Sorry for the outage. UPS went out at the hosting center. Things like that worry me... Just by coincidence, I'd backed up Rantburg this afternoon. Still better not to have to use the backup, though...
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/22/2003 18:33 ||
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Thought it might have been the quake in California.
Bright side, it let me get some work done before I left for the week. THANKS, ups!
#2
ORANGE ALERT. Last nite about 1145P the lights went out. Turned out to be local, some drunk hit a pole or such. SDG&E repair crews are efficient, (had opportunity to witness in the past, not to mention the recent SD County fires) had the lites back on in less than an hour.
B U T. When the lites go out in the middle of the night, it gets real quiet, and all you know is, "S#!t, the lights went out," and you don't know how widespread. Makes you feel for the Iraqis, where the lights go out nearly every damned day!
A Kenyan man chopped off one of his testicles in a row with his wife and then walked naked to a police station to report the incident, police said on Monday. Police rushed 26-year-old Stephen Ongala to hospital after he stumbled into their police station in the border town of Busia in western Kenya on Friday bleeding heavily. "He said he did it because he had had a disagreement with his wife," said deputy police chief Shadrack Maithya. Must have been something like this:
"If I catch you with that floozy again, I swear Iâll cut your nuts off!"
"Oh, yeah? You want them, here, catch! Oh shit....."
Posted by: Steve ||
12/22/2003 11:56:24 AM ||
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#1
I guess the "not tonight, I have a headache" excuse wasn't . . . er . . . cutting it.
Posted by: Tibor ||
12/22/2003 12:01 Comments ||
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Sometimes I wonder if these folks are really ready for self-rule...
Posted by: Dave D. ||
12/22/2003 12:19 Comments ||
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What's there to wonder? Actually, it's better than chopping off part of wife, but odd.
EFL
Two rockets hit a residential area in the north of the Afghan capital, Kabul, late on Sunday. I think the Taliban should upgrade from the Estes Alpha Series or possibly adopt a shoot-look-shoot tactic. The shoot-shoot-run like hell doesnât seem to be working for them.
They landed several kilometres from the site where hundreds of delegates at the loya jirga (grand council) are debating Afghanistanâs new constitution.
"Several kilometers" is the same thing as "nowhere near."
A house was damaged in the attack, but there were no injuries. The authorities in Kabul and Nato-led peacekeeping forces say remnants of the former Taleban want to disrupt the historic meeting. Pretty sad effort - only interrupted some poor Afghanâs flower box off his window and added to his endless honey-do list.
On Saturday, the US envoy to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, said it appeared that President Karzai was winning support for the controversial presidential system after a week of debates at the loya jirga.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
12/22/2003 9:35:32 AM ||
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The Beeb is really going easy on us here. They would normally have reported the story as "Dissident Rockets Narrowly Miss White House" by 12,000 kilometres.
Posted by: Matt ||
12/22/2003 14:09 Comments ||
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The Taliban have offered to release the two Indian engineers kidnapped two weeks ago in exchange for 50 militants. "We have received a letter from the Taliban in which they want freedom of 50 detained militiamen to release two Indian engineers," Baz Muhammad, who is in charge of Zabul provinceâs Shahjoy district, told the Afghan Islamic Press (AIP). "We would never set free the Indians without the release of our men," Baz Mohammad quoted the Taliban as saying. Both Indians, who were working on the Kabul-Kandahar highway project, are being held by Taliban commanders Maulvi Muhammad Alam and Maulvi Ahmadullah in Khak-i-Afghan in the Dai Chopan mountains the north of Zabul, Baz Muhammad said. The two were kidnapped on Dec 6, 2003. Baz Muhammad said that no key Taliban leaders were among those being sought by the kidnappers. He said that most of those the Taliban wanted exchanged "are in Shebergan prison".
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
12/22/2003 12:47:33 AM ||
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#1
I wouldn't do it; it would just lead to more kidnappings.
The Li'l Imp on my shoulder says we should take those 50 guys they want and shoot them.
Posted by: Just John ||
12/22/2003 2:23 Comments ||
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This is very hard lines on the two engineers, but I agree with JJ.
Don't negotiate, and definitely shoot those 50 hard boyz.
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
12/22/2003 5:10 Comments ||
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Just so,Just John.Do so in lots of 10.(Metric system,ya'know)
#4
The bigest problem here is the willingness to negotiate. The taliban have some expectation of success, and the afganistan govt needs to change that perception.
The appropriate response is to hang 5 of the 50 each day until the indians are released or you run out of prisoners.
If the indians turn up dead, hang the 50 and their cellmates.
#5
We had this the other day. I restate my case: release the 50 Taliban - from 40,000 feet, over Quetta. Next time, tell the Taliban it will be 50 Taliban, each strapped to a 500-lb JDAM. Tell them they have 24 hours to release the two engineers, unharmed.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
12/22/2003 11:58 Comments ||
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Reminds me of the old Soviet approach as done in Lebanon. As I remember the story (chime in and correct me on the details, please), for some stupid reason, one of the jihadi groups there kidnapped a couple of Russian military advisors. The foreign branch of the KGB figured out who dunnit, pinched a cousin, killed him, castrated him, put his head and testicles in a box with some pig parts (skin?), and had them delivered to the jihadi leader with a note, "release our people or you're next." The Russians were released unharmed, and no one thereafter would (for some strange reason) kidnap a Russian.
Now of course I don't advocate this approach since I'm a compassionate conservative, but it does seem to have its merits, doesn't it?
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/22/2003 12:51 Comments ||
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#7
All 50 need to disappear to Diego Garcia or Gitmo until the two engineers are released, their highway project is finished, and the "Maulvis" are in custody. Surely some relative of one of the 50 would offer a little info for a bounty and getting the 50 back to Afganistan.
Posted by: Tom ||
12/22/2003 13:57 Comments ||
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#8
Shouldn't that be engin'? :0
Posted by: Ron ||
12/22/2003 21:56 Comments ||
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At least seven Afghan soldiers were killed and several wounded in two separate attacks blamed on Taliban guerrillas in the volatile south and east of the country, officials said on Sunday. The worst attack occurred on Saturday night in Shehroba, about 12 miles from Spin Boldak close to Pakistani border. Taliban Commander Mullah Rehmatullah told Reuters that all nine Afghan soldiers at the post were killed in the attack, in which the guerrillas used heavy machine guns and hand grenades. He said no Taliban soldiers were killed. But a deputy police chief of Spin Boldak, who did not want to be named, said five Afghan soldiers were killed and a government commander, Naik Mohammad, was wounded. He added that after the attack the Taliban retreated to nearby mountains and Afghan forces began to hunt them down. One eyewitness of the attack, Shahid Aslam Jan, said he heard a big explosion at around 10 p.m. followed by a number of small explosions. "The sound of gunfire and explosions continued for around five hours. Afterwards the Afghan soldiers arrived and started searching houses for any Taliban who might be hiding there." According to General Khan Mohammad Khan Mujahid, a senior military commander in Kandahar province where Spin Boldak is located, members of the Taliban were responsible for an attack launched from the Pakistani side of the border. Afghan authorities accuse Pakistan of not doing enough to crack down on Taliban, al Qaeda and allied Islamic militants on its soil who have been blamed for a wave of violence in Afghanistan since August that has claimed over 400 lives.
In a separate incident, two government soldiers were killed late on Saturday when a vehicle in a military convoy was blown up by a suspected remote controlled device along the road linking Khost in the east to the capital Kabul. The road had been used by members of the 12,000-strong U.S. force earlier in the day. "Two soldiers lost their lives and two others have been injured who are being treated in hospital. The Taliban were behind this incident," said General Kheyal Baaz Khan, a key military commander in Khost.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
12/22/2003 12:46:38 AM ||
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Afghanistan has agreed to cooperate with China against four Uighur separatist groups Beijing has branded âterroristsâ for trying to create an independent Islamic state in northwest China. âChina has recently listed four organisations as terrorist organisations in China that have links to international terrorism and Afghanistan will cooperate with China in this regard,â Omar Samad told reporters after Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah met with visiting Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Lu Xinhua.
I often read Lu's news agengy...
The groups are accused of carrying out a series of bombings and assassinations in an attempt to create an independent Islamic state of âEast Turkistanâ in Xinjiang, which is populated by the Turkic-speaking Uighur Muslims. China last week said two of the groups â the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement and Eastern Turkistan Liberation Organization â had received millions of dollars from al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden to spread religious extremism and carry out terrorist activities. Beijing claimed some of the groups had established bases outside China, including in Chechnya and Afghanistan, to train terrorists.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/22/2003 00:22 ||
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Afghanistanâs grand council made progress Sunday toward adopting a landmark post-Taliban constitution despite an enduring divide over President Hamid Karzaiâs wish for a strongly centralized state. Opinion appeared split on issues such as human rights and the powers of the president. But eight days into the council, or loya jirga, its chairman said he was ready to assess proposed amendments to the draft, which would then be put to a vote. ``The brothers and sisters have done a great job,ââ Council Chairman Sibghatullah Mujaddedi said at a news conference. ``I expect and hope that this debate wonât take much longer, because everyone has had ample chance to express their views.ââKarzai has pressed for swift ratification of the charter, which should lead to presidential elections next June and crown a two-year drive to stabilize the country after the fall of the Taliban. Fascinating — Afghans might actually have a working government in the end. Whenâs the last time that happened?
Mujaddedi gave no indication of which way the majority were leaning on critical issues. But U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad met with Karzai and said Saturday that delegates appeared to favor a presidential system. Some delegates who left the closely guarded jirga site on a Kabul college campus to speak to reporters Sunday said they were happy with the deliberations. ``There is a democratic atmosphere. Everyone can say what they want,ââ said Mujaher Anwari, an Uzbek from Jawzjan province who said he supports a presidential system. Should we remind our pals on the left who made this democratic spirit possible?
But others said they would protest the concentration of powers desired by Karzai, who has said he wants to stand in the June presidential vote. Farooq Wardak, the director of the countryâs constitutional commission acknowledged that opponents of the presidency could make a final push to stop it. ``As you know, the type of regime is an object of discussion,ââ Wardak said. ``If there is a need for voting on one or two issues, there will be voting.ââ Ballots, not bullets. Whoda thunk?
I'm not holding my breath...
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/22/2003 12:17:07 AM ||
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"Whenâs the last time that happened?"
Under the monarchy, which fell in 1974.
Who made it possible - well the US of course, and its allies, and also the Afghan people, especially the fighters of the Northern Alliance. Oh, and Pervs change of alliance.
#2
And of course George Bush also made it possible - but lets be real specific about HOW Dubya succeeded - he succeeded by working WITH muslims in the country, both Northern Alliance and Pashtuns willing to break from the Taliban, and by not simply lashing out as some would have liked. He even worked with Islamists like Rahabani, as circumstances dictated. He also worked with Perv. And he also went around talking about the "religion of peace". If we're going to give Dubya credit, lets not only credit his "tough" stands, but also his PC stands.
#3
Wow, Dubya sure worked diplomatically with a lot of different groups there. All I've been hearing from the U.N. and the "International Community" is that Dubya is a "warmongerer" and "cowboy".
I wonder if they've been wrong about his approach to foreign policy all along.
Posted by: Les Nessman ||
12/22/2003 12:00 Comments ||
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Never doubted it for a minute:
Saudi passports cannot be used as a means of identification in the Kingdom, Interior Minister Prince Nayef said here yesterday.
The what the hell are they good for?
The prince said it had come to his attention that many Saudis were using their passports to identify themselves but said passports âare only a method to facilitate travel abroad or moving from one country to another.â The interior minister said some government offices were issuing national ID cards based on Saudi passports. Prince Nayef has instructed both public and private sector organizations not to accept Saudi passports as proof of identity. Read that again. He just admitted that official Saudi passports canât be trusted as proof of ID.
That might be because most of them are produced by Olde Worlde craftsmen in Pakistan...
The prince said the only acceptable identification was the civil status card for Saudis and the iqama for non-Saudis. Really, and why is that?
He said Saudi passports are sometimes issued to non-Saudis. BINGO!!!
âThe reason why they were given Saudi passports was to ease their travel abroad.â For flights to the US, for example.
But in the Kingdom, the proper means of identification âis the iqama or the temporary card issued by the Passports Department,â Prince Naif said. Hello, State Department? Anyone listening?
Posted by: Steve ||
12/22/2003 3:37:00 PM ||
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I read the headline, went 'eh?' and just shook my head.
Silly me, thinking a passport could be used to identify someone.
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
12/22/2003 21:28 Comments ||
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Ship - yep. A little brown book that reads backwards, ala Arabeek. When you're in-kingdom (IK) to work on anything other than a biz visa (I think) you surrender your passport to your IK employer / sponsor (who is "responsible" for your behavior IK) and issued an Iqama. You are thus held hostage by your employer while your passport is locked up in his safe.
General info you guys might not already know...
Note that on my first foray to the Magic Kingdom I had to do this. Guys who were fed up (a not too surprisingly significant minority) would "request" a visa to Bahrain (no longer necessary on causeway exits) and the sponsor would get it and swap your passport for your Iqama. Then they would cross over to Bahrain, buy a ticket, and haul ass. I know people who slowly, over several trips over, took their most valued possessions across and left them with friends who lived in Bahrain and crossed over daily to work at Aramco. Once they had moved across what they cared about, they would just fly out and "abandon" their contract.
This makes sense if you have a rotten deal, a lousy "sponsor", or have just become fed up. BUT, you still have to beg your "sponsor" for your passport and have transportation across. Usually not a problem for US/CA/UK/EU types, due to the threat of relations problems with powerful countries, but for the others it can be a major problem because the "sponsor" only has to say NO and you're stopped cold with no hope... and this happens more often that most know. Deals get changed for some because the employer is connected and utterly unscrupulous - and there is no recourse and no escape.
It happens often enough to Pakis, Indis, Flips, etc. to generate serious sympathy from us Westerners who don't face the same probability of being screwed over by the Saudi flesh peddlers. Working for Aramco is one of the few positions that offers them some protection - they can complain there and be heard. Working for anyone else IK probably means you're a no-shit prisoner.
#5
Sounds like a perfect time to round up everyone in the States under a soddi 'passport' and give them the boot. At least they should be considered 'persons of interest' and kept an eye on.
Of course, State will completely ignore this bombshell, it's not in their interests (as opposed to the security of the U.S.) to make an issue of this.
Large quantities of cash discovered on some of the suspects that Saudi Arabia captured as part of a campaign to uproot militants came from charity boxes that did not comply with official rules, a Saudi spokesman said. "During the investigations with the terrorists who were caught, it became clear that some of them carried large quantities of money, and its sources were charity boxes that did not comply with official standards and regulations," Saud al-Musaybih, press relations officer for the Saudi interior ministry told the daily Al-Watan. Tap...tap, nope.
Posted by: Steve ||
12/22/2003 9:51:34 AM ||
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There's something odd about this story. The charity "boxes" I have seen (and I've seen hundreds - in almost every sort of store or shop by the register) are actually metal cans approx 2" thick x 5" wide x 10" tall (about the size of a small box of Grape Nuts) with a slot in the metal top for coins & folded bills. I would guess that most cans like these contain mostly coins (change at the checkout stand ala Jerry's Kids containers) - and are pretty heavy relative to the value of the money within - 100 halalas per riyal, 1 SR = approx $0.27 USD. There must've been a bunch of them full of these low-value coins to qualify as "Large quantities of cash" - and the weight would be substantial. Prolly driving truckloads of these puppies around for everything in the story to match up...
As for those pecky regulations, perhaps the cans were missing the official stamp indicating the Royal baksheesh on the zakat had been paid.
#3
.com, I would think that the cans are a subterfuge. Make it look like a grass roots effort when it's really the royals funding the charities with wads of hundreds. Your guess would be much more reliable than mine, though.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
12/22/2003 11:59 Comments ||
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Who says the royals aren't delivering the cash inside "chairty" boxes?
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
12/22/2003 13:23 Comments ||
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I'd think the Royals would want the jihadis to know where the money was coming from. Or maybe they do.
#8
Glenn, I think they fear their own citizens most of all.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
12/22/2003 20:12 Comments ||
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#9
Wait just a minute here...this evening I read at LGF an article purporting to show the Kingdom is virtually crime free. Now mind you the crime stats don't take into account "honor killings", revenge killings, revenge rapes, murder or assaults on Chritians, or the everyday robbery, but what the hey: it's a controlled and safe environment. Makes Singapore look like the Wild, Wild West. Surely the Saudis are not involved in any anti-social behavior? Are they....?
Posted by: Mark ||
12/22/2003 21:35 Comments ||
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This is Australian news relevant to the WOT and probably happening under the radar of the american news sources. There are a number of more or less failed states in the south pacific that Australia under Howard has decided that it needs to fix in order stop them becoming havens for terrorists (and illegal immigrants - something the USA should take note of). One of those is the Solomon Islands where Auralia send a task force of primariy police about 6 months ago. All the indications are that it was a genuine sucess and the Solomons are much safer place than it was and its citizens are much better off. Australia is also spending big bucks by Australian standards on trying to fix PNG a much harder problem.
PRIME Minister John Howard pledged Monday to maintain Australian assistance in the Solomon Islands as long as it was necessary. Howard flew in for a brief two-hour visit in which he met Australian defence force, police and civilian personnel involved in the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI). He told troops they would be brought home as soon as it was thought safe, but was not prepared to estimate when that would be. "Weâll stay here for as long as is necessary to complete the job," Howard said. "We have no intention of prematurely terminating our commitment. Weâll stay the distance. Obviously as the situation continues to remain stable there are opportunities for further draw-downs of personnel but it wonât be done with any particular timetable in mind."
He said there was still a lot of work to be done, and securing the long-term economic recovery of the country was a crucial challenge. Howard said the size of the intervention with some 2,000 personnel, which was criticised as excessive by some Pacific leaders, made it very clear Australia considered the issue serious. "If weâd have intervened with fewer people, I don't think it would have been anywhere near as successful. I think that was an absolute crucial element of the intervention," he said.
The Australian leader emphasised Canberraâs new-found hands-on approach to the Pacific, telling RAMSI personnel they shared a responsibility to the region. "This is our patch. This is our part of the world, for which the countries of the Pacific have a particular responsibility. If weâre not willing to help our friends who need help, then nobody else will," Howard said. "Itâs a proper obligation, a proper intervention by Australia and other countries. Weâre not trying to throw our weight around, weâre trying to help."
Howard played down parallels with last monthâs visit by US President George Bush to US troops in Iraq, saying he had not brought a turkey but he did have a quantity of Australian beer to be distributed among the troops. "I wanted in a very simple way to say thank you to these men and women and to convey Christmas good wishes to them on behalf of their fellow Australians." Note the similarities to Bushâs statements on Iraq. BTW this is getting zero coverage on TV news here. Its a clear success and thats bad news to the fellow travelers of the Left
Posted by: phil_b ||
12/22/2003 6:16:40 AM ||
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Phil, what's the harder problem with New Guinea?
#2
Shipman, I'm guessing it has to do with a break away movement in Irian Jaya, with its consequent implications for Indonesian - Australian relations.
Posted by: Carl in N.H. ||
12/22/2003 11:55 Comments ||
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what's the harder problem with New Guinea?
Where to start? We have inhospitable terrain, a thousand tribes each speaking a different dialect, a poor infrastructure, and a standard of living for most that hasn't changed since the Dark Ages. Irian Jaya is also a problem, as Carl mentioned - the tribes in the western portion of New Guinea are the same as those in the eastern portion of New Guinea. Indonesia imposed its government on Irian Jaya in 1960, after the collapse of the Netherlands New Guinea plebecite. The Muslim Indonesians have been trying to remake western New Guinea into another Sumatra, and it's not working. There have also been numerous border clashes, as the Indonesians try to overthrow the legitimate government of PNG.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
12/22/2003 12:14 Comments ||
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#4
OP, here's a radical and naive thought: perhaps the Aussies should send the Indonesians packing from the whole island. Toss 'em all and let PNG and IJ figure out what kind of government to have: perhaps a loose central government that has a defense treaty with Australia coupled to a tribal/regional system that takes care of local matters. Let the Indonesians rant and rave, and make sure a US carrier group visits the region at periodic intervals -- say while traveling to and from Darwin.
Yes, it would make Australia and Indonesia into adversaries, but that's coming anyway.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/22/2003 13:07 Comments ||
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#5
Ideas that involve port calls in Australia for US Navy ships would be welcomed by any US sailor involved.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
12/22/2003 13:55 Comments ||
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#6
SH: Believable. WWII History: When 1MD was relieved from 'canal, MacArthur suggested they R&R in Australia, directed them to camp near Brisbane. Thus moving them from one malaria-nest to another. Vandergrift got the Aussies to re-host them in Melbourne, desirable attibutes being availability of theaters, parks, girls, etc.
#7
OP summed up the situation on Paua New Guinea well, but I would add that PNG is barely an organized state. Law and order is a serious problem and this prevents development activities like tourism. Amoungst ex-pats PNG is considered THE worst posting. Its too god*** dangerous! The murder rate is horrific. This article gives you a good feel for how different PNG is - http://www.time.com/time/pacific/magazine/20010507/witch.html
AUSTRALIAâS most senior Muslim leader has launched a scathing attack on Australiaâs radical Islamic clerics, accusing them of "following in the footsteps of Osama bin Laden". Sheikh Taj Din al-Hilali says fundamentalist clerics hold grudges against non-Muslim Australians and warns that their attitudes are harming the image of all 280,000 Muslims in the country. "I donât regard these people (fundamentalist clerics) as leaders, I look at them as adolescents," Sheikh Hilali told The Australian. "They want to appear they are following in the footsteps of bin Laden - they want that reputation, to appeal to simple Muslims, that they are people applying jihad. These people bring a rigid and incorrect understanding of Islam to Australia and they bring harm to their religion."
Sheikh Hilaliâs comments are his strongest yet, and reflect growing tension between mainstream Muslim leaders and fundamentalist clerics. Fundamentalist Muslims, who adhere to a strict and conservative version of Islam, make up only a small proportion of Australiaâs Muslim population. Sheikh Hilali said the teachings of fundamentalist scholars - such as Sheikh Feiz Mohamad, who was profiled in The Weekend Australian on Saturday - were outside the boundaries of most Australian Muslims. "I appeal to them in the spirit of brotherhood to correct their information." Speaking at a festival to mark the end of Ramadan last month, Sheikh Hilali challenged Australian Muslims to "love this country or leave it". But Australiaâs most senior Islamic fundamentalist, Sheikh Mohammed Omran, has hit back, accusing Sheikh Hilali of "bringing hatred and dividing the community".
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
12/22/2003 12:41:02 AM ||
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Hilali has made plenty of extremist statements of his own in the past, especially about the jooos, but he seems to have mellowed in his old age, around the same time that Salifis like Sheikh Omran have been growing in popularity here.
Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
12/22/2003 0:50 Comments ||
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#2
"...accusing Sheikh Hilali of bringing hatred..."
Has that smell of pro-active. Rantburg got anything on this Omran guy?
#3
Yep, look here. He seems like the Australian version of Qazi to me, though I give Hilali a gold star for taking him to task on this.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
12/22/2003 1:00 Comments ||
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#4
Glenn, if you have some time to spare, you can watch an Australian current affairs program's report on him here, and you'll need to have Real Player.
To summarise the story, he is a man who is buddies with Abu Qatada and Abu Dada, the al Qaeda spiritual leaders of Europe and Spain respectivily. Some of his followers are known to have gone to Afghanistan training camps. However, Omran claims to be in regular contact with the Australian intelligence service ASIO, and that when some Indonesian terrorists came to him asking for their blessing to carry out an attack in Australia, he told them it was forbidden.
So he probably is an al-Qaeda spiritual leader, but the Australian authorities seem to think that it is better to have someone who is willing to cooperate with them act as the local Jihadi leader, rather than someone who is less 'pragmatic'.
Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
12/22/2003 1:03 Comments ||
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#5
DD#3 Thanx, yeah, I was in mid-thought when I realized I shoulda looked him up first. Something new under the sun: an opportunistic fundo NIMBY. Methinks if asked to choose between the two I would not.
I don't do Real Player. Tried for a while, got tired of it taking over everything. It was a pain to stamp out, too. Almost as bad as QuickTime.
I was going to EFL and put this up but Tim Blair has already done most of the work picking out good parts in his BITCHY ARE THE PEACEMAKERS:
The Australian Greens, who eternally request that we demonstrate toxic levels of tolerance and love and harmony, are presently rent apart by hate and rivalry and bitterness:
Co-founder and leading Senate candidate Drew Hutton was accused by his former campaign director of being a Labor stooge ... Peter Pyke, himself a former Labor MP, quit his crucial post three weeks ago after falling out bitterly with Mr Hutton ... Mr Pyke said Mr Huttonâs close relationship with the ALP had been "diabolically" damaging to the Greens ... Mr Hutton hit back angrily, sound like Democrats branding Mr Pyke clueless and disgruntled ... in a November 19 email - in which he admitted that "I donât particularly like Peter" - yup Mr Hutton dismissed as ludicrous the accusation by Mr Pyke "that I am trying to sabotage the state campaign.â
One of Timâs readers richly picks up where he left off
âMr Pyke said he was aware of moves to form a breakaway green party in Queensland, which he would support.â
and asks: "What would they call it? The Queens?"
What else?
Fred, kosher to paste/credit from other peopleâs blogs? If not, kill this.
Posted by: Glenn (not Reynolds) ||
12/22/2003 12:36:23 AM ||
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#1
umm...i'm not sure I see the point of posting this here...
Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
12/22/2003 0:45 Comments ||
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#2
Well, it's
-- Amusing. As relevant as the burning hula skirt story.
-- Too good not to share. If Rantburgers generally also read Blair, then agreed it's pointless. If not...
-- Perhaps insightful to watch the death-knell of a political movement, when they turn their hostility against each other. Or it could just turn out to be a p@@ing contest: "This Party's not big enough for both of us!" So have two parties. That way you'll be twice as ineffective.
Egyptâs Muslim Brotherhood warned Monday that President Jacques Chiracâs support for a ban on the Islamic headscarf in French state schools would sow the "seeds of hatred" between France and Muslims. The Muslim Brotherhood strongly opposes the decision" by Chirac last Wednesday to support such a ban, according to a statement signed by Brotherhood leader Maamun al-Hodeiby.
The statement said the move amounted to "interference in the individual and religious freedoms of Muslims, especially those who live in France, and (the Brotherhood) urges the French president to renounce this decision." The statement by the Brotherhood - which is officially banned in Egypt though some of its activities are tolerated - said the headscarf worn by Muslim women "is not a religious sign but a religious obligation."
The Brotherhood said the decision "sows the seeds of hatred between France and the Muslim peoples" and "contradicts international human rights treaties." It added that the move even goes against the "principles of the French republic and French revolution, including the respect for freedom and the basic rights of individuals, including those concerning religious beliefs." "sows the seeds of hatred"? Islamists are so dramatic. I suppose this is as good a reason as any to start blowing up French civilians tho eh?
#1
Note to the MB: the French can do whatever they want on their soil, just like you can do whatever you want on yours. If Muslims in France don't like the rules, they are free to move elsewhere. Are people likewise free to leave Egypt if they don't like your rules?
These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkeyâs press on December 22, 2003. AL-QAIDA NOT INCLUDED IN LIST OF TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS
Directorate General of Security Anti-Terrorism Department has prepared a list of ten fundamentalist terrorist organizations acting in Turkey. The al-Qaida terrorist network, which is believed to have been responsible for the quadruple suicide attacks in Istanbul in November, was not included in the list. grumble... Al-Qaida funds them, trains them, approves attacks, but because they donât have a storefront with itâs name on the front, you donât put them on the list... grumble
Meanwhile, Directorate General of Security has sent a document to all public institutions saying that the terrorist organization of PKK/KADEK had ordered its militant to stage acts of violence in some provinces. Still more worried about the Kurds.
FIRST BULLET, THEN BOMB Celal Yayla, member of illegal DHKP-C organization, explained assassination plans against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He said that they would have attacked on Erdogan during his sonâs wedding and he could have blown up the bombs on himself after he had approached Erdogan like a guard. According to another plan, the car of Erdogan would have been sprayed with guns and the suicide bomber would have fulfilled the assassination during the chaos. Must have missed this one, as plans go, it could have worked. Glad it didnât, Erdogan seems OK.
TURKISH POLICE WARNS U.S.: BOMBERS TO ATTACK IN IRAQ
Istanbul police determined that Al Qaida members Habib Aktas, Azad Ekinci and Gurcan Bac who had planned four bomb attacks in Turkey proceeded to Iraq and would make bomb attacks in Baghdad. Security Directorate warned U.S. officials and conveyed the photographs of those people to U.S. officials. Thought they had skipped to Iran. They sound more like controllers to me, too important to try any attacks themselves. Thanks for the photos.
Posted by: Steve ||
12/22/2003 12:44:36 PM ||
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European countries must change their approach to defense if they expect to undertake anything more than low-level military action without the help of the United States, former NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson said Sunday. Europe invests too much defense spending on heavy equipment and large troop concentrations instead of the smaller, more flexible forces needed for swift deployment to trouble spots around the world, Robertson said. And too much money on infrastructure that doesnât help the people in the field.
A reliance on U.S. military might could put Europe in a laughable but predictable vulnerable position, he said. ``There are some things that the British and the French and the Germans and the Italians and the Spanish could probably do collectively, but it would be low-level and until they get the right military capabilities and enough usable troops and the right equipment, they canât do anything beyond these low-level areas,ââ Robertson told Sky News. I thought the Brits did pretty well in Iraq — their own air and sea lift, heavy forces, special ops, intel, civil affairs, the works. Surely he means someone else.
Robertson stepped down Wednesday after a four-year term at the helm of the Atlantic alliance. ``We need more usable troops,ââ he said. ``There are plenty of troops, but they need to be usable in circumstances where they would have to go very quickly to a trouble spot with the right equipment, and be able to be supplied when they get there.ââ Robbie, thereâs this concept of a thing called a "mission": first you decide what you need a military to do, then you figure out how to build that military. Tell your people what the "circumstances" are first.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/22/2003 12:22:14 AM ||
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#1
Surely he means someone else. Yeah, but he's targeting a Euro audience so he must pretend to sound multilateralist.
#2
The whole question of what kind of military Europe(specifically Western Europe)should have is very open to debate and their answer may not please the US at all.The previous military structure was designed to fight the Big Red Machine on the German plains.There now seems little chance of Russia storming west.
For the first time in ages,European nations do not have to defend against a powerful,aggressive military force.(England doesn't have to worry about France,France does't worry about Germany,Germany doesn't worry about Russia.)The only nation with the ability to invade a European country is the US,and the odds of that happening are the same as me winning the lottery 10 times in a row.Until the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor,the US,feeling protected by the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans,maintained a small peace-time military and an isolationist foreign policy.With Europe feeling safe from attack as the US once did,one can easily see Europe adopting the same policies-a small training cadre of an army,an elite mobile infantry force for enforcing trade agreements w/3rd world countries-specifically Africa(think US Marines in Central America in 1920/1930s)and a foreign policy of isolationism.After all,demanding that every problem be handled thru the UN means one's own country doesn't have to get involved.Advantages of this type of policy means you don't have to spend much on hi-tech military,leaving the treasury full to spend on social programs that will get you re-elected.
If however you want a military capable of intervening around the world(aka projecting power)it will get expensive fast.You need reliable transport that not only can get you there,but can also keep you there.You need to resupply food,ammo,water,fuel,all the gazillion replacement parts needed to fight and it would be nice if you could bring home your wounded.This require heavy-lift air transports as well as a Navy strong enough to escort your supply ships.You either need airbases around the world or several aircraft carriers.Then you need to regularly conduct expensive exercises to make sure everything works and you haven't forgotten anything.All of this is going to cost a fortune and the question is going to be asked,WHY?The people of your country are going to ask just who do you think we're going to have to invade?The French government tried to make the argument that such a force was needed to balance the US and was greeted with a thunderous yawn by the European populance and contempt from other national leaders.
I believe the near future of Western Europe military policy will be of small armies based on well-trained light infantry and modest Air Forces,split between prestige hi-performance fighters and a very small number of air transports.Stronger attempts will be made to buy Euro-common equipment-a Euro-tank,Euro-APC,etc.Foreign policy will be isolationist,masked
by wanting the UN to handle problems.
Off my rant but in regards to Robertson's complaints about transport,the UK had to lease several ships for Iraqi deployment and there were serious problems with many of those ships.
Posted by: Stephen ||
12/22/2003 2:13 Comments ||
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#3
The more things change, the more they stay the same. I wouldn't rule out another war started by the Euros, with America having to clean up the mess, again.
Posted by: Rafael ||
12/22/2003 2:20 Comments ||
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#4
I wouldn't rule out another war started by the Euros
Personally, I think that's almost inevitable. The only saving grace is that france and germany are so dependent on welfare, they can't commit resources to military spending. The e.u. folding up like a lawnchair is only the beginning, those two turds still want to impose their will on the rest of europe (not to mention raid their treasuries). The seeds of future conflict, maybe? Hope not.
#6
I think the Chocolate War is already commenced. Central Africa is burning. Won't be long before we get called in. They already tried to involve us in an open-ended project in Liberia.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
12/22/2003 13:59 Comments ||
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#7
Who would EU want to pick a fight with anyways?
Themselves. Don't kid yourself. There's almost as much hatred in Europe as there is in the arab jihadi world. I think The Economist did an article on this recently.
Posted by: Rafael ||
12/22/2003 14:05 Comments ||
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#8
Who would EU want to pick a fight with anyways?
1. France vs. Germany (been there done that.)
2. France vs. all comers (been there done that.)
3. Germany vs. all comers (been there done that.)
4. France & Germany vs. all comers (new idea.)
5. Consider the possibilities.
The French Revolution showed that after kings forged nation-states to carry on wars with each other, the nation-states were quite capable of carrying on wars even after getting rid of the kings. Don't blame Napoleon. He was the child, not the parent.
Also bear in mind France and Germany (maybe likewise Spain, Britain, too) may not yet be comfortable with the notion they only were once great world powers.
#10
Glenn (NR), seriously - look at what you've written.
For our part, we've had the best part of a century to get used to the fact that we're not a world power anymore. The decline arguably started around the Boer war, was hugely accelerated by the First World War, we were completely spent by the end of the Second World War and have spent the last 50+ years divesting any semblence of Empire (except for the Commonwealth - don't ask me why we have that!).
However, there are some very nasty racial undertones in Europe, and that does worry me - but the 'great powers' arising again, nope.
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
12/22/2003 19:30 Comments ||
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#11
Tony, I know your probably in ZZZ land now but please except my respect regarding the UK's mighty attempt to stay relative. I'm impressed.
#12
I think it's unlikely we will see a war instigated by European nations any time in the forseeable future, but I do worry about instability within some European countries over the next 20 years.
We will probably see instability in a LOT of places. Global communications and transportation linking 1st & 3rd worlds, plus a population boom in some places and AIDs wiping out a generation of parents in other places may create massive immigration flows and significant economic challenges. And I'm not just talking about AIDS in Africa or the $ vs. the Euro. Russia has a major AIDS and drug problem among young adults, for instance, and the shock to wage levels from China's emergence into the global marketplace will be significant.
All challenging enough without Islamacists for whom the answer is to drag us all back to the 9th century ..... Sigh.
#13
Define Great Power for me and tell me how that is different from what Tony Blair did with Libya. Too bad, the UK couldn't just take our seat at the table with Kim and just bring us the best offer. Bet Iran is calling the UK for advice.
Why would anyone look farther than the Balkans for trouble in Europe?
With respect to Germany and Canada the US is going to have to make a choice as to whether to build off our cooperation in Afghanistan or continue to accentuate the rift in Iraq. We probably have eight more years in the WOT.
With repsct to France and Belgium, if they can independent of us work with Nigeria and South Africa to iron out one or two of the messes in Africa that would be most appreciated. Castro flew to Venezuala for secret meetings with Chavez over the weekend. We will be busy in South America.
Australia seems to be troubleshooting their backyard.
I define a great power is anyone who gets off their ass and helps the cause.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
12/22/2003 20:29 Comments ||
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#14
Question, if Argentina took over the Falkland islands could/would the Europeans be able/willing to take them back? What about ten years from now?
Now consider the numerous dots throughout the Carribean, Indian Ocean and South Pacific that are French, British or Dutch territories. Will the Germans and Swedes really want to spend treasure on preserving the last relics of Imperialism? Perhaps the Europeans will want to consider such territories as European and worth defending, probably not when they see the price required to get a major military operation over to French Polynesia.
#15
Tony: Note I said "maybe." Also note I put y'all at the end of the list, and you can't tell from there, but honest, that was the last word I (hesitantly) put into the comment. Besides, Britain was a great power. Just being multilateral. No vision of 'great powers' arising troubles me. It's the thought of once-'great powers' trying to leverage off OPM to rise again that's disturbing. That could light off another continental war, likely starting in the set of [2..4] but [1] can't be ruled out (Dunno if it might not p!$$ a Frenchman to remind him that 'France' is actually a German word and the name 'Clovis' is a Latinization of -- well, why the hell were there 19-odd French kings named 'Louis'?) Now having run off all that, I've had a pet theory: 9/11 set off a lot of nightmares here. I wonder if it woke Tony...
My God! Tony (UK) isn't really, you know, TONY, posting here on Rantburg???
Anyway, Tony woke up and said to himself, "Self, dammit, Britain should be important, and you're the head Brit. You need to do Something. The country doesn't have the military moxie to throw its weight around, but there's some. Get on the phone to George and see whether he wants a hand." And things progressed from there.
Now, as Steve Den Beste points out, there's yet more synergy as Blair/Bush can play "Good Cop/Bad Cop" to give more leverage to each.
Penultimately, the Brits still have a King, or would, 'cept she's a lady.
Finally, the Brits were the only colonizers who seriously put down complete societies in some of their colonies, and those places have been the most successful former colonies in the world, (Australia, and Canada, and what's that other one?) as opposed to the rest of the imperialist powers, who exported mostly just aristocrap, and their former colonies are mostly s#!t to match. World'd be better off if only there were enough Brits to go around. Think on it.
Now, I wrote this as much or more in earnest as I did #8. Does the context make you any less offended?
Q: Tony (UK) isn't someone else named Tony in the UK I do know personally?
#16
Glen (NR) - nope, not offended mate, just wanting some clarification (I very rarely get offended by things people say at Rantburg) and that now supplied in spades!, so I'll answer some points raised.
I'd like to read what TGA has to say about the likelihood of Germany becoming a 'problem' again (no offence intended).
Blair is an 'interesting' character; on the international stage he's a real statesman and generally, has been doing 'The Right Thing (tm)'. This was most obvious with the Iraq war. He was under *tremendous* pressure regarding it here, but here's a funny thing - more people turned out to welcome the English Rugby world champions, 750k, than turned out for the anti-war demos, 400k - and the organisation for the anti-war demos was a big operation (all I'm saying here is that more people got off their arses of their own accord to celebrate a national triumph, than were bussed in by swarms of leftist organizations to oppose the war).
Blair is a leftist and committed internationalist, so for him to go against the UN must have really hurt, but he did, again doing 'The Right Thing (tm)'.
At home, his government has been in power for 6 years, and doesn't really have a lot to show for it. By now y'all should realise that I ain't him and have very little in common with his political creed! :)
I do wonder what sort of commitment we would have made if a certain Iron Lady (or indeed, almost any conservative Prime Minister) was in place when 9/11 occurred - I think it would have been even more substantial ;)
I really like Den Bestes article (perhaps because his writing evokes such strong images of 1940's gangster movies!), and there's probably a lot more mileage left in the good-cop/bad-cop routine (well, it worked rather better than sanctions).
As for 'whats the other one?' - you're probably thinking of New Zealand - a truly beuatiful place, but currrently inhabited by some very leftist loons (a source of great sorrow to me).
So in summary, I'm not offended, would like to know from others what they think the chances are of former 'great powers' getting uppity again, think Blair is great internationally and poor locally, there is still a great deal of national pride in Britain (which is underreported or sneered at by leftists) and am not 'that Tony'.
Also, I think the US is the greatest force for good on the planet and am very proud that we almost share the same language.
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
12/22/2003 21:24 Comments ||
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#17
What was it Churchill is supposed to have said, "Two great nations, separated by a common language"?
Great Britain, France, Germany, and the rest of the colonial powers of the 17th, 18th, and 19th century left a BUNCH of messes behind in Africa, Asia, and elsewhere. Britain alone did something about preparing its former colonials for independence - the French instituted French-style government bureaucracies, which have all but destroyed their former colonies. The "Big Six" (Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and Netherlands) pretty much created the maps of Africa, the Middle East, and southeastern Asia among them. The boundaries drawn in the 18th and 19th centuries are causing some huge problems now. Africa is a mess, and it's a constant drain on the entire world - economically, socially, culturally, medically, and in numerous other ways. Europe, however, is more or less engaged in a sustained program of ignoring the problems as long as they can, then doing the minimum they can to seem to be helping.
"Old Europe" needs to play a far more significant role in helping Africa (and to a lesser extent, South Asia and the Pacific) enter the 21st century. That's going to require occasional military intervention - if for nothing else, to keep genocide from reaching the levels it did in Rwanda in the last decade, or to diffuse the multiple problems currently destroying the Congo. I think Lord Robertson knows this. I think he also envisions NATO as the ONLY organization that has any chance of being even remotely successful in dealing with these problems. That would require a NATO military quite a bit different than the current force structure, with different equipment, different training, and much different tactics and long-term strategic planning. It's also a NATO that would absolutely REQUIRE that Russia be a part.
The role of NATO in the War on Terrorism will also require some serious changes, not only within the organization's military, but in the organization, itself. I cannot see Europe doing what needs to be done, except within a NATO-type framework. Nothing else would work. There will also be a strong need to bring many of the currently-unaligned nations into the NATO organization, including Sweden, Finland, and Ireland.
It'll be interesting in seeing how things shape up in the next couple of years.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
12/22/2003 23:15 Comments ||
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Two French journalists began a hunger strike in jail on Monday to protest their arrest in Pakistan for allegedly travelling to an area near the Afghan border without official permission, their lawyer said Monday. Marc Epstein and Jean-Paul Guilloteau, a reporter and photographer working for the French LâExpress magazine who last week were denied bail, face years in prison if convicted for the visa violation under Pakistanâs Foreignersâ Act. Theyâre: #1 French, #2 Journalists, #3 in a Pak jail. Weâve hit the Trifecta!
On Monday, their lawyer Nafees Siddiqi said he filed a fresh bail application with the High Court in the southern city of Karachi where they are held, and the court will hear the petition on Tuesday. In a letter signed by the two journalists and faxed by Siddiqi to The Associated Press, they said they have been arrested for just doing their job. "We feel we are journalists who have only done their jobs as journalists and we do not understand whey we are treated as criminals, retained against our will in the court," the letter said. "Therefore, we hereby refuse to ingest food and will only drink water." Guys, that only works if the police care if you starve to death.
State media in Pakistan has reported that the journalists were planning a report on how Taleban rebels had set up training camps inside Pakistan - a touchy issue here. State PTV network has broadcast video apparently confiscated from the Frenchmen that shows one of them photographing armed men. The report claimed the armed men were not Taleban and were just posing to earn some money. So they were faking their photos? Sure they donât work for the New York Times?
I suspect that's not the case. That's why they're in jug...
The lawyer did not comment on the authenticity of the video, but said the broadcast was an "afterthought" by authorities to justify the arrests, and noted it wasnât mentioned in the legal charge against the Frenchmen. If they are convicted, most likely theyâll get expelled to France after a short time.
I dunno. "Epstein" sounds kind of Jewish. Somebody might cut his head off.
Posted by: Steve ||
12/22/2003 3:05:29 PM ||
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#1
On Monday, their lawyer Nafees Siddiqi said he filed a fresh bail application with the High Court ...
Was the first bribe not big enough to spring them?
#3
the tenure of the rich , fertile land in zimbawe during colonial times was under the white ruling dictatorship. What percent of the rich land is actually in the hands of the white people? What percent in the hands of the black people? The people of Zimbawe is ... What percent white?...... What percent colour?....... The legacy of colonialism was a devastating blow to the mayority of the people of Zimbawe. What did the white minority government do for education of blacks in the country? ...For housing?... For health?... For the general development of the country?...
Before to make an opinion I rather to be well informed first. So, please send me more information wich includes your points of view and also that from the government of the country. What is the intention of the government when it introduced "land reform"?.What especific details are in it ?
How this reforms affect white people? black?
Is there the posibility of concensus in procedures and objectives for the future of the country by acting together?
#4
In true French tradition, they gave up: Two French journalists imprisoned for visa offences in Pakistan have stopped their hunger strike, their lawyer said. Marc Epstein and Jean-Paul Guilloteau began a fast earlier on Monday to protest against their imprisonment. The journalists' lawyer, Nafees Siddiqi, said they had ended their hunger strike "on the advice of the French diplomatic authorities, their own magazine's management and myself".
Bwahahahaha!
Posted by: Steve ||
12/22/2003 15:54 Comments ||
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#5
Humm French giving up...where have I heard that before? Probably waved freshly cooked snails in from of them and they gave in. Or maybe a cheese sandwhich?
#6
Hohoho this is so rich, 1) they think the pakpolice care, 2) they 'starve' for less than a day, 3) they give up.
Journalists are so full of themselves.
Oh, and Guillermo - I think you're in the wrong thread.
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
12/22/2003 21:37 Comments ||
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#7
So they fasted sunup to sundown. Can someone tell those bozos that Ramadan is over.
Posted by: ed ||
12/22/2003 21:52 Comments ||
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#8
Tony - but they prolly threatened to taunt them a second time if their demands are not met. Think Chirac will begin his finger-wagging routine with Perv over this?
EFL Why would it not remain chilly? It's a glacier, fergawdsake!
Despite the cease-fire, which covers the heavily fortified frontline in disputed Kashmir and Siachen to the north, there can be no let up in deployment. The men posted here, often at heights above 18,000 feet, can survive for only three months, their bodies wasting away, starved of oxygen, and must be replaced by fresh troops. Pakistan and India have been fighting since 1984 for control of the Siachen Glacier, both sides laying claim to a region which until then had been so desolate and so remote, that no one had bothered even to demarcate it properly on a map. I suggest that a quick round of rock, paper, scissors should be employed with the loser being forced to keep that passes and clean up all the crap those bozoâs have left up there.
Despite conditions which would defeat even the most able mountaineers — where the risks run from frostbite to altitude sickness to avalanches and crevasses — they have been unable to trust each other enough to agree on a withdrawal. Despite the cease-fire, winter is likely to bring fresh casualties as both frostbite and altitude sickness are more common in severe weather. And until India and Pakistan can make real progress in their tentative peace process, the two armies will continue to fight the weather, the terrain and the altitude on the most hostile battleground in the world. Let me be the first to wish them a white Christmas.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
12/22/2003 11:46:01 AM ||
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#1
Hey, guys, relax. It's a glacier, fer chrissakes...
#2
Maybe all that frozen water has some sort of therapeutic value. If so, I have the perfect replacement - Marvel's Mystery Oil. Guaranteed to cure any malady. Wanna buy some? I can get it at a discount...
#7
Holy Pulmonary Edema, Batman! This one's for you, Steve White.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
12/22/2003 16:17 Comments ||
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#8
A glacier? Which direction is it moving?
The correct answer is "UP". This is one of many glaciers in the Himilayas that's growing. So are the Himilayas - about a centimeter every 90 years or so. Can you imagine? The tallest mountains in the world are getting taller. That'll make it even harder for those Pak/Indian troops to face one another in another 500 years - and if the past is any indication, they'll still be at it then.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
12/22/2003 23:35 Comments ||
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Explosives used in an attempt to assassinate Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf a week ago were the same type as those used in the Bali bombings. And American intelligence agencies warned Pakistan after the HSBC Bank blast in Istanbul last month that foreign terrorists would try to enter Pakistan. The intelligence sources confirmed a report in a Pakistani newspaper that said C4 plastic explosive was used to blow up a bridge in Rawalpindi, near Islamabad, just after Musharrafâs motorcade had passed. Police say the Bali bombings last year, in which 202 people were killed, were the work of an al-Qaeda-linked south east Asian militant network. Investigators said C4 plastic explosive was used in one of the bombings which tore through a popular nightclub. President Musharraf said al-Qaeda and their local collaborators were at the front of the queue of those who wished to kill him.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
12/22/2003 12:15:22 AM ||
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The Saudi Religious, Educational and Social Thinkers (SREST), an organisation of Saudi scholars, education specialists and researchers with almost ten thousand Saudi clerics as members, has warned Pakistanis not to use products with religious names and has demanded the Pakistani government ban all such products.
So snap it up, Pak government, for the good of your souls!
A SREST delegation, led by Pakistani-born Saudi scholar Dr Abdullah Ahmed, made the demand on Sunday during a news conference after expressing his astonishment at seeing so many products with religious names in Pakistan.
You can tell he's holier than everyone else. He sees sin where nobody noticed before...
Flanked by SREST colleagues Dr Abu Usama, Syed Abdulah Madni and Bint-e-Maryam, he said that they visited several universities, schools, collages, seminaries, religious and government institutions and met with clerics and social scholars. âThe heartbreaking thing we learned in Pakistan was that Pakistani markets and shops are causing a major sin unknowingly by spreading products with religious names,â said Mr Ahmed.
"My heart is just broken! Sin! Ugly and foul! And nobody even noticed! Good thing I got here when I did!"
âAlthough some people tried to introduce similar products in Saudi Arabia, the media there has been campaigning against this emerging trend of using sacred names for commercial purposes,â Dr Ahmed informed. He said that the government in Saudi Arabia did not allow the production of some colas branded by sacred names such as those that have occupied a lot of shop space in Pakistan.
So much for Mecca Cola, and Prophet's Beard shampoo...
Asked why Saudi opinion leaders have opposed these products and brands, he said they believe manufacturers have been using these sacred names to gain financial benefits and market share by using Muslim sentiments in the global anti-terrorism environment. âIt is really very regrettable...I have never seen even a single product named after any Christian holy city or Jesus in Europe and America,â the scholar added.
Come to think of it, neither have I. There's probably a reason for that. Somehow I can't see a real market for Our Lord and Savior TV dinners, not precisely because it would be sacriligeous, but maybe because it would be... ummm... silly.
âJust look at the names of some newly-launched colas. I think itâs very unfair to associate these beverages with religious names. If I take bottles of such colas home, use them and throw them away, how would you feel after seeing the bottle bearing a religious name in the trash? I think this is very unfair,â he said. âThese actions will not serve any cause of Islam,â he added.
There goes my idea for marketing Holy Koran Kola...
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/22/2003 00:15 ||
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#1
There goes my idea for marketing Holy Koran Kola...
Sorry, Fred. Looks as thought if you were to try it, you'd be... "under SREST."
*rimshot*
I'll be here all week, folks. Try the veal. Remember, tip your waitress. ^_^
Ed Becerra
Posted by: Ed Becerra ||
12/22/2003 0:24 Comments ||
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#2
So the 'Servant of Allah' adult diapers are done? Damn, I had some shares, hoping for a big payout.
Posted by: Rafael ||
12/22/2003 2:04 Comments ||
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#5
Non-Euro cultures have some ideas about brand names we would find odd. As y'all point out, religious brand names might not fly so well here.
Brand names translated from Japanese often come across to us as incredibly banal. Conversely, English-language brand names (and there's a lot) chosen for Japanese products for their market often come across to us as incredibly ludicrous. Culture. Obviously the Japs don't see it that way or they wouldn't use those names.
Shame the Saudis felt constrained not to give examples. Might have given insight why they are so offended. We're not the target audience.
reports on a study by an academic that does not attribute slow economic growth on Islam. Reports like this show how idiotic said acedemic is:
here is part of the article
--------
Is Islam a drag on economic growth?.. A long line of scholars has blamed the relative poverty of Muslims today on their religious beliefs.
But economist Marcus Noland maintains that this long-standing view is wrong.
"There is nothing inherent about these [Islamic] societies that they have to perform poorly," says the economist with the Institute for International Economics in Washington. "If anything, Islam promotes growth.... There may be undue pessimism about the prospects of these countries."
---------------
I wonder who funds the Institute for International Economics?
#9
Bethlehem Steel was named for the home town of its original corporate headquarters, Bethlehem PA. That town was so named by Moravian settlers prior to the Revolutionary War.
#10
and Bethlehem Steel is now a subsidiary of the Intl Steel Group, which itself is, I think, in some form of receivership. Kind of like how the city of Bethlehem is part of the Paleo Auth which is in continuing subsidized bankrupcy.
from the IIE website: The Instituteâs annual budget is about $7 million. Support is provided by a wide range of charitable foundations, private corporations, and individuals...
the board of directors is:
Peter G. Peterson, Chairman
* Anthony M. Solomon, Chairman, Executive Committee
Leszek Balcerowicz
Conrad Black
Bill Bradley
Chen Yuan
George David
* Jessica Einhorn
Stanley Fischer
Jacob A. Frenkel
Maurice R. Greenberg
* Carla A. Hills
Nobuyuki Idei
Karen Katen
W. M. Keck II
Lee Kuan Yew
Donald F. McHenry
Minoru Murofushi
Paul O'Neill
Hutham Olayan
James W. Owens
Frank Pearl
Karl Otto Pöhl
* Joseph E. Robert, Jr.
David Rockefeller
David M. Rubenstein
Renato Ruggiero
Edward W. Scott, Jr.
George Soros
Lawrence H. Summers
Peter D. Sutherland
Jean Claude Trichet
Laura DâAndrea Tyson
Paul A. Volcker
* Dennis Weatherstone
Edward E. Whitacre, Jr.
Marina v.N. Whitman
Ernesto Zedillo
mostly left wing a few right wing; all free trade types; generally sane people, some a bit unhinged
just goes to show you that if you put some Phd's, captains of finance and other fine people together, you may still fund studies that are worthless
#14
Correct if i'm wrong but weren't there a lotta Ph.d's who supported the global warming scam at Kyoto?
Posted by: Barry ||
12/22/2003 11:24 Comments ||
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#15
"You don't use Prophet Pomade? I insult your mustache!"
Posted by: Dar ||
12/22/2003 13:10 Comments ||
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#16
mhw: Well, you were the one that asked the question, then you answered it, very well. I'll admit to not recognizing a lot of those names. David M. Rubenstein; I remember name from PBS funding blurbs back before I quit watching television completely. Rockefeller and Soros, and -- Zedillo? Oh, yeah, forgot you can't be selected King President of Mexico without office-perk coming away rich enough to get your name dropped in expensive places and do worldwide philanthropy. Nevertheless, the kind of output you've unearthed may explain something of the dismal performance of NGO's in WOTLand.
#17
Barry, if you look carefully at the Phd's that sculpted the final version of Koyoto, you will notice that few of them hold dotorates in anything remotely scientific.
If Saudi Arabia doesn't plan to capitalize economically on anything religious, I wonder how they plan to invigorate their tourism industry. Will all hotel accomodations in Mecca and Medina now be complementary?
Speaking of Bethlehem, saw something on the news last night about the slumping economy in David's town. Things are so bad that many young Christians from families that have lived in Bethlehem for hundereds of years are now leaving. Yasser Arafat has addressed a document to all travel agents not to sell plane tickets to young people unless they held an education visa for the country that they wanted tickets to. Sounds like his hostages are escaping.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
12/22/2003 14:19 Comments ||
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#18
super hose
1. re SaudiArabia; the Saudis have managed to make the 12th month pilgramage (aka the Hadj)into a net zero or even loser financially for the national treasury by strictly controlling merchandizing, having to pay extra security expenses, having royal families get a cut of the motel bills, bribing the local Meccan imans to say nice things about the royal family, etc.
2. The Paleo Authority is trying to extort money from the networks for covering the xmas events in Bethlehem this year. see: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/374357.html
#19
Interesting, but terribly-written article in Tech Central Station about the relationship between government-enforced morality and tyranny that fits well with the comments in this article. Basically, the author says that there are two bases for law: "right" and "good". "Right" is the equal evaluation of expectations - I.E., basically "contracts", while "Good" is "moral" - 'this is what things SHOULD be'. GOOD can only be imposed, since each person's idea of what that means may differ. RIGHT is basically what the Founding Fathers considered the basis of government - and why they established that religion could never be either imposed, or expelled. Right requires a moral people to keep people willing to negotiate. GOOD imposes. ISLAM demands that people follow certain (7th century) ideas about morality, which is IMPOSED by the Clergy. Since the only way you can impose anything is by force, Islamic nations rapidly degenerate into tyrannies. Only secular governments can establish legal systems based on individual contractural behavior (Right).
The only problem is, there is no way to legislate morality without totally destroying individual rights. This leads to stagnation and collapse. This is why Islamic nations would be a total failure without the oil, and why the Middle East wasn't a player in world politics from about 1650 through 1945.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
12/22/2003 23:50 Comments ||
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The government has chalked out a strategy to curb extremism in society by compiling personal data of activists of religious organisations and declaring them a threat to the public, Interior Ministry sources told Daly Times on Sunday.
Uhhh... Okay. Wuzzat mean?
Sources said the government plans to prepare lists of people with links to religious and militant organisations.
You said that.
They said the authorities had got a form titled Schedule 4 prepared for keeping record of militant or religious outfits activists and their relatives.
Ahah! That'll do it for sure! Keep them busy filling out forms and they won't have time to kill anybody! Why didn't I think of that?
These forms have been given to police stations throughout Pakistan, directing superintendents of police and station house officers to prepare and keep complete records of activists in their areas, sources added.
You're gonna make the coppers do it? But if you keep the coppers busy filling out forms, when will they have time to track down bad guys and have shootouts with them?
âSchedule 4 will bar a person from leaving his area of residence without permission from the police officer concerned. People recorded on the forms will not be allowed to attend social gatherings. Moreover, their fingerprints, photographs, handwriting specimens, signatures, family history, information about friends and relatives will also be attached to the form,â sources said.
By Gad, sir! Now that's efficient! It shouldn't take the cops more'n a coupla weeks each to fill out the form for each bad guy in the precinct...
They said the activists would also have to attach affidavits to the form to follow the instructions. âIf a person violates the rule after being recorded on the form, he will have to pay a Rs 100,000 fine to the government,â sources said.
"Ahmed! You just bumped off Chaudry and his eight bodyguards and shot up a church! That ain't on your form. That's gonna cost you some big money, boy!"
According to activists from some religious organisations, the Lahore Police was contacting every person with links to religious organisations. They said when a person refused to fill out the form or wanted to know about the list, police demanded money from him to remove his name from it.
Ohfergawdsake. Take me now, Lord! No! Wait! Take them!
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/22/2003 00:06 ||
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#1
But if you keep the coppers busy filling out forms, when will they have time to track down bad guys and have shootouts with them?
Less of a problem than one might think, since a fair proportion of the coppers there are either on the take or are actively collaborating with the jihadis. Real easy to check the 'no' box on the form and be done with it.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/22/2003 0:10 Comments ||
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#2
Maybe it would be easier to compile forms of everyone who isn't connected to religious or militant organisations.
Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
12/22/2003 0:15 Comments ||
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#3
There'd probably be fewer of them to fill out.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/22/2003 0:16 Comments ||
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In a worrying development, camps operated by North East insurgents in Bangladesh have increased by about 25 over the past month touching the figure of 180 with Indian security agencies claiming to have "concrete evidence" about Al-Qaeda presence in that country. The new camps in Bangladesh have been detected even as an operation is underway in Bhutan to flush-out Indian insurgents from that country. Dhaka has consistently denied presence of Al-Qaeda elements or NE insurgents in that country. Maybe they only give them âmoral and diplomatic supportâ like the Paks in the west. I used to think reports of the number of camps in Bangladesh was exagerrated by the Indian press, but it seems that the reports of their being at least 30 camps in Bhutan were accurate. Although I donât see the Bangladeshi army doing much against these insurgent groups, most of them are said to have covert links with the DGFI (Bangladeshâs intelligence service), and the ISI.
The number of camps, which earlier stood at 155, has increased despite repeated denials by the Bangladesh Government about existence of even one of these on their soil, top security sources told PTI in New Delhi on Sunday. The concentration of camps has been seen in Khagrachar, Bandarban and Rangamati mountainous tracts of Chittagong Hills besides those scattered in Cox Bazar and Maulvi Bazar districts, they said. Camps have also been detected in Habibganj, Sylhet, Sherpur and Kurigram. The camps, whose list has been prepared by Indian security agencies, include those run by the ULFA, National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT), All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) and National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM), they said. The list also includes training camps run by Peopleâs Liberation Army (PLA), Muslim United Liberation Tiger of Assam (MULTA), Achik National Volunteer Council, Chakma National Liberation Front (CNLF), and Dima Halam Daoga, they said. A veritable alphabet soup of Armed Struggle
Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
12/22/2003 12:05:23 AM ||
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Every time I read something like this, I can't help but think about Life of Brian- "FECK OFF! We're the Judean People's Front! That's the PFJ over there. BLOODY SPLITTERS!"
Anti-India militants facing a military offensive in Bhutan on Sunday warned they could launch a counter-attack, claiming they still controlled many of their bases in Bhutan. "We have not lost our strength yet and are only in a self-defence mode," Paresh Baruah, military commander of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), told reporters here by telephone from an undisclosed location. "Bhutan should be aware of the fact that we have enough strength to attack the kingdom as and when the situation warrants." "Weâre just waiting for the right time to stop you killing us"
The rebels have also threatened retaliation against Bhutanese nationals residing in Assam. "All Bhutanese nationals residing in Assam should quit immediately and from now on we are severing all ties with Bhutan," Arabinda Rajkhowa, the ULFA chief, said in a statement received by IANS. Civilians donât put up as much fight against freedom fighters as soldiers do
This is Bhutanâs first military operation against a foreign force since 1865, when the kingdom lost part of modern day Assam to Britain in the five-month Dooar War. The largely Buddhist, peace-loving kingdom had long hesitated to make good on its threats of military action, fearing the rebels would retaliate against Bhutanese civilians. Over 10,000 people have died in insurgency in Assam during the past two decades.
Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
12/22/2003 12:00:48 AM ||
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#1
The "Terrorism for Dummies" definition of Terrorism is, when attacked by a real military, retaliate by attacking civilians.
Can you imagine one of the Saudi princlings leading his troops into battle? Bhutan says it has stopped offensive operations against Indian separatists based on its territory for two days to regroup and reinforce its troops. A Bhutanese military spokesman denied media reports that the offensive has been discontinued. A member of the royal family was shot in the leg during fighting with the rebels on Saturday, a spokesman said. Prince Jigel Ugyen Wangchuk, 19, is in a stable condition, he said. His wound is not said to be serious. The prince left St Peters College at Oxford University in November to join the Peopleâs Militia raised by the royal administration to fight the rebels.
That prince is a man. I hope he goes far. Actually, he's already far, but you know what I mean. He's quality.
Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
12/22/2003 12:00:42 AM ||
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#1
I wish Prince Wangchuk (who's a real man) a speedy recovery and future success, both military and academic.
#3
My brother, LtC USAF, flew with said Saudi Prince in GW1. His (the saudi's) idea of combat operations was for the USAF to 'herd' enemy fighters his way. My brother's sqaudron has an award named the "Saudi" after this guy. It's not a good thing to win. The Prince fired every missile on his plane at 1 Iraqi fighter. The Iraqi fighter still managed to land safely and unscathed in Iran, as our guys were ordered to "let the Prince get the kill". The award goes to the guy with the most shots in a month that are off-target.
A security agency has picked up a lower ranking Afghan official, who is the relative of a Peshawar-based Afghan diplomat, for his alleged links to Al Qaeda, and immediately shifted him to Islamabad for interrogation. Afghan national Abdul Hanan, working as clerk in the Peshawar office of the Afghan Ministry of Transportation, was picked up in the Hayatabad Housing Society in a commando-style action by operatives of the security agency on Saturday. Peshawar-based Afghan Consul General Haji Abdul Khaliq condemned the arrest of his cousin and reported the incident to the Foreign Office in Islamabad and the Afghan Foreign Ministry in Kabul, rejecting the charge against him.
"Y'got nuttin' on Sonny! Nuttin', I tells yez!"
Intelligence sources said Mr Hananâs arrest was followed by âcomplete homeworkâ and âavailability of undeniable evidenceâ against him.
Oh, cheeze! They found the body!
âHis is a serious case,â sources said. Mr Hananâs arrest is the first of its kind in the war on terror. Sources did not give details of charges against him, but said, âAgencies need to interrogate him.â
"Mahmoud, hand me that red truncheon, wouldja?"
Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan said it was not in his knowledge that Afghanistan lodged any protest with Pakistan over the arrest of Mr Hanan. âI can tell you tomorrow as today is the weekend,â he told Daily Times by the phone on Sunday.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/22/2003 23:58 ||
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Russia offered to write off 65 percent of Iraqâs $8 billion debt after Baghdad signaled that Moscow was in a good position to revive prewar oil contracts. 65% isnât bad
A member of Iraqi Governing Council, Samir Sumaidy, said Russia made the proposal at a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and the head of the U.S.-backed Iraqi Governing Council Abdul Aziz al-Hakim at the Kremlin. "Putin has made an offer of Russia exempting Iraq from 65 percent of their debts. That is a decision made by Russia to be confirmed within the Paris Club," Sumaidy told reporters after attending a meeting at the Kremlin. Hakim met Putin after a tour of West European countries devoted to reconstruction after the removal of President Saddam Hussein and to efforts to cut Iraqâs debt burden. James Baker just left there as well, his trip seems to have gone well.
Despite Russiaâs offer, sources close to the Paris Club of creditors said nothing had been discussed concerning potential write-off levels as far as the group was concerned as a whole, and suggested no such offer would be coming any time soon. If thereâs a chance of a good deal for Russia, Putin will tell the Paris Club to take a hike.
Putin said Moscow wanted to pursue long-standing relations with Baghdad regardless of the abrupt change of authority. "We have many friends. And this has nothing to do with parties or leaders but rather with people, with specialists," he said. "According to preliminary estimates, investment by Russian companies could soon reach $4 billion." Itâs all about the oil.
In comments to Itar-Tass news agency, Hakim had singled out oil giant LUKOIL, saying Iraq might need its experience while rebuilding its devastated oil industry. "This is a great company, which has been working a great deal and successfully in Iraq. Today, when we must start developing our oil industry, LUKOILâs experience could be of great benefit," he was quoted as saying. Could have a deal from the beginning, Vlad, if you had just played ball. Now itâs gonna cost ya.
Posted by: Steve ||
12/22/2003 2:53:57 PM ||
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#1
From my point of view, it worked better to have those countries with the strongest economic interests on the outside. The American contracts will get other countries involved and result in more bidders for Iraq on subsequent contracts. The open market should result in a burgeoning economy. I bet Japan, Korea and China compete heavily in Iraq within the next several years.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
12/22/2003 15:17 Comments ||
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#2
Hmmm, possibly the Velvet Hammer working behind the scenes to get the job done? Maybe we threatened to go public with the Axis of Weasle's invoices for all those weapons they sold to them during sanctions.
There has to be a price to pay by the AoW for that, they can eat the costs and actually improve some infrastructure in Iraq. This might be the means.
From Middle East Newsline
Sunnis from areas dominated by Saddam Hussein loyalists have volunteered in record numbers for Iraqâs new security forces. U.S. officials said the greatest number of the volunteers has come from the area of Tikrit, the stronghold of Saddam. They said the applications to join Iraqi security forces increased dramatically after the capture of Saddam on Dec. 13. This is tentatively good news. It means that more and more are seeing that the Baathist cause is a loser. On the other hand, we must be vigilant of infiltration of the force by Baathists, Jihadis, and other rabble.
"I qualify that by saying we have to monitor that," Coalition Provisional Authority spokesman Dan Senor said. "But it certainly is a good signal, and itâs consistent with what weâve been seeing across the board: steady increases in the number of Iraqis who want to participate in protecting their country." Officials said the Sunni volunteers for the Iraqi security forces comes after months of difficulties in recruiting those from the Sunni Triangle. They said many Sunnis who had joined the military and security forces resigned amid threats from Saddam loyalists. Saddam loyalists who make threats must be identified quickly and dealt with quickly and harshly. I hope that our new agressiveness is already on their cases.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
12/22/2003 12:24:37 PM ||
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#1
If there is an Iraqi security force then you had better get on the right side of it. You'll want positions of responsibilty and rank.
#2
This is good news if they do it right by (as mentioned) coming down quick and hard on anyone who threatens a recruit or their families AND come down even harder (as in public execution) on anyone found to be disloyal to the security force or abuses their position like in the 'old days' of Saddam.
#3
Genghis Khan dealt with the problem of cementing a dubiously reliable tribal force by scrambling people around so everyone looking up/down command relationships saw nothing but strangers. It worked well. His example bears study.
#4
Lord Beresford did the same, more or less, when rebuilding the Portuguese army in 1809. Alternate layers of command were occupied by Portuguese and British officers. The resulting Portuguese army was unexpectedly effective in the subsequent campaigns of the Napoleonic war.
Edited for brevity.
U.S. troops battling the shadowy guerrilla insurgency in Iraq have adopted the computer-sleuthing tactics of big-city American police departments to prepare strikes against rebel fighters and their sources of money and weapons. Military intelligence analysts have adopted databases and software used by civilian law enforcers to catalog names, pictures and suspectsâ fingerprints and to search such for links among guerrilla suspects, said Lt. Col. Ken Devan, the top intelligence officer for the U.S. Armyâs 1st Armored Division.
Devan and the divisionâs intelligence analysts study clusters of attacks in Baghdad neighborhoods, looking for the time of day and days of the week when strikes are most likely. They then alter their convoy schedules and routes to avoid ambushes or send patrols to confront the guerrillas, Devan said. The division uses three programs in tandem, entering data on every bomb blast, every firefight, every suspect detained and every tip given by a local resident. Digital fingerprints are taken from every arrested suspect and added to the database.
"Weâre seeing patterns emerge. There are certain neighborhoods you donât want to be out in, or thereâs a better likelihood youâll be attacked," Devan said. "You try to predict what the enemyâs going to do next. We try to cut him off at the knees." The software allows the military to plot on a Baghdad street map, for instance, the locations of roadside bomb blast that occurred between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. in a given month. Commanders then tailor raids to catch the bombers by watching the neighborhood and rounding up suspects until they find a weapons cache, Devan said. On Friday, one 1st Armored unit did just that, turning up a cache of about 50 130mm artillery shells _ commonly used to make roadside bombs, Devan said.
Analysts have compared attack clusters with weather and other data to pick up interesting clues. Intelligence analysts struggling to find a pattern among seemingly random nightly mortar attacks compared attack histories with a chart showing the phases of the moon, and learned the attacks tend to come bunched on nights when the moon is fullest. "They need moon illumination with their mortars especially," Devan said. "The database tracks all these events."
Posted by: Dar ||
12/22/2003 10:55:56 AM ||
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#2
Insurance companies have used relationship software for years to fight organized fraud. If you have ever filed a claim, you're in the database. It tracks and organizes addresses, phone numbers, properties, cars, scenarios, etc. of both the claimants and any other related parties (read - lawyers, doctors, police, hospitals and so on). It was very good at linking seemingly unconnected events. When I last was in contact with it, the pointy head guys were fine tuning it's predictive capabilities. Hopefully, the DoD has bought the advanced versions.
#3
I saw a Discovery Channel special on software used by the FBI to geographically profile criminals guilty of assaults. We are making a mistake if we do not try this in Baghdad.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
12/22/2003 15:20 Comments ||
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President Aleksander Kwasniewski made an unannounced visit Monday to the headquarters of Polish-led peacekeepers in Iraq, the PAP news agency reported. Kwasniewski, accompanied by Defense Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski and presidential defense aide Marek Siwiec, landed at the Camp Babylon Base on Monday afternoon, the Polish news agency said.
Posted by: Steve ||
12/22/2003 9:41:36 AM ||
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#1
Thank you, Poland. We salute your stand for freedom.
#4
First Bush, then Aznar, and now Kwasniewski. Berlusconi may be next. You know things can't be too bad when all these pols (think Hillary) want a piece of Iraq PR.
Posted by: Tibor ||
12/22/2003 12:04 Comments ||
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During the last 24 hours, we conducted 204 patrols, including 25 joint patrols with the Iraqi Border Guard and Iraqi police. Soldiers also carried out 16 offensive operations. During these operations, there were 40 enemy personnel captured and a variety of weapons confiscated. There were eight soldiers wounded, of which one was evacuated to the 28th Combat Support Hospital. Seven were not seriously injured and expect to be returned to duty.
We denied entry to 160 personnel into Iraq at the Trebil border crossing because they lacked proper documentation. No one was denied entry at the Ar Ar, Husaybah, or Tanif border crossings.
Last night in the 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Divisionâs area, paratroopers continued combat operations to kill or capture anti-coalition forces in Fallujah. Soldiers conducted multiple cordon and searches throughout the night and into the day to capture personnel involved with financing and recruiting foreign fighters in Fallujah. The operations resulted in the capture of 25 enemy personnel, three of which were targeted individuals, and the confiscation of various small arms including a box of C4 plastic explosive.
In the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Divisionâs area, a local sheik turned in a wanted individual to soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment of the Florida National Guard. The individual was suspected of selling black-market weapons and gas and financing a previous attack directed against the mayor of Ramadi.
This afternoon, a convoy from 307th Engineer Battalion was attacked by an IED near Habbanniyah. One soldier received serious injuries to the head and has been evacuated to 28th Combat Support Hospital. Three others soldiers received minor injuries in the attack and were treated at Forward Operating Base Ridgeway.
During the past 24 hours, the 82nd Airborne Division and subordinate units conducted 229 patrols, including 79 joint patrols with the Iraqi Border Guard and Iraqi Police. The soldiers also carried out seven cordon-and-searches and several raids. These operations resulted in one Iraqi being killed, three being wounded and the capture of 96 terrorists.
Paratroopers from 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment conducted three cordon and searches aimed at killing or capturing terrorists involved with financing and recruiting foreign fighters in Fallujah. The operation resulted in the capture of 14 enemy personnel and the confiscation of various small arms weapons. All captured personnel and equipment were evacuated for processing.
In the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regimentâs area, elements of all four regimental squadrons began Operation Rifles Fury, a series of raids to kill or capture anti-Coalition Forces and destroy terrorist training camps in the Rawah area.
The operation was initiated with the regiment conducting 17 raids today. Forces encountered resistance to entry in one target location and used a door breaching charge to gain access to the target through a reinforced steel door. The blast resulted in the death of one Iraqi female and injuries to two other females in the house. These actions are currently under investigation. During the operation, eleven high value targets were captured and 70 other individuals were detained for questioning. Iraqi Civil Defense Corps troops established and maintained traffic checkpoints with 1st Squadron, 3rd ACR as part of the operation.
#3
searches aimed at killing or capturing terrorists
Now that the Big Cheese® is in custody, any terrorists subsequently cornered can simply be waxed outright. No use burdening the Iraqi prison system with excess inmates.
#5
Forces encountered resistance to entry in one target location and used a door breaching charge to gain access to the target through a reinforced steel door. The blast resulted in the death of one Iraqi female and injuries to two other females in the house.
Hey - Goldilocks - when the three bears come knocking, with breeching charges already primed - well, you might want to think twice about keeping the door bolted. Hint : Their booms can be ratcheted up way beyond any handiwork you can do, reinforcing the door.
During the night, the 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment conducted vehicle traffic checkpoint operations, detaining four people. One vehicle approached Coalition Forces at a high rate of speed after passing clearly visible and well-lit signs designating the traffic control point (TCP). The soldiers then fired warning shots, which also failed to slow the vehicle. The vehicle was directly engaged, resulting in one individual being wounded who is being treated and detained and three others being detained.
During the afternoon, soldiers within 3rd Brigadeâs area of operations were attacked by small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades (RPG). A quick reaction force comprised of paratroopers from Task Force 1-505 responded to the engagement and cleared the area, capturing three enemy personnel and confiscating a RPG launcher.
Death row convict Mukhlas alias Ali Gufron is in Jakarta to take the stand as a vital witness in the trial of Abu Rusydan, who is charged with harboring him during the police manhunt earlier this year. The trial is scheduled to start on Monday in the South Jakarta District Court. Sources in the Jakarta Police said on Sunday that Mukhlas, who was sentenced to death for his role in the Bali bombings, was currently in a headquartersâ detention cell. City police spokesman Sr. Comr. Prasetyo confirmed that Mukhlas had been sent Jakarta from the Kerobokan penitentiary in Denpasar, Bali.
Rusdyan claimed that Mukhlas was present at two meetings attended by members of Jamaah Islamiyah (JI). One meeting was held in April 2002 in Puncak, West Java, and the other on Oct. 17, 2002, five days after the Bali bombings, at the Al Risyad hotel in Tawangmangu, Karanganyar, in Central Java. Mukhlas was arrested on December 2002 in Klaten, Central Java. Rusydan also said he was asked by the attendees at the April 2002 meeting to replace Islamic cleric Abu Bakar Bashir as JIâs spiritual leader. He accepted the position at the October meeting. Bashir has been sentenced to three years in jail for immigration offences and document forgery. The High Court overturned the lower courtâs conviction of Bashir for treason on the ground of his alleged leadership of JI.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
12/22/2003 12:37:48 AM ||
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The alert level has been raised all over the city following a military report that the leader of the October 2002 bombing that killed at least nine persons here has been spotted in the east coast last week. Southern Command chief Lieutenant General Roy Kyamko said Amilhamja Ajilul, a ranking Abu Sayyaf commander, was seen in Curuan District in the company of several other Abu Sayyaf leaders including commanders Tutulungan and Burhan Mundos. Mundos was identified as responsible in the Fitmart explosion in General Santos City also in October 2002. Kyamko said Ajilul and the two other bandit leaders were seen with about 50 fully armed followers. "They were planning to stage highway robbery and hold-up commuters passing the Zamboanga City-Vitali route," Kyamko said, citing intelligence reports.
Oh, cheeze. A guy with a turban and an AK, standing out in the middle of the highway, hollering "stand and deliver!" at a bus...
He said the military has deployed a contingent to run after the suspects.
"Here, you men! Halt in the name of the law!"
Superintendent Mario Yanga, city police director, said they also deployed additional forces to thwart any attempts by the Abu Sayyaf to sow violence in the city. "All major and vital installations are properly secured, we even dispatched several forces inside and outside shopping centers," Yanga said. Mayor Maria Clara Lobregat said the raising of the alert level should not alarm visitors to the city. She said that with the presence of security forces, trouble makers were probably already thinking twice before launching terroristic acts. "Their (security forcesâ) presence will send signals to terrorists and trouble-makers that we are on alert, and I donât think the presence of soldiers will dampen the Christmas spirit," Lobregat said.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
12/22/2003 12:35:20 AM ||
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Jailed Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) former chairman Nur Misuari should be released by the government from a highly guarded detention facility in Laguna in exchange for the recent capture of a top leader of the Abu Sayyaf gang.
That makes sense. Not a lot of sense, but sense... No. Sorry. On second thought, it doesn't...
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) spokesman Eid Kabalu said in an interview Saturday that the Front has received feedback from residents in Jolo, Sulu, that Misuari should be released in exchange for the arrest of Galib Andang alias Commander Robot. Kabalu said the followers of Misuari helped the government soldiers in tracking down Andang by giving fresh information about his whereabouts in Sulu, a component province of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
So it follows naturally that the gummint should spring Nur. I dunno why. It just does...
Andang, 36, was captured after he was wounded in an encounter with pursuing government troops in barangay Panabuan, Indanan town. âAlthough itâs an internal issue among our brothers in the MNLF, this is a serious matter that we want the press to investigate,â Kabalu stressed. He cited that a day before the arrest of Andang, Justice Secretary Simeon Datumanong said they would reinvestigate Misuariâs case.
In November, 2001, Misuari and about 600 of his gunnies decided they were tired of their "peace treaty" with the gummint. About 100 people were killed in the festivities. Nur lost and beat if for Malaysia, where he was caught and repatriated to the PI. He's been jugged ever since. Looks like Eid thinks enough time has gone by for the institutional attention span deficit to kick in. Judge Datumanong seems to fit the short attention span bill, either that or he's about to become very prosperous.
Maguindanao assemblyman Ibrahim Ibay shared the same view of the MILF leader, saying that he and some colleagues in the Regional Legislative Assembly, the lawmaking body in ARMM, received the report a week ago. He did not elaborate.
The check hasn't cleared yet...
Misuari was detained in Forth Sto. Domingo, Sta. Rosa, Laguna, after his men attacked an Army headquarters in Jolo, Sulu, in 2001 that left some 100 people dead, most of whom were his men. Scores were also wounded, including civilians.
Nur seems to be more of a politician than a general...
The attack, launched on the third day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, was supposedly meant to disrupt the elections in the ARMM on November 26. Misuari, 60, reportedly sought to discredit the elections, which would have him replaced as ARMM governor.
On the other hand, he's not that great as a politician, either...
But Deputy Presidential Assistant for Mindanao Virgilio Leyretana shrugged off the claims of Kabalu and Ibay. âThey should not issue such statement if they donât have an evidence because it would only confuse the public. The statement of Kabalu referring to Misuariâs men having helped the soldiers capture Robot was merely speculation,â Leyretana pointed out.
I'm not sure what Eid smokes, but it sure smells like quality stuff...
Meanwhile, in Central Mindanao, the military continues to hunt down Andangâs companion, Khadaffy Janjalani, who was spotted in the coastal village of Libua, Palimbang, on July 5.
Lessee... July 5th was five months ago, and a bit. Kinda slow on the uptake, are we? Cudhuffy would be the next big Abu prize, though.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
12/22/2003 12:33:38 AM ||
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Outwardly, Osama bin Ladenâs protectors in the mountains of Afghanistan and Pakistan affect a haughty unconcern. Taliban fighters in Pakistan, interviewed last week, laughed at the spectacle of a disheveled and down-and-out Saddam Hussein getting hoisted out of his hole, utterly abandoned by aides and bodyguards who once pledged to die for him. Taliban fighters hiding in plain sight in Pakistan say this will never be the fate of bin Laden, his deputy Ayman Al-Zawahiri or Mullah Mohammed Omar, the ousted Taliban leader who remains their closest political ally. The terror chieftains are well protected by their bodyguards, by the local population and by Afghanistanâs forbidding geography. While Saddam faced a 130,000-strong U.S. Army relentlessly tightening the noose, bin Laden is up against a scant 10,000-man U.S. military presence in Afghanistan. And unlike Saddamâs henchmen, supporters of bin Laden and Omar are "linked by Islam, not by money," these Taliban sources boast. "We have a small, strongly Islamic population, thousands of high mountains and millions of caves to hide in," says a senior Taliban planner and fund-raiser who goes by the nom de guerre Zabihullah. Taliban operatives also say that wherever bin Laden stops these days, he tells his followers to plant land mines and pockets of high explosives around his clandestine bivouac. These booby traps are meant to protect himâbut also to make sure that if "the sheik" canât escape, he is quickly "martyred" and his body destroyed. Bin Laden has told his confidants that he "would welcome death as a martyr," and that he would never allow himself to be captured alive, Zabihullah says.
Of course, Sammy always used to say that, too. Strutting around with a tin hat or a turban and ordering the cannon fodder to die for The Cause⢠is kind of different from approximating the caliber of the shootin' arn in your face...
Some Taliban and Qaeda fighters say that, far from running, bin Laden will likely capitalize on Saddamâs humiliating arrestâseeing it as a chance to radicalize and Islamicize the anti-U.S resistance in Iraq.
"Far from running"? What's he been doing for the past couple years? If he's not been decomposing, he's been on the run.
They say Saddamâs capture has not changed bin Ladenâs plansâreported recently in NEWSWEEKâto shift anti-American forces from Afghanistan to Iraq, Turkey and the Mideast. "The arrest of Saddam will have a positive affect on the anti-U.S. jihad and Qaeda operations in Iraq," says Rahman Hotaki, a Taliban official who works with Qaeda fighters in Waziristan on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. "Many Iraqis hated Saddam, so they didnât join the fight. Now that he is gone, more Iraqis will join a holy jihad against the U.S."
And at least an equivalent number will drop out of the fight because the money's not going to be coming in anymore. And probably just as many because they're tired of the whole thing.
Brave words. But in the assessment of former associates, bin Laden is likely worried. A former mujahed companion of bin Ladenâs named Commander Hamat speculates that the Qaeda leader has added an extra "circle" of security around him in the aftermath of Saddamâs capture.
Just smothering himself in security, isn't he?
Even Zabihullah says that bin Laden had a close call not long ago. He says the terror chieftain and his protective entourage scurried into the bushes when a U.S. aircraft streaked overhead as they were walking along a mountain trail. The plane did not see them. Another Taliban fighter who calls himself Assadullah Zarafat says that several months ago, U.S. and Afghan forces brushed by Mullah Omar in Uruzgan province without recognizing him. Omar and his security detachment had stopped at a local mosque to say their afternoon prayers. As they were finishing, several pickup trucks and Humvees carrying Afghan and U.S. soldiers pulled up to the mosque and the Afghans went in to pray. Mullah Omar told his men to hide their weapons and not to react. He then led the newcomers in prayer. Sounds more like a war story to me than anything else ...
Finally, bin Laden may someday, somewhere, make a mistake. An exhausted Saddam was caught eight months after he had to abandon his lavish palaces. Bin Laden, of course, has been roughing it for far longer. Still, life on the lam can wear down the toughest outlaw. A veteran Islamic militant who is known by the nom de guerre Abdullah claimed that last February he was assigned to deliver medicines to an ailing bin Laden in Afghanistanâs thickly forested Kunar province. "He looked weak and frail," said Abdullah. "He moves with a few close aides and guards and never stays at any place for long. To avoid detection he often travels during nights and in bad weather," he said. So who knows? Maybe a really bad coldâand a decision to linger one night too many in the same place to recoverâwill be enough to do in the man who has yet to answer for the worst attack on American soil.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
12/22/2003 12:13:03 AM ||
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#1
I still strongly believe that Osama is alive, although I'm probably in the minority on this blog.
I doubt we will get him any time soon, but it will happen eventually. One only has to look at Bosnia, where Radovan Karadzic is still on the run 8 years after the end of the civil war, because he is hiding in a sympathetic region which NATO hasn't been able to crack.
Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
12/22/2003 0:18 Comments ||
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#2
I tend to share your belief on this one, Paul, though I've always thought of him as being in Iran. That seems to be where his family is, where his military commander is, as well as his main spiritual advisor (the Mauritanian) plus God knows how many cannon fodder. Then again, I also think that the global terror machine is a lot more centralized than most analysts - last fall's terror offensive (to deter the West from attacking Iraq?) proved that in of itself from my POV.
I figure right now bin Laden, if he's alive, is hopping back and forth between Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran and leaving periodically as the political or military situation deems necessary. Same thing with Ayman, IMO.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
12/22/2003 0:24 Comments ||
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#3
We pursued Binny with one tied behind our back. Alot of the warlords troops did not pursue with as much enthusiasm as we expected from their pay. If we want to pull out the stops, we can make the local tribesmen's lives a living hell. We will pick our time, place, and circumstances as the situation permits. After all, the tribal area folks description of their situation was very similar to Afghanistan before we went in there.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
12/22/2003 1:37 Comments ||
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#4
â¦and in related news, despite outward appearances some pond scum never evolved past being scum.
#7
As for bin Laden, if he's alive, he should produce a new videotape that mentions some minor recent news. You know, like Saddam being captured and Libya turning coat on the AoE. He doesn't even have to give his location away: with a little effort, he could be shot in front of a bluescreen, and his pals at al'Jazeera could make it appear like he's in Afghanista, Pakistan, the Oval Office, or even Corascant.
Until then, he's dead.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
12/22/2003 8:20 Comments ||
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#8
Instead of trying to reanimate bin Laden's stiff corpse, Al-Jazeera could create a video using a bin Laden puppet, like those old Gerry Anderson shows I watched as a kid that featured "Supermarionation".
#9
Binny's Buddies talk a BIG game (all islamists do) but that talk ceases when they are met with force. Ditto for Karazdic. Both are presumed to be hiding in plain site. Karazdic is alive ONLY due to the efforts of Clinton and the EU leadership. If we wanted to kill him he would be so much worm food by now. Binny may be alive because we are still exploiting his communications. When that well runs dry we will get rid of him. Bet on it.
#11
I think Rafael meant "EUrope" as a humorous interjection, with a grain of truth.
Lighten up.
Posted by: Les Nessman ||
12/22/2003 12:19 Comments ||
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Less Nessman> That doesn't make sense.
If he had written "Europe" alone, that'd be a joke with a grain of truth in it. Now that he wrote "EUrope", I have no idea what the joke is supposed to mean.
#13
Come on Aris, you can't be this naive. You damn well know what it meant. But just to clarify, I was alluding to France and The Netherlands. Both are members of the EU. One fucked up majorly in Srebrnica, the other was being an obstructive fuck (as usual) in putting an end to the bloodshed.
I know that in your supreme EU mind we are all stupid here, but most of us do know EUropean geography. Fuck your EU.
Posted by: Rafael ||
12/22/2003 14:34 Comments ||
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#14
You're new here Les. Don't waste your time. Kat must be feeling pissy right now.
#17
The Grinch stole it :) The EU hasn't been on my Christmas card list ever since they tried to change the voting rules. No Christmas card for Chiraq & Schroeder. Oops, I mean, no Xmas card for Chiraq and no Christmas card for Schroeder. For Aris: the "Grinch" refers to the EU.
Posted by: Rafael ||
12/22/2003 15:22 Comments ||
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#18
but also to make sure that if "the sheik" canât escape, he is quickly "martyred" and his body destroyed.
I too vote "Dead, until confirmed otherwise", but what I read here is that the plan, if he is killed, is to destroy his body quickly. Would that not have been the case in Tora Bora, when I feel he was whacked?
AP takes a look at multilateralism in the WoT in Africa--severely EFL
CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti - Three high-definition television screens, a bank of green military radios and detailed maps line the walls. Laptop computers cover three rows of tables. And military officers like Lt. Cdr. Victor Cooper keep 24-hour vigil, tracking terrorists from afar. The Joint Operations Center, tucked inside a former French Foreign Legion post, is the heart of the Bush administrationâs quiet battle against Islamic militants operating in six nations in East Africa and Yemen. From here, the U.S. military monitors Marine beach landings, Navy warships, Army infantry maneuvers and Air Force flights, keeping in close communication with Central Command headquarters in Qatar and troops in the field. And there are secret operations no one will talk about. The goal: to detect, disrupt and defeat the bad guys.
On a recent day, U.S. soldiers trained with local troops in rural Ethiopia, civil affairs officers helped with rehab projects in Kenyan towns and Marines landed on a deserted beach in Djibouti. Offshore, NATO ships coordinated their operations with the task force, searching ships in international waters for weapons and terrorists. "We are the gathering point and dissemination point for all information," Cooper, of Jackson, Miss., said, his calm, friendly demeanor a reflection of how U.S. forces fight terrorism here.
Sometimes his job gets boring, he complained, but then thatâs the idea. A day without terrorist activity is a successful day, troops say. The task force uses military training, humanitarian aid and intelligence operations to keep northeastern Africa and Yemen from becoming the next Afghanistan by strengthening local security forces and keeping terrorist groups from operating in the predominantly Muslim region, said Brig. Gen. Mastin Robeson, commander of the task force. The 1,800 personnel at Camp Lemonier coordinate U.S. military operations in Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Yemen and Djibouti, a region largely ignored before the war on terrorism. The region is now one of the warâs main theaters. Big Snip, read the rest at the link
"This is a closed society," Robeson said. "But it was the same case with the (Ku Klux) Klan, and the same case with the Mafia. Infiltrating those two was tough; it is tough to get people on the inside." Robeson said the ultimate goal is for all seven countries in the region to have their own modern methods of protecting their borders and coordinating their customs and intelligence activities so that terrorists have no chance of staging attacks or taking shelter in the region. "In truth, this is more of the model of how the global war on terrorism should be fought, not Iraq and Afghanistan," Robeson said. These troops are also spending the holidays away from home. Good hunting and come home safe!
#2
Etritia and Ethiopia seemed to be quiet with us so close by. Our presence in Dijibouti, unknown to most Americans, might calm things down in some of these areas. Somalia and Yemen are probably lost causes. It must be like watching lions at play for the locals.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
12/22/2003 20:08 Comments ||
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A strong earthquake occurred at 19:15:56 (UTC) on Monday, December 22, 2003. The magnitude 6.5 event has been located in CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. The hypocentral depth was estimated to be 8 km ( 5 miles). Centered 200 miles north of L.A. , near San Simeon. So far no reports of major damage. Developing.
Posted by: Steve ||
12/22/2003 2:39:25 PM ||
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i am is so los angles county and my building was swaying for about 20 seconds. did feel like a larger one.
Posted by: Dan ||
12/22/2003 15:02 Comments ||
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#2
Waiting for a damage report from the Hearst Castle, though they have been through them before.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
12/22/2003 15:16 Comments ||
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#3
This article reports two dead and significant damage in Paso Robles, in San Luis Obisbo County.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
12/22/2003 23:19 Comments ||
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Colombian rebels freed four Israelis and a Briton on Monday to a humanitarian commission, which whisked them away on two helicopters after 101 days in captivity in the jungle-covered northern mountains. "Weâre free! Weâre free," said Mark Henderson, the British hostage, in a brief comment over a cell phone. Before the call was broken off, Henderson confirmed that he and the four Israelis had been freed by the National Liberation Army, known as the ELN. The five freed hostages were among eight foreign backpackers who were kidnapped from jungle ruins in the northern Sierra Nevada mountains on Sept. 12. One of the hostages, a British teenager, escaped days later. Two other hostages - a German and a Spaniard - were released to the humanitarian commission in November. Authorities have identified the Israeli hostages as Ohayon, 22, Beni Daniel, 26, Ido Yosef Guy, 26, and Erez Altawil, 24. The ELN said it kidnapped the foreign backpackers to raise awareness about the alleged hardship inflicted by outlawed right-wing paramilitary factions and the army on the mainly Indian inhabitants of the Sierra Nevada. Well, I think they grabbed them for ransom money. Once they found out that they had snatched Israelis, that went out the window. So they decided to get some good PR out of it. Glad they got out OK.
Posted by: Steve ||
12/22/2003 2:32:59 PM ||
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#1
Next time try biking in Eastern Iran. Just lovely!
EFL I donât usually rant but .... Oh well, at least they are beginning to get the picture that things have changed.
Secretary-General of the Arab LeagueAmr Moussa called here Saturday for a "united Arab stand over the mass graves discovered lately in Iraq" Nobody knew about âem - honest .... This puts a whole new spin on things ....
considering these graves as a "very dangerous issue." Answering a Kuna question upon arrival here, the Arab official said "the mechanism of prosecuting whoever responsible for these cruel crimes You want a hint??
is not clear, as the Arab Leagueâs role regarding the issue has not crystallized yet." Moussa hoped that Arabs would take a united stand over the issue of mass graves. he added "the investigation committees formed by the human rights committee of the Arab League are continuing their works in gathering information related to the mass graves in Iraq."
"We suspect it might have been the Jews that dunnit..."
On the GCC summit, he said it is a "suitable chance to exchange views between the Arab Leagueâs secretariat and leaders of the GCC states." He also said, "the misunderstanding that occurred between the Arab League and Kuwait before was over," adding that the "Arab interest is above all other considerations." hey you guys, slow down & wait for the rest of us to adjust to the new facts of life here
No more cursing each other's moustaches? Dayum.
The Arab official said, âamending the structure of the Arab League is probable and will be discussed during the next Arab summit scheduled to take place in Tunisia." He indicated that the League needs to be reformed "just like all other organizations."
Gotta find somebody to fill the hole Libya's leaving?
Meanwhile, Secretary-General of the Arab Towns Organization (ATO), Abdulaziz Al-Adsani Sunday announced that the meeting of the Arab organizations and funds, assigned to discuss supporting Iraq and contributing to the reconstruction of the Iraqi cities would be held in Amman during the first half of January, 2004.
At a separate meeting (click here for link) Kuwait told US allied Gulf countries holding their first meeting since the capture of their longtime foe Saddam Hussein that they must join forces to combat the threat of terror in their region. Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah said in a speech on Sunday. "This necessitates uniting all regional and international efforts to confront them," he told leaders of the oil-rich Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) who met in Kuwait on Sunday for two days of annual talks. Foreign ministers met first, followed by rulers and heads of state who gathered later for a closed session. One of the gravest dangers and challenges facing our region and the world...is the spread of the terrorism phenomenon which reached some countries in our region." reached? REACHED ?? how about, spreads from???
Saudi Arabia planned to propose "a new approach" to dealing with Islamist extremism in the region which worsened even before the US-led war on Iraq that began in March. Sheikh Sabah said the summit required close Arab cooperation and "in depth study" of regional changes, in particular Iraq, which "would have profound and direct impacts on the whole region." you got that right.
The agenda of the annual GCC summit - which groups regional giant Saudi Arabia with Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Oman - has been shaped largely in response to pressures from the United States. GCC Secretary-General Abdul Rahman al-Attiya said proposals to delete material in educational curriculums seen as breeding hate against the West would be put before the summit. After the Sept 11 attacks in 2001, carried out mostly by Saudis, Washington complained that the Saudi educational system instilled bigotry and anti-West hatred in young people. And amid tight summit security, the US embassy in Kuwait issued a new warning to Americans there to remain highly vigilant in the wake of recent gun attacks on US forces. The question of debt relief for Iraq would also come under scrutiny.
#1
the human rights committee of the Arab League?????
I guess this would include the iman's for female genital mutilation and the elders for defense of honor killings and the volunteers for infidel death as charter members.
#3
Like I said the other day, the Arab League guys (any gals?) better go to the mass grave site first before they start a gabfest. Then they can see what their LACK OF ACTION and OUTRAGE cost their fellow Arabs and Muslims. I hope that they can change themselves, but it feels like some more smacks will be necessary to get the point across before they get off their collective duffs.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
12/22/2003 15:24 Comments ||
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#4
whoever responsible for these cruel crimes. Leaving the Arab world to fill in the blanks will undoubtadly lead to claims that America is to blame before long.
#5
"...as the Arab Leagueâs role regarding the issue has not crystallized yet."
These asshats just don't seem to get it. I believe Iraq has already told them what their role is. They have no role. They've done enough damage by doing nothing.
Posted by: Larry Everett ||
12/22/2003 22:19 Comments ||
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#6
That means they've sniffed the wind, but they're still hoping it'll shift again.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/22/2003 22:38 Comments ||
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EFL
Is Islam a drag on economic growth? Yes.
Economists have debated the impact of religion on economic performance for many years. A long line of scholars has blamed the relative poverty of Muslims today on their religious beliefs. But...
But economist Marcus Noland maintains that this long-standing view is wrong. He is in a lonely, dark room. If my head is jammed up my a#*, does this mean I am headless?
"There is nothing inherent about these [Islamic] societies that they have to perform poorly," says the economist with the Institute for International Economics in Washington. "If anything, Islam promotes growth.... There may be undue pessimism about the prospects of these countries." I was under the impression that for an economy to flourish, there are certain liberties that are required.
His thesis has many critics. Shocker!
Oddly, Nolandâs recently published paper, "Religion, Culture, and Economic Performance," has become something of a minor hit on the Internet. Web surfers have picked up the report and filled Nolandâs Internet mailbox with kind, gentle responses. Many of them are critical, some couched in religious terms. Some Hindus in India, for instance, donât have much good to say about Muslims. Whyâs that?
Sometimes the responses boiled down to "My God is greater than your God," Nolan says. Or, I am freer than you are. Nanny, nanny, boo, boo, stick your head in....
I'd guess that in most cases they didn't boil down to "my God is greater than your god," but that he doesn't want to discuss those.
Sometimes it's great fun to be counterintuitive and make devil's advocate arguments. In the actual world, your opinion can be anything you convolute it to be; reality sticks stubbornly to what actually happens.
You can't have a thriving economy when The Masses⢠are mired in poverty and ignorance. Reading the same book over and over, even if it's a good one, isn't going to expand your mind â you become less ignorant, but only by one opinion.
One form of ignorance the Islamic world is notable for is xenophobia. Hatred and distrust of outsiders depresses the society's willingness to engage in trade, not to mention what it does to the willingness to trade on an honest basis. That leads to self-destructive stupidity, like Nigerian Muslims refusing to have their children innoculated against polio because of Infidel Plotsâ¢, or Somalis refusing to use rubbers, or Pashtuns refusing to use anything that doesn't require replenishing ammunition.
As a devout agnostic, my God may or may not be more powerful than his god, if any; but Islam objectively shoots itself in the foot by fostering ignorance.
#1
Islam does make you prosperous..... if you are at the top of the heap and not a commoner. Just like europe in the middle ages... works great as long as you are not a peasant or commoner.
#2
His thesis is full of feces. When a society is frozen in its "fundamentals" and cannot change to meet new challenges and conditions, the changes will destroy it. If you worship the moon and humankind goes to another planet, e.g., Mars and sets up shop, the moon worship will not work on Mars. To survive, Islam will have to change and reform itself. If it does not, the world will pass it by, violently or nonviolently. It is up to Islamic leaders on what they do with the Fatwa Factoryâ¢.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
12/22/2003 14:45 Comments ||
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#3
see the string of comments starting with about the 6th comment on
#7
I see all sorts of islamic reform going on. You've got the Louis Farrakan outfit get'n down with the gloved one. Then there is Mohamed Ali doing his fake routine. You've got vodka sippers in Bosnia. You've got Saudi moderates! And Nigerian rioters. Some throw stones some use Aks. Some use suicide others hide in holes. Diversity is everywhere.
#9
Marcus Noland should have his apologist license revoked. This is about the most obviously asinine assertion one could make as there is no evidence I've ever seen to support him - and a mountain range of evidence to the contrary. What an utter dumbass.
The umbrella Somali Ulema Council has said it will use Sharia (Islamic) Law, including flogging, to punish those selling or using condoms. The council is responding to a United Nations-funded campaign to raise awareness about Aids being aired by a local radio station. Sheikh Nur Barud, the chairman of the Ulema Council, told a public meeting that the use of condoms will increase adultery and those promoting its use deserve punishment. The BBCâs Mohammed Olad Hassan in Mogadishu says residents are divided over the declaration by the religious leaders. Some are in favour of the use of condoms as a protective measure against HIV/Aids while others are not. Condoms are freely available in medical institutions in Mogadishu. Due to the fighting, there has been little research into the prevalence of Aids in Somalia but the UN Aids agency says some 70% of young Somali girls have not heard about the disease. Aid agencies working in Somalia fear that Aids is on the increase as a result of cross-border movements between Kenya, Djibouti and Ethiopia.
#1
"...it will use Sharia (Islamic) Law, including flogging, to punish those selling or using condoms."
So I take it that they are against condoms, but a little S&M is ok with the mullahs. I want to see the fatwa issued on this one. We haven't had a good fatwa for a few days.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
12/22/2003 13:16 Comments ||
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#2
First polio shots, now this. What's next? Antiseptics? Sterile instruments?
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
12/22/2003 13:22 Comments ||
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#3
"will use Sharia" Did the Prophet come down on condoms? They were already around long before Islam.
"70% of young Somali girls" and we know they're already vulnerable by 9.
Speaking of young girls, when will the Ulemafascists do something genuinely humane and fatwa against female genital mutilation "circumcision?" Isn't this part of the world where that abomination is common practice?
#10
Note to NGO's everywhere: there is nothing to be gained by trying to help poor Muslim populations. Since it appears their religious leaders think they know better, then leave them to solve their own problems, regardless of what those problems may be.
A man was arrested Monday at Miami International Airport because he was carrying a razor blade and a hacksaw blade in his shoe, police said. Hummm?
David McIntyre, who was traveling with his wife and children, told authorities he forgot the blades were in his shoe, said police Detective Joey Giordano. You forgot? So you normally walk around with sharp objects in your shoes, because...??
Police didnât know why he had the blades in his shoe. "Beats the hell out of me"
Alarms sounded when McIntyre tried to pass through a metal detector, and security screeners asked him to remove his shoes and found the blades, officials said. Damm, they are awake. And the scanners must be set on high.
McIntyre, 38, of West Chester, Pa., was charged with carrying a concealed weapon. Itâll do for now.
Officials said they didnât believe the arrest had anything to do with stepped-up law enforcement presence in the airport for the holidays or the Department of Homeland Securityâs increase in the national threat level. Iâd like to hope they would have gotten him without the increase. With the kind of traffic youâd get through Miami, maybe they would have.
Posted by: Steve ||
12/22/2003 12:07:28 PM ||
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#1
This incident doesn't really mean anything. After 2001, the chances of someone actually succeeding in hijacking a flight with razor and/or hacksaw blades are slim to none.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/22/2003 13:13 Comments ||
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#4
My guess is that he was thinking "Alright, got my razor hidden so I can slip through security. And even if I get caught, I'll bring along a hacksaw blade so I can escape from jail..."
Posted by: Carl in N.H. ||
12/22/2003 14:50 Comments ||
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#5
Yeah, doc, maybe he borrowed a pair of Robert Wadlow's shoes.
#6
So now we'll have press conferences by "community leaders" threatening the US Govt not to profile the Nittany types, too? Sheesh, this is getting complicated...
Moments after praising his opponents in the Democratic presidential race as worthy running mates, Wesley Clark said, in no uncertain terms, how he would respond if they or anyone else criticized his patriotism or military record. "Iâll beat the s--- out of them," Clark told a questioner as he walked through the crowd after a town hall meeting Saturday. "I hope thatâs not on television," he added. It was, live, on C-SPAN. (OOPS)
The campaignâs traveling press secretary, Jamal Simmons, was with Clark at the time. "If anyone tries to question Wes Clarkâs character, integrity or his commitment to this country or its security, theyâre going to be in the biggest fight theyâve ever had," Simmons said. Not sure if this was ranted before, but I want to question two things here: Weaslyâs patriotism and his military record. What do you call some who speaks in half-truths and outright lies that are meant to hurt their country? A patriot? I think not. What do you call a person that by passes the chain of command without at least letting that person know that your are doing so? How about threatening said Superior because you happen to be buddies with the President? And you want to question President Bushâs character and motives? Please you are not even in the same league. Gee General Clark did I hurt your feeling? Please use the email link to contact me so I can report for my beating.
Posted by: Cyber Sarge (VRWC CA Chapter) ||
12/22/2003 11:26:53 AM ||
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#1
'Script off and link(SOAL), Wesflea. You are not getting into the White House except as a tourist.
Posted by: D. Kucinich ||
12/22/2003 11:42 Comments ||
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#4
What happens if Braun questions Clarke's patriotism and military record and Clark actually attacks her. (a) If Clark wins the fight he looks like a bully, a moron, and an out of control fool and he loses the black vote and the womens vote entirely (b) If Clark loses the fight he loses all credibility as the warrior of the democrats. (c) If he doesn't follow up on his threats he looks like a blowhard fool.
If I were Carol Mosely Braun I would have taken the challenge. She's nothing to lose and everything to gain.
#6
IIRC, the common Vietnam-era phrase for people like Clark was "buddyfucker".
Posted by: Dave D. ||
12/22/2003 12:23 Comments ||
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#7
If you have ever read the book "Once an Eagle" by Anton Meier (sp??), the gutless Pentagon weenie antagonist, Courtney Massengale, is clearly based on Clark. Most distastful. One more of Clinton's generals.
#8
I refuse to take his threat seriously until Don King promotes the next Dem debate.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
12/22/2003 14:02 Comments ||
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#9
I've said it before, and I'll keep right on saying it : "Poo-poo"
Posted by: D Gephardt ||
12/22/2003 14:10 Comments ||
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#10
if clark demonstrated his leadership skills / military record during the fiasco in pristina with the russians then better for the dems to give him the boot sooner than later.
Posted by: Dan ||
12/22/2003 19:02 Comments ||
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#11
I'm 57 years old, and in bad physical shape. I'll take him on, three rounds, Marquis of Queensbury rules. During my Freshman year at the AF Academy, I went 17-0-1, and the 1 was a fluke (slipped in my opponent's blood and cracked my head hard enough to put me in the hospital).
Well, Weasley? Are you up to this old, fat MSgt (Retired)?
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
12/22/2003 23:23 Comments ||
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Muslim demonstrators attacked visiting Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher on Monday as he tried to pray at the Al Aqsa Mosque, Islamâs third-holiest site, in the Old City of Jerusalem, witnesses said. Witnesses said Maher was not injured, but was taken to the hospital after complaining of not feeling well. "I feel faint, hold me"
Witnesses said Muslim extremists lunged and shouted at him and threw shoes in his direction. Bodyguards surrounded the minister and whisked him out of the compound. They said he was heard saying, "Iâm going to choke, Iâm going to choke" as he was being taken away. A convoy raced Maher to an Israeli hospital. Maher was in Israel on Monday for talks with Israeli leaders about resuming peace talks with the Palestinians. Guess they donât want to talk. OK by me.
Posted by: Steve ||
12/22/2003 11:24:19 AM ||
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Ah, the "(n-1)th holiest site in Islam" meme rears it's ugly head once more...
The BBC's Jill McGivering, in Jerusalem, says the incident is sure to cause some embarrassment for the Israelis.
Huh?! Muslims attack the egyptian fm at a mosque, and it's an embarrassment for the ISRAELIS?! I know, I know, nothing from the commutards at the bbc should surprise me.
#3
Actually, I would think it is much more of a threat to the Paleo Leadership -- Arafish and others -- who might even c o n s i d e r dialog with Israel. "If we do this to the Egyptian, just think of what we will do to you!!!"
Build the fence, make it tall, mine it, wire it, put it under survellance 24/7 with remote machine guns (50 cal) or 20mm AP. Fences make good neighbors.
#5
Update: Radical Muslim worshippers have assaulted Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher in the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem's Old City and he was rushed to hospital, witnesses, police and security guards say. Initial reports said Maher, 68, was physically beaten and taken unconscious to hospital on Monday but witnesses and police later said he was accosted, jostled and possibly struck several times by a mob shouting that he was a "traitor and collaborator". They threw shoes they had removed for prayers at his entourage and at Israeli police escorting him out of the melee to safety outside the mosque. Striking someone with a shoe is a traditional Muslim insult. An Israeli police spokesman said the attackers were from a fringe Islamic group called the Liberation Party.
Posted by: Steve ||
12/22/2003 14:42 Comments ||
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#6
I think these 2 stories from the BBC may be connected and help explain why the Paleos would attack an Egyptian cleric: Egypt and Israel stick to roadmap
#7
here is a key para from Haaretz reporting the incident
=================================
...Based on an agreement between Israeli security services and the Egyptian delegation, no Israeli security guards entered the Al Aqsa mosque with Maher. The Israeli guards waited outside, and helped secure Maher's descent off the mount after a scuffle began in the mosque, Channel One TV reported.
According to the report, Maher suffered from shortness of breath, and was led to a Magen David medical service station in the area for initial treatment by a doctor. Maher was later evacuated to Hadassah University Hospital, Ein Karem for further tests.
===================================
#8
do these people know how to back a winner or not. If they placed a bet on the absolute favorite in the Kentucky Derby the horse would drop dead at the starting gate as soon as the race started. Now I just wished they back Dean
Israel has threatened to shoot down Egyptian drones spying on a nuclear facility and a ballistic missile site, The Sunday Times reported. Israeli sources claim that the flights contravene a peace treaty, signed in 1979 between the two sides. âWeâll raise the urgent issue of their spy flights for sure,â said one Israeli source. âHowever, we know that they may stop them only when we intercept the intruders, and that will not take long.â Egyptâs unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) have been seen in recent weeks over Israelâs nuclear research facilities at Nahal Sorek and the test site for Israelâs advanced ballistic missiles in Palmahim, south of Tel Aviv. Epypt has 48 R4E-50 Skyeye mini-UAVs and 50 Teledyne Ryan model 324 Scarab according to Google search.
The Egyptian flights, in turn, are causing concern in Israel. âWeâre worried about them,â said an Israeli military source. Iâd guess that Israel will give Egypt a one-time warning to stop and then will shoot on sight.
Posted by: Steve ||
12/22/2003 10:12:26 AM ||
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Why bother warning them? It's their soveriegn airspace--they have every right to take them out and stop the drones from relaying any more intel back.
I'm frankly disappointed that the Israelis, of all people, would tolerate this in the least, unless it's a one-time thing that caught them unaware--but "have been seen in recent weeks" doesn't sound like one isolated event.
Posted by: Dar ||
12/22/2003 10:42 Comments ||
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#2
"Israeli military sources"? Debka-like statement for sure...I don't think they would hesitate to shoot the first UAV that crosses the border
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/22/2003 10:50 Comments ||
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#4
Problem is, they're damned hard to hit. I'd recommend the Israelis grab a couple of small prop aircraft, equip them with a spread weapon, and shoot 'em down. Jets and combat missiles won't do it, and most choppers can't get that high.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
12/23/2003 0:23 Comments ||
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Israel "will dig its own grave" if it attacks Iranian nuclear sites, the head of the Iranian air force General Seyed Reza Pardis told a news agency close to members of the Islamic republicâs regime. I guess the phrase "Mother of All Battles" was taken.
"The threats of the Zionist regime hold no value for us," Pardis was quoted as saying by Mehr news agency in reaction to statements issued recently by Israeli Defence Minister Saul Mofaz. "The (Zionist) regime knows that the armed forces of the Islamic republic, in particular our air force, have such high capabilities...that it would be digging its own grave in the region if it launches military attacks against Iran," Pardis made clear. In other Iranian news, the Iranian air force legal affairs office reports that their offices will be open 24/7 in order fill the sudden backlog of requests for wills.
Posted by: Steve ||
12/22/2003 10:04:03 AM ||
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#1
Speaking of "digging"... Jogged by shots of that MiG buried in Iraq, I wonder aloud just how many airplanes Iranian air force has still capable of flight. Did they give Saddam's air force back after GW I or not?
#3
just how many airplanes Iranian air force has still capable of flight. Did they give Saddam's air force back after GW I or not?
No, they kept everything that fled to Iraq. The older stuff ended up in storage, but they integrated the more modern aircraft (SU-24s and MiG 29s) into their forces. They also bought more of the two aircraft types from Russia. The 24's, I believe, also have in-flight refueling capability.
On paper, the Iranians have a small but capable force. Whether they can stand up to the Israelis is another question.
#5
The best way to enhanse the performance of a Middle Eastern Air Force vis-a-vis the Israelis is to shackle the pilot in the cockpit and disable the eject.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
12/22/2003 15:08 Comments ||
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This is all hot air IMHO. For the IAF to attack Iran they would hve to over fly either Turkey, Jordan?Iraq or Suadi. I could possibly see the Turks granting permission to fly such a mission but I doubt it would happen. Thre is no way we would allow the IAF to transit Iraqi airspace. It would cost us to damn much. And the Saudis. Allowing something like this would probably be the last straw that results in the fundofascists taking over. The IAF has done quite well against arab air forces, nost recently Syria. but that was close to home and inside their own AWACS coverage.
#9
Cheddarhead is correct. It is astounding how many people believe Israel has the capability to take out Iran's nuclear program. They don't unless they use nuclear missles. Ain't gonna happen. The US will take out Iran's nuclear program should it become necessary. And the US cannot do it with air power. Most Iranian facilities are built deep into mountains that are impervious to any non-nuclear air strikes.
#10
Israel warplanes can't reach Iran? - Oh,I dunno - anybody remember Entebbe 1976? That surely couldn't have been done. Nor Ocirak 1981.
I'd say that when they get their guns up, Israel can damn near do what it wants - even if it might pay a terrible political price later.
'Anybody really think that if Isreal puts up its "first team" of airstrike experts with escorts, anybody is going to prevent them from reaching their targets? Does the US want to engage in that level of hostility by taking on - literally - a strike formation of the Israeli Air Force - in Israel's own back yard?
When Saddam starting raining scuds down on Isreal in Gulf War I - and Israel did nothing - they were banking some horrendously expensive chips to spend some day, some way. I'd say they are close to cashing in those chips - and Iran had best get on with a serious defanging program posthaste.
On the lighter side - Baghdad Bob might now have some opportunity to find a place for himself in Tehran - they seem to be playing his sort of tune.....
#11
Israel can probably destroy the reactor at Busheir but that won't stop Iran's nuclear program. That will stop the production of a large nuclear arsenal but won't stop the creation of a few Hiroshima size bombs.
Iran has their own uranium mines. They have refining centrifuges in laboratories that are built deep into mountains that are impervious to all non-nuclear strikes. They were built to resist any conventional air attack and nothing Israel or the US have in their conventional arsenal can do the job. That is one of the reasons the Bush administration is talking about the need to develop low-yield nuclear tipped bunker busters. To stop Iran from building nukes will require a large commando force on the ground in 5 or 6 locations in central Iran. The Iranians are far more capable fighters than the Arabs.
The situation is far more complex than most realize.
#12
Hate to be a contrarian, but the Israelis are just crazy enough to fly AROUND the soddi peninsula, refueling their jets all the way, if that's what they think they need to do. So technically, they don't have violate anyone's airspace to get to Iran.
But the idea of the iranians (who fought the iraqis to a standstill, afterall) standing up to the JOOOOS! is crazy. Unless he's talking about using nukes, conventionally they don't have a chance.
#13
They had F-14s (or F-15s) at one point, IIRC -- any of them still in flyable condition?
They had F-14s. At best, maybe a third of the original 80 are still flying. One report I saw mentioned a few F-14s were converted to unarmed recon aircraft. Another report mentioned them being used as mini-AWACS platforms.
MJ is right: if there was any sort of a strike, it'd have to be more than an air sortie or two.
There are other options, but it'd be one heck of a coordinated operation
If you were Israel and you did, indeed, have sophisticated nuke weapons capability, what sort of nuke weaponry would you have developed? Wouldn't you both focus on the low-yield theater weapons and, not to put too fine a point on it, have developed plans long long ago for countering the threats you face?
Haven't the Israelis known about the Black Hats as long or longer than anyone else? Does anyone seriously think that Israel sits on its hands and lets such threats go unplanned for? C'mon, guys.
Some of us may be new to the threat posed by Iran and just coming around to looking at how to address it, but do any of you really think this is true of Israel?
No matter which side (they can / they can't) you may be on, I do not believe much escapes the notice of Israel and I do not believe they will entrust their survival to anyone else, including the US. If anything, they practice the creed that it's easier to get forgiveness than permission - and they will plan for and, if needed, do what is necessary for survival. Period.
Israel practices formation flying at 20 feet - over the Negev desert, day and night. They just might decide to fly over Saudi Arabia at very low altitude, hoping they're not discovered.
They have nuclear capability, and probably a stand-off missile or three in their inventory. They're NOT going to let their people become anyone's puppets.
Teheran may still have a nuclear capability after the first Israeli strike - they just won't have anyone alive that can continue to implement it.
Israel ONLY plays to win.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
12/23/2003 0:07 Comments ||
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Iâm posting this not because its news. This stuff is nauseatingly predictable. But to have rant on the subject. We donât show arabs respect because they by and large donât merit respect. The act like spoiled kids who whine when they donât get their own way. They are not serious people. No wonder the arabs and the left have a lovefest going. Both are devoid of moral and intellectual substance and are only capable of this kind of juvenile posturing.
You know what was really shocking about what the new Iraqi Foreign Minister said last week at UN, was that here was an arab and a politician and he was saying serious things. I think he is wasting his breath at the UN, but thats my personal view. I was extremely glad he said them.
Almost two-thirds of Jordanâs legislators have been dropped on their heads condemned the manner of Saddam Husseinâs arrest by US forces, describing it as "mean and humiliating."
"Big meanies! Thhhppp!"
Sixty-four members of the 110-seat parliament signed a two-page statement obtained Sunday which also denounced the airing of footage and photographs of the former Iraqi president following his December 13 arrest near his hometown of Tikrit. "Publishing humiliating footage of a former Arab president, regardless of whether we agree with or oppose him, represents a humiliation to the like-minded states and the people of the region," the legislators said in their statement, which was issued late Saturday. The lawmakers also said the US should withdraw its forces from the Middle East and urged Jordanâs government to demand the US to transfer control of Iraq to its own people. Jordan is one of Americaâs closest Middle East allies yet held strong ties with Saddamâs Baâathist regime until its toppling by US-led forces.
Lest we forget...
Jordonâs leading opposition party is the Islamic Action Front, which holds 18 of parliamentâs 110 seats and regards US policy in the Middle East as biased toward Israel and bent on controlling Arab oil wealth. Thats starting to sound like a hell of a good idea! Part of the problem is that arabs think that having all that oil is proof that god meant them to sit around on their fat **ses and not to actually do anything, including educating themselves and thinking.
Posted by: phil_b ||
12/22/2003 3:00:22 AM ||
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Can you imagine the shame. It's enough to make a guy burn his robes and throw away his sandals.
#2
I think about 60-70% of jordanians are actually palestinians; if they are represented proportionnally, that "two-thirds of the legislators" bit is not surprizing.
Violence in Algeria blamed on armed Islamic groups has sharply declined this year as a result of the increasing efficiency of security forces and divisions among the fighters. Fewer than 900 people have been killed in violence led by or directed against the extremists, according to the sources, including 420 described as radical Islamic extremists. That compares with a total number of 1,400 deaths last year and 1,900 in 2001.
In 2001 it looked like the turbans were killing everybody in sight.
The decline has been particularly marked in the second half of this year, with fewer than 250 people killed since July, including 130 Islamists.
It's nice to see that about half the corpses are bad guys. It makes it feel like something's being accomplished...
More importantly for the government, there have been no major attacks reported in the capital and other major cities for more than a year. According to official figures, civil conflict in Algeria has cost more than 100,000 lives since 1992 when the army stepped in to prevent certain victory in legislative elections for the now-banned Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), which had vowed to set up an Islamic state. One security expert here said the decline could be attributed to the "permanent weakening" of the armed groups and their significant loss of manpower caused by army operations against their desert hideouts and security sweeps in the cities.
I wonder how much of it can be attributed to the fact that operating in Europe is so much more comfortable than operating our around Fort Zinderneuf?
At the same time, security forces have broken up the networks that supported the gunmen, while the radical groups themselves have fragmented. In addition, the government says that clemency plans in recent years, including a blanket amnesty to the armed wing of the Islamic Salvation Front in 1999, have taken thousands of fighters out of action. According to the chief of staff for the first army region, General Maiza, the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), which used to be the largest and best organized of the armed formations, has been split into at least three factions by internal rivalries. The GSPCâs main leader, Hassan Hattab, is confined to the predominantly Berber Kabylie region about 100 kilometers east of Algiers, while a new leader, Nabil Sahraoui alias Abu Ibrahim Mustafa, has emerged in the Tebessa region in the extreme east of the country. An ex-lieutenant of Hattab, known as Abderrezak the Para, who captured 32 European tourists early this year and released the last of them in the Mali desert in August, was last reported to be on the border between Algeria and Morocco and attempting to make his way north, according to Malian sources. A security source said that a large military force was in place to block Abderrezakâs group, which was reported to be the only armed radical unit operating in the Sahara.
Making their way north wo where? Rotterdam?
Elsewhere, the Armed Islamic Group (GIA), which is reputed to be the blood-thirstiest of the radical Islamic gangs in Algeria, is on its last legs and has only about 30 members, mostly in the Mitidja farming district near Algiers. An Algerian newspaper said last month that Rachid Abu Tourab, the leader of the Armed Islamic Group (GIA), was surrounded by troops and faced imminent capture. His predecessor, Antar Zouabri, was killed in February last year in a clash with the Algerian army.
However, dissident GIA elements, including one calling itself Defenders of Salafist Preaching, were reported to be active in western Algeria, where they have carried out a campaign of murdering defenseless people in isolated villages.
How many groups can thirty guys break up into? I'd guess the upper limit would be 30...
The GIA and GSPC are said to be the only two Islamic extremist groups still active in Algeria.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
12/22/2003 12:44:00 AM ||
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I'd guess the upper limit would be 30...
You forgot about the ones with multiple personality disorders. One guy could splinter into several factions and cells. With all the different groups that claim responsibility when ever things go boom, that seems to be a real possibility.
Posted by: Steve ||
12/22/2003 11:31 Comments ||
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#2
Do you count a guy with no legs as a full faction or merely a fraction of a faction? :-)
Posted by: Super Hose ||
12/22/2003 11:54 Comments ||
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The trial of a policeman accused of gunning down a French journalist in Ivory Coast will begin on January 20, nearly a month later than initially scheduled, the countryâs state military prosecutor said on Sunday. Jean Helene, a correspondent for Paris-based Radio France Internationale, was shot dead on October 21 outside a police station in the war-torn nationâs main city Abidjan. Sergeant Theodore Sery has since been held for killing Helene and his trial was expected to start on Monday. But prosecutor Ange Kessi said the trial had been postponed because the initial date was too close to the Christmas holiday period. "We want to give all the parties a chance to be there. All those who wish to attend must be allowed to do so," Kessi told state television. "Given that this trial is so eagerly awaited, it must be organised in an undisputedly transparent manner."
Heleneâs killing highlighted anti-French sentiment which has been inflamed since a rebellion last year triggered a civil war in what was once Franceâs most stable ex-colony. Sery had said his gun had gone off accidentally but Kessi said Helene was deliberately murdered with a shot to the head. Seryâs lawyer has since said his client had grappled with Helene after ordering him to leave and during the fight he heard two shots, but was not responsible for the killing.
War in the West African country was officially declared over in July, but rebels still hold the northern half of the worldâs top cocoa producer. Foreign media and French radio and television channels in particular have been accused of pro-rebel bias. France, which has sent 4,000 troops to police a ceasefire accord, has demanded "exemplary justice" in the murder case.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
12/22/2003 12:31:27 AM ||
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France ... has demanded "exemplary justice" in the murder case.
Let's make sure the accused has a trial like that of Slobo -- 10 months and the prosecution still hasn't rested. Or like the Rwandan thugs awaiting trial for about 10 years now. Good old fashioned international tribunal justice. Then mebbe the French will get the message. Or not.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/22/2003 12:58 Comments ||
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Capt. Mike Mukula is not convinced that setting deadlines for the end of the Joseph Kony-led rebel insurgency is a wise move. "This is not like a picnic, these people have been fighting for long, they know the terrain, its not a football match [so] you cannot give deadlines," he said. Mukula is minister of State for Health and overall coordinator of the Teso militia called the Arrow Group. The militia has been fighting the Lordâs Resistance Army rebels alongside the army since June. Mukula made the passionate appeal while speaking at the cabinetâs press briefing at Nakasero yesterday.
Mukulaâs view on Kony deadlines contrasts sharply with that of President Museveni. Museveni has vowed to kill off Kony almost every dry season. "Deadlines that is the view of the Commander in Chief but my humble view is that we should not give deadlines. The overall assessment is that this war will end but we can not give a time period," he said. The president has in the past lost a Shs 1 million bet to a journalist Tamale Mirundi. Museveni had promised to kill Kony within seven months between February 1996 and March 1997. Former army Commander Maj. Gen. James Kazini also promised to end the insurgency in 2002 but failed.
Mukula told journalists yesterday that the overall security situation in Teso has improved. He said that between 80-90 percent of the displaced people have returned to their homes. He said both the army and the Arrow boys have scored major successes against the rebels. The Minister of State for Children and Youth Affairs Mr Felix Okot Ogong who hails from Lango was defiant. "I recently finished my military training for one month, it was tough training. I want Kony to meet me in the battle field because I donât want to die like a coward," he said.
An entire month? Wow! I can see why Felix feels so dangerous...
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
12/22/2003 12:29:46 AM ||
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The sad thing is, because I didn't recognize the names I had to go to the story to find out what country this was regarding. Turns out it was Uganda, but it could've been anywhere.
Africa is like a tragic, never-ending game of Mad Libs.
The government and rebels have moved a step closer to ending Sudanâs 20-year civil war after agreeing on how to divide the countryâs oil revenue - a key stumbling block in the peace talks, the chief mediator said Sunday. Lazaro Sumbeiywo told The Associated Press the two sides had agreed in principle on how to share the oil revenue and were working to reach a full agreement on wealth sharing. ``Itâs a major breakthrough. It was one of the contentious issues holding back the talks,ââ Sumbeiywo said.
That's been the sticker all along. You might even say, it's all about oil...
Yasir Arman, spokesman for the rebel Sudan Peopleâs Liberation Army, or SPLA, said a joint committee was working to finalize a comprehensive wealth sharing agreement ``anytime now.ââ
But can you trust someone named "Yasir"? I dun' thin' so...
``We have resolved some difficult points on wealth sharing,ââ Arman said. ``We have made a real breakthrough.ââ Neither Arman nor Sumbeiywo would provide further details, and Sudanese government officials declined to comment.
"I can say no more!"
The struggle for resources has been one of the main issues in Africaâs longest-running conflict, which broke out in 1983 when southern rebels from the mainly animist and Christian south took up arms against the predominantly Arab and Muslim north. The rebels say they are fighting for greater equality for the south and for southerners to have the right to choose whether to remain part of Sudan. Sudan began producing oil in 1999 from fields mainly located along an imaginary line that divides southern and northern Sudan, and is producing some 250,000 barrels a day. When production began, the rebels and international human rights groups accused the Sudanese government of forcing tens of thousands of southern villagers to flee the oil region. The latest session of negotiations began in the Kenyan town of Naivasha on Nov. 20 and had been expected to adjourn Friday for the Christmas holidays. But the talks continued after the parties failed to reach any agreement on the outstanding issues, which also include the SPLAâs representation in a transitional government, National Assembly and civil service, and the administration of three disputed areas in central Sudan. Sudanese Vice President Ali Osman Mohammed Taha and SPLA leader John Garang have been leading the negotiations since September and achieved a major breakthrough that month by agreeing that the SPLA should retain its forces in the south during the six-year transition period.
My guess is that they'll retain them for a lot longer than that...
In October, Secretary of State Colin Powell met Garang and Taha in Naivasha and called on the sides to reach a comprehensive agreement by the end of the year. Powell called the parties on Friday to encourage them to move forward, the State Department said. Shortly after the negotiations began in July 2002, the parties agreed to a six-year transition period after which southerners will vote in a referendum on whether the south should secede.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
12/22/2003 12:26:46 AM ||
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Forget slavery, genocide, Jihad, independence; I guess it really is all about the oil
Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
12/22/2003 0:55 Comments ||
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This is al-Guardian, ergo all obvious causes of conflict must be ignored in favor of the Black Peril.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
12/22/2003 0:58 Comments ||
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EFL Well, November was a bad month for Hamas. They lost about 30 of their guys and the total Israeli civilian death toll from terrorism was zero. Actually, compared to that, the Baathist-Islamic alliance had a great month in November.
The Iraqis fighting the U.S.-led forces of occupation are an inspiration to the Palestinians... Khaled Maashal said that the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March and the early stages of the occupation that began April constituted a "point of weakness and a threat to the (Islamic) nation... now we can deal with it as a point of strength, and a point of weakness I wonder if his audience could make any sense out of this -
for the American-Zionist plan in the region," he said.... Mashal is head of the Hamas political bureau and is based in Damascus, the capital of neighboring Syria... The article didnât say who his audience was. Possibly the AP guy was the only media person in the room.
Posted by: mhw ||
12/22/2003 12:20:55 AM ||
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BEIRUT, Lebanon - The Iraqis fighting the U.S.-led forces of occupation are an inspiration to the Palestinians...
#2
I hope they follow in they Iraqi "insurgents" footsteps, right into the path of a bullet from the army of Steve.
Posted by: Charles ||
12/22/2003 11:47 Comments ||
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#3
If it was up to this member of the Army of Steveâ¢, Rantissi would have been turned into cranberry jam a long while back. "Oh, so sorry, guess we entered the wrong coordinates on that JDAM. It was supposed to explode in Tikrit. Our bad."
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/22/2003 13:29 Comments ||
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Iranâs Interior Ministry began screening some 8,200 prospective candidates Sunday for February legislative elections, state-run Tehran radio reported.
You have to get a note from your mullah to run for office. Despite the presence in the halls once graced by Daniel Webster of Patty Murray, I still don't think it's a good thing.
The list of candidates approved by the ministry must be ratified by the hard-line Guardian Council, however, and, in the past, the council has disqualified those seen as opposing the absolute rule of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Reformers, who have long sought social and political change in Iran, fear the council may disqualify many of their candidates. The political landscape has been dominated by hard-line clerics since the 1979 Islamic revolution deposed the U.S.-backed shah. Reformist leaders also have threatened a boycott of the election, which could result in conservatives regaining control of the 290-member parliament. In the February 2000 elections the conservatives lost control, winning less than a third of the seats.
I imagine the fix is in for the next round...
The upcoming polls will be a crucial test for Iranâs frustrated reform movement, which has faced constant opposition from various state-run authorities and been deflated by the perceived failure of reformist-backed President Mohammad Khatami to fulfill election promises to liberalize the country. About 8,200 prospective candidates registered throughout Iran during the past week, with 1,742 signing up for the 30 seats allocated for the capital, Tehran, the radio reported. The reformist-dominated Interior Ministry will screen the candidates to make sure they hold Iranian nationality and, at a minimum, a university degree or the religious equivalent for clerics. Candidates must also be between 30 and 75 years old, and not belong to an armed opposition group or be a former member of the government of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The Interior Ministry allows hopefuls of various political inclinations to stand for election, including those critical of Khamenei and who support curbing his powers.
But not those who support curbing theirs...
But the conservative Guardian Council demands that all prospective candidates recognize the religious establishmentâs strict interpretation of the powers held by Khamenei, who hard-liners believe is above the law and answerable only to God.
It's called divine right monarchy, only without the expensive wardrobe...
The hard-line controlled judiciary has repeatedly punished students and activists for criticizing Khamenei. After reformists scored massive gains at the last elections, hard-liners responded with a campaign against liberals, closing down about 100 reformist publications and jailing dozens of journalists and political activists. Deputy Interior Minister Morteza Moballegh vowed last week to defend the rights of prospective candidates, saying his ministry wonât allow the Guardian Council to arbitrarily disqualify candidates without solid evidence. The council has in the past refused to provide evidence or give reasons for disqualifying candidates.
Yeah, well, keep an eye on the airports for the ZANU-PF poll watchers flying in from ZimBobWe...
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
12/22/2003 12:20:37 AM ||
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But the conservative Guardian Council demands that all prospective candidates recognize the religious establishmentâs strict interpretation of the powers held by Khamenei, who hard-liners believe is above the law and answerable only to God.
The hard-line controlled judiciary has repeatedly punished students and activists for criticizing Khamenei. After reformists scored massive gains at the last elections, hard-liners responded with a campaign against liberals, closing down about 100 reformist publications and jailing dozens of journalists and political activists.
This only confirms the suspicion that any election in Iran is going to be a sham. So why bother having any?
#3
I seem to recall a comment by one of the more disreputable politicians in the late 19th century(in tammany hall? help me here)--to the effect
"...you can vote for whoever you want, as long as I get to nominate the candidates."
Posted by: N Guard ||
12/22/2003 11:53 Comments ||
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#4
The vomit-brained degenerate morons at the BBC insist on it, doncha know?
Posted by: Ernest Brown ||
12/22/2003 12:50 Comments ||
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Russian forces used warplanes and artillery to pound rebel outposts in breakaway Chechnya as attacks and mine explosions killed four soldiers and wounded 12, an official said Sunday. Federal outposts were attacked 14 times, killing one soldier and wounding seven, while a Saturday attack on a jeep in the Chechen capital Grozny wounded four soldiers, an official in the Kremlin-appointed administration said. One soldier was killed and one wounded in a clash in the Vedeno region, while two soldiers died in a mine explosion in Shali region, the official said. Meanwhile, troops continue the hunt for a band of rebels who broke into the neighboring Dagestan region and killed nine border guards. The head of the security serviceâs border department in the region, Anatoly Zabrodin, told ITAR-Tass news agency that special forces, aircraft and artillery had homed in on a group of rebels hiding out in a gorge. Another group of as many as 12 rebels was also located in Dagestan, but forces hesitated from moving in because of the avalanche risk in the area.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
12/22/2003 12:17:32 AM ||
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Somewhat EFL
Evidence discovered in a probe of Iranâs secret nuclear program points overwhelmingly to Pakistan as the source of crucial technology that put Iran on a fast track toward becoming a nuclear weapons power, according to U.S. and European officials. The serious nature of the discoveries prompted a decision by Pakistan two weeks ago to detain three of its top nuclear scientists for several days of questioning, with U.S. intelligence experts allowed to assist. The scientists have not been charged with any crime, and Pakistan continues to insist that it never wittingly provided nuclear assistance to Iran or anyone else.
They're claiming to be witless?
Documents provided by Iran to U.N. nuclear inspectors since early November have exposed the outlines of a vast, secret procurement network that successfully acquired thousands of sensitive parts and tools from numerous countries over a 17-year period. While Iran has not directly identified Pakistan as a supplier, Pakistani individuals and companies are strongly implicated as sources of key blueprints, technical guidance and equipment for a pilot uranium-enrichment plant that was first exposed by Iranian dissidents 18 months ago. The way I see things, is that the decision to trade nuclear weapons with North Korea, and the possibility of doing the same with Saudi Arabia, likely came from the very top of Pakistanâs government, since those 2 countries are allies of them. However, the offer of Nuclear tech to the Taliban and Iran was more likely done by âroguesâ acting from an ideological or financial motive. Pakistan and Iran are not very friendly countries, and the rise of Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran paralleled the rise of anti-shia sectarianism in Pakistan. Although the fact that there seem to be so many âroguesâ in the nuclear program is not very reassuring, especially since the father of Pakistanâs nuclear program, Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, has been spotted at Lashkar-e-Taiba conventions.
While American presidents since Ronald Reagan worried that Iran might seek nuclear weapons, U.S. and allied intelligence agencies were unable to halt Iranâs most significant nuclear acquisitions, or even to spot a major nuclear facility under construction until it was essentially completed. Although the alleged transfers occurred years ago, suggestions of Pakistani aid to Iranâs nuclear program have further complicated the relationship between the United States and Pakistan.
The Talibs were the genesis of our "close" relations with Pakland. Those relations with evaporate when Perv goes, unless they manage to clone him.
In documents and interviews with investigators of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iranian officials have offered detailed accounts of how they obtained sensitive equipment from European, Asian and North American companies. Much of the equipment was routed through a transshipment hub in the Persian Gulf port city of Dubai to conceal the actual destination. China and Russia also made significant contributions to the Iranian program in the past, IAEA documents show. By far the most valuable assistance to Iran came from still-unnamed individuals who provided top-secret designs and key components for uranium-processing machines known as gas centrifuges.
My guess would be that the names will feature a lot of Khans and Chaudry's and a few Kims and Paks...
The blueprints, which the IAEA has reviewed, depict a type of centrifuge that is nearly identical to a machine used by Pakistan in the early years of its nuclear program, according to U.S. officials and weapons experts familiar with the designs.
Hellofa coincidence, isn't it?
The plans and components, which were acquired over several installments from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, allowed Iran to leapfrog over several major technological hurdles to make its own enriched uranium, a necessary ingredient in commercial nuclear fuel and nuclear weapons. Iran, which insists it has never made highly enriched uranium, admitted receiving substantial foreign help, including numerous secondhand centrifuge components that were imported from an unnamed country.
Burma? Uruguay? Albania, maybe?
Officially, Iranâs leaders maintain that they bought the components on the black market, and they still donât know where the parts came from.
"I dunno. Somebody left 'em here."
But to the inspectors and independent experts on centrifuge design, the machines offer abundant clues. The draft report by Albrightâs group, based on experts familiar with the Iranian machine, describes it as a modified version of a centrifuge built decades ago by Urenco, a consortium of the British, Dutch and German governments. The machine is about six feet high and is made of aluminum and a special type of high-strength steel. The design is one of several known to have been stolen in the 1970s by a Pakistani nuclear scientist, Abdul Qadeer Khan, who later became known as the father of the Pakistani bomb.
"Stolen in the 1970s". That's a good description of Islamic research. Almost a thumbnail description, in fact...
Pakistan modified the Urenco design and manufactured a number of the machines before abandoning the centrifuge for a sturdier model. The blueprints obtained by Iran show "distinctive" modifications similar to the ones made by Pakistan. Traces of highly enriched uranium on centrifuge components in Iran indicated they had been used before. Most of the contaminants are of a type of highly enriched uranium believed to be "consistent with material produced in Pakistan," Albright said. The evidence collectively supports a view widely held among nuclear experts and nonproliferation officials that Iran obtained castoff parts and designs from a centrifuge that was no longer needed by Pakistan, said Gary Samore, a former adviser on nonproliferation on the Clinton administrationâs National Security Council. "The particular machine that Iran is using is not the mainstay of the Pakistani program," said Samore, now the director of studies at the Institute for International Strategic Studies in London. "Pakistan had these used aluminum-rotor machines that it no longer needed. The most plausible explanation for what happened is that Pakistan sold its surplus centrifuges, which have now turned up in Iran."
Sure sounds plausible to me...
Much of Iranâs basic nuclear infrastructure — from research reactors to lasers used to manipulate uranium atoms — was supplied by U.S. companies before Islamic revolutionaries deposed the shah in 1979. U.S. officials later discovered that the shah, a staunch U.S. ally, was conducting his own secret nuclear weapons research before he was overthrown. I guess itâs a good thing the revolution wasnât delayed a couple years.
Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
12/22/2003 12:01:03 AM ||
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#1
Those Pakis certainly don't seem to be doing themselves any favors....
#2
I think the flowchart would look something like this: China --> Pakistan --> Iran --> ?
Posted by: Rafael ||
12/22/2003 2:13 Comments ||
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#3
Call me suspicious, but I think FRANCE is somewhere in this nuclear woodpile of the Iranians, too.
After all, they helped Saddam get Osirak...
France is hiding something still and it's big and bad.
#4
Pakistan seems to be looking for a fall guy: ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistan acknowledged Monday that some scientists participating in its nuclear program may have been involved in the proliferation of sensitive technology, the government's top spokesman said Monday. Pakistan's government has strongly denied allegations it spread nuclear technology to countries such as Iran and North Korea but said it was investigating whether individual scientists acted without authorization.
"Some individuals may have been doing something on their own. We are investigating that," Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed told The Associated Press. At least two scientists from Khan Research Laboratories, the country's top nuclear laboratory, have been held for questioning this month, including Mohammad Farooq, its former director general. Officials have declined to give details about the "in-house" investigations and what allegations the scientists faced. One of the scientists has been allowed to return home, but Farooq, an aide to the founder of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program, Abdul Qadeer Khan, is still in custody.
"Dr. Farooq is still undergoing a dependability and debriefing session," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Masood Khan.
Dr. Farooq must have drawn the short straw.
Posted by: Steve ||
12/22/2003 11:46 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.
