Hi there, !
Today Wed 03/06/2013 Tue 03/05/2013 Mon 03/04/2013 Sun 03/03/2013 Sat 03/02/2013 Fri 03/01/2013 Thu 02/28/2013 Archives
Rantburg
531701 articles and 1855983 comments are archived on Rantburg.

Today: 57 articles and 107 comments as of 14:24.
Post a news link    Post your own article   
Area: WoT Operations    Non-WoT    Opinion        Politix   
Jamaat, Shibir stay violent; toll rises to 47
Today's Headlines
Headline Comments [Views]
Page 2: WoT Background
1 12:59 tipper [] 
3 22:50 Procopius2k [] 
1 05:57 Cretinous Humongous [] 
0 [] 
1 02:10 Besoeker [] 
0 [1] 
0 [] 
2 11:16 Frank G [] 
11 11:10 Alanc [] 
0 [] 
0 [1] 
1 18:41 JosephMendiola [] 
0 [] 
0 [] 
0 [] 
0 [] 
1 18:40 JosephMendiola [] 
1 09:50 Frank G [] 
Page 1: WoT Operations
1 22:24 JosephMendiola [1]
0 []
1 19:31 Zhang Fei []
0 []
0 []
0 []
0 []
0 []
1 08:42 Grunter []
0 []
0 []
0 []
0 []
0 []
0 []
0 []
0 [1]
1 16:22 Jack is Back! []
0 []
Page 3: Non-WoT
6 18:39 Barbara []
4 12:14 M. Murcek []
3 13:25 trailing wife []
3 16:59 Shipman []
2 22:16 JosephMendiola []
0 []
9 22:26 SteveS []
1 10:42 Frank G []
Page 4: Opinion
1 21:38 Mike Kozlowski []
13 22:55 Procopius2k []
0 []
3 21:05 Rjschwarz []
6 23:35 Abu Uluque [1]
1 01:30 OldSpook []
3 11:07 Barbara []
Page 6: Politix
3 19:02 JosephMendiola []
15 19:51 Zhang Fei [1]
7 20:59 Rjschwarz []
0 [1]
1 08:41 Procopius2k []
Afghanistan
Peyton Manning visits Camp Leatherneck
Posted by: ryuge || 03/03/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Africa Horn
UN to lift Somalia arms embargo
The UN Security Council is considering lifting an arms embargo on Somalia's government for one year so that it can beef up its army to combat fighters. A draft resolution is due to be voted on by the divided council on Wednesday.

The Somalia government has asked for the arms embargo to be lifted and the United States has been pushing the council to agree, but Britain and France have been wary of removing the ban in a country already awash with weapons, diplomats say.
It's about getting weapons to the right people, and to conferring legitimacy to the new 'government'.
The draft resolution, drawn up by Britain and obtained by Reuters, appears to propose a compromise: lifting the arms embargo for one year but keeping restrictions in place on heavy weapons such as surface to air missiles, howitzers and cannons.
I dunno, howitzers might be real useful in dealing with Al-Shabaab...
The draft resolution says the arms embargo shall not apply to the deliveries of other "weapons or military equipment or the provision of advice, assistance or training, intended solely for the development of the security forces of the federal government of Somalia and to provide security for the Somali people."

It says that these weapons and equipment "may not be resold to, transferred to, or made available for use by, any individual or entity not in the service of the security forces of the federal government of Somalia."
Void where prohibited by law. Please read all instructions and warnings before use. Use only as directed. Batteries not included. Contents may settle during shipment. Return your seatback and tray table to their normal upright position. Your seat cushion can be used as a flotation device. In the event of decreased air pressure, oxygen masks will pop out of the top of your monitor. Breaking seal constitutes acceptance of agreement. We have sent the forms which seem right for you. This page made from 100% recycled electrons. Read at your own risk. Parental advisory - explicit lyrics. Text may contain explicit materials some readers may find objectionable, parental guidance is advised. Must be 18 years of age or older. Some assembly required. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. For indoor or outdoor use only. We make no other warranties, expressed or implied. No postage necessary if mailed in the United States. This is not an offer to sell securities. May be too intense for some viewers. Product meant for recreational use only. Do not disturb. This is not an attorney advertisement or referal service. No user-serviceable parts inside. Contains small parts and is not intended for use by children under the age of eighteen. Times are approximate. Do not disturb. Simulated picture. Please remain seated until the ride comes to a complete stop. For off-road use only. Do not block intersection. No tresspassing. No stopping or standing. Don't even think about parking here. No parking when road is snow covered. As seen on TV. One size fits all. Product will be hot after heating. Do not iron clothes on body. Remove clothing before distributing in washing machine. Do not use while sleeping. Do not use on food. Many suitcases look alike. Colors may fade. Insert this end first. Slippery when wet. No substitutions allowed. For a limited time only. Void where prohibited, taxed, or otherwise restricted. Caveat emptor. Provided "as-is" without warranty. Reader assumes full responsibility. We are an equal opportunity employer. No shoes, no shirt, no service. Quantities are limited while supplies last. If any defects are discovered, do not attempt to fix them yourself, but return to an authorized service center. Keep away from sunlight. Keep away from pets and small children. Limit one per family please. No money down. No purchase necessary. Not affiliated with the American Red Cross. Drop in any mailbox. Edited for television. Keep cool. Process promptly. Return to sender, no forwarding order on file, unable to forward. Not responsible for direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages resulting from any defect, error or failure to perform. Webmaster is also not responsible for items left, lost or stolen. At participating locations only. Sold by weight, not by volume. Penalty for private use. See label for sequence. This web site rated 'R' for Mature audiences. Do not take with alcohol. Sealed for your protection - do not use if safety seal is broken. Substantial penalty for early withdrawal. Do not write below this line. Falling rock. Use seatbelts even with airbags. Do not stop on railroad tracks. Lost ticket pays maximum rate. Your canceled check is your receipt. Add toner. Place stamp here. Avoid contact with skin. Sanitized for your protection. Employees must wash hands before returning to work. Caution, coffee is served HOT. Be sure each item is properly endorsed. Sign here without admitting guilt. Slightly higher west of the Mississippi. Employees and their families are not eligible. Beware of dog. Contestants have been briefed on some questions before the show. Filmed in front of a live, studio audience. Call now to ensure prompt delivery. Leave off the last S for savings. Calls may be monitored for quality assurance or training purposes. Please make your selections from the following menu. All representatives are still busy assisting other callers. Please stay on the line and a representative will be with you when they feel the need. Please call back during our normal business hours. You must be present to win. Winners need not be present to win. No passes accepted for this engagement. Do not use this product with a petroleum based lubricant. No animals were harmed in the preparation of this web site; only humans. This web page contains no CFCs. Discontinue use if nausea or dizziness occurs. Shading within a garment may occur. Use only in a well-ventilated area. Keep away from fire or flames. No soliciting. Bridge freezes before road surface. Stop, get ticket. Right lane must turn right. Left lane must turn left. Middle lane must make up their damn minds. This site runs on unleaded fuel only. Objects in mirror may be closer than they appear. Buses and carpools with two or more people only. No hitchhiking. Components may be hot. Silica gel - do not eat. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer. Details on reverse side. Shoplifters will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We reserve the right to check all bags, coats & personal belongings upon exiting this page. Recycle. Fragile - handle with care. This side up. No jumping or diving. No running by the pool. Register has less than $50 after dark. Driver does not carry cash. No swimming unless lifeguard is present. Swim at your own risk! Please do not wade in fountain. Guaranteed low prices. Not transferable. Actual size not shown. Contents under pressure. Do not intentionally inhale vapors. Replace with same type. Approved for veterans. Please be kind, rewind. Booths for two or more. Check here if tax deductible. Action figures sold separately. No preservatives added. Some equipment shown is optional. Price does not include tax. Do not remove any HTML tags under penalty of law. Hand wash only - tumble dry on low heat. No Canadian coins. Short circuit may cause fire. No more than 3 transactions per car. Not recommended for small children. Prerecorded for this time zone. Reproduction strictly prohibited. No alcohol, dogs or horses. Not for resale. List at least two alternate dates. Blackout dates may apply. Viewing by pregnant women may result in fetal injury, premature birth and low birth weight. First pull up, then pull down. Insert Tab A into Slot B. Call toll free number before digging. This space (____________) intentionally left blank. Some of the trademarks mentioned in this product appear for identification purposes only. Record additional transactions on back of previous stub. Unix is a registered trademark of AT&T. Do not fold, spindle or mutilate. This article does not reflect the thoughts or opinions of either myself, my company, my friends, or my cat. Don't quote me on that. Don't quote me on anything. All rights reserved. Patent pending. Cigarette Smoke Contains Carbon Monoxide. Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema. The best safeguard, second only to abstinence, is the use of a condom. No salt, MSG, artificial color or flavoring added. Offer valid only at participating locations. Slightly higher west of the Rockies. Allow four to six weeks for delivery. You may distribute this article freely, but may not make a profit from it. Actual cash value of this website is 1/1000th of a cent. Listen to your mom. Eat your veggies. Wear your seatbelt. Don't take candy from strangers... or strange people... or anyone really. Illustrations are slightly enlarged to show detail. If something offends you, lighten up, get a life and move on. This list was current at the time of printing. Terms are subject to change without notice. All decisions are final! This supersedes all previous notices. Disclaimer does not cover misuse, accident, lightning, flood, tornado, tsunami, volcanic eruption, earthquake, hurricanes, or other acts of God, neglect, damage from improper use, incorrect line voltage, unauthorized use, unauthorized repair, improper installation, typos, broken antenna or marred cabinet, missing or altered serial numbers, electromagnetic radiation from nuclear blasts, sonic boom vibrations, customer adjustments that are not covered in this list, and incidents owing to an airplane crash, ship sinking or taking on water, motor vehicle crashing, dropping the item, falling rocks, leaky roof, broken glass, disk failure, accidental file deletions, mud slides, forest fire, hitting of a deer, milk coming out of your nose due to laughing while drinking, or projectiles, which can include, but are not limited to, arrows, bullet shots, BBs, shrapnel, lasers, napalm, torpedoes, emissions of X-rays, Alpha, Beta and Gamma rays, knives, stones, etc.
The 15-member council imposed the arms embargo in 1992 to cut the flow of arms to feuding warlords, who a year earlier ousted dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and plunged Somalia into civil war. Somalia held its first national vote since 1991 last year to elect a president and prime minister.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon earlier this month suggested the Security Council consider lifting the arms embargo to help rebuild Somalia's forces and consolidate military gains against al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militants. But some council members are concerned about the security risks involved with removing the arms embargo and one council diplomats said the proposed move "sends shivers down the spine."
Posted by: Steve White || 03/03/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  heh. Dr. Steve gets creative
Posted by: Frank G || 03/03/2013 9:50 Comments || Top||


Africa North
Kerry urges Egypt to 'get economy back on its feet'
[FRANCE24] Egyptians need to come together to give businesses confidence and pass reforms to qualify for an IMF loan, and get the ailing economy "back on its feet," US Secretary of State John Kerry said during a visit to Cairo on Saturday.
There. That should do it...
Posted by: Fred || 03/03/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring

#1  Maybe he could get the Missus to break out her pom-poms and assist in the cheerleading.....
Posted by: USN,Ret. || 03/03/2013 0:14 Comments || Top||

#2  Spoken with the doltish audacity of a clueless yankee gigolo. And we wonder why they hate us ?
Posted by: Besoeker || 03/03/2013 2:03 Comments || Top||

#3  No wonder Arabs believe everybody conspires against them.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 03/03/2013 4:42 Comments || Top||

#4  Kerry is totally out of touch... The Egyptians have very little in the way of an economy, how are they going to pay back a loan, with bags of sand from the Sahara ?
Posted by: Titus Clerong4672 || 03/03/2013 6:29 Comments || Top||

#5  This boob probably thinks the US economy is a roaring success at the moment.

I really think that I've slipped into an alternate universe where the administration is actually characters from a cartoon strip.
Posted by: Alanc || 03/03/2013 8:01 Comments || Top||

#6  Maybe he should take a hot balloon tour of Luxor.

Runner-up snark of the day.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble || 03/03/2013 8:07 Comments || Top||

#7  the administration is actually characters from a cartoon strip

From Pogo to Doonsbury to Bloom County the left has long hankered for a cartoonish approach to government policy. We have it now, and many are not laughing...
Posted by: M. Murcek || 03/03/2013 8:11 Comments || Top||

#8  "what you should do, Egypt? Find a really rich widow and marry her. It's that easy"

Snark of the day.
Posted by: Frank G || 03/03/2013 9:51 Comments || Top||

#9  John Kerry thought Eqypt would benefit from a 'corruption dividend'. He may also be worried that they cannot pay for the US military equipment needed to keep the 'arab spring' alive.

Might I suggest covering the Pyramids with solar panels?
Posted by: airandee || 03/03/2013 10:24 Comments || Top||

#10  "Might I suggest covering the Pyramids with solar panels?"

Better cover 'em with something, airandee, before the islamonazinuts in their gummint and elsewhere decide they're "unislamic" and destroy them. >:-(
Posted by: Barbara || 03/03/2013 10:59 Comments || Top||

#11  I've thought for several years now that when the Islamonuts take over in Egypt the antiquities will go, starting with the temples of Luxor.

The Sphinx and Pyramids are a bit too visible a place to start but they'll get there eventually.

Well the Muzzie nuts took over but haven't consolidated things enough yet but the clock is ticking. (See also Bamiyan Bhuddahs, tombs of Timbuktu, etc.)
Posted by: Alanc || 03/03/2013 11:10 Comments || Top||


Africa Subsaharan
US Seeks to Confirm Report of Terror Leader's Death
American military and intelligence officials said Sunday they are attempting to confirm a report from the Chadian military of the death of al Qaeda leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar, the alleged mastermind of the deadly attack on an Algerian natural gas facility in January.

If the new report is confirmed, Belmokhtar's death would be a significant victory against a growing al Qaeda threat in northern Africa.

Belmokhtar's killing was announced on Chadian national television by armed forces spokesperson Gen. Zacharia Gobongue, who said Chadian troops "operating in northern Mali completely destroyed a terrorist base."

"The [death] toll included several dead terrorists, including their leader, Mokhtar Belmokhtar," he said.

Belmokhtar is known as Mr. Marlboro because of the millions he made smuggling cigarettes across the Sahara, but in the last few months the one-eyed terrorist leader has become one of the most sought after terrorists in the world. The attack on the plant near In Amenas in eastern Algeria left dozens of Westerns and at least three Americans dead
Posted by: tipper || 03/03/2013 12:42 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Update
Mokhtar Belmokhtar's death 'could have repercussions for French hostages'

The lives of the 15 French hostages held in Africa, and especially those of seven captured in northern Mali who may be being used as human shields, could be seriously endangered if the jihadist leader is confirmed dead.

"This is a rumour that is enormously worrying for the families and those of us who support them," Didier Beguin from the support committee for four French hostages abducted by radical Islamists in Niger in September 2010, said..
Posted by: tipper || 03/03/2013 12:59 Comments || Top||


Arabia
Saudi Arabia to work with Yemen to stem out border infiltration
[Yemen Post] Amid security reports pointing to a large increase in border infiltration at the Yemen-Saudi border, Prince Mohammed bin Naif, Saudi Arabia Interior Minister entrusted a high-powered committee with the reorganization of its southern border security in collaboration with the Yemeni authorities.

With Yemen still battling a multitude of crises, smugglers, human traffickers and criminals have used Yemen security vacuum to their advantage, having turned the impoverished nation into a by-pass country, a point of entry to rich Saudi Arabia and beyond.

Security officials both in Saudi Arabia and Yemen have warned against weapon smuggling and terror migration, stressing Yemen norther territories needed to be better managed.

Saudi Arabia estimated that as many as 3,000 individuals are entering its territories illegally every day, most of whom Yemeni economic migrants in search for paid work or African refugees.

Social workers in Yemen working in collaboration with UNICEF and the International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor - IPEC - are also implementing projects in the country northern provinces aimed at stifling child trafficking.

In a desperate attempts to fight off poverty and hunger Yemeni families decided to send their children across the border into Saudi Arabia hoping they would find work as domestic workers, manual laborers or even beggars.

Posted by: Fred || 03/03/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in Arabia


Bangladesh
Hindus look for answers after attack by Jamaat
[Bangla Daily Star] The minority communities witnessing an onslaught of attack and arson by anti-liberation elements wonder what protection they have in this country.

As Hindu families in some of the remote pockets of Banshkhali in Chittagong and Rajganj in Noakhali try hard to come to terms with Thursday's barbaric attacks on their homesteads and places of worships, there is no let-up in assaults in other places including Barisal, Bagerhat and Gazipur.

Bangladesh Hindu-Buddha-Christian Oikya Gay Pareehad, meanwhile, demanded the government act immediately to resist communal attacks, arrest the culprits, rehabilitate the victims and rebuild the temples.

Moments after Jamaat leader Delwar Hossain Sayeedi
...Islamic orator and politician. He was a former Member of Parliament in the National Assembly of Bangladesh from 1996 to 2008, and is one of the most prominent leaders of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami...
received death sentence for war crimes, his party and its student wing Shibir, in some cases allegedly aided by BNP supporters, attacked the minorities on Thursday chanting slogans decrying the verdict.

Visiting the minority neighbourhoods, ravaged by the anti-liberation elements, these correspondents encountered many helpless blank looks and despairs from among the community members.

Passing three days under the open sky, without sleep and proper food, yet the families in Rajganj do not know how long they will have to go through such harrowing situation and what lies ahead.

"It is our sin to live in this country being Hindu; it is our sin not to flee away," Minoti Rani Das was shouting. "We had a happy family. Now I have no shed, no food, no space to cook, no furniture. Now I have only some ashes."

This is not only Minoti's story. Around seventy six families have been living inhumane life since Thursday afternoon as religious bigots unleashed havoc over them after the pronouncement of Sayeedi verdict.

While millions of compatriots were celebrating the victory over the verdict across the country, some families were losing everything.

Almost all the victim families and some other villagers alleged that Jamaat, Shibir and BNP were directly involved in the attacks.

At least 40 houses, six temples and several dozen shops were burnt and vandalised at Rajganj under Begumganj upazila of Noakhali. Valuables and furniture were looted from Hindu dormitories.

Police came at least one and half hours latter when it was all over.

While launching attacks, the rioters numbering around 250 to 300 were saying Sayeedi was sentenced to death because of the deposition of Hindu witnesses, said most of the victim families. The number of attackers varied from spot to spot.

"Sayeedi got death sentence because of you. You cannot stay in this country," Bablu Bhuiyan, whose two houses were vandalised, quoted one of the attackers as saying.
Posted by: Fred || 03/03/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Jamaat-e-Islami


China-Japan-Koreas
Political prisoners forced to build nuke test site: anti-N.K. group
SEOUL, Feb. 27 -- North Korea used political prisoners from its many concentration camps to build and maintain its nuclear test site, a local anti-Pyongyang civic group leader said Wednesday.

Ahn Myong-chol, secretary general of human rights group Free the North Korea Gulag, said in a Seoul press conference that while serving as a guard at the Hoeryong concentration camp in 1992, he saw 100 prisoners taken away on trucks, never to return. He claimed that later, a security official told him that the prisoners were sent to build the nuclear site near Mt. Mantap in Punggye-ri and were executed afterwards to prevent information from leaking out. The site was used to test three nuclear devices from 2006 with the latest detonation on Feb. 12.
Posted by: Steve White || 03/03/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


S. Korea, U.S. kick off annual military drills amid tension
SEOUL, March 1 -- South Korean and U.S. troops launched their annual joint drills on Friday, military officials said, amid heightened tension following North Korea's third nuclear test last month.

The Key Resolve/Foal Eagle exercises are field training exercises involving tens of thousands of troops from their ground, naval and air forces, a Seoul military official said. About 10,000 U.S. troops and 200,000 South Korean troops, including reservists, joined the Foal Eagle, according to the official. They will last until April 30.

Separately, South Korean and U.S. troops will conduct computer-simulated drills named Key Resolve from March 11-21. The Key Resolve drill will involve about 3,500 U.S. troops and 10,000 South Korean troops, the official said.
Posted by: Steve White || 03/03/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Europe
German defense minister admits troop 'problems' in Turkey
Posted by: ryuge || 03/03/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  One German female soldier was allegedly pushed by a Turkish general during a visit by de Maiziere to the base at Kahramanmaras. She later complained of bruising.

It is destined to be a short marriage.
Posted by: Besoeker || 03/03/2013 2:10 Comments || Top||


Spain overturns municipal Islamic veil ban
The Spanish Supreme Court has overturned a ban on wearing Islamic veils in council buildings instituted by city authorities in Catalonia, ruling that it "limits religious freedom".

The town of Lleida approved a municipal ban on burkas and niqabs in 2010, becoming the first town in Spain to impose such a ban. It was temporarily suspended by a regional court following an appeal by a Muslim association but then later upheld. But the Supreme Court accepted a second appeal and ruled that town councils have no authority to order such a prohibition, which must be based on constitutional law.

The Lleida ban was considered largely symbolic as only a small percentage of the town's 120,000 population are Muslims and few are seen in the streets wearing the veil.

Around a dozen municipalities in the northeastern Spanish region of Catalonia – the region with the largest population of Muslim immigrants – introduced similar bans.

Under the ban, which prohibited such garments from being worn in municipal buildings including council offices, civic centers and public sports centers, offenders faced fines of up to 600 euros.

The Supreme Court ruling explained that the decision does not answer whether the government can in future pass a national law – as in France and Belgium – outlawing Islamic veils.
Posted by: ryuge || 03/03/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Not that the Catalans needed another reason for Catalonia independence.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 03/03/2013 9:12 Comments || Top||

#2  see the potential coup story posted by Tipper
Posted by: Frank G || 03/03/2013 11:16 Comments || Top||


The Grand Turk
PKK may free kidnapped Turkish officials in 10 days
The outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) may release Turkish state officials it has been holding within 10 days as part of a renewed effort for peace with Turkey, the co-chair of the pro-Kurdish party said Saturday.

Gulten Kisanak of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) said, "I hope the state officials held by the PKK will reach their families within a week or 10 days."

Turkey's spy agency resumed negotiations with jailed Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan late last year with the ultimate goal of ending the violence that has claimed over 40,000 lives.

Ocalan is currently serving a life sentence on an island prison off Istanbul where visitors are seldom allowed.

The Kurdish insurgent group, labeled a terrorist organisation by Turkey and the West, is expected to declare a ceasefire 21 March, which is the Kurdish new year, and lay down its arms by August.

Both sides in the conflict intend to demonstrate their commitment to long-lasting peace, according to media revelations after Ocalan's rare meeting with three Kurdish lawmakers in prison last month.

Speaking through three visiting BDP lawmakers, Ocalan said both sides had "prisoners" and that he hoped to see them "reach their families". His remarks were taken in the media as a message to the PKK to release hostages it holds, including Turkish state officials.

The Kurdish movement is asking for the release of hundreds, possibly thousands of Kurdish activists and politicians detained on charges of links to the PKK. Ankara insists "terrorists" must withdraw from Turkish territory before the peace process can effectively begin, and has promised not to attack rebels wishing to leave the country.
Posted by: ryuge || 03/03/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:


Home Front: WoT
Manning will face most serious charges
Last week during his pretrial hearing at Fort Meade, Pfc. Bradley Manning offered a guilty plea to a number of lesser charges including being the source of leaks to Wikileaks of state secrets. The government had the option of settling for the 10 charges to which Manning had pled guilty and proceeding directly to sentencing, but the prosecutors have instead indicated that they will proceed with a full court martial, bringing the most serious charges against the soldier -- including "aiding the enemy," which could carry a life sentence without parole.

"Given the scope of the alleged misconduct, the seriousness of the charged offenses, and the evidence and testimony available, the United States intends to proceed with the court-martial to prove Manning committed the charged offenses beyond the lesser charges to which he has already pled guilty," said a statement from the military district.

As the Guardian's Ed Pilkington pointed out, "It will be the sixth time the Espionage Act has been unleashed against the source of an official leak of classified information under the Obama administration -- more than the total number of times it has been deployed under all previous presidents since it was enacted in 1917."
In this particular case it's richly deserved...
The government's decision has amplified criticism from Manning's supporters and human rights advocates that the soldier's treatment is politically motivated.
And Manning's conduct wasn't?
"From day one the prosecution had the option to prosecute Bradley easily for the charge's he's admitted to now. If they push on with the Espionage Act it's because they want to send a political message that what Bradley did will not be tolerated," Jeff Patterson, of the Bradley Manning support network told the Guardian.
Correct you are, sir! It indeed won't be tolerated, and this trial is a great way to get the word out.
Posted by: tipper || 03/03/2013 12:28 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  As I've said several times before, I will cheerfully be called out of retirement to sit on the little traitor's trial. We'll give him a fair trial before we hang him.

What? The death penalty isn't an option? Darn! Why not?
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia || 03/03/2013 15:47 Comments || Top||

#2  So it appears the prosecution's holding all the good cards and PFC Manning is hoping to draw half a pair of dueces.
I'd say he is pretty well screwed, unless The Lightbringer weighs in....
Posted by: USN,Ret. || 03/03/2013 19:25 Comments || Top||

#3  The death penalty isn't an option? Darn! Why not?

Cause the Court of Military Appeals hasn't allowed one in generations.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces (CAAF – in case citations, C.A.A.F. – or USCAAF) is an Article I court that exercises worldwide appellate jurisdiction over members of the United States armed forces on active duty and other persons subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The court is composed of five civilian judges appointed for 15-year terms by the President of the United States with the advice and consent of the United States Senate. - wiki

Nuf said.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 03/03/2013 22:50 Comments || Top||


India-Pakistan
Bouquets & brickbats for police over arrest of four 'hit men'
[Dawn] Police earned the ire and appreciation of the Majlis Wahdat-e-Moslemeen and the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat
...which is the false nose and plastic mustache of the murderous banned extremist group Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistain, whatcha might call the political wing of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi...
, respectively, when they claimed on Friday to have tossed in the clink
Drop the gat, Rocky, or you're a dead 'un!
four suspects associated with a political party and also involved in assassinations carried out on sectarian grounds.

The police said that they arrested four men -- Syed Naeem Haider Najafi, Syed Hussain Ahmed Jafri, Rais Jafri and Syed Azhar Hussain Rizvi -- in the Gulbahar and Rizvia areas and seized pistols and a rifle from them.

Speaking at a presser, DIG-West Javed Odho claimed that the held suspects were allegedly involved in 31 murders, including those of ASWJ workers.

He said that the suspects had been associated with a political party, for which they had also killed several people, but now they were affiliated with a sectarian outfit and killing their rivals.

However,
some people are alive only because it's illegal to kill them...
he did not name the political party to which they belonged.

The DIG said that suspect Najafi confessed to his involvement in 11 murders, suspect Rizvi to 15 murders, suspect Jafri to four killings and suspect Rais Jafri to having killed one person.

MWM demands DIG's dismissal

After the announcement of the arrests, the MWM's Bloody Karachi
...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous...
chapter held a presser at the Karachi Press Club and demanded immediate dismissal of DIG Odho for 'implicating innocent Shia men in the killings'.

MWM leader Asghar Abbas Zaidi warned that his party would launch countrywide protests if the innocent Shia youths were not released.

Accompanied by Maulana Mohammad Hussain Karimi, Maulana Ali Anwar Jafri and Mohammad Hussain Jafri, Mr Zaidi said that Rangers had taken 19 youths into their 'illegal' custody on the morning of Feb 25 from their houses without any warrant in Gulbahar's Jafria Colony.

He said that 15 of them had been released, while the remaining four men were handed over to the DIG-West, who levelled baseless allegations against them in his presser.

Referring to the presser of the police, Mr Zaidi said that the DIG-West claimed that the held persons had previously belonged to a political party and they recently quit it and joined a Shia party.Terming the DIG a biased officer, the MWM leader said that he did not name the political party but had no qualms about naming the Shia party in an attempt to bring the latter into disrepute.

ASWJ praises arrests

Appreciating the presser of the DIG-West, a front man for the ASWJ said that his party wanted a free and transparent trial of the held suspects.

"Today's presser of the DIG west to show arrest of four suspected killers should be appreciated," he told Dawn. "We have credible information that law-enforcement agencies picked up some 20 suspects mainly in the Nazimabad, Gulbahar and Rizvia areas and they should not be released under any pressure."

Referring to the Gulbahar and Rizvia areas, where he said his party had lost more than a dozen workers in recent weeks, the front man claimed that ASWJ leaders had informed authorities in their meetings about the presence of bully boyz in the two localities.

He said that the police had time and again claimed the arrests of a number of members of banned parties, but this trend was never witnessed when it came to the arrest of the killers of ASWJ holy mans and activists. "The law-enforcement agencies should not set them free on personal guarantees or under any pressure and the held suspects must face transparent trial."
Posted by: Fred || 03/03/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan


Pakistani Taliban threaten to bomb mobile phone shops in Peshawar
[Dawn] The Pak Taliban have threatened to bomb a mobile phone market in the northwestern city of 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.
for the "shameless" selling of video clips, ring tones and accessories, officials said Saturday.

Some 60 shopkeepers received letters in the post ordering them to burn the offending stock, including memory cards and speakers for MP3 players, and stick to selling only mobile phones and essential accessories.

DVD and CD shops have in the past been bombed by faceless myrmidons who deemed the businesses "un-Islamic".

In one of the letters, seen by news agency AFP, faceless myrmidons wrote: "Do not compel us to send a bomber... stop this shameless business in one week and burn the shameful stuff. Just sell mobile phones, batteries and chargers.

"Your markets have become centers of shamelessness... Our mission is to stop this shameless business and if you do not stop it yourself then we will make an example of you and your market."

Officials and police acted quickly to minimise the threat from would-be bombers.

"We have immediately closed down the shops doing ring tones and video clips business, after about 60 shopkeepers received threatening letters from Taliban by mail," local market association secretary general Shakil Ahmed told AFP.

He said parking spots for cycle of violences -- which are sometimes packed with explosives and detonated -- had been moved away from the market and police had been asked to increase security.

Senior police official Faisal Murad said patrols had been stepped up around the market in Peshawar, which sits on the edge of Pakistain's tribal region.
Posted by: Fred || 03/03/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: TTP

#1  Whoa, the Hard Boyz now hate 'Apps"???
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 03/03/2013 18:41 Comments || Top||


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Diplomat: Netanyahu, Abdullah discuss Mideast peace
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Jordan's King Abdullah II met in Jordan last week and discussed the Middle East peace process, according to a diplomatic source. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, "Last week, Netanyahu travelled to Jordan and met King Abdullah II. In the meeting, they discussed the Middle East peace process."

In December, Israeli officials were quoted as confirming a report in an Arab daily about a meeting between Netanyahu and the king in Jordan that focused on Syria's chemical weapons arsenal.

Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians have been on hold since September 2010.

The latest discussions between Netanyahu and Abdullah II precede an expected visit by US President Barack Obama, who announced he would be in the region in the spring, with Israeli media putting the date at March 20.
Posted by: ryuge || 03/03/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Assad attacks 'arsonist' Britain
Syrian president Bashar Assad has accused the British government of being "naive, confused and unrealistic" in its approach to the conflict in his country and warned of dire consequences if the West armed its rebels.

In an interview with the Sunday Times Mr Assad said Britain was sacrificing peace talks to push for an end to an EU arms embargo, which would allow rebels to be armed.

Warning this would accelerate the road to war, he rejected the possibility of help from Britain to end the conflict, saying: "We do not expect an arsonist to be a firefighter."

"To be frank, Britain has played a famously unconstructive role in our region on different issues for decades, some say for centuries... The problem with this government is that their shallow and immature rhetoric only highlights this tradition of bullying and hegemony...

"How can we ask Britain to play a role while it is determined to militarise the problem? How can we expect them to make the violence less while they want to send military supply to the terrorists?"

But Mr Assad also indicated that he was ready to hold peace talks with Syrian rebels to bring to an end a conflict that has claimed an estimated 70,000 lives over the last two years.

He said: "We are ready to negotiate with anyone, including militants who surrender their arms. We are not going to deal with terrorists who are determined to carry weapons, to terrorise people, to kill civilians, to attack public places or private enterprise and to destroy the country."

He added: "We have opposition that are political entities and we have armed terrorists. We can engage in dialogue with the opposition, but we cannot engage in dialogue with terrorists. We fight terrorism."

On Thursday Foreign Secretary William Hague promised to increase support for the Syrian opposition, including equipment supplies and humanitarian assistance, as US secretary of state John Kerry announced £39 million in funding for rebel forces.
Posted by: tipper || 03/03/2013 05:23 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I'm English living in London and I can not disagree with pencilneck.
His global bedfellows will not allow him just be gotten rid of, not like how we were allowed Gaddafi.
Posted by: Cretinous Humongous || 03/03/2013 5:57 Comments || Top||


Al-Asir Supporters Protest for 2nd Week in Row, Demand End of Siege
[An Nahar] Controversial Salafist holy man Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir and his supporters rallied for the second day in a row in the town of Abra in the southern city of Sidon amid heavy security deployment to protest claims that Hizbullah rented apartments in the vicinity of his mosque in the town.

"We reject the security siege and media blackout," al-Asir said during the protest.

The army deployed heavily near al-Asir's Bilal bin Rabah mosque in Abra, bringing reinforcements in anticipation of the protest.

The rallies held by al-Asir and his supporters are to protest claims that Hizbullah rented apartments in the vicinity of his mosque in the town.

Last week, the anti-Hizbullah Salafist holy man urged officials and authorities to force the evacuation of the apartments to avert a possible "strife or any dangerous incident."

Security forces prevented several protesters from reaching the buildings that Hizbullah supporters allegedly rented apartments in them, al-Asir's official page on social media network Facebook.

Media was prevented from broadcasting live the rally.

According to LBCI, al-Asir called on his supporters to rally on Sunday at 4:00 p.m. at al-Karami roundabout.

"Iran's weapons in Sidon on Friday were ready to be used but the judiciary and the higher defense council failed to see that," al-Asir told supporters.

He slammed the unbalanced policies in Leb, saying "everyone in the country has the right to express his opinion but us."

"We will not give up on our right to live in dignity... We will escalate our measures if our demands weren't met," the Salafist holy man said.

Hizbullah chief His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah
The satrap of the Medes and the Persians in Leb...
warned during a televised speech on Wednesday that "some parties are pushing Leb in a very rapid manner to sectarian strife and working on that night and day and all the facts verify this issue."

He pointed out that some statements and remarks by some Sunni MPs and holy mans are taking a very provocative and seditious course.
Posted by: Fred || 03/03/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Salafists


Pencilneck to stand in 2014 poll
Bashar al-Assad will take part in Syria's next presidential election in 2014, the foreign minister of close Damascus ally Iran said on Saturday.
Assuming he's able to stand, or at least be propped up...
"In the next election, President Assad, like others, will take part, and the Syrian people will elect whomever they want," Ali Akbar Salehi said at a news conference with his visiting Syrian counterpart, Walid al-Muallem.

Salehi also said that "the official position of Iran is that... Assad will remain the legitimate president until the next... election" in 2014.

Salehi threw Iran's weight behind Damascus's call this week for dialogue with the armed opposition, calling the initiative a "positive step," but reiterated that Assad's regime has "no choice" but to keep fighting rebels.

"We believe that the crisis has no military solution and only a Syrian political one," said the Iranian minister.

"Iran firstly wants all the infidels dead, dead, dead a stop to the bloodshed but the Syrian government has no choice but to fight against the terrorists and we cannot ask the Syrian government not to do so and leave them alone," he added.
Posted by: Steve White || 03/03/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  The confidence is high.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 03/03/2013 18:40 Comments || Top||



Who's in the News
44[untagged]
3Govt of Pakistan
3Jamaat-e-Islami
1Arab Spring
1Govt of Syria
1Salafists
1Thai Insurgency
1TTP
1al-Nusra
1al-Qaeda in Arabia

Bookmark
E-Mail Me

The Classics
The O Club
Rantburg Store
The Bloids
The Never-ending Story
Thugburg
Gulf War I
The Way We Were
Bio

Merry-Go-Blog











On Sale now!


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.
Click here for more information

Meet the Mods
In no particular order...
Steve White
Seafarious
tu3031
badanov
sherry
ryuge
GolfBravoUSMC
Bright Pebbles
trailing wife
Gloria
Fred
Besoeker
Glenmore
Frank G
3dc
Skidmark

Two weeks of WOT
Sun 2013-03-03
  Jamaat, Shibir stay violent; toll rises to 47
Sat 2013-03-02
  Chad says soldiers in Mali kill al Qaeda's Belmokhtar
Fri 2013-03-01
  Al-Qaeda commander Abu Zeid killed in Mali
Thu 2013-02-28
  Syrian Rebels Say They Killed Hezbollah Deputy Chief
Wed 2013-02-27
  Syria Rebels Push into Police Academy as Jets Strike
Tue 2013-02-26
  Over 50 killed in battle for Syria police academy
Mon 2013-02-25
  Taliban suicide bombers hit Afghan cities, Kabul attack foiled
Sun 2013-02-24
  Karzai orders US special forces out of Afghan province
Sat 2013-02-23
  Syrian Rebels Claim To Seize Nuclear Facility
Fri 2013-02-22
  Boko Haram Denies Ceasefire, Pastes Threat Posters In Borno
Thu 2013-02-21
  Bombing in Indian Hyderabad, at least 11 killed
Wed 2013-02-20
  French nationals kidnapped in northern Cameroon
Tue 2013-02-19
  Mortars land near Syrian presidential palace
Mon 2013-02-18
  Five killed in attack at government office in Peshawar
Sun 2013-02-17
  Egyptian police publicly beat to death man suspected of killing officer

Better than the average link...



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.
35.153.134.169
Help keep the Burg running! Paypal:
WoT Operations (19)    Non-WoT (8)    Opinion (7)    (0)    Politix (5)