Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zanawi says that his country's troops will continue to stay in Somalia until their objectives are met.
"The idea of withdrawing troops out of Somalia while its transitional President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed counts on our support is totally unacceptable. Yusuf Ahmad is a friend of ours and we will not leave him alone," the Ethiopian premier told local journalists in Addis Ababa on Sunday.
Zanawi's remarks came as he had earlier vowed to pull Ethiopian's forces out of conflict-stricken Somalia at the very earliest.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/22/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
Still a few children that haven't been sexually assaulted?
Nigeria's main militant group said on Sunday it had begun a unilateral ceasefire after a week of clashes with the military and attacks on oil installations which cut output in Africa's top producer.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) launched strikes against pipelines, flow stations and other oil and gas facilities last Sunday in response to what it said were ground and air strikes by the military against one of its bases. "Effective 0100 hours (0000 GMT) September 21, exactly one week after we launched our reprisal, MEND will begin a unilateral ceasefire till further notice," the group said in an e-mailed statement.
It said it had taken the decision after a plea by elders but warned it would restart its campaign if it came under attack from the security forces. It also warned that other groups aligned with it may not respect the ceasefire. "We hope that the military has learnt a bitter lesson. The next unprovoked attack will start another oil war that will be so ferocious that it will dim the pleas of the elders," it said.
MEND has carried out at least six attacks in as many days over the past week, its most intense campaign for years against the oil industry in Nigeria, the world's eighth biggest exporter. Royal Dutch Shell, the company hardest hit by the violence, declared a force majeure on shipments of Bonny Light, a type of crude oil, effective from Friday.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/22/2008 00:00 ||
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HATE preacher Abu Hamza claimed his human rights were breached because he was served RUM ice cream in prison. The hook-handed cleric, 50, said the sweet broke halal rules because it contained alcohol.
A source at top-security Belmarsh jail in Woolwich, South East London, said: "It's utterly barmy and a massive over-reaction -- most prisoners would see it as a treat.
Other notorious terrorists in the jail -- including dirty bomber Dhiren Barot, 35 -- have joined the protest. It is backed by a website linked to controversial lawyer Mudassar Arani. The site said: "Muslims were provided with rum ice cream. This obviously contains alcohol and therefore could not possibly be deemed compatible with the Islamic faith." It also claimed that Muslims were given yoghurt containing traces of unsuitable products.
The site urged inmates to write to their MPs to complain their rights are being breached.
Egyptian-born Hamza is serving seven years for inciting murder and race hate.
A prison source said last night: "Hamza spent his life urging fanatics to kill Jews and Christians yet has the gall to claim his rights are being abused over ice cream."
A Prison Service spokesman said yesterday: "Regrettably, non-halal food was offered in error. It was quickly substituted with appropriate halal alternatives." "Made with silt."
#3
Geez. Why should other cutlures have to bow down to the wacked out & weird needs of Islam. Eat the ice cream with your hooked hand you whinging, whining retard.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
09/22/2008 16:34 Comments ||
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#7
It probably wasn't really "rum" ice cream, but rum-FLAVORED ice cream. It's just something else for this retard to complain about and try to stir up trouble. Stick an ice pick in both ears, and spin him around three or four times, vertically. I'm sure he'll just LOVE rum-flavored ice cream after that. Not sure if they serve it in Hell, though...
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
09/22/2008 19:33 Comments ||
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#8
Well then, the holy one better not touch the vanilla ice cream either. There's alcohol in that extract, too.
Thousands of people in France and Germany took to the streets over the weekend, calling for soldiers deployed in Afghanistan to be brought home, police and march organizers said. Both countries have parliamentary votes coming up on the issue. Over 5,000 people demonstrated in Berlin and Stuttgart Saturday to protest the decision to prolong the deployment of German troops in Afghanistan, police from both cities said.
Demonstrators, who had been mobilized by 250 pacifist groups and trade-union organizations, carried banners with slogans including "Give peace a chance - Bring the troops back from Afghanistan."
At least 3,300 people rallied in Berlin and a further 2,000 in Stuttgart, although the event organizers put the total figure at 7,000 people.
In France, marches calling for the recall of French troops in Afghanistan took place in about 10 towns across the country, organized by political activists, trades unions and several left-wing opposition political parties. In Paris, 3,000 people took part in a march - 2,000 according to police. Opposition parties backing the demonstrations included the Greens, the Communist Party, and the far left Revolutionary Communist League.
The march took place two days ahead of a parliamentary vote on the France's deployment in Afghanistan.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/22/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
doesn't seem like a very impressive turnout for protests that had been mobilized by 250 pacifist groups and trade-union organizations.
Sheesh. It seems with that much organization you should at least get a better turnout than what the local art in the park can pull.
#3
THe French Communist Pary helping Taliban and Al Quaida. Just like in 1940 when it helped the Nazis through undermining of French soldiers morale and sabotage of tanks and of plane manufacturing.
#4
doesn't seem like a very impressive turnout for protests that had been mobilized by 250 pacifist groups and trade-union organizations.
As an aside, regarding "activist", "civil rights", "gay rights", "anti-racist", IE all those "community organizers" parazites living off society... in France, you've got to understand that 1) they represent NOTHING in term of actual manpower and representative democracy (most of them are weak false noses for movements with no actual electoral weight like commies, trostkysts, anarchists, or even foreign gvts like algeria)
BUT
2) they get both an absurd Msm coverage and resonance (that is, they are the default "representative face" of any given movement, not to mention actual complicity from like-minded media drones), and they are STATE-FUNDED.
None of those orgs could ever exist thanks to members fees & donations, they are purely funded by public money, through local or national organisms... even though they are basically trying to subvert established order.
What this means is that for example, "anti-racist" orgs can freely sue anyone guilty of thoughtcrimes and I don't mean just big cheezes, but even very average people, without having to worry about money, since it's the State's, not their. And it also allows for a camarilla of "civil rights" lawyers to live off that racket.
One ex... During the 2005 ramadan riots, about 300 such orgs called for a demonstration, which brang about 250-300 people, not even one per org (because since the market for subsidies is so juicy, you've got the president of one being the treasury guy of an another whuile his president is an adviser for his own, and so on)... yet, they got a full & very favorable msm coverage (as opposed say to an anti-strike demonstration organized by free-market guys in 2005???? which got about 10 000 people, and was NOT covered by any teevee, literally not the memory hole from the start).
As for the unions, they represent NOTHING either. My figures are a bit fuzzy, but I think unionization in France is around 2-4% of the workforce... most, or almost all of it in the public sector, IE people hired for life who can't be fired whatever they do, thanks to the commie status given to them in the provisional gvt days right after WWII.
Bottom line of this overly long comment is that those thousands represent NOTHING. They are the usual suspects, they are virtual entities enabled only by the complicit msm and by a socialist, constructivist State.
Not to say many french don't agree with them, but it's only because people think what they are told to think, by the general doxa (exactly as I'm myself told what to think here, except that I chose that because I like thinking that way, as opposed to being spoon-fed by the mass-media and not even knowing it. At least, I know my poison).
Governor Palin, the Republican nominee for vice president, was scheduled to speak today at a rally in Dag Hammarskjold Plaza to protest the appearance here of President Ahmadinejad of Iran. Her appearance was canceled by rally organizers who sought a nonpolitical event. Demo's threaten to take away exempted status is they allowed her to speak
Following are the remarks Mrs. Palin would have given:
I am honored to be with you and with leaders from across this great country — leaders from different faiths and political parties united in a single voice of outrage.
Tomorrow, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will come to New York — to the heart of what he calls the Great Satan — and speak freely in this, a country whose demise he has called for.
Ahmadinejad may choose his words carefully, but underneath all of the rhetoric is an agenda that threatens all who seek a safer and freer world. We gather here today to highlight the Iranian dictator's intentions and to call for action to thwart him.
He must be stopped.
The world must awake to the threat this man poses to all of us. Ahmadinejad denies that the Holocaust ever took place. He dreams of being an agent in a "Final Solution" — the elimination of the Jewish people. He has called Israel a "stinking corpse" that is "on its way to annihilation." Such talk cannot be dismissed as the ravings of a madman — not when Iran just this summer tested long-range Shahab-3 missiles capable of striking Tel Aviv, not when the Iranian nuclear program is nearing completion, and not when Iran sponsors terrorists that threaten and kill innocent people around the world.
The Iranian government wants nuclear weapons. The International Atomic Energy Agency reports that Iran is running at least 3,800 centrifuges and that its uranium enrichment capacity is rapidly improving. According to news reports, U.S. intelligence agencies believe the Iranians may have enough nuclear material to produce a bomb within a year.
The world has condemned these activities. The United Nations Security Council has demanded that Iran suspend its illegal nuclear enrichment activities. It has levied three rounds of sanctions. How has Ahmadinejad responded? With the declaration that the "Iranian nation would not retreat one iota" from its nuclear program.
So, what should we do about this growing threat? First, we must succeed in Iraq. If we fail there, it will jeopardize the democracy the Iraqis have worked so hard to build, and empower the extremists in neighboring Iran. Iran has armed and trained terrorists who have killed our soldiers in Iraq, and it is Iran that would benefit from an American defeat in Iraq.
If we retreat without leaving a stable Iraq, Iran's nuclear ambitions will be bolstered. If Iran acquires nuclear weapons — they could share them tomorrow with the terrorists they finance, arm, and train today. Iranian nuclear weapons would set off a dangerous regional nuclear arms race that would make all of us less safe.
But Iran is not only a regional threat; it threatens the entire world. It is the no. 1 state sponsor of terrorism. It sponsors the world's most vicious terrorist groups, Hamas and Hezbollah. Together, Iran and its terrorists are responsible for the deaths of Americans in Lebanon in the 1980s, in Saudi Arabia in the 1990s, and in Iraq today. They have murdered Iraqis, Lebanese, Palestinians, and other Muslims who have resisted Iran's desire to dominate the region. They have persecuted countless people simply because they are Jewish.
Iran is responsible for attacks not only on Israelis, but on Jews living as far away as Argentina. Anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial are part of Iran's official ideology and murder is part of its official policy. Not even Iranian citizens are safe from their government's threat to those who want to live, work, and worship in peace. Politically-motivated abductions, torture, death by stoning, flogging, and amputations are just some of its state-sanctioned punishments.
It is said that the measure of a country is the treatment of its most vulnerable citizens. By that standard, the Iranian government is both oppressive and barbaric. Under Ahmadinejad's rule, Iranian women are some of the most vulnerable citizens.
If an Iranian woman shows too much hair in public, she risks being beaten or killed.
If she walks down a public street in clothing that violates the state dress code, she could be arrested.
But in the face of this harsh regime, the Iranian women have shown courage. Despite threats to their lives and their families, Iranian women have sought better treatment through the "One Million Signatures Campaign Demanding Changes to Discriminatory Laws." The authorities have reacted with predictable barbarism. Last year, women's rights activist Delaram Ali was sentenced to 20 lashes and 10 months in prison for committing the crime of "propaganda against the system." After international protests, the judiciary reduced her sentence to "only" 10 lashes and 36 months in prison and then temporarily suspended her sentence. She still faces the threat of imprisonment.
Earlier this year, Senator Clinton said that "Iran is seeking nuclear weapons, and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps is in the forefront of that" effort. Senator Clinton argued that part of our response must include stronger sanctions, including the designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization. John McCain and I could not agree more.
Senator Clinton understands the nature of this threat and what we must do to confront it. This is an issue that should unite all Americans. Iran should not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. Period. And in a single voice, we must be loud enough for the whole world to hear: Stop Iran!
Only by working together, across national, religious, and political differences, can we alter this regime's dangerous behavior. Iran has many vulnerabilities, including a regime weakened by sanctions and a population eager to embrace opportunities with the West. We must increase economic pressure to change Iran's behavior.
Tomorrow, Ahmadinejad will come to New York. On our soil, he will exercise the right of freedom of speech — a right he denies his own people. He will share his hateful agenda with the world. Our task is to focus the world on what can be done to stop him.
We must rally the world to press for truly tough sanctions at the U.N. or with our allies if Iran's allies continue to block action in the U.N. We must start with restrictions on Iran's refined petroleum imports.
We must reduce our dependency on foreign oil to weaken Iran's economic influence.
We must target the regime's assets abroad; bank accounts, investments, and trading partners.
President Ahmadinejad should be held accountable for inciting genocide, a crime under international law.
We must sanction Iran's Central Bank and the Revolutionary Guard Corps — which no one should doubt is a terrorist organization.
Together, we can stop Iran's nuclear program.
Senator McCain has made a solemn commitment that I strongly endorse: Never again will we risk another Holocaust. And this is not a wish, a request, or a plea to Israel's enemies. This is a promise that the United States and Israel will honor, against any enemy who cares to test us. It is John McCain's promise and it is my promise.
#1
Ahmadinejad is just the dummy. The ventriloquists are the ones with the long beards and soulless eyes. It will require much more than a JDAM or a well aimed shot.
Posted by: ed ||
09/22/2008 11:49 Comments ||
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#2
Great Speech - wish she whould have been able to make it but, as the comments stated, the Democrats threatened to take away the group's exempted status. I guess that is how the DNC shows support for its allies (Iran).
The only point I have is calling Ahmadinejad a 'dictator'. He is only a puppet controlled by the Supreme Counsel - they are the real dictators who pull the strings. Unlike Saddam - if we were to remove Ahmadinejad today - he would only be replaced with a different puppet.
Contrast Palin's support of Iranian women with NOW's complete and total silence.
#3
CF, everyone knows that NOW is only concerned with the rights of a very few, select women.
If you have other issues than "when will I be allowed to sit on a corporate board?" and "I need subsidized child care so I can concentrate on my important career....and I better not have to pay more than $5 a day for someone to watch my kids" (or, if you don't want to have kids, "I better be able to abort a child up to my delivery date,") they really can't be bothered.
#5
TW -- I saw that also -- questions came to my mind. Wonder if she is already setting the stage for 2012 campaign?
Alto -- it could have been a slap across to face to Hillary, since she had consented to be there, then pulled out when she found out Sarah was also speaking!
Can you hear Hillary saying, "How dare her to use my name in her speech!"
#6
TW, i think those words were of a statesman, er, statesperson if you will and from one that is not worried about partisanship. statemanship is something that has been missing in our politics for far too long.
#7
Sarah Palin sounds like she has plenty of savvy concerning international politics--far more enlightened than BO or Biden. It is a shame that an idiot like Ahmahdinejad speaks in the U.S. at the UN and Palin was disinvited. Hillary could not rise above partisan politics. It is a shame Ahmadinejab spoke at Columbia but they didn't allow ROTC on campus. We should have arrested the little criminal and terrorist for seizing our embassy in 1979 as soon as he got off the plane.
#8
Well politically you can understand the Dem's dilemma. You just can't have Hillary on the same platform as Palin or it makes it look like she's supporting her. So unfortunately the best interests of the country must take second place to partisan concerns.
Posted by: Bob Sloluque7930 ||
09/22/2008 15:38 Comments ||
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#9
The speach is being published in newspapers around the world.
It just may have a greater impact than if she gave it at the rally.
Anyway, the whole incident pretty much wipes out any good feelings about Hillery that I had developed based on the treatment she had been receiving from the Democratic party.
She and It deserve each other.
Posted by: Kelly ||
09/22/2008 15:45 Comments ||
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#10
Makes it 'difficult' to dump Biden and replace with Ms. Clinton, too.
Dumping Biden is still on the table, as I understand from a couple of Dem Beltway folks I know.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
09/22/2008 16:33 Comments ||
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#11
Hillary couldn't allow Sarah Palin to share a stage with her. It would show the Nation how much more energy and Can Do attitude Sarah Palin has then Hillary. It would also undermine Hillary's message that people need the Government to take care of them and provide for them. They can't do it alone, don't you understand.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
09/22/2008 17:51 Comments ||
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#12
"Dumping Biden is still on the table, as I understand from a couple of Dem Beltway folks I know."
Speaking of dumping, Richard, I just received the following e-mail forwarded from a friend:
"Biden Is Out
The following is from a source that has been correct on wild rumors like this on 4 out of 7 occasions.
On or about October 5th, Biden will excuse himself from the ticket, citing ?health problems?, and he will be replaced by Hillary. This is timed to occur after the VP debate on 10/2.
There have been talks all weekend about how to proceed with this information. Generally, the feeling is that we should all go ahead and get it out there to as many blog sites and personal email lists as is possible. I have already seen a few short blurbs about this. The ?health problem? cited in those articles was an aneurysm. Probably many of you have heard the same rumblings.
However, at this point, with this information from the DNC, it looks like this Obama strategy will be a go. Therefore, it seems that the best strategy is to get out in front of this Obama maneuver, spell it out in detail, and thereby expose it for the grand manipulation that it is.
So, let's start mixing this one up and cut the Obamites off at the pass. Send this information out to as many people as you can and post it on every website and blog that you can access.
Editor's Note: I've heard this from several sources. Biden is a loose cannon and an amazingly poor choice for VP. Hussein's hatred for Hillary will be trumped by his sponsor's (Soros and gang) rabid desire to hijack America."
Dunno his "source" (and he probably sent it as a joke), but I responded that Hill wouldn't take it because it screws her last chance to run in 2012.
And anyway, I thought Biden's "health problem" was going to be infected hair plugs. ;-p
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
09/22/2008 18:33 Comments ||
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#13
Palin on Ahmadinejad: 'He Must Be Stopped'
ed: Ahmadinejad is just the dummy. The ventriloquists are the ones with the long beards and soulless eyes. It will require much more than a JDAM or a well aimed shot.
I'd like to dump the A$$atollahs and Mahmoud AhmadiNutJob into the Alaskan Wilderness for a month along with Ted Neugent and Sarah Palin.
Of course Ted and Sarah would have to be willing..
..each team gets one Rifle & ammo and an 8 inch knife.
Losers get eaten by Brown Bears.
:>
Posted by: Red Dawg ||
09/22/2008 18:44 Comments ||
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#14
Thanks for the update Barbara.
The October 5th date (heard this before from a couple other folks) puts it on the weekend after the debate (Thursday the 2nd). Let's see, he falls ill on Thursday night or Friday (blood pressure?, stress?), hospital on Saturday and pulls out of the race by Sunday, just in time for everyone to feel sorry for him and welcome the 'exciting new choice' on the talk shows. The Dems would get a 4-week period for 'explanations', etc. plus an 'excitement bounce' out of this, putting them in fair shape for the Tuesday of the 5th week (Nov. 4). Don't laugh, these folks are 'masters of timing'.
For real drama, he could have a 'seizure' Thursday night during the debate.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
09/22/2008 20:22 Comments ||
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#15
Senator Clinton said...
Senator Clinton argued...
Senator Clinton understands...
Keeping in mind that Sen. Clinton was supposed to be sharing the stage with Gov. Palin.
This demonstrates a level of bipartisan respect and personal class that Palin carries that drives her enemies completely mad.
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan announced on Saturday a suspension of military operations against Islamist militants for the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, but a senior official said security forces would respond if attacked.
The government's top Interior Ministry official, Rehman Malik, said security forces would suspend operations from Sunday night for the month of Ramadan, which ends at the beginning of October, but would retaliate if attacked. "If militants take any action the security forces will respond with full force," Malik told reporters in the eastern city of Lahore.
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/22/2008 22:34 ||
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Posted by: Paul ||
09/22/2008 12:04 Comments ||
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#4
"The national assembly speaker had arranged a dinner for the entire leadership, for the President, Prime Minister and armed services chiefs at the Marriott that day," interior ministry chief Rehman Malik told reporters.
Who among them had to wash their mustache that evening?
Posted by: ed ||
09/22/2008 13:15 Comments ||
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(Xinhua) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Sunday that the Prime Minister House was the target of Saturday's truck suicide bomb attack, which killed 53 people.
Speaking to reporters at the Lahore Airport in eastern Pakistan, Gilani said that the terrorists wanted to hit the Prime Minister House as important personalities including the president and the army chief were present to attend the dinner after a joint session of the parliament.
"They could not do it due to tight security arrangements," he said.
Gilani said that it was a big tragedy and he fully condemned such attempts which are aimed at destabilizing democracy, damaging economy and weakening Pakistan.
When asked as to who are behind the attack, he said, "I can not jump to the conclusion till completion of the enquiry, our main focus is on maintaining law and order and to fight terrorism and extremism."
Terrorists are doing such acts to highlight presence of nuclear weapons of Pakistan, he said, adding that there is an effective command and control system of nuclear arms in Pakistan and terrorist can never come close to these weapons.
Referring to foreign investigators, he said that the matter would be looked into in case of need.
Gilani said that tribal people in Pakistan are patriotic and none of them is terrorist, adding that only a few foreigners are involved in the terrorist acts in Pakistan.
He also rejected the impression that Pakistan is fighting a war of the U.S., adding that 99 percent killings of such incidents are of Pakistanis, and said that Pakistan is working on its indigenous policy.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/22/2008 00:00 ||
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A grand peace jirga consisting of elders of major tribes of Upper Dir on Sunday unanimously decided that the people of the district will resist militant activities and that action will be taken against those providing shelter to militants or anti-state elements.
The jirga vowed to strongly counter any militant activity meant to damage public or private property, government installations or to kill innocent people.
The decisions were taken during a jirga of Sulthankhel and Payandakhel tribes held at the Government Higher Secondary School Wari in Dir Upper.
The jirga asked people to keep monitor movements of suspected persons to avoid any untoward incident in the wake of the Marriott Hotel suicide bombing in Islamabad. The jirga said that they will help the government in eliminating 'anti-state elements'.
Lashkar: It was decided that a 'laskhar' will patrol restive areas to counter illegal activities besides helping the law enforcement agencies in maintaining law and order in the district. Peace committees at the village level will be set up to monitor the situation and compile reports about the presence and activities of 'non-locals' in the district. The committees will subsequently submit their reports to the jirga.
The jirga unanimously decided to continue to co-operate with the government in its efforts against militant activities and decided that the lashkar would continue to take action against perpetrators who harbour militants.
The speakers said the militants had destroyed the peaceful atmosphere of Swat. They said that entry of unwanted elements into Dir district will be strongly resisted. They said that the jirga had been convened to inform and mobilise people against militants who were trying to destroy the peace of the district, which was unacceptable to them.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/22/2008 00:00 ||
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Lashkar-e-Taiba was not involved in a series of orchestrated bombings across India, a spokesman said on Sunday. Lashkar-e-Taiba said it only wanted to kill Indian troops in Kashmir, not to kill civilians in Indian cities. The denial came after the Indian police said that Lashkar-e-Taiba was backing the previously unknown Indian Mujahideen, which claimed responsibility for serial blasts in several cities including attacks in New Delhi on September 13. "It is a propaganda to discredit us," Lashkar-e-Taiba spokesman Abdullah Ghaznavi told AFP. "Such attacks are not right, Islam does not permit the killing of innocent people," he added. "We are fighting for the freedom of Kashmir and we will fight until we achieve our goal."
This article starring:
ABDULLAH GHAZNAVI
Lashkar-e-Taiba
Posted by: Fred ||
09/22/2008 00:00 ||
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PPP senior leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim said that after completing the democratic process in the country, the government should decide if it wants to investigate Benazir Bhutto's assassination itself or leave it to the UN. "The country faces terrorism and extremism. However, I am not part of the government so I can't give any suggestion to the rulers," he stated on Sunday, adding that he does not want to accept any government posts and wants to support PPP as a worker only. This is why he declined the post of PM. "I will never betray the party," said Fahim. On the issue of the suicide attack in Islamabad, he said that he is not in a position to say whether or not this is a failure on the part of the government. Replying to a question, Fahim stated that President Zardari must decide on whether he wants to keep the co-chairmanship of PPP.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/22/2008 00:00 ||
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British Airways (BA) has suspended flights to Pakistan, Geo News reported on Sunday. Samma TV reported that British authorities had decided that the airline's services would remain suspended until September 29. However, ARY quoted the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) director general as saying he had no information about the suspension of BA services, and no notice to this effect had been received.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/22/2008 00:00 ||
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Preliminary investigation of Saturday's devastating truck bombing in the federal capital suggests a strong connection with South Waziristan Agency, Interior Adviser Rehman Malik said on Sunday. "It is premature to blame any particular group or individual, but all roads lead to Waziristan," he told reporters at a press conference.
Malik said the six-wheeler dumper used in the attack carried 600 kilogrammes of RDX and TNT explosives, along with splinters, mortars, artillery rounds, mines and aluminium powder -- which caused the fire.
He denied media reports that the hotel was not the intended target. Fifty-three people including four foreigners had been killed in the attack, Malik said, and 266 including 13 foreigners had been injured.
Czech ambassador: The Czech ambassador and his Vietnamese partner were among the dead. The Czech army chief will arrive in Islamabad today (Monday) to take the body home. The United States Defence Department said two American soldiers assigned to the US embassy were also killed in the blast.
Danish official: A Danish intelligence official was missing, the Danish Foreign minister said. To a question, Malik said even the presence of American Marines at the hotel did not justify killing of innocent people.
Malik rejected FBI assistance and said Pakistani security agencies were capable of handling the probe.
A US official at the Guantanamo naval base told Reuters "the attack certainly bears all the hallmarks of... Al Qaeda or its associates".
Six suspects: Online said six suspects from FATA had been held. An investigation team searched the hotel and a Rs 10 million reward was announced on information leading to the planners.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/22/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
Malik rejected FBI assistance and said Pakistani security agencies were capable of handling the probe.
(PTI) The suicide bomber, who struck at the luxury Marriott hotel here killing 60 people, had probably intended to attack Pakistan's Parliament during President Asif Ali Zardari's maiden address there but switched to the 'optional' target after failing to enter the high-security area, officials said.
Rehman Malik, the Prime Minister's Adviser on Interior Affairs, told reporters that authorities had received intelligence reports on Thursday that "some big suicide attempt" would be made on Parliament during Zardari's address yesterday.
Malik said he and the Interior Ministry experts believed the truck used in the attack tried to enter Islamabad's "red zone" a high security area in which Parliament, Supreme Court, presidency and Prime Minister's House are located at the time of Zardari's speech.
Strict security arrangements put in place along the Constitution Avenue, the central boulevard on which Parliament is located, and orders barring the entry of private vehicles prevented the suicide attacker from entering the area, he said.
Malik said the attacker had two targets, "one direct and one optional", and decided to strike at the Marriott -- which was earlier also targeted by a suicide bomber in January 2007 -- after failing to attack the Parliament house.
The explosives in the truck were hidden under sand and stones in view of construction activity going on in the "red zone", where new accommodation is being built for some ministers, he said.
Officials said they believed 1,000 kgs of explosives were packed into the truck.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/22/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
Seems far-fetched, but could Iran have a hand in this?
(PTI) World leaders today condemned the "inhuman" and "disgraceful" suicide attack on the five-star Marriott hotel here that killed 60 people and vowed to assist Pakistan in fighting violent extremism. "I strongly condemn the terrorist bombing in Islamabad that targeted and killed many innocents, including at least one American. I extend condolences to the families of all those killed in this brutal attack," US President George Bush said in a message released by the White House.
This attack is a reminder of ongoing threat faced by US, Pakistan and all those who stand against violent extremism, he said, adding Washington will assist Islamabad "in confronting this threat and bringing the perpetrators to justice." In New York, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon termed the attack "heinous" and said "no cause can justify the indiscriminate targeting of civilians." Strongly condemning the "inhuman" terror attack, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev expressed his country's readiness to deepen cooperation with Pakistan in combating terrorism in bilateral and multilateral international format.
"I am confident that the perpetrators of this barbaric act will be found and face a just punishment," Medvedev wrote in his message to his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari.
Britain's Foreign Secretary David Miliband said the UK would continue to stand "shoulder-to-shoulder with the government of Pakistan against the violent extremists who have no answers but only offer death and mayhem." In a statement in London, he said the bombing is "yet another shocking and disgraceful attack without justification. Such an indiscriminate and brutal act of terror deserves the condemnation of the entire international community." "This horrific attack reinforces our shared determination to tackle violent extremism."
Posted by: Fred ||
09/22/2008 00:00 ||
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NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Forced off Iraq's streets and with diminished political clout, what anti-American Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and his Mehdi Army militia do next will be crucial if they are to remain relevant.
The rallying cry of the Mehdi Army and Sadr's political movement since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 has been to kick American soldiers out of Iraq. With a 2011 deadline for a U.S. troop withdrawal possibly in sight, Sadr must find another cause to give his movement purpose and cohesion.
Sadr has largely frozen the Mehdi Army, which led two uprisings against U.S. forces in 2004, and has shifted to cultivating the cultural wing of his movement.
The cleric has huge support among Iraq's Shi'ite poor, and similar movements in the Middle East have traditionally replaced or bolstered armed struggle with cultural and charitable works that have fed into votes at the ballot box.
But the cleric has decided his movement will not compete in upcoming local elections under the Sadr banner. Sadrists will instead join independent candidate groups.
The move could be a way of keeping a hand in politics without giving legitimacy to elections held while U.S. forces are still in place.
But the move could limit their influence in increasingly powerful provincial councils, where they hold little sway after largely boycotting the last local elections in 2005, and rob them of momentum in national polls due at the end of 2009.
Sadrists took part in the previous parliamentary elections, but control only 10 percent of seats. They withdrew their six cabinet ministers from the government in 2007 in protest at Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's refusal to set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq.
Sadr's movement is unlikely to survive as a purely cultural and charitable organization with no military or political clout, said Toby Dodge, an Iraq specialist at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.
"They'd disappear almost overnight if they did that. It would go against every model they're copying ... If they don't run (in elections) and demobilize their militia, what's the point of them? What's the unifying ideology?" he said.
SADR SLIPPING?
Sadr spokesmen say the cleric froze his militia partly to give Baghdad and Washington space to agree a security deal, now in its final stages of negotiation, that is likely to pave the way for a large-scale U.S. troop withdrawal by the end of 2011.
"If the agreement has positive points and a defined deadline then I'm sure we will support it," chief Sadr spokesman Salah al-Ubaidi said in an interview at the cleric's headquarters in the holy Shi'ite city of Najaf.
Ubaidi last month suggested the Mehdi Army would dissolve if the United States withdrew according to a defined timetable.
With violence in Iraq at four-year lows, the Pentagon will pull 8,000 soldiers out by February, leaving 138,000 troops.
But the Sadr movement will only outline its next move after the U.S. presence ends, not before, Ubaidi said.
Meanwhile, rival political groups are consolidating power, while a series of crackdowns by an increasingly assertive Maliki has forced the Mehdi Army from many of its former bastions.
Attacks on Shi'ites by Sunni militants, which drove many to Sadr's militia for support, have plunged. Criminal elements among the Mehdi Army's ranks have also frustrated Sadr.
"Moqtada may be beginning to feel that the Mehdi Army is becoming more of a liability than an asset," said Reidar Visser, an Iraq expert and editor of the www.historiae.org website.
Luwaa Sumaisem, head of the Sadr parliamentary bloc's political committee, said the movement had future political ambitions and wanted to be central in efforts to rebuild Iraq.
Focus on the Sadrist cultural wing, which defines itself as an "army of cultural and religious doctrine" that wages jihad on the "western and secular tide," could be considered a political move in preparation for the departure of U.S. forces, he said.
"That we don't have political ambitions, that may be for the moment. It's not our priority," he told Reuters.
RELIGIOUS AUTHORITY
Greater religious authority could be one way Sadr intends to retain relevance. Widely believed to be studying in Iran, Ubaidi said it would not be long before Sadr would enter the ranks of the Marjaiya, or senior Shi'ite Islamic clergy.
"The next key step for the Sadrist movement may relate to Sadr's religious status, and in particular whether he is going to make an attempt to act as a scholar with the ability to issue his own fatwas (religious edicts)," Visser said.
In Shi'ite-majority Iraq the Marjaiya have huge influence, although frosty ties with Iraq's top Shi'ite clergy mean it is unclear how much weight would be given to Sadr's fatwas.
Often ambiguous and sometimes contradictory, many of Sadr's frequent statements give few clues to his thinking.
Making few public appearances, Sadr may next appear when the U.S.-Iraqi security deal is signed, Ubaidi said. Until then, the support of at least some of Iraq's Shi'ite poor remains strong.
"Of course we hope for no more violence. Look at all these young men," said Abdul-Zahra Darwish, the brother of a slain Mehdi Army fighter as he stood among graves at a Sadrist cemetery in Najaf. "But I am ready to fight and die."
#1
The ISLAMIST HIDDEN IMAM-MAHDI can't ask for better or more opportune LOCAL-WORLD conditions to make an Appearance.
ANd again, given MUSLIM/ISLAMIC MIL HISTORY [vee "Honor"] = The US-Allies + IGA should expect an eventual return by Islamists in time to refight the "War/Battle for Iraq", etal.
OSAMA, SADR, NASRALLAH, etc. as GENERAL MACARTHUR > "WE SHALL RETURN"???
WOT > RADICAL ISLAMISM + ISLAMIST JIHAD > WAR/JIHAD FOR DOMINATION, NOT JUST PARITY, AGZ NON-ISLAM/ISLAMISM. IMO the key will be IRAN'S SUCCESSFUL CONDUCTION OF AN INDIGENOUS NUKE BOMB TEST(S), ESPEC NLT 2010.
Iran desires to keepa a MEDIA/DIPLOM-CORRECT "LOW PROFILE" AMAP WHILE IT NUCLEARIZES, hence the ISLAMIST RAMPAGE IN CENTRAL, etal. ASIA = GEOGRAPHIC AREAS OUTSIDE OF THE ME + PERSIAN GULF.
#1
I wonder how much 'priceless' Iraqi artifacts are worth? Because if I was ever on "The Price Is Right" and the prize was a box of priceless Iraqi artifacts, I'd hate to look like a chump for making a ridiculous bid.
#2
The Holy RPG, the revered Mortar shells, and don't forget the holy hand grenade of antioch,
the sacred ammo dump and the holy homemade explosives.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
09/22/2008 13:03 Comments ||
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#3
Hey, we looted that stuff fair and square.
Posted by: ed ||
09/22/2008 13:10 Comments ||
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#4
First thought that came to mind was "pearls before swine," but the decent folk seem to be in ascendance there, so let's help them reclaim their culture...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
09/22/2008 13:14 Comments ||
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Saudi Arabia has returned 16 Iraqi prisoners to Iraq and received eight Saudis in return ahead of a new agreement on swapping convicted criminals, Saudi media said on Sunday. The move is the latest in slow steps by Saudi Arabia and Iraq to rebuild ties after the 2003 United States-led invasion of Iraq brought leaders from the majority Shia Muslim community to power. A Saudi Interior Ministry statement carried by the state media said the swap was to strengthen security "in preparation for an agreement on exchanging those convicted of jail sentences". Iraq's National Security Adviser Mowaffaq Al Rubaie said earlier this month that Saudi Arabia would repatriate all 434 Iraqis in Saudi jails under a new agreement. Rubaie said the Iraqi prisoners included drug traffickers, Iraqis who had crossed into the Gulf kingdom illegally, and other criminals, including 'terrorists'.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/22/2008 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in Iraq
#1
I bet none of the saudis were terrorist though LOL
Posted by: Paul ||
09/22/2008 7:50 Comments ||
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#1
It's about natural gas (NG) currently either being flared off (burned at the site) or pumped back into oil wells in Iraq.
There are only 2 ways to sell this NG -- either pipe it or compress it as liquefied NG (LNG). At the moment Iraq is wasting 770 million cubic feet (MMCF) / day due to lack of domestic uses and inability to export it. Note that Iraq's immediate neighbors have little or no use for NG from anyone. The deal with Royal Dutch Shell is to provide the infrastructure to gather & compress NG to form LNG & to provide terminals for LNG ships to move the product. To put this in perspective, for the year 2007, these are the USA figures for NG use:
23055596 MMCF consumed total
4607582 MMCF imported , of which
770812 MMCF imported as LNG (3.3% of all US consumption) The US lacks capacity to increase imports of LNG in any case, due to the small number of LNG receiving facilities in the US. See this PDF for background, from FERC.
Maybe if the USA had the ability to import a reasonable amount of Iraqi LNG, we might have some cause to complain about this deal. Of course, the usual domestic culprits are fighting tooth and nail to prevent any new LNG import facilities.
#2
There was a recent report on FOX w/r to the fact the only recent LNG terminal on the West coast is in Mexico (1 billion bucks & 3000 jobs). The coast states wouldn't let them build. Same as refineries. Jerks.
#4
According to some U.S.C.G. Inspectors I recently met there is an LNG receiving facility scheduled to open near Port Arthur shortly and another has received regulatory approval to begin construction.
#7
We need to develop our domestic gas resource, esp. here in Alaska. An LNG terminal is a terrorist magnet, and we are trying to get off foreign energy imports, with the exception of Canada. Mexico? Somewhat unstable.
Posted by: Alaska Paul back home ||
09/22/2008 11:21 Comments ||
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#8
Alaska has beenexporting LNG to Japan for years due to lack of pipelines to & lack of LNG import facilities in the USA. So much for developing domestic NG resources, no good if you can't deliver it to the users.
#10
I thought it was Royal Dutch Shell. Are you sure you're not confusing it with BP, the largest extractor of Alaskan oil?
Posted by: ed ||
09/22/2008 15:47 Comments ||
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#11
Ok, Dutch-Anglo:
Wikipedia: Royal Dutch Shell plc, commonly known simply as Shell, is a multinational oil company of Dutch and British origins. It is the second largest private sector energy corporation in the world, and one of the six "supermajors" (vertically integrated private sector oil exploration, natural gas, and petroleum product marketing companies). The company's headquarters are in The Hague, Netherlands, with its registered office in London (Shell Centre).
Posted by: ed ||
09/22/2008 15:49 Comments ||
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#12
Pebbles, taht was the point. Our blood and the Dutch get the contract. Our Blood and the Chicoms sign a multi-billion deal. etc. etc.
#14
We sacrificed to rid ourselves of Saddam, to preclude WMD use against us, and (later) to run jihadis through the meat grinder and bring stability to Iraq. The lefties said it was all about oil and we said no, it wasn't. So don't tell me now that it was all about oil and we were cheated out of our share. If Iraq is to be free, they are free to take offers from whomever they choose.
If you want oil for blood, attack Saudi Arabia (Remember 9/11!), decimate the population, and make it our 51st state.
#15
We were never big customers of Iraq's oil anyway, and if they sell to others, that frees up more for us from other sources. If the development contracts go to non-American companies, the American ones can concentrate on developing oil fields in the U.S. Recall, Saddam Hussein went after Kuwait so that he could from there conquer Saudi Arabia and corner the majority of the world's oil supply, thus controlling the world. So from his perspective the war was indeed about oil.
Gaza – Ma’an – Two Gazans were killed as another tunnel beneath the Egypt-Gaza border collapsed on Sunday afternoon near Salah Ad-Din gate that leads to border lines with Egypt in the Gazan town of Rafah.
A source in the de facto governmentÂ’s civil defense department confirmed to MaÂ’an that bodies of 20-year-old Hussein Abdel Al and 48-year-old Abdel Nasser Udwan were lifted from the tunnels.
According to unofficial study, 36 civilians were killed in tunnel collapses since the siege on the area began. The number includes the death of a man on Saturday, who was electrocuted while wiring lighting for an underground passage.
A delegation representing Fatah movement arrived in Egypt on Sunday for talks with officials aimed at starting a national dialogue between rival factions, the Egyptian MENA news agency said.
The Fatah delegation, headed by President Mahmud Abbas adviser Nabil Shaath, was to meet Egyptian intelligence chief negotiator Omar Suleiman on Tuesday, MENA said. "The meeting is part of a series of bilateral talks between Egypt and the Palestinian factions aimed at defining a unified Palestinian position to be presented at the comprehensive meeting of the factions which will take place in the second half of October," it reported.
Egypt has been holding separate talks with rival Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Fatah which have been bitterly divided since June 2007 when Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip from forces loyal to Fatah. Cairo has been acting as a mediator between the two groups, and between Hamas and Israel, which views the Islamist movement as a terrorist group.
A delegation from Hamas is expected in Cairo on October 8, the agency said.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/22/2008 00:00 ||
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The head of the Palestinian Authority forces in the West Bank says they might resort to force to retake control of the Gaza Stripe. "If Gaza remains mutinous, the Palestinian Authority will have no choice but to use force against it," Haaretz quoted Gen. Dhiab al-Ali (Abu al-Fatah) as saying on Sunday.
He said the PA must be ready to use force against Hamas in Gaza "to reunify the homeland."
Ali also downplayed Hamas's power saying Israel's assessments of Hamas' capabilities are mere exaggeration. Ali also claimed that "there must be Israeli, Jordanian and Egyptian agreement. But if circumstances permit then we must reunify the homeland."
Posted by: Fred ||
09/22/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
Sure. Worked out real well for yas the last time...woof woof woof.
A Gaza-based human rights organization said it has opened an investigation into the violent raid by Hamas security forces that left 12 members of one family dead and 42 injured.
Al-Dameer Association for Human Rights in Gaza called the armed incursion by Hamas forces against members of the Doghmush clan in the Sabra district in West Gaza last Tuesday a "mass murder" and condemned the escalation of violence.
The fighting last Tuesday erupted when Hamas police moved to arrest members of the Doghmush clan accused of gunning down a police officer and turned into a several hours long gun fight that left 12 dead, including a toddler.
"Flagrant violation of human rights"
Al-Dameer called the action by Hamas forces a flagrant violation of human rights and condemned the use of weapons in such a densely populated area since it endangered the lives of innocent civilians, according to a statement issued by the organization. "Keeping law and order cannot be at any price and without maintaining the rules that protect the safety of citizens," the statement said. "The death of an 18-month old child was the result of the excessive use of armed force."
The organization demanded an investigation to unravel the circumstances of the incident, especially in light of speculations that the killings were extralegal measures taken despite the possibility of arresting many of those who were instead murdered.
Kafa Ali Hassan Doghmush told AlArabiya.net that a police force stormed her house and searched it then broke into one of the rooms where a number of the family members were gathered. They arrested Ibrahim Farouk Doghmush, who was disguised as a woman. He was injured, but the forces shot him in front of his father and family. "Then the forces shot everyone in the room," said Kafa.
Differing accounts
Makram Youssef Daghmash said her four sons were shot and that as she and Kafa were trying to save their sons Hamas police shot them both in the legs. "Why haven't they arrested them in the legal way? The government has to clarify how things reached that level," Makram told AlArabiya.net.
The clashes took place in the aftermath of the assassination of officer Abdul-Karim Adel, 21, and the injury of officer Saleh Fouad, 32, who were shot while trying to arrest Jamil Doghmush, according to Ihab al-Ghosein, spokesman of the ousted Interior Ministry.
According to Ghosein, the aim of the incursion was to arrest a number of outlaws, especially Jamil, who was accused of killing the officer. He said that Hamas security forces had warned members of the clan for more than a year that they were breaking the law. "We tried to talk them into turning themselves in, but no avail," said Ghosein. "The forces didn't start shooting until after one of the Doghmush clan snipers shot one of our officers, Sameh Mahmoud al-Naji."
Ghosein added that the toddler's death was accidental. "But many of the family members insisted on committing their crimes, which aroused the resentment of citizens," he added.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/22/2008 00:00 ||
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Two-days of talks between the Thai government and representatives from Thailand's Muslim south hosted by Indonesia have achieved some progress in an attempt to end years of conflict that have claimed the lives of thousands of people, media reports said Monday. The talks are being mediated by Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla as the presidential palace in Bogor, about 60 kilometres south of Jakarta, the presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal said.
Djalal said the Indonesian government will keep promoting peace in southern Thailand through its position as a facilitator for talks between the government and the separatist group in the region. "The first meeting between the two sides had concluded and produced some progress," the state-run Antara news agency quoted Djalal as saying. "They agreed to exercise restraint to avoid any incidence that would undermine this peace process. They agreed not to commit any violence."
Five representatives from the Thailand's predominantly Muslim Deep South and the Buddhist-led government in Bangkok attended the two-day meeting which ended on Sunday. A number of important principles had been agreed upon although the settlement of a number of crucial issues still needed mediation, he said. "What is important is that this process will continue. It was agreed that the conflict had to be settled peacefully and within the Thai constitution," Djalal said.
The two sides had also agreed to hold a second round of talks on November 1 and 2, with a third round in the middle of November, also in Bogor. "We hope the talks would continue and develop in stages like in the peace process for Aceh. What is encouraging is that they have agreed to hold talks on politics and administrative systems in the second round," he said. In addition, they would also discuss defence, military, socio-cultural, economic and educational issues, he said.
(Xinhua) -- The Thai government and Muslim insurgents on Sunday agreed to address a four-year bloody conflict in southern part of the country through talks and to resume halted ceasefire, Indonesian state spokesman Dino Patti Djalal said here.
The agreement was reached after a two-day talks brokered by Indonesia, which has experience in terminating rebellions in Aceh and dealing with insurgency in Papua, said the spokesman.
Five representatives from Thailand's predominately Muslim deep south and the Thai government ended their first round of close-door negotiation on Sunday in presidential palace in Bogor, about 50 km south of the capital Jakarta, Dino said.
"The first round of the talks ended today and there were some agreements achieved including the conflict in southern Thailand must be settled in a peaceful way, and all parties must restrain from acts which can create violence," Dino said at the State Palace.
The talks between the two sides in Bogor was mediated by Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla who was one of architect of the peace process between Jakarta and rebels in Aceh, said Dino.
He said that the Thai government delegation led by Kwanchart Klaharn, a former southern army commander and adviser to Thailand's defense ministry, but he did not identify the southerners.
He also disclosed that the second round of the talks will be conducted on 1 and 2 of November followed by the third round in the mid of the month. All are in the presidential palace in Bogor.
Muslim rebels in Thailand have never expressed themselves publicly or responsibility for the frequent deadly strikes since the latest violence occurred in the country's some southernmost provinces four years ago.
In July, Thai authority announced ceasefire, but then it was dismissed as violence did not stop.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/22/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
Hanafi law, however, permits the Muslims to terminate a truce arbitrarily: The imam may denounce the armistice whenever the continuation of warfare is more favorable for the Moslems than the continuation of peace.
Sri Lanka's police have started registering thousands of people, nearly all ethnic Tamils, who have fled the war-torn north for the capital Colombo. All those who arrived in the city in the last five years were ordered to attend special registration centres.
The government says the rebel Tamil Tigers are using the influx of people to infiltrate the city and plant bombs.
The registration was ordered for people who had arrived in Colombo and surrounding towns from five northern districts. Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said those without what he called a valid reason to stay should leave the area.
The registration centres were set up in schools and temples across the capital city and surrounding towns. The BBC's Roland Buerk in Colombo says the vast majority waiting in line are from the ethnic Tamil minority. He says the impromptu census began as government forces pressed ahead with an offensive to crush the Tiger rebels in the north, and end their fight for a separate state for the Tamils.
He adds that Tamils have complained of harassment, frequent searches and arbitrary detentions amid heavy security. The police said they were updating information in order to help those who had arrived in the city.
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/22/2008 00:00 ||
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Thousands of Sri Lankans who have fled the country's war zones, nearly all Tamils, lined up on Sunday to register under what police say is an essential security measure to crack down on Tamil Tiger militants.
From 8 am (0230 GMT), people queued at schools, temples and other public buildings to give their details to police, who earlier this week ordered all who had fled five war-affected districts in the past five years to come and be counted. Police have estimated that is roughly 100,000 people.
Details: The order, which affects those who moved to the Indian Ocean island's capital, Colombo, and the surrounding Western Province, came as the military was on the doorstep of the headquarters of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels in the north. "We had to give the address where we live, family details and the date we came to Colombo and when we are going back. They also asked what my children were doing," retired administration officer M Balakrishnan told Reuters." Balakrishnan said he was treated well and given refreshments. But several others declined to say anything for fear of upsetting police, underscoring the deep distrust between Tamils living in the capital - who regularly complain of harassment - and security forces dominated by the Sinhalese majority.
The Tamil Tigers, on US, European and Indian terrorism lists, have fought one of Asia's longest-running insurgencies to establish a separate homeland for Sri Lanka's minority Tamils, and silenced more moderate Tamil political voices in the process. Since independence from Britain in 1948, the island nation has been ruled by governments led by the majority Sinhalese people, who are 75 percent of Sri Lanka's 21 million population.
As the military has intensified an 18-month campaign to wipe out the LTTE in the north, more bombs blamed by authorities on Tiger sleeper agents have targeted civilians in Colombo. Analysts fear more government military success will mean more blasts. There have been five in the last three weeks alone, the worst of which wounded 45 in a crowded market on Aug. 30. Activists said the registration drive was likely to deepen divisions, coming a year after the Supreme Court nullified as unconstitutional a government attempt to send those who had fled rebel-held districts back home. "At the end of the day, you are only instilling some sense of second-class citizenship and deepening a perception of discrimination," said Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, of the independent think-tank The Centre for Policy Alternatives.
A senior government official said registration was necessary despite any internal or external criticism it would draw. "We are at war, and 100 percent of the detonators and explosives we have found in the city were in Tamil areas. It is easy for rebels to hide there, and we can't take the risk," the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/22/2008 00:00 ||
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VIENNA - The UN atomic watchdog called on Iran Monday to clear up allegations that it had been involved in nuclear warhead studies, while Tehran protested it has not seen any evidence backing up the charges. Instead of simply dismissing the allegations as 'forged' and 'fabricated', Iran 'should clarify the extent to which the documentation is factually correct and where, as it asserts, such information may have been fabricated or relates to non-nuclear purposes,' IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei said.
Oh. That's all. Just ask and they'll answer. Why didn't we think of that?
Iran should provide 'substantive information to support its statements and access to relevant documentations and individuals,' ElBaradei told the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-member board.
In a report last week, ElBaradei had accused Iran of stalling an UN investigation into its disputed nuclear programme.
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/22/2008 22:20 ||
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As the war of words over Iran's nuclear ambitions intensified, its President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned on Sunday that the nation's military will "break the hands" of invaders if attacked. "If anyone allows themselves to invade Iranian territory and its legal interests, our armed forces will break their hands before they pull the trigger," Ahmedinejad told a military parade.
"Yeah! We got the fourth largest army in the world, y'know!"
"Our nation is seeking friendship and peace, but today it is not in a position to show the least flexibility towards its bullying enemies," he said in the speech marking the 28th anniversary of
Iran's 1980-1988 war with Iraq.
In Israel, former army chief Moshe Yaalon told military radio that Iran threatens the West in the same way Adolf Hitler once did and that if economic and political sanctions fail conflict will be "inevitable."
"Today, we in the West are facing the same situation, the lack of decisiveness towards a threat that is no less severe than that which Hitler posed in 1939," he said. "We can still stop Iran with political and economic measures but if we do not, then a military confrontation is inevitable," Yaalon said.
The broadsides came on the eve of a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's board on Monday where the UN nuclear watchdog will discuss the stalemate in its probe into Iran's nuclear drive. At the moment, the agency and Iran are gridlocked over Tehran's refusal to provide proof that it was not involved in studies to make a nuclear warhead, as a wide range of intelligence suggests.
And during Sunday's parade, Iran's armed forces, including the elite Revolutionary Guards, showcased their weaponry. On display were the long-range Shahab-3 missile and Qadr-1, both of which a military commentator said have a range of 2,000 kilometers. That would put the borders of Israel, 1,000 kilometers away, within their reach.
Banners displayed on trucks bore slogans including "Israel must be eliminated from the universe" and "Down with the USA."
No European military attache was present, and a European diplomat told reporters that all EU embassies had been told not to attend the parade because of the possibility of the display or chanting of anti-Israel slogans.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/22/2008 00:00 ||
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(Xinhua) -- President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Sunday that he would outline Iran's nuclear activities in the UN General Assembly meeting during his visit to New York, the official IRNA news agency reported. Ahmadinejad made the remark prior to his departure for New York on Sunday.
He also told reporters that the UN should be a real representative of all nations and not a servant to certain powers, lobbies or parties. "All UN bodies should be run based on democratic principles," he said, adding that the international body "should be located in an independent land so that it would be possible for every parties to express their views freely."
According to IRNA, Ahmadinejad is scheduled to address the UN meeting and also meet the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting, Ahmadinejad is also to hold separate talks with different heads of state attending the UN meeting and will participate in several regional meetings.
Ahmadinejad left Tehran on Sunday for New York to attend the 63rd meeting of UN General Assembly which is scheduled to open on Sept. 23.
Ahmadinejad shrugged off international sanctions threat last Thursday. "Whatever they do, Iran will continue its activities. Sanctions are not important," he told a news conference. "The era of such threats has ended."
Posted by: Fred ||
09/22/2008 00:00 ||
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Iran is trying to enrich uranium, a critical step in developing nuclear capability, the head of Military Intelligence's research department told the cabinet on Sunday. "Iran is developing a command of uranium-enrichment technology and is galloping toward a nuclear bomb," said Brig. Gen. Yossi Baidatz.
He said there is an increasing gap between between Iran's progress in developing the bomb and the global pressure to halt that process, and added that Israel's assessment that the Islamic Republic is focusing on improving uranium enrichment is consistent with the latest International Atomic Energy Agency report on the matter.
Iran is improving the centrifugal array in its enrichment facility in the desert city of Kashan, Baidatz said, adding that since the beginning of the year, Tehran has activated 4,000 centrifuges, generating 60 grams of UF-6 gas an hour - a product used to enrich uranium to a military level. Baidatz also noted that Iran already has about 480 kilograms of low-level enriched uranium - between one-third and one-half of the amount of fissionable material needed to create a single nuclear bomb.
"We believe that the time until the point of no return is getting increasingly shorter," said Baidatz. "The international front against Iran is weak and not consolidated, and isn't putting enough pressure on the regime so that it will stop enriching the uranium."
There is an increasing gap between the Russian and Chinese positions on Iran and that of the United States and the European Union, which reduces the chance of a fourth round of UN Security Council sanctions being launched against Iran, Baidatz said. The Iranians' self-confidence is growing, he added, because they realize that the rest of the world is too weak to stop them.
Baidatz said Tehran is using diplomatic dialogue "to gain time - and in the meantime, the cracks in the West are getting ever larger."
"The sanctions have very little influence, and are far from bringing to bear a critical mass of pressure on Iran," he said.
Baidatz also discussed the Gaza Strip, noting that the current lull could be destabilized by small Palestinian groups attempting to either smuggle terrorists into Israel via Sinai, or to abduct Israelis from Sinai and bring them to Gaza. "We had solid intelligence as a result of which we released travel advisories," said Baidatz.
He added that Hamas was not rushing into a deal for the release of captive soldier Gilad Shalit: "There is obstinacy in Hamas regarding the Shalit matter, and they see him as an asset whose value just rises."
Posted by: Fred ||
09/22/2008 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
Russia plans to equip Iran with advanced antiaircraft defense systems amid reports that Israel will soon acquire advanced smart bombs. Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport has disclosed that despite US opposition, Moscow intends to empower Iran by supplying the country additional air defense systems.
Moscow has already delivered 29 Tor-M1 missile systems to Iran under a $700 million (£386 million) contract signed in 2005.
Reports, however, began to surface as early as 2005 on the possibility of another deal - the delivery to Iran of S-300 surface-to-air missile systems that can complicate any aerial strike on Iranian nuclear facilities.
"If Tehran obtained the S-300, it would be a game-changer in military thinking for tackling Iran. That could be a catalyst for Israeli air attacks before it is operational," said Dan Goure, a long-time Pentagon advisor, in late August. "This is a system that scares every Western air force," he continued.
Israeli officials themselves have also commented on the issue, confirming that the system, once acquired by Iran, would complicate a potential attack on the 'numerous, distant, and fortified' nuclear sites in the country.
News of the possible Tehran-Moscow S-300 deal came just days after the Pentagon notified Congress of plans to sell 1,000 GBU-39 smart bombs to Israel. The 'bunker-buster' bombs, the Guided Bomb Unit-39 (GBU-39), have been developed to penetrate fortified facilities located deep underground - such as Iran's nuclear facilities.
On Monday, dozens of Iranian fighter jets, surveillance planes, interceptor aircraft and radar drones took to the skies in a joint three-day military exercise. The maneuvers also involved testing a surveillance network equipped with state-of-the-art systems for identifying enemy aircraft.
In mid-August, Iran's Air Force chief, Brigadier General Ahmad Miqani, announced that the country had revamped its fighter jet fleet to fly distances of 3,000 kilometers without refueling. The upgrade allows Iranian aircraft to fly to Israel and back without needing to refuel.
Iranian military officials have also warned that Iran would not hesitate in taking the necessary measures to protect its sovereignty - including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz - in case the country comes under attack. In further preparations, the IRGC has recently equipped its navy fleet with high-tech weapons systems capable of targeting any vessel within a range of 300 km (185 miles) from its shores.
Should the S-300 system become operational in Iran, it would effectively rule out Israeli air raids and seriously complicate any US aerial bombings, according to George Friedman - the director of leading US private intelligence agency Stratfor. "Back Georgia and Ukraine for NATO membership and you'll see the S-300 to Iran. It is a very powerful bargaining chip and a major deterrent to US actions in the region. Moscow is playing very strategically on America's obsession with Iran," he said in late August.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/22/2008 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
Seems futile if Russia is trying to leverage this card to keep Georgia and Ukraine out of NATO. The way Russia is behaving lately is one step short of terrorism. I'd say bring Georgia and Ukraine into NATO because Russia seems to fear it. Make sure NATO has teeth, though.
#2
Georgia is outside Nato's reach, just look at thje map and say me how are you going to supply it or any forces you deploy there.. There is nothing more dangerous that given guarantees you cannot honor. Ukraine on the other side...
#5
So long as Turkey is still in NATO, Georgia shares a border with NATO. In theory, we have landlines with them, and they can be supplied and supported via that line of communication.
That assumes that *Turkey* is staying with NATO. How's that decade or so of alienating the Turks working out for us, folks?
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
09/22/2008 10:06 Comments ||
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#6
Not militarily, not yet anyway.
True. I saw an article today in the International Herald Tribune (once one of the best newspapers in the world before it became a day-old, skim milk version of the New York Times)about the EU hurrying to put together a 300 person observer unit that is wanted in Georgia before the end of the month.
#7
Didn't Russia supply Syria with their latest and best? How did that work against an Israeli raid on their NK nuke facility?
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
09/22/2008 10:46 Comments ||
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#8
Georgia's defense entirely hinges on Turkey. But Turkey is less than reliable. I mean they could have denied Russian vessels through the bosporus for a dozen reasons just as a threat and they never did. I can easily see them playing neutral and screwing NATO.
#10
Turkey's denying passage of the russian vessels (including military vessels) through the Bosporus would be a slap in the face of monumental proportions. Turkey can be a NATO member but the passage through the straits is not a NATO issue, it is an international navigation issue. By not restricting navigation with respect to any particular country, Turkey merely upholds its international obligations and it's behavior should not be considered as a stab in the back vis a vis NATO.
#12
You don't actually believe Israel and the US don't have planes, munitions, electronics and decoys well tested against the S-300? The S-300 will be destroyed from 500km away before it any blip even shows up on the radar screen.
BTW, the GBU-39 isn't really a bunker buster. It's designed to penetrate hardened aircraft shelters. Most useful are the 5000 lb GBU-28s that the US has denied Israel. Not that Israel can't strap on an LBG or JDAM kit to an old artillery barrel.
Way to show the world what a formidable AF Ivan has.
passage through the straits is not a NATO issue, it is an international navigation issue.
Then Russia had no basis for complaint when NATO vessels traversed the Bosphorus. Just shows that Ivan has no class.
Posted by: ed ||
09/22/2008 12:38 Comments ||
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#13
Then Russia had no basis for complaint when NATO vessels traversed the Bosphorus. Just shows that Ivan has no class.
Russian did not object to the passage of the NATO weapons throught the straits per se. Russia objected to the build up of eight NATO ships in the Black See area for no apparent reason other then to meddle there? And what's the outcome of their visit. Nothing in particular.
It would have been better if the aid the U.S. was delivering to Georgia arrived on civilian ships.
#14
You don't actually believe Israel and the US don't have planes, munitions, electronics and decoys well tested against the S-300? The S-300 will be destroyed from 500km away before it any blip even shows up on the radar screen.
1) The S-300 is not a panacea. It is simply a cost increaser. As for jamming and other coutermeasures: North Korea, Vietnam etc. How many U.S aircraft were lost there due to SAM activity?
2) Right now S-300 is the most effective system in the world (well, aside from S-400 which is not exported, and is a new system) If you want to argue that, that's silly, just read the general consensus on Janes Defense or Aviation Week or any other such themed websites/magazines.
3) A point target in the desert with known coordinates and easy reachability by the enemy aircraft can be destroyed no matter what systems protect it. Change any term in the preceeding sentence and situation gets more complicated.
4) Bulding nuke reactors in the desert, like Syria does, is stupid b/c Israel will always be able to destroy them.
#15
General_Comment, there are no civilian ships in the world that have either the shipping capacity or the capabilities (hospital, massive water purification facilities) that the American aircraft carriers do, as far as I understand. No doubt one or two experts will weigh in here.
#16
It turns out that the Russians lost eight aircraft (four Su-25s, two Su-24s, one Tu-22 and one Mi-24 helicopter.) The Russian pilots were not prepared to deal with the three batteries of SA-11 anti-aircraft missile systems the Georgians had bought from Ukraine last year.
Way to show the world what a formidable AF Ivan has.
It just shows that: (i) they were in a hurry, (ii) Georgians fairly competently deployed the Ukranian-updated, agian Soviet-designed systems, and (iii) those losses are frontline aviation (Su-25), those are aways at a higher risk of shot-downs.
If you want to compare airforces, take a look at the recent Red Flag excersizes where Indians with Su-30MK (with TVC) kicked ass of anything that was thrown their way - and that includes all updated F-15's.
As for the need to update, yes there is a need to update. I wrote about that the other day.
1. to work it has to be staffed by people who know what they are doing; if they don't know what they are doing they are likely to hit their own assets
2. it has to be maintained
3. the people with operational control must have pre-clearance to fire; if they have to call the office of the chief mullah for firing permission, the system loses
That's quite a feat kicking your own ass. And that's against antiquated/emulated Soviet SAMs, not the vastly more electronically sophisticated western SAMs. Still, the Indian SU-30s have some Western/Israeli avionics. The Indians junked as much of the Soviet crap as possible.
The most effective Russian weapon in Georgia was the Bush administration. They pressured Georgia to give up their large stock of Soviet manpads. Even the lowly SA-7 could have dealt with the primitive Russian air support. For Gods sake, strafing runs with unguided rockets? That's 1944 F4U Corsair tactics.
Posted by: ed ||
09/22/2008 14:31 Comments ||
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#22
General Command...
what about the nuke powered subs we slipped in the black sea?
They can do something....
#23
The S-300 will be dead meat. While the missiles have good kinematic performance, the electronics are old and well characterized. Syria deployed the newer SA-15 (Tor-M1) yet their entire early warning and SAM systems never saw the Israels coming.
Posted by: ed ||
09/22/2008 14:43 Comments ||
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#24
Ed, this is incomplete (and you know it)
first of all it pertains to Surface to air engagements (so right there it is not what I was talking about). Second it is not the report of air-to-air combat excersizes. Third, Indian pilot were "handicaped" on purpose, for the purposes of that particular excersize.
#25
Below is a complete quote from the article, Ed.
Shame on you for such an overt misrepresentation.
"But the Indian Air Force (IAF) is fighting with its hands tied.
Why? To protect the secrets of their top-of-the-line Russian-designed Su-30MKI fighters (pictured), according to Dave Fulghum over at Ares. "To observers' dismay, and no doubt to that of the U.S. intelligence community, the IAF flew with a number of handicaps."
#26
A doubt that american nuke subs ever were in the Black Sea. I suspect the reason for this, but b/f that . . . care to provide a reference for your assertion?
"The self-imposed radar restrictions prevented U.S. snoops from "mapping" the high-tech radar. But other restrictions were dictated by the Indians' U.S. hosts, Fulghum writes in his excellent piece. The Indians were barred from using data-links, chaff and flares. "When we were targeted by SAMs, we were shot down," Choudry said. "And there was no [data] picture in the cockpit to help our situational awareness so the work load on the [aircrews] was very high."
So, they were not using the radars for secrecy reasons, thus the difficulties experiences.
Search for air-to-air combat with Indian Su 30's in the Red Flag, there are tons of articles on that one.
#28
The Indians said they limited radar modes. Radar modes have nothing to do with SAM defense. It's more of a situational awareness thing, like radar warning receivers, missile plume detectors, threat location displays. Non of them radiate, so the Indians could have used them to their hearts content, if they had them.
Read it again: "When we were targeted by SAMs, we were shot down," Choudry said. "And there was no [data] picture in the cockpit to help our situational awareness so the work load on the [aircrews] was very high."
BTW, those mentioned equipment would also be used determined the location of threat aircraft. No situational awareness = stranded baby seal.
Posted by: ed ||
09/22/2008 14:58 Comments ||
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#29
BTW, you do know the purpose of Red Flag? It is a training exercise tailored to challenge and increase the proficiency of participants. It is not a "Let's throw the US Air Force at them" thing. That means over the course of the exercise, increasing threat levels are presented, some are won, some are lost by design.
Posted by: ed ||
09/22/2008 15:06 Comments ||
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#30
Ed, I just doubt very much that Su-30 has no adequate missile/threat warning receivers.
For one thing, their business culture. I know Indians, they would not have bought Su-30 for the life of them, had they not thought it's the best thing since sliced bread. They definitely do not buy stuff that does not work. When there where problems with IL-38 maritime patrol airctaft, they gave russian the hard time.
And they have Western equipment in their army, and airforce. And they constantly conduct tenders. When they feel, Western equipment is better they get that.
#31
Ed, U.S. Airforce is not in the charity business.
Red Flag, just like other exercizes is to train, teach, evaluate the adversary, and conduct dissimilar combat training, and command-and-control. Basically, it is "Top Gun" with foreign participants.
#32
Then explain "And there was no [data] picture in the cockpit". So data links were off. But unless they brought their AWACS, it wouldn't have done the Indians much good since I don't believe their equipment is compatible with Link-16. Where was the radar warning receiver display so the SU-30's could avoid even antiquated SAMs?
Posted by: ed ||
09/22/2008 15:14 Comments ||
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#33
Also, with respect to electronics, Russia is no longer isolated like it was during the Cold War.
It cooperates with France and India, for example on the hardware and software aspects (and just like U.S. buys parts from Taiwan :)): so it does not have to do everything itself.
#34
It's not being reflected in the quality of Russian military equipment.
Posted by: ed ||
09/22/2008 15:23 Comments ||
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#35
You are reading each sentence in disjunctive. Read the whole thing to properly ascertain the message conveyed. What was the message of the article? It was "We did well." Not, "Oh, man our planes were crap, better give them back to Russia." Also, just find more artcles on the subject, not just this one. Indians have an operational squadron of Su-30MK and they are very pleased with their performance. They are spending billions on Su-30's and other russian hardware, keeping the industry alive. And so are other Asian countires.
#36
" It's not being reflected in the quality of Russian military equipment."
A: It is not being reflected in the quality of outdated equipment which fought (and won) in Georgia. And as I said, yes it needs updating.
It is being reflected in the quality of the Russian equipment being bought. For e.g., Russia just won a tender for portable anti-tank guided missiles Konkurs (burns thru M1A2 like a hot knife thru butter), to Turkey (NATO member to whom any sale would be apriory very hard beign political and all), against, among other's Rayethon.
#37
No. YOU are reading things the general never said. "Regardless, Choudry insisted Red Flag was a good experience for his pilots."
Good experience, not "Red Flag excersizes where Indians with Su-30MK (with TVC) kicked ass of anything that was thrown their way - and that includes all updated F-15's."
Posted by: ed ||
09/22/2008 15:33 Comments ||
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#38
Konkurs? Welcome to 1970, Comrade. A downmarket TOW I.
Care to show me all those burned out M1s? The after action reports by the Israelis last year had very few Merkava total losses. Nothing like Russian tanks.
Posted by: ed ||
09/22/2008 15:43 Comments ||
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#39
Here is another article, that shows that beign "shot down" was part of that particular excersize.
BY : The Telegraph.
Flying near-blind in the US, the Indian Air Force’s frontline Sukhoi 30Mki fighters have been “shot” down in missions at the Red Flag wargames, the toughest combat aircraft exercise that the US hosts for its allies.
The Russian-made Sukhoi 30Mkis have been asked to fly in the exercise only after switching off a sophisticated radar and without recourse to a key shield against surface-to-air missiles, a senior air force officer said. The exercise in which the IAF is participating for the first time entered its most complex phase today.
“Shooting down” or getting “shot down” must necessarily take place in a wargame. In 2003, US Air Force’s (USAF) F-15 Tomcat aircraft participating in an exercise out of Gwalior in India were similarly “shot down”.
Despite being hamstrung at the Red Flag games, the IAF contingent was getting invaluable training as part of a “Blue force” tasked to defend its territory against an aggressor “Red force” in the Nevada desert. The range over which the exercise is taking place has mock-ups of several targets that are mostly military establishments, air force spokesman Wing Commander Mahesh Upasani, who is with the contingent, told The Telegraph from the Nellis air force base.
The IAF is participating with eight Su-30s, two IL-78s (mid-air refuellers), an IL-76 (heavy lift transporters) and 247 men led by Group Captain D. Chaudhary. Frontline aircraft from the air forces of South Korea and France and, of course, the US are engaged both with the IAF and against it in the drills.
“Captain Marcus ‘Spike’ Wilson of the USAF Aggressors in his appreciation of the IAF has said the IAF is a world-class air force with great aircraft and great leadership,” said Upasani.
The IAF Sukhois have been asked not to show the full capacity of their BARS II radar so that their signatures may not be recorded.
Top"
This is exactly, what rails me the most, superficial and incomplete reading, inability to search and obtain the full picture.
#40
Wow, that's a lot of words to say "Got shot down a lot.".
Posted by: ed ||
09/22/2008 15:50 Comments ||
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#41
"Konkurs? Welcome to 1970, Comrade. A downmarket TOW I."
A: Not the one you are thinking about.
Apr. 10, 2008Print | E-mail | Home Turkey to Buy RussiaÂ’s Antitank Missiles
Federal-run Rosoboronexport has won the tender to supply antitank missiles to Turkey. Along with RussiaÂ’s arms exporter, IsraelÂ’s Rafael and U.S. Raytheon were fighting for delivering 80 antitank systems and 800 missiles. The contract budget hasnÂ’t been disclosed so far.
WhatÂ’s more, the plans are to supply RussiaÂ’s Kornet E antitank missiles to Jordan this year. The respective agreement was signed far back in 2006 and JordanÂ’s King Abdullah II confirmed his countryÂ’s desire to get the facilities within a year when visiting Moscow in February.
Syria is another big buyer of the antitank missiles of Russia, including Kornet E, Metis M, RPG 29 Vampire. But the military action that Israel staged against Hezbollah guerillas in summer of 2006 revealed that the militants were armed exactly by RussiaÂ’s antitank missiles supplied by Damasks. By using the systems of Russia, they shot 46 tanks and some 15 armored vehicles of Israel during 34 days of the combat operation, clouding the relations of Moscow and Tel-Aviv.
Turkey is the NATO member and exactly the United States is the traditional arms supplier for it.
Rosoboronexport is RussiaÂ’s sole state-run intermediary for the export/import of product, technology and services of military and double-purpose nature.
#43
Konkurs is a wire guided antitank missile. TOW I is a more powerful wire guided AT missile that was in service in 1970. Disabled M1s have been shot multiple times with TOWs and 120mm DU penetrators which still did not penetrate the front aspect armor.
Assessing the performance of Merkava Tanks The IDF employed several hundred tanks [a mix of Merkeva 2,3, and 4] in combat. According to official reports, about ten percent were hit by various threats. Less than half of the hits penetrated. In overall assessment, the potential risk to crewmen would have been much higher, if the tank would be of a conventional design. A colonel commanding an armored brigade, which bore the brunt of battle, mentioned in an interview that during the war that hundreds of antitank missiles were fired on his unit and in total only 18 tanks were seriously damaged. Of those, missiles actually penetrated only five or six vehicles and according to statistics, only two tanks were totally destroyed, however, both by super-heavy IED charges.
Piss poor. Compare that to thousands of T-55s to T-72s with their turrents blown 100 meters away.
If I buy a Konkurs, do I get a free polyester suit and Afro wig?
Posted by: ed ||
09/22/2008 16:08 Comments ||
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#44
My dear delusional comrade,
You haven't proven a point. In fact you have been proven to be wrong on both the SU-30 and Konkurs accounts. Admit it, the SU-30 got "shot down" a lot in Nevada and the Konkurs is not up to the missile standards that American senior citizens used back in their youth. Confession is good for your soul.
Posted by: ed ||
09/22/2008 16:14 Comments ||
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#45
Search for Kornet, not Koncurs (which was a 70's weapon) Also, all of these T-55/70's you are citing, whoever used TOW on them? Which war, ed? U.S. was shooting those in the desert at night in Iraq mostly from Apaches, F18's and sometimes M1A's.
#46
"shaped-charge HEAT tandem warhead, with armour penetration of about 1200 mm of RHA behind ERA. Thermobaric anti-personnel/anti-material warhead is also available."
Ed, are you disputing that this is going to burn thru M1A2?
#47
TOWs, Hellfires, AT4, RPG, 120mm, 30mm. It doesn't matter. It's a design issue of Russian tanks. Penetrate them, even with autocannon, and the ammo and fuel will preferentially explode. That's a consequence of the Russian low regard for life, even of other Russians.
Posted by: ed ||
09/22/2008 16:25 Comments ||
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#48
Ed, don't change the topic of discussion from Su-30's and modern laser-guided antitank missiles to tanks. Whatever those tanks were, they were good for their time. That time has passed. An automatic autoloader was a revolutionary design, which kept the weight down, crew to a minimum, and high rate of fire. U.S. really cought up with T-70, T-80, T-90 designs when it introduced M1A. M1A2 is probably superior to T-90 now.
And just recall for a second that during WWII, american Sherman was a piece of shit, which thier drivers called "lighters." Far inferior to T-34.
Now, the times of tanks have generally passed. Russia will intoduce a new design tentatively named T-95 shortly. It probably will be a touret-less design with a 150 mm smothbore main gun. I don't think they should field large numbers though.
Getting back to the antitank missiles: Just for the fun of it, I suggest you sit in M1A2 and I will shoot Koncurs at you, and see how you're going to feel (and fight) after that!
#49
Read "Assessing the performance of Merkava Tanks". Piss poor penetration performance. That's even considering old Merkeva 2 and 3s and the incredible flanking shot opportunities available on mountianous terrain.
Only few hits penetrated the frontal arc, where the tank has the heaviest armor. Realizing this, Hezbollah aimed their missiles to the sides, and rear, when possible.
Hebzallah used Kornet in last year's war. Let's repeat, "Only few hits penetrated the frontal arc" of Merkeva 2,3,4. The M1 is considered to much more heavy armored in the frontal arc than the Merkeva 4. The turret is considered to have an armor rating of 1,320-1,620 RHA, much greater than the capability of the Kornet. That's without ERA.
So no. But I'm sure the Turks will put it good use against Russian tanks. Blow the turret 100 meters away.
Posted by: ed ||
09/22/2008 16:42 Comments ||
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#50
Ed, don't change the topic of discussion from Su-30's and modern laser-guided antitank missiles to tanks.
Your are the one who went from SU-30 to Konkurs to Kornet. How the hell can you discuss antitanks weapons without mentioning tanks? Jeeze, it's like arguing with a Frenchman. No self awareness or how deep a hole you have dug.
Posted by: ed ||
09/22/2008 16:46 Comments ||
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#51
"Russian low regard for life, even of other Russians.
I know this argument. I can see it having some truth to it for the Stalinist times. But not so much now. Look at the Zvesda 0/0 ejection seat - state-of-the-art safest ejection seat in the world: that's care for the pilots (and confidence booster) for you.
Also, having low or high regard for life, has nothing to do with the ability to produce a kick-ass missiles which are obviously directed at the opponent (not self) and do not involve coveniences for comfort creatures.
What have we just been discussing? The Konkurs and Kornet suck compared to both contemporary peer missiles and potential adversaries.
How did this discussion start? The S-300 has been characterized and defeat strategies in place. That's not "kick-ass".
Posted by: ed ||
09/22/2008 17:01 Comments ||
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#54
"When we [SU-30MKI] were targeted by SAMs, we were shot down," Choudry said. "And there was no [data] picture in the cockpit to help our situational awareness so the work load on the [aircrews] was very high."
You are shot down in flames.
Posted by: ed ||
09/22/2008 17:02 Comments ||
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#55
Ed, don't change the topic of discussion from Su-30's and modern laser-guided antitank missiles to tanks.
And I moved to antitank weapons.
Do you have a victim of short term memory, fetal alcohol syndrome or Alzheimers?
Posted by: ed ||
09/22/2008 17:05 Comments ||
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#56
Are you a victim ...
Posted by: ed ||
09/22/2008 17:06 Comments ||
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#57
What have we just been discussing? The Konkurs and Kornet suck compared to both contemporary peer missiles and potential adversaries.
How did this discussion start? The S-300 has been characterized and defeat strategies in place. That's not "kick-ass".
Oh, this is totally silly, Ed, a missile is a missile, yeah, I mean S-300 is a defensive missile system, but it is a missile, and russia has excellent track record and technology behind the whole range of missiles from SAM's to ATGMS to AA etc. You are being hyper-technical. By "kick-ass," I mean a missile regadless of its particular use, which flies and hits its target, whatever that tagret may be: an aircraft, a tank, or a bunker.
And what you have (ok this is unfair) are two Space Shuttles down and 14 people just in them dead. How is that for regard for human life. And how is that for missile technology. I bet if U.S. were to launch its nukes, half of them won't even clear the boost phase. And half of them won't even explode (see for refs problems U.S. had in the 60's and 70's with reliability of its warheads, wiki)
#60
How is the S-300 good if they are blinded, spoofed or destroyed outside radar range. Sure rocks are dangerous weapons, but not to those with bows and arrows.
I already showed you where Konkurs and Kornet were not even penetrating old Merkevas, let alone have the penetration power against Abrams. Other than that, I'm sure they are fine weapons against T-72s and T-80s.
Posted by: ed ||
09/22/2008 17:15 Comments ||
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#61
#58 I definitely do not have Alzheimer's: I know that.
Actually, it's really not that bad. I'm constantly meeting new people.
#62
Hey Guys --- neither one of you are winning at this point -- it's about time to shut it down -- save Fred some money with the bandwidth you both are burning -- this is an argument not to ever be won -- well, maybe with an all out war -- and then we would find a winner.
#63
General_Comment, don't fool yourself. While stopping all traffic from one specific nation might border on act of war, a "terrorist threat" indicating one was carrying something could easily be used to stop them traversing until they had been inspected. Temporary harassment yes, but closing the Bosporus would be the result.
If Georgia fell to the Russians I can imagine a Georgian patriot sinking a large oil tanker full of cement in the bosporus might cause navigation problems for some time. I dont' think they have them but if the Bosporus has Locks and other things they could be damaged cutting the entire black sea off, albeit temporarily. It's not a good place to fight a war.
#64
One last point though, that really goes to the hart of the matter, and elegantly wins the argument. It turns out that Su-30MKI ("I" stands for India) were carrying Indian indigenous electronic countermeasures suit (see bolow), which means that whatever happened - please talk to Indians and their equipment, not the russian designers.
"Electronic countermeasures
An integrated ECM system turns on the warning units that provide signals about incoming enemy missiles, a new generation radio recon set, active jamming facilities and radar and heat decoys. It also includes an electronic intelligence unit, a chaff and flare dispenser and a RWR system.
The RWR system is an indigenously developed system by DRDO, called Tarang, (Wave in Sanskrit). It has direction finding capability and is known to have a programmable threat library. The RWR is derived from work done on an earlier system for India's MiG-23BNs known as the Tranquil, which is now superseded by the more advanced Tarang series.
Elta EL/M-8222 a self-protection jammer developed by Israel Aircraft Industries is the MKI's standard EW pod, which the Israeli Air Force uses on its F-15s. The ELTA El/M-8222 Self Protection Pod is a power-managed jammer, air-cooled system with an ESM receiver integrated into the pod. The pod contains an antenna on the forward and aft ends, which receive the hostile RF signal and after processing deliver the appropriate response."
#65
If Georgia fell to the Russians I can imagine a Georgian patriot sinking a large oil tanker full of cement in the bosporus might cause navigation problems for some time. I dont' think they have them but if the Bosporus has Locks and other things they could be damaged cutting the entire black sea off, albeit temporarily. It's not a good place to fight a war.
A: Fighting a war in a "locked" Black Sea area would benefit the Russians through, b/c (i) their fleet is still there, fully supported from the air from numerous airfields, (ii) their subs are their to attack anyone who does not belong (but airforce will primarily do that anyway), (iii) the airspace is totally controlled by Su-27, Su-30, and Mig-29, (iv) coastal defenses are there, (v) ability to set up mine fields at will is there, (vi) signal intelligence is there (ground based and space based). So, the hypothetical Georgian patriot would be foolish to sink a hypothetical cement tanker (which G. does not have).
#69
"General_Comment you are way way way in over yer head with ed."
I told y'all he it was a General Nuisance, Red.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
09/22/2008 22:35 Comments ||
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#70
General_Comment. My comments were not anti-Russian but saying what a nightmare logistically any combat in Georgia would be for the US and NATO even if Turkey were to play ball. The Georgian tanker gambit would be unhelpful in saving their own country but in spoiling things for Russian commerce in and out of the Back Sea.
#71
TOPIX/WORLD NEWS > US TO BASE 5000 TROOPS, BUILD NAVAL BASES IN GEORGIA!?
Also from TOPIX > THINKING THE UNTHINKABLE. Russia [ + Georgia]is at a DECISIVE TURNING POINT in its Post-Cold War, perhaps even antiquitious, History as a consequence of the GWOT + ESPEC THE RUSSO-GOERGIAN WAR.
#72
Old Spook, and Barb: you have nothing to bring to this discussion, other than your unsupported assertions. And Barb, you are just meddling. What the hell do you know about military technology anyway (and this BTW has nothing to do with being a woman, Barb, am just not seeing you posting on such topics)?
Next, why do you have to defend Ed, he ran out of arguments himself? Next, unless he was there at the Red Flag, he has no personal knowledge. Next, when you say I am "way over" my head, you don't know that.
Finally, ed may be an F-15 driver, a U.S. Joint Chief of Staff, or the God Almighty himself, it does not matter - he lost the argument about Su-30 because: (i) it is widely acknowleged that this aircraft is the finest 4++ generation figher by experts of Aviation Week and Janes Defense (even if ed is an expert, which I doubt, he is just one and definitely in the minority view), (ii) the Su-30 engaged in the SAM simulation were flying with their radars off, (iii) Red Flag is structured in the way that the attendants are engaged in the exersizes of increased complexity, (iv) ed just took one article, misread it, and ignored the other article I cited. He also ignored the materials about similar excersizes conducted in India, and here in the U.S.: Red Flag 2005, 2006, and 2007.
#74
And the only thing which ed appears to be right about on its face, is the fact that yes, the estimated thikness of the M1A2 frontal turret armor is equivalent to 1,600 mm, which is thicker than 1,200 mm burn thru for the Kornet. Both data are available on wiki. Which would tend to support his position that it won't burn thru.
However, I would tend think that they design these things with the idea that it burns thru the tanks of potential adversary, and the data for M1A2 were surely known to the designers.
#75
"Hebzallah used Kornet in last year's war. Let's repeat, "Only few hits penetrated the frontal arc"
A: It is damn obvious that even according to this admission, if few did penetrate the frontal arc (where the armor is by far the thickest) then given a side shot or a shot from above, there would have been practically all that could have penetrated the armor of Merkavas.
Now what that article did not say was: how many Kornets were actually used in the conflict?
#76
" How is the S-300 good if they are blinded, spoofed or destroyed outside radar range. Sure rocks are dangerous weapons, but not to those with bows and arrows.
A: Than what's the problem, why is U.S. objecting to the sale of some "rocks" to Syria, Iran etc. so much? Defensive weapons and harmless to U.S. or Israel, armed with "bows and arrows," right? Just pointing obvious inconsistencies.
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.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zanawi says that his country's troops will continue to stay in Somalia until their objectives are met. 
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan announced on Saturday a suspension of military operations against Islamist militants for the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, but a senior official said security forces would respond if attacked.
PPP senior leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim said that after completing the democratic process in the country, the government should decide if it wants to investigate Benazir Bhutto's assassination itself or leave it to the UN. "The country faces terrorism and extremism. However, I am not part of the government so I can't give any suggestion to the rulers," he stated on Sunday, adding that he does not want to accept any government posts and wants to support PPP as a worker only. This is why he declined the post of PM. "I will never betray the party," said Fahim. On the issue of the suicide attack in Islamabad, he said that he is not in a position to say whether or not this is a failure on the part of the government. Replying to a question, Fahim stated that President Zardari must decide on whether he wants to keep the co-chairmanship of PPP.
Preliminary investigation of Saturday's devastating truck bombing in the federal capital suggests a strong connection with South Waziristan Agency, Interior Adviser Rehman Malik said on Sunday. "It is premature to blame any particular group or individual, but all roads lead to Waziristan," he told reporters at a press conference.
NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Forced off Iraq's streets and with diminished political clout, what anti-American Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and his Mehdi Army militia do next will be crucial if they are to remain relevant. 
A delegation representing Fatah movement arrived in Egypt on Sunday for talks with officials aimed at starting a national dialogue between rival factions, the Egyptian MENA news agency said. 
