[EpochTimes] Coca-Cola appeared to remove a post about Black Lives Matter over the past weekend.
Coca-Cola appeared to delete a paragraph on its website that supported Black Lives Matter, coming as Black Lives Matter drew controversy for backing Hamas ...a regional Iranian catspaw,... "Earlier this month, Sprite announced a $500,000 contribution to the Black Lives Matter Global Network in a social post committing action in the fight for racial justice. On June 28, the brand debuted a new TV commercial during the 2020 BET Awards telecast showcasing Black America’s resilience, excellence and optimism. The 60-second spot titled ’Dreams Realized’ emphasizes Sprite’s commitment to making young Black creators’ dreams a reality and to inspire the next generation to do more and dream bigger," an archived version of the Coca-Cola-owned Sprite website page says.
A current version of the web page omitted that paragraph, suggesting the beverage giant deleted it. It appears changes were made to the web page on Oct. 20 and Oct. 21, according to Archive.org records.
The Epoch Times has reached out to Coca-Cola, which has not addressed the matter publicly, for comment on Sunday.
It came after Sen. Ted Cruz; ...US Senator from Texas. Republican contender for president in 2016, his stiff and abrasive manner earned him the title most hated man in the Senate. After a close win over Beto O'Rourke, who tried to out-Lastino him, he grew a beard and let his biting wit shine through. Cruz's comments have been known to leave life-threatening wounds at better than forty feet... (R-Texas) made reference to the Coca-Cola website and tied its support of Black Lives Matter to backing Hamas, a U.S. State Department-designated terrorist group that carried out multiple attacks on Israel earlier this month that left hundreds of civilians—including children—dead. Israel has responded by embarking on a bombing campaign of Gazoo ...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with an iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... , where Hamas operates.
"CAUGHT RED-HANDED. [Coca-Cola] deletes its support for BLM. One screenshot is of [Coca-Cola's] website before BLM supported Hamas parachuting into a concert to kill Israeli civilians," Mr. Cruz wrote on social media website X. "The other is from this morning. Editing your website is not enough. Americans DEMAND an apology."
On his podcast, "The Verdict," he criticized Coca-Cola and other companies days before that for their support of Black Lives Matter in the wake of the Hamas attacks.
Last week, he also made reference to the corporate support in another post on X: "For every corporate donor who sent millions to BLM—including Amazon, Apple, BlackRock & Bank of America—do you regret supporting such a virulently antisemitic organization?"
"Do you support Black Lives Matter’s Marxist agenda supporting Hamas? Are you antisemites? Do you support that we need to end Israel?" the Texas senator asked.
It came after a Black Lives Matter group wrote on X—days after the Hamas attacks—that it backed the group and Paleostinians.
"As Black people continue the fight to end militarism and mass incarceration in our own communities, let us understand the resistance in Paleostine as an attempt to tear down the gates of the world’s largest open-air prison," BLM Grassroots wrote on Oct. 9. "As a radical Black organization grounded in abolitionist ideals, we see clear parallels between Black and Paleostinian people. For lasting peace to come, the entire apartheid system must be dismantled."
Around the same time, a Black Lives Matter chapter in reliably Democrat Chicago, aka The Windy City or Mobtown ...home of Al Capone, the Chicago Black Sox, a succession of Daleys, Barak Obama, and Rahm Emmanuel... posted a more supportive backing of Hamas. It stated, "I stand with Paleostine," and included an image of a parachuting individual with the Paleostinian flag. That post was later deleted.
There have been reports and video footage of Hamas faceless myrmidons using parachutes and other airborne devices in a series of surprise attacks on Oct. 7.
After deleting the post, the group wrote that "we sent out [messages] that we aren’t proud of. We stand with Paleostine [and] the people who will do what they must to live free. Our hearts are with the grieving mothers, those rescuing babies from rubble, who are in danger of being wiped out completely."
Outside of the corporate world, some U.S. colleges have also grappled with students' support of the Paleostinians and Hamas. In one prominent example, the Wexner Foundation, a nonprofit founded by billionaire Leslie Wexner, broke ties with Harvard University after students at the Ivy League college circulated a letter signed by students saying that Israel was entirely responsible for the attacks this month.
#2
It would be one thing if these corporations were courting a market to sell more product. That's not what woke is about. Woke is about signaling "We are better than you."
Clearly, that's not the case in in 99% of woke issues.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
10/24/2023 7:33 Comments ||
Top||
[FoxNews] 50 Cent rips Biden for Delaware beach trip amid Israel-Hamas war: 'We got some real s--- going on'. Report in August found that Biden has spent 40% of his presidency on personal trips.
UPDATE: The Federal Government says it has dealt a major blow to the #Alshabaab militants by conducting a successful military offensive, ideological countermeasures and financial crackdown; adds that over 4000 militants have been killed so far and several villages and towns… pic.twitter.com/NkhEG0sofE
INFORMATION MINISTER @DaudAweis says four radio stations linked to #Alshabaab militants have been closed; close to 15000 social media posts endorsing violent extremism and terrorism pulled down by authorities.#mogadishupic.twitter.com/fOeUD6QIcS
#2
What no massive college protests, nor any Main Stream Outrage that over 4000 insurgent Islamic terroristic militants have been successful eliminated?
[Garowe] al-Qaeda linked group; the al-Shabaab ... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda... uses Katyusha rockets in shelling Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, a report by the United Nations ...an idea whose time has gone... has revealed, noting that the Death Eaters have continued to wreak havoc across the country, mainly targeting security forces and innocent civilians.
Catriona Laing, the UN special representative to Somalia, told the UN Security Council that the Death Eaters have specifically been using 107mm rockets, targeting innocent civilians and security teams who are responsible for order and stability across the Horn of Africa nation.
Local security officials mainly attribute al-Shabaab’s shelling in Mogadishu to mortar attacks. Although Mogadishu has remained relatively calm, the Death Eaters have often planned for sporadic attacks, killing a number of people in eateries and other joints across the country.
However, today is that tomorrow you were thinking about yesterday... Laing’s statement doesn’t say when al-Shabaab started using Katyusha rockets to target Mogadishu, but we know that the group seized one of those rocket launchers on May 26 following the attack on Bulo Marer, and was captured in the purported al-Shabaab video of the attack.
The attack in Bulo Marer manned by Ugandan troops remains the worst raid this year, coming at the time the African Union ...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful... Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS] soldiers are withdrawing in phases. The exit was temporarily halted following a request by the federal government of Somalia.
Souef Mohammed El-Amine, the African Union special representative in Somalia, said al-Shabaab remains the main threat to Somalia and, presently, the region. In the last three months, while the country has seen al-Shabaab prove its resilience across some ATMIS sectors, he said, "We do not assess this to be a resurgence of al-Shabaab".
In response to al-Shabaab’s resilience, he added, security teams have continued to see the unwavering commitment of the Federal Government in the fight against al-Shabaab. Currently, there is an active operation within the central and southern regions of Somalia.
According to him, ATMIS has continued to support the FGS-led offensive against Al-Shabaab. In this regard, ATMIS launched shaping and clearance operations in all the Sectors, provided artillery support in Maxaas, and undertook the historic inter-sector operation in Califoldheere Forest, he added.
This dislodged Al-Shabaab from its defensive positions and enabled SSF to achieve considerable operational successes, he said. The second phase of operations against al-Shabaab is set to target Jubaland and Southwest states of Somalia.
Iran has been providing its proxies in Iraq with a primitive version of the Katyusha rocket -- not a Russian weapon as the name would suggest, but a domestic variety produced in Iran.
Iran-backed militias in Iraq have been using these low-flying, short-range rockets in attacks targeting the US embassy and diplomatic missions in Baghdad, the capital's airport and various military bases.
Known as "Fajr1" rockets, these are 107 mm caliber Katyusha rocket clones manufactured by Iran.
[Garowe] Several Al-Shabaab militants in Southwest state defected on Friday, authorities reported, in one of the major shakeups in the group which comes amid reports of internal wrangles within the group, which controls sections of central and southern Somalia.
There have been reports of conflict between Al-Shabaab leader Ahmed Diriye alias Abu Ubaida and the group's finance controller Mahad Karate, with their factions recently fighting in Middle Jubba. The two are wrestling for the control of the militants.
According to state media, at least 14 militants have downed their tools, taking advantage of the government's amnesty just before the second phase of operations against Al-Shabaab commenced in the state. The Al-Shabaab are under pressure following the activation of military operations across Somalia.
"14 al-Shabaab terrorists surrender to security forces in Baidoa, Somalia. They claim to have defected from the militant group," state media reported, noting that they were received by security teams from the Somali National Army [SNA] ahead of rehabilitation.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Kamran Hasanov
[REGNUM] Recently, an international conference “Neocolonialism: Violation of Human Rights and Injustice” was held in Baku. In his address to the participants, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev harshly criticized France. The accusations come in several directions, and most of them relate to the colonial period. Paris is accused of several counts at once. The President of Azerbaijan blamed France for geopolitical intrigues and abuse of a permanent seat in the UN Security Council; crimes against humanity; murder of 1.5 million Algerians; theft of wealth from third world countries; conducting 200 nuclear tests in French Polynesia, 17 in Algeria; racism and Islamophobia in modern France. According to the Azerbaijani president, the fight against colonialism is not over yet. Its consequences are still evident today. Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Mali, Djibouti, Nigeria, Chad, Senegal, Vietnam, Comoros, Haiti, the peoples of Polynesia are still feeling the consequences of French colonization, including the results of nuclear tests.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The Council of the European Union decided to create a mechanism for imposing sanctions against Niger, but so far not a single citizen of this country or a single legal entity has been included in the blacklist, representatives of the Brussels department reported on October 23.
“The Council of the European Union has approved a mechanism for introducing prohibitive measures in view of the situation in Niger. From the very beginning, the European Union condemned the coup in Niger in the harshest terms. “The current decision will support the efforts of the Economic Community of West African Countries and sends a signal that a high price will have to be paid for the military coup,” the Council statement said.
The agency has created a legal basis for imposing sanctions against individuals and legal entities in Niger. It is assumed that there will be a possibility of freezing financial assets, introducing a ban on the transfer of funds from EU countries and restricting entry into the territory of the European Union. At the same time, the EU Council promised to provide a mechanism for “humanitarian exceptions” for possible supplies of humanitarian aid.
As Regnum reported earlier, the coup in Niger took place on July 26. The military removed President Mohamed Bazoum from governing the country and blocked him in the presidential residence. A decree was signed on the formation of a new transitional government.
The country's new authorities made a number of harsh statements regarding France. In October 2023, Paris began withdrawing its troops from Niger. This process should be completed by the end of 2023, noted French President Emmanuel Macron.
[DAILYWIRE] A union for academics at the University of Oxford will hold a vote on declaring solidarity with the "Paleostinian people" and calling for "intifada until victory."
The University and College Union (UCU) scheduled a general meeting of its members for Thursday to vote on a motion related to the Israel-Hamas ...the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,... war, which began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 and killed more than 1,400 people. Multiple members have pushed the union to issue a statement blaming Israel for the attack, according to the U.K. outlet The Telegraph.
A draft motion shared with UCU members calls the ongoing war "a direct consequence of decades of violent mostly peaceful oppression of the Paleostinian people by the Israeli state," according to The Telegraph.
"[O]nly a mass uprising on both sides of the green line and across the Middle East can free the Paleostinian people," the motion says. "[I]t is the duty of the international movement of workers and youth to support this struggle," it continues, calling for "a Socialist Federation of the Middle East" and "intifada until victory."
The UCU informed its members about Thursday’s vote on the motion in an email. "The Branch Committee has decided to call this meeting in response to requests from multiple members to discuss and debate solidarity motions relating to the ongoing war in Israel and Paleostine," the email said.
Oxford University condemned the Hamas assault in a statement last week issued after the university faced backlash over its initial response to the terror attack that left out any explicit denunciation of Hamas.
"The impact of the appalling attacks by Hamas, and the deep concerns for the civilian Paleostinian population and hostages in Gazoo ...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with an iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... itself are understandably being felt by communities across the world, including in our own. Our thoughts are with all those suffering and we stress that there is no place for antisemitism, Islamophobia ...the irrational fear that Moslems will act the way they usually do... or hate for any faith at Oxford," the University’s new statement says.
As members of the Palestinian, Arab, and Black Muslim communities gathered for prayer yesterday, I wanted them to know this: We know you’re worried and hurting. We’re here for you. We will not stop advocating for civilians to be protected and for international law to be upheld. pic.twitter.com/El6KLO2CRw
[BenarNews] A U.S. military judge on Monday announced plans to accept guilty pleas early next year from two Malaysians who have been imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay for 17 years over their alleged roles in deadly bombings in Bali and Jakarta two decades ago.
Judge Wesley Braun announced that a court session would be held during the week of Jan. 15, where he expects to receive guilty pleas from Mohammed Farik bin Amin and Mohammed Nazir bin Lep, and to hold sentencing hearings about a week later.
"The timeline we are working with here is aggressive," Braun told military prosecutors and lawyers representing the Malaysians.
The courtroom proceedings from the U.S. naval base in Cuba were broadcast via a video link to news hounds covering the session from Fort Meade, a base in Maryland.
"We are going to hit that deadline in January very quickly," Braun said.
The judge’s announcement of plea discussions showed that the prosecution and defense teams for bin Amin and bin Lep had been working to reach an outcome that would not require a trial.
Bin Amin and bin Lep have been charged with conspiracy, murder, attempted murder, intentionally causing serious bodily injury, terrorism, attacking civilians, attacking civilian objects and destruction of property linked to the bombings that took place in Indonesia in 2002 and 2003.
The 2002 twin blasts in Bali killed 202 people — Indonesia’s worst-ever terrorist attack.
The court did not release details about what charges would be included in the guilty pleas.
Braun and the lawyers spent a portion of Monday’s two-hour hearing setting a schedule to present evidence and other preparations needed before the January court action — including what questions to ask bin Amin and bin Lep regarding their pleas.
A recent court document pointed to the likelihood that bin Amin was prepared to enter a plea, potentially as soon as Monday’s hearing. A subsequent document in the chain added bin Lep.
Christine Funk, bin Amin’s lead attorney, told Braun she was concerned that her team would not have enough time to examine all evidence from the prosecutors in less than two months.
In a document prior to the hearing, the court allowed bin Lep’s lead attorney, Brian Bouffard, and two others assigned to the case to be absent because they were "engaged in mission-related work in Southeast Asia."
Bin Amin and bin Lep were charged, along with Indonesian national Encep Nurjaman (also known as Hambali ...real name Riduan Isamuddin, close personal friend of Osama bin Laden, one of the founders of Jemaah Islamiyah and the planner of the 2002 Bali bombings. He was captured with the help of a mid-Eastern intel service, shipped to Guantanamo to rot but he'll likely be released eventually because that was a long time ago and we were all so much younger then... ) following their arrests in Thailand in 2003. The three were sent to secret CIA prisons overseas — so-called black sites — where they were tortured before being sent to the U.S. military prison camp in Cuba, according to a 2014 U.S. Senate report.
Hambali is scheduled to appear alone in court on Wednesday for what has been scheduled as a two-day hearing.
In September, BenarNews reported that Malaysian officials had met with counterparts in the U.S. to discuss allowing bin Amin and bin Lep to return home.
Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said he discussed the matter with Tina Kaidanow, the U.S. special representative for Guantanamo affairs, while he wsa in New York to attend the United Nations ...the Oyster Bay money pit... General Assembly. He also said he had traveled to Cuba to meet with the two defendants but did not say when that meeting occurred.
And all them pics of murdered civilians, that's all bullshit, right?
[Regnum] Palestine will file a complaint against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of genocide. This was announced on October 23 by Palestinian Justice Minister Mohammed al-Shalalda.
“We, as victims, have the right to file complaints with the ICC,” RIA Novosti quotes him as saying.
He added that Palestine will sue Netanyahu, the Israeli chief of staff and the commanders who ordered genocide against a defenseless people and the destruction of civilian objects.
According to the minister, Israel violates the principle of proportionality and military necessity in military operations.
As Regnum reported , on the evening of October 17, a rocket attack was carried out on the Al-Ahly hospital in southern Gaza . The Palestinian side blamed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for this and held the United States responsible for Tel Aviv's actions, while Hamas called for an international investigation into the incident. In turn, the IDF said that the attack on the medical facility was carried out due to an unsuccessful rocket launch by the Palestinians. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, the strike killed 471 people.
#4
How far back in time does the ICC jurisdiction go?
I'm pretty sure I have Celtic Brigantes ancestors who have cause against Legio XX Valeria Victrix for genocide on Britannia circa 61AD.
Ha! Probably treated me Irish fraction beastly for centuries. Though of course we escapees seem to have called the local lottery by an ugly name, which presumably leaves us open to claims by people of bobalition, if the Iberian inundation hasn't drowned 'em all yet.
[NYPOST] Israel vowed Friday to launch a full-scale military attack against Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... if its terror group Hezbollah joins the ongoing war, according to a report.
Nir Barkat, Israel’s Minister of Economy, warned that it would "eliminate Hezbollah," their proxy terror group in Leb ...an Iranian satrapy currently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else? It is the home of the original Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers... , if it follows through on threats to throw its military support behind Hamas ...always the voice of sweet reason... "The plan of Iran is to attack Israel on all fronts. If we find they intend to target Israel, we will not just retaliate to those fronts, but we will go to the head of the snake, which is Iran," Barkat told the Daily Mail.
"The Ayatollahs in Iran are not going to sleep good at night, we are going to make sure they pay a heavy price if, God forbid, they open the northern front."
Hezbollah has been exchanging fire with Israeli forces on the Lebanese border over the past two weeks in retaliation against the Israel Defense Force’s unrelenting bombing of the Gazoo ...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with an iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... Strip.
The Lebanon-based militia and Iranian officials reportedly helped Hamas refine tactical and strategic plans for the Oct. 7 surprise attack on Israel that left 1,300 dead and took nearly 200 hostage.
Hezbollah leaders proclaimed last week it was "fully prepared" to join the fighting in support of Hamas.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/24/2023 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[12 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
Which is actually easier than conducting a leg in bucket compaingn like Gaza.
And President Biden and all his friends around the world continue pushing Israel to hold off, and in the meantime allow the world to ease the constraints of the siege on Gaza.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/24/2023 00:00 ||
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[9 views]
Top|| File under: Hamas
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Iran-linked groups are behind the increasing attacks on American targets in the Middle East, White House Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said on October 23.
According to him, recently missile and drone attacks on US facilities in Iraq and Syria have become more frequent.
On October 23, the US Department of Defense reported that American troops were attacked in Syria. Earlier, Fox News channel journalist Liz Frieden , citing representatives of the US Department of Defense, wrote on the social network X that the base in Syria where US troops are stationed was attacked by drones.
Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said the United States sees prospects for escalation and an increased risk of attacks on its forces in the Middle East region. He recalled recent drone attacks on US troops in Iraq and Syria, adding that the Pentagon is doing everything necessary to ensure US forces are ready and able to respond.
As reported by Regnum news agency , on October 21, two drones attacked the US military base "Harir" near the city of Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. This was the third attack on US troops in Iraq. Thus, on October 18, the Islamic Resistance of Iraq launched attacks on Harir and another American base, Al-Assad, in Anbar province.
Posted by: badanov ||
10/24/2023 00:00 ||
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[20 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran Proxies
#2
Given the US's not so quiet build-up again the Middle East and Ukraine area.
Then, Tucker Carlson's raises a question in Ep. 33 "Looks like we’re actually going to war with Iran. Are we ready for this?"
Plus the recent shipment of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems used for ICBM's, to Israel.
So are the LSD's are staging a WW-III false flag RUSSIA/IRAN vs. USA situation? To keep the suspected Obama controlled Biden WH in place and safe from exposing their treasonous / subversive acts and illegally collected $$$$$?
#5
"Pentagon Now Admits Two Dozen U.S. Military Personnel Were Injured During Drone Attacks on U.S. Bases – Biden Was Napping on the Beach"
"(VIA NBC) -Two dozen American military personnel were wounded last week in a series of drone attacks at American bases in Iraq and Syria, U.S. Central Command told NBC News on Tuesday.
The Pentagon confirmed the attacks last week, but the number of U.S. casualties has not been previously disclosed.
Twenty American personnel sustained minor injuries on Oct. 18 when at least two one-way attack drones targeted al-Tanf military base in southern Syria, CENTCOM said."
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.
...a regional Iranian catspaw,...
...US Senator from Texas. Republican contender for president in 2016, his stiff and abrasive manner earned him the title 
... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda...
...real name Riduan Isamuddin, close personal friend of Osama bin Laden, one of the founders of Jemaah Islamiyah and the planner of the 2002 Bali bombings. He was captured with the help of a mid-Eastern intel service, shipped to Guantanamo to rot but he'll likely be released eventually because that was a long time ago and we were all so much younger then...
...always the voice of sweet reason...
