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Alabama men convicted on terrorism charges get 15-year prison terms
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-Lurid Crime Tales-
Pilot 'deliverately' crashed Mozi airliner killing all 33 aboard.
The pilot of a Mozambican airliner that crashed in Namibia last month deliberately brought the plane down, aviation experts in Mozambique believe.

Mozambican Airlines flight TM470 left the capital Maputo bound for Angola on 29 November, but crashed, killing all 33 people all board.

The Civil Aviation Institute said the pilot made a "deliberate series of manoeuvres" causing the crash. The pilot's motives are unknown, and the investigation is continuing. The plane went down in heavy rain in Namibia's Bwabwata National Park.

But the head of the Civil Aviation Institute, Joao Abreu, told a news conference that the pilot, Hermino dos Santos Fernandes, had a "clear intention" to crash.

Dos Santos Fernandes locked himself in the cockpit, and did not allow his co-pilot back inside until moments before the plane hit the ground, Mr Abreu said.

"During these actions you can hear low and high-intensity alarm signals and repeated beating against the door with demands to come into the cockpit," he was quoted as saying by state news agency AIM.

"The reasons which may have given rise to this behaviour are unknown."

Investigations also showed that Dos Santos Fernandes manually changed the aircraft's altitude three times from 11,500 metres (38,000 feet) to 180 metres (592 feet).

He also manually altered the aircraft's speed.

Earlier this week, Namibian investigators said they had detected "no mechanical malfunction" that could have led to the crash, and the plane was one of the newest in the airline's fleet. The 33 people who died included passengers from Mozambique, Angola, Portugal, Brazil, France and China.

Mozambican Airlines is currently banned from airspace in the European Union, along with all other carriers certified in Mozambique, because of safety concerns.
Posted by: Besoeker || 12/22/2013 12:32 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:


NRA Members Ruled Out as Suspects in NJ Mall Carjack Murder
Posted by: GolfBravoUSMC || 12/22/2013 09:41 || Comments || Link || [5 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Glad the NRA was ruled out. I might have begun to think I belonged to a criminal organization. So far, over the many years I have been a member, I have seen no evidence that would indicate such.
Posted by: JohnQC || 12/22/2013 10:41 Comments || Top||

#2  What in the hell is wrong with you Jimmy?
Man catch a clue.
Posted by: Shipman || 12/22/2013 11:46 Comments || Top||

#3  Such promising young men. Who could have foreseen such an event ?
Posted by: Besoeker || 12/22/2013 11:46 Comments || Top||

#4  Not to defend lawless, vigilante brutality, but perhaps this will help Christina Edwards gain an understanding.

Nahhhh, forget it. It'll never happen.
Posted by: Besoeker || 12/22/2013 12:04 Comments || Top||

#5  What in the hell is wrong with you Jimmy? Man catch a clue.

Like hell he will. Ever.

Redneck Jim will keep doing this until 'somebody' calls him out on it. And Redneck Jim will then complain that he's done nothing wrong, that it's "free speech." In the course of events Redneck Jim will again call one of the mods an "asshole" (like Redneck Jim did with tw, and for which I'm still waiting for an apology from Redneck Jim. Then again, only gentlemen apologize.)

And Redneck Jim will get a time-out and a lecture from me. None of it, of course, which will sink in. And I'll again get to listen to the Coda of the Perpetually Aggrieved.

And Redneck Jim will get a pardon after a week. And Redneck Jim will come back in and comment once again in the Burg. And we'll do the same song-and-dance with Redneck Jim in another three or so months.
Posted by: Pappy || 12/22/2013 12:48 Comments || Top||

#6  The price of freedom is eternal vigilance...
Posted by: badanov || 12/22/2013 14:47 Comments || Top||

#7  musta missed something
Posted by: Frank G || 12/22/2013 15:44 Comments || Top||

#8  No problemo, Frank. Ima guessing it will come around again...
Posted by: SteveS || 12/22/2013 16:03 Comments || Top||

#9  I deleted an offensive comment in between JohnQC and Shipman. Pappy provides the context.
Posted by: Steve White || 12/22/2013 16:49 Comments || Top||

#10  figured
Posted by: Frank G || 12/22/2013 18:05 Comments || Top||

#11  Steve, could the mods put in a placeholder rather than just deleting a post? That might eliminate some of the confusion.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia || 12/22/2013 18:10 Comments || Top||

#12  Mods just can't insert a comment just anywhere they want.
Posted by: badanov || 12/22/2013 19:34 Comments || Top||

#13  If you delete a comment - then don't 'renumber' those below it just 'skip' the number perhaps?

For example if you remove #3 then the #1 appears followed by #2 followed by #4....

Or else replace it with some kind of 'removal' indicator/pic.
Posted by: CrazyFool || 12/22/2013 21:26 Comments || Top||

#14  Well, sometimes there have been posts replaced with "We're sorry, you're too f*cking stupid to post. Please leave the internet."

Just replace the offending comment with "Deleted by mods" or something like that.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia || 12/22/2013 22:01 Comments || Top||

#15  "I might have begun to think I belonged to a criminal organization." If you have investments in Wall Street, or are a beneficiary of a pension plan that does, you do belong to a criminal organization.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 || 12/22/2013 22:39 Comments || Top||


-Land of the Free
The Reason for the Season, December 22nd, 2013
Presented without comment:

Posted by: badanov || 12/22/2013 09:06 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Thank Bad, she's lovely.
Posted by: Besoeker || 12/22/2013 11:50 Comments || Top||

#2  WestJet Christmas miracle.

Enjoy !
Posted by: Besoeker || 12/22/2013 11:52 Comments || Top||

#3  A special Christmas wish.
Posted by: Besoeker || 12/22/2013 13:25 Comments || Top||


Africa Subsaharan
Bubonic plague outbreak in Madagascar leaves 32 dead
[The Mirror, UK] Bubonic plague, which 700 years ago wiped out a third of Europe, has broken out on Madagascar.

At least 32 people on the East African island have died from the ‘Black Death’ with another 100 suspected cases. Surviving victims are being held in a prison.

The disease is spread by fleas carried by rats. If left untreated, it is fatal within 24 hours. In the 14th Century, 25 million people in Europe fell victim but modern antibiotics can stop the disease in it’s tracks.

Many of the victims on the poverty stricken island were being held in a rat-infested prison.

Experts say that Africa - especially Madagascar and the Democratic Republic of Congo - accounts for more than 90% of cases worldwide. The Pasteur Institute of health experts believe they can contain the outbreak but spokesman Evaristo Oliviera said: “If the plague gets into prisons, there could be a sort of atomic explosion of plague within the town.

"The prison walls will never prevent the plague from getting out and invading the rest of the town.”

During the last 20 years, three countries experienced outbreaks of human plague after dormant periods of up to 50 years. The areas were India in 1994 and 2002, Indonesia in 1997 and Algeria in 2003.
Posted by: Besoeker || 12/22/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [12 views] Top|| File under:

#1  "Rat infested Prisons" has a nice cultural diversity ring to it, don't you think?

We must be tolerant of other people's lifestyles. And some countries are just "colorful" places to begin with.
Perhaps we should send a panel of Democrats to investigate so we can vote the rat infested a lot of money, And send Hillary to look into Prison Reform and get Kerry to have a few photo Ops with the local officials and promise that the US will "get involved".

The Liberals can adopt the cause and offer to "do something". Perhaps Occupy Wall Street can get some coverage illustrating the evils of Capitalism being the root cause and feature a lot of pictures of naked little children in crowds holding begging bowls. Or bouquets.... or something.

How close is Yemen to Madagascar?
Posted by: Spereting Tingle4064 || 12/22/2013 2:24 Comments || Top||

#2  BP is endemic to New Mexico. People there generally know how to deal, live with it in the area like always wearing long pants and socks when in the open range area. Usually only about a half dozen cases a year. Several additional cases of pets picking it up around the edges of cities and towns.
Posted by: P2kontheroad || 12/22/2013 8:18 Comments || Top||

#3  Has Madagascar closed its ports yet?

(Sorry--that's the Pandemic computer game.)
Posted by: Eric Jablow || 12/22/2013 14:21 Comments || Top||

#4  Just wait til the resistant strains of that get loose.
Posted by: Silentbrick - Schlumberger Squishy Mud Division || 12/22/2013 22:21 Comments || Top||

#5  People there generally know how to deal, live with it
The key point in dealing with it there is to always keep it in the back of your mind, any fever, any rash, any severe illness -- is it or is it not a Y. Pestis? Because the sooner it's recognized and treated, the likelier it is to be cured. There are not many infections like it.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 || 12/22/2013 22:27 Comments || Top||


China-Japan-Koreas
China to build 110,000 ton aircraft carrier by 2020
Posted by: 3dc || 12/22/2013 00:23 || Comments || Link || [6 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Without the systems surrounding it, that ship will be even more of a deathtrap than ours.

Seawolf: "Sighted ship. Sunk same." (if you'll forgive the edit)

Orion
Posted by: Orion || 12/22/2013 0:57 Comments || Top||

#2  The other relevant phrase is:

There are two types of ships-
1. Submarines
2. Targets
Posted by: AlmostAnonymous5839 || 12/22/2013 10:51 Comments || Top||

#3  They need to build a Shitty Kitty before they attempt a Nimitz +. We'll see.
Posted by: Shipman || 12/22/2013 11:48 Comments || Top||

#4  As I've said before, a CV on its own is just a target. A CV battle group - a carrier surrounded by a bunch of destroyers and cruisers is a threat.

Learning to coordinate the battle group takes time and experience. We have had both. The Chinese can take advantage and learn from what we have learned, but putting it into practice is still not easy.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia || 12/22/2013 15:32 Comments || Top||

#5  "Build a Shitty Kitty before they attempt a Nimitz" > they have, of course, the option of engaging in Soviet-style, Ledger-busting massive or prohibitive expenditures which only led to pervasive debt write-offs and ultimately state implosion.

COMMIES-SOCIALISTS DON'T LIKE PROPER ACCOUNTING EBCAUSE IT PROVES IN WRITING THAT THEIR OWN HALLOWED -ISM DOESN'T WORK - MORE ACCURATELY, PROPER ACCOUNTING = THEIR -ISM DOESN'T RESULT IN STRONG NATIONAL MODERNIZATION(S) AS THEY LOVE TO PROMISE, ONLY IN MORE REALISTIC "POTEMKINIST/
SUBJECTIVIST" REGRESSIONISMS PERENNIALLY TEETERING ON THE EDGE OF DE FACTO COLLAPSE.

Iff China hopes to be a de facto "post-US", future World #1 Global-Space Superpower or Par OWG "Co-Superpower, it isn't going to achieve such vee the USA under Totalitarian or even Liberal Communism or other Marxism-based Socialism-Govtism.

The Chinese know it even they don't like or want to admit it, which is why the implosion + fall of the USSR = Soviet Union; + now EU-specific, EuroSocialist = Democratic Socialist chaos, is always in the back of their minds.

BEIJING "FEARS THE DAY".
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 12/22/2013 18:51 Comments || Top||

#6  Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 || 12/22/2013 22:24 Comments || Top||

#7  Word, AH. :-D
Posted by: Barbara || 12/22/2013 22:32 Comments || Top||


Arrests Continue In North Korea
Posted by: Grunter || 12/22/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [4 views] Top|| File under: Commies


Chinese Li Jian UACV like the X47-B
Posted by: 3dc || 12/22/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [7 views] Top|| File under: Commies

#1  http://youtu.be/kZ7BVuwI9QA
Xinhua TV news item about Li Jian - 利剑
All in Mandarin, but interesting pics.
As is usual in translation, there are other possible translations besides "Sharp Sword",
"Sharp dagger"
"Sword"
"Li" being an extremely common surname in China with the same character, and 剑 being pronounced exactly the same in Mandarin as 见, the verb "to see"
you could render the UACV's name "Li sees" or create a mashup of Chinglish, and call it "Dagger Lee"

Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 || 12/22/2013 22:57 Comments || Top||


Mongolia aims TV broadcasts at: Inner Mongolia, Russia's Reps of Tuva, Buryatia, Irkutsk Oblast
Posted by: 3dc || 12/22/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [4 views] Top|| File under:

#1  They might run into problems as Outer Mongolia uses a slightly modified cyrillic script but I don't think Inner Mongolia does.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain || 12/22/2013 20:45 Comments || Top||


Chinese military lashes out at Japanese defense documents
BEIJING -- Chinese military on Friday accused Japan of using the pretext of safeguarding its own national security and regional peace for military expansion.

The Japanese government approved its first national security strategy on Tuesday. Based on it, new defense program guidelines and a mid-term defense buildup plan were also adopted.

"China is firmly opposed to Japan's relevant actions," said Defense Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng in a statement.

He said the three documents aimed at playing up the "China's military threat", increasing regional tensions and using the pretext of safeguarding Japan's own national security and regional peace for its military expansion.

In its new defense program guidelines, Japan gave up the policy of building of a moderate self-defense force and proposed to revise the "Three Principles on Arms Exports". Japan also planned to purchase advanced armament like F-35 stealth fighters, surveillance drone fleet and Aegis destroyers and tried to form a fast-response-amphibious unit, said Geng.

Japan has on the one hand claimed to strengthen international coordination, safeguard peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, and make efforts to ensure security and prosperity of the international community, but on the other hand it sticked to the Cold War mentality and beefed up military alliance with relevant countries, he said.

"We urged Japan to make deep introspection on its history, honor its commitment to peaceful development, and try to improve its relations with Asian neighbors with concrete actions, so as to play a constructive role in safeguarding regional peace and stability," Geng said.
Posted by: Steve White || 12/22/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [8 views] Top|| File under: Commies

#1  "You're trying to defend yourselves against our bullying!"
Posted by: Frank G || 12/22/2013 15:52 Comments || Top||

#2  See also RELATED BIGNEWSNETWORK > [Middle East Times] CHINA CRITICIZES JAPAN'S MILITARTY PLANS TO PURCHASE DRONES, SUBMARINES [F-35's, Ospreys, etc.].CHINESE GOVERNEMNT SAID IT DENOUNCES JAPAN'S NEW MILITARY STARTEGY AND ACCUSED THE COUNTRY OF [desiring] MILITARY EXPANSION.

* TOPIX > [Heritage Foundation] TRYING TO "CONTAIN" CHINA'S NUKES MAKES NO SENSE, SO WHAT IS THE RIGHT STRATEGY?

Iff I am correct, + thus far I see little or nothing on the MSM-Net to indicate that I'm not, the "right strategy" is per ANTI-US OWG GLOBALISTS INCLUD "CO-SUPERPOWER" POLARISTS TO SEE THE US-N-ONLY-THE-US OF AMERIKA UNILATERALLY GIVE UP EAST ASIA + CIRCA 1/2 OF THE PACIFIC [more?] TO RISING CHINA.

The PCorrect-Deniable cover story is that Bammerika can no longer econ afford to go to war anymore for anyone or any reason - THE REAL STORY/TRUTH IS THE LONG-PLANNED, PRE-CALCULATED OWG GLOBALIST AGENDA.

* DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > BEIJING'S VISION OF A BLUE-WATER CHINESE LAKE.

Some or Many Personages [rightly?] thought it could or would happen one day, JUST [sniff-sniff]N-O-T THIS SOON.

OOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPPSSSSSS... ...

versus

* DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > REALITY POKES HOLES IN CHINA'S WAR PLANS ON LAND, SEA - NIKKEI ASIA REVIEW.

True enuff, as Murphy's Laws says anything that can go wrong can or will go wrong.

OTOH once again China's military history is filled wid examples where its tech-inferior armies fought superior modern armies, Western or other Enemy, to standstill iff not victory.

I subjectively expect the same to be in any SINO- JAPAN WAR in East China Sea - China + its MSM-Net criticized "rusty/unused" PLA likely may suffer initially from gross defect(s) in its Miltech + Combat Art, etc. but will ultiumately recover to the serious iff not catastrophic detriment of Japan + US-Allies.

* TOPIX > [The Nation] 2014 HERALDS NEW GREAT GAME IN SOUTHEAST ASIA.

NE Asia, vee CHINA-VS-JAPAN???

* RUSSIA TODAY > OP-EDGE: "TIME TO WAKE UP" THE US WILL HAVE TO DEAL WID RISING POWERS ON EQUAL TERMS.

D *** ng it, its just GOOD OWG GLOBALISM!

* BIGNEWS NETWORK > [East-Asia-Intel = World Tribune] SOUTH KOREA, CHINA DUST OFF PLANS FOR SUDDEN NORTH KOREA COLLAPSE.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 12/22/2013 20:53 Comments || Top||


Economy
Saudi Sees Stable Global Oil Market In 2014
Not taking into account all the fracking going on in the U.S. and elsewhere, at least not in public. Still, perhaps Allah will step in...
[AnNahar] Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said Saturday he was "optimistic" regarding the outlook for the world oil market in 2014, which he expects to remain stable.

"I estimate that stability will continue in terms of supply, demand and prices," Naimi said at the opening of a meeting in Doha of the Organisation of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries.

At the same time, Naimi said he was unconcerned about the potential market effect of a return of Iranian crude in the event sanctions are lifted after a possible deal with world powers over Tehran's controversial nuclear program.

"God willing, there will not be any oversupply," he told journalists. "We know that the world consumes more than 30 billion barrels a year, and any new supply will be welcome.

"Absent any supplementary supply... prices will skyrocket, something we do not want."

Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
is the world's largest oil exporter. Along with the other members of OAPEC, it belongs to the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, which recently kept unchanged its overall production ceiling at 30 million barrels a day (bpd).

OPEC is said to be comfortable with a price of $100 a barrel.

While underscoring that oil producers want market stability, Naimi said the most important thing is for them and individual oil companies to continue investment to respond to market needs.
Posted by: trailing wife || 12/22/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Stable? Like a corpse?
Posted by: Cheager Smiter of the Huns2124 || 12/22/2013 0:47 Comments || Top||

#2  A stable market would be one a certain oil producers cartel could not jack with. Frack on, dudes!
Posted by: SteveS || 12/22/2013 14:23 Comments || Top||


Science & Technology
Track movement through a wall by monitoring WiFi
Posted by: 3dc || 12/22/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [4 views] Top|| File under:



Who's in the News
37[untagged]
4Commies
3al-Qaeda in Iraq
3Govt of Syria
2Govt of Iran
2Hamas
1al-Qaeda in Arabia
1al-Qaeda in the Levant
1Govt of Pakistan
1al-Qaeda in North Africa
1TTP
1Muslim Brotherhood
1Boko Haram

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Meet the Mods
In no particular order...
Steve White
Seafarious
tu3031
badanov
sherry
ryuge
GolfBravoUSMC
Bright Pebbles
trailing wife
Gloria
Fred
Besoeker
Glenmore
Frank G
3dc
Skidmark

Two weeks of WOT
Sun 2013-12-22
  Alabama men convicted on terrorism charges get 15-year prison terms
Sat 2013-12-21
  N. Waziristan clashes: Troops pound militant hideouts, 40 killed
Fri 2013-12-20
  AQ in Syria executes top US backed FSA commander.
Thu 2013-12-19
  Suicide attack kills 5 soldiers in Miranshah
Wed 2013-12-18
  Iran nuke deal implodes
Tue 2013-12-17
  Ansar Al-Sharia homes attacked in revenge for Benghazi kiilling
Mon 2013-12-16
  Assailants stab Japan diplomat in Yemen
Sun 2013-12-15
  Six killed in US drone strike in Khyber Agency
Sat 2013-12-14
  Deadly clashes in Bangladesh after top JI leader hanged
Fri 2013-12-13
  Bangladesh executes Islamist leader and convicted war criminal Abdul Quader Mollah
Thu 2013-12-12
  Boko Haram slaughters nine people in Borno
Wed 2013-12-11
  French Army Kills 19 Islamist Militants in Mali
Tue 2013-12-10
  MILF, Manila reach power-sharing agreement
Mon 2013-12-09
  Top Hizbullah Military Commander Ali Bazzi Killed in Syria Fighting
Sun 2013-12-08
  Gunmen Kill Nine at Baghdad Alcohol Shops


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