The annual Dakar Rally was canceled Friday on the eve of the race across the Sahara Desert because of terror threats and the recent killings of a French family in Mauritania blamed on al-Qaida-linked militants. It was the first time in the 30-year history of the automobile, motorbike and truck race that it has been called off. In a statement, organizers blamed international tensions, the tourists' Dec. 24 murders and "threats launched directly against the race by terrorist organizations."
The race's central appeal its course through African deserts, scrubland and savannas is also its weak point, making it difficult to protect thousands of people as they cross remote regions. "No other decision but the cancellation of the sporting event could be taken," organizers said. France, where the race organizers are based, had urged the rally to avoid Mauritania after the four family members were killed in an attack blamed on a terror cell that uses the Mauritanian desert as a hideout. Officials say the cell is linked to the Algeria-based al-Qaida in Islamic North Africa, which has claimed responsibility for a series of deadly attacks, including the Dec. 11 twin suicide bombings at U.N. offices and a government building in Algiers, which killed at least 37 people.
Only the father of the slain family survived the Dec. 24 attack, in a town 150 miles east of the Mauritanian capital as the family picnicked on the side of a road. That attack was followed up be another four days later, when three Mauritanian soldiers manning a checkpoint were killed. Mauritania is a largely peaceful Islamic republic that has been rocked by the back-to-back attacks. Authorities have blamed a terror "sleeper cell" linked to the Algeria-based al-Qaida in Islamic North Africa for the murders of the family. Al-Qaida in Islamic North Africa claimed responsibility for the killing of the soldiers. Mauritania's police force has been tracking the killers of the four tourists, recovering the car they used and arresting a woman who allegedly helped them secure a boat to cross into neighboring Senegal. Full report at link.
Posted by: DepotGuy ||
01/04/2008 09:37 ||
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Link ||
[2 views]
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#1
Time to have a new race for the reality television crowd. Add elements of Survivor, Mad Max, Death Race 2000, the Pod race in Star Wars and Running Man.
"Death Race Dakar! Tonight on Fox!"
Posted by: Steve ||
01/04/2008 10:29 Comments ||
Top||
#2
But France is a friend of Arabs and Islam - how could this happen?
#3
I have a mental image of "Bumpers" made of spikes, about 3 feet long, very sharp.
Designed anti-fouling, when fouled they break off.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
01/04/2008 10:59 Comments ||
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#4
A race of Bradleys, BMDs, and other assorted armored vehicles! Fully-equipped, fully-manned by the host military, and with a free-fire "rule of engagement". I can't wait!
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
01/04/2008 15:30 Comments ||
Top||
#5
This is a job for France, Bill France aka agent BR549, late of the FIA and other initials which could get us all killed or tickled.
Posted by: Thomas Woof ||
01/04/2008 16:00 Comments ||
Top||
#6
i thought Bill France, Senior and Junior, worked for NASCAR and not FIA ( to me the FIA is the motorsports world equivalent of the Air Force, complete with the stylish ascot....)
This one isn't bad, nice spittle and a fine finish. 6/10.
SEOUL - North Korea, which missed a years end deadline to declare its nuclear programmes, vowed Friday to build its war deterrence, accusing the United States of stepping up preparations for an attack.
Rodong Sinmun, the mouthpiece of the Norths ruling Korean Workers Party, also denounced as a trick a US statement last month that it was accelerating the scrapping of its own nuclear weapons stockpile. 'The DPRK (North Korea) people, seeing through to the criminal nature of US imperialists, has already been building up their defence capability, it said in a commentary. To cope with the mounting US nuclear war manoeuvres, the DPRK will further strengthen its own war deterrence.
It said the US announcement on scrapping its own weapons was nothing but a trick to fool the rest of the world. The criminal ploy led by US war mongers, who are bringing the world to the brink of a nuclear war by driving for the development and production of new atomic weapons, has not changed at all.
#7
See also NEWSMAX > CHARLES R SMITH - THE MILITARY BUILDUP CONTINUES IN CHINA. Smith noted that the former Soviet-Russ carrier VARYAG has been renamed the SHILANG last Chin Admiral to attack Taiwan] and formally commissioned into the PLAN.
Also, TOPIX > CHINA: NORTH KOREA'S RESPONSE AGZ USA IS "NATURAL".
#8
Again, from TOPIX > NORTH KOREA'S BREATHING SPACE MAY NOT LAST TOO LONG IN 2008. Various thingys, espec anticipation that NK may declare only 30 kilograms of plutonium instead of the 50 kgs the USA believes it actually has.
#9
BIGNEWSNETWORK > NORTH KOREA SAYS IT [already]TURNED OVER LIST OF NUCLEAR PROGRAMS TO USA; + LEE: SOUTH KOREA CAN TAKE OVER FROM JAPAN IN TEN YEARS. The Kim Chee of competitive regional economics.
#10
ASIA TIMES > SURPRISED - NO CANDOR FROM NORTH KOREA!?
Also from AT > STORM WARNING FOR ASIA + SE ASIA OFFERS HAVEN FROM US TURMOIL. Its official - ISLAND(S) IN THE SKY [John Wayne] = LANDS IN THE SKY, as seen from Guam. D *** NG IT, last nite on 01/04, 2008, A [sky]ANGEL POINTED TO SAME - FEEL THE FORCE, SEE THE FORCE, LUKE.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/04/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
LOL. Classic work Fred.
Posted by: Thomas Woof ||
01/04/2008 3:18 Comments ||
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#2
Only if the Trunks let the Copperheads get away with years of backstabbing our troops. The Donks have put themselves in the crosshairs, the only question is if the Trunks have the guts to pull the trigger. If they don't, then they don't deserve the seats. American voters will turn out when they're mad, really mad. Last go around it was about corruption. Unfortunately, the voters mistook the Donk's complaints for the existence of corruption rather than not enough of it. The fire wood is piled and awaiting. Let's see if the Trunks will light it and put a burn in our belly.
#6
The sad thing about the Domestic vs Foreign policy deal is that because the surge happened Iraq disappeared from the news. When it disappeared foreign policy took a back seat and Obama and Huckabee the two lightest of the foreign policy lightweights (not counting nuts like Kucinich and Paul) won in Iowa.
Outrageous. Someone whould be reviewing Mr. Islam very carefully for his connections. People have differences of opinion all the time, and it shouldn't be a cause for dismissal, even at the Pentagon.
By Bill Gertz
Stephen Coughlin, the Pentagon specialist on Islamic law and Islamist extremism, has been fired from his position on the military's Joint Staff. The action followed a report revealing opposition to his work for the military by pro-Muslim officials within the office of Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England. Mr. Coughlin was notified this week that his contract with the Joint Staff will end in March, effectively halting the career of one of the U.S. government's most important figures in analyzing the nature of extremism and ultimately preparing to wage ideological war against it.
He had run afoul of a key aide to Mr. England, Hasham Islam, who confronted Mr. Coughlin during a meeting several weeks ago when Mr. Islam sought to have Mr. Coughlin soften his views on Islamist extremism. Mr. Coughlin was accused directly by Mr. Islam of being a Christian zealot or extremist "with a pen," according to defense officials. Mr. Coughlin appears to have become one of the first casualties in the war of ideas with Islamism. The officials said Mr. Coughlin was let go because he had become "too hot" or controversial within the Pentagon.
Misguided Pentagon officials, including Mr. Islam and Mr. England, have initiated an aggressive "outreach" program to U.S. Muslim groups that critics say is lending credibility to what has been identified as a budding support network for Islamist extremists, including front groups for the radical Muslim Brotherhood. Mr. Coughlin wrote a memorandum several months ago based on documents made public in a federal trial in Dallas that revealed a covert plan by the Muslim Brotherhood, an Egyptian-origin Islamist extremist group, to subvert the United States using front groups. Members of one of the identified front groups, the Islamic Society of North America, has been hosted by Mr. England at the Pentagon.
After word of the confrontation between Mr. Coughlin and Mr. Islam was made public, support for Mr. Coughlin skyrocketed among those in and out of government who feared the worst, namely that pro-Muslim officials in the Pentagon were after Mr. Coughlin's scalp, and that his departure would be a major setback for the Pentagon's struggling efforts to develop a war of ideas against extremism. Blogs lit up with hundreds of postings, some suggesting that Mr. England's office is "penetrated" by the enemy in the war on terrorism. Kevin Wensing, a spokesman for Mr. England, said "no one in the deputy's office had any input into this decision" by the Joint Staff to end Mr. Coughlin's contract. A Joint Staff spokesman had no immediate comment
Posted by: DepotGuy ||
01/04/2008 14:42 ||
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#1
unlawful termination lawsuit, maybe? since muslim extremism ( but i repeat myself) was his frickin job.
methinks hashish islamahandjob should be tossed, instead.
#2
" wrote a memorandum several months ago based on documents made public in a federal trial in Dallas that revealed a covert plan by the Muslim Brotherhood, an Egyptian-origin Islamist extremist group, to subvert the United States using front groups'
If theres real evidence the Egyptian Mo Bros are doing that, its HUGE news. I havent seen anything about it here.
Pro-Muslim officials at the Pentagon are putting political pressure on one of the U.S. military's most important specialists on Islamist extremism, according to defense officials.
Stephen Coughlin, a specialist on Islamic law on the Joint Staff, met recently with Hasham Islam, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon R. England's close aide. The officials said Mr. Islam, a Muslim who is leading efforts for the Defense Department's outreach to Muslim groups, sought to convince Mr. Coughlin to take a softer line on Islam and Islamic law elements that promote extremism.
There is also evidence that a whispering campaign is under way to try and discredit Mr. Coughlin as a "Christian extremist with a pen" and force him out of the building, according to the officials.
Mr. Coughlin came under fire from pro-Muslim officials after a memorandum he wrote identified several groups that are being courted by Mr. Islam's community outreach program as front organizations for the pro-extremist Muslim Brotherhood.
Mr. Coughlin based the memorandum on documents released as evidence in a federal terrorism trial that he stated "are beginning to define the structure and outline of domestic jihad threat entities, associated nongovernmental organizations and potential terrorist or insurgent support systems."
Mr. Coughlin noted that the documents identified one of the Muslim Brotherhood front groups as the Islamic Society of North America, whose leaders were hosted by Mr. England in April at the Pentagon, raising concerns that the deputy defense secretary does not understand clearly the nature of the Islamist threat he is working against as the No. 2 official.
Mr. England has been a leading advocate of what critics in the Pentagon say is a misguided attempt to reach out to the wrong Muslims, regardless of their views, in an effort to counter Muslim extremism.
That approach has kept military and civilian officials from conducting much-needed assessments of how Muslim extremists are waging war because doing so would involving analysis of Muslim religious tenets, a politically taboo subject area.
A Pentagon spokesman had no immediate comment on the differences between Mr. Islam and Mr. Coughlin.
The evidence clearly linked Holy Land and CAIR to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, the hard-line Egyptian Islamist umbrella group and godfather of every Sunni terrorist group from Hamas to al Qaeda.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
01/04/2008 17:19 Comments ||
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#6
Why wasn't the gutless POS England FIRED the same day ?
Apparently his job is to infiltrate the DOD and whine about islamophobia when a DOD analyst clearly and concisely expounds on the threat posed to the USA by islam.
#11
Fine. Replace Coughlin with Robert Spenser with Charles Johnson as an alternate.
Posted by: Harry Angolurong8712 ||
01/04/2008 21:10 Comments ||
Top||
#12
For what it's worth I intend to contact US Rep. Sue Myrick (R NC) to look into Coughlin's firing. She organized the House of Reps "anti-jihad/terror" caucus. She is willing to listen to and answer mail from citizens outside her district.
I wonder if the report/memorandum Coughlin put together will still see the light of day?
From there, you select the state, then find the city/town with the correct zip code and send a message to any Congressional/Senator. I've found it most useful to send to our Speaker of the House!..... I'm just a little ole lady from his/her prescient in that zip.... has worked every time!
And, thanks Markz.... US Rep. Sue Myrick zip code and city is ---- for Charlotte, try one of these: 28101 though 28210 through 28216
Extra bonus.... for the Speaker -- use zip code 94150 -- it works for me!
H/T Hotair
US Airways and Minneapolis airport officials are demanding a jury trial in a civil rights lawsuit filed by a group of Muslim imams who were removed from a flight for suspicious behavior. The airline and Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC), which oversees Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, are also claiming immunity for their employees named in the suit, citing a "John Doe" law passed by Congress last year that, among other things, protects people acting in an official capacity to prevent terrorist attacks.
"We believe the police officers acted appropriately and that it is important that airports across the nation be able to take action when there is a reasonable belief that travelers could be threatened," said Patrick Hogan, MAC spokesman. "In this case, there were travelers and flight crew members who raised concerns, and we worked with federal authorities who interviewed the imams," Mr. Hogan said. "We believe the process worked as it should to protect the traveling public."
Frederick Goetz, the imams' lawyer, declined to comment on the lawsuit, which was amended Dec. 14 and now names six airport police officers as defendants. The suit says the officials engaged in "intentional discrimination" when they removed the imams from the Minneapolis-to-Phoenix flight in November 2006.
In its Dec. 20 response, the commission said: "MAC police officers took reasonable action in good faith upon reports of suspicious behavior."
Exactly. Damned if they do, damned if they don't.
US Airways filed its response Dec. 26 in the U.S. District Court of Minnesota and denied more than 200 complaints levied by the imams. US Airways "denies that it engaged in any unlawful discrimination or violated any federal or state law," the airline stated. The airline is demanding that the imams provide "strict proof" on 97 of its claims to be decided by a jury.
Information provided by the flight crew led the captain to suspect that the imams "may have posed a risk to the security of the flight," the airline's response said. The "decision to deny transportation was based upon the legitimate, non-discriminatory business purpose of ensuring flight safety," the airline said.
U.S. District Judge Ann Montgomery denied motions to dismiss the suit in November, but has not ruled whether she will hear the case or assemble a jury.
The imams say that the police officers' "acts and conducts were solely motivated by their intent to discriminate against [the imams] based on their race, color, religion, ethnicity," and that their activities were not probable cause to assume they planned to commit a criminal act. The imams say they were placed under arrest and "did not consent to the arrest."
The airport commission says the imams were not arrested but detained by airport police and questioned by federal officials, including the FBI and Secret Service.
Posted by: Sherry ||
01/04/2008 12:01 ||
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#1
They're not caving into them. That's a good sign. And I'd take my chances with a jury.
Next time, avoid all this and toss them off while in flight...
#4
Wonderful. It's past time to fight back. The Muzz has stated their express interest in undermining our cultural values in our court system. They are funding scholarships for American Muzz offspring to a number of law schools such as Berkeley,etc. for the express interest of creating their own cadre of lawdogs. Speaking of dogs, wouldn't it be awful if a big dog bit the sellout Goetz on the ass or some other unfortunate accident were to ensue. The airlines, thankfully, are privately owned business concerns not gov't owned. PC behavior is not the rule. Prudent business practices are. If action isn't taken to protect flying passengers, said passengers will depart and business will suffer mightily. Also, if I had my own plane and someone threatened me, their dumb ass would be on the runway faster than the fool could sneeze. The same right prevails for US Airways, United, etc. They are merely a larger version of my little plane.
#5
These scum planned this lawsuit attack and Saudi funded Muslim terrorist supporting PR CAIR is paying for the lawers.
Good for US Airways! It's high time someone other than Michael Savage takes these Islamic Jihadist to court. Because our Minnesota & Federal Dhimmits will not!
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistani authorities freed four Palestinians on Thursday who were convicted in the 1986 hijacking of a Pan Am jet in Karachi that left 22 passengers and crew dead, a prison official said. The men were released after completing their jail terms and deported to the Palestinian territories, said the official on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
The alleged leader of the group, a Palestinian called Zayd Hassan Abd Al-Latif Masud Al Safarini, was released from prison in Pakistan in 2001 through a series of amnesties, but was arrested a day later by FBI agents in Bangkok on his way to Jordan. In 2003, a U.S court sentenced Safarini to three consecutive life terms plus 25 years for his role in the hijacking. The five men hijacked the Pan Am Boeing 747 as it sat at Karachi airport waiting to fly to Frankfurt, Germany, en route to New York. They were demanding the release of 1,500 Palestinian prisoners in Israel and Cyprus. Later the same day, Pakistani commandos stormed the plane and the hijackers began shooting and throwing hand grenades at the passengers and crew they had herded into one area of the plane, according to court papers presented at the U.S. trial of Safarini. In all, 22 people were killed and more than 100 wounded. The five men were arrested.
At a 1988 trial in Pakistan, the Palestinians admitted carrying out the hijacking, but blamed Pakistani troops for the passengers' deaths. All five were given death sentences that were commuted to life in prison, which means serving 14 years in Pakistan. The men had been held in a high-security prison in Rawalpindi, a garrison city near the capital Islamabad. The prison official gave the names of those released Thursday as Mohammed Abdul Khalil Hussain, Daud Mohammed Hafiz, Mohammed Ahmed al-Munawar and Jamal Saeed.
Posted by: DepotGuy ||
01/04/2008 14:58 ||
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[9 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
#1
Offer the Israelis $1mil in military hardware for each one they bump off, regardless of how they do it. A garotte, a knife in the groin, caught between two VERY large rocks, staked out in the sun for a month - anything the Israelis find entertaining, we'll go along with - as long as it ends in death of these perverted pieces of trash.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
01/04/2008 21:59 Comments ||
Top||
LAHORE Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Abdullah Yousaf says the economy has suffered a loss of Rs35 billion due to the crisis following the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
Think Gomez will make any of that up?
Talking to reporters at the graduation ceremony of 34th Specialised Training Programme at the Directorate General of Training and Research (Direct Taxes) here, Yousaf said making up of the loss during the remaining six months of the current financial year would depend on the circumstances. Peaceful atmosphere would be required for making up the loss, he added.
So much for that ...
The FBR chairman said the government had provided a financial assistance of Rs30 billion for research and development to textile industry to overcome the crisis it was facing.
It could, however, not help it in the manner as it did in the past. It could only help it by creating conducive environment for it but could not market their products in the present age of competition.
Posted by: ||
01/04/2008 00:00 ||
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[5 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday rejected a probe by Scotland Yard into the assassination of Benazir Bhutto and reiterated the demand for UN-sponsored commission to investigate the incident.
Addressing a press conference after the joint meeting of the party central executive committee and federal council, Asif Zardari, while condemning postponement of the general elections till Feb 18, said the PPP will fully participate in the rescheduled elections and would not allow the rulers to flee.
He scoffed at the caretaker government as a bunch of immature and amateur politicians, who had no experience in running any government, advising them to resign and be replaced with an experienced caretaker set-up capable of conducting free, fair and transparent elections.
Flanked by Yousuf Raza Gillani, Jahangir Bader, Sherry Rehman, Syed Qaim Ali Shah and other top party leaders, he warned the rulers of severe consequences if they rigged the polls. He announced a six-member committee to decide about inviting an inquiry commission of the UN. The committee includes Sherry Rehman, Senator Latif Khosa, Farooq A Naek, Begum Abida Hussain and others.
He berated the government for not calling in Scotland Yard after the first attack on Benazir Bhutto in Karachi after she returned home from self-exile. He called upon the authorities not to arrest partys friends and workers as the incidents in the aftermath of assassination of Benazir Bhutto were not part of partys planned confrontation but instant expression of sentiments of grieved people.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/04/2008 00:00 ||
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[4 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
#1
Are they hoping to get a sympathetic investigation from the un rather than the Yard?
Re the pic: "I'm thinkin' but nuttin's comin' out!"
President Pervez Musharraf Thursday ruled out the involvement of security forces or intelligence agencies in the assassination of Ms Benazir Bhutto, however, he expressed his dissatisfaction with the investigation conducted so far.
Talking to foreign media here at Aiwan-e-Sadr Se programme, the President insisted there had been no security lapse when Ms Bhutto was killed at the campaign rally last Thursday.
President Musharraf said Bhutto had gone ahead with the rally while "ignoring the threats." He said she was provided with adequate security, including a bulletproof rostrum and a police chief of her choice for the area. Two aides next to her in the car survived, he said, adding that she died only when she "(decided) to ride above the sunroof" of her vehicle.
He said the law and order situation was rapidly affected across the country following the tragic incident of Benazir Bhuttos slaying. Sindh province was affected the most, he added. The violent reaction by the people was natural but, he said, no one would be allowed to disturb law and order.
Regarding the upcoming polls, the President said the elections will be free, fair, transparent and peaceful. No one will get a chance to rig the polls foreign observers will be allowed to come to the country and monitor the elections there will be no ghost polling stations, he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/04/2008 00:00 ||
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[6 views]
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#1
Realizing the importance of the case, his men are rounding up twice the usual number of suspects.
Army, Rangers and police arrested 114 persons, in combined raids, in Hyderabad and recovered goods worth millions of rupees. This was stated by District Police Officer, Hyderabad, Imran Shuakat while addressing a press conference here at Police Headquarters. Officers of Army, Rangers, police and district administration accompanied him. On the occasion goods plundered after the Liaquat Bagh tragedy were returned to their owners. DPO Hyderabad said goods worth millions of rupees were plundered in rioting. Banks, utility stores and government offices were looted before they were set on fire.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/04/2008 00:00 ||
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[8 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
BAGHDAD - Iraqs culture of corruption stems from the actions of the international community and the controversial UN oil-for-food scheme, the deputy prime minister Barham Saleh said on Thursday. Speaking at a new anti-corruption forum in Baghdad, Saleh said that the programme, run between 1996 and 2003 while Iraq was under UN sanctions, and what he charged was the bodys wasteful use of money were to blame for the rampant corruption that bedevils Iraq.
A large responsibility for the outbreak of corruption in Iraq lies on the international community, said Saleh. The scandals of food-for-oil and the wasting of public riches by the UN... is evidence of the serious damage that has deepened the problem in the country.
Let's not forget the Ba'athists, the tribal chiefs and every other hard-luck story in that country ...
For seven years before the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, the oil-for-food programme allowed Baghdad -- which was under a punishing trade embargo since its invasion of Kuwait in 1990 -- to sell oil in return for cash to buy food and medicine. In 2000, then president Saddam Hussein began making the right to purchase its oil under the UN programme conditional on the buyers willingness to pay kickbacks. The regime diverted about 1.8 billion dollars (1.2 billion euros), an independent probe found in 2005.
The Iraqi people want a clear statement on how this money was administered in the past, to take back the stolen money, and to chase and call into account those who played with the publics money, said Saleh.
Talk to Sammy's daughters for a start. And every Ba'athist thug who had a rank of 'general'. Then start talking to all the worldwide banks.
An analysis by the Berlin-based Transparency International in September found that Iraq was one of the three most corrupt countries in the world alongside Somalia and Myanmar.
The anti-corruption forum met for the first time on Thursday, to bring together ministers, members of parliament, international representatives and businessmen. It is necessary to coordinate with the international society. Saleh said, But we refuse any foreign mandate on Iraqi resolutions.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki declared in his New Year message that 2008 would be a year of economic development and fighting corruption.
The White House said in September that Maliki was working hard to fight corruption but declined to say whether he had been adequately successful. Its comments came after a damning report by the US embassy, posted on the Internet, painted a grim picture of corruption in all Iraqi government departments and said Malikis office had shown open hostility to independent investigators.
It's Iraq, not Ireland.
Posted by: ||
01/04/2008 00:00 ||
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[4 views]
Top|| File under: Iraqi Baath Party
#1
Inability to take responsibility for their own action is the primary attribute of the Arab (even pre Mohammad) culture.
Violence in Iraq, including actions by US-led coalition and paramilitary forces, was responsible for some 24,000 civilian deaths in 2007, according to an independent group monitoring casualties in the war-ravaged country. The Iraq Body Count (IBC) whose figures are tallied from media reports, morgues, hospitals, non-governmental groups and other sources, said in a report released on Tuesday that there were between 22,586 and 24,159 violent civilian deaths in Iraq during the past year.
Perhaps the most accurate description of the security situation for Iraqi civilians in the past year is that it was less bad than if the worst of the late 2006 levels had been sustained throughout 2007, the group said in a statement.
The IBC lamented security that remains at an abysmally low level in much of the country. For some 24,000 Iraqi civilians, and their families and friends, the year was one of devastating and irreparable tragedy, the IBC said.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/04/2008 00:00 ||
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[5 views]
Top|| File under: Iraqi Insurgency
#1
One has to wonder if the IBC included terrorists as " civilians".
#2
How can these spewers claim objectivity when they ignore the fact that there has been sectarian violence among Muslims for 1400 years? Muslims don't need US intervention as an excuse to slaughter their own kind. That is the one thing in which those primitives are self sufficient.
#3
actions by US-led coalition and paramilitary forces, was responsible for some 24,000 civilian deaths in 2007
Attempted brainwashing. How about the actions of AQI, Jaish Al Mahdi, and Sunni insurgents. I'm sure they were probably just herding their baby ducks and fluffly bunnies out of the way, right?
#4
Does this figure include the children who were barbequed to death or toddlers who were randomly doused with gasoline and set on fire by terrorists?
I don't get what the IBC is trying to suggest?
And why isn't there a solid number? Does it include all the double and triple counting and imaginary deaths so people can claim government compensation?
Perhaps they'd like to go back to the good ol' days of Saddam's rule.
Even if all these deaths are for real, at least now they are moving forward to a better future instead of just trying to stay alive hoping that things would improve when Saddam's sons took over.
Somehow I doubt that anyone from IBC wears boots. Will they stop making money when the situation stabilizes?
#7
A little perspective: That's about 60% of the number of pretty-much-completely-innocent civilians killed every single year on American's roads, streets, and highways.
Take the trolley!
Historical perspective: At the end of the Vietnam war, the total American soldiers killed approximated the number of fatalities on the roads every year (about 55,000, down to around 40,000 now). So the roads and vehicles really are safer now, compared to 30 years ago, but the carnage is still considerable.
Posted by: Bobby ||
01/04/2008 6:48 Comments ||
Top||
#8
"One has to wonder if the IBC included terrorists as " civilians"."
Per Strategypage, the terrorists routinely make up 1/3 of the "civilian deaths". It is common practice for the family to claim their kin was an innocent bystander in order to get compensation payments from the US.
Al
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
01/04/2008 11:13 Comments ||
Top||
#9
So about 6% of the deaths in Iraq each year are due to violence.
I'm going to guess that their vehicle deaths are about 8,000 a year.
#11
Hai hai mister wuzdan! Ima translater. eye think mahb I set up a nue wiki - LOL Koran? Iz you liek? My fren mohammed4doo sed kittuahs are speshul frens of islam. ima heyt to compete with de uz no who tho LOL!
Ma'an During the celebrations of the 43rd anniversary of the establishment of Fatah in Ramallah in the central West Bank, the movement reiterated Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' invitation to Hamas to turn a new page and resume nationalist dialogue.
Tens of thousands of Fatah supporters took part in the celebration held in the yard of the Muqata'a [the presidential compound] in Ramallah.
Fatah leader Ahmad Qurai', who is currently heading the Palestinian negotiation team for peace talks with Israel delivered a speech on behalf of the Fatah movement. He called upon the Palestinian factions to endeavor to restore the legitimate and inalienable Palestinian rights accredited by international agreements.
Qurai' also criticized Hamas' practices and described their military takeover of the Gaza Strip in June as a "black coup." He also highlighted that Hamas has banned celebrations of the 43rd Fatah anniversary in the Gaza Strip and assaulted several of the movement's dignitaries, such as Ibrahim Abu An-Naja, the spokesperson of Fatah in the Gaza Strip. Hamas-affiliated gunmen attacked Abu An-Naja a few days ago, shaving off his hair and mustache. "The coup in the Gaza Strip is a temporary situation which will come to an end regardless of all the conspiracies," Qurai' added. He also called for agreement on a date for new legislative and presidential elections.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/04/2008 00:00 ||
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[2 views]
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#1
TOPIX/YNETNEWS > HAMAS LEADER REJECTS CEASE-FIRE WITH ISRAEL.
The Beirut Stock Exchange did not like what it heard from Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah during his last nights interview on NBN TV . His defiance sent the share prices down. Shares of Solidere ( the largest real estate company in Lebanon ) went down. Obviously the real estate boom that Michel Hayek has predicted will have to wait till there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The market only saw darkness after Nasrallahs speech .
Posted by: Fred ||
01/04/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
COUNTERTERRORISM BLOG > NASRALLAH: WE HAVE REMAINS OF IDF TROOPS, Its official - they're [kidnapped/captured IDF] are dead???
Lebanons Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah revealed the real purposes of his party which aims at changing the current political system and torpedoing the Taef accord. Nasrallah "doesn't mind prolonging the presidential void to reach his purpose," Press Office of Siniora said in a statement. "Those who seek partnership should rather seek middle solutions instead of setting conditions and clinging to it," Saniora added.
Nasrallah declared that there will be no President in Lebanon unless the opposition gets veto power in the future government and warned that the anti-government camp would take decisive measures within 10 days if mediation efforts fail.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/04/2008 00:00 ||
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The Iranian an Syrian backed Hezbollah-led Opposition plans to close Beirut airport as well as major ports across Lebanon, it was reported on Thursday. The report was carried by the pro-opposition newspaper al-Akhbar and the daily al Mustaqbal, mouthpiece of MP Saad Hariri's Future movement.
The report also said that the opposition is considering launching sit-in protests at Bkirki and the U.S. embassy in Aukar. The Al Akhbar, citing unnamed sources, said the opposition was studying the possibility of closing down Rafik Hariri international airport as well as most ports along the Lebanese coast. It said the opposition was also examining the prospects of "organizing a large sit-in" near the U.S. embassy in Aukar and blocking vital roads. The daily said these "ideas were still under serious debate among the various factions to avoid plunging the country into internal strife."
Posted by: Fred ||
01/04/2008 00:00 ||
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(AKI) - The leader of Hezbollah, Hasan Nasrallah, has hit out against recent statements allegedly by al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden criticising the militant Lebanese Shia movement for allowing "crusader" troops from the United Nations into Lebanon after the 34-day conflict with Israel in 2006. "The criticism that Osama bin Laden made in his last message proves that we are different," he said in an interview aired on Hezbollah's Al-Manar television channel. "He has the right to criticise us but not to offend us," he said in the two-hour interview aired on Wednesday night.
An 56-minute audio message purportedly by bin Laden was released on Islamist websites on 29 December in which the al-Qaeda leader accused Nasrallah of aiding Israel by accepting the deployment of United Nations Interim Force in South Lebanon (UNIFIL) troops in South Lebanon. "UNIFIL troops were deployed in 2006 to protect 'Jews,'" the al-Qaeda leader said.
However when asked about his reaction to bin Laden's criticism of Hezbollah, Nasrallah said that his group was "left hanging in the middle."
"Some criticise us from one side, and others from the opposite end. I don't want to comment on his [bin Laden's] statement, because sometimes when a debate is opened it ends up being a competition, and we have nothing to gain by this," he said. "I know that this is a useless fight and I do not want to enter into a competition with him," he said.
However the Hezbollah leader took the occasion to distance himself and his group from the international terrorist network. "It's enough for me to say that he has a vision and an opinion and what he said is useful for me and Hezbollah because we have always said that Hezbollah is different from al-Qaeda and we have no links," he said. "After 11 September [the 9/11 terror attacks in the United States], Israel has been trying to find a link between Hezbollah and al-Qaeda to implicate us in the attacks of 11 September."
But the Israelis "have not been able to provide any proof because in reality, we are not linked. On top of that we have a different vision from al-Qaeda on the issues of resistance and Jihad, and how to classify people and political issues," he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/04/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
Nasrallah is like Joe Biden. Whatever he says pick the opposite and 9 out of 10, you are good to go
As-Sahab and Mutual of Waziristan proudly present:
The Return of Azzam al-Amriki
The militant group Al Qaeda announced Thursday the imminent arrival of a new video message from American-born Islamist Adam Gadahn, making it the first message from the organization in 2008.
"Coming soon by the will of God, an invitation to reflection and repentance," read the banner produced by al-Sahab, Al Qaeda's media wing, and displayed on a militant Web site.
An image of the bearded Gadahn wearing a red and white checkered peaceEuro Arab scarf appears on the banner.
The California-born Gadahn, also known as Azzam al-Amriki, was charged with treason in the U.S. in fall 2006 and has been wanted since 2004 by the FBI, which is offering a US$1 million reward for information leading to his arrest or conviction.
He last appeared on a video in August threatening new attacks on foreign embassies.
"The FBI and our intelligence community partners will review the latest tape for any intelligence value," said FBI spokesman Richard Kolko. "The hunt for Adam Gadahn continues and we won't ever give up. We are employing the full force of the FBI to find and arrest him. The constant pressure greatly decreases his chance of successfully conducting any terrorist operations."
#3
First, Gadahn does not worry about being arrested by the FBI. He should be worried about a CIA or US Armed Forces missile turning his whole world into smoke, rubble and the smell of burning flesh, but since he probably has safe haven in Pakistan he probably doesnt. His biggest legitimate concerns are outliving his usefulness to his Islamic overlords and/or going the way of KSM when the Paks need some credential polishing in the GWOT.
Second, never announce that you're looking as hard as you can for a guy you will almost certainly not actually catch. You make the FBI look like tools when you don't find him. You also make him into the mastermind outlaw outsmarting the hapless kafr law enforcement buffoons. These are not positive outcomes. So stop saying dumb things.
Posted by: Baba Tutu ||
01/04/2008 3:36 Comments ||
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#4
"The FBI and our intelligence community partners will review the latest tape for any intelligence value," said FBI spokesman Richard Kolko.
search for intelligence in vain, boys, he's just a dumb farking goat-herder from Riverside who found sweet sweet love from the turban set
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/04/2008 3:47 Comments ||
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#5
Wonder if his new video will endorse Kucinich, Gavel or Paul.
Indiana National Guard Sgt. Donald Nelson said he was less worried about his own safety as he headed for Iraq than he was about leaving behind his wife and daughter, whom the couple adopted in May. "I know I've got a lot of family and friends that will take care of them," he said, "but still, it's not me that's there for them."
Nelson, of Bloomfield, said goodbye Wednesday to his wife, 7-month-old daughter and several other family members who traveled to Indianapolis for a departure ceremony for more than 3,400 soldiers headed to Iraq. His 8-year-old niece from Chicago wiped away tears as she held up a sign saying "Sgt. Nelson, We Love You," with a heart in place of the word love.
They were among more than 20,000 people who packed parts of the RCA Dome, some holding signs supporting the troops and others waving U.S. flags. Many soldiers spent time in the stands with their families before the start of the ceremony, which marked the largest single deployment of Indiana National Guard troops since World War II.
During the ceremony, the 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and their family members were thanked for their service by several congressmen, Sen. Richard Lugar, Gov. Mitch Daniels and Colts president Bill Polian, who drew the most applause. "Your commitment to your fellow citizens, in Indiana and now a half a world away, allows the rest of us to enjoy the fruits of freedom," Polian said. "For that, we owe you a debt that we can never fully repay."
Col. Courtney Carr, the 76th Infantry Brigade commander, said the daily routines of National Guard families will be a little more difficult with their loved ones overseas. He paused to hold back emotion as he recalled cooking breakfast Tuesday for his 4-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter. For the next year, he said, things like meals, homework, sporting events and doctor appointments will fall on other family members. "We've chosen to be soldiers knowing the nation would call us to serve," Carr said. "Our families, on the other hand, they kind of get drafted."
Posted by: Fred ||
01/04/2008 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Iraqi Insurgency
#1
this plays out during every deployment, but you won't see it on CNN, or FOX. I think their heir Saudi shareholders must get cranky if they do any stories other than bombs and body counts. I've never seen on the national TV or cable news an article showing support for the war or that focus on positive stories such as building schools, helping restore electricity etc. I've only rarely seen them in major papers. Only local affiliates are allowed to show this kind of support.
#2
Caught a few minutes of "CSI" last night, where they were after a guy who killed his "editor" to hide his "fauxtography". That's the first time I've seen that kind of story on ANY network. Have things changed THAT much?
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
01/04/2008 15:35 Comments ||
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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.
The annual 
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistani authorities freed four Palestinians on Thursday who were convicted in the 1986 hijacking of a Pan Am jet in Karachi that left 22 passengers and crew dead, a prison official said. The men were released after completing their jail terms and deported to the Palestinian territories, said the official on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
LAHORE Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Abdullah Yousaf says the economy has suffered a loss of Rs35 billion due to the crisis following the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday rejected a probe by Scotland Yard into the assassination of Benazir Bhutto and reiterated the demand for UN-sponsored commission to investigate the incident.
BAGHDAD - Iraqs culture of corruption stems from the actions of the international community and the controversial UN oil-for-food scheme, the deputy prime minister Barham Saleh said on Thursday. Speaking at a new anti-corruption forum in Baghdad, Saleh said that the programme, run between 1996 and 2003 while Iraq was under UN sanctions, and what he charged was the bodys wasteful use of money were to blame for the rampant corruption that bedevils Iraq.
Violence in Iraq, including actions by US-led coalition and paramilitary forces, was responsible for some 24,000 civilian deaths in 2007, according to an independent group monitoring casualties in the war-ravaged country. The Iraq Body Count (IBC) whose figures are tallied from media reports, morgues, hospitals, non-governmental groups and other sources, said in a report released on Tuesday that there were between 22,586 and 24,159 violent civilian deaths in Iraq during the past year. 
Lebanons Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah revealed the real purposes of his party which aims at changing the current political system and torpedoing the Taef accord. Nasrallah "doesn't mind prolonging the presidential void to reach his purpose," Press Office of Siniora said in a statement. "Those who seek partnership should rather seek middle solutions instead of setting conditions and clinging to it," Saniora added.
Indiana National Guard Sgt. Donald Nelson said he was less worried about his own safety as he headed for Iraq than he was about leaving behind his wife and daughter, whom the couple adopted in May. "I know I've got a lot of family and friends that will take care of them," he said, "but still, it's not me that's there for them."
