The governor of Afghanistans volatile Helmand province, where Taliban hold some districts, has been transferred out of the job, he said Friday.
Asadullah Wafa, appointed provincial governor in December 2006, told AFP his transfer came after he had made repeated requests to President Hamid Karzai to be moved out of the tough post. Wafa said he has been appointed as director of a complaints committee in the national security section of Karzais office. Karzais office would not comment on the move, seen as significant with Helmand a key nexus of a Taliban-led insurgency and producer of most of Afghanistans illegal opium. No replacement has been announced.
A leading member of the Helmand provincial council said on condition of anonymity that Wafa was dismissed for weak administration and failing to crackdown on drugs mafia networks, and because of international pressure.
Wafa was involved in the expulsion last month of a leading European Union official and a top British diplomat working with the United Nations following allegations they had contacted Taliban in Helmand without Karzais knowledge.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/01/2008 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Taliban
Self-proclaimed al-Qaida supporters urged the Taliban in internet postings Friday to hunt down and kill Britain's Prince Harry after hearing that he had been sent to Afghanistan for his army service.
Boy howdy, bet no one saw that coming ...
The calls came after a US-based Web site leaked the news that Harry had been in Afghanistan for the past 10 weeks with his military unit. Britain's Defense Ministry has since announced he will be pulled out. "We ask God to enable our beloved brothers in Taliban to seize this priceless booty because nothing would break the heart of his grandmother than if she lost him," said one poster, who called himself the Sweeping Army in a message Thursday.
One of Drudge's lowest points ever ...
Posted by: Fred ||
03/01/2008 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Taliban
#1
Saw Drudge's brag link that he's the "most powerful journalist" around as a result of this story. The rise of HufPo must really have got his ego where it hurts.
Decided then and there that Drudge will never get another click from me. It's the only way to give him effective feedback.
#4
I suspect that Drudge, probably without knowing, was forwarded the leak by MI6, to get the word out in a hurry. All sorts of reasons for doing so.
To start with, the Queen has absolute control over the royal family in British law. She, on a whim, could order Harry home, and there is nothing he could do about it.
Second, Harry's station and location might have turned up in an enemy or third party intercept, meaning he had been compromised already, possibly by an unfriendly government. To protect his small unit, they would want everybody to know he had left. Not from the typical rank and file, but from professional assassins who know what they are doing (think Iran or even Russia).
Third, they let slip that even though Harry is coming home, William is soon to be taking his place. The only reason to mention this is to hope that Taliban and al-Qaeda dumbasses would try a major attack to capture or kill him, being told his supposed location through back channels. No serious assassin would fall for that.
So don't be too angry at Matt Drudge. Remember also that "the British media had been told, but had refrained from telling anyone", which is total bull itself. Nobody but an idiot is going to trust any reporter with important information, unless they wanted it spilled.
N.B.: It is also useful that an American spilled, because now they don't have to futz around with prosecuting any Brit with the Official Secrets Act. This is all just too easy.
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/01/2008 15:11 ||
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#1
sorry about the blog link, but the original source is behind a subscriber firewall. Apparently the deal is to separate the telecom immunity from the wiretap approval, so there are separate votes for each.
San Fran Nan has been under pressure from the Admin and Senate Dems to approve both. This deal would allow the house dem wingnuts to vote against the immunity (satisfying the moonbats AND the trial lawyers) and against the wiretapping (satisfying the moonbats) while allowing the overall house to approve both and escape the pressure. Pretty cynical sellout, and when it becomes apparent, the moonbat left will squeal like little piggies.
heh heh.... win-win
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/01/2008 15:47 Comments ||
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#2
OR they wind up voting to allow tapping and against the immunity, so that they can pretend they actually care about national security, but the next wiretap request Joe Phone Company Manager gets coming across his desk, he's going to have to stop and think about all the lawsuits he's facing for having done it in the past...
WASHINGTON - The Pentagon on Friday brought terrorism- related charges against the brother-in-law of one of the September 11, 2001 hijackers. Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed Haza Al Darbi, from Saudi Arabia, allegedly planned terrorism attacks in Yemen and served as weapons instructor at an Al Qaeda training camp, where he met with the terrorist groups leader Osama bin-Laden, according to a statement from the US Defence Department.
Al Darbi is the brother-in-law of Al Mihdhar, who was a hijacker on the plane which crashed into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Al Darbi is being held at the militarys facility in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and will be tried by the military commission set up by the United States for terrorism detainees.
The Pentagon brought two charges against Al Darbi: conspiring with others to attack civilians, commit murder in violation of the law of war, destroy property in violation of the law of war, hazard a vessel and commit terrorism; and providing material support to terrorism.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/01/2008 00:08 ||
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Top|| File under: al-Qaeda
A United States federal judge said on Thursday that the admission by a Pakistani imam that he had lied repeatedly to obtain a green card could lead to his deportation.
Strange: I know for a fact that if I lie on my taxes, the IRS will get me. If I lie on a passport application, I'll be grounded. If I lie on a grant application the U.S. Attorney will haul me into court. But if a Pakistani imam lies repeatedly to get a green card, he "could" be deported.
Under a tentative deal disclosed at a hearing in which Imam Muhammad Masood changed his plea to guilty, the former prayer leader of the Islamic Centre of New England, would be spared imprisonment, but he would have to serve three years on probation and pay a $1,000 fine.
US District Judge Douglas P Woodlock said that he would decide at Masoods sentencing on May 22 whether to accept the agreement or hand down a different punishment for five federal crimes of making false statements and committing fraud in an immigration application. Regardless of the sentence, Masoods guilty plea could lead to the expulsion of the 49-year-old imam, the judge said. Before Masood was indicted last August, he faced civil immigration charges, including overstaying his visa, reported the Boston Globe.
Masood is the brother of Hafiz Saeed, founder of the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba. He has said that he has nothing to do with his brother, nor does he share his outlook on religion and politics.
Masood came to the United States in 1987 under a special visa for exchange students and enrolled at Vanderbilt University, transferring to Boston University the following year. He became the imam of the Sharon mosque around 1998. In December 2002, Masood admitted, he falsely told authorities in an application for permanent legal residency that he returned to Pakistan from 1991 to 1993 after ending his studies.
Immigrants with the kind of visa Masood had are required to return to their country for two years before they can seek a green card. Masood faces a maximum of 10 years in prison on three of the federal charges and a maximum of five years in prison on the other two charges. The plea deal calls for the dismissal of four other federal charges.
This article starring:
Hafiz Saeed
Muhammad Masood
Lashkar-e-Tayyaba
Posted by: Fred ||
03/01/2008 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Global Jihad
A TOP Pakistani Taliban commander has been formally charged with plotting the murder of former premier Benazir Bhutto and declared an absconder today, police said.
Baitullah Mehsud, an al-Qaeda-linked militant commander based in the tribal area of South Waziristan, is accused by the Pakistan government and the US CIA of masterminding the assassination.
"We have submitted preliminary charges against Baitullah Mehsud in connection with Benazir Bhutto's murder in an anti-terrorism court Rawalpindi," a senior police official said. "The court has declared Mehsud and four other suspects absconders in the case and issued non-bailable warrants for their arrest," the official said but declined to give further details.
"I will say no more!"
Five other people have already been arrested in connection with the gun and suicide attack in Rawalpindi on December 27. Pakistani security forces on Monday arrested Qari Saifullah Akhtar, a top militant with links to Osama bin Laden, in connection with an October assassination attempt on Bhutto in the southern city of Karachi.
Police say two of the men already being held over the assassination, Hasnain Gul and Rafaqat, who goes by one name, confessed before a court on Wednesday to plotting the attack. It was said to have been carried out to avenge Government raids on a radical mosque in the capital Islamabad, which killed more than 100, mostly militants.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Vice Chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim, and former federal minister Sheikh Rashid are among the politicians placed on the terrorists hit list, according to a letter issued by the National Crisis Management Cell (NCMC).
In this connection, a number of suicide bombers have been dispatched. The NCMC has directed all four provincial home secretaries and police officers to take immediate necessary steps to safeguard the targeted political personalities.
The NCMC has ordered that a security circle be maintained whenever they (targeted politicians) go outside or attend public meetings. It has also cautioned against allowing strangers to get close to them.
Instructions in this regard have been dispatched to regional, capital city, city and district police officials by the Home Department, as well as the Acting Inspector General of Police, Punjab. The directive urges the police officials to ensure that all the targeted politicians are given foolproof security arrangements so that the attackers do not succeed in their nefarious designs.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/01/2008 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
The Taliban leadership in a jirga convened on Friday wanted clarification from Islamabad on who carried out Thursdays attack on a suspected militant hideout in South Waziristan that killed 10 of their men, locals said.
We have a complaint against [the government of] Pakistan. We have reason to ask who carried out the attack the United States or Pakistan itself, said Taliban commanders at a jirga of Ahmedzai Wazirs and Taliban militants in Wanas Rustam Bazaar, according to eyewitnesses.
Military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said Thursdays casualties resulted from explosive material going off inside the house in Kaloosh village. Some locals, on the other hand, said a US Predator drone had fired missiles, while others said missiles had been fired from across the border.
Locals also said the dead included Afghans and Punjabis, but security officials indicated that the casualties included Arab militants.
Spoiler, warning: A tribal chieftain, Abdullah Malikkhel, said the areas elders had been negotiating with Taliban leaders to keep foreigners out, to maintain peace, and the efforts were due to bear fruit as the Taliban appeared to have been convinced. Thursdays attack had, however, played a spoilers role, he said.
We warn the government to avoid such attacks in the future to keep order, otherwise, we will not be responsible if the situation in Wazir areas also goes out of control as it has in the Mehsud area, he said at the jirga, according to eyewitnesses.
The Taliban look very angry over the attack and if a second such attack takes place in the near future the security situation could deteriorate, the tribal chieftain warned.
The Taliban appeared enraged over the attack, according to eyewitness accounts. There were also reports that, in retaliation, Taliban militants had attacked a paramilitary force checkpost and kidnapped some soldiers. However, there was no official confirmation that such an incident had occurred.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/01/2008 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Taliban
#1
We dunno, but it sure seems to have pissed you mooks off. Be careful, and sleep lightly, you big pussies
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/01/2008 14:09 Comments ||
Top||
Pakistans military appears to be preparing for a new tribal-area offensive against the Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, US officials and experts say. I cant point to anything in the past that equates to that, an official said, adding that General Ashfaq Kayani appeared to have brought greater focus to operations since taking over as army chief in November from President Pervez Musharraf. Baitullah has gone and got himself so visible. He wants to kind of consolidate all of the FATA underneath his control, and because hes sticking out so far, the Pakistanis are going to hammer him down, said a US defence official.
It was not clear whether Pakistan would attempt to capture or kill Mehsud, US experts said. But the military is constrained from launching an all-out offensive that could risk a backlash from tribes in the region.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/01/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
I think Frontline, on PBS, has a good picture of him in their piece on the Taliban in the Tribal Areas.
The banned Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) drew several hundred supporters near its headquarters as it denounced the blasphemous caricatures of the holy Prophet (PBUH) published in some Danish newspapers, and declared jihad against Denmark and the West if they continued to insult Islam.
It was the fist major public rally by the SSP since it was banned in 2001. The SSPs protest took place after Friday prayers at the SSP headquarters at Masjid-e-Siddique Akbar, Nagan Chowrangi.
Maulana Abdul Ghaffur Nadeem, the SSPs central leader, who has been to jail on sectarian charges, led the rally, and said Denmark, Germany and other western countries should desist from insulting Islam otherwise a jihad would be waged against them. We shall wreak havoc upon western countries with the power of jihad, he told a 2,000-strong crowd, which included madrassa students, religio-political party workers, and members of banned organisations.
Maulana Aurangzeb Farooqui, the partys Sindh leader, said Denmark was continuously publishing insulting caricatures that forced Muslims to think about waging jihad against it. No one can save Denmark if the Muslim world is ready for jihad, he said, amid religious slogans from the crowd. According to Islam, said Ilyas Zubair, the SSP Karachi president, those who insult the holy Prophet (PBUH) should be punished by death. No Muslim can compromise on this. If western countries do not desist from these insults, then the history of Ghazi Alamdin, Ghazi Haq Nawaz, and Ghazi Amir Cheema will be repeated, he said. Qari Shafiqur Rehman, the SSP Karachi information secretary, proposed a resolution asking Islamic countries to sever relations with Denmark and boycott its products.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/01/2008 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan
The Iraqi foreign minister said Friday that the Turkish military has begun withdrawing from northern Iraq. "We welcome this move," Hoshyar Zebari told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "The timing is good. I think the military carried out its promises" to remove Turkish troops after finishing operations against Kurdish separatist rebels.
Zebari said regional Iraqi authorities had informed him that the Turkish troops were leaving northern Iraq, and the Turkish military had targeted only the rebels, not civilians living in the remote region. The foreign minister said he hoped Turkey "will respect the sovereignty of Iraq."
The move came a day after US Defense Secretary Robert Gates told Turkish leaders during a visit in Ankara that they should end the offensive as soon as possible. In Washington, US President George W. Bush made a similar point Thursday, saying Turkey needed to move quickly and get out.
Zebari credited the US with playing an "instrumental" role in pressing Turkey to leave. "The US played a very important role on all fronts to remind Turkey of the seriousness of the situation," Zebari said.
Rebel spokesman Ahmad Danas said the Turkish military had withdrawn from al-Zap area, about eight kilometers (five miles) from the border. He also credited the US with pressuring Turkey to leave.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/01/2008 00:00 ||
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As Hamas drew Ashkelon into the circle of communities coming under heavy rocket attacks, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and the Foreign Ministry on Thursday began preparing both Israeli and world opinion for the possibility of a large-scale incursion into Gaza.
Barak, during a series of meetings at the Defense Ministry, said, "We should be prepared for an upswing in hostilities in Gaza. The big ground operation is a reality and it is tangible. We are not eager to embark upon such an operation, but we are not put off by it either."
According to defense sources, the goals of such an operation - reportedly in the planning stages for weeks if not months - would not "merely" be to reduce the threat of rocket fire and rocket manufacturing in the Gaza Strip, but would also likely entail paralyzing the Hamas government's ability to operate, and even include "regime change."
Barak spoke with Quartet envoy Tony Blair and Egyptian intelligence head Omar Suleiman and said Israel could not tolerate the current level of rocket fire in the South without offering a wider response.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/01/2008 00:00 ||
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Hamas is improving its rocket technology, and will soon be able to "any target in Israel," Reuters quoted a senior member of the organization, Fathi Hamad, saying Friday at a rally in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, who was recently reported to have "gone underground" out of fear he would be targeted for assassination by Israel, also spoke at the demonstration. Haniyeh addressed the possibility of a large-scale IDF incursion into Gaza. "[Such an] operation would end in total failure for Israel, just like the rest of its operations in the past," Haniyeh declared. "Israel is living under a delusion if it believes that it can topple the Hamas regime in Gaza Even if Israel kills our leaders, it can't damage the purpose of [our] struggle," he continued.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/01/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
"Even if Israel kills our leaders, it can't damage the purpose of [our] struggle"
The guy is right. Especially when the purpose is martyrdom. No one can't prevent idiots from dying.
#2
I can't f'n wait for them to cross that red line where Israel says: "fuck it, that's enough. KILL THEM"
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/01/2008 14:23 Comments ||
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#3
That 'red line' was crossed long, long ago, Frank. Unless/until an Israeli leader grows a spine, I wouldn't be holding my breath for the proper response.
#4
I agree. The Paleos are lucky I'm not in charge. They'd be huddled in the dark, with no water, sewage provisions, or food, listening to artillery, with periodic loudspeaker offers to change their ways. I'm convinced that smashing the Paleo "identity", especially the idea that Israel is an occupation rather than a reality, is necessary. It will take Israel ignoring the EU/UN assholes and pounding the Paleos into submission without int'l intervention to change the Paleo version of reality and possible futures. They need to understand Israel is well armed, willing, and not going away, and will not tolerate the Paleo hijinxs. The current Israel Olmert Gov't doesn't say that. They need Sharon V2.0...perhaps Bibi V2.0?
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/01/2008 18:55 Comments ||
Top||
Jordan's King Abdullah II warned Friday that unless a comprehensive Israeli-Palestinian agreement is reached during the Bush administration's final months in office, the chances for a lasting Middle East peace could be "set back, perhaps for decades."
"We are in the best possible position to resolve 60 years of conflict between Israel and Palestine," Abdullah said, adding that the United States is in a position to help resolve some complicated issues before President George W. Bush leaves office in January 2009. "It will be two or three years before a new American president will be willing to look at the Middle East," Abdullah told an audience at Princeton University.
His message in a 20-minute speech sponsored by Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs was similar to the one he delivered to a joint session of the US Congress last year. It is also what he will likely tell Bush when he meets him at the White House on Tuesday.
Abdullah said resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is more important to the future of the Middle East than any other issue, including the war in Iraq.
It is important, he said, that Arab and Muslim states have committed themselves to a peace process at the moment. And by agreeing soon to allow a Palestinian state, Israel could quickly gain diplomatic and trade relationships with 57 countries that now refuse to deal with the Jewish state.
While Israel and Palestinian leaders might agree on most issues, there are some that the international community - and especially the United States - will need to help resolve, he said. "If we miss today's opportunities, peace will be set back, perhaps for decades," he said. "Extremists will continue to act. The forces for moderation and positive change will weaken. Global divisions will not only endure but also possibly deepen."
Key for the Palestinians in any peace deal is Israel's return to pre-1967 borders, the right of return of refugees and the status of Jerusalem - all issues which have derailed peace efforts before.
Jordan recently began supplying electricity to the West Bank city of Jericho. He did not mention that Friday, but in recent days, Abdullah has said the purpose is humanitarian, not to gain a foothold in territory once controlled by Jordan. He said the West Bank should be part of a future Palestinian state. The West Bank was under Jordanian control from 1948 until 1967 when Israel captured the territory during the Six Day War. Jordan relinquished its claim to the West Bank in 1988. On Thursday, Abdullah met with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to discuss the situation in the region.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/01/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
Jordan's King Abdullah II warned Friday that unless a comprehensive Israeli-Palestinian agreement is reached during the Bush administration's final months in office, the chances for a lasting Middle East peace could be "set back, perhaps for decades."
From the Kingdom where the term 'Black September' originated. Peace has continuously been set back decades because those who exercise non-Peace are not held fully accountable. There will never be a Mid-East peace unless the Donks permit the destruction of Israel in their stupid party games or the Paleo culture of death is utterly rendered, like Carthage.
#2
right-of-return is a non starter. Keep holding off and eventually all the Arabs/Paleos that actually lived and left Israel will either be dead or too old to do damage, then Israel can OK the R-O-R for ONLY those who actually lived there. Jerusalem is also a non-starter. Othere than that, and the Golan Hts (IMHO a non-starter, Syria should pay for their initial and extended belligerence and military incompetence), what else is to negotiate? See how easy it is? Israel needs to say: "No. This is off the table. If you continue, we'll kill you and your nascent 'state'"
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/01/2008 17:08 Comments ||
Top||
#3
Not exactly what I'd call a vote of confidence in muBarack Hussein Obama's ability to bring peace on earth in our time.
I wonder when the MSM will figure out that the violence in the middle east is more about an Islamic civil war than about us or Israel?
Saudi Arabia has advised its citizens in Lebanon, especially families living there, to leave the country immediately due to the security situation, a Lebanese government source said. The source said the Lebanese government had confirmed the news with the Saudi embassy in Lebanon after several Saudi nationals said they received a text message with the advice.
The United States said on Thursday it deployed the USS Cole off the Lebanese coast because it was concerned about the political deadlock in Lebanon. This provoked criticism from Hezbollah and Syria.
Several Kuwaiti nationals said they also received messages telling them to leave the Mediterranean country immediately. The source said he had no official information about that. There was conflicting news on whether the Kuwaiti embassy had issued any warnings.
Last month Saudi Arabia issued an advisory urging its citizens not to travel to Lebanon because of deteriorating political and security conditions. Kuwait and Bahrain followed with similar calls.
Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia is a major supporter of the Sunni-led government in Lebanon which has been locked in a 15-month-old political standoff with an opposition led by Iranian-and-Syrian backed Hezbollah.
Tension in the region has also increased after the assassination of a Hezbollah commander in the Syrian capital Damascus last month. Hezbollah said Israel was behind the killing of Imad Moughniyah.
Speaker Nabih Berri said during a TV interview that was just concluded that he is fed up with politics like all the Lebanese people and that he decided to have the interview to tell it as it is . Berri blamed the ongoing political crises on the Inter Arab disagreements. "Good relations between Saudi Arabia and Syria are important not only for solving the Lebanese political crisis but also for solving the problems in Iraq, Palestine and for peace in the Middle East"
He accused the United states of opposing the Arab initiative from the beginning. " The US was against the Arab initiative from the very beginning and still rejects it", Berri said.
This claim was denied by Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa and said the initiative is purely Arabic and the US was never consulted about it.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/01/2008 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Hezbollah
#1
WAFF.com thread > VIDEO - 34-NATION ARAB-LATINO [Trade?]ALLIANCE TO FORM.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
The governor of Afghanistans volatile Helmand province, where Taliban hold some districts, has been transferred out of the job, he said Friday.
Self-proclaimed al-Qaida supporters urged the Taliban in internet postings Friday to hunt down and kill Britain's Prince Harry after hearing that he had been sent to Afghanistan for his army service. 
WASHINGTON - The Pentagon on Friday brought terrorism- related charges against the brother-in-law of one of the September 11, 2001 hijackers. 
A TOP Pakistani Taliban commander has been formally charged with plotting the murder of former premier Benazir Bhutto and declared an absconder today, police said.
Pakistans military appears to be preparing for a new tribal-area offensive against the Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, US officials and experts say. I cant point to anything in the past that equates to that, an official said, adding that General Ashfaq Kayani appeared to have brought greater focus to operations since taking over as army chief in November from President Pervez Musharraf. Baitullah has gone and got himself so visible. He wants to kind of consolidate all of the FATA underneath his control, and because hes sticking out so far, the Pakistanis are going to hammer him down, said a US defence official. 
