Al Qaeda has siphoned millions of dollars from Islamic charities that help poor Muslims in Africa and Asia, and U.S. and Saudi government efforts to cut the flow have largely failed, Western diplomats and former charity workers say. Al-Haramain, based in Saudi Arabia, provides the clearest example of a charity that has stayed open despite repeated attempts to shut it down overseas, including fresh moves this past week by the Riyadh government. U.S. officials have privately conceded that only a small percentage of the total was diverted and that few of those who worked for Al-Haramain knew money was being funneled to Usama bin Ladenâs terrorist organization. Still, the officials say money from Al-Haramain and other charities was â and continues to be â a major source of funds for Al Qaeda.
-------Long article, snipped -----
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
06/07/2004 9:28:29 AM ||
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Al Qaeda has siphoned millions of dollars from Islamic charities that help poor Muslims in Africa and Asia, and U.S. and Saudi government efforts to cut the flow have largely failed, Western diplomats and former charity workers say.
You make it sound like the money wasn't for jihadis in the first place.
Working with sympathizers inside the charities, al Qaeda has for years used humanitarian funds for terror attacks in Kenya, Tanzania and Indonesia, U.S. and other Western officials told The Associated Press. The officials, most of whom spoke on condition of anonymity, cited intelligence garnered from informants, interrogations of suspects, documents seized from charities and communication intercepts.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
06/07/2004 8:59:17 AM ||
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Al-Qaeda siphoned millions from Saudi charities
Ah, the subtle intracacies of translating Farsi into English. In this particular instance, the word "siphoned" is being used in the same context as "pulling up to a full service gas station."
The sprawling slum area of south Riyadh where an Irish cameraman was killed and a British BBC reporter wounded is notorious as a hotbed of Islamist extremism and scene of numerous armed clashes. Some half a million people are estimated to live in the poor Al-Suwaidi district where Simon Cumbers, 36, and BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner came under fire early Sunday evening. Security forces set up roadblocks in the area and patrols scoured for the killers who escaped.
Gardner, a Middle East and Al-Qaeda specialist, took his cameraman to film the family home of Ibrahim al-Rayyes, a terror suspect himself killed in a shootout with security forces in the same area last December. Al-Suwaidi has a reputation for deep conservatism even in the traditional Islamic kingdom. It attracts low income villagers from the surrounding countryside - the very people most attracted by the Al-Qaeda call for a better life by ridding the kingdom of corruption and decadence and returning to a pure Muslim faith. Al-Suwaidi is the natural place to go looking for Al-Qaeda sympathisers in the Saudi capital, although the BBC team was accompanied by a minder from the Saudi information ministry which tries to control journalists in the kingdom. Arab News said Monday that the minder, who escaped unhurt, had not sought permission from the interior ministry to "visit a district notorious for frequent gunbattles."
A Saudi press minder, acting on his own? Did hell freeze over and nobody tell me? Didn't think so.
The daily said police thought the ministry employee helped the journalists "at his own initiative."
Either the BBC crew paid him to take them into a hot zone looking for a story, or he lead them into a ambush.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
06/07/2004 9:05:22 AM ||
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Saudi forces hunted Monday for gunmen who shot dead an Irish cameraman working for the BBC and seriously wounded a reporter in a Riyadh area known as a stronghold for Islamist militants. Security sources said the gunmen fled after the shooting.
Of course they did
British Ambassador Sherard Cowper-Coles said the BBC journalists were with a Saudi information ministry guide at the time. He told the BBC there was a "serious and chronic terrorist threat" in Saudi Arabia and warned the shooting could drive more Westerners to leave the Gulf state.
That's the plan
A doctor at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital said Gardner had also been hit in the pelvis and leg. "Gardnerâs condition is stabilizing after a critical night," he told Reuters. The BBCâs head of news Richard Sambrook said the crew were in the Suweidi district, filming the house of an al Qaeda militant who police killed last year, when the gunmen attacked.
Maybe his "family" was still home.
Security sources said the gunmen separated the Saudi escort from the journalists before shooting them. Authorities are questioning him for more details.
"Thanks for bringing the infidel press to us. You can go now
." British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw condemned the shooting and said his country "would continue to do all we can to support the Saudi authorities in their fight against terrorism." "There is a serious and chronic terrorist threat, and people -- particularly Westerners, particularly Britons and Americans -- need to exercise extreme vigilance and consider their personal safety," Cowper-Coles said. Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal has warned the militants were now going after soft targets, and many Westerners said they were afraid for their lives. "Itâs frightening. We are seeing them (militants) carrying out more attacks. I donât see it ending," one Westerner said. Riyadhâs Suweidi district is a stronghold of Saudi-born Osama bin Ladenâs al Qaeda followers and 15 of the 26 most wanted militants in the kingdom, including the leader of the group in Saudi Arabia, Abdulaziz al-Muqrin, come from there.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
06/07/2004 8:55:21 AM ||
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being a good person and all, I'm trying to muster some sympathy for the BBC reporters. While I feel bad for the individuals ...and all that...it's just that, for so long, the BBC has aided and comforted our enemies. The pen is a mighty sword, and the BBC has proven themselves to be formidable combatants for the "other side".
...so I'm digging deep to remind myself that the death of these reporters is not a good thing.
#2
Auntie's been hit with the bat she's long admiringly watched being used on others. Perhaps now's the time she's going to ask herself whether she's going to play 'beaten spouse' in her love affair with Mohammed. Sadly, statistics and precedent suggest that she won't end the relationship for quite some time. The BBC is this thug's bitch. She loves him, and that's all that counts.
#3
Security sources said the gunmen fled after the shooting.
Prince Naive: "It was uncertain whether the 'militants' would successfully flee, until our security forces surrounded them, and they then were able to escape"
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/07/2004 10:10 Comments ||
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Very well put,Bulldog. It's a horrible thing for the victims and families. What's sad is that this sort of thuggery can be reasonably -- if only sarcastically -- refer to "red on red" or "friendly fire." This is entirely a reflection of the appalling cluelessness and moral imbecility of the BBC. One of the most depressing things I recall reading a while back was how the BBC Arabic service spewed a stew of nonsense not much better than that coming from Arab "media," but with the implied credibility of a western source (Denis Boyles line, perhaps). There's hoping the crocodile eats you last, and then there's trying to pretend that the crocodile has redeeming qualities, or must be understood, or is only eating people because they've provoked him.
#5
Bulldog...well said. 'cept she loving him on your dime. Maybe he wouldn't be quite as handsome if the bills weren't paid and there was no money for baby's (and mommy's) new shoes.
Too bad BBC and NPR aren't like the South Koreans - demanding to be cut loose from mommy's trust funds. Joy to the day that we stop funding their dream lives in the Ivory Tower and they are forced to wake up in the real world.
Posted by: B ||
06/07/2004 11:01 Comments ||
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#6
BBC appeasers are finding out what happens when the women don't wear the burquas, and the men don't have long beards. God is great, kill the infidels, god is truly great!
(Lower case - that god is not the same one as I know)
#8
On the news over here it says that they were filming outside the house of a known AQ affiliate/sympathiser, OK, Darwin must be spinning furiously down there, but is it so naive to ask why the Saudis aren't dealing with these people, at least with regard to the domestic threat they pose? Hnnnnnnnnngh...
Posted by: Howard UK ||
06/07/2004 14:05 Comments ||
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#9
Why isn't this being reported as a friendly fire incident?
Posted by: Dar ||
06/07/2004 14:22 Comments ||
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#10
Maybe they should bring in outside help for these terrorist searches, you know, some top men like Hans Blix . . .
Posted by: The Doctor ||
06/07/2004 17:28 Comments ||
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U.K. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw condemned a terrorist attack in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, that killed a cameraman and wounded a journalist with a British Broadcasting Corp. news team. The U.K. ``will continue to do all we can to support the Saudi authorities in their fight against terrorism,ââ Straw said in a statement on the Foreign Office Web site. ``I utterly condemn the attack on BBC journalists in Riyadh.ââ
Simon Cumbers, 36, an Irish freelance journalist working as a cameraman for the BBC and other news organizations, was killed in the shooting yesterday in the southern Riyadh district of al- Suwaydi, the BBC reported. Frank Gardner, 42, the broadcasterâs security correspondent, is being treated in hospital in Riyadh. The two men went to Saudi Arabia last week after terrorists last month killed 22 people, mostly overseas workers, in the oil port of Khobar. Saudi Arabia has blamed the al-Qaeda terrorist network for increased attacks in the kingdom since 43 people died suicide bombings in Riyadh in May and November last year.
Sherard Cowper-Coles, the British ambassador to Saudi Arabia visited Gardner in the hospital, the Foreign Office statement said. The BBC described Gardner as a leading investigator of the al-Qaeda network. He suffered a number of gunshot wounds, the BBC said, citing Richard Sambrook, its director of news. ``I have nothing buy admiration for journalists like Mr. Gardner, who know their lives are at risk as they go about their work,ââ Straw said, according to the statement.
The gunmen escaped after the shooting, Reuters said, citing unidentified Saudi security officials. The Riyadh district has been the center of raids against suspected al-Qaeda terrorists. Saudi Arabia is facing an ``active terrorist campaign,ââ Cowper-Coles said after the Khobar attack, adding that further terrorist incidents are to be expected.
Posted by: Zenster ||
06/07/2004 12:48:30 AM ||
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Alert to all Brit troops in Basra: - upon sight of Al-Jizz film crews, fix bayonets and get thrusting.
Posted by: Howard Uk ||
06/07/2004 8:59 Comments ||
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Ah, there's nothing like waking up to a little red-on-red fighting.
Ladies and gentlemen I think we are witnessing the last days until the END OF THE WORLD! What else would it explain two miracles in a row...A Saudi admitting the truth and the New York Crimes publishing it!!
"Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the Saudi ambassador to Washington, published an extraordinary article Tuesday in Al Watan, a newspaper run by the descendants of King Faisal, in which he called the domestic Saudi effort against terrorism feeble. The prince noted the long history of violent opposition to mainstream Islam arising on the Arabian peninsula from the time of the Prophet Muhammad through the 1920âs, when a band of religious zealots mutinied against King Abdel Aziz, Bandarâs grandfather and the founder of the kingdom, for being insufficiently devout. "It has nothing to do with America or Israel or the Christians or Jews," Prince Bandar wrote. "So let us stop these meaningless justifications for what those criminals are doing and let us stop blaming others while the problem comes from within us."
Elsewhere in the article he noted that the kingdomâs religious scholars "have to declare jihad against those deviants and to fully support it, as those who keep silent about the truth are mute devils.""
Posted by: Anonymous4617 ||
06/07/2004 12:36:36 AM ||
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bandar--a resident of aspen, colorado--then jumped into his suv and took a trip down valley to the glenwood springs walmart to buy six rifles-some ammo--and 40 blue eyed christian janissary recruits from happy hour at hooters to defend his palace..er....ranch
Posted by: SON OF TOLUI ||
06/07/2004 0:51 Comments ||
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well of course nyt will publish it - money always outwieghs moral convictions for these asshats
Posted by: Dan ||
06/07/2004 12:09 Comments ||
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Four out of every five Korean teenagers are willing to help out their country, should their country be struck with a crisis, according to a new survey. Seems about the right number. I think that if the same question were asked of US teens, the results would be similar.
The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs polled 4,000 teenagers on Memorial Day and found that almost 79 percent are willing to take part in services to rescue their country out a crisis. The survey also showed 69 percent of the respondents believed there is a possibility of war on the peninsula, and nearly 77 percent answered they are proud to be Korean. When asked which country they feel most familiar with, North Korea topped the list with 26 percent followed by the U.S., Japan, and China. Time to let them stand on their own two feet.
Posted by: RWV ||
06/07/2004 11:14:57 AM ||
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Willingness to serve and the training necessary to serve are two different things. And, when push comes to shove a lot of willingness can disappear quickly.
Posted by: Jim K ||
06/07/2004 11:43 Comments ||
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serve in what capacity?
south korea is a prosperous country - we do not need to defend them anymore....let their young men and women spill their blood in case of war...we can provide arial support for any hostilities that spill outside the country.
Posted by: Dan ||
06/07/2004 11:57 Comments ||
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the majority of Seoul's population, willing or not, will serve as artillery casualties should war break out
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/07/2004 12:31 Comments ||
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Jim K, South Korea, like Switzerland, requires every able-bodied man to serve at least 26 months in the 650,000-strong military before turning 30. Afterwards, they continue in the reserves. The reserve forces include mobilization reserve forces for each of the armed services and the Homeland Reserve Force, a paramilitary organization responsible for community and regional defense. The period of service is limited to between six and eight years, depending on the individual's age at conscription. In 1990 there were 1,240,000 men in the reserves: 1,100,000 in the army; 60,000 in the marines; 55,000 in the air force; and 25,000 in the navy.
The United States officially informed the Korean government that the U.S. will pull 12,500 soldiers out of Korea by late December 2005, including the 3,600 soldiers scheduled to be sent to Iraq, according to Kim Sook, head of the foreign ministryâs North American affairs bureau.....To reduce its troops in Korea at the earliest, the U.S. delivered its wishes to complete the general outline of a reduction agreement before the U.S. presidential election in November. Meanwhile, Korea delivered its position that it needs time to prepare countermeasures such as supplementing military forces to reduce anxieties concerning security. In particular, the Korean government proposed to stipulate preliminary consultations in the case of a transfer from or reduction in USFK. The U.S. government, however, expressed disapproval. Youâre big boys now defend yourselves. Weâll keep the Chinese out and you deal with your cousins to the North. This is what you said you wanted, so now have the good grace to accept it.
Posted by: RWV ||
06/07/2004 10:55:59 AM ||
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Excellent. I'd like to see the ball kept rolling, and more U.S. military personnel removed above and beyond the current number in a future redeployment.
#3
I'll be the Norks claim this as a great victory for their atomic arsenal.
Posted by: Jim K ||
06/07/2004 11:44 Comments ||
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#4
they should have this figured out by now - it's been a awhile since this issue was forced into skor politics..what just using it a political ploy to get elected? got what you wanted..now deal with it...
Posted by: Dan ||
06/07/2004 11:51 Comments ||
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LET THIS STAND AS A RECORD SO THAT WHEN THE SOUTH KOREANS ARE SCREAMING FOR HELP FROM THE US, AND WHEN THE IGNORANT LEFT BLAME AMERICA FOR NOT GOING IN âBECAUSE THEREâS NO OIL IN SOUTH KOREAâ THAT THE US LEFT BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT WANTED.Let the ungrateful anti-Americans learn the hard way that really the North Koreans WERE and ARE their greatest threat. Donât help them this time!
But outside the perimeter fence [of the US Army base]in the streets of Seoul, attitudes have changed.
The Americans are no longer welcome here, and the US Army has finally agreed to move its headquarters to a new site south of the city.
Jeffrey Jones of the American Chamber of Commerce has been in South Korea for 25 years. He said Koreans no longer feel they have to bow down to the United States.like they ever did! no, that is a function of Asian heirarchical honour-culture. You know: the one that gives rise to Asian despots like the Dear Leader to the North? Politics has its roots in culture and populations DO get the leaders they deserve. Donât help them next time. Toyotas are better than Hyundais any day. Oh yeah, cut off foreign aid, too. Let them work out their own problems, itâs the only way theyâll ever work it out.
There are rumours that the number of troops will be reduced newsflash: yep, US is pulling 12,000 troops out: nearly half!
"Korea has basically complied with US requests and interests throughout its history since the Korean War and I think really for the first time weâre seeing not only a private assertion of that independence but an open and public assertion of that independence, " he said. whata loada crap. Imperial America exacts tribute? BS!
Outside the baseâs gate, restaurateurs and shop owners worry about lost business when the move is complete in three years time. I feel sorry for them, and the old generation who know the score. Still, they brought up the brats of today, so donât help them again!
But it is hard to find a passer-by who wants the Americans to stay. Young Koreans in particular are deeply suspicious of the US military presence. they want to learn from the school of hard knocks: so let them!
"I know weâve received a lot of help from the Americans in the past, but weâve become too dependent on them and we let them do whatever they want," said one man. ingrate. itâs only because of the US that you are not eating bark off trees and worshipping your comrade dictator
"I think the United States is the biggest threat to our security. It exaggerates the threat from North Korea and creates unnecessary tension," another said. OK, US pull your troops out now. This is the money quote. Please relocate this base to Darwin, Australia. I personally request it. I would welcome you here as a buffer for Indonesia to our north. We need you in South East Asia. Please, come to Australia.
According to the US, this is part of a world-wide redeployment which will not affect its commitment to defend South Korea. why commit yourself to defend people who donât do diddly for you in return? leave them and shake the dust from your feet as you leave
Certainly many Americans were stunned by a wave of anti-US protests after two girls were accidentally crushed by an armoured vehicle 18 months ago. Leave now. No apologies. Just show them the money quote and the anti-US protest shots as explanation.
"Certainly I would guess that most Americans felt a sense of betrayal. We have sacrificed, bled and died for this country, how can they betray us by these kinds of demonstrations, anti-US feelings?" said Jeffrey Jones. donât think too hard, just come to Australia instead.
" We still continue to protect this country." cease and desist! they donât deserve your protection.
The two governments insists they are still working well together. But analysts see and underlying tension and lack of trust as coming at a critical moment, as the region confronts the growing nuclear threat from North Korea.
Posted by: Anon1 ||
06/07/2004 5:15:23 AM ||
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#1
Comments so true!
Bunch of ungrateful teenagers whining about how mean mommie is. Time for them to grow up, pay their own bills and get a clue. Mommie's tired of getting crap for working hard to pay your bills and would rather use her money to buy herself a facial.
#3
Pull out of Korea and put the patriot missiles in Japan.
I can live without Huyndai, but my wife likes her Honda and my flat tv will come from sony rather than samsung.
If korea wants to grow up, let it play , and eventualy take it like a man!
#4
Actually there is not a lot new in the comments. Korean students have been spouting this sort of stuff for at least 30 years. All things considered (no pun intended), you can hear nonsense like this on most any US campus. The quality of life in SKorea significantly improved over the last 20 years to the point that there is little difference between South Korea and the US for the generation now in school. With no real hardship to concentrate their minds, they are following for the same rhetoric and adopting the same poses as US college students...
Nations don't have friends, only interests. Only the Aussies and the South Koreans fought with us in VietNam. South Korea has been a reliable ally since the 50's. For the most part, that happened because it was in Korea's interest to do that. It still is, regardless of what the press would have you and them believe.
#5
Note that most of these kids are teenagers who may have not served their mandatory military service and are still brainwashed by their leftish teachers/professors. The ones who realize that they do need us as an ally are, perhaps, the silent majority.
And note that this is from that font of unbiased journalism... the BBC.
But we should pull out most of our troops from S. Korea, not because a few dont want us but because they can stand on their own two feet.
#6
The NKors have been very successful in playing on the native xenophobia of the South Koreans in their propaganda. (which is understandible, considering their history with China & Japan)
Posted by: Ernest Brown ||
06/07/2004 9:44 Comments ||
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My brother recently returned from SKor. Truth is, they probably could defend themselves from a NKor invasion. Of course, at LEAST 1 to 2 million people in Seoul would die right off the bat. Just depends on your point of view, if that kind of casualties is acceptable to you then, sure, they can stand on their own feet. Problem is this: NKor wouldn't attack while we are there in force - they know they can't beat us. But, NKor may very well attack if we aren't there because they think they can beat the SKor. So the SKor's need to ask themselves, is several million of your people worth saying to the world, 'yes my penis is not so small?' Fuck them. They don't want us there, and frankly our people HATE being there. Bring 'em home.
#8
The NKors would try (probably successfully) to blackmail the South the moment the US has left the scene. 'Support us or we'll invade'. The South would pay through the nose to avert war, and in doing so, reinforce and strengthen Kimmie's stranglehold them and increase the likelihood of war. And all because of a perverted sense of pride, an ignorance of history, and a refusal to acknowledge reality.
We should make clear that a war of South Korea's own making would not result in a re-run of the first Korean war, and that they would fight and/or die on their own. They should be big enough to do so by now.
#9
growing up's a bitch and reality sucks. If they want to, let em' learn it the hard way. Either way, they are big enough to leave the nest.
Posted by: B ||
06/07/2004 10:39 Comments ||
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US Army :
My neighbor's Hyundai steering wheel is cracked. Could you pick up one before you leave for him. I think spare parts will be difficult to get after Napoleon of the East makes his move South. . .
#12
I was going to post this site before, but I couldn't remember which blog it was
incestiousamplification has a roundup of Korean headlines from the end of May.
2ID Editorial roundup
Hani: Yankee go the fuck home...but not until we tell you to.
Donga: Yankee don't destroy our credit rating...and come back soon.
Chosun: Damn you Yankee for exposing the incompetent pile of worthless crap we call a government.
Korea Times: You mean the Yankee is still pissed about candle-light vigils and foot-dragging on the Iraq troop dispatch?
Joongang: Yankee, we truly deserve this...we only ask that you use some lube.
Korea Herald: Yes, we realize our blatant double standard, Yankee! When it comes to negotiations over nukes, we'll refer to North Korea as a poor victim just looking for a peaceful solution in order to support our America-bashing agenda...and when it comes to the reality of US troops leaving, we'll refer to North Korean "belligerence" and "nuclear threats" in order to support our America-bashing agenda. Hey, we're Korean. We divide all double standards by two and it all works out.
Hani: Damn Fucking Yankee! Didn't you realize we just liked the ring of Yankee Go Home in our victimized ears? We never bothered to consider the consequences of it actually happening. Let's all meet at the room salon to get stinking drunk and molest 15-year olds for some civilized discussion about the future of Korean security issues.
Donga: Hey Yankee, what the fuck do we do now? Any suggestions? Yankee?
Joongang: "Yankee Go Home" sounded so much better in theory.
OhmyCuntHurts: Fellow Koreans, quit worrying about the Yankee. OhmyMath taught me that 37,000 minus 3,600 equals 50,000.
#13
It is not just students in Korea that hate the US. It is the President and most of the URI party. It is now the majority of Koreans. I belive that within 10 years there will be Unification under Craay Kimeeeee without a shot being fired. The SKors will negotiate and vote themselves out of existence/
Posted by: Michael ||
06/07/2004 13:12 Comments ||
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#14
Fact is if North Korea collapsed today South Korea would be in far worse a situation than West Germany was trying to rebuild Eastern Europe. North Korea is a mess. Its in South Koreas best interests to buy off North Korea for awhile, increase trade if possible, do anything that might build up that state befoe Kimmie dies and leaves them holding the bag.
#15
A real strategy is for the South to abandon its border and let all them Norkies come right on in without a fight - one day in the South will destroy all their concepts of Kimmie's reality. How long are you going to keep them down on the [state] farm after they see Seoul?
Posted by: Don ||
06/07/2004 17:17 Comments ||
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#16
It's as if we are saying, "The Norks are YOUR retarded cousins, YOU deal with them!"
I used to part-time as an English-language copy editor at KBS, when they did a simulcast of the 9 PM news in English, and the Korean editors and broadcasters I worked with felt pretty much the same as Don--- that most of the invading Norks would not be able to hold their discipline together opon encountering the first big grocery store or electronics bazaar.
#17
Sgt Mom I think any NK invasion would bog down at the first noodle stall. I also think the SKor gov has watched the German reinification and subsequent malaise and the last thing on this earth they want is their hungry cousins showing up to be fed and outfitted. That will be the end of the SK economic miracle. Forever, given the pace of development in the rest of Asia.
US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld warned Saturday that protracted diplomatic negotiations were giving North Korea time to develop their nuclear weapons; raising the risk they would fall into terrorist hands. "It seems to me they have demonstrated a willingness to export anything," Rumsfeld told an international gathering here of security experts and government officials. "And to the extent they have the capability they have indicated they have, reasonable people in the world would have to assume they would be willing to sell or use most of those capabilities."
Rumsfeld said Washington and other parties to the talks with North Korea were working hard to get Pyongyang to dismantle its nuclear weapons program, with a third-round of negotiations expected to be held in Beijing this month. "Needless to say time works to the advantage of North Korea," he said. "Assuming their behaviour is to continue their programs, the longer it takes the more dangerous presumably their capabilities would become." In a question and answer session at the Asia Security Conference, Rumsfeld was asked about concerns that North Korea was capable of smuggling a radiological bomb or even a nuclear weapon into the United States. He said the US was "imperfectly" arranged to prevent such threats and that countries needed to work more closely on such problems. "I would submit the likelihood of terrorist networks or terrorist states getting their hands on these increasingly powerful weapons and using them is growing every year," he said. "Which is why the counter-proliferation initiative is so important, countries simply must cooperate together because there is simply no way a single country can effectively deal with the problem of proliferation." Rumsfeld said about 50 countries had expressed support for the Proliferation Security Initiative, a US-sponsored effort to increase global maritime security to prevent smuggling of weapons of mass destruction.
Rumsfeld admitted that the United States had done a poor job in attacking the sources of terrorism, and stemming the flow of young Muslim extremists trained to "work the seams, the shadows and the caves." "I am certain we have not been successful," he said, adding, "The world has a problem." On Iraq, he said the United States was engaged in a test of wills and that if it failed, the alternative was civil war, or ethnic cleansing, a break-up of the country, or the emergence of another Saddam Hussein "junior version." Rumsfeld was questioned about the withdrawal of US ground troops from South Korea for duty in Iraq, and whether the reduction in force levels should have been used as leverage to gain similar reductions in North Korean forces. "I think that youâll find the North Koreans will not believe thereâs been a weakening of the deterrent," Rumsfeld responded.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
06/07/2004 12:00:00 AM ||
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Donald Rumsfeld speaks very clearly when he says, "The world has a problem." The question is whether or not the "world" is going to do anything about it before we decide that we have to.
#2
well yes the world has a problem - but the chicoms, skors, japanese really have a problem..in the long run the chicoms have a bigger problem when japan re-arms with nukes due to the provacations from nkor...the chicoms using the nkors as leverage with the US will come back to bite them in the ass!
Posted by: Dan ||
06/07/2004 11:53 Comments ||
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Four men park their mini-van outside the Sydney headquarters of the Australian Federal Police and alight, three with their faces covered in an apparent attempt to obscure their identity - in one case, using a black-and-white keffiyeh, of the type worn by Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. Would-be terrorists bent on doing harm, or ordinary citizens stuck for a parking spot and due to pick up a friend?
According to a police fact sheet tendered at a subsequent court hearing for one of the men, Bankstown father of two Bilal Tayba, now facing charges of intimidating police and "stalking" federal agents, the group may have been preparing for a terrorist act. "Nonsense," says Taybaâs lawyer, Chris Murphy, who says Taybaâs arrest at his home last Friday about midnight "borders on ratbaggery". The men had been there under his instruction, he said, to act as escorts to Bilal Khazal, the former Qantas baggage handler charged with collecting or making documents likely to facilitate terrorist acts. Khazalâs release on bail last Wednesday prompted the NSW Government to toughen bail laws.
According to the fact sheet, Tayba was one of four men seen by AFP staff "circling" the AFP headquarters on foot, apparently "surveying the building". The men "were carrying a small video camera and were filming the building from the medium (sic) strip opposite the the front entrance", the sheet continues. Realising they had been "detected" by the AFP, they had tried to "hide their identities" with hoods and scarves. "Investigations by the AFP and other law enforcement organisations have revealed that organised terrorist groups will conduct surveillance operations on proposed targets prior to the implementation of any actions." The sheet says Taybaâs activities, and those of "the males in question" (described as "as yet unidentified and at large within the community"), were "suspected to be acts in preparation for (an) impending terrorist act" and "intimidated" members of the AFP and NSW police.
Mr Murphy, who also acts for Khazal, said the sheet contained "false allegations" designed to manufacture fear. He said he instructed his co-counsel, Adam Houda, to arrange a group to help Khazal avoid media harassment after his release from Silverwater jail on June 3. "I said go either in a van or a vehicle with darkened windows to stop him being filmed," Mr Murphy said. "Thatâs always an important issue, particularly in matters that have a jury trial down the track. "(Tayba) did it as a favour, went to pick (Khazal) up, dropped him at the court . . . they all went back to Campsie police station in the same van. "Stalking the police? They didnât even know the police station was there. (Tayba) was looking for a parking spot. This is crazed nonsense. "This is four men who got out of a vehicle as they were being followed by television cameras. Theyâre supposed to have used the occasion in broad daylight to be staking out the police headquarters? They had no video camera whatsoever." The case goes to court on June 24.
#1
The AFP ought to keep a tail on Ratbag Murphy, too. If he is counsel to these guys, the money trail should be interesting. People doing videos of a police station, especially guys with middle eastern names, are suspicious, pc be damned.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
06/07/2004 18:33 Comments ||
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A millionaire Australian businessman who was the target of an al-Qaida assassination plot has turned his home into a fortress with levels of security usually reserved for heads of state. Joe Gutnick, one of Australiaâs richest men and a former president of Melbourne Football Club, has employed a small army of former police and special forces soldiers to protect him. During the trial of Jack Roche â a Muslim convert sentenced this week by a Perth court for terrorist offences â it emerged that Mr Gutnick was on an al-Qaida hit list because of his involvement with Zionist causes.
He said yesterday he lived under constant protection after being told by Australian Federal Police he was a target. Police kept him informed of the level of security threat. "At times of serious security scares I have many bodyguards and many security guards watching the house," he said. Mr Gutnick, 51, would not comment on claims his security men and bodyguards were armed. "Iâd rather not discuss the issue," he said. "Some are former federal police and some former police. There have been a few from the SAS. They are quite capable of dealing with a Roche-type individual."
Speaking on the telephone from Canada, Mr Gutnick, an Orthodox rabbi, said he was very frightened when he learned he had been singled out as a target by a man named Abu Hafs, identified during Rocheâs trial as the al-Qaida second-in-command. Police told him of a plan to bomb his house, synagogue or company offices in St Kilda, Melbourne. "What worried me more was in the court case when my name was brought up by the al-Qaida leaders," Mr Gutnick said. "They singled me out. That worried me more than Roche. Being a target of senior al- Qaida people is enough to scare anybody." Mr Gutnick, who made his money in gold and diamond mining, is married with 11 children. He said he left Melbourne Football Club in 2001 to become less high-profile, but continued his support for Jewish causes. "That (giving up Jewish support) would mean terrorists had won the battle," he said. "I am a great supporter of Israel. I have given millions."
Two senior al-Qaida operatives named as Abu Hafs and Saif asked Roche at a meeting in the Afghan city of Kandahar to collect information on Mr Gutnick and spy on the Israeli embassy in Canberra, which al-Qaida planned to blow up. Roche said in a videotaped interview with AFP officers: "I think the idea as far as the Israeli Government interests were concerned was to detonate the bomb, or in the case of being an individual like Joe Gutnick, to assassinate him." Abu Hafs also suggested kidnapping Mr Gutnik and holding him for ransom. Roche wrote Mr Gutnickâs name in a notebook later read to Perth District Court.
Mr Gutnick said the sentence handed down to Roche â under which he could walk free in three years â was too lenient and not an adequate deterrent. "I think itâs just outrageous," he said. "Iâve been told by quite senior people that if something like that happened in the United States the guy wouldnât get less than 20 years, especially now that weâre in a world-wide war against terrorism. "After what happened to Australia in Bali, and what could potentially happen to Australia because of our involvement in Iraq, itâs quite bizarre that if someone is caught and pleads guilty to wanting to kill tens of innocent people and blow up an embassy that there should be such a soft punishment."
#1
The trouble with a rich guy knowing that you want to assassinate him is just that--he's a rich guy.
I wonder how many contenders he could buy if he started to systematically put out contracts on a whole *bunch* of Australian bad boys. I seriously doubt you could *find* a radical Mullah in the entire country in the space of a few weeks. Those brave priests leave skid marks when *their* butts are on the line.
Heck, just imagine how many dead Mullahs you could buy in the US for just $1M?
#2
So the rich guy has his private security force, while the average Australian has to worry about his life due to their government's support of the Bush/Cheney war for oil
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/07/2004 22:46 Comments ||
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#3
NMM, as usual, you lead with your ass, going backwards.
Its not the US or Aus government that's threatening this guy or the Aus prublic: its Al Qaeda terrorists wiht encouragement fomr idiots liek you who make excuses for them and their muderous behavior.
You shoudl be shot as a traitor, giving aid and comfort to the enemy.
But a more fair punishment would be to drop you off at one of their Mosques with a "Khefir" sign around your neck, letting them know you were a non-believer.
They'd seperate you from your head fairly quickly - only a minute or two to saw it off like Nick Berg's. It woudl be a fitting punishement for you for enabling their behavior by slowing our attempts to stop them and you making excuses for the inexcusable.
Side with evil, NMM, and you will eventually get the rewards Evil gives - a grisly death.
Thatâs what the news should have said
EFL French D-Day Activities Attract âDiverseâ Crowd
I just returned to good old Germany after an exciting weekend with our blog-brother Erik in Paris. Bush was in town so Erik and I decided to infiltrate the mandatory leftist protest march. ..... We saw it all, Cuban flags, Soviet flags, Palestinian flags, Saddam-era Iraqi flags, banners saying that the US deserved 9-11 and calling Bush a terrorist and more.
This was Paris, France on the 60th anniversary weekend of D-Day...
Posted by: mhw ||
06/07/2004 11:55:15 AM ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
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#1
The pictures! You shoulda told them about the pictures! The police hauled Erik away for disturbing the protest.
#4
Fellow Rantburgians-
How widespread do you think this mentality is? If you had to put a percentage on French, German and Russian popular disapproval of US policy, what would it be?
Just wondering what an alternative to isolation might be, since that's where all this anti-Americanism is pushing my non-logical self. Isolationism is out of favor today, but how can we stay engaged with these goofball foriegn societies when they sh*t on the gifts and sacrifices we make and take our money in the next breath. What would isolationism lead to, do you think?
On the issue of popular disapproval of the U.S. in Europe, I'd defer to JFM and True German Ally (Rantburg's top agents in weasel-occupied Europe).
What happens if we go isolationist again? Well, the Islamofascists aren't going to observe the ceasefire--they've said it out loud so many times that I've lost count. I take them at their word. If we leave them alone, we get another 9/11 sometime in our future--only worse. Therefore, it is in our own best interests to stay engaged, even if no one else approves.
Posted by: Mike ||
06/07/2004 13:22 Comments ||
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#6
My wife is from Belgium. Her family are Christian Democrats (the closest you can become to a mainstream Euro equivalent of Republicans). They wrote to thank me for what we did to save Europe in WWI and WWII and that they love America (I know they do since 6 of the 17 grandchildren were born here and 3 of my in-laws were educated here and one still works for a US company). One mentioned that if it hadn't been for America, they would be speaking German instead of Flemish.
However, they said their problem was with Bush not the American people. I had to reply that America is Bush and Bush is America. You can't convienently separate the two (like some kind of John Kerry saddle). And if it wasn't for Bush, you'd be speaking Arabic inside a mosque in Antwerp by now.
It is prevalent and contagious since the Euro socialist politicians use Anti-Americanism, shadowy Anti-Semetism and radical social programs (cradle to grave) to keep the focus off their own corruption, ineptitude and policy dementia. Sort of the way the sheiks and emirs in the Middle East use the Israelis as the boogie man and not their own lack of freedom, liberty and democracy.
It is funny that Reagan freed the Eastern Europeans from Totalitarianism but left the Western ones looking more and more like the old Soviet Union!
Posted by: Jack is Back! ||
06/07/2004 13:23 Comments ||
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#7
It is funny that Reagan freed the Eastern Europeans from Totalitarianism but left the Western ones looking more and more like the old Soviet Union!
That confirms what my experience way back in 1993 was. I taught English in Latvia and found that the most anti-American colleagues were not from Russia, Latvia, etc., but France, Finland, and Spain...
#8
My experience with Europeans through the years has been with their militaries (primarily air forces) and, occasionally with their Ministries of Defence and defence industries. These people are not anti-American and, for the most part, seem to view the anti-American elites and the politicians who pander to them about the same way the American military looks at the PC crowd here. The professionals understand the way the world is and are very grateful that there is an America and that she is willing to protect them.
#9
One correction. Although many in Western Europe may look Soviet in outlook, they don't have the spine to back it up. All they can really do is irritate and destroy themselves.
#10
I had to reply that America is Bush and Bush is America.
Then, seriously, why do you need the elections?
The attitude that the leader is the nation and the nation is personified in the leader, tends to be attitude of countries like Saddam-era Iraq and current-day North Korea. Not democracies
#12
The attitude that the leader is the nation and the nation is personified in the leader...
Who chooses the leader, Aris? And who does the leader lead, if not the nation which elected him? I'd have thought you'd appreciate the association between an elected leader and his electorate as well as anybody.
#13
Aris, that's really a silly question. A leader represents his country. Whether that be a Kimmie-NK, or a Bush-US, the image of the leader is one of the things that personifies the country in others (no doubt this is why some countries don't like us now, yet flocked to us under Clinton). It doesn't matter what what system of government controls the country - and legitimacy is an entirely different debate.
Posted by: The Doctor ||
06/07/2004 17:20 Comments ||
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#14
The people choose the leader to lead and thus serve the country. You may feel that a leader does a rotten job in leading and thus serving a country. Thus you may feel that a leader does a disservice to his country. Bush doesn't do the job that Gore would do. And yet America would still be America regardless of whether Bush or Gore led it.
America, as a state, might not *do* the same things, but do you really think that a few hundreds votes difference would change the *nature* of 300 million people?
#15
Aargh. I'm really not making myself clear and this time the fault is probably mine.
My point was that the leader doesn't represent a country the same way that a flag does. He is elected to serve it. A member of a family may have been chosen to "represent" a family in an occasion, but to say you have a problem with that member doesn't mean you have a problem the whole of the family.
#16
Bush doesn't do the job that Gore would do, and after seeing Gore go nutso a few weeks back, I'm glad we don't have to see what kind of a job he would have done. America would still be America, but I've always been raised with the belief that one man can make a difference. Maybe not as much as Captain Kirk or Doctor Who or James Bond or other entertainment heroes, but a difference nevertheless - and we have Reagan to thank for showing us that the belief has some validity.
You're right in that a flag does do a good job of representing a country, (for example, I know that whenever I see the blue-white-red pattern of the French from now on, it will probably be getting smaller and smaller as its holders run . . .) but a leader personifies it. The leader is the country in the moment in the same way that the flag is the country in the long run, I suppose. Some leaders may be less faithful, some more, but they are all representative.
Posted by: The Doctor ||
06/07/2004 17:47 Comments ||
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#17
You seem to be reluctant to support the legitimacy of democratic elections, Aris, so let's try public opinion. For the majority of his premiership, Bush's approval ratings have exceeded 50 %. How are you going to argue with that?
#18
Bulldog> You seem to be confused. What does legitimacy of elections have to do with anything I said? The way I see it elections didn't have anything to do with choosing someone to "be" the country, they had to do with choosing someone to *govern* it.
That the elections were legitimate, meant that Bush had the right to be the president and so govern it according to the constitution, not to "be" the country. Its laws and its constitution and the people residing in it "are" the country, not any one president.
As for the approval ratings, someone can hopefully still believe the majority of public opinion in a nation to have been wrong without hating that nation. If for example you thought that Clinton was a crook, same as I did, that wouldn't mean that you hated America when its public held a different opinion -- when Clinton's ratings likewise soared.
#19
Aris, you seem to be the one confused here. Determined to persuade yourself, like other America-bashers, that somehow deep down Americans are deceiving themselves in generally supporting Bush. Essentially Bush 'is' the US, whilst President, in that his word is final. With Republicans running the US government, if Bush wants to invade Iraq, America probably will invade Iraq; did invade Iraq; and the public approved. Bush dictates American policy and, for the most part, American public opinion has agreed with him. For me, that's reason enough to dismiss the weaseling "I don't hate America, just Dubya..." statements as fairly disingenuous. I really don't have much more interest in debating what the meaning of "be" is...
#20
"Determined to persuade yourself, like other America-bashers, that somehow deep down Americans are deceiving themselves in generally supporting Bush"
Everyone who didn't vote for Bush thinks that the other side made a mistake to support him. Everyone who thinks that it was a mistake to vote for him, thinks that things would be better had someone else been president.
I don't understand this "self-deception" thing you are talking about. I'm talking about choosing the wrong person. I'm talking about people believing that the American public made a mistake.
To hate America you have to hate its *system* or its people, not it's one-time decisions. This utter and complete identification between country and elected leader is something I've never noticed anywhere in Europe, except in the case of Kings and Queens that in fact *don't* really govern, don't really rule anymore --- meaning the exact opposite of what you are talking about and the significance of the president's weight in governance.
I'd argue that the more powerful the official the more important it is to hold him as a sacred figure which it is treasonous to attack. Let the Queen of UK consider herself to be England itself, let the Queen of Denmark call herself "Denmark" if she will, and that's okay because they no longer have any power other than symbolism --- but it'd give me the major creeps if e.g. Karamanlis said "I am Greece and Greece is I".
#23
"Erik Svane se fait expulser d'une manif anti-bush en chantant un hymne US" (Erik Svane get expelled from an anti-bush demonstration while singing an ameican anthem) Videos :
http://perso.club-internet.fr/aleric/video/eriksvane.AVI
(avi format, seems to require some unknown and mysterious codec to be read properly, perhaps you'll have more luck)
Erik's blog :
http://www.eriksvane.com (bilingual, french/english)
#24
This utter and complete identification between country and elected leader...
Maybe you take things a little too literally, Aris? The "Bush is America" response to foreigners' attacks on Bush is an attempt to get across the message that most Americans have yet to be convinced that voting in Bush was a mistake. In fact they're likely to think that it is the poor misguided folks attacking Bush who are mistaken ones, or more accurately, misled, ones, spoon-fed a diet of anti-Bush propaganda by hostile governemnts and media. On the whole, I'd agree with that view. Bush is attacked because he personifies an America that many, especially foreign elites, viscerally despise, and would prefer to think of, and portray to others, as somehow being an aberrantion temporarily obscuring a more 'presentable', imagined America that they would prefer existed instead. What the Yanks themselves are trying to say is that Bush in fact does represent the United States, and that they voted for and support him because, like healthy democracies the world over, they got a leader they voted for, and who has for the most part delivered goods they're satisfied with.
If most other countries feel their leaders don't represent them to the same degree as America does its President, that's ... regrettable.
#25
"Everyone who didn't vote for Bush thinks that the other side made a mistake to support him." Aris not entirely true. A great many people who didn't vote for Bush still support him. All you Euros hear is the LOUD version of those that didn't vote for him and don't support him. John Kerry has little to offer and with the execption of the Liberal stongholds he will loose most of the states. President Clinton NEVER busted the 50% popular vote but he was still our President. The more the left attacks Bush the stronger his numbers get. That is because they sound less like a 'loyal opposition' and more like a World Communists Party Congress. FYI we don't elect communists to office here and never will.
#27
rkb> count me among those who didn't vote for Bush but support him since 9/11.
And if you didn't support Bush *before* 9/11, does that mean you didn't support America itself before 9/11?
I don't see it that way -- but you people seem to me to be claiming that this is exactly what it means.
Bulldog> If most other countries feel their leaders don't represent them to the same degree as America does its President, that's ... regrettable.
I *think* that the majority of the populations in most European countries feel that we're hiring our leaders to do a certain job, and we kick them out when we think they are incompetent or unwilling to do it. The leaders are obliged to be loyal to their nations, not the nations to their leaders.
I may be wrong, but that's the general feeling I've gotten from my own country and the few other European nations I've visited. Atleast in Greece nobody would think that to attack the prime minister would be an attack on the whole of Greece --- though I grant you that if a foreigner did it, the whole nationalistic hysteria thing would probably kick in so that it would be quite likely indeed seen as such.
#28
How widespread do you think this mentality is? If you had to put a percentage on French, German and Russian popular disapproval of US policy, what would it be?
Don't know about French,German or Russian popular disapproval, but in Poland it is at least 50% and probably much higher (based unscientifically on my perusal of Polish forums on the web).
Posted by: Rafael ||
06/07/2004 20:44 Comments ||
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#29
I hate it when Aris has a point.
That America is Bush and Bush is America did come off a little creepy and der fuhrer-esque, in my opinion. But I understand what you mean (I think): I hate it when people say, "Oh, we don't hate Americans, only their government". That's all very well to be said of China or Saddam's Iraq. But in a democracy the government is supposed to be the will of the people expressed through their elected representatives (boneheads though they often are). To first order, the government is the people.
That said, Aris, you're arguing just for the sake of arguing now. Also, as you might know, in many democracies the head of state and head of government are two different people, e.g. as in Britain where the Queen is the head of state and Blair is head of government. The US is a little unusual (thought not unique) in having those two positions combined in one person.
Some countries have an elected Head of State who has almost no power. I've never understood the point of that.
#30
"Some countries have an elected Head of State who has almost no power. I've never understood the point of that."
That's a bit similar to what happens in Greece -- the prime minister is the powerful figure, the president is the Head of State which is also a mere figurehead.
I believe that in Greece this position was created in 1974 because it was the most convenient way to move from the constitutional monarchy of earlier constitutions into a republic -- the largely ceremonial responsibilities of the monarch tranferred to an elected official whose responsibilities would be again largely ceremonial, while the prime minister kept his role largely unchanged.
#31
Inexplicably, when I saw a thread with "antiAmerican" in the title and saw 30 responses, I knew Aris was involved.
Aris -- please, take some time away if it will help you get over your problems.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
06/07/2004 21:12 Comments ||
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#32
Our system is way different Aris. On national issues the Presidents speaks and acts for the whole country. Power over the goverment (taxes and laws) is shared by the two houses of congress and the President. Since Bush is a Republican and both houses of congres are controlled by Republicans he has a lot of political power. However the way things are set up a group of Democrats can stop or delay the republicans from passing a law or sitting a Judge on the Federal bench. It's called majority rules, minority protected.
#33
Aris is right! I didn't vote for Bush as did the MAJORITY of my fellow Americans--the election was stolen by the GOP loaded Supremely incompetenct court--hand picked by the GOP in a maneuver that would embarass a banana republic! This illegitimate government has wasted the Clinton surplus and made the US a pariah state! Loving America means getting rid of these incompetent idiots ex:Condi Rice had "No idea the terrorists would use planes as weapons" Remember the hijacking in Marseilles when they wanted to crash planes into the Eiffel Tower in 1995? But it's all new to her incompetent ass
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/07/2004 23:00 Comments ||
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#34
NMM - a majority of counties were won by Bush, a majority of states was won by Bush, every single recount was won by Bush, and the ELectoral College was won by Bush.
So stop lying to yourself and others.
The only thing embarassing here is your inability to accept reality, and act with honor istead of whining liek a petulatn child that the Fla court and corrup Democrat officials couldn't steal the election for Gore.
#35
So is Tory Thatcherite Bulldog now waving the union Jack behind Tony Blair?!
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/07/2004 23:05 Comments ||
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#36
And to "Jack is Back!" America IS NOT BUSH--the majority did not vote for his dimwitted ass and his fascist agenda. Although with a Belgian wife I bet you can understand "rolling over" to the Nazis
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/07/2004 23:08 Comments ||
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#37
OldSpook a/k/a old fart--the facts are that Gore won the popular vote and Jeb and Cruella DaVille stole the election--alonf with the hand picked Supremely incompetent court
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/07/2004 23:10 Comments ||
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#38
NMM - you are an enemy.
An enemy of western society, and enemy of morals and values that enable western civilzation. An enemy of my country with your aiding, abetting, and comforting the enemies of my Nation and Constitution.
Why do you hate the US so much?
Why have you made yourself a traitor, a seditionist?
Why do you NEVER have anything positive to say - you always tear people down, lie, obfuscate, mist-state facts, make up things, and generally cast aspersions and slurs?
Are you mentally ill? Are you that absorbed with hatred?
You just showed- you have not facts, just hatred. In other words, not only idd your candidate lose, not only did your socislaist/communist system lose, YOU lose.
Bush WON, Gore LOST. Get Over It.
As for "Old Fart" - cute - you lose the argument so you devolve to grammar school name calling.
#40
Old Spookie---LOL a majority of states haha Yup Montana, Utah, South Dakota, North Dakota--states that in some cases have less population than NYC--typical Repooplican distortion of the facts--the actual REAL number also known as the popular vote was won by Gore
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/07/2004 23:14 Comments ||
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#41
Wrong, NMM!
Even the media concluded after a study of the vote tallies that Gore NEVER had the majority of votes in Florida to win the state.
President Bush won count after count after count and the majority of the electoral votes to win the Oval Office.
That's the law in this country and the Supreme Court upheld the law by a vote of 7-2 (not 5-4 as the Left maintains).
Gov. Jeb Bush and Sec. of State Katherine Harris only did their jobs.
And the Supreme Court--PRAISE JESUS!--stopped the chad counting and the lawsuits of Team Gore.
As far as I'm concerned, it was Al Gore who tried to steal the election and as with everything he does, he was a LOSER.
Posted by: Jen ||
06/07/2004 23:16 Comments ||
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#42
I thought you GOP nutz actually agreed to quit calling Democrats and others that don't agree with you "Communists and Socialists" that's so Reaganesque old Spookie
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/07/2004 23:16 Comments ||
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#43
As for "dimwitted" - your ilk said the same thigns of Reagan.
The guy who took double digit inflation, double digit unemployemnt, and double didgit interest rates results of DEMOCRAT LIBERAL policies, and laid the foundation for the biggest economic expansion in US history.
Same "dimwit" slurs were thrown at Reagan - and by the way, where is your MBA from? Bush got his - not something they give on a "gentleman's C".
Keep dodging NMM. I'll nail your ass to the wall each and every time, until you go crying into your room like the petulant whinging child that you are.
#44
Jen--it's so cool that you can channel the voices of Lee Atwater and Josel Goebbels--if you repeat a lie it becomes the truth! Sorry but I don't depend on Rush and Fox news for my opinions like you do and you're wrong on all counts
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/07/2004 23:19 Comments ||
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#45
I see you are again trying to turn the argument away from your LACK OF FACTS, and that YOU ARE WRONG, into a name calling contest. Right after **YOU** started the namecalling.
Nice try. Nailed you again - you keep losing and losing and trying the same squirming tricks again and again.
Tell me again who the dimwit is? Looks like its you given that you repeat losing behavior time and again.
#46
Not lies, NMM--all based on facts and all are a matter of record.
As a matter of fact, where are the links to the facts and reports that sustain your "arguments'" veracity, please?
Posted by: Jen ||
06/07/2004 23:22 Comments ||
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#47
Another lie Mr Goebbels/Rove I mean Spookie-- Bill Clinton gave us prosperity--Bush had to pay back his fat cat supporters and is giving us a huge deficit just like Reagan did and the bill will come due
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/07/2004 23:23 Comments ||
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#48
See - there you go again NMM...
Saying "Goebbels" - an obvious slur. BUt DEVOID of facts.
The FACTS are the BUSH won all the recounts, tha the FLA Supreme court ERRED in ruling that the recounts were to continue, and that BUSH won the vast majority of the the counties, states and such - the only reason Gore got the popular vote was from unthinking bloc voters in urban areas on the coast. BUSH WON THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE - and *THAT* is what the constitution requires.
It is precisely to prevent large urban areas from being the only areas tha matter that our forefathers wisely put the Electoral College system together. It makes the "flyover" country important, and preserves the voice of the nation ourside the metropolitan areas.
#49
"I thought you GOP nutz actually agreed to quit calling Democrats and others that don't agree with you "Communists and Socialists" that's so Reaganesque old Spookie."
Reagan was right!
And this GOP "nut" doesn't have a problem in the world with calling a spade, a spade--You are Communists!
And not Socialists so much as Marxists.
Posted by: Jen ||
06/07/2004 23:24 Comments ||
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#50
Bring it on Jen--cite the Moonie Washington Times and any Murdoch venue as fact
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/07/2004 23:25 Comments ||
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#51
True about the electoral college OS but the shady manipulations done in Fla will always make thinking minds question the legitimacy of this government
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/07/2004 23:28 Comments ||
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#52
Read and learn NMM:
Regan's deficeit won the cold war - were you not paying attention? What price coudl you set on the defeat of the Evil Empire - communism and the Soviet Union - and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact?
Hmm?
Clinton spent the peace dividends, and now we are paying the price for cutting too deeply, just like we did under Carter.
Wars cost money. So we are spending to conduct a war - probably not spending enough. Because in a war, you have time, blood and money - and the less of any of those you have, the more of the others you require.
I'd opt for spending money, you apparently would opt for spending blood.
And as for the slurs - mind if I call you Stalin? or Fidel?
And FYI - Clinton caused the 2000 recession and the stock market was collapsing right as he was leaving office - and Enron, Worldcom, Global Crossing and other huge thefts and collapses happened on Clinton's time.
And keep name-calling - it shows how weak your arguments are.
#53
And Jen--OMG Democrats = Marxists?! Where in the Hell do you get that conclusion? If that's the case then GOP = Nazis
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/07/2004 23:30 Comments ||
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#54
Yup OS--Bill Clinton was raking in the contributions from "Kenny Boy" because Enron was a major player and political donor to the Democrats in Arkansas!
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/07/2004 23:32 Comments ||
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#55
The shady things done in Florida were all done by DEMOCRAT election officials. Didnt you notice that? They messed up the ballots, they miscounted, they were the ones that spolied many ballots.
It was a Democrat stronghold down in Palm Beach that messed thigns up. And there is research indicating that the "early call" of Florida for Gore by the networks may have caused several thousand "lost votes" for Republicans in the Panhandle area - more than enough to have made the recounts a moot issue.
Have some class - even Nixon didn't whine and carry on about the Daley machine stealing Illinois for Kennedy (or the Johnson machine in Texas).
Are you meaning to demonstrate that you don't even have as much class as Richard Nixon? You are doing a rahter good job of it.
#56
Go to smokinggun.com and you can see actual handwritten notes from the governor of TX to Ken Lay--talk about a paper trail
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/07/2004 23:33 Comments ||
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#57
OS--are you comparing me to Nixon? That must be a compliment coming from a right wing nut
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/07/2004 23:35 Comments ||
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#58
Enron was in bed with Bill Clintoon, Al Gore (and their Kyoto Treaty which pushed Enron's natural gas resources) and CA Gov. GrayOut Davis!
Posted by: Jen ||
06/07/2004 23:36 Comments ||
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#59
And by the way it's the Democratic Party, not the Democrat party as you GOP losers try to re-name it
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/07/2004 23:37 Comments ||
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#60
Far "Moore" Marxists in the Dem party than "Nazis" in the Repub.
Remember - Nazis were SOCIALISTS at least in name. The National Socialists Party.
And you are dragging things off topic again.
As for Enron - Clinton was a beneficiary of campaign contributions from Enron - the paper trail is there too. And why was Enron able to get away with it under Clinton but BUSTED under Bush?
And as for an even larger scandal - go explore Global Crossings massive fraud and bankruptcy - topped only by GC's contributions to Democrat party and its candidates.
#61
Jen--the facts are Enron was/is a Texas co that contributed heavily to Bush--so stop your lying
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/07/2004 23:39 Comments ||
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#62
Again, OS it's the Democratic Party--I refuse your Repooplican nomenclature
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/07/2004 23:40 Comments ||
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#63
GOP Losers?
Nope - Democrat Losers. You Lost. Get Over It.
As for Democrat - the Democrat Party is hardly "democratic" any more. Its socialist leaning fringe has come to dominate it - that and its driven only by hatred of Bush, religion, and truly representative government (preferring using the courts to create laws).
Its a party devoid of ideas and ideals, driven by hatred, distorted by its own sneering and arrogance.
#64
NMM, you Marxist Che Guevara-worshipping asshat, people can Google it for themselves!
I don't have to give you chapter and verse about the GORE COUP ATTEMPT (a/k/a Election controversy 2000), I lived it!!!
And I want those 35 days back, when Owlie Bore held this entire country and the world hostage because his daddy told him he should be president!
Posted by: Jen ||
06/07/2004 23:41 Comments ||
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#65
Another GOP lie--Bush got more money from Enron than anyone else--invited him to the Governor's mansion to squeeze more outta him
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/07/2004 23:42 Comments ||
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#66
Putting it in panic mode a little early aren't you Mike? Five months to November, so pace yourself, okay?
You can jump off a bridge then when you lose.
#68
would be happy to preserve that moment for posterity tho' NMM - you name the date/time/bridge, and I'll post the video on RB, Fred's bandwidth permitting. I may need to EFL and news
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/07/2004 23:44 Comments ||
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#69
Jen you Third Reich, Hitler worshipping jingoist scheisskopf you will lose this November -- the American people are waking up and know how they have been lied to
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/07/2004 23:44 Comments ||
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#70
now that wasn't nice, informative, clever, or useful. Troll
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/07/2004 23:45 Comments ||
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#71
You should be ashamed OS if you liked Kennedy to jump on this riight wing nut bandwagon which uses religion as a weapon and a wedge issue
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/07/2004 23:46 Comments ||
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#72
NMM- meet sinktrap
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/07/2004 23:46 Comments ||
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#73
Frank G--you're the troll--you weren't involved in this discussion
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/07/2004 23:47 Comments ||
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#74
The American People woke up in the 1908's - Regan reminded us its Morning in America, and that you and your ilk were lying to us.
Tax cuts are bad. Nope - they worked just fine.
Confronting the Soviets would cause a war. Nope - they bakced down.
Financing Star Wars research would trigger a nuclear arms race. Nope - it generated the first and largest arms REDUCTION in the history of the Cold War.
Deficiet spending would destroy the country: Nope, it enable the nation to build its military, and do so woithout taxing to the point of killing businesses.
Need me to recite MORE ways you on the left were wrong?
#75
the actual REAL number also known as the popular vote was won by Gore
And the question still remains....so f***ing what??? Is there a point you were trying to make?
Posted by: Rafael ||
06/07/2004 23:48 Comments ||
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#76
Old Spook, tu3031 and Frank, isn't this hilarious?!
One of the reasons I love President Bush and President Reagan is that their strong leadership, their stand for traditional American values and their Conservatism always turns the Left into feces-flinging howler monkeys!
When President Bush is reelected in November, will you closet Communists finally make good on your threats to expatriate to (Islamist Occupied) France?
Posted by: Jen ||
06/07/2004 23:48 Comments ||
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#77
Now Frank G chimes in to prove my point about dumbass posts on Rantburg
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/07/2004 23:48 Comments ||
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#78
C'mon Mike, be nice. Frank wants to make you famous. Have your people call his people.
#79
do I need an invite to a troll-bashing? Asswipe? LOL
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/07/2004 23:50 Comments ||
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#80
Jen--when I was in France last year--it is an obviously Catholic country--like 90+% but I bet you right wing Chrisitan Coalition types don't like Catholics too much either
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/07/2004 23:51 Comments ||
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#81
Catholic here, troll, which if you really followed this site, rather than trolling, you would've read, it's not been a secret...what's up? Mom left the computer on and you haven't taken your meds? Ritalin refill?
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/07/2004 23:52 Comments ||
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#82
You go Frank G--call me names! Make me write bad checks! Compensate for your lack of masculinity!
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/07/2004 23:52 Comments ||
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#83
Rafael, don't forget that RICHARD NIXON won the popular vote in 1960, too.
So f***ing what about Al Bore is right, NMM!
And the 2000 popular vote isn't connected to any purported ties that Governor George Bush had to Enron
(BTW, they've given President Bush's finances--and Dick Cheney's too re: Halliburton-- about 8 colo-rectal exams when he ran for President.
No "there" there.)
You pinkos need to get a life!
Posted by: Jen ||
06/07/2004 23:53 Comments ||
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#84
nite all! Unlike NMM I have a job to go to tomorrow....
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/07/2004 23:53 Comments ||
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#85
Aris, You said: This utter and complete identification between country and elected leader is something I've never noticed anywhere in Europe, except in the case of Kings and Queens that in fact *don't* really govern, don't really rule anymore --- meaning the exact opposite of what you are talking about and the significance of the president's weight in governance.
This is more revealing than you think. Your point of reference is a parliamentarian system. The US IS NOT ONE and DOES NOT HAVE THIS TRADITION. The US president is an elected Caesar! The Senate sort of maps into Rome's. The house maps to demographic support. The civil service is copied from 1777 Chinese type.
So BUSH is more powerful than your PMs or Kings. He is Caesar for a time.
#87
Jen--not a pinko--I prefer blue--you need to realize it's a new millennium and the old, tired GOP rhetoric only works on morons like yourself
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/07/2004 23:54 Comments ||
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#88
NMM, "we" Right Wingers love Catholics--hence the close relationships the Pope has with both President Bush and President Reagan.
I've lived in France myself and while the French profess to be nominal Catholics, they never go to mass and couldn't tell you what they believe about their faith.
The temple of Mammon would be a more appropriate place for them, although they'll all be forced to become dhimmi under Allan's benign shari'a soon.
Posted by: Jen ||
06/07/2004 23:56 Comments ||
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#89
3dc He's more like Nero--fiddling while Rome burns and we become a pariah state
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/07/2004 23:57 Comments ||
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#90
NMM - Kennedy's platform sounds just liek Reagan in 1984 and Bush now.
Learn it, know it, live it.
"the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God."
[NMM - there's teh G word - Kennedy believed in God, as do I, and was a Catholic, as am I]
"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty."
[NMM -you dont oppose our foes, you rfuse to bear the burdens of Liberty, you don't support our friends - as a matter of fact, you are against EVERYTHING Kennedy said here!]
" We dare not tempt them with weakness. For only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed."
[Military strength is a prerequisite to peace - as know by Washington: If you desire peace, prepare for war" (Originally Cicero I think) - NMM - where is your support for a larger, stronger military?]
"All this will not be finished in the first 100 days. Nor will it be finished in the first 1,000 days, nor in the life of this Administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin."
[Dont expect or ask for instant results - unlike you and your bunch]
" In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibilityâI welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve itâand the glow from that fire can truly light the world."
[In other words dont shirk our duty to Liberty as a nation, stand up and fight for what is right]
And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for youâask what you can do for your country.
[I sacrificed years of my life in service to my nation - NMM, what have you ever done?]
My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."
[Indeed! Why have the Euro-socialists not stepped up to promote freedom, instead of letting places like Rwanda, Sudan/Darfu, and Iraq fester]
And remember - Kennedy Cut Taxes - saying "A rising Tide lifst all boats".
To clos e- as Kennedy did:
With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own.
NMM - Are you truly able to say and do the things you do in good conscience? Are you forsaking other rewards than a good conscience?
Are you doing God's work here as Kennedy said we should?
Seems you are opposing ALL the points John F Kennedy made.
#91
Hmm and Mammon would be more appropriate to which political party here?
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/07/2004 23:59 Comments ||
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#92
Another GOP bullshit attack--the Democrats don't support the military....Not true--we just don't want to send them to Iraq for oil to die and enrich Halliburton and the den of thieves in Texas that put this moron in the White House
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/08/2004 0:04 Comments ||
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#93
Mammon?
Easy. The Democrat Party.
Republican money has come from far more people and in far smaller "packets" than Dems.
On the other hand, you have Moveon.org, the Heinz Foundation, and Soros (a multibillionaire) trying to subvert the election process with money - some of it questionable in origin (foreign donors possibly), and possibly illegal (in violation of McCain Feingold).
Mammon fits the Democrats quite well. Thanks for bringing that up.
#94
Gee, I dunno, NMM--the party of the Grifters, the party that aids the ACLU in persecuting Christians and Christianity in this country (Catholic and Protestant) and promotes atheism, the party of Pork and big government handouts, the party that relies on foreign currency speculator and billionaire George Soros as its "patron"...which would be the DEMOCRAT PARTY.
Posted by: Jen ||
06/08/2004 0:05 Comments ||
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#95
OH OS that is too damn funny--do you REALLY believe that the Democratic party is the party of wealth? Just look at the total $$ volume raised
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/08/2004 0:06 Comments ||
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#96
Dems support the military?
Not so - Look at Kerry's voting record - against EVERY major weapon system and funding bill that was critical to the systems we have now. Dems lead the charge to cut intelligence spending - even spending the Clinton asked for!
The opposition to almost all military spending comes from the Dem side of the aisle.
Sorry - your excuse making for the Dems washes about as well as your excuse making for Fundamentalist Islamic terrorists of Al Qaeda.
#97
I'm like Frank. I gotta work in the morning. Since Mike is now at the nobloodforoilhalliburtondenofthievesbushisamoron stage I figure he reaches critical mass about 12:35 EST.
Let me know tomorrow if I was right.
#98
Once again, Jen it's the Democratic party and the Wall St interests and the Christian loons own the Repooplicans--but I digress, unlike you rich GOP operatives who stay home and collect dividends I have to work tomorrow--enjoyed the discussion--nite OS & Jen
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/08/2004 0:10 Comments ||
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#99
Yes NMM - the Republican raise more money - becauyse they have FAR MORE people at the grass roots level contributing. The Dems are dependant upon the rich whocan give big chunks, and collectivist organizations. Both of whom have been chopped a bit by McCain Feingold.
Go look it up.
Know how I know?
Because the grass roots campaign where I live is very active. We call or email every week, from veterans liek me, postal owrkers, clerks, waitresses, and other regualr working people =- get collections of $25 donations and feed them up the food chain.
And its like that in many places all over the nation. The only reason you dont know it is that you refuse to see it.
#100
Not Mike Moore..
I was pointing out a perspective difference that is real between the EU experience and the US one.
Yes we allow Neros, and Julius's and everything in between but our imperial presidency creates Ceasars for a time. 4 year 8 years or till impeachment or resignation or death.
All US presidents are given imperial powers. Its in the constitution. Julius Ceaser would have understood the office. (It was an elected position before him.)
Basicly the US system is a modernized Roman one with Chinese civil service, English courts. One could even see the Civil War mapping into a different outcome and path to the Slaves War of Sparticus...
#101
As the Bible says, NMM, "No rest for the wicked."
Guess you pinkos have to get lots of downtime this week--the outpouring of love, respect and admiration from the American public by the millions for the late, GREAT President Ronaldus Magnus is clearly going to be your undoing!
(You Left Wing nutburgers had such high hopes that you were winning the Culture War before Sunday....ROFL...!)
Posted by: Jen ||
06/08/2004 0:15 Comments ||
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#102
Know where the Kennedy Democrats went?
We didnt leave the Democrat party - it left us.
You kicked us out.
We are all "block captains" for the Bush campaign - we are the "Reagan Democrats" who saw the moral center of the Demcoratic Party rot away, we are the formerly solid Democratic Catholics who can no longer abide the 2-faced behavior of the Democrat party on removing Religion for America and allowing the holocaust of abortion to run unopposed.
We are value facts, we are optimists, and we dont have time to hate, whereas you are ignore facts and concern yourself with feelings, you are pessimists and spend your lives seething.
Call us when you regain your ability to value true free interchange of ideas.
#103
NMM, rich people by a margin of more than 9 to 1 donate to the Democrats over the Republicans. Republicans are the party of the middle classes. The Democrats are the party of the rich.
Posted by: Phil B ||
06/08/2004 0:19 Comments ||
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#104
http://washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20030707-090426-8917r.htm
Democratic Party gobbled up an astounding 92 percent of all individual contributions totaling $1 million or more during the 2001-02 election cycle. Meanwhile, it was the Republican Party that received 64 percent of all individual contributions less than $200 per donor.
...
Indeed, only in the truly fat-cat segments ($100,000-$999,999 and $1-million-and-above) did the self-described "party of the people" outraise the GOP. From individuals who contributed $1 million or more, Democrats collected $48 million, or 1,100 percent more than the Republicans' $4 million.
Posted by: ed ||
06/08/2004 0:26 Comments ||
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#105
NMM:
Here are some words you should consider...
Many people are so embittered and furious when they are in a state of anger that they cling to it not only for days, but drag it into weeks and beyond. I am at loss for words to explain those who erect a barrier aroudn their hearts and distill the bitter poison [of hate] until it finally destroys them. The could not have understood how important it is to avoid retaining anger, not merely externally, but even in our thoughts, because it darkens our intellect with bitterness and cuts it off from the radiance of understanding and discernment. [Depriving it of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit].
John Cassian, Egyptian Christian mystic. sometime around the 3rd-4th century AD
#106
Nice one OldSpook a little understanding with NMM will go a long ways. I expect a failed relationship might have something to do with his current anger. Oddly he seems angry all the time, perhaps he's mistaking a warm handshake for something meaningful.
... Driverâs licences closely resembling those from a host of provinces including Ontario are available on the [British]site, which specializes in fake documents, said [Canadian]Conservative house leader Bob Runciman. "You couldnât tell the difference between a real driverâs licence and a fake driverâs licence, and thatâs out there," said Runciman, a former solicitor general who said he learned of the site through a police contact. Driverâs licences are easily used to obtain other personal documents, and a criminal could easily use a fake one to create a false identity or enter the United States, Runciman said. "It should be a significant concern, because thatâs a foundation document," he said. "Thatâs what you build an identity on if you want to build a fake identity, and that should be a special concern right now in the wake of Sept. 11 and all the concerns about terrorism."
...Ontario isnât the only province featured on the site, which includes licences from Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Quebec and Prince Edward Island, all of which sell for a regular price of $149 but are available for $90, the site says. The B.C. licence is currently ranked eighth on a list of the siteâs top 10 sellers. Takhar [Ontarioâs transportation minister] insisted after question period that the numbers on the licences were fake, but a link on the site offers visitors the chance to sell their "collections" of genuine licences and diplomas. "We are actively buying both genuine ID cards and college diplomas," the site reports. "If you would like to cash in by selling your collection to us then please drop us a line with both a description and an image. Please also give us a price that you would like to obtain for your item." Elsewhere on the site, the companyâs products are described as "novelty props." Prospective buyers can even obtain a monthly catalog of offerings by mail simply by entering an address...
Paging Tom Ridge! Even in Canaduh, the politicians recognize that drivers licenses are a "foundation document." Perhaps you should demand that State Governors cease and desist granting driversâlicenses to illegal aliens. And perhaps you might ask your UK counterpart to seize the records of aforementioned website. Just a thought, Tom.
Posted by: rex ||
06/07/2004 10:04:24 PM ||
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An inflatable raft overloaded with nine people crossed the river from Canada into the United States, where they were captured by U.S. Border Patrol agents. The passengers sneaked into the U.S. early Saturday on a raft, powered by a small engine, that was "well beyond its capacity" in the number of passengers it was designed to hold, said Supervisory Border Patrol Agent Dan Allman. "This is pretty much standard operation," said Assistant U.S. Border Patrol Chief Don Palacios of the agency's Buffalo office. "The rafts they use are not of commercial quality and there is always the fear of them being overloaded or completely falling apart." Three women from India, a Pakistani family of four and two Canadians were taken into custody, Allman said
The Canadians would be the smugglers, the Indian women would undocumented immigrants, and the Pakistani family would be the unfortunate victims of profiling under the Patriot Act.
Posted by: Steve ||
06/07/2004 1:28:29 PM ||
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#1
how is someone entering illegial unfortunate victims???
Posted by: Dan ||
06/07/2004 13:46 Comments ||
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#8
U.S. Border Patrol Chief Don Palacios of the agency's Buffalo office. "The rafts they use are not of commercial quality and there is always the fear of them being overloaded or completely falling apart."
What's wrong with this picture? The border patrol chief, who is charged with protecting our sovereignity, fears for the lives of illegal aliens. Duh....
Posted by: rex ||
06/07/2004 19:06 Comments ||
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#9
...there is always the fear of them being overloaded or completely falling over the Niagara Falls...
Posted by: Rafael ||
06/07/2004 21:35 Comments ||
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#10
And if the raft filled with ILLEGAL ALIENS is overloaded or in danger of falling completely over Niagra Falls, the problem is...????
Posted by: rex ||
06/07/2004 21:50 Comments ||
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#11
And if the raft filled with ILLEGAL ALIENS is overloaded or in danger of falling completely over Niagra Falls, the problem is...????
They get all kinds of nasty letters from environmentalists about "contaminating the river"...
In all seriousness, I'm glad the border patrol chief is concerned about the lives of illegal aliens. Something about not being on a moral par with Mexico.
The Supreme Court ruled Monday that Americans can sue foreign governments over looted art, stolen property and war crimes dating to the 1930s, a victory for an elderly California woman trying to get back $150 million worth of paintings stolen by the Nazis more than 65 years ago. Justices said that the governments are not necessarily protected from lawsuits in U.S. courts over old claims. But those claims could still face stumbling blocks. Maria Altmann, who fled Austria, had attended the Supreme Court argument. The 88-year-old said the court was one of her last hopes for the return of six Gustav Klimt paintings, including two colorful, impressionistic portraits of her aunt. Nazis had looted the possessions of Altmann's wealthy Jewish family, including the prized paintings that now hang in the Austrian Gallery. She and her husband escaped to America after she had been detained and her husband imprisoned in labor camp. She filed a lawsuit against the Austrian government in federal court in California, and won rulings that allowed her to pursue the case. Justices agreed 6-3, a ruling that emboldens victims of wartime atrocities to pursue lawsuits. Women who claim they were used as sex slaves during World War II have sued Japan, and Holocaust survivors and heirs have brought a case against the French national railroad for transporting more than 70,000 Jews and others to Nazi concentration camps. Those cases are pending at the Supreme Court and will likely be sent back to lower courts in light of Monday's decision.
Cubans who fled can sue Castro to get their property back, Saudis can be sued for 9-11,etc.
Justice John Paul Stevens, writing for the majority, said that the State Department can still ask courts to dismiss such lawsuits.
Can they sue State as a un-endited co-conspiritor?
At issue in the case was a 1976 law that spelled out when other countries can be sued in the United States. The law was based on a 1952 State Department policy. The Supreme Court ruled that the law is retroactive, and can be used to bring old claims. In a dissent, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy joined by Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and Clarence Thomas said the decision "injects great prospective uncertainty into our relations with foreign sovereigns." "The court opens foreign nations worldwide to vast and potential liability for expropriation claims in regards to conduct that occurred generations ago, including claims that have been the subject of international negotiation and agreement," Kennedy wrote.
He sez it like it's a bad thing
It was not clear if the court's decision will lead to many successes in old cases.
It'll keep lawyers busy suing other countries for a change
A Bush administration lawyer had told justices that it would be unprecedented to have U.S. judges resolving lawsuits against foreign countries over expropriated property. The administration argued it would harm America's relations with those countries.
"Why it might make them hate us, oh wait........"
Stevens said the Supreme Court's decision was a narrow one - permitting some lawsuits without deciding the specific merits of the Altmann case. Justice Stephen Breyer, in a concurring opinion, said that Americans will still likely have to pursue claims in foreign countries first, and they may face other obstacles in U.S. courts, including statutes of limitations. Breyer is one of two Jewish members on the court.
Just had to throw that in, didn't ya?
The case is Austria v. Altmann, 03-13.
Posted by: Steve ||
06/07/2004 1:14:14 PM ||
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#2
> "The court opens foreign nations worldwide to vast
> and potential liability for expropriation claims
> in regards to conduct that occurred generations
> ago, including claims that have been the subject
> of international negotiation and agreement,"
> Kennedy wrote.
I don't like this.
Given that just about any state is going to have had some disputes with its neighbors sometime in the past few thousand years, this is a monstrous can of worms. Even if you had a "statute of limitations" rejecting any claims over 60 years old (3 generations?) you'd still have vast scope for litigation: lawyers win indeed; here and around the world.
And in any case, why on earth would any other country recognize the jurisdiction of our courts? We (quite properly) don't recognize theirs, nor that of the new international court.
Posted by: James ||
06/07/2004 15:15 Comments ||
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#3
While Lefties blather about 'international law', it is interesting that US law is becoming de facto international law in a number key areas. The one I am familiar with is IP (intellectual property). When I filed a patent, I did so in the USA, and consequently chose to defend my patent rights under US law, even though I am not an American and do not live there. US patents are generally recognized to be the only ones that matter and several countries have aligned their patent laws with the USA's.
Posted by: Phil B ||
06/07/2004 20:38 Comments ||
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The human rights situation in Iran is worse now than at any time since reformist Mohammad Khatami became president in 1997, a report says. What a stunning development!
The international monitoring group Human Rights Watch accuses Iranâs judiciary of abandoning its duty to administer justice fairly. Instead, it is ordering the torture of detainees, the report says. It says many of the abuses take place in illegal detention centres run by "parallel security bodies". Yet not a speck of outrage to be seen on the Arab street regarding brutal prison torture by heavy-handed interrogators.
EU criticised
The European Unionâs dialogue with Iran on human rights issues has failed to produce any tangible results, Human Rights Watch says, urging the EU to exert more pressure on Tehran. The EUâs dialogue with Iran resumes in Tehran next week. The EU "has failed to produce any tangible results?" Iâm shocked, SHOCKED!, I tell you.
The report highlights the widespread use of indefinite periods of solitary confinement as a method used to break the will of detainees. A recent report by Amnesty International was less scathing about the EU-Iran dialogue, but it too spoke of ongoing flagrant violations of Iranian and international law in the human rights arena. It blamed the deadlock between Iranian reformists and hardliners for holding up progress. But since the victory of the conservatives in controversial general elections in February, there have been signs of progress, at least superficially. Most definitely. As Iranâs main trading partner major progress has been made in turning a completely blind-f&%king-eye to Iranâs human rights abuses and continuing nuclear threat.
A law banning the use of torture has been approved and the judiciary chief has circulated instructions that proper tune-up procedures must be followed during arrests and detentions. How real these changes are may be tested in the next month or so. The fifth anniversary is coming up of major street disturbances triggered by an attack on a student dormitory in 1999. In recent years that anniversary has become an occasion for expressions of dissent which have been harshly suppressed.
#1
IIRC, Frawnce is involved in Iran or trying to be commercially involved, after getting their financial butts kicked in Iraq. After all, they let Khomeni hang around France until the Shah was overthrown. France is an enemy, no doubt about it.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
06/07/2004 14:41 Comments ||
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#2
France is an enemy, no doubt about it.
Even if, by some stretch of the imagination, they are not now, should France sell advanced weapons systems to China, they will become so.
You'd think that France would have purchased a clue when China's proliferation of missile technology placed their country and all of Europe in Iran's nuclear crosshairs. It seems instead that their much beloved escargot will reach such a conclusion more quickly.
A Buddhist teacher at a private Islamic school was shot dead in broad daylight yesterday, in the latest apparent attack on civilians thought to be aimed at stirring racial tension in the Muslim-majority South. The gunman shot Jai Intarapo, 49, at least four times at closed range as he was about to get into his car, parked at Sanana Ponoh, a private Islamic school, where he heads the secular subjects, said Ninth Police Region commissioner Maj General Manoj Kraiwong.
Initial inquiries with eyewitnesses revealed that a getaway motorbike was waiting for the gunman on the road near the school parking lot where Jai was shot. Jai was the latest Buddhist civilian victim in the ongoing wave of violence that has recently begun to take sectarian overtones. Manoj said the gunman who killed Jai was probably linked with "the group of people who have been involved in the continuing violence to create an atmosphere of religious conflict".
Separately, in Yalaâs Banangsata district, a Buddhist resident was shot dead when at least one assailant fired a shotgun into his torso at close range. Phayad Duangmanee, 30, died on the way to the hospital. Police said they suspected that the killing was linked to a spate of violence in the region, as the area where Phayad was killed had also seen the shooting to death of a border-patrol police and the torching of a Buddhist temple.
Haji Nidae Waba, chairman of the Private Islamic Schools Committee for the five southernmost provinces, admitted yesterday that he and other local residents remained in the dark as to when the wave of bloodshed would end. Nidae described the situation as a "small-scale war" and that the best local residents could do is take precautionary measures. Interior Minister Bhokin Bhalakula expressed concern over the shootings and gave assurances that the government would do its utmost to provide security for all people. Bhokin said government relations with southern Muslim communities have been steadily improving.
Separately, during his visit to a Buddhist temple in Pattaniâs Khok Pho district, former prime minister Chuan Leekpai urged the local community not to fall into the trap of the insurgents, who he said were trying to create tension between people of different faiths. He also visited Krue Se Mosque, which was the site of a bloody clash between security forces and Muslim militants in April. Over recent months, Muslim radicals have expanded the scope of their attacks to include "soft targets" and non-security personnel, including civilians, in the region. At least 283 people have been killed in the South this year.
#1
...former prime minister Chuan Leekpai urged the local community not to fall into the trap of the insurgents, who he said were trying to create tension between people of different faiths.
Don't fall into the trap....but do put the "I-refuse-to-see-evil" noose around your neck.
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra called on the country's leading Muslim scholars on Monday to examine Thai translations of the Qur'an to make sure they accurately reflect the teachings of the Islamic holy book. His remarks followed reports that Thai translations of the Qur'an circulating in southern Thailand advocated a "jihad" against Thai authorities and the establishment of a separate country in the country's southernmost, Muslim-majority provinces. "This is not religious reform," Thaksin told reporters. "We just want experts to confirm the text. The Qur'an is very holy. We don't want ill-intentioned people to twist the meaning of it to suit their own ends. Some people are abusing the real Qur'an."
It all depends on the definition of "real".
Thaksin called on the country's highest Muslim cleric, Sheikul Islamic Sawat Sumarayasak, and other scholars from the Islamic Centre of Thailand to check the Thai text of the Qur'an to ensure it accurately reflected the teachings of the original Arabic text.
Yeah, that'll work.
Some Thai officials have blamed bogus translations of the Qur'an for misleading some southern Muslims into the separatist ideology and violence.
Sigh, they still don't get it.
Posted by: Steve ||
06/07/2004 10:40:25 AM ||
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#1
Yeah, them 72 babes in the netherworld was in some of the prophets speeches and sermons outside the Qur'an!
#2
Crud. An accurate translation is the last thing you want. Put Gentle in charge of translation. What do you say Gentle? Can you smooth out some of the Qurâan's rough edges? Can you bring peace to Thailand?
Gunmen in the Philippines today fired a rocket-propelled grenade and several bullets into a building that used to house offices of Petron Corp, the country's largest oil refiner. Police said the attack was similar to one in April on the Manila headquarters of Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp, the Philippine unit of oil giant Royal Dutch/Shell, and could be related to recent hikes in fuel prices. No one was injured in either attack and damage was minimal. Police said the gunmen fired at the sixth floor of the Gencon Plaza building in Manila's financial district before dawn and then sped off in two taxis.
"Hey, you can't bring a RPG launcher into my taxi! Put it in the trunk with the other weapons!"
The grenade punched a hole in one window and other panes were shattered by bullets. Petron is no longer in the building, but US-based cosmetics firm Avon Products Inc has offices there.
Could be a turf battle between Avon and the Mary Kay Eye Liner Liberation Front.
"Security guards are supposed to be outside the building," police chief Ricardo de Leon said on radio. "However, at the time they tended to be inside the building because of the rain."
Barney Fife Security Service
After the attack on the Pilipinas Shell building in April, police and army officials said the gunmen could be members of a leftist militant group opposed to several rises in the price of petrol and diesel this year. - Reuters
I'm a little ticked off about gas prices, but I haven't put a RPG through a gas pump, yet.
Posted by: Steve ||
06/07/2004 10:30:44 AM ||
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Lawyers for Indonesian terror suspect Abu Bakar Bashir say insufficient evidence exists to justify his arrest. A court hearing has begun of their petition for the release of the cleric. Police responded that their case against Bashir, accused of being the spiritual leader of the al Qaeda-linked Jemmy Islamic network, was well-documented, and said the cleric had a history of evading justice. "There is not enough preliminary evidence to make that arrest. Moreover, police did not show an arrest warrant nor notify the family before taking the action," said Munarman, a member of Bashirâs 80-strong legal team. "The arrest stemmed from intervention and pressure from foreign governments like the United States," Munarman said, arguing that the U.S. Ambassador in Indonesia had tried to persuade Muslim leaders to support the drive to keep Bashir locked up.
Police lawyers said the warrant was given directly to Bashir who refused to take it. "The criminal violation linked to him has close ties to the bombings in Bali. The accusation was backed by witness testimony and incriminating files," said police lawyer Rudy Heryanto. "And subjectively, the accused has escaped before to evade the law when he fled to Malaysia."
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
06/07/2004 9:02:55 AM ||
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At least 12 more foreigners believed to have links with the al-Qaida terrorist network are hunted in Central Mindanao in the southern Philippines following the recent arrest of an alleged network member, the military said Monday. Military intelligence continues to receive reports that the foreigners are still conducting training operations in remote villages in Central Mindanao, Armed Forces chief of staff General Narciso Abaya told reporters, adding that, however, the number has "decreased significantly" in the last five years. "As late as this year, we still continue to receive reports that training is (being) conducted in rebel camps in Mindanao, particularly in (Central) Mindanao," Abaya said. He said Egyptian Hassan Bakre, who was arrested on Wednesday in the southern Philippine province of Maguidanao, named his companions during interrogation after his arrest. The names of the 12 foreigners -- seven Indonesians and five Egyptians -- were not disclosed. However, the discovery of the link would not affect the forthcoming peace negotiations between the government and the MILF, Abaya said. "This will be a part of the talks but we have raised this issue with the (Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities)," he said. Abaya noted the possibility that MILF members who oppose the peace talks might be protecting the foreign terrorists being hunted by the Armed Forces.
Or it might be the guys you're having peace talks with.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
06/07/2004 9:12:10 AM ||
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via Khaleej Times - EFL
SINGAPORE - Attacks on ships by sea pirates in Southeast Asia are resembling military operations â growing bolder, more violent and fuelling fears of an attack that would cripple world trade, Singapore said on Sunday.
As the United States considers plans for a Regional Maritime Security Initiative to tighten surveillance of Southeast Asiaâs busy Malacca Strait, through which a third of world trade passes, Singapore said the risk of a devastating attack was growing. âWe have been alarmed not only by the increase in the number of pirate attacks in the sea lanes of communication in this part of the world, but also in the nature of the piracy attacks,â said Singaporeâs coordinating minister for security, Tony Tan.
âIn previous years when you had a piracy attack, what it meant is that you have a sampan or a boat coming up to a cargo ship, pirates throwing up some ropes, scrambling on board, ransacking the ship for valuables, stealing money and then running away,â he told an Asian security forum. âBut the last piracy attack that took place in the Straits of Malacca showed a different pattern,â he added. The pirates were well armed, operating sophisticated weapons and commanding high-speed boats. âThey conducted the operation almost with like military precision,â Tan said.
âInstead of just ransacking the ship for valuables, they took command of the ship, and steered the ship for about an hour, and then eventually left with the captain in their captivity,â he said. âTo all of us, this is reminiscent of the pattern by which terrorists mount an attack.â ...more...
Malaysiaâs recent rejection of US offers to assist in policing the shipping lanes seems either foolish or suspicious.
Posted by: .com ||
06/07/2004 1:46:19 AM ||
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#2
âIf terrorists were to seize a tanker, a large ship, and sink it into a narrow part of the Straits it will cripple world trade. It would have the iconic large impact which terorrists seek,â Tan said.
It wouldn't be visually stunning which is what they seek, but it would be a pretty good tactic.
âWe are concerned that terrorists may seize control of a tanker with a cargo of lethal materials, LNG (liquefied natural gas) perhaps, chemicals, and use it as a floating bomb against our port,â Tan said.
That takes care of the visually stunning requirement.
#3
It's not clear to me why we need Malaysia's cooperation to deal with piracy on the high seas. It'd be nice, sure, because then we could nail some of the pirates within their territorial limits. But absent their help, the US Navy has every right under international law and the law of the sea to capture and hang pirates on the spot.
Time to varnish the yardarm and break out a new rope!
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/07/2004 10:35 Comments ||
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Maybe we need a 21-st century Q-ship: get a VLCC, pump her full of seawater so she looks loaded, and fit her out with .50-cal M2HBs and maybe a Vulcan or two, cleverly disguised, and a platoon of Marines well-versed in the "repel boarders" drill.
Posted by: Mike ||
06/07/2004 10:41 Comments ||
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#5
The US does not need the approval of any country to police international waters
Posted by: Dan ||
06/07/2004 10:42 Comments ||
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#6
The Straits of Malacca are not international waters. See the whole boring story here.
Where's Orlando Bloom and the guy who played Commodore Norrington when you need them . . . ?
Posted by: The Doctor ||
06/07/2004 11:49 Comments ||
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Definitely a job for Q-ships. Cheap to outfit too. Couple of .50 AA rigs, a couple ofhidden, pop-up Bofors emplacements, and miniguns - lots of miniguns.
I think torpedoes would be a little over-the-top, though, don't you?
#12
Malaysiaâs recent rejection of US offers to assist in policing the shipping lanes seems either foolish or suspicious.
Ah, this is where I have some experience. The Malaysians are exhibiting a combination of playing to domestic politics, distrust of their neighbors (esp. Indonesia) and an extremely peverse pride.
The Malaysians have, IMHO, the second or third best equipped and professional navy in the region. They (and the Thais) knew they had a growing piracy problem back in the early 90s. Even low-level 'professional' conversations about the problem ran into the same wall.
As far as the nature of piracy is concerned: at the risk of repeating myself, it's one of several things. Somebody has realized there's money to be made and the pros have moved in, or it's become a para-military operation. There are reports that members of the Indonesian Navy are 'moonlighting'.
While it's most likely Islamists, I wouldn't discount a certain large Asian neighbor either.
Re the Q-ship. Though a "satisfying" solution, it's not really a good idea. Given the current political situation, it's unlikely to happen. If it did continue, it'd have to be a US or US/Singaporean operation to maintain operational security, and then only able to operate in restricted area. There are other, evolutionary, problems that I won't tie up bandwidth over. It woudl make more sense to go with a sting operation than a Q-ship.
Elements from Iranâs security agencies, specifically the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and its Qods Force or Jerusalem Force, which is responsible for extra-territorial operations, tried to help al Qaeda cells hit U.S. and European targets in Arab Gulf states, according to Asharq Al Awsat. A front-page article on this allegation was published last month in the London-based paper, which is among the most prominent in the Arabic-language press. The plot was foiled when it leaked out to the Iranian president, reformer Mohammed Khatami, according to Asharq Al Awsat.
According to the newspaper, a source closely associated with the Iranian presidential officeâs security agency said a Revolutionary Guards official sent a report to the agency, without the knowledge of his superiors, detailing the entry of al Qaeda members into Iran to connect with sympathetic elements in the Revolutionary Guards. There have long been rumors and allegations about Iranian cooperation with al Qaeda, and Iran has admitted to "holding" al Qaeda operatives. But this specific report by Asharq Al Awsat has so far not been confirmed by independent sources. It is possible that this is an attempt by Asharq Al Awsat, a newspaper sponsored by Saudi Arabia, to smear Iran as a rogue state prone to supporting terrorism.
Asharq Al Awsat says the Iranian official who leaked the information on the alleged al Qaeda-Revolutionary Guards collaboration has access to information on top al Qaeda operative Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and that the al Qaeda members allegedly entering Iran were tied to al-Zarqawi. According to the Asharq Al Awsat, these al Qaeda members intended to go to Arab states in the Gulf where they planned to form five cells: each one was to be in charge of targeting U.S. and European missions and commercial centers in a different Gulf state. Also, the report indicated that at the time, a number of men from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and the Qods Force had vowed to help the five terrorist cells and provide them with explosives and financial support. One of the units that belongs to the Revolutionary Guards and is based outside Iran was to hand the al Zarqawi cells a large quantity of explosives, the newspaper said. A bag containing 900,000 dollars was given to an official in the Qods who in turn was to travel to a Gulf State and hand it to one of Al Zarqawiâs aides.
As soon as an official closely associated with President Khatami notified the president of this plot Khatami gave instructions to his security agency to foil the plan in any possible way that they saw fit. The Iranian Ministry of Security was also notified about the plan, says Asharq Al Awsat. This ministry took quick and decisive steps to foil the plan, including arresting al Qaeda members and Al Zarqawi men in Iranian territory and detaining the official from the Qods Force in an airport while a bag full of American dollars was in his possession.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
06/07/2004 5:18:58 PM ||
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#1
It is possible that this is an attempt by Asharq Al Awsat, a newspaper sponsored by Saudi Arabia, to smear Iran as a rogue state prone to supporting terrorism
Pot, meet kettle
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/07/2004 20:55 Comments ||
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Iran insisted Sunday it had given a complete explanation of the discovery of highly enriched uranium by UN inspectors here, and urged the UN nuclear watchdog to focus its search on a "third country". "We have nothing more to add. This contamination came on imported equipment, so it is the third party or third country that should cooperate with the IAEA," foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters.
"Which third country, we just can't say."
A report by the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released on Tuesday said agency inspectors had found more traces in Iran of highly enriched uranium that could be bomb-grade.
Posted by: Steve ||
06/07/2004 8:43:35 AM ||
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#1
"Nothing here! Nope... nope... nope..."
Posted by: Dar ||
06/07/2004 8:48 Comments ||
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IAEA director general ElBaradei has already fatally compromised any authority he might have by failing to out his own native country's (Egypt) covert nuclear weapons program. The inability to uncover any Iranian wrongdoing is merely a reflection of how deep his incompetence (or willful complicity) runs.
A Kurdish leader, Aziz Daud, called Sunday for the authorities to draw up a law authorising political parties in Syria, following a warning that the Kurds' unofficial movements would no longer be tolerated. "The decision to repressively ban the Kurdish movements will provide neither security nor calm," he said. "The solution would be to pass a law" on the creation of political parties, said Daud, who is secretary general of the Kurdish Progressive Democratic Party, in a statement. "The Kurdish political parties are patriotic movements which have been in Syria ever since independence (in 1946). They will not halt their political activities," insisted Daud. "Their presence in Syria is like that of the National Progressive Front parties and banning them amounts to a discrimination against the Kurdish people," he said, in a reference to the country's ruling seven-party coalition. A human rights activist, lawyer Anwar al-Bunni, said Thursday the Syrian authorities had warned Kurdish leaders that their unofficial movements would no longer be tolerated, amid a crackdown on the minority. The Yakiti party's Fuad Alliko, Daud and Kurdish socialist leader Saleh Kaddo were warned to "wait for the passing of a new law on political parties" before resuming activities, he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/07/2004 10:52:20 PM ||
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#1
but..but....saladin was a kurd--sorry allah spoke in arabic not kurdish--so shut up and move to the back of the donkey cart
Posted by: SON OF TOLUI ||
06/07/2004 1:08 Comments ||
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#2
Isn't there some way we can reunite these oppressed Syrian Kurds with their cousins in Iraq?
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/07/2004 1:25 Comments ||
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#3
Don't forget their oppressed kin in Turkey.
Posted by: Steve ||
06/07/2004 9:51 Comments ||
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A statement purportedly from al-Qaeda militants in Saudi Arabia has warned of new attacks on US and Western airlines and other transport facilities. "All compounds, bases and means of transport, especially Western and American airlines, will be a direct target," it said. Posted on an pro-al-Qaeda website, it asks Muslims to keep away from Westerners and such locations. The statementâs authenticity could not be immediately verified. But it was signed "al-Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula".
Prince Turki al-Faisal, Saudi ambassador to Britain, on Monday defended the way his country was dealing with the threat from al-Qaeda, in an interview with the BBC. Saudi Arabia was taking the threat from al-Qaeda seriously, but some of the countryâs operations against the group had been successful, and "some not so successful". But he said Saudi Arabia was not going to "go in all guns blazing" and arrest thousands of people. "That is precisely what the terrorists want us to do - to antagonise the population," he said. "There is a more methodical way of doing things - police work, investigations, co-operating with other agencies and other countries," he added.
#1
"There is a more methodical way of doing things - police work, investigations, co-operating with other agencies and other countries," he added.
He forgot to mention interrogations, real raids, real surrounding, elimination of payoffs and a blind eye to terrorist, etc. etc. The Saudis are too rotted out to do anything effective. It is all over but the crying for them.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
06/07/2004 19:41 Comments ||
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Prince Turki al-Faisal
His given name says it all. This is one maggot who's eaten his way right down to the turd's core.
Nations have been called upon to boost funds to prevent the collapse of a UN parasite agency working with an estimated four million Palestinian terrorists refugees. The UN Relief and Works Agency (Unrwa) has seen a drop in funding from $200 a year for each refugee to $70. Costly investigative research budgets and incredibly liberal per diem allowances have still provided insufficient motivation for UN operatives to uncover whether this has anything to do with how Palestinian terrorists have alienated every aid donor with an IQ above room temperature (as measured in Centigrade).
The largest conference yet on the issue opened in Geneva on Monday, attended by 70 countries and 30 organisations. (12 course haut cuisine menu to follow)
Some delegates told of "donor fatigue" amid repeatedly failed attempts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said it would be "tragic and worrying" if Unrwaâs work could not continue. Whatâs really tragic is that Kofi Annan continues to consume vital oxygen supplies rightfully belonging to those who make more constructive contributions to world society like, for instance, ticks and leeches.
"We are already seeing the consequences of under-funding ... in over-crowded classrooms and clinics, and in decaying Unrwa infrastructure," he said in a message to the conference. "There is real concern that if these trends continue, the key human development strengths of the Palestine refugee population will begin to unravel." Exactly according to Israelâs carefully laid plans.
Role model
He pointed out that the number of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank relying on Unrwa for food aid had risen from 130,000 to 1.1 million since September 2000. In the same period, the number of Palestinians living below the poverty line had tripled from 20% to 60%, with an increasing reliance on Unrwaâs health services. Exactly according to Yasser Arafatâs carefully laid plans.
Refugees - a thorny issue
Although most agree that a political solution is the only answer in the long-term, Unrwa stresses that politics are not on the agenda at Geneva, says the BBCâs Imogen Foulkes. Unrwa chief, Peter Hansen, told the conference that investing in young peopleâs education could bring peace. "Will their role model be the suicide bomber or will it be a graduate of a teacherâs college who has a future as a productive member of society? And that is really a very major choice we are facing now." The US is the largest contributor to the agency, and its donations have kept pace. But those of European countries and other donors have been declining in recent years. Wow! Europe contributes less to their own favorite cause than America does. Now thereâs a shocker!
Frustrations
US Assistant Secretary of State Arthur Dewey urged donors to "do their share". "This cannot continue, donors must restore previous levels of assistance so that Arafatâs 401Ks the appeals are fully funded as they were initially," he said.
2003 CASH SHORTFALL EXPRESSED IN ACTUAL DOLLAR AMOUNTS
Planned budget - $321
Actual budget - $310
Planned Emergency Fund - $196
Actual Emergency Fund - $93
Life in Jordanâs refugee camps
Some donor countries have been frustrated to see their aid diverted into Arafatâs bank account projects being destroyed by the conflict, says our correspondent. Swedenâs representative at the conference, Thomas Hammarberg, said they did not want any more goat sex to throw good money after bad. "There is a donor fatigue when it comes to the Palestinian refugees on all sides, frankly," he said. "I mean the real reason, of course, is that there is no solution to the conflict that kisses Palestinian @ss without enraging the Israelis and Arafat makes dead sure those who suffer from that are the refugees and not him."
On the eve of the conference, a senior World Bank official warned that Yasser Arafat poverty was undermining the standing of the Palestinian Authority and threatening anyone who would listen Israeli security. Nigel Roberts, World Bank representative in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, said per capita GDP had fallen by 40%. "The security measures that Israel has implemented over the past four years have succeeded beyond their wildest imagination essentially shredded the web of terrorist financial aid pipelines transactions that the Palestinian economy depends on," he said. The decline of all contributions from Saddam, he added, played into the hands of Israel Palestinian militant groups like Hamas competing with the Palestinian Authority. In other late breaking news, Pope and bear. Tape at 11:00
#3
Why are we the largest donors to both the Paleos and Israel? Let's pick a side and back it. Let the French have the other and get it over with.
Posted by: Mr. Davis ||
06/07/2004 22:30 Comments ||
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#4
time for welfare for splodeydopes to end! Make them scramble to feed their (9+ kids) families and they'll have less time to seethe and dig tunnels
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/07/2004 23:38 Comments ||
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#5
The US should cease all funding to the Palestinians as long as they support terror organizations such as Hamas, Hizbollah, Al Aqsa, Fatah, and al Quaeda, in other words, immediately and forever.
Israeli warplanes carried out an air raid against positions of a radical Palestinian group some 20 kilometres (12 miles) south of the Lebanese capital, a Palestinian official told AFP. Hellooooo Neighbor!
In Israel, security sources said the planes raided a "terrorist target" just outside Beirut. The planes fired two missiles at disused positions of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) on the Mediterranean coast at Naameh, a PFLP-GC official said. "We donât know exactly what was targeted," he said. disused, huh? nobody around?
The Israeli sources said the targeted site was used by the PFLP-GC, which is led by Ahmed Jibril. The air strike was apparently in response to an earlier mortar attack which Israel said wildly targeted one of its naval vessels patrolling in Israeli territorial waters.
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/07/2004 5:06:04 PM ||
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Israel Air Force warplanes struck targets near the Lebanese capital city of Beirut around 10 P.M. Monday in response to earlier rocket fire into Israeli territorial waters.
Lebanese security sources said the Israeli jets hit Palestinian guerrilla targets south of Beirut. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
The sources said the attack on Naameh village, 20 kilometers south of Beirut, was aimed at an area in which a radical Damascus-based group, People's Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command, has a large base.
"There were no casualties as the base had been abandoned some time ago," a Palestinian source said.
The Israel Defense Forces Spokesman issued a statement saying the strike was carried out in response to an incident in which 107-millimeter rockets were fired by a Palestinian organization from Lebanon and landed near a Dabur Israeli naval vessel patrolling Israeli territorial waters in the Mediterranean earlier in the day.
Later on Monday evening, however, a military source told Haaretz the rockets fired in the morning were actually aimed at Israeli land targets and not at the naval vessel.
The IDF statement issued following the Monday night airstrike said "Israel is determined stop terror acts emanating from Lebanon and places the responsibility for these terror activities on the governments of Lebanon and Syria."
A statement from the United Nations office in south Lebanon said three rockets were fired from the Naqoura area and that UN officials were investigating. The Lebanese security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there were four rockets.
The Lebanese official said three of the rockets landed on the outskirts of the border town of Naqoura while one fell in the Mediterranean Sea off the coastal town. Authorities were investigating who was behind the attack, the official said.
The militant Hezbollah group was checking the report, according to a spokesman. Hezbollah usually launches attacks at the Shaba Farms (Har Dov), an area that is far from Naqoura.
In the past, radical Palestinian guerrilla groups also have fired rockets into northern Israel from Lebanon. The last time that happened was March 23, when IAF helicopter gunships fired on guerrillas who were launching rockets toward Israel from Wadi Sluqi, about 10 kilometers north of the border. Two guerrillas were killed and a third wounded in the air raid.
The guerrillas belonged to the radical Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine -General Command headed by Ahmed Jibril. They apparently wanted to avenge Israel's assassination of Hamas spiritual leader Sheik Ahmed Yassin.
While Lebanon's government strongly supports the Lebanese Hezbollah, it has opposed Palestinian guerrillas using southern Lebanon to attack Israel. Palestinian attacks in the 1970's and early 1980's brought harsh Israeli retaliations.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
06/07/2004 17:30 Comments ||
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#2
The guerrillas belonged to the radical Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine -General Command
Three Palestinians - including a wheelchair-bound man crippled in the 1987 intifada - have been shot dead by Israeli troops in separate incidents. The Israeli army said a 17-year-old died when troops opened fire at a "suspicious-looking" figure at night in Khan Yunis, in the Gaza Strip. Hey, it might have been Yassin coming back for another dose. Canât be too sure about these things.
Earlier, troops opened fire to disperse protesters in Kalandia, in the West Bank, killing the man in a wheelchair. The army said the protesters were throwing stones near an airport. The man - Arafat Ibrahim Yakub, 31 - suffered fatal head wounds, Palestinian sources said. He had been confined to a wheelchair since being wounded in the first intifada in 1987. Guess he didnât learn the first time.
A mentally disturbed man was shot dead by troops on Monday near the West Bank town of Qalqilya, Palestinian sources said. Isnât "mentally disturbed" a generic description of most Palestinian males?
The incident reportedly happened near Israelâs separation barrier. The Palestinian youth killed on Sunday in Khan Yunis, near the Jewish settlement of Neve Dekalim, was named as Mohammed Nabahan. The army said he had ignored warning shots and calls to stop. He wonât be doing that again.
Palestinian radio said Israeli forces also arrested seven people during raids overnight in the Balata refugee camp in the West Bank town of Nablus.
#3
you go to a hockey game, you know there's a chance to catch a puck in the head. You go to a stone-throwing-against-armed-soldiers event, the "puck" is a lot smaller. Nice catch, Arafat!
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/07/2004 15:02 Comments ||
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#4
Who gives a puck? I wonder if he'll get 72 "wheelchair bound", virgins?
Posted by: Halfass Pete ||
06/07/2004 15:13 Comments ||
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#5
EEEWWW, what a disturbing image, 72 wheelchair-bound virgins!
Gunmen on Lebanon's southern coast Monday fired at an Israeli patrol boat and missed, the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon said. UNIFIL spokesman Milos Straugar told UPI at least three rockets were fired about 5 a.m. from the Nakquora area, north of the Israeli border.
Your UN at work
Lebanese Security sources said two missiles fell in Lebanese waters and the third on the Lebanese side of the border in the area of Ras Naqoura. Israeli aircraft scrambled to the area and entered Lebanese airspace in an apparent search for the attackers and more launchers. An Israeli army spokesman said the rockets were fired towards a navy vessel "patrolling in Israeli territorial waters." No injuries or damage were reported, the army spokesman said.
Two out of three hit the Med. They are improving.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack, suspected to have been launched by Palestinian guerrillas. Hezbollah, whose militants are in virtual control of the border area with Israel, denied responsibility.
"Wasn't us, musta been them Joooos. Always stirring up trouble, just ask our buddies in the UN."
Posted by: Steve ||
06/07/2004 10:24:47 AM ||
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U.S. warplanes pounded dozens of insurgents hiding in caves in southern Afghanistan, the military said Monday, after a gunbattle between the militants and U.S. troops. MOAB time?
Meanwhile, Taliban militants killed two policemen south of the capital and threw a grenade at a relief group in the northwest, officials said, fresh signs that violence is spreading ahead of crucial national elections. Typical Taliban campaign
The planes struck early Sunday near Tirin Kot, a town 250 miles southwest of Kabul where U.S. Marines recently set up a base, military spokesman Lt. Col. Tucker Mansager said. The militants sought refuge in the caves, and coalition forces called in "air support that dealt with those caves," Mansager said. He said no U.S. soldiers were hurt and had no information on any casualties among the militants, who he said numbered "probably in the tens and twenties." More than 400 people have died in violence across Afghanistan this year, most in the south and east where U.S. forces and Pakistanis Taliban militants have clashed repeatedly in recent weeks. The U.S. military has assembled 20,000 troops, its largest-ever force in Afghanistan, in an attempt to keep militants on the defensive in the run-up to the vote. But there are signs that the insurgency is expanding.
The policemen died when Taliban attacked the government office in Kharwar, a remote district of Logar province just 50 miles south of Kabul, said Gen. Atiqullah Ludin, a local military commander. He said about two dozen assailants rode into town in four-wheel-drive pickup trucks and opened fire with guns and rocket-propelled grenades, setting fire to one office. Ludin said two police officers were killed and another injured before the Taliban withdrew into the mountains. An Interior Ministry spokesman in Kabul said only one policeman had died.
The Logar attack comes less than a week after five medical relief workers, including three foreigners, died in northwestern Badghis province in an attack claimed by the Pakistanis Taliban. Aid groups worry that relatively secure provinces such as Badghis and Logar will join the south and east in being too dangerous for badly needed reconstruction work. Badghis police chief Amir Shah Naibzada reported a fresh incident Monday, a grenade attack on another relief group in the provincial capital, Qalay-e Naw. The grenade was tossed over the wall of the groupâs compound late Sunday, shattering windows but injuring no one, he said. The relief group wasnât identified. sounds like Hekâs boyz - throwing like little girls
Naibzada said the Pakistanis Taliban were probably to blame but also alluded to factional tensions in the region.
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/07/2004 9:58:54 AM ||
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#1
Pace Rudyard Kipling:
Bring out your imams and surrender
Or else you're alll gonna get slammed
Don't hide in the caves, they'll just be your graves,
You can't get away from JDAM!
Posted by: Mike ||
06/07/2004 10:19 Comments ||
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I wonder if Napalm would work better on caves. My P-38 pilot friend had a tough time with Japanese shooting out of caves in Borneo in WW2. They finally saturation bombed the cave complex with nape and all became silent. A ground examination showed that the napalm used up all the oxygen and the guys suffocated. Too bad napalm is outlawed. Bad move.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
06/07/2004 11:15 Comments ||
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IIRC - Napalm's not outlawed, nor are flamethrowers....just "insensitive". I'm sure some of teh others here can correct me if I'm wrong, though...
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/07/2004 11:23 Comments ||
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I don't think napalm is formally outlawed, but it sure does set off the Euro-weenies no end. They have the same problem with cluster weapons. I think they have the same problem with anything larger than a pea-shooter.
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/07/2004 11:42 Comments ||
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Flamethrowers have been replaced by the M202 Flash rocket launcher. They have better range than the old "zippo." (See the article here at Global Security; scroll down a bit to get to the part about the M202.)
We still have incindeary bombs, they just aren't called "napalm" anymore. See this article at G.S.
Posted by: Mike ||
06/07/2004 11:44 Comments ||
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I wonder if Napalm would work better on caves.
The BLU-118 is already available specifically for this sort of situation. I wouldn't be surprised if one of those things dispatched ol' Binny.... :)
A Sahara Desert handoff was unfolding Saturday that could put a man believed to be one of North Africaâs most-wanted terror suspects in the hands of Algerian authorities, according to an official with one of the countries involved. Algerian forces hoped through the handoff to win custody of a man tentatively identified as Amari Saifi, known as "Al Para," his nom de guerre, the official said. The handoff was due to take place in the remote desert of the West African nation of Niger, with Algerian troops hoping to take custody from a rebel group in Chad, neighboring Niger. The rebel group, the Movement for Democracy and Justice in Chad, claimed to have captured Saifi in March after an intense battle near Chadâs border with Niger. The Chad rebels since had sought to contact Algeria, France, Germany, Niger and the United States about handing over Saifi and followers captured with him, diplomats have said. The official on Saturday said transfer of the suspect was supposed to come in "an exchange," but could give no details.
"I can say no more!"
Authorities on Saturday were awaiting confirmation that the capture, playing out with no fanfare in an isolated area with little communication, had taken place. No immediate word of the operation reached the Niger capital, Niamey.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
06/07/2004 9:32:38 AM ||
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A bomb blast ripped through an oil transfer station in the town of Neftekumsk in southern Russiaâs Stavropol region early Saturday, Russian news agencies reported. A bomb planted underneath a 5,000-tonne oil container, exploded at 03:00 Moscow time, emergency officials have said. The resulting fire took four hours to put out, officials said. The blast made a large hole in the container and burning oil poured out. The smoke from the fire was seen in Neftekumsk. Luckily, the blast caused no casualties. The fire was fully extinguished at 07:22 Moscow time. But at around 05:10 police discovered another explosive device installed under another oil cistern at the depot. The bomb had been made with an RPG round with a time-delayed fuse. The head of the regional directorate for civil defense and emergencies has said that a criminal case had been instigated into the incident under the article âTerrorismâ of the Russian Criminal Code. A search for the criminals is under way. Aslanbek Aslakhanov, the Russian presidentâs advisor for Chechnya has told Ekho Moskvy radio that Chechen separatists could be behind the attack, but âother versions of the incident must also be considered."
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
06/07/2004 9:19:19 AM ||
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In Ingushetia, a republic neighboring on Chechnya, special forces have killed militants involved in the explosions of apartment blocks in Moscow and Volgodonsk, Colonel Ilya Shabalkin, a representative of the Regional Operational Staff on controlling the counter-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus, told RIA Novosti on Monday. "After long searches, in the village of Barsuki of the Nazran district, on May 30, 2004, Federal Security Service special forces and Ingush law enforcers exposed three terrorist members of illegal armed formations who were involved in the insolent acts of terror, including the 1999 explosions of apartment blocks in Moscow and Volgodonsk," Shabalkin said. "The bodies of the bandits have already been identified at the morgue of the Nazran republican hospital," the Staff representative added. According to Shabalkin, the investigation has established that the bandits illegally arrived in Ingushetia from Azerbaijan via Georgia and had contacts with Arab mercenary Abu Al-Validov, a terrorist leader. The bandits held counterfeit documents.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
06/07/2004 9:17:52 AM ||
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A website posting purportedly written by a group affiliated with al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility for deadly attacks outside a United States military base and an ambush that killed four employees of an American security company. A pair of claims, monitored on Monday in Cairo on a website where Islamic militant postings often are made, were signed off "The military wing of Monotheism and Jihad", a group led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, whom the US accuses of masterminding numerous terror attacks in the past year. It was not possible to verify the authenticity of the claims. One claim described the attackers as heroes and said the group is "bent on destroying the bastions of the Americans and their renegade allies". One attacker, it said, "headed to a US military camp in Taji area, north of Baghdad, inflicting on them heavy losses. He was martyred."
"The second hero headed to a bastion of American allies of army and police who sold their religion, honour and land for a cheap price... This camp is considered an important centre for recruiting and training military and police cadet," the statement said, adding it was just a few metres from the base. Two car-bombings on Sunday outside Taji air base, a former Iraqi air force facility used by the US Army about 20km north of Baghdad, killed nine people, including some near a police station 750m from the base gates. It was unclear if the explosions were suicide attacks, though the statement indicated at least one was. A statement dated Saturday and signed off by the same group, posted at the same site, said members of the group surrounded two cars belonging to the CIA that each carried four people. "After a heavy clash, holy warriors managed to set on fire the two cars with their occupants," it said. The statement appeared to be referring to a Saturday ambush on the main road to Baghdad airport in which two Americans and two Poles working for the Blackwater USA security company were killed.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
06/07/2004 9:01:20 AM ||
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I have a feeling that Zarqawi may also be behind what happened to my neighbours' cat.
Posted by: Howard UK ||
06/07/2004 14:13 Comments ||
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Suspected Taliban fighters attacked Afghan government headquarters in eastern Logar province, killing a policeman during a three-hour assault, an official said on Monday. The attack occurred on Sunday in the remote Kharar district of Logar province, about 100km southeast of Kabul, a spokesperson for the interior ministry said. "Kharwar district came under attack by enemies of peace and stability. In the three hours of fighting one police officer was killed," Lutfullah Mashal said. Although government posts and offices regularly come under attack in Afghanistanâs south and southeast, Logar province is generally considered stable. Meanwhile, Afghan soldiers have been injured in clashes during a search operation in Hazar Buz valley near Uruzganâs Chinartu district, which lies about 330km southwest of Kabul. "Three Afghan soldiers, part of the search operation in Uruzgan, were injured Sunday in the valley when they came under attack by enemy forces," provincial police chief Rozi Khan said. The search operation began about five days ago according to local officials.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
06/07/2004 9:07:54 AM ||
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Come Mr. Taliban, taliban banana!
--I hate the taliban jerks.
Kufa mosque, a stronghold of radical Iraqi cleric Moqtada al Sadr, was rocked by explosions Monday when a nearby arms dump blew up and at least three people were killed, witnesses and hospital sources said. A further 12 people were wounded but there were conflicting reports on the identities of the casualties. Doctor Ali al-Tufaili at Kufa General Hospital said they were civilians, while witnesses and other doctors said the victims were members of Sadr's Mehdi Army militia.
I'll bet every casualty is a civilian casualty to Doc Ali.
Witnesses said there was slight fire damage to the mosque. Militiamen loyal to Sadr prevented reporters from getting close to the arms depot.
"Arms depot? What arms depot, this is a mosque!"
Sadr launched an uprising two months ago and his militia fought skirmishes with occupying troops in Shi'ite towns in central and southern Iraq. But last week the Shi'ite cleric ordered his militiamen in Kufa and the nearby holy city of Najaf to disarm.
That's working well
In return, the U.S. military said it was suspending offensive operations against Sadr. In a statement, the U.S. army said its forces were not operating in the area at the time of the explosion. It said there was no information on casualties.
"Nope, wasn't us."
Posted by: Steve ||
06/07/2004 8:48:32 AM ||
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Work accident? Safety first, boys! You should have listened to al-OSHA!
Posted by: Mike ||
06/07/2004 9:13 Comments ||
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Interesting, but possibly coincidental, that this comes on the heels of the missile attack that blew up a coalition arms cache in the Kurdish area last week ....
#3
The Grand Ayatollohs must be getting a little perturbed at the boys with their turbans wound too tight using mosques as barracks and arms depots. Accidents do happen, but even "celebratory" gunfire puts holes in the roofs. A few more of these and guys like al Sadr will start having work accidents in their sleep.
#4
When are the corporate-controlled right-wing media going to draw attention to those Presbyterian ammo dumps instead of trying to smear Peaceful Islam??!
/LLL
Posted by: Chris W. ||
06/07/2004 10:14 Comments ||
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The Grand Ayatollohs must be getting a little perturbed at the boys with their turbans wound too tight using mosques as barracks and arms depots.
I'd like to hear some really scathing criticism of Sadr from those ayatollahs about this development. I will not, however, be holding my breath.
#7
Bomb-a-rama, actually the Shia establishment put out a public declaration blaming al-Sadr for a lot of these things, also putting the burden of blame on him for the mosques (along the lines of "if y'all weren't shooting the Americans wouldn't have gone in there").
Posted by: Edward Yee ||
06/07/2004 13:05 Comments ||
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A few more of these and guys like al Sadr will start having work accidents in their sleep.
The Grand Ayatollohs must be getting a little perturbed at the boys with their turbans wound too tight using mosques as barracks and arms depots.
The "Grand Ayatollahs" don't give a shit, RWV. Anything, and I do mean anything, that helps defeat the Great Satan is OK. Their so-called "religion" is just how they hold on to power.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
06/07/2004 17:24 Comments ||
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Oops.
Posted by: The Doctor ||
06/07/2004 17:25 Comments ||
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Did the CIA agree to cease offensive operations also?
Posted by: Mr. Davis ||
06/07/2004 19:50 Comments ||
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Their so-called "religion" is just how they hold on to power.
Barbara, while I'm not quite ready to toss out the half-dead baby with its baath water just yet, the below excerpt really is beginning to make me think otherwise. Talk about an outright declaration of intent to commit cultural genocide ...
Shamzai was the principal exponent of International Islamism which holds, firstly, that the loyalty of a Muslim is first to his religion and then only to the country of which he is resident or a citizen; secondly, that Muslims do not recognise national frontiers and hence have the right and the obligation to wage jihad anywhere to protect their religion; and, thirdly, that the Muslims have the right and the religious obligation to acquire and use weapons of mass destruction to protect their religion, if necessary.
Pakistan government has decided to seek help of the leaders of banned terrorist outfits, including Jaish-e-Muhammad chief Masood Azhar, to control violence in the country after some arrested terrorists warned of major strikes in cities like Islamabad and Lahore. In lieu of their support, some concessions would be offered to them such as they could be exempted from reporting to police regularly and allowed organisational activities which would be limited to preaching, according to officials. Pakistanâs security officials were busy contacting the leaders of the banned local terrorist outfits after "the information gathered from arrested terrorists suggested that others could hit Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar after Quetta, Karachi and Gwadar," the Daily Times quoted officials as saying. The new strategy to consult the terrorist leadership was hit off after the government thought that the terrorists, who could not be controlled by their leaders, had become a threat to peace in Pakistan and decided to seek the help of the leaders of the groups with offers to relax curbs against them to bring the situation under control, it said.
What a brilliant idea, they're a threat to peace, so you put them in charge!
According to the Jordanian newspaper Sheehan, an internal report prepared recently by the PA pointed out that conditions of Palestinian refugees living in Jordan were the worst in the world. It said the findings of the report have enraged the Jordanian government, which is now demanding an official apology from the PA.
The newspaper did not say which body was behind the controversial report. However, it is believed that the PLOâs Refugee Department had issued the report dealing with the status of Palestinian refugees in Arab countries. The report allegedly describes the inhuman conditions of the refugees in Jordan and accuses Jordanians of conspiring against them.
Tensions between Jordan and the PA have been mounting ever since King Abdullah called on PA Chairman Yasser Arafat to consider stepping aside. In an interview with the New York Times last month, the monarch called on Arafat to "take a long look in the mirror."
Wasnât it just this past December that the PA attacked one of Egyptâs visiting ministers, who subsequently had to get medical aide at an Israeli hospital? Arafat is going to get wacked by a fellow diaper head if he doesnât watch his step. So sad...
Posted by: rex ||
06/07/2004 2:55:06 AM ||
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This is emblematic of how poorly fellow Arabs have treated Palestinians over the years. If each Arab country surrounding Israel had truly cared about its fellow Muslim brothers, Palestinians would have been welcomed into those countries with open arms. But as is the case with Sudan, Arab countries have become very practiced at insulating themselves from blame for crimes against their own people.
#2
Actually the Sudan case is ethnically motivated violence (arab vs black).
The Paleo case is partly that also because the Jordanians had to whack Arafat pretty hard back in the early 70s (many thousands killed)because of an ethnic conflict (bedouins vs. non bedouins). However, today, the issue is a a typical arab schizoid thing. The Jordanians and Egyptians are happy to have Paleos attack the Jews but that's all. No criticism of Jordan or Egypt is allowed. On the other hand the Paleos know all too well how they've been treated by their brothers so there is mutual seething (and as Dave Barry might say, "hey 'mutual seething' would be a great name for a rock band".
#3
If each Arab country surrounding Israel had truly cared about its fellow Muslim brothers, Palestinians would have been welcomed into those countries with open arms.
In the case of Jordan, they have good reason to not be too enamored of the Paleos. (see Black September)
#5
While mhw and Bomb-a-Rama have much more background knowledge than I do (I definitely appreciate learning more), what I was trying to communicate is that fellow Muslims have a long Jacob Marley's chain when it comes to the misery of Palestinians, yet Israel is the only one ever blamed for their situation.
#6
Jordan needs to kick the Paleos out of the camps. They do nothing but destabilize things. Perhaps Syria, and of course, there is the Lebanese dump Ain el Hellhole.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
06/07/2004 11:33 Comments ||
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#2 mhw he Paleo case is partly that also because the Jordanians had to whack Arafat pretty hard back in the early 70s (many thousands killed)because of an ethnic conflict
Not quite. Arafat tried a coup to oust King Hussein and take over the country. Pity Arafat's pre September 1970 behavior is not studied.
Just have a look and see what Arafat did to Lebanon and especially the Christian community during the seventies to really understand why Hussein's troops did what they did.
conditions of Palestinian refugees living in Jordan were the worst in the world
Why do they ignore the conditions under which Palestinians live in Lebanon?
Is it because of Hezbollah that they are so selective?
A classic example of how the media completely distorts what is happening. The existence of these militias has to my knowledge never been reported and a 100,000 men under arms is a lot. Secondly, the fact they are being disbanded strongly indicates things are getting (a lot) better.
Nine major political parties agreed Monday to disband their militias, the interim prime minister said Monday. The agreement does not include the militia of radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said about 100,000 armed individuals will enter civilian life or take jobs in the state police force or security services. The militias have been credited with helping oust Saddam Hussein. "By doing this, we reward their heroism and sacrifices, while making Iraq stronger and eliminating armed forces outside of government control, " Allawi said in a prepared statement.
None of the nine militias has been fighting the government and most are controlled by mainstream political movements represented in the government. The U.S.-led coalition tried to persuade the militias to disband last year but failed because leaders were unwilling to give up their armed fighters at a time of deteriorating security. Al-Sadrâs al-Mahdi Army did not join the agreement. Al-Sadrâs militia has been fighting coalition forces since an uprising in early April, although an agreement with Shiite leaders to stop the violence appears to be taking hold in Najaf and its twin city Kufa. Under the agreement, most of the militias are to be phased out by 2005. The deal includes militia members who fought for the Kurdish parties â the Kurdish Democratic Party and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. They battled Saddamâs forces in the northern part of the county. Allawi said the Badr Brigade of the Supreme Counsel of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq also agreed to disband, though representatives of the party claimed negotiations had not even begun. "The completion of these negotiations and the issuance of this order mark a watershed in establishing the rule of law, placing all armed forces under state control, and strengthening the security of Iraq," Allawi said. Militias that did not take part in the deal were outlawed, he said. Other militias affected by the agreement include those of the Iraqi Islamic Party, the Iraqi National Accord, the Iraqi National Congress (INC), Iraqi Hezbollah, the Iraqi Communist Party, and Dawa, a Shiite party.
Posted by: Phil B ||
06/07/2004 8:19:57 AM ||
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None of the nine militias has been fighting the government and most are controlled by mainstream political movements represented in the government.
How could this be represented as anything other than another step on the road to a more stable nation and a vote of confidence by Iraqis of all political persuasion? Moqtada and his boys really misjudged the moment and will burn in hell for it.
#2
This is certainly a welcome development, but let's stay serious. Actually implementing this policy will be a rocky road. And it is not plausible that the Kurds, at least will truly and completely forego any "fall-back" options on the military side (they shouldn't, until years of stable security).
Meanwhile, WTF is this: "The militias have been credited with helping oust Saddam Hussein."
I wasn't aware the US Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines were, after all, Iraqi militias. Perhaps this is a reference to the INC and the Kurdish formations, but ..... rather misleading.
#3
How could this be represented as anything other than another step on the road to a more stable nation and a vote of confidence by Iraqis of all political persuasion?
Give the NYT a day or two, I'm sure they'll come up with something...
The author formerly worked with Indian intelligence
On May 30, 2004, unidentified terrorists riding a motorbike shot dead Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai, the chief of the hardline Deobandi Binori madrasa of Karachi and one of his sons and a nephew as he was returning to his house, located just across the road from the madrasa. As it normally happens in Pakistan after each such terrorist strike, there have been speculations galore in the media as well as amongst the public. Sections of the local media, including the prestigious "Daily Times" of Lahore, have projected it as a possible act of retaliation by Shia extremists for the suicide-bombing of the Haideri Masjid by Sunni terrorists in the beginning of last month, in which 18 Shias were killed. However, many colleagues of Shamzai in the Binori madrasa have refrained from blaming the Shia extremists for the assassination and condemned attempts to project it as the outcome of the growing Shia-Sunni divide in Pakistan in general and in Karachi in particular. They blame the US for the assassination and accuse the provincial administration of Sindh, in which the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) of Altaf Hussain now plays a predominant role, of acting as the stooge of the US and facilitating his murder by not providing him with effective security despite the fact that he was in receipt of increasing threats to his life since the beginning of this year.
Threats from whom, I wonder?
In fact, in their First Information Report (FIR) lodged with the local police after the assassination, the office-bearers of the madrasa wanted to name the MQM Governor of Sindh Ishratul Ibad as their principal suspect, but they were persuaded by other religious leaders not to do so without evidence lest their action further spoil the atmosphere in Karachi and lead to acts of violence against the Mohajirs (migrants from India), whose interests the MQM represents. Pakistanâs military dictator, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, is himself a Mohajir and has been under attack by the religious extremist elements since October, 2002, for having rehabilitated the MQM and inducted its nominees into positions of power in Karachi in return for its support for the Government nominated by him in Islamabad and for his continuing as the Army chief in spite of his having crossed the age of superannuation. The MQM are certainly capable of it, they turned Karachi into a war zone in the mid 90âs and were able to survive death squads sent against them by the government, in the days before they became allies with the establishment. They are a staunchly secular party who are one of the principal enemies of the Islamists, and were able to eject the Jamaat-e-Islami from Karachi for a while by killing enough of itâs members.
I didn't know Perv was a Mohajir...
Mufti Shamzaiâs real age is not known. Some say he was 52, but others say he was actually 70.
From his pictures, he was closer to 70 than to 52. If he was 52, he had a really dissolute youth...
In Pakistanâs religious hierarchy, he occupied the second position after Mufti Rafiuddin Usmani, who is the chief Mufti of Pakistan, but he was better known than Usmani in Pakistan as well as in other countries of the Islamic world and had a much larger following in Pakistan and Afghanistan. After the Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan towards the end of 1979, Shamzai in association with other mullas of Pakistan issued a fatwa calling for a jihad against the USSR. Mufti Shamzai was then the blue-eyed Mullah of not only Pakistanâs Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), but also of the USAâs Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Saudi intelligence and played an active role in the recruitment of Muslims from Pakistan and other Islamic countries and training them with the help of Pakistanâs military-intelligence establishment for waging a jihad against the Soviet troops. He became close to Zia, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, Gen. Mohammad Aziz, presently Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Gen. (retd) Muzaffar Usmani, former Corps Commander, Karachi and Vice-Chief of Army Staff, and three former jihadi chiefs of the ISI, namely, Lt.Gen.Hamid Gul, Lt.Gen.Javed Nasir and Lt.Gen.Mahmood Ahmed.
During his career, he had issued nearly 2000 fatwas. In the 1970s and the 1980s, his fatwas were mainly directed against the USSR, India and Israel. After Osama bin Laden formed his International Islamic Front (IIF) in February, 1998, his fatwas became increasingly directed against the US. After the US-led coalition started its so-called war against terrorism in Afghanistan in October, 2001, he issued a fatwa calling upon the Muslims of the world to join the jihad against the US. Shamzai was the mentor and godfather of Al Qaeda, the Taliban, the Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) and its militant wing the LEJ, the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HUM), the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI) and the Jaish-E-Mohammad (JEM). He was designated as the Patron-in-Chief of the JEM and was a member of the shoora of Al Qaeda, the Taliban and the JUI of Maulana Fazlur Rahman.
... which conveniently have interlocking directorates.
Shamzai, who strongly backed Musharrafâs seizure of power in October, 1999, became increasingly critical of him after the General decided to co-operate with the US in its operations against Al Qaeda and the Taliban. He and his followers helped the leaders of the Taliban, including its Emir Mulla Omar, to escape from Afghanistan into Pakistan and take sanctuary there. It was reported in 2002 that during the US operations against Al Qaeda in Tora Bora, the followers of Shamzai managed to evacuate Osama bin Laden, who had sustained a sharpnel injury, to the Binori complex in Karachi where he was treated till August, 2002, by serving and retired medical doctors of the Pakistan Army. He later left the madrasa.
That's an interesting rumor. Karachi was certainly Terror Central at the time...
Post-9/11, Shamzai promoted the formation of a clandestine organisation called Brigade 313 to wage jihad against Western nationals and interests and Christians in Pakistani territory. All the members of this Brigade are also members of the IIF. At his instance, members of this Brigade infiltrated into Iraq to join the jihad against the US troops there.
Shamzai was the principal exponent of International Islamism which holds, firstly, that the loyalty of a Muslim is first to his religion and then only to the country of which he is resident or a citizen; secondly, that Muslims do not recognise national frontiers and hence have the right and the obligation to wage jihad anywhere to protect their religion; and, thirdly, that the Muslims have the right and the religious obligation to acquire and use weapons of mass destruction to protect their religion, if necessary. These ideas strongly influenced the thinking of bin Laden. Since the beginning of this year, there have been reports of differences in Al Qaeda and the IIF over the action of some sections of Al Qaeda and the IIF in targeting the Saudi ruling family and its administration. Shamzai, who had close contacts with the Saudi ruling family and religious clerics and was in receipt of large funds from them, was reportedly increasingly critical of Al Qaeda leadership for allegedly weakening the jihad against the USA and Israel by targeting the Saudi authorities and thereby losing their support for the international jihad. Al Qaeda elements were accusing him of letting himself be bought by the Saudi authorities and supporting the pro-US apostate regimes of the Islamic world. Did these differences have anything to do with his assassination? If so, did Al Qaeda or the IIF have any role in his assassination? These questions are quite relevant, but remain without definitive answers at present.
Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
06/07/2004 8:11:03 AM ||
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During his career, he had issued nearly 2000 fatwas.
This sounds like they may be counting fatwas from his AA moskk days, prolly should have an asterix uh astriks, one of these * by the record.
#3
On May 30, 2004, unidentified terrorists riding a motorbike shot dead Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai, the chief of the hardline Deobandi Binori madrasa of Karachi and one of his sons and a nephew as he was returning to his house, located just across the road from the madrasa.
Hs pissed off Osama or Omar?
(We saw you playing chess through your widow. Tsk, tsk, tsk. . .)
If they eat their own leaders, there are fewer leadres we have to find. What's bad is that with no leaders, everybody is an independent agent, and that makes things harder to track, especially if one of the independent crazies has access to a WMD.
#5
Shamzai was the principal exponent of International Islamism which holds, firstly, that the loyalty of a Muslim is first to his religion and then only to the country of which he is resident or a citizen; secondly, that Muslims do not recognise national frontiers and hence have the right and the obligation to wage jihad anywhere to protect their religion; and, thirdly, that the Muslims have the right and the religious obligation to acquire and use weapons of mass destruction to protect their religion, if necessary.
It is this one particular stance that must be disavowed by all imam's who wish to preach in Western countries (and perhaps the entire world). Failure to do so with convincing sincerity is adequate justification for wiping militant Islam (and quite possibly Islam as a whole) from the face of this earth.
Anyplace that permits the preaching of this doctrine should rocket straight to the top of our Christmas list. It is nothing but a blatant declaration of outright war against secular cultures and should not be mistaken for anything else. This has zero to do with freedom of religion and everything to do with waging genocide.
In making such a statement, Shamzai deliberately crossed the line between religion and politics. That is where the gloves come off. I makes me wish we did off this slimeball.
Iraq and the United States are attempting to clear the way for passage of a new U.N. resolution by devising a plan for military partnership when the U.S.-led occupation ends officially on June 30.
U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte, who hopes for a vote in the 15-nation Security Council on Tuesday, said that a revised draft, the fourth in two weeks, would be introduced on Monday.
The one hitch that might prevent quick adoption of the U.S.-British measure on Baghdadâs future is a proposed amendment from France that would make explicit a virtual Iraqi veto over major U.S.-led military operations.
But diplomats said it was doubtful Washington would agree to the language France had suggested.
The control of the 160,000 U.S.-led troops was the most contentious issue in the resolution, which gives international endorsement to the interim government and authorizes a multinational force under American command.
The Security Council at a special session on Sunday received separate letters from U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and Iraqâs new prime minister, Iyad Allawi.
"Weâre confident that they do the trick," said Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry of Britain. He said his government understood that "the policy on sensitive offensive operations will require the assent" of a new Iraqi ministerial committee.
But the letters do not state that explicitly, prompting France, backed in part by China, Germany, Algeria and Chile, to request the resolution make clear Iraq can block a major offensive U.S. military campaign, such as the American assault on Falluja, which Iraqis opposed.
In his letter, Allawi said he would chair a Ministerial Committee for National Security that would set the framework for security operations and would include American commanders to devise "mechanisms of coordination and cooperation."
He said this group needed to "reach agreement of the full range of fundamental security and policy issues, including policy on sensitive offensive operations."
Powell made similar statements, saying the U.S. command would try to reach agreement on security and policy issues in "partnership" with Iraq.
He said the foreign troops would "coordinate with Iraqi security forces at all levels -- national, regional and local-- to achieve unity of command of military operations in which Iraqi forces are engaged."
Powell also said the U.S. military would continue to jail Iraqis but only "where this is necessary for imperative reasons of security."
Council members on Monday were also scheduled to hear a briefing by U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, instrumental in helping to form an interim Iraqi government in time for the handover.
In the third revision of the resolution on Friday, the United States and Britain gave the interim Iraqi government the right to order U.S. troops to leave Iraq.
The latest draft also tightened language making it clear the mandate of the force would expire in January 2006, when a permanent Iraqi government is expected to take office.
Posted by: tipper ||
06/07/2004 2:57:32 AM ||
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But diplomats said it was doubtful Washington would agree to the language France had suggested.
There should be NO doubt whatsoever.
He[Powell] said the foreign troops would "coordinate with Iraqi security forces at all levels -- national, regional and local-- to achieve unity of command of military operations in which Iraqi forces are engaged."
Like share intelligence? Been there, done that...it did not work. Not to mention it's a bad idea for this kind of red tape of "unity of command" required before action can be initiated.
Powell also said the U.S. military would continue to jail Iraqis but only "where this is necessary for imperative reasons of security." This dumbest thing I've ever heard Powell say. Hello...the GI's are staying in Iraq because there are lots of Iraqis who are bad guys. So Powell is saying our GI's are not going to be able to jail ordinary bad guys, just super duper bad guys?
I hope State Dept. is not selling out our military. I've got bad feelings about the US back peddling to gain approval of this UN Iraq resolution.
Posted by: rex ||
06/07/2004 3:48 Comments ||
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So Powell is saying our GI's are not going to be able to jail ordinary bad guys, just super duper bad guys?
Yes, the Iraqi police will jail the ordinary bad guys.
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
06/07/2004 6:23 Comments ||
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Perhaps you are right #2-the Iraqi police have to start somewhere, so jailing the ordinary bad guys is as good a place as any...as long as they don't jail them and let them out the back door, per Abu.
There's also the possibility that Powell is speaking with forked tongue-the GI's won't find it necessary to jail many Iraqis because the bad guys they encounter will be sent to Allah post haste.
Posted by: rex ||
06/07/2004 12:51 Comments ||
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But diplomats said it was doubtful Washington would agree to the language France had suggested.
Was this "suggestion" dismissed out of hand? I would hope that it was. :)
BAGHDAD, June 6 -- Iraqâs Shiite Muslim establishment has launched a concerted effort to transform Moqtada Sadrâs Mahdi Army militia into a political movement and enlist the defiant Shiite cleric along with his anti-U.S. followers into the political process leading to national elections next January. As opposed to him being "transformed" into worm food.
The effort was the political backdrop to an agreement Friday that sealed a cease-fire between Sadrâs militia and U.S. occupation troops in the Najaf region, 90 miles south of Baghdad, after two months of bloody clashes, according to Shiite officials who helped negotiate the accord. A heralded meeting Saturday between Sadr and Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, Iraqâs most respected and influential Shiite cleric, was designed to cement the truce and show the upstart cleric and his radicalized followers that Sistani and the religious establishment respect his views, the officials said.
The recruitment effort is based on the premise that Sadr leads a significant portion of Iraqâs 60 percent Shiite majority and must therefore be part of Iraqâs postwar politics if Shiites are to become a coherent political force. Only after Sadr stands trial.
As a result, it clashes with the U.S. occupation authorityâs stand that Sadr is an outlaw -- a "thug" in President Bushâs words -- whose movement must be disbanded and who must stand trial before an Iraqi court on charges that he conspired in the murder of a fellow cleric. "Moqtada Sadr must face Iraqi justice," declared Daniel Senor, a spokesman for the U.S.-run Coalition Provisional Authority.
At the same time, U.S. military officials have dropped their previous talk of capturing Sadr; he appears in the open regularly for Friday prayers. In any case, the U.S. occupation authority ends June 30, when Iraqâs interim government recovers national sovereignty, at least in name, and the decision about Sadrâs fate in theory would then fall under Iraqi jurisdiction. This is not a good idea. It would be much better for our forces to capture someone who has instigated the murder and mutilation of our combatants.
Adnan Ali, a senior leader of Dawa, a Shiite religious party, said much of the trouble that U.S. forces have had with Sadrâs militia in Najaf, the neighboring city of Kufa and the Baghdad slum of Sadr City can be traced to a U.S. decision two months ago to move against his organization, close its newspaper and arrest one of his chief lieutenants. "We feel the crisis was a penalty we paid because they were left out of the political process," Ali said Sunday in an interview. The "crisis" was the result of a naked power grab. Nothing else.
The question now, Ali said, is the degree to which Sadr will move to make sure his followers and their ragtag militia really do put away their weapons and turn their energy to political work, as discussed in the Najaf cease-fire talks. As enticement, he added, they are likely to be offered slots in a national conference of about 1,000 Iraqi leaders scheduled to convene next month to choose a legislature-like assembly of 250 to 275 members that will supervise the interim government of Prime Minister Ayad Allawi. Hey, thereâs plenty of Kurds and Sunnis to fill those spots if the Shias donât want them.
Shiite political leaders, including members of the Dawa party, are eager to bring Sadr and his followers into the process because that would reinforce chances of a dominant political role for Shiites in the government that emerges from elections scheduled for January. A split Shiite electorate, or a section of the Shiite majority that refuses to participate, could undermine the power of having a 60 percent majority among Iraqâs 25 million inhabitants, they fear. Theyâre not the only ones who worry about this.
"The unity of Shiites is very important as we are moving toward sovereignty," Ali said. Is that "Iraqi sovereignty" or "Shiite sovereignty?"
Ahmed Shaibani, a spokesman for Sadr in Najaf, said Sistani and Sadr discussed transforming the Mahdi Army into a political movement but did not come to any specific conclusion. The subject, he added, is under intense discussion among Sadr followers, Shiite political leaders and the supreme Shiite religious authorities under Sistani.
"In the next days, there will be important discussions to work out the active role of the Mahdi Army and its conversion into a political organization," said Abdul Hadi Darraji, Sadrâs spokesman in Baghdad. "But this will not happen under the authority of the occupation or the interim government. It is up to Shiite religious authorities whether they dissolve the army or convert it into a political movement." The "conversion" had d@mn well better include a complete absence of hardware.
Hassan Adhari, who runs Sadrâs headquarters in Sadr City, the Shiite-inhabited area of 3 million people in eastern Baghdad where the cleric has his base, said the militiaâs members are not formally military and thus could easily participate in Januaryâs elections as a political party. But he made it clear that while the discussions continue, Mahdi Army fighters in Najaf and Kufa will put away their weapons but not abandon them altogether. Any ticket into the political arena had better include a surrender of arms.
Under the truce accord, they pledged to avoid any armed presence in the two cities and allow Iraqi police to ensure security, while U.S. forces were urged to stay away from the Shiite shrines in the area to avoid provocation.
As the Najaf area has calmed down, clashes in Sadr City between U.S. occupation forces and armed Sadr followers have erupted almost daily. Adhari said the street confrontations are likely to ease now, though, because on Sunday morning U.S. soldiers abandoned a police station they were using as a fortified outpost deep in the slum.
The station, painted pastel blue, sat empty and half-destroyed Sunday afternoon, with a crowd of young men gathered outside to view the rubble. Residents explained that Mahdi Army gunmen had set off explosives to destroy the building shortly after the U.S. soldiers left, seeking to guarantee that they would not return.
A roadside bomb exploded nearby, however, as a U.S. military convoy passed later on Sunday, Iraqi police told reporters. The blast caused no injuries to the U.S. soldiers but killed a 14-year-old boy and injured two Iraqi policemen, the Associated Press reported. Another bomb beside an avenue just outside Sadr City killed two U.S. soldiers Saturday and wounded two others. Five U.S. soldiers were killed and five were wounded Friday in an ambush in the same neighborhood.
To the north of Baghdad, insurgents set off a car bomb at a base shared by U.S. and Iraqi military personnel on Sunday, killing nine people. More than 20 others were wounded, U.S. officers on the scene told reporters. The blast was part of an intensified campaign of shootings and bombings in the weeks leading up to June 30, but did not appear connected to the situation in Sadr City.
Assailants using automatic rifles killed seven policemen Saturday after taking over a police station in Musayyib, 40 miles south of Baghdad, witnesses said Sunday. Before they left, the insurgents planted timed explosives that went off and killed four civilians who had come later to see what happened to the policemen, they added.
Posted by: Zenster ||
06/07/2004 1:25:41 AM ||
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look, we can kill tater, and kill his thugs, but the 3 million or so people of Sadr City, at least two thirds or so support tater to a greater or lesser extent, are NOT going away.thats close to 10% of the population of Iraq. I think you do want them included in the political process. Exactly how much to give them, is a decision for Iraqis to make.
#2
Every indication points towards Sadr's desire to merely institute his own brand of theocracy "thugocracy."
Much effort should be made to impress upon these maggots that they are not going to institute religious rule, especially at gunpoint. This is why a complete surrender of arms should be instituted before any admission into the political arena occurs.
After such lengthy oppression, one would hope that Iraq's Shias would know better than to attempt installing a tyranny of the majority. However, Sadr has demonstrated the exact opposite of such a notion and needs to have his clock cleaned as an example.
If tyranny is what they have in mind, they should be treated to the spectacle of being passed by as the new Iraqi government assembles itself into some semblance of a pluralistic democratic society.
#3
..at least two thirds or so support tater to a greater or lesser extent, are NOT going away.thats close to 10% of the population of Iraq. I think you do want them included in the political process.
The problem with this is that given the typical reluctance of Muslims to criticize/speak out against their own extremists, the idea isn't all that far fetched that a small minority of more rabid Sadr supporters could conceivably hijack any moderate Shiite bloc. The very fact that the "Shiite Muslim establishment" is trying to bring this Sadr asshole into their fold despite the problems he is causing/has caused quite plainly indicates that they are afraid of the guy.
#4
..quite plainly indicates that they are afraid of the guy.
I might add, that the above assumes that the so-called "Shiite Muslim establishment" is on the level about its desire to be part of the political process. If they aren't, and there are other more insidious motives at work for wooing Sadr, then there's gonna be trouble down the road.
#5
I dont know BaR. Interesting to note that the strongest voices for including Tater himself are coming from Dawa, not SCIRI.
Thoughts
1. Dawa is afraid of being outvoted by secularist Shiites on the one hand (Allawi, Iraqi communists, etc) and by SCIRI on the other. By including the Sadrists, they see a way of balancing off against the other Shiites.
2. Their base supporters are closest to the Sadrists, and they see it as necessary to be soft toward Sadr to keep their base.
I dont disagree that the prospect of letting of someone whos commited a political murder is VERY bad for democratic prospects. I just dont see all outreach to Sadrists as necessarily doomsday, and I dont see all Shiites as close to united in a block. In fact bringing Sadr in makes Shiite unity more difficult I think, since it alienates the secularist Shiites. It could also be Dawa (and Sistani) playing their own game of what the US is doing in Fallujah - "See, Im NOT captive to you, i can go with your enemies, so youd better pay attention to me"
You need to look at the composition of the Allawi govt. Its VERY secularist by Iraqi standards - its filled with technocrats, Kurds, and with Allawi and Yawer themselves. The fundies only got a couple of positions, and Dawa only got one, IIUC. The Shiite fundies, though giving grudging support, are clearly going to do what they can to improve their maneuvering position, so they arent this boxed in again.
#7
If he continues to appear in public, a Marine sniper should give a him a 12.7 mm third eye. The likelihood of his "Army" being incorporated into the political process was underscored by the explosion of a Mehdi Army ammunition depot in the mosque complex in Kufa.
#8
Allawi was pretty direct today in stating that the Mehdi Army was illegal and would be dealt with harshly if it didn't disarm. Iraqi forces will be better able politically (if not militarily) to confront the Mehdi Army--no big deal (comparitively) if Iraqi forces (rather than US forces) storm a mosque and kill/capture Tater tot.
The Palestinian prisoner`s club on Saturday called for "a day of mourning and protest" on Sunday to mark the sentencing of Fatah chief Marwan Barghouti, who was convicted of murder late last month. "The prisoners club calls on all Palestinians and the Palestinian Authority to decree Sunday a day of mourning and protest to mark Barghuti`s sentencing," the group said in a statement sent to AFP.
Barghuti, a Palestinian MP and chief of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat`s Fatah movement in the West Bank, is to be sentenced by the Tel Aviv court which on May 20 found that he bore direct responsibility for four attacks in which five people were killed. The prosecution recommended five life terms, and another 40 years for attempted murder. One of Barghuti`s lawyers said in May that they would not be appealing the verdict. "Our stand throughout the whole trial is that we do not recognise the jurisdiction of this court, therefore it does not make any sense to appeal a sentence, whatever it is," Shamai Leibowitz told AFP. The prisoner`s club said Barghuti, who has widely been seen as a potential successor to Arafat, would turn 45 on Sunday. He is considered the inspiration behind the Palestinian intifada, which has claimed more than 4,000 lives since it broke out in September 2000. Barghuti was arrested by the Israeli army in the West Bank city of Ramallah in April 2000 and was charged with 26 counts of murder as well as leading the Al-Aqsa Brigades, which has staged a series of deadly attacks on Israeli targets.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/07/2004 10:42:27 PM ||
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Yet another day of seething. Perhaps we should only report on days of paleostinian happiness. Have they had any since 9/11?
#3
When are these mopes going to realize the only good martyr is one who dies in DEFIANCE of the intifada. Whether the Palestinians recognize the jurisdiciton of the court or not, WE recognize that the people who encourage the suicide/murder of their young people are involved in INFANTICIDE, not an intifada.
last tear at this time, it seems like Rantburg was posting "day of Rage" headlines almost every other hour. This is a good sign. If Israel can keep on keepin on, maybe by this time next year, the headlines will read , "day of reflection and discussion abour how to solve their problems in a civilized manner". Maybe.
Iraq is to restore the death penalty after the return of sovereignty later this month, in a measure which could affect ousted president Saddam Hussein, Justice Minister Malik Dohan al-Hassan said on Sunday. "The death penalty is suspended in Iraq but with the return of sovereignty, nothing obliges us to maintain this suspension. We want to re-institute it for very specific cases," he told AFP. "Under Saddam Hussein, there were some 120 crimes punishable by death but we are going to narrow it down," the minister said. The justice minister, less than a week after his appointment, was adamant that Saddam deserved no less than the firing squad. "Some people ask me if Saddam Hussein can escape a death sentence. For me, his case is very simple. He was the head of the armed forces and he deserted. According to his own laws, his crime is already punishable by death," he said. Works for me. I hope the UN guy-Barwhomi- and anti-death penalty coalition partners donât get their panties in a twist over Iraqâs decision.
Posted by: rex ||
06/07/2004 10:57:38 PM ||
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the euros prefer life imprisonment with humiliating mensuating female panties headress and regular arabo-homo naked man pyramids as seen in the latest incarnation of u.s. progressive corrective institutions
Posted by: SON OF TOLUI ||
06/07/2004 0:57 Comments ||
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He was the head of the armed forces and he deserted. I somehow thing they will find something else to charge him with.
Posted by: Phil B ||
06/07/2004 1:28 Comments ||
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If Arabs execute criminals, that's ok with the EUnuchs. They are, after all, the oppressed by definition and allowed to do anything.
#4
I think the Justice Minister's comments, #2, were in anticipation of Saddam's slimeball lawyers trying to pull every trick in the book to get Saddam off "atrocities" [duh...mass murders? no kidding? Uncle Saddam had no idea his evil sons and his twisted commanders were doing these awful things against his beloved Iraqi subjects...] So the Justice Minister is basically saying - try what you will to get him off but Saddam will hang for deserting his army and hiding in a spider hole. We have that on videotape. Checkmate.
Posted by: rex ||
06/07/2004 2:23 Comments ||
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#5
Like Al Capone being sent down for tax evasion - it doesn't matter how it happens, just make sure he's dealt with.
#6
But wait--isn't it inhumane? I would love to hear the Europeans sput-sput-sputtering for an explanation of why Iraqis should be allowed to make a "sovereign" decision on their country's laws.
Armed Iraqi men fired mortars at a police station in the Baghdad slum of Sadr City, where witnesses said a US military vehicle had just been hit by a rocket-propelled grenade Saturday afternoon. Armed men covered the streets and residents shuttered themselves inside in the battle-zone neighborhood where US troops regularly tangle with armed supporters of rebel cleric Moqtada Sadr. A militiaman said Sadr`s people were angry that US soldiers had hauled cement barriers in front of a police station and thought it signaled they would not leave the district anytime soon. US troops were positioned inside the police station.
Mohammed Mijthab, an official from Sadr General hospital, said three Iraqi civilians were killed and three others wounded in fighting overnight. The military said soldiers killed several assailants early Saturday after their convoy was attacked in the Shiite slum. "US soldiers fired on a group of individuals armed with rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launchers as they ignited their vehicle near a police station in Sadr City around 5:00 am (0100 GMT)," a spokeswoman said earlier. "Several of the individuals were killed. The remainder fled the area. There were no reports of coalition or Iraqi police casualties," she added.
It was not clear who was responsible for the attacks, but the slums are a smoldering bastion of anti-US sentiment where troops have regularly clashed with Sadr`s Mehdi Army militia since April. On Friday, five US soldiers were killed when their convoy came under rocket-propelled grenade fire, forcing it to stop before a bomb exploded, on the edge of the district. Tensions between US forces and the militia have remained high despite a fledgling ceasefire between the sides in Shiite holy cities of Najaf and Kufa.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/07/2004 10:36:21 PM ||
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i don't get it--can't we send the crips and the bloods to take out these slum gangs--we need gang intelligence teams--and to spread some money around--to locate and castrate the local religious hoodlems--either that or send in baron haussman and some caterpillars and turn that festering slum into a verrry wiiide boulevard
Posted by: SON OF TOLUI ||
06/07/2004 1:03 Comments ||
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Today I heard one of Reagan's pals interviewed on Fox News. When asked what Reagan might do in Iraq, Reagan's friend said "I believe President Reagan would be far more forceful." I googled an article in the Telegraph from 2002 which quoted Lady Thatcher and her approach to handling terrorists: Lady Thatcher was critical of Western policy on global terrorist networks. "We have harboured those who hated us, tolerated those who threatened us and indulged those who weakened us."
America should resist being drawn into peacekeeping and "nation-building" efforts because "it is best that the United States, as the only global military superpower, deploy its energies militarily rather than on social work".
Perhaps it's too late to "take out" the bad guys with force, because it will mean collateral damage. June 30th is around the corner and no one wants to upset the apple cart. I don't agree with this acquiescent approach, but I think that's how it's going to go down.
Posted by: rex ||
06/07/2004 1:43 Comments ||
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its a good deed to speak well of the dead, but before we say Reagan would have handled Iraq better, it might be worth looking at how he reacted in Lebanon.
#4
looks like the Mahdis have left Najaf and Karbala and returned to their base in Sadr City. While this is in some ways a harder place to fight them, since they have civilian support there, we dont have the Shiite shrines to worry about, which is why they went to those cities in the first place. Now its just a matter of steadily wearing them away, while the Iraqi govt moves forward.
A renegade leader has withdrawn from Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, four days after capturing the strategic eastern town. Gen Laurent Nkunda left the town in a convoy shortly after announcing that his men had completed their mission.
"All the liquor's stolen and all the women and cats are pregnant. We can go now."
He said his troops were moving to the north of Bukavu airport. Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel was travelling to the DR Congo on Sunday to try to help rescue efforts to secure a permanent peace settlement. Mr Michel planned to hold talks in the capital Kinshasa, as well as in neighbouring Rwanda and Uganda. In fresh violence, two South African peacekeepers were shot dead when their convoy was ambushed near the town of Goma, north of Bukavu, UN officials said. At least nine others were wounded.
The fall of Bukavu had sparked fears that the country's fragile peace process might be unravelling. Gen Nkunda said his decision to pull out of the town followed discussions with members of the transitional government and the UN. "I am unilaterally taking the decision to pull my men out beyond the airport as a show of goodwill," Gen Nkunda told reporters. A UN spokesman, Sebastien Lapierre, said the UN was carefully monitoring the withdrawal to see if all rebel soldiers would leave.
"Are they gone yet?"
Posted by: Fred ||
06/07/2004 10:45:24 PM ||
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...and all the women and cats are pregnant.
Thanks Fred, I'll now take a Brillo pad to my eyeballs to erase that mental image.
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/07/2004 1:23 Comments ||
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and all the women and cats are pregnant.
You forgot too define the gender of the cats.
Posted by: Charles ||
06/07/2004 7:46 Comments ||
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Renowned gynaecologist Dr Suraiya Nisar, proprietor of Al-Zohra Hospital in Dera Ghazi Khan, was shot dead by two unidentified men at her hospital on Sunday. One of the men stayed at the hospitalâs gate while the second man went inside, asked for her and shot her dead when she came to meet him. Her brotherâs driver, Muhammad Ibrahim, was shot and injured when he tried to catch the attacker. âI am confident that it was a sectarian killing because we have been receiving death threats for some time,â the deceased gynaecologistâs brother, Dr Iftikhar Hussain, said. Police said, âA terrorist attack canât be ruled out.â
Posted by: Fred ||
06/07/2004 9:28:32 PM ||
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This is really sickening. Here is a women who dedicated her life to healing, and was gunned down like a dog. These jihadis are not wired right. They are not fixable. They and their imams who prime them with this crap must be erased before Afghanistan can crawl out of the hole it has dug for itself.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
06/07/2004 0:27 Comments ||
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I really don't get it. Here is a woman physician taking care of women, not harming anyone, not mingling with the men -- and they gun her down.
I'm with AP -- the obstetrician delivering these sick f**ks applied the forceps too firmly at precisely the wrong time.
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/07/2004 1:21 Comments ||
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It's a different culture! There's no such things as 'good guys' and 'bad guys'; don't be simplistic. She was surely provoking them too, in nuanced ways. They felt humiliated' by her presence and achievements. I'm sure they had perfectly honourable motivations. Probably came from disadvantaged backgrounds...
#4
Probably came from disadvantaged backgrounds... Exactly, this excuse and all of the other idiotic liberal/socialist/communist causes of terrorism.
Kill em, Kill em all before they get their chance at us. Thank God for men of some moral clarity such as Reagan and Bush. Even with their faults and weaknesses, can you imagine a Gore or Kerry or Clinton or Carter leading this country at this time??
#5
AP
Dera Ghazi Khan is in Pakistan's Punjab province
The Deobandis have been targetting Shia doctors for years, they've killed dozens of them, since doctors are such a widely respected and priveleged group, they make excellent targets.
Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
06/07/2004 7:46 Comments ||
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Antisense,I sincerly hope you are being sarcastic.Otherwise your need to change your handle to proidiocy.These a#$holes need to be exterminated like any other disease carrying insect.
#8
"Antisense" is likely parodying "Antiwar", so read that comment as sarcasm--and well done sarcasm at that!
Posted by: Dar ||
06/07/2004 10:48 Comments ||
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Antisense forgot the obligatory slam at the Joooos and their illegal occupation, as well as the millions of civilians and babies we've bayonetted in Iraq to do a really good Antiwar parody
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/07/2004 11:04 Comments ||
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Also, I'm wondering if the good gynaecologist lady doctor...perhaps...on occasion...handed out birth control pills...or perhaps...on occasion...performed abortions??? Those actions would not be approved by Allah.
Posted by: rex ||
06/07/2004 12:42 Comments ||
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#11
Frank's right--and don't forget the baby ducks! You can usually get five or six of them on a bayonet.
*ahem* um...or so I've been told.
Posted by: Dar ||
06/07/2004 14:04 Comments ||
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#12
This tactic of killing doctors is taking place across the jihadi range of operation, from the Phillipines to Algeria. It reminds me of Pol Pot and his campaign against anyone touched by the western taint. Mao propagated that brand of fanaticism as well.
#13
Good point Rex--and don't forget the Christian nutz right here in the US who oppose birth control--and uhh yeah...didn't they kill a few doctors too? Religious extremism in Islam certainly has it's parallel with the Christian Operation Rescue nutz
Posted by: Not Mike Moore ||
06/07/2004 22:03 Comments ||
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#14
Quite a "parallel" NMM.
How about the parallel between fascist, anti-free speech, thug-run kill-the-Republicans-and-the Jews ANSWER rallies and Nuremberg 1938? You're comfortable at the one now and you'd have been comfortable at the other then...
Security forces have arrested a suspected Al Qaeda-linked militant of foreign nationality in the northwestern tribal region bordering Afghanistan, said military spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan on Sunday. âHe is a foreigner, he was arrested on Friday,â he said. However Maj Gen Sultan would not confirm the 24-year-old manâs nationality but another security official said that he had said he was Russian. âThe suspect first identified himself as a Pakistani, giving his name as Abid Ayaz, and, on further interrogation, revealed that he is a Russian belonging to Moscow,â the official said in Peshawar.
"You're a Pak? That's a pretty funny accent y'got there for bein' a Pak!"
"Is being from Far North Vaziristan!"
âWe suspect he has links with the Al Qaeda terror network,â the official said. The suspect was being interrogated by police and military intelligence, he added. Maj Gen Sultan said, âCertain investigations are to be carried out before we finally establish the nationality.â Pakistani troops have stepped up security at the border amid allegations that Taliban and Al Qaeda fugitives flee into Pakistan after attacks in Afghanistan on Afghan and US-led coalition forces. Under a deal brokered by tribal elders in April, the Pakistani government said an estimated 500 foreigners suspected to be Al Qaeda-linked militants in the area could stay there if they renounced militancy and registered with the authorities. However none has registered.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/07/2004 9:41:28 PM ||
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Some 5,000 peace activists, including women, rallied in Karachi on Sunday to denounce a series of terror attacks that has claimed at least 50 lives last month, witnesses said. Chanting âNo to terrorism, yes to peaceâ, and âNo to guns, yes to pensâ, marchers carrying banners, placards and national flags paraded in the streets. Governor Ishratul Ibad, Chief Minister Ali Mohammad Mahar and city Nazim Naimatullah Khan spearheaded the peace rally. âThe people of Karachi want peace, economic prosperity. We will not allow terrorism in the name of Islam,â Mr Ibad told participants.
Yeah, right. You're gonna stop it any minute now...
The rally was attended by people from all walks of life including prominent businessmen, industrialists, artists, social workers, students, non-governmental organisations, members of the Sindh cabinet, Sindh Assembly, National Assembly and Senate. Police had shut down roads leading to the mausoleum and traffic was diverted to Khuda Dad Chowk. Governor Ibad addressed the rally and renewed his pledge to revive the true spirit and charms of the city by uniting Karachiites. The governor said the terrorists had only succeeded in temporarily disturbing Karachiâs peace. âWe, the people of Karachi, will foil their conspiracy and eliminate them in the long run,â he added. He said the terrorists neither belonged to Karachi nor to Sindh. They were not Pakistanis and could not be Muslims, as a Muslim could not kill other Muslims, he added.
And in further news from Dreamland...
He also said the Sindh government had restored peace in the city. He asked the business community to remain united and promote their businesses.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/07/2004 9:29:42 PM ||
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#1
Hate to tell you this,Chief Minister,but walking around holding hands,and singing Kumbaya will not work.I suggest a little Vigilanty Justice.How about inviteing some of the Jihadists to a good old fashion Necktie party?
Eleven people were killed in Kashmir, including seven suspected militants shot by Indian troops and two children playing with an explosive device, police said on Sunday. Security forces gunned down the suspected militants in three clashes overnight and on Sunday in southern Poonch and Doda districts, a police spokesman said in Srinagar. Two of the dead militants were residents of Pakistan who belonged to Hizb, police said. A boy and a girl died near northern Bandipora town when they were playing with an abandoned explosive device that blew up, police said. Suspected militants also shot dead a Hindu and a Muslim civilian in Doda. âThey were killed after being abducted from their houses by militants,â a police spokesman said, adding that the motive behind the killings was not known.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/07/2004 9:32:48 PM ||
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The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has announced that it will convene jirgas to condemn the alleged atrocities of the government in the tribal areas and the violation of the Wana Agreement. The first grand jirga would be held on June 13 in Khyber Agency. JI naib ameer, Senator Professor Muhammad Ibrahim, said this while addressing a tribal jirga at the Al Markaz Islami on Sunday. The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) senator said it would be a mistake on the part of the government if it conducted an operation in the tribal areas. âRegistration of foreigners is not part of the Wana Agreement and the government should not impose this condition on the tribesmen,â Mr Ibrahim said while accusing the government of violating the Wana Agreement.
The whole idea was to get control of the foreigners in South Waziristan...
The JI leader urged the government to solve the Wana issue through dialogue. He said the NWFP governor had made a big âblunderâ by declaring the Ahmedzai Wazir tribe an enemy. âThe governor should take these words back,â he demanded. The senator demanded the release of âinnocentâ tribal elders belonging to the Ahmedzai Wazir tribe, an end to the blockade of the Wana bazaar, the return of impounded vehicles and an end to the curfew-like situation. MNA Shabbir Ahmed Khan, MNA Haroonur Rashid and Zar Noor Afridi and other party activists from the tribal agencies attended the jirga.
At least we know which side they're on...
Posted by: Fred ||
06/07/2004 9:33:40 PM ||
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Foreign aid agencies suspended their activities in Balochistan after a terrorist threat on Sunday. Police was deployed at the offices of foreigners working for non-government organisations (NGOs). Balochistan Inspector General (IG) of Police Yaqub Chaudhry said security had been increased for foreigners in Quetta and other parts of the province. Foreigners were asked to inform the police of their movements for security purposes, he said, adding that terrorist threats had been received in the past but were mostly not carried through. An official working for aid agency Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF) said they had closed down their offices and would meet on Wednesday to plan strategy. MSF works for Afghan refugees inside Pakistan and Afghanistan. An Afghan commissioner had issued a letter to all NGOs on Saturday, alerting them of attacks by Al Qaeda or the Taliban in Balochistan. The letter quoted an Afghan refugee organisation as saying that some elements could attack foreigners. United Nations High Commission for Refugees spokesman Babar Baloch said they had also received a letter from the Afghan commissioner asking them to increase security around their offices and adopt security measures while travelling. He said the repatriation of Afghan refugees was in full swing but they had to suspend work till further orders.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/07/2004 9:21:56 PM ||
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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.
