#1
nice catch, Muck. This bitch needs to be removed, and with the publishing of the story in the AJC, teh words out. Expect GA patriots to ride this one out of her position, as it's obviously a Peter Principle and bias example
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/05/2005 15:49 Comments ||
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#2
Muck, have you ever consider buying a dictionary?
Posted by: Bill N ||
06/05/2005 15:55 Comments ||
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#3
don't try to change him, Bill. Treasure him as he is :-)
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/05/2005 16:03 Comments ||
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#4
did you read the story about Felt underneath it??? Wow.
...For instance, a May 18 report in the Afghan newspaper Kabul Weekly said the riots that killed 17 people were not about disrespect for the Koran in American detainment camps--they were a show of force by the Taliban and another fundamentalist group, Hezb-e Islami. "These demonstrations were organized by the Taliban and their supporters, and only some naive people joined the protesters," the newspaper said. The BBC picked up the story on May 22, but so far as I can see, it was completely ignored in American news media. If you edited, let us say, a large newspaper in Washington or New York, or a prominent newsmagazine accused of causing these famous riots, wouldn't you want to check this one out?
This article starring:
Hezb-e Islami
Posted by: Captain America ||
06/05/2005 00:35 ||
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#1
From the article: A different omission marred the reporting of Amnesty International's report charging torture in U.S. detainment camps. The group didn't just call Guantanamo a "gulag," an over-the-top remark that was universally reported. In a press release that most reporters ignored, the group also invited foreign governments to snatch certain visiting American officials off the streets and bring them to trial for crimes against humanity. The suggested snatchees, should they travel abroad, were President Bush, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, former CIA Director George Tenet, and other unnamed civilian and military officials. Amnesty International said that "all states have a responsibility to investigate and prosecute people responsible for these crimes," just as the British pounced on Augusto Pinochet in London in 1998. The snatching recommendation wasn't new, but the Amnesty press release is a useful reminder of the dangers of signing on to the International Criminal Court.
Fucking incredible. Here is the USA fighting the nicest and most sensitive war ever fought, against the most vile of religous supremists who have wiped out, in previous conquests, more than 25% of the world's population and who, if given the chance today, wouldn't hesitate to wipe out the 80% who are not muslim. Yet AI wants to lock up Bush, Rumsfeld, et al. In other words, AI wants to decapitate the freely elected American government. There comes a point where they have crossed the line from a human rights org to advocating sedition in time of war. AI's US leadership have crossed the line to treason. As for AI's general secretary, the Bangladeshi Ms. Khan, at least she knows which side she is fighting for, and should be considered a combatant.
Alas, even the advocates of western suicide at AI aren't stupid enough to call for the incarceration of the real puppetmaster, Darth Cheney. Amnesty International can now officially FOAD.
Posted by: ed ||
06/05/2005 7:50 Comments ||
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#2
What country in their right mind would snatch certain visiting American officials? They've seen amble demonstation of how the US can lay waste to anyone stupid enough to do something which historically constitutes an Act of War. If they think that the American Jacksonians would just stop with the offending government and not track AI down like the Taliban, then these people are truely wacked.
#3
Damnesty Internationale has definitely crossed a line here. Time for some back channel communications to get the point across nice and clear - like.
Posted by: Rex Mundi ||
06/05/2005 9:43 Comments ||
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#4
What country in their right mind would snatch certain visiting American officials?
ya mean like, students capturing diplomats, marines, and office workers in an embassy takeover? Jeez...a president would have to be a pretty weak piece of shit to not respond, right, Jimmy?
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/05/2005 11:58 Comments ||
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#5
Mr Carter is in a nose to nose race with James Buchanan as the worst president in American History. Posturing about how the current resident is doing in cleaning up the mess that Mr. Carter himself started really helps in balloting.
#6
...the group also invited foreign governments to snatch certain visiting American officials off the streets and bring them to trial for crimes against humanity.
Doesn't this fall under advocated terrorist acts? Can we get AI banned as a terrorist-supporting organization?
The Saudi crown prince on Friday reassured Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas about the health of ailing King Fahd, who has been in hospital for a week, the state SPA news agency reported.
"Yeah, sure. He's about as stable as you can get..."
Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz "reassured (Abbas) about the health of the monarch" when the Palestinian leader telephoned him to enquire about the king's condition, it said. Abbas also thanked Saudi Arabia for its "unlimited" moral and material support for the Palestinians, SPA added. It gave no further details about the condition of King Fahd, who was admitted to hospital last Friday. A medical source told AFP on Monday that the king was recovering from pneumonia and was responding to treatment in King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh.
"What kind of treatment is he receiving?"
"Well, right now they've got him packed in ice..."
Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz said the next day that the monarch was recovering from an infection and would leave hospital soon.
... probably in a hearse...
Posted by: Fred ||
06/05/2005 00:00 ||
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Prolly a misunderstanding here, he didn't inquire about Fathead's "health" but his "wealth", as in, "Where's the fucking check, man? I got a kleptocracy to run here, guns to load, bombs to build, Jooos to kill. You can't dodge me with this hospital bullshit."
Hundred of thousands of people, including relatives of those killed or wounded by bomb attacks by Basque separatists, packed the streets of Madrid Saturday to protest a government offer to hold talks with the armed group ETA if it renounces violence. The demonstrators shouted slogans against Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and his Socialist government and demanded the resignation of the government's ombudsman for victims of terrorism, Gregorio Peces Barba. Zapatero says the time is right to seek talks with ETA, arguing that the group has been seriously weakened by a wave of arrests over the past two years and has not killed anyone since May 2003.
"And none of the people they killed before then is dead anymore, so it's time to move on, right?"
Under his offer, Zapatero said that if the group renounced violence, he would be prepared to discuss the fate of more than 500 ETA prisoners in Spanish jails and terms for the group to disarm. ETA has yet to responded. ETA, whose initials stand for Basque Homeland and Freedom, has killed more than 800 people since beginning its violent campaign for independence in 1968.
Shucks, that's less than two dozen people a year, fewer than two people a month. I'm sure Zaps will be able to work something out with them...
The group wants independence for the three-province Basque region in northern Spain, along the border with France. People of all ages carried Spanish flags and banners with slogans such as "No negotiation in my name" and "We are all united with the victims." Crowd estimates varied widely and ranged from between 200,000 and 850,000. "The government is taking a wrong way," said Maria del Carmen Fernandez, 60, who lost her husband in a car bomb attack in Madrid in 1981. "Many people have died at the hands of these assassins, and the government is not recognizing our pain. We don't want to negotiate with the people that killed our loved ones," she said. Survivors of ETA attacks led a march of politicians — including former Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar and opposition leader Mariano Rajoy.
What the hell did they think was going to happen when they voted Zappy in?
Posted by: Fred ||
06/05/2005 00:00 ||
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#1
I think he is a goner considering the change of events in France, Germany (Merkel and her party on the rise), even UK with Blair diminished somewhat. He will have no one to hold hands with if Nick, Angela and Gordon become the new big 3 and Bush continues to avoid him like the plague. If anything ETA has been emboldened by what happened on 311. It proves that the Spainards are weak and fickled even more with Zappy at the wheel.
Posted by: Jack is Back! ||
06/05/2005 12:31 Comments ||
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#2
It wasn't "groups" it was nearly a million persons despite the best efforts of Spanish MSM to silence or discredit the protests.
Prompted by Amnesty International's complaint that the U.S. terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo Bay is a "gulag," Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter plans to hold hearings this month to clarify the rights of terrorist suspects. Specter's investigation will focus on the detention of enemy combatants at both Guantanamo and inside the United States, according to the Associated Press. One of the key questions on the Pennsylvania Republican's agenda: whether trying accused terrorists before military tribunals provides them adequate due process. Are they being provided with fluffy pillows?
Critics of U.S. policy have also complained that techniques such as waterboarding, which was used at Guantanamo against Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant Khalid Sheik Mohammed, constitutes torture. Bedtime mint?
Mohammed was al Qaeda's operations chief for the 9/11 attacks.
Which means they could have slowly ground him into hamburger and I wouldn't have cared a bit...
Because of the alleged mistreatment of detainees like Mohammed, Amnesty International's 2005 human rights report labels Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld "architects of torture."
It is kind of a classic of hyperbole, isn't it?
Specter has begun drafting a bill to establish procedures for accused terrorists, which could include the creation of a process where detainees could contest their incarcerations, the AP said. Amnesty International applauded the Pennsylvania Republican for his decision to hold gulag hearings. "Any kind of sunshine would be a good antiseptic for this situation," the group's advocacy director, Jumana Musa, told the AP. Spectar once again proves his RINO credentials.
Posted by: Captain America ||
06/05/2005 12:48 ||
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If he wants, he could run this strongly: establish these mooks aren't entitled to anything other than a clean execution, discredit AI and their anti-american pals in the MSM, and put the lawyer rush to Guantanamo in perspective as remoras on the shark trying to kill Americans....
but I won't hold my breath....
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/05/2005 13:35 Comments ||
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#5
Mrs. Davis, the way that Specter is framing the matter "...creation of a process where detainees could contest their incarcerations..." is a rather ominous indication of where he wants this to go.
AI applauding is not a good thing.
Posted by: Captain America ||
06/05/2005 17:41 Comments ||
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#6
Damn Specter. If Frist was actually a LEADER, I mean one with a full set of cajones, this kind of crap along with the "compromise of the 14" wouldn't happen. Awful frustrating when the American people hand them power and they are too wimpy to use it.
Syria's information minister on Saturday denied Israeli claims his country is developing new weapons and test-fired Scud missiles last week, calling the accusations an "expression of Israel's hostile intentions."
"Nope. Nope. Never happened."
In remarks carried by Syria's official news agency, Mahdi Dakhlallah said the Israeli allegations were also part of a pressure campaign against Syria. Israeli military officials said that Syria test-fired three Scud missiles late last week, reinforcing Israeli worries about Damascus' ability to deliver a missile-borne chemical attack against Israeli civilian targets. They said one of the missiles broke up over Turkey. The Turkish military said apparent missile debris from Syria landed on two agricultural villages in the southern province of Hatay, causing no injuries or damage. A Turkish Foreign Ministry official said Syria had apologized for the incident and assured Turkey it was "just an accident" that occurred during routine military training.
"Nothing to see here. Move along..."
Israeli security officials said the missile test was Syria's first since 2001. They said they saw the launches as a Syrian gesture of defiance to the United States and the United Nations, which pushed Syria to withdraw its troops from Lebanon after the February assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, a critic of Syria's influence in Lebanon. Lebanon is in the midst of parliamentary elections that the anti-Syrian opposition hopes to win and end Damascus' control of the legislature. Dakhlallah said the Israeli accusations were part of efforts to pressure Syria. "It's normal for a state to possess all defense potentials, especially if it is in a region shrouded with tension, aggression and continuous Israeli occupation, in addition to Israel's unbridled desire to expand the circle of aggression and occupation," he said. He warned against the danger posed by Israel's nuclear arsenal, and called on the international community to free the Middle East of all weapons of mass destruction.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/05/2005 00:00 ||
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The United States asked the UN Security Council yesterday to expand an investigation into the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Al Hariri to include the killing of a prominent anti-Syria journalist. The White House stopped short of directly blaming Syria and its Lebanese security allies for the journalist's death, but said Damascus had created "an environment of political repression."
Columnist Samir Kassir was killed when a bomb exploded in his car in Beirut on Thursday, four days after the start of Lebanon's staggered parliamentary elections. "We would like to see the United Nations Security Council expand its mandate for a United Nations-led investigation into the assassination of prime minister Hariri to include an investigation into the assassination of Mr Kassir," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said in Crawford, Texas, where President George W. Bush was spending a long weekend. McClellan said Nicholas Burns, under-secretary of state for political affairs, intended to raise the issue with UN officials. "This heinous act was clearly an attempt to intimidate the Lebanese people and undermine their efforts to build a free and democratic future," McClellan said.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/05/2005 00:00 ||
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Hardline vigilantes have assaulted President Mohammad Khatami's brother, who leads Iran's main reformist party, during a rally ahead of presidential elections, a statement said on Friday. Hardline elements assaulted Mohammad Reza Khatami and his entourage, shouting slogans against freedom and democracy and insulting reformists at a rally in the western province of Hamedan on Thursday, the Islamic Iran Participation Front (IIPF) said. Reza Khatami heads the IIPF, which is backing the candidacy of Mostafa Moin to replace Mohammad Khatami as president.
Speaking to people of Nahavand and Hamedan, Reza Khatami hit out at conservatives and their candidates in June 17 elections for trying to cheat people by copying reformist slogans. "They copy their dialogs from reformists but they must know they cannot play on people's intelligence,' he said, "this will lead to nothing but their failure". The touring reformists were reportedly rescued from the attacks by security forces and participants in the meeting.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/05/2005 00:00 ||
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#1
scyoose me ifn ima cant tel em good guyz from bad guyz in iran.
#4
when the MM's really want the heads cracked, they have a band of imported Paleos, who aren't as squeamish about crushing Iranian student uprisings...
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/05/2005 13:27 Comments ||
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#5
The bad guys are the ones still breathing.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
06/05/2005 13:53 Comments ||
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#6
Old joke from after the Embassy takeover (SNL, I think) ..."What's the difference between a hardline Iranian fundamentalist, and a moderate? Well, the moderate takes hostages--- but doesn't eat them."
Some American officers call him "Z." In the military's classified signal traffic, he is "AMZ." By any name, American forces in Iraq have found in Abu Musab al-Zarqawi a mesmerizing target.
If they could capture this Jordanian-born militant, anointed by Osama bin Laden as Al Qaeda's chief in Iraq, American commanders are hoping, they could strike a compelling, perhaps decisive, blow against one crucial component of the Iraqi insurgency - the Islamic militant groups that draw zealots from across the Arab Middle East to carry out suicide bombings, beheadings and other atrocities.
The capture of Saddam Hussein in 2003 dealt the insurrection no such mortal blow, and American commanders know Mr. Zarqawi's capture or death might not either. "It's not about one guy," a senior officer said Friday. "It's more about the network of cells he has across the country. That's where we're applying the pressure."
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
06/05/2005 14:50 ||
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blasting marines above them with bullets designed to penetrate tanks.
A deadly attack on a gathering of Sufi Muslims last week has shaken adherents to the mystical brand of Islam, who fear they will be increasingly targeted by puritanical insurgents bent on a widening sectarian war.
Iraq's Sunni Arab-fueled insurgency has mainly targeted Shiite Muslims and ethnic Kurds along with U.S. forces and members of the government and security forces. The suicide bomb attack Thursday night at a Sufi religious celebration north of Baghdad represents a potentially dangerous expansion of the Iraq conflict.
Most Sufis consider themselves Sunni Muslims and espouse an ideology that they claim transcends Islam's Sunni-Shiite divide. Sufism, associated in the West with hippies, is generally considered unorthodox and esoteric.
Several Iraqi Sufi leaders said Saturday that hostility to Sufism was typical of the extremist ideology espoused by Jordanian insurgent Abu Musab Zarqawi.
"It's Al Qaeda thinking that will destroy this country," said a Baghdad-based sheik of the Rifai Sufi order, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal.
The strike on a takia, a Sufi house of worship or lodge, in the town of Mazaari killed 10 worshipers and injured 12.
It was the first major attack on Sufis in Iraq in the nearly 2-year insurgency, but adherents in Mazaari and Baghdad said it was an inevitable extension of standing suspicion toward Sufism from Sunni extremists whose ideas have permeated the insurgency.
"All the [Sufi] orders are facing threats," said the ponytailed guard of a Baghdad takia that is part of the Kasnazani order.
All entry roads to the Baghdad takia were blocked by large blue barrels with plants incongruously growing out of the tops. A crudely constructed concrete wall ringed the large two-story house. The guard, who refused to give his name, said the security measures were put in place a year ago after four mortar shells landed nearby.
Sufis tend to be viewed with a certain bemused suspicion by mainstream Muslims in Iraq and elsewhere, particularly in recent years as Wahhabism, a fundamentalist Islamic doctrine, has spread from the Gulf states. Sufism is banned in Saudi Arabia but is officially recognized and respected in most other states.
Sufis are often deeply devout and ascetic, emphasizing charitable works and a spiritual connection with God through chanting sessions known as dhikr.
The Kasnazani order in Mazaari was holding its regular twice-weekly dhikr session when the bomber struck.
"We were sitting in the garden of the takia reciting religious anthems glorifying God," said Idris Hamid. His father, the takia's custodian, and three of his brothers were killed in the blast. "We don't have any hostilities with any particular side, so we don't know why this operation took place."
But the Rifai sheik in Baghdad, who estimated that there were 2 million to 3 million Sufi adherents in Iraq, said he expected the attacks to intensify. He and others blamed the attacks on takfiriyeen — a catch-all term for Sunni fundamentalists who declare Sufis, Shiites and any other variant on what they consider "pure" Islam, to be kafir, or apostates.
The sheik, a burly man, said he had received threats. Last year, he said, he got a cellphone text message: "Retribution for apostates. Retribution for polytheists. Wait for your day."
Asked what he and his followers could do to protect themselves in the face of a potentially escalating threat, the sheik grinned and said, "We can complain to God."
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
06/05/2005 14:36 ||
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Wahhabism, a fundamentalist Islamic doctrine, has spread from the Gulf states.
U.S. forces in Al Anbar province, a longtime insurgent stronghold west of Baghdad, have discovered an underground complex complete with weapons-filled rooms, a well-stocked kitchen, shower facilities and even air conditioning, the military reported Saturday. The bunker complex, found in an old rock quarry north of the city of Karmah, 50 miles west of Baghdad, is one of the most extensive facilities unearthed during the nearly 2-year insurgency, the military said in a statement. There was no indication of how recently the complex had been used by insurgents.
About 185 yards wide, 300 yards long, the series of underground rooms features "four fully furnished living spaces" plus rooms filled with weapons and ammunition, the statement said. The inventory included machine guns, mortars, rockets, black uniforms and masks, compasses, night vision goggles and fully charged cellphones, the military said.
In addition, 50 weapons and ammunition caches were uncovered in the last several days during sweeps of Al Anbar province, where the cities of Fallouja and Ramadi are located, the military said.
The bunker discovery sheds additional light on the tactics and logistics of Iraq's insurgency, which has surged in the last month. More than 800 people have died in the onslaught, which has included more than 90 suicide bombings, since the new government was formed in late April. Despite numerous setbacks, including the U.S.-led recapture of Fallouja from insurgents in November, the rebels have managed to adapt and continue their fight. The loss of Fallouja as a city-sized base of operations brought only a temporary respite in the attacks.
In March, Iraqi forces raided what they described as a large training camp on a patch of swampland near the city of Samarra, northwest of Baghdad, a possible indication that insurgents were shifting from urban strongholds to scattered rural camps similar to those run in Afghanistan by the Al Qaeda network. Interior Ministry officials said at the time that the camp had maps on the walls and functioning computers. But conflicting reports quickly emerged indicating that the size of the facility had been exaggerated.
In Baghdad, Iraqi police and army forces continued their "Operation Lightning" sweeps. A Defense Ministry official said that raids Friday had turned up nearly 70 mortar shells along with rocket launchers, sniper rifles and a 250-pound bomb designed to be dropped from a plane.
In the northern battleground city of Mosul, U.S. and Iraqi forces arrested a suspected senior insurgent leader, Associated Press reported.
The Iraqi man, known as Mullah Mahdi, was detained along with five others, including his brother, after a brief skirmish with troops in eastern Mosul. He is suspected of involvement in a number of terrorist attacks carried out by the militant group Ansar al Sunna in the north.
This article starring:
MULLAH MAHDI
MULLAH MAHDI
al-Qaeda in Iraq
MULLAH MAHDI
Ansar al Sunna
Ansar al Sunna
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
06/05/2005 14:35 ||
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HT to LGF
Militants loosely affiliated to the Fatah party of Mahmud Abbas stormed public offices in Nablus under a hail of gunfire, accusing the Palestinian leader of failing to honour security promises.
The band of 20 militants from the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades barged into the local interior ministry office in the northern West Bank city on Sunday, opened fire and ordered everyone out, Palestinian security sources said.
The gang then stormed the governor's office at the other end of town, ordered out all staff under gunfire and lightly wounded one man, they added. Nablus governor Mahmud al-Uol was in Ramallah at the time.
"We demand that the Palestinian Authority, especially Abu Mazen (Abbas), keeps their promises. He promised us jobs in the security services and that he would secure our safety. We have seen none of it," Al-Aqsa said in a statement.
The organisation accused Israel of still trying to track, arrest or kill its members despite promising at a Middle East peace summit in February to halt such operations.
"We are still observing the ceasefire, but the Israeli army is still pursuing us and trying to kill or arrest us," said Al-Aqsa.
Abbas made security reform a major priority after being elected leader in January following the death of Yasser Arafat. Since his election, Palestinian militant groups have been observing a de facto truce on the ground.
The Al-Aqsa brigades, while loosely associated with Fatah, is largely autonomous from the mainstream party. The group was founded at the beginning of the Palestinian uprising in September 2000.
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/05/2005 14:20 ||
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accusing the Palestinian leader of failing to honour security promises
Palestinian security promises? What's that?
An AK-47 for every child and a carbomb in every garage.
The events of 9/11 were designed to crush Muslims all over the world, said Qazi Hussain Ahmad, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) president and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) ameer, on Saturday. After the fall of Communism, the US made Muslims its prime target and the NATO secretary general declared that after Communism, Islamic fundamentalism was the biggest danger to the world, Qazi said while addressing the annual certificate distribution ceremony of Syed Maududi International Institute of Islamic Education.
Qazi said the Pakistani government was working as an "agent" of the US and NATO, who have established military bases in Afghanistan near Pakistani borders. He said that General Pervez Musharraf is working as an American ally against Islamic movements and is also a friend of India. He condemned Musharraf for saying that Israeli premier Ariel Sharon was a brave general and soldier. The MMA accused Gen Musharraf of provoking people against religious forces and asking them not to vote for religious parties because they are extremists, which was a violation of the constitution. He said that Musharraf was an opponent of Muslim unity and was dividing the Muslims. Qazi said that the military and bureaucracy had been trying to eliminate Islamic leaders since independence. He said that the honour and independence of ulema would be protected. He said sectarianism was not only a religious division, but a geographical division as well. He said that the institute had been successful in making students, from different cultures and speaking different languages, live and study together under an Islamic environment.
Sounds like Qazi gave a real stem-winder. The spittle must have been hitting the back rows on that one. It's almost inspiring watching Qazi and his fellow conspirators take an attack on us and try and turn it into an attack on them. The idea of Muslim unity's inherent in the idea of the Caliphate, but it doesn't seem to leave much room for the Shiites in Pakland, nor for the Qadianis, nor for the Ismailis, and eventually it wouldn't leave any room for the Brelvis. Maududi was known as the Great Apostasizer, for his habit of excommunicating groups from Islam. The basic flaw in Pakland is that it was founded on the basis of religion — a separate homeland for the Indian Mooselimbs. Once you've got the idea of a state founded on religion, then it's a pretty short step to insisting that it be run as a theocracy.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/05/2005 13:45 ||
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....Anyone else here notice you never see Qazi and James Randi (www.randi.org) together?
Just wondering.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
06/05/2005 14:02 Comments ||
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It's a masterpiece of passive-aggressive moral equivalence.
That said, one question that bugs me... then why haven't we crushed Muslims? We walk around the Islamic world on eggshells while the Chia Iman tm has, AFAIK, remained silent about the very real attacks by Sunnis on Shi'ites in his country, and the attacks by the Taliban on Moslems in Afghanistan (even extending to the most recent attack on a Mosque)... and hundreds of similar attacks in Iraq by the alleged holy warriors...
While I'm at it, I'd like to point out something regarding the history of Islam: Mohammed started out with NOTHING and created a religious/political/military movement that by the ffirst century after its founding had conquered a big BIG chunk of the known civilized world at the time. He did it by offering most of the potential new converts ways OUT of the oppressive caste systems and tribal divisions that were prevalent in the world at that time.
It's also a matter of historical record that a lot of the converts Islam made on the subcontinent were from people trying to escape oppressive tribal/caste relationships.
Whenever I see a news item from Pakistan, though, or from a dozen other Middle Eastern countries, it looks as though they've turned their back on that part of Islam's legacy. They've gone ahead and instituted caste systems of their own, even in the greater community of Moslems: they have tribal battles, they have caste systems, they say the Shi'ites aren't "real" Moslems, they have the same problem with Sufis, and the penalties for an individual breaking these tribal/caste boundaries seem to involve the punishment of the clan as a whole, and younger female relatives in particular.
If you've been a frequent reader of this site, you've read about the sort of incidents I'm talking about already; if not, search on "jirga" and "rape" to see what I mean.
The saddest thing is that the man-on-the-street, as it were, knows this isn't the way things are supposed to be, but the governments and mullahs in the area have decided on his behalf that the United States is to blame for all of this, and a lot of people go along with it.
Meanwhile, even if Pakistan didn't have nuclear weapons and military action were an option, it would take a lot more resources than our army has to pacify the country and impose real law-and-order on the place... and a lot of the people who suffer from the lack of real-law-and-order would be our enemies in the venture.
Just a thought.
Posted by: Phil Fraering ||
06/05/2005 14:22 Comments ||
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If we really wanted to crush muslims, we would start with an nuclear carpet bombing of the major cities of Saudi Arabia for starters.
Senator Asif Ali Zardari, spouse of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) chairperson Benzir Bhutto, was admitted to hospital in Dubai early Friday morning following a severe attack of spondolytis, which has led to cardiac problems. He is suffering from spondolytis pain, caused by nerve compression due to bone deterioration.
Zardari will remain in hospital for a few days for angiography, pain management and monitoring. His doctor from Pakistan has flown to Dubai to give Zardari's medical history to his doctors in Dubai. Zardari was to return to Pakistan in May, but due to his continued indisposition he was forced to postpone his visit. Zardari is suffering from several ailments that developed during his eight-year long incarceration, including hypertension, spondolytis, muscle atrophy and diabetes. He has been unable to undergo sustained medical treatment due to his heavy schedule in Pakistan.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/05/2005 13:40 ||
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I hope against hope that with the "urban renewal" of Fallujah, the city is rebuilt as a *modern* city. Its pestilence, in past, has been to a great extent based on its labrynthian underground, with tight, narrow streets and all sorts of hidey-holes--making it a wonderful place for smugglers and villains to do business. However, if it is redesigned, to eliminate several of these features, it will be a heck of a lot harder to set up shop there in the future if you are a criminal.
#3
They are putting in wider streets. Modern sewage (and filling in the old tunnels while they are doing this). Underground power and phone. Since so many buildings are already demolished its a bit eaiser to do these things.
BAGHDAD - Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has called on Kurdish regional deputies to set a democratic example for the war-torn nation. Talibani, Iraq's first Kurdish president, addressed lawmakers at the inaugural session of their regional parliament in the northern city of Arbil, urging them to establish a democratic and federal system.
"Your democratically elected parliament faces a critical period in the history of Iraq," Talabani said, speaking in Arabic. "Our sacred task is to draft a permanent constitution that guarantees equality for all of Iraqi society," he said, reiterating that all ethnic and religious groups were needed to draw up the vital document that is to be put to a referendum in October.
The first session of the assembly opened more than four months after general elections, following talks between Talabani and rival Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani who was recently chosen as regional president.
Iraqi Kurds are mostly Sunni Muslims, comprise nearly 20 percent of the country's 26-million population and believe strongly in a federal state.
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06/05/2005 00:00 ||
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Arguably Iraq's most popular Shiite group, followers of radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr have packed away their guns and now speak of "political resistance" rather than martyrdom in battle. Once dismissed as an upstart, the portly al-Sadr has been transformed into a respectable political figure, commanding the loyalty of key lawmakers and several Cabinet ministers. "We are growing stronger and our appeal is becoming wider," Ibrahim al-Jaberi, a senior official at al-Sadr's office in Sadr City, said Saturday.
Sadr City is a sprawling Baghdad neighborhood that is home to some 2.5 million Shiites and the largest bastion of support for al-Sadr. It was named for the cleric's father, the late Ayatollah Mohammed Sadiq al-Sadr, who was killed in 1999. The younger al-Sadr's images are everywhere — on walls, shop widows, car windshields and even ice boxes used by street vendors selling sodas or ice cream. In many ways, today's "Sadrists" have changed since their heavily armed militia battled U.S. troops last fall, but their canny mix of politics, religious fervor and military capability make them the one group in postwar Iraq with the potential for rapid growth.
Since the fighting, al-Sadr has rebuilt ties with Iraq's largest Shiite party, after months of tension threatened to escalate into violence. His aides have been mediating between a Shiite militia and a Sunni group after they exchanged charges of involvement in the killing of each other's clerics. Ahmad Chalabi, a former Washington insider who is now one of Iraq's most senior Shiite politicians, has actively been courting al-Sadr in an effort to widen his support. A deputy prime minister, Chalabi is known to be lobbying for the release of hundreds of Sadrists in U.S. detention and rescinding an arrest warrant for al-Sadr's alleged role in the 2003 killing of a rival cleric.
In turn, al-Sadr has turned down his rhetoric — although he has not stopped calling for the Americans to leave. He is also no longer contemptuous, as he once was, toward senior Shiite clerics and comparatively secular politicians like Chalabi. Al-Sadr envoys also recently traveled to the Kurdish region in northern Iraq for talks with its leaders, long viewed as American stooges by the Sadrists. Legislators have also traveled south down the insurgent-infested road to the holy city of Najaf to call on al-Sadr, whose relative youth — he's believed to be in his early 30s — and lack of academic pedigree had led many to dismiss him.
In large part, the Sadrists' new strength is evident in the discipline and organization shown by their Imam al-Mahdi Army, the militia that battled U.S. forces last year. The militia has quietly been restructured since the fighting ended last fall. It is widely suspected of having hidden most of its weapons after the fighting, while hundreds of militia commanders last week finished a 45-day course in discipline and religious indoctrination that among other things involved dawn-to-dusk fasts. At least in public, the militia now resembles an outfit that is part relief organization and part neighborhood vigilante. The group has quietly taken control of security in Sadr City, making it by far the safest area in blood-soaked Baghdad.
The militia goes on public view on Fridays, when thousands of al-Sadr followers gather to perform weekly prayers — an event used since Saddam Hussein's fall to project its message, reassert its devotion to al-Sadr and renew animosity toward the Americans. On Friday, militiamen in brown pants, cream-colored shirts and baseball caps stood shoulder-to-shoulder under parasols and lined streets leading to the venue where prayers are held. They frisked worshippers, searched cars and directed traffic away. "No, No to America," remains a routine chant during the Friday sermon.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/05/2005 00:00 ||
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#1
ROFLMAO!!!
"repectable political figure"
Hamza Hendawi is on some marvelous, no make that MaGiK, meds. This is a total wank-o-matic legitimacy fantasy straight out of the AP Fuckwit Agenda Machine. Reading this has made me dizzy... but not as dizzy as Hendawi & Co. The WTop "experiment" sucks regards "news", but shit like this redeems them as serious comedians.
#6
From the reports I've read, his base is north Sadr City. i.e. He doesn't even have a presence in all of Sadr City, and he is despised in other parts of Iraq.
P.S. Even the Iranians have given up on him.
Al
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
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Speaking at a news conference at his residence here, he alleged that the MQM, under the patronage of some government agencies, was trying to eliminate its opponents in the urban Sindh, especially Karachi, to ensure its victory in the forthcoming local council polls. He also alleged that the government had recently allocated Rs1 billion for the MQM to help it win the polls. Qazi Hussain said: "We will remain peaceful under all circumstances."
Wouldn't that be a switch?
The MMA leader, who was expected to speak about his differences with MMA secretary-general Maulana Fazlur Rehman on the issue of the latter and the NWFP chief minister attending the National Security Council (NSC), refused to answer questions on the subject and only said: "We are friendly and too close to each other and could solve our problems within the house." He said: "We will do whatever Maulana Fazlur Rehman will like us to do to keep our unity."
The MMA chief said that the torturing and killing of an IJT student, JI Landhi nazim Tahir Jamal and JI Karachi Naib Amir Aslam Mujahid in quick succession were proof of the designs of the terrorists. When asked if he thought that the situation called for fresh elections, Qazi Hussain said: "Not under President Gen Pervez Musharraf for as long as he is in power no fair, free and transparent election can be held."
He said his party would take part in the local council elections to confront the manipulating forces. He accused the American, Indian and Israeli nexus of trying to destabilize Pakistan by creating unrest with the help of the government and its agencies. He said two American authors had suggested to their government to first eliminate the present Jihadis and then stop the growth of new Jihadis by changing the syllabi in Pakistan.
This article starring:
ASLAM MUJAHID
Jamaat Islami
FAZLUR REHMAN
Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal
Muttahida Qaumi Movement
QAZI HUSEIN AHMED
Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal
TAHIR JAMAL
Jamaat Islami
Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal
Posted by: Fred ||
06/05/2005 00:00 ||
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Dozens of Islamic leaders imprisoned in Mauritania launched a hunger strike on Saturday, demanding they be allowed to visit lawyers, doctors and family after more than a month behind bars, a lawyer for the group said. The men were arrested in late April by police who claimed they were part of a covert terror organization that had been sending members abroad to train with Algerian insurgents. They included Mohamed Hassan Ould Dedew, spiritual leader of many Islamic radicals in the desert nation. He was among two in the group who were reported ill and in need of medical care, said lawyer Mohamed Ahmed Ould Haj Sidi. Interior Ministry spokesman Sidi Yeslem Ould Amar Cheine denied Dedew was ill, however, saying ¢his health is being used as a pretext to change the normal course of justice."
"Ain't nothin' wrong with him! He's fine!"
"Urk! Gaaack!"
"See? He always says that when he's feelin' hale!"
In all, 51 Mauritanians were rounded up in Nouakchott, accused of being part of the covert terror group. Some 44 of them took part in Saturday's strike. Police said this week they had seized letters between some of those imprisoned and Amar Saifi, former chief of Algeria's Al Qaeda-linked Salafist Group for Call and Combat. Saifi, also known by his nom de guerre Al Para, was extradited from Libya to Algeria in 2004. He was the Sahara's most-wanted terror suspect and accused in the kidnapping of 32 European tourists in 2003.
Inconvenient, that, if true...
Islamic leaders in Mauritania have staunchly opposed the strict rule of President Maaoya Sid Ahmed Ould Taya - who has survived several coup attempts during his 20-year reign and cracked down ruthlessly against opponents, jailing scores of people.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/05/2005 00:00 ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
The Saudi crown prince on Friday reassured Palestinian leader 
Hundred of thousands of people, including relatives of those killed or wounded by bomb attacks by Basque separatists, packed the streets of Madrid Saturday to protest a government offer to hold talks with the armed group 
plans to hold hearings this month to clarify the rights of terrorist suspects. Specter's investigation will focus on the detention of enemy combatants at both Guantanamo and inside the United States, according to the Associated Press. One of the key questions on the Pennsylvania Republican's agenda: whether trying accused terrorists before military tribunals provides them adequate due process.
Syria's information minister on Saturday denied Israeli claims his country is developing new weapons and test-fired Scud missiles last week, calling the accusations an "expression of Israel's hostile intentions."
The United States asked the UN Security Council yesterday to expand an investigation into the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister 
Hardline vigilantes have assaulted President 
The events of 9/11 were designed to crush Muslims all over the world, said 
Senator 
Arguably Iraq's most popular Shiite group, followers of radical cleric 
Dozens of Islamic leaders imprisoned in Mauritania launched a hunger strike on Saturday, demanding they be allowed to visit lawyers, doctors and family after more than a month behind bars, a lawyer for the group said. The men were arrested in late April by police who claimed they were part of a covert terror organization that had been sending members abroad to train with Algerian insurgents. They included 
