Only Muslim Extremists Get Upset About Cartoons

Good line, purportedly from Jon Stewart: Obama is not upset about the cartoon that calls him a Muslim extremist. Who gets upset about cartoons? Muslim extremists. via Steve Garfield. See "New Yorker Obama Terrorist Cover" for background and commentary on the story. UPDATE:  Amusingly, I see via Memeorandum, the hubbub goes on.  Obama is continuing to beat this dead horse: Democrat Barack Obama said ...

Sarkozy Vows to Punish Gun-Toting Rioters

"French President Nicolas Sarkozy vowed Wednesday that rioters who shot at police during a flare-up of Paris suburban unrest would be severely punished," AFP reports. Strikes me as a good idea. Via OTB News.

Race Riots and Assimilation

Over at The Glittering Eye, Dave Schuler extends the argument he's made in the comments of my tongue-in-cheek post on the fact that the media continues to ignore the ethnic-religious component of the rioting in France. He argues that the problem goes beyond religion and is ultimately about assimilation and "giving the descendants of immigrants a stake ...

86 Police Officers Hurt in French Youth Riots

The rioting youths in France have injured 86 police officers, several seriously, with some youths vowing to continue until there are deaths. The number of police officers injured during clashes by French youths in a suburb north of Paris rose to 86 after a second bout of violence overnight in which 60 officers were hurt, including six who are in serious ...

Rioting in Paris after Muslim Youths Killed

Rioting has been ongoing in the Paris suburbs for hours after the deaths of two teenagers in what appears to be an accidental crash with a police vehicle. Details are a bit sketchy in the early reports. "Riot grips Paris suburb after youths killed in police crash," AFP French police were on alert Monday for a new flare-up of ...

German Terrorist Plot Foiled

German and U.S. authorities have thwarted what a massive Islamist terrorist plot against about to be launched against American targets in Germany. FT's Hugh Williamson: German security forces have prevented a terror attack in Germany that could have been more deadly than the Madrid and London bombings, top security officials said on Wednesday. Police on Tuesday arrested three men who had planned simultaneous ...

Pakistan Minister Says Rushdie Knighthood Justifies Terrorism

Pakistani Religious Affairs Minister Ijaz-ul-Haq declared that terrorism was "justified" in response to Salman Rushdie being awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth. Pakistan demanded on Monday that Britain withdraw a knighthood awarded to author Salman Rushdie, as a government minister said the honour gave a justification for suicide attacks by Muslims. Angry protesters in several cities torched British flags and beat them ...

Failed States Index 2007

Foreign Policy has published the latest edition of The Failed States Index 2007. It is not a cause for celebration: Few encouraging signs emerged in 2006 to suggest the world is on a path to greater peace and stability. The year began with violent protests that erupted from Indonesia to Nigeria over the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet ...

Royal Warns of Violence if Sarkozy Wins

Segolene Royal is trailing badly in the polls going into today's run-off for France's presidency. So she warned that violence would break out if Nicolas Sarkozy wins. Socialist opponent Segolene Royal said on Friday that France risks violence and brutality if her opponent right-winger Nicolas Sarkozy wins Sunday's presidential election. On the last day of official campaigning, opinion polls showed ...

Al Qaeda Declares France Enemy

Al Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahri has joined the Islamist war against France. Al-Qaida has for the first time announced a union with an Algerian insurgent group that has designated France as an enemy, saying they will act together against French and American interests. Current and former French officials specializing in terrorism said Thursday that an al-Qaida alliance with the Salafist Group ...