Centauri's Thoughts

Hmmmm, we now learn that Saudi Arabia has a re-education program for extremists, to teach them not to kill and murder.

Since the 2003 bombings in Riyadh that killed dozens there have been no major attacks in the kingdom, they point out.

Libya is using a similar philosophy of religious re-education, moving away from brutal treatment of militants in jails, and Pakistan is also looking at it.

The program focuses on religious re-education for young men, all in their late teens to early 30s, captured while engaged in terrorist activities.

Of the 218 people who have taken part, only nine have since been rearrested after trying to rejoin al Qaeda, Saudi officials told CNN.

My question is: why are we only hearing about this now, especially in light of learning that some previously released Gtmo detainess are back fighting against us again.

Reference on CNN.COM

After all this time, finally, people are starting to get it. Hamas is NOT helping the Gaza strip, they are using the people for human shields, like the cowardly animals they are.

I'm surprised that its finally hitting the MSM, but it is, perhaps because some Palestinians themselves are finally talking.

Even Arab countries are split on the issue.

I have been a long-time reader of "Iraq the Model" and after reading todays post, felt it was definitely worth sharing with all!

The Security Council resolution 1859 states, among other things, that Iraq is no longer a threat to its neighbors, region, or the world. The United States has succeeded in transforming a bellicose, autocratic state into a friendly one that is making steady progress towards becoming a self-sustaining democracy — the international community is finally coming to recognize this transformation.

and...

The headlines for those cynics do not go beyond the throw of a shoe, whereas my headlines look into the future and speak of a new Iraq. My headlines speak of agreements with our friends in American industries who will help us have 24 hours of electricity and equip a strong army dedicated to serving and protecting the Iraqi nation. This is a future where Iraq’s billions are used in transparent contracts to build the country and improve economic ties with our true allies and friends, not in shady deals for building palaces, supporting terrorists, and procuring tools of aggression.

See all of it here.

I see that things are getting better and more under the control of the Iraqi govt.

Iraqis lead final purge of Al-Qaeda

American and Iraqi forces are driving Al-Qaeda in Iraq out of its last redoubt in the north of the country in the culmination of one of the most spectacular victories of the war on terror.

After being forced from its strongholds in the west and centre of Iraq in the past two years, Al-Qaeda’s dwindling band of fighters has made a defiant “last stand” in the northern city of Mosul.

A good thing to see.

This is good for us and bad for them:

The letter appeared to be from Osama bin Laden's deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, said Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman.



He did not show the letter or say how or where it was obtained, but said it was considered authentic and recent.




The missive warned that the network faced crises in many areas, he said.




"Zawahiri says that they've lost many of their key leaders and that they've virtually resigned themselves to defeat in Afghanistan, that their lines of communication and funding have been severely disrupted," Mr Whitman told reporters on Thursday.

Reference: BBC


And on the MSM even! CNN covered it as well!

A Kuwaiti businessman with an unerring feel for the ways of the Arab world put it thus to me: "Iraq, the Internet, and American power are undermining the old order in the Arab world. There are gains by the day." The rage against our work in Iraq, all the way from the "chat rooms" of Arabia to the bigots of Finsbury Park in London, is located within this broader struggle.

Just part of this interesting article.


Read it all. Quite interesting thought

I have been reading some interesting perspectives like this and this


The clash of civilizations this time indeed seems large. While much of the civilized world embraces democracy, freedom, and rights for the individual, we see that in some ways, its ALWAYS about "US" vs "THEM" and those parallel are drawn here (amazingly, I have had similar thoughts in the past).


We really are approaching a world of 2 ideologies. You are either in the camp of democracy and human freedom, or that of the Caliphate, and domination by a few who would be your masters (driven, of COURSE, by allah).


Read the links I have posted and make up your own mind on these things.

I have read a lot in the past few days, and some over the past few weeks. I've given them quite some consideration.


One of these is the War of Ideas, mainly involving Islam and Jihad, and I have read some good info from VDH on that.


Another is NASA's new direction in the Crew Exploration Vehicle, and how much of the current Shuttle external tank SSME's and SRB's can be used.


Finally, a story that MUST be told about Peak Oil. Its scarey to the point of being TOO scarey to report, but the more I read it, and see todays gas prices, tell me its TIME.


Each of these has its own category, but they are stories that need to be told!

Update This may have been done rather tongue-in-cheek. The 100% correctness is not known.



On Friday, July 8th, one day after the London bombings, a rather famous physicist we all know and love had some VERY strong words to say!


If you have EVER heard a speech from Stephen Hawking, then this one WILL get your attention!


Its a podcast, in his computer synthesizer voice, but in a way that you've NEVER heard! I GAR-ON-TEE!




Posted by Stephen Hawking @ 6:31 AM


Stephens Voice HERE


Please! Spread this far and wide! I hope it gets to Instapundit, little-green-footballs, VDH, and whoever else it NEEDS to get to.. including Al-Jazeera!


Its AWESOME! and its the RALLYING war cry to action if I ever heard one!


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(Thanks to a chat friend for this link!)

Busy Day!
Iraq


Michael Yon does some GREAT reporting from mostly the Mosul area of Iraq, with occasional travels into other areas. His writing is awesome! Today, he speaks of a rather large weapons cache seized in the Mosul area. There is also a little surprise in the pics near the end of the post, so dont miss it!


His article is here


In Other News


Atlas Shrugs is an interesting read, and certainly passionate about it in her writing.


read the article What We Can Do Instead Of Bombing Mecca


London


They are at it again! 2 weeks since the first one. I wont even provide links because its all over the Net anyway!