Man Murders Daughter In Honor Killing

For the past few years, I’ve read of many troubling honor killings in Britain that have placed an undue burden on the legal system, as such conduct is not lawful in the United Kingdom and appropriately so. However, I’m not used to reading about them in America.

To kill one’s own, or anyone for that matter, over perceived offenses, should be heartbreaking and sad. How does one arrive at such a place that this becomes an option.

Faleh Hassan Almaleki, 48, deliberately ran over his daughter, Noora Almaleki, 20 and the mother of her boyfriend, in an honor killing, as he did not approve of her lifestyle in living with a boyfriend in America. His daughter died and the mother of her boyfriend is in serious condition at the hospital.

Almaleki, whose family has resided in America since 1994, stated his daughter is married to a man in Iraq and is living in sin with another man in the United States.

He blamed his daughter for “bringing shame” on his family by becoming Westernized, as she wore make-up, trendy clothes and no head covering.

Why live in a Western nation if you do not wish to become Westernized. I don’t get it. These cultural cases that turn criminal are becoming increasingly difficult for Westernized judicial systems to prosecute. The jury selection becomes complicated and cultural differences come into play.

Noora Almaleki

However, as a general international rule, the law of the land where you lay is what applies. One cannot go into foreign territories and violate the law, then hope to apply the laws and legislative charters of one’s homeland. Ratified international treaties are the only exception, none of which grant allowances for murder.

I do not agree with adultery, but you don’t kill people for that. You talk to them in the hope they will change their ways, be reconciled with their spouse and gain God’s forgiveness. But then again, I’m a Christian. We see things differently from the Muslim religion.

'Girl Run Over For Being Too Westernised'

11:51am UK, Saturday October 31, 2009 - Police in the US have arrested an Iraqi man who allegedly ran over his 20-year-old daughter for being too 'westernised'. The alleged attack took place in a car park in Phoenix (pic from CBS)

Faleh Almaleki, 48, is accused of driving a jeep at his 20-year-old daughter and a family friend while they were in a car park.

Peoria police spokesman Mike Tellef said family and friends of the victim told detectives that Almaleki had threatened his daughter because she was not living according to traditional Iraqi values...

A second woman - Amal Edan Khalaf, 43, who is the mother of Noor's boyfriend - was also struck...

http://news.sky.com

Member Of U.S. Military Resigns Over Futile War

U.S. President Barack Obama spoke to troops yesterday, telling them he would not risk their lives unless it was absolutely necessary, after a bloody day of combat that left American soldiers dead.

The wars in the Middle East have come at a very high price to the people of the region and soldiers as well, who have lost their lives for reasons unsure.

A high profile member of the U.S. Military, Matthew Hoh, recently resigned, as he deems the war futile, much like the rest of the American and British population, who’ve had to burry their loved ones.

It is easy to speak of sacrifice, when it is not one’s child. When you are required to “Take one for the team” as the phrase goes, the indescribable pain, anguish and sorrow, is not worth it.

These deceitful wars, where people do not even know what they are fighting for anymore, need to end.

October deadliest month for US in Afghan war

KABUL – Roadside bombs — the biggest killer of U.S. soldiers — claimed eight more American lives Tuesday, driving the U.S. death toll to a record level for the third time in four months as President Barack Obama nears a decision on a new strategy for the troubled war.

The homemade bombs, also called improvised explosive devices or IEDs, are responsible for between 70 percent and 80 percent of the casualties among U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan and have become a weapon of "strategic influence," said Lt. Gen. Thomas Metz in Washington...

http://news.yahoo.com

US official resigns over Afghan war

Tuesday 27 October 2009 14.33 GMT - Matthew Hoh of the state department becomes the first US official to resign in protest of the war in Afghanistan.

A former US marine who fought in Iraq, joined the state department after leaving the military and was a diplomat in a Taliban stronghold in Afghanistan has become the first US official to resign in protest of the Afghan war, the Washington Post reported today.

Matthew Hoh said he believes the war is simply fuelling the insurgency.

"I have lost understanding of and confidence in the strategic purposes of the United States' presence in Afghanistan," Hoh wrote in his resignation letter, dated 10 September but published today. "I have doubts and reservations about our current strategy and planned future strategy, but my resignation is based not upon how we are pursuing this war, but why and to what end."...

http://www.guardian.co.uk

1 In 6 Americans Live In Poverty

U.S. President Barack Obama

America is often referred to as the land of plenty, but a shocking study discovered, 1 in 6 Americans live in poverty. The National Academy of Science stated in a recently released report this week, 47.4 million Americans lived in poverty last year. The U.S. population currently sits at 305 million people.

This dangerous shift, indicates something the Judiciary Report published two years ago. Due to the financial corruption transpiring in America's corporate sector and government's complicity in this regard, the U.S. is heading in the direction of becoming the new India, no disrespect intended to either nation.

Two years ago, on September 27, 2007, in the How George Bush Destroyed The U.S. Economy article, the Judiciary Report stated, "What is forming is a similar situation to what happened in India, respectfully, with a small group of rich and a large group of poor. Unemployment is going to skyrocket if the government is not careful."

As time has now shown, that is just what has happened with unemployment, which skyrocketed this year and now the poverty rate is beginning to head in that direction as well, as predicted.

When the gulf between the rich and the poor grows in leaps and bounds, poverty will increase in very demonstrable ways.

The war in Iraq was ordered by the Bush administration to help a handful of rich people get very rich and it inadvertently made many people poor as well, eroding America's overall wealth and standing in the world.

Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney opened a real Pandora's box via said corruption and now they can't shut it. Excessive spending by the new administration is only going to make things worse.

Revised formula puts 1 in 6 Americans in poverty

WASHINGTON — The level of poverty in America is even worse than first believed. A revised formula for calculating medical costs and geographic variations show that approximately 47.4 million Americans last year lived in poverty, 7 million more than the government's official figure.

The disparity occurs because of differing formulas the Census Bureau and the National Academy of Science use for calculating the poverty rate. The NAS formula shows the poverty rate to be at 15.8 percent, or nearly 1 in 6 Americans, according to calculations released this week. That's higher than the 13.2 percent, or 39.8 million, figure made available recently under the original government formula...

http://www.google.com

CIA Sponsoring Arab Terror Groups

Video: CIA has links to Sunni separatist group? - RT

In an explosive video from news network, RT.com, author Webster Tarpley throws the CIA under the bus...and amazingly, he is still alive.

Dude, make sure those life insurance policies are all paid up and even though I don't know you, I'll miss you (Singing "Sweet Chariot").

Robert Gates

Tarpley alleges Al Qaeda was created by U.S. Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates. He also alleges the CIA is funding terror group Jundallah, in a bid at destabilizing Iran and Pakistan, to imperially rule over the region and disrupt wealthy China's oil supply from the Middle East.

He also alleges the British government was involved with earlier destabilization attempts, to create micro-states in the Middle East.

The Judiciary Report condemns the destabilization of nations. This misconduct should not be found anywhere in this world.

The American People Want Out Of Afghanistan

Video: Americans want troops out of Afghanistan - RT

Confirming what the Judiciary Report then polls stated, the American people want out of Afghanistan. The U.S. government needs to pull the troops and concentrate on creating a covert, but Congressionally accountable division of the government, comprised of highly trained, experienced, plain clothed operatives, to hunt terrorists. And not the C.I.A.

This mass military bombing in the Middle East is fruitless and at any point in history the U.S. Army leaves the region, it can still be destabilized by insurgents. The government is prolonging the inevitable and creating more domestic and international terrorists in the process, due to outrage at the collateral damage in civilian deaths.

Obama Gathers Top Minds

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama

According to news reports, U.S. President Barack Obama, has gathered several top minds in a bid at finding a solution regarding the military siege in Afghanistan.

President To First Lady: you know you love me!

Real progress is not being made in the Middle East, as many civilians have died, whilst terrorist factions still continue unabated. NATO is committed to staying in the region and Obama is not swayed by lack of public support in America for the mission.

Terrorists Threatening Obama

Video: Al Qaeda boss releases new video - ITN NEWS

Al Qaeda has been actively threatening U.S. President Barack Obama again, stating "a Muslim nation" shall bring America down.

The terrorist group has also likened Obama to former U.S. president, George W. Bush, stating the newly elected Commander-in-Chief, is carrying on the policies of his predecessor, in the Middle East.

The U.S. government is spending an exorbitant amount of money waging wars in Middle Eastern regions that are unsustainable. It is going to greatly bankrupt this nation to greater degrees than it has already done.

There is a significant amount of anti-Americanism in the Middle East, among Muslims, as they've watched as Iraq, Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan, have been decimated by the U.S. military, on George W. Bush's instructions, for oil.

In a effort to help you understand why a region of 300,000,000 are angry with America, imagine your hometown was being bombed and architecturally destroyed on a regular basis, by foreign forces, in attacks that did kill criminals (terrorists), but also wiped out over one million civilian moms, dads, boys, girls, grandparents and babies. This is where this new strain of hatred is coming from in the Middle East.

The Middle East also needs to bear in mind, most American civilians do not want any of the wars being waged. Multitudes of Americans and Britons, one of the nation's allies, have vociferously protested against said wars, demanding the combat end.

However, the U.S. Congress has not listened to the wishes of the American people and here lays the problem.

Terrorism is ugly in every form it exists and terrorists should be brought to justice. However, wars with blanket combat, killing off more civilians than terrorists, cannot be the answer.

RPT-Qaeda's Zawahri attacks Obama, Arabs in new video

Wed Sep 23, 2009 9:14am EDT - DUBAI, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Al Qaeda's number two Ayman al-Zawahri appeared on Wednesday in a new video marking the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, attacking Arab leaders and Barack Obama for their policies on Israel...

"America has come with a new deceptive face ... It plants the same dagger as Bush and his predecessors did. Obama has resorted to the policies of his predecessors in lying and selling illusions," said Zawahri, clad in white robe and turban.

"America has got involved in many wars and lost them ... But this one isn't like others. You have become embroiled with the Islamic nation and its mujahideen, and the nation has begun to wake up," he said in his concluding remarks.

American Muslim convert Adam Gadahn appeared as well as Abu Yahya al-Libi, Mustafa Abul-Yazid and other al Qaeda figures in a production by al Qaeda media arm As-Sahab where they discussed events of the past year such as the financial crisis, fighting in Afghanistan and the election of U.S. President Barack Obama.

A major theme of the 106-minute production, titled "The West and the Dark Tunnel", is that al Qaeda's Sept. 11 attack on U.S. cities and the subsequent U.S. war on terror were behind U.S. and world financial troubles.

The video, in which a narrator speaks over clips of the al Qaeda figures and Western analysts taken from documentaries, discusses allegations of financial corruption inside the Saudi royal family and torture used by U.S. troops in Afghanistan...

What Awaits Obama

When most of us return from a vacation, we think about the work awaiting us. Heads of state are no different. As U.S. President Barack Obama's weeklong Martha's Vineyard vacation in Massachusetts wraps up, it is time to do an overview of the things that await him, upon his return to the White House in Washington, DC.

Health Care

The healthcare debate has intensified, dividing Congress and the American people. It would be great if every person in the world had proper coverage and medical care, but due to financial restraints, this is not a reality at the present time.

Obama seeks to tackle this issue in America, similar to what has been done in Britain, Canada and Israel to name a few, with the latter having a type of insurance tax that covers its citizens.

Since America is one of the largest nations in the world, with over 305,000,000 people (er, that you know about, anyway) this creates a monumental task.

Wars In The Middle East

The sheer number of soldier fatalities of allied troops in the Middle East, has vaulted the subject back onto the front page on newspapers. The public in America and Britain are growing increasingly despondent and disheartened, regarding combat in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Many believe their sons and daughters fighting abroad are dying in vain, as stories have leaked regarding dozens of soldiers dying over 150 votes, in a territory not their own.

Former Vice President, Dick Cheney

I, for one, am not in favor of said combat, as Bush proved too much is hidden from the public and often lies are told to the general public.

Specialized squads that hunt terrorists, preferably bringing them back alive to face justice in official courts of law, would be a better option.

Vast combat in the form of war, has created a very high civilian and soldier death count, with financial costs that are unsustainable. In short, the wars are significantly contributing to bankrupting America.

Reforming The CIA

President Obama announced through Attorney General, Eric Holder, there will be investigations into CIA employee misconduct, regarding human rights abuses that transpired in former President George W. Bush's war on terror. Fixing that which has gone wrong at the CIA is another hurdle facing Obama.

A number of other stories broke in his absence that I'm sure he is aware of, regarding the Pentagon and the FBI.

Ted Kennedy

Robert, Ted and John Kennedy

President Obama's late friend and supporter, Ted Kennedy, passed away this week. Obama is scheduled to deliver the eulogy at his funeral.

Pentagon Profiling Reporters

...For Neutralization

The Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia (USA)

An explosive article published this week stated, the U.S. Pentagon, which houses the Department of Defense, who ironically appear in this Column's site statistics as frequent visitors, has been profiling journalists, selecting candidates for neutralization, based on their negative coverage of combat in the Middle East.

The Constitution guarantees Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Press, yet the Defense Department, is behaving in a manner contrary to the law of the land.

What is the Defense Department going to do about the many thousand reporters around the world writing about the wars in the Middle East in a very unflattering manner? Are people supposed to be happy and cheerful at the fact civilians and soldiers are dying for wars many do not understand or support.

Files prove Pentagon is profiling reporters

Thursday, August 27, 2009 - WASHINGTON — Contrary to the insistence of Pentagon officials this week that they are not rating the work of reporters covering U.S. forces in Afghanistan, Stars and Stripes has obtained documents that prove that reporters’ coverage is being graded as “positive,” “neutral” or “negative.”

Moreover, the documents — recent confidential profiles of the work of individual reporters prepared by a Pentagon contractor — indicate that the ratings are intended to help Pentagon image-makers manipulate the types of stories that reporters produce while they are embedded with U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

This pie chart was extracted from a report by The Rendon Group, evaluating the focus of coverage by a reporter for a major U.S. newspaper. It indicates the firm’s conclusion that the reporter’s coverage was 83.33 percent neutral and 16.67 percent negative in relation to the military’s mission objectives.

One reporter on the staff of one of America’s pre-eminent newspapers is rated in a Pentagon report as “neutral to positive” in his coverage of the U.S. military. Any negative stories he writes “could possibly be neutralized” by feeding him mitigating quotes from military officials.

Another reporter, from a TV station, provides coverage from a “subjective angle,” according to his Pentagon profile. Steering him toward covering “the positive work of a successful operation” could “result in favorable coverage.”

The new revelations of the Pentagon’s attempts to shape war coverage come as senior Defense Department officials are acknowledging increasing concern over recent opinion polls showing declining popular American support for the Afghan war...

“These ground rules recognize the inherent right of the media to cover combat operations and are in no way intended to prevent release of embarrassing, negative or derogatory information,” reads the “News Media Ground Rules” issued by U.S. military officials for embedded reporters in Iraq.

Several professional journalists’ groups as well as media ethicists criticized the Pentagon’s attempts to rate and manipulate reporters. And at least one military official with knowledge of the profiling system has also begun to raise objections.

“It’s troubling that the military is contracting a private PR firm, paid with U.S. taxpayer dollars, to profile individual reporters,” said one servicemember who declined to be identified for fear of official retribution. “It shows utter contempt for the Constitution, which we in the service pledge our lives to defend.”

http://www.stripes.com