Headlines:

• The World Must Prepare for the Worst
• Obama's Hometown Runs Out of Money to Bury the Poor
• Russia Warning: Syria and Iran Strikes could Trigger ‘Chain Reaction'
• Iran Warns Region against "Dangerous" Stance on Hormuz
• Pakistan Submits to American Pressure

Details:

The World Must Prepare for the Worst:

On Wednesday; the World Bank issued a very chilling warning in its report. Developing countries should prepare for further downside risks, as Euro Area debt problems and weakening growth in several big emerging economies are dimming global growth prospects, says the World Bank in the newly-released Global Economic Prospects (GEP) 2012. "Developing countries need to evaluate their vulnerabilities and prepare for further shocks, while there is still time," said Justin Yifu Lin, the World Bank's Chief Economist and Senior Vice President for Development Economics. Developing countries have less fiscal and monetary space for remedial measures than they did in 2008/09. As a result, their ability to respond may be constrained if international finance dries up and global conditions deteriorate sharply. To prepare for that possibility, Hans Timmer, Director of Development Prospects at the World Bank, said: "Developing countries should pre-finance budget deficits, prioritize spending on social safety nets and infrastructure, and stress-test domestic banks." "An escalation of the crisis would spare no-one. Developed- and developing-country growth rates could fall by as much or more than in 2008/09" said Andrew Burns, Manager of Global Macroeconomics and lead author of the report.

Obama's Hometown Runs Out of Money to Bury the Poor:

In Chicago, bodies are stacking up in the city morgue because the medical examiner's office hasn't paid for the burial boxes used for the dead who were indigent. At the office of the Cook County Medical Examiner, the morgue's cooler, built to hold 300 bodies, and currently has 500, including a hundred babies. All of the decomposing corpses are too much for the room's ventilation system. "There are so many bodies in there now, they can't keep it cool enough. The stench is like nothing I've ever seen," a source told the Chicago Sun-Times. "I think it's sacrilegious." The rest of the state is short on cash to cover the cost of burying those on welfare. State lawmakers slashed funding for such work, cutting what was a $13 million budget down to $1.9 million. The state pays for the burial of an estimated 12,000 poor people each year.

Russia Warning: Syria and Iran Strikes Could Trigger ‘Chain Reaction':

Russia strongly criticised Western belligerence towards Syria and Iran yesterday, saying that a military assault on the Iranian regime could cause a "chain reaction" that would destabilise the entire world.The country's Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, also said during his annual televised press conference that Russia would use its veto at the UN Security Council to block any resolution calling for military force to be used against Syria. Mr Lavrov said that Russia is "seriously worried" that military action against Iran may be under consideration, and vowed that Moscow would do all it could to prevent it. "The consequences will be extremely grave," he said. "It's not going to be an easy walk. It will trigger a chain reaction and I don't know where it will stop." Last week, a Russian newspaper revealed that the annual training exercises undertaken in southern Russia by the country's army will focus this year on scenarios related to the regional fallout of a possible military conflict in Iran.

Iran Warns Region Against "Dangerous" Stance on Hormuz:

Iran's foreign minister warned Arab neighbours on Thursday not to put themselves in a "dangerous position" by aligning themselves too closely with the United States in the escalating dispute over Tehran's nuclear activity. Iran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, used for a third of the world's seaborne oil trade, if pending Western moves to ban Iranian crude exports cripple its lifeblood energy sector, fanning fears of a descent into wider Middle East war. Tehran, which denies suspicions it is seeking nuclear weapons, was riled earlier this week when Saudi Arabia asserted it could swiftly raise oil output for key customers if needed, a scenario that could transpire if Iranian exports were embargoed. "We want peace and tranquillity in the region. But some of the countries in our region, they want to direct other countries 12,000 miles away from this region," Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said in English during a visit to Turkey. The remark was an apparent reference to the alliance of Iran's Arab neighbours with Washington, which maintains a huge fleet in the Gulf and says it will keep the waterway open. "I am calling to all countries in the region, please don't let yourselves be dragged into a dangerous position," he told Turkey's NTV broadcaster.

Pakistan Submits to American Pressure:

Pakistan expects to re-open supply routes to NATO forces in Afghanistan, halted after a NATO cross-border air attack killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in November, but will impose tariffs, a senior security official told Reuters Thursday. The official said the fees were designed to both express continued anger over the November 26 attack and raise funds for the state to fight home grown Taliban militants blamed for many of the suicide bombings across the country."The tariffs will cover everything from the port to security to roads, which after all belong to Pakistan," the security official, who asked to remain anonymous, told Reuters. No date was given for reopening the supply routes. Pakistan's trade ministry was working out details of the tariffs, said the official.

Recently, the Ministry of Internal Affairs revoked a number of District Regulations which prohibit the distribution and sale of alcoholic beverages or liquor (alcohol). The revocation covers District Regulation in the City of Tangerang, Bandung and Indramayu.

Question:

The Iraqi Prime minister Nouri Al-Maliki announced on Saturday 31/12/2011 the beginning of Iraq's celebrations due to the departure of the American forces and this had been preceded on the 12/12/2011 by Al-Maliki visiting America for two days in which he met its President Obama and the vice president Biden who is responsible for overseeing the Iraqi issue in addition to the foreign secretary of state Hilary Clinton so as to discuss the arranging of the Iraqi situation after the American withdrawal. And on the 15/12/2011 the American secretary of defence Leon Panetta announced the implementation of the decision to halt military American operations in Iraq by holding a small celebration for this occasion in the Baghdad airport in which the American flag was lowered and the Iraqi flag was raised in its place.

So how should these celebrations be viewed? And has America really completely withdrawn from Iraq? And did it fail to accomplish its objectives or did she achieve what it intended in terms of influence in Iraq and its destruction in terms of being a united state with real actual power and strength? And (finally) is the withdrawal beneficial to Obama's re-election campaign?

Answer:

The celebrations marking the removal of the occupation are indeed a great matter because Allah (swt) made the influence of the disbelievers over the land of the Muslims Haraam:

{ وَلَنْ يَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ سَبِيلا }

(And Allah will never allow the disbelievers to have a way over the believers)

However this is only the case if the occupation has really been removed from its roots, trunk and leaves where all of its power of influence has vanished along with its thoughts and laws in addition to its symbols and agents and then we would make Tasbeeh praising him! And in this time the celebration would carry with it the taste of victory and rejoicing:

{ وَيَوْمَئِذٍ يَفْرَحُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ * بِنَصْرِ اللَّهِ }

(And on that day the believers will rejoice with the victory of Allah)

However on the other hand if the occupation remains in body and form and only some cosmetic change has taken place then the celebration will not carry with it the taste of victory or the taste of rejoicing.

And in order to explain the reality of this answer we will present the following matters:

1- It is from the known matters that America before the coming of the current administration under the presidency of Obama had decided to withdraw from Iraq. So the previous administration under the presidency of Bush which had taken the decision to invade Iraq went ahead on the 17/11/2008 to enforce a security agreement upon Iraq so that it continue to maintain its influences in Iraq on a permanent basis. It also mentioned in the text of this agreement in the first part of the twenty-fourth article that the American forces would withdraw from Iraq at the end of 2011. Therefore the current administration is simply implementing the decision that had been made in regards to the withdrawal. The decision to withdraw also came as an implementation of the promises Obama made in his first election campaign when he stated that he would withdraw the American forces from Iraq and this promise had an impact on the success of his campaign. Even though he did not make the agreement himself he exploited it within his campaign and has as such included the implementation of this promise within his coming campaign to aid him with his re-election in the forthcoming year.

2- The one who scrutinizes the subject finds that America has not left Iraq completely but rather only from the direct military angle and it has been able to remain upon its power of influence under different means through its staff in the American embassy and those who have remained with them in addition to those remaining to train the Iraqi forces, assisting them and preparing for them to take their places in four military bases within Iraq as has been reported in the news. The remaining of these forces under the name of employees of the Embassy or trainers happened as a result to America realising that the majority of the Iraqi people were against the immunity given to the American forces to the point where political forces within the parliament announced that it would not vote in favour of this decision. So America in collusion with Al-Maliki and his government made steps to keep hundreds of troops under the banner of being named trainers alongside thousands who they consider as employees and contractors with the American embassy, their number reaching 16,000! The French news Agency commented about this on the 13/12/2011 stating: ‘The issue of immunity has been solved by the wording of the agreement which contains the explanation that the United States embassy in Baghdad will be the largest in the world and contain 16,000 staff'. This means that the Americans achieved what they had wanted to which was the remaining of diplomatic immunity under different headings. So they implemented their programme by the withdrawal of the forces which were wearing military uniform except for a small number that remained and at the same time maintaining a huge number who wear civilian uniform and Al-Maliki amongst others from amongst the agents colluded with them in this as is known. This had been planned for a number of years when America first decided to build its largest embassy in the world in Baghdad which would accommodate such a huge number of workers. So this embassy can be considered as a military base of a different shape in addition to being a huge spying nest from where she can steer the Iraqi affairs from behind a curtain. Indeed she will be the one who plot the conspiracies, stir Fitnah, strife and divisions between the people of Iraq as they have done from the beginning of occupation up until now. Aside from this she will maintain hundreds of troops and contractors in four bases meaning that they will be managing these four bases under the heading of being trainers and experts!

3- America occupied Iraq so as to expand its control and influence, and to strike at the interests of competing Western states as well as to make it a base for it in the region, to plunder its resources, to impose its systems upon it and its way of life, to destroy its power and to prevent it from  being a supporting power which could unify the Ummah and establish the rule of their Rabb Al-‘Azeez Al-Hakeem. For this reason it kept a large number of contractors and employees in the largest embassy that it possesses in the world and tied Iraq with security and strategic partnership agreements amongst other agreements in a number of areas. Joseph Biden the vice-president of America indicated this during his visit to Baghdad by saying: ‘Three years ago the two states signed an agreement concerning a framework of a strategic partnership which came as an affirmation of the desire of both nations to establish long lasting ties of co-operation and friendship and that this strategic partnership framework is a continuing agreement and it represents the foundations upon which the relations between us will be built in a manner of mutual benefit' (Al-Jazeera 30/11/2011). Similar to this was quoted from Obama in his joint press conference with Al-Maliki on the 12/12/2011 when he said: ‘The United States of America will remain a strong and continual partner to Baghdad after the withdrawal of the last American soldier from Iraq'. The security agreement states the following in the twenty-seventh article of the first section: ‘Upon the arising of and foreign danger of internal danger against Iraq or the occurrence of aggression upon it or contravention of its sovereignty, political independence or unity of its lands or water or air space, or a threat to its democratic system and elected institutions, and built upon the request of the Iraqi government, the two parties would engage immediately in strategic movements, and in accordance to what they agree between them, that the United States will take appropriate measures including diplomatic and military measures or any other measure to guard against this threat'. This is the article that makes it easy for America to interfere militarily with the collusion of any Iraqi government aligned to America so that she (Iraq) will agree with her in that the situation calls for it!.

4- America destroyed Iraq and made it weak taking it back tens of years, and she killed and injured hundreds of thousands of its people, and it made millions homeless. It created divisions, differences and Fitnah between its people and it drew up a harmful un-Islamic constitution which exposed the land to being split up as it guarantees the right of announcing independent internal provinces... And she left Iraq suffering under many issues and realities so that she will remain aligned to her and this is in addition to the written agreements that have already tied Iraq to her and the agents they have produced in order to maintain this bond and to support the continual influence and control of America over Iraq. Obama remarked upon the tying of Iraq with America and the guarantee of its loyalty to it describing it as a partnership: ‘We are building a new partnership between our nations. And we are ending a war not with a final battle, but with a final march toward home' and he said that it had been an: ‘extraordinary achievement' (AFP 15/12/2011).

5-The summary of all of this is that America even though have been afflicted by powerful blows from the resistance giving it a lesson that it won't forget, it nevertheless achieved its objectives in Iraq. So it announced its withdrawal from Iraq after it had put in place a regime that would proceed in its path after it, it also imposed an un-Islamic harmful constitution which divided the country and shook its stability as well as a security and strategic agreement amongst other agreements which tie the country to the Americans and make it subject to being under its mercy as well as allowing its agents to call for the American help and assistance when they feel that the corrupt rule is under threat! Then she announced her withdrawal after establishing a base resembling a large military base calling it a huge ‘Embassy' that contains 16,000 Americans whose role is to maintain and protect the American influences using any style they see fit to achieve this. It also maintained its presence in four military bases under the naming of trainers and experts and this embassy and bases form a huge den for spying! And as long these American roots and what relates to them are not cut completely from the land of the Raafidain (Iraq) then the withdrawal will not be complete...

6- Despite all of this America has come to know that there are men who are strong in their relationship with their Lord and who find honour only in their Deen and will not accept other than a sincere and truthful governance in Iraq and if they were to get a foothold then the tables would be turned over upon the head of America and its agents and they will flee with their backs turned and this is not a hard matter for Allah (swt).

Dear Muslims, Hizb ut Tahrir is issuing this leaflet to you in order to convey the news of imminent threats against your Muslim Army. In recent weeks and months the traitor Hasina, at the behest of the kafir-mushrik enemies, USA and India, has been abducting, arresting and dismissing sincere army officers who are on the side of Islam, the country and national interests. Dozens of bright officers have been victims of the government's purge of the army. Reports regarding this have been published in print and online media. As you are aware, within a month of taking power, Sheikh Hasina and her close aides collaborated with India in the brutal massacre of army officers in Pilkhana on 25^th-27^th February, 2009. Thereafter Hasina removed from the army those officers who spoke against the government's collaboration with India in the massacre.

Hasina has taken such a stand against the army, which is truly a stand against the Muslims of this country, due to her unfettered loyalty to her masters. She was brought to power by the Americans, in partnership with India. The Americans have a design to prevent the return of the Islamic Khilafah "Caliphate" in this region (Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Malaysia) and contain the rise of China. For this purpose she prefers a strategic partnership with India in order to secure her strong presence in this region and tighten her grip over the Muslim countries within the region. Therefore, in a way similar to Pakistan, the government, the opposition, and some in the military leadership in Bangladesh are being used as agents by these two countries to solve the long standing issues with India which will free India's hands. This will facilitate India to join hands with America in implementing her design to prevent the return of Islam and contain China. And they are working to remove all obstacles to this plan and anyone who exposes or speaks against this evil plan. It was for this reason that bright officers of our army were massacred in Pilkhana in which Hasina collaborated. It was for this reason that Hasina banned Hizb ut Tahrir and is pursuing a policy of brutal repression against the party. And now she is executing a policy of whole sale purge of the army of all officers who stand on the side of Islam, and the country's sovereignty and security.

O Muslims!

If America, India and their loyal servant Hasina succeed in executing this evil design you will become a slave nation, serving the whims and desires of the kafir-mushrik nations, leading to humiliation in the Dunya and the Akhira. There are no other words for this. Allah (SWT) says,

إِنْ يَثْقَفُوكُمْ يَكُونُوا لَكُمْ أَعْدَاءً وَيَبْسُطُوا إِلَيْكُمْ أَيْدِيَهُمْ وَأَلْسِنَتَهُمْ بِالسُّوءِ وَوَدُّوا لَوْ تَكْفُرُونَ

"Should they gain the upper hand over you, they would behave to you as enemies, and stretch forth their hands and their tongues against you with evil, and they desire that you should disbelieve." [Surah Al-Mumtahanah: 2]

Hizb ut Tahrir  calls upon you to take an immediate, decisive, and strong stance against the government's criminal policy of purging the army. It does not befit you to stay silent in the face of this impending threat of becoming slaves to the whims and desires of kafir-mushrik nations. Allah (SWT) describes you in the Noble Qur'an as the best and the leading nation.

كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنْ الْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ

"You are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin the Good and forbid the Evil, and you believe in Allah." [Surah Al-‘Imran: 110]

O sincere officers in the Muslim Army of Bangladesh!

In the BDR massacre Hasina and her masters killed the bright officers who they considered as obstacles in the way of starting normal relations with the Indian army. Now they are working to eliminate the rest of you who do not accept the domination of the Mushrik Army. It has therefore become an immediate and urgent duty upon you to prepare and use all your strength and power to confront this threat to your own safety and safety of the institution which is a source of your pride, as well as confronting the threat to the security of this Islamic land. Hizb ut Tahrir calls upon you to undertake the following precise set of actions:

Firstly: Overthrow the current ruling regime and Hasina from authority at once. This is the one and only option in your hand. Any form of procrastination in doing this or adopting any other course only gives time and opportunity to the enemies to devise evil ways and means to harm you and the Ummah.

Secondly: Removing the current regime and Hasina must not be a knee-jerk reaction. Rather it must be for bringing true change according to what the Islamic ideology demands. As Muslims you have no option to adopt any other ideology except Islam. Otherwise your actions will be in vain. Allah (SWT) says,

وَمَنْ يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الإِسْلاَمِ دِينًا فَلَنْ يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ فِي الآخِرَةِ مِنْ الْخَاسِرِينَ

"Whoever adopts a deen other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers." [Surah Al-‘Imran: 85]

Bringing true change according to Islam means to uproot the current ruling system from the root, not just Hasina. There exist no political leaders or parties - whether they are rightists, leftists or centrists - who are not slaves to America or India. This kufr ruling system is the factory which produced Hasina. And Khaleda belongs to the same system and she is as eager to serve US-India as Hasina. Therefore do not leave any space for futile interim governments or caretaker governments to be put in place as a result of your actions. You have to remove the imperialist dominated democratic system completely in order to cut all ways for AL-BNP and their allies to return to power.  

Thirdly: Provide the Nusrah (material support) to Hizb ut Tahrir to transfer the authority to the sincere and aware politicians who will establish the Khilafah "Caliphate" state. Hizb ut Tahrir is a sincere and aware party which will establish the ruling according to the Qur'an and Sunnah. This is the Khilafah "Caliphate" ruling system. Islam does not permit democratic, dictatorial, military or any other form of government. Allah (SWT) says,

وَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمْ الظَّالِمُونَ

"And whosoever does not rule by all that Allah has revealed such are the Zalimun." [Surah Al-Ma'idah: 45]

Therefore when we call upon you to overthrow the Hasina government, by that we do not call you to take power for yourselves. The task of the military is not ruling; rather your task is to fight and protect Islam and Muslims. Thus our call to you is to transfer the authority to the sincere and aware politicians who will establish the Khilafah "Caliphate" state.

The Khilafah "Caliphate" state which will lead you and the Ummah will eject USA, India and their allies from Bangladesh. No avenues will be left open for the imperialist kafir-mushrik enemies to exercise influence over the politics of the country. We want to make it clear to you here that ejecting India while having normal relations with the US is a grave danger. In fact USA, Britain and other Western imperialists are the real source of the problem; without their active policy India would not be able to achieve the facilities she received from Hasina. Furthermore Allah (SWT) forbids the Muslims from taking any belligerent disbelieving nation as their allies whether it was America, Britain, India or any other country. Moreover all of these imperialist nations have evil designs against the military and the people of the country. Therefore a well thought out policy has to be formulated to deal with the US, her allies and partners. Hizb ut Tahrir has already drafted such a policy.

The Khilafah "Caliphate" state will build this country as the starting point for becoming a global super power. This is by securing the basic needs of the people and solving the long running problems faced by the people such as poverty and unemployment, industrializing the country's economy, building the army as a strong and advanced fighting force, and unifying with the Muslim Ummah. Hizb ut Tahrir has adopted thoughts, solutions and policies from Islam for achieving this goal.

Some of you may argue that this is beyond our capabilities as a small nation! To answer that let us remind you with the example of our Prophet Muhammad (saw) who faced the two superpowers in his time, Rome and Persia, when he was in a worse material situation than us today. Moreover today the US and the West are facing severe economic, social, security and political crises; and they are not in a position where they can face the Ummah of Jihad which has entered a new era of awakening, starting with the Arab spring. On the other hand we are very confident that we can face the US and all her allies if you provide us with the material support that we are demanding from you, similar to the Ansar (RA) who provided the Prophet (SAW) with material support. So rush to that before it is too late!  

O sincere officers!

How can you sit idly while Hasina is ruling over you with a smiling face after killing your officers? You are not an ordinary army. You are the army of the Muslim Ummah. Your forefathers opened land after land to establish the justice of Islam on this earth. They were feared by enemies and welcomed by the people. This is your glorious history. How then do you accept to be killed, abducted, arrested, and dismissed by this lowly traitor?

O officers!

Regain your sense of honour, and remove Hasina for her treachery against you and the Muslims of this country. We remind you that you have made two great covenants. Your first covenant is that which you made with Allah (SWT) as a Muslim to worship Him as your only Ilah and implement the deen revealed by Him (SWT) in all of life's affairs. The other you made as a soldier to protect the Ummah. Therefore fulfill your covenants and give your Nusrah (support) to Hizb ut Tahrir so that we may establish the Khilafah "Caliphate" which will be your only shield and the shield of the people. Muhammad (SAW) said,

"Indeed the Imam (Khaleefah) is the shield, from behind whom you fight, and protect yourselves." [Sahih Muslim, Hadith #1841]

Our final call to you is the words of Allah (SWT),

وَسَارِعُوا إِلَى مَغْفِرَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالأَرْضُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ

"And march forth in the way (which leads to) forgiveness from your Lord and for Paradise as wide as are the heavens and the earth, prepared for Al-Muttaqeen (the pious)." [Surah Al-‘Imran: 133]