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May 22, 2013

John Thorne: They launched the 'Arab Spring' but now yearn for the good old days of a strongman

John Rosemond: 'Disciplinary math' adds up to parental successl

Warren Richey: Are prayers before public meetings OK? Supreme Court to decide
Rick Montgomery: Use of ADHD drugs as study aid raises concern on campuses

Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D.: 6 convincing reasons you should keep carbs in your diet

Eoin O'Carroll: Scientists examine nothing, find something

The Kosher Gourmet by Carole Kotkin: This soup is made from one of the great pleasures of spring: A wonderful pairing of rosy color and earthy tang

May 20, 2013

Richard A. Serrano: Is Meir Kahane's assassin now a changed man?

Hannan Adely: Town raises Palestinian flag at City Hall

Melissa Healy: Genetic copies of living people from embryos no longer science fiction
Morgan Housel: When smart investors do stupid things

Sharon Saloman, M.S., R.D.: Hunger games: Eat more, weigh less, without starving

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Jews Inducted into Rock Hall of Fame; Anton Yelchin co-stars in New "Trek" film; Kutcher (but not Kunis) visits Israel; Jewish TV Star Praises Jewish Rap Star

The Kosher Gourmet by Cathy Pollak: WARNING: This WALNUT CAKE WITH PRALINE FROSTING, perfect for afternoon coffee, is addicting

May 13, 2013

Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Why the giving of the document that would permanently change the world could only be done in desolation

David G. Savage: Church-state, literally? Supreme Court weighing public school graduation in a church

Emily Alpert: Recession dragged down birth rates for less-educated women
Morgan Housel: The deep downside of home ownership

Peter Teffer: Will Dutch police soon be stalking cybercriminals on your computer?

Heidi McIndoo, M.S., R.D.: Meatless 'meat' can have its own set of problems

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Celebrate! This must-try appetizer is delicate yet has depth of flavor: Corn-Leek Cakes with Caviar, Smoked Salmon and Creme Fraiche

May 10, 2013

Rabbi Berel Wein: Be all that you should be

Caroline B. Glick: The dirty little secret about Israel's Arabs

Mona Charen: Hawking's Moral Calculus: The man and the movement he embraces
Morgan Housel: The biggest retirement myth ever told

Sandi Doughton: Eyes may provide new insight into brain problems

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : The Great Gatsby's Jewish Ties; Jews in the "Time 100 list" List; People's Most Beautiful Women

The Kosher Gourmet by Linda Gassenheimer: A sweet-hot meal: Pear salsa spices up salmon

May 8, 2013

Peter Ford: Why China is welcoming both Israel's Netanyahu and Palestinians' Abbas

Warren Richey: Obama administration quietly backs out of appeal over new contraceptive mandate

Fred Weir: At Kerry-Putin meeting, US-Russia relations thaw --- a tad
Amanda Paulson: Study reveals sad truths about community colleges

Harvard Health Letters: Evidence weak that zinc, echinacea are beneficial

The Kosher Gourmet by Leela Cyd Ross : Almost too pretty to eat, this colorful salad with Sicilian inspiration will tickle the taste buds and delight your visual sensibility

May 6, 2013

Edmund Sanders and Patrick J. McDonnell: Think Israel's objective in Syria is to weaken Assad or embolden the rebels? Think again

Brian Bennett: Israeli airstrikes may show weakness in Syrian defense

Michael Ollove: Millions of ex-felons, parolees and those on probation are about to be entitled to tax-payer paid health coverage
Karen Kaplan: Most men can skip PSA test for prostate cancer, urologists say

Kimberly Lankford: How to track down a lost life insurance policy

Dream of Mars exploration achievable, experts say

The Kosher Gourmet by Susan M. Selasky: EGGPLANT WRAPS are an easy, sumptuous and scrumptious meal

May 3, 2013

Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Human Courage and the Unavoidable, Disturbing Text

Steven Emerson: Attorney General Fights CAIR in Court, Lauds it in Public

Mediterranean diet helps beat dementia: study
Harvard Health Letters: When to be screened for a hearing problem

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Iron Man's Jewish Connections; Marc Maron's New TV Show; Martin Landau Grows Up with Israel; Shalom, Allan Arbus

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: A sweet surprise for Mother's Day dessert

May 1, 2013

Jonathan Rosenblum: An Improbable Journey to Orthodoxy

Jonathan Tobin: Blame Obama, Not Israel for Syria Push

Kids, kittens the Same? With employee perks at struggling Internet pioneer Yahoo! it's hard to tell
Halena M. Gazelka, M.D.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: What you need to know about implanted pain relief devices

Sandy Kleffman: Artificial kidney offers hope to patients tethered to a dialysis machine

Jessica Shugart: When it comes to math, MRIs may be better than IQs

The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: The celebrated chef on how high-maintenance ASPARAGUS RISOTTO need not be

April 29, 2013

Roy Gutman: Poland's new Jewish museum celebrates life, doesn't revisit Holocaust

Mark Clayton: Terrorism in America: Is US missing a chance to learn from failed plots?

Kim Murphy: Boston Bomber's 'Svengali' Revealed
Morgan Housel: He's rich, smart and old: Listen to him

Thomas Salinas, D.D.S.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: The safety of amalgam fillings

Harvard Health Letters: Tomatoes and stroke protection

Pete Spotts: Tiny satellites + cellphones = cheaper 'eyes in the sky' for NASA

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Swing into spring with lemon cream pie

April 26, 2013

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: The world is a mirror

Caroline B. Glick: Time to confront Obama

Clifford D. May: Defense in the Age of Jihadist Terrorism
Kimberly Lankford: New strategies ease pain of paying for long-term care insurance

Howard LeWine, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Too much ibuprofen?

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: How to feel your best -- with plenty of energy, a healthy weight and optimal mental and physical function -- without driving yourself batty

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom: Jewish Major Leaguers, 2013; New Movies and Comedy Show; Shalom, 'Lumpy' (Leave it to Beaver)

The Kosher Gourmet by Emily Ho : A bright and cheerful salad to herald the warmer months ahead

April 24, 2013

Steven Emerson: Boston Bomber Exposes Islamist Secret

Morgan Housel Admit it: No one has any idea what's going on
Harvard Health Letters: Can you get headaches from headache medication?

Kerri-Ann Jennings, M.S., R.D.: How to easily get more Omega-3s in your diet

Melissa Healy: Pot in a pill: All the pain relief without the smoke

The Kosher Gourmet by Susan Russo: Chipotle Chili Butternut Squash Soup is bold, zesty, hot

April 22, 2013

Ken Dilanian: Counterterrorism's future is unclear

US man departing country arrested on terror charges
Barbara Williams: An unorthodox but growing treatment in a 9-year-old's battle against cancer

P.J. Skerrett, M.D.: How to recognize a good whole grain product

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom: Teen actor Jonah Bobo in New Flick: Hunky James Wolk on Mad Men; Erich Segal's Daughter Writes Prize-Winning Jewish Novel


Jewish World Review July 19, 2005 / 12 Tamuz, 5765

The Brooklyn Connection

By Julia Gorin


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http://www.jewishworldreview.com | Albanian-American roofer Florin Krasniqi has been living in Brooklyn and smuggling American guns into Kosovo to arm the Kosovo Liberation Army--this time for war against its erstwhile saviors, NATO and the UN. The KLA are the bin Laden-trained, Iran-backed narco-terrorists whose 1999 jihad against the Christian Serbs we helped fight, abetting secession and creating a mono-ethnic terror haven and future Islamic republic in Europe.


Krasniqi, who raised $30 million from fellow Albanian-Americans to help finance the KLA's war, is the subject of a documentary by Dutch filmmaker Klaartje Quirijns, titled "The Brooklyn Connection," which will air Tuesday night at 10 pm on PBS. The Department of Homeland Security has launched an investigation into Krasniqi, according to Ms. Quirijns, as a result of her award-winning film, which was meant to be sympathetic to Krasniqi's cause of an independent Kosovo, and to highlight the ease of buying guns in America.


Realizing Albanians could lose the good will of Americans once they see the documentary, Krasniqi went on "60 Minutes" last Sunday, to paint himself as a concerned citizen promoting anti-gun legislation.


But "The Brooklyn Connection" is damning, demonstrating just how seriously our 1999 blunder continues to backfire, as the film follows Krasniqi's life: at home in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, with his wife and three kids; at the gun store buying a .50-caliber rifle; at an army surplus store buying fatigues and holsters; at the airport checking in his firearm; and at a 2003 John Kerry fundraiser writing out thousand-dollar checks.


"With money, you can do amazing things in this country," Krasniqi rhapsodizes. "Senators and congressmen are looking for donations, and if you raise the money they need for their campaigns, they pay you back."


At the event, we see Krasniqi greeting Wesley Clark. "Mr. Clark, this is your group, your KLA," Krasniqi says, introducing the former NATO commander to six or so fellow KLA fighters whom Krasniqi helped resettle in the U.S. Krasniqi himself was smuggled into the country across the Mexican border in the trunk of a car.


Clark shakes hands with everyone, then calls Richard Holbrooke over for more introductions. The politicians and the terrorists have a few laughs before Holbrooke makes a speech calling for speedier UN action on "Kosova's" independence, using the same, purposeful Albanian mispronunciation of the Serbian word that President Clinton had used. Albanian-American Jim Belushi also makes an appearance, via telecast, telling the guests, "If you care about the fate of Albanians in the Balkans, if you care about the safety and prosperity of America…I'm sure you'll do anything you can to make sure John Kerry is elected as our next president."


Indeed, had John Kerry been elected, the architects of our backward 1999 debacle  —  Clark, Albright and Holbrooke  —  would be back in position to finish the job they started  —  that is, officially establishing the independent terrorist state of Kosovo. As UN final status talks on Kosovo loom this year, Clark has been working feverishly to complete the Clinton administration's blunder. In February he wrote a Wall St. Journal op-ed warning that "a violent collision may occur by year-end" if we don't do what the Kosovo Albanians want  —  and that's exactly what this four-star general advocated doing. After all, unrest in the region shines an unwelcome spotlight on his "successful war", as he spent all of election year billing it in contrast to Iraq. So he wants to close the book as soon as possible on Kosovo, where there were four more explosions over the July 4th weekend  —  part of the ongoing bombings by our Albanian "rescuees" and a message to persuade the international community that only one final status will be acceptable: unconditional independence, without border compromises with Serbia or protection guarantees for non-Albanian minorities.

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"United Nations doesn't know what we are capable of," Krasniqi warns. "If we were capable of getting NATO to help us, I think we are capable of throwing the UN out of there also. And we will throw the UN out if we have to."


The intermittent gunfights between Albanians and NATO (KFOR) troops over the past six years since that American "victory" on behalf of the enemy can attest to that, as can a Kosovo charity that was raising funds for Osama bin Laden. Then there's the KLA member whose application was found at an al Qaeda recruitment office in Afghanistan: "I have Kosovo Liberation Army combat experience against Serb and American forces...I recommend [suicide] operations against [amusement] parks like Disney."


Regardless, Clark has already promised his former campaign donors, the National Albanian American Council, that "Kosova" would be independent. In his op-ed, he even suggested pummeling the Serbs again if Belgrade got in the way; it's easier than fighting Albanian terrorists.


Despite a different administration being in power now, full secession still seems to be the likelihood, what with Congress, the UN, the State Department and a number of George Soros-funded NGOs (non-governmental organizations) pushing for it. If Kosovo does become independent, the international peacekeepers will have to leave, and with them our eyes and ears in this European terror haven and thruway.


Additionally, it will facilitate the continued push to create "Greater Albania", a fight that has already spread to Macedonia and means to embroil parts of Montenegro and northern Greece, as was the plan all along.


In between Krasniqi's on-camera descriptions of the planeloads of guns and ammo he's been sending over to Albania then smuggling by truck or mule into Kosovo, we see his all-American pre-teen daughter dancing around the house to J. Lo before the family's town car takes them to a relative's party at an Albanian catering hall, where Krasniqi is reminded to write a check to "Hyde for Congress." The guests dance on top of dollar bills, strewn about the dance floor like confetti, to a song about Kosovo and the KLA.


Today Kosovo is just five percent away from being ethnically pure--purged of all minorities via pogroms, which reached a crescendo in March of last year. Nearly 200 Serbian churches and monasteries have been burned, destroyed, spray-painted with "KLA" and/or used as a toilet.


There is a hotel outside Pristina, the capital of Kosovo. Atop the hotel sits a tribute to those who helped achieve this dream: a makeshift reproduction of the Statue of Liberty.

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© 2005, Julia Gorin.