"Hassan Hattab made the comments in a letter to President Abdelaziz Bouteflika published on Monday by Echorouk daily after three bombs exploded in Algiers on Wednesday killing 33 people.

He described the group that claimed responsibility for the bombings, which changed its name in January from the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) to al Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb, as "a small group that wants to transform Algeria into a second Iraq."

"I call on the militants to give up the fight and join national reconciliation," said Hattab, also known as Abu Hamza.

"We urge the President to reopen the national reconciliation file and extend its deadline. I can thump those seeking to take Algeria to its painful past," he added without elaborating.

Hattab remains an influential figure among Islamist fighters even though the group he helped found is now headed by another man, Abdelmalek Droudkel, also known as Abu Musab Abdul Wadud."

Then there's news from Ahmadinejad's Iran that tells us not all Iranians are happy about the madman running their country.

"Madrid11.net reported that things do not look good for the regime as they continue their violence against the Iranian people:

The Iranian government has come under unusually sharp criticism by the association of Iranian Academics for its flagrant abuse of human rights. In an open letter, the authors accuse authorities of "systematically and intentionally disregarding even the most basic rights."

Critics and dissenters have been removed from their jobs, imprisoned without any legal grounds or recourse to a lawyer, and forced to make accusatory confessions. Universities have let go of numerous liberal lecturers, while critical students have been prevented from continuing with their studies..."

That might seem like just a couple of seemingly unrelated stories, until you put them together with a couple more from other ME regions, including this one;

"Moderate Muslims filled the streets of Karachi, Pakistan today to protest against a religious school with Taliban ties that is threatening the society:

"Tens of thousands of people rallied in Pakistan's biggest city, Karachi, on Sunday to show their opposition to a radical religious school which has begun a Taliban-style anti-vice campaign in the capital, Islamabad.

"The people of Islamabad are insecure and under threat due to the activities of these religious terrorists," said Altaf Hussain, head of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, addressing the rally by telephone from London.

Hussain, who lives in self-exile in Britain although his party is part of the ruling coalition, said the religious radicals in Islamabad's Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque, and adjoining Jamia Hafsa madrasa were hurting the image of Islam."

Go look at the picture posted at that link.  Now THAT is impressive!  Democracy is setting the Middle East on fire, and it is reacting against the likes of the Taliban and al Qaeda.  Here's another example;

"300,000 Turks took to the streets of Ankara today to protest against the rising Islamic threat against the secularist governmental system.

Protesters shouted, "We don't want an imam as president."

Thousands of demonstrator march with Turkish flags in Ankara, Turkey, Saturday, April 14, 2007. Some 300,000 Turks protested against their Islamic-rooted prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, demonstrating the intense opposition he will face from Turkey's secular establishment if he decides to run for president next month. (AP Photo/Str) "

The tide seems to be turning against the Islamo-extremists in the Middle East.  It's even happening in Iraq.  The split between the Sunni and al Qaeda in Iraq has become more than a rumor, it's now become a public fact;

"Evidence of the split between the Islamic Army in Iraq and al Qaeda began to appear early this year. Mishan al-Jabouri, the owner of Al Zawraa - or Muj TV, which is the propaganda television station for the Islamic Army in Iraq, lashed out against al Qaeda in February of 2007. Jabouri aired a laundry list of complaints against al-Qaeda and its puppet Islamic State of Iraq. the grievances included:

• Al-Qaeda in Iraq has divided the Iraqi people, failed to protect the Sunnis and brought the Shia death squads down on the Sunnis by inciting sectarian violence through mass suicide attacks.
• The Islamic State of Iraq in Iraq wants the Sunni groups to "pledge allegiance" to leaders, ministers and emirs whose identities are unknown, including Abu Omar al-Baghdadi.
• Islamic State of Iraq has continued to conduct an extensive campaign of assassination against rival sheikhs, emirs and insurgent group leaders, and in many cases added insult to injury by failing to give the bodies back to the families. One of al-Jabouri's own messengers was executed.
• The Islamic State of Iraq has no system of law or justice.
• Weapons and ammunition are being confiscated from insurgent groups that do not support the Islamic State.
• Al-Qaeda in Iraq is intentionally targeting members of the Iraqi Army and police forces, who al-Jabouri and other insurgents believe are acting in the best interest of Iraqis.
• The goal of the Islamic State of Iraq is to serve as a stepping stone to attack other nations, which endangers the Iraqi people."

Now what I want to ask San Fran Nan Pelosi, and her lacky John Murtha is this:  Is this really the time to leave Iraq?  Do you really want to remain on this path to leave Iraq?  When the Islamofacists are on the run, and the possibility of democracy in the ME is starting to roll all across the region, do you want to be responsible for stopping that movement by leaving Iraq?  The Islamofacists will be touting their victory, and will run roughshod over the Iraqis, and other moderate Muslims in the ME if you morons get your way.  How dare you put this many people in jeopardy!  Look at the picture above, Pelooser.  It's bad enough that you are an embarrassment to American womanhood, but to add that shame on the American people is just too much.