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Zawahiri Disbands Main Qaida Faction in Syria
Today's Headlines
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Good morning
Posted by: Fred || 11/09/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Afghanistan
Roadside bomb kills eight civilians in Afghanistan
[Pak Daily Times] A roadside kaboom destroyed a car in restive southern Afghanistan on Friday, killing eight civilians, most of them women and kiddies, officials said.

Five women, two children and an elderly man were killed when their vehicle hit a roadside kaboom, a major weapon for the Taliban in their deadly campaign against Afghan and foreign troops. The bombing near Qalat, the capital of the troubled southern Zabul province, was the latest in a series of kabooms to take the lives of civilians instead of their intended military targets.

Three other civilians were maimed in the bombing, Ghulam Sakhi Roghliwani, the Zabul provincial police chief told AFP. He blamed the Taliban for planting the improvised device.

Mohammad Jan Rasoulyar, the deputy provincial governor, said the victims were members of the same family and that they were travelling to the picturesque provincial capital of Qalat when the bomb hit. He also blamed the bombing on Taliban, the main bully boy group that is waging a 12-year fight against the government US-led NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A cautionary tale of cost-benefit analysis....
forces. Roadside bombings and suicide kabooms are the two main tactics that the Taliban have used in their campaign in recent years. Roadside bombings account for most of the military deaths in Afghanistan and are also the main killer of civilians.
Posted by: Fred || 11/09/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Taliban

#1 
Posted by: Spereting Tingle4064 || 11/09/2013 6:30 Comments || Top||

#2 
Posted by: Spereting Tingle4064 || 11/09/2013 6:30 Comments || Top||


Africa Horn
Over dozen dead after clans clash over farmland in Middle Shabelle
JOWHAR, Somalia -- Heavy fighting between two fraternal clans in Geeda-Barkan vicinity, about 8 km east of Middle Shabelle regional capital of Jowhar left at least 18 people dead and 20 others wounded according to witnesses, Garowe Online reports.

Local reports say that an argument over the ownership of farmland Wednesday degenerated into deadly battle, forcing hundreds of pastoralists to flee.

On Thursday, the clashes restarted with residents reporting that armed militiamen set agricultural land and houses on fire. Independent sources in Jowhar confirmed to Garowe Online that no Somali government forces were deployed in the area as the opposing sides continue to receive reinforcements including ammunitions and machine guns.
That's some tribal militia...
The argument between the warring clans has been dragging on for three years, sources said.
Land, cows or wimmins?
Federal Government of Somalia President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud yesterday visited the agriculture-rich town of Jowhar where devastating floods hit when Shabelle river began to overflow last month.
Posted by: Steve White || 11/09/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  devastating floods hit when Shabelle river began to overflow last month

"our part is the...umm.. dry part"
Posted by: Frank G || 11/09/2013 9:50 Comments || Top||


Puntland forces repel Bossaso prison attack, 'no escapees'
BOSSASO, Somalia -- Sources in Puntland’s port city of Bossaso in northern Somalia say that an overnight attack on Bossaso Prison resulted in casualties, but confirmed that “no inmates escaped” during the bold attack, Garowe Online reports.
Now THAT's how you stop a prison break...
An armed group attacked Bossaso Prison around 11.30pm Friday night local time, using machineguns and hand grenades, according to Puntland security officials in Bossaso who spoke to Garowe Online news agency.

The officials confirmed that at least that three Puntland prison officers were wounded during the overnight attack.

“We repelled the attack, inflicted casualties on the attackers who fled away, and Puntland security forces rushed to help us,” said the officer during a telephone interview.

He confirmed that at least one of the dead attackers’ body was left behind and “would be properly identified in the morning”
...before it starts to stink too badly...
and confirmed that “no inmates escaped”, an indication that the attackers wanted to free some inmates but failed.

Bossaso residents who spoke with Garowe Online reported witnessing “more security forces on the streets” as government forces searched for the attackers.

No group has claimed responsibility for the nighttime attack on Bossaso Prison, whereby dangerous criminals, including convicted terrorists, killers and pirates are serving long prison sentences. Al Shabaab militants have previously attack Bossaso’s southern checkpoint, but this is the first bold attack on the city’s main prison facility, which is well-guarded by Puntland security forces.

This is a developing story, as the attack occurred only two hours ago from the time of publishing this report and it is still nighttime. A public statement is expected from Puntland officials Saturday morning.
Posted by: Steve White || 11/09/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  From Wikipedia: "Unlike the secessionist region of Somaliland to its west, Puntland is not trying to obtain international recognition as a separate nation."

Puntland is an interesting place. It seems like they've decided that it's not worth the hassle to declare yourself an independent country when you can simply *be* one de-facto, and put all of the structures in place. Smart.

Posted by: Secret Master || 11/09/2013 1:59 Comments || Top||

#2  Declarations of "nation status" and sovereignty used to be the key for American foreign aid. Things are a bit tight in the States at the moment.
Posted by: Besoeker || 11/09/2013 2:04 Comments || Top||

#3  Not to mention having to comply with all the international laws...
Posted by: Pappy || 11/09/2013 15:23 Comments || Top||

#4  Based on this article perhaps one is better off just Dealing! with oh, I don't know, say terrorists and pirates launching a prison break than "dealing" with international law.
Posted by: Secret Master || 11/09/2013 22:22 Comments || Top||


6 killed at Mogadishu hotel bombing
MOGADISHU -- At least 6 persons were killed Friday night in a hotel bombing in Mogadishu, as Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon condemned the “terrorist attack”, Garowe Online reports.

Local sources report that two bombs exploded at Mogadishu’s Maka Al Mukaramma Hotel, which is located along a well-guarded road with the same name that leads to the Villa Somalia presidential palace. At least 6 persons were killed and over a dozen wounded, but local sources warned that the death toll could rise.

Somali Interior Minister Abdikarim Hussein Guled told local media that 4 persons were killed, 15 others wounded in the bombings, including a Member of Parliament.

A security officer who spoke on condition of anonymity told Garowe Online: “The three men who attacked the hotel had stayed at the hotel for a few days, but thank Allah their plan failed and an investigation is underway.”

Some reports said one of the attackers died in a suicide blast, another attacker was captured, but there was no report about "a third attacker".

Prime Minister Shirdon said: “This cowardly terrorist attack will us scare us and will not stop the positive development in Mogadishu and all of Somalia”.
Posted by: Steve White || 11/09/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Africa North
Islamists protest in Egypt over detained women
[USATODAY] Supporters of Egypt's toppled president clashed with opponents Friday as security forces fired tear gas to break up their demonstrations over placed in durance vile
Drop the heater, Studs, or you're hist'try!
female protesters, part of an effort to draw wider support for their dwindling rallies.

Meanwhile,
...back at the palazzo, Count Guido had been cornered by the banditti...
the panel rewriting Egypt's constitution approved an amendment abolishing the upper house of the country's parliament, a decision that ultimately will rest with the country's voters.

Egypt has seen near-daily protests across the country since a July 3 popularly backed military coup ousted President Mohammed Morsi
...the former president of Egypt. A proponent of the One Man, One Vote, One Time principle, Morsi won election after the deposal of Hosni Mubarak and jumped to the conclusion it was his turn to be dictator...
and his Moslem Brüderbund-backed government from power. Friday, protesters again erupted into the streets after prayers to voice their dissent.

Clashes followed in some areas. In Cairo, near the Giza pyramids, one person died in fighting between Morsi supporters and local residents, a security official said. The fighting saw attackers firing birdshot, hurling stones and using gasoline bombs, the official said. Police used tear gas to end the clash, he said.

In the city of Suez, the official said one person was maimed after being shot in the head during similar festivities. Police fired tear gas to disperse the crowds, the official said.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity as he wasn't authorized to brief journalists.

In the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, an News Agency that Dare Not be Named journalist also saw security forces fire tear gas to end festivities there.

Organizers called Friday's protests "Egypt's women are a red line," referring to the arrest of 21 female demonstrators in Alexandria in October. Authorities accuse the demonstrators, including seven girls, of inciting violence and blocking roads during festivities there.

Mahmoud Gaber, the lawyer representing the 21 detained protesters, said their detention was "politically motivated."

"A criminal has his legal rights respected," Gaber said. "But for those who are against the military coup, they can't even have their human rights
...which are often intentionally defined so widely as to be meaningless...
respected."

By making the protests not just about Morsi and the coup, organizers tried to draw new support to the rallies. While they continue, the number of participants has dropped drastically as a sharp security crackdown has seen thousands of Morsi supporters and Brotherhood members incarcerated
Keep yer hands where we can see 'em, if yez please!
.
Posted by: Fred || 11/09/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring


One killed, dozens injured in clashes between Morsi supporters and opponents
[Al Ahram] One child was killed and dozens injured during limited festivities on Friday afternoon between supporters and opponents of deposed president Mohammed Morsi
...the former president of Egypt. A proponent of the One Man, One Vote, One Time principle, Morsi won election after the deposal of Hosni Mubarak and jumped to the conclusion it was his turn to be dictator...
in Cairo, Alexandria and Suez following protests called by the pro-Morsi National Coalition in Support of Legitimacy.
...the current false nose and mustache worn by Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood...
The working class district of Omraniya in Giza witnessed violent festivities between pro-Morsi protesters and their opponents. According to Al-Ahram's Arabic news website, the protesters blocked the streets in the area using torched tires. Security forces dispersed the festivities with a whiff of grapeshot teargas.

The head of Egypt's Ambulance Authority Ahmed Al-Ansary announced in a statement that a 12-year-old child, whose identity remains unknown, has been killed in the Giza festivities in addition to six injured.

Meanwhile,
...back at the fist fight, Jake ducked another roundhouse, then parried with his left, then with his right, finally with his chin...
in the port city of Suez, festivities also erupted between Morsi supporters and their opponents and between them and security forces near the Suez security directorate.

The security forces also used teargas to disperse the pro-Morsi protesters. According to health ministry officials in the city, no less than four citizens were maimed in the festivities, including one firearm headshot currently at death's door.

Security forces accused the pro-Morsi supporters of throwing fireworks at the Central Security Forces (CSF) conscripts.

Earlier in Alexandria's Sidi Bishr district, a pro-Morsi rally engaged in festivities with opponents from the area. Security forces also used teargas to disperse the crowd, arresting a number of Morsi supporters.

Thousands of Morsi supporters organised protests on Friday in several provinces across Egypt under the name "Egypt's women are a red line" to object the recent arrests of women protesting in solidarity with ousted president Mohammed Morsi.

Head of Egypt's Ambulance Authority Ahmed Al-Ansary had also announced that three more were maimed in the Sharqiya governorate in front of El-Fatah Mosque, where protests were being held, and were transferred to the hospital. One injury was also reported in the Beheira governorate.
Posted by: Fred || 11/09/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring


Army and Militants Clash in Conflict-Scarred Mali
[An Nahar] Insurgents launched an attack on the Malian army in the rebel-hit country's northeast on Friday, military sources said, in renewed fighting ahead of planned peace talks with the government.

The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), ambushed soldiers as they were on patrol at a market near the border with Niger, several military sources based across the country told Agence La Belle France Presse.

One source in the north said three gunnies were killed and one soldier maimed in the brief exchange of fire, although this could not be independently verified.

"At the fair in Amazragane, 150 kilometers (93 miles) east of Menaka, a Malian army patrol was engaged by the MNLA," he told AFP by telephone.

"The MNLA corpse count was three, and six were taken prisoner and a vehicle was seized. On the Malian army side, one soldier was maimed. Right now everything is back to normal."

A Malian army officer based in Gao, Mali's largest northern city, confirmed the clash took place but would not give further details, while another source in Bamako put the MNLA corpse count at two.

The clash followed three attacks by the MNLA on soldiers in the rebel stronghold of Kidal in September, after the gunnies pulled out of peace talks with the government, dealing a blow to hopes of a durable peace in the troubled west African nation.

The collapse of the talks led to an upsurge in violence which saw two French journalists rubbed out last week during a kidnapping in Kidal claimed by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).

The chief suspect in the kidnapping is a Tuareg thought to have associated with both AQIM and the mainly secular MNLA.

The Tuareg, traditionally a federation of nomad tribes who rebelled in Mali and Niger in the 1960s and the 1990s, are seeking some kind of self-determination for the north.

The Bamako government strongly opposes Tuareg autonomy but is scheduled to hold talks with the desert people in November, according to an agreement signed in June in Burkina Faso
...The country in west Africa that they put where Upper Volta used to be. Its capital is Oogadooga, or something like that. Its president is currently Blaise Compaoré, who took office in 1987 and will leave office feet first, one way or the other...
, on a date yet to be agreed.

The MNLA took control of the region in February after a French-led military operation ousted al-Qaeda-linked fighters who had piggybacked on the latest Tuareg rebellion to seize most of northern Mali.

The Malian authorities reclaimed Kidal after signing a ceasefire deal with the MNLA but the situation has remained tense.

The MNLA announced on Monday that it was merging with the Arab Movement of Azawad and the High Council for the Unity of Azawad to form a united front in any peace talks with the authorities in Bamako.
Posted by: Fred || 11/09/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in North Africa


Misrata breaks with rogue militia after worst violence in Tripoli since Revolution
[Libya Herald] Misrata city officials have distanced themselves from the group of Misrata forces in Tripoli
...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn...
that brought the worst fighting to the city since the revolution.

There were negotiations between the elders from Misrata, Suq Al-Juma and Tajoura to put an end to the fighting and Misrata Military Council closed the Dafniya checkpoint west of the city to prevent any armed force trying to head towards Tripoli.

Meanwhile the family of the Misrata brigade commander Nuri Friwan, whose death yesterday sparked attacks by his forces and supporters in Tripoli on local brigades in Suq Al-Juma, Tajoura and elsewhere in the capital, issued a statement saying it disassociated itself from any retaliation and called for an end to the fighting

It is reported that the overnight festivities left two people dead and 22 injured in Tripoli but this has not yet been confirmed. The dead have been named as Abdu Biali and Sharifaddine Daruil.

There was also damage to buildings in the west and centre of the capital as a result of indiscriminate shelling. The Radisson Blu Mahari hotel was one of the buildings that was slightly damaged.

The fighting, which started around 9.45pm last night when the Misrata brigade attacked forces from Suq Al-Juma at a checkpoint near the seafront Shara Al-Shatt, died down in the early hours of the morning.

During the festivities, which spread elsewhere in the capital, local brigades moved into the former women's military academy on the Suq Al-Thalath roundabout on the western edge of central Tripoli to dislodge Misratan forces based there.
Posted by: Fred || 11/09/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring


Fighting continues in Tripoli - hotel hit, guests evacuated to basement
[Libya Herald] Clashes involving heavy weaponry continue in central Tripoli
...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn...
tonight. The Mahari Radisson Blu Hotel has been hit in the fighting and guests relocated to the basement.
Yo, Mahmoud...we'll be getting a discount, right? This wasn't in the brochure...
According to British businessman Richard Galustian, who had dined there, the hotel was hit a number of times, as were other buildings in the vicinity. A member of staff at the hotel confirmed that the building had been damaged, but not hugely. He said there was a lot of broken glass in the lobby.

"There is still very heavy fighting in the area but it now seems to be moving away from the hotel in both easterly and westerly directions," Galustian said. "Leaving the hotel, the fighting was very much in evidence in and around the Zawiyat Dahmani district of Tripoli, just minutes away from the hotel."
So enjoy your stay. Try the spa...
A mix of weapons were being used, he said, including many heavy weapons. There were reports that members of the Libyan Armed Forces had been ambushed on the coastal road near the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he added. This remains, as yet, unconfirmed.

At midnight, fighting had been ongoing for nearly three hours.
Posted by: Fred || 11/09/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring


Libyan army launches push for order in Benghazi
Libyan's army moved into Benghazi in eastern Libya on Friday, a show of force aimed at restoring order in the country's second largest city, rocked by almost daily bombings and assassinations, Reuters reported.

Security in the port city, an important part of Libya's oil infrastructure, has deteriorated in the past few months with armed militants and radical Islamists roaming unchallenged, highlighting the anarchy in the OPEC producer two years after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi.

Hundreds of armored troop carriers and army trucks mounted with guns drove through the old city near the Corniche after Friday prayers, cheered by residents tired of violence, witnesses said.

"We stand by the people," Wanis Bukhmada, commander of special forces in Benghazi, told a crowd. "We won't allow anyone to mess around with security anymore."

Some 500 people took to the streets, welcoming the army, which has been accused by critics of keeping largely to barracks in recent months.
"We are with the army. There is no security without the army," political activist Hania al-Gumati told Reuters during the demonstration.

But hours later unknown gunmen killed a security officer in Benghazi, a security source said.
So somebody wasn't with the army...
Authorities reinforced the city with special forces in June after some 40 people were killed in clashes between rival militias, which helped bring down Gaddafi but kept their guns after the NATO-backed revolt.
Posted by: Steve White || 11/09/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Anything on this development from Susan Rice ?
Posted by: Besoeker || 11/09/2013 2:05 Comments || Top||

#2  Iran is the new foreign policy trend, meneer. Libya is so... yesterday.
Posted by: Pappy || 11/09/2013 15:25 Comments || Top||


Arabia
Yemen Air Strikes Kill Five 'Qaida' Militants
[An Nahar] Two air strikes by the Yemeni air force killed five suspected Al-Qaeda members in southern Yemen on Friday, the interior ministry said.

The strikes targeted suspected bully boyz in the town of Al-Mahfad, in the southern province of Abyan
...a governorate of Yemen. The region was a base to the Aden-Abyan Islamic Army terrorist group until it dropped the name and joined al-Qaeda. Its capital is Zinjibar. In March 2011, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula declared the governate an Islamic Emirate after seizing control of the region. The New York Times fastidiously reported that those in control, while Islamic hard boyz, are not in fact al-Qaeda, but something else that looks, tastes, smells, and acts the same. Yemeni government forces launched an effort to re-establish control of the region when President-for-Life Saleh was tossed and the carnage continues...
, the ministry said on its website.

Yemeni jets have conducted several raids in the valleys near Al-Mahfad during the past three days, witnesses told AFP.

In the past, drone strikes have also targeted Qaeda-linked groups in the south of the country.
Posted by: Fred || 11/09/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in Arabia


Bangladesh
3 'robbers' killed in Noakhali 'gunfight'
[Bangla Daily Star] Three alleged robbers, including the ringleader of a gang, were killed in a 'shootout' with police in Subarnachar upazila
Which is nowhere you'll ever find on a map...
of Noakhali early in the morning.
Ah, someone with a classic sense of crossfire timing...
Five police personnel were also injured in the incident, reports our Noakhali correspondent quoting Anisur Rahman, superintendent of police in the district.
"You better have that looked at, Sergeant Shafiq! A lost nail can get infected!"
The dear departed are: Kalu, the ringleader of notorious robbers' gang 'Kalu Bahini', and his two cohorts Ripon and Rubel.
They had the death sentence on twelve systems!
Acting on a tip-off,
[RING!]
"Cop shoppe! How may I help you?"
"Lissen, dis is Mahmoud da Weasel..."

law enforcers conducted a drive near Al Amin fish firm in the upazila around 12:15am to arrest the gang members, the police official said.
My old Mother used to say that nothing wholesome happens after midnight...
Spider senses tingling at the proximity of police, the criminals opened fire on law enforcers forcing them to fire back,
"You may [KERBLAMMO!] fire when [KERBLAMMO!] ready, men!"
triggering a shootout that left three robbers lifeless and wan colder than mackerel titzup dead on the spot.

During the shootout, five coppers and two other members of Kalu Bahini were also injured.
"Aaaiiieee! I am undone!"
"Shuddup! It's just a scratch, Mahmoud!"

At one stage, the gang members expeditiously departed at a goodly pace including the injured.
"Take me wit'choo, Islamul!"
Later, police recovered the bodies.
"There's one!"
"E-e-e-e-ewww!"

Kalu was wanted in several cases, including murder, kidnap and extortion, said police sources.
... mopery, dopery, loitering with intent, posturing, third degree debauchery, destitution in a public place...
Police also recovered a light gun, five rounds of bullet, one rocket launcher and several sharp weapons from the scene.
Whoa! Bringing a rocket launcher to a gunfight! What's the charge on that one?
More important, where does Sergeant Choudhary store it in the lock-up?
Posted by: Fred || 11/09/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


India-Pakistan
Lyari crossfire kills 7-year-old child
[Pak Daily Times] A child was became victim to crossfire between two armed gangs, whereas an alleged gangster was also killed during an encounter with law enforcers in Lyari
...one of the eighteen constituent towns of the city of Karachi. It is the smallest town by area in the city but also the most densely populated. Lyari has few schools, substandard hospitals, a poor water system, limited infrastructure, and broken roads. It is a stronghold of ruling Pakistan Peoples Party. Ubiquitous gang activity and a thriving narcotics industry make Lyari one of the most disturbed places in Karachi, which is really saying a lot....
on Friday.

A child was killed during crossfire between two groups of gangsters in Koila Godown area of Lyari, within the limits of Chakiwara cop shoppe.

Police said the 7-year-old victim Mohammad Yasin, son of Altaf, resident of the same area, was on his way when stray bullets hit and killed him when two groups were busy firing on each other. He died instantly and his body was taken to the Civil Hospital, Bloody Karachi
...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous...
for post mortem and later handed over to his heirs.

Separately, an alleged gangster was killed during an encounter with law enforcers in Koila Godown, Lyari.

Law enforcers conducted a raid at gangsters' hideout in Koila Godown, where one alleged gangster got killed and another injured during the fighting. While three culprits were enjugged
Drop the heater, Studs, or you're hist'try!
, others managed to escape from the scene. The dear departed gangster was identified as Mohammad Hussain, 32, son of Mohammad Ismail.
Posted by: Fred || 11/09/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Iraq
Iraq attacks kill seven
[Pak Daily Times] A series of attacks in Storied Baghdad
...located along the Tigris River, founded in the 8th century, home of the Abbasid Caliphate...
and central Iraq killed seven people on Friday, the latest in a months-long surge in bloodshed that comes in the lead-up to major Shia commemorations. In the deadliest incident, two roadside kabooms went off as worshippers were exiting midday prayers at the Imam Ali mosque, a Sunni place of worship, in the west Storied Baghdad neighbourhood of Amriyah. At least four people were killed and 11 maimed, security and medical officials said. Violence north of Storied Baghdad in Diyala and Salaheddin provinces, both majority Sunni Arab provinces that are among Iraq's most violent, killed three.
Posted by: Fred || 11/09/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under: Islamic State of Iraq & the Levant

#1 
Posted by: Spereting Tingle4064 || 11/09/2013 6:08 Comments || Top||


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Israeli forces kill 2nd Palestinian in West Bank
[Al Ahram] Israeli border police rubbed out a Paleostinian at a checkpoint near Jerusalem, Israeli police and family members said Friday, in the second fatal shooting by Israeli forces in 12 hours.

Police front man Micky Rosenfeld said the incident occurred around midnight (2200 GMT), when a man ran at a border police officer with a knife, prompting him to open fire.

"A Paleostinian who arrived at the area ran out of a vehicle toward border police who were there on patrol," Rosenfeld said.

"The Paleostinian had a knife in his hand and a border police officer responded by firing shots at the suspect who was injured seriously and pronounced dead a short while after."

Family members named him as Anas al-Atrash, 23, from the southern West Bank city of Hebron and said the shooting happened at the Wadi Nara checkpoint between Abu Dis and Bethlehem.

"They stopped my two sons at the checkpoint and they were waiting to be checked. Then the soldiers came to the car and opened the door and my son tried to get out and they shot him," his father, Fuad al-Atrash told AFP, referring to the border police.

The brother was placed in durance vile
Youse'll never take me alive coppers!... [BANG!]... Ow!... I quit!
, he added.

On Thursday night, Israeli forces rubbed out another Paleostinian near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, saying he had fired a flare gun at Israelis at Tapuah Junction.

The body of the man, identified as Bashar Habaneen, 29, was handed over to Paleostinians by the Israeli army on Friday morning, Paleostinian security sources said.

Habaneen, from the village of Mirka near the northern West Bank city of Jenin, was a lecturer at Tulkarem university who was not known to have belonged to any political or krazed killer faction.

Later on Friday morning, two Israelis were lightly maimed by a molotov cocktail thrown at their car near the Tekoa settlement, the Israeli army said.

The uptick in violence came as US-brokered peace talks, which resumed in late July, were faltering, and US Secretary of State John F. I was in Vietnam, you know Kerry
Former Senator-for-Life from Massachussetts, self-defined war hero, speaker of French, owner of a lucky hat, conqueror of Cambodia, and current Secretary of State...
was in the region in an attempt to put them back on track.

In an interview with Israeli and Paleostinian television on Thursday, Kerry warned that a failure to make peace could trigger new Paleostinian violence. "The alternative to getting back to the talks is the potential of chaos," he said. "I mean, does Israel want a third intifada?" the top US diplomat asked, using the Arabic word for uprising.
And then coincidentally they get a little taste of it...
Posted by: Fred || 11/09/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [3 views] Top|| File under: PLO

#1  Family members named him as Anas al-Atrash

well, they musta really hated him to name him that
Posted by: Frank G || 11/09/2013 10:42 Comments || Top||

#2  How come Americans never warn Paleosimians?
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 11/09/2013 10:50 Comments || Top||


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Syria army retakes parts of base by Aleppo airport
[Al Ahram] Syrian troops have recaptured parts of a military base seized by rebels early this year in fierce fighting near the international airport of second city Aleppo, a monitoring group said Friday.
Too bad about that, ain't it? The rebels laid down with dogs, got up with Islamic fleas.
Heavy fighting erupted at 4:00 am (0200 GMT) around Base 80 outside the northern city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Syria can now keep the kind of govt it deserves for another generation.
The troops were backed by pro-regime militia and fighters from Lebanon's Shiite militant group Hezbollah in their assault on rebel groups including the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

"Regime troops have advanced inside the base and now control large parts of it, and rebel groups and the Islamic State are bringing in reinforcements," said the Observatory.

It said at least 15 rebels were killed in the fighting and added that towns near the base had come under heavy bombardment, along with neighbourhoods of Aleppo city.

Rebel forces seized control of Base 80 in heavy fighting in February. The base's garrison was responsible for securing Aleppo international airport and the adjacent Nayrab military airfield, which both remain under regime control.

Elsewhere, the Observatory reported ongoing fighting around a key weapons depot near the town of Mahin in central Homs province. Rebel groups, including Al-Qaeda-affiliated battalions, seized control of part of the depot earlier this week, and the Observatory said the army and opposition were bringing in reinforcements.
Posted by: Fred || 11/09/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Syria

#1  Syria is one great big Punch and Judy show, except its with Moslem Midgets fighting Moslem Puppets and it goes on and on and on. Who keeps score? Thousands dead. NONE of them were your friends. None of them were my friends. They were Moslems who hated other Moslems. And whichever side ever wins they are going to be standing there in a gutted burned out hole and I will , and you will probably too...have a very fine Thanksgiving Dinner with all your family (none of whom are Moslems.)

Moslems don't do Thanksgiving.. they do Boogah boogah and it has a goat in it.
Posted by: Spereting Tingle4064 || 11/09/2013 6:13 Comments || Top||


Zawahiri Disbands Main Qaida Faction in Syria
[An Nahar] Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri
... Formerly second in command of al-Qaeda, now the head cheese, occasionally described as the real brains of the outfit. Formerly the Mister Big of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Bumped off Abdullah Azzam with a car boom in the course of one of their little disputes. Is thought to have composed bin Laden's fatwa entitled World Islamic Front Against Jews and Crusaders. Currently residing in the North Wazoo area. That is not a horn growing from the middle of his forehead, but a prayer bump, attesting to how devout he is...
has ordered the disbanding of the main jihadist faction in Syria, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, in an audio message aired on Al-Jazeera
... an Arab news network headquartered in Qatar, notorious for carrying al-Qaeda press releases. The name means the Peninsula, as in the Arabian Peninsula. In recent years it has settled in to become slightly less biased than MSNBC, in about the same category as BBC or CBS...
Friday.

The tape confirmed a letter put out by Al-Jazeera in June, claimed to have been written by Zawahiri and addressed to the leaders of Al-Qaeda factions in both countries.

The head of Al-Qaeda also stressed that the Al-Nusra Front was the branch of the global jihadist group in Syria.

"The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is to be abolished, while the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) remains functioning," he said.

Zawahiri said the leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, "has made a mistake by establishing the Islamic state of Iraq and the Levant without asking for our permission, or even informing us."

It was not immediately clear when he made the remarks.

Meanwhile,
...back at the wine tasting, Vince was about to start tasting his third quart...
Zawahiri added that the leader of the Al-Nusra Front in Syria, Abu Mohammad al-Jawlani, "has made a mistake by announcing his rejection of the ISIL, without taking our permission, or even informing us."

He said the rule of ISI will be confined to Iraq, while the Al-Nusra Front in Syria will be "an independent branch of Al-Qaeda that reports to the general command."

Zawahiri also ordered the two branches to support each other whenever needed and possible.

An Al-Jazeera front man said the "recording has just emerged, and it confirms the authenticity of the letter" broadcast by Al-Jazeera previously.

Opposition activists have blamed the ISIL for an escalating abuse against Syrian rebels and civilians, including kidnappings and public executions in areas under the control of the Death Eater group.

Zawahiri chided Islamists from both sides for unauthorized attacks on Mohammedans.

"Both sides, and all the mujahedeen (Islamist fighters) should observe the sanctity of Mohammedans, in respecting their blood, families and property, and should not attack a Mohammedan without a court order," he said.
Posted by: Fred || 11/09/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under: al-Qaeda


Obama's Secret Iran Détente
The Obama administration began softening sanctions on Iran after the election of Iran's new president in June, months before the current round of nuclear talks in Geneva or the historic phone call between the two leaders in September.
If you'll recall we at the Burg have been running the occasional story about Iran trade and exports these last few months. Oil, NG, steel, cars, etc. We've had other stories about Iranian imports. Now understand all this was on a backdrop of what was supposed to be "tough" sanctions on Iran for its refusal to submit its nuclear weapons program to international inspection. At the time a reasonable person would have assumed that this was all about those crafty Persians finding ways to get around the sanctions.

But of course we should have considered the other possibility: that Champ simply waved his hands and cancelled the sanctions, the way he has done to so many other American laws. From this story in the Daily Beast (and all credit to them for pursuing it) it seems that he's been non-enforcing the sanctions for some months as a come-on to the Iranians so that they'll sign a deal that gives them the nuclear weapons they want and the fig leaf that Champ wants. Boy howdy what a tough deal for the Iranians, huh?
While those negotiations now appear on the verge of a breakthrough the key condition for Iran--relief from crippling sanctions--began quietly and modestly five months ago.

A review of Treasury Department notices reveals that the U.S. government has all but stopped the financial blacklisting of entities and people that help Iran evade international sanctions since the election of its president, Hassan Rouhani, in June.
The threat to blacklist an American bank compels said bank to stop doing business not just with the entities that are on the sanction list, but to stop doing business with the banks who are doing business with the banks who hold the money of the entities on the sanctions list. So having the Treasury Department say "no worries, we won't blacklist you" means full speed ahead in doing business.
On Wednesday Obama said in an interview with NBC News the negotiations in Geneva "are not about easing sanctions." "The negotiations taking place are about how Iran begins to meet its international obligations and provide assurances not just to us but to the entire world," the president said.

But it has also long been Obama's strategy to squeeze Iran's economy until Iran would be willing to trade relief from sanctions for abandoning key elements of its nuclear program.
No, that was George Bush's strategy. Champ has been looking for a couple years how to get a "deal" with Iran, and apparently he's found a way.
One way Obama has pressured Iran is through isolating the country's banks from the global financial sector, the networks that make modern international commerce possible. This in turn has led Iran to seek out front companies and cutouts to conduct routine international business, such as selling its crude oil.

In this cat and mouse game, the Treasury Department in recent years has routinely designated new entities as violators of sanctions, forcing Iran to adjust in turn. In the six weeks prior to the Iranian elections in June, the Treasury Department issued seven notices of designations of sanctions violators that included more than 100 new people, companies, aircraft, and sea vessels.

Since June 14, however, when Rouhani was elected, the Treasury Department has only issued two designation notices that have identified six people and four companies as violating the Iran sanctions.
Rouhani is seen by Champ and his people as a "moderate": this is nonsense of course. The Mad Mullahs™ do not believe in moderation and will not have such a person leading the country. Rouhani has blood on his hands. This is a case of Iranian public relations being swallowed by a gullible U.S. administration that desperately wants to believe what it hears so that it can cut a deal.
When an entity is designated as a sanctions violator it can be catastrophic. Banks and other investors almost never take the risk of doing business with the people and companies on a Treasury blacklist because of the potential reputational harm and the prospect they could lose access to U.S. financial markets.

A Treasury spokesman contacted by The Daily Beast said the effectiveness of sanctions should be measured by their results and not the number of entities designated. The Treasury spokesman also said that the significant financial pressure on Iran in recent years changed the calculus of the country's leaders and led to the election of Rouhani, who is a former nuclear negotiator and is considered more moderate than his predecessor.
Anyone who considers that is considering wrongly...
"In the months since the Iranian election we have continued to pursue our unwavering goal of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon," the spokesman said. "We have not let up on vigorous sanctions enforcement one iota. This includes new designations of sanctions evaders as well as other steps to address potential sanctions evasion."
This is eyewash.
But the enforcement of sanctions, experts said, is very different than the process of designating new violators. To start, sanctions enforcement means the levying of fines or other legal measures against those people and entities already designated by the Treasury Department as a violator.

The designation process is more proactive. "The designations are important because they identify illicit actors that are abusing the international financial sector in addition to signaling the U.S. intention to isolate Iran's economy," said Avi Jorisch, a former U.S. Treasury official who has worked closely on Iran sanctions and has advocated for toughening these sanctions since leaving government.
Whereas now we see that it's going in the opposite direction.
Advocates of sanctions relief also acknowledge that the administration has pursued a policy of quietly lessening financial pressure on Iran. They argue that was a logical policy when married to the process of renewing diplomatic negotiations with Iran, which according to the Wall Street Journal this week, has been going on for several months.
The alternative, of course, is to maintain sanctions and tell the Iranians that the sanctions will only be loosened IF and ONLY IF a satisfactory deal is made on the nuclear issue. That would allow us to have considerable leverage. Champ has thrown that away. Of course.
"Before the election there were a lot of these designations," said Trita Parsi, the executive director of the National Iranian American Council, a group that has advocated for ending sanctions on Iran since. "Their impact was probably not decisive, but it was a way for the White House to signal to the Iranians and Congress they were going forward with the sanctions train." Parsi continued: "After the election [the Obama administration] wanted to give the opposite signal, a pause. The last thing you would want to do is let the sanctions train go forward and potentially scuttle an opportunity that could have been there."
Why? If the Iranians want a deal after their election, let THEM come to US. Let them open with a suggestion for a deal rather than have us loosen sanctions. They're the ones who are supposedly hurting.
Following the Iranian elections, there were also a lot of changes inside the Iranian government, making the task of designating officials and entities a bit more tricky, Parsi said. But a significant part of the administration's decision, in Parsi's opinion, was the belief that continuing a high pace of designations would "undermine the signal that they were trying to send, that there was an opening."

Mark Dubowitz, the executive director of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, an organization that has worked closely with Congress and the administration on devising the current Iranian sanctions, said the slow pace of designations was only one kind of sanctions relief Obama has been offering Iran.

"For five months, since Rouhani's election, the United States has offered Iran two major forms of sanctions relief," Dubowitz said. "First there's been a significant slowdown in the pace of designations while the Iranians are proliferating the number of front companies and cutouts to bust sanctions."

The second kind of relief Dubowitz said the White House had offered Iran was through its opposition to new Iran sanctions legislation supported by both parties in Congress.

By Dubowitz's estimates, Iran is now selling between 150,000 and 200,000 barrels of oil per day on the black market, meaning that Iran has profited from the illicit sale of over 35 million barrels of oil since Rouhani took office, with little additional measures taken by the United States to counter it.
Not just oil. Look at the cushy relationship it now has with al-Maliki in Iraq: Iran could easily ship through Iraq, or "sell" Iraq electricity, etc.
"Sounds like Obama decided to enter the Persian nuclear bazaar to haggle with the masters of negotiation and has had his head handed to him," Dubowitz said.
Posted by: Steve White || 11/09/2013 11:13 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  "Sounds like Obama decided to enter the Persian nuclear bazaar to haggle with the masters of negotiation and has had his head handed to him,"...yeah, we all could have predicted that.

The ONE is such a light weight. He thinks he is so much smarter than anyone else and he has this big ego about how persuasive he is.

Trouble is he's a Chihuahua in a pit bull kennel with the Iranians.

I guess he never heard the old saying about rug dealers.
Posted by: Bill Clinton || 11/08/2013 12:14 Comments || Top||

#2  If you see one cockroach, you have an infestation.
Posted by: Iblis || 11/08/2013 13:45 Comments || Top||

#3  It would be awfully nice if, in the next week or so, Israel does what must be done in the direction of Iran. It would be even nicer if every single Republican legislator at all levels from the merest unincorporated village to the united Senators in Washington reared up on their hind legs to condemn this betrayal of israel in the strongest terms. Let the Democrats scramble to keep up on this issue, too, and leave the president seeing himself standing alone in spotlight.
Posted by: trailing wife || 11/08/2013 14:04 Comments || Top||

#4  (Valerie) Jarrett was born in Shiraz, Iran, to multiple-racial parents James E. Bowman and Barbara Taylor Bowman. Her father, a pathologist and geneticist, ran a hospital for children in Shiraz in 1950, as part of a program where American physicians and agricultural experts sought to help jump-start developing countries' health and farming efforts. When she was five, the family moved to London for one year, later moving to Chicago in 1963

Symp
Posted by: Frank G || 11/08/2013 15:11 Comments || Top||

#5  So Obama was willing to negotiate, compromise and give in first to Iranians. But not republicans. Maybe ted Cruz should hire the Ayatollah to negotiate the next debt ceiling crisis.
Posted by: Airandee || 11/08/2013 17:08 Comments || Top||

#6  Well, Airandee, you remember the Dims didn't want to negotiate with the "terrorist" Pubs, only the new, friendlier, Iranians... [gag]
Posted by: Bobby || 11/08/2013 17:20 Comments || Top||

#7  Egyptions kicked his Muslim Bros out of office in a flash, Syria's Pencil Neck is still king of Damascus and now he supports Iran. Yep. Not a good omen for the Mullahs. Israel will now smack these rag heads.
Posted by: Guillibaldo McCoy1948 || 11/08/2013 18:57 Comments || Top||

#8  ...worth a peek...: Iran Successfully Plays for Time
Posted by: Uncle Phester || 11/08/2013 19:41 Comments || Top||

#9  March 15, 2013 WASHINGTON - In a display of unity between allies who often disagree, President Barack Obama assured Israel's visiting leader Monday that the United States "will always have Israel's back," and said the U.S. and Israel agree that diplomacy is the best way to resolve the crisis over potential Iranian nuclear weapons.

...and if you like your heath care plan, you can keep it.
Posted by: tu3031 || 11/08/2013 22:10 Comments || Top||

#10  From the Washington Times.
Posted by: Besoeker || 11/09/2013 7:21 Comments || Top||

#11  Amazing! The Obama cabal has managed to alienate Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Israel. It presided over the destruction of Libya, assisted in the division of Iraq, failed to assist the Syria rebels when help was most needed. It supports Turkey's Erdogen, a Muslim Brother, and is making plans to bug out in Afghanistan muy pronto.

The destruction of a traditional American foreign policy in the Mahgrib and Middle East in just five years is breathtaking.
Posted by: Count Galeazzo Dark Lord of the Antelope2280 || 11/09/2013 8:57 Comments || Top||

#12  The destruction of a traditional American foreign policy in the Mahgrib and Middle East in just five years is breathtaking.

Is it more, or less, breathtaking than the destruction of our economy and the Republic?
Posted by: Secret Asian Man || 11/09/2013 11:48 Comments || Top||

#13  if all of this ends as badly as I think it could, I want to see journos dangling from lampposts for paving this traitor's road to the presidency.
Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) || 11/09/2013 16:14 Comments || Top||

#14  I want to see journos dangling from lampposts for paving this traitor's road to the presidency.

Would you be satisfied to see many of them lose their jobs as their employers continue the downsizing that's been going on most of the past decade, Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo)?
Posted by: trailing wife || 11/09/2013 20:52 Comments || Top||

#15  ...schadenfreude sucks when you are observing it from the muzzle...
Posted by: Uncle Phester || 11/09/2013 22:25 Comments || Top||

#16  For Israel, this is no time to be timid nor reckless. But it is a time to be decisive and aggressive. Israel has an existential problem with Iran. She also has a second order existential problem with Obama and some European powers. She is a thorn in their side. Obama would not mind Israel ceasing to exist. He just wants someone else to do it.

So, how can Bibi make this disaster into an opportunity? It seems to me that he and the Saudi king have something in common. Iran is a threat to both of them. Two against Iran is better than one. The Saudis want to nuke up, fine. Go for it. Saudis can provide bases for strikes and other under the table support for Israel, maybe even for subs. Never know. Put a little fear into the Mad Mullahs®.

On the US home front, Bibi needs to sic the US Congress on Obama and his little mutt Kerry. Sowing a little discord could be helpful to his cause, and us Just Plain Joes here in the US. Bring down Obama a notch. Isolate him from his base.

All fronts are fair when your very existence is at stake. Just a few ideas.
Posted by: Alaska Paul || 11/09/2013 23:22 Comments || Top||



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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.
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Steve White
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Two weeks of WOT
Sat 2013-11-09
  Zawahiri Disbands Main Qaida Faction in Syria
Fri 2013-11-08
  'Mullah Radio' takes overTTP, terms talks 'waste of time'
Thu 2013-11-07
  Nigeria president seeks state of emergency extension
Wed 2013-11-06
  Mortar round hits Vatican embassy in Damascus
Tue 2013-11-05
  152 soldiers sentenced to die for mutiny in Bangladesh
Mon 2013-11-04
  Blast inside Quetta seminary leaves two injured
Sun 2013-11-03
  Gunmen kill 30 in suspected Islamist attack on Nigerian wedding convoy
Sat 2013-11-02
  Egypt army arrests head of Sinai radical militant group, dozens others
Fri 2013-11-01
  Pakistani Taliban chief killed in drone strike: sources
Thu 2013-10-31
  Israeli warplanes strike shipment of Russian missiles at Syrian port: officials
Wed 2013-10-30
  Suicide blast in Tunisian resort of Sousse
Tue 2013-10-29
  Somalia's al-Shabab commanders 'killed' in strike
Mon 2013-10-28
  Bomb blast kills 18 wedding guests in Afghanistan
Sun 2013-10-27
  Bombings in Baghdad, Mosul kill at least 49
Sat 2013-10-26
  Nigeria says kills 74 'Boko Haram' Islamists in ground, air assault

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