Sunday Song, Higher Ground

Sunny - Hi 112 Lo 89 for Baghdad, Iraq
Scattered Thunderstorms - Hi 105 Lo 76 for Qandahar, Afghanistan
Scattered Thunderstorms - Hi 79 Lo 59 for Northern KY, USA

Song of the week: Higher Ground, Stevie Wonder or remake by Red Hot Chili Peppers

I love this song... the music... I am a purist when it comes to music... I prefer the original version but in this case I like RHCP version just as much... Flea's bass gets in your bloodstream and just pumps through your veins. Now... the lyrics are about reincarnation and it would be really nice if my faith allowed for do-overs... and trust me... I could use them... I've done some things in my life that I wish I could change or even tweak... but my Christian faith does not allow me to dip into other religions and certainly doesn't give me the luxury of a Groundhog Day... so, I've got one shot while I'm here.







Happy Independence Day... Do we have as much freedom as we did last year? as 5 years ago? 10? 20? 50? 100? Are our liberties still intact or have we allowed them to be taken 1 little liberty at a time? Hardly noticeable, but step back and take a look from 28,000 ft... What have we allowed our government to do? This past week has convinced me that I have no choice but to vote for John McCain...

Supreme Court Slip Opinions

Have a great week everyone!

Sunday Song, An American in Paris

Sunny - Hi 79 Lo 54 for Baghdad, Iraq
Sunny - Hi 86 Lo 49 for Qandahar, Afghanistan
Mostly Cloudy - Hi 46 Lo 30 for Northern KY, USA

Song of the week: An American in Paris, George Gershwin

One of my all time favorite movies has got to be An American in Paris. The clip above is from the 15 minute ballet sequence at the end of the movie. Beyond my love and adoration of Gene Kelly, this ending sequence personifies every reason I love musicals. The music of Gershwin takes you from beginning to end in this wonderful MGM musical. Vincente Minnelli captures a mood and directs this film flawlessly. Gene Kelly understood how the camera would see the dancing and knew how to set cameras for the most impact for me, the viewer... each perfectly choreographed scene took you to the precise place and moment and set you on an emotional ride... If you have never seen this movie... see it...

I can't remember when I first saw this musical.. I was little... 8 or 9... I just remember forever having a crush on Gene Kelly... my gosh he was probably 40 at the time of this movie... add him to the list of other older men... Yul Brynner... Cary Grant... Jimmy Stewart... I digress... However, I do remember having an epiphany when I was about 13 or 14 and realized that the final scene- ballet sequence was French Impressionist paintings that had come to life... wow... absolutely incredible... Gene Kelly played an aspiring artist... American ex-Pat, who stayed in Paris after WWII... so it makes sense that Impressionist works of art would be used as settings and back drops... The clip above is by far one of the sexiest, most intimate routines I have ever seen (The Gotta Dance ballet in Singin' in the Rain with Cyd Charisse comes pretty close... but that was seduction... a different kind of mating ritual). Look at the colors... the vibrant look is definitely influenced by Van Gogh... the orange the red... the blue... masterpiece...

Other Thoughts:

What is hate? Hearing the clip below, knowing the words were spoken in a church... it makes it crystal clear this man is an anti-semite... a Jew hater.... a hate America first kind of guy.... words can not describe how unsettling this is....




Have a great week everyone!

HE Set My Feet on Solid Ground

Partly Cloudy - Hi 93 Lo 68 for Baghdad, Iraq
Partly Cloudy - Hi 46 Lo 28 for Northern KY, USA

Song of the week: 40, U2

I had just come back from the mall. I couldn't wait to listen to the album I had purchased--War by U2. I ran down to my basement bedroom, stripped the album out of the confines of the shopping bag, and then threw the bag on the bed where it landed on my Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls- wonderful over sized dolls that my grandfather had won in a raffle for me.

I carefully removed the plastic from the album. I stared at the angry boy on the cover- it's the same kid from their album Boy only a little older. What an incredible photograph. I should be so lucky to capture that kind of emotion on my 35mm Pentax.

I opened the album jacket and on the left were the lyrics to all the songs... ah... don't look... not yet... on the right side there was a black and white photo of the band-- the lighting was bleached and the edges were not sharp-- not quite a dreamy landscape, but the imagery emoted cold and barren emptiness... besides I couldn't really see Larry Mullen's face... I always had a thing for drummers...

I pulled the black vinyl disc from it's sleeve and gingerly placed that brand new album on my ultra cool Soundesign Stereo.... I sat on the floor and listened to the words as I poured over the album reading the lyrics ... looking intently at all the information given... memorizing all the names of the additional musicians and the producer of the album. Right or wrong, it was the first history lesson that gave me cause to pay attention--Sunday Bloody Sunday. I had been awakened to a world outside my own.

I look back and I am saddened that my nieces and nephews will not be able to experience music in that manner.... Art work on a CD cover is too small to appreciate and an iPod doesn't smell like new waxed cardboard and vinyl....

Ramble: (this is a long one... get your coffee...)

My journey into the Christian faith is probably more common than I think. As a child, I really wasn't exposed to religion of any kind- as an adult I can reflect back and I now realize that the adults of my childhood were dealing with their own demons and struggling with their own beliefs or lack there of. On occasion, my grandfather would take my brother and me to church when we were little. I think those were the times when he was trying to get right with God and out of some sense of obligation wanted to make sure we made it to Heaven too. I still have the little pocket New Testament Bible that was given to me by the pastor. I once went to Sunday school at my great grandmother's church. That was horrific. I was mortified and scared to death after that lesson- I must have been seven or eight years old. It was made quite clear to me that I was going to burn in hell unless I got right with God. On her death bed my great grandmother (Mamaw) spoke in tongues as had been witnessed by me as a child and it always freaked me out.

My grandmother never spoke about her beliefs. I know she was raised Episcopalian. I know she was baptized as such. The only story she tells dealing with faith was when her daughter died. My namesake died from Leukemia at the tender age of five. Unlike my friend Tony and his family, my grandmother's heart hardened and she became angry with God when the minister was unable to provide her with words of comfort and to make sense of her loss. I don't think she has ever forgiven Him for taking her daughter so soon.

One day when I was seven or eight we had a knock on the the door. My mother opened the door and it was two handsome young men in dark suits smiling and holding bibles. Yes, the Mormons had arrived and their timing was impeccable. We didn't realize it, but we were needy- not just for basic necessities, but for something greater. We were starved for something to fill our hearts and these 19 year olds on their mission trips explained that the Bible and the Book of Mormon were to be read hand in hand, that the book of Mormon was modern day prophecy set in America- that Joseph Smith was a modern day prophet of God. At the same time these two young men were providing sustenance for our souls they were providing much needed father figures to two young impressionable children - Terry and I. Being in the church, we found that to the Mormons, family is the most important thing. We all wanted that desperately. My mother was eventually baptized as a Mormon, but as we grew older we slowly drifted away from the church.

The following events are somewhat out of sequence since much of this happened in the same time frame. Please understand that I have left a lot out... in addition to LDS and Buddhism, I explored several Christian faiths. I stuck with YF because it was non-denominational. Also understand this was a short time span in my life, but the most confusing and volatile part of my adolescence--- wait I take that back.

In my teens, a knock came once again on our door. We weren't as needy monetarily. As a teen I was starving for something... And I opened the door and this time two handsome young men in dark suits were smiling and holding bibles ready to discuss the word of God. I let them in... after all, they were pretty cute and I knew they were either 18 or 19 years old... not that much older than me... Elder Brady was soooo cute. Elder Stephens was cute too, but not as cute as Elder Brady. Needless to say, I became involved in the church again as did my mother and brother. Slowly, my brother and mother drifted away from the church and it's teachings. I continued to attend. I would go with a girl named Laurie. Her parents were non practicing Catholics.

Simultaneously to me going back to the Mormon church I started attending a Youth Fellowship Group with the United Methodist church down the road from me. There, I met other teens (from my school and surrounding areas) that were rock solid in their faith. Their FAITH. What did I believe? I dunno....

In this same time frame, my mother asked me to attend a Buddhist convention in Chicago. She thought it would be fun. On the long drive up to Chicago I learned how to chant. I learned that you chant for others, not yourself. In this unselfish act, you make yourself open to having good things happen to you. Concurrently with this lesson I found out my actions in life good or bad will lead to similar results-- I do good things for others, good things will happen to me... bad things for others will lead to bad things happening to me--- yeah... Karma. I eventually learned about The Four Noble Truths - suffering, origin of suffering, the end of suffering, a path to ending suffering. Needless to say, To a teen looking to be unique and non conforming-- Buddhism seemed pretty appealing. As a side note, I met Patrick Duffy at the convention. Since I did not watch Dallas I had no idea who he was, but the other kids I was hanging out with were thrilled!

The church elders approached me and asked if I would take a trip with the rest of the Mormon kids to Temple in Washington D.C. I had already been baptized in the church. I was a tithing member... Anyway, we were to do baptisms for the dead- folks that died without the chance to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ. This had to be spring break---maybe my sophomore year in high school?? I'll have to go look at the photos. The trip to Washington was a blast. Temple is extraordinary. You can not believe how beautiful it is inside. Moroni on top of the highest point... One of my friends on the trip explained the three kingdoms to me... telestial, terrestrial, and celestial. LDS believes that not everyone has been given the chance to hear the word of God. Those that die prior to hearing his teachings are provided the opportunity to decide where they wanted to go when we go to Temple and do the baptisms for the dead. We are baptized in their name... the dead have a direct ticket to the celestial kingdom if they so choose. The room where the baptisms are held is immense. You walk up steps to get in the water... as I recall everything was gold.... spectacular. I was submerged a few times in the name of various dead folks... One of the names was Elizabeth Taylor... The name struck me as funny... I pictured Dan Akroyd on Saturday night live doing his caricature of Elizabeth Taylor choking on a chicken bone. I knew right then and there this was wrong and it was impossible for me to take the name of someone else and be baptized on their behalf. I said nothing at the time, but upon my return home, I spoke with the bishop and it was decided that I would leave the church. I have never regretted that decision. I miss the folks in the church. Never will you find people that are kinder, never will you find people that are more devoted to their families.

I eventually lost interest in Buddhism too- I found it to be a narcissistic religion and as a teenager it worked for me... I simply stopped chanting and burning incense.

I continued with the Youth Fellowship group. One night while alone in my room for reasons that are known to only the Lord and me, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and I have never regretted that decision. I'm not the Christian I should be, but I do not deny God and I pray to him often. He knows my heart. Shortly after I accepted Jesus Christ and became born again... I quickly became a backslidin' Christian. I struggle to this day to be the Christian He wants me to be... but it is a struggle.


Happy Easter. He is risen.


Blogs and Links to Check Out This Week:

Thanks to Richard at Let Freedom Reign I have been introduced to The Right Brothers. Kimosabe, YOU are going to love them. Go visit The Right Brothers at their MYSPACE website to hear such gems as: In Luv With Ann Coulter, The List, Stop Global Whining and Bush Was Right.

Update: Ben and Noah bake Easter cookies and explain the meaning of Easter.

Housekeeping:

- added a link to some of the MySpace music sights I peruse.
- added some more blogs to Places I go

Psalm 40 **New Living Translation**

1 I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
3 He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
They will put their trust in the Lord.
4 Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord,
who have no confidence in the proud
or in those who worship idols.
5 O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us.
Your plans for us are too numerous to list.
You have no equal.
If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,
I would never come to the end of them.

6 You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings.
Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand—
you don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings.
7 Then I said, “Look, I have come.
As is written about me in the Scriptures:
8 I take joy in doing your will, my God,
for your instructions are written on my heart.”

9 I have told all your people about your justice.
I have not been afraid to speak out,
as you, O Lord, well know.
10 I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart;
I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power.
I have told everyone in the great assembly
of your unfailing love and faithfulness.

11 Lord, don’t hold back your tender mercies from me.
Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me.
12 For troubles surround me—
too many to count!
My sins pile up so high
I can’t see my way out.
They outnumber the hairs on my head.
I have lost all courage.

13 Please, Lord, rescue me!
Come quickly, Lord, and help me.
14 May those who try to destroy me
be humiliated and put to shame.
May those who take delight in my trouble
be turned back in disgrace.
15 Let them be horrified by their shame,
for they said, “Aha! We’ve got him now!”

16 But may all who search for you
be filled with joy and gladness in you.
May those who love your salvation
repeatedly shout, “The Lord is great!”
17 As for me, since I am poor and needy,
let the Lord keep me in his thoughts.
You are my helper and my savior.
O my God, do not delay.

King James Version

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!

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.