MidnightWatcher – Prophecy in Motion

By Nonie Darwish – “About a year ago, I posted an Arabic language poem titled ‘Tears at the Heart of the Holocaust’ on my website, ArabsForIsrael.com. The poem expressed its Arab author’s love for the Jewish people and his mourning over what happened to them in the Holocaust. The brave poet, Mr. Alaa Alsaegh, is an immigrant to the US from Iraq, who now lives in Missouri. Such poems did not sit well with the Muslim community, which caused Mr. Alsaegh to be alienated from it. He received threats because of his support for the Jewish people, was called an infidel and a traitor to Islam, but he continued with his writing of poems and did not take the threats too seriously.

Mr. Alsaegh, as well as Muslim critics and former Muslims who are accused of apostasy, are living under threats, but, lo and behold, if we dare to speak about our fears, we are immediately silenced and accused of being Islamophobes. The mainstream media insist that there is no need to fear Sharia or its enforcers in America and that we are exaggerating our plight from Islam. We are told that what happens in the Arab streets can never happen in the streets of America.

Tell that to Alsaegh, after the unthinkable happened to him, when on August 14, 2011 and in broad daylight and heavy traffic, he was viciously attacked on the streets of St. Louis, Missouri. According to Mr. Alsaegh, as he was driving at 10:30 in the morning on Compton St. near Park Ave., a small white car cut him off and hit his car, while another car stopped behind him. The occupants of the cars, some of whom wore security guard-type uniforms, quickly entered Alsaegh’s car, pointing a gun at him. They pushed his upper body down against the steering wheel, stabbed him and pulled off his shirt to expose his back. Then, with a knife, they carved the Star of David on his back while laughing as they recited his pro-Jewish poem. Mr. Alsaegh believes that the attackers could be Somalis, but he was not sure. After the attackers fled the scene, Mr. Alsaegh was surrounded by witnesses to the crime and was taken to the hospital. The photo representing this story was taken at the hospital.

After I learned of the attack on Mr. Alsaegh, I did not want to rush to judgment and waited until he told me that the FBI concluded that this was a hate crime. I believe that my article on this incident is the first to be reported in the media. This incident has been totally ignored by the mainstream media.” Read more.

Qur’an Surah 9:14, “Fight them, Allah will punish them by your hands and bring them to disgrace …”

I’m surprised that the mainstream media is actually paying any attention to this.  This morning I even heard CNN describe the suspect as a “Muslim”.  Are some of the comatose beginning to wake up? …

“(CBS/AP) A 26-year-old Massachusetts man charged with planning aerial bombings of the Pentagon and the U.S. Capitol using remote-controlled airplanes filled with explosives Ferdaus said he wanted to deal a psychological blow to the ‘enemies of Allah,’ according to a federal affidavit.

The planes, guided by GPS and capable of speeds greater than 100 mph, would hit the Pentagon and blow the Capitol dome to ‘smithereens,’ according to the plan detailed in the affidavit.

Officials say Rezwan Ferdaus, a U.S. citizen who graduated from Northeastern University with a bachelor’s degree in physics and is also a part-time drummer, used his science background to turn cell phones into detonators which could be used to trigger home-made bombs.

But it was a larger plot that led to his arrest early Wednesday.

A federal affidavit said Ferdaus, of Ashland, Mass., began planning “jihad” against the U.S. in early 2010 after becoming convinced America was evil through jihadi websites and videos.

CBS News national security correspondent Bob Orr reports that over the past nine months, undercover FBI agents posing as al Qaeda operatives recorded multiple conversations in which Ferdaus laid out plans for an aerial attack on key Washington landmarks.

He called the Pentagon the ‘head and heart of the snake,’ according to the affidavit.

‘Allah has given us the privilege,’ he allegedly told the informant. ‘… He punishes them by our hand. We’re the ones.’

Asked at one point about possibly killing women and children, Ferdaus allegedly said all unbelievers of Islam were his enemies.” Read more.

By JEFF BARNARD – “EUGENE, Ore. — The leader of the U.S. branch of a defunct Islamic charity was sentenced Tuesday to nearly three years in prison after being convicted of helping smuggle $150,000 to Saudi Arabia.

U.S. District Judge Michael Hogan said that while he has no doubt the money went to Islamic fighters battling the Russian army in Chechnya, as the prosecution maintained, there’s no proof directly linking Pete Seda to terrorism.

For that reason, Hogan said he wouldn’t apply the so-called ‘terrorism enhancement’ that could have sent Seda to prison for eight years. Instead, Hogan sentenced Seda to 33 months in prison, ordered him to pay the Internal Revenue Service $80,980 in restitution, and allowed him to remain free for 60 days before reporting.

Seda, also known as Pirouz Sedaghaty, is an Iranian-born U.S. citizen who ran the U.S. chapter of the al-Haramain Islamic Foundation based in Ashland. He worked in Ashland as a tree surgeon and was an outspoken proponent of the peaceful aspects of Islam. He was known for marching in the local July 4 parade with his camel.

Seda was convicted last year of tax fraud and conspiracy to defraud the government for helping Saudi Arabian national Soliman Al-Buthe convert a contribution from a doctor in England into traveler’s checks, which Al-Buthe took with him on a flight to Saudi Arabia without declaring it to authorities. Prosecutors have been unable to force Al-Buthe to return to the U.S. to face the same charges as Seda.

Acting U.S. Attorney Dwight Holton said federal prosecutors felt they had proven Seda’s connection to terrorism, but respected the court’s ruling and were satisfied with the sentence.” Read more.

“A 26-year-old Massachusetts man was arrested Wednesday and accused of plotting to blow up the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol using large remote-controlled aircraft laden with explosives, as well as attempting to assist Al Qaeda in attacking U.S. troops overseas.

Rezwan Ferdaus of Ashland, Mass., was arrested Wednesday in Framingham after undercover FBI agents delivered weapons Ferdaus allegedly sought for the alleged plan. The stash included what he thought was 25 pounds of C-4 explosives, as well as three grenades and six fully-automatic AK-47 assault, a press release from the Department of Justice reads.

Ferdaus was arrested after he took the the materials and locked them in his storage unit, according to an affadavit that says the storage unit was rented under a false name in June.

The public was never in danger from the explosives, as undercover agents monitored the alleged plot and kept up frequent contact with Ferdaus, the press release read. More than 30 federal, state and local agencies in the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force worked together in the operation, including police departments in Worcester, Ashland and Framingham.” Read more.

The Enigma Continues: Another terror threat that, for some mysterious reason, fails to involve ‘right-wing extremists’ …

By Mike Levine & Jennifer Griffin – “Federal authorities have come across what they believe may be a credible threat to the U.S. homeland surrounding the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, several sources tell Fox News.

The threat would target New York City or Washington, D.C., sources said. Authorities have obtained what they believe is information on possible suspects tied to central Al Qaeda, but they have not necessarily determined names of possible suspects.

According to a senior U.S. official with knowledge of the threat, ‘People are aggressively pursuing leads,’ and it is ‘specific enough to elicit worry.’ Another senior U.S. official stressed the threat is still ‘unconfirmed’ so it is being chased down and investigated.

President Obama has been briefed on the seriousness of this threat, according to a senior administration official

‘It feels more than aspirational,’ one official said.

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security were drafting a bulletin Thursday night to send to local law enforcement across the country.

‘We have a duty to warn,’ the senior U.S. official said.” Read more.

U.S. Citizen Linked To Terror Plot on 9/11 Anniversary – “U.S. authorities are scrambling to sort through information that the CIA developed in the past 24 hours indicating that at least three individuals entered the U.S. in August by air with the intent to launch a vehicle-borne attack against Washington, D.C. or New York around the anniversary of 9/11, according to intelligence officials. One of the intelligence and law enforcement officials that ABC News spoke to said that one of the individuals may be a U.S. citizen and a second official said that possibly two of the individuals may have had U.S. documentation — whether green cards or passports was unclear.” Read more.

Did Iran send a message to radical Islamic sleeper cells currently in place in the United States? Or is it nothing more than a mere coincidence that a ‘hit list’ was published little more than a week before the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks? …

By Clare M. Lopez and W. Thomas Smith, Jr. – “Iran’s Khomeinist news agency, Press TV – long recognized for its Jihadist-supporting broadcasts – has published what is being referred to as a veritable ‘hit piece’ against many leading U.S. media companies, commentators, antiterrorism experts, legislators, and at least one presidential candidate – calling several by name – in what the news agency considers to be ‘The Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America.’ And what observers fear may reveal a more sinister motive.

The article entitled, ‘U.S. Empire foments Islamophobia,’ and based on a just-released report by the Center for American Progress, contends there is a conspiracy by these so-named (primarily conservative) organizations and individuals to foment fears about Islam…

In the past, Press TV has focused its efforts against the U.S. and Europe, Arab moderates (including Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Morocco). Moreover, the agency has proven to be a standard-bearer for Hizballah, the Mahdi Army in Iraq, the Houthis in Yemen, and all of Iran’s allies worldwide. In addition to its operations in Tehran, Press TV operates in Beirut, from where the agency vigorously supports and promotes the leadership of Hizballah, and frequently interviews so-called experts who support Iran, Hizballah, and Hamas.

In the article published Sept. 1, 2011, Press TV changes up its batting order, specifically targeting – attempting to discredit and demonize – several non-governmental organizations (NGOs), members of the U.S. Congress, Muslim dissidents like Nonie Darwish and Walid Shoebat, various Western think tanks, and a number of international terrorism researchers like Robert Spencer, Steven Emerson and Daniel Pipes. The article also castigates the chair of the Homeland Security Committee in the U.S. House, Rep. Peter King; the chair of a subcommittee on Intelligence, Rep. Sue Myrick, and others. The list expands to include Rep. Paul Broun, Rep. Allen West, Rep. Renee Ellmers and presidential candidate Michele Bachmann.

The article goes on to target national media such as FOX News (particularly Sean Hannity) – accusing the network of fueling anti-Muslim sentiment – the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), the Washington Times, National Review (including Andy McCarthy, former Assistant U.S. Attorney who prosecuted the terrorists in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing), former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Frank Gaffney, well-known lawyer David Yerushalmi and Professor Walid Phares.” Read more.

Flashback: Sleeper Cells in the USA – “There is every reason to suspect that we will endure suicide missions by Islamist sleeper cells. They are already in place. They are waiting for the right time. I know this from experience. I have worked over 15 years as a U.S. Federal Agent, a U.S. State Department Arabic linguist, and the first civilian Federal Agent deployed into Iraq at the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. Since returning from Iraq I have been involved in terrorism analysis, specifically the mindset of terrorists.” Read more.

Yet again, intelligence pointing to any right-wing terror threats remains inexplicably absent …

“WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI and Homeland Security have issued a nationwide warning about al-Qaida threats to small airplanes, just days before the anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Authorities say there is no specific or credible terrorist threat for the 10-year anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. But they have stepped up national security a precaution.

According to a five-page law enforcement bulletin issued Friday, as recently as early this year, al-Qaida was considering ways to attack airplanes.

The alert, issued ahead of the summer’s last busy travel weekend, said terrorists have considered renting private planes and loading them with explosives.

‘Al-Qaida and its affiliates have maintained an interest in obtaining aviation training, particularly on small aircraft, and in recruiting Western individuals for training in Europe or the United States, although we do not have current, credible information or intelligence of an imminent attack being planned,’ according to the bulletin obtained by The Associated Press.

The bulletin also says al-Qaida would like to use sympathetic Westerners to get flight training, then get them to become flight instructors.” Read more.

United States Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano must be dazed and confused when facts collide with her hallucinatory view of reality …

By PAUL BENTLEY – “Homegrown terrorists are playing increasingly prominent roles within Al Qaeda and are threatening more deadly attacks from within the U.S., the much anticipated 9/11 report card revealed today.

As the 10th anniversary of the devastating attacks on New York approaches, the National Security Preparedness Group issued a stinging assessment of just how far the U.S. needs to go to combat terror threats.

Airport security is still not thorough enough to stop a large-scale air bombing, the report claimed and, even more worryingly, the greatest threat to national security may well be coming from America itself, with the frighteningly common radicalisation of Muslim-American teens.

The report, issued today, stated: ‘Most troubling, we have seen a pattern of increasing terrorist recruitment of American citizens and residents to act as ‘lone wolves’…

‘Muslim-American youth are being recruited in Somali communities in Minneapolis and Portland, Oregon, in some respects moving the front lines to the interior of our country.’

In recent years, there has been a jump in the number of attacks on the U.S. by homegrown Muslim-Americans.

In 2009, there were two of these high-profile terrorist attacks in the U.S.” Read more.

Here is an update to this story.  Do note, however, you’ll likely never see this high school mass murder plot by a radical Muslim get the same mainstream media attention that the non-Muslim high school mass murder plot received …

By John Shiffman – “The Maryland teenager secretly arrested by the FBI for allegedly conspiring with the woman from the Philadelphia suburbs known as Jihad Jane also spoke of a Columbine-style plot with a Pittsburgh-area friend in a jihadist chat room, according to sources and documents.

‘I had a lot of thoughts about you today,’ Mohammed K. wrote to his Western Pennsylvania pen pal late last year. ‘About us both doing martyrdom operations together in my school. . . . It was like we both were in a big truck and had guns and we were shooting randomly at a huge crowd of kids.’

The chats provide new insight into a boy who at age 15 allegedly began helping Colleen LaRose, aka ‘Jihad Jane,’ the 48-year-old Pennsburg woman who U.S. officials say represents a disturbing new face of homegrown terrorism.

Mohammed K. was 17 and a high school senior in Ellicott City, Md., when he allegedly wrote those threatening words. The Inquirer is not publishing his last name because he is a juvenile.

Mohammed’s chat room friend was Emerson Begolly, a Pennsylvania State University student who was soon charged with soliciting unrelated terror attacks.” Read more.

“PHILADELPHIA – A U.S. teen from Pakistan is in secret custody, accused of helping recruit terrorists for the woman known as ‘Jihad Jane,’ a person close to the boy’s family said Friday.

Charges filed last month accuse the 17-year-old of helping Colleen LaRose in her alleged efforts to incite an Islamic holy war. Prosecutors have said LaRose was a convert to Islam who wrote of being driven by an urge to help suffering Muslims.

The high school graduate had accepted a full scholarship to Johns Hopkins University, according to the person. He is instead in custody at a youth facility. He could be moved to an adult prison — and have his case moved to adult court — when he turns 18 next month.

A law-enforcement source confirmed the details to The Associated Press. Both people spoke on condition of anonymity because they aren’t authorized to speak publicly about the sealed case. The AP is not publicizing the teen’s name because he is charged as a juvenile.

The Philadelphia Inquirer first reported on his arrest in Friday editions.

The teen came to the U.S. four years ago and has lived with his strict, education-minded family in suburban Baltimore. He is the rare juvenile to be charged or detained in federal custody.” Read more.