"Wealth and children are an ornament of life of the world." Sura 18:47. Let no one doubt. Within Islam, no censure is assigned to the personal accumulation of wealth. And no known member of the Muslim Brotherhood (Ikhwan al-Muslimun) has been … [Read more...] about The Muslim Brotherhood: Breaking Rice Bowls
Al Qaeda
Testing, testing, testing…*
The horror of 298 innocents, oblivious to the warfare 33,000 feet below them, blown out of the sky by criminally negligent fanatics supported by Russian Vladimir Putin, forebodes greater catastrophes. The incident is a part of a worldwide scene … [Read more...] about Testing, testing, testing…*
The “Moral Equivalence” – Hamas, ISIS and the Media
Hamas fighting methods in the current round of Israel's Operation Protective Edge illustrate, yet again, the practical and ideological proximity between Hamas and the atrocious radical Islamic organization the “Islamic State” (ISIS). However, Hamas's … [Read more...] about The “Moral Equivalence” – Hamas, ISIS and the Media
Hamas, the dying shark*
The current battle between Israel and Hamas in Gaza resembles nothing so much as the violent thrashing-about of a mortally wounded shark leaving a trail of blood in its wake. Nothing remains static for any length of time, especially in the Middle … [Read more...] about Hamas, the dying shark*
WMD and the Islamist Threat – An ACD Exclusive
The ability for terrorists in the Middle East to get their hands on WMDs has never been greater. It might be easy to look at Libya, which in 2003 agreed to the ending and dismantling of its WMD programs, or at Syria, which in 2013 agreed to … [Read more...] about WMD and the Islamist Threat – An ACD Exclusive
Weekly Briefing, June 15-21, 2014
From ACD: “Stop! Or, or I’ll Say Stop Again!” (The FCC to China) - Rachel Ehrenfeld - The Justice Department and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seem to model themselves after British policemen, popularly known as “”bobbies,” whose only … [Read more...] about Weekly Briefing, June 15-21, 2014
Turkey, Erdogan, and the Muslim Brotherhood in Iraq
A recent photograph taken on 16 April 2014, which appeared in Turkey's Hurriyet Daily, shows an injured ISIL commander, Abu Muhammad, allegedly receiving free treatment in Turkey's Hatay State Hospital. It was reported that Commander Muhammad was … [Read more...] about Turkey, Erdogan, and the Muslim Brotherhood in Iraq
Iraq’s Theater of the Absurd*
After wasting so many lives and so much treasure, the US may now have to cosy up to Iran to save Iraq. Everyone in the ongoing Iraq tragedy has boxed himself in. The Iraqi government of al-Maliki invited disaster by refusing to sign a status of … [Read more...] about Iraq’s Theater of the Absurd*
Islam: Getting It Right*
“Intelligence failures” -- fundamental mistakes in evaluating a geopolitical situation -- are not rare among state intelligence organizations. They are unfortunately common enough and have cost the lives of millions. They are a reflection of what … [Read more...] about Islam: Getting It Right*
Syria: The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham and the “Cleansing” of Deir ez-Zour
This piece is the first in a brief series of publications that examine activity by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham in Syria and Iraq. ISIS is active on both sides of the border, executing complex attacks in Deir ez-Zour and organizing local … [Read more...] about Syria: The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham and the “Cleansing” of Deir ez-Zour