From Geostrategy-Direct, subscription req'd.
Prince Nayef Bin Fawwaz Al Shalaan represents the next crisis between Saudi Arabia and the United States. Nayef, a member of the Saudi royal family, has been indicted in France Whoa!
and the United States for allegedly heading one of the largest cocaine smuggling rings in the West. But Saudi Arabia has been protecting Nayef from justice and won't even discuss prosecuting the powerful prince. He is a Royal Prince. The law is for commoners. We have nothing to discuss, move along now.
U.S. officials said after 20 years of tolerance, read, condoning here
neither Paris nor Washington can ignore Nayef or his powerful patrons in the royal family. They said Nayef has been dealing in hard drugs since at least the early 1980s and has been using Saudi diplomatic passports and a Boeing 727 jet provided by the royal family for these sales. The Saudis have s**t in their messkits big time on this one. They behead people for drug dealing in the MK.
What's worse is that the U.S. intelligence community believes Nayef has funneled much of the drug money to Al Qaida and other terrorist groups. Nayef's generous donations to terrorists has bought their cooperation as well as protection from prosecution by the Saudi royal family scared of confronting the huge pro-Al Qaida wing, officials said. Nayef's biggest supporter is his namesake, Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef Bin Abdul Aziz. The minister has been the point man between the royal family and Al Qaida. He has threatened Western governments not to raise the issue of the indicted prince. As a result, Nayef has been able to lead a ring of drug dealers operating in several countries in Europe, South America and North America. The ring has transported a range of drugs from South America and South Asia to Europe and the United States. "It doesn't happen without him," said Tom Raffanello, a senior investigator with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. "He is the key co-conspirator. He's the straw that stirs the drink. He made it happen."
Officials said that Nayef used his royal family jet to transport two tons of cocaine from Colombia to France. The cocaine arrived in a diplomatic container and thus avoided customs inspection. Still, several of Nayef's alleged aides have been captured and are scheduled for trial in Miami, Fla, in November. So far, the United States has declared Nayef a fugitive in violation of federal narcotics law. But Nayef has been protected by the Saudi royal family, which has thought nothing of threatening Western governments that seek to bring him to trial. Saudi Arabia does not have an extradition treaty with either France or the United States. For his part, Nayef has claimed that he was investigated by Saudi authorities and cleared of any suspicion. The prince admits to numerous trips and meetings in Europe and South America, but said his intention was to recruit investors for a deal for plastic pipes. There is a tremendous market for bongs, er irrigation piping
Nayef is no stranger to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. In 1984, the prince was indicted in Mississippi on narcotics charges. He never appeared in a U.S. court and has since been declared a fugitive in that case as well. This time, however, officials have determined that Nayef was not only lining his pockets from the drug deals but was providing Al Qaida and related terrorist groups with a significant portion of the profits. Nayef has not been indicted for terrorism in the latest case. "Later on in the investigation, we came to find out that he would use some or all of the profit to fund terrorism," Raffanello said. Had Nayef not been a powerful prince, he probably would have been dead long ago. Not a bad idea now. He aids and abets, just like the Taliban.
Saudi law mandates beheading for drug smugglers; three convicted drug dealers were executed in the kingdom in September. But Nayef enjoys the backing of the top members of the royal family, particularly the interior minister. So, Riyad has threatened France with the cancellation of huge defense and security deals if the investigation against Nayef continues. We will do a final examination for French vertibrae when we see how the French respond to this Saudi threat.
Officials said the threat involves an estimated $9 billion deal for the Paris-based Thales to sell a command, control, communications, computer and intelligence system to protect the borders of Saudi Arabia. The Thales proposal was to be decided by the Saudi Interior Ministry. Saudi Arabia has not threatened the United States in the same way. Instead, the Bush administration fears that U.S. pressure on Saudi Arabia to extradite or prosecute Nayef would result in the freezing of cooperation between the two countries regarding Al Qaida. How much real cooperation are we getting now. Are we getting the answers we need, or are the Saudis throwing us bones?
For the first time ever, CIA and FBI agents have been obtaining data from the interrogations of Al Qaida operatives captured in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, the intelligence exchange between the U.S. and Saudi intelligence communities has significantly expanded in 2004. But the idea that Riyad was engaged in clear support for Al Qaida terrorism could prove impossible to ignore. Several members of Congress are considering making the issue the key litmus test in Saudi-U.S. relations next year. "The Saudis swore up and down that they had nothing to do with 9/11," a congressional aide said. "If Riyad doesn't stop Nayef soon, we won't have any choice but to review our relationship." The Saudis consider the US infidels. Lying to us is no skin off their collective fore, as Fred would say.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
10/21/2004 1:38:13 PM ||
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#1
Is Saudi Arabia a country or an organized crime syndicate?
#4
Owned and operated by the Saud family since 1932.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
10/21/2004 15:51 Comments ||
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The State Dept. isn't going to be able to sweep this under the rug for their princely friends... the combination of drug running and direct financing of Al Q. by a senior prince cuts much too close to the bone. As for the interrogations, let the FBI and CIA concentrate on Iraqi and Afghani prisoners for the nonce, and analyzing the bulk of documents the Baathists left behind.
#6
On re-reading this article,it occurs to me that if the Saudis cancel their order with France, and we don't sell them similar stuff, how on earth will the Saudis be able to seal their borders against anti-House of Saud Islamists and violent smugglers?
#7
All the Saudi's dirty deads are starting to come home to roost. The more comes out to the light of day, the worse the Saudis look. Their PR apparatus cannot keep up, and is losing credibility. There will be change in the MK. It will either be gradual and painful or quick and horrific (to some).
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
10/21/2004 19:41 Comments ||
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Alaska Paul: This is from a subscription service that also published today an article on Sudan aid agencies support for Al Qaeda. Could you find it in your heart to Rantburg this article also? I would be everlastingly thankful.
Macedonia said on Tuesday it would send a diplomatic team to Qatar to probe a militant group's reported claims that two Macedonians had been executed as US spies in Iraq, officials said. "We have neither official confirmation nor denial about the two killed Macedonians in Iraq," a government spokesman told AFP.
"We know nothing!"
Qatar-based Al Jazeera television reported on Monday that an armed group calling itself the Islamic Army in Iraq had executed two unnamed Macedonians for allegedly spying on behalf of the US. It aired footage it said came from the Islamic Army, showing two men and their identity cards with the group's banner in the background. Macedonian Foreign Ministry spokesman Dusko Uzunovski said a group of officials led by Deputy Foreign Minister Fuad Hasanovic would meet representatives from Al Jazeera in Qatar to discuss the report. Local media have reported that the two victims are Zoran Nasovski and Dalibor Lazarevski, who were among three Macedonians who disappeared in Iraq in August. They had told their families they were going to Iraq to work for a US construction firm. Uzunovski said another 22 Macedonians working with the construction company were expected to return to Macedonia yesterday. Macedonia is a member of the US-led coalition in Iraq and has contributed about 30 soldiers.Â
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/21/2004 1:23:06 AM ||
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COALITION commanders are planning to send a "surge" of extra British troops to Iraq before the elections in January, Britain's senior general in the country said yesterday. One or two extra battalions — or up to 1,300 men — could be sent under contingency plans being drawn up by military chiefs. In his final interview after six months as the second-in-command of the US-led Multi- national Force, Lieutenant-General John McColl told The Times that the talks between British and American commanders on reinforcements were still at the stage of contingency planning and that no numbers had been mentioned.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
10/21/2004 3:59:19 AM ||
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#1
Any Gurkhas amongs them? I want to hear 'Ayo Gurkhalee!' resonating in Sunni heartland.
In urbis resonant pulchria carmina
In urbis resonat pulchra carmen.
#4
Maybe a legend but I've heard that the Black Watch refused some sort of Unit Citation for Valour during Revolution (for Long Island I think) cause they were "fightin keith and kin".
It's a U.S. Homeland Security Department nightmare, and Honduras' most outspoken Cabinet member says it's happening: Al-Qaida operatives recruiting Central American gang members to carry out regional attacks and slip terrorists into the United States. Yet U.S. and Central American officials say they have found no evidence supporting Honduran Security Minister Oscar Alvarez's allegations. And human rights groups accuse Alvarez of trumping terrorism reports to justify his crackdown on gangs, who in response have adopted terror-style tactics such as beheadings — 20 so far — and threatened the government. Romulo Emiliani, a Roman Catholic bishop working closely with gang members in the northern city of San Pedro Sula, called the reports "an attempt to distract the public while the government puts thousands of youths in jail."
Posted by: Fred ||
10/21/2004 2:50:57 PM ||
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Illegal immigration is rampant in European Russia's south. It is a bad headache for Alexander Tkachev, Krasnodar territorial governor. As he sees the matter, it takes filtration camps for aliens and stateless persons to deport illegal immigrants quickly enough. Vladimir Yeremin, recently appointed territorial top prosecutor, sees the governor's point, says the Novye Izvestia, major Moscow-based daily. The camps, each for 150 inmates, will appear all over the territory-in Krasnodar, Armavir, Tikhoretsk, and Temryuk on the coast of the Sea of Azov. Each camp will cater for a particular nationality. Ukrainians and Moldovans will be committed to the Temryuk camp, close to a Crimea-bound ferry, Armenian nationals to the Krasnodar, and Central Asians to several camps along the territory's eastern border. "The inmates will have decent conditions. We shall put them up in warm tents with stoves and plank floors. They'll be able to take a shower, share the guards' diet, and see the doctor when necessary. The camps will certainly need guards to keep local hoodlums off the premises-and, certainly, as trouble-shooters if, let say, inmates of the men's and women's quarters start a squabble between themselves," says one Colonel Gubenko. The immigrants will be deported at their own expense or of local people who have invited them. "We hope ethnic communities will pay the fares. It's easy to expel, say, a Tajik or an Uzbek--we'll pack them off by bus to the Russian frontier in the Astrakhan Region nearby. But how about the Vietnamese? They'll need air tickets--reckon the fares!" reasons the police officer. The territorial police board set up a 400-strong immigration inspection force under its migration squad to supervise aliens and their employment throughout the Kuban country. More than 400 aliens have been deported from the Krasnodar Territory since the year's start, and close on 50,000 held administratively liable.
Posted by: Dar ||
10/21/2004 3:49:57 PM ||
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#8
God LOVES Israel and the USA more you evil pig shit sand eating rag heads Go Beat your women jackoff and fuck Allah(The Moon God) in the Ass you backward WAHHABISM little prick cocksuckers tawhid and jihad muslims are fucking evil pig shit
eating monsters that smell just like pig shit God LOVES Israel and the USA more you evil pig shit sand eating rag heads Go Beat your women jackoff and fuck Allah(The Moon God) in the Ass you backward WAHHABISM little prick cocksuckers tawhid and jihad muslims are fucking evil pig shit
eating monsters that smell just like pig shit
Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said yesterday the Arab League had asked him to formally present Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's proposal for an "alliance of civilisations" between the West and the Islamic world to its plenary session. Zapatero made the proposal to the United Nations General Assembly in September without going into detail. Moratinos told the senate Arab League Secretary-General Amr Mussa had written to him, asking him to present the proposal. Moratinos said Zapatero wanted to respond to the "enormous challenge" of establishing a political and diplomatic strategy to bring the two civilisations closer.
Zappie is sprinting into dhimmitude.
An alliance of civilisations would require two civilised allies...
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/21/2004 12:23:14 AM ||
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Funny, but when I think of the Middle East, the word 'civilization' doesn't immediately spring to mind. Or even after long and careful thought...
#2
The middle east (particulary what is now known as Iraq) was known as the 'cradle of civilization'.
... at least before Islam corrupted it.
It is permissible under Islam to enter into alliance with infidels as long as you remain 'true' in your heard and your own intent is to lure them into false security... or dhimmitude....
And least until you feel you are strong enough (and they are weak or trusting enough) that you can kill them.
#3
Zappie is like a stupid fish looking at the bait on the hook and thinking, "I can snatch that and not get caught."
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/21/2004 1:29 Comments ||
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Yes Steve, Zapatero is a stupid fish. Spains socialists have delusions of past grandure. Spain lost all significance as a world power when it cut and ran from Iraq. Of course the Arabs are falling all over themselves to get a dialogue going. How can they further undercut and subvert Spain into dhimmitude with out a "dialouge". Spains Catholic church better get on the stick and rope these nut balls in. The only room for other religions in relationship to Islam is under muslim feet. Their are no "equal" religions to islam under islamic doctrine. But since most socilialist have no religion they will just be plain old slaves.
#7
The world is going to separate into two parts. Those who wish to see people freed, justice becoming possible and those who will do anything to avoid a fight becoming one with those who whish to destroy or enslave everyone else.
They will, within years, not decades, decide that America has spent her energy and wealth. When this happens they will try and divvy up the US between them.
If this 'alliance of civilizations' has any success it is because it leads toward this goal of carving up the US for their profit.
Posted by: Jame Retief ||
10/21/2004 9:54 Comments ||
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Allegations of potential radicalization of Islamic teachings at a Boston-area mosque are raising serious questions about the spread of anti-American sentiment here in the United States. The newly formed Citizens for Peace and Tolerance claims the Islamic Society of Boston has contacts with terrorist organizations and points to the group's longstanding relationships with radicals like Yousef Al-Qaradawi — who was once asked to be an honorary trustee of the ISB but is currently banned from entering this country. "They have publicly identified him as a moderate Muslim even though he has recently called for the murder of all Americans in Iraq [and] he praises suicide bombings," said CPT spokesman Dennis Hale, a Boston College professor.
The ISB declined FOX News' request for an interview, but pointed to its Web site. There, the group admits inviting Al-Qaradawi to be a trustee but denies he held a leadership position. The controversy comes at a time when the ISB is building a new $22 million mosque —bankrolled, Hale said, mainly by Saudi Arabia. As a result, he believes, the teachings spread by the ISB will be those of the fundamentalist form of Islam called Wahhabism, which perpetuates the idea that "Muslims are at war with the rest of the world (and) Infidels need to be fought."
The danger, Hale added, is that "the same kind of madness that destroyed the Middle East will now be planted here, where the hope was [that] a moderate Islam would grow." The ISB says it doesn't have a militant agenda, and just this week announced the appointment of a board to develop a new governance structure. They have apologized for failing to condemn offensive remarks sooner.
Posted by: ed ||
10/21/2004 11:51:49 AM ||
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"They have publicly identified him as a moderate Muslim even though he has recently called for the murder of all Americans in Iraq [and] he praises suicide bombings,"
I think a "moderate Muslim" is one that just talks about doing shit like this but doesn't actually do it.
#2
Didn't someone have a copy of the letter signed by Kerry in support of giving them the public land for this mosque at a reduced rate. Apparently the taxpayers not only got to foot the Kerry contribution that no doubt went to Kerry from the Muslims, for his support - but now the good citizens of Boston will get to put up with the poison the mosque will spew into their community.
Muslims armed with machetes attacked several pig farms in Indonesia, slaughtering around 20 swine they claimed were giving of "offensive" odors, The Jakarta Post reported Thursday. Police did nothing to stop the attack Wednesday in South Tatura, central Sulawesi province, the paper reported. The farms belonged to local Christians. "The farms give out a bad odor and this is offensive, especially during Ramadan," said local Muslim leader Abdul Haris, referring to the Islamic fasting month where religious feelings often run high. He said the farms were also polluting a local river, presumably with dung from the animals. Muslims are forbidden to eat pork, which is considered unclean. Police were not immediately available for comment. The Muslims were armed with machetes and sticks, the Post reported. Losses from the attacks were estimated at around $8,000, the paper quoted a pig farmer as saying. Central Sulawesi is around 1,000 miles northeast of Jakarta. Muslim and Christians fought bloody battles there in 2002 in which 1,000 people were killed. Christians make up about 10 percent of Indonesia's 210 million people. More than 80 percent are Muslims, making it the world's largest Islamic country. The two faiths generally live in harmony, but disputes are sometimes triggered over the building of new churches and accusations that Christians are aggressively trying to convert Muslims.
Posted by: TS(vice girl) ||
10/21/2004 11:49:44 AM ||
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#1
"Do be careful! Don't lose any of that stuff. That's concentrated evil. One drop of that could turn you all into hermit crabs."
#7
This makes news and they only got 20 pigs??? What kind of wusses are we dealing with? Eliminate 20 pigs off a farm and you will not significantly reduce the effluence. Next time take the time to do it right, Achmed. Get down and dirty and kill hundreds of pigs. That will make this news.
Posted by: Jame Retief ||
10/21/2004 23:36 Comments ||
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I am for spreading the via air drop. Down town Teran!
Lebanon's president appointed staunchly pro-Syrian politician Omar Karami as prime minister on Thurdsday, asking him to form the next government in a move that consolidates Syria's hold on Lebanese politics. Karami replaces billionaire Rafik Hariri, who has had a long rivalry with President Emil Lahoud — a close ally of Damascus — and who announced a day earlier he would not continue as prime minister in the new government. The shake-up came as Syria was under new pressure from the United Nations to end its decades-long domination of its neighbor Lebanon. In defiance of the U.N. Security Council, Lebanon's parliament last month extended Lahoud's soon-to-expire six-year term by another three years. The issue has divided Lebanon's leadership, creating its worst political crisis since the end of the 1975-90 civil war, and put the country and Syria — which has 14,000 troops in Lebanon — in direct confrontation with the United States and France at the world's highest body. Hariri, who enjoys wide international contacts, was seen as less dependent on Syria than many other politicians. Analysts said his departure cleared the field for a Lebanese government whose ministers are all loyal to Syria, helping Damascus face international pressure.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/21/2004 2:52:13 PM ||
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Iran is unlikely to accept European incentives aimed at getting it to suspend uranium enrichment, diplomats said Thursday, raising the prospect of a showdown next month between Tehran and the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency. Envoys from Britain, France and Germany offered civilian nuclear technology and a trade deal to the Iranians in a private meeting at the French mission to international organizations in Vienna. But Western diplomats said they doubt Iran will back down easily. Iran did not immediately respond to the incentives, which included the promise of lucrative trade, a light-water nuclear research reactor and the chance to buy nuclear fuel from the West.
An Iranian diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Thursday's meeting did not involve detailed negotiations, merely the formal presentation of the European offer. Amir-Hossein Zamaniyan, director-general of international affairs for Iran's Foreign Ministry, would take the proposal back to his government for study, the diplomat said.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/21/2004 2:44:51 PM ||
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...tick, tick, tick...
Posted by: Tom ||
10/21/2004 14:52 Comments ||
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Well then, let's send them an "initiative" that they can accept - a 2,000 pounder right into one of the cooling towers of one of their nuclear reactor complexes.
#4
the promise of lucrative trade, a light-water nuclear research reactor and the chance to buy nuclear fuel from the West.
How ridiculous. Obviously, the plants aren't for civilian purposes. The trade "carrot" is also absurd. The mullahs are millionaires and have their fingers deep into every one of their very rich country's many pies. Why would they be swayed by the promise of more trade?
This deal is actually a matter of Europeans begging for economic favors to be given them, not providing favors to the mullahs. It's European firms that would benefit massively from increased trade with Iran and from sales of civilian nuke technology to the mullahs. What a complete farce.
Foreign Minister al Shara condemns UN resolution demanding Syria withdraw all its forces as "illegal intervention in its internal affairs".
It's ours, dang it! We occupied it fair and square."
Syrian foreign Minister Farouq al Shara has rejected the joint Franco-American Security Council resolution calling on Damascus to end its illegal occupation of Lebanon, and withdraw all its trops from its neighbor's territory. The resolution was tabled in wake of recent intelligence information that Syria, at the prodding of its ally Iran, was allowing al Qaeda to set up base on the Lebanese coast, from which it could threaten southern Europe. This development, in conjunction with renewed reports of ongoing Syrian coperation with the Sunni terrorist insurgency in Iraq, seems to put and end to the speculations that Syria would be willing to end its alliance with Iran and become part of the Pax Americana.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
10/21/2004 4:17:29 AM ||
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#4
Take the offer back to Teheran for discussions. How many months?
Answer is "We can do this, but we can't do that" Take that back to Brussels. More discussions. How many months?
Another proposal made to Mullahs. They reconsider. "we can do this, but we can't do that" How many months?
Finally Big 3 agrees to discuss possible sanctions at UNSC level. How many months?
Sanctions finally voted in. How many months/years before they bite atomic program?
Guess what Iran will then announce to the world.
Utter idiocy. Big 3 and UN will have called Iranian bluff, but at the price of a atomic weaponized Mullacracy. Note this is Kerry has the same plan. Tell your friends, RB'ers. W is the one.
Posted by: chicago mike ||
10/21/2004 14:12 Comments ||
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Sorry. post meant for story on Iran nukes below.
Posted by: chicago mike ||
10/21/2004 14:20 Comments ||
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Senior officials from France, Britain and Germany will meet Iranian counterparts Thursday to issue Tehran with an incentive-backed last chance to end uranium enrichment plans or face possible U.N. sanctions. Diplomats said the European Union's "Big Three" had the reluctant blessing of the United States to make the offer, despite a U.S. belief that Iran was using talks with the EU to buy time to acquire the capability to build a nuclear bomb.
"At this point Iranian compliance doesn't seem likely ... based on Iran's history and their current expressions and the things that they're saying and doing right now," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Wednesday.
Iran, which maintains its nuclear program is only for power generation, says it is open to talks but will never give up uranium enrichment -- a process which can be used to make fuel for nuclear reactors or material for atom bombs.
"If our rights are recognized and they admit Iran can have peaceful nuclear technology we will present everything necessary to prove that Iran will not produce an atomic bomb. But we will not give up our rights," said President Mohammad Khatami. ...more...
I just don't get why everyone is still suspicious of Iran. It has been so forthright, honest, and honorable with the world and the IAEA. Peaceful intent is written all over their program - ignore those nasty messages they put on their missiles... that was just a misunderstanding. Sheesh! What's a Mad Mullah gotta do?
Posted by: .com ||
10/21/2004 12:29:54 AM ||
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For Moslems, "peace" means the submission of all infidels.
And I suspect that in their eyes a nuclear explosion "generates" a lot of power.
As for the EU's "last chance" threat -- OR ELSE what exactly? they've already shown over the last two decades that they have no spine against the mullahcracy.
#2
Is this the last chance before the very last chance, or is it the absolute last chance before the EU capitulates and states Iran's nuclear ambitions threaten no one?
#5
This is why they want sKerry in office . . . Klinton already proved the the Dhimmicrats will look only where told (think NK) for nuclear activity, the same will be true for sKerry.
Frightening to think that we stand on the edge of Armageddon and the Dhimmicrats want to say that they can 'fix' it.
Posted by: Jame Retief ||
10/21/2004 9:46 Comments ||
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Senior officials from France, Britain and Germany will meet Iranian counterparts Thursday to issue Tehran with an incentive-backed last chance..
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the self-made billionaire who rebuilt Beirut from the ruins of civil war, dissolved his Cabinet on Wednesday and said he won't lead the next government, a surprise move that could bolster Syria's role in Lebanese affairs. Hariri's decision could make him a more powerful force in Lebanese politics, building support among a disillusioned public ahead of parliamentary elections in May. It is more likely, however, to indicate that Syria is strengthening its hand in Lebanon by seeking to bring in an entirely loyal Lebanese administration to face the mounting international pressure on Damascus' dominance here. Syria has been the power broker in Lebanon for more than a decade. ...more...
F**kin' Duh reporting by AP.
Posted by: .com ||
10/21/2004 12:11:35 AM ||
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Guess Hariri will just go spend his millions elsewhere.
Within the relatively safe confines of Baghdad's university campuses, a picture emerges of what democracy could look like throughout the country if worries about security hadn't trumped everything else. It's not pretty. Indeed, it's messy, uneven and at times angry. Students and professors alike are still learning what democracy is and debating how to execute it on campuses - or whether universities are ready for such debates at all... Students who fail exams, for example, cite democracy as a reason to let them take them again. Some drive on the wrong side of the road, and when a policeman asks them why, argue that it's their democratic right... Chaos, confusion, argument, scepticism, and a charming dollop of anarchy. The underpinnings of a truly successful higher education system. The future looks bright.
#1
we have similar problems in our universities. It's not the vote that keeps guys like Sadaam out of power.
Just as a side note, it's the BALANCE of power that keeps guys like Sadaam out, not "democracy". The vote is how oridnary, not-powerful people exercise power in their "branch" of our government.
Really, voting is just a kinder/gentler way for The People(TM) to express their collective power, using a show of hands, rather than arms.
#2
Chaos, confusion, argument, scepticism, and a charming dollop of anarchy. The underpinnings of a truly successful higher education system. The future looks bright.
A Dhaka court yesterday handed down death sentence to three retired non-commissioned army officers and life term to 12 retired senior military officers for their role in the 1975 "Jail Killings" of four people seen as heroes of the independence struggle. The court acquitted four politicians — former state ministers Taheruddin Thakur, Shah Moazzem Hossain, K.M. Obaidur Rahman MP and Nurul Islam Manju - and a serving Additional Secretary in the Foreign Ministry Major Khairuzzaman. Risalder Moslemuddin, Dafadar Marfat Ali and Dafader Abul Hashem Mridha were given the death sentence in absence. Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Matiur Rahman pronounced the judgment at a makeshift court near Dhaka Central Jail.
Lt. Col. (retired) Faruque Rahman, Lt. Col. (retired) Khandoker Abdur Rashid, Lt. Col. (retired) Shariful Huq Dalim, Lt. Col. (retired) S.H.M.B. Noor Chowdhury, Lt. Col. (retired) A.M. Rashed Chowdhury, Lt. Col. (retired) Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, Maj. (retired) Bazlul Huda, Maj. (retired) Ahmed Sharful Hossain, Maj. (retired) A.K.M. Mohiuddin Ahmed, Capt. (retired) Abdul Majed, Capt. (retired) Kismat Hashem and Capt. (retired) Nazmul Hossain Ansar were given life term, nine of them in their absence. They were accused of killing four national heroes - Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmed, M. Mansur Ali and A.H.M. Qamaruzzaman - inside Dhaka Central Jail on Nov. 3, 1975. "It is a great irony that those who played such a vital role in the independence of Bangladesh came to be killed by citizens of an independent Bangladesh," said Judge Matiur Rahman. The country has been riveted by the highly politically sensitive case for nearly three decades.
The four were close associates of Bangladesh's first President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The killings took place soon after Sheikh Mujib, who had led a bloody struggle for independence from Pakistan in 1971, was assassinated in a coup along with more than 20 members of his family. Twenty-one politicians and army officers were charged in 1975 with the jail murders but one has since died. Of the 20 defendants still alive, three were in custody for their role in the assassination of Sheikh Mujib and five were on bail. The remaining 12 are believed to have fled the country and were tried in their absence.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/21/2004 3:18:19 PM ||
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EFL
(Reuters) - Britain agreed on Thursday to a U.S. request for UK troops to move to dangerous areas near Baghdad, a politically risky step for Tony Blair who could face a sharp backlash if casualty rates start rising.
Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon told parliament about 850 personnel would move north for a period of weeks, not months, to allow U.S. troops to tackle insurgents elsewhere. But of course, the ankle-biters accuse Blair of aiding W's re-election campaign
"This deployment is a vital part of the process of creating the right conditions for the Iraqi elections to take place in January," he said.
U.S. military chiefs asked for UK forces to move north into volatile areas near Baghdad in order to free up U.S. troops to focus on hotspots like Falluja before the elections.
"We share ... a common goal of creating a secure and stable Iraq where men, women and children in towns like Falluja can feel safe from foreign terrorists," Hoon said.
Politicians, many in Prime Minister Blair's Labour party, are aghast at the prospect of British troops being moved to areas of greater danger.
Until now, the British have been concentrated in a relatively quiet zone of southern Iraq around the second city of Basra. Since the Iraq war began, 68 British troops have been killed, compared with more than 1,000 Americans.
HT - Drudge
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/21/2004 10:35:22 AM ||
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#1
to allow U.S. troops to tackle insurgents elsewhere.
some here have said the number of US troops is not a constraint. Hmmm?
#2
LH - I think this is an internal, short-term realignment to bring extremely heavy pressure to bear on one hot-spot: Fallujah. There won't be a need for the extra troops after the attack, but the US wants someone watching their backsides and adding moral support to the forces left behind in Baghdad. Remember, Patton sent three divisions rushing north out of France into Belgium to relieve Bastogne. He asked the Seventh Army to send some troops to fill in the hole he was leaving in the front lines. It worked, and a couple of weeks after the initial attack was crushed, everybody returned to where they were before. There's no need for EXTRA troops (which would take anywhere from days to weeks to get in-country and up to speed), because everything is expected to be over in a short time.
I hope it IS Fallujah, and I hope they leave nothing larger than sand grains when they finish.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
10/21/2004 18:21 Comments ||
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#3
LH was knee-jerking, which is why I ignored it. You're spot-on, Mike
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/21/2004 18:45 Comments ||
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EFL: The United Nations says Fiji's government has become the first to agree to provide troops specifically to protect UN officials in Iraq. The 35 UN officials in Baghdad are currently protected by troops from the US-led multinational force. The UN is very worried about the safety of its personnel after the bombing of its Baghdad headquarters last year. The suicide attack in August 2003 killed 22 people including the top UN envoy in Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello. That and other attacks prompted UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to pull all non-Iraqi staff out of Iraq.
The UN is coming under increasing pressure to send more staff to Iraq ahead of the expected poll in January. Mr Annan said this week that governments who were asking him to send civilian staff to Iraq were not providing troops to protect them.
But on Wednesday UN spokeswoman Maria Okabe announced that 130 Fijians would provide security details for senior UN officials and a guard unit to protect UN facilities in Baghdad. "These contributions are critical to the UN's efforts to strengthen the security arrangements for its personnel in Iraq," she said, quoted by the Associated Press news agency. "This would make it possible for the United Nations to consider expanding its activities in Iraq as circumstances permit."
Australia has already agreed to provide training and equipment for the Fijians.
Our correspondent says the UN needs to be seen as independent in Iraq and wants to avoid being closely associated with the US-led multinational force. But UN staff will continue to depend on this force for much of its protection even after the Fijian troops arrive.
The South Pacific country has a long and proud history of sending its forces to the world's trouble-spots.
They don't like them hanging around Fiji in case they get ideas about taking over.
The most recent deployment was in the Solomon Islands as part of the Australian-led intervention. Fijian soldiers have also served with the UN in East Timor and Lebanon. More than 1,000 Fijians are currently serving in the British Army, some of them in Iraq. Some former soldiers from Fiji have been working as mercenaries in the region.
Posted by: Steve ||
10/21/2004 9:36:21 AM ||
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The United Nations says Fiji's government has become the first to agree to provide troops specifically to protect UN officials in Iraq.
The catch? Spam. And lots of it. Hormel will be pleased.
#4
It's fun to watch the UN's false objections get shot down (so that they will be forced to admit their real objections or else do something right for once).
#5
"that governments who were asking him to send civilian staff to Iraq were not providing troops to protect them." or in the US's case the UN rejected US security forces thinking it better to get UN staff killed than have the horrible US protect them. Nit wits.
#7
You do not want to get between those guys and their Spam. They may revert and decide they want some long pig. A little bit of pain wont even slow'm down. Those tatoos they wear are put in the hard way, like hammered in with bamboo needles. They also tend to be rather large, tear your arm off and beat you to death large. Samoans much the same. As a matter of fact a lot of the Pacific Islanders love spam.
Excerpt:
DEBKAfile's al Qaeda experts stress that the fundamentalist group's ideologues of terror, utterly impervious to Western "infidel" opinion and sensitivities, have been immersed in a cold-blooded doctrinal debate on the integration of decapitation in their "jihad."
The upshot of this debate was a judgment handed down Thursday, October 10, by al Qaeda's spiritual guides which, summed up with brutal clarity, declares: Americans in Iraq, all foreigners, and their Iraqi collaborators fit "every Muslim religious and traditional criterion that permits their slaughter." i.e. decapitation.
The decree itself is divided into two long sections, each signed by a different group.
The first, 17 pages long, addresses Questions and Doubts on the Nature of the Jihad and its Functions , and is signed by a "Supporters of the Jihad Fighters."
The second, 16 pages long, Revival of the Tradition of Slaughtering Infidels, is signed by "Sheikh Abdullah Rashid", whose real identity is known only to senior al Qaeda leaders.
According to our experts, the first section addresses the questions and uncertainties stirred up in many parts of the Muslim world by the barbarous depictions of masked Muslim men snatching living human beings by the hair and slashing their throats with large knives. So monstrous are these images that even Arab TV stations are loath to air them.
The reluctant broadcasters are taken to task in this first section, accused of spurning "deeds sanctioned by Islam."
After section one addresses the queries of the doubters, section two lays down the law: "The slaughter of infidels is compelled by religious precept and must be implemented in letter and spirit as determined by the Prophet Mohammed, who declared that decapitation is the most effective means of intimidation and deterrent against the enemy."
Rest at link.
Posted by: ed ||
10/21/2004 8:22:36 AM ||
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"Laughter of the Infidels". Must be talking about those laughing, drug-crazed Marines, which heaven knows, has given me plenty of laughter.
#5
Realizing this would be tantamount to opening the door to the Hashemitesâ return to their ancestral land Fahd refused and turned to France instead.
#6
Hashemite or Hashishemite Kingdom of Jordan. I will have to hand it to them. That is one Tom Wallager flagpole and flag!
But the honor goes to: ***drumroll.....***
THE Superflag! Size: 255 x 505 (ft) and requires at least 600 volunteers to unfurl. Take a look at this baby hanging down off Hoover Dam.
Back on subject....maybe Abdullah figures that the Saudis are eventually going down and he is starting to twist the dagger into the soft underbelly of the House of Fraud Saud.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
10/21/2004 17:00 Comments ||
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#7
Whoa! The SuperFlag is big.... bug Geebus look at the dirigible hanger behind it! Moffett field?
#8
even more impressive is the small flag on the shoulder of the Army and Marines...individually small, but when combined in units of 100K, capable of overthrowing dicttaorial regimes
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/21/2004 20:12 Comments ||
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#9
Frank, reminds me of Lyall Watson's concept... need a memory chip or two, not sure how it was dubbed... something like over certain threshold the structure composed of basic elements is greater than a mere sum of parts.
#4
FYI - my favorite 2 exchanges from the whole movie were from that character:
Stephen: [speaking heavenward] Him? That can't be William Wallace! I'm prettier than this man! Allright father, I'll ask him.[to William] If I risk my neck for you, will I get a chance to kill Englishmen? Hamish: Is your father a ghost, or do you converce with the Almighty? Stephen:In order to find his equal, an Irishman is forced to talk to God! [heavenward] Yes, father! [to William and his men] The Almighty says; don't change the subject, just answer the fucking question! Hamish: Mind your tongue. Campbell: Insane Irish!
[Stephen drags up a knife from his sleeve, and put's it to Campbell's throat. William and his men draws their swords and places them at Stephen's neck.] Stephen: Smart enough to get a dagger past your gards, old man! William: He's my friend, Irishman! And the answer to your question is yes. Fight for me, you get to kill English! Stephen: [removes his knife] Excellent! Stephen is my name. I'm the most wanted man on my island. Hamish: Your island? You mean Ireland? Stephen: Yeah! It's MINE! Hamish: You're a madman! Stephen: [nods his head] I've come to the right place, then... [everyone starts laughing.]
[GRIN]
Stephen: [to William as the battle of Stirling has just started] The Lord tells me He can get me out of this mess, but He's pretty sure you're fooked! (then he laughs hilariously)
#5
OldSpook: Stephen was a character I will always treasure. The epitomy of the Irish.
Posted by: Charles ||
10/21/2004 9:12 Comments ||
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#6
Cripes! More from the Army of Steve! The Kurds and Sunnis would love to rule over the Shia minority. It would make our actions in Iraq thus far seem tame.
#8
OS> besides the great battle scenes, the dialogue between Stephan and Wallace was a great part of the story. I, as a proud Irishter lmao at them. Kudos to Mel Gibson for making that happen.
The United Nations has not sent enough election workers to help monitor pivotal elections scheduled for January, Iraq's foreign minister said here on Wednesday. Although Iraqi leaders and the United States are pushing for elections to be held as planned, signs of open campaigning are few, with preparations for the vote clouded by threats of boycotts and continuing violence in parts of Iraq. "We feel very disappointed that the participation of the U.N. employees is not up to the required level and there is a limited number of officials, and we are at the end of October," said the foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari.
A few hours later in New York, the United Nations announced that 130 Fijian soldiers would go to Baghdad to replace the troops protecting the small United Nations contingent now in place. The United Nations portrayed the move as possibly allowing it to increase its presence in Iraq but made no commitment to do so.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai was on course for a clear victory in the country's historic election Thursday with more than half the votes counted. Karzai had almost 60 percent of the vote with an estimated 50.7 percent of total ballots counted, leaving him likely to secure the simple majority needed to avoid a second-round run-off. "It would be almost impossible for Karzai to lose 10 percent of his lead, so a run-off looks very, very unlikely, said a Western election expert familiar with the process.
Experts said victory was just days away for the US-backed incumbent who had always been the clear favourite to win the October 9 poll, Afghanistan's first direct presidential election. His closest rival, former education minister Yunus Qanooni, announced late on Wednesday that he would accept the election result despite previously complaining of fraud, smoothing Karzai's way. "I have made sacrifices for the national interests of Afghanistan and I am ready to make another sacrifice," Qanooni told AFP.
The ballot was the first ever chance for Afghans to choose their own leader, after enduring Taleban rule, civil war, Soviet occupation, a Communist regime, monarchies and British colonial rule. It was hailed worldwide for the massive voter turnout in the face of threats of violence by bitter Taleban loyalists. Based on election commission estimates, around 8,146,173 million of the 10.5 million registered voters cast ballots, meaning the winner needs 4,073,087 votes to win. Karzai has tallied 2,438,761 votes so far, leaving him 1,634,326 short of victory. Karzai is leading in 20 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces and posted 91 percent of the vote in Kandahar, the spiritual home of the former Taleban regime whose 2001 ousting in a US-led military campaign allowed him to come to power. He also polled 95 percent in the populous eastern province of Nangahar.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/21/2004 12:20:44 AM ||
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the afghan people have finally spoken for themselves - they have voted for moderation, peace, and the future.
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.
Officials said that Nayef used his royal family jet to transport two tons of cocaine from Colombia to France. The cocaine arrived in a diplomatic container and thus avoided customs inspection. Still, several of Nayef's alleged aides have been captured and are scheduled for trial in Miami, Fla, in November. So far, the United States has declared Nayef a fugitive in violation of federal narcotics law. But Nayef has been protected by the Saudi royal family, which has thought nothing of threatening Western governments that seek to bring him to trial. Saudi Arabia does not have an extradition treaty with either France or the United States. For his part, Nayef has claimed that he was investigated by Saudi authorities and cleared of any suspicion. The prince admits to numerous trips and meetings in Europe and South America, but said his intention was to recruit investors for a deal for plastic pipes.
Macedonia said on Tuesday it would send a diplomatic team to Qatar to probe a militant group's reported claims that two Macedonians had been executed as US spies in Iraq, officials said. "We have neither official confirmation nor denial about the two killed Macedonians in Iraq," a government spokesman told AFP.
A Dhaka court yesterday handed down death sentence to three retired non-commissioned army officers and life term to 12 retired senior military officers for their role in the 1975 "Jail Killings" of four people seen as heroes of the independence struggle. The court acquitted four politicians — former state ministers Taheruddin Thakur, Shah Moazzem Hossain, K.M. Obaidur Rahman MP and Nurul Islam Manju - and a serving Additional Secretary in the Foreign Ministry Major Khairuzzaman. Risalder Moslemuddin, Dafadar Marfat Ali and Dafader Abul Hashem Mridha were given the death sentence in absence. Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Matiur Rahman pronounced the judgment at a makeshift court near Dhaka Central Jail.
The United Nations has not sent enough election workers to help monitor pivotal elections scheduled for January, Iraq's foreign minister said here on Wednesday. Although Iraqi leaders and the United States are pushing for elections to be held as planned, signs of open campaigning are few, with preparations for the vote clouded by threats of boycotts and continuing violence in parts of Iraq. "We feel very disappointed that the participation of the U.N. employees is not up to the required level and there is a limited number of officials, and we are at the end of October," said the foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari.
