KABUL, Afghanistan -- Suspected Taliban militants hanged a woman and her son from a tree after accusing them of spying for the government, officials said Wednesday, while the U.S. military reported killing 15 insurgents who attacked a U.S. base in eastern Afghanistan.
Brave, brave Lions of Islam™ ...
The 70-year-old woman and her 30-year-old son were killed Monday in the village of Daigh, about five miles north of Musa Qala in the southern province of Helmand, said Amir Mohammad Akhunzada, the province's deputy governor.
Akhunzada did not identify the two but said the woman's son-in-law worked for the police. After the slaying, the militants threatened to kill anyone working for the government, he said. "This hanging is totally against Islam," Akhunzada said. "They use the name of Islam to go against Islam." More Mayhem at Link
KABUL -US-led soldiers and warplanes killed 12 Taliban militants who ambushed coalition forces in mountainous eastern Afghanistan, a US military spokesman said on Wednesday. Two US soldiers and an Afghan soldier were wounded in TuesdayÂ’s battle in the remote province of Nuristan which borders Pakistan, Colonel Tom Collins told a press conference in Kabul.
“There was a significant coalition engagement yesterday in Nuristan, in which enemy extremists attacked our forces with rockets and rifle fire,” Collins said. “Through the actions of our forces on the ground and the use of air support we killed 12 enemy extremists,” Collins said.
"Keep firing Ahmed, we've got the infidels pinned......KABOOM! .....down."
He gave no further details about the wounded soldiers.
Nuristan is one of the provinces where Taliban-led militants are most active. It is a wooded mountainous area where they find it easy to hide.
Well, no
Posted by: Steve ||
08/09/2006 09:03 ||
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Hope for quick and complete recovery for the soldiers. Hope they have the chance to kill many more terrorists.
Hope for grief and suffering for the families of the Talibanies.
#6
Interestingly, Nuristan was once called KAFIRistan. It was kafir because the locals refused to convert to islam in spite of centuries of jihad against them. In 1895, the brave lions of islam finally forcibly converted the kafirs. The name was changed to nuristan because that mean land of light or something. Like all recent converts, the nuristanis are especially fanatical and were the ones who fought the Russians most ferociously. So, I suppose that when the rest of us are forced to convert to islam because we won't fight it in a united manner (and in its practitioners fashion), we will be ferocious too. I feel ferocious already!
Seven Taliban were killed and a commander was captured in the latest spate of attacks in Afghanistan, officials said Tuesday. Four Taliban were killed in a clash in the Andar district of Ghazni province. Two militants were killed when the Taliban attacked a police post late on Monday in Garmser district in the Helmand province. In the north of the province, British troops shot dead an armed Afghan policeman outside a base in Musa Qula. The Afghan was in civilian clothes and was mistaken for an insurgent.
In another attack late on Monday in Paktika province, one insurgent was killed while four others and a policeman were wounded following a short battle, said provincial spokesman Sayed Jamal. He said that around 50 Taliban crossed into a remote area of the Paktika province from Pakistan and traded heavy machine gun fire with police. The militants slipped back into Pakistan after the fight, he added.
Three Afghan soldiers and a civilian were wounded in Khost on Tuesday when an army vehicle headed for Kabul was struck by a roadside remote-controlled bomb, police said. In another part of Paktika, police arrested Mullah Akhtar Mohammad, a former director of refugee affairs, along with a group of five other men fleeing from Helmand province overnight, he said. One of the men was wounded, he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/09/2006 00:00 ||
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British troops shot dead an armed Afghan policeman outside a base in Musa Qula. The Afghan was in civilian clothes and was mistaken for an insurgent.
Uf da! I wonder if this means the police are relaxing, or if they still can't stand out in front of their houses in uniform.
Mogadishu, 9 August (AKI) - A campaign by an Islamist group in Somalia to extend its control over the country is meeting some resistance in some areas such as the central city of Galkayo, where demonstrators have staged protests. On Tuesday three people were wounded when supporters of the Union of Islamic Courts opened fire on a crowd protesting against the Islamists' attempts to control the city.
How dare you protest! Don't ya know, they're on a Mission from God
According to the news portal, Somalinet, the protest was organised by supporters of Abdi Qeydid, who along with other warlords controlled larger parts of Somalia before they were defeated by Union of Islamic Courts fighters this year. The protestors chanted slogans against the Union of Islamic Courts which controls the capital Mogadishu.
Additional: Tension is high in a central Somali town after protests against Islamists who now control the capital, Mogadishu, and much of southern Somalia. Correspondents say residents in Galkayo, 600km north west of Mogadisu, are divided about whether to support the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC). Two people were injured in Tuesday's protest, led by clerics who say the UIC's brand of Islam is too militant.
Galkayo borders Puntland, a region believed to be against the courts.
They've broken from Somalia and set up their own country
And it's worrisome that the Islamicists could be next to Puntland any time now ...
The transitional government of Somalia, based in Baidoa, is also divided about whether to negotiate with the courts.
Hundreds of people carrying placards and shouting anti-UIC slogans took part in the demonstations before scuffles broke out, Somalia's Shabelle website reports. UIC militia are reported to be controlling a main road outside Galkayo. They have sent representatives into the town to see about setting up an Islamic court there.
In Baidoa, Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Ghedi is attempting to form a new 31-member cabinet after the previous cabinet was dissolved on Monday. President Abdullahi Yusuf has given him a week to form a new government. The two agreed on Monday to put aside their differences, after divisions on the question of possible talks with the Islamists sparked a crisis in the government. The interim cabinet originally had more than 100 members, not all of whom had been approved by parliament.
Posted by: Steve ||
08/09/2006 08:30 ||
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The judges on Islamic Idol are tough, but fair.
Posted by: ed ||
08/09/2006 9:18 Comments ||
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OH NO!!!! No doubt the UN will condemn this brutal action. They'll demand that action be taken immediately. They'll insist that innocents were targeted intentionally. They'll propose that sanctions be implemented.
President Vladimir Putin issued an order to the Russian army and police troops to take steps for gradual withdrawal from Chechnya. By a Decree signed today, Putin tasked the Interior and Defense Ministries to work out until 15 December plans for redeployment of the security forces temporarily stationed in Chechnya. The Ministries have been tasked to look into possibilities for gradual withdrawal in the course of 2007 and 2008.
Despite what Kavkaz.com says, the war will probably wind down now that Shamil's dead. Good lesson to take with other conflicts, isn't it?
Posted by: Fred ||
08/09/2006 00:00 ||
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Yes: Kill the charismatic leaders. It's also a lot cheaper. I don't know why we worry about it. Terrorists would kill any head of state in an instant if they could. That world leaders won't be targets due to self-restraint on the part of the civilized world is about 90% self-indulgent fantasy and costs us a lot more opportunities and soldiers' lives than the policy is worth.
#2
Israel did after months of procrastination and debates eliminate "sheikh" Yassin, and in the same breath his successor Rantissi, and what happened? Hamas declared an unilateral cease-fire...
#3
At the very least, it's a lot harder to work from underground than above! And maybe it's best to leave some pitiful excuse for a command that is ineffective so there isn't as much encouragement to form a new command.
#4
I don't think killing Yassin got Hamas to declare a cease-fire. It was their inability to retaliate with suicide bombings that got them to do so. If you can't make good on your threats, you try to save face by saying you're not going to attack anyway.
#5
You're all right. It wasn't just killing the good sheikh. It was killing every leader and cannon fodderling that poked his head up, knocking down houses, and walling up the the suicide wannabes. Cumulative effect is so bad for morale.
#7
The first thing I thought when I read the headline is that even if Russia pulled out and left a moonscape devoid of life the Islamists would proclaim victory at driving the Russians out.
The real lesson of the day is the one that needs to be learned. If you sell arms to bad people those arms can and will be used against you eventually. Its not as if the Islamic world could make the components of a suicide belt by their own, they can only assemble.
(Interfax-AVN) - A local resident has voluntarily surrendered 60 kilograms of explosives to police in the village of Khambi-Irze in Chechnya's Achkhoi-Martan district, sources in Chechen law enforcement services told Interfax by phone on Tuesday. "The explosives were afterwards blown up by a field engineering team of the local commandant's office," the source said.
Several militants and their accomplices have turned themselves in to police in Chechnya over the past 24 hours, according to law enforcement services. A resident of the village of Biltoi-Yurt in the Gudermes district told the police that he fought against federal forces as a member of an illegal armed group in 1999. Two residents of the Naura district confessed to having undergone training at a militant training center in the village of Khatuni in 1997. In the Gudermes district, a local resident confessed to serving in the "Ichkeria National Guard" from 1991 to 1994.
The fact that six people have voluntarily reported to law enforcement agencies and applied for amnesty was confirmed to Interfax by Chechen Interior Ministry spokesman Magomed Deniyev on Tuesday morning. Deniyev said that all of those who have given themselves up to the authorities were militants or their collaborators at different times between 1994 and 2006. Two of them underwent military training near the village of Tevzena in Chechnya's Vedeno district.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/09/2006 00:00 ||
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A US Navy sailor, Ariel J. Weinmann, is suspected of spying for Israel and has been held in prison for four months, according to an article published Monday in the Saudi daily Al-Watan. It reported that Weinmann is being held at a military base in Virginia on suspicion of espionage and desertion.
Published in a Saooodi paper but not the NYT or WaPo? 24 hour rule, folks.
According to the navy, Weinmann was apprehended on March 26 "after it was learned that he had been listed as a deserter by his command." Though initial information released by the navy makes no mention of it, Al-Watan reported that he was returning from an undisclosed "foreign country." American sources close to the Defense Department told Al-Watan that Israel was the country in question.
"The US Navy concluded Article 32 proceedings in the case of Fire Control Technician Third Class Ariel J. Weinmann on July 26, 2006," Ted Brown, a media relations officer at the US Fleet Forces Command, told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday. The US Fleet Forces Command is the "convening authority of the case... and will make the decision with respect to what charges, if any, will be referred to a general court-martial."
The veracity of Al-Watan's claim that Weinmann is suspected of spying for Israel remains in question, and military and Pentagon spokesmen are remaining tightlipped. A public affairs officer at the Office of Naval Intelligence told the Post that he was unaware of the allegations against Weinmann.
"No comment. Go away."
Al-Watan speculated that if Weinmann spied on behalf of the Mossad, it would be the biggest espionage case since Jonathan Pollard's arrest. Pollard, who worked as a civilian intelligence analyst for the US Navy, was caught in 1985 and convicted of spying for Israel. He is currently serving a life sentence in the US.
And deservedly so.
According to the navy, "Weinmann was assigned to the USS Albuquerque (SSN 706) and had deserted on or about July 3, 2005." The Albuquerque is a Los Angeles-class attack submarine.
Though the navy's initial press release contained no reference to Israel, Brown stated that more detailed information about the case would be released shortly.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/09/2006 11:09 ||
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From the Navy Times:
August 09, 2006 Sailor charged with espionage
NORFOLK NAVAL STATION, Va. — The Navy has charged a sailor who allegedly deserted his submarine last year with trying to pass secret documents contained in a stolen laptop to an unspecified foreign government — possibly more than one. Fire Control Technician 3rd Class Ariel J. Weinmann, 21, has been charged with three counts of espionage, as well as desertion, larceny, failure to obey a lawful order, copying classified information and destruction of military property.
The Navy has not said which nation or nations are involved. A story in Wednesday’s Jerusalem Post alleged that one of the countries involved is Israel. A Navy official, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitive nature of the charges, said Wednesday that it is “definitely not Israel.”
The case was heard July 26 in an Article 32 hearing by an investigating officer who will prepare recommendations for Adm. John Nathman, commander of Norfolk, Va.-based Fleet Forces Command, the convening authority for the case. Nathman will decide which charges, if any, will be referred to court-martial. That hearing was not publicized or open to the press. If tried and convicted of espionage, Weinmann could be executed, according to the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Weinmann, who joined the Navy in July 2003, was assigned in October 2004 to the attack submarine Albuquerque, then located at New London Submarine Base, Conn.. The Navy says he deserted the sub in July 2005, taking a government-owned laptop computer that apparently contained data classified as “confidential” and “secret,” according to the charge sheets supplied by Fleet Forces Command. The Navy alleges that Weinmann tried to pass the classified information to representatives of a foreign government multiple times: in March 2005, before he allegedly deserted, “at or near” Manama, Bahrain; in October 2005 in Vienna, Austria; and this past March in Mexico City.
Weinmann was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on March 26. HeÂ’s been held in the Norfolk Naval Station brig ever since.
Posted by: Steve ||
08/09/2006 13:18 Comments ||
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He just got lost, took a wrong turn
Posted by: Captain America ||
08/09/2006 13:39 Comments ||
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However valid Israel's battle against terrorism might be, they continue to maintain a pattern of deceit and betrayal against American interests (espionage, sale of arms to China) that will, one day, come back to haunt them.
For how often in history that the Jews have been hung out to dry, an "us against them" on their part is somewhat understandable. However, the USA has proven itself, time and again, to be Israel's staunchest ally and deserves better treatment as such.
#9
A Navy official, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitive nature of the charges, said Wednesday that it is “definitely not Israel.”
I would interpret that statement to indicate that Israel is likely neither involved nor the recipient.
The Navy alleges that Weinmann tried to pass the classified information to representatives of a foreign government multiple times: in March 2005, before he allegedly deserted, “at or near” Manama, Bahrain; in October 2005 in Vienna, Austria; and this past March in Mexico City.
In fact, it sounds like the gentleman was shopping the information around for buyers. "Spy on spec." so to say. Thanks for finding that, Steve.
Sources: Navy sailor suspected of spying for Russia
From Barbara Starr
CNN Washington Bureau
Wednesday, August 9, 2006; Posted: 4:34 p.m. EDT (20:34 GMT)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A sailor facing espionage and desertion charges has been held at a Norfolk, Virginia, brig since March, the U.S. Navy said Wednesday.
Ariel Weinmann, 21, is suspected of having worked on behalf of Russia, said military sources close to the case.
He was likely to have had access to technical manuals and other material on submarine systems, Navy sources said. No one else in the Navy is suspected of having worked with Weinmann, they said.
The fire control technician third class, assigned to the submarine USS Albuquerque, attempted on three occasions to pass classified information to foreign agents, the charges against him state.
Those incidents occurred in March 2005 in Bahrain; October 2005 in Vienna, Austria; and March 2006 in Mexico City, Mexico, according to the charges.
In addition to the espionage allegations, Weinmann also faces desertion charges, which could result in the death penalty. He is accused of deserting in July 2005 during his first tour of duty.
A customs agent took Weinmann into custody March 26 at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport when he tried to re-enter the United States.
The case is the second involving allegations of military spying by Russia. The Defense Department has said it suspects Russia collected information about American intelligence in Iraq from U.S. Central Command in Doha, Qatar, in 2003.
Somebody had better tell me that they have been keeping an eye on this moron and we've been feeding the badguys bad info - because if not, some Admirals need to lose their jobs.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
08/09/2006 16:39 Comments ||
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NEW DELHI: Forget back channel diplomacy, if the Indian army has its way it will unleash a new “war doctrine” to combat what it describes as Islamabad’s new strategy of “attack by infiltration” into Indian territory beyond Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
According to this month’s issue of Force magazine, the army may attempt to persuade New Delhi to follow the Israeli example in Lebanon and authorise the attack of “terrorist” targets in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. This could include punitive raids against Pakistani posts along the Line of Control (LoC), cross-border pursuit of militants and the crushing of militant training camps.
Indeed, the magazine points out that “it is not difficult for the army to attack a nearby Pakistani post on the LoC and bring back their dead to show intruders into Indian territory”, noting that “both sides have attempted this in the past”.
Force also stresses that India is “well-prepared to meet Pakistan’s war threat (in retaliation) head-on”, going on to suggest that New Delhi would simply need to allow its military a timeframe of three to four weeks to accomplish its aims before bowing to international pressure for a ceasefire.
Thus it warns that the next three months - that is, before winter sets in and the passes in Jammu and Kashmir close for the season - could prove crucial for IndiaÂ’s relations with Pakistan.
The magazine also says that the armed forces have taken into account PakistanÂ’s military weaknesses to ensure the success of their war doctrine.
“Should Pakistan decide to enlarge the war theatre to ease pressure on the J&K front, the Indian military will seek to destroy its offensive forces, as well as capture territory inside the Thar desert to be used as a bargaining chip in the aftermath of war,” the magazine says in its unsigned cover story, ‘Peace by Other Means’.
Moreover, Force points out that President Musharraf understands this. Thus his offer to help India nab those responsible for last month’s Mumbai train blasts came with a warning to New Delhi to refrain from any hot pursuit across the LoC. In short, “he (Musharraf) is threatening action against likely raids by the Indian Army inside PoK”.
The magazine notes that “New Delhi should understand its military strength too”. Army forces stationed in J&K say that following India’s fencing of the LoC and its employment of surveillance equipment in the area – cross-border infiltration has taken on a new guise.
According to Lt Gen Deepak Kapoor, the army commander of Northern Commands, “infiltration into J&K is unstoppable as the LoC is no longer the sole route of entering the state as terrorists infiltrate from all available routes and their area of interest is no longer confined to J&K”.
Given that terrorism is now spilling into IndiaÂ’s heartland, the magazine says that New Delhi may choose to look beyond diplomatic and intelligence-based solutions to dismantle the ever-expanding tentacles of terrorism.
Enter the Indian army, which has stressed that military action be seriously considered if all other options fail. It has pointed out that the country’s armed forces have come a long way since the end of Operation Parakram in 2002, stressing that air, naval and military forces now have “the capability, will and a war winning strategy against Pakistan”.
According to Force, the army would use Special Forces deployments, assisted by the Air Force, to win any battle with Pakistan. The magazine also identifies the significant areas of PakistanÂ’s military weakness that would aid Indian forces in defeating any attempt by Islamabad to expand its war theatre:
* The Pakistan Air ForceÂ’s capacity to conduct daily sorties is calculated at 260 per day, compared to the Indian Air ForceÂ’s potential of 450;
* PakistanÂ’s 11 and 12 Corps (reserves for the Indian theatre) are completely tied down in other ongoing military activities, such as the US-led Operation Mountain Thrust in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Thus most of these forces would be unavailable for any short war with India;
* Pakistan is already facing internal dissension in Balochistan;
* In operational terms, there are innumerable choke points in the Pakistan armyÂ’s lines of communications, rendering them vulnerable to interdiction;
* Karachi port remains vulnerable.
Thus the race is on in the next three months to determine what the choice will be for India and Pakistan: war or peace?
Posted by: john ||
08/09/2006 21:13 ||
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It would require a terrorist attack with mass casualties to provoke Manmohan Singh into approval of something like this...
Posted by: john ||
08/09/2006 21:20 Comments ||
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John, chances of that happening are somewhat in the realm of possibilities. Muzzies simply can't keep themselves from murdering kaffir. Anywhere. The time of appeasement of the bully camel is wating to end under the weight of the last straw.
The Bush administration has justified its decision to sell 36 F-16 Falcon fighter jets to Pakistan on grounds that it would increase American "access and influence" in Islamabad.
Pakistan's military regime, which will incur a debt of $5 billion to purchase the planes made by Lockheed Martin, considers the deal a boost for Pakistan's security. Close examination of the deal and of the history of similar US-Pakistan deals indicates that the stated goals of neither the US nor the Pakistani rulers are likely to be advanced with the F-16 purchase.
If anything, the F-16s are a pay off from Washington for General Pervez Musharraf's military regime a sort of "toys for the boys" gift that is expected to extend the regime's survival. That is all that concessional arms transfers under previous pro-US Pakistani military regimes have achieved.
Let us first look at the F-16 deal from the perspective of Pakistani national security. Not long ago, Musharraf declared that the greatest threat to Pakistani security comes from extremist ideologues and terrorists within the country. Domestic extremism in Pakistan would be fought more effectively with investment in the neglected social sectors. A sum of $ 5 billion could go a long way in expanding education, healthcare and poverty alleviation programmes.
If the purpose is to locate and liquidate hardened terrorists, the F-16 Falcon is not the best weapon to identify, isolate or even kill individual terrorists. Most major Al Qaida figures arrested in Pakistan and handed over to the US were arrested in major Pakistani cities.
The F-16's sophisticated air-to-air, air-to-surface and anti-ship missiles have little to contribute in the battle in the neighbourhoods of Westridge, Rawalpindi (where Khalid Shaikh Mohammad was found) or Defence Society, Karachi (where Ramzi Bin Al Shibh was caught). They have limited value in Waziristan or other tribal areas on the Afghan border.
Pakistan's traditional security threat is believed to come from India but here too Pakistan will not get a bang for its buck. The Pentagon's statement accompanying notification of the F-16 sale to the US Congress has stated unequivocally that Pakistan's F-16 purchase would "not significantly reduce India's quantitative or qualitative military advantage" and that it would neither affect the regional balance of power nor introduce a new technology in the region.
John Hillen, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, told a recent Congressional hearing that the version of the plane being sold to Pakistan "will not be nuclear capable" and explained that the Pentagon's notification to Congress had "enumerated the technologies that were not, that would usually go with an F-16, that are not part of this deal". According to Hillen, these withheld technologies "include ones that would allow the F-16 to be used in offensive ways to penetrate airspace of another country that was highly defended".
If the F-16 will not enhance Pakistan's military capability against domestic terrorism or confer it some qualitative or quantitative advantage in its unfortunate perennial conflict with India, why add to Pakistan's debt burden for such expensive jets? Hillen's explanation, repeated in private and public conversations by other American officials, focuses on US influence over Pakistan.
Secure leverage
The military is the most powerful institution in Pakistan and military sales, backed by large American credits, are a means of pleasing the Pakistani military. This, in turn, is supposed to secure leverage for the United States.
The US has dreamt of leverage over Pakistan's foreign policy in return for military equipment and economic aid ever since the days of the Cold War alliances, SEATO and CENTO. Contrary to the assumption of American officials that military aid translates into leverage, Pakistan's military has always managed to take military aid without ever fully giving the US what it desires.
If Pakistan's security policy was determined by a representative government and not by a Praetorian army, the ability to make independent foreign policy decisions would be a good thing from Pakistan's point of view even if that is not what the Americans seek.
But given the ascendancy of the military in Pakistan's decision-making, the military aid relationship with Washington has become a contributing factor to Pakistan's internal dysfunction.
The availability of weapons systems that enhance the Pakistani military's prestige and therefore its ability to continue to dominate national life offered by the US to secure limited Pakistani cooperation in US grand strategy allows Pakistan's military rulers to believe that they can continue to promote risky domestic, regional and pan-Islamic policies. It undermines the Pakistani military's willingness to negotiate realistically with India without bolstering Pakistan's actual military prowess against its much larger neighbour.
The people of Pakistan, and the long-term US-Pakistan relationship, would benefit far more if Washington made it clear that its support for Pakistan's security would be contingent upon Pakistan having an elected government that determines Pakistan's real security needs in a transparent manner.
Husain Haqqani is Director of Boston University's Centre for International Relations and Co-Chair of the Hudson Institute's Project on Islam and Democracy. He is the author of the Carnegie Endowment book "Pakistan Between Mosque and Military".
Posted by: john ||
08/09/2006 21:10 ||
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VIEW: Are the F-16s up to scratch?
By Kamran Shafi
So then, despite the fact that the infrastructure of the country is in the state it is in: water soluble roads that are pot-holed with the slightest rain; rickety bridges that collapse at the merest provocation; an electricity distribution system that is so weak and frayed it breaks down with sickening regularity; schools that do not have chairs and tables or safe drinking water for children; government-run hospitals that do not even have sutures, bandages, cotton-wool or methylated spirit; a train network which can be decimated by the washing away of a single bridge- despite all of this it seems we must have the blessed F-16s first.
Indeed the fact that, the infrastructure of Karachi, the major centre of industry and trade and the city that pays majority of the federation’s bills, could be so creaky that it drowns in three inches of rain; when three-fourths of its residents are out of electricity or water, seems to be a greater cause for concern. Yet we are geared to spend an outrageous amount of five billion US dollars to buy the, as Husain Haqqani put it yesterday, “toys for the boys” along with building a new general headquarters in ‘Islamabad the beautiful’, to boot.
WeÂ’ll talk about the new GHQ another time; this week it is the F-16s. While buying these expensive planes at a time when the country needs all the money it can muster to make the lives of its people a little easier, is a criminal waste of money. Are these aircrafts even worth it? A Pakistani reader from America, who is researching for his PhD sent me a quite shocking email two days ago, which got me going on this subject anew. While I have edited it for brevity, I reproduce it (almost) verbatim:
“I am a PhD student at present in the United States and consider myself a patriot. I therefore feel it my duty to ask you to bring something to the nation’s attention and if possible, create a furore through the press (something similar to what happened in the steel mills case).
A friend of mine, who has inside information (but doesnÂ’t want to be known) regarding the operational capabilities of the F-16 batch that we currently have, is very worried about the purchase of the new F-16s being touted as a quantum leap for the PAF.
“What worries him specifically (other than the US being able to stop the supply of spares whenever) is that these F-16s will not have EW (electronic warfare) programming capabilities for its RWR (radar warning receiver). Our F-16s have a pre-installed threat library that is able to identify only non-NATO aircraft using its RWR. It has been observed that our F-16s could not detect being locked onto by a Mirage 2000 (since that’s a NATO aircraft) while the Chinese built F-6 could. This was because of the above-mentioned limitation in the EW capability of the F-16 supplied (i.e. it cannot be reprogrammed). What this would mean is that an enemy airplane fitted with BVR (beyond visual range) missiles, can lock on to our F-16s and fire a missile without the F-16 being able to take evasive measures. This would make even the most sophisticated aircraft (with all the manoeuvrability in the world) a sitting duck.
“His concern is that in the current technological revolution, the age-old concept of dogfights and pilot’s skill is no longer an integral part of having mastery of the skies. Unfortunately, most of our PAF high ups are usually GD pilots and have a “jingoistic” vein where they think their skill and superior manoeuvrability is all they need to teach the enemy a lesson. They don’t seem to appreciate that the paradigm has shifted in air warfare.
“Having no capability to re-program the EW systems in these most advanced fighters is like giving someone a super-duper Pentium Core Duo system with a 29-inch LCD screen and the best sound system in the world; and then to only allow the user to browse the Web on it. Using this same analogy, wouldn’t it be preferable to have a Pentium 3 with the capability of writing your own code and interfacing your own peripheral devices?
“The bottom line is that we want to ask the government this question: ‘Is the PAF being provided the capability to reprogram the EW threat library?’ A simple yes or no is all we need because then we can hold them accountable to a folly that may cost us, not only the billions spent on the deal (and the millions received in kickbacks?), but also the fate of our nation in the near future.
“I have tried to be as exhaustive as I can. Please, if you feel the need, investigate more through Jane’s and other such sources, and try to make the PAF at least reply to the question.”
Right then, this is not all. We have the ‘bum’ too, folks, remember? How can we forget when the Establishment reminds us day in and day out that we have it because it and it alone is the deterrent that keeps India in check. Well, if you have this great deterrent, what are the F-16s for? Neither is this all. The F-16s on offer to Pakistan apparently can’t deliver nuclear bombs either!
So, could some PAF-wallah please clarify the points raised here? And could he please tell us who the F-16s agent(s) is/are and what sort of commissions he/they will make out of this deal? And while he is at it, could he also please tell us who the agents (because there are several, according to my information) are in the SAAB AWACS deal, and how many hundreds of millions of scrumptious Dollars they will make?
Posted by: john ||
08/09/2006 21:17 Comments ||
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The miserable pakis make wonderful cannon fodder. The islamists thrive in ignorant, starving, fanatical, saudi-funded-madras-ridden societies. I suppose the new weapons will come in handy when the moolahs take over from Perv and the democrats immasculate our US forces. Sorry, i've been feeling depressed today--perhaps it was liebermans defeat, one of the few democrats who "gets it".
#3
This is typical FMF back scratching for being a good boy. We sell them 30 F-16 aircraft that are really not any good for a first world fight. There is no money exchanged, it's a loan. They play along and let us push our policies in the area. The aircraft will soon be lawn art because the PAF can't maintain them, and we will forgive the debt when we need a big favor from them. Same game, different country.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
08/09/2006 23:02 Comments ||
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#4
49 Pan's got it...but I think John had it too...he's no slouch, that John
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/09/2006 23:10 Comments ||
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A convicted Islamic militant in Pakistan has been executed by hanging after President Pervez Musharraf rejected his mercy plea. The Sunni Muslim man, Hafiz Shafiur Rahman of the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi group, had been sentenced for killing a Shia Muslim politician 10 years ago.
The Pakistani authorities say that Lashkar-e-Jhangvi is linked to the al-Qaeda network. They accuse it of being responsible for the killings of hundreds of Shias.
Posted by: Steve ||
08/09/2006 08:48 ||
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QUETTA: A Frontier Corps (FC) team on Tuesday seized weapons and explosives during a search operation in the Margzai area of Dera Bugti district, while a tribal commander and his aides surrendered to the government. FC's Bambor Rifles seized several rifles, rockets launchers, anti-tank shells, rockets, mortar bombs and other ammunition from various parts of the district. It was not clear if any militants were arrested. Meanwhile, the commander of a militant training camp and a key man of Akbar Bugti's force, Sher Dil Khan, and his several aides surrendered to the government and announced they would not take part in any subversive activities in the future.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/09/2006 00:00 ||
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DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Suspected militants fired a rocket that landed near a military base in Wana but no one was hurt, an official said on Tuesday. The rocket slammed into a field close to the base housing army and paramilitary troops, said an official asking not to be named. He said that troops combed the area around the base following the attack on Monday, finding three other rockets positioned to be launched toward the military facility but they were defused.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/09/2006 00:00 ||
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KARACHI - A gas pipeline was blown up in southwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, officials said, in the latest attack in the troubled Baluchistan province where rebels are fighting for greater autonomy.
The pipeline is owned by state-run Sui Southern Gas Co Ltd SUIS.KA and feeds gas to southern port city of Karachi. A company official said an 18-inch diameter pipeline was blown up in Pat Feeder area near Sui, the town where the main production plant for Pakistan’s largest gas field is located. “The damage has caused a shortfall of 110 mcdf of gas per day but we have made up the deficiency from other supply lines,” the official added.
He said supplies to consumers remained unaffected and the repair work on the damaged pipeline was likely to be completed within 48 hours.
Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attacks on the pipelines, but officials said they suspected Baluch militants were responsible.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/09/2006 00:00 ||
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Three Pakistani terrorists, including a Jaish-e-Mohammad member and two suicide attackers, were killed by the Jammu and Kashmir police who said they were apparently planning an attack ahead of Independence Day on August 15. Two fidayeen (suicide attackers) were killed at the Jagti area near Nagrota in the suburbs of Jammu early on Tuesday. The Jaish-e-Mohammad member, Hassan Pakistani was killed on Monday in an operation in the Keshwan area of Kishtwar in Doda district, northeast of Jammu.
Hassan Pakistani was reportedly Jaish-e-Mohammad's second-in-command and the most trusted lieutenant of Masood Azhar, the terrorist outfit's founder who was set free in exchange of passengers of the hijacked Indian aircraft IC 814 in Kandhar in December 1999. Pakistani had been operating in Keshwan area of Doda and was responsible for many strikes and had further plans to execute terrorist attacks in the state. Hassan Pakistani was from the Sheikhpora area of Pakistan, said SP Vaid, inspector general of police (Jammu division).
Vaid said the two fidayeen were spotted while they were making their way towards Jammu. "They were definitely fidayeen. The police had knowledge about their possible entry into Jammu."
One of the two has been identified as Mohammad Basharat of Manshera, Pakistan. The other went by the code name of Hamid but his exact identity is yet to be established. However, according to initial investigations, he too belongs to Pakistan, said the police. Vaid termed the operation as a major success of the police as the fidayeen had plans of a terrorist strike in Jammu ahead of August 15. "We have reports that there are few more fidayeen trying to enter Jammu," said the police official. The police have neutralised several terrorists in the Jammu region in the past few weeks, and recently arrested five major modules of the Lashkar-e-Taiba outfit in Pakistan.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/09/2006 00:00 ||
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A counter-terror operation by the Jammu and Kashmir police on Tuesday resulted in the killing of two militants, allegedly planning a suicide attack in the State on the eve of the Independence Day celebrations. Senior Superintendent of Police, Jammu, Mukesh Singh said the operation was mounted after an intelligence input that the two were hiding in the Jakti forest area. After an hour-long battle they were shot dead. The militants have been identified as cadre of the Jaish-e-Mohammad militant outfit. A huge amount of weaponry was recovered from the possession of the slain militants, including two AK-47 rifles, seven magazines, five grenades, several AK rounds and RDX explosives. One of the militants has been identified as Mohammad Basharat, resident of Manshera area of the North-West Frontier Province.
In another encounter, a divisional commander of the Jaish-e-Mohammad was gunned down in Kishtwar area of Doda district. The militant has been identified as Abu Hasan, resident of Shekupura area situated in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Hasan was active in this belt for the past eight years.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/09/2006 00:00 ||
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A series of bombings and shootings killed at least 33 people Tuesday, most in the Baghdad area, as more American soldiers patrolled the streets of the capital in a make-or-break bid to quell sectarian violence.
Nearly 60 people were wounded in the blasts, police said. The explosions began when three bombs went off simultaneously near the Interior Ministry in central Baghdad, killing 10 people and wounding eight, police Lt. Bilal Ali Majid said. Two more bombs ripped through the main Shurja market, also in central Baghdad, killing 10 more civilians and wounding 50, police Lt. Mohammed Kheyoun said. At least 13 other people were killed or found dead Tuesday, most in the Baghdad area, where tension between Sunnis and Shiites runs the highest.
The violence underscores the security crisis facing Baghdad, which prompted American commanders to send more U.S. soldiers to the capital in a renewed bid to curb sectarian killings and kidnappings. U.S. officials said the latest phase of the security operation was launched Monday "to reduce the level of murders, kidnappings, assassinations, terrorism and sectarian violence in the city and to reinforce the Iraqi government's control of Baghdad." A U.S. statement said about 6,000 additional Iraqi troops were being sent to the Baghdad area, along with 3,500 U.S. soldiers of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team and 2,000 troops from the U.S. 1st Armored Division, which has served as the theater reserve force since November. "Iraqi and Multinational Division-Baghdad soldiers will not fail the Iraqi people," said Maj. Gen. J.D. Thurman, commander of U.S. forces in the capital.
American officials have released few details of the new campaign, citing security. However, more heavily armed U.S. soldiers were seen Tuesday on the streets of Ghazaliyah, one of the neighborhoods targeted in the first stage of the stabilization effort. Troops were seen patrolling both in vehicles and on foot, hoping to assure residents of the majority Sunni neighborhood they will be protected from criminals and sectarian death squads. "The general priorities are to bring stability to the key neighborhoods where there is sectarian fighting," the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. George W. Casey Jr., told reporters in Tikrit. "You'll see us starting there and then gradually expanding across the rest of the city."
Much of the violence has been blamed on sectarian militias that have stepped up a campaign of tit-for-tat killings since the Feb. 22 bombing of a Shiite shrine in Samarra, 60 miles north of Baghdad. Many militias are linked to political parties that are part of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's national unity government, and they are reluctant to disband their armed wings unless others do the same.
The U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, said there was talk under way among Sunni and Shiite groups to reach agreements and sign pledges to end sectarian fighting. "There's more that needs to be done" Khalilzad told reporters. "There's a need for practical steps to move forward. ... I think they're heading in the right direction and this is the right government ... to tackle this issue of sectarian fighting."
Both Khalilzad and Casey were in Tikrit for ceremonies marking the formal transfer of security responsibility from the 101st Airborne Division to the Iraqi army across a wide area of northern Iraq. U.S. officials emphasized the transfer of authority was on schedule despite the security crisis in Baghdad. Nevertheless, the ambassador warned that if the violence cannot be curbed in the Baghdad area, Iraq "might be in a much more difficult situation" in the coming months. He said al-Maliki understands the threat and "he's determined to succeed."
However, differences have emerged between U.S. and Iraqi officials on tactics. The prime minister, a Shiite, strongly criticized a U.S.-Iraqi raid Monday on Baghdad's Sadr City district, stronghold of radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and his Mahdi Army militia. Al-Maliki complained that the raid used excessive force, and President Jalal Talabani, a Sunni Kurd, warned the Americans it was in "no one's interest" to provoke a showdown with al-Sadr.
For his part, al-Sadr urged his followers to purge their ranks of "all elements that defame the Mahdi Army" and called on his supporters to denounce kidnappings and the "killing of innocent people." But such declarations alone will do little to curb the violence, much of which is believed carried out by criminal gangs and freelance gunmen settling personal scores.
On Tuesday, gunmen in two cars stormed a bank in the Azamiyah district of Baghdad, killing three bank employees before fleeing with the equivalent of $5,500, according to the Defense Ministry. Two Sunni bothers were slain in their car repair shop in southwestern Baghdad and four Shiites were gunned down in a series of attacks in Baqouba and Muqdadiyah, two cities in Diyala province northeast of the capital, police said. Police found two bodies, shot in the head, in Sulla in northwest Baghdad, and a policeman was killed in a bombing in Tikrit, police said. The other victims died in small-scale shootings and bombings in the Baghdad area, police said.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/09/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
killed at least 33 people Slow day, eh? I remember when 33 people in one blast was concidered routine. Are these not suicide bombers anymore? Is that why the death tolls per bomb are so low? Are there fewer willing 'martyrs'?
a make-or-break bid Ah, yes. This is the last chance, right? What, before the Labor Day holiday?
...security operation was launched Monday "to reduce the level of murders, kidnappings, assassinations, terrorism and sectarian violence in the city and to reinforce the Iraqi government's control of Baghdad." Formerly, it was the government that performed most of the sectarian killing, sort of Soviet-collective style.
Much of the violence has been blamed on sectarian militias that have stepped up a campaign of tit-for-tat killings since the Feb. 22 bombing of a Shiite shrine in Samarra So Zarko-boy is still having an effect, it seems. Except for the fewer numbers of really horrific bombings by splodydopes. Maybe there are older, Saddam-era scores to settle? Nah - too complex to get into all those.
...the violence, much of which is believed carried out by criminal gangs and freelance gunmen settling personal scores. So it's not about settling old scores? Does this suggest the war with the insurgents is over, or that the killings at this level will never end? I wish the MSM could stop teasing us this way and be clear!
Analysis by Bobby, but at least it's labeled as such.
Posted by: Bobby ||
08/09/2006 6:19 Comments ||
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And nobody is screwing with the Kurds, which is the non-reported news.
I've been wondering what was going on in the south
Yisrael Beitenu party Chairman and MK Avigdor Lieberman said Wednesday that Hamas is planning to change the way it is waging war on Israel’s southern front – based on the Hizbullah model.
Hamas opened the Re-engagement War with a terror attack on an IDF outpost on June 25th at the Kerem Shalom border crossing with Gaza and Egypt. IDF Corporal Gilad Shalit was taken hostage by Hamas terrorists during the battle in which two soldiers were killed and four others injured.
Hamas is now the majority party that leads the Palestinian Authority, and is also involved in internal fighting with the Fatah faction which controlled the PA prior to elections in January 2006.
Lieberman said the PA is preparing to wage a war on southern Israel modeled on the Hizbullah military strategy against communities in northern Israel. He also expressed criticism of the media for ignoring the ongoing PA Kassam rocket attacks on the cities of the Negev.
Lieberman said that PA terrorists are "smuggling Katyushas and Grad missiles into the Gaza Strip. The southern Lebanon script must be prevented in southern Israel."
Lieberman further criticized the government for failing to keep the Knesset apprised of Hamas war preparations, charging that better information can be found on the Internet than in parliamentary committee sessions.
He added that the government must not close its eyes to the fact that Hamas intentions are to destroy Israel, a goal the terror group does not hide.
The groupÂ’s party platform focused on its refusal to formally recognize the State of Israel, disarm or renounce terrorism. Foreign funding to the PA by most western nations was frozen when the terrorist organization took over the government.
#3
Unlike in du Liban, there are no hills, valleys, rivers, ANY type of natural barrier or even cover in Hamastan. No large amount of ATGW. Nothing. Nada. ZIP.
#9
The Israelis could end it right now by saying that any declaration of war by Hamas will result in the deportation of all Paleos from the Gaza Strip into Egypt.
#13
Remember when they let the refugees back into Gaza and Israel said Iran had advisors and Hamas mixed in with them. Looks like they are feeling like they are ready for a fight. Take it to them Israel!
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
08/09/2006 21:30 Comments ||
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Isreal needs to start a campaign in gaza like the one in lebanon then. Start in the north, bomb thoroughly and slowly moving soutward. Give 'em time to run south into the loving arms of egypt. Call the egyptian border the southern Litani river...
#1
"You need to have rules of engagement - to be able to shoot people, if necessary. They need to be able to shoot both the Israelis and the Hezbollah..."
Then, when order is established, make it illegal to own weapons.
"No one must bear arms. Make it a capital offence - if you're carrying a weapon, you get shot on sight. You could do it. The problem is, everybody still has weapons under their bed."
Or the UNFIL could .... nevermind.
Posted by: Bobby ||
08/09/2006 17:10 Comments ||
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TWELVE trucks crossed the Syrian border into Lebanon and rumbled south. When they were stopped at a checkpoint a few days later, the Lebanese Armed Forces found the trucks were brimming with ammunition and weapons, including Katyusha rockets that have been raining down on Israel since July 12.
What happened next, in this little-reported incident in late January, goes to the heart of the conflict between Israel and Lebanon. The convoy was waved on and travelled unhindered to its final destination: Hezbollah terrorists in southern Lebanon.
The Lebanese army said the transportation and storage of ammunition belonged to the "resistance". Once inside Lebanon it was subject to a ministerial policy statement of the Lebanese Government, which considers the "resistance" to be legitimate. Gives ya kind of a warm feeling towards the so-called Lebanese (read: Hezbo) Government.
"As the Government of Lebanon has confirmed, the Lebanese Armed Forces has thus not been authorised to prevent further movement of the ammunitions, which had been a common practice for more than 15 years," UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a letter to the Security Council in April. "Hezbollah publicly confirmed that the arms were destined for the group."
It's this uninterrupted flow of weapons, mostly made in Iran, under the nose of the Lebanese Government, that has allowed Hezbollah to stockpile some 12,000 Katyusha rockets. Over the past 29 days of conflict, Hezbollah has fired more than 3000 rockets into Israel.
Syrian-made rockets, including mid-range 220mm units, have also fallen on Nazareth and Haifa, Israel's third-largest city. The warheads were filled with ball bearings to maximise civilian casualties.
Aside from rocket launchers, armoured personnel carriers, night vision goggles, aerial drones and motorised gliders make up the hardware for a 3000-strong guerilla unit that some say is in fact a well-organised and fierce military force.
"The fact that Hezbollah is difficult to dislodge from their positions is not a surprise for the Israelis or anyone else," David Schenker, a specialist in Middle East affairs at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, tells The Australian. Schenker also worked for four years at the Pentagon as a Middle East specialist. "Hezbollah fighters are well trained and highly motivated and they are dug in," he adds.
Former CIA officer Robert Baer, who has followed the group since 1983, told US News & World Report he has "a lot of respect for Hezbollah's capabilities". Baer, whose book See No Evil inspired the film Syriana, spent a couple of weeks with Hezbollah last year, touring its facilities. "You've got some of the most experienced operatives in the world there."
Addendum 4:30 pm CDT: link added. Thanks and glad someone got the message! :-) AoS.
Posted by: Captain America ||
08/09/2006 13:25 ||
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Iblis, you hit the nail on the head. I used to feel a pang of sympathy for the "civilian" populace in Lebanon. If they are in cahoots with Hezbollah they suffer along side them. Maybe a few weeks without power/water they might have second thoughts?
#8
Lebanese Army "Waves Through" Iranian Missiles to Resistance
Maybe a few bombing "waves through" the government's capital infrastructure might change their way of thinking.
I used to feel a pang of sympathy for the "civilian" populace in Lebanon.
Cyber Sarge, when I first arrived here at Rantburg I, too, still had sympathy for a lot of the civilians caught up in these endless conflicts. The more I've had access to un-spun reporting on this matter, the more I've come to realize that a large portion of these populations are tolerant, supportive or overtly complicit in these terrorist activities.
Both the Palestinians and Lebanon have duly elected governments comprised of terrorist factions. The world can no longer go about pretending that there can be no down side to this. Adulation and empowerment of terrorism must bring swift and harsh penalties.
Due to Islam's overall death obsession, the loss of their own youth means nothing. Elsewise, the adult population might have already had second thoughts. Instead, there is no way to authentically negotiate with those who have nothing to lose or fear. Factor in the dissembling nature of taqiya, and suddenly all cease-fires, truces and even negotiations themselves merely become hudnas.
I have come to the conclusion that the only way to end terrorism is through the extermination of terrorists and those who support them. There is no perfidy or betrayal too large or small that they will not indulge in to further their own aims.
Israel has known this for some time and has finally concluded that the growing collaboration between her enemies requires decisive action. I can only applaud what is being done and wish them well.
#9
From the fearless leader of the UN -- he knew about these rockets!
"As the Government of Lebanon has confirmed, the Lebanese Armed Forces has thus not been authorised to prevent further movement of the ammunitions, which had been a common practice for more than 15 years," UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a letter to the Security Council in April. "Hezbollah publicly confirmed that the arms were destined for the group."
#12
Former CIA officer Robert Baer, ... whose book See No Evil inspired the film Syriana, spent a couple of weeks with Hezbollah last year, touring its facilities.
Now there's a ringing endorsement. Personally, I don't think I'm gonna take Baer's opinions to the bank - especially since Hezb's banks are in a bit of disarray right now.
#15
Sherry, I think he meant the original link to the news article, not ItM. See post #1, Legolas for linky-poo, looks like Cap'n forgot it, even after the other mods reminding us about posting the links to the news article you're putting up, lol!
Posted by: BA ||
08/09/2006 15:57 Comments ||
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#16
BA -- duh -- yea, on the last day before I leave for few days of vacation -- the brain gones blank! Thanks!!
#19
I have read Mr. Baer's book, it was interesting, it's been at least a year, but as I recall, he tried to be pretty neutral on the israeli/arab issue. seems like if anything I got the idea that he tended to take the arab point of view, but like I said its been awhile.
#22
We were watching a short clip in ABC or NBC (does it matter?) and there, amidst the burned-out rubble of a bombed building in Southern Lebanon, was an "arrangement" of four or five children's stuffed animals. "Wow, those are so nice and clean," thought we, "and look how nicely arranged they are . . . " Believe it or not, the average person would be suseptible to this kind of Hezbo PR, and will turn against Israel. Kind of makes me sick. As does all the talk of allowing Lebanese to police the border. More than half (generous estimate) are in league with the "resistance." Not a good idea at all. Kudos to mcsgeek for the Russell Case quote. Just got done watching that this weekend. Priceless--thanks.
#26
No "gripping" meant, Cap'n. I just personally found it ironic because I'd just finished readin' the mods slap down of US ALL about ensuring the linky-poo is there when you post a story. I post so few, that I've pretty much guaranteed myself to posty linky. Guys/gals like you who post numerous stories/day, I understand missing the linky thingy every once in a while. No harm, no foul.
Posted by: BA ||
08/09/2006 21:02 Comments ||
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(IsraelNN.com) The security cabinet has approved at this time an expanded military campaign in southern Lebanon. Most of the ministers in the cabinet expressed support for the decision, with no votes against it.
Ministers Ofir Pines, Eli Yishai and Shimon Peres abstained from the vote.
Update From Lebanon
(IsraelNN.com) IDF forces in the area of Bint Jbeil killed at least 20 Hizbullah terrorist guerillas in the past 24 hours and located command post, which later was targeted from the air.
The Air Force carried out more than 200 missions in the past 24 hours, striking Hizbullah offices and rocket launching areas.
Posted by: Steve ||
08/09/2006 09:52 ||
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Seven Katyusha rockets landed near Nahariya on Tuesday evening. One of the rockets struck a chicken coop. Another rocket landed in an open area where cows were grazing, killing two of the animals. Apropos of not much at all. This reminds me of a heated debate in Belfast 1972 when we habitually listened to the late news bulletin around midnight. A bomb had hit a car, or a cow, we couldn't decide which based on the accent of the news reporter. Then we just carried on with our all night poker game.
#8
One of the rockets struck a chicken coop. Another rocket landed in an open area where cows were grazing, killing two of the animals.
It's OK, Mr. Farmer. You can be happy that your cows and chickens are now martyrs. They are enjoying their afterlife with 72 mansions each with 72 enormous beds each with 72 underage virgins. I hope this promise is good enough to make you forget all logic and be happy with our murderous behavior and with your life without your beloved cows and chickens. And even though it's complete BS, you know it must be true because we have told you so many times.
August 9, 2006: In Lebanon, Hizbollah found an interesting, if expensive, way to minimize the advantages Israeli infantry possess. The Israeli troops are much better trained, disciplined and led than the Hizbollah gunmen, so Hizbollah trained their fighters to try and stay away from Israeli infantry, and instead use ATGMs (Anti-Tank Guided Missiles) to fire at the Israelis from a long distance. This tactic has worked quite well, accounting for most of the Israeli casualties. Hizbollah has even hit a few tanks, but most of the ATGMs they are using are not powerful enough to do much damage to the Israeli Merkava tank. Other armored vehicles, and trucks, are much more vulnerable. Usually, however, the missiles are just fired at where the Israeli infantry are, in houses or trenches.
Hizbollah was known to have received several thousand ATGMs over the years. Many of them are elderly, like the Russian Sagger. This is a 1960s design. It's a 24 pound missile, with a range of 3,000 meters, that must be carefully "driven" to its target via a joy stick controller. Requires a lot of practice to do right. The warhead is not very effective against tanks, but can do a lot of damage to buildings. Iran also sent some elderly TOW missiles, dating from the 1970s. These are too heavy to haul around. Lighter systems have proved more useful.
The French made MILAN ATGM, a 1970s design, has a 35 pound launch unit, firing a 16 pound, wire guided missile, with a maximum range of 2,000 meters. The Syrians got MILAN from France, and passed them on to Hizbollah. A similar Russian system, the 9M111 Fagot, has a 25 pound missile fired from a 24 pound launch unit. An even more modern Russian system, the Kornet E, is a laser guided missile with a range of 5,000 meters. The launcher has a thermal sight for use at night or in fog. The missile's warhead can penetrate 1200 mm of armor, which means that the front and side armor of the Israeli Merkava tank would be vulnerable. The missile weighs 18 pounds and the launcher 42 pounds. The system was introduced in 1994 and has been sold to Syria (who apparently passed them on to Hizbollah).
The Israelis quickly adapted to this Hizbollah tactic. The missiles are hidden all over southern Lebanon (buried, or tucked away in caves or buildings.) The Israelis have learned to get their snipers out, with their night vision equipment, to keep an eye on the most likely approach routes to the best firing positions. Hizbollah has been taking heavier losses than the Israelis, but neither Hizbollah, nor the Israelis want to talk about it. For Hizbollah, it's embarrassing to admit that, even with long range weapons, the Israelis nail their guys. For the Israelis, they don't want Hizbollah to know about new tricks, before those new ideas can be used at bit to find and kill the Hizbollah ATGM teams.
#1
"For the Israelis, they don't want Hizbollah to know about new tricks, before those new ideas can be used at bit to find and kill the Hizbollah ATGM teams."
#8
All anyone on Rantburg has read about is that the Israelis have developed new strategies, and use snipers to hunt hezbollocks ATGM teams. I'm sure the splodeydopes know that by now. They don't know exactly what tactics are being used, or how effective they really are. That's another reason Israel isn't saying much about hez casualties. Don't let the enemy know how badly you're hurting him until there's only one or two left standing.
I'm sure carpet-bombing Tyre and a few other places would result in some amazing secondaries...
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
08/09/2006 15:20 Comments ||
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#9
An Israel blogger told me: if a single large Israeli power plant is destroyed, the nukes will fly. Why? Because full security would be required to re-build same. Israelis are extremely unhappy with Condi's cease fire dealing with a French Minister. Cease fire = 5 years of missile buildup, and these would be long range and accurate, and in sufficient numbers to blackmail Israel pending its destruction.
Americans are still with Israel, but against phony peace. Israel needs to deal decisively with Syria and Iran, while the US makes al-Sadr' Iraq look like the Moon. This is not a time to talk; it is time to slaughter.
Chapter 1: Hiroshima Chapter 2: Nagasaki Chapter 3:..........ask me after Sept. 1.
TERRIFIED and exhausted residents of Kiryat Shmona were fleeing today from the daily rain of Hezbollah rockets in the first evacuation of an entire town since the creation of Israel. The sirens went off again this morning as two more Katyusha rockets came crashing down into the northern Israeli town, which lies around five kilometres from the Lebanese border.
"Get us out of this hell," an angry Israeli man told Mayor Haim Barvivai, as the remaining residents scrambled to be included in the evacuation plans.
Of the town's 24,000 inhabitants, "around 15,000 have already fled to the south, in hotels, in kibbutz or found refuge with their families," Mr Barvivai told AFP. "Most of the 9000 residents who are still here want to leave," he added.
Those wishing to be evacuated were invited to inform the authorities of their desire following Israel's announcement that it would widen its ground offensive in southern Lebanon. "But we lack the means" to accommodate everybody, "and we had to make decisions," said the mayor.
Shimrit, clutching her 18-month-old boy against her bosom, said: "I cried and I cried and I cried. I don't want to stay here. The children cannot stay in the shelter any longer. The distressed 25-year-old asked why she and her two children were not included in the list of 500 slated for evacuation in the next batch. Miriam, who has two children and is pregnant with a third, was also denied a place on the coveted list.
The 500 residents did make the list were evacuated overnight and bused to the coastal city of Netanya, north of Tel Aviv. They will be temporarily housed on an army base.
Some of those of had decided to stick it out when Hezbollah started firing rockets in the area four weeks ago are now desperate to find shelter elsewhere in Israel as the daily barrage of Katyusha shows no sign of receding.
Esther, 57, is in an almost constant state of panic. Shortly before the buses carrying the evacuees left the town, three rockets ploughed into a nearby neighbourhood. She ran to her building's shelter. "It's dirty here; there are rats here," she said, her entire body shaking in fear.
This usually peaceful community at the foot of the Golan Heights has been engulfed in violence since Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers on the border on July 12. Israel responded by launching its largest military offensive since the 1982 invasion of Lebanon, drawing a rain of rocket fire from the well-armed Shiite guerrilla group.
But Kiryat Shmona residents remained unanimous in rejecting a ceasefire with the fundamentalist militia. "Hezbollah terrorists have been firing at us for three years," Esther explained. "We have to go all the way now and wipe them out. Otherwise, all this will never stop."
What began as a "technical procedure" of appointing Deputy IDF Chief of Staff Major-General Moshe Kaplinksy to the Northern Command, on Wednesday turned into a true shake-up in the upper rungs of the Israel Defense Forces. As things currently stand, it appears that Northern Command Chief Major-General Udi Adam will not be able to continue in his post for much longer. A senior IDF official told Ynet that "at the end of the war Udi Adam will no longer have a choice, and he will have to leave his post."
According to the official, IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Dan Halutz "can't dismiss such a high-ranking officer during wartime. Therefore he adopted a procedure which moves him away from the frontlines, with a heavy hint towards the future."
Halutz issued a statement in which he expressed full faith in the Northern Command and in Major-General Adam, however, according to the official, "If the chief of staff really supported Major-General Adam, he would say so in front of the cameras, in his own voice. The fact that he didn't – says everything."
Major-General Adam was appointed to lead the Northern Command in the beginning of October 2005. His appointment surprised many in the ranks of the army. Adam, head of the Technology and Logistics department of the IDF, was not considered one of the leading candidates for the post. "Everyone thought that Udi Adam would enjoy operational quiet like during the period of (his predecessor) Benny Ganz, and he would have no problem fulfilling the role. People forgot that the north can ignite at any moment because there's an enemy sitting right there across the border, and then things would erupt in turmoil," a military official explained.
IDF sources noted problems arising from Adam's reserved character. "He is a closed person, rather stubborn, and not particularly well-liked," he said. Adam, who came from the armored tank corps, was described as "a direct man, hard-working, who keeps away from cameras and headlines, meticulous and impressive."
Those among both the lower and upper echelons of the IDF recognized the awkwardness of the situation. One officer said, "Chief of Staff Halutz appointed him to the position; he was the one who picked him so he's the one who should stand behind him and back him up fully. He can add all sorts of senior officers to the Command to help and coordinate, but to appoint the deputy chief of staff – that's a slap in the face. It creates a problematic situation. Who makes the decisions in the Northern Command now? Adam or Kaplinsky? Who bangs his fist on the table and decides?"
Officers in the Northern Command revealed that lately difficult conversations have taken place between Adam and Halutz, chiefly regarding the Northern Command's operations, or rather, their inactivity. On the other hand, the question must be asked why is it that Maj. Gen. Adam is being held accountable for the situation.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/09/2006 03:09 ||
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#1
This is the lack of leadership of by Olmert's incompetents. Passing the blame down the line to the fighting men.
#3
Of course, LH. They're the ones who make the ultimate decision to go to war.
Few people here at the Burg give GWB a complete, free pass on Iraq. We've been critical of a number of decisions and we've said so. Most of us also believe that it was the right thing to do, and there are (as you know) a number of people here whose beliefs are codified in the phrase, "faster, please."
We're also smart enough to assign responsibility to those politicans who pander to the anti-war crowd.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/09/2006 10:54 Comments ||
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#4
so you agree that politicians should take full responsibilty for mistakes in war?
That's why we have elections, and why the 22nd Amendment is a mistake.
Posted by: Captain America ||
08/09/2006 13:50 Comments ||
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#6
SW,
Actually I was thinking less of GWB, directly, whose main job is the decision to go to war, and the picking of the right people, and who for good or ill (and ive seen serious arguements both ways) clearly did NOT micromanage Iraq or any other defense issues, as I was of the SecDef, who clearly has had an intimate involvement with a range of operational and strategic issues. And who, oddly, (or not so oddly) seems rather more above criticism around here than POTUS.
#8
I'm a Rummy fan - still - all the snarking comes from people who have no better ideas to offer: "More troops!" "withdraw troops!"
He took on a task with impossible goals, lack of tools, ankle-biting opportunistic 20/20 hindsight politicos and their useful tools (yes, you, LH), a no-notice attack, and responded. We have had no attacks on US soil, wrested the Taliban from a country thought "impossible to take", killed Saddam's sons, arrested him, and took Iraq, and the assholes continue to bray and whine. F*&K em
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/09/2006 21:26 Comments ||
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#9
And, most galling to his enemies, he will be the only SecDef to serve two full terms.
JERUSALEM (AP) - The commander of the Israeli military on Tuesday appointed his deputy to oversee Israel's battles in Lebanon, a dramatic mid-offensive shift sidelining the head of the northern command. The military announced the appointment of Maj. Gen. Moshe Kaplinksi in a statement on Tuesday. Israeli media linked it to plans to intensify the offensive in Lebanon as well as to mounting public criticism of the army's handling of the conflict with Hezbollah guerrillas.
Though the military denied it, the appointment looked like a shake-up of the top command on the Lebanon front in the midst of a campaign, a highly unusual move.
Writing in the Haaretz daily, veteran military analyst Zeev Schiff said the new appointment signaled serious command problems. "Clearly, the change in the command leadership is not good for Adam personally," he wrote, referring to the head of the northern command, Maj. Gen. Udi Adam. "But it also sends a negative signal to the army and the public at large."
The last time a similar switch was made was during the 1973 Mideast war, when generals in the army reserves, including former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, were sent to the southern command to effectively take over from the general in charge, Shmuel Gorodish, in the battle against Egypt.
The army statement said the chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz, retained "complete confidence" in Adam, and the military would not comment further on the reasons for Kaplinski's appointment. But Adam was clearly dispirited by the news.
Asked by Israel TV whether he would resign, Adam said he did not intend to quit while the fighting still raged, but said he would "consider his position" if it became clear he was being supplanted. "At this stage, one has to rise above it," he said. "I have to keep my head clear for the war. There are soldiers in the field who are fighting with courage ... soldiers are being killed, I don't think I can abandon them now."
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/09/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Another possibility is that this signals a very significant expansion of operations. When you commit a much larger force, it is generally commanded by a more senior officer. So what we might be seeing here is the command infrastructure being put into place for a much larger force. It could be that Adam will still command a force the size he is now, with another officer commanding another force and both reporting to Kaplinksi. This would tend to lead me to speculate that a new command might be formed to thrust into the Bekaa while Adam controls Southern Lebanon.
You would possibly also place a more senior commander in the operation if you were concerned that your actions might spark a widening of the conflict such as possibly causing Syria to make a move.
#5
It's looking more like it with every leak. A lousy way to run a war. If they've lost confidence in him, sack him. If not, leave him alone. What a message to the guys underneath; you can be commanded in combat by a guy we don't even want to talk to.
A barrage of rockets were fired at Nahariya and Kiryat Shmona by Hizbullah terrorists Tuesday night. Rockets landed in open areas near Kiryat Shmona and Nahariya. No one was hurt and no injuries were reported.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/09/2006 00:00 ||
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(IsraelNN.com) A howling mob stone throwing attack on IDF soldiers by Palestinian Authority Arabs prompted troops to fire at the attackers' feet. Three of the attackers were shot and treated at the scene by Red Moon-Shaped Thingy Crescent medics. No soldiers were injured in the incident which occurred near Shechem.
Brought rocks to a gunfight, did they?
Posted by: Fred ||
08/09/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
I think the Israelis ain't really in the mood for effin' around right now, boys.
#3
Israelis will run out of PC arrogance as the going gets tougher and with a quarter of the population hiding in basements the time is now. And they might throw Olmert out and get some leadership.
MANILA - Five Filipino Islamic militants were detained on Wednesday in a military operation against two suspected Bali bombers said to be sheltering with local allies in the southern Philippines, the military said. The Abu Sayyaf gunmen were arrested after a brief dawn clash between the group and a unit of Marines near the town of Patikul on Jolo island, military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Bartolome Bacarro told reporters. Those arrested do not include Jemaah Islamiyah suspects Umar Patek and Dulmatin who are wanted in connection with the 2002 Bali nightclub attacks, he added.
“As to their identities, we cannot yet disclose (the names of those arrested) because our troops are still in the area,” Bacarro said.
The military launched the manhunt last week after receiving intelligence that the two Indonesian fugitives were sheltering with an Abu Sayyaf band led by its senior leader Khadaffy Janjalani. The Philippine military has acknowledged receiving surveillance help for this operation from the US military, which has deployed small numbers of Special Forces operatives in the southern Philippines.
Janjalani is among five Abu Sayyaf leaders wanted by the United States government for the 2001 kidnapping of three of its citizens, including a Christian missionary couple. Two of the Americans died in Abu Sayyaf captivity.
Asked if the military thought their principal quarry were still in the area, Bacarro said: “We do believe that they are still in the area. As to the areas where they were sighted, those we cannot disclose.”
"I can say no more"
The military said last week that seven Abu Sayyaf members were killed in the land, air and sea operation. Three other suspected Abu Sayyaf members were also arrested last week as they tried to flee by boat.
The US government has offered up to 10 million dollars for the capture of Dulmatin and one million dollars for Patek for their roles in the Bali bombings, which left more than 200 mostly foreign tourists dead. Filipino intelligence officials have said JI was building up links with Abu Sayyaf, considered a terrorist organization by the United States. The Abu Sayyaf is also believed to have ties with Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
Posted by: Steve ||
08/09/2006 09:33 ||
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PARIS - Seventeen employees of a French charity found dead in northeastern Sri Lanka at the weekend were all executed by gunfire, the group confirmed Tuesday, demanding that those responsible be severely punished. “A team sent to the scene by Action Contre la Faim (Action Against Hunger, ACF) on Monday was able to confirm the toll and retrieve—despite the ongoing fighting—the 17 bodies,” it said in a statement.
Most of the victims, 13 men and four women aged 23 to 54, were engineers specialised in water sanitation and agronomy as well as project managers. “ACF’s entire team in Muttur was assassinated,” the charity said. “Now that it is clear this was a mass murder targeting clearly identified humanitarian workers, ACF is determined not to settle for vague answers from the parties to the conflict... and will demand exemplary punishment.”
But not capital punishment, or a life sentence, or anything beyond three or four years in a prison -- well, a nice prison with lots of work opportunities, entertainment and good food. ACF is Y'urp-peon, after all.
The charity workers—all Sri Lankan nationals—were found dead on Sunday in their office in the northeastern town of Muttur, where heavy fighting has pitted Sri Lankan troops against Tamil Tiger rebels. Troops and the Tigers have blamed each other for the execution-style killings. ACF director Benoit Miribel is to head to Sri Lanka Wednesday to attend ceremonies commemorating the dead and oversee the launch of an independent investigation.
Yes indeed, commemorate the dead, that'll show the nasty people who committed murder.
Following the massacre, the charity suspended its local mission to Sri Lanka, whose 15 expatriate and 224 local workers provided humanitarian relief in conflict zones and in areas hit by the December 2004 Tsumani.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/09/2006 00:00 ||
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(IsraelNN.com) IDF tanks are moving into southern Lebanon at this time, signaling the start of the advanced incursion intended to push Hizbullah further from IsraelÂ’s northern border, IsraelÂ’s Channel 2 TV reports.
#2
Meanwhile yesterday was a sad day: 15 soldiers were killed in four incidents in southern Lebanon. In one incident an anti-tank missile was fired at a tank. Members of the tank crew were killed.
In another incident, a missile was fired at a structure containing soldiers from an elite reserve unit. Military arms were also blown up. Part of the building crashed causing the deaths of nine soldiers. (Hanan Greenberg)
#8
IDF Moving North
IDF has now reached 10 k, 6 miles into Lebanon. The IDF has gone farther north in less than one day of fighting the war correctly than in almost a month of prior fighting.
#13
The IDF objective to date has not been to advance into Lebanon. It's been to locate and neutralize as many Hezbo bunkers as possible before any large scale invasion. Those bunkers were filled with thousands of Iranian-trained (and led) anti-tank teams. Most, but not all, of them have now been "Okinawanized". Many more dead Hezbos than being reported.
#18
Just watched the Canadian/Afghan video, and it seems remarkably stable and clear compared to most combat footage I've seen.
I'm not accusing that it's staged--there's certainly been a lot of technological advances in portability, stability, and other camera areas--but in most footage I've seen the camera operator is a lot more concerned with his own safety than getting all the action into the frame, and I'm a bit suspicious.
Posted by: Dar ||
08/09/2006 20:11 Comments ||
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#19
I thought the same thing Dar until I saw the guy smoking at the end look into his eyes he saw battle and it frighten him some.
#21
Well, like I said, I'm just suspicious but don't have the proof or experience to say otherwise. Could very well be real, the photographer has got nerves of steel, and the camera has incredible image-stabilization. Regardless, it's very captivating footage.
I try to maintain a healthy skepticism in these heady days of "fauxtography".
Posted by: Dar ||
08/09/2006 22:24 Comments ||
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With the French reportedly weighing changes to the UN cease-fire resolution that would tilt it in Lebanon's favor and a "war of the generals" taking place in the Northern Command, the security cabinet is expected Wednesday morning to approve an expanded ground operation up to the Litani River, and perhaps beyond. Government sources said that the 12-person security cabinet, which Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Tuesday had so far okayed all plans the IDF had brought for approval, would not likely reject plans for a wider operation, especially amid growing public impatience with the pace of the war.
“Defense officials said that the IDF could be ready to push further into southern Lebanon within hours of the security cabinet decision...”
Diplomatic officials said that Israel had not come under any US pressure to shelve plans for an expanded operation as various drafts of a US-French cease-fire resolution were being considered in the UN. According to these officials, the US position that Israel has the right to defend itself was as firm today, with the country coming under a daily barrage of Katyusha fire, as it was during the first days of the war. This position would only change, they said, once the UN cease-fire resolution has been voted upon. This is not expected until Thursday at the earliest. Defense officials said that the IDF could be ready to push further into southern Lebanon within hours of the security cabinet decision.
Channel 1 reported Tuesday night that the government was considering sending Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni to the UN Security Council debate on the cease-fire resolution, but this could not be confirmed by the ministry. Jerusalem is concerned that detrimental changes may be made in the resolution, especially considering the timing of an IDF withdrawal. The draft resolution circulated on Saturday did not call for a withdrawal until an international force arrived.
“Israel has made it clear that it would not accept a call for an immediate withdrawal of IDF troops...”
The Arab League is expected to try to alter the resolution, and government officials said the specter of the security cabinet debating the widening of the operation was being used as a threat to the Lebanese that it would not be in their best interest to push for a proposal with which Israel would be unable to live. Israel has made it clear that it would not accept a call for an immediate withdrawal of IDF troops.
There are different opinions in Jerusalem, however, about the decision to deploy 15,000 Lebanese army troops in the south announced Sunday by Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora, and how this could come into play in the new wording of the cease-fire resolution. While some expressed concern that this was just a ploy to get the IDF to withdraw, while forestalling the deployment of a significant multinational force that would keep Hizbullah from redeploying in the south, others said it could presage a significant change in Lebanon's reality. Olmert, at a press conference after meeting President Moshe Katsav Tuesday, termed the decision an "interesting" one that needed careful consideration.
He said that since the beginning of the military operation, Israel has said its goals were the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1559, which calls for the deployment of the Lebanese army on the border, and the dismantling of Hizbullah. Olmert also said Israel must carefully weigh to what extent this deployment is practical. Attention should be paid to the fact that Hizbullah agreed to the deployment of the Lebanese army, he said, as it indicated recognition by Hizbullah that its position in the region has been severely weakened. "The faster we leave south Lebanon, the happier we will be," Olmert said. "Of course we will only do this if we can ensure that we have achieved our goals."
Posted by: Fred ||
08/09/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
The IDF must make certain of the loyalties, or neutralities, of the Lebanese forces. Despite what has been happening in Lebanon, IRAN continues to push its dev of nuclear programs-techs. Lest we fergit, Moud's rants about August 22nd doesn't bode well for the world - could be anything from blowhard do-nuthingness to a WMD/Nuke-attack, solely or jointly wid Islamist Terror groups, on Jerusalem [or more likely Tel Aviv], or even sole-joint attack against Dubya-GOP = USA. AMERICA'S ENEMIES > USA CAN WAR FOR EMPIRE BUT NOT RULE SAME = USA CAN BE ATTACKED BUT NOT RETALIATE. COLD WAR > MARXISM-COMMUNISM viewed itself as BOTH A WAR = OFFENSIVE IDEO, as well as REACTIONARY-DEFENSIVE IDEO, AND SO DOES RADICAL ISLAM. SAVING THE WORLD FROM GOP-BLAMED AMER "IMPERIALISM" + AGGRESSION = same as SURVIVING SAME. The DemoLefties care/give a damn about whom gets the blame = credit for anything and everything.
#3
would not likely reject plans for a wider operation, especially amid growing public impatience with the pace of the war.
And that's the key. No failure of nerve on the part of the Israeli public despite the hardships they suffer bodes ill for Hizb'allah/Syrian/Iranian plans. Osama bin Laden's son may find himself considerably busier and less successful than intended.
#4
So lebanon is gonna basically augment/reinforce hezbollah with 15,000 troops and that helps the peace/security process ... howwwwwwwwwwwwwwww???????? What a freakin joke ... what % of the lebaneses army is loyal to the hamboollahs ... 40-60%???
#6
It's better if the Lebanese army is opposite the Israeli army. Then there is no doubt any cross border attack will be a state vs state war. Currently, by supporting or tolerating Hebz'allah, a lot of the Lebanese population thinks it can make war without suffering the consequences.
Posted by: ed ||
08/09/2006 7:43 Comments ||
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#7
I understand the concept fully .. its just not going to work; if there is a problem Israel has to attack the army of a sovereign state in order to get to hezbollah, the only thing that will settle this is a clear decisive ass kicking victory over hezbollah that says do not screw with us or we will destroy you with no mercy. Remember all those Iraqi troops who we let just walk off the battle field cuz they laid down their weapons, how many of them are in the insurgency, how many of our troops have died because of our mercy. No more minimalist BS, these assholes everywhere and those that support them, should receive the full fury of our might. The lebanese army - may as well send freakin brownie troop 57 from tehran(my apologies to all brownies everywhere)
#8
One more thing-screw the enflamed arab street, they are already enflamed, you know what'll shut them up since they respect only power? Seeing a few terrorist strongpoints removed form the face of the earth, not little precision hits, but crushed beyond all recognition. Then drop a few leaflets that say "you don't like it - great - you are next - go jump around in the street and bitch and make it easy for us to find you."
#9
I agree Hizb'allah needs to be wiped out first. In the medium and long term, foreign troops are not the answer. They will not risk their lives to confront terrorists, therefore they will become expensive human shields and muslim troops will be terrorist allies. That leaves Lebanese troops to control Lebanese territory. If they can't do that, then the Israelis should annex them and deport the muslims to Syria.
Posted by: ed ||
08/09/2006 8:17 Comments ||
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#10
The Arabs aren't enflamed. It full body hemmoroids.
Posted by: ed ||
08/09/2006 8:18 Comments ||
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#11
Black joke making the rounds: "Wake up Ari! Ohmert is in a coma!"
Posted by: john ||
08/09/2006 8:49 Comments ||
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#15
This war needs to resemble the Allied Forces take-down of Germany. No half-measures to the Litani River.
Flush the entire country of Lebanon.
Posted by: Captain America ||
08/09/2006 13:55 Comments ||
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#16
delusional
11:45 a.m.: The Israeli military will hold off on a wider ground offensive for two or three days to allow the U.N. Security Council to continue its debate for a cease-fire resolution.
#18
24 Soldiers Wounded in Lebanon on Wednesday
21:21 Aug 09, '06 / 15 Av 5766
(IsraelNN.com) Military officials report 24 IDF soldiers are being treated in northern area hospitals for injuries sustained in southern Lebanon today, Wednesday.
Since the start of the war 29 days ago, 19 soldiers of the 101st Paratrooper Battalion have been injured; including two of WednesdayÂ’s wounded.
Just a waste of a lot of good troops for nothing if this is how they are going to prosecute this conflict.
A minister who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to give details, said the offensive would not begin for two or three days so as not interfere with efforts to broker a cease-fire at the United Nations. However, senior military officials said it would start far quicker than that.
#26
I think they offer remedial spelling at the elf academy, already signed up, right after the combat weapons shotgun course ... and thanks trailing wife hahahahah
Two IDF soldiers were killed in an operation in the south Lebanese village of Bint Jbail on Tuesday night, the IDF released for publication early Wednesday. The two were identified as St.-Sgt. Oren Lifshitz, 21, of Gazit and St.-Sgt. Moran Cohen, 21, of Ashdot Ya'akov. The two belonged to a force from the Paratroopers Brigade that was conducting fierce firefights in the village.
“The second soldier was hit during the evacuation of the first when Hizbullah forces fired at the rescue squad.”
One of the soldiers was seriously wounded when the force came under heavy fire from a group of Hizbullah guerrillas. The second soldier was hit during the evacuation of the first when Hizbullah forces fired at the rescue squad. A third soldier was lightly wounded in the second gun battle. The rescue operation lasted several hours, during which the soldier who was seriously wounded died of his wounds. At least 20 Hizbullah guerrillas were killed in the operation.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/09/2006 00:00 ||
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More casualties here. Level this shithole to bare ground.
#2
It seems to me that due to the rise of non-state military forces, the end of asymmetric warfare is coming. When these non-state actors can field larger more formidable fighting forces than states, such as Lebanon, they become the defacto arbiter of organized violence within that state. Pity the civilians, but they are complicit, forced or voluntarily, by their presence and the supposed shield it offers to the provocateurs. Functional states will cease to restrain their militaries since it directly leads to their losing the conflict and failing in their policy goals. A much more brutal century of total warfare is coming.
Members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard have been found among Hizbollah guerrillas slain by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, Israel's Channel 10 television reported on Wednesday citing diplomatic sources. It said the Iranians were identified by documents found on their bodies, but gave no further details on how many were discovered or when. Neither the Israeli military nor Hizbollah representatives in Beirut had immediate comment on the report.
Iran, like fellow Hizbollah patron Syria, insists its support for the Shi'ite guerrilla group is purely moral. Israel says many of the rockets being fired against its civilian and military targets are Iranian made, and that Hizbollah fighters taking on its forces trained in Iran. Washington also accuses Tehran of actively funding Hizbollah.
Posted by: Destro in Indiana ||
08/09/2006 18:02 ||
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#1
"Well, unless Iran is willing to claim them as their personnel, we will bury them in a grave with pig entrails in 72 hours."
#4
No surprise, just a matter of time. Iran doesn't care , they basically admit this is their operation and they started it. What I would like to know is when we are going to crack their knuckles ?
#6
We had American flyers flying and fighting with China, England, and France before our own country got officially involved. This doesn't seem like an act of war unless Israel has proof these RGs were ordered there and not "over zealous" volunteers.
Posted by: Dar ||
08/09/2006 20:03 Comments ||
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#7
were we supplying those fighters with American weapons?
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/09/2006 20:05 Comments ||
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#8
Seems Syria doesnt want war it is announcing war shelters being cheked:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3288995,00.html
#11
acknowledged. IIRC they volunteered and resigned their commissions, if any, with us first. Lend/Lease was a fig leaf. The Iranians haven't even bothered with that
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/09/2006 20:14 Comments ||
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#12
Honestly, the more evidence I see of this sort of conventional Iranian involvement, the happier I am, since at least it seems to indicate that Iran doesn't have a big surprise planned for the immediate future.
#13
#7: were we supplying those fighters with American weapons?
Chenault's Flying Tigers were Americans flying American planes with American Bombs and Bullets.
I'd have to say "Yes"
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
08/09/2006 21:25 Comments ||
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#14
Actually, the Flying Tigers did not fly their first comabt mission until after December 7, 1941. That doesn't change the fact they were American pilots flying American supplied aircraft and being paid handsomely for it. However, they weren't in the employ of a regime bent on the eradication of a whole race of people.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
08/09/2006 21:30 Comments ||
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#18
Frankly I'd like to see a LOT more IRG dead, as in "all of 'em"
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/09/2006 21:49 Comments ||
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#19
Don't the Iranian moolahs have some weird end-of-the-world apocolypse, hidden Imam fantasy? I think i've read somewhere that their brand of shi'ism has a bunch of myths about something like the second coming related to a decendent of Ali (mahmout's son-in-law). Too many wacky cults to keep track of...
We're getting a number of posts without proper links. We mods don't have the time to ferret out links to stories. Therefore, posts without links are VERY likely to be deleted, even if they already have comments attached.
Links are one of the vital resources of a weblog. It allows readers to double-check what is written about the story. Many of our readers hit the link to learn more or to move on to related stories. Posts without links hamstring our ability to provide you with the news you want.
Copy the link from your source. Paste it into the 'source' link at the Poster page. Eyeball the link to make sure it's right.
Again: posts without links are going to be deleted. Pass it on. AoS.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/09/2006 10:59 ||
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#1
I wuz bad yesterday, but it wuz the foist time.
Posted by: Bobby ||
08/09/2006 11:18 Comments ||
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#2
I wuz bad yesterday, but it wuz the foist time.
#9
We've got three Steves, you see: Dr. White, SteveS and Green Sgt. Steve (I think. They're all so Steveish that I get confused). For a while it seemed like all the exciting things being done in Iraq also had a Steve involved -- there was a Lt. Col. of the 101st Paratroopers (or something like that. Army things confuse me, too), and so forth. Army of Steves just followed naturally, although we also briefly had a Tribe of Jennys as well -- and one was wise to speak politely to them. ;-)
#17
watch out - she's on a caffeine bender and little sleep
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/09/2006 21:16 Comments ||
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#18
Sometimes AOL doesn't co-operate. I only use those sleezebags because I was given 6 months free when I bought a computer. Html tags don't work on my system, and it is brand new. But you can't be expected to accomodate people who ride the AOL beast.
Posted by: Andy Dufresne ||
08/09/2006 8:20 Comments ||
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#4
YOU try smiling into the bright California sunshine at the friggin' camera for the upteenth take while simultaneously not falling out of your topless lowcut swimsuit AND perching your lovely footsies in high-heeled, small-strapped slideons.
#6
Good morning, there is a war going on, so why no war news ?
Can we have a war map with the front shown and the various positions colored and town names and such so we can follow the progess of the Israeli northward push ?
I'm bored. The law won't let me shoot muzzies, so what can I do to secure my future peace of mind ?
#7
All that squiggly stuff to the left of the babe picture is linked to war news. If you hold your mouse over a headline it'll take you directly to that article.
I consider Rita Hayworth to be much more fun to look at than yet another picture of Hassan Nastyraller.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/09/2006 13:41 Comments ||
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#8
You keep going back under the hood and improving things, Fred. What does she do now, 0-200 in under 60 seconds? Ferrari and Porsche must be green with envy! ;-)
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.
KABUL, Afghanistan -- Suspected Taliban militants hanged a woman and her son from a tree after accusing them of spying for the government, officials said Wednesday, while the U.S. military reported killing 15 insurgents who attacked a U.S. base in eastern Afghanistan.
Seven Taliban were killed and a commander was captured in the latest spate of attacks in Afghanistan, officials said Tuesday. Four Taliban were killed in a clash in the Andar district of Ghazni province. Two militants were killed when the Taliban attacked a police post late on Monday in Garmser district in the Helmand province. In the north of the province, British troops shot dead an armed Afghan policeman outside a base in Musa Qula. The Afghan was in civilian clothes and was mistaken for an insurgent.
(Interfax-AVN) - A local resident has voluntarily surrendered 60 kilograms of explosives to police in the village of Khambi-Irze in Chechnya's Achkhoi-Martan district, sources in Chechen law enforcement services told Interfax by phone on Tuesday. "The explosives were afterwards blown up by a field engineering team of the local commandant's office," the source said. 
A convicted Islamic militant in Pakistan has been executed by hanging after President Pervez Musharraf rejected his mercy plea. The Sunni Muslim man, Hafiz Shafiur Rahman of the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi group, had been sentenced for killing a Shia Muslim politician 10 years ago. 
DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Suspected militants fired a rocket that landed near a military base in Wana but no one was hurt, an official said on Tuesday. The rocket slammed into a field close to the base housing army and paramilitary troops, said an official asking not to be named. He said that troops combed the area around the base following the attack on Monday, finding three other rockets positioned to be launched toward the military facility but they were defused.
KARACHI - A gas pipeline was blown up in southwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, officials said, in the latest attack in the troubled Baluchistan province where rebels are fighting for greater autonomy.
A counter-terror operation by the Jammu and Kashmir police on Tuesday resulted in the killing of two militants, allegedly planning a suicide attack in the State on the eve of the Independence Day celebrations. Senior Superintendent of Police, Jammu, Mukesh Singh said the operation was mounted after an intelligence input that the two were hiding in the Jakti forest area. After an hour-long battle they were shot dead. The militants have been identified as cadre of the Jaish-e-Mohammad militant outfit. A huge amount of weaponry was recovered from the possession of the slain militants, including two AK-47 rifles, seven magazines, five grenades, several AK rounds and RDX explosives. One of the militants has been identified as Mohammad Basharat, resident of Manshera area of the North-West Frontier Province. 
A series of bombings and shootings killed at least 33 people Tuesday, most in the Baghdad area, as more American soldiers patrolled the streets of the capital in a make-or-break bid to quell sectarian violence. 
Northern Command Chief Major-General 
A barrage of rockets were fired at Nahariya and Kiryat Shmona by Hizbullah terrorists Tuesday night. Rockets landed in open areas near Kiryat Shmona and Nahariya. No one was hurt and no injuries were reported.
PARIS - Seventeen employees of a French charity found dead in northeastern Sri Lanka at the weekend were all executed by gunfire, the group confirmed Tuesday, demanding that those responsible be severely punished. “A team sent to the scene by Action Contre la Faim (
Members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard have been found among Hizbollah guerrillas slain by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, Israel's Channel 10 television reported on Wednesday citing diplomatic sources. It said the Iranians were identified by documents found on their bodies, but gave no further details on how many were discovered or when. Neither the Israeli military nor Hizbollah representatives in Beirut had immediate comment on the report.
