Israel on U.N.'s 2011 Hit List

by Pamela Geller

Posted 12/23/2010 ET

U.N.  Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announced Friday that one of the United Nations’ top goals in 2011 will be bettering living conditions in the Gaza Strip and forcing Israel to end all “settlement” construction in Judea and Samaria and East Jerusalem.

You couldn’t make it up. Pressuring Israel is the U.N.’s top goal for 2011. Not the imminent threat of war on the Korean Peninsula or the North Korean nuclear threat. Not the Iranian nuclear threat. Not the very dangerous situation with the ongoing jihad in Pakistan. Not the huge new wave of refugees and illegal immigrants into Europe, Israel and the United States. Not the insoluble situation in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Nor did Ban say anything about the referendum for Southern Sudan independence, which is needed to stop the jihadi genocide that continues there. And he was likewise silent about the banking crisis in the Western world and the financial collapse of some European Union countries.

No, none of that matters. The United Nations has to spend its time improving living conditions in Gaza.

What a joke. There is no real “humanitarian crisis” in Gaza. Always the Jewish people are clubbed like baby seals with Islamic lies about how Israel is starving the Muslims in Gaza. (There is no such thing as a "Palestinian." There never has been an independent Palestinian state or recognized Palestinian nationality in the history of the world; Arafat and Co. invented it in the 1960s for propaganda purposes.)

The Jewish blockade starves the poor poor Muslims, so that they have nothing to live on except the billions upon billions of jiyza paid by American taxpayers and European Union dhimmis. Want to know how much dough they have left after they purchase their missiles, arms and bombs? Photo after photo has come out of Gaza showing stores overwhelmingly overflowing with food, toys, candy, anything you could want. They recently opened a big luxury mall there.

The abundance of food and other goods in Gaza is mind blowing. Perhaps that’s why last summer Hamas began refusing all humanitarian shipments -- they had nowhere to put it all. The population was stuffed.

Hamas calls all this "Israeli propaganda," but actually it’s the result of Palestinian propaganda. Don’t believe your eyes, believe Islamic lies. The "Palestinians" first invented their nationality itself and now they’re conning the world into thinking they’re starving when obesity rates are soaring there.

This is a propaganda war -- and the information battle space is the front, and big media is aligned with the jihad force. Always, the media repeats the relentless meme of the poor starving “Palestinians.” The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) creates the narrative and the media supplies the libelous judeophobic hyperbole.

And so the “humanitarian aid” keeps pouring in. Terror statelet Gaza is the biggest fund-raiser in the world. Yet there are no starving Muslims in Gaza, but there are plenty in Darfur, as a result of the relentless jihad against the Darfur in Sudan.

Still, Ban Ki-Moon and the U.N. are going after Israel, not Sudan.

And the settlements? They are Jews building houses on Jewish land. Period. The Israelis are under siege daily. Anyone who understands Islamic anti-Semitism  and the religious motive behind the genocidal jihad against the Jews, and the true history of the Middle East, will urge Israel to build more homes in Judea and Samaria and to create defensible borders.

The great Dutch freedom fighter Geert Wilders said it best in a speech in Tel Aviv two weeks ago: "People are mistaken when they assume that giving up Judea and Samaria and East Jerusalem and letting the Palestinians have it, will end the conflict between Israel and the Arabs. In 2005, Israel sacrificed the settlements in Gaza for the sake of peace. Did it get peace? On the contrary, because the conflict is essentially ideological, the situation worsened. Because the conflict is ideological, territorial concessions are counterproductive. Ideologies cannot be defeated by concessions. They are encouraged and emboldened"by them.

And now Ban Ki-Moon is set to encourage and embolden the genocidal jihadists in 2011, and help them reach their goal of destroying Israel. Fires are raging all over the globe, and instead of trying to put them out he is bullying the Middle East’s only democracy and America’s staunchest ally.

The United Nations is truly proving to be a collective negation of humanity.

Algeria: Yet more Christians Sentenced ...

Freedom of religion in Algeria is
dwindling since legal changes in 2006,
and persecution has been intensifying
since 2008.

On December 12, four Christians were given suspended prison sentences for opening a place of worship in the eastern region of Kabylia, Algeria, without a proper license issued by authorities.

The Christians—a Protestant clergyman and three of his parishioners—were convicted on the basis of a controversial 2006 law that requires that anyone who wants to set up a place of worship, whether Muslim or non-Muslim, must obtain a permit indicating the name of the place of worship as well as that of the pastor. Some believe this law violates Algeria's constitution, and this is first time it has been enforced in the nation.

Three of the men—Abdenour Raid, Nacer Mokrani and Idir Haoudj—received two-month prison sentences. The fourth man, Pastor Mahmoud Yahou, was sentenced to three months in jail and fined the equivalent of $135 CAN for illegally sheltering a foreigner.

Although the suspended sentences mean the four Christians will not serve prison time, Yahou told Compass Direct News that he and the three other men plan to appeal the verdict because the outcome of their case could affect all Protestant churches of the country, none of which have official permission to operate.

You can read the full report here.

Pray for endurance of faith for these four believers as they face opposition. Pray that they will look to God, knowing that their lives and ministries are in His hands. Pray that the ministry of churches in Algeria will continue and that the gospel will be preached throughout the nation. 

jihad 'is becoming as British as afternoon tea'

By Duncan Gardham

Anwar al-Awlaki profile: the Dickens-quoting preacher who boasted jihad 'is becoming as British as afternoon tea'

Anwar al-Awlaki, the Yemeni preacher linked to the Christmas bomb plot, has become the British intelligence community's enemy number one.

Anwar al-Awlaki is thought to be hiding in southern Yemen Photo: AP

He has lived in both Britain and America, speaks to his devoted followers in impeccable English across the internet and has close ties to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsular, from his current base in Yemen.

For those reasons, and many others, he has received name-checks in recent speeches by both the head of MI5 and MI6 – something Osama bin Laden has not.

In October, Sir John Sawers, the chief of MI6, described Awlaki as an “al-Qaeda leader” operating “from his remote base in Yemen,” who “broadcasts propaganda and terrorist instruction in fluent English, over the internet.”

Two months earlier Jonathan Evans, the director general of MI5, said of Awlaki: “His influence is all the wider because he preaches and teaches in the English language which makes his message easier to access and understand for Western audiences.”

“There is a real risk that one of his adherents will respond to his urging to violence and mount an attack in the UK, possibly acting alone and with little formal training.”

Awlaki’s side-kick, an American called Samir Khan, is also a significant concern because of the slick online magazine he has started producing called Inspire, which has included articles such as “how to make a bomb in the kitchen of your mom.”

In the second edition of the magazine, published last month, the 24 year-old former resident of North Carolina and New York City, wrote an article in which he said “I am proud to be a traitor to America” and described himself as “al-Qaeda to the core.”

It is the inspiration the pair are offering to “lone-wolf” operators that is causing MI5 and MI6 concern, coupled with the direct advice Awlaki has offered to Umar Farouq Abdulmutallab, the failed Detroit bomber, who tried to blow himself up using a device hidden in his underpants on Christmas Day.

Awlaki quotes from Dickens, dismisses Shakespeare and David Attenborough, and once told followers during a lecture in London: “The important lesson to learn here is never, ever trust a kuffar [non-believer]. Do not trust them!”

He said in a statement in March: “Jihad [holy war] is becoming as American as apple pie and as British as afternoon tea.”

Born in New Mexico, he grew up in Yemen and moved to the US to study for a degree in civil engineering in Colorado and then a masters degree in education.

He preached at mosques in San Diego and Virginia where he was considered conservative – following the Middle East salafi school of Islam – but not extremist.

After September 11, however, it emerged that three of the September 11 hijackers had attended his mosques and one investigator told the 9/11 Commission he believed Awlaki was the men’s “spiritual adviser.”

Awlaki built up a base of extremist followers while living in London for two years until 2004 giving lectures at mosques, universities and closed study circles across the country.

He developed a following among terrorists and terrorist groomers, including the July 7, July 21 and trans-Atlantic airline bombers.

He has also been linked to Major Nidal Hasan, who killed 13 people in a rampage at the Fort Hood military base in Texas in November last year, and Faisal Shahzad, who tried to set off a car bomb in Times Square, New York, has told investigators he was influenced by the preacher.

More recently he is said to have masterminded the air cargo plot that saw a sohpisticated explosive device disguised as a printer cartridge intercepted at East Midlands Airport.

The student who tried to murder Labour MP Stephen Timms during a constituency surgery was also inspired by his sermons online.

The Darker Side of Facebook: Online Jihad

Recently, The Social Network ^[1] garnered the Boston, New York, and Los Angeles film critics awards, the latest in a string of accolades.

The Social Network dramatizes the foundation of Facebook, the $50 billion social networking site that now claims to host more than 500 million members ^[2] worldwide. No doubt about it — Facebook is a monster, and as is the way with monsters ^[3], it may have grown beyond its creator’s intentions, or ability to control.

Twice in as many weeks, Facebook has played a central role in the recruitment and apprehension of would-be domestic jihadists. It has become increasingly clear that this social network is now a tool readily employed by jihadists and their supporters around the globe.

When Antonio Martinez (aka Muhammad Hussain) was arrested ^[4] in Baltimore for plotting to blow up an Army recruiting center, it was soon revealed that Martinez had posted his aims on Facebook, trying even to recruit other Muslim Facebook “friends” into roles as accomplices (roles they declined to play). Alerted to his Facebook posts by unnamed sources, undercover FBI agents supplied Martinez with dummy explosives — and watched as he attempted to detonate them.

Days later, Awais Younis was taken into custody ^[5] in Alexandria, Virginia, following his threats to blow up D.C.-area targets including Metro trains and sewers in heavily populated areas of Georgetown. As in the Martinez case, Younis was reported to law enforcement in the wake of his Facebook posts; unlike Martinez, Younis has only been charged with making threatening communications.

These two cases are not coincidental. According to a recently released DHS report ^[6] marked “sensitive,” intended for “Law Enforcement, DOD, or U.S. Intelligence Agencies” only:

jihad supporters and mujahideen are increasingly using Facebook, one of the largest, most popular and diverse social networking sites, both in the United States and globally, to propagate operational information, including IED recipes primarily in Arabic, but in English, Indonesian, Urdu and other languages as well. While some tactical information is available on Facebook, the majority of extremist use of Facebook focuses on disseminating ideological information and exploiting the site as an alternative media outlet for terrorist propaganda. However, to a lesser degree, the site is used as a gateway to radical forums and jihadi sites with explicit radical agendas (and easily downloadable operational information) and as a platform to promulgate some tactical and operational information.

How prevalent is this problem? Facebook’s search function readily reveals the breadth and depth of the jihadist infestation of the social network.

Using basic keywords translated with Google ^[7] into Arabic, Persian (Farsi), and Urdu, one quickly racks up examples. The Arabic word jihad (الجهاد) reveals numerous profiles and groups supporting the violent dissemination of Islam worldwide — such as this one ^[8], with 75 members; this one ^[9], with 296 members; this one ^[10], with 85 members; this one ^[11], with 98 members; this one ^[12], with 298 members; and this one ^[13], in support of the al-Quds Brigade, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, with 1,700 members.

In Arabic, the name Osama bin Laden turns up supportive profiles like this one ^[14], with 40 friends; this one ^[15], with 19 friends; this one ^[16], with 20 friends; this one ^[17], with 92 friends; this page ^[18], which 82 people have “liked”; and this group ^[19], which boasts 183 members.

Al-Qaeda’s second in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, also has his share of supporters. A quick internet search reveals this profile ^[20], with 958 friends, and a post dated December 5, which displays as the user’s avatar image the twin towers of the World Trade Center — along with the caption “Boom!!!!!!!”

The heads of al-Qaeda aren’t the only terrorist leaders with devoted followers. Searching the name Hassan Nasrallah will turn up fan pages like this one ^[21] (258 devotees) or this one ^[22] (279). It should be noted that, fortunately, there are as many or more profiles and groups airing an intense distaste for Hezbollah’s leader.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, on the other hand, is quite popular. A host of Facebook groups, pages, and profiles are devoted to his honor and support, such as this one ^[23] (1,829 followers) and this one ^[24] (646). The Arabic spelling of his name reveals even more^[25], such as this group ^[26] and its whopping 6,539 followers.

Hezbollah’s slain military commander — Imad Mugniyeh, responsible for more American deaths than any terrorist before 9/11 — is remembered with fondness by groups like this one ^[27]. And countless profiles and groups at Facebook celebrate other “martyrs” who, like Mugniyeh, were killed ^[28], or killed themselves while committing acts of terror ^[29].

More specific searches reveal more specific intent ^[30]. Many groups can be found under variations of the name “Death to Israel ^[31],” “Kill Israel ^[32],” and “Death to Zionism ^[33].” Subtle neither in their rhetoric nor in the graphic nature of their propaganda, they often violate Facebook’s terms of service. Examples are found here ^[34], here ^[35] and here ^[36], but the reader is forewarned – these are very graphic and disturbing.

Other propaganda products, less graphic in nature, are designed to boost morale ^[37] or incite a desire to take up arms ^[38] … but these, too, violate Facebook’s rules. More specific still is this group ^[39], which presents justifications for violating any treaties with Jews, and has adopted a title that begins “Look legitimate.”

As noted in the DHS report above, some profiles and groups serve the primary function of directing would-be jihadists to other websites and forums ^[40], where they can receive training materials or begin the process of recruitment. These links often provide jihadist content in a variety of languages, including English, French, Arabic, Urdu, Farsi, and Indonesian.

Men are not the only jihadists ^[41] represented, and while fewer in number, there are also groups such as this one ^[42], Love of Jihad (محبة الجهاد), featuring an image of an armed mother holding her child, and this one ^[43], which translates as “Union of Youth and Girls Nation of Islam to raise the banner (live on Jihad)”.

One must experience the aggregate effect to fully comprehend the scope of the threat, and the reader is encouraged to visit each of the links above. Each profile or group has a number of friends or members. Each of these people, in turn, has additional jihadist friends and groups. By tracing these networks, one can watch as their sizes increase exponentially. Factor in alternate spellings, multiple languages, and the many other applicable keywords, and the links posted here barely scratch the surface.

Given the ease with which one can locate such profiles and groups on Facebook, it begs the question of whether they remain in place due to Facebook’s inability to deal with them — or to Facebook’s lack of will. Every page on Facebook has a link to report offensive content ^[44], or anything that violates Facebook’s terms of service. But repeated or multiple reports often do not result in the content’s prompt removal.

The fact that both the Baltimore and Alexandria jihadists were identified as dangerous because of comments they had posted at Facebook raises a simple question. Is it better to remove such profiles and groups, or monitor them for their intelligence value? Within the counter-jihad community, this is the subject of ongoing debate. But it seems reasonable to assume that such a large number of targets presents a manpower problem for those who monitor them. Better to reduce their number to something more manageable, with the added benefit of concentrating and funneling jihadists to locations under surveillance.

Recently, Time magazine ^[45] announced Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, as their “Person of the Year.” At Facebook’s inception, not even Zuckerberg could have imagined how influential his site would quickly become. This influence now has direct national security implications. It is time for Facebook to take a more proactive approach to dealing with the abuse of its network by the global jihad movement. Meanwhile, it is incumbent upon Facebook’s users, advertisers, and the media to hold this company accountable for the widespread and systematic abuse of its services.

The jihad of the British Left

A new and authoritative report by Ehud Rosenhas just been published by the Jerusalem Centre for Public Affairs, which maps the forces behind the campaign of demonisation and delegitimisation of Israel and shows how the UK has become the global hub of such bigotry.

But the UK has also become the global hub, outside the Arab and Muslim world itself, of Muslim radicalisation. The two phenomena are, of course, symbiotically connected. And what Rosen shows is how the radicalisation of British Muslims – an issue of the greatest possible concern in Britain -- is not just the result of extremist Muslim preachers and the like. It has also been actively pushed by the far left.

It has often been remarked upon with surprise that in Britain, the supposedly ‘antifascist’ left marches shoulder to shoulder against Israel and America with the most obscurantist Islamist fanatics who believe in extinguishing the freedom -- and sometimes even the lives -- of women, gays and apostates in the Muslim world, let alone unbelievers anywhere else.

The conclusion has accordingly been drawn that this unholy alliance is based on a shared aim of toppling western society and the destruction of Israel. A series of conferences between 2002 and 2007 brought together the Socialist Workers’ Party, the Stop the War Coalition and the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, along with delegates from British trade unions and what turned into the Respect-Unity Coalition, and Islamists from Hamas, Hizballah, the Muslim Brotherhood, and other radical jihadi organizations. The agenda was to organise worldwide boycotts, demonstrations and campaigns against Israel and America.

But as if all this wasn’t enough, what has not been paid sufficient attention is the way in which the British far-left also sought to radicalise British Muslims to the jihad through its close association with the Muslim Brotherhood – part of whose strategy for western domination is to radicalise home-grown Muslims to the cause -- through the Brothers’ UK front in the Muslim Association of Britain. Rosen writes:

...politicizing the Muslims in Britain is perceived as one of the SWP’s major achievements in the last few decades. As explained by Arun Kundnani, editor of the Race& Class journal: ‘The role of the anti-war movement and the coalitions it fostered between Islamists and the Left have obviously been central to this [politicization] dynamic and given a wide range of Muslim groups a level of confidence to speak out on issues such as civil rights and foreign policy, despite the fear of being associated with terrorism.’

... In reality, as already discussed, the MAB also played a major role in forming the political alliance with the British left, mostly manifested by the younger generation of its Brotherhood activists. Rajib al-Basil, an Egyptian journalist and blogger, explained that the MAB has two main political goals: to guide the Islamic awakening in Britain, and to raise the political awareness of the Muslims in Britain and make them more involved in the political process.

After a split in the MAB between older activists and younger radicals, the British Muslim Initiative was formed which

adopts some of the far-left terminology, saying it seeks to ‘fight racism and Islamophobia, combat the challenges Muslims face around the world, encourage Muslim participation in British public life and improve relations between the West and the Muslim world.’ In order to put its name out, the BMI first initiated theIslamExpo, a large cultural affair that was intended to introduce Islam to the British public as a global culture and faith, shed light on the achievements of the Muslim civilization, create stronger foundations for Muslims to understand their heritage and develop their identity, encourage positive interaction between Muslims and other groups, and promote multiculturalism.

... In July 2006, leading figures of the BMI also launched a new Arab TV channel, Al Hiwar TV, aiming to target ‘Arab audiences across the world with a special emphasis on Europe’s growing Arab contingent.’ Broadcasting from London, the channel offers a variety of programs to teenagers, adults, and older persons.

All this quite simply amounts to an active threat to the state. These 'multicultural' activities are founded upon hostility towards the west and the strategy of further formenting that hostility. The results, in the increasing radicalisation of British Muslims, are all around us.

And so what is the government doing to combat this? Nothing. What is it doing to stop the Muslim Brotherhood? Nothing. Indeed, worse still it has a strategy of using the Brothers to ‘reach out’ to the Muslim community in the stupendously stupid belief that the Brothers are a ‘bridge’ between the UK authorities and that community. Without doubt they’re a bridge – but the traffic is all going the other way.

The result has been that the SWP and the Muslim Brotherhood, along with other associated radicals, have been playing the British government for suckers – and as a result, British public discourse has been hijacked to the cause of genocidal bigotry and the jihad.

Yet another report that should be placed on the desk of every member of Parliament.

Where is Bin Laden? In Algeria

Mille fundamentalists armed and at least four thousand soldiers.These are the figures of the war in recent weeks is taking place outside of Europe, in Algeria.

A military operation is unprecedented in the long history on terrorism was launched in Algerian Berber Kabylie.Objective: To clean up the mountains of the region very close to Algiers by the men of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, the North African arm of the nebula of Osama Bin Laden considered the U.S. a "greater danger" of Iran and North Korea.A subsidiary of terror that the Italian secret services were defined, in a report presented in Parliament a few months ago, "the main jihadist expression of the African continent", ready to infiltrate and expand in Europe through the channels of illegal immigration .

Kabylia, considered a hotbed of the organization at least in the north, is under siege.The army backed by special forces surrounded the area of Tizi Ouzou, Boumerdes and Bouira.For days, helicopters have bombed the area notorious as the "triangle of death" for the continuing violence by armed groups.Although the attacks are targeting primarily the security forces, the population is victim of violence and intimidation.Entire villages are besieged by militants in search of provisions, those selling alcohol are the victim of periodic punitive expeditions, and almost every week, there is news of another kidnapping.Since 2006, were kidnapped more than 60 people.Lightning kidnappings of businessmen and wealthy area, in most cases be issued on payment of a ransom.

The military is sifting through the forests of the Atlas of Algeria.And for the first time cell phone, normally used by terrorists to trigger bombs from a distance, were taken out of service.Would be at least twenty members of Al Qaeda killed.But there is very little information filtered out about the operation.At least 500 armed fundamentalists, according to Anis Rahmani, terrorism expert and director of the daily "Ennahar", are in the region.At their head, Abdelmalek Droukdel, alias Abous Moussab Abdelwadoud, in 2004 became leader of the North African arm.He, too, might have been killed in the last action of the Algerian army, according to some unconfirmed rumors.

Droukdel is a charismatic leader who would come in contact with Al Qaeda through the mediation of bloodthirsty Jordanian Al Zarqawi, killed in Iraq in 2006.It is he, 44 years old and originally Meftah, south of Algiers, to have sworn allegiance to bin Laden, becoming in 2007 the Algerian Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) Al Qaeda in the Maghreb.Even if the ratios of the Algerian armed groups with Bin Laden are long-standing.It is said that the sheikh had just recommended the establishment of the GSPC in order to clean up the image of the bloody CIA, guilty of massacres in the Algerian population in the 90s.

Droukdel in as early as 1994, gives a breakthrough organization.It is inspired by the parent company's customs clearance and suicide bombings.Algeria is overwhelmed by a wave of suicide attacks.Between 2007 and 2008, are affected the government building in Algiers, the Constitutional Court and the UN headquarters.

In a few years, Al Qaeda Maghreb able to expand like wildfire.And the Sahel became the new theater of terrorist acts.The dreaded as likely to overrun the south of the Algerian terrorism has become a fact of life.Multiply the abduction of Western citizens.A hunt for whites "that led from 2008 to present to the kidnapping of 20 westerners, more than 50 since 2003.A business worth 50 million Euros paid by European governments for the release of their citizens.

Jiahidisti, led by the Emir of the South, Abouz Zeid, mingle, alliances and protect bandits, Touareg rebels and traffickers.Smugglers who follow the ancient caravan routes, not on the backs of camels, but aboard a well equipped Toyota 4x4, loaded with weapons, cigarettes, and migrants from a few years, cocaine, along comes the new Latin America-Europe-Sahel.

Non fisicamente, si intende: ma con i suoi uomini sì. Perché il paese nordafricano è diventato una roccaforte di Al Qaeda. Che vuole usare il Maghreb come ponte verso l'Europa

(27 dicembre 2010)

Mille integralisti armati e almeno 4 mila militari. Sono queste le cifre della guerra che nelle ultime settimane si sta consumando alle porte d'Europa, in Algeria.

Un'operazione militare senza precedenti nella lunga storia contro il terrorismo algerino è stata lanciata nella berbera Cabilia. Obiettivo: ripulire le montagne della regione a due passi da Algeri dagli uomini di Al Qaeda per il Maghreb islamico, il braccio nordafricano della nebulosa di Osama Bin Laden considerato dagli Stati Uniti "un pericolo maggiore" di Iran e Corea del nord. Una filiale del terrore che i servizi segreti italiani hanno definito, in un rapporto presentato pochi mesi fa in Parlamento, "la principale espressione jihadista del continente africano", pronta ad espandersi nell'area ed infiltrarsi in Europa, attraverso i canali dell'immigrazione irregolare.

La Cabilia, considerata il covo dell'organizzazione almeno nel nord del Paese, è in stato di assedio. L'esercito appoggiato dalle forze speciali ha circondato l'area tra Tizi Ouzou, Boumerdes e Bouira. Per giorni, gli elicotteri hanno bombardato la zona tristemente nota come il "triangolo della morte" per le continue violenze dei gruppi armati. Anche se gli attentati prendono di mira principalmente le forze di sicurezza, la popolazione è vittima di violenze e intimidazioni. Interi villaggi sono presi d'assalto dai miliziani in cerca di provviste, i rivenditori di alcolici sono vittima di periodiche spedizioni punitive e, quasi tutte le settimane, si ha notizia di un nuovo sequestro. Dal 2006, sono state rapite più di 60 persone. Sequestri lampo di imprenditori e ricchi della zona, nella maggior parte dei casi rilasciati dietro pagamento di un riscatto.

I militari stanno passando al setaccio le foreste dell'Atlante algerino. E per la prima volta i cellulari, utilizzati abitualmente dai terroristi per azionare ordigni a distanza, sono stati messi fuori uso. Sarebbero almeno una ventina i membri di Al Qaeda uccisi. Ma sono pochissime le informazioni filtrate sull'operazione. Almeno 500 integralisti armati, secondo Anis Rahmani, esperto di terrorismo e direttore del quotidiano "Ennahar", si trovano nella regione. Alla loro testa, Abdelmalek Droukdel, alias Abous Moussab Abdelwadoud, divenuto nel 2004 leader del braccio maghrebino. Anche lui, potrebbe essere rimasto ucciso nell'ultima azione dell'esercito algerino stando ad alcune indiscrezioni non confermate. 

Droukdel è un leader carismatico che sarebbe entrato in contatto con Al Qaeda grazie alla mediazione del sanguinario giordano Al Zarkawi, ammazzato in Iraq nel 2006. È lui, 44 anni e originario di Meftah, a sud di Algeri, ad aver giurato fedeltà a Bin Laden, trasformando nel 2007 l'algerino Gruppo Salafita per la predicazione e il combattimento (GSPC) in Al Qaeda Maghreb. Anche se i rapporti dei gruppi armati algerini con Bin Laden sono di lunga data. E si racconta che proprio lo sceicco abbia consigliato la creazione del Gspc per dare una ripulita all'immagine del sanguinario GIA, colpevole di massacri tra la popolazione algerina negli anni '90.

Droukdel, nel Gia fin dal 1994, dà una svolta all'organizzazione. Si ispira alla casa madre e sdogana gli attentati kamikaze. L'Algeria è travolta da un'ondata di attacchi suicidi. Tra il 2007 e il 2008, vengono colpiti ad Algeri il palazzo del governo, la corte costituzionale e la sede dell'Onu.

In pochi anni, Al Qaeda Maghreb riesce ad allargarsi a macchia d'olio. E il Sahel diventa il nuovo teatro delle azioni terroristiche. Il temuto quanto prevedibile sconfinamento verso sud del terrorismo algerino è ormai un dato di fatto. Si moltiplicano i rapimenti di cittadini occidentali. Una "caccia ai bianchi" che ha portato dal 2008 a oggi al sequestro di 20 cittadini occidentali, oltre 50 dal 2003. Un business da circa 50 milioni di euro versati dai governi europei per il rilascio dei loro cittadini.

Jiahidisti, guidati dall'emiro del Sud, Abouz Zeid, si mescolano, stringono alleanze e proteggono banditi, ribelli Touareg e trafficanti. Contrabbandieri che ripercorrono le antiche rotte delle carovane, non a dorso di dromedari, ma a bordo di attrezzatissime Toyota 4x4, cariche di armi, sigarette, migranti e, da pochi anni, cocaina, lungo la nuova tratta America Latina-Sahel-Europa.

Non fisicamente, si intende: ma con i suoi uomini sì. Perché il paese nordafricano è diventato una roccaforte di Al Qaeda. Che vuole usare il Maghreb come ponte verso l'Europa

(27 dicembre 2010)

Mille integralisti armati e almeno 4 mila militari. Sono queste le cifre della guerra che nelle ultime settimane si sta consumando alle porte d'Europa, in Algeria.

Un'operazione militare senza precedenti nella lunga storia contro il terrorismo algerino è stata lanciata nella berbera Cabilia. Obiettivo: ripulire le montagne della regione a due passi da Algeri dagli uomini di Al Qaeda per il Maghreb islamico, il braccio nordafricano della nebulosa di Osama Bin Laden considerato dagli Stati Uniti "un pericolo maggiore" di Iran e Corea del nord. Una filiale del terrore che i servizi segreti italiani hanno definito, in un rapporto presentato pochi mesi fa in Parlamento, "la principale espressione jihadista del continente africano", pronta ad espandersi nell'area ed infiltrarsi in Europa, attraverso i canali dell'immigrazione irregolare.

La Cabilia, considerata il covo dell'organizzazione almeno nel nord del Paese, è in stato di assedio. L'esercito appoggiato dalle forze speciali ha circondato l'area tra Tizi Ouzou, Boumerdes e Bouira. Per giorni, gli elicotteri hanno bombardato la zona tristemente nota come il "triangolo della morte" per le continue violenze dei gruppi armati. Anche se gli attentati prendono di mira principalmente le forze di sicurezza, la popolazione è vittima di violenze e intimidazioni. Interi villaggi sono presi d'assalto dai miliziani in cerca di provviste, i rivenditori di alcolici sono vittima di periodiche spedizioni punitive e, quasi tutte le settimane, si ha notizia di un nuovo sequestro. Dal 2006, sono state rapite più di 60 persone. Sequestri lampo di imprenditori e ricchi della zona, nella maggior parte dei casi rilasciati dietro pagamento di un riscatto.

I militari stanno passando al setaccio le foreste dell'Atlante algerino. E per la prima volta i cellulari, utilizzati abitualmente dai terroristi per azionare ordigni a distanza, sono stati messi fuori uso. Sarebbero almeno una ventina i membri di Al Qaeda uccisi. Ma sono pochissime le informazioni filtrate sull'operazione. Almeno 500 integralisti armati, secondo Anis Rahmani, esperto di terrorismo e direttore del quotidiano "Ennahar", si trovano nella regione. Alla loro testa, Abdelmalek Droukdel, alias Abous Moussab Abdelwadoud, divenuto nel 2004 leader del braccio maghrebino. Anche lui, potrebbe essere rimasto ucciso nell'ultima azione dell'esercito algerino stando ad alcune indiscrezioni non confermate. 

Droukdel è un leader carismatico che sarebbe entrato in contatto con Al Qaeda grazie alla mediazione del sanguinario giordano Al Zarkawi, ammazzato in Iraq nel 2006. È lui, 44 anni e originario di Meftah, a sud di Algeri, ad aver giurato fedeltà a Bin Laden, trasformando nel 2007 l'algerino Gruppo Salafita per la predicazione e il combattimento (GSPC) in Al Qaeda Maghreb. Anche se i rapporti dei gruppi armati algerini con Bin Laden sono di lunga data. E si racconta che proprio lo sceicco abbia consigliato la creazione del Gspc per dare una ripulita all'immagine del sanguinario GIA, colpevole di massacri tra la popolazione algerina negli anni '90.

Droukdel, nel Gia fin dal 1994, dà una svolta all'organizzazione. Si ispira alla casa madre e sdogana gli attentati kamikaze. L'Algeria è travolta da un'ondata di attacchi suicidi. Tra il 2007 e il 2008, vengono colpiti ad Algeri il palazzo del governo, la corte costituzionale e la sede dell'Onu.

In pochi anni, Al Qaeda Maghreb riesce ad allargarsi a macchia d'olio. E il Sahel diventa il nuovo teatro delle azioni terroristiche. Il temuto quanto prevedibile sconfinamento verso sud del terrorismo algerino è ormai un dato di fatto. Si moltiplicano i rapimenti di cittadini occidentali. Una "caccia ai bianchi" che ha portato dal 2008 a oggi al sequestro di 20 cittadini occidentali, oltre 50 dal 2003. Un business da circa 50 milioni di euro versati dai governi europei per il rilascio dei loro cittadini.

Jiahidisti, guidati dall'emiro del Sud, Abouz Zeid, si mescolano, stringono alleanze e proteggono banditi, ribelli Touareg e trafficanti. Contrabbandieri che ripercorrono le antiche rotte delle carovane, non a dorso di dromedari, ma a bordo di attrezzatissime Toyota 4x4, cariche di armi, sigarette, migranti e, da pochi anni, cocaina, lungo la nuova tratta America Latina-Sahel-Europa.

Why can't my Lefty friends be as tolerant and open-minded as my Jewish friends?

Katharine Birbalsingh 

There is nothing like spending Christmas Eve with an old friend and her family, known to me since I was six years old. She, her parents, brother and sister, wives and husbands, and all of their children have a grand dinner, exchanging presents, playing carols on the piano and saying “Merry Christmas” to each other: a very ordinary scene, I guess. The Christmas tree is sparkling and the turkey is delicious. My friend’s eight-year-old, having played “Jingle Bells” and “Oh Come all ye Faithful” on the piano, plays “I have a Little Dreidel” and we sing, Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel… and his grandmother exclaims, “Aha! Finally one for us!” She grins at her daughter. “I think there is too much bias here… too many Christmas songs and none for our side!” We laugh. This dinner would be a very familiar scene, except that what makes this dinner interesting is that this family is Jewish.

Grandmother is surrounded by her Jewish grandchildren, two of whom will one day have to choose what they will be because their mother married a Catholic boy and, ever since, has taken to having a grand family dinner on Christmas Eve. Does Grandmother mind? No. Why? Because she doesn’t believe her son-in-law is evil.

My thoughts now turn to my Lefty friends and acquaintances who cannot quite accept that I might have some Right-wing tendencies or write for the Telegraph – that one is particularly hurtful – or have spoken at the Conservative Party conference. What do you expect our reaction to be, is always their response. Of course we are angry! Of course we are shocked! You’re meant to be one of the good ones! You’re meant to be fighting for equality!  Then you went over to the dark side…

Erm, yes. I am fighting for equality. That’s why I think we need some Right-wing thinking in our schools. I then spend a considerable amount of time trying to persuade them that Right-wingers aren’t necessarily bad people. “They aren’t evil!” I shout. “Michael Gove is a good man! I promise you! You’ve got him wrong!” And then, for the most part, they sigh, muttering about how I don’t know what I’m doing, I don’t know what I’m dealing with, that I’m some innocent and naive seal, splashing about in shark-infested waters.

And then I begin this kind of undignified begging. But please, just listen to me… they aren’t evil, I tell you! They want the same outcomes as you do… I promise you! Why not listen to a few of their ideas?

But their minds are shut. The Right is evil and nothing will make them reconsider.

Recently I met a man, educated at a top public school, and when I asked him which way he voted, he became very uncomfortable. Eventually he whispered to me: “Labour… But don’t tell anyone!”

I was perplexed. I frowned. “Why? Do you have lots of Right-wing friends?”

The look he gave me reveals how naive he thinks I am. He laughed. “I’m a public school boy. What do you think?”

Are one’s political persuasions really that tribal? Get educated in the private sector and you’re a Conservative, and get educated in the state sector and you’re a Lefty? Or become such a rebel that you reject everything ‘your side’ has to offer and take refuge with the enemy? Is that how it works? How utterly depressing!

Back at Christmas Eve, my old friend’s son plays “God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen” on the piano and we sing along. I trip up on one of the lines and Grandmother corrects me. She grins: “The Jew, correcting the Gentile … with the words of  a Christmas carol…” I smile, thinking: If only all of us could be as open-minded as she is, how much better the world would be.