 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Osama bin Laden's son Omar believes the al Qaeda leader has achieved his aim of humbling the United States but warns his death could unleash "very, very nasty" attacks by militants, Rolling Stone magazine said. In a rambling interview conducted in part in a Damascus strip club, Omar bin Laden told the magazine that U.S. President Barack Obama was making a mistake by scaling up the U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan. "It is like adding water to sand, as we say in the Arab world -- it only makes the sand heavier," Rolling Stone quoted bin Laden as saying in the interview that will be on newsstands on Friday. "If I was in his position, the first thing I would do is make a truce. Then for six months or one year, no fighting, no soldiers. Afghanistan can never be won. It has nothing to do with my father. It is the Afghan people." Omar bin Laden shot to his own form of notoriety in 2007 when he married a British woman almost twice his age whom he allegedly met while on a ride to the Giza pyramids in Egypt. The two have since been denied entry to Qatar, Egypt and Britain, while Spain rejected an asylum request. Omar describes himself as one of 11 sons of bin Laden and has in the past detailed a bizarre childhood spent in jihadist camps in Sudan and Afghanistan among battle-hardened fighters who tested chemical weapons on puppies, among other things. He left his father in Afghanistan in 2001 several months before the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. Rolling Stone said Omar bin Laden was making a living as a scrap metal merchant in the Saudi city of Jeddah, compared himself to film star Mel Gibson and dreamed of working for the United Nations and meeting Obama and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Bin Laden said his father was overjoyed when U.S. voters elected George W. Bush in 2000, predicting that he was just the kind of president the United States needed -- "one who will attack and spend money and break the country." Despite the huge amount of money and effort spent hunting for bin Laden, believed by many intelligence analysts to be hiding in tribal areas on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan, Omar bin Laden said he believed the United States was actually lucky that his father had not been killed. "It is going to be worse when my father dies. The world is going to be very, very nasty then. It is going to be a disaster," bin Laden said, adding his father had managed to head off more lunatic attack suggestions from his followers. "My father has a religious goal. He is controlled by the rules of jihad. He only kills if he thinks there is a need." And while he has not seen his father in almost a decade, Omar said he did not believe bin Laden would see a need to launch more big attacks. "He doesn't need to. As soon as America went to Afghanistan, his plan worked. He has already won," the magazine quoted him as saying. Reuters 
 The British government has condemned former London mayor Ken Livingstone for his interview with Hamas head Khaled Mashaal, published in a UK current affairs publication on Friday. Foreign Office Minister Ivan Lewis accused Livingstone of handing a "propaganda coup to the leader of a terrorist organization" after an interview with the Hamas leader, who lives in exile in Damascus, appeared in the latest edition of the left-wing political weekly New Statesman. "Ken Livingstone rightly earned praise for his strong and responsible leadership in the aftermath of the 7/7 attacks on London," Lewis said on Friday. "It is therefore particularly regrettable that he learned the wrong lessons from history by handing a propaganda coup to the leader of a terrorist organization." Britain, along with the European Union and US, deems Hamas a terrorist group and has pledged to isolate it until it adopts the Quartet principles - recognizing Israel, renouncing violence and accepting previous interim peace accords. "Hamas has not only breached international law by firing rockets at civilian populations in Israel but continues to violate the human rights of Palestinians in Gaza," Lewis added. New Statesman described the interview as a "world exclusive." Popular UK blog "Harry's Place" disagreed saying it was an exclusive "only in the sense that no other mainstream publication in the world would print it." Relations between Livingstone and the Jewish community deteriorated during his time as mayor following a number of incidents, including an invitation to a Muslim cleric who condoned Palestinian suicide bombers. In 2005 Livingstone likened a Jewish journalist to a Nazi concentration camp guard and refused to apologize. The following year, after disagreement over a building project, he suggested that Indian-born Jewish property developers, the Rueben brothers, should "go back to Iran and see if they can do better under the ayatollahs." He claimed later he did not know the Ruebens were Jewish. New Statesman has also had a strained relationship with the Jewish community over the years. In 2002, the weekly was accused of anti-Semitism when it published a story under the title "A Kosher Conspiracy?" The cover was illustrated with a gold Star of David piercing and dominating a UK flag. In 2007, the magazine compared the Marva and Gadna IDF youth programs to Islamic Jihad "summer camps." In 2006, it sponsored the planting of new olive trees in Palestinian areas as an incentive to subscribe to the magazine. Source: JPost
“Accompanied by thousands of women” is what Shohreh Aghdashloo told her friends about how she felt attending the Academy Awards in 2004 as the first Iranian nominated for an acting award for her performance in “House of Sand and Fog”. Since that nomination, Aghdashloo has appeared in numerous television shows and in many movies, including her newest film, “The Stoning of Soraya M.” 
Several weeks ago, I wrote an article for “Big Hollywood” about the importance of that new film and Aghdashloo’s work as an actress who speaks up for voiceless women. As a follow-up to that article, I had the opportunity to conduct a phone interview with the Oscar nominee who, one day before I spoke to her, was nominated for an Emmy award for her role in the miniseries “House of Saddam.” During the interview, Ms. Aghdashloo spoke about the current situation in Iran, her work in the film “The Stoning of Soraya M.”, and what attracts her to certain projects. “Whatever happens, Iran will not be the same,” Ms. Aghdashloo said about the recent protests in that country. Although the media attention about the situation in Iran has faded recently, Aghdashloo saw the great potential that the rallies and the protests had a few weeks ago. She told me that the recent events in Iran changed that country and that now the genie was “out of the bottle.” Unfortunately, she also said that the “situation today is worse than a few weeks ago” because of the political prisoners now being held in that nation. Although she has not returned to Iran since the revolution happened thirty years ago, Aghdashloo continues to follow the situation there closely and she still has relatives in the country. Iran has not always recognized Aghdashloo’s work as an actress.
As she recently told The Washington Post, “Up until the Oscar nomination, my name was banned. Nobody mentioned my name. They knew what I was doing but never mentioned it officially. But I’ll never forget: My mother called and said, ”Your name is in the newspapers.” And this time it was ‘our Shohreh Aghdashloo has been nominated.’” In terms of her new movie “The Stoning of Soraya M.”, Aghdashloo spoke knowingly about the inhumane practice of stoning. Describing it as being “beyond humanity,” she told me about a video of a real-life stoning that she had watched on video two decades ago where two men were stoned to death for being homosexuals. After watching the video, Aghdashloo told me that she could not eat properly for several days. She then said that she had news for people who question the intensity of the brutal stoning scene near the end of “The Stoning of Soraya M.”– the real act is much, much worse. Read More here,,,,, Source: Big Hollywood
By Jamie Glazov Frontpage Interview's guest today is Khalim Massoud, the president of Muslims Against Sharia, an Islamic reform movement. FP: Khalim Massoud, I would like to talk to you today about your group’s new project, the "Egyptian Gaza" initiative, which calls on Egypt to re-annex the Gaza Strip. Tell us about this initiative. Why Egypt? Massoud: Well, Egypt is the only way out. The Gaza Strip became an entity after the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. There have been many different points of view on the Gaza crisis or lack thereof leading up to the 2005 Israeli withdrawal. However, most observers would agree that Gazans have been living in a perpetual state of crisis for the last three and a half years, which worsened with the election of Hamas. Hamas is a Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood and its charter calls for the destruction of Israel. Israel considers Hamas a terrorist organization. Hamas constantly conducts terrorist operations, mostly firing rockets into Southern Israel; Israel periodically bombs or invades Gaza to destroy terrorist infrastructure. Both Israeli and Gaza civilians are caught in the crossfire with Gaza casualties being much higher due to Israeli military superiority and Hamas' tactics of using civilians as 'human shields.' Read more ...Source: FrontPage MagazineTo: President Hosni Mubarak and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
WHEREAS perpetual crisis in the Gaza Strip is the problem that neither Palestinian nor Israeli governments are able to resolve, and
WHEREAS two decades of Egyptian control was arguably the most peaceful period in recent Gaza history;
We call on the government of Egypt to annex the Gaza Strip and declare Egyptian rule over the area.
Furthermore, we call on the United Nations to pass a resolution accepting and allowing for the occurrence of this takeover by Egypt.
Up until this point, little has worked in regard to a peaceful settlement between Israel and Gaza. This problem, if not resolved, could only escalate tensions for the future. We feel that this is the best solution for what seems to be a never-ending bad situation.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
Poll: Should Egypt Control Gaza?Poll: Which group would be the main obstacle to Egyptian annexation of Gaza?
 By Jamie Glazov Frontpage Interview’s guest today is Dave Gaubatz, the first U.S. civilian (1811) Federal Agent deployed to Iraq in 2003. He is currently the Director of the Mapping Sharia Project and the Owner of DG Counter-terrorism Publishing ( dgaubatz.blogspot.com). FP: Dave Gaubatz, welcome back to Frontpage Interview. I would like to talk to you today about our law enforcement officers (LEOs) and their ability and freedom of action to protect our country from Islamic Jihadist groups. Where are we on this issue? Gaubatz: I would like nothing better than to say our LEOs are capable of defending our country against Jihadist activity, but in reality they are not. This includes local, state, and federal LEOs. Our country has the best LEOs in the world, but Americans are fooling themselves if we believe they are prepared and/or trained to be the first line defenders. There are going to be readers (including LEOs) who will say this is not or can’t be true. Because of the research I am constantly engaged in, I speak to many LEOs. They have the best of intentions, but 99.9% do not understand the basics of counter-terrorism (CT) in regards to Islamic Jihadists. They are trained to respond (reactive) to incidents and not be proactive. Read more ...Source: FrontPage Magazine
January 26
As special envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell heads off to the region to begin work on negotiating a cease fire between Israel and the Palestinians, President Obama has sat for his first formal TV interview with the Arabic cable TV network Al-Arabiya, ABC News has learned.
The interview was taped this evening and is set to air at 11 pm ET, as Mitchell is in the air and on his way to the region.
Based in Dubai, Al-Arabiya estimates that it has a potential audience exceeding 23 million in the Gulf region. Source: ABC Newsblogs
 By Jamie Glazov Frontpage Interview’s guest today is Dr. Syed Kamran Mirza, the author of Roots of Islamic Terrorism and co-author of Beyond Jihad and Leaving Islam-Apostates Speak Out. FP: Dr. Syed Kamran Mirza, welcome to Frontpage Interview. Mirza: Thank you Jamie. FP: I would like to talk to you today about suicide bombing as a phenomenon in Islamic warfare. We are witnessing this horrifying pathology in Gaza today, as Hamas militants are carrying out different forms of suicide operations, using their children and women as human shields, etc. Let me begin with this question: many apologists of Islamic suicide bombing point out that other cultures and groups employ suicide bombing and that, therefore, no one has a right to point a finger at Muslims or Islam in this regard. What would you say to that? Read more ...Source: FrontPage MagazineDr. Syed Kamran Mirza
Latest recipient of The MASH Award
 By Jamie Glazov Frontpage Interview's guest today is Robert Spencer, a scholar of Islamic history, theology, and law and the director of Jihad Watch. He is the author of seven books, eight monographs, and hundreds of articles about jihad and Islamic terrorism, including the New York Times Bestsellers The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades) and The Truth About Muhammad. His new book is Stealth Jihad: How Radical Islam is Subverting America without Guns or Bombs. FP: Robert Spencer, welcome to Frontpage Interview. Spencer: Thank you. FP: What inspired you to write Stealth Jihad? And define the term for our readers please. Spencer: Primarily I was inspired to write this book by the continuing focus, on the part of government, law enforcement, and the mainstream media, on “terrorism” as the sole threat in reference to jihad. In the book, I offer evidence for the proposition that terror attacks involving bombings and shootings are not the sum total of terrorist aspirations, but are just one component of a larger initiative that is also advancing by means of non-violent initiatives. Those non-violent initiatives, which are often presented to the public as something quite different from what they actually are, are what I mean by “stealth jihad.” The goal of these initiatives is the imposition of Islamic law, Sharia, over the world – over their fellow Muslims and non-Muslims alike. It aims at nothing less than the transformation of American society and the imposition of Islamic law here, subjugating women and non-Muslims to the status of legal inferiors. Read more ...Source: FrontPage MagazineRobert Spencer
Latest recipient of The MASH Award
By Jamie Glazov Frontpage Interview's guest today is Khalim Massoud, the president of Muslims Against Sharia, an Islamic reform movement. FP: Khalim Massoud, welcome to Frontpage Interview. Massoud: Thank you. FP: I would like to talk to you today about what kind of Muslims the U.S. government uses for its government experts. What is your view of this matter? Massoud: My view on this subject is very simple. A great number of Muslim "experts" used by the US government are connected, in one way or another, to some kind of terrorist group. This connection is either direct or through a front organization, such as CAIR, ISNA, MPAC, etc. These "experts" almost in every case declare that their loyalties lie with Islamism and not with America. I'm not aware of every single expert ever used by the US Government, but almost every single Muslim "expert" that I know of, and that's quite a few, is an Islamist. Read more ...Source: FrontPage Magazine
 Gramfan: Khalim, you have done several interviews already stating how you feel about Islam in a political and theological context, for example: "Islam in its present form either perceived or real, is incompatible with the norms of modern society. There are many outdated traditions and practices that are inhumane or plain barbaric. Unfortunately, Islamic fundamentalists use those traditions to wage war with the non-Islamic world. We believe that, if we purify Islam form its medieval practices and remove the theological basis of modern terrorism, the clash of civilizations will be averted and Islam could become a part of the free and democratic world." Source: All-American Blogger. And more here: Libertarian Republican. On these sites you also clearly define the differences between Muslims and what you call "Islamists". I would like to ask you a few questions of a slightly different nature, but some that still touch on what you have already told us. Q: How would you describe your life so far: - similar to any American, or quite different, and if so, how?Both. My personal life is similar to any American, probably an average statistical model, white picket fence, 2.2 kids, that sort of thing. The difference is that, unlike most Americans, I take the war on terror very seriously. I have first-hand knowledge of what's going on in American Muslim community, of what's occurring just under the surface, in mosques and community centers, something that is not seen by the "infidel." And what goes on there scares the hell out of me. Q: Did you have a traditional Muslim upbringing, or would you say it was more "assimilated" or liberal?If by traditional you mean mandatory attendance of a madrassa and memorizing the Koran, then I'd say it was liberal. My parents never been to Mecca and daily prayers were encouraged but not mandatory. Q: What do you consider to be the best thing you have learned from Islam?Inner-peace. That God is watching over me and guides me to do the right thing. Q: When did you become politically aware, and what brought that on?September 11, 2001. And if I have to elaborate about what brought that on, it was the image of a plane crashing into the World Trade Center. Q: What was the "tipping point" that lead you to establish the MASH blog and did you have any friends who were like-minded?The tipping point was that me and my like-minded friends got fed up with the feeling of helplessness. We couldn't find a forum to speak our minds. Some of us tried to bring up our feelings in our mosques, but our imams would have none of that. In their views both Islam and Ummah (Muslim society) are above reproach and no matter what other Muslims do, even if they commit despicable crimes, we have to present united front against the infidel, because infidel is the real enemy. But I live in America. Most of my friends are non-Muslims. They're not my enemies. Just because we worship in different houses of God, or in a different manner, it doesn't make them my enemies; different doesn't mean bad. I believe that we are all God's creations. I also believe that God wants us to live in peace regardless of which way we choose to worship him. The idea that we need to kill infidels because they choose to worship God in a different manner or refuse to acknowledge God's existence is preposterous. If someone's feelings are hurt because he is ignored or worshiped improperly that wouldn't be The Almighty God, that would be a narcissist with self-esteem issues. If this is how Islamists see their God, I want nothing to do with that. My God is loving and merciful. My God is the true God of Islam, not the caricature that Islamists are trying to pass as God. Q: How does your family feel about what you are doing, given the enormity of the task, and the dangers involved?As long as my face cannot be tied to what I do, my family is OK with it. Q: How would you rate your achievements with the site to date?If we're speaking in terms of Internet ratings, it's pretty good. The site has been operational for just under a year and our ratings are comparable the www.coke.com. We have thousands of people who took our polls (http://www.reformislam.org/polls/). Our campaign to stop honorcide (http://www.reformislam.org/honorcide/) is gaining steam. We get requests for media interviews (unfortunately we have to decline TV and radio interviews for security reasons - http://muslimsagainstsharia.blogspot.com/2008/08/shariah-approved-banking-allyson-rowen.html). Our goals are to educate Muslims about dangers presented by Islamic religious texts and why Islam must be reformed; to educate non-Muslims about the differences between moderate Muslims and Islamists (a.k.a. Islamic Religious Fanatics, Radical Muslims, Muslim Fundamentalists, Islamic Extremists or Islamofascists); to educate both Muslims and non-Muslims alike that Moderate Muslims are also targets of Islamic Terror. On the one hand, it's a long, painful process and we are changing one mind at a time. On the other hand, we are changing minds. Q: Does it bother you that many non-Muslims who have read a lot about Islam readily support apostates – e.g. Walid Shoebat, yet seem to tend to not take you as seriously, and are sometimes rather hostile to you?Not really. Non-Muslims who are hostile to us are usually Islamophobic bigots, so we don't want their support to begin with. But most people are not like that. And if they are open-minded enough to understand that different doesn't mean bad or inferior, we can always explain to them the differences between Islam and Islamism. Unfortunately, most Muslims that you see on TV represent radical Islamic establishment and they create the impression that al Muslims are the same and Islam and Islamism are the same thing. To claim that is just as ridiculous as to claim that Christianity and Christian Identity Movement are the same thing. In fact, one is a religion, the other is a repulsive political ideology based on supremacy. Q: What do you feel is the most obvious thing you have in common with the "average" American? For example: enjoying the free lifestyle and what this entails? Sports? Entertainment?Probably all of the above. In fact, if a dictionary had a definition of a typical American family, it would define my family pretty well. Q: What is your favourite pastime?Traveling across America. Q: What are your favorite places?Niagara Falls. #1 hands down. Daytona Beach. You can drive on the beach. Coastal Maine. Q: Who is the person you would most like to meet – from the present or the past?Does God count as a person? I have so many questions for him. Q: Who is the second person you would most like to meet?The person who compiled the first copy of the Koran Q: Finally, what would you most like to see happen in your lifetime?Eradication of Islamism and other supremacist ideologies. GF: Thank you so much for taking the time to give us a little insight into yourself and your work.
LR Editor's Note - This interview was conducted by our Senior Editor Andrew Murhpy with great care for security. Khalim Massoud does not appear in public nor permit interviews at public forums, for fear of death threats from Radical Muslim extremists. We are thankful that Mr. Massoud took such risk to talk with LR Blog. Read more ...Source: Libertarian Republican
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Osama bin Laden's son Omar believes the al Qaeda leader has achieved his aim of humbling the United States but warns his death could unleash "very, very nasty" attacks by militants, Rolling Stone magazine said.
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