PARIS -- The deaths of 10 French soldiers in an ambush by insurgents in Afghanistan has stoked a cry at home for France to rethink its commitment to the seven-year mission led by the United States.
Most French voters want out, and the opposition is ratcheting up the pressure on President Nicolas Sarkozy's government -- though analysts say France and other allies will dig in for the fight even as they insist on a new look at NATO's strategy against the Taliban and al-Qaida.
The word "quagmire" has popped up repeatedly when Afghanistan is discussed in Paris political circles -- even in Sarkozy's party -- since Monday's well-planned ambush of a French-led patrol in the Uzbin Valley east of Kabul. It was the deadliest attack on international troops in Afghanistan in more than three years, and the latest sign that the insurgency is growing stronger.
"The pressure is going to be: How do we get this war right?" said Francois Heisbourg, who heads the state-funded Foundation for Strategic Research think-tank in Paris.
French Prime Minister Francois Fillon has ordered a parliamentary debate and vote on France's role in Afghanistan, part of a new law requiring a lawmaker vote on foreign military missions lasting more than four months. They are expected to take place between Sept. 22 and Sept. 30.
Analysts say there is little chance that parliament -- where Sarkozy's conservatives have a large majority -- will vote to end France's participation in the Afghan mission. But Afghanistan is likely to grow in the French public eye.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the defense and foreign ministers will separately face questions from parliamentary panels about the ambush -- such as the intelligence failings that led to such casualties in a well-trained French patrol. Aside from the 10 soldiers killed, an additional 21 were injured.
France has been at the side of the United States in Afghanistan ever since the allied invasion in 2001 that toppled the Taliban's regime. n April, Sarkozy agreed to increase the French commitment by 700 troops -- to 3,300 in the Afghan theater.
The evolution of the war in Iraq -- while in many ways very different from the one in Afghanistan -- looms large in French minds when it comes to considering their country's future role. "In the case of Iraq, the Americans had a big strategic rethink about how they were handling it," Heisbourg said. "That kind of rethink is what's going to have to take place with Afghanistan."
Sarkozy's top adviser, Claude Gueant, said the French public has "poorly understood" the "faraway" war in Afghanistan. He said one of the troubles the allies now face in Afghanistan is the return of jihadi fighters from Iraq. "Now that the situation is changing in Iraq, they are heading to a new front, which is the one in Afghanistan," Gueant told Le Parisien newspaper in an interview set for publication today.
Sarkozy insists France's commitment to the fight against terrorism in Afghanistan "remains intact" -- but he is staking at least part of his political capital on the effort to quash a resurgent Taliban.
"They're testing French public opinion," said Douglas Bland, a former colonel and the chair of defense management studies at Queen's University in Canada.
The French debate resonates in Canada, which has lost 93 soldiers in Afghanistan since the war began. Canada agreed to keep its 2,500 troops in southern Kandahar province only on the condition -- partially met by France's new commitment -- that NATO deploy reinforcements.
The risk for Sarkozy remains that the mission in Afghanistan could erode his popularity over time -- much like former Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain faced political damage over his commitment to the Iraq war.
"We're not in the Blair kind of situation, but it may come," said political analyst Dominique Moisi.
#1
Great Title. This is the way I see it, even though they have an article for allience, most of the European expect NATO defense in Europe.
There's not enough men in Afghanistan yet to bring authority. We're depending on locals and young SF guys to be the eyes ordering airstrikes.
Even the largest army in the World like China have trouble controling an insurgency. Pakistan needs to be dealt with either diplomatically or coverty. Maybe that's what's been happening now with the political shakeups in Pakistan?
This season the Taliban have just moved up from the entire bottom half of afghanistan from pakistan, the US is sending more but what about the rest of NATO?
French soldiers can fight but the media influences the will of the politians.
I'm sure the shock of the loss of their country during WWII/Vietnam/Algeria makes them tred even softer in the world however they have a foriegn legion which should be there cleaning up shop with the rest of NATO, but they aren't yet.
The French debate resonates in Canada, which has lost 93 soldiers in Afghanistan since the war began. Canada agreed to keep its 2,500 troops in southern Kandahar province only on the condition -- partially met by France's new commitment -- that NATO deploy reinforcements.
#2
The French are beginning to understand the facts on the ground in Afghanistan. It is the West Virginia of South Asia. Land locked. Mountainous. Tough guys with little better to do than fight and sure not ready to be told what to do by lowlanders. Would you invade WVa. and try to occupy it?
well, if we could get rid of all the Robert KKK Byrd names from any and all sundry facilities, and depose that lying traitorous POS Rockefeller, well then I'm all for a brutal occupation of W. Va.
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/24/2008 12:42 Comments ||
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#4
"The word "quagmire" has popped up repeatedly when Afghanistan is discussed in Paris political circles"
Why do these words sound familiar?
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
08/24/2008 14:04 Comments ||
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The Palestinian embassy in Yemen said on Saturday it was closing its mission in Sanaa in protest at what it called "dual Palestinian representation," an apparent reference to an office of Hamas. "We are closing the embassy in protest at the dual Palestinian representation in Yemen," embassy spokesman Fayez Jawad told AFP, without elaborating.
The move appeared to be aimed at putting pressure on the Yemeni authorities to reduce the freedom enjoyed by a representative office of the Islamist movement Hamas.
Palestinians have been deeply divided since Hamas seized power in the Gaza Strip in June 2007 after a week of bloody street clashes in which it drove out Fatah forces loyal to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.
Jawad said that the move was also to protest against the "arrest of 10 Palestinians in the southern port city of Aden, and an attempt by some influential Yemenis to confiscate the premises of the Palestinian consulate in the city."
A source in Aden's chamber of commerce said that a court verdict had been issued stating that the premises had been sold to a Yemeni man some 10 years ago by the Palestinian mission.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2008 00:00 ||
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#3
Related to further understanding, copied this from another blog;
The Panthay Rebellion (known in Chinese as the Du Wenxiu Qiyi ?????, 1856–1873) was a separatist movement of the Hui people and Chinese Muslims, against the imperial Qing Dynasty in southwestern Yunnan Province, China, as part of a wave of Hui-led multi-ethnic unrest
Starting from 1855 the Muslim majority of Yunnan had risen against the oppression to which they were subjected by the mandarins. They rose against the tyranny and extortion universally practiced by this official class, from which they were excluded. The mandarins had secretly urged mobs to attack the rich Panthays, provoked anti-Muslim riots, and instigated destruction of their mosques.[3] The religious hatred of the Panthays was thus aroused. The widespread Muslim desire to avenge insults to their religion led to a universal and well-planned rising.
Though largely forgotten, the bloody rebellion caused the death of up to a million people in Yunnan.[4] Many surviving Hui refugees escaped over the border to neighboring countries, Burma, Thailand and Laos, forming the basis of a minority Chinese Hui population in those nations
One of two Tunisians held in Denmark pending expulsion for his role in an alleged plot to kill a cartoonist who satirized the Prophet Mohammad has left Denmark of his own will, Danish police said Friday. "I can confirm that he has left Denmark and he did it voluntarily," deputy national police commissioner Hans-Viggo Jensen told AFP.
The man, a Danish resident whose identity was not disclosed, is one of two men arrested on February 12 on suspicion of planning to murder Kurt Westergaard. Westergaard, 73, is one of 12 cartoonists whose drawings of the Muslim prophet were first published in a Danish newspaper in September 2005, sparking worldwide controversy. The two Tunisians have remained in custody pending their government-ordered expulsion, a measure recommended by the Danish intelligence agency PET which considers them a threat to national security, without their guilt being established in a trial.
The two men have protested without avail their extended detention without trial in the Danish court system. Their case went as high as the Supreme Court, which ordered the lower courts to reconsider their previous findings, this time reflecting on whether it was likely they had actually been planning to kill Westergaard. The lower courts maintained their rulings, and the pair said on July 29 that they would again appeal to the Supreme Court.
Jensen said the Tunisian who left Denmark did so of his own free will and was not escorted by police. He would not say when the man left the Scandinavian country, nor his destination.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
If he'd been plotting to murder someone for any other reason, would he have been allowed to walk free?
SM: What does the Muslim Brotherhood think of the two candidates in the upcoming elections in the U.S?
Mohamed Habib: We would naturally like to see the end of the current regime and that their practices are not to be repeated by the coming administration. We donÂ’t anticipate such change taking place if Senator John McCain wins, for he seems to be following the same line as the current American President George Bush. We are not so sure about Senator Obama either, because of his Israel visit, him saying that Israel is a democracy, and his visit to AIPAC, but we are withholding judgment because maybe he needs to do this to win. That being said, any change away from the criminal practices of the current administration is a good thing, and we would be happy with whatever candidate would put a stop to it.
Taquiyya - something the MB is quite familiar with.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
08/24/2008 14:24 ||
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The United Jihad Council, an amalgam of 13 militant groups based in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, on Saturday asked militants to suspend terror operations and join public rallies in Kashmir valley to support people in their goal of achieving the "right of self determination".
In a statement, UJC chairman and supreme commander of Hizbul Mujahideen Syed Sallahuddin asked Kashmiri separatist leaders to formulate a common programme for militant groups and parties and announce it at a public rally. He said, in keeping with the spirit of people, UJC has decided to ask militants not to display weapons in public rallies and also desist from militant action near rallies, the statement added.
Posted by: ryuge ||
08/24/2008 08:32 ||
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Islamabad, Aug 23 (IANS) Former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf is under protective custody and will be allowed to move freely only after a new head of the state is elected and the judges he sacked after declaring an emergency in November 2007 are restored, an official said.
'He is under protective custody but is free to meet friends and relatives,' said the official, adding this is mainly because of security reasons. 'Once the new president is elected and judges are restored Musharraf will be allowed to leave the country,' he said.
So he's a hostage for the time being ...
According to sources, Musharraf, who resigned Monday, wanted to visit the US but was stopped by the authorities. 'It has been conveyed to him that he will allowed (to travel) after three-four weeks after the election of the president,' said the source.
The presidential election, which was scheduled for Sept 17, has been brought forward to Sept 6.
'Some officials are suggesting Saudi Arabia as Musharraf's destination because of security reasons. There are suggestions that he would be sent to the kingdom, where he will stay for at least six months before leaving for any other country,' said another official.
The official said that Musharraf would not be allowed to shift into his five-acre farmhouse in Islamabad that is under construction for the last three years. Musharraf had bought the property, valued at $5 million, after he seized power in 1999. The 11-bedroom house has a fish farm, a tennis court, a swimming pool and other modern facilities for 'healthy living,' a worker at farm house told IANS.
Posted by: john frum ||
08/24/2008 08:27 ||
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#1
How long before he catches a "cold"?
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
08/24/2008 8:33 Comments ||
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Deacon -
Nah. He'll die of an accidental overdose of sleeping pills that he took while looking for an asprin after hitting his head while slipping in the shower.
Repeatedly.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
08/24/2008 9:41 Comments ||
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#3
He is no dummy. I suspect that everything that is happening was long agreed to, with the military insuring compliance.
Remember that everything anyone says in Asia is a lie. But so consistently, it could be the truth, if you know how to interpret it.
And while Perv will indeed visit Saudi, I truly doubt that he will end up in the US. Too damn many lawyers.
(PTI) Republic Nepal's first Premier Prachanda, whose Leftist group's main target were security personnel before it gave up the decade-long insurgency in 2006, today appealed to armed forces and police to "forget the bitterness of the past" and extend support to his government.
"I appeal to Nepali Army, Armed Police Force, Nepal Police, National Investigation Department to forget the bitterness of the past and extend their support for national unity," Prachanda said in his first message to the nation delivered prior to his departure for Beijing to attend the closing ceremony of Olympics Games.
"Taking the peace process to logical conclusion and writing a new constitution within stipulated time are the main tasks of this government," he said.
Maoist chief and the former rebel leader Prachanda said that he wanted to consolidate the national unity based on full equality among the people from Himal (Mountain), Pahad (Hills) and Terai (Plains).
"I express my firm commitment towards modern democratic principles such as multi-party competition, periodic elections and rule of law," he said, and expressed his commitment to protect private sector and bring about modern industrial economy in the country.
Prachanda said the new government will encourage foreign investments in priority sectors such as 'agriculture, tourism, water resources and infrastructure.' He also assured industrialists that the government maintains industrial peace by improving relations between labour and employers.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
"I express my firm commitment towards modern democratic principles such as multi-party competition, periodic elections..."
Various gangs of criminals are active in the NWFP in guise of the Taliban, provincial Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said on Saturday, adding that the Taliban should not be blamed for the burning of girls' schools and other militant activities.
The criminals want to serve the agenda of their "international masters", Hussain told the state-run PTV channel.
The minister said the NWFP government would continue its efforts to resolve all issues through negotiations. Despite facing hurdles, he added, the Awami National Party had continued talks with militants to bring peace in the province. Tehreek Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi chief Sufi Muhammad was also released after an agreement, Hussain said. He, however, blamed the militants for "persistently" violating the peace agreement.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
"the Taliban should not be blamed for the burning of girls' schools and other militant activities."
#2
Taliban can't be blamed, it was Allan's will (living in the stone age, killing women and girls to lessen the population growth, abhorrence of education, etc.).
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
08/24/2008 11:27 Comments ||
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#3
Naaahhh, they're not burning girls' schools.
They're burning all schools.
(Note that madrassas ain't schools, they're indoctrination camps. For jihadis boys only.)
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
08/24/2008 13:15 Comments ||
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#4
'Taliban not burning girls' schools'
Well at least we all agree that burning girls' schools would be a reprehensible, cowardly act. Right?
Pakistan's ruling coalition teetered on the brink of collapse Saturday as the two main partners squabbled over a successor to ousted President Pervez Musharraf.
Former Prime Minster Nawaz Sharif, who heads the junior partner in the coalition, demanded the dominant Pakistan People's Party slash the president's powers before he would support its candidate.
Asif Ali Zardari, head of the PPP and widower of the party's assassinated leader Benazir Bhutto, agreed Saturday to run for the presidency.
Sharif also pushed forward the deadline for restoration of dozens of judges sacked by Musharraf -- another key issue dividing the two main parties since they forced the president from power less than a week ago.
Still pressure was building for the two sides to end differences that appeared increasingly irreconcilable.
Presidential elections by parliament were set for Sept. 6 and the political infighting is a distraction from militant violence flaring in the volatile northwest, where 37 insurgents were killed Saturday in retaliation for a string of deadly suicide bombings.
Though Zardari is a longtime Musharraf critic, he would likely continue the former general's support for the U.S.-led war against terrorism.
But Zardari's climb to power would dismay many in this nation of 160 million who view him as a symbol of corruption that tainted its last experiment with civilian rule in the 1990s.
He won the nickname "Mr. 10 Percent" for alleged graft during his wife's turns as prime minister.
Despite the backing of the PPP, his election is far from certain.
Sharif, who heads the second-largest party in parliament, was one of Bhutto's bitter rivals and has been threatening to bolt in a struggle over power.
He demanded after meeting with Zardiri's lieutenants Saturday that the PPP agree to sharply reduce the powers of the new president before he'd support their candidate.
Sharif wants the head of state to be deprived of the constitutional right to dissolve parliament or to appoint chiefs of the armed forces -- but Zardari's name was thrown into the race without any such guarantee.
Sharif, ousted by Musharraf during his 1999 coup, also pushed up a middle-of-the week deadline for the restoration of judges fired by Musharraf late last year to avoid challenges to the former strongman's rule.
He wants an agreement by Monday that all -- including former chief justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry -- will be back on the bench, saying a surprise Sept. 6 presidential election date forced him to push up his deadline.
Zardari, though he wants the judges reinstated, is not quite as enthusiastic. Like Musharraf, he has accused Chaudhry of being too political, and says it should be up to parliament to decide.
Analysts say he also might fear that the former chief justice would revive corruption cases killed off by Musharraf as part of a failed effort to form a pro-Western power-sharing deal with Bhutto before her assassination.
The PPP, fearing the loss of its coalition partner, has already started seeking support from other smaller parties.
The crisis comes as Pakistan is increasingly threatened by extremist violence.
The ruling coalition -- united primarily in their hatred of Musharraf -- dabbled in peace talks with the militants soon after taking power five months ago, something the former president briefly tried as well.
But after limited success, they have increasingly relied on military force to try to beat back al-Qaida and Taliban-linked insurgents in the remote and rugged tribal regions along the border with Afghanistan.
The militants have responded with force in recent days.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for one of the country's deadliest-ever terrorist attacks, a twin suicide bombing at a massive government weapons complex that killed 67 people and injured more than 100 on Thursday.
On Saturday, a car packed with explosives rammed into a police station in Swat, a former tourist destination, killing six officers and injuring several, said local police official Mohib Ullahn.
A roadside bomb in the nearby village of Bari Kot killed one civilian and injured four, said Muslim Khan, a spokesman for the Taliban militants, threatening more violence unless the army stops operations against them.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2008 00:00 ||
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Some of the women were eating lunch, while others were busy making bread.
Then, the bombs fell like rain.
Pakistan's latest military offensive against Taliban-led insurgents in its northwest had reached 60-year-old Haya Bibi and her extended family. They soon abandoned their mud homes in the Bajur tribal region and joined an exodus of tens of thousands of civilians walking and driving across rugged terrain to escape a 17-day operation some now call a war.
Bibi and some 45 relatives have spent the past week in sweltering, mosquito-infested tents in Pir Piai village near Peshawar city in one of more than 20 relief camps the government says are for the displaced.
Like others among the nearly 1,000 people at this camp, Bibi won't utter a critical word about the masked militants in her area. Pressed on whether she blames the government or the Taliban for her current state, she diplomatically says both, and requests the two sides try to work things out peacefully.
"We are the sufferers," a tearful Bibi says, fingering prayer beads while surrounded by a crowd of nodding relatives. "We don't want the fighting."
Aiding -- and not disillusioning -- those displaced by the war on terror is a huge challenge facing Pakistan as it tries to wipe out the insurgent presence in Bajur, a rumored hiding place for Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri.
U.S. officials say tribal regions such as Bajur are turning into safe havens for militants involved in attacks on American and NATO troops in Afghanistan.
Pakistani officials have been reluctant to divulge details of the operation in Bajur. Death tolls given more than a week ago put the number of suspected insurgents dead at more than 460 along with 22 paramilitary troops killed. No civilian death toll was given, though witnesses have reported dozens.
The information has been difficult to confirm because of the remote, dangerous nature of the fiercely independent and deeply conservative tribal areas, where the federal government has long had limited authority.
But if the numbers given so far are accurate, it is one of the bloodiest episodes since Pakistan first deployed its troops along its volatile border with Afghanistan in support of the U.S.-led war on terror nearly seven years ago.
Attempts to reach the army spokesman Saturday were not immediately successful. But previously officials have said army helicopter gunships and jets have been pounding militant positions since Aug. 6, when scores of insurgents attacked a military outpost.
The offensive comes amid exceptional political turbulence. Pervez Musharraf, a stalwart supporter of the U.S. in the war on terror, recently was forced to resign as president, and the young ruling coalition is on the brink of collapse.
And in Washington, American officials are worried about the new civilian government's resolve to fight militants.
Estimates vary, but at least 50,000 to possibly more than 200,000 people have fled Bajur and nearby Mohmand tribal region, officials say. Many are staying with relatives, while others are at camps facing difficult conditions and the prospect of disease.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said thousands of people had also shifted across the border into Afghanistan.
The U.S., which has pressed Pakistan to forcefully crack down on insurgents in its tribal belt, has declared the resulting civilian uprooting a "disaster" situation, and given $50,000 for aid such as gas stoves and utensils.
The conditions in the two camps visited by The Associated Press were dismal.
In Bibi's camp, for instance, the nearly 1,000 people, more than half of them children, are crowded into classrooms and tents in a school compound. Babies' skins were red raw with mosquito bites. In the sweltering heat, one woman lay shivering under a blanket -- a sign of the malaria medical officials say has sprung up.
Diarrhea is ravaging the population, camp officials said, and the smell of fecal matters hangs in the air. There's no air conditioning, which is especially tough on women, who are trying to observe their cultural and religious traditions of staying indoors and out of the sight of unrelated men.
Every day, more families are arriving. On Friday, children helped clear grass to allow space to set up more tents.
"It is so hard here," said Jamshid Khan, a 20-something with a bum leg who reached the camp five days ago. "We want to go back as soon as possible."
Pakistan's Taliban movement, meanwhile, has claimed responsibility for at least three major attacks in recent days, calling them revenge for the Bajur operation and a military offensive in Swat. One attack, a twin suicide bombing at a weapons manufacturing complex near the capital, Islamabad, killed 67 people.
Mian Iftikhar Hussain, the information minister for Pakistan's North West Frontier Province, which lies next to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and is absorbing many of the displaced, called the civilian exodus a "gesture of cooperation from the local people," to allow the operation against the insurgents to avoid "collateral damage."
"To us, the main objective is to bring peace and stability in this area," he said. "We will fight until the last victory."
In interviews at two camps visited by the AP, virtually no one would criticize the Taliban or openly support the military action.
It was difficult to say why -- whether they were scared, sympathetic, or genuinely not bothered by the insurgents, or whether tribal loyalties wouldn't allow them to speak ill of the militants to a foreigner.
Did the Taliban force them to give up male members to fight the jihad? "No."
Did the Taliban threaten the people? "No -- they leave us alone, and we leave them alone."
Did the Taliban punish men without beards or women who wandered out alone? "No ... they might encourage people to observe Islamic law, but most of us do so anyway."
Is the Interior Ministry chief correct when he says more than 3,000 armed militants -- many of them from other countries -- are in Bajur? "We don't want to take sides."
Three women, including Bibi, said they saw militants offer to pay drivers to give lifts to civilians trying to escape.
Sartaj Khan, a slender 21-year-old with a sad face in the Pir Piai camp, said, "If anybody says anything bad about the Taliban, they'll go after them."
Not far away, in a separate camp on the outskirts of Charsadda town, more than 150 people are staying in classrooms in a vocational school building.
Khan Wali, a 29-year-old with one wife and four children, said the military operation could lead to more sympathy for the Taliban.
"Why is the government bombing our homes? The Taliban want to bring peace to the area," he said.
He and others also decried suspected U.S. missile strikes that they said have killed innocent people in compounds allegedly inhabited by Taliban and al-Qaida fighters.
"It is because of these atrocities that people are giving the militants more and more sympathy," said Mohammad Shoaib, a 23-year-old manual laborer.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
I rate this only a 2. Major deductions for poor opening and closing. Inadequate and clumsy adjectives such as, "and the smell of fecal matters hangs in the air. "
The attempts to place all blame on the United States are likewise inadequate and clumsy.
And just as a matter or personal wonder...would the majority of the women live in air conditioned homes?
There's no air conditioning, which is especially tough on women, who are trying to observe their cultural and religious traditions of staying indoors and out of the sight of unrelated men.
The U.S. administration has said details of a security deal with Iraq had yet to be worked out, pouring cold water on assertions by the head of Iraq's negotiating delegation who said a deal has been reached on a timetable for withdrawing American troops by the end of 2011.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
The Iraqis and the US have probably agreed that if McCain is elected, the SOFA will be very liberal and the US can hang around as long as it likes.
But if Obama is elected, the US will leave before inauguration day, with just a skeleton crew and a very large embassy left behind.
Air support will be provided from the UAE and Dubai, which is far enough away, and far enough out of mind that Obama's crew has never heard of it, much less cared.
Iraq's Prime Minister has said it won't allow Sunni allies of the US, the Awakening Councils, to keep their weapons indefinitely.
After clamping down on Shia fighters, the Shia dominated government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has recently gone after Sunni fighters despite their alliances with the Americans. Some leaders have been arrested, while scores of others have been disarmed and banned from manning checkpoints except alongside security forces.
The groups, known as Awakening Councils, Sons of Iraq and Popular Committees, have helped rout al-Qaeda in some parts of Iraq. But Shia leaders fear the Sunnis' switch of allegiance from al-Qaeda to the US is just a tactic, and that they could one day turn their weapons against the Shia majority.
The US which has put many of the Sunni fighters on its payroll, has urged al-Maliki to incorporate them into his security forces, but it is said that the government has been slow to do so.
In a speech to Shia tribal leaders in Baghdad on Saturday, al-Maliki mixed praise for the Sunni fighters with a warning. He said armed groups, alongside security forces, were tolerated for a limited period because their weapons were "aimed at the chests of the terrorists.''
"So they (the Sunni fighters) deserve our gratitude and the inclusion (into the security forces) because we adhere to a policy that there are no arms but the arms of the government,'' he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2008 00:00 ||
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A draft agreement between the United States and Iraq contains no fixed dates for U.S. forces to withdraw, but Iraq would like combat troops out by the end of 2011, government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh has said. "The draft does not contain definite dates," Dabbagh said.
He said Iraqi negotiators were proposing U.S. troops end patrols of Iraqi towns and villages by the middle of next year, U.S. combat troops leave Iraq by the end of 2011 and all U.S. troops leave three years later. ut he made clear those deadlines were not yet fixed, and represented the government's negotiating position, not an explicitly agreed text: "This is the Iraqi government's view and what the government wants."
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made an unannounced visit to Baghdad on Thursday to help seal a security the deal with Iraq, a draft of which is being circulated among Iraqi politicians for approval. She said the deal was "close", but poured cold water on reports that it was already agreed. "We'll have agreement when we have agreement. So all of those stories in the newspapers about what the agreement says probably ought to be disregarded until we have an agreement," Rice told a news conference in Baghdad.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari also said the deal was "very close", and would include "time horizons" for U.S. withdrawal, but he did not refer to particular dates.
The long-awaited pact will allow U.S. forces to stay in Iraq beyond the end of this year, when a U.N. Security Council mandate enacted after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 expires.
Replacing the U.N. mandate with a formal U.S.-Iraqi pact is seen as a milestone in Iraq's emergence as a sovereign state, giving Baghdad direct say over the presence of foreign troops on its soil for the first time since the fall of Saddam Hussein.
But the deal's terms are politically sensitive in both countries, with Maliki determined to show that the 144,000 U.S. troops will not stay longer than needed, and U.S. President George W. Bush keen to avoid a firm schedule for them to leave.
Dabbagh said the draft agreement envisions a flexible schedule for withdrawals based on conditions on the ground. "There are dates which will depend on the situation on the ground and the decisions of the Iraqi government, according to security developments and according to the need of the Iraqis."
The White House said it hoped a deal would be reached soon. "The president and every American wants to see American troops come home, but not until the job is done and there is more security, more political progress, and more economic progress inside Iraq," spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2008 00:00 ||
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DEBKAfileÂ’s military sources report that a new 11-point scheme, just developed by Saudi King Abdullah and Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, provides for the bulk of the 3,000-strong force to be Egyptian. The plan would effectively restore EgyptÂ’s pre-1967 domination of the Gaza Strip.
It will be presented to Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak when he visits MubarakÂ’s summer palace in Alexandria, Tuesday, Aug. 26.
Hamas is offered a political comeback on the West Bank and a seat on the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO)Â’s ruling institutions.
When Secretary of State Condoleezza RiceÂ’s arrives in Jerusalem and Ramallah, Sunday, Aug. 24, she will find this plan already on the table for Egypt (speaking also for Saudi Arabia), Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
If Israel accepted the Egyptian-Saudi blueprint, its 1979 peace treaty with Cairo would have to be revised, especially the demilitarization provisions. A parallel proposal would appoint Jordan as overseer of Palestinian government institutions and security forces on the West Bank.
According to DEBKAfileÂ’s sources, Saudi King Abdullah this week discussed the plan with the Jordanian king and the Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
They note that this is the most far-reaching Arab regional plan since the Saudi peace initiative was put forward in 2000. If carried by all the parties involved, it would restore certain key elements of their pre-1967 War status to the Gaza Strip and West Bank.
DEBKAfileÂ’s sources reveal here the 11 points of the new plan:
1. The rival Palestinian Hamas and Fatah must end their vendetta.
2. They will both release prisoners.
3. Fatah fugitives from the Gaza Strip will be allowed to return home.
4. The tit-for-tat bans on Fatah and Hamas institutions in the Gaza Strip and West Bank must be lifted.
5. Hamas must hand GazaÂ’s ruling institutions back seized two years ago to the Palestinian Authority.
The last six clauses present the toughest challenges.
6. Hamas must suspend the operations of its militia and police forces.
7. Inter-Arab monitors, headed by Egyptian officers, will supervise the Gaza police force.
8. Another panel headed by Egyptian officers will compile a reform program for the Palestinian security bodies in Gaza, effectively removing them from HamasÂ’ hands.
9. In the interim, until the reform program is implemented, an inter-Arab force of 3,000, commanded by Egyptian security officers, will be in charge of security matters.
10. A provisional Palestinian government will be installed in Ramallah in place of the Salam Fayad administration. It will consist of nonpartisan technocrats acceptable to Fatah and Hamas alike.
11. The PLOÂ’s governing institutions will be overhauled to make room for Hamas representation for the first time.
#2
The Egyptians might actually make the Paleos behave : there is $3.5 billion dollars in US aid a year that can be withheld over such issues. Besides which, the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas have been getting chummy lately and the Egyptian government hates the Muslim Brotherhood - they killed Sadat and bombed tourist centers in Egypt.
The results of a year-long covert investigation were revealed on Friday in Be'er Sheva, with the indictment of a 24-year-old Bedouin citizen accused of spying on Israel on behalf of Al-Qaida. A gag order lifted that day revealed that Khaled Abu Rakak from Tel Sheva was arrested in late July following a prolonged investigation by the Shin Bet security service. He is accused of trying to establish a cell that would carry out suicide bombings inside Israel. Police said that Rakak was charged over alleged contacts with Al-Qaida, as well as with the Islamic Jihad terror organization.
According to the indictment, Abu Rakak would frequently surf Web sites affiliated with Al-Qaida and the Islamic Jihad, and also corresponded with other surfers, from whom he received video files displaying terrorist activities. He also allegedly compiled instruction manuals for preparing explosive charges, and the indictment accuses Abu Rakak of planning to plant charges on routes used by Israel Defense Forces patrols.
Rakak's arrest was the third apprehension in one month of Israeli Arabs for alleged links to Al-Qaida. In early July, two Bedouin citizens from Rahat were arrested under suspicion of passing strategic information to Al-Qaida, a charge the men's relatives are denying. Khaled Abu Rakak's father, Khalil, said the entire case was fabricated. "They framed us with things we never committed," he told Haaretz. The father, who is the head of Tel Sheva's education department, said he did not care to elaborate on the subject. Later in July, six Arabs - two of them Israeli citizens and the other four Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem - were also arrested for alleged links to Al-Qaida. The suspects allegedly planned to attack U.S. President George W. Bush's helicopter during one of his recent visits to the region.
Large police and Shin Bet forces raided the Islamic Movement's al-Aqsa institution offices in the northern city of Umm al-Fahm on Saturday night and shut down the place. The operation was carried out in accordance with an "unlawful organization" order issued by Defense Minister Ehud Barak, following information that the institution had ties with the Hamas headquarters in Jerusalem. Simultaneously, some of the movement's bank accounts were frozen.
Dozens of police officers, headed by Northern District Commander Shimon Koren and Amakim District Commander Deputy Inspector General Zohar Dvir, arrived at the al-Aqsa institution offices belonging to the Islamic Movement's northern branch in Umm al-Fahm following an order issued by the defense minister. After searching the place, the forces confiscated numerous documents, a safe and money. The news on the police activity in Umm al-Fahm quickly reached many of the city's residents, including movement activists, who gathered in the area.
The material collected in the raid was turned over to the Shin Bet, where it will be sorted and examined. The police will then decide whether to launch an investigation against the movement. A Shin Bet official said in response that according to information received by the defense establishment, the al-Aqsa institute holds joint activities with the Hamas headquarters in Jerusalem.
"One of the organizations financing this activity is the 'Charity Coalition', which serves as the umbrella organization of extreme Islamic funds worldwide operated by the Hamas movement, and thus the institution was declared an unlawful organization in 2002," the official said. According to the suspicions, the "Charity Coalition" funneled large sums of money to the joint activity of Hamas and the al-Aqsa institution in Jerusalem without listing and documenting the funds, through moneychangers, smuggling and bank transactions.
The material collected by the defense establishment also revealed that the al-Aqsa institution serves as the executive wing of Hamas' "hadawa" headquarters in the Jerusalem area. This activity includes helping Hamas members with financial and logistic aid for the movement's organizational activity in Jerusalem. Sources in the defense establishment stressed that some of the funds transferred from Hamas' associations across the world to the movement in the West Bank and Gaza were used for the execution of terror attacks.
Zahi Nujidat, a spokesman for the Islamic Movement's northern branch, criticized the security forces' claims regarding the joint activity with Hamas. "What happened tonight was that the Israeli establishment went bankrupt, having no answer to the solid and strong information on the al-Aqsa institution's activities in regards to the damage caused to the holy sites in general and to the al-Aqsa Mosque in particular. It chooses to use the stick method instead of talking and convincing," he said.
Al-Aqsa serves as the movement's supreme institution in terms of activity related to Jerusalem's al-Aqsa Mosque. On Friday, the movement held a charity event for the mosque under the banner "The al-Aqsa is in Danger Festival". Tens of thousands of people took part in the event, including Sheikh Raed Salah, leader of the movement's northern branch, who delivered a harsh speech accusing Israel of desecrating the mosque.
This is not the first time security forces seek to stop the movement's activities. In May 2003, police forces raided the movement's offices in the northern city and arrested many of its members, including Sheikh Salah. In the past, police forces also raided the offices of a newspaper distributed by the movement.
Posted by: ryuge ||
08/24/2008 07:43 ||
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Top|| File under: Global Jihad
The military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement on Saturday called on all armed Palestinian groups to kidnap Israeli soldiers. Capturing Israeli soldiers is an open option for all military wings of the Palestinian factions," the al-Quds Brigades of the Islamic Jihad movement said in a statement.
The statement referred to a prisoner exchange that took place in July between Israel and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah group, in which Israel released five Lebanese prisoners in exchange for the remains of two Israeli soldiers captured in July 2006, saying such swaps "proved their effectiveness in forcing the Israeli governments to respond to the captors' demands."
The statement also praised the abduction of Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit in June 2006 by Hamas and two other Palestinian groups, saying that the operation was "clear evidence that the resistance groups are able to free the more than 11,000 prisoners Israel holds."
Hamas demands that Israel release 1,000 political prisoners, in addition to all the jailed women, children, elderly and sick Palestinians currently in Israeli jails.
The statement also criticized an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that took effect on June 19, calling for Israel to ease the blockade on the Palestinian territory, and for Palestinian militants in the Strip to cease firing rockets into Israeli territory. "The lull provided security for the settlers who live around the Gaza Strip, and the Palestinians did not reap any benefits," the statement said.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2008 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Islamic Jihad
#1
"The military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement on Saturday called on all armed Palestinian groups to kidnap Israeli soldiers...
The statement also praised the abduction of Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit in June 2006 by Hamas and two other Palestinian groups, saying that the operation was "clear evidence that the resistance groups are able to free the more than 11,000 prisoners Israel holds."
The official, opposition's, confirmation of Olmert's mind-blowingly moronic Pshchos for Corpses exchange as the worst political decision of 2008.
#2
When the next Israeli soldier is kidnapped, Israel should initiate a scorched-earth policy on the group AND AREA involved with the kidnapping, resulting in a significant, permanent loss of territory and population. I'd suggest one square kilometer for each Israeli kidnapped. Pretty soon, Paleostain will have to "borrow" territory from Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and/or Jordan.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
08/24/2008 15:07 Comments ||
Top||
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Saturday welcomed two boats that sailed from Cyprus to the Gaza Strip in efforts to break the Israeli-imposed blockade on the Palestinian territory, saying that the arrival of the boats signaled the end of the siege. The 70-foot (21-meter) Free Gaza and 60-foot (18-meter) Liberty left the southern port of Larnaca about 10 a.m. Friday for the estimated 30-hour trip. The activists planned to deliver 200 hearing aids to a Palestinian charity for children and hand out 5,000 balloons.
No ammo? No RPGs? Cheez, what kind of islamic charity is this?
The 46 activists from 14 countries belonging to the U.S.-based group Free Gaza include an 81-year-old Catholic nun and the sister-in-law of Mideast envoy and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
The arrival of the boats is another "nail in the coffin of the blockade," Haniyeh said in an interview with the Qatari-based television network Al Jazeera. He urged the head of the Arab League Amr Moussa to come to Gaza and called on Egypt to open the Rafah border crossing, which the Egyptians closed in 2007 when Hamas violently seized control over the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also lauded the activists, who docked at Gaza City's tiny port Saturday evening, receiving a warm welcome from thousands of jubilant Palestinians after a two-day journey marred by communications troubles and rough seas.
"We were all dizzy, nauseous. We were all tired. But in the last hour it was like we were recharged," said Ayash Daraj, a journalist with al-Jazeera who sailed with the activists.
Since setting sail from Cyprus early Friday, the Free Gaza mission had been in question. Israel initially hinted it would prevent the vessels from reaching Gaza, and on Saturday, the group accused Israel of jamming its communications equipment. But late Saturday, Israel said it would permit the boats to dock in Gaza after determining the activists did not pose a security threat.
Once they stopped laughing ...
Foreign Ministry spokesman Arye Mekel said Israel wanted to avoid the media provocation that the activists were seeking. He said he had no knowledge of attempts to harm the boats' communications. He went on to say that the authorities in Greece and Cyprus inspected the vessels and their passengers before they set sail from the port of Larnaca in Cyprus Friday morning, and assured Israel that they carried no weapons.
Israel decided to permit the Free Gaza boats to sail into the Strip as a one-time measure and announced that similar missions in the future would be examined individually. It was further announced that the boats would be inspected upon their return to ensure they were not carrying wanted militants or weapons.
Israel has led an international boycott of the Gaza Strip since the militant Muslim group Hamas seized power of the territory in June 2007. Israel closed its trade crossings with the coastal territory, while neighboring Egypt sealed its passenger crossing, confining Gaza's 1.4 million residents.
Israel has allowed little more than basic humanitarian supplies into Gaza, causing widespread shortages of fuel, electricity and basic goods. Only some people are allowed to leave Gaza for medical care, jobs abroad and the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
Under a June truce deal which halted a deadly cycle of bruising Palestinian rocket attacks and deadly Israel airstrikes, Israel has pledged to ease the blockade, but Palestinians say the flow of goods into Gaza remains insufficient and there has been little improvement in the quality of life. Israel has periodically closed the cargo crossings in response to sporadic Palestinian rocket fire that violated the truce.
Earlier Saturday, the Free Gaza activist group accused Israel of sabotaging the mission, saying that Israel had jammed the boats' electronic communication systems. "I can't think of any other reason or any other party with an interest," said Angela Godfrey-Goldstein, the group's spokeswoman in Israel. She accused Israel of jeopardizing the activists' safety, and appealed for international assistance.
Israel has denied interfering in the boats' communications.
"We are not experienced sailors. As a results, there is concern about the health and safety of the people on board," the statement said.
"We are following the development and if they are looking for a provocation, we will know how to avoid it," Foreign Ministry spokesman Arye Merkel said Saturday.
Another spokesman for the ministry, Aviv Shiron, said Friday that all options were being considered when asked whether Israel intended to use force to turn the boats away.
In Gaza City, meanwhile, a small boat zoomed off the coast waving a Palestinian flag as a crowd of activists and journalists gathered in the tiny fishing port hoping to glimpse the vessels.
"I brought the kids so if they [the activists] arrive, I can tell them welcome - and thank you for not forgetting us," said Jamila Hassan, a 42-year-old Gaza resident who brought along her 14-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter to the port.
Hamas policemen controlled traffic in and out of the Gaza City port in anticipation of the boats' arrival. Youths leaped off high rocks into deep water nearby. Two large tents were set up for people to watch the scene.
"Nobody thinks that these boats will break the siege in a practical way, but this is a moral message - what is happening [in Gaza] is illegal and inhumane, and must be halted," said Raji Sourani, a prominent human rights activist.
On Friday, organizer Paul Larudee said the group expected Israeli authorities to intercept the boats and arrest those on board. He said it was highly unlikely the Israeli navy would fire on them.
The boats departed after last-minute engine repairs to the Liberty, passenger safety drills and a final inspection of the vessels' hulls by Cyprus Marine Police divers. Group members sang a peace song in Arabic and formed the peace sign with their fingers before boarding the boats.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2008 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Hamas
#1
"Arrival of Blockade-Busting Boats Spells End of Gaza Siege."
Uh, no. Haniyeh won't live to see the end of that blockade. He's got being sodomized by a Hellfire in his not-too-distant future. Gaza, on the other hand, will continue for quite some time to be the world's biggest inmate-operated asylum for the criminally insane.
#2
200 hearing aids to a Palestinian charity for children and hand out 5,000 balloons
Loaded to the gunnels they were with barely enough freeboard to mizzen the mainmast let alone splice the afterburner fore and aft. It was that kinda boat.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert would travel to Moscow within two weeks to press Russia not to sell new types of weapons to Syria, according to press reports on Friday.
Government spokesman Mark Regev declined to comment on the report but confirmed Olmert held talks by telephone with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday.
During the conversation, Olmert told Medvedev it would be a waste for Syria to spend billions of dollars on buying weapons that Israel would eventually destroy, according to the Yediot Aharonot daily.
Israeli officials have expressed concern over reports that Russia was willing to sell weapons to Syria, a longtime foe of the Jewish state. "Russia has its own interests in the region and nobody wants to destabilize the region," Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said on Thursday. "And I think according to this assessment it is of mutual interest of Russia, Israel and pragmatic leaders of states in the region not to send this kind of long-range missiles to Syria," she said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was earlier quoted as saying that Russia was ready to sell Syria new weapons "of a defensive character."
The controversy coincided with a visit to Russia by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2008 00:00 ||
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[9 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
#1
"of a defensive character" - to defend facilities where weapons of an offensive character will be developed (nukes).
#2
Olmert told Medvedev it would be a waste for Syria to spend billions of dollars on buying weapons that Israel would eventually destroy
"As we have done so often before." But how much has Russia spent on its little adventure in Georgia? Wars cost money, y'know, and the money must be made up somehow.
Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun , an ally of the Iranian and Syrian backed Hezbollah group has decided to travel to Tehran. A visit by Iranian Charge d'Affaires in Lebanon, Mojtaba Ferdowsi-Pour, to the FPM leader on Friday will likely pave the way for Aoun's trip to Tehran
Ferdowsi indicated that preparations were underway for Aoun's visit, hoping it would be "soon in order to upgrade relations between the two countries."
Aoun will also visit south Lebanon on Sunday in a bid to improve his "understanding" with Hezbollah.
Aoun signed up a memorandum of understanding with Hezbollah over 2 years ago . His agreement with Hezbollah has been blamed for Lebanon's woos . The Christian leadership in the parliament majority accuse Aoun of having provided a Christian cover for Hezbollah's 2006 war with Israel which devastated the Lebanese infrastructure and for the sit-in in downtown Beirut to bring down the government as well as the May 2008 Hezbollah uprising which resulted in the seizure of west Beirut and the attack against the Druze strongholds of Mt Lebanon.
Hezbollah was created by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards in 1982 and continues to be funded ,trained and armed by Iran .
Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah considers himself a member of the Iranian system of governing ... "Wilayat al Faqih" or Guardianship of the Islamic jurists.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2008 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad backed Russia's military action against Georgia at talks with President Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday that were expected to cover purchases of Russian arms.
A diplomatic source in Moscow told Interfax news agency on Wednesday Russia and Syria were preparing a number of deals involving anti-aircraft and anti-tank missile systems.
Syria, a foe of Israel in the Middle East which stands accused by the United States of supporting international terrorism, become only the second country after Belarus to voice public backing for Russia's operation in Georgia. "We understand the essence of the Russian position and its military response," Assad told Medvedev at the start of their meeting in the Kremlin leader's Black Sea residence, Bocharov Ruchei. "We believe Russia was responding to the Georgian provocation," the Syrian president said.
Russia drew Western condemnation, led by the United States, when it mounted a crushing military offensive in response to Georgia's attempt two weeks ago to recapture the rebel, pro-Russian province of South Ossetia.
Moscow says it was forced to act to avert bloodshed in South Ossetia and defend Russian nationals and peacekeepers from the Georgian attack, though Tbilisi says Moscow engineered the conflict.
A deal signed by Washington and Warsaw this week to deploy elements of a U.S. missile defense system in Poland has further aggravated Moscow's relations with the West.
Assad's visit is likely to become an additional irritant for Washington. In the past, the United States has more than once warned Moscow against selling arms to Syria.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2008 00:00 ||
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[6 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
#1
I take it that Iran was the first nation to declare solidarity with the Russians. What a desperate, pathetic coalition this is, Russia, Iran, and Syria. Seems unlikely to me that they could sustain an effective offense for more than a week or two. They probably can count on support from Palestinean thugs, and other assorted low lifes. One of their bigger supporters will be progressive liberals in US and Europe.
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
08/24/2008 10:35 Comments ||
Top||
#2
bought and paid for....the baathists of syria are part of the old front that existed off of the largesse of communism. hey its how they make a living....now oligarchs with plausible deniability are in vogue...same ole shit.
Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad backed Russia's military action against Georgia at talks with President Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday that were expected to cover purchases of Russian arms.
A diplomatic source in Moscow told Interfax news agency on Wednesday Russia and Syria were preparing a number of deals involving anti-aircraft and anti-tank missile systems.
Syria, a foe of Israel in the Middle East which stands accused by the United States of supporting international terrorism, become only the second country after Belarus to voice public backing for Russia's operation in Georgia. "We understand the essence of the Russian position and its military response," Assad told Medvedev at the start of their meeting in the Kremlin leader's Black Sea residence, Bocharov Ruchei. "We believe Russia was responding to the Georgian provocation," the Syrian president said.
"I want to express my support for the Russian position in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.... We oppose attempts to tarnish Russia's position," Assad said.
Syria is interested in Russia's Pantsyr-S1 air defence missile system, the BUK-M1 surface-to-air medium-range missile system, military aircraft and other hardware, Interfax quoted its diplomatic source as saying. Russian media quoted Assad as saying ahead of the visit that Syria was ready to negotiate hosting Russian surface-to-surface Iskander missiles, mid-range weapons which Moscow says are capable of beating any missile defence.
Neither leader mentioned arms deals in their initial remarks.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, asked by reporters about plans to sell Iskander missiles and other modern weapons to Syria, said: "We are ready to consider requests from the Syrian side on buying more arms. We are indeed prepared to sell only defensive weapons which are not breaking the regional balance of powers," he said.
Lavrov said arms sales were part of Thursday's talks, but did not elaborate.
Speaking to reporters in Jerusalem, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni cited Syria's links with Iran, the Palestinian Hamas group Lebanon's Hezbollah and said, "it is a mutual interest of Russia, of Israel and of the pragmatic leaders and states in the region not to send long-range missiles to Syria"
Hezbollah also buying arms from Russia
In a related development Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera reported Friday that Lebanon's Hezbollah group had struck a deal with Russia on new air defense systems and anti-tank missiles. It said the deal was made in July when three Hezbollah officials travelled to Russia using Iranian passports and visited the Sixth International Fair for weapons and ammunition.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2008 00:00 ||
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[6 views]
Top|| File under: Hezbollah
#2
HAARETZ > NASRALLAH: HEZBOLLAH'S NEXT VICTORY AGZ ISRAEL IS UNDISPUTABLE. Reaffirms that Hezb Hizb Huzb Husb will fire 11000 rockets at Israel iff IRAN is attacked.
TEHRAN - Iran plans to launch a telecommunications satellite, the president said on Saturday, using missile technology the West fears is being developed to fire nuclear warheads. Iran said last Sunday it had put a dummy satellite into orbit on a domestically made rocket for the first time, although U.S. officials said the attempted launch was a failure.
"Today, the Iranian nation has obtained the technology to produce different kinds of satellites and with God's help it will launch its first telecommunications ... satellite into space," President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told a rally. "Our nation has a modern missile that can launch the second stage missile 250 km (150 miles) into space. The second stage is a smaller missile carrying the satellite which has very complex technical equipment," the president said.
He did not give a timetable in the remarks carried by state TV.
Iran's top aerospace official said on Thursday the country aimed to send a manned rocket into space in the next 10 years. The head of Iran's aerospace organisation, Reza Taghipour, said on Thursday Iran would cooperate with Islamic states in building a satellite. He also said Iran was working with Russia and other Asian states to launch another satellite.
U.S. analyst Charles Vick, commenting on Iran's announcement last Sunday, said the Islamic Republic appeared to have succeeded in igniting the second stage of its booster rocket and gained data that will help it perfect its launch system.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/24/2008 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
It is probably another one of those "cluster" satellites that appears to fly into thousands of little pieces but in "reality" each of those individual pieces is a fully functioning component of Iran's new advanced "cluster" technology.
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.
PARIS -- The deaths of 10 French soldiers in an ambush by insurgents in Afghanistan has stoked a cry at home for France to rethink its commitment to the seven-year mission led by the United States.
The Palestinian embassy in Yemen said on Saturday it was closing its mission in Sanaa in protest at what it called "dual Palestinian representation," an apparent reference to an office of Hamas. "We are closing the embassy in protest at the dual Palestinian representation in Yemen," embassy spokesman Fayez Jawad told AFP, without elaborating. 
The United Jihad Council, an amalgam of 13 militant groups based in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, on Saturday asked militants to suspend terror operations and join public rallies in Kashmir valley to support people in their goal of achieving the "right of self determination". 
(PTI) Republic Nepal's first Premier Prachanda, whose Leftist group's main target were security personnel before it gave up the decade-long insurgency in 2006, today appealed to armed forces and police to "forget the bitterness of the past" and extend support to his government.
Some of the women were eating lunch, while others were busy making bread. 
The results of a year-long covert investigation were revealed on Friday in Be'er Sheva, with the indictment of a 24-year-old Bedouin citizen accused of spying on Israel on behalf of Al-Qaida. A gag order lifted that day revealed that Khaled Abu Rakak from Tel Sheva was arrested in late July following a prolonged investigation by the Shin Bet security service. He is accused of trying to establish a cell that would carry out suicide bombings inside Israel. Police said that Rakak was charged over alleged contacts with Al-Qaida, as well as with the Islamic Jihad terror organization. 
Large police and Shin Bet forces raided the Islamic Movement's al-Aqsa institution offices in the northern city of Umm al-Fahm on Saturday night and shut down the place. The operation was carried out in accordance with an "unlawful organization" order issued by Defense Minister Ehud Barak, following information that the institution had ties with the Hamas headquarters in Jerusalem. Simultaneously, some of the movement's bank accounts were frozen. 
Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun , an ally of the Iranian and Syrian backed Hezbollah group has decided to travel to Tehran. A visit by Iranian Charge d'Affaires in Lebanon, Mojtaba Ferdowsi-Pour, to the FPM leader on Friday will likely pave the way for Aoun's trip to Tehran 
TEHRAN - Iran plans to launch a telecommunications satellite, the president said on Saturday, using missile technology the West fears is being developed to fire nuclear warheads. Iran said last Sunday it had put a dummy satellite into orbit on a domestically made rocket for the first time, although U.S. officials said the attempted launch was a failure.
