California: Man With Possible Links to Al Qaeda Arrested

Developing:

Man with possible tie to bin Laden is arrested
Man lied about Pakistan trip, officials say, to cover connections.
By SALVADOR HERNANDEZ
The Orange County Register

TUSTIN A local man lied to obtain citizenship, a U.S. passport, and about a trip to Pakistan in 2005 – information he is believed to have falsified to hide alleged connections to terrorists and terrorist organizations abroad, authorities said.

Ahmadullah Sais Niazi, a 34-year-old man from Tustin who was born in Afghanistan, was taken into custody by federal authorities this morning in the 13000 block of Charloma Drive, officials said.

He is facing several charges, ranging from perjury to naturalization fraud, misuse of a passport obtained by fraud and making a false statement to a federal agency. Court documents also show that Niazi and his wife, Jamilah Amin, had been investigated by federal authorities since at least June 2008, for several suspicious financial transactions in the Unites States and financial transfers to Pakistan and Afghanistan.

While Niazi is not facing any terrorism-related charges, officials said he made several false statements to cover up what they allege are connections to organizations such as al-Qaida, Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin and the Taliban.

According to a federal indictment unsealed today, Niazi hid his alleged connections with terrorist groups when he applied for residency, citizenship and a U.S. passport. The arrest comes after months of investigation conducted by the Orange County Joint Terrorist Task Force, said Laura Eimiller, spokeswoman for the FBI.

According to the unsealed indictment, on Feb. 24, 2004, Niazi lied in his naturalization application by not stating other names he used in the past and lying about being associated with terrorist organizations.

“In truth, and in fact, as defendant Niazi then well knew, he was associated with one or more terrorist organizations, namely al-Qaeda, HIG, and/or the Taliban,” the indictment reads

Mexican police chief resigns amid threats

He is one cop so why do we care? Because he is the tip of the iceberg. I believe Americans will soon have to defend their homes from our own authorities (gun control is a call to arms). For Mexico that day is here. Granted the motivation is completely different but the methods are not. The situation in Mexico has increasingly turned dirty and it will worsen still. As the law is proven to be ineffective and unable to contain the violence chaos will result. Officers will be forced to choose between defending their homes or the homes of strangers; I can tell you which they will pick.

Do not judge the Chief harshly; he is a professional and knows his enemy and their capabilities. His own forces could not protect his family so he made a very hard choice. This should be a wakeup call to American politicians but they are living with blinders on and will claim they were unaware of the seriousness of the situation and the chaos it will cause our nation.

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico — The police chief of Mexico’s largest border city has stepped down after criminal gangs threatened to kill more cops if he didn’t resign.

Public Safety Secretary Roberto Orduna’s decision to quit came hours after a Ciudad Juarez officer and jail guard turned up dead. Both bodies had messages from unnamed criminal gangs saying at least one officer would be killed every two days until he quits.
-This could happen in the USA if gun confiscation is ever ordered. Mexico is a poster child for an Increase your Gun ownership movement. Unless people defend themselves they will face armed gangs and all they will hear on their phones are busy signals. Those of you in the Border States may see refugees headed your way soon. Here is a hint, give them water, smile and send them onwards. Let President Obama handle them. He can love and cuddle them; you need to worry about your own protection.

A Quick Update Concerning Robert J. Wood

As I posted previously, I am still experiencing a little bit of a shock over the sudden death of our friend Robert J. Wood.  He was an exceptional human being.

Anyway, isn’t it odd that you find out more about your friends after they are gone than you do when they are alive?  Unbeknown to MeMaw, Mrs. Bulldog, and I, Robert had been an astronaut for NASA!  However, due to the Challenger disaster, his missions were canceled and he never went into space.

What a humble person he was to not even think of mentioning that bit of information to us.  Obviously, he wasn’t one to brag.  I can’t help but sit here and admire him.

Here is a little comment from one of his co-workers that was buried in the comments section of the St. Louis Post Dispatch:

H/T – MeMaw

jcsboeing   February 20, 2009 3:09AM CST

I am one of the lucky people who knew Robert through his work at Boeing.

He lived an amazing life and his family was so important to him.  He and Alicia home schooled their children and invested tremendous time and energy into them.

Many don’t know this, but Robert was an astronaut slated for a science mission; only to be cancelled after the Challenger disaster – STS-61M.

http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/astronauts/english/wood_robert.htm

I am a long time a triathlete and cycling enthusiast and Robert entered the sport after listening to my stories. As was his nature, he trained to perfection and excelled in triathlon just like his other pursuits.

Robert’s family, Boeing, triathlon and the community at large have lost one of the people that have helped shape them.

The world is not a better place today, but perhaps it will be in the future if one or more learn from this tragic event.  Or perhaps someone will choose to invest more in their family, health and fitness, or religion and spirituality.

My heart goes out to Robert’s family and friends, and also the Frazer family as everyone tries to cope with this irreversible tragedy.  A sad and poignant reminder of how fragile our lives are and how our choices can affect others.

I’ll be riding the next ride for you Robert.

Study Requested by Obama Finds Guantanamo in Compliance with Geneva Rules

Boy, I sure was surprised to see this in the New York Times of all places!

Guantánamo Meets Geneva Rules, Study Finds
By WILLIAM GLABERSON
Published: February 20, 2009
New York Times

A Pentagon report requested by President Obama on the conditions at the Guantánamo Bay detention center concludes that the prison complies with the humanitarian requirements of the Geneva conventions, but it makes many recommendations for increasing human contact among the prisoners, according to two government officials who have read portions of it.

[Yup, I thought so…   Couldn’t even let the first sentence go by without getting a dig in there…  Hey, this IS the New York Times, after all.  Far be it for a pack of Libtard psuedo-journalists to actually admit that all is well within Guantanamo.]

The review, requested by President Obama on the second day of his administration, is due to be delivered to the White House this weekend.

The request, made as part of a plan to close the center within a year, was widely seen as an effort by the new administration to defuse the power of allegations during the Bush administration that there were widespread abuses at Guantánamo, and that many detainees were suffering severe psychological effects after years of isolation.

The review, conducted by Adm. Patrick M. Walsh, the vice chief of naval operations, describes a series of steps that could be taken to allow detainees to speak to one another more often and to engage in group activities, the government officials said. For years, critics of the prison have said that many detainees spend as many as 23 hours a day within the confines of cement cells and were only permitted recreation alone in fenced-off outdoor pens.

The report, which Admiral Walsh is scheduled to discuss publicly at the Pentagon next week, is being presented to a White House that some government officials have described as caught off guard by the extreme emotions and political cross-currents provoked by Guantánamo. Some critics said that the report’s conclusions are likely to intensify the debate about the prison, and put the Obama White House for the first time in the position of defending it.

[Yeah, right.  Like the Obama administration will actually defend the truth.  More than likely, they’ll denounce it as “an obviously biased report,” then they’ll insert their own Libtard investigative team into Guantanamo for a “full review.” ]

Included in the report are recommendations to increase social contact among the 16 prisoners described by the Bush administration as “high value detainees,” the men once held in secret overseas prisons by the Central Intelligence Agency. Among them are the accused architects of many major terrorist attacks, including those of Sept. 11, 2001.

According to one official, the report notes that some detainees have great difficulty communicating from cell to cell, a contention that many detainees’ lawyers have also made. Though many detainees at Guantánamo are held in their cells alone, the Pentagon has long insisted that none of the men are held in solitary confinement. Military officials instead have said the prisoners are held in “single-occupancy cells.”

[And, if they had two prisoners to a cell, the lawyers would be complaining of overcrowded prison conditions…  It’s a no win situation when your dealing with Libtards.]

A Pentagon official who has seen the report said that a military team with Admiral Walsh conducted a detailed review of many specific allegations of abuse that critics have made about the prison, and that the team concluded that the Pentagon was in compliance with the requirements of the Geneva conventions. The review included some of the most contentious issues, including the forced feeding of hunger-striking detainees and claims that a large number of the prisoners are suffering from psychosis as a result of conditions in the detention center.

The White House did not immediately respond on Friday to a request for comment.

[Can you say, “stunned into absolute silence by the truth?”  But, don’t worry.  As soon as they come up with a game plan to denounce it, you won’t be able to shut them up!]

It has been clear that some Pentagon officials have continued to press the case that the Bush administration’s approach to handling detainee issues — and the Guantánamo Bay prison itself — should not be abandoned. The report is likely to continue that behind-the-scenes struggle.

One Pentagon official, speaking anonymously because no one had been authorized to discuss the report publicly, said it showed that the Bush administration created a humane detention camp that has been unfairly characterized by critics. Speaking of the remaining 245 detainees there, this official said the report underscored that if the men are moved, they may “go from a humane environment to a less humane environment.”

[Wow!  I never thought I’d see that in the New York Times!!!   But, of course, they were quoting a Pentagon official…  Oh, well.  It will do for now.]

Netanyahu Named Israeli PM

Excellent news for Israel, not so good news for Obama!  I love it!!!

Netanyahu gets nod to form new Israeli government

via – My Way News

JERUSALEM (AP) – Benjamin Netanyahu appealed to his moderate rivals Friday to join him after the hard-liner was formally tapped to put together Israel’s next ruling coalition – an alliance that would dilute the power of nationalists bent on derailing Mideast peace talks.

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, in a seeming about-face, indicated she might be willing to come on board a Netanyahu government.

But Livni, a centrist, would certainly exact a high price: sharing the prime minister’s job she so fervently sought with a reluctant Netanyahu. Should he balk, his alternative would be an unstable coalition of right-wingers sure to collide with the Obama administration and its ambitious plans for ending 60 years of conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

Netanyahu urged Livni of the governing Kadima Party and Defense Minister Ehud Barak of the Labor Party to join his government.

“I call on the members of all the factions … to set politics aside and put the good of the nation at the center,” Netanyahu said during a low-key ceremony at the president’s residence in Jerusalem.

Friday’s decision by Israel’s ceremonial president, Shimon Peres, to tap Netanyahu ended days of speculation and gave Netanyahu six weeks to put together a ruling coalition.

Peres had been meeting with political leaders as he decided which candidate would be given the task of cobbling together a new coalition in the aftermath of Israel’s national election last week.

The choice of Netanyahu was cemented on Thursday when Avigdor Lieberman, who heads the hawkish Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Our Home) party, endorsed him.

UK: Baroness Warsi Wants Polygamous Muzzies Prosecuted

Acceptance of polygamy is just another way Muzzies introduce Sharia Law into Western culture.  I’m glad to hear that at least one UK official has a spine:

Labour has ‘failed’ to take on polygamy for fear of offending Muslims, says peer
DailyMail.co.uk
By Matthew Hickley
20th February 2009

British politicians have ignored the issue of bigamy and polygamy in the UK because of ‘cultural sensitivity’ towards minority groups, a leading Muslim peer said today.

Baroness Warsi, Shadow Minister for community cohesion, said there had been a ‘failure’ by policy-makers to take polygamy seriously, with the result that Britain’s seemingly strict laws banning the practice were not being properly enforced.

The Conservative peer urged the Government to bring in new rules demanding the registration of all religious marriage ceremonies in order to stop men in Britain marrying more than one woman without registering the multiple unions.

The Government has no figures on polygamous marriages in the UK, but the practice is thought to be common in sections of the Muslim communities and the number is thought to run into the thousands.

Although it is a crime to marry a second wife in Britain, polygamy is legal in many Muslim countries around the world, and the UK benefits system recognises ‘extra’ wives as dependants provided the marriage took place legally overseas.

Islamic law allows a man to take up to four wives, provided he can support them properly and equally.

In some cases it is thought Muslim men marry second wives in a religious ceremony in the UK without registering the marriage officially.

The changes urged by Baroness Warsi would end that practice, by demanding that all such weddings by registered – rendering the man liable to prosecution.

Former FBI Expert Confirms CAIR is Front for Hamas, and Islamic Groups Are Attempting to Implement Sharia Law

Was there ever any doubt?

Bedford County, TN – FBI Expert: Islamic Groups To Slowly Implement Shariah Law In The U.S.
VosIzNeias

Bedford County, TN – A former FBI special agent told law enforcement and Homeland Security personnel that a network of Islamic organizations are working to incrementally implement Islamic law in the United States.

During a presentation in Tennessee at the Bedford County Emergency Management Agency, former FBI agent John Guandolo briefed members about groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood, which he claims is working with other Islamic groups to slowly implement Shariah, also known as Islamic law, which encompasses all areas of life.

Guandolo worked in the FBI since 1996, including nine years as a member of its SWAT team. After 9/11, he worked in the Bureau’s Washington Field Office’s Counterterrorism Division, developing expertise concerning Al Qaeda, Muslim Brotherhood organizations and the Islamic movement in the U.S.

He now works with Stephen Coughlin, former Islamic Expert for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to advise leaders at the federal level and also brief local law enforcement about the Islamic threat at home.

Coughlin was fired from his position with the Joint Chiefs following a report revealing opposition to his work by officials within the office of Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England, according to a Washington Times report dated Jan. 4, 2008.

Coughlin had run afoul of a key aide to England, Hasham Islam, who accused him of being a Christian zealot or extremist “with a pen,” according to defense officials, the report states.

Muslim Brotherhood

Every major Muslim organization is controlled by the Muslim Brotherhood, the former FBI agent said, which he said was formed to overthrow America and establish Islamic law.

“They’re having great success of implementing Shariah law, I could give you a thousand examples,” Guandolo said.

He said small concessions like installing foot baths, and colleges forced to have separate swimming times for Islamic men and women so not to offend Muslims, are other parts of the strategy.

But Guandolo said that federal leadership is reluctant to act against these Islamic organizations due to political correctness and the threats of lawsuits.

He said that Muslim groups will demand concessions on matters by saying, “You have to do this; you have to do this or I will be offended.”

“The solution to this is you,” Guandolo said. “If you are looking to DHS, the FBI and Congress to solve this … you’re going to be woefully disappointed.”

CAIR Helps the Oklahoma Dept. of Public Safety Submit to Islam

Maybe someone should point out to Oklahoma officials that the FBI has severed its ties with CAIR…

Muslim woman’s scarf worn on Oklahoma license
Muslim woman returns to tag agency
BY CARLA HINTON – NewsOK.com
Published: February 20, 2009

A Muslim woman wearing her traditional Islamic head scarf renewed her driver’s license Thursday at the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety headquarters.

Monique Barrett’s license renewal went smoothly, unlike her attempt several months ago.

Barrett, 21, of Norman said she tried to renew her license last September at the Norman Tag Agency, 443 W Gray, but an employee there told her she was required to pull her head scarf back past her hairline.

Barrett said she refused to pull back the scarf, called a hijab, to show a portion her hair. She said the hijab is a symbol of her Islamic faith, and wearers are not to show any amount of hair to anyone other than other women or male family members as a sign of their faith.

“For us, our hijabs are like shirts,” Barrett said. “To me, it was kind of embarrassing to show it (hair).”

Barrett’s trip to the state Public Safety Department on Thursday was arranged through the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Oklahoma City chapter. Razi Hashmi, chapter director, said he spoke to officials with the department after Barrett informed him of the incident at the Norman agency.

He said public safety officials said Barrett could take the picture for her license with her hijab as long as her face up to her hairline remained uncovered.

Karen Gentry, director of the department’s driver’s license examining division, said the issue was a matter of education.

According to the Public Safety Department, a head covering is permitted when taking the driver’s license photo as long as it does not obstruct or obscure a full front view of a person’s face from hairline to chin.

“Of course, we wanted to address it as soon as possible,” Gentry said Thursday.

Where’s Obama’s Spine?

All hail Biden; the White House Oracle!

Obama’s Supine Diplomacy

By Charles Krauthammer
Washington Post
Friday, February 20, 2009; Page A23

The Biden prophecy has come to pass. Our wacky veep, momentarily inspired, predicted in October that “it will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama.” Biden probably had in mind an eve-of-the-apocalypse drama like the Cuban missile crisis. Instead, Obama’s challenges have come in smaller bites. Some are deliberate threats to U.S. interests, others mere probes to ascertain whether the new president has any spine.

Preliminary X-rays are not very encouraging.

Consider the long list of brazen Russian provocations:

(a) Pressuring Kyrgyzstan to shut down the U.S. air base in Manas, an absolutely crucial NATO conduit into Afghanistan.

(b) Announcing the formation of a “rapid reaction force” with six former Soviet republics, a regional Russian-led strike force meant to reassert Russian hegemony in the Muslim belt north of Afghanistan.

(c) Planning to establish a Black Sea naval base in Georgia’s breakaway province of Abkhazia, conquered by Moscow last summer.

(d) Declaring its intention to deploy offensive Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad if Poland and the Czech Republic go ahead with plans to station an American (anti-Iranian) missile defense system.

President Bush’s response to the Kaliningrad deployment — the threat was issued the day after Obama’s election — was firm. He refused to back down because giving in to Russian threats would leave Poles and Czechs exposed and show the world that, contrary to post-Cold War assumptions, the United States could not be trusted to protect Eastern Europe from Russian bullying.

The Obama response? “Biden Signals U.S. Is Open to Russia Missile Deal,” as the New York Times headlined Biden’s Feb. 7 Munich speech to a major international gathering. This followed strong messages from the Obama transition team even before the inauguration that Obama was not committed to the missile shield. And just to make sure everyone understood that the Bush policy no longer held, Biden said in Munich that the United States wanted to “press the reset button” on NATO-Russian relations.

‘Why Islam’ Ad Campaign Finally Hits the San Francisco Bay Area

Perhaps someone should put up a counter Islamic ad campaign in San Francisco – like, gee, I don’t know;  perhaps, “Why Islam Kills Homosexuals.”

Bus ads aim to shatter Muslim stereotypes
February 20, 2009

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — A Bay Area Islamic organization is turning to San Francisco Muni buses to educate people about their religion.

The group is posting advertisements on the outside of Muni buses. They include phrases like “you deserve to know” and “why Islam,” along with a phone number for more information.

Their goal is to urge more non-Muslims to learn about Islam and help remove negative stereotypes.

“We’re basically sick and tired of people labeling us, of defining us, framing us, so I think it’s time for us to stand up and basically inform the American public of who we are and what is our true identity,” said Muhammad Hanif with the Islamic Circle of the Bay Area.

The ads will appear on about 170 Muni buses and 10 cable cars.