Port Security and Muqtada

Happy Day of Rest and Chilling folks,

A little editorial (I rarely do these) before we move on to the news roundup. What's up with the Shi'ites these days? We have Muqtada Al-Sadr in Iraq meeting with Sunnis...Iran and Syria announcing they are long lost brothers in war against the U.S. and more rumours of "the Ummah" coming together in a magical moment of pan-Islamic Brotherhood....Get over it people.

It's going to take a lot more than a handful of Shi'ite clerics calling for unity to bring together the hopelessly shattered Ummah of the days of the Prophet (pbuh). Stretching from Morocco in the West to as far as Indonesia to the East (and Russia to the North) with a couple major problems in between (like India...), this random gathering of countries have far too many squabbling differences in culture, language and ideas for the future of Islam than one can count.

So what should be done? I think the big thing the divided Ummah should do is take control of itself first. Corrupt regimes in Saudi Arabia and Egypt need to be brought within the circle of influence that Iran, Syria and soon Iraq are falling under. These three countries have already done what all the Arab Leagues and OPECs have failed to do, which is call for something higher than simple economic ties, but a common goal of pan-Islamic brotherhood...that regardless of the minor differences or even the gap between Shi'ites and Sunnis, they have a common allegiance to each other. And that's respectful.

But as long as the Israel-American Alliance continues to make bolder steps into Muslim lands (and we the people let them do so...), the longer and more difficult road to unity will be. So unite now brothers and sisters ! The time to literally draw a line in the sand has come.

And now the news.

Iraqi Leaders Plead For Unity in Face of Civil War
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/63193544-8251-4C61-87FF-B4E882F334FC.htm

Homeland Security Objected to Ports Deal
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/P/PORTS_SECURITY?SITE=7219&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-02-25-10-37-13

Al-Qaeda Behind Attempted Bombing of Abqaiq Oil Facility
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4749812.stm

Final Olympic Medal Count (Canada #3 !!!!)
http://sports.myway.com/oly/medal_tracker.html

Iran and Russia Reach Agreement, Possibly Voiding Security Council Action
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/26/AR2006022600372.html

& Iran Threatens Dimona If America Attacks
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/687022.html

=//Turnquest