A Taliban commander on Thursday welcomed NATOs plans to send more soldiers to Afghanistan, saying it would provide the insurgents with more targets. Increasing or expanding NATO troops in Afghanistan is not a worry for the Taliban, instead it will make targets for the Taliban mujahideen much easier, Commander Mullah Obaidullah told Reuters, adding that the hardline Islamists could fight for 20 years. After five years of continuous fighting against foreign troops, the Taliban have become a strong military power and the Taliban are able to fight and defeat the strongest army.
"Well be able to fight on as long as there's a Pakistan, by Gum!"
Obaidullah also repeated Taliban threats to step up suicide attacks, a tactic which killed several foreign soldiers before and during this weeks NATO summit in the Latvian capital of Riga.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/01/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Stop the UN cash flow to phony Afghan refugees in Pakistan, and terror will end. In fact, stop all cash flow to the UN.
#2
What NATO is up to is to continue operations at full steam during the winter, when traditionally everything comes to a halt there. This means both that NATO will police and integrate hundreds of small villages in the South; and also that it will seriously improve border defenses for next spring.
When spring does come, the Taliban will have a much harder time re-infiltrating.
#5
As long as the Taliban have sanctuary in pakiwackiland, they'll be able to fight against the Kabul government. Since the two sides of Pashtunistan lie in Afghanistan and Pakistan, we have two choices: do away with Pakistan, or surrender. I do not choose to surrender. Destroy the NWFP and the problem will be 95% solved. Destroy all of Pakistan, and the problem (and quite a few others) will be 100% resolved.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
12/01/2006 13:04 Comments ||
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#6
[the Black Knight continues to threaten Arthur despite getting both his arms and one of his legs cut off]
Black Knight: Right, I'll do you for that!
King Arthur: You'll what?
Black Knight: Come here!
King Arthur: What are you gonna do, bleed on me?
Black Knight: I'm invincible!
King Arthur: ...You're a loony.
- Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
(SomaliNet) A senior State Department official said Wednesday that Al-Qaida militants are operating with "great comfort" in Somalia, providing training and assistance to a radical military element loyal to the Islamic group that controls most of southern Somalia.
The head of Africa bureau department, Jendayi Frazer, said a priority U.S. goal is the capture of three militants wanted for the bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 and a hotel in Kenya in 2002. The three are from Sudan, Kenya and the Comoros Islands, located off Africa's east coast.
"We're continuing to work with all sides in Somalia to try get those terrorists turned over and to prevent Somalia from becoming a safe haven," Frazer told a small group of reporters.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
12/01/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Bottom line is Al Qaeda are funded by Saudi.Bush needs to confront them sooner than later!!!
Saudi Arabia has given Britain 10 days to halt a fraud investigation into the country's arms trade - or lose a £10 billion Eurofighter contract. That's pretty .. blunt.
The contract supports up to 50,000 British jobs and there are now fears that the deal may go to France.
The Saudi government is on the verge of cancelling the contract - an extension of one brokered by Margaret Thatcher 20 year ago - because of a Serious Fraud Office investigation into allegations of a slush fund for members of the Saudi royal family, according to authoritative sources.
Tony Blair has been told that the deal faces the axe in 10 days unless he intervenes to bring the two-year investigation to a close. The Saudis are said to be "outraged" by the probe into the activities of companies linked to BAE Systems. The investigation concerns alleged illegal payments made to members of the Saudi royal family and their agents. The country's advisers have made clear through diplomatic channels that unless the inquiry is closed, the kingdom's arms business will be taken elsewhere. So, it's pretty clear - enforce your own laws and we punish you for doing so. I think we call this "loss of sovereignty". I understand it used to happen to China back when they were getting their butts kicked in the 1800s.
The Saudis are understood to have already opened negotiations with the French about buying 36 rival Rafale jets.
Am I allowed to guess that the French have no problems paying bribes to the Saoodis, and that evidence of such bribes will never make its way to Le Monde?
#1
I find this rather funny. I recall losing business to European firms because they, as a matter or course, paid baksheesh and bribes without blinking. The French and Germans were worse, but the Brits were close behind. I would wager that all Western countries have laws on the books, of varying quality and punishment, that are meant to stop this. Enforcement was nonexistent in Europe, and occasionally spotty here in the US... And what supremely arrogant snots they were, too, when walking away with the deal and laughing about the foolish and unsophisticated Americans. That's how it's done, old boy... Lol.
#2
Blockade Saudi Arabia and see who laughs last. Pull all US personnel out of the oilfields and everywhere else. Close all Saudi banks in the US. Restrict the travel of the Saudi delegation to the US, and cut off all funding for new mosques. Do the same for France if they accept this kind of blackmail.
The United States has been a pushover in foreign policy ever since the Johnson administration (and maybe even before, the evidence is just harder to get to). We need to stand up and let the world know we're tired of 'business as usual', and will insist upon some changes. Ninety-percent of new technology comes from three Western states - the US, Japan, and Great Britain. If we stand together the rest of the world will find it difficult to stand against us.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
12/01/2006 13:18 Comments ||
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#3
So this investigation appears to have some serious legs; otherwise the Cameljockeys would just let it run and then demand all sorts of apologies when the results came in. What is interesting is the resounding silence from the British firms that are the targets of the investigations. It appears that they ran to 'Daddy Saud' and hid behind his leg.
#4
Sit back boys, and watch just how fast the Brit's will reach for the vasoline®! It all comes down to how many care, at what the SFO does, compared to the 50,000 angry resulting voting voices, are heard demanding.
#5
US firms are constrained by the Foreign Corrupt Practices act. The French are the acknowledged masters of the bribe. The other EU guys try, but the frogs are in a class by themselves.
Japan has the technological know-how to produce a nuclear weapon but has no immediate plans to do so, the foreign minister said Thursday, several weeks after communist North Korea carried out a nuclear test.
Thereby subtly hinting that regional parties might not want to make them change their minds...
Foreign Minister Taro Aso, who has called for discussion of Japan's non-nuclear policy, also asserted that the pacifist constitution does not forbid possession of the bomb. "Japan is capable of producing nuclear weapons," Aso told a parliamentary committee on security issues. "But we are not saying we have plans to possess nuclear weapons."
Bet they could build the Toyota of bombs: small, efficient, reliable, always works.
Japan, the only country ever attacked by atomic weapons, has for decades espoused a strict policy of not possessing, developing or allowing the introduction of nuclear bombs on its territory. The non-nuclear stance, however, has come under increasing scrutiny since North Korea's Oct. 9 nuclear test, which raised severe security concerns in Japan.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has asserted several times since the test that Japan would not stray from its non-nuclear policy, and he has refused to initiate a formal review of that stance. Several high-ranking government and ruling party members, however, including Aso, have argued for a high-level reappraisal of the nuclear policy in light of the North Korean threat.
And at some point Abe's hand will be reluctantly forced ...
In a hearing before the lower house of parliament's Security Committee, Aso reiterated his belief that the constitution's pacifist clause does not prevent Japan from having nuclear bombs for the purpose of defense. The constitution's Article 9 bars Japan from the use of force to settle international disputes.
"Possession of minimum level of arms for defense is not prohibited under the Article 9 of the Constitution," Aso said. "Even nuclear weapons, if there are any that fall within that limit, they are not prohibited."
Saber, nicely rattled.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/01/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Japan - next to India, the least-discussed, most important, positive strategic shift since 9/11 (from a different starting point, for different reasons). Aside from an AWOL political class and current Iraq hysteria, the larger picture has been positive for a long time.
#9
My guess is that most of the components are sitting on a shelf someplace.
More likely designs are in a CAD program locked in a safe just waiting to be loaded into the manufacturing robots. Longest time would be to make the plutonium cores, I'd say 6 months.
Posted by: Steve ||
12/01/2006 9:49 Comments ||
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#10
And this time there would be an earth shattering kaboom
Posted by: kelly ||
12/01/2006 10:53 Comments ||
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#11
I'd bet money that all the non-nuclear parts are manufactured, perhaps as many as 50 copies each, and some sub-assembly has taken place. All that would be needed would be the plutonium/u235 cores, depending on the type of bomb. I'd even be willing to bet the plutonium is "available". Thirty days maximum from the time a decision is made until the final product is ready for use. I'm sure China knows this, and I wouldn't be surprised if NKor knows this. I WOULD be surprised if either knew exactly WHERE that manufacturing and assembly would take place.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
12/01/2006 13:33 Comments ||
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Given that Japan also has some of the most powerful supercomputers in the entire world, I would say that it's safe to assume all of the critical subassemblies have gone through detailed dynamic performance verification modeling.
#13
Japan has 45 000 kg of plutonium in stockpile.
You only need 2-3 kg with a sophisticated design.
While most of that is called reactor grade, (a) a sophisticated design can use reactor grade stuff and still have a reliable yield (b) a reactor core discharge produces a significant fraction that is actually weapons grade Pu, though not normally considered as such.
The solid boosters they developed for their H1 space vehicle would have a tremendous throw weight.
China, with its stocks of just 4000 kg of Pu, with its less accurate rocket tech has a lot to worry about... especially with Japan joining the US for the ABM program
Posted by: john ||
12/01/2006 15:47 Comments ||
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RED HOUSE -- If you want to know the history of the Muslims of America community in Charlotte County, just flip through the 2-inch-thick file at the county administrator's office.
A county employee started collecting various articles and filings years ago in response to the many inquiries about the Muslim enclave in western Charlotte County. It is a compilation of a relationship that one professor noted shortly after the community's establishment was bound to have conflict because of the "culture shock" on the part of the local residents and the Muslims.
The community -- or compound, as a federal prosecutor called it -- was established in the mid-1990s on 44 acres in this rural county of about 12,400 people. Most of the homes there are trailers, and about 20 families were estimated to live there several years ago.
Early on, county officials pushed community residents to correct zoning violations, local residents complained about its effect on property values and the Muslims complained they were victims of discrimination. They always do, even with zoning laws.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/01/2006 00:06 ||
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#1
An enclave of radical muzzies here is really not tolerable now.( I base "radical" on naming street after a known terrorist) Which state is this located in ? Everyone needs to be aware of these outposts. This is where a lot of dirty work can be done out of sight. Any plotters for the next attacks here are likely to hole up in quiet spots like this.
#3
Typical. Insult your surrounding non-Muslim neighbors and then squeal "discrimination!" or "Islamophobia!" the instant anyone complains. This ennuring of public reaction to constant provocation is a standard Muslim tactic designed to raise the noise floor (i.e., nominal amount of signal interference) so that lesser offenses or incremental imposition of Sharia compliant laws go unnoticed. We have seen similar examples of this lately with the imams flying out of Minneapolis and so forth. Rest assured, once we allow ourselves to become accustomed to such intrusions upon our daily lives, new and even more offensive provocations will be instigated in order to steadily decrease public opposition.
I'm surprised that the street signs are still intact. If such garbage were posted in my neighborhood, I'd certainly feel duely "motivated".
#9
"Changing the name of the road is not going to change the situation we are faced with," he said. "It wouldn't change anything going on in that community."
Well is would show that the Red House folks have some balls. Zen what about the neighbors putting up pig farms next to the "compound"?
Discrimination? Hell you, you follow the teachings of a pedphile fools! If you think we are going to tolerate that you're "F-ing" nuts. Islam isn't even a religion. It's a cult of personality revolving around a man who was a common child rapist, thief and murderer.
#10
Sheikh Gilani formed his al-Fuqra terror network in the early 80s after a visit to Brooklyn, New York. The goal of his organization, according to the US State Department, was to purify Islam through violence.
Almost immediately upon his arrival, the Sheikh began recruiting African-American Muslims into his terrorist network. Some were recruited off the streets, some out of mosques, while others were recruited from American prisons. Most disturbingly, however, Sheikh Gilani recruited some of his followers out the United States military.
In a recruitment video, Sheikh Gilani made clear his goals:
We have reached out and prepared [recruits] to defend themselves in a highly specialized training of guerrilla warfare...We are at present establishing training camps.
The enemy included America.
We are not fighting so that the enemy recognizes us and offers something. We are fighting to destroy the enemy. We are dealing with evil at its roots and its roots are America.
What the fuvk?! I'm ashamed to say I've never heard of this guy. By the pure simple fact that these Muslims are afiliated with the man they are in fact Islamic terrorist and should all be deported hung or sent to prison for life.
#11
Since al-Fuqra is a terrorist organization, seems prudent, as a first step, to designate al-Fuqra and it's spinoffs as terrorist orgs and confiscate all assets.
Posted by: ed ||
12/01/2006 9:56 Comments ||
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#12
I recommend having them change it to a local soldier who was KIA.
#13
KIA? It's been plainly said every one of our dead is a step closer to their victory. Call it Dr. Sigmund Freud Way -- Jewish inventor of psychiatric analysis, with a specific emphasis on the adult traumas induced by unremembered childhood incestuous sexual practices.
And have the local politicians demand a police investigation MoA's connection to recognized terrorists and listed terror organizations. In the meantime, enforce the bloody ordinances, since all members of the community are subject to its laws.
#14
Zen what about the neighbors putting up pig farms next to the "compound"?
Sounds Muslim unfriendly in a powerful way. Me like. I suggest erecting a "wind farm" that somehow manages instead to blow the aroma into their terrorist training camp "compound".
#15
"what about the neighbors putting up pig farms next to the "compound"?" In Texas Muslims have already one-upped you. The Katy (TX) Islamic Association wants to built a mosque and school complex very close to an existing pig farm. They have already asked Mr. Craig Baker, the pig farmer, to move his operation somewhere else. Instead Mr. Baker has erected a large sign advertising Friday night pig races.
#18
"Instead Mr. Baker has erected a large sign advertising Friday night pig races"
And cheerleaders! Unmasked and uncovered, fresh, nubile, cheerleaders to whip the crowd into a sweaty, frothing drunken frenzy to root the little piggies on....
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iraq war opponent Silvestre Reyes will become chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives intelligence committee when Democrats take control of Congress in January, Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi said on Friday.
In choosing Reyes, a former border patrol agent and Vietnam War veteran, Pelosi skipped over two more senior Democrats to head the committee.
The top-ranking Democrat on the panel, California Rep. Jane Harman (news, bio, voting record), has had strained relations with Pelosi, and the next in line, Rep. Alcee Hastings (news, bio, voting record) of Florida, is a former federal judge who was ousted from that post after allegations of corruption.
Pelosi said of Reyes: "When tough questions are required, whether they relate to intelligence shortcomings before the 9/11 attacks or the war in Iraq, or to the quality of intelligence on Iran or North Korea, he does not hesitate to ask them."
Reyes, a five-term congressman who won reelection in November, is expected to seek more information about the Bush administration's classified programs since the September 11 attacks to gather data on enemies inside and outside America.
The committee has oversight of U.S. intelligence agencies, including the CIA, FBI, National Security Agency and Defense Intelligence Agency.
#1
Let the leaking begin. Begin to become a torrent, I mean.
Posted by: Jonathan ||
12/01/2006 13:19 Comments ||
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Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but the Speaker of the House is usually a straight party vote, but both side vote in an open election. I recall in New Mexico a few years back the Trunks actually voted for an alternative Democrat who was running against the usual machine hack and the few Donks who joined in succeeded in putting in a new Speaker. Since the vote for Speaker doesn't happen till the next Congress convenes and its the Speaker who appoints committee heads and assigns offices, it might be time for the Trunks to align themselves with something nearer to a rational Donks for some interesting times in January.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government warned American private financial services on Thursday of an al Qaeda call for a cyber attack against online stock trading and banking Web sites beginning on Friday, a source said. The source, a person familiar with the warning, said the Islamic militant group aimed to penetrate and destroy the databases of the U.S. financial sites.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed an alert had been distributed but said there was no reason to believe the threat was credible.
The U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team issued a "situational awareness report to industry stakeholders," said Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke. The warning said the threat called for attacks to begin Friday and run through the month of December in retaliation for the United States keeping terrorism suspects fat and happy at the Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba.
"Denial of service is what it called for," said a Homeland Security official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
We've already seen a bunch of these, some here at the Burg, some at other popular conservative web sites. They've come from all sorts of 'interesting' places. I'd be real surprised if financial institutions haven't already been targeted in some way. This just ups the ante.
A person familiar with the warning said the threat came from a group calling itself "ANHIAR al-Dollar." The effort was related to al Qaeda and intended to avenge "Muslim brothers in the crusaders' Guantanamo prison camp," the source said.
Reaction in the financial community was muted, with markets showing little or no reaction.
In other words, people who really understand this understand that counter-measures are in place and will work.
New York Republican Rep. Peter King, chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security, said the report was "nothing to panic over, but it will be looked at very carefully."
Robert Albertson, chief investment strategist at Sandler O'Neill & Partners in New York, said it was unlikely al Qaeda members could do serious harm to financial Web sites. "I'm not saying there aren't precautions to be taken, but I just can't fathom how there would be serious havoc," he added.
Brian Jenkins, a terrorism expert with the RAND Corp., said that such threats were not unusual. "There is a regular stream of Jihadist exhortations to attack various targets," he said. "Financial organizations stay at a fairly high level of readiness anyway because of regular assaults."
A government source said regulators were being briefed on the warning.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/01/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Stop playing defense - go on the offense. Turn the Tiger Teams loose for some serious ratfucking.
#3
So, which is it, "penetrate and destroy the databases", or "denial of service"? They are two completely different objectives.
Ah, right...Reuters. It's about the level of reporting I expect from them. If we got an agriculture report in this style, it would contain words like "moo-cow" and "quack-quack".
#4
Waay back when I was trying to help out Internet Haganah, I saw what some of the Islamic crazies were considering doing. They did manage to knock his site off the internet for a tiny bit, but when he mirrored his site ( about 17 mirrors ) they gave up.
Anyways, reading about some of the tools they were considering using, like oversized pings and such, all measures considered to be dated and ineffectual against modern Unix-like kernels
Not saying its the same folks, but I haven't heard of any instance in which Ayrabs have tried against industrial strength sites nowadays.
It will be interesting to see how they do it, but I get the feeling these guys are a coupla generations behind where they need to be to really wreck havoc on financial sites.
#6
A denial of service attack isn't that hard to stop, especially for a large commercial site. Hacking (actually breaking into a site) should be protected against by the five levels of security that any site should maintain. Of course, there's always the jerk that tries to use "password" for a password, or their last name, or some other silly nonsense. That's why most modern systems use internally-generated random passwords. What's really needed is a clandestine group that can be notified when an attack is attempted, can follow the attack back to its host computer, and do some serious data-collecting before screwing the system over completely. There are quite a number of hackers in the US that would consider such an opportunity richly rewarding.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
12/01/2006 14:29 Comments ||
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration is unlikely to allow the incoming Democratic majority in Congress to learn details about its domestic spying program and interrogation policy, a Republican senator said on Thursday.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, who has criticized the Bush White House's secrecy about national security issues, said he would welcome detailed congressional oversight of the National Security Agency's warrantless eavesdropping. "It would be ideal," said Specter, whose committee was blocked by the administration this year from conducting a full review of the program, despite an outcry among some lawmakers that the spying was illegal. We have to really get into the details as to what the program is, as to how many people they are tapping, what they're finding out," he told an American Bar Association conference on national security. But he said he had "grave reservations" that Congress would end up getting the information from the administration.
The eavesdropping program, which was exposed by The New York Times nearly a year ago, allows the NSA to eavesdrop on the international phone calls and e-mails of U.S. citizens without first obtaining a warrant. Specter and other critics say the program has violated U.S. laws, including the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, which requires warrants for all intelligence surveillance. The Bush administration contends the program is legal, narrowly focused on suspected terrorists and authorized by President George W. Bush's constitutional powers as commander in chief.
Continued on Page 49
#1
Under Scottish law, can this RINO bitch be flogged?
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/01/2006 0:19 Comments ||
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#2
Time to do a NIXON > thank the Panel for their work, PC tell everyone "You da Man", then bomb = invade CAMBODIA-LAOS instead. Although Nixon got accused of expanding the Vietnam War into other countries, the bombings-invasion significantly reduced the flow of illegal Commie arms from these border areas, from a river to a trickle/stream. The Commies had no qualms/scruple using other nations to attack = destabilize South Vietnam + SE Asia in general, and as contrary to their own overt diplo-rhetoric, thus of course it was all NIXON'S/USA's fault!?
#3
The Bush administration is unlikely to allow the incoming Democratic majority in Congress to learn details about its domestic spying program and interrogation policy, a Republican senator said on Thursday
#5
The donkeys want to do everything in their power to destroy GWB's ability to govern, and also to ensure that any "legacy" he may have will be negative. In so doing, they will engage in the most incriminating behavior ever seen in Congress. Bush needs to stand up to them and tell them exactly what the powers of Congress are, and aren't.
Specter and a half-dozen other RINOs need to disappear the next time they face re-election. They are a waste of oxygen and space. The national Republican Party should withhold all funds from their future political campaign, and actually actively support any opposition. Specter should hang for his shenanigans with the judiciary committee.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
12/01/2006 14:34 Comments ||
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A sensational report by a top Uttar Pradesh police official branding Phulwarisharif-based Imarat Sharia as a "den of terrorists" kicked off a major controversy which forced UP CM Mulayam Singh Yadav to hastily suspend additional director general of police (Railways) B K Bhalla. Reacting sharply to the "slanderous' report, Amir-e-Shariat Maulana Syed Nizamuddin said it was a huge conspiracy to defame a respected Islamic institution. The cleric, who is also general secretary of All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), had demanded immediate action against the official.
The report, printed in a booklet form, had been distributed at the police week function organised by the UP IPS Association recently. It alleged that the Imarat was a den of terrorists where over 200 anti-national elements having links with the ISI, Lashkar-e-Taiba and other groups and terrorist from Bangladesh were taking shelter.
The Amir-e-Shariat reacted, saying: "I am shocked and pained to see the newspaper reports quoting the UP police official's report. It is nothing but a bundle of lies and it exposes the faces of the forces hell bent on defaming Muslim institutions." "Lies! All lies!"
The Maulana said Imarat Sharia, Bihar, Orissa and Jharkhand, was established by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad in 1921 and since then all top politicians, Presidents and Prime Ministers have visited it. President A P J Abdul Kalam visited the institution two years ago, he said adding that even UP CM Mulayam Singh Yadav visited the famed institution.
The controversial report not only accused renowned Islamic institutions but also criticised Indian foreign policy which has enraged the Centre too. The Centre, sources said, is believed to have taken strong exception and UP CM was asked to initiate immediate action against the official.
Apart from being ADG (Railways), Bhalla was also holding charge of ADG (Police Radio). He was supposed to speak on this matter at an academic session during the police week celebrations but had been dissuaded by his colleagues, who found the report quite inflammatory.
The report, in fact, was based on information reported by an inspector of GRP in the wake of bomb blast in a train at Jaunpur last year. Bhalla, without ascertaining facts, lifted that information and made it a detailed report and thought it fit to get it printed in a booklet form and got it distributed.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, All-India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawrat and other organisation also condemned the Bhalla report and urged the Centre and the UP government not only to take strong action against the police official but also rid the police of "communal elements."
Posted by: Fred ||
12/01/2006 00:00 ||
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Just three days after Hizb ul-Mujahideen chief Mohammad Yusuf Shah raised hopes of a winter truce in Jammu and Kashmir, pressure from sister Islamist groups has forced him to withdraw from what was being hailed as a historic breakthrough. United Jihad Council (UJC) spokesperson Syed Sadaqat Hussain told the Srinagar-based Kashmir News Service on Wednesday that the Hizb ul-Mujahideen chief "had not offered ceasefire." Mr. Hussain claimed that Mr. Shah, "while responding to a question said that the UJC doesn't believe in [initiating a] ceasefire for the sake of [a] ceasefire."
According to Mr. Hussain, Mr. Shah said an Indian ceasefire offer would be acceptable only if it was preceded by a declaration that Jammu and Kashmir was a disputed territory, and if New Delhi accepted that there were three parties to the dispute. The Pakistan-based UJC is a 13-member coalition, in which the Hizb ul-Mujahideen is the largest partner.
Enormous optimism was raised by Mr. Shah's November 27 statement to the Srinagar-based Current News Service (CNS), in which he seemed to drop these long-standing UJC preconditions. According to the CNS interview, Mr. Shah asked that India release all prisoners unconditionally, scale back its armed forces to pre-1989 levels, and end human rights violations.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
12/01/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Winter truce indeed. Who likes to be outside trudging around in the mud during the winter in jammies? No big loss.
#4
#2 If we nuked Pakistan who would miss it?????
Posted by: Ebbolump Glomotle9608 2006-12-01 05:09
#3 Lots of PakiWakis who are out of the country "on business". Posted by: .com 2006-12-01 08:00
Nuke them, too - or at least, shoot them. No loss to society as a whole, and a huge reduction in the threat of suicide attacks and other terrorist activities.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
12/01/2006 14:58 Comments ||
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The October 31 Bajaur airstrike either killed Al Qaedas deputy chief Ayman al-Zawahri or hit so close to home that it has forced him to go deeper underground, according to a commentary issued by Stratfor, the Texas-based news intelligence service. The commentary by Stratfors South Asia expert Kamran Asghar Bokhari points out that Al Qaedas top leaders have traditionally been very keen on keeping the world abreast of their status. It is, therefore, strange that nearly a month since the airstrike, there has been no word from al-Zawahri. There has been no word from Osama Bin Laden either.
Stratfor argues that the first possibility seems unlikely for a number of reasons. First of all, had al-Zawahri been killed, the jihadist communication network by now would have leaked the news of his death. It would be very hard to hide the death of either al-Zawahri or Bin Laden, even if US intelligence could not confirm the killing. It could be that the Oct 31 missile strike has created technical obstacles to issuing videotapes, which would explain why there has not been much output from As-Sahab, Al Qaedas , since the madrassa was hit. But given that As-Sahabs production facilities are unlikely to be located in the remote tribal badlands straddling the Afghan-Pakistani border, technical difficulties are not likely the case. The lack of a communiqué from al-Zawahri is much more likely the result of a conscious decision to maintain radio silence because of a breach in Al Qaedas operational security net, according to Stratfor.
In other words, argues the commentary, al-Zawahri has likely survived, and is trying to stay beneath the radar. The strike, while it did not eliminate al-Zawahri, must have come very close to doing so.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
12/01/2006 00:00 ||
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#2
I got this Stratfor piece in my mailbox a few days ago. This column is just a rewording of it in order to get around copyright restrictions. At least the author gives credit.
#3
Eh. "Never interrupt the enemy when he is making a mistake". They're staying quiet while waiting for the Baker realists to give them the victory they need.
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
12/01/2006 9:16 Comments ||
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#4
"Never interrupt the enemy when he is making a mistake".
An excellent rule of thumb. However, the jihadis are media warriors, if nothing else. You don't win propaganda wars by staying silent. Most unusual.
#5
Al-Zawahri is staying as quiet as a bell on a frozen winter day, because he knows that there are American boots walking on his roof...30 feet above his cave resort!!
The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday denied a report in British newspaper the Daily Telegraph that Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri had said that the Taliban were winning the war in Afghanistan and NATO member states should not send more troops to Afghanistan. "Lies! All lies!"
The FO said that Kasuri had only repeated what Pakistan had stressed all along the need for a comprehensive strategy in Afghanistan. "His words were taken outta context!"
Kasuri had emphasised that a military approach alone would not resolve the problem in Afghanistan. "The tape was doctored!"
The FO said that Kasuri had urged the international community to encourage reconciliation and undertake an extensive reconstruction programme in Afghanistan.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/01/2006 00:00 ||
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"The FO said that Kasuri had only repeated what Pakistan had stressed all along the need for a comprehensive strategy in Afghanistan."
Ok, here's a strategy: Coalition forces will conduct operations against high value Al Quaeda/Taliban targets who currently enjoy safe havens in Waziristan and other parts of Pakistan.
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/01/2006 13:18 Comments ||
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Frank G, second the motion. No point in paying any attention to the UN, it long ago forfeited its role as an honest broker. I think that the Israelis should tell the Egyptians that they will open the Gaza-Egypt border crossings when Egypt takes FULL reponsibility for Gaza, including having the IDF drop one bomb on Cairo for every missile launched from Gaza and for every suicide bomber originating from Gaza. Otherwise, STFU.
The United Nations unanimously approved a resolution extending the mandate of the 160,000-strong multi-national force in Iraq for a year.
And this:
Iraq and Kuwait agreed to allow Kuwait to complete the building of a border fence Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, two middle-eastern countries can agree on controlling their borders! and pay compensation to Iraqi farmers. The resolution demarcated the land border between the two nations and granted Kuwait some territory that had previously been held by Iraq and called for the creation of a no-man zone on both sides of the border, causing some Iraqi farmers living in the border zone to evacuate. Iraq and Kuwait have agreed to equally share the cost of the fences yearly maintenance, estimated at $3 million a year. Irony meter twitching?
And this is interesting:
Indonesia's foreign minister said that his country would be willing to send peacekeepers to Iraq and would encourage other Muslim countries to do the same. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told President Bush that any long-term solution to the conflict in Iraq should include more countries than are currently involved.
Posted by: Bobby ||
12/01/2006 06:39 ||
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A HIGH-LEVEL bipartisan commission in Washington examining the Iraq war will recommend a gradual pullback of the 15 US combat brigades in the country, adding to pressure on the Bush administration to shift course. The so-called Iraq Study Group is also set to urge the administration to pursue greater regional diplomacy regarding Iraq, including engaging Iran and Syria. The 10-member Iraq panel, led by former secretary of state James Baker, reached a consensus in Washington yesterday on a final report but it is said to have stopped short of setting a firm timetable for the withdrawal.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/01/2006 00:00 ||
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James Baker -- the power behind EVERY presidential throne . . . why is that, I wonder.
(AHN) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki says his country's armed forces will be ready to take control of security, nationwide, by June 2007. During a meeting with U.S. President George Bush in Amman, Jordan, al-Maliki says, "I can say that Iraqi forces will be ready, fully ready to receive this command and to command its own forces, and I can tell you that by next June our forces will be ready." The pair issued a joint statement saying, "We agreed that reform of the Iraqi security ministries and agencies and addressing the issue of militias should be accelerated."
"The ultimate solution to stabilizing Iraq and reducing violence is true national reconciliation and capable and loyal Iraqi forces dedicated to protecting all the Iraqi people."
President Bush adds, "[al-Maliki is] the right guy for Iraq, and we're going to help him; and it's in our interest to help him for the sake of peace."
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
12/01/2006 00:00 ||
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Cynicism aside (wait, isn't this Rantburg), he might just be right. We've been making a serious effort for the past two years to upgrade the Iraqi army. They're in no way ready to behave like a Western army, but they might well be good enough to take on security in Iraq. They'll need us for logistics, air cover, advice and command control coordination, but they might be good enough.
Especially in provinces with Shi'a majorities. If in June al-Maliki can say, "we can take over in 14 provinces" out of the 18, that's going to be seen (even after deducting the NYT doom and gloom slant) as good news. Hurrah! They're 80% of the way there.
And notice he didn't say anything about the Interior Ministry police.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/01/2006 10:59 Comments ||
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#6
My guess is that the Bush Administration may pull the troops out no later than six months prior to the 2008 elections! Any later and "W" will subject the stay to the political process again, and the American people will surely let the 'other shoe drop' (ie, giving the government [Presidency] over to the Democrats totally), or in case of Joe Lieberman; an Independent President!
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert wants to extend the partial ceasefire with Gaza terrorist groups to Judea and Samaria. Security officials are warning against the move.
A partial ceasefire between Gaza terrorists and Israel went into effect early Sunday morning, but terrorists Friday morning continued to break the truce and attack western Negev communities.
The latest attack sent a Kassam rocket slamming into an open area in southern Israel on Friday morning. No one was injured and no damage was reported.
Terrorists have fired 14 Kassam rockets at Israel since the start of the truce, according to the IDF. Israel has not responded to the attacks.
Despite the continued violations, Olmert said Thursday he wants to reduce and possibly end IDF operations in Judea and Samaria. He conditioned the plan on a complete cessation of attacks from Gaza, according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev.
Security officials said Friday they strongly oppose the move, according to Israel Radio. They emphasized that the IDF operations are meant to stop bombings that are often more deadly than Kassam rocket attacks from Gaza.
Meanwhile, terror attacks on IDF troops continue unabated in Judea and Samaria.
A PA terrorist Friday morning hurled a firebomb at a Border Police officer near the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. The officer was lightly injured in the attack. IDF soldiers returned fire and killed the attacker, later finding a knife on his body.
Violence among rival terrorist groups also continues within Gaza as well. An explosion at the entrance to a Gaza branch of the Arab Bank rocked the Palestinian Authority neighborhood early Friday. The explosion damaged part of the building, according to PA security sources quoted by the Reuters news service. The attackers were not identified.
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is expected to make a "dramatic announcement" this weekend regarding the ongoing crisis with Hamas over the formation of a Palestinian unity government. PA officials told The Jerusalem Post Abbas was considering the possibility of firing the Hamas-led government and holding a national referendum on early parliamentary elections.
"The negotiations with Hamas are over," said another PA official. "There's no point in pursuing the talks over the unity government because Hamas is not interested in partnership."
Sources close to Hamas warned that any move against the Hamas-led government would be seen as a coup and would aggravate tensions in the Palestinian arena. According to the sources, PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas may cut short his current tour of a number of Arab and Islamic countries following Abbas's latest remarks.
Abbas, who met with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Jericho on Thursday, told a press conference after the meeting that the unity talks with Hamas had reached a "dead end." Abbas has called an emergency meeting of the PLO executive committee for Friday to brief its members on the failure of the unity talks and his future plans, said one official, holding Hamas responsible. "The negotiations with Hamas are over," said another PA official. "There's no point in pursuing the talks over the unity government because Hamas is stone cold krazy killers not interested in partnership."
Continued on Page 49
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12/01/2006 00:00 ||
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France warned its nationals against making non-essential visits to Sri Lanka on Thursday because of an increase in violence and suicide attacks. In an advisory published on its Web site (www.diplomatie.gouv.fr), the Foreign Ministry strongly advised French visitors to avoid the north and east of the country, where the military are fighting Tamil Tiger rebels, and warned against non-urgent travel in the rest of the country.
Posted by: Fred ||
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Lebanon's Syrian-backed president has indicated he will not approve an international tribunal to try suspects over the murder of Rafik Hariri. The cabinet has sent plans for the panel to Emil Lahoud for agreement, but in a BBC interview he reiterated his view that the government was illegal. It lacks sectarian balance following the recent resignation of a number of Shia Muslim ministers, he said.
The president called for a new government of national unity. "In our constitution there is no legality to any institution if it doesn't represent all the religious communities," Lahoud told the BBC.
Critics say Lahoud and other pro-Syrian politicians are trying to prevent the Hariri tribunal from going ahead because it might embarrass them and their Syrian backers - accusations they deny.
Posted by: Fred ||
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TEL AVIV, Israel, Nov. 30 (UPI) -- With missiles that can reach every corner of the Middle East and survive preemptive strikes, Iran is already "the major missile power of the region, at least in theory," said a former head of Israel's missile defense program. "No other country in the world ... comes close to Iran in the number and variety of ballistic missiles in development or already deployed," Uzi Rubin wrote in a study published by the Institute for National Security Studies. And yet, some of those missiles' effectiveness is questionable, he noted.
Rubin based his study on published materials but his background -- from 1991 to 1999 he was the Arrow anti-ballistic missile program manager -- enables him to better analyze those reports. He wrote that most of the missiles designed to control the sea, land, and air near Iran show Chinese and Russian pedigree. The Raad, apparently an advanced version of the Chinese Silkworm, is a shore based anti-ship missile whose range should be sufficient to bloc the Persian Gulf at its widest point.
The Zelzal, which originally hails from China, is intended to hit hostile troops concentrated some 125 miles away. Other programs are externally similar to the old Soviet Strela, and anti-tank missiles.
Continued on Page 49
The leader of Lebanon's anti-Syrian bloc warned on Thursday that Syria was behind the planned Hezbollah protests to bring down the government, trying to restore its power in the country. Saad Hariri vowed the campaign would fail, but called for restraint among his supporters when Hezbollah supporters hold a mass demonstration Friday. The rally is the start of a campaign of open-ended protests called by the Shiite Muslim group and its political allies.
"Tomorrow is a day when we will show our resolve ... our calm," Hariri said in an interview with The Associated Press and Associated Press Television News. "They won't be able to bring down the government, because the government has the support of the majority of the parliament and the majority of the Lebanese people," he said.
The anti-Syrian bloc dominates parliament and the government, elected on broad support among Lebanon's Christians and Sunni Muslims. Hezbollah and pro-Syrian parties are demanding more power in the government.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/01/2006 00:00 ||
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Iranian lawmakers call for probe to close embassy, accuse envoys of plotting with U.S.
In a sign of chilling relations between Iran and Canada, Iranian lawmakers have labelled Canada's embassy in Tehran a "den of spies" and called for a probe that could shut it down. "The Canadian embassy represents the `den of spies' and this is unacceptable for Iranians," said hard-liner Hamidreza Hajbabai, one of a group of parliamentarians accusing Ottawa of plotting with the United States, a long-term enemy of Iran.
Another lawmaker, Javad Arian-Manesh, said the Majiles (parliament) would investigate the Canadian embassy for espionage, "and if it is proven, (we are) determined to shut down the mission."
#1
After seeing what our neighbors to the north do when their boots are actually on the ground, as opposed to the talking gov't heads; it would not be good for Iran to hurt any of the embassy staff. if they do ,it might just be the proverbial straw......
Hezbollah and its pro-Syrian allies launched a long-threatened campaign to force Lebanon's U.S.-backed government from office, calling for mass demonstrations Friday followed by a wave of open-ended protests. A defiant Prime Minister Fuad Saniora vowed his government would not fall, warning in a nationally televised speech Thursday night that "Lebanon's independence is threatened and its democratic system is in danger." Now don't you wish you'd tossed Old Liverlips back in March, when you had the votes?
The call for protests threatens to turn a political power struggle between pro- and anti-Syrian factions into a violent showdown in sharply divided Lebanon. Government supporters accuse Syria of being behind the Hezbollah campaign, trying to regain its lost influence in its smaller neighbor. Pretty much a statement of the obvious, isn't it?
Hezbollah and its allies, in turn, say the country has fallen under U.S. domination and that they have lost their rightful portion of power.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
12/01/2006 00:00 ||
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The United States and Lebanon signed a trade agreement Thursday that the US government said furthers President George W. Bush's initiative to negotiate a free trade agreement spanning the Middle East.
Called a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, the pact signed in Beirut, Lebanon, is part of the Bush administration's "effort to support the Lebanese government," said Shaun Donnelly, assistant US Trade Representative. "The TIFA signals the commitment of our two governments to work in a concrete and comprehensive manner to expand bilateral economic ties," Donnelly said in a statement issued by his office.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/01/2006 00:00 ||
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With Hamas essentially in control is this wise ? Or is it as ludicrous as it sounds ?
Prime Minister Fuad Saniora said Thursday he will not allow mass demonstrations called by Hizbullah to oust his government, warning that Lebanon's democracy is in danger.
In a toughly worded address, he urged the Lebanese to rally behind his beleaguered government, saying only Parliament can take away his mandate. "We will not allow the overthrow of the democratic system, its foundations and its institutions ... We are staying in our place," Saniora said in a nationally televised address from his office on the eve of an expected massive protest by Hizbullah and its allies aimed at ousting his Cabinet. "Lebanon's independence is threatened and its democratic system is in danger," he said, adding: "Do not be afraid and do not despair. We have a rightful cause. Threats will not deter us. Maneuvers and ultimatums will not terrorize us."
Posted by: Fred ||
12/01/2006 00:00 ||
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Dumbass. Why didn't you think of that when Israel was out there trying to help you? That's what happens when you hate Israel more than you love the people you are governing. You reap what you sow.
* Saudi-based Islamic organization with chapters in 55 countries
* Founded by Osama bin Ladens nephew
* Holds conferences and distributes literature promoting jihad and anti-Semitism
* Raises funds for Palestinian terrorist groups, including Hamas
* Has been linked to both the 9/11 attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing
A non-governmental youth and student group affiliated with the United Nations, the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) defines itself as "an independent organization and Islamic forum that supports the work of Muslim organizations and needy communities the world over." While WAMY's international headquarters are located in Saudi Arabia, the organization also maintains satellite chapters in 55 additional countries and is affiliated with some 500 other Muslim youth groups on five continents. Much more at link.
Posted by: ed ||
12/01/2006 10:16 ||
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The UN is once again a total failure. Since there is no attempt to correct this failing, then why do we not disband the UN and level the building ?
A vote for me is a vote for no more UN.
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.
via Stars and Stripes
A Taliban commander on Thursday welcomed NATOs plans to send more soldiers to Afghanistan, saying it would provide the insurgents with more targets. Increasing or expanding NATO troops in Afghanistan is not a worry for the Taliban, instead it will make targets for the Taliban mujahideen much easier, Commander 
(SomaliNet) A senior State Department official said Wednesday that Al-Qaida militants are operating with "great comfort" in Somalia, providing training and assistance to a radical military element loyal to the Islamic group that controls most of southern Somalia. 
Saudi Arabia has given Britain 10 days to halt a fraud investigation into the country's arms trade - or lose a £10 billion Eurofighter contract. 
Japan has the technological know-how to produce a nuclear weapon but has no immediate plans to do so, the foreign minister said Thursday, several weeks after communist North Korea carried out a nuclear test.
RED HOUSE -- If you want to know the history of the Muslims of America community in Charlotte County, just flip through the 2-inch-thick file at the county administrator's office.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government warned American private financial services on Thursday of an al Qaeda call for a cyber attack against online stock trading and banking Web sites beginning on Friday, a source said. The source, a person familiar with the warning, said the Islamic militant group aimed to penetrate and destroy the databases of the U.S. financial sites.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration is unlikely to allow the incoming Democratic majority in Congress to learn details about its domestic spying program and interrogation policy, a Republican senator said on Thursday.
A sensational report by a top Uttar Pradesh police official branding Phulwarisharif-based Imarat Sharia as a "den of terrorists" kicked off a major controversy which forced UP CM Mulayam Singh Yadav to hastily suspend additional director general of police (Railways) B K Bhalla. Reacting sharply to the "slanderous' report, Amir-e-Shariat Maulana Syed Nizamuddin said it was a huge conspiracy to defame a respected Islamic institution. The cleric, who is also general secretary of All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), had demanded immediate action against the official. 
Just three days after 
The October 31 Bajaur airstrike either killed Al Qaedas deputy chief Ayman al-Zawahri or hit so close to home that it has forced him to go deeper underground, according to a commentary issued by Stratfor, the Texas-based news intelligence service. The commentary by Stratfors South Asia expert Kamran Asghar Bokhari points out that Al Qaedas top leaders have traditionally been very keen on keeping the world abreast of their status. It is, therefore, strange that nearly a month since the airstrike, there has been no word from al-Zawahri. There has been no word from Osama Bin Laden either.
The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday denied a report in British newspaper the Daily Telegraph that Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri had said that the Taliban were winning the war in Afghanistan and NATO member states should not send more troops to Afghanistan. 
A HIGH-LEVEL bipartisan commission in Washington examining the Iraq war will recommend a gradual pullback of the 15 US combat brigades in the country, adding to pressure on the Bush administration to shift course. The so-called Iraq Study Group is also set to urge the administration to pursue greater regional diplomacy regarding Iraq, including engaging Iran and Syria. The 10-member Iraq panel, led by former secretary of state James Baker, reached a consensus in Washington yesterday on a final report but it is said to have stopped short of setting a firm timetable for the withdrawal.
(AHN) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki says his country's armed forces will be ready to take control of security, nationwide, by June 2007. During a meeting with U.S. President George Bush in Amman, Jordan, al-Maliki says, "I can say that Iraqi forces will be ready, fully ready to receive this command and to command its own forces, and I can tell you that by next June our forces will be ready." The pair issued a joint statement saying, "We agreed that reform of the Iraqi security ministries and agencies and addressing the issue of militias should be accelerated." 
by Hana Levi Julian
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is expected to make a "dramatic announcement" this weekend regarding the ongoing crisis with Hamas over the formation of a Palestinian unity government. PA officials told The Jerusalem Post Abbas was considering the possibility of firing the Hamas-led government and holding a national referendum on early parliamentary elections. 
Lebanon's Syrian-backed president has indicated he will not approve an international tribunal to try suspects over the murder of Rafik Hariri. The cabinet has sent plans for the panel to Emil Lahoud for agreement, but in a BBC interview he reiterated his view that the government was illegal. It lacks sectarian balance following the recent resignation of a number of Shia Muslim ministers, he said. 
TEL AVIV, Israel, Nov. 30 (UPI) -- With missiles that can reach every corner of the Middle East and survive preemptive strikes, Iran is already "the major missile power of the region, at least in theory," said a former head of Israel's missile defense program. "No other country in the world ... comes close to Iran in the number and variety of ballistic missiles in development or already deployed," Uzi Rubin wrote in a study published by the Institute for National Security Studies. And yet, some of those missiles' effectiveness is questionable, he noted. 
The leader of Lebanon's anti-Syrian bloc warned on Thursday that Syria was behind the planned Hezbollah protests to bring down the government, trying to restore its power in the country. Saad Hariri vowed the campaign would fail, but called for restraint among his supporters when Hezbollah supporters hold a mass demonstration Friday. The rally is the start of a campaign of open-ended protests called by the Shiite Muslim group and its political allies.
Iranian lawmakers call for probe to close embassy, accuse envoys of plotting with U.S..JPG)
Hezbollah and its pro-Syrian allies launched a long-threatened campaign to force Lebanon's U.S.-backed government from office, calling for mass demonstrations Friday followed by a wave of open-ended protests. A defiant Prime Minister Fuad Saniora vowed his government would not fall, warning in a nationally televised speech Thursday night that "Lebanon's independence is threatened and its democratic system is in danger."
Prime Minister Fuad Saniora said Thursday he will not allow mass demonstrations called by Hizbullah to oust his government, warning that Lebanon's democracy is in danger. 
