What we must be do. Below scenes fom Ground Zero (thanks to Mike Grambush)

Obama getting trumped again. This is painful to watch.

AFP - Russian President Vladimir Putin will offer to supply Iran S-300 air defence missile systems as well as build a second reactor at the Bushehr nuclear plant, the Kommersant business daily reported Wednesday.

Putin will renew an old offer to supply Iran with five of the sophisticated ground-to-air missile systems at a meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rowhani on Friday, Kommersant said, quoting a souce close to the Kremlin.

Putin is set to meet Rowhani at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation held in Kyrgyzstan on Friday.

Russia in 2007 signed a contract to deliver five of the advanced ground-to-air weapons -- which can take out aircraft or guided missiles -- to Iran at a cost of $800 million.

In 2010, then-president Dmitry Medvedev cancelled the contract after coming under strong US and Israeli pressure not to go ahead with the sale of the weapons system, drawing vehement protests from Tehran.

The source told Kommersant that Russia's offer would depend on Iran's withdrawing a $4 billion lawsuit that it has lodged at an international court in Geneva against Russia's arms export agency.

Kommersant wrote that Putin would offer to supply Tehran with a modified export version of the S-300 systems called S-300VM Antey-2500.

Russia has urged the West to soften sanctions against Iran after the election of Rowhani, a centrist cleric, in June.

The source also said that Putin was ready to sign a deal with Iran on building a second reactor for the Bushehr nuclear plant.

The source said the deal was not "particularly profitable from an economic point of view, but was rather political."

Russia completed the construction of Bushehr, which is Iran's only functioning nuclear power station, despite protests from Israel and the United States.

Iran is at loggerheads with world powers over its controversial nuclear programme, which the Western powers and Israel suspect is aimed at making a bomb despite repeated denials by Tehran.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to Kommersant that Putin and Rowhani were expected to discuss "working together in the nuclear energy sphere" and "questions of military technical cooperation" in talks at the summit in Bishkek.

Nelly Braginsky, mother of Alec, murdered on 911, speaks about the 911 Museum and Memorial.

The victims of the largest and bloodiest jihadi attack on the homeland in U.S. history had a voice today. The American Freedom Defense Initiative held a press conference at Ground Zero, despite the fact that the NYPD refused our repeated requests for a permit. A large crowd of several hundred gathered as an all-star roster of patriots spoke, and moved the crowd to action over the scandal of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, which glorifies the terrorists and trivializes the victims, even going so far as to charge 9/11 family members an admission charge to view the remains of the unidentified victims, which are to be dishonorably housed seven feet below ground.

First responder Alan T. DeVona, the Port Authority Police Sergeant on duty on September 11, 2001, spoke with smoldering and impassioned eloquence about the obfuscation and denial regarding what really happened on that day. Then Nelly Braginsky, who lost her only son Alec in the Towers on that day, spoke about how the 9/11 Museum has been hijacked by politically correct Leftists who are anxious to cover up the jihadist nature of the attack and denigrate American patriotism, and have made the Museum into an insult to Americans rather than a memorial.

My colleague Robert Spencer then took up the theme of this denial of the reality of jihad and showed its human cost, exposing how the FBI dropped all mention of Islam and jihad from training materials, leading to the FBI's disastrous disregard of intel from Russia that could have headed off the Boston Marathon jihad bombing. And finally, Ashraf Ramelah of Voice of the Copts explained with vivid intensity about what is in store for non-Muslims in America if we continue on this path of accommodation and appeasement, showing that what is happening to the Copts in Egypt is what is coming to the U.S.

It was a solemn but triumphant day. We are unbowed, we are resolute, and we are determined. We will never give up, and never give in. Freedom will prevail.

Robert Spencer speaks, Rich Davis holds the flag behind him

Alan DeVona, 911 First Responder, who made an impassioned plea holding the FBI ad we are currently suing Seattle Transit to run.

Nelly Braginsky, 911 family mother, who lost her only son Alec on 911

Spotted: AFDI tee-shirt

Ashraf Ramelah, President of Voice of the Copts, speaking about the persecution of Christians in Egypt and Syria

Ashraf Ramelah and Nelly in the foreground

Artist Mark DeLeon gifted with with this iconic drawing

"Iran threatens widespread retaliation against U.S. and allies" Daily Caller, September 11, 2013

Iran is ramping up its threats to the United States even as the American effort against Iranian client state Syria has ground to a crawl.

President Obama made his case to the American people and the world community Tuesday night that Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad must not be allowed to escape the consequences of using chemical weapons on civilians as the two-year-long Syrian civil war drags on.

Iran, a staunch ally of the Assad regime, is warning that any military action against Syria will cause a military and terrorist reaction on U.S. targets and allies.

Please join us today at Ground Zero to pay our respects to our war dead. 1 pm at Cedar and Trinity Place.

Post-9/11" target="_self">DEFENDING THE WEST
Post-9/11
Exclusive: Pamela Geller agrees with Ground Zero imam about influence of Islam

“I would give the greatest sunset in the world for one sight of New York’s skyline. Particularly when one can’t see the details. Just the shapes. The shapes and the thought that made them. The sky over New York and the will of man made visible. …When I see the city from my window - no, I don’t feel how small I am - but I feel that if a war came to threaten this, I would throw myself into space, over the city, and protect these buildings with my body.” Ayn Rand

War came to this city. And like a mother who protects her young, her family, I threw myself into space, over the city, to protect these buildings, this city, this nation from these savage invaders. And I have spent the last 12 years in this terrible battle fighting the enemy without and within.

I am asked how does one go from being a housewife and mom to one of the world’s leading “racist,” “bigoted” “hatemongers” – as I am described by the Islamic supremacists and their media muppets. The answer is, how can any freedom-loving human being not fight to defend what is good and right, even at great personal cost? If anyone had said to me on September 12, 2001 that those of us fighting the ideology and its adherents behind the worst attack on American soil would be the perceived enemy, I would have said that you were out of your mind. And yet that is exactly where we are.

William F. Buckley wrote on October 2, 2001: “It is thought to be a sign of toleration to defer to Islam as simply another religion. It isn't that. It is a form of condescension. Carefully selected, there are Koranic preachments that are consistent with civilized life. But on September 11th we were looked in the face by a deed done by Muslims who understood themselves to be acting out Muslim ideals. It is all very well for individual Muslim spokesmen to assert the misjudgment of the terrorist, but the Islamic world is substantially made up of countries that ignore, or countenance, or support terrorist activity.”

NRO would never run a column like that today. Who would have thought we'd run into the ditch we’re in when there were people seeing things this clearly back then -- people who already had a name and substance?

When Islamic supremacist Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf, the “holy man” behind the Ground Zero mosque, said “9/11 was a watershed, was a major milestone, and a major catalytic force in, in catalyzing the attention towards the issue of Islam, its presence in the West, and it brought into much greater prominence our work and the importance of our work,” he was absolutely right. Twelve years later, the President of the United States is Barack Hussein Obama, and he is waging wars on behalf of Al Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood. Wal-Mart employees are fired for making jokes on Facebook about a burka. Large corporations are mosqueing the workplace. Public school curriculums have instituted lessons proselytizing for Islam. The Department of Defense, the FBI and Law Enforcement agencies haves scrubbed, under an edict by the Obama administration, all references to jihad in all counter terrorism materials.

Scholars of Islam, human rights activists who dare speak of the most extreme and anti-human ideology on the face of the earth are demonized, marginalized and rendered toxic. There is a prohibition on the truth, in accordance with the blasphemy laws under the sharia. Politicians who speak of jihad and sharia are targeted by powerful and influential terrorist organizations in the US like CAIR, ISNA, ICNA, MSA, MAS, and their political futures are destroyed. Colleges and universities have become hotbeds of jihad activity, and antisemitism is rife on campus. Islamic anti-Semitism, incited by Islamic Jew-hatred, is at worldwide record levels, and religious minorities living in Muslim countries are oppressed, subjugated and murdered.

The number of deadly global jihad attacks since September 11, 2001 is close to 22,000 (and that’s counting only those with casualties). There were also jihad plots to destroy the Brooklyn Bridge, to set off cyanide gas in the New York subway and to subway system, to bomb the New York Stock Exchange and the Federal Reserve building, to nuke Manhattan’s Garment District, to bomb JFK Airport, to bomb synagogues in the Bronx and Manhattan, to bomb Times Square, and on and on and on.

We have thwarted hundreds of attacks in the homeland. And yet the Boston jihad bombing is portrayed in the media as a failure our treatment of immigrants coming to America. The Fort Hood jihad is called “workplace violence” by the Pentagon. And New York Mayor Bloomberg suggested that the Times Square bomber might have been dissatisfied with his health care coverage. The Times Square bombing would have dwarfed the 9/11 death toll had the bomb gone off. Muslim terrorists attacked our consulate in Benghazi on the eleventh anniversary of 9/11 and slaughtered our Ambassador and three attaches. No one has been held responsible or been brought to justice.

Ten years after 9/11, public schools finally made September 11 part of their history coverage, but in that it is a day of service. Not who or why is taught. Just some fuzzy, leftist do-gooder narrative that disarms the generation that is going to have to fight this global scourge.

Those of us who took up the fight in the information battlespace faced a propaganda machine financed by the richest Muslim countries in the world. Americans were daunted by the complexity of this new kind of war -- not a war of nations, race, or color but a worldwide ideology that transcended borders. And when George W. Bush assured Americans that it was not an ideology but a radical few, Americans wanted to believe it. Because it was far easier to believe and accept than the alternative. But for those who knew and opposed this supremacist scourge, the fight was just beginning.

Twelve years of fierce activism continues. On September 11, 2013 we will be at Ground Zero<, as we are every year, fighting for freedom and individual rights. On this terrible anniversary will be the Congressional vote to intervene militarily on the side of Al Qaeda in Syria. We demand intervention on behalf of Syrian Christians and Coptic Christians terrorized by Muslim terror in Egypt. Speakers include 911 Family member Nelly Braginsky, who lost her only son Alec, 9/11 first responder Alan T. DeVona, Sudanese human rights activist Simon Deng, and Coptic Christian human rights activist Ashraf Ramelah.

Our 9/11 press conference will advocate for the honorable and respectful interment of unidentified 9/11 human remains at Ground Zero – not inside the Museum, as planned. Nearly a decade ago, 9/11 families were promised in writing by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) in 2003 that these remains would be located in a “separate and distinct repository – separate from any museum or visitor center.” But city officials and the Museum directors reneged on that promise, and plan to place 9,000 unidentified remains 70 feet (seven stories) below ground – where their relatives will be charged $25 admission to visit.

The press conference will also address the non-patriotic theme of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, including the absence of American flags on the site (there is only one flag at the site, and that one was originally put up by construction workers and then moved to the edge of the site where it can barely be seen at all). This is consistent with the initial rejection by National September 11 Memorial and Museum creative director Michael Shulan’s initial rejection of the iconic flag-raising photo in the Museum, complaining that it was “too rah-rah American.”

Press conference speakers will also note the fact that the photos of the 9/11 jihad terrorists, plus their martyrdom quotes, will be prominently displayed in the Museum, while information on the victims will be in a kiosk, much less prominently displayed. The victims’ photos will be twelve feet above the floor on one wall (3,000-plus photos), while those of the 19 jihadis will have their own wall, with their murderous statements and artifacts at eye level.

In order to defeat our enemies, history cannot be scrubbed, whitewashed or made over.  The truth must be told, and it is the duty of every American to stand for truth, justice and the American way. Now more than ever, each one of us must report for duty. The enemy never sleeps, and as horrific as 9/11 was, what awaits us is far, far worse.

When the confrontation begins, strike like champions who do not want to go back to this world. Shout, 'Allahu Akbar,' because this strikes fear in the hearts of the non-believers. Allah said: 'Strike above the neck, and strike at all of their extremities.' (911 Muslim terrorists)

Today we grieve for 2,977 American victims of jihad in the worst attack on the homeland in US history. Twelve years we mourn their horrible deaths. It is not a day of service, it is a day of mourning. Despite a decade of war, the motive and the ideology has been scrubbed from the national dialague. In fact, in reviewing the various books, article and documentaries that addressed the war in the early 2000s, it is painfully clear the country knew more then than they do now. Articles and books by Robert Spencer, Ibn Waraq et al were in the mainstream. The National Geographic series Inside 911 was excellent investigative reporting on the jihad. I highly recommend it. It should be part of the 911 curriculum in schools instead of the kumbaya national day of service tripe.

I thought it would be instructive to run the Muslim terrorist letters that they left. Allah is mentioned 90 times. And yet here we are 12 years later and we cannot discuss this lest we be smeared, libeled and our reputations destroyed.  Translation below the fold here.

Last words of a terrorist

One of the few - and certainly the most remarkable and troubling - glimpses into the minds and motives of the men who wrought the slaughter of 11 September is a four-page document, written in Arabic, found in the baggage of the suspected ringleader behind the carnage, Mohamed Atta.

The Observer, Sunday 30 September 2001 11.31 EDT

THE LAST NIGHT

1) Making an oath to die and renew your intentions.

Shave excess hair from the body and wear cologne.

Shower

2) Make sure you know all aspects of the plan well, and expect the response, or a reaction, from the enemy.

3) Read al-Tawba and Anfal [traditional war chapters from the Qur'an] and reflect on their meanings and remember all of the things Allah has promised for the martyrs.

4) Remind your soul to listen and obey [all divine orders] and remember that you will face decisive situations that might prevent you from 100 per cent obedience, so tame your soul, purify it, convince it, make it understand, and incite it. Allah said: 'Obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not fight amongst yourselves or else you will fail. And be patient, for Allah is with the patient.'

5) Pray during the night and be persistent in asking Allah to give you victory, control and conquest, and that He may make your task easier and not expose us.

6) Remember Allah frequently, and the best way to do it is to read the Holy Qur'an, according to all scholars, as far as I know. It is enough for us that it [the Qur'an] are the words of the Creator of the Earth and the plants, the One that you will meet [on the Day of Judgment].

7) Purify your soul from all unclean things. Completely forget something called 'this world' [or 'this life']. The time for play is over and the serious time is upon us. How much time have we wasted in our lives? Shouldn't we take advantage of these last hours to offer good deeds and obedience?

8) You should feel complete tranquility, because the time between you and your marriage [in heaven] is very short. Afterwards begins the happy life, where Allah is satisfied with you, and eternal bliss 'in the company of the prophets, the companions, the martyrs and the good people, who are all good company'. Ask Allah for his mercy and be optimistic, because [the Prophet], peace be upon him, used to prefer optimism in all his affairs.

9) Keep in mind that, if you fall into hardship, how will you act and how will you remain steadfast and remember that you will return to Allah and remember that anything that happens to you could never be avoided, and what did not happen to you could never have happened to you. This test from Almighty Allah is to raise your level [levels of heaven] and erase your sins. And be sure that it is a matter of moments, which will then pass, Allah willing, so blessed are those who win the great reward of Allah. Almighty Allah said: 'Did you think you could go to heaven before Allah knows whom amongst you have fought for Him and are patient?'

10) Remember the words of Almighty Allah: 'You were looking to the battle before you engaged in it, and now you see it with your own two eyes.' Remember: 'How many small groups beat big groups by the will of Allah.' And His words: 'If Allah gives you victory, no one can beat you. And if He betrays you, who can give you victory without Him? So the faithful put their trust in Allah.'

11) Remind yourself of the supplications and of your brethren and ponder their meanings. (The morning and evening supplications, and the supplications of [entering] a town, and the [unclear] supplications, and the supplications said before meeting the enemy.

12) Bless your body with some verses of the Qur'an [done by reading verses into one's hands and then rubbing the hands over whatever is to be blessed], the luggage, clothes, the knife, your personal effects, your ID, passport, and all your papers.

13) Check your weapon before you leave and long before you leave. (You must make your knife sharp and must not discomfort your animal during the slaughter).

14) Tighten your clothes [a reference to making sure his clothes will cover his private parts at all times], since this is the way of the pious generations after the Prophet. They would tighten their clothes before battle. Tighten your shoes well, wear socks so that your feet will be solidly in your shoes. All of these are worldly things [that humans can do to control their fate, although Allah decrees what will work and what won't] and the rest is left to Allah, the best One to depend on.

15) Pray the morning prayer in a group and ponder the great rewards of that prayer. Make supplications afterwards, and do not leave your apartment unless you have performed ablution before leaving, because the angels will ask for your forgiveness as long as you are in a state of ablution, and will pray for you. This saying of the Prophet was mentioned by An-Nawawi in his book, The Best of Supplications. Read the words of Allah: 'Did you think that We created you for no reason...' from the Al-Mu'minun Chapter.

THE SECOND STEP

When the taxi takes you to (M) [this initial could stand for matar, airport in Arabic] remember Allah constantly while in the car. (Remember the supplication for entering a car, for entering a town, the supplication of place and other supplications).

When you have reached (M) and have left the taxi, say a supplication of place ['Oh Allah, I ask you for the best of this place, and ask you to protect me from its evils'], and everywhere you go say that prayer and smile and be calm, for Alah is with the believers. And the angels protect you without you feeling anything. Say this supplication: 'Allah is more dear than all of His creation.' And say: 'Oh Allah, protect me from them as You wish.' And say: 'Oh Allah, take your anger out on [the enemy] and we ask You to protect us from their evils.' And say: 'Oh Allah, block their vision from in front of them, so that they may not see.' And say: 'Allah is all we need, He is the best to rely upon.' Remember Allah's words: 'Those to whom the people said, "The people have gathered to get you, so fear them," but that only increased their faith and they said, Allah is all we need, He is the best to rely upon.' After you say that, you will find [unclear] as Alllah promised this to his servants who say this supplication:

1) They will come back [from battle] with Allah's blessings

2) They were not harmed

3) And Allah was satisfied with them.

Allah says: 'They came back with Allah's blessings, were not harmed, and Allah was satisfied with them, and Allah is ever-blessing.'

All of their equipment and gates and technology will not prevent, nor harm, except by Allah's will. The believers do not fear such things. The only ones that fear it are the allies of Satan, who are the brothers of the devil. They have become their allies, Allah save us, for fear is a great form of worship, and the only one worthy of it is Allah. He is the only one who deserves it. He said in the verses: 'This is only the Devil scaring his allies' who are fascinated with Western civilisation, and have drank the love [of the West] like they drink water [unclear] and have become afraid of their weak equipment, 'so fear them not, and fear Me, if you are believers.'

Fear is a great worship. The allies of Allah do not offer such worship except for the one Allah, who controls everything. [unclear] with total certainty that Allah will weaken the schemes of non-believers. Allah said: 'Allah will weaken the schemes of the non-believers.'

You must remember your brothers with all respect. No one should notice that you are making the supplication, 'There is no Allah but Allah,' because if you say it 1,000 times no one will be able to tell whether you are quiet or remember Allah. And among its miracles is what the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'Whoever says, "There is no Allah but Allah," with all his heart, goes to heaven.' The prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'If you put all the worlds and universes on one side of the balance, and "No Allah but Allah" on the other, "No Allah but Allah" will weigh more heavily.' You can repeat these words confidently, and this is just one of the strengths of these words. Whoever thinks deeply about these words will find that they have no dots [in the Arabic letter] and this is just one of its greatnesses, for words that have dots in them carry less weight than those that do not. And it is enough that these are the words of monotheism, which will make you steadfast in battle [unclear] as the prophet, peace be upon him, and his companions, and those who came after them, Allah willing, until the Day of Judgment.

Do not seem confused or show signs of nervous tension. Be happy, optimistic, calm because you are heading for a deed that Allah loves and will accept. It will be the day, Allah willing, you spend with the women of paradise.

[poetry] Smile in the face of hardship young man/For you are heading toward eternal paradise

You must remember to make supplications wherever you go, and anytime you do anything, and Allah is with his faithful servants, He will protect them and make their tasks easier, and give them success and control, and victory, and everything...

THE THIRD PHASE

When you ride the (T) [probably for tayyara, aeroplane in Arabic], before your foot steps in it, and before you enter it, you make a prayer and supplications. Remember that this is a battle for the sake of Allah . As the prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'An action for the sake of Allah is better than all of what is in this world.' When you step inside the (T), and sit in your seat, begin with the known supplications that we have mentioned before. Be busy with the constant remembrance of Allah. Allah said: 'Oh ye faithful, when you find the enemy be steadfast, and remember Allah constantly so that you may be successful.' When the (T) moves, even slightly, toward (Q) [unknown reference], say the supplication of travel. Because you are traveling to Almighty Allah , so be attentive on this trip.

Then [unclear] it takes off. This is the moment that both groups come together. So remember Allah , as He said in His book: 'Oh Allah, pour your patience upon us and make our feet steadfast and give us victory over the infidels.' And His words: 'And the only thing they said Allah, forgive our sins and excesses and make our feet steadfast and give us victory over the infidels.' And His prophet said: 'Oh Allah, You have revealed the book, You move the clouds, You gave us victory over the enemy, conquer them and give us victory over them.' Give us victory and make the ground shake under their feet. Pray for yourself and all your brothers that they may be victorious and hit their targets and ask Allah to grant you martyrdom facing the enemy, not running away from it, and for Him to grant you patience and the feeling that anything that happens to you is for Him.

Then every one of you should prepare to carry out his role in a way that would satisfy Allah. You should clench your teeth, as the pious early generations did.

When the confrontation begins, strike like champions who do not want to go back to this world. Shout, 'Allahu Akbar,' because this strikes fear in the hearts of the non-believers. Allah said: 'Strike above the neck, and strike at all of their extremities.' Know that the gardens of paradise are waiting for you in all their beauty, and the women of paradise are waiting, calling out, 'Come hither, friend of Allah .' They have dressed in their most beautiful clothing.

If Allah decrees that any of you are to slaughter, dedicate the slaughter to your fathers and [unclear], because you have obligations toward them. Do not disagree, and obey. If you slaughter, do not cause the discomfort of those you are killing, because this is one of the practices of the prophet, peace be upon him. On one condition: that you do not become distracted by [unclear] and neglect what is greater, paying attention to the enemy. That would be treason, and would do more damage than good. If this happens, the deed at hand is more important than doing that, because the deed is an obligation, and [the other thing] is optional. And an obligation has priority over an option.

Do not seek revenge for yourself. Strike for Allah's sake. One time Ali bin Abi Talib [a companion and close relative of the prophet Muhammad], fought with a non-believer. The non-believer spit on Ali, may Allah bless him. Ali [unclear] his sword, but did not strike him. When the battle was over, the companions of the prophet asked him why he had not smitten the non-believer. He said, 'After he spat at me, I was afraid I would be striking at him in revenge for myself, so I lifted my sword.' After he renewed his intentions, he went back and killed the man. This means that before you do anything, make sure your soul is prepared to do everything for Allah only.

Then implement the way of the prophet in taking prisoners. Take prisoners and kill them. As Almighty Allah  said: 'No prophet should have prisoners until he has soaked the land with blood. You want the bounties of this world [in exchange for prisoners] and Allah  wants the other world [for you], and Allah is all-powerful, all-wise.'

If everything goes well, every one of you should pat the other on the shoulder in confidence that (M) and (T) number (K). Remind your brothers that this act is for Almighty Allah. Do not confuse your brothers or distract them. He should give them glad tidings and make them calm, and remind them [of Allah ] and encourage them. How beautiful it is for one to read Allah 's words, such as: 'And those who prefer the afterlife over this world should fight for the sake of Allah .' And His words: 'Do not suppose that those who are killed for the sake of Allah are dead; they are alive... ' And others. Or they should sing songs to boost their morale, as the pious first generations did in the throes of battle, to bring calm, tranquillity and joy to the hearts of his brothers.

Do not forget to take a bounty, even if it is a glass of water to quench your thirst or that of your brothers, if possible. When the hour of reality approaches, the zero hour, [unclear] and wholeheartedly welcome death for the sake of Allah. Always be remembering Allah . Either end your life while praying, seconds before the target, or make your last words: 'There is no Allah but Allah, Muhammad is His messenger'.

Afterwards, we will all meet in the highest heaven, Allah willing.

If you see the enemy as strong, remember the groups [that had formed a coalition to fight the prophet Muhammad]. They were 10,000. Remember how Allah  gave victory to his faithful servants. He said: 'When the faithful saw the groups, they said, this is what Allah  and the prophet promised, they said the truth. It only increased their faith.'

And may the peace of Allah be upon the prophet.

• The document was released by the F.B.I. and translated for The New York Times by Capital Communications Group, a Washington-based international consulting firm and by Imad Musa, a translator for the firm.