Daily Archives: June 19, 2017

Russia Devouring the Eastern Mediterranean? by Burak Bekdil

  • Turkey shot down a Russian jet. No gain, but plenty of damage to its economy. Russia gave up one jet to Turkey and has made its military presence in Syria and the strategic eastern Mediterranean permanent.


  • Turkey can no longer speak to Russia about the possibility of ousting Assad.

  • Putin seems to be making sure that NATO will do nothing.

At this year’s G-20 summit in Antalya, Turkey, Russian President, Vladimir Putin, said that the radical jihadist Islamic State (IS) was being financed by donors from at least 40 countries, including some G-20 member states — clearly pointing his finger, without naming names, at Saudi Arabia and Turkey. A few days later, two Turkish F-16 jets shot down a Russian SU-24 warplane, and claimed that the Russian jet had violated Turkish airspace for 17 seconds on the country’s Syrian border — a violation Russia denies. This was the first time a Soviet or Russian military aircraft was shot down by a NATO air force since the end of WWII.

Turkey and Russia have long been in a proxy war in Syria: Russia, together with its quieter partner, China, supports the Shi’ite Iran-backed Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad; and Turkey explicitly supports Assad’s Sunni opponents [“moderate” jihadists] — apparently in the hope of building a Muslim Brotherhood/Hamas-type of regime in Damascus that would be friendly to its own Islamist government. After the downing of the Russian jet, the Turco-Russian proxy war has become less proxy.

No more Mr. Nice Guy.
Russian President Vladimir Putin twice refused to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the Paris Climate Summit this week. Pictured: President Putin with then Prime Minister Erdogan, meeting in Istanbul on December 3, 2012. (Image source:kremlin.ru)

An angry Putin called the incident “a stab in the back.” He declined Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s requests to discuss the issue. He twice refused to meet Erdogan on the sidelines of the Paris Climate Summit.

Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, quickly cancelled his official visit to Turkey — a visit that had been scheduled for the day after the downing of the Russian jet. At the outset, NATO member Turkey had taught Russia a good lesson. In reality, judging from the consequences, it all looks like a Russian gambit, with Turkey shooting itself in the foot and risking a new NATO-Russia conflict.

Russia’s ire seemingly is being expressed in economic terms:

  • Moscow said it will introduce visa restrictions for Turkish citizens, beginning Jan. 1, 2016.
  • Russian authorities detained a group of Turkish businessmen on charges of “false statements about their trip to the country.”
  • Press reports noted that Russia was considering limiting or excluding Turkish construction companies from the country, a potentially multi-billion dollar loss for the Turkish economy.
  • Moscow warned its citizens against visiting Turkey — a ban that could deal a big blow to Turkey’s lucrative tourism industry. Last year 4.5 million Russians visited Turkey, mostly its Mediterranean coast. Russian tour operators were warned to suspend business with Turkey.
  • The fate of two huge Turco-Russian energy projects remains unknown, as Russia’s energy minister, Alexei Ulyukayev, did not rule out sanctions hitting the Turkish Stream gas pipeline and a planned Russian nuclear energy plant in Turkey. Turkey buys about 55% of its natural gas from Russia. Its second largest gas supplier is Iran, Russia’s ally — and Turkey’s rival — in Syria.
  • Russia’s Minister of Agriculture, Alexander Tkachev, said that Russia would be replacing Turkish food imports with goods from Iran, Israel and Morocco.
  • Shipments of wheat to Turkey from key Russian ports were put on hold.
  • The Kremlin officially announced a wide range of sanctions on Turkey, including a ban on Turkish workers (with estimates that 90,000 will be fired by Jan. 1, 2016), restrictions on imported goods and services from Turkey and calls for “strengthening of port control and monitoring to ensure transport safety.”
  • Around 1,250 trucks carrying Turkish exports were blocked from entering Russia on Nov. 30 and were stranded at border posts, awaiting clearance.
  • Russian soccer clubs will be banned from signing Turkish players during the upcoming winter break.

All of that is commercially punitive. There is a more serious side of the Turco-Russian conflict that concerns NATO and western interests in the Middle East.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced on Nov. 25 that Russia would deploy S-400 surface-to-air missile systems in its Hmeymim air base in Syria.

Turkey shot down a Russian jet. No gain, but plenty of damage to its economy. Russia gave up one jet and has made its military presence in Syria and the strategic eastern Mediterranean permanent. It has reinforced its bases in Syria and intends to build a new military base there. Turkey can no longer speak to Russia about the possibility of ousting Assad.

In a further move to escalate tensions, the Russian General Staff deployed one of its largest air defense ships at the edge of Turkish territorial waters in the Mediterranean. Russian military spokesman General Sergei Rudskoi said that Russian bomber aircraft would be “supported by chasers, and any kinds of threats will be responded to instantly.” Accordingly, The Moscow, one of the Russian Navy’s two largest warships and the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, will be deployed where Turkey-Syria territorial waters connect.

In addition, Putin issued orders to deploy nearly 7,000 troops, plus anti-aircraft missiles, rocket launchers, and artillery to the Turkish border, and asked them to be in readiness for full combat.

There have been other military repercussions, too. Since the shooting down of the Russian jet, the Russian military has been regularly pounding the Syrian villages near the Turkish border that populated by the Turkmen, a Turkish ethnicity that supports jihadists in Syria — and is supported by Ankara. The Russians also have been hitting Turkish aid convoys bound for Turkmen villages. More than 500 Turks and Turkmen have been killed in Russian airstrikes. Meanwhile, the U.S.-led allied air strikes against IS have come to a halt. Neither Washington nor Ankara is keen for another conflict with Russia. So, IS and Russia keep on flourishing.

The Russian military has scrapped all contacts with the Turkish military, possibly waiting for the first Turkish military aircraft that violates foreign airspace to shoot.

Turkey has every liberty to challenge Russia and, inevitably, become the victim. But with its geostrategic, Islamist ambitions, it is exposing NATO allies to the risk of a fresh conflict with Russia — and at a time when the wounds of previous conflicts remain unhealed.

Putin has accused Turkey’s leaders of encouraging the Islamization of the Turkish society, which he said was a “problem.” He was not wrong. In fact, Islamism and neo-Ottoman ambitions are the source of Turkey’s (not-so) proxy war with Russia in the Syrian theater. Although Turkey, officially, is a NATO member and part of the allied campaign against IS, its Sunni Islamist ambitions over Syria hinder the global fight against jihadists. A Turco-Russian conflict is weakening the fight.

Putin seems to be making sure that NATO will do nothing.

Burak Bekdil, based in Ankara, is a Turkish columnist for the Hürriyet Daily and a Fellow at the Middle East Forum.

Ruracyageretse hagati y’Umuryango w’Ubumwe bwa Afurika na ICC

Umuryango w’Ubumwe bwa Afurika wahamagariye abanyamuryango bawo kuvuga rumwe ku kuba Urukiko Mpuzamahanga Mpanabyaha rukomeje kwibasira abayobozi bari ku butegetsi muri Afurika.

 

Uyu muryango ugizwe n’ibihugu 54 utangaza ko watunguwe no kuba Akanama ka Loni gashinzwe umutekano kataraha agaciro icyifuzo cyawo cyo gusubika urubanza rw’abakuru b’igihugu ba Kenya cyangwa ngo gatange igisubizo kiboneye.

Al Jazeera ivuga ko Botswana ari yo yonyine itavuga rumwe n’icyemezo cy’Umuryango w’Ubumwe bwa Afurika mu nama iheruka kuwa Gatandatu yabereye muri Etiyopiya ikitabirwa n’abakuru b’ibihugu 34.

Perezida wa Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta n’umwungirije, William Ruto bakurikiranwe n’Urukiko Mpuzamahanga Mpanabyaha (ICC), ibyaha byibasiye muntu aho bivugwa ko ari bo bari bihishe inyuma y’imvururu zabaye nyuma y’amatora yo mu 2007, zigahitana abarenga 1,000. Aba bagabo bombi bahakana ibyaha baregwa.

Mu kwezi k’Ugushyingo umwaka ushize, Akanama ka Loni gashinzwe umutekano kateye utwatsi icyifuzo cya AU cyo gusubika uru rubanza rw’aba bayobozi ba Kenya. Uhagarariye Guatemala muri Loni, Gert Rosenthal avuga ko kugerageza gusubika urubanza ari “ugusuzugura” ibihugu byashatse gufasha Afurika mu gutanga ingabo zo kubungabunga amahoro n’imbaraga zigamije guteza imbere ubutabera ku mugabane.

Ibihugu umunani byo mu kanama ka Loni gashinzwe umutekano, byashyize umukono ku masezerano ashyiraho ICC cyangwa biyishyigikiye, birimo u Bwongereza, u Bufaransa na Leta Zunze Ubumwe za Amerika byarifashe bitinya ko umwanzuro ushobora kutazagira icyo ugeraho.

Umwanzuro watowe ku majwi arindwi gusa bityo ubura amajwi abiri ngo ushyirwe mu bikorwa kuko aka kanama kagizwe n’ibihugu 15.

Ni ubwa mbere Akanama ka Loni gashinzwe umutekano kadatanze umwanzuro ku buryo nk’ubu hatitabajwe kimwe mu bihugu bifite umwanya uhoraho muri aka kanama (veto).

RPRK INYABUTATU IKANGURIRA ABANYARWANDA UBWAMI BW’ABEGA:

 Uyu muryango wa za maneko wiheshe mu mutaka utacyiyitirira guharanira ubwami bw’urwanda,ubu bakaba bareruye ko baharanira ubwami bw’Abega bavuga ko bwo buzaba bugendera ku itegeko nshinga,naho UMwami Kigeli V Ndahindurwa bakavuga ko atigeze arahirira ubwami bugendera ku itegeko nshinga.


Nonese byashoboka gute ko RPRK inyabutatu yaba yaratangiye yamamaza Umwami w’Urwanda ko baharanira gutaha kwe,ndetse ko batanemera repubulika ya lll kuko iriho kuburyo butemewe namategeko bagiye bagaragaza za gihamya zijyanye ni myanzuro ya loni yasinyanye n’Umwami w’Urwanda Kigeli V Ndahindurwa aha twavuga nk’umwanzuro wa 1579,1580,1605,iyi myanzuro yose niko igaragaza ko repubulika y’Urwanda iriho kuburyo butemewe namategeko.

Biratangaje rero ukuntu ubu ngubu RPRK inyabutatu itangiye kwemera ko leta y’Urwanda noneho yemewe n’amategeko,ibyo babikora bazi neza yuko ngo ikinyoms cyo guhindura amazina yishyaka rirwanira ubwami bw’Abega ko bitazamenyekana nyamara abanyarwanda ibyo bamaze kubimenya ndetse nibitangaza makuru byaranditse bibavugaho byinshi bijyanye namabanga y’ikuzimu abega barimo gutegura ngo babone uko bazayobora Urwanda mu minsi iri mbere.

Abagize umutwe wa RPRK,inyabutatu bari muri wa mutwe wabantu 400,bateguwe bazakubita kudeta perezida kagame bagahita bashyiraho ubwami bw’Abega arinabwo ubu batangiye kujyenda bakangurira abnyarwanda babereka ko ubwami bwariho mbere butari bwemewe nabanyarwanda,ukagirango har’ubundi bwabayeho mbere y’uko habaho ubwomavuga ko butemewe.

Ahubwo se ubwemewe n’ubuhe?ngo barashaka guhimba ubwami modern bwa kiga na kagara!ahhhh,nzaba numva n’umwana w’umunyarwanda,birabe ibyuya ntibibe amaraso,kuko ndabona kega na kagara baza kudukuramo umwuka,ariko se muri millioni z’abanayarwanda barumva aribo bafite imbaraga kurusha abandi?nibagerageze ahari ntawamenya bazabigeraho.

Ariko se babigeraho bate?kandi numva inyambo zitangiye kuvumera n’ingoma karinga itangiye kuririmba no kwikubitaho imirishyo,ndetse n’intebe yabukunzi ikaba itangiye kubyinagira ubwo se baraherahe ? ko namarebe atangiye kuririmba ibyansi kuruhibi bikaba bitangiye guhehera byitegura kubuganiza amata kugirango amata aterekwe mugisabo cyamaze kwitirwa kugirango bacunde amata haboneka akamuri twari tumaze imyaka n’imyaniko tutumva urukarango.

 

IMPUNZI Z’ABANYARWANDA NIZABARUNDI MU GIHUGU CYA MALAWI,BAMWE BAGIYE KUJYANWA MU BIHUGU BYO HANZE ABANDI BASUBIZWE MU BIHUGU BYABO.

 

Amakuru aturuka mu gihugu cya Malawi mu kigo kimpunzi zibamo Abanyarwanda n’Abarundi,aravuga ko ubu impunzi zitacyizuye umutekano wazo nk’uko bikwiriye,amakuru avuga ko ngo iyo nkambi y’impunzi yaba igiye gufungwa ngo kubera ko umuryango wabibumbye ntabushobozi ugifite bwogukomeza gufasha izo mpunzi zibarizwa muri icyo gihugu cya Malawi.

Ubu zimwe mu mpunzi zaba zitarabona ibyangombwa zitangiye kwimuka zerekeza mu gihugu cya Zambia,aho zitekereza yuko zishobora kubona ubuhungiro,amakuru agera kukinyamakuru inyangenewss aremeza ko leta ya perezida Peter Nkurunziza niya Paul kagame aribo bashobora bari inyuma yiryo fungwa ry’iyo nkambi.

Kuko impunzi azabwiwe yuko ibihugu zikomokamo bivuze Urwanda n’Uburundi ko aramahoro nta ntambara ikirangwa mur’ibyo bihugu,kugeza ubu rero izo mpunzi zikaba zikomeje kuba mu gihirahiro kuko zitazi neza abazemererwa gutwarwa hanze nabatazemererwa,wenda kubatarabona impapuro z’ubuhunzi kuri bo birumvikana ariko ikibazo ni kubamaze kubona ibyangombwa kandi ntibazatwarwe hanze mubindi bihugu hanyuma kandi bakazisanga bashujwe Irwanda cyangwa Iburundi.

Ariko ntibyari bikwiriye gusubiza impunzi mubihugu zikomokamo igihe cyose ziba zitaragirira ikizere ibihugu zikomokamo,kuko nizo zizi ingorane zihura nazo mu bihugu zabyo,kuba basubizwa iwabo kungufu nyamara batizeye umutekano wabo,biragoye,dore nkubu mu Burundi hatangiye gututumba intambara nyuma y’igihe gito cyane hari habonetse agahengwe.

Mu Rwanda ni uko naho abaturage barara imitima iri hejuru ibisasu biterwa na leta kugirango ibone uko ishinja abo itavuga rumwe nayo abantu bamaze kubiomerekeramo ntibagira uko bangana,kandi igitangaje leta ikihutira guhita ibavunza wagirango hari cyo iba ibiziho kuko iyo ukoze ubushakashatsi usanga abantu bemera ko batera ibyo bisasu usanga akenshi arabasirikare ba RDF,bigira abasivile kugirango haboneke ibirego bajyana murukiko barega Kayumba na Ingabire.

Kuba impunzi zikiri mubihugu byo hanze igihugu cyumva nta mutekano gifite,nyamara aho kugirango bakore ibisabwa n’amategeko abene gihugu bose bibone ko igihugu bagifiteho uruhare ahubwo bagahimba imitwe yokwirukanisha izo mpunzi bakoresheje ruswa nandi mayeri za leta zikoresha biciye mu bijyanye n’ububanyi namahanga.

YAZITSE INZIGO MUNSI YISHYIGA:

Amakuru agera kukinyamakuru inyangenewss ahamya ko abarwanira ubutegetsi bo mu bwoko bwabarepubulike, barakataje mu gushyira ku mukono kumasezerano ajyanye n’ubufatanye mubyapolitiki yamashyaka mu mpindura matwara yabatavuga rumwe n’ubutegetsi bwa perezida Paul kagame na FPR.

Nyuma yuko repubulika ya lll baboneye ibateye utwatsi murwego rwo kwanga amashyaka yabo,ko yemerwa mu Rwanda kugirango batazbatesha umutwe murwego rwogusangira umugati w’igihugu,abatavugaga rumwe”abakiga n’Abanyenduga noneho bagezeho bemera gushyira umukono kumasezerano y’ubufatanye mubyapolitiki yokurwanya ubutegetsi bwa FPR.

Nyuma yuko abanyapolitiki bakomoka mu nduga, bisanze ko ntambaraga bafite mubyagisirikare,kuko politiki y’Urwanda buri gihe bimaze kumenyerwa yuko udafite ingabo zirwanya leta iriho ntimushobora kumvikana bitewe ni uko ar’igihugu kitemera demokarasi bayemera mu magambo ariko mubikorwa ntibishiboka iyo ndetse ahanini ikaba ariba arinayo ntandaro y’intambara zihora ziba buri gihe zigahitana ubuzima bw’abantu kubera inyungu z’abantu kugiti cyabo.

Ni muri urwo rwego Twagiramungu Faustin yagiranye amasezerano n’umutwe wa fdlr,kugirango bumve ko nabo bakomeye bereke namahanga ko ishyaka ryabo rifite umutwe w’ingabo bityo bagirire ikizere ishayaka bahagarariye babone imfashanyo ndetse nabaturage babagirire ikizere yuko bashobora gukuraho ubutegetsi bwa fpr bumaze imyaka 20,wagirango abategetsi bo mu Rwanda n’uwabaroze imyaka 20,ntawujya ayirenza kandi avaho aruko rishwe.

Ni ryari mu Rwanda tuzabona abanyepolitiki bashobora kuva kubutegetsi neza badakuweho nurupfu? Demokarasi iracyari kure nk’ukwezi, nabo barwanya fpr wasanga nabo bagiyeho ariko bavuga ibyo barwanya ubu ugasanga aribyo bakora, ese uratekereza ko nka rukokoma uwamuha intebe yo mrugwiro wagirango yapfa kuyirekura dore amaze no kugera muzabukuru yazakurwaho nurupfu nka Robert Mugabe wazimbabwe.

Ibyo byose Twagiramungu arabikora agirango agarure igitekerezo cy’ubuhemu cyatangiwe nasebukwe Kayibanda,ndatekereza ko ahubwo akwiye kwifatanya na Padiri Thomas kuko nawe arahanira abanyarwanda bakomoka mukarere ka nduga,dore ko by’umwihariko padiri Thomas we anizihiza umunsi wokwibuka Kayibanda aho nshatse kuvuga umunsi wakamarampaka ariwo munsi wabahutu mubutegetsi bwa repubulika ya lll ya FPR.

Ikindi kiyongereyeho bose bakaba arabanyacyangugu bakomoka mukarere kamwe,icyo abanyarwanda bakomeje kwibaza n’uburyo abanyarwanda bo mu bwoko bwarepubulike bakomeje kwigira injiji kubijyanye n’ubwami bw’Urwanda bagambaniye,ese ubwami nubugaruka bazabyifatamo gute?bazongera bakore ibishoboka kugirango babusenye?cyangwa bazemera kubuyoka!

RNC na FDRL bahawe ibirindiro mu murwa Goma muri Repubulika iharanira demokarasi ya Congo.

FDRL yifatanyije na RNC,iryavuzwe riratashye!

Amakuru agera kukinyamakuru inyangenews,aravuga ko,kuva intambara yaberaga muri congo yarihuje Urwanda na M23 inyeshyamba zarwanyaga leta ya congo,maze Urwanda rugatsindwa iyo ntambara kumugaragaro aho Urwanda rwakozwe n’isoni imbere ya mahanga.


Ubu amakuru agera kukinyamakuru inyangenews aravuga yuko ngo leta ya congo yamaze gutanga inzira iyiha abatavuga rumwe na leta ya FPR na Kagame,ngo baba bamaze kwemererwa inzira kugirango bave mugihugu cya congo bamazemo imyaka irenze 20 barwanira kubutaka bw’icyo gihugu.

Amakuru aravuga ko ngo RNC ifatanyije na FDRL ngo biyemeje kurwanya leta yigitugu ya kagame,kuburyo mu mwaka utaha mu ntangiriro zawo bashobora kuba biteguye gufata nibura intara imwe y’Urwanda.

Ubu amakuru afite gihsmys ni uko abarebulike batavuga rumwe na leta y’Urwanda ngo bagiye kwishyirahamwe kugirango barebe ko barandura ubutegetsi bwa FPR burundu.

Indagu za Magayane zirasohoye kandi kuko zivuga yuko rwara rw’umugara nabyutsa umugara igihuru kizabyara igihunyira ,rwara rw’umugara uvugwa hano bimaze kugaragara yuko ari FDRL na RNC mu magambo ahinnye kubasha kumva ikivugwa yabasha gusibanukirwa ntakibazo.

Urwanda rero mu mwaka wa 2014 rukaba rwiteguye kwinjira mu ntambara rumaze igihe rwifuza,kandi rutizera kuzayitsinda kuko ibyahanuwe bibasohoreyeho,kugirango abiringiye ibigirwamana bamenye ko hari Imana mu ijuru.

rlando Shooting: Pickled in Hatred by Shoshana Bryen

  • The terrorists are pickled in hatred that simply does not allow for the humanity of “the other” and insists that individuals exist only as representations of religions, objects, and social or political points of view.

  • The American homeland — free speech, religious institutions, open inquiry in academia, our military and our way of life — is under attack.
  • America’s blessing is a political system built on tolerance of “the other.” Not all of us, not all the time — remember, we used to buy and sell our fellow human beings — but the principle to which we aspire is tolerance of “the other.”
  • But our national blind spot is not seeing that we share this lovely space with people who want to kill us for the peculiar people we are.

It is a lot to process. Omar Mateen, the American-born son of Afghan parents, murdered 50 people and wounded scores of others in a gay nightclub Sunday. The first surprise is that it was not a surprise, especially to the FBI. Mateen was the subject of investigations in 2013 and 2014. “He was a known quantity,” a source said. “He has been on the radar before.” But Assistant Special Agent Ronald Hopper told reporters, “Those interviews turned out to be inconclusive, so there was nothing to keep the investigation going.”

Omar Mateen’s father probably wasn’t terribly surprised. He told NBC News “that his son became angry after seeing two men kissing a few months ago in Miami.” He speculated that could have triggered his decision to kill. “This has nothing to do with religion,” his father added.

President Obama was not exactly surprised, given, he said, the number of guns in America. He called again for gun control and said there was, “no definitive judgment on the precise motivations” of the terrorist.

Oh really?

President Obama’s response might have been a surprise to local police, who, according to CNN, received a 911 call from Mateen pledging his allegiance to ISIS just before the attack. Whether he was actually with ISIS or not, the Islamic State wasted no time blessing him as one of their own.

Omar Mateen (left), the American-born son of Afghan parents, murdered 50 people and wounded scores of others in a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, on May 12, 2016. Mateen pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State just before the attack.

So where do Americans go with this?

First, pray for the victims and their families, and thank the first responders.

Second, do not bother trying to “explain” terrorists, or figure out their “motivation.” They are pickled in hatred that simply does not allow for the humanity of “the other” and insists that individuals exist only as representations of religions, objects, and social or political points of view. There is no other way to explain Shalhevet Pass, a six-month old baby shot in her stroller by a sniper, or Malki Roth murdered while eating pizza, or the Fogel children murdered in their beds. There is also no other way to explain shootings at Max Brenner in Tel Aviv or stabbings in Jerusalem; Hamas rockets fired indiscriminately into Israeli towns; gay men thrown off buildings by ISIS in Iraq or dragged behind motorcycles in Gaza; barrel bombs and chlorine gas dropped on civilians by Assad’s Syrian forces; the kidnapping and forcible conversion to Islam of girls by Boko Haram; the sale of Yazidi women and girls as sex slaves by ISIS; and the skinning alive of prisoners by the Taliban. They are all of a piece.

Third, recognize that the same hatreds exist in our country. We imported them — already pickled — and we pickled some of them here. What Mateen’s father said was that seeing what he found unacceptable — men kissing — was enough to make his son kill. Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, what do we need to do about people willing to kill us under those circumstances?

The Heritage Foundation maintains an extremely useful timeline of terrorist plots in the US. It includes the “shoe bomber” (2002), the “underwear bomber” (2010), the Times Square bomber (2010), the Boston Marathon bombers (2013), and the San Bernardino shooters (2015). But there’s more. Here is sampling from a Jewish Policy Center analysis:

[T]here were also plots against U.S. landmarks and institutions including the NY Subway system (2005 & 09), Sears Tower (2006), the Brooklyn Bridge (2003), the Long Island Railroad (2009), DC Metro (2010), the Federal Reserve in Manhattan (2012), the Capitol (2011, 12 & 15), World Bank Headquarters (2005), JFK airport (2009), the NY Stock Exchange (2004), and the GOP convention (2004).There were plots against American service personnel, including military hit lists (2010 & 15); Ft. Hood (2009); Ft. Riley (2015); Ft. Dix (2007) and Ft. Myers (2011); recruiting stations in Arkansas (2009), Maryland (2011) and Washington (2011); the Pentagon (2011); Quantico Marine Base (2009); National Guard facilities (2005, 08 & 09); U.S. Marshals (2013); and the NYPD (2015). There were plots against the ambassadors of Saudi Arabia (2011) and Pakistan (2004), and the Israeli Embassy (2011).

There were assassination plots against Presidents Bush (2003) and Obama (2011).

There were regional attacks planned for a Chicago Bar (2012), NY and Chicago-area synagogues (2009 & 10), an Oregon Christmas tree ceremony (2010), the Wichita Airport (2014), a Canada-NY train (2013), a Dallas skyscraper (2009), a Wyoming refinery (2006), the Florida Keys (2015), shopping centers in Ohio (2003) and Illinois (2007), and the University of North Carolina (2006). The Lackawanna (PA) Six (2002), the Lodi (CA) jihad training camp (2005), and the VA Jihad Network (2003) operated along with smaller-scale plots in support of al Qaeda (2002, 09 & 10).

The American homeland — free speech, religious institutions, open inquiry in academia, our military and our way of life — is under attack.

America’s blessing is a political system built on tolerance of “the other.” Not all of us, not all the time — remember that we used to buy and sell our fellow human beings — but the principle to which we aspire is tolerance of “the other.” America’s glory is men and women who run into danger while everyone else is running out — without regard for the particulars of who they are saving. It was true on 9-11 and it was true this weekend in Orlando. But our national blind spot is not seeing that we share this lovely space with people who want to kill us for the peculiar people we are.

Shoshana Bryen is Senior Director of the Jewish Policy Center.

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