Posted by: Abu do you love ||
11/20/2008 14:23 Comments ||
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#2
Razed to the ground by Isreali Aircraft....LMAO
Posted by: James Carville ||
11/20/2008 15:03 Comments ||
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#3
Ignore the screaming Geiger counter in the corner.
Posted by: ed ||
11/20/2008 16:16 Comments ||
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#4
ElBaradei complained that the IAEA's work had been "severely hampered ... by the unilateral use of force and by the late provision of information concerning the building at the Dair Alzour site."
All true statements if indeed the 'work' of the agency is to permit the development of an 'Islamic bomb'.
(SomaliNet) As part of a growing protest against state censorship ten Sudanese newspapers suspended publication on Tuesday, journalists said.
Sudanese reporters said it was the biggest voluntary shut down of the media since the days of British rule in the 1950s.
The protest came a day after 63 journalists and newspaper staff were detained for more than three hours by police after staging a rally outside Sudan's parliament. The arrests were condemned by the US government.
"This is a real step forward," said Faisal Mohamed Saleh, a columnist for Al-Akhbar newspaper. "In the past a few partisan newspapers have staged protests. But most of the people who are taking part today are journalists from independent newspapers."
The 10 papers were planning to shut-down again on Wednesday if other publications agreed to join in, said Saleh.
Reporters said the action had been driven by individual journalists who had approached their editors and management and persuaded them to pull their Tuesday editions. The reporters were members of a recently formed Sudan Journalists' Network which is also campaigning for a new press law to enshrine press freedoms promised under a 2005 peace deal that ended the country's north-south civil war.
Journalists complain of nightly visits from security officers who instruct editors to remove sensitive articles from the next day's edition.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/20/2008 00:00 ||
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Saudi Arabia's foreign minister on Tuesday condemned the hijacking of a Saudi supertanker carrying $100 million in crude oil, calling piracy "a disease that has to be eradicated." The 1,080-foot Sirius Star was seized by Somali pirates Saturday off East Africa. Its owner, Vela International, said the tanker is thought to be anchored off the coast of Somalia.
Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said his country would join international efforts to battle piracy, which has surged to levels unseen in modern times. "This outrageous act by the pirates, I think, will only reinforce the resolve of the countries of the Red Sea and internationally to fight piracy," Saud said during a visit to Athens, the Associated Press reported.
Vela International, a subsidiary of the Saudi oil giant Saudi Aramco, said in a statement that the company was "awaiting further contact from the pirates in control of the vessel."
The crew is composed of two Britons, two Poles, one Croatian, one Saudi and 19 Filipinos.
The tanker, which had been heading toward the United States via the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa, held as much as 2 million barrels of oil, more than a quarter of Saudi Arabia's daily exports. News of the hijacking helped briefly push global oil prices to more than $58 a barrel Monday, though they later lost some gains.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/20/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
Price didn't rise much because still have excess inventory. I would like to see the Saudis have the priviledge of administering justice to these pirates. Chop, chop, chop, ...
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
11/20/2008 4:38 Comments ||
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#2
My thoughts exactly, Richard. The crew is composed of two Britons, two Poles, one Croatian, one Saudi and 19 Filipinos.
Piloting a supertanker takes skill and communication. Just how do they all speak to one another, unless they all speak Arabic? And if the crew is Muslim, able to communicate with the pirates, are they part of the problem? The Sirius Star was so far out to sea, it doesn't seem to be a random snatch.
Planning is far advanced for the withdrawal of the 4,000 soldiers from the Basra area under a move called Operation Drayton, The Daily Telegraph has learnt. The operation will accelerate if the security situation remains stable following the key provincial elections on Jan 31.
Asked if the countdown had begun towards what Gordon Brown called "fundamental mission change" -- the code for withdrawal -- Major Gen Andy Salmon, the British divisional commander, said that the "clock is ticking nicely".
If the Iraqi 14th Division, which control Basra, manage the elections well, "we will be in a position after that to say that we are pretty much there," he said. "If we adapt to Iraqi needs then we will avoid outstaying our welcome. Then we will arrive at a mutually agreed position as to when we have met our conditions.
"If the election goes well then our job is heading towards being done. We would have completed our tasks -- that is a considerable part of the security issue down here resolved, sorted and completed."
Plans have been drawn up for the British force to be ready to move at 30 days notice when the signal comes from London. The signal date is likely to be beneficial to the Government. The first battalions could leave Iraq by as early as March, military sources have disclosed.
The United States hopes that a reduction in British troop numbers in Iraq will allow the Ministry of Defence to send more forces to Afghanistan, Geoff Morrell, a Pentagon spokesman, said. "Clearly we would welcome more British troops but we are not singling out the Brits more than anyone else. We are sending thousands and thousands more troops and we are always looking to see who can contribute more to the mission in Afghanistan," he said.
The British withdrawal from Iraq will come almost exactly six years after the first troops crossed over the Kuwait border in the 2003 invasion. Since then 176 servicemen have lost their lives and up to £10 billion has been spent on the operation and new equipment.
Soldiers fought in the toughest street battles since the Second World War as forces, which averaged 8,000 men post-invasion, struggled to hold the line against a Shia insurgency heavily armed by Iran. They provided a vital breathing space and were able to train the Iraqi army that helped defeat the insurgents in March following a power vacuum after the British withdrew from Basra to the airport five miles away.
Out of an estimated 2,500 insurgents only 250 remain active. The rest have either been killed, fled to Iran or given up the struggle.
The murder rate in Basra, a city of 2.4 million, has dropped to about 20 a month and there has not been an attack on British forces for 48 days -- the longest period since the invasion. British soldiers still operate in small groups in the city providing mentors for the Iraqi army.
Major Gen Salmon said the British forces would "be able stand with our heads held high and say we have done a bloody good job in difficult circumstances".
"We have gone through some tough times and lost good people. Our soldiers have made amazing sacrifices. They won't have been in vain."
A huge logistic operation will begin to withdraw the equipment and men after an agreement has been negotiated with the Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki.
Basra air station, which in the last year has seen millions of pounds spent on strengthening its defences, will be filled with a force of at least 2,000 Americans some of whom will train the Iraqi police from locations in Basra.
Major Gen Salmon said the withdrawal of 4,000 troops would "take the pressure off" the military and "ensure that we can make the commitment in Afghanistan".
#1
They did their best, considering their orders. Some of the stories I've read are astounding. Remember that Scottish unit that charged with fixed bayonets after they ran out of bullets? Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.
For 10 years, South Korea has pursued a "sunshine policy" as its master plan for transforming North Korea. Under that banner, South Korea funneled billions of dollars to the North for new factories, hotels and food, and millions of South Korean tourists poured across the border. But eight months after President Lee Myung-bak came to office here promising a harder approach, the once vaunted policy has unraveled. North Korea has cut off high-level dialogue with the South. It has severed Red Cross-managed telephone "hot lines" crossing the demilitarized zone. In July, a North Korean soldier shot and killed a South Korean tourist visiting its Diamond Mountain resort, leading to its closing.
The North is now threatening to shut down an industrial complex in the North Korean town of Kaesong, the best South Korea had to show for its 10 years of sunshine policy. During an inspection tour earlier this month, a high-ranking North Korean general turned to the South Korean factory owners and asked, "How soon do you think you can pack your gear and go home?" Last week, North Korea further confounded the rest of the world. It said it had never agreed to let American experts take samples from its main nuclear complex, contrary to Washington's announcement that it had.
All in all, the North's actions seemed to point not only to the end of the sunshine policy but also to a dangerous disintegration of relations. But longtime North Korea watchers see it much differently, saying that the moves fit a familiar and consistent pattern, and that they may even signal an upturn in relations with the United States. Over the years, they say, North Korea has divided its negotiations with the outside world into what analysts call "salami pieces," maximizing its gains at each stage. If the opponent balks, it uses brinkmanship. "North Korea got what it could from Bush. Now it is signaling to President-elect Barack Obama, 'O.K., let's negotiate again over nuclear sampling,' " said Lee Sang-hyun, an analyst at Sejong Institute, a research organization. "To Lee Myung-bak, its message is that it means action if he doesn't reconsider his policy."
Continued on Page 49
A wealthy arms dealer long suspected of aiding militants in some of the world's bloodiest conflicts was convicted Thursday of conspiring to sell weapons to informants who posed as arms suppliers for terrorists willing to kill Americans.
Syrian-born Monzer al-Kassar, 62, and a co-defendant, Luis Felipe Moreno Godoy, were convicted of conspiring over a four-month period last year to try to sell millions of dollars worth of heavy weaponry to Colombian militants.
During the verdict, al-Kassar blew kisses to several weeping courtroom supporters. The federal jury in Manhattan convicted the men of conspiring to provide aid and equipment to a terrorist organization, conspiring to kill U.S. soldiers, conspiring to acquire and export anti-aircraft missiles and money laundering.
U.S. authorities said al-Kassar was willing to sell surface-to-air missile systems, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, thousands of machine guns and millions of rounds of ammunition to Colombian rebels.
Prosecutors said al-Kassar believed undercover Drug Enforcement Administration agents were representing the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, a rebel army known as FARC that is classified in the United States as a terrorist group. The evidence included recorded phone calls, e-mails and meetings.
The agents struck a fictitious $8 million deal for al-Kassar to supply weaponry obtained in Romania and Bulgaria. No weapons were ever exchanged.
The defense argued that the men were actually sleuthing on behalf of Spanish intelligence operators. Assistant U.S. Attorney Boyd Johnson said greed was the chief motivation.
The men face up to life in prison when they are sentenced on Feb. 18. Lawyers for both men said they would appeal.
An indictment unsealed last year said al-Kassar had provided military equipment to violent factions in Nicaragua, Brazil, Cyprus, Bosnia, Croatia, Somalia, Iran and Iraq. It said his customers included known terrorist organizations determined to stage "attacks on United States interests and United States nationals."
Al-Kassar, long a target of U.S. investigators, was arrested on June 7, 2007 after arriving at an airport in Madrid, Spain. Al-Kassar was acquitted in Spain of supplying assault rifles used by Palestinian militants in the 1985 hijacking of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro. The hijackers killed 69-year-old New Yorker Leon Klinghoffer, dumping his body and wheelchair overboard.
Posted by: ed ||
11/20/2008 17:25 ||
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The single biggest opportunity -- and potential difficulty -- for the incoming administration's plan to close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, comes from the same group of Yemeni prisoners, who make up fully 40 percent of the detainees still held there.
Despite intensive diplomatic discussions in recent months, and the Yemeni government's promise to put released prisoners through a rehabilitation program, the Bush administration remains unconvinced that the impoverished Arab nation is capable of absorbing a group of men that officials believe includes hardened extremists.
Administration officials said President-elect Barack Obama will face the same daunting array of concerns about Yemen, a country where the terrorist threat from al-Qaeda is escalating and where extremists already have escaped prison and returned to the fight. Some have strong ties to Guantanamo detainees.
"There are still, I think, significant concerns throughout the U.S. government, amongst all the agencies, about the Yemenis' capacity to absorb and process any significant number of returned detainees," said a senior administration official who, because of the sensitivity of the issue, spoke on the condition of anonymity. "And then there are simply logistical and financial issues involved in setting up a rehabilitation center, which could take quite a long period of time."
The Yemeni government rejects U.S. criticism of its record of combating terrorism and insists that it can successfully handle the Yemeni detainees, who make up the largest national contingent at Guantanamo Bay.
"We are ready to receive all of them, and we hope President-elect Obama and the next administration will send them to Yemen," said Mohammed Albasha, a spokesman for the Yemeni Embassy in Washington. "It is not to our benefit to simply let these people go free. Anybody who we see as a threat to Yemen or its people, and our allies, will be dealt with in an appropriate way."
Posted by: Fred ||
11/20/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
Who gives a f*ck? Not the folks who will release them for sure. They have security.
#10
Somalia's just over the Gulf of Aden, right? What about using them as bait for the pirates? Slap some pretty paint on some boats, put on some empty cargo containers, and....surprise! It's Crazy Achmed!
Or is that too dangerous a move? (I only know enough to be dangerous in that area's history, not sure if they would kill each other or work together for the common bad, if ya know what I mean.)
The need for a common enemy to stay in the political arena will bring the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) closer once again.
The two religious parties, the former partners in the six-party religious alliance Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), parted ways after former president Pervez Musharraf's implementation of November 3, 2007 emergency and the February 18 general elections.
While JI chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad went several steps ahead with lawyers in their movement for the restoration of sacked chief justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and other sacked judges, his JUI-F partner Fazlur Rehman kept his support limited to mere political statements and his party contested the elections to the dismay of its JI buddies.
The bitter pill of defeat swallowed by the JUI-F during the general elections at the hands of the Awami National Party (ANP) and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) expanded the rifts in the defunct religious alliance as some senior leaders of Fazl's party accused some of their JI mates of conspiring against them in the general elections by supporting their opponents.
The JI responded by saying that the defeat was the outcome of their 'wrong' policy of going for the elections.
However, with the wave of insurgency, ever-increasing incidents of kidnapping, influx of displaced people from Swat, Bajaur and Mohmand and the worst flour crisis in NWFP provided a chance to the JUI-F and the JI to settle old scores with the ANP by reprimanding the secular party over its anti-Taliban stance and the issue of Pakhtunistan.
It was JUI-F provincial president Gul Naseeb who raised the issue of Pakhtunistan and accused ANP of trying to divide the country by re-invigorating the defunct greater Pakhtunistan issue.
The charge was vehemently denied by the NWFP government, which ordered inquiry into the installations of greater Paktunistan signboards in some southern districts of NWFP, which are the stronghold of the JUI-F.
The ANP also said the Pakhtunistan issue was raised by the JUI-F to divert public attention from the land scam against its leadership.
The JI, cashing the opportunity, brought its white paper against the provincial government reckoning its failures during the previous 200 days.
Without condemning the burning of schools, slaughtering of innocent civilians and carrying out of suicide attacks on sport functions, the JI provincial chief Sirajul Haq demanded unilateral halt to operations against Taliban.
Meanwhile, the JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman said that the revival of the MMA was the need of the hour. He described the prevailing situation in the NWFP and the Tribal Areas as main reason for the revival of the religious alliance.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/20/2008 00:00 ||
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Pakistani aircraft dropped pamphlets in various areas of Safi tehsil in Mohmand Agency on Wednesday urging tribesmen to expel the Taliban from the area. The pamphlets added that if the tribesmen were unable to drive the Taliban out, they should themselves leave the area. The pamphlets asked people to co-operate with the government. Meanwhile, security forces are advancing towards Pindyali tehsil to set up three checkposts in Targhakhi area. This would prevent the Taliban from attacking the security forces from that side of the agency and would also make the Ghalanai-Yaka Ghund route safe.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/20/2008 00:00 ||
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[8 views]
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#1
The choices given them sound good.
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
11/20/2008 4:41 Comments ||
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(AKI) - By Syed Saleem Shahzad - Militants have over the last 10 days carried out a series of attacks in the northwest against a key airport and military supply route and have killed several tribal chiefs. The attacks may be seen as part of a deliberate bid to prevent the Pakistani military from taking part with NATO in a joint operation to defeat the Taliban in Afghanistan's Kunar Valley and in the troubled Bajaur and Mohmand tribal areas on the Afghan border.
Militants have launched 17 rocket and missile attacks this month against the airport in Peshawar, the main town in North West Frontier Province.
The militants blockaded the key Khyber Pass route for fuel tankers and trucks supplying international forces in Afghanistan. The route re-opened on Monday after the government barred the movement of convoys on safety grounds following the hijacking and looting by militants of 12 trucks and two Humvee armoured vehicles last week.
Militants have in recent days killed several key tribal chiefs in Bajaur who were trying to form pro-government lashkars (militias) to fight against the Taliban, and have abducted several others.
On Tuesday a clash between Taliban militants and pro-government tribal elders left at least five people dead, according to official government sources in Bajaur.
The Pakistani government launched a major offensive against militants in Bajaur three months ago and Pakistani troops and tribal militias are continuing to battle Taliban guerrillas there.
Taliban gunmen exchanged fire with tribal leaders holed up in a fortress-like compound in Bajaur for several hours late on Monday. Suspected Taliban militants are also reported to have killed several tribal elders there the same day.
Taliban militants carried out attacks in the Orakzai tribal area a few weeks ago and forced local tribes to stay neutral and abandon all tribal militia activities against the Taliban instigated by the government.
The government's efforts to sow divisions within the militants' rank and file has also proved ineffective.
Taliban commander Abdul Wali chose to keep out of the conflict but refused to support the Pakistani army against the militants in Bajaur. The various small groups previously working under Wali's command however, backed the militants in Bajaur against the army.
A tribal warlord in the Khyber tribal area bordering Afghanistan, Mangal Bagh, has also made clear to the government that he would rather remain neutral and not take up arms against Taliban militants seeking to hijack NATO convoys in the region and cut off supply routes.
The overwhelming majority of supplies for international forces in Afghanistan are shipped into the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi and cross the border via Balochistan and the Khyber Pass. There are virtually no alternative routes available.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/20/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
Sounds like a match made in heaven. They could be called the Do Little Duo. The NATO Do Littles joining forces with the Pakistani Do Littles. The Taliban probably doesn't have much to worry about.
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
11/20/2008 4:31 Comments ||
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Legislators loyal to firebrand Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr shouted down the Iraqi Parliament's second reading on Wednesday of a military pact allowing US troops to remain in Iraq until the end of 2011. The agreement, approved by the Cabinet on Sunday, has been fiercely criticized by the Sadrists, who oppose any deal with the US "occupier".
Posted by: Fred ||
11/20/2008 00:00 ||
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[3 views]
Top|| File under: Mahdi Army
#1
He should issue the sergeant at arms a flamethrower to maintain order.
The Palestinian Authority in Ramallah is "extremely disappointed" with the Arab countries over their refusal to hold Hamas responsible for the failure of Egyptian efforts to end the Islamic movement's dispute with Fatah, PA officials said Wednesday. The officials said that PA President Mahmoud Abbas had decided to boycott the upcoming meeting of the Arab League Foreign Ministers in Cairo in protest against the Arab countries' position. Abbas was hoping that the Arab League would put pressure on Hamas to participate in an Egyptian-sponsored conference that was due to be held in Cairo last week to settle the Hamas-Fatah power struggle.
Abbas aides said that Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa had promised to publicly condemn Hamas for boycotting the gathering, but failed to keep his pledge. "The president has decided to boycott the meeting of the Arab foreign ministers because Amr Moussa did not keep his promise," said Azzam al-Ahmed, a senior Fatah official closely associated with Abbas. "For some reason, Moussa has been reluctant to openly blame Hamas for the fact that the Cairo conference never took place," he said.
The Fatah official said that Mouusa's failure to censure Hamas was a "negative sign." He added that the Arab League Foreign Ministers should not hesitate to announce their position regarding the Hamas-Fatah crisis. "Even if they think that Fatah is partially responsible for the collapse of the Egyptian mediation efforts, they should go public," he added.
Another top PA official told The Jerusalem Post that Abbas was also angry with the Arab League because some of its members have been exerting pressure on Moussa to invite Hamas to the meeting. "Instead of blaming Hamas for the crisis and the continued anarchy and lawlessness, some Arab countries are dealing with Hamas as if it was the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinians," he said. "Despite the decision to boycott the meeting, the Palestinian Authority has decided to send a low-level delegation headed by [PA negotiators] to Cairo to brief the Arab ministers on the power struggle with Hamas and the peace talks with Israel."
Abbas's decision to stay away from the Arab League meeting came amid reports suggesting that Egypt had decided to resume its mediation efforts between the two Palestinian parties. Sources close to Abbas said that the Egyptians were considering summoning representatives of all the Palestinian factions to Cairo later this month for talks aimed at paving the way for holding a "national reconciliation" conference in Cairo. The sources said that the Egyptians have asked Saudi Arabia, Syria and other Arab countries to use their good offices with Fatah and Hamas to force them to end their differences.
The Egyptians have also asked Abbas to consider the possibility of releasing hundreds of Hamas supporters who were arrested by his security forces in the West Bank in the past few weeks, the sources added. Hamas used the massive arrest campaign as an excuse to boycott the Cairo conference earlier this month.
Hamas plans to appoint a new Palestinian Authority president in January at the end of Mahmoud Abbas' four-year term, according to Mohammed al-Hindi, a leader of Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip. Hindi said the Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Sheikh Aziz al-Dweik, will probably be named to the post. Dweik is currently jailed in Israel.
A fierce disagreement erupted recently between Hamas and Fatah regarding when Abbas' term is to end. Hamas claims the president's tenure ends on January 9, 2009 while Fatah argues that it is supposed to continue until January 9, 2010. Fatah bases its claim on an amendment to the election law stipulating that the presidential and parliamentary elections are to be held together, and the parliamentary elections are scheduled for January 2010.
Hindi said that if the groups cannot reach an agreement by January, Hamas will declare Dweik, one of the organization's senior figures in the West Bank, to be president. As speaker of the parliament, Dweik is the president's successor in the event of the latter's death, illness or resignation. Since Dweik has been in detention in Israel since shortly after the abduction of Gilad Shalit in June 2006, however, his appointment is mainly seen as a statement aimed at goading Abbas.
In a related matter, Hamas recently announced new conditions for renewing its negotiations with Fatah. Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman in the Gaza Strip, said his organization is demanding that all of its prisoners being held in PA jails be released, that a delegation of West Bank-based Hamas leaders be allowed to travel to Cairo for the talks, that Hamas and Fatah be given equal weight at the Cairo summit, that Abbas attend the sessions and that the Egyptians accede to Hamas' demand to amend the reconciliation agreement they proposed to both organizations. By laying down these conditions, Hamas is in effect rejecting the renewal of the talks in the short run, in favor of waiting for anticipated changes in the region.
According to a contract announced by the Pentagon, the business Nammo Talley Defense will produce 7750 units of the light rocket launcher M72A7 bound for the US Marine Corp. The purchase is valued at 15 million dollars, and the deliveries will be completed in 2011.
The A7 version of this popular weapon has aroused the interest of the Armed Forces because it is very compact and light weight (some 3 kg). The new projectile designed for this version has much less back blast, which allows it to be fired from enclosed spaces this was a major flaw in earlier versions.
In addition, its new warhead is much more reliable. The A7 version can also fire a new projectile with a thermobaric warhead. I, for one, am very impressed they can make a thermobaric warhead this small. Translated from Spanish
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
11/20/2008 00:00 ||
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#5
The rest of the story:
Nammo AS acquired Talley Defense Systems of Mesa AZ in early 2007.
From http://www.defenselink.mil/contracts/contract.aspx?contractid=3869
Nammo-Talley, Inc., Mesa, Ariz., is being awarded a maximum value $11,500,000 firm fixed-price, indefinite delivery indefinite quantity contract for the acquisition of shoulder-fired, Lightweight Assault Weapon (LAW) in two combat configurations, M72A7 and M72A9, along with training support items. Training items procured under this contract include the M72AS Training Launchers and the M72AS Training Rockets. The M72 LAW is a 66mm man-portable, lightweight, direct shoulder fired weapon that consists of an in-tube burning, free flight rocket prepackaged in a disposable launcher. The launcher is a lightweight, telescoping, single shot, throw away item consisting of an aluminum inner tube, an outer tube, a tube detonation device, a mechanical sight system, a firing mechanism, safety interlocks, an integral rear cover and shoulder rest and carry sling with front cover. The main difference between the two tactical configurations to be procured is the warhead. Work will be performed in Mesa, Ariz., and is expected to be completed by September 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division, Crane, Ind., is the contracting activity (N000164-08-D-JN03).
This contract was not competitively procured.
Is anyone asking why the original post was translated from Spanish?? Has ICE visited the NT plant in Mesa in recent years??? $2k a pop is CHEAP, not value. Something smells in the desert...
And a heck of lot more rounds for the same dollar.
Posted by: ed ||
11/20/2008 10:00 Comments ||
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#7
At $2K per pop, I wouldn't mind seeing them at Cabela's.
BTW, you can own your very own M203. Widipedia: In the United States, M203 grenade launcher attachments are classified as "Destructive Devices" under the National Firearms Act part 26 U.S.C. 5845, 27 CFR 479.11,[5] because they are a "non-sporting" firearm with a bore greater than one-half inch in diameter. M203s are relatively common on the civilian NFA market. New M203s sell for approximately $1,750 to $2,000 USD plus $200 transfer tax, and new manufacture 40mm training ammunition is available for $8 to $10 USD per cartridge, as of March 2008. High explosive 40mm grenades, however, are exceedingly rare on the civilian market, as each grenade must be individually registered with the Federal government with a $200 tax.
Several companies have also produced 37mm flare guns resembling the M203, which may be purchased without paperwork in most U.S. states. Legally, such devices are neither Destructive Devices nor even a firearms, but are signaling devices which may legally be used with 37mm flare and smoke munitions. If a 37mm flare gun were to be used with anti-personnel munitions, it would be illegal unless registered as a Destructive Device.
Posted by: ed ||
11/20/2008 10:02 Comments ||
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#8
Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "layin' down the LAW."
Posted by: Mike ||
11/20/2008 10:21 Comments ||
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#9
Is anyone asking why the original post was translated from Spanish??
The reason it is translated from Spanish is I read Spanish. A more interesting question is why the english language media had no mention of this.
Al
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
11/20/2008 11:54 Comments ||
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#10
Cause our media could care less about our troops or any improvement in their ability to fight!
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
11/20/2008 18:45 Comments ||
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#11
Don't worry. The One will probably cancel the contract as soon as he takes office. After all, it wasn't bid competitively, so it must be bad. Besides, it is useful and helpful to our troops. That must be stopped!
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
11/20/2008 20:06 Comments ||
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The US Treasury has urged the United Arab Emirates to keep a close eye on Iranian banks operating in the Persian Gulf financial hub.
"There is a challenge in the (United Arab Emirates) especially because of deep commercial ties between the UAE and Iran," said Stuart Levey, US Treasury Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence on Wednesday. "These banks are an issue of concern and they are deserving of scrutiny because of their track record," Levey was quoted by Reuters as saying on Wednesday.
He noted that the US's policy of sanctions against Iran would continue during the term of Democratic president-elect Barack Obama. "There's one area in US continuity -- rigorous enforcement of UN Security Council resolutions and protection of the international financial system," he said.
The US official announced that Washington is discussing issues with the UAE which are important for Dubai if it is to become "a trusted financial center".
Posted by: Fred ||
11/20/2008 00:00 ||
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The Syrian facility bombed by Israeli planes last year bore multiple hallmarks of a nuclear reactor, and the ruined site was contaminated with uranium, United Nations nuclear inspectors confirmed today in a report that largely backed Bush administration accounts of a secret atomic program...
Posted by: Fred ||
11/20/2008 00:00 ||
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[7 views]
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#1
You're a bit late. That party finished about a year ago.
Iran has blocked access to more than five million Internet sites, whose content is mostly perceived as immoral and anti-social, a judiciary official was quoted as saying on Wednesday. "The enemies seek to assault our religious identity by exploiting the Internet," Abdolsamad Khoram Abadi, an advisor to Iran's prosecutor general, was quoted by Kargozaran newspaper as saying.
The Internet "inflicts social, political, economic and moral damage, which is worrying," he said, adding that "social vice caused by the Internet is more than that by the satellite network," Mehr news agency reported.
With about 21 million users, the Internet is widely popular in Iran, which information ministry officials say ranks among the top 20 user countries.
In recent years, Internet service providers have been told to block access to political, human rights and women's sites and weblogs expressing dissent or deemed to be pornographic and anti-Islamic.
The ban has also targeted such popular social networking sites as Facebook and YouTube, as well as news sites.
Iran's reformist press was hit by a massive crackdown in 2000, and many journalists turned to blogging after their publications were shut down.
The closures have continued under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, elected in 2005, and have targeted newspapers and other media, including web sites and news agencies, of all political persuasions.
"Cyber imperialism"
Conservatives have also warned against "cyber imperialism" targeting developing countries.
In its latest edition, Sobh-e Sadegh, the publication of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, said, "The Internet, satellite (channels) and text messages played an important role in color revolutions in Serbia, Ukraine and Georgia."
The weekly said Internet search engines Yahoo and Google, BBC and CNN televisions and even international news agencies including "Reuters, Associated Press, UPI, AFP and DPA" operated as "tools of diplomacy conducted through media."
The magazine accused the European Union of seeking to "develop anti-Iranian cyber space" by supporting dissident bloggers.
Despite a strict ban on satellite television, dishes dot many Iranian rooftops and people have access to dozens of Persian-language channels, including the Voice of America, broadcasting a daily dose of politics and entertainment.
Islamic republic officials have been concerned about BBC Persian-language television which is yet to be launched and warned against interviewing or cooperating with such media.
The head of Iran's state-run television recently said that 30 percent of Iranians watch satellite channels, but observers say the figures are likely to be higher.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/20/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
So is Rantburg blocked in Iran? And what about the Daily Kos? What about Nick Scipio? Inquiring minds want to know.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
11/20/2008 1:08 Comments ||
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#2
Hey, if anyone wants to come over to my house today I'm going to be "assaulting their religious identity by exploiting the Internet" for most of the afternoon. Got nothin else to do, I already cleaned out the garage.
#4
Blogs won't have to be shut down. Obama FCC Commissioner appointee Henry Rivera will simply desigate Web sites and "bloggers" as media transmission venues and require that they fall under current regulations and licensing.
Iran is forging ahead with its nuclear programme, the United Nations nuclear watchdog reported on Wednesday, deepening the dilemma facing US president-elect Barack Obama over his campaign promise to engage with Tehran.
The latest report by the International Atomic Energy Agency reveals that Iran is rapidly increasing its stockpile of enriched uranium, which could be rendered into weapons-grade material should Tehran decide to develop a nuclear device. The agency says that, as of this month, Tehran had amassed 630kg of low enriched uranium hexafluoride, up from 480kg in late August. Analysts say Iran is enriching uranium at such a pace that, by early next year, it could reach break-out capacity one step away from producing enough fissile material for a crude nuclear bomb.
630 kg of low-enriched uranium (I think that's ~5% enriched) is enough for nuclear power stations. I see various numbers quoted for the highly enriched uranium required for a bomb: most say 80% but some say 20% if you don't mind a dirty, low-yield bomb. But to get to 80% enrichment that 630 kg becomes ~40 kg, minus any losses in additional centrifugation, and that ought to be enough to build a small bomb or two.
They are moving forward, they are not making diplomatic overtures, they are accumulating low enriched uranium, said Cliff Kupchan, an analyst at the Eurasia Group, a risk consultancy in Washington. These guys are committed to their nuclear programme: if we didnt know that, they just told us again.
Bambi and the Dhimmicrats aren't listening. They think they can talk to Short Round and succeed where the Brits, Germans and French have failed. And Bambi could: all he has to do is sacrifice Israel. That might buy us a few years. Maybe.
The IAEA report also says there has been a breakdown of communication between the agency and Iran over alleged research on an atomic weapon. The Iranians are making good progress on enrichment but there is absolute stone-walling on past military activities, said Mark Fitzpatrick of the International institute for Strategic Studies. Its very disappointing.
Get thee to the hotel bar then and drown your disappointment ...
The progress chalked up by Iran increases the difficulties for Mr Obama, who campaigned on promises of talking to Americas enemies, although during the election he scaled down his initial vow to meet Irans leaders to a more general commitment to consider doing so if it advanced US interests.
And unfortunately McCain could never pin him to the wall on that, not that it would have mattered to the people who voted for Bambi. Bambi needs to learn: when you talk with thugs, you end up talking about what you're going to do for them and not vice-versa.
Obama faces a real dilemma, said the Eurasia Groups Mr Kupchan. He must decide whether to pursue diplomacy quickly in light of rapid Iranian progress or whether to wait in the hope of a more moderate Iranian leadership after Irans June presidential election.
There's a third option: what I've called Operation Lemony Snickett, which implements a whole series of unfortunate events in Iran, all designed to put the current regime of Mad Mullahs in disrepute. The fourth option is brute military force: not preferred but all we may be left with. The fifth option is to let the Israelis do the job, if they can. Mr. Kupchan didn't mention any of those.
European diplomats have responded favourably to Mr Obamas suggestion of US engagement with Iran, although they are keen to avoid unilateral US actions that would rip up the approach fashioned by the permanent five members of the UN Security Council and Germany.
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/20/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
All for peaceful medicinal purposes, of course.
#2
ION WORLD MIL FORUM > [IIUC]BRAIN SCAN IMAGES AND ANALYSES INDCATES THAT NORTH KOREA'S KIM JONG-IL WILL PROBABLY NOT RULE/ALIVE AFTER ANOTHER FIVE YEARS [2012-13]???
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.
(SomaliNet) As part of a growing protest against state censorship ten Sudanese newspapers suspended publication on Tuesday, journalists said. 
For 10 years, South Korea has pursued a "sunshine policy" as its master plan for transforming North Korea. Under that banner, South Korea funneled billions of dollars to the North for new factories, hotels and food, and millions of South Korean tourists poured across the border. But eight months after President Lee Myung-bak came to office here promising a harder approach, the once vaunted policy has unraveled. North Korea has cut off high-level dialogue with the South. It has severed Red Cross-managed telephone "hot lines" crossing the demilitarized zone. In July, a North Korean soldier shot and killed a South Korean tourist visiting its Diamond Mountain resort, leading to its closing.
