A sermon last Friday by a prominent Muslim cleric and Hamas member of the Palestinian parliament openly declared that "the capital of the Catholics, or the Crusader capital," would soon be conquered by Islam.
The fiery sermon, delivered by Yunis al-Astal and aired on Hamas' Al-Aqsa TV, predicted that Rome would become "an advanced post for the Islamic conquests, which will spread though Europe in its entirety, and then will turn to the two Americas, even Eastern Europe."
"Allah has chosen you for Himself and for His religion," al-Astal preached, "so that you will serve as the engine pulling this nation to the phase of succession, security and consolidation of power, and even to conquests through da'wa and military conquests of the capitals of the entire world.
"Very soon, Allah willing, Rome will be conquered, just like Constantinople was, as was prophesized by our prophet Muhammad," he added.
Al-Astal last June preached how it was the duty of Palestinian women to martyr themselves by becoming homicide bombers.
"The most exalted form of jihad is fighting for the sake of Allah, which means sacrificing one's soul by fighting the enemies head-on, even if it leads to martyrdom," he said in a ...   more »

THE WASHINGTON TIMES EDITORIAL - Ambassador Ryan Crocker, a veteran of more than three and a half decades in the U.S. Foreign Service, chooses his words with great care and is not given to bombast. So, when the United States ambassador to Iraq suggests that a precipitous withdrawal of American troops from that country could lead to a bloodbath on the scale of the Rwandan genocide of of the 1990s, serious people need to listen.
Mr. Crocker, who is expected to retire in January when the next president of the United States is sworn in, speaks bluntly about the need for a mature discussion in this country about what will happen if U.S. troops are withdrawn before Iraq is stabilized. "I hear people say: Bring the troops home and end the war," Mr. Crocker said Friday at a roundtable with journalists at the State Department. "My g-d... It's going to give you a... war of significantly greater proportions. I remember how we reacted to Rwanda," Mr. Crocker said, referring to the genocide that occurred in 1994, in which an estimated 800,000 people were slaughtered.
If American forces in Iraq are seen to be "heading for the doors" not because conditions ...   more »

 BY HARRY DUNPHY,
The president of the World Bank on Sunday urged immediate action to deal with mounting food prices that have caused hunger and deadly violence in several countries.
Robert Zoellick said the international community has "to put our money where our mouth is" and act now to help hungry people. "It is as stark as that."
He called on governments to rapidly carry out commitments to provide the U.N. World Food Program with $500 million in emergency aid it needs by May 1.
"It is critical that governments confirm their commitments as soon as possible and others begin to commit," Zoellick said. Prices have only risen further since the WFP issued that appeal, so it is urgent that governments step up, he said.
After a meeting of the bank's policy-setting committee, Zoellick said that the fall of the government in Haiti over the weekend after a wave of deadly rioting and looting over food prices underscores the importance of quick international action. A U.N. police officer was killed Sunday in Haiti's capital.
He said the bank is granting an additional $10 million to Haiti for feeding programs, "and I understand others are looking to help."
Zoellick said the ...   more »

BY GARY FINEOUT
Even though Florida now has more than 100 specialized license tags, the Republican-controlled Legislature may soon add one more: a colorful license plate that features the words ''I Believe'' set among a resplendent sunrise and the image of a cross in front of stained-glass window.
Florida already has tags that feature manatees, the Challenger space shuttle, panthers, and football teams. In 1999, lawmakers approved a controversial ''Choose Life'' tag that was seen by some critics as promoting a religious anti-abortion message and was initially challenged in the courts.
time to give something to motorists who care about their faith, not their favorite football team.
''They may not be into the manatee, they may not be into Challenger,'' Bullard said. ``That segment, which is a large segment of the population, can now get a tag that they like and can express their beliefs.''
Sen. Mike Fasano, a New Port Richey Republican who is sponsoring a measure that would create four different plates -- including the ''I Believe'' tag as well as a lighthouse tag and a ''In God We Trust'' plate -- said he saw no problem with letting motorists decide if they want to pay the extra ...   more »

By VERENA DOBNIK
NEW YORK (AP) — A man who worked in the admissions department at a prestigious Manhattan hospital has been charged with stealing and selling information on nearly 50,000 patients.
Dwight McPherson, 38, a former worker at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, was arrested Friday night, shortly after the hospital announced the security breach.
McPherson was arraigned Saturday in federal court in Manhattan. He is charged with computer fraud, identity document fraud, transmission of stolen property and sale of stolen property. U.S. Magistrate Judge James C. Francis IV ordered McPherson not to leave the New York area before his next scheduled court appearance May 12.
Prosecutors said McPherson exploited his access to the hospital's computer registration system to acquire lists of patient names, phone numbers and Social Security numbers over a two-year period.
Authorities became aware that something was amiss when printouts of patient records were discovered in Atlanta during an investigation by postal inspectors, according to a complaint filed by prosecutors Saturday.
McPherson confessed to a role in the identity-theft scheme when he was interrogated by agents on Friday, an inspector said in the complaint.
McPherson told agents that in 2006 he was approached by someone ...   more »