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Iraqi and Iranian soldiers trade fire on border
Today's Headlines
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Page 6: Politix
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Afghanistan
Top general: It's a draw in Afghanistan
Gen. Stanley McChrystal says the momentum of the resurgent Taliban militants has been stopped. But for now, the general says, nobody is winning.
Posted by: ed || 05/14/2010 00:00 || Comments || Link || [3 views] Top|| File under:

#1  My father told me that sometimes you have to destroy the village to save it.

Think he picked up that pearl of wisdom somewhere in the Mekong Delta.

Prolly works for countries too.
Posted by: bigjim-CA || 05/14/2010 2:30 Comments || Top||

#2  Sad Day when the political leadership of this great country let our troops be fought to a draw by a bunch of 6th century tribalists...

i grieve for our troops and pray psalm 109:8 each day for our situation in DC.
Posted by: abu do you love || 05/14/2010 2:54 Comments || Top||

#3  The Taliban don't have to win. All they have to do is not lose. Time will take care of the rest.
Posted by: phil_b || 05/14/2010 4:21 Comments || Top||

#4  Exactly who's the genius that came up with the idea of civilizing Afghans?
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 05/14/2010 4:40 Comments || Top||

#5  But for now, the general says, nobody is winning.

Strange admission of failure for a man who was said to have the answers. Maybe it's time for a new answer man.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/14/2010 7:33 Comments || Top||

#6  And we don't have to win either. We just need to grind the Taliban and AQ down to a level where the natural creatures of the region will do the rest in their constant battle for hierarchical positioning.

It's not roses for the other side either. They're having significant problems as well. There's a time to quit mulling over every little thing that's not perfect or going to plan on our side and start taking stock of the problems the other guy is having. And he's having a lot of them. It doesn't do them any good to wait for us to depart only to find someone among the locals with a lot less restraint in a far more powerful position to take them on in their very weaken condition.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 05/14/2010 8:41 Comments || Top||

#7  All that's true, P2K, but it is a peripheral front and is draining more resources from us including will. We should be focused on Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Those are the sources and sanctuaries of our enemies.

Afghanistan is an immaterial sideshow.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble || 05/14/2010 9:02 Comments || Top||

#8  We could reduce our commitment and let the draw continue. There is no reason why we cannot wait the Talibans out.

Posted by: Bernardz || 05/14/2010 10:26 Comments || Top||

#9  The truth is ugly.

The only way to civilize the Afghanis is to completely and utterly destroy their culture and replace it. That will take a generation, and a enough blood of the Talib, Mullahs and Warlords to fill a lake.

You do not cure cancer by talking to it, but by ruthlessly excising it, and implacably but thoroughly killing the remnants.
Posted by: OldSpook || 05/14/2010 10:35 Comments || Top||

#10  Unless you go in with the forces to get the job done, it will drag out forever. Get more forces and start assassinating leaders and bombing the crap out of training camps and mosques that indoctrinate the Taliban.
Posted by: gorb || 05/14/2010 12:03 Comments || Top||

#11  War occurs when other options fail or you are forced into an action by something such as a 911. One side wins when the costs become intolerable to the other side. One side wins when the will of the other side is broken.

If one is willing to talk about alternatives other than winning, then one has to think about wars that may be interminable and sap your will and resources. The other side plays the waiting game and tries not to lose too many resources. The creeping cancer will continue as will the threats to national security under this scenario.

The other option is nation-building which is a long slog and may or may not be successful.
Posted by: JohnQC || 05/14/2010 14:03 Comments || Top||

#12  The only way to civilize the Afghanis is to completely and utterly destroy their culture and replace it.

Hypothetical. Suppose you go to all the trouble, and then find out that it's genetic---not culture?
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 05/14/2010 14:30 Comments || Top||

#13  You don't want to go there grom, not coming from a people who live in a genetic cul-de-sac.
Posted by: ed || 05/14/2010 14:52 Comments || Top||

#14  Did we get what we wanted (at least in the medium term)? No more use of the area as a base to attack us and a few armed friendlies to help make life interesting for Iran (and maybe the ISI)? Then we won this round. If not, we didn't.
Posted by: James || 05/14/2010 15:32 Comments || Top||

#15  Did we get what we wanted?

We got that 7 years ago. It's been put thumping nation building ever since. OS is right and we aren't ready to play that kind of hardball yet. We'll need a mushroom cloud over CONUS to get there.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble || 05/14/2010 15:50 Comments || Top||

#16  Its not genetic.

If you believe that, they you can go stand with the eugenics boosters of the 1930's, the progressives, "Communist Man" and the Aryan Superiority boys with Dr Megele. One of us mongrel races will be more than happy to shoot you first.
Posted by: OldSpook || 05/14/2010 22:35 Comments || Top||

#17  Compare wid PAKISTANI DEFENCE FORUM > FACTBOX - [serious] CHALLENGES OF MOUNTAIN WARFARE IN PAKISTAN, + [SecSTATE Hillary] US WILL NOT DESTROY KANDAHAR [city] TO SAVE IT FROM THE TALIBAN.

versus

*DAILY TIMES/TOPIX > NEW PAKISTAN TALIBAN [TTP] VIDEO CLAIMS THAT "AMERICA WILL BURN". Video also calls for the overthrow of PAK GOVT-LEADERS for suppor the US agenda.

* WAFF > THE ISLAMIC WAR ON EVERYONE; + MEDVEDEV TO ASSAD: ISRAEL INTENDS TO USE NUKES AGZ SYRIAN CITIES, iff it is attacked. Dimitri also warned Assad that a SILENT OR COVERT AGREEMENT EXISTS AMONGST RUSS, US, BRITAIN, FRANCE, + GERMANY to not interfere + stop any LT, devastating or nuclear strike + war by Israel agz IRAN, SYRIA, + LEBANON UNTIL THE THREAT OF ISLAMIST RADICALISM IS ABSOLUT ELIMINATED, EVEN IFF IT MEANS OR ENTAILS THE ARAB-MUSLIM WORLD TO ISRAEL???

IMO, "DRAW/STALEMATE" IN AFPAK = MILTERRS WIN + RISE OF ISLAMIST NUCLEAR ASIA + US CITIES WILL [eventually] GLOW IN THE DARK.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 05/14/2010 22:44 Comments || Top||

#18  OOOOPPSIES, forgot TOPIX > [JI Jaamat Islamiyah = Qaeda Aceh]INDONESIAN MILITANTS PLANNED TO KILL PRESIDENT OBAMA, during sttae visit [ + kill their own Indones President, etal. + stage Coup agz Govt + declare the imposition of rigid Sharia].

* SAME > VARIOUS > NEW ISLAMIST STATE OF IRAQ "WAR MINISTER" VOWS ATTACKS.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 05/14/2010 22:51 Comments || Top||


Afghan's Karzai charm attack may not be enough
[Al Arabiya Latest] He lunched at the White House, was feted at the State Department and dined with the vice president but will the special treatment lavished on Afghan President Hamid Karzai affect how he governs?
I think he would just be happy if American officials limited themselves to sniping about him privately, instead of shouting it from the mountaintops, completely undermining his ability to accomplish anything.
What is key will be whether the much-touted good atmospherics during Karzai's four-day trip to Washington will speed up what President Barack Obama calls "slow and steady" progress in Afghanistan.

"What is being said in public is anodyne and choreographed. Talk is good but it is the actions that are taken that will be important," said Brian Katulis of the Center for American Progress, a liberal think-tank in Washington.

The handshakes and uneasy smiles in the White House East Room on Wednesday contrasted with the war of words in recent weeks but that does not mean the Obama administration or U.S. lawmakers, who hold the purse strings, are fully confident.

Questions persist in Congress, and quietly among U.S. officials, over whether the Afghan leader can be counted on to help momentum shift enough to allow U.S. troops to start coming home in July 2011 as promised.

"He needs to work with the U.S. in both word and deed to promote economic development, build the Afghan security forces, combat extremists, tackle the drug trade, eliminate corruption, and improve systems of governance," said Senator Ted Kaufman, who was in Afghanistan last month.

Former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad said Obama's better ties with Karzai were just a start.

"If the situation improves, I think things in terms of relations between Karzai and the administration will also improve. But if they get worse or stay the same then I think we will come back to the same contentiousness," Khalilzad told PBS.
Posted by: Fred || 05/14/2010 00:00 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under:

#1  The western countries decided in Bonn to impose a strong central government where none had ever existed, across different groups with different customs.

The track record of such attempts is poor. However, part of the corruption and violence problem in Afghan is due to the Islamicists who have been systematically killing moderate local leaders by the hundreds. So the old social structures are destroyed and into that vacuum comes the poppy trade (and corruption), the huge US/Western presence with reconstruction monies (and corruption) and the various opposition groups, among them the Taleban (who are benefitting from drug monies and corruption).
Posted by: lotp || 05/14/2010 7:21 Comments || Top||


Afghanistan to deploy security system
[Iran Press TV Latest] Afghanistan has decided to deploy a state-of-the-art surveillance system along its border with Pakistan to stop militants from crossing the border.

The US embassy in Afghanistan said in a Thursday statement that the American-made system will be first installed near the Spin Boldak border crossing in Kandahar Province, a Press TV correspondent reported.

The Persistent Surveillance System (PSS), which consists of an unarmed aerostat (balloon) with mounted camera equipment, will allow Afghan National Security Forces and Pakistani security forces to monitor the border region more effectively, the statement said.

The aerostat near the Spin Boldak border will be one of the several blimps to be deployed within close proximity of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

According to the statement, US-led foreign forces in Afghanistan have notified Pakistani authorities about the PSS deployment and have fully briefed them on the system's mission and purpose.

Kabul has long accused Islamabad of not doing enough to prevent militants from entering Afghanistan. Islamabad on the other hand, says the militants crossed the border into Pakistan, following the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan.
Posted by: Fred || 05/14/2010 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under: Taliban


Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Grand Mufti Describes Terrorism as Alien
[Asharq al-Aswat] The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Abdulaziz Bin Abdullah al-Sheikh told Asharq Al-Awsat yesterday that terrorism in Saudi Arabia is a foreign phenomenon that this is no longer present in the Kingdom after the security authorities completely eliminated this.`

The Grand Mufti was speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat via telephone on the seventh anniversary of the 12 May 2003 Riyadh Compound Bombings. Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh, who is also the Chairman of the Council of Senior Ulema, confirmed that terrorism is no longer present on Saudi soil, and he described the phenomenon of terrorism as being "alien" to Saudi Arabia.

Sheikh Abdulaziz Bin Abdullah al-Sheikh told Asharq Al-Awsat "Terrorism does not have a presence on our soil, and nobody amongst us supports this phenomenon because it is something that is foreign to our society and our religion rejects and opposes this; this is why there is no terrorism [in Saudi Arabia] at this time and why this was nipped in the bud, thank God. We live in safety and stability, and this strange phenomenon has been amputated from amongst us because this is something that has no place in our country."

The Grand Mufti also stressed that the political leadership in his country is alert and vigilant against Al Qaeda, and those who supported this organization in Saudi Arabia over the past 7 years.

Responding to a question about whether Al Qaeda today has become more than a group or organization, but rather an ideology, the Grand Mufti said "whatever the case, thanks to God, Saudi Arabia is a country that is vigilant and alert, and its leadership -- headed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the Crown Prince, and the Second Deputy Prime Minister -- is vigilant [against Al Qaeda] and is paying attention and concerned with the public interest and protecting the citizens. This is why there are no roots of terrorism in our country, thank God."

As for the reasons which led to the emergence of terrorism in Saudi Arabia, the Grand Mufti put this down to "the ignorance of those [involved in terrorism] and their lack of awareness and their failure to consider the consequences of their actions, they have also been misled by deluded views and those who trick them and portray terrorism positively."

The Grand Mufti also praised the efforts of the Saudi Interior Ministry in the fight against terrorism, and its elimination of the threat of Al Qaeda on Saudi soil.

Asked about the slogans utilized by Al Qaeda to recruit young Muslims, the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia told Asharq Al-Awsat "there can be no doubt that when society saw that this phenomenon led to bloodshed and the destruction of property, it did not accept this."

Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh called on Muslim youth to resist Al Qaeda, who attempt to recruit and radicalize Muslims in the name of jihad, describing such methods as being "nonsense,"

As for what he would like to tell young Muslims who are at risk of being recruited or radicalized, the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh said "I advise them to be patient and think things through and not yield to any such calls, and to reflect on these calls and the individuals who make them, and their objectives and goals...and not be fooled by such nonsense."

Wednesday was the seventh anniversary of the Riyadh Compound Bombings, which took place on 12 May 2003, and resulted in 27 fatalities and over 160 wounded. Al Qaeda carried out around 30 other terrorist operations across Saudi Arabia; these include bombings, assassinations, and kidnappings. More than 74 Saudi security officers have been killed and 657 wounded in clashes with Al Qaeda over the past years. In total, more than 90 civilians have been killed and 439 wounded in Al Qaeda attacks. Saudi Arabia claims to have foiled more than 200 terrorist plots by Al Qaeda in recent years, seizing more than 3 tons of RDX, C4, and TNT explosives, 25 tons of home-made explosives, and thousands of RPGs and heavy and light weaponry. 90 percent of people who took part in the government sponsored Munasaha rehabilitation program abandoned their extremist ideas, while 10 percent of Guantanamo returnees returned to the ranks of Al Qaeda. In general, the number of detainees who return to Al Qaeda stands at less than 1 percent. Riyadh has established 5 modern prisons that specialize in dealing with terrorist suspects, costing approximately 1.7 billion riyals. These 5 prisons received more than 243,000 visits in 2009.
Posted by: Fred || 05/14/2010 00:00 || Comments || Link || [5 views] Top|| File under:

#1  A reader could infer that the Grand Mufti is saying that 'if you want to use terror don't use it against Saudi Arabia'

I inferred that.
Posted by: lord garth || 05/14/2010 11:25 Comments || Top||

#2  You could also infer that the Grand Mufti is smoking the good stuff...
Posted by: tu3031 || 05/14/2010 11:30 Comments || Top||

#3  The Grand Muff sez to take the jihading outside.
Posted by: ed || 05/14/2010 13:48 Comments || Top||

#4  Did his lips fall off?
Posted by: mojo || 05/14/2010 14:50 Comments || Top||


Caribbean-Latin America
Economic Woes Threaten Chavez's Socialist Vision
NPR outs him. That's just gotta hurt.
Venezuela's economy is in trouble despite the country's huge oil reserves. Blackouts plague major cities. Its inflation rate is among the world's highest. Private enterprise has been so hammered, the World Bank says, that Venezuela is forced to import almost everything it needs.

The situation is creating a serious challenge to President Hugo Chavez's efforts to transform his country into a socialist state.

"The government has to consider that the socialist point of view is not so good for the economy. Chavez believes in the old-fashioned socialism. This kind of socialism is dead, definitely dead, it doesn't apply to any country in the world."

-- Jose Guerra, former Central Bank economist
Take, for instance, the Three M metal works, tucked into an industrial zone in San Cristobal, the capital of Tachira state in western Venezuela. On a recent day, big machinery stamps out sheet metal. For a moment, things seem normal in the plant. But more often than not these days, the contraptions are dead quiet -- shut down.

"Just like us, everyone is suffering," says manager Marta Medina. She reels off a list of problems the company faces: lack of spare parts, power shortages and falling orders. The workforce is down to just eight, from more than 50 people employed a year ago.

It's a common experience in Venezuela, where the economy contracted 3.3 percent in 2009 and is expected to shrink further this year. Few business owners see a rosy future, at least in the short term.

Jose Guerra, a former Central Bank economist, says state intervention in private businesses is hitting the economy hard. "The government is nationalizing, expropriating, or confiscating," he says. "They are not creating new wealth; this is wealth that was already created."

If that weren't bad enough, another factor is hobbling the economy -- an unprecedented energy crisis. Critics say a lack of investment, coupled with government ineptitude, left Venezuela without the electrical generation capacity it needs. The government blames a brutal drought.

Whatever the reason, cities such as San Cristobal go dark every day -- sometimes for four hours or more, as the government uses rolling blackouts to save energy.

On a recent morning at Zambrano auto works, the compressors and power painters come on after a blackout. Workers have been at a standstill for an hour, says Jesus Yanis, who paints cars. He adds that he expects the power to go out again later in the day, for another two hours. The blackouts have hurt business, Yanis says.

This is not the way it was supposed to be. Venezuela is one of the world's great energy powers. Its oil reserves are among the world's largest and its hydroelectric plants are among the most potent.

But these days, Venezuela is being left behind: The rest of Latin America is expected to grow at a healthy rate this year, according to the World Bank.

Guerra, the former Central Bank economist, says the government must reconsider its policies -- and drop the statist socialist model that Chavez adopted. "The government has to consider that the socialist point of view is not so good for the economy," Guerra says. "Chavez believes in the old-fashioned socialism. This kind of socialism is dead, definitely dead, it doesn't apply to any country in the world."

In a recent speech, Chavez acknowledged the economic troubles, but he said he wasn't worried. Instead, he spoke of a worldwide capitalist crisis, which he said provided a marvelous opportunity for Venezuela to push a new model.

Many Venezuelans are simply adapting.

The grill at Landi Nieto's burger joint still works: It runs on gas. But customers eat in the dark, Nieto says, if they venture out at all in the first place. He says you just get used to it and you accept it. But he hopes the government resolves the problem, some day.
Posted by: Steve White || 05/14/2010 08:19 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Oh, but that NEW socialism, it'll really work, this time! We just have to totally destroy our ancient capitalist economy first, then we surely will enter a paradise where everyone shares equally and the greedy are scorned as job-creating parasites who know when to stop making money.
Posted by: gromky || 05/14/2010 8:31 Comments || Top||

#2  It's actually very useful to have a real life example of the consequences of socialist policies. I hope Economics Faculties are organising field trips to Venezuela and and recording their observations.
Posted by: Apostate || 05/14/2010 8:56 Comments || Top||

#3  He says you just get used to it and you accept it. But he hopes the government resolves the problem, some day.
Depending on the Government to fix anything is un-productive.
Posted by: Deacon Blues || 05/14/2010 8:57 Comments || Top||

#4  "I hope Economics Faculties are organising field trips to Venezuela and and recording their observations."

not just economics faculties

Hugo's American friends Harry Belefonte, Bill Ayers, etc. need to go there and stay there for months (maybe years) to get a real taste of what is happening (of course they will blame it on a capitalist conspiracy but that's OK).
Posted by: lord garth || 05/14/2010 9:30 Comments || Top||

#5  life imitates art
Posted by: newc || 05/14/2010 10:47 Comments || Top||

#6  Socialist Vision

Oxymoron alert ..
Posted by: Oscar || 05/14/2010 10:52 Comments || Top||

#7  Who's going to tell Elana?
Posted by: Bobby || 05/14/2010 12:56 Comments || Top||

#8  Chavez meets reality like a bug meeta a windshield.
Posted by: Formerly Dan || 05/14/2010 13:15 Comments || Top||

#9  Except for the funny names, I thought this story was about America.
Posted by: ed || 05/14/2010 14:40 Comments || Top||

#10  In a recent speech, Chavez acknowledged the economic troubles, but he said he wasn't worried.

And why should he be? The lights never go out at El Presidente's.
Posted by: tu3031 || 05/14/2010 16:24 Comments || Top||


China-Japan-Koreas
Debris from Cheonan Site Compared with Nork Torpedo
Investigators are comparing several aluminum alloy fragments recovered from the wreck of the Navy corvette Cheonan with a North Korean torpedo sample, Defense Ministry spokesman Won Tae-jae said Thursday. The corvette sank in an unexplained explosion in the West Sea on March 26.

The North Korean torpedo is a light training weapon retrieved on the South Korean coast a ways off from the Northern Limit Line, the de facto maritime border in the West Sea, seven years ago. Since training torpedoes are identical to real ones except for the warhead, they can be easily used for comparison. Analysis is underway at the National Institute of Scientific Investigation.

A senior government official urged caution, saying, "The probe is still underway. We're checking out various possibilities. Would North Korea have fired a torpedo made with material that could be identified so easily?"

Experts speculate that the training torpedo was discovered when a North Korean submarine penetrated deep into South Korean waters to conduct a clandestine exercise here.

But a military source dismissed this. "It goes against common sense. It would be very risky for any submarine to fire even a training torpedo in the rear of the enemy because that would risk revealing military secrets if retrieved by the enemy. It seems the torpedo was fired in the North Korean waters and washed away with the tidal currents."

Earlier, officials said investigators discovered traces of an explosive used in torpedoes and retrieved fragments of an aluminum-magnesium alloy typically used to make the casing in the wreckage of the Cheonan.

The team is in the final stage of investigation and hopes to announce its findings no later than May 20.
Posted by: Steve White || 05/14/2010 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  It goes against common sense

Aren't we talking about North Korea here? The very definition of batshit insane?
Posted by: gromky || 05/14/2010 0:03 Comments || Top||

#2  They're worse than our politicians, walking around and around saying the NORKs sunk it, when they know by now they damn well did.
Posted by: Redneck Jim || 05/14/2010 12:49 Comments || Top||


Chinese Defense Minister Urges Caution Over Cheonan Sinking
Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie met with South Korean veterans in Beijing on Wednesday and advised caution over the sinking of the South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan. A participant quoted Liang as telling a delegation from the Retired Generals and Admirals Association, "It is not advisable to reach a conclusion based on a preconceived idea about the cause of the Cheonan sinking."

Liang expressed his sympathy over the disaster but added, "Even when the final result [of the investigation] is out, it is necessary to deal with it in a cool-headed and prudent way for the peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula."
In other words, don't rock the boat ...
Liang reportedly told the delegation head China awaits the outcome of the investigation. Earlier on May 7, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu also urged caution and restraint.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke Tuesday with Dai Bingguo, the Chinese state councilor for foreign affairs about the Cheonan incident and North Korean issues, State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters Wednesday.

Crowley said Clinton had a "lengthy call with Chinese State Councilor Dai. It's about, I think, their second call this month. The call was just over one hour." Clinton and Dai talked about the ongoing investigation into the sinking of the Cheonan, and about its "potential ramifications once the investigation is completed."

Dai gave Clinton "a little more insight into the recent visit to Beijing by [North Korean leader] Kim Jong-il," Crowley added.
Posted by: Steve White || 05/14/2010 00:00 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under:

#1  It's the South's fault for having the gall to fight back and win a sea battle a few years back. The nerve! How could NK be expected to respond?
Posted by: gromky || 05/14/2010 0:04 Comments || Top||

#2  Don't discount the sinking as something more to do with internal maneuvering as much as international maneuvering. Independent action by factions within the government to create a crisis to shift power and positioning within the inner circle. Which implies that diplomatic action by external powers is useless because no one really knows who's in charge or control, if there is 'control'. It's a gamble that implies the person or persons behind the act bet that no response from outside would occur. It's a good gamble, but allows the players to 'up' the ante on another gambit.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 05/14/2010 8:47 Comments || Top||

#3  Walk away and let the ChiComs deal with the NK mess. They can afford it.
Posted by: DK70 the Scantily Clad7177 || 05/14/2010 13:57 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Politix
U.S. Decision to Approve Killing of Cleric Causes Unease Amongst Handwringing Pansies
A piece by the NY Slimes, of course.

I don't see what's so hard. He is a traitor and has given up the protections even common criminals deserve. If Islam comes first for him, then that is the end of it.

The Obama administration's decision to authorize the killing by the Central Intelligence Agency of a terrorism suspect who is an American citizen has set off a debate over the legal and political limits of drone missile strikes, a mainstay of the campaign against terrorism.

Continued on Page 49
Posted by: gorb || 05/14/2010 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  They need to hold a lottery on who gets to shoot him. I have wanted to for years!!!!
Posted by: 49 Pan || 05/14/2010 10:15 Comments || Top||

#2  If the handwringing pansies have a problem with due process, print the perps Miranda rights on the front of the Predator.
Posted by: JohnQC || 05/14/2010 10:31 Comments || Top||

#3  Panty-waist whiners upset as well...
Posted by: mojo || 05/14/2010 14:49 Comments || Top||

#4  the problem with the US decision is that it ruins the narrative

the left desperately needs to believe that Obama is more humane than W.

however, the fact is that W never authorized something like this

tens of thousands of glasses of white wine and tons of brie have been consumed in self righteous anger against W and praise for O
Posted by: lord garth || 05/14/2010 16:04 Comments || Top||


India-Pakistan
Fazl says he's ready to quit govt for MMA's sake
[Dawn] JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has shown his willingness to quit the government for the sake of revival of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA).

Talking to reporters after a luncheon meeting he hosted for leaders of the erstwhile alliance on Wednesday, the Maulana said the MMA leaders had come out of dormancy and agreed to continue their contacts till achieving their objectives.

Sources said that all the participants except those belonging to JUI-F demanded of Maulana Fazl to quit the government before going for talks on reviving the MMA. The Maulana agreed that if it was necessary for the success of what he termed an anti-American campaign he would quit the coalition.

The MMA, which had contested the 2002 elections and supported former president Pervez Musharraf on the issue of 17th amendment, broke apart on the question of boycotting the last general election.

Answering a question over whether the leaders had agreed to the revival of MMA, the Maulana said: "We have not decided as yet on revival but we are heading towards that end and have decided to continue meeting each other till that objective is achieved."

He said the participants agreed that the frequent drone attacks on tribal areas were in fact attacks on Pakistan.

The sources said the participants were perturbed over the growing American pressure on Pakistan, adding that it was said at the meeting that as long as JUI-F was part of the government no anti-US campaign could be successful.

Former amir of Jamaat-i-Islami Qazi Hussain Ahmad attended the meeting in place of the incumbent party chief, Syed Munawar Hasan. Among the other important leaders who attended the meeting are: Allama Sajid Ali Naqvi, Dr Abul Khair Mohammad Zubair, Prof Sajid Mir, Pir Abdul Rahim Naqshbandi, Qari Zawar Bahadur, Liaquat Baloch and Qari Abdul Ghafoor.

It was first time that Maulana Fazl hosted such a large gathering of Ulema and newsmen at his residence.
Posted by: Fred || 05/14/2010 00:00 || Comments || Link || [7 views] Top|| File under: Jamaat-e-Ulema Islami

#1  If he quits will he also lose that sponsorship from Cannon Towels™?
Posted by: Frank G || 05/14/2010 17:05 Comments || Top||


Iraq
The forgotten four: kidnapped in 2006 but families still wait
No one knows whether they are dead or alive. The families of four South African men kidnapped in Baghdad in 2006 are desperate for news of their loved ones -- but fear that their plight has been forgotten, at home and in Iraq.

Unlike the case of the recently freed British hostage Peter Moore and his four guards -- three died and one is missing -- no one has claimed responsibility for the South African hostage taking.

No video has emerged and no ransom or political demands have been made. Instead, the families of Andre Durant, Johann Enslin, Callie Scheepers and Hardus Greef, all security guards, have endured 3½ years of unanswered questions and silence.

Lourika Durant, whose husband, the father of her three children, is among the captives, refuses to give up. "I really hope that people read about this and maybe there will be somebody who can help give us a contact or let us know that they are alive," said Mrs Durant, 38, who works as a nurse in Pretoria.

Pierre Durant, her brother-in-law, believes that he is the only person still actively looking for the men, who were seized at a rogue police checkpoint in the north east of the Iraqi capital on December 10, 2006. He has travelled to Iraq eight times to hunt for clues and to attempt to put pressure on the authorities to investigate the case. At one point in the past year he managed to speak to his brother on a mobile phone, raising hopes of a resolution, but the trail has since run cold.

Mr Durant, 42, and other close relatives of the four hostages contacted by The Times, appealed to the kidnappers to show mercy. "We as a family are not looking for justice or retribution," Mr Durant said. "If these guys are alive then we want to negotiate for their release. If they've been killed then I just want their bodies back so we can try to get on with our lives."

Thousands of people, mainly Iraqis, were kidnapped and held for ransom or political gain in the lawlessness that consumed the country after the 2003 invasion. Among them were more than 200 foreign hostages. Some, such as Mr Moore, were freed and others killed, while the rest are listed as missing.

Lourika Durant, whose husband, the father of her three children, is among the captives, refuses to give up. "I really hope that people read about this and maybe there will be somebody who can help give us a contact or let us know that they are alive," said Mrs Durant, 38, who works as a nurse in Pretoria.
My guess is if they're alive, they're in Iran by now.
Posted by: Choling Snereque8970 || 05/14/2010 00:00 || Comments || Link || [4 views] Top|| File under: Iraqi Insurgency

#1  Thoughts to all kidnap victims , whatever creed.. If the takers were real men, they would stand up and be counted , but alas the kidnappers are gutless perverted Muslim morons... So expect nothing

God bless, and I hope for some kind of finality for the families involved
Posted by: Grampaw Greregum8298 || 05/14/2010 19:45 Comments || Top||

#2  My guess is if they're alive, they're in Iran by now.

My guess too. Iran is holding them as future bargaining chips.
Posted by: phil_b || 05/14/2010 22:52 Comments || Top||


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Palestinian killed pregnant wife because she was carrying girl
HT to Weaselzippers!
Palestinian police in the West Bank city of Nablus arrested a man on suspicion that he murdered his pregnant wife Wednesday night because an ultrasound examination showed that she was carrying a girl.

The couple has four children – three boys and a girl – and the father wanted another son.
"Pretty obviously he was humiliated. Justifiable homicide. Case dismissed" /Paleo Justice
Palestinian police officials said the argument that followed the ultrasound test was just one of many and that it was not the sole reason behind the murder in the village of Nasiriyah, located north of Nablus.

According to police, abrasions were found on the man's body, indicating that the wife struggled as he was choking her to death.

Family members said the husband had tried to kill his wife following a previous ultrasound examination. Relatives said the suspect was envious of his brother, who has nine sons. They said the husband had beaten his wife in the days prior to the murder.
Posted by: Frank G || 05/14/2010 18:24 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I hope he gets skinned alive with a salted knife very very slowly in the baking sun
Posted by: Grampaw Greregum8298 || 05/14/2010 19:51 Comments || Top||

#2  I hope he finds out who determines gender soon. He can strangle his d!ck in prison then.
Posted by: gorb || 05/14/2010 23:33 Comments || Top||


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Jahanbegloo on the Green Movement in Iran
Posted by: 3dc || 05/14/2010 10:02 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under:


Russian rebuffs U.S. warning on Iran missile sale
Posted by: 3dc || 05/14/2010 09:22 || Comments || Link || [3 views] Top|| File under:

#1  The United States said Tuesday it had warned Russia that delivering the S-300 anti-aircraft system to Iran would have serious consequences for relations with Washington.

Eek! If that don't scare them, nothing will!

But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow needed "no advice from across the ocean" about the sale of the S-300.

Uh oh.

Bambi needs to take a clue from this. They wouldn't have dissed W or Reagan this way.
Posted by: gorb || 05/14/2010 11:40 Comments || Top||

#2  Hope they paid upfront and in cash.
Posted by: DK70 the Scantily Clad7177 || 05/14/2010 13:56 Comments || Top||

#3  Syria, Iran, and Turkey Openly Defy Obama, as Russia Regains Mideast Influence
The world is getting into the habit of making Obama look inept.

The U.S. sends a delegation to Damascus to wean Syria from Iran, and Syria promptly responds by inviting Iran’s president to the country and tightening the relationship. The U.S. praises Pakistan and sends billions in aid, and Pakistan responds by being less than cooperative in dealing with the Times Square bomber.

Now it’s Russia’s turn. Just hours after the Obama administration praised Russia for allegedly cooperating on sanctions against Iran — to justify pushing forward a bilateral nuclear weapons limitation agreement with Moscow — Russia eagerly responded by subverting U.S. Middle East policy.


If the world were a prison movie, Obama is everyone's bitch, even the aging cross dressing trannie (played by Moammar Khadafy ). Unfortunately for America, Barack Obama and his Marxist cohorts enjoy their role. A little too much.
Posted by: ed || 05/14/2010 14:28 Comments || Top||

#4  "The world is getting into the habit of making Obama look inept."

Don't blame the world; Bambi is perfectly capable of looking being inept all by himself. >:-(
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut || 05/14/2010 14:55 Comments || Top||

#5  How's that reset button working out Barry?

Russia to sell Syria warplanes, air defense systems

Russia has signed deals to sell Syria warplanes, anti-tank weapons and air defense systems, a senior Russian arms trader said on Friday, prompting an outcry from Syria's foe Israel.

Mikhail Dmitriyev, head of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, said Russia would supply Syria with MiG-29 fighters, truck-mounted Pantsir short-range surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft artillery systems. He said Russia would also supply Damascus with anti-tank weapons but did not specify their type.
Posted by: ed || 05/14/2010 19:18 Comments || Top||

#6  those will be up for replacement after the first hour minute of contact with the Juice Air Force
Posted by: Frank G || 05/14/2010 19:42 Comments || Top||


Obama to meet with Lebanon's Hariri
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama will meet Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri at the White House May 24 during his first official visit to Washington, the president's spokesman announced Wednesday. Hariri's visit comes amid regional tensions over Israeli charges that Syria is supplying the Lebanese Hezbollah with more sophisticated missiles, and as Washington seeks to isolate Iran, a key Hezbollah ally.

The White House noted that Obama would be receiving Hariri at a time when Lebanon holds the presidency of the UN Security Council, where the United States has been pressing for tougher sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program.

“The prime minister's visit is a symbol of the close and historic relationship between Lebanon and the United States,' White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said in a statement.

“This will be the prime minister's first official visit to Washington during his premiership and the president looks forward to consulting with Prime Minister Hariri on a broad range of mutual goals in support of Lebanon's sovereignty and independence, and regional peace and security,' he said.
Posted by: Steve White || 05/14/2010 00:00 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I amwillingto bet a bottle of Jack, single barrel, that the US give FMS Apaches or the AH6 to Leb within a year... Zero will try to balance power in the area... Just mark my words!
Posted by: 49 Pan || 05/14/2010 0:47 Comments || Top||

#2  the US give FMS Apaches or the AH6 to Leb within a year

No space for human shields on Apache, Pan.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 05/14/2010 15:19 Comments || Top||

#3  Can't you Ducktape them to the outside?

I'm sure the UN, AmNasty, etc.. won't mind as long as its done to kill Jews....
Posted by: CrazyFool || 05/14/2010 16:09 Comments || Top||


Lula visit last shot on Iran engagement: US
WASHINGTON - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's visit to Iran this weekend may be the last chance for engagement with Tehran over its nuclear program before fresh U.N. sanctions, a senior U.S. State Department official said on Thursday.

“I think we would view the Lula visit as perhaps the last big shot at engagement,' the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told reporters. He stressed Washington has not given up on engagement but sees little chance of Tehran curbing its nuclear program absent further Security Council sanctions.

Brazil, which holds a rotating seat on the U.N. Security Council, opposes more sanctions against Iran over its uranium enrichment plans, saying such measures usually hit the poor and could push Tehran to radicalize further.

On his two-day trip to Tehran, the charismatic Lula will try to persuade his Iranian counterpart, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to revisit a stalled proposal by the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, under which Iran would send low-enriched uranium abroad and receive a higher grade uranium in return.

If the efforts bear fruit, Lula could claim credit for helping to defuse a global security crisis. But if Iran balks, skeptics are likely to claim that Tehran was simply exploiting Brazil's dreams of global grandeur to delay new sanctions.
Posted by: Steve White || 05/14/2010 00:00 || Comments || Link || [5 views] Top|| File under:



Who's in the News
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Two weeks of WOT
Fri 2010-05-14
  Iraqi and Iranian soldiers trade fire on border
Thu 2010-05-13
  5 killed in Jakarta anti-terror raids
Wed 2010-05-12
  French parliament unanimously bans burka
Tue 2010-05-11
  Russers: Captured Somali pirates ''dead''
Mon 2010-05-10
  At least 99 killed in attacks across Iraq
Sun 2010-05-09
  'Pakistan Taliban' behind Times Square bomb plot
Sat 2010-05-08
  Uighur big turban reported titzup in Pak
Fri 2010-05-07
  Mullah Atiqullah captured in Afghanistan
Thu 2010-05-06
  Death sentence for Kasab
Wed 2010-05-05
  Iraqi Troops Arrest Head of Qaeda-Linked Ansar al-Islam
Tue 2010-05-04
  Pakistani-American Arrested in Times Square Plot
Mon 2010-05-03
  Somali rebels seize pirate haven of Haradhere
Sun 2010-05-02
  Pakistani Taliban claim credit for failed NYC Times Square car bombing
Sat 2010-05-01
  Explosions inside a Somali mosque kill at least 30
Fri 2010-04-30
  Two New York men charged with trying to help al Qaeda


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