Mahmoud El-Yousseph: Suicide bombings are “reasonable”

Just one week before 9/11, one of our local terror apologists, Mahmoud El-Yousseph, a regular columnist for the Marion Star and the Newark Advocate, had a letter to the editor published by the Columbus Dispatch defending suicide bombings targeting civilians, saying that they were “a reasonable way to defend their freedom, honor and integrity”. Just eight days later, 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists applied that same logic in murdering almost 3,000 Americans in the worst terrorist attack in our country’s history. And according to El-Yousseph, the management of the Columbus Dispatch came to his rescue when the FBI understandably came calling.

Regular readers might recall that this is the same Mahmoud El-Yousseph who openly praises the terrorist organization Hezbollah, calling them “freedom liberation fighters”, despite the fact that Hezbollah has killed hundreds of American Marines, soldiers, sailors and airmen in multiple terrorist attacks and kidnappings (see our previous post, “Mahmoud El-Yousseph: Hezbollah are ‘freedom fighters’”).

To compound his treachery, El-Yousseph tries to hide behind his military service, even though his open support of Hezbollah is in direct conflict with his military induction and citizenship naturalization oaths to “support and defend the United States Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic” and Hezbollah is responsible for the 1996 Khobar Towers attack that killed 19 airmen (his own branch of service).

For disclosing his public support for terrorists in violation of his military and citizenship oaths, El-Yousseph last week threatened me with legal action (“Mahmoud El-Yousseph threatens legal action”).

Just days before 9/11, it was HAMAS and Islamic Jihad Palestinian suicide bombers and those terrorist organizations’ targeting of innocent civilians that Mahmoud El-Yousseph was defending, saying such acts were “reasonable”. The problem with his contrived narrative, however, is that if the oppression were so great, why aren’t there any independent suicide bombers? Why are they all tied to these terrorist organizations, and why do they only strike when HAMAS, Islamic Jihad or Fattah have political objectives they hope to meet?

Here’s Mahmoud in his own words:

In order to eliminate suicide bombing in the Middle East, one must examine this phenomenon. What would make someone strap explosives to his chest, walk into a restaurant and blow himself up?

Israel is driving Palestinians into desperation on a daily basis. The war crimes and atrocities committed against Palestinians are bad enough to drive a saint to insanity.

Collective punishment, demolition of homes, political assassinations, checkpoints and roadblocks are some of the trials Palestinians endure. Restriction on people leaving their homes to go to work, to school, to hospitals or to visit relatives are not intended to be security measures, at all. They are the punishment and humiliation of a whole population.

Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza have so little freedom and so little hope that suicide seems a reasonable way to defend their freedom, honor and integrity.

Mahmoud El-Yousseph
Westerville

Below is the text of El-Yousseph’s letter BEFORE the Columbus Dispatch edited it. It begins with a libelous and mendacious report that Israelis were allegedly going to bury Palestinian terrorists in pig skins. He also justifies the killing of two Israelis by a Palestinian mob saying that they were undercover agents on an assassination mission - another false story floated by El-Yousseph.

Date: Tue Aug 28, 2001 9:08 am
From: Mahmoud El-Yousseph elyousseph6@yahoo.com
To:
Subject: How to stop suceide bombing

Dear editor:

Eurika! Israel has discovered a majic solution to curtail suceide bombing by Palestinians. Israel now contamplating to burry the remain of would be bomber with the blood and skin of a pig. By the way, Muslims are not allowed to eat any pork products. What a ludicrious idea. Discrating human remains, or radiculing the dead and his faith is dumber than dumb. Israel don’t get it. Last spring the Palestinians returned promptly to Israel two of it soliders killed in Ramallah by protersters. The two were udercover operative dressed in Arabic attire, and were on a mission to assassinate Palestinain activisits. It is rather silly to even think that burrying a bomber remain with a pig would put an end to suceide bombing. In order to eliminate suceide bombing, one must examine and understand this new phenomina. What makes someone strap explosives to his chest, walk into a resturant and blow himself up? Israel is driving Palestinians into desperation on a daily basis. It’s war crimes and attrocities against Palestinains is bad enough to drive a saint into insanity. Some of these mesures for example: Collective punishment, home demolishing, political assassination, chek points, roadblocks. And restricting people movement from leaving their homes to go to work, school, hospitals or visiting releatives, are not intended as a security mesures at all. They are punishment and humiliation of a whole population.

Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza have so little freedom and so little hope that suceide seems a reasonable way to defend their freedom, honor,and integrity.

Mahmoud El-Yousef

According to El-Yousseph (acknowledging in advance that he has a pretty loose grip on the truth), after 9/11 FBI agents contacted the Columbus Dispatch to get a copy of his original letter above, only to be rebuffed by the paper. He also adds that Dick Carson, who was the Dispatch’s editorial page editor at the time, took to El-Yousseph’s defense.

Date: Fri Sep 21, 2001 10:55 pm
From: Mahmoud El-Yousseph elyousseph6@yahoo.com
To:
Subject: Aiming @ the wrong target!

Dear friedns:

I was contacted by columbus Dispatch reporter today who wanted to do a story about my first amandment’s right,and wanted to know if I was questioned by any federal agents regarding my last letter that appeared in the dispatch> the letter dated back to Sep.3rd this year which explain why Palestinian resort to sucied bombing. I did not give an interview, because I was not contacted by any body regarding my letter. I know a man contacted Westerville Police about that letter on 12 Sep. Obviously, somebody contacted the FBI and Columbus Police Department regarding that letter also. The reporter I talked to read the letter and was confidant that letter does not condone sucied bombing, but it rather explain it. To make a long story short, I contacted the paper editorial manager Dick Carson, and he told me the fellowing:

1..He was asked by columbus police liason officer to the FBI, and was asked for a copy of my letter. The dispatch refused and submitted to him via Fax only the printed version of the letter.
2.. Dick Carson informed the officer that he knew me for the last 20 years as a peace loving person and that he was wasting his time by going after the wrong person. To proof his point and to ad a human face, Mr. Carson faxed a human intrest story I wrote about my 8 years old son Adam back in April. That story was a heart breaking one.
3.. Mr. Carson informed the officer also, that he will eat his hat the Columbus city hall steps If the police would find ANYTHING against me.
4.. INS agent left his card at my house door with a not to call him. He is asumming I am a foriegner I take it. What does that all mean? This iseither being done in the name of national security, or they just crossed the line.

Let me assure you all, I have nothing to fear or hide. They are not only going to be wasting their time and mine. But they will be disappointed after they speak to me, and know me as a real person. I will not be intimidated by any blackmail, smear, or scare tactic. This is my country too, and I have the write to speak my mind and express my view puplicly I will keep you all updated in case of any devolopment.

thanks for your time.
Salaam,
Mahmoud El-Yousseph

Even after the despicable and cowardly attacks after 9/11, Mahmoud El-Yousseph continued to shamelessly cling to the same twisted suicidal jihadist dogma that fueled the 9/11 attacks. Even more interesting is that El-Yousseph was still serving in the US Air Force at the time. It seems that the FBI had every right to investigate our local terror apologist.

Mahmoud El-Yousseph threatens legal action

It seems that my post last week, “Mahmoud El-Yousseph: ‘Hezbollah are freedom fighters’,” has pushed Mahmoud over the edge (see also the post at JihadWatch). His loosening grip on reality should come as no surprise, as evidenced by his non-stop claims to be some great American patriot, while he openly praises and hails the terrorist group Hezbollah as “freedom liberation fighters”, which has killed hundreds of American military and civilian personnel. This glaring contradiction makes his mental meltdown understandable.

But now it seems that his schizophrenia has deepened to outright paranoia. Because as he states in this email message below, I have hacked into his Yahoo account. (And apparently I’ve also disabled his spellchecker.)

And there are his projection issues, demonstrated in his general use of epithets directed at me, such as “Patrick bin Laden”, “fat ugly pig”, bastard, idiot, and my personal favorite, “pigot”. It seems he forgot “infidel pig”. Of course, I’m the “basher” and rabid hater.

Then there is his claim that he is joining a class-action lawsuit against me for defamation and slander. I will wait with bated breath for their press conference and their lawsuit. Bring it on, Mahmoud.

There are some other indications of how sick and twisted Mahmoud’s thinking has become. Instead being Hezbollah’s cheerleader, he now claims that he ran some one-man protest theater against the violence in Lebanon. And he begged the Secretary of Defense to send him to Lebanon in 1983, even though he admits he wasn’t in the military. But he says was ready to help protect the Marines — from the Israelis!

And having caught him in a lie about his alleged preparations to run to battle in Lebanon in 1983 (where, again, he admits he wasn’t even in the military at the time), he blames his own three-man organization for the mix-up. And he never tires in telling everyone how he always had his dufflebag packed ready for war. Because he’s an American patriot, you see. And a cheerleader for America’s enemies who have killed hundreds of American Marines, soldiers, sailors and airmen.

Absolutely beyond parody:

Date: Tue Oct 30, 2007 10:36 pm
From: Mahmoud El-Yousseph elyousseph6@yahoo.com
To:
Re: Patrick Poole Barks at the Wrong Tree

Dear friends,

You may or may not have seen the story below on Front Page Magazine by no other than Pat-trick Bin Laden taking aim me this time, and questioning my loyalty patriotisim. I do not have the liberty of all the free time of this fat ugly pig. However, I will response before Memorail Day, and will forward the frist copy of my response to his publication. I will also join in the slander and defamation class action-suit and attending the press conference in the near future.

Unlike, Pattie Poole, I do care about the truth and accuracy. For that reason, I included in this e-mail a copy of my email to the founder of apaam asking himto make a correction that was posted on apaam web site. I was never given chance to present and defend my side of the story.

Since I coud proof now that Mr. P. Bin Laden had broken ino my yahoo acount using a soft ware and other spying devices, he will be reading the same message you are reading now.

He will find out soon who is more loyal and patirotic American citizen, him or I.

He will discover who supports terroris sponsered nation and terrorer group here and abraod, him or I.

He will know who denounce and led one-man protest at down town Columbus in 1983 to protest the killing of American citzen and help a poster that read. US embassy attack is terrorist act, and asked the governor of Ohio to lower the flag half masked.[Channel 10 New]

I will proof to that pigots, that it was me and not him who wrote to the former Sec. of Defense in 1983 that I will and ready to go to Lebanon to help our marines when the were harassed and threatened by Isreali defense forces in Beirut, Lebanon. Even though I was not int the service.

I will tell this idiot it was me who call the father of Marine Captin Chales B. Johnson of Nina, Wisconson to praise his son act of bravery and courage to challange and stand up to the Israeli attrocity in Lebanon.

It was me and not him who public praised Marine Cap. Johnson in a letter published in the Columbus Disptch in 1983.

Well, due to time restriction, I will not be able to states all the 100 reason to refute this bastard false allegation, but in due time, I will show him my true color, when it comes to our homeland security, loyalit and patritism to America. He will know the real truth, as to which one among the two of us was truly willing in ready to defend and die for America.

Besides, I served in the U.S. uniform during peace and war time. Where was Pat-trick Bin Laden hiding when my duffle- bag was ready to go? He was not hiding in a cave, but rather in a country [Albania] that not many people in America, know or care about.

This basher is like a junk-yard dog, but this time he is barking at the wrong tree and have chewed more than he can swallow.

That is all the time I get. Thanks for your time. I will keep you posted

Salam,

Mahmoud

Stay tuned for more of Mahmoud El-Yousseph’s greatest hits!

Mahmoud El-Yousseph: “Hezbollah are freedom fighters”

President and First Lady Reagan at Dover Air Force Base reviewing the remains of the 19 US diplomats, who along with 44 others, were murdered by a Hezbollah suicide bomber that attacked the US Embassy in Beirut in April 1983.

[Welcome JihadWatch and RoP readers!]

Twenty-four years ago this week, October 23, 1983, a truck laden with explosives rammed into the Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, killing nearly 250 American military personnel who were serving as peacekeepers. One local columnist for the Newark Advocate, Marion Star, and regular Columbus Dispatch letter to the editor contributor, Mahmoud El-Yousseph of Westerville, who promotes his previous military service as though it immunizes him from criticism, openly praises and defends the group responsible for this atrocity.

Prior to 9/11, the terrorist group responsible for killing the most Americans was not Al-Qaeda, but Hezbollah, the Iranian and Syrian-backed Shi’ite terrorist group that has terrorized Lebanon for more than two decades. A particular target for Hezbollah terrorist activity has been American military personnel, as was the case with the Marine barracks bombing.

In a speech in September 2002, then-Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage described the danger of the organization: “Hezbollah may be the A team of terrorists and maybe al-Qaeda is actually the B team.”

Here’s a quick review of Hezbollah’s murderous tally against US military and government officials:

• Hezbollah made its debut in April 1983 by slamming a truck laden with explosives into the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, killing 63, including 19 Americans. After the attack, the embassy was moved to another location, which was also bombed in September 1984.


• Emboldened by their successful attack on the U.S. Embassy, Hezbollah launched another suicide bombing against the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut on October 23, 1983, causing 241 deaths — at that time the biggest loss for the Marines since Iwo Jima. Simultaneous with the attack on the Marine forces, Hezbollah bombed the barracks of French peacekeepers. An attack on Italian peacekeepers was foiled. Four months after the bombing, President Reagan ordered the withdrawal of American forces from Beirut, with France quickly following suit.


• Throughout the 1980s, Hezbollah was behind the kidnapping of many Westerners in Lebanon throughout the 1980s, including the capture and brutal murder of CIA Beirut Station Chief, William Buckley. Journalist Terry Anderson was kidnapped and would eventually spend 2,454 days in captivity, along with several officials from the American University of Beirut. In order to secure the release of the hostages, the Reagan administration covertly organized an arms-for-hostages deal with Hezbollah’s primary state-sponsor, the Islamic Republic of Iran, which would only result in the release of three American hostages.


• In June 1985, Hezbollah terrorists seized TWA Flight 847 en route from Athens to Rome, and diverted the plane to Beirut. When the terrorists demands were not met, a US Navy Seabee diver on board, Robert Dean Stethem, was shot and his body dumped on the airport tarmac. Other American military personnel were savagely beaten. The plane’s passengers and crew were held for 17 days. In the weeks that followed, Israel released a number of Shi’ite prisoners, though U.S. officials deny that there was a covert deal. Only one hijacker was ever captured and held for several years in Germany.





Navy diver Robert Dean Stetham, murdered by Mahmoud El-Yousseph’s “freedom fighters” and his body dumped on the Beirut airport tarmac.

• In 1990, Hezbollah captured, tortured, and eventually hanged Marine Corps Colonel Richard Higgins, a decorated Vietnam combat veteran who was on duty as an unarmed United Nations peacekeeper in Lebanon. His body was not recovered for another year. The story of Higgins’ life, captivity and murder is memorialized in a book written by his wife, Marine Lt. Col. Robin Higgins, Patriot Dreams: The Murder of Colonel Rich Higgins.
  
  
• A Saudi Hezbollah cell was involved in providing al-Qaeda operatives with explosives training in their June 1996 attack on the Khobar Towers in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, which killed 19 American Air Force servicemen with the 4404th Wing and injured more than 500 others. According to then-FBI Director Louis Freeh, in his 2002 Congressional testimony to the Joint Intelligence Committee: “The direct evidence obtained strongly indicated that the 1996 bombing was sanctioned, funded and directed by senior officials of the government of Iran.”

I revisit this grim history because one of Central Ohio’s most vocal Muslim activists, Mahmoud El-Yousseph, has openly and repeatedly declared that “Hezbollah are freedom fighters” — the same terrorist group that has murdered hundreds of American military personnel and citizens.

Here’s a video of El-Yousseph claiming that “Hezbollah are freedom liberation fighters” at an anti-Israel rally in July 2006 (at ~ 1:15 in the video; courtesy of hourglass1941, part of this blog post):



Additionally, El-Yousseph submitted the following letter to the editor to the Columbus Dispatch several years ago again praising Hezbollah, who are responsible for the murder of hundreds of Americans, as “freedom fighters” after the terror group captured (and eventually executed) Israeli soldiers — an act in violation of international law, though one El-Yousseph apparently approved of:

Why did Hezuballah captured [sic] Israeli soliders?
Tue Oct 17, 2000 9:33 am

Hezuballah freedomm [sic] fighters of south Lebanon shocked the whole world on Oct. 7, when it captured 3 Israeli soliders [sic] in the town of Khiam on the border line to Israel. Khiam is a Lebanese town, it is still occupied by Israel. Israel claimed, the town belong to Syria. Howeveer [sic]; Syria fanatically denied the Israeli claim. Thereby made Hezuballah attack on an Israeli army convoyy [sic] in the town as legitimate act of self defanse [sic], in resisting a foriegn [sic] occupying army. Keep in mind Israel continue to hold 2 of Hezuballah leader in addition to 15 more Lebanese. Many of whome [sic] were kidnapped with in their own country.

International law which Israel claim to adher [sic] to, clearly states: No occupying force is permitted to transfer civilian populations or combatant out of the occupied country. These two reasons set the stage for Hezuballah mid day surprise attack. “Might is right”. This is the only language Israel understand. Oct.12, another shocker by Hezuballah. One Israeli reserve officer captured in Swisserland [sic], and is in the group costudy [sic]. That reminded at first by the Israel kidnapping few years back of one of its own citizen from Italy. The man have [sic] worked at an Israel nucluar [sic] facility in Israel, and has given an interview to a British newspaper aboout [sic] Israell [sic] nucluar [sic] program.

He was smuggled into Israel in a secert [sic] operation, and still serving time in Israeli jail. If Israel can do it and get away with it , why can,t others. After all, All what Hezuballah wants is: 17 Lebanese to be freed, and for Israel to completly [sic] and immediatly [sic] leave the town of Khaim. It,s up to Israel now!.

Mahmoud El-Yousseph
24 Central Ave.
Westerville, OH. 43081
{614}898-7242
16 OCT.2000

The fellowing [sic] text was send to the dispatch as letter to the editor.

What is especially sickening about El-Yousseph’s cheerleading for this terrorist organization is that he trumpets his own personal military service with the Air Force while doing so. So while endorsing as freedom fighters a terrorist group that killed a large contingent of deployed US Air Force personnel, El-Yousseph can always be seen sporting his trademark “US Air Force Retired” baseball cap whenever he and his buddy Ahmad Al-Akhras are chanting “death to Israel” downtown at the federal courthouse. In fact, he is wearing that cap in the video above when he makes his “Hezbollah are freedom fighters” remark.

Additionally, El-Yousseph signs all of his articles and correspondence “US Air Force retired”, and touts his military service online, such as his profile for the Association of Patriotic Arab Americans in the Military (APAAM). [See, for instance, El-Yousseph’s October 26th Marion Star column touting his military service.] He even goes so far as to highlight his training in 1983 for possible service in Lebanon — a peacekeeping mission to protect the Lebanese people where hundreds of US military personnel were murdered by the very Hezbollah terrorist group he openly praises.

He obviously ignores the oath he took before God when he was inducted into the US military:

“I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”

Hezbollah has long been named a Specially Designated Terrorist Organization by the US government, so why does Mahmoud El-Yousseph violate his induction oath by cheering and applauding America’s enemies who are responsible for the deaths of so many US service men and women? Especially the 19 Air Force personnel (his own branch of service!!!) murdered by Hezbollah in the Khobar Tower attacks?

And what about Hezbollah’s repeated calls for “death to America” by its highest-ranking leaders? For instance, this video of Hezbollah terrorist-in-chief Hassan Nasrallah telling a crowd of the Hezbollah faithful in February 2005 that “death to America” is their constant motto:

We consider it [America] to be an enemy because it wants to humiliate our governments, our regimes, and our peoples. Because it is the greatest plunderer of our treasures, our oil, and our resources, while millions in our nation suffer unemployment, poverty, hunger, unmarriageability, ignorance, darkness, and so on. America… This American administration is an enemy. Our motto, which we are not afraid to repeat year after year, is: “Death to America.”

Crowd: Death to America
Death to America
Death to America
Death to America
Death to America
Death to America

Or similar statement made by their Deputy Secretary-General Naim Qassem, who led a crowd of Hezbollah supporters with that same “death to America” chant less than a year ago:



Since Mahmoud El-Yousseph seems so willing to utilize every opportunity to remind everyone about his military service, perhaps he can answer for us how he is able to justify his support for Hezbollah and terrorism, and still claim to be faithful to his country and his citizenship and military induction oaths to support America against its declared enemies? How can he present himself as a loyal and patriotic American while at the same time praising a group that vows to destroy America?

Here’s a hint, Mahmoud: you can’t claim to be an American patriot and wrap yourself in Old Glory while simultaneously draping yourself in Hezbollah’s flag and applauding their acts of terror, especially when that flag is drenched with the blood of hundreds of American Marines, soldiers, sailors and airmen.

You can’t claim to be a patriot while supporting America’s avowed enemies, particularly those that have killed you own fellow servicemen and women — to say that tends to demonstrate severely divided loyalties would be an understatement.

The Ohio Hezbollah-Meth Drug Smuggling Ring

You’ve heard the one about the Cleveland gas station owner that was smuggling the ingredients for methamphetamine to California to raise millions of dollars for the Shi’ite terrorist group, Hezbollah. What, you haven’t? Oh, that’s right! The Columbus Dispatch never said anything about it. Silly me.

Earlier today I was reading a recent report, “The Convergence of Crime and Terror” by Daveed Gartenstein-Ross and Kyle Dabruzzi of the Center for Policing Terrorism. In their section on the roll of drug trafficking in the US for raising funds for Islamic terrorist organization, a quick mention of the case of Mohammad Shabib of Parma Heights was made in the context of the three known Hezbollah drug rings that federal authorities have thus far discovered (in addition to those run by Al-Qaeda, etc.).

Here’s a summary of the case:

Cleveland, Ohio: Federal prosecutors charged Mohammad Shabib with hiding his role in a drug ring which profits were funneled to Hizballah. Shabib, a gas station owner, had $8,000,000 in a Chicago bank account, which authorities say Shabib amassed by shipping roughly 3 tons of pseudoephedrine from Canada to California, which he would sell to Mexican gangs who would use the drugs to produce methamphetamine. (See: Amanda Garrett, “Terrorists’ Money Takes Convoluted Path in U.S.,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 18, 2004).

As soon as Shabib was charged (DOJ press release on the indictment) the leaders of the Cleveland Muslim community predictably rose up in his defense (much like CAIR’s Ahmad Al-Ahkras recently rose up in defense of Columbus Al-Qaeda suspect, Christopher Paul; see “Columbus Al-Qaeda Man Charge, CAIR Not Pleased”):

The possibility that Shabib was part of any terrorism plot made the president of the Cleveland Arab-American Business Association laugh out loud.

“This has to be the joke of 2002,” said Sam Qasem, who knew Shabib socially. “This guy didn’t know the first thing about anything. He wouldn’t know what to do with a gun. Believe me, this guy had nothing to do with any terrorism. He wanted to be more American than you or me.” (John Caniglia, “Man linked to terror drug ring,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 5, 2002)

Qasem did not explain the $8 million Shabib had stashed away in his Chicago bank accounts, the funds that he had transfered to Yemen, Lebanon and Jordan, nor the hours of phone taps the FBI had made recording Shabib conducting his meth smuggling business. That surely would have stopped his laughing.

While there were 32 individuals charged in this sweep, Shabib’s role was critical to the entire enterprise, as the Plain Dealer explained:

Federal authorities said Shabib connected two of the drug underworld’s greatest hubs: In Canada, workers have churned out pseudoephedrine legally in such massive quantities that the country is the leader in its production. In Riverside, Calif., workers have used the drug to make methamphetamine so quickly that the city and its suburbs are largest producers of the drug in the world. In the process, Shabib allegedly made big money. (John Caniglia, “Parma Heights man linked to drug ring,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 31, 2002)

As we’ve been trying to emphasize here at the COAT Blog, terrorism is a deadly serious matter here in Central Ohio, but you would never know it if you had to rely on the Columbus Dispatch or any of the Central Ohio TV stations. As Sun Tzu noted here in our very first blog post, “Columbus Dhimmimedia”, the Central Ohio media establishment is asleep at the wheel.

Fortunately, our friend Dirk Thompson of 610AM WTVN’s Radio Deli weekend show gets it. We are here, hopefully, that there will soon be many more like him. Thanks, Dirk!