Commentary

Stakelbeck on Terror

Join with CBN News Terrorism Analyst Erick Stakelbeck as he brings you the latest inside information on the war on terror here in the U.S. as well as around the world.

december 18 , 2006

Iran Searching for Uranium in Somalia?

The irrepressible Daveed Gartenstein-Ross has an eye-opening exclusive today at PajamasMedia.com. Over the past few months, Daveed has been at the forefront of covering the continuing offensive by the radical Islamic Courts Union, or ICU, in Somalia (watch my recent 700 Club report on the topic here).

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december 8 , 2006

American-Born Muslim Arrested for Plotting Jihad Outside Chicago

An American-born Muslim man was arrested today after plotting to set off hand grendades in a shopping mall outside Chicago. Authorities say 22-year-old Derrick Shareef told an FBI informant that he wanted to commit acts of "violent jihad" against civilians.

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december 7 , 2006

Aussie Muslim Boys Destroy Bible, Christian Riots Don't Ensue

In a story that's been completely ignored by the mainstream media, two Muslim students have been expelled from an Islamic school in Australia for urinating and spitting on a Bible and then setting it on fire.

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December 6 , 2006

Imam Airport Incident an Orchestrated Stunt?

In my absence, one story that dominated the headlines was the expulsion of six Muslim imams from a US Airways flight out of MInneapolis. The six were returning from a conference organized by the North American Imams Federation--and according to The Washington Examiner, they were in rare form.

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November 20 , 2006

And the Euro-Jihad Marches On

Six people are under investigation in Germany in an alleged plot to blow up an Israeli airliner by bribing an airport worker to smuggle a bag packed with explosives on board the craft, officials said Monday.

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November 17 , 2006

An Iran/Somalia Connection?

On the heels of my report on yesterday's 700 Club concerning the rise of the radical Islamic Courts Union (ICU) in Somalia comes this story from London's Telegraph. According to the U.N., Iran has been supplying weapons to the ICU and supporting its jihad in Somalia.

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november 16, 2006

Bin Laden and Al-Zawahiri's Influence Waning?

A piece in yesterday New York Times discusses a recent report from the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. The report found that "[Osama] bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, have had a relatively minor influence on the movement’s intellectual foundation.

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November 14, 2006

Iran Says Near Completion of its Nuclear Program

IAEA experts say they've found traces of plutonium in a nuclear waste site in Iran.

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november 10 , 2006

Al-Qaeda in Iraq Threatens to Blow Up the White House

Al Masri, an Egyptian, also called President Bush "stupid" and a "lame duck,"and praised the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

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November 9 , 2006

Chinese Jihad

One thing these aspiring mujahid should remember about Communist China: it won't hesitate to torture or imprison religious minorities, especially ones who preach its downfall.

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November 8, 2006

Hamas Urges Attacks on U.S. Targets

I've always found it amusing how many liberals and even some conservatives have urged the U.S. to engage in dialogue with Hamas. They don't seem to grasp that Hamas--a vicious terrorist group whose founding charter calls for the destruction of Israel--has long been a committed enemy of the U.S. as well.

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November 7, 2006

Lower Education: UPenn Prez Poses with Mock Suicide Bomber

For years, CBN News has exposed the left-wing, pro-Islamist bent of many of America's universities (click here to read an excellent piece on this topic from my colleague Paul Strand).

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november 3, 2006

Anti-Jihad Conference Coming to Las Vegas

Are you sick of our media and goverment elites assuring you---after each and every bloody new terrorist atrocity carried out by Islamic fascists--that Islam is really a religion of peace? Are you fed up with being called an "Islamophobe" simply because you've dared take umbrage with the unyielding string of maimings, riots, murder, and general chaos visited upon the world by Muslim extremists since 1979?

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November 2 , 2006

Iran's Depraved "Best Holocaust Cartoon"Contest

If I didn't know the Ahmadenijad regime so well, I would swear this was an outake from the new movie Borat, in which the main character, played by Jewish comedian Sascha Baron Cohen, does an uproarious take on anti-Semites.

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november 1, 2006

Yemen New Training Ground for Jihadists?

Afghanistan. Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. Pakistan's tribal regions. Somalia. All of these areas have served, at one time or another, as terrorist training grounds due mainly to their lawless,"Wild West" atmospheres and the presence of either Islamist (Afghanistan, Pakistan) or impotent (Somalia, Lebanon) central governments. It seems we can now add Yemen to this unsavory list as well.

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October 30 , 2006

Breaking: U.S. Targets Zawahiri in Pakistan?

On the heels of an air strike on a Pakistani madrassah yesterday--which reportedly killed 80 jihadists-- news is now emerging that it may not have been the Pakistani military behind the strike as inititially thought. In fact, ABC News is reporting that the strike was carried out by the U.S., and targeted Osama bin Laden's top deputy.

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October 27, 2006

A CBN Exclusive Interview with Pakistan's Ambassador to the US

Pakistan recently signed a peace accord with jihadists in its western province of Waziristan. Was it a substantial victory for Pakistan in its own War on Terror?

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octoer 24, 2006

CAIR Turns Us Away...Again

The Council on American-Islamic Relations held a press conference today at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. The event was held to announce the results of a supposedly nationwide poll held by CAIR.

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october 20, 2006

Muqtada al-Sadr's Militia Briefly Takes over Iraqi City

I spoke to a source recently who's spent time in Iraq and has close ties to military personnel on the ground there. He told me that Muqtada al-Sadr, the radical, Iranian-supported Shiite imam who's caused so many headaches for U.S. troops since 2004, is on his way out--either at the hands of a rival Iraqi extremist faction or U.S. forces. I was told that the U.S., for one, has had enough of Al-Sadr's antics.

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October 18, 2006

New Jerusalem Mufti Endorses Suicide Bombings

America, meet the new "Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Lands," Sheikh Muhammad Ahmad Hussein. His ascension sounds like another quantum leap forward in the peace process.

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october 17, 2006

Jihadists Spying on Anchorage International Airport?

A disturbing report today on the invaluable MEMRI Web site. Remember, five years after 9/11, airplanes remain the jihadists' Holy Grail.

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october 12, 2006

American Muslim Pleads Guilty to Supporting Hamas

This item should come as no surprise to anyone. As I've documented before, Hamas has a lengthy history of support in the United States, particularly from American-Muslim advocacy groups.

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october 11, 2006

American Al-Qaeda Adam Gadahn Indicted for Treason

Unfortuanately, Gadahn's current whereabouts are unknown, although the Western Pakistani province of Waziristan is a good guess. Gadahn, an Orange County, CA native who has starred in several al-Qaeda videotapes (where he's referred to as ("Azzam the American") is the first U.S. citizen to be charged with treason since 1952.

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october 9 , 2006

Iran Blames U.S. for North Korea Nuke Test

North Korea's apparent explosion of a nuclear device beneath a mountain in the country's northeastern region has ensured that the world will never be the same. Why? For starters, it will almost certainly spark an arms race in Asia and the Pacific, with Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and possibly even Australia all moving towards joining the nuclear club in order to deter an attack by Kim Jong Il's maniacal regime.

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october 6, 2006

Russia Making Moves in Middle East

Watch Erick’s video blog and find out why the former USSR may not be just a another subject in the history books.

Watch video.

october 5, 2006

French Police: Muslims are Waging "Intifada" against Us

Remember those pesky little French riots last fall? You know, the ones led by young Muslims from North and sub-Saharan Africa whom the liberal media referred to simply as "Arab and African youths?" Well, it seems that nearly a year later, the merry French jihadists are still busy at work.

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october 4, 2006

Islamic Sitcom in Canada?

With the new fall TV lineup in full swing, what better time to debut a charming little program called "Little Mosque on the Prairie?" I'm not joking. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) has ordered eight epsodes of the sitcom. The network suits at CBC might want to don their riot gear in advance.

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october 3, 2006

Muslim "Pope Rage" leads to Hijacked Airplane?

It looks like the Pope's upcoming visit to Turkey will be a largely noneventful affair that shows the true, supposedly peaceful face of Islam. At least, that's what Islamic apologists are hoping.

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september 29, 2006

Al Qaeda's Losses Greater Than Thought in War on Terror

The new leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq has made the first known statement about insurgent losses in Iraq. And the numbers aren't pretty for the jihadists. Watch Erick's video blog on the subject.
September 27, 2006

Pakistan's Submission is America's Loss

Despite the best efforts of the U.S., a crucially situated, strategic area has now completely fallen to the forces of radical Islam and al-Qaeda. Waziristan, where Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri are likely hiding out, is a rugged tribal region located in Northwest Pakistan, along the Afghan border.

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september 25, 2006

Face-to-Face with Ahmadinejad

So much for liberal fantasies about "dialogue" with Ahmadinejad and a peaceful "grand bargain" with Iran over its nuclear program. The following piece from the National Interest is a must read.

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September 22, 2006

Hezbollah Chief Nasrallah Leads "Victory Rally" in Beirut

Today, Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah made his first public appearance since July 12, when Hezbollah terrorists crossed the Lebanese border into Israel, kidnapping two Israeli soldiers and killing three others. That deadly, unprovoked raid sparked an understandably fierce Israeli response and led to a 34-day war.

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september 20, 2006

FBI Raids Home of Islamic Leader in Missouri

The FBI declined to give a reason for the raid of Muslim leader Shakir Abdul-Kaf Hamoodi's Columbia, MO home on Monday, but I'm sure it's a perfectly good one. Hamoodi also worked for a Southfield, Michigan Muslim charity organization called Life for Relief and Development, which was also raided by federal agents on Monday.

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September 19, 2006

Country Club Conditions for Terrorists at Gitmo?

So much for those "inhumane" conditions at Guantanamo Bay that we've heard so much about from the Left. According to author Richard Miniter, a frequent guest on the 700 Club and CBN Newswatch who just returned from Gitmo, the jihadists there are not only treated properly, but are being downright pampered by U.S. forces.

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september 18, 2006

London Muslim: The Pope Must Die

The controversy over Pope Benedict's comments last week regarding Islam continues to spiral out of control. Predictably, the shock waves are also being felt in radical Muslism enclaves in the West.

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september 14, 2006

Cartoon Jihad Redux? Pope's Islam Remarks Stir Muslim Anger

At a speech in Germany on Tuesday, Pope Benedict XVI said that Islamic holy war was "against God's nature," and invited Muslims to join in a peaceful cultural dialogue. Sounds pretty reasonable to me. But Muslims, as they are known to become from time to time, are outraged, and by this comment in particular (courtesy of the Toronto Star).

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September 13, 2006

Radical Islamists Using Paintball to Train for Jihad?

On Thursday's 700 Club, we'll have an important story that I urge you all to watch. It shows how radical Islamists in our own backyard are twisting an innocent game into a jihad training ground.

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september 12, 2006

Jihadists Attack U.S. Embassy in Syria

A group of Islamic jihadists attempted to storm the U.S. Embassy in Damascus this morning. No Americans were hurt in the attack, but a Syrian anti-terror officer was killed. The terrorists used automatic rifles, hand grenades, and at least one van rigged with explosives, shouting the obligatory "Allahu Akhbar" as they moved on the Embassy compound.

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September 11, 2006

Watch Erick's 9/11 Video Blog

Five years after 9/11, Erick Stakelbeck questions whether America is winning the war against radical Islam.

september 11, 2006

Al -Qaeda Releases New Tape to Mark 5th Anniversary of 9/11

The days leading up the 5th anniversary of 9/11 have been busy ones for the al-Qaeda propaganda machine. On September 2, Al -Jazeera released a new videotape featuring al -Qaeda's number two, Ayman al-Zawahiri, as well as an American-born member of the group, Adam Gadahn.

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September 6, 2006

President Bush Reveals Secret CIA Prisons; Liberals Outraged

Bear in mind that if liberals in the U.S. and Europe are outraged about the Bush administration's conduct in the war against radical Islam, it usually means the administration is doing exactly the right thing.

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September 5, 2006

Nine Suspected Islamic Terrorists Arrested in Denmark

It wasn't too long ago that Denmark was ground zero for jihadist fury, after a Danish newspaper published cartoons of the Islamic prophet Mohammed last fall. Now the Danes are finding that--like the rest of Western Europe--they're besieged by an Islamist enemy that dwells within.

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August 30, 2006

Jimmy Carter Hopes to Meet with Khatami

Has Carter no shame? Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi of the indispenable website, Regimechangeiran.com, summed it up with the title of this recent e-mail: "Madman Jimmy Carter wants to add to his rogues gallery by meeting with Khatami."

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August 29, 2006

Former Iranian President Khatami Coming to U.S.

In what can only be described as a major propaganda victory for the Iranian regime - and a monumental, albeit typical, error in judgment by the State Department - former Iranian President Mohammed Khatami has been granted a visa to speak in Washington, D.C. next week.

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August 23, 2006

Dutch Police Arrest 12 Passengers on Northwest Airlines Flight

Let me guess, these guys were Hindus. Wait, maybe they were Methodists. Or maybe Mormons? Hassidic Jews, anyone? I mean, there's just no way 12 practitioners of a "religion of peace" would ever do anything suspicious, especially on an airplane. Right?

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August 22, 2006

Iran Fires on Romanian Oil Rig

Iran has been blocking UN insepctions of its nuclear sites. The UN is threatening sanctions if Iran doesn't stop its uranium enrichment by August 31. Good luck, because Iran is already at war with America and the West, and has been since the dawn of the Islamic Revolution 27 years ago.

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august 21, 2006

Would-be Bomber Arrested in Germany

This item is one that, strangely, went unnoticed when it was reported last month. German authorities have charged a Lebanese student with planting one of two bombs that failed to explode on German trains on July 31.

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August 18 , 2006

Al-Qaeda Reaching Out to Iran?

I've run across countless liberals here in Washington who, despite the nearly five years of deadly attacks, foiled plots and extremist rhetoric that have followed the ultimate wake-up call, 9/11, remain hopelessly ignorant to the totalitarian nature and imminent threat of radical Islam. 

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August 17, 2006

Iran Planning Major Military Maneuvers

It seems that every passing day brings another new sign that Iran is gearing up for war and preparing to spark an apocalyptic showdown with the West, one which its fanatical Shiite leadership believes will hasten the return of the 12th Imam, or Mahdi to cleanse the world of all non-Muslims.

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august 14, 2006

Israeli Ceasefire an 'Unmitigated Disaster?'

The irrepressible Caroline Glick lays out the facts in stark detail at Townhall.com:

"An unmitigated disaster"

There is a good reason that Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah has accepted UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which sets the terms for a cease-fire between his jihad army and the State of Israel.

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August 11, 2006

Massive Terrorist Plot Broken Up; Could Have Been Bigger Than 9/11

By now you've probably heard all about the foiled "super plot" by a large group of British Muslims to blow up between six and 10 U.S.-bound planes in mid-air.

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august 9, 2006

Hezbollah Using Ball Bearings in Rockets for Maximum Carnage

For anyone still wondering just how vicious Hezbollah's ongoing war against innocent Israeli civilians is (thanks to incessant, one-sided media reports chronicling the suffering of Lebanese civilians, we tend to forget that millions of Israelis have been living in bomb shelters these past four weeks), read this riveting account by NRO's Deroy Murdoch. 

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August 8, 2006

11 Egyptian Students Arrive in NYC, Then Disappear

When will this charade end? In its misguided and futile effort to win hearts and minds in the Arab and Muslim world, the Bush administration continues to allow droves of young Muslims to come to the U.S., ostensibly to attend American universities.

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august 3, 2006

Bin Laden's Son in Lebanon?

According to a report in the German newspaper Die Welt, Osama bin Laden's 27-year-old son, Saad, has traveled to Lebanon from Iran to organize terrorist attacks against Israel. If true, this is explosive news.

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August 3, 2006

Hezbollah Threatens Tel Aviv

Hezbollah's elusive leader, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, released a videotape today threatening to strike the Israeli capital of Tel Aviv with missiles. I would imagine that the Israeli response to any such attack would be justifiably massive.

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august 2, 2006

British Theme Park Cancels ‘Muslim Fun Day’

The geniuses who organized this event are no doubt disappointed that another opportunity to plunge Britain into cultural oblivion has been averted. And hey, didn't the Ayatollah Khomeini once famously say, "there is no fun in Islam?"

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August 1, 2006

Is Israel Losing its War with Hezbollah?

A penetrating piece in today's Wall Street Journal by the always insightful Bret Stephens. It's titled "Israel Is Losing This War" and the points Stephens raises are, in my mind, mostly indisputable at this point.

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july 31, 2006

Pictures Prove Hezbollah Using Civilians as Human Shields

In another testament to the cowardice of Islamic terrorists, Australia's Herland Un newspaper has published three photos of Hezbollah terrorists operating out of suburban residential neighborhoods in Lebanon.

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july 28, 2006

Hezbollah Leader Hiding in Iranian Embassy?

Some say he's hiding in the basement of the Iranian Embassy in Beirut, where he continues to direct attacks against Israel. Still others say he is in Damascus.

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july 26, 2006

Israel Wary of War with Syria?

My friend, 2006 Nobel Prize nominee Ken Timmerman, has an excellent piece in today's edition of Newsmax.com.  He dissects some possible next steps in Israel's war against Hezbollah terror. Ken is reporting exclusively from Israel, where he's had the opportunity to interview several leading Israeli military officials.

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july 25, 2006

Iran Sends 'Martyrdom Seekers' to Lebanon

If anyone doubts that Iran plans to up the ante in its Hezbollah-led proxy war against Israel in southern Lebanon, look no further than this item from yesterday's UK Sun.

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july 19, 2006

U.S. and Israeli Intel Surprised by Hezbollah Rockets

Could the barrage of rockets currently reigning down upon northern Israel be another example of an American intelligence failure? And what about the Israelis? I find it hard to believe that CIA and Mossad agents on the ground in Lebanon were unaware of the extent of Hezbollah's missile technology. But according to this piece from the jihadi-coddling NY Times (which I usually try my hardest not to cite), that's exactly the case:

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july 18, 2006

Iran's Hezbollah Branch Ready to Attack U.S. Interests

It should come as no surprise that Hezbollah--which is based mainly in South Lebanon--has branches in Shiite areas throughout the world, including in Iran. Hezbollah was founded by Iranian Revolutionary Guards troops in 1982 with the principles of the Iranian revolution as its basis. Given that fact, and Hezbollah's presence on five continents, including North America, the following item should raise eyebrows in the United States.

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july 13, 2006

Iran Behind Hezbollah Kidnappings of Israeli Troops?

Today on the 700 Club I discussed Imad Mugniyeh, the Lebanese-born, Iranian-supported terrorist mastermind. U.S. officials tell CBN News that Mugniyeh orchestrated Hezbollah's kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers from northern Israel on Wednesday.

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july 11, 2006

Multiple Explosions Rock India's Second Largest City

Eight explosions ripped through commuter trains in Mumbai, India during rush hour today, killing at least 147 people and wounding over 400 more.

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july 10, 2006

"Russia's Bin Laden" Killed

A major victory occurred in the War on Terror earlier today which has gotten surprisingly little coverage so far. Russia's most wanted man, Shamil Basayev, was killed by Russian security services.

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july 7, 2006

NYC Bomb Plot Thwarted

For more on this breaking story, be sure tune in to CBN Newswatch. Here's more, from Reuters:

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july 5, 2006

Egyptian Cleric Calls on Children to Join Jihad

We are presented with yet another example of the vicious cycle of indoctrination that festers within the Arab and Muslim world. It's kind of like the Egyptian version of Sesame Street, complete with suicide belts and calls to jihad. How quaint. Notice, too, how the imam cited in the story is employed by the Egyptian government. From YNet News:

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july 3, 2006

Increasing Number of Whites Attracted to Islamic Terror

The fact that a growing number of whites in Europe are converting to Islam, and subsequently drifting into the dark world of Islamic terror, is due primarily to three factors:

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june 30, 2006

Bin Laden Releases New Tape Praising Zarqawi

The highlight of the new bin Laden tape, the fourth released by the al-Qaeda leader in this year alone, is his stated support for al-Zarqawi's targeting of Iraqi civilians. Bin Laden says that anyone--including Muslims-- who supports "infidels" against fellow Muslims, should be killed and therefore gives his stamp of approval to al-Zarqawi's Muslim-on-Muslim carnage.

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june 28, 2006

A Revealing Poll on How Muslims Think

Essential reading today over at Frontpage Magazine.com from the esteemed Daniel Pipes. Pipes describes a recent Pew Research Foundation poll called “The Great Divide: How Westerners and Muslims View Each Other."

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june 27, 2006

Iran's 27-year Jihad Against America

Today's announcement by Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, that Iran would reject talks with the U.S. over its nuclear program comes as no surprise to veteran Iran-watchers.

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june 23, 2006

Terrorist Cell Busted in Miami

The indictment of seven Muslim men in Miami for plotting to wage war against the U.S. is the latest blow against homegrown terrorist cells here in the West. It also comes on the heels of the arrests of 17 Muslim men in Canada earlier this month. Here's more, from AP:

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june 21, 2006

Saudis to Take Flight Lessons in U.S.?

You can't make this stuff up. According to the Arab News, Saudi Arabia is offering scholarships "to Saudi men and women to study various majors related to civil aviation in the United States."

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june 16, 2006

Saudi Schools Continue to Breed Extremism

My story on Saudi Arabia's curriculum of intolerance aired on Wedesday's 700 Club program. My apologies for the late notice— I was out of town the past few days. The piece comes on the heels of an explosive report released by Freedom House last month which exposed just what Saudi Arabia's young people are learning in their government-sanctioned textbooks. Here's a sampling:

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june 15, 2006

Captured Documents Show al-Qaeda Wants US-Iran War

More fascinating details from the treasure trove of information seized by U.S. forces in an al-Zarqawi safe house last week from AP:

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june 12, 2006

Al-Qaeda in Iraq Names Successor to al-Zarqawi

The early line last week was that a relatively well-known Egyptian jihadist named Abu al-Masri would replace the exterminated –courtesy of U.S. special forces –Abu Musab al-Zarqawi as leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq. But it now appears that a mystery mujahid of sorts may be next in line. Here's more, from Reuters:

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june 9, 2006

Another Perspective on al-Zarqawi's Death

I disagree with the famous lawyer and Harvard professor Alan Dershowitz on a variety of issues. But when it comes to the war on terror and his staunch defense of Israel, we are absolutely on the same page.

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june 8, 2006

Breaking: U.S. Forces Terminate al-Zarqawi

The elimination early this morning of al-Qaeda's leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, is a major blow to the terror network's operations in Iraq, at least in the short term. Al-Zarqawi was a charismatic figure who was able to lure jihadists from every corner of the globe (including Europe) to wage jihad against Coalition forces. He also played a huge role from an operational standpoint, providing leadership and organizing a number of large-scale, bloody attacks over the past three years.

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June 6, 2006

Canadian Terror Suspect Planned to Behead Prime Minister

By now, you've likely heard about the massive terrorist plot broken up over the weekend in Ontario by Canadian authorities. A quick refresher: Each of the 17 Muslim men who were arrested is a Canadian citizen or resident. Yes, despite the mainstream media's rush to portray them as mere "disaffected suburban youths," those arrested were most certainly inspired by the teachings of Islam.

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june 2, 2006

Huge Anti-Terror Raid in London

Recently 250 British police have raided a suspected chemical-bomb making factory in east London. It's the largest anti-terror raid in Britain since the July 7 bombings. Here's more from BBC:

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june 1, 2006

Crude Palestinian Cartoons Mock America

With the infamous Danish cartoon riots that erupted across the Muslim world over the winter still fresh in our memories, it's important to note the following report from the invaluable Palestinian Media Watch.

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