[Tolo News] Insurgent groups are actively trying to destabilize the Presidential and Provincial Council elections set for April, according to Rahbatullah Nabil, the head of the National Directorate of Security (NDS).
"The enemies of the people of Afghanistan are trying to create problems, but I am sure that they can do nothing as long as the security forces are working together," Nabil said.
Security officials recently submitted a report to President Hamid Maybe I'll join the Taliban Karzai ... A former Baltimore restaurateur, now 12th and current President of Afghanistan, displacing the legitimate president Rabbani in December 2004. He was installed as the dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001 in a vain attempt to put a Pashtun face on the successor state to the Taliban. After the 2004 presidential election, he was declared president regardless of what the actual vote count was. He won a second, even more dubious, five-year-term after the 2009 presidential election. His grip on reality has been slipping steadily since around 2007, probably from heavy drug use... that assured over 90 percent of polling centers would be open on election day.
More than 400 of the 6,845 total polling stations nationwide were said to be under serious security threat. However, a poor excuse is better than no excuse at all... the Independent Election Commission (IEC) has announced the introduction of some 300 new sites to compensate for those that will be closed due to security issues.
One of the biggest fears heading into April is that insecurity around the country could keep voters from turning up to the polls or open the door to manipulation and fraud.
Although the hard boyz have largely brushed off the elections as a "waste of time", in the words of Mullah Omar ... a minor Pashtun commander in the war against the Soviets who made good as leader of the Taliban. As ruler of Afghanistan, he took the title Leader of the Faithful. The imposition of Pashtunkhwa on the nation institutionalized ignorance and brutality in a country already notable for its own fair share of ignorance and brutality... , attacks on election officials would suggest they are not so indifferent.
Regarding Taliban talks with the Pak government, Nabil said the perspective in Pakistain was much different than one might think. "Those who are killing people in Afghanistan, they are good Taliban, and those who killing in Pakistain, they are the bad Taliban," he explained.
Many Afghan leaders have said that Pakistain is the key to peace with the Taliban. However, a poor excuse is better than no excuse at all... Islamabad has shown piecemeal commitment to facilitating the grinding of the peace processor for Kabul. Instead, Pak officials have seemed more focused on brokering peace with the gunnies in their own country.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/09/2014 00:00 ||
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KenyaÂ’s president said he would not allow places of worship to be used to radicalize young people, in the wake of a police raid on a mosque in the port of Mombasa that triggered renewed clashes with Muslim protesters on Friday.
Armed officers swooped on the Masjid Mussa mosque over the weekend, saying they had a tip-off youths were being trained there for militant attacks. Police fired teargas and rubber bullets at youths who threw stones and looted shops on Friday, said witnesses, in the cityÂ’s fourth significant outbreak of violence since the raid.
“Under no circumstance will we allow places of worship, like I said, be it a Hindu temple, a Muslim mosque, be it a Christian church, to be used as a place to radicalize and to threaten the lives of Kenyans,” said President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Especially a mosque...
He did not refer directly to the latest violence. But his comments underlined tensions in a country still reeling from an attack by Somali Islamists on a Nairobi shopping mall that killed at least 67 people in September.
The government has vowed to break up militant networks in a bid to end attacks by Somali Islamist militants and their sympathizers bent on punishing Kenya for sending troops to Somalia to fight al Shabaab rebels.
Kenyatta also launched the latest in a series of initiatives to tighten security, vowing to raise the number of police officers and giving other services targets to improve their operations. The violence has exposed deep-seated grievances by swathes of the Muslim community on the coast, especially youths, who say the mainly Christian government in Nairobi is persecuting them.
Kenyan Muslim leaders on Friday said a divide had grown between many youths and mainstream Muslim leadership but blamed heavy-handed tactics by the police for their radicalization.
“The actions by our security forces which include persistent police harassments and detentions, renditions and extra-judicial killings have alienated the youth and driven them to adopt radical ideas,” Muslim leaders said in a statement read out by Kenyan senator Billow Kerrow in Nairobi’s Jamia mosque. “We strongly urge the government and in particular the security apparatus to put to an end these unfair policies which create resentment among Muslims and drive young men to conduct activities which are an affront to the rule of law.”
Kenyan police deny brutality. They say officers came under fire as they burst into the mosque, where they seized laptops, DVDs and black banners emblazoned with jihadi slogans.
Kenyan security officials say the Masjid Mussa mosque is a hotbed of militant activity, in particular recruitment of disgruntled young Kenyan Muslims into local Islamist networks and al Shabaab in Somalia.
Police on Thursday released 21 minors but said they plan to charge 104 people arrested since Sunday with being members of a terrorist group and some with possession of dangerous weapons, robbery and incitement to violence.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/09/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
start razing the mosques that radicalize and hang the imams....sh*t will clear up quickly
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/09/2014 7:39 Comments ||
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MOGADISHU -- Hundreds of sacked soldiers and disabled army veterans Saturday staged demonstration in front of Villa Somalia presidential compound in Mogadishu, Garowe Online reports.
The angry participants at the rally marched from Sayidka statue to the presidential palace in response to the recent decision that led to the firing of 700 soldiers including commanders, deputy commanders and captains from the army amid anti-Al Shabaab offensives in southern Somalia. They accused the army general Dahir Khalif Elmi (Indho Qarshe) of irresponsibility, saying he violated their rights while they were executing their national duties.
"The [Commander-in-Chief of Somali National Army] gave untrue comments; we were at the frontlines when we have been fired over unclear reasons. We were fighting against Al Shabaab yesterday but now we are liable to be attacked," shouted a protester.
In a separate show of complaint, disabled army veterans went on strike over support services. They said that the government halted to provide their regular services such as the food and salary.
Gen. Indho Qarshe last Tuesday disclosed at media briefings the removal of 700 soldiers from the army, citing incompetence and ineffectiveness in the job.
Somalia Federal Government seeks to exert credible authority across the southern part of the war-ravaged horn of Africa nation, with Al Qaeda inspired Al Shabaab militants stepping up mortar attacks on the government institutions in Mogadishu.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/09/2014 00:00 ||
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GAROWE -- The US State Department has issued a fresh travel warning for Americans going out on trip to Somalia as a result of looming threats of instability, Garowe Online reports.
It is, of course, a tribute to Jahwn Kerry's leadership at Foggy Bottom that they don't miss stuff like this...
"What? We shouldn't go to Somalia? I wonder why not? Margaret, I guess we have to change our reservations to Atlantic City!"
According to a statement from the state department, US diplomatic absence prompted the warning: "the U.S. government is not in a position to assist or effectively provide services to U.S. citizens in Somalia. Terrorist operatives and armed groups in Somalia have demonstrated their intent to attack Somali authorities, the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), and other non-military target".
While noting the growing security threats to foreigners travelling to south-central regions, the US government recommended its citizens visiting Puntland and Somaliland to obtain medical evacuation insurance ahead of their take-off.
"U.S. citizens contemplating travel to Somalia, including Somaliland and Puntland, are advised to obtain kidnap and recovery insurance, as well as medical evacuation insurance, prior to travel," the statement noted.
What insurer issues 'kidnap insurance' so that you can go to Somalia? It's like issuing kidnap insurance to go to .. Yemen...
The travel warning came days after the US director of national intelligence James clapper told that persistent political infighting, weak leadership from President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, ill-equipped government institutions and pervasive technical shortfalls threatened the credibility and the effectiveness of Somalia federal government.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud dismissed the weak leadership claims from the US director of national intelligence James clapper in an interview with Financial Times.
"I don't know what sources he [Mr Clapper] used but I don't see any political infighting in Somalia today compared to the past. It is a subjective judgment based on his own [opinion]," said President Mohamud.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/09/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
US State Department issues travel warning for Somalia followed closely by Detroit
Posted by: Au Auric ||
02/09/2014 1:11 Comments ||
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#2
The State Department also reminded US citizens traveling overseas that water is still wet and can cause increased urine outflow if consumed in large quantities. Travelers are reminded to remove all common sense when departing the US and rely soley on DoS Travel Warnings.
Posted by: Bangkok Billy ||
02/09/2014 1:17 Comments ||
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#3
Travelers are reminded to remove all use common sense when departing the US and rely soley on ignore DoS Travel Warnings.
FFY, Billy
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
02/09/2014 1:19 Comments ||
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#4
a result of looming threats of instability
Looming instability? Looming? Have you people been asleep for the last couple decades?
[An Nahar] Egyptian comedian Bassem Youssef is back on air and mocking the personality cult surrounding army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, after his previous show was axed amid fears of growing intolerance for dissent.
Youssef, nicknamed "the Egyptian Jon Stewart" after the American comedian he emulates, shot to fame with his constant jibes at Islamist president Mohammed Morsi ...the former president of Egypt. A proponent of the One Man, One Vote, One Time principle, Morsi won election after the deposal of Hosni Mubarak and jumped to the conclusion it was his turn to be dictator...
But in November, his show was pulled by the private CBC channel after he poked fun at the wildly popular army chief who overthrow Morsi in July, and at his supporters.
In the premiere of his new show "The Program" on Friday night, aired by the private MBC Masr channel, Youssef gingerly broached the topic of Sisi, who is expected to win an upcoming presidential election.
"We're continuing. And we'll say whatever we want, and won't be scared of anyone," he said on the show, as the field marshal's silhouette appeared on screen.
"Some get upset when we mention some people, so it's best we don't bring them up... this isn't fear, it's respect," he said sarcastically.
As the broadcast progressed, Youssef kept trying to find ways to avoid mentioning Sisi, yet the field marshal still came up in a segment on cooking, and in a faux ad for "Sisi oil".
"Let's do songs," Youssef then said. "Foreign songs, not Arabic, which have nothing to do with us please!"
The show then cut to a Spanish song with the chorus "Si si, senor."
"Well, his popularity is huge," Youssef said. "You do know that in Spanish Sisi means "yes, yes".
But even indirect jokes annoyed some viewers who had gathered in a Cairo cafe to watch the show.
"The episode is funny, but I don't like the criticism of Sisi," said an accountant who gave his name as Sameh.
Another member of the audience at the cafe said the time was not right for such satire.
"The country needs control, not ridicule of its rulers," said Ahmed Mohammed, a merchant.
Yet many still smiled at Youssef's jokes, even reluctantly.
A young man who gave his name as Abdel Rahman said Youssef's jokes exposed "how the people are manufacturing a pharaoh".
Millions adore Sisi for overthrowing Morsi, a democratically elected Islamist whose sole year in power was widely seen as incompetent and increasingly autocratic.
Since Morsi's removal, the military and police have waged a deadly crackdown on his Islamist protesters that has killed more than 1,400 people in street festivities, and imprisoned thousands of Islamists.
Morsi supporters continue to stage protests that often end in festivities with police, and Death Eaters have killed scores of coppers and soldiers in attacks.
Dissent, even of the secular leaning variety, is less tolerated than ever, say critics of the military-installed government.
"Bassem has shown he can be defiant and cross red lines. But the question is whether he can keep it up," said Ali Mahrous, an engineer watching the show at the cafe.
Sisi has not yet said he will be a candidate in the presidential election due by mid-April, and the military has said he would make a formal announcement to the people if he decides to stand.
His aides have said privately that he is expected to resign from the military soon and put forward his nomination.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/09/2014 00:00 ||
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[Libya Herald] Two members of the General National Congress have denied that they have resigned in a development that has cast doubt on the validity of a list of 21 purported resignations circulating on social media.
Members of Congress for Murzuq ,Taher Mohammed Makni and Zainab Shetah Al-Hamidi, both of whose names appear on the list, strongly rejected reports of their resignations to the Libya Herald.
"I personally deny what has been reported on Facebook and other media about my resignation," Makni said, stating that he had never considered resigning from Congress. Hamidi also refuted the claims saying she had been surprised to see her name on the list.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/09/2014 00:00 ||
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[Libya Herald] Sebha Medical Centre has called on all medical staff to report for duty amidst fears of renewed fighting in the restive southern town. Dr. Quincy's been making out like a bandit on his overtime...
The head of Sebha Local Council, Ayoub Al-Zaroug, told the Libya Herald that sporadic but frequent gunfire had been heard in Sebha after Zintani revolutionary forces withdrew two days ago. He added that, while the situation remained tense, "people are struggling to return to their normal lives. Shops and petrol stations are open though they close early".
Zintani and Misratan revolutionary forces moved into Sebha just over one week ago to act as a buffer against festivities between Tebu and Awalad Suleiman tribes that claimed over 100 lives over the past month. However, a lie repeated often enough remains a lie... most of the outside forces withdrew after mediators were unable negotiate a truce.
An employee at the Medical Centre, Abdullah Owheda, said that workers had been urged to come to the hospital to take up their posts as concern increased that violence would return. "Many specialists live in the outskirts of the town, where they'll be prevented from reaching the centre if fighting breaks out," he added.
Sebha Medical which holds 480 beds and was stretched to capacity during recent festivities. Owheda said the hospital was well stocked and prepared.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/09/2014 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] Al-Qaeda forces of Evil who kidnapped a South African teacher in Yemen last year will not execute him despite their deadline for receiving $3 million (2.2 million euros) in ransom expiring Saturday, a mediator said.
Pierre Korkie, 56, was kidnapped along with his wife in Yemen's second city Taiz in May by members of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
Korkie's wife Yolande was freed last month with the help of the mediator from one of Yemen's powerful tribes and returned home.
Korkie, who is in poor health, "is still alive and the prospect of his being executed is excluded," the mediator told Agence La Belle France Presse, adding that he was in contact with the kidnappers.
He said the situation remained very delicate, adding: "They cannot free the hostage without the ransom."
The kidnappers had previously set a deadline of January 17 to free Korkie, threatening to kill him if they did not get the money, but then extended it for three weeks.
The mediator said Saturday that "if the South African authorities demonstrate that they are prepared to respond to the demands of the kidnappers, then we can ask that the extension be prolonged."
In Johannesburg on Friday, Yolande Korbie again pleaded with the abductors for mercy. She said her husband, who suffers from a hernia, is too ill to survive the rigours of his captivity.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/09/2014 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] Bahrain's Shiite-dominated unveiled Saturday a roadmap for restarting national dialogue talks suspended last month, and renewed demands for a constitutional monarchy in the Sunni-ruled kingdom.
The proposals were published on the eve of the third anniversary of Shiite-led protests against the government that erupted on February 14 2011, and which have left Bahrain politically deadlocked since.
Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa met opposition leaders in mid-January to try revive the national dialogue days after the government suspended the talks which had opened a year ago.
The reconciliation talks, which the main Shiite opposition had boycotted, are designed to bring the Sunni-ruled country with a Shiite majority of its political crisis.
The Shiite opposition, led by the main movement Al-Wefaq, urged authorities to free "prisoners of conscience," as well as "suspend political processes," and stop "incitation to sectarian hatred".
In a statement published by Al-Wefaq and detailing the roadmap to restart the dialogue, the opposition said was ready for "three meetings a week" to speed up reconciliation talks, and that their conclusions should be put to the vote in a referendum.
But it also called for the development of a new electoral code for a "fair and transparent (ballot), supervised by an independent electoral commission, as well as delimitation of boundaries that "guarantee equality between citizens".
Posted by: Fred ||
02/09/2014 00:00 ||
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[Pak Daily Times] North Korea has moved imprisoned US citizen Kenneth Bae from hospital and back to a labor camp, a US official said, which could further complicate efforts to win his release.
In an interview on Friday with a pro-Pyongyang newspaper in Japan, the Chosun Sinbo, Bae confirmed he had been transferred back to the "special correctional facility" in Pyongyang on January 20.
Bae, a tour operator described by a North Korean court as a krazed killer Christian evangelist, was incarcerated Youse'll never take me alive coppers!... [BANG!]... Ow!... I quit! in November 2012 and later sentenced to 15 years' hard labor on charges of seeking to topple the government.
"The Department of State has learned that the DPRK (North Korea) transferred Mr. Bae from a hospital to a labor camp, a development with which we are deeply concerned," said spokeswoman Jen Psaki.
She said Washington was "gravely concerned" about the health of the Korean American, who has been in detention for more than 15 months.
"We continue to urge DPRK authorities to grant Mr. Bae special amnesty and immediate release on humanitarian grounds," she added.
In his interview with the Chosun Sinbo, Bae expressed gratitude to the North Korean authorities for treating him "humanely" and pleaded with Pyongyang to allow him to return home through negotiations with the US government.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/09/2014 00:00 ||
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SEOUL -- North Korea has canceled the annual Arirang Mass Games for the first time in eight years for unknown reasons, a China-based travel agency said Friday.
Grass crop came in below expectations?
Designed to extol the governing Kim family, the massive gymnastics and arts performance was first held in 2002, the year marking the 90th birthday of North Korea's late founder, Kim Il-sung.
Apparently there's less enthusiasm for Pudgy...
The event has taken place every year since 2005, except in 2006 when the country suffered from severe flooding, and are a popular spectacle in the reclusive country.
"We are sorry to confirm that there will be no mass games performance (in North Korea) this year," Koryo Tours said on its website, without further details.
Last year, Pyongyang held the event for more than two months from July, which also included characteristic military parades. According to the Washington-based Radio Free Asia, the North needs more time to renew its festival programs in accordance with the changing leadership under young leader Kim Jong-un.
More dogs...
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/09/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
Supposedly the North Korean Amateur Open golf tournament is iffy as well.
SOCHI -- North Korea will miss the Winter Olympic Games for the first time in 12 years, an Olympics official here said Tuesday.
Darn! All that work on the new ski slope and there's no Nork team in the free style?
An official with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said no North Korean has qualified for the Feb. 7-23 Sochi Winter Games in Russia. North Korean athletes also failed to earn special "wild cards" for the Olympics as granted by international sports federations, the official added.
The Sochi Winter Olympics' website lists North Korea as a participating country but doesn't display any athlete. Last month, an informed source in Moscow told Yonhap News Agency that Pyongyang would send Kim Yong-nam, the country's ceremonial head of state until he's fed to the dogs, to Sochi's opening ceremony, even if the North wouldn't have athletes in competition.
North Korea last missed a Winter Olympics in 2002 in Salt Lake City. The reclusive state's first Winter Games was in Innsbruck in 1966. The North also entered the Winters Games in 1972, 1984, 1988, 1992 and 1998.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/09/2014 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] Members of a team of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTTP) nominated negotiators are meeting with the bad boy group's top leadership in North Wazoo on Saturday to update them on the progress of the peace talks with the government.
"I can confirm that the government has provided a helicopter at Beautiful Downtown Peshawar ...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province), administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire. to Professor Muhammad Ibrahim Khan and Maulana Yousaf Shah to fly to North Waziristan to meet the TTP's top leadership," a top government official, requesting not to be named, told DawnNews.
"They have already been sent on their way to North Waziristan," he said.
The two members would meet the TTP leadership at an unknown location in the tribal areas and would apprise them of the first round of talks with government negotiators, the source said.
Yousaf Shah is a front man for Maulana Samiul Haq ...the Godfather of the Taliban, leader of his own faction of the JUI. Known as Mullah Sandwich for his habit of having two young boys at a time... , the coordinator of the TTP committee.
Other sources confirmed that the TTP had already convened a meeting of its supreme Shura at some holy man's guesthouse an undisclosed location in North Waziristan. The session, chaired by Taliban capo Sheikh Khalid Haqqani, is to be attended by the two TTP committee members.
Negotiators from both sides formally met Thursday for a first round of peace talks aimed at ending the bad boys' bloody seven-year insurgency.
The two sides laid down a roadmap in the form of demands from both sides future deliberation, with the government insisting that any negotiations be held within the framework of the constitution of Pakistain.
The grinding of the peace processor was dealt a blow on Friday when a member of the three-man TTP committee -- chief holy man of Islamabad's Red Mosque Maulana Abdul Aziz -- rejected the condition of holding talks under the constitution.
Aziz said the Taliban do not recognise the prevailing constitution and that it should be replaced by the teachings of the Koran and the Holy Prophet (PTUI!).
The firebrand ...firebrands are noted more for audio volume and the quantity of spittle generated than for any actual logic in their arguments... holy man said he would only be part of further negotiations if a clause is included about the imposition of Islamic law in the country.
When asked about Aziz's statement, the official said the government had only come to know of this through the media and that no formal message regarding Aziz's demand have yet been communicated to them by the TTP negotiators.
The government committee is headed by Irfan Sidduqi, who is also the prime minister's special assistant on national affairs.
Aziz's move threatened to further undermine the talks -- the government side had already voiced doubts about the composition and authority of the TTP's representatives.
The government delegation skipped an initial meeting on Tuesday citing confusion over the bad boys' team after two members -- Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf ...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations.... (PTI) chief Imran Khan ... aka Taliban Khan, who who convinced himself that playing cricket qualified him to lead a nuclear-armed nation with severe personality problems... and Mufti Kifayatullah of the Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam ...the political wing of the Pak Taliban... Fazl (JUI-F) -- pulled out of the negotiations.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/09/2014 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
[DAWN] Maulana Yousuf Shah, who acts as contact person for the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP), on Saturday told DawnNews that chief negotiator for the outlawed group, Maulana Samiul Haq ...the Godfather of the Taliban, leader of his own faction of the JUI. Known as Mullah Sandwich for his habit of having two young boys at a time... , had contacted Maulana Abdul Aziz following his announcement to withdraw from the committee, adding that it was likely that the chief holy man of Lal Masjid would continue the work with the TTP committee.
Earlier on Friday, Maulana Aziz had declared at a presser that he would no longer take part in negotiations between the two sides until the condition of imposing Islamic laws was made part of the dialogue.
His announcement virtually dashed hopes, if there were any, of a successful grinding of the peace processor after the two committees met on Thursday and sounded upbeat about a positive outcome, a security analyst told Dawn.
Also today, Shah said the situation in relation to a meeting of the TTP negotiators with the leadership of the banned outfit would become clearer in two days' time.
He said no time or venue had yet been decided for a meeting with the leadership of the Pak Taliban, adding that the committee could also seek assistance from the federal government in arranging for it.
Shah said after having met with the TTP leadership, the negotiators would put forth their point of view before government negotiators.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/09/2014 00:00 ||
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[Jerusalem Post] Iranian state television on Friday aired a documentary which featured a computerized simulated attack on Israeli cities.
The clip, which was posted on YouTube, is a hypothetical scenario which envisions the Iranian response to an Israeli or American military offensive against Iran's nuclear installations.
The title of the film, "Nightmare of Vulture," features footage of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei speaking to cadets in 2011.
“Anybody who thinks of attacking the Islamic Republic of Iran should be prepared to receive strong slaps and iron fists from the Armed Forces,” Khamenei is seen saying. “And America, its regional puppets and its guard dog – the Zionist regime – should know that the response of the Iranian nation to any kind of aggression, attacks or even threats will be a response that will make them collapse from within."
The documentary's computerized simulation shows how the Iranians envision an attack on Tel Aviv, Haifa, and the USS Abraham Lincoln. The film is yet another propaganda salvo unleashed by the Iranian regime, which has escalated its rhetoric in the past few days.
On Friday, the semi-official Fars news agency quoted an Iranian naval commander as saying that warships were making their way across the Atlantic Ocean and toward the United States' maritime border.
"Iran’s military fleet is approaching the United States’ maritime borders, and this move has a message,” Adm. Afshin Rezayee Haddad of Iran’s Northern Navy Fleet was quoted as saying.
On Saturday, Khamenei said on Saturday the United States would overthrow the Iranian government if it could, adding Washington had a “controlling and meddlesome” attitude towards the Islamic Republic, Iranian media reported.
In a speech to mark the 35th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Khamenei, the most powerful figure in Iran, added that officials seeking to revive the economy should not rely on an eventual lifting of sanctions but rather on homegrown innovation.
“American officials publicly say they do not seek regime change in Iran. That’s a lie. They wouldn’t hesitate a moment if they could do it,” he was quoted as saying by the semi-official Fars news agency.
Khamenei made no mention of talks between Iran and world powers intended to settle a decade-old dispute about the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program. But he reiterated that in dealing with “enemies,” Iran should be prepared to change tactics but not compromise on its main principles. Right out of the NORK playbook. More of this to be seen in the coming months I am sure.
Posted by: Besoeker ||
02/09/2014 01:41 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
"Photoshop Brigades™ - now in video format!"
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/09/2014 8:16 Comments ||
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#2
Iranian stealth aircraft on routine Pacific patrol.
#3
What a fine looking AirCraft. Also nice mountains, if the resolution was higher you might be able to pick out the Majestic Moose. My sister was bitten by a moose once. Moose bites can be very nasty you know.
#4
...Wish we had somebody with the stones to say, "Wow - making movies threatening us and our allies? Guess you really don't want those sanctions lifted..."
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
02/09/2014 18:03 Comments ||
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Placing herself squarely in support of Mr. Obama's current "efforts" and a nicely written nostalgic walk taking credit for past successes so can mint herself a political "Heads I Win / Heads I Win" coin.
She does, however, close with a "if they don't do what they commit to do, we'll open up a can of light-to-moderate kickass on 'em."
[Ynet] Hours after Iran's Supreme Leader called the US 'meddlesome and controlling,' an Iranian admiral announces Islamic Republic moving fleet into Atlantic and 'approaching the United States' maritime borders,' saying' this move has a message' Perhaps the United States should "send a message." Say nothing, but in the wee hours of the morning, send the entire Iranian fleet to the bottom. Then continue saying nothing.
Posted by: Besoeker ||
02/09/2014 02:07 ||
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#1
Think if you were some Iranian on those boats. Just write something like **&^ me on your forehead in magic marker.
Then have the El Capitano paint your bottom with a tar brush and do a little dance on the fantail. Get serious, Abdrool.
You got a message.? Wear your lipstick when you say it. (Your eyes filled with Islamic passion.)
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
02/09/2014 12:16 Comments ||
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#4
This naval maneuver is an omen. Will see other fleets, such as the Chinese, Russia, etc. begin these maneuvers.
After all, under this regime led by a scrawny assed Kenyan third world incompetent dictator, the southern border is wide open, that can also include the Pacific, Atlantic, Gulf coast lines.
Over time, their presence will eventually seem commonplace. Until the day an 'oiler' pops off a short-range ballistic missile that explodes an EMP warhead over the eastern seaboard.
#6
I luv ya Steve but no. What will happen is the reduction gears will over-heat leaving the elderly tanker at the mercy of wind and wave. Then things will get worse.
#7
This seems analogous to the "broken window" strategy of policing. Make sure broken windows are fixed, litter picked up, minor annoyances (eg squeegee men) cleared up and the neighborhood is a nice place with no crime.
However, let the little things go and and pretty soon the drug dealers and big-time thugs move in.
Now, continue with the arrogant/cowardly/lazy position that "We're too big a dog to worry about these little puppies barking" and the little puppies keep getting bigger and more and more start pushing their luck until everything goes boom.
#8
There is plenty the US Navy can do in this situation, and the Navy has decades of experience given its dealings with the former Soviet blue water navy.
I have no insider information of course, but I'm allowed to imagine that right now a US attack nuclear submarine is comfortably within range of the Iranian flotilla (and I'm equally certain the Iranians can't hear that sub). As the flotilla reaches a convenient point it will gain an 'escort' of a Navy destroyer, and perhaps some long-range P3s will make it a point to appear on Iranian radar.
And so on.
The Iranians will get the message that they are a small, small group of ships in a big, crowded ocean.
SteveS makes a point but that could happen regardless of what the Iranian navy does. Indeed, it would be better (if you're sufficiently evil and devious) to have that ballistic missile launches from some beat-up garbage scow of a freighter with Liberian/Panamanian/ Ruritanian registration.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/09/2014 14:16 Comments ||
Top||
#9
All that needs to be done is to have one major strike on DC and under this regime the house of cards will fall resulting in major chaos. That is enough to rally the anti-American world and our allies who Zero has thoroughly pissed off will just pass the popcorn.
#10
I'm not going to worry about Iran setting off a nuke near the U.S. The Iranians have said that they are only making weapons grade uranium for peaceful purposes. And besides, Obama has said that the Iranians getting a nuclear weapon will be a red line, and he will be SERIOUSLY concerned if they do develop a weapon. /sarcasm
Besides, if Iran gets the bomb and a delivery system, they are more likely to use it on Israel. Of course, then Iran will find out what it's like to be on the receiving end of a serious nuclear strike.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
02/09/2014 14:43 Comments ||
Top||
#11
P3 being visible on the horizon, followed by a low altitude near overflight from a Buff, armed for maritime.
Or simply surface the tower of an attack sub directly abeam.
#12
24 hr active sonar pinging the whole way there and back should make for a fun voyage
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/09/2014 15:33 Comments ||
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#13
One combat ship is an insignificant force thousands of miles from home port. We should probably let the air and naval reserve aircraft mess with them for fun. The only real need is to keep track of where they go into port, and what they load and unload.
#14
I remember hearing stories about the Russians and the Americans playing games with each other. The Russian planes would light up the American ship with their targeting radars. All fun and games until the Americans illuminated the Russians with their missile guidance radars.
Seems to me that eventually everybody realized how dangerous this really was, and came to at least a gentlemen's agreement not to do it.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
02/09/2014 15:47 Comments ||
Top||
#15
To truly dishearten their skippers,
Send chimeric cyborg super-Flippers
To mock their excursion
And demean them in Persian --
It would frighten them out of their slippers!
Besides, if Iran gets the bomb and a delivery system, they are more likely to use it on Israel.
Why, when they could start with the Great Satan?
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
02/09/2014 19:01 Comments ||
Top||
#20
re: SW @ 8; you assume my friend that we actually have somebody in command with the stones to do what you suggest. The best I fear we can expect is another red line, but this one will be water soluble and disappear in the blink of an eye.
#21
and the Squishes in Washington are more likely to dither than Bibi and others with backbone.
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/09/2014 19:07 Comments ||
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#22
OWG Co-Superpower Rising Iran litmus-testing to see iff POTUS Bammer still has his "We will-support-our-Red-Lines" mentality???
Oh wait ...
As the Bad Econ + Sequester, etc. USA = POTUS Bammer's "executive privilege/actions" is affected by ...
* WORLD MILITARY FORUM > EXPERTS: NO CONCLUSIVE/SUBTANTIVE PROOF THAT THE US HAS ANY OR ENOUGH GOLD RESERVES TO USE AS COLLATERAL AGAINST ITS DEBTS.
* VOICE OF RUSSIA > REPUBLICAN COULD SPARK ANOTHER DEBT CEILING FRACAS, US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE LEADER [Boehner] SAYS.
* SAME > [John Culberson - TX] US CONGRESS HAS ENOUGH POWER TO STOP "THE MOST ILLEGAL, UNLAWFUL PRESIDENT" IN HISTORY.
* BIGNEWSNWETWORK > [Washington Times] SHIFTING SANDS: OBAMA TROPS THE BALANCE OF POWER IN THE MIDDLE EAST IN IRAN'S FAVOR FOR UNCLEAR REASONS.
Ditto CHINA???
* WORLD NEWS [Guardian.UK] IRAN EMERGES AS A WORLD POWER AFTER ISLAMIC REVOLUTION: ANALYST.
Dr. Syed Quandil Abbas.
VERSUS
I also want to see what is OWG Co-Superpower Rising China up to in NE-East Asia this AM.
From this past weekend + prior...
* FREEREPUBLIC this AM > [Japan Times] US VOWS TO DEFEND JAPAN IFF CONFLICT ERUPTS IN THE EAST CHINA SEA.
* BIGNEWSNETWORK > [Asia News Network] US NUCLEAR NEGOTIATOR: IFF IRAN CAN'T GET THE BOMB, ITS BALLISTIC MISSLE SYSTEMS [delivery] WILL BE "ALMOST IRRELEVANT".
* SAME > JAPAN IS A POTENTIAL "SOFT POWER" SUPERPOWER.
* WORLD NEWS > [Japan Times] ABE: CONTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT [Article 9] NOT NEEDED FOR [right to]COLLECTIVE SELF-DEFENSE.
Its already required to satisfy the provision, else is directly inferred.
[An Nahar] Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei renewed his confidence in President Hassan Rouhani Saturday, demanding tolerance from opponents who have criticized him over talks with world powers on Tehran's controversial nuclear program.
Khamenei spoke after days of public spats between Rouhani's government and hardline opponents and as Tehran held what it called a "satisfactory" round of talks with visiting U.N. inspectors.
The disputes have focused mostly on a deal struck with world powers in November that has put temporary curbs on Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for modest sanctions relief and the return of billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets.
Without touching directly on the nature of those disagreements, Khamenei said "critics must exercise tolerance when it comes to the government."
"It has only been a few months since the government has taken the reign," Khamenei told commanders of Iran's air force in remarks reported by one of his websites, leader.ir.
"The statesmen must be given time to push forward strongly with their plans," said the supreme leader, who has the final say on all key state affairs, including the nuclear dossier.
Since the deal, hardliners in Iran have not shied away from criticizing the government and top nuclear negotiator and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
They argue that what Iran gained in the interim deal -- meant to last six months and also buy time for diplomacy over a comprehensive accord -- do not offset what it has compromised in its nuclear activities.
But Rouhani insists that the deal is bringing down the sanctions regime and "chains strangling Iran's economy" -- a main campaign promise of the self-proclaimed moderate, who took office in August.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/09/2014 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
[An Nahar] Mohammedanholy mans and scholars are set to hold a sit-in anew near the Defense Ministry in Yarze to protest the arrest of Sheikh Omar al-Atrash, al-Joumhouria newspaper reported on Saturday.
According to the daily, the army intelligence received information that a delegation from Leb's eastern Bekaa Valley will head to the defense ministry to protest the ongoing detention of al-Atrash.
On Tuesday, a military examining magistrate issued an arrest warrant against al-Atrash for carrying out terrorist activities.
Judge Nabil Wehbe questioned al-Atrash over his role in transporting jacket wallahs to Leb.
Al-Atrash, 24, has also been charged with detonating bombs and explosive-rigged vehicles, attacking the army in Majdelyoun and al-Awwali bridge areas in the southern city of Sidon in December and launching rockets on Israel.
The Sheikh, who hails from the Bekaa valley, was jugged ... anything you say can and will be used against you, whether you say it or not... last month.
The Lebanese army said last week that al-Atrash has admitted to having ties with Abdullah Azzam Brigades ... Leb's current al-Qaeda affiliate, named after a guy whose car the current head of al-Qaeda had boomed... , Jabhat al-Nusra and The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ... the current version of al-Qaeda in Iraq, just as blood-thirsty and well-beloved as the original... (ISIL) members.
He has also admitted to transporting suicide bombers in a Cherokee to attack the army in Majdelyoun and al-Awwali bridge and of transferring four rockets from Syria in August last year to launch them towards Israel.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/09/2014 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under: Abdullah Azzam Brigades
[An Nahar] Caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said on Saturday that an alleged drone spotted hovering over the residence of Lebanese Forces A Christian political party founded by Bashir Gemayel, who was then bumped off when he was elected president of Leb... leader Samir Geagea ... Geagea was imprisoned by the Syrians and their puppets for 11 years in a dungeon in the third basement level of the Lebanese Ministry of Defense. He was released after the Cedar Revolution in 2005 ... in Maarab is believed to be Israeli.
Charbel considered that this type of unmanned aircraft could carry a missile that weighs around 200 or 300 kilograms.
According to al-Joumhouria newspaper published on Saturday, Charbel revealed that a report by the Internal Security Forces confirmed that a drone was seen with the naked eye above the residence of Geagea.
On Tuesday, Charbel said that the "matter isn't a joke."
He stressed that the necessary measures should be taken to protect Maarab and those who are targeted in liquidation attempts, noting that the possible use of anti-aircraft fire was discussed to shoot down the drone.
The Lebanese Forces said earlier this month that a drone was spotted carrying out flights over Maarab for a period of time.
Last week, LF informed the army anew that guards sighted the unmanned aircraft again on Friday.
Guards described the aircraft as white and resembles a drone, adding that it flew at a law altitude and caused unusual sounds.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/09/2014 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[6 views]
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[An Nahar] The "Free Sunnis of Baalbek Brigade" warned on Saturday the Lebanese army that it will be targeted by attacks until it proves its patriotism, calling for the release of Sheikh Omar al-Atrash.
"The Lebanese army will remain a target until it proves its patriotism and its liberation from Iran and Hizbullah," the brigade said via twitter.
It also slammed caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, considering him a "minister that follows the instructions of Hizbullah Secretary-General (Sayyed) Hassan Nasrallah."
The brigade said in another tweet that Charbel is an "expert in targeting Sunnis in Leb."
The "Free Sunnis of Baalbek Brigade" has no known ties with any Lebanese or Syrian group, and it had claimed before responsibility for killing Hizbullah military commander Hassan Hollo al-Laqqis.
The group also demanded the release of Sheikh Omar al-Atrash, urging the army to end all abuses against him in the prisons of "loathing and hatred."
The brigade called on the Sunni Mohammedanholy mans and scholars to act according to their conscience and give al-Atrash his rights back.
Al-Atrash, 24, has also been charged with detonating bombs and explosive-rigged vehicles, attacking the army in Majdelyoun and al-Awwali bridge areas in the southern city of Sidon in December and launching rockets on Israel.
The Sheikh, who hails from the Bekaa valley and was tossed in the clink Youse'll never take me alive coppers!... [BANG!]... Ow!... I quit! last month, has also admitted to having ties with Abdullah Azzam Brigades ... Leb's current al-Qaeda affiliate, named after a guy whose car the current head of al-Qaeda had boomed... , Jabhat al-Nusra and The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ... the current version of al-Qaeda in Iraq, just as blood-thirsty and well-beloved as the original... (ISIL) members.
On Friday, the group announced killing an Iranian military trainer the day before in the Bekaa region.
The operation created an atmosphere of panic and confusion among party members, the statement remarked, the brigade said on twitter.
It also warned of attacks and strikes against Hizbullah supporters in the Bekaa and around Leb.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/09/2014 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[8 views]
Top|| File under:
The likelihood that the United States will know when a nation obtains nuclear weapon capability is very low, according to a new report* from the Pentagon.
The report says that given the new pathways to proliferation, the United States is severely limited in its intelligence capability to determine whether a nation like Iran has obtained a nuclear bomb.
Bret Stephens, foreign affairs columnist for the Wall Street Journal, pointed out that the report directly contradicts what Vice President Joe Biden claimed in his debate with candidate Paul Ryan in 2012. Stephens noted the lack of warning the U.S. had when both Pakistan and India obtained their respective nuclear weapons in previous decades.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
02/09/2014 0:34 Comments ||
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#3
Iran's leaders have frequently stated that Israel should be wiped off the map.
Of course, if Tel Aviv is bombed, several Iranian cities are very likely to be wiped off the map as well. To some of the believers in the 12th Imam, this is a feature, not a bug.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
02/09/2014 0:35 Comments ||
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#4
Well if that the case we need to start stratigizing on how we keep the Juices from going bat-shit if they loose 20% of their population. More aid? Perhaps an extra F-35 squadron? That could take the sting right out of the incident.
Incident, yeah that's the ticket, it was a terrible incident, but it's history.
...universally acknowledged to be The Third Smartest Man in the room, about which he is legitimately proud...
unveiled a new Pentagon leadership team on Friday that will guide the department through a critical period as it cuts hundreds of billions of dollars in defense spending while maintaining U.S. security commitments worldwide. Hagel, speaking at a Pentagon news conference, said the Defense Department was still facing big spending cuts despite a two-year budget deal by Congress in January that eased some of the financial pressure.
The Pentagon chief said the department would approach the budget holistically and over the long run, trying to preserve military readiness and capability while establishing a sustainable path for modernizing major weapons systems. Under the Budget Control Act of 2011, the Pentagon is required to cut nearly a trillion dollars in projected spending over the next decade.
The team unveiled by Hagel on Friday would be responsible for navigating the difficulties. Hagel said President Barack Obama If you have a small business, you didn't build that... had named former Navy Undersecretary Robert Work, a retired Marine colonel who currently heads the Center for a New American Security think-tank, as deputy secretary of defense.
Obama last week nominated Michael McCord as the new Pentagon comptroller to replace Robert Hale, Christine Wormuth as undersecretary of defense for policy to replace James Miller, and Brian McKeon as principal deputy undersecretary of defense to replace Kathleen Hicks.
The nominees must be confirmed by the Senate before taking their positions. Hagel hailed the group as "four of the most experienced national security professionals that DoD (Department of Defense) has had in these positions at any one time."
#1
In addition to the pay cut the congress just ordered for the retirees and those that will retire (until age 62) there is also a DoD-led effort to close stateside commissaries by 2017
The White House and members of Congress have rejected a proposal by the Pentagon to reduce the size of the U.S. aircraft carrier force as part of its effort to reduce defense spending.
As The Diplomat noted last month, the U.S. Department of Defense and Navy were considering mothballing a U.S. aircraft carrier in the FY 2015 defense budget as they strive to implement Congressionally-mandated spending reductions.
The plan called for retiring the USS George Washington, a Nimitz-class nuclear carrier first commissioned in 1992, before its midlife refueling and refurbishing set to begin in 2016. Forgoing the refueling and refurbishing phase would have saved the Pentagon $4.7 billion, although this would be partially offset by the $1.2 billion cost of decommissioning the carrier. It would also have reduced the U.S. Navy's carrier force to ten.
On Friday the Wall Street Journal reported that a deal had been reached between the White House and the Defense Department to forgo decommissioning the USS George Washington. Under the agreement, the White House has promised to provide the Pentagon with additional funds to pay for the carrier's mid-life refueling and refurbishing. These funds would presumably have to come from the U.S. Congress, and in effect the deal promises to increase defense spending slightly.
Still, the deal may only temporarily delay a reduction in the U.S. Navy's carrier force as the Defense Department continues to search for places to reduce spending and a growing chorus of voices in defense circles question the need for an eleven-carrier force. In its strategic review last year, the Pentagon said that it would be able to operate with a carrier force of just eight or nine vessels.
Four prominent defense think tanks in Washington, DC from across the political spectrum released separate plans this week outlining how they believe the Pentagon could best absorb the mandated spending cuts. All four plans included a reduction in the size of the carrier force.
The Navy's new training and deployment schedule also calls for only one in five carriers to be deployed at any given time, down from about one in three currently, which would seemingly minimize the actual impact of reducing the carrier force to 10.
Peacetime deployment is not the issue. In peacetime you deploy the ships for training, to show the flag, or (quietly) to remind pesky countries that we have 11 carriers and they don't. It's when TSHTF that you need the carriers.
#2
Actually, they should cut a carrier, to buy the Marines the new ship to shore combat vehicle. That thing was cancelled a year or two back, but the designs and prototypes are still around. It would give the U.S. a new capability rather than 10% more carrier capability.
#3
See also BHARAT RAKSHAK > [Think-tanks] US SHOULD CUT CARRIERS, BUY SUBS, AND WORK WITH ALLIES.
versus
* WORLD MILITARY FORUM > US FACES BUDGET DEFAULT AGAIN, WILL HAVE ONLY US$50.0BILYUHN IN CASH AFTER FEBRUARY 27TH, 2014 WHICH WON'T BE ENOUGH TO PAY USDOD MONTHLY STIPENDS. US LACKS FINANCIAL OR BUDGET ABILITY TO MILITARILY DEFEND JAPAN AND EAST ASIAN ALLIES. US, EUROPEAN UNION [EU] + JAPAN MIRED IN "SOLE" OR COLLECTIVE DEBT ABYSS VALUED IN MANY MANY TRILYUHNS OF DOLLARS.
* INDIAN DEFENCE FORUM > CHINA'S MUTUALLY ASSURED DESTRUCTION CAPABILITY | ... ... , DIAOYU ISLANDS, AND THE SOUTH CHINA SEA.
China-vs-Russia-vs-US MAD NucWar scenario - China deters the US by aiming its Nuke BMS at Russia whom in turn does same to the USA.
ARTIC = CHINA'S ABILITY TO DESTROY RUSSIA IN MAJOR NUCLEAR WAR = WAR OF NUCLEAR ANNIHILATION ORDER TO DETER THE USA GIVES CHINA ALL-BUT-ABSOLUTE FREE OR CLEAR HAND TO DO ITS WILL IN ASIA.
" ... US CANNOT PRESSURE CHINA IN ASIA OR SOUTH CHINA".
IOW, as argued or inferred times before the US Debt Crisis strengthens China's hand [Iran's, etal?] NOT LESSENS IT.
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.
North Korea
SOCHI -- North Korea will miss the Winter Olympic Games for the first time in 12 years, an Olympics official here said Tuesday.
Wazoo
[An Nahar] 
Samir Geagea
The likelihood that the United States will know when a nation obtains nuclear weapon capability is very low, according to a new report* from the Pentagon.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel 
