Some 5,000 Afghans chanted death to Denmark and death to the Netherlands in Kabul on Friday, protesting against the reprinting of a blasphemous cartoon in Danish newspapers and a Dutch film on the Quran.
Afghanistan being free of any other problems, that was all they could come up with to be concerned about.
Sporadic demonstrations have sprung up across the deeply conservative country in recent weeks against the cartoons and the film with protesters demanding Danish and Dutch troops be withdrawn from Afghanistan and their embassies shut down. Protesters gathered around a mosque in the west of the Afghan capital after Friday prayers chanting death to Denmark, death to the Netherlands," death to America and death to Jews.
That's kinda the key to the whole thing, isn't it? To most Afghans -- all but the few who've been out of the country elsewhere than Pakistain -- Jews are theoretical constructs. They've never actually seen one in the flesh, never actually talked to one, but they know they don't like 'em. Because they're ucky.
Demonstrators burned Danish and Dutch flags and also an effigy of Dutch right-wing politician Geert Wilders, who is due to release a film thought to be critical of the Quran later this month. One unidentified speaker addressing the angry crowd through a megaphone from the back of a truck said the Afghan government should expel Danish and Dutch troops and close their embassies within two days or we will take action.
Sounds like the Pak Taliban, doesn't it? Or maybe the TNSM. Or Lal Masjid. Or any of the dozens of unorganized organizations consisting of grandiose names and a handful of lunatics.
The Netherlands has some 1,650 troops, mainly in southern Afghanistan and 14 Dutch soldiers have been killed fighting Taliban militants. Denmark, meanwhile, has 550 troops in northern and southern Afghanistan and 11 of its soldiers have been killed.
I take it there's no Pashtun word for 'gratitude'.
Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden this week warned that Europe would be punished for the cartoons, first published by a Danish paper in September 2005.
But really, this has nothing to do with that. No sirree.
The images ignited violent protests across the world, including in Afghanistan, when newspapers around the world reprinted them the following year.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/23/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
It would be about btime they grew and chanted "Death to Saudi Arabia and Pakistan" everytime they have a suicide bombing.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/23/2008 9:16 Comments ||
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#4
"Protesters gathered around a mosque in the west of the Afghan capital after Friday prayers"
My, what a coincidence that the raging just happened to occur after the Friday Cult Classic. Does one suppose that what the local gang chief(also known as imam) had anything to do with inciting gang violence? These poor simps are easily manipulated, and the thugs thrive. Reminds me a lot of Rev. Wright, only he holds meetings on Sundays. He spews similar garbage, and gets the crowd highly riled also.
If the Brave band of Lions want to kill Dutch, I believe there are still some roaming about Afghanland. Seek them out. I think they've been massively manhandling your fearsome buddies for some time now. The only possible way to deal with these fools is to eliminate them, just like any other lethal virus.
Eritrea on Saturday rejected accusations by the U.S. State Department of gross human rights violations in the Red Sea state, saying Washington should apply the same standards to itself.
Human rights defenders routinely label Eritrea one of Africa's worst offenders, accusing it of using torture, killing and illegal imprisonment inside the country. "The politically motivated report is replete ... with unsubstantiated rumors, innuendos, exaggerations and sheer fabrications," Eritrea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, referring to the annual U.S. report. "The curious feature ... is that it does not even pretend to apply the same benchmarks ... to examine and pass judgment on the human rights practices of the United States government itself," the statement said.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/23/2008 00:00 ||
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An organisation led by a son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi denied on Sunday that it was negotiating the release of two Austrians believed held by al Qaeda in north Africa. "Gaddafi Foundation affirms that it has not undertaken any measures or efforts or contacts, whether direct or indirect, with the kidnappers despite the Foundation, and its chairman, having received several demands to do so." However on Sunday the Austrian news agency APA quoted Haider as saying in response to the foundation's denial: "It is not an initiative of the foundation but his (Saif al-Islam's) own ... it is a secret action."
A son of Libyan leader Muammar Qadaffy is mediating in the case of two Austrians held by al Qaeda in North Africa and is hopeful they can be freed soon, an Austrian politician was quoted as saying on Saturday. Saif al-Islam, who heads the Qadaffy Foundation charity, was in touch with the kidnappers, Carinthia governor Joerg Haider told the Austrian news agency APA. The mediation of Qadaffy's son, who has studied in Austria and is a friend of right-wing populist Haider, raised some hopes for the release of the two Austrian tourists who were seized in Tunisia last month and are reported to be held in northern Mali.
The Algerian-based al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb said it seized them on February 22 and in Web postings on Islamist forums has demanded a ransom and the liberation of 10 militants held in Algeria and Tunisia. It has set a deadline of midnight on Sunday for its demands to be met. "Negotiations have entered a decisive phase," Haider quoted Saif al-Islam as saying on Saturday, according to APA. "Saif believes that in the next few days there could be a decision on the fate of the Austrians," Haider said. It was the third time they had spoken in about 10 hours. Earlier on Saturday, Haider quoted Saif al-Islam as saying: "It is going well."
This article starring:
Joerg Haider
Saif al-Islam Qadaffy
Posted by: Fred ||
03/23/2008 00:00 ||
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Around 100 anti-war protesters were arrested trying to force their way into NATO's headquarters in Belgium on Saturday, police said. Police in riot gear and on horses clashed with over 500 activists from across Europe -- opposed to military action in Iraq and Afghanistan and the use of nuclear weapons -- outside NATO's Brussels hub. Water cannons were used to prevent most of the protesters from gaining entry to the large security compound situated on the outskirts of the Belgian capital and close to Brussels national airport. At least one protester was taken to hospital with serious injuries after falling on barbed wire, a police spokeswoman said. "We have arrested over 100 and they are being taken to court to be dealt with swiftly."
A NATO official said the compound had not been breached. "Demonstrations are a feature of democracy. All we hope for with any such protest is that it is done in a peaceful and safe manner," the official told Reuters.
NATO is a security and defense alliance of 26 countries from North America and Europe with forces in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo and Darfur. Organizers of Saturday's "NATO Game Over" protest say without the military organization, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan would not be possible. They also oppose the use of nuclear weapons.
1. NATO is not in Iraq.
2. We haven't nuked anybody since in 63 years.
3. The Talibs are the declared allies of al-Qaeda, both of which are the declared enemies of civilization. That's probably an indication of which side the protestors are on.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/23/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
Thay make people come from all Europe and only numbered 500.
#2
I remember back in Germany how demonstrators formed outside the VII Corps HQ kaserne. One of them left the crowd and jumped on the fence, and a German KRIPO put a round right through his back. Good aim, I might add. He was dead before he hit the ground.
Looks like we're going to have to do it again, and for the same reason. Hiroshima and Nagasake were nuked in the hopes it would force Japan to surrender and save the allied forces from having to invade. An invasion would have cost ten to 100 times the number of dead and wounded in the nuked cities, and Japan may never have recovered. It may take the same thing to stop the crap that is the Muddled East. Five nukes: Teheran, Damascus, Riyadh, Cairo and Khartoum. Use BIG nukes (8-20MT), so the few survivors will have very vivid memories, and not be hesitant to share them. Otherwise, we'll have to stomp these bas$$$$s one at a time. That will take too long, result in too many of our soldiers dying, and cost too much. Nuke 'em now.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
03/23/2008 18:59 Comments ||
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#5
Tiny turn out indeed! I was also surprised by the anti-war protest in San Franciso on the 5th anniversary of the war. They barely filled half a block. The news media was doing their best to make it sound like a big event, but bigger crowds show up for a local soccer tournament at any given community field.
The real story was the complete and total anemic response of the anti-war movement on the 5th anniversary of the war.
About one thousand people protested in central Amsterdam on Saturday against right-wing lawmaker Geert Wilders and the imminent release of his film expected to be critical of the Koran. Anti-racism protesters clad in winter clothing against the freezing cold and drizzling rain held placards that said "Enough is enough" and "Stop the witch-hunt against Muslims."
The turbans have the lefties pretty well trained, doing their demonstrating for them.
Pop and hip-hop groups entertained the crowd in between speeches by social groups. "We can no longer remain silent. There is a climate of hate and fear in the Netherlands," said spokesman Rene Danen from anti-racism organization Nederland Bekent Kleur (the Netherlands recognizes color differences), which had organized the protest.
"I think it is embarrassing what Wilders says, for example about tearing up the Koran. It is a very bad example to people to let him say whatever he wants," said Rieke, a 61-year-old Amsterdam arts teacher
There should be restrictions on what Wilders can say, said Rieke, a 61-year-old Amsterdam arts teacher who declined to give her last name. "I think it is embarrassing what Wilders says, for example about tearing up the Koran. It is a very bad example to people to let him say whatever he wants," she said.
Wilders' film has already triggered fury in the Muslim world. The Dutch government has distanced itself from his views, fearing a backlash against the country amongst Muslims similar to that against Denmark in 2006 after newspapers there published the Prophet Mohammad cartoons.
Wilders, who has given few details about his 15-minute film, has said he plans to release "Fitna" on the Internet before the end of the month after Dutch broadcasters declined to show it. Fitna is a Koranic term sometimes translated as "strife."
This article starring:
Geert Wilders
Nederland Bekent Kleur
Posted by: Fred ||
03/23/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
Wilders' film has already triggered fury in the Muslim world.
Oh, good. I thought it was because I scratched my balls when I got up this morning.
#2
"There is a climate of hate and fear in the Netherlands..."
Uh, yeah. When they knifed van Gogh, that was a hateful thing to do and it surely inspired some fear.
There should be restrictions on what Wilders can say, said Rieke, a 61-year-old Amsterdam arts teacher who declined to give her last name. "I think it is embarrassing what Wilders says, for example about tearing up the Koran. It is a very bad example to people to let him say whatever he wants," she said.
My nomination for Dhimmi of the Month.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
03/23/2008 16:49 Comments ||
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Six Iraq war protesters disrupted an Easter Mass on Sunday, shouting and squirting fake blood on themselves and parishioners in a packed auditorium.
Three men and three women startled the crowd during Cardinal Francis George's homily, yelling "Even the Pope calls for peace" as they were removed from the Mass by security guards and ushers.
One Mass attendee, Mike Wainscott of Chicago, yelled at the anti-war protesters.
"Are you happy with yourselves?" he said. "There were kids in there. You scared little kids with your selfish act. Are you happy now?"
The group, which calls itself Catholic Schoolgirls Against the War, said in a statement after the arrests that they targeted the Holy Name Cathedral on Easter to reach a large audience, including Chicago's most prominent Catholic citizens and the press, which usually covers the services.
Kevin Clark of International Solidarity Movement told the Chicago Tribune that he attended the Mass to serve as a witness for the protesters.
"If Cardinal George is a man of peace and is walking the walk and talking the talk, he should have confronted George Bush and demanded an immediate end to the war," Clark said.
Speaking after the service, George said, "We should all work for peace, but not by interrupting the worship of God."
Police charged each of the six protesters with one count of felony criminal damage to property and two counts each of misdemeanor simple battery.
The six were scheduled to appear in bond court on Monday to face the felony charge, police said. They have court date set for March 31 on the misdemeanors. I hope they get a hanging judge.
#1
and don't NOBODY get generous and drop the charges. Let this scum get a couple nights in jail and a police record
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/23/2008 21:55 Comments ||
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#2
This is a felony charge plus two misdemeanors. For the felony, a minimum of a year and a day for each of them, plus the max for the misdemeanors as well.
In Stateville Correctional Center. Only because they closed Joliet Prison.
#5
Hmm, Chicago? Isn't Barry from Chicago? IMHO I am not surprised, some people are way WAY Liberal. So much so that tehy see everyone as the enemy. Bet you $100 that they had a teacher or parent plan this little street theatre.
A Web site where a Dutch lawmaker was promoting an upcoming film that criticizes the Quran has been suspended by its U.S. hosting service. But hosting al qaeda websites doesn't violate Network Solutions terms of use.
The site had shown Geert Wilders' film's title, "Fitna," the words "Coming Soon" and an image of a gilded Quran. Now it shows a note that the company is investigating whether the site violates the firm's terms of service.
Wilders has not described the 15-minute movie, due to be released by March 31, in detail but has said it will underscore his view that Islam's holy book is "fascist." Dutch officials fear the movie could spark violent protests in Muslim countries, similar to those two years ago after the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in a Danish newspaper.
Wilders said he would release his movie on the Internet after television stations refused to air it. "In this situation with the dialogue that's happening throughout the world we've made the choice to suspend the site as of last night," said Susan Wade, spokeswoman for Network Solutions. "This site is suspended so people can't see the content right now but the customer still has access to their site. They can make whatever changes are necessary as we complete our investigation."
Wilders, who lives under police protection due to death threats, could not immediately be reached for comment Sunday.
"How many ways are there left for me to be worked against?" he was quoted saying Saturday night by Dutch press agency ANP. "If necessary, I'll go hand out DVDs personally on the Dam," he said, referring to Amsterdam's central square.
Posted by: ed ||
03/23/2008 18:39 ||
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#1
If Western governments do not begin to stand up for free expression and against Muslim tolerance, criticism of Islam will be reduced to samizdat.
A noted Kashmiri Pandit leader, Moti Koul of the Kashmir Sangharsh Samiti, today held the state government responsible for what he termed as the pathetic condition of the community, and declared that the situation was not conducive for the Pandits return to the valley.
Addressing a press conference here, Koul said that no attention had been paid to the condition of Pandits living as migrants in different states for the past 18 years. He said that the Pandit population in the valley had been 20,000 ten years ago, but had now shrunk to a mere 4000. Only 200 Pandits were recruited into the government service during the past 17 years. And there is no one to care for the half-burnt Pandit houses, broken down temples and untended lands, he said. The present situation is not conducive for the return of the Pandit community to the valley, he said.
The community faces difficulties in livelihood, accommodation and economic matters. Their ancestors had constructed many temples which have been reduced to ruin. The government has paid no attention towards the Pandits half-burnt homes, run-down temples and abandoned lands for the past 18 years, he said. There is no one to listen to the travails of the Pandits, he said. Koul said that the migration of the Pandits was a serious issue, and that the government had taken no steps for their rehabilitation.
Posted by: john frum ||
03/23/2008 15:26 ||
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#1
What religion or whatever are Pandits?
Actually what part do they play in things?
#2
From Wikipedia, 3dc: Original Kashmiri Pandit (Hindi: कश्मीरी पण्डित) refers to a person who belongs to a sect of Hindu Pandits who originate from the Kashmir region. They have a recorded history in Kashmir for thousands of years and have also been mentioned in the Mahabharata. Kashmiri Pandits have Aryan features like most high caste Indians. Many experts speculate that the Aryans originated in Kashmir. The Aryan invasion theory has now been proven wrong and Aryans have been proven to be native to India.
India's first Prime Minister Jawarlahal Nehru, (father of Indira Gandhi) was himself a Kashmiri Pandit.
Hundreds of thousands have been driven out by the Islamists. They are one of the largest internally displaced populations in the world. Thousands live in refuge camps in other parts of India.
The Kashmiri Pandit population in Jammu and Kashmir dropped from 15 percent in 1941 to 0.1 percent in 2006.
Posted by: john frum ||
03/23/2008 19:48 Comments ||
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#4
The Indian army occupied abandoned Pandit properties. There is now a concerted campaign for the troops to be moved out. This will allow their Muslim neighbors, many complicit in the ethnic cleansing, to seize their houses and lands.
The ethnic cleansing will be complete. The Kashmir valley will be totally Muslim.
Posted by: john frum ||
03/23/2008 19:50 Comments ||
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#5
I gotta quit reading headlines so fast, or else get new glasses.
At first glance, I thought it said panda population - and my first thought was I didn't even know there were pandas in Kashmir, and the story probably would blame America anyway.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
03/23/2008 19:51 Comments ||
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#6
Article 370 of the Indian constitution gives special status to Kashmir.
No law passed by the Indian parliament is valid in Jammu and Kashmir unless it is also passed by the state legislature. This includes taxes.
So they have representation (in the federal Indian parliament) but no taxation.
No non-Kashmiri Indian may purchase land or settle in Jammu and Kashmir. Their Muslim demographic identity is thus assured.
Posted by: john frum ||
03/23/2008 19:56 Comments ||
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#7
Many experts speculate that the Aryans originated in Kashmir. The Aryan invasion theory has now been proven wrong and Aryans have been proven to be native to India.
That is strongly disputed by many respected scholars but is a favorite position among Marxist scholars in India, from what I can tell.
Eight terrorists are planning attacks on security forces and former ministers in Punjab to avenge the death of Lal Masjid khateeb Abdul Rashid Ghazi, according to a notification issued by the inspector general of Punjab Police.
The notification, sent by fax and post to senior police officers provincewide, names the men and says they belong to Multan, Bahawalpur, Faislabad, Lahore and Peshawar. Their leader is a rebel commander in Wana, it says. The notice directs police officers to enhance the security of potential targets.
Official sources said the National Crisis Management Cell had sent a similar notification to provincial police chiefs, asking them to enhance security and arrest the suspects. Another circular, issued by the Interior Ministry, said trained terrorists had entered Punjab from Waziristan. It said they planned to target the officers of Rangers, district officials and educational institutions.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/23/2008 00:00 ||
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Posted by: Fred ||
03/23/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
I've developed a grudging support for Fazl's skills as a politician. He's gone from being a big turban in the previous government to being a big turban in this one. Qazi and Sami, his rivals in the religion business, have both managed to fall or be cast to the wayside.
The idea of an alliance between Mullah Diesel and Mr. Ten Percent alternates at about 100 cycles per second between frightening and hilarious.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/23/2008 9:26 Comments ||
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#2
Fehmida Mirza, speaker of the new Pak Parliament
If you ain't named Bhutto, at least you can look like one...
Posted by: john frum ||
03/23/2008 9:33 Comments ||
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The United States has stepped up its use of pilotless planes to strike at Qaeda targets along Pakistan's rugged border area, a measure that in the past drew protests from President Pervez Musharraf but now has his government's tacit approval. Since January, missiles reportedly fired from CIA operated Predator drones have hit at least three suspected hideouts of Islamic militants, including a strike last Sunday on a house in a South Waziristan village called Toog.
The surge began after visits to Pakistan at the beginning of the year by senior U.S. officials, including intelligence czar Mike McConnell, CIA director Gen. Michael Hayden and Adm. William Fallon, who recently resigned as commander of the U.S. forces in the region. Some news reports said at the time that Musharraf had "rebuffed" U.S. proposals to step up combat operations inside Pakistan. But U.S. officials and Pakistani sources, who asked for anonymity discussing sensitive information, said the recent wave of Predator attacks are at least partly the result of understandings the high-level visitors reached with Musharraf and other top Pakistanis, giving the United States virtually unrestricted authority to hit targets in the border areas.
One former official said that the United States has been relying on its own intel to uncover terror targets because Pakistani intelligence agencies are weak on espionage in the tribal areas. By contrast, U.S. forces have a heavy presence on the Afghan side of the border. Bruce Riedel, a retired CIA expert on the region, said that a new wave of terrorism inside Pakistanthere were 62 suicide attacks last year, after just six in 2006has forced Musharraf and the new military chief, Gen. Ashfaq Kayani, to acknowledge that the same extremists threatening Americans now also pose a growing threat to Pakistan's internal security. Another reason for the rise in Predator strikes, according to a current U.S. official: Washington fears that any newly formed civilian government in Pakistan will be more hostile to U.S. operations there than Musharraf's current regime. Time to act, in other words, may be running out.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
03/23/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
A spike means the number of attacks will quickly drop off. Perhaps the writer meant surge?
Faced with a sharp escalation of suicide bombings in urban areas, the leaders of Pakistans new coalition government say they will negotiate with the militants believed to be orchestrating the attacks, and will use military force only as a last resort.
That talk has alarmed American officials, who fear it reflects a softening stance toward the militants just as President Pervez Musharraf has given the Bush administration a freer hand to strike at militants using pilotless Predator drones.
Many Pakistanis, however, are convinced that the surge in suicide bombings 17 in the first 10 weeks of 2008 is retaliation for three Predator strikes since the beginning of the year. The spike in attacks, combined with the crushing defeat of Mr. Musharrafs party in February parliamentary elections, has brought demands for change in his American-backed policies.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: john frum ||
03/23/2008 00:00 ||
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BAGHDAD (AFP) - An increasing number of Iraqi detainees are refusing to leave detention centres despite being eligible for release because they want to complete studies begun behind bars, a US general said on Sunday. American Death Camps! abu ghraib abu ghraib abu ghraib!
"In the last three or four months we have begun seeing detainees asking to stay in detention, usually to complete their studies," Major General Douglas Stone told a news conference in Baghdad. my panties my panties, where '0 where are my panties?
The US military offers a wide range of educational programmes to the 23,000 or so detainees -- adults and juveniles -- being held at its two detention facilities, Camp Cropper near Baghdad's international airport and Camp Bucca near the southern port city of Basra. It's a Trick, a Panty Plot by the Americans
Some parents of juvenile detainees, too, have asked that their children remain behind bars so they can continue their schooling, said Stone, the commanding general for US detainee operations in Iraq.
The US military, he added, was not encouraging the trend.
"We don't want them to remain in detention," he said. "When they are no longer considered a threat we want them to go home."
Heh, don't look a Gift Horse... ~:)
#2
They're fed, clothed and pretty safe. They're getting an education they can't get outside.
And - just as a guess - some of these teens are unconsciously modelling themselves on the US military they see around them. A very different model than the men who got them into trouble in the first place.
I know we can't do this for everyone, but I can certainly see why the kids and families both might want this to continue.
#3
That'd be "23,000 or so detainees" filling mass graves if they'd tried to pull their stunts under Saddam.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
03/23/2008 16:59 Comments ||
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#4
Maybe not detention after they are cleared to go home. Perhaps a closed campus or something like that. Either way, they are getting educated and staying out of the fighting man's hair. Win-win in my book.
#6
It is a good opportunity, especially for the juveniles. Instead of just releasing them, however, they should be turned over to the Iraqi government with the intent of training for non-military and non-police government jobs.
That is, they already are learning something, so why not put them to work as municipal employees? Dog catchers, parks department, maintenance and janitorial, etc.
#7
Lots of them are probably Sunni, Anonymoose. Are you sure the Iraqi government is ready to handle them as we'd like? On the other hand, growing their own food, sewing their own clothing, doing their own catering and clean up, and keeping records on the results thereof, could make this a self-supporting enterprise. I believe there a number of colleges that operate that way in Kentucky, and one exceedingly tiny, ultra-elite (I seem to remember they have 19 students),
post-secondary institution out West somewhere.
MSM apparently frustrated by pace of deaths as it is interfering with the release of pre-written Pulitzer Prize material so badly that they may have to go back and change the facts again to make the speeches seem current. Democratic lawmakers are dragging out dusty speeches originally timed for release last July and are running into similar problems. They are complaining that all the rework to tone down their doom and gloom speeches is a diverting taxpayer pork that could be better spent buying votes in future elections.
A roadside bomb killed three American soldiers north of Baghdad on Saturday, pushing the U.S. death toll in the five-year conflict to nearly 4,000. Two Iraqi civilians also died in the roadside bombing, which occurred as the Americans were patrolling an area northwest of the capital, the U.S. military said in a statement.
Two of the soldiers were killed in the blast and the third died of wounds, the statement said. The soldiers were assigned to Multinational Division-Baghdad, the statement said, but gave no further details.
The latest deaths brought to 3,996 the number of U.S. service members and Pentagon civilians who have died since the war began on March 20, 2003, according to an Associated Press count. Rocket or mortar fire killed one U.S. soldier and wounded four others Friday south of Baghdad, the military said.
With the war entering its sixth year, President Bush paid tribute Saturday to America's fallen service members, saying in his weekly radio address that they will "live on in the memory of the nation they helped defend."
Speaking for the Democrats, however, Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey called on Bush to "face the reality" in Iraq and "tell us the truth" about the cost of the conflict as America is struggling with a faltering economy and mounting casualty tolls.
Moving the goalposts again: now it's about the cost, per Hildebeast's statement last week ...
U.S. officials have pointed to a number of positive signs, including a 60 percent drop in violence since Bush ordered 30,000 U.S. reinforcements to Iraq early last year. Iraqis have also made some limited progress in power-sharing deals among rival Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish communities.
However, U.S. military commanders have been careful to point out that security gains are fragile and that major violence could erupt abruptly. Much of the progress has been due to a move by thousands of Sunnis to abandon the insurgency and join pro-U.S. defense groups - known as "awakening councils." Another was a cease-fire called last August by firebrand Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, leader of the feared Mahdi Army militia.
Both in turn made possible by our demonstration that we weren't going away and were in fact upping the ante ...
On Saturday, a U.S. attack helicopter fired on two checkpoints manned by U.S.-allied Sunni fighters near Samarra, 60 miles north of Baghdad, killing six and injuring two, Iraqi police said. The U.S. military said an AH-64 Apache helicopter fired on the positions after five people were "spotted conducting suspicious terrorist activity" in an area notorious for roadside bombs.
"Initial reports suggested the attack may have been a Sons of Iraq checkpoint," the military said, using a term for the armed U.S.-backed groups. "The incident is currently under a joint Iraqi-Coalition Force investigation."
A local official of the U.S.-backed group said the attack occurred about two hours after American soldiers stopped at the two checkpoints to meet the Sunni fighters. "They asked us general questions like: 'Have you gotten your IDs?' and 'Do you need anything?' and then they left," Sabbar al-Bazi told The Associated Press. "Two hours later, after I had gone home, I heard two explosions, probably caused by two missiles, and machine-gun fire from a helicopter."
Lt. Col. Dhiya Mahmoud Ahmed, an Iraqi military officer in charge of security in the area, said he told the Americans after the attack that he had been aware of the friendly checkpoints for two days.
AP Television News footage of the aftermath showed awakening council members loading bodies into a pickup. Their faces were masked and they wore bright yellow vests - apparently to identify themselves for U.S. forces as members of friendly groups. Bloodstained rocks and bits of flesh could be seen around the checkpoint.
#3
#2: And over 20,700 of the enemy.
Plus more than 23,000 in detention (article above).
While each of those 4000 deaths is a tragedy, how much more of a tragedy would a nuclear strike in New York harbor be? How many would be killed by a 25kt nuke in Baltimore, Savannah, Charleston, Jacksonville, Mobile, New Orleans, Houston, or dozens of other harbors in the United States? Our presence in Iraq is making that far less of a possibility than it would be if we had never stopped Saddam and crushed his military.
Put in perspective, the National Safety Council reports that 113,000 people died from accidents in 2005 - the last year where data is available. ALL SEVEN of the top reasons for accidental deaths - automobile accidents, falls, poisoning, drowning, fire-related deaths, suffocation, and firearms - had more than twice the average number of people killed each year in the "War on Terror" (~800).
You're safer in Baghdad than in your car.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
03/23/2008 21:51 Comments ||
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LONDON - The US plans to urge Britain to launch a surge in Basra to combat increasing violence in the southern Iraqi region, the Sunday Mirror newspaper reported.
Britain, which has around 4,100 troops in Iraq, transferred control to Iraqi forces in December last year but it could now be asked to step up its role again amid top-level concern about the situation, the paper said.
The Brits lack both the forces and the will to do a surge in Basra. If they had both they would have fixed Basra before pulling back. And it's pro'ly not possible to shame Gordon Brown over this issue.
It quoted an unnamed senior US military source saying: Three big militias are currently engaged in a particularly bloody battle in southern Iraq. US and Iraqi forces are involved in a huge operation to attack an Al Qaeda stronghold in Mosul.
But after that, the plan is to turn the coalitions attention on to Basra and we will be urging the British to surge into the city. If they do not have enough troops, then they will be offered US Marines to help out.
The feeling is that if southern Iraq is hugely unstable, it will affect the success of the surge in the north and destabilise the whole country.
The source added: The proposal to go back into Basra is being examined at the highest level in Baghdad.
But unnamed senior British civil service sources told the Sunday Mirror that Britain would be highly reluctant to go back into Basra because of pressure at home to pull troops out. We do not have enough troops for a surge ourselves. The hope is that we can train enough Iraqi army recruits in the next year to cope with the inter-tribal warfare going on in Basra, one source quoted by the paper said.
Recent media reports say that Britain will delay its planned withdrawal of around 1,500 troops from Iraq until the end of this year because of increased attacks in Basra. The cuts were originally due to come into effect from early this year.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/23/2008 00:48 ||
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Link ||
[8 views]
Top|| File under: Mahdi Army
#1
Well the bill is due ... America shouldn't have to cover the Brit's soft investment. Pony up Limeys the margins have been called and only hard coin of the British realm will do.
#3
If they had both they would have fixed Basra before pulling back.
I'm not so sure, Steve. I think many if not most of their commanders are wedded to the 'softly, softly' approach because it's become the default doctrine for the Brits.
America shouldn't have to cover the Brit's soft investment
From their point of view, Britain shouldn't have to take major casualties in a war they entered only because of US pressure.
Not saying that's a wise or long-term point of view for them to take, but it's pretty prevalent among Brits. And their huge welfare state is really straining to support even their current level of operations given how badly equipped many of their otherwise excellent troops are.
#5
How could anybody be so out of touch with British attitudes that they would propose this? I just hope they can defend heir island from the fifth columnists.
#6
"I think the whole world should be involved in this struggle, but they are all hoping the US will pay for the bulk of it, both in treasure and blood, AS USUAL."
Fixed that for ya', gorb.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
03/23/2008 10:19 Comments ||
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#7
If all the Hope Mongers want to see the results of the Magic Man sitting down to talk with these jerks, they have the lesson plan readily available to peruse. Talking until you are out of breath is the name of their game. When you finally turn your back, they insert the long dagger. This, too, exposes the error in US policy. Unless we maintain occupation level forces, this hole will never be safe for the oil giants to extract the payload. What should have happened is massive supression until resistance was futile. Otherwise, let them fight it out for a few years. When the rubble subsides, deal with the victors. Even then, one must choose to deal with them, which may not be possible, or eliminate them. May be much wiser to pursue independent energy here. Then we simply starve these pests since they are not food sufficient. Would be much cheaper for us over the decades.
#8
And I want Monty to whip Rommel's ass, but I think that time has passed.
Posted by: regular joe ||
03/23/2008 14:31 Comments ||
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#9
Lotp, good point, soft power was indeed the order of the day initially for the Brits in Basra. But I think from the beginning that hard power wasn't an option because the Brits never had enough of it. If they had, they might have considered the option when things started getting sticky.
Gorb, getting us to pay and bleed for it is an extension of Euro policy towards NATO. Euro leaders were never willing, even after recovering completely from WWII, to pony up their share, preferring the US to stop the Roooskies in the Fulda Gap.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/23/2008 15:53 Comments ||
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#10
For those who are unaware, political authority in Basra and surroundings is a monopoly of Shiite extremists. Southern Iraq is a province of Iran's Ayatollahs. Attacks are not being carried out by insurgents; they are being executed by militias which have the support of local government. Basra isn't like Baghdad, which had ethnic divisions; it is an integral whole, with politics being a battle between those who are prepared to attack Western troops now, or later.
Gaza Ma'an A young Palestinian man was killed on Saturday morning after a tunnel under the Egyptian-Palestinian border collapsed in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, medical sources said.
Medics identified the dead man as 20-year-old Emad Tawfiq. Tawfiq was found under a pile of rubble and taken to Abu Yousef An-Najjar Hospital, said Mu'awiya Hassanain, the director of ambulance and emergency services in the Palestinian Health Ministry. Two other people were injured in the tunnel collapse.
Armed Palestinian resistance groups are reported to use tunnels to smuggle weapons and personnel from Egypt into the Gaza Strip. Ya don't say?
Posted by: Steve McQueen ||
03/23/2008 15:43 Comments ||
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#2
It sounds like this would be a wonderful place to test some of the equipment I used to use to get roadway deflections under given loads. (It is a small (but heavy) trailer with a adjustable electro/hydraulic ram that would hit the pavement repeatedly, rather vigorously. Sensors pick up the attenuation of the vibrations at a distance from impact.)
This equipment might detect the tunnels and if you are lucky it MIGHT just collapse the roof. If all else fails a small charge, mudded to confine the charge, should do the job.
Fatah officials have agreed to Yemen's reconciliation initiative and are prepared to sign it, while Hamas officials requested additional time to discuss the initiative with the group's leaders, Yemen's Foreign Minister Abubakr al-Qirbi announced on Saturday.
According to a Yemenite news agency, talks between the rival Fatah and Hamas are continuing to take place in Yemen, after a crisis in talks occurred on Thursday in which Fatah representatives threatened to return to Ramallah.
"Hamas is not declining the Yemenite initiative which aims to resolve the rivalry between Hamas and Fatah," Ahmed Youssef, adviser to Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, told the London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi.
Youssef also said that Hamas is maintaining contacts with European representatives. "Most of the Europeans we maintain contact with are British, Swedish, Swiss and French. In most cases they were unofficial European representatives who are helping change the European attitude towards Hamas."
Posted by: Fred ||
03/23/2008 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[5 views]
Top|| File under: Hamas
A top Palestinian Authority official who was caught last week while trying to smuggle some 3,000 cellular phones from Jordan has been suspended pending an investigation into the case. PA security sources said they did not rule out the possibility that Rouhi Fattouh was part of a bigger network of smugglers whose members include senior PA and Fatah officials carrying Israeli-issued VIP passes.
Fattouh, former speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council and a senior adviser to PA President Mahmoud Abbas, was stopped by customs officers at the Allenby Bridge upon his return from Jordan. When the officers searched his car, they discovered the cellular phones. Fattouh denied any link to the cellular phones, holding his driver responsible. Fattouh and the driver were released after the officers confiscated the cellular phones, which are estimated to be worth more than $300,000.
The driver was later arrested by the PA's General Intelligence Force in the West Bank. The driver's family denied that he was connected to the smuggling attempt.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/23/2008 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[5 views]
Top|| File under: Palestinian Authority
#2
Wonder if Britain's notorious libel laws will work against the BBC?
Posted by: ed ||
03/23/2008 7:35 Comments ||
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#3
Inaccuracies or total fiction?
Posted by: Pearl Pholuns7216 ||
03/23/2008 13:13 Comments ||
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#4
This is beyond accidents. There is an effort by a person or persons in BBC to make negative perceptions of Israel. Either a moonbat or a muslims is the editor.
Posted by: Pearl Pholuns7216 ||
03/23/2008 13:18 Comments ||
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#6
In the first case, the BBC was issueing a report on what they thought was going to happen and not on facts. This isn't news, it's propoganda. A story that's concocted in advance to throw their audience away from any fond thoughts toward Israel.
This is an appalling work of fiction and the BBC must be taken to task for allowing such propoganda to air in the free world.
It's all Israel's fault for not following the script
#7
The BBC is a Snooty, Elitist, producer of agit-prop, sic: like Hate-America-Churn and Hate-Israel-Churn, has a Hard Left point of view, fiscally Socialist, downright Commie sometimes, and a Paleo Supportin Tool.
#8
How is it that almost all the major news sources for the civilized western world became propaganda machines for anti-western forces? Amazing that they have been so completely and effective corrupted by useful idiots.
U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, starting a visit on Saturday to try to push forward Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, said Washington would never pressure Israel to take steps that threatened its security.
Palestinians accuse Israel of undermining the U.S.-sponsored peace talks by expanding Jewish settlements, refusing to remove West Bank roadblocks and mounting offensives against militants in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip who fire cross-border rockets into the Jewish state. "America's commitment to Israel's security is enduring and unshakable, as is Israel's right to protect itself always against terrorism, rocket attacks and other attacks from forces dedicated to Israel's destruction," Cheney told a joint news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/23/2008 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[4 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Washington would never pressure Israel to take steps that threatened its security.
#2
In the DC struggle between the Condi types and Cheney types, the Condi-like CENTCOM commander just 'retired' and Dick is travelling through the middle east.
#3
Not to mention that the latest polls have Senator McCain decisively beating both Senator Clinton and Senator Obama... and McCain just visited Israel where he said there was no point for them to negotiate with those whose goal is to kill them. A pity Mr. Cheney has no intention of playing vice president for a third term.
Pope Benedict led the world's Catholics into Easter on Saturday at a Vatican service where he baptized a Muslim-born convert who is one of Italy's most famous and controversial journalists.
The German-born pontiff, marking the third Easter season of his pontificate, began the service in the atrium of a darkened St Peter's Basilica where he carved the Greek letters Alpha and Omega on a large candle.
The basilica became a sea of flickering flames as thousands of faithful inside lit candles before the lights were turned on in a ritual symbolizing the darkness in the world after Christ's death and the light of the resurrection.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
03/23/2008 00:00 ||
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[5 views]
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#1
Compare/Contrast conversion styles of Islam and Christianity.
#3
A top Officio of the SAUDI ARABIAN GOVT has reportedly said that iff the VATICAN = WESTERN CHRISTIANITY desires churches to be allowed in SA, then the former has to formally affirm Muhammed as a DIVINE PROPHET. The problem is that ISLAM CONSIDERS JESUS AS A MAJOR BUT INFERIOR PROPHET-MESSENGER vv MUHAMMED, AND NOT PAR OR SUPERIOR. Compare implications wid MORMON CHURCH theology, and VARI ASIAN BUDDHISM.
Islamic cleric Abu Bakar Bashir has returned to his hardline rhetoric with a call for followers to beat up Western tourists and for young Muslims to die as martyrs. In the sermon, organised by an Islamic youth organisation and delivered a few kilometres from the home village of convicted Bali bombers Amrozi and Mukhlas, Bashir likened tourists in Bali to "worms, snakes, maggots", and specifically referred to the immorality of Australian infidels. The address was caught on video by an Australian university student.
"The youth movement here must aspire to a martyrdom death," said the cleric, who was convicted of conspiracy over the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians, but was later cleared and released from prison. "The young must be first at the front line - don't hide at the back. You must be at the front, die as martyrs and all your sins will be forgiven. This is how to achieve forgiveness."
Observers said the sermon's content was a clear indication of what many terrorism academics have noted - that the accused spiritual head of Jemaah Islamiah has been emboldened by his release from prison last year after serving 26 months for conspiracy in relation to the Bali blasts. "Immediately after Abu Bakar Bashir was released from incarceration he was very cautious in spreading hatred," said Rohan Gunaratna, head of the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University. "The remarks show that Abu Bakar Bashir has gone back to the pre-incarceration period where he was in a very similar way urging JI members, encouraging JI members to move in the direction of violence, especially violence including terrorism."
The sermon was organised by the youth group Persatuan Pemuda Islam Pantura (Java North Coast Islamic Youth Group) and delivered on October 22 last year. It was captured on videotape by Darwin-based political science PhD student Nathan Franklin, who was conducting research at Islamic boarding schools in east Java.
Bashir's address was observed by the village's police chief and a horde of plainclothes Indonesian police officers. It was also attended by relatives of Amrozi, who travelled to the sermon from the Bali bomber's former Islamic boarding school on the village's outskirts. The cleric has warned of retribution should the Bali bombers be executed by firing squad.
Bashir's address was observed by the village's police chief and a horde of plainclothes Indonesian police officers. It was also attended by relatives of Amrozi, who travelled to the sermon from the Bali bomber's former Islamic boarding school on the village's outskirts. The cleric has warned of retribution should the Bali bombers be executed by firing squad.
During the sermon, Bashir talked of a previous visit to Australia, claiming that he had wanted to see the "beauty of the ocean" but was told by a friend there was "one condition" of a visit to the beach. "He said if you enter that area you must be completely naked," Bashir told the crowd of about 300 hearing his sermon. Bashir likened non-Muslims to crawling animals. "Worms, snakes, maggots - those are animals that crawl. Take a look at Bali ... those infidel tourists. They are naked."
Bashir likened non-Muslims to crawling animals. "Worms, snakes, maggots - those are animals that crawl. Take a look at Bali ... those infidel tourists. They are naked."
He called for signs to be erected across Indonesia warning tourists they were entering a Muslim area, and directing they cover up appropriately. But in east Java, he urged the Islamist youth to "beat up" foreigners. "God willing, there are none here," Bashir said. "If there were infidels here, just beat them up. Do not tolerate them."
Bashir's address contained many direct challenges to Indonesian secularism. The cleric urged his supporters to reject the laws of the nation's parliament and said following state laws that contradicted Islamic Shariah law was an act of "blasphemy". "Don't be scared if you are called a hardliner Muslim," Bashir said. "It must be like that. We can't follow human law that is in conflict with Allah's law."
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/23/2008 10:58 Comments ||
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#2
But doesn't jihad mean inner struggle?
/sarc
Posted by: john frum ||
03/23/2008 11:07 Comments ||
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#3
This should do wonders for the post-bombing tourist industry decline. On the other hand, it may make Indonesia a prefered destination for British soccer hooligans.
#6
Anyone who goes to Bali for a holiday has rocks in their head. It's not a question of "if" there is going to be another terrorist attack, it's only a question of "when".
The police force is rotten to the core, from the chief of police to the rawest recruit.
To get a job in the police, your father has to be a policeman, otherwise it cost a s*itload of money to buy in. All the nightclubs are owned by senior police or under their "protection".
The sad part is that the ordinary Balinese are Hindu and lovely people, but the outside Muslims control the economy of Bali
Until Indonesia falls apart and the Balinese break away, stay away from there, unless you are a thrill-seeker who wants to dice with your life.
#8
Since the majority of tourists are Australian, it sounds like an excellent opportunity for Aussie karate schools to make field trips.
I went on one such field trip many years ago to a nasty bar where the patrons just loved to mass stomp those they didn't like.
The majority of the karatekas quietly form up in the back and try not to be noticed, then one guy with a talent for starting trouble, starts trouble in such a way that "he didn't start the fight".
When the regulars converge on the troublemaker, thinking that they will beat the snot out of him as a group, suddenly they discover that the troublemaker has a lot of very violent friends, ready and willing to fight.
The most important part is a strict time limit, at which point you make good your escape. That, and one "weapons guy", whose purpose is to disarm anyone who pulls a gun or knife quickly.
Typically, the karatekas leave in good condition, but those left behind are somewhat the worse for wear, and far less impolite to strangers in the future.
#9
Back at school, Mr. Wife used to go out with his Korean friends just to prevent just such hijinks, Anonymoose. But those were college bars, whose denizens weren't deserving.
#10
Ironically, I was the invisible guy. Nobody wanted to fight me, for no apparent reason. I tried to start fights, but whoever I was provoking would hit somebody else. What can you do? Cheap shots?
#11
Anyone who goes to Bali for a holiday has rocks in their head.
Yes, tipper. But the shame of it is that Bali, like a lot of other places in Indonesia, has excellent surf. And Aussies, especially Aussie surfers, have a reputation for being very, very difficult to frighten.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
03/23/2008 17:11 Comments ||
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#12
I tried to start fights, but whoever I was provoking would hit somebody else.
Oh, you poor darling!
/not in the least bit sarcastic. But now trailing daughter #1 wants to go to bars with her taikwandokas when she's old enough, to see how it's done. ;-)
#13
I had lots of confidence. That is, the folks I went with looked like: Frankenstein's monster; a giant Viking with a muscular hunchback; the Incredible Hulk's tan younger brother; and this little, skinny Pima Indian woman black belt used to fighting big men wearing full body armor, and winning by KO.
Compared to that, I looked positively nerdish, even with brass knuckles.
#14
It won't scare the surfers away - but I doubt that they are the biggest spenders. TTere are plenty of other other places to go beside Bali. This has to seriously hurt their economy.
Lebanon's top Shiite Muslim cleric questioned the use of an upcoming Arab League summit, saying Friday that like many previous such gatherings it won't solve any Arab problem. Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein also scoffed at divisions among rival Lebanese factions on whether Lebanon should or shouldn't attend the summit, due in Syria next week.
A Lebanese participation or boycott won't have any effect on the outcome of Arab leaders' talks, said Fadlallah, 72, the top religious authority for Lebanon's 1.2 million Shiites.
His remarks came as the Lebanese government has yet to decide on attending or boycotting the summit scheduled in the Syrian capital, Damascus, on March 29-30.
Fadlallah lamented inter-Arab differences, which he said were reflected by the fact several Arab leaders have questioned whether they would attend or send a low-level representation. "This (comes) in addition to clear American instructions for an Arab boycott as a punishment for Damascus," Fadlallah told thousands of worshippers at a Beirut mosque in his Friday prayer sermon. He did not elaborate, but his comment appeared to refer to Washington's long-standing hostility to the Syrian regime, accused of backing Iraqi and Palestinian militants.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/23/2008 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[11 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
#1
Kinda makes me wonder what would be necessary to solve any Arab problem.
Hezbollah's deputy secretary general Naim Qassem has again accused Israel of responsibility for the assassination of the organization's senior military figure Imad Mughniyah.
In a speech Friday to mark the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed, Qassem said "we have clear proof, of 100 percent that cannot be doubted, that Israel is the head of the assassination."
Qassem said there is no basis for the claim that others were behind the assassination. "Know that Israel is responsible and it must bear the whole responsibility."
According to Arab media reports, Hezbollah secretary general Hassan Nasrallah is to give an address Monday to mark to 40th day since Mughniyah's death.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/23/2008 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[8 views]
Top|| File under: Hezbollah
#1
I imagine the line of those who want to claim credit for killing Mughniyah is a mile long. The line for killing Nasrallah is forming to the right.
Posted by: ed ||
03/23/2008 7:39 Comments ||
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Leading the U.S. weaning off foreign oil. (Love the poster test, Fred, although it is terrifying.)
The usual suspects are hollering that they shouldn't do it, that it'll increase pollution. Pollution, y'see, is a more important problem than $3.25 a gallon and rising.
#1
The Air Force would not finance, construct or operate the coal plant. Instead, it has offered private developers a 700-acre site on the base and a promise that it would be a ready customer as the government's largest fuel consumer.
Long term contracts at a guaranteed price are the answer.
The $60/barrel alluded to as the break even is way off the mark. The South African's are doing it for less than $20/barrel (at least they were a few years ago).
And the Indians are going for coal to oil in a big way.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
03/23/2008 8:58 Comments ||
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#6
Seems like we should have some sort of information along this line from Germany. They were doing this by the end of WWII, using technology that's now at least 60 years old.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/23/2008 9:43 Comments ||
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#7
carbon dioxide emissions are a major concern in the US
Rentech recently changed its mind on building a coal to liquids (various petroleum-like stuff plus anhydrous ammonia) plant near E Dubuque.
New plan is to build it near Natchez, MS. Apparently the company thinks sequestration of the carbon dioxide would be much easier near Natchez.
#8
Gov. Sebelius vetos two coal fired power plants in Western Kansas which were going to pump 6.4 billion into the fly over economy over five years. No mention of cow flatulation.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
03/23/2008 16:35 Comments ||
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#16
As said or inferred long ago, among other thingys WOT > ALTERNATIVE FUELS > WAR FOR UNION-ISM/RETURN OF BIG? UNIONS [AFL-CIO, etc.], versus NON/ANTI-UNION NUCLEAR-COLD FUSION!?
OTOH, STARS-N-STRIPES > World has enuff COAL for approxi another 200 years, OIL will run out in 50-60 years, whilst NATURAL GAS will do so in 75-80+.
#18
Those coal plants bman mentions will not be built in Kansas (at this time). They are slated to be built just across the border in Missouri and then Kansas will purchase the electricity from them.
Sounds like some other states that claim to be environmentally conscience but in fact just don't want the power plants built in their state for whatever reason. In this case, the coal plants will potentially affect more people since they will be built in a denser populated zone (KS/MO border vs. vast prarie of west KS).
I think Global Warming is a concern - I think in this case it was used to make the lobby price increase beyond the reach of west KS. Guess that would make it a scam then...and sebilius is trying to turn greensburg into 'the greenest community in the USA' but in doing so has driven off most of the locals with strange and new tax and property laws, creating a highway bypass, and in general delayed the reconstruction efforts which I think is what bman is pointing out - the hypocrasy of those who use the 'Green Ideal' to further their own political agenda.
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.
Some 5,000 Afghans chanted death to Denmark and death to the Netherlands in Kabul on Friday, protesting against the reprinting of a blasphemous cartoon in Danish newspapers and a Dutch film on the Quran. 
An organisation led by a son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi denied on Sunday that it was negotiating the release of two Austrians believed held by al Qaeda in north Africa. "Gaddafi Foundation affirms that it has not undertaken any measures or efforts or contacts, whether direct or indirect, with the kidnappers despite the Foundation, and its chairman, having received several demands to do so." However on Sunday the Austrian news agency APA quoted Haider as saying in response to the foundation's denial: "It is not an initiative of the foundation but his (Saif al-Islam's) own ... it is a secret action."
A son of Libyan leader Muammar Qadaffy is mediating in the case of two Austrians held by al Qaeda in North Africa and is hopeful they can be freed soon, an Austrian politician was quoted as saying on Saturday. 
Around 100 anti-war protesters were arrested trying to force their way into NATO's headquarters in Belgium on Saturday, police said. Police in riot gear and on horses clashed with over 500 activists from across Europe -- opposed to military action in Iraq and Afghanistan and the use of nuclear weapons -- outside NATO's Brussels hub. Water cannons were used to prevent most of the protesters from gaining entry to the large security compound situated on the outskirts of the Belgian capital and close to Brussels national airport. At least one protester was taken to hospital with serious injuries after falling on barbed wire, a police spokeswoman said. "We have arrested over 100 and they are being taken to court to be dealt with swiftly."
About one thousand people protested in central Amsterdam on Saturday against right-wing lawmaker 
LONDON - The US plans to urge Britain to launch a surge in Basra to combat increasing violence in the southern Iraqi region, the Sunday Mirror newspaper reported.
Network falsely reported house demolition, Ban Ki-moon condemnation of Israeli "attacks on civilians."
U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, starting a visit on Saturday to try to push forward Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, said Washington would never pressure Israel to take steps that threatened its security.
Pope Benedict led the world's Catholics into Easter on Saturday at a Vatican service where he baptized a Muslim-born convert who is one of Italy's most famous and controversial journalists.
Islamic cleric 
also scoffed at divisions among rival Lebanese factions on whether Lebanon should or shouldn't attend the summit, due in Syria next week.
Hezbollah's deputy secretary general 
