credibly accused of rape.
It's time for Republicans to state unabashedly that they will no longer "go along with the gag" when it comes to Uncle Ted's rants about deception and moral turpitude inside the Bush White House.
And if the Republicans don't, let's do it ourselves by passing this forgotten disgrace around the Internet to wake up memories of what a fraud and fake Teddy really is. The Democratic Party should be ashamed to have the national disgrace from Massachusetts as their spokesman.
And the GOP needs to say so out loud!!!!!!!!
Rick Richardson (GWB2004)
Senator Durbin,
I spent 27 years in the United States Air Force and flew three tours in Vietnam. I consider it an honor and a privilege to have known and served with so many great military men from the lowest ranks to the highest in those years and since. The young men and women of today are no less marvelous.
I detested what Jane Fonda and John Kerry did to our service men in that era, and I consider them both traitors of ALMOST the worst design. However, your largely fabricated presentation on the Senate Floor of two days ago will ultimately have worse effect upon this nation than what they did. You, therefore have assumed the unheralded position of one of the worst traitors I could ever imagine. Even Benedict Arnold had more righteous reasons for treason than you have. You gave aid and comfort to the enemy, you have abetted the terrorist by giving them marvelous verbiage to scatter throughout the Muslim world. But, worst of all, you have added to and altered a report which should never have seen the light of day in a way that discredits the honor of our fighting men today.
You, sir, are now a man whom I shall loathe far more that Fonda and Kerry. They made life miserable for our POWs and got chicken blood spattered on our sacred uniforms as we returned from the War. You, sir, have done your damnedest to spatter the reputations and honor of these great warriors. Oh, don't try to explain how esoteric your charges were and to now heap praise upon our people. Your words are spread across the world now on Al Jazerra and the liberal media that wants to tear down America. You attempted to disgrace every man and woman in the United States Armed Services with your despicable, politically motivated weeping session over the terrorist slime and scum that US Forces are holding in Gitmo Bay.
I will circulate what I have just written here as widely as possible. I hope the pressure is so great upon you that you will have to resign in disgrace. You used our soldiers and Marines for your own personal political vendetta. Shameless and without honor, sir!
Colonel Curtis D. Dale, Ph.D. USAF (Ret)
153 Combat Missions in Vietnam
Rick Richardson (GWB2004)
Great article! Thanks.
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