The U.S. military is starting to see signs that the troop surge in Afghanistan is working on a timetable similar to the Iraq reinforcement campaign in 2007, according to an outside adviser and military sources. "There are already some early signs of a beginning of a momentum shift in our favor," retired Army Gen. Jack Keane told The Washington Times.
Gen. Keane just returned from a two-week tour of the battlefield, where the focus is on ousting the Taliban from Kandahar, its birthplace, as well as from Helmand province and other southern and eastern areas. He reported his findings to Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Kabul, who saw the surge of 30,000 troops completed in August, placing about 100,000 American service members in country.
An architect of the Bush administration's surge of troops in Iraq, Gen. Keane advised Gen. Petraeus when he was the top commander there.
Gen. Keane told The Times he has witnessed in Afghanistan the same shift in fortunes: Taliban fighters are changing sides, villages are being cleansed of the enemy and protected, and intercepted communications show flagging Taliban morale. "Overall, we can see now that the surge forces are starting to make a difference," he said. "And you have to be encouraged by some of the progress that's being made. All that said, we're in a tough fight, and I believe we will continue to gain momentum."
Gen. Keane offered two observations as evidence. First, most commanders with whom he spoke said they are encountering Taliban who want to stop fighting and reintegrate into Afghan society. "That's a big deal," he said.
Second, "There's evidence of erosion of some of the will of the Taliban. We pick it up in interrogations, and we also pick it up listening to their radio traffic and telephone calls in terms of the morale problems they're starting to have," Gen. Keane said. A military officer in the U.S. who monitors the war confirmed that Taliban radio chatter sounds a bit frantic.
"The Taliban are not anxious to engage us, because we come after them once they start shooting at us," the officer told The Times on the condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press. "One of the translations I saw came out as 'Marines are insane.' So, maybe that means that little by little things are getting better."
Gen. Keane said the drop in Taliban morale can be traced to soldiers and Marines going after hillside hamlets and safe havens. The Taliban has thrived in such areas, where they regroup, plan raids and store ammunition.
"What is happening is, the Taliban's freedom of movement," he said. "We are literally taking away from them things they are used to. We are denying them some of the safe havens that they have in the south. We are denying them the support zones they've been operating out of with impunity.
Given the source, that sounds like the highest compliment one could expect. At many levels ....
That's how it's done. A bit here, a bit there. Take what you can. Find out where they take comfort and get supplies. Ambush them there secretly as much as you can. Let them figure things out the hard way. Mess with their families' minds. Sneak some pop-no-fire bullets into their supply lines. Make them worry about losing half their face or their hand each time they fire their weapons.
Keep them from sneaking back into Pakistain this winter. Start now.
Tattoo pigs on captured Taliban prisoners foreheads.
#3
During the Algeria war an enterprising French officer smuggled grenades to the FLN who exploded when user removed the safety pin and before they were thrown. BTW, this officer is/was a former SAS and founding member of an association whose goal is to honor the members of the 101th Airborne who fought in WWII.
The difference between 'primitive' and modern/industrial warfare. The West developed war as something distinct from what had been practiced throughout the world for most of history. To those practicing primitive warfare it functions just as much as a social element within that society. To those practicing industrial warfare, it is simply a means to an end without the social implications of the primitive. It devolves or evolves into simply a killing machine. It's not about pecking order or territory. It's not about show. It's just about killing as efficiently and effectively as you can.
ISAF forces, Americans and ANZACS in particular, through constant presence patrolling, are pushing the enemy around the battle space. Forcing him to take up arms, to engage and be killed, or move to and from border sancuaries in Pakistan where he is targeted by Preds.
Labeled an "insurgency" fight, think of it as a giant police beat and investigatory effort similar to that found in high crime, drug infested areas such as LA, Oakland, Detroit, Chicago. An effort inhibited by a complex ROE that constantly changes depending upon the mission. Further complicating matters is the lack ISAF ability, in many cases, to permanently remove bad guys from the fight, ie, capture and ship off as a traditional POW and place behind bars. All of this thanks to the closure of GITMO or other detention facilities. Detentions permit questioning, geneology, biometric gathering, ie, photopgraphs, fingerprints, possible attempts at agent recruitment, then release. All in all very bad on ISAF morale, watching these buggers being released to fight again or facilitate deadly roadside bombing.
Also NOT working well at all is the training and deployment of the Afghan National Army (ANA) and Afghan National Police (ANP). Some successes with 'partnered patrols' and commando units, but by in large a dismal failure.
How long will it continue? My guess, and only a guess. If the insurgent "Spring offensive" can be dampened, next summer possibly, then politics will take hold and the game will begin to change. Regardless of the intensified effort, none of this effort points to a quick victory but rather a stage setting for negociation and departure per the established 2011 schedule. Don't look for General Patreaus to still be around by then. A new "Paris Peace Accord" style team will have arrived and he'll be a spring political casualty.
#10
How long will it continue? My guess, and only a guess. If the insurgent "Spring offensive" can be dampened,
I would say that the outcome will largely depend on what happens in November and in November 2012. If the insurgency thinks that the Americans are going to cut and run, if the Afghans think that the Americans are going to cut and run letting them at the mercy of the Taliban so they have to do something to congratiate them (like helping them) then we are in for a lot of trouble. If they think we aren't leaving anyway soon then the insurgency will crumble.
#12
Obama will begin a troop reduction in 2011 as he has indicated. He needs it for his re-election. He will link the Afgan pull-out to that of Iraq, for which he is already taking credit. It will be an election issue. If he loses the election, someone else inherits the mess. If he wins in 2012, he is free to continue a complete pull-out and harvest the piece dividends for his social justice programs. Afghanistan is a win-win for Obama and the dems. Strange logic, but he has positioned himself and his party to take full advantage of another crisis. This is all about politics... not about terrorism.
Robert Maginnis, a military analyst and Army consultant, said "big problems" exist. Mr. Obama's 2009 Afghan strategy put new emphasis on Pakistan-U.S. cooperation in defeating the Taliban. Yet, elements of Islamabad's intelligence service are still helping the Taliban, according to a London School of Economics study.
"Pakistan is not helping our efforts, and Obama made Islamabad a major part of the solution," he said. "Part of the problem with Pakistan is the major distraction created by the floods, but also because the civilian government is utterly incompetent."
Mr. Maginnis also said that if Mr. Obama insists on the July 2011 deadline, it will result in the Taliban simply returning from Pakistan to retake villages and cities.
"We may spend more blood and treasure in the counterinsurgency, but next summer there will be little to show for the investment other than a few population centers enjoying some security but little governance and an economy," he said.
The article is helping shaping the political battlefield in Washington, and the Washington Times knows which side they're on. The message that is being repeated is, "Yeah, President Obama committed to leaving in 2011, but if he does he'll turn the win into a loss... and then we'll have to go back and do it all again. Not like George W -- he won his war in Iraq."
#14
Obama has absolutely no desire or intention to Win in Afghanistan. In fact, he'd rather have a withdrawl that diminishes the US military and national pride. That way we he can rebuild both in his own image.
#16
According to our family 'source', the Iraq army and Republican Guards typically hid while the Marines moved through southern Iraq during the beginning of the invasion. They did attack if they felt they had a strong defensible position, however - didn't work out too well though.
They had no qualms about attacking the Army units that followed, however.
Not saying anything bad about our Army, just that the Marines have a reputation that precedes them.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
10/13/2010 11:38 Comments ||
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#20
Mullah Richard, a similar thing happened during the initial invasion of Somalia. Warriors hid their guns in the Marine sectors because the Marines had ROE to shoot if a weapon was pointed in their direction while the Army ROE required them to be shot at before returning fire. Unfortunately buried guns were dug up again when the Marines left.
#21
I'd like to see a concerted effort to destroy Opium production as it is used to finance our enemies.
I'd also like to see a US Government plan to try to get Hollywood and the drug using set to boycott foreign drugs because of what is happening in Mexico and a few other places. Such a boycott won't happen in actuality amung the Hollywood type but they might say so publicly and influence a lot of drug-addled college students to smoke domestic pot when possible.
[Tolo News] In a press conference held on Tuesday, the front man for the Office of the Afghanistan's Caped President rejected any political settlement with the armed anti-government groups
The front man for the Afghanistan's Caped President, Wahid Omar, said its is early to comment about the ability of the High Peace Council and emphasised on a need for continuation of fight against al-Qaeda and other cut-thoat groups that have turned Afghanistan into a battlefield.
While underscoring how people and media are effective in talks with armed anti-government groups he said in case the High Peace Council can not come up with a result, the Afghan government will think of other approaches.
"We should back the council and see how it works. If it's proved that the council is not working, the government will take another step, but if it proves effective, a negative prejudgement could be harmful to the process," he said.
The appointment of Burhanuddin Rabbani as the head of the council is a decision made by the council members and ethnic elders, he said.
There are some signs of optimism from the anti-government groups, he said.
"There is no reconciliation programme on hand with international Islamic fascistiwho are not only operating in Afghanistan but in the region too. Our programme only covers those Afghans who are in opposition line," he said.
He said the High Peace Council is responsible for talks and ways of negotiations with the Taliban, and any kinds of prejudgement about the council would be harmful.
The remarks came as hours after the head of the council was announced by the President Karzai, Qari Yosuf who introduced himself as the a front man for the Taliban said the Taliban opposes the move..
But the President Karzai's front man said no one has contacted them on behalf of the Taliban.
[Iran Press TV] The Pak prime minister says efforts by the Afghan government to make peace with the Taliban would fail without the assistance of the government in Islamabad.
"We'll make sure of it," he added. "Very, very sure."
Speaking to news hounds on Tuesday, Pak Premier Yousuf Raza Gilani highlighted the role of Islamabad as part of the solution.
"Nothing can be done without us because we are part of the solution, we are not part of the problem," Gilani said in comments broadcast on Pak television networks.
His remarks come several days after Kabul announced that talks were being held with the bully boyz for quite some time.
Earlier in the week, Afghanistan's former President Burhanuddin Rabbani was elected chairman of a new peace council which has been set up to negotiate with the Taliban.
The High Peace Council seeks to open dialogue with the bully boyz who have been fighting to bring down the Afghan government since 2001.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/13/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
Karzai is trying to get the Taliban away from Pakistani control which has upset the Paks.
#3
Damn, he's vain.
Look closely at his eyebrows and it's plain they're dyed or oiled. (White roots)
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
10/13/2010 14:34 Comments ||
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#4
Look closely at his eyebrows and it's plain they're dyed or oiled. (White roots)
Dyed, all of it,is my vote. He forgot to get his eyebrows over the nose -- eyebrows don't take dye at all well. Also not the lighter tone where it's receded on his right/our left. It doesn't match the glorious hair combed over from the part on the other side, in either colour or texture.
[Al Arabiya] Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir said on Tuesday he would not accept an alternative to unity despite his commitment to a peace deal with the south that provides for an independence referendum.
"Despite our commitment to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, we will not accept an alternative to unity," Bashir told parliament in a speech.
"But we're going to have that vote anyway, just to shut up the idiots at the UN... and so they won't arrest me the next time my wife wants to shop in Paris."
South Sudan, which fought a two-decade civil war against the north that ended in a 2005 peace deal, is set to vote on whether to secede or remain part of the country in a Jan. 9 referendum.
The peace deal gave the former southern rebels, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, semi-autonomous powers and a share in government, and promised a referendum on southern independence.
Analysts say the vote is expected to favor independence.
Bashir pledged a fair referendum, but added that demarcation of disputed border points with the south was a "decisive factor in conducting a fair and free election."
Preparations for the January independence vote are seriously behind schedule, stirring fears of a new conflict between the two sides if there is a delay.
90 days away
"We are left with 90 days. The time is very critical. If the parties fail to sort out these issues this could lead to an end of the peace processor itself. And the peace may unravel in Sudan," he told news hounds in the Ethiopian capital where the talks were being held.
Members of the northern delegation said they may hold a news conference later on Tuesday.
Delegates told Rooters that Sudan's Second Vice-President Ali Osman Taha was flying to Juba on Tuesday to meet south Sudan president Salva Kiir in an attempt to salvage the talks.
One observer at the talks, who declined to be identified, told Rooters the negotiations were expected to reconvene in Addis Ababa at the end of October and that former South African President Thabo Mbeki had offered to mediate.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had urged Khartoum to come to the talks prepared to negotiate. The B.O. regime's special envoy for Sudan, Scott Gration, participated in the talks.
At the same time as the Abyei plebiscite, there will also be a referendum on whether south Sudan should secede from the north. That vote is widely expected to bring about Africa's newest country, a development opposed by Khartoum.
Referendum on Abyei
Talks between north and south Sudan over the future of the oil-producing Abyei region, a key hurdle ahead of January referendums in the country, have failed, the head of the southern delegation said on Tuesday.
Sudan is about three months away from the scheduled start of the vote on whether Abyei should join north or south Sudan -- a plebiscite promised as part of the 2005 peace deal that ended decades of north-south civil war.
"This round has failed," said Pagan Amum, secretary-general of the south's ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM).
Delegates in Addis Ababa told Rooters one possible solution to the impasse was to forego the referendum on Abyei and divide its territory between the north and the south.
But delegates said the teams were unable to agree on border demarcation and what would qualify as Abyei citizenship. The SPLM says the Khartoum government is settling thousands of Missiriya, a tribe from central Sudan, in northern Abyei to influence the vote.
The Khartoum government denies this.
In a sign of mounting tension, south Sudan's army told Rooters four northern soldiers walked into the center of Abyei town on Monday evening and started shooting randomly in the air, slightly injuring one trader.
An international source in Abyei confirmed gunshots were heard in the town but said it was unclear who was shooting or for what reason. No one was immediately available for comment from the northern army.
"They (the four northern soldiers) were clearly trying to provoke the situation to start fighting," southern army front man Kuol Deim Kuol said on Tuesday. "The plan failed because our officers managed to constrain our soldiers not to fire back."
Abyei town is patrolled by a Joint Integrated Unit made up of northern and southern soldiers set up under the 2005 comprehensive peace agreement between north and south. Kuol said the four soldiers came from the northern part of the joint unit.
Northern and southern leaders have accused each other of building up forces north and south of the Abyei area.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/13/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
I kind of think we should have divided the Sudan (as the easiest low hanging fruit) after Sept 11 as a warning to a number of countries that beat up on their ethnic minorities. Of course we are too status quo for that sort of thing but the example might have made others more pliable.
[Yemen Post] The U.S. may build a naval base in Yemen to face Al-Qaeda, but for the time being, there is still a chance to tackle the terrorist threat before building the base, after Yemen realized early the threat, the U.S. ambassador said on Monday.
At a press conference held at the headquarters of the Yemeni Journalist Syndicate, the newly-appointed envoy to the country Gerald Feierstein said the U.S. is committed to providing Yemen with financial and technical assistance and necessary equipment to face Al-Qaeda threat and secure its borders.
The U.S. people and administration are deeply concerned over the situation in Yemen because of the threat from Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula AQAP and political and economic instability, he said.
The U.S. rejects any dialog with senior Al-Qaeda leaders, however, there is no problem to talk with the newly-recruited members to help them get rid of bad boy thoughts, he added.
The last remark came after he assured that his country strongly supports a comprehensive national dialog in Yemen and holding transparent and free parliamentary elections on time.
We encourage the regime and the opposition to commit themselves to a successful dialog, and the U.S. supports all details about the elections based on the two sides approval, he told news hounds.
In reply to a question on how the U.S. can separate between Al-Qaeda and the separatist movement, Al-Harak, the ambassador said Al-Qaeda is an bad boy group using Yemeni land to achieve its terrorist ends, while concerns remain about the second because of the people's interest and the importance of addressing all national disagreements through a comprehensive and encouraging dialog.
The U.S.-Yemeni cooperation is good and very important, but the U.S. government realizes that boosting the bilateral security cooperation can't overcome the strong extremism, and it realizes all complicated challenges facing the country.
Hence, the U.S. aims at long-term efforts to build a future full of hope and free from political disputes for the Yemeni people, he said.
Posted by: ||
10/13/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
Another slippery slope into a s#@!ty place. We need to stay away from Yemen, Sudan, Muscat, Oman, Somalia, etc.
Posted by: Magic Mark ||
10/13/2010 12:26 Comments ||
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#2
We need to stay away from Yemen, Sudan, Muscat, Oman, Somalia, etc.
#5
Pappy would you settle for killing them remotely? I don't want to spend any more American lives on these shit holes. Warn em. Blast em. Bounce the rubble.
#7
Maybe the same way they're being found in Pakland, and a bit of whatever it takes, just kill them, they can keep the rubble; no need to fight and hold the ground. Good int is a prerequisite.
#8
Meanwhile, the UAE repor wants to kick out the MACKENZIE BROS. = CANADIAN MILFORS from their CAMP MIRAGE base.
Given the Canuck legacy of being one of the Cold War's most preferred THIRD-PARTY, NATO-VERSUS-COMMIE-BLOC "UNIVERSAL" NEUTRAL NEGOTIATORS + INSPECTORS, vee UNO, what chance does the pro-Zionist-Crusader decadent immoral Imperialist USoA have???
BASE-TOO-FAR QATAR + "AMERICAN DUNKIRK/PUSAN PERIMETER II" vee US-IRAN WAR???
* NEWS KERALA > REPORT: NORTH KOREA COULD PROUCE MORE THAN 1.0MILYUHN[1.25M] CHEMICAL BOMBS.
and
* PAKISTANI DEFENCE FORUM > [ROK Think-tank] NORTH KOREA COULD MAKE 12,000 TONNES OF
[deliverable]CHEMICAL WEAPONS, for use agz SOuth espec in Preemptive/Surprise Milstrike.
Where goes the NOKORS goes ISLAMIST IRAN, + vicey versies, ergo ultimat also goes the MILTERRS.
D *** NG IT, CLEARLY POST-2012 IRAN + MILITANTS MUST HAVE NUCLEAR WEAPONS BECUZ THEY'LL A WAY TO DE-CONTAMINATE BOTH THEMSELVES + THE ENVIRONMENT IN CASE OF ANY LOCAL CHEM, BIO- BOMB "WORK ACCIDENTS".
And only Allah knows what kind of diseases dem TIME/SPACE-TRAVELING, SPACE UNIVERSITY
"SPACE/STAR BREAK" ALIEN COLLEGE KIDS + THIER "BEACH PLANET" NAKED PROFS BRING WITH THEM BACK TO OLD EARTH.
(Itar-Tass) -- Certain people, who have taken residence in Europe, should be prohibited to discuss the Chechen issue and to speak on behalf of the Chechen people, Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov said at the World Congress of Chechen People in Grozny on Tuesday, implying Akhmed Zakayev.
He also said that Chechens must obey by their traditions and laws and never forget about their identity no matter where they lived.
"We will never wear yashmak or follow European fashion," Kadyrov said.
He is glad that Chechens from all over the world have gathered together for the first time in 20 years. "We can discuss our concerns. We have understanding and support of compatriots, and that is the most important," he said.
Kadyrov stressed that all the Chechen issues must be discussed in Grozny.
Chechnya has not only revived but also have turned into one of the most dynamically developing regions in Russia, Speaker Dukvakha Abdurakhmanov said. "Tangible changes are taking place in Chechnya. All spheres are developing: sport, education, culture and moral upbringing are the most important areas of republican transformations," he said.
Political expert Ramzan Ampukayev told the delegates about Chechen communities in Europe. He said that Chechens, who decamped their homes during the war, must preserve their identity.
"The farther a refugee went, the farther he was from home, from ancestors' graves. There were people amongst the refugees who called for war while they were running to Europe and saving their lives," he said.
There are 15,000 refugees from Chechnya in Germany, 15,000 in France, 19,000 in Austria, 5,500 in Poland, 200 in Spain and 100 in the UK. In all, more than 100,000 refugees live in Europe, and up to 10,000 babies are born to Chechen families across Europe every year.
These children speak foreign languages, the expert said. Parents object to the need for giving more attention to the native tongue; they say that children must learn French or another language. Children forget the Chechen language as time passes and it is impossible to make them speak Chechen, Ampukayev said.
Some 700 Chechen refuges died in Europe in the past decade, and 200 of them were buried in Europe and 500 in Chechnya, he said.
Posted by: ||
10/13/2010 00:00 ||
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[Daily Nation (Kenya)] The eldest son of ailing North Korean leader Kim Dear Leader Jong-Il said he opposes plans for a hereditary transfer of power to his younger half-brother in the communist state, in rare comments aired today.
Unless he's put in charge ...
The views of exiled Kim Jong-Nam come as the regime has signalled plans for a dynastic succession, including by broadcasting images of the heir-apparent Kim Jong-Un to its people from a huge military parade on Sunday.
Jong-Nam -- who has lived in Macau and Beijing since apparently falling out of favour with his father in 2001 -- offered his opinion in an interview with Japan's TV Asahi, taped on Saturday in Beijing.
"Personally, I am opposed to the hereditary transfer to a third generation of the family," Jong-Nam said, speaking in Korean.
However, The infamous However... the 39-year-old also said that he would accept his father's choice and that "for my part, I am prepared to help my younger brother whenever necessary while I stay abroad".
North Korea's fragile leader himself took over power in the impoverished nation from his father and founding president Kim Il-Sung, who died in 1994, in the communist world's only family succession.
In recent weeks the leader, who suffered a stroke two years ago, has signalled that he has chosen little-known Jong-Un as his successor.
Swiss-educated Jong-Un, who is believed to be aged about 27, was made a four-star general and given key party posts late last month, when his official photo was also published for the first time.
Jong-Nam also told TV Asahi about the Pyongyang succession plans: "As a matter of course, I think it was my father who made the decision. As I have had no interest in the matter, I don't care at all."
He added: "I hope my younger brother will do his best to make the lives of the North Korean people affluent."
He also said there may have been "certain internal reasons" for the planned power shift from father to son, and that if this was the case, "I think we have to abide by it."
A straight talker
Pyon Jin-Il, a Tokyo-based political analyst, said that Jong-Nam is "known to be a straight talker" and had made comments in the past that put him at odds with his father's regime. "He gave the answer as he was well aware of criticism in South Korea against the hereditary succession," he said, pointing out that Jong-Nam has extensive ties with South Korea.
#1
(T)he Washington Post and other newspapers pulled Wiley Miller's syndicated "Non Sequitur" cartoon from their comics pages two Sundays back, because Miller pulled a familiar-to-Reason-readers "where's Waldo?" gag with the Prophet Muhammad, satirizing the new 21st century taboo on the depiction of even jokes about the fear of depicting a historical figure who really existed.
As is typical of the genre, Washington Post editors tried to play their own "where's Waldo" with the censorship process:
Style editor Ned Martel said he decided to yank it, after conferring with others, including Executive Editor Marcus W. Brauchli, because "it seemed a deliberate provocation without a clear message." He added that "the point of the joke was not immediately clear" and that readers might think that Muhammad was somewhere in the drawing.
If the Post's new standard for comics is to make jokes "immediately clear," then it might be time to kill the comics page altogether. No, Martel/Brauchli, you pulled the cartoon because your fear of Muslims outweighs your commitment to free expression, period.
Islamophobia (ie. Islam+phobia, "fear") is an irrational fear of Islam or Muslims.
#2
The problem, of course, PB is that this fear is entirely rational. You print something that the beardies don't like and they'll be sending their nutters for your head. What this is is not Islamophobia, but, plain old cowardice.
Posted by: Alan Cramer ||
10/13/2010 18:07 Comments ||
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#3
Playing the Devil's Advocate by defending the MSM:
Protecting American's constitutional rights and freedoms from interference by foreign powers is the duty of the federal government. Individuals or even big corporations can not and are not supposed to raise and maintain paramilitary forces strong enough to take on foreign governments.
The political classes of the US and other western nations have made it clear that they are consciously neglecting this duty. They're willing to sell out our freedom to appease our enemies allies, the Afghan people. That was the explicit message of the Terry Jones/Koran burning kerfuffle.
#4
I like the "fear" angle, here. That is, rub the MSMs nose in it, that they are "afraid of Muslims". This is important, because fear is not the same as respect, or equality, or objectivity.
And the MSM will hate that idea. That they are so afraid of Muslims that they have lost the pretense, the excuse, of blaming others for "Islamophobia".
Others are not "Islamophobic". They are "Islamosceptic".
It is the MSM that is "Islamophobic", because they are, justifiably, afraid of Muslims.
#5
Parabellum:
who owns the washington post? Newsltd's biggest share not owned by Murdoch is owned by a Saudi sheikh... don't know who owns the Post though
That oil money has been recycled into media assets... look at al Jazeera. You should fear it. It now shapes opinions from remote Africa across Europe through the ME and on to Asia.
it's not the BBC. It doesn't portray Sudanese war criminal Bashir as a war criminal but as a muslim victim of western imperialists....
#1
Illegal aliens from Paleostine almost all live in the Detroit area - a solid Democratic hold...
There is no compelling political reason to waste assets on these bozos.
Posted by: Water Modem ||
10/13/2010 15:32 Comments ||
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[Al Arabiya] The European Union on Tuesday urged Israel to guarantee the equality of all its citizens after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Paleostinians to recognize Israel's Jewish identity.
Asked to comment on Netanyahu's call for the Paleostinian leadership to recognize Israel as the national state of the Jewish people, a spokeswoman for EU diplomatic chief Catherine Ashton said: "We support the two democratic states living side by side in peace and security. We also stress that the future states of Paleostine and Israel will need to fully guarantee equality to all their citizens," she added. "Basically in the case of Israel this means whether they are Jewish or not," said spokeswoman Maja Kocijancik. How about in the case of Paleostine?
Israel's mainly right-wing government voted overwhelmingly on Sunday in favour of controversial legislation requiring non-Jewish citizens to swear allegiance to the country as a Jewish state. Netanyahu subsequently offered a freeze on settlement building in exchange for Paleostinian recognition of Israel's Jewish identity. But the offer was rejected out of hand by the Paleostinians, who said it had "nothing to do with the peace processor," and was also widely slammed by Israeli politicians and commentators as a political ploy to sabotage peace talks.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/13/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
I wonder if they demand the same from the Muslim countries?
Welcomed by thousands of Shiite supporters throwing rose petals, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sought to pull Lebanon firmly into his country's fold Wednesday in a visit that underscored the growing power of Tehran and its Lebanese ally, Hezbollah.
Ahmadinejad's trip is a bold demonstration by Iran that it is undeterred by U.S. attempts to isolate it and roll back the clout Tehran has built up around the Middle East through its alliances with militant groups like Hezbollah and its accelerating nuclear program.
It also underlines the eroding position of the West's allies in the country. While he was greeted with joy by many Shiites, Ahmadinejad's dramatic arrival only exacerbates fears among many Lebanese that Iran and Hezbollah are seeking to impose their will on the country and possibly pull Lebanon into a conflict with Israel.
Standing alongside Lebanese President Michel Suleiman at a press conference, the Iranian leader sought to depict his country as an ally of the entire nation not just the Shiite Hezbollah movement.
"We seek a unified, modern Lebanon, and we will stand with the people and government of Lebanon and with all elements in the Lebanese nation until they achieve all their goals," Ahmadinejad said, adding that both countries oppose Israeli aggression.
"We completely support the Lebanese people's fight against the Zionist enemy," he said.
The U.S., Israel and Western-leaning Lebanese expressed concern over Ahmadinejad's two-day visit, saying support for Hezbollah militants undermines Lebanese sovereignty. "We reject any efforts to destabilize or inflame tensions within Lebanon," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said. "We would hope that no visitor would do anything or say anything that would give cause to greater tension or instability in that country."
Allies of the Western-backed, mainly Sunni parties that hold a slim majority in parliament were showing their worries over Ahmadinejad's presence.
A group of 250 politicians, lawyers and activists wrote an open letter to Ahmadinejad, criticizing his support of Hezbollah.
"Your talk of 'changing the face of the region starting with Lebanon' and 'wiping Israel off the map through the force of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon' ... makes it seem like your visit is that of a high commander to his front line," the letter said.
In Tripoli, a mainly Sunni city in the north, posters have gone up in recent days showing Ahmadinejad's face crossed out, above the words: "No welcome to the rule of clerics."
While Ahmadinejad was formally invited by Suleiman and was to meet the head of the pro-Western bloc in the government Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Thursday, the splashiest welcome came from Hezbollah, Iran's stalwart ally.
Hezbollah boasts widespread support among Shiites, virtually runs a state-within-a-state in Shiite areas and its guerrillas are Lebanon's strongest armed force. Iran, whose ties to the group date back nearly 30 years, funds Hezbollah to the tune of millions of dollars a year and is believed the supply much of its arsenal.
Iran also helped rebuild homes in southern Lebanon's Shiite heartland after the widespread destruction caused in Hezbollah's 2006 war with Israel.
For Ahmadinejad's arrival, thousands of Lebanese mainly Hezbollah supporters lined the highway from the airport into Beirut, waving Lebanese and Iranian flags while loudspeakers blasted anthems and women in the crowd sold Hezbollah flags and balloons to onlookers.
[Iran Press TV] Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast says two detained foreign nationals who posed as journalists have links with counter-revolutionary elements.
"The two nationals have had connections with counter-revolution elements and were jugged for this reason," Mehmanparast said at his weekly press conference on Tuesday.
He said that the two, who had tourist visas, went to the family of Sakineh Mohmmadi Ashtiani, an Iranian woman convicted of adultery and murder, in the guise of journalists to make a report about her.
Mehmanparast added that those who made the preparation for these two people to go to Mohammadi's family were in Germany.
The spokesperson said that further investigation into the case of the two detained foreign nationals was underway.
Judiciary Spokesman Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei said Monday that Iran's security forces jugged two foreigners sought to gather information about the woman.
"It turned out that the two people were not journalists -- or that they had no proof for it, and had entered the country as tourists. [They] had asked Ms. Mohammadi's family ... questions," Mohseni-Ejei said.
Mohseni-Ejei went on to say that the two foreigners were introduced to Mohammadi's family through "an Iranian runaway" who resides in the same country as the two men.
They conducted an interview with her son but a person close to the family became suspicious about the foreigners' visit and notified authorities, he further explained.
Mohammadi Ashtiani was found guilty of murdering her husband in collusion with another man, Isa Taheri, who also had an affair with the woman.
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[Iran Press TV] German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for the release of two German nationals jugged in Iran for illegally trying to gather information on a woman convicted of adultery and murder.
Posing as news hounds, the two interviewed the son of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, who was found guilty of adultery and complicity in her husband's murder.
"We are naturally very concerned that the two citizens are freed," Merkel was quoted by DPA as saying during a diplomatic visit to the Romanian capital of Bucharest.
"The [German] Foreign Ministry is doing everything in its power," Merkel said.
Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said the two detained German had links with counter-revolutionary elements.
"The two nationals have had connections with counter-revolutionary elements and were jugged for this reason," Mehmanparast said in his weekly press conference on Tuesday.
He said that the two contacted the Ashtiani family pretending to be journalists in order to gather information and write a report about her.
Authorities were notified by a person close to the family who became suspicious about the foreigners' visit, Iran's judiciary front man said on Monday.
"It turned out that the two people were not journalists -- or that they had no proof for it, and had entered the country as tourists," Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei said.
Mehmanparast added that individuals residing in Germany made preparations for the two German nationals to go to the Ashtiani family.
The spokesperson underlined the case is being investigated.
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[An Nahar] We were hasty in 2005 when we thought that we regained freedom and illusory sovereignty, but that was incorrect, because those who had stripped us of freedom and illusory sovereignty are still in power, Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hizbullah noted on Tuesday. "We must reach a new mentality in governance," said Aoun.
Speaking at a ceremony commemorating the "October 13 Martyrs", Aoun rhetorically wondered about "who were the losers and who were the winners" on October 13, 1990 -- the day Syrian forces attacked the presidential palace in Baabda to overthrow Aoun.
"I thank France for its intervention back then to stop the massacre," the FPM leader said.
"Martyrdom has no meaning if we don't turn it into a major reformative achievement across Leb, but sometimes we lack courage for that and sometimes we lack ethics," he added.
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[Iran Press TV] The Pak prime minister says efforts by the Afghan government to make peace with the Taliban would fail without the assistance of the government in Islamabad.
[Al Arabiya] Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir said on Tuesday he would not accept an alternative to unity despite his commitment to a peace deal with the south that provides for an independence referendum.
