The Turkish equivalent of âYo Mammaâ?
A Turkish man was stabbed to death after hawking T-shirts depicting U.S. rap superstar Eminem because a man mistook the sales pitch as an insult to his mother, Turkish newspapers said on Tuesday.
News from the shallow end of the gene pool...
A knife fight broke out in an Istanbul suburb after 19-year-old Dilaver Akkurt told T-shirt vendor Hayrettin Demir his mother was named Emine and lived in the area, Hurriyet newspaper said. Lesson #1: Always bring a knife to a knife fight.
"Eminem" means "my Emine" in Turkish. Akkurt warned Demir to stop shouting "Eminem" and to cease sales of the clothing inscribed with the starâs name and image. "Death to white rapper infidels!"
Police believe Demir, who died at the scene from multiple stab wounds, was killed by a friend of Akkurtâs in the brawl in Istanbulâs Kucukcekmece district, Hurriyet said. Police have detained Akkurt, who was being treated in hospital for wounds, and are still searching for Demirâs killer, the newspaper said.
#1
At least the police know his mom's name, so that is a start.....
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
11/04/2003 17:53 Comments ||
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#2
And I thought Madone and Britney would be controversial in an Islamic country.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 18:01 Comments ||
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#3
This will strike home to anyone who's seen Scarey Movie 3 - the white-bread rapper gets done, and pulls his white jacket hood on...which doesn't go over big with the black/hispanic audience. Looks like another familiar white hood lol
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/04/2003 18:59 Comments ||
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#4
what up wit dat?? Turkey be full o'playa haters!
The postcards apparently were meant to encourage residents to vote today. But the cards, emblazoned with two pictures of Osama bin Laden, actually ended up angering some of the residents who received the messages by mail last week. Most recipients saw the message as a poor attempt to increase voter turnout, but in Middletown, which lost 37 residents in the World Trade Center attacks, they said the postcards were just plain cruel. On one side of the white postcard with black lettering there is a picture of bin Laden pointing his finger accompanied by the message: "Donât Vote. Osama bin Laden says democracy is a meaningless, insignificant process in which you have probably already decided not to participate. Help Osama bin Laden. Donât vote on Tuesday, Nov. 4." On the reverse side is another bin Laden photo and the words, "Show the world that you donât care about America. Support Osama bin Laden." Exceedingly Poor taste.
There was no disclaimer on the cards to say who paid for the mailing, which was sent to residents in nine towns. The cards carried a 23-cent stamp instead of the usual meter postage used in mass mailings, and candidates up for election in the area said yesterday they knew nothing about the postcards. Sounds like it wasnât an individual â since they stamped each and every one.
The cards did not blanket the towns, but instead were addressed to specific people at particular addresses, and they appeared not to target any particular political party affiliation. Assemblyman Joseph Azzolina Sr. (R-Monmouth), who said he learned of the cards on Saturday, has asked for an investigation to determine their source, but Middletown police and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service said that, while the cards may have been in bad taste, they did not break any laws. "Our office has looked at them and found there were no violations," said Heidi Mathern, an inspector for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. She said some customers called complaining that they felt threatened by the message.
It's a picture. They felt threatened by a picture? We might as well surrender now. Where's my turban? Which way's Mecca?
Middletown Police Chief John Pollinger said residents are particularly upset because of the townâs heavy casualties on 9/11. "The message is ill-conceived and ill-timed considering the wounds are still raw here after 9/11," he said. "This is a terrible distraction. It is a hurtful thing because the person or persons responsible didnât think this thing through."
Probably they didn't. It's a picture. It won't hurt you. Really. If you drop it in the trash now, next week you prob'ly won't even remember it...
He said his department logged several dozen complaints since Saturday.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Johnson. We can't come and get the rapist out of your attic. We've got too much to do, chasing down who sent the turban pictures..."
The targeted area straddles the 12th and 13th legislative districts. Azzolina, a Republican who is running for his 12th term in the 13th District, said residents in Keansburg, Hazlet, Holmdel, Keyport, Red Bank, Marlboro, Freehold and Colts Neck reported receiving these cards. Some residents in Old Bridge in Middlesex County also reported getting the cards. Azzolina, who sent out his own patriotic campaign literature over the weekend extolling his naval career, estimated thousands of the bin Laden postcards were mailed. Yesterday, his Democratic opponent, Thomas Perry, said he received one of the postcards at his Aberdeen home, but does not attribute it to his political opponents. "I understand the intent of the person who was sending it ... but personally I was dismayed that they would use Osama bin Laden to convey that message," said Perry, a former U.S. Army captain.
Personally, I'm dismayed anybody ever noticed. "Are there no trash cans? Are the dumpsters all full?"
Representatives for candidates in the bitter Senate race in the 12th District, where Democrat Ellen Karcher is trying to unseat embattled state Sen. John Bennett, said they had no knowledge of the postcards.
Maybe they didn't notice. Maybe their heads are screwed on straight...
Dennis Walters, 25, of Keansburg, said he viewed the postcard as a message to support bin Laden, not as a get-out-the vote campaign. "I thought, âHow could this be? How could this come through the mail?â" said Walters, who is a registered independent. "It was saying not to vote and to support bin Laden."
... he said, ironically.
Mary Wilson of the Leonardo section of Middletown said she was initially offended by the message, especially because her son, Robert, is a gunnery sergeant with the 3d Marine Division who fought in the Middle East in 1991. The card didnât change the minds of Walters or Wilson because they already planned to vote today, as they have in the past, they said. Wilson said the card arrived at her house a few days ago addressed to her, a registered Republican, not to her Democratic husband. After studying it briefly, she realized its intent. "It was very thought-provoking," she said. "I said, âYou know its real message here. Iâm sorry they had to use this type of message.â"
#1
This ranks with the PETA chicken holocaust adds.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 19:17 Comments ||
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#2
NJ is a toxic waste dump of stupidity.
Makes CA look like bastion of freedom
and conservative liberty.
I recommend everyone in NJ move to
America and buy a homeland defense rifle,
maybe an American made bushmaster!
#3
chriskarma--you are an asshole--NJ leads the country in education and household income--and as far as the "move to America" bullshit Molly Pitcher was long in her grave when you Tex-asses decided to rebel against Mexico
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton said Tuesday AIDS should be considered a security issue, with the disease affecting more people in the world than terrorism. "We should continue to fight terror, but we have to realize that the AIDS issue is also a security issue," Clinton told reporters after talks with Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik in Oslo. "Itâs a humanitarian issue, but itâs a security issue," he said, warning AIDS fueled poverty and desperation. I donât see you encouraging the ways that really work.
Clinton was in Norway to seek support for a campaign against AIDS. An estimated 42 million people worldwide suffer from HIV or AIDS, most of them in Africa. Asked whether AIDS was a bigger threat to the world than terrorism, Clinton said: "Right now (AIDS) affects more people, but I wouldnât say that. What I think is that we canât think about one to the exclusion of the other." "Oh, I tried, but there was just enough terrorism to keep it in my mind."
Clintonâs foundation has been heading work to slash the cost of AIDS treatment in African and Caribbean nations. al-Reuters
#1
See? By getting knobbers rather than intercourse from Monica he was fighting security issues/the WOT. Wotta guy!
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/04/2003 16:43 Comments ||
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#2
Slick Willie is in the AIDS business because of publicity (and maybe honoraria). The thing that is needed to deal with AIDS is lifestyle change. Drugs will treat the symptoms, but will just create dependents on drugs to survive. Uganda's ABC program is getting results at a fraction of the cost of drugs. But, hey! if Bubba sticks to AIDS, then people can deal with the WoT without so much distraction.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
11/04/2003 16:47 Comments ||
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#3
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton said Tuesday AIDS should be considered a security issue, with the disease affecting more people in the world than terrorism.
Until terrorists get their hands on an effective bio-weapon or several nukes, at which point that ratio will turn around real quick.
#4
Actually, Clinton's correct. He says "we can't think about one to the exclusion of the other" which is true. That's why Bush toured Africa and gave a bunch of money to fight AIDs. Lifestyle change is required, as Alaska Paul suggests which was also something Bush pushed by touting the successes in Uganda.
The infection rate in parts of subsahara Africa is up to 1/4 of the adult population. What happens when 1/4 of your adults are hospitalized in a less than stable nation? Total breakdown and the Somaliafication of the region. We can turn our backs on Africa for now, but I doubt we can turn our backs forever. The daily misery shows on cable news will eventually guilt the US into sending the military in anyway. Better to help now, rather than later.
#5
Hmmm, I'm thinking that if we get the fags to stop buggering each other for a while, that would stem the spread of AIDS here. The other popular method is needles of drug users. But let's remember those words of the CBS script writing team: 'Those that live in sin, shall die in sin.' And then they all went to the local bath house for a steam. Uh oh! I forgot to take my PC pills!
#6
We can turn our backs on Africa for now, but I doubt we can turn our backs forever. The daily misery shows on cable news will eventually guilt the US into sending the military in anyway. Better to help now, rather than later.
Nope. If GWB or whoever is prez at the time tries to intervene in Africa, I'll throw in with others (with due consideration of who's who, of course) that would object. After so much time and aid, there is no reason why Africa should still be the way it is, yet it's still a problem. That tells me that money is disappearing into a bottomless pit, and isn't worth any further efforts or expenditures, absent a fundamental change in attitudes down there.
#7
I don't wish death by Aids on anyone. If Bill Clinton can help people, more power to him. He's going to be walking the face of this Earth for a lot of years yet. If he can make someone's life better, that's fine. As long as he leaves my life the hell alone.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 18:08 Comments ||
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#8
"we canât think about one to the exclusion of the other"
Bullsh!t.
Make a chart of all the worst AIDS-hit countries, and overlay on that the usual hotbeds of terrorism.
No correlation.
Posted by: Carl in N.H. ||
11/04/2003 18:54 Comments ||
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#9
Hmmmmm. Wonder if Bill's contracted AIDS? Either that, or someone's paying him a bundle, or he's still on that elusive quest for a 'legacy'. Clinton NEVER does anything unless there's something in it for BILL.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
11/04/2003 19:20 Comments ||
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#10
Wanna know what's gonna kill any long-term empathy towards AIDS sufferers? It's calling the damn treatment a Cocktail. It's not a damn cocktail.. it's a fucking mixture of lethal chemicals. It's the usual feminization of the necessary. Sorta like a Cocktail of spending increases..... a cocktail of revenue enhancements.. Damnit... A fucking pot-of-money. It's an account... an account how hard is that? It's simple! Where's my Broody Mary.
#11
Cyber Sarge, I agree with you regarding domestic AIDS cases. I have very little sympathy, its very avoidable disease. I don't think Clinton was talking about domestic AIDs though.
Bomb-a-rama, I would be upset as well if we sent troops into an African mess, but then again I was against intervention in Somalia but weeks of starving Somalia news feeds finally pushed public opinion into the 'we've got to do something' mindset. If you aknowledge that that is likely to happen early intervention (drugs, money, straightarming governments to act responsibly) that avoids the need for troops becomes very logical, and cheap in comparison.
#12
Old Patriot,
What's in it for Bill is publicity(w/out press attention I think Bill would shrivel away to nothing-literaly)and refurbishing of his image.If Clinton was really concerned about Aids,when he was President he could have funded care and research out the wazoo and made several trips to Africa.He didn't.Aids is the one cause that he can look good supporting w/out generating contraversy.Any good Bill does is great,but if something else comes along Bill will jump on it.
Posted by: Stephen ||
11/04/2003 22:25 Comments ||
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#13
Hmm Cyber Sarge summed up the crazy ass right wing view of this disease--but most people with AIDS in Africa happen to be heterosexual you neanderthal MORON! Thank God you live in California where opinions of your ilk are bound to be inundated by the future Mexican majority--as you bleat needlessly in a third world state
Posted by: Julius ||
11/05/2003 0:14 Comments ||
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#14
OP If you or your Repooplican buddies were any kind of patriots and had any kind of respect for the office of POTUS, which you and your moron friends DO NOT--you wouldn't stoop to such stupid suppositions about Clinton having AIDS--you are not worthy of American citizenship
Ainât Democracy great!
Opponents of a city ordinance banning lap dancing at strip clubs, bikini bars and adult bookstores have a chance to take their gripe to the ballot box. The city clerk certified on Monday that activists have collected enough signatures to force a referendum before the "no-touch" rule can go into effect. Now these are "activists" that might be fun to hang out with.
The City Council must now decide whether to rescind it, place a referendum on the next citywide ballot in 2005 or add a question to the Democratic presidential primary in March. They have 20 days to decide what to do. I say Democratic primary in March would be perfect. Have Bill zip into town to campaign for it. Heâll probably do it gratis...
Council members voted unanimously in September to require dancers remain at least six feet from customers and put in place restrictions that also would outlaw "VIP rooms" where nude dancers perform privately. How do you think this would go over in the Northwest Frontier Provinces?
Supporters of the law have argued that adult entertainment places contribute to prostitution and drug use. Club owners say the rules infringed on First Amendment rights and would force many out of business. They spent $400,000 to gather more than the required 56,941 signatures to force a vote. Have they said, "This means the terrorists have won" yet?
#1
I'm all for lapdances and such (they should change the law in San Diego while they're at it) but claiming First Ammendment rights trivializes the Constitution.
#2
SD Councilmen are under indictment for taking bribes campaign contributions from Vegas and SD club personnel to try and get this on the Council agenda. The Vegas owner plead guilty and is a cooperating witness...wonder who organized the activists here? BTW - I'm all for it as well
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/04/2003 13:02 Comments ||
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#3
My bet is you could stand outside the gates to Marine Air Station Mirimar and get the needed signatures in a week. If you put someone outside Camp Pendelton or the Naval bases you'd get enough signatures in a day.
The idiot bribery scandal was doing things back-asswards. If the guy wanted to spend the money he should have paid some petition gatherers and gone directly to the people. It would have been cheaper and probably more successful.
#5
Larry Flynt was active in California politics recently. Sounds like his seed speed.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 18:17 Comments ||
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#6
Yank, aren't there private clubs in SD? I haven't been to one of these in years, but I remember a LOT of lap-dancing going on. Has that changed over the past four years?
#8
I'm not sure what you mean by 'Private Clubs" but there are at least two strip clubs near Mirimar Marine Air Station (I work in that area). You can get lapdances there, but I think touching the dancers is illegal. That's what the big bribe thing Frank G mentioned was about. Touching means more money and the owner of one of the clubs was bribing City Councilment to change the law. From what I understand touching is still tolerated by the dancers, but the owners and company try to stop it for fear of legal problems.
A 10-foot saltwater crocodile attacked a hunter in the Australian Outback and clamped its jaws around his leg, releasing him only after the manâs aunt punched the reptile in the snout, according to a report Monday. The victim, 19-year-old Manuel Pascoe, was returning from hunting geese Saturday night when the crocodile, possibly attracted by blood from the dead birds, lunged from a creek and tried to drag the man into the water, The Northern Territory News reported. Other members of the hunting party grabbed Pascoe, but the powerful reptile did not let go until the manâs aunt, Margaret Rinybuma, punched it in the snout. I donât think Iâd mess with Margaret.
Posted by: Steve ||
11/04/2003 11:28:08 AM ||
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A mysterious transmission that baffled British intelligence analysts for days was caused by a ram rubbing up against an aerial mast, a government agency said Tuesday. A member of the Real Baaaaa-th Party.
Scientists at Government Communications Headquarters in Cheltenham, western England, an intelligence-gathering station, were baffled by strange high-frequency noises coming from Scarborough signal station in Yorkshire, northeastern England. GCHQâs in-house paper, the Daily Observer, said the noises were unlike anything staff had encountered before and an investigating team initially thought they were coming from spies or aliens. Their investigation found the signal only happened in the day time, went across all the high-frequency bands and only Scarborough aerials could pick it up. This is the kind of intermittant problem that drives electronic technicians to drink, heavily.
Eventually, investigators discovered that a ram was rubbing its horns against the aerial masts "in between servicing some local ewes," the paper said. God, Iâd love to see how they entered this report in their maintenance database. "Ok, whatâs the code for horny sheep?"
Posted by: Steve ||
11/04/2003 9:25:40 AM ||
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#1
Poor guy was trying to dissipate the static electricity he got from the mating! Ever rubbed two wool sweaters together? Hook this guy up to some wires and give him some Viagra and you could power a small city.
Posted by: Dar ||
11/04/2003 9:40 Comments ||
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#2
"...an investigating team initially thought they were coming from spies or aliens."
Because, of course, the spacealiens would try to contact the people of Scarborough first. Yeah.
James Bond must've been unavailable for consultation.
Former Taliban foreign minister Mullah Wakil Ahmad Muttawakil has declined a Cabinet post and is considering asylum in an Arab country, possibly Qatar. Muttawakil, Karzai's mediator to the Taliban, was released on last Monday after 20 months in custody at a US military base near Kabul, advisors to Afghan President Hamid Karzai were quoted as saying on Monday by the Time magazine. Taliban hardliners, including former Afghan leader Mullah Mohammed Omar, consider Muttawakil a traitor for having surrendered to US forces and have ordered his assassination. Still Muttawakil has taken the risk of sounding out some of his former comrades in Kandahar, the magazine quoted his family as saying. The unprecedented talks between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Taliban moderates, which began last week, seem to have the Bush administration's blessing. By bringing moderate Taliban onboard, Karzai hopes he can garner support among the Pashtun and split the Taliban's ranks. Karzai's chief aide, Omar Daudzay, told a Kabul radio station that "the talks were initiated at the Taliban's request."
Maybe they know what they're doing. I think it's a damned dumb idea. But then, I thought it was a dumb idea to send the Talibs home with their weapons after kicking them out.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
11/04/2003 23:36 ||
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#1
How do you know a moderate from a hardline Taleban: the moderate Taleban throws small stones when executing women.
#2
I could point out that Hamid Karzai was a supporter of the Taliban when they first emerged in the mid-90's, but he turned against him when they started to impose their rules on urban areas; since rural Afghanistan has always been a Talibanised society anyway. He also was opposed to the influence that Pakistan had among the Taliban.
After he came out against him, his father was assasinated, and IIRC he blamed the ISI for the killing, which might be why he is very close to India.
Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
11/04/2003 4:18 Comments ||
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#3
is considering asylum in an Arab country, possibly Qatar.
Nobody tell him him about our military base there.
Posted by: Charles ||
11/04/2003 4:21 Comments ||
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#4
Nah, a moderate is one who beats women and children that are tied up with a whip instead of a bat.
#5
considering asylum in an Arab country, possibly Qatar. Nobody tell him him about our military base there.
I think that may be one of the reasons he's considering Qatar for assylum - the Americans will be close by in case he has to duck and run again. He's helped us, he expects us to help him if things get nasty. I hope we do - we've turned our backs on too many people who have helped us, and trusted us to help them when things went bad. The Hmong are one of several tribes in Southeast Asia that come to mind.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
11/04/2003 11:57 Comments ||
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#6
Extradite him to the most populous Muslim country - Hell.
#7
OP, I never thought of that. However, I don't see us helping him unless he has new information.
Posted by: Charles ||
11/04/2003 15:38 Comments ||
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#8
I never thought of that. However, I don't see us helping him unless he has new information.
You might also consider the fact that in Qatar, we can keep an eye on HIM, as well. Works both ways. He may also serve as a lightning-rod for trouble in the local area.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
11/04/2003 16:12 Comments ||
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From World Tribune.com
Saudi Arabia has agreed to continue its arrangement to provide free oil to Pakistan as part of their strategic relationship. Saudi keeps the Paks afloat (we, reluctantly, help too with aid).
Arab diplomatic sources said Crown Prince Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz approved the continuation of an arrangement begun in 1998 for the delivery of free crude oil to Pakistan. The sources said Saudi oil deliveries to Pakistan were part of a strategic relationship in which Islamabad provided weapons, technical help and a nuclear umbrella over the Saudi kingdom. A future Roentgen Soupbowl⢠under Glass
I'm not sure how secure I'd feel living under a Pak "nuclear umbrella."
Riyad stopped charging Pakistan for most of Saudi oil in 1998 after Western sanctions were imposed on Islamabad. The sanctions were imposed in wake of Pakistanâs nuclear weapons tests, Middle East Newsline reported. Abdullah was said to have reached formal agreement by Pakistan to transfer nuclear weapons to Saudi Arabia to help face external threats, particularly those from neighboring Iran. And another to the west?
Abdullah, who visited Pakistan in October, was said to have agreed to continue deferred payments by Pakistan for the Saudi oil. The Saudi loans, estimated at $2 billion, were later turned into grants. I swear that Iran and Saudi have a death wish. We survived 50 years of nuclear brinksmanship with the USSR, but despite some hair-raising incidents, we did not have a nuclear incident, because, bottom line, both sides were basically rational. With the Turbans, rationality, when push comes to shove, is not there.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
11/04/2003 4:27:02 PM ||
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#1
Are we sure the Pakistani side of the bargain is for a nuclear umbrella and not for contract yard work, plumbing services and security?
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 19:24 Comments ||
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#2
Now for the Loony Liberal Left's reaction to this further proliferation of Nuclear weapons.
Saudi police arrested six al-Qaida suspects in a clash in Mecca that left two militants dead in the streets of the sacred city, the Saudi interior minister said Tuesday. In Mondayâs raid, police shot it out with the militants and also uncovered a cache of weapons, including Kalashnikov rifles, grenades and bomb-making materials. "We captured four of them, one of whom was injured, while two others surrendered because they were surrounded," Interior Minister Prince Nayef said. So much for dying for your cause.
On Monday, an Interior Ministry official said the weapons found and the method the militants used indicate they are sympathizers of Osama bin Ladenâs terrorist network. The captured extremists "are without any doubt from the same organization," Prince Nayef told the state-controlled newspaper Al-Riyadh, referring to al-Qaida. "They use the same tactics." He did not say whether the militants were on the list of 19 extremists wanted since May, when the kingdom was shaken by a series of suicide attacks in the capital. Prince Nayef said the Mecca cell had rented a house in the city only for the holy month of Ramadan. "This shows that they only intended on carrying out missions during this month," he said. Or they planned on moving to another location.
Posted by: Steve ||
11/04/2003 8:55:56 AM ||
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#1
Something Frank pointed out yesterday hit home with me. I think these guys will soon hit one of the Saudi pipelines and then a major smackdown will ensue. I would expect taht this would be a very good time for all Westerners to leave Saudi Arabia and Yemen. I trust British intelligence warnings.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 11:26 Comments ||
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#2
Update: Saudi authorities were tightening security in Mecca last night after an unknown number of suspected al-Qaida militants escaped a botched police raid. Early yesterday, security forces in the holy city surrounded two buildings which the suspects had fortified and ringed with sandbags, an interior ministry official said.
I'm thinking the sandbags should have tipped you off something was up.
"The terrorists began shooting heavily at security forces, using automatic rifles and hand grenades," he said. While a helicopter hovered overhead, police fired back at the militants as they fled in two cars. One vehicle was hit and two of its occupants killed, according to the official. Inside the premises, security forces seized Kalashnikov rifles, hand grenades, rocket-propelled grenades and material to make explosives. They also found passports, identification cards and leaflets with a picture of Osama bin Laden. An official statement on Saudi television portrayed the raid as a success. "The security apparatus was able to foil a terrorist operation which was ready to be implemented," it said. However, suspects have regularly escaped recent raids.
Looks like they are sending in police who are not used to people fighting back. And how come that chopper didn't follow the escapees and radio other police cars to set up a roadblock? Hell, the LAPD would kick these guys ass.
Posted by: Steve ||
11/04/2003 12:32 Comments ||
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#3
Could they claim that they are stuntmen getting ready to film an action advertisement for a new cola.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 13:03 Comments ||
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The Appeals Court Sunday upheld a lower court verdict acquitting six Kuwaitis of plotting attacks on US troops, and reduced the fine against two of them — Ahmed Motlaq Al-Mutairi and Faris Jahaz Al-Otaibi - to KD 200 for illegal possession of arms. The court also ordered them to sign a pledge of good conduct for two years.
That's sure to make the country more secure...
However, the court also refrained from issuing a sentence against two other men involved in the same case — Abdullah Motlaq Al-Mutairi and Mesaed Shabeen Al-Enezi — but ordered the men to sign a pledge of good conduct for six months.
The Mutairis seem to be the al-Ghamdis of Kuwait...
The Criminal Court had on July 13 acquitted all of them, but fined Ahmed and Faris KD 2,000 each. The men were arrested in January 2003, and charged with "preparing to carry out military attacks against the US troops ahead of the war on Iraq." They were also charged with harming political status during wartime. Ahmed was also accused of receiving training on arms and ammunition in Afghanistan as was evident from a charge mentioned in the charge sheet. However, his lawyer told the court he received this training before the American forces came to Kuwait. Faris was charged with possessing unlicensed arms and ammunition, however, no arms were found in his possession.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
11/04/2003 23:38 ||
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#1
I had no idea that the Kuwaiti's modeled their Judicial System after the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Posted by: Charles ||
11/04/2003 4:24 Comments ||
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#2
If we are not already out of Kuwaitt, we need to be. Kuwaitt is no more safe for Westerners than Saudi Arabia.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 11:30 Comments ||
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Abid Khazindar ⢠Okaz
Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Ahmad Al-Zamil was recently quoted as saying that the number of Saudis employed in the private sector was 562,246 based on figures from the ministryâs department of statistics. According to figures in the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agencyâs annual report for 2002, the population of Saudi Arabia was 23.37 million, of whom 17.34 million are Saudis and the rest â 6.3 million â non-Saudis. The SAMA report said the number of Saudis of working age was 9.5 million and those employed in the government sector numbered one million.
Almost twice as many as work in the private sector?
In other words, if we add the number of Saudis in the private sector to the SAMA figures, we will see the total number of working Saudis is 1.56 million. Based on this figure, the rate of unemployment in the Kingdom is 35 percent. The figure is close to estimates by foreign sources but a far cry from the 8.5 percent provided by the Manpower Council.
I'm not a mathematician, but wouldn't 1.56m employed out of a work force of 9.6m make an employment rate of 16 percent, which would produce an unemployment rate of 84 percent? I guess they're dropping half the working age population as women, which would make 35 percent, but that'd still be the employed rate. What am I missing? Guess I'd better retake Economics 101...
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
11/04/2003 23:38 ||
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#1
Why do they have to import all those Asian workers? Saudis refuse to do most of the manual labor and menial service jobs?
Posted by: Tokyo Taro ||
11/04/2003 3:15 Comments ||
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#2
In fact Saudis refuse _all_ the jobsx except those consisting at cashing cheques.
#5
A manager who doesn't manage? Sounds like half the ones I've ever worked for.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
11/04/2003 8:23 Comments ||
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#6
It's classic Avoidance Management. If you don't make decisions, in their version of reality, you don't make mistakes. It's the old 60's IT saying, "Nobody ever got fired for choosing IBM" taken to its extreme. I call it the "Never do anything for the first time Law" (think about that for a minute!) - Arab Style. Mistakes can easily be career-enders - even small ones. It doesn't matter that you don't accomplish anything, just don't fuck up - and you'll get whatever upward mobility is due you according to your tribal affiliation. Kiss ass and Suck up to power. Don't fuck up. This will make your "career" in SaudiLand.
An example of the Aramco version of Avoidance Management in action:
If a Mgr (typically a Dept Head) finds himself in a box and there is no way to pawn a decision off on someone else, preferably a foreigner, then he will force all of the Division Heads that report to him to initial whatever requires his signature - shared complicity if the shit hits the fan. If any are Americans or Brits (there are a few left, but disappearing fast), all the better - infidel "experts" provide the best cover of all. The terror flows downward amongst the Saudis.
Amongst the infidels, our attitudes are different. I have identified 4 types of infidels in Lalaland - there are mixtures, but I think these are the pure forms:
1) Fugitives - IRS & Divorce Courts & Deadbeat Dads & ???
2) Incompetents - Soooo mediocre they can't make it in the West
3) Money whores - Like Lawyers in spirit, but not in expertise!
4) Fools with an "adventure gene" - usually sated in a few years.
#8
A post the other day referred to the use of CERT funds to employ local Iragis to rebuild schools and infrastructure. I chuckled when thinking how that policy could work in Arabia where only foreigners do the stoop labor. Also,.com was right on about the "do nothing and you will not be wrong"
philosophy.
#9
BD- 100% #4 in '92. This time I was not nearly so innocent: 50% #3 / 50% #4! I don't owe the IRS a dime and they still haven't been able to replace me are the answers to 1 & 2. ;->
GK - How did you like Barnes' Saudi stories? Quite a memory trip, I hope!
#10
Certainly enjoyed both. thanks. Although the aramco guy was before my time and the story of the MPs came later. The country attitudes haven't changed.
#11
Lovely memories of Saudi administration, boys. The way I had Saudi management analyzed was simple: I take the credit if it works; you take the blame if it doesn't.
Posted by: Michael ||
11/04/2003 16:36 Comments ||
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#12
Hey, Ex-Nammycons! I used to push for my Department to create a 999 Division. Then transfer all of the speed-bumps and roadblocks to it. It would have assigned work and the Div Head and Supervisor positions would rotate until everyone had both for their CV. Then it would be easy to pawn these clowns off on someone else who had a spot come vacant - prolly from an Expat guy getting his family out of that hellhole. Ideal for fulfilling Saudiazation program requirements.
Whadday think? Work for you?
Michael, I think there's a "Murphy's Law" styled truism that goes like this:
Management 101: acccumulate all available authority and delegate all attributable responsibility.
Assir Governor Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, who is director general of the King Faisal Foundation, has slammed what he called Western double standards regarding charitable organizations in Arab and Islamic countries. âWhy do they accuse our charities of promoting violence and terrorism while they extend their humanitarian services to all peoples?â he said. He also said that the winners of King Faisal Prizes would be announced in February next year.
Uhhh... I dunno. Could have something to do with all the arms and ammunition. And the explosives...
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
11/04/2003 23:00 ||
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...extend their humanitarian services to all peoples?
Yes, after all, nail-encased explosive belt shrapnel extends out to young and old, male and female, and Jew and Christian alike without prejudice.
Posted by: Dar ||
11/04/2003 10:30 Comments ||
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#2
So Khaled will be stopping their double standard and allowing Catholic charities to operate in Soddyland.....didn't think so
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/04/2003 11:12 Comments ||
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#3
Well, there does seem to be a bit of a double standard. After all, aside from the violence, anti-semitism, murder, propaganda and terrorism, Hamas is basically a humanitarian organization.
#4
I think he's saying Christian charities shouldn't operate in Islamic countries.
Sounds like an idea to me!
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
11/04/2003 13:04 Comments ||
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#5
Muslim Charity, when not devoted to bombs or madrassas, is limited solely to the Faithful. Christian Charities are banned because their "no one excluded" policy makes the Islamic charities look selfish and narrow. Not only are the infidel churches not allowed to be taller than a mosque, but their charities are not allowed to be better than theirs. Since that's a really low bar to hurdle, the Islamazoids settle for banning them instead.
Tech Central Staion - EFL I always used to make NATO jokes that revolved around the military contribution of Luxembourg and Liechtenstien. Whoâs laughing now.
It all seemed like a done deal. After half a year of tough negotiations an agreement on the enlargement of the European Economic Area, a free-trade zone that includes all EU countries plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, had finally been reached at the end of July. Only a final signature from all the parties was needed to ship the agreement off for final ratification in the national parliaments. This would have secured a parallel enlargement of the EU and the EEA on May 1, 2004. But that was before EU ministers and their counterparts from the EEA and the European Free Trade Area (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland) met to sign the agreement in Luxembourg in the middle of October. There, the re-emergence of an historic row between Liechtenstein and the Czech and Slovak Republics brought everything to an abrupt halt. Liechtenstein did not want to sign the deal, nor did the Czech and Slovak Republics.
The problems date back to when the nation-states of Europe did not even exist. Several centuries ago the ruling family of Liechtenstein owned huge chunks of land in what is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia, both of which are about to accede to the European Union. Wars, political changes and upheavals as well as changing borders resulted in more and more of this land being confiscated. Its former proprietors, the royal family of Liechtenstein, has only partially been compensated for the expropriations of land that have taken place over the last century in particular. But the problems are not solely based on the issue of land -- difficult as that can be. Until this day the Czech and Slovak Republics question the legitimacy of Liechtenstein as a sovereign state -- partly out of fear of huge claims of compensation from the royal house of Liechtenstein for what it perceives as partially illegal land-grabs. This conflict that now threatens the whole future of the EEA-agreement.
Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein (whose subjects recently voted to give him back some of their democratic powers) said he does not see it as his main responsibility to save the EEA agreement at any price. He considers it very likely that Norway -- the largest EEA/EFTA state -- will apply for EU membership within the next five years. Iceland, the other EEA/EFTA state, has also recently started sniffing around a future EU membership. In other words, so the logic seems to go in Vaduz, why save a ship that in any case seems to be on the verge of sinking. The situation is now a stalemate. Politicians in Norway and Iceland are shivering at the idea that the EEA agreement actually could end up being torpedoed by this old conflict. If the row is not settled quickly, the princeâs prediction may well come true faster than he ever expected. Norway has a government that builds its relations with the EU on the foundations of the EEA agreement. It does not want any other relationship with the EU, as that would automatically dissolve the cabinet. Headed by Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik, the current coalition government is formed around a suicide clause, which states that "if the issue of EU membership is raised on the agenda, the cabinet will lay down its work."
Perhaps not surprisingly, EU membership has not been discussed much recently in Norway. However, should the EEA agreement fall, EU-membership would most likely be the only alternative for the majority in the Norwegian Storting (parliament). To fall back on a free-trade agreement from 1972 is not really an option for most of the MPs in Oslo. And, a swift move for Norwegian EU membership following the scrapping of EEA would most certainly force Iceland to follow suit.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 2:45:37 PM ||
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#1
This is silly. Every nation/people in the world lost land at some point or another. Its gone, Liechtenstein, get over it. And the Czech and Slovak Republics questionoing the legitimacy of Liechtenstein, which has been around long before Czechloslovaki split is just plain silly.
There are many reasons for a nation to avoid membership in the EU but this one is pretty lame. Membership in the Eu could actually allow the parties to come to terms and end the old conflict using neutral mediators.
#2
The article is a bit less than accurate. The land that is at question was confiscated by the Communists after their takeover at the end of WWII. Many other landowners have received compensation, or at least acknowledgement of the loss, from the now free governments. The Prince is merely asking for the same treatment that many others have already received.
The Czechs and Slovaks, on the other hand, would suggest that the Principality's ties to Nazi Germany were rather more than the Prince is willing to admit, and that the confiscations were of property owned by a defeated power.
As long as Liechtenstein doesn't land troop in New York City and steal a secret weapon, we'll be ok.
#3
Thanks for the clarification, I almost thought they were talking Roman Empire times or something with silly lines like this: The problems date back to when the nation-states of Europe did not even exist.
#4
If they can't figure this one out and settle, how can they figure the big ones out?
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
11/04/2003 17:59 Comments ||
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#5
Chuck - I liked the movie too. Would the Czechs and Slovaks even have enough liquid assets to pay the compensation for that much land? I don't have strong feelings about whether the EU is a good idea or a bad one - it could be either depending on what the signatories make of it. I am encouraged that such a small country did not get steamrollered. As for Norway and Iceland, - there was more info on them that I cut - either they're in or they're out. The special side deals for non-EU members must be counterproductive at some point.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 18:36 Comments ||
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#6
But wait! Isnt' all this old anger going by the wayside? Isn't there a law? Isn't there a protocol? Isn't there a committee? I was gonna say it'll all be done by FIAT... but NO! The BMW Cabal have come up with better FROG tires. Watch out frog boy the horse gonna squish you again.
#7
If the EU needs money they should sell Greenland to the US. This would have a couple of advantages, first it would allow the US to create a missile defense without bothering Europe. Second, it would allow the inhabitants to become a territory of the US with all the benefits Puerto Rico currently enjoys (cultural protection, tax benefits, military protection and pay checks). Third, it would give Europe an influx of money.
The idea was floating during the cold war, its time again.
#8
I thought that Greenland was once part of Denmark but now has gone independent or autonomous or something?
Weird sidenote: several months ago I had read something bizarre about the US thinking of buying Patagonia from Argentina. Now this *wasn't* April 1 when I read it, but it was a couple weeks after, so I think it likely that it was a news item that originated as an April's fools joke and then lingered a bit more than it should. Especially since I never heard anything about it again.
May I assume that none of you has heard anything about this buying-Patagonia deal either?
#9
Patagonia's beautiful, but I've never heard of such a deal.
Greenland is still part of Denmark, but its got a lot of autonomy. Its technically not even called Greenland anylonger, its got a native name now. I think it would have more autonomy still if it became a territory of the US. The US is a sucker for our territories.
I thought the Gulag had been closed.
POTMA, RussiaâThe 600-kilometer journey from Moscow to Potma is a journey back to the gulag. Millions passed through a similarly bleak and snowy landscape and then along densely wooded roads to forest camps such as Potma. The sense of returning to the Soviet prison system continues as you pass through the campâs gate and past its watchtower. Time seems to be in slow motion; the rooster crowing on a nearby fence adds to the surreal sense of walking onto a film set. In fact, on occasion, time seems to have frozen or be rewinding. In offices, halls, and corridors, portraits of Lenin still hang where a picture of President Vladimir Putin might be expected.
To call this the gulag is more than a flight of imagination. Potma was part of the Soviet gulag (though not the gulag of the Great Purges), and its unusual featureâall its inmates come from countries beyond the former Soviet Union, making it Russiaâs only prison camp for foreignersâis also what distinguished it in the Soviet era. Potma is an anachronism, something that the head of the regional prison service freely admits. "There are no special institutions where foreigners live separately anywhere in the world,â says Mikhail Pobudilin. âHere this has come about. I do not think that is right, though.â
Potma also continues the gulag tradition of forced labor. Prisoners sew army uniforms, and make chess sets and furniture. Prisoners can be fined for deliberate underperformance, while repeated failure to meet targetsâor vandalism and sabotageâcan be punished with a spell in solitary confinement. How long prisoners work every day in forest camps such as Potma is a matter of dispute. Karinna Moskalenko, a Moscow lawyer who defends foreigners in criminal cases, says women prisoners work for 10 hours a day, six days a week, and sometimes Sundays. That is a âpure lie,â says Pobudilin. At least here in Mordovia, a region famous only for its 16 prison camps and red currants, the working day is eight hours long and five days a week, he says. âPotma is the gulag. Potma is frightening,â Moskalenko insists.
Erik Thygessen, a Norwegian welder sent to Potma for smuggling three kilograms of cocaine into St. Petersburg, agrees that Potma can be frightening. He spent his early days in the camp living in fear. Certainly, on arriving here, it can seem like a home to fear: a huddle of prisoners behind the metal fence turned and hid inside a small wooden shed when a camera was raised. Clearly, though, for some men, the fear eased. When asked whether the money he was offered for smuggling drugs was worth the risk, another Erik, a Swedish stoker, smiles and says, âI think so, yes.â If the other prisoners feel the same, the Russian authorities could have a problem: about 90 percent of foreign prisoners were convicted for smuggling, selling, or having drugs.
In fact, judging by Erikâs response, perhaps Russiaâs foreign prisoners should be thankful that the authorities have not reformed the prison system. âHistorically during the Soviet era, there was some sort of an individual approach to this category [of prisoners]," says Pobudlin. The attitude persists. âRussians are Russians,â says Potmaâs Deputy Governor Igor Zyuzin dismissively. âForeigners need another approach. They are brought up to respect human rights and their own dignity. You must be different with them than you would be with the average Russian Vanya [a diminutive from the name Ivan].â I swear Iâm not Russian. Borscht, never heard of the stuff. Ow...
The message is echoed by Gennady Vodrin, the campâs press spokesman, who says âone should be more correct with [foreigners]. Embassies come to see them. People who work here are different.â Hate to be in one of the camps for locals.
How different the guards are and how different the conditions are can be hard to tell. The seeming hyperbole and unreassuring comparisons that Vodrin produces certainly undermine confidence in their statements. âNinety-five percent [of the prisoners] are happy that they are here,â he claims. âIn Afghanistan, a prison is just a hole in a cliff. In China, they just shoot them all.â Maybe we can rent some space for the overflow of jihadis.
I'd rather rent that from the Chinese. I'd save Potma for the Fallujah tough guys.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 2:16:00 PM ||
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I suggest the "Little America" base in Antarctica: this years Ramadan falls during Antarctica's summer. :-)
#2
Hey, a life in the woods ain't bad for smuggling in 3 KG of Coke. Try that in Saudi and see how far you get. Maybe we should contract with the Russians for incarcerating our drug peddlers.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
11/04/2003 17:44 Comments ||
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Deck chairs/Titanic? New boss/old boss?
Franceâs Revolutionary Communist League (LCR) has announced it is moving away from old Soviet-style rhetoric, as a new opinion poll shows the extreme-left making significant ground on the mainstream political scene. At its 15th party congress on Saturday, delegates of the Trotskyist party voted overwhelmingly to drop the Marxist tenet of the dictatorship of the proletariat, a move described as a "pleasant surprise" by one LCR member. The "Stalinist reference had become too heavy a load," the delegate said. The party also voted in favour of an alliance with the fellow Trotskyist Workers Struggle party (LO). LO leader Arlette Laguiller won 5.8 percent of the vote in this yearâs oresidential election, won by Jacques Chirac. According to a poll published in Sundayâs Journal du Dimanche newspaper, the two parties combined could do even better at the ballot box. Nine percent of respondents said they had voted for the extreme left before and would do so again while a further 22 percent said they would consider voting for them for the first time.
Posted by: Seafarious ||
11/04/2003 11:30:12 AM ||
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My background on communism is very nuanced. What is the specific difference between Trotsky, Lenin and Marx? Feel free to leave out Stalin.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 11:58 Comments ||
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SH, let me take a crack at your question:
Lenin and Marx died natural deaths ?
They had different approaches to the facial grooming issue ?
Am I close to the correct answer ?
Posted by: Carl in N.H. ||
11/04/2003 12:08 Comments ||
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#3
Thank you, Carl. Anything good up for a vote in NH? My precinct had only a referendum on the sshool system wanting more money.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 12:34 Comments ||
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On the face of it, not much. However, the terms "Stalinist" and "Trotskyist" actually have some specific meanings, Trotskyists seem to be the more intellectual (albeit biased and coused), Stalinists more authoritarian, and the Maoists just outright violent and "endless revolution" spewers :P
Posted by: Lu Baihu ||
11/04/2003 12:40 Comments ||
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#5
Trotsky was a left-deviationist, metropolitan wrecker.
#7
The main difference as I understand it is Trotsky was killed before he could say or do anything really wacked. Less history to rewrite, less known and less discredited. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
#9
In a nutshell, Marx analyzed the functioning and faults of the capitalist system, but was pretty vague about the nature of socialism and the way to get there. Therefore Marx has served as inspiration for everyone from the most brutal totalitarian thugs to sincere believers in democracy. Lenin moved from a focus on class relations WITHIN capitalist society, to a focus on relations BETWEEN societies (IE imperialism) he broke with Social Democrats who wanted to achieve Socialism by electoral success, and reemphasized the notion of revolution, and restored use of the word Communism (which had fallen into disuse in favor of socialism even before Marx's death) He also said that revolution could be achieved by a small, secretive, centrally run party.
Trotsky claimed to be the true air of Lenin (rather than Stalin) and differed (somewhat inconsistently) with Stalin over various issues. Trotskyites tended to be somewhat more intellectually independent in the '30' and '40s then Stalinists, since they didnt have to follow a party line coming out of Moscow. This has given the impression that Trotskyism is somehow more "democratic" than Stalinism, though a close analysis of the records of Lenin and Trotsky before Stalin came to power will show that this is NOT so.
Note that Marxist of all stripes are quite avid players of the "im a real socialist and youre not" game, at least as much as say Islamists.
The notion that Trotsky somehow didnt consider himself a Marxist, or that Trotskyism is not a form of Marxism strikes me as absurd. Theyre dropping the phrase "dictatorship of the proletariat" is simply a sign of communist backwardness. Marxist Social Democrats (not all those who consider themselves Social Democrats are Marxists) long ago adopted norms of democratic legality. To them "Dict of Prol" meant an end state when, as Marx forecast, the Proletariat would be 99% of society (a good social forecaster Marx was NOT) so it effectively WOULD be democracy. The Leninists never bought this interpretation, and are now stuck with an embarrassing doctrine - so they are forced to be LESS Marxist than the Social Democrats. (see how this resembles Islamism?)
All in all - this a result of the changing classs structure of society, which has gone in a VERY different direction from the way Marx forecast, thrusting the left into confusion. Many social democrats have attempted to adjust by moving to the center and becoming a "3rd way". The eurocoms have tried to replace the Socialists as the Left, but also are trying to keep their ideological heritage, and their base of Extremists. Which leads them into somersaults like the above.
My judgement on Marx - a good social analyst, and decent(though flawed) historian. A flawed economist, and ultimately a failed social forecaster. And an absolute zero as a developer of a real political option.
#10
BTW, at least one faction of Trotskyites went further than others,and claimed the USSR under Stalin was a betrayal of Socialism, and advocated making common cause with the US against the USSR. These became some of the most bitter anti-Stalinists in the Socialist camp. Some members of this group, souring on socialism, remained bitter anticommunists, and fairly quickly moved through social democracy and Hawkish liberalism :) all the way to Reaganism. They retained, however, very sharp intellects, an awareness of class issues in politics, a generally secular outlook (tempered by a pragmatic view of religion as a force for order and against totalitarianism) a delight in factional politics, and tendency to see the big, intellectual picture. Perhaps to the point where they overlook practical obstacles. These people (and some people who were never Trotskyites) are today lovingly called neo-conservatives. The key figure, who actually was a Trotskyite and made the full transition to Reaganite, is Irving Krystol. His son William was an aide to Dan Quayle, and is today editor of The Weekly Standard. They are bitterly hated by most leftists, and by Buchananite "paleocons" and of course by Islamists and Jew-haters around the world. They tend to win some sympathy from liberal hawks to their left, and from National Review type conservatives to their right.
#11
Nothing interesting that I noticed SH, certainly not in my little town. Still early, though, I am sure there will be a news item later this week about some odd local issue.
Posted by: Carl in N.H. ||
11/04/2003 14:02 Comments ||
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#12
Didn't Trotsky write a piece praising the virtues of terrorism?
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
11/04/2003 14:04 Comments ||
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#13
NOT funny, tu3031!
Posted by: Luigi the Lurker ||
11/04/2003 14:07 Comments ||
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#14
Trotsky was an -internationalist- Marxist, as opposed to Stalin's "revolution in one country." Leon's only beef with Stalin's killin' was that he wuz a killin' the wrong chillun'.(i.e. his former allies the Old Bolshies, in the Terror trials) Trotsky didn't really give a hang about the Ukranians or "kulaks," he wanted a world-wide revolutionary blood-bath, including killing all leftists who disagreed with him. To prove his seriousness on this point, he was the chief architect of the Kronstadt massacre where 15,000 anarchist sailors of the Russian Baltic Fleet were gunned down for demanding real leftist democracy.
Posted by: Ernest Brown ||
11/04/2003 14:57 Comments ||
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#15
Someone here knows nothing about French politics: LCR has ever been Trotskist and thus strongly opposed to the Parti Communiste (PC) who was Pro-Soviet.
For the difference between Trotskists and regular Communists, it is quite simple: Communists can be realist (at least for a time) and avoid shooting priests and officers when they have a war in their hands, allow some private enterprise when econmy is going down and so on. Trostskist find them too soft, denounce Communist's accommodations with reality and ever ask more than them: more salary rises, more nationalizations, more shootings.
Communists have ever beaten them and I tend to think that avoiding Trostki rising to power has been one of two good things Stalin did in his life (the other one being defeating Hitler).
#18
Trotsky was also the first Foreign and War Minister of the fledgling Bolshevik government. He spent a lot of time from 1918 to 1924 or so building the Red Army before being exiled by Stalin.
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/04/2003 15:52 Comments ||
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#19
Christopher Hitchens once considered himself a Trotskyist, which seems to fit with Liberalhawks definition more than anything else.
#21
Thanx to all who participated in the thread and especially Liberalhawk. I took a year of Russian and a semester of Russian history in college - many moons ago - this thread covered about a week of classwork. The only guy I vaguely remeber that wasn't hit was N Buhkarin - who was supposed to be closer to what today is a social democrat. I beleive Lenin had him executed - in a more traditional way than icepick bludgeoning.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 19:42 Comments ||
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#22
I took a year of Russian and a semester of Russian history in college -
It's changed since then.
Matter of fact it's changed since just now. :)
#23
For me it's really quite simple: Trotsky wanted to let everybody keep their firearms, Lenin ordered them all taken away. That makes Trotsky the best of a bad lot, hands down.
To bad he didn't have his gat with him one dark night in Mexico City....
Looks like the Olympics shouldnât be staged in Germany for a few more years yet.
The head of Germanyâs special forces has been sacked for allegedly backing an MP who is accused of anti-Semitism. Defence Minister Peter Struck fired Brigadier General Reinhard Guenzel for apparently praising MP Martin Hohmann. Mr Hohmann has caused a national row with comments comparing the actions of Jews in the 1917 Russian revolution with those of the Nazis. General Guenzel is said to have written to Mr Hohmann, praising his "courage". Mr Struck insisted that General Guenzelâs views were not widespread in the armed forces. "This is about a lone, confused general who agreed with an even more confused statement made by a conservative member of parliament," he said. You canât help wondering why the German special forces employ âlonelyâ and âconfusedâ people as Generals...? Should make the Eurocorps an even more entertaining troupe, I suppose.
Mr Hohmann sparked a furore when he suggested it might be possible to consider Jews as a "Taetervolk", or race of perpetrators, as Germans are seen, because of Jewish actions during the Bolshevik revolution. Well that sure makes sense. Iâll bet there mustâve been some red-heads in the Waffen SS. Does that make red-heads Taetervolk too?
In an interview for ZDFâs Frontal 21 programme Mr Hohmann, an MP for the opposition right-wing CDU, read out the letter of support from General Guenzel. "It was an excellent speech, of a courage truth and clarity which one seldom hears or reads in our country," Mr Hohmann quoted the letter as saying. "Even though all those who support this view or who articulate it loud and clear are categorised by public opinion as right-wing extremists, you can be sure that you are doubtless speaking for the majority of the population," he also quoted the general as writing. Any other idiots want to commit career suicide?
Posted by: Bulldog ||
11/04/2003 10:00:56 AM ||
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It's those darn Jooos again.
If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be making these idiotic comments.
Posted by: Daniel King ||
11/04/2003 10:03 Comments ||
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#2
So an MP makes some outrageously anti-Semitic statements, an idiot general backs him up and the general is fired, but the MP is still and MP?
#3
Somebody will draw a parallel between Boykin and this guy. I know it will happen; I can feel my gag reflex starting...
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 12:01 Comments ||
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Misha - the government can fire generals quite easily - RE Wesley Clark as NATO chief. MP's have to be voted out of office by their constituancy. Bit harder, especially in Germany.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
11/04/2003 13:17 Comments ||
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#5
The good general apparently read too many books from the German "history war" of a decade or so ago.
#6
MP's have to be voted out of office by their constituancy.
I believe Germany has proportional representation. My understanding is that MP's in Germany aren't selected by a specific area's voters - seats are apportioned based on party seniority and the total number of seats assigned to a given party depends on the percentage of votes that party receives. The MP in question could be ousted by his party's honchos, but not by voters.
"The German election system combines majority and proportional representation. Each voter has two votes. The first vote is cast for a specific candidate running in the voter's electoral district. The winner of a plurality of these votes represents that electoral district in the Bundestag. The second vote is cast for a party. A list of candidates for this vote is drawn up by each party in each of the federal states. "
Either way, I don't think that an MP could be ousted by his party once elected, regardless of whether he was elected through the proportional or the majority system.
#8
Let a man hold his tongue, and he will pass for a sage. But some of us are smarter than that - and we will see he has spit on his fingers. Yucky, but effective. Only The Shadow knows what stupidity lurks in the hearts of men. Besides their mistresses, of course. And prolly their bartenders.
An explosion rocked the Turkish embassy in The Hague Tuesday and fire broke out after a man left a package on the premises, officials said. Turkeyâs ambassador to the Netherlands said the blast was caused by a device left by a man who had entered the chancellery asking for information. The blast damaged a door and the man ran away, ambassador Tacan Ildem told Turkish television. "A man coming to the embassy to get some information set off an explosive which caused a fire. The man, wearing a black jacket, managed to escape after a struggle with security guards. The man spoke Dutch and is not a Turkish national," Ildem was quoted as saying on a Dutch television Web site. Embassy officials found a second package in the same area and bomb disposal experts were tackling it, a Turkish foreign ministry official said. Interior Ministry spokesman Frank van Beers said he understood one person had been arrested and another person had jumped out of an embassy window.
"Ow! My arches!"
Embassy officials told Reuters no one had been injured. The embassy was cordoned off by police but not evacuated. Witnesses saw a bomb squad expert clad in a bombproof suit entering the back of the embassy and a bomb-detection robot was being prepared to go in. Kurdish separatists, far-leftists, Islamists, Armenian and Greek militants have all carried out attacks on Turkish targets since the 1970s. Gee, a lot of people donât like you, Murat.
Posted by: Steve ||
11/04/2003 9:45:45 AM ||
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leading to a Kurdish crackdown, of course - keep them out of Kurdish Iraq
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/04/2003 10:00 Comments ||
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Looks like they got him, well, somebody: A man entered the Turkish Embassy in The Hague on Tuesday and detonated a bomb that started a small fire but did little damage and caused no injuries, the Turkish ambassador said. The suspect, who apparently pretended to be picking up a visa, fled the scene before the 11:30 a.m. explosion but was arrested later, said Frank van Beers of the Internal Affairs Ministry. Van Beers said "someone has been arrested," but did not elaborate. The identity of the suspect was not known and city officials in The Hague declined to comment.
Posted by: Steve ||
11/04/2003 10:57 Comments ||
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Sounds like the netherlands is becoming a quagmire. I wonder if the Turkish government will reduce their diplomatic staff in light of the recent bombing.
French anti-terror police have arrested five people suspected of links with the Real IRA.
Which is not the same thing as the IRA, the Genuine IRA, the Really Truly IRA...
The five, all French nationals, are said to be from the Brittany area. Some were detained in Brittany and the rest in Normandy in northern France, during raids early on Tuesday. Al Keltic?
Jean-Pierre O'Reilly? Mickey LeBeauf?
They were held after police discovered a cache of weapons and ammunition outside the ferry port of Dieppe. They are suspected of involvement in a support network for the Irish group, police sources have told AFP. A small group of Breton nationalists has previously been found to be backing Spanish Basque militant group ETA, but it is not known whether the suspects in this case are Breton nationalists.
Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
11/04/2003 6:06:24 AM ||
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Couldn't they come up with a better name. It has a new Coke versus old Coke ring to it.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 12:40 Comments ||
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Brittany is of Celtic heritage. They even play bagpipes! They have always been very pro-IRA. This is nothing new. Use to be a large wayshipment port for arms into Fenfit near Tralee.
Posted by: Jack is Back! ||
11/04/2003 12:57 Comments ||
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Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 19:46 Comments ||
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The IRA Classic, aka Provos used to make homemade rockets out of large oxygen or nitrogen cylinders and launched them into the North from the Republic across the border, toward Derry. If they did not blow up, they would give you a hell of a headache!
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
11/04/2003 22:18 Comments ||
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In a surprise move Sri Lankaâs president suspended parliament, fired three top government ministers and deployed troops at key buildings in the capital of Colombo today, the state-run news media reported. The move sparked a political crisis in the country and fueled fears that a two-year cease-fire between government forces and ethnic Tamil rebels would collapse. Sri Lankan political analysts said President Chandrika Kumaratunga appeared to be trying to severely weaken her bitter political rival, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. President Kumaratunga has harshly criticized the prime minister for making too many concessions in peace talks with the rebel group, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The prime minister was in Washington meeting senior American officials today and is scheduled to meet with President Bush on Wednesday. Mr. Wickremesinghe issued a statement in Washington accusing the Sri Lankan president of trying to derail the peace process.
Why is that phrase so often a synonym for engaging in self-preservation?
"The irresponsible and precipitous action of the president is aimed at plunging the country into chaos and anarchy," the prime minister wrote, according to the Associated Press. "I therefore call upon all of the people, the armed forces, police and public service to remain calm and vigilant in the face of this deliberate attempt to endanger the peace process."
"Yeah. Make sure you remain calm and vigilant in the face of... ummm... the president."
Both the president and prime minister were elected to their posts, but the president has far more power under Sri Lankaâs constitution. The presidentâs term runs out in 2005. The prime ministerâs term runs out in 2007. Citing a deteriorating security situation in the country today, the president fired the prime ministerâs appointees in the three key government ministries â defense, interior and state-run media. She also suspended parliament, where the prime ministerâs party holds a slim two-seat majority, for two weeks. TamilNet, a Web site with close ties to the Tamil rebels, reported that the presidentâs move had "dimmed" hopes for an end to a 20-year civil war that has killed 65,000 people. Tamils, who are Hindus, said they took up arms to defend themselves from Sri Lankaâs majority Sinhalese community, who are Buddhists.
Ceylon's been independent of India for about 2500 years, with a distinctive culture founded in Lesser Vehicle Buddhism. For most of those 2500 years, such Tamils as have immigrated have been absorbed into the Sinhalese population. The latest batch of immigrants have decided they can't abide the locals and have want to gnaw off a part of the country for themselves.
"We are carefully monitoring and studying the developments," the Web site quoted Daya Master, the rebelâs media coordinator, as saying. "Based on this, our leadership will decide what to do."
My guess is that they'll continue drafting kiddies and blowing people up. They figure if the Muslims can get away with it, so can they.
After six rounds of negotiations led by Norway and backed by the United States, peace talks stalled in April. The rebels walked out, saying the government had done too little to rehabilitate the war-ravaged northeast. On Saturday, the rebels issued a proposal where they dropped their central demand for an independent Tamil state.
Decided to go for the whole country, did they?
The group, which controls much of the countryâs north and east, called for the establishment of a Tiger-dominated interim administration, which would have sweeping power over everything from land to justice in those areas.
"Yeah. We won't be 'independent.' We'll just do as we damned well please and the gummint can butt the hell out."
The prime ministerâs government responded that the two sidesâ proposals differed "in fundamental respects," but said talks should continue. President Kumaratungaâs party, by contrast, flatly rejected the rebel proposal and said the prime minister was doing too little to ensure that the rebels were not simply rearming to fight another day. The United States has declared the group, the Tamil Tigers, a terrorist organization. It has carried out more suicide bombings than any other group or movement in the world.
But that's okay. Just let them have a third of the country for themselves, until they decide they want the whole thing.
Jayadeva Uyangoda, head of the Political Science Department at the University of Colombo, said in a telephone interview from Colombo that the president must be cautious. If war erupts, she could be blamed. "Itâs not very clear about the next move of the president," he said. "The country is in for some degree of political uncertainty and instability for some time to come."
Self-preservation sometimes does that...
Rohan Edrisinha, director of the Center for Policy Alternatives, a nonprofit institute in Colombo, said the most dangerous scenario involved the president, who is commander of the army, ordering the armed forces to make a provocative move against the rebels. The rebels could respond and fighting would resume.
Provoke them? Somebody's moved in and set up shop in a substantial part of your country and you don't want to provoke them?
The streets of Colombo were calm tonight, Sri Lankan observers said. But they said that the epic political struggle between the countryâs two leading politicians was entering a dangerous new phase. "Probably she felt this is the time to strike," Mr. Edrisinha said in a telephone interview from Colombo. "A lot could happen in the next four to five days."
Recently I read in the media a memo had been recorded by Donald Rumsfeld, the US defence secretary, in which he reportedly expressed exasperation over the fact that the more the number of jihadi terrorists the US forces put out of action in Afghanistan and Iraq, the more the number of jihadi terrorists who come out of the madrassas to replace them. He did not mention the country in which these madrassas are located. From the context of the memo, it was apparent these madrassas are the madrassas in Pakistan.
Last year, Jessica Stern, a counterterrorism expert at the Howard University, brought out a very widely read study on the working of the madrassas in Pakistan, where she describes them as jihad factories. In India the problem is the same one Rumsfeld referred to. The problem which we are facing today in Kashmir is not because of Kashmiri militancy but because of large-scale infiltration of people into Kashmir from Pakistan. Till 1993, the number of foreigners killed by the security forces in Kashmir used to come to 32. It went up to 172 per annum between 1993 and 1998. Since 1999, our security forces have been killing 951 foreign mercenaries per annum in Kashmir. The majority of them are Pakistani nationals.
Iâd request the distinguished panel to read the reports, the annexures of the report of the State Department on Patterns of Global Terrorism, 2002, submitted to the US Congress in May this year. They refer to the fact that most terrorist organisations operating today in Kashmir are foreign. The State Department report says that almost all Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists are foreigners, mostly Pakistanis from madrassas across the country and Afghan veterans of the Afghan wars. In respect to each organisation the State Department report says, in anticipation of asset seizures by the Pakistani government, the organisation withdrew funds from bank accounts. This shows how sincere or how insincere the government of Pakistan has been in acting against terrorist funding.
I would like to draw the attention of the panel also to four other recent documents of the US government. On October 14, the Department of Treasury issued an order freezing the bank accounts of a supposedly charity organisation of Pakistan called the Al Akhtar Trust. It says the charity trust was founded by the Jaish-e-Muhammad, the same organisation whose supporters have played a leading role in the kidnapping and murder of Daniel Pearl and which has been active in Jammu and Kashmir. This organisation is supposed to have been banned (in Pakistan) by an order issued on January 15, 2002. If it was banned, how did the Pakistan government allow it to start a charity and collect funds? The second significant observation in that order of the US Department of Treasury is the Al Akhtar Trust funded jihad not only in Pakistan and Afghanistan, but is also suspected of funding jihad in Iraq. That means an organisation founded in Pakistan has been funding attacks on the American troops in Iraq. How did this happen? What action did General Pervez Musharraf take against this organisation?
The other order is of the US Department of Treasury. Dated October 16, it concerns Dawood Ibrahim, head of a mafia group closely involved with terrorist groups. He was involved in the explosions in Bombay in 1993, along with five others who have been given shelter in Pakistan. The government of India has been repeatedly asking for their arrest and handing over to India so that they could be tried for terrorism. But the government of Pakistan has all the time been maintaining that they are not on Pakistani territory. This order, which has designated Dawood Ibrahim as a global terrorist, says, he had links with Al Qaeda and with the Taliban and had been helping them by placing his ships at their disposal. Two, it also says he has been living in Karachi and gives his passport number. In spite of that, the Pakistan government has denied that he is in Karachi, denied this passport belongs to him. For these reasons, when Musharraf says he has been taking action against terrorists, we in India find it difficult to believe it.
One last point. We in India are gratified by the fact that justice has at last been done to the families of victims of the Lockerbie tragedy. Your plane was blown up by a Libyan intelligence officer. He planted the explosives. The US imposed punitive sanctions against Colonel Gaddafi. They held him responsible for allowing his intelligence agencies to blow up the aircraft. Ultimately, justice was done. Thereâve been seven instances of terrorist attacks directed against Indian civil aviation: five instances of hijacking by Sikh terrorists of Punjab; one instance of hijacking by a Wahhabi terrorist organisation of Pakistan, the Harakat ul-Mujahedeen, 1999; one instance in which an Air India plane, Kanishka, was blown up off the Irish coast, resulting in the death of over 200 civilians; and one instance in which an unsuccessful attempt was to blow up another Air India aircraft in Tokyo. And all these instances took place when the military was in power. There has not been a single attack on civil aviation by terrorist groups from Pakistan when a democratically elected government was in power. The people involved in the explosions have been given sanctuary in Pakistan. Is it not the responsibility of the international community to see they are brought to trial? Doesnât it have an obligation to do justice to the families of the victims, just as it was required to do justice to the victims of Lockerbie?
Pakistani soldiers killed two al-Qaida suspects in a shootout along the Afghan border, government and intelligence officials said Tuesday. The gunfight occurred Monday in Zarray Lita, a small border town about 30 miles northwest of Wana, the capital of the South Waziristan tribal region, said Rahmatullah Wazir, deputy chief of the local administration. He said the identity or nationality of the al-Qaida suspects was not clear. "I can only confirm that the dead men were foreigners," he said. "How do I know that, I just canât say."
A local intelligence official told The Associated Press that three al-Qaida suspects were spotted by a Pakistani border patrol trying to enter Pakistan from Shkin, a town just across the border in Afghanistan. "They were asked to surrender but they opened fire," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "Drop the guns and stickâem up!"
"Like hell we will! Take that...ouch..ouch!"
One of them managed to escape, returning to Afghanistanâs Paktika province. "Feet, donât fail me now!"
The area where the shootout occurred is close to Angoor Ada where the Pakistani army raided suspected al-Qaida hide-outs last month, killing eight al-Qaida suspects in a daylong shootout. Eighteen other suspects were arrested.
Posted by: Steve ||
11/04/2003 11:04:37 AM ||
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Are they sure these aren't two of teh Pakistani AQ members that the Afghan forces returned yesterday?
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 13:09 Comments ||
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Robert Spencer at Jihad Watch points to a letter in the Pakistan Christian Post in which somebody claims to be "Chevalier James R. Johnson, Grand Prior of the United States"... of the Knights Templar. The letter in question challenges Osama Bin Laden to a duel, excerpt:
We have noted that you like to refer to America and Great Britain as "Crusader states," and you have referred to just about everybody you donât like as Crusaders. We doubt that you really believe there are any Crusaders left, as we doubt that you really believe in God. You would not taunt Crusaders if you really believed in them, because you are a craven coward who cherishes his own flesh while admonishing your followers to blow themselves up. You are an infidel, because no one who truly believes in God would sanction the killing of innocent men, women, and children. Your actions show you to be both a coward and an infidel, because you ask your followers to do what you are afraid to do, and you donât believe there is a God who will condemn you for your vile actions against Islam and humanity.[...]
This Knight Templar calls you a craven coward and an infidel. He calls you a murderer of the innocent, and a defiler of holy places. He calls you the favorite son of Satan, for you above all men on the earth have done your best to do Satanâs bidding. Not only that, but to prove to the entire world that you are a coward and an infidel, this Knight Templar challenges you to single combat in the sands of Pakistan. I challenge you to meet me with scimitar or sword, to be pitted against myself and a holy sword consecrated to our Order—a sword that was forged to destroy evil. Hereâs the deal: if I win, Al Qaeda is disbanded-forever. If you win, then you can set the head of a Knight Templar on a pike outside your tent, and you can claim that you slew the chief of all Crusaders in the United States. My first reaction was, like Robert Spencerâs, to make fun of this nonsense, then I saw this advertisement in said Pakistan Christian Post:
Join Grand Priory of Pakistan of Knights Templar of Scotland by filling the Forms at the end of this page.
But first read about Knights Templar.
Nazir Bhatti ranked as First Knight From Pakistan and appointed as Grand Prior of Grand Priory of Pakistan.
Still silly, I know. But I believe that behind all this nonsense, there is a genuine chance Christian military organizations will be created as the âWar on Terrorâ drags on. Christians are being oppressed in Muslims lands, and young men in such situations usually fight back. Heck, perhaps they will receive some support from the Vatican, as soon as John Paul the Meek, I mean, the Second, kicks the bucket. Perhaps the Knights Templar, or something like it, will really ride again.
I'm all for it. It would probably be creating a problem that would bite the world in the butt in 2089, long after the WoT is history — but what the hell? I won't be around then...
Posted by: Sorge ||
11/04/2003 9:14:47 AM ||
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Opening stories of the future:
"Today, the Knights Templar carried out another anti-slavery raid in the Sudan. An estimated 50 slavers were left dead, and 500 captives were freed. When asked, the Pope said, 'We're sick of the crap, and we're not going to take it anymore.' When pressed on the Templar's use of animist auxillaries, the Pope responded "Hey, it's not like they're Muslim. We can trust animists.'"
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
11/04/2003 9:29 Comments ||
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probably spurred by Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" an entertaining fictional account of a conspiracy to find the Holy Grail, hidden by the Knights Templar, and guarded by the Grand Priory. Good book, popular right now, and fiction, just like Michael Moore's documentaries
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/04/2003 9:56 Comments ||
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That's so completely quixotic, and yet, sad. The truth is that the best thing Pakistani Christians can do to combat Islamism is to migrate to America and assimilate into the general population. This way, instead of having to fight jihadis with edged weapons, their children will be able to fight them with JDAM's.
#7
Look at it this way: It's a more helpful proposal for fighting the WOT than any of the democratic candidates have come up with.
Posted by: Matt ||
11/04/2003 12:13 Comments ||
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This is great stuff - I hope it sends the turbans into a frothing fit. Go get em Nazir...we're rootin' for ya!
Posted by: Rex Mundi ||
11/04/2003 12:21 Comments ||
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Sit back and take a deep breath. Think this thing through. This has IMMENSE possibilities.
Can you imagine the apoplexy the Iranian mullahs would experience if someone made a few Knight Templar statements about them? Can you imaging how high Mullah Omar's blood pressure would rise if 'someone' began "organizing a crusade" to "free Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan from the clutches of the mullahs"? Why, some of them might get so excited, so enraged, they'd suffer massive heart attacks from the high blood pressure. Maybe they'd suffer an anurism or two. Certainly there would be a record run on blood pressure medications and such other medications as valium and other mood drugs.
Hmmmm. Maybe I need to drop a few bucks on some drug industry stock after all...
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
11/04/2003 13:30 Comments ||
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Onward Christian Soldiers
Marching off to war...
someone wrote a song already.
Posted by: john ||
11/04/2003 13:44 Comments ||
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#12
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored,
He has loosed the fateful lightening of His terrible swift sword
His truth is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.
I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps
l can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps
His day is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.
I have read a fiery gospel writ in burnish`d rows of steel,
"As ye deal with my contemners, So with you my grace shall deal;"
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel
Since God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.
He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment-seat
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.
In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
While God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.
It's not called "The Battle Hymn of The Republic" for nothing.
Posted by: Steve ||
11/04/2003 14:12 Comments ||
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As much as I respect him being a Knight Templar and the ideals he represent.............
This guy is insane. Everyone knows the place for a duel is outside the walls of Jerusalem.
Posted by: Charles ||
11/04/2003 16:01 Comments ||
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#14
Should post this on AL Q's web site,I can't dial- up connection giving me fits.
#16
I am reminded that the Brits took a crack at the BHOTR back in 9.2001... it was touching and a little scary. Most battle hymn of that variety have a direct link to the NEW MODEL ARMY. Get down!
#17
Knights Templar supposedly were destroyed in 1307 by Philip II, but legend proclaims that several of them escaped the pogrom with the Templars wealth an sailed to Scotland, where they formed the Scottist Rite Order of Free Masons. Did they? I have no idea, but this man obviously believes they did, and that as Grand Prior he has a right and duty to confront evil as he finds it. Is he nuts? Maybe, but we could use a few more like him.
The original Templars fought the saracens and gained respect for their religion, courage and honor. They would have had nothing but contempt for the modern day islamic cowards
A little glimmer that despite the encouraging words we throw their way, we don't trust them any further than we can throw them...
Such espionage has not been in evidence since the days of the Cold War, when electronic devices were attached to every nook and cranny of the embassies of the Soviet Union and its allies. The report said the task of facilitating the bugging operation was given to a former MI5 agent, codenamed Notation, who has since confessed his role in the operation to the high commission. "It is likely that the foreign office will now have the embarrassing task of explaining the espionage operation to its ally," the report said. It further claims that the MI5 took detailed plans and photographs of the mission before working out how to plant bugs in the telephone system and inside a closed-circuit television camera in the office of a diplomat. One officer is even alleged to have pretended to carry out a search for hazardous materials to gain access to secure areas. Meanwhile, agent Notation received tens of thousands of pounds as cash payment from MI5.
Doesn't sound like they got their money's worth...
He was, according to the Sunday Times, also told by his handler that the entire operation had been authorised at the highest level with warrants being signed by Home secretary David Blunkett.
Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
11/04/2003 4:27:53 AM ||
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I guess we aren't the only country with left-wing idiots in the Intel business.
Posted by: Charles ||
11/04/2003 4:46 Comments ||
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Britain's intelligence services have a loooonnnnng history of compromises and betrayals caused by lefties. Lefties recruited straight from elite universities, having bypassed the real world. IMO a requirement for access to anything remotely sensitive should be political affiliation. The left is not a friend of the west.
#4
Whatever happened to the D-Notice? Isn't the UK government allowed to shut down newspapers that report on secret material? A week-long closure should have the necessary deterrent effect.
#5
bulldog, Hanson had solid right wing credentials. Youve got to vet EVERYBODY. I wont say Cambridge was a one-off, but OTOH having people with leftie background was probably useful for a lot of Cold War ops. Certainly we used social dem types and trade unionists and others to infiltrate the labor movement on the continent, to set up alternate unions, papers, etc. Youve got to set that against the damage done by the Cambridge spies, who (BTW) were NOT of working class background.
New evidence has emerged which shows that deposed Iraqi president Saddam Hussein had links with several international companies to produce weapons of mass destruction. American investigators have unearthed Iraqi records of Saddamâs agents worldwide, a treasure trove of intelligence that US officials expect will help to identify foreigners paid to serve the former dictatorâs interests, the Asian Wall Street Journal (AWSJ) reported yesterday. US officials said archives of Iraqâs domestic security and foreign intelligence services, the broad reach of which had not been disclosed previously, could give a revealing look into Saddamâs efforts in the past decade to conduct intelligence activities and influence other countriesâ political stance towards Iraq.
Other Iraqi government documents reveal for the first time Baghdadâs efforts to buy from North Korea missiles with longer ranges than are allowed by United Nations sanctions. Previously, the Bush administration had disclosed that Iraq was seeking missile technology from North Korea, not actual missile purchases. From records and interrogations, the United States has also learnt that two teams of Yugoslav missile experts went to Iraq in 2001 to develop plans for extending the 290km range of Iraqâs Scud missiles by strapping several rocket motors together, the senior US official said. The revelation, if true, is significant because UN sanctions bar Iraq from possessing missiles with ranges above 150km.
Information contained in the files could prove troublesome for individuals, companies and countries that may be implicated in aiding Saddamâs regime, the AWSJ report said. The Iraqi documents are among 25 tonnes of papers seized at the abandoned headquarters of the countryâs intelligence services days after Baghdad fell in April, according to US officials. The records include a âcomplete listing of the amount of money paid for political influenceâ to foreigners, including politicians and businessmen, the report said.
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/04/2003 10:13:13 PM ||
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I received three pictures through various channels of an Abrams knocked out by an IED planted in the roadway which detonated immediately under the tank. I understand three of the four crewmembers survived, although they have to be in rough shape judging from the wreck.
From Memri:
IN A SURPRISING STATEMENT, IRAQI SHIâA LEADER MUQTADA AL-SADR SAID THAT SADDAM AND HIS FOLLOWERS ARE THE REAL ENEMIES OF IRAQ, NOT THE AMERICANS. HE SAID THE AMERICAN SOLDIERS ARE GUESTS AND THAT AMERICANS ARE A PEACE-LOVING PEOPLE. (AL-ZAMAN, IRAQ, 11/2/03) Think someone had a little heart-to-heart with Muqqy?
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/04/2003 16:55 Comments ||
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That heart-to-heart probably came from the mature Shia leaders. They realize we're their best hope for achieving political power in Iraq and don't want him to blow it.
#8
Gasse Katze, was that the reference that rantburgers were making when they talked about Arafat referring to the red notebook? That jokealways sailed right over my head - as do many others.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 19:20 Comments ||
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that came from Little Green Footballs which has had a delightful obsession with the miscellaneous articles on Arafish's desk (from news photos). The gist is he has all these documents/dreaded red binder on his desk - but WTF does he do???
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/04/2003 21:18 Comments ||
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-The practice of blaming âthe otherâ in our societies is not a recent one. It has been engraved deeply in our minds for centuries, for various reasons. A person usually denies his own mistakes in front of his peers, and attempts to blame them on âthe otherâ. Who is this âotherâ?. Sometimes it could be embodied, sometimes it could be invisible. This is the basis of all conspiracy theories, to acquit ones self from all responsibilities for its mistakes. We all remember as young schoolboys how we used to attribute our poor grades to the âbad teacherâ.
Everytime Saddam Hussein was asked about the reasons he waged war on Iran and Kuwait, he would answer coldly: It is always âthe otherâ who conspires against the great achievements of Al-Thawra (the revolution).
When we condemned Bin Laden and Hussein for all their atrocities against humanity, the conspiracy theorists would rush to us and correct us that âthe US are the ones to blame. After all they were who made Bin Laden and Saddam, werenât they?â. As if Saddam was just an innocent child or a pure angel before he established contact with the US. Or as if the US was the only power in the world who provided him any support or assistance. Also these people incorrectly assume that Islamic extremism was born today, or that it was the US that caused it to exist. Some even go far to try to convince us that these terrorist acts are the direct response to American policies in the region.
Just like they are trying to convince us today that the horrendous actions against Iraqi civilians today by militants/resistance/mujahedeen/terrorists are due to the American presence or occupation in Iraq. They forget that this sickened ideal would readily target other secularists/infidels/kafirs/reformists or any other creed that is different to theirs in the absence of an enemy such as the US in their way.
Weâre taking hits from all sides.
Iraqâs metric football soccer coach criticized the U.S.-led coalition for ignoring the needs of the national team and threatened to resign unless authorities help the squad prepare for the upcoming Asian championships. Maybe we should get the sewage system running right first.
"In a country without any working cinemas or theaters, where people are afraid to go out at night, the successes of our team are a matter of huge national pride," Bernd Stange said Sunday. "Thatâs important for the return of normalcy. Doesnât the coalition, doesnât Paul Bremer understand this?" Add this to the lessons learned so that we can do better in NK. Must support soc....
Stange, from Germany, complained that Bremer, Iraqâs chief U.S. administrator, had provided no support for the team and had not even called to congratulate the players after they qualified for the Asia Cup, the continentâs most prestigious competition that will be played in China in June. The Associated Press called coalition spokesmen several times but they were either out of their office or would not comment.
Bremer's an American. American football has helmets and padding and 350-pound linemen. We're not totally convinced that metric football exists.
Letâs not forget: must protect antiquti....
Stange, who used to coach East Germany and Australiaâs Perth Glory, took over the Iraqi national team in November. He remained outside the country during the U.S.-led invasion that ended in May with the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. Uday hired him. Must use some interesting motivational techniques.
They said he used to coach the East Germans...
Stange returned to Baghdad soon after to find the countryâs soccer infrastructure devastated by looters and the invading forces. Hey, bring back those shorts you bloody bastard. Thatâs it Iâm putting you in the book.
"I came here and found nothing, no balls, no nets, no funds, no competitions and no players," he said. "The main stadium had been turned into a parking lot for American tanks and its turf destroyed." And they drank all the #$!%# gatorade.
Stange quickly reassembled the team ahead of the qualifiers for the Asia Cup which Iraq had to play in Malaysia and Bahrain because it was impossible to have home games. We would have provided covering fire.
"We started from zero and we had three months to prepare for the qualifiers, but we did it," he said. "We came ahead in our group of teams that had spent millions to get to China." Iâm thinking that Mr. Strange has a single track mind. Maybe he should walk through one of the torture chambers police stations in Basra.
Stange lauded his "as extremely talented and motivated" players as well as the leadership of the Iraqi association, including interim president Hussain Saeed Mohamed and vice president Ahmed Rhady and other volunteers "who are working 20 hours a day without pay to revive the national league." I was told that there would be quite a few talented Kurds and Shia for the team, but they all seem to be missing.
"But for the coalition, I only have hard words," Stange said. "I know that soccer is not the most important thing in life, but this country has always been crazy about the game and they should understand that our successes are helping boost morale and lift Iraq from the ashes." He said that without an immediate infusion of money for soccer, it will be impossible to keep the national team together because all of its members have already signed or have been offered lucrative contracts in the Gulf countries and Saudi Arabia. "If there is no change, I will leave my job by the end of the year," Stange said.
That's too bad. G'bye.
In postwar Iraq, even the national coach is not immune to dangers. This week gunmen shot his driver in the leg, arm and head. On other occasion, Stange drove through a firefight between American troops and Iraqi fighters on the highway near the city of Fallujah. Stange says he wants to remain in Iraq because he believes the team will do well in the Asia Cup and qualify for the World Cup in Germany in 2006. "Thatâs my plan, I want them to play in my country as a symbol of the new Iraq," said Stange. I bet Bremer thought we sould get some slack in comparison to Uday.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 2:05:42 PM ||
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#1
somebody's lobbying for a narrow special interest?
Cheers all around!!! What could be less Baathist, or less Islamist, then this? this guy is ready for democracy, American Style. Iraq needs a thousand guys like this.
#2
Think it through. This is a GOOD thing. Are the complaints about lack of power, food or medicine? Are they about midnight raids and law-abiding citizens dragged off, never to be seen again? Remember this is six months after the country was blitzed.
No, they're about sports. On a par with the whining in Boston.
#3
He's German. He grew up with it, or at least has had a decade to get used to it.
He's also a whining snot; why not ASK people to help out? I'm sure some US soccer fans would be willing to kick in some cash to help out. Instead, he whines that the CPA isn't doing enough to subsidize a freaking sport while bombs are going off.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
11/04/2003 14:28 Comments ||
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#9
Okay, at first I was gonna lay into this coach as a whining opportunist but Liberalhawk and Mercutio are right. It would have been better if he complained to the Iraqi Governing council but he's got the right idea, make the authorities work for the people.
#10
Everybody knows soccer is boring. Well, to everyone else anyway. I seem to be the only person I know who can actual follow it and not fall asleep.
Posted by: Charles ||
11/04/2003 16:06 Comments ||
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#11
How can they call it Football when they don't use their hands?
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/04/2003 17:03 Comments ||
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#12
LOL Frank!
One of the things that makes the beautiful game beautiful, is the fact that you only need one thing to play it - A BALL. And an opponent if possible. You need somthing to represent goalposts, but stones will suffice for that.
Brazil didn't get to be the greatest footballing nation on earth because it throws money at the sport, for freak's sake - it's for precisely the opposite reason.
It's good that this whingeing guy's complaints are unwittingly illlustrating the improving situation in Iraq, and I appreciate his dedication to the national team, but come on...!
It was really only a matter of time... From the Times - reg reqâd (and I think itâs not free for those outside the UK)
HANDPICKED groups of British Muslims are among the increasing number of foreign fighters slipping into Iraq to join terrorist attacks against coalition troops. An Anglican peace envoy, Canon Andrew White, recently met one group of British men waiting to cross the Iraqi border who admitted that they were going to Baghdad âto be part of the battle against the evil occupying forcesâ. "Iraqi passport holder queue here" "Non-Iraqi passport holders queue here" "Jihadis queue beside the pit"
The men, in their late 20s and early 30s, were all British-born, they have families, own properties and claimed to have been recruited for their mission in Britain. âWhat struck me was that these were all stupidgullibletraitorous respectable men,â Canon White said yesterday. âSome had their own business or were professional men. They didnât have long beards and werenât shouting their mouths off like young fanatics.â Despite what some may think, natural selection doesnât only discriminate on the basis of beards and forms of employment.
Canon White, who is a frequent visitor to Baghdad as Director of the International Centre for Reconciliation at Coventry Cathedral, said that he had met other Britons intent on joining the attacks on British and US troops. He approached one group after they flew to Amman, the Jordanian capital, presuming that they were working for an aid organisation or the Coalition Provisional Authority running Iraq. âI told them that I was going to help in the struggle for peace and they laughed and said: âWe are going to be part of the struggle but not in the same way. ââOur struggle is with weapons,â they said.â The men were of Middle Eastern and Asian backgrounds, though all were born in the UK and travelling on British passports. Their plan was to drive from Amman to Baghdad, where they would be met by their Iraqi handler. "Welcome to your grave Iraq, brave cannon-fodder! Give me your passports, please. You wonât be wanting them again."
âUnlike many of the young men who just pitched up in Pakistan before the war with Afghanistan, bragging about wanting to join al-Qaeda, these men had apparently made their contacts while in Britain and were on some kind of organised mission.â Canon White said that senior Iraqi figures in the provisional Government had told him about their meetings with men who had come from Britain to join the so-called international jihad. He said that Muslim clerics in Britain were appalled at militant figures from âMujahidin-type organisationsâ who run what are advertised as prayer groups from private homes but which are in reality recruiting missions. âThe overwhelming majority of Muslim leaders here and in Iraq donât want foreigners going to Baghdad to fight when they are working for peace,â he said. "Having the worldâs crop of psychopathic nutjobs milling around does tend to make the job more difficult."
Intelligence authorities admit that they do not know how many Britons have travelled to Iraq since the build-up to war began. Donald Rumsfeld, the US Defence Secretary, said at the weekend that coalition troops had so far arrested up to 300 foreign fighters inside Iraq. They had come from up to 30 different countries. Gosh, Murat! B-b-but you told us these people were Iraqis!
A suicide bomber, who was shot before he could ram a car packed with 1,000lb of explosives into a Baghdad police station last week, was identified as a Yemeni carrying a Syrian passport. Recruitment to terrorist groups inside Iraq is believed to be on a much smaller scale than was the case in Afghanistan. None of the Britons who returned from Afghanistan has been prosecuted. Which is a disgraceful and inexcusable dereliction of duty by the government...
One security source said: âIraqi groups donât want dozens of amateurs wandering about getting themselves into trouble, as happened in the first weeks of the war in Afghanistan. âAl-Qaeda told these foreigners to go home as they were no use to them. They got sick, they couldnât adapt to the terrain or handle a weapon.â "They were just youthful dewey-eyed dreamers, carried here as if flower petals blown on the wind. All they wanted was to live according to the scriptures of the holy book, to kill and to maim..."
During the invasion of Iraq, British troops found foreign passports being carried by fighters who put up the fiercest resistance in the battle to occupy Basra. Some of those captured have been handed over to the US authorities for interrogation at Baghdad international airport, which the Americans are using as their main prison camp inside Iraq. British security authorities have expressed concern at the number of young men who have travelled to Syria in recent months to study Arabic or the Koran and who cannot now be traced. Some are believed to have moved on to the West Bank and Iraq. Paul Bremer, who leads the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad, criticised the Government in Damascus for not doing more to stop foreign fighters infiltrating Iraq from Syria. âWe have certainly got, because we have captured and killed them, members of al-Qaeda who may be coming in from Syria,â he said. Will the Labour government chunt down the traitors and their recruiters? Will they f***.
Posted by: Bulldog ||
11/04/2003 9:37:41 AM ||
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#1
"...chunt down..."! Cheese, I meant hunt.
Usually I don't bother to correct typos, (would take all day) but just thought I'd clarify in case anyone wonders whether the British government have diabolical secret methods for dealing with enemies of the state.
#2
âSome had their own business or were professional men. They didnât have long beards and werenât shouting their mouths off like young fanatics.â
So it's the "moderates" who are flocking to jihad?
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
11/04/2003 10:08 Comments ||
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#3
So it's the "moderates" who are flocking to jihad?
#5
The biggest mistake Americans and others have made is THINK that this cultural group will honestly and sincerely put the oath of allegiance above the oath to their religion.
Some groups find no problem in "giving to the state its due" but with the RoP only the dreamers.
Posted by: Barry ||
11/04/2003 11:32 Comments ||
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#6
Once again the major news sites are splashing "Bombs rack Baghdad" across the page. Looks like Ramadan is turning into Tet-LiteTM.
Posted by: Dar ||
11/04/2003 13:28 Comments ||
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#7
Bet Mom and Dad are proud.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 13:30 Comments ||
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#8
Wonder how many of them have already been whacked, and nobody's been told yet? Wonder where the other jihadis the Iraqi border guards waste every night come from? Someone needs to be keeping count, so we can deliver the bodies to their respective countries. Those going to Arab countries should be delivered by B-52 from max altitude. A frozen body at terminal velocity makes a BIIG hole! For the British jihadis, require Mom & Dad to come claim the body, then not let them back in to "merrye olde England".
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
11/04/2003 13:42 Comments ||
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#9
Bulldog, we all know its only Rt Hon Tony who can chunt people.
#11
This can only help the British as it kills off the really dumb gullible ones and discredit the Preachers that talked them into fighting for the reenslavement of the Iraqi people.
The UK should yank their citizenship if any of these buggers are naturalized. Eve if they are not they should get 10 years or so in a prison to reconsider their life. My gut says hanging, but its unlikely the Brits would go that far and it makes martyrs out of them instead of humiliating them.
#12
Ten years in prison? Naaah. Twelve bullets in the back. Those who had an abusive father or some other redeeming cause will have their sentence halved: six bullets.
#13
Dar, you hit the nail on the head. There were a total of four (4) (poorly aimed) mortars that hit in Downtown Baghdad. You would have thought the 'Mother of all Battles' was underway. Four Mortars in a larger city doesn't exactly strike fear into the soldiers.
Not since the European Convention on Human Rights was ratified in 1999, JFM. Before that, since the 60s, it had applied only to cases of treason and piracy, albeit it only theoretically.
The UK should yank their citizenship if any of these buggers are naturalized.
I agree; any non-British-born British passport holders caught fighting in Iraq should have their passports revoked, and all native-born Brits should receive the full treason book square in the face. But since the Government has failed to hold to account any of those Muslims who fought against British forces in Afghanistan, what can anyone expect if not more brainless Britadis sauntering off to Iraq to seek adventure, machismo and a thwack of hot metal between the eyes?
#17
JFM, I agree with you but as Bulldog says I don't think the British government (and population) is likely to do that. The only chance is to avoid taking prisoners and that has some serious drawbacks. Once they are arrested it becomes problematic.
#18
I like the Black Hole Policy⢠for eliminating Jihadis, kinda like the Roach Motel. They get used up, nobody knows where they went, but pretty soon everyone starts noticing that there are alot of would-be boomers gone and not coming back, with no comm. Good psyop. In the meantime, we must keep wacking them at the borders, and wacking them around Baghdad, Falluja, etc. Eventually they will be severely attritted, and the countries feeding the fodder (like Saudi, Syria, Iran, et.al. will notice that alot of young men are going into the black hole. And they will say, WTF, and ponder on that one for a while.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
11/04/2003 22:07 Comments ||
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#19
There comes a point in every society when there is a major imbalance in the number of people in each age group. There should always be more children born than people dying - people die at all ages, from shortly after birth to the oldest known person in the society. The age group for fertility is limited, however - children under about 12 cannot give birth (usually - there have been exceptions [shudder]), and most women over 45 cannot concieve and give birth. Such societies are delicately balanced - there are usually enough able-bodied to provide food, shelter, and comfort to the entire society.
Wipe out a large segment of that society - especially males from 15 to 40 - and your society is in trouble. There aren't enough people to actually DO everything that needs to be done. You either have a) women filling roles usually reserved for men; b) outsiders coming in to fill the vacancies, or c) things don't get done, and the entire system collapses.
The Muslims have a very big problem staring them in the face - they are losing a significant portion of their males in the 15-40 age group. Their women, thanks to their interpretation of religion, cannot fill a man's job. And they treat "outsiders" so arrogantly they have to pay three times the international rate to attract people.
Right now, they have bodies to waste. As the world gets more and more complex, however, the number of intelligent young males will make a difference. They will fall farther and farther behind the rest of the world technologically, and their societies will be less and less able to compete in the world at large. It may take a century or two, but the blip of success the oil fortunes have created will eventually collapse, and the real grind of advancement will leave them in the dust. If they keep sending their young men to disappear into a black hole, to die before their prime, that collapse will come sooner, rather than later.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
11/05/2003 0:43 Comments ||
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Shortly before dawn on Aug. 28, an M1A1 Abrams tank on routine patrol in Baghdad âwas hit by somethingâ that crippled the 69-ton behemoth. Army officials still are puzzling over what that âsomethingâ was.
According to an unclassified Army report, the mystery projectile punched through the vehicleâs skirt and drilled a pencil-sized hole through the hull. The hole was so small that âmy little finger will not go into it,â the reportâs author noted.
The âsomethingâ continued into the crew compartment, where it passed through the gunnerâs seatback, grazed the kidney area of the gunnerâs flak jacket and finally came to rest after boring a hole 1Âœ to 2 inches deep in the hull on the far side of the tank.
As it passed through the interior, it hit enough critical components to knock the tank out of action. That made the tank one of only two Abrams disabled by enemy fire during the Iraq war and one of only a handful of âmobility killsâ since they first rumbled onto the scene 20 years ago. The other Abrams knocked out this year in Iraq was hit by an RPG-7, a rocket-propelled grenade.
Experts believe whatever it is that knocked out the tank in August was not an RPG-7 but most likely something new â and that worries tank drivers.
In the sort of excited language seldom included in official Army documents, he said, âThe unit is very anxious to have this âSOMETHINGâ identified. It seems clear that a penetrator of a yellow molten metal is what caused the damage, but what weapon fires such a round and precisely what sort of round is it? The bad guys are using something unknown and the guys facing it want very much to know what it is and how they can defend themselves.â
Whatever penetrated the tank created enough heat inside the hull to activate the vehicleâs Halon firefighting gear, which probably prevented more serious injuries to the crew.
âItâs a real strange impact,â said a source who has worked both as a tank designer and as an anti-tank weapons engineer. âThis is a new one. ⊠It almost definitely is a hollow-charge warhead of some sort, but probably not an RPG-7â anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade.
One armor expert at Fort Knox, Ky., suggested the tank may have been hit by an updated RPG. About 15 years ago, Russian scientists created tandem-warhead anti-tank-grenades designed to defeat reactive armor. The new round, a PG-7VR, can be fired from an RPG-7V launcher and might have left the unusual signature on the tank.
In addition, the Russians have developed an improved weapon, the RPG-22. These and perhaps even newer variants have been used against American forces in Afghanistan. It is believed U.S. troops seized some that have been returned to the United States for testing, but scant details about their effects and âfingerprintsâ are available.
Still another possibility is a retrofitted warhead for the RPG system being developed by a Swiss manufacturer.
At this time, it appears most likely that an RPG-22 or some other improved variant of the Russian-designed weapon damaged the M1 tank, sources concluded. The damage certainly was caused by some sort of shaped-charge or hollow-charge warhead, and the cohesive nature of the destructive jet suggests a more effective weapon than a fragmented-jet RPG-7.
A spokesman for General Dynamics Land Systems, which manufactures the Abrams, said company engineers agree some type of RPG probably caused the damage. After checking with them, the spokesman delivered the manufacturerâs verdict: The tank was hit by âa âgoldenâ RPGâ â an extremely lucky shot.
In the end, a civilian weapons expert said, âI hope it was a lucky shot and we are not part of someoneâs test program. Being a live target is no fun.â
Posted by: ---------<<<<-- ||
11/04/2003 9:05:55 AM ||
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#1
I'd pay to see (the real) Mike Moore, Babs, and the rest of the Hollywood screech monkeys strapped to the outside of the M1A1. You never know, these new munitions may not penetrate assholium.
This should be fun
The CIA has seized an extensive cache of files from the former Iraqi Intelligence Service that is spurring U.S. investigations of weapons procurement networks and agents of influence who took money from the government of Saddam Hussein, according to U.S. officials familiar with the records. The Iraqi files are "almost as much as the Stasi files," said a senior U.S. official, referring to the vast archives of the former East German intelligence service seized after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The records would stretch 9 1/2 miles if laid end to end. They contain not only the names of nearly every Iraqi intelligence officer, but also the names of their paid foreign agents, written agent reports, evaluations of agent credentials, and documentary evidence of payments made to buy influence in the Arab world and elsewhere.
The officials declined to name individuals who they believe received funds or to name the home countries of the alleged recipients. One official said the recipients held high-ranking positions and worked both in Arab countries and in other regions. A second official said the payments were the subjects of "active investigations" by U.S. government agencies. The recipients of the Iraqi funds were described by U.S. officials not as formal intelligence agents, but as prominent personalities and political figures who accepted money from Iraq as they defended Hussein publicly or pressed his causes.
"Dont think of it as a payment. Think of it as a tip."
CIA officers and Pentagon intelligence specialists have been poring through the files from the Iraqi Intelligence Service and the notorious Special Security Organization in part because they see the services as central to Husseinâs clandestine efforts to acquire or develop weapons of mass destruction. The Iraq Survey Group, the CIA-supervised body appointed by President Bush to lead the hunt for special weapons, hopes its searches for fugitive officers from the Iraqi security services may also produce breakthroughs in the hunt for weapons of mass destruction. In the meantime, as they travel on site visits and conduct interviews, survey group teams increasingly are falling under hostile, professional surveillance and ambush attempts, according to officials involved in the weapons searches.
Posted by: tipper. ||
11/04/2003 8:24:10 AM ||
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OOPs, looks like the "looters" and arsonists missed some of the evidence they were bent on destroying.
#2
Decisions, decisions, do we release the information or use it for blackmail, er, leverage?
Posted by: Steve ||
11/04/2003 8:58 Comments ||
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#3
Galloway: "Lies, all Lies!"
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/04/2003 9:59 Comments ||
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#4
How many Jacqueses, Vladimirs and Gerhards do you expect will turn up? I'm guessing at least one each, given Saddam's confidence in the French, Germans and Russians to hold us off after the aerial campaign.
#5
Some probably didn't want money, just teh chance to party down with Uday. I hope Sadaam is caught with a handbag full of condoms and Viagra also.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 11:10 Comments ||
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#6
Sadaam's agents in Iran might be useful.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 11:32 Comments ||
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#7
Wonder how many people will commit 'suicide' as the information from these files begins to come out. Would LOVE to see the names of Hollywood gadflies whose names appear in these files. Yep, we're going to be 'living in interesting times' over the next couple of years. I love it!
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
11/04/2003 11:53 Comments ||
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#8
S.H.
Saddam's agents in the United States and Hollywierd would be useful to see too....
O.P.
Democratic (and Republician) Gadflies too. Not to mention some of the Anti-war organizations..... Interesting times indeed... if they see the light of day....
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/04/2003 13:03 Comments ||
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#13
My other choice is Don Knotts, that guy has always had that Baathist look to him.
Careful there. That's a WWII vet you're talking about.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
11/04/2003 13:34 Comments ||
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#14
Wouldn't it be a hoot to find Stan Blather's name there, or Terry "The Tyrant" McAuliffe? Wouldn't several people have a coronary if that made the light of day? I do look forward to a large part of this information becoming public knowledge...
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
11/04/2003 13:47 Comments ||
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#15
prominent personalities and political figures who accepted money from Iraq as they defended Hussein publicly or pressed his causes.
C'mon, name names! (Besides George Galloway, of course.) Let the fun begin!
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
11/04/2003 14:27 Comments ||
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OP, I don't know if I would be happy or said that major political figures helped Sadaam for money. On one hand we would have caught them and ruined they're reputation. That's assuming they're Democrat or anti-war. On the other hand, it shows just how much our political system has fallen. I'm not going to name anybody, but I think we all know who started the political collapse.
Posted by: Charles ||
11/04/2003 15:45 Comments ||
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#17
***fixes another bowl of popcorn, curls up on the comfy couch, watching with breathless anticipation***
#18
Whata ya wanna bet we don't hear squat.We are not going to hear about any really interesting biggies,oh they will throw us a bone or 2 but that's about it.
New York Times EFL LRR
Umm Haydar was a 25-year-old Iraqi woman whose husband displeased Saddam Hussein's government. After he fled the country in 2000, some members of the Fedayeen Saddam grabbed her from her home and brought her out on the street. There, in front of her children and mother-in-law, two men grabbed her arms while another pulled her head back and beheaded her. Baath Party officials watched the murder, put her head in a plastic bag and took away her children. Try to put yourself in the mind of the killer, or of the guy with the plastic bag. You are part of Saddam's vast apparatus of rape squads, torture teams and mass-grave fillers. Every time you walk down the street, people tremble in fear. Everything else in society is arbitrary, but you are absolute. When you kill, your craving for power and significance is sated. You are infused with the joy of domination.
These are the people we are still fighting in Iraq. These are the people who blow up Red Cross headquarters and U.N. buildings and fight against democracy and freedom. They are the scum of the earth. And they are being joined in their lairs by the flotsam and jetsam of the terrorist world. "But Saddam was no threat!"
Posted by: Mike ||
11/04/2003 6:45:46 AM ||
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OK Saddam was not a nice guy, but was that reason enough to occupy Iraq? What about a dozen of African nations where the situation is uncomparable much more worse? Their difference? Of course oil.
What about Saudia Arabia, Kuwait and the Emirates where slavery still exists? Is there nobody who cares about the child slaves who are drilled to become Camel jokeys at ages of 6 just for the plessure of the fat Arabs oil sheiks, no of course not they are allies and have good relations with American oil companies, texas, Aramco etc. etc
Posted by: Murat ||
11/04/2003 7:06 Comments ||
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#2
The answer to your blatantly stupid question, murat, is YES, YES, YES!
Pompous Windbag, we'll follow OUR own schedule for liberating the world, NOT the fuck yours!
#3
and speaking of child slaves, it took many decades to liberate the Greeks from the Turks, the latter of which made a practice of taking Greek kids and making Islamic slave soldiers out of them - yes it should have been done faster but eventually it was done
#5
"OK Saddam was not a nice guy, but was that reason enough to occupy Iraq?"
-Yes. He's gone, we're there, quit crying over spilled milk.......bwhahaha
"What about a dozen of African nations where the situation is uncomparable much more worse?"
-Last time I checked Uganda wasn't trying to buy long range missiles from NKor. BTW - In the last 10 years we (U.S. Marines) have been in Sierra Leone, Central Africa, Ivory Coast, Congo, Yemen, & Tanzania. We have done disaster relief, flood relief, quelled violence toward the populace, protected our embassies to include foreign nationals, and in general un-fucked the place where we could. We were also in your country in '99 helping with disaster relief after that earthquake hit you all. It doesn't get much press coverage but it happens. Don't seem to remember any arab countries sending troops to africa.
"Their difference? Of course oil."
-True, but that's just a bonus :)
"What about Saudia Arabia, Kuwait and the Emirates where slavery still exists?"
-What about them? Have they ever pursued WMDs or made threats to the U.S. - NO. So it sounds like an Arab problem. If you all are so upset about it, then how about putting your own house in order? Or are you saying you need Uncle Sugar (U.S.) to fix you? We can only take on one to two assholes at a time. BTW - Don't justify Saddam's behavior because there's other bad behaviour going on in the Emirates, S.A., or wherever. We'll never get anywhere w/that logic. I guess we should never confront Nkor either because Iran has asshole mullahs running the place, or why are we picking on Iran when the Malaysians have people doing the same thing, blah, blah, blah. Go on for days w/that crap.
"Is there nobody who cares about the child slaves who are drilled to become Camel jokeys at ages of 6 just for the plessure of the fat Arabs oil sheiks, no of course not they are allies and have good relations with American oil companies, texas, Aramco etc. etc"
-ah yes, It's all the American's fault again. Of course you Muslims are powerless to police your own countries. No accountability, just whine and seethe, that's about your speed. Blame it on the Yankees when Muslims abuse their own children, that's a good one. We can't right the wrongs of the world at one time. But we can take care of one asshat dicator at a time. Has the human rights people made an issue of this Camel Jockey thing (no joke intended) yet? Doubtful, they're too busy worrying about the treatment of scumbags in Cuba....
#6
muRat's just playing the LLL distraction game: accuse others of what YOU are guilty of to put them on the defensive and obfuscate as much as possible.
ISLAM is why they have / had slaves. Islam sez it's OKAY. Little Mikey set up a few rules, however - when it's okay to kill them, how you must treat them as well as your other livestock, etc. But it's defintely OKAY TO HAVE THEM.
WE, primarily the US, will be the reason if they finally ABANDON slavery. It is because of us that they finally passed a law against it and because of us that they finally bought their freedom from the Royals - pretty much the only slaveholders in SA back then - way back in the mid-70's. It has come back since there are non-Royals with oodles of cash, but we whack 'em about it regulalrly. What does Turkey do? Ever see Midnight Express? There ya go.
Slavery is endemic in muRat's world, the world of the RoP. His history is FULL of slavery. His people were the imperialists, the looters, pillagers, rapists. He is the one with the chip on his should the size of a railroad tie. Thousands of years and millions of examples. We, on the other hand, abolished it before we were old enough to even have a history. We fought a fucking war over it to make SURE it was wiped out. He's just being muRat, disingenuous asshole, fool, gloat, and all-around jerkoff.
Re the eunuchs... add in the covering of women and their lack of rights, their testimony only being worth half of a man's, their needing 4 witnesses to accuse a man of anything, Islam's approval of female castration, use of women to settle clan grievances under Sharia, Honor killings - the whole deal and ask yourself what it adds up to:
Men who are skeered someone will take their pet cow away from them. Men who afraid of their women. Men who are afraid of other men. Men who are afraid, period. Men who aren't really men. Pussies. Cheesedicks. Cowards. Fools. Wimps. LOSERS. Y'know, the kind of people who gloat over the death of real men. Men worth a thousand of his ilk. Dat be Islam Man. Dat be muRat. Gutless turd extraordinaire.
Of course, I don't have any strong opinions on the matter.
I think I just found myself agreeing with our lovable Turkish friend Murat on something. (Must be a Sign of the Apocalypse or some such.)
Murat writes: What about Saudia Arabia, Kuwait and the Emirates where slavery still exists? Is there nobody who cares about the child slaves who are drilled to become Camel jokeys at ages of 6 just for the plessure of the fat Arabs oil sheiks . . . ?
To the extent you're suggesting that we should invade Saudi Arabia and liberate the peninsula by destroying the House of Sa'ud, I couldn't agree more. Let us send three or four divisions in, hunt down all the adult male "princes" of the House of Sa'ud, and string them all up from the lamp-posts of Riyadh. Let us strangle the last Wahabbi imam with the entrails of the last of the "religious police."
You with me on that, Murat old buddy?
Posted by: Mike ||
11/04/2003 10:39 Comments ||
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#10
What about Saudia Arabia?
Now? Are you kidding?
Why should we kill our own economy before the oil from Iraq can replace what will be lost from Saudia Arabia?
Just wait a little bit Murat and some of your wish may come true.
Posted by: Daniel King ||
11/04/2003 10:48 Comments ||
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#11
Once again I am in Murat's debt for providing valuable jibberish! The more he speaks, the more convinced I am of two things:
1. Leftist thinking is as good as dead. Murat offers nothing new, but regurgitates the same old leftie tripe, with an occasional new name inserted, such as...
What about Saudia Arabia, Kuwait and the Emirates where slavery still exists?
...always pathetic questions, no legitimate answers offered or acceptance of resopnsibility; just like any other serious issue you might name,the left has no legitimate answers. People put up with this sort of intellectually feeble blathering for just so long before dumping them into the ashbin of history. I just takes time.
2. Islam today smells like Christianity about a thousand years ago. Considering that the Arab culture and religion is in that early stage of natural evolution, Murat does pretty well with the limited tools he has.
The real difference between Islam and Christianity is that technology (especially communications) will require Islam to evolve at a much greater pace than was required of Christianity.
Regardless of all that crap, contemporary Islamic people, clerics, and governments had better start actively and loudly separating themselves from the sick f*cks that contemporary America is in the process of smashing, that is unless they have a smashing fettish.
By the way Murat, my Armenian great-grandmother escaped the slaughter and came to America, she ensured future generations of her family incredible oportunities. Number one on the list of blessings I count is being born in the United States of America. I donât blame anyone else for my past, or my own failures. Stop whining, be a man, and take your future into your own hands.
#15
Murat, if it was about the oil we would be taking over half the African countries because they have plenty of oil, but no military. We would also rule South America - I'ld leave out Bolivia; they have natural gas but they have a union of their coca farmers. There is something seriously wrong with them. Maybe Bulldog can provide plans to Hadrians wall before our Southern foray begins.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 13:37 Comments ||
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#16
Murat - your such an idiot windbag. All your observations are about oil. Yes oil is the key to politics in the middle east. The United States cannot run off to every corner of the world and be the policeman. But when our national security is affected - then yes we will react. Your moral statements have no relevance.
If you are so concerned about the suffering of the people of world why don't you start in your own backyard - yes the Kurds. Your country tried to destroy a culture - forcing Kurdish schools to teach in Turkish, outlawing the Kurdish language, bombing Kurdish towns ... I could go on but you get the point. But then again you probably do not get the point , you are most likely a closet racist with liberal tendencies (Can't we all just get along - except for the Kurds).
Yes there are some despicable characters on the world scene some are worse than others. But not many that threaten the security of the western world - Saddam did and that is why he is on the lamb.
And you never mention the fact that Turkey profited off Saddam - oil pipelines that carry, now say it Mu Rat, oil - yes oil.
Posted by: Dan ||
11/04/2003 13:58 Comments ||
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#17
Uh Dan, did you mean "on the lamb" literally?
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
11/04/2003 17:31 Comments ||
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#18
Save it,muRat(aka Gollum)if you gave a damn then do something about it instead of whinning like a little girl.
Naseer Al-Nahr, Asharq Al-Awsat
Iraqi insurgents yesterday kept up the pressure on occupying forces and their perceived collaborators, killing the judge behind the creation of a judicial commission to probe officials of Saddam Husseinâs ousted regime. Muhan Jabr Al-Shuwaili, the top judge in the central governorate of Najaf, was kidnapped along with Najaf prosecutor general Aref Aziz, from the judgeâs house in the city early yesterday, Aziz said. The two were taken in cars to a deserted area eight kilometers (five miles) north of Najaf. âOne of the assailants said âSaddam has ordered your prosecution.â Then they fired two shots into his head,â Aziz said. âAs for me, they told me âthis does not concern youâ. They released me,â he added.
I guess Sammy approved of him...
Shuwaili had signed onto the decision to create the Baath Investigative Commission, made up of four attorneys who probe complaints before raising them with an investigative judge.
I wonder how the Iraqis are buying this gangster stuff?
Also in Najaf, the president of the cityâs municipal council, Sheikh Khaled Al-Numani, said he had escaped an assassination bid late Sunday when assailants opened fire on his house, triggering retaliatory fire by his guards. âTwo of the three assailants were caught. One of them is an Egyptian named Rabih Al-Masri who has been living in Najaf for a long time,â Numani said.
I hope Rabih's having a very uncomfortable time of it right now...
Late at night, guerrillas launched a mortar attack in central Baghdad near the headquarters of the US-led administration in Iraq. Witnesses heard four loud explosions echoing across the city from the western bank of the Tigris River, where the US-led administration occupies a large palace complex previously used by Saddam. âThree to four mortars impacted in central Baghdad, but we donât yet know the point of impact,â a US military spokesman said. In Washington, an official said the palace complex had not been affected by the attack.
Usually the mortar attacks, especially at night, aren't remotely accurate. I slept through one once — got bitched out royally for it, too...
Also last night, a bomb exploded outside a hotel used by Iranians in Karbala, killing at least three people. Witnesses said the bomb appeared to have been planted in a nearby car and had destroyed much of the front of the hotel.
The car bomb makes me think Ansar al-Islam, but it could be lotsa people, to include Hezbollah...
On Sunday night near Balad, north of Baghdad, US forces fired on a pickup truck, killing six Iraqis, residents said. US soldiers said the vehicle was suspected of carrying insurgents and that the incident was being investigated.
Good. Six bad guy deaders. Though it'll take a lot more to remotely even the score...
The US-led administration said in a statement that Mustafa Zaidan Al-Khaleefa, head of Baghdadâs Karkh Neighborhood Council, was killed on Sunday evening while walking near his home. Two gunmen shot him as they drove by, it said.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
11/04/2003 21:36 ||
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#1
The car bomb makes me think Ansar al-Islam, but it could be lotsa people, to include Hezbollah
Yeah, roadside bombs are a Hezbollah specialty, and there seem to be a lot of them going off.
Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
11/04/2003 5:04 Comments ||
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#2
Roadside bombs are also a specialty of chechen separatists, and so is shooting down troop carriers helicopters.
At the risk of repeating ourselves...
A UN rights envoy met Burma government officials yesterday at the start of a week-long visit aimed at persuading the military junta to free democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and address its much-criticised rights record. Paulo Sergio Pinheiro is the second high-level UN official to visit Burma since Suu Kyi was confined to her Rangooon home in September after major surgery and nearly three months in detention at a secret location. There were no immediate details of his talks, but he has asked to meet Suu Kyi, a UN official said. The regime may allow that meeting, but is unlikely to yield much ground on other issues, diplomats said. The Brazilian academic cut short his last trip to Burma in March after discovering a bugging device taped to the underside of a table while interviewing a political prisoner in a Rangoon jail.
About what you'd expect...
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
11/04/2003 00:01 ||
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Prosecutors brought to court on Monday an Indonesian teacher, considered by police as the chief of a Southeast Asian Muslim militant network, saying he was the group's caretaker and charging him with hiding a Bali bomber. The prosecution said Abu Rusydan, a religious teacher from Central Java, temporarily took over the role of Abu Bakar Bashir as the leader of Jamaah Islamiyah (JI)six months before the deadly Bali bombings. "The defendant was chosen as the day-to-day caretaker of JI's emir" in a meeting of Muslim militants in a resort area in West Java province, state prosecutor Haryono said. However, the charges against Rusydan mainly centred on his role in hiding Mukhlas, the top controller of the Bali blast operation. Prosecutors said Rusydan met Mukhlas five days after the Bali bombings at a gathering in a remote Central Java town. "Mukhlas said 'the perpetrators of the Bali bombings were us'", Haryono said. "After the meeting on October 17, 2002, the defendant did not report to the authorities that one of the Bali bombing perpetrators was Mukhlas."
Gotcha.Inconvenient, when Mukhlas admits to it, ain't it?
Rusydan has denied he had become the temporary leader of JI. "If they say that I am a member of JI, for example, which JI (do they refer to)?" he asked prosectors.
Witty, isn't he?
Defence lawyer Achmad Michdan, told reporters that while his client is accused over an October 17 meeting, Mukhlas was not declared a wanted person until November 8.
But the holy man had knowledge that he blew the night club before that.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
11/04/2003 00:01 ||
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they oughtta kill him just for the JI comment
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/04/2003 11:48 Comments ||
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In his first major policy-oriented speech since taking office, Malaysia's new leader pledged yesterday to maintain his country's tough stance on terrorism and to speak out against global injustice. In an wide-ranging address to a packed Parliament, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi did not break new policy ground, but vowed to combat government corruption, expand economic prosperity and root out militancy. "We cannot compromise when dealing with the threats posed by extremism, terrorism and militancy," Abdullah told legislators. "Therefore the government's firmness in dealing with these threats must be fully supported to ensure the security and peace of our nation." Malaysia has detained without trial scores of suspected members of Jemaah Islamiyah, an Al Qaeda-linked extremist network and shared intelligence about alleged September 11 plotters with US authorities.
The question is, what's his definition of terrorism? Mahathir cracked down on the kind that was a threat to his regime, was mushy soft on terrorists far enough away not to be a threat.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
11/04/2003 00:00 ||
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"Dang! You caught us!"
"We're sorry! Really, we are!"
"Yeah. Can we go home now?"
Two men arrested last week on charges of bombing the JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta in August have expressed regret over the incident that killed 12 people and left 150 injured. Tohir and Ismail, who were arrested on Wednesday in Cirebon, West Java, were flown by helicopter to National Police headquarters in Jakarta on Sunday. West Java Police spokesman Senior Commissioner Muryan Faizal said the two suspects had been detained for four days at a hotel in Bandung city for questioning on their two Malaysian accomplices who managed to escape to arrest.
"No! Don't put us up in a... a... hotel!"
Tohir, speaking to television network SCTV in Bandung, admitted his involvement in the August 5 bombing and apologized to the victims' families. "In the name of Allah... I confess that I did it⊠I apologize to families of the victims sincerely, without any pressure from others, and to the Muslim community, who have felt the slander and negative impacts of my actions," he was quoted as saying by Agence France-Presse. Ismail also expressed remorse, saying: "This is my action. I regret it."
"Can I go home now?"
The two men had been working with wanted terrorists Azahari Husin and Noordin Mohammed Top, who are suspected of involvement in the Marriott blast and last yearâs deadly Bali nightclub bombings. After their arrest on Wednesday, Tohir and Ismail led police to find the Bandung hideout of the two Malaysians, but the fugitives escaped because officers feared they would detonate explosives they were carrying.
Good job, guys.
National Police chief General Dai Bachtiar on Sunday said he believed Azahari and Noordin are still in Java, where points of exit are being tightly monitored. He urged the public to be on the lookout for the two men and any other suspected terrorists. "Anybody who might see someone suspicious is advised to contact the nearest police post," he was quoted as saying by state news agency Antara. Experts say the fugitives are desperate and dangerous, and would prefer to carry out a suicide bombing of a Western target rather than be arrested. Both men are alleged members of regional terrorist network Jemaah Islamiyah, which has been linked to al Qaeda and accused of responsibility for a string of bombings in Southeast Asia.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
11/04/2003 23:56 ||
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From DEBKA...
A new message was posted in the last few hours by the Jeddah-based al-Qaeda-linked Al-Islah (Reform) society calling on Muslims to flee New York, Washington and Los Angeles in advance of major al Qaeda attacks in those cities. This is revealed by DEBKAfile. The message accuses the United States of predetermining its end (doom) by its policies. âThe Jews rule the Pentagon by remote control and (are the cause) of Muslims being killed in every corner of the world. The United States should therefore expect more blows.â The message is signed on behalf of the al Bayan (The Threat) movement by âyour warrior brother, Abul Hassan al Khadramiâ. Our Muslim expert identifies the name of the signatory as belonging to a Yemeni from Hadhrameuth, the Bin Ladensâ place of origin where Osama enjoys substantial tribal support. DEBKAfileâs counter-terror sources stress that warnings appearing on these forums are taken both very seriously and with caution by the intelligence services keeping track of the terrorist networkâs electronic traffic. Last November, Jeddah-based fundamentalist forums addressed a message to an Al Qaeda member, saying whoever understands — understands; whoever knows, knows, but we are marching towards an operation that will take us to Paradise. Three days later, the Mombasa Paradise hotel was blown up killing 12 Kenyans and 3 Israelis and a failed shoulder-launched Strela anti-air missile missed an Israeli airliner at Mombasa airport.
A serious threat? Or more wind? Guess we'll find out, eventually. I'd sure like to know more about al-Islah. I thought it was the Movement for Islamic Reform, but they're out of London, not Jeddah...
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
11/04/2003 00:10 ||
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#1
Of course they will attack these cities!
All of these places lack an armed populace
and are especially vulnerable.
#2
"All of these places lack an armed populace and are especially vulnerable."
Good point.I will never live any place that tell's me I can't defend myself.
#4
well kriskarma i live in LA and if you came to my to my home with bad intent i would shoot you with no hesitation. and by the way the majority of my niegbors are also armed.
Posted by: Dan ||
11/04/2003 11:29 Comments ||
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#5
First, Al Queda has never warned Muslims before any real attack in the past. Second, Al Queda has continually sent out false threats trying to scare the weakkneed folks in the west because they are unable to mount a real attack in the West.
You do the math, I'm not particularly worried because a few Islamic teens posted threats on a Yahoo message board.
#6
The only reason this should get any attention is that it was posted in a location that had foreknowledge of hte Kenya attack.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
11/04/2003 13:27 Comments ||
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#7
Wait - I thought this was the "religion of peace". Will they be bombing us with flowers and love-ins?
why would al-queda warn anyone of anything? this is to scare the muslim populations of those cities and show that they are still alive. Its the "boogey man" version of terror. I grew up in LA, Im not the al-queda idiots realize people in LA shoot will at each other just because someone cuts them off on the freeway. Ever been in LA at new years eve? Theres more airborne lead from people firing guns into the air than there was in berlin in 1945.
Posted by: frank martin ||
11/04/2003 19:08 Comments ||
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Fox News has obtained a document purportedly written by a Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee that outlines a Democratic strategy for exposing what the document calls "the administrationâs dubious motives" with regard to the war against Iraq. If itâs in the nationâs, rather than the Demsâ interests, fair game
The memo, provided late Tuesday by a source on the Senate Intelligence Committee, discusses the timing of a possible investigation into pre-war Iraq intelligence in such a way that it could bring maximum embarrassment to President Bush in his re-election campaign. Ohhhhh... sorry, temporary attack of naivete
Among other things, the memo recommends that Democrats "prepare to launch an investigation when it becomes clear we have exhausted the opportunity to usefully collaborate with the [Senate] majority. We can pull the trigger on an independent investigation of the administrationâs use of intelligence at any time â but we can only do so once ... the best time would probably be next year." right before the election.....hmmmm what could possibly be the reason for that?
The last paragraph of the memo reads, "Intelligence issues are clearly secondary to the publicâs concern regarding the insurgency in Iraq." so, blow away any intel assets in the interest of partisan gain, right?
Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., appeared clearly shocked by the memo, which Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W. Va. (sock puppet to R.KKK. Byrd), ranking member on the Intelligence Committee, acknowledged was written in draft form and not meant for distribution. "Cripes! who the F&*k let this out???"
"The draft memo leaked to the press today was written by staff and was likely taken from a waste basket or through unauthorized computer access," Rockefeller said in a statement. not addressing the fact it was a Dem staffer writing this traitorous tripe
Rockefeller did not say who wrote the memo. "The draft memo was not approved nor was it shared with any member of the Senate Intelligence Committee or anyone else. Having said that, the memo clearly reflects staff frustration with the conduct of the Senate Intelligence Committee investigation and the difficulties of obtaining information from the administration." Waaaahhhhhhhh
Roberts said he believes the strategy outlined in the memo may constitute a violation of Senate ethics rules, an issue he may pursue with the ethics committee. "I have no idea how this became public. I am a little stunned. You canât politicize the Intelligence Committee. The memo is blatantly partisan. Members of the committee on the Republican side are frustrated, outraged and indignant. I hope we can get past this," Roberts said.
Lessee, here. I expect pious denials that it was ever a really, truly, signed off on plan. There will be massive indignation over the fact that someone leaked the document in a most unauthorized manner, eventually overshadowing the actual content of the memo. And a Dem-led investigation into 9-11 intel, probably starting next August...
While the memo does not appear to be written as a straight political strategy piece, the memo does appear to be playing Roberts, who is described in the memo as helpful and going along with Democratic requests. The memo advises continuing to seek concessions from Roberts until and as long as it is useful.
"Then we can dump his ratty ass."
Despite the memoâs backhanded praise of Roberts, Rockefeller said Democrats are frustrated with the cooperation they are receiving from the chairman. "Exploring or asserting the rights of the minority under the intelligence committee rules in no way amounts to politicizing intelligence. The American people deserve a full accounting of why we sent our sons and daughters into war," he said. Heads better role or this becomes a campaign issue earlier than the Dems thought - and not the way they hoped
Don't discount attention span...
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/04/2003 9:00:51 PM ||
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#1
Who do the Dems think they would appeal to with an attack like this? As far as I can see it, they'd be playing to the "Bush let it happen" crowd.
Can they be that irresponsible? Can they be that power-mad?
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
11/04/2003 21:09 Comments ||
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#2
think about this: If Fox News didn't exist, would this memo ever see the light of day?
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/04/2003 21:35 Comments ||
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#4
Who do the Dems think they would appeal to with an attack like this? As far as I can see it, they'd be playing to the "Bush let it happen" crowd. Can they be that irresponsible? Can they be that power-mad?
That's a rhetorical question, right? If not, the answer is yes, absolutely they are.
The memo points out another fact, however. The Democrats are bone-dry when it comes to any kind of positive reason to vote for them.
Every Republican since Nixon now needs to be scandalized. Prior to Nixon every Republican needed to be compared with Herbert Hoover. (Hell they even brought out the 'Worst economy since Herbert Hoover' rhetoric this year; what with the quality of America's public school education, I'm guessing they weren't trying to appeal to anyone under 40 with that one. But I digress...)
#5
Frank! I was sitting on this until the morning. I think the Dems have subverted the security of the country for their quest for power. This committee was supposed to look at how to PREVENT another 9/11 but instead they are hell bent on pinning this on President Bush. Of course they want to be first (and loudest) to accuse. That way the truth will sound weak. Who is on the Intel committee? This HAS to be one of the big ones, none of the other have the cajones to write this. Look for a fall guy/gal for this.
#6
LGF refers to Newsmax, which has a lengthier excerpt
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/04/2003 22:03 Comments ||
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#7
sorry CS for jumping your post - I think it should be brought up again tomorrow, so more - those who aren't on PST - could spread the word and comment. This is huge....
what a bunch of assh*les!
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/04/2003 22:06 Comments ||
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Posted by: Frank G ||
11/04/2003 22:09 Comments ||
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#9
It will be interesting to see how much media atttention this gets; particularly in comparision with the Wilson/Plame affair. This is, apparently, a serious discussion of an intentional plan to leak intelligence information with all of the people involved clearly knowing that they are dealing with classified material.
Want to bet that the major media don't just ignore it?
Posted by: Ralph ||
11/04/2003 23:57 Comments ||
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Rep. Ernie Fletcher easily won the Kentucky governor's race Tuesday, becoming the first Republican to lead the state in 32 years, while the GOP hoped to take another Democratic governor's seat in Mississippi. With 41 percent of precincts reporting, Fletcher who got a big campaign assist from President Bush in the campaign's final days led with 52 percent, or 246,033 votes, to Democratic Attorney General Ben Chandler's 48 percent, or 224,468 votes.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
11/04/2003 20:36 ||
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I saw a WaPo exit poll at 55% reporting saying it was 54-46%, so once the working people get home and vote, it may go even higher
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/04/2003 21:04 Comments ||
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#2
Sinners?! OK Why don't you declare a Repooplican jihad then?
Posted by: Julius ||
11/05/2003 0:05 Comments ||
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By SAM F. GHATTAS, Associated Press. EFL
What had once been an assembly point in Syria for Arabs eager to fight in Iraq is now abandoned. Posters of Palestinian cannon fodder "martyrs" in Iraq in a Palestinian refugee camp near Damascus are torn and faded. Yarmouk, on the outskirts of Damascus, was the source of an estimated 300 Arab volunteers who went to Iraq to fight during the war, in the spring. Did any of them come back?
Now, residents say itâs been months since theyâve heard of volunteers going to fight, bodies returning home or memorials held for slain men. "Nobody has gone to Iraq since the occupation and no one is stupid enough to go thinking of going," Salim Rashid, a 55-year-old Palestinian, said as he read a newspaper in his stationery store in Yarmouk. He recalled the disillusionment of Arab volunteers during the dying days of Saddam Husseinâs regime, after many Iraqis turned against the volunteers, accusing them of supporting the dictator. "We lost!"
Faisal Younes said no more fighters had gone to Iraq since the fall of Baghdad in April. The volunteers were betrayed by Iraqis, the 36-year-old Palestinian said. Fighting for Iraq and Saddam was "a big lie." The Iraqis who "betrayed" them were smart enough to recognize an enemy when they saw one.
One poster, that of Mohammed Hadrous, said he was killed April 11 in Basra, in southern Iraq. Abdul-Rahman Jamal Amer threw his wretched life away for a lost cause was "martyred" May 5 in Iraq. Thaer Abdullahâs, pasted outside the al-Wasim Mosque, gave no date. Wonder how many "volunteers" "achieved gloruious martyrdom" versus how many came back alive?
Most of the foreign fighters are believed to be Syrian, Lebanese, Palestinian, Yemeni, Kuwaiti and Saudi, the officials said. They said others are believed to include Arabs who carry Western passports, but said little intelligence information on them was available.
Posted by: Mike ||
11/04/2003 4:04:00 PM ||
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#1
Sounds like we've reached the "tipping point" for foreign jihadis. Too many of them disappearing into a black hole, not even notes of their deaths coming back to their families, has led to others refusing to take the same trip. This is one of the keys I wrote about yesterday. This is a signal that the re-marketing of the war against Saddam as a war against Islam has failed. Things will get better in Iraq rather sooner than later.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
11/04/2003 16:46 Comments ||
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#2
Too many of them disappearing into a black hole, not even notes of their deaths coming back to their families, has led to others refusing to take the same trip.
Too bads these jihadis couldn't be identified and put on a list for public viewing under:
#6
Alaskaman -- absolutely. Just think about how well they stand out in infrared at night. Anyone know where the AC-130s are?
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
11/04/2003 19:40 Comments ||
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#7
Talked to a guy stationed for awhile at H-2. He says it's not the US, but the Iraqi border guards. We train a class, distribute them to about 20 border regiments where they get hands-on experience, and they do the job. The guy I talked to said that they whack an average of 200-300 jihadis a NIGHT. Some get through but only a pittance. It's the Iraqis' fight, and they're doing a superb job of it.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
11/04/2003 20:34 Comments ||
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OP I pray you are right. But frankly I doubt it.
This is a much smaller conflict... hell you couldn't get 300 Syrians a night to assault Britany.
DEBKAfileâs Middle East sources report: Mubarak made brief trip to Damascus Monday to convey sharp hands-off warning from Washington to Assad to desist from interfering in Iraq war, sponsoring Palestinian terror and frequent threats to strike at Israeli settlements on Golan Heights. Syrian ruler told he is exposing Syria to extreme American and Israeli reprisals.
#2
DEBKAfileâs military sources report unusually heavy US bomber and fighter air traffic on the move from US West Coast to Middle East via Scotland
#3
"US West Coast to Middle East via Scotland"
Oh my god, they have discovered the classified great circle, over the north pole bombing route! Hope nobody finds out!
Posted by: Steve ||
11/04/2003 16:49 Comments ||
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Debka's record - mixed at best, but with some excellent scoops - makes me desire additional sourcing on the air movements....but this is encouraging ;-)
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/04/2003 16:54 Comments ||
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#5
Maybe the bombers are making a run over France.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
11/04/2003 17:36 Comments ||
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#6
Oh, and even if it's not true, this has to have Ass-odd cowering inside his favorite bomb shelter, hoping against hope that the bunker busters can't make it through.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
11/04/2003 17:37 Comments ||
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I hope the entire group has some strong ECM. Russia sold the Syrians some SA-5s after the 1967 war. SA-5 missiles are good against everything but the SR-71 (which can flat-out outrun it, especially at altitude).
Of course, if I were in charge, and the target was Damascus, I'd feint with the Big Boys too, then come in low and fast with everything else in the arsenal. My gut feeling is that this is either a staged feint, or it's a bit of saber-rattling to keep Asshat honest.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
11/04/2003 17:55 Comments ||
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#9
To the extent that a pattern can be detected on Debka, the 2nd post is right. It is constantly providing info to stir things up vs. Israels neighboring enemies. I would not make too much of this. If we go vs. Baby Assad, we need to be ready to finish it and we have our hands full right now. A strike would be a Clinton era slap on the the wrist. The Israelis can do that by themselves as they proved recently.
#10
I'd feint with the Big Boys too, then come in low and fast with everything else in the arsenal
Could he make it?
If he was a good pilot..... if he came in low.... really low barreling along at about 500 knots twisting and turning thru the valleys!
Hell Yes! He could do it!
The UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, will report at a key meeting later this month that Iran has failed to honor some international nuclear safeguards, the director was quoted as saying. International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei told the Spanish newspaper El Pais that new breaches will be detailed in a report the IAEA is to present to its board of governors on November 20. "We reported breaches in the past and there will be new ones in this upcoming report," ElBaradei was quoted as saying by his spokesman Mark Gwozdecky.
It was the first confirmation by the IAEA that new Iranian information, filed ahead of an October 31 deadline for Iran to prove it is not developing nuclear weapons, showed Iranian failures in honoring nuclear safeguards agreements. Tehran faces the possibility the IAEA will judge it to be in non-compliance with the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and send the issue to the UN Security Council, which could then impose sanctions. The United States accuses Iran of secretly working to manufacture highly enriched uranium, which can be used to make atomic bombs, and says Tehran should be judged in non-compliance. But the IAEA board has so far avoided this step, giving Iran the last-chance deadline to provide full disclosure on its nuclear program.
Ali Akbar Salehi, Iranâs ambassador to the IAEA, said October 24 that there were disclosures in the report of "what could be considered failures" to adhere to the safeguards regime of the NPT, of which Iran is a signatory. He said these were "in the same line" as failures by Iran the IAEA had listed in a report in June. Salehi said the new failures involved "some lab tests". He did not provide details. But he said: "It is 100-percent clear that Iran has never been involved in anything that would indicate it was involved in a nuclear weapons program." Just before his lips fell off.
ElBaradei said verifying the Iranian information would take time. "November 20 is an important milestone but we wonât be able to finish our work by then. We will need a few more months, particularly with regard to very complex investigations such as the source" of traces of highly enriched uranium found by IAEA inspectors in Iran, ElBaradei said. Iran claims the uranium came from contamination of equipment it had bought abroad and not from producing the material, as the United States charges. ElBaradei said a problem in verifying the Iranian claims is that "there is more than one country which has supplied Iran with centrifuges" used in enriching uranium. Salehi has said Iran does not know where the equipment came from since it was bought on the black market when Tehran had to be "discreet" as it was developing its nuclear program in the face of international sanctions.
#1
Again, replace "Iran" with "Iraq" and ask yourself how different this situation is with what we were facing re the Iraqis before liberation. Any way we can foment something inside Iran before we have to decide to take military action? Would new reformed govt. be more amenable to elimination of nuclear program?
Posted by: Michael ||
11/04/2003 16:20 Comments ||
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#2
"November 20 is an important milestone but we wonât be able to finish our work by then. We will need a few more months..."
Oh by all means, take your time. These are only nuclear weapons we're talking about. No rush on my account.
Posted by: Matt ||
11/04/2003 17:04 Comments ||
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#3
This reporter has learned that ElBaradei is a Sunni - on sale, but he knows he can't seem too eager. The Black Hats can't offer apartments on the Seine, estates in Provence, unlimited Beluga, or Godiva bon-bons directly ala Blixieboy, they'll have to deal in cash. Since he's seen how devious and petty they can be, he doesn't want any "failures" to occur in the negotiations, requiring more time to check the contract before closing the deal. He was recently quoted by his full-time psychiatric attendent, Nurse Diesel, as being quite upset, saying "I'm important, too! I'm more important than that Swiss ass! Call my agent!" ElBaradei, himself, was unavailable for comment
#4
When was Iran under sanctions to prevent it from developing a nuclear reactor? They made the announcement with the Russians as a press release. A press release is not considered discreet.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 18:14 Comments ||
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I 'm listening hard but I don't hear the Sierra Clubs view of this.....
How does Little Bill stand on this? Let's poll the dhemmi dwarfs.....
More on this one, from yesterday...
A day after guerrillas shot down a helicopter in Iraq and killed 16 Americans, President Bush said Monday that attackers are trying to drive away coalition forces but that "America will never run." Bush did not mention Sundayâs casualties as he addressed a group of small business owners and community leaders at an Alabama factory. However, he spoke of U.S. casualties and said, "Some of the best have fallen in service to our fellow Americans. We mourn every loss," the president said. "We honor every name. We grieve with every family. And we will always be grateful that liberty has found such brave defenders." Sundayâs missile attack, which also wounded 20 troops, closed out a week that began with a similarly grim new record. On Oct. 27, three dozen people died in a wave of suicide bombings in Baghdad, the bloodiest day there since Bush declared major combat over May 1. "The enemy in Iraq believes America will run," the president said. "Thatâs why theyâre willing to kill innocent civilians, relief workers, coalition troops. America will never run."
That's what we had yesterday. Here's the Dems chiming in...
Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Monday on CBSâs "The Early Show" that the United States must finish the job it started in Iraq. "If we lose the peace in Iraq that entire part of the world becomes chaos. You have Iran becoming a powerful, powerful force there surrounded by two failed states - Afghanistan and Iraq," he said. Biden criticized the Bush administrationâs war effort for lacking a "sense of urgency" in securing the peace and said more troops are needed for the job. The United States, he said, needs to "bring in NATO, bring in other folks and give up some authority. We act like Iraq is some kind of prize that we won."
Or maybe that we're afraid the International Community™ will hose it, like they usually do...
Speaking Sunday, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Americans should view the deadly downing of the Army helicopter as the tragic but inevitable cost of waging a long war. "In a long, hard war, weâre going to have tragic days, as this is," he told ABCâs "This Week.""But theyâre necessary. Theyâre part of a war thatâs difficult and complicated."
Counterpoint: Inject Rumsfeld's realism. Then move on to:
But Democratic presidential hopefuls seized on the downing of the CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter to press the administration to justify the mounting American death toll and to explain its strategy for getting out of Iraq. "We were misled into this conflict without a real strategy for success," former NATO commander Wesley Clark told The Associated Press.
"Hey! Lookit me! I'm hysterical!"
Two other candidates, Rep. Dick Gephardt and Sen. John Edwards, said the United States needs more international help to make Iraq safe.
"This is a job for... Kofi!"
"We cannot solve this problem alone," Gephardt said on CBSâ"Face the Nation." He urged Bush to sit down with foreign leaders, "treat them with respect and ... get the help that we should get from our friends."
Unlike the help we've gotten from... ummm... Britain and Poland and Albania and Mongolia and Denmark and...
Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich, the only candidate who voted against the congressional resolution authorizing the war in Iraq, said in a statement: "This disastrous mission must be ended before any more lives are lost. ... It is time to bring our troops home."
"We can ring them around Washington, and we'll protect the capital, by gum!"
The strike occurred as an ABC News-Washington Post poll, for the first time, found that a majority of people surveyed - 51 percent - now disapprove of the way Bush is handling postwar Iraq.
His ass needs fact-checking: 240 died as a result of hostile action, or 240 have died since May 1 in various ways including hostile action ? I've lost track, but 240 as a result of hostile action seems high...
Posted by: Carl in N.H. ||
11/04/2003 14:20 Comments ||
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#3
Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich, the only candidate who voted against the congressional resolution authorizing the war in Iraq, said in a statement: "This disastrous mission must be ended before any more lives are lost. ... It is time to bring our troops home."
#4
Bush came to San Diego this AM to visit/view the fire destruction - something we appreciate - I was wondering why Marine choppers flew so low over my place they set off car alarms...then remembered. Once again, he blew off the handwringing press with a dedication to the long haul. A really nice contrast to Clinton and his short attention span
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/04/2003 14:39 Comments ||
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#5
Article today in "Editor & Publisher" (link) says that newspapers are *all* now going to use the total deaths from all causes in their reporting. "This includes suicides, drownings, and the many military vehicle accidents"
Palestinian Authority officials said Tuesday that two Palestinians have been arrested in connection with the attack on the US diplomatic convoy in the Gaza Strip on October 14. more show arrests? At least hold em til the ink dries on the warrants
The attack killed three American security guards and wounded a fourth, and was the first deadly attack on official US targets in Palestinian Authority-controlled areas.
The two Palestinians arrested Tuesday were residents of the Gaza Strip and are suspected of supplying the explosive material used in the attack on the US convoy.
According to reports, the Palestinians confessed during a beating to passing on the bomb-making material to a cell of the terrorist âPopular Resistance Committeesâ group - a group comprised of disgruntled security officers and Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Fatah members. are there ever "gruntled" Paleos?
Palestinian Authority security officials believe that the remote control explosive device which killed three US security guards accompanying a US diplomatic convoy was smuggled into Gaza from abroad, according to a PA source. âThe device was too sophisticated to have been build by a local cell,â he added. Another import from Syria-Lebanon?
The Palestinian media has published conspiracy theories blaming Israel for the bombing. "The Jooooos did it!"
PA Police have arrested and released a few minutes after the press left several people belonging to the Resistance Committee - but still have no evidence against them.
They also arrested and questioned members of a pro-Iraqi faction, who denied any connection to the attack.
FBI investigators have returned to Washington after completing their investigation. A source said that the investigators were ânot fully satisfied with the Palestinian investigation into the attack.â
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/04/2003 12:59:43 PM ||
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PA makes more arrests in US convoy attack case
---------------------^^
To be precise, insert the word "token" where indicated.
Chief Wiggles Strikes Again! Via Lucianne:
The front door to the house swung wide, and the former general in Saddamâs air force ushered us warmly in. "Welcome to our home," he said. "You are our honoured guests." At his side were his dark-haired wife, dressed in her very best, and their three excited children. Inside, a splendid Middle Eastern feast awaited us. The general had spent seven months in an American POW camp, and the dinner was to celebrate his homecoming. It was also to thank the man who had become his friend and helped to get him out -- the American whoâd been in charge of interrogating him. Chief Wiggles belongs to Utahâs 141st Military Intelligence Battalion. He is tall and lanky, pale-skinned, pale-haired, sentimental and kind. In his spare time he runs a toy drive for Iraqi kids. Until July, his main job was to debrief Mazin and the 13 other generals who had surrendered at the beginning of the war....
After hours of talk and food, it was time to go. The chief and the general parted in the way that close male friends do here. The general put his hand over his heart. "I love you," he said in English. And the chief put his hand over his heart, and said "I love you" back.
A charity fund-raiser for Seattle Hebrew Academy and two local arts groups, which brought former President Clinton to town, was a financial bust â though not for the 42nd president. Remember he gets his first!
The September event at Marion McCaw Hall cost organizers $290,000 but brought in just $288,000, according to organizers â a shortfall of $2,000 sponsors blamed on sluggish ticket sales. This would be the Clinton Economic recovery plan.
Itâs not known how much Clinton was paid, but he did charge for his Seattle appearance, according to his office. Neither his spokeswoman nor Foolproof Performing Arts, which produced the event, are talking about his fee. But in 2002, he charged no less than $100,000 for all but one of his speaking appearances, earning $9.5 million for the year, according to Sen. Hillary Clintonâs personal financial disclosure form filed in May. When organizers realized they would have about 800 unsold tickets to the Sept. 16 event, they gave them away to community groups. The Schultz Family Foundation, an event co-sponsor, salvaged the night for the Seattle Hebrew Academy â one of the three beneficiaries â by pledging $20,000 to the school beginning in 2004, according to the foundation.
The academy has raised $7 million of its $8.6 million goal to repair damage sustained during the 2001 Nisqually earthquake. Why didnât the Fornicator-in-Chief give up a few grand?
But Clintonâs visit made no money for either the Seattle Center Academy or Foolproof Performing Arts. "There was a sense of history that night. But translating history into cold, hard cash is not always easy," said Marilyn Raichle, director of Foolproof, the eventâs main organizer. This is especially true when people are TIRED of hearing about the Clintons!
Think that might be why people didn't buy tickets?... Nah. That couldn't be it.
Although it didnât raise money, the event gave many students a chance to see Clinton for free and raised awareness of Foolproof and its "American Voices" speaker series, Raichle said. I donât think Slick Willy showed up for free.
"Grandmaw, tell us again about the time you heard President Clinton speak in Seattle!"
A Seattle Center Academy spokeswoman said the school was happy to get 120 free tickets for young people to hear Clinton, despite the fund-raising failure. I still wouldnât go.
Doesn't sound like you did...
"Some events raise money, and some donât. Thatâs just the way it works," the academyâs Sherrie Boyer said. Slow ticket sales were the biggest obstacle to breaking even, Raichle said. Foolproof sold 2,054 tickets, ranging from $35 to $2,500 for a private dinner with Clinton, who later spoke at the opera house for more than an hour about creating an integrated global community. That left hundreds of unsold tickets, which Foolproof gave away, mostly to students. Raichle blamed competing events and said many people chose to give to the charities privately rather than attend the speech. The event also had significant expenses, however. In addition to Clintonâs undisclosed fee, production costs as well as advertising and catering each cost between $20,000 and $30,000; other money paid for transportation, stagehands and security, graphic design and printing, Raichle said. Wonder what lucky girl won that âprivate dinnerâ with Clinton? Can it be that FINALLY we can move beyond Clinton and his sleazy regime? I grow tired of him and his shrew of a wife recounting how THEY would of/could of done everything differently. I have a dream the he and Dimmy Carter go live in Cuba, chase Chiquitaâs on the beach, and build huts for the natives.
Posted by: Cyber Sarge (VRWC CA Chapter) ||
11/04/2003 11:54:47 AM ||
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Although it didnât raise money, the event gave many students a chance to see Clinton for free and raised awareness of Foolproof and its "American Voices" speaker series, Raichle said.
Heh, they couldn't pay me enough to go see the guy.
#3
I grow tired of him and his shrew of a wife recounting how THEY would of/could of done everything differently.
They always say they would do something different, but my question is: why didn't they? He was President for eight years. These problems didn't spring fully formed out of the aether in 2001. The Clinton apologists are always happy to tell us how prescient Bill was. If he was so good, why didn't he take steps to solve the problems when they were small, before they blew up in our face?
Posted by: Scott ||
11/04/2003 12:44 Comments ||
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#4
Cyber Sarge, did you see the story on the detective that worked for Clinton being caught in the Steven Segal case with a bunch of C-4 and detonators. I read a short blurb about it in Newsmax today over breakfast. Linked this longer article. I used to watch the Rockford files regularly and can't remeber James Garner ever having a use for that much C-4. Maybe Pellicano works more like the A-team.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 12:55 Comments ||
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#5
BTW didn't they lose money on Whitewater also?
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 12:56 Comments ||
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#6
that's cuz Bill handled it - Hillary's the one with the midas touch (and actually has no fingerprints either!)
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/04/2003 13:17 Comments ||
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#7
This would be the Clinton Economic recovery plan.
#8
Man, I just love the way you Clinton-haters get your panties in a twist! What about the Reagans' and the Bushes making money on their speechifying? Newsflash--they are ALL whores! http://www.worldjewishreview.com/cols/pruden06192.asp
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
11/04/2003 15:33 Comments ||
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#9
SH, I hadn't seen that article. I wonder what he planned to do with the C-4 and how did he get it? You can't just go to the hardware store and pick that stuff up.
#10
Frank G, I doubt Hillary even has DNA that can be identified.
Posted by: Charles ||
11/04/2003 15:49 Comments ||
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#11
Hope this becomes a trend for Clinton fund-raisers and speeches. Nothing will shut down the Clinton era faster than failing to provide the loot. See how many speaking gigs WonderBoy gets if he can't bring in the money.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
11/04/2003 16:23 Comments ||
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#12
I'm sorry NMM, did you say something? :-)
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/04/2003 17:05 Comments ||
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#13
Seattle is the liberal capital of the West Coast and still Clinton couldn't sell out all the seats...
#14
Cyber Sarge, from the article, it sounds like he specializes in witness intmidation. I hope they have his client list. That the one lady went all the way to China was pretty shocking. The dead fish with a rose was kind of hokey mafia-wannabe> That said it would definitely get my attention.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 19:57 Comments ||
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#15
Man, I just love the way you Clinton-haters get your panties
Get it right NMM, I don't hate little Bill or his Arkansas Plan... I hold them both in contempt. He's too damn small to hate or fear.
#17
NMM - Ah, but Bill Clinton's whoredom has lost money in this case. And that's funny. My shorts are perfectly well arranged, thanks for your concern, though.
An Egyptian member of parliament on Saturday said he would sue Britain and France for USD 15 billion in compensation for their invasion of the Suez Canal zone in 1956. Al-Badri Ferghalli, from Port Said on the northern tip of the canal, told AFP he has began forming a committee to "collect documents and witness accounts" on the invasion to back the lawsuit. "The aggression caused thousands of deaths among the city residents and destroyed whole neighbourhoods," he said. He said he would ask the Egyptian parliament and government to back the lawsuit, but did not specify the court he would appeal to.
Prob'ly someplace in Belgium...
British-French military operations to control Port Said and the rest of the canal began on October 31, 1956, two days after Israeli forces crossed into the Sinai peninsula. International condemnation and strong US pressure forced the three countries to end operations and withdraw. The invasion came after Egyptian President Gamal Abel Nasser nationalised the canal between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea to finance the construction of the Aswan High Dam.
Posted by: Seafarious ||
11/04/2003 11:34:12 AM ||
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People's Court, Judge Wapner presiding....
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/04/2003 11:49 Comments ||
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#2
Are the Egyptians watching too much court TV? They are also trying to get Jews to repay them for when they fled slavery. Is Johnny Cochran over there? Got to love that World Court! Great litigation going on! Thank god we opted out!
#3
As they continue to whale on the Copse population.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 12:03 Comments ||
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#4
Sometimes nations do things that make you question the sanity of their people. Have the failed to remove the lead from Egyptian drinking water or something? These people have no clue...
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
11/04/2003 12:05 Comments ||
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#5
October 31, 1956: Hey, it was Halloween! It got out of hand! Lighten up, will ya Fergy?
#7
The Christians of Egypt are called "Copts" , not 'Copse' and are under 10% of the population. They have suffered under dhimmitude (subjugation of non-Moos-slims) for way over 1000 years. Moos-slims regularly abuse this community. I have a good friend who is a Copt and we often discuss how beastly and vicious Moos-slims are. He moved here over 30 years ago and is a fine, pro-Israel American. I know about the Moos-slims from growing up in soddystan from 1958 to 1970.
#8
Texas_Trainer, tahnks for the info. Sorry for the mispell.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 14:49 Comments ||
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#9
The pressure from the US forced the Brits and French to halt the invasion, which was meant to secure the entire canal. They were upset over the canal being nationalized by Nasser, and used the pretext that "Egyptian canal pilots weren't qualified to lead ships through a long, straight ditch" to justify the invasion.
According to the history I read, Eisenhower was livid over this. He got the Brits' attention by ending all special privileges and contacts between their military/intel services and ours (the French, strangely, had no such access with our people in the first place), and then told the Brits and French that if they didn't withdraw, the US would intervene on the side of the Egyptians (!!!). That worked, and the invasion ground to a halt even before securing the entire causeway at Port Said.
One interesting tidbit: the Brits were concerned that the Arabs wouldn't react well to the French, given their colonial history, and as an euphemism for this problem used the phrase "French smell factor" in their internal discussions. Gotta love it.
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/04/2003 15:43 Comments ||
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#10
Steve White:
In other words it was the US who initiated the policy of appeasement toward the Arab world and made them feel "victorious". Lack of reaction by Reagan, Bush I and Clinton to terrorist attacks led bin Laden to conclude he could get away with 9/11 but forgive me if I think the very first step was Eisenhower meddling in the 1956 war. Appeasement has never worked.
#11
Regarding the Copts. How practical would it be to allow any non-Muslims living in Muslim countries to get expedited US Visa's. Certainly folks could lie about their religion and all, but it would be nice to help these folks (if they were willing to move) and if that means they get the slots of some Muslim's I'm willing to accept that.
#12
JFM, you are right, and Ike's move caused the Europeans to dump any responsiblity for the middle East leaving the US to fill in the gaps. A position that has not been all wine and glory for Uncle Sam.
#13
The Egyptians have been apid many times over. I have been through the Suez in each direction. The Brits were totally right about Egyptian pilots - they suck. You not only have to pay an Egyptian pilot, but treaties also require you to take aboard linehandlers that you don't need. We made the whole village of them hang out on the focastle where they could be watched. You also had to save you worst line to throw to their tugs as the tug boat guys would take aboard as much as possible, cut your line at the end of the trip and then sell the line.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 18:27 Comments ||
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#14
The Egyptians at great expense and effort built the canal, therefore they should benefit from it ... oh wait!
Posted by: A Jackson ||
11/04/2003 18:53 Comments ||
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#15
JFM's right.
Ike got either righteous or wobbly and I'm still not sure which.... still paying for that FU.
Following a storm of protest, CBS has yanked its sweep miniseries "The Reagans," a controversial four-hour glimpse of the 40th president and his family, sources close to the production said. CBS chief Leslie Moonves made the decision after concluding that the film was unfair to the Reagans and that even extensive edits had not produced an acceptably balanced portrayal. The only question that remains is whether the miniseries will be picked up by the cable net Showtime -- like CBS, a unit of Viacom -- or shelved entirely, sources said. The miniseries was scheduled to bow Nov. 16 on CBS. Waiting for the "First Amendment" cries.
Posted by: Steve ||
11/04/2003 9:09:10 AM ||
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Gee, it's hard to believe that a movie starring Barbra Streisand's husband as Ronald Reagan wouldn't be viewed as balanced, objective, and apolitical. Although I do think the re-enactment of the Grenada invasion with an interpretive dance was just too much... [/sarcasm]
Posted by: Dar ||
11/04/2003 9:16 Comments ||
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#2
See also "A Letter to CBS" over at Powerline. Marc Christian's letter pretty well refutes the entire Reagan-as-vicious-homophobe storyline.
#4
CBS just lost $9 million on this charade....heh heh
If it'd been shown as planned, would the DNC have to declare it as a campaign contribution?
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/04/2003 11:38 Comments ||
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#5
Local news this morning reports that CBS is indeed shopping this garbage to Showtime. People are already threatening to cancel their subscriptions. It's so nice to see Communist Broadcasting Sympathizers choke on it.
Posted by: Rex Mundi ||
11/04/2003 12:50 Comments ||
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What's interesting about this is,CBS had to approve the script and had its own people overseeing production(don't believe for a second any CBS claims they simply ordered the project,with no idea of its content-not for vital sweeps programming).I get the idea CBS leaked a few details to stir up controversy and get ratings,and was suprised at how much opposition was raised-either advertisers pulled out(fearing boycotts),or local stations refused to run it.
Just how bad was it that "even extensive edits" couldn't salvage the program?
Posted by: Stephen ||
11/04/2003 12:55 Comments ||
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#7
How much was the total cost of Oliver Stone's puff piece on Castro that HBO wouldn't show? Maybe HBO can sell the Castro piece to Showtime as well to recoup some moolah.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 13:00 Comments ||
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#8
To follow up,just how bad is this project.It should have just under 3 hours of airtime.It should have been easy to edit out 4-5 scenes that
were objectionable and replace with other material edited out for length.For CBS to abandon airing at this late date,it must really have been bad.
Posted by: Stephen ||
11/04/2003 13:12 Comments ||
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#9
It's funny that this comes out the day after Bill O'Reilly aired a segment on it again.
Posted by: Charles ||
11/04/2003 15:51 Comments ||
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#10
CBS is left leaning and probably knew it was a hit piece from the start, but they are also the favorite network of the older crowd who would not like such a disrespectful view of an exPresident and Alzhemier suffer.
#11
CBS's story is that the idea was floated as a love story - thus the reason for the docu-drama. Guess it turned out to be more like Mommy Dearest. Whether it is aired on CBS or Showtime, it would be nice if an accurate movie was also filmed. I'ld hate for this turd of a production to be the only film about Reagan when my grandchildren are learning history.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 20:05 Comments ||
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#12
Showtime gets a pass with me for airing the excellent DC 9/11 movie.
Japanâs constitution should be rewritten to remove or amend pacifist safeguards imposed after the Second World War, according to a poll yesterday of candidates representing the countryâs governing party. The poll by the Asahi newspaper showed that constitutional revision was favoured by almost 90 per cent of candidates from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which is expected to win this weekâs general election comfortably. It also showed that some 60 per cent of candidates from the main opposition Democrats are in favour of revising the constitution, though not necessarily Article Nine, which prevents Japan from maintaining an offensive military capability.
The poll did not specifically ask which part of the constitution should be changed, but it is understood that many LDP members, including Junichiro Koizumi, the prime minister, believe Article Nine should be changed. The article has been interpreted by successive governments as preventing Japan from exercising a right to collective self-defence - the use of force to counter an attack on a foreign ally. But that has been increasingly in doubt as Japanâs security situation has changed. Politicians and foreign policy analysts have become acutely concerned by the erratic behaviour of North Korea, which is openly pursuing nuclear weapons.
Earlier this year, the defence minister said a pre-emptive attack on North Korea would be considered if a missile capable of reaching Japan was being made ready. In 1998, North Korea launched a missile over Japanese airspace, demonstrating its ability to hit Tokyo. The Japanese constitution renounces the right to make war and maintain an army. But yesterdayâs poll indicates a growing consensus that this needs to be amended to enable Japan to play a greater role in regional security, particularly in the face of the threat from North Korea. Any revision is likely to be preceded by a debate about how Article Nine can be altered to reflect the changing international situation without moving too radically away from Japanâs special status as a non-militarist nation. In August, Mr Koizumi suggested that the LDP should revise the constitution, including Article Nine, by November 2005, his partyâs 50th anniversary.
America has pressed Japan to play a bigger role in security and some Japanese want the country to be able to exercise collective self-defence. Right-wingers say it is too reliant on the "umbrella" provided by the alliance with America and that it is time to become a "normal country" with a recognised military force to back its foreign policy.
Posted by: Bulldog ||
11/04/2003 6:41:54 AM ||
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"though not necessarily Article Nine, which prevents Japan from maintaining an offensive military capability"
That' a bit Clintonian is it not? Oh sure, they don't want an army to build an empire and all that...but let's be realistic here; isn't saying that you want a "defensive army" the same as saying you want an "army".. period?
#2
WWII has been over for more than 50 years. Their culture and political structure is different from the pre-WWII society. So why shouldn't Japan arm herself as any other normal nation does? If she wants to arm, so be it -- if she wants to stay un-'militaristic' (ie. dependent on others for her safety) again, so be it.
#4
It is kinda funny hearing that Japan should re-arm - Japan has one of the largest and most technically advanced militaries in the world.
Posted by: Dan ||
11/04/2003 11:07 Comments ||
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"Earlier this year, the defence minister said a pre-emptive attack on North Korea would be considered if a missile capable of reaching Japan was being made ready. In 1998, North Korea launched a missile over Japanese airspace, demonstrating its ability to hit Tokyo"
WTF???
Being made ready 5 yrs ago?
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/04/2003 11:33 Comments ||
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Even the Japanese by and large don't realize this, being educated from an early age how "pacifistic" their nation is.
Posted by: Carl in N.H. ||
11/04/2003 11:56 Comments ||
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When a Japanese Defense Minister says "a pre-emptive attack on North Korea would be considered" best to listen, they have certain uh.... talents in this area.
#8
Couple of comments. First, the Japanese military is an awesome power in the region, but it has no force projection abilities so it truly is a self-defense force. This change might mean looking towards carriers and troop transports, procurements that will scare the living crap out of the neighborhood. Second, the threat alone is probably enough to get the Chinese to act on North Korea to prevent Japan's seeming need to change. Next thing you know the Japanese might neednuclear weapons and the Chinese certainly don't want that to happen.
#9
I'm not convinced they don't have them already, just unmentioned, like the Israelis. The no-nuke activists would go bananas until NK sends another (armed) missile on over
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/04/2003 13:10 Comments ||
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#10
Yank is right on. We're trying to use China to leverage Nkor, and the big leverage over China is the threat of full Japanese rearmament if the neighborhood isnt cleaned up.
#11
Yes. I dont think China wants a fully armed Japanese military. In fact I think they might still be having a few sleepless nights over it. Imperial Japan was not very nice during WWII -- not nice at all.
As for NKor. I am not sure it would take much to push ole kimmie-boy over. I think the NK military might be getting kind of tired of the 'All praise Kim! All praise poofy-hair!' day and night. You can only take that so far. Especially when they 'hear' how things are in S. Korea. I dont think they can keep those 'rumors' out completely.
#12
Lemme see, Japan has a long history of high quality electronics, high quality manufacturing and uses nuclear power for a fair amount of its electricity. Hmm, how long does anyone think it will take Japan to enter the nuclear club if they wanted to?
#13
I've got a bad cold, on some powerful pain medications that don't really work well together with the over-the counter cold remedies. I'm thinking weird things today, so bear with me.
Wonder how a line of large towers, each equipped with BIIIIGGG speakers, all directed toward Kimmieland, each spewing non-stop WalMart commercials and such, would go over on the DMZ?????
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
11/04/2003 16:16 Comments ||
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#14
Winter's around the corner. NKorea doesn't have enough oil for heating, fuel, etc. It might be an interesting Christmas.
#15
Japan rearming,I say go for it.As was mentioned above it is a different Japan than what was around in 1930.They damn sure got the tech expertice,industry,and economy to do it and do it well.
#16
The ChiComs have been dragging their feet with Kimmie. They had their chance of putting the screws to the NORKS, but they did not take the opportunity. Japan will provide the lever to get this NORK problem over and done with. The Chicoms have been playing games for too many years and their plan is going to bite them in the ass.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
11/04/2003 18:27 Comments ||
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#17
The Chicoms have one foreign policy goal: to be the center of attention in Asia.
+++ They play games with India over border skirmishes, attempting to undermine the governments of Nepal, Bhutan, and Sikkim, and encourage the Paks in Jammu & Kashmir.
+++ They are one of the major sources of funding for insurgents in Assam, and contribute significantly to Myanmar's marxists.
+++ They support Muslim insurgency in the Philippines, and also fund their own insurgents (there's been an increase in HUK activity over the last five years, all at the encouragement of the PRC).
+++ They are the major player in the Spratley Islands dispute.
+++ They constantly keep the pressure on Taiwan.
The Japanese have reason to fear China, as well as North Korea. As others mentioned, Japan has the capability of building nuclear weapons, and has a proven launch capability (Japanese launch their own space satellites). Their army is mainly defensive, but could be modified quickly to develop an offensive capability.
The Japanese could do two things, one diplomatically and one militarily, to put the pressure on China: one, develop a regional military and economic treaty organization including South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and Australia; two, begin building a modest offensive capability that includes a division of Marines, and the acquisition of one of the US aircraft carriers being prepared for mothballs, such as the Kitty Hawk.
Either action would send shock waves through China. Both together would really cause heads to roll in the PRC.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
11/04/2003 19:45 Comments ||
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As was mentioned above it is a different Japan than what was around in 1930.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Israel, which has seen hundreds of U.N. resolutions passed against its policies over the years, circulated its first resolution ever Monday, saying the outcome will show whether the organization is taking a balanced approach to the Mideast. Interesting ploy.
The Israeli resolution, a copy of which was given to The Associated Press, calls for the protection of Israeli children victimized by Palestinian terrorism. It closely mirrors a similar draft submitted by Egypt last week highlighting the plight of Palestinian children affected by more than three years of bloody conflict in the region. Wonder if it mentions the Palestinian child abuse documented over at LGF?
Israeli diplomats said theyâd be happy if the General Assembly decided to drop the two drafts or adopt them both. ``The test will be if they pass the Palestinian one but not ours,ââ said deputy Israeli Ambassador Arye Meckel. Sounds like a Rantburg Future to me.
For years, Israel has refused to take seriously the hundreds of resolutions Arab states sponsor, all of which condemn Israelâs actions against the Palestinians while making little, if any, mention of Palestinian attacks against Jews. But Meckel said the pattern of dismissal only led to mounting anti-Israel resolutions. Twenty such resolutions passed in the General Assembly in 2002. The United States vetoed several that were brought to the Security Council, arguing that they were unbalanced and didnât condemn Palestinian groups taking credit for suicide bombings against Israelis. ``Itâs time to stop being passive,ââ Meckel said in an interview with The Associated Press. Tell that to your army. And to Sharon.
Meckel will send a letter later this week to 155 ambassadors at the United Nations asking for their support for Israelâs first resolution. Israeli diplomats will also lobby world capitals. Wonder how many Islamic ambassadors actually handled their copy of the letter?
Both the Israeli and the Palestinian resolutions are expected to come up for a vote in the U.N.âs human rights committee within the next two weeks, he said. If either one passes, it will go to the full General Assembly for a final vote in December. Expect lots of eye-rolling, face-making fun!
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/04/2003 12:42:49 AM ||
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#1
I also suggest Israel acting agressively on any abuses involving fundamentalists be it against non-Muslims like in Sudan and Kenya or against moderate Muslims like in Algeria. Time to expose the hipocrisy of the Arab and Muslim world who has never shown any concern when the victims were Christians, Algerians or Kurds even when they outnumbered 100 to 1 the number of Palestinian victims since 1967.
#2
Even if it does pass, it won't be 178-4 or something like that. It will be a close call. The Arab one will pass without hindrance though, I'm sure.
Posted by: Charles ||
11/04/2003 4:41 Comments ||
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#3
playing the game to expose the hypocrisy is a good move - something to throw back at the Paleo-supporters and multilateralists who say we always need to work through the UN
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/04/2003 10:33 Comments ||
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#4
It's alway dangerous to allow your enemy to use a weapon that you refuse to use, even if the weapon is stupid and silly. The UN should not be ignored, it should be used to further a nations aims. Some countries get that (it's their only way of furthering aims); others do not (US whines an awful lot about the UN while giving away Aid and such to those that use it against us).
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 13:17 Comments ||
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#6
The Greeks are voting maybe. Unless the Macedonian Flag is before the same commitee in which case they will vote to table, this of course would require the table to declare a dolore victoria. My theory is to put Blue Bonnet Upon It and annex the whole fucking mess to Scotland the Brave Black Bear..
The U.N. security coordinator is being asked to step aside while an independent team assesses security failures that led to so many casualties in a bombing at U.N. headquarters in Baghdad, U.N. officials said Monday. Wonder how they noticed he wasnât doing his job?
Secretary-General Kofi Annan is expected to appoint the team of experts on Tuesday. Tun Myat of Myanmar, who has been security chief since July 2002, will go on leave at least until their assessment is completed, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity. A guy from Myanmar? As chief of security? Fergawdsake! Next thing you know theyâll have a Libyan running the Commission on Human ... oh, never mind.
In a letter to over 25,000 U.N. staffers worldwide on Friday, Annan said he planned to appoint the team and pledged to take immediate action to implement waffling and nattering recommendations in a highly critical report by a U.N.-appointed panel. The report blamed ``dysfunctionalââ U.N. security for unnecessary casualties in the Aug. 19 attack that killed 22 people, including top U.N. envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello, and injured more than 150 others. The first point of their dysfunction was ignoring US offers to help them with their security. And how many of the casualties were "necessary"?
Annan told the staff he was reviewing ``the serious weaknessesââ in the management of the U.N. security system, as well as the threats facing U.N. missions worldwide so as to be able to stonewall better. Annan said Monday that he plans to make security changes this week. Annan stressed that U.N. security will be tightened worldwide. Last week, Annan ordered the temporary withdrawal of the U.N.âs international staff from Baghdad for consultations with a team from U.N. headquarters following an upsurge in attacks. Fewer than 20 foreign staff were still in the Iraqi capital. They wonât be back until the cafes, hotels and shops take Diners Club a new government is installed.
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/04/2003 12:38:08 AM ||
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I hope the UN won't be back period.
Posted by: Charles ||
11/04/2003 4:44 Comments ||
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Annan told the staff he was reviewing ``the serious weaknessesââ in the management of the U.N.
Kinda hard to do when you're the biggest cause of the UN's weaknesses, Kofi. MIS-management is the name of the game at the UN, beginning at the top.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
11/04/2003 12:36 Comments ||
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#3
The Un can be tighter on security. They have plenty of automatic weapons stashed in New York.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 13:20 Comments ||
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Chouf MP Walid Jumblatt reiterated on Sunday his call on all Arab patriots in Palestine to leave the Israeli Army and to reject obligatory military service. Jumblatt said that Arabs âwill not forget the treason of those collaborating with the Israeli Army to oppress Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.â
Make up your minds quick, boys... Though I think they already have.
âThe refusal of military service within the enemyâs army is the only means to save Arabs in Palestine,â the president of the Progressive Socialist Party said.
Did that statement make any sense? Didn't think so.
Jumblatt spoke during a ceremony held by the Hasbaya municipality to unveil the commemorative plate of the PSP and the national resistanceâs martyrs. The Lebanese people and government would support all resistance fighters and free men, the Druze leader added, âthis is what our grand martyr, Kamal Jumblatt, taught us when he supported the Arab and Palestinian cause.â He added that his father ignited the âtorch of changeâ in the country and handed it to those who followed him, referring to his âcomradesâ in the Amal Movement and other parties liberating the South.
Walid's another hereditary leader...
Jumblatt then addressed the martyrsâ families, saying their sons were killed as a sacrifice for the national cause and that the loss of their lives became a victory when the South was liberated from the Israeli occupation in May 2000, following 22 years of occupation.
He means when the Israelis picked up and left...
Jumblatt said: âNo matter how much longer occupation endures, we will restore Palestine,â adding that it was an Arab land and would never be a Jewish nor an Israeli land. He saluted all martyrs, including the martyrs of Lebanese and Syrian Armies, who âwere there for us at all the difficult stages.â
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
11/04/2003 00:01 ||
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Did he salute the Syrian martyrs who whacked his father? Just asking.
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/04/2003 0:31 Comments ||
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#2
Druzes serve in the Israeli army but Arabs don't.
#3
Are Bedouin Druzes? (Forgive my ignorance.) I had one eye on a typically appaling BBC documentary (which 'documented' many opinions, all pro-Palestinian) the other night which accused a unit of Bedouins, in the IDF, of shooting dead a British cameraman. They played Muslim popular music, loudly, from their AFVs, and it was alleged that the troops may have been on drugs or drunk.
I'll try to find a link to the programme if I can find one later.
And a piece written by the investigator/presenter, John Sweeney, can be found here. This was originally run in the Independent.
When Killing is Easy. Even easier when your society openly incites murder, glorifies death and 'martyrdom' and facilitates every attempt to do just that. But lets not be distracted from criticising the joooos by the myrias arab murders, shall we...
The programme also shiowed footage of the ISM morons running around in front of IDF bulldozers. I couldn't believe how utterly reckless they were. Frankly, I'm amazed they don't get squashed on a daily basis.
It also showed a number of still images of Rachel Corrie, and I was surprised to see the series culminate with Charles Johnson's favourite. I suppose it wasn't a complete whitewash.
#5
Somehow, Bulldog, I suspect the BBC expected that picture to show St. Pancake in a favorable light.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
11/04/2003 8:34 Comments ||
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#6
RC, That occurred to me, but if that was their intention it wasn't very clever. There were three images, IIRC - one the fresh-faced student, one posing with Paleo kids, and the last, the ugly, hateful display in which she was burkha-clad and grimacing, and in shich it isn't even very clear what she was doing (I know from LGF that she was burning a small pastel-coloured stars and stripes effort). If they'd gone with the earlier pictures and left it at that (which is what I was expecting), the audience would have been left with an image of a saintly Rachel, instead of a Rachel with, at least, streaks of Jekyll and Hyde.
I honestly think this was the BBC showing a smidgen of balance. Maybe the pressure's having some effect.
#7
I remember of' Wally from the Lebanese civil war in the '80s. Here is a description of the Druze: While the Druze are not regarded as Muslims by other Muslims, they regard themselves as Muslims as well as carriers of the core of this religion. The origin of Druze is to a large extent from a group of Shi'is, the Isma'ilis, but they have diverged much, and the Koran does not seem to be a part of their religion.
The Druze call themselves muwahhidun, 'monotheists'.
#8
Lots of Muslims serve in the Israeli army.
Druse, Bedouin, some Sunni Arabs, Cherkassim.
Posted by: Barry ||
11/04/2003 11:20 Comments ||
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#9
According to Ha'aretz the Druze are fairly loyal to Israel, allegedly a lot of them voted for National Union (Israeli nationalist coalition) last election. There was an article in Ha'aretz that described the rather surreal spectacle of an Arab (mainly Druze) town in northern Israel plastered with posters of Avigdor Leiberman & Moledet's Benny Elon (aka Mr Transfer.) Apparently Natan Sharansky (Yisrael B'aliyah, now merged with Likud) was trying to court the bedouin vote last time round, obviously part of his electoral strategy failed to pay off...
Posted by: Dave ||
11/04/2003 15:09 Comments ||
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#10
One of the precepts followed by the Druze is loyalty to the state. One day, while visiting the IDF web site I found the announce of the funeral of a Druze sergeant who had died for Israel
(I also suspect that one of regaular Muslim favourite past-times is killing Druzes).
Y'see, wanting Syria to end its occupation of another sovreign country is an act of aggression. That makes sense, right? (That might account for why nobody takes statements from somebody named Knobby seriously...)
âWe are together in condemning the decision by the US House of Representatives and in stressing that the US Congress has no right to appoint itself as the worldâs legislative power, because by so doing it would be acting as a global authority that is not elected by other countries,â Berri told Arab parliamentarians during the 44th Arab Parliamentary Union session held in Damascus on Sunday. Entitled the Whole Arab World is Syria, the session was held under the auspices of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
That has nothing to do with the "Council's" syncophancy, of course...
Berri recalled the example of the late French King Louis XIV, who ruined his own country by saying âFrance is me.â
Actually, I think he said "I am the state, and you're not."
âNow the US Congress is doing the same and claiming to represent the entire world,â Berri said, adding that US institutions, especially the Congress and the Pentagon, were doing their best to create enemies for their country. âWe do not choose to be enemies of the United States,â he said.
"No, no! It's forced upon us!"
Berri argued that he supported the proposal made by the representative of the Saudi delegation to the gathering, to send a goodwill message to the Americans and the US Congress.
By calling a Congressional resolution an act of aggression?
Berri blamed Washingtonâs pro-Israeli bias on the Arab inability to take advantage of the power of their assets in the United States.
He also said Arabs failed to unveil to the American public the wrongdoing of their administration.
More money on the way to the Dems...
Berri said the bill fell within the framework of American escalation against the Arab region, adding that the latest episode of US aggression in the region came from the US ambassador to Egypt, David Welch, who prompted protest in that country after criticizing its press and freedom of expression.
#4
Interesting that the US is putting pressure on Syria, and not on Iran. It would be nice if regime change in Syria could be arranged, it would pacify the neighborhood around Israel and deflate Palestinian hopes of genocide that might allow for real peace negotiations.
Political aspirant Ahmad Asaad came down heavily on Speaker Nabih Berri and accused him of acting as a âbrokerâ between the countryâs public institutions and the public. Berriâs policies âare taking the country back in time,â Asaad told a gathering in Bint Jbeil, adding that Berri has said that he worked for the interests of the Shiites, the South and Lebanon, but âthe governmentâs institutions are the ones doing this job using taxpayersâ money.â He said Berri changed the democratic system that historically existed in the South to a system of âtyranny and dictatorshipâ that he presided over. âYou canât ask the public to abide by the law when you are violating it,â Asaad added. Asaad called for the deployment of the [Lebanese] army in the South, saying this was the only way to ensure security and safety. He said that the public wanted the army to assume its role in the South, adding that âthe Lebanese government is the only party that can secure stability and security.â
As opposed to Amal and Hezbollah and the Paleo "militias."
Asaad, who is the son of former Speaker Kamel Asaad, urged the Syrian government âon behalf of all the free people in the Southâ to allow the Lebanese army to take control of the situation and stop what he described as violations. âWe are proud to be Arabs and we will fight the Israeli enemy,â he said, âbut Lebanon has sacrificed the most among Arab countries ⊠Enough!â Asaad added that he believed it was the duty of the central government to act to preserve the dignity of the South and its residents.
When Arabs start talking about preserving their "dignity," it usually amounts to sticking their collective chin out and hollering "hit me!"
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
11/04/2003 00:01 ||
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you have to have it before you can preserve it IIRC
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/04/2003 11:40 Comments ||
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He's right when he says Syria should get out of Lebanon. I think he's a fool if he thinks piling Syrian equipment along the Israeli border will do anything except bunch up the targets for the Israeli airforce and free up the highways in the East for American tanks headed for Damascus if something happens.
The Palestinian Islamic Resistance group, Hamas, has reiterated its willingness to reach a ceasefire with the Zionist regime if and when the Israeli occupation army stops targeting Palestinian civilians.
Y'see, all Paleostinians are civilians. All Israelis are combatants. Pretty simple, huh?
Hamasâ spokesman Abdul Aziz al Rantissi told reporters in Gaza last night the movement was willing to halt attacks on Israeli civilians if Zionist troops stopped attacks on Palestinian civilians. However, Rantissi said Hamas would continue to fight the Israeli occupation army and paramilitary messianic Jewish settlers. âWe have an inherent moral and legal right to resist the occupation. Israel will not grant us our freedom free of charge. We have to struggle and prove to them that the occupation is costly.â
"Nothing will do but Armed Struggle™!"
Earlier, PA Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei indicated that he would soon hold talks with Hamas and other Palestinian resistance groups in an effort to reach a national concordance on dealing with the present political deadlock. A 40-day truce between the resistance of groups collapsed, concluded in summer through Egyptian mediation, after the Israeli assassinated several political leaders affiliated with Hamas, including Ismael Abu Shanab, a moderate Isalmist political leader.
That was directly after Hamas blew the bus. And Shanab was a member of Hamas' politburo — no doubt the "moderate" member of it.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
11/04/2003 00:00 ||
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Ahh,Rantii,"Freedom is not Free".
Man,and the wife accuses me of having a selective memory.
Voice of Palistine,that explains it.Must be that cause and effect thing Fred keeps nagging about.
#3
Typical scum of the earth Islamic lies from Hamas. So many IDF have died when Israel has tried to be precise and avoid hitting Paleostinian civilians. While at the same time Hamas and other Jihadist cowards assault Israeli civilians because they're too pussy to go up against the IDF. Islam is a religion of lies founded by a murderous pedophile with his hallucinatory revelations from Allah moon god.
The revelations of Mohammed, too, wereâwe are toldâthe result of "a midlife crisis" and "a condition similar to epilepsy". Although his early "hallucinatoryrevelations"  http://www.noetic.org/Ions/publications/review_archives/02/issue02_25.html  appear to have been spontaneous, during an epileptic seizure, later on "Mohammed deviously resorted to 'making up' revelations to suit his political and private purposes." (p. 215) So much for the Koran.
Palestinian sources have said that differences were still raging over the person who would be entrusted with the Palestinian Authorityâs interior portfolio in the government of Ahmed Qurei and his jurisdictions. Qurei is insisting on Nasser Yousef as his favorite nominee to that post while PA chief Yasser Arafat was still adamant on rejecting him because he did not attend the swearing-in ceremony of Qreiâs emergency government.
Oh, that was just because Yasser spit on him...
Palestinian legislative council member and Fatah official, Hatem Abdul Qader, noted that Arafat finally agreed on appointing three minders assistants to the interior minister to resolve the dispute. Abdul Qader underlined that the Palestinian street was fed up with such discrepancy and called for attending to more fateful questions confronting the Palestinian people. Palestinian sources noted that differences were renewed in the light of Qureiâs insistence on Yousef with full jurisdictions while Arafat opted for the appointment of his hairdresserHakam Balawi. The sources noted that Qurei was exerting efforts to finalize his expanded government after his limited eight-member emergency cabinetâs term expired today. The sources predicted that the cabinet line-up would be tabled with the Fatah central committee today prior to tabling it with the legislative council on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
11/04/2003 23:48 ||
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Two Chechens picked exactly the wrong time, the wrong place and the wrong person for their attempted heist on a cash exchange near Moscow last Wednesday. 21-year-old cash in transit officer Andrei Kotenkov, having recently returned from Chechnya where he did his military service, also receiving a medal for courage, did not hesitate in returning fire on the Chechen robber who had shot his colleague whilst trying to rob the exchange office they had just collected the takings from in Istra near Moscow. The failed heist occurred when the security officers were collecting the dayâs takings. As the 45-year-old cash collector was returning to the security van, a young man of southern appearance fired at him three times, hitting him once in the shoulder, and lightly wounding him in the neck. The veteran Kotenkov fired back, as the robber turned and ran towards the car where his partner in crime was waiting for him. However he was not quite as lucky as the security officer, as the bullet hit him squarely in the back.
"Shucks, Igor! This is like being back in Grozny!"
The police were immediately informed of the incident, and quite amazingly the operation to apprehend the second criminal was successful, as several minutes after the attack traffic police stopped the car at a check point after seeing the vehicleâs description on the wanted list. The driver was apparently driving slowly along the road looking for his wounded friend.
"Tall young feller? Dark hair, olive complexion? Got a hole in his back and knobs all over his head?" Yeah. I think I mighta seen him..."
Both of the robbers were natives of Grozny, and local investigators have serious grounds for the assumption that one of the criminals fought against federal troops in Chechnya. Investigators are also looking into the possibility that the two may have been involved in other armed attacks on exchange offices in Moscow region.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
11/04/2003 23:36 ||
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...several minutes after the attack traffic police ...
The "attack" traffic police? I want these guys in Chicago -- my morning commute would be faster! and more interesting.
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/04/2003 0:23 Comments ||
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...You don't curse when you round a corner and see one of them pointing a radar gun at you - you duck!
#3
I'm glad that our WOT hasn't become a shootout in DC. I appreciate the sacrifice of those deployed who are keeping the WOT overseas so that I only have the worry about meth freaks and crackheads when I go to the ATM.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 11:51 Comments ||
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#4
Steve, are you going to attend the ChicagoBoyz blogger bash on the 15th???
Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, founder and spiritual leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, has affirmed that no hudna (truce) with the Zionist enemy was feasible at the present stage. The Sheikh told Quds Press in a special interview that as long as the Zionist enemy persisted in aggression on the Palestinian people there would be no meaning for a hudna. He explained that granting a hudna to the enemy at present meant surrender.
Anything but flying meat seems to mean surrender...
Replying to another question, Yassin said that there was no fixed date yet for a meeting between him and Ahmed Qurei, the Palestinian Authority premier. He affirmed preparedness to open dialogue with the PA and all Palestinian factions, adding that the Hamas officials were ready to hear what Qurei has to say. The Hamas leader urged Qurei to work for the Palestinian people and cause and not to be influenced by âIsraeliâ and American pressures. Yassin said that he supported martyrdom commandos whether males or females but favored males to launch such operations while females would be left as a reserve army.
"I'm not too sure what kinda virgins they get, so it's best not to take any chances..."
He accused âIsraelâ of masterminding the explosion in an American motorcade in Gaza recently because such an attack served its own interests. The Sheikh said that it was natural for Al-Qaeda to declare war on the USA as long as the latter had declared war on Al-Qaeda but said that his Movement would not join Al-Qaeda in its operations.
"They've been bumping off entirely too many big shots from al-Qaeda. They know where I live..."
He affirmed that the Palestiniansâ hatred of the USA was increasing because it supplied âIsraelâ with money and arms and supported the Zionist entity at the UN Security Council. Yassin denied thinking of any PA post, affirming that his main concern was liberating the lands.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
11/04/2003 23:09 ||
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"favored males to launch such operations while females would be left as a reserve army"
and to show a blind old cleric a little tender attention when the Med turns cold, eh?
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/03/2003 23:13 Comments ||
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The Sheikh said that it was natural for Al-Qaeda to declare war on the USA as long as the latter had declared war on Al-Qaeda but said that his Movement would not join Al-Qaeda in its operations.
Waitaminnit. Didn't binnie "declare war" against the US years before 9-11?
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
11/04/2003 10:29 Comments ||
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This is all easy for Yassin to talk about, as his ass isn't the one in immediate danger. I'd bet that if Yassin starts to experience a number of close calls like the previous one, he'd be singing a slightly different tune.
#5
Remember the definition of "Hudna" folks: A strategic cessation of hostilities in order to rebuild strength for a renewed push. Mohammed put THAT spin on that word himself. For example, the pauses between the trench assaults in WW I were mini-hudnas. It is NOT a truce, but a temporary ceasefire.
Thus, for Yassin to say "that no hudna (truce) with the Zionist enemy was feasible at the present stage." is him really saying, "The damn Joooos are on to what a Hudna is, so we can't pull the wool over their eyes again. Curse their moustaches!"
Remember the old saying, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."
Moroccan authorities have charged over 100 people with links to terrorism over the past 10 days as part of a crackdown on hard-line Islamists that began after suicide bombings in May. The latest batch brought before courts includes a group of men charged with attempting to enforce their own version of Islamic law in the neighborhood of Sale, near Rabat.
"Hi! We're your local Taliban! Grow that beard out or we'll beat you up!"
"We're your local cops. Mahmoud — thump knobs on his head!"
The authorities have kept people seen as radical Islamists under close surveillance since 12 Islamist suicide bombers killed 33 people in the business capital Casablanca in May. Five members of the Adl wal Ihsane (Justice and Charity) association, a nonviolent Islamist movement which has not been allowed to form a political party, are among the latest defendants charged under broad anti-terrorism legislation introduced within days of the bombings. Justice and Charity spokesman Fathallah Arsalane said one of the five was a student from Marrakech charged with having made âdeclarations interpreted by the authorities as incitement to terrorismâ at a campus meeting.
Too bad. Shoulda waited until he got to the mosque, I guess...
The countryâs leading human rights group, the Moroccan Human Rights Association, said the terrorism cases failed to meet standards for a fair trial.
So did the explosions, didn't they?
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
11/04/2003 22:40 ||
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Five members of the Adl wal Ihsane ...
Surely that last word in their title is a typo?
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/04/2003 0:20 Comments ||
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Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
11/04/2003 0:57 Comments ||
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#3
Morocco seems to be taking this WOT very seriously - good for them!
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/04/2003 11:11 Comments ||
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#4
For every front man like Yassine or Bhagwan Shree there is a Sheela or Sadaam or Hillary behind the scenes taking care of business. There is a public service side of Hamas and then there is...
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/04/2003 11:22 Comments ||
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Two Iranian journalists with state-run television who were freed yesterday by US forces in Iraq after four months in detention have charged they were subjected to âsevere tortureâ while in American custody.
Got any fingernails left?
But in Baghdad a coalition military spokesman denied that anyone was mistreated in its custody.
Shucks. That's too bad. No pliers?
âThe detention was unimaginable. The first 10 days were like a nightmare. We were subjected to severe torture,â Saeed Abou Taleb told state television as he and his freed colleague Sohail Karimi crossed back into Iran.âThe other four months were terrifying. I would rather not remember it. It was very bad, very bad,â he said as the pair were greeted at the southern Iranian border post of Shalamcheh, near the Iraqi city of Basra.
"These women kept coming in, and shaking their bosoms at us, and hollering 'you can't have none!' An'... an'... an' they made us eat french fries!"
He did not elaborate on the allegation of torture, which the coalition spokesman in Iraq rejected out of hand saying: âThe coalition does not mistreat anyone in its custody â full stop.â
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
11/04/2003 21:46 ||
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#1
We need to publicly thank these fine gentleman for the intelligence info they provided, upon which many future operations by the Great Satan will be based, including in Iran proper. "Here's to you, future dead Iranian spy guys!" {hoists Budweiser (%)> }
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/03/2003 23:17 Comments ||
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#2
They're in better shape than that Canadian woman was in Iran...
#3
Standard jihadi tactic, as detailed in the captured al'Qaeda manual: when arrested by a civilized power, claim you were tortured. No need to give details, of course, because Arabs, Leftists, and other mental children will believe you regardless.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
11/04/2003 8:30 Comments ||
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#4
"They turned me into a newt!"
Posted by: Dar ||
11/04/2003 9:37 Comments ||
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#5
LOL!!! "Well I got better..." Beautiful, Dar! Still laughing!!!
Abdulrahman Alamoudiâs troubles are increasing. Last week, a judge ordered him to be held without bail. Alamoudi, a well-known US Muslim activist, is charged by US federal authorities with attempting to smuggle $340,000 into the United States. The 18-count indictment also accuses him of engaging in illegal financial transactions with Libya, money laundering, failure to report foreign bank accounts, misuse of a passport, and lying in an application to become a US citizen.
Bad boy, Abdulrahman...
Now further charges against Alamoudi are emerging. Recently available court records say Alamoudi funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars to companies and organizations tied to international terrorism. Law enforcement officials say Alamoudi, 51, was a principal player in a plot to launder money through front companies and phantom organizations. Alamoudi is listed as an officer, founder, director or board member of several companies and foundations which agents say were used to forward cash to terrorist groups. Two other foundations Alamoudi was affiliated with are alleged to have been fronts to fund Hamas. Agents charge that Alamoudi sent at least $160,000 from these organizations to an organization implicated in Al-Qaedaâs December 1999 plot to blow up Los Angeles International Airport. Equally unhelpful is Alamoudiâs link as vice president of the Taibah International Aid Association, a nonprofit organization based in Fall Church. In his affidavit, ICE Agent Brent Gentrup charges that during a March 2002 raid on the American Muslim Foundation and Success Foundation offices in Virginia, agents found an agreement in Arabic naming Taibah International as an agent for the Success Foundation âin executing its external projects.â The agents also found two checks, for $25,010 and $10,000, that were drawn on the Success Foundation account and made payable to Taibah International. Gentrupâs affidavit says they found $2.2 million in four bank accounts linked to Alamoudi, none of which he had declared in his tax returns.
Did anybody else just hear Al Capone snicker?
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
11/04/2003 21:41 ||
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He was getting off easy with the National Security guys, now comes the hard boys...the IRS
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/03/2003 23:19 Comments ||
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heh! It will be interesting to see if Alamo's boy, Nawash, will get elected in Virginia today.
Most interesting, IMHO is that GOP Senator Warner, member of the Armed Forces Committee, backed Nawash. Hmmm...Nawash gets money from Alamo and Warner backs him????? Makes me wonder about Warner more than anything else!
#3
I'm speechless, just speechless. The peaceful Hamas is linked to Internation Terrorism. It's just unthinkable! They're supposed to be fighting for an end to Zionist occupation!
Posted by: Charles ||
11/04/2003 15:58 Comments ||
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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.
