Day: January 24, 2010

Sweden rattled by Somali militants in its midst

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

That is the title of this AP story today from Scandinavia  to which 40,000 Somalis have migrated in the last 20 years.   It is the same old story as the one we have become familiar with in American cities, most notably Minneapolis.  The Jihadist group Al-Shabab is recruiting, but apparently the Swedes have even less power to stop them than we do and are thus relying on other Somalis to talk them out of going to Africa.

Al-Shabab, which wants to install strict Islam in Somalia, controls much of the desert nation’s southern region and large parts of the capital. Intelligence officials say it is recruiting foreign fighters, including from the Somali diaspora in Europe and North America. U.S. authorities say as many as 20 recruits have left Minnesota.

In Sweden, police say they can do little to stop them leaving for Somalia unless they can prove that they are conspiring to commit terrorism. Unlike the U.S., Sweden has not put al-Shabab on any terrorism list.

“Legally you can’t prosecute anyone, neither the youth nor those who urged them to go,” said Johnny Lindh, police superintendent in the precinct that includes Rinkeby.

Read it all.

Muslim knife-carrying immigrant enters New York school

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

This scary story is a few days old.  I came upon it last night as I cruised around to some of my favorite sites—including Jihad Watch.

Here is how Robert Spencer at Jihad Watch opens his report on the incident about a man, believed to be a Muslim immigrant with a knife in an elementary school, that occurred in Piermont, near Nyack, NY:

When confronted, according to a source close to the events, he explained that he was lost and was looking for Fort Dix — the site of an attempted jihad attack in 2008. This report offers scant details, and there are apparently few to be had, but I am sure that Abdulrahim Sulaiman just wanted to help slash open the piñata at the school party, or perhaps help cut the lunchmeat at Fort Dix.

Just now as I researched the story, I couldn’t find the reference Mr. Spencer makes regarding Ft. Dix.  That reference is initially what caught my eye because I grew up near Ft. Dix and had visited the area of New York where the school is located and I know they are no where near each other.   Ft. Dix is in south central New Jersey, 95 miles south of the elementary school.  However,  the Tappan Zee elementary school is less than 31 miles down the Hudson River from the US Military Academy at West Point.  If I were investigators I wouldn’t be anxious to let this guy go!

Here then is the story of what happened at the end of last week.  From LoHud.com:

PIERMONT — A Connecticut man found trespassing Wednesday at a South Orangetown elementary school was arrested at a nearby store while carrying a knife, police said.

Abdulrahim Sulaiman, 23, [no hint of his ethnicity, but sounds Somali] of Bridgeport had already entered the main lobby of Tappan Zee Elementary School before 8 a.m. Wednesday, when he was spotted by school officials, police said.

After a call from Principal William Lee, police officers from Piermont and Orangetown arrived and arrested Sulaiman at a nearby convenience store.

Police said Sulaiman was carrying a gravity knife at the time of his arrest. The knife is similar to a switchblade.

In an e-mail to parents, Lee said he had questioned Sulaiman “for a few minutes” before asking him to leave.

No one was injured.

Lee said classes were not canceled, but students and staff were on lockdown while police swept the building.

Sulaiman was charged with third-degree criminal trespass and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, both misdemeanors.

He was being held in the Rockland County jail. Bail was set at $5,000 cash. He is due in court Feb. 3. 

[…..]

It remained unclear why Sulaiman had entered the school.   [Testing us?  Or, missed West Point by 30 miles?]

Another hint to investigators, check the International Institute in Bridgeport, CT, a refugee resettlement agency affiliated with US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, and see if he is one of their recently resettled refugees or students.

Sri Lankan boat people to be resettled

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

This is an update from Australia where a group of 78 Sri Lankan “refugees” (were they Tamils, this article doesn’t say) are being resettled in Australia, Canada and New Zealand after a long stand-off at sea and a temporary home in Indonesia.

Indonesia reportedly told Australia — we aren’t helping you anymore with your illegal immigrant problems!

We first told you about the story, here, in October.  

Below is a portion of the update today:

Jakarta (ANTARA News) – After staying in Riau`s immigration detention center for almost three months, all 78 Sri Lankan immigrants, who had earlier been `rescued` by Australia`s customs vessel Oceanic Viking, have finally left Riau, for third countries, either Australia, Canada or New Zealand.

Escorted by Indonesian foreign ministry and Australian embassy officials, the last batch of the immigrants left Riau on Wednesday (Jan. 20). The 16 immigrants were flown to Jakarta before proceeding to Australia and the Philippines.

“They are the last batch of a total of 78 Sri Lankan immigrants who were accommodated at the Tanjungpinang immigration detention center after they had to get off the Australian vessel Oceanic Viking,” Samsu Rizal, an Indonesian foreign ministry official, said in Tanjungpinang, Riau Province, Wednesday (Jan. 20).

[…..]

The deportation of Sri Lanka refugee in Indonesia to Canada and Australia, he added, was part of the Australian government`s initiative.

He explained the 78 Sri Lankans were allowed to stay on Indonesian territory for some time because Indonesia wanted to help Australia overcome the problem they posed after they were caught trying to reach Australian shores in rickety boats.

“But this will be the last time we are helping Australia deal with its foreign refugee influx problem,” Sujatmiko said adding that Indonesia did not incur any expenditures for the deportation since all the related costs were borne by the United Nations.

[….]

Despite the departure of the 78 refugees, it seems that the foreign immigrant problem is still far from over. [no kidding!]

By the way, I never did hear how the issue of the Tamils landing in Vancouver ended (if it ended).

Rasmussen: 46% of Americans say ‘no’ to more Haitian refugees

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Here is a report from last week (hat tip: Susan) about results of a poll by the Rasmussen group on Haiti.

Authorities are preparing for a potential surge of Haitian refugees to the United States following their country’s horrific earthquake.

Though the surge has yet to materialize, the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that just 31% of Americans believe Haitian refugees should be invited to live here. Forty-six percent (46%) say the refugees should not be invited to live in the United States. Another 22% remain undecided.

They asked many more questions relating to the earthquake crisis, read it all.

Former Congressman, consummate insider lobbyist, Dan Glickman to head Refugees International

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

I guess that is what a lobbying group needs, a lobbyist who knows the ropes in Washington.  And, surely a lobbyist who headed the Motion Picture Association of America is just the ticket to head a refugee organization.  Maybe its Glickman’s old contacts on the Intelligence Committee that commends him for the job.

Refugees International must have a lot of money kicking around to hire this guy, but then again keeping refugees flowing to the US, keeping the climate refugee issue alive, and mucking around in international affairs is a big job.

From the Capital-Journal:

A former 4th Congressional District representative has been named president of Refugees International, the leading advocacy organization on refugee crises worldwide, the agency announced Friday.

Dan Glickman served in the U.S. House of Representatives for 18 years, beginning in 1974. During his time in Congress, he was a member of the House Agriculture Committee, the House Judiciary Committee, and chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

He currently serves as Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America and will start at Refugees International in April.

“While I have truly enjoyed my experience at the MPAA, it is time for me to return to my true passion: public service,” said Mr. Glickman.

“Refugees International has important work to do and I can’t sit on the sidelines as the world sees more and more people forced from their homes every day. I am very excited about this extraordinary opportunity to make a significant difference in the lives of the most vulnerable people in the world.”

Glickman succeeds the late Ken Bacon* who became president of Refugees International in 2001 and led the organization until his death in August.

“I could not be more enthusiastic that Dan has chosen to lead Refugees International,” said Farooq Kathwari**, Chair of Refugees International’s Board of Directors and Chairman and CEO of Ethan Allen.

Readers, if you have any information on Glickman send it our way!

* Political junkies will recall that Ken Bacon was the Pentagon spokesman during the Clinton/Monica Lewinsky scandal who released Linda Tripp’s personel file to the media causing the media to focus their ire on Tripp (to destroy her) which played a role in saving Clinton’s bacon.

** Farooq Kathwari is involved with the Kashmiri separatist movement.  His son died a jihadist in Afghanistan.  Here is just one of several posts on Kathwari.