Israel assisting Kenyan forces in Narobi Hostage Drama

From the novel Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini. :  

Baba would enlighten me with his politics during those walks with long-winded dissertations. "There are only three real men in this world, Amir," he'd say. He'd count them off on his fingers: America the brash savior, Britain, and Israel. "The rest of them – " he used to wave his hand and make a phht sound " – they're like gossiping old women."
 
Patriarchy and sexism aside, it appears that Israel again is proving its mettle.There are unconfirmed reports that Israel has sent a team to aid Kenyan forces in an attempt to free hostages in Nairobi's Westgate mall. Gunmen lay siege to the mall  midday Saturday, tossing grenades and firing automatic weapons,  killing at  least 68.  Victims ranged from 2 to 78. Among those confirmed dead are Kenyans, and French, Canadian and Chinese nationals.  Four American citizens were injured, according to the U.S. State Department.   The al Qaida linked al Shabaab group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

From CNN

The operation ticks the boxes that al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri listed in a message published just over a week ago.

1. Ensure the target is Western. The Westgate Mall has several Israeli establishments and is popular with expatriates. Those killed include three British citizens, two French nationals and two Canadians, their governments said. In his September 13 message, al-Zawahiri warned against attacks on non-Western states unless the regime was part of "the American forces." Kenya, with its long tradition of pro-Western governments and close relationships with Western militaries, fits that bill.

2. Take hostages where possible. Al-Zawahiri recommended taking "the citizens of the countries that are participating in the invasion of Muslim countries as hostages so that our prisoners may be freed in exchange."

3. Try to avoid Muslim casualties. Al-Shabaab claimed on its Twitter feed that the gunmen escorted Muslims out of the mall, before turning on the "disbelievers" inside. Witnesses said the gunmen at the Westgate tried to identify Muslims by asking shoppers the name of Mohammed's mother. They shot those who didn't know.

“This will end tonight — our forces will prevail,” the police command center said in a Twitter post. “Kenyans are standing firm against aggression, and we will win.”

Al Qaeda offers bounty for the deaths of Americans in Yemen

Israel remains an island of sanity and stability in a very dangerous neighborhood.  Here's the latest from Yemen:


Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) terrorists have offered a bounty of three kilos of gold, worth $160,000, for the head of Ambassador Gerald Feierstein. Feierstein, a specialist in Near East and South Asian Affairs, entered the Foreign Service in 1975 an has served eight overseas assignments. A smaller bounty — roughly $23,000 — is being offered to anyone who kills a U.S. soldier in Yemen. The incitement to murder were meant to “inspire and encourage our Muslim nation for jihad,” according to a recording produced by Al Qaeda’s media arm and posted on militant websites on Saturday. Jihad, of course, implies an internal struggle. The offer is valid for six months.

“We take these threats very seriously,” said agency spokesman Peter Velasco. “Our embassy in Yemen already operates in a highly sensitive and difficult situation. We continue to support the government, military and people of Yemen.” AQAP mostly homegrown terrorists from Yemen and Saudi Arabia is regarded as the most dangerous branch of the network founded by Osama bin Laden.

In September Al Qaeda terrorists in Libya killed U.S. ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans in the Benghazi.

Flotilla organizers linked to Al Qaeda

Still think the Gaza flotillas were created to deliver essential humanitarian aid?

Turkish media reported Friday that Istanbul-based Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) director Bulent Yildirim has allegedly been transferring funds to al-Qaeda through his organization.

From the J Post

"Turkish legal authorities are investigating allegations that one of the key figures behind the May 2010 Gaza flotilla, Bülent Yildirim, was involved in transferring funds to al-Qaida, Turkish daily Habertürk reported on Friday.

Bülent Yildirim is the president of the IHH, a Turkish charity that was one of the main planners of the Gaza flotilla. On May 31, 2010, IDF commandos raided one of the flotilla vessels attempting to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip, the Mavi Marmara, killing nine Turkish pro-Palestinian activists. While Turkey has accused Israel of unprovoked aggression and demanded an apology for the deaths, Israel maintains that the commandos were confronted by violent IHH terrorists when they boarded the vessel and acted in self defense.

The IHH is widely considered a terrorist organization by a number of bodies - including the Israeli government, and has been accused of maintaining ties with a number of terror organizations.

According to the Habertürk report, special prosecutors in both Istranbul and Diyarbakir are conducting separate investigations into claims that Yildirim has been secretly "providing financial aid to al-Qaida via his foundation."

The IHH, short for the Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (Insani Yardim Vakfi), is an Islamic charity that was founded in the mid-90s to provide aid to Bosnia Muslims. Since then, it has been involved in charity operations in a number of Muslim and Middle Eastern countries, including Indonesia, Pakistan, Iraq, Lebanon and aid missions to the Palestinian territories.

According to the Israeli NGO The Intelligence and Information Center, the IHH is affiliated with Hamas and the Union of the Good, an Islamic umbrella affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood."