The Saudi Arabian government now effectively owns a piece of the Austin City Limits Music Festival.
An April 27 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission revealed that the government-run Saudi Public Investment Fund purchased a 5.7 percent stake in Beverly Hills, California-based concert giant Live Nation Entertainment Inc. Live Nation owns a majority stake in Austin-based concert promoter C3 Presents LLC, which runs ACL.
Media reports peg the value of the Saudi deal at $500 million. In picking up nearly 12.4 million shares of stock in publicly traded Live Nation, the Saudi fund now ranks as the company’s third largest stockholder.
In 2014, Live Nation bought a 51 percent stake in C3. With that purchase, reportedly valued at $250 million, Live Nation added ACL, Lollapalooza, and other music festivals to its roster.
We need to start this post off with a confession: Last night, when we first saw this story, we thought there were major implications for Texas at a time of low oil prices. Having had a chance to sleep on it, we don't really think that's the case. Most of the Texas-specific stuff is tangential and through multiple degrees of separation. Texas is really only relevant to this story to the degree that Texas is part of the United States.
That being said, the geopolitical and international implications are mind-boggling. If we were a policy maker at the national level, we would scrutinize that particular Saudi transaction very closely. But geopolitics is no longer our bag.
Bottom Line: Private entities shouldn't receive sweetheart deals to use public assets to produce for-profit events. That's a basic principle and has always been the case. When the private entities in question suddenly suddenly morph to include Saudi wahhabists, however, it raises the stakes. C3's longstanding preferential treatment really ought to receive a fresh look.
(1/2) The horrifying acts of terror in Pittsburgh hit close to home for me, as I am Jewish. We should all be shaken to our core by this latest hate crime, one more of too many.
That's not to say Steve Adler agrees with Ilhan Omar. Steve Adler is all about Steve Adler. He's a crony capitalist who works with the rationalization du jour.
"And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut." Matthew 25:10
[Note: This interview was recorded a week ago. Due to a long series of technical issues, it's taken a week to get the recording in a form where it could be presented to the public. Our friend Chris Williams, of Chris Williams audio, was immensely helpful in that process.]
Irving Mayor Beth Van Duyne is being dismissed from a crumbling defamation lawsuit brought by the father of Ahmed Mohamed, the MacArthur High student who was detained by police in 2015 when a homemade clock he brought to school was mistaken for a bomb.
Attorneys for the teen's father, Mohamed Mohamed, agreed to dismiss Van Duyne from the suit, according to a news release issued Friday from the city of Irving.
The development comes days after District Judge Maricela Moore dismissed Glenn Beck and his network TheBlaze, as well as the Center for Security Policy, a conservative think tank, and executive vice president Jim Hanson.
That being said, anyone who reads this website on a regular basis knows the issues we really care about, and we think it's pretty cool that Irving was able to accomplish this in spite of all the stupid 'clock boy' related nonsense:
If your goal for 2017 is to find a high-paying job in an affordable city, you may want to start your search in Texas or North Carolina. Each state boasts two of the best U.S. cities for job seekers, according to a new study.
NerdWallet found the top 10 cities for job seekers by identifying the places where Americans will find work opportunities and also stretch their paychecks. The study of the 100 largest cities in America factored in federal data on unemployment rates and workforce growth, as well as median earnings and rent costs.
Texas shale oil has fought Saudi Arabia to a standstill
Opec's worst fears are coming true. Twenty months after Saudi Arabia took the fateful decision to flood world markets with oil, it has still failed to break the back of the US shale industry.
The Saudi-led Gulf states have certainly succeeded in killing off a string of global mega-projects in deep waters. Investment in upstream exploration from 2014 to 2020 will be $1.8 trillion less than previously assumed, according to consultants IHS. But this is a bitter victory at best.
North America's hydraulic frackers are cutting costs so fast that most can now produce at prices far below levels needed to fund the Saudi welfare state and its military machine, or to cover Opec budget deficits.
Scott Sheffield, the outgoing chief of Pioneer Natural Resources, threw down the gauntlet last week - with some poetic licence - claiming that his pre-tax production costs in the Permian Basin of West Texas have fallen to $2.25 a barrel.
"Definitely we can compete with anything that Saudi Arabia has. We have the best rock," he said. Revolutionary improvements in drilling technology and data analytics that have changed the cost calculus faster than almost anybody thought possible.
The 'decline rate' of production over the first four months of each well was 90pc a decade ago for US frackers. This dropped to 31pc in 2012. It is now 18pc. Drillers have learned how to extract more.
Mr Sheffield said the Permian is as bountiful as the giant Ghawar field in Saudi Arabia and can expand from 2m to 5m barrels a day even if the price of oil never rises above $55.
"Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor." Romans 13:7
We reported last fall on the anti-Semitic lynch mob that wreaked havoc in the classroom of an Israeli UT professor. A week later, we discussed how we were cautiously optimistic about the administration's response. Well, credit where it's due, the final investigation has fully absolved the professor:
The university, however, undertook a lengthy investigation spearheaded by its Office for Inclusion and Equity, whose investigators interviewed 18 witnesses and reviewed the video. Its verdict: Pedahzur's conduct and remarks did not violate the university's polices concerning harassment and discrimination. Since the incident last November 13, Pedahzur's career had been under a cloud. He had to hire a lawyer.
University spokesman have declined to say if Nabulsi and his cohorts are facing disciplinary actions for making false accusations; state and federal privacy statues prevent them from doing so. But in reading between the lines, it can be inferred that the dean of student's office is now dealing with the matter.
Let's hope that the backbone demonstrated by professors and administrators at the University of Texas will set a precedent for how universities ought to deal with leftist bullies.
"Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world." 1 Peter 5:9
We've never declared a "Texan of the Year" in previous years. We make no commitment to do so again in future years. That being said, in 2015 one Texas elected official's grace under vicious fire merits special commendation.
At the same time, American Laws for American Courts was under consideration in the Texas Legislature. Given the identity of one particular lobbyist working against the bill, we knew Joe Straus would never let it pass. Still, as part of that process, the Irving City Council passed a non-binding resolution supporting the legislative effort.
And that's when all hell broke loose.
Following the support resolution, Beth van Duyne was viciously attacked; at the next city council meeting, Islamists almost provoked a riot:
Following the commotion during the spring, things seemed to calm down...until the stupid clock kid showed up.
In September, the son of an Jihadist operative who had formerly run for President of Sudan (yes, THAT Sudan) dumped the insides of an alarm clock into a suitcase and brought the contents to school. Given the similarity (at least at first glance) between clock kid's 'invention' and a suitcase bomb, he was detained temporarily while authorities investigated. When he was released later that afternoon, rather than moving on from the mild inconvenience, clock kid ran to the SJW lynch mob shrieking about 'Islamophobia.'
While clock kid was visiting the White House and genocidal foreign dictators, Beth van Duyne was left to pick up the pieces in Irving. In so doing, she was subjected to vile abuse. Nevertheless, Beth van Duyne persevered. By the end of the year, crime was down, taxes and spending were down, and jobs were up.
Life isn't fair, and the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune can ensnare anyone. At the beginning of 2015, Beth van Duyne was an obscure elected official in a medium sized city. She never sought international spotlight. Still, when global jihadists thrust that spotlight upon her, Beth van Duyne rose to the occasion. She refused to be intimidated. Like this website, Beth van Duyne has ALSO endorsed Matt Rinaldi's re-election. For these reasons, Cahnman's Musings is pleased to make Irving Mayor Beth van Duyne our 2015 TEXAN OF THE YEAR!!!
Last week, we reported on the anti-Semitic lynch mob that wreaked havoc in a class at U.T. ten days ago. Considering the history, we didn't think anything good would come from the administration's response. We stand corrected:
Amidst the current controversy concerning the disruption of an academic lecture sponsored by the Institute for Israel Studies, I want to reiterate my deep admiration for the work of Professor Ami Pedahzur and the Institute for Israel Studies in conducting courses and public programming that represent the highest standard of academic discourse and dispassionate reasoning and research on a controversial subject of enormous importance. Students and faculty of every background, including Palestinians and Israelis alike, have enthusiastically received Prof. Pedahzur’s courses and his supervision of undergraduate and graduate research.
Although reviews are still ongoing, I wish to emphasize that there are places on campus for responsibly discussing disagreements. Disruption of a visiting scholar’s invited academic lecture violates principles of academic freedom and free speech that are crucial to our mission as a great university.
Well...we certainly weren't expecting THAT response!!!
Bottom Line: We still think the students should be expelled, but this statement in support of the Israeli professor is a VERY good start; in words we never thought we would publish on this website, kudos to Greg Fenves and Randy Diehl....
Last Friday, hours before the attack in Paris, a U.T. professor was about to begin a class lecture about the Israeli Defense Forces; Legal Insurrection reports from there:
It just happened again at UT-Austin on November 13, 2015, but the video has just been posted. Twelve members of the Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC) disrupted a public event hosted by Professor Ami Pedahzur of UT’s Institute for Israeli Studies titled “The Origin of a Species: The Birth of the Israeli Defense Forces’ Military Culture.” The invited guest speaker was Dr. Gil-Li Vardi from Stanford University.
The protesters and the anti-Israel propaganda machine including the national Students for Justice in Palestine are trying to turn the perpetrators into victims, with a video release being shared on Facebook and YouTube. The students not only disrupted the speech, when Prof. Pedahzur and another person (not clear if a professor or just a member of the audience) tried to get them to stop, they increased the volume of their chants calling for the destruction of Israel and “Long Live the Intifada”.
Astonishingly, even the pro-jihad faction's heavily doctored video couldn't hide their activities:
Highlights:
Pro-jihad students don't wait for Q&A like any rational person would.
Author's note: As someone who's attended plenty of events at U.T. where we were in the ideological minority, we have ALWAYS been able to ask questions and express our views during the Q&A period at the end of the event; the fact that these folks don't have the courtesy to wait until Q&A illustrates their lack of interest in a productive discussion.
"We don't want to listen."
Blah, blah, "crimes against the Palestinian people."
"Long live the intifada...."
"We want '48, we don't want two states...."
Author's note: The modern state of Israel was founded in 1948.
Bottom Line: If Greg Fenves had ANYcojones, he would expel these morons. That won't happen. Still, interesting time to be pushing a tuition hike....
I never thought that I would find myself writing this letter. In fact, I never imagined that my academic research on terrorism and my administrative role as the Director of the Institute for Israel Studies would coincide in such a chilling way.
Less than forty eight hours after the horrific attacks in Paris, I feel that it is my responsibility to ask you to join me in an attempt to confront the radicalization process on campuses and to protect students staff and faculty members from intimidation and violence.
On Friday, November the 13th, 2015, our institute hosted Dr. Gil-Li Vardi from Stanford University who kindly accepted our invitation to present her thought provoking study on ‘The Birth of the Israeli Defense Forces Military Culture’.
As any scholar and student of Israel knows, or should know Israeli scholars in the humanities and the social sciences are known for their innovative, critical and thought provoking works. Since the formation of our Institute we committed to cultivate this exact type of atmosphere.
We are very proud of the outstanding scholars who visited us and taught for us over the years. Moreover, we are committed to supporting students who come to UT to learn Arabic, one of Israel’s two formal languages, in the successful Summer Institute that our colleagues Dr. Kristen Brustad and Dr. Mahmoud Al-Batal established. We hope that in the future we will be able to invite students from the Arab World to study Hebrew in the same way.
Additionally, we are working closely with Palestinian scholars in developing joint research and teaching initiatives.
On a more personal level, over the last 11 years I was teaching courses on terrorism and Israel. I have always been gratified by the fact that Arab and Muslim students took my classes and very often were among the most engaged and enthusiastic students.
Throughout the years, I never had a single incident in which a student of any faith or background expressed dissatisfaction with the contents of the courses or with the classroom’s climate.
Thus, the events of the last 48 hours have been very disheartening. When I first saw a group of young men and women all wearing keffiyehsentering the seminar room and taking seats, I was delighted.
None of our numerous events have ever been interrupted. I had no reason to assume that the members of this particular group did not come to listen to the speaker and engage in an academic conversation.
Naively, I felt that we were finally achieving our goal of turning UT into a beacon of pluralistic and open debate about these contentious issues.
Little did I know.
This event required RSVPs so we could order a sufficient number of box lunches. Although these attendees did not RSVP, I invited them to eat and make themselves comfortable.
As soon as I introduced the speaker the whole group stood up as one and formed a human wall at the back of the room.
Many of them pulled out their cell phones and started recording and taking pictures.
Then their leader, who I later learned is a UT Law student named Mohammed Nabulsi, attempted to hijack the event.
It is important to pause here for a second and underscore the fact that Mr. Nabulsi’s online name is Georges Abdallah, of the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Factionswho murdered American Lieutenant Colonel Charles R. Ray, and Israeli diplomat Yaakov Bar-Simantov in Paris, France in the summer of 1982.
After some more research we learned the Nabulsi was not the only member of the group who assumed the identity of a murderer online. For example Mr. Patrick Higgins, a former student in my graduate seminar, who recently completed his MA in Middle East Studies, refers to himself as Edward Despard a British officer of Irish descent, who radicalized, joined the Irish rebellion and plotted to assassinate King George III.
Back to Friday’s events. Nabulsi began to read his message, while his friends stood behind him holding the Palestinian Flag. His act was disruptive and offensive.
Among many other things, he claimed that he knew everything about our speaker and referred to her as war criminal due to her service in the IDF.
At that point, I still believed that I could convince Mr. Nabulsi to calm down and engage in a constructive discussion.
However, neither he nor his followers, showed any interest in talking to us. Rather, they argued that they refuse to talk to Israelis who are all war criminals.
Mr. Nabulsi’s followers seemed very agitated and started yelling ‘Free Palestine’ and ‘Long live the Intifada’. We were left with no alternative but to call UTPD.
Meanwhile, I kept on telling them that based on their comments, they seem to know nothing about the history and politics of Israel and Palestine and I pleaded with them to stay and listen. I stood in front of Mr. Nabulsi in an attempt to make him shout directly at my face.
I didn’t touch Nabulsi. Quite the contrary, his followers who surrounded him started pushing me around. A minute or two later they suddenly left.
I was asked by a police officer to describe the events and also asked if I wanted to press charges. I believed that students should enjoy the freedom to learn and shape their views. Hence, I declined. Rather, I asked the officer to invite the protesters back as I was interested in opening a channel of communication with them.
(Update: On Saturday, after learning that these individuals use the names of known terrorists online, we pressed charges. On that day someone using unknown number left a threatening message on our voicemail).
Later that evening, as the news from Paris was arriving, I received several emails indicating that the group had executed a carefully planned media campaign.
Ignoring the horrific news from France, they launched a social media blitz that was a complete lie.
Mr. Nabulsi, for example, wrote an inciting and self-serving message.
Using a heavily edited picture in which we are facing each other, he described himself as the victim and me as the aggressor.
He probably didn’t stop for a second to look closely at the picture. While I seem very calm his expression is extremely aggressive and hateful.
He also failed to mention that we were surrounded by his followers who were pushing me back.
Moreover, he promised to release a video that according to his argument would prove that I escalated the situation. I assume that in order to release such a video the group needs to dedicate many hours to careful doctoring.
(Update: On Sunday, after 48 hours of editing, they released a heavily doctored video with slides that offer false description of the event. The actual footage discredits their narrative completely.)
Initially, I thought that the members of the group had a genuine interest in human rights and justice. Gradually, I realized that they are part of a group who have a long history of launching manipulative campaigns that aim at intimidating and terrorizing those who they perceive as their enemies.
What I saw was a tight group of young men and women who follow a charismatic leader who admire a notorious murderer. After spending two decades of learning how people turn to terrorism, I fear that what I witnessed on Friday should raise many red flags.
(Update: On Sunday night, after learning that their terrorist pseudonyms were unveiled, the facebook accounts went offline)
I believe in the First Amendment and in full academic freedom. However, neither the law nor its moral foundation protects coercion or direct attempts to impede freedom of speech and academic discourse.
We cannot let such individuals terrorize us.
I appeal to my friends and colleagues as well as to students and individuals who believe in freedom to stand up and counter this campaign of terror and intimidation.
Ami Pedahzur
I am writing this in response to the recent case of Ahmed Mohamed. I am an American-born Muslim and resident of Irving since 1994. Both my siblings and, recently, my niece have all graduated from MacArthur. Since January 2015, my son has also attended the school.
Never through any one of my family members’ experiences have I heard of an act of prejudice or racism against them from MacArthur staff. In my own experience with staff, from Principal Daniel Cummings to the front office, counselors and math and science teachers, I have only been treated with kindness and respect.
The concerned public should be aware of the recent shootings on Aug. 29 in southern Irving by two students attending other high schools in Irving. It is no wonder that teachers and staff are on high alert. In this day and age, can we take any safety for granted?
I implore the concerned public not to judge MacArthur and its staff so quickly. Just as America-loving Muslims hope that we may not be judged as terrorists, we must also not be quick to judge this school as being racist. There is always more to the story than meets the eye.
Fatema Biviji, South Irving
Keep in mind, this was written before we knew the full story about the "clock" or the father.
Months ago, ISIS took over the town of Mosul, Iraq. Christians, Yazidis and other religious minorities were driven out of their homes by fear. ISIS systematically killed men, women and children without pity.
Many of the women and young girls are being held hostage for enslavement and sexual purposes. In captivity, they also suffer from malnutrition and physical abuse causing their overall health to deteriorate at an alarming rate. They are held in the worst conditions, often forced to sleep in cages. The women and children are then sold like cattle in markets as sex slaves to ISIS fighters and militants.
Some of these children are as young as 8 years old. Not only are they at the mercy of the fighters, but also of the men still residing in Mosul; men of various ages, in some cases over 60 years of age. The rapes, abuse, and brutality they suffer at the hands of their captors are beyond imagination.
There are many reports of owners that have decapitated innocent children and women because they refused to perform certain sexual acts. Those who comply are repeatedly beaten and serve as sex slaves to their owners, as well as their friends and guests, hardly ever limited to one predator at a time.
Many young adolescents are sold to brothels, where they are raped 30 to 40 times a day by ISIS fighters. The U.N reports that ISIS militants have forced overly abused sex slaves to undergo virginity restoration surgery, up to 20 times after being raped and sold. This type of female genital mutilation is gaining popularity as these young girls may command premium prices on the market.
....
While we sit in the comfort of our homes, young children and women are being used as commodities, being raped and beaten at the mercy of ISIS. We hear about decapitations, about the gruesome murders, about the innumerable rapes, yet, we feel so far removed from it as it seems so far from OUR reality, as if it is stemming from a horror movie. THIS IS THE REALITY that they are facing in the world WE live in. What if someone had told Oscar Schindler that what he tried to do in the time of the Holocaust was incomprehensible and impossible? Nothing is impossible. The price of a child's life to remove them from the hands of ISIS is between $1000-$3000. We, as avid consumers, spend that money on gadgets and tools. Why not spend that money to SAVE A LIFE? It is thanks to highly placed contacts in Iraq that we were able to put in place a structure to liberate and assist the freed Christian and Yazidi women and children. We are able to say with assurance that the mission was very successful. In the short period of time since January 2015. In not even a year, CYCI has been able to release 102 women and children, bringing them to safety, and giving them a chance at a life that is worth living. They were escorted to a secure location in Northern Iraq where short-term shelter, food, and medical care was provided. Assistance was then offered to help them relocate and rebuild their lives. Our highly reputable referrals are authentic and if you wish to ask a question, do not hesitate to e-mail us at liberationiraq@gmail.com. A prompt answer will be given. With your continued help and support, we will be able to continue liberating more women and children than we already have, removing them from this living hell. YOU can make a difference.
Unfortunately, there are thousands left in this situation. I cannot turn away from all the others after such positive results.
Irving City Hall -- Recently, theBlaze reported on a Sharia court operating in Irving, TX. For obvious reasons, the Irving City Council subsequently passed a resolution in support of the American Laws for American Courts bill currently stalled in the Texas House. Last night, the Irving City Council heard a second round of public testimony on the resolution.
For the most part, the event went as smoothly as anything this controversial could. While the local CBS affiliate gave obnoxiously sycophantic coverage to one disruptive gentleman, that man's conduct was the exception rather than the rule. Kudos to Irving Mayor Beth van Duyne for keeping the meeting on-topic and professional.
Something about Ms. Salem's testimony didn't seem right to us. In addition, we were fairly certain we'd previously heard of her. Thus, we ran her name through Google.
Before we even hit enter, this is what the Google search revealed:
Then, for good measure, we clicked through the first link:
Which makes it official: She's with CAIR.
Following Ms. Salem's accusation of "death threats" the Irving Police Chief and Mayor van Duyne responded:
To summarize: An operative with an unindicted co-conspirator in the largest Terrorism case in American History failed to identify herself as such. She then made a false accusation in an attempt to elicit sympathy. That's a very interesting vignette into how Islamists operate (especially in places like Texas).
"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them." Ephesians 5:11
Following last week's "Texas Muslim Day" kerfuffle, Austin police chief Art Acevedo held a press conference with local Islamic leaders to "condemn radicals in [the Islamic] Faith":
So far so good, who doesn't condemn Islamic radicals?!?
Where this gets interesting, however, is when you consider the local 'leaders' Acevedo invited:
It was a show of unity. Muna Hussaini with Nueces Mosque of Austin said they want the community to know they are regular people doing regular things like everyone else in Austin. Hussaini was joined Tuesday by others from Austin's Muslim community to condemn radicals who claim to be followers of the same faith.
[Author's Note: Emphasis added.]
And who, pray tell, founded the Nueces Street Mosque?!?
"The Mosque on Nueces St. was established in March 1977 by the Muslim Student Association at the University of Texas."
Furthermore, the UT-MSA's website reveals a joint event between the two organizations scheduled for next week:
The history of the MSA speaks from itself, as good friend of this website Erick Stackelbeck explained in 2011:
Next, let's take a look at the Imam of Nueces mosque:
And in which "parts of the world" did he study "for thirteen years"?!?
"He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan, where he studied under some of the greatest living scholars of our time."
So he studied "under some of the greatest living scholars of our time in Karachi, Pakistan?!? Gee, how reassuring. But wait, it gets better....
"Puneet Madaan, a frequent commenter here on Money Jihad and no stranger to our readers, recently sent in a link about IjaraLoans.com, a Michigan-based sharia compliant lender. After clicking on IjaraLoans.com’s online tool to “Chat With A Scholar”, Puneet noticed the name of their scholar is Sheikh Mohammed-Umer Esmail. He also found that Sheikh Mohammed-Umer Esmail has led prayers with UT Austin’s Muslim Student Association."
[Author's Note: This post is long enough without getting into a separate dissertation on Sharia compliant finance; suffice to say it's really, really bad news.]
Bottom Line: In a press conference called to 'rebuke' Islamic extremism, Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo invited a representative from a local mosque with ties to terrorist front groups whose Imam studied in Pakistan; way to go Chief....
-----
One final note: Cahnman's Musings would like to congratulate Fox 7, KEYE, and KXAN for missing this obvious angle in their reporting on yesterday's event.
She didn't have a problem with the original event until she learned it was sponsored by CAIR.
CAIR was recently designated one of 82 terrorist organizations by the United Arab Emirates.
"This caused a lot of alarm when I learned who was behind this group coming on January 29th."
"It's also worth noting that the Texas state spokesman for CAIR, in 2013 on the steps of our Capitol, made a statement saying that if we are practicing Muslims we are above the law of the land."
"Knowing that CAIR is associated with Terrorism caused me a lot of concern."
"Before I could elaborate...it had already gone viral."
Kudos to Rep. White for refusing to be bullied by the politically correct thought police and the attendant useful idiots who parroted their their talking points.
"For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace, And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, And her salvation as a lamp that burns." Isaiah 62:1
The other day, Ted Cruz floated Joe Lieberman's name for defense secretary. This move simultaneously offers an olive branch to Mitch McConnell while alienating Barack Obama from his base. It's flippin' brilliant.
With one (possible) exception, Joe Lieberman is a unifying figure for Republicans. His nomination would enable Republicans to take the moral high ground in the Kabuki theater of D.C.'s "bipartisan outreach." How can a Democrat President oppose a Democrat nominee on whom the U.S. Senate majority has already signed off?!?
But here's the rub: the Left HATES Joe Lieberman. Should Republicans rally around him, it would force Obama to either publicly reject "bipartisan compromise" or throw his party's 2016 nominating process into chaos. Making Hillary Clinton squirm though this process is a bonus.
On the substance, Lieberman is probably the least crappy person we can get as SecDef for the next two years. He's hardly our first choice, but he's a solid pick for mop-up duty in a lame duck Democrat administration. He's also a gigantic step forward from Chuck Hagel.
Rallying behind Joe Lieberman is a consequence free way to inflict pain on Barack Obama. It unifies Republicans. Simultaneously, it divides Democrats on an issue too complicated for the average person to follow. However he reacts, Obama loses. Kudos to Senator Cruz for the idea.
"Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass." Psalm 37:7
A Clarion Project investigation has discovered a jihadist enclave in Texas where a deadly shooting took place in 2002. Declassified FBI documents obtained by Clarion confirm the find and show the U.S. government’s concern about its links to terrorism. The investigation was completed with help from ACT! For America Houston.
The enclave belongs to the network of Muslims of the Americas, a radical group linked to a Pakistani militant group called Jamaat ul-Fuqra. Its members are devoted followers of Sheikh Mubarak Ali Gilani, an extremist cleric in Pakistan.
....
Terror Enclave: “Mahmoudberg, Texas”
The MOA compound in Texas, described by the FBI as an “enclave” and “communal living site,” is in Brazoria county along County Road 3 near Sweeny. It was discovered by the FBI due to a tip from an informant in New York.
The MOA referred to its Texas commune as “Mahmoudberg” in online instructions for a parade in New York in 2010. A posting on an Islamic message board in 2005 advertised a speaking engagement in Houston by someone from Mahmoudberg.
According to the reports, the commune is seven to 10 acres large, is in an “extremely wooded area” and two or three trailer homes moved there in December 2001. However, ACT members visited the area as part of Clarion’s investigation and interviewed one nearby local who confidently said it is closer to 25 acres in size and spoke of a presence dating back to the late 1980s.
“The area is so rural it is quite common for residents to shoot firearms for target practice or hunting on private property without interference from law enforcement,” one FBI report states.
Locals told the ACT members that they haveShells found in the area of MOA's 'Mahmoudberg' enclave in TexasShells found in the area of MOA's 'Mahmoudberg' enclave in Texas heard gunfire coming from the commune. Pictures of shells from the area are posted to the right:
The FBI reported in 2007 that one commune resident used to be a leader at the MOA commune in Badger, California. The site was called "Baladullah." In March 2001, one of the Baladullah members was arrested for transporting guns between New York and South Carolina. Another was charged with murdering a police deputy that caught him breaking and entering a home.
Interviewed residents all agreed that the MOA members are private, yet when the ACT members were spotted in the area, they were immediately and repeatedly approached. At one point, a commune resident gave them a final warning to leave, despite the fact that they were not trespassing or harassing MOA members.
“It was definitely very threatening and menacing,” an ACT member told me.
Multiple sources confirmed that one resident of the commune is a police officer. According to a nearby neighbor, one of the MOA members used to drive trucks for the U.S. Army in Kuwait.
The commune is also linked to a non-profit called the Muslim Model Community of Texas. Members travel to Houston to worship at the MOA Dawah Center that is linked to another organization called First Muslims of Texas.
And how would you get to Minute Maid Park from Sweeny, TX (assuming the Astros one day start drawing enough fans to become a legit mass casualty target)?!?
The MOA presence in Texas is not limited to the Mahmoudberg commune near Sweeny. As mentioned, the MOA utilizes a dawah (outreach) center in Houston for activities. The declassified FBI documents show that the extremist group has been in Texas since the 1980s.
On October 11, 1991, a federal search warrant for three suspects was issued after a MOA/Jamaat-ul-Fuqra bomb plot in Toronto was foiled. A nearly 45-acre “compound” about 70 miles south of Dallas was raided. The location may have been near Corsicana, as another FBI document mentions that about seven MOA members purchased property in that area.
The suspects managed to flee on October 5-6 before the raid took place. Their children also suddenly disappeared from school. The feds found four mobile homes, three military, general-purpose tents and six vehicles. Loose ammunition, books on counter-terrorism techniques and weaponry and various items with “Jamaat Fuqra Land” written on them were discovered.
They also found surveillance photos of a post office building and the Greenhead Station in Los Angeles, leading authorities to suspect that attacks on these sites were planned.
MOA activities in Texas continued after the October 1991 raid. Two FBI documents from 1992 mention that MOA members in the state were using false aliases, social security numbers and birth certificates.
