Gallup: Americans Maintain Negative View of Iran After Nuclear Deal

Implementation of the Iran nuclear deal has done little to change American attitudes toward the Islamic Republic, a new Gallup poll finds.

Only 14 percent of Americans questioned Feb. 3-7 say that they have a favorable view of Iran, a figure that remains unchanged since a similar Gallup poll conducted last year, before the deal was reached.

Only Syria and North Korea have lower favorable ratings than Iran among Americans.

The Iran deal likely did not enhance U.S. perceptions of Iran because only 3 in 10 Americans approve of the nuclear agreement. Almost twice as many Americans, 57 percent, oppose the deal, while 14 percent said that they have no opinion.

In contrast, Gallup found that a majority of Iranian adults – more than two-thirds – hold positive views of the nuclear agreement and believe it is beneficial for their nation.

Since the 1979 Iranian revolution, Americans have largely viewed the Islamic Republic pessimistically. This comes as no surprise, considering the U.S hostage crisis that unfolded shortly after the Shah, a U.S. ally, was overthrown. The episode remains a powerful watershed moment for many Americans. Polling data over the years shows a largely static opinion trend, with an 11 percent average favorable rating since Gallup began polling U.S. attitudes toward Iran in 1989.

The nuclear agreement lifted crippling economic sanctions against Iran, which already is shipping oil to Europe and plans to spend $8 billion on advanced Russian weapons systems. The U.S. removed some sanctions against the Islamic Republic, enabling Iran to re-integrate into the global financial system.

Critics of the nuclear deal argue that Iran remains the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism, and will use recently released funds to arm its terrorist proxies dedicated to targeting Israel and Western interests abroad.

Canada's Liberal Government Admits Humanitarian Aid Can Reach Terrorists

Canada's Liberal government is facing heavy criticism from the Conservative opposition after International Development Minister, Marie-Claude Bibeau, admitted that Canadian humanitarian assistance could help terrorists, including ISIS and Hamas.

In a Sirius XM interview last week, Bibeau told the Huffington Post Canada that humanitarian organizations provide services to "whoever needs help," acknowledging that aid can reach both sides of the conflict.

"Obviously, we will not get involved in any way in this once we have given money to an organization. They give food and services to the people in need, no matter where they decided to go."

Several Conservative members of Parliament criticized the Liberals for overlooking the consequences of such decisions.

"On one hand, these terrorists want to harm us. On the other hand, this Liberal government turns a blind eye to them benefitting from our aid dollars, Why?" asked Conservative Deepak Obhrai from Calgary.

The parliamentary secretary to Development Minister Karina Gould defended Bibeau's comments, suggesting the policy of impartiality in development assistance is in line with the Geneva Conventions and the previous Canadian governments.

On Tuesday, the Liberals were also pressed on the government's consideration of funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).

Interim Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose argued that Hamas – a designated terrorist organization – used UNRWA hospitals and schools in Gaza to host Hamas missiles intended to target Israelis. In addition, members of UNRWA staff have been fired after engaging in violent, anti-Semitic incitement.

"Yet, the prime minister has planned $15 million in new funding for UNRWA," said Ambrose.

Conservative MP Peter Kent also criticized the government's proposal, claiming that the financial assistance would be directly delivered to "terrorists."

In 2004, UNRWA's then Commissioner-General Peter Hansen confirmed the U.N. organization's relationship with Hamas to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

"I am sure that there are Hamas members on the UNRWA payroll and I don't see that as a crime," Hansen said.

Critics have long argued that UNRWA schools allow Hamas and the Palestinian Authority to set the educational agenda for the purposes of propagating violent incitement against Israel and glorifying terrorists who kill Jews.

During the weekend, Bibeau said that the government is "evaluating the situation" and "the decision will be taken shortly," while speaking on Canada's CTV news channel.

Selling Books "Offensive" to Muslims Lands 3 Bangladeshis in Jail

The arrest of three people during a book fair in Bangladesh Monday may be an indication that Islamist violence and intimidation, sadly, can work.

Publisher Shamsuzzoha Manik could face as much as 14 years in prison if convicted of violating Bangladesh's Information and Communication Technology Act by selling books which might offend Muslims. Two of Manik's associates also were arrested, and police shut down their booth at the annual Dhaka book fair. They are being held for questioning.

One of the books, Islam Bitorko (Islam Debate), has a chapter described as focusing on sexual perversion in Muslim thought.

"We've read the book and found that it has gravely hurt religious sentiments," Deputy Police Commissioner Abdul Baten said. More than 80 copies of the book were seized Monday.

Other books seized include one about Mohammad's teaching on jihad, one on women's roles in Islam and one on atheism versus theism.

Their presence directly defied organizers' instructions "not to showcase such controversial books in the fair stalls which would hurt people's religious sentiments, Shamsuzzaman Khan, director of the Bangla Academy, the sponsor of the book fair, told Agence France Presse. "It was an unforgivable crime."

Bangladesh is supposed to be a secular state that follows a form of British common law. But in arresting Manik and his colleagues, the state is imposing blasphemy laws on commercial publishing. This crackdown on "offensive" books comes after a half-dozen Bangladeshi writers were murdered by Islamists in 2015. That includes American Avijit Roy, who was hacked to death during last year's Dhaka book fair.

It also follows an open threat by a group calling itself Khelafat Andolon (Caliphate Movement) that it would attack the book fair if Manik was not arrested, AFP reported.

Roy, like the others who fell victim to the Islamist violence, faced direct threats before they were murdered. But they refused to yield to the intimidation and vowed to continue their free-thinking and critical analysis toward religion.

Monday's arrests only make Islamist threats more potent and add to the chilling effect on free speech for Bangladesh's people.

Report: Hizballah Has Russian Technology Capable of Downing Israeli Jets

Hizballah is using advanced radar technology to "lock on" to Israeli aircraft flying reconnaissance missions over Lebanon, according to Israel's Walla news service and reported by i24 News.

The new technology enables Hizballah to identify Israeli jets and fire missiles at them, Israeli security sources said.

"The connection between Hizballah, Russia and Syria have greatly changed the rules of the game in the region...Hizballah is indicating to Israel that it is ready for the next stage," said an Israeli security official, quoted in Walla.

Israeli fighter jets are capable of detecting radar that threatens them, allowing pilots to alter their course. Nevertheless, the reports signal a troubling development that could hinder Israel's freedom of movement in airspace across the northern border and its ability to effectively monitor Hizballah.

Following the 2006 war between Israel and Hizballah, the terrorist organization began acquiring sophisticated anti-aircraft systems and other advanced weapons from Syria and Iran. A recent report suggests that Hizballah is using Iranian anti-tank missiles in Syria that could be used against Israel in a future confrontation.

In light of these developments, Israel has allegedly targeted Hizballah weapons convoys on several occasions coming into Lebanon from Syria over the past few years. Nevertheless, the terrorist organization continues to build up its weapons arsenal and consolidate a base of operations on the Syrian Golan in order to attack the Jewish state.

Last month, Hizballah field commanders with operatives fighting in Syria told the Daily Beast that Russia is providing the terrorist organization with advanced weaponry amid enhanced coordination among both actors. The report outlines that Hizballah is acquiring long-range tactical missiles, anti-tank systems, and laser guided rockets from the Russians.

IDF Chief of Staff: Tunnel Detection Efforts Also Hidden

Identifying Hamas tunnels and countering the threats they pose is "at the top of the IDF's priority list," Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen Gadi Eisenkot said Tuesday.

Speaking at an annual conference in Herzliya, Eisenkot said most of those efforts are "are hidden from view." But he did say that the IDF deployed nearly 100 engineering vehicles on the border with Gaza "working in a focused way" to "sabotage, and reach all underground shafts."

Israel destroyed 33 cross-border tunnels during the 2014 war with Hamas, however the terrorist organization continues to devote significant resources in rebuilding them to facilitate terrorist attacks against Israelis.

"Hamas has chosen to invest many resources into rebuilding this capability against the State of Israel. A large portion of their money goes to building underground capabilities," Eisenkot said. "We are activating technological and engineering efforts. We have the most advanced capability in the world, and [yet] this is still a very big challenge."

Nevertheless, 900 trucks carrying goods cross into Gaza daily.

Eisenkot's comments come as a Hamas terrorist was killed in another tunnel collapse in Gaza's Khan Younis – the fourth reported tunnel collapse in recent weeks. Hamas officials confirmed last week that two terrorists were killed in a tunnel collapse. Seven more terrorists died repairing an older, damaged tunnel late last month.

In January, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh promised that the terrorist organization would never cease to build underground tunnels and enhance its weapons arsenal in preparation for a future war with the Jewish state.

Member of ISIS Execution Cell Traveled on Galloway "Aid Convoy"

A British member of an ISIS execution cell traveled to the Middle East in 2009 as part of an "aid convoy" to Gaza led by former British MP George Galloway, the Daily Mirror reports.

The aid convoy known as Viva Palestina was founded by Galloway in January 2009 and has delivered millions of dollars in "humanitarian aid" to the Hamas-led government in Gaza.

Alexe Kotey's name was revealed as a member of the ISIS execution cell in an ITV News investigation along with fellow-Londoner Aine Davis. Both Kotey and Davis were part of a gang of British executioners for ISIS dubbed "The Beatles" that was led by the notorious Jihadi John (a.k.a Mohammed Emwazi). The execution cell was responsible for the beheadings of 27 hostages, including Americans James Foley, Steven Sotloff, and Peter Kassig.

Before he was drawn to ISIS, Kotey was drawn to Galloway's convoy, which defiantly admitted would benefit the Hamas terrorist group controlling Gaza.

In a March 2009 convoy, Galloway held up a bag of cash before handing it to a Hamas minister. Galloway boasted that he was about to "break the sanctions on the elected government of Palestine" and "give the money to Hamas Prime Minister Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh."

Both the U.S. and U.K. governments have designated Hamas as a terrorist organization.

Although Viva Palestina has a currently active website for its Malaysian chapter, it appears to have ceased operations in the U.S. and Canada. When it was active, American Viva Palestina activists repeatedly acknowledged their work was "not about charity ... but in every way that we cut it, it is political."

In 2014, Britain's Charity Commission froze Viva Palestina's bank accounts and replaced the group's trustees with an interim manager. This was the second time Viva Palestina had come under the commission's radar. In a 2010 inquiry, the commission expressed concerns about Viva Palestina's "financial governance arrangements relating to the use of funds" and accused the charity of publicly exaggerated the amount of money it raised.

Galloway told ITV News that he does not remember meeting Kotey "There were 500 people on that convoy and George can't ever remember laying eyes on this guy," his spokesman Ron McKay said." It's possible he was there but George doesn't remember meeting him."

In a Twitter post, Galloway accused the U.K. media of engaging in an "ISIS #smear against me."

This misses the key point: The connection of a former Viva Palestina supporter to ISIS does not show that he Galloway is an ISIS supporter but showcases the kind of people drawn to his "humanitarian cause."

Report Highlights Social Media's Role Prior to Palestinian Terrorist Attacks

Palestinian Authority (PA) policeman, Amjad Jaser Sukari, indicated his willingness to kill Israelis on his Facebook page before conducting a terrorist attack on an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) roadblock on Sunday, according to The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center report.

Click here to read the full report.

Sukari – a bodyguard for the Palestinian attorney general Ahmed Hanoun - shot and injured three Israeli soldiers at a "VIP roadblock" near Ramallah, devoted solely to senior PA officials. Ensuing IDF fire neutralized the terrorist.

As a 34-year old PA police officer and married father of four children, Sukari did not fit the profile of most terrorists responsible for the recent wave of Palestinian violence against Israelis.

This incident also marked the second time during the latest terrorist campaign that a Palestinian Authority officer shot Israeli soldiers at a roadblock.

Even though Palestinian security cooperation with Israel continues on some level, Palestinian security forces committed to attacking Israelis are capable of higher casualty attacks with access to weapons.

In the last several months, Sukari's Facebook page indicated his willingness to become a martyr like other terrorists who were killed trying to attack Jews. The terrorist expressed his desire to die with increasing frequency into the lead up to the attack. Sukari often evoked both Islamic and nationalist terminology when criticizing the Israeli "occupation."

In one post two hours before the attack, Sukari wrote:

"...Unfortunately I don't see anything worth living for as long as the occupation strangles us and kills our brothers and sisters. Allah, have mercy on our martyrs, heal our wounds and release our prisoners. You [martyrs] are those who came first and we, Allah willing follow in your footsteps."

This case emphasizes the role of social media as an outlet for potential terrorists to express their perceived grievances and intentions to conducting terrorist attacks.

As usual, Palestinians from across the political spectrum praised the attack.

Mahmoud al-'Alul – a senior Fatah official – eulogized Sukari at his funeral, stating that Fatah was proud of "the shaheed Sukari". Sukari's body was also wrapped in the Palestinian and Fatah flags. While Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad also glorified the attack, Fatah's Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades said the attack confirms that nationalist sentiments within the PA security forces indicate growing refusal to coordinate with Israel.

Moreover, one of three Palestinian terrorists responsible for the deadly terrorist attack at Jerusalem's Damascus Gate on Wednesday posted his plans to kill Jews on Facebook last month, according to Israel's Channel 2 and reported by Israel National News.

19-year-old Border Police officer Hadar Cohen succumbed to injuries inflicted during the shooting and stabbing attack.

Another policewoman was critically wounded, while a third Israeli was also injured.

After Israeli police killed the terrorists, pipe bombs were discovered in their possession, indicating that a higher casualty and more sophisticated attack was planned.

Muslim Women Protest Obama's Baltimore Mosque Visit

President Obama's appearance Wednesday at the Islamic Society of Baltimore (ISB) drew a small band of protesters, and their issue might come as a surprise.

A group of Muslim women and their supporters stood "as close [to the mosque] as the Secret Service allows to protest the separate and unequal standards inside and advocate for equal rights."

One of the protesters, writer Ify Okoye, used to pray at the ISB but left after unsuccessfully challenging its treatment of women. She took pictures in 2010, showing women relegated to partitioned, drab prayer spaces compared to the wide open space reserved for men.

In a column published Wednesday morning, Okoye and journalist Asra Nomani explained that at the ISB, "women and girls are usually segregated, unable to see the imam unless they peek over the balcony's edge." Women's prayer space is comparable to a hockey penalty box, they wrote.

The separation starts at a young age, with the women describing "girls and boys as young as about 8 years old" being segregated during classes they observed last weekend. The girls were sent to a "stark gymnasium and found seats on bare red carpet pieces laid out in a corner," while boys "clamored excitedly into the majestic musallah, their feet padded by thick, decorated carpet, the sunlight flooding into the room through spectacular windows engraved with the 99 names of Allah, or God, in Islam."

This unequal treatment is all too common in American mosques, they said, citing their own visits to Islamic centers. Obama's "visit to a mosque that practices such blatant inequity represents a step backwards. While it may be meant to convey a message of religious inclusiveness to American Muslims, the visit demonstrates tacit acceptance of a form of discrimination that amounts to gender apartheid," Okoye and Nomani wrote.

It's a form of discrimination that would not be tolerated against other protected groups, they point out, yet segregated mosques continue to enjoy tax-exempt status.

"We are all God's children. We're all born equal, with inherent dignity," President Obama said at the mosque on Wednesday. He missed the call from Okoye and Nomani to "support this urgent cause by speaking out against gender segregation in American mosques."

Read their full column here.

Iraqi Journalist Dispels Myth that ISIS Has No Ties to Islam

Iraqi journalist Fadel Boula challenged the claim that the Islamic State (ISIS) and other jihadi organizations have no relationship to Islam, in an article featured in Iraq's Al-Akhbar newspaper and translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).

Boula argued that these terrorist organizations follow a radical Salafi ideology and believe their objectives coincide with Allah's will and the core tenets of Islam.

"Since its inception, this movement of terror has espoused a Salafi ideology that champions religious extremism, and brainwashed people of all ages have rallied around its flag, [people who were] trained to kill themselves and kill others in order to attain martyrdom," Boula wrote in the November article, "Does Terror Truly Have No Religion?"

Scholars and observers in the West frequently discount the role of religion when analyzing Islamist terrorist organizations, claiming that religion is simply evoked to galvanize supporters as a means for political ends. That overlooks the firm belief in radical interpretations of Islam shared by the leaders and the rank-and-file within these terrorist movements. They often use political means to achieve religious objectives.

"The terror that is shaking the world today is not a natural disaster like a tornado, a thunderstorm or an earthquake, and it is not perpetrated by savage tribes," Boula wrote. "It is perpetrated by people who enlist [because they are] inspired by a religious ideology. [These people] advocate enforcing and spreading [this ideology as a set of] dogmatic principles that must be imposed by the force of the sword, and which [mandate] killing, expulsion and destruction wherever they go."

He described how early ISIS expansion throughout Syria and Iraq emulated pre-modern Islamic conquests.

"The invaders attacked the populace of Mosul and eastern Syria, arrested them by the hundreds, and took a sword to their necks, and later singled out the Christians among them and offered them two options: either convert to Islam or pay the poll tax, as happened to their forefathers when the Arabs attacked their lands in the days of the Caliph 'Umar Al-Khattab [583-644 AD]. When [the Christians] rejected this humiliation, [ISIS] seized their property, expelled them from their historic home, the province of Ninveh, and sent them to wander destitute under the skies, seeking rescue and safety."

Some Western leaders, including President Obama and his administration, continue to pretend that ISIS is "not Islamic." However, a basic understanding of ISIS' Salafi origins and inspirations confirms that the terrorist organization and its affiliates maintain religious and political objectives that are rooted in extremist interpretations of Islam.

Hizballah Using Advanced, Iranian Anti-Tank Missiles in Syria

Hizballah terrorists are using Iranian-made anti-tank missiles in Syria that could be used against Israel in a future confrontation, the Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT) has learned.

On Sunday, Iranian news agency ABNA reported that Hizballah is using Toophan anti-tank missiles manufactured by Iran's Aerospace Industries Organization.

The Toophan is a reverse-engineered version of the American military BGM-71 TOW missile, with a payload of 3.6 kg warhead that is capable of penetrating up to 550mm of steel armor. The missile can reach a top speed of 310 m/s, with a range of 3,850m.

Israel frequently has voiced concerns over Hizballah acquiring sophisticated weaponry – including new Iranian anti-tank missiles – that could end up being utilized against in a future battle between Israel and the Shi'ite terrorist organization.

This development comes amid growing Iranian expansion in Syria and throughout the region. Since the launch of Iran's October ground operation in northern Syria, more than 135 Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) troops have been killed, according to a report written by Raz Zimmt – an expert on Iran's political and social networks.

Click here for the full analysis published by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center.

The commander of IRGC's Qods Force – Qassem Soleimani – was also seen in public Jan. 21, his first appearance since he was reported injured in Syria. Soleimani spoke at a memorial service for an IRGC brigadier general killed in an alleged Israeli airstrike in January 2015 near Quneitra in the southern Golan Heights. That airstrike also killed six Hizballah terrorists, including Jihad Mugniyeh, son of arch-terrorist Imad Mugniyeh.

Iran is working with Hizballah and other terrorist organizations, including the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, to set up a base of operations along the Syrian border to target the Jewish state.

Iran has also increased its interventions in Iraq and Yemen in recent months, as the Islamic Republic seeks to expand its presence throughout the Middle East in an effort to achieve regional hegemony.

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