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Page 2: WoT Background
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-Short Attention Span Theater-
OFFICIAL 2004 DNC CONVENTION PROGRAM
6:00pm - Opening flag burning ceremony.
6:30pm - Anti-war rally no. 1.
6:40pm - Ted Kennedy proposes a toast.
7:00pm - Tribute theme to France.
7:10pm - Collect offerings for al-Zawahri defense fund.
7:20pm - Ted Kennedy proposes a toast
7:25pm - Tribute theme to Spain.
7:45pm - Anti-war rally no. 2. (Moderated by Michael Moore)
8:00pm - John Kerry presents one side of the issues
8:25pm - Ted Kennedy proposes a toast.
8:30pm - Terrorist appeasement workshop.
9:00pm - Gay marriage ceremony.

9:30pm - * Intermission *
10:00pm - Flag burning ceremony no. 2.
10:15pm - Re-enactment of Kerry’s fake medal toss.
10:30pm - Cameo by Dean ’Yeeearrrrrrrg!’
10:40pm - Ted Kennedy proposes a toast.
10:50pm - Pledge of allegiance to the UN.
11:00pm - Double gay marriage ceremony.
11:15pm - Maximizing Welfare workshop.
11:20pm - John Kerry presents the other side of the issues
11:30pm - ’Free Saddam’ pep rally.
11:59pm - Ted Kennedy proposes a toast.
12:00am - Nomination of Democrat candidate.
Posted by: tipper || 04/18/2004 8:58:24 AM || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  So much to do, So little time
Posted by: TomAnon || 04/18/2004 9:23 Comments || Top||

#2  [Off-topic or abusive comments deleted]
Posted by: mhw TROLL || 04/18/2004 10:44 Comments || Top||

#3  And that's just the first day!
Posted by: Raj || 04/18/2004 11:03 Comments || Top||

#4  The time frame is a little off. The nomination of a Democrat candidate takes place one minute before midnight per the doomsday clock.
Posted by: Larry Everett || 04/18/2004 20:48 Comments || Top||

#5  tipper, ROFL...too funny (except it if really goes down this way, which it probably will!).
Posted by: Jen || 04/18/2004 20:51 Comments || Top||

#6  The anti war rallies are too early in the morning. Socialists don't wake up until about 900am.
Posted by: mhw || 04/18/2004 10:44 Comments || Top||


Arabia
Abdallah Sees Wide Anti-US Feeling in Middle East
Posted by: Fred || 04/18/2004 11:17 || Comments || Link || [4 views] Top|| File under:

#1  In another development, a dismantled terrorist network planned to attack Jordan’s intelligence headquarters with a chemical bomb which would have killed 20,000 people living in the surrounding area in west Amman, an official involved in the inquiry told AFP in Amman yesterday. “We found primary materials to make a chemical bomb which, if it had exploded, would have made nearly 20,000 deaths ... in an area of one square kilometer,” the official said.

NOTE TO KING ABDALLAH: Get your sh!t straight Tonto. It was ARAB FANATICS who were trying to kill tens of thousands of your people, not the Americans. Don't try and blame America for any unrest while it goes about defending itself from your region's Islamist terrorists. Middle Eastern totalitarian and autocratic theocracies are the ones that have bred up the most monstrous mass murderers since Stalin and the Nazis, not US policy. Do something about this right-effing-away or we will be obliged to do it for you.
END OF MESSAGE
Posted by: Zenster || 04/18/2004 19:30 Comments || Top||

#2  Z,

You are on a roll. Care to become the new ambassador to Arabia?
Posted by: ed || 04/18/2004 19:51 Comments || Top||

#3  Blame and shame rather than acknowledge and move on. It's the Arab way and the reason they still live in the year 700.
Posted by: B || 04/19/2004 8:20 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Politix
Meet the Press April 18- Kerry
Quotes from "NBC NEWS’ MEET THE PRESS."
snip....
MR. RUSSERT: Who’s crooked and lying? The president?
SEN. KERRY: I was talking about the attack machine. If you get on the Internet today, Tim, if you listen to what’s on talk radio, and go out there and see the concerted, coordinated Republican attack machine, you will see an extraordinary level that demeans American politics.
I guess Mr Kerry doesn’t know about the Dim Underground and other hate Bush sites. Only you sir and your liberal cohort from Mass demean politics and this great nation. Sites like Rantburg must be taking a toll on Lurch. That makes ius liars and crooks and God help you if you are also in the National Guard.
And I think most Americans--you know what Americans want, Tim? They want the truth....
Ya turn to the Dimocratic Undergrouind for the truth ya man.

This interview also contains a statement from Lurch (by the way he was loaded with makeup) on him stating for the record he is an Internationalist, his medical records are available somewhere "..People can come and see them at headquarters and take a look at them", and that Teresa won’t be disclosing her 2003 taxes anytine soon.
Posted by: Anonymous || 04/18/2004 3:28:15 PM || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  It is Sunday, I like to eat waffles on Sunday
Posted by: hungry || 04/18/2004 17:06 Comments || Top||

#2  Damn....I'm anonymous. I hate it when you put the time and effort in to compiling an article and forget to check your name....
Posted by: Bill Nelson || 04/18/2004 17:10 Comments || Top||

#3  Alot of air with no substance. Interesting read but glad I didn't listen to it. He can't stand it when he can't finish his filibustering.
Posted by: AF Lady || 04/18/2004 17:11 Comments || Top||

#4  Clinton never released his medical records, either deviated septum. At least the Dems are consistent...
Posted by: Raj || 04/18/2004 18:00 Comments || Top||

#5  There is something spooky about watching a man whose forehead never moves one micron.
Posted by: ed || 04/18/2004 19:06 Comments || Top||

#6  Hungry, I got to tell you that there is no way I could even consider voting for Kerry, based alone on how he conducted himself after returning from Nam while other brave men were in Harm's way while he traitorously dishonored his flag, country and uniform. His Internationalism stand, his lack of morals and his party 1st country 2nd are just topping on his mountain of deceit.
Posted by: Bill Nelson || 04/18/2004 19:23 Comments || Top||

#7  Um, am I missing something?

How is it possible to listen to what anyone has to say when they have such an affectation when they speak?

All this botox talk is a sideshow. He could look like Shrek if he had the right ideas. But its creepy to see someone 10 years older than me with almost no wrinkles. I guess I have bad DNA. He he he.
Posted by: Anonymous4052 || 04/18/2004 22:42 Comments || Top||


Kerry Says Iraq Solution May Be New U.S. President
Posted by: Fred || 04/18/2004 11:50 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  God, Kerry is such a weinerboy. Fortunately, his candidacy seems to be utterly frictionless, leaving him frustrated at the starting gate.
Posted by: Anonymous || 04/18/2004 17:02 Comments || Top||

#2  He may be right, but I just don't think Rumsfeld would run against Bush.
Posted by: Matt || 04/18/2004 18:02 Comments || Top||

#3  Perhaps he should run for President of Iraq.
Posted by: A Jackson || 04/18/2004 23:15 Comments || Top||


Kerry calls for UN, Nato mission in Iraq
Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry on Saturday called for a new mission authorised by the United Nations to help rebuild Iraq, with a NATO security force under US command keeping order. Kerry said President George W Bush had failed to lay out a strategy for winning the peace in Iraq and said US troops in Iraq “are paying the price for a flawed policy.”

“The president may not want to admit mistakes, but his choices in Iraq have so far produced a tragedy of errors,” Kerry said in the weekly Democratic radio address. “Staying the course does not mean stubbornly holding to the wrong course.” Kerry touted a four-step plan for peace in Iraq that included more US troops combined with a UN mission to help rebuild Iraq and restore a democratic government. He also called for a NATO security force under an American commander to transform the military force in Iraq. Kerry called on President George W Bush to get rid of the “Made in America” tag on the US-led occupation of Iraq in a new campaign attack. Kerry said Bush and other US leaders had to be “honest with the American people about the difficulties we face in Iraq” and more troops must be sent to secure Iraq. “Removing that ‘Made In America’ label can send a message to Iraqi military and police that it’s time to do their jobs — not because America is telling them to, but because the world stands ready to help them secure a stable Iraq,” Kerry said.
Posted by: Fred || 04/18/2004 11:47 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Oh, yeah, like that'll take care of it. It'll be real peaceful then, just like it is in Kosovo now. Won't have Muslim policemen shooting Americans at a prison or anything.

Oh, wait.... My bad.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut || 04/18/2004 11:58 Comments || Top||

#2  Yah, I just read about that incident... and I'm the bad kinda speechless. I do not want to hear any suggestions that we need to 'go along' with guys like those backstabbing policemen.
Posted by: Phil Fraering || 04/18/2004 12:33 Comments || Top||

#3  The UN has proven time and time again that they couldn't smack their collective asses with a bass fiddle in a room full of mirrors. Don't expect many troops coming home before or after Bush wins the 2004 elections!
Posted by: Jack Deth || 04/18/2004 14:16 Comments || Top||

#4  First and foremost Kerry has stated he is an Internationalist. His concerns are what the world thinks about the USA. Thought he states he wouldn't allow the world to dictate to our strategic defense needs, he nevertheless will have a bias to consent before action. When he speaks of no caoaliton in Iraq he really means the French, Germans, Russians and Chinese don't support the war. This bothers Msieur Kerry greatly. The average American doesn't give a hoot what the world thinks of our foreign policy. What they do see is a policy which first and foremost which acts in our Natioanl defense. The choice is clearer everyday. Defense by world opinion or defense by what is in the best interests of the US. This election will be a referndum on that issue in November.
Posted by: Bill Nelson || 04/18/2004 14:58 Comments || Top||

#5  If Kerry has any chance of winning in November, this may have tipped the balance in his favour. He just got the vote from people who didn't support the war, but would have if the UN or NATO was involved. Not only that, if the deal with the UN or NATO doesn't work, then Kerry will be forced to pull EVERYTHING out of Iraq. And on the odd chance that this happens, he just got the vote from the peaceniks and other loons.

If Kerry continues with this strategy, it will be the end of the road for Bush.
Posted by: Rafael || 04/18/2004 16:26 Comments || Top||

#6  If Kerry has any chance of winning in November, this may have tipped the balance in his favour. He just got the vote from people who didn't support the war, but would have if the UN or NATO was involved.

Exactly...

Oh wait...

Bush did involve the UN, but they dithered and debated, and ultimately nothing would have changed.

Raffie, I hope Kerry and his socialist advisors go in to the general election on this platform: Kerry will work with the UN and not against it. Makes the 'attack machine' much easier to generate targets.

2004 is gonna be soo much for for Dubya.
Posted by: badanov || 04/18/2004 18:18 Comments || Top||

#7  And another thing - what's the point of saying we should "involve the UN" other than flapping his gums? Coffee just said that Iraq is too dangerous for the UN.

The only thing those wankers are good at is stealing, lying, and supporting dictators and genocide. Oh, yeah - and running their mouths.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut || 04/18/2004 18:43 Comments || Top||

#8  Bush did involve the UN,

But he didn't get the resolution he was vying for. Man...I wish I shared your optimism, but my gut feeling tells me it's gonna be bad news in November.
Posted by: Rafael || 04/18/2004 20:52 Comments || Top||

#9  Rafael, I really wouldn't worry--most people back President Bush and Skerry really is the *worst* candidate.

This thing about involving the UN and NATO is Bullshit and Lurch knows it.
The NATO part would be screwed by the Weasel Axis problem and the whole "Who are we?" EU members identity crisis.
It's like "Shimmer," the floor wax and the dessert topping; are we NATO? Are we EU? We're both and neither and maybe.

As for the UN, not only did French perfidy ensure that there would be a war because they wouldn't endorse the last resolution, but between the bombing of the UN HQ in Baghdad after which they turned tail and ran and their complete rape of Iraq via the Oil-for-Palaces program, the Iraqs don't wanna see the UN either.

Skerry's trying to apply the "Afghanistan solution" to the problem when it's really far, far too late for that.
Furthermore, the United States has now expended much blood and treasure for the right to determine Iraq's future and any candidate for President should never, ever forget that!
Posted by: Jen || 04/18/2004 21:02 Comments || Top||

#10  but my gut feeling tells me it's gonna be bad news in November

After the last couple of weeks I agree with you. The Middle East will go to ratshit and the West will retreat to the Israeli option. Fences, walls, and constant vigilance. It will not be a good two or three years but it will force us to solve the ME oil depedance problem. Once we do it will be a horribly bad long term for the Arabs/muslims.
Posted by: Phil B || 04/18/2004 21:11 Comments || Top||


Jesse Jackson Asked for Help With U.S. Captive
Posted by: Fred || 04/18/2004 11:07 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Home Front: WoT
Jamie Gorelick Responds in the Washington Post About the "Wall" Issue
Posted by: Mike Sylwester || 04/18/2004 09:32 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


International-UN-NGOs
Arab League rejects new US policy
The 22 members of the Arab League have rejected Washington's new policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying it is a threat to security and stability in the Middle East.
If we cared in the least about their opinion, we'd probably have asked them what it was.
US President George Bush said this week Israel could retain parts of the occupied West Bank and Palestinian refugees should give up hope of regaining their homes in Israel. At the request of Palestine, a full league member, the Arab League held a special session in Cairo at permanent representative level on Saturday to respond to Bush. "The council ... affirmed unanimously that it rejects the new American position, which is likely to wreck the peace process in the Middle East," an official statement said. "This position encourages Israel to persist in its aggression against the Palestinian people and its threats to security and stability in the region. The council calls on the United States to do what is necessary to prevent the collapse of the principles of the peace process." The Arab League repeated the Arab position that no one but the Palestinians could renounce their right of return, which is enshrined in UN resolutions, and that Israel should withdraw to its borders on the eve of the June 1967 war. The league said Arabs remained committed to their peace initiative of 2002, which offered Israel peace and normal relations with all Arab countries in return for withdrawal.
Except that they want a right of return and a Paleostinian state. The two would seem to be exclusive.
Posted by: Fred || 04/18/2004 12:04 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under:


Southeast Asia
American Remains in Vietnam Sent Back to U.S
x
Posted by: Steve White || 04/18/2004 1:22:52 PM || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:


Indonesian Candidate Picks Running Mate
Posted by: Fred || 04/18/2004 11:11 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iran mullahs host a human rights conference
"Very Bad Joke of The Year"
In a one-day conference to be held in Tehran on April 25, numbers of lawyers and prominent activists of human rights from Iran and abroad will participate, including Maria Terresa Doutli, Deputy Secretary General of International Committee of Red Cross in Legal Affairs, Can you believe it? Ms. Doutli will make a speech titled:" National Execution of Humanitarian Law". She will convey her 25 years experiences on facing the wars and conflicts to Iranian governmental and non-governmental organizations.
Posted by: Fred || 04/18/2004 9:33:00 PM || Comments || Link || [4 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Try to remember that Iran views the protection of human rights as something in need of remediation.

It's important to consider how Iranian Ayatollahs think that "National Execution of Humanitarian Law," refers to its elimination and not any sort of implementation.
Posted by: Zenster || 04/18/2004 22:00 Comments || Top||


Iran to split its biggest region
The Iranian parliament has approved a plan to divide the north-eastern province of Khorasan into three. The government says the changes will make the area easier to administer, but many people fear their cities could lose influence as a result. Earlier efforts to divide Khorasan have led to riots in which dozens were hurt. The Khorasan region has played an important part in Iran’s history and critics of the division plan fear its cultural identity will be undermined. Members of parliament have been touring Khorasan to explain the changes. They have tried to reassure locals the new provincial boundaries could be redrawn if there are good reasons for it. The plan now has to be approved by the conservative Council of Guardians - but a BBC analyst says it is likely to rubber-stamp the plan, unless tension in Khorasan rises.
Information concerning this region is limited. There are only about five million people living in the area. The capitol, Mashhad, where the tomb of their eighth Imam, Reza, is located remains a very holy Shi’ia shrine. Below is one of the only leads that might explain why this is being done. It appears there may be a connection to Kurdish elements.
Khorason, especially in the north, is characterized by a large ethnic diversity. Over a surface of 15,444 square miles, all the ethnic groups that compose the population of contemporary Iran can be found: Kurds, Balouchis, Lors, Turks, Turkmens, Sistanis, Afghanis, Arabs, etc...

The existence of this mosaic of people is due to historical reasons. The presence of several of these ethnic groups such as the Turks goes far back in time. On the other hand, others, like the Kurds, have been forcefully settled. The Kurds were deported from their homeland during the reign of the Safavids in order to reinforce the defense line of the north eastern border.
Does anybody else have some insights on this situation? Below is a somewhat cryptic mention of riots that took place in Sabzevar during late 2001.
Security forces arrested 154 people for the riots that broke out on 29-30 August in Sabzevar after locals objected to their town not being selected as the capital of a newly-created province, according to official reports. During those riots, at least one person was killed and 37 others were wounded when the security forces opened fire. By 31 August, according to IRNA, "absolute calm" had returned to the city as Law Enforcement Forces and the Basij Resistance Forces patrolled the city. Yet at least 90 shops stayed closed on 2 September to protest the government’s actions. The unrest had spread, furthermore, and about 300 people held a demonstration in Qaem. They objected to the inclusion of their city in the southern one-third of what was formerly Khorasan Province. Local merchants promised to go on a sympathy strike. In Nishabur, locals protested against giving any privileges to Sabzevar, "Tehran Times" reported on 3 September. (Bill Samii)
Posted by: Zenster || 04/18/2004 6:12:19 PM || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under:


#2  Is it just me or does anyone else find it intensely ironic that, after years of facilitating terrorist car and truck bombings, slipshod Iranian bureaucracy obliterated Omar Khyam's revered birthplace with what amounted to an Iranian train bomb of their own making?
Posted by: Zenster || 04/18/2004 20:14 Comments || Top||

#3  It wasn't "slipshod Iranian bureaucracy," Zipster, you knee jerk moron!
It was probably our Special Forces along with sympathetic Iranian recruits who took out a load of explosives headed to Taliban forces in Afghanistan, per Debka.
KEEP UP.
Posted by: Jen || 04/18/2004 20:19 Comments || Top||

#4  Zenster, are you the same "Zenster" that used to post on the Straight Dope message board?

Link
Posted by: Parabellum || 04/18/2004 20:46 Comments || Top||

#5  Hilarious, PB!
Looks like they "love" him as much as we do--maybe more!
Posted by: Jen || 04/18/2004 21:04 Comments || Top||

#6  Jen, go in for a rabies shot. You're foaming again. Getting the train to somehow derail in Neishabour was a little too fortuitous.

Parabellum, yes. Why do you ask?
Posted by: Zenster || 04/18/2004 21:04 Comments || Top||

#7  Here is the post refer to in the link. You have to scroll down to find it.

So why did they ban you Zenster? Inquiring minds want to know.
Posted by: Phil B || 04/18/2004 21:20 Comments || Top||

#8  Thank you for asking, Phil B. From Jen's infantile glee, it's rather obvious that Parabellum's link was an unflattering one.

After nearly, 10,000 posts, some of which may have helped to save a life here and there, I was accused of physically threatening a troll who openly bragged about intentionally obstructing emergency vehicle access lanes.

Numerous people made it very clear to the SDMB Moderators how extremely dubious it was to construe me as attempting such a thing. Their decision was even criticized by another message board's Administrator. One of the SDMB moderators even saw fit to try and insult me while plagiarizing over 1,000 words of my submitted text without any attribution or even bothering to change 0.01% of the wording.

Parabellum, in the interests of fairness (if that's what you're even interested in) are you going to bother linking to any of the various SDMB threads that praised my contributions there, or is this just a smear tactic on your part?
Posted by: Zenster || 04/18/2004 21:49 Comments || Top||

#9  PB, doesn't have to prove you're a troll; you do a pretty good job all on your lonesome.
And you would know a lot about "infantile."
Don't know how old you are in human years, but you clearly lack the emotional maturity needed to comment anywhere but DUH.com (Dimocrat Underwear) where knee-jerk emotionalism is taken for "researched opinion"....or perhaps "American Idol" has a fan forum.
Posted by: Jen || 04/18/2004 22:32 Comments || Top||

#10  Jen, you display all the sophistication of a kindergartener. Feel free to go lay down by your dish.
Posted by: Zenster || 04/18/2004 23:34 Comments || Top||


Iran Will Not Melt Like Iraq: Khatami
Posted by: Fred || 04/18/2004 11:18 || Comments || Link || [4 views] Top|| File under:

#1  hmmm . . is he anticipating the heat being turned up?
Posted by: spiffo || 04/18/2004 11:27 Comments || Top||

#2  Iraq wasn't going to melt like Afghanistan, either. And the Talibs warned they weren't going to melt like... ummm... Iraq.
Posted by: Fred || 04/18/2004 11:36 Comments || Top||

#3  Choices, choices...Melt like the Soviet Union or melt like Hiroshima?
Posted by: john || 04/18/2004 11:48 Comments || Top||

#4  I vote the later.
Posted by: 3dc || 04/18/2004 14:05 Comments || Top||

#5  When heated, some compounds decompose in a violent manner. For the Mullahs and muckity mucks to remain in power, they have NO CHOICE but to sabotage the Coalition effort in Iraq. A successful Iraq, even half successful means doom for the Black Turbans. The heat is already on. They get a nuke and rattle it around and the heat will go up over 1 x 10^ Degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit, units do not matter then.
Posted by: Alaska Paul || 04/18/2004 15:51 Comments || Top||

#6  A.P. Amen.
Posted by: Evert Visser in NL || 04/18/2004 16:23 Comments || Top||

#7  Iran Will Not Melt Like Iraq: Khatami

Who gives a sh!t about the Iranian mullahs melting? We have sufficient nuclear weapons technology to sublimate them directly into the vapor phase.
Posted by: Zenster || 04/18/2004 19:00 Comments || Top||


Africa: Subsaharan
Mugabe brands Commonwealth evil
President Robert Mugabe has marked 24 years of freedom from British colonial rule by saying his country will never re-join the "evil" Commonwealth. Mugabe, who has steered the southern African country since independence in 1980, again ruled out any possibility of returning to the grouping of mainly former colonies of Britain. Zimbabwe was suspended from the organisation after Mugabe's controversial re-election in 2002 when it concluded that the polls were marred by high levels of violence and intimidation. When the Commonwealth last December extended that suspenion, an angry Mugabe said he would pull his country out for good. "We shall never go back to this evil organisation," the president told tens of thousands of people gathered today for celebrations at a giant sports stadium in the capital Harare.
Posted by: Fred || 04/18/2004 14:58 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Afghanistan/South Asia
Students clash with police in new protests against Nepal king
Students at Nepal’s leading university who support an opposition drive to oust the royalist government brawled with police on Sunday outside their main campus, police said. Student activists, who have declared the main branch of Tribhuvan University off-limits to authorities, threw stones at police and burnt tyres to stop traffic in front of the university, a police officer said. Student leaders said several of their members were injured in a police baton-charge. Police did not confirm injuries but said traffic had resumed outside the campus. Leftist students Wednesday tore down portraits of King Gyanendra across the main branch of Tribhuvan Unversity, where the monarch is titular chancellor, to show solidarity with the opposition, which demands a return to elected rule.

The demonstration was called on Sunday against the detentions of 15 students among some 2,000 others in protests across the capital a day earlier. “We will lock all the offices of campus administrators on Monday if the students are not freed,” student activist Prasant Rimal said. The government on April 8 indefinitely banned protests in Kathmandu saying Maoist rebels waging a bloody campaign to overthrow the monarchy would infiltrate them.
Posted by: Fred || 04/18/2004 12:06 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Africa: Subsaharan
Warri: 5 Youths Die in Clash With Soldiers
Just the background noise of unceasing violence...
FIVE unidentified youths were yesterday in Warri shot dead by soldiers attached to the Joint Security Task Force, Operation Restore Hope, while attempting to hijack oil barges belonging to the Shell Petroleum Developing Company (SPDC). The dead youth, Vanguard learnt, went in about five speed boats and were armed with sophisticated weapons. Vanguard gathered that the men had successfully anchored on one of the barges before the soldiers opened fire on them only for the invaders to return fire. The fire exchange reportedly lasted two hours and by the time it was over, five were dead. Speaking on the incident, the commander of the task force, Brig. Gen. Elias Zamani, said it was a case of barge robbery resisted by his men stationed around the area. He said: "Some youths or pirates had last night invaded the SPDC jetty at Ogunu in a bid to steal some barges with crude. But two were killed by soldiers in a gun fire exchange."
Shell seems to be a favored target this weekend...
At Ododo quarters of Ughoton Community in Okpe local government area, some other youths invaded the area, destroying fishing settlements and farm lands, according to the Chairman of the Ughoton Community Association, Mr. Ben Agbayigholo. He said the invaders came in about six boats through Ododo quarters and attacked a fishing settlement inhabited by Ijaw fishermen. Mr. Agbayigholo told Vanguard that "at about 9p.m. on Tuesday, we were woken by sounds of heavy gun shots, and upon enquiry, I was told some militant youths were shooting their way through Ododo towards the Ijaw settlement in our community." He said the Ododo people were now taking refuge in the Ughoton area. "We want to state that the Ughoton people would not tolerate such invasion again. We are peace-loving people and have never been part of any ethnic hostilities in Warri. We do not want either the Ijaw or the Itsekiri to take Ughoton as a battle ground," he stated.
Posted by: Fred || 04/18/2004 12:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Home Front: Tech
On Mars, rovers starting overtime
Posted by: Fred || 04/18/2004 11:52 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:


Afghanistan/South Asia
No case registered for Muridke incident
No case has been registered after Friday’s angry protests in Muridke at which several policemen were injured.
Muridke is Hafiz Saeed's hometown...
Muridke police officers said they had not registered a case because nobody had lodged a complaint. They alleged that nazims Saeed Butt and Nadeem, who belong to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, had incited the demonstrators. Police said that earlier, unidentified men had stabbed three people including a woman and a child in Dow Kay village, an incident which had already raised tempers in the Muridke.
But who's complaining?
On Friday evening, hundreds of people blocked Grand Trunk Road to protest the murder of a child in Moazzam Colony and the release of a suspect by police. Muhammad Ramazan, 7, son of Muhammad Arif, was playing in front of his house on Friday morning when he was kidnapped. Ramazan’s family and a neighbour searched found his body in a nearby factory. He had been sexually assaulted before being stabbed. Later, people caught a suspect named Muhammad Qaiser of Rana Town in Ferozewala and handed him to the police. Muhammad Ilyas, a police official of the Muridke police station, released him.
... for one reason or another. It could even be they released him because he was innocent, I suppose. Though it's not likely...
The protesters burnt tyres and shouted slogans against police. Police rushed to the spot and tried to disperse the protesters, who responded by throwing stones at them and their cars. Three officers and seven constables were injured. Later, at 10.15pm on Friday, Ferozewala Nazim Nasrullah and the Sheikhupura senior superintendent of police rushed to Muridke and assured the protesters that persons involved would be arrested within 24 hours. A Punjab government spokesman said that the culprits would be arrested soon and would be given exemplary punishment. The spokesman said that experienced police officers had been deputed to investigate the case. He said a few misguided elements had disturbed the peace in the area.
Posted by: Fred || 04/18/2004 11:44 || Comments || Link || [4 views] Top|| File under:



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