Al-Mashreq Issue 44 EN

Arab American Festival Photos The Meaning of QE3 An arson attack on an Ohio mosque Jordanians hold protest against King Abdullah English Section

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‫رائد م�شاقي‬

‫ حممد م�سامح‬: ‫ت�صليح جميع انواع اجهزة التربيد واملكيفات ب�أدارة‬ ‫املنزلية و�أنظمة التدفئة‬

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www.almashreqonline.com

16 Pages

Bi-Weekly

Associated Press

Issue No. 44

October 26 - November 22 , 2012

AZ Muslim community active involvement in the 2012 election Muslims in Arizona held a protest against anti-Islam film and the rising Islamophopia

Almashreq-Exclusive: U.S Muslims have been protesting against the antiIslam film made in California and released on YouTube, owned by Google Inc., across the U.S.A, and tens of Muslims in Tempe Arizona joined the national movement by holding a protest which started in front of the Tempe Islamic Community Center (ICC) on Friday October 5th after the completion of Friday prayer.

Almashreq-Exclusive: The Muslim community in Arizona has been actively involved in the general election. Members of the community held fundraisings event at their house for the benefit of Candidates running in the State and Federal level.

Mr. Hassan Elsaad & community leader Mr. Mohammed Elsharkaway held a summer party event which included raising funds for the benefit of election candidate for the U.S Congress Kyrsten Sinema at the house of Mr. Elsaad in Tempe, two weeks later Dr. Mohammad Riyad held a similar event for the benefit of Candidates for State House of Representatives Corey Harris and Darin Fisher; State senator Jerry Lewis also attended part of the event.

Al Mashreq endorses the following candidates

Corey Harris (AZ House of Representative)

Richard Carmona (US Senate)

Kyrsten Sinema (US Congress)

Darin Fisher (AZ House of Representative)

Jerry Lewis (Arizona Senate)

Paul Penzone (Maricopa County Sheriff)

BDS, DMD

Muslim Community intellectuals establish a research institute to evaluate the transparency of their nonprofit entities

Almashreq-Exclusive: A group of community intellectuals and professionals decided to take a stance to promote transparency within our community by creating an institution to evaluate the financial transparency of the founded community based organizations and charitable entities. The institution is founded to work relentlessly to stop corruption and promote transparency, accountability and integrity at all levels and across all sectors of our society. The institution will be publishing a comprehensive semiannual evaluation report. Relevant government agencies and private financial institutions will be provided with copies of it.

‫الدكتورة رميا بطر�س‬

‫خطة اخل�صم اخلا�صة بعيادتنا‬ ‫انها اف�ضل من الت�أمني‬

‫ وت�سمح لك‬.‫ا�شرتاك �سنوي للح�صول على خ�صم يف عالج الأ�سنان‬ ‫بزيارة طبيب الأ�سنان مرتني بال�سنة لعمل تنظيف الأ�سنان وكذلك‬ ‫احل�صول على ا�سعار خمف�ضة يف احل�شوات والتيجان واجل�سور‬ ‫وح�شوات اجلذر والطقم الكامل والطقم اجلزئي‬

‫ال تنتظر الأبت�سامة‬

‫التي حتلم بها دائم ًا‬

‫اخلدمات التي نقدمها‬ ‫• العالج بالليزر‬ ‫• ح�شوات �أ�سنان‬ ‫• التيجان واجل�سور‬ ‫• ح�شوات اجلذر‬ ‫• القلع‬ ‫• االطقم الكاملة واجلزئية‬ ‫• زرع الأ�سنان‬ Invisalign ‫• تقومي الأ�سنان‬ Zoom ‫• تبي�ض الأ�سنان‬

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Community Largest Newspaper

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Editor-IN-Chief Mohammad Riyad

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almashreq@almashreqonline.com

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3

Festival Photos & Entertainment

October 26 - November 22 , 2012

Arab American Festival Photos

Eid Mela Photos by AMWA

Cooking & Recipes Middle Eastern Kibbeh

Preparation :

“Kibbeh is a wonderful dish from the Middle East traditionally made with lamb meat but beef is acceptable, too. I prefer it made into patties and fried in olive oil. However, it is most often found in restaurants in baked form. Serve kibbeh with tahini, a sesame seed paste.”

ingredients • • • • • • • •

1 pound dry ziti pasta 1 onion, chopped 1 pound lean ground beef 2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce 6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced 1 1/2 cups sour cream 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Harisseh (Middle Eastern Sweets) “My Auntie shared this recipe with me. When I first had a look at the ingredients I wondered how such a strange combination of ingredients would taste.

It turned out beautifully sweet!”

ingredients • • • • • • • • • • • • www.almashreqonline.com

1 cup semolina flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup chopped almonds 1/2 cup plain yogurt 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 tablespoon rose water 25 blanched almond halves for garnish 1 cup water 2 cups white sugar 1 teaspoon rose water 1 teaspoon lemon juice

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.

2. In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

Cooking Method : 1. Stir together semolina, baking powder, 2 cups of sugar, and chopped almonds until evenly blended. Stir in yogurt, vegetable oil, and rose water until a soft dough forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Press the dough into a 9x9 inch square baking dish, and smooth the top.

Score the top of the dough to create 25 squares, then top each square with an almond half.

3. Bake in preheated oven until the top has puffed and turned golden brown, about 20 minutes. The harisseh is done when the top is golden, and the center has firmed. When done, remove from the oven, and allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes.

4. While the harisseh is cooling, pour water and 2 cups of sugar into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes.

Stir in 1 teaspoon of rose water, and lemon juice, then remove from the heat.

5. To serve, cut the warm harisseh into 25 squares, and place onto a large serving platter; pour the rose water syrup over, making sure all of the pieces are moist.

4

Classified- Arizona

October 26 - November 22 , 2012

Mosques

Hospitals

Phoenix Muslim Community Mosque Address: 1818 N 32nd Street, Phoenix, AZ 85008, USA Phone:602 306 4959

MASJID AL-RAHMA Address: 2426 E McDowell Rd , Phoenix, AZ 85008, USA Phone:602-463-2569

Islamic Center Of North Phoenix Address: 13246 N. 23rd Ave,

Phoenix, AZ 85029, USA

Phone: 602-371-3440

Masjid Omar Bin Al-Khattab Address: 6225 S Mcclintock Dr, Tempe, AZ 85283, USA Phone:480-775 6627

Islamic Community Center of Phoenix Address: 7516 N. Black Canyon Hwy, Phoenix, AZ 85051, USA Phone:602-249-0496 Islamic community of anthem Address: Islamic community of anthem Phoenix, AZ 85086, USA Email: onlysarah@hotmail.com

Community Mosque Address: 1797 W University Dr#167, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA Phone:480-829-9465 The AL-Mahdi Benevolent Foundation Address:1016 S. River Dr Tempe, AZ 85281, USA

Mesa

FastMed Urgent Care of Chandler 2875 W. Ray Rd Chandler AZ 85224” (480) 899-3070 Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital 1500 S.Mill Ave Tempe AZ 85281” (602) 968-9411

Masjid-e-Noor Address:55 North Matlock Street, Mesa, AZ 85203, USA Phone:480-644-0074

Mayo Clinic 13400 Mayo Clinic

Chandler

Islamic Center of the East Valley (ICEV) Address:425 N Alma School Rd., Chandler, AZ 85224, USA Phone:(480) 264-1330

St Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center 350 W Thomas RD Phoenix AZ 85013” (602) 406-3000

Arrowhead Hospital 18701 N 67th Ave Glendale AZ 85308” (623) 561-1000 Banner Thunderbird Medical Center 5555 W Thunderbird RD Glendale AZ 85306” (602) 865-5555

Embassy Of Algeria 2118 Kalorama RD NW Washington DC 20008 Phone:202-265-2800

Embassy Of Qatar 4200 Wisconsin Ave NW Washingion DC 20016 Phone:202-274-1600

Embassy Of Egypt 3521 International Ct. NW Washington DC 20008 Phone:202-895-5400

Embassy Of Morocco 1601 21st St NW Washingion DC 20009 Phone:202-462-7979

Embassy Of Iraq 1801 P St NW Washington DC 20036 Phone:202-483-7500

Ebassy Of Saudi Arabia 2600 Virginia Ave NW #500 Washingion DC 20037 Phone:202-337-9450

Embassy Of Jordan 3504 International Dr NW Washington DC 20008 Phone:202-966-2664

Embassy Of The Republic Of Bosnia 2109 E St NW Washingion DC 20037 Phone:202-337-1500

Embassy Of Kuwait 3500 International Dr NW Washington DC 20008

Embassy Of Tunisia 1515 Massachussets Ave NW Washingion DC 20005

Embassy Of Lebanon 2560 28th St NW Washington DC 20008 Phone:202-939-6300

Embassy Of U.A.E 1225 22nd St NW #700 Washingion DC 20037 Phone:202-243-2400

Embassy Of Oman Sultanate 1776 Massachusetts Ave NW Washingion DC 20036 Phone:202-387-1758

Embassy Of Yemen 2600 Virginia Ave NW #705 Washingion DC 20037 Phone: 202-965-4760

Masjid Es Salaam Address:1071 North Alma School Road, Chandler, AZ 85224, USA Phone: 480-784-4627

Phoenix, AZ 85032 Phone: 602-787-4787 St.Goerge Antiochian Orthodox Church Address: 4530 E Gold Dust Ave Phoenix, AZ 85028 Phone: 602-953-1921 St.Mark Coptic Orthodox Church Address: 525 N 74th St Scottsdale, AZ 85257 Phone: 480-990-2399 First Arabic Baptist Mission 2232 W Campbell Ave

Phoenix, AZ 85015 Phone: 602-249-1033

St.Joseph Church 11001 N 40th Street

Phoenix, AZ 85028

Phone: 602-966-5120 Persian Christian Church 2012 N Scottsdale Rd

Scottsdale, AZ 85257 Phone: 480-231-6542

Phoenix Children’s Hospital 1919 E Thomas Rd Phoenix AZ 85016” (602) 933-1000

Embassies

Churches Maronite Catholic Church Address: 5406 E Virginia Ave Phoenix, AZ 85008 Phone: 602-667-3280 Mar Abraham Chaldean Catholic Churc Address: 6816 E Cactus Rd Scottsdale, AZ 85254 Phone: 480-905-1545 Assyrian Church Of The East Address: 8712 N 35th Ave Phoenix, AZ 85051 Phone:602-841-3227 St. George Church Address:6107 W Greenbriar Dr Glendale, AZ 85308 St.Michael Orthodox Church Of Jerusalem Address: 4724 N 35th Ave Phoenix, AZ 85019 Phone: 480-466-2648 St.John of The Desert Melkite Catholic Church Address:3718 E Greenway Rd

Scottsdale Health Care 9003 E Shea Blvd Scottsdale AZ 85260” (480) 323-3000

Chandler Regional Hospital 475 S.Dobson Rd Chandler AZ 85224 “(480) 963-4561

Peoria

Scottsdale Health Care 7400 E Osborn Rd Scottsdale AZ 85251” (480) 882-4000

Mercy Gilbert Medical Center 3555 South Val Vista Dr Gilbert AZ 85297” (480) 728-8000

Islamic Center of North East Valley Address:12125 E Via Linda, Scottsdale, AZ 85260, USA Phone:480-612--4044

Albanian-American Islamic Center of Arizona Address:6724 West Greenway Rd., Peoria, AZ 85381, USA URL:www.greenwaymasjid.com

Scottsdale AZ 85259 “(800) 446-2279

Mayo Clinic 5777 East Mayo Boulevard Phoenix, AZ 85054-4502 “(480) 515–6296

Scottsdale

Tempe

Islamic Community Center of Tempe Address:131 East 6th Street, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA

Phone: 480-894-6070

Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center 1111 E.McDowell RD Phoenix AZ 85006” (602) 839-2000

Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilayhi Rajioon.

To Allah we belong and to Him we return.

Our condolences to Dr. Fawzia Tung for the sudden and sad death of her husband

Mr Mubarak Tung

May he be granted a high station in Jannah and forgiven for any sins. May Allah SWT shower His great mercy on him and may He give strength and patience to his dear family.

Please remember him and his family in your duas and prayers.

Almashreq editorial Team

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The Meaning of QE3 Obama or Romney: The Banker Fraternity’s Choice for Serial Warrior?

We wrote on September 3, 2012, one week before Bernanke announce his QE-3: “The Banker Fraternity wants another «Quantitative Easing» (meaning electronic printing of dollars) maybe even a thousand billion new dollars, which would enter our economy, not at the food stamp or public works level, but at the bankers’ level.” *1) We choose not to predict who the FED would select for our President, but we stated that its actions would give us a clear picture of which candidate the bankers want or do not want.

You should read the entire story, it is not obsolete. We wrote, “On September 11, or soon thereafter, Ben Bernanke will announce when and how much new “stimulus” will be injected into the economy, like crystals of Meth under the tongue. If the amount is huge and the date is imminent, such as “we started yesterday,” this will signal the fix is on for Obama to return to the White House. A positive stock market is the President’s hope for reelection…his “see, we have done it” moment.”

And that is that exactly what happened! In spit of sluggish economic news, the stock market is near record high ground, just in time for the election, and Mr. Obama is gaining at the polls. This should not be construed to mean Mitt Romney

is not also a good fit for the bankers’ President, only that they are clearly satisfied with President Obama; therefore we consumers can not trust him.

That should be all we need to know to cast our vote for none of the above!

Most of us do not have an inking of how QE-3 is supposed to shore up the economy, except that we have heard it is to encourage real estate loans, and the FED will spend $40 billion per month. No one asks where Mr. Bernanke will get all this money. Every Banker knows the FED will print $40 billion a month, maybe for years, to buy up millions of bad mortgages that bankers have left over from the last real estate boom and bust. It took only two weeks after Bernanke’s speech for a Bloomberg News’ reporter to come clean with what we had said in advance. . . the prime beneficiaries of QE-3 are not consumers longing for homes of their own, but the bankers who are stuck with bad mortgages.

Bloomberg’s story puts it this way: “Fed Helps Lenders’ Profit More Than Homebuyers” and “The Fed is targeting the $5.2 trillion market for mortgage bonds guaranteed by government-backed Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae, which helps determine the rates that lenders can offer. Lenders bundle about 90 percent of new loans into the securities to sell to investors, giving them funds

Charles E. Carlson

to make new mortgages.” (The FED is to be a super investor in this big pool) *2) I also want you to know this scam could be fixed in a heartbeat to funnel most benefit to home buyers and builders with just six words from the FED… “WE WILL BUY ONLY NEW PAPER.” If Bernanke announced this simple policy, the banks would hurry to make new loans to anyone who could sign, and it would indeed trigger a real estate boom that would boost the building and real estate business and lots of related businesses. “For Sale” signs would soon come down in your neighborhood. The bankers would still make their origination fees, but this would not be nearly so juicy as the scheme that allows them to unload old, bad paper for newly printed dollars. We must never forget, the FED is not owned by the taxpayers, but by the biggest and most powerful banks, so the bank’s interest always comes first. The FED could do the same thing at will with

Recognizing different personalities I quit my full-time job to raise my first child. I read books and magazines on education, parenting, you name it. I made my own Montessori didactic materials, I produced hundreds of flash cards, bought educational toys.

In short, I was the typical helicopter new parent. In two years, I thought I knew everything about parenting.

That’s when I had my second child.

Wham! Back to Square One. By now, I have raised seven children and taught hundreds more. I think maybe I can state with a little bit more confidence that every child is different.

Well, we all know that, but do we apply that fact in our daily parenting? Do teachers apply that fact in their daily classroom routines?

Let’s take one simple example. After moving to Phoenix, we promptly en-

rolled our children in the City of Phoenix Park and Recreation’s summer swimming programs. Level 1 is for beginner swimmers, generally, toddlers.

My first daughter cried and screamed her heart out on the first day. I tried to sit as far away as possible, so as not to interfere with the coach’s work. I positioned myself across the pool on the opposite side, so I could see her. But then, she could see me too. She cried even harder, “Maaaa… maaa!!!” What an embarrassment. Everyone was bothered. Finally, I walked over to her, bent down and whispered in her ear, “Stop it, or I’ll put you in time out!” She stopped immediately.

Now, that worked only with her. Because she was obedient and hated being put in time out, the threat worked.

But my next daughter was very different. She was a happy little thing, and almost never did naughty things. She never needed time out. Her first day in swimming, she also bawled and howled and embarrassed me in front of the en-

When “Muslim” Became an Insult The presidency of Barack Obama is coming to a close and the United States is now on the brink of another presidential election cycle. Barack Obama will be probably seeking a second term, which in terms of policies may be good news for Muslims. This is because the right in the United States has taken an increasingly Islamophobic stance which has bordered on the ridiculous in the last decade. What may not be such good news for Muslims in the United States is that it is quite likely that Barack Obama›s political opponents will resort to Islambashing and hateful speech in an effort to discredit Barack Obama before an increasingly xenophobic population.

In the 2008 election, the right wing latched on to the notion that Barack Obama is a Muslim due to his Arab middle name, Hussein. When it became www.almashreqonline.com

5

Articles

October 26 - November 22 , 2012

clear that Barack Obama is a christian, they went on to denounce him as a “secret Muslim.” As the campaign went on it was clear that the smearing of Islam had gone too far. At one point the McCain campaign tried to step back a little from all the disparaging remarks, but the damage had already been done; Muslim is an insult in the United States, little more than a racial slur for many people.

A typical example of this happened one time involving senator McCain himself.

On one occasion a woman approached senator McCain claiming that Barack Obama was a Muslim. Senator McCain responded by saying that Barack Obama was not a Muslim, but rather a decent family man. The implications of this, that somehow Muslims are indecent and against families is staggering in what it means to the status of Muslims in modern American society.

commercial loans to small businesses… if they wanted to, but should they?

Of course not, this can only lead to more chaos in a year or two.

The FED should not print money for the benefit of either bankers or individuals. We all know instinctively that someone has to pay for every bad loan and every crafty, self-serving decision made at Bernanke’s level.

It is we the consumer (not necessarily the taxpayer) who pays in higher prices for everything we buy with our depleted and debased dollars. The FED can never go broke because it can print an endless supply of dollars for any scheme. We consumers have a limited supply of dollars, and will eventually be unable to pay for the inflated food and basic needs.

If we informed consumers could ignore the short-sighted benefits of this “crystals of Meth under the tongue” and if we had power to do something, what should be our course be?

We should support the audit

law Ron Paul finally got passed through the House — the Federal Reserve Transparency Act, which Harry Reid, the Senate Majority Leader and Nevada Democrat, has vowed will not be put to a vote in the Senate.

We should insist the FED be physically occupied and nationalized, not just audited… it is a private business, which is another way of saying “eliminate the FED.” We will never be free of war and inflation until this is done. *3) Most important, we should explain to our children and friends, anyone who will listen, what we have learned about the FED and other control factions.

Politics and Faith are not proper and polite subjects of conversation in the 21st century where our standards are increasing guided by the media, bankers, and politicians. We need to set our own social standards of what issues are important, and tell those most dear to us the painful truths we have learned.

Our children will not thank us for keeping them in ignorance.

Dr. Fawzia Tung

tire pool of parents. I finally pulled out a can of Pepsi from my bag, shook it in front of my face, then put a finger on my lips: “shhhhh!” She stopped immediately. You see, she loved food! She loved pastries and candies, and absolutely adored sodas. I usually had to ration her sugar intake. So promising a whole can of cold Pepsi did the trick.

For the sake of her soda fix, she would overcome her fear.

Third daughter was a totally different matter. She had quite a personality of her own. If she put her mind to something and decided to do it, no punishment would stop her from doing so.

But she had a heart of gold and was a Drama Queen: often crying buckets and sobbing while watching some sad story on TV. When her turn came and she was put in the water for her first swimming lesson, oh my goodness. She kicked and hollered, pushing the coach away. What a disgrace!

So I walked over, took her out of the water and whispered in her ear, “Baby,

look here. The coach is very angry because you kicked him. He is staring at me now because he thinks I’m a bad mother. The rule is that if a mother is bad, they are going to call the police and take the mother to jail. If you want me to go to jail, just keep screaming and crying and kicking. That’s OK. I’ll understand.” Then I put her back into the water. The poor girl bit her lip and stifled her sobs, and kept looking at me now and then, to make sure I was still there. But she was quiet and cooperative. Fear of water and an unknown group of people was nothing compared to Mom being taken away by the police.

OK. There is something to be said about not lying to children. But after all, in this country, the police do take away bad mothers, right? So this was not really a lie.

All children are good children. You just have to get to know them, their loves and their fears. Then, and only then, you can start teaching them effectively.

By Islamonline Team While traditionally calling someone a “Jew” or “Gay” implying the negative stereotypes associated with these terms is extremely frowned upon in American society, this standard does not exist for Islam. Calling someone a “Muslim” as an insult, referencing negative stereotypes about Arabs, is perfectly acceptable and done every day in the media and in public discourse. This goes even further than it does in Western Europe.

While in Western Europe the recent widespread Islam-bashing has its basis in fear of immigrants coming into their countries, in the United States this sentiment against Muslims carries a darker and more violent connotation. The sentiment in Europe against Muslims is quite similar to the typical attitude of Americans in regards to Mexican and Central American immigrants. The American

attitude against Muslims, however, must be placed into a context that makes it much more worrying. After all, the United States has been carrying out military actions simultaneously in three countries that are predominantly Muslim: Iraq, Afghanistan, and most recently Libya. While these wars can be justified as being fought to topple totalitarian regimes and actual threats to the American people, the view of the American public is somewhat different. In the eyes of mainstream America, the wars are being fought against the Muslims in those foreign places. In that sense, the use of “Muslim” as an insult is more similar to the use of “Jap” or “Kraut” during the Second World War, both completely unacceptable terms in today›s society. It›s worrying to consider that today Muslims are considered the enemy.

6

National

October 26 - November 22 , 2012

Mohammad Rezwanul Anti Islamophopia rally in Tempe, Arizona Ahsan Nafis arrested in Almashreq-AZ: A coalition of several Muslim organizations organized a rally in Downtown N.Y in a terror sting Tempe on Friday October 5, 2012 to protest the rising Islamophopic sentiments in the operation USA. The rally started from the Almashreq/News Agencies: Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis, is a Bangladeshi national who came to the U.S. on a student visa, was arrested in a terror sting operation, authorities said. The suspected terrorist parked a van packed with what he thought was a 1,000-pound bomb next to the Federal Re-

serve building in Lower Manhattan and tried to detonate it Wednesday morning before he was arrested.

Authorities said... An undercover FBI agent posed as an al-Qaeda facilitator, supplying him with 20 50-pound bags of what he thought were explosives to use in building his bomb.

Feds win round in CIA leak case Almashreq/News Agencies: 17 Oct 2012 Prosecutors pursuing former CIA officer John Kiriakou for allegedly leaking the identities of two other CIA officers involved in interrogating terror suspects need not prove that Kiriakou intended to harm the United States or help a foreign nation, a federal judge ruled in an opinion made public Wednesday.

The ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema

is a defeat for Kiriakou’s defense, which asked the judge to insist on the stronger level of proof—which likely would have been very difficult for the government to muster. In 2006, another federal judge in the same Northern Virginia courthouse, T.S. Ellis, imposed the higher requirement in a criminal case against two former lobbyists for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

University of Texas minority students hit with ‘bleach bombs Almashreq/News Agencies: University of Texas at Austin students and staff are protesting after four students were reportedly hit with “bleach bombs”—balloons filled with bleach—while off campus.

The attacks on minority students occurred between June and September, but they’d gone unreported until the campus police chief began investigating. “We had heard at UT rumors of incidents that had happened, but no one had ever filed a report,” a campus rep tells ABC News.

“Our chief of police did his own research, found some

things on Facebook, and heard about a couple of people who were hit by balloons.” The chief ultimately approached the students about the incidents, and this week, “four people came forward and filed reports.”

An African-American student said he’d been hit twice by the balloons, which reportedly fell from tall buildings. Campus police haven’t yet confirmed the balloons contained bleach, but, “It’s very frustrating to know that it’s 2012 and that stuff like this still happens,” says another student.

Examiner

Hate crimes charges were filed in U.S. District Court against Randolph Linn for the September arson attack on of the Islamic Center Almashreq/News Agencies: Hate crimes charges were filed in U.S. District Court in Toledo, Ohio, against Randolph Linn, 52, of St. Joe, Ind., for the September 30 arson attack on of the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo. Linn was charged with intentionally defacing, damaging and destroying religious real prop-

erty because of the religious character of that property and with using fire and explosives to commit a felony.

The woman who identified Linn in surveillance photographs said he recently made anti-Muslim remarks, including comments about the worldwide reaction to an antiMuslim video on the Internet.

Green Party Candidates Arrested at Presidential Debate Almashreq/News Agencies: In addition to being entirely shut out of this year’s presidential debates, Green Party candidate Jill Stein and her vice presidential running mate Cheri Honkala were arrested at the Hofstra University debate site as they protested their exclusion.

Stein and Honkala have been shut out, despite the fact that the Green Party ticket will be on an estimated 85 percent of ballots this election. The Commission on Presidential

Debates stipulates that a candidate must garner at least 15 percent in national polls in order to participate Stein and Honkala were jailed for disorderly conduct around 3 p.m. when they were blocked by police officers as they attempted to enter the debate hall, according to Stein’s campaign manager, Ben Manski. Manski said that it was unclear when they would be released, but they could remain jailed until midnight.

Islamic Community Center of Tempe (ICC) and continued to the corner of Mill Ave and University Dr. Tens of protestors chanted antiIslamophopia slogans for about 2 hours. The rally was mainly organized by Almahdi Islamic Center, CARAMA-the coalition of Arabs and Muslims in America, The Sudanese American House and other organizations and community based groups.

An arson attack on an Ohio mosque on Sunday night Almashreq/News sources: (WASHINGTON, D.C., 10/2/12) - Perrysburg Township Police released surveillance photographs of a “person of interest” in an intentionally-set fire Sunday at the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo. The man seen in the photographs is a white male wearing a camouflage hat and sweatshirt. Authorities also released a photograph of a red vehicle driving onto the property.

The fire was set when the mosque was empty and

caused smoke and water damage on the second floor.

In 2008, a Toledo man pleaded guilty to making threatening phone calls to the same mosque.

The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator of an arson attack on an Ohio mosque.

CAIR also urged national leaders to address the growing number of anti-Muslim hate incidents.

Samir Suljovic a US Anti-Islam’ Movie citizen by born Producer Was Federal stranded in Germany Informant

by No-Fly List

Almashreq/News Agencies: Before he was involved in the making of the Anti-Islam film that provoked the anti-American riots in the Arab/Muslim world, and before he was convicted of federal bank fraud, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula was arrested on charges relating to the making of phencyclidine (PCP). Ac-

cording to several news sources we’ve learned that Nakoula was sentenced to 21 months in federal custody for the affair. According to The Smoking Gun and other news sources, because Nakoula had decided to become a federal informant he was released after several months, even though it wasn’t Nakoula’s first time.

Almashreq/News Agencies: Samir Suljovic, a 26-year-old New York resident and American citizen, who tried to return fly back home to New York on October 1 from Germany after he traveled to Montenegro this summer to visit family and friends, was informed by airline agents in Austria that the DHS and CBP had asked foreign authorities to prevent him from boarding his flight. Suljovic has been stranded for 17 days and has repeatedly been denied the right to

fly home to New York.

He has contacted the DHS and CBP liaison at JFK International Airport, but has received no response.

Despite being advised to seek help from the U.S. embassy in Germany, embassy personnel have reportedly provided no assistance, and instead have interrogated Suljovic and allegedly searched his cell phone without his permission.

Suljovic was born and raised in Oakland Gardens, Queens.

Obama Executive Order allows seizure of Americans’ bank accounts Almashreq/News Agencies: The latest executive order (EO) emanating from the White House October 9 now claims the power to freeze all bank accounts and stop any related financial transactions that a “sanctioned person” may own or try to perform - all in the name of “Iran Sanctions.”

Titled an “Executive Order from the President regarding Authorizing the Implementation of Certain Sanctions…” the order says that if an individual is declared by the president, the secretary of state, or the secretary of the treasury to be a “sanctioned person,” he (or she) will be unable to obtain access to his accounts, will be unable to process any loans (or make them), or move them to any other financial institution inside or outside the United States. In other words, his financial resources will have successfully been completely frozen.

The EO expands its authority by making him unable to use any third party such as “a partnership, association, trust, joint venture, corporation, subgroup or other organization” that might wish to help him or allow him to obtain access to his funds.

And if the individual so “sanctioned” decides that the ruling is unfair, he isn’t allowed to sue. In two

words, the individual has successfully been robbed blind. The New American HIGHLIGHTS Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas) called EOs patently unconstitutional. When asked about them by Fox News’ Megan Kelly, Paul said: “The Constitution says that only Congress passes laws. The executive branch is not allowed to pass laws, nor should the judicial system pass laws. So it is clearly unconstitutional to issue these executive orders,” Paul said.

“They’ve been done for a long time, both parties have done it, but the Congress is careless. They allow and encourage and do these deals … to get the president to circumvent the Congress. If something’s unpopular and he can’t get it passed, well, let’s just sign an executive order. So I think that is blatantly wrong. I think this defies everything the founders intended. I think it’s a shame that Congress does it, and I think it’s a shame that the American people put up with it,” he added.

The most outrageous executive order of all time was that issued by President Roosevelt that allowed the enforced internment of 120,000 Japanese-Americans. Prison Planet FACTS & FIGURES

The United States has long barred U.S. firms from doing business with Iran, but last December adopted measures that forced international buyers of Iranian oil to cut their purchases. Economic Times In August, a second package of sanctions added further restrictions for international banks, insurance companies and oil traders.

The U.S., Israel and their allies say Tehran may intend to use its nuclear capability to produce nuclear weapons, a claim Iran rejects. Tehran insists its program is completely peaceful. www.almashreqonline.com

Choose Love’: Pro-Muslim Ads to Go Up in NYC Subways After anti-Muslim ads hit NYC subways last month, Jewish and Christian groups responded with a message of love – hanging pro-Muslim posters to condemn intolerance and celebrate the city’s diversity.

Rabbis for Human Rights – North America and the Sojourners Christian group will place their adverts right next to the anti-Islam messages that were released by pro-Zionism group; the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI).The organization covered 10 Manhattan stations, despite strong objection by the city’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

The original text by the AFDI declared «In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man.

Support Israel. Defeat Jihad.»

The ad by Rabbis for Human Rights- North America, which will go up on Monday, will say “In the choice between love and hate, choose love. Help stop bigotry against our Muslim neighbors.”

“Love your Muslim neighbors,” is the message on the promised ad.

“Our subway platforms and buses should not be the platform for messages of hate that divide friends, neighbors, and colleagues,” read a message on the Rabbis for Human Rights – North America’s website.

Last week the United Methodist Women Church unveiled its response to the AFDI posters with an ad saying “Hate speech is not civilized. Support peace in word and deed.”

US Declares Assange and WikiLeaks ‘Enemies of the State Julian Assange and WikiLeaks have been declared enemies of the United States. Declassified US Air Force counter-intelligence documents reveal that military personnel contacting WikiLeaks may face execution for “communicating with the enemy.”

The documents, which have been released under American Freedom of Information laws and published by WikiLeaks, were originally classified as secret and not releasable to non-US nationals.

Julian Assange said that the documents have been released just recently because of their sensitivity for some of the people involved in the investigation.

“The US military should designate me and all of WikiLeaks as the enemy in its formal investigation, an investigation that carries a death-penalty offense into a person who was alleged to have come to my extradition hearing,” he added.

The files covered a counter-intelligence investigation into a UKbased cyber systems analyst who allegedly supported WikiLeaks.

The probe was trying to determine whether the analyst had disclosed

any classified data to an “anti-US and/or anti-military group. She was suspected of breaching article 104-D of the US Uniform Code of Military Justice, which outlaws military personnel holding intercourse with the enemy.

The fact that WikiLeaks was treated as an enemy of state would have serious implications in case Assange is extradited to the US, as he is likely to face military detention.

“It appears that Julian Assange and WikiLeaks are the ‘enemy,’” Michael Ratner, Assange’s US attorney, said. “An enemy is dealt with under the laws of war, which could include killing, capturing, detaining without trial, etc.”

Assange was once labeled a “high-tech terrorist” by American Vice President Joe Biden in December 2010, and a number of top US officials have openly called on the authorities to hunt the whistleblower down.

The diplomatic cables released over the past months reveal the true scale of the US Justice Department investigation targeting both Assange and WikiLeaks.

Assange himself called the investigation “unprecedented.”

US Soldier Charged with 17 Counts of Murder US soldier, Robert Bales, accused of gunning down civilians in Afghanistan also faces six counts of attempted murder and assault.

A US soldier accused of gunning down civilians in southern Afghanistan is to be charged with 17 counts of murder.

Robert Bales, an army staff sergeant, also faces six counts of attempted murder and six counts of aggravated assault, an official told AP on condition of anonymity.

Bales, 38, is suspected of leaving a US base in southern Af-

ghanistan, entering homes and shooting villagers, including nine children, in their sleep on 11 March.

He is currently being held in an isolated cell at the maximumsecurity US military prison in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

The shootings in Kandahar province have placed further pressure on already strained ties between the US and Afghan governments. Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president has accused the US military of failing to co-operate with an investigation he has ordered into the killings.

Obama Admits Failure to ‘Change’ Washington US President Barack Obama has admitted that he failed to change the bitter political atmosphere in Washington, which, he said, “feels as broken as it did four years ago.”

“If you asked me what is the one thing that has frustrated me most over the last four years, it’s not the hard work, it’s not the enormity of the decisions, it’s not the pace, it is that I haven’t been able to change the atmosphere here in Washington to reflect the decency and common sense of ordinary people - Democrats, Republicans, and independents - who I think just want to see their leadwww.almashreqonline.com

7

National

October 26 - November 22 , 2012

ership solve problems,” Obama said in a taped interview with the CBS television, which was aired on Sunday.

He, however, promised that he will continue to focus on repairing the country’s ailing economy and strengthening the middle class if he is elected for another term in office.

“The most important issue we face as a country is how do we build an economy where the middle-class is strong and growing, and those who are willing to work hard can fight their way into the middle-class,” he said.

AZ State Senator & Candidates for the State House of Representatives meet with members of AZ Muslim and Arab Communities Almashreq-Gilbert: AZ State Senator Jerry Lewis and candidates for the State House of Representatives Darn Fisher and Corey Harris meet with members of AZ Muslim and Arab Communities at the house of Dr. Mohammad Riyad on October 13, 2012 Lewis, Darn and Fisher provided spoke to the attendants and answered questions about a variety of issues.

Morgan Stanley sued for racial discrimination Almashreq/News Agencies: Morgan Stanley discriminated against black homeowners and violated federal civil rights laws by providing strong incentives to a subprime lender to originate mortgages that were likely to be foreclosed on, according to a groundbreaking lawsuit filed today.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in New York, is the first that connects racial discrimination to the securitization of mortgage-backed securities, which were sold to institutional investors and pension funds.

It is also the first case where a prospective class of victimized homeowners is suing an investment bank directly rather than the subprime lender whose loans the bank bought.

The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the ACLU of Michigan, the National Consumer Law Center, and Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, a San Francisco-based law firm, on behalf of five Detroit residents and Michigan Legal Services. The complaint asks the court to certify the case as a class action. As many as 6,000 black homeowners in the Detroit area may have suffered similar discrimination.

While the case concerns lending abuses in Detroit, these practices were common throughout the financial ser-

vices industry and victimized black and Latino neighborhoods nationwide, according to Anthony D. Romero, ACLU executive director.

«With this lawsuit, real victims of the subprime lending scandal are stepping forward to hold investment banks like Morgan Stanley accountable for the devastation the banks wrought in their lives and in our economy,” Romero said.

“Illegal practices surrounding mortgage-backed securities robbed people of their homes, violated our civil rights laws and left all Americans holding the bag as our economy teetered on the brink of another Great Depression.”

The five homeowners in the suit received their loans from nowdefunct New Century Mortgage Corp., a one-time major player in subprime lending.

As Morgan Stanley ramped up its mortgage-backed securities business starting in 2004, it became New Century’s largest buyer of subprime loans.

Morgan Stanley provided funds to New Century to originate the loans, and dictated the terms of the loans it wanted and ultimately purchased for its securitized pools. It pushed New Century to issue certain types of loans with no concern about risk, because it made its profit at the outset, when the securities were created and sold.

Because minority residents of the Detroit region have been

subjected to decades of housing and lending discrimination, and had fewer alternative sources of credit, they were natural targets for these predatory loans.

“Morgan Stanley actively encouraged the proliferation of irresponsible subprime mortgage loans, the complaint charges, in order to feed its hunger for purchasing, pooling, and securitizing mortgage debt for sale to investors,” said Elizabeth J. Cabraser, a partner at Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, and co-counsel for the plaintiffs. “The targeting of communities of color for loans that unfairly raises the risk of default and foreclosure is the quintessential ‘reverse-redlining’ outlawed by the Federal Fair Housing Act.” First enacted in 1968, the Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing transactions, including unfair lending practices. The lawsuit also alleges violations of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, which bans discrimination for credit transactions, including consumer loans such as mortgages.

“Congress enacted these civil rights statutes to require that banks like Morgan Stanley are responsible for ensuring that their policies and practices do not perpetuate historical patterns of discrimination and banks have the duty to provide a level playing field for all consumers,”noted Stuart

Rossman, director of litigation at the National Consumer Law Center.

“Ultimately, economic justice is a civil right in our country.

This landmark case brought on behalf of African-American homeowners asserts their rights under those laws and seeks to protect the greater Detroit community from continuing to be burdened because of past acts and patterns of discrimination.”

Among those affected is Rubbie McCoy, who said her mortgage broker falsified information on her loan application even though she objected. The broker also omitted critical details, including the fact that after two years, New Century would no longer pay the taxes or insurance on her loan. Those added costs have prevented her from making a payment since 2011.

“I’ve seen firsthand the devastation banks like Morgan Stanley have caused in communities like mine. When I first moved into my home, I knew every neighbor and most of the homes were occupied. Today, the majority of homes stand abandoned and stripped,” McCoy said. “I don’t like to say that I am losing my home, instead I tell my family that I’m fighting for my home. The truth is I’m afraid that today will be the day a sheriff kicks us out. No one should live with this fear”. ACLU.org

Rich people have huge impact on US political process Almashreq/News Agencies: The impact of rich people on the American political process is huge, says Sam Pizzigati, associate fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C. He said he believes all U.S. presidential candidates “have a message that appeals with at least some rich people to be competitive.

And because of that they all ignore certain issues and play up others.” “What we have in effect is a stunted

political discourse in the United States,” Pizzigati added in a phone interview.

An international commission led by former UN chief Kofi Annan warned in September that the world›s democracies and the United States specifically, are being corrupted by the increasingly strong role of «uncontrolled, undisclosed, illegal and opaque» financing of political campaigns.

The report by the commis-

sion, staffed with former world leaders and Nobel prize laureates, stipulated that powerful financial institutions and the surging influence of money in politics was harmful to both emerging and more developed democracies across the globe.

«The rise of uncontrolled political finance,» warned the report, «threatens to hollow out democracy everywhere and rob democracy of its unique strengths».

Regarding elections in the

U.S., the commission›s report, Deepening Democracy: a Strategy for Improving the Integrity of Elections Worldwide, took special issue with the Supreme Court›s ruling in the Citizens United case.

Citizens United has «undermined political equality, weakened transparency of the electoral process and shaken citizen confidence in America›s political institutions and elections», the report said.

Over 1,000 activists gathered in Dearborn, Michigan, to rally against protesting an online anti-Islamic video Almashreq/News Agencies: “There is a need for deterrent legal measures against those individuals or groups that want to damage relations between people, spread hate and incite violence,” said organizer Osama Siblani.

“We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to sow the seeds of hate and discord against the religious beliefs of others,” he added.

The event comes just days after President Barack Obama told the United Nations General Assembly that the “future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam.”

The Detroit Free Press reported that Friday’s rally was “the third protest in metro Detroit over the movie, the biggest one yet.”

“Say No to Hate-Mongering, Say No to Islamophobia,’’ said a banner at the

Ford Performing Arts & Community Center.

Among those speaking at the event were Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Richard Halloran, and civil rights leaders like Donnell White, executive director of the Detroit branch of the NAACP. “United we stand, divided we fall,” White said. “We stand with you as our brothers and sisters.”

“We need to speak out against discrimination against Islam,” Judge Halloran said.

Similar protests took place in Los Angeles, Washington and Tempe Arizona

8

International & Business

Chomsky Calls for Ending Blockade in First-ever Gaza Visit Renowned American academic, Noam Chomsky has called on Thursday for an end to the Zionist entity’s siege imposed on the Gaza Strip during his first-ever visit to the besieged coastal enclave.

of the American foreign policy, entered the Gaza Strip from the Egyptian side of the Rafah Crossing as a member of an academic delegation that is scheduled to partake in the conference.

Jewish-American linguist Chomsky arrived in the territory where he was scheduled to attend a conference, called, “To End the Israeli Siege on Gaza,” at Gaza Islamic University later in the day, The Jerusalem Post reported.

In an interview with Press TV in June, Chomsky said the Zionist entity gets away with numerous violations of international law since it is a client of the US and therefore enjoys “total impunity.”

“The Palestinian people have a right to live peacefully and in freedom,” said the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor, according to Jamal al-Khudari, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council and the head of the university’s administrative board.

Chomsky, a prominent critic

“…the United States has total impunity and that is inherited by its allies and clients,” Chomsky added.

In May 2010, the Zionist entity barred Chomsky from entering occupied West Bank where he was to deliver a lecture. He finally had to broadcast his speech via video link from neighboring Jordan.

Yemeni Intelligence Officer Shot Dead Suspected Al-Qaeda gunmen have shot dead a Yemeni intelligence officer in the south of the country, in the latest attack on security agents, the defense ministry said on Friday.

Ghazi Saeed Beidaha was killed when two “Al-Qaeda terrorists” driving a motorbike shot him dead in the southern province of Bayda on Thursday night, the ministry said in a statement posted on its website 26sep.net.

On Thursday the head of the police in the southern city of Aden, Colonel Abdullah alMouzai, was also killed when a bomb placed in his car exploded as he was heading to work, police said at the time.

His killing was also blamed on Al-Qaeda.

Al-Qaeda militants had strengthened their presence over the past year across the south, taking advantage of a central government weakened by an Arab Spring-inspired uprising.

But on May 12, the military launched an all-out offensive against them, making significant advances.

Aden is also a stronghold of the Southern Movement that groups activists pushing for greater autonomy for the south and those who want full independence for the region, which was a separate state until 1990.

Erekat Slams Romney’s Secret Remarks as “Absolutely Unacceptable” Comments made by Mitt Romney, that the Palestinians do not want peace are “absolutely unacceptable,” said chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, who added that “only those who want to maintain occupation” would make such a claim.

The reaction follows the release of a secretly-recorded video in which Romney asserted that the Palestinians have “no interest whatsoever in establishing peace, and that the pathway to peace is almost unthinkable to accomplish.”

“We consider these statements absolutely unacceptable,” Erekat told Agence France Presse.

“No one has an interest in peace more than the Palestinian people, because peace for the Palestinian people and the Palestinian leadership means freedom and independence from the Israeli occupation.”

“Only those who want to maintain the Israeli occupation will

claim the Palestinians are not interested in peace,” Erekat told Reuters.

The U.S. Republican presidential candidate made the remarks at a private fundraiser where he candidly spoke about his political strategy with a crowd of affluent donors in May. Speaking to wealthy donors at an event in Florida, held at the home of controversial private equity manager, Marc Leder, Romney indicated that he does not believe in the peace process in the Middle East.

Not making distinction between different factions inside Palestinian society, Romney said: “I look at the Palestinians not wanting to see peace anyway, for political purposes, committed to the destruction and elimination of Israel, and these thorny issues, and I say there’s just no way.”

The video was released by US magazine Mother Jones.

Zionist Settlers Set Ablaze Palestinian Olive Grove For the second time in days, Zionist settlers attacked Palestinian olive grove which is considered a vital source of revenue for Palestinian farmers.

Extremist settlers torched dozens of olive trees were set ablaze in a Palestinian village early on Saturday.

Residents of Qaryut village, 15 kilometers south of the West Bank city of Nablus, said that the fires had been set at several different spots simultaneously and security officials said the

evidence pointed to an arson attack by residents of the settlement of Eli. Seventy of the village’s olive trees were cut down in the early hours of Wednesday, the first day of the olive harvest, a period when Zionist settlers have in the past raided Palestinian farmers and their crops.

Figures released last year by the international aid group Oxfam indicated there are approximately 9.5 million olive trees in the West Bank.

October 26 - November 22 , 2012

Crowds rally against Islamists in Egypt Hundreds gather in Cairo square to protest against influence of Muslim Brotherhood and others on constitution drafting

A large crowd estimated to range between a few hundred to a few thousand people rallied in Cairo on Friday to protest against Islamist influence in the drafting of Egypt›s new constitution.

Shouting slogans against the Muslim Brotherhood, which controls the country›s presidency and the constituent assembly, the crowd marched from several points and assembled in Tahrir Square, the scene of violent clashes during a similar protest last week.

Referencing the name of the Brotherhood›s Freedom and Justice Party, protesters chanted «freedom, justice, down with the constituent assembly».

The assembly, which has been drafting the constitution for several months, was chosen by a now-

defunct parliament that was also dominated by Brotherhood politicians.

The second-most powerful group in parliament had been the Nour Party, the political wing of the country›s ultraconservative Salafi movement.

Clashes a week ago between Brotherhood supporters and their opponents left more than 100 people injured. Some Brotherhood officials voiced regret over the violence, and the movement did not call for a counter-protest this time.

On Friday, protesters shouted against Mohamed Badie, the Brotherhood›s ideological leader, and President Mohamed Morsi, himself a former high-ranking Brotherhood leader, whom they compared to ousted ruler Hosni Mubarak.

The assembly released a draft this month that was met suspicion by rights groups and liberals seeking to protect personal freedoms.

Morsi has pledged to defend the cause of Egypt›s January 2011 uprising, but some opponents say he is repeating history by monopolising power.

«Down, down MorsiMubarak,» a few hundred protesters yelled as they marched towards Tahrir Square, cradle of the

2011 uprising. «Hold on, country. Freedom is being born.»

At least 20 organisations ranging from human rights groups to revolutionary socialists, opponents of military trials, nationalists and liberals joined the protest.

Some opposition parties are trying to unite to avoid another poor showing in a parliamentary election, due to take place once the long-delayed constitution is ratified in a referendum.

S Intel. Officials: Al-Qaeda Gaining Foothold in Syria Al-Qaeda has advanced beyond isolated pockets of activity in Syria and now is building a network of wellorganized cells, according to US intelligence officials, who fear the terrorists could be on the verge of establishing an Iraqlike foothold that would be hard to defeat if rebels eventually oust President Bashar Assad.

At least a couple of hundred al-Qaeda-linked militants are already operating in Syria, and their ranks are growing as foreign fighters stream into the Arab country daily, current and former US intelligence officials say according to

media reports.

The units are spreading from city to city, with veterans of the Iraq insurgency employing their expertise in bomb-building to carry out more than two dozen attacks so far, the reports added.

Others are using their experience in coordinating small units of fighters in Afghanistan to win new followers.

In Syria on Friday, insurgent commanders appealed anew for new and better weapons from abroad, complaining that Assad›s forces have them badly outgunned from the air and on the ground.

“In fact, rebel leaders say that with so little aid coming to them from the US and other nations, they are slowly losing the battle for influence against hardline militants. They say their fighters are sometimes siding with extremists who are better funded and armed so they can fight the far stronger Syrian army,” News 24 Website said.

It all could point to a widening danger posed by extremists who have joined rebels fighting the Assad government, it added.

Rand analyst Seth Jones said the presence of extremists was small but growing. He said the US

should consider using its forces or getting the rebels or a regional proxy to attack the al-Qaeda units.

«There has been talk that some operatives in Pakistan are saying, ‹Why don›t we see if we can make it to Syria,›» he said. «That›s where the fight is.»

If they win local loyalty by fighting alongside Syrian rebels, they will be hard to eliminate no matter how Syria›s future pans out, said former CIA analyst Riedel.

«Look at Iraq, where we decimated them time and again,» Riedel said.

«They›re still there.»

Jordanians hold protest against King Abdullah

Islamic Action Front moves ahead with pro-reform rally despite king’s decision on Thursday to dissolve parliament Tens of thousands of people have held a protest in the heart of the Jordanian capital of Amman for a pro-reform rally, despite King Abdullah’s decision to dissolve parliament.

a system that marginalises the representation of Jordanians of Palestinian origin, on whom Islamists rely for their support, in favour of native Jordanians, who tend to support the king.

Witnesses and journalists estimated attendance at between 10,000 and 15,000 people, with the crowd expected to grow as protesters travelled to Amman from elsewhere around the country.

The opposition says it will boycott upcoming elections, as it did with the 2010 poll, unless its demands for wider representation are met.

Numerous other demonstrations have taken place in Jordan since January 2011 to call for political and economic reforms and demand an end to corruption.

Attendance was still well below the 50,000 predicted by the Islamic Action Front, the Jordanian wing of the Muslim Brotherhood and the country’s main opposition group.

At least 2,000 police had been deployed for the demonstration, which followed the main weekly Muslim prayers.

Al Jazeera’s Jane Arraf, reporting from Amman, said thousands of protesters gathered in what is the biggest protest since the Arab Spring.

“People hear weren’t calling for the overthrow of the monarchy. Their demands are much more modest,” she said.

King Abdullah had hoped that dissolving the parliament and calling for early elections would weaken enthusiasm for the protest. The king did not announce a date for early elections, but said he hoped to hold polls by the end of 2012.

“They want new electoral rules that will give them a better chance of electing people to power who could implement reform. They want an end to corruption.

They want jobs,” Arraf said.

A demonstration in support of the king was called off over fears of unrest as it

would have coincided with the opposition rally, organisers said.

“We have postponed indefinitely our demonstration scheduled at the same time as the Muslim Brotherhood’s to avoid any problems,” said Jihad alSheik, head of an internet-based youth group that organised the event.

The cancellation came “after a request to that effect from the director of general security, Hussein al-Majali, MPs and tribal leaders” to prevent unrest.

‘A tremendous miscalculation’ The Brotherhood and a coalition of tribal and other groups have been pressing the monarch to speed up what they consider to be the slow pace of political reform.

They are also angry with an electoral law passed last July, which preserves

In an exclusive interview with AFP news agency last month, the king said a decision by the Islamists to boycott the vote was “a tremendous miscalculation.”

“As constitutional monarch, my mandate is to be the umbrella for all political groupings and all segments of our society, and as part of that responsibility, I am telling the Muslim Brotherhood that they are making a tremendous miscalculation,” he said.

“The countdown to the elections has already started. Registration is under way. We have already crossed the onemillion person mark. Parliament will be dissolved. The elections date will be announced. And we will have a new parliament by the new year.”

King Abdullah has ordered parliament to increase seats reserved for party candidates, urging the Islamists to take part in the polls. MPs raised the number from 17 to 27, but failed to satisfy opposition groups. www.almashreqonline.com