The French government has renewed the residence permit of Sudanese rebel leader Abdel Wahed Mohamed Al Nur for three months on the understanding that he will take part in peace talks, the foreign ministry said.
Nur, a founder of the Darfur insurgent Sudan Liberation Movement, has been living in France for the past year. It was expected that his residence permit would not be renewed unless he joined peace talks. "Mr Abdel Wahed Al Nur's stay has been extended by three months. Mr Nur must, during this period, respond positively to the invitations to participate in peace negotiations addressed to him by the UN and the African Union," the foreign ministry said.
This article starring:
Abdel Wahed Mohamed Al Nur
Posted by: Fred ||
12/30/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
The French government has renewed the residence permit of Sudanese rebel leader Abdel Wahed Mohamed Al Nur for three months on the understanding that he will take part in peace talks and conduct lectures on ice skating at the Citadel of Bitche>.
(KUNA) -- Saudi Interior Minister Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz welcomed Saturday the return of 10 citizens from the Guantanamo Bay prison. Speaking to Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Prince Naif affirmed that efforts by the country's leadership worked in bringing back the detainees, lauding cooperation with the U.S. on the issue. He hoped that the rest of the Saudis in Gitmo would be back, adding that former detainees would go through the regular interior procedures. On his part, Saudi Interior spokesman Major General Mansour Al-Turki said that the families of the prisoners were notified of their return, facilitating procedures for the families to meet their loved ones. Saudi Arabia has assigned a special team to follow up on the detainees at the bay prison which has been a place for several Arabs and foreigners fighters who were caught during the war on Afghanistan in 2001.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/30/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
adding that former detainees would go through the regular interior procedures.
#5
Do they have to even check in to the callaboose or do they simply receive their financial bonus and head out to start spending it ?
Nope, they have first to have their interview with the King where he will handle them a medal.
Seriously,the first batch of people captured in Afhanistan was released not in any random place but in Medina and Medina has a traditional role as a place where foor centuries jihaodts have gone to lick their wounds while plotting another assault against teh infidels.
David Hicks, the only person sentenced by the military commissions set up by the Bush administration to try suspected terrorists, walked out of prison in Australia on Saturday morning after serving nine months for providing support to a terrorist organization.
Mr. Hicks, an Australian, had been detained at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, for more than five years before his appearance before the military commission in March. In a plea bargain he acknowledged that prosecutors had evidence to prove he had been a trainee for Al Qaeda who was prepared to fight Americans.
The deal allowed him to serve the remainder of his sentence in Australia. He also agreed not to speak to the news media for one year. In a statement read by his lawyer, David McCleod, Mr. Hicks said that he would honor the gag order. Mr. Hicks also thanked the politicians and organizations that had supported him. I will not let you down, the statement said.
This article starring:
DAVID HICKS
al-Qaeda
David McCleod
Posted by: Fred ||
12/30/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
thank God Allah he at least has firm stable parents to rely on...oops, well there's always his firm committment to christianityislam er.....christianity to rely on
sounds like he'll have a happy and successful life for 2 or 3 months. Hope he doesn't take others down with him, besides Terry, his "Dad"
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/30/2007 14:41 Comments ||
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#2
by the way... whatever happened to that "apostate" thingy?
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/30/2007 15:43 Comments ||
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#3
posted yesterday on it FrankG;
The five major Madh'hab (schools of Islamic jurisprudence) agree that a sane male apostate must be executed.
Well, that's one thing they agree on...
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
12/30/2007 19:41 Comments ||
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#4
thx Tony - at least we agree on one thing for Hicks :-)
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/30/2007 22:36 Comments ||
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Traditional New Year's Eve fireworks in central Brussels have been canceled due to a continuing terror threat in the Belgian capital, officials said Sunday. The popular downtown Christmas market will close early, at 6 p.m., on Dec. 31 rather than staying open all night, and the adjacent skating rink will shut at 8 p.m.
Authorities warned of an increased risk of attack after police last week detained 14 people suspected of plotting to help an accused al-Qaida militant break out of jail. Note to whoever is running Belgium this weekend: the increased risk did not come from DETAINING the suspects, but from RELEASING them the next day. Duh.
The inmate, Nizar Trabelsi, 37, is a Tunisian ex-professional soccer player who is serving 10 years for plotting to drive a car bomb into the cafeteria of a Belgian air force base housing about 100 U.S. military personnel. However, in a letter published by the daily newspaper La Derniere Heure, Trabelsi denied that his supporters were plotting his jailbreak or any terror attack. A judge ordered his supporters' release for lack of evidence, and all suspects have maintained their innocence. "As pure as the driven snow, yer Honor!"
Authorities said the city would maintain heightened security measures until at least Jan. 3. "We've reviewed the situation and the conclusion is that there is no reason to scale back the current level of (terror) alert," said Jaak Raes, director general of the government's Crisis Center. "The aim is not to create panic ... but to avoid unnecessary risks."
The government said last week it had information that the suspects were plotting to use explosives and other weapons to free Trabelsi, who was arrested in Brussels in 2001, two days after the Sept. 11 attacks, and convicted two years later. During his trial, Trabelsi admitted plotting to kill U.S. soldiers based in northeastern Belgium, saying he had met al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan and asked to become a suicide bomber. Trabelsi came to Europe to play professional soccer in 1989. Over the next few years, he bounced from team to team in the minor leagues, acquiring a cocaine habit and a criminal record. Eventually, he made his way to al-Qaida training camps in Afghanistan, where evidence presented at his trial showed he placed himself on a "list of martyrs" ready to commit suicide attacks.
Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt warned that the suspects also could have other targets in mind, and ordered police to step up security at the airport, in subway stations and at the Christmas market.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a potential independent candidate for president, has scheduled a meeting next week with a dozen leading Democrats and Republicans, who will join him in challenging the major party contenders to spell out their plans for forming a "government of national unity" to end the gridlock in Washington.
Others who will be at the Jan. 7 session at the University of Oklahoma said that if the likely nominees of the two parties do not pledge to "go beyond tokenism" in building an administration that seeks national consensus, they will be prepared to back Bloomberg or someone else in a third-party campaign for president.
The list of attendees suggests the group could muster the financial and political firepower to make the threat of such a candidacy real. Conveners of the meeting include such prominent Democrats as former senators Sam Nunn of Georgia, Charles Robb of Virginia and David Boren of Oklahoma, and former presidential candidate Gary Hart. Republican attendees are to include Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, former party chairman Bill Brock, former Sen. John Danforth of Missouri and former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman.
All of whom have lost at least one big election, and several of whom grabbed for the big, brass ring only to end up with empty hands. Hmmmmph.
Boren, who will host the meeting at the university, where he is president, said: "It is not a gathering to urge any one person to run for president, or to say there necessarily ought to be an independent option. But if we don't see a refocusing of the campaign on a bipartisan approach, I would feel I would want to encourage an independent candidacy."
Others who have indicated they plan to attend the one-day session include William Cohen, former Republican senator from Maine and defense secretary in the second Clinton administration; Alan Dixon, former Democratic senator from Illinois; Bob Graham, former Democratic senator from Florida; Jim Leach, former Republican congressman from Iowa; Susan Eisenhower, a political consultant and granddaughter of former President Eisenhower; David Abshire, president of the Center for the Study of the Presidency; and Edward Perkins, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Bloomberg, a former Democrat who was elected mayor of New York as a Republican, left the GOP over the summer to become an independent. While disclaiming any plan to run for president in 2008, he has continued to fuel speculation by traveling widely and speaking out on domestic and international issues. The mayor, a billionaire many times over, presumably could self-finance even a late-starting candidacy. "As mayor, he has seen far too often how hyperpartisanship in Washington has gotten in the way of making progress on a host of issues," said Bloomberg's press secretary, Stu Loeser. "He looks forward to sitting down and discussing this with other leaders."
Until plans for the meeting were disclosed, the most concrete public move toward any kind of independent candidacy was by Unity08, a group planning an online nominating convention to pick either an independent candidate or a ticket combining a Republican and a Democrat. The sponsors, an eclectic mix of consultants who have worked for candidates ranging from Democrat Jimmy Carter to Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., have not aligned with a specific prospect.
Some people with high-level political and governmental credentials are moving to put muscle behind the new effort. A letter from Nunn and Boren sent to those who plan to attend the Jan. 7 session said "our political system is, at the least, badly bent and many are concluding that it is broken at a time ... America must lead boldly at home and abroad. Partisan polarization is preventing us from uniting to meet the challenges that we must face if we are to prevent further erosion in America's power of leadership and example."
At the session, Boren said, participants will try to draft a statement on such issues as the need to "rebuild and reconfigure our military forces" and restoring U.S. credibility in the world. "Today, we are a house divided," the letter said. "We believe that the next president must be able to call for a unity of effort by choosing the best talent available without regard to political party to help lead our nation."
The list of potential attendees *does* appear to contain the names of actual adults, rather than a bunch of whiny Tranzis. Except these were all the folks in charge when Osama was setting up shop. Your thoughts?
#1
Except these were all the folks in charge when Osama was setting up shop. Your thoughts?
If the run, it would be good for the Republican party and not the Dems - just for the reason you state. They are the tired old guard who have already done enough damage for one century.
That doesn't mean that I don't think they will be a force to be contended with, but Hillary pretty much doomed Bloomberg when she called attention to him during her debate flip-flops.
#2
that list is more of the same old CFR crowd. Always on the hunt to interject itself as the alternative choice, these folks need to stand down, they emerge everywhere under any cloth, but they are all the same.
#3
the "We know what's best for you" Party. Bloomberg needs a national humiliation as the head of the worst nanny state. I can't wait....
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/30/2007 6:23 Comments ||
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#4
"As mayor, he has seen far too often how hyperpartisanship in Washington has gotten in the way of making progress on a host of issues," said Bloomberg's press secretary, Stu Loeser."
#6
Bunch of elitist leftists out of touch with the average person in the US and the world. Go ahead, create a new party with them. It will hurt the dhimocrats as the far left will vote for these losers.
They had their chance, they failed and 3000 Americans died. History will curse their names.
#7
We don't do "national unity". That's for parliamentary systems with an infinite number of single issue parties, jostling for position after the first round of elections resulted in no single party getting enough votes to put together a government by itself.
Our "first past the post" system results in clear winners and losers, and the winners get on with things. If they can persuade enough of the other party on individual bills, then national unity results for long enough to get something done, just as Congress agreed to the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq at the time.
#8
Actually, I think this may benefit the Demos. The Dems are not nearly lefty enough for the Kos crowd and other assorted looney tunes. This group of crackpots would provide the correct refuge for this bunch of losers.
#9
Solid list of RINOs on the Republican side. Useless all of them.
They want to worry abotu gridlock, then point the finger where it belongs: the Dems mistaking several narrow wins in an off season for a mandate to cut-n-run in Iraq, and thier attempts to turn this nation into a socialist nanny-state.
#10
You are right, it will benefit the lefty loons; their voice will be heard. But despite the volume of their megaphone, there aren't enough of them to elect dogcatchers - except maybe in San Francisco and Vermont. Ever look at the numbers on those Iraq war votes or any of the other vitally important loon issues that actually made it to the floor? If you check the votes on those issues, they always got STOMPED. And we're talking stomped. Why? Only the reps in completely safe seats dared to vote against the will of the people and to stand with the frothing hordes.
I hope they run as a third party. They will split away Hillary or Obama's votes and neither one of those two are, IMHO, viable candidates.
#17
He is assuming of course that we want anything other than gridlock in Washington DC.
Been listening carefully to family and friends who over the holidays. An awful lot of people are just tired of the political venom of the last 7+ years. I detest Bloomberg, but he might well draw a lot of votes with that theme.
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/30/2007 14:50 Comments ||
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#19
Not projection, Frank. Just one sector of a varied electorate.
As to 'different crowds' - could be. But I haven't any knowledge of who you hang with. The people I was talking with over the last two weeks are pretty much pro-military, pro-US Christians who vote but don't follow the ins and outs of politics or the media in any detail. 'Tired' is a word they all kept using, without any prompting on my part. Which is not to say that they wanted the Dem proposals to go forward -- rather they're fed up with the tenor of the political scene on both ends of the spectrum. And whether accurately or not, they reported similar feelings on the part of their friends and co-workers.
#20
IIRC, Sam Nunn, Charles Robb, Gary Hart, John Danforth, and Christine Todd Whitman all were found to have dipped their hand in the wrong cookie jar, several of them more than once. None of them are honest enough to be elected dog catcher in Echo, Louisiana (pop 14) - or even Tincup, Colorado (year-round population 0). Add in anyone who has ever worked for Jimmah Cahtuh, and you've got a basketful of snakes in a hog pen - dangerous, but about to be eaten alive. Still, it's always nice for the idiots to self-identify. Saves a lot of time and effort for the rest of us.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
12/30/2007 16:05 Comments ||
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#21
and Bloomberg is the attraction for pro-military, pro-U.S. Christians who don't follow politics? I don't see it. Assuming that wasn't a jab that my crowd is anti-military, anti-U.S. satanists, which, except for a one or two, it isn't, I'd say most people have strong convictions, not the mushy "middle" desiring no conflict, and a pony. We live in a polarized society, which is based on..well... most people being polarized, on strong principles. To try and paper that over in the name of being "nice" is like a hudna with the rabid left, and I refuse to participate with them. Let them particpate in the theater of popular opinion, and let the votes lie where they may. I'm comfortable with the (fair...not you, AlGore) American process without these elitist assholes riding to our rescue
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/30/2007 16:06 Comments ||
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#22
It's not Bloomberg that might attract them - it's the unity theme. 'Tired' is an emotional response, not a policy one.
I respectfully disagree that what is involved is mushiness or being 'nice' vs. having strong opinions. Maybe on the part of the Bloomberg wannabe crowd, but not these people. They work hard, try to raise their kids right, catch maybe a little of the news on TV or on the radio on the way home from work or in the local papers. They don't have TIME to follow the ins and outs of the DC swamp. But they know enough to be heartily sick of the nastiness that has characterized our politics since at least the impeachment of Clinton.
And no, I certainly wasn't jabbing at you Frank. You suggested that we run in different crowds. I don't know if that's true or not (geography aside) so I tried to sketch these particular votes in just a couple words. Peace, please -- I'm not defending Bloomberg or his initiatve. Remember, I live close to where he was in office and have seen him up close.
But I *do* think I understand why some might be attracted to what he apparently plans to announce. Whether they'd be happy with the results if it is successful is a different matter.
#23
I am sick unto death of these parasites. They have no leadership, no real plan, no clue. Political people nowadays are those that have been caught in the social sinktrap that cannot cut it anywhere else, or they are wealthy and bored. Good people that want to go into public service are repulsed by level of corruption and contempt for the people by those in power. I do not see things changing until the lot of them are literally thrown out or tried and sentenced appropriately as traitors. Change will come first from within oneself, then it will come from the grass roots. The politicians and Washington are symptoms of a greater malaise in spirit of this great country. Waiting for a savior-type leader riding in on a white horse is not gonna happen (Deacon and Ace excepted). Look in the mirror next time when you are in the head and you will see who will get us out of the mess we are in.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
12/30/2007 17:10 Comments ||
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#26
I think many will be attracted to a mushy middle promising peace at the dinner table. But if they run as a third party, they will appeal more to the left than to the right, thus being more likely to split the vote in favor of the Republicans. Add a green party candidate on top of that to boot - and a Republican victory is assured.
What I noticed this year was the absence of discussion from the crowd that considers itself highly informed due to the fact that they listen to NPR once a day and can repeat a few lines at the dinner table that sound informed. Their desire not to spoil the meal with politics reminded me of a superbowl game where the smack-talkers suddenly get quiet when their realize their team isn't going to make it.
Conservatives on the other hand will not vote for Bloomberg after his licenses for immigrants debacle. That is an area where conservatives are all united.
And while the Conservatives are bickering now because [shock] none of the candidates are perfect, they won't be too upset to vote for any of the candidates except loon boy who is IMHO just doing this to scam the matching funds.
#27
I talked to a lot of people down there (15 or 20) friends and kin. If they had to choos only Democrats it would be Edwards. Republicans it would be Fred Thompson or John McCain. In a Democrat vs Republican it would be Fred Thompson. Hope he can get nominated.
One thing that kept comming up for both Democrats and Republicans is they are "Tired" of the Elitism and the "We know what's best for you" current government. These are Southern Democrats for the most part with a sprinkling of Republicans. Hillary will not win the Deep South. They all feel Obama is too young and too inexperienced. Bloomberg is a "Yankee". Edwards is a "Southerner". If it came down to Edards and Thompson Thompson wins in a landslide.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
12/30/2007 17:56 Comments ||
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#28
PS, I ment in South Alabama. That's where I was the past two days.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
12/30/2007 17:59 Comments ||
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#29
The problem with the democrats is that they have spent themselves with their hatred of Bush. The true believers won't admit it, but they really don't like Hillary Clinton and think Obama does not have enough experience, as you say. Pelosi and Reed have been an embarrassment to them as well.
I really think that Rudy or Fred will pull many from the left who are just normal folks in the middle. Rudy, by all rights, is really a democrat who is running as a republican. The leftist loons will vote for any Democrat just because they think they should, but most Americans will find Rudy or Fred to be just fine. Rudy and Fred will not only pull the conservative base, but will also pull the democratic middle.
#33
Bloomie doesn't need the matching funds as petty cash to his $B's, however if he takes it, it will show the 'depth' of his support, and distane for tax payers in general. 'Political firepower' indeed. Does he have Harold Stassen's advisors yet? Geroldine Ferraro as VP floated by Stu Loeser on Unity08? Excitement builds.
THERE ARE A LOT of words one could use to describe former congressman Charles Wilson--drunkard, sleazy, womanizer, patriot--but the one that most comes to mind in my dealings with him was simply "persistent." Or an old-time Democrat who understood sometimes you need to fight.
Wilson, whose role in supporting the Afghan mujahedin in their war against the Soviets in the 1980s has become the stuff of a best selling book (Charlie Wilson's War by George Crile, a long-time CBS news producer) and now a ticket-selling movie success of the same name, was a tall, lanky populist Democrat from East Texas. Wilson had first been elected to Congress in 1973 and, by the time the Afghan war had broken out, by hook and by crook, he had made his way well up the seniority ladder of the all-powerful House appropriations committee. It was there he could protect aid to Israel, keep money flowing to Somoza in Nicaragua, and--eventually--pour money into the "covert war" the CIA was quasi-supporting and quasi-directing in Afghanistan.
I say "quasi" because the Agency, especially in the early 80s, was letting the Pakistanis call many of the shots when it came to running the war and was as often as not applying the brake to folks who wanted to up the ante when it came to fighting the Soviets. CIA's analysts were insisting that the Soviets could not possibly lose the war, and the folks from the operational side at Langley were saying: "Let's bleed 'em, but let's not start World War III either."
Continued on Page 49
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's son Bilawal has been named the chairman of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP). Bhutto's husband GomezAsif Zardari, has been named regent co-chairman of the party. PPP CEC meeting was presided over by Makhdoom Fahim, deputy leader of PPP, endorsed the will of Benazir Bhutto.
Makhdoom Fahim was widely known as Benazir's right hand man. He led the party in Benazir's absence, from 1999 to October 2007. A Benazir loyalist, Amin Fahim is the quintessential party man, who never wavered in his loyalties towards his leader in all these years. He was in the same vehicle as the now departed leader, at the time she was assassinated.
Benazir Bhutto's close aide Sherry Rehman said that PPP couldnt thrust party leadership on Bilawal. Rehman had said that Bilawal was keen to complete his studies but that does not rule him out. Even if he is chosen, there might be someone who will take over for some time.
Bilawal Zardari, born on 21 September 1988, is the Son of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and Asif Zardari. The 19-year-old Bilawal is set to study political science at Oxford University. Bilawal graduated from Rashid School for Boys in Dubai. He successfully gained top grades in his GCSE exams. Like his father, Bilawal enjoys horse riding and like both the Bhutto and the Zardari clan, he has a passion for hunting and target shooting. Physical fitness is important to Bilawal Zardari and he is already a black belt in Taekwondo. He has two younger sisters, Wednesday Bakhtawar and Thursday Aasifa. Bilawal is highly thought to be appointed as the successor of his assassinated mother to lead the Pakistan People's Party.
This article starring:
Asif Zardari
Bilawal Zardari
Makhdoom Fahim
Sherry Rehman
Posted by: john frum ||
12/30/2007 09:15 ||
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#1
Family dynasty. It'll work out about as well as Camelot did here...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/30/2007 9:54 Comments ||
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#2
he has a passion for hunting and target shooting.
Pakistan rejected an outside investigation into the assassination of Benazir Bhutto on Saturday, despite controversy over the circumstances of her death and three days of paralyzing turmoil.
On Sunday, two suspected suicide bombers died when they prematurely detonated their bomb near the residence of a senior leader of the ruling party in eastern Pakistan, police said.
The Islamic militant group blamed by officials for the attack on Bhutto denied any links to the killing on Saturday, and Bhutto's aides accused the government of a cover-up.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: gorb ||
12/30/2007 00:36 ||
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The White House Saturday said it is up to Pakistani authorities to determine the timing of the elections. White House spokesman Tony Fratto said the United States has not received any request to help in the investigation following the death of the Pakistani opposition leader.
He declined to comment on any delay of Pakistan's elections after the death of Benazir Bhutto, and urged Islamabad to thoroughly investigate her killing. "The elections should be free and fair and parties and candidates should be able to conduct an election in an open way," said White House spokesman. "But as for the timing, this will be something that the Pakistani authorities will have to determine." Asked about concerns by groups inside Pakistan that the government did not fully investigate Bhutto's death, Fratto said the investigations needed to be "thorough."
"The investigation is ongoing. The government of Pakistan has a responsibility to ensure that the investigation is thorough and that the citizens have confidence in the results of the investigation."
He added the United States has not received any request to help in the investigation following the death of the Pakistani opposition leader. "We haven't received any request for assistance. If we do, we will certainly consider them," he said. Fratto said: "The Pakistanis are going to have to make their decision based on the conditions following her death."
Posted by: Fred ||
12/30/2007 00:00 ||
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Central executive committee of Pakistan Peoples Party will meet Sunday afternoon at 3:00 am here after Soyem of Benazir Bhutto to decide about the partys leadership after martyrdom of the former prime minister. Her will would be read out to the meeting of the PPP. Two options are under consideration for the leadership of the party; in the first option Benazir Bhuttos sister Sanam Bhutto will be named as party chairperson and Makhdoom Amin Fahim will be appointed acting president. In another option Sanam Bhutto will be named chairperson and Asif Ali Zardari acting president of the party. The chairperson will be elected with unanimous decision of the central executive committee of the party, sources added.
This article starring:
Asif Ali Zardari
Benazir Bhutto
Makhdoom Amin Fahim
Sanam Bhutto
Posted by: Fred ||
12/30/2007 00:00 ||
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[5 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
"There was a bullet wound I saw that went in from the back of her head and came out the other side," Bhutto's spokeswoman Sherry Rehman, who was involved in washing her body for burial, said.
The government blamed Bhutto's killing on al-Qaida and Taliban militants operating with increasing impunity in the lawless tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan. "This is ridiculous, dangerous nonsense because it is a cover-up of what actually happened," Sherry Rehman said referring to government claim.
Farooq Naik, Bhutto's lawyer and a senior PPP official, said Bhutto had a second bullet wound in the abdomen. Bhutto was an outspoken critic of Al-Qaeda-linked militants blamed for scores of bombings in Pakistan and had received threats. But she had also accused elements from the intelligence services of involvement in a suicide attack on a Bhutto rally in October that left 139 dead and which she only narrowly escaped.
This article starring:
Farooq Naik
Sherry Rehman
Posted by: Fred ||
12/30/2007 00:00 ||
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[6 views]
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#1
Can't help myself... here is the replay of Sherry Rehman at a protest... the guy doing the inappropriate touching is Yousaf Raza Gillani.
Official obit in the Guardian. No one, no one writes an obit like a British newspaper.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/30/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Those who spent time with her over the years became used to her lengthy, eloquent and sometimes well-informed monologues
lol! Agree about the Guardian writing the great obits, but this one was not very flattering. Nor should it have been. She was corrupt, her family can be linked to the rise of the Taliban, and she didn't have what Pakistan needed to become the powerhouse that it is capable of being.
That said, some people's lives seem to be destined. May she rest in peace.
The Iraqi interior ministry lauded its achievements over the past year on Saturday, saying that 75 percent of Al-Qaeda's networks in the country had been destroyed in 12 months.
Ministry spokesman Abdul Karim Khalaf also outlined sharp falls in the numbers of assassinations, kidnappings and death squad murders. He told a news conference that increased patrols along the borders with Saudi Arabia and Syria had slowed infiltration by militants and played a key role in Iraq's improved security situation. "We have destroyed 75 percent of Al-Qaeda hide-outs, and we broke up major criminal networks that supported Al-Qaeda in Baghdad," he said. "After eliminating safe houses in Anbar province, which used to be Al-Qaeda's base, we moved into areas surrounding Baghdad and into Diyala province. Al-Qaeda headed north and we are pursuing them," he said.
Khalaf said kidnappings were down 70 percent and that an average of three to five people killed by death squads were being found each day in Baghdad compared with 15 to 20 a day in February.
Personnel with militant or criminal links had been weeded out from Iraqi security forces, he said, adding that Sunni-US alliances against Al-Qaeda had also significantly contributed to the drop in violence.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/30/2007 00:00 ||
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[2 views]
Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in Iraq
Engines fit devices that disperse bomb-hiding debris
Modified debris sweepers with Kohler engines are helping save the lives of U.S. troops in Iraq. The machines, mounted at the front of military trucks and mine sweepers, blow away roadside debris to expose bombs planted by insurgents. Often they trigger the bombs and take the brunt of the explosion.
"But I would love to see plenty of engines taking the hits rather than soldiers getting killed," said Rich Koehl, director of marketing and quality at Kohler Co.'s engine division.
Insurgent attacks on vehicles have accounted for more than half of U.S. combat fatalities in Iraq, according to the military. As the improvised explosive devices have become more deadly, the Army and Marines have stepped up efforts to get safer vehicles.
They're also using products such as Cyclone debris blowers made by Buffalo Turbine Co., of Springville, N.Y., with Wisconsin-made Kohler engines. The Cyclone blows a broad, 180-mph jet of air to expose roadside explosives. The military has more than 100 of the machines in use in Iraq, with more on the way, said Paul Syracuse, general manager at Buffalo Turbine.
In the civilian world, the giant blowers are used to clean debris from streets, golf courses and race tracks. They've also been used at the last eight Super Bowls and in city parks. "They're a rock-solid leaf blower," said Tom Tiernan, a Kohler distributor in Pennsylvania.
In Iraq, the blowers have been modified with armor plating and diesel engines. Mounted on the front of a vehicle, usually about 10 feet from the operator's cab, they blow away garbage and other debris used to hide roadside bombs. "Garbage is the main hiding place," Syracuse said. "The blowers either trigger the bombs or expose them."
No soldiers have been killed while using the debris blowers, according to Buffalo Turbine. In about two years of use, the machines have exposed or detonated dozens of roadside bombs.
The idea came from former U.S. troops working for an equipment contractor. Now, the machines are an important part of military convoys in Iraq. "They cruise alongside the road, sometimes leading a convoy," Syracuse said.
The U.S. military uses thousands of Kohler portable generators in Iraq in addition to the engines used on debris blowers. "I would call it the NASA effect. If the military finds a use for one of our civilian products, we will help them develop a special application for it," Koehl said.
Normally, it can take years for the military to develop and acquire field equipment. But in 2002, the Army launched an effort to speed things up through a program aimed at identifying unmet needs of combat soldiers and satisfying those needs in 90 to 180 days. The Army now buys small quantities of equipment and tests it in the field.
One of the success stories was a remote-controlled robot that looks something like a radio-controlled toy car and is used for detecting roadside bombs. It has a video camera mounted on a retractable arm and headlights to see in the dark.
Another was the use of laser pointers like those used in classrooms as a nonlethal way of dissuading drivers from ignoring security checkpoints in Iraq. In the past, the bright lights shone at drivers did little to stop erratic behavior. But the green laser pointers, about 50 times brighter than pointers used in classrooms, have proven to be startling and nearly blinding to drivers coming straight at them. Unlike red laser pointers, the green ones can be seen in midair in the dark. And the unusual color makes them more noticeable. Initially, at least, aggressive driving was reduced 60% to 80% when the laser pointers were used at checkpoints, according to the Army.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/30/2007 00:00 ||
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[4 views]
Top|| File under: Iraqi Insurgency
#1
Now we need that other Kohler product, a giant crapper to flush the entire jihadi cohort down in one giant swirling plunge...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/30/2007 8:45 Comments ||
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#3
As A Mechanic, this hits the "Good News" button in so many ways, ingenious, practical, effective, simple, (etc)
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
12/30/2007 13:44 Comments ||
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#4
RJ - as an engineer, I totally agree. It makes SO much sense. Who coulda forseen the prevalence of garbage piles obsuring IEDs? This makes a lotta sense, and more kudos to the smart people, bottom-up, who saw it and made it policy/purchasing priority. Easier said than done, and a good harbinger for future adaptations
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/30/2007 15:54 Comments ||
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#5
Kohler gas engines are superb. I've owned riding mowers and garden tractors from "Sears" (So, SO declasse...) powered by Kohler engines that were always robust and trouble-free.
My father, an 84 year-old WW-II CBI vet, recently told me that it was the Kohler-driven electrical generators and water pumps that helped lead to the "Japs" getting "reality-checked" from the Allies in that dangerous, isolated, mountainous region rarely covered by the newspapers.
May God continue to bless this great Nation and us all in the upcoming New Year. Amen.
U.S. and Iraqi commanders on Saturday hailed a big improvement in security over the past year, while al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden accused the Americans of seeking to exploit Iraq's oil wealth.
The top American general in Iraq said progress had been made in curbing attacks and civilian deaths, but warned that the gains could be reversed. "Success will emerge slowly and fitfully with reverses as well as advances. Inevitably there will be tough fighting, more tough days and more tough weeks, but fewer of them, inshallah (God willing)," General David Petraeus said in a year-end briefing to journalists.
In a message to his troops, he wrote: "A year ago, Iraq was racked by horrific violence and on the brink of civil war. Now, levels of violence and civilian and military casualties are significantly reduced and hope has been rekindled in Iraqi communities. To be sure, the progress is reversible and there is much more to be done."
Posted by: Fred ||
12/30/2007 00:00 ||
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[3 views]
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TEHERAN - Iran on Saturday welcomed comments by Iraq that it had not repudiated a 32-year-old border treaty over which the countries waged a decade of war. Iraqi President Jalal Talabanis office said on Thursday the Algiers Treaty was valid and not void, after telling journalists on Monday it had been voided by the current government.
The treaty was signed in 1975 by Saddam Hussein, Iraqs then vice president, and Irans former Shah and defined the border between the two neighbours.
Also defined the division of the Shatt al-Arab which today is very important to both countries.
Talabanis earlier remarks threatened to reopen a border dispute that caused the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war. Talabanis comments provoked widespread condemnation from Iran, with many parliamentarians saying a change of government should not damage the credibility of the treaty.
But Talabanis latest comments were welcomed by Irans Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki. We support Talabanis recent stance that the 1975 treaty between Iran and Iraq is valid, Mottaki was quoted as saying by the students news agency ISNA. This view can be a strong basis for Iran and Iraqs relations.
Talabanis office in its statement said on Thursday that his remarks had not repudiated the treaty but Iraq nonetheless had some reservations about it and wanted talks with Iran for an agreement. Mottaki did not comment about the call for talks.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/30/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
signal in, Talibani. This wretched mess needs to be solved. Tell me what you think.
Interesting article re: Israel's desire to take delivery of a squadron of F-35s ASAP and a controversy over how to equip them. The print version of this story was titled 'Never-ending War'.
A lot of the contention mentioned here re: avionics etc. reflects different priorities. Due to Israel's small size, the tactical/sub-tactical nature of most of its engagements and the desire to support domestic companies, many Israeli military prefer highly-tailored custom avionics, ELINT and armaments over the broader range of capabilities the US generally designs into our fighter aircraft.
#1
If they don't like the F35's 'goodies', they can always go back to the Brit's for an 'empty' Harrier that will suit their needs! The local boys would be happy to fill it's bowels too!!
#2
If I understand correctly, the F-35 program has probably spent a lot more on electronics and integrating them into the airframe than they did on the airframe to begin with.
#3
Yes, a good part of the F-35's design integrates the electronics systems into the overall airframe. So it isn't a matter of the fully-fitted out F-35 vs. an empty Harrier for IAI's subcontractors to fill. Much more than in the past, avionics, flight control, ELINT and related systems are integrated tightly with the airframe to make a tightly-coupled system.
#4
good post - I would hope that we can provide Israel with the best package possible, that they can't sell to China and our enemies
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/30/2007 16:27 Comments ||
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#5
I believe Israel also wants ELINT that her neighbors can't counteract.
Posted by: Eric Jablow ||
12/30/2007 16:57 Comments ||
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#6
Defense Tech ran this a couple weeks ago. Some excellent snark directed at Israel re a plane they have not paid to develop, believe to have over-rated stealth and want as many of as soon as possible:
http://www.defensetech.org/archives/003910.html
I am radically pro-Israel but in this case I believe the snark is deserved. We are nuts to risk passing any of this technology on to China.
Ma'an Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad renewed his government's pledge to clamp down on security chaos in the West Bank on Saturday. His comments come a day after Palestinian fighters killed two Israeli settlers in a drive-by shooting near the city of Hebron. Israeli soldiers killed two Palestinians following the attack.
Fayyad toured the northern West Bank city of Nablus at noon on Saturday. Nablus is the flagship of a new Western-backed security plan that allows Palestinian Authority (PA) troops to redeploy after years of Israeli attacks. Israeli forces still raid the city and its surrounding areas frequently. Under the US-sponsored Road Map peace plan, the PA is obligated to dismantle Palestinian resistance groups in exchange for an Israeli halt to settlement construction.
Fayyad also pledged that his government would pay all PA's employees, yet he did not specify a date for when salaries would be disbursed. Earlier on Saturday, Fayyad visited the city of Tulkarem, the second city to be included in the new security plan.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/30/2007 00:00 ||
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[0 views]
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Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden vowed that Islamist militants will expand their holy war to liberate Palestinian land and said his group will not recognize Israel.
The Saudi-born militant also criticized Iran-backed Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah for accepting the deployment of United Nations forces in south Lebanon after the Shi'ite group's war with the Jewish state in 2006. He said in a recording posted on the Internet on Saturday that peacekeepers dispatched to expand a U.N. force in Lebanon after the war were there to "protect the Jews". Al Qaeda belongs to a school of Islam that sees Shi'ite Muslims as heretics.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/30/2007 00:00 ||
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[5 views]
Top|| File under: al-Qaeda
#1
"Palestinians" were not given any land by God or the Koran. So whats up?
#2
It was taken by 'the sword' by 638AD. Just like Binny wants to 'liberate' Andalusia too. The Eurowinnies won't awake to the problem till the next time the muzzies are at the gates of Vienna. At which time, it will be too late. Could have saved all that bribes 'aid' for Paleos for real training and gear for their own defense.
#3
Given his success rate elsewhere, this could make a great sales pitch: "Osama to liberate Palestine. Where will the Palestinians go when they are kicked out?"
It would work well with the story that when a young man, Osama was recruited by the CIA because he bitterly hated Muslims and wanted to destroy that religion.
#8
"I would start watching forsinking Iranian submarines used to infiltrate AQ from Iraq/Pakistan into Gaza"
Fixed that for ya', cp.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
12/30/2007 19:24 Comments ||
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#9
I believe Al Qaeda has been in Gaza for a few years, crosspatch. The Israelis were getting upset about it at one point, although I can't recall anything recently.
ARISH, Egypt - Around 2,300 Palestinian pilgrims were stranded at the Nuwaibe Egyptian port Saturday pending Egyptian authorities approval of their return to the Gaza Strip via the Rafah crossing, security sources said. But so far, the authorities have refused to allow the pilgrims return home from Mecca and urged them to pass through the Israeli- controlled Karem Abu-Salem border point instead.
I'm sure the Egyptos have a reason but it escapes me.
Many of the pilgrims, including members of the Islamist Hamas movement, said they feared being arrested. Some of them are already on Israeli Wanted lists.
So the Israelis get to sort out who's been naughty and nice?
Official sources from Arish, the capital of North Sinai, 380 kilometres north-east of Cairo, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur DPA that the pilgrims were offered temporary lodging in special camps until their plight has been resolved.
Perhaps they could get the UNRWA involved and (for a billion dollars) turn the temporary lodging into a real permanent refugee camp.
But they have refused and insist on waiting in the port until they are allowed to return home via the same crossing point they used to travel to Saudi Arabia for their haj rituals.
The better not to be pinched by the Israelis.
Sources from Nuwaibe port told DPA that the pilgrims also denied reports that they had signed a binding agreement to pass through Karem Abu-Salem before leaving the Jordanian Red Sea port of Aqaba to Egypt.
But keeping their word is optional for the Paleos.
Meanwhile, Ahmed Yusef, a Hamas negotiator, told Saturdays Al Masri Al Yom newspaper that Egypt gave promises to resolve the situation, and that the ball is in its court now. Yusef added: If the matter remains unresolved, the consequences will be dire in the Palestinian streets. Also, hundreds of thousands of the pilgrims families might flood towards the Rafah crossing in protest.
Let the face-making and eye-rolling commence!
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/30/2007 00:00 ||
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[1 views]
Top|| File under: Hamas
#1
Good. Keep them in Egypt. It's a start toward putting all the Paleos where they ought to be anyway.
Sri Lanka's defence secretary called on Saturday for an end to a ceasefire between government forces and Tamil Tiger rebels saying the agreement had been violated so many times it had become a sham.
Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was quoted by the state run daily newspaper as saying the government should officially ban the Tamil Tiger rebels and scrap the ceasefire it signed with them. "The ceasefire agreement exists only on paper. Obviously we can see that there is no ceasefire. It has become a joke," Rajapaksa said.
Wow. A ceasefire. Who knew?
Posted by: Fred ||
12/30/2007 00:00 ||
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[6 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
What with the running naval battles and tit for tat air strikes, it's hard to find time to stop shooting at each other.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Sunday that his country will hold no more discussions with Syria until Damascus shows its willingness to let Lebanon elect a new president.
Lebanon's Western-backed government and pro-Syrian opposition have been unable to overcome their disagreements to follow through with the election, and many Western countries have accused Damascus of interfering in the process - a claim Syria denies.
"I will not have any more contact with the Syrians until... we have received proof of Syria's intention to let Lebanon designate a president of consensus," said Sarkozy at a press conference in Cairo after meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
France, Lebanon's former colonial ruler, has led the international effort to mediate between feuding Lebanese politicians and has consistently implored the Syrians to cooperate.
The French president spoke with Syrian President Bashar Assad as recently as the beginning of December to urge him to "facilitate" the election in Lebanon. Sarkozy sent his chief of staff, Claude Gueant, to Damascus in early November, and Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner met his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Moallem earlier that month on the sidelines of an Iraq conference in Turkey.
"France has taken the responsibility of talking with Syria," said Sarkozy. "One must recognize today that we cannot wait any longer, Syria must stop talking and now must act."
Syria has denied meddling with the election and has accused the French of working too closely with the US, which Damascus claims is trying to manipulate the Lebanese political process for its own interests - an accusation Washington denies.
Mubarak also called on Syria to push Lebanese politicians to follow through with the election, saying it was "illogical" for the country to go without a president for so long.
"I ask Syria, with its influence, to intervene so that the parliament meets and elects a president," said Mubarak at the press conference. "I call on Syria to do so because it has more influence on the conflicting parties than the others."
The Israeli Foreign Ministry hopes to develop a political relationship with Syria in 2008, Haaretz reports. A ministry document says the goal is to "formulate a strategic plan to remove Syria from the radical axis." The document suggests that Israel work to distance Syria from Hezbollah in Lebanon, from Iran and from radical Palestinian groups.
Other goals for the year include "opening of new channels of communication with countries with which Israel has no diplomatic relations."
The document, approved by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, also calls for promoting the peace process begun in Annapolis, Md., isolating Hamas and improving conditions in Gaza.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/30/2007 00:00 ||
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[6 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
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.
(KUNA) -- Saudi Interior Minister Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz welcomed Saturday the return of 10 citizens from the Guantanamo Bay prison. Speaking to Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Prince Naif affirmed that efforts by the country's leadership worked in bringing back the detainees, lauding cooperation with the U.S. on the issue. He hoped that the rest of the Saudis in Gitmo would be back, adding that former detainees would go through the regular interior procedures. On his part, Saudi Interior spokesman Major General Mansour Al-Turki said that the families of the prisoners were notified of their return, facilitating procedures for the families to meet their loved ones. Saudi Arabia has assigned a special team to follow up on the detainees at the bay prison which has been a place for several Arabs and foreigners fighters who were caught during the war on Afghanistan in 2001.
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's son Bilawal has been named the chairman of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP). Bhutto's husband 
Pakistan rejected an outside investigation into the assassination of Benazir Bhutto on Saturday, despite controversy over the circumstances of her death and three days of paralyzing turmoil.
"There was a bullet wound I saw that went in from the back of her head and came out the other side," Bhutto's spokeswoman 
The Iraqi interior ministry lauded its achievements over the past year on Saturday, saying that 75 percent of Al-Qaeda's networks in the country had been destroyed in 12 months.
Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden vowed that Islamist militants will expand their holy war to liberate Palestinian land and said his group will not recognize Israel.
ARISH, Egypt - Around 2,300 Palestinian pilgrims were stranded at the Nuwaibe Egyptian port Saturday pending Egyptian authorities approval of their return to the Gaza Strip via the Rafah crossing, security sources said. But so far, the authorities have refused to allow the pilgrims return home from Mecca and urged them to pass through the Israeli- controlled Karem Abu-Salem border point instead.
