U.S. President Barack Obama speaking at Cairo University on 4 June 2009

"A New Beginning" is the name of a speech delivered by United States President Barack Obama on 4 June 2009, from the Major Reception Hall at Cairo University in Egypt. Al-Azhar University co-hosted the event. The speech honors a promise Obama made during his presidential campaign to give a major address to Muslims from a Muslim capital during his first few months as president.^[1]

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs indicated that Egypt was chosen because "it is a country that in many ways represents the heart of the Arab world."^[2] Egypt is considered a key player in the Middle East peace process as well as a major recipient of American military and economic aid. Reuters reporter Ross Colvin reported that the speech would attempt to mend the United States' relations with the Muslim world, which he wrote were "severely damaged" during the presidency of George W. Bush.^[1]

Background[link]

Expectations[link]

There was initially some speculation about the speech. Some^[who?] thought Obama would unveil in detail his highly anticipated plans for future Middle East policy. In April and May 2009, the U.S. President had met in succession King Abdullah II of Jordan,^[3][4] Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu and President of the Palestinian National Authority Mahmoud Abbas to elaborate a peace plan in the Middle East. Arguments and ideas were exchanged during these three meetings, but few details were given about Obama's plan on the Middle East.^[4]

Since taking office, Obama stated his support for the creation of a Palestinian state and announced that he would engage in negotiations with Iran. He also declared he opposed Israeli settlements and wanted to revive peace talks. In an interview to Al Arabiya, few days after his inauguration, Obama declared: "my job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy."^[5][6]

Context and preparation[link]

President Obama talking with Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on 18 May 2009.

In his inaugural address President Obama reached out to the Muslim World by saying that he seeks "a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect." He also said he would be willing to "extend a hand" to those "who cling to power through corruption and deceit" if they "are willing to unclench" their fists.^[7][8][9] Obama attempted to reach out to Arab leaders by granting his first interview to an Arab cable TV network, Al Arabiya.^[10] On 19 March 2009, Obama continued his outreach to the Muslim world, releasing a New Year's video message to the people and government of Iran. This attempt at outreach was rebuffed by the Iranian leadership.^[11][12] President Obama's first trip to a Muslim majority country occurred on 6–7 April 2009 when he visited Turkey and spoke to the Grand National Assembly.^[13] The speech was was well received by many Arab governments.^[14]

The A New Beginning speech occurred just after Obama met the representatives of both Israel and the Palestinian Authority. He had previously met King Abdullah on 21 April and Israeli President Shimon Peres on 5 May.^[4][15]There was a meeting between in the White House a Saturday morning in May 2009 between Obama, Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security advisor and Deputy Assistant to President Obama and national-security spokesperson Denis McDonough. In this meeting Obama told Rhodes and McDonough that he intends to deliver a speech to the Muslim World from Egypt’s capital Cairo. Obama’s told his aides that there are tensions between the Muslim and the West which root in colonialism. He also said that he knows from his personal experience that the West and the Islam are not separate worlds because they share things such as love of God and family. Obama told his aides that these are the things that bind West and Islam together. In the meeting Obama also expressed his desire to have a piece of about Islam contributions in the speech and made sure that the equality of men and women would also be incorporated into the speech.^[16]

On 19 May 2009, he met Netanyahu at the White House, where they discussed the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and Israel's settlements in the West Bank. While Obama said a two state solution was a priority, Benyamin Netanyahu did not explicitly endorse the creation of Palestinian state. Netanyahu said Israel has the right to continue settlements, whereas Obama called for settlement growth to be frozen. Obama also stated a "range of steps" are still available against Iran, including sanctions, if it continues its nuclear program.^[17][18]

Obama also met Mahmoud Abbas on 28 May. Obama reaffirmed his belief in a two-state solution, and stressed that Israel's obligation under a 2003 Middle East peace 'road map' includes stopping settlement growth and ensuring that there is a viable Palestinian state.^[19][20]

President Obama talking with Mahmoud Abbas at the White House on 28 May 2009.

Before Egypt was announced as the speech venue, there was speculation by the media about the location of the address. Jakarta, Rabat, Amman, Cairo, and Istanbul were all considered likely choices.^[21] Mohammed Habib, the deputy leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest opposition group, dismissed Obama's trip and said it would be "useless unless it is preceded by real change in the policies of the U.S. administration toward the Arab and Islamic world."^[22] Nevertheless, Obama's administration insisted that at least 10 members of the Muslim Brotherhood be allowed to attend the Cairo speech.^[23]

Cairo University spokeswoman Galila Mukhtar told The New York Times that "we are very proud to host the president of the United States,"^[24] with spokesman Sami Abdel Aziz adding that the speech would be delivered in the Major Reception Hall. Renovations took place at the college and some final exams were postponed.

Obama's tour[link]

U.S. President Barack Obama at Cairo University

On his way to Cairo, Obama stayed overnight at the ranch of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia located outside Riyadh. While there, the two leaders discussed peace and economics and Obama continued to prepare his speech to be given at Cairo University the next day.^[25]

On 4 June, before delivering the speech, Obama led talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak at Koubbeh Palace. The U.S. President said about the talks: "We discussed the situation between Israel and the Palestinians. We discussed how we can move forward in a constructive way that brings about peace and prosperity for all people in the region".^[26] He said the US was committed to working in partnership with countries in the Middle East. The President later visited the Sultan Hassan Mosque, before going to Cairo University.

After the speech, Obama continued his tour with a visit to Buchenwald concentration camp to pay homage to the victims of the Holocaust. He met German Chancellor Angela Merkel at Dresden on 5 June.^[27][28][29]

Speech[link]

Wikisource has original text related to this article: A New Beginning

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: A New Beginning

Obama's speech called for improved mutual understanding and relations between the Islamic world and the West and said both should do more to confront violent extremism.^[30] However, it was Obama's call for peace between Israel and Palestinians that cut the highest profile. Obama reaffirmed America's alliance with Israel, calling their mutual bond "unbreakable", but also described Palestinian statelessness as "intolerable" and recognizing their aspirations for statehood and dignity as legitimate—just as legitimate as Israel's desire for a Jewish homeland.^[30]

Obama's speech was divided into seven parts: violent extremism, the Israeli/Palestinian dispute, nuclear weapons (with a reference to Iran), democracy, religious freedom, rights of women, and economic development.

The president opened his speech seeking a common ground between Muslims and the United States. He quoted from the Quran, "Be conscious of God and always speak the truth".^[31] Obama described Muslim contributions to Western civilization, citing the founding of algebra, the development of navigational tools, the invention of the fountain pen, and the influence of Islamic architecture. He described his own personal experiences with Islam, including having Muslim family members, growing up in Indonesia, a majority-Muslim country and hearing "the call of the azaan", and working "in Chicago communities where many found dignity and peace in their Muslim faith." He also listed several of the United States' connections to Islam, including Morocco being the first country to recognize the United States, American Muslim sportsmen (such as Muhammad Ali and Kareem Abdul Jabbar) and civil rights leaders (such as Malcolm X), the Nobel Prize winner Ahmed Zewail, the Bangladeshi American architect-engineer Fazlur Khan who designed the Sears Tower,^[32] the election of Keith Ellison as the U.S.'s first Muslim congressman, and the presence of over 1,200 mosques in the U.S.

On the subject of the Iraq War, Obama stated, "Although I believe that the Iraqi people are ultimately better off without the tyranny of Saddam Hussein, I also believe that events in Iraq have reminded America of the need to use diplomacy and build international consensus to resolve our problems whenever possible." He also promised to "remove combat troops from Iraqi cities by July, and to remove all of our troops from Iraq by 2012."

During the "nuclear weapons" portion of the speech, Obama stated, "In the middle of the Cold War, the United States played a role in the overthrow of a democratically elected Iranian government." It was the first acknowledgement by a U.S. President of the United States government's involvement in the 1953 Iranian coup d'état;^[33] although then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright had acknowledged it as well in a speech in 2000.^[34]

About democracy, Obama stated that, though "America does not presume to know what is best for everyone", "I do have an unyielding belief that all people yearn for certain things: the ability to speak your mind and have a say in how you are governed; confidence in the rule of law and the equal administration of justice; government that is transparent and doesn't steal from the people; the freedom to live as you choose." He called such freedoms "human rights".

On economic development, Obama described several new funds, scholarship programs and partnerships to support education, technological development and better health care in Muslim-majority countries.

Reaction[link]

The speech was highly anticipated and generally acclaimed by the Muslim world. However, some Muslims criticized it, both before and after it was delivered.^{[citation needed]}

Pre-speech[link]

On 3 June, Al-Qaeda released a video in which Osama Bin Laden strongly criticized Obama's foreign policy in the Middle East. He said that Barack Obama "has followed the steps of his predecessor in antagonising Muslims ... and laying the foundation for long wars." He also added that "Obama and his administration have sowed new seeds of hatred against America."^[35] One day before, a video of Al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri was posted to extremist websites, in which the leader criticized Obama's policy, declaring "his bloody messages were received and are still being received by Muslims, and they will not be concealed by public relations campaigns or by farcical visits or elegant words."^[36]

President Obama was also criticized by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who delivered a speech to mark the 20th anniversary of the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini a few hours before Barack Obama's speech. Ayatollah Khamenei commented on the pending U.S. President's speech declaring: "The nations of this part of the world... deeply hate America. Even if they give sweet and beautiful [speeches] to the Muslim nation that will not create change. Action is needed."^[37]

Post-speech[link]

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas described the speech as "clear and frank... an innovative political step." Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum also welcomed the speech, saying "It had many contradictions, all the while reflecting tangible change".^[38] However, another Hamas spokesman, Ayman Taha, remarked after the speech that Obama is "no different" from George W. Bush. Amr Moussa, head of the Arab League, hailed the speech, saying it "was balanced and offered a new vision of rapprochement regarding relations with Islamic states."^[39]

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the speech was "direct, significant and brave appeal in which President Obama elucidated his vision and important universal principles, which he wishes to share with the Muslim world". Israeli President Shimon Peres said the speech was "full of vision, a brave speech demanding a commitment to hard work on all sides involved in the promotion of the peace process in the Middle East...The idea of peace was born in the Middle East as the basis of the three monotheistic religions – Christianity, Judaism and Islam – and the sons of Abraham must join hands in order to take on this challenge together, a sustainable peace in the Middle East." Other government officials criticized the speech for what they saw as glossing over Palestinian terrorism.^[40] Science and Technology Minister Daniel Hershkowitz said, "Obama completely overlooked that fact that the Palestinians have yet to abandon terror. The Israeli government is not some overlapping excess of the US administration."^[41]

Javier Solana, European Union Common Foreign and Security Policy chief, praised the speech saying "It was a remarkable speech, a speech that without any doubt is going to open a new page in the relation with the Arab-Muslim world and I hope in the problems we have in so many theatres in the region."^[39] United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon spoke of "the opening of a new chapter in relations between the United States and the Islamic world."^[38] The Vatican also welcomed the speech, saying it "went beyond political formulas, evoking concrete common interests in the name of a common humanity".^[42]

A Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman praised and backed the speech saying, "We feel encouraged by President Obama’s remarks on Palestine and Israel. It has been a long standing demand of Pakistan that the two-nation theory is the only way forward out of the Middle East crisis". He further went on to say, "We see this visit as a very positive step on the part of US because over the years there has been proverbial chasm between the Western and Islamic world. So this visit will be useful in bridging gaps between the Muslim and the Western world."^[43] An Iraqi government spokesperson stated that the speech made a "positive direction" towards international dialogue.^[38]

Hezbollah political figure Hassan Fadlallah remarked that "[t]he Islamic and Arab world does not need lectures".^[44] Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, later made an address that did not mention Obama's speech directly, but he said, "[t]he new US government seeks to transform this image. I say firmly, that this will not be achieved by talking, speech and slogans". Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr also criticized it.^[38]

According to journalist Richard Spencer, most commentators in the Arab press welcomed Obama's speech, hoping it would lay the ground for concrete action.^{[45][better source needed]} Christiane Amanpour of CNN has also described the Muslim world's general reaction as very favorable and supportive.^{[46][better source needed]} Many Muslim clerics in Indonesia, such as those in the Indonesian Ulema Council, praised the speech and stated that it reflected America's good intentions towards Muslims. Salahuddin Wahid, an influential cleric, expressed hope that it would not be just words, but rather followed by "concrete steps".^[47] An Egyptian Salafi scholar responded positively to Obama's address and used it as an opportunity to explain the link between Islamic civilisation, European civilisation and America, and Islamic principles.^[48]

Some Arab commentators had a more negative response. Rami Khouri, the editor of The Daily Star and director of the Issam Fares Institute at the American University of Beirut, argued that Obama gave "a lot of good, positive vibes" but, ultimately, it "was only rhetoric". He referred to what he saw as the hypocrisy of Obama praising human rights after meeting with Egyptian and Saudi leaders who have suppressed those same rights. He stated that the Muslim world is still waiting for Obama's words to "translate" into real policy. Al Jazeera bureau chief Abderrahim Foukara made similar remarks, saying that "he talked about Palestinians killing Israelis, but he didn't talk a lot about Israelis killing Palestinians, especially in the context of the latest Israeli war on Gaza". Foukara also said, "he's come to us with his message of peace, but there are U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and there are civilians being killed there by American forces".^{[49][better source needed]}

The fact that Obama never mentioned the word "terrorism" or "terror" was positively interpreted by many in the Muslim street, given that many of them see a 'war on terror' interchangeably as a 'war on Islam'. American conservatives also picked up on this and argued that it weakened Obama's overall message.^{[46][better source needed]} House Republican leader John Boehner also commented after the speech that Obama "seemed to place equal blame on the Israelis and the Palestinians... I have concerns about that because Hamas is a terrorist organisation". As well, he said, "[w]here he continues to say he will sit down with the Iranians without any preconditions, I just think that that puts us in a position where America looks weak in the eyes of their rulers."^[39]

CNN pundit David Gergen argued that while, in his view, Obama has wrongly apologized for American actions before, he did not do so here and conservative criticisms are unfounded.^{[46][better source needed]} Independent Senator Joseph Lieberman lauded the speech and went on to remark, "Obama is off to a very, very good start in a very difficult time in our nation’s history."^[50] A spokesman for Human Rights Watch stated that "there were many things that were commendable... but it is disappointing that when he talked about democracy in the Muslim world he wasn't more specific about some of the problems." He also stated that Obama refrained from talking about what the spokesman saw as the suppression of dissidents in Egypt.^[39]

Political effects[link]

Following the speech, Essam Derbala, a leader of the Egyptian Islamist group al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya, called for Taliban and Al-Qaeda to halt attacks on U.S. civilians and to consider the "opening" offered by Obama. He added that the organizations should also open up to talks with the United States. Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood dismissed the speech as being a public relations effort.^[51]

Three days after the speech, a strengthening of the pro-Western coalition in the Lebanese general election with a loss for Hezbollah was perceived by some foreign policy analysts to be at least in part due to Obama's speech.^[52] Several others stated that the speech played only a minor role compared to domestic events such as a last-minute appeal by Lebanon's Maronite patriarch asking Christians to vote against Hezbollah. For example, Lydia Khalil of the Council on Foreign Relations commented that "[i]t is too soon to tell what the ultimate Obama effect will be."^[53]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately called a special government meeting after Obama finished his address. Yedioth Ahronoth has stated that the address' words "resonated through Jerusalem's corridors".^[41] On 14 June, Netanyahu gave a speech at Bar-Ilan University in which he endorsed, for the first time, a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians; the speech was widely seen as a response to Obama's speech.^[54] In a rejoinder to Obama's mentioning of the founding of Israel in the context of the Holocaust, Netanyahu remarked, "[t]here are those who say that if the Holocaust had not occurred, the State of Israel would never have been established. But I say that if the State of Israel would have been established earlier, the Holocaust would not have occurred."^[55] Netanyahu stated that he would accept a Palestinian state if Jerusalem were to remain the united capital of Israel, the Palestinians would have no army, and the Palestinians would give up their demand for a right of return. He also stated that existing Jewish settlements in the West Bank will expand while their permanent status is up to further negotiation. The overture was quickly rejected by Palestinian leaders such as Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri, who called the speech "racist".^[54]

According to The San Francisco Chronicle, the speech may have played some role in the June 2009 Iranian Presidential election between President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his rival Mir Hossein Mousavi, spurring on reformist public opinion. The paper also stated that the Obama administration would probably be loath to talk about this publicly in fear of sparking an Iranian backlash.^[53] About a week later, some unnamed Obama administration officials did make that case to the Washington Post.^[56]

Follow up speeches[link]

A follow up to the New Beginning speech was delivered by Barack Obama on November 9, 2010 at the University of Jakarta.^[57][58] The US President told the students at the university: "We can choose to be defined by our differences, and give in to a future of suspicion and mistrust. Or we can choose to do the hard work of forging common ground, and commit ourselves to the steady pursuit of progress."^[58] A second follow up speech, in which the same advisers who were involved like the New Beginning speech had a say^[59], was delivered by US President Obama on May 19, 2011 at the US State Department in the wake of the Arab spring uprisings in the Middle East.^[60] The speech was dubbed by John Esposito, Professor of religion, international affairs and Islamic studies at the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University as a good start in improving U.S. – Muslim World relations, but "as post Cairo so today, many will now be expecting bold and decisive policies and actions that turn the administration’s rhetoric into reality."^[61]

See also[link]

• Partners for a New Beginning
• Rashad Hussain
• Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship

References[link]

External links[link]

• Complete Video and Transcript of Obama's Cairo Speech
• "The President Has Spoken; Now We Are Waiting for Action!"
• Message to President Obama
• What Obama Said, What the Mideast Heard – NYTimes.com
• Arab Students Respond to Obama – NYTimes.com
• Iraqi Reaction to President Obama's Speech – NYTimes.com
• Some Dissenting Voices in Arab Blogosphere – NYTimes.com

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New Beginning may refer to:

Music[link]

• New Beginning (Tracy Chapman album), a 1995 album by Tracy Chapman
  • "New Beginning", a 1996 single from the album
• New Beginning (SWV album), a 1996 album by SWV
• "New Beginning" (song), a 2004 single by Shannon Noll
• "New Beginning (Mamba Seyra)", a 1986 single by Bucks Fizz
• New Beginning, a 2000 album by Stephen Gately
  • "New Beginning", a 2000 single from the album
• "New Beginning", a 2000 single by Precious
• New Beginnings a 1997 album by The Advent
• "New Beginnings" a song from, American band, Finch's album, "What It Is to Burn"

Film and television[link]

• Friday the 13th: A New Beginning, a 1985 film in the Friday the 13th series
• Dragonheart: A New Beginning, a 2000 sequel to the film Dragonheart
• Doctor Who at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop Volume 2: New Beginnings 1970–1980, an audio CD featuring music from TV's Doctor Who
• New Beginnings, a DVD Box set featuring three Doctor Who stories (The Keeper of Traken, Logopolis and Castrovalva)

Other[link]

• New Beginnings High School, a secondary school in Indianapolis, Indiana
• "A New Beginning", Barack Obama speech at Cairo University, 2009
• A New Beginning (video game), a 2010 adventure game

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Threat Signal is a Canadian Melodic death metal band hailing from the city of Hamilton. However, different members of the band hail from other parts of the Ontario province. Since the band's formation in 2003, Threat Signal has released three studio albums and have toured with bands such as Mnemic, Soilwork, Epica, and Darkest Hour.

Biography[link]

Early years[link]

Threat Signal was formed in the late summer of 2003 by cousins Jon and Rich Howard, who then added composer/guitarist Kyle McKnight. The trio then found drummer Adam Matthews in early 2004. Threat Signal posted their song "Rational Eyes" on an international metal chart on GarageBand.com. After a few weeks, the song reached #1, and it has received many awards including best guitars, best drums, best male vocals, best production, song of the week, and song of the day.^[1] In August 2004, Eric Papky, Kyle's former guitar teacher, joined the band on bass. Success on GarageBand.com sparked some early record label interest and helped create a following even before the band had ever played live. In August 2005 Marco Bresette replaced Eric Papky on bass guitar.

[edit] Nuclear Blast and Under Reprisal

After spending the better part of 2004 and 2005 writing and recording demos, the band traveled to Los Angeles, to record with Christian Olde Wolbers of Fear Factory in September, 2005. In November 2005, the band announced they had signed a recording deal with Nuclear Blast records.^[2] In late 2005 Adam Matthews left the band, and he was replaced by Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native George Parfitt.^[3] In July the band took part in Germany's Earthshaker Fest, alongside notable acts as Scar Symmetry, Communic, and Arch Enemy.^[4] On August 1, 2006, the band announced that guitarist Rich Howard had left the band to pursue other personal goals, and he was replaced by the band's bassist, Marco Bressette. This left the bass guitar duties vacant,^[5] and in late September Pat Kavanagh was announced as the new bassist.^[6] In October, the band began a North American trek with Soilwork, Mnemic, and Darkest Hour.^[7] The tour ended in November, but the band announced a headlining tour of North America in early 2007 as well.^[8]

New material, touring and line-up changes[link]

In March 2007, Threat Signal began demoing new material,^[9] but was hampered by second departure, this time Marco Bressette's.^[10] The band announced a search for a new guitarist the same day, while guitarist Adam Weber would join the band temporarily to fill in for the remaining tour dates.^[11] Threat Signal was tapped as the opener for the Tour and Loathing trek alongside Protest the Hero, All That Remains, Blessthefall, and The Holly Springs Disaster.^[12] Shortly after this tour, guitarist Kyle McKnight parted ways with Threat Signal in June 2007 due to personal differences with the remaining members of the band. The band's drummer, George Parfitt, also departed later in 2007 to focus on his family life. The remaining members of band, Jon Howard and Pat Kavanagh reformed the band’s line-up with the new additions of drummer Norm Killeen and guitarists Travis Montgomery and Adam Weber.

In 2008 Jon Howard and Pat Kavanagh joined Arkaea alongside ex-Fear Factory members Raymond Herrera on drums and Christian Olde Wolbers (who produced Threat Signal's debut Under Reprisal) on guitar.

[edit] Vigilance

Threat Signal's second album Vigilance, which was produced by Howard (who is now the only founding member left in the band) and mixed by Greg Reely, was released on September 8, 2009 in North America and September 11, 2009 in Europe. The album spawned a music video for the track "Severed".^[13] On July 15 the band released a 32 minute "making of" video for the new record, containing footage of the recordings, song writing process and interviews with band members. The album sold around 1,100 copies in its first week of sale in the United States, with the band touring alongside Epica and later Dark Tranquillity to support the album.

Second lineup change[link]

In July 2010 it was confirmed that Adam Weber had quit the band.^[14] Pat Kavanagh (bass, vocals) has issued the following statement:

“Adam has decided to leave us. He has some personal things he needs to work out and we wish him all the best. We’re still good friends and there’s plenty more beers that we’ll have together so no worries. I know this sucks to hear for a lot of you and I can list off a boat load of bands that have been through the same s*** we’ve been through. Just know it sucks hard on our side too. On a positive note we have a huge head start on the next record. Even have a few demos already! You’ll be hearing new s*** soon. So we hope to see you on the road with Soilwork, Mutiny Within and Kris Norris soon! Good times will be had by all!”

Ex-Darkest Hour guitarist Kris Norris filled in for Adam's absence

On September 13, 2010, The band posted an online statement that they also parted ways with drummer Norman Killeen. Both Adam and Norman were eventually replaced by drummer Alex Rüdinger and guitarist Chris Feener.

[edit] Threat Signal

The band announced on their Facebook page that the third album will be produced and mixed by "musical mastermind" Zeuss (Chimaira, Hatebreed, All That Remains, The Acacia Strain, Born Of Osiris, Shadows Fall, etc.). They also stated that they have been experimenting with 7 string guitars on this album. The band is quoted saying: "We are headed back to the Under Reprisal days but with bigger balls." The band also stated that it will be a self-titled album.

Threat Signal's self-titled new album "Threat Signal" was released on October 7, 2011 in Europe and on October 11, 2011 in North America. They are currently touring with Children Of Bodom, Eluvieite, and Revocation for 2012

Members[link]

Current line up[link]

• Jon Howard – vocals (since 2003)
• Pat Kavanagh – bass guitar, backing vocals (since 2006)
• Travis Montgomery – lead guitar (since 2007)
• Chris Feener - lead guitar (since 2010)

Former members[link]

• Rich Howard – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2003–2006, 2007)
• Kyle McKnight – lead guitar (2003–2007)
• Eric Papky – bass guitar (2004–2005)
• Adam Matthews – drums (2004–2005)
• Marco Bressette – bass guitar (2005–2006), rhythm guitar (2006–2007)
• George Parfitt – drums (2006–2007)
• Norman Killeen – drums (2007–2010)
• Adam Weber – rhythm guitar (2007–2010)
• Alex Rüdinger - drums (2010-2012)

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• Under Reprisal (Nuclear Blast, 2006)
• Vigilance (Nuclear Blast, 2009)
• Threat Signal (Nuclear Blast, 2011)

Singles[link]

• "Rational Eyes" (Nuclear Blast, 2006)
• "A New Beginning" (Nuclear Blast, 2008)
• "Through My Eyes" (Nuclear Blast, 2009)
• "Fallen Disciples" (Nuclear Blast, 2011)
• "Face The Day" (Nuclear Blast, 2011)
• "Uncensored" (Nuclear Blast, 2012)

References[link]

This article relies largely or entirely upon a single source. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources. Discussion about the problems with the sole source used may be found on the talk page. (July 2008)

External links[link]

• Official Site
• Allmusic.com: Biography
• Threat Signal at Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives

Daijiro Yoshihara (commonly known as Dai, born December 24, 1978, Tokyo, Japan) is one of the world's best drifters in the motor sports of Drifting. With 10 years of competition under his belt, Dai has always been a thrill seeker and it was only natural for him to get into drifting. At the age of 11, Dai discovered the excitement of throwing his bicycle around corners at high speeds and skidding along the curbs in tight turns. At age 16, Dai got motorized and took to nearby mountains on his 400cc motorcycle. Finally at age 18, Dai got into his first car, a 1985 Toyota Corolla Levin. He soon fell in love and gained the passion for driving on windy roads in the local mountains of Japan.

Drifting Background[link]

Although Dai always loved drifting, there was no real opportunity in the sport that would allow him to make a living. So when Dai turned 21, he turned to more stable pursuits taking on jobs at various companies including a car dealership, a telephone company, and a trucking service. However, in 2003 a friend of Dai offered him an opportunity of a lifetime, to drive in a drift competition in the United States. Having always admired the U.S. and finally an opportunity to create some type of cash flow as a drifter, Dai was thrilled and accepted the offer. Although Dai had never been to the states nor have ever competed in a drift competition, Dai had to trust his instincts and risk the comfortable life he had just barely started.

In early 2003, Dai came to the U.S. to drive The S13 from Pacific Rim Motorsport Fashion in the upcoming inaugural D1 Grand Prix USA. Having never competed, Dai was an amateur driver with no competition experience. During his first competition among professional drivers, Dai qualified and finished in the top 16 out of 32 competitors. With such a promising finish, he then decided to compete in the Drift Showoff in Irwindale, CA and took a podium spot to finish 2nd overall.

With such strong finishes in 2003, Dai decided to compete full time in the U.S. and signed up to be in the Formula Drift Championship Series for the 2004 season. Dai finished in the top 8 at two rounds and placed 2nd at two of the rounds placing him 2nd overall in the championship run. Not only was Dai finishing at the top, he also earned the title as the man with the fastest entry speed at each event. In 2005 and 2006 he continued to shine in the Formula Drift series standing on the podium numerous times. Throughout 2007 he was continually fighting for the championship, which finally placed him 3rd overall.

In 2008, Dai took the opportunity and challenge to drive a factory backed Pontiac GTO for RMR Racing. With the help from sponsorships and guidance from teammate Rhys Millen, Dai continued to flourish and place no lower than the top 8. To finish the 2008 season with a bang, Dai took podium again and placed 2nd overall during the Red Bull Drifting World Championship.^[1] Throughout the 2008 season, Dai took podium twice and eventually finished 4th overall in the Formula D series.^[2]

For the 2009 season, Dai decided to join Falken Tire’s Drift team, one of the company’s that helped kick start his Drifting career. Dai will be piloting the Falken Tire / Discount Tire Lexus IS350 powered by a massive V8 motor.^[3] Throughout the 2009 season, Dai his new team experienced development problems with the Lexus. After a major crash that retired the Lexus during the middle of the season, Dai and his team built a traditional competition drift vehicle, a Nissan 240sx (S13 chassis) to finish off the season. Dai finished in 11th in overall championship points.

In 2010, Dai came back with vengeance to prove that he was a true contender of the sport as he signed another season with the Falken Tire / Discount Tire team. Drifting in the Nissan 240sx towards the end of the 2009 season showed promise and was decided that the Nissan will be the competition vehicle choice for the 2010 season. The Nissan received a motor transplant and major suspension tuning. Coupled with a V8 motor and suspension tweaks, Dai came out strong with a number of podium finishes and ended the 2010 drift season in 4th place in overall championship points.

Dai resigned and continued to drive for Falken Tire for 2011. Competing in the same Nissan 240sx in the 2010 season; however, with more changes to the car, Dai finished the 2011 season as Formula DRIFT champion and also won the Triple Crown award. Many believed that 2011 was Dai's year, and all year long, Dai proved just that.

Achievements[link]

DRIFTING

D1 Grand Prix Driver Search - 2003

- Drift Competitor

- U.S. Qualifier

D1 Grand Prix – 2003

- Drift Competitor

- Best 16

Drift Showoff at Irwindale Speedway – 2003

- Drift Competitor

- Podium, 2nd place

D1 Grand Prix – 2004

- Drift Competitor

- Best 16

Formula DRIFT Championship Series – 2004 to Present

- Drift Competitor

- 2004 Championship Points, 2nd Place Overall

- 2005 Championship Points, 5th Place Overall

- 2006 Championship Points, 5th Place Overall

- 2007 Championship Points, 3rd Place Overall

- 2008 Championship Points, 4th Place Overall

- 2009 Championship Points, 11th Place Overall

- 2010 Championship Points, 4th Place Overall

- 2011 Championship Points, 1st Overall

- 2011 Tires.com Triple Crown, 1st Overall

D1 Grand Prix All Star Exhibition at Irwindale Speedway – 2005 & 2006

- Drift Competitor

- Best 16

DRIFTING JUDGE

Professional Asia Drift Series Judge – 2009 to Present

- Formula DRIFT Asia: Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand

- Good Year International Drift Series: Thailand

DRIFTING INSTRUCTOR

International Drifting Academy – 2011

- Drift Driving Instructor

TIME ATTACK / ROAD RACE

Super Lap Battle – 2006 & 2010

- Competitor

- Podium, 1st Place, 2006

- Podium, 1st Place, 2010

MotoIQ Pacific Tuner Car Championship – 2011

- Competitor

- Podium, 1st Place, 2011

GYMKHANA

Gykhana Grid – 2010

- Competitor

- Podium, 1st Place, 2010

Magazine, Commercial & TV Stunt

EA Games, “Need For Speed” – 2007

- Stunt driver for video game commercial

Spike TV, “1000 Ways To Die” – 2009

- Stunt driver for television series

Falken Tire Corporation – 2009

- Tire Test Driver

Road & Track Magazine – 2010

- Vehicle Test Driver

Mitsubishi Motors "Mitsubishi Lancer Evo SE" - 2010 Viral video

- Stunt Driver

Nissan North America, “Juke Commercial” – 2011

- Stunt driver for television commercial

Falken Tire Corporation, “Azenis Commercial” – 2011

- Stunt driver for television commercial

Mini/BMW USA, “Mini Commercial” – 2011

- Stunt driver for television commercial

Behind the Smoke on GTChannel[link]

Yoshihara stars as himself in the reality/documentary web series Behind the Smoke. Behind the Smoke is produced by GTChannel in association with Discount Tire. Behind the Smoke's first episode was released in April 2011. Behind the Smoke follows Yoshihara throughout his champion winning 2011 Formula D season both on and off the track providing drifting fans an exclusive look into the reality of competing in the top drifting series of N.America. Yoshihara's crew members Scott Dodgion of SPD Metal Works, Mike Kojima of MotoIQ and Chris Marion of KW Suspension are also regular casts of the weekly show. The series has accumulated more than 1.3 Million views in 4 months from release. Behind the Smoke is produced and directed by Taro Koki of GTChannel which also represents Best Motoring internationally.

References[link]

1. ^ Formula D Driver Bio
2. ^ Import Tuner
3. ^ Falken Tire

External links[link]

• Official Bio
• Falken Tire
• Formula Drift
• Dai Yoshihara's Blog on GTChannel

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2011)

Slavoj Žižek

Slavoj Žižek at Warsaw, Poland, May 15, 2009.
Born	(1949-03-21) 21 March 1949 (age 63) Slovenia (then part of Yugoslavia)
Era	20th- / 21st-century philosophy
Region	Western philosophy
School	Hegelianism Psychoanalysis Marxism
Main interests	Ontology · Film theory Psychoanalysis Ideology · Theology Marxism
Influenced by G. W. F. Hegel · F. W. J. Schelling Jacques Lacan · Karl Marx Friedrich Engels · Theodor W. Adorno Sigmund Freud · Vladimir Lenin Ernesto Laclau Maximilien Robespierre Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Influenced Michael Hardt · Alenka Zupančič · Terry Eagleton

Slavoj Žižek (pronounced [ˈslavoj ˈʒiʒɛk]; born 21 March 1949) is a Slovenian philosopher and cultural critic^[1] working in the traditions of Hegelianism, Marxism and Lacanian psychoanalysis. He has made contributions to political theory, film theory and theoretical psychoanalysis.

Žižek is a senior researcher at the Institute of Sociology University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, and a professor at the European Graduate School.^[2] He has been a visiting professor at, among others, the University of Chicago, Columbia University, London Consortium, Princeton University, New York University, The New School, the University of Minnesota, the University of California, Irvine and the University of Michigan. He is currently the International Director of the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities at Birkbeck, University of London and president of the Society for Theoretical Psychoanalysis, Ljubljana.^[3]

Žižek uses examples from popular culture to explain the theory of Jacques Lacan and uses Lacanian psychoanalysis, Hegelian philosophy and Marxist economic criticism to interpret and speak extensively on immediately current social phenomena, including the current ongoing global financial crisis. In a 2008 interview with Amy Goodman on the New York City radio show Democracy Now! he described himself as a "communist in a qualified sense" and in another appearance on the show in October 2009 he described himself as a "radical leftist".^[4][5]

It was not until the 1989 publication of his first book written in English, The Sublime Object of Ideology, that Žižek achieved international recognition as a social theorist. Since then, he has continued to develop his status as a confrontational intellectual.

He writes on many topics including subjectivity, ideology, capitalism, fundamentalism, racism, tolerance, multiculturalism, human rights, ecology, globalization, the Iraq War, revolution, utopianism, totalitarianism, postmodernism, pop culture, opera, cinema, political theology, and religion.

He has been called "the most dangerous political philosopher in the West".^[6]

Life[link]

Žižek was born in Ljubljana, People's Republic of Slovenia, Yugoslavia, to a middle-class family. His father Jože Žižek was an economist and civil servant from the region of Prekmurje in eastern Slovenia. His mother Vesna, native of the Brda region in the Slovenian Littoral, was an accountant in a state enterprise.^[7][8] He spent most of his childhood in the coastal town of Portorož.^[9] The family moved back to Ljubljana when Slavoj was a teenager. His parents were both atheists.^[8] Žižek attended the prestigious Bežigrad High School.^[9] In 1967, he enrolled at the University of Ljubljana, where he studied philosophy and sociology. He received a Doctor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Ljubljana and studied psychoanalysis at the University of Paris VIII with Jacques-Alain Miller and François Regnault.