US units exiting Iraq deployed in Jordan to forestall Syrian attack

As the US completes its final withdrawal from Iraq, American special forces troops have been diverted to positions in Jordan opposite a Syrian tank concentration building up across the kingdom's northern border, debkafile's military and intelligence sources report.
As of last Thursday, military convoys, air transports and helicopters have been lifting US troops across the border from Iraq. They have been deployed in position to ward off a possible Syrian invasion in the light of President Bashar Assad's warning that he would set the entire Middle East on fire if the pressure on his regime to step down persisted.

Syria's other neighbors have taken precautions against this contingency but this is the first time US boots have hit the ground directly opposite Assad's army.

http://www.debka.com/article/21564/

Special Report: Tea Party grassroots army readies for battle

"The Tea Party movement is more organized, more focused and more potent," said Rep. Scott, who talks regularly to Dugan. "What happened in 2010 was not the end. It was just the beginning."

Tea Party supporters now hold fewer sign-waving rallies, a hallmark of their early opposition to bank bailouts and President Barack Obama's healthcare reform in 2009. But the movement isn't losing steam.

Interviews with activists across 20 U.S. states indicate that Tea Party groups, far from fading, have evolved into an increasingly sophisticated and effective network of activists. They are working to unseat establishment Republicans who they believe have betrayed the principles of lower taxes, limited government, and free markets.

"Those who think the Tea Party is on the wane are in for a gigantic surprise in 2012," says Debbie Dooley, co-organizer of the Atlanta Tea Party. "We have built a grassroots army and we will be a fine-tuned machine next year."

The goal of these loosely affiliated but fiercely independent groups nationwide is to hone their electoral skills and build a "farm team" of public officials who can ascend through the ranks of government. It's a long-term strategy that looks past the 2012 election to a takeover of the Republican Party and the U.S. Congress.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/15/us-special-report-tea-party-idUSTRE7BE0CX20111215

Islamic Woman to Launch French Presidential Bid in Opposition to Face Veil Ban

PARIS (The Blaze/AP) — To Muslim women who wish to remain hidden behind face veils, France’s law forbidding they wear the religious garment is considered an attack on their freedoms. These women have been protesting the regulation since it was put into place back in April.

One Frenchwoman — who wears an Islamic face veil in protest — is turning heads, as she announced Thursday that she wants to run for president in next year’s elections.

Also Thursday, a French court fined two women who have refused to remove their veils. All three women are part of a growing attack on the law that has banned the garments from the streets of France since April and prompted similar moves toward a ban in other European countries.

They are bent on proving that the measure contravenes fundamental rights and that women who hide their faces stand for freedom, not submission.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/islamic-woman-to-launch-french-presidential-bid-in-opposition-to-face-veil-ban/

Canada Bans Islamic Burqas & Niqabs During Citizenship Oaths

MONTREAL (The Blaze/AP) — Canada’s immigration minister says new Canadians will have to remove any face-coverings, such as the Islamic niqab or burqa, while they take the oath of citizenship. The controversial ban on these religious garments will begin immediately.

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said Monday he‘s received complaints from lawmakers and citizenship judges who say it’s difficult to ensure that individuals whose faces are covered are actually reciting the oath.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/canada-bans-islamic-burqas-niqabs-during-citizenship-oaths/

Chinese Neighborhood Tries to Ban Veils & Arab Clothing

BEIJING (The Blaze/AP) — Burqa and Islamic garb bans are apparently all the rage these days. On Monday, the Blaze reported that Canadians will have to remove any face-coverings, such as the Islamic niqab or burqa, while they take the oath of citizenship. France, of course, has already implemented a more sweeping veil ban.

Now, a city district in heavily Muslim western China is joining in by purportedly trying to tamp down religious fervor by prohibiting people from wearing veils, traditional Arab dress or growing long beards. A regional spokeswoman said that she was unaware of the campaign and added that it sounds unrealistic. Still, there’s evidence that it is alive and well in the region.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/chinese-neighborhood-tries-to-ban-veils-arab-clothing/