Free Republic

Groups representing retirees, corporate executives and small-business owners are mounting a furious last-minute lobbying effort in support of a $700 billion rescue plan for the financial markets. Leaders of the AARP, the Business Roundtable and the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) said their own members have increasingly called or e-mailed their Washington offices to relate stories about how the financial crisis is affecting them. The dramatic stock slide on Monday after the House rejected the bailout plan depleted retirement accounts, for example. Small businesses, meanwhile, have had trouble refinancing loans for important business supplies. Those personal accounts are being...

The financial panic has opened a new front in Barack Obama's supposed war on lobbyists. "We're here," Mr. Obama said this week by way of explaining the cause of our financial problems, "because for too long, the doors of Washington have been thrown open to an army of lobbyists and special interests." Talk like this is political elevator music: fuzzy and more or less constant. Yet there's a reason promises to transform the ways of Washington keep coming. To wit, would-be saviors like Mr. Obama are never willing to discipline themselves and their allies, only some other guy who...

Obama site moderator also calls pro-Clinton group “virulent” We are no longer talking about the Obama campaign’s tolerance of user-generated hate speech at My.BarackObama.com, which is reprehensible enough. We are now talking about official statements from the official campaign staffers who moderate and administer the site.We reported previously (http://www.israpundit.com/2008/?p=1714) that Emily, an Obama campaign staffer who moderates My.BarackObama.com, counseled a user to use “Israel Lobby” instead of “Jewish Lobby.” The Obama campaign apparently felt that it had to delete a verbatim quote from one of its own staffers after it appeared here and elsewhere. A screen shot of the posting...

BREAKING SCANDAL: Obama Campaign Approved “Israel Lobby” Terminology …possibly as code for “Jewish Lobby” A My.BarackObama.com user re-posted the following E-mail (http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/emk/gG5VZB) he received from a site administrator or moderator, who is therefore an official representative of Barack Obama’s campaign. Emily is obviously counseling EMK to use “Israel Lobby” (the title of Walt and Mearsheimer’s infamous book) as code for “Jewish Lobby.” Hi [EMK], Thank you so much for your involvement in the My.BarackObama online community. Your voice is valued here; however, we were forced to remove your recent blog post that referred to the “Jewish lobby.” Please use the...

Those members of congress who are Christian, have voted more towards the right wing of the Republican Party, and have indicated extremist ideas that are detrimental to our remaining a secular society united by common “American” beliefs and values. Instead, they have become very divisive rather than uniting and have contributed to the vehement rhetoric that seems to pervade our public discourse. They would rather pander to those evangelicals that have taken up the mantle of representing “true” American values. However, those same values allowed Christian Cavalrymen to massacre Native Americans, slavery, and the lynching of African Americans by white...

I have it on good authority that radicals within the powerful rightwing Jewish Lobby including [AIPAC] American Israel Public Affairs Committee are vexed, frustrated and displeased with Barack Obama's refusal to accept special interest money and consequentially seek his crucifixion. The concern is that the Senator's policy prevents them from exerting influence or extracting favor from his administration should he become the next President in these United States of America. In an effort to allay their fears, Senator Obama has offered his assurance that if elected, an Obama administration would not be a foe- yet this does not seem to...

AIPAC's Lack of Cojones About Senator Obama Last week during the Shavuot holiday I spoke to some people who were present at Senator Barack Obama's speech at AIPAC. Before he spoke attendees were reminded that Obama was their guest and that he should be treated as a respected guest, a not so hidden warning not to confront Obama with the truth about his false support of Israel. But once he made his pronouncement of an undivided Israeli capitol of Jerusalem. Of course he waited till after he left the convention to back off that pledge. AIPAC has never shirked its...

“How the Jewish Lobby Works,” (http://tinyurl.com/5m545r) posted by Juan Carlos from Knoxville Tennessee at Barack Obama’s Web site. This is not the first posting of this type from Mr. Carlos... This is important because it shows that Mr. Carlos is not a fly by night agent provacateur who is posting the most offensive possible material at Obama’s Web site to make Obama look bad. …NO LOBBY IS FEARED MORE or catered to by politicians than the Jewish Lobby. If a politician does not play ball with the Jewish Lobby, he will not get elected, or re-elected, and he will either...

Faced with a national outcry over the high price of gasoline and soaring profits for energy companies, the oil and gas industry is waging an unusually pricey campaign to burnish its image. The American Petroleum Institute, the industry's main lobby, has embarked on a multiyear, multimedia, multimillion-dollar campaign, which includes advertising in the nation's largest newspapers, news conferences in many state capitals and trips for bloggers out to drilling platforms at sea. The intended audience is elected officials and the public, with an emphasis on the latter. The industry is trying to convince voters -- who, in turn, will make...

William Daroff is vice president for public policy and director of the Washington office at United Jewish Communities, an organization representing America's Jewish federations. In other words, he's a lobbyist. Daroff is also one of the country's better-connected Jewish operatives. In recent months, he has been called upon to moderate dozens of panels aimed at Jewish activists and professionals, dealing with the hot topic of the day: the 2008 election and the Jewish community. This election has reignited an old debate: Which party is better for Israel—the Republicans or the Democrats? Assuming that Jewish voters care about this question, the...

“Alan from Upland CA” has finally stepped up to challenge Tony Wicher’s anti-Semitic hate speech at Barack Obama’s official Web site. ...Alan replies to Mr. Wicher’s “Obama’s Jewish Problem” as follows. Obama’s sanction of Wicher’s commentary, plus his unbelieveable cowardice (heck, he all but called Abraham Lincoln a “Racist”) in denouncing the Black Nazi Wright is enough of a turn-off. Wicher just adds more fuel to the fire. Could have been set by David Duke or Farrakhan... ...Tony Wicher’s and Desmond Tutu’s terminology for Zionists and even Jews is identical to material from David Duke’s Web site. Again, all this...

Wicher repeatedly refers to Israel as an apartheid state, and in fact claims that Israel’s treatment of Palestinian Authority Arabs is “worse than apartheid.” ...He dismisses any who call his claims of Israeli “apartheid” anti-Semitic as members of the “Zionist thought police.”

I have been discussing the Jewish/Israel lobbies in the US. Today I received the weekly letter from MJ Rosenberg of the Israel Policy Forum entitled After Bush. He advises that notwithstanding how important the resolution of the Arab/Israel conflict is, that "Other than mouthing the usual pieties about standing with Israel, candidates approach the issue with the proverbial ten foot pole." True enough. He tells why. Although most voters, and certainly most voters who care about Israel, favor active diplomacy to end the conflict, the loudest voices on this issue tend to be fervent supporters of the status quo. They...

Tony Wicher’s “My Favorite Antisemite” at the Official Website of Barack Obama 2008 Presidential Campaign attacks the Zionist Thought Police and then quotes Desmond Tutu, who suggests that the “powerful Jewish Lobby” will fall like Hitler, Mussolini, Idi Amin, and other dictators. When circulating this story to your associates, please keep the following in mind: (1) This is Barack Obama’s official campaign site, and it is under his editorial control. (2) Tony Wicher’s material cannot be written off as a hit and run smear job by a Republican or Clinton operative. His point score, a measurement of his activity at...

The utterly charming thing about the Zionist Thought Police is their apparent inability to restrain themselves, even from the very excesses that will prove to be their own undoing. Having asked sane and rational people to believe that Jimmy Carter is a Holocaust denier simply for pointing out the obvious about the apartheid regime Israel maintains in the occupied territories, the same crew now want us to believe that Archbishop Desmond Tutu is an anti-Semite. “But you know as well as I do that, somehow, the Israeli government is placed on a pedestal [in the U.S.], and to criticize it...

In a society built on the free exchange of ideas, as Walt and Mearsheimer point out, one answer can be found by looking at the many self-appointed gatekeepers, such as Abraham Foxman and the Anti-Defamation League, or Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz, who use their Jewish identity as both a shield and cudgel. They work diligently to silence those who question ill-conceived policies of the Israeli and U.S. governments. Non-Jewish critics, even former President Carter, are denounced as anti-Semites. Special ire is reserved for Jewish dissenters, who are branded as “self-hating” or “marginal,” while Muslim and Arab-Americans are easily smeared...

Barackobama.com is Barack Obama’s official Web site, and the content is under his editorial control. The following items are entirely consistent with the Trinity United Church of Christ’s promotion of Hamas and a blood libel that accuses Israel of developing an “ethnic bomb” to kill Arabs and Black people.[Screen shot of page with Barack Obama's picture at the top that touts Walt's and Mearsheimer's "The Israel Lobby."] “Free Palestine” at BarackObama.com says the following. For 58 years Washington has ignored the Palestinian rights. These are people who were displaced from their homes and suppressed by the apartheid control of Israel....

Following up on my article Liberal Jews support Obama in part because they blame the Jews too in which I pointed out that "progressive Jews" were naturally allies of Obama, I came upon this Prospect Magazine article by Gershom Gorenberg entitled A Liberal Jewish Lobby The power of the "Israel Lobby" in the US is hard to measure exactly. But its hawkish positions do conflict with the views, and interests, of most American Jews. So why isn't there a more dovish lobby to counter it? One is, finally, about to be unveiled. More on that is reported in Aim of...

Obama's Sunday 2 24 08 speech to ~100 members of the Jewish Community in Cleveland ...It will serve as the BASIS for successful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which is at the basis of the 'Neocon Wars for Israel' that BushCheney and the Israel Lobby have been having us fight. Obama has split the Likud/Neocon war criminals from Jews of Conscience everywhere and broken down the walls for ME Peace. Thank you, Barack, and Samantha - YAHOO!!! ...This is it - this is what we need - these are the conceptual underpinnings for the end of the 'war on terror'...

"The Parents Television Council has berated the Entertainment Software Association and the videogames industry at large for trying to "buy influence in Congress." The New York Times recently reported that a new political action committee formed by the ESA would soon be making donations to politicians who support the videogames industry. The PTC denounced the ESA's plans in a statement this week. “The videogame industry continues to fight meaningful accountability for selling inappropriate material to children. The industry has been exposed repeatedly for its reprehensible behavior and now they are looking for ways to buy friends in the government,” said...

The main lobbying group in Washington for the $2 trillion hedge fund industry named a Louisiana congressman as its new president and chief executive on Tuesday. Rep. Richard Baker, a Republican, will have to resign from Congress, where he has served for almost 22 years, to take the job as head of the Managed Funds Association. Baker said in a statement that he has "come to appreciate greatly the vital role played by the alternative investment industry in our economy." Association Chairman Eric Vincent said, "We are extremely pleased that Congressman Baker has agreed to lead Managed Funds Association." Baker...

Extortion payout to the Arab Mafia!Steven Shamrak BrookesNews.Com Monday 7 January 2008 At the opening of the donors' conference in Paris, French President Nicolas Sarkozy emphasised the urgency of creating a Palestinian state by the end of next year (2008). International donors eagerly pledged $7.4 billion, pretending that it will boost PA economy. The list of fake friends of the fictitious Palestinian nation is long: United States, pledged $555 million for 2008, though about $400 million has not been approved by Congress; Britain, $500 million; Norway, $420 million; Spain, $360 million; France and Sweden, $300 million each; Germany, $290; Belgium,...

So, members of Free Republic actually lobbied here for the release of Wayne DuMond, but are now holding that against Mike Huckabee? How do you justify that? I am no Huckabee supporter, as you can see from my article there. I'm new here and just had this thrown in my face on another site.I was surprised to see this.

JIMMY CARTER THE CRIMINAL   Jimmy Carter - infamous worst ex US president that is largely at fault for the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran (by putting extra pressure on the Shah), ultimately resulting in 1) Islamic Republic of Iran's oppression of millions of Persians, and 2) the planet in peril at the hands of that nation's mullahs' nukes.   Jimmy Carter has his hands blooded in every single violent action being perpetrated by that Islamic republic on a daily basis since 1979, including the crimes against humanity like the massacres in the 1980's, the terrible persecution on minorities such as:...

Quiz yourself on the Israeli Arab ["Palestinian"] conflict       1) When was the Arab immigration to [the historic Jewish land of] Israel -"Palestine" boosted?   A When they wanted to see Jewish holy sites. B When [anti French and anti British] Arab nationalism spread across the middle east. C When the Zionists Jews came and cultivated the deserted land.     2) What's [Arab "Palestinian" highest "national" icon] Yasser Arafat's country of origin?   A Israel ["Palestine"]. B Jordan. C Egypt.     3) Why were there --initially-- more Arab immigrants ["residents"] than Jewish immigrants (Arab majority)?   A Because...

Saudis have the US over a barrel of oil By Ted Belman In my article The Vast Power of the Saudi Lobby, which I urge you to read again. Here are a few extracts, .. the U.S. ambassador to Riyahd, James Akins, did his best to placate King Faisal by urging the Saudi’s American-owned oil concessionaire ARAMCO to, in Akin’s words, “hammer home” to the White House that the embargo (seventies) wouldn’t be lifted unless “the political struggle is settled in manner satisfactory to Arabs.” Prince Bandar told Bush Starting today, you go your way and we will go our...

Will OPEC Dump the Dollar? BusinessWeek Iran is pushing OPEC to shift away from pricing oil in dollars and instead to a basket of currencies that could include the euro. ... http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/nov2007/gb20071120_087338.htm?chan=globalbiz_europe+index+page_companies

(IsraelNN.com) The Bush administration is putting pressure on the Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government to go beyond freeing 500 Arab terrorists and prisoners and halting building permits in Judea and Samaria. It now wants Israel to freeze all building, including units under construction in areas covered by previous understandings to be included as part of Israel after final borders are decided for the proposed new Arab state. American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has put her reputation on the line by planning a conference on the Middle East to be held in Annapolis, Maryland. However, most Arab nations still have...

The Council on American Islamic Relations will hold a ribbon-cutting today in Las Vegas to mark the official opening of its first chapter in Nevada. Mayor Oscar Goodman is scheduled to assist in the ribbon-cutting at the new office, located at 501 S. Sixth St., and to deliver brief remarks during the 2:30 p.m. ceremony.

I've just learned that Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO) will be introducing a resolution in the House of Representatives on Monday condemning Rush Limbaugh for his "phony soldiers" remark. This is significant because it has the potential to dramatically up the stakes in this fight. If the Democratic leadership allows it to go for a vote, it will force all the Republicans in the House to either vote for it, against it, or skip the vote -- and to pass judgment on the powerful conservative talk show host's contention that troops who don't support President Bush's war policies are "phony soldiers."...

I recently disclosed The Vast Power of the Saudi Lobby. Now I want to provide a list of what Saudi Lobby (money) achieved. - In '48, US imposed arms embargo on Israel - In '56 Israel forced by Eisenhower to retreat from Sinai - Prior to '67 War, Johnson promised Nasser to supply him with intelligence - In '73 war, Kissinger withheld resupplying arms to Israel so it would get "a bloody nose" - When Israel turned the '73 War around, Kissinger insisted that the Egyptians be allowed to "save face" - Shortly thereafter, the oil embargo and quadrupling of...

Israel Lobby's Pull Pales Next to Evil Saudi Input By YOUSSEF IBRAHIM September 25, 2007It's been a while since a book about American Jews has elicited as much controversy as "The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy," in which professors John Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago and Stephen Walt of Harvard University argue that America's Israel lobby exercises "undue" influence and blocks other views on the Middle East.In the noisy debate that has sprung up among its many critics and few advocates, the issue has been unfortunately narrowed to the obvious: how powerful the lobby is or isn't,...

Put Islamo-Fascism into the college curriculumSix years after 9/11 we are engaged in a global conflict in which we cannot name the enemy who has attacked us. The President has described the war we are in as a “war on terror.” But terror is only a tactic used by many. Our enemies are Islamo-fascists. They are religious fanatics who, as the President has said, “are the heirs of all the murderous ideologies of the 20th century. By sacrificing human life to serve their radical visions, by abandoning every value except the will to power, they follow in the path of...

Today I signed into law S. 1, the "Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007." This bill represents some progress towards ethics, lobbying, and earmark reform, all of which I strongly support. Strengthening the ethical standards that govern lobbying activities and beginning to address meaningful earmark reform are necessary steps to provide the public with a more transparent lawmaking process. The essence of successful ethics reform is not laws and restrictions, but full disclosure. The legislation includes minimal improvements in the area of disclosure, both for lobbying and earmarks. But there is still more to be done -- and...

Head Strong | 'Anti-Semitic' label curbs talk about Israel By Michael Smerconish One year after 9/11, I visited Israel as a guest of the Jerusalem Post. In the midst of the intifadah, the hard-line newspaper arranged for me to broadcast my daily radio show from Jerusalem . At the time, I was also filing one-minute commentaries for KYW-AM (1060). One of them caused some consternation at home. Here is what I said: "Yesterday, an Israeli guide was anxious to show me the community called Gilo. " 'Look,' he said, 'at the sandbags that these people have to place in their...

Pali Dictionary (2007)   The guide to the Arab Muslim 'Palestinian' propagandist    A security 'check point' (the one you have in the airports that effects all Israelis too) = "oppression".   Arrests of terrorists = "subjugation".   Equal rights, equal treatment, freedom for all & democracy = "apartheid".   Terror camps = "refugee camps".   Terror attacks aiming at the unarmed innocent civilians = "freedom fighting".   Cowards hiding among civilians = "fighters".   Reluctance to shoot at terrorists surrounded by civilians = "weak Zionists".   Use of human shields = "heroism".   Unintended deaths of human shields = "victims...

Not only did she avoid mentioning the Saudi (Arab) lobby, which is by far the most powerful lobby in America, but she also chose to solicit the opinions of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter (himself a lobbyist for Arab causes), as well as professor Mearsheimer, both known for their controversial anti-Israel positions. Stunningly, no expert contradictory opinion to these two was offered during the six-hour program. It would have been just as easy for Amanpour to pose the same questions to Harvard Professor Alan Dershowitz or Professor Fouad Ajami. http://www.aina.org/news/2007082994324.htm

    ISLAMOFASCISM HAS A 'LOBBY' IN THE US - 'CAIR'     Just like the hypocrites at the infamous hate mongering "association" MSA (Muslim Student Association), who's actions have been proven more against non-Muslims then anything "for" Muslims, so is time to get rid of the "moderate" mask of the monsters at C.A.I.R., or at least call it by it's name.   America has had more than enough of these Jihad wolves in "moderate" clothing.   No matter how you turn it: Arab lobby, Muslim lobby, Islamic lobby, all the evidence, all of their actions show for a TERROR LOBBY,...

ADL Responds To Open Letter From CAIR; Releases Photo Of Group's Leader Speaking Next To Hezbollah Flag http://www.adl.org/PresRele/Teror_92/5122_92.htm ADL Responds To Open Letter From CAIR; Releases Photo Of Group's Leader Speaking Next To Hezbollah Flag New York, NY, August 30, 2007 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), in response to an "open letter" from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) suggesting that their organization has "acted numerous times … to condemn terrorism," today released a photograph of CAIR's executive director speaking at a podium next to a known anti-Semite and the flag of the terrorist group Hezbollah. Glen S. Lewy, ADL...

NYT: Billing records show Fred did lobby for abortion group; Update: Pro-Fred blogger apologizes to LA Timesposted at 8:44 am on July 19, 2007 by Allahpundit(Allahpundit [also known as Allah] is a blogger best known as the author for defunct blog Allah Is in the House, a satirical political blog existing 2003-2005, and as an active contributor to Michelle Malkin's Hot Air.)Patterico beat me to the punch. What on earth was Mark Corallo thinking when he told the LA Times no way nuh uh never happened when he didn’t know that for a fact? Did the campaign even think to...

http://geocities.com/arabmuslimlobby/index.html/1 Anti Freedom anti Catholics anti Semitic Hugo Chavez paid for & backed by ARAB LOBBY Chavez forging his own links / Venezuelan president makes arms ..."The Arabs have appreciated Chavez's declarations of support, and the Arab League has promised to lobby in behalf of Venezuela in the United Nations." http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/07/23/MNG18K43KL1.DTL President Chavez and Archbishop Porras spar punches in return bouthttp://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=74748 Critical foreigners will be expelled: Chavezhttp://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070019909 Defector: Chavez gave money to Al Qaedahttp://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=30350 Chavez on Al Jazeerahttp://thebosun.wordpress.com/2006/08/07/venezuelan-president-chavez-on-al-ja... Al Arabyia Supports Chavezhttp://www.sandmonkey.org/2006/12/08/al-arabiya-supports-chavez/ The Chavez Regime: Fostering Anti-Semitism and Supporting Radical ..."In that Zionist, criminal and terrorist state, the Arabs who...

CEV fires back Chávez These attacks do not offend bishops, but people of the Catholic Church, the Catholic people.

Leaders of the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) may soon see a major lawsuit against them dismissed, thanks to the U.S. government. Last Thursday, the Department of Justice (DoJ) filed a notice in U.S. District Court in Miami of its “potential participation” in the lawsuit, which alleges that Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, U.A.E.’s prime minister and vice president, and his brother, Hamdan, U.A.E.’s finance minister, enslaved boys as jockeys in camel races. With the prospect of federal intervention, the lawsuit may be dismissed. After the suit was filed in September 2006, the U.A.E. leaders hired a camp of lobbyists,...

The Honorable Howard Dean Chairman Democratic National Committee 430 S. Capitol St. SE Washington, DC 20003 Dear Governor Dean: We are writing to share our deep concern about the decision of your party to have former President Jimmy Carter continue to serve as Honorary Chairman of Democrats Abroad, the official Democratic Party organization for Americans living outside the United States. We urge you to reassess his suitability for that honored status in light of his recent outrageous remarks regarding Hamas. As you probably know, in public comments made on June 21 after receiving a donation for his foundation from a...

I would like to compile a list of all the companies that are lobbying for amnesty for illegal aliens. It seems to me that there are a lot of interests working behind the scenes and under the radar of the American people. If you know of any company that paid money to our representatives to support the amnesty bill, please post it.

How much did the Islamic lobby pay Obama??? or How much does a pro-palestinian line cost? Let's make it clear, Arab Muslims' obsession with their 'palestinian brothers' was never about sympathy for them but about anti-Israel fascism. No wonder why they never had any interest in changing their situation (which is only due to 'palestinians' putting violence over economy, Jihad over progress), they're a useful tool ONLY when being still on the bottom. After the frustration by Arabs, Muslims on Obama's cold shoulder to the so called "palestinian". (Arab Obamania? El-Shorbagi thinks Arabs ought to pay attention to all presidential...

ISRA is proud to sponsor Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day for 2007 IGOLD Links: Bus Info Flyer ISRA Home Page All Illinois gun owners are invited to join in Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day (IGOLD) in Springfield on March 14, 2007. This is an annual event where the members directly lobby their representatives in the Illinois House and Senate. This year, the ISRA is partnering with local and internet organizations in Illinois to increase participation and make a bigger & better impression in Springfield. The other sponsoring organizations are IllinoisCarry.com & CCRA/GSL. Get your local organization involved as well! We...

How Arab Muslim Goliath corrupts controls world & media 1) Oil, no secret how European leaders, almost all UN rep. and many in the US govt. bend their policies on the fears of 'what the oil Arab might do'... 2) The fear of wild beastly Arab street in Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, as in 2005 intifadah & other rampage, shapes much of Euro politics. 3) Africa is totally under Arab SLAVE masters (psychologically). 4) Even congress HAS to listen to the Wahabbi Saudi Goliath, Iraq war would look a lot different otherwise. 5) The appeasement trend that is influenced by Arab...

The Wahabbi Lobby My essay "Catholics and CAIR" runs on Catholic Exchange: http://richleonardi.blogspot.com/2007/03/wahabbi-lobby.html The zeal to build trust and greater understanding, though, has led to carelessness. During the past year, at least two dioceses, Cincinnati and Detroit, have co-hosted events with local chapters of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), an organization with alarming ties to international terrorist groups. In January of this year, Imam Dawud Walid, executive director of CAIR in Michigan, and Msgr. John Zenz, moderator of the Curia of the Archdiocese of Detroit, took turns addressing the topic of religion and violence at an interreligious forum....

Charity accused of funneling funds to Iraq By Mark Morris McClatchy Newspapers (MCT) KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A defunct charity and five officers and associates have been charged with illegally sending more than $1.4 million to Iraq while Saddam Hussein was in power. The 33-count federal indictment, which was unsealed Wednesday in Kansas City, is the latest assault on a charity that in 2004 was designated a supporter of global terrorists, including Osama bin Laden, al-Qaida and Hamas. At its core, the indictment alleges the Islamic American Relief Agency-USA solicited cash from U.S. contributors and sent it to "persons and...