#7
I have NO trouble "Seeing " through those Chair backs, I can only think the complainers either have never sen a WOMAN before, or have NO imagination.
RRROWRF
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
06/01/2010 14:31 Comments ||
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#8
I can only think the complainers either have never sen a WOMAN before, or have NO imagination.
...or are of a scientific/artistic bent and want to compare the imagined to reality.
U.S. helicopters flew Afghan troops into a remote district overrun by the Taliban and recaptured the main town Tuesday without firing a shot, military officials said.
The move comes ahead of a major conference in Kabul starting Wednesday where Afghan President Hamid Karzai will try to build consensus for peace overtures to the insurgents. The Taliban on Tuesday dismissed the conference as serving the interests of "foreign invaders."
A unit of about 200 elite Afghan troops landed in Barg-e-Matal district of Nuristan province before dawn in an assault backed by U.S. helicopters and a handful of American advisers, U.S. officers familiar with the operation told The Associated Press.
They recaptured the main town in the region without shooting and no one was harmed, NATO said in a statement, though the operation was expected to continue for a few days. Taliban fighters were believed to have left the town and may have taken positions elsewhere in the valley.
Government forces pulled out of the rugged, mountainous region last weekend after hundreds of Taliban fighters swept into the area from nearby Pakistan and fought for almost a week with Afghan troops and local residents, who have a reputation for fierce resistance to outsiders.
U.S. troops had established an outpost in Nuristan but abandoned it last October after eight American soldiers were killed in a fierce Taliban attack. Insurgent strength has grown in the region since, prompting fears that Taliban who have come under pressure from U.S. missile strikes and military operations in nearby Pakistan could be looking for a new haven.
The U.S. officers said Taliban fighters mostly Afghans but also Pakistanis and a few Arabs are thought to number about 500, spread out over an area of about 15 miles (25 kilometers) in a forested mountain valley.
Villagers reported that a senior Pakistani Taliban commander, Maluana Fazlullah, had been killed in fighting with Afghan troops in Nuristan last week, but officials have not been able to confirm it.
Nuristan is very isolated and far removed from the main battlefields in Afghanistan's south, with a small, scattered population and limited strategic value. But taking back Barg-e-Matal would be an important symbolic victory for the Afghan military, which is often criticized as ineffective. Washington also badly wants to hand more control of security to Afghan troops.
"This successful operation by Afghan forces will return governance to Barg-e-Matal," Interior Ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary said in a statement Tuesday. "This operation shows the improved planning and operational capabilities of our joint forces in response to serious incidents even in the most remote locations of Afghanistan."
NATO airstrikes pounded the area Monday ahead of the operation, targeting a cave complex Taliban leaders were believed to use as a command center, said the U.S. officers, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the information was sensitive.
The airlifted Afghan troops were to join up with 400 Afghan security forces that withdrew from Barg-e-Matal but were still in the region.
Up to 1,500 civilians living in and around the main town had fled or been evacuated before the operation started.
Fighting also raged in other parts of the country.
About 180 Taliban attacked a police post Monday in the Purchaman district in southwestern Farah province, triggering hours of fighting that killed 15 insurgents, one police official and six villagers who joined the fight on the government side, said provincial police chief Mohammad Faqir Askar.
A NATO service member was killed Monday by a makeshift bomb in southern Afghanistan. No further details were being released, but the service member was not American, NATO said.
In an operation in Khost province on Pakistan's border, NATO and Afghan forces captured several commanders of the Haqqani group, a Pakistan-based Afghan Taliban faction with close ties to al-Qaida, a NATO statement said.
Meanwhile, a U.S. general took formal command of the bulk of British troops in Afghanistan as part of plans to streamline NATO operations in the south.
Marine Maj. Gen. Richard Mills took control of 8,000 British forces in Helmand and Nimroz provinces that will become part of a new command structure splitting southwestern provinces from those farther east, including Kandahar. A British officer remains in charge of U.K. forces in Kandahar, Daykundi, Uruzgan and Zabul provinces.
Military spokesman Maj. Gen. Gordon Messenger told the British Broadcasting Corp. the changes would make little difference to the troops on the ground.
#1
This story = metaphor for what will happen if Obama sticks to his timeline for withdrawal. The Taliban crouch in the shadow then pop back out when we leave.
Posted by: American Delight ||
06/01/2010 20:17 Comments ||
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[Quqnoos] At least three people, including two civilians, were wounded in a roadside bomb blast in western Herat province on Monday, officials said
The remote-controlled device hit a convoy of the provincial police chief, Gen Salim Ehsaas, but he remained unhurt in the explosion, the Afghan Ministry of Interior said in a statement.
The ministry condemned the attack, blaming enemies of Afghanistan -- an expression commonly used to refer to the Taliban.
The explosion occurred this morning as the police chief, accompanied by foreign troops, was heading to the nearby Guzara district.
Taliban have vowed to speed up their attacks against Afghan and NATO forces as a part of their spring offensive, Al Fath.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/01/2010 00:00 ||
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[Al Arabiya Latest] Afghan authorities suspended two Christian foreign aid groups Monday on suspicion of proselytizing in the strictly Islamic nation and said a follow-up investigation would include whether other groups were trying to convert Muslims.
U.S.-based Church World Service and Norwegian Church Aid will not be allowed to operate while the allegations, aired Sunday on Afghan television, are investigated, said Mohammad Hashim Mayar, the deputy director of the Afghan government office that oversees nongovernment organizations, known as NGOs.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Economy, Sediq Amarkhil, said the government had no evidence against either organization, which started operating in the country during the rule of the Islamist Taliban, in the late 1990s.
As planning ministry in those days, the economy ministry oversaw NGO affairs.
"If proven after the investigation that they were involved in conversion activities, they will be introduced to the judicial authorities," he said. "If not then they can resume their operations."
Hundreds of foreign and Afghan non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are involved in essential humanitarian projects across the country -- helping out in areas ranging from health to education -- but some Afghans remain skeptical of their motives and suspect they could be a front for proselytizing.
Officials from one suspended group declined to comment, while there was nobody immediately available from the other.
Proselytizing is strictly forbidden in the Koran and illegal in deeply conservative Islamic Afghanistan, where tens of thousands of Western forces are fighting resurgent Taliban Islamists who want the expulsion of the troops as part of a holy war.
There have been bloody protests in the past in Afghanistan against the publication of images of Prophet Mohammad in some Western media.
Weeks before their ouster in a U.S.-led invasion in 2001, the Taliban detained several Western aid workers after accusing them of proselytizing, but the group was freed in a raid by American special forces.
In 2007 Taliban insurgents kidnapped 21 South Koreans who were visiting as part of a church charity group and accused them of proselytizing. Two of the hostages were murdered before the rest were released, although the government denied it had agreed to any ransom demands.
The latest development comes weeks after the government ordered 20 foreign aid groups and charities to close for failing to provide reports on their work and finances.
Some 152 Afghan non-governmental organizations were also ordered shut.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/01/2010 00:00 ||
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[Maghrebia] An Algerian terror suspect sought for 17 years was captured Friday in Bordj Menaiel, Liberte reported on Monday (May 31st). Othmane Touati (aka "Salah") allegedly co-founded the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) before becoming a top aide to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) leader Abdelmalek Droukdel. According to Boumerdes security sources, Touati commanded AQIM Zone 2 before being named legal chief for the terror organisation. The 48-year-old is reportedly implicated in several bloody attacks in Thenia, Naciria, Si Mustapha and Baghlia.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/01/2010 00:00 ||
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Rinsed through Babelfish and edited/rewritten for clarity
More than 40 dead bodies have been found inside a vent of a mine in the ex- property of San Francisco Cuadra, in Taxco de Alarcón, according to Mexican legal authorities.
Officials have so far extracted of six bodies and four heads, according to the General Office of the judge advocate general of Justice of Estado (PGJE) for the Mexican state of Guerrero.
Guerrero Governor, Zeferino Torreblanca Galindo, described the find as something that reflects the crudity and the size of the problem of the drug trafficking and the organized crime in Mexico.
Charge of the office of the PGJE, Albertico Guinto Sierra, affirmed that there are more than 40 bodies inside the vent. The current body count however is presumptive at this point, as no definitive count has been completed.
Officials are trying to find other means of gaining access to the mine. Mexican officials want to remove the skulls from the victims, for the purposes of being able to determine genetic profiles.
Some of the bodies inside the well are six to eight days old, but others are thought to be older.
Guinto Sierra affirmed, through a call of the Secretariat of the National defense (SEDENA), he became aware that the interior of the vent contained human corpses, after the arrest of 15 people on Saturday.
Twelve people died in drug and gang related violence including an assault on a Juarez bar which left six people wounded, and an ambush on Mexican federal agents which left four seriously wounded.
Six people were wounded in a midnight attack on a bar in Juarez according to Mexican news reports. Initial reports indicated a number of armed suspects entered the bar at 0000 hrs Monday morning, but subsequent reports say it was a lone gunman who did the shooting.
The assault took place at the Rancho Chico bar near the intersection of 16th and Pablo Meoqui in the Dale district of Juarez. The wounded included four men and two woman.
A man was shot to death in the Nuevo Triunfo district of Juarez, according to Mexican news accounts. Rafael Ortiz Soto de 49, was shot by a number of armed suspects aboard a white sedan on Venceremos street near a scrap metal dealer.
Investigators at the scene found 7 .223, 8 .308 and 1 7.62x39mm spent cartridge casings.
Three young men were killed Sunday evening in the Santa Rosa district of Chihuahua, according to Mexican news accounts.
Carlos McDonald, 21, Tomas Colomo GarcÃa, 22, and Mario GarcÃa Franco, 25 were attacked as they were affecting repairs on a vehicle near the corner of 5th street and Ponce de León. Armed suspects aboard a vehicle shot at the men, but missed a fourth who was inside.
Investigators at the scene found a number of spent cartridge casings from AK-47 and AR-15 rifles.
One identified and one unidentified men were shot to death in separate crimes in Juarez, according to the Mexican Daily La Polaka. Oscar Soriano Barajas was shot to death by suspects armed with pistols in the patio of a Catholic Church near the corner of Lucero and Pablo Verdines Sunday afternoon, as he tried to escape the assault.
Another unidentified man was shot by a concealed police agent after he attempted to rob an Oxxo convenience store on Bosques de Catalina street.
An unidentified man in his 20s was found shot to death north of Chihuahua, Chihuahua, according to Mexican news reports. He was found on Avenida de las Industrias with several gunshot wounds mostly in the head.
A man was kidnapped along with his two young daughters early Saturday morning in Zacatecas, Zacatecas, according to Mexican news reports. Reports say Manuel MartÃnez Muro, alias "el Greñas", was taken from his home in Zacatecas at about 0445 hrs in a violent assault which left his wife wounded. Investigators at the scene found about 400 spent assault cartridge casings, but inside found marijuana, a 9mm pistol and about 2800 pesos.
A private school director was shot to death at his school in Durango, Durango, according to Mexican news reports.
Rafael Perea Morales was shot in his thorax by an unidentified assailant using a .45 caliber pistol in front of his school, Vicente Guerrero.
Apparently Morales, exchanged words with his attacker and was subsequently pursued to the school where he was shot at the back gate.
Classes at the school were suspended to give students time to seek counseling.
Three unidentified men died in Tamaulipas after they attacked a Mexican army element, say Mexican news reports. The attack took place on a highway near Nueva Ciudad Guerrero, Tamaulipas when an armed group fired on an element of the 8th Military Zone.
Following the exchange of gunfire, the Mexican Army seized eight rifles, two pistols, a number of magazines and two vehicles.
The attack is the seventh operation involving the Mexican Army in northern Mexico this week, including operations in Sonora, Chihuahua and Coahuila.
Four Mexican federal agents were seriously wounded in an ambush in Juarez, according to various news sources. The attackers, aboard a green minivan, shot more than 100 times at the agents.
Two unidentified men were shot to death in front of a primary school and a church in Juarez. Investigators say the two were shot by and unknown number of assailants using revolvers in front of the Chihuahua 2000 primary school and San Pablo Apostol temple near Sosa Vera and Simona Barba streets in the Chihuahua 2000 district.
#2
Bad, I was recently down in Las Cruces to go to the White Sands Missile Range. (Awesome BTW)
While there one Steak house in El Paso was recommended, so I had to decide between safety and a great steak.
It was an awesome Ribeye ;)
This violence was constantly on my mind though
Posted by: Jan ||
06/01/2010 10:07 Comments ||
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#3
South Of Border
SOB
Posted by: No I am the other Beldar ||
06/01/2010 10:55 Comments ||
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#4
Mexico continues to descend through the floor. What used to be a very nice, second-tier nation has descended below "banana republic" to "active war zone". The people on our southern border have my undying respect and gratitude, especially the folks in Arizona. The El Paso police do an unbelievable job keeping most of the mayhem on the south side of the river. Mexico is going to have to eventually ask for help from us gringos, but it needs to be after that idiot Calderon leaves office or the answer's a resounding "NO".
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
06/01/2010 14:27 Comments ||
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#5
Mexico is a failing state. We do nothing.
Iran will soon have nukes. We talk loudly and put away the stick.
Korea's on the brink of war. Our attention's elsewhere.
Our Turkish ally and our Israeli ally are on the brink of war. We're bystanders.
Russia is selling advanced weaponry to Iran and Venezuela. We ignore it and pretend Putin's not spitting in our face.
Britain's leadership has declared an end to the special relationship with the US and is preparing to scale back its military commitments. Barry smirks, and sends back Churchill's bust.
Where the F**** is our Commander in Chief on these issues? Does he even support the notion of strong leadership to advance US interests?
This is not snark but a serious question. Are we seeing massive ineptitude from Barry, or is he deliberately abdicating US leadership?
#6
Are we seeing massive ineptitude from Barry, or is he deliberately abdicating US leadership?
I believe both. He thinks that "soft power" and talk will get the job done. He is beyond naive. He is completely ignorant, narcissistic and stupid. He lack of leadership and the massive amounts of ally pissing off will send this planet into a violence cycle that we haven't seen in 50-60 years.
#7
The latter I think, lex. I think he deeply believes our pre-eminence was achieved unjustly and that he is destined to humble us on behalf of world justice.
That, and he's way in over his head as are the cast of Chicago thugs he brought with him to the White House.
#8
Hard for me to say. The case for deliberate/feature is his obvious and deep drive to put the US on the side of "the wretched of the earth" and atone for imperialism, racism and other past sins of the Western powers.
OTOH, he hasn't closed Gitmo, he's escalated the drone attacks, and he's re-upped Afghanistan, all of which are betes noires of the anti-imperialist western left.
So that leaves incompetence. But again, even Carter learned from his mistakes and turned around his soviet policies after Brezhnev invaded Afghanistan.
I suppose it's ultimately generational and professional as well as ideological. Even Jimmah was a former naval officer and a nuclear engineer who at least understood the uses of US military power in furtherance of US interests, whereas Barry truly believes the US and US interests are not in any way privileged.
This man should be teaching social studies in a lefty inner-city enclave high school. Is there any other national leader, outside of maybe postmodern northern Europe, who does not vigorously and consistently assert his nation's interests?
How many Americans want the US to pull back from world leadership? When will people look up from their personal financial problems and see the damage this man is doing to our nation in the world?
[Al Arabiya Latest] Thousands of South Korean troops, backed by dozens of attack helicopters, staged an exercise Monday to thwart a simulated attack by North Korea near their tense border, military officials said.
It was the biggest drill since cross-border tensions flared over the sinking of a South Korean warship on March 26 and follows an anti-submarine exercise by the South's navy last week.
"One army corps was involved in today's exercise," a spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff told AFP.
The drill was held along a river in the northeastern county of Hwacheon just south of the border with North Korea, he said.
The show of military strength included about 50 tanks and armored vehicles, which crossed a floating bridge backed by dozens of attack helicopters and self-propelled guns, military officials said.
The drill was aimed at testing the South's response to either limited conflict or an all-out war with North Korea, Yonhap news agency said.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/01/2010 00:00 ||
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Link updated and more info added
There are rumors afoot that Abu Al Yazid, the No. 3 man in the Al Qaida heirarchy was killed in a drone zap in Pakastain in the last two weeks. He was rumored to have been killed in 2008. This time however, some of the radical websites are putting forth info to indicate that maybe this time we got the little goat lover.
He was put in charge of the Al Qaida Afghan operations due to his fluency in Pashtu and his excellent manners, seems the arabic Al Qaida operatives rubbed the Taliban locals the wrong was being seen as arrogant and abrasive.
With his, hopefully permanent, demise, the drones have nabbed another Al Qaida big turban.
From MSNBC
Al-Qaida's number three -- a co-founder of the terror network -- has been killed in Pakistan's border area with Afghanistan, according to a statement attributed to the group that was posted on Islamist websites Monday.
The statement did not say how Egyptian-born Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, who was also known as Sheik Sa'id al-Masri, was killed nor did it identify a successor.
Al-Yazid was al-Qaida's financial director and ran its operations in Afghanistan. It was al-Yazid who shortly before the September 11 attacks transferred several thousand dollars to Mohammed Atta, the leader of the 9/11 hijackers.
His death has been mistakenly reported before, but this is the first time it has been acknowledged by al-Qaida, whose statement added that his wife, three of his daughters, his granddaughter and other men, women and children were killed.
One senior U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity told NBC News that al-Yazid was killed in an attack by a missile-carrying Predator drone aircraft.
Other sources told NBC's Jim Miklaszewski that the attack took place more than a week ago. The U.S. did not want to publicize the death until al-Qaida had confirmed it, which it did Monday.
Another official called it "a big victory" in terms of counterterrorism, describing al-Yazid as "the group's chief operating officer, with a hand in everything from finances to operational planning. He was also the organization's prime conduit to Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri. He was key to al-Qaida's command and control."
"In some respects, Sheikh Sa'id's death is more important for al-Qaida operations than if bin Laden or Zawahiri was killed," said Roger Cressey, former deputy chief for counterterrorism at the National Security Council and now an NBC News consultant. "Any al-Qaida operation of any consequence would run through him."
Evan Kohlmann, who tracks al-Qaida for NBC News, added that al-Yazid "was one of the original founders of al-Qaida in 1988, and has served on the group's Shura Council since then. His death is a significant loss for al-Qaida."
This article starring:
Abu Al Yazid
Posted by: James Carville/Karl Rove ||
06/01/2010 00:22 ||
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#2
Try this, Gorb.
Al-Qaida's number three a co-founder of the terror network has been killed in Pakistan's border area with Afghanistan, according to a statement attributed to the group that was posted on Islamist websites Monday.
The statement did not say how Egyptian-born Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, who was also known as Sheik Sa'id al-Masri, was killed nor did it identify a successor.
Al-Yazid was al-Qaida's financial director and ran its operations in Afghanistan. It was al-Yazid who shortly before the September 11 attacks transferred several thousand dollars to Mohammed Atta, the leader of the 9/11 hijackers.
Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here
His death has been mistakenly reported before, but this is the first time it has been acknowledged by al-Qaida, whose statement added that his wife, three of his daughters, his granddaughter and other men, women and children were killed.
One senior U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity told NBC News that al-Yazid was killed in an attack by a missile-carrying Predator drone aircraft.
Other sources told NBC's Jim Miklaszewski that the attack took place more than a week ago. The U.S. did not want to publicize the death until al-Qaida had confirmed it, which it did Monday.
'A hand in everything'
Another official called it "a big victory" in terms of counterterrorism, describing al-Yazid as "the group's chief operating officer, with a hand in everything from finances to operational planning. He was also the organization's prime conduit to Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri. He was key to al-Qaida's command and control."
"In some respects, Sheikh Sa'id's death is more important for al-Qaida operations than if bin Laden or Zawahiri was killed," said Roger Cressey, former deputy chief for counterterrorism at the National Security Council and now an NBC News consultant. "Any al-Qaida operation of any consequence would run through him."
Evan Kohlmann, who tracks al-Qaida for NBC News, added that al-Yazid "was one of the original founders of al-Qaida in 1988, and has served on the group's Shura Council since then. His death is a significant loss for al-Qaida."
A report Monday that he was bin Laden's brother-in-law was incorrect.
2009 profile on al-Masri
Al-Yazid, who was 56, had been involved with Islamic extremist movements for nearly 30 years since he joined radical student groups led by fellow Egyptian Ayman al-Zawahri, now the No. 2 figure in al-Qaida after bin Laden.
In the early 1980s, al-Yazid served three years in an Egyptian prison for purported links to the group responsible for the 1981 assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.
After his release, al-Yazid turned up in Afghanistan, where, according to al-Qaida's propaganda wing Al-Sabah, he became a founding member of the terrorist group.
He later followed bin Laden to Sudan and back to Afghanistan, where he served as al-Qaida's chief financial officer, managing secret bank accounts in the Persian Gulf that were used to help finance the Sept. 11 attacks in New York and Washington.
After the U.S. and its allies invaded Afghanistan in 2001, al-Yazid went into hiding for years. He surfaced in May 2007 during a 45-minute interview posted on the Web by Al-Sabah, in which he was introduced as the "official in charge" of the terrorist movement's operations in Afghanistan.
#3
What about the women, children, fluffy bunnies, and baby ducks killed by this indiscriminate use of overwhelming force? I thought The One was going to bring them all to NY City for trial.
Oh, well, at least there's fewer folks at Gitmo. Not quite closed, however.
How's that Nobel Peace Prize thing workin' out for ya, international community?
Posted by: Bobby ||
06/01/2010 6:25 Comments ||
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#4
Is there a link for this?
There wasn't when I published it, gorb, which is why I moved it to Opinion from WoT Operations, where it would have gone had there been a link rather than the report of a rumour.
#10
Kinda makes me wonder if there really is a number 1, or if the post is only manned by an imaginary person and the 3's we've been bagging are really the bosses after all.
Either way, good hunting.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
06/01/2010 14:38 Comments ||
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#11
AQ #3.14159265
Posted by: john frum ||
06/01/2010 14:52 Comments ||
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#12
Really john, there's nothing irrational about this. :)
#13
Just a reminder that this the worst job in the world.
"Yet another €œthird highest ranking al-Qaida leader€ has been killed, this time by a rocket attack from an unmanned drone. There are a lot of jobs that I wouldn'€™t want, and €œthird highest ranking al-Qaida leader is right at the top. But I can tell you for sure that if I ever got that job, the first thing I'€™d do is narc out one of the top two guys so I could move up a notch."
Scott Adams
#17
this is what, the 4th #3 we've zapped? Forget fishing in the Bering Sea, being AQ's #3 is the deadliest job.
NPR reported today that this is the seventh Number Three killed off since 2001. The reporter then waxed eloquent about what the Number Three job is about. I felt awfully smug during the entire report, because we here at Rantburg have used the meme since 2004 or 2005.
But then, NPR seems to use Rantburg as a source. From the story
A joke in terrorism circles is that the fastest way to get killed is to become the No. 3 in al-Qaida, given the number of so-called No. 3s who have been killed.
[Dawn] Seven men have been arrested over alleged links to the militants, who attacked a religious minority in Lahore, killing 95 people, reports AP.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik visited one of the two places for worship which were attacked on Friday in Lahore and promised to work with local officials to tackle the growing problem of militancy in Pakistan's heartland of Punjab province.
"The terrorists, who have been hiding in southern Punjab, have now surfaced," said Malik. "Our action will be stronger now because we cannot tolerate these killings."
The government has been criticized for lacking the will to crack down on militants in Punjab, many of whom are part of now-banned groups started with government support in the 1980s and '90s to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan and pressure archenemy India.
Many of these groups, including Lashkar-e-Taiba, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Jaish-e-Mohammad, have formed links with the Pakistani Taliban, which has recruited militants to carry out attacks in parts of Pakistan far from its sanctuary in the northwest near Afghanistan.
Police said the seven men arrested over the past two days in different parts of Punjab belonged to a variety of militant groups but refused to specify which ones.
The arrests were fueled by information gleaned from one of the attackers who was captured Friday.
"We have good leads," said senior Lahore police officer Chaudhry Shafiq. "We hope to round up all the handlers and backers of the attackers soon."
Friday's attacks targeted the Ahmadi community, a minority reviled as heretics by mainstream Muslims.
Seven gunmen attacked two places of worshippers in Lahore with assault rifles, grenades and suicide vests. At least two of the attackers were captured, while some died in the standoff or by detonating their explosives.
Pakistanis have criticized the government for failing to protect them from militant attacks.
A woman visiting one of the wounded from the attacks Sunday refused to accept a bouquet of flowers from Malik, the interior minister, when he visited the hospital and lambasted him for inadequate government security, according to local TV footage.
Police said Saturday the men who attacked the mosques in Lahore were part of the Pakistani Taliban and trained in the North Waziristan tribal region.
The revelation could help the US persuade Pakistan that rooting out the various extremist groups in North Waziristan is in Islamabad's own interest. Up to now, Pakistan has resisted, in part because it says its army is stretched thin in operations elsewhere, including in the Orakzai tribal area.
Fighter jets pounded militant hide-outs in Orakzai on Sunday, killing 18 suspected fighters, said Jahanzeb Khan, a local administrator. The attacks came after a roadside bomb struck a military vehicle Saturday night in the tribal area, killing two soldiers, he said.
The military launched the operation in Orakzai in mid-March to target militants who fled a major army offensive last year in nearby South Waziristan. Hundreds of suspected fighters have been killed by air strikes and artillery since then, according to the military.
It is difficult to independently confirm the number and identities of those killed because foreign journalists are banned from traveling to the tribal areas.
Elsewhere in Pakistan's volatile northwest Sunday, militants opened fire on a passenger vehicle in the Kurram tribal area, killing two women and wounding four other people, said Nasim Shah, a local administrator.
The militants carried out the attack because they were frustrated by their inability to muster support in Tabertan village, where the shooting occurred, said Shah.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/01/2010 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] An Ahmadi man was stabbed to death by an enraged man in Pakistan on Monday, just days after gun, grenade and suicide attacks targeting the religious minority killed more than 80 people, police said.
The stabbing took place in the town of Narowal, some 100 kilometres northeast of Lahore, where suspected militants wearing suicide vests burst into prayer halls on Friday and killed 82 worshippers.
"In the morning, a man identified as Abid Butt climbed the wall of the house of a local Ahmadi family and stabbed Naimatullah, 55, and his son Mansoor Ahmed," local police station chief Riaz Sangha told AFP by telephone.
Naimatullah died of knife wounds and his son was rushed to hospital, he added.
The attacker escaped, the officer said.
Sangha quoted residents as saying that the assailant threatened to not leave any Ahmadi alive.
Salimuddin, a spokesman for Lahore's Ahmadi community "strongly condemned" what he called a "targeted killing".
Pakistan declared Ahmadis non-Muslims in 1974 and 10 years later they were barred from calling themselves Muslims.
A US State Department report on human rights says that 11 Ahmadis were killed for their faith in 2009.
Religious violence in Pakistan, mostly between majority Sunni Muslims and minority Shias, has killed more than 4,000 people in the past decade.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/01/2010 00:00 ||
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[Al Arabiya Latest] A Pakistani court on Monday ordered authorities to restore access to Facebook, nearly two weeks after the popular social networking website was blocked nationwide in a row over blasphemy.
Justice Ejaz Chaudhry of the Lahore High Court issued the directive, reversing a May 19 order on the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) to block Facebook over "blasphemous" drawings of Prophet Mohammed on the website.
"Restore Facebook. We don't want to block access to information," Chaudhry told the court.
A contest organized by a Facebook user calling on people to draw the Prophet Mohammed to promote "freedom of expression" sparked a major backlash in the conservative Muslim country of 170 million.
Islam strictly prohibits the depiction of any prophet as blasphemous and even moderate Muslims were deeply offended by the drawings that appeared on a Facebook page in an answer to the call for an "Everyone Draw Mohammed Day."
A group of Islamic lawyers petitioned the Lahore court, which had ordered Facebook blocked until May 31 and the PTA then banned YouTube and restricted access to other websites, including Wikipedia.
"Blasphemous" content
Chaudhry on Monday asked the government to develop a system to block access to "blasphemous" content on the Internet, which he said was already in place in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
"It is the government's job to take care of such things, which spark resentment among the people and bring them onto the streets. They should take steps to block any blasphemous content on the Internet," Chaudhry said.
The court Monday adjourned until June 15 the petitions from the Islamic lawyers.
Mudassir Hussain, an official from the information technology ministry, told the court that all links to "blasphemous" content on the Internet would remain blocked in Pakistan.
Pakistan last week restored access to YouTube -- which together with Facebook accounts for up to 25 percent of Internet traffic in Pakistan -- but 1,200 web pages of "sacrilegious" content were blocked as of Thursday.
Islamic activists and students took to the streets, shouting "Death to Facebook" and burned U.S. flags, venting anger over "Everyone Draw Mohammed Day."
But although the caricatures were universally condemned in Pakistan, the Internet-literate urban elite criticized the blanket ban on websites.
There are an estimated 2.5 million Facebook users in Pakistan and demonstrations over the controversy did not spread to other Muslim countries.
Pakistan also briefly banned YouTube in February 2008 in a similar protest against "blasphemous" cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/01/2010 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] At least twelve people have been killed and 10 injured as suspected militants launched a brazen attack on Jinnah Hospital in Lahore late Monday night.
Initial report suggests that five to seven militants were involved in the attack. One of the militants was injured during the inital police firing.
One security guard has been shot dead and the militants said to have entered the emergency ward of the hospital and taken patients hostage.
Terrorists entered hospital premises in camouflage of police uniform. A private TV channel reported that five of the dead are police officers.
The militant captured from Friday's attack on the Ahmadi community's place of worship was admitted to the intense care ward of the Jinnah hospital.
Analysts suggest that this was the prime motive behind the attack on the hospital.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/01/2010 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] Business tycoon Riaz Lalji who went missing in Karachi on Sunday hours after arriving in the city from Dubai has returned home on Monday, after nearly 24 hours.
Lalji arrived in Karachi PIA's flight no PK-214 and went missing along with his gunman and driver near the Karachi airport. Mr Laljee's Mercedes was found abandoned on Shara-e-Faisal.
Sources told Dawn said that at least two vehicles which looked like police mobiles had been used by the kidnappers.
The family got worried when Mr Laljee did not reach home and his cellphone and those of his driver and gunman were found to have been switched off.
Police were informed about the incident. A special investigation team was constituted. It was headed by DIG East Khalique Shaikh and comprised of SSP Farooq Awan and SSP Niaz Ahmed Khosa.
Police registered an FIR against unknown people on the complaint of Mr Laljee's manager, Maj (retd) Mohammad Tahir. The FIR was lodged at the airport police station.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik lauded the police in their efforts for his successful recovery.
Riaz Lalji, a well-known industrialist and a close friend of President Asif Ali Zardari, owns Abbas Steel Group and in the past was also in the business of rice export.
Kidnappings for ransom have become common in recent years on a pattern recorded in early 90's when the city's overall security condition was quite unstable.
Ninety-two cases of kidnapping for ransom were reported in 2008, closely followed by at least 85 in 2009.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/01/2010 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] Pakistani jet fighters struck militant hideouts in the Orakzai region on Monday, killing 42 insurgents, government and security officials said the latest in a series of assaults on militants in the country's northwest.
Warplanes attacked militant positions in three areas of the Orakzai region where government forces have intensified attacks in recent weeks after largely clearing Taliban strongholds in other areas.
"Our jet fighters carried out strikes after information that militants were present in these areas," said one security official, who declined to be identified.
A government official, Nauman Khan, said 42 militants were killed and 18 wounded in the air assaults.
A Taliban spokesman, Hafiz Saeed, confirmed the attacks but denied any casualties, saying the jet fighters only bombed abandoned houses.
The military says several hundred Taliban fighters have been killed in Orakzai in recent weeks but there has been no independent confirmation of that. The Taliban usually dispute the army's accounts of engagements.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/01/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
this is nice but so far there hasn't been any 'awakening' like what happened in Iraq
maybe somehow the new equipment will catalyze that
Posted by: lord garth ||
06/01/2010 16:42 Comments ||
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#2
Prior to the 'awakening' in Iraq, at least the country, even with tribal politics, had been touched by 20th Century aspects. Enough people had come in contact with technological advances [even if just early 20th Century standards], modern basic governmental infrastructure and bureaucracy, and, though limited, interaction with an 'outside' would that they could perceive as 'possible'. Thus people, at least enough for a critical mass, could see an alternative to commit to.
NINEWA / Aswat al-Iraq: A military force killed on Monday the killer of al-Iraqiya List candidate Bashar al-Akidi in central Mosul, a source from the Ninewa Operations Command said.
An army force killed on Monday afternoon (May 31) the killer of al-Iraqiya List candidate Bashar al-Akidi in Bab al-Toub region in central Mosul,' the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. The forces managed to get him after receiving information on his presence inside a restaurant in the region."
The force found a fake ID with him with the name Mohammad Hamed, but his real name is Zyad Mahmoud,' he added, without giving further details.
Bashar Hamed al-Akidi and his driver were wounded last Monday (May 24) when unknown gunmen opened fire on them in front of his house in al-Aamel neighborhood in western Mosul. They died later of wounds in the hospital.
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/01/2010 00:00 ||
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NINEWA / Aswat al-Iraq: The Ninewa Criminal Court handed down death sentence to four suspects on Monday, a source from the court said.
The four suspects; Ousi Barakat Omar, Abdullah Mourad Hassan, Alou Haji Salou and Naif Rashou Saleh received the verdict for being involved in killing, kidnapping and looting civilians in Senjar region, west of Ninewa,' the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
Mosul, the capital of Ninewa, is 405 km north of Baghdad.
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/01/2010 00:00 ||
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BASRA / Aswat al-Iraq: Police forces arrested six wanted men and seven suspects in separate areas of Basra, a police source said on Monday.
The forces raided separate areas of Basra, where they arrested one wanted person for perpetrating terrorist crimes and five wanted men for perpetrating criminal crimes as well as seven suspects,' the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
Policemen seized ten light weapons, 16 sticky bombs and an amount of explosives,' he added.
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/01/2010 00:00 ||
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DIALA / Aswat al-Iraq: A total of 39 policemen were arrested by security forces on Monday for their involvement in the recent bombing that took place in Khales district, a governmental source said.
Security forces launched several military operations in Khales, north of Baaquba, where they arrested 39 policemen, suspected of being involved in the attack that rattled the district on May 21,' deputy chairman of the Diala council, Sadeq al-Husseini, told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
A car bomb went off on May 21 in Khales, killing 30 persons and injuring 80. Baaquba, the capital of Diala, lies 57 km northeast of Baghdad.
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/01/2010 00:00 ||
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#2
where they carrying those knives in their mouths?
Posted by: chris ||
06/01/2010 19:59 Comments ||
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#3
ION ISRAEL NN > RADICAL ISLAM LINKED TO GAZA FLOTILLA [Turkish] ORGANIZERS. JUst a little of LEGIT PHILANTHROPY/HUMANISM mixed wid VIOL GLOBAL JIHAD, thats all.
and
YNETNEWS > TURKISH FM LIKENS GAZA FLOTILLA RAID [by Israel] TO 9-11 [for TURKEY/TURKS] + PROBE REVEALS FLOTILLA LYNCHERS TIED TO GLOBAL JIHAD. POst-Raid ISRAELI INTERROGATION OF DETAINEES.
ARTIC > A number of shipboard Protestors may had been there to intentionally clash + give armed or violent battle agz Israeli Army-Navy units sent to stop their vessel.IOW, THE VIOLENCE DIDN'T JUST HAPPEN AT RANDOM BECUZ ISRAELI FORCES WERE TRYING TO STOP OR BOARD THE SHIP -IT WAS MEANT TO OCCUR FROM THE BEGINNING???
#4
Were these found in people's hands? Were they there at the beginning of the skirmish or after people were attacked and ran for weapons?
Quite frankly, I assume that most ships with that many people would have a galley and what appears to be the cutlery set from it. And I certainly go on boats with my pocket/hunting knives. Because accidents happen and sometimes you need to cut something loose.
So other than the few odd ones out and the (ceremonial?) dagger, I could find this on any boat...These pictures seem to only be to stir up more emotions, not as proof of any sort.
#6
let me rephrase that then if I may. The last boat I was on had a cutlery set and tons of pocket knives and hunting knives. I did say that there were things that did not fit, did I not?
It seems like a measly assortment of things considering the size of the boat and the situation. My question is merely where this was found. It is possible that I missed that part somewhere amongst all this information, but I think the question is pertinent and I don't like being called a liar.
Much of the equipment and supplies aboard the humanitarian' ships for Gaza has been checked and found to be worthless.
The cargo was taken off the boats at the Ashdod port and checked there, in accordance with the Israeli embargo on Gaza. The embargo is an acceptable measure taken between entities that are in a state of armed conflict, as are Israel and Hamas-run Gaza.
An IDF source said that the poor condition of the supplies renders most of it unusable. This once again strengthens the evaluation that the intentions of the flotilla organizers were not humanitarian in the first place,' he said.
Many of the medicines are expired and/or came in an assorted, not easily organized manner. In addition, much of the equipment is in poor condition. Despite this, it is being taken to the Kerem Shalom crossing, and will be distributed in Gaza by human rights organizations.
Israel, despite the blockade, allows thousands of tons and food into Gaza each day.
#2
"You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time."
Alas, Israel seems beset by "some" of the people. If their neighbors aren't careful, they'll change, and if they are careful, they'll change. Not all change is the same.
#3
A serious humanitarian ship with one chance to take supplies could have had 5x the number folding wheelchairs instead of mini golf carts. Unless of course the tortada organizers are just poser provacaters..
#4
Don't be ffoled by the expired meds claim. This is counter propaganda. The dates on the packages are expired but when checked on line the meds life is extended. This is common in humanitarian aid.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
06/01/2010 13:09 Comments ||
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#5
It's always a year after you buy it. That way you are encouraged to toss it and buy more next time you need it.
#10
why they need meds. I thought EVERYTHING was allahs will
Posted by: chris ||
06/01/2010 20:01 Comments ||
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#11
"It is to give Israel a black eye or AND to smuggle weapons to Gaza."
FTFY, Darth.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
06/01/2010 21:15 Comments ||
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#12
Again, PALEOS PROB > Among other, are deemed by their fellow regional Muslims as merely ISLAMIZED CANAANITES = HEBREWS/JEWS WHOM ARE ETHNICALLY OR GENETICALLY RELATED TO ISRAELI JEWS SAVE FOR BEING MUSLIM [conquest or conversion].
The popular Muslim belief of COMMON "UMMAH" for the Paleos is MORE [silent]MYTH/FALLACY THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
#13
phil_b is correct about the drugs and that extends also to the equipment. Every several years hospitals will completely switch a lot of equipment in order to meet new standards and keep up with new technologies. The equipment is only a few years old, but believe me, it takes a beating in just one year and will look 20 years old.
Hospitals then send it overseas and write it off as donations to charity.
I've gathered the materials for a humanitarian crate or two in my time. Not everything requested/packed always makes sense - but don't ask me why the power chairs instead of manual ones...I wouldn't have done it, but I know many who would have.
Sivan 19, 5770, 01 June 10 11:29
(Israelnationalnews.com) The Turkish organization IHH (a Turkish acronym for "humanitarian relief fund"), the force behind the boats attempting to reach Gaza, has a radical Islamic anti-Western orientation and a history of ties with and fund-raising for Hamas. Who would have ever thought IHH was tied to terrorists organizations? To think a humanitarian, philanthropic, baby milk shipping organization would be involved in skullduggery!
A report by the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (ITIC) states that in addition to its legitimate philanthropic activities, IHH supports radical Islamic networks, including Hamas, and has supported global jihad elements. In fact, IHH's "orientation is radical-Islamic and anti-American, and it is close to the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas' parent movement. IHH supports Hamas and does not hide the connection between them." Muslim Brotherhood? Hmmmmm. Wasn't this the organization the forerunner to AQ? Oh, and the following: "A fatwâ approving the assassination had been obtained from Omar Abdel-Rahman, a cleric later convicted in the US for his role in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. And the organization involved in the assassination of Sadat? Al Qaeda cleric Anwar al Awlaki described both the Fort Hood Shooter and the Christmas Day bomber as his "students."
Established in 1992 and active in supporting orphans, establishing schools, building mosques, supporting human rights, and the like, IHH has begun in recent years expanding its activities to European countries. They have a lot of propagandists trumpeting the stated cause IHH's human rights despite the record.
In practice, ITIC states, "besides its legitimate humanitarian activities, IHH supports radical Islamic terrorist networks. In recent years, it has prominently supported Hamas, [and there is] reliable information that in the past IHH provided logistical support and funding to global jihad networks."
IHH supports Hamas propaganda campaigns in Turkey by organizing public support conferences there, at which senior IHH figures have expressed their support for Hamas and strategy of armed struggle, and their opposition to the policies of the Fatah-run Palestinian Authority.
ITIC further notes that IHH is a member of the Union of Good, an umbrella organization of more than 50 Islamic funds and foundations around the globe that channels money into Hamas institutions in the PA-controlled territories. In January 2008, Israel outlawed 36 associations belonging to the Union of Good, including IHH.
IHH also operates widely throughout Gaza. In January 2009, IHH head Bülent Yildirim met with Khaled Mashaal, chairman of the Hamas political bureau in Damascus, and Mashaal thanked him for the support of his organization.
In 2006, the Danish Institute for International Studies conducted a study on Islamic charity funds and support for terrorism. Over 20% of the study deals with IHH, and it found that IHH had connections with Al-Qaeda and global jihad operatives. In December 1997, Turkish authorities raided IHH offices in Istanbul, finding weapons, explosives, instructions for making homemade bombs, a flag with a jihad message, and documents indicating that IHH members were planning to take part in jihad activities in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Chechnya.
IHH purchased three ships -- including the Mavi Marmaris - of the original nine slated to take part in the "humanitarian" effort to Gaza. Its participation in the flotilla is "part of the massive aid it gives Hamas and its desire to make propaganda capital for Hamas and itself," ITIC states. On May 21, Muhammad Kaya, head of IHH's branch office in Gaza, said there was a plan to send flotillas to the Gaza Strip every month.
The ceremony marking the departure of the Mavi Marmaris from Istanbul was organized by IHH. Participating were Ra'ad Salah, head of the northern faction of the Islamic Movement in Israel, as well as Kazem Sawalha, a Hamas activist affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood who found refuge in Britain. The large crowd held flags of Turkey, the PA, Hamas, and other organizations affiliated with Hamas and radical Islam.
#1
The word "humanitarian" doesn't have the same connotation in Arabic as it does in English. In Arabic it means "trick used to lure infidels into an ambush", or something like that.
Israeli troops on Tuesday shot dead two Palestinian gunmen who infiltrated southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, an army spokeswoman said.
"Two infiltrators were identified in southern Israel, near Nirim," a spokeswoman said, referring to an Israeli area on the southern sector of the border not far from the Gazan city of Khan Yunis. "There was an exchange of fire in which they were killed," she said, adding there were no Israeli injuries.
Witnesses on the Gaza side of the border confirmed an exchange of fire followed by Israeli shelling, and an AFP photographer saw an Israeli helicopter firing missiles.
There was no immediate report of casualties from the Palestinian side as ambulances were not able to enter the area. But the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack, which came after a similar raid less than two weeks ago in which two teenagers were shot dead after breaching the border fence.
Infiltration follows botched IDF raid of the "Free Gaza" flotilla.
The IDF killed two terrorists who attempted to infiltrate the Gaza border Tuesday morning. No IDF injures have been reported.
Four settlements near the border fence have been closed, as well as road 232. Residents of the settlements have been asked to stay in their homes; children are not being sent to school.
ASHDOD (Israel) - NAVAL commandos can be seen rappelling down from helicopters then pointing assault rifles, in some of the dramatic footage of Israel's deadly pre-dawn raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla on Monday.
Israel says the troops returned fire after they were attacked with live rounds, knives and clubs, but the organisers of the Gaza blockade busting bid insist the soldiers started shooting the moment they hit the deck. 'They fired directly into the crowd of civilians asleep,' the Free Gaza Movement said. Asleep my a$$. When this paragraph unravels, it's over and Israel can stop worrying about it.
Only limited footage of the incident has been broadcast as communications with the six ships participating in the flotilla appeared to have been scrambled during the operation some reports say left 19 passengers dead and 36 wounded.
Several soldiers also were reported to have been wounded. In images posted on the Internet and broadcast on several television stations including the pan-Arab Al-Jazeera network, Bandaged men can be seen lying on stretchers in the shaky images that show complete chaos aboard what appears to be the Turkish ship, Mavi Marmara. An Al-Jazeera correspondent on board the ship said the Israeli soldiers continued shooting even though a white flag of surrender had been raised. He said hundreds of Israeli troops attacked the ships and that the captain was among those wounded.
Indications are that most, if not all of those killed were aboard the Marmara, which carried most of more than 700 pro-Palestinian activists who hoped to make their way towards the Gaza Strip. Military chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi said the situation aboard the large ferry, owned by the IHH Islamic charity, was different from that on the other five ships. 'There was extreme violence from the moment that our forces reached the ship, it was premeditated and included weapons, iron bars, knives and at a certain stage firearms, perhaps in some cases weapons that were snatched from soldiers,' he said. A Greek vessel was also among those that came under attack. 'There was an attack with live bullets against the Greek boat Sfendoni and the Turkish boat Mavi Marmara, with helicopters and inflatable boats,' a Greek non-governmental organisation said in a statement.
Greta Berlin said the last message received before the raid said: 'All is calm, the Israeli warships are on our bow, let's sleep.' Then, a message posted on Twitter by the pro-Palestinian activists said the Israeli military had made contact. 'Intervention is imminent,' a message from aboard the Challenger 1 passenger vessel said. Next came news from the Mavi Marmara, reporting two people were killed. Later reports indicated that 19 activists had died.
#2
I seriously doubt the close up footage will be aired by al Jazeera. I hope some get a chance to see it, no wonder they hate Israel with that kind of PR.
Posted by: Jan ||
06/01/2010 9:30 Comments ||
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#3
Video says YOU LIE, assholes.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
06/01/2010 14:46 Comments ||
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#4
This kind of sh$$, plus the UN fiasco, plus Iran loading down Syria and Lebanon with every missile they can possibly smuggle in, will only mean that the next war with Israel will soon start, and that it will soon escalate to nuclear war as Israeli citizens are killed by Hezbollah missiles. Iran talks about closing the Straits of Hormuz, but Israel could effectively close down the Suez Canal, which sees far more shipping. The constant escalation of asymmetrical war against Israel from all sides will leave Israel no choice but to use every weapon in its arsenal to respond. Damascus, Beirut, and God only knows what other targets will be hit. I think the Arabs believe O'Bumble can force Israel NOT to use its nukes. That's a very, very bad bet.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
06/01/2010 15:33 Comments ||
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#5
I think the Arabs believe O'Bumble can force Israel NOT to use its nukes. That's a very, very bad bet.
Ay-Pee. Rest at link.
Greta Berlin of the Free Gaza Movement says a cargo boat is already on the way to challenge Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip. She says a second boat carrying about three dozen passengers is expected to join it. Gee. It's like they planned for things to possibly unfold this way.
Israeli officials say about 50 of the 671 activists aboard the flotilla have been taken to Israel's international airport for deportation. They say others have refused to identify themselves and will remain in detention. A lot of them if not all threw their passports into the water. I say let them sit in prison without bothering to question them until they volunteer the information or their countries do. Wouldn't want to be seen as torturing them.
#2
Tossed their passports? They must be Palestinian. Drop 'em off on a beach in Gaza.
Posted by: Bobby ||
06/01/2010 6:31 Comments ||
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#3
More boats ?
The more the merrier.
This time they are going to be ready for these bastards - I hope they put each and every one of them "Peace activists" on trial and sentence them for a few years in jail.
I hope they have some amphybian D-9's for handling the "Rachel Corey".
Posted by: Elder of Zion ||
06/01/2010 6:39 Comments ||
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#4
Next time make sure the ship stops, then board it.
#5
Bright, just stop it about 12 miles off the Israeli coast. Let it drift. (Hopefully the currents will carry it away from shore.)
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
06/01/2010 7:00 Comments ||
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#6
I propose declaring the entire naval region of Gaza a war none and seeding it with homing naval mines.
Let them knowingly enter a war zone and bear the consequences.
Posted by: Elder of Zion ||
06/01/2010 7:15 Comments ||
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#8
No passports? I'm sure a Norwegian would have no difficulty getting a new passport from the Norwegian embassy in Somalia, after being dropped off there by the Israelis.
Maybe he could appeal to the Somali pirates to help him out.
#13
Israel should just file a torpedo down to a point and poke a hole in all future boats coming to Gaza. No surface boats approach, no boarding, no dramatic confrontations, no video propaganda coup, not even a respectable bang. They just founder and sink over a couple of hours.
[Ma'an] A young man was killed in a tunnel collapse under the Egypt-Gaza border on Monday, medics told Ma'an.
Medical sources identified the victim as Sameer Abu Setta, 23, from Der Al-Balah, who said he was pronounced dead upon arrival at the Abu Yousef An-Najjar Hospital.
Abu Setta was in the tunnel when it collapsed in the As-Salam neighborhood in the border city of Rafah, southern Gaza, sources added.
Separately, chief of ambulance and emergency services Muawiya Hassanein said a man drowned along the Al-Mawasi beach west of Khan Younis and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the Khan Younis Hospital on Monday.
Hassanein identified the man as Khaled Walid Amer, 20.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/01/2010 00:00 ||
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[Ma'an] A projectile fired from Gaza landed in Israel late Monday, the Israeli military reported. The army announced that a mortar landed in the western Negev desert in southern Israel. There were no immediate reports of injury or damage.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/01/2010 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] Turkey recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv Monday after Israel's deadly raid on aid ships bound for the Gaza Strip, Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said.
"Our ambassador to Israel has been recalled to Ankara," Arinc told a press conference.
He said plans for three joint military exercises with Israel had been scrapped and confirmed that Turkey had called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, where it holds a non-permanent seat.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/01/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
I lay this emboldening of Israel's enemies at O'bambi's feet. By turning his back on Israel in the last year, he has started the wolves circling. Of course he'll act surprised and he'll channel erkle "did I do that?". I want to see the look on his ignorant, arrogant puss, when the Isrealis, isolated and alone and under attack - lash out with some real Wrath of God shit.
Another potential outcome I see is a strengthengin of ties between Israel and China. Israel can provide the Chinese with advanced industrial techniques in metallurgy and electronics that will give them parity with the US in the Pacific - what do they have to lose? America is turning them out in the cold, why should they protect our interests?
Oh yeah - and Screw Turkey too, looks like they are active participants in the race to the 8th century - good riddance to shady carpet dealers.
#2
Rob06
I totaly agree with you.
I wish to remind everyone including Hussein O'BAMBA that while the NORKS have a couple of Nukes and everybody (including Hussein our "friend") is afraid to even do something about their act of aggression against the S Korean battleship, we (Israel) may perhaps have a few more Nukes (shhhhh..... nobody knows for real how many !)
Turkey - which has a very serious and strong army has now completed another stage in the long slippery slope towards fundamental Islam.
If Erdogan is stupid enough and makes the wrong move and starts a war I dont think it would be efficient to conduct an attrition war with such a strong semi-westernized army.
I think we are going to nuke them (possibly with Neutron bombs) in the scenario of a war in which Turkey, Iran, Hizballa, Syria and Hamas all simultaneously attack Israel.
Two years ago when Dubia was POTUS I would have laughed if someone mentioned such a possibility. Nowadays, with Bambi in power I say it is highly likely that within the coming year after Israel becomes completely Isolated by the Third world at the UN and with Bambi sitting on the fence and smiling as Israel becomes the world's Paria, there will be a major war in the middle east.
I also expect the coming war to be the first after 1945 in which Tactical Nukes will be used.
All this is thanks to the short sighted (I am being polite here) idiotic drive by obama to denuclearize a region in which many Islamic regimes addmit either balatantly in formal statements or covertly not for the press that they want to dwestroy Israel.
If I were sitting in the Israeli goverment I would immediately start an urgent initiative for building at least Fifty 100 Megaton hydrogen bombs and once they are ready publicly announcing that if Israel is attacked by anyone we are going to obliterate a few mideastern capitals in retaliation.
In a world full of mad dogs you better go around with a very very big stick ( and be ready to use it) !
Posted by: Elder of Zion ||
06/01/2010 6:17 Comments ||
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#3
100 megaton bombs are twice the size of the 50 MT Tsar Bomba of Soviet fame over Novaya Zemlya. Plus there is the issue of the delivery system. The USSR went for tonnage because they did not have the accurate delivery system that the US had. With modern cruise missiles, your circle of probably of hitting the target is much smaller, so the size of the weapon can be made smaller to achieve the same effect.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
06/01/2010 11:59 Comments ||
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#5
Nukes would seem to be a possibility. In 1973 when the Israelis were fighting the Egyptians and running low on ammunition Nixon send plane loads full of supplies to Israel. That was part of what convinced Sadat that he could not win. Would Obama do the same if Israel was facing Syrian/Iranian/Turkish/Hezbollah/Hamas armies? Wouldn't want to bet my life on it. So the Israelis would have to end it quickly and convincingly on their own. Damascus, Ankara and Tehran would be incinerated. But Gaza could be fixed with bulldozers.
#9
I'm sure we'll have the answer by 2012. There is no way O'Bumble will be re-elected in a free and fair election. The person elected to replace him will have to do some serious talking about national defense and security to get elected, and may be enough of a "war-monger" to do some nuclear threatening of his/her own once elected. US/European relations will be in shambles, the US will be facing SERIOUS problems in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and personal freedom will be severely under attack in the United States. The person we elect in 2012 won't be able to get away with NOT being confrontational.
"President" O'Bumble and his entire cabinet need to hang for the predicament they've gotten us and our allies into. I don't expect things to get better as long as the Donks are in the majority.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
06/01/2010 17:42 Comments ||
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#10
b) war between Iran and Syria/Lebanon
Ima thinkrn these odds are nil. Now, Israel vs. Iran, Syria, and Leb? 75% within a year, possibly higher with Presnit Feckless in office
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/01/2010 18:33 Comments ||
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Two bomb attacks occurred in Pattani and Yala this morning, leaving two policemen injured.
Saiburi police station chief Pol Col Armnart Dee said a homemade bomb was detonated remotely as a police patrol car was passing by Moo 10, Ban Bangomulong, Tumbon Trohborn, Saiburi district in Pattani. Pol Corporal manit Kaewpakdee, 28, was injured in the neck, he said, adding that the terrorists militants used a 7.5-kg homemade grenade stuffed in a gas cylinder.
Meanwhile, in Yala, Pol Sgt Maj Pisitpong Pimwapi, 49, lost his right foot and some right hand fingers as well as injured his right eye when a bomb exploded while he was inspecting a banner in Kayu Boko, Raman district.
A spokesman of the Region 4 Internal Security Operations Command, Col Banpot Poonpian, said he believed that terrorists insurgents detonated the bomb remotely using a mobile phone.
[Straits Times] AN INDONESIAN court on Monday sentenced a man to eight years' jail for sheltering terrorists involved in suicide bomb attacks on two luxury hotels last year.
Aris Susanto, 31, was convicted of hiding Syaifudin Jaelani, who recruited the bombers, and a florist called Ibrohim who helped the bombers access the central Jakarta hotels ahead of the July 17 attacks that killed seven people.
He 'made it difficult for law enforcement officers in their hunt for perpetrators of terrorism,' chief judge Haswandi told the South Jakarta district court.
'His actions also tarnished the image of the nation in the eyes of the international community.' Jaelani and Ibrohim were killed in police raids after the bombings of the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels, an attack masterminded by Malaysian terror leader Noordin Mohammed Top.
Noordin was killed in a shootout with police in September, ending a massive manhunt for one of South-east Asia's most-wanted men.
Susanto also accompanied Noordin on a trip to meet accomplices in West Java ahead of the hotel bombings, Haswandi said.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/01/2010 00:00 ||
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[Straits Times] SIX soldiers were killed in the latest in a string of attacks by communist insurgents who are fighting back against a government offensive in the Philippines, the army said on Monday.
Fierce clashes erupted after a rebel New People's Army (NPA) sniper killed a soldier guarding a government road project in a mountainous, rural area of eastern Bicol region on Saturday, army spokesman Major Harold Cabunoc told AFP.
Reinforcements sent to the area were ambushed hours later, leaving four soldiers dead and four wounded, he said.
Bernard Vergara, a soldier who survived the ambush, said about 30 heavily armed NPA rebels set off petrol bombs, grenades and landmines along the military convoy's route. 'We gave them a good fight, but the rebels occupied a higher ground,' Mr Vergara said, according to a military statement.
'The number of Molotov bombs and grenades thrown at us seemed endless.' Mr Vergara said he saved himself by crawling away and hiding in the bushes.
He said several NPA fighters were also believed killed in the clash although the military did not retrieve any bodies. Another soldier was killed and seven more wounded in a separate NPA ambush on Saturday about 600 kilometres away near the southern city of Davao on Mindanao island, the army said.
Saturday's attacks bring to 15 the number of soldiers killed in stepped up attacks by NPA insurgents since national elections on May 10.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/01/2010 00:00 ||
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My paycheck was screwed up big time when I had my heart attack. The 'Burg's stash is now depleted to approximately zilch and hosting's overdue. Any and all donations will be gratefully accepted.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/01/2010 09:32 ||
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#1
OK, I'm paid up to August.
Gee it's quiet around here.
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/01/2010 14:31 Comments ||
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#13
Thanks again, Fred Pruitt, for Rantburg. Be well quick...everything is happening everywhere all at the same time, or something...you will want to be in on it, for sure.
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.
[Al Arabiya Latest] A Pakistani court on Monday ordered authorities to restore access to Facebook, nearly two weeks after the popular social networking website was blocked nationwide in a row over blasphemy.
