Doc's Talk: Ghosts of Hasan past, present and future

Friday, December 04, 2009

Ghosts of Hasan past, present and future

Ahmadinejad believes he's destined to unleash destruction
By James Zumwalt

After the tragedy at Fort Hood, we hear calls for action to explain how a military "Columbine" could happen. Investigating the background of the attacker, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, Monday-morning quarterbacking suggests the signs were clear - a malcontent, a loner, a man driven by religious conviction that his country was wrong to be fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, his giving away all his personal possessions, his donning religious garb hours before the attack, etc. It was only after the fact that we wondered how such obvious signs of a man determined to do harm to others, fulfilling his destiny in doing so, were ignored.

"Hasan" is proving to be a foreboding Muslim name for Americans. In 2003, we were visited by "Hasan Past" in Kuwait. We have now been visited by "Hasan Present" at Fort Hood. And, as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad forewarns, we are to be visited by "Hasan Future" before 2013. And, Mr. Ahmadinejad tells us, he will be the one to pave the way for Hasan Future's arrival. The Iranian president firmly believes the arrival of Hasan Future spells doom for both America and Israel.

Mr. Ahmadinejad clearly exhibits signs that he intends to wreak violence upon the world - he is only awaiting the tool that will enable him to do so. Ironically, of all the signs he exhibits, the most telling is also the most subtle.

"Hasan Past" was U.S. Army Sgt. Hasan Akbar. On March 23, 2003, as U.S. forces prepared to invade Iraq, he callously tossed a grenade into a tent where his superiors lay sleeping and then opened fire on his victims. Two officers were killed and 14 were wounded.

"Hasan Present" was U.S. Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who left 13 dead and dozens wounded in a similar jihadist attack against unsuspecting Americans.

But it is "Hasan Future" whom Mr. Ahmadinejad most eagerly awaits.

Mr. Ahmadinejad believes he has been chosen to set the stage for the return of Ibn-al-Hasan - known variously as the "Twelfth" or "Hidden" Imam or "the Mahdi." As such, Mr. Ahmadinejad and fellow Shi'ite believers of the same ilk are known as "Twelvers."

Twelvers believe Ibn-al-Hasan, born in 869, disappeared at age 5 when he was hidden by God. They further believe this Hasan to be the ultimate savior of mankind, destined to bring peace and justice to the world. But it will be a world ruled under Shariah law. Most ominous, they believe his return can only be triggered by world chaos.

Twelvers are a minority among Muslims. Sunnis, who comprise 90 percent of all Muslims, do not believe Ibn-al-Hasan to be the Mahdi. Even among many Shi'ites composing the remaining 10 percent, this is not believed. But Mr. Ahmadinejad distinguishes himself as a minority within a minority within a minority. While most Twelvers believe the world chaos necessary to trigger the Mahdi's return must be allowed to evolve naturally, he - as a member of a semisecret religious group known as "Hojatieh" - believes otherwise.

If one understands Mr. Ahmadinejad's belief that man must be a catalyst in causing the world chaos necessary to trigger the Mahdi's return, one should be very concerned about this religious zealot possessing a nuclear weapon.

One must closely examine Mr. Ahmadinejad's words and actions during the past decade to understand where his beliefs are taking him and where, if not stopped, they will also take us.

First, it is important to understand Hojatieh member beliefs are considered extreme even among extremists. Their fanaticism caused Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in the 1980s to ban their political activity.

Mr. Ahmadinejad's belief in the Mahdi's return is unshakable. In 2005, he advised a group of religious leaders, "Our revolution's main mission is to pave the way for the reappearance of the Twelfth Imam. ... Today, we should define our economic, cultural and political policies based on the policy of Imam Mahdi's return."

Mr. Ahmadinejad served as Tehran's mayor before taking office as president. As such, he secreted funds to be used to widen city streets to accommodate throngs of well-wishers who will witness the Mahdi's return. He also committed funds to renovate the mosque housing the well where the Mahdi is to make his reappearance.

Mr. Ahmadinejad's success in moving Iran's nuclear program forward despite efforts by the international community to curb it has led him to believe in the divine nature of his cause. In his mind, nothing else can explain the international community's inability to unite against Iran.

As further evidence of his belief in this divine destiny, Mr. Ahmadinejad returned home after his 2006 speech before the United Nations to tell religious leaders he saw an aura surround him as he spoke, mesmerizing listeners with his words. Despite the public outcry of fraud after the presidential election in June that kept him in office, Mr. Ahmadinejad believes his re-election is Allah's will for him to fulfill his destiny. He has told other world leaders the Twelfth Imam will return while he is president. And, he promises supporters, "the wave of the Islamic revolution will soon reach the entire world."

Mr. Ahmadinejad has stated his intention to wipe Israel off the map and to destroy the "Great Satan" (the United States). These are not idle threats. They are the words of a man who truly believes Allah is guiding his hand in effecting the destruction of his enemies and the subordination of all the world's religions to Islam. To effect this new world order and create the chaos necessary to pave the way for the Mahdi's return, Mr. Ahmadinejad believes it must be his hand that lets loose the nuclear destruction to come.

There is a subtle reality to Mr. Ahmadinejad's beliefs. History has borne witness to many rogue leaders in the world. Whether socialist or communist, all have promoted the lie that their leadership is the vehicle for improving the lives of their people - as they raid the public treasury to support their own lavish lifestyles.

Mr. Ahmadinejad is the exception. Living a pious life, he rejects most benefits and earthly pleasures of office his predecessors enjoyed. He does so as he firmly believes his reward will come with the Mahdi's return.

Just before he began killing unarmed victims at Fort Hood, Maj. Hasan reportedly shouted "Allahu Akbar" ("God is great!") - the battle cry of jihadists fulfilling their destiny. Those words will be uttered once more as Mr. Ahmadinejad, sometime before his term as president expires, releases a nuclear weapon against either Israel or the United States. But, just as with Maj. Hasan, it again will be too late for us to do anything about it.

James Zumwalt, a Marine veteran of the Vietnam and Gulf wars, writes often on national-security and defense issues.
http://eedition.washingtontimes.com/

No comments:

The IDF’s Minorities in Numbers and Pictures

In honor of IDF Diversity Week, we present diversity through numbers and pictures. Each year, more and more Muslims, Christians, Druze, Bedouin and immigrants from around the world take on the responsibility of defending Israel.

MUSLIMS:

Muslim Arab Israelis are not required to draft in the IDF, but there are many who volunteer. In 2013, there were over 200 Muslims serving in the IDF and over 300 in the reserves.

Bedouins:

Bedouins are nomadic Muslims who were in Israel when modern borders were set in place and are now considered Israeli citizens. They are not required to draft but a growing number choose to enlist. In 2012, there were over 1,400 Bedouin Muslim soldiers doing regular IDF service and almost 1,500 in the reserves.

Read more:http://www.idfblog.com/2014/02/27/truth-idf-numbers-pictures/#more-34027

Are you aware that in 2013, Middle class taxes go up-significantly?

In January of next year, the federal income tax rate for middle-class taxpayers is scheduled to rise from 25 percent to 28 percent, and the payroll tax is scheduled to rise from 13.3 percent to 15.3 percent… This drives the marginal tax rate based on the aforementioned three taxes to 48.12 percent. Add in state and local property, corporate, excise, and other state and local taxes, and the percentage of each additional dollar that is taxed hovers around 50 percent… When half of each additional dollar earned is taxed away, taxpayers experience a disincentive to start businesses or expand existing ones. This leads to fewer jobs being created.

Why is HAMAS Inside Tampa Schools?

Clare Lopez

Kelly Miliziano, who teaches history classes at Steinbrenner High School in the Tampa, Florida area apparently thinks it’s perfectly OK to invite a senior official of a HAMAS-affiliated organization into her classroom to discuss Islam with her students. According to local media reports, not only has this been going on for years, but in spite of the civil and criminal proceedings that could result from such reckless negligence, the Hillsborough County school superintendent, Mary Ellen Elia, and the chairman of the school board, Candy Olson, also expressed approval for students under their responsibility to be exposed repeatedly to guest speaker, Hassan Shibly, who is the Executive Director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in the Tampa area.
More...

Did You Know... Ignoring the Call to Islam will Bring Jihad

‘Conquest through Da’wa [proselytizing] that is what we hope for. We will conquer Europe, we will conquer America! Not through sword but through Da’wa.’
-- Yousef al-Qaradawi , Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader The Arabic word ‘Da’wa’ means the “call to Islam.” But do not think that Da’wa is the same thing as an invitation to an optional holiday event. The classical Islamic doctrine of jihad mandates that enemies must be given the opportunity to convert to Islam or pay the jizya tax before it is permissible to attack them.
Clare M. Lopez

Who is being discriminated-facts tell the truth

Religious bias

Hate crimes motivated by religious bias accounted for 1,409 offenses reported by law enforcement. A breakdown of the bias motivation of religious-bias offenses showed:

65.4 percent were anti-Jewish.
13.2 percent were anti-Islamic.
9.5 percent were anti-other religion, i.e., those not specified.
4.3 percent were anti-Catholic.
3.8 percent were anti-multiple religions, group.
3.3 percent were anti-Protestant.
0.5 percent were anti-Atheism/Agnosticism/etc.

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/hate-crime/2010/narratives/hate-crime-2010-incidents-and-offenses.

On March 31, 1977, the Dutch newspaper Trouw published an interview

with PLO executive committee member Zahir Muhsein. Here's what he said:

"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct "Palestinian people" to oppose Zionism.

For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan."

In March 1977, Zahir Muhsein, a PLO executive, said:

"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct Palestinian people to oppose Zionism."

"For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan."

The Arab Apartheid

Ben-Dror Yemini
In 1948, the Arab countries refused to accept the UN partition proposal and they launched a war of annihilation against the State of Israel which had barely been established. All precedents in this matter showed that the party that starts the war - and with a declaration of annihilation, yet - pays a price for it. Between 550,000 and 710,000 Arabs fled because of the war and a larger number of 850,000 Jews were expelled or fled from Arab countries (the "Jewish nakba").
Population exchanges and expulsions were the norm at that time, occurring in dozens of other conflict points and affecting about 52 million people. In all the population exchange precedents that occurred during or at the end of an armed conflict, there was no return of refugees to the previous region, which had turned into a new national state.
Only the Arab states acted completely differently from the rest of the world. Instead of assimilating the refugees, they crushed them despite the fact that they were their coreligionists and members of the Arab nation - instituting a regime of apartheid. So the "nakba" was not caused by the actual dispossession, which had also been experienced by tens of millions of others. The "nakba" is the story of the apartheid, oppression, abuse and denial of rights suffered by the Arab refugees at the hands of the Arab countries. (Maariv)

International Law and Military Operations in Practice - Col. Richard Kemp

"Islamist fighting groups study the international laws of armed conflict carefully and they understand it well. They know that a British or Israeli commander and his men are bound by international law and the rules of engagement that flow from it. They then do their utmost to exploit what they view as one of their enemy's main weaknesses. Their very modus operandi is built on the correct assumption that Western armies will normally abide by the rules, while these insurgents employ a deliberate policy of operating consistently outside international law. "

Lost Historical Moments

What Rabin’s last Knesset speech really said:repudiation of a Palestinian state

Rabin ruled out a fully sovereign Palestinian state :

“We view the permanent solution in the framework of State of Israel which will include most of the area of the Land of Israel as it was under the rule of the British Mandate, and alongside it a Palestinian entity which will be a home to most of the Palestinian residents living in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. We would like this to be an entity which is less than a state, and which will independently run the lives of the Palestinians under its authority.”

Rabin ruled out a total withdrawal from Judea and Samaria and thus a return to the pre-June 1967 borders :

“The borders of the State of Israel, during the permanent solution, will be beyond the lines which existed before the Six Day War. We will not return to the 4 June 1967 lines.”

Rabin ruled out withdrawing form the Jordan Valley:

“The security border of the State of Israel will be located in the Jordan Valley, in the broadest meaning of that term.”

Rabin ruled out uprooting settlement blocs, like the Gush Katif bloc in Gaza (which was subsequently uprooted by former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon):

“The establishment of blocs of settlements in Judea and Samaria, like the one in Gush Katif.

AND

Rabin ruled out removing any settlement before coming to a full peace agreement with the Palestinians:

“I want to remind you: we committed ourselves, that is, we came to an agreement, and committed ourselves before the Knesset, not to uproot a single settlement in the framework of the interim agreement, and not to hinder building for natural growth.”

Rabin insisted on Israel retaining full security control of the borders with Egypt and Jordan, contrary to Israel’s relinquishment of the Philadelphia Corridor on the border with Egypt:

“The responsibility for external security along the borders with Egypt and Jordan, as well as control over the airspace above all of the territories and Gaza Strip maritime zone, remains in our hands.”

Correcting Oslo Myths-Part 2

3) Kuttab laments that the post-1993 Oslo process resulted in a Palestinian Authority "whose ministers and legislators are not guaranteed passage between Gaza and the West Bank ...."

Before free passage or other perquisites, PA leaders were obligated, among other things, to eliminate the terrorist infrastructure in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, end anti-Israeli, antisemitic incitement in schools, mosques, and communications media, and resolve all outstanding issues through peaceful negotiations. They met none of these commitments, sometimes bolstering terrorism and greatly increasing incitement.

4) Kuttab complains that under Oslo the PA got "lightly armed police ---- but no real sovereignty over the land or contiguity between our communities in Gaza and the West Bank."

Oslo agreements repeatedly were revised, regardless of Palestinian non-compliance, until the authorized number of police grew from 8,000 to 40,000. Though they were to be the only armed forces in the territories, Israeli estimates early in the second intifada put the number of gunmen - police, "security services," terrorists, and armed gangs - at 85,000. Their armament reportedly included not only heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, but also anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles.

Sovereignty was to be negotiated in the envisioned 1998 "final status" talks - after a five-year period of confidence-building. Palestinian leadership chronically undermined the process. Palestinian terrorism made the 1993 - 1998 Oslo period more deadly for Israelis than the 15 years preceding it.

The United States doesn't have contiguity between the lower 48 states and Alaska and Hawaii; territorial contiguity between the West Bank and Gaza Strip - that is, through the 20 miles of Israeli territory between them - was never promised and would destroy Israeli contiguity.

5) "Palestinians have been made to endure hundreds of checkpoints in the West Bank, an eight-foot wall deep in our territories, and tight Israeli control over borders."

The security barrier is not "deep in Palestinian territories," but rather encompasses less than 8 percent of Judea and Samaria, and is mostly a fence, rarely a wall; the land in question is not "our [Palestinian] territories" but disputed territory to which, according to the authors of U.N. Security Council Resolution 242, Jews as well as Arabs have claims; and there are no international borders, only the 1949 armistice lines with Jordan. Under 242, borders remain to be negotiated. As for checkpoints - like the security barrier and "tight Israeli control" - Palestinian Arabs precipitated these measures themselves. No terrorism and there would be no fence or tight Israeli control and few checkpoints - like before the first intifada.

Correcting Some Oslo Myths

1) In Oslo "Israeli, Palestinian and other world leaders promised that ... Palestinian sovereignty would be solidified."

No, they didn't. The 1993 Declaration of Principles and subsequent Oslo agreements outlined a process by which final status negotiations about the West Bank and Gaza Strip would be reached. The process required an end to anti-Israel terrorism and incitement and a commitment to peaceful negotiations. The PA, Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and other terrorist groups, sabotaged the process from the start.

2) "The reality is that, in defiance of U.N. Security Council Resolution 242, which states that it is inadmissible to occupy land by force, Palestinian territories are still under foreign military occupation."
Wrong again. Resolution 242 (1967) does note "the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war." It also affirms the right of every state in the area "to live in peace with secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force." There were no "Palestinian territories." Jordan occupied the West Bank, Egypt controlled Gaza. Israel did not have "secure and recognized boundaries," so retention of some of those territories was possible under 242. Israel is not a "foreign" military occupier in the West Bank but, pending final negotiations, the lawful military administrator as a result of a successful war of self-defense.

Doc's Talk