The newly appointed leader of the Taliban in Pakistan is being called more dangerous than Osama bin Laden by analysts there. His movement was created last month when 26 Pakistani militant groups joined forces to fight for an Islamic regime there, tribal sources say.
Baitullah Meshud, also known as the emir of South Waziristan, is described by Pakistani authorities as a brutal but able leader who commands thousands of followers. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf blames him for the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, as well as a spate of recent attacks here that have left more than 400 dead. NATO authorities in Afghanistan have offered a $50,000 reward for his capture.
"I think he is now a much bigger threat than bin Laden and al Zawahri in this part of the world," said ABC News consultant Rahimullah Yusufzai. "He seems to have a large reservoir of suicide bombers, and he is a bigger threat in this region, in Pakistan and certain border provinces of Afghanistan than even the al Qaeda leadership," said Yusufzai.
Like Mullah Omar, who leads the Afghan Taliban, Meshud refuses to be photographed. He lives on the run, according to Pakistani authorities who are tracking him, and never sleeps in the same bed twice. "We know he is training suicide bombers. We know he is indoctrinating suicide bombers," Musharraf told foreign journalists last week.
Meshud was appointed the supreme leader of the newly created Taliban Movement of Pakistan, dedicated to creating an Islamic regime there, according to tribal sources. Delegates from 26 militant groups held a secret meeting last month in the volatile region of South Waziristan where the CIA believes al Qaeda is regrouping. The group's first priority will be to fight the Pakistani Army in the northern Swat Valley and in Waziristan, tribal sources say. "This group has decided they will collectively respond to any military operation by Pakistani authorities," said Yusufzai. Ultimately, they want to establish an Islamic regime in Pakistan that would emulate the former Taliban government in neighboring Afghanistan.
Western officials in Pakistan are concerned by how sophisticated Pakistan's militants have become in recent months. They have successfully targeted Pakistani army bases, a special forces compound and buses carrying employees of the country's intelligence services. Western diplomats fear that a unified Taliban will present yet another potent threat to the already fragile security situation there. "It's not just that they are carrying out regular attacks," says a Western official. "It is that they are able to target the Pakistan military so effectively."
#4
If I recall correctly a recent post (yesterday?) mentioned that he has already pissed off one tribe and they are now hunting him. Who has the popcorn?
#7
"More dangerous than Osama" is relative. From what was said, this guy sounds like a local warlord. As such, does he even *care* about sending his goons to other countries, much less the US?
#9
Compare wid GLOBALRESEARCH.CA > PAKISTAN AND THE "GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR". Author argues that Radical Islam = Islamist insurgents is gener a FRONT FOR THE US CIA, and that the so-called GWOT + Islamist desire for a PAN-ISLAMIST CALIPHATE > IS ACTUALLY A FALSE FACADE/COVER
["false flag" PYWAR/PYOP]FOR A MASSIVE, GLOBAL CIA INTELLIGENCE OPERATION, AND BY EXTENS THE US GOVERNMENT + USDOD.
IOW, RADICAL ISLAMISTS ARE SPIES = COVERT OPERATIVES FOR THE USA AND US GOVT.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates will consider a proposal to send some 3,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan to thwart any spring offensive by Taliban militants, the Pentagon said on Wednesday. "This proposal is coming before the secretary this week," Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said. "He will take it and consider it thoroughly before approving it," Morrell told reporters.
The troops would be provided by the U.S. Marine Corps, he said. Morrell said the proposal, which had been developed by the Pentagon's Joint Staff, would involve the extra Marines deploying to southern Afghanistan, where fighting between the Taliban and NATO-led forces has been most intense. The United States currently has some 27,000 troops in Afghanistan. Around half form part of a NATO-led security assistance force while the remainder conduct missions ranging from counter-terrorism to training Afghan troops.
This article starring:
Geoff Morrell
Robert Gates
Posted by: Fred ||
01/10/2008 00:00 ||
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(KUNA) -- Chief Minister of India's Northeastern state of Assam Tarun Gogoi Wednesday alleged that certain forces in the neighbouring countries, specially Bangladesh, is encouraging insurgency activities in the state. "Assam is surrounded by different countries. I am not saying that the countries are directly involved. But there are extremist elements in Bangladesh who are encouraging insurgency in Assam and authorities are not dealing with these elements firmly," Gogoi told news agency Press Trust of India today. "The Indian government has not received positive response from Bangladesh on the issue so far," Gogoi said.
Several of the insurgent leaders from India's Northeast are reported to be based in Bangladesh. Despite, New Delhi's repeated request, Dhaka is yet to take concrete action against them. "It is very difficult to root out the insurgency from Assam if the bases of insurgent groups thrive in the neighbouring countries," he asserted. Assam's key insurgent group -- United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) wants to create a "sovereign Assam" carved out of India and is waging an insurgency since 1979. It has little public support in Assam and most of its top leadership is reported to operating from Bangladesh. Leading US think tank Stratfor, few months back, in a report -- India: ULFA Abandons Peace Talks -- had said that ULFA was keen to work with groups like Bangladesh-based Harkat ul Jihadi Islami in India's Northeast and has begun to outsource terror operations.
On peace talks with outlawed ULFA, Gogoi said, "Dialogue has to be held within the framework of the Indian Constitution. New Delhi is prepared to hold discussions with the group but the sovereignty issue has to be dropped from the group's agenda. Even for other insurgent groups from India's Northeast, the government talked with them within the parameters of the constitution. The same principle will apply to ULFA or any other rebel group." Meanwhile, two ULFA leaders surrendered today in upper Assam's Dibrugarh district, the news agency said. The duo -- Bhaimon Changmai and Bina Payeng -- surrendered a nine-mm pistol, one magazine and six rounds of live ammunition before the Indian security forces.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/10/2008 00:00 ||
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One year after President Bush announced his politically unpopular plan to send thousands more troops to Iraq, Democrats are struggling to make stuff up to counter the administration's argument that the buildup succeeded.
The influx of some 30,000 additional soldiers and Marines helped to secure the troubled Baghdad capital and western Anbar province. While more U.S. troops died in 2007 than in any other year since the war began, the death count declined substantially in the final months as operations were in full swing. And in Anbar in particular, local leaders turned against al-Qaida operatives and began cooperating with coalition forces, spurring optimism among U.S. officials that Iraq was reaching a turning point.
The upswing prompted Bush to declare this week that 2007, in the end, "had become incredibly successful, beyond anybody's expectations."
Still, the Iraqi government has made almost none of the political progress that was promised and Iraqi forces remains heavily dependent on U.S. troops a reality Democrats say isn't lost among voters. Horse$hit. Those very same voters are more worried about the economy now than anything else. That speaks volumes.
"No amount of White House spin can hide the fact that the escalation's chief objective of political reconciliation remains unmet, Iraqis have not demonstrated any readiness to stand up and take responsibility for their own country, and 2007 was the most lethal year yet for American troops," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. We didn't miss you a bit. Crawl back in your hole, Mr. Opportunist.
Public opinion may still be in the Democrats' corner, with firm disapproval of Bush's handling of the war since its inception. But the Iraq debate now must share center stage with hot domestic issues like health care, the economy and immigration. In this week's New Hampshire primary, exit polls showed Iraq took second place to the economy in importance for both Democratic and Republican voters.
The split focus is in sharp contrast to the 2006 elections, which were dominated heavily by the war and put Democrats in power for the first time in 12 years. Yeah! Who's up for Round Two?
Of course, the war could easily rebound as the No. 1 issue for voters. The first big test of security gains linked to the U.S. troop buildup in Iraq is at hand. The military already has begun reversing the troop increase and commanders are hoping the drop in insurgent and sectarian violence won't prove fleeting.
At the same time, however, the Pentagon is preparing to send at least 3,000 Marines to Afghanistan in April to bolster efforts to hold off another expected Taliban offensive in the spring, military officials said Wednesday. The move represents a shift in Pentagon thinking that has been slowly developing after months of repeated insistence that the U.S. was not inclined to fill the need for as many as 7,500 more troops that commanders have asked for there.
Democrats are likely to try again to set a timetable on troop withdrawals from Iraq when Congress reconvenes this year. But with Republicans sticking firmly behind the president, Democrats know it is unlikely such measures will pass for now. It won't stop them, though. The Dems, like the terrorists, only need to get lucky once.
Some moderates say they hope 2008 will be the year of compromise, in which Democratic leaders will agree to swing behind softer anti-war legislation in a bid to entice moderate Republicans. Republican support for legislation is crucial because Democrats hold a narrow margin of control in Congress and lack the two-thirds support to overcome a veto. I'll bet any compromises, like usual, end up wasting a bunch of money just to maintain the status quo.
Sen. Ben Nelson, a conservative Nebraska Democrat, said he hopes that this year more attention will be drawn to his proposal that would restrict the mission of U.S. troops but not set a timeline for redeployments. However, he said, he's not sure what leadership will do just yet.
"Everybody's trying to figure out what is going to work," said Nelson. No. Half of you guys are trying to figure out what is going to work.
Absent a deal on troop withdrawal legislation, Democrats this year are expected to tackle other war-related legislation intended still to challenge Bush's Iraq policies or highlight problems with the war. For example, the Senate this year might take up its version of a House bill that would ensure contractors working in Iraq can be prosecuted by U.S. courts. Would it be OK to throw in a few provisions to highlight pork, wasteful spending, illegal activities, conflicts of interests, etc.?
#3
Equine necrosadism rears its ugly head once more.
Posted by: Mike ||
01/10/2008 11:27 Comments ||
Top||
#4
With the death of every brave US warrior the nut roots love to spout how the surge is not working. Idiots. They only see what they want to see. The situation is still tenuous, and the Iraqi government has to move faster and more effectively, but to deny the progress is to be a democrat obtuse.
Telephone companies have cut off FBI wiretaps used to eavesdrop on suspected criminals because of the bureau's repeated failures to pay phone bills on time.
A Justice Department audit released Thursday blamed the lost connections on the FBI's lax oversight of money used in undercover investigations. Poor supervision of the program also allowed one agent to steal $25,000, the audit said.
In at least one case, a wiretap used in a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act investigation "was halted due to untimely payment," the audit found. FISA wiretaps are used in the government's most sensitive and secretive criminal investigations, and allow eavesdropping on suspected terrorists or spies.
Continued on Page 49
#3
"One [FBI]agent to steal $25,000" > So is the FBI watching the Mafia = bad guys, or are the Mafia = bad guys watching the FBI, AND WITH THE INSIDE HELP OF THE FBI = FBI, etc. PERSONNEL???
OWG-SWO NOW, D *** NG IT, AGENT JACK BAUER IS RUNNING OUT OF TIME! Iff only as HILLARY was once quoted, "WE NEED THE STATE/GOVT [read - free $$$] MORE INVOLVED IN OUR EVERYDAY LIVES".
United States Senator Joseph Lieberman said on Wednesday that the US Congress might take action against Pakistan if elections are not held in a free, fair and impartial atmosphere, as President Pervez Musharraf assured the US delegation that the government was committed to holding free and peaceful elections. The US Congress may take some action (if elections are rigged). That would be awful, as relations between US and Pakistan are very important (for both countries), Lieberman told a press conference. He said rigged elections would increase political polarisations and divisions and increase the threat from Al Qaeda and other terrorist organisations.
The US senator said he had received a detailed and explicit briefing by Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Kayani and Strategic Plans Division Director General Lieutenant General Khalid Kidwai. I was impressed by the specific explanation I had about the system that is in place here, AFP quoted Lieberman as telling reporters.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/10/2008 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
#1
gee, I sure hope there are decent candidates in Pakistan.
#2
I half expected this to be about Hillary vs Obama.
With respect to Pakistan, free and fair elections would allow the PPP jiyalas (outraged and energized by the Bhutto assassination) to make inroads against both Islamists and Musharraf's PML-Q.
#12
What kind of action are we gonna take? Seriously? Unless Bin Laden wins I don't think the US will do more than give the new President of Pakistan a stern talking to, and then a ton of money to convince them to go after that rebellious religious nutty territory in Pakistans NorthWest.
Anti-terrorism investigators from Scotland Yard delivered a confidential report of their preliminary findings of Benazir Bhuttos killing to President Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday, according to a report published in the Chicago Tribune on Wednesday.
Separately, Daily Times learnt that two more Scotland Yard detectives arrived in Islamabad to join the five-member team already probing Benazirs assassination. According to AFP, the two detectives are also joined by an expert in the type of explosives used in the gun-and-bomb attack against Benazirs rally.
Meanwhile, APP reported that the Scotland Yard team has established a camp office at a police guesthouse situated at Police Lines Rawalpindi. Some of the detectives are expected to visit Rawalpindi on Thursday (today), to be briefed on the Liaquat Bagh incident.
Daily Times, meanwhile, learnt that two government officials attached to the Rawalpindi Police Investigation team probing the murder case reached Lahore and visited the forensic laboratory on Wednesday.
Four in Lahore: Also, four members of the investigating team reached Lahore and it was learnt that they would likely visit the citys Forensic Science Laboratory today. According to Dawn News, the lab is examining crucial evidence, including a missed bullet and a 30-bore pistol recovered from the bombing site. The examination is aimed at discovering whether the ammunition recovered matches the pistol. According to Aaj TV, the team is also expected to meet officials of the Punjab police.
Post-mortem request: Separately, the Scotland Yard team has requested the government to allow them to perform a post-mortem on Benazir Bhutto, reported Sama TV. The channel quoted Interior Ministry sources as saying that the investigators have requested an autopsy to ascertain the real causes of the assassination. It said the team had also expressed indignation about the non-cooperation of the Punjab police. One member of the team has left for Britain to analyse some evidence in the laboratories there, it added.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/10/2008 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
#1
GUAMPDN > Benazir Bhutto's family doubts her killers will be caught.
A jirga of the Ahmedzai Wazir tribe remained inconclusive on Wednesday and will meet again on Thursday (today) to take a unified stand against the enemies of peace after 10 comrades of pro-government militant commander Maulvi Nazir were gunned down in two different attacks, a tribal elder told Daily Times. The tribal elder said the jirga would meet again today to take action against those people who are bent on destroying peace in the Wazir areas. Maulvi Nazir, however, did not attend the jirga.
This article starring:
Ahmedzai Wazir
MAULVI NAZIR
Taliban
Posted by: Fred ||
01/10/2008 00:00 ||
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[4 views]
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Rumours were afloat on Wednesday that Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman was attacked in Dera Ismail Khan city, causing fear and panic among people across the country, sources told Daily Times.
The sources said shopkeepers and traders closed their shops and business centres in the main bazaars of DI Khan around 7pm, soon after rumours spread that Rehman had been assaulted when the whole city was plunged in darkness due to load shedding. The report is absolutely baseless. Maulana Fazl is safe at home, JUI-F leader Abdus Sattars secretary told Daily Times via telephone from DI Khan.
This article starring:
ABDUS SATTAR
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl
MAULANA FAZLUR REHMAN
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl
Posted by: Fred ||
01/10/2008 00:00 ||
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[7 views]
Top|| File under: Jamaat-e-Ulema Islami
#1
Is it just me, or do the barbaric 7th Century cavemen seem to be realizing extinction in the new year?
Posted by: Whiskey Mike ||
01/10/2008 6:23 Comments ||
Top||
#3
Being a Bhutto family member in Pakistani politics is a mixed blessing - lots of politcal opportunity but few natural deaths. He might want to consider a political career within Britain - maybe he can be the mouthpiece for Pakistani-Brits the way Galloway is for the Paleos.
About 151,000 Iraqi civilians were killed in the three years following the U.S.-led invasion of their country, according to World Health Organisation (WHO) research published on Wednesday.
The new study, which said violent deaths could have ranged from 104,000 to 223,000 between March 2003 and June 2006, is the most comprehensive since the war started.
The study drew on an Iraqi health ministry survey of nearly 10,000 households -- five times the number of those interviewed in a disputed 2006 John Hopkins University study that said more than 600,000 Iraqis had died over the period.
While well below that figure, the United Nations agency's estimate exceeds the widely-cited 80,000 to 87,000 death toll by the human rights group Iraq Body Count, which uses media reports and hospital and morgue records to calculate its tally.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/10/2008 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Iraqi Insurgency
#1
Give it another year and a half and the toll might go down by another 75%.
#2
Does this include the 20,000+ terrorists killed by US troops and the unknown thousands eliminated by Iraqi forces, tribal militia, and vigilante groups?
Posted by: Gromomble Oppressor of the Iowans8916 ||
01/10/2008 3:38 Comments ||
Top||
#3
Killed by whom? Were they blown up in suicide attacks, or abducted and either tied up and shot or beheaded?
Assuming that statistic is true, all it tells me is that Iraq has been a violent place containing the kind of vicious forces we should be combatting.
#5
Even if the numbers are correct, and if they are all called 'murder', it would still only amount to a murder rate about three times that of New Orleans. Not good, but you can get used to it.
#6
Since 2003, there have been more than 80,000 homicides in the US. And then there's the death toll on the highway. Oh ... and there's no mention of the 300,000 Iraqis found in mass graves. I'm quite sure the US is at fault there too. BDS has infected the WHO.
#7
While well below that figure, the United Nations agency's estimate exceeds the widely-cited 80,000 to 87,000 death toll by the human rights group Iraq Body Count, which uses media reports and hospital and morgue records to calculate its tally.
And what, exactly, would the death toll be if ONLY the hospital and morgue records were used?
#8
What were the number of dead annually prior to the invasion? I remember seeing stats of insanely high numbers from groups trying to end the sanctions.
By that calibration there has been a remarkable improvement in Iraq since the invasion.
This is also like judging the number of Germans killed during WW2 and insinuating the US is to blame for getting involved.
These are reasonable numbers, though I still have questions about the methodology. The problem with self-reporting is that the past can become murky to the reportee. Table 2 in the report compares causes of death before and after Saddam, similar time frame. There are zero reported of murder before and 18 after. 4 due to road accidents before and 42 after. The before is Jan 2002-March 2003 and the after is March 2003-June 2006, entirely different time frames for the reporting.
All in all, though, this is a more accurate study than the Lancet one, and despite methodology issues, the findings may be just about correct.
#10
Considering the usual deranged anti-American suspects point out that the UN sanction in place before the war resulted in the death of 500,000 Iraqi children, this makes an improvement of over threefold in saving lives. Obviously, by their count, fewer Iraqis died during Bush's tenure than Bill's.
#11
Is this the same study that includes deaths due to natural causes and diseases like cancer, etc that Hannity, Boortz and Wilkow all respectively debunked months ago?
#14
Chuck S:
I agree, with the following caveats:
1) Iraq is a naturally violent place with ~9,500 murders a year (per Strategypage.com). This means there have been 28,500 plain old criminal murders in Iraq during the time period covered.
2) This study explicitly included insurgent deaths, which come to 20,000 over the period studied.
3) That leaves 100,000 + deaths from AQI, etc. That's more than previously thought, and explains why the Shia are so reluctant to "forgive and forget".
Al
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
01/10/2008 17:00 Comments ||
Top||
President Bush on Thursday predicted that a Mideast peace treaty would be completed by the time he leaves office, but undercut that optimism with harsh criticism of Hamas militants who control part of the land that would form an eventual independent Palestine.
Bush said he's convinced that both Israeli and Palestinian leaders understand "the importance of democratic states living side by side" in peace, and noted that he has a one-year deadline for progress on his watch.
"I'm on a timetable," he told reporters. "I've got 12 months."
He said he is not sure that the problem of Hamas, a militant Islamic group that took over the Gaza Strip in June, can be solved within that time frame. Hamas, he said, was elected to help improve the lot of Palestinians, but "has delivered nothing but misery."
Standing alongside Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Bush said he is confident that "with proper help, the state of Palestine will emerge."
"I am confident that the status quo is unacceptable, Mr. President, and we want to help you," Bush said.
Abbas called on Israel to fulfill its commitments under a U.S.-backed Mideast peace plan known as the "roadmap," and said he hopes "this will be the year for the creation of peace."
Bush is on a three-day visit to Israel and the West Bank to show support for renewed Israeli-Palestinian peace talks following seven years of violence.
"The question is whether or not hard issues can be resolved and the vision emerges, so that the choice is clear amongst the Palestinians," Bush said. "The choice being, `Do you want this state? Or do you want the status quo? Do you want a future based upon a democratic state? Or do you want the same old stuff?"'
Even though it's Bush's first trip to the Palestinian West Bank, it generated little excitement among Palestinians, who are largely skeptical of his promises to try to move along Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. The U.S. is perceived in the Palestinian areas as a staunch ally of Israel, at the expense of the Palestinians, but Abbas said Bush's visit "that gives our people great hope," Abbas said.
Bush said he expects both Israelis and Palestinians to "honor their obligations under the roadmap" peace plan, and that Israelis should help the Palestinians modernize their security forces.
"In order for there to be lasting peace, President Abbas and Prime Minister Olmert have to come together and make tough choices," Bush said. "And I'm convinced they will. And I believe it's possible not only possible, I believe it's going to happen that there be a signed peace treaty by the time I leave office (in January 2009). That's what I believe."
The president described the current round of negotiations as an opportunity to move toward a day when there will be two democracies Israel and a Palestinian state living alongside one another in peace. "It is in the interest not only of the Palestinian and Israelis but of the world," Bush said.
Bush's travels through the Mideast does not include a stop in Gaza, an area controlled by Hamas, which swept Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006. Hamas later led a violent takeover of the Gaza Strip, essentially splitting Palestinian governance. Hamas, which does not recognize Israel's right to exist, now runs Gaza, while Abbas and his secular Fatah Party, backed by the United States, now run the West Bank.
Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza, quickly dismissed Bush and Abbas' hopeful comments.
"This meeting was for public relations only, it was an empty meeting without results, only more dreams and waste of time," the Hamas spokesman said. "The meeting focused on the so-called security topics which mean to act against the interests of the Palestinian majority and the resistance."
While Bush claims that Hamas has failed to help improve the lives of Palestinians living in Gaza, the president acknowledged that he doesn't know whether Abbas' government can resolve the Palestinian division before the end of the year.
"Gaza's a tough situation," Bush said. "I don't know whether you can solve it in a year or not."
But it won't be solved, Bush said, unless Abbas lays out a choice to the people in Gaza: He defined that as: "Do you want those who have created chaos to run your country? Or do you want those of us who negotiated a settlement with the Israelis that will lead to lasting peace."
"There is a competing vision taking place in Gaza," Bush said. "And in my judgment, Hamas which I thought ran on the campaign, 'We're going to improve your lives through better education and better health' has delivered nothing but misery."
The president also said that he understands Palestinian frustrations over checkpoints throughout the West Bank but says they're necessary for now to give Israelis a sense of security.
"Checkpoints create frustrations for people. They create a sense of security for Israelis. They create massive frustration for the Palestinians," Bush said.
"The whole object is to create a state that is capable of defending itself internally and giving confidence to its neighbor that checkpoints won't be needed."
On Wednesday, Olmert said "there will be no peace" unless attacks are halted from all parts of the Palestinian territories. Olmert, however, said that both sides "are very seriously trying to move forward" on a peace agreement.
"Israel does not tolerate and will not tolerate the continuation of these vicious attacks," Olmert said after 2 1/2 hours of talks with Bush. "We will not hesitate to take all the necessary measures. There will be no peace unless terror is stopped. And terror will have to be stopped everywhere."
#2
The president also said that he understands Palestinian frustrations over checkpoints throughout the West Bank but says they're necessary for now to give Israelis a sense of security.
#3
About as useful as that Koran Toiletpaper that German fellow is being tried over. Perhaps the treaty should be sold as a souvenir in that fashion, at least that way both parties will get some use out of it.
I mean really, what good is a treaty we all know only one side will follow?
#7
Personally, Id preferred that the US would have taken the more direct approach. First, publicly tell the Paleos that we want nothing to do with their self-loathing death culture. And that were no longer funding their terrorist networks under the guise of humanitarian aid. Have them get back to us, in a generation or two, if and when they have some redeeming qualities. And if, in the meantime, they choose to lie down with their radical Islamo-dog buddies fine. But if they get fleas in the process, go crying to the Arab League or the Euro-weenies. Hah or better yet the UN. Next, publicly announce to Israel that it has been years since weve actually been strategic allies. In fact, inform them in no uncertain terms that we believe them to be a continual strategic liability. Let them know that we trust they will make prudent decisions and were confident they can take care of themselves. Oh and, by the way, were pulling your $30 billion a year allowance. Sorry but we got this trillion dollar deficit shit going on. Anyhoo, if you guys want a state two states no states whatever its up to you. Meantime, if ya hadnt noticed, we got our own shit to take care of.
#14
See also WAFF.com > MEMRI - THE COLLAPSE OF THE SAUDI SUNNI BLOC AGZ IRAN'S ASPIRATIONS FOR [Iran-centric/dominated]REGIONAL HEGEMONY IN THE PERSIAN GULF. Saudi bloc agz Iran believed to had collapsed due to (1)QATAR's invitation to MOUD = IRAN to attend the DOHA mutli-nation confab/summit, (2) the release of the pro-Iran new US NIE indic that Iran had halted its nucdev prog back in 2003; and (3) the local Arab-GCC preception that said same NIE signaled a de facto shift in US attitudes in favor of new rapproachement or engagement wid Iran.
IOW, the GCC includ Saudi Arabia have no justification for continued resistance to IRAN, and may in fact be humiliated into both colluding wid Iran in Iran's ambitions to dominate the GULF and ME + BEGIN WORKING AGZ REGIONAL US-WESTERN INFLUENCE!?
U.S. President George W. Bush faces a balancing act in West Bank talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday, the second day of a Middle East peace mission laden with scepticism.
The biggest question is how Abbas, a U.S.-backed moderate, could make good on any peace promises to Israel when he effectively governs only in the West Bank while Hamas Islamists control the Gaza Strip.
Politically weak, Abbas is hoping Bush's visit to Ramallah will boost his own standing among Palestinians, who are desperate for progress towards an end to Israeli occupation and fulfilment of their dream of an independent state.
Bush's first presidential trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories is aimed at nudging the two sides into serious negotiations after they pledged at a U.S.-sponsored conference in November to try to forge a two-state deal before he leaves office a year from now. But Bush's chances of success are considered slim, given doubts about his commitment and whether he can act as an even-handed peacebroker between close U.S. ally Israel and the Palestinians.
He held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem on Wednesday, saying he was "very hopeful" about prospects for peace. But he also acknowledged: "I'm under no illusions. This is going to be hard work."
Urging both sides to make concessions, Bush said Olmert, also politically weak, must meet Israel's obligation to dismantle small settler "outposts" set up without government authorisation.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/10/2008 00:00 ||
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[2 views]
Top|| File under: Palestinian Authority
#2
sigh. Stick to your principles of democracy, George. You have to let the kids face the consequences of their own decisions. Then, and only then, will they grow up.
#1
Commentary is lacking. The president of the Maldives was saved from a knife-wielding Islamic Militant. He was saved when this Boy Scout stepped in between them.
The REAL reason why lib/lefties/democrats hate the Boy Scouts.
The U.N. nuclear watchdog chief heads for Iran on Thursday to push for full transparency over its past and present atomic activity amid simmering U.S.-Iranian tensions after a naval incident in the Gulf.
Keen to help resolve Iran's standoff with the West over its nuclear ambitions without conflict, International Atomic Energy Agency Director Mohamed ElBaradei may try to capitalize on signs of improving Iranian cooperation with IAEA investigators.
A diplomat close to the IAEA said on Tuesday the inquiry, which Iran stonewalled for years until last August, had entered a crucial, final phase with Tehran addressing U.S. intelligence about past, covert attempts to "weaponize" atomic material.
In talks with Iranian leaders on Friday and Saturday, ElBaradei hoped to "develop ways and means to enhance and accelerate" steps to clarify the past and current scope of Iran's nuclear efforts, an IAEA statement said.
An Iranian official said ElBaradei will meet President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki.
He was expected to seek an end to curbs on U.N. inspections, key to verifying Iran's denials of any diversions of nuclear materials into bomb making, as well as press for rapid conclusion of the investigation into Iran's past.
His trip coincides with a Middle East tour by President George W. Bush aimed largely at garnering Arab support to rein in Iran. Bush called Iran "a threat to world peace" on Wednesday, three days after Washington said Iranian boats harried U.S. naval forces in the Gulf.
Iran said its craft simply asked U.S. ships to identify themselves, and accused Washington of trying to stir up tension.
Tehran denies its declared program to generate energy from enriched uranium is a front for bomb-making. It condemns U.N. sanctions slapped on it for refusing to halt enrichment as illegal and has expanded a new centrifuge production plant.
The Islamic Republic pledged in August to answer outstanding questions one by one about its nuclear history. But an end of year target mooted by ElBaradei for completing the process passed with the most sensitive issues still unresolved.
A U.S. National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) issued on December 3 said Iran had shelved a covert nuclear arms drive in 2003. This undercut the White House stance that Tehran was actively seeking a bomb and its campaign for tougher United Nations sanctions.
There is some Western concern the NIE took pressure off Iran to heed international demands for nuclear restraint.
Western diplomats said in late December that Iran seemed to be parrying the IAEA on final questions to do with militarizing enrichment work, and a related issue involving traces of highly-enriched, or bomb-grade, uranium found by inspectors on nuclear research equipment.
Diplomats close to the IAEA denied the suggestions of new obstruction. One said Iran had begun substantive talks with the IAEA on the intelligence about weaponization and this offered significant potential for wrapping up the inquiry.
Weaponization involves alleged administrative and research links between processing of uranium ore, testing high explosives and designing a missile warhead. Iran has denied any such links.
But for the West, getting Iran to suspend enrichment, a process that if perfected could also yield atom bombs, and permit wider, intrusive IAEA inspections are more urgent priorities than clarity on the historical issues.
"Delivery of the missing information regarding past activities is overdue and expected. So this will not earn Iran much credit," a senior European diplomat told Reuters.
"Central to progress would be reversing the IAEA's diminishing knowledge regarding Iran. This could only happen by allowing the IAEA more access (beyond) declared nuclear sites."
Posted by: gorb ||
01/10/2008 06:09 ||
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Link ||
[11 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
Why don't they just read the NIE? Or, better yet, just ask the Russians?
US President George W. Bush is carrying "chaotic ideas" with him on his Mideast tour, which is doomed to fail, Syria's government Tishrin newspaper said Wednesday.
Bush, who arrived in Israel Wednesday at the start of an eight-day tour of the region, carries "rotten produce in his pocket to market in the region and (comes) with some chaotic ideas in mind to further support Israel, undermine the Arab forces of resistance, antagonize Arab-Iran relations and justify US-Zionist hegemony," the daily said in an editorial.
Bush is hoping to try to build momentum for stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks during his visit. At a November peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland, Israel and the Palestinians pledged to reach a final agreement by the end of the year, before Bush leaves office.
Bush, who will also visit the West Bank, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, has said he will also work with Mideast allies to develop a security plan to counter Iran.
But Tishrin cast doubt on any success emerging from the visit. "It's unlikely that Bush would achieve any tangible results during his tour of the region that could ... whiten the US administration's black image," said Tishrin. The most Bush can achieve, it said, is a "deal that can satisfy his arrogance and Israeli greed, as well as continue the policy of intimidation and accusations."
Posted by: Fred ||
01/10/2008 00:00 ||
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[14 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
The Revolutionary Guards in Iran accused the United States on Wednesday of fabricating a video showing Iranian speedboats confronting United States Navy warships in the Persian Gulf over the weekend, according to a report carried by the semi-official Fars news agency and state-run television. Images released by the U.S. Department of Defense about the Navy vessels are from archive, and sounds on it are fabricated, an unnamed Revolutionary Guards official said, according to Fars. The news agency has close links to the Revolutionary Guards. The comments were Irans first on the video, which the Pentagon released Tuesday.
The Pentagon immediately dismissed the assertion. Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman, told correspondents that Irans allegation is absurd, factually incorrect and reflects the lack of seriousness with which they take this serious incident.
President Bush chastised Iran on Tuesday for committing a provocative act. On Wednesday, at the start of a trip with Mr. Bush to the Middle East, Stephen J. Hadley, his national security adviser, again warned Iran, saying that it had to be very careful about this, because if it happens again, they are going to bear the consequences of that incident.
The unnamed Revolutionary Guards official asserted that the video had been released to coincide with Mr. Bushs trip and was in line with a project of the Western media to create fear. The official said the sounds and the images on the video did not go together. It is very clear that they are fake, the official said. The video and audio were recorded separately and then matched, Naval and Pentagon officials said Tuesday.
The episode was first described by American officials on Monday, who said it took place the day before in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. They said five armed Iranian speedboats had approached three United States Navy warships in international waters, then maneuvered aggressively as radio threats were issued that the American ships would be blown up. The confrontation ended without shots fired or injuries.
The video runs just over four minutes and, according to Pentagon officials, was shot from the bridge of the guided missile destroyer Hopper. It supported the American version of events, showing speedboats maneuvering around and among the Navy warships. I am coming to you, a heavily accented voice says in English. You will explode after a few minutes.
Navy officials said the voice was recorded from the internationally recognized bridge-to-bridge radio channel. An American sailor then is heard repeating the threat, stating, He says, You will explode after a few minutes. The American is also heard identifying the Navy vessel as a coalition warship and announcing: I am engaged in transit passage in accordance with international law. I intend no harm.
Bush administration officials say they believe that Iran was trying to provoke the United States on the eve of the presidents visit to the Middle East. We viewed it as a provocative act, Mr. Bush told reporters in the Rose Garden on Tuesday, just hours before he left for the weeklong trip in the Middle East. It is a dangerous situation, and they should not have done it, pure and simple.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/10/2008 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under: IRGC
#1
hmmm, if they are fabricated boats, then they won't mind the fabricated explosions
Posted by: Jan at work ||
01/10/2008 0:20 Comments ||
Top||
#2
The video was not faked, our video fabricators won't cross the picket lines.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
01/10/2008 0:38 Comments ||
Top||
"They come so frequently, it's hard to get worked up, but there's a dead giveaway this time. The teaser for the piece reads, "At the risk of sounding like an apologist for the Islamic Republic..." The author is Hooman Majd, who accuses the Pentagon of manufacturing the incident with Iran in the Gulf this week."
Majd's column was posted at 11:41AM Wednesday, no more than a few hours after the release of the RG statement, and does not reference any Iranian claims.
Posted by: Gromomble Oppressor of the Iowans8916 ||
01/10/2008 3:33 Comments ||
Top||
#5
A crazy statement, but it'll hold up. The anti-US forces have never had truthiness as their strong point, and a denial is all they need to start frothing at the mouth as usual.
#6
There is nothing dramatic about the footage; it is a badly made fake. First it shows speed boats patrolling, nothing dramatic about that, it happens daily over there. The conversation from the warship to the boats again normal. Conversation from the speed boat to the ship....FAKE, The voice is robotic and not at all what one would expect considering the noise and vibration that riding in those craft at that speed would provoke when all ' this so called action ' was happening it seems as if one of the crew just ' happened to have a ' video camera, and for such a stressing period,,,,,, well they seem very relaxed. Notice the 'threat' is an audio file and is tagged on the end with several videos tagged together and taken by different cams.
With all that technology and this is the only thing they can come up with - a handheld video cam on deck?...Is this yet again another stunt by the American Government to show the people that they are under threat????........Answer should be only from G.BUSH & Co ........thats the people they should be scared of. The reporters present should have questioned this simple fact before they report this bit of rubbish as fact.
#13
Justice: The first, most basic thought that comes to me is that an RPG will punch right through the hull of one of those ships? Supposing you were the captain of that ship, what would you do with a dead crewman or two or three? Are they expendable? What if one of them were your brother? Would you like anyone talking trash about a decision to take action at a distance which is within the lethal range of a semi-lucky RPG shot? Yes, those things reach out hundreds of yards farther than the distance those dinghies were from the warships. The only thing the captain had going for him was that the dinghies are an unstable platform to shoot from.
And those IRG guys don't think like you or me. Don't dismiss this little fact.
How about you rethink things in those terms and let us know what you really think.
#14
And one more thing, Justice: The video that the Iranians released was fabricated. I'll bet everything you own that it was. I posted a story about this that hopefully will show up later, including details as to why I think it was fabricated.
Any idea as to why the Iranians would fabricate this? Suppose they've got something to hide? Hey, dinghies are just, well, dinghies. According to your well-informed judgment. Nothing to hide, right? Can't be! You've been whitewater rafting before!
#16
I wondered how many retard traitors there could be who would even pretend to believe this ludicrous Persian lie. Looks like Justice is at the front of the line for the short bus.
#17
gorb i stated this yesterday, i doubt a n RPG would puncture a heavily armored warship. A couple of weeks ago on the history channel they had a show on about pirates off the coast of africa striking a cruise ship with RPG rounds and there wasn't that much damage besides nerves
#18
sinse: I remember, but I still don't think so. AFAIK the hull on the USS Cole is only half an inch thick, so I figure these ships are built similarly. Any RPG worth its salt can punch right through that like so much tissue paper. Don't even the folks in the Strykers and Bradleys worry about RPGs? Those have way more armor than a warship.
And it turns out the number on the USS Hopper is 70, so I got that wrong for sure!
#19
If justlice is sounding like the koolaid man to anyone else, gigli9409 is the pitcher crashing through the wall.
Unless irun made a fake to rebute a US fake - or the US made a fake irun tape to substantiate the original US fake - or gigli9409 is a fake justlice who faked a comment about an irun fake tape refuting the fake US tape.
All this talk about dingies with lifevests makes me wonder how that whole malaysia health minister deal is cooking. More coffee over here please!
#20
Nice try, Justice. Your grammar is improving and you made good use of sarcasm which is an element we here at Rantburg appreciate. Most likely there are moon bat elements in this country who would even nod their heads in agreement with you.
But the reality is that a swarm of speed boats packed with high explosives and piloted by crazy, frickin' suicidal Iranians does indeed pose a threat to our ships and should be blown out of the water if they get too close. Shortly after that we should bomb the hell out of your pathetic little country just to make sure it never happens again.
Your boys the other day were lucky. They ran it right up to the limit and got away with it. Next time they might not. The only way you'll know for sure is to keep trying.
#22
OOOPS! looks like there's less to the US version of events than claimed:
"The list of those who are less than fully confident in the Pentagons video/audio mashup of aggressive maneuvers by Iranian boats near American warships in the Strait of Hormuz now includes the Pentagon itself.
Unnamed Pentagon officials said on Wednesday that the threatening voice heard in the audio clip, which was released on Monday night with a disclaimer that it was recorded separately from the video images and merged with them later, is not directly traceable to the Iranian military..."
#24
Dear Mr. hass, you gave a link to an unedited blog. Given the problem the New York Times has getting its facts right when the articles are vetted by salaried fact checkers and editors, how are we to treat with confidence a mere NYT blog blurb? Especially when the claim is based on unnamed, anonymous Pentagon staffers?
The leader of Hezbollah said on Wednesday U.S. President George Bush's visit to the Middle East marked a black day in the history of Arabs and Muslims.
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Bush, who arrived in Israel at the start of a regional tour, was deceiving Arabs by trying to depict Iran, not Israel, as their enemy. "We must record that today is a black day in the history of the Arab region and in the history of our Arab and Muslim nation," Nasrallah told a Shi'ite Muslim religious gathering to the chants of "Death to America" and "Death to Israel".
Bush is in the region to push Israeli-Palestinian peace and to discuss Iran's nuclear programme. "Bush comes to the region practicing the largest deception operation in history by saying that he is coming to protect Arabs and especially Gulf states from Iran," Nasrallah said. Nasrallah criticised Bush for expressing his full support of Israel. "Bush the deceiver does not protect Arabs from the real, daily murderer while he claims he wants to protect them from an presumed enemy."
Posted by: Fred ||
01/10/2008 00:00 ||
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[10 views]
Top|| File under: Hezbollah
#6
RUMORMILLNEWS > Poster claims that Dubya told Netanyahu that Israel will be joined by the USA iff it ever decided to preemptively strike Iran wid nuclear missles???
Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said Wednesday a solution to Lebanon's ongoing presidential crisis could be reached "in a couple of days" and described his initial talks here as "encouraging."
The Arab League chief flew in to facilitate the implementation of an Arab initiative calling for the election of Army Commander Gen. Michel Suleiman president and the formation of a government in which he calls the shots. Talking to reporters after a meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri at the latter's residence in Ain el-Tineh, Moussa said his talks were "useful, very positive and encouraging too."
Posted by: Fred ||
01/10/2008 00:00 ||
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[8 views]
Top|| File under: Hezbollah
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 newly appointed leader of the Taliban in Pakistan is being called more dangerous than Osama bin Laden by analysts there. His movement was created last month when 26 Pakistani militant groups joined forces to fight for an Islamic regime there, tribal sources say.
U.S. Defense Secretary 
(KUNA) -- Chief Minister of India's Northeastern state of Assam Tarun Gogoi Wednesday alleged that certain forces in the neighbouring countries, specially Bangladesh, is encouraging insurgency activities in the state. "Assam is surrounded by different countries. I am not saying that the countries are directly involved. But there are extremist elements in Bangladesh who are encouraging insurgency in Assam and authorities are not dealing with these elements firmly," Gogoi told news agency Press Trust of India today. "The Indian government has not received positive response from Bangladesh on the issue so far," Gogoi said. 
Anti-terrorism investigators from Scotland Yard delivered a confidential report of their preliminary findings of Benazir Bhuttos killing to President Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday, according to a report published in the Chicago Tribune on Wednesday. 
A jirga of the 
Rumours were afloat on Wednesday that 
The Revolutionary Guards in Iran accused the United States on Wednesday of fabricating a video showing Iranian speedboats confronting United States Navy warships in the Persian Gulf over the weekend, according to a report carried by the semi-official Fars news agency and state-run television. Images released by the U.S. Department of Defense about the Navy vessels are from archive, and sounds on it are fabricated, an unnamed Revolutionary Guards official said, according to Fars. The news agency has close links to the Revolutionary Guards. The comments were Irans first on the video, which the Pentagon released Tuesday. 
The leader of Hezbollah said on Wednesday U.S. President George Bush's visit to the Middle East marked a black day in the history of Arabs and Muslims.
