Idaho state senator's sons arrested, cited in flag damage incident
BOISE, Idaho (AP) - The adult sons of an Idaho state senator are in hot water with authorities in Idaho's capital city after two American flags dedicated to soldiers killed in Iraq were vandalized.
Twenty-four-year-old Michael Burkett was arrested and 22-year-old Thomas Burkett was cited for allegedly damaging flags and flagpoles on the grounds of the Idaho Capitol building this morning.
Police say Michael Burkett also resisted and obstructed officers. "Unhand me you peasants! Don't you know who I am?"
Boise Police say one flag pole had been bent so the flag was lying on the ground, the other had been pulled from the ground. As an encore, perhaps they should be given a chance to bend a lamppost.
Their father is Boise Senator Mike Burkett, a Democrat facing Republican Charles Seldon in Tuesday's election. Wasn't Burkett the name of the disgruntled colonel turned moonbat who "discovered" the Bush Guard memos? I wonder if he's a relative or just a kindred spirit with the same name. In any case, Dem apologists will be wondering how much Karl Rove paid the little bastards to do this.
Senator Burkett says he thinks his sons are innocent, while the boys' mother, Sharon Burkett, says the entire event was a "misunderstanding." >#$^&*!
What could they have misunderstood? "Sorry, boys, we raised you as good progressives but you have to hide your real feelings about imperialist mercenaries and their evil flag if you want to help daddy get elected." What's so hard about that?
I checked the on-line papers for Idaho Falls and Pocatello and it didn't mention it. I'm sure they would have if he had been a Republican - seeing as how he is a Senator.
#4
actually, just googled him and he is a State Senator for Boise. So that the Statesman is carrying it will have an impact. Lots of National Guard members in Boise as there is a large national guard unit either in Boise or nearby.
Sudan may deny that its army cooperates with the Arab militia at the heart of the Darfur conflict, but in Tine, on the border with Chad, little trouble is taken to hide the fact. The militiamen, known locally as Janjaweed, arrived in Tine last week and set up base jointly with the Sudanese army to protect the strategic site against attack by Darfur rebels. Heavy gunfire day and night keeps African Union peacekeepers on the alert, and vehicles packed with shouting soldiers tear along dirt tracks.
Here in Tine it is very clear that the Janjaweed are working hand in hand with the government troops who are here, said Thomas Chaona, acting commander in the Tine sector of the AU force struggling to monitor a notional truce in remote western Sudan.
Here in Tine it is very clear ... that the Janjaweed are working hand in hand with the government troops who are here, said Thomas Chaona, acting commander in the Tine sector of the ill-equipped AU force struggling to monitor a notional truce in remote western Sudan.
Khartoum armed the mainly Arab militiamen in early 2003 to quell a revolt in Darfur by mostly non-Arab rebels. The Janjaweed stand accused of a campaign of rape, murder and pillage which Washington calls genocide, a term Sudan rejects. Under an AU-brokered peace deal signed in May with only one of three negotiating rebel factions, Khartoum promised to disarm the Janjaweed, by October 22. But one day after the deadline, about 1,000 Janjaweed rode into Tine, terrifying the few hundred residents, who fled across the border to Chad.
The militiamen denied AU requests to meet their commander and blocked the road to town, which ran past their base. A Sudanese army source denied there were any Janjaweed in Sudan. These are border intelligence troops, a force created one year and three months ago, he said. But the ragged youths, many in civilian clothes with rifles slung across their shoulders, did not resemble trained intelligence troops.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/06/2006 00:00 ||
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(SomaliNet) Somali's parliament speaker Sharif Hassan Sheik Aden who is now in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia had on Sunday talks with top Islamic officials about the way to start effective dialogue between the Islamicsts Courts and interim government to reach sustainable solution off the conflict. Shortly after their arrival at the main airport of Mogadishu capital, Sharif Hassan and his delegates of MPs began meeting with Islamist key players in Amira Hotel in south of Mogadishu where they had discussed over the current issues and how to find ways of real reconciliation between both sides without involvements of foreign states.
Sharif Hassan, the most moderate man in the government, made it clear that it is too important to have talks and then end any difference through negotiation, showing his strong optimism to overcome the crisis in Somalia. It is not yet clear how many days that Somalia speaker will stay in the capital. "Somalia itself can solve its 16 year old problem and it does not need any outside interference, I am asking for you (Islamists) to accept for dialogue and resume to the negotiation table," Sharif Hassan said.
Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys, the leader of Shura Council of Islamic Courts, who has also delivered his speech in the meeting in the presence of other top Islamists, said the Islamic Courts welcome any peace initiative by the parliament envoys. "On our side, we are ready to reach agreement with our counter part and I believe that Somalis among themselves can end its difference through dialogue," Sheikh Aweys said. Sheik Aweys, who Washington accused him of having links with Al-Qaeda, expressed his willingness to starts talks in the capital between Islamists and government officials.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/06/2006 00:00 ||
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(SomaliNet) A new Islamic Court is reported on Sunday to have been installed in Bur-Hakaba, a small town only 60km to Baidoa city, the seat of transitional federal government in southwest Somalia the court is part of the Islamists union which now control most of southern and central Somalia.
Officials of Islamic Courts Union declared the formation of the new Islamic Court in the town which recently had fallen in the hands of Islamists after government troops withdrew from there. Sheik Ahmed Abdulahi Fanah, the head of social affairs and regional relations of Islamic Courts addressed the occasion of announcing the court encouraging the local people to comply with Islamic law and work with the court.
Sheik Mustafa Ali Sheik was nominated for the chairman of the new Islamic Sharia court in Bur-Hakaba which is on key road linking Mogadishu to Baidoa city, the capital of Bay province in southwest of Somalia. Sheik Mustafa said the new court will operate for restoring total security in the area. The announcement of the new Islamic Court came as troops of Islamists and allegedly Ethiopian forces are less then 10miles and ready for combat.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/06/2006 00:00 ||
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IEDs were used in Vietnam, but caused (with mines, and booby traps in general) only 13 percent of the casualties, compared to over 60 percent in Iraq. The reason for this, is one that few journalists want to discuss openly. But historians can tell you; Arabs are lousy fighters. Hasn't always been this way, but for the last century or so, it has. This has more to do with poor leadership, and a culture that simply does not encourage those traits that are needed to produce a superior soldier. In a word, the North Vietnamese soldiers and Viet Cong guerillas were better, and more deadly, fighters. Contributing factors in Iraqi include better training and equipment for American and Coalition troops. But most of the reason for the historically low casualty rates in Iraq have to do with Iraqis who don't know how to fight effectively.
#1
A long time ago I read a book called 72 hours on the Golan Heights. Just before the Syrians attacked Israel, one of the officers asked their Vietmanese advisor, "How do the Americans fight in the jungle?"
The Viet. Officer replied, "The Americans don't fight in the jungle, they mow it down."
#2
Nothing new, the Arabs haven't known how to fight since WWI, and even then it was hit and miss for unit effectiveness. Point is, since the European takeover, the Arabs haven't had to fight. Since the Europeans left, the Arabs haven't relearned how.
#4
The last great Islamic general was Timur a 14th century warrior of Turco-Mongolian decent. Before that you have Saladin, a Kurd.
I can't come up with an actual Arab general worth his salt. They tended to raid like bandits, a form of warfare that doesn't produce honor or great tactics.
#5
The Israelis will tell you that the Egyptians have some competent junior officers and non-coms -- not brilliant but good. Problem is, the higher ups are completely corrupted -- they have to be to survive in that political atmosphere. This means that the intel is always bad (made up), the logistics are always bad (stolen), training is sub-standard, and the troops are treated poorly. That doesn't equate to success against a Western army.
To change this you'd need a generation of democracy and re-education, and I don't see that happening now, not even in Iraq :-(
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/06/2006 14:15 Comments ||
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#6
@ Steve White : yup, those were diagnosticated before 9/11 (and I think .com has already quoted this article, which was in SDB's library, not sure).
#8
#4. I was thinking maybe Tariq ibn Ziyad, but a quick check on Google revealed he was a Berber and led a Moorish army to defeat Roderick in Spain in 711 AD. Maybe we should start a list of great Arabic Generals; something in the "world's shortest books" category.
#10
Simple: If they fought well, they might not die, and they couldn't go get their 72 raisins. If you have a culture that fundamentally prefers life over death, and manages to avoid wussifying their kids, you get good fighters.
#11
While that may apply to the Arabs, the Turks gave the Aussies and Brits more than they could handle at Gallipoli. Again, not Arabs. The Egyptians technically aren't arabs, either, although they still have a hard time fighting.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
11/06/2006 16:49 Comments ||
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#12
Back in the mid-1980's Mr. Wife described the sandles, and weapon, of an Egyptian soldier he saw standing guard as being held together by duct tape and baling wire. "No wonder they lost the Yom Kippur War," was his comment.
#13
I think all of you overlook one fundamental feature that most Arab governments share in common, namely, tyranny. This sort of top heavy leadership is especially sensitive to an overly strong military. Since it does not depend on charismatic leadership or earned loyalty and instead is driven by the corruption and opportunities for graft that rank and position have to offer, there is little motivation to respect authority. Instead allegience is sold to the highest bidder.
No one involved in such a kleptocracy wants to deal with a highly efficient military machine capable of ousting them at a moment's notice. As it always has, corruption cripples all possibility of progress in the MME (Muslim Middle East). Tansparency works well in low context cultures such as the West. Unspoken agreements, cronyism, preferential treatment and favoritism are all extremely dependent upon a high context culture's emphasis upon position, wealth, status, seniority and connections. Witness Pakistan's Musharraf and his current difficulties in holding onto the reins of power.
THREE Australians arrested on terrorism-related charges in Yemen have met Australian consular officials for the first time. The three -- brothers Mohammed and Abdullah Ayub and another man, Malek Samulski -- are among a group of eight foreigners with suspected links to al-Qaida who are facing terrorism charges in Yemen over an alleged plot to smuggle arms to Somalia. The Australian consul in Riyadh visited the men on Saturday and a spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Australia confirmed the men were in good health but still did not know the nature of the charges.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/06/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Mohammed and Abdullah Ayub and Malek Samulski, fair dinkum Diggers all, donchaknow.
A British minister has broken ranks and called for cluster bombs to be banned due to their deadly impact on innocent civilians, according to a leaked letter in The Sunday Times newspaper.
International Development Secretary Hilary Benn wrote to government colleagues arguing that the weapons were essentially equivalent to land mines and caused thousands of unnecessary deaths. His comments clash with the British governments position that cluster munitions play a legitimate role in modern warfare and that it would be unfair on British troops not to use them when enemies were doing so. Benn said Britain should push for a ban on cluster bombs at a ban at a major international arms convention in New York next week.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/06/2006 00:00 ||
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#3
Pretty much every weapon of war has the potential to hurt people. That is sort of the point. If cluster bombs fail to explode and thus become "essentially equivalent to land mines" perhaps we should be demanding the arms manufacturers improve the product so this doesn't happen rather than talking about banning a useful weapon.
Two top US diplomats were set to meet with the Japanese foreign minister Monday after Japan and South Korea pledged to coordinate with Washington over resuming long-delayed talks on North Korea's nuclear program, officials said.
South Korea's Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon, who will be the next UN secretary-general, said that the three countries had worked closely together in the past, and would continue to do so at renewed six-nation disarmament talks expected later this year, according to a Japanese Foreign Ministry official. Ban was slated to meet Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday. His trip coincided with visits to Tokyo by US undersecretaries of state Nicholas Burns and Robert Joseph. The two Americans were to meet with Aso and other Japanese officials on Monday before traveling to South Korea, according to Japan's Foreign Ministry.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/06/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
They might be, but NorK has said [right on cue!] that Japan isn't welcome. If Japan doesn't feel the need to show up, now that will be interesting indeed given that they are going to cooperate with the US.
Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's death sentence is a sign of hope for democracy in Iraq, Prime Minister John Howard said Monday. "The whole process of the trial is a sign of democratic hope and I believe the world should see it as such," Howard told the Nine Network television. "There's something heroic about a nation that is going through all the pain and difficulty as Iraq is, yet still struggles to give this monster a fair trial - that is the mark of a country that desperately wants democracy," he said.
Howard said he was opposed to the capital punishment, but could not govern what another country did.
Posted by: Fred ||
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#6
New Zealand; aka Helengrad in honor of the lefty PM, Helen Clark; is run by the wackiest crew of moonbats ever to gain control of a democratic country.
Among other things they are the only country with a cabinet-level "Ministry of Peace." (actually "Disarmament and Arms Control.")
That is, in fact, where Dennis "the Psionic Man" Kucinich got his idea for a US "Department of Peace."
In pre-Moonbat times, New Zealand forces put up a sterling record in both World Wars and Kiwi troops fought alongside Americans and Australians in Vietnam. 38 New Zealanders were killed there.
FRANCE today said it hoped already bloody sectarian strife in Iraq would not worsen as a result of the death sentence delivered to Saddam Hussein. I hope this decision will not lead to new tensions and that the Iraqis will show restraint, whatever community they belong to, Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said.
He said that France was, on principle, opposed to the death penalty everywhere and held a constant position in favour of its universal abolition.
He said France acknowledged the death sentence handed down by an Iraqi court for Saddam's role in ordering the deaths of 148 Shiite villagers in the village of Dujail, north of Baghdad, in 1982. France notes the sentence made by the Iraqi court at the end of the Saddam Hussein trial. This decision belongs to the Iraqi people, Mr Douste-Blazy said.
He said that France was, on principle, opposed to the death penalty everywhere and held a constant position in favour of its universal abolition. The minister said France and its EU partners would attempt to make this stance known to Iraqi authorities.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/06/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
yeeahhrrightt
lets be real...
FRANCE today said it HOPED already bloody sectarian strife in Iraq would notWORSEN as a result of the death sentence delivered to Saddam Hussein.
He said that France used the posture on the death penalty principally as "a constant position in favour of its universal abolition" in order to avail itself of every opportuniy to strut out the diplo peacock on imaginary high ground.
AMNESTY International and Human Rights Watch today condemned the death sentences handed to Saddam Hussein and two of his senior allies for crimes against humanity. Amnesty described their trial as a shabby affair, marred by serious flaws. The London-based human rights group which opposes capital punishment said
The trial should have helped the process of establishing justice and the rule of law in Iraq but was in fact deeply flawed and unfair.
the trial should have helped the process of establishing justice and the rule of law in Iraq but was in fact deeply flawed and unfair.
This trial should have been a major contribution towards establishing justice and the rule of law in Iraq, and in ensuring truth and accountability for the massive human rights violations perpetrated by Saddam Hussein's rule, said Malcolm Smart, director of the Middle East and North Africa program. In practice, it has been a shabby affair, marred by serious flaws that call into question the capacity of the tribunal, as currently established, to administer justice fairly, in conformity with international standards.
Amnesty charged that political interference undermined the independence and impartiality of the court, prompting the first presiding judge to resign and the appointment of another to be blocked. The court also failed to take adequate measures to protect witnesses and defence lawyers, three of whom were killed during the trial, it said. Saddam himself was denied access to legal counsel for the first year after his arrest, while there appeared to have been inadequate responses to complaints by lawyers throughout the judicial process, Amnesty said.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
11/06/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
The hell with it! Just ship him to Iran. I'm sure he would get a fair and speedy execution there.
Posted by: bruce ||
11/06/2006 7:12 Comments ||
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Executions, rebuilding of madrassa, further anti-government statements issued in wake of Chingai airstrke; more Taliban assassinations in Waziristan
Less than a week after the airstrike that destroyed the Chingai madrassa housing Taliban fighters and serving as an al-Qaeda training camp, local al-Qaeda chieftain Faqir Mohammad continues to openly flaunt his control of the region. Faqir's Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat -e-Mohammed, essentially a Bajaur wing of the Taliban, has executed it second 'spy' for his purported role in the attack.
The bullet-riddled, mutilated body of local tribesman Mohammed Jan Khan was found on a dry stream bed in a mountainous area near Chingai village, reports Dawn "Three tribesmen who saw the body said it had a note in Pushto language attached to it, saying Khan had been spying for American and Pakistan troops in the area for a long time and had been under observation.
#1
We keep hearing again and again about the "regrouping" or "rebuilding" or "resurgent" Taliban. They're like one of those sports franchises that hasn't been above .500 in a generation* -- every year is a "rebuilding year," and their eternal battle cry is "wait'll next year!"
Why is it, do you suppose, that the Taliban has been in a rebuilding cycle for five years now?
*E.g., Cleveland Indians 1958-93.
Posted by: Mike ||
11/06/2006 8:56 Comments ||
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Pakistan is willing to fence off its border with Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri said on Sunday, a day after his Dutch counterpart called for greater international pressure on Islamabad to stop militants from infiltrating Afghan territory. Kasuri renewed the offer in talks with his Dutch counterpart Bernard Bot, a ministry statement said. Kasuri also said both Pakistani and Afghan security forces should jointly monitor the border to prevent movement by militants, it said. Bot welcomed Pakistans readiness to seal the border ... and said that he would discuss this with other NATO partners, the statement said. Pakistan has repeatedly said it is willing seal the border with Afghanistan. But officials say Kabul has rejected proposals to build a fence or mine the frontier.
Bot also praised Pakistan for its efforts in the fight against the Taliban. Minister Bot encouraged Pakistan and Afghanistan to further strengthen and deepen their good neighbourly relations, said a Dutch embassy statement.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/06/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
believe it when I see it. Were his lips moving?
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/06/2006 8:13 Comments ||
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#2
Of course, the Taliban would man the observation towers.
#4
What border?
The Durand Line treaty between the British Raj and the Kingdom of Afghanistan has expired and there is no recognized border to fence.
Both the Northern alliance and the Taliban claim Pashtoon areas in Pakistan as Afghan territory.
Posted by: john ||
11/06/2006 14:48 Comments ||
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#5
Seems we need a nice, healthy war to settle this border question. Pity it has to be fought in the NWFP...
Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are all seeking nuclear technology, the British newspaper The Times reported Saturday morning. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the countries involved claimed they were only interested in building civilian nuclear energy programs, a goal which is permitted under international law.
"Some Middle East states, including Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and Saudi Arabia, have shown initial interest [in using] nuclear power primarily for desalination purposes," Tomihiro Taniguch, the deputy director-general of the IAEA, told the business weekly Middle East Economic Digest. He also added that after preliminary discussions with the governments, the IAEA would offer its support in helping to build the power plants, The Times reported.
Since the IAEA is so good at stopping proliferation ...
Mark Fitzpatrick, an expert on nuclear proliferation at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, pointed to Iran as sparking the sudden rush for nuclear technology. "If Iran was not on the path to a nuclear weapons capability you would probably not see this sudden rush [in the Arab world]," The Times quoted him as saying.
Which makes no sense. The need for desalinization is a constant. If you need water you need water. Nuclear-generated electricity makes sense for that purpose, but if you need it today, you needed it yesterday. These countries hadn't taken any steps for nuclear energy yesterday, did they? The rush for nuclear technology has nothing to do with water and everything to do with Iran. The good ole' IAEA will 'help' these countries develop nuclear power, and they'll then take the last steps to working nuclear weapons on their own. Mark Fitzpatrick is a yutz, and a dangerous yutz because he doesn't see any of this.
While Egypt and other North African states can justify the technology as necessary in the face of high oil prices, others, such as Saudia Arabia, will have a more difficult time defending their decision.
They're not really looking to 'defend' their decision, Mark: in case you hadn't noticed Saooodi-controlled Arabia is not a democracy. Abdullah doesn't need to justify his decision to anyone inside the country, and the Saoodis have been pretty good at playing the West for fools.
In addition to owning healthy reserves of oil, Saudi Prince Saud al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister, told The Times earlier this year that his country was opposed to the spread of nuclear power and weapons in the Arab world.
Until the Iranians made them jittery. That's the point.
#2
And everyone knows how much the world needs nuclear armed arabs. Ummm NO.
Why with nuclear jihad, who needs a world?
Politcs, religion, doctrine is corrupted, may as well finish the whole wahoo, right stupid fucking arabs? Afterall, you already wrote yourselves as "Gods Children" - shit on everyone else. And while you are at it, spread your hate and destruction in the name of your moon spirit allah.
The master race, ehh? You all want toy guns now.
This is why we take down the tower of Babel and level grounds. So we have arms races in Asia and the Middle east? I think not. I think the notion that you WANT them is evil in itself since you have not the forethought nor consideration to case the situation using wisdom or true prayer.
I have a right mind about me to consider killing every nuclear scientist and de-activating the periodic tables to make RA2 a thing of the past but we still need energy.
I, in all generations, have seen nothing s stupid as the Islamic Jihad. It is the primo SIN and It will be dealt with harshly and this is not a warning. This is a PROMISE.
Your culture is a sub culture and it is about global cleansing and you have hit the last loopey d'e loop in your fortune.
So, what's it going to be? Armageddeon or Genesis?
#4
A long long time ago, the NILE SYSTEM once flowed across the SAHARA + NORTH AFRICA, which some scientists and conspiracy theorists believe became stopped after ancient Egyptians, or survivors of Atlantis whom emigrated to same, caused the water flows to be destroyed = blocked while constructing the Pyramids. In effect, by this belief the ancient Egyptians/surviv Atlanteans caused the Sahara deserts.
Whereas nuclear weapons proliferation has extended beyond the will or ability of international agencies or law to contain;
And whereas most if not all of the nations now seeking nuclear weapons harbor a direct and abiding hatred of the United States, its people, and its democratic institutions, and seek to achieve its military and/or economic downfall;
And whereas most of these nations claim to be a part of a greater group of nations and factions collectively referred to as the Ummah;
And whereas I have determined that these conditions pose a Clear And Present Danger to the United States;
I hereby order that any use of nuclear,chemical, or biological weapons on any nation not included in the Ummah will be considered a direct attack upon the United States itself and will be met with corresponding force, i.e.; nuclear weapons.
I further order that any response by the United States will be conducted in such a way to to prevent these nations from ever reconsolidiating their nuclear weapons programs or that group of nations and factions known as the Ummah under any circumstances whatsoever.
Signed,
George W. Bush
I know...but it would be nice.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
11/06/2006 8:51 Comments ||
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#6
A long long time ago, the NILE SYSTEM once flowed across the SAHARA + NORTH AFRICA, which some scientists and conspiracy theorists believe became stopped after ancient Egyptians, or survivors of Atlantis whom emigrated to same, caused the water flows to be destroyed = blocked while constructing the Pyramids
DAMN!!! They're onto us!!! Better move the starship off the ocean floor so they don't find THAT, too.
Very long WaPo piece; heart of the story is simple: our soldiers, the ones who are there and see first-hand what the issues are, say we should stay and finish the job. Surprise, no?
Make sure they get the chance. Vote tomorrow. Vote.
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/06/2006 11:03 ||
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#1
No surprise. Our troops are the best in the world because they see what needs done and have the will to do it.
#2
This is surprising only in that the WAPO printed it. Military Times should be very ashamed that they got scooped on this and allowed themselves to be hacks for Gannett.
#3
Trailing Wife's analogy yesterday is worth repeating today - Military Times "threw the pin instead of the grenade". Perfect
I've been watching the pre-post mortems for the Dems on CNN and MSNBC this morning. I'm not going to celebrate yet, seeing as I'm not sure how the Dead Vote will turn out. But (as I said weeks ago) if we see a major shift in the polls towards the Republicans in the last days before the election, we know the polls were bogus all along.
Seems to me the pollsters also threw the pin instead of a grenade. They have lost their credibility and will not regain it for YEARS.
Saw a guy this morning on Fox from Roll Call. He was spinning for the Dems. After weeks, no, make that months, of saying how they Dems would sweep mega seats from the wave of Iraq War discontent - he was now spinning that the race of Chris Shays, Clair McClaskill, and Steele showed how the Republicans were in trouble because the fact that these seats were now "too close to call" showed the dire straights Republicans are in.
As for me, personally, I'm enjoying going over to Kos, DU and lefty blogs and seeing their slow realization that there is a good chance they have been had. lol! Shame on me, but I thought I would really savor that today just in case the Dead come out in record numbers.
#6
I wonder how many of the soldiers realize that they are in Iraq for far more than Iraq?
Iraq is the new Germany, and as soon as the new Iraqi government is up and running in January, hopefuly we will see a Status of Forces agreement. From that point on, US forces will just hang out on our bases and in our big honking embassy in the Green Zone.
#11
heh, despite the final push to make us all think it is in the bag for the Dems - I'm going out on a limb to say I think the Repubs will get the house.
I was buying into the negative hype myself this afternoon, but then I got to remembering how they used the same tatics to make everyone believe that there were no WMD's in Iraq. I remember thinking how freaking absurd it was, with all of the information to the contrary, to believe that there were no WMD's in Iraq and that Saddam had no ties to terrorists. But repeated the lie often enough that even sane people started to believe it. I knew I would eventually be vindicated - and according to the NYT, I was right.
I know, I know... I may eat crow tomorrow (or six months from now when the results are finally counted), but since they radically closed the poll gap in the last two days - I think the Repubs are going to make it.
Reuters, but no photos, so probably OK.
The European Union urged Iraq on Sunday not to carry out the death sentence passed on Iraq's former leader Saddam Hussein after his conviction for crimes against humanity. "The EU opposes capital punishment in all cases except sharia and revolutionary justice and under all circumstances, and it should not be carried out in this case either," Finland, current holder of the rotating EU presidency, said in a statement.
The U.S.-backed which immediately makes it illegitimate Iraqi High Tribunal judged Saddam guilty of crimes against humanity for his role in the killing of 148 Shi'ite villagers after a failed assassination bid in 1982.
U.S. White House spokesman Tony Snow said the judgement was a "good day for the Iraqi people", while British interior minister John Reid said the ruling should be respected.
Around the region, the outcome satisfied countries that Saddam invaded, but caused resentment amongst some Arabs who see him as the victim of a U.S.-inspired show trial. Terrorist Human rights groups and legal gadflies like Ramsey Clark experts have called the year-long trial, during which three defence lawyers were killed, deeply flawed.
#1
Shielding genocidal Hezbollah terrorists? No problem. Executing a mass murdering tyrant? No, never! Someone needs to tell Europe that what Iraq does after trying and convicting its greatest oppressor is none of their damn business. Bugger off you wankers!
#3
Do you ever feel like the US/EU relationship is sort of like that of a parent/teenager? Where the teenager is idealistic, clueless, and highly opinionated? And the parent is schitzophrenic!
#7
Roger Simon accuses the EU of magical thinking:
Our friends in the European Union are urging the Iraqis not to give Saddam the death penalty. Pretty predictable, I'm sure most would agree. But as one who is (almost always) opposed to the death penalty, I think this view on the part of the EU is not only narcissistic (in the routine sense) it is quite crazy and self-destructive.
If there is one class of person who deserves, and indeed needs to have, the death penalty, it is the mass murdering tyrant like Saddam. If given life sentences, these autocrats almost always have many adherents who devote their lives to springing the dictator so he can return to power and kill again. These die-hard adherents (we've seen plenty already in Iraq) will do this either directly via insurrection or prison break or indirectly via hostage-taking that could go on and on and result in many deaths. It would be as if Hitler had been captured at the end WWII, incarcerated for life, only to be freed by power-hungry ex-Nazis to reopen Auschwitz.
Will the EU answer an argument like this? No, they will ignore it because their position is indefensible and based entirely on magical thinking - magical thinking that at its root is a highly-disturbed cocktail of self-loathing and jealousy/hatred toward the US. Though they deny it, in their heart of hearts, they want the Iraqis to fail in their quest for democracy. They want Saddam back. Nothing could be more obvious.
#12
"he was such a nice man . . . so generous with those oil contracts."
Posted by: Mike ||
11/06/2006 8:28 Comments ||
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#13
Personally, I think it is time to 'bitch slap' these pompous asses. Demand that Congress appropriate the moneys and land to return our buried servicemembers from the wretched lands. Nothing would say more than that act to how we now feel about what passes as leadership in Europe.
#16
I just love the way it was portrayed in the paper (SanFran Chron): Saddam sentence divides Iraq! Yes I am sure that a SMALL part of the Iraqis population doesnt want to have him executed but I doubt very much that it divides the Iraqis as much as the headline suggest.
#17
Britain needs a real conservative party. The Tories have lost that mantle, because they embrace both the EU and do not stand up against socialism.
Their platform is straightforward: pro-death penalty, pro-prison construction, severe restrictions on immigration, retention of Common Law as superior to European Law, retention of the Pound, re-creation of a English army and navy, and conscription of petty criminals to be given five years of military training in the Falkland Islands. The EU Constitution can go bugger itself.
They should also insist that the Crown no longer can remain a passive monarch, but that it has a responsibility to help provide funding for the restoration of England's military. That "Knighthoods of the Realm" only be given to senior combat military officers who have served in combat.
Then let's see what the English public would think.
#18
Europe has a long and sorted history of the people waking the heads off of leaders gone wrong. It's no wonder they are opposed to it, the people of Europe just might start holding "their" leaders accountable!
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
11/06/2006 12:14 Comments ||
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#19
well instead of hanging him they could put him on the following schedule:
Sunday; Waterboarding
Monday: Viewing a random 16 hour stretch of the OJ trial
Tuesday: Waterboarding
Wednesday: Greatest hits of William Hung
Thursday: Back episodes of The VIEW
Friday: All day on hands and knees at the mosque
Saturday: Listen to Cher's "Do you believe in Love after Love" record
#23
The EUnich oppose the death penalty for everyone - except themselves.
That they're helping to hasten, idjits that they are.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
11/06/2006 15:07 Comments ||
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Saturday: Listen to Cher's "Do you believe in Love after Love" record
Can't decide if that's worse than waterboarding . . .
Then obviously you've never heard it. I almost drowned once, so I'm guessing the fear and discomfort I experienced is pretty similar to waterboarding. But nothing prepared me for the sheer horror of listening to Cher.
Five or six minutes of that, and Saddam will be begging for the gallows.
Then get with it before your eliteists get all of us killed. Europe's citizenry had best begin violently opposing Eurabian policies or be prepared for some massive ass-kicking, be it Islamic or American.
That does explain why he is completely incoherent. And why I first read his name as jim-bob. One wonders how many times the poor thing is his own first cousin... and how much extra it's going to cost his father to find someone willing to let their daughter marry him.
#30
I sort of liked the concept of a toll booth driving down the interstate and then plopping itself down in the road to extort moeny, sort of like the volunteer fire department used to do in the country towns on the way to my grandfathers. Or maybe a motorized E-Z Pass scanner that surreptitiously zaps you asw it whizzes by.
#32
The collected works of Celine Dion on repeat. If people are going to complain the US is torturing prisoners, let's use real torture.
Posted by: Eric Jablow ||
11/06/2006 21:15 Comments ||
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#33
Rantburg needs a Troll Booth, LOL! On a more serious note, Saddam was one of the world's worst eco-terrorists, when he blew up the Kuwaiti oil wells, spewing crude oil all over the ground and water, and making huge toxic clouds of oil smoke. But I did not hear too many outraged squeals from our EUnik buddies.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
11/06/2006 22:06 Comments ||
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#34
The collected works of Celine Dion on repeat.
Gah! You diabolical maniac. Few could withstand even the first go 'round. Those who miraculously survived even a single cycle would begin to envy the dead.
Saddam was one of the world's worst eco-terrorists, when he blew up the Kuwaiti oil wells, spewing crude oil all over the ground and water, and making huge toxic clouds of oil smoke.
Damn good point, AP. Saddam should swing just for that environmental mayhem alone. I'd wager that more people suffered serious health complications from those burning oil wells than did from Chernobyl's meltdown. Just the wildlife death toll by itself must have been horrific.
BAGHDAD - Iraqi authorities on Sunday shut down two Sunni-run television stations, claiming they had incited violence with their coverage of Saddam Husseins sentencing, a government official said.
On the orders of the prime minister, we have closed two television channels, Zawra TV and Salaheddin, for inciting violence and murder, interior ministry spokesman General Abdel Karim said. We accept debates on any subject, but we do not tolerate television reports that encourage murder and violence, he said, without elaborating.
Zawra TV is run by former Sunni lawmaker Mishan Juburi, who was sacked amid corruption allegations. It often runs favourable coverage of the resistance fighting the US occupier. Salaheddin operates from Tikrit, Saddams hometown, and its reports favour liberating Iraq from the occupier.
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/06/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Are these the moderate muslims we hear so much about ?
Turkeys foreign minister warned Iraqi Kurdish leaders in an interview published Sunday not to pursue a dream of a separate Kurdish state in the north of Iraq. In comments published in Hurriyet newspaper, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul also slammed what Turkey regards as Kurdish designs on the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, and again called on Iraq not to support rebels of the autonomy-seeking Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, who have been launching attacks on Turkey from bases in northern Iraq.
Dont run after a Kurdistan. Forget your dream of taking Kirkuk. Dont protect the PKK, Hurriyet newspaper quoted Abdullah Gul as saying in an interview published Sunday. You are on the brink of a historic mistake, Gul was quoted as saying.
The Turks have a legitimate concern about the PKK -- terrorism is terrorism, and the PKK deserves to be stomped. Likewise, the Turks have every right to control their own country, though they'd better get the message and treat their own Kurds better. But the Turks have no say whatsoever about Kirkuk; that's in Iraq and is up to the Iraqis.
Turkey, which shares a border with Iraq, has its own large and restive Kurdish population and is wary of any separatist moves among Iraqi Kurds, fearing they could encourage Turkeys own Kurdish population to join their Iraqi counterparts in a fight for an independent state. Turkish troops have been battling the PKK for more than two decades in Turkeys mountainous, Kurdish-populated southeast. The Kurds have gradually been carving out more autonomy in the north of Iraq, to Turkeys dismay. They have also been demanding the extension of their region into the Kurdish-majority northern oil centre of Kirkuk and boost prospects for independence.
Gul said Kurdish leaders, President Jalal Talabani and Masoud Barzani, president of the Kurdish region, should not count on United States presence in the region to push forward dreams of creating a separate state. (The Kurdish leaders) should not forget that Turkey will remain in the region forever. The United States, on the other hand, will leave after a while, Gul was quoted as saying. The minister was apparently referring to the considerable influence the Kurdish leaders have been able wield with the Americans as heads of one of Iraqs most stable areas.
Guess Gul hasn't heard about the new airbases we'll have in the Kurdish region -- the ones we'll use to replace the ones we're leaving in Turkey.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/06/2006 00:00 ||
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#2
Kurds are not turkish enuff. Similar like Armenians, almost a century ago. Since being not turkish enuff is a crime against turkishness, Kurds are criminals.
Essentially, Turks would like to wipe out the Kurds as etnicity (there is no acknowledged Kurd ethnicity in Turkey). It is not halal nowadays to do genocide, so they try culturally and politically. Kurds reside in a big chunk of Eastern Turkey, and Turks would not like losing it.
Of course PKK is commies, with a strong maoist tilt. So Turks' gripes about them are legitimate. OTOH, Turks supressed legitimate political Kurdish aspirations in toto, so PKK is what remains, because they are nuttier than a rabid squirrel and are the only ones left fighting.
#4
Turkey should be working with Iraq (and the US) to promote Kurdish emigration into Iraq. Make them close to equal in numbers to the Shia and we might have stability in Iraq and a the same time remove a problem the Turks have with territorial integrity questions.
We're gonna need a lot of Kurds trained and ready when/if Iraq falls apart and we institute PLan B: restoration of the Ottoman Empire with the Kurds in charge.
#5
Kurds are not turkish enuff. Similar like Armenians, almost a century ago. Since being not turkish enuff is a crime against turkishness, Kurds are criminals.
Kurds are not Turks at all. Turks came from central Asia and are emparented with Mongols.
Kurds are descdnats of the Medes ie close realtives of the Persians.
The review of the ruling will last 30 days but there is no firm timetable for when the panel would announce a final verdict.
THE appeal against ousted Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's death sentence will begin tomorrow and last a month, the chief investigative judge for the Iraqi High Tribunal said. Raed al-Juhi, who also acts as the court's spokesman, said that the review of the ruling delivered today would last 30 days but that there is no firm timetable for when the appeal's panel would announce a final verdict.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/06/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
there is no firm timetable for when the appeal's panel would announce a final verdict.
Told Ya yesterday, stall, stall stall.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
11/06/2006 18:41 Comments ||
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UN human rights chief Louise Arbour today called for a moratorium on executions after former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein was sentenced to death by an Iraqi court.
Does that apply to the Baathists who're running around Iraq cutting people's heads off and blowing up grocery stores? Or does it only apply to the dictators who arranged it?
She also called for the rights of defendants to a fair appeal to be fully respected.
I demand the same right of appeal for the victims of IEDs.
A credible appeals process is an essential part of fair-trial guarantees, she said in a statement. This is particularly important in this instance, in which the death penalty has been imposed. Those convicted today should have every opportunity to exhaust their appellate remedies in a fair way, and whatever the outcome of an appeal, I hope the government will observe a moratorium on executions.
"The life of every dictator is precious!"
Guaranteeing the right of a fair trial of persons accused of major human rights violations is key to consolidating and strengthening the very important process of ensuring justice and countering impunity that Iraq has embarked upon.
Ummm... Guaranteeing impunity is a method of countering impunity? That's a new one on me.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/06/2006 00:00 ||
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The string of objections to the imposition of the death penalty on Saddam was expected (although I wasn't sure they would even find him guilty) but it is still disturbing. I see it as an expression of how all of these people - NGO's, UN, EU, Russia, etc - see themselves as being above/beyond retribution; they see this as protecting one of their own. To them, it's just business.
Posted by: Whiskey Mike ||
11/06/2006 6:57 Comments ||
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#2
How's it going in Darfur, Louise? How're human rights doing in SA, Louise? You've got much bigger fish to fry, babe.
#3
Guaranteeing the right of a fair trial ..." That part was accomplished. the rest of it, the sentencing is the part she appears to have trouble with. Kind of like eating a meal in the local diner and then not understanding why you need to pay for it.
THE death sentence handed to ousted dictator Saddam Hussein today widened the already yawning chasm between the country's warring Sunni and Shiite communities.
Y'think? Y'mean if Sammy hadn't been sentenced they'd be drawing closer, maybe starting neighborhood bowling leagues instead of bumping each other off?
While the sprawling east Baghdad suburb of Sadr City erupted with joy at the news that the hated despot was bound for the gallows, there was an angry reaction on Saddam's hometurf in the mainly Sunni north and west of the country. The hanging of the former Iraqi president is part of an American scheme. He was a symbol of liberation in Iraq, declared Dr Muzahim Allawi, a university professor, in Saddam's hometown of Tikrit.
"I mean, sure, he was a bloody-handed dictator, but he was our bloody-handed dictator.
The theme of foreign interference in the verdict was a constant one, with many accusing the United States and its remaining 150,000 troops in Iraq of persecuting the former strongman for its own ends. The sentence is pre-prepared in Washington and Tel Aviv, spat civil servant Qusay Addai, bitterly.
"Yes! It's a Jewish conspiracy! Just look how they had the legally elected government of Germany bumped off after WWII! This is the same thing!"
Student Qasim Nayif agreed: The Americans are responsible for the judgement which certainly pleased (US President George W.) Bush and (former Israeli premier Ariel) Sharon.
"It pleased some Iraqis, I guess, but they're all no-accounts."
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Government, fearing a backlash by armed nationalist groups still loyal to Saddam's Baath party, had ordered a curfew in Baghdad, Tikrit and the sectarian battlefields of Diyala province. There were unconfirmed reports of clashes between US forces and insurgents in Ramadi, a resistance stronghold west of Baghdad, but in the capital itself the sporadic gunfire appeared to be mainly celebratory.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
11/06/2006 00:00 ||
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SO is ALLAWI saying that Allah, God of Mercy + Forgiveness, favors violence, beheadings + honor killings etc. above intellectual-spiritual conversion + progress, whilst simul protecting a Leader whom invaded IRAN and killed untold numbers of Muslims as contrary to the Muslim QURAN???
55-year-old Fatima Rassul said: Saddam should survive until the destiny of our sons lost since the 1980s is known. (ie: meaning she wants more trials before he's hanged)
Iraq will be better if Saddam is executed and buried so the terrorists stop dreaming of his return to power, said 35-year-old Jassim Hassan in the country's second city, the southern port of Basra. I believe he should be executed immediately before finishing up with the other issues.
I was happy when I heard of the fall of the statue and was more happy to hear about his hanging,
Others, however, said their victory would not be complete until peace returns to Iraq. If stability was back, this would mean the end of the dictator, said Mahoud Al-Bahari, a 45-year-old journalist. I still remember when they put my brother in a shredding machine and threw his body in the Tigris river.
#2
... this is an opportunity for the Moslem world to demonstrate and prove that it is tolerant enough."
But they aren't. And they don't want to be. It's a supremacist cult.
Posted by: just sayin ||
11/06/2006 15:04 Comments ||
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#3
You will be expelled from that temple mount. That temple shall rise again and that horrible abomination that causes desolation - the upside toilet bowl that your religion made up shall be destroyed forever - along with your gutter religion. Who are you Sheikh? Since when do you determine real estate?
#5
Every empire that's enslaved him is gone,
Egypt and Rome, even the great Babylon.
He's made a garden of paradise in the desert sand,
In bed with nobody, under no one's command.
He's the neighborhood bully.
Israels Gaza Strip offensive could cost the life of an Israeli soldier captured in June whose freedom is one of the operations objectives, Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmud Zahar warned yesterday. The Israeli aggression could target the life of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, because (Israeli bombardments) could target (the place of detention of) the soldier, Zahar was quoted as saying by Egypts official MENA agency.
Israel has carried out offensive operations in the impoverished territory since June 28, three days after a cross-border raid in which two Israeli soldiers were killed and Shalit was captured. More than 300 Palestinians have been killed since the air raids and incursions began. Zahar, from the ruling Islamist Hamas party whose armed wing claimed joint responsibility for Shalits capture, warned that other Israeli soldiers could be captured if they try to enter (the place of detention) and we will thus have new detainees.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/06/2006 00:00 ||
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after a cross-border raid in which two Israeli soldiers were killed and Shalit was captured. More than 300 Palestinians have been killed
That's a 100:1 ratio of Palestinian dead to Israeli losses. Don't these dumbfucks understand what awaits further noncooperation? Israel needs to push Gaza's and The West Bank's populations into the Sinai and Jordan, respectively. Let their Arab brothers figure out what to do with them.
#4
Zenster, the Palestinians look to their putative 9 children to the Israelis 2 children and think they can afford these kinds of ratios, and still be able to push the Jews off the land by population pressure alone. Of course, their actual rate of offspring is something like six instead of nine, and there has been a steady out-migration since 1948 (remember when it was noticed that the Palestinian Territories were missing about a million people due to overcounts and manipulation of statistics?).
#5
That's a 100:1 ratio of Palestinian dead to Israeli losses
Zen: The paleos hate Jews more than they love their own. That's a key root cause of this situation, frankly. It's why, for example, when Israel evacuated Gaza, they didn't focus on creating a viable community. They cared more about importing weapons, shooting rockets and grabbing power.
#7
You miss the point: human life has little value to the Paleos. The only thing they care about is land.
Therefore, the only thing you can do to them that makes them react in a positive way is a systematic policy to take land away from them. Permanently, and NO give-backs, EVER.
If the Israelis would even *try* such a thing, the Paleos would scream until they had strokes, it would hurt them so badly. But after their shrieks of terror and pain, they would truly have no choice but to bargain in good faith.
What sane person would think that taking just 100 acres of desert could evoke thumbscrew like agony in Paloes? But take that 100, then if they did not stop, take another 100. By that point, Paleos would be killing each other in rage and frustration.
#8
Disagree Anonymoose, it's not about land --- could've had lots more land if able to forego terror (at least temporary). It's about society that cannot change.
The main obstacle to peace in the Middle East is the "stubborn refusal" of certain Arab countries and organizations to recognize Israel's right to exist, Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Draskovic declared Sunday while on a visit to Jerusalem, which he called the capital of Israel.
"I fully understand the fear of the Jewish people, because refusal to recognize the existence of Israel must remind Jews of the Holocaust and seem a demand for a new annihilation, and this couldn't be a basis for negotiations," Draskovic told The Jerusalem Post.
Draskovic said he could well understand the importance of recognition for Israel since the lack of recognition of Serbia's territorial claims to Kosovo form the central cause of the conflict there between the province's Albanian Muslim majority and its tiny Serbian minority.
Draskovic said he could well understand the importance of recognition for Israel since the lack of recognition of Serbia's territorial claims to Kosovo form the central cause of the conflict there between the province's Albanian Muslim majority and its tiny Serbian minority.
Others have asserted that Serbia is at fault for not recognizing the right to self-determination of Albanians in the region.
One of Draskovic's chief goals in coming to Israel was to garner support for Serbia in its bid to retain control of the strife-ridden province, which he described as the "Serbian Jerusalem" because of its central place in Serbian history and religious tradition.
#3
Looking back one can make the case that if we were to support somebody in that war... maybe we should have thought about it a bit more -CLINTON-...
I suspect Saudi money drew the media frenzy to create the need. Of course I am a cynic.
#4
Ah but everyone knows the Serbs committed "genocide" against people whose only interest in life was skipping around with puppies and baby ducks. The BBC told us this, so it must be true.
#6
The main obstacle to peace in the Middle East is the "stubborn refusal" of certain Arab countries and organizations to recognize Israel's right to exist, Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Draskovic declared Sunday while on a visit to Jerusalem, which he called the capital of Israel.
"I fully understand the fear of the Jewish people, because refusal to recognize the existence of Israel must remind Jews of the Holocaust and seem a demand for a new annihilation, and this couldn't be a basis for negotiations," Draskovic told The Jerusalem Post.
BGO (Blinding Glimpse of the Obvious)
Give the man a kewpie doll. I'll admit that it is nice to hear this stated publically.
Hamas and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah group have reached a deal on forming a unity government that will not be headed by current Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas, a lawmaker from the Islamist movement said on Sunday.
Hamas took office in March after beating Fatah in parliamentary elections. It has struggled to govern under a Western embargo imposed over its refusal to stop terrorist acts, smuggling arms, murdering innocent people, blowing up schools, busses and pizza parlors, and recognise Israel, prompting efforts to form a unity government. "We have agreed on the political platform of the new government," said Hamas lawmaker and senior leader Yahya Moussa. "The Hamas movement has also agreed that the next prime minister will not be Haniyeh. The choice has been made for the next prime minister. His name will be presented to President Abbas. A joint committee will be formed to appoint the portfolios and to finalise other details."
Posted by: Fred ||
11/06/2006 00:00 ||
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But what about the will of the people? Haniyeh was elected!
#2
The "new" government will pretend to discuss agreeing to discussions that might lead, with lots of discussion to an agreement to discuss recognizing Israel.
Meanwhile, Hamas gets to return to being the terror wing without that nasty "ruling government" limitation on actions.
(ICRC) The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) deplores the death on 3 November of two Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) paramedics in the Gaza Strip and is deeply shocked and saddened by this event. The two died from injuries received while performing their life-saving humanitarian work during a military operation of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
The ICRC is appalled by this failure to protect personnel engaged in emergency medical duties. The individuals concerned and their means of transport were clearly marked with a distinctive emblem conferring the protection of the Geneva Conventions. Shortly after 9 p.m. on 3 November, the PRCS emergency medical services responded to reports that people had been wounded during military operations in Beit Lahiya, south-west of Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip. A number of ambulances, including three from the PRCS, reached the area. Both paramedics were wearing the clearly marked fluorescent jackets of the PRCS and using large flashlights when they left the ambulance to perform their humanitarian duties. The ambulance's siren was on and its flashing lights were visible at a great distance.
The paramedics were in the process of evacuating a dead body from the scene when IDF munitions suddenly hit the area. One died on the spot; the other was seriously wounded and died of his injuries a few hours later. "This incident underscores the urgent need to improve the protection of medical teams operating in areas of conflict through compliance with the rules of international humanitarian law," said Dominik Stillhart, ICRC head of delegation in Israel and the occupied territories. "These rules oblige parties to a conflict to respect and protect personnel engaged in medical duties and to distinguish between military objectives, on one hand, and civilians and civilian objects, on the other."
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
11/06/2006 00:00 ||
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The paramedics were in the process of evacuating a dead body from the scene
Ambulances do not generally collect the dead. Coroner do. The five Hamas terrorists that rode in on your "ambulance" made it just fine, I take it.
When tactical missiles are fired at close range the best U.S. weapon to shoot them down may be a good old-fashioned machine gun. Except there is nothing old-fashioned about Raytheon's Mark 15 Phalanx Close-In Weapons System, or CIWS. An article published Friday by Defense Industry Daily spells out the formidable capabilities of the Phalanx CIWS and explains why it is already the BMD weapon of last resort of the U.S. Navy and why so many other countries are interested in having it too.
Interest in the Phalanx CIWS has spiked in recent months following the massive Katyusha rocket mortar bombardment of northern Israel by Hezbollah in their brief conflict this summer. The Katyusha attacks followed an escalating series of less intense and formidable, but still potentially dangerous, attacks against Israel by relatively low-tech, very short-range Qassem missiles fired by Hamas and its allies from with in Gaza, which Israeli forces evacuated in summer 2005.
Both sets of attacks led to a revival of interest by U.S. congressional appropriators as well as by Israel in the development of laser weapon defenses against very short-range missile attacks.
The Phalanx, however, has several striking advantages over laser BMD systems against short-range missiles.
First, it is already operational and being produced and deployed in relatively large numbers.
Second, it is the outgrowth of an already-mature technology, super-powerful, ultra-high speed machine guns have been a key element of the U.S. armed forces for decades. The awesome Gatling gun was used to devastating operational effect in Vietnam.
The radar-guided, rapid-firing Phalanx CIWS is a worthy successor to the Gatling. The DID report Friday stated it can "fire between 3,000-4,500 20mm rounds per minute, either autonomously or under manual command, as a last-ditch defense against incoming missiles and other targets."
"Phalanx uses closed-loop spotting with advanced radar and computer technology to locate, identify and direct a stream of armor piercing projectiles to the target," DID said.
Defense Industry Daily noted that the Phalanx CIWS is already installed "on approximately 187 US Navy ships and is in use in 20 foreign navies."
Third, the Phalanx CIWS is vastly more flexible than the ambitious and promising, but still experimental THEL laser systems we discussed in these columns on Aug. 24.
DID cited Paul Gilligan, head of platform integration for Raytheon's British subsidiary, as saying that the Mark 15 Phalanx Block 1B upgrade was "vitally important, especially in the context of the evolving threats worldwide ... . It provides protection to ships and their crews against an increased number of threats including small, fast gunboats; standard and guided artillery; helicopters; mines and a variety of shore-launched, anti-ship missiles."
DID said the MK 15 Phalanx Block 1B would "also be the base platform for the new SeaRAM short range anti-air missile system, in use by the USA, Germany, Korea, and others."
The Phalanx is also believed capable of defending U.S. bases from mortar attacks, already a real concern in Iraq and a probable requirement in any significant land combat operations for the foreseeable future. DID noted that in June 2005, it had reported on the U.S. Army's land-based version of the weapon, unofficially but widely referred to as the R2D2 after the cute, but street smart and endlessly adaptable little robots in the "Star Wars " movies that they remarkably resemble.
"Originally developed to defend U.S. bases against mortar attack, these adapted weapons could also provide defensive options against the kinds of rocket attacks encountered in Round 1 of Israel's recent war with Hezbollah," DID wrote.
It noted that on Sept. 13, Raytheon received a contract for $129 million in funding for this system. This "suggests that rapid growth is on the way" in Phalanx CIWS production and further development, the article concluded.
The success of the Phalanx CIWS is a demonstration of how even in the most ambitiously cutting edge fields of military technology, sometimes the best forms of defense employ simple, low tech principles combined with modern high tech ones.
A gun employs far simpler principles than a laser or a rocket and is far less romantic. But even the most remarkable, high tech super-guns like the Phalanx CIWS far less likely to suffer development and operational failures than sci-fi like new super-weapons. Because they have been in production for years or even decades, they are usually far cheaper to produce en masse. The developmental costs have either already been paid long in the past or are minor compared with the ones for new weapons. There is already a potentially large arsenal of replacements and spare parts available for them. And there is already a large cadre of serving manpower in the U.S. armed forces experienced in operating and maintaining Phalanx guns.
Finally, expanding use of the Phalanx CIWS in a BMD role against very short rang missiles also fits with the development philosophy that Lt. Gen. Henry "Trey" Obering has so successfully applied at the U.S. Missile Defense Agency of focusing resources on weapons systems that are already operational or show the promise of being so in the shortest periods of time, rather than funding far more ambitious but far off and speculative technologies.
Therefore, for the Phalanx CIWS, the future continues to look bright.
#1
The Phalanx and the "Gatling" gun to which this refers are not two different systems. The latter is apparently the Vulcan 20mm cannon, developed by GE in the late '40s and used in many many applications since. It has been the standard gun of US fighter aircraft since the late 50s. It really does operate on the Civil War era Gatling principle, with 6 rotating barrels, but the resemblance ends there.
It is a component of Phalanx, which is an integrated system incorporating the mount and a very accurate and highly automated fire control system.
I used the tracked Vulcan system in Vietnam. This was the Vulcan gun mounted on an M-113 APC chassis, with a rather rudimentary range-only radar to assist the gunner in tracking. It was intended as an air defense weapon but was devastatingly effective against ground targets.
The Phalanx system is enormously more sophisticated but it uses basically the same gun.
The British have a similar system, Goalkeeper, but this uses the GAU-8 30mm cannon developed for the A-10.
To some extent, what matters here is not the gun itself but the fire control system, which must be autonomous and extremely fast-reacting. Some naval planners believe that a larger gun firing proximity fused ammunition would be more effective.
The latest 57mm Bofors naval gun, for instance, fires up to 160 6 pound explosive shells per minute. This will fill the air with splinters, any one of which can do fatal damage to an oncoming missile. This is heavier than the Phalanx, but not by a tremendous amount, and it is still manageable for ground applications.
#2
AC, I trust that the fire control systems are designed to "lead" their target as opposed to shooting directly at it. This is like photographing a moving target whereby you aim slightly in front of its trajectory so that it is in-frame once the shutter activates. In the same vein, I would assume that these fire control systems aim to have the incoming projectile fly into the outgoing fire so that the missile intercepts the bullets as opposed to the other way around. Is this so?
SIDEBAR: I asked a friend of mine who was a Huey door gunner in Viet Nam whether the pilot had to make course corrections to account for weight loss, due to ejected lead and brass, once the minigun started firing. He confirmed this in no uncertain terms.
#3
Zenster, I would think the thrust from the firing gun is more of an issue than the brass/weight loss. I was told at AUSA a few weeks ago that the 7.62mm Dillon minigun put out more than 300lbs of thrust.
Incoming usually has little or no bearing change.
An exception would be an artillery or mortar shell on the way up in the first half of its trajectory.
Still, the fire control stuff has been able to calculate lead for decades.
Posted by: Richard Aubrey ||
11/06/2006 22:28 Comments ||
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I was told at AUSA a few weeks ago that the 7.62mm Dillon minigun put out more than 300lbs of thrust.
Cool! I envision an automotive propulsion system that deters tailgaters!!!
#6
Zenster
Even a fairly primitive system like the tracked Vulcan could calculate lead angles automatically. It did this by sensing rate change from the optical sight and combining this with range, the latter provided by the boresighted radar dish.
The optical sight was not automatically offset but the system provided an offset aim point. This was to allow the gunner to compensate for very slight errors in the system or to vary the aim point for a maneuvering, not just moving, target. These errors could result from atmospheric conditions or such things as barrel wear. Some systems compensate for these automatically but in those days it was easier just to do it by eye, with the gunner's own judgment interacting with the automatic system.
The Vulcan system was very accurate, especially with 50 rounds per second coming out of it, but it lacked all-weather and night capability, and didn't have just a lot of range.
#7
"In the same vein, I would assume that these fire control systems aim to have the incoming projectile fly into the outgoing fire so that the missile intercepts the bullets as opposed to the other way around. Is this so?"
Oops, forgot to answer your question. Actually, it is a combination of both, the system arranges for them to meet at a point common to both flight paths. This has been done automatically since the 1940s.
In some ways a missile is an easier target than a manned aircraft since most missiles do not take evasive action. The few that are capable of evasive action do not do so actively (that is, in direct response to defensive fire). Piloted aircraft can of course evade actively though it is not easy and is highly range-dependent.
The scenes in Top Gun of fighters dodging tracer streams were not fiction. It can be done, but not without a pilot, at least not yet.
Contrary to popular impressions, many missiles are no faster than airplanes.
For ballistic projectiles like Hezbollah's unguided rockets, the velocity is higher but not by as much as might be thought; and the flightpath is completely predictable even though it is not a straight line.
The missile's real advantage is its small size, especially when seen head-on.
#8
A problem I see with a land based Phalanx system is collateral damage from expended shells.Sea based systems expended shells fall harmlessly in the ocean.Laser type system may be better.
#9
In some ways a missile is an easier target than a manned aircraft since most missiles do not take evasive action. The few that are capable of evasive action do not do so actively (that is, in direct response to defensive fire).
I had heard that cruise missiles have the ability for evasive maneuvers. I must assume that this amounts to selecting an alternate flight plan once defensive fire is encountered, as opposed to actually maintaining the same course whilst evading incoming fire.
I was well aware of "leading" fire control (almighty thanks to Harold S. Black, inventor of the negative feedback loop), but just wondered if it attempted direct intercept or the "fly-through" model I proposed. With the proverbial hail of lead the Phalanx system puts out, it can toss up an impenetrable screen of fire.
Another question: It would seem desirable to vary ever so slightly the outgoing trajectory of the system's fire so as to create a swath instead of a projectile stream. Are there some sort of "rockers" that gently sway the system, or is this naturally accomplished through flight variations induced by subtle barrel mis-alignment, ballasting, atmospheric turbulence or bullet tumble?
Finally, is there any way to integrate the "Metal Storm" technology to this current arrangement? I know it would take a major redesign to swap barrels instead of bullets, but the enhanced fire rate would be tremendous. More than anything, its delightful to see a mature technology like this continue to live on well past its anticipated date. (Much like the hard disk drive, which has outlived all expectations by massive orders of magnitude.)
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran is ready to share its missile systems with friends and neighbors, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards said, after he showed off missiles including some he said had cluster warheads.
Guards commander-in-chief Yahya Rahim Safavi also told Iran's Arabic-language Al-Alam TV late on Sunday the Guards had thousands of troops trained for suicide missions in case Iran was threatened although he said any U.S. attack was unlikely.
The United States has said it wants to resolve a dispute over Iran's nuclear program by diplomatic means but has not ruled out the use of force. Washington believes Tehran is seeking to make atomic bombs, despite Iranian denials.
"We are able to give our missile systems to friendly and neighboring countries," Safavi told Al-Alam. A text of his comments in Farsi were obtained by Reuters on Monday.
Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, Mohammad Reza Sheibani, was quoted by Iran's semi-official Mehr News Agency on Sunday as saying the Islamic Republic was ready to supply air defense systems -- without giving specifics -- to the Lebanese military.
"Tehran also considers this as its duty to help friendly countries which are exposed to invasion of the Zionist regime (Israel)," Sheibani was quoted saying, in response to what he said was a request by Lebanon's army commander, General Michel Suleiman, for help from friendly states.
Iran funded and supplied Lebanon's Hizbollah militia in the 1980s, but now says its support is political and moral. The group used Iranian-made missiles fighting Israel this summer.
On Thursday, at the start of 10 days of military exercises, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they fired Shahab missiles with cluster warheads. Experts say the Shahab 3 has a maximum range of 2,000 km, able to hit Israel and U.S. bases in the Gulf.
Military experts said the exercises were to show off Iranian technology, although they say many systems are based on modified versions of equipment from other countries, such as North Korea.
Washington dismissed the maneuvers as "saber-rattling".
"Under the current circumstances, Americans are involved in Afghanistan and the quagmire of Iraq so we do not anticipate any military attack from America," Safavi said.
"But Iran has its own defense and deterrent power and it is very unlikely that America will cause us any problems."
"...We have military weapons which we have not shown off, but we will do in the next maneuvers," Safavi added.
Iran frequently reports tests of new weapons systems, but experts say it rarely gives enough detail to make clear if any significant advances have been made.
"The Revolutionary Guards does not only depend on its technological might because it has thousands of martyrdom seekers and they are ready for martyrdom-seeking operations on a large scale," Safavi said, calling them trained professionals.
An organization has previously said Iranians have signed up for suicide raids in case Iran was attacked, but officials have in the past said the group was independent of the government and not part of the Guards, the ideological wing of Iran's military.
No Iranians are thought to have directly executed suicide bombings in recent years. But the United States accuses Iran of being a state sponsor of terrorism, a charge Tehran denies.
Revolutionary Guards chief says thousands of troops trained for suicide missions in case of unlikely US attack; we are able to give our missile systems to friendly and neighboring countries, he adds.
Iran is ready to share its missile systems with friends and neighbors, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards said, after he showed off missiles including some he said had cluster warheads.
Guards commander-in-chief Yahya Rahim Safavi also told Iran's Arabic-language Al-Alam TV late on Sunday the Guards had thousands of troops trained for suicide missions in case Iran was threatened although he said any US attack was unlikely.
The United States has said it wants to resolve a dispute over Iran's nuclear program by diplomatic means but has not ruled out the use of force. Washington believes Tehran is seeking to make atomic bombs, despite Iranian denials.
"We are able to give our missile systems to friendly and neighboring countries," Safavi told Al-Alam. A text of his comments in Farsi were obtained by Reuters on Monday.
Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, Mohammad Reza Sheibani, was quoted by Iran's semi-official Mehr News Agency on Sunday as saying the Islamic Republic was ready to supply air defense systems -- without giving specifics -- to the Lebanese military.
"Tehran also considers this as its duty to help friendly countries which are exposed to invasion of the Zionist regime (Israel)," Sheibani was quoted saying, in response to what he said was a request by Lebanon's army commander, General Michel Suleiman, for help from friendly states.
Iran funded and supplied Lebanon's Hizbullah militia in the 1980s, but now says its support is political and moral. The group used Iranian-made missiles fighting Israel this summer.
On Thursday, at the start of 10 days of military exercises, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they fired Shihab missiles with cluster warheads. Experts say the Shahab 3 has a maximum range of 2,000 km, able to hit Israel and US bases in the Gulf.
'They are ready for martyrdom-seeking operations'
Military experts said the exercises were to show off Iranian technology, although they say many systems are based on modified versions of equipment from other countries, such as North Korea.
Washington dismissed the maneuvers as "saber-rattling."
"Under the current circumstances, Americans are involved in Afghanistan and the quagmire of Iraq so we do not anticipate any military attack from America," Safavi said.
"But Iran has its own defense and deterrent power and it is very unlikely that America will cause us any problems."
"...We have military weapons which we have not shown off, but we will do in the next maneuvers," Safavi added.
Iran frequently reports tests of new weapons systems, but experts say it rarely gives enough detail to make clear if any significant advances have been made.
"The Revolutionary Guards does not only depend on its technological might because it has thousands of martyrdom seekers and they are ready for martyrdom-seeking operations on a large scale," Safavi said, calling them trained professionals.
An organization has previously said Iranians have signed up for suicide raids in case Iran was attacked, but officials have in the past said the group was independent of the government and not part of the Guards, the ideological wing of Iran's military.
No Iranians are thought to have directly executed suicide bombings in recent years. But the United States accuses Iran of being a state sponsor of terrorism, a charge Tehran denies.
The IRNA news agency reported that Iranian ambassador to Lebanon Mohammad-Reza Sheibani said Sunday that Tehran is willing to supply the Lebanese army with antiaircraft missiles.
The ambassador made the comments after meeting with Lebanese Army commander Gen. Michel Suleiman. (AFP)
Syria could resort to armed resistance if peace negotiations fail to make Israel give back the Golan Heights, the Syrian Information Minister said Sunday. Mohsen Bilal said international negotiations should lead to Israel restituting the occupied Golan Heights territory it took from Syria during the 1967 Six Day War and later annexed. He warned that Syria could otherwise resolve to "other means, which struggling people have used at various points in history, beginning with legitimate resistance."
But Bilal stated that Syrians were nonetheless eager to resume talks. "The road for peace and stability in the region and the world goes through ending occupation" of the Golan Heights, he said, opening a three-day media forum geared at highlighting Syria's right to the Golan.
On Sunday, Syrian President Bashar Assad, who was meeting with Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, called for a comprehensive peace in the Middle East. Assad and Moussa stressed the need to "establish security and stability in the region by reaching a comprehensive and just peace," Syria's official news agency SANA reported.
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#1
Son, nothing you do is "legitimate". All property on this earth belongs to GOD, not baby assad.
You are in way over your head. I would suggest you pipe it down before Psalm 83 is put back into effect.
#2
Note that the AP did not choose to enclose "armed resistance" in quote marks in the first paragraph. Apparently even an attack by the regular forces of a sovereign country is now regarded as "resistance" if the target is Israel. What Syria is threatening is aggression, pure and simple, since they are not in possession of the disputed territory and Israel is.
The APe writer (Albert Aji) also shows clear bias in using a loaded term ("brushed off") to characterize Israel's decision not to return to the talks. This obviously trivializes Israeli concerns, as though Palestinian murder squads were not a legitimate concern of civilized people.
I wonder how the AP would feel if we "resist" this Orwellian propaganda by putting a cruise missile through Aji's bedroom window?
Remember Julius Streicher, Aji. Follow his path, share his fate.
#3
Btw, the dead tank in the picture is an AMX-13 and almost certainly Israeli if this is from the Golan. Egypt had a few of these at one time but they were out of service by 1967 and Syria isn't known to have used them at all. Syria did use a few WW2 German Panzer IVs in the Golan, the last time these venerable vehicles saw combat.
#6
Big mouthed wimps. They had their chance and failed to take it, for a good reason. They don't want Damascus looking like the Shia quarter of Beirut. Hey guys, try operating without electricity, fuel, or water for a month, see what your population thinks.
#7
Syria did use a few WW2 German Panzer IVs in the Golan, the last time these venerable vehicles saw combat
Also the area of the last stand for the M4 Sherman. The Sherman equipped tankers on the Heights in '73 held off the Syrians long enough for the more modern M60s and the WWII era Centurion to arrive.
I think the scholarly author missed another biggy, the use of this term, "Southern Levant". I've never heard this term used until the past several months - and suddenly I'm hearing it used all of the time . She probably missed it because as a scholar, that didn't stand out to her.
#3
I beg to differ. I don't think it's minimal at all. When historians, scholars and museums begin stating the myth that Muhammed went to Jerusalem as fact, the centuries old muslim lie gains credibility, and Israel's right to exist is diminished. Once enough people outside the muslim world believe the lie, it's only a matter of time before Israel lies on the scrapheap of history.
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Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
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Sudan may deny that its army cooperates with the Arab militia at the heart of the Darfur conflict, but in Tine, on the border with Chad, little trouble is taken to hide the fact. The militiamen, known locally as Janjaweed, arrived in Tine last week and set up base jointly with the Sudanese army to protect the strategic site against attack by Darfur rebels. Heavy gunfire day and night keeps African Union peacekeepers on the alert, and vehicles packed with shouting soldiers tear along dirt tracks. 
THREE Australians arrested on terrorism-related charges in Yemen have met Australian consular officials for the first time. The three -- brothers Mohammed and Abdullah Ayub and another man, Malek Samulski -- are among a group of eight foreigners with suspected links to al-Qaida who are facing terrorism charges in Yemen over an alleged plot to smuggle arms to Somalia. The Australian consul in Riyadh visited the men on Saturday and a spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Australia confirmed the men were in good health but still did not know the nature of the charges.
A British minister has broken ranks and called for cluster bombs to be banned due to their deadly impact on innocent civilians, according to a leaked letter in The Sunday Times newspaper.
Two top US diplomats were set to meet with the Japanese foreign minister Monday after Japan and South Korea pledged to coordinate with Washington over resuming long-delayed talks on North Korea's nuclear program, officials said. 
FRANCE today said it hoped already bloody sectarian strife in Iraq would not worsen as a result of the death sentence delivered to Saddam Hussein. I hope this decision will not lead to new tensions and that the Iraqis will show restraint, whatever community they belong to, Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said. 
AMNESTY International and Human Rights Watch today condemned the death sentences handed to Saddam Hussein and two of his senior allies for crimes against humanity. Amnesty described their trial as a shabby affair, marred by serious flaws. The London-based human rights group which opposes capital punishment said 
Executions, rebuilding of madrassa, further anti-government statements issued in wake of Chingai airstrke; more Taliban assassinations in Waziristan
Pakistan is willing to fence off its border with Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri said on Sunday, a day after his Dutch counterpart called for greater international pressure on Islamabad to stop militants from infiltrating Afghan territory. Kasuri renewed the offer in talks with his Dutch counterpart Bernard Bot, a ministry statement said. Kasuri also said both Pakistani and Afghan security forces should jointly monitor the border to prevent movement by militants, it said. Bot welcomed Pakistans readiness to seal the border ... and said that he would discuss this with other NATO partners, the statement said. Pakistan has repeatedly said it is willing seal the border with Afghanistan. But officials say Kabul has rejected proposals to build a fence or mine the frontier.
Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are all seeking nuclear technology, the British newspaper The Times reported Saturday morning. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the countries involved claimed they were only interested in building civilian nuclear energy programs, a goal which is permitted under international law.
BAGHDAD - Iraqi authorities on Sunday shut down two Sunni-run television stations, claiming they had incited violence with their coverage of Saddam Husseins sentencing, a government official said. 
Turkeys foreign minister warned Iraqi Kurdish leaders in an interview published Sunday not to pursue a dream of a separate Kurdish state in the north of Iraq. In comments published in Hurriyet newspaper, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul also slammed what Turkey regards as Kurdish designs on the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, and again called on Iraq not to support rebels of the autonomy-seeking Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, who have been launching attacks on Turkey from bases in northern Iraq. 
UN human rights chief Louise Arbour today called for a moratorium on executions after former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein was sentenced to death by an Iraqi court.
THE death sentence handed to ousted dictator Saddam Hussein today widened the already yawning chasm between the country's warring Sunni and Shiite communities.
Israels Gaza Strip offensive could cost the life of an Israeli soldier captured in June whose freedom is one of the operations objectives, Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmud Zahar warned yesterday. The Israeli aggression could target the life of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, because (Israeli bombardments) could target (the place of detention of) the soldier, Zahar was quoted as saying by Egypts official MENA agency. 
Hamas and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah group have reached a deal on forming a unity government that will not be headed by current Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas, a lawmaker from the Islamist movement said on Sunday.
(ICRC) The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) deplores the death on 3 November of two Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) paramedics in the Gaza Strip and is deeply shocked and saddened by this event. The two died from injuries received while performing their life-saving humanitarian work during a military operation of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Syria could resort to armed resistance if peace negotiations fail to make Israel give back the Golan Heights, the Syrian Information Minister said Sunday. Mohsen Bilal said international negotiations should lead to Israel restituting the occupied Golan Heights territory it took from Syria during the 1967 Six Day War and later annexed. He warned that Syria could otherwise resolve to "other means, which struggling people have used at various points in history, beginning with legitimate resistance." 
