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Hezbollah commander killed in Syria
Today's Headlines
Headline Comments [Views]
Page 1: WoT Operations
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Page 2: WoT Background
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Page 3: Non-WoT
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16 21:21 Alaska Paul [336091]
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Page 4: Opinion
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Page 6: Politix
10 19:46 Secret Asian Man [336086]
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6 19:40 Chuckles Slutch9020 [336075]
3 16:17 Bobby [336070]
6 14:20 Bright Pebbles [336094]
Good morning
Posted by: Fred || 11/17/2013 01:40 || Comments || Link || [336092 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Birthday Gam Shot 11/15

Laura Smet [French][Filmography](age 30)



Emerging Design NSFSS


Posted by: GolfBravoUSMC || 11/17/2013 2:33 Comments || Top||

#2  Birthday Gam Shot 11/16

Gemma Atkinson [English][Filmography](age 29)



Bipod Design


Posted by: GolfBravoUSMC || 11/17/2013 2:35 Comments || Top||

#3  Birthday Gam Shot

Sarah Harding [English][Filmography](age 32)



Straight Laced Design


Posted by: GolfBravoUSMC || 11/17/2013 2:38 Comments || Top||

#4  GBUSMC, thank you kind sir for that plentitude of pulchritude.
Posted by: AlanC || 11/17/2013 7:35 Comments || Top||

#5  In********* design at it's finest.
Posted by: Besoeker || 11/17/2013 8:26 Comments || Top||

#6  In********* designs, indeed.
Posted by: Pappy || 11/17/2013 8:57 Comments || Top||

#7  Was Laura Smet hanging out at Berlusconi's place?
Posted by: Abu Uluque || 11/17/2013 10:51 Comments || Top||

#8  Or Sanford White's swing?
Posted by: Shipman || 11/17/2013 12:33 Comments || Top||

#9  I will never again be able to look at a bipod the same way.
Posted by: gorb || 11/17/2013 13:15 Comments || Top||

#10  Thanks' for the tip GB; a bigger bipod should solve all my problems....
Posted by: Gnarly Gurly-Brown7744 || 11/17/2013 15:19 Comments || Top||

#11  Hmmmmmm...bipods.... :)
Posted by: CrazyFool || 11/17/2013 22:54 Comments || Top||


Afghanistan
Afghanistan attack: Suicide bombing near Kabul compound
[BBC.CO.UK] At least 10 people have been killed and more than 20 injured in a suicide kaboom in the Afghan capital, Kabul.

The bomb went off near a compound where tribal elders are expected to gather next week to discuss a security pact with the US.

The Taliban have told the BBC they carried out the attack.

The security pact governs the status of US military personnel staying in Afghanistan beyond the withdrawal of most international forces in 2014.

It will be discussed next week by Afghanistan's Loya Jirga, the traditional council of elders.

Immunity
Those killed in Saturday's attack include a police officer. Many of the other casualties appear to have been civilians.

Police say the attacker crashed a vehicle filled with explosives into an Afghan army vehicle when soldiers identified it as a threat and opened fire.
Posted by: Fred || 11/17/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336068 views] Top|| File under: Taliban


Africa Horn
Chadian Troops Killed in Darfur Tribal Fight
[An Nahar] Chadian troops in a joint force with Sudan have been killed battling tribal fighters in the troubled Darfur region, a humanitarian source said on Saturday.

The source did not know how many Chadians died in Thursday's fighting with Salamat primitive around Umm Dukhun, a town on the border with Chad in southwestern Darfur.

"Chadian deaths are confirmed," said the source who asked for anonymity.

Soldiers from Chad and Sudan have cooperated to jointly patrol their border region since ties between the two countries began to improve in 2010.

Off-and-on festivities between Salamat and a rival Arab tribe, the Misseriya, since April in southwestern Darfur have killed more than 200 people.

Intense battles have flared again this month.

In the latest incident, Salamat on Thursday attacked Umm Dukhun town and a camp for displaced people on its outskirts, in what the source called a "big battle".

"They were eventually repulsed by the mixed Chad-Sudan forces, and pushed into Chad where the forces chased them for a while," the source said.

Tribal violence and rebel-government battles have displaced at least 460,000 people in Sudan's Darfur this year, the United Nations
...where theory meets practice and practice loses...
said on Thursday.
Posted by: Fred || 11/17/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336068 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Sudan


Tribal Fight 'Kills 100' in Sudan's Darfur: Chad Troops Dead
[An Nahar] Heavy fighting
... as opposed to the more usual name-calling or slapsy...
in a border region of Sudan's Darfur has killed 100 people, state radio reported on Saturday, while another source said Chadian soldiers were among the recent dead.

"The number of casualties has grown to 100" after battles between the Misseriya and Salamat tribes, Radio Omdurman said in a brief bulletin sent by SMS.

The dispatch did not say what time period its toll covered, but intense battles between the two groups have flared again this month in southwestern Darfur.

Radio Omdurman said fighting had stopped but a Misseriya leader told Agence La Belle France Presse battles continued on Saturday around southwest Darfur's Umm Dukhun town, with more than 50 killed on both sides.

Chadian troops in a joint force with Sudan were among those killed in recent fighting, a humanitarian source said Saturday.

The source did not know how many Chadians died in Thursday's fighting with Salamat rustics around Umm Dukhun, on the border with Chad.

"Chadian deaths are confirmed," said the source, who asked for anonymity.

Sudan restricts access to the remote area, making it difficult to confirm details of the fighting.

Soldiers from Chad and Sudan have cooperated to jointly patrol their border region since ties between the two countries began to improve in 2010.

Off-and-on festivities between the Salamat and a rival Arab tribe, the Misseriya, had already killed more than 200 people since April in southwestern Darfur.

In Thursday's incident, the Salamat attacked Umm Dukhun and a camp for displaced people on its outskirts, in what the source called a "big battle".

"They were eventually repulsed by the mixed Chad-Sudan forces, and pushed into Chad where the forces chased them for a while," the source said.

During the pursuit some of the Chadians were killed, "most likely inside Chadian territory", the source said, adding that Salamat casualties were apparently heavy.

Both the Sudanese military and Chad were sending reinforcements to the area, the source added.

Sudan's armed forces front man could not be reached for comment.

A Salamat source confirmed that fighting occurred in southwestern Darfur on Thursday, but he said he was not sure if the Chadians were involved.

Tribal violence and rebel-government battles have displaced at least 460,000 people in Sudan's Darfur this year, the United Nations
...where theory meets practice and practice loses...
said on Thursday.

And Defense Minister Abdelrahim Mohammed Hussein said last week that violence between the various tribes has eclipsed rebel activity as Darfur's main security threat.

Two days of fighting between the Misseriya and Salamat in early November left more than 50 people dead outside Mukjar town north of Umm Dukhun, according to reports cited by the United Nations.

Tribal sources say the Arab militias have used rockets, artillery and heavy machineguns.

Non-Arab rebels rose up 10 years ago in Darfur, seeking an end to what they viewed as Arab elites' domination of Sudan's power and wealth.

In response, government-backed Janjaweed gunnies shocked the world with atrocities against civilians.

Analysts say the cash-starved government can no longer control its former Arab tribal allies, whom it armed against the rebellion, and violent competition for resources has intensified.
Posted by: Fred || 11/17/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336065 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Syria


Africa North
Some in Misrata protest the Gharghour massacre
[Libya Herald] There have been relatively small demonstrations in Misrata against the fighting that has been taking place in Tripoli, echoed by a similar gathering in Zliten. Those who took part were protesting the violence itself between Libyans.

Demonstrators handed out a statement saying they had been moved to protest by the shedding on blood "in our beloved capital".

Condemning tribalism and regionalism they called on Libyans to resolve their differences peacefully. They regretted every drop of blood shed on Friday at Ghaghour and sent their condolences to the bereaved.

They also demanded that Laws 27 and 53, dealing with the removal of all militias be implemented "without fear or favour with a single mechanism under state control".
Posted by: Fred || 11/17/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336069 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring


Islamists call for dialogue in Egypt after coup
[CBSNEWS] A Moslem Brüderbund-led alliance said Saturday it is ready for a national dialogue to end Egypt's political standoff, for the first time not formally demanding the nation's toppled Islamist president return to power.

The country's military-backed government, however, signaled no intention to start talks with supporters of ousted 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...
. Underscoring that, judges also suggested Saturday that the government disband the Brotherhood's political party.

The call by the alliance of Islamist groups is the first formal proposition by Morsi supporters, who have organized near-daily protests demanding his return to office since he was removed in a popularly supported military coup July 3.

Mohammed Bishr, a leading member of the Brotherhood, told news hounds the proposition calls for the release of detainees tossed in the slammer
Maw! They're comin' to get me, Maw!
after the ouster of Morsi. The coalition also asked for the end of security crackdown on Brotherhood members and its allies, as well as the reopening of television channels supporting them.

"We are keen on the country's stability and to get out of the economic crunch," Bishr said.

The coalition said its call is directed to other national political forces, as well as the military and the interim government it supports. The coalition offered a two-week period for them to discuss the proposal.

While the proposal offered Saturday doesn't call for Morsi's return to the presidency, it insists on basing a solution on "constitutional legitimacy." The group didn't elaborate.

A front man for the Brotherhood and its political party said one way of restoring constitutional legitimacy is to re-install Morsi briefly, so he can call for new elections or name a new prime minister. The front man spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to journalists about the proposal.

It's unclear how the coalition proposal would fit into a military-backed plan already in place for returning Egypt to democracy. That plan calls for a referendum by the end of the year on changes to the Islamist-drafted constitution. That would be followed by parliamentary and presidential elections by summer.

Deputy Prime Minister Hossam Eissa told The News Agency that Dare Not be Named that Morsi supporters should accept the military-backed plan first as a starting point for talks.

"A call for dialogue has to be based on accepting the accomplishments (since Morsi's ouster) and the current arrangements," Eissa said. "With no acceptance, there is no dialogue."

Meanwhile,
...back at the shattered spaceship, Fffflirgoll the Arcturan slithered stealthily toward the control room, where the humans had barricaded themselves...
a panel of judges told a court in Egypt it should disband the Brotherhood's political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party, and seize all its assets, state news agency MENA reported. A report by the panel said the party should be dissolved as another court order already banned the Brotherhood, the agency said.

The panel offered its opinion as guidance for the court, which is expected to rule on whether to disband the party in February.

MENA also reported that the panel offering amendments to the constitution should have a final draft of its recommendations ready by either Tuesday or Wednesday. Members of the Islamist coalition have criticized the work of the panel.

"The initial stance for the coalition is that we refuse whatever results a non-elected authority comes up with," Yousri Hamad, the vice president of the ultraconservative Salafi party, told the AP.

Magdy Salem, vice president of the Islamist Party, the political arm of the former myrmidon group Islamic Jihad
...created after many members of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood decided the organization was becoming too moderate. Operations were conducted out of Egypt until 1981 when the group was exiled after the assassination of President Anwar Sadat. They worked out of Gaza until they were exiled to Lebanon in 1987, where they clove tightly to Hezbollah. In 1989 they moved to Damascus, where they remain a subsidiary of Hezbollah...
, said the coalition wants the solution based on the 2012 Islamist-drafted constitution.

Also Saturday, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel spoke on the telephone with Egypt's military chief, Gen. Abdel-Fatah el-Sissi, who led the coup that ousted Morsi.

Assistant Press Secretary Carl Woog said in a statement that Hagel welcomed the end of Egypt's three-month period of emergency law and curfew, and reiterated that the United States values its ties with Egypt as well as freedom of expression.

"The leaders also discussed the importance of continuing progress on the roadmap toward inclusive democracy," Woog said.
Posted by: Fred || 11/17/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336064 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring

#1  Underscoring that, judges also suggested Saturday that the government disband the Brotherhood's political party.

I was hoping they'd make the MB wear leotards and dance to "Thriller" in Tahir square, but I guess that's expecting too much.

Posted by: Pappy || 11/17/2013 9:14 Comments || Top||

#2  They always call for dialogue---once you stick a gun to their heads.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 11/17/2013 13:54 Comments || Top||

#3  I was hoping they'd make the MB wear leotards and dance to "Thriller" in Tahir square, but I guess that's expecting too much.

Neh


Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 11/17/2013 14:02 Comments || Top||


Salafists threaten Sidi Bouzid teachers
[MAGHAREBIA] The director of a Sidi Bouzid primary school received a letter from salafists threatening teachers with death, Shems FM reported on Thursday (November 14th). The teachers were accused of blasphemy. Security forces were immediately deployed in the school.
Posted by: Fred || 11/17/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336074 views] Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in North Africa


Three dead, 45 wounded in fighting in the east of Tripoli
[Libya Herald] Heavy fighting
... as opposed to the more usual name-calling or slapsy...
has continued today in the east of Tripoli
...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn...
, though the casualty list has been markedly lower. Three people two from from Misrata, are known to have died and at least 45 others have been seriously injured.

The centre of activity today has been Tajoura hospital with a regular flow of ambulances bringing in the maimed. A doctor reported that there was also a steady stream of volunteers coming to give blood.

Late last night Tajoura-based militia manning a local roadblock, turned back a 30-vehicle convoy from Misrata. According to Tajoura sources, an agreement was reached whereby the Misrata commander agreed to stay outside of the district. However,
by candlelight every wench is handsome...
it is believed that the same Misrata unit returned and mounted a dawn raid on the nearby camp of Brigade 101. The base was overrun. When Tajoura units launched a counterattack later in the morning, the Misrata forces retreated, taking captured vehicles, weapons and ammunition with them.

Brigade 101 commander Mukhtar Herna was said by the Libyan news agency LANA to have admitted the loss of equipment and complained that the Misrata forces had not kept their promise.

Despite this, much of this afternoon and evening has been taken up with the erection of barricades along the coastal road leading into the capital. Libya Herald news hounds tonight saw obstructions erected from Ain Zara to the Gharaboulli city limits

Tajoura shopkeeper Mohammed Ghurrani said "the Misrata militias have been pushed back since last night to the eastern outskirts of Gharaboulli, almost as far back as Khoms".

In Suq al-Juma this evening rumours were circulating of up to 600 trucks with bully boyz coming from Misrata.

Elsewhere in the city, elements of the Misrata Brigade are reported to have occupied the Ministry of Justice on the Fallah Road.
Posted by: Fred || 11/17/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336070 views] Top|| File under: Ansar al-Sharia

#1  And why did Zero start a war in Libya again? Have things gotten any better for anyone?
Posted by: AlanC || 11/17/2013 7:37 Comments || Top||

#2  Why it's that "Responsibility to Protect," policy, Alan.

Admittedly it was neither responsible nor protective but, look - affordable healthcare!
Posted by: Pappy || 11/17/2013 9:16 Comments || Top||


Ghargour clashes: 43 dead, 460 injured
[Libya Herald] The number of people killed in Tripoli
...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn...
during last night's festivities has reached 43, with a further 460 injured, according to the Ministry of Interior.

This figure may include three Misratans who were also killed, according to Libyan news agency LANA. It is understood that dead and injured Misratans were taken back to their home city last night, and no numbers for their injured have yet been reported.

In a statement, the Ministry of Interior said it had monitored yesterday's protests and had not seen evidence of weapons amongst protestors. The demonstration was peaceful until the first shots were fired, from an "unknown place," according to the head of the Supreme Security Committee Hashim Bishr. Members of the Misrata brigade stationed in Ghargour then immediately opened fire on protestors, Bishr said. Protestors say that the shots came from the brigade which, they said, first had gun sex and then directly at the demonstrators.

The office of the Attorney General was now in charge of investigating last night's events, the Ministry of Interior added.

Three days national mourning for the dead was declared yesterday. Today, Tripoli University announced that it would close for three days after eight students were killed in the festivities. Flags outside government buildings and leading hotels in the capital have been flying at half-mast today.
Posted by: Fred || 11/17/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336069 views] Top|| File under: Ansar al-Sharia


Six Tawerghans reported murdered in raid
[Libya Herald] Six Tawerghans were murdered this morning in a raid on the Tawerghan refugee camp in Fallah district, a Tawergha official has told the Libya Herald.

The six were killed, according to refugee activist Emad Ergai, when three gunnies arrived at about 9.30 am in a vehicle marked "Steadfast Misrata" and started started shooting indiscriminately. Ergai also claimed that five others were maimed, two of them critically. The two were taken to Tripoli
...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn...
Central Hospital, he said. The other three were being treated in the camp clinic.

The allegations are, however, unconfirmed.

According to a Facebook site, one of the dead was named Abdulmutallab Abu Bakr Abu Zataya. He is said to have been shot in the head. The site said the attackers had been armed with Kalashnikovs and initially could not enter the camp because the gate had been shut as a precaution following yesterday's slaughter in nearby Gharghour.

It is unclear if the alleged attacks are linked to yesterday's tragedy.
Posted by: Fred || 11/17/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336071 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring


The Gharghour Tragedy: an eyewitness account
[Libya Herald] The joint call to march on Gharghour after Jummah prayer by the Tripoli
...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn...
Local Council (TLC) and local activists was well received. More than 1,500 protestors waited after the prayer in Alharida square for others from Fashloum, Ain Zara and Suq Al-Jumah to join them before they could begin their march to evict the brigades from Gharghour. They carried placards and the national flag of Libya. They also brought white flags in large numbers to signal their peaceful intent -- something that would later make no difference to the outcome, which would see some 43 dead and more than 460 injured.

The call for peaceful march came after last week's deadly festivities which rocked Tripoli. The fighting was triggered by the death of the brigade based in Gharghour, a few days after he was injured during an argument at a checkpoint argument.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred || 11/17/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336078 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring


Bangladesh
20 hurt as BNP, Jamaat clash with cops in Ctg
[Bangla Daily Star] At least 20 people were maimed as activists of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami
...The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independent branch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores...
clashed with police in Sitakunda upazila of Chittagong today.

The opposition workers vandalised several dozen vehicles and set fire to more than five others on Dhaka-Chittagong highway, halting traffic movement on the road for more than three hours from 4:30pm.

Two train trains -- Subarna Express from Dhaka and Meghna Express from Chittagong -- remained stranded for hours as the Jamaat-Shibir took position on rail trucks at Barabkunda from 5:00pm to 8:20pm, railway officials said.

Besides, Sylhet-bound Jalabad Express and a Comilla-bound demo train which were scheduled to leave the port city this evening had to delay to their departure time.

Of the injured, Karimul Mawla, 35, and Abul Bashar, 70, were maimed as police fired rubber bullets to disperse the agitators while Md Rafiq, 30, was hit on his head by stones thrown by the activists.

The three were admitted to Sitakunda Upazila Health Complex, our Chittagong correspondent reports quoting Dr Shahida Akther.

The clash started when hundreds of BNP-Jamaat activists organised a protest rally at Sitakunda Sadar upazila in the afternoon and blocked the Dhaka-Chittagong highway around 4:30pm.

As police went to clear the road, the activists started hurling brickbats at the law enforcers and blasted several crude bombs, said police and eyewitness.

In response, police fired rubber bullets and teargas shells.

BNP and Jamaat activists then started vandalising vehicles indiscriminately and torched several others in Bypass, Barabkunda and Sadar areas, halting traffic movement on the road for nearly three hours.

Zakir Hossain, officer-in-charge of Highway Police's Bara Awlia Station at Sitakunda, said nearly 52 kilometres on the highway remained blocked as the opposition activists were conducting sudden attacks in different areas of the road.

Posted by: Fred || 11/17/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336070 views] Top|| File under: Jamaat-e-Islami


China-Japan-Koreas
Nine Shot Dead in Xinjiang Police Station Attack
[An Nahar] Nine axe-wielding assailants were rubbed out during an attack on a cop shoppe in China's restive Xinjiang province, state media reported Saturday.

The attackers killed two auxiliary coppers before they were themselves bumped off, according to the Xinhua news agency.

The assault took place around 5:30 pm (0930 GMT) in the Serikbuya Township of Bachu County in Kashgar Prefecture.

Quoting police, Xinhua said the attackers armed themselves with knives and axes and that two coppers were also injured alongside the two that were killed. The agency gave no further details.

The assault comes at a time of heightened tension within Xinjiang following a fiery attack in Beijing's Tiananmen Square last month which the government blamed on "terrorists" from the province backed by international Islamist hard boys.

Xinjiang -- a vast, resource rich province that makes up much of China's western flank -- has been the scene of several violent festivities, the most recent of which left dozens dead in April, June and August this year.

Ethnic Uighurs, a mainly Mohammedan minority who make up a majority in Xinjiang, routinely complain of rights abuses against them by the authorities.

In the most recent incident, three Xinjiang Uighurs drove their car loaded with petrol canisters into the gate of the Forbidden City in an attack on 28 October that left two dead, besides the three people in the car, and 40 injured, according to Chinese police.

Beijing blamed the attack on Uighur separatists backed by the violent Islamist hard boy East Turkestan Islamic Movement.

The authorities have, however, not provided any evidence to support this assertion, which has raised doubts among experts given the amateurish nature of the attack and the lack of an established Islamic bad boy foothold in China.
Posted by: Fred || 11/17/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336068 views] Top|| File under:


India-Pakistan
4 troops among 7 injured in Bannu suicide blast
[Pak Daily Times] Seven persons, including four coppers, sustained injuries in a suicide kaboom on their vehicle in Bannu on Saturday. According to reports, a jacket wallah went kaboom! near a security forces' van near River Kurram bridge. The vehicle was on its way to Bannu from Kohat. As a result of the blast, four troops and three passers-by were maimed who were shifted to CMH, Bannu. Security forces cordoned off the area after the incident and initiated an investigation.
Posted by: Fred || 11/17/2013 00:52 || Comments || Link || [336067 views] Top|| File under: TTP


Blasts in KP after peaceful Muharram
[Pak Daily Times] Multiple bomb kabooms shook Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central...
on Saturday, killing two and injuring at least a dozen people. In one of the incidents of violence, a policeman was killed and two others injured after a police van hit a roadside kaboom in Dera Ismail Khan
... the Pearl of Pashtunistan ...
. A police official said the van was on its way to Hangu when it was targeted using a remote-controlled device. Earlier, a suspected jacket wallah maimed four Frontier Corps personnel and two passers-by in Bannu. Official sources said the suspected suicide bomber rammed his cycle of violence into a security forces vehicle, injuring the six men and damaging the vehicle. According to police, the suicide bomber was killed in the attack. Security personnel cordoned off the area and started a search operation after the incident. Another bombing injured three people in 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.
. Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) personnel said that approximately five kilogrammes of kaboom, fitted in a cylinder, blew up near a police van on Kohat Road in Budhber area on Peshawar's outskirts. As a result of the kaboom, the police van was completely destroyed while three people sustained injuries. Rescue teams reached the site of the blast while security forces cordoned off the area. The injured were shifted to the Lady Reading Hospital. Bombings took place in the province as at least 10 people were killed in sectarian festivities in Rawalpindi on Friday.
Posted by: Fred || 11/17/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336072 views] Top|| File under: TTP


Pakistan imposes curfew in Rawalpindi after clashes
[BBC.CO.UK] The Pak authorities have imposed a curfew in Rawalpindi, near the capital Islamabad, after eight people died in sectarian festivities on Friday.

The violence erupted as Shia Mohammedans staged a procession marking the religious festival of Ashura.

Dozens of people were maimed and many shops set on fire in festivities between Sunni and Shia Mohammedans in the city.

The curfew was briefly relaxed for three hours on Saturday but has now been re-imposed.

Officials have not made clear when the curfew will be completely lifted.

Security forces are patrolling the streets and entry points into Rawalpindi have been closed. Police say the aim of the curfew is to "avert further violence" after Friday's violence.

At least 35 people were maimed, many with gunshot wounds, in festivities that occurred when a Shia procession coincided with a sermon at a nearby Sunni mosque.

Dozens of shops and a seminary were set on fire.

Disturbances were also reported in the Multan and Bhawalnagar districts of Punjab province, with the army being called in to quell unrest.

The Rawalpindi unrest took place during one of the most religious occasions for Shia Mohammedans, commemorating the anniversary of the death of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed.

The authorities have stepped up security ahead of the mourning ceremonies, including the jamming of mobile phone networks.

Tens of thousands of police and soldiers have also been deployed across the country to prevent possible attacks against the Shia minority taking part in the commemorations.
Posted by: Fred || 11/17/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336072 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan


Iraq
Four Police Killed in Iraq Attacks
[An Nahar] A series of attacks in Storied Baghdad
...located along the Tigris River, founded in the 8th century, home of the Abbasid Caliphate...
and north Iraq left four coppers dead and a dozen people maimed on Saturday, in the latest in a months-long surge in nationwide bloodshed.

The spike in violence, which has left more than 5,600 people dead so far this year, has forced Iraq to appeal for international help to combat militancy with just months to go before its first general election in four years.

Saturday's violence targeted police in the capital and the main northern city of djinn-infested Mosul.

In Storied Baghdad, two separate bombings targeting police patrols killed three coppers and maimed 11 other people, security and medical officials said.

And in djinn-infested Mosul, forces of Evil opened fire on a police checkpoint, killing one policeman and wounding another.

The unrest is the latest in a protracted surge in attacks that has pushed violence to its highest level since 2008, when Iraq was recovering from the worst of its Sunni-Shiite sectarian war.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki
... Prime Minister of Iraq and the secretary-general of the Islamic Dawa Party....
has called for Washington's help in the form of greater intelligence sharing and the timely delivery of new weapons systems in an effort to curb the bloodshed.
Posted by: Fred || 11/17/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336071 views] Top|| File under: Islamic State of Iraq


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Israel, Saudi Arabia working on Iran strike plan
Israel is working on coordinating plans for a possible military strike with Saudi Arabia, with Riyadh prepared to provide tactical support to Jerusalem, a British newspaper reported early Sunday. The two countries have both united in worry that the West may come to terms with Iran, easing sanctions and allowing the Islamic Republic to continue its nuclear program.

According to the Sunday Times, Riyadh has agreed to let Israel use its airspace in a military strike on Iran and cooperate over the use of rescue helicopters, tanker planes and drones.

"The Saudis are furious and are willing to give Israel all the help it needs," an unnamed diplomatic source told the paper.

The report comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in the midst of a blitz to lobby against a deal and cobble together an international alliance opposed to an agreement that allows Iran to continue enriching uranium.

On Sunday, Israel will welcome French president Francois Hollande, who a week earlier put the kibosh on a deal between six world powers and Iran that would ease sanctions in return for initial steps toward curbing enrichment. Netanyahu on Friday urged France to remain firm in its pressure on Iran ahead of a new round of talks on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program in Geneva, kicking off Wednesday.

After meeting Hollande, Netanyahu will head to Moscow on Wednesday to meet with President Vladimir Putin and lobby against the deal.

Should a deal be reached, according to the diplomatic source, a military option would be back on the table. Saudi tactical support, in lieu of backup from the Pentagon, would be vital for a long-range mission targeting Iran's nuclear program.

Saudi Arabia, a Sunni Muslim country across the Persian Gulf from Iran has long been at odds with Tehran, and fears a nuclear weapon would threaten Riyadh and set off a nuclear arms race in the region.
Posted by: Steve White || 11/17/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336091 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Not true, but appealing.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 11/17/2013 2:48 Comments || Top||

#2  You can't always trust what you read. I will believe this when Dan rather gets his old job back.
Posted by: Spereting Tingle4064 || 11/17/2013 5:16 Comments || Top||

#3  I don't think the Saudis can be trusted atm. Not that I trust John 'Marshall Petain' Kerry either.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain || 11/17/2013 7:29 Comments || Top||

#4  Maybe not true, but, can you think of any other "smart diplomacy" that could even get these sorts of ideas broached?

The Zero regime has plumbed depths of depravity and incompetence unthought of, not to mention reached, in the past.
Posted by: AlanC || 11/17/2013 9:45 Comments || Top||

#5  Who cares if it's not true? If we had a CIA worth anything at all we'd be leaking Photoshopped images of Israeli F15s at Dahrain...
Posted by: Steve White || 11/17/2013 10:49 Comments || Top||

#6  Report: Obama Refusing To Take Calls From Netanyahu Over Iran… <LINK>

...Bloggery origin, including denials, HERE...

Posted by: Uncle Phester || 11/17/2013 14:33 Comments || Top||

#7  Obama's finally found a cause Pat Buchanan can back!
Posted by: Frank G || 11/17/2013 14:59 Comments || Top||

#8  Report: Obama Refusing To Take Calls From Netanyahu Over Iran...

I guess he'll have to read what happened to Iran in a newspaper.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 11/17/2013 15:00 Comments || Top||

#9  this is probably also being coordinated with the French since the existence of Israel-Saudi cooperation gives the French more leverage in getting a non appeasement deal between Iran and the US/EU

I've also wondered where China in this. A nuclear Iran would seem to be very bad for China as it would up the price for oil.
Posted by: lord garth || 11/17/2013 17:58 Comments || Top||

#10  China talks about how they're going to take back Taiwan. They talk about how they're going to take all of the Philipines' territorial waters. They talk about how unfortunately there's nothing they can do if the Norks go off the reservation (wink wink) against the South.

But I suspect their real Next Planned Shooting War is to take over the Russian Far East once the Iranian Bomb War kicks off.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain || 11/17/2013 18:35 Comments || Top||

#11  ..yes, 'importing' oil from Siberia (or whatever the Chinese end up calling it) is a lot more secure and less costly then building a large blue water navy to protect their oil supply lines(see Japan circa 1941).
Posted by: Procopius2k || 11/17/2013 18:48 Comments || Top||

#12  Iff the MSM-Net is to be believed, Israel + the KSA have been working on an Iran attack plan for several years now.

As per #10, IMO no matter whether it begins wid JAPAN, PHIL, TAIWAN, INDIA, or even RUSSIA = RFE, it will devol into perhaps China's only opportunity this century to voluntarily/
diplomatically or forcibly all of its "strategic access" issues.

The longer China waits, the more difficult it will become as the US-Allies establish permanent GMD-TMD, + both China's regional allies as well as rivals, + Radical Islam, become MilPol stronger + go full-monty Nukulaar.

* E.G. TOPIX > ABE HAILS JAPAN'S RETURN TO WORLD STAGE.

* INDIAN DEFENCE FORUM > JAPAN DEFENSE MINISTRY FOR 60% CUT IN TANKS, COURSE FOR MILITARY REFORM [Tech-led/centered expansion].

* BIG NEWS NETWORK > JAPAN TO TAP TECHNOLOGY FOR MILITARY USE, ANOTHER STEP AWAY FROM PACIFISM.

* DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > INDIA TO HAVE 200 WARSHIPS IN NEXT TEN YEARS, up from 136 tote at present + to include up to three CV's in three separate major MR commands.

VERSUS

* OTOH INDIAN DEFENCE FORUM > CHINA TO BUILD SUPER NUCLEAR BOMBER CAPABLE OF CARRYING OF 200 NUCLEAR BOMBS [170-210 qty = bombload] | IDRW.ORG.

[DR. FU MANCHU, NOT-AN-AGENT-OF-SHIELD [or is He?] = "CAPTAIN AMERICA, WINTER SOLDIER" FLYING AIRCRAFT CARRIER here].
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 11/17/2013 18:59 Comments || Top||

#13  It's raining in Riyadh, they may be quite sincere.
Posted by: newc || 11/17/2013 20:04 Comments || Top||

#14  More ...

* WORLD NEWS > [Siasat Daily] IRAN: NO NEED FOR WEST TO DECLARE [inalienable = natural = self-evident] ENRICHMENT RIGHT.

FM Mohammed Javad Zarif.

"Iran holds these Truths to be Self-Evident ... ... And that among these Rights is the Right to Life, Liberty, + the Pursuit of Uranium or Plutonium".

* SAME > [WaPo] AN IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL DOESN'T HAVE TO BE PERFECT - JUST BETTER THAN THE ALTERNATIVES.

IMO read, SHORT-OF-WAR???

versus

* TOPIX > [Times of Israel] HOLLANDE: FOR DEAL, IRAN MUST HALT ITS NUCLEAR AMBITIONS.

Dare Hollande be the opposite of POTUS Bammer - HOLLANDE IS A LOUSY GLOBALIST + EU UNIONIST, BUT ONE HELLUVA OUTSTANDING NATIONALIST + PRO-SOVEREIGNTY FRENCHMAN???
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 11/17/2013 22:12 Comments || Top||


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Hezbollah commander killed in Syria
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] A senior Hezbollah commander died on Saturday after he was maimed in Syria several days ago, a pro-Hezbollah website reported.

"The Islamic resistance in Hezbollah proudly weds a new Knight...Ali Shabeeb (Abu Trab al-Rweis) who died as he was performing his sacred religious duty," pro-Hezbollah website www.southlebanon.org reported.

The website did not mention where or when Shabeeb was killed inside Syria. Hezbollah is believed to have deployed thousands of fighters in Syria.

The powerful Shiite movement has said its fight alongside Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Before going into the family business Pencilneck was an eye doctor. If he'd stuck with it he'd have had a good practice by now...
's regime is aimed at combatting Sunni snuffies who, he claimed, are targeting Syria's Shiite and Christian minorities.

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah vowed last week to keep his forces in Syria.

"We have said on several occasions that the presence of our soldiers on Syrian soil is to defend... Syria, which supports the resistance" against Israel, Nasrallah said.

"So long as that reason exists, our presence there is justified.

"Those who speak of our withdrawal from Syria as a condition to form a government in Leb know that it is an impossible condition.

"We won't negotiate on the existence of Syria (in exchange for) a handful of ministries."
Posted by: Fred || 11/17/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336115 views] Top|| File under: Hezbollah



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Two weeks of WOT
Sun 2013-11-17
  Hezbollah commander killed in Syria
Sat 2013-11-16
  Militias attack Libyan protesters, killing 31
Fri 2013-11-15
  Iraq Bombers Kill 43 as Millions Mark Shiite Holiday
Thu 2013-11-14
  Bomb blasts outside Karachi imambargahs wound 14
Wed 2013-11-13
  Syria Kurds Announce Transitional Autonomous Government
Tue 2013-11-12
  Gunmen gun down 'chief financier' of Haqqani network in Islamabad
Mon 2013-11-11
  Syria army retakes key base near Aleppo: State TV
Sun 2013-11-10
  Imambargah attacks leave three dead, spark outrage
Sat 2013-11-09
  Zawahiri Disbands Main Qaida Faction in Syria
Fri 2013-11-08
  'Mullah Radio' takes overTTP, terms talks 'waste of time'
Thu 2013-11-07
  Nigeria president seeks state of emergency extension
Wed 2013-11-06
  Mortar round hits Vatican embassy in Damascus
Tue 2013-11-05
  152 soldiers sentenced to die for mutiny in Bangladesh
Mon 2013-11-04
  Blast inside Quetta seminary leaves two injured
Sun 2013-11-03
  Gunmen kill 30 in suspected Islamist attack on Nigerian wedding convoy

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