A tentative deal to free the American container-ship captain who is being held captive by Somali pirates has been put off by a day, one of the pirates said.
I recall an old slogan, something about 'millions for defense, not one cent in tribute'. Something like that ...
The process was postponed because "each group suspects the other one" of reneging, said the pirate, who identifies himself only as Da'ud. Under the terms of the agreement, which he said could still fall apart at any time, Richard Phillips and the four pirates holding him would all go free, and a "small" ransom would be paid.
I certainly hope we renege on the ransom part ...
Somali pirates and a negotiator for the U.S. Navy came to terms earlier yesterday.
Pentagon spokesman Major Stewart Upton said he had no information about an agreement to release Phillips. The New York Times quoted Somali officials as saying negotiations had broken down after U.S. officials insisted that the pirates be arrested and a group of Somali elders representing the pirates balked at that demand.
Our original demand was that we kill them all. I think we've bargained in 'good faith' to let them live in a prison cell ...
Under the tentative deal to free Phillips, a U.S. helicopter would fly to Gara'ad, Somalia, a town about 600 kilometers (370 miles) north of Mogadishu that is a base of pirate activity, Da'ud said. It would pick up several Somali mediators and elders and then fly out to the lifeboat holding Phillips, Da'ud said.
Phillips and the pirates would board the helicopter also. The helicopter next would fly to a pirate ship and Phillips's captors would disembark, Da'ud said. The helicopter, with Phillips still on board, then would return to a U.S. Navy vessel, Da'ud said.
Then we toss a weighted sack containing the ransom money into the drink, and the pirates dive to retrieve it ...
The discussions were conducted by mobile phone between the pirate lifeboat and a female U.S. Navy negotiator aboard a warship, Da'ud said, adding that he didn't know its name.
Da'ud said earlier that he was in contact with Phillips's four captors by satellite phone. Somali tribal elders and a group of parents of the pirates have vowed to solve the standoff peacefully, East Africa-based maritime environmental group Ecoterra International said in a statement.
#1
How many times have we seen people like this stall for time while supposedly negotiating? But I'm standing on my bet that somebody's gonna have to pay the ransom because even though everybody wants those pirates dead nobody's willing to risk the captain. Not a very satisfying conclusion but a result of letting this problem go on for so long without taking any action.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
04/12/2009 10:50 Comments ||
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#2
If Obama would just part the sea we could sort this out.
#3
Give them their loot but include a sleeping gas bomb. While they snore rescue the captain and equip each pirate wih a noose.
(Your imagination from here on)
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
04/12/2009 11:30 Comments ||
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#4
"Nice little town you have there in Gara'ad! Would be a shame if something happened to it..."
"Philips alive or 'Somali mediators and elders' dead."
Since this is a law enforcement matter, no negotiator is going to tell the pirates any such thing.
#7
You have *got* to be fucking kidding me! Do they really think the pirates (who have already reneg'ed on one agreement to free the captain) would honor their part of the deal?
How about this (from an armchair quaterback...):
We send frogmen and/or SEALS to flash-bang, storm, and secure the lifeboat.
We send a helo to pick up the bodies of the pirates (alive or dead) for yardarm decorations.
We then send a flight of B-52's to Gara'ad, Somalia to carpet-bomb the town until the rubble bounces.
We then send helos and company to pick up any bodies of the elders who remain and bring them back to join their cohorts on the yardarms mentioned above.
We then sail siad ships (plus any other needed vessels), with yardarm decorations, to each and every pirate port adn bombard them from off-shore. (I assume we still have naval vessels with big guns...)
#8
CrazyFool, sorry, but the really big gun boats (battleships and cruisers) have long since been retired. Pretty much all that is left is 5" guns.
Oh, and missiles, lots and lots of missiles. Of course, each missile probably costs more than than the entire village it would destroy.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
04/12/2009 14:07 Comments ||
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#9
I agree with Da'ud. The deal is off and we are suspending negotiations indefinitely.
#10
OK. So the headline now on Drudge is that the Navy freed the captain and killed at least some of the pirates. I would have lost my bet if anybody had put up money against me but I'd have gladly paid it. Hooray for the Navy!
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
04/12/2009 15:06 Comments ||
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#11
Actually the captain freed the captain by jumping overboard (again!) and then the SEALs moved in to mop up.
PARIS (Rooters) - A French hostage was killed and four others were freed on Friday when French forces attacked pirates who had seized their yacht off Somalia, officials said. Two pirates were shot dead during the military assault and three were captured.
A much more civilized approach than negotiation ...
Pirates seized the sailing boat Tanit, carrying two couples and a 3-year-old boy at the time, far from the coast of the east African country on April 4.
French Defense Minister Herve Morin said the father of the child, Florent Lemacon, died during Friday's rescue mission, which lasted a few minutes. And he now sez that it might have been "friendly" fire, there will be an investigation.
A military official said elite forces shot dead two pirates who were on deck when they stormed the boat.
Lemacon had been in the cabin at the time and it was not clear if he was killed in the crossfire or deliberately shot by one of his captives. The four French survivors were unharmed and put on a navy vessel bound for Djibouti.
France has taken a leading role in international efforts to halt rampant hijackings off Somalia and its forces have captured at least 60 pirates since April 2008, bringing several of them to Paris for eventual trial. "France will never give into pirates' blackmail or to terrorism," Morin told a news conference.
The French navy made contact with the pirates on Thursday and decided to launch the rescue bid after the gang refused to accept an offer of a ransom and tried instead to sail toward the coast. "We proposed everything we were able to offer, enabling them reach to land. We even offered them a ransom," Morin said, declining to say how much money was put forward.
It was the third time in a year that the French military had intervened after a French-registered yacht was captured, and the first time a hostage has died.
Chloe and Florent Lemacon left France with their son Colin last July aboard the Tanit, writing about their adventures in a blog. They picked up another couple along the way and were heading toward the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean.
The French Foreign Ministry said earlier this week the French navy had urged the Lemacons not to sail through the Gulf of Aden but that the warning had gone unheeded.
Morin said French sailors should avoid the area. "I repeat in the clearest manner and with the most forthright warning to any of our citizens who are thinking about venturing into this area of the Indian Ocean, I ask them to forget it," he said.
The Lemacons mentioned the risk posed by pirates in their blog, but shrugged off the threat. "The danger exists but the ocean remains huge. The pirates must not destroy our dream," they said in a post from January.
#6
Good for France. It is very sad that one hostage was killed, but it was better than allowing the fear of a non-perfect response to be the pirates best weapon. The message sent to pirates today was loud and clear: Attack Americans and French and expect to die.
The French showed spine and despite it not being a perfect operation, they should be applauded for their actions.
MOMBASA, Kenya (Reuters) - A U.S.-flagged ship that was seized by Somali pirates arrived safely in the Kenyan port of Mombasa on Saturday, as a Somali mediator headed to sea to try to secure the release of the ship's American captain. "The captain is a hero," one crew member shouted from the 17,000-ton Maersk Alabama container ship as it docked. "He saved our lives by giving himself up."
The ship, under the command of Richard Phillips, was attacked by gunmen far out in the Indian Ocean on Wednesday but its 20 American crew apparently fought off the hijackers and regained control of the freighter. Phillips was taken hostage and is being held captive on a drifting lifeboat by the gang of four pirates who want $2 million ransom for him, as well as safe passage.
Relatives said Phillips had volunteered to join the pirates in their lifeboat in exchange for the safety of his crew. At one point, he tried to escape by jumping overboard but "didn't get very far," a U.S. official said.
Three U.S. warships were in the area around the lifeboat. A U.S. military official who spoke on condition of anonymity said crew members on the destroyer USS Bainbridge saw Phillips on Friday from a distance of several hundred yards (meters), moving and talking aboard the boat after his failed escape.
CNN said on Saturday the Bainbridge sent a small boat to approach the lifeboat to open communication, but the pirates responded with gunfire. The Navy personnel then retreated.
NBC television and CBS radio said the lifeboat had drifted to within 20 miles of the Somali coast, and that U.S. military officials feared that if the craft reached the shore, the pirates might escape with their hostage on land.
Phillips is just one of about 270 hostages from a variety of countries being held by Somali pirates preying on the busy sea-lanes of the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. Yet the Maersk Alabama has captured world attention because Phillips is the first U.S. citizen seized and his crew was able to regain control of the ship.
"Once again, it has taken American involvement to get world powers really interested," said a diplomat who tracks Somalia from Nairobi.
Taking Euros hostage wasn't enough to get European world powers really interested?
John Reinhart, president and chief executive of Maersk Line Ltd, said the FBI was investigating the hijacking in Kenya. "Because of the pirate attack, the FBI has informed us that this ship is a crime scene," he told reporters, adding that the crew will have to stay on board the vessel.
Waging law ...
Somali elders sent a mediator on Saturday in hopes of resolving a standoff between the U.S. Navy and the four pirates holding Phillips, a 53-year-old Vermont father of two. "They are just looking to arrange safe passage for the pirates, no ransom," said Andrew Mwangura, the coordinator of a regional group that monitors piracy.
The mediator took to sea in a boat but it was unclear how he would reach the pirates. He speaks English and aimed to bridge the language gap between the pirates and the U.S. side. "The man took a boat but how he will spot the lifeboat is the question," said Aweys Ali Said, head of the local Galkayo region's local authority. "The elders want the captain to be released and the pirates to come home safely. But I understand, the pirates need a ransom, come what may.
The gang holding Phillips remained defiant. "We will defend ourselves if attacked," one told Reuters by satellite phone.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/12/2009 00:00 ||
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What if we support a government strong enough to remove piracy, but too weak to do anything about the terrorism cells? Piracy is what has the international community involved in the problems of Somalia right now, if that goes away, we are left with the bigger threat to our national interests and no one internationally to help.
Somalia is much to complicated for the comparisons some are making to Pakistan and Iraq. At least in those places, we know who we want to work with. The government of Somalia doesn't even have governing control over the regions involved in piracy, and the areas the government does control are where the terror groups have sanctuary.
I got creamed last year in the comments by my readers for suggesting the pirates could possibly be the most desirable group to work with in Somalia, but we should not quickly dismiss that possibility. I'd rather work with a capitalist criminal whose motivation is money than a religious terrorist who is more interested in ideology, but that is just me.
I'm not sure we know who we want to work with in Pak-land, but he's right about Somalia: there is literally no one to work with. Co-opt the pirates? Not likely. But it's an interesting thought that they're more desirable than Sheik Ahmed ...
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/12/2009 1:09 Comments ||
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#2
A longer piece from Galrahn about the problem here.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/12/2009 1:15 Comments ||
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#3
Galrahn writes as if he went to an Ivy League school.
#7
The Maersk Alabama was carrying food aid for the region. It is now delivered to port in Kenya. Where is it supposed to go from there? Staying in Kenya? Somalia? Sudan? Or Uganda/Congo/Central Africa?
#11
Somalia is a failed state. There is no move afoot to try to make it a real state, with full responsibilities, etc etc.
Ya wanna adopt this place, too? You willing to sink billions that YOU DO NOT HAVE into this traditionally unruly place?
You do not make deals with pirates. You do what is necessary to personally hurt them so they leave you alone. If they and the people want to change, they know where to call, and you can work together.
Barring that, you make the price of messing with ocean commerce and shipping so high that they will leave you alone.
You do not pay the equivalent of protection money to some pirate a$$hole.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
04/12/2009 12:31 Comments ||
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#12
"#9 Caroline speaks as though she duplicated Uncle Ted's courses.
Hope she got a better grade in swimming class."
Teddy's swimming was just fine, Steve. It was his passenger who flunked.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
04/12/2009 13:31 Comments ||
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#13
Somalia is a failed state. There is no move afoot to try to make it a real state, with full responsibilities, etc etc.
Actually, there are several factions trying to make their little respective pieces of Somalia into real states.
And some of these factions are inimical to our interests.
#14
IIRC DRUDGEREPORT > PHILIPPS RESCUE [vee USN Seals] > PIRATES VOW REVENGE AGZ THE USA AND FRANCE.
Also IIRC, ala STRATEGYPAGE, the PYR-I-I-ITES + Radical Islam had warned Kenya's Govt. not to interefere wid their Gunmen [read, Pirate, etc. Activities]. IOW, KENYA + SOMALI PIRATE ENCLAVES > AKIN TO PORT ROYAL, TOBAGO, + OTHER PIRATE-CONTROLLED CITIES + LANDS IN HISTORY. The USA = BRITAIN-EUROS as per efforts to contain or destroy these pirate groups [Recall Captain Kidd, Henry Morgan,etal.].
THEY really Really REALLY R-E-A-L-L-Y REEEEAAAALLLLYYY RRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEE
EEEEEEEEELLLLLYYYY, D *** YOU, WANT THE BAMMER = OWG USSA/USR of Amerika TO INVADE AFRICA????
Pirates off the eastern coast of Africa fired on U.S. sailors Saturday as they tried to reach the lifeboat where an American captain is being held, a U.S. official familiar with the situation told CNN.
That should have been their death warrant right there ...
The gunfire forced the sailors, who did not return fire, back to the guided missile destroyer USS Bainbridge, the official said.
The U.S. Navy -- which is in charge of the situation -- requested help from the FBI to resolve the standoff. The FBI is launching a criminal investigation into the hijacking and hostage-taking, two law enforcement officials told CNN. The probe will be led by the FBI's New York field office, which has responsibility for looking into cases involving U.S. citizens in the African region. Agents from the office were scheduled to leave for Africa sometime this weekend, the officials said.
Phillips appeared to be tied up by the pirates after the escape attempt, a Defense Department official told CNN.
For the U.S. Navy, bringing in more firepower is more than just a means to resolve a hostage situation, said Chris Lawrence, CNN's Pentagon correspondent. Attacks in the area have picked up so drastically in recent months that the Navy has to reposition some of its fleet to deal with the threats, he said.
#1
The U.S. Navy -- which is in charge of the situation -- requested help from the FBI to resolve the standoff. The FBI is launching a criminal investigation into the hijacking and hostage-taking
Mr Kafka, Mr Franz Kafka, please approach the information booth.
#4
My guess is that the sailors on the ship are just as frustrated as everyone else with how those 'higher up' (and by that I mean the lawyer and politicians) are handling this.
#6
For right now the priority is the safety of the captain. We don't want a result like the French had, where one of the captives was killed - perhaps by friendly fire - in an attack. It is too bad we were not ready and willing to take advantage of the opportunity when the captain jumped overboard - such a chance is not likely to come again.
What will we do if other pirates bring fuel, shielded by other hostages, so the lifeboat can head for shore? I don't think we want that, but we have shown we are not willing to act to stop it (yet). My recommendation is we quietly attach a cable to the bottom of the boat and gently direct it to drift where WE want it (with perhaps a nice microphone feed too.) But I guess that would be hijacking, which would make us as bad as them (sarc).
#8
Forgive me, but I'll say it once again. This issue of the handling of this matter is much, much larger than the brave skipper of the Maersk Alabama.
Remember if you will the statement by Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste." The administration is exploiting this situation to make an international statement regarding sovereignty and law. None of what has played out thusfar bodes well for America.
#9
We all want Captain Phillips released alive and unharmed if it can be done. If he can get overboard again we should be ready. If we can talk with the pirates and have them release him, fine.
However.
I am not willing to see us pay a ransom for his release. I am not willing to see us coddle pirates so that they'll do this to us again.
I understand that I sound uncaring and bloodthirsty since it sounds as if I would 'sacrifice' Mr. Phillips. I would sacrifice no one but stopping piracy is of higher importance. I recognize that it could be me or a family member on that lifeboat right now. And I appreciate that for our Navy and for the politicians far away in Washington, this is not an easy call.
Stop the pirates. If words will do it then use words. If words fail then use force. Save Mr. Phillips if you can but don't dishonor the country in doing so.
Stop the pirates.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/12/2009 10:44 Comments ||
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#10
The U.S. Navy -- which is in charge of the situation -- requested help from the FBI to resolve the standoff.
Not true, our very own Sec State declaired it a criminal event requiring it to be an FBI event. All captured US civs fall under FBI jurisdiction unless stated otherwise.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
04/12/2009 11:43 Comments ||
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#11
Its night time. SEALS go over the side on the Destroyer. Blow a charge in the underhull of the Pirates boat. Is the Captain of the MAERSK tied up so he cant swim? Assign someone to tag him in the water.
The Pirates are sitting out there in the dark and there is a massive hole they cant plug in the hull. Nobody to shoot at. Quiet and dark...very dark. Water coming in fast.
Abdrool is thinking he should Shoot the captain? Boat going down, water coming in... definitely about one minute before everybody is swimming.
If they do shoot the captain then we blame his death on them. Once they are in the water though...you deal with each one individually, just like a shark would. Pull him under and make sure he never comes up. Assign someone to get the captain on a Lung and move away.
Dont tell me we dont have assets for this. Washington is minus the cojones is all. Obama is like Carter, no real leader in a tight place.
LATER Start planning hitting the shore bases of the pirates. Something brutal and educational. No need for witnesses or survivors. Who did it? Who knows. Do it again.
You can "contract" many of the anti-piracy ops. Pay people to bring in SPECIFIC dead individuals with bounties on them. Get the pirates to hunt their associates. Offer good money for specific individuals. Pay good money for good work. I mean, do we have an Intell community who do more than cut th grass at Langley or dont we? Or is every asset the United States has living in Suburban Maryland with a pet?
How does the money for ransoms move..make some final accidents happen. Just leave the mess so its obvious and then....who did it? Who knows.
You want to play? All it takes is using the personnel we have who are good and actually liiike this sort of work. Scare the hell out of the right people and let the dog eat it.
#12
I mean, do we have an Intell community who do more than cut th grass at Langley or dont we? Or is every asset the United States has living in Suburban Maryland with a pet?
#13
I agree that this crisis is being used by the admin. The problem is that we are not controlling the battlespace. So the pirates have the upper hand.
The Israelis of yore did not negotiate with terrorists, and if they did talk, like they did with Idi Ammin, they set up their adversaries for complacency for a covert op.
Look what the Israelis have achieved now with their negotiation. How far the Israelis and the US have fallen.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
04/12/2009 12:37 Comments ||
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#14
I hate to say it, but the Navy knows that it, like the rest of the Pentagon, it has been hung out to dry by this administration.
It will give them intolerable rules. It will take credit for any successes, and it will blame them for any failures. And even if it is a success, the Navy will be blamed for not doing it the *way* their overlords wanted it to be done.
Given those options, the only thing the Navy can do to minimize its losses, is to FAIL. And continue to FAIL with every stupid, petty directive or mission that the administration throws at them.
Though it is hard on morale, the ways to do this are clear. Since Washington wants to micro-manage, let them. Ask their approval before doing anything, and over and over again. Demand signed or recorded authorizations from individuals, not agencies or offices.
Create endless delays while the situation degenerates. Be prepared to abort any mission and depart the AO swiftly. Strictly prohibit initiative and demand that everything be done "by the book".
Insist on legal opinions from multiple sources. Use these opinions as obstacles to the Washington directives. As needed, experience equipment failure and semi-essential supply contamination that requires withdrawl and resupply.
As disgusting as this sounds, it is when military bureaucrats shine. They do this to protect the lives of personnel, to protect units and ships, and to protect the branch of service and the entire Pentagon, from unethical and indifferent politicians and policy wonks.
In doing so, military bureaucrats will fight the rear area fifth column to their last breath. Yes, they are REMFs, but they watch your back with the tenacity of a loyal pit bull.
#16
I am not willing to see us pay a ransom for his release.
Steve White, I agree completely with your sentiment. However, unless you and I are part owners of the company that sails the Maersk Alabama, were really not part of the us. Neither is the US government. And for those who are responsible to make the decision to pay ransom its not only a moral consideration but a business decision as well. I will say this now that theyve engaged the US Navy it is no longer a simple law enforcement issue. Yarrr ye Skinnies best be keepn yer powder dry.
#17
If it was me in charge the headline would be
"In the country formerly know as Somalia, all boats were found sunk. Most weapons dumps also mysteriously exploded. Bright Pebbles has sent his condolences and offered to help."
CAIRO - Egyptian police have detained a man they say was transporting $2 million to north Sinai to be smuggled into the Gaza Strip to the Islamist group Hamas, security sources said on Saturday. The man, Hassan Mohamed Hassouna, was detained in Cairo along with his driver and eight-year-old son around a week ago, the sources said. The child was returned to his family in north Sinai after spending three days in detention, they added.
The child was there to provide cover.
The sources said Hassouna named three other men as accomplices during his interrogation.
"I'll talk! I'll talk! Stop doing that!"
Egypt is eager to show it is doing all it can to stop money or aid reaching Hamas. Egyptian authorities regularly stop Hamas officials from bringing large sums of money into Gaza.
In March, Egyptian security forces blocked two Hamas officials from entering the Islamist-run Gaza Strip with around $900,000 in cash, and in February they forced Hamas official Ayman Taha to deposit more than $11 million in cash in a bank in El Arish.
Makes you wonder how much cash is getting through. Gaza still seems to have guns, ammo and groceries ...
Lebanons Hezbollah said on Friday that Egyptian authorities had arrested a Hezbollah member who had been offering logistical help to Palestinians in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/12/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
And green headbands. Don't forget the green headbands.
#3
I don't see that it makes any sense to transport cash into Gaza. The cash needs to be outside Gaza, where there's actual stuff to buy, like guns and rockets, and Swiss banks to put it in.
American sea Captain Richard Phillips was rescued from four Somali pirates Sunday, a U.S. intelligence official said.
Three pirates were killed and one was in custody after what appeared to be a swift firefight off the Somali coast, the official said.
Phillips, who was not hurt, was safely transported to a Navy warship nearby.
The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Talks began Thursday with the captain of the USS Bainbridge talking to the pirates under instruction from FBI hostage negotiators on board the U.S. destroyer.
U.S. warships and helicopters stalked the lifeboat holding Phillips and his four Somali captors Sunday, while his crew briefed FBI agents about how they fought off the pirates who boarded their ship, the Maersk Alabama.
#3
Careful Sea, with a policy like that, we won't be able to use the term 'terrorist' anymore. We'll be searching for terms that don't violate the Rantburg TOS.
#9
I'm very thankful this went batter than the recent French rescue.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
04/12/2009 14:00 Comments ||
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#10
I'm with Sherry. Based on the limited info we have so far it sounded like the good captain escaped and the Seals took advantage of the situation.
Posted by: Scott R ||
04/12/2009 14:01 Comments ||
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#11
Thank god he is free. Feed the pirate to the fish.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
04/12/2009 14:09 Comments ||
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#12
My guess is nobody in the administration greenlighted an attack. They Seals reacted to the second jump into the water by the Captain. Obama will try and take credit for acting, but I think in time we will discover they were not willing to initiate the action, only allow the SEALS to react. No offense to the Navy, but I think their hands were tied.
Now watch O act like he was in chanrge of this.....
#14
So we've got one to interrogate. Let's find out where they all came from, destroy the villages, hang him from the Bainbridge's yardarm and go on a tour to all the Somalian ports of call with him dangling.
#15
"Bambi slaughters three innocent Somalis". Not to be tomorrows NYT headline
Posted by: Steven ||
04/12/2009 15:11 Comments ||
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#16
Excellent work.
Let them continue the job and deal with all the pirate boats en route
Posted by: john frum ||
04/12/2009 15:14 Comments ||
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#17
Even the NYT wouldn't dare. I've been slumming over at DU today, end even their commentariat has found reason for cheer and congrats to the (gasp!) military.
#22
Well done. Patience. Preparation. Then fast, overwhelming attack when the time was right. Pirates had to be getting fatigued and prone to losing alertness and making mistakes. And maybe they ran out of qat. Navy had plenty of relief. As long as they were kept at sea, time was our ally.
#23
It may not be popular to say it, but I'll bet Bambi was aware of every move. If he hadn't wanted this it wouldn't have happened. I hope he's got enough rush left to order the pirate to be executed and the villages destroyed.
#24
WASHINGTON (AP) - Administration officials say President Barack Obama approved the military operation that rescued a U.S. captain held hostage by Somali pirates.
The officials say Obama ordered the Defense Department to use military resources to rescue Richard Phillips from a lifeboat off the Somali coast.
The officials discussed this information on the condition of anonymity because they were not yet authorized to disclose the president's decision-making process.
#26
Kind of ironic that all the stereotypical mealy-mouthed/weasely/world courty babble out of the WH was the perfect set-up for the action taken. If BO plays it right no one will ever know if he was part of the problem or a 'mis-underestimated' part of the solution.
#27
Not to rain on the parade of a successful POW snatch, yes POW, it should NOT take presidential involvement or directive to resolve situations such as this. The regional unified combatant commanders (the CINCS) should have the authority to exercise the protection and defense of Americans on the high seas.
#28
How many of the pirates were innocent civilians?
All of them, silly. They just wanted the captain to officiate at the wedding. Also I heard some cute baby rats got wet and caught a chill as a result of this operation.
#29
Not to rain on the parade of a successful POW snatch, yes POW, it should NOT take presidential involvement or directive to resolve situations such as this. The regional unified combatant commanders (the CINCS) should have the authority to exercise the protection and defense of Americans on the high seas.
In any other Administration, yes, but. The rest of the world is now on notice that POTUS approved this specifically. I'm fine with that.
In other POTUS news, he ended weeks of church-shopping to go to Easter services at...the same church every POTUS has gone to, St. John's Episcopal right across the way.
#30
Interesting comments. But I'm fine with the world thinking Obama gave the green light, regardless of what really happened.
It is a wonderful Easter-like story. The captain willing offered up his own life as a ransom to save others in his charge. How wonderful that he was freed on Easter day.
#31
I'm having a hard time believing Bammo would authorize this. What has he got against pirates except the bad publicity for his Most Glorious Reign?
If this was planned, how is it that Phillips knew when to jump ... the second time.
And why were we negotiating with one of them at the time? That looks really bad actually. Did we bring a pirate aboard one of our ships under a flag of truce, then attack?
Could be wrong here, but it kind of looks more like Bammo was finalizing the details of where to deposit the ransom money, there was no plan for a rescue, Phillips jumped and the Seals used it as an intervening circumstance sufficient to justify deviating from their standing orders. Good for them!
Right now Bammo is probably trying to figure out who the next of kin are so he can send them the ransom as reparations.
#34
Praises to the Navy, SEALS, and Captain Phillips. This truly is an Easter Blessings. Allelujah (sp?) FBI, we're paying attention, what you do next is crucial.
#35
From the press conference, if sounds like Obama on Friday and on Saturday, just simply said, "OK do what you have to do." I didn't get the impression from the Vice Admiral that The One was very involved.
He stated the Commander on the Bainbridge, made a quick decision that the Captain was in harms way. The shooters were on the stern of the ship, the ship was towing the lifeboat! They were 25-30 meters away. They had been supplying the lifeboat with food, water, even clean clothes for the Captain.
Seas were worsening, the Commander had the authority to make the call, and he made it when he saw an AK-47 pointed at the Captain. He was tied up. All pirates were covered and the fire command came, and each pirate went down.
Seems the credit we can give to The One, is he said OK and then, stayed out the way.
#36
Uncle Jimbo puts it more in miliatry terms: This was not a rescue attempt ordered by National Command Authority i.e. the President. It was a reaction by the on scene commander under standard authority to safeguard the life of a hostage.
#39
The CINC will always call and get permission to enguage any target except to an immediate threat. He is then authorized to defend. The president will hold or give the authority for the CINC or combatant commander to make the call. This is our chain of command and as much as I cant stand our new prez, I am certain our DOD went by protocal. I am thankfull this one went well and now O will lean toward yes in the future.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
04/12/2009 17:48 Comments ||
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#40
So it looks like negotiations were well under way for a peaceful end to the situation when Captain Phillips jumped for the second time and forced a violent conclusion. How will it be spun in world media - US abused good-faith negotiations to slaughter the Somalians?
#41
I don't care how the world spins it. Let them know the pirates are dead. We (our military) killed em. And about f*cking time. Well done, both Captains and skilled crew!
Now, we need to re-establish that Olde Tyme Law of The Sea. Kill em dead, burn their bases to the ground.
Oh, and Happy Easter!
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/12/2009 18:01 Comments ||
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#42
Oh noes!! From Reuters: Somali pirates were quick to vow revenge over Sunday's shooting, as well as a French military assault to rescue a yacht on Friday.
"The French and the Americans will regret starting this killing. We do not kill, but take only ransom. We shall do something to anyone we see as French or American from now," Hussein, a pirate, told Reuters by satellite phone.
#43
mhw, I believe that all of the other hostages are nationals of other nations. Their governments are (or should be) responsible for rescuing them. The US is not the world's policemen.
As for the Somali pirate's threat, in the immortal words of Dirty Harry, "Do you feel lucky, punk?". Remember that so far, the score is America 3, (plus 2 captured), Pirates 0.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
04/12/2009 18:20 Comments ||
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#44
I'm tempted to go to the donk sites and begin harping about how many pirates BAtty has made with his decision to this.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
04/12/2009 18:22 Comments ||
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#45
SEAL teams, in the last 36 hours, with boats and stuff, parachuted from a C-130 in the night, quietly headed to the Bainbridge! So they weren't there the first time the good Cap't hit the water. Answers that question.
This gets better and better! Three head shot kills.
#46
"Somali pirates were quick to vow revenge over Sunday's shooting, as well as a French military assault to rescue a yacht on Friday."
Well, as long as it's not dire revenge....
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
04/12/2009 19:02 Comments ||
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#47
to all poster of this shitty blog get the hell off of America you are a bastard antiamerican
your ideals and philosophy is against all of this contry stand for if find any one of you on the street I kick your ass bastards scum
LOL Leave this one up for fun, please. He sounds playable
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/12/2009 19:18 Comments ||
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#49
I will give odds that eventually this USN Captain will be dismissed for this, because the Washington wonks will whine, "He didn't have to kill them! He should have *arrested* them! (snivel!)"
Remember, this is their mind set. That is why they no longer call the War on Terror a war, because they see everything in terms of not just policing, but doing so under American law.
It is incredibly stupid.
Were the USN to capture them, the Washington wonks who demand that they "read them their rights" while arresting them. And that they immediately have to have lawyers, and be tried in US courts.
The truly bizarre thing is that the Washington wonks have *always* had this mindset about pirates. Even in the 19th Century, they demanded they be returned to the US to face trial, unlike the British Navy, that was permitted to hang pirates at sea.
Back then, this meant that the USN often discovered that it was in British waters, so had to turn pirates over to the Brits instead of taking them back to the US.
#50
mnyt, please work hard at your spelling and grammar lessons. I promise it gets easier after fourth grade. As for the ass-kicking, there is a practically infinite difference between threats made from the apparent safety of a computer keyboard and facing real, live people indisposed to tolerate your childishness. You'll find infinite in the dictionary next to your teacher's desk. Ask her to help you look it up.
If one of the mods or clever computer Rantburgers would be kind enough to satisfy my curiosity about mnyt's whereabouts? Or perhaps I am asking a question answerable but not to be answered just now...
#55
Maybe its just me, but after listening to CNN News this AM, I got the covert impression the Anchor = CNN wasn't exactly happy at the Captain's rescue by the SEALS as seemingly anti-USN/Rescue derisory comments were [politely correctly] mixed in or disguised among the overt laurels.
* IOW CNN AM > HOORAY FOR CAPTAIN PHILIPPS AND THE SEALS, ERGO SOMEONE IN AMERIKA HAS TO BE PUNISHED FOR KILLING THREE INNOCENT POVERTY-STRICKEN SOMALI PIRATES/KIDNAPPERS???
#56
If the good USN Captain is subjected to disciplinary proceedings, issued a letter of reprimand, or otherwise burned, heaven knows, the rallying cries around him for clemency will be deafening. A smart public official might not want to risk going down with that unpopular boat just to burn a hero.
#57
Can't believe snipers getting it done at sea. Holy f@xk!!!!
It appears that every failed state in the modern world is an attractant for Islamic militants. Look at Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan, & Pakistan. It's because they adhere to the original teachings of the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh).
His idea of religion was always a plan of war. The Somali pirates are just being good faithful Muslims.
#58
WASHINGTON (AP) - The head of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command is warning that the successful rescue of an American captain held by Somali pirates could escalate violence in that part of the world.
In rescuing the captain of the American ship Maersk Alabama, Navy SEALs killed three of the four pirates who had been holding Capt. Richard Phillips in a lifeboat. All were shot by snipers aboard the USS Bainbridge.
Navy Vice Admiral Bill Gortney said at a news conference Sunday that the rescue ending in the pirates' deaths will likely have a ripple effect.
While piracy is common off the coast of Somalia, crews have seldom been harmed.
In Gortney's words, "This could escalate violence in this part of the world, no question about it."
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
04/12/2009 20:16 Comments ||
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#59
The politico's are too cowardly to do anything but give the USN captain and the SEAL team awards. As much as they would love to make an example of them, they would have to explain the protocol to the press or the bloggers will. Then they will realize our prez authorized it. Good job to the team, pizza and beer for all in the team room.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
04/12/2009 20:21 Comments ||
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#60
"This could escalate violence in this part of the world, no question about it."
perhaps a deserved time has come. Somalian immigration should be put on permanent hold (as should Pakistani) while we do a reality check on who we're admitting (and let travel for training). I'd offer an Arclight or Q-ship option, but Dave D's such a hardass on credit and I don't wanna drive to the ATM to pay for the drinks in the O-Club
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/12/2009 20:21 Comments ||
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#61
pizza and beer for all in the team room.
Perhaps President "Present!" could have his Pizza Chef fly on to deliver pan-baked heaven to the actual heroes? Thought not..
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/12/2009 20:24 Comments ||
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#62
As I learn more about the circumstances I am more convinced that there will be pressure brought to discipline the Bainbridge officers and the men who fired the shots. It will be played as cold-blooded murder (and probably was, not that there's anything wrong with that.) JoeM has it pegged. And Deacon's quote of Adm. Gortney confirms it.
#63
"Abdullahi Lami, one of the pirates holding the Greek ship anchored in the Somali town of Gaan said: "Every country will be treated the way it treats us. In the future, America will be the one mourning and crying," he told The Associated Press. "We will retaliate (for) the killings of our men."
#64
Crazy is as crazy does! Pirates want to act crazy, well the USN can, too. If any of these lily-livered fleabags want to reprimand the snipers for "escalating violence" bring it. The world needed to see that the United States doesn't bend over for pirates irregardless.
#65
Obama may still drive this country into financial ruin, but I thank him for authorizing the Navy to use force to resolve this matter--not once, but twice, according to reports. Even if this rescue was more spontaneous than planned, the hostage is safe, three pieces of s**t are dead, and the remaining little bastard is in custody.
#70
Last time I checked the Pirates-Yankee game it was 1-0 Yankees, 3 outs, 1 save, and 1 no decision. Of course it's mostly away games for the yankees because we like it that way.
#71
Geraldo has Dr. Bob "MSNBC" Arnot and Wesley "The Unblinking Dembot" on to explain it to us on Foxnews. Can we push thi sshit over the side, puhleeeeze? If Fox is to be pilloried as Rightwing media, make it so, and quite welcoming douchebag illegal-sucking syncophants like Geraldo on. Funny they should ask Wesley about a successful Mil Ops, eh?
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/12/2009 21:32 Comments ||
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#72
quit, not quite. Apparently I bought an extra vowel
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/12/2009 21:33 Comments ||
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#74
Somehow I can't see Obama having the political will to order this done. Most likely the Captain triggered this and the crew took advantage of the opportunity. they probably had standing orders that 'if an opportunity presents itself...'.
Anyone catch how Geraldo was all trying to get sympathetic for the 'poor 16 year old boy' who was the pirate survivor? And how he would be tried in 'Lower Manhatten NYC...'. I just caught a few mins of it before I turned the channel in disgust.
Oh and congrats to the Captain (who has balls) and the Seals who saved him.
#75
saw that, CF. Geraldo's spin: "He'll never know the pleasure of getting his driver's license because he's illegal and driving to the malt shop with Betty Lou Al-Habib to have a malt and burger and IED"
It's a friggin joke Geraldo (Illegal alien apologist) is on Fox
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/12/2009 23:06 Comments ||
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#76
Actually I heard something to the effect (radio? I forget where) that the captured pirate has been captured for a long while, and possibly of his own accord.
Twenty-four more members of the Bangladesh Rifles arrested earlier in connection with the February 25-26 BDR rebellion case were ordered by a Dhaka court to be sent to jail on Saturday. Of the members, havilder Jalal Uddin in the court of metropolitan magistrate Mominul Hasan admitted to his involvement in the rebellion that killed 61 army officers.
The court of metropolitan magistrate AKM Emdadul Haque also remanded four people sepoys Jasim Uddin, Masum Miah, Mizanur Rahman and Rafiqul Islam afresh for four days for interrogation in the custody of the Criminal Investigation Department.
CIDs assistant superintendent of police Abdul Kahhar Akand, also investigation officer of the case, produced 15 members in the court after completion of their remand and sought a fresh seven-day remand for four members for further interrogation. The rest of the 13 were brought to the court from the Newmarket police station where they were detained since Friday. Magistrate Emdadul Haque passed an order to send the 13 to jail after they were shown arrested in the rebellion case.
With the latest arrest, a total of 1,028 people, mostly BDR members, have so far been arrested in the rebellion case. Of them, 30 people made confessional statement to the magistrates.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/12/2009 00:00 ||
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Peru's Shining Path rebels have killed 13 soldiers in an ambush in the south east of the country, the country's defence minister says.
Antero Flores Araoz said the rebels had used dynamite and grenades to attack the military patrol on Thursday. The dead included a captain and 12 of his soldiers. Two others were wounded and one is still missing.
The ambush is one of the deadliest operations by the once-formidable guerrillas in the past decade. Mr Flores said the incident took place on Thursday, but news had been delayed by poor communications with the region.
#2
*opens door; clicks on lights*
"Why is my desk giggling?" *shrugs*
*turns off lights, closes door*
ROFL trailing wife -
So good to hear from you! Hope you are doing well. I'm praying for you and your family. Painful as these things are, I did form really strong bonds with my family and friends during my mother's final days, so I'm sure you had a very meaningful Passover. I often want to say too much when someone I care about is in a difficult situation - if only words I said could make things easier - but I'm sure that time and your wisdom and common sense will take care of you in the long run. So, just take care of yourself, and I love you. :-)
#4
See, Besoeker? That there is our very own beloved JosephMendiola.
*comes out from behind desk, dabbing away an errant tear*
Thank you, dear. One day I will thank you in person, and see if the reality is as handsome as my imagination paints. This year we did not have my father to lead the Seder and tell us the story in his Latvian-accented Hebrew (all his languages were Latvian-accented; according to Mr. Wife, who knows about such things, twenty years after he arrived in this country he still sounded as if he'd just got off the boat). But the story was told to our various offspring, as he told it to us, and so the chain continues.
In retaliation to brutal killing of a local leader of traders in Nawagai sub-division, the security forces Saturday launched an operation against militants and destroyed their several hideouts, besides seizing a huge cache of small and heavy arms.
Official sources said the security forces launched operation against the militants after killing of Awami National Party leader and Nawagai traders President Muhammad Islam Khan by unknown assailants. During the crackdown, the security forces destroyed several hideouts of militants and seized a large quantity of weapons, including explosives, rockets, hand-grenades and mortar shells, the sources added.
The trader, Muhammad Islam, was kidnapped by unknown assailants and then beheaded after he gave a three-day deadline to Taliban for vacating residential and commercial areas in Nawagai tehsil so that security forces could not take action against them.
Meanwhile, unidentified persons shot dead a noted tribal elder Malik Munir and injured his nephew Rehman. Sources said that both the persons were coming from Khar Civil Colony to the village when unknown armed men opened indiscriminate fire on them, killing Munir on the spot and injuring Rehman.
QUETTA: A reporter in Khuzdar district of Balochistan was injured as unidentified gunmen fired at him on Saturday. Haji Wasi Ahmed, the Khuzdar correspondent of a Quetta-based daily, was rushed to the hospital after he was shot twice in the stomach. His condition was reported to be stable.
Ghulam Siddiq Mosiani, a newspaper hawker, was also injured in the attack.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/12/2009 00:00 ||
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MINGORA: Once President Asif Ali Zardari approves the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation, the Taliban will surrender, TTP Swat chief Fazlullah said on Saturday. Fazlullah said this during a meeting with Swat peace Jirga head Inamur Rehman.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, Rehman said Fazlullah had told him that the Taliban in Swat would not lay down their arms until the president singed the regulation.
And they won't lay down their arms after he signs, either ...
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/12/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
They'll each hand in one of their twenty guns.
Posted by: john frum ||
04/12/2009 12:36 Comments ||
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#2
And get a brand new AK-74 from the ISI man
Posted by: john frum ||
04/12/2009 12:37 Comments ||
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RANCHI, INDIA - Maoist rebels killed five policemen and injured three in eastern India on Saturday, hours before the chief of the ruling Congress party was due to address an election rally in the area.
Maoist rebels, who have called for a boycott of the general election in Jharkhand state, have stepped up their attacks ahead of the polls that begin next week.
In the Maoist ambush, five CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) personnel were killed and three were injured, said Satya Narayan Pradhan, a spokesman for the police in Jharkhand state.
The ambush was in the forested Khuti district, 10 km (6 miles) from the spot where Congress president Sonia Gandhi was due to address a rally, he said. The rally was delayed by two hours but went ahead, he said.
Maoist rebels have stepped up their violent campaign in eastern and central Indian states ahead of the general election and ordered people to boycott the polls. In Jharkhand state they have blown up government offices and schools, which are often used during polling, and set fire to candidates offices in recent weeks.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/12/2009 00:00 ||
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ISLAMABAD - At least nine people, including a policeman, were killed Saturday as the riots over the assassination of three ethnic political leaders continued for a third day in Pakistan's south-western Balochistan province.
A police official said the bodies of six coal miners were found in outskirts of provincial capital Quetta. "The attackers first kidnapped the poor labourers, shot them dead and dumped their bodies in the mountains in Marwar area," police investigator Barkatullah Khan said.
That's not a 'riot' ...
He said two of the victims were from North Western Frontier Province and four from the Pakistani part of the Kashmir region. "Apparently the incident seems part of ongoing violence," Khan added.
Unknown attackers shot dead a policeman in the town of Quetta, where two civilians also died and two were injured in various incidents of violence. The markets remained closed across the province and nationalists held protest rallies in many cities.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/12/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
The jihadist cancer continues spreading.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
04/12/2009 2:44 Comments ||
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#2
Sounds like they wouldn't sign when the union card check solicitors came around.
The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) security forces announced that it discovered on Sunday a store of arms into one of the mosques in the West Bank, an interior ministry statement revealed.
The interior ministry in a written statement said that the security forces found explosive devices were made into the store inside the mosque, adding "several raw-materials were also seized, which are used to manufacture bombs." The statement didn't say in which town in the West Bank the mosque is located, but said that "our security forces noticed smoke coming out from the mosque, and when a force went inside, it found the store, the explosives and the raw-material."
"The security forces investigate the event and will follow up suspects who use mosques in other purposes," said the statement. "We call on the residents to report to the security forces about any illegal activity carried out into mosques."
On this day in history: April 12th
1606 The Union Flag is adopted as the flag of Great Britain.
1633 The formal inquest of Galileo Galilei by the Inquisition begins.
1861 American Civil War: The war begins with Confederate forces firing on Fort Sumter, in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina.
1937 Sir Frank Whittle ground-tests the first jet engine designed to power an aircraft.
1945 US President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies while in office.
1955 The polio vaccine, developed by Dr. Jonas Salk, is declared safe and effective.
1981 The first launch of a Space Shuttle: Columbia launches on the STS-1 mission.
1994 Canter & Siegel post the first commercial mass Usenet spam.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
CAIRO - Egyptian police have detained a man they say was transporting $2 million to north Sinai to be smuggled into the Gaza Strip to the Islamist group Hamas, security sources said on Saturday. The man, 
Twenty-four more members of the Bangladesh Rifles arrested earlier in connection with the February 25-26 BDR rebellion case were ordered by a Dhaka court to be sent to jail on Saturday. Of the members, havilder Jalal Uddin in the court of metropolitan magistrate Mominul Hasan admitted to his involvement in the rebellion that killed 61 army officers.
In retaliation to brutal killing of a local leader of traders in Nawagai sub-division, the security forces Saturday launched an operation against militants and destroyed their several hideouts, besides seizing a huge cache of small and heavy arms.
QUETTA: A reporter in Khuzdar district of Balochistan was injured as unidentified gunmen fired at him on Saturday. Haji Wasi Ahmed, the Khuzdar correspondent of a Quetta-based daily, was rushed to the hospital after he was shot twice in the stomach. His condition was reported to be stable. 
ISLAMABAD - At least nine people, including a policeman, were killed Saturday as the riots over the assassination of three ethnic political leaders continued for a third day in Pakistan's south-western Balochistan province. 
The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) security forces announced that it discovered on Sunday a store of arms into one of the mosques in the West Bank, an interior ministry statement revealed. 
