Recruiting Shortfall: Cooking the books has caught up with the US Army 
AP Excerpt: "The Army began its recruiting year Oct. 1 with fewer signed up for basic training than in any year since it became an all-volunteer service in 1973, a top general said [October 31, 2007]. Gen. William S. Wallace, whose duties as commander of Army Training and Doctrine Command include management of recruiting, told reporters at the Pentagon that the historic dip will make it harder to achieve the full-year recruiting goal…  Wallace attributed the decline in the number of pre-signed recruits to the Army's decision last summer to begin offering a 'quick ship' bonus of $20,000 to recruits willing to leave for basic training by the end of September. For some recruits that bonus is the equivalent of a year's pay.  The bonus program, which began July 25, was part of a last-minute push by the Army to meet its year-end recruiting goal, after having fallen short on recruiting numbers in May and June. It had the effect of getting many of the recruits who signed up after July 25 into basic training sooner than they would have otherwise, thus reducing the number with entry dates after Oct. 1."

US President attempting to block denunciation of genocide 
BBC Excerpt: "President George W Bush has urged US legislators not to pass a resolution declaring the killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks to be genocide… [U]p to 1.5 million Armenians were killed in an organized campaign to force them out of what is now eastern Turkey in 1915-17… [T]he issue has been kept alive by the powerful Armenian Diaspora. Last year, the Lower House of the French parliament declared the killings a genocide."

US invasion has created 4.4 million Iraqi refugees
BBC Excerpt: "The UN refugee agency has said the options for Iraqis fleeing violence are being narrowed by an increasing number of provinces refusing them entry. The head of the UNHCR Iraq Support Unit told the BBC up to 11 governors were restricting access because they lacked resources to look after the refugees. Andrew Harper warned that, with no imminent end to the displacement, Iraq was becoming a 'pressure cooker.' The UNHCR recently said more than 2.2m Iraqis had become internally displaced. It estimates a further 2.2m have fled to neighboring states, particularly Syria and Jordan, since the US-led invasion in 2003… [The total number of Iraqi refugees is] increasing on average by up to 100,000 every month." 

Pentagon Sued Over Mandatory Christianity
Excerpt: "A military watchdog organization filed a lawsuit in federal court [in Kansas City, Kansas on September 18, 2007] against the Pentagon, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and a US Army major, on behalf of an Army soldier stationed in Iraq. The suit charges the Pentagon with widespread constitutional violations by allegedly trying to force the soldier to embrace evangelical Christianity and then retaliating against him when he refused." 
Read the Complaint

Bush spy chief committed perjury before US Congress 
Newsweek excerpt: "In a new embarrassment for the Bush administration top spymaster, Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell is withdrawing an assertion he made to Congress this week that a recently passed electronic-surveillance law helped U.S. authorities foil a major terror plot in Germany… Other U.S. intelligence-community officials questioned the accuracy of McConnell's testimony and urged his office to correct it. Four intelligence-community officials, who asked for anonymity discussing sensitive material, said the new law, dubbed the 'Protect America Act,' played little if any role in the unraveling of the German plot. The U.S. military initially provided information that helped the Germans uncover the plot. But that exchange of information took place months before the new 'Protect America' law was passed. After questions about his testimony were raised, McConnell called Lieberman to clarify his statements to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, an official said. (A spokeswoman for Lieberman confirmed that McConnell called the senator Tuesday [September 11, 2007] but could not immediately confirm what they spoke about.) Late Wednesday afternoon [September 12, 2007], McConnell issued a statement acknowledging that 'information contributing to the recent arrests [in Germany] was not collected under authorities provided by the Protect America Act'."

First Amendment Center survey shows Americans want a Christian theocracy
USA TODAY excerpt: "Half [of Americans] say teachers should be allowed to use the Bible as a factual text in history class [while] only 56% agree that freedom of religion applies to all groups."

More poll results: 

The Constitution establishes a Christian nation
• Agree: 55%
• Disagree: 41%
• Other: 4% 

• The First Amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees: 25%

• Public schools should be allowed to put on Nativity reenactments with Christian music: 43%

• Teachers and public school officials should be allowed to lead prayers in schools: 58%

• Public school teachers should be able to use the Bible as literature in English class: 80%

Related: "In a NEWSWEEK Poll in March [2007], 48 percent of those asked said God created humans in their present form within the last 10,000 years." 

U.S. Generals ran a "Christian Embassy" operation from the Pentagon 
Religion News Service Excerpt: "High-ranking Army and Air Force personnel [i.e., generals and Pentagon civilian overseers] violated military regulations when they participated in a promotional video for a private evangelical organization, according to a report by the Pentagon's Office of Inspector General… 'The officers were filmed during the duty day, in uniform with rank clearly displayed, in official and often identifiable Pentagon locations,' the report said. 'Their remarks conferred approval of and support to Christian Embassy, and the remarks of some officers implied they spoke for a group of senior military leaders rather than just for themselves.'"

Report: Asians played a bigger part in settlement of Europe than Africans 
AP Excerpt: "An international team of researchers reports in [the August 6, 2007] online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that Asians appear to have played a larger part in the settlement of Europe than did Africans. The team led by Maria Martinon-Torres of the National Center for the Investigation of Human Evolution, in Burgos, Spain, reached that conclusion after analyzing more than 5,000 fossil teeth from early hominins, an early form of human predecessors. After studying ancient teeth from Africa, Asia and Europe, the researchers report that early European populations had more Asian features than African ones. That conclusion also supports the theory that the development of the genus Homo — modern humans are Homo sapiens — occurred both in Africa and Asia."

United States distrusted around the world
AP Excerpt: "Unease with American foreign policy and President Bush has intensified in countries that are some of the closest U.S. allies and around the globe… according to an international survey by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center. … The poll covered 46 countries plus the Palestinian territories." 

Americans have little trust in their institutions and have a particular distrust of Congress 

Study: Jewish, Christian, Muslim extremists basically the same
Reuters Excerpt: "Violent Muslim, Christian and Jewish extremists invoke the same rhetoric of 'good' and 'evil' and the best way to fight them is to tackle the problems that drive people to extremism, according to a report obtained by Reuters. It said extremists from each of the three faiths often have tangible grievances -- social, economic or political -- but they invoke religion to recruit followers and to justify breaking the law, including killing civilians and members of their own faith. The report was commissioned by security think tank EastWest Institute ahead of a conference on Thursday [June 14, 2007] in New York titled 'Towards a Common Response: New Thinking Against Violent Extremism and Radicalization.' The report will be updated and published after the conference. The authors compared ideologies, recruitment tactics and responses to violent religious extremists in three places -- Muslims in Britain, Jews in Israel and Christians in the United States. 'What is striking … is the similarity of the worldview and the rationale for violence,' the report said."

US veterans 'high suicide risk' 
BBC Excerpt: "US war veterans are twice as likely to commit suicide than ordinary civilians, a study has found. Researchers examined data on 320,890 men, of which a third served in the US military between 1917 and 1994. Men who were white, better educated and older than the other men appeared to be at higher risk, as did those with a physical or emotional disability. Researchers say the findings emphasize the need for mental health care for those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The research, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, included men who had served in World War Two, the Vietnam war, the Korean War and the Gulf war. It said the rate of suicide among men who had taken military service was 2.13 times higher than those who had never served in the armed forces."

Records show that most Senators and House Members who authorized Iraq war did not read key report 
CNN Excerpt: "A new biography of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has once again raised the issue of whether members of Congress read a key intelligence report before the 2002 vote to authorize war in Iraq. Clinton did not read the 90-page, classified National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq, according to 'Her Way: The Hopes and Ambitions of Hillary Rodham Clinton.' For members of Congress to read the report, they had to go to a secure location on Capitol Hill. The Washington Post reported in 2004 that no more than six senators and a handful of House members were logged as reading the document."

Muslims believe U.S. goal to weaken Islam 
Reuters Excerpt: "More than 70 percent of Egyptians, Pakistanis, Indonesians and Moroccans believe the United States is trying to weaken and divide the Islamic world, a poll released on Tuesday [April 24, 2007] showed. The survey by WorldPublicOpinion.org also showed more than 40 percent thought that was the primary goal of the U.S.-led war on terrorism, while only 12 percent believed Washington's aim was to protect the United States from attack… More than 50 percent believed the militant Islamist group [al Qaeda] was pushing the United States to remove its bases and military forces from all Islamic countries and 63 percent agreed with that goal."

Israel tops list of worst nations in world poll 
BBC Excerpt: "A majority of people believe that Israel and Iran have a mainly negative influence in the world, a poll for the BBC World Service suggests. It shows that the two countries are closely followed by the United States and North Korea. The poll asked 28,000 people in 27 countries to rate a dozen countries plus the EU in terms of whether they have a positive or negative influence."

Poll shows Arabs dislike Bush
Reuters Excerpt: "A new poll on Thursday [November 8, 2006] underscored deep Arab unhappiness with the United States but said the negative image could be repaired if Washington brokered a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace agreement. The survey of 3,850 people in six Arab countries rated President George W. Bush as the most disliked world leader, while the United States and Israel were viewed as significantly greater threats than Iran."

Bush Family involved in Defense scandal
Reuters Excerpt: "President George W. Bush's uncle, William H.T. 'Bucky' Bush, was part of a group of outside directors at a defense contractor who realized about $6 million in unauthorized pay from an options backdating scheme, according to U.S. securities investigators."

Israel 'broke US arms deal terms'
BBC: "Israel probably violated the terms of its arms deals with Washington by using American-made cluster bombs in Lebanon last year, a US government report says. The State Department probed Israel's use of cluster bombs in civilian areas of southern Lebanon during the 34-day conflict with Hezbollah. US-made weapons are sold to the Israeli military with restriction on their use. Cluster bombs can scatter hundreds of small bomblets over a wide area, and their use has been widely criticized. The US government has now sent a preliminary report on its investigation into the matter to the US Congress. Last November Israel's own military said it would investigate how the bombs were used during the conflict. The International Committee of the Red Cross called for a ban on the use of cluster bombs in populated areas, because of the indiscriminate civilian deaths they caused. And Amnesty International has criticized Israel for its use of cluster bombs in the final days of the conflict." 

1 million Israeli bomblets remain in South Lebanon
BBC Excerpt: "Up to a million cluster bomblets discharged by Israel in its conflict with Hezbollah remain unexploded in southern Lebanon, the UN has said… It says the problem could delay the return home of about 200,000 displaced people by up to two years. The devices have killed 14 people in south Lebanon since the August [2006] truce. The manager of the UN's mine removal centre in south Lebanon, Chris Clark, said Israel had failed to provide useful information of its cluster bomb strikes, which could help with the clearance operation."

U.S. Marines institute de facto draft
Reuters Excerpt: "The U.S. Marine Corps will start ordering what could be thousands of inactive service members to return to duty in the coming months to counter a steady decline in the number of such troops who volunteer, the service said on Tuesday [August 22, 2006]… Many Marines have performed three tours of duty in Iraq since March 2003… The Marine Corps' authority to involuntarily recall Marines for jobs in the 'Global War on Terror' -- a war whose parameters remain largely undefined -- has no expiration date."

Muslims bristle at Bush term "Islamic fascists"
Reuters Excerpt: "U.S. Muslim groups criticized President Bush on Thursday [August 10, 2006] for calling a foiled plot to blow up airplanes part of a 'war with Islamic fascists,' saying the term could inflame anti-Muslim tensions… 'We believe this is an ill-advised term and we believe that it is counterproductive to associate Islam or Muslims with fascism,' said Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations advocacy group. 'We ought to take advantage of these incidents to make sure that we do not start a religious war against Islam and Muslims,' he told a news conference in Washington. Awad said U.S. officials should take the lead from their British counterparts who steered clear of using what he considered inflammatory terms when they announced the arrest of more than 20 suspects in the reported plot… Bush upset many Muslims after the September 11 attacks by referring to the global war against terrorism early on as a 'crusade,' a term which for many Muslims connotes a Christian battle against Islam."

Israelis accused of 'human shields' tactic  
BBC Excerpt: "The Israeli army has been accused of using Palestinian civilians as human shields in an operation in northern Gaza. According to the Israeli human rights group, B'tselem, six civilians including two minors were subjected to the illegal tactic during an incursion into the town of Beit Hanoun last week."

Lech Walesa quits Solidarity trade union
Reuters Excerpt: "Polish Solidarity hero Lech Walesa said on Tuesday  [August 22, 2006] he had quit the trade union he founded and that helped bring about the collapse of communism in eastern Europe. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Walesa said he had opposed Solidarity's decision to support the ruling conservative Law and Justice party in elections last year… Formed in 1980, Solidarity was the Soviet Bloc's first independent trade union. It is credited with inspiring dissent that spread across eastern Europe and culminated in a series of anti-communist revolutions."

The IRA formally ends its armed conflict  

Middle East  
Middle East News  

About the movie, Kingdom of Heaven…
Saladin (1138-1193) was the Muslim leader who recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders.  He was born in Tikrit, Iraq.  Though known as Saladin in the West, he was a Kurd who was known to his followers by his Arabic name, Salah ad-Din Yusuf.  

Who are the Kurds?
The Kurds are organized in numerous clans, tribes, and tribal confederations. The majority are Muslims, mostly of the Sunni sect; a small percentage are Shiites. Many Kurdish Muslims are also followers of Sufism. Most of the Kurds who are not Muslims are followers of the Cult of Angel, an ancient Kurdish faith. The primary language of the Kurds is Kurdish, an Indo-Iranian language that includes a number of different dialects.  (Source: Microsoft Encarta)  

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Facts about Shariah law
Recent news events have demonstrated the global impact of Islamic law known as "Sharia."  The following are excerpts of an analysis by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

What is Shariah?  The word Shariah means "the path to a watering hole." It denotes an Islamic way of life – not just a system of criminal justice. It is a code of living that most Muslims adopt as part of their faith. Some countries formally institute it as the law of the land, enforced by the courts. However, the way Shariah law is applied from country to country can vary widely.

How did it originate?  According to Muslim scholars, the Prophet Muhammad laid down the laws. Some of the laws are said to be direct commands stated in the Qur'an. Other laws were based on rulings Muhammad is said to have given to cases that occurred during his lifetime. These secondary laws are based on what's called the Sunnah – the Prophet's words, example and way of life. One of the major concerns of people critical of Shariah law is that it is subject to interpretation and evolution. There is virtually no formal certification process to designate someone as being qualified to interpret Islamic law. As it stands today, almost anyone can make rulings as long as they have the appearance of piety and a group of followers. 

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Additional Facts…

(1) The beginning of each surah (or chapter) of the Qur'an is marked, both textually and in recitation, with a phrase known as the bismillah: 

"In the name of God,
The Compassionate,
The Merciful."

(2) For an historical counterpart to the excesses of Sharia Law, learn about Tomás de Torquemada  

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"He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore." (Isaiah 2:4)

Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia - the fear of the number 666.