If you can read through all the bias and the misinformation in this article, and read between the lines, there seems to be some serious looking into who leaked the NSA story to the NYTimes. I don't think they were going through this guy's stuff for nothing.
Aug. 13, 2007 issue - The controversy over President Bush's warrantless surveillance program took another surprise turn last week when a team of FBI agents, armed with a classified search warrant, raided the suburban Washington home of a former Justice Department lawyer. The lawyer, Thomas M. Tamm, previously worked in Justice's Office of Intelligence Policy and Review (OIPR)the supersecret unit that oversees surveillance of terrorist and espionage targets. The agents seized Tamm's desktop computer, two of his children's laptops and a cache of personal files. Tamm and his lawyer, Paul Kemp, declined any comment. So did the FBI. But two legal sources who asked not to be identified talking about an ongoing case told NEWSWEEK the raid was related to a Justice criminal probe into who leaked details of the warrantless eavesdropping program to the news media. The raid appears to be the first significant development in the probe since The New York Times reported in December 2005 that Bush had authorized the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on the international phone calls and e-mails of U.S. residents without court warrants. (At the time, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said of the leak: "This is really hurting national security; this has really hurt our country.")
A veteran federal prosecutor who left DOJ last year, Tamm worked at OIPR during a critical period in 2004 when senior Justice officials first strongly objected to the surveillance program. Those protests led to a crisis that March when, according to recent Senate testimony, then A.G. John Ashcroft, FBI Director Robert Mueller and others threatened to resign, prompting Bush to scale the program back. Tamm, said one of the legal sources, had shared concerns about he program's legality, but it was unclear whether he actively participated in the internal DOJ protest.
The FBI raid on Tamm's home comes when Gonzales himself is facing criticism for allegedly misleading Congress by denying there had been "serious disagreement" within Justice about the surveillance program. The A.G. last week apologized for "creating confusion," but Senate Judiciary Committee chair Sen. Patrick Leahy said he is weighing asking Justice's inspector general to review Gonzales's testimony. Gonzales testified that the differences were not about this program, but something different
The raid also came while the White House and Congress were battling over expanding NSA wiretapping authority in order to plug purported "surveillance gaps." James X. Dempsey of the Center for Democracy and Technology said the raid was "amazing" and shows the administration's misplaced priorities: using FBI agents to track down leakers instead of processing intel warrants to close the gaps. A Justice spokesman declined to comment.
-Michael Isikoff
Posted by: Sherry ||
08/06/2007 14:49 ||
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#1
Which is more important, a leak that provided our enemies to change their tactics, making it harder to trace their movements and discover their intent, or sending the FBI to find that leaker? The NY Slimes is part of the problem. Where are the AH-64s with Hellfires targeting Times Square?
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
08/06/2007 15:48 Comments ||
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#2
Now, the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is getting involved
AP Reporting
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- In open court and legal filings it's referred to simply as "the Document."
Federal officials claim its contents are so sensitive to national security that it is stored in a bombproof safe in Washington and viewed only by prosecutors with top secret security clearances and a few select federal judges.
The Document, described by those who have seen it as a National Security Administration log of calls intercepted between an Islamic charity and its American lawyers, is at the heart of what legal experts say may be the strongest case against the Bush administration's warrantless eavesdropping program. The federal appeals court in San Francisco plans to hear arguments in the case Aug. 15.
The charity's lawyer scoffs at the often surreal lengths the government has taken to keep the Document under wraps.
"Believe me," Oakland attorney Jon Eisenberg said, "if this appeared on the front pages of newspapers, national security would not be jeopardized."
Eisenberg represents the now-defunct U.S. arm of the Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation, a prominent Saudi charity that was shut down by authorities in that kingdom after the U.S. Treasury Department declared it a terrorist organization that was allegedly funding Al-Qaida.
He and his colleagues sued the U.S. government in Portland, Ore.'s federal court, alleging the NSA had illegally intercepted telephone calls without warrants between Soliman al-Buthi, the Saudi national who headed Al-Haramain's U.S. branch, and his two American lawyers, Wendell Belew and Asim Ghafoor.
Unlike dozens of other lawyers who have sued alleging similar violations of civil liberties stemming from the Bush administration's secret terrorism surveillance program, Eisenberg's team had what it claimed to be unequivocal proof: the Document.
In 2004, as the Treasury Department was considering whether to include the group on its list of terrorist organizations, Al-Haramain's Washington lawyer, Lynne Bernabei, asked to see the evidence.
That's when, in a case of bureaucratic bungling, Treasury officials mistakenly handed over the call log - which has the words "top secret" stamped on every page - along with press clippings and other unclassified documents deemed relevant to the case.
Six weeks later, the FBI was dispatched to Bernabei's office to retrieve it. But by then she had passed out copies to five other lawyers, a Washington Post reporter and two Al-Haramain directors - al-Buthi and Pirouz Sedaghaty, also known as Pete Seda.
Still, the lawyers were unsure what they'd been given until December 2005, when The New York Times published a story exposing the Bush administration's warrantless wiretapping program. The attorneys involved in the Al-Haramain case suddenly realized that the call log was proof their clients had been eavesdropped on, and they sued.
An Oregon judge soon ordered Eisenberg and his colleagues to turn over all copies, but in an odd legal twist, U.S. District Court Judge Garr King allowed the lawsuit to go forward with Eisenberg's team forced to rely on their memories of the Document.
Even the laptop computer Eisenberg used to draft legal documents citing the Document is scheduled to be scrubbed clean by government agents Wednesday.
Three judges in the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will now decide whether the wiretapping program authorized shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks was illegal.
Each time the judges want to view the Document, a Department of Justice "court security officer" hand carries it from Washington to San Francisco, then returns with it and any notes the judges made that are deemed sensitive, according to court documents.
DOJ spokesman Dean Boyd declined to comment on the case or the handling of the Document.
Even without the Document itself, legal observers say Eisenberg's case may have the best chance of succeeding among the many legal challenges to the wireless wiretapping program, which the Bush administration discontinued earlier this year.
Belew and Ghafoor, the two lawyers whose calls were allegedly intercepted by NSA, appear to be the only U.S. citizens with actual proof that the government eavesdropped on them. They're demanding $1 million each from the federal government and the unfreezing of Al-Haramain's assets.
The 9th Circuit has scheduled arguments for Aug. 15 on the administration's request to dismiss the Al-Haramain case and another lawsuit by telecommunication customers who allege logs of their calls were illegally accessed by the NSA.
In court papers filed last year, then-National Intelligence Director John Negroponte and NSA Director Lt. Gen. Keith Alexander urged a judge to toss the case because to defend it would require the government to disclose "state secrets" that would expose the United States' anti-terrorist efforts.
Last month, the Bush administration reiterated its position in court documents submitted to the appeals court urging dismissal of the case.
"Whether plaintiffs were subjected to surveillance is a state secret, and information tending to confirm or deny that fact is privileged," the filing stated.
More than 50 other lawsuits pending before a San Francisco federal judge are awaiting the appeals court's ruling in the two cases, but none have the kind of hard evidence Al-Haramain purports to have - through its lawyers' recollections of the call log - that warrantless eavesdropping of American citizens occurred.
"The biggest obstacle this litigation has faced is the problem showing someone was actually subjected to surveillance," said Duke University law professor Curtis Bradley.
But he said the Al-Haramain lawsuit "has a very good chance to proceed farther than the other cases because it's impossible for the government to erase (the lawyers') memories of the document."
#3
IMHO, take the sumbitch to Iraq, put him out back of a Mosque with a Sign in Arabic saying "Muhammed screwed pigs", make sure there is a very large supply of paving stones nearby, shoot novocaine into his tongue so he cannot talk but can still scream, and kneecap him with a .22 to make sure he cannot run for it. I want him killed slowly and painfully.
You have no idea the damage someone like this has done. If these allegations are true, then this person is one of the few in the world that I would gladly beat to death with my bare hands.
#4
Six weeks later, the FBI was dispatched to Bernabei's office to retrieve it. But by then she had passed out copies to five other lawyers, a Washington Post reporter and two Al-Haramain directors - al-Buthi and Pirouz Sedaghaty, also known as Pete Seda.
Obviously, Bernabei seems to have had few compunctions about distributing a document with TOP SECRET "stamped on every page". Isn't an officer of the American court system legally obliged to protect state secrets? This skank needs to be hauled up before a legal review board for violation of ethics.
#5
Since everything at NSA is compartmented AND employees are subject to no-notice lie detectors, I would bet they already know who. The good part of this story is that Congress made into law the very practice that all the Donks were crying about pre-eelection. If you hear about a former NSA employee(s) having a bad traffic or home accident, then you'll know that they gave him/her/them a choice. Personally I would support a secret trial after which they hang said offenders from one of the many parking lot light outside Ops 2A/2B.
Taliban insurgents said on Sunday there was still no agreement on where to hold talks with South Korean diplomats seeking the release of 21 of their compatriots kidnapped more than two weeks ago, and issued fresh threats, with a spokesman saying more could be murdered at any time. The Taliban want negotiations in areas they control or with United Nations guarantees for their safety if held elsewhere.
Taliban spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi said the killing of the hostages was inevitable because no one had contacted the Taliban regarding their fate in a while. Since weve not set a deadline for them they could be killed at any moment, any time, he said.
The Taliban are threatening to kill the rest of the hostages if the Afghan government fails to release rebel prisoners. President Hamid Karzai has refused to free jailed Taliban, saying that would encourage more kidnappings.
Continued on Page 49
This article starring:
YUSUF AHMEDI
Taliban
Posted by: Fred ||
08/06/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
These taliban need to be found and killed--no negotiations.
British troops in Helmand province fighting the Taliban face a new danger as sophisticated Iranian weapons and explosives are being smuggled into Afghanistan. In the dusty frontier town of Islam Qala, near Herat, on the Afghan side of the border with Iran, weapons and explosives such as armour-piercing roadside bombs are being trafficked to the insurgents.
The news that Taliban rebels are being armed with Iranian-supplied weapons poses an added threat to the 5,000 British troops battling insurgents in southern Afghanistan. I have to tell the truth. It is clear to everyone that Iran is supporting the enemy of Afghanistan, the Taliban, Colonel Rahmatullah Safi, head of border police for western Afghanistan, told The Sunday Times.
Wonder if the Dhimmicrats understand that?
Afghan intelligence sources believe that many deals between the Taliban and the Iranians are conducted through a drug smuggler in southern Afghanistan who acts as a middle man. He is from the minority Baluch tribe; as well as smuggling heroin through Iran to Europe, he is also believed to have bought weapons off the Iranian government and sold them on to the Taliban.
The deadliest weapons known to cross the border are Iranian-made armour-piercing explosives. Colonel Thomas Kelly, an American under the command of Nato, said that the explosives that have been used to deadly effect in Iraq have been found recently in western Afghanistan. These are very sophisticated IEDs [improvised explosive devices] and theyre really not manufactured in any other place to our knowledge than Iran, he said, adding that the explosives were factory made. He stopped short of saying they were supplied by the Iranian government.
Along with supplies of Kalashnikov assault rifles and mortars, Afghan military sources fear that the Iranians may also have supplied heat-seeking missiles. International forces rely heavily on helicopters to transport troops as the roads are too dangerous to drive along, but they are especially vulnerable to this kind of weaponry. What is of particular concern to British and US troops is that the Taliban could get their hands on the modern Manpad (man-portable air defence system), a highly mobile shoulder-launched surface-to-air missile.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/06/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
It strikes me that the Iranians-in-charge are feeling extremely vulnerable to internal unrest. As such, they are doing all the can to get the West to attack them. Not a crushing, all-out war on them, since they (rightly) perceive Western politics won't permit it, but a Clinton-style attack that will allow them to call Iranians to unite to resist the Great Satan. The Iranians can't be 'seen' as starting a war, but smuggled arms is just routine business, not an act of war to them. An overt attack will just play into the Mullah's hands; a covert attack that is obvious, or gets caught, does the same. We need a plan with plausible deniability that can take out key players - heart attacks, cancer, AIDS, 'work accidents' etc. Not Halliburton earthquakes or tsunamis, but maybe a 'guided meteor'?
Posted by: The Royal Navy ||
08/06/2007 8:59 Comments ||
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#5
Afghan intelligence sources believe that many deals between the Taliban and the Iranians are conducted through a drug smuggler in southern Afghanistan who acts as a middle man. He is from the minority Baluch tribe; as well as smuggling heroin through Iran to Europe, he is also believed to have bought weapons off the Iranian government and sold them on to the Taliban.
Target him. You get a twofer; drug and weapons traffic are slowed for awhile.
#6
work accidents involving owner(s) and managers at an Iranian IED manufacturing plant would be ideal..
like bad breaks
explosive sewer gas
too much flour dust in the kitchen
to high an arsenic level in the drinking water
and just the stuff that frustrates a person like...
sand or dust in the motor oil
assembly lines with failures that cause IEDs to drop off or get hit with a huge static charge
and the number one diss.
Owners and managers discovered owning Dogs as pets.
Darfur's various rebel groups are once again discussing forming a "united front." The rebels recognize that a new round of peace talks with the Sudan government is increasingly likely. Sudan has been exploiting differences between the rebel factions. Senior leaders in the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) have met with leaders of several Sudan Liberation Army/Movement (SLA/M) factions. Some rebel field commanders have participated in talks held in Tanzania (and sponsored by the UN and AU).
The government believes it has already won. Most of the non-Arab Darfur tribes (over two million people) have been driven into UN administered refugee camps, and Arab tribes are being brought in to take over the abandoned villages and lands. The government believes the peacekeepers will not be able to remove the new Arab migrants, so that the black Sudanese refugees can get their land back. The government will just leave the black tribesmen in the refugee camps, to be paid for by the UN.
Posted by: ed ||
08/06/2007 08:58 ||
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#1
If the rebels want victory they need to unite with the rebels in South Sudan as well (where the oil is). They should cut a deal with France and TotaFinaElf and they'd find that the Europeans suddenly want to do something about Sudan beyond talking.
Egyptian police detained 14 members of the Muslim Brotherhood, the countrys most powerful opposition group, a security source said on Sunday. A Muslim Brotherhood source confirmed the arrests. The men, who include Hamed el-Sayed, a former parliamentary candidate, were at a house in a Cairo suburb when police raided it on Saturday night, the security source said. They are being held on suspicion of belonging to an illegal organisation and possessing Brotherhood literature, he added. Egyptian police regularly hold members of the Brotherhood for long periods and then release them without charge or trial. The Brotherhood seeks an Islamic state through democratic elections, and operates openly despite having been banned since 1954.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/06/2007 00:00 ||
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WASHINGTON - The US House of Representatives early Sunday passed a mammoth defense appropriations bill containing nearly 460 billion dollars in funding for the US military in fiscal 2008, slightly below President George W. Bushs request. The bill that was rushed through in the dead of night contains no money for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as they are being funded through separate legislation.
The bill allocates 459.6 billion dollars to the Pentagon, against the 463.1 billion dollars the president had requested earlier this year. The measure contains nearly 23 billion dollars to improve health care for members of the military and broaden military medical research programs and 2.2 billion to finance a 3.5-percent military pay rise.
Another 925 million are allocated to specifically to address equipment shortfalls in order to help forces meet the demands of overseas deployments and respond to natural disasters here at home. The bill provides six billion dollars to boost the Army and Marine Corps by a total of 12,000 troops in order to reduce the pressure from extended deployments.
That should have been done in 2002.
It funds weapons programs like F-22 combat planes, the Joint Strike Fighter, and the controversial V-22 aircraft that can fly like a plane and helicopter. But it cut allocations for missile defense by more than 883 million dollars arguing that the presidents 8.5-billion-dollar request included unrealistic missile deployment schedules.
Usual Dhimmi nonsense on missile defense: it will never work so why fund it, even though parts of it already work today.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/06/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
The bill provides six billion dollars to boost the Army and Marine Corps by a total of 12,000 troops in order to reduce the pressure from extended deployments.
Breathless Liberal Screed Alert. When the military tries to fill the additional authorizations without dragging more personnel out of the current flow of operations to man additional 'training' billets to accompany this 'surge', there'll be screeds in the MSM and the usual suspect sources that the military is failing to meet enlistment quotas. This will be amplified even though the overall numbers of the forces will continue to rise.
Move it along. Nuthin to see here...
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The FBI said on Sunday that there was no evidence of a terrorism link in the case of two college engineering students who possessed explosive materials in South Carolina over the weekend.
The two men, described in local media reports as non-U.S. citizens of Middle Eastern descent, were taken into custody late on Saturday near Charleston, South Carolina, after local police noticed what looked like explosives in their Toyota sedan during a routine traffic stop.
The FBI said the material proved to be for making homemade fireworks, not dangerous munitions."There's no (terrorism link) that we've identified at this point," FBI spokesman Richard Kolko told Reuters.
"They got pulled over and had just enough suspicious things to warrant investigation. We don't think there's that much to it. They had some materials to make some pretty good-sized homemade fireworks but not bomb stuff."
No charges were filed in the case, but the men were being held Sunday evening at the Berkeley County detention center, WCIV-TV, the ABC network affiliate in Charleston, reported on its Web site.
#1
The two involved were one Yusef and one Ahmad. Not Bill and Joe from down the street. Maybe the denial is cover to provide time to sift the sand a bit.
#3
Aw, geez, they're just wacky mixed up kids sez...
Ahmed Bedier, executive director of the Tampa chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a civil rights organization for Muslims, said the men arrested are Youseff Megahed, 21, and Ahmed Mohamed, 24 - two University of South Florida students.
Family members told Bedier they think the materials were leftover fireworks Megahed kept in his trunk since July 4.
Both of them are really naïve kids, Bedier said.
He said Megahed is a permanent legal resident of the United States and Mohamed was the passenger. Mohamed's legal status was not known. Bedier said police will not tell them why theyre being held without charges.
Theres a lot of unanswered questions, Bedier said. If they didnt do anything wrong they need to be released.
South Carolina Police Charge 2 Students With Possession of Incendiary Device
Monday, August 06, 2007
Associated Press
MONCKS CORNER, S.C. Two young Middle Eastern men arrested near a Navy base after police found a suspicious item in their car were charged Monday with possession of an incendiary device, authorities said.
A joint state-federal investigation was under way to see if there was any terrorism connection but no link had been found yet, said FBI spokeswoman Denise Taiste. The Navy base is the site of a brig where enemy combatants have been held.
Ahmed Abda Sherf Mohamed, 24, and Yousef Samir Megahed, 21, both students at the University of South Florida in Tampa, were being held Monday pending a bail hearing, Berkeley County Sheriff Wayne DeWitt said.
"They admitted to having what they said were fireworks. Based on the officer's judgment at hand, based on what he had seen, we judged it to be other than fireworks," DeWitt said.
The sheriff refused to say what was found in the car but said some items were being analyzed by the FBI. Taiste would not give any details on what was in the vehicle.
The two men were stopped for speeding Saturday night near Goose Creek on U.S. Highway 176.
Goose Creek is the site of the Naval Weapons Station, which houses the U.S. Naval Consolidated Brig, a military prison where enemy combatants have been held. They were heading west, away from Goose Creek, when they were pulled over about seven miles from the sprawling Navy facility, police said.
Officers became suspicious because the men quickly put away a laptop computer and couldn't immediately say what they were doing in the area or where they were going, DeWitt said.
One item found in the car was destroyed by bomb technicians, making a loud bang when it was detonated.
Authorities closed a mile-long stretch of the highway Saturday night and didn't reopen it until about 4 a.m. Sunday.
Goose Creek, with a population of about 30,000, is about 20 miles north of Charleston
#9
You know, Back under Bush I, the FBI was a respected and well, feared agency. Now it's almost as big a laughingstock as the CIA. Thanks Mr. and Mr. Traitors-from-Arkansas (I have doubts about the Hildabeast's actual gender).
#10
Officers became suspicious because the men quickly put away a laptop computer and couldn't immediately say what they were doing in the area or where they were going
Ermmm, I hope somebody is going through that laptop with a fine-tooth comb.
If you ever wondered why people viewed leaks about intelligence programs as bad, why not take a look at how a series of leaks in the global war on terror have affected the intelligence gathered. Recent reports indicate that the amount of intelligence collected has dropped by as much as two-thirds. This is the result of not just the leaks, but some of the consequences of the leaks. Perhaps the most famous of these leaks was the New York Times article concerning the NSA's efforts to listen in on terrorist conversations. The result was a major firestorm. While some were upset that a classified program was revealed, others were upset that the NSA was listening in on phone conversations (never mind that there was no credible evidence of abuse). The result was lawfare targeting technical intelligence, and very heated debate. Rest at link.
Posted by: ed ||
08/06/2007 09:02 ||
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#2
But the recent controversy has changed that and now, the technical intelligence personnel have become somewhat gun-shy often cutting back on what they are trying to do in order to avoid a lawsuit that air secrets, and do even more damage. This gun-shyness is worse than the loss of sources, because that affects the entire agency. In essence, they will not take chances on technical intelligence or human intelligence lest it show up in the paper.
We need to consider a simple step like declaring war on Iran. Make all intelligence gathering related to terrorism part of that legitimately defined war effort and consequently subject to military secrecy and classification. Imprison anyone who violates such strictures and press treason charges against those who refuse to comply.
Mushahid Hussain, secretary general of the PML, told the Washington Post in an interview published Sunday, I would expect that around New Year Day, youll see General Pervez Musharraf transformed into Mr Pervez Musharraf, with a designer suit rather than the khaki uniform he has worn for the past 43 years. The newspaper further quotes him as saying that recent events have been a chastening experience for the president. General Musharraf has had a good run for eight years. He has been offered another five years - but without absolute authority he once exercised, he added. In some ways, Musharraf is a victim of his own success. He has presided over a period of prosperity for middle class. He has allowed a proliferation of media outlets.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/06/2007 00:00 ||
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The Punjab Auqaf Department has prepared a new 17-column form to collect information about madrassas in the provincial metropolis. The Auqaf Department, deviating from guidelines given by the federal government to facilitate the registration of madrassas across the country, has proposed the chief minister start a separate process for reconciliation of data on madrassas, sources told Daily Times.
A summary has been sent to the chief minister for approval of the project and the new form. The summary was prepared in consultation with the Punjab Industries Department, with the objective to remove confusion about the ongoing system to collect data on madrassas, officials told Daily Times.
An official concerned said the 17-column form asks the name, sect, number of male and female students, number of teachers, registration number, locals and boarders, the name of the person in charge, and other confidential information about madrassas. The summary also makes proposals to improve the process of reconciliation of the data on madrassas.
The official defended the new proposal, saying the data collection process, started two years ago, was still mired in confusion. We want to streamline this process at the provincial level, he said. It is generally believed in government circles that the data figures mismatch at various tiers like the federal, provincial and local levels. This confusion is due to lack of coordination between the central and provincial tiers of government.
This confusion was highlighted recently when the Punjab Industries Department sent data to the Federal Ministry for Religious Affairs in July 2007 listing the number of registered madrassas in Punjab at 4,798. This figure is 1,132 short of the number stated in the ministrys quarterly report prepared in June 2007. The secretary for the Punjab Industries Department had also sent a letter in June to all district coordination officers (DCOs) in the province asking them to register all madrassas according to a then new 12-column form.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/06/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Do they make any attempt to ensure that the madrassas teach useful subjects such as readin', writin' and 'rithmetic instead of just enough readin' to read the Koran? Do they have any federal guidelines for curricula for schools in general that stipulate what the children should be taught, other than the Koran? They're gonna be a third world country until they do.
The tribal elders of North and South Waziristan and Khyber and Mohmand agencies have put forward a set of conditions to attend the Pak-Afghan peace jirga scheduled for August 9 to August 11 in Kabul, Daily Times learnt on Sunday. The conditions include the immediate release of 38 tribesmen held on suspicion of harbouring foreign terrorists, restoration of the status of Malik, and the removal of all unnecessary checkposts. Interior Ministry sources said. The tribal chiefs also sought compensation for lives, property and businesses lost since the launch of military operations in FATA. Around 50 tribal elders presented the demands last week. A senior Interior Ministry official said that the government had agreed to remove some checkposts and release 38 suspects.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/06/2007 00:00 ||
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Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Sunday said the Pakistan Army is capable of defending its territory and can take action against any extremist and terrorist elements and vowed that it will not allow troops from any country to attack its territory in a bid to capture terrorists. We will never allow any country to violate our sovereignty and integrity, said the prime minister in an interview with Al-Arabia TV channel. Baker Atyani, Bureau Chief of Al-Arabia News Channel, conducted the interview.
The PM said the countrys army and law enforcement agencies are known across the world for their professional and well-equipped status and could protect their land by themselves. We believe in intelligence-sharing, cooperation and coordination with friendly countries that are committed to fighting this scourge, he said. He said Pakistan wants peace, security and economic growth.
Referring to the statements of US Presidential candidates concerning attacks on Pakistan and the holy sites of Muslims, the PM said Pakistan is a sovereign country with an army that was capable of defending itself. He said Pakistan had the capability to act if other nations shared any credible, quantifiable and identifiable intelligence with it.
The PM said Pakistan reacted to these statements strongly. He said no Muslim country would tolerate any attack on Muslim holy sites. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are very close strategic partners and we will never sit back if anybody tries to harm Saudi Arabia or its holy places, he said.
Concerning the alleged meeting between President General Pervez Musharraf and Pakistan Peoples Party Chairwoman Benazir Bhutto, the PM said there were no specific deals, but only discussions. He said discussions in the political set up are healthy for free, fair and transparent elections. He said a presidential spokesman had already issued a statement in this regard and there was nothing more to say on the issue.
He said the Pakistan Muslim League and its allied parties would contest the upcoming general elections from a single platform. We are not going into any election alliance, with any other party except with the parties which are in our coalition they include PML, PML (F), MQM, PPP (Sherpao) and some independent from tribal areas, he said..
Replying to a question, the Prime Minister said Pakistan has been extending cooperation to Afghanistan for its stability, adding if Afghanistan destabilises, Pakistan pays the price for it because of trade interactions on both sides of the border.
He said Islam does not favour extremism and always projects peace, harmony and brotherhood. Islam also teaches us that killing innocent people or any act of militancy or creating law and order problem are not the way to solve the issue, he added. We have to win the heart and minds of the people, he said, adding peace is essential for growth, progress and prosperity.
He said the governments policy regarding the Lal Masjid operation had always been to settle the issue through negotiations. He said the government had been forced to take action because its writ had been challenged.
He said the reaction to the operation had not been alarming, adding the incidents in the tribal areas were related to their proximity to Afghanistan. He said the government was not against madrassas. We encourage religious education. Every faith in the world has seminaries, so why not Islam...But if the seminaries are used to disturb peace, no government can accept that in the world, he stated.
Concerning the general elections, the PM said a caretaker set up would run the government and conduct free and fair elections after the completion of the tenure of the present assemblies.
He said all parties would be given free hand in the general elections. The PML and its allied parties have a comfortable majority to win the elections, he added.
He said the major elections would those of President General Pervez Musharraf, which had to be conducted from September 15 to October 15 of 2007. He said, We are very hopeful, President Musharraf will be contesting in these elections and will be successful.
Concerning Pak-US relations, he said, they are driven by the national interests of both countries and there is nothing like love and hate in these relations. He said both countries have commonality of views on many issues.
Concerning Irans nuclear issue, he said Pakistan has very clear view on this issue and Iran should not produce a nuclear weapon, as it was a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. However, he added Iran should have the right to peaceful use of nuclear technology under IAEA standards. He said Pakistan is against the use of force against Iran to resolve this issue and always advocated that this should be resolved through peaceful means.
Regarding Palestine, the PM said all stakeholders should work together to bring peace and harmony in the region, adding that Pakistan always supported the just cause of the Palestinians.
He said the Supreme Court decision on the reference against the chief justice had been accepted by the government. We stand by the judgement and have given respect and honour to it, he added.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/06/2007 00:00 ||
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The Swat peace jirga said on Sunday that foreign agencies including Indias Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) were involved in suicide attacks and bomb blasts in Swat. The jirga, organised by the Ulema Peace Committee, denied the involvement of locals in disrupting peace in Swat, and said that elements were attempting to disturb peace in the area through a deep conspiracy. MNAs Maulana Fazl-e-Subhan, Maulana Fazl-e-Haqqani, Maulana Azizullah and Anwarul Haq attended the jirga.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/06/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
I am not aware of Indian government entities of any kind being noted for 'suicide' (as in murderous suicide) attacks. Back in their independence fight they engaged in actions that could be called true suicide attacks if employed against most current governments, but that's different.
However, I will allow it is possible that RAW was involved here - if by 'involved' we mean causing Muslim boomers to pre-detonate somehow.
The Pentagon has lost track of about 190,000 AK-47 assault rifles and pistols given to Iraqi security forces in 2004 and 2005, according to a new government report, raising fears that some of those weapons have fallen into the hands of insurgents fighting U.S. forces in Iraq.
The report from the Government Accountability Office indicates that U.S. military officials do not know what happened to 30 percent of the weapons the United States distributed to Iraqi forces from 2004 through early this year as part of an effort to train and equip the troops. The highest previous estimate of unaccounted-for weapons was 14,000, in a report issued last year by the inspector general for Iraq reconstruction.
The United States has spent $19.2 billion trying to develop Iraqi security forces since 2003, the GAO said, including at least $2.8 billion to buy and deliver equipment. But the GAO said weapons distribution was haphazard and rushed and failed to follow established procedures, particularly from 2004 to 2005, when security training was led by Gen. David H. Petraeus, who now commands all U.S. forces in Iraq.
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#2
Are we absolutely sure that these sand fleas are worth the effort? Cause I'm thinkin a good ol fashioned dictator might be more like what they deserve. I for one over-estimated them, they want the kill and steal more than they ever wanted a country of their own.
#3
I second that, bigjim.
We should bring these Iraqis in one by one and water board them till we get the exact location of every phalking piece of hardware.
#4
You guys need to chill. This is repackaged propaganda being pumped by the Center for Defense Information, a left-wing group that has long been hostile to the Pentagon establishment.
Keep in mind that there is a difference between not being able to account for the weapons and the certainty that they are being used by hostile Iraqis. Many or most of the unaccounted for weapons are probably still in the hands of the folks that they were distributed to in the first place but who can't be identified due to poor record keeping. Of the weapons that have been stolen or otherwise changed hands, many are still in the hands of friendlies or of ordinary Iraqis who just need a weapon for self defense.
#5
Does anyone care to recall Nour al-Maliki's threat to General Petraeus about handing over American weapons to Shiite militias if we continued our support for the Sunnis? While these incidents may not be connected, the mindset is identical.
#9
OK, this group that's pushing this bs is leftist, anti-Bush, and totally filled with BDS. Still, where are the missing weapons? I'd bet a good percentage of them went home with army trainees that deserted. Another good percentage got lost in the cracks from Iraqi military personnel killed in combat. Some were deliberately stolen, with or without the knowledge of the "caretaker". What the hell? Who cares? Do these idiots have any idea how many hundreds of thousands of AK-47s existed in Iraq before 2003? How many did Hussein distribute to the "felladin", to gangsters, to just about anybody he thought might point it at the Americans? Iraq is a nation awash in arms. We read each day that dozens of AK-47s are being found in arms caches. How many of those are checked for serial numbers that might match these lost arms? These idiots need to pull their heads out and let the sunshine in.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
08/06/2007 17:32 Comments ||
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#10
To me, this is really the only truly damning piece of info in the article: even now the records are on a spreadsheet that requires three computer screens lined up side by side to view a single row
...which they probably actually do. Government. Efficiency.
If this is true then we can no longer trust the competency of the Department of Defense.
And this is not the first problem of this type in Iraq. Many tons of heavy explosives disappeared years ago, probably finding their way into the bombs which insurgents have used to blow apart U.S. troops.
Combine this with the recent power outages across Iraq and the final Sunnis abandoning al-Maliki's cabinet and what do you get?
A self-defeating effort to prop up a dysfunctional government in a country of people who are not worth our tax dollars. We still have to rebuild New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina and now Minneapolis too.
We have done more than our share for the Iraqis. Let's take care of our own already.
Sadly, Nero, that's exactly what we're doing in Iraq. We need a forward base to keep radical Muslims under our boot heel and, eventually, to crush Iran. To some extent, Iraq also serves as flypaper to suck in jihadis from the entire region. Were it not for the more successful revised ROE that Petraeus is operating with I, too, would be pretty discouraged right now. However obliquely, Iraq is allowing us to take the battle to the MME (Muslim Middle East) instead of sitting around waiting for them to attack us. While not the level of pre-emption I would prefer, it is still better than nothing or attempting to negotiate with these worthless turds.
#15
The majority of New Orleans that is having the worst problems are those areas that are built BELOW sea level, in direct contravention of all good sense. The historic areas of NO were all built ABOVE sea level, the modern slum zones were built BELOW sea level from the 1920s on. So no, I do NOT own NO anything to clean up their slums.
As far as that bridge is concerned, if the Congress critters of Minnesota had been half as concerned with bridge maintenance as they had been with pork projects, that would never have happened. Congress continually diverts DOT funds from road and bridge maintenance to pork projects that involve ribbon-cuttings and photo ops. No one else is responsible for those mistakes - simply the House and Senate members from Minnesota and the Minnesota general public for putting those idiot politicos back into office, term after term.
Rogue Shiite militia fighters said to be armed and trained by Iran were responsible for nearly three-quarters of attacks that killed or wounded Americans in Baghdad last month, the No. 2 US commander in Iraq said Sunday.
Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno said factions that have broken away from radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army were believed responsible for most of the attacks. He said military successes against al-Qaida had left a void that was being filled by the rogue militiamen. He also blamed Iran for stepping up support for the Shiite fighters in an attempt to influence opinions in Washington ahead of a pivotal progress report on Iraq next month. "We knew this was coming, but there's been a shift," Odierno told The Associated Press in an interview.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/06/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
factions that have broken away from radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army
Factions broken away from the break away faction, eh? Is there a lower bound on the inability of Islamo-nutters to get along with anyone?
#4
'Iran-armed militia behind 3/4 of Iraq attacks'
According to rigorous computational analysis, my calculations reveal that the inverse proportional reciprocative coefficient of this equation involves turning 3/4 of Iran into rubble.
Is there a lower bound on the inability of Islamo-nutters to get along with anyone?
There most certainly is. The lower bound of inability to coexist is derived when each and every Muslim in this world has their hands wrapped around the throat of another Muslim.
#5
It would take 3 Tomahawks to make them hate life in Iran. One for the reactor that they have well over a billion into already, one on their refinery, and one on their port city container dock.
BAGHDAD - Iraqs air force commander said on Sunday he hoped Iran would return some of the scores of Iraqi fighter plans that flew there ahead of the Gulf War in 1991, but conceded many of them were probably beyond repair.
Lieutenant-General Kamal al-Barzanji is eyeing the aircraft, which were flown to Iran to escape destruction, as he slowly rebuilds Iraqs shattered air force with American help. Until now we have not brought back any aircraft. This case belongs to the politicians, he told a news briefing in Baghdad. But we hope we could bring back some of these aircraft to Iraq, he said, adding that only a few would be salvageable.
I suspect this is more for the political value: who on earth would want some old MiGs and Sukhoi planes? Better to buy new, and buy American.
Security information Web site GlobalSecurity.org estimates that half of the air force fled to Iran in 1991, just three years after the end of the Iran-Iraq war, rather than confront Coalition planes. Much of the rest of the air force was destroyed during the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Iraqs air force is slowly rising from the ashes of decades of war and sanctions that wiped out its fleet of combat aircraft, once reputed to be the worlds sixth-biggest. At one stage the air force boasted 750 mainly Soviet- and French-built fighters, bombers and armed trainer aircraft, according to GlobalSecurity.org.
But Barzanji said there were now just 45 aircraft -- for transport and reconnaissance -- and helicopters. The air force first created in 1931 has been rebuilt from scratch since 2004. Pilots from Saddams time form the backbone of efforts to create a new air fleet, although US Brigadier-General Bob Allardice, commander of the air force transition team, said a programme to train new aviators had begun. It is a complex process to train the air force while also fighting a counter-insurgency, he told reporters.
As yet the new air force has no offensive capability, relying on US attack helicopters and fighters to support ground troops. US commanders recognise, however, that needs to be addressed if they are to proceed with handing over security to Iraqi security forces to allow U.S troops to leave. Asked when the air force would be in a position to conduct air combat operations, Kamal said: That stage is close.
At present the air force consists of C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, a variety of small fixed-wing aircraft for reconnaissance, and a number of Vietnam-era Huey and MI-17 Russian-made helicopters.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/06/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
who on earth would want some old MiGs and Sukhoi planes?
I would! An old MiG would look mighty fine sitting out in the front yard between the jockey and the 'spare' pickup truck. Have to get some really big cinder blocks to prop it up, though.
#2
It's great for playgrounds. In my old country, we kids in the hood had one Mig 15 mounted in the playground area. I am sure it was not meant to be a toy, but to us the original purpose was obscure and irrelevant. We gutted it in no time so we could transverse the whole length front to back. In our days, parents were not that concerned about torn skin on knees and scratched elbows.
#3
An old MiG would look mighty fine sitting out in the front yard between the jockey and the 'spare' pickup truck. Have to get some really big cinder blocks to prop it up, though
And an old fridge laying on its side. With the door open.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
08/06/2007 12:11 Comments ||
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#5
Are you kidding? My kids (and hopefully grandkids) and I would love playing around on our very own MiG. Heck I am so goofy I might just buy a Soviet-era flight suit to wear while seated and playing my mock air battles. "Take that you filthy Capitalists Running Lackey Dogs." I might even have to get my hands on a old F-4 or F-5 and play dog fights.
#8
Well, the Phantoms & Migs are 2 seaters both, not sure of the old Sukhovs. But if you want an obsolete plane that can really host a big party, why not go whole hog and see if we can get an Airbus?
#9
I already checked. Big problem is, if an Airbus 380 were a commercial building in the United States, it wouldn't meet code, because of the aluminum wiring.
#10
Seriousness aside, this 'request' for the return of the planes makes a good cover to go in forcibly to 'recover' national assets. and if 'recovery' is not an option, the perhaps the alternative is to destroy in place; and who is going to say all the rounds / bombs don't get 'scattered' due to 'cross winds?'
(love the A380 aluminum wiring dig,btw!!)
#11
If you just want something to play around in, and you're interested in room, try one of the old C-97 cargo aircraft, or if you prefer Soviet, an aging Cub (AN-10). Most jet fighters are small, cramped, and have lots of rough edges.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
08/06/2007 17:39 Comments ||
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#12
Rantburg could use a new clubhouse.
Sea, maybe grab a few of them, strategically placed throughout the US. We could hook in via video conference for the next Rantapalooza.
Think of it as the antidote to Al Gore's Planet rock concert thingy a few months ago.
Posted by: BA ||
08/06/2007 17:39 Comments ||
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Israel expressed satisfaction Sunday at a UN Security Council statement issued on Friday that voiced grave concern at persistent reports that the arms embargo along the Lebanese-Syrian border had been breached and that militias in Lebanon were re-arming.
The statement, which also took Israel to task for over flights in Lebanon and called for the immediate return of the kidnapped IDF soldiers, comes two weeks before the Security Council is set to extend the mandate of the UNIFIL force there. According to Israeli sources, the statement reiterated the UN's commitment to the terms of the original mandate, something that Israel viewed positively on the eve of renewing UNIFIL'S mandate. Overall, Israel is pleased with the presence of UNIFIL in southern Lebanon, and is expected to back renewing the forces mandate for another year.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/06/2007 00:00 ||
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Syria is genuinely concerned about an Israeli attack and, as a result, is exhibiting increasing military activity, Military Intelligence's head of research Brig.-Gen. Yossi Baidatz told the cabinet on Sunday.
Baidatz repeated what the cabinet has been told numerous times over the last few months, that the increased Syrian activity is of a defensive, not offensive, nature, and that the Syrians are not interested in a war with Israel. "The Syrians continue to be concerned about an Israeli attack," Baidatz said.
This concern comes despite Israeli signals to the contrary. Just last Tuesday, for example, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert - in reference to persistent rumors of an impending war - said: "I believe, with all my heart, that this summer and the fall will not be too hot. There is no reason to exaggerate in creating an atmosphere of the eve of war. Our neighbors know well that we prefer sitting and discussing peace with them, rather than proving to them that we are stronger."
Baidatz said Damascus was interested in peace with Israel on its terms, and that recent comments by President Bashar Assad and other Syrian leaders reflected this. Their terms, however, include a full Israeli withdrawal to the June 4, 1967, lines.
On the same day that Baidatz was talking about a Syrian interest in peace, however, Damascus's Information Minister Mohsen Bilal was quoted as having launched a harsh attack on Israel and the US, comparing both countries to a snake "ready to attack at any minute, even if it knows it will die."
According to Israel Radio, Bilal, speaking to the Persian Gulf newspaper Al-Hilaj, characterized Israel as an "immoral" nation lacking in values. As proof of this assertion, he said former president Moshe Katsav had raped a "young daughter of his people." The minister also criticized Saudi Arabia for expressing a willingness to participate in the planned regional meeting initiated by US President George W. Bush.
Baidatz also told the cabinet that he believed the West Bank might soon see Fatah-Hamas clashes, and described violent episodes between the two sides that have taken place there in recent weeks. He said that despite attempts by various players - including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Russia - to bring Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leaders together for a dialogue, the rift between the two sides continued.
Baidatz said that while the Fatah-controlled PA security forces were attempting to reduce Hamas's influence in the West Bank, they were largely relying on the IDF to carry out this task.
Relying on the evil Joooooz to do that they can't do? Doesn't that tell you everything about the Paleos?
Posted by: Fred ||
08/06/2007 00:00 ||
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They added that senior officials in the office of Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh played a major role in forcing her to convert to Islam. "She was forced to convert to Islam against her will," the Fatah officials said. "She was kidnapped and held for two weeks during which time she was not allowed to contact her family."
Sayegh is the dean of the Science and Technology Faculty at Palestine University. She has represented the university at numerous conferences around the world over the past few years and is considered one of the most prominent experts in her field. According to the Fatah officials, she went missing in late June. When her family's attempts to find her failed, they sought the help of Haniyeh's office.
Continued on Page 49
This article starring:
Ala Aklouk, a senior Muslim cleric in Gaza City
Dr. Zaher Khail
ISMAIL HANIYEH
Hamas
Izz al-Arab Awur
MAHMUD ZAHAR
Hamas
Professor Sana al-Sayegh, who teaches at Palestine University in Gaza City
RAFIK MAKKI
Hamas
Posted by: Fred ||
08/06/2007 00:00 ||
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#4
Conversion doesn't count when it is at gunpoint and a death cult and fake religion--or when you have your fingers crossed, are wearing garlic, or a cross.
More than 300 West Bank gunmen have so far surrendered their weapons as part of an amnesty deal with Israel, a senior Palestinian security official said on Sunday. The gunmen included in the deal are members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a violent offshoot of moderate President Mahmoud Abbas Fatah movement. Al Aqsa was founded at the outbreak of the second Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation in 2000, and its members carried out scores of shooting attacks. The Palestinian official spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not permitted to discuss the issue with reporters.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/06/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
DEBKAfile Exclusive: Olmert greets Rice with further concessions for Abbas despite discovery of Palestinian fraud over Israel amnesty
It has come to light, according to our military sources, that the weapons handed in two weeks ago by 168 Fatah-al Aqsa Brigade terrorists in return for immunity from Israel military pursuit were World War I vintage Italian carbines left behind by Turkish troops when they quit the country in 1917 and Mauser rifles from the 1930s. None of the terrorists surrendered their personal side-arms according to their pledge.
The furious demand from Israeli commanders that the government tell the public how it was conned was turned down by prime minister Ehud Olmert and defense minister Ehud Barak. They were deaf to the arguments that the amnestied Palestinian terrorists remain fully armed and able to resume attacks at any time and that Palestinian leaders, who refuse to admit to the fraud, have nothing but contempt for their agreements with Israel.
Nonetheless, DEBKAfiles Jerusalem sources reveal that Olmert plans to inform US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice when they meet Wednesday, Aug. 1, of two new concessions for Abbas Fatah regime.
1. Israel will for the first time permit officers of the Palestinian Badr force, which is part of the Jordanian army, to enter the Was Bank. Each entrant must be personally cleared by President Bushs security coordinator Gen. Keith Dayton. Olmert refused Abbas request to admit the entire Badr force.
2. Israel will waive special permits for Palestinian officers and men traveling to Egypt and Jordan for military training. DEBKAfiles sources report that the IDF and Shin Bet are against this concession because it denies them the resource for keeping track of the travelers and leaves them free to build contacts with outside terrorist agents.
#2
that the weapons handed in two weeks ago by 168 Fatah-al Aqsa Brigade terrorists in return for immunity from Israel military pursuit were World War I vintage Italian carbines left behind by Turkish troops when they quit the country in 1917 and Mauser rifles from the 1930s
#3
They were deaf to the arguments that the amnestied Palestinian terrorists remain fully armed and able to resume attacks at any time and that Palestinian leaders, who refuse to admit to the fraud, have nothing but contempt for their agreements with Israel.
It stands as a mystery for the ages how an elected leader of Israel can live in such close proximity to Muslims in generaland Palestinians in particularyet somehow remain completely uncontaminated by even the slightest comprehension of what taqiyya implies.
EL-ARISH, Egypt - More than half of the estimated 6,000 Palestinians stranded in Egypt have made it back to Gaza since Israel started allowing them passage a week ago, an Egyptian security source told AFP. On Sunday, 950 Palestinians reached the Al Oja (Nizana) cargo crossing on the Egypt-Israel border, south of the divided town of Rafah, the official said, bringing to around 3,350 the number of Palestinians to have crossed.
Israel began allowing the Palestinians to return home on July 29, after they had been stranded for more than six weeks since the Gaza Strip was taken over on June 15 by the Islamist Hamas movement. The Palestinians were mostly trapped in and around the Egyptian town of El-Arish in north Sinai following the closing of the nearby Rafah terminal, Gazas only door to the outside world bypassing Israel.
However, the fate of a number of stranded Hamas supporters remains uncertain as they would be arrested by Israel if they used the Al Oja crossing.
That's a shame, huh?
When open, Rafah is operated in close cooperation by Egypt, European Union monitors, Israel and the Palestinians, and can be closed if any one party refuses to participate.
Hamas, which does not recognise Israel, has objected to the Jewish state being able to control who is allowed to travel from Egypt into Gaza.
Of course they object. That's why you arrest them when you find them.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/06/2007 00:00 ||
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(MNA) -- The first Islamic Music Biennial which was to be held in March 2008 is to be postponed until the following autumn. The secretary of the biennial, Iraj Naeemaee announced that several countries have submitted works to the secretariat of the biennial and the jury members are in the process of selecting compositions for the gala. He mentioned that Iranian traditional music is particularly suited to Islamic musical expression and that many of the pieces submitted by other countries incorporate its characteristics, for instance, some of the compositions submitted by Egypt, China and Japan contain music based on Persian Dastgahs.
Naeemaee added that the biennial facilitates the exchange of musical artworks and the discovery of cultural commonalities between Islamic countries. The jury comprises several members of the Iranian Academy of Arts and junior musicians.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/06/2007 17:12 ||
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#1
Heads will role, as they say, if there is a hint of mirth and frivolity, and don't call it a gala! Flutes, Dastgahs and Rage Boy are on the program, but need to book algore to warm up the crowd? Bets on Naeemaee 'disappearing'?
RIYADH - Saudi Sunni Muslim religious police assaulted and detained a group of mainly Iraqi Shia pilgrims to Islams holy city of Mecca this month, Saudi and Iraqi sources said on Monday. A report on rasid.net, a key news source among Saudi Arabias minority Shia Muslims, said religious police surrounded the group as they performed pilgrimage inside the Grand Mosque in Mecca. They called the group infidels, then began hitting them. Brown Shirts vs Black Shirts, two front row seats, please.
Meccas mayor said he had not heard about the incident but that problems were common as hundreds of thousands of pilgrims visit the holy city in the intense summer heat. Maybe they did something to annoy people in the mosque, Mayor Osama al-Bar said. I dont think its because they are Shias or Iraqis. There are about 500,000 people there, its very crowded. The group, which included sons of Iraqi politicians and British and US nationals, were then held in detention for up to 24 hours. Some needed medical treatment, the Web site said.
Iraqi parliamentarian Ridda Jawad al-Takki said the group, which included his son, was singled out for being Shia. They were beaten up because they were holding Shia-style prayers, he said, adding that his son had been hospitalised in Mecca.
Saudi Arabia practices a strict form of Sunni Islam that views Shiism as a heresy. Religious police, who often carry sticks, are charged with ensuring Sunni rites and beliefs dominate in the desert country. Saudi Arabia hosts millions of pilgrims year-round in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, where religious police are more tolerant of Muslims of different backgrounds. But tension is high in the region because of sectarian violence between Sunni and Shia Muslims in Iraq.
#1
Whassamatter? Did they use the wrong size truncheon? Forgot to complete the specified number of sets and reps? Didn't finish with a swift kick to the head?
LEBANON'S Syrian-backed opposition won a key byelection that left the country's Christians deeply divided ahead of polls to elect a new president, who is traditionally a Christian.
Camille Khoury, a candidate backed by Christian leader Michel Aoun and allied with Hezbollah, narrowly beat anti-Damascus former president Amin Gemayel on Sunday.
Mr Khoury won 39,534 votes, against 39,116 votes for Mr Gemayel, whose representative has lodged a "complaint on the results", Interior Minister Hassan Sabeh said, without giving more details.
Mr Gemayel, a prominent leader of the Western-backed ruling majority, had been vying to replace his son Pierre Gemayel, killed last November in one of a series of attacks blamed by the majority on Syria. Damascus has rejected the accusations.
Mr Sabeh earlier told reporters that the ruling majority candidate, Mohamad Amin Itani, had won a landslide victory in another byelection that was also held on Sunday in Beirut.
The byelections were held to replace two anti-Syrian MPs killed in attacks blamed by the Western-backed majority on Damascus, which supports the Hezbollah-led opposition.
Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel, a Christian, was gunned down in Beirut on November 21 last year, and Sunni Walid Eido was killed in a car bombing in the capital on June 13.
After the end of the byelections, the two camps immediately called for self-restraint, as hundreds of supporters from both sides gathered in public squares amid a heavy deployment of army and security forces backed by armoured vehicles.
Mr Aoun announced Mr Khoury's victory over Mr Gemayel in a televised speech, and appealed for calm.
But Mr Gemayel refused to admit defeat until official results were announced and demanded a rerun of the vote in one mainly Armenian region, where he claimed voter fraud.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/06/2007 12:22 ||
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Lebanon's most senior Shiite Muslim cleric on Sunday called on Arabs and Muslims to form an "Axis of the Good" to counter US policies in the Middle East.
Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah's criticized a Mideast peace conference proposed by US President George W. Bush for later this year saying "Palestinians and Arabs will only get promises from it," according to comments released by his office. He also criticized some Arab governments that have good relations with the US.
"We see that there is a clear and dangerous attempt to change the type of conflict in the region from a conflict between the Arabs and the Zionist entity into an Arab-Islamic conflict or an Arab-Iranian conflict," Fadlallah said. "We call for setting up an Axis of the Good that should include Arab and Muslim people," Fadlallah said. "It is not enough to talk about the American project aiming to divide the region."
Posted by: Fred ||
08/06/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Axis of Good. That would be the U.S., our allies and our military.
Lebanons Christian opposition leader Michel Aoun claimed victory for his faction in a key parliamentary by-election yesterday, but the ruling majority refused to concede defeat claiming voter fraud. In a televised speech Aoun said that his partys candidate, Camille Khoury, beat former President Amin Gemayel, a prominent leader of the anti-Syrian ruling majority in the polls in the Metn region, a mountainous Christian heartland northeast of the capital.
We have been informed about the victory of the candidate Camille Khoury. I hope that everything remains calm, Aoun said. He added that there were attempts to nullify the results from one of the polling stations because of reported irregularities and urged his supporters to gather outside his headquarters in a northern Beirut suburb.
But Gemayel, leader of the Phalange Party who was running to replace his slain son Pierre Gemayel, refused to admit defeat and demanded a rerun of the vote in one mainly Armenian region where he claimed voter fraud. We want elections to be repeated in the Burj Hammud district, Gemayel told his supporters gathered in his hometown of Bikfaya.
He said there were reports from that area of people not living there or deceased casting votes. Aouns spokesman Antoine Nasrallah told AFP that Khoury had won by a close margin of several hundred votes and that Aoun had asked his followers to gather in Jdeideh in order to prevent any pressures on vote recounting operations. The outcome of the poll is expected to set the tone for presidential elections due to be held in September.
In the by-election in Beirut, the candidate of the ruling majority Mohamad Amin Itani also claimed a landslide victory as expected. The by-elections were held to replace two anti-Syrian lawmakers killed this year in attacks blamed by the Western-backed majority on former powerbroker Damascus, which supports the Hezbollah-led opposition. The two murdered MPs were Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel, a Christian who was gunned down in a Beirut suburb on Nov. 21 last year, and Sunni Muslim Walid Eido, who was killed in a car bombing in the capital on June 13.
Prime Minister Fouad Siniora hailed the peaceful by-elections as a civilized response to political assassinations. Democracy in Lebanon will defeat terrorism, he said in a statement.
A nine-month-old political struggle has caused the worst civil strife since the 1975-1990 war, and some feared a new outbreak of violence during voting.
But no major incidents were reported at polling stations in the Christian heartland, where turnout was reported to be at around 45 percent. Thousands of Lebanese troops and police tightened security in the area, where flags and posters of the rival parties adorned balconies, electricity poles and cars.
Anti-terror officials on Sunday warned of a potentially severe threat that Hizbullah will attempt to kidnap Israeli tourists during next month's holiday period. Israelis were advised to be on highest alert while holidaying abroad and not to take unnecessary risks.
The countries described as having the highest level of risk, defined as "concrete and severe," were: Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Sudan. Israelis were urged to avoid traveling to those countries at all costs and to leave immediately if they were currently located there. Officials said that regions with a "very high concrete risk" were: Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, northern India's Kashmir region, the Mindanou Islands in the Philippines and Russia's Chechnya region.
"Oh Aaron, does this mean we can't take the waters in Tehran?"
"Afraid so, Rachel, but Kashmir's lovely this time of year!"
South Thailand, from the area between Thammarat and Krabi until the Malaysian border, was a region in which the terror threat was described as being "high."
Kenya, Bangladesh, Nigeria and Morocco were defined as having a "basic concrete terror threat." Bangkok's Kwasan Street area and southeast Turkey were defined as regions where there was an "ongoing potential risk." Meanwhile, a general warning was issued to Israelis traveling to the Philippines, Thailand, Turkey and Uzbekistan to demonstrate alertness and to exercise caution.
If I didn't know better, I'd say there's a common theme in the warnings about all these countries and regions. Hmmmm, what oh what could it be?
Posted by: Fred ||
08/06/2007 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Hezbollah
#1
Here's an idea. How about the Israelis hunt down Nasrallah like a rabid dog?
#2
I know they do, but why on earth would any Israeli vacation in any of these nations?
Why would anybody?
Take Yemen, I stopped their for a couple of days as a kid in 1965 with my parents (boat stopped). Even then it was a scary, dangerous awful hell hole...
Egypt - better then Yemen but still not a safe vacation spot.
Syria Iraq and Sudan - You have got to be kidding...
Lebanon, Now ? Nutz!
It would be like taking a vacation in the FARC areas of Columbia - STUPID!
#3
The target countries described as having the highest level of exploitation value risk, defined as "concrete and severe," were: Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Sudan.
#6
Unguided tours of the razed neighborhoods; see the D-9 Flatopillar tracks still fresh in the cement dust.
And for those on the deluxe tour, come visit in our 'you help build it' sewage treatment plant. right now it is nothing more than a fetid pool of sh!t, but with your dedicated help it will someday be an aged fetid pool of st!t. and you get a tshirt too!
Examining Magistrate Samih al-Hajj, who is looking into the disappearance of Imam Moussa Sadr, issued arrest warrants in absentia for six Libyans, including ex-cabinet ministers, ambassadors and army officers. The six Libyans were identified as al-Mirghany Massoud al-Toumy, Ahmad Mohammed al-Hattab, al-Hady Ibrahim Moustafa al-Saadawi, Abdul Rahman Mohammed Ghawila, Mohammed Khaleefa Hahyoun and Issa Massoud Abdullah al-Mansouri.
The warrants were issued after their full names were provided to the Lebanese judiciary. Al-Hajj also issued warrants to establish the identities and whereabouts of Mahmoud Mohammed Bankoura, Ahmad al-Atrash, Abdul Salam Gloud, Issa al-Ba'ba', Ashour al-Fourtass, Ali Abdul Salam Alturaiki, Ahmad Shahti, Ahmad Massoud Saleh Ibrahim Khalifa Gandour, Mohammed al-Tarhini Mahmoud Wild Dada. The warrants could be referred to International Police (Interpol) for follow up.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/06/2007 00:00 ||
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The naturalized Lebanese of Syrian descent streamed across the Masnaa border crossing to vote in the by-elections. When asked by a reporter for whom did they want to vote : They said for Nasrallah ( Hezboollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah ) . But when told by the reporter Nasrallah was not running , they responded by saying they will cast their votes for Aoun. Aouns candidate is Camille Khoury in the Metn region.
Aoun is allied with the pro-Syrian Hezbollah militants. Tens of thousands of Syrians were naturalized by Michel Murr when he was the minister of internal affairs during the Syrian occupation. All of the naturalized Syrians were allocated to the Metn region of Michel Murr. Murr is supporting Aoun's candidate in the by-elections
Posted by: Fred ||
08/06/2007 00:00 ||
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Voters cast their ballots in Beirut and the Metn constituencies Sunday in a tough competition amidst strict security measures to choose successors to two slain anti-Syrian MPs. Based on final results , voter turn out was estimated at 36% of the 140.752 registered voters in Beirut and 51% of the 165.734 voters in the Metn when polling centers closed at 6 p.m. Ballot counting started and final results are not expected before midnight.
Reported acts of violence were minimal with only three people wounded in fist fights and 10 arrested for alleged fraud, which is rather customary in Lebanon's elections since independence from French mandate in 1943. Thousands of voters flooded polling stations in Beirut and the Metn in the feverish quest to choose successors to slain MPs Walid Eido, a Sunni Muslim, and Pierre Gemayel, a Maronite.
Shiite participation was at 6% of the sect's registered voters in the Beirut constituency because of a boycott decision adopted by Hezbollah, the faction that leads the opposition. Al-Moustaqbal Movement candidate Mohammed al-Amin Itani was expected to win the competition and sieze Eido's vacant seat from his competitor Ibrahim Halabi of the People's Movement, which is part of the March 8 Hezbollah-led opposition that is backed by Syria and Iran.
Based on initial ballot counting , the campaign officials of the March 14 majority alliance have projected their candidate, ex-President Amin Gemayel, as the winner against , Camille Khoury of Gen. Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement. Al-Moustaqbal followers in Beirut started victory celebrations shortly after polling centers closed. Ballot counting shows that Itani was way ahead of Halabi almost 6/1. Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani, who cast his vote early, had urged citizens in Beirut to turn out at polling centers in large numbers to shoulder "your national responsibilities."
Turn out at the Metn was also high due to the ongoing competition between the various Christian factions on leadership of Lebanon's Christians in the forthcoming Presidential elections. Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir in his Sunday sermon had called on "our children to practice their legitimate right in electing who ever they deem fit to represent them in parliament. This is a national duty."
Army units and police patrols threw a tight security dragnet around polling stations as voters waited in lines during the day to cast their ballots in the tense competition. Giant posters of Gemayel and his slain son have been raised in villages and towns, particularly in their hometown, Bikfaya, where voters cast their ballots before heading to the cemetery to place white roses on Pierre Gemayel's tomb. "We visited Pierre to promise him that his blood will not be in vain," Gemayel told reporters. "We love Lebanon and Pierre died for Lebanon and all of us have choice, no matter what the price is, but to serve Lebanon."
Aoun's movement garnered most of the Christian vote in 2005 legislative polls, but his popularity has waned since he entered into a shock alliance last year with the Iran- and Syria-backed Hezbollah.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/06/2007 00:00 ||
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TEHRAN, Aug 5, 2007 (AFP) - Iran on Sunday showed off for the first time a new fighter jet said to be modelled on the American F-5 but built using domestic technology, state media reported. The "Azarakhsh" (Target Lightning) jet; one of the first to be home-produced by Iran; made a successful flight in the central city of Isfahan in a ceremony attended by Defence Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar and other officials.
"The success of this domestically developed fighter plane is another example of the technological achievements of our country," said Isfahan governor Morteza Bakhtiari, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. "At a time when the United States is selling its arms to its allies in the region, our country's specialists are taking big strides every day towards self-sufficiency in defence," he added.
The development of the plane was first announced in September last year, when military officials said that it was "comparable" to the US F-5 fighter jet. The fly-by in Isfahan appears to have been the first time the Azarakhsh jet has been shown in public.
Iran has also developed another homemade war plane named "Saegheh" (Thunder) which it has described as similar to the American F-18 fighter jet.
In their dreams.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/06/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
So, the Iranians have mastered the F-5, have they? That means that they can now build an aircraft we quit building in the 1980s. Also, without up to date avionics, an aircraft of the F-5 generation is only good for CAS in COIN warfare; or as a manned target drone for modern Western aircraft.
Against F-16/F-15/F-18/Rafale/Eurofighter, it is a glorified jet-powered kamikazee run. Hell, I would rather have a Mirage 2000 than an Iranian F-5 knockoff.
#5
Okay, so they have total 2 jets, one called "Azarakhsh" (Fireball) and the other called "Saegheh" (Din, Ruckus). Here they are:
But as Gateway Pudit points out, they look like clones. In fact, it may be a new manufacturing process using photoshop.
I am almost certain that when it would fly (if, that is) a week from now, they would call it something else.
#8
More like 1960 tech. There has been naming confusion but originally
Azarakhsh = F-5 with minor metalwork
Saegheh = F-5 with twin tails
Now both are called Azarakhsh (1 and 2?). Indigenous production? I think not. Call me when the Iranians figure out how to reverse engineer a 1960 disposable turbojet, let alone 1970 vintage avionics designed for second tier air forces. Methinks the production run will be limited to the number of F-5 airframes they can scrape up.
There is a wood and plastic mockup to impress the rubes. It's called the Shafaq. That looks more like an F-18, minus any flying ability.
Posted by: ed ||
08/06/2007 8:56 Comments ||
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Lebanon's Christian opposition leader said his candidate had won a crucial by-election to parliament but his opponent indicated he had taken the seat and urged supporters to wait for the final result. Tens of thousands of Lebanese voted to choose successors to two assassinated anti-Syrian politicians in the latest showdown between the Western-backed government and its opponents, locked in a bitter 9-month-old power struggle.
Maronite Christian opposition leader Michel Aoun said his candidate had closely beaten Amin Gemayel, a former president and a key member of the ruling coalition, in the by-election in the Metn district northeast of Beirut. But later, Gemayel appeared to claim victory and urged supporters to wait for the final official result. The Interior Ministry said it would announce the outcome once electoral authorities finish the counting.
"He who has declared victory ... must wait (for the official result) because in the end we have won," Gemayel told supporters at his home town in Bikfaya. He then indicated he would resort to the courts if he was declared the loser.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/06/2007 00:00 ||
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First it's Fatah and Hamas. Now this. I'm so conflicted.
American al Qaeda leader Adam Gadahn says al Qaeda will continue to target the United States at home and overseas, singling out U.S. embassies as a target, in a new Internet video released by as Sahab, the propaganda wing of al Qaeda. The propaganda wing? What are they doing? Setting this guy up as the next Gerry Addams?
The video, which runs more than an hour long, Jerk majored in rhetoric at the University of Havana? Surprised he could graduate in less than 8 years.
also features previously seen video of Osama bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahri as well as an interview with a man said to be the suicide bomber who attacked the U.S. Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, last year, according to a preliminary analysis of the video. Wow, the collectors edition. I wonder if they have blooper outtakes of botched IV sticks on Osama.
"We shall continue to target you at home and abroad, just as you target us at home and abroad, and these spy dens and military command and control centers from which you plotted your aggression against Afghanistan and Iraq, and which still provide vital moral, military, material and logistical support to the Crusade, shall continue to be legitimate targets for brave Muslims," says Gadahn, who hails from Orange County, Calif. "Stop the Crusade,and leave the Muslims alone." No doubt he subscribes to the Register, too.
As the Blotter on ABCNews.com reported last week, this highly anticipated video was advertised for days on extreme Islamist Web sites with the headline "Wait for the Big Surprise." Sucked all the oxygen out of the room so that the new Bourne movie hype couldn't get any traction.
The video features a graphic re-enactment of last year's attack in Karachi, which killed four people, including an American diplomat, as well as aftermath video of the 1998 attacks on the American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
"As for our message to the Americans and their Crusader allies," said Gadahn, "it is this: The amount of respect we have for your international law is even less than the respect you hold for defined Shariah, We are talking small numbers here; makes a nano look big.
and our observance of it is comparable to your observance of Shariah's. How can we comply with a law which contradicts divine law in whole and in part? How can we recognize a law which states that the embassy or consulate is for all intents and purposes an inviolable fortress which the host country has no right to enter or monitor and when our Shariah's commands us to liberate every handspan of Islamic land occupied by the unbelievers?"
#1
See also NEWSMAX > NYC remains unprepared for Nuke-WMD Terror attack(s). * ION, KOMMERSANT > NEW COLD WAR SPREADS TO ARCTIC. The Arctic is the "new front" btwn the USA + Russia.
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.
Taliban insurgents said on Sunday there was still no agreement on where to hold talks with South Korean diplomats seeking the release of 21 of their compatriots kidnapped more than two weeks ago, and issued fresh threats, with a spokesman saying more could be murdered at any time. The Taliban want negotiations in areas they control or with United Nations guarantees for their safety if held elsewhere. 
British troops in Helmand province fighting the Taliban face a new danger as sophisticated Iranian weapons and explosives are being smuggled into Afghanistan. In the dusty frontier town of Islam Qala, near Herat, on the Afghan side of the border with Iran, weapons and explosives such as armour-piercing roadside bombs are being trafficked to the insurgents. 
Egyptian police detained 14 members of the Muslim Brotherhood, the countrys most powerful opposition group, a security source said on Sunday. A Muslim Brotherhood source confirmed the arrests. The men, who include Hamed el-Sayed, a former parliamentary candidate, were at a house in a Cairo suburb when police raided it on Saturday night, the security source said. They are being held on suspicion of belonging to an illegal organisation and possessing Brotherhood literature, he added. Egyptian police regularly hold members of the Brotherhood for long periods and then release them without charge or trial. The Brotherhood seeks an Islamic state through democratic elections, and operates openly despite having been banned since 1954.
WASHINGTON - The US House of Representatives early Sunday passed a mammoth defense appropriations bill containing nearly 460 billion dollars in funding for the US military in fiscal 2008, slightly below President George W. Bushs request. The bill that was rushed through in the dead of night contains no money for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as they are being funded through separate legislation.
The Punjab Auqaf Department has prepared a new 17-column form to collect information about madrassas in the provincial metropolis. The Auqaf Department, deviating from guidelines given by the federal government to facilitate the registration of madrassas across the country, has proposed the chief minister start a separate process for reconciliation of data on madrassas, sources told Daily Times.
The tribal elders of North and South Waziristan and Khyber and Mohmand agencies have put forward a set of conditions to attend the Pak-Afghan peace jirga scheduled for August 9 to August 11 in Kabul, Daily Times learnt on Sunday. The conditions include the immediate release of 38 tribesmen held on suspicion of harbouring foreign terrorists, restoration of the status of Malik, and the removal of all unnecessary checkposts. Interior Ministry sources said. The tribal chiefs also sought compensation for lives, property and businesses lost since the launch of military operations in FATA. Around 50 tribal elders presented the demands last week. A senior Interior Ministry official said that the government had agreed to remove some checkposts and release 38 suspects.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Sunday said the Pakistan Army is capable of defending its territory and can take action against any extremist and terrorist elements and vowed that it will not allow troops from any country to attack its territory in a bid to capture terrorists. We will never allow any country to violate our sovereignty and integrity, said the prime minister in an interview with Al-Arabia TV channel. Baker Atyani, Bureau Chief of Al-Arabia News Channel, conducted the interview.
BAGHDAD - Iraqs air force commander said on Sunday he hoped Iran would return some of the scores of Iraqi fighter plans that flew there ahead of the Gulf War in 1991, but conceded many of them were probably beyond repair.
Fatah officials in Ramallah claimed over the weekend that 
More than 300 West Bank gunmen have so far surrendered their weapons as part of an amnesty deal with Israel, a senior Palestinian security official said on Sunday. The gunmen included in the deal are members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a violent offshoot of moderate President Mahmoud Abbas Fatah movement. Al Aqsa was founded at the outbreak of the second Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation in 2000, and its members carried out scores of shooting attacks. The Palestinian official spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not permitted to discuss the issue with reporters.
EL-ARISH, Egypt - More than half of the estimated 6,000 Palestinians stranded in Egypt have made it back to Gaza since Israel started allowing them passage a week ago, an Egyptian security source told AFP. On Sunday, 950 Palestinians reached the Al Oja (Nizana) cargo crossing on the Egypt-Israel border, south of the divided town of Rafah, the official said, bringing to around 3,350 the number of Palestinians to have crossed.
Lebanon's most senior Shiite Muslim cleric on Sunday called on Arabs and Muslims to form an "Axis of the Good" to counter US policies in the Middle East. 
Lebanons Christian opposition leader Michel Aoun claimed victory for his faction in a key parliamentary by-election yesterday, but the ruling majority refused to concede defeat claiming voter fraud. In a televised speech Aoun said that his partys candidate, Camille Khoury, beat former President Amin Gemayel, a prominent leader of the anti-Syrian ruling majority in the polls in the Metn region, a mountainous Christian heartland northeast of the capital.
Anti-terror officials on Sunday warned of a potentially severe threat that Hizbullah will attempt to kidnap Israeli tourists during next month's holiday period. Israelis were advised to be on highest alert while holidaying abroad and not to take unnecessary risks. 
The naturalized Lebanese of Syrian descent streamed across the Masnaa border crossing to vote in the by-elections. When asked by a reporter for whom did they want to vote : They said for Nasrallah ( Hezboollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah ) . But when told by the reporter Nasrallah was not running , they responded by saying they will cast their votes for Aoun. Aouns candidate is Camille Khoury in the Metn region.
Voters cast their ballots in Beirut and the Metn constituencies Sunday in a tough competition amidst strict security measures to choose successors to two slain anti-Syrian MPs. Based on final results , voter turn out was estimated at 36% of the 140.752 registered voters in Beirut and 51% of the 165.734 voters in the Metn when polling centers closed at 6 p.m. Ballot counting started and final results are not expected before midnight.
TEHRAN, Aug 5, 2007 (AFP) - Iran on Sunday showed off for the first time a new fighter jet said to be modelled on the American F-5 but built using domestic technology, state media reported. The "Azarakhsh" (
