U.S. to boycott Durban II, Congressional Black Caucus "deeply dismayed"

Anything that pledges to combat "racism" can't be bad, right? Because everyone's use of the term and agenda for using it involves exactly the same, altruistic aims for equal rights, right?

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States is boycotting a U.N. conference on racism next week over a document that "singles out" Israel in its criticism and conflicts with the nation's "commitment to unfettered free speech," the U.S. State Department said Saturday.

The Obama administration made the decision not to attend the Durban Review Conference in Geneva "with regret," a State Department statement said.

Two months ago, the administration had warned that it would boycott the conference if changes were not made to the document to be adopted by the conference. In recent weeks, discussions over the document have fueled several revisions, but the changes to the language didn't meet U.S. expectations, the statement said.

The current draft is "significantly improved," but "it now seems certain these remaining concerns will not be addressed in the document to be adopted by the conference next week."

State Department officials say the document contains language that reaffirms the Durban Declaration and Programme of Actions from the 2001 conference in Durban, South Africa, which the United States has said it won't support. The 2001 document "prejudges key issues that can only be resolved in negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians," the statement said.

Australia also said it would boycott the conference. Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said the 2001 document unfairly "singled out" Israel.

""Regrettably, we cannot be confident that the Review Conference will not again be used as a platform to air offensive views, including anti-Semitic views," he said. [...]

Meanwhile, the Congressional Black Caucus said it was "deeply dismayed" by the decision made by the nation's first African-African president, saying it was inconsistent with administration policies.

"Had the United States sent a high-level delegation reflecting the richness and diversity of our country, it would have sent a powerful message to the world that we're ready to lead by example," the statement said. "Instead, the administration opted to boycott the conference, a decision that does not advance the cause of combating racism and intolerance, but rather sets the cause back."

Again, they are projecting the Western definitions and experiences of "racism and intolerance" as the universal understanding and usage of the terms. To broaden their view, they might ask the Arab League how it has regarded the "richness and diversity" of Darfur while crying "racism and intolerance" over the Danish cartoons of Muhammad.

The Congressional Black Caucus is itself a racist group. Why should there be a black only entitiy in the government?

Al-Qaeda to Somalis: "Increase your strikes against the crusaders at sea"

Perhaps al-Qaeda is trying to exploit Somali anger at the recent US-pirate standoff, and redirect it to the jihad? Not really: "interaction between pirate groups and Somalia’s Al Qaeda-linked groups was first noticed about nine months ago."

Terrorist organisation trying to exploit anti-Western sentiment among well-armed youth with access to boats and maritime skills

LAHORE: A Saudi Al Qaeda operative has called on Somali comrades to step up their attacks on ‘crusaders’ in the Gulf of Aden, and in Djibouti.

“To our steadfast brethren in Somalia, take caution and prepare yourselves,” Sa’id Ali Jabir Al Khathim Al Shihri says in an audiotape acquired by CBS News. “Increase your strikes against the crusaders at sea and in Djibouti.”

It was the first clear sign that Al Qaeda was trying to take advantage of anti-Western sentiment, and a ready supply of well-armed young men in Somalia with access to boats and maritime skills.
A maritime intelligence source told a CBS correspondent that interaction between pirate groups and Somalia’s Al Qaeda-linked groups was first noticed about nine months ago.

The source said it was now ‘inconceivable’ that Al Qaeda would not benefit financially from the successful pirate hijackings.

Following the rescue of the Maersk Alabama by the US Navy, during which three pirates were killed and another captured, there were threats against any American crew members found in future hijackings.

Shihri, captured near Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan in December of 2001, was among the first detainees held at the Guantanamo Bay. After being held without charge for almost six years, he was released to Saudi authorities and enrolled in a rehabilitation programme there.

Following his release, he went to Yemen and was subsequently described as a deputy leader in an Al Qaeda press release.

I love how they throw around the word Crusaders. They happened over 500 years ago. What we need now is a modern day Crusades. We need to just wipe them all out once and for all. Think about all of the violence in the world, you will find muslims involved.

Slumdog Millionaire star offered for sale by her father

A theology and culture that reduces women to commodities gives rise to this kind of thing. Islam Respects Women Update: "Slumdog Millionaire star Rubina Ali for sale: Father tries to cash in on daughter's fame," by Mazher Mahmood for the News of the World, April 19

THE poverty-stricken father of Slumdog Millionaire child star Rubina Ali plans to become a millionaire himself-by SELLING his nine-year-old daughter.

In a bid to escape India's real-life slums, Rafiq Qureshi put angel-faced darling of the Oscars Rubina up for adoption, demanding millions of rupees worth £200,000.

As he offered the shocking deal to the News of the World's undercover fake sheik this week, Rafiq declared: "I have to consider what's best for me, my family and Rubina's future."

Rafiq tried to blame Hollywood bosses for forcing him to put his daughter up for SALE.

As he tried to fix the illegal adoption deal, real-life slum dweller Rafiq declared: "We've got nothing out of this film."

Then, almost embarrassed to speak it out loud, he whispered to an accomplice the price tag he has put on his innocent young daughter: "It's £200,000!"

That was an astonishing FOURFOLD increase on his opening demand. But Rafiq's equally demanding brother Mohiuddin insisted: "The child is special now. This is NOT an ordinary child.

This is an Oscar child!"

I love the euphamism "adoption", he is selling her into a life of sexual slavery.

Islamic supremacist leader: "There is no room for democracy in Islam"

MINGORA: While addressing a large rally here on Sunday, Chief of the Tehreek Nifaz-e-Shariat, Maulana Sufi Mohammed said that the movement for the implementation of Sharia began in 1994.

‘The fifteen year struggle of the TNSM for the implementation of Sharia in Malakand is now bearing results,’ the Chief of the Tehreek Nifaz-e-Shariat said.

He said the democratic system is an un-Islamic one and the judicial system of Pakistan should be according to the Sharia.

‘Now any appeal against the Qazi courts’ decisions can be made only through the Darul Qaza,’ he added. ‘There is no room for democracy in Islam.’

In line with these statements, Sufi has demanded the abolition of all judges in Malakand, giving April 23 as a deadline for the establishment of Darul Qaza....

After that it will be jihad.

Obama Administration drawing up contingency plans to punish Israel if it attacks Iran?

Having taken military action against Iran off the table, the Obama administration is considering ways of punishing Israel if it attacks Iran to end its nuclear arms program (and prevent a second Holocaust).

In other words, having failed to contain Iran, the United States is concentrating on restraining Israel.

Administration contingency plans include condemnation of Israel, support for a United Nations Security Council resolution that could include sanctions on Israel, and suspending or seriously cutting military aid to the Jewish State.

One of President Obama's closest foreign policy advisers, National Security Council member Samantha Power, is a proponent of ending military aid to Israel in order to force it to negotiate with Iran's Palestinian Islamist proxy, Hamas, and withdraw from all lands taken during the Six-Day War of June 1967. Power also advocates shifting aid to a Palestinian state. Overall, she views Israel as a liability and a historic mistake, in line with the European left position (and that of old-line, right-of-center, American isolationists and anti-Semites). Her antidemocratic admirers in the Democratic Party's (Hillary-hating) left wing agree and are eager for an opportunity to paint Israel as a Jewish North Korea (although they actually have more sympathy for North Korea than for Israel).

The big question is how the Obama administration would react if Iran retaliated against Israel indirectly as well as directly--by making good on its repeated threats to attack U.S. forces in the Middle East and shut down the strategic, 29 mile-wide Strait of Hormuz, through which an estimated 20% of the world's crude oil is transported by tanker ships. Would the U.S. fight back with real ferocity or respond in a limited way while blaming Israel for preemptively attacking Iran and appealing to "the Muslim world" for "understanding?"

One wonders how the Apologizer-in-Chief would react.