There is a nice diagram on the web page showing what this tool looks like and how it works. Hopefully, the new took will help to save lives and identify the enemy snipers much more easily.
British soldiers are to test a revolutionary new device which can pinpoint the exact position of enemy snipers 1,000 yards away.
The tiny computerised 'sniper spotter', which has been developed by Army scientists at the top-secret Defence Science and Technology Laboratory in Wiltshire, identifies the shooter's location in an instant, enabling British troops to fire back immediately and accurately.
The new high-tech gadget -- just 4in square and weighing 11oz -- is worn on a soldier's arm. It is connected to a shoulder sensor which pinpoints the location.
The device will be trialled this month with the Parachute Regiment in Afghanistan.
The detector's powerful acoustic processing technology evaluates the enemy position by determining the target's co-ordinates on a small screen with an arrow indicator.
Simultaneously it bleeps a warning into a headset connected to the device.
The Boomerang Warrior-X processor is the most advanced detector on the market. It has been refined by the scientists from a US system used in Iraq.
The small square-shaped detector will also allow Joint Tactical Air Controllers to forward exact locations of the enemy to fighter pilots for an air strike.
Sources say each unit -- known officially known as the Compact Soldier Worn Shooter-Detector System -- costs £10,000. An initial 1,000 have been ordered for British troops in Afghan¬istan's southern Helmand province. If trials are successful, more soldiers will be issued with it later this year.
The way the technology works is a closely guarded secret, but the unique software provides constant updates on the enemy's location -- even if they move position while being fired at.
A senior source said: 'This bit of kit could be a life-saver. An earlier, larger model was used by US forces in Iraq and in parts of Afghanistan, but this is a first for us and it is being seen as revolutionary.
'It works on acoustics and when a round is fired the small display panel highlights an arrow indicating the direction of fire, which is a major help in returning fast and accurate fire.'
Posted by: Dave UK ||
01/02/2011 11:18 Comments ||
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The city of Boston uses similar technology to identify gun shots being fired. But it is a much larger unit. It is able to use acoustics to identify the location so that the local police know where to start looking. See Shot Spotter http://tinyurl.com/2aqguj2
#3
I remember how, in Iraq, typically enemy snipers didn't know what they were doing, so were readily eliminated. But then they got just a few who had some training, so our side put a lot of extra effort into insuring that they were taken care of ASAP. We did not want them developing that knowledge base.
#5
The Boomerang acoustic sniper detection system has been used for several years and to great effect. Note I am referring to earlier versions. It was developed by a company named BBN, which is based in the Boston area. I think they've been purchased by someone, perhaps BAE given the Wiltshire connection on this version.
The only weakness on an acoustic sniper detection system is that the sniper has to fire first to be detected. Regardless, it is a significant improvement to compact this to a soldier-wearable size. Bravo.
#1
There must have been some impressive problems with using airships, because as many times as they have tried, it never seems to get off the ground.
This matters, because a medium to high altitude airship could track every ground movement in a large urban area over time, so that when something bad happened, they could trace back those responsible to their safe houses.
#2
Most airships require specialized infrastructure that UAVs do not : most UVAs now can take off from short runways, have the controller units in a CONEX container or back in the US; and don't have to use the toilet or eat, unlike airship crews.
#3
And tethered unmanned airships still require a maintenance crew and security detachment at their tether stations, and the tether towers/stations are a specialized infrastructure which needs to be built. There were a few being used on the US/Mexican border and they had full blown detachments at their tether points, inside the US.
#4
IIRC, the nifty thing about Gorgon Stare is that the video can be viewed by many different units (and agencies) simultaneously. That may be even more helpful that the gee-wiz aspect of the 'camera stitching.'
#5
Another thing this allows ... if constant surveillance is being taken of an area, when something does happen such as a car bomb, the video archive can then be accessed to trace the bomb and possibly the bombers back to the source. The vehicle can be traced back from where it came and the people preparing/driving it can possibly be traced all the way back to their homes. Just rewind the tape and trace everyone back.
This is going to make it very difficult for the terrorists. There just won't be anywhere to hide.
The Afghan leader has been defying US pressure to sack an allegedly corrupt minister for over a year, according to some of the latest diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks, the whistleblower website.
Secret diplomatic records showed Ismail Khan - privately termed "the worst" by US officials - kept his job at an agency that controls $2bn in international projects. Ismail is a hero of the war against the Soviets. He used to rule Herat as his personal fiefdom. Karzai had no way of dislodging him, so he had to bribe him out with a ministry in Kabul. If he goes back on his deal Ismail may very well just move back to Herat, from whence he'll never leave.
The refusal to remove the official despite threats to end US aid highlights how little influence the US has over Hamid Maybe I'll join the Taliban Karzai on issues such as corruption. Or how out of touch with the ins and outs of Afghan power politix the State Department is...
The state department correspondence was written as Karzai was assembling a cabinet shortly after his 2009 re-election. Reining in corruption is seen as vital to Afghanistan's long-term stability. Maybe he's changed, but Ismail used to be a paragon of probity in comparison to brutes like Gul Agha Shirzai Gul Agha Shirzai is the former governor of Kandahar province. The Taliban actually got their start chasing him from office -- his corruption and cruelty got them lots of local support. After the Talibs were chased out Karzai appointed somebody else as governor of Kandahar and Gul Agha chased him out. He was eventually enticed out of his old stomping grounds by giving him the governorship of Nangahar.
Last month, Barack B.O. Obama, the US president, cited an urgent need for political and economic progress in Afghanistan. But US aid to Afghanistan has continued despite the dispute over Ismail Khan.
Karl Eikenberry, the US ambassador, pressured Karzai to remove Khan, a once powerful military commander, from the top of the energy and water ministry, according to two state department reports written at the time by US embassy officials in Kabul. They were disclosed last month by WikiLeaks.
A December 2009 memorandum distributed internally under Eikenberry's name described Khan as "the worst of Karzai's choices" for cabinet members. "This former warlord is known for his corruption and ineffectiveness at the energy ministry," the memo said. Gul Agha is still merrily oppressing the population of Nangahar... US threats
Even with US threats to withhold aid, Karzai rejected requests to replace Khan. This is known in the diplo trade as "self preservation."
Asked earlier in 2010 about the corruption allegations, Khan told the News Agency that Dare Not be Named news agency that there were not any widespread problems of corruption or mismanagement. "No money is missing from the ministry," he said. "All the income goes directly to the bank."
Khan said he was unaware of any complaints against him or the ministry. "If there have been complaints, nobody has come to me to tell me," he said. In Afghanistan this is known as "good sense."
Concerns about Khan and his ministry surfaced soon after he took over the agency in 2004. Consultants hired to identify problems in the ministry estimated that corruption contributed to the loss of $100 million or more each year from the country's electricity system that should go back to the Afghan government, according to reports produced for the US Agency for International Development (USAID). They'da just pissed it away on dancing boys and new Land Cruisers.
Proudly supporting traditional local culture.
Troubled history
Khan had a troubled history before heading the ministry. As governor of Herat province in 2003, he refused to turn over millions in monthly customs fees to the central government. Karzai has embraced several former regional commanders in his efforts to unify the country. He "embraced" them because they were strong enough to throw him out if he got too pushy.They're also the guys who actually (unlike the Taliban) fought the Soviets and who kicked the Taliban out. Collectively they made up the Northern Alliance, which was the legitimate government of Afghanistan in 2001 -- they had the UN seat and the only countries that recognized Mullah Omar's government were Pakistain, Soddy Arabia, and the UAE.
The ministry deals in tens of millions of dollars in cash annually. Each year, however, it reports collecting far less in revenue than the retail value of the electricity it produces for customers. Khan has explained the gap by saying it cost more to produce the electricity than customers pay. That could very well be true, since the price is set by the government rather than by markets and the infrastructure ain't what you'd call sophisticated...
As much as 20 per cent of the shortfall is the result of electricity lost due to a substandard distribution and transmission system, according to a report from USAID. I just said that.
Nearly all transactions in Afghanistan take place with cash, so there are no personal checques or credit card trails to document utility payments. Nobody seems to ask for a receipt, either.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/02/2011 00:00 ||
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"a receipt? Are you calling me a thief?"
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/02/2011 0:19 Comments ||
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This is but one problem we have in A-stan. The realities of local government are totally antithetical to western norms. We are not going to convert these guys in our lifetime. We need to leave this hellhole and do so as quickly as possible.
[Dawn] The Taliban said Saturday that La Belle France had "not paid much attention" to their demands for securing the release of two French journalists held captive for more than a year.
Perhaps next time y'all should kidnap someone whose people are more responsive, then.
Herve Ghesquiere and Stephane Taponier, a news hound and a cameraman working for La Belle France 3 public television, were kidnapped with three Afghan colleagues in December 2009.
"We presented our conditions and demands even one year ago to the French government... They are very simple and easy conditions," Taliban front man Zabihullah Mujahid told AFP."But unfortunately they have not paid much attention to our conditions and the rights of their citizens."
There is a reason French became the language of diplomacy when the Byzantines became preoccupied with, well, Muslim occupation. By contrast, the Punjabi kidnapping trade has always been handled by simple, straightforward men.
Mujahid refused to comment on the Taliban's demands from La Belle France but said their conditions were "not a big deal for the French government".
"
Perhaps they are communicating something, in their subtle way.
They were jugged for two reasons, first they did not contact us so we could provide the grounds for their visit and journalistic activities, they had come to the area without our permission," he added.
"Second, they were engaged in gathering information that has the nature of intelligence gathering. The information and documents recovered from them suggest they were after intelligence gathering."
The journalists were travelling without a military escort in an area northwest of Kabul which is known as a stronghold of anti-government Islamic gun-hung tough guys such as the Taliban, and where some French forces are stationed.
Gay Paree angrily rejected any suggestion the pair were spies.
French authorities "categorically deny the absurd accusation of spying made against our compatriots," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
"For a year, there have been constant talks to allow our compatriots to return to their families safe and sound," the statement said.
"The determination of the French authorities remains unbroken today and, as the president (Nicolas Sarkozy) recalled on Friday, we will continue to mobilise all our efforts until the day they are freed."
A support committee for the journalists said the Taliban claims of spying were "completely uncalled for and baseless".
Posted by: Fred ||
01/02/2011 00:00 ||
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[Tolo News] Afghan government failed to bring human rights ... which are not the same thing as individual rights, mind you... violators to justice, Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission said on Saturday.
Yes, well, it's a lot harder to arrest miscreants when they have their own private army.
The comments were made by a top official in AIHRC during the 17th anniversary of Shurai Hamahangi (coordination council) formation which was then led by Sebghatullah Mujaddadi.
After the formation of coordination council, civil wars intensified in the capital Kabul in which thousands of people bit the dust and many others were maimed.
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's ... who used to be known as The Most Evil Man in the World but who now seems merely run-of-the-mill evil... Hezb-e- Islami, General Abdul Rashid Dostum's Junbish, and Abdul Ali Mazari's Wahdat party were members of the council.
Today the former involved sides in the fightings in Kabul make paradoxical comments.
"I think and I believe that all those who stood against the legitimate Islamic government should be accountable for all devastations and fightings," Waqef Hakimi, the front man for Jamiat-e-Islami party, said.
"One and half years after Mujaheddin government was made, fightings erupted and some specific groups had taken part in it, so we can put the blame for all killings on the coordination council," said a member of Wahdat-e-Islami's political committee.
But AIHCR urged the Afghan government to sue those involved in the fightings in Kabul.
"Government hasn't acted on its commitments to apply justice on involved sides in the war," Shamsullah Ahmadzai, Head of AIHRC regional office, told TOLOnews.
The war in Kabul lasted for one year and it claimed lives of around 50,000 civilians and 70 percent of Kabul city was turned into ruins, said AIHRC.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/02/2011 00:00 ||
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[Al Jazeera] Sudan's president has sought to calm widespread fears over a possible outbreak of violence, as tensions mount ahead the south's self-determination referendum set for January 9.
Omar al-Bashir vowed on Friday in Khartoum, the capital, to accept the vote's outcome whatever it may be and protect people on both sides if territorial conflicts erupt between northerners and southerners.
"For the southerners and also the people of the north we promise that we will guarantee and fulfil their safety and the safety of the whole people," al-Bashir said.
"And we are following that path to make the referendum to happen in a peaceful away to help them to fulfill their aspirations of an independent country for them."
Security preparations Al Jizz's Mohammed Adow, reporting from Khartoum, said the government is moving to ensure that the vote is held peacefully.
"The government is already planing to put in place so much security. The police will be assisted by paramilitary police ensuring security," our correspondent said.
"The president has sent a passionate plea to the regional authorities in the south to enure the referendum is held is a climate of freedom and democracy."
Many fear that the south, which is composed mainly of indigenous tribes and Christians, and the predominantly Mohammedan north, will be embroiled in another civil war over territory following the vote.
The two regions have already fought two wars - the first from 1955 to 1972 and the second from 1983 until a peace agreement in 2005.
More than 2.5 million people died and four million others were displaced in the conflicts.
Fears of conflict
The referendum allowing the people of the south to vote on whether to become an independent state is part of a 2005 peace deal which brought the second civil war to an end.
Analysts are predicting that the the south is likely to secede, which would mean that Sudan's borders will need to be redrawn.
Many in the south hope that splitting from the north will give them the chance to build a new African nation, but others fear it will spark a bloody battle over the country's oil-rich land.
South Sudan will swallow much of the Nile river basin and the bulk of the current nation's oil reserves.
But even if the country is formally divided, some of its key industries will prove difficult to separate.
Sudan has oil concessions all over the country and exploration projects lead by some of the world's biggest multinationals are ongoing.
So far, the majority of exploitable oilfields have been in the south, but the refineries to turn the crude into a usable product are located in the north.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/02/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
"So far, the majority of exploitable oilfields have been in the south, but the refineries to turn the crude into a usable product are located in the north."
Not to forget the port and connected political EU meddle.
The "Security" of which he speaks is northern guardianship of the Oil Facilities in Abei. Another turn key issue.
Again, Bashir will turn Sudan or North Sudan into an islamic country in proper sharia law under wahabbist brutality. They are dividing all of North Africa into north and south. Need to set a line in the sand, or get ready for whiz bang mess.
At least 21 people were killed and 79 injured after a terrorist bombing ripped through a crowd of Coptic worshippers as they were leaving New Year's Mass at Saints Church in Alexandria in the first hour of the New Year. Initial reports blamed a car bomb, but Egypt's Interior Ministry later said the attack was more likely the job of a suicide bomber who mixed with the crowd before detonation.
The attack drew worldwide condemnation. Custodian of the Two Holy King Abdullah, who is convalescing in New York following a back surgery, telephoned Mubarak and said Saudi Arabia would stand by Egypt in its fight against terrorism. The king had earlier in the day sent a message of condolences to Mubarak, expressing his deep sorrow over the attack. Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, sent a similar message to Mubarak.
The 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council also denounced the attack. OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu urged the Egyptians to strengthen their unity to defeat terrorism.
The Muslim Brotherhood condemned the attack. "There are people who want this country to be unstable, and all fingers point to outside hands being behind this incident," senior group member Mohamed El-Katatni said.
Mena Adel, a priest at Saints Church, said the service had just ended, and some worshippers were leaving the building when the bomb went off about a half hour after midnight. Police initially said the blast came from an explosives-packed vehicle parked about four meters from the church. But the Interior Ministry said later there was no sign the epicenter of the blast was from a car. Around six severely damaged vehicles remained outside the church, but there was little sign of a crater that major car bombs usually cause.
Alexandria Gov. Adel Labib blamed Al-Qaeda, pointing to recent threats by the terror group to attack Christians in Egypt. Both car bombs and suicide attackers are hallmark of Al-Qaeda attacks.
Soon after the explosion, angry Christians clashed with police. Some broke into a nearby mosque, sparking clashes with Muslims. Police fired tear gas to break up the clashes. But in the afternoon, new violence erupted in a street between the church and the affiliated Saints Hospital. Some of the young protesters wielded kitchen knives.
Muslim organizations inside and outside Egypt have denounced the attack. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the head of Al-Azhar, expressed his deep sorrow over the attack and conveyed his condolences to the families of victims.
This is a criminal act prohibited by Islam as our Islamic faith has made it a duty upon Muslims to protect churches like they protect our mosques, he said. This terrorist act not only targets Christians but all Egyptians, he added.
General Prosecutor Abdelmajeed Mahmoud said the government has launched an investigation. Were awaiting technical reports, he said, adding that Egyptian security forces have been quick in the past to detect people behind previous attacks.
A number of Egyptians working in Saudi Arabia denounced the bombing. This is a deliberate attempt to destabilize the country, said Shakir Abdul Aziz, a journalist working for Al-Bilad Arabic daily. Abdul Aziz did not rule out the role of Mossad behind the attack as it came following the arrest of a spy of the Israeli intelligence agency in Egypt. Dr. Ashraf Al-Seesi, who works in a Jeddah medical center, blamed foreign forces for the attack, adding that Israel wanted to drive a wedge between Muslims and Christians to put pressure on the country.
Tharwat Samir, a Christian photographer, said most of the previous attacks against Christians took place in Saeed, mainly because of tribal tensions and ignorance.
The attack in Alexandria, which is known for its religious tolerance and where Muslims and Christians live without any friction, could have been perpetrated by forces who wanted to create division among the Egyptians, Samir said.
He referred to a similar terrorist attack in Saeed in January 2010 in which seven Christians and Muslims were killed. Western lobbyists who wanted to add oil to fire cited the incident as evidence for the oppression of Christians in the country. Actually, the fighting took place because of political differences. Relations between Muslims and Christians in Egypt are very strong. These firecrackers will not break that relationship, Samir added.
[Bangla Daily Star] The main opposition BNP has finalised a list of mayoral candidates for the municipality polls leaving five municipalities for its major ally Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. ... a Pakistani catspaw remaining active in Bangla politix, loosely affiliated with the Pak religious party of the same name and closely affiliated with most of the terror organizations in Bangla. A member of the BNP's four party governing coalition...
BNP leaders had prepared the list that The Daily Star obtained from the BNP headquarters yesterday.
Jamaat has fielded candidates in at least 38 municipalities where BNP-backed candidates will also stand.
BNP-backed candidates will have to face challenge from the party's rebel candidates in almost half of the 262 municipalities, where polls will be held on January 12, 13, 17 and 18.
BNP has lent its support to Jamaat-backed candidates in Sundarganj in Gaibandha, Gangni in Meherpur, Cox's Bazar sadar, Maheshkhali and Teknaf.
Fakhrul Islam Mishu and Rabiul Islam with Jamaat's support will contest the polls in Sundarganj and Gangni while the names of the other three candidates in Cox's Bazar were yet to be known.
Acting Jamaat Secretary General ATM Azharul Islam told The Daily Star over the phone that there was no question of seeking support from any party in the municipality polls.
Local party leaders and activists will select the candidates, he said.
Nearly 40-45 party leaders have applied for candidacy for the post of mayor in the upcoming polls, said the Jamaat leader.
The two parties will support their own candidates in Chapainawabganj being confident about their victory in the municipality election.
BNP leaders were unwilling to comment on the issue of the main opposition's compromise with its key ally Jamaat.
They said it is for the local BNP leaders to decide on the candidature.
Interestingly, in several municipalities, two BNP candidates have been listed as candidates.
Enayet Kabir and Manir Hossain have been listed as BNP-backed candidates in Lalmohon of Bhola; Mashiur Rahman Bablu and Amzad Hossain in Gurudaspur of Natore; Abu Taher Mia and Mazharul Islam in Kishoreganj; Dewan Modasser Shafi and Shafiqul Islam in Madan of Netrakona; Shafiqur Rahman Bhuiyan and Akter Majhi in Chandpur; and Billal Hossain Majumder and Humayun Kabir Pradhan in Kachua.
Jamaat wanted BNP to back its mayoral candidates in at least 40 municipalities.
Acting Jamaat chief Moqbul Ahmed and its acting secretary general recently met BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia Three-term PM of Bangla, widow of deceased dictator Ziaur Rahman, head of the Bangla Nationalist Party, an apparent magnet for corruption ... to discuss the selection of mayoral candidates. Jamaat leaders however denied seeking any support from BNP in the municipality polls.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/02/2011 00:00 ||
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[Bangla Daily Star] Panic spread among the rank and file of the Jamaat-e-Islami after the arrest of Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, who had close contact with the Islamist party.
The arrest of Salauddin, a member of national standing committee of BNP and a war crimes suspect, came as a 'double blow' for Jamaat which failed to gain support from most of its allies on the war crimes trial issue, party insiders said.
The party is searching for a way to face the situation, which they consider as the worst since its political revival during the rule of late president Ziaur Rahman, they added.
Talking to The Daily Star several leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami admitted that they are going through the worst time in the party history after the arrests of its top leaders on charges of crimes against humanity.
Jamaat has planned to stage demonstrations abroad, specially in the UK, the USA and some other Middle Eastern countries, using its supporters and like-minded organisations against the war crimes trial and government's 'repression,' said the leaders.
Presently the crisis-hit party is conducting indoor activities due to the stern stance of the government.
Some leaders, wishing not to be named, said they are working under different organisations to start anti-government movement.
Two years of the Awami League-led grand alliance government have already passed, said the leaders, adding they are now waiting for the tenure to come to an end.
"Only three years of the present government is remaining and we will be able to start a strong movement against the government very soon," said acting secretary general ATM Azharul Islam at a discussion meeting on December 16.
So far five top leaders of Jamaat, including its Ameer Matiur Rahman Nizami and Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, are facing war crimes trial.
The party is now assessing the consequences after the probable arrest of its former chief Ghulam Azam as the state minister for law has already said he will also be brought to book.
Jamaat opposed country's Liberation War in 1971 and many of its leaders were allegedly involved in crimes against humanity during the nine-month-long war.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/02/2011 00:00 ||
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Lib Dems want them gone, appear to have sufficient support in the Cabinet. We'll be back to the courts setting terrorists free again, I suppose. It would be nice if Britain - and we - could preserve liberties for good people and target terrorists and their supporters directly and unambiguously.
[Emirates 24/7] North Korea began 2011 with calls for improved relations with South Korea after a year of tensions marked by the first deadly attack on a civilian area since the war.
"Confrontation between North and South should be defused as early as possible," a joint New Year editorial of three leading North Korean state newspapers said on Saturday.
"Dialogue and cooperation should be promoted proactively," it said.
Relations plunged after the North shelled a border island in November, killing four people, including two civilians.
World leaders leapt to condemn the attack, with many calling on China to rein in its unpredictable ally, something Beijing so far appears unwilling to do.
The South has since staged a series of military exercises, including a live-fire drill on December 20 on the island but the North did not follow through with threats of a new and deadlier attack.
The editorial, which North Koreans are obliged to read, said: "This year we should launch a more determined campaign to improve inter-Korean relations.
"Active efforts should be made to create an atmosphere of dialogue and cooperation between North and South by placing the common interests of the nation above anything else."
Professor Yang Moo-Jin of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul said Pyongyang was apparently pursuing stability on the Korean peninsula to cement an eventual hereditary succession by heir apparent Kim Jong-Un.
The youngest son of leader Kim Dear Leader Jong-Il ... hereditary dictator of North Korea. His definition of reunification isn't the same as the definition in Seoul... burst into the limelight in September. He was appointed a four-star general, given senior ruling party posts and appeared in photos and at a mass parade close to his father, whose health is widely thought to be failing.
The editorial, which was carried by the North's official news agency, also reiterated that Pyongyang, whose nuclear drive is the subject of currently stalled six-party talks, is committed to denuclearisation.
But in a reference to South Korean military drills that have sometimes included the United States, the newspapers warned: "It is imperative to check the North-targeted war exercises and arms build-up of the bellicose forces at home and abroad that seriously threaten national security and peace."
As well as the communist North's deadly shelling of Yeonpyeong island, Seoul also accuses the North of sinking one of its warships in March near the disputed border in the Yellow Sea, a charge Pyongyang strongly denies.
The conciliatory tone of the editorial is in stark contrast to the bellicose language used by North Korea for much of the year as relations with Seoul dived.
However, The infamous However... it did warn: "The danger of war should be removed and peace safeguarded in the Korean peninsula.
"If a war breaks out on this land, it will bring nothing but a nuclear holocaust."
Posted by: Fred ||
01/02/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
"North Korea began 2011 with calls for improved relations with South Korea after a year of tensions marked by the first deadly attack on a civilian area since the war."
"Baby, why you make me hit you?"
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
01/02/2011 9:36 Comments ||
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Sounds like the old bob n weave. They may have gotten a lecture from the Chinese or an at a boy. If the weather is as bad as I'm hearing in that part of the world then food supplies must have gotten very bad. The grim future may impose pragmatism. I'm move'n on to the Asian Times for a look see.
#5
"Nuclear holocaust" > likely REGIONAL, IFF NOT GLOBAL, not just between the two Koreas???
* WMF > INTERVIEW ITH PLAN RADM YANG YI: DAOYUS ISLANDS ISSUE IS [ultimately] A "GREAT GAME" BETWEEN CHINA + US, NOT BETWEEN CHINA + JAPAN, USDOD, USDOD SHIFTS ITS STRATEGIC CENTER-OF- GRAVITY FROM WESTERN EUROPE TO ITS GUAM BASE.
and
* FREEREPUBLIC/TOPIX > SPACE: A FRONTIER TOO FAR FOR US, CHINA COOPERATION???
versies
* SAME > MYANMAR'S 500,000-STRONG ARMY BUYS NEW ARMS + PREPARES DEFENSIVE "PEOPLES WAR" DEFENSIVE SCHEMAS AGZ US ATTACK BASED ON COMMUNIST TACTICS USED DURING THE VIETNAM WAR.
OTOH WMF > A NEW "HONG KONG" FOR NORTH KOREA?DPRK LEASES GRANVILLE + GOLDEN PING YALU RIVER ISLANDS TO CHINA FOR 100-YEARS IN EXCHANGE FOR 50-YEAR LEASE RIGHTS TO CHINESE BORDER CITY OF DANDONG.
* WMF > PAKISTAN NATIONAL MEDIA: PAKISTAN SHOULD PLACE ITS POLITICAL, ECONOMIC RELATIONS WID THE US IN FRONT OF CHINA.
* CHINA DAILY FORUM > STRATEGICALLY, CHINA MUST DEVELOP ITS WEST BECAUSE ITS EAST IS BLOCKED.
* DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > [Global Times.CN poll] MOST CHINESE DOUBT SUPERPOWER STATUS FOR CHINA.
* SAME > [Mil Scenario]THE SECOND INDO-CHINESE WAR OF 2013-2015.
* TOPIX > [Freerepublic] KIM JONG-IL HIDES HIMSELF UNDERGROUND FOR FEAR OF US F-22 RAPTORS [during 11/28-12/01 US-ROK MILEX].
Also from TOPIX > [International coalition of pro-China Activists] GLOBAL GROUP JOINS DAOYUS FIGHT.
* SAME [Wikileaks = Wiki-Gate]SOUTH KOREA: LEE'S AIDE MENTIONED NORTH KOREA COLLAPSE + [post-DPRK Collapse, ROK-accepted/managed...] "INTERIM ENTITY".
Can ROK act as GOVERNING "REGENT" or similar for a collapsed DPRK???
* SAME > UNCERTAINTY SHADOWS 2011.
ARTIC = SOUTH KOREA anticipates more NORTH attacks = mil incidents in new year 2011 as complemented by North attempts to de facto influence andor control SEOUL GOVT. POLITICS = POLITICAL DECISIONS, PUBLIC POLICIES.
SOURCE indics that NOKOR may make an attempt to induce the FAILURE OF ROK "GRAND NATIONAL PARTY"???
* SAME > [Korea Herald] SEOUL: JAPANESE FORCES [deployment] ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA
"UNREALISTIC".
ARTIC = Proposal by JAPAN PM NATO KAN "completely" unrealistic as opined by ROK Presidential Palace Official.
Read, NUC CHINA + RUSSIA? WON'T STAND FOR NIPPON GROUND = CONVENTIONAL FORCES IN KOREA(S).
* SAME > SOMEHOW WE SURVIVED A VERY EXPLOSIVE 2010.
SNAFU/FUBAR > "2011" BY MOST ACCOUNTS IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN HIGHLY VOLATILE = DANGEROUS LIKE 2010, IFF NOT WORSE. DITTO REST OF DECADE [2011-2020/2025?]???
[Dawn] A separatist leader released on bail Saturday said he was committed to peace talks with the Indian government to end his group's 30-year insurgency in the northeastern state of Assam.
Arabinda Rajkhowa was greeted by hundreds of supporters as he left the prison in the state capital of Gauhati, where he had been held since December 2009 on sedition charges.
The state said it approved Rajkhowa's bail of 600,000 rupees in hopes that the 54-year-old rebel leader would call his group's leaders, many of whom are in hiding, to begin peace talks with the government.
Rajkhowa thanked the Indian government for taking the initiative in launching a grinding of the peace processor and called for the release of other rebel leaders in detention, including the group's general secretary, Anup Chetia, being held in Bangladesh.
''It is the mood for peace among the people of Assam that has brought us to this situation today, where we are set to begin a peace dialogue with the Indian government,'' Rajkhowa told his supporters before leaving in a 30-car motorcade for his home village of Lakwa, 825 miles east of Gauhati.
More than 10,000 people have died since Rajkhowa's United Liberation Front of Asom began fighting in 1979 for an independent homeland to be carved out of India's remote northeast.
The separatists accuse the Indian government of exploiting Assam's natural resources while doing little for the indigenous people, most of whom are ethnically closer to the people of Myanmar and China than to other Indians.
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01/02/2011 00:00 ||
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BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Iraqs National Council for Strategic Policies (NCSP), proposed by al-Iraqiya Coalition, led by former its leader and former Prime Minister, Iyad Allawi, is expected to be formed by the end of January or early next month, Al-Iraqiya Coalitions Legislature, Shaker Kattab, said on Saturday.
The NCSPs daft-law was sent to the Parliament for discussion and voting upon by the end of this month or early next month, Kattab told Aswat al-Iraq news agency, adding that any law needs several readings to be passed by the Parliament, and reaffirming that all the points related to its draft-law had been explained.
As regards to some candidates for the security ministries, Kattab said: there is no difference towards the candidates, but the delay of their naming is due to the sensitivity of their ministries and their significance, adding that such delay for such a long time shall cost the Iraqi State and the society, a lot; so we wish to settle the issue of those ministries by next week.
Malikis new cabinet had comprised 31 ministries, whilst he kept the administration of the Interior, Defense and National Security Ministries, on acting bases, whilst he assigned several other cabinet seats for ministers, also on acting basis, temporarily, till the naming of their ministers.
Sharp competitions are taking place among the main political blocs about the nomination of personalities for the three security posts, to grant al-Iraqiya Coalition the right to nominate a person for the Defense Ministers post, the National Coalition to nominate an Interior Minister, whilst the Kurdish Coalition is demanding to nominate the Minister of National Security.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/02/2011 00:00 ||
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Jawaher Abu Rahma is the second activist from her village to successfully die as an apparent result of IDF actions at West Bank demonstrations.
It was hard to decide which image to use: the Morton Salt girl, It Was A Dark And Stormy Night, the violinist ...
Not that it's impossible that someone could die from an adverse reaction to tear gas, but - let's just say that this is an amazing piece of, uh, journalism.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards have shot down two "Western spy" drones in the Gulf, the Fars news agency quoted a top commander of the elite military force as saying on Sunday.
"Westerners have a series of capabilities which cannot be ignored, especially satellites, or for example they have spy planes which can take pictures in some places," Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the air force wing of the Guards said.
He said that the drones were mainly being used in Iraq and Afghanistan but "some violations against our soil" have also occurred.
"And we have so far downed many of their advanced spy planes. In the Persian Gulf we have downed two of their planes and this is the first time that we are saying it," Hajizadeh said without specifying when exactly the drones were shot down.
He also boasted that all "enemy" bases in the region were within range of Iranian missiles, referring to arch-foe the United States. He said that even the aircraft carriers deployed in the region were no longer a threat to Iran.
"There was a time when an aircraft carrier was something to rely on and when they told a country that this warship was moving towards your shore, the government of that country would be toppled," Hajizadeh said.
"But now this has become a threat for them. We have full control of our enemies. We notice whatever changes taking place on our shores. When they go on alert in the warships or when they put on life jackets to launch boats in the sea, we are aware of that."
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps was set up as a force to defend the 1979 Islamic revolution from internal and external threats.
Irans Revolutionary Guard claims to have shot down several Western spy planes, including two in the Persian Gulf, but provided no evidence.
The U.S. Navys 5th Fleet, which is based in the Gulf, says it has no reports of aircraft downed "recently."
Irans semiofficial Fars news agency on Sunday quoted the head of the Guards air force wing, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, as saying Iran has "shot down a large number of ... highly advanced spy planes" that violated Iranian airspace.
Hajizadeh provided no proof, and did not say when the aircraft were downed or what country they belonged to.
Looks like another great victory for the elite Revolutionary Guards...
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
The Afghan leader has been defying US pressure to sack an allegedly corrupt minister for over a year, according to some of the latest diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks, the whistleblower website.
Jawaher Abu Rahma is the second activist from her village to 
