Recently I spoke with a sailor who was aboard one of the ships that comprised the battle group supporting the Marines in Beirut in 1983. His story is haunting and damning at the same time. The sailor worked in the Comm section of the ship and handled message traffic on a daily basis. The one message that haunts him to this day is the flash traffic from a "CIA mobile" source located in Beirut on 10/22/83. The complete message will not be repeated here, but the main goal of the message was "Iranian agents planning Marine BLT Compound Attack". The message was passed up the chain, with no response from Washington. I had confirmed the sailors identity and know that his statements of the message are true and factual. His main goal in this release is to make the Marines and Sailors know that they are not at fault and never were. Although Colonel Geraghty had pleaded for more troops and more secure positions, Washington had turned him down. Now as the 23rd of October approached it seemed as if everyone except the Marines knew what was going to happen.
Can we draw the conclusion from these reports that there was sloppy communications? I cannot. I know being a Former Marine that every communication was taken as seriously as possible. The only conclusion I can draw from this is that our Brother Marines and Sailors were left purposely in harms way while the political forces that control the United States wondered if Iran and Syria would really do this to us. After all, we had let the terrorist Arafat go. Spoiled the Hated Israelis chance to capture him. We had gotten in between Israel and the various factions in Lebanon.
Would they (Iran, Syria) really treat us this way?
Yes, they would, they did and they continue to do it to this day. A treasonous act was committed on 10/22/83 by someone in Washington by not protecting our Brother Marines and Sailors. Who was it? We may never know. But know this, we will never stop our search for Justice against Hezbollah and all countries who harbor them.
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Friday, November 18, 2005
Able Danger and the 9/11 Commission
Congressman Curt Weldon is showing an unusual amount of determination and dedication for the victims of the 9/11 terrorist Attack. He has been actively pursuing the Pentagon and the 9/11 commission demanding an answer to the question that has dogged the pentagon and the victim's families of 9/11. Who and what was "Able Danger?" The pencil pushers at the Pentagon claim it never existed. The 9/11 commission deny its existence. The reason for the denials? It is clear as the destruction of the World Trade Towers, somebody screwed up, and screwed up royally.
Weldon said he believes that the DIA stifled crucial information about Mohammed Atta, who became the lead Sept. 11 terrorist, and then destroyed related documents. He also said that the Sept. 11 commission, which was appointed to investigate the attacks and the intelligence failure involved in them, disregarded information it received from Able Danger members.
Weldon has said he learned that a secret program known as Able Danger was put into place in 1999 and 2000 by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and by the general in charge of the Special Forces Command. It was devoted to uncovering key cells of al Qaeda globally, giving the military the capability to destroy those cells.
This type of stonewalling against investigations into terrorist activities are nothing new to the men who went to Beirut Lebanon. During the investigation into the bombing of the BLT Headquarters. The officers and General Staff took the lion share of the blame while the real investigation into WHO COMMITTED THE ACT was put on hold until the politics of the terrorist act could be known. After twenty years the culprit was finally identified as Hezbollah and its handlers Syria and Iran.
Thank You Congressman Weldon for your support of the Truth and following it to where ever it may lead.
Weldon said he believes that the DIA stifled crucial information about Mohammed Atta, who became the lead Sept. 11 terrorist, and then destroyed related documents. He also said that the Sept. 11 commission, which was appointed to investigate the attacks and the intelligence failure involved in them, disregarded information it received from Able Danger members.
Weldon has said he learned that a secret program known as Able Danger was put into place in 1999 and 2000 by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and by the general in charge of the Special Forces Command. It was devoted to uncovering key cells of al Qaeda globally, giving the military the capability to destroy those cells.
This type of stonewalling against investigations into terrorist activities are nothing new to the men who went to Beirut Lebanon. During the investigation into the bombing of the BLT Headquarters. The officers and General Staff took the lion share of the blame while the real investigation into WHO COMMITTED THE ACT was put on hold until the politics of the terrorist act could be known. After twenty years the culprit was finally identified as Hezbollah and its handlers Syria and Iran.
Thank You Congressman Weldon for your support of the Truth and following it to where ever it may lead.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
One more stamp would fit right in
November 15,2005
BY OUR OPINION Jacksonville,NC Daily News
The members of the crowd that gathered at the Marine Corps Exchange at Camp Lejeune last Thursday weren't hard to please. They knew what they wanted, and they came to get it - and that's exactly what they did.They were the first in line when the U.S Postal Service began selling the new Marine Corps stamps honoring four of the Corps' most legendary Leathernecks.
The stamps, finally issued following some intense, years-long lobbying by private, Marine and congressional groups, debuted to a highly appreciative audience. The Marines, both active-duty and retired, and dependents who showed up to get their hands on the first issues of these stamps had long anticipated the event. It's doubtful any will grace the outside of an envelope - instead they were purchased as keepsakes honoring four legendary Marines.
The four: former Commandant John Lejeune; Lewis "Chesty" Puller, recipient of five Navy Crosses; and two Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, John Basilone and Daniel Daly, were honored for their contributions to Corps and country.
All were combat heroes. Lejeune, for whom Camp Lejeune is named, was the first Marine officer to command a U.S. Army division. The two-time commandant earned a chest-full of medals and decorations for service in Panama, Cuba, Mexico, the Philippines, France and Germany.
Puller - probably the best-known Marine of all time - was also one of the most highly decorated. Like Lejeune, Puller rose to the rank of lieutenant general. He was what's known as a mustang - an officer who entered service in the enlisted ranks. After seeing combat in several places, including Haiti, Puller distinguished himself during World War II and Korea. Even after retirement, Puller tried to volunteer for duty in Vietnam - a request denied as a result of his advanced years.
John Basilone, an Italian-American who was one of 10 children, never reached "old age." The 27-year-old died on Iwo Jima after receiving the U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor for actions aboard Guadalcanal. Basilone, a machine gunner, was brought back to the U.S. mainland following his highly publicized exploits in the Pacific and offered a commission, but he spurned the offer and chose instead to return to combat. He later died on Iwo Jima.
Daniel Daly was a New York state native who achieved fame during World War I. Once described as the greatest fighting man in U.S. history, Daly had the distinction of having earned the Medal of Honor twice for two separate acts of heroism. His first award stemmed from actions during the Boxer Rebellion, while his second was earned at Belleau Woods in France. He retired as a sergeant major.
To be sure, the four men honored by last week's stamp issue represent some of the best who ever claimed the title of Marine.
But still, many believe there is a stamp missing from the U.S. Postal Service line-up of such commemorative stamps - one that commemorates and honors the men who died during the Beirut bomb blast on Oct. 23, 1983.
That tragedy, which struck Camp Lejeune, Jacksonville and Onslow County extremely hard one of the first attacks in the war on terror. Until the events of Sept. 11, 2001, the Beirut bombing was the most significant terrorist attack on U.S. citizens in the country's history.
Efforts to prod the USPS into issuing a commemorative stamp on behalf of the Beirut fallen have thus far proved fruitless, but it's hoped this attack will one day receive the attention it deserves.
The men who died in Beirut deserve to be remembered, honored and most of all, recognized for their sacrifice by the issuance of one more stamp.
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Terror Worldwide!!!
Hezbollah ID'd in 1994 Argentina attack
Dozens of people killed at Jewish center
Wednesday, November 9, 2005; Posted: 8:12 p.m. EST (01:12 GMT)
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) -- The Argentine government on Wednesday identified a Hezbollah militant as the suicide bomber who destroyed a Jewish community center and killed 85 people in 1994, embracing accusations made earlier by Jewish groups and the U.S. Congress.
The announcement by prosecutor Alberto Nisman added to earlier accusations that the Iranian-backed group was responsible for Argentina's worst terrorist attack, though he did not specifically allege Iranian involvement.
Nisman said at a news conference that Ibrahim Hussein Berro, a Lebanese citizen, detonated a van packed with explosives at the community center in downtown Buenos Aires, which served the country's more than 200,000 Jews.
Berro had been identified as the suspected bomber in a resolution passed on July 22, 2004, by the U.S. House of Representatives that urged a solution to the case. The resolution said that Berro reportedly been in contact with the Iranian Embassy in Buenos Aires.
Iran had no immediate comment on the latest developments, but it has vehemently denied earlier allegations of involvement. Nisman said there are several lines of investigation, "including the hypothesis of help from Iran."
Nisman said Hussein "belonged to Hezbollah," an international Iranian-backed Islamic militant group. He said friends and relatives of the man identified him through a photograph, which he called a major breakthrough in the decade-old probe.
Nisman said investigators believe the 21-year-old attacker entered Argentina in the tri-border region at the joint borders of Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil, a center of smuggling and alleged terrorist fundraising.
For years, the Jewish community pressured Argentine law enforcement to solve the attack, which also wounded more than 200 people.
A leading Argentine political analyst, Rosendo Fraga, said the announcement seemed to be a response to that pressure.
"It doesn't seem to me that there's anything here that's new and relevant," Fraga said.
In March 2003, a judge asked Interpol for help in arresting four Iranian diplomats allegedly involved in the bombing. Iran recalled its ambassador from Buenos Aires and denied involvement.
In August 2003, English authorities detained Hade Soleimanpour, the Iranian ambassador to Argentina when the attack occurred, but he was later freed on bail when a judge ruled there was insufficient evidence against him.
The judge in charge of the case was removed in December 2003 after complaints of slow progress.
Survivors have bitterly decried the lack of leads, noting that swift progress was made by investigators in other countries after terrorist attacks in New York, Madrid and London.
The Jewish center bombing was the second of two such attacks targeting Jews in Argentina during the 1990s. A March 1992 blast destroyed the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, killing 29 people. That bombing also remains unsolved.
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Dozens of people killed at Jewish center
Wednesday, November 9, 2005; Posted: 8:12 p.m. EST (01:12 GMT)
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) -- The Argentine government on Wednesday identified a Hezbollah militant as the suicide bomber who destroyed a Jewish community center and killed 85 people in 1994, embracing accusations made earlier by Jewish groups and the U.S. Congress.
The announcement by prosecutor Alberto Nisman added to earlier accusations that the Iranian-backed group was responsible for Argentina's worst terrorist attack, though he did not specifically allege Iranian involvement.
Nisman said at a news conference that Ibrahim Hussein Berro, a Lebanese citizen, detonated a van packed with explosives at the community center in downtown Buenos Aires, which served the country's more than 200,000 Jews.
Berro had been identified as the suspected bomber in a resolution passed on July 22, 2004, by the U.S. House of Representatives that urged a solution to the case. The resolution said that Berro reportedly been in contact with the Iranian Embassy in Buenos Aires.
Iran had no immediate comment on the latest developments, but it has vehemently denied earlier allegations of involvement. Nisman said there are several lines of investigation, "including the hypothesis of help from Iran."
Nisman said Hussein "belonged to Hezbollah," an international Iranian-backed Islamic militant group. He said friends and relatives of the man identified him through a photograph, which he called a major breakthrough in the decade-old probe.
Nisman said investigators believe the 21-year-old attacker entered Argentina in the tri-border region at the joint borders of Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil, a center of smuggling and alleged terrorist fundraising.
For years, the Jewish community pressured Argentine law enforcement to solve the attack, which also wounded more than 200 people.
A leading Argentine political analyst, Rosendo Fraga, said the announcement seemed to be a response to that pressure.
"It doesn't seem to me that there's anything here that's new and relevant," Fraga said.
In March 2003, a judge asked Interpol for help in arresting four Iranian diplomats allegedly involved in the bombing. Iran recalled its ambassador from Buenos Aires and denied involvement.
In August 2003, English authorities detained Hade Soleimanpour, the Iranian ambassador to Argentina when the attack occurred, but he was later freed on bail when a judge ruled there was insufficient evidence against him.
The judge in charge of the case was removed in December 2003 after complaints of slow progress.
Survivors have bitterly decried the lack of leads, noting that swift progress was made by investigators in other countries after terrorist attacks in New York, Madrid and London.
The Jewish center bombing was the second of two such attacks targeting Jews in Argentina during the 1990s. A March 1992 blast destroyed the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, killing 29 people. That bombing also remains unsolved.
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Friday, November 11, 2005
Remember This Guy?
The guy who got on a plane with a bomb built into his shoe and tried to light it?
Did you know his trial is over?
Did you know he was sentenced?
Did you see/hear any of the judge's comments on TV/Radio?
Didn't think so.
Everyone should hear what the judge had to say.
Ruling by Judge William Young, US District Court. Prior to sentencing, the Judge asked the defendant if he had anything to say.
His response: After admitting his guilt to the court for the record, Reid also admitted his "allegiance to Osama bin Laden, to Islam, and to the religion of Allah," defiantly stated "I think I will not apologize for my actions," and told the court "I am at war with your country."
Judge Young then delivered the statement quoted below: January 30, 2003 , United States vs. Reid.
Judge Young: "Mr. Richard C. Reid, hearken now to the sentence the Court imposes upon you.
On counts 1, 5 and 6 the Court sentences you to life in prison in the custody of the United State s Attorney General. On counts 2, 3, 4 and 7, the Court sentences you to 20 years in prison on each count, the sentence on each count to run consecutive with the other.
That's 80 years. On count 8 the Court sentences you to the mandatory 30 years consecutive to the 80 years just imposed. The Court imposes upon you each of the eight counts a fine of $250,000 for the aggregate fine of $2 million. The Court accepts the government's recommendation with respect to restitution and orders restitution in the amount of $298.17 to Andre Bousquet and $5,784 to American Airlines. The Court imposes upon you the $800 special assessment.
The Court imposes upon you five years supervised release simply because the law requires it. But the life sentences are real life sentences so I need go no further. This is the sentence that is provided for by our statutes. It is a fair and just sentence. It is a righteous sentence.
Let me explain this to you. We are not afraid of you or any of your terrorist co-conspirators, Mr. Reid. We are Americans. We have been through the fire before. There is all too much war talk here and I say that to everyone with the utmost respect. Here in this court, we deal with individuals as individuals and care for individuals as individuals. As human beings, we reach out for justice. You are not an enemy combatant. You are a terrorist.
You are not a soldier in any war. You are a terrorist. To give you that reference, to call you a soldier, gives you far too much stature. Whether it is the officers of government who do it or your attorney who does it, or if you think you are a soldier. You are not----- you are a terrorist. And we do not negotiate with terrorists. We do not meet with terrorists. We do not sign documents with terrorists. We hunt them down one by one and bring them to justice.
So war talk is way out of line in this court. You are a big fellow. But you are not that big. You're no warrior. I've know warriors. You are a terrorist. A species of criminal that is guilty of multiple attempted murders. In a very real sense, State Trooper Santiago had it right when you first were taken off that plane and into custody and you wondered where the press and where the TV crews were, and he said: "You're no big deal."
You are no big deal.
What your able counsel and what the equally able United States attorneys have grappled with and what I have as honestly as I know how tried to grapple with, is why you did something so horrific. What was it that led you here to this courtroom today?
I have listened respectfully to what you have to say. And I ask you to search your heart and ask yourself what sort of unfathomable hate led you to do what you are guilty and admit you are guilty of doing. And I have an answer for you. It may not satisfy you, but as I search this entire record, it comes as close to understanding as I know.
It seems to me you hate the one thing that to us is most precious. You hate our freedom. Our individual freedom. Our individual freedom to live as we choose, to come and go as we choose, to believe or not believe as we individually choose. Here, in this society, the very wind carries freedom. It carries it everywhere from sea to shining sea. It is because we prize individual freedom so much that you are here in this beautiful courtroom. So that everyone can see, truly see, that justice is administered fairly, individually, and discretely. It is for freedom's sake that your lawyers are striving so vigorously on your behalf and have filed appeals, will go on in their representation of you before other judges.
We Americans are all about freedom. Because we all know that the way we treat you, Mr. Reid, is the measure of our own liberties. Make no mistake though. It is yet true that we will bare any burden; pay any price, to preserve our freedoms. Look around this courtroom. Mark it well. The world is not going to long remember what you or I say here. Day after tomorrow, it will be forgotten, but this, however, will long endure Here in this courtroom and courtrooms all across America , the American people will gather to see that justice, individual justice, justice, not war, individual justice is in fact being done. The very President of the United States through his officers come into courtrooms and lay out evidence on which specific matters can be judged and juries of citizens will gather to sit and judge that evidence democratically, to mold and shape and refine our sense of justice.
See that flag, Mr. Reid? That's the flag of the United States of America . That flag will fly there long after this is all forgotten. That flag stands for freedom. And it always s will.
Mr. Custody Officer. Stand him down.
Thanks go to OldBlueJacket.com
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
We are not alone!
Hizballah in San Francisco
Inspired by this entry at Aaron Weisburd's anti-jihad site Internet Haganáh -- describing how Web sites for the Islamic terror organization Hizballah were being hosted in San Francisco -- I decided to personally investigate the company that was doing the hosting, ServePath, on Spear Street south of Market.
The night before, local television station KPIX had broadcast a short segment about Aaron and his efforts. I didn't see the broadcast, but the online transcript had only this to say about ServePath's response: "While ServePath declined an on camera interview, a representative said they'd passed Weisburd's concerns on to federal authorities, and don't typically take action against a site without a court order or request from authorities." [Update: ServePath has now taken down the Hizballah sites they were hosting, due to pressure from the public. I'm leaving this page online as a permanent record of the event.]
To me, that sounded pretty inadequate as a reply, especially considering that the following day Aaron had discovered that yet another Islamic jihadi site was recently accepted by ServePath as well.
So I headed down to ServePath myself to see what kind of company this was exactly. Were they terrorist sympathizers?
The company, it turned out, was housed in a massive business center with an imposing façade.
There was no evidence of ServePath's presence -- much less their corporate personality -- aside from their name in the window.
Momentarily casting aside my prudence and sanity, I decided to go inside and ask the owners myself how they could justify giving aid and services to a violent group that has been officially branded as a terror organization.
As soon as I stepped through the heavy doors, however, my camera attracted attention. The security guard bolted upright and immediately became very perturbed at my presence.
Before my foolhardy venture escalated into an international incident, I regained my sanity and decided that a hasty retreat was in order.
So my abortive investigation came to an anti-climactic denouement. But it was better than a night in jail.
My only conclusion is that ServePath, instead of being terror sympathizers, are merely amoral capitalists who will take money from anyone, no matter how evil, if it makes them a profit.
If you want to join the effort to close down the terrorist Web sites hosted in San Francisco, can you contact ServePath by going to this page. [Update: so many people contacted ServePath that they did indeed close down the terrorist sites that they had been hosting. Mission accomplished.]
Thanks go to http://www.zombietime.com/ for their efforts to flush out these scum.!
Inspired by this entry at Aaron Weisburd's anti-jihad site Internet Haganáh -- describing how Web sites for the Islamic terror organization Hizballah were being hosted in San Francisco -- I decided to personally investigate the company that was doing the hosting, ServePath, on Spear Street south of Market.
The night before, local television station KPIX had broadcast a short segment about Aaron and his efforts. I didn't see the broadcast, but the online transcript had only this to say about ServePath's response: "While ServePath declined an on camera interview, a representative said they'd passed Weisburd's concerns on to federal authorities, and don't typically take action against a site without a court order or request from authorities." [Update: ServePath has now taken down the Hizballah sites they were hosting, due to pressure from the public. I'm leaving this page online as a permanent record of the event.]
To me, that sounded pretty inadequate as a reply, especially considering that the following day Aaron had discovered that yet another Islamic jihadi site was recently accepted by ServePath as well.
So I headed down to ServePath myself to see what kind of company this was exactly. Were they terrorist sympathizers?
The company, it turned out, was housed in a massive business center with an imposing façade.
There was no evidence of ServePath's presence -- much less their corporate personality -- aside from their name in the window.
Momentarily casting aside my prudence and sanity, I decided to go inside and ask the owners myself how they could justify giving aid and services to a violent group that has been officially branded as a terror organization.
As soon as I stepped through the heavy doors, however, my camera attracted attention. The security guard bolted upright and immediately became very perturbed at my presence.
Before my foolhardy venture escalated into an international incident, I regained my sanity and decided that a hasty retreat was in order.
So my abortive investigation came to an anti-climactic denouement. But it was better than a night in jail.
My only conclusion is that ServePath, instead of being terror sympathizers, are merely amoral capitalists who will take money from anyone, no matter how evil, if it makes them a profit.
If you want to join the effort to close down the terrorist Web sites hosted in San Francisco, can you contact ServePath by going to this page. [Update: so many people contacted ServePath that they did indeed close down the terrorist sites that they had been hosting. Mission accomplished.]
Thanks go to http://www.zombietime.com/ for their efforts to flush out these scum.!
Thirteen Nights in Paris
Well, it seems the French have reaped what they have sowed. Being a Colonial Power, France had many possessions through the world Algeria, Lebanon, French Indo China just to name a few, but the socialist agenda that they have fostered many years ago in Algeria and Lebanon have now come home to roost.
Lebanon, with its many Arab factions was always favored by the French. Beirut was considered the "Paris of the Middle East". As soon as French Influence left the country, it was turned over to it's Islamic Fanatics, and France never looked back. A token French force was sent in 1982 to assist Arafat in leaving the Port of Beirut, but the French knew that drawing the Americans into their former problem would be good for France and good for business.
Now as the streets of Paris burn with Muslim fires, the French have finally declared a curfew. The question is, is it too late for France?
Lebanon, with its many Arab factions was always favored by the French. Beirut was considered the "Paris of the Middle East". As soon as French Influence left the country, it was turned over to it's Islamic Fanatics, and France never looked back. A token French force was sent in 1982 to assist Arafat in leaving the Port of Beirut, but the French knew that drawing the Americans into their former problem would be good for France and good for business.
Now as the streets of Paris burn with Muslim fires, the French have finally declared a curfew. The question is, is it too late for France?
Sunday, November 06, 2005
ADVERTISERS ON HATRED TV
Advertising on Terror TV
By Mark Dubowitz, Roberta Bonazzi
The National Post
October 18, 2005
In one episode of the 29-part Ramadan TV special Al-Shatat, The Diaspora, a rabbi orders his young son to kidnap a Christian friend so that his throat can be slit and the blood drained into a bedpan to be used to make food for Passover. The rest of the series tells the usual anti-Semitic plot of alleged Jewish aspirations for world domination. This TV show is just one example of the programming run by Hezbollah's global satellite channel, al-Manar. The spread of this kind of hatred is despicable in any context. But when it is broadcast to millions of viewers by terrorists intent on destroying lives, it becomes a weapon of global jihad.
Al-Manar routinely runs videos encouraging children to become suicide bombers, calls for terrorists to attack coalition soldiers in Iraq and promises that "martyrs" will be rewarded in the afterlife.
Hezbollah established al-Manar in 1991 as an operational weapon to incite hatred and violence, and recruit children and adults as terrorists. According to al-Manar officials interviewed by Hezbollah expert Avi Jorisch for his book Beacon of Hatred, the station's programming is meant to "help people on the way to committing what you call in the West a suicide mission." Viewers are told: "The path to becoming a priest in Islam is through jihad," as Hezbollah's secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah said in a speech on March 23, 2002. Every day al-Manar reaches millions of Arabic speakers in the Middle East, Europe and North Africa.
These are the only areas where the station is available today. When made aware of al-Manar's programming, seven satellite providers -- based in France, Spain, Holland, Hong Kong, Australia and Barbados -- decided that it was contrary to laws or basic decency, and ceased their broadcasts. These satellite providers recognized that far from being a freedom of expression issue, calls to murder can never be a legitimate part of the public debate.
But two satellite companies continue to broadcast the station's programming: Arabsat, whose largest shareholder is the Saudi government, and Nilesat, which is majority-owned by the Egyptian government. The footprint of these two providers covers all of Europe, from Spain to southern Sweden and the Balkans. It extends to North Africa and the Middle East. As a result, Arabic speakers in Paris, London, Madrid and elsewhere continue to have access to a station that fosters a culture of terrorism 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The European Union must pressure the Saudi and Egyptian governments to stop broadcasting this hatred to impressionable young Muslims in Europe.
That's the political part of the fight against al-Manar. But there is also a commercial side to it. While a large part of al-Manar's operating budget comes from Iran (which also funds Hezbollah), a significant portion is derived from ad revenue. There are a handful of multinational corporations that still advertise on al-Manar, indirectly endorsing its message of hatred and violence and directly supporting its operations by paying for air time.
Within the past few months, al-Manar broadcasted ads for products from the following companies: Nissan; Korean electronics maker LG; Tefal, a subsidiary of France-based Groupe SEB that produces home cooking products; Swiss watch manufacturer Jovial; and Cellis-Alpha, a cellular SIM card provider owned by Fal Dete Telecommunications, a Saudi-German consortium majority-owned by Detecon, which in turn is a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom.
We contacted the companies about this issue. A spokesman for Tefal denied that its products were ever advertised on al-Manar. A spokesman for Nissan said the company was unaware that its ads were running on al-Manar; after investigating the matter, he said the spots were placed by a local dealer, and that the ads would stop at year's end. The head of the LG liaison office in Lebanon said the ads were placed by a local agent and only during the recent Lebanese elections because al-Manar attracted a particularly large number of viewers during that time. He said he would prefer not to advertise on al-Manar again, but added that he first had to discuss the issue with LG's regional headquarters in Dubai. A spokesman for Jovial wasn't able to comment and did not provide further details on the company's position. Fal-Dete-Telecommunications said they were not aware of the situation and that they are taking the matter seriously. They are currently making inquiries with their partners in Lebanon.
While it is possible that these companies were not always aware that their ads were being placed on al-Manar, ignorance in this case is no excuse. Many of the world's largest corporations -- including Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble and Western Union -- stopped buying time on al-Manar more than three years ago once they realized what their ad dollars were supporting. Those companies still advertising on al-Manar should follow the example of the many governments and private and public firms that have ended their relationship with al-Manar. They should immediately pull any remaining ads and institute a permanent ban on future advertising.
Western lives and values are under attack by Islamic extremists. Responsible companies should have no relationship with terrorist organizations. To do otherwise is to send a worrying signal to their customers, a message that seems to say that their lives are worth less than the sale of a few extra cars, watches, cellphones and home cooking products. At the very least, that cannot be good for business.
While it is possible that these companies were not always aware that their ads were being placed on al-Manar, ignorance in this case is no excuse. Many of the world's largest corporations -- including Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble and Western Union -- stopped buying time on al-Manar more than three years ago once they realized what their ad dollars were supporting. Those companies still advertising on al-Manar should follow the example of the many governments and private and public firms that have ended their relationship with al-Manar. They should immediately pull any remaining ads and institute a permanent ban on future advertising.This is very interesting, lets try to find the sponsors of this scum TV and have them be accountable!
By Mark Dubowitz, Roberta Bonazzi
The National Post
October 18, 2005
In one episode of the 29-part Ramadan TV special Al-Shatat, The Diaspora, a rabbi orders his young son to kidnap a Christian friend so that his throat can be slit and the blood drained into a bedpan to be used to make food for Passover. The rest of the series tells the usual anti-Semitic plot of alleged Jewish aspirations for world domination. This TV show is just one example of the programming run by Hezbollah's global satellite channel, al-Manar. The spread of this kind of hatred is despicable in any context. But when it is broadcast to millions of viewers by terrorists intent on destroying lives, it becomes a weapon of global jihad.
Al-Manar routinely runs videos encouraging children to become suicide bombers, calls for terrorists to attack coalition soldiers in Iraq and promises that "martyrs" will be rewarded in the afterlife.
Hezbollah established al-Manar in 1991 as an operational weapon to incite hatred and violence, and recruit children and adults as terrorists. According to al-Manar officials interviewed by Hezbollah expert Avi Jorisch for his book Beacon of Hatred, the station's programming is meant to "help people on the way to committing what you call in the West a suicide mission." Viewers are told: "The path to becoming a priest in Islam is through jihad," as Hezbollah's secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah said in a speech on March 23, 2002. Every day al-Manar reaches millions of Arabic speakers in the Middle East, Europe and North Africa.
These are the only areas where the station is available today. When made aware of al-Manar's programming, seven satellite providers -- based in France, Spain, Holland, Hong Kong, Australia and Barbados -- decided that it was contrary to laws or basic decency, and ceased their broadcasts. These satellite providers recognized that far from being a freedom of expression issue, calls to murder can never be a legitimate part of the public debate.
But two satellite companies continue to broadcast the station's programming: Arabsat, whose largest shareholder is the Saudi government, and Nilesat, which is majority-owned by the Egyptian government. The footprint of these two providers covers all of Europe, from Spain to southern Sweden and the Balkans. It extends to North Africa and the Middle East. As a result, Arabic speakers in Paris, London, Madrid and elsewhere continue to have access to a station that fosters a culture of terrorism 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The European Union must pressure the Saudi and Egyptian governments to stop broadcasting this hatred to impressionable young Muslims in Europe.
That's the political part of the fight against al-Manar. But there is also a commercial side to it. While a large part of al-Manar's operating budget comes from Iran (which also funds Hezbollah), a significant portion is derived from ad revenue. There are a handful of multinational corporations that still advertise on al-Manar, indirectly endorsing its message of hatred and violence and directly supporting its operations by paying for air time.
Within the past few months, al-Manar broadcasted ads for products from the following companies: Nissan; Korean electronics maker LG; Tefal, a subsidiary of France-based Groupe SEB that produces home cooking products; Swiss watch manufacturer Jovial; and Cellis-Alpha, a cellular SIM card provider owned by Fal Dete Telecommunications, a Saudi-German consortium majority-owned by Detecon, which in turn is a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom.
We contacted the companies about this issue. A spokesman for Tefal denied that its products were ever advertised on al-Manar. A spokesman for Nissan said the company was unaware that its ads were running on al-Manar; after investigating the matter, he said the spots were placed by a local dealer, and that the ads would stop at year's end. The head of the LG liaison office in Lebanon said the ads were placed by a local agent and only during the recent Lebanese elections because al-Manar attracted a particularly large number of viewers during that time. He said he would prefer not to advertise on al-Manar again, but added that he first had to discuss the issue with LG's regional headquarters in Dubai. A spokesman for Jovial wasn't able to comment and did not provide further details on the company's position. Fal-Dete-Telecommunications said they were not aware of the situation and that they are taking the matter seriously. They are currently making inquiries with their partners in Lebanon.
While it is possible that these companies were not always aware that their ads were being placed on al-Manar, ignorance in this case is no excuse. Many of the world's largest corporations -- including Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble and Western Union -- stopped buying time on al-Manar more than three years ago once they realized what their ad dollars were supporting. Those companies still advertising on al-Manar should follow the example of the many governments and private and public firms that have ended their relationship with al-Manar. They should immediately pull any remaining ads and institute a permanent ban on future advertising.
Western lives and values are under attack by Islamic extremists. Responsible companies should have no relationship with terrorist organizations. To do otherwise is to send a worrying signal to their customers, a message that seems to say that their lives are worth less than the sale of a few extra cars, watches, cellphones and home cooking products. At the very least, that cannot be good for business.
While it is possible that these companies were not always aware that their ads were being placed on al-Manar, ignorance in this case is no excuse. Many of the world's largest corporations -- including Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble and Western Union -- stopped buying time on al-Manar more than three years ago once they realized what their ad dollars were supporting. Those companies still advertising on al-Manar should follow the example of the many governments and private and public firms that have ended their relationship with al-Manar. They should immediately pull any remaining ads and institute a permanent ban on future advertising.This is very interesting, lets try to find the sponsors of this scum TV and have them be accountable!
Hezbollah Salute
The Hezbullah Salute. Hezbullah militia members give the Nazi salute, leaving no doubt as to their plans for a "final solution" for Israel. This appears to be normal protocol for Hezbullah and their supporters. Hat tip to Strategy Page.
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