Peace Moonbeam Parties with Hugo & the Jad Man

Thank goodness it's Friday! Go visit The Peace Moonbeam Chronicles. Peace writes about a little cocktail party she attended....

I don't think I'm going to recover from seeing this photo............

If you have never visited Peace's blog, give Peace a chance and make her part of your blogroll... She is an absolute riot-- you will be wishing you could hang with her and her trusty companion, Scooter.

The Peace Moonbeam Chronicles

Have a great Friday!

Clinton Doth Protest Too Much

The lovely and talented Laura from Laura's Miscellaneous Musings found a terrific op/ed in the Los Angeles Times by Andrew Klavan discussing the differences between President Reagan and President Clinton.

"[...]I cannot remember Reagan ever 'defending his legacy' with anything more than a quip and a smile... Reagan was a man who believed in truth. Not your truth or my truth but 'the truth,' the one that is out there whether you happen to believe in it or not[...]"

Ya gotta go read the whole article.... go... go now... really... go...

And thanks Laura!

Part Two A - The Muslim Brotherhood

Sunny - Hi 109 Lo 79 for Baghdad, Iraq
Rain - Hi 65 Lo 51 for Northern KY, USA

Song of the week: Don't Panic, Coldplay

Ramble:

All right... I'm in a grumpy mood because I somehow deleted the guts of my post from last week.... crap!!

Be that as it may, I wanted to pick up where I left off a couple of weeks ago. I started here with a Timeline of Islamic Terrorist Attacks.

However, I need to first back up a bit. My interest in understanding the historical basis for this deep seeded hatred for the United States came from Jedi Master Rob's post...Same As It Ever Was. Rob explored the early history of Islam and where the two tribes Sunni and Shia (Sharia) originated. If you don't understand or were unaware (like me) of these buidling blocks of history, please go read it now- read it here.

"The result of these medieval Islamic wars are still very much alive in the opposing "Sunna" and "Shia" (Sharia) factions. The Sunni who are descended in religious and political thought from Yazid and refer to themselves as the "Followers of Tradition" and the "Shia" (Sharia) who still hold true to the claims that Ali ibn Abi Talib was the true successor to Muhamad."

OK... My intentions are to explore one terrorist organization at a time as I complete research. This is a lot of work and I was never good at researching things... especially now with the internet and since I am self diagnosed ADD... I tend to stray from my subject... for instance... in looking for information on the Muslim Brotherhood I ended up looking at some information on archeologists studying current day Egypt and the Great Pyramid of Giza and the similarities with the Mayan pyramids... go figure...

I am starting with the Muslim Brotherhood because it is still active today, but more importantly it has spawned many many deadly organizations of which I will explore one by one eventually...

Muslim Brotherhood
aka:
Muslim Brothers
al-Ikhwan al-Muslimin
Jama'at al-Ikhwan al-Muslimun
Hizb Al-Ikhwan Al-Muslimoon
al-Ikhwan ("The Brothers")

Their credo: "God is our objective, the Quran is our Constitution, the Prophet is our leader, struggle is our way, and death for the sake of God is the highest of our aspirations."

The Brotherhood was founded in 1928 by Hassan al Banna, a son of an imam (faith teacher or prayer leader). At the age of 12 years old, al Banna became a member of the Sufi order. Traditional orders assert that almost all the famous Sufi masters of the Islamic Caliphate times were also experts in Shia and were renowned as people with great faith and excellent practice. Many were also Shia law judges. They held that Sufism was never distinct from Islam and to fully comprehend and live correct with Sufism one must be a practicing Muslim obeying the Shia (Sharia).

"Al-Banna based his ideas that Islam was not only a religious observance, but a comprehensive way of life, on the tenets of Wahhabism, better known today as "Islamism", and he supplemented the traditional Islamic education for the Society's male students with jihadia training.

The Brotherhood grew as a popular movement over the next 20 years, encompassing not only religion and education, but also politics, through the Party of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hizb Al-Ikhwan Al-Muslimoon. It blamed the Egyptian government for being passive against "Zionists" and joined the Palestinian side in the war against Israel; and started performing terrorist acts inside of Egypt, which led to a ban on the movement by the Egyptian government. A Muslim Brother assassinated the Prime Minister of Egypt, Mahmud Fahmi Nokrashi, on December 28, 1948. Al-Banna himself was killed by government agents in Cairo in February, 1949.

The Egyptian government legalized the Brotherhood again in 1948, but only as a religious organization; it was banned again in 1954 because it insisted that Egypt be governed under shari'a (Islamic law).

Abdul Munim Abdul Rauf, a Brotherhood activist, attempted to assassinate Egyptian President Nasser in 1954 and was executed, along with five other Brothers. Four thousand Brothers were also arrested, and thousands more fled to Syria, Saudia Arabia, Jordan, and Lebanon.

In 1964, Nasser granted amnesty to the imprisoned Brothers, hoping that their release would weaken interest in the recently formed Arab Socialist Union party; the result was three more assassination attempts by the Brothers on Nasser’s life. The top leaders of the Brotherhood were executed in 1966, and many others were imprisoned.

Nasser's successor, Anwar-as-Sadat, promised the Brothers that shari'a would be implemented as the Egyptian law and released all of the Brotherhood prisoners; however, the Brothers lost their trust in Sadat when he signed the peace agreement with Israel in 1979; four Brothers assassinated Sadat in September, 1981.

Although officially banned by the Egyptian government since 1954, the Muslim Brothers captured 17 seats in the Egyptian Parliament running as independents; they also hold important offices in professional organizations in Egypt.

Today, a very complex financial network connects the operations of over seventy branches of the Muslim Brothers worldwide. During the Muslim Brothers' seventy-plus years of existence, there have been cycles of growth, followed by divisions into factions, including clandestine financial networks, and violent jihad groups, such as al-Jihad and al-Gama'at al-Islamiyya in Egypt, HAMAS in Palestine and mujahideen groups in Afghanistan."

Today, Hassan al Banna's grandson, Tariq Ramadan advocates that:

"[...]Muslims living in the West should not view themselves as foreigners or temporary residents of their countries, but rather as full citizens with full rights and responsibilities. In some respects, he argues for integration and not alienation from the surrounding society. Indeed, the main theme of his book, To Be a European Muslim attempts to bridge the gap between being a Muslim and being European.

He also advocates that immigrant parents not confuse culture with religion. So, Muslims born in Western countries should adopt the tastes and cultural norms of their country, and not those of their parents' homeland. "

Neither Europe nor the West can survive, if we continue to attempt to define ourselves by excluding, and by distancing ourselves from, the Other-from Islam, from the Muslims-whom we fear. Perhaps what Europe needs most today is not a dialogue with other civilizations, but a true dialogue with itself, with those facets of itself that it has for too long refused to recognize, that even today prevent it from fully benefiting from the richness of its constituent religious and philosophical traditions. Europe must learn to reconcile itself with the diversity of its past in order to master the imperative pluralism of its future."

In 2004, Tariq was to relocate to South Bend, Indiana to teach at Notre Dame. The Department of Homeland Security revoked his Visa without providing a reason. (This was one of those moments where we needed to trust our government to do the right thing and not question why this decision was made-- if a source proves to be viable, lets not expose it for the bad guys to see).

The darling of the New York Times, Tariq Ramadan offers commentary and opinion on his thoughts on the Pope's remarks about Islam here. Read it carefully and completely...

Tariq from what I have found on the internet speaks softly and calmly of peace and assimilation with Americans and Europeans. However, he speaks of violence and death to other Muslims. Doublespeak...

So, make no mistake, while blatant acts of terrorism are occurring, a battle is being waged on an intellectual front as well. We must be vigilant to all of it...

Related Articles:

Front Page - France's Wake Up Call 12/23/03
ACLU - New York Times, Time Magazine and the ACLU love Tariq....
The Counterterrorism Blog

Sources:

CDI
Wikipedia
Terroris Exclusion List
ICT - Institute for Counter Terrorism
Council on Foreign Relations
Passia
Jewish Virtual Library
Council on Foreign Relations
FAS - Federation of American Scientists

Housekeeping:

I am still reading through Project 2996 and it is slow going, but I promised myself I would read every single tribute. In the meantime I have placed two tabs at the top of my blog- one for 2996 and one to my tribute for Marion.

Have a great week everyone!

Military Pride

I received the following photos in an email. I wanted to share, just in case you hadn't seen them. The pictures are of the USS Abraham Lincoln - CVN-72, USS Kitty Hawk - CV-63, and the USS Ronald Reagan - CVN-76 as well as Destroyers. There are also a few birds in the friendly skies to watch over them... can you name them?
**click on each photo to enlarge.

Teenage Angst

Sunny - Hi 102 Lo 74 for Baghdad, Iraq
Sunny & Hazy - Hi 83 Lo 67 for Northern KY, USA

Song of the week: Surrender, Cheap Trick

Watch It:

Surrender (Cheap Trick) Video Codes by VideoCodeZone.Com

Ramble:

I must take a moment to thank Rick Nielsen, Tom Petersson, Robin Zander and Bun E. Carlos for performing at Budokan back in the day. I remember vividly saving my allowance to purchase Live at Budokan because Mark P. said it was a great album and Cheap Trick rocked. Mark P. was my first crush... I have no idea what he is doing these days and quite frankly don't care - he turned out to be a not very nice boy, but he was right... Budokan was and is a great album and Cheap Trick did rock. I still have my Budokan album and I still remember all the words to all the songs...

I intended to work on part 2 of my terrorism timeline, but I have just started researching, so it's going to be a while before I am prepared. There are so many terrorist organizations, it's a little overwhelming.

9/23--- so somehow I've deleted part of this post... primarily my movie list... nice... any ideas on how to retrieve it from the internet?????????????

9/24/06--- So, I'm trying to recreate the post... any help is appreciated. Or... if you like... do your best "written impersonation" of me.... Come on... help an old girl out....

A Life Remembered: Marion Britton

My Lord, what a morning

My Lord, what a morning!
My Lord, what a morning!
O my Lord, what a morning!
When the stars begin to fall.

You'll hear a sinner mourn,
To wake the nations underground,
Looking to my God's right hand,
When the stars begin to fall.

Refrain

You'll hear a sinner pray,
To wake the nations underground,
Looking to my God's right hand,
When the stars begin to fall.

Refrain

You'll hear a Christian shout,
To wake the nations underground,
Looking to my God’s right hand,
When the stars begin to fall.

Refrain

You'll hear a Christian sing,
To wake the nations underground,
Looking to my God’s right hand,
When the stars begin to fall.

I volunteered to write a tribute for DCRoe honoring and memorializing the lives of those lost on September 11, 2001. For my own personal reasons, my only request to DC was to pay tribute to one of the heroes from United Flight 93. From there, I was randomly assigned Marion Ruth Britton.

Like most volunteers, I knew absolutely nothing about this person. Like all the tributes prior to 2996 - Marion was nothing more than a name on a long list. But, after researching and finding bits and pieces that gave hints to what she was really about, I soon realized that I wish I had known Marion while she was alive. Her brother was quoted in one interview as saying, "She could use stinging language and she'd let you know if she thought you were wrong. She could be bitchy - I was the brunt of it for many years, but she did it for your own good. She was kind-hearted and truthful, and you always knew where you stood."

Marion could be bitchy! Her brother, a reverend, said that! When I read those words, I laughed out loud - we were part of the same sisterhood! She at last had become more than a name on a long sad awful list.

The daughter of a New York City Police officer, Marion Ruth Britton was born on April 28, 1948. She grew up in South Ozone Park a neighborhood in southwestern Queens and on the border of Brooklyn. The neighborhoods that surrounded her no doubt added to the colorful tapestry that became Marion's personality. She graduated from John Adams High School in 1965- a year filled with hopes and dreams, goals and ambitions of a wide eyed seventeen year old. And of course wonderful music such as The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, The Supremes, and The Tempations set the soundtrack for this exciting time in Marion's life.

After working various jobs as a bookkeeper, Marion took a position with the Census Bureau as a Field Operations Assistant. Marion would trudge happily door to door asking quesions. Marion was always looking for an opportunity to tell a story and her early years working with the Census Bureau gave her plenty of material. Some of the more memorable interviewees included inmates at Rikers Island Correctional Facility. Marion's brother was quoted as saying, "One time she talked to a man who was a convicted murderer, and he could talk about murdering like someone else talked about selling groceries. He had these dead eyes in his head. Murdering was what he did for a living."

On a number of occasions, Marion would knock on a door and the person would answer the door stark naked. Again her brother said, "She figured that if that's the way they answered the door, that's the way they felt comfortable around the house, answering questions." So, Marion would conduct the questionaire taking particular care to always maintain eye contact.

On many other occasions Marion would knock on the door of a family in need. She would do the interview, but would make her way back to that home with much needed groceries or clothing in tow.

Marion was devoted to her job to the point of being a workaholic. Marion had a love/hate relationship with her job. She loved what she did, she loved the folks she worked with, but she would grow weary and sometimes frustrated with the bureacracy of working for the federal government. Marion worked long hours and weekends to get the job done. Her attention to detail, stubborness and tenacity led to several promotions and despite her frustrations, her superiors saw how valuable Marion was. She spent 21 years with the Census Bureau ending her carreer as an Assistant Regional Director for the New York Office.

On Tuesday, October 2, 2001 the Honorable Dan Miller of Florida on the House of Representatives reported: [...]"During her career with the Census Bureau, Ms. Britton earned several major honors and awards for her outstanding managerial and technical skills and innovative contritubutions. She received the Census Award of Excellence in 1988, the Bronze Medal Award, the highest honorary award granted by the Census Bureau, in 1993, and the National Partnership for Reinventing Government's "Hammer Award" in 1999 for her work on the American Community Survey."

Marion never married and it was no doubt because she was a workaholic as was told by her brother. Instead, she was devoted to her family and friends and this was expressed in how she lived her life.

When Marion found herself with free time she would scout for good restaurants. She organized breakfast gatherings for her co-workers, her friends. She would travel quite a distance to find the perfect restaurant for her dining group. Whenever she traveled away from her beloved city, she would always take a piece of New York City with her, typically New York City bagels. Marion's brother Paul said, "She wanted people to know that the best bagels came from New York and she wanted them to see what they were missing out on."

Marion's nephew as a little boy referred to her as his "fairy godmother". "On any holiday. Marion was like a bag lady, pulling out gifts that were precious and something delicious - Italian or German pastries or New York cheesecakes she'd bring along."

Marion always paid attention to the details. She was the family historian. Every night at 11 o'clock she and her friend Midge would share a phone call for their "nightly chat". She would travel to obscure punk music shops to pick up a CD for her nephew because that was what he enjoyed. She collected teddy bears and dolls. She never forgot a birthday or an anniversary. She always made sure you had food in your belly and left with a smile.

Marion was on United Flight 93. She was one of the many heroes that died while thwarting the plans of the hijackers. She and the other passengers and crew took the plane back from the hijackers and no doubt saved the lives of those on the ground.

Marion was a big, robust, wonderful woman with an even bigger heart to match. She could be sharp tongued and sarcastic and blunt and yes, she could even be bitchy. But she was generous and kind and she loved a good joke, and she loved to tell a good story and she loved to laugh.

Marion lived her life. It was a good life too.



Marion Ruth Britton
1948 - 2001

Sources:
Post-Gazette
Legacy.com
Census.gov
cf.newsday
Avalon Project
Library of Congress
Peacebarn
John Adams High School
United Flight 93 & the Passengers & Crew Who Fought Back: Among the Heroes by Jere Longman

Thank you goes out to Rob for the stroke of genius on the song selection, Wandering Author for helping me with some fact finding and Michael for understanding how important this was to me.

Finally, I'd like to thank Dale for creating and organizing this tribute. All the hours he and his friends that volunteered to keep this organized was a huge undertaking. This has been an incredible experience.

Please go read more tributes here: 2996

Remembering 2996

* last updated 9/26/06

I want to thank everyone that has done a tribute. As I read through them, it is so apparent that this has become a labor of love. I will update and add links to this post of those I find especially moving.

**Lester Vincent Marino has been remembered by Ben and Noah- these bright, cute, little guys are 6 and 4 years old. Noah's tribute here and Ben's tribute here. To echo Dale, this one will make you cry. #343
** Lieutenant William McGinn is remembered by Simply Left Behind
** Firefighter Francis Esposito is remembered by The Unending Journey of the Wandering Author
** Eight Year Old Zoe Falkenberg is remembered by Volcanic Sacrifices
** Donna Wilson is remembered by Celebration of My Existence
** Terrence E. Adderly is remembered by Plancks Constant
** Welles Remy Crowther is remembered by Smooth Stone

Also, as I read them, I will be linking to all the tributes for the passengers and crew of United Flight 93.
* Flight Attendant, Cee Cee Lyles remembered by WardWideWeb
* Passenger, Mark Bingham remembered by Whispering from the Wings
* Passenger, Joseph DeLuca remembered by Kristonia Ink
* Flight Attendant, Lorraine Bay remembered by Blonde Sagacity


Here is a link to the blogroll for all participants.

DCRoe will be doing this again in 2007, he has the website set up already--Project 2996

2996 Blogroll

Part One - Timeline of Islamic Terrorist Attacks

For whom the bell tolls...

Tomorrow marks the five year anniversary of a vicious and hateful attack to our country and countrymen. Instead of doing a timeline of the events that occurred on that day or offering my personal reflections of that day's events (because I have discussed it several time in this forum), I decided to collect data on as many terrorist attacks as I could find that spanned my lifetime (+/-5 years)to obtain a larger more historical picture of those awful events. The information becomes almost repetitive and even mind numbing, but it is critical to have a timeline to understand that the hatred Islamofascists have for us is significant and not fleeting. I have commented on some below.

Attack on the Munich Airport, February 10, 1970: Three terrorists attacked El Al passengers in a bus at the Munich Airport with guns and grenades. One passenger was killed and 11 were injured. All three terrorists were captured by airport police. The Action Organization for the Liberation of Palestine and the Popular Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine claimed responsibility for the attack.

Munich Olympic Massacre, September 5, 1972: Eight Palestinian "Black September" terrorists seized eleven Israeli athletes in the Olympic Village in Munich, West Germany. In a bungled rescue attempt by West German authorities, nine of the hostages and five terrorists were killed.

Ambassador to Sudan Assassinated, March 2, 1973: U.S. Ambassador to Sudan Cleo A. Noel and other diplomats were assassinated at the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Khartoum by members of the Black September organization.

Attack and Hijacking at the Rome Airport, December 17, 1973: Five terrorists pulled weapons from their luggage in the terminal lounge at the Rome airport, killing two persons. They then attacked a Pan American 707 bound for Beirut and Tehran, destroying it with incendiary grenades and killing 29 persons, including 4 senior Moroccan officials and 14 American employees of ARAMCO. They then herded 5 Italian hostages into a Lufthansa airliner and killed an Italian customs agent as he tried to escape, after which they forced the pilot to fly to Beirut. After Lebanese authorities refused to let the plane land, it landed in Athens, where the terrorists demanded the release of 2 Arab terrorists. In order to make Greek authorities comply with their demands, the terrorists killed a hostage and threw his body onto the tarmac. The plane then flew to Damascus, where it stopped for two hours to obtain fuel and food. It then flew to Kuwait, where the terrorists released their hostages in return for passage to an unknown destination. The Palestine Liberation Organization disavowed the attack, and no group claimed responsibility for it.

Ambassador to Afghanistan Assassinated, February 14, 1979: Four Afghans kidnapped U.S. Ambassador Adolph Dubs in Kabul and demanded the release of various "religious figures." Dubs was killed, along with four alleged terrorists, when Afghan police stormed the hotel room where he was being held.

Iran Hostage Crisis, November 4, 1979: After President Carter agreed to admit the Shah of Iran into the US, Iranian radicals seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took 66 American diplomats hostage. Thirteen hostages were soon released, but the remaining 53 were held until their release on January 20, 1981.
- this act of terrorism gave us Ted Koppel and Nightline.

Grand Mosque Seizure, November 20, 1979: 200 Islamic terrorists seized the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, taking hundreds of pilgrims hostage. Saudi and French security forces retook the shrine after an intense battle in which some 250 people were killed and 600 wounded.

Bombing of U.S. Embassy in Beirut, April 18, 1983: Sixty-three people, including the CIA's Middle East director, were killed and 120 were injured in a 400-pound suicide truck-bomb attack on the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. The Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility. - I was about to graduate from high school when this happened. I had just turned 18. I can't recall any of my classmates enlisting in the military - everyone was going on to college or a tech school or straight into a job. Earlier that year I had discussed with my family, including my uncle that I thought joining the Marines might be an option for me. Uncle Steve and everyone else all said... no way. Uncle Steve at the time was a recruiter for the Marines. He retired as a master gunnery sergeant. (a true ramble)

Bombing of Marine Barracks, Beirut, October 23, 1983:Simultaneous suicide truck-bomb attacks were made on American and French compounds in Beirut, Lebanon. A 12,000-pound bomb destroyed the U.S. compound, killing 242 Americans, while 58 French troops were killed when a 400-pound device destroyed a French base. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility. - I didn't get it. I didn't understand the significance, the symbolism. There was a civil war going on, but who cared? Right?


Kidnapping of Embassy Official, March 16, 1984: The Islamic Jihad kidnapped and later murdered Political Officer William Buckley in Beirut, Lebanon. Other U.S. citizens not connected to the U.S. government were seized over a succeeding two-year period.

TWA Hijacking, June 14, 1985: A Trans-World Airlines flight was hijacked en route to Rome from Athens by two Lebanese Hizballah terrorists and forced to fly to Beirut. The eight crew members and 145 passengers were held for seventeen days, during which one American hostage, a U.S. Navy sailor, was murdered. After being flown twice to Algiers, the aircraft was returned to Beirut after Israel released 435 Lebanese and Palestinian prisoners.
- The images of the pilot with a gun to his head calmly answering questions on the evening news will be burned in my mind for the rest of my life. - Robert Stethem was tortured and murdered and thrown from this plane. His body was so badly broken and ruined that he could not be identified. It took fingerprints to confirm that this young man- this young United States Sailor was indeed Robert Stethem. One of his murderers was Mohammed Ali Hammadi. You may recall that Hammadi was released from prison in Germany...what... for good behavior?!

Air India Bombing, June 23, 1985: A bomb destroyed an Air India Boeing 747 over the Atlantic, killing all 329 people aboard. Both Sikh and Kashmiri terrorists were blamed for the attack. Two cargo handlers were killed at Tokyo airport, Japan, when another Sikh bomb exploded in an Air Canada aircraft en route to India.

Soviet Diplomats Kidnapped, September 30, 1985: In Beirut, Lebanon, Sunni terrorists kidnapped four Soviet diplomats. One was killed but three were later released.

Achille Lauro Hijacking, October 7, 1985: Four Palestinian Liberation Front terrorists seized the Italian cruise liner in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, taking more than 700 hostages. One U.S. passenger was murdered before the Egyptian government offered the terrorists safe haven in return for the hostages’ freedom.
- This attack inflames me. Leon Klinghoffer an American Jew on holiday with his wife celebrating their 36th wedding anniversary was singled out. The man was confined to a wheel chair. He was shot in the forehead at point blank range. He was shot in the chest just to make sure and then Leon and his wheelchair were dumped over the side of the ship. His murderer Abu Abbas was was captured in Iraq in 2003 by American forces while he was trying to flee to safety. Italy wanted him bad, but he died of natural causes while in American custody.

Egyptian Airliner Hijacking, November 23, 1985: An EgyptAir airplane bound from Athens to Malta and carrying several U.S. citizens was hijacked by the Abu Nidal Group.

Airport Attacks in Rome and Vienna, December 27, 1985: Four gunmen belonging to the Abu Nidal Organization attacked the El Al and Trans World Airlines ticket counters at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci Airport with grenades and automatic rifles. Thirteen persons were killed and 75 were wounded before Italian police and Israeli security guards killed three of the gunmen and captured the fourth. Three more Abu Nidal gunmen attacked the El Al ticket counter at Vienna's Schwechat Airport, killing three persons and wounding 30. Austrian police killed one of the gunmen and captured the others.

Aircraft Bombing in Greece, March 30, 1986: A Palestinian splinter group detonated a bomb as TWA Flight 840 approached Athens airport, killing four U.S. citizens.

Berlin Discoteque Bombing, April 5, 1986: Two U.S. soldiers were killed and 79 American servicemen were injured in a Libyan bomb attack on a nightclub in West Berlin, West Germany. In retaliation U.S. military jets bombed targets in and around Tripoli and Benghazi.

Kidnapping of William Higgins, February 17, 1988: U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel W. Higgins was kidnapped and murdered by the Iranian-backed Hizballah group while serving with the United Nations Truce Supervisory Organization (UNTSO) in southern Lebanon.

Naples USO Attack, April 14, 1988: The Organization of Jihad Brigades exploded a car-bomb outside a USO Club in Naples, Italy, killing one U.S. sailor.

Pan Am 103 Bombing, December 21, 1988: Pan American Airlines Flight 103 was blown up over Lockerbie, Scotland, by a bomb believed to have been placed on the aircraft by Libyan terrorists in Frankfurt, West Germany. All 259 people on board were killed.

Bombing of UTA Flight 772, September 19, 1989: A bomb explosion destroyed UTA Flight 772 over the Sahara Desert in southern Niger during a flight from Brazzaville to Paris. All 170 persons aboard were killed. Six Libyans were later found guilty in absentia and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Argentina, March 17, 1992: Hizballah claimed responsibility for a blast that leveled the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, causing the deaths of 29 and wounding 242.

World Trade Center Bombing, February 26, 1993: The World Trade Center in New York City was badly damaged when a car bomb planted by Islamic terrorists exploded in an underground garage. The bomb left 6 people dead and 1,000 injured. The men carrying out the attack were followers of Umar Abd al-Rahman, an Egyptian cleric who preached in the New York City area.

Attempted Assassination of President Bush by Iraqi Agents, April 14, 1993: The Iraqi intelligence service attempted to assassinate former U.S. President George Bush during a visit to Kuwait. In retaliation, the U.S. launched a cruise missile attack 2 months later on the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

Kashmiri Hostage-taking, July 4, 1995: In India six foreigners, including two U.S. citizens, were taken hostage by Al-Faran, a Kashmiri separatist group. One non-U.S. hostage was later found beheaded.

Jerusalem Bus Attack, August 21, 1995: HAMAS claimed responsibility for the detonation of a bomb that killed 6 and injured over 100 persons, including several U.S. citizens.

Saudi Military Installation Attack, November 13, 1995: The Islamic Movement of Change planted a bomb in a Riyadh military compound that killed one U.S. citizen, several foreign national employees of the U.S. government, and over 40 others.

Egyptian Embassy Attack, November 19, 1995: A suicide bomber drove a vehicle into the Egyptian Embassy compound in Islamabad, Pakistan, killing at least 16 and injuring 60 persons. Three militant Islamic groups claimed responsibility

HAMAS Bus Attack, February 26, 1996: In Jerusalem, a suicide bomber blew up a bus, killing 26 persons, including three U.S. citizens, and injuring some 80 persons, including three other US citizens.

Dizengoff Center Bombing, March 4, 1996: HAMAS and the Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ) both claimed responsibility for a bombing outside of Tel Aviv's largest shopping mall that killed 20 persons and injured 75 others, including 2 U.S. citizens.

West Bank Attack, May 13, 1996: Arab gunmen opened fire on a bus and a group of Yeshiva students near the Bet El settlement, killing a dual U.S./Israeli citizen and wounding three Israelis. No one claimed responsibility for the attack, but HAMAS was suspected

Empire State Building Sniper Attack, February 23, 1997: A Palestinian gunman opened fire on tourists at an observation deck atop the Empire State Building in New York City, killing a Danish national and wounding visitors from the United States, Argentina, Switzerland, and France before turning the gun on himself. A handwritten note carried by the gunman claimed this was a punishment attack against the "enemies of Palestine."
- I do not remember this. Shame on me.

Israeli Shopping Mall Bombing, September 4, 1997: Three suicide bombers of HAMAS detonated bombs in the Ben Yehuda shopping mall in Jerusalem, killing eight persons, including the bombers, and wounding nearly 200 others. A dual U.S./Israeli citizen was among the dead, and 7 U.S. citizens were wounded.

Murder of U.S. Businessmen in Pakistan, November 12, 1997: Two unidentified gunmen shot to death four U.S. auditors from Union Texas Petroleum Corporation and their Pakistani driver after they drove away from the Sheraton Hotel in Karachi. The Islami Inqilabi Council, or Islamic Revolutionary Council, claimed responsibility in a call to the U.S. Consulate in Karachi. In a letter to Pakistani newspapers, the Aimal Khufia Action Committee also claimed responsibility.

Tourist Killings in Egypt, November 17, 1997: Al-Gama'at al-Islamiyya (IG) gunmen shot and killed 58 tourists and four Egyptians and wounded 26 others at the Hatshepsut Temple in the Valley of the Kings near Luxor. Thirty-four Swiss, eight Japanese, five Germans, four Britons, one French, one Colombian, a dual Bulgarian/British citizen, and four unidentified persons were among the dead. Twelve Swiss, two Japanese, two Germans, one French, and nine Egyptians were among the wounded

Attack on U.S.S. Cole, October 12, 2000: In Aden, Yemen, a small dingy carrying explosives rammed the destroyer U.S.S. Cole, killing 17 sailors and injuring 39 others. Supporters of Usama Bin Laden were suspected.
- Because of my job - I think about this every single solitary day...

Bus Stop Bombing, April 22, 2001: A member of HAMAS detonated a bomb he was carrying near a bus stop in Kfar Siva, Israel, killing one person and injuring 60.

Philippines Hostage Incident, May 27, 2001: Muslim Abu Sayyaf guerrillas seized 13 tourists and 3 staff members at a resort on Palawan Island and took their captives to Basilan Island. The captives included three U.S. citizens: Guellermo Sobero and missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham. Philippine troops fought a series of battles with the guerrillas between June 1 and June 3 during which 9 hostages escaped and two were found dead. The guerrillas took additional hostages when they seized the hospital in the town of Lamitan. On June 12, Abu Sayyaf spokesman Abu Sabaya claimed that Sobero had been killed and beheaded; his body was found in October. The Burnhams remained in captivity until June 2002.

Tel-Aviv Nightclub Bombing, June 1, 2001: HAMAS claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing of a popular Israeli nightclub that caused over 140 casualties.

HAMAS Restaurant Bombing, August 9, 2001: A HAMAS-planted bomb detonated in a Jerusalem pizza restaurant, killing 15 people and wounding more than 90. The Israeli response included occupation of Orient House, the Palestine Liberation Organization's political headquarters in East Jerusalem.

Suicide Bombing in Israel, September 9, 2001: The first suicide bombing carried out by an Israeli Arab killed 3 persons in Nahariya. HAMAS claimed responsibility.

Death of "the Lion of the Panjshir", September 9, 2001: Two suicide bombers fatally wounded Ahmed Shah Massoud, a leader of Afghanistan's Northern Alliance, which had opposed both the Soviet occupation and the post-Soviet Taliban government. The bombers posed as journalists and were apparently linked to al-Qaida. The Northern Alliance did not confirm Massoud's death until September 15.

Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Homeland, September 11, 2001: Two hijacked airliners crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Soon thereafter, the Pentagon was struck by a third hijacked plane. A fourth hijacked plane, suspected to be bound for a high-profile target in Washington, crashed into a field in southern Pennsylvania. The attacks killed 3,025 U.S. citizens and other nationals. President Bush and Cabinet officials indicated that Usama Bin Laden was the prime suspect and that they considered the United States in a state of war with international terrorism. In the aftermath of the attacks, the United States formed the Global Coalition Against Terrorism.

... and we know terrorism has not stopped.... it continues and we must be vigilant. We must not forget. We must not put our heads in the sand. We must demand that our elected officials stop playing politics. This isn't a game. The common thread in all the attacks is that there is a deep seeded hatred for us.

According to them, we must submit or die. That is their goal- it is just that simple.
...America - What is our goal? I hope it is live free or die...

All preceding information is an incomplete sampling of terrorist activity pulled directly from: U.S. Department of State - Significant Terrorist Incidents, 1961-2003: A Brief Chronology

Additional sources:
Religion of Peace
Steve Spak
Palestine Facts
Wikipedia
Terrorism
List of Current Terrorist Organizations ** please note: many of the "old" organizations have morphed or simply changed their name.
FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists!

Sunny - Hi 112 Lo 82 for Baghdad, Iraq
Partly Cloudy - Hi 79 Lo 61 for Northern KY, USA

Song of the week: For Whom The Bell Tolls, Metallica


...it tolls for thee.

Update: 30 September, 2006

I have received a positive response as well as many hits from Google and Yahoo searches on this blog entry. So, as I continue to research this topic, I will add links to the bottom of this post to keep everything organized and easy to find. I have also added a tab, Terrorism, at the top of my blog for easy access. Please let me know if you are interested in a specific terrorist organization and I will do my best to research and document my findings.

Part Two A: The Muslim Brotherhood - 9/24/06 a brief history on this old terrorist organization as well as some insight into the current voice of this group.

Birthday Boy

I thought you would enjoy a little bit of Stevie Ray Vaughan rather than my rendition of Happy Birthday.

A Marine's Prayer, Corporal Tyler Warndorf

A change in music seemed appropriate -- A Sort of Homecoming by U2

On August 29th, my hometown lost her first Marine to our nation's war on terror. He was only 21. He had turned 21 just a month ago. He was born a couple of months after Michael and I started dating. To provide more perspective, Tyler was born two days after the first Live Aid Concert; the Achille Lauro was hijacked by terrorists- Leon Klinghoffer is murdered; Mexico City was hit by a huge earthquake killing thousands upon thousands... weeks after the earthquake, rescuers were pulling babies out alive from the rubble of a hospital... remember?

Tyler never had the chance to have a legal beer. Tyler never had the chance to grow old.

Last night was the visitation.
I went with my partner in crime, Kyle, a Marine Vietnam Veteran as I usually do. He and I are cut from the same cloth on this. Attending visitations and funerals, although at times are uncomfortable and even inconvenient, it is the least we can do to pay respect to the family of a fallen hero. So when one of us is not up to it or searching for excuses not to go, we nudge each other a little.

We stood in line to walk by the American flag draped coffin guarded by a Marine in dress blues and meet and offer our condolences to the family. Tyler came from a large family. His mother was one of 12 siblings- we learned this from the first aunt in the receiving line... Receiving lines at funerals should have a different name. Receiving lines are for weddings...joyful occasions... Tyler's aunt could not have been much older than her nephew. As I recall there were about 3 or 4 aunts and a few uncles- all looked exhausted- emotionally drained, but smiled and thanked everyone for coming - Strong Kentucky stock.

I feel like an idiot.
There are times when I should just not speak. I don't know what I said to the family... except a brief explanation of "you don't know me, but I'm here to pay respect" and "I'm so sorry" and "thank you". What a stupid thing to say-- thank you... thank you for what? I sounded like one of the characters in The Godfather paying tribute.... My choice of words... pure and simple... were awful-- What?? Thank you for sacrificing your nephew, your cousin, your brother, you son!! Again...Sometimes I should just keep my mouth shut... When I came to Tyler's mom... she and I had to be about the same age... Looking into her eyes- I will never know the pain she feels. I can never understand the loss of a child. It's not supposed to be that way, anyway, right? The parent is always supposed to go before the child, right? I wish I would have prayed for the right words- are there any right words for a grieving mother? I suppose not- but I wish I had chosen words that would have expressed my profound appreciation for her son's sacrifice and her courage to endure this pain. To be able to say to Tyler's brother and sister... I can't begin to understand the pain you feel, but know that there are folks everywhere that are praying for you and your family. I was facing Tina, Tyler's Mom when guard's changed. Everything stopped. Looking into her eyes I watched her watch the Marines, a slight nod and thank you- and a twinkle in her eye surrounded by meloncholy. I couldn't look in her eyes anymore, I had to look away - I'm not strong enough. She said Tyler died doing what he loved.

Tyler Warndorf was only 21, but he was a Marine and he knew the dangers. He stood with his brothers on the battlefield. He was only 16 years old when we were attacked by hatemongers on September 11, 2001. I can only imagine that had a profound effect on the young man. His life choice to become a Marine during wartime is staggering- a man of courage, a man of honor.

My appreciation for this young man's service is humble as his sacrifice is immeasurable. God Speed Tyler Warndorf.


6/20/06 CBS News - photo of Tyler broadcast on all international papers
6/27/06 Enquirer - family response to the photos
8/29/06 Honor the Fallen - Military City
8/31/06 WKRC - local coverage
8/31/06 Enquirer - local coverage
9/4/06 WCPO - a sad homecoming, more photos
Boone County - our Judge Executive ordered all county flags at half staff. So, I took a few photos...

click on each photo for a larger image











A Marine's Prayer

Almighty Father, whose command is over all and whose love never fails, make me aware of Thy presence and obedient to Thy will. Keep me true to my best self, guarding me against dishonesty in purpose and deed and helping me to live so that I can face my fellow Marines, my loved ones, and Thee without shame or fear. Protect my family.

Give me the will to do the work of a Marine and to accept my share of responsibilities with vigor and enthusiasm. Grant me the courage to be proficient in my daily performance. Keep me loyal and faithful to my superiors and to the duties my Country and the Marine Corps have entrusted to me. Help me to wear my uniform with dignity, and let it remind me daily of the traditions which I must uphold.

If I am inclined to doubt, steady my faith; if I am tempted, make me strong to resist; if I should miss the mark, give me courage to try again.

Guide me with the light of truth and grant me wisdom by which I may understand the answer to my prayer.

Marcus Fiesel

Michael wrote a passionate piece on the tragic life and death of Marcus Fiesel and the punishment the foster parents should receive. Go now.

Go here for local coverage on WKRC News and check out the video so you can see the crocodile tears. Can someone say... Susan Smith??

Summer Is Over... Oh... And Honey, By The Way, I Crunched the Car...

Sunny - Hi 114 Lo 87 for Baghdad, Iraq
Partly Cloudy - Hi 74 Lo 59 for Northern KY, USA

** Side note, when I checked the weather for Baghdad, the note said "feels like 111". Well... thank goodness for that!! **

Song of the week: Other Side of Summer, Elvis Costello

Ramble:

Note: I'm not in the mood to write this morning and it is reflected in this pathetic post...

Normally, every year for the Labor Day Weekend, Michael and I head up to Cleveland for the Cleveland Airshow. But because Michael needed to slay a dragon last week, we decided that it was best to stay home. I thought about going up to see my brother and his family in Minneapolis, but even with cheap airfare I felt guilty about spending the money. But, the good news is that Terry, Maria, and the kids decided to make the 11 hour trip and arrived in Cincinnati at about 5 o'clock in the morning on Saturday. Hurray!! I got to see the kids!

Labor Day Weekend is when we say goodbye to summer- it went by so quickly this year!! September is jam packed with birthdays. So, let me do a quick roll call--

9/2 Kaeli! 1 year old!!....
9/3 Bro! 38. Can you believe it?
9/9 Michael! 42
9/18 Aimee! 13
9/25 Papaw! 83

I was going to write this week about being melancholy this time of year... but then last night coming home from my mom's and seeing the kids I had a little accident.

Kaeli, our youngest niece turned 1 on Saturday, so it was great to have her here. She is such a laid back relaxed little baby girl. Nothing phases her. When she gets sleepy, no whining... just the blinking and glossy eyes... When it was time for cake... this little girl didn't want any of it! She is definitely not from our clan. Anyway, we were at my mother's for a number of hours. Michael rode his Ninja over because we thought the kids would enjoy seeing it. I went over in my Jeep Liberty.

The day was dreary... it was in the upper 60's most of the day (unusual for early September in Cincinnati)... the skies looked like they wanted to unload buckets full of rain, but all we had off and on all day was this drizzley misty stuff. Blah blah blah... So the end of the evening we left Mom's. Michael hopped on his Ninja... me in my cute Liberty.... Michael did the speed limit except for a small stretch of highway where he flew past me as if I were standing still... Did I mention that it was drizzling? So, we are about 5 minutes from home and I take a right onto one of our curvy country roads... a road I have driven a million times... I'm driving the speed limit... I know this because Michael is right behind me... 35 MPH... Anyway... this sharp curve that goes down and up... I slid right through it... I could do absolutely nothing to correct this... the pavement just wouldn't let me grab hold. I crossed the double yellow and hit the guardrail... I know I didn't panic, I tried to steer into the slide and pull out of it... but that guardrail and my Liberty inevitably became intimate pals... Crap... I love this car.... I had a crappy Mercury Villager forever--- abused the crap out of it... never changed the oil... not a scratch on it... The Boone County Sheriff was nice... and I didn't receive a citation either............. I'm so bummed... but I am grateful for a couple of things...

Number one... no one was in the oncoming lane....

Number two... my fender when it flipped off my car didn't hit Michael...

Number three... no one was hurt. I seem to have a little soreness in my left wrist and neck and back... but that is to be expected...

Just look at the pictures...

click on the pictures for a larger image.

My nephew Caleb on Uncle Michael's bike. How cute! Please notice the Liberty behind Caleb... free from any scratches... last known photo of the Liberty prior to said accident.

Photo taken this morning... look, neither door is hurt! That's good!!

The rear fender is scraped...

The front fender is in a ditch about 2 miles from the house...

Crap!!! I didn't even notice the dent in the hood!!!

[heavy sigh]

Blogs and Links to Check Out This Week:

The Super Adventures of Ben and Noah - with running commentary from their little sister. I was over at 2996 and DC Roe said that these 2 little guys signed up to do a tribute. What a wonderful blog and what a great mom! Seriously, visit this blog and your heart will be warmed instantly.

Rantingprofs - Media coverage on the War on Terror provided by a professor from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Flynn Files - An author, but more importantly, he recommends The Young Ones.... one of the most hysterical sophomoric shows I have ever seen.

Housekeeping:

I've restored most of my "old" sidebar. I want to add a couple more things that are missing... In time. Now if I can just figure out the tabs at the top...

Have a great week everyone!

Photo of veggies from Michael's garden.