CAIRO -The Egyptian authorities stepped up security around the Suez Canal on Tuesday in preparation for the passage of warships heading to Lebanon, security sources told AFP.
Egyptian authorities have increased security in the Suez Canal in preparation for the passage of warships headed to Lebanon to support international forces there, the source said. No person is allowed in the 14 stations along the canal except with special permission, the source said, adding that security had also been tightened for all administrative personnel especially those dealing directly with ships.
According to naval sources, the bulk of the warships expected to cross the canal should be US vessels coming from the Gulf to increase presence in the eastern Mediterranean as international forces deploy in Lebanon.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/23/2006 00:00 ||
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Go to link for photo of the precious idiots.
Two Asian students have revealed their shock and despair after being thrown off a plane because other passengers feared they were suicide bombers. Manchester Umist students Sohail Ashraf and Khurram Zeb, both 22, said they sympathised with nervous travellers, but urged people not to be paranoid about Muslims.
"We might be Asian, but we're two ordinary lads who wanted a bit of fun," Mr Ashraf told the Daily Mirror. "Just because we're Muslim does not mean we are suicide bombers." But if you play at it, my dears, the rest of us may well act on the suspicions you create.
The pair were marched off the jet at gunpoint (!!!) after fellow passengers demanded that air staff remove them from the flight back from Malaga, Spain to Manchester. The pair were quizzed by Spanish police for several hours, but then put up in a hotel and allowed to fly back to the UK later that day.
#8
They should get a week in jail for the jest. In the US if you joke about a bomb in an airport I think you'd be lucky to get out with a week in jail. They may not have said bomb but they hinted enough in their little game. Let them eat gruel.
My other thought is that if I were Al Queda I'd set up a thousand of these false-positives until the airlines go bankrupt or draconic laws are put in place.
#9
Well, who better than the Rantburgers to pose this question to - Are these innocent false alarms deliberate? An otherwise inoccuous person sets off just enough alarm bells for folks studying the reaction - track back the person and you'll find no serious connection to terrorism. And it creates a 'false alarm' mentality to slow response or dull suspicion.
Posted by: Colin MacDougall ||
08/23/2006 19:57 Comments ||
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#10
Too bad we don't have another empty continent to send these a$$holes to, like the British did with their troublemakers by sending them to Australia. We need to develop interstellar travel capability, so we can send ALL the muzzies to a planet all their own, and then make sure no one else ever goes there. Let's see how they develop.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
08/23/2006 20:39 Comments ||
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#11
Old Patriot, we've still got Australia. I think they could have a chunk of the US claim staked out for their new colony.
#13
Drop them off in the center of Australia with a liter bottle of Evian and a straw hat. Then say G'day boys as you leave them there. The next batch might find their bleached bones before expiring themselves.
Beijing, 23 August (AKI/APP) - China and Pakistan will strengthen cooperation in the fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism, under a bill tabled for deliberation in China's legislature. The Sino-Pakistan Cooperative Agreement on Combating the "Three Evil Forces" would be China's second such international pact after the agreement with Kirghizia, Kazakstan, Tadzhikistan and Uzbekistan to safeguard regional peace and stability. Briefing lawmakers of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei said the bill to ratify the agreement was necessary as the three evil forces had threatened the lives of Pakistanis and Chinese working and living in Pakistan. The agreement would help safeguard China's national interests and promote cooperation between the two countries, he said.
The 18-article agreement defines terrorism, separatism and extremism and outlines the scope of cooperation between the countries. It was signed by Premier Wen Jiabao with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz during his visit to Pakistan April last year. According to the Chinese Parliamentary sources, the bill will be submitted for a final vote after deliberation on August 27.
Posted by: Steve ||
08/23/2006 09:20 ||
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Muslims in many countries outside the U.S. are under public scrutiny, particularly in Australia, because they are the ones carrying the bombs.
The government "down under" is cracking down on militants. Prime Minister John Howard is making it clear extremist Muslims face deportation if they do not change their thinking and their message. He wants the Muslim community to "amplify" what he called "Australian principles of Democracy" in their mosques as well as their schools.
"If those are not your values, if you want a country that has sharia law or a theocratic state, then Australia is not for you," he told a group of moderate Muslim clerics and scholars.
His education minister, Brendan Nelson, is spreading the same message. He told a press conference if Muslims did not want to accept "local values," they should "clear off!"
The Australian government apparently is taking a different stance from Canada and the U.S... The Aussie's position is "immigrants, and not Australians, must adapt." Since a London underground train was bombed the people of Australia have experienced a surge in patriotism.
The London Tube bombings (July 7, 2005) caused a lot of concerns in countries like Australia that have large Muslim populations. According to the Christian Science Monitor, the Aussie government held a two-hour summit with "moderate" Muslim clerics to work on a "national strategy" for addressing intolerance and the promotion of violence and suggested measures for getting rid of radical Islamists.
Missing from the summit were large numbers of young Muslims as well as critical and more conservative clerics. However, those attending hailed the meeting as a "successful first step" in an ongoing dialog. Ali Roude, the acting president of the New South Wales Islamic Council, agreed there must be more communication between the government and Islamic schools when it comes to teaching "common values" like democracy, fairness, and tolerance. "Radicals will be reacted to, whenever they make inflammatory remarks," he said, "it's much worse for us now because July 7 showed the world that the enemy is to be found within," (as opposed to Sept. 11 when the terrorists were all foreigners).
Roude then changed his tune and accused the prime minister of "playing politics" with Muslim beliefs and traditions.
Later, a senior member of the Federation of Australian Muslim Students and Youth came out in favor of the P.M.. "Muslims must interact more with mainstream Australia," Chabaan Omran said. He also expressed some reservations, however, saying he's worried about the word "assimilate."
The prime minister remains very firm on the issue. He wants Australian values taught in Islamic schools, and warned the government would "monitor" what was said, "... (to) insure they did not foster terrorism." He further stated the government would go inside mosques and schools to ensure there was no support for terrorism.
"We have a right to know whether there is, within any section of the Islamic Community, a preaching of the virtues of terrorism, (and) whether any comfort or harbor is given to terrorism within that community," he said.
Australian Treasurer Peter Costello, believed to be "first in line" for Prime Minister Howard's job, said during a TV interview, "...this country was founded as a democracy...we have a secular state...our laws are made by the Australian Parliament...if those are not your values...if you want a country which has Shari law or a theocratic state, then Australia is not for you!"
He went onto say some Muslim clerics recognize two laws: Australian and Shari. "There's only one law in Australia," he continued, "Australian law! We expect those (Muslims) to observe it!"
The Prime Minister has been particularly blunt on the issue. He told a TV reporter his government would go inside Mosques and schools "...to the extent necessary to ensure there was no support for terrorism."
"We have a right to know whether there is, within any section of the Islamic community, a preaching of the virtues of terrorism, whether any comfort or harbor is given to terrorism with that Community," he warned.
He said his comments are directed toward those who are considering coming to his country, as well as those already there.
"These (laws) are Australian values," he concluded, "There's no second law. There's only one law that applies in Australia and Australia expects its citizens to observe it!"
Can you imaging if President Bush or any member of his Administration made such harsh statements what the "politically correct" media would say? The screaming would never end.
Australians understand radical Islamists are a threat to everyone including their more moderate brethren. Radical Islamists are dangerous, evil, and probably a bit "warped" as well. They do not want to take over our country. They want to kill us all (including the "politically correct") because we, like the Australians have a strong belief in democracy and they hate us for it.
Since we are the biggest kids on the block, they're going after us in an effort to scare the rest of the world into accepting their fanaticism. Fortunately for us, a large segment of these radicals have committed themselves to fighting us in Iraq. They are taking a severe beating, but they are bringing in large numbers of outside forces.
It's regrettable the left in our country can't figure out the dangers in fanatical Islam. Instead they continue to push the idea, "...can't we just get along" and throw in a chorus of, "Cum Bah Yah." That works only with people who feel the same way they do. Radical Muslims preach hate and terror for those that have a different view of religion and politics. If we leave Iraq now, they will take over that country and then come here with a renewed vigor to kill us all.
Whether you like it or not, our only real choice is to take them on there, or do it here. The choice is clear.
#1
It's good that Australia's leaders are saying this. The next -- and critical -- step is for this to translate down to police arresting, and prosecutors convicting, the Muslim youths for violence, intimidation and gang rapes. Lacking that, it's only lovely rhetoric.
#2
Nice piece, but... this is completely OT, but does anybody else have a cognitive dissonance about an op-ed whose Rb title makes unveiled reference to "steel ones", written by a Dick Little? I find this very confusing myself.
#4
Wondering why all these other countries have real problems with muzzies and rape and the US don't seem to have it as much. I am thinking it is because the US citizens are well armed (IMHO).
#6
The Australian government apparently is taking a different stance from Canada and the U.S... The Aussie's position is "immigrants, and not Australians, must adapt.
WTF? Americans simply expected that in time, the immigrants would adapt. This is the first time we have been confronted with a group that demands everyone else adapt to them. I don't think that we don't expect them to adapt - we are just dealing with the realization that they won't. They are riding high now, but attitudes are changing faster than they realize.
#8
Needs to be a few more words added, such as "assimilate or die", "it's up to YOU to change, not Australia", and "if you don't like it, leave". There should also be that rejoinder, "Behave yourself and remain in one piece. Other options are not available."
As I've said repeatedly, the only thing the muzzies respect is a greater force than they have. We have the force - we need to let it show.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
08/23/2006 20:46 Comments ||
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Belgrade, 23 August (AKI) - Serbia's foreign minister, Vuk Draskovic has reacted with undiplomatic vehemence to remarks made on Tuesday by an Albanian official that Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro were "unnatural creations," and that all Albanians living in the region should unite to form a 'natural Albania' by 2013. The comments made by Albanian prime minister Sali Berisha's political adviser, Koco Danaj, to Kosovo Albanian language daily Epoka were - surprisingly - ignored by press in the Serbian capital, Belgrade. However, Draskovics ministry immediately issued a sharp statement upbraiding Albania for its "expansionist" aspirations.
Pot, meet Kettle
"The message was sent through the premiers political advisor, so that if it causes furore in the region, as well as in Europe and the United States, they can claim it was Danaj's personal opinion," Draskovic said in a statement issued late on Tuesday. "However, it is not a personal stand,, nor a testing of the water, but an official strategy," Draskovic said, adding that Albanian foreign minister, Besnik Mustafaj, made a similar statement several months ago. In his remarks carried by Epoka, Danaj said that the unification of all Albanians was a "natural drive for a sort of final agreement for the Balkan states with ethnic Albanian populations."
Though Danaj didn't mention Greece in his statement, Draskovic said it was also "an indirect message" to Athens that Greece, with a sizable ethnic Albanian minority, was an "unnatural creation." Peace and stability in the Balkans could be preserved primarily by preserving the existing borders of all states in the region, Draskovic argued.
The last time the Balkans were 'peaceful and stable' was during the Ice Age, I believe
I think Phillip of Macedon had them quiet for a month or two.
Draskovic's statement also commented on the Serbian province of Kosovo, where most of its overwhelmingly ethnic Albanian majority wants independence - a position the international community now appears to be backing. "Isn't it finally clear that breaking up the territorial integrity of Serbia, by giving Kosovo the status of independence will directly lead to a Balkan drama of dangerous and unforeseeable dimensions?" he asked.
"As foreign minister of Serbia, I ask the Contact Group for Kosovo, the European Union, United States, NATO, the UN Security Council and [UN special envoy for Kosovo] Martti Ahtisaari this," Draskovic said. The Contact Group for Kosovo includes the United States, Germany, France, Italy, Great Britain and Russia.
Throw in Austria-Hungary and Turkey and you've got the original cast of the last "Balkans drama". I hate re-runs
Draskovic cautioned that the creation of Greater Albania would become reality if the international community doesnt become aware of the problem and if "the Balkan states, whose territory is threatened first and foremost, sit twiddling their thumbs."
Serbian officials have been saying that ethnic Albanians drive for independence in Kosovo is part of a wider strategy to unite all Albanians living in the Balkans and the creation of a 'Greater Albania." These warnings that have been played down by the international community.
We're just really, really tired of the Balkans.
Kosovo has been under UN control since 1999 after NATO military strikes drove Serb forces from the province. Ongoing UN brokered talks on its future status are being headed by Ahtisaari, a Finnish diplomat, who has said he wants the question settled by the year's end. Belgrade and the tiny remaining Serb minority in Kosovo remain adamantly opposed to its independence, offering ethnic Albanians broad autonomy instead.
Posted by: Steve ||
08/23/2006 09:00 ||
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A secret report from the Swedish foreign ministry claims that Norwegian officials were aware of the bribes and kickbacks around the UN's now defunct "Oil for Food" program in Iraq, but kept quiet for fear of being blacklisted by Iraq. Ole Peter Kolby was Norway's ambassador to the UN and led the sanctions committee, but didn't blow the whistle on bribes and kickbacks in the UN's "Oil for Food" program. The report was obtained by Sweden's national radio (Sveriges Radio) and revealed on Tuesday.
Norway led the UN sanctions committee in 2001, and was responsible for making sure that Iraq still under Saddam Hussein at the time and the companies dealing with Iraq didn't violate the sanctions. But the Swedish foreign ministry report claims the Norwegians didn't blow the whistle on illegal fees charged by Iraq as part of the UN's "Oil for Food" program. An official UN inquiry into the scandal last year claimed that more than 2,000 companies that did business with the UN's "oil-for-food" program were involved in bribes and kickbacks that allowed Saddam Hussein's sanctions-bound regime to divert nearly $2 billion. Many of the companies were Swedish. Blom wrote that "the Norwegian delegation was well aware of the Iraqi demands, but was in doubt about taking up the issue in the committee." Blom claimed the Norwegians believed that would result in certain "Iraq-friendly countries" immediately wanting to know which country or company was blowing the whistle. "If that were revealed, it probably would have resulted in an Iraqi blacklisting of the country or company," he wrote.
The sanctions committee was headed by Norwegian diplomat Ole Peter Kolby, now Norway's ambassador to Denmark. Kolby reportedly conceded at the time that there were rumours of kickbacks, but no proof of them. As long as no companies complained about them, Kolby said, he couldn't go further in probing them. "We had no concrete evidence," Kolby told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) on Tuesday, when questioned about the Swedish report. "There were no firms that came forth and said they were being charged (illegal fees). But there were strong rumors that such fees were being demanded." Kolby noted that "it was Iraq who decided who should get the contract, it wasn't the UN or the sanctions committee. Iraq wanted to place the contracts with those countries that were the friendliest towards Iraq."
Continued on Page 49
#1
30 years ago, it was a fairly do-good NGO, having some successes here and there. But then the crypto-commies fucked it up like everything they infiltrate and touch.
For all you High Speed Scan Readers - Don't forget ScrappleFace is SATIRE! Good that's done now we can have the story
As Irans president prepared today to reject international efforts to halt his nations uranium enrichment program, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan rejected calls for sanctions against the Islamic Republic and offered direct negotiations with the long-awaited 12th Imam.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has spoken of the prophesied 12th or Hidden Imam, who is to usher in the end of the world. Many believe he would return on August 22, the alleged anniversary of the night flight of the prophet Muhammad on the winged horse Buraq, first to Jerusalem, then to heaven and back (Koran XVII.1).
Mr. Annan said he believes that direct negotiations with the Hidden Imam can defuse all of this talk of the end of the world, which Im confident is nothing more than a bargaining chip.
In any case, the worlds end is expected to have little effect on the work of the United Nations, according to Mr. Annan.
The U.N. will continue to be just as effective at resolving conflicts and ensuring world peace as it was before the end of the world, he said.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper said yesterday it's not unfair to liken Hezbollah to the Nazis because both stand for the destruction of the "Jewish nation." And all along we thought Bush was the Nazi!
In an interview, Mr. Harper was asked if the comparison made earlier in the day by his parliamentary secretary, Conservative MP Jason Kenney, was appropriate.
"Like all comparisons, it's true in some ways, and not in others," he said, "but as near as I can tell, both Hezbollah and the Nazi party stand for the elimination of the Jewish nation. So I think that's pretty fundamental and, in that sense, I don't think it's unfair. Hard to argue with cold logic. How did this guy get elected?
"I think those who associate themselves with Hezbollah in this country are operating beyond the pale, and they're frankly operating in defence of an organization that is an illegal criminal organization in this country," said Mr. Harper. Which explains why the Consrvative MP did not accompany the opposition moonbats on the Hezbollah cook's tour of Lebanon and Syria.
Posted by: john ||
08/23/2006 11:00 ||
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#1
The truth is coming out, despite the PC crowd crying like babies.
Posted by: ed ||
08/23/2006 13:00 Comments ||
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#4
It is my firm belief that one of the few remaining vehicles still resident in this world's memory is that of the Nazis (communism doesn't work because too many "useful idiots" are still enamored of it). Even though WWII is a dim memory for most people, the iconic evil of Nazism, as portrayed in so many post-war movies and other media forms has made it such that Hitler and his thugs are one of the only vivid analogues of genocidal Islam.
At the risk of engendering further animosity, I'll add that even the constant conservative wordplay hereabouts vis Bush=Hitler is, not only tiresome, but deleterious to how useful the more apt comparison with Islamism can be. I'll also remind you that I have never stooped to using the Bush=Hitler equation. It is not just plain wrong or abusive, but also a disservice to any memory of the Sho'ah.
VANCOUVER (CP) - Divisions within the Liberal party over the Middle East deepened Tuesday with two leadership contenders calling for the resignation of the party's deputy foreign affairs critic. Scott Brison and Carolyn Bennett said fellow Liberal MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj cannot retain his post as a foreign affairs spokesman after declaring that Canada should negotiate directly with Hezbollah as part of a bid to restore peace in Lebanon. "Borys should resign as critic. His statements were unacceptable," Brison said, noting that it was a Liberal government that first listed Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.
Wrzesnewskyj's comments, made over the weekend during a tour of the Middle East with NDP and Bloc colleagues, became the unwelcome focus on the first of the Liberals' three-day summer caucus retreat, which was supposed to plot strategy for the fall session of Parliament. The 10 leadership hopefuls weighed in to repudiate Wrzesnewskyj's comments, including his own preferred candidate, Gerard Kennedy. Apart from Brison and Bennett, however, most contenders said Wrzesnewskyj should be given a chance to explain himself to caucus before any decision is made on his critic's post.
The controversy, the latest in a series of damaging remarks by Liberals on the explosive Middle East situation, left some frustrated MPs complaining that the prolonged leadership race is to blame for the party's lack of coherence on issues, particularly the conflict in Lebanon. "I think what these divisions show is that the Liberals are in a leadership race," said Montreal MP Irwin Cotler. "Until a permanent leader is chosen, you're not going to get the same uniform, consistent and clear policy that can be articulated by someone like Prime Minister (Stephen) Harper on behalf of his government and party."
Wrzesnewskyj was initially reported as saying that Hezbollah should be dropped from the list of terrorist organizations. He denied having said that. "I've said all along that Hezbollah is a terrorist organization and will continue to be," Wrzesnewskyj said on Monday from Lebanon. "Where I have difficulty is with the legislation that says a group on the list cannot be communicated with."
The three opposition parties immediately reacted by stepping away from the comments of their MPs and underlining their support for Hezbollah's terrorist designation. The Liberals are facing particularly harsh criticism in recent weeks in relation to their Mideast policy - or lack thereof - in the midst of a leadership race. A number of prominent members of Canada's Jewish community, including power couple Gerry Schwartz and Heather Reisman, have left the party over its perceived lack of support for Israel's bombardment of Hezbollah guerillas in Lebanon.
Brison said Wrzesnewskyj has "complicated" the issue for the Liberals. "It's always a challenge during a prolonged leadership process to maintain unity on difficult issues. But I think it requires individual members of caucus to have that discipline," Brison said. "Borys' statements don't reflect that discipline or that capacity to govern."
In Ottawa, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's parliamentary secretary lashed out at the trio of opposition MPs visiting Lebanon, comparing Hezbollah to the German Nazi party of the 1930s. "We need to learn the lessons of history. There was another political party in the past which had democratic support, which provided social services, which played an important role in the political life of Germany in the 1930s, which was also dedicated to violence against the Jewish people," Kenney told a news conference Tuesday. "The world was wrong to negotiate with that party then, and it would be wrong to negotiate with Hezbollah today."
Former cabinet minister Denis Coderre marched recently in a peace rally in Montreal that included Hezbollah supporters hoisting the organization's flag. Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe was also at the event.
Wrzesnewskyj is not the only Liberal to generate controversy over the Middle East. Former cabinet minister Denis Coderre marched recently in a peace rally in Montreal that included Hezbollah supporters hoisting the organization's flag. Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe was also at the event. Exacerbating things for the Liberals were comments by a party youth leader in British Columbia who recently wrote on an Internet blog that Israel was the "most vile nation in human history," and suggested Hezbollah might be considered freedom fighters. Thomas Hubert has now resigned his post on the youth wing executive.
Both Hubert and Wrzesnewskyj are supporters of leadership hopeful Kennedy, who quickly distanced himself from their remarks. Kennedy stressed that his own opinions on Hezbollah are different than Wrzesnewskyj's. "I think that you can't sanction violence. We have to operate according to principles and one of the principles is not to acknowledge bodies that will not abide by basic human rights and international law," Kennedy said.
Some Liberals tried to put a positive spin on the latest controversy. Michael Ignatieff, the presumed leadership frontrunner who made his own gaffe on the Middle East earlier this month when he suggested he wasn't losing sleep over the loss of civilian lives in Lebanon, praised Liberals for being willing to debate sensitive issues. "The Liberal party has become the centre of national debate on these issues," he said. Similarly, Kennedy said a lot of the debate and difference of opinion is "healthy." "It's not comfortable, it's not easy and there's tremendous emotions on the part of a wide swath of Canadians on this," he said.
Graham has faced some internal criticism for not being able to control Liberal MPs like Wajid Khan, who has temporarily left caucus to act as special adviser to Harper on the Middle East. But he suggested that having a variety of views within the party is healthier and more democratic than the way in which Conservative MPs are muzzled. "We don't have an iron-clad discipline around our members . . . Nobody's got them locked up on a bus and thrown away the key, the way (it was done) at a recent caucus of the Conservatives."
Leadership hopeful Bob Rae agreed that "there's always room for discussion in a party." But he added: "I do worry as a potential leader about the amount of freelancing that's going on. There does need to be some discipline and some cohesiveness."
A Washington-based company is donating up to $7 million worth of fiber-optic security fencing material for the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps to use in any new barriers the group erects to try to keep illegal immigrants out of Arizona.
The mesh has embedded sensors that can differentiate between human and animal contact and conditions such as high winds or heavy rain. Tied into cameras and alarms, the system can alert monitors to the precise location of any intrusion.
"We're certainly not against immigration," said Nina May, the head of FOMGuard USA, which is donating the material. "We're against illegal immigration, because there are standards to follow. Too many people stand in line for years, and it's not fair to them."
Posted by: Captain America ||
08/23/2006 11:36 ||
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#1
Just a guess here but I'm willing to bet some of FOMGuard USA's competitors hire illegals.
Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill have asked for congressional hearings and reviews by the White House and Justice Department into the conviction of two U.S. Border Patrol agents who shot and wounded a fleeing drug suspect.
The agents, convicted by a federal jury in El Paso in March, face 20 years in prison at a sentencing hearing next month.
"It appears the facts do not add up or justify the length of the sentences for these agents, let alone their conviction on multiple counts," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, California Democrat. "Border Patrol agents have a difficult and often dangerous job in guarding our nation's borders.
"Undue prosecution of Border Patrol agents could have a chilling effect on their ability to carry out their duties," Mrs. Feinstein said in a letter Monday to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania Republican, requesting a full hearing into the matter.
She asked Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales last week to investigate the case. The U.S. attorney's office in El Paso, which reports to the Justice Department, prosecuted the two agents.
In a letter to President Bush, Rep. Walter B. Jones, North Carolina Republican, asked the White House to review the case, saying the prosecution was "outrageous." He said it did nothing but "tie the hands of the Border Patrol and prevent the agency from securing America against a flood of illegal immigrants, drugs, counterfeit goods and, quite possibly, terrorists."
"This demoralizing prosecution puts the rights of illegal smugglers ahead of our homeland security and undermines the critical mission of better enforcing immigration laws," Mr. Jones said. "These two agents should not be made scapegoats for our government's enforcement failures."
A federal jury convicted agents Ignacio Ramos, 37, and Jose Alonso Compean, 28, in March of causing serious bodily injury, assault with a deadly weapon, discharge of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, and a civil rights violation. The shooting occurred Feb. 17, 2005, near Fabens, Texas, about 30 miles southeast of El Paso.
Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila, a Mexican national, was wounded as he ran from the agents along the Rio Grande after they said he pointed what appeared to be a gun at them as they tried to apprehend him. Nearly 800 pounds of marijuana, worth $1 million, was found in the van that he abandoned at the river's edge, the Border Patrol said.
Mr. Aldrete-Davila, who was given immunity by prosecutors to testify against the agents, also received care at William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso. He is suing the government for $5 million for violating his civil rights.
"The circumstances do not justify the verdict, and these convictions are already having an adverse impact on the Border Patrol," Mrs. Feinstein said.
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr., Wisconsin Republican and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, called for a congressional investigation and open hearings on the case during an immigration field hearing in El Paso. The committee's investigation is expected to begin before the end of the year.
Rep. John Hostettler, Indiana Republican and chairman of the House Judiciary subcommittee on immigration, border security and claims, who attended the El Paso hearing, said that if the arrest, trial and conviction of the two Border Patrol agents had resulted in a chilling effect on others, "then it's definitely something we should know about."
Spotted in his van near the Rio Grande, records show that Ramos gave chase while Compean circled around to head off the suspect. When Mr. Aldrete-Davila jumped out of the van and ran south to the river, he was confronted by Compean, who was thrown to the ground as the two men fought. Ramos said that when he arrived, he saw Compean on the ground and chased Mr. Aldrete-Davila to the river, where the suspect suddenly turned toward him, pointing what looked like a gun.
Ramos said he fired at the fleeing suspect but did not think he had been hit after watching him run through the bush, jump into an awaiting van in Mexico and speed off.
An investigator from the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General tracked down Mr. Aldrete-Davila in Mexico, where he was offered immunity in exchange for testimony. The department oversees the Border Patrol.
A U.S. probation officer has recommended in a report to the court that the agents be sentenced to 20 years.
#1
So then, interdict a drug smuggler at the border, pursue him, and when he appears to be turning to shoot you, shoot him instead. GET 20 YEARS IN PRISON???
(Washington, DC) Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption and judicial abuse, announced today that Judge Anna Diggs Taylor, who last week ruled the governments warrantless wiretapping program unconstitutional, serves as a Secretary and Trustee for a foundation that donated funds to the ACLU of Michigan, a plaintiff in the case (ACLU et. al v. National Security Agency). Judicial Watch discovered the potential conflict of interest after reviewing Judge Diggs Taylors financial disclosure statements.
According to her 2003 and 2004 financial disclosure statements, Judge Diggs Taylor served as Secretary and Trustee for the Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan (CFSEM). She was reelected to this position in June 2005. The official CFSEM website states that the foundation made a recent grant of $45,000 over two years to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan, a plaintiff in the wiretapping case. Judge Diggs Taylor sided with the ACLU of Michigan in her recent decision.
Served on a board of directors. While that's not against the judicial code (as I understand it), it does raise questions, and a good judge would have disclosed it, or moved the case to another judge just based on the appearance of an impropiety.
According to the CFSEM website, The Foundations trustees make all funding decisions at meetings held on a quarterly basis.
This potential conflict of interest merits serious investigation, said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. If Judge Diggs Taylor failed to disclose this link to a plaintiff in a case before her court, it would certainly call into question her judgment.
That's a big ooops, and if true it's going to get her in some degree of trouble.
Judge Diggs Taylor is also the presiding judge in another case where she may have a conflict of interest. The Arab Community Center for Social and Economic Services (ACCESS) is a defendant in another case now before Judge Diggs Taylors court [Case No. 06-10968 (Mich. E.D.)]. In 2003, the CFSEM donated $180,000 to ACCESS.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/23/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
About time useless leftards in high places get exposed.
#5
This useless bitch is yet one more fine example of what good ol' Jimmah has done for us. I swear the two tools most damaging to US society in the past century were Hubie Humphry and Jimmah. Followed very closely by the drunken asslicker from Cape Cod.
#7
wow. what a devastating surprise. i'll bet she's really scared and everything. the sterling record of removing biased asshole judges will probably keep her awake at nights, although it's non-existent.
Now if she had been caught using a penis-pump instead of just perverting the law to suit her political agenda, whoa, she'd be toast... not to mention a transvestite.
#8
she played games with a Michigan Affirmative Action case as well, trying to steer the case to a sympathetic judge vs the judge already picked at random, which was the established procedure
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/23/2006 8:01 Comments ||
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#9
I want to be surprised, but Im not. Now when the judicial system reviews her and throws it out she will scream the "right" is after her. This is just sad to see there are people like this out there affecting our nation security that are linked to organizations hell bent on destroying America and our values. She deserves no quarter if this proves out.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
08/23/2006 8:09 Comments ||
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#10
Conflict of interest is the least of her problems. Since the NSA case ruling, I've been reviewing some of her 'opinions'. This cow is perhaps one of the most unscholarly, unlearned, illogical, leftist activists on the Federal Bench. Some of her opinions are literally laughed at in many Law Schools around the country.
We simply can't afford another liberal in the White House. A fresh new slew of liberal Judge appointments would be sure to follow. The damage is long term. Look at this witch, for example. A Carter appointee. Jimmuh Cahtah: The gift that keeps on giving.
#11
So where's Bush and the administration on this ?
I can't stand this kind of passive weakness. We need to flush out the leftists and smack them down proper. Let's impeach this bitch.
#13
#11 So where's Bush and the administration on this ?
There's the rub...it's one thing for the blogs and commentators to be on this, but the GOP leadership needs to be willing to call the left on things like this.
Consistently and persistently.
The "let's be gentlemen" strategy for engaging opponents does nothing but sap morale on the President's side.
I wonder what the President's poll numbers would be if he responded quickly to all the examples of lefty malfeasance we've been seeing since 9-11?
#14
I wonder what the President's poll numbers would be if he responded quickly to all the examples of lefty malfeasance we've been seeing since 9-11?
That depends on how he responds. If he could wink, shake his head and talk in that 'oh-you-silly-little-liberals' voice like Reagan, his numbers might be as high as Ronnie's were.
Cops halted a Manhattan subway and examined passengers carrying bottled water and other drinks yesterday after a concerned tipster reported seeing a bottle of suspicious liquid on the No.6 train, police and witnesses said.
The startling spot check was not part of a wider NYPD counterterrorism initiative and had no connection to the thwarted British terror plot to use liquid explosives to blow up passenger jets, authorities said. It was a routine response to a suspicious package - but several passengers were still alarmed.
"This is a new level of fear, watching for people carrying drinks on the subway," said Wallis Post, 25, of Manhattan, who was on the train searched by cops at the 51st St. station and again at Grand Central Terminal.
Cops halted the subway about 9 a.m. shortly after a tipster reported seeing a suspicious bottle of liquid on the train at 125th St., police said. "Is anyone carrying a liquid?" a uniformed cop asked after boarding the train with another officer at 51st St., according to Post and another passenger.
Another cop then said into her hand-held radio: "We're looking for the high alert," prompting a few frightened passengers to get off the train, the witnesses said. As the cops held the train, a woman in a gym outfit held up a Poland Spring water bottle with red juice inside it and told them, "I have this." The cops asked if the liquid had spilled on anything and then took it, Post said.
After a five-minute delay, the train was allowed to depart the station, but when it rolled into Grand Central another cop got on and asked: "Has anyone seen a liquid?" Cops again searched the train before deciding there was no threat, Post said.
#1
Hmmmm, could be hair-trigger sensitivity to an innocent situation (not necessarily a bad thing) or the latest version of the recent white powder scares and the venerable bomb scares of previous generations. I expect a flurry of these events in the coming months.
A Washington-based company is donating up to $7 million worth of fiber-optic security fencing material for the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps to use in any new barriers the group erects to try to keep illegal immigrants out of Arizona.
The mesh has embedded sensors that can differentiate between human and animal contact and conditions such as high winds or heavy rain. Tied into cameras and alarms, the system can alert monitors to the precise location of any intrusion. The system pushes infrared light pulses continuously through the fiber-optic wire mesh, which is called FOM, for Fiber Optic Mesh. It can use the pulsing light to detect if the mesh is stretched or cut and what is pushing or pulling at its strands.
"We're certainly not against immigration," said Nina (NINE-uh) May, the head of FOMGuard USA, which is donating the material. "We're against illegal immigration, because there are standards to follow. Too many people stand in line for years, and it's not fair to them."
FOMGuard USA represents FOMGuard Co., a South Korean enterprise that developed the fencing material. May said the mesh security fencing was designed for use along the demilitarized zone with North Korea.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
08/23/2006 11:27 Comments ||
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The mesh has embedded sensors that can differentiate between human and animal contact ....... and emits a deadly luminous green goo filled with strange microscopic eggs when touched by humans.
This link was passed to me by several soldiers I know. One wrote:
I just listened to this speech given by a Basic Training Battalion Commander at Fort Benning. It is a fantastic speech and absolutely well-worth the time. It cannot fail to inspire. If I had a world distro list, I would have sent it to everyone on the planet.
Listen to this commander honor his new soldiers. And hear what he has to say about Iraq and other operations going on now.
Consider downloading the video and watching it on your pc locally so as to preserve bandwidth for other visitors to the site. It is zipped, but just click on it and it will play on most PCs.
#12
A well-written speech, fairly delivered (he does need to work on his delivery, but he's probably a bit busy). I noticed it was the seated audience that responded to his sallies against the slanted media and biscotti&latte crowd. More lost market for the newspapers and television news, I fear, and gained audience for the warblogs.
The Marine Corps has denied four Marines accused of killing an Iraqi civilian the option of going straight to trial, a decision that defense lawyers claimed was a sign that prosecutors don't have a solid case. good call - they're buying time and trying to turn the accused against each other
The four are among seven Marines and a sailor accused of kidnapping and murdering an Iraqi civilian in the town of Hamdania last spring. All are in the brig at Camp Pendleton and could face the death penalty.
The men had been scheduled for Article 32 hearings, where a commanding officer determines if there is probable cause to bring a defendant to trial. But last week they asked to waive their right to the hearings and proceed straight to trial. as is their right - called the Brasses' bluff
Their attorneys argued the Article 32 hearings would be a "rubber stamp" and a waste of time and money because all charges would eventually be referred to courts-martial anyway. But the Marine Corps said late Tuesday the accused must go to preliminary hearings. Camp Pendleton spokesman Lt. Col. Sean Gibson said the move was made "to make a fair and impartial decision on the disposition of these cases."
Some of the attorneys for the men were surprised with the decision. "They are trying to buy themselves more time to finish an investigation which was incomplete to begin with," said Joseph Casas, who represents Lance Cpl. Jerry Shumate, of Matlock, Wash.
Attorney Victor Kelly, who represents Cpl. Trent Thomas, called the decision "profoundly unusual." The two other Marines who hoped to waive their hearings were Pfc. John Jodka III and Cpl. Marshall Magincalda. The Marines are among eight service members alleged to have gone into Hamdania, taken a man from his home, tied him up and shot him without provocation April 26.
The Article 32 hearings for the eight men could start as soon as Aug 28. Case is weak for a reason, maybe they didn't do it?
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/23/2006 09:33 ||
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On July 25, 2006 Al-Anbar commander and U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Richard Zilmer submitted an MNF-W priority 1 request pointing to the hazards inherent in American supply lines, and noted that the up to many of the supply convoys on Iraq's roads (up to 70%, by some studies) are carrying fuel. Much of that fuel isn't even for vehicles - it's for diesel generators used to generate power at US bases et. al. In response, the document requests alternative energy solutions to power US forward operating bases... and the US military looks like it will act on the request.
DID has covered a number of Pentagon projects to use alternative energy at various installations, but Zilmer's request is believed to be the first formal request from a front-line commander. Not to mention the first formal request that acknowledges the security dimension of alternative energy sources in response to the growth of "systempunkt" terrorism and the non-linear battlefield. This is also an issue of cost, and reports indicate that foresighted CIA venture funding has even produced a front-runner for the coming contracts...
The request reportedly calls for 183 renewable energy systems of various power capacities. More than anything else, however, Zilmer's letter is about changing assumptions.
Well-known renewable energy advocate Amory Lovins, who advises a Defense Science Board panel on fuel efficiency, was quoted by Defense News as saying that the Pentagon's fuel cost calculations have traditionally been based on wholesale prices, and have not taken into account the actual cost of delivering it to front-line units. Before the Iraq war, "fuel logistics were assumed to be free and uninterruptible." Former CIA director and current energy adviser to the Pentagon and Congress James Woolsey adds this: "If you're talking about getting the gas to an M1A1 tank in Fallujah, the supply lines, the tanker vehicles and their protection could drive the cost up to $100 a gallon or more."
Which, interestingly enough, is about the price level that Halliburton subsidiary KBR got into trouble for, when it was responsible for providing fuel to US forces in Iraq.
yes. and while I've seen defense contractor cost padding, in this case I thought the hysteria was simple and cynical political mudslinging.
#1
I've never been anywhere close to Iraq, but my ignorant opinion is that it seems like solar power ought to be a pretty good option there. At least during the daytime.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Islam is history because we live in the 21st century now, opined controversial exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen on Tuesday.
"The Islam religion and their scriptures are out of place and out of time. It still follows the 7th century laws and is hopeless. The need of the hour is not reformation but revolution," said Nasreen while interacting with reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.
The feminist author of "Lajja" is in Kerala in connection with the release of the Malayalam translation of four of her books, which would be released at Thrissur on Aug 24.
Nasreen said a secular state should have a uniform civil code and should be based on equality, existence and not on religion.
"The state can do a lot of things, and both the state and religion should be separate. The state should not encourage religion. Today religious education and madrassas (religious seminaries) are going up. Jehad is stupidity," said the writer.
She said she had been fighting religious fundamentalism for long.
"I don't go to the streets, instead I write and that is my way of protest. I was born in a Muslim family and Muslim women suffer under Islam. None told me to fight against oppression. It was inside me. Women are treated as slaves, sexual objects and childbearing machines," added Nasreen.
According to Nasreen, noted Kerala writer Kamala Surayya, who was Kamala Das before she converted to Islam, had now realised that she had made a mistake in converting to Islam. She had held a meeting with Surayya earlier.
"When I asked her if she regrets becoming a Muslim, she said 'yes'. She has realised that Islam does not give equality," said the writer.
She said she would love to return to her country, and if not allowed to then she would like to live in Kolkata because a writer likes to live in surroundings familiar to them.
Posted by: john ||
08/23/2006 16:15 ||
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OK, I guess returning to Bangladesh is now impossible.
The Calcutta Police are going to have to provide her with a security detail.
Posted by: john ||
08/23/2006 16:19 Comments ||
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#2
Is it extra points if I can pronounce "Thiruvananthapuram"?
#4
However, I don't think Islam will be history since the western world seems incapible of fighting back.
Not incapable, Darth, just reluctant (I refer you to .com's "Order of the Garter" syndrome and related problems of battlefield etiquette). Given enough latitude and opportunity, Islam will finally commit an atrocity of such magnitude that the civilized world will simply exterminate all Muslims and be done with it for once and all. I dread to think what sort of crime against humanity will be involved, but the net result shall be the Muslim Holocaust.
From all indications Islam could care less about the consequences of its actions. Unfortunately, insufficient numbers of Westerners care enough, at present, to send Islam the correct and convincingly phrased ultimatum. How tragic to think that this one simple preventive measure must hinge upon what will likely be the death of millions. Only then will the cost of living with Islam exceed the cost of doing away with Islam. And do away with Islam we will.
Hat tip: The Jawa Report
Illegal radio stations in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province were preaching religious militancy and sectarian hatred, a senior official said on Monday. Scores of illegal FM stations are broadcasting in NWFP and in the restive, semi-autonomous tribal areas bordering Afghanistan, and some have been accused of fanning violence. "We are taking this issue very seriously. Because some stations are creating problems with their hate material which promotes violence," said Gul Bacha Wazir, the provincial interior secretary.
This year at least 26 people have been killed in clashes between factions led by Muslim clerics in a tribal area after one of the clerics used a radio station to incite his followers to attack families loyal to a rival. Militants and clerics sympathetic to the Taliban and al Qaeda have also been making anti-government broadcasts, often using mobile units that can reach over an area of up to 15 km (10 miles).
Pakistan's electronic media regulating authority has also been taking action against illegal radio stations and has closed down about 150 of them in the past six months. "We need to do more. As we don't have regulation authority in many areas of the NWFP and tribal areas and can't operate without the help of local authorities," said the authority's spokesman, Mohammad Saleem. Wazir said provincial authorities had asked the central government to give them more powers that would allow police to take direct action against illegal stations.
#1
"taking action against illegal radio stations "
It wouldn't seem too challanging to eliminate illegal radio transmitters if one really wanted to. Especially if one had total air superiority. I suspect we can locate transmitters from satellite or aircraft and would be happy to pass transmitter coordinates to Musharaff. But one has to be willing to blow up the mosques the transmitters are in and the minarets the antennae are in - and one can't do that, those are holy places.
PESHAWAR: Ansarul Islam, a Tirah-based organisation in Khyber Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), has decided to set up an office in Bara, tehsil headquarters of the agency, and install an FM radio station to counter what it calls the "propaganda" of the Lashkar-e-Islami.
A decision to this effect was made at a meeting of tribal elders who support the organisation at Arjali Nadi on Tuesday. Khalifa Majeed Malaang Afridi was appointed ameer of the organisation's Bara office. Ansarul Islam and Lashkar-e-Islami have been fighting for the last two months and their rivalry has claimed at least 24 lives so far. The government has reportedly asked Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, to play a role to settle the dispute.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/23/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
We should encourage them into greater fratricide. Nothing better than force multipliers like this.
QUETTA: A jirga of the Bugti tribe will be held tomorrow (Thursday) to formally announce an end to the sardari system, Dera Bugti District Coordination Officer (DCO) Abdul Samad Lasi said on Tuesday. He said that tribal elders of all sub-clans of the Bugti tribe would attend the jirga, which would be organised by the Sui Youth Council and Dera Bugti Town Youth Council at Jinnah Stadium in Dera Bugti town. He said that all arrangements had been finalised for the jirga, which would also be attended by thousands of locals. Lasi said the jirga would also settle various disputes among sub-clans of the Bugti tribe and help bring peace to the district.
He dispelled the impression that the jirga would select or elect a new nawab or sardar. Attaullah Khan Kalpar Bugti, a spokesman for the jirga, said that the sardari system was the main reason for the backwardness of the district. He said that the elimination of the sardari system would ensure the common man's participation in decision-making. He said the jirga would bring peace, prosperity and integrity to the district. It will bring the Bugti tribe into the political mainstream, he added. The district has been in the grip of political violence for the last couple of years.
It's also been in the grip of nawabs and sardars and similar small-scale potentates. Now it can be in the grip of jirgas until somebody gets religion and then it can be in the grip of Islamic courts.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/23/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Where's Quetta? Where are they gripping their jirgas.
#3
Everybody else asked us to abandon ship, especially after it developed mechanical problems at sea, but I used cloth attached to the crane's jibs to make sails and traveled by wind power"
Hey, I read this story. Jack Aubrey, was it ?
Posted by: Carl in N.H. ||
08/23/2006 21:40 Comments ||
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The number of U.S. troops in Iraq has climbed back to 138,000, driven up in part by the need to control the escalating violence in Baghdad and the decision to delay the departure of an Alaska-based Army brigade. Or preparation for something that needs a lot more troops, given the posts at Rantburg saying that violence in Iraq is actually down, and more Iraqi troops and police are coming on line and taking over from the Coalition.
The increase comes as the U.S. Marine Corps is preparing to order thousands of its troops to active duty in the first involuntary recall since the early days of the war. No more than 2,500 Marines will be recalled at any one time, but there is no cap on the total number who may be forced back into service in the coming years as the military helps fight the war on terror. The call-ups will begin in the next few months, and most of the Marines are expected to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Troop levels in Iraq had been declining, from about 138,000 for much of last year to a low of about 127,000 earlier this summer, amid growing calls from Congress and the public for a phased withdrawal. Part of the latest increase is due to the overlap of units that are currently moving in and out of Iraq. But much of it comes from the decision late last month to delay the departure of the 172nd Stryker Brigade for four months. The brigade had served its one-year deployment and was beginning to head home to Alaska, but was instead ordered into Baghdad.
This is the first time the Marines have had to use the involuntary recall since the beginning of the Iraq combat. The Army, meanwhile, has issued orders recalling about 10,000 soldiers so far, but many of those may be granted exemptions.
Marine Col. Guy A. Stratton, head of the manpower mobilization section, estimated there is a shortfall of about 1,200 Marines needed to fill positions in upcoming deployments. "Since this is going to be a long war," said Stratton, "we thought it was judicious and prudent at this time to be able to use a relatively small portion of those Marines to help us augment our units." Some of the military needs, he said, include engineers, intelligence, military police and communications.
As of Tuesday, nearly 22,000 of the 138,000 troops in Iraq were Marines.
The call-up will affect Marines in the Individual Ready Reserve, a segment of the reserves that consists mainly of those who have left active duty but still have time remaining on their eight-year military obligations. Generally, Marines enlist for four years, then serve the other four years either in the regular Reserves, where they are paid and train periodically, or in the Individual Ready Reserve. Marines in the IRR are obligated to report only one day a year but can be involuntarily recalled to active duty.
To date, about 5,000 Army IRR soldiers have mobilized, and about 2,200 of those are currently serving, according to Lt. Col. Bryan Hilferty, an Army spokesman. Of those 2,200, about 16 percent are volunteers, he said. A typical Army enlistment obligation is also for eight years.
According to Stratton, there are about 59,000 Marines in the IRR, but the Corps has decided to exempt from the call-up those who are either in their first year or last year of reserve status. As a result, the pool of available Marines is about 35,000. The deployments can last up to two years, but on average would be 12 to 18 months, Stratton said. Each Marine who is being recalled will get five months to prepare before having to report.
President Bush authorized the recall on July 26. It is the first such recall since early 2003, when about 2,000 Marines were involuntarily activated for the initial ground war in Iraq.
Tater and his tots are in for a massive ass kicking.
Posted by: Captain America ||
08/23/2006 15:00 Comments ||
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#4
My guess is we want a shitload of boys ready in Iraq for the day we bomb Iran and they activate the Sadr to cause trouble. Either that or a border incursion or two into Syria.
Iraq's former electricity minister, a member of the transitional government set up after the 2003 US-led invasion, was arrested today on corruption charges after he surrendered, an official said. Ayham al-Samarie, a dual Iraq-US citizen and Sunni Arab political figure, is one of the five ministers in the former government against whom arrest warrants were issued for massive corruption. The others — the ministers of labour, defence, transportation and housing — remain at large. Al-Samarie gave himself up at the Central Criminal Court, said Judge Radhi al-Radhi, chief of the Public Integrity Commission. He said al-Samarie was put under arrest and taken to a jail where he will remain until a trial starts. No date for the trial has been set.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/23/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
One down, 4,675,128 (est.) to go. In Iraq. Lots more in the US.
Opposition leader MK Benjamin Netanyahu called on the government to authorize a state commission to probe deficiencies in the army's and the government's conduct in the war with Hizbullah . Speaking on Channel 2 TV, Netanyahu said: "I say this unexcitedly, there must be a probe. The government itself said so. We have to prevent a hopeless situation the next time."
That's a fair statement of the obvious...
Netanyahu said his Likud party stood behind the government throughout the war but now that the fighting ended, criticism is legitimate...
Netanyahu said the scale of the failures in stemming rocket fire and in assisting northern residents during 34-days of fighting require an inquiry. Asked whether his calls are aimed at smearing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert 's government for political gain, Netanyahu said his Likud party stood behind the government throughout the war but now that the fighting ended, criticism is legitimate.
Olmert doesn't need smeared. He's done it all himself.
Netanyahu rejected claims that cuts to the defense budget over the last four years impaired the army's level of preparedness for war, arguing that under his tenure as finance minister between 2003 and 2005 the defense budget increased. "The problem is not to find the guilty but to draw lessons. The lessons are what we should do ahead of the next round. If we don't draw lessons, not only will we have a second round but it will end badly," Netanyahu said.
The second round should be considered a given. Hassan's on top of the world back in Hezbollahland. That's Olmert's fault. Israel should be preparing itself, and continue preparing itself.
Asked whether he trusts Olmert's leadership in securing a safer and stronger Israel, Netanyahu said he won't be dragged into finger pointing at political rival, choosing instead to outline what he believes are five pressing issues for Israel : ensuring Iran doesn't acquire nuclear arms, strengthening the Israel Defense Forces, rehabilitating the north, implementing economic reforms and abolishing endemic corruption and bureaucracy in state institutions. Netanyahu sounded pessimistic when asked if his Likud party would join Kadima as a coalition partner if the current coalition with Labor breaks up. Netanyahu charged that Kadima lacks a clear vision for Israel as evident in Olmert declaration that his realignment plan of withdrawing thousands of settlers from the West Bank is no longer on the government's agenda. He said the current government won't be in power till the end of its term, expressing his confidence in Likud's ability to "lead the public to a better and more secure future."
I'd guess he has more in mind Kadima joining Likud as a junior partner. If that.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/23/2006 08:10 ||
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#3
"The problem is not to find the guilty but to draw lessons. The lessons are what we should do ahead of the next round. If we don't draw lessons, not only will we have a second round but it will end badly," Netanyahu said. "
"The second round should be considered a given. Hassan's on top of the world back in Hezbollahland. That's Olmert's fault. Israel should be preparing itself, and continue preparing itself. "
To assume a second round (at least in public)is to give the Leb Army and the UN force an out to do nothing. Nasrallah is hard to take down NOW, with a still weak Leb Army, and plenty of legitimacy from surviving the war, and Leb resentement of Israel. Its quite possible that will change over time, and a properly trained and equipped Leb Army will change the political balance of Lebanon. If and when that happens, Nasrallah MAY try to avert being forced to become a "normal" political force by trying to provoke another war - or his masters in Teheran may give orders he cant refuse for another war well before then. But neither eventuality is 100%, and i think even Bibi knows that, as reflected in his statement above.
None of which means that Israel shouldnt prepare immediately for the next war. Learn the lessons, solve the problems wrt tactics, logistics, as well as strategy. My sense is that theres wall to wall support for that, just disagreement about who should do it, and about the large political strategy (esp the question of talks with Baby Assad - the division between "cant talk with him as long as be backs terrorists" vs "maybe hell pull a Qaddafi" all of which is constrained by what Washington wants - if the US wants Israel to talk with Syria they will, and if not, not)
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - Palestinian civil servants, including teachers, announced Tuesday they would launch an open-ended strike Sept. 2, the first day of the school year, in another blow to the cash-strapped Hamas government.
More than 165,000 Palestinians are employed by the Palestinian Authority. Of those, some 80,000 will go on strike, including 40,000 teachers and 25,000 health workers, said Bassem Hadaideh, spokesman of the civil servants' union. More than 80,000 members of the security forces will not join the strike, he said. The union has ties to the Fatah movement, Hamas' main political rival.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh called the strike unacceptable, saying such acts would create more problems for the Palestinians. He called on civil servants not to heed the call for the strike.
Running a government sucks huh? Much easier just to blow stuff up.
Government workers have not received their salaries since March, when the Islamic militant Hamas took power. ``We haven't received our salaries in six months and nothing is on the horizon, financially or politically,'' Hadaideh said. ``We have given the government enough time to run the Palestinian Authority and provide us with our salaries, but unfortunately it has failed.''
Fadel Kandil, a spokesman in Gaza for the teachers' union, said the workers are demanding back pay and a pledge that future salaries will be received on time. ``If the government can't resolve this, let others come,'' Kandil said.
That almost sounds .. democratic. Almost.
Palestinians had initially been patient, waiting to see how Hamas would overcome its financial problems. But in recent weeks, frustration has risen and Palestinians have taken to the streets in protest. On Sunday, thousands of Palestinians in Gaza demonstrated outside parliament, waving pita bread in the air as a sign of growing poverty.
The union will hold two warning strikes on Wednesday and Thursday, Hadaideh said, adding that health workers would only deal with emergency cases throughout the walkout.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/23/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
It sounds callous, but it seems appropriate that the Muslims turn on themselves and leave the others out of it. I think Hamas should bomb the strikers, then in return the Palestinians retaliate. (Etc etc), until the area is finally peaceful and cleared. Sentimental fool I can be.
#7
If the government can't resolve this, let others come
It always sounds corny when President Bush says Terrorists hate freedom but this is a classic example of why Democracy scares the hell out of these thugs.
The Bush administration said Wednesday a proposal by Iran for nuclear negotiations falls short of U.N. demands that it cease uranium enrichment, and the U.S. began plotting unspecified "next moves" with other governments. The State Department, in a terse statement, acknowledged that Iran considered its proposal to be a serious one. "We will review it," the statement said in what appeared to be a conciliatory gesture to a government it regularly denounces as a sponsor of terror.
"We are consulting closely, including with other members of the Security Council, on next steps," it said. The United Nations has set a deadline of next Thursday for a formal reply by Tehran. President Bush met with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at the White House and then discussed Iran's proposal in a telephone call with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan .
Posted by: Fred ||
08/23/2006 17:12 ||
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#1
U.S. began plotting unspecified "next moves" with other governments.... which involved fire, pestilence, and knashing of teeth.
#3
I don't think it will come to that. At least I'm betting it won't.
I find 2 things about this "article", an ultra-thin press release actually, fascinating...
The "article" ends without the punchline: The Mullahs told the "six world powers" to go stuff it.
That they feel comfortable in this ongoing PR campaign to trumpet their achievements, laughing all the while at what they perceive as the weakness of the West. I'll agree that they have this mostly right, but it only takes one misperception, arguably a very big one, to send themselves back to the Stone Age: believing the US is as weak-kneed as the rest. Such miscalculations make history interesting.
Not important, just another straw on one side of the balance. A statement from German flagship airline Lufthansa said it will not be resuming flights to Beirut Wednesday as announced a day earlier. The company said it had not received "the necessary right" for resumption of flights, along with other airlines it did not identify. As a result, the company said flights "must regrettably remain suspended at short notice until Aug. 31."
The airline suspended all flights July 13, a day after Hezbollah fighters abducted two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid, sparking a 34-day war in Lebanon and the bombing and closure of Beirut International Airport.
Tuesday, eight days after a U.N. cease-fire was imposed, the airline said it would offer five flights a week between Frankfurt and Beirut but those flights are now on hold.
The Iranian news service Al-Borz, which is known to have access to sources in the Iranian government, predicted that on the first anniversary of Iranian President Ahmadinejad's government, in late August 2006, Ahmadinejad is expected to announce what the news service called Iran's "nuclear birth."
In addition, an August 23, 2006 article about Iran's reply to the incentives proposal, that was posted on the Iranian Foreign Ministry-affiliated website www.tehrantimes.com , implied that Iran's nuclear technology had already reached the point of no return: "... If the West is seeking to impede Iran's nuclear industry, it should realize that Iran has passed this stage."(1)
The following are excerpts from the Al-Borz report:(2)
"It is expected that the first anniversary of the forming of the ninth government will be the date of the Ahmadinejad government's 'nuclear birth.'
"... Together with [the celebration of] the anniversary of the forming of the ninth cabinet, the president of the country [Mahmoud Ahmadinejad] will hold his third press conference... where he will answer questions from journalists from Iran and from abroad.
"In addition to detailing the activities of the government at the end of [its first] year, the head of the government [i.e. Ahmadinejad] will officially present Iran's positions on: economic and cultural matters, the nuclear dossier, the activities of nuclear research centers, and developments in the region."
The jihadis are gonna have the bomb. There's no doubt about it; the only question is when. The end of this month is much, much more likely than five years from now, IMHO.
I've said it before: we've given up trying to defend our civilization. The only question is how much damage it'll do during its death throes.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
08/23/2006 12:18 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Russians with the bomb were at least rational, MAD worked on them. These idiots would like nothing better than to get killed for allan.
Since the rest of the world seems to be a bunch of pussies, I think we are going to have to handle this ourselves.
It could take three months to fill the post-war security vacuum in southern Lebanon and even unintended breaches of a truce could restart fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, the United Nations said on Tuesday. The situation is still extremely fragile, senior UN envoy Terje Roed-Larsen told Reuters in an interview in Jerusalem. Unintended incidents can kick off renewed violence, which might escalate and spin out of control. Italy says it will send 2,000 to 3,000 soldiers as long as Israel holds to the terms of the truce. DAlema will meet Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni in Rome on Thursday to discuss the peacekeeping effort.
Unintended incidents can kick off renewed violence, which might escalate and spin out of control...
DAlema held out hope that France might reconsider its offer of only 200 troops. It had originally been expected to contribute at least 2,000. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmerts coalition government continued to face domestic problems stemming from the war in Lebanon. A top lawmaker in his Kadima party said the government was in trouble and should be reshuffled over a budget dispute. EU countries are due to meet in Brussels today (Wednesday) to clarify EU commitments.
Israel meanwhile expressed fears that the fighting could resume and vowed to learn the lessons from a litany of failures during the war to crush Hezbollah. The ceasefire is fragile and makes for fears about a resumption of fighting, as long as the Lebanese army and international force are not deployed in southern Lebanon in keeping with UN Resolution 1701, government spokesman Avi Pazner told AFP. EU foreign ministers will discuss possible troop contributions to a peacekeeping force in Lebanon at an emergency meeting on Friday, EU President Finland said in a statement. It added that UN Secretary General Kofi Annan would attend the talks in Brussels.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has conditioned the lifting of Israels air and sea blockade of Lebanon on the deployment of international troops at the Beirut airport and on Lebanons border with Syria...
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has conditioned the lifting of Israels air and sea blockade of Lebanon on the deployment of international troops at the Beirut airport and on Lebanons border with Syria, public radio reported on Tuesday. Olmert made these demands in a meeting with UN envoy Terje Roed-Larsen. He reiterated that the most important matter for Israel is the liberation of two Israeli soldiers. The radio added that Roed-Larsen said UN Secretary General Kofi Annan would be travelling to Israel next week. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has rejected Israeli demands for the deployment of international troops on the Lebanese-Syrian border to stop what Israel says is the smuggling of arms to Hezbollah.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/23/2006 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[4 views]
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#1
Drip, drip, drip, Round Two
The lack of responsiveness by the Euros is the cause of it. Back sliding, conflict avoidance, unwillingness to put words to action, all standard for the UN.
Posted by: Captain America ||
08/23/2006 0:30 Comments ||
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#2
"UN warns of prolonged security vacuum in Lebanon"
As opposed to the prolonged security vacuum in Lebanon ever since the Israelis pulled back and trusted the Lebanese government to prevent terrorist attacks against Israel from Lebanese soil?
Look in the dictionary under "useless wankers" - see the UN logo.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
08/23/2006 1:00 Comments ||
Top||
#3
Pay through the nose to be informed that the Sun rises in the East.....along with other worthless pontifications of morons thrown in?
#6
Terje wants triplicates on complaints of Hisbollocks breaking the ceasefire deal. Not even a very original bureaucratic tool for fudging. Moral morons truly find their best employment in the UN.
(IRNA) -- Former director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Hans Blix says that he is certain Iran is not making a nuclear weapon and believes that the West should restart talks to resolve its desire to enrich uranium. Iran is "certainly not now" developing any bomb and even the CIA believe that it might take up to 2010 or 2112 to have any capacity, Blix said Tuesday. "So there is time to talk and that is an important point," he said in an interview with Today, BBC Radio Four's flagship current affairs program. "I think the west should continue talking with Iran," he said.
Blix, who now chairs the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission, made his call ahead of Iran's expected formal response to a package of incentives being offered by the permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany. "There is something curious about the offer they made in the spring to come to talks, including with the US which was seen as a big concession, but only if Iran first suspends enrichment," he said. The former IAEA director general, who was also the UN's chief arms inspector ahead of the Iraq war, further criticized the Security Council for making the same demand to first suspend in its resolution on July 31.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/23/2006 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[2 views]
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#1
Blix: You aren't making nuclear bombs, are you ?
Iran: No, phalk you.
Blix: Some officials think you may be
Iran: Eat me.
Blix: I just want to make sure we are on the same page.
Iran: We will conquer all of Euroasia.
Blix: Now, don't get mad, I'm only the messenger.
Iran: Allah curses your mother.
Blix: So, can I have a look around ?
Iran: You must crawl, infidel scum.
Blix: Like this ?
#3
Hans, with all due respect, this is the same CIA that told us about WMDs in Iraq in 2003 and you did not believe them then. Now you expect us to believe them about nuclear weapons in Iran in 2006. Until we send Joe Wilson back to Niger for another in-depth tea party, I am not sure we can trust you or the CIA to be either right or wrong again.
Being dead right or dead wrong is a rather academic distinction.
Posted by: john ||
08/23/2006 12:45 Comments ||
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An Iranian news agency is reporting that the nation's "Fearless Supreme Leader" has lashed out at US President George W. Bush, threatening to "smash the arrogant powers," if "huge powers" become involved in the current nuclear standoff. Fars News Agency, closely affiliated with the Iranian Judiciary, has quoted Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei has called on Muslim leaders to join together to "paralyze" the United States. An excerpt from the English translation report follows:
Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei has called on Muslim leaders to join together to "paralyze" the United States...
"This Person (Bush) speaks as if he were the master and owner of Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, Syria, Iran and other Muslim states, but if the huge power of nations comes to the scene -- as it happened in Lebanon, it will smash the arrogant powers so badly that the enemies of Islam will no longer be able to continue with their rude and arrogant behavior," Ayatollah Khamenei said, while addressing a public meeting here on Tuesday also attended by the heads of the three branches of the government, the Expediency Council Chairman, the state and military officials, and Ambassadors of Muslim states on the feast of Mab'ath (i.e. anniversary of Prophet Mohammad's (PBUH) divine assignment to prophethood).
He said that the world hegemonic powers had pinned much hope in the former dictator of Iran, i.e. the Pahlavi dynasty, and reminded, "But Imam Khomeini provided a huge service for this nation and brought Iranians to the scene. If the same pattern of vigilance takes place in all the Islamic states and Muslim nations come to the scene, the United States and other arrogant powers of the world will be paralyzed in the face of the huge power of the nations."
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
08/23/2006 00:00 ||
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Come over here little man with the mushroom top.
Posted by: Captain America ||
08/23/2006 0:31 Comments ||
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#2
Hey Khamenei, pull up a chair, have a beer and some ribs and let's talk about these strange delusions of yours.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
08/23/2006 1:03 Comments ||
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#4
Why do we even try? These people are violently backward and rooted in tribalism. Just get it over with and reduce the suffering the world will have to undergo to a minimal number of people by taking them out now and not later.
#5
Yet another favor from Jimmah. He allowed the Shah to be removed and replaced by a pack of insane mullahs. At least Hirohito kept his mouth shut. These brainless fools foam at the mouth every chance they get.
#6
Yawn, "arrogant behavior" and "hegemonic powers", so what else is new? Barely a 1.0 on the Spittle Meter. Can't these professional wankers do any better?
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Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
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Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
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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.
.JPG)
VANCOUVER (CP) - Divisions within the Liberal party over the Middle East deepened Tuesday with two leadership contenders calling for the resignation of the party's deputy foreign affairs critic. Scott Brison and Carolyn Bennett said fellow Liberal MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj cannot retain his post as a foreign affairs spokesman after declaring that Canada should negotiate directly with Hezbollah as part of a bid to restore peace in Lebanon. "Borys should resign as critic. His statements were unacceptable," Brison said, noting that it was a Liberal government that first listed Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. 
The controversy, the latest in a series of damaging remarks by Liberals on the explosive Middle East situation, left some frustrated MPs complaining that the prolonged leadership race is to blame for the party's lack of coherence on issues, particularly the conflict in Lebanon. "I think what these divisions show is that the Liberals are in a leadership race," said Montreal MP Irwin Cotler. "Until a permanent leader is chosen, you're not going to get the same uniform, consistent and clear policy that can be articulated by someone like Prime Minister (Stephen) Harper on behalf of his government and party." 
Cops halted a Manhattan subway and examined passengers carrying bottled water and other drinks yesterday after a concerned tipster reported seeing a bottle of suspicious liquid on the No.6 train, police and witnesses said.
PESHAWAR: Ansarul Islam, a Tirah-based organisation in Khyber Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), has decided to set up an office in Bara, tehsil headquarters of the agency, and install an FM radio station to counter what it calls the "propaganda" of the Lashkar-e-Islami. 
QUETTA: A jirga of the Bugti tribe will be held tomorrow (Thursday) to formally announce an end to the sardari system, Dera Bugti District Coordination Officer (DCO) Abdul Samad Lasi said on Tuesday. He said that tribal elders of all sub-clans of the Bugti tribe would attend the jirga, which would be organised by the Sui Youth Council and Dera Bugti Town Youth Council at Jinnah Stadium in Dera Bugti town. He said that all arrangements had been finalised for the jirga, which would also be attended by thousands of locals. Lasi said the jirga would also settle various disputes among sub-clans of the Bugti tribe and help bring peace to the district. 
Iraq's former electricity minister, a member of the transitional government set up after the 2003 US-led invasion, was arrested today on corruption charges after he surrendered, an official said. Ayham al-Samarie, a dual Iraq-US citizen and Sunni Arab political figure, is one of the five ministers in the former government against whom arrest warrants were issued for massive corruption. The others — the ministers of labour, defence, transportation and housing — remain at large. Al-Samarie gave himself up at the Central Criminal Court, said Judge Radhi al-Radhi, chief of the Public Integrity Commission. He said al-Samarie was put under arrest and taken to a jail where he will remain until a trial starts. No date for the trial has been set.
Opposition leader MK 
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - Palestinian civil servants, including teachers, announced Tuesday they would launch an open-ended strike Sept. 2, the first day of the school year, in another blow to the cash-strapped Hamas government.
The Bush administration said Wednesday a proposal by Iran for nuclear negotiations falls short of U.N. demands that it cease uranium enrichment, and the U.S. began plotting unspecified "next moves" with other governments. The State Department, in a terse statement, acknowledged that Iran considered its proposal to be a serious one. "We will review it," the statement said in what appeared to be a conciliatory gesture to a government it regularly denounces as a sponsor of terror. 
The Iranian news service Al-Borz, which is known to have access to sources in the Iranian government, predicted that on the first anniversary of Iranian President Ahmadinejad's government, in late August 2006, Ahmadinejad is expected to announce what the news service called Iran's "nuclear birth." 
(IRNA) -- Former director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Hans Blix says that he is certain Iran is not making a nuclear weapon and believes that the West should restart talks to resolve its desire to enrich uranium. Iran is "certainly not now" developing any bomb and even the CIA believe that it might take up to 2010 or 2112 to have any capacity, Blix said Tuesday. "So there is time to talk and that is an important point," he said in an interview with Today, BBC Radio Four's flagship current affairs program. "I think the west should continue talking with Iran," he said.
An Iranian news agency is reporting that the nation's "
and let's talk about these strange delusions of yours.
