A strong explosion shook the Hilton hotel in Egypt's Taba resort, only yards from the Israeli border, as many Israelis were vacationing Thursday night at the close of a Jewish holiday. Egyptian security officials said there were "a large number of wounded." "The whole front of the hotel has collapsed. There are dozens of people on the floor, lots of blood. It is very tense," witness Yigal Vakni told Israel's Army Radio. "I am standing outside of the hotel, the whole thing is burning and they have nothing to put it out with." The Egyptian security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the explosion took place among gas tanks in the kitchen of the hotel, which is next to the casino where many tourists were at the time of the blast. They said they had no initial indications that the blast was a result of terrorism. From the radio : unconfirmed deathtoll is now at 23, blast is said to be a carbomb (israeli radio), while egyptian authorities speaks of an accidental explosion due to a gas leak
At least 30 people were killed and about 114 were wounded, both Israelis and other nationals, in a large explosion at the Hilton Hotel in Taba, near the Israel-Egypt border after 10:00 p.m. Thursday evening. A fire is raging at the hotel. Israel Police said that a car bomb caused the explosion at the hotel, Channel 10 TV said. Searches showed the engine of a car in the hotel's lobby.
That kinda shoots down the faulty stove story...
Over 60 of the wounded have been rushed to the Taba crossing where Magen David Adom ambulances were waiting to evacuate them to the Josephthal Hospital in Eilat. The hospital has asked Eilat residents to make their way to the hospital and donate blood. 12 wounded people have been taken to Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba. Doctors in the south of Israel were asked to come to Eilat, and surgeons from across the country will be flown to the southern city to aid the local medical personal. Social workers are also arriving at Eilat and Sinai to assist.
Not long after the Taba blast, two explosions rocked Ras Al-Satan, another resort area in the Sinai Peninsula. There is no word on how many casualties are at the scene. Unconfirmed reports based on Israelis in the area say seven Egyptians have been wounded in a blast in that area. Israel is asking permission from Egyptian authorities to land helicopters in Ras a-Satan Egyptian state reported that the whole western side of the hotel, including seven stories, collapsed. The building itself is in danger of collapsing and casualties are reportedly captured under the ruins.
Israeli media reports said the explosion was caused by either a double suicide bombing or a booby-trapped car. However, Egyptian public television has reported that a gas leak was the cause. An eyewitness told Channel 1 TV that the explosion at the Taba Hotel did not occur near the Casino, contrary to media reports. The Hilton Hotel in Taba is frequented by Israelis traveling to Sinai and many Israelis arrived there over the past days of the Succot and Simchat Torah holidays. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon spoke with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and asked him to allow Israeli paramedics to enter Egypt and evacuate the wounded to Israel. Shortly after, Egyptian officials allowed Israeli ambulances to cross into Egypt. Israeli paramedics reached the Hilton Hotel and are currently assisting Egyptian rescue workers. The Israel Defense Forces dispatched medical crews and ground forces to the Taba terminal area. Two helicopters and a large plane have also been sent to Eilat to assist with transferring the wounded to hospitals across the country. Israelis returning from Sinai are reporting crowded conditions in the Taba crossing into Israel. Israel Radio reported Egyptian soldiers began shooting in the air to stop the pushing and shoving. The Eilat Municipality opened the city's Rabin School for Israelis returning from Sinai to spend the night.
Officials in the Shin Bet told The Jerusalem Post that it is too premature to determine whether the explosion was caused by suicide bombers or a car bomb parked at the entrance to the hotel. The official stressed that for a number of weeks specific warnings were received of plans by terrorists to launch an attack against Israelis in Sinai. The Foreign Ministry issued a travel warning to Sinai shortly before the High Holy Days. Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz ordered OC Home Front Command Maj.-Gen. Yair Naveh to travel to Eilat with emergency squads to assist with the evacuations.
A blast ripped through the Hilton hotel in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Taba, with medical sources saying at least 100 people had been killed or wounded. The blast, the reasons for which were not immediately clear, killed or wounded at least 100 people of different nationalities, an Egyptian hospital source said. At least 23 Israelis were killed in the blast, Egyptian police said. Israeli radio reported that the blast was likely an attack, with an Israeli foreign ministry saying it could have been a car bomb attack, although the Egyptian public TV had earlier said the blast was due to a gas leak.
Bomb blasts hit three Egyptian Red Sea resorts used by vacationing Israelis on Thursday and at least 30 people were feared dead from the biggest explosion, Israeli media said. A blast that tore through Taba's Hilton hotel, just yards from the border crossing point, was followed shortly by explosions at two other resort towns in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula popular with Israelis. Israeli media said the Hilton hotel in Taba was ablaze and 10 floors had collapsed, possibly trapping some people in the rubble. Israeli rescue teams rushed over the border.
...Israel Police said that at least 30 people had been killed in the blast, mostly Israeli tourists. A source at Taba Hospital said that 114 people had been wounded. Israeli security sources said there was growing conviction that the explosion had been caused by a bomb-laden truck. Two other blasts occurred about two hours later in the area of the nearby resort towns of Ras Satan, a camping area full of Israeli tourists, and Nueiba, witnesses said. Several hours after the blast, Egyptian television said that Egyptian police have made initial arrests of people suspected of involvement in the bombings, Channel 2 reported.
I'm really curious as to who they might be...
A source at the southern Sinai health directorate said one Egyptian was killed in the explosion at Ras Satan. Channel 10 said that two Israelis were killed in the blast there. According to an Egyptian official, two people - an Israeli and an Egyptian - were killed in Nueiba. Egyptian television said 43 people had been wounded in the explosion at the resort, almost all of them non-Egyptians. The explosion at the Hilton, which took place in the lobby of the hotel at around 10 P.M., caused the ceiling of the lobby to collapse. The hotel was at full occupancy at the time of the explosion. A fire then broke out at the hotel, and hotel guests on the upper floors were evacuated via the emergency exits. Some 10 floors of the western part of the hotel later caved in as well.
Egypt has informed Israel that it will do everything necessary to help Israel bring Israelis home from the Sinai, Channel 2 reported. Four hours after the blast, the Israel Defense Forces were in command of the scene, said the IDF spokesman, Brigadier General Ruth Yaron. Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom asked his Egyptian counterpart for permission to allow Israelis to pass through the border crossing without documentation checks and to fly rescue workers into the Sinai, Foreign Ministry spokesman Gideon Meir said. Shalom also said Israel wants to send between 20 and 30 buses to the Sinai to bring home the approximately 15,000 Israelis still in the Sinai.
Palestinians Deny Responsibility
Palestinian officials, however, denied any link to the explosions, but said Israeli repeated aggressions against their people could be a motive for revenge. "Our battle with Israel is limited to occupied Palestinian territories and no Palestinian (resistance) faction is behind the Sinai blasts," security consultant of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, General Jibril Al-Rajoub, said on Al-Jazeera. "Israeli continuous onslaughts and ignoring of all international resolutions lead to frustration and if these blasts were a revengeful act, only Israel has itself to blame."
Following Israel's assassination Sunday, September 26, of a senior Hamas member in the Syrian capital Damascus, Hamas political leaders declared their war with Israel was limited to their Palestinian lands, rejecting Israel's attempts to a war outside the borders. Several observers, commenting on Sinai blasts on Al-Jazeera, agreed the Palestinian factions could never be behind the blasts, citing very good relations and close consultations with the Egyptian government. "No Palestinian faction could be implicated here, especially Hamas. They are too smart to risk losing a strong supporter like Egypt. It could be Al-Qaeda or any one else, but not Palestinians," Abdul Bari Atwan, Editor-in-chief of London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi daily said.
Israeli Foreign Ministry sources, on the other hand, were quick to put the blame on the Palestinians and a spokesman went even further by blaming Al-Qaeda. "These terrorist acts are committed by the Palestinians and by Al-Qaeda militants against Israeli citizens," Lieour Bindour, an Israeli foreign ministry spokesman told Al-Jazeera. He, however, refused to link the blasts to Israel's ongoing onslaught against Gaza, insisting the Palestinians needed no justification to attack the Israeli citizens. The spokesman further refused to answer a question on the reasons behind such attacks. Egyptian sources refused, however, to say anything decisive about the cause or responsibility of the blasts.
Fox News says "Jamaa al-Islamiyyah al-Alamiyyah" (World Islamic Group) is claiming responsibility for the blasts. Dan his the link at Winds of Change. I'm wondering if the booms at the Sheraton in Baghdad and near the U.S. embassy in Kabul at about the same time are coincidental...
#1
I'm liveblogging it over at WoC and there's been a claim of responsibility. Still agnostic about the perps, but it looks like Binny's stormtroopers to me.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
10/07/2004 20:39 Comments ||
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Breaking news. Possible multiple blasts elsewhere in Egypt. Hallmarks of a classic AlQ murder spree.
A strong explosion damaged the Hilton hotel in Egypt's Taba resort, only yards from the Israeli border, on Thursday night, witnesses said. Israeli medics said they had been informed of "a large number of casualties." "The whole front of the hotel has collapsed," witness Yigal Vakni told Israel's Army Radio. "There are dozens of people on the floor, lots of blood, it is very tense. I am standing outside of the hotel, the whole thing is burning and they have nothing to put it out with," he added. "There is nothing here." The blast could be heard strongly a mile from the hotel, said Selma Abu el-Dahab, who works at another Taba hotel. She said a worker from her hotel returned from the Hilton and told of the explosion before collapsing.
Taba is the main crossing between Israel and Egypt and the gateway for thousands of Israelis who travel to the hotels and resorts on the Red Sea. Thursday is the last day of the weeklong Jewish festival of Sukkot (search), when thousands of Israelis vacation in the Sinai. Vakni said most of the people at the Hilton were Israeli. "I was in the casino when it happened," he said. "There was a massive explosion and the left wall came down. People started to run around like crazy."
On Sept. 9, the Israeli government urged citizens not to visit Egypt, citing a "concrete" terror threat to tourists in an area. The warning, issued by the counter-terrorism center in the Prime Minister's office, identified Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, where Taba is located, as the target of a potential attack. "Recently a concrete possibility has emerged that terrorists will try to attack tourist centers in Egypt, especially the Sinai," the Israeli Foreign Ministry (search) said in a statement published on its Web site.
#1
Massive bomb attack collapses Taba Hilton: at least 23 dead
By israelinsider staff October 7, 2004
A massive explosion rocked the Taba Hilton in Sinai on the Israeli border. There are reports that the lobby has collapsed and a fire has broken out. There are conflicting reports as to whether the blast was caused by suicide bombers or a car bomb. Hamas took responsibility on their web site. For nearly an hour ambulances were waiting at the border, waiting for Egyptian permission to enter.
Now Israeli ambulances have been allowed in, and Israeli helicopters are reportedly enroute to evacuate the wounded.
News agencies report at least 23 dead, but the death toll is expected to rise.
Dozens of Israelis suffering light-to-moderate wounds have already crossed from Egypt into Israel and are receiving medical treatment from Magen David Adom personnel.
16 are being treated at Yosef Tal hospital in Eilat.
"I heard a huge explosion. The wall near me collapsed and people began to run. There were many casualties... The
explosion was outside. When we went out we saw the shops and the internal wall of the hotel had collapsed," the witness, called Yigal, told Army Radio.
"Some people it was a gas canister explosion and others said it was a terrorist attack. There are a lot of people [lying on the ground]. There is a lot of blood, a lot of screaming," he added.
"The whole front of the hotel has collapsed," he said. "I am standing outside of the hotel, the whole thing is burning and they have nothing to put it out with. There is nothing here."
There are reportedly celebrations in Gaza and in Cairo
For the mullahs, hated by the majority of Iranians within Iran they are well aware soon their time will expire, in a joint domestic supported and outside guided overthrow of the Tehran dictatorship.
The wild card in all of this is will the death cultist mullahs if pushed attack the largest oil field in the world, across the Persian Gulf in Saudi Arabia. If they take this action it will ruin the Western economy through panic driving market mania. In 9-11 the World (Trade) center was attacked in the hope to cripple the American and interlinked world-wide economic system, it failed! Iran's cold blooded oil barons know they can forget war crimes trials for the horrors they have committed since Jan of 1979, it will be swift justice from the common man in the street.
In the 1979 with the Carter organized coup of the Shah the resulting financial fallout in the oil and gold/silver markets turned to madness with rocketing prices. The stakes are even higher now and the mullahs know it.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
10/07/2004 18:14 Comments ||
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#6
If Hamas did this, (Israel can easily prove it or not) there cannot be any more holding back in the complete destruction of Hamas in Gaza. If Paleo children get killed, I don't give a crap. Destroy Hamas NOW!!!
#8
Ship ....Last Oct-Nov I saw this coming and went WAY, way out 10 -14 months out and just sat on them which is tough, brokers had a good laugh, they are not now! If you believe you are correct simply ignore them but always remind them after the fact. Usually if the broker is human he will admit he goofed up and the same applies to me. I did not factor in hurricanes but organized Islamic terrorism dramatically rising threatening oil reserves plus the fact Iran would have to be dealt with (Opec's #2 exporter).
Do the math, each penny earned (Put or Call) (or futures) in crude oil or natural gas is worth $10, thus from an average of $29.50 a year ago, to today's, let's round it off to $52.50 as barrel, the rise in NYMEX crude rocketed up (in one year) $23 a barrel,,,but that is really 23,000 cents times $10 = 23K on a straight futures contract. If one has earned that, granted had to wait many months is this the time to peel of some of those and go even longer into the mid-winter and mid-summer months of 2005,,,yes it is! Winter is not here ...yet.
Everything traded in energy is going crazy. If the Northeast winter which is only less than a month and a half away prior to heavy heating oil & natural gas usage is even a bit colder then the so-called average the consumer/homeowner will pay more this winter then any perviously. Contracts are $$$$ if there is a reasonable expectation of hitting the strike price or coming close on momentum.
Also copper, the unseen winner to the average member of the public, the metal has more than doubled and will continue due to the construction boom ongoing in Red China. Will that boom continue? It will, unless there is a meltdown on Wall Street triggered by an unthinkable jihadic attack. In my opinion copper in the next six months has room to climb another 40%, again if China's housing binge is not disrupted. You know sometimes more profits are earned on the put side of any market if one has the insight to foresee the reversal ahead of the mob. The same applies to oil. Nothing goes up forever and when she crashed back it will be a long ride down, but we are not there as I write this.
Having properly placed puts on the major stock indexes should be seriously considered in light of the current unstable outlook in stocks.
Any thoughts on this?
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
10/07/2004 19:22 Comments ||
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Egypt closes Suez Canal and declares all Sinai Peninsula closed military zone. Cairo reports 43 casualties in blast at Red Sea Sinai resort of Nuweiba. Israeli sources say at least 7 killed. Another 2 Israelis reported killed, 10 injured by a car bomb at Ras al-Satan. No information on third Sinai coast explosion. Israeli aid workers denied access. Another unexploded bomb car is believed at large in Sinai, possibly seeking target.
Death toll from first blast at Taba Hotel approaches 40, with estimated 150 injured, according to Cairo daily Al Ahram. Some Israeli casualties moved to Egyptian hospitals. DEBKAfile reports increasing indications of al Qaeda’s hand behind multiple attacks on Israeli civilians in Egyptian Sinai
Scores injured and buried in rubble of still burning Taba hotel near Egyptian-Israeli border ravaged by suspected truck bomb while crowded with Israeli holiday-makers. Ten-story western wing collapsed and eastern wing consumed in flames.
Sharon called Mubarak and asked to ease passage of rescue teams through border terminal. After Egyptian obstructions, Israeli medical teams reached hotel to tend injured. Magen David on multi-casualty emergency flew in blood transfusions. Three hospitals in central Israel prepared for massive intake of wounded ferried in by air force helicopters. Tel Hashomer and Sorocca flew emergency surgical teams to Eilat's Josephthal hospital.
Israel’s Homeland Command in charge of crisis sends rescue teams to hunt for victims buried in rubble. Open telephone line between Israeli defense minister Mofaz and Egyptian minister Omar Suleiman.
#10
Just heard on CNN that the Palestinians have condemned the attack. It's laughable. The reason that they are condemning it, of course, is not because Israelis have died in this barbaric fashion but because they don't want the Egyptians to think Palestinians had anything to do with it.
I imagine also that they have quickly stopped any street celebrations in the same way that they stopped them after 9/11.
#11
This yet another case of the jihad cowards commiting mass murder. Our gloves better come off real soon regarding those national states behind these slaughters, supports and 'comrades'. Iran, Syria, North Korea, Hizballah's Lebanon, Cuba, the Sudan, and the backstabing Saudis for footing the bills for the majority of 'Islamic (terrorist training) Centers throughout the globe.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
10/07/2004 23:16 Comments ||
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A part-time British soldier faces a court martial next week in connection with fake pictures published in the Daily Mirror newspaper supposedly showing UK troops abusing Iraqi prisoners, the Ministry of Defence said. They were published just days after similar images appeared in the United States showing U.S. soldiers abusing prisoners at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib jail, photos which inflamed the Arab world. The soldier will appear at a military court hearing on Monday in Catterick, northeast England. Defence sources identified him as Private Stuart Mackenzie, from the Lancastrian and Cumbrian Volunteers Territorial Army, a part-time unit attached to the Queen's Lancashire Regiment. Piers Morgan, the Daily Mirror editor, was dismissed in May over the pictures after a government investigation found they were faked. The paper apologised to its readers and said it had been the victim of a "calculated and malicious hoax."
Pity CBS doesn't have the same morals.
Posted by: Steve ||
10/07/2004 1:34:43 PM ||
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Court documents have revealed alleged communications between a British citizen and Mohammed Naeem Noor Khan, an al Qaeda computer expert arrested in Pakistan in July. The newly released indictment alleges that Babar Ahmad communicated with Naeem Noor Khan, an al Qaeda expert arrested in Pakistan in July. Until U.S. officials leaked the arrest of Khan to reporters, Pakistan had been using him to track down al Qaeda operatives around the world, Pakistan intelligence sources said in early August. In background briefings with journalists, unnamed U.S. government officials said it was the capture of Khan that provided the information that led Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge to announce a higher terror alert level.
San Juan's international airport was closed for more than an hour Thursday morning after bomb-sniffing dogs alerted police to a suspicious piece of luggage, authorities said. The luggage was abandoned in the American Airlines terminal and an X-ray check determined it contained an unknown mass with connected cables, said Fernando Diaz, security director at the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport. A police anti-bomb unit analyzed the contents of the luggage and authorities determined it was non-explosive. The airport reopened after a female passenger claimed the luggage, saying it was a laptop computer, police said.
Airport authorities blocked departures for more than an hour, but arrivals continued during the shutdown, Diaz said. Police cut off roads leading to the airport, creating a massive traffic jam. The airport, a hub in the Caribbean that provides connections to most islands in the region, handles 500 daily flights, airport general manager Fred Sosa said. Sosa could not say how many flights or passengers were affected.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
10/07/2004 2:42:11 PM ||
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No evidence exists to back reports that al-Qaida terrorists are in Central America, the chief of the regional office for the international police agency Interpol said Wednesday.
"Pooh!"
"Yes, pooh!"
Saul Hernandez said police in the region were on the watch for terrorists, but he said there was no evidence showing overseas terrorists have tried to contact Central American gangs.
"Nope. Nope. Never happened."
Interviewed by a small group of reporters during Interpol's annual assembly here, Hernandez said investigators also had been unable to confirm the presence in Central America of a suspected al-Qaida member, Adnan Gushair El Shukrijumah, despite earlier official reports he had been spotted in Honduras. "We do not have information that effectively confirms that this person was there," said Hernandez, who is also El Salvador's police commissioner.
"Coulda been anybody."
"Yeah. Pooh."
Referring to reports that terrorists might recruit Central American youth gangs known as "maras," Hernandez said: "At no moment has there been evidence that would tend to relate (the maras) with affairs such as terrorism." He said such contacts were unlikely due to the maras' tendency "to establish themselves in a territory and develop local criminal activity."
"Really. Just giving them money doesn't make them do stuff!"
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
10/07/2004 12:15:15 AM ||
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More than ten Al Qaeda representatives, who are functionaries at quite a high level, are operating in Chechnya, Alexander Potapov, deputy chief of the Russian Federal Security Service's (FSB) branch for Chechnya, told Interfax on Wednesday. "Our information suggests that they are medium-ranking members of Al Qaeda. Of the overall number of mercenaries, more than ten people are direct members of the Al Qaeda international terrorist network," Potapov said. "Osama bin Laden will never make people he does not trust fully his close associates. Otherwise, he would have been killed long ago by his own people for the $25 million promised by the United States."
At present, Al Qaeda's main representative in Chechnya is Arab mercenary Abu Khavs, who has replaced Abu al-Walid killed by federal forces in April 2004. Another Arab mercenary, Abu Zeit, is responsible for coordinating subversive operations in Ingushetia and the neighboring Urus-Martan and Achkhoi-Martan districts in Chechnya, he said. "On the whole, an analysis of incoming reports suggests that there can be more than 150 mercenaries, who are citizens of about 40 countries, in Chechnya. Most of them are Arabs, Turks, citizens of Western countries and the CIS," Potapov said.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
10/07/2004 12:00:00 AM ||
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An explosion shattered windows at the seat of the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians in Istanbul on Thursday, officials said. There were no reports of injuries. The blast struck the roof of the Cathedral of St. George, shattering windows there as well as in the main building of the Ecumenical Patriarchate complex, a Patriarchate official said on condition of anonymity. A terrorism police squad was investigating the cause of the blast, police officials said. The blast came weeks after police clashed with hundreds of rock-throwing nationalist Turks who staged a protest outside the Patriarchate and burned an effigy of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, whom far-right groups accuse of working against Turkish interests.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/07/2004 11:38:29 AM ||
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Malaysian police are investigating a third case in 12 months of suspected sabotage involving a Malaysia Airlines plane, after wires were severed in an Airbus A330. Police said on Thursday the plane had been grounded at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Tuesday after ground crew found some electrical wires had been cut inside the aircraft, which was being prepared for a flight to Bangkok. Assistant Commissioner Abdul Rasman Hussin said police were not treating the sabotage as terrorism and suspected someone inside the airline was responsible, though he declined to speculate about a motive. "No, there's no connection with terrorism," he said. "We suspect an inside job and we're trying to narrow down (a list of suspects)," he said, adding that police were combing through lists of all the airline's staff with access to aircraft.
Malaysia Airlines said it had stepped up security again after the latest incident but declined to comment further. Assistant Commissioner Abdul Rasman declined to give details on the severed wiring. The Star newspaper said on Thursday it was found under an instrument panel below the flight captain's seat after flight systems indicated a malfunction. Two Malaysia Airlines planes were grounded late last year after wires were found to be tampered with -- an Airbus bound for Perth, Australia, in October and a Boeing jet bound for Bombay in November, local media reported. "It's not the same wiring (as in the previous cases) but is in the same location (of the plane)," Abdul Rasman said. Police detained and questioned 14 airline maintenance staff after the first incident late last year. But police said on Thursday they had yet to identify a suspect.
#3
Maybe it is a labor dispute, heh heh. Hope the crews perform thorough preflights.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
10/07/2004 22:08 Comments ||
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#4
that's why they design it to have two wings....
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/07/2004 22:14 Comments ||
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#5
Zenster, you need to learn to read. They didn't say it wasn't suspicious. They said it wasn't terrorism. Whether that is true or not remains to be seen. However, aircraft have been sabotaged by disgruntled employees before. In the 1980s one in the US was actually caused to crash.
Pentagon gang leader Alonto Tahir is alive contrary to the military's report that he was killed during a raid on his hideout in the Liguasan Marsh, a ranking gang leader claimed. Pentagon Maguindanao group commander Tacio Mamaluba, who surrendered to military authorities on Tuesday, said the ailing gang leader has been in hiding and has become suspicious of his men after the military raid on Aug. 13.
"Yar! Yer gonna sell me out, y'bastards! I can hear yez plottin' an' plannin' out there!"
He said Tahir's temper has triggered restiveness among gang members.
"Cheeze, he's touchy!"
"Yeah! Makes me feel all restive!"
Col. Peter Ramon Sinajon, deputy commander of the Army's 604th Infantry Brigade based in the said province, said they would verify the information provided by Mamaluba. After the raid, military officials including Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Generoso Senga reported that Tahir, blamed for a series of kidnappings in Central Mindanao, had been slain. His body and that of his alleged followers who were killed during the raid have not been recovered though.
Then I'd assume he hasn't been slain.
After the attack, which was carried out by at least two MG-520 attack helicopters, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) confirmed that Tahir's house, which was built atop an islet between Barangay Lumibao in SK Pendatun town and Barangay Midpakan in Sultan sa Barongis town, had been hit. Both villages are part of the Maguindanao side of the marsh, one of the strongholds of the MILF. Eid Kabalu, MILF spokesperson, said then that their information indicated that Tahir was seriously wounded and that some gang members were indeed killed when bombs hit the islet.
"Ow! They got me!"
"Gosh, Boss! That's gotta smart!"
A few weeks after the raid, which caused a rift between the military and the MILF, reports started to circulate that Tahir has survived the attack and that he was recuperating somewhere. Kabalu said they heard about the same information but could not verify it. The military maintained Tahir had been killed, citing intelligence reports and information provided by villagers. Senga said the reason Tahir's body was never recovered was that it was buried by his relatives and some followers in accordance with the Muslim burial tradition. Muslims bury their dead before sundown.
"Sun's goin' down, Mahmoud! Hurry and get him buried!"
"I ain't dead yet, dammit!"
"But, Boss! We gotta get you buried before sundown! It's in the Koran or somethin'!"
Mamaluba, who surrendered to the Army's 66th Infantry Battalion in President Quirino, Sultan Kudarat on Tuesday morning, said he saw Tahir a few days ago. He said the Pentagon leader, who has been holding grocery-owner Zoila Kansi of Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat, is still in the Liguasan Marsh, but he did not specify which part of the vast wetlands. Mamaluba's brother Dima, who said he served as close-in bodyguard of Tahir's, agreed with the information. He said Tahir is suffering from diabetes but is still in command of the kidnap gang.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
10/07/2004 12:00:00 AM ||
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Two rockets slammed into the Sheraton hotel in central Baghdad onThursday (October 7) night, temporarily overshadowing a pledge by a Shi'ite Muslim militia to disarm. Shortly after the rocket blasts, bursts of gunfire echoed across the city centre. A hotel resident said one rocket had hit a first-floor room, a second struck nearby. There were no immediate reports of casualties in the fortified compound containing the Sheraton and the adjacent Palestine hotel, both used by foreign journalists and contractors. A tree was set ablaze outside the Sheraton. A policeman at the scene said, "We saw a Mercedes truck when we arrived. We checked it and saw that two rockets were fired from there. We saw the rocket launchers and there was a third one there. So we asked everyone to leave the area and after 5 or 6 minutes, the third one went off and the car exploded."
The blasts occurred shortly after a top aide to rebel Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr announced that Shi'ite militiamen would hand over their weapons as part of a peace initiative in Baghdad's Sadr City and other Iraqi hotspots. The proposed deal, which requires the government's approval, could help calm violence between U.S. forces and Shi'ite rebels ahead of elections due in January, and may pave the way for similar talks with Sunni-led insurgents. The proposal was announced by Ali Smeism, considered Sadr's most senior acolyte, in a live broadcast on Arabic satellite television channel al-Arabiya and came hours after a top Sadr cleric was freed from U.S. detention at Abu Ghraib jail. Smeism said in return for the arms surrender, the government must make assurances that Sadr's followers are not "persecuted" and more of his aides are freed from U.S. detention.
He said the proposed deal focused on militiamen holed up in the Baghdad slum district of Sadr City, a hotbed of anti-U.S. activity, but could be extended to other "areas of tension". As well as calling for the release of prisoners and for U.S. forces to back off the militia, Sadr, via his aides, has also indicated he wants the government to pay reparations for damage done by U.S. forces to Sadr City in recent bombing raids. There was no immediate word from the government or from U.S. military officials on the proposed ceasefire deal.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/07/2004 6:46:40 PM ||
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An explosion in the Afghan capital Kabul was 200 to 300 meters (yards) outside the U.S. embassy and there were no U.S. casualties, a U.S. official said late on Thursday. "(It was) 200 to 300 meters outside the embassy compound," said the U.S. official, who asked not to be named. "All U.S. personnel are safe and accounted for."
Posted by: Fred ||
10/07/2004 6:31:28 PM ||
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#1
This is what I feared, jihadist bombings in scores of nations just prior to the election.
Iran's mullahs are sitting there, yes concerned for their own future, but inflicting as much death & chaos through the well established interconnected international terror networks.
We can not wait for another Pearl Harbor-9-11. We are cognizant where the main enemy is, it's just a matter of having the will to hit him first, and very HARD!
If Kerry were to win the jihadists will have scored their greatest victory thus far.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
10/07/2004 18:41 Comments ||
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Sudan was said to have moved hundreds of Arab militiamen out of Darfour in an effort to conceal them from foreign military observers. Sudanese rebel sources said most of the members of the state-financed Janjaweed militia have been removed from war-torn Darfour to other provinces ahead of the arrival of African Union monitors. Janjaweed, an Arab tribal force, has been accused of spearheading the regime drive against Darfour rebels, said to have killed about 50,000 black Africans and displacing more than 1.4 million. "I can confirm that they are now in the Blue Nile on the Ethiopian border," Sudanese People's Liberation Army commander John Garang told a news conference in Cairo. "At least some 200 were taken there." The African Union plans to deploy 3,500 troops and monitors to end the fighting in Darfour. The proposed contingent was also said to include 800 African Union policemen.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
10/07/2004 1:17:09 PM ||
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They probably ran out of little girls to rape and were looking for some fresh meat anyway .....
The Afghan government on Thursday blamed drug smugglers — not Taliban or al-Qaida fighters — for a bomb attack on interim leader Hamid Karzai's vice presidential running mate, saying the country's landmark elections this weekend are a threat to their business.
There's a difference? When did that start?
The attack Wednesday in the mountainous northeastern poppy-growing region of Badakhshan killed one person and wounded at least five others — including the former governor. Karzai's running mate, Ahmed Zia Massood, was unharmed. "I don't want to name anybody, but the evidence shows that it was the work of drug smugglers, because this process (the election) is against their interests," said Interior Minister Ali Ahmad Jalali.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/07/2004 12:51:47 PM ||
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No more processions? No more eye-rolling, spittle-spewing anti-Qadiani, anti-Shia, anti-Hindoo, anti-Zionist, anti-Western, anti-Samoan, anti-Perv rants before crowds of thousands of leather-throated, beturbanned fanatics? How sad.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/07/2004 12:41:41 PM ||
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But wait! There's more! Fighting erupted in Sadr City between the Jaysh Al-Mahdi army and American occupiers from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM, Baghdad time Wednesday. Mutadaq As-Sadr fighters destroyed two tanks killing all 10 occupants and video taped the entire operation to show the world that America lies about their casualties. We expect the video tape to be available shortly, inshaAllah. Yeah. They must be getting it developed at Al-Wallgreens. InshaAllah.
Battle Rage In Yousifiah And Al-Latifiah, Occupiers Take Very Heavy Casualties
Occupying forces attempted to completely encircle Al-Yousifiah and Al-Latifiah zones, south of the Iraqi capital with 1200 American soldiers aided by 850 Iraqi collaborators. As a response to the attempt to storm these two cities, resistance fighters executed two martyrdom operations against an American convoy in "The Middle Palace" area in Al-Yousifiah. Two explosives laden vehicles were employed for the martyrdom operations. Four amphibian armored vehicles were destroyed. Reports of up to 45 marines killed have been received however these can not be independently verified. Yeah. Bet that happens a lot...
Fighting also erupted in Al-Latifiah, (25 km. south of Baghdad) between American occupiers aided by Iraqi collaborators and resistance fighters. Both American and Iraqis were reported killed in the attack that destroyed four American tanks, 2 Abrahams armored vehicles, 4 jeeps, and seven Nisan vehicles. Those damn Abrahams tanks go up more then Humvees.
But those Nisan vehicles are tough as all get out.
According to Islam memo correspondent at the scene, nearly 250 resistance fighters hammered the Americans and Iraqi collaborators non-stop with 120 mm mortar rounds and rockets. Americans had to call in F-14's and F-16's for help. Rumors of downing two copters were circulating but could not be verified. Damn, there it is again.
Posted by: tu3031 ||
10/07/2004 11:39:48 AM ||
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#1
Good to see that Baghdad Bob's got his old job back. Have we reached the airport yet?
Posted by: Matt ||
10/07/2004 11:58 Comments ||
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#2
I hear that video editing (kind of photoshopping for video) is the hardest.
#4
I hear that video editing (kind of photoshopping for video) is the hardest.
They need to go to fxhome.com and get some nice -- and cheap! -- effects programs.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
10/07/2004 15:08 Comments ||
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#5
Give me a little extra time.... these infidel tanks are hard. We may have to do a matte job.
Posted by: Abu CGI ||
10/07/2004 16:15 Comments ||
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#6
Mutadaq As-Sadr fighters destroyed two tanks killing all 10 occupants...
Someone help me out here. M1 tank crew = 1 driver, 1 loader, 1 gunner and 1 TC, right? Multiply by 2 = 8. (Whew! didn't have to take my shoes off for that one). So where'd the extra 2 guys come from?
N Guard, can you verify? You cruised around in one of those, right?
#7
Non-stop 120mm mortar rounds, eh? Must have had a good-sized battery complete with centralized ammo flow to put out that much. Errrrrrr. Never mind.
Two Palestinian boys, ages 15 and 14, were killed in an Israeli missile strike Thursday, their relatives said. Another teenager, a 13-year-old boy from Jebaliya, died Thursday of wounds suffered last week during the Israeli offensive in northern Gaza, hospital officials said. The army said its missile was aimed at militants about to fire a Qassam rocket. The boys' relatives said the two had been playing with an empty tube and gasoline-filled bottles, apparently trying to imitate the gunmen who fire the homemade rockets.
The army said the incident began when an unmanned Israeli aircraft, or drone, spotted two suspicious figures on the edge of the Jebaliya refugee camp as they set up a rocket launcher. The drone spotted a flash, the army said. The people ran away, then returned to the launcher and were struck by the missile, the army said. The badly disfigured bodies were identified by relatives as those of 15-year-old Raed Abu Zeid and 14-year-old Suleiman Abu Foul. Abu Foul's older brother, Mohammed, 19, said he was told by the boys' friends that the two were playing on the outskirts of Jebaliya, about 200 yards from an Israeli tank position. Mohammed said he was told the two boys were playing with an empty tube and gasoline-filled bottles, imitating militants. Palestinian residents initially said the boys were killed by an Israeli tank shell.
Many Palestinian youngsters try to imitate the militants in their games, playing "firefight" with wooden sticks or toy machine guns. During the current Israeli operation, militants have appealed to parents in local radio broadcasts to keep children off the streets.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/07/2004 11:15:58 AM ||
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#1
I guess their imitation was a little more realistic than they expected, huh?
#2
"The people ran away, then returned to the launcher and were struck by the missile"
(while eating rasins in heaven)"When I see my other Paleo friends get killed, I never imagined that it can happen to me."
Man, you gotta love the Paleo intellect in a war zone.
"unmanned Israeli aircraft, or drone, spotted two suspicious figures"
Another episode of robotic Jooooos taking over the world.
#4
nominees for this years Darwin award. While we're at it, why don't we just give a blanket nomination for anyone who accepts the title of "new leader" of Hamas.
#9
Cool Sympathy Meter! Love that old analog stuff.
I went and bought a new digital one myself - an RB-5000. I think it's broken though. Even with new batteries, it still reads zero point zero out to five decimals.
#12
Fred---That is one great sympathy meter! One question: Full scale goes to 11. What are the units of sympathy, pray tell?
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
10/07/2004 19:06 Comments ||
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#13
Nigel Tufnel model - cuz 11 is 1 more than 10, ya know?
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/07/2004 19:10 Comments ||
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#14
Can I get one on EBAY, or can you buy an old Heathkit one somewhere. Seems that the guts of the meter is the sympathy sensor. How in the hell do you build one of those? What is the scientific principle behind the sensor? I want one, and I want one NOW!
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
10/07/2004 21:43 Comments ||
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#15
see "Spinal Tap", AP - all their amps went to 11......
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/07/2004 21:46 Comments ||
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Guess who? The last 24 hours were very bloody indeed for Americans and their Iraqi collaborators as resistance fighters continued their relentless attacks against occupation. Heavy casualties have been confirmed as well as four more US soldiers captured as most Iraqi clashes are now going unreported in mainstream press. Here is just some of Wednesdays clashes in brief. 8 American Soldiers Killed, 6 Resistance Fighters Martyred In Al-Latifiah:
Fierce fighting erupted between American occupiers and resistance fighters at about 8 AM and lasted until 9:45 AM, Baghdad time Wednesday. Six resistance fighters were martyred and their Toyota Corolla vehicle was destroyed. One Abraham tank was destroyed, two Bradley armored vehicles were disabled, and 8 American soldiers were killed. 5 CIA Operatives Killed West Of Baghdad: Are they sure they weren't Mossad?
An American convoy consisting of several GMC vehicles used by CIA operatives came under rocket attack by resistance fighters on Saddam International Airport Expressway, near Ibn-Taimiah mosque, west of the Iraqi capital. One black GMC vehicle, at the rear of the convoy, was destroyed and its two American occupants were killed. A white GMC vehicle was disabled and when its three American occupants got out of it, they were met with a barrage of fire from resistance fighters and were killed instantly. Chinook Downed, West Of Al-Tagi:
A low flying Chinook was hit with C5K rockets fired by resistance fighters as the plane prepared for landing. According to Islam memo correspondent, there is usually no less than 4-5 persons on such aircraft and it is believed that all were killed. A Newly Developed Rocket Hits A British Base In Basra With Great Precision: Oooooh! Secret Weapons!
An Iraqi resistance group call itself "Al-Farouq Brigades" announced the development of a new rocket called "Al-Quahqua'a 1" that has a range of 45 km. Yesterday, the group tested its new rocket for the first time against a real and high prized target, a British base in Basra. The rocket hit its target with great precision causing a huge explosion that was heard all over Basra. Fire fighters and rescue aircrafts rushed to the scene to evacuate the dead and wounded however the number of casualties is unknown. Hundreds? Thousands? Four Jeeps Destroyed On "Military Canal Road" Tuesday Night:
On Tuesday night, an American convoy came under road side bomb attack near the old Transportation & Communication Ministry that was followed up by a rocket attack. Fifteen American soldiers were reported killed when four jeeps were destroyed. Islam memo's correspondent at the scene reported that the attack took only 12 minutes and was carried out with great deal of surprise and precision to the point that the American force did not have a chance to engage resistance fighters before it was all over. Five Americans Killed, 3 Vehicles Destroyed In Mosul:
Resistance fighters attacked an American convoy consisting of 4 GMC vehicles and 4 jeeps. The attack took place at 12 noon near Al-Ba'ashaqiah area. 5 Americans were killed, one GMC vehicle and one jeep were destroyed and another jeep was disabled. American Base In Al-Qaim Up In Flames:
The American base in Al-Qaim, near the Syrian borders, came under intense and sustained rocket attack resulting in burning of the base in its entirely. Resistance fighters employed 60, 120 mm mortar rounds followed by 12 Karad rockets. This was the biggest attack against this base to date. No other details are yet available. Black Hawk Downed, More Than 4 US Soldiers Killed In Howaigah:
Resistance fighters downed a Black Hawk in Howaigah, Kerkok, in northern Iraq Tuesday night Two C5K rockets hit the aircraft causing it to explode in midair. More than four persons were killed, according to Islam memo correspondent. Just another day in Jihad Unspun's wet dream...
Posted by: tu3031 ||
10/07/2004 11:14:51 AM ||
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#1
"I'm John Kerry, and I approved this message."
Posted by: Mike ||
10/07/2004 11:25 Comments ||
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#2
Without Baghdad Bob, this sort of thing just isn't funny anymore. These guys are as manipulative and unhinged as the denizens of the Democratic Underground and have about the same grip on reality.
#8
Actually on second thought, the whole premise of this is funny. If anything like this were actually going on, the Iraqi sky would be full of jumbo jets carrying the MSM types in to cover it. It would be front page news on every paper in the country right up until the day after election when things would miraculously improve in anticipation of the nuanced touch of President Kerry.
#10
mojo - His Super Duper Official CIA Decoder Ring was a dead giveaway. I got mine right here, courtesy of Kracker Jacks, and it's really spiffy! JU dicks don't eat Kracker Jacks and are, thus, forever behind the curve.
#11
Nothing I like better then a new guy running his mouth and looking like a fuckin idiot. And from two weeks ago no less. Pay attention, shithead. You might get a clue.
AK-47 with collapsible stock: $500.
Knitted cap with face mask: $15.
Pink plastic chair: $8
A few minutes respite from massacring innocent women and children: priceless.
Original Ha'aretz caption:
Armed Palestinian gunmen resting in a narrow alleyway in the Jabalya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday.
Posted by: Dar ||
10/07/2004 10:37:20 AM ||
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I understand AK-47 cost about $50 bucks in Iraq. A decent Romanian AK-47 costs about $350 bucks in the US. Do they ever wear the ski masks with the turban to make a high fashion statement? Plastic chairs are about $8 bucks anywhere.
#9
Green shirt? Brown pants? Black shoes? No, no, no. Oh, Mary. I'm thinking something in a mauve. It'll highlight that gaping hole a Hellfire is about to leave in your chest.
#10
#2 I shoulda checked with LH before making my smarmy comments. He's very concerned with the price of AKs in Peshawar and would know! ;-) thanks for an ONTOPIC post ;)
I understand AK-47 cost about $50 bucks in Iraq. A decent Romanian AK-47 costs about $350 bucks in the US.
The Israel Air Force successfully tested an unmanned aerial vehicle platform capable of firing missiles or anti-tank munitions at ground targets. Palestinian sources said the unidentified UAV has been used during the current "Days of Pentinence" military operation in the northern Gaza Strip targeting Hamas operatives and others involved in the recent rash of Kassam rocket attacks. This is a Paleostinian fantasy... for now. I posted this for entertainment purposes.
So far, the sources said, the UAV was responsible for the death of 40 Palestinians over the last week. 0-40 kill ratio is as good as it gets.
They said the UAV was used to locate and target Palestinian combatants in the Jabalya refugee camp, the focus of Kassam-class short-range missile production. The sources said the UAV was capable of targeting and destroying moving vehicles. The all seeing eye of the Jooooos. On Tuesday, the Palestinian Authority-owned Al Hayat Al Jadida published a photograph of the Israeli UAV, dubbed Zanana. The Arabic word was a reference to the buzzing made by the approaching UAV. About 80 Palestinians have been killed in the military operation, which entered its eight day on Wednesday. An Israeli military statement said that on Tuesday Bashir Dabash, head of Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip, was killed by a missile fired from an Israeli aircraft. The military said more than 50 of the Palestinian casualties in the current operation were Hamas combatants. The United Nations said the casualties included 24 Palestinians up until the age of 14.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: dennisw ||
10/07/2004 2:53:00 AM ||
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#1
Lets hear it for the Zionazi(tm) Killbots(tm)!
Yay.
/sarcasim.
I wonder what this says about the mindset of the m-east prole/peon/serf that they think that they are being slaughtered by robots? Or that we have the capability to build such machines.
Thank you hollywood. :(
Posted by: N Guard ||
10/07/2004 8:26 Comments ||
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#2
It's a top secret JooFO. It is a gift from the "space aliens" featuring the guns that make no noise, missles which don't explode and, the uber cool secret death ray.
Panic set in as the palestinian "militants" realized that, between the building of the suicide bomber-preventing wall and UAV operations, their options for dire revenge™ were severely limited. Extremists among them began to call for an honest negotiation with Israel and a cease to "militant" actions. These extremists were immediately killed by palestinian moderates.
#13
Yes another EU tool speaks up. Tell us about your support for the PLO program to kill all jews Mr. DustbinUK. Mouth breathing anti-semite. Israel has no armed UAVs. Dork.
This is the obligatory long-drawn out dickering as the Iraqi gummint tries to avoid having the city clobbered, the U.S. brings up the tanks and aircraft, and the jihadis attempt to scoot out the back door, moving on to the next Islamic Paradise...
Iraqi insurgents from Fallujah are in intense negotiations with the country's interim government to hand over control of the city to Iraqi troops, in hopes of averting a bloody military battle for the city of 300,000 that has become a haven for foreign guerrillas and a symbol of the limits of Baghdad's authority, according to representatives of both sides. "We have met representatives from Fallujah," the interim deputy prime minister, Barham Salih, said Wednesday. "We have had detailed discussion with these representatives, and we have agreed on a road map or a framework to facilitate the resolution of this conflict in Fallujah."
The negotiators can now go back to Fallujah and tell the jihadis how long they've got to get the important stuff out of town...
The talks apparently gained momentum Wednesday after the mujaheddin shura — or council of holy warriors — that now governs Fallujah voted overwhelmingly to accept the broad terms demanded by Iraq's government. By a vote of 10 to 2, the council agreed to eject foreign fighters, turn over all heavy weapons, dismantle checkpoints and allow the Iraqi National Guard to enter the city. In return, the city would not face the kind of U.S.-led. military offensive that reclaimed the central Iraqi city of Samarra from insurgents last week, a prospect that one senior Iraqi official said clearly grabbed the attention of the Fallujah delegation.
"Cheez, Mahmoud, you got a red dot on yer forehead!"
U.S. troops would remain outside the city and end the airstrikes that have shaken residential neighborhoods on an almost daily basis in recent weeks, according to one account of the terms now on the table.
That will allow the Bad Guys to pretend to comply for a few days, and subvert the ING that's allowed into the city. Remember how well the Fallujah Brigade worked...
"The government — the president, the prime minister and the defense minister — are serious in trying to reach a peaceful solution, and we are, too," said Khalid Hamoud Jumaili, the leader of an insurgent group known as Mohammads Army. Jumaili is one of six terrorists Fallujah residents who have been traveling to Baghdad in the past week to negotiate a peaceful end to the standoff. "Tomorrow I am going back to Fallujah to discuss some issues which are still not solved," Jumaili said in a brief telephone interview.
"Like whether to move the chemical weapons to al-Qaim or to Mosul..."
If a concrete agreement emerged — and proved successful — it would be a substantial boost for the interim government and for prospects for holding nationwide elections in January. Fallujah, an overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim city, has been the fiercest of several areas that remain beyond the reach of Baghdad's authority. It is notorious as the staging base for a steady barrage of strikes aimed at Iraqi government personnel, especially security recruits.
And that's not something I expect to see drop off before the elections in January. In fact, I expect to see them intensify, which means they're going to try talking about fixin' to get ready to hold negotiations on starting talks for at least the next couple months.
Negotiations also appeared to be moving toward a peaceful settlement in Sadr City, the Baghdad slum and insurgent stronghold that has been an urban battlefield for weeks. The talks were being driven by local leaders in Sadr City, where a homegrown militia loyal to Shiite Muslim cleric Moqtada Sadr is fighting a stubborn guerrilla campaign against U.S. Army armor and airstrikes.
That's because the Bad Guys there are actually getting thumped. Tater always negotiates when he's getting beaten up, and then goes back to making faces and hollering when the real soldiers have moved back out of range...
Iraq's interim prime minister, Ayad Allawi, told reporters Wednesday that a committee was being formed to hash out the final terms of a deal to dismantle the Mahdi Army, Sadr's militia.
They've only been saying they were going to dismantle it for the past year. That's the year after Tater said he wasn't really organizing it...
Allawi's government, which authorized a U.S. offensive against Sadr's militia in the southern city of Najaf in August, has been trying to persuade Sadr to join the political process. "No cease-fire," Allawi cautioned. "We responded positively to the request of the people of Sadr City. They will surrender their weapons to the authorities. They will dismantle any armed presence in the city. They will respect and abide by the rule of law in the city. They will welcome the police to go back, patrol the streets of the city."
Iraq's interim president, Ghazi Yawar, said in an interview this week that the Fallujah insurgents negotiating with the government "were more willing" to concede points after U.S. and Iraqi forces stormed Samarra on Friday. Yawar, a Sunni sheik, said he was approached by the Fallujah delegation, already deep in negotiations with a team led by Salih. "I share both the ethnicity and the faith" of the delegation, Yawar observed. But in sketching out the military offensive that would come if an agreement were not reached, Yawar said, "I expressed my personal views that it's going to be severe and it's going to be harsh. I said it so they would understand the truth: They might be the next operation."
The Big Stick seems to be working. More at the link.
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/07/2004 12:42:33 AM ||
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#1
Another fabulous success by our mighty military. Too bad that Senator Kerry, Libs and MSM undermine their efforts and success for cheap political gain.
#2
I'm actually ambivalent ... wasn't this the agreement the first time around with al-Sadr?
Posted by: Edward Yee ||
10/07/2004 1:19 Comments ||
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#3
true..but I'm not really seeing a downside if they don't comply. We'd all be a bit happier if they snuffed a few thousand more jihadi's before they pulled out.
#5
I was being glib - (sort of). It would be great if they agreed to the terms. Maybe they are looking at Sadr and thinking that efforts to maintain power through the political process looks better than being dead. As long as they turn over the foreign fighters and fanatics - it just might work.
#6
My theory is GW lowers the boom on Falluja right after the election. US casualties impact hard on GW's re-election chances so we have been biding our time. Our military has been. Our warriors are ready to rumble, to prove themselves against Sunni Triangle scum. And Tater's tots if need be.
#7
Before making a decision, I would like to get the opinion of some civil engineers. I would hate to see the opportunity to level the place wasted if continued demolition will make it easier to rebuild. We might be able to build a more beautiful city more cost-effectively if we expend some more ord now rather than doing some rebuilding and then half to re-level the place down the road. Remember the adage: measure twice and cut once. :-)
Posted by: Super Hose ||
10/07/2004 2:52 Comments ||
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#8
Super Hose ....... Falluja. Just look at it as an urban renewal project.
#9
We keep the pressure on. Continue operations around Hilla.
I won't believe that these Fallujah "negotiators" are serious until I see, and the nation sees, that they've tarred and feathered all AIF, and I don't just mean the Zarkawi guys.
Our boys have put the lie to what real power and commitment can do. These guys are only negotiating because we've shown them we're serious. Dead serious.
#10
The only problem is that the foreign fighters in Fallujah will not leave, so its going to get ugly when they try to clear the city and bring in Iraqi troops that are form outside the region.
Becasue of the moves in Samarra, and in the Hilla region and recent activity in Sadr City (which is Shia, not a nice place for Wahabbi Sunnis foreigners to go, like Zarqawi), those guys are running out of places to hide, stash ordnance, and run ops from.
Thats why they will nto leave Fallujah without a fight. If they do, then the big thing is to make sure they really left (with hard searches, etc), and if they have really gone, then find where they went.
#11
As in Najaf, there's a significant warren of tunnels under Falluja. Clearing street by street also means identifying tunnel exits first,then blocking them off.
#13
You don' think they will keep their word do you? They consider Allawi an 'infidel' or an 'american puppet' and so lying to him is no problem and no stain on their honor. After all they consider the murder and rape of children 'honorable'.....
I think they will simply hide the foreign fighters until the pressure lets up and then go right back to the same.
#14
key points
1. despite the "shura" theres apparently no unity inside Fallujah. There are Zarq and his foreign jihadis. There are local wahabi crazies. There are ex-Baathists (who may overlap with the local wahabis) there are local thugs, and criminals. There are smugglers. There are local tribal leaders, who overlap with the smugglers, and may overlap with the wahabis. AFAICT its more complex than Sammara, and that was not simple. The key is breaking up the insurgency - that seems to have been the goal of recent military strikes, and is certainly part of the goal of negotiations, and may be the goal of covert activities as well.
2. There aint gonna be no more Fallujah brigade. We shouldve learned, and the Iraqi govts negotiating position should be better now. Any settlement, if it keeps out US troops, has to allow the Iraqis to send in any units they damned please (oh alright, maybe a clause not allowing any 100% Kurdish units will be hard to avoid) That means the army units and commando units, not just local INGs. As it is the army units and commando units will be severely tested cleaning out the foreign jihadis and anyone else who doesnt accept the deal.
#15
note also - this doesnt have to last forever. If Fallujah is quiet till January, and especially if the attacks in Baghdad which come out of Fallujah diminish, that makes an election much easier. Which improves govt legitimacy. At that point they and go in and clean out Fallujah again.
#16
This stinks like a hudna. These people have no honor and we have nothing to gain by talking to them. Shoot them in the f*cking face and have done with it.
#19
LH: Any settlement, if it keeps out US troops, has to allow the Iraqis to send in any units they damned please (oh alright, maybe a clause not allowing any 100% Kurdish units will be hard to avoid) That means the army units and commando units, not just local INGs.
Even China, which is at least nominally ethnically homogeneous, doesn't use local troops to quell large-scale local disturbances. The troops used in Beijing during the Tiananmen square incident were from another region altogther.
#20
SH - Civil Engineer here, and after the killing of those four US contractors I don't see any reason why Fallujah is our responsibility to rebuild. Destroy it, crush the rubble to class2 size aggregate and build a big Friggin runway for the IAF to use/refuel on the way to Iran
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/07/2004 10:57 Comments ||
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#21
This is nothing more than a Ho Chi Minh-style attempt to buy time. Decrease the intensity of operations to string things out, and wait for something favorable to occur, either politically or on the battlefield. The seeming notion held by Allawi that terrorists can and should be brought into the political process is nonsense, and can only serve to make things more difficult than they need to be. We need to get on with the business of turning Iraq into a modern nation, and part of that job requires removing roadblocks; in this case, it means grinding these "insurgents" into dust.
#22
CE No. 2 checking in, SH. Smaller pieces are easier for the crushers, heh heh.
The terrorists are getting hammered, so their only action is to negotiate to stall and buy time for another day. Just like WW2, Allawi needs to demand unconditional surrender. Anyone doing insurrection needs to surrender or be taken out. The rebels could never be trusted in a new government. The old time honored arab method of negotiate and lie and stab in the back, etc etc needs to be made obsolete. These fighters are a cancer to any civilization and need to be removed. Anything else is self-delusion. Tater and the Tots needed to be taken out a long time ago. And Sistani playing footsie with this thug illustrates my point.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
10/07/2004 11:26 Comments ||
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#23
You don' think they will keep their word do you? They consider Allawi an 'infidel' or an 'american puppet' and so lying to him is no problem and no stain on their honor.
The 'puppet' has Samarra, the Hilla regions and Sadr City as cards he's already showing.
I don't think Allawi is trying to influence the jihadis and the die-hard Baathists. Just Fallujans, the ones who've made a comfortable living in smuggling and other dubious but profitable endeavors. Split them off, even temporarily, and the environment changes.
#25
the goal for allawi is to govern Iraq. this is a civil war, and the several hundred thousand people of Fallujah and Ramadi arent going away. They have to be brought into the political process at some point. Kill all the terrorists sure, but bring the ordinary unsavory types in.
US weapons hunters stumbled this year on an effort by Iraqi insurgents to produce crude chemical weapons, a report released on Wednesday by chief weapons inspector Charles Duelfer revealed. An official familiar with the report said US army staged raids in Baghdad in March, uncovering evidence that someone was attempting to produce ricin, a potentially deadly toxin made from castor beans. "We conducted a lot of raids, and developed information over the next two or three months," the official said. They found "active efforts by anti-coalition forces to create chemical weapons. They were trying to find people who knew something about chemical weapons, and to get them to produce some. They tried to put some in mortar rounds," he said, adding that ricin and other agents were used. "I think this is a case where we got ahead of a problem a bit," he said.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
10/07/2004 12:37:55 AM ||
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#1
I picture a man standing over a toilet bowl with Comet in one hand and Mr Clean in the other.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
10/07/2004 2:54 Comments ||
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#2
SH---a binary CW. Crude, but a beginning.....
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
10/07/2004 11:33 Comments ||
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#3
It's not hard to make mustard gas. All you need is chlorine and ammonia.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
10/07/2004 12:41 Comments ||
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A suicide car bomb ripped through a queue of young national guard recruits in western Iraq on Wednesday, killing 16 of them as Iraqi and US forces pursued their crackdown on the country's insurgency. In a rare car bombing in the barren western plains, a suicide attacker rammed his vehicle into a group of people signing up with the national guard at a military base in Anah, some 260 kilometres (160 miles) west of Baghdad. "Ten people among a group of youngsters signing up with the national guard were killed and 24 others were wounded in the suicide attack, which took place in front of the national guard headquarters," a local police officer told AFP.
The US military announced overnight a massive push in Babil province, south of Baghdad, in a bid to dismantle insurgent cells there and cut off the western rebel enclave from some of its rear bases. And in an almost daily occurrence, US warplanes overnight pounded Fallujah, west of the capital, hitting what it described as a meeting of ring leaders loyal to alleged Al-Qaeda operative Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi, the most wanted man in Iraq. No casualties were reported. The town has been off-limits to ground troops for months and retaking it is supposed to mark the climax of a bid by Allawi's government and his US allies to reclaim the country's lawless hotspots ahead of the election.
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, on his second day here, countered widespread scepticism that the war-torn country's tough-talking prime minister, Iyad Allawi, could stabilise Iraq in time for January elections. Allawi met with Straw, one of his staunchest allies in the bumpy transition process, and told reporters late Tuesday they had agreed on all issues.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
10/07/2004 12:08:51 AM ||
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Uncanny how Muhammad was an assassin and so are his adherents. Assassination plays a huge role in Muhammadan history, and I'm not just talking about the Hashishin cult.
At least 39 people were killed and more than 80 wounded when a suicide car bomb exploded at a rally for an assassinated militant religious leader in central Pakistan early Thursday, police said. The car exploded after being driven into a crowd of mourners at the overnight rally in the city of Multan to mark the first anniversary of the shooting of extremist Sunni religious leader Azam Tariq.
Now they'll have even more to celebrate next year. With the appropriate festivities, of course...
"It is believed a suicide bomber was at the wheel," Sikander Hayat, district police officer of Multan city, told Reuters.
Brilliant, Sikander, how do you do it?
The rally had concluded and people were dispersing in pre-dawn darkness when the blast ripped through the crowd, he said. "The moment people came out of the ground, a car came and hit them exploding into pieces," he said. At least 39 people were killed and 84 wounded, said Arif Sial, medical superintendent at Multan's main Nishat Hospital. One of the wounded, Qari Hafeez, described the scene from his hospital bed: "When we came out of the rally at around 4:30 in the morning, a car came at us with its lights on. It hit the people and exploded. After that, I don't know what happened."
Very informative. I wish all witnesses supplied that sort of detail.
The blast appeared to be the latest in a spate of the usual sectarian violence that has racked Pakistan in recent years and came after a suicide bomber detonated his explosives in a Shi'ite mosque in the eastern city of Sialkot on Oct. 2, killing 30 people. Hayat reported explosions within an interval of 20 seconds near the meeting ground in the Rasheedabad area of Multan, about 250 miles southwest of the capital, Islamabad.
Two bombs planted in a car and motorcycle exploded at a gathering of Sunni Muslim radicals in central Pakistan before dawn Thursday, killing at least 39 people and wounding about 100 others. Police suspected it was a sectarian attack.
"Legume! I suspect this is a sectarian attack!"
"Amazing, Inspector!"
About 2,000 angry Sunnis gathered outside a hospital where victims of the explosions in the city of Multan were taken, shouting "Shiites are infidels!" and slogans against the government, witnesses said.
Y'think one or the other of those attitudes might have had something to do with the booms? Think hard, now...
The bombings came less than a week after a suicide attack left 31 dead at a Shiite mosque in an eastern city.
"So, Legume, you see there is a chance — just a chance, mind you — that religious fanaticism and nutbaggery may be involved in the current boom as well..."
About 3,000 people had gathered in a residential area of Multan to mark the anniversary of the death of the leader of the outlawed Sunni radical group Sipah-e-Sahaba killed in an attack last year. A car bomb exploded near the venue as people were starting to disperse after the overnight meeting, and two minutes later a second bomb attached to a motorcycle went off, deputy city police chief Arshad Hameed said. "It seems to be an act of sectarian terrorism, but we are still investigating," he told The Associated Press.
"I mean, it could be somethin' else. Faulty carbeurators, jealous lovers, that sort of thing. Happens all the time, really..."
Officials at the Nishtar government hospital said at least 39 people were killed and more than 100 were wounded, about 50 seriously. Some 50 others were treated for minor injuries and later discharged. Other people were taken to other clinics. Pools of blood and shoes of the victims were scattered at the scene, near the charred remains of the car. Jamil Usmani, 26, who had been standing in a nearby parking lot with friends, said a stampede after the bombing caused many injuries. "The explosion numbed our ears, we saw people falling on each other, everybody was crying, everybody was running," he said. "Many people were injured in the stampede, we started picking them up and asked passing cars for help."
"Hey! Driver! Stop and help us here!... Uhhh... Is that dynamite?... C4, is it?... I think there's a parking place further down the street... No, not that one. There's a fireplug. They'll tow you. Further down... No, no! We're okay here..."
Talat Mahmood Tariq, police chief for Multan region, said the car bomb, estimated to weigh about 15 pounds, was set off by remote control and most injuries were caused by flying metal from the vehicle. It did not appear to be a suicide attack because no body parts were found inside the car, Multan police chief Sikander Hayyat told the private Geo television network. Witnesses said the Sunni protesters who gathered outside the Nishtar hospital attacked two ambulances, shattering the windscreens with sticks.
Oh, yes. That always helps...
Nearby, others burned tires, casting a pall of black smoke. Inside the hospital, bloodied victims were crammed into an emergency ward, some lying two to a bed. The dozens of dead were placed side-by-side on the floor of another ward. Officials said about 1,000 police, including reservists, were called from other districts, and soldiers were patrolling the city to stop Sunni and Shiites from clashing. Multan has suffered sectarian violence in the past.
... much like they've found oil in Texas, in fact.
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/07/2004 12:02:05 AM ||
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I will say this for the Pak Shi'ites. They seem to be willing and able to target high profile Sunni-Deobandi political targets, whereas Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and it's ilk are content to slaughter random shi'ites in mosques.
Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
10/07/2004 1:11 Comments ||
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Hey, Anonymous terror-cheerleader: Fuck Off And Die.
Suicide-bombing terrorism is suicide-bombing terrorism, regardless of the target. The fact that the target this time was a bunch of Islamist wackjobs doesn't make terrorist tactics suddenly laudable.
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
10/07/2004 11:49 Comments ||
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#4
On the other hand, as my dear old granny said, "What's sauce for goose is sauce for the gander." This getogether was a memorial for a miserable mullah who led the charge to murder Shi'a - this wasn't terrorism - this was payback. and yes, it's a bitch.
#5
Hey Mitch, guns don't kill people, people kill people.
It is worthy to note, and laughably ironic, that the Islamists of various stripes use the same methods against each other as they do against us. Do they consider "terrorism" in the same terms and emotions we do, as an atrocity? It's worth contemplating.
THE US military said today it had lost track of a small, unmanned surveillance plane over Baghdad as Islamic militant Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi's group claimed it shot down two such drones. "One of our UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), we have lost contact with it," said Major Philip Smith, a spokesman for the army in the Iraqi capital. The path of the small model-plane-sized Raven was last recorded at about 3pm local time (10pm AEST). It had been flying over the Haifa Street area, a Sunni insurgent stronghold. "Who knows what happened to it," said Major Smith.
An Internet statement in the name of the faction of the Jordanian-born Zarqawi, Iraq's most wanted man, said its fighters had downed two US surveillance aircraft. "The lions of Unity and Holy War shot down two American spy planes on Wednesday afternoon in Baghdad's Haifa Street," the group said in a statement signed by its "military branch". The message was posted on the Islamist website http://www.ansarnet.ws/vb but its authenticity could not be independently verified. The statement was carried by "Abu Maissara al-Iraqi", whose reports of the Zarqawi group are normally considered to be genuine.
As long as it doesn't involve anything that can shoot back, the "lions of Unity and Holy War" are a brave bunch.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
10/07/2004 12:00:00 AM ||
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The boys should be proud of themselves. They shot down a model airplane.
Raven (UAV) The Raven is a small, back-packable UAV that performs reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition missions for battalion and below units. The air vehicle is hand-launched, weighs less than 5 lbs, has a range of 10-15 km, and an endurance of up to 80 minutes. A Raven system contains three air vehicles, one ground control station (17 lbs), as well as spare and repair parts.
The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) filed an adjournment motion in the National Assembly Secretariat on Tuesday seeking a debate on the recent suicidal attack on a Shia mosque in Sialkot in which 30 worshippers died and 50 others injured. The adjournment motion, signed by MMA's Liaquat Baloch, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed ... and Muhammad Hussain Mehnati describes the suicidal attack on Masjid-i-Zainabia, Sialkot, a conspiracy hatched by anti-Islam and anti-Pakistan forces to pit Muslims against each other. "The incident of suicidal attack on Masjid-i-Zainabia, Maharaja road, Sialkot, on October 2 in which 30 faithful offering prayers were killed and scores of others sustained injuries, has once again created serious law and order situation in the country which is bound to increase sectarian tensions as well," the adournment motion said. "Such incidents could endanger the national security of Pakistan which was a deep-rooted conspiracy hatched by anti-Islam and anti-Pakistan forces," it further said. It said that terrorist activities of such nature, which could be the handiwork of external forces, shattered the confidence of the people in the performance of intelligence agencies. "There is a great disappointment among the masses due to deteriorating law and order situation which needs to be debated by the National Assembly," it said.
Yeah. It's gotta be those external forces, probably the Zionists working hand in glove with the Heathen Hindoo, hatching nefarious schemes against peaceful Pakland...
Naw...it's got all the hallmarks of a Rotary Club operation.
Are they going to sit at one table during the debate or stand at lecterns?
Has to be the Town Hall style debate, it's difficult to seethe properly if you have to stand in one place.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/07/2004 12:00:00 AM ||
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Colorful commentary by the editors!
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
10/07/2004 11:06 Comments ||
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...describes the suicidal attack on Masjid-i-Zainabia, Sialkot, a conspiracy hatched by anti-Islam and anti-Pakistan forces to pit Muslims against each other.
Damn, that's always seems to be the way it works out according to CSI:Islam.
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.
Court documents have revealed alleged communications between a British citizen and 
Fighting erupted in Sadr City between the Jaysh Al-Mahdi army and American occupiers from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM, Baghdad time Wednesday. Mutadaq As-Sadr fighters destroyed two tanks killing all 10 occupants and video taped the entire operation to show the world that America lies about their casualties. We expect the video tape to be available shortly, inshaAllah.
Two Palestinian boys, ages 15 and 14, were killed in an Israeli missile strike Thursday, their relatives said. Another teenager, a 13-year-old boy from Jebaliya, died Thursday of wounds suffered last week during the Israeli offensive in northern Gaza, hospital officials said. The army said its missile was aimed at militants about to fire a Qassam rocket. The boys' relatives said the two had been playing with an empty tube and gasoline-filled bottles, apparently trying to imitate the gunmen who fire the homemade rockets.
On Tuesday, the Palestinian Authority-owned Al Hayat Al Jadida published a photograph of the Israeli UAV, dubbed Zanana. The Arabic word was a reference to the buzzing made by the approaching UAV. About 80 Palestinians have been killed in the military operation, which entered its eight day on Wednesday. An Israeli military statement said that on Tuesday 
US weapons hunters stumbled this year on an effort by Iraqi insurgents to produce crude chemical weapons, a report released on Wednesday by chief weapons inspector Charles Duelfer revealed. An official familiar with the report said US army staged raids in Baghdad in March, uncovering evidence that someone was attempting to produce ricin, a potentially deadly toxin made from castor beans. "We conducted a lot of raids, and developed information over the next two or three months," the official said. They found "active efforts by anti-coalition forces to create chemical weapons. They were trying to find people who knew something about chemical weapons, and to get them to produce some. They tried to put some in mortar rounds," he said, adding that ricin and other agents were used. "I think this is a case where we got ahead of a problem a bit," he said.
At least 39 people were killed and more than 80 wounded when a suicide car bomb exploded at a rally for an assassinated militant religious leader in central Pakistan early Thursday, police said. The car exploded after being driven into a crowd of mourners at the overnight rally in the city of Multan to mark the first anniversary of the shooting of extremist Sunni religious leader 
