Say Anything Blog

Since March 2002, Saudi billionaire Khalid bin Mahfouz has sued or threatened to sue in England at least 36 writers and publishers - including many Americans - who have documented his financial contributions to al Qaeda and other Islamic terror groups, through his Muwafaq (Blessed Relief) foundation, and the Saudi National Commercial Bank he owned. Everyone settled with bin Mahfouz, - except me.

England’s libel laws favor the individual’s rights over the public. They allow bin Mahfouz and other terror financiers, known as “libel tourists,” to veil in secrecy their funding of al Qaeda, other Islamic terror organizations and global propagation of radical Islam. British laws earned the U.K. the label–”libel capital of the Western world”–and rained wealth on Britain’s libel bar.

Bin Mahfouz’s legal “victories” in London had the desired effect he and other Saudi terror financiers sought - silencing of the media even in the U.S. where the First Amendment protects writers and publishers. But American book and newspaper publishers are not willing to risk expensive lawsuits in London. Many refuse to publish even the most comprehensively documented reports on alleged wealthy Middle Eastern funding terrorism.

Bin Mahfouz would not enjoy success were he to sue me for libel in U.S. The facts in Funding Evil are well documented by the media and the U.S. Congress, courts and other official statements.

Facing the mere threat of a lawsuit from Saudi billionaire Khalid bin Mahfouz, Cambridge University Press — the world’s oldest publishing house — agreed in Britain’s High Court on July 30, to pulp all the unsold copies. When the American authors rightfully refused to join, CUP issued a public apology, which in fact defamed the authors. CUP also paid substantial undisclosed damages, a huge “contribution” to a charity of bin Mahfouz’ choice, and sent letters to more than 200 libraries worldwide, asking to pull the book off their shelves. CUP’s capitulation handed an important victory to the Saudis’ financial jihad against free speech.

These Brits are dangerous. Watch out! Jihadis hiding behind lawyer scum.

Read the whole article. Oh, and bin Malfouz… sue me.

I awoke today to an envelope from a friend containing the affidavit of Omar Ahmed Khadr.

Omar was brought to Afghanistan at the age of 10 when he met Osama bin Laden. He was captured during a firefight at the age of 15, severely wounded. Subsequently, he was tortured extensively and offered blatantly false statements under extreme coercion. His chief interrogator‘s unit was known by the military to have killed two men with their interrogation techniques, both ruled homicides by the military. After his capture...

[Omar] had been denied forms of surgery to punish him for not cooperating with military forces. Later attempts to acquire darkened sunglasses to protect his failing eyesight were denied for “state security” reasons.

In Bagram...

[Omar] was refused pain medication for his wounds, that he had his hands tied above a door frame for hours, had cold water thrown on him, had a bag placed over his head and was threatened with military dogs, was flatulated upon, forced to carry 5-gallon pails of water to aggravate his shoulder wound. Unallowed to use washrooms, he was forced to urinate on himself.

In Guantanamo...

[Omar] was told “Your life is in my hands” by a military interrogator, who spat on him, tore out some of his hair and threatened to send him to a country that would torture him more thoroughly, making specific reference to an Egyptian Askri raqm tisa ("Soldier Number Nine") who enjoyed raping prisoners. The interrogation ended with Khadr being told he would spend the rest of his life in Guantanamo. A few weeks later, an interrogator giving his name as Izmarai spoke to Khadr in Pashto, threatening to send him to a “new prison” at Bagram Airbase where “they like small boys”.

In all, Khadr has been reported to have been kept in solitary confinement for long periods of time; to have been denied adequate medical treatment; to have been subjected to short shackling, and left bound, in uncomfortable stress positions until he soiled himself. ...his interrogators “dragged [him] back and forth in a mixture of his urine and pine oil” and did not provide a change of clothes for two days in March.

Omar’s case was dismissed in late June because the illegal tribunal trying him decided they lacked jurisdiction. In early July, the government appealed.

I wonder if McCain/Palin will continue the US’s kiddie torture and trying child soldiers in illegal tribunals?

Does anyone actually think that useful or accurate information can be obtained in these extremely coercive situations?

Rolling Stone has a long article here. "The Unending Torture of Omar Khadr"

Get some.

The U.S. government plans to takeover Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and all shareholders of the two mortgage giants will take a hit, an influential lawmaker said on Saturday.

The move to take control of the two companies, which may be announced Sunday, could amount to the largest financial bailout in the nation’s history, and is a bid to ward off further damage to the U.S. housing market which is in its deepest downturn since the Great Depression.

An important account in the federal Highway Trust Fund will run out of money this month, a situation that could hamper completion of road and bridge construction projects across the country, Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters said on Friday.

Always with the good news on Fridays. Jeez.

Perhaps the US should send someone who is not an effing pale, corpse of a politician to do these international functions.

CERNOBBIO, Italy: In a stinging rebuke, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney said Saturday that Russia’s actions in the conflict with Georgia were an “affront to civilized standards” and called on Western nations to stand united against any effort by Moscow to use its dominance as an energy supplier to intimidate its neighbors.

Cheney also said the expansion of NATO would continue despite Moscow’s opposition, arguing that Russia should welcome its neighbors’ joining an alliance that was not belligerent and whose members were democratic.

Cheney done told ‘em. Unfortunately, Cheney is a political corpse. I’d be surprised if the guy has 10% approval in this country. Can we find someone to do this sort of important work that has a shred of credibility?

Turns out that the guy Palin is accused of having an affair with just filed an emergency motion to have his divorce records sealed - this week.

Oh my God! (Snicker.)

Also, there is a really funny caption contest, over here.

McCain to Levi Johnston: “Next time leave your Johnston in your Levi’s!”

Bwahaha! Politics in America! The beacon of freedom and decency in the first world!

Tower of Babble? What? Must be getting closer to End Times! Repent!

Saudi Princes responsible for funding Al Qaeda’s pre 9/11 activites granted immunity for their role as terror financiers.

Heh. How’s the War on Terror going, tough guys?

“The churches that Sarah has attended all believe in a literal translation of the Bible,” Ms. Kincaid said. “Her principal ethical and moral beliefs stem from this.”

If the Taliban wants to take it back to 700 CE, we’ll take it back even further! Because the bible is the only authority! Because the earth is the center of the universe and it doesn’t move! Because women shouldn’t vote! Because the earth is only 6000 years old! Death to the Philistines!

Repent!

Heh.

Well, you’re—Snerdley says he’s missing something. If you’re missing it, you’re going to have to provide it. What are you missing? Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

I can’t close the loop on it. I can’t close the loop on it. I’m on—you know, I’m in a little quicksand already today talking about how this chick is giving us boring pictures of the female VP candidate. Because I know—you—the diversity crowd’s going to be upset. They’re going to—“Ooh, do you mean the VEEP is just so you guys can ogle wom--” Yes, because we do not care to watch ‘em compete. ...

Who has been more victimized by the other side of the aisle?

That’s all this election is going to come down to.

How sorry do you feel for your candidate?

Hankies for everyone!

Here.

Shortly after becoming mayor, former city officials and Wasilla residents said, Ms. Palin approached the town librarian about the possibility of banning some books, though she never followed through and it was unclear which books or passages were in question.

Ann Kilkenny, a Democrat who said she attended every City Council meeting in Ms. Palin’s first year in office, said Ms. Palin brought up the idea of banning some books at one meeting. “They were somehow morally or socially objectionable to her,” Ms. Kilkenny said.

The librarian, Mary Ellen Emmons, pledged to “resist all efforts at censorship,” Ms. Kilkenny recalled. Ms. Palin fired Ms. Emmons shortly after taking office but changed course after residents made a strong show of support. Ms. Emmons, who left her job and Wasilla a couple of years later, declined to comment for this article.

In 1996, Ms. Palin suggested to the local paper, The Frontiersman, that the conversations about banning books were “rhetorical.”

I guess she fired and restored the poor librarian for “rhetorical” effect. Palin is a censor, a book banner, a freedom hater. Book banners are dangerous, small minded folk. They do not belong in America’s Executive branch. Not by a long shot.

She’s a former member of the AKIP. Most people have a problem with that. I think it’s admirable. Nothing like a secessionist to stick up for states rights!

US out of Alaska!

Excerpts from In re Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001 pdf, decided by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Manhattan, on Aug. 14th. Quotes begin around page seven.

The complaints, which we accept as true… allege the facts set forth below.

The SHC (the Saudi High Commission for Relief to Bosnia and Herzegovina) was formed in 1993 by decree of King Fahd (who was then President of the Council of Ministers, the Kingdom’s highest governing body), apparently to support Bosnian Muslims displaced by civil war. The SHC acted as “a fully integrated component of al Qa[e]da’s logistical and financial support infrastructure.” In the early 1990s, al Qaeda fighters began infiltrating Bosnia disguised as SHC relief workers. The SHC has funneled millions of dollars to al Qaeda, evidenced by investigators’ inability “to account for nearly $41 million” in SHC donations. In an October 2001 raid of the SHC’s Sarajevo offices, U.S. government officials found computer hard drives containing photos of the World Trade Center, the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, and the U.S.S. Cole (all targets of terrorist attacks); documents about pesticides and crop dusters; photos and maps of Washington, D.C. (with prominent government buildings marked); and instructions for fabricating U.S. State Department badges. After the raid, the Bosnian Financial Police reported that peacekeeping forces “confiscated some documentation for which it can be claimed with certainty that it does not belong in the scope of work of a humanitarian organization.”

Ostensible charitable organizations, and in particular, Islamic charities under the control of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, have played a singularly important role in al Qa[e]da’s development and pursuit of its perverse ambitions. These “charities” have served as the primary vehicle for raising, laundering and distributing funds on behalf of al Qa[e]da from its inception. In addition, these charities have provided arms, false travel documentation, physical assets and logistical support to al Qa[e]da.

The Kingdom contributed to the terrorist-linked charities described above and closely monitored their relief efforts abroad, with the express knowledge that those charities were funneling the Kingdom’s funds to al Qaeda. ...the Kingdom exercises complete oversight and control over the charities, making the charities alter-egos and agents whose deeds can be imputed to the Kingdom.

So, why isn't 'the Kingdom' listed by our State Dept for bankrolling terrorism?

Saudi Princes responsible for funding Al Qaeda’s pre 9/11 activites granted immunity for their role as terror financiers.

...the Saudi government funded Islamic charities that in turn became money-laundering conduits for al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations in advance of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Absent that funding… al Qaeda never would have emerged as a global threat.

...the government of Saudi Arabia, senior Saudi royals - Princes Naif, Sultan, Salman, Turki and Mohamed - could not be sued because they were protected by the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act.

...the Saudi High Commission for Relief of Bosnia and Herzegovina, established by the Saudi government in 1993 to provide aid to Muslim refugees caught up in the Balkans war and accused by the plaintiffs of being a money-laundering conduit for al Qaeda, also was immune.

The high commission was formed in 1993 to support Bosnian Muslims, but according to the plaintiffs, it was “a fully integrated component” of al-Qaida’s “logistical and financial support infrastructure.”

Wahhabism is known throughout the Muslim world for its puritanical and severe approach to the teachings of the Muslim prophet Mohammed. It preaches violence against non-believers or infidels and serves as the religious basis for Osama Bin Laden and al Qaeda.

Experts agree that Saudi Arabia is the epicenter of Wahhabist belief and its extremist teachings. Unfortunately, there is mounting evidence that Saudi sponsored groups are trying to hijack mainstream Islam here in the United States – in mosques, in schools, and even in prisons and the military – and replace it with Wahhabism.

As we will hear today, in the 1960s and 1970s, the Saudi royal family made a deal with the devil, offering to sponsor the teachings of Wahhabist clerics in exchange for their support of the Royal Family’s rule.

Wahhabi teachings include examples of Allah cursing Jews and Christians and turning some of them into apes and pigs; and warnings that Muslims must consider non-Muslims or infidels their enemy.

One of the terms of the dirty deal between the Saudi Royal Family and its Wahhabi partners has been the export of Wahhabist belief as part of Saudi foreign policy. Prominent members of the Saudi royal family – including Prince Naif, Saudi Arabia’s Interior Minister and anti-terror czar – have set up charities that funnel money to Wahhabi madrassah schools throughout the Middle East and Pakistan, making these areas hotbeds of anti-American sentiment and extremism.

Naif is a particularly bad seed. He’s made comments insisting that Zionists were responsible for 9-11 and claimed that Saudis citizens could not have been involved in the attack, even after the Saudi government admitted that 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi.

He also oversees the Saudi Committee for the Support of the Al Quds Intifadah, which, like Saddam Hussein, has provided families of terrorists with millions of dollars through specially designated bank accounts. It seems impossible to expect cooperation in the War on Terror from someone who sponsors extremist and hateful religious belief and encourages terrorist actions. After the bombing of the Khobar Towers in 1998 that killed 19 Americans, it was Naif who single-handedly prevented the trial of 13 Saudis indicted for the crime.

Even as I speak, he appears to be up to his old tricks as reports indicate that Saudi officials have for months denied American agents access to a Saudi with knowledge of extensive plans to release poison gas into the New York City subway system.

It boggles my mind that on the eve of the second anniversary of September 11th, we cannot access someone who may have knowledge of a new 9-11 in the making, all because of the intimate relationship Saudi bigwigs have with extremist Wahhabi clerics.

There you have it folks. The Global War on Terror, which has brought us unibranch government in the name of stopping terrorism and finding those responsible for 9/11 and holding them accountable… is nothing more than a selective political tool. The number one terror and extremism financiers in the world are immune, pace US State Dept. classifications.

Are we actually fighting this war to prevent another 9/11 or not? If we are interested in addressing funding and extremism, as we claim, one would think we would go after these Wahhabi death culters, no? In case any of you are interested, here’s the ca2 pdf from the case.