Jordan's King Abdullah II appealed Tuesday for cooperation between the Muslim world and the international community to promote the true image of Islam as a religion which rejects extremism and terrorism. "True Islam is a religion of moderation and forgiveness," the king told visiting British Home Secretary Charles Clarke, Jordan's state-run Petra news agency reported.
I'll bet he even said that with a straight face. They practice in front of a mirror, y'know.
The monarch insisted "on cooperation between the Muslim world and the international community to promote the principles of Islam which call for the rejection of extremism and terrorism," Petra said.
Tell it to the mullah, king. We've heard it all before. We're watching the hands, not the lips...
King Abdullah II briefed Clarke on the "Amman Message" which he launched in November 2004 in a bid to encourage fellow Muslims to embrace tolerance.
Yeah. That's been selling like hotcakes.
The minister of religious affairs, Abdel-Fattah Saleh informed Clarke of plans to send Muslim clerics to Britain to spread the "Amman Message."
I'd say Britain has more than enough Muslim clerics. As a matter of fact, it'd be better off getting rid of most of them, rather than importing more...
"Islam respects all human beings, regardless of their beliefs and religions, and it respects as well people's opinions as long as they do not undermine the freedom and beliefs of others," Petra quoted Saleh as saying.
In other words, no competition from other religions; Islam's the only one that's allowed to compete. Tell 'em about the apostasy laws, Abdel-Fatty.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/21/2006
21:15 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[18 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
No offense, Abdullah honey, but I think we are seeing the "true islam."
And it ain't pretty.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
02/21/2006 21:51
Comments ||
Top||
New Delhi: 1/5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force), an elite infantry battalion of the Indian Army, earmarked for the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) on Tuesday.
India is contributing two Infantry Battalions to this mission in addition to certain support elements. The Force Commander in the Mission is also an Indian General, Lieutenant General J.S. Lidder.
It is for the first time in any UN Mission that an entire battalion has been earmarked as the Force Reserve Air Mobile Battalion.
Incidentally, this is the third foray of the battalion info the African continent, the first two having been during World War I and World War II. This highly decorated battalion has been awarded 23 Battle Honours and four Victoria Crosses in the pre- dependence period and the Battle Honours of Zojila, Kargil and Sehjra and Theatre Honours of Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab in the post independence period amongst many other awards and decorations.
It is also a recipient of the coveted Chief of the Army Staffs Unit Citation three times for outstanding achievements while serving in the North East during Operation Bagrang, in Jammu and Kashmir in Operation Rakshak and on the Siachen Glacier during Operation Meghdoot.
Posted by: john ||
02/21/2006
20:53 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[30 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Oh boy. Ghurkas have a well-deserved reputation as badasses. The Argentinians in the Falklands were willing to hold their trenches against all sorts of British Army until they heard the Ghurka regiment was being deployed, then they bugged out in droves.
In WWII, a favorite Ghurka trick was to sneak into an enemy trench at night and find two Japanese soldiers sleeping back-to-back. Then they would slit one of their throats and let the other one be the next morning's alarm clock for his unit.
The Kukri knife they use is quite large, and when used from behind, is used to split an enemies' head in half, vertically. If they are wearing a helmet, then they are beheaded. The Ghurkas are nothing if not efficient.
In one instance, a team of five Ghurkas obtained the surrender of an entire Japanese batallion on an island, purely through psychological means. They snuck into their new barracks at night and painted the bottom of every soldier's right boot. The next morning, one Ghurka boldly walked out of the jungle to greet the Japanese in formation, and pointed to their boots until they looked.
I'd suggest the bad guys in Sudan surrender now -to beat the rush. ;-p
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
02/21/2006 21:43
Comments ||
Top||
#3
Hope they have reasonable Rules of Engagement. I would hate to see good men wasted because of the blue fog that seems to cloud the judgement and sap the testosterone of UN commanders.
#4
Some photos of Indian Army Gurhka recruits in training
Posted by: john ||
02/21/2006 22:03
Comments ||
Top||
#5
Oh boy! Don't fuck with the gurkas! I would love to see them let off the leash in Sudan. Muzzies would be running for the hills and for the apologiest at the UN in a day.
From the 'Stupid is as Stupid does' department
hat tip: Slashdot...
Yahoo! is banning the use of allah in email names - even if the letters are included within another name.
This was uncovered by Reg reader Ed Callahan whose mother Linda Callahan was trying to sign up for a Verizon email address. She could not get it to accept her surname.
Enquiries to Verizon revealed that a partnership with Yahoo! was to blame. Yahoo! will not accept any identies which include the letters "allah".
Nor will Yahoo! accept yahoo, osama or binladen. But it will accept god, messiah, jesus, jehova, buddah, satan
(So the Prophet would be ok...)
and both priest and pedophile.
Ed Callahan told us: "On one level this is just silliness. But we have a war on terrorism and it's migrating to be a war on Muslims - this just shows the confusion there is between the two and how pervasive this is." No, it shows how STUPID the people at Yahoo are....
The Callahans are still waiting to hear back from Yahoo!
A spokesman for Yahoo! UK said: "This sounds like a glitch. But we will get back to Ed and Lindy Callahan with a full answer as soon as possible." .
Famous *allah*s: Dirty Harry Callahan, Lord Jim Calla(g)han (ex-British PM), errr...that's all...®
Engineers conducting show-and-tell with a 20-ton robot on the last day of two weeks of trials on Fort Gordon were cautiously optimistic.
Karl Murphy, a software engineer from Robotic Research, said there was a new principle of Murphys Law at work on the test field Feb. 10.
"One of my professors reminded us that we have 'sight-ons' present whenever an experiment is being viewed, Murphy said. The more 'sight-ons' you have, the greater is the potential for something to go wrong."
Tongue in cheek, he continued explaining that sight-on fields increase with the rank and reach of individuals viewing a test. With national, regional and local media rolling cameras, the sight-on field was very high that Friday.
The demonstration at Fort Gordon was a part of a much larger program of tests being conducted by the Robotics Technology Integration Team from the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research and Development Engineer Center, General Dynamics Corporation and its sub-contractors.
Jeff Jaczkowski, TARDEC electrical engineer and manager for this Robotic Follower Advanced Technology Demonstrator project, explained what the testing was about and why Fort Gordon was chosen.
Pointing to the two Stryker Infantry Carrier vehicles idling behind him at their base camp on Range 37, Jaczkowski said these vehicles are part of a larger program set to bring vehicle electronics-vetronics technology integration and robotic systems to the force.
The system in testing at Fort Gordon is the robotic follower program. This program seeks to develop robots that can conduct convoy operations. One of the vehicles is called the CAT - short for crew integration and automation test bed. It serves as the manned leader vehicle.
The other vehicle serves as an unmanned follower in a convoy.
"We have done a circuit of testing that started in 2003, Jaczkowski said. We have done a number of different environments, including Fort Bliss, Texas, that has a primarily sand/desert environment. We did Fort Knox, Ky., where there is more cross-country terrain. There was Fort Indiantown Gap and Letterkenny Army Depot in Pennsylvania.
"We are down here at Fort Gordon for the environment in the forested-type setting. We are focusing on road and long-haul convoy missions."
Jaczkowski said Fort Gordon provides an ideal setting with a 10-kilometer loop that has a three-kilometer stretch of dirt road and the rest is paved. The long stretches of isolated roads allow the teams to put their test vehicles through a series of high-speed tests.
"Yesterday we ran a 100-mile test where the lead vehicle was being driven manually and the robot was following, Jaczkowski said. We did this successfully where the average speed was about 22 miles per hour. You may think that 22 miles per hour is not that fast when operational convoys are going 60 to 70 miles per hour. But you have to take into account that we did 68 right turns.
You don't take right turns at 50 miles per hour, especially with a 20-ton robot."
On straight stretches, the vehicles routinely speed along at more than 40 mph, Jaczkowski said.
Pointing to the bristling array of sensors on the vehicles, Jaczkowski said these vehicles incorporate second-generation ladar-laser radar, forward-looking infrared sensors, and advanced computers to handle autonomous navigation.
For the autonomous follower, engineers are going beyond Global Positioning Systems to link terrain data from the lead vehicle back to the follower vehicle to augment data the follower vehicle gathers from on-board sensors.
"We have a major emphasis to create systems that can operate without GPS. We know that electronic interference can easily jam GPS in a battle zone.
"The idea is to pass electronic bread crumbs from the manned lead vehicle back to the autonomous follower vehicle, and provide high-level proofing of the follower's path so the follower avoids areas that might impede or confuse its autonomous navigation system, while requiring only a minimum of human intervention and control from the lead vehicle," Jaczkowski said.
Jaczkowski characterized all the testing so far as outstanding and gave high marks to the Fort Gordon Battle Lab and range control. "
Jaczkowski is quick to point out that the testing that he is conducting is not about the relatively new Stryker vehicle.
"The Stryker is a fielded system, but the robotic convoy technology sensors that we have on these units are what we are putting through the research and development stage."
The demonstration conducted before the media Feb. 10 showed how adept the robot is in making decisions. The lead vehicle was manually driven along the road through an area where a gate wa set, with the robot vehicle following about 100 meters behind.
After the lead vehicle passed, the engineers were planning to pull a cord releasing a gate to block the path. The follower vehicle should be able to detect the gate and plot a path around it before continuing, Jaczkowski said.
True to Murphy's Law and the sight-on rule, the chord attached to the spring release broke as engineer Karl Murphy tugged it to release the gate. Undaunted, Murphy reached down and tripped the release. The gate swung into the path of the following robot.
With only a few seconds to assess, the robot slowed, and veered around the gate. It then continued on its path, following the lead vehicle.
It was a slight glitch and only served to more graphically demonstrate how perceptive the robot is, Jaczkowski said.
In the future, Jaczkowski speculates the current efforts will lead to manned and unmanned convoys.
"There are two avenues that the Army is pursuing. The near-term objective is to automate the function of driving in a convoy vehicle."
Soldiers will remain in the vehicles for now, but by placing a vehicle on auto-pilot, the driver will be able to perform other duties or rest.
The long-term objective is to create dedicated unmanned ground vehicles.
In the tests being conducted on Fort Gordon, the lead vehicle develops a path along a route that it transmits to the follower vehicle that can follow the path immediately or weeks later.
"This is the beginning of going from point A to point B autonomously," Jaczowski said.
He said the payoff will be in saving lives from such routine missions as resupplying forces in environments like Iraq where roadside bombs wreak havoc.
The group will continue testing Feb. 24 to March 10, Jaczowski said.
Iraqi and U.S. Soldiers combined efforts Monday, capturing four known insurgents and unearthing a network of 15 weapons caches during a combined operation west of Kirkuk.
The operation began with an Iraqi-led cordon and search of a village known to be a safe haven for insurgent and terrorist cells responsible for attacks on oil pipelines and coalition convoys in the area.
With troops from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division providing security outside the village and U.S. aircraft overhead, soldiers of the 2nd Iraqi Army Brigade moved in. Their door-to-door search quickly led to the capture of the four insurgents.
While the search was taking place on the ground, one of the pilots circling overhead noticed a large shiny object on the ground outside the town.
Once the sweep of the village was complete, 101st Airborne Soldiers took the lead in investigating the object which turned out to be a sheet of tin covering a weapons cache. Further investigations of the area revealed a network of 15 caches containing a variety of weapons systems and explosives, as well as a variety of materials used to make improvised explosive devices.
Materials uncovered included:
1 complete surface to air missile system
450 mortar rounds
12 rockets
11 complete mortar systems
31 rocket propelled grenade (RPG) launchers
70 rocket propelled grenades
30 grenades
14 machine guns
16 sniper rifles
More than 190 fuses
Tens of thousands of rounds of small arms ammunition
Multiple weapons parts, including scopes
75 pounds of propellant
Timers and parts used in making improvised explosive devices (IEDs)
1 gas mask
IRAN'S uranium enrichment facilities, built in underground bunkers, would survive any military strikes, the Islamic republic's nuclear program director said today.
"The enrichment facilities, particularly Natanz, are located underground and no offensive could damage them," said Gholamreza Aghazadeh, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, quoted by the student ISNA news agency.
Mr Aghazadeh also boasted about the fortress like nature of its Isfahan plant, which is located in a network of subterranean tunnels, and touted Iran's uranium supplies.
"Our reserves are extremely developed. We can extract uranium from mines in Bandar Abbas, Saghand and Yazd," he said.
Israeli officials have raised the spectre of air strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities and the United States has refused to rule out the military option in their efforts to stop Tehran's drive for atomic power.
Iran vehemently denies that its nuclear program serves any purpose other than to provide a source of energy for power plants, but the United States and European Union charge the Islamic republic is seeking an atomic bomb.
"Iran is ready to provide any guarantees that our nuclear activities are not geared toward nuclear weapon production," said Mr Aghazadeh.
On a defiant note, he said: "We have obtained our nuclear technology while the target of sanctions and we have not obtained it from the West.
"s a consequence, (future) sanctions will not have any impact on our nuclear activities."
Seeking to end the standoff between Iran and the international community, Russia and Tehran held talks today to develop Moscow's compromise proposal for uranium enrichment to be carried out on Russian soil, but the visit ended with no breakthrough.
If Iran rejects the Russian plan, tension will rise rapidly ahead of the March 6 meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors, which voted earlier this month to report Tehran to the UN Security Council.
The UN body could slap sanctions on the Islamic republic.
#6
The problem with open pit mines is that they are subject to toxic chemical spills. Say, for example, a large quantity of some toxic chemical that was persistant for say, 20 years minimum, was accidently spilled on such a mine, mining would damn near be impossible.
#10
trailing wife, I'm sure by now that you're aware of how even a single woman of your wit and intelligence is of equal danger to all Islam as any bunker busters our military might deploy.
#11
Here's a page that summarizes the political activity against nuclear BB's (actually called RNEPs: Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator) through April, 2004. And once the opposition had it in the bag, Bush dropped it from the 2005 budget in October, 2004.
#12
This guy is gonna go down with the like of Bagdad Bob. Bunker busting does not need to be a nuke. It just might have been canned because we have other means. It was posted here the other day about a 30,000 lb fuel/air bomb. That would probably do most any bunker they could build or at least kill everyone in it.
Posted by: 49 pan ||
02/21/2006 20:35
Comments ||
Top||
#13
And if that don't work we'll use zens idea and send in our very own TW! that's the last person they want to deal with!!
Posted by: 49 pan ||
02/21/2006 20:37
Comments ||
Top||
#14
From Gundam Wing - Endless Waltz
Scene: Heero is in space in a Giant Mecha, opponents are in 'invulnerable' underground fortress
Heero: Let me confirm, your shelter shield is activated?
Dekim Barton: What are you planning?
Heero: Your shelter is secure, is it?
Mariemaia Kushrenada: Of course it is! See for yourself just how powerless you are.
Heero: Roger that. (Opens fire)
Mariemaia Kushrenada: gasps!
Posted by: 49 pan ||
02/21/2006 20:54
Comments ||
Top||
#18
We don't really need to destroy the sites though do we? Just blast whatever area we need to let the radiation loose. It's going to come out if we blast the whole place open anyway, so why not just save some money and kill them with a sliver. The equipment would become contaminated and the scientist working there would be to. problem solved.
Although the world would raise a fuss about the civilians near the target sites. Though I can live with Peaceniks going redface and passing out from lack of oxygen.
Posted by: Charles ||
02/21/2006 21:17
Comments ||
Top||
#19
¹Although the nuclear tipped bunker busters could do the trick, the object of the game would be to get it (them) to a depth of 400 to 500 feet down before detonation, or a moon shaped crater will blow out the surface exposing all to radiation (assuming we cared at this point)poisoning! How do we get it to target? At 400 feet, a circumspectral-dome would result burying all the pulverized remnants (neat tidy wrapup)!
¹The US could use multiple conventional bunker busters followed by a MOAB in the same track (assuming they have enough in the arsenals for atleast 100 target locations,
³The Israeli option would be to employ the gopher hole smoking technique with iradiated gas to expose "highlight" the entrances and exits to terminally trap the sites with smart bombs.
#20
close it up like a tomb. I like that, them Israelies are such smat folks!
Posted by: 49 pan ||
02/21/2006 21:43
Comments ||
Top||
#21
Similar claims were made for Saddam and his WMD progs/labs, and we all know how it turned out for both. Even ole Saddam by his courtroom antics appears to be biding his time until American Hiroshimas take place, or the world sees his Court hearing is worse than he was - like good Lefty schemes, its prob a little of both, andor any.
#23
Well, let us say this about our bunker busters. During the first gulf war, they could penetrate 200ft of sand and then 20ft of reinforced concrete. They have gotten A LOT better since then. So I must ask you Aghazadeh. Do you feel lucky, punk? Do ya?
from Al Jazeera of all places.
Sunday 19 February 2006, 22:38 Makka Time, 19:38 GMT
A natural gas-driven 250 megawatt electricity power station has started operations in Iraq, generating needed electricity for the war-weary country.
US officials said on Sunday that increasing Iraq's electricity generating capacity through facilities such as the Khor Az Zubayr site near the southern city of Basra is crucial to American efforts to encourage Iraqis to turn their backs on violence.
Among the most infuriating problems for Iraqis nearly three years after the US-led invasion is the lack of regular electricity to run lights and home appliances, such as air conditioners during Iraq's summer, when the country swelters under temperatures soaring beyond 49 degrees centigrade.
Of 425 electricity-related projects, only 300 are expected to be completed before the more than $18 billion approved by Congress in November 2003 for reconstruction in Iraq runs out, US officials have said.
Generators
The capital, Baghdad, is among the country's worst-off areas, with most streets unlit at night and many of the city's seven million people relying on generators.
Iraqis in Basra, the country's second-largest city 550km southeast of Baghdad, have an average of 12 hours a day of power already, up from much lower prewar levels, as a result of the new plant.
The US spent $123 million to install two 125 megawatt gas-generated turbines that were bought before the war under the United Nations Oil for Food programme.
The turbines began operating in late December at the site of a rusting Saddam-era power plant in Khor Az Zubayr, about 30km south of Basra.
The plant is estimated to add electric power equivalent for what is needed for more than 220,000 households and significant additional energy for the upcoming summer.
US authorities have said maintenance of Iraqi plants was as important as installing new facilities.
Winning support
Colonel Larry McCallister, the US military official in charge of reconstruction projects in southern Iraq, said giving Iraqis more electricity was crucial to winning local support and defeating violence.
McCallister acknowledged that attacks had reduced the number of projects he and other US officials hoped to bring on line with the funds for reconstruction.
Audit reports released recently by the special inspector-general for Iraq reconstruction found that attacks have forced the cancellation of more than 60% of water and sanitation projects in Iraq, in part because American intelligence failed to predict the violence.
Iraq's incessant violence absorbs as much as 22% of project costs, more than double the 9% originally budgeted for.
#1
That is not a bad idea at all. It's employment and it stimulates contact with people different from yourself every 5-7 minutes. And you have to communicate to succeed. And it's knowledge and the world opens up.
Not a bad idea at all. But what a freaking paradigm shift it going to take! Go for it.
#2
"We don't want to discount the tension in the area ... but from our perspective, we view it as something that can have a positive impact," said Intel spokesman Chuck Mulloy. "If you talk to the leaders of the Palestinian Authority, this is exactly the kind of thing they want."
Yeah, I'll bet they absolutely need the "network security" training aspect for the robust systems they must have in Paleostine (or maybe they just need it to 'help' the joooos' network systems next door)
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
02/21/2006 18:24
Comments ||
Top||
#3
Initially, I was gobsmacked by this piece of stupidity, but then I realized $1M is a cheap price to head off any boycott because of those Intel facilities in Israel.
#4
Uh, phil_b, you're being logical, methinks. Western logical. If they decide to burn the place down and lose the jobs, business, etc. - they'll do it. The plants in Israel may serve as the excuse fed to the MSM, but it'll probably come down to some local Dingdong Brigades commander who gets a burr up his ass for some reason totally unrelated to Intel.
I think your first impression was correct. This is just a new hostage - a source of bribery / jizya - or maybe just flammable material for the next Hamas weenie roast. Just My Humble Opinion.
Considering all the 'copyright protection' engineering going on between MicroBorg and Intel for the next generation machines, why don't I get the impression that computer units in Gaza will not only tell the name of the machine making a transmission, but also provide the GPS location?
WASHINGTON In a rare threat to use his veto power, President Bush said Tuesday he will veto any legislation that attempts to stop the purchase by a United Arab Emirates-owned firm of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co., which runs six major U.S. ports.
Breaking a gaping silence from the administration in the debate about the purchase by Dubai Ports World of London-based P&O, Bush said the deal should go forward and won't jeopardize U.S. security.
"I don't understand why it's OK for a British company to operate our ports but not a company from the Middle East when we've already determined security is not an issue," Bush told reproters after an unusual decision to call media aboard Air Force One to the airplane's conference room.
"I want to show that we treat everyone fairly," he said, adding that denying DP World the sale would send a mixed message.
Bush also said he's not sure about the need for congressional briefings on a company whose record is well-established and who he called an "ally in the War on Terror."
"There's a mandated process we go through. ... They ought to listen to what I have to say to this. I'll deal with it with a veto," the president said.
'Not a Question About Port Security'
Officials from some of the Cabinet departments that participate in the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States, which approved the sale last Monday, are appearing in a briefing Tuesday afternoon to defend the process by which CFIUS reviewed and approved the deal.
Officials from the Treasury and Homeland Security departments, as well as Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection which are agencies of DHS will participate.
"This is not a question about port security. This is not a question about port ownership. This is a question about port operation, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said during a press conference on the indictment of three Ohio men accused of assisting terrorism on U.S. interests in Iraq. Justice officials also participate in CFIUS.
Obviously, as part of this process, we are very concerned about maintaining port security," Gonzales added.
A large cast of congressional characters, both Republican and Democrat, has lined up to give their two cents on the potential purchase by DP World of P&O. Complaints run from the ability of foreign governments to control commercial operations at large U.S. entry sites to the secrecy with which the Bush administration conducted the 30-day review of the sale.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee said Tuesday he will introduce legislation to delay approval of the pending deal. Frist's decision is a major break with the White House as he is the highest ranking Republican in Congress to oppose the deal and personally vow legislation to delay approval unless the president intervenes.
"News that a Middle-East based firm is seeking to purchase the operating rights to several U.S. ports raise serious questions regarding the safety and security of our homeland. This decision should be put on hold while the administration conducts a more extensive review of this matter. Congress must also be involved in this process. I am requesting briefings on this deal," Frist, a 2008 presidential hopeful, said in a statement while touring border security areas.
"I'm not against foreign ownership," Frist told reporters in Long Beach, Calif., "But my main concern is national security."
Frist's announcement came after word arose Monday evening that House Speaker Dennis Hastert and newly-minted House Majority Leader John Boehner will soon be "flexing muscle" against the Bush administration-approved transaction. On Tuesday, Boehner released a statement that national security requires congressional oversight of the approval process.
"We will take immediate steps to work with the congressional committees of jurisdiction to ensure there is thorough oversight and procedural review of the pending transaction," he said.
Democrats, too, have jumped on the national security bandwagon with this issue.
"America's ports are often the gateway into and out of our country. The unilateral decision of the Bush administration to allow the sale of port operations to a foreign government raises serious national security concerns," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
But former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said most Americans would be surprised to learn that foreign operators have always run U.S. ports.
"The fact of the matter is, you're going to find in many, many ports are owned and operated by foreign companies or foreign contractors. It's a matter of the global maritime industry. It happens around the world. The bottom line at the end of the day is who's ultimately responsible for security. A lot of people have confidence in the Coast Guard and they should," he told FOX News.
Ridge added that DP World would not provide security at any U.S. port. That job is conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection, both DHS agencies. The employees working at the ports will remain American longshoremen.
"I admit that to the average citizen, the optics dont appear very good, but frankly there's a huge difference between what they perceive and what really is," Ridge said, adding that the "transaction has been vetted" at the highest levels and was not a decision taken lightly.
"The conclusion that you draw from some of these public statements is that no one in this administration cares enough about security or port security, they like to be very cavalier about this transaction. That couldn't be the furthest thing from the truth. We all know better than that," said Ridge, who is also a former Pennsylvania governor.
Under federal law, President Bush has until March 2 to overrule approval granted by CFIUS for DP World to purchase P&O, which has been running commercial operations at ports in New York, New Jersey, New Orleans, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Miami for years.
The multi-agency task force headed by Treasury Secretary John Snow and comprised of members of the departments of State, Justice, Commerce, DHS and Homeland Security reviewed the transaction and said it posed no national security threat.
At the Pentagon on Tuesday, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, praised the UAE for its cooperation in the War on Terror.
"We all deal with the UAE on a regular basis," Rumsfeld said. "It's a country that's been involved in the global War on Terror...a country (with which) we have very close military relations."
Pace said that the U.S.-UAE's "military cooperation is superb."
On Tuesday, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., told FOX News that foreign ownership of U.S. port operations is not the reason for concern with the deal.
"This is a financial transaction whereby DP World ... will have 50 percent of the financial interest of a small operation in the port of Miami," she said. "This gets people rolling because of the secrecy involved in this committee, CFIUS. There's not enough transparency. We don't know what questions have been asked."
Ros-Lehtinen said Dubai is an ally, but because of its relationship to hijackers involved with the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, "we need a little sunshine on this."
New York Rep. Peter King, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, has also urged delay in approval of the deal. But King said he saw many reasons to cancel it altogether.
"I'm strongly urging the president to intervene to stop this, to freeze it, to put it on hold," King said. "This contract should not be allowed to go forward until there is a full and complete investigation. And there has not been a full investigation of this company nor of its roots in the United Arab Emirates."
King also charged that DP World won approval without thorough administration vetting.
"There have been allegations of weapons parts going through that port to Iran," King said of that country's own territory. "There's been allegations of corruption about that port. None of these have ever been investigated by our government."
King's comments were cleared by House GOP leaders and, according to sources, reflect the view of the House Republican Conference at large. Republicans are increasingly concerned about the political impact of the port story. They fear it could leave them vulnerable to Democratic criticism and at least partially undermine their political advantage on national security.
On Tuesday, House Homeland Security Ranking Democrat Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., wrote King to request hearings on how the CFIUS approves such deals. In particular, he said he wanted an examination of CFIUS' review of foreign ownership issues related to transportation security as well as critical infrastructure such as telecommunications, Internet, and technology companies.
Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., a longtime advocate of cargo screening, said the Bush administration's decision to accept the deal is evidence of its disregard for port security. Markey argued that DP World would be responsible for performing "significant security functions," including placing security officers at the facility, providing for security training for facility personnel and determining access to the facility.
"Almost none of the cargo that enters our ports is ever inspected. While the federal government is ultimately responsible for security at ports, much of the day-to-day security responsibilities, such as hiring security guards and ensuring adequate access controls and fencing are in place, are delegated to the companies that operate at the port," Markey said.
"Cargo containers represent a cheap, deadly method for delivering (a) bomb on U.S. soil. We cannot afford to be lax in our oversight of the shipping and handling of these containers. This administration's scrutiny of this UAE deal is just like their treatment of tons of cargos at our door: insufficient, incomplete and incomprehensible, given the security threats we face," he added.
On the state level, Republican Govs. George Pataki of New York and Robert Ehrlich of Maryland have also voiced doubts about the sale. Standing at the Port of Baltimore, Ehrlich, a former Republican representative in the U.S. House, said he has exchanged calls with Hastert about the due diligence that is necessary to oversee these decisions.
"My job as governor of the state is to make sure" people are safe, Ehrlich said, saying that he had discussed looking into the timing of the review and decisions by the government agencies.
The state of Maryland is considering its options, up to and including voiding the contract for the Port of Baltimore, Ehrlich said.
"I have directed the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to explore all legal options that may be available to them in regards to this transaction," said Pataki, who is still in the hospital recovering from an appendectomy.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan has defended the process that allowed approval of the $6.8 billion deal.
McClellan said the process of review was followed, but he did not defend the decision to approve the transaction or rule out the president's future involvement.
#1
Ok he would not use veto for the horrid Mccain bill, would not use the veto for the pork laden highway bill, but will use veto to help a ME country get port security, something is wrong with this picture.
#4
No body is giving port security to an ME country. The port security will continue to be our responsibility just as it would be if the ports were operated by an American company, like LORAL or a British company, such as Peninsular and Oriental. Do you really think a buch of Dubians will be moving over here to operate our ports? It will be the same Americans who are doing it for the British now. Do you really think they will compromise our security differently depending on whom their boss is?
The company has every right to purchase the contracts. Let them. To refuse is to make a friend in the ME into an enemy. Do we really need more? And how much will we be welcomed in the ME when we say they re not good enough to work our ports?
If we're going to pick a fight with folks let's do so over something worth fighting. But this isn't it.
#5
Lol. You don't think UAE people are actually going to come to the ports and WORK, do you?
Think. The port will continue as before with the same US longshoremen and Brits as before. ANYONE the UAE company might want to send over - surely to do no more than pretend to supervise, can't come without a visa. Think. This is about money and they bought a successful company to make money. There won't be some sudden change in personnel at the port. The change is that the profits will go to a UAE company.
There are times to get excited, certainly, but this isn't one of them.
#8
Agreed. The UAE has been a good ally in the WoT so far, and this change of ownership doesn't mean any turnover at the docks, anymore than then the merger of Daimler-Chrysler meant all Dodge salesmen would now be German.
Posted by: Dar ||
02/21/2006 17:34
Comments ||
Top||
#9
Sometimes it's hard to tell with hem, and Snowe and Chaffee, and Collins, and Specter, and Graham, and a lot of them rinos.
#12
No matter how well intentioned in reality, this is a PR blunder.
Pure politics, and the disingenuous Billary and Shoemer get a free shot in taking a chink out of the Bush national security armor.
Posted by: Captain America ||
02/21/2006 17:38
Comments ||
Top||
#13
ok .com you know Middle East better than me, but still this makes Bush look bad, all the things he wants to fight over this should not be it. They are going to say "Look giving his rich Middle East friends contracts, he dosen't care about your security" and the democrats will use it for all it is worth.
#15
You're certainly right about the image crap, d66. This is yet another example of letting the other guys frame the debate - and he'll need either some sort of slam-dunk or explain it a number of times to reverse the damage. Wasted time and effort when there are real things that need to be front-burner, such as Iran. Sigh. Sometimes I think Rove has been MIA ever since the Fitzdickhead BS.
The hypocrisy of the Dhimmidonks and the RINOs, when one takes a few steps back, is amazing.
#17
This is just another step toward what I call "Inward Outsourcing", that's creeping into America,largely through Bush administration policy. Starting with the Mexicans, will allow foreigners to come into America and assume our jobs, on the same soil, at a much lower wage!This threat to America should override the President's veto in the Senate unless it becomes clear through the courts (corporate counter suits) that no acceptable american can be found to fill in those positions! 'Prevailing Logic' should dictate that matters of national security should not be handled by non americans!
#19
smn, what matter of national security are you talking about? Think about it. They aren't sending any Dubians over to unload our ships. They're too good for that. They'll pay the same stevedores to do it the same way they've been doing it for the Brits for the last umpteen years. They aren't going to have anything to do with port security. They're just going to make profits.
#24
"I'm not against foreign ownership," said Frist, "but my main concern is national security." He was speaking to reporters in Long Beach, Calif., where Frist was doing a fact-finding tour on port security and immigration issues.
Frist, R-Tenn., spoke as other lawmakers, including Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., and Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said they would offer emergency legislation next week to block the deal ahead of a planned March 2 takeover.
Frist's move comes a day after two Republican governors, New York's George Pataki and Maryland's Robert Ehrlich, voiced doubts about the acquisition of a British company that has been running six U.S. ports by Dubai Ports World, a state-owned business in the United Arab Emirates.
The British company, Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co., runs major commercial operations at ports in Baltimore, Miami, New Jersey, New Orleans, New York and Philadelphia.
Both governors indicated they may try to cancel lease arrangements at ports in their states because of the DP World takeover.
"Ensuring the security of New York's port operations is paramount and I am very concerned with the purchase of Peninsular & Oriental Steam by Dubai Ports World," Pataki said in a statement. "I have directed the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to explore all legal options that may be available to them."
Ehrlich, concerned about security at the Port of Baltimore, said Monday he was "very troubled" that Maryland officials got no advance notice before the Bush administration approved the Arab company's takeover of the operations at the six ports.
"We needed to know before this was a done deal, given the state of where we are concerning security," Ehrlich told reporters in the State House rotunda in Annapolis.
#29
Heard an interview with the guys from Stategy Page - the fears of an Iranian nuke being turned over to terrorists are overblown. Iran will only have the capability of developing WWII style nukes - bulky and very heavy. Not suitcase nukes. The only way that terrorists could possibly deliver such a weapon is in a shipping container coming into one of our ports. Oops ...
#30
And just how is having the contract to operate that port held by a UAE company going to make it any easier for the Iranians to ship the nuke out of Iran to a thrid party port where it can be loaded onto a containership coming to the US? Right, not at all.
#31
Bullsh-t, some of you guys are out of your f-ing minds. I can't believe your willing to sell our port to an arab freaking company?!?!?
If this was a democrat saying this you'd be up in arms and if you say no you're completely full of sh-t. It's sad to see that some of you are such ideologues about an important issue. Here's a hint for you... Jimmy Carter supports Bush on this issue...
Bush is dead wrong and to further use veto power to make this happen against the vote of congress is absolutely insane... wtf!?!
#32
We'd let the Japanese operate the ports; but not during WWII, We'd let the British operate the ports, but not during The Revolution, We'd even let the Mexicans drive through the country, but not after the Alamo; Get The Point...thankyou!!!
#33
We're not going to win this war by alienating every Muslim on the planet. We need them as our allies--in Afghanistan, in Iraq, in Pakistan, in Kuwait, and in the UAE, among other places.
This don't-trust-any-Muslim attitude is really short-sighted. To me, it would have been the same thing as treating the Chinese, Vietnamese, Koreans, etc. as the Japanese in WWII--treating them all like "Orientals" because we are too short-sighted to see the differences.
It's the same thing with Muslims. If we treat them all as the enemy, eventually they WILL be.
Posted by: Dar ||
02/21/2006 21:14
Comments ||
Top||
#34
Comments #31 & 32 sum it up pretty well for me. We are at war. This is no time to reduce our control over seaport traffic. I'm surprised that Bush did not have the wisdom to defer this until after the midterm election.
#35
I suspect something a LOT bigger is going on here. That is, check out who P&O does lots of business with:
http://tinyurl.com/q9rw2
You'll note that they are very tight with the Chinese, among others. I suspect that Bush & Co. are as distrustful of P&O as they are of Hutchinson-Whampoa, the shipping company, wholly owned subsidiary of the Chinese military.
Remember also that Bush is an oilman, and knows the oil lords of Dubai like kinfolk. This is not conflict of interest so much as who do you trust.
And while we might have a spat with the Arabs right now, the "big game" has been, and remains the Chinese.
#36
I gotta go wit5h Dar - the UAE is the good guys, for as far as that goes, and pissing them off isn't a real great idea. It is EBB and FLOW, folks.
And if CAIR can field a crew of Muslim stevadores that can pass the security checks, more power to 'em. Then all they need to do is worry about the bent-nose boys, who ain't gonna be happy to see them.
#37
Can we assume that some Muslims are with us and enjoy their 21st century lifestyle ? Then, is it also possible that the UAE have a large portion of such 'moderate' Muslims ? Then, would it be wise to allow them to join us in normal endeavors while we prepare to quench the hatred that drives their lunatic neighbors ? Remember, the small Persian Gulf countries like UAE survive in the shadow of the lunatics. If Bush has a deal with them, he can't possibility tell us all about it.
Security is not involved here.
Maybe a certain covert organization which despirately needs agents in the ME can trade favors with a small country with connections all over the ME...and so forth.
This deal doesn't scare me as much as stevadors being democrats does.
In this situation, most Americans are acting like cartoon protesters.
#38
this gives some Donks the chance to preen their security feathers. Others just (understandably) don't like the smell. I think it should go fwd, let the UAE prove there are sane muzzies (there are). Whoever is in charge, the containers need to be better inspected, make them show how they would do it and call for better if needed. I don't see stevedores or ICE inspectors swayed by the foreign corp name on the bottom line of their paycheck...do you?
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/21/2006 23:18
Comments ||
Top||
#39
No matter what is going on behind the scenes, this is political stupidity. Old man Bush would never get in this position. This forces both parties to combine and pass legislation that will be veto proof. This will break Bush's back from here on out. Of course, Shooter -in- Chief didn't contribute any positive PR either.
Around the end of January, Mohammed Rabih Abu Zar, one of al Qaeda's top operatives in Iraq, was arrested in Baghdad. Possibly the top al Qaeda figure in the Baghdad area, Abu Zar was a key player in the development of the tactics of suicide and IED (roadside bomb) attacks. Reportedly, he has been spilling the beans on al Qaeda operations.
Among Abu Zar's revelations are that, despite criticism from the al Qaeda "center" in Pakistan, Al-Qaeda-in-Iraq is committed to continuing to target civilians, in an effort to spark a Sunni-Shia civil war in the country. But, in order to dampen criticism, al Qaeda will no longer "claim responsibility" for attacks that kill or injure civilians.
This is but one of many signs of dissent among Islamic terrorists. For some time now evidence has been mounting that all across the Moslem worldliterally from North Africa through the Middle East and on into Indonesiathat the radical Islamist movement has increasingly been suffering from internal strains. Disputes over tactics, specifically concerning the targeting of civilians, have led to rifts between Al Qaeda-in-Iraq and the Al Qaeda Center in Pakistan. Similar rifts seem to be emerging among Islamist groups in Algeria, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, and perhaps elsewhere.
But arguments over tactics are not the only source of the internal divisions. There have also been squabbles over access to volunteers and money, much of which is moved covertly from the Middle East and elsewhere. Completion for money and men has apparently led to occasional "claims of responsibility" by some groups for acts committed by others, in order to increase their stature and thus attract more support. In addition, ego may be playing a role, as the leaders of various smaller Islamist groups try to burnish their jihadist credentials and increase their stature.
Posted by: ed ||
02/21/2006
16:16 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[14 views]
Top|| File under:
Iran is acting on its assessment of the Wests strength and resolve.
By Michael Ledeen
Sometime in late November or early December, Irans Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei gathered his top advisers for an overall strategic review. The atmosphere was highly charged, because Khameneis doctors have diagnosed a serious cancer, and do not expect the Supreme Leader to live much more than a year. A succession struggle is already under way, with the apparently unsinkable Hashemi Rafsanjani in the thick of it, even though Khamenei, and his increasingly powerful son Mushtaba, is opposed to the perennial candidate-for-whatever.
Despite this disquieting news, the overall tone of the conversation was upbeat, because the Iranians believe they see many positive developments, above all, the declaration that "it has been promised that by 8 April, we will be in a position to show the entire world that 'we are members of the club.'" This presumably refers to nuclear weapons. Against this cheery background, the assessment of the Iranian leaders continued:
● The weakness of the Bush administration is notable. Recent public opinion polls show the country seriously divided, and the top Iranian experts on North America have concluded that the president is paralyzed, unable to make any tough decision (and hence unable to order an attack against Iran);
● 2006 is an election year, and even some Republicans are distancing themselves from Bush, weakening the White House even further;
● Israel is facing the darkest moment in its history (remember that this conversation took place before Sharons stroke). Likud is divided, Netanyahu is openly against Sharon, and the Labor party has lost its old guard. No strong government is possible (and hence Israel is similarly unable to order an attack against Iran). Therefore this is a moment for Iran to take maximum advantage;
● Iranian power and prestige is at an all-time high among the Palestinian terrorist groups, from Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Fatah, to secular, even Communist groups. Terrorists who in the past had rejected Iranian approaches now travel to Tehran for support;
● The Syrians have given Iran final say over the activities of Sunni terrorist groups in their country;
● Iran now exercises effective control over groups ranging from Hezbollah, Ansar al-Islam, al Qaeda, Jaish-e-Muhammad, Jaish-e-Mahdi, and Jaish-e-Huti (Yemen) to the Joint Shiite Army of Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria, and part of Saudi Arabia, as well as Islamic movements in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia;
● In the four and a half months since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has become president, he has brought the extremist group led by Mezbah Yazdi under control, and, notably, he has forced Syria to resist all pressure from the United States;
● The Europeans are no longer necessary for the Iranian strategy, and can now be "thrown out of our game." They are in no position to do any damage because they are too busy fighting with one another;
● Khamenei called for two urgent missions. The first was to do everything possible to drive up oil prices by an additional 30 percent by the first week in April. The second was to intensify the propaganda war against the West in the same period. He stressed that it was important to compel the United States to face at least three crises by the April 8. Rest at link.
Posted by: ed ||
02/21/2006
15:23 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[16 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Keep it up, Mullahs; you're about to "awaken the sleeping tiger."
Somebody remind me - what happened to Yamamoto? Something to do with P-38's?
Posted by: Bobby ||
02/21/2006 19:41
Comments ||
Top||
#2
I fear the tiger will sleep too long. Until MSM starts reporting some informative news, the commuters are as dumb as their politics. this should be information mandatory. Not MSM running in fear of fatwas.
The muslims smell blood. They can make the dirty kaffirs cower in fear now.
Bollywood actress Manisha Koirala and her Persian cats Mischief and Morgan are under police protection after her dogs name sparked protests among Muslim fundamentalists. Members of the community lodged a complaint at Versova police station saying that the dogs name, Mustafa, was same as that of their spiritual head and had to be withdrawn immediately.
Fearing protest rallies, the police had beefed up security near Koiralas Beachwood Tower residence on Yari Road. There are now 12 policemen guarding her building. Since two days, the actress is believed to have been receiving threat calls regarding her pet dog. Strangely, the actress said, she did not have a dog.
Speaking to Mid Day, general secretary of Congress, Sheikh Furkhan, who led a 50-odd mob to Versova police station, said the actress is lying. Five neighbours in Beachwood Tower have seen Koirala take the pet dog for a stroll. They also confirmed that the canine had the same name as our religious leader, fumed Furkhan.
Posted by: john ||
02/21/2006
15:21 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[22 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
The sound of hundreds of turbans coming unraveled and tiny little Muzzy brains exploding...
#3
Five neighbours in Beachwood Tower have seen Koirala take the pet dog for a stroll. They also confirmed that the canine had the same name as our religious leader, fumed Furkhan.
So???? Then tell your "religious leader" he shouldn't name himself after some Bollywood sexpot's dog, fer cryin' out loud.
And then STFU. I'm sick of hearing about you hysterical savages and your bullshit complaints. Go make wudu or something... sheesh!
Posted by: Dave D. ||
02/21/2006 16:07
Comments ||
Top||
#4
I like to go Durka Durka on that too!
Posted by: Yosemite Sam ||
02/21/2006 16:07
Comments ||
Top||
#5
I took a big poop last night and named three of my turds: Mustafa, Mohammed and Madi.
#6
If history is any indicator of outcomes, if one of the airheads offs a big Bollywood star(let) you will see a lot of muzzies sharing the same fate real quick. You will see a lot of whaling and crying when they're on the other end of the 'hate' stick. They'll find sympathy in the dictionary between sh!t and syphilis.
The Indian government on Tuesday said it did not favour a headcount of Muslims in the armed forces as it would like to maintain their secular and apolitical character and that they will not be included in the study for possible state intervention for uplift of Muslims.
"The armed forces are professional, apolitical, secular and the most disciplined force the country has today... we would not like to include [the armed forces] in such a type of survey, [but] in the case of other departments and ministries, such a study will continue," Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in Rajya Sabha.
Giving clarifications to queries on his statement on the appointment of Justice Rajindra Sachar Committee to study the social, economic and educational status of the Muslim community, he said, "We do not recruit on the basis of caste, religion, creed or region... we do not maintain data based on such classifications."
The government would go ahead with the study to ascertain the economic and educational status of Muslims, the single largest minority group in the country, in other departments, he said.
Mukherjee said the government had mandated the Sachar Committee to undertake study of minorities so that a database was prepared for possible government interventions for their uplift.
"We are not apologetic of appointing a committee to look into economic, social, education and cultural condition of single largest minority group," he said.
The defence minister said his ministry had informed the high-level committee that government wanted to 'keep armed forces out of the survey'.
Posted by: john ||
02/21/2006
14:05 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[14 views]
Top|| File under:
Local, national and international groups are gearing up for a fight over an immigration reform bill set to go before the U.S. Senate in the coming weeks ---- a bill that supporters argue will help stop illegal immigration but that critics are calling too harsh. waahhhhh
The battle is over House Resolution 4437, a bill that was recently approved 239-to-182 by the U.S. House of Representatives. The proposed legislation includes proposals for a worker identification system, increased investments in border enforcement and stiffer penalties for those who hire illegal immigrants or who help them enter or stay in this country.
Several local conservative officials ---- including state Sen. Bill Morrow, R-Oceanside, and U.S. Reps. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, and Duncan Hunter, R-El Cajon ---- have come out strongly in support of the bill, which was introduced by U.S. Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
Opponents say the bill focuses too heavily on border enforcement and criticize the proposal for failing to include a provision for a guest-worker program that would allow foreign citizens to live and work temporarily in the United States.
Supporters of the bill, however, say the proposal is an important first step to controlling illegal immigration. Supporters also say a guest-worker program would be acceptable only if the federal government shows it is serious about controlling the nation's borders.
Escondido City Councilwoman Marie Waldron said Monday that she supports the bill in its current form, including the penalties it includes for helping illegal immigrants.
"Why can't we as a country enforce our laws and defend our borders?" she asked. "I feel the ... bill is a good one and needs to be passed ---- this is a first step."
Officials with two local groups that fight for the human rights of illegal immigrants will join representatives of other grass-roots organizations from across the Southwest on a March 6 trip to Washington, D.C., to pressure Congress into making significant changes to the proposed legislation, a spokesman with the human rights group the American Friends Services Committee said Monday.
American Friends' San Diego office director Christian Ramirez said Monday that a representative with the Escondido Human Rights Committee will also be making the trip to Washington. Officials with that organization could not be reached for comment Monday.
Leaders of the American Friends Service have been visiting communities from California to Texas in recent weeks to recruit volunteers for the Washington lobbying trip, Ramirez said in a phone interview from Sunland Park, N.M.
"The ... bill is quite troubling," Ramirez said.
Opposition to the bill also has blossomed abroad in recent days and weeks.
Last week, diplomats with 11 Latin American countries met in Cartagena, Colombia, to discuss the bill. They agreed to send a lobbying group to Washington this week to fight it. And on Sunday, Mexican lawmakers announced they were also sending a congressional delegation to Washington this week to push for a migration accord and lobby against a proposal to build a reinforced, high-tech fence along much of the U.S.-Mexican border.
If made law, the bill would subject anyone who "assists, encourages, directs, or induces a person to reside in or remain in the United States," to criminal prosecution.
It also singles out nonprofit organizations that help illegal immigrants obtain jobs, stating that such groups could receive fines and possible jail sentences. Staff members with Escondido's Interfaith Community Services, which has a day laborer hiring center, have said they are worried that such a law could scare off both employers and workers.
Waldron, who stirred controversy last summer when she authored a resolution of support for a statewide initiative that would have created a state border police force, said Monday opponents of the bill should be looking south --- not east.
"They should take their road show to Mexico City and ask why their citizens are forced to leave the country for a better life," Waldron said.
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/21/2006
13:55 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[7 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
...opponents of the bill should be looking south --- not east.
Amen. The only reason the government in Mexico hasn't been overthrown is that the people who hate it ... leave.
#5
Count on Republicans and Dems to block this bill in the Senate. No point in contacting out Senators. The cost of treating illegals for free shut our local hospital and emergency room. We don't count with Boxer and DiFi.
#6
You want to shut off the flow of illegals? Make it illegal for anyone but the federal government to transfer dollars to Mexico. As long as remittances from illegals constitute the second largest (after PEMEX) source of hard currency for the Mexican government, don't expect any help from Fox. Dry up the flow of dollars and the willingness to come North for work will drop off dramatically.
#8
NO and I mean NO American 'Bill' will change the situation as long as Mexico City, i.e. the Mexican government, has no motivation to change its behavior. Its all show and no substance by all the players in Washington.
Escondido's Interfaith Community Services, which has a day laborer hiring center, have said they are worried that such a law could scare off both employers and workers
Works for me.
That's a feature, not a bug.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
02/21/2006 21:59
Comments ||
Top||
At least seven more people have been killed on the fourth day of the heaviest fighting seen in the Somali capital for several years. Supporters of some of Mogadishu's militia leaders have clashed with an armed Islamist group which says it is trying to establish law and order. Their opponents say the Islamic courts are terrorising local people. More than 22 people have died since fighting began on Saturday - many of them civilians hit by stray bullets.
A witness told AFP news agency on Tuesday that they had seen two people die and 15 wounded in a clash in southern Mogadishu's Daynile district. "The place is full of blood and it is very scary," he said. The main airstrip there which is used by aid agencies and businessmen has been shut. Another witness told AP news agency that a woman was killed and two children injured when a mortar exploded near a milk factory. AP also reports further deaths in the city centre and that two more people have died of their wounds in hospital. Clashes between armed groups have been common in Somalia since former military leader Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991. The country has been without a functioning government since then.
Over the weekend, a group of MPs urged both sides to stop fighting. The fighting pits a new group, the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism, against the Islamic courts' militia. But AP reports that gunmen from other groups have taken advantage of the fighting to go on a looting spree.
The fighting has also led to the closure of the Daynile airport, used by many aid workers. Hundreds of families have fled their homes around the former military academy. The BBC's Hassan Barise in Mogadishu says at least five warlords-cum-ministers in the transitional government are behind the new alliance, opposed to the Islamic courts. The courts have set up Mogadishu's only judicial system in parts of the capital but have been accused of links to al-Qaeda. Their critics accuse the courts of being behind the killing of moderate Muslim scholars. On 26 February, the country's parliament is due to meet for the first time on home soil since it was formed in Kenya more than a year ago. Both sides share a critial need for more ammunition.
#4
Here in Minnesota, somee poor Somali Immigrant has agreed to become mayor of Mogadishu. Reporters asked him if he knew what he was getting into, and he said yes. Of course that was before the current fighting.
Al
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
02/21/2006 18:01
Comments ||
Top||
#5
The milk factory is the one cow they haven't killed yet.
Edited for brevity.
The new boots dont need a shine. The new uniforms dont need to be dry cleaned and they come complete with velcro for patches that once had to be sewn on by hand. The Armys new wash-and-wear combat uniform is great for soldiers, but a nightmare for the nearly 60 small shops around Fort Bragg that offer dry cleaning, pressing, alterations and boot shining. At least three have closed since the debut of the new Army Combat Uniform, and the owners of several others say their business has been cut in half. There isnt much hope for improvement, either. A little less than a third of the 45,000 soldiers at Fort Bragg, the sprawling post thats home to the Armys Special Operations Command, the 82nd Airborne and a variety of other units, are still wearing the old uniforms. Theyll soon make the switch.
Posted by: Dar ||
02/21/2006
13:36 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[12 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
the sprawling post thats home to the Armys Special Operations Command,
WRONG. USSOCOM TAMPA
And YES, The new unforms are GREAT!!
#4
Someone said, "The side with the simplest uniforms wins."
Posted by: Formerly Dan ||
02/21/2006 16:45
Comments ||
Top||
#5
Finally we get a uniform that does not cost a hundred bucks a month to keep clean and starched. But not to worry, I sat some General from the Pentagon the other day in a set that the patches were sewn on and they were crisp, I assume starched if not ironed. It probably wont be long before they approve starch for parades and it will creep back in.
Posted by: 49 pan ||
02/21/2006 18:41
Comments ||
Top||
#6
I always thought the center of Hell was frozen, Fleating.
Posted by: Eric Jablow ||
02/21/2006 19:20
Comments ||
Top||
#7
Hay AG, have you been to Tampa lately, this article seems to know the difference between a staff and commands!LOL!!!
Posted by: 49 pan ||
02/21/2006 20:53
Comments ||
Top||
#8
As the senior officers are fond of saying, this uniform was designed by the senior NCOs to incorporate exactly these characteristics. The days of breaking starch are over.
A federal grand jury has indicted three Toledo-area men for terrorist activities. Prosecutors say the three conspired to wage a "holy war" against the United States and coalition forces in the Middle East. The indictment was unsealed Monday.
The U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is expected to release more details at a news conference this afternoon in Washington D.C.
According to the indictment from the US Attorney's office, the suspects are Mohammad Zaki Amawi, Marwan Othman El-Hindi, and Wassim Mazloum. The indictment says all three were living in the Toledo area. Amawi is a citizen of the US and also a citizen of Jordan. El-Hindi is a naturalized American citizen who was born in Jordan. Mazloum is a legal permanent resident of the US, who came here from Lebanon.
Mazloum also operated a car business in Toledo with his brother. The indictment accuses him of offering to use his dealership as a cover for traveling to and from Iraq so that he could learn how to build small explosives using household materials.
The indictment also names an unindicted co-conspiratory called "The Trainer," who has U.S. military backround in security, and bodyguard training.
In count 1 of the indictment, prosecutors say the three met together many times, going back as far as November 2004. The three reportedly conspired to recruit and train others for a violent jihad against United States forces and US allies in Iraq. They also reportedly put together the funding needed for the operation, and collected the equipment needed, and even travelled together to a local indoor shooting range for target practice.
Prosecutors also say the three communicated by computer with an individual in the Middle East, passing information about potential attacks and terrorist training materials back and forth, as well as communication about potential weapons and targets.
The indictment did not say if any attacks were imminent. Two of the men discussed plans to practice setting off explosives on July 4, 2005, so that the bombs would not be noticed, the indictment alleges. It's not clear if the suspects went through with those plans.
In count 2, the grand jury found that the three had similar plans to kill US citizens abroad in addition to service members.
The last three counts in the indictment dealt specifically with Mohammad Zaki Amawi. One count said Amawi distributed information on bomb-making, which in itself is a federal crime. Prosecutors also said he verbally threatened President George W. Bush, and filed two counts for that. Those crimes are separate from the conspiracy.
The indictment was filed with Judge James Carr in Federal Court in Toledo. The Justice Department says Amawi is being held at a jail in Cleveland, and will be arraigned in Cleveland some time this afternoon. El-Hindi and Mazloum are being held in a jail in Toledo. They are expected in Toledo's Federal Court this afternoon.
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/21/2006
13:29 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[24 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Redacted by moderator. Comments may be redacted for trolling, violation of standards of good manners, or plain stupidity. Please correct the condition that applies and try again. Contents may be viewed in the sinktrap. Further violations may result in
banning.
#2
Fox News:
The indictment also notes that a fourth person, referred to as "the trainer," was a U.S. citizen but was not named as a conspirator. One official told FOX News that law enforcement was tipped to the activities of these three men by this informant, who is an ex-U.S. military man who fought overseas and was living in Toledo. He is described as "a respected member of the Muslim community" who came forward and gave information to the authorities. "The trainer" has a U.S. military background and in 2002 was solicited by El-Hindi to assist in providing security and bodyguard training, among other things.
Posted by: ed ||
02/21/2006 15:23
Comments ||
Top||
#3
A car dealer? What a cover to provide vehicles for car bombs...now find the local internet cafe that is always involved. They seem to be present on even the remotest of beaches, or wherever illegal deals and smuggling is going on.
#4
A car dealership is also a good way to launder funds, order materials, etc.
Met a European in West Africa who was an arms dealer. His legitimate (and profitable) business was, when one thought about it, a very good cover for his other and more lucrative dealings.
#6
FOX NEWS, includ O'REILLY, report that there are allegations the men planned to assassinate Dubya and First Lady Babs Bush during their trip to Toledo back in 2004. Their preferred scheme was to allegedly ram the Bush motorcades? vv suicide car bombing, but was even discarded due to high security!? Apparently these "desert samurai" and future "Lions of God" must've decided to let the wimin and teenagers do it.
PRETORIA - Ten Iraqi politicians will visit South Africa next month to learn about the countrys peaceful transition to democracy, the deputy foreign minister said on Tuesday. The United Nations feels the politicians, who will be Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds who participated in the electoral process there, can benefit from visiting South Africa and interacting with our politicians from across the politican spectrum and all sectors of society, Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad told AFP.
The Iraqi politicians will spend about a week in South Africa.
Apartheid ended peacefully in South Africa in 1994 when the African National Congress (ANC) and Nelson Mandela were voted into power in the first democratic and multi-racial elections. The world was expecting the greatest catastrophe here, instead we have developed into one of the first emerging nations in the world, said Pahad.
#6
Gerecht had a piece in the Weekly Standard a couple of weeks ago stating that Ahmadinejad was a gift in that he cannot fake moderation and does seem to be trying to exercise power to act on his beliefs. The clarity is refreshing.
It's not clear what will happen. Key uncertainties are a) does Iran already have a working nuke, b) will Europe stand with us when diplomatic means are exhausted and c) will Iraq erupt if we attack the Iranian facilities.
To me, we can weather any storm, up to and including an operational Iranian nuke, if Europe backs use of force. Of course, we can weather such a storm alone, but a decision to use force early (i.e. in time) is less likely because we will have to factor in follow-on diplomatic losses in our position if and when Europe piles on after the inevitable setbacks that will occur any time military operations are launched (anything from downed pilots to closing the Straits).
A factor I think unworthy of consideration is any materially helpful action by Iranian resistance groups. They would have been helpful 2 years ago but did nothing. We should have done more sooner to support them but there is no evidence that it would have mattered. The mullahs have a pretty effective police state so it takes extreme courage to stand up to it in an organized fashion. Unfortunately, it appears the more courageous Iranians fall into the 'death to the great satan' crowd.
#7
Gerecht had a piece in the Weekly Standard a couple of weeks ago stating that Ahmadinejad was a gift in that he cannot fake moderation and does seem to be trying to exercise power to act on his beliefs. The clarity is refreshing.
His clarity does not help if our government refuses to believe he means what he says.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
02/21/2006 13:20
Comments ||
Top||
KARACHI - Low-profile government-sponsored rallies to condemn publication of cartoons featuring the Prophet Mohammed have swiftly escalated into a campaign directed against Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf.
In this respect, the Shah-i-Mustafa (in respect of the Prophet Mohammed) rallies have already turned into a nascent Tehrik-i-
Nizam-i-Mustafa movement - that is, to enforce Prophet Mohammed's way of life, or sharia law, on to society.
Qazi Hussain Ahmed, leader of the six-party opposition religious grouping the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), who was briefly detained on the weekend, has set a deadline of March 23 to depose Musharraf, but there are clear signals that within a matter of weeks the military regime could have further lost some of its grip on power.
The administration has already in effect been sidelined in the tribal areas of North West Frontier Province, where in South and North Waziristan a Taliban-led administration is in place and the Pakistani security forces cannot move beyond their district headquarters of Wana and Miranshah.
Similarly, Balochistan province has turned into a quagmire, with the armed forces having lost their iron grip to insurgents, who are now calling the shots. Almost daily, the fierce resistance blows up gas pipelines and electricity lines in the resource-rich region, and there is little the Pakistani army can do. Last week, three Chinese engineers and their Pakistani driver were gunned down in Balochistan. The Chinese are helping build the important warm-water Gwadar port.
In such a situation, the country's largest province, Punjab, has been the only base from which the establishment has been able to maneuver freely. Now even this is under threat.
Across the province, whether in small districts such as Chiniot or the headquarters of the armed forces, Rawalpindi, or the national capital, Islamabad, the masses have taken to the streets to vent their displeasure with the state.
On the political surface
It is an open secret that the government encouraged and sponsored rallies ostensibly against the cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed. The aim was to send a message to the West of the dangers of extremism in Pakistan, and that it could only be contained by the military dictatorship.
This scheme has badly backfired, which the government was quick to realize. After a few rallies in Punjab, for example, the administration imposed the so-called Section 144 across the province and in the federal capital, under which all public gatherings were banned. A large rally in Islamabad on Sunday, however, defied the ban, even in the face of the military, paramilitary and police. Tear-gassings, shootings with rubber bullets and baton charges followed, with wide-scale arrests.
In an unprecedented reaction, when the police arrested hundreds of workers at a rally, private citizens of Islamabad, who are mostly employed in the public sector, took to the streets and pelted the police with stones. Ultimately, the administration backed down and allowed the rally to continue.
Among those arrested were many top leaders, including the secretary general of the Jamaat-i-Islami, Syed Munawar Hasan. Qazi Hussain Ahmed was also arrested, at his residence in Mansoor, Lahore, but such was the reaction that he was set free after just one day in detention.
The extent of the popular demonstrations has led the most organized and most powerful member of the MMA, the Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan, to harness this people's power into an anti-Musharraf movement. The only obstacle is the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the chief of the Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Islam, a powerful segment of the MMA, who is not ready to launch such a campaign.
However, inner circles of the MMA tell Asia Times Online that whether or not Rehman supports the movement is not critical, as it is the masses that are driving the campaign.
Behind the political scenes
In addition to the religious-political parties, the country's hardcore religious segment has embraced the call for Tehrik-i-Nizam-i-Mustafa, and by implication the ouster of Musharraf. This includes the madrassas (seminaries) and calls from the mosques.
On Friday, after a call by Maulana Abdul Aziz of the Lal Masjid, Islamabad, about 5,000 people pledged their willingness (bait) to sacrifice their lives for the cause of jihad against the pro-US Musharraf government. Similar pledges were made in other mosques in Islamabad, and in Rawalpindi and Lahore.
Maulana Abdul Aziz and Ghazi Abdul Rasheed are sons of the slain Maulana Abdullah. The government has wanted on numerous occasions to arrest the brothers for their fiery remarks, but has never done so as they command great respect not only in the civilian population, but also in the army. Many top officers visit them in their modest houses near Lal Masjid, even though the Ministry of the Interior has branded them wanted criminals.
For the first time, white flags on which the Kalma (There is no God but the one God. Mohammed is the messenger of God) was inscribed in black appeared in sizable numbers at demonstrations. These special flags recall those used by the Prophet Mohammed 1,400 years ago.
Historical parallels
The current situation parallels the tumultuous times of 1977 when the Pakistan National Alliance, in which left- and right-wing parties were grouped, launched a Tehrik-i-Nizam-i-Mustafa that paved the way for the an army coup in which General Zia ul-Haq removed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and imposed martial law.
A bureaucrat who retired after reaching the senior position of secretary to the government of Pakistan recalled that anti-traditionalism had reached a serious level in the 1970s. Alcohol had become a part of the social culture and social climbers prevailed in the power corridors. A leading US-based magazine ran a cover story titled "Pakistan: A country ruled by pimps and prostitutes".
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the bureaucrat said, "In fact, Tehrik-i-Nizam-i-Mustafa was a mass rebellion against the establishment when it tried to change social norms."
The reasons for the dissatisfaction with Musharraf might be different - chief among them is his pro-US position in the "war on terror" - but powerful mosques, jihadis, religious parties and opposition parties have added their weight to the movement. Musharraf is currently on a state visit to China.
On Friday, the opposition parties called for countrywide demonstrations, and on Sunday they called for a rally in Lahore, even though protests have been banned there.
More protests have been scheduled for next month. These could coincide with a visit by US President George W Bush, although no dates have been announced.
The situation is fast coming to a head.
Syed Saleem Shahzad is Bureau Chief, Pakistan Asia Times Online
#3
Time for US to knock the doors down in PakiWacki
Posted by: Captain America ||
02/21/2006 17:41
Comments ||
Top||
#4
Musharraf is going to have to pick sides. Hes played the candle at both ends for too long. He could be the tipping point and it all depends on which side he thinks will leave him most powerful at the end.
All his eggs in with the West and step to annihilate the fundos and Al Quaida and deny the founding reason for the establishment of PakLand? Believing that the west will overcome and ultimately win? Or, cast his lot in with the MM - nukes and all believing that the pan-galactic khalifate is at hand and he can rule a whack chunk of it?
What a fine, fine mess hes gotten himself into. All the crap created, all the Madrassas, all the fine splodydopes, all the funding, coming back to drive him away, not to glory.
But it will be sooo nice to stop having to pretend Pakistan and Pervez are our allies in any war on terror.
If nothing else, the cartoons have ripped the masks off for us all over the ME and beyond.
The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Tuesday that a small congregation in New Mexico may use hallucinogenic tea as part of a four-hour ritual intended to connect with God.
Justices, in their first religious freedom decision under Chief Justice John Roberts, moved decisively to keep the government out of a church's religious practice. Federal drug agents should have been barred from confiscating the hoasca tea of the Brazil-based church, Roberts wrote in the decision.
The tea, which contains an illegal drug known as DMT, is considered sacred to members of O Centro Espirita Beneficiente Uniao do Vegetal, which has a blend of Christian beliefs and South American traditions. Members believe they can understand God only by drinking the tea, which is consumed twice a month at four-hour ceremonies.
New Justice
Samuel Alito did not take part in the case, which was argued last fall before Justice
Sandra Day O'Connor before her retirement. Alito was on the bench for the first time on Tuesday.
...
1) DMT, DET, psylocin, psylocybin, : The mushroom psylocybin cubensis contains all four of these indole derivatives, as well as others. DMT is
dimethyltryptamine, an indole derivative which has functionalized at the 3 position with the dimethyl ethylamine group. It is a close relative to the
amino acid, tryptophan, which until recently was available in bulk at vitamin shops, until some jerk poisoned himself by taking a wonga dose of
it. [Actually it may have been a single toxic batch mistakenly produced in Japan.] A prep came out in 1984 for LSD using l--tryptophan as the
precursor, so this may have facilitated the government's pullin it from the shelves.
DMT, and it's brother DET (diethyltryptamine), have no oral activity, so have to be smoked. They stink like fish oil when lit, though. Both have hallucinogenic effects within 2-3 minutes of toking, wand while DMT lasts for only a half hour, DET is a smoother, more euphoric high, lasting twice as long. DET has effects similar to psylocybin.
Psylocybin is DMT which has a functional group, phosphoryloxy-, at the 4 position on the indole ring. This group is immediately converted to hydroxyl- as soon as the stuff hits your stomach to give the cousin, psylocin. In preparing the drug, then, it is not necessary to proceed beyond the psylocin.
DMT and DET are easily derived from many indole derivatives, the easiest of which is indole-3-acetic acid. The reaction stinks to high heaven of indole gunge, skatoles (methylindoles), and indenes. Bad news if you want to make it at home, because the stench is pervasive. Other derivatives, using phenyl or butyl groups have been reported as having oral activity, so it is not necessary to smoke the stuff. Doses run at about a hundred mgs for smoked drug,(a disclaimer further on says 20-30mgs with 100 killing one) while psylocin is orally active at about 5 mgs.
... and it continues on to describe plants that contain it extractions and such.
The key point is: DMT, and it's brother DET (diethyltryptamine), have no oral activity,
so have to be smoked.
So if they are drinking it as tea the effect would only be in reaction with something else added to the mix. Perhaps that's one reason the Supremes didn't get too excited.
DMT
CH
/ 3
// \--- --- CH CH N
|| || || 2 2
\ // / CH
N 3
H
...
When DMT is smoked or injected, effects begin in seconds, reach a peak in five to twenty minutes and end after a half hour or so. This has earned it the name "businessman's trip." The brevity of the experience make its intensity bearable, and, for some, desirable.
...
DMT FAQ (Draft, inserted into LSD FAQ)
8 Aug 94
DMT, DiMethylTryptamine, or 3-(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl)-indole is a chemical
in the same class of drugs as Psilocybin and LSD. Structurally related to serotonin, their effects on the body are similar and cross-tolerance can and is developed between DMT, LSD and Psilocybin.
DMT is not absorbed into the blood stream when taken orally and therefore is usually inhaled as a powder or smoked.
Description and properties:
DMT, N,N-diemethyltryptamine, Nigerine, desoxybufotenine, 3-(2-dimethylaminoethyl)-indole is a white, pungent-smelling, crystalline solid with a melting point of 49-50 degrees Celsius, hydrochloride salt hygroscopic, picrate m.p. 171-172 degrees Celsius and methiodide m.p.215-216 degrees Celsius. It is insoluble in water, but soluble in organic solvents and aqueous acids.
History:
DMT was first synthesized in 1931, and demonstrated to be hallucinogenic in 1956. It has been shown to be present in many plant genera (Acacia, Anandenanthera, Mimosa, Piptadenia, Virola) and is a major component of several hallucinogenic snuffs (cohoba, parica, yopo). It is also present in the intoxicating beverage "ayahuasca" made from Banisteriopsis caapi, and it may have oral effectiveness due to the presence of several naturally occuring inhibitors of catabolic deamination.
.. there is the TEA the Supremes approved ..
Human Biochemistry and Pharmacology:
Both the parent compound tryptamine and the N-methyltransferase system which is capable of converting it to DMT, occur in humans, but there is as yet no evidence that DMT is formed "in vivo". DMT has nonetheless been identified in
trace amounts in the blood and urine of both normals and of schizophrenic patients, but its origins and functions are unknown. Following intramuscular administration, maximum blood levels of about 100 ng/ml are observed in 10 minutes, coincident with the maximum changes in electroencephalographic responses. The plasma clearance t-1/2 [half-life] is about 15 minutes.
Elevated blood levels of indoleacetic acid (IAA) are seen during the time of peak effects, implying its role as a metabolite. Urine levels of IAA are also elevated and account for about 30% of the administered drug. An increase in 5-hydroxy-IAA excretion suggests the involvement of serotonin in DMT action. Unchanged DMT is not excreted.
Human Psychopharmacology:
DMT is inactive orally at dosages of over 1000mg. With intramuscular injection, there is an abrupt threshold of activity shown with 30mg, and a
complete psychedelic experience results from the administration of 50-70mg (75mg subcutaneously, 30mg by inhalation). An unusual feature of the induced intoxication is the speed of onset and short duration. Within 5 minutes of administration there is mydriasis [dilated pupils], tachycardia [rapid heart beat], a measurable increase in blood pressure, and related vegetative disturbances which usually persist througout the drug experience. In 10-15 minutes, the full intoxication is realized, generally characterized by hallucinations with the eyes either open or closed, and extensive movement within the visual field. There is difficulty in the expression of one's thoughts, and in concentration on a given subject. There is usually a mood change to the euphoric with unmotivated laughter, but instances have been reported in which paranoid ideation has promoted anxieties and feelings of forboding into a state of panic. The subject is largely symptom-free at 60 minutes, although some residual effects have been seen in the second hour. With the inhalation route of administration the time scale is contracted, with onset of effects noted in 10 seconds, a short period of full intoxication at 2-3 minute, and a complete freedom from any residual effects within 10 minutes. At higher drug levels, there are increased vegetative symptoms, and these effectively overwhelm the psychedelic experience at dosages of 150mg i.m. Interactions with other drugs are rarely seen; a sensitivity has been observed with pretreatment with methlysergide, but there is no cross-tolerance
with LSD. Repeated usage does not appear to lead to either physical or psychological dependency.
Legal Status:
DMT is explicitly named as a Schedule I drug in the Federal Controlled Substances Act; registry number 7435.
Lots more in the FAQ but that's a good start at understanding what the Supremes just approved.
#8
Oh I left out the effects of the drug this wise men just approved. One wonders if they tried it before voting... Imagine meeting a person on this tea or even worse if they are driving a car..
Here is a person's trip-report from the same FAQ
a hit of dmt 10/9/84 - zarkov
i loaded about 40-50 milligrams of dmt into a glass pipe on top of a small amount of damiana. even though i had been warned, i was still
shocked at how harsh the first toke was. it tasted and smelled like burning plastic. i involuntarily exhaled. i immediately took a second toke. the heavy white smoke rushed up the pipe as harsh as before, but i was somewhat better prepared for the terrible taste and i was able to
hold the smoke for a few seconds. i exhaled, took a third toke, and was able to hold this last lungful. suddenly i began to hear a loud,
moderately high-pitched carrier wave. immediately, the room started vibrating in sympathy. the pattern on the wall hangings oscillated madly
in time to the buzzing that overlaid the carrier waves fundamental tone. simultaneously, a heavy, trembling feeling swept over my entire body as
if i were being propelled at multiple g acceleration by some giant rocket engine. my visual field dissolved in the most amazing colors. i could not see the room over the intensity of the visual effects. the events of the preceding paragraph occurred in the space of a few short seconds.
closing my eyes, i got a glimpse of several entities moving in front of a giant complex control panel. the visions were not crystal clear and seemed as if i were viewing it through a scrim. the creatures were bipedal and of about human size. it was impossible to say more other
than they did not move like the giant insect creatures i have seen clearly under the influence of stropharia mushrooms. there was a direct
awareness of an overwhelmingly powerful and knowledgable *presence*! it was neither frightening, nor encouraging. it was just mentally there. a thought came, unbidden, into my head. i realized that i was viewing god central. the central panel i saw was the control panel for the entire universe.the vision was fleeting and dissolved into a vision of much greater clarity. a gaggle of elf-like creatures in standard issue irish elf costumes, complete with hats, looking like they had stepped out of a hallmark cards happy saint patricks day display, were doing strange things with strange objects that seemed to be a weird hybrid between crystals and machines.
this vision was also fleeting, and it dissolved into a visual pattern unlike that experienced by me on any other psychedelic or combination of
psychedelics. the visuals were interlocking sinusoidal patterns arranged in a japanese chrysanthemum pattern that filled my entire visual field. the pattern was ever-changing and the colors of the individual patterns changed independently of the underlyng pattern. the colors were intense and came in a magnificent variety of colors: metallics, monochromes,
pastels, each flickering in and out of existence as if obeying some undetected ordering principle.
an idea came into my head that i was seeing the true universe or universe as it really exists. that is to say, i was seeing *directly* the vibrations of every particles in the universe that i was somehow in contact with. i was directly seeing the universe withough ordering it into an arbitrary reality tunnel -- i.e., perceived solid, objective reality. the visual pattern seemed to be a sort of m-dimensional lissajous curve formed by the intersection of i with the shock wave of
space-time causality.
the carrier wave remained strong throughout the experience. while definitely the same type of phenomena as the carrier wave heard under the
influence of psilocybin mushrooms, the dmt carrier wave was *much* louder than even the loud carrier wave heard under the influence of ten grams of
very potent, dried stropharia mushrooms. also, by comparison to the mushroom experience, the carrier wave sounded as a purer tone -- i.e., the sinusoidal component dominated the buzzng component. my throat was too sore from the harsh smoke and the control of my breathing was hindered by the intensity of the expereince, so i was unable to sing or even generate a solid tone, to attempt audio driving of the visuals.
the overwhelming sense of a *presence* did not disappear when the vision changed to visual patterns, but remained an almost palpable entity as lon as the visuals remained intense. i never felt the foreboding -- let alone the direct challenges -- i have felt under the influence of
stropharia mushrooms whenever the feeling of contact with the presence has been strong. the presence was just there and *very* powerful. i
felt that i had glimpsed whiteheads god.
the period of intense visuals lasted about eight minutes. the side effects remained unpleasant, but easily ignorable. the dmt left me euphoric and very bemused for about an hour.
A colleague passes along this from an email about LTC David F. West, head of preventative medicine for the 212th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH). Thought you might like to know what he and team are doing as part of the relief effort after Pakistan's massive earthquake.
David's Preventive Medicine team (usually 7 people but at times as many as 11) gave over 20,000 immunizations to more than 6,000 people in the 4 months of actual operational time they spent in Pakistan. They also distributed more than 200 boxes of clothing, blankets and toys that were donated by the Landstuhl Army Community.
They usually worked with the village school teacher or elder because they knew the communities and made distributing the clothing orderly. In one village the teacher said they had already "all the usual" vaccinations, now they needed the one for air pollution...that's an example of how advanced they believe American technology is! In another village the people had already been vaccinated (perhaps by Canadian or Australian Forces) and they had good clothing. When David asked what they needed the teacher said they had no books for the school. So David and his team got a list of the books needed, went back to the MASH and collected money (15,000 rupees, or about $250), bought the books and took them to the village...
David says the local people were friendly, very hospitable and welcoming, and knew the US Army personnel were there to help.
Islamabad, 21 Feb. (AKI/DAWN) - Pakistan has said that the United Nations and the European Union, particularly Denmark, have to redress the damage caused by the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed and demanded that practical steps be taken to prevent the recurrence of such acts. What we want from the European Union now is concrete steps. Its not enough to say that in their society there is no tolerance for discrimination and they regret the hurt the cartoons caused. This needs to be backed up with laws, said Pakistani foreign office spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam.
"In this case we do expect the European Union to put in place some laws which would ensure that in future there are no such incidents," she said.
"We are not against the freedom of expression but certainly freedom of expression as we have said repeatedly is not a license to insult other people, Aslam reiterated.
She also added that while it was the right of every Muslim to protest against the cartoons, the government expected the demonstrations to be peaceful. When they turn into violent acts we also damage our image, said Aslam.
Aslam said that Pakistan along with other members of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) had taken up the issue with the EU, the entire membership of the United Nations and the international community at every possible forum.
She added that the OIC had also asked European countries to adopt a code of conduct for their media which would take into account the sensitivities of Muslims and also curb defamation in any form or manifestation. This would include mocking and criticizing prophets, she said, underlining that the code of conduct should make it an ethical offence.
On expectations from the UN on this front, Aslam stated: We also want the United Nations to take a number of steps. One, the UN should adopt an International Communication Order which should cover limits of freedom of speech in case of religious symbols, she said.
In addition to that we would also explore the possibility if the United Nations can adopt prevention that would require states to curb defamation of religions, she said.
Aslam confirmed that while Islamabad had recalled its ambassador from Denmark, the Pakistan mission there was still operating.
She said diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Denmark were in tact. We have more than 25,000 Pakistanis (in Denmark), we just cannot abandon them, she said adding that the Pakistan mission was providing consular services to the Pakistani community.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
02/21/2006 12:05
Comments ||
Top||
#2
The only "Croncrete Solutions" are for undeveloped backwater theocratic p!sshole festering cesspit countries to shut the f&ck up about how modernized technologically proficient nations exercise their freedom of speech. More cartoons, more trampling and more economically crippling riots in Islamic countries, please.
#5
Thell them (the peaceful, honarable, and fun loving Muslims )what the Hollywood types tell parents when they are afraid thier kids will see all the violence, "turn it off"
#12
"OK, here it is: it's illegal to incite violence on the basis of, or under the cover of, religion. All religious services must be conducted in the native language of the host country."
Watch 'em scream.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
02/21/2006 13:22
Comments ||
Top||
#13
'All religious services must be conducted in the native language of the host country."'
Amen! Halleluyah! Deo Gratia! Something like that.
#18
Perv should try that nonsense with Hu.
Somehow I don't think they'll be so accomodating...
Posted by: john ||
02/21/2006 14:13
Comments ||
Top||
#19
wxjames, great link thanks lol
Posted by: Jan ||
02/21/2006 15:47
Comments ||
Top||
#20
Why is is it none of these rabid muslims understand that such a law would apply to them as well.
Can we expect to see the immediate cessation of all mosque invectives to "kill jews" "kill americans", "kill Danes", "kill Israel", "kill all infidels"? The immediate arrest of all violent hate=spewing "demonstrators". The immdediate recoginition of Israel by all muslim lands?
No? Though not. this is just a law that prohibits the dhimmie from mentioning islam in any context other than conversion.
I'm watchin gour Canadian press swallow this up as "a good idea".
#25
Pave Pakistan? Think of the mudslides that would result from cutting down the remaining trees -- it would be a terrible thing to do to Mother Gaia! ;-)
Redacted by moderator. Comments may be redacted for trolling, violation of standards of good manners, or plain stupidity. Please correct the condition that applies and try again. Contents may be viewed in the sinktrap. Further violations may result in
banning.
The American ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, criticized Secretary-General Annan yesterday for employing double standards over sending U.N. troops to the war-torn Sudanese region of Darfur.
Mr. Bolton said that while Mr. Annan has publicly chided Washington for leadership shortcomings on Darfur, he has not encouraged Africans and Arabs to do more, and has failed to push his own U.N. underlings hard enough.
Mr. Bolton signaled America's sense of urgency on Darfur when he elevated the issue to the top of the Security Council's agenda on assuming the council's presidency for the month of February. Just three days into the presidency, Mr. Bolton encouraged the council to issue a statement calling for the replacement of the 7,500-troop-strong African Union force in Darfur with a much larger force under the U.N. umbrella, which would be augmented and strengthened with a mandate allowing intervention to stop atrocities in the region.
Mr. Annan has publicly chided the West, including America, saying the force should include support, military assets, and even troops from the developed world. Mr. Bolton sent a letter to Mr. Annan, offering Washington's help in planning the mission. A week after arriving in New York, however, four American military planners have met only once with U.N. peacekeeping officials.
At the Security Council, American ideas for establishing the force, which is opposed by the Sudanese government, met with resistance from Khartoum's allies from African and Arab countries.
"It would be helpful, I think, if the secretary-general, in addition to prodding the U.S., could also be out there talking to the African Union and the Arab League, and in fact, even talking to his own peacekeepers about the importance of moving ahead," Mr. Bolton told reporters yesterday.
"It's important that whatever is being said rhetorically" by Mr. Annan, Mr. Bolton added, "should be matched by what the Secretariat planners are doing."
Hundreds of thousands have been killed in Darfur over the last few years, in what only America so far has described as genocide. Mr. Annan's representative in Sudan, Jan Pronk, recently said that to stop the killings, rapes, and abuse, and to create an environment that would allow millions of Darfur villagers to return home from refugee camps in Sudan and Chad, a well trained force of 22,000 troops, supported by helicopters and other aircraft, should be deployed.
However, a top Turtle Bay peacekeeping official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The New York Sun it would take his department nine months to compose such a force. American officials said that when a peacekeeping force was needed for Liberia, U.N. officials also told them it would take many months, but after being prodded to set up the force in 90 days, they were able to do so.
Last week, President Bush said NATO could help to set up the force. In New York a second meeting is planned between U.N. officials and American military planners, according to U.N. spokesmen.
"They're here ready to go, and we think other nations are prepared to augment the planning force," Mr. Bolton said yesterday. "We recognize that the secretary-general needs help. That's why we brought these very experienced, very knowledgeable people up here, so we wouldn't lose any time."
Mr. Annan yesterday declined to respond, but his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, countered by saying that "the planning process is moving full steam ahead."
We hae the caterers and the meeting rooms booked for MONTHS of meetings. How's that for planning, huh?
Once the shape of the new force for Sudan starts to emerge, he added, "we will be presenting options to the Security Council," and then try to recruit troops from around the world. Meanwhile, Mr. Pronk is negotiating with representatives of the African Union.
The Sudan regime, however, argues that non-African troops would infringe on its sovereignty. "Sudan rejects replacement of the African Union forces with United Nations forces, "Vice President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha told a visiting delegation of 11 American legislators, led by House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat of California, on Sunday, according to the Associated Press.
As a result, Khartoum's African and Arab allies in Turtle Bay have resisted ideas for a council resolution that Mr. Bolton circulated last week among the 15 council members.
"African and Arab members of the Security Council on Friday said we should wait until the African Union decision on March 3," Mr. Bolton said. "I said no, we're not going to wait for that. We're going to go ahead and circulate these elements of the resolution" in order to pass it before the end of the month.
The UN is a useless group we should stay in but cut all aid and support, instead throwing it into a new alliance of Democracies. Were to join you have to meet certain criteria and standards. In return you get free trade and a military alliance pact.
Cut the aid and free trade to every nation that doesnt join and they would be beating down the doors to get in. Of course the tin-hat dictators would opt out but we dont want them in until they are overthrown anyway. The good part would be their neighbors would join for protection.
#2
Blue helmets only work when the men who wear them have live ammunition and flexible ROE. Maybe if the UN peacekeeping forces were allowed to moderate their testosterone levels by fighting bad guys they would be less inclined to debase children.
#3
Koffi just wants us to clean up his mess. If we don't, he can slam the US. If we do, he can slam the US for other problems (real or imagined) on the Sudan and for our "slow" response.
News flsah Koffi, we ain't playin' your stooopid game. Fuck off and die.
#5
Mr. Annan yesterday declined to respond, but his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, countered by saying that "the planning process is moving full steam ahead."
Which means that abso-frickin'-lutely NOTHING of substance is being done. Wankers!
Funny thought: African troops have the language advantage on American troops (unless you were to import a heckuva lot of SOCOM or selected multilingual US armed forces personnel for this deployment).
I'm calling one thing to be bullshit -- Sudan's complaint. UN or AU, aren't they *both* infringing on Sudanese sovereignty? If so, why is AU infringement on Sudanese sovereignty acceptable? Or is it easier to pay off African countries than everyone in the UN?
Posted by: Edward Yee ||
02/21/2006 14:19
Comments ||
Top||
#11
#10: -Funny thought: African troops have the language advantage on American troops (unless you were to import a heckuva lot of SOCOM or selected multilingual US armed forces personnel for this deployment).
I think it is a valid point, re the language aspect, although you describe it as a funny thought. If you want the details of the validity, let me know.
In the first instance, let's choose between these guys, they've all got along famously for years:
Lots to choose from, Swahili-Arabic looks good for the region, doubt you would want a Bemba speaker, though, and the Kiyanwanda and the Rundi probably still dont get along.
On the other hand, maybe it's time to send in the
multi-lingual guys from the map on page 2 of the above. Or a cross-section of both maps, that would be best.
It's not an American problem, it's an old Colonial/3rd World one, unless its....Strategic.
And, if Africa is so strategic, even in a moral sense, why was it let go so easily post-WW2, and for the past 50 years-plus become steadily worse whilst these guys have culled one another, and no brothers sorted it out? I wouldnt want any of them on my side, and I do not want to help, when the word is out the Murungus will get slaughtered in South Africa when Mandela dies and successful farmers are shot and torched. The shame, I feel nothing.
Anyway, I dont believe the US should get involved in Africa, apart from denying them entry, unless a strict visa with a hefty fee applies.
This is Rantburg, right?
#13
Koffee has been sitting on his hands for how long? How many innocent people have been killed?
Colin Powell called it a genocide over three years ago. Koffee was with him on the tour.
This one needs to be hung on Koffee's neck for the rest of his life.
Posted by: Captain America ||
02/21/2006 17:54
Comments ||
Top||
#14
If so, why is AU infringement on Sudanese sovereignty acceptable? Or is it easier to pay off African countries than everyone in the UN?
Sudan managed to get the kind of AU force it wanted. It limited Nigeria's influence (for all its problems, the country has perhaps the most professional military on the continent) before the force was deployed. The AU was forced to be dependent on Sudan for some critical support, like fuel. Lastly, Sudan was able to work behind the scenes at the AU to further limit the forces' effectiveness. That Sudan was up for the AU chair was likely also a factor.
No one likes us - I don't know why
We may not be perfect, but heaven knows we try
But all around, even our old friends put us down
Let's drop the big one and see what happens
We give them money-but are they grateful?
No, they're spiteful and they're hateful
They don't respect us-so let's surprise them
We'll drop the big one and pulverize them
Asia's crowded and Europe's too old
Africa is far too hot
And Canada's too cold
And South America stole our name
Let's drop the big one
There'll be no one left to blame us
We'll save Australia
Don't wanna hurt no kangaroo
We'll build an All American amusement park there
They got surfin', too
Boom goes London and boom Paree
More room for you and more room for me
And every city the whole world round
Will just be another American town
Oh, how peaceful it will be
We'll set everybody free
You'll wear a Japanese kimono
And there'll be Italian shoes for me
They all hate us anyhow
So let's drop the big one now
Let's drop the big one now
#2
My first backpacking manual had a section about working with pack animals. The chapter ended with this question. "Who's smarter, you or the mule? Face the question squarely."
But if the West crumbles so easily against cartoon rage, what will it do when it is faced with Iranian nukes?
A U.S. military paper warned about losing the "war on terror" to al-Qaida if "traditional allies prefer accommodation" to the terrorists, The Washington Times reported Monday.
U.S. military planners are worried that "Islamic extremists maybe supported by 12 million Muslims worldwide," the report quoted a27-page briefing made by U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff planners as saying.
Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, the document states, "is absolutely committed to his cause. His religious ideology successfully attracts recruits. He has sufficient population base from which to protract the conflict. ... Even support of 1 percentof the Muslim population would equate to over 12 million 'enemies.'"
The unclassified briefing, titled Fighting the Long War -- Military Strategy for the War on Terrorism, is a component of the Pentagon's ongoing campaign to explain that a lengthy struggle requires patience from the American people and Congress.
It holds up the 1930s as an example of how not to respond to extremism, noting Europe's appeasement of German dictator Adolf Hitler.
The briefing was prepared for Rear Adm. William D. Sullivan, vice director for strategic plans and policy within the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which is under Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace, Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman.
Bin Laden, the paper says, wants to "expand the Muslim empire to historical significance."
It said Iraq "has become the focus of the enemy's effort. If they win in Iraq, they have a base from which to expand their terror. ... Extremists now have an Emirate in Iraq that serves as a base of operations from which they can revive the Caliphate (Islamic rule) ... Baghdad becomes the capital of the Caliphate. The revived Caliphate now turns its attention to the destruction of Israel."
The briefing contains a map that shows the bin Laden-style caliphate conquering North and East Africa, the entire Middle Eastand Central and South Asia.
This dire scenario can only happen if the U.S. is defeated in Iraq and Afghanistan, said the document.
"The United States cannot be defeated militarily," the briefingsays. "the enemy knows this. But consider ... terror attacks weaken the world economy. Continued casualties weaken national resolve. Traditional allies prefer accommodation."
#4
...Well, there are allies and there are Allies. Frankly, I think there are maybe about a half-dozen capital A Allies who will be beside us no matter what, and everybody else comes under the lower case group. What everybody should keep in mind is this: if the rest of the world goes down in screaming Dhimmitude, we are not going to roll over without a fight. (Our government and leaders might want to, but the vast majority of the American people will have something else to say about it.) The thing to keep in mind is this - until around 1992, we had contingency plans to use nuclear weapons on NATO territory that had been occupied by the Soviets.
And the Soviets were rational compared to what we face now.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
02/21/2006 12:29
Comments ||
Top||
#5
Aside from Oz, I can't think of a single country that would be behind us "no matter what." Nor should they. Nations have permanent interests, not permanent allies. Our interests are generally consonent with those of several other countries, but we would be fools to think they would go anywhere with us.
It ain't "grain of salt" if The Washington Times reported the same too, just a different source on that original post link. Hell, Robert Crawford got it right.
Posted by: Edward Yee ||
02/21/2006 14:14
Comments ||
Top||
#7
Hell, I nominate that this receive a "Master of the Obvious" picture to accompany it.
Posted by: Edward Yee ||
02/21/2006 14:14
Comments ||
Top||
#11
And, bk just got TROLLed for his racist comment above, which I just noticed.
Come on folks, I know it's a tense time. Lots is going on, lots is at stake. But we do not need - and will not tolerate - that kind of thing here at the Burg.
Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood called for Muslims on Monday to give money to a Hamas-led Palestinian government, disregarding the U.S. campaign to stop the flow of cash to the militant group.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice started a Middle East tour to caution countries against funding any Palestinian government headed by Hamas, which the United States and Europe consider a terror group.
The United States and Europe, the world's two largest donors to the Palestinians, said they will not provide funding directly to any Hamas-led government, and Israel has already halted transfers of tax and customs duties, another main source of money for the Palestinian Authority, which governs in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Arab governments have said funding should continue -- but it is unclear whether they will be able to fill the void in the foreign aid that has provided the bulk of the Palestinians' $1.9 billion annual budget.
Arab League foreign ministers met Monday in Algiers in an attempt to revive a funding plan they originally agreed on in 2002 that would provide the Palestinian Authority with some $50 million a month. Arab countries have consistently failed to meet those pledges since 2002, whether because of lack of funds or political differences with the Palestinians.
"Cutting the aid is very serious issue. It is an attempt to starve the Palestinians and a recipe for chaos," Mohammed Sobeih, the deputy of league Secretary-General Amr Moussa, told The Associated Press.
Two of Hamas' strongest allies tried Monday to rally support.
"Annual financial assistance to Palestine is one way that Muslim nations can share the responsibility of Palestine," Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in talks with Hamas' political chief Khaled Mashaal.
Mashaal was leading a Hamas delegation on a three-day visit to Iran -- the latest stop of their tour of the region aimed at ensuring financial and political support.
The Muslim Brotherhood -- the region's largest fundamentalist political movement, with branches and affiliated groups in 86 countries -- announced its own funding drive.
"We will appeal to each and every Muslim to help the Palestinians in the face of this unjust and fierce campaign (against Hamas)," the Brotherhood's supreme leader, Mohammed Mahdi Akef, told the Associated Press in Cairo.
The group will ask supporters to donate one-quarter of their income, Brotherhood official Mohammed Hilal told the Cairo-based Al-Masry Al-Yawm newspaper.
The Muslim Brotherhood has wealthy private backers, and the group has close ties to Hamas, which originally grew out of the Egypt-based Brotherhood.
But the large amounts the Palestinian Authority needs will likely have to come from governments.
The Organization of the Islamic Conference, a 57-member grouping of Muslim nations, plans to provide institutional and financial aid to the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Monday.
"We want to help, too," he told The Associated Press.
The Arab League is not expected to make a final decision on promises of funds until a summit next month in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum.
Since 2003, Arab countries have given $761 million -- only 30 percent of the promised amount over that period, according to Sobeih. Saudi Arabia is the only government that has paid its promised annual allotment.
Before leaving Washington, Rice warned nations -- particularly Iran -- against bankrolling Hamas.
"I would hope that any state that is considering funding Hamas, a Hamas-led government, would think about the implications of that for the Middle East," Rice said. I'm all in favor of the Muslim Brotherhood throwing their money down this bottomless well. I wonder how long it will be before they start insisting that the money actually be used for something, anything, that actually benefits the Paleos, instead of just having it grafted off and sent to personal Parisian bank accounts.
#1
The funding needs to be cut off until the Pals understand that their Muslim brothers are never going to provide any funding or financial assistance beyond the furnishing of arms and the rewards for splodydopes. The average Pal isnt supposed to live theyre supposed to die killing Jews and annihilating Israel.
There is never to be a Palestine, just the elimination of Israel and then the fight over who gets to warlord the ME.
Cut off their funds until they realize that only their loathed enemies are keeping them alive. The money from Satan. The money from the wrong people. In fact the only people interested in keeping them alive and (if they would just stop blowing up) give them a land. The ME wouldnt do that if Israel was defeated.
Cut off the aid no money to Hammas. Let the western world see the compassion and charity of islam towards their favorite child. Let the favorite child understand, truly understand their place in the muslim world. Abandonned and unwanted.
A Shining Path guerrilla commander believed responsible for an ambush that killed eight policemen in December has died in a shootout with authorities in Peru's jungle, police said Monday. Hector Aponte was killed Sunday in a jungle hamlet in the Huallaga Valley, Police Gen. Luis Montoya told Canal N television. The valley is a prime coca-producing region where remnants of the guerrilla group protect cocaine traffickers.
Montoya said two other guerrillas were captured and that police seized "an abundance of armaments and printed material of the guerrilla group."
Aponte was a top commander under Comrade Artemio, one of the last original Shining Path leaders still at large. Two years ago, Artemio announced a renewal of "armed activity," including spreading propaganda, sabotage and assassinations, after President Alejandro Toledo's government refused to negotiate an amnesty for the rebels.
Eight police were killed by about 20 guerrillas in December on an isolated jungle highway near the town of Aucayacu, 220 miles northeast of Lima.
SEATTLE Over 500 doctoral scientists have now signed a statement publicly expressing their skepticism about the contemporary theory of Darwinian evolution.
The statement reads: We are skeptical of claims for the ability of random mutation and natural selection to account for the complexity of life. Careful examination of the evidence for Darwinian theory should be encouraged.
The list of 514 signatories includes member scientists from the prestigious US and Russian National Academy of Sciences. Signers include 154 biologists, the largest single scientific discipline represented on the list, as well as 76 chemists and 63 physicists. Signers hold doctorates in biological sciences, physics, chemistry, mathematics, medicine, computer science, and related disciplines. Many are professors or researchers at major universities and research institutions such as MIT, The Smithsonian, Cambridge University, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, the Ohio State University, the University of Georgia, and the University of Washington.
Discovery Institute first published its Scientific Dissent From Darwinism list in 2001 to challenge false statements about Darwinian evolution made in promoting PBSs Evolution series. At the time it was claimed that virtually every scientist in the world believes the theory to be true.
Darwinists continue to claim that no serious scientists doubt the theory and yet here are 500 scientists who are willing to make public their skepticism about the theory, said Dr. John G. West, associate director of Discovery Institutes Center for Science & Culture. Darwinist efforts to use the courts, the media and academic tenure committees to suppress dissent and stifle discussion are in fact fueling even more dissent and inspiring more scientists to ask to be added to the list.
According to West, it was the fast growing number of scientific dissenters which encouraged the Institute to launch a website -- www.dissentfromdarwin.org -- to give the list a permanent home. The website is the Institutes response to the demand for information and access to the list both by the public, and by scientists who want to add their name to list.
Darwins theory of evolution is the great white elephant of contemporary thought, said Dr. David Berlinski, one of the original signers, a mathematician and philosopher of science with Discovery Institutes Center for Science and Culture (CSC). It is large, almost completely useless, and the object of superstitious awe.
#2
This is outside of what Rantburg's supposed to cover, and incredibly stupid to boot.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
02/21/2006 10:00
Comments ||
Top||
#3
I usually avoid this highly controversial subject, because I know that, on both sides of the discussion, too many people have already decided to lock their brains into a closet of prejudice.
But the comment #1 is a bit too much for me, so I will try to comment.
These scientists are probably not so assholes as the commenter #1 thinks: what is at stake in this discussion is something DEEPER than this or that theory. What is at stake is the Freedom to think in a complex way, as opposed to think with the herd.
Are we allowed to ask ourselves if, beyond the FACT (allow me, for now)of MUTATIONS, THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY of mutations ?
Are we allowed to ask ourselves how SIGNIFICANT this possibility is ?
Are we allowed to say that BEFORE the mutations happen they CAN happen and that this POSSIBILITY is the most interesting FACT ?
Are we allowed to think that the wonderful order of Nature looks like it IS in fact built in a way that ALLOWS the existence of HUMANS ?
Are we allowed to ask how much of the last sentence "allows" can be changed into "CALLS FOR" ?
I am not glad to see the Darwinist crowd showing the same closed mind they pretend to fight.
The deep questions that I have briefly recalled above are just a methodological beginning and there would much more to discuss, but at least we should, ALL, learn to discuss with a deep respect for the human right to think and to think deeper.
#7
I believe in evolution and am still a Christian bible believer how you ask.
For me its simple the bible says we were made from the earth the dirt the earth (fits evolution) & were made in 6days. The bible also says that a thousand years on earth is but a minute in heaven that begs the question was the bible speaking 6 earth or heaven days (if heaven fits evolution time frame).
And the best one to throw on atheist is simple OK evolution what started it OK big bang who or what snapped their fingers (my answer would be God)? Either way it all started somewhere no matter how far you go back the answer is were God sits.
God works in mysterious ways when he wants to do something he does it often though people or things. Evolution just seems to be another tool like how clouds are formed.
Christian leaders should stick to the important things that matter today like moral issues ect.. Even if they win on evolution it wont help todays situation at all.
All the screw science thinking just dilutes their important ideas. I mean we got openly gay bishops thats like having a non-repentant prostitute preaching WTF. TV teaches open promiscuity accepted in society, backbiting and deceit is celebrated in TV, Hollywood (even the blind see them), yet evolution is the big threat to religion and US?
#8
C-Low, I come from (similar) but opposite pursuasion (Christian who disbelieves in Darwin's theories). My biggest argument (again, speaking from belief in the Scriptures) is that evolution (at least, as taught/believed now) it has been used to push many of the things you speak of. Again, this is my opinion (it and $4 can buy you a cup of Starbucks), but when humans have been "de-humanized" to animal status, it allows all kind of things to happen (abortion is #1 result of this, in my mind, again, just my opinion). That is, if we (humans) are just evolved stew/cells/monkeys/whatever, why not just act like animals? The huge difference between animals and humans is that humans have consciences. Animals react to any situation based upon instinct. Humans act on instinct, plus conscience (most of the time at least), plus learned experiences. And, to add, post #1 adds to my belief of just what Poitiers-Lepanto is saying. BOTH are "religions" in their fury and beliefs. It's just that, I, for one, always tend to side with freedom, and to stifle dissent (by name-calling, or going to court over the issue) eats away at ALL of our freedoms. Case in point: Allowing "itelligent design" to be taught in the classroom...what is so wrong with that? Teach BOTH sides of the theory and allow the kids to think and make up their own minds. This theory of evolution is just that...a THEORY, not 100% fool-proof law! This argument is just 1 step away from sharia law, in my mind, in that NO other options are even allowed to be discussed. And, P.S., that's why I love Rantburg...free and open discussions with anyone to join in! Where else could I (one of those VRWC types who's a "religious right nutcase" to boot) come and verbally spar with atheists, Jews, agnostics, etc (and live to tell about it the next day)? Again, this is my personal belief and opinion, but we are ALL entitled to one!
Posted by: BA ||
02/21/2006 11:14
Comments ||
Top||
#9
"We are all just Crumbs of the Cosmic Muffin..."
#10
And, then, you always have .com, Besoeker and mojo to make you take pause and laugh at yourself. I, for one, will always fight for the cause of Christ, but will not take myself so seriously that I can't enjoy a good chuckle. Now, back to the original programming.....
Posted by: BA ||
02/21/2006 11:23
Comments ||
Top||
Im with ya somewhat. Although the bible does basically call us animals it says we are of the flesh and that is why we are all sinners its our nature of the flesh or animalism. What separates us is our Soul and unlike animals our ability to see the big picture reason and comprehend.
We are all sinners and of the flesh the difference between humans and animals is animals dont control their animalism just do whatever. Humans recognize what is right or wrong and act accordingly controlling their flesh with mind. I get hungry I dont just go kill the neighbor and throw him on the grill its wrong even thou the flesh dont care it just wants food.
A flesh body is nothing but a vessel to grow a soul religion is about control over our flesh and flesh over the soul is monkey mentality (for lack of a better word heathen animals).
I dont agree the theory of evolution is what has caused the current society we find ourselves in. That is a product of 100% flesh. The flesh says do what feels good not what is right the flesh says live for now not tomorrow. This Hollywood mentality is what is the problem its the flesh not evolution and science. Science is only a tool that could be used by both sides.
When someone dies we say it was their time God took them we dont debate about how it cant be true because science says he was 89 and had a bad heart with X-rays and so on. Debating this science trying to convince people it wasnt a heart attack but an act of god is lame both are right God made the heart attack is the answer. Science and God can coexist science.
God is nature and works through such so yeah sure there is a natural way for the red sea to part so what the fact it happened at just the right time has God written all over it. Their will always be a scientific, natural explanation for gods acts of course thats what they exist for.
To force people to choose between science and religion is wrong and a recipe for failure.
#13
Only the fields listed in the article, only the 154 biologists might be qualified to pronounce on the subject -- for the rest it is opinion as unsupported by knowledge and understanding as mine to comment on things military. I do so comment, on occasion, but those of you who have worn/are wearing a uniform no doubt smile gently (or laugh aloud) when I do.
That said, it is always good when scientific claims are re-addressed. The evolutionary biologists no longer cleave fully to Darwin's understanding of the mechanism he proposed -- the change of entire species, one into another, by the increased number of surviving descendents of more effective mutation-holders over those of the general population. Rather, they speak of "punctured equilibrium," where a mutation more favorable to survival in an isolated population of the species develops into something new, while the main population continues on essentially as it was, to live on or die out as conditions change. And, if serious scientific inquiry changes their understanding yet again, Science itself will benefit. Likewise, I think more than Darwinian evolution should be taught in high school biology classes -- as an exercise in scientific inquiry. It would require the students and their teachers to properly understand the rudiments of statistics, biochemistry, anatomical dissection, paleontology, genetics, common logical fallacies, and perhaps a few other fields, and would require them to actively think about the information presented rather than simply memorizing. But in the end they would understand, rather than decide by faith and feelings. The Republic would benefit from students so taught, as they then re-apply such thinking skills to, say, the arguments of "Progressive" politicians against the War on Terror.
I'm sorry your little South African seahorse is in trouble, Besoeker -- but I believe all the species in the Family are. They need such a specialized environment, and present the dangerous world with so few defences, the poor, pretty, little things.
#14
Believing in evolution and Darwinism are two entirely differnet things. Darwin tells that mutation take place at random. This poses a significant number of problems.
It implies that an animal gets a beneficial mutatioona nd then it will transmit to its descendents and because they have a higher probability of surviving they end inindating the eco-system so teh old form gets obliterated. But what if the animal of the new species has an accident? What if the gene is recessive?
But if you postulate that several unrealated animals of teh same species get the mutation at more or less teh same time then it is not random.
Also since human population is several orders of magnitude larger that in Neanderthal or Cro-Magnon times then if randiom mutations are at origin of evolution then the human species should be experiencing an evolution a hundred or a thousand times faster than in times of Cro-Magnon. Where are the Homo Sapiens Post-Sapiens?
That does not mean that creationists are right, just that darwinism is wrong and that mutations are not random but somewhat directed. That this direction comes from G_D or from a kind of genetic in,telligence it is to you to decide.
#15
Again, all, I echo my comments above. THIS is why I love Rantburg....TRUE debate! And, C-Low, maybe I mis-stated. I don't believe Darwinism is the cause of ALL of our current problems. It was just another sliding step toward complete debauchary, "animalism," etc. I do disagree with your statement about us (again, Humans) being animals. If, by animal, you mean in a flesh body...then, yes, I agree. If, you mean we ARE animals, I disagree. I believe God's word tells us to go and rule OVER the animals, and, thus, in my mind, separates us from animals. Agreed on all other points though (about animals vs. humans being flesh vs. soul). Again, carry on.....
Posted by: BA ||
02/21/2006 12:25
Comments ||
Top||
#16
I believe in freedom of religious choice. That being said, I respect everyone's right to believe as they feel is the right direction for them. However, don't push your beliefs on me, allow me my beliefs as I see fit.
I feel that if we teach religion in the schools, we need to represent all religions so the student can make an informed choice. That any one type religion should be kept out of the schools, that it should be taught in the homes. In small rural communities there is alot of room for folks in power doing the wrong thing.
I feel school should be for scholastics. The division of church and state is an important one, otherwise we open up the perverbial can of worms riggling into all the wrong areas.
With our family units being broken down with drugs and unchecked supervision I feel this plays a large part in all of this sadly.
Posted by: Jan ||
02/21/2006 12:39
Comments ||
Top||
#17
JFM, as I understand it, most mutations are actually harmful (susceptibility to cancers, for instance). That is, more mutations limit the individual's ability to survive and reproduce than otherwise. Separately, any mutation will not be preserved if the individual does not, for whatever reason, have offspring. Historically, at least 25% of human children have not made it to adulthood, for instance, regardless of how many beneficial mutations they may carry in their genetic material. Of those mutations that are not harmful, most are of no consequence whatsoever to survival -- like eye colour, hair colour, large or slender derrieres, etc in people, or petal colour in tulips.
Also, you are right that mutations are directional, although not in the way you said. Each possible mutation of a DNA molecule is limited by what is already there, the accumulation of historical events. Thus, while a mutation might make my teeth more or less susceptible to dental caries, it will not give my offspring a chicken's beak, or a snake's ability to sense odor chemicals with its tongue.
I don't know if God has so ordained the world or not -- and it isn't the job of Science to test what is by definition untestable. Science tries to discover the rules by which the universe works, not how or by whom the rules were established.
#18
i don't believe in darwins theory at all, hard to explain why but if you look at creatures that have weird self defense skills, well darwin claims they got these defensive means through generations of development etc etc - now hold on but they'd all be eaten by the time it takes to develop some stupid paint scheme that scares other creatures away or venimous skin. Nah it does not add up - look at some creatures today and tell me how the fck they got to be like they are. Dinousaurs now theres another one - modern t.v like walking with dinousours suggests we know everything about these creatures,thier colour, what they like to eat, who they like, what sort of nest they made, how much they slept etc etc and yet they say all this as if it were solid fact! I'm sure some of these latest dinosaurs are simple made up by the guy doing the CGI for the program, the other week i saw a programme that claimed mackrel yes the fish once grew twice as big as a bluewhale! no that is just utter BS, they even showed a CGI version next to london buses! arghhhh
#19
It implies that an animal gets a beneficial mutation and then it MAY transmit to its descendents because they have a higher probability of surviving in that environment.
Mutuation is a constant that's why humans have 2 copies to cope with defects. A rational designer just wouldn't make things that way.
#20
Darwins theory of evolution is the great white elephant of contemporary thought, said Dr. David Berlinski, one of the original signers, a mathematician and philosopher of science with Discovery Institutes Center for Science and Culture (CSC). It is large, almost completely useless, and the object of superstitious awe.
Personally, I'd nominate blind fundamentalist belief as the true "white elephant" of our time. One need only examine the entire issue of Islamism for confirmation of this fact.
I urge all of you to read "Origin" by Irving Stone. Darwin was a deeply religious individual whose original career was to be a clergyman. Scientific method is one of the few functional tools developed by mankind that does not rely upon faith or inductive logic. Like quantum physics, the theory of evolution provides coherent answers to so many of nature's curiosities that it remains in place due to the sheer strength of its merits. By comparison, Intelligent Design is nothing more than creationism dressed up in a shabby tuxedo.
Yes, it is astonishing that hydrogen is an odorless, flavorless, invisible gas that given enough time turns into people. It almost seems as if life is a disease of matter. Religion simply requires too many articles of faith to function in the place of science. Its notions and ideas do not necessarily propel thought and consideration into the realms of empirical observation and experimentation the way that scientific method does. Until that time, my money is on science. The wealth of technological and medical benefits it has brought to the table easily threaten to outweigh the constant loss of human life and misery that has gone on throughout history in the name of whomever's God of the moment.
The difference between what we have and cherish vs the rest - is the liberty to pursue truth, honest self-examination, and (on a really good day) minds open enough to accept the results. When you add these traits to the Scientific Method we move forward, albeit in fits and starts, lol.
[Note: preachy shit follows.]
I strongly suggest we all remember to keep separate:
What you believe from what you actually know for a fact.
What you want from what you actually need.
What you blather from what you will back up with your own narrow ass.
They almost always, without fail, have little overlap.
My personal ruleset:
1) Never buy your own bullshit.
2) Keep your word or keep your mouth shut.
3) Be an asset or be gone.
4) Show yourself - yeah, sometimes it'll hurt.
5) Share yourself - you have something to contribute.
6) Keep no emotional accounts - clear the decks on the spot.
7) Be seriously fun-loving and learn to let go.
8) Keep your wonder, your innocence, your awe. The Universe is damned interesting, so don't miss it.
#29
Likewise, I think more than Darwinian evolution should be taught in high school biology classes -- as an exercise in scientific inquiry. It would require the students and their teachers to properly understand the rudiments of statistics, biochemistry, anatomical dissection, paleontology, genetics, common logical fallacies, and perhaps a few other fields, and would require them to actively think about the information presented rather than simply memorizing.
So much for that idea - at least in our public schools. No one (aside from serious geeks) studies logic and rhetoric anymore - to the great detriment of our entire culture.
#30
Besoeker, Social Darwinism was in my last-semester history class (Global History Since 1500) distinctly dismissed as an invalid 'offshoot' of Darwinism, without basis in Darwin's On The Origin of Species.
Posted by: Edward Yee ||
02/21/2006 14:42
Comments ||
Top||
#31
Where are the Homo Sapiens Post-Sapiens?
Many of them spend time posting at rantburg. Who is to say a Post-Sapien wouldn't just be advanced in intelligence. At some point brains became sexy which shows to me at least that the species is advancing somewhat.
#33
This is a fascinating topic. I don't know who's correct, and I don't care. It is difficult for me to see how I or anyone else would do anything differently tomorrow regardless of which side prevailed. Thus it becomes another religious argument.
Yet people feel compelled to stick little fish or lizards on their cars to make a public but utterly unpersuasive statement about their belief. The vehemence of the arguments remind me of nothing so much as the dudgeon of those offended by pictures of Mo. But religion has a way of doing that to people.
#34
About the problem of evolution my own theory is that somewhat living beings transmit different genes according to the environment they have being living. It goes like this: you take two identical twins you submit to two differnt environments (running in plains/climbing in forest, cold/warm) and the sperm/eggs produced by each of the twins or more exactly contained in the "winner" spermatozoid/delivered egg will have differnt genetic contents in the twin who lives in plains than in the twin living in forest.
So in fact what we have is not random mutations but tuned mutations. And if we admirt that ta beginning mutations werfe random but that one day a species got a mutation who consisted precisely in that: self-tuning it would easily outcompete the non self-tuning variety.
#35
We are skeptical of claims for the ability of random mutation (alone) and natural selection to account for the complexity of life.
I could write a book on this topic, but I'll try to keep it short. The problem here is what I call 'naive Darwinism', which is what is taught in schools and believed by many professional scientists.
Naive Darwinism says that all biological chances to an organism that result from gene expression, result from random mutations.
The random aspect is important. Non-random changes don't count as evolution (for reasons I don't have time to explain).
There are two problems with this.
I. Most (in fact almost all) changes to genetic material are not random. An example is the genetic changes that result in Down's Syndrome, always occur at one of two specific locations. So, non-random mutations clearly result in changes to an organism.
2. All changes to genetic material are expressed first order. First order expression means (random) mutations directly result in changes to the organism. There is nothing in Darwin's theory of Natural Selection to preclude second or nth order expression, and IMO considerable evidence such expression occurs. More than 90% of vetebrate DNA is so called 'junk'. That is, it doesn't express first order. This begs the question what purpose does it serve, because if it doesn't serve a purpose, Natural Selection would have eliminated it. I consider bird flu a good example of nth order expression. Where (H and N) changes attributed to random mutations are in fact recycled old mutations that succeded in the past (probably originating millions of years ago).
Note, this is highly controvertial and few mainstream scientists would go as far as me on this subject.
JFM. note this explains what you describe in Darwinian terms.
#36
A big part of the problem with this debate - outside these hallowed halls, of course - is that scientists assume that evolution proves there is no God, and a lot of folks that believe in God think He's incompatible with evolution.
Do we hafta choose? Why can't I have both? If God created the world in six days, suggesting we rest and honor God on the seventh (that's why even God rested!) couldn't God drive evolution?
Couldn't God set the universe off on a path and sit back and watch it evolve?
I do a bit of reading on evolution and cosmology, from time to time, and - I'll tell ya folks, we do NOT know all there is to know! (Babs, DiFi, Teddy, and John-Boy, notwithstanding).
Religion will never disprove science, and science will never disprove faith.
From Babylon Five) the Sci-Fi TV series from the 90's, you morons!) - "Faith Manages".
Posted by: Bobby ||
02/21/2006 18:28
Comments ||
Top||
#37
You are correct Bobby. Darwin or God is a false dichotomy, mostly propagated by the scientifically ignorant on the Left (and the two are frequently synonomous).
I'm an Athiest, but if want to believe that God came up with the incredibly elegant mechanism of Natual Selection, go ahead. Science can't disprove it.
#38
My fundamental problem with the argument against evolution is that those arguing aginst always start from the end and work backwords.
I think that what an awful lot of people overlook is that there is no need for things to be as they are. If things went just a wee bit different, some dinosaur's decendents might be having this discussion....probably with the same ferocity I suspect.
To my way of thinking that says nothing for or against the existance of God.
That's my perspective which is probably just as dumb as all the others I suppose.
But it makes me happy.
Posted by: kelly ||
02/21/2006 18:48
Comments ||
Top||
#39
It's a different kind of controversy, but related: this group of scientists object to the 'big bang' theory cornering the market on acceptable ideas and funding:
I'm no ideologue about Darwin or other scientific theories, and I do note that scientists can be less objective than they think. But science does have some built-in self-correcting mechanisms and does make progress.
I'm also not Catholic, but I note that the Vatican says pretty much the same thing. Religion answers different questions than science, IMO.
#41
phil_b, what if "junk DNA" is there merely to spread out the crucial nucleotide sequences so that our overall genetic material becomes less susceptible to radiological (cosmic ray) damage?
Such a structural shift would definitely be favored as more compact genetic codification would entertain greater damage over the same amount of time.
Think of it as akin to making "Stop" signs in Texas the size of billboards so that they could withstand exposure to repeated shotgun blasts and still remain readable.
#44
Zenster, keeping 'backup' copies of expressed genetic material is likely one of the Junk DNA's functions. However, in order for it to be used, some kind of activation mechanism is required, which would another example of nth order natural selection. I.e. Natural Selection has created a mechanism that switches on otherwise non-expressing DNA when required.
#45
Actually phil_b. Mutations are random. However, forsmuch as such mutations affect the phenotype they are subject to selection---due to interactions with the environment. This selection is not random.
That's all evolutionary theory in a nutshell. Everyone who "questions" evolutionary theory: from the most respectable physicist to the most primitive redneck, is somebody who doesn't understand (0r willfully ignores) parts of the above statement.
This is a widespread fallacy. Hardly any mutations are truly random. That would require mutations to occur with equal frequency at all points in an organism's genetic material and all possible changes to the genetic material occur with equal frequency.
Actual mutations are heavily concentrated at certain locations and are of certain types.
#48
The world was made in six days
And finished on the seventh
According to the contract
It should have been the eleventh
But the painters wouldn't paint
And the workers wouldn't work
So the quickest thing to do
Was to fill it up with dirt
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
02/21/2006 22:49
Comments ||
Top||
#49
And one more verse, heh, to wit:
Pharaoh had a daughter, she had a winsome smile,
She found the infant Moses a-floating on the Nile.
She took him to her father with the old familiar tale,
Which is just about as probable as Jonah and the whale.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
02/21/2006 22:51
Comments ||
Top||
#50
People have lost their sense of perspective to give so much time and effort to such a silly question.
Posted by: bk ||
02/21/2006 10:34
Comments ||
Top||
#51
Edward, I've not studied it enough to make an intelligence assessment. It's probably like a great many other hypothesis, some truth, some speculation. Don't hear much about it anymore.
Nigeria's main Christian body has said it may no longer be able to contain Christians from retaliating after Muslim rioters killed dozens of Christians and torched churches.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), which says 50 people died in anti-Christian rioting in the northern city of Maiduguri at the weekend, described the violence as part of a Muslim plan to turn Nigeria into an Islamic state. Rioting also broke out in two other predominantly Muslim northern cities in the past days. In Katsina, the Red Cross said seven people were killed, while in Bauchi a Reuters eyewitness saw 10 dead bodies on the streets and several burnt churches.
"May we at this stage remind our Muslim brothers that they do not have the monopoly of violence in this nation," Anglican Archbishop Peter Akinola said in a statement.
"CAN may no longer be able to contain our restive youths should this ugly trend continue," said Akinola, who heads CAN.
Nigeria's 140 million people are split about equally between Muslims in the north and Christians in the south, although sizeable religious minorities live in most cities.
Sectarian fighting is often stoked by politicians seeking to bolster their own power bases, while violence in one part of the country often sparks reprisal killings elsewhere.
Religious violence has killed thousands since 12 northern states introduced Islamic law in 2000, alienating Christians.
"The willingness of Muslim youth to descend with violence on innocent Christians from time to time is ... a design to actualise their dream (of an Islamic Nigeria)," said Akinola.
POLITICAL TENSIONS
The triggers of the violence in the three northern cities were different. In Bauchi it was sparked by an argument over the Koran while in Maiduguri it started with protests over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad and in Katsina it was about a planned public hearing on constitutional reform.
But some religious leaders, both Muslim and Christian, said the underlying cause was uncertainty over the political future -- specifically, a rumoured ambition by President Olusegun Obasanjo to stand for a third term in 2007.
There is strong feeling against a third term across the north because many northerners feel the presidency should go to one of them in 2007 after eight years of Obasanjo, a Christian from the south.
Obasanjo says he will uphold the constitution, which allows a president to stay in office for two terms. But some of his supporters want a constitutional amendment that would allow him to stay on. He has not commented on that scenario.
Another factor contributing to heightened religious tension is a national census scheduled for late March. Organisers have said religion would not be included in the census questionnaire, prompting boycott threats from Muslim and Christian groups eager to assert numerical superiority.
"Christians in Nigeria agreed to participate in the forthcoming national census as sacrifice for the peace and progress of this nation, in spite of our protest over the non-inclusion of religion and ethnicity," Akinola said. He said such sacrifices by Christians should not be "misunderstood to be weakness".
Redacted by moderator. Comments may be redacted for trolling, violation of standards of good manners, or plain stupidity. Please correct the condition that applies and try again. Contents may be viewed in the sinktrap. Further violations may result in
banning.
Redacted by moderator. Comments may be redacted for trolling, violation of standards of good manners, or plain stupidity. Please correct the condition that applies and try again. Contents may be viewed in the sinktrap. Further violations may result in
banning.
#5
The current expectation for Christians is to act honorably even in situations and roles that have no descernable religious role or impact, so my expectation is that, apart from a constitutional amendment, the current Christian President should step down at the end of his second term per the Constitution. The obvious interpretation of Jesus' "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's" is that there are partitions in human life and society which have independent authority granted by God which is to be recognized by the Christian: The first amendment is "Caesar's" recognition of the independent authority over the religious aspectes of the Church that are retained by God. "You are the salt of the earth" is the requirement that Christians work to IMPROVE the system, not dominate it.
The demand that the Presidency automatically go to a Muslim is NOT constitutional: let the people vote, per my understanding of their constitution.
The key issue with having a Muslim in power is, unlike a Christian, his religion sees no partitions between the secular and the sacred, and so he will not feel a sense of honor to adhere to restrictions that he believes would hamper his ability to advance Islam. Establishing Dhimminitude is a REQUIREMENT of a Muslim leader. While urging men to be good and honorable, Christianity gives no specific instructions to government leaders on how to run the Government: Jimmy Carter himself admitted that instructions on how to be President were non-existent in the New Testament. Judiasm, in the Torah, does give instructions on how judges and kings are to behave, but the mandate is that the law be applied equally, rich and poor, native or stranger "...because you were strangers in the Land of Egypt" was God's reason for requiring equal treatment of all. This command to treat others with consideration who are in a situation you USED to be in is unique in the ancient world, and totally absent from the Koran. This lack of continuity in asserting the equality of mankind in the Koran is one reason (among others) why I reject its assertion that it is the culmination of Christianity and Judiasm.
#6
Somehow I suspect the sinktrap will be filling. It will be an interesting study decades hence to review the items sent and not sent to the trap over time.
#7
It is incumbent on Christians to respect and revere martyrs, not aspire to become one. But any thoughts that retaliation will change muslims are dashed on the hard realities of Palestine. Israelis have been dealing an eye for an eye with the muslim hard boys for almost 60 years and the streets still fill.
#8
Yes, Nimble. It's an honor to be in the sinktrap today.
I must be careful not to encourage violence against muzzies. I must be careful not to encourage violence against muzzies. I must be careful.......
#9
Screw that. I've had more than my fill of Muzzie violence against this thing or that thing, typically met with mostly whines or whimpers by large numbers of people that are supposedly on OUR side. Whatever.
#11
For goodness' sake! Do you have a useful solution to the problem? F'r instance, instead of, "They should kill 'em all," which sounds exactly what that stupid Saudi lad posted here at the beginning of the cartoon riots, how about, "Let's take up a collection to hire Blackstone (was that the company?) mercenaries to teach them how to defend themselves against Muslim pogroms."
Yes, Besoeker, you've done your bit and then some, as have many here, and I haven't. But, although this may sound presumptuous, I come here to help, in my little way, in the War on Terror. I don't come here as a substitute newspaper, or to amused by clever snarking. If -- every once in a while -- a piece of knowledge that I hold, unique to the rest of you, advances the groups's understanding of the enemy we fight, then I have met the original goal of this wonderful place Fred set up after 9/11. And if it happens, that on the day I do such a thing, one of those who is actively in the fight right now (how's it going, Broadhead 6? OldSpook, have you found anything here recently that you can pass on to your friends far beyond the trenches? True German Ally, are you able to keep Fraulein Merkel headed in the right direction?) happens upon it, and does his/her job better as a result, then I will cruise into Heaven on the result, when my time comes.
#12
In most cases several moderators confer before sinktrapping comments. To reiterate what has been said here by Fred and moderators before: Rantburg is not a place where overt calls to "kill muzzies for Christ's sake" or "burn the xxx embassy" belong.
Neither do gratuitous slurs against entire countries, races or religions.
Please note the difference between, for instance, saying something along the lines of "I'm beginnning to wonder if the West really can coexist with Muslims", or even "the violence and hypocrisy makes me want to xxxx" and the comments that were sinktrapped.
In Besoeker's case, he failed to tone things down despite requests from moderators over several days. He is now poop-listed.
#17
Let's all agree on one thing: one of the unalienable rights of men is to live free. If that requires defending that right with violence against those that would oppress you, then violence is not only acceptable, but necessary. That has been one of the standing principles of our nation since its inception. The Christians in Nigeria have just as much right to defend THEIR freedoms as we in the United States do to defend ours. Islam is an opressive, destructive religion because of its basic principle that everything FROZE IN PLACE with the teachings of Mohammed. That in itself contradicts the entire history of all other religions. The world changes. It's no longer the 7th century. Judaism and Christianity have managed to handle the changes of the modern world. Islam hasn't. It's a doomsday cult, one that directly opposes everything that Judaism and Christianity teach, and needs to be recognized as such. It's nothing more than the Arab's retaliation against Judaism and Christianity for those religions refusing to believe that the sons of Ishmael were the "true descendants" of Abraham. It deserves no honor, no sympathy, and no quarter.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
02/21/2006 13:36
Comments ||
Top||
#18
Particularly the "no quarter," OP.
Giving in and being "nice" is what got us where we are today.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
02/21/2006 13:49
Comments ||
Top||
#22
Plainslow, what I tried to say is that self-defense is an inherent right and that Christians who don't want to become martyrs better practice it. The other point is to not expect that killing a few, or even a whole lot more than a few, muslims will change the outlook of the rest. On the whole, I think that the Bush doctrine is probably best. Try to coopt the muslim masses with democracy and civilization while killing the most rabid among them. There will always be fanatics. You protect yourself by killing the fanatics or renedering them impotent.
#24
The Philosophy of Islam is incompatable with the 21st century and the "Western way of life". It is not a philosophy compatable our western political systems apperently. Besides responding with violence to violence what are we as "the west" going to do? Islam is static in it's philosophy. We can't change that and it's practitioners will not as they are not allowed to by it's precepts.
"Killing them all" or killing many of them is a distinct possibility we are faced with. They are pushing us to it. We are not looking to do it as we are hoping "demoracy" will moderate the Philosophy. I am quickly losing confidence that we can overcome the aggresive tribalism and self imposed ghettos and aggressive communities that flourish under the philosophy of Islam. So folks what are our options other than violence? I am not talking "racisim" as this philosophy is not bound by race. When faced with convert or die what is the "west" to do?
Though the 'islamic extremist" are a small minority they are huge in number and can all on the financial and material resources of the entire philosophy. Remember the only about 10% thje population made the US revolutionary war happen.
So again what are we as a civilization going to do?
Accepting reality is a bona-fide bitch when it trashes a favored world-view, demands abandoning some personal tenet of faith, or drags you kicking and screaming in protest across a line you vowed never to cross.
Though it be necessary, it be hard doins.
Ah feel your pain. Honestly, I do. It took me a long goddamned time to finally quit protesting - and accept what that quiet little voice kept repeating:
"Stop. STFU for a moment. Look at the evidence right in front of you. Now slowly lift your gaze to the horizon to see where it leads. Yeah. It sucks. For a Free Man the real bitch comes next... You will have no choice."
Now get over it and identify courses of action, clarify your thoughts, decide where you can contribute, get past your arrogance and hurt - that's trivial self-imposed ego pain - reality doesn't give a shit what you want to be so - it just is what it is. All this faux-moral window-dressing is wanking off. Yes, it is. Reality's not changing to suit anyone and is not going away.
Consider this little Mod tempest in a teapot, today. Now consider being hacked to death with a machete.
"The key issue with having a Muslim in power is, unlike a Christian, his religion sees no partitions between the secular and the sacred, "
Judaism doesnt partition between the secular and the sacred in the way Christianity does.
"and so he will not feel a sense of honor to adhere to restrictions that he believes would hamper his ability to advance Islam. "
I dont see why sacralizing the world should cause one to lack a sense of honor. I will note in passing that Christians have used all kinds of means to advance christianity. Which doesnt mean Islam doesnt have some serious problems, but lets be clearer about what they are.
"Establishing Dhimminitude is a REQUIREMENT of a Muslim leader."
yet most muslim leaders in the last 50 years, of whom there have been dozens, have NOT established Dhimmitude. Evidently theyre not "true muslim" leaders. Well, to Al Qaeeda, they are kaffirs. I dont see why we have to accept the AQ definition of whats a muslim leader.
"While urging men to be good and honorable, Christianity gives no specific instructions to government leaders on how to run the Government: "
There are in fact reams of material from meideval clerics on how to be a good christian ruler.
"Jimmy Carter himself admitted that instructions on how to be President were non-existent in the New Testament."
Well. Carter was an evangelical Protestant, so its not surprising he would ignore anything outside the NT as being the statement of "christianity"
" Judiasm, in the Torah, does give instructions on how judges and kings are to behave, but the mandate is that the law be applied equally, rich and poor, native or stranger "...because you were strangers in the Land of Egypt" was God's reason for requiring equal treatment of all. This command to treat others with consideration who are in a situation you USED to be in is unique in the ancient world, and totally absent from the Koran."
IIUC the Koran does call for equal treatment of rich and poor. And for all muslims, regardless of origin. Unlike Judaism, Islam is a proselytizing religion, and is not going to take the same attitude to nonbelievers.
" This lack of continuity in asserting the equality of mankind in the Koran is one reason (among others) why I reject its assertion that it is the culmination of Christianity and Judiasm."
well I reject Islams claim to be the culmination of Judaism. I ALSO reject Christianitys claim to be the culmination of Judaism. However in determining my political attitude toward Christianity, I accept that Christianity is historically diverse, and has changed over time. I must acknowledge the same facts about Islam - even as I also realize that Islam as a civilization is profoundly troubled, and needs reform. As a "liberal" (of the kind that includes classical and modern liberals) I judge people as individuals, and avoid generalizations about groups.
The policy of the mods here is wise. If you want to make posts of a certain kind, there are plenty of places on the net to do so.
#28
"The Philosophy of Islam is incompatable with the 21st century and the "Western way of life". "
Islam has had many and conflicting philosophies over the years.
"It is not a philosophy compatable our western political systems apperently."
A minority of muslims are supporting free speech in principle on this. A far larger number are doing nothing about the cartoons. The number who are actively protesting is probably a minority of the muslim world, even without distinguishing violent from peaceful protest.
" Besides responding with violence to violence what are we as "the west" going to do?"
We should fight violence with violence. I dont see what that has to do with approving of antimuslim riots.
" Islam is static in it's philosophy. We can't change that and it's practitioners will not as they are not allowed to by it's precepts. "
But its philosophy has changed over the centuries. Not all muslims interpret its precepts the same way.
""Killing them all" or killing many of them is a distinct possibility we are faced with."
No, its not.
" They are pushing us to it."
How exactly? How does a few embassy burnings and a boycott make Denmark change its policy - they havent, theyve stood firm, and have done so without killing anyone.
Some muslim loonies have launched a pogrom in Nigeria? Horrible, I agree. But its Africa, for crying out loud. 3 million people died in the Congo civil war. Hundreds of thousands were exterminated in Rwanda. Nigeria is poorly governed, and Kano state has a particular concentration of loonies. The Nigerian state should restore order, and if they fail of course folks have a right to defend themselves - they shouldnt pogrom back, but if they do it will still be just a minor african thingie.
" We are not looking to do it as we are hoping "demoracy" will moderate the Philosophy. I am quickly losing confidence that we can overcome the aggresive tribalism and self imposed ghettos and aggressive communities that flourish under the philosophy of Islam."
That may be so - but why should we respond with tribalism of our own?
" So folks what are our options other than violence?"
Not all violence is equal. Pogroms against civilians are not what we do.
"I am not talking "racisim" as this philosophy is not bound by race. When faced with convert or die what is the "west" to do?"
Well first we might think if a backward civilization, divided against itself, can really make us "die"? In fact they cant. Hell they cant force a small but brave nation to apologise for some cartoons. Keep this in perspective folks.
Though the 'islamic extremist" are a small minority they are huge in number and can all on the financial and material resources of the entire philosophy. Remember the only about 10% thje population made the US revolutionary war happen.
So again what are we as a civilization going to do
#34
I would not call spending enternally banging virgins, guzzling wine, and 'pigging out' on fruits much of a 'life' myself. To me it would quickly sour into an enternal hell.....
I happen to think that God gave us inteligence, emotions, spiritallity, creativity, and a soul for a purpose other then stuffing ourselves with wine, women, and food.....
#36
Rome, 20 Feb. (AKI) - A leading Italian bishop has slammed as "unacceptable" the silence of states and international organisations over the fate of Christian minorities in Muslim states in an interview published on Monday. Auxiliary bishop Rino Fisichella of Rome told Italy's best-selling daily Corriere della Sera that, "not only is the destiny of Christian minorities living in the Muslim world at stake, but everyone's freedom, the way they can exercise such freedom and the civility of international relations." Fisichella, who is also the dean of the Lateran Pontifical University, added that it was the duty of state governments and international organisation "to implement the principle of reciprocity."...
Commenting the demonstrations, Fisichella said that, "these episodes stress how difficult it is for Muslim socities to accept the principle of religious freedom which is for us a acquired right."
"It's hard to understand why these societies fear freedom and are afraid of Christians who preach fraternity and forgiveness," added the bishop.
In a reference to the murder on 5 February of an Italian priest, Andrea Santoro, in Turkey, allegedly killed by a Muslim radical, Fisichella also noted that, "it is impossible to put on the same level a cartoon and the murder of a priest."
#41
For the record, I'd like to express my support for the mods. I read the comments that got redacted in the Sinktrap and while some were fairly mild, it's a pattern of behavior thing.
Repeated 'kill them all' type comments will make us the wrong kinds of friends and alienate those we need to persuade.
Otherwise, what .com said. Those who got sink trapped should move on. Tommorow's another day and what happened yesterday is old history.
#42
Quote One: "May we at this stage remind our Muslim brothers that they do not have the monopoly of violence in this nation"
Plus
Quote Two: "Nigeria's 140 million people are split about equally between Muslims in the north and Christians in the south, although sizeable religious minorities live in most cities."
Equals civil war or partition. It doesnt matter what we say about, either. Its just whats going to happen.
#44
As a Christian, and seeing one side as the perpetual aggressor, I'd like to see arming of the south. I would help them defend themselves - start here. Just as with the Cold War, we fought proxy wars on the fringes, we can help turn back the war of Islamic conquer where ever possible. It can be a religion of peace, when its' extremists are dead. Bypass the fodder and take down the pretend Caliphate, the hate-spewing Imams and Mullahs.
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/21/2006 21:03
Comments ||
Top||
#45
Liberalhawk I pretty much reject evey bit of argument you make. I will not get into a verbal wankathon. You seem to them enjoy as most "liberals" do.
My comments stand by them self with out need of interpretation. One may agree or not agree.
#46
it's an economic problem: if the price of killing them becomes lower than the price of letting them live, they will die
BH, this is a very eloquent synopsis of my own recent post regarding "A Tipping Point - The Muslim Holocaust." Islam is steadily increasing the cost burden on all host societies to the point where it is becoming intolerable. Far too many Muslims retain a sufficiently exaggerated sense of entitlement to ameliorate this cost burden through attempts at coexistence.
At some point the scales will tip. Why wait for them to tip? Especially when it will result in a Muslim holocaust. Better to read Islam the riot act, in no uncertain terms, than to let things progress even a few degrees further.
The death fatwas and demands for restrictions of free speech vis the cartoons are all the evidence we need with respect to what awaits us in a world dominated by Islam. We must now ensure that the world is not dominated by Islam.
Muslims need to begin calculating the eventual costs of continuning their attempt to gain control of this world. Western leaders owe it to their electorates to assure Islam in no uncertain terms that nuclear holocaust awaits their pursuit of imposing universal sharia law.
#47
Muslims need to begin calculating the eventual costs of continuning their attempt to gain control of this world
That's it, Muzzies will go to their local bar and say what do you guys think, have we pissed off the Americans enough yet ? Should we tone down our jihad ? Are you kidding ?
One thing is for sure, and that is that muzzies will not quit unless and until we slap them down. And then, they will lay low and regroup to rise again when we sleep.
There's no logic in Islam, only some smart lunatics.
Three Sufis arrested a year ago in Iranian Azerbaijan are about to be executed after a court sentenced them to death. Jahan Ali Mohammadi, Bakhsh Ali Mohammadi and Abdullah Ghassemzadeh - who were detained in the jail of Urumieh, in western Iran - have been transferred to an unknown location. Detainees facing the death penalty in the Islamic Republic are usually transferred shortly before execution.The three Sufis belonged to the school of Ahl Haq and were arrested a year ago in Miandoab.
Last week, police raided a Sufi mosque in Qom, a holy city for Muslim Shiites, and reportedly arrested over a thousand people. Three hundred Sufis are still in jail.
Ever since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won presidential elections last July, pressure on religious minorities, including Islam's, has increased significantly.
Bosnia's leading Muslim cleric, Mustafa Ceric, has urged Muslims worldwide to exercise more tolerance and patience and seize the opportunity to make Europe feel "ashamed". The Grand Mufti of Bosnia-Herzegovina, speaking in the Qatari capital Doha, advised against violent protests outside western diplomatic missions in Muslim countries to protest the Danish cartoons. "I expect Muslims to be of higher moral standards. We should not have turned violent and burnt embassies," he told the Dubai daily Gulf News.
It isn't all that high a moral standard not to burn stuff down.
Referring to the deaths of 16 people in Nigeria in sectarian violence and 11 others in Libya during police repression of an anti-cartoon protest, Ceric argued "this is more damaging than the cartoons."
In Islam, the Mufti has the authority to issue religious fatwa (edicts). "We should take this opportunity to make Europe feel ashamed and we have to benefit from that. And now, some Muslims have to go to Europe to apologise for what they did for their [European] embassies," Ceric told Gulf News on the sidelines of a forum on US-Muslim relations.
The Danish government has announced it wouldn't apologise for something it didn't do, while the Danish newspaper, Jyllands Posten, that was the first to publish the cartoons, has apologised. But later, some European newspapers published the cartoons on the grounds of exercising their freedom of expression. "These cartoons have not decreased our respect for our Prophet, but it didn't increase freedoms in Europe," Ceric said.
The point wasn't to 'increase' freedom but to defend it.
Echoing the sentiments of other religious leaders, Ceric added the cartoons that were published in several European, Western and Asian publications, have "united all Muslims, whether radicals or not".
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
02/21/2006 13:52
Comments ||
Top||
#5
Burn everything and kill anyone until they are ashamed of .... what was it again?
Posted by: Bobby ||
02/21/2006 18:40
Comments ||
Top||
#6
The deaths and violence should be a damn slap upside the head on the validity of the concerns the cartoons expressed on the behalf of us observers in the west.
I can't think of anything that has published in MSM as an editorial cartoon that has been more spot on than the (hush now) turban (ya know what i mean)
We are seeing the epitomy of the concerns raised by the cartoons and the complete ignorance of it's targets to recognize - even when in full blaze.
How can you not equate the two?
And, ta boot, they demand laws to prohibit their very actions - but only if infidels do it.
Read and weep
Sweden's state-run aid group on Monday pledged more than five million euros in additional aid to the Palestinian territories as Israel and the United States halted much of their funding following Hamas's election victory. "The humanitarian situation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip has worsened," the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) said in a statement, adding that it would provide 50 million kronor (6.4 million dollars) to the United Nations' aid programs there.
In 2005, SIDA donated nearly 100 million kronor to the Palestinian territories, a spokesman for the group told AFP.
The additional aid was necessary since Israel was not living up to its responsibility as an occupying power, Peter Lundberg of SIDA's humanitarian unit said in a statement. "According to the fourth Geneva convention, the occupying power has a particular responsibility to support and ensure the human dignity of the occupied," he said. "Since Israel is not living up to its responsibility under international law, large parts of the Palestinian population are now completely dependent on international humanitarian aid," Lundberg added.
Since you mentioned 'international law', there's this issue with Hamas wanting to murder all the Jooos ....
The situation is likely to deteriorate further after the Israeli cabinet on Sunday authorized a series of restrictive measures against the Palestinian Authority, including a halt in the monthly transfer of custom duties in response to Hamas's rise to power following last month's elections.
#1
Just how many millions do these people get in aid? 284 million from Isreal and the U.S. I wonder how much the U.N. collects for them? How about Europe and other Arab countries? And how many "Palestinians" are we(the international community)supporting?
These are not meant to be rhetorical questions..Does anyone here know the answers?
Posted by: Arthur ||
02/21/2006 8:14
Comments ||
Top||
#2
Redacted by moderator. Comments may be redacted for trolling, violation of standards of good manners, or plain stupidity. Please correct the condition that applies and try again. Contents may be viewed in the sinktrap. Further violations may result in
banning.
#3
"Since Israel is not living up to its responsibility under international law, large parts of the Palestinian population are now completely dependent on international humanitarian aid," Lundberg added.
What does international law says about funding genocide?
#4
Sweden's state-run aid group on Monday pledged more than five million euros in additional aid to the Palestinian territories as Israel and the United States halted much of their funding following Hamas's election victory.
Go ahead guys, and pour your money down a rathole. After all, it's your money...
"According to the fourth Geneva convention, the occupying power has..."
#5
What does international law says about funding genocide?
gromgoru, it depends. If it is an actual destroying of an ethnic group or nation, in reality, 's ok. See Rwanda, Darfur, Armenia....
But if it is genocide by refusing to pay some deadbeats' bills, as in a country whose leading/only export is splodydopes, that's offensive and should be denounced at every opportunity. Preferably while wearing a kaffiyeh.
#6
Maybe the Swedes are going to buy their way into Dhimmitude?
Posted by: Bobby ||
02/21/2006 10:45
Comments ||
Top||
#7
Three things.
1) A couple years ago I got figures about EU's aid to Palestine, I made the division by the Palestinian official population (notice this is inflated, ie in reality they are less Paleos tahn told by PLO) and found that the aid of EU alone should ahave alowed Palestininas living quite decently (Sorry I am completely unable to remind tghe figures). Add other sources of aid and add the revenue coming from Palestinian own work. Logical conclusion is that 90% of the money didn't go to help Palestinians live better lives. It went into the pokets of PLO people or to fund terror.
Second: I would be very interested to know how much Sweden is giving to, say, victims of Arabo-Islamic genocide in Soudan or of Taliban/Al Quaidist madness in Afghanistan.
Third: After 58 fricking years and counting Palestinians are still living on international dole. Why can't they do what, say Cypriot Greeks expelled by the Turks managed to do near immediately ie work to earn (1) their money?
(1) BTW: Just last year the Saudis were explaining why Palestinians should not be given Saoudi nationality and/or jobs in order for Palestinians having to contnue the fight against Israel so the blame is to be laid also at other Arabs feets.
#8
What does international law says about funding genocide?
I hope this rant will not qualify for the Sink Trap (the "burn the embassy" deleting was a bit overplayed, it *is* irony, after all), but I'm really, really wondering about the actual relationship of Europe to genocide.
I mean, on one hand, you've got a paralyzing, obsessive focus on WWII and the shoah.
This is IMHO a self-legitimacy tool used by the Enlightened Euro Elites to culpabilize the european peoples and emasculate them.
In France, you've got a public franco-german channel which airs a WWII-related program about every three days (the others are generally there to present the Middle-East issue from a paleo pov), WWII treatment of the jews is the focus of an untold numbers of fictions,... it's like this genocide is the unexpressed matrix of all european policies; Hitler truly is now the most influential pol in western Europe, because he defines all the narratives, all the political expressions. He and the ones who are assimilated to him are the Devil.
This is purely debilitating, to the point of neurosis; one cannot talk of immigration, one cannot expel illegals, one cannot use force to defend himself, one cannot support war, any type of war... Uniform = nazi; strenght = nazi; State = nazi; Nation = nazi; ad nauseam...
This reveling on the shoah is IMHO a tool of the Establishment. They rule by guilt, with that, mainly, but also with others "guilts" ("you've killed the injuns, you've despoiled Africa of its wealth, you've been slave-holders,..."), this has created a culture of victimization, not the rule of the strongest, but the rule of the weakest (the islamists play that artfully), with some funny side effects, like a racist french black stand up comedian who has immerged himself fully in "antizionism" (that is fashionable, PC-antisemitism, he's a hard leftist) because he wishes the blacks to take the place of the jews as the "Uber-victims", a kind of rivalry for the top (bottom) of the victim chain-food.
Note that I am not specifically saying that jews are to blame for this "victimization culture"; some are, some leftist jews like Bernard Henry Levy who think the defining moment of Western civilization is Auschwitz, and who were big proponents of the accelerated multiculturization of France (since ethnic french are by essence chauvinistic, racist,... their identity had to be diluted with the more advanced muslim cultures so it wouldn't pose more problems), but the Elites are not jewish, they are LIBERALS.
This is a war of the Establishement against the people, using this as a weapon.
I'm sorry, I think Europe should have groveled before Israel in 1949, we had an UNSURPASSABLE debt, we should be its staunchest ally just because we are RESPONSIBLE for its creation by Germany's crime and europe's complicity... BUT I'm in no way responsible for the Shoah, there were genocides before it (armenians, ukrainians), there had been after; I'm awfully sorry, this may be un-PC, but I don't believe at ALL in the "uniqueness" of the shoah. Please, stop force-feed us this to make us feel guilty, I've enver killed any one, I'm not a jew hater.
So, this is one hand, the sacralization, even in the law, of the shoah.
But, at the same time, while the EEE love dead jews killed by nazis (they are the basis of their legitimacy), they routinely funds explicitely genocidal forces (about 500 millions euros a year to the PA) in a bid to rival with the USA like a green euro-MP thinks so (she talks of a proxy war with the USA), they've been complcit in creating ex nihilo the "palestinian people" in 1974, when international communism and the arabs decided to opt for a "people's war" against Israel and destroy it through "civilizational" warfare. This is purely a side of the Eurabia pact, if you ask me.
The Euros have no qualms about FUNDING, HELPING, AND ABAITING the actual, present day jews killers, all the while shedding tears to WWII jews and culpabilizing the european peoples about what they've done.
They wage a propaganda war, assimilating Israel to the nazis (remember the strenght = nazi, uniform = nazi,... above), presenting the David Israel as the Goliath vs the "puny paleo people" (the actual war is not an israeli-paleo one, but at the very least an arab-israeli one, or even a muslim-israeli), they are complicit in every international orgs of this would-be genocide.
This is to the point this has repercussions in Europe itself; Europe is being transformed as we blog; France now has large areas where jews kids cannot go to school freely, for fear of being beaten, where there are numerous, unreported physical assaults of jewish people by "youths", to the point of rapes of murders.
"antizionism", that is the new, improved, PC version of antisemitism, where jews = nazis, is now freely expressed and supported by the state media (as seen in the Al durah outrage).
This is insane, insane.
You really have to understand this is a treason by the Elites; again, I believe in Eurabia, and while Israel and jews are the sacrifical lamb to this deal, the ultimate loser here is Europe, who's losing its soul, and is being sold by people who longs to be destroyed (and don't forget the petrodollars, too...).
I really, really belive we're going through a defining moment of this continent's existence. It's a cliché, but we're in the 30's. something big is coming at the horizon, and the jews are the canary in the coal mine.
Am I paranoid? Or just ill-informed and semi-incoherent? And I'm not even drunk.
#9
"The additional aid was necessary since Israel was not living up to its responsibility paying for the weapons for Hamas as an occupying power,...."
what % of muslims live in Sweden I wonder, just curious?
Posted by: Jan ||
02/21/2006 11:27
Comments ||
Top||
#10
"Since Israel is not living up to its responsibility under international law, large parts of the Palestinian population are now completely dependent on international humanitarian aid," Lundberg added.
Israel is living up to its responsibility to ITSELF. That is, not to fund its own aggressors. The Palestinians are "completely dependent on humanitarian aid" for one reason and one reason alone. The complete, total and utterly malignant corruption of their leadership. It is a governance that builds NOTHING of material worth, proposes ZERO economic growth and inculcates the most hideous death-oriented mentality this world has ever seen. This, and nothing more, is the legacy of Palestinian "leadership." Any deprivation experienced by the Palestinian people is a direct and predictable result of their choice of leaders and nothing more. Israel's actions are merely the consequence and NOT the origin of these collective malfunctions. May they all rot in he||.
#11
so if they weren't occupying the territories the paleos would be on their own?
solution: finish the wall, declare borders, cut off ties with the paleos. give 'em a de facto nation. declare the occupation over. say bon voyage and good riddance.
then the paleos would be on their own and in no need of geneva convention-driven aid. and if the paleos attack in any way, that would be tantamount to being attacked by a foreign country, and worthy of reprisal.
#14
a5089, I think you're right. Your first post along these lines opened my eyes, and your subsequent posts confirmed my opinion. That's why you need to marry and have children -- so the mutation that caused you to think so clearly (even when sober) is preserved for the benefit of the species. ;-)
#15
I don't think government (any government) represents the will of the people, it imposes it's own will and serves itself. The government of Sweden and many others are scared because they have everything to lose and they're up against an enemy that has nothing to lose. This is why average citizens (who are drowned in conflicting opinions and are not sure what to think half the time) do not take any real action (whatever that would be) because they are not willing to risk everything they've worked so hard for. These European governments (as well as our own) appease these people to dangerous limits. If you give an angry, selfish child what it wants, it's not going to make the child happy, it's going to turn the kid into a spoiled brat. That's why everyone looks to us to fix problems around the world and when we don't they cry and then try to bite. We shouldn't give Palestine one cent. Unfortuneatly, Americans are going to need another 9-11 (God forbid) or maybe even something nuclear to wake people up. These scum don't have anything to live for and sign up in droves to commit suicide attacks against us. And until we are woken up out of our comfortable consumer habits and the general public's focus on mundane crap, we won't come together as a nation and defeat this foe, which is what it's gonna take. But maybe, if the public does wake up and face each other, we might realize we are not truly united. Border tensions and that old black/white grudge have only gotten worse and no liberal dreamweaver can admit that. What the U.S. is doing in the Middle East is one giant step in the right direction. But until we can all unite in purpose we'll leave our flank open and the next thing you know the Arab's will be in charge of our port security.
#16
I took a couple of minutes and googled this group. It's the usual far-left, tranzi do-good kind of agency that has no understanding whatsoever of how the world really works, or the truth of how their "aid" money is used. They support gender equity - try squaring that with Islam. They work to "stop" AIDS in Africa by providing funds for treatment - nothing about condoms, abstinence, or fidelity. They send money, food and clothing to any place where there's poverty, but do nothing to improve the ability of the people to earn a living for themselves.
I believe in the old addage, "give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime". We can't all be fishermen, but there ARE ways for these people to earn a living in their home nations. That, and that alone, should be the sole purpose of distributing anything but emergency assistance. We do no good creating dependence, and great harm. It's even worse when such aid becomes expected, even demanded.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
02/21/2006 13:56
Comments ||
Top||
#17
The cold temperature in Sweden must've been a factor for the brain's deficiency
#18
Border tensions and that old black/white grudge have only gotten worse
Off topic, but I think important: Has the old black/white grudge gotten worse? In the past generation more and more African-Americans have gotten educations and become solidly middle class -- even to the point of voting Republican, becoming Secretary of State, etc. But I am white, and live in an outer suburb where just being Jewish is a major point of integration -- for quite a few people I'm the first one they've ever really spoken to (you wouldn't believe the questions I'm asked, in all innocence!) So I only have impressions, not knowledge. I ask Rantburg's non-pale contingent for your opinion: better, worse or unchanged?
#20
I'm sorry, I was talking about in the U.S. -- I guess I wasn't clear, again. Was shellback talking about black/white problems elsewhere? DOesn't really work for Israel, though, as more than half the Jewish population are Arab Jews, not European, and there is a sizable contingent from from the wilds of Ethiopia, and are clearly African.
#21
oy vey iz mir. Sweden, which has a history of neutralism and a certain kind of leftism, is increasing aid, refusing to see the political (and long run humanitarian) goals of the aid cutoff. But the amount is too small to matter that much really.
While im not pleased, its not all that odd, and while im not in sweden, i doubt very much its connected to eurabia, dhimmitude, or to over focus on the Shoah.
#22
Some things never change....the appeasers of Hitler are now the appeasers to Islamofascism.
Posted by: Captain America ||
02/21/2006 17:35
Comments ||
Top||
#23
Sweden has the 2nd largest (by %) Muslim population in Europe and it is growing fast. Google Malmo to see what problems they are trying hard to avoid acknowledging there. (Should be an umlaut over the 'o' but Google will find it without that.)
GALLONS OF ink have been spilled since 2003 about how the Bush administration ignored internal predictions of post-war instability, terrorism and rising Islamism in Iraq. Intelligence, critics argue, was "cherry-picked" to bolster the argument for war. What much of the public doesn't realize is that the CIA's Monday-morning quarterbacks, who originated many of the complaints, are themselves handpicking intelligence to boost their antiwar cause.
This is a well-trodden road, littered with bitter treatises and interviews from ex-spooks and hangers-on such as Michael Scheuer, the "anonymous" author of "Imperial Hubris," and former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV and his ex-CIA wife, Valerie Plame. The latest offering comes from Paul Pillar, a former CIA deputy counterterrorism chief, in the March/April issue of Foreign Affairs.
Posted by: Captain America ||
02/21/2006
07:33 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[11 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
You would think that with the numerous amount of leaks out of the CIA, State, etc. they would get one issue to stick.
The fact that not one has seriously stuck leads me to conclude that the ones manipulating/cherry-pickign the intelligence are the agencies themselves.
Occidentalis is a small but active org (for which I often hit the paypal button, that all my "courage and militancy" is about, sadly...) headed by a sincere man, Denis Greslin, see http://www.occidentalis.com/index.php?op=edito.
Trying to verify the New York Suns report that Jean-Marie Le Pen and his neo-fascist faction in the National Front have surrendered to the Islamizaton of France and are now siding with Muslims, and that, in response to this treason, the Christian right-wingers in the NF are leaving the party in favor of Phillipe de Villiers, I asked our reader who has done French translations for us if she know anything about this. She sent back this very interesting e-mail:
I cant give you the definitive information you want. I quickly browsed through some websites, but could not find proof of a collusion with Islam. However, I refer you back to the VFR post of December 3, 2005. The author of that quote was Denis Greslin, the administrator of the website Occidentalis. There is another (long) article there, by Greslin, from July 22, 2005 which discusses the Islamo-Marxist group called MRAP, its agenda, its anti-Semitism, its witch hunts. He names Phillipe de Villiers as the new target of MRAP for having said that the Third World War against Islam has been declared. Greslin closes by saying that de Villiers has to decide if he is just talking or if he is in the fight to the finish.
However, the interesting thing about the article are the comments. The readers noted that Greslin was placing his hopes on de Villiers and did not mention Le Pen at all. Greslin replied:
I dont want to return to the endless debate on Le Pen. I dont think the objectives of the two men are the same: Mr. Le Pen has never condemned Islam, au contraire, he has always boasted of having much respect for this religion. In his authorized biography we learn that he made it a point of honor to bury Muslims according to Islamic law during the Suez conflict and that he was close to pro-French Muslims during the Algerian War. More recently he aided in the election to the Regional Counsel of Ile-de-France of Farid Smahi, who shocked many by demanding that Muslims be appointed to ministerial positions in the government. In short, I am deeply convinced that Jean-Marie Le Pen is favorable to the idea of an alliance with Islam so long as that allows him to continue to fight against the United States and the Judeo-Masonic conspiracy which are his real enemies...
Greslin then received some unfavorable replies. But another staff member of occidentalis who calls himself (herself) Marianne replied:
If Mr. Greslin has no love for Le Pen, he knows what hes talking about since he has closely followed the history of the National Front. And I know what Im talking about because I too was close to those people. The cult of the personality, every conceivable type of Jewish conspiracy theory, anti-Semitism with the Protocols of Zion as a reference, support for SaddamChiracs close friend who had furnished what was needed to build a nuclear reactor for the purpose of destroying Israel...No thank you, I took my leave... Whether you believe this or not, the Front National served Mitterand in the destruction of the authentic right in France...Jean-Marie Le Pens gaffes happen regularly, just at the wrong moment, before important elections...(a) subtle maneuver...I know that it is difficult to admit that youve been fooled, but you must look at the truth squarely in the face; and the truth is that Jean-Marie Le Pen has done everything to be an opposition, to monopolize the discontent of the majority of Frenchmen, without ever wanting power... That is very true, IMHO.
Marianne then quotes these lines of de Villiers: I too respect the Muslim world: they can do whatever they want in their own lands, but they cant impose it on us! As long as our interests and way of life are not threatened, everything is fine. Otherwise Im a believer in doing to them as they do to usno churches in the Muslim world, no mosques in our country, no religious freedom for non-Muslims, then the same thing here for Muslims, the Muslim world attacks, us, we attack them...
If I find anything concrete Ill let you know, of course, but that article from the Sun seems to fit what Greslin has said. Greslin, I believe, was in politics and worked for a while with Le Pen. Yup, and he followed Megret in his "coup" against Le Pen, and joined the more free-market and rightwing MNR.
He is one of the few politicians at these patriotic websites that dares to use his own name.
Reading the above e-mail with its charges against Le Pen, I am reminded of something I wrote at VFR in October 2005:
Since the condemnations of Le Pen that I have kept hearing from various sources were too vague and general, and since I am not willing to accept that Le Pen is an anti-Semite and pro-Nazi solely on the basis of people self-assuredly telling me that he is, Ive been doing some research on him.
In that entry, I found that the entire case that Le Pen is anti-Semitic seemed to revolve down to a handful of endlessly recycled quotes. I considered these quotes and determined that while Le Pen makes obnoxiously anti-Semitic comments from time to time,or, at least, comments that are deliberately offensive to JewsI could not detect any actual anti-Jewish agenda in his politics and program, and therefore that he or someone like him would still be vastly preferable as leader of France over the current pro-Islamic, anti-Israel leadership.
And now once again we read apparently knowledgeable persons charging that Le Pen is anti-Semitic and pro-Islamic, with no evidence or proof. What is different in this case, however, is that the charges come from French nationalists rather than from the left.
It is embarrasing, to say the least, that after Le Pen has been a leading figure for decades, I and other observers still don't have a definite sense of who and what he is, and are dependent on hearsay from third parties.
VFRs French expert adds:
You need another quote from Le Pen like a hole in the head. But here is one more from Wikipedia:
We must tell the Algerians that it is not the case that they need France, but that France needs them. They are not a burden, and if they are for now, they will on the contrary be a dynamic part as well as the young blood of the French nation into which we will have integrated them. I claim that in the Muslim religion there is nothing, in the moral point of view, that would be incompatible with making a believing or practicing Muslim a full French citizen. Very much on the contrary, its basic principles are the same as for Christianity, which is the basis of Western civilization. On the other hand, I do not believe that there exists an Algerian race, any more than there exists a French race... I conclude: let us offer to Algerian Muslims entrance and integration in a dynamic France. Instead of telling them as we do now: you are very expensive, you are a burden, let us tell them: we need you, you are the youth of the nation. [Jean-Marie Le Pen, Journal officiel de la République française, January 28, 1958. Said when Algeria was still a part of Metropolitan France before it attained independence.]
Of course he said this fifty years ago. He may feel differently now. The website of the Front National has much information about his policies and the goals of the party. It is all very carefully worded and strongly anti-immigration. But the words Islam and Muslim are never mentioned. I could not access the website of de Villiers.
One more thing. Its interesting that De Gaulle adopted the point of view of the French monarchy when he let Algeria go. King Louis-Philippe had not wanted anything to do with Algeria in 1830 when the conquest took place. Years later (1870s to 1890s), it was the left that began to sing the praises of imperialism. Men like Léon Gambetta, Victor Hugo, and Jules Ferry spoke of the need to expand and spread the glory of France to all the backward peoples. It was progressivism that was imperialistic, not monarchism. Le Pen, in 1958, sounds more like a progressive.
As my reply to the above launches into a new subject, I am putting it in a separate blog entry.
#2
Thanks, that will do wonder to smooth my fragile ego (fragile due to small penis - damn thoses chineses genes! -, big belly, failed life, etc, etc...), but just in case I didn't misunderstand your comment, let me precise it is a (paleoconservative/rightwing) blog quotation, not an original analysis by yours truly; I'd be much unable to do so, especially in english.
I have a theory that our left/liberal elite is a bit like Hamas - they are the wannabes who couldn't make it inside the current power structure so they rose to power by railing at the established power. Too lazy or incompetent to achieve power through established means, they rise to power by rallying discontent. But as the years go by and they actually obtain power - they don't have, as they never had, what it takes to hold it. They are only good at opposition.
#6
A5089, Chinese have a package of genetic changes that clearly show neotony (retention of juvenile characteristics into adulthood). Neotony is one of the commonest means by which organisms evolve and another example of nth order natural selection. See my long post in another thread.
So a small penis means you are more evolved than the rest of us.
If anyone finds the SDB archives, he had a long post on the topic.
See link for references and further links.
By: ConservativeGoddess
I was watching footage of the radical Muslim protestors on TV today--and I couldn't help but think how stupid they look. These people are rioting, killing people, throwing rocks and burning building over a cartoon and ignoring the affronts to Islam by radicals. One of those affronts is the Islamic participation in the sex trade. Muslim nations are participating in the sex trade, and turning their backs on the suffering of their own people. Along with the sex trade, other types of crime are spreading in their societies. Generations of women and children are traumatized. All the while the mullahs are praising Allah, the police are raping and covering up crime, and Shari'a law is being violated to fulfil the selfish lust of people who represent evil and perversion. So I am taking a stand against you rioters--put down your stones and demand a change in your own country! Islam is being prostituted!
The sexual exploitation of women under the decree of Islam is a well-guarded secret. The dictators and rich heads of state would have you believe in a mythical Arabic nations, something out of "Aladdin"...singing slaves, happy kings surrounded by buxom women, prosperity filling the desert like an oasis. Under Islamic fundamentalist laws women are kept under strict control by the ruling men as possessions. By no consequence, women (from around the world) have been exploited in the sex trade by Muslims who will have you believe they are pious, religious people. People of all backgrounds, all nationalities participate in the sex trade. My purpose in focusing on Muslims is to point out how fundamentalists have prostituted the faith of true Muslims, and to show the hypocrasy of the idiots rioting over the cartoons while their religion is being corrupted from within.
Nearly all the Arab gulf countries--particularly Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia--have been found to be making poor progress in stopping or preventing human trafficking. Women are sold for domestic and sexual servitude. Men are sold into forced labor. Children are sold as sex slaves, beggars and to work as camel jockeys (in particular, children as young as 4 years old are sold from India and sent to Arab and Gulf states to work as camel jockeys. Many of these children are physically and sexually abused). Laws to protect victims and prosecute offenders are weak or non-existant in many Arab and Gulf countries.
Some examples where Muslims lust in the sex trade, and again--all the people you see protesting are looking the other way (and probably sneaking through the window of the brothels at night!) are described below in the following countries: India, Iran and the UAE. Notice, if a person who is not Muslim makes a critical comment on Islam that person will be attacked, is not "sensitive", is somehow making Islam look bad. Those Muslims who are harming others and prostituting the faith of the believers are immune from responsibility by the radical followers of their own faith. The only people who will bring them to justice are the people who truly believe in freedom--and those people are oppressed, enslaved, and imprisoned by the very radicals claiming to be 'victims'.
India- India is a top destination for human trafficking because of its relatively open border policies.
Media focus has been drawn to disgusting behavior of Arab men who visit the town of Hyderabad to pay money (anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars) to marry young virgins, sexually abuse them, then promptly divorce the now traumatized girl and move onto another young victim. In many instances, the marriages only last one night.
Marriages between Arabs and young girls are usually arranged through brokers, who sell off girls from poor families, girls who are orphans or unwanted or girls who are forced to fend for themselves. Some of the girls are kidnapped or tricked into the sex trade. In other cases the girls are kept in cages or brothels, moved from one location to another to keep thier existence hidden from local authorities.
The Arabs are almost always attracted to minors, the girls all come from Muslim families, local authorities (including Islamic officials) not only comply with the sex trade but do not consider the selling of the girls to be a crime.
India does have laws against prostitution and human trafficking--so it is a cultural or religious perception by the Islamic officials that selling of young girls to be sexually abused is not a crime. It is believed that Arabs are attracted to the sex trade in India because of weak laws, cheap girls, and a low (or under reported?) rate of HIV/AIDs. With the increasing popularity of the sex trade in India, it is expected that the rate of disease and death will greatly rise.
Other young girls (the most attractive age is between 11-13 years old) from India are sold to the Middle East and other Arab countries to as slaves. The ages on the passports are falsified to make the girls appear to be much older (I assume if these Muslim girls are covered that it would be easy to disguise them). Violence is a way of life for these young girls--they loose their virginity by rape, are beaten into submission, and forced to have abortions when they become pregnant. India has agreed to ally with the US on a project called "Stregthening the Law Enforcement Response in India against Trafficking in Persons through Training and Capacity Building" to combat human trafficking.
Iran- The sex trade is one of the most profitable markets in Iran; in which the Iranian government has brought the practice of buying and selling women and children for sexual exploitation into the mainstream. In the name of Allah, many Mullahs participate in the sex trade, and even enlist police officers to find women (women are arrested for "offenses" and then forced into sexual acts with officials) for them to sexually abuse.
Sexual abuse of women is so prevalent in Iran because the lives of women are not valued, except for what the women can offer to the men. From the time she is an infant, the woman is taught to obey, to be submissive, that she is inferior.
Islamic fundamentalism is a political movement with a political ideology that considers women inherently inferior in intellectual and moral capacity. Fundamentalists hate women's minds and bodies. Selling women and girls for prostitution is just the dehumanizing complement to forcing women and girls to cover their bodies and hair with the veil.
(Islamic Fundamentalism and the Sex Slave Trade in Iran, Donna M. Hughes)
Women who try to escape families who practise fundamentalism face severe punishment if caught (beatings, forced marriages, honor killings)...and if she escapes the confines of home, life on the streets does not offer much promise. Muslim girls who run away from home (rebelling fundamentalism, escaping abuse, or escaping arranged marriages, etc) often become victims of the sex trade.
In Iran, under Shari'a, Islamic law, the punishment for prostitution is severe--prostitutes have been known to be stoned or beaten to death. The men who sexually exploit women and children rarely face charges.
United Arab Emigrates- The sex trade is flourishing in the United Arab Emigrates (UAE). Women from all over the world are sent to work in the UAE as prostitutes; reports suggest that Iranian women between the ages of 14-20 are the most desired (is this sick or what!?!). The government of Iran is denying that trafficking of women for the sex trade in a fellow Muslim nation exists. By "coincedence" the government of Iran is arresting journalists who report stories about Iranians sold into the sex trade. Despite the denial, in 2005, the Iranian government arrested 25 smugglers who were bringing girls into the UAE. The UAE does not recognize a girl who has been sold into the sex trade as a victim--as a female, she is the perpetrator because of her gender. Women from Uzbekistan are also popular among the sex trade in the UAE, one report states that there are more women from Uzbekistan in the UAE than from any other country in Central Asia (Protection Project).
Women and children sold into the sex trade into the UAE are either kidnapped, sold by poor families, enticed by fraudulent marriages or fraudulent work proposals. Other forms of crime are also thriving along with the sex trade--drug trafficking, money laundering and organized crime. Dubai is a particularly attractive place to do business because it is tax-free and the government is lax on Shari'a. Wealthy sheikhs are known to buy young boys as camel jockeys, and police often ignore reports of trafficking because they are corrupt.
And although prostitution is illegal in the emirate, this appalling trade in human flesh is a high-profile activity in a region which hosts Islam's two holiest places - Makkah and Madinah. Even the self-appointed custodians of the shrines approve of the racket, travelling to Dubai to indulge themselves...
Hundreds of children, some as young as five, are forced to ride on camels in desert races on which huge sums are gambled. Their terrified screams make the camels run faster. And like prostitution, the employment of young jockeys is illegal in the UAE (since 1993) but the authorities also turn a blind eye. Again, like the prostitutes, many of the child jockeys are Muslim children who are being ruthlessly exploited and are in dire need of rescue.
(Prostitution in Dubai, M.A. Shaikh)
Laws on camel jockeying in the UAE have been tightened in March 2005, and a 24-hour hotline has been established to report any suspicious activity. Most, are skeptical that the UAE will ever enforce justice," It's futile to complain because the traffickers here operate with almost total impunity. (AUEPrison.com)
More than Hope, a Constitution: Iraq- Iraq is the first Arab country with a constitution that prohibits "trade in women or children" and the "sex trade". Article 35 of the Iraqi constitution states," Third: Compulsory service (unpaid labor), serfdom, slave trade (slavery), trafficking of women and children, and the sex trade is prohibited." Children are also protected in Article 29, "Third: Economic exploitation of children shall be completely prohibited. The State shall take the necessary measures to protect them" (Washington Post).
The people of Iraq have endured so much suffering, and now they stand as pillars to uphold democracy.
Final Thoughts
The sex trade is the continuation of slavery that has begun in the name of radical Islam.
The so-called leaders of radical Islam perpetrate suffering and misery, not only in their own countries but to exploit other people as well; world domination is their ultimate goal. The fundamentalists live by laws that dominate the human spirit, through slavery and suffering they gain power and control. When their own people suffer, fundamentalist dictators manipulate the anger and misery of their people so that they will attack as willing warriors of jihad. Fundamentalism is truly the prostitution of Islam--the selling of the Muslim heritage, faith, and culture to evil. The great weakness of fundamentalism is that every human is born free. Freedom is a spark that cannot be contained, and even when beaten it is never put out. Of all the things fundamentalism seeks to destroy, freedom is far removed from its reach.
For all of those who cannot speak, who are afraid, who are living in hell--there are a thousand more people standing up to fight for justice, to be a voice for the suffering, to take a stand for freedom.
#1
It is believed that Arabs are attracted to the sex trade in India because of weak laws, cheap girls, and a low (or under reported?) rate of HIV/AIDs
Maybe amung the virgins these guys are going after AIDS/HIV rate are low but I've read time and time again that Russia and India have huge HIV/AIDS problems.
#2
In Shiah areas and specially in Iran (Khomienist Iran) there is "temprary marriage". It goes like that: you go to a prostitute, pay her, then go to mullh and for a fee he "marries" you to her and after you have ended, you "repudiate" her.
Of course normal prostitution ie without a"marrying" and paying the Mullah is illegal.
#3
The really sad thing about all this is you could replace Islam and Arab with a multitude of nations and it would be true. For example China has a horrible sex trade and human trafficking for slavery issues as well as the Koreans. Europe is served by Russian slaves and Thailand is a mecca for european pedofiles. The list goes on for ever. The muzzies just do it a bit different, and as equally disgusting. It would be nice if the UN would actually get up off their asses and deal with this issue.
Posted by: 49 pan ||
02/21/2006 21:03
Comments ||
Top||
#4
uhhhh, yeah...
Posted by: bk ||
02/21/2006 22:35
Comments ||
Top||
#5
Hay look BK did not get sinktrapped on this one! Heading to Zambo will say hi for you.
Posted by: 49 pan ||
02/21/2006 22:41
Comments ||
Top||
#6
The Belgians have been providing Dutch pedophiles with victims for at least a decade and a half. (The problem became public when we lived there). It was members of the Interior Ministry who organized it -- up to the Minister's office -- with police picking some of the victims up off the streets, in addition to protecting the underground railroad. No big deal, until they moved beyond the children of asylum seekers and gypsies, and started picking up native Belgian kids.
PARIS - The mother of Ilan Halimi, the 23-year-old Parisian Jew who was abducted, tortured and murdered by a gang in a suburb of the capital, accuses the police of missteps that led to her son's death. She revealed to Haaretz yesterday that the police told the family to ignore the gang's attempts to contact them for five critical days, after which Ilan was found near death outside the city. She also accuses the police of ignoring the anti-Semitic motivation in the case in order not to alienate Muslims.
"If Ilan hadn't been Jewish, he wouldn't have been murdered," she says.
Friends and relatives came to the family home in the 12th arondissement to pay their respects. Ilan lived in the apartment with his mother Ruth, and sisters Yael and Anne-Laure; their father lives elsewhere.
The family came to France from Morocco 25 years ago. Ruth says that Ilan recently began talking about immigrating to Israel.
"He only wanted to work a little first to save up money for the trip," she said, her voice breaking.
The Jewish community of Paris is still in shock over Halimi's abduction and murder, which began when a gang sent an attractive woman to entice him into a date.
"The last time I saw my son was on Friday, February 20, right before he left for the date," Ruth related. "He wanted to go out with friends but they canceled so he decided to go out with that woman. On Saturday night he called and said he had been kidnapped, and asked us to check our e-mail," she continued.
The family found a scanned image of Ilan, his eyes covered and a gun pointed at his head.
"The message said, '450,000 euros or call the funeral home,'" Yael related.
The family contacted the police, which stationed officers outside their home and started investigating. For three weeks the kidnappers negotiated with Ruth, with Ilan's father, with a former girlfriend and with figures in the Jewish community. They used e-mail and mobile phones, which led the police to them, but they eluded capture.
"Eight days before Ilan was killed," Ruth revealed, "the police tried to arrest one of the suspects in an Internet cafe but they simply were unable to get him." According to Ilan's sister, the suspect warned the others that the police were closing in.
Ruth says the police told the family to stop communicating by phone with the kidnappers in order to force them to use e-mail again. "Five days before Ilan was found, the police told us, 'Don't answer the phone, don't repond to text messages.' We saw dozens of calls and ignored them. On Thursday they found Ilan dead."
Members of Ilan's family blame themselves for listening to the police.
"Maybe if we'd answered the phone Ilan wouldn't have been murdered," they say.
Ilan's family also expresses anger over the police refusal to recognize the anti-Semitic motives behind the crime.
"We told them - there were at least three [previous] attempts to abduct young Jews," Ruth says, "but they insisted the motive was purely criminal."
"They're afraid to reignite the confrontation with the Muslims," Halimi's uncle says.
"We know that a few months ago a 16-year-old Jewish girl was kidnapped," the family says, "but her parents decided not to go to the police and paid 100,000 euros in ransom."
The Halimis say they did not have that kind of money.
#1
The family came to France from Morocco 25 years ago
As Jews, they left Morocco to escape the muslims. Muslims followed. Her son planned to leave France for Israel. Because it is safer? What does that say about Europe?
France doesn't surprise me. But the rolling effect is very frightening.
HAVANA (Agencies) -- President Fidel Castro has offered "firm support" for Iran's right to pursue a nuclear energy program, Cuba's media reported Sunday.
Castro met with Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, the speaker of Iran's parliament, in the Palace of the Revolution, for four hours as the Iranian official on Saturday wrapped a two-day visit to the Communist island nation.
Castro offered "Cuba's firm support for Iran's right to use nuclear issues for peaceful ends" according to a statement published in the Juventud Rebelde and other media.
The meeting underscored the "excellent bilateral ties and political dialogue" enjoyed by Havana and Tehran, and also allowed the two leaders to explore "the broad potential for economic relations," AFP quoted the newspaper as saying.
According to the IRNA news agency, Castro said Iran enjoys great power in the Middle East region and the world, adding it is ready to defend itself by relying on its nation and deep-rooted culture.
He stressed that the U.S. cannot harm Iran which has a brave and united nation.
The Cuban president said that the U.S. has suffered a defeat in Iraq and should withdraw from the country, adding that U.S. President George W. Bush is a liar whose outlook is dangerous for the future of the world.
The Iranian parliament speaker called for closer cooperation between Tehran and Havana.
"There is complete friendship and confidence between the two countries. Iran and Cuba, as two revolutionary states, have a common enemy.
"The two states should focus on their potentials to serve their nations," Haddad-Adel said as carried by IRNA.
He told Castro, "You should realize how much angry the United States has been with the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran (in 1979).
"It has been looking for a pretext to put Iran under pressure since the victory of the Islamic Revolution. The Iraqi-imposed war against Iran was among its consequences."
He expressed hope that scientific and cultural cooperation between the two nations would receive a further boost and bilateral cooperation would turn into multilateral cooperation regarding Iran's position in the Middle East region and Cuba's role among Latin American states.
"Your path has been continued. Factors behind the Cuban revolution have spread to Latin America in other forms. These are outcomes of resistance against U.S. imperialism," he told the Cuban president.
Haddad-Adel conveyed the warm greetings of Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, Majlis deputies, and the Iranian nation to the Cuban president and nation.
Socialism works.
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - The corpses of at least 20 newborn babies and foetuses are found each week in the sewers of Zimbabwe's capital, some having been flushed down toilets, Harare city authorities said, according to state media yesterday.
Town Clerk Nomutsa Chideya said the babies' remains were found among a wide variety of waste and garbage cleared by city council workers unblocking sewers and drains in Harare. "Apart from upsetting the normal flow of waste, it is not right from a moral standpoint. Some of the things that are happening now are shocking," the state Herald, a government mouthpiece, reported Chideya as saying.
Acute shortages of revenue and gasoline in the nation's worst economic crisis since independence in 1980 have crippled public utilities and garbage collection services across Zimbabwe. Hospital fees and charges for scarce medicines have soared. Church and charity groups blame economic hardships for an increase in illegal back-street abortions.
Chideya said workers removed at least 20 tons of sand from sewers every day. Inflation is running at 613 per cent and many impoverished Zimbabweans, unable to afford cleaning materials or detergents, use sand to scour cooking pots and household dishes. Salt is also used as a substitute for toothpaste.
I have acquaintances who lived in Rhodesia in the 70s and 80s. They are horrified by what the country has become.
Besoeker, it's time for you to check your disdain for other races at the door before entering Rantburg. You have now been warned openly, since more gentle feedback is being ignored.
#6
This is heartbreaking. If there was ever any proof that the Zimbabweans feel hopeless about their country, this is it.
But if you are looking for a big campaign on this, keep dreaming. The minute someone opens their yap, some pro-choice group is going to start screaming.
#8
Given the prevalence of abortion on demand in the WEst, who are we to cast the first stone. We just have better methods of disposing of the evidence.
#9
Not to "pile on" on the abortion arguments, but I agree with RWV. However, this does signify the absolute worst in humanity, showing how Bob's literally flushed his country down the drain.
Posted by: BA ||
02/21/2006 10:59
Comments ||
Top||
#10
Bob's gotta go. Now.
It won't happen.
The population is too beat down.
There is no coherent and unified opposition.
The intellectual and political elite won't oppose. Bob. Their concern is poverty, hunger and lack of health care for the citizens. They'd let Bob and his ilk run things forever if his government provided the basic necessities. They'd even ally with the Devil if it meant the people got fed. Oh, and the cricket team got to play out-of-country.
#11
Besoeker, the people of Zimbabwe are sytematically having their humanity stripped away by their own leadership. Every day the bulldozers come to knock down more homes and plow under the tiniest of vegetable gardens. They have no access to *anything*: no shelter, no food, no birth control, no medicine, NO F*ING SOAP to wash their hands. Don't you dare accuse them of laziness.
And the same horror is about to be visited on South Africa, in the name of 'justice'.
If you're smart, you'll apologize to lotp, who is absolutely more than capable of telling you these things to your face.
Besoeker has been poop-listed. That's not a step we take lightly, but only in the face of repeated provocation after requests from moderators to tone things down.
#13
Mugabe is a classical example of the post-colonial African Curse : "One man, one vote ----- one time". As long as he and his party remain in control, Zim is doomed to a Cambodian death spiral. And now that Mbeki and the ANC have announced their intention to follow Zim down the drain, the whole of Southern Africa is in danger of collapse, civil war, and becoming the homebases of Al-Q and other terrorist organizations.
#14
lotp, I hope you read this. I can't speak for Besoeker, but I know that this situation of Islam vs. the modern world has taken a turn for the worse. Many people don't yet know that, but some are more prone to awaken early. I am convinced that radical Islam will force a clash of civilizations on a monumentous scale. We had a similar situation in WW2 against Japan. The Japanese were a national cult who believe that their emperor was a living God and therefore infalable. (a bit like Mohammed, but still alive)
The Japanese were prepared to fight to the last man for their emperor/God. The immage of nuclear bombs wiping cities from the face of the earth, shocked the Japanese into belief in modern technology and doubt in the potence of their emperor. Following WW2, the Japanese became a model modern culture. A major surprise and delight to the west. Besoeker is aware of the collision course we are now on. So am I, and many others. When we act civilized, we pretend to be pulled into this collision. As we resist, we allow our boys in uniform to take the full impact of the enemy's hatred. The 'moderates' among Muslims will not act. The best we can hope for is that they will hide until the war is over.
Watch what is happening in Nigeria. Step by step, Islam is taking Nigeria. Taking it's people, it's land, it's oil, until all of Nigeria answers to Allah. This is what the Japanese were doing in Asia Minor prior to WW2. But, they did it with marching armies. Our new enemy is too cowardly to dress the part. They sneek and bomb indiscriminately, killing bystanders, and while doing so, killing law and order. Besoeker sees this, even though you don't. He urges actions that you may some day resort to.
Some people just read the waves ahead of the storm. Some of us are frustrated by the waiting.
But, we are brothers, so we will wait for the rest to see the storm approaching.
#15
wxjames, trust me - I'm fully aware of the gathering storm. I've been watching it since doing business in the middle east in the mid-late 80s, including with the Israelis and the Saudis.
And I know as well as nearly anyone here what we are facing. It's true that I am not in uniform - full military service was not a real option for a female when I was young. However, much of my family and my husband have been career military, many with combat experience, and my daily colleagues and close friends are mostly active duty or retired military today.
They include people with recent experience in Iraq, Afghanistan and other places where our military action is lower-profile.
But it is one thing to know what we face and another thing either to revel in it or to resort to hate- and scorn-filled dehumanization of people who are NOT our direct enemies. In the last 36 hours or so, Besoeker has managed to dismiss the basic humanity and worth both of Mexican miners trapped near death and of Zimbabweans caught in horrific circumstances. That goes way beyond being clear eyed about our world situation -- and it is part of a long pattern of occasional comments on his part here at Rantburg.
I am not afraid of the coming conflict, if it must come, and while I have not been in combat myself I think I have a pretty good idea of what it might entail.
Ground fighting? I've talked with many veterans of some of the most brutal fighting of the last century. To take an earlier conflict, my beloved god-father/uncle, for instance, whose light infantry bore the brunt of the elite German Nordwind special forces attack at Bastogne. Three weeks later when he was finally sent back for medical care he had earned a Silver Star, 2 Bronze Stars and 3 Purple Hearts - and he had taken out several German machinegun emplacements himself, with his squad dead around him. He was among the 40% of his regiment that survived those 3 weeks and he bears the costs of his physical injuries today, at age 85 - and the memories of what he did and saw done, as well.
Air attacks? My father was a Naval aviation gunner. Survived having two ships sunk underneath him, had his plane shot down in the south pacific in WWII, came home in a body cast.
Insurgencies? My cousin flew 2 engine prop recon planes in the treetops of Cambodia when we 'weren't in Cambodia'. If he had crashed or been shot down, he would have been disavowed.
Nuclear? Another close cousin who commanded missile silos and whose marriage fell apart while he spent long shifts holding one of the two keys that would have launched massive death.
Our daughter's godfather was an attack sub officer, chosen when Rickover himself interviewed and passed judgement on every potential commissioned officer in the nuclear-powered fleet.
Space? My husband's work was in the highly classified unmanned space program. Draw your own conclusions.
Special ops? I won't name names, but I know a few in the field.
Genocide? On my father's side we lost 95% of our family and all our lands during the Russian revolution and under Stalin. 95%.
It's precisely because I know EXACTLY what we may be facing that I do not embrace it eagerly, even as I recognize what we may be forced to do. No one should embrace it eagerly, because it will - do not kid yourself, it WILL - cost us part of our soul if it comes to that.
If seafarious and lotp hadn't poop-listed Besoeker, I would have.
I'm tired of the racist nonsense. I'm more than ready, as Old Patriot notes, to defend me, mine, ours and yours with whatever violence is necessary. But I will not condemn whole peoples to death, I will not make sport of some poor guys stuck in a collapsed mine, and I will not support the 'nuke 'em all and let God sort them out' stuff.
That's not me, and as far as I know, that's none of the moderators, including Fred.
There are serious problems out there, and Rantburg can lead the way in discussing the solutions and offering high-quality snark. But we don't do racism here. And you can take dat to da bank.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/21/2006 15:45
Comments ||
Top||
#18
If they all got lives they probably wouldn't have time or money to operate the website anymore. The software didn't come out of a box, the management and bandwidth isn't handled by some distant charitable organization...
IF you want a soapbox, go contact a web hosting service on _your_ dime. Please.
Posted by: Phil ||
02/21/2006 16:05
Comments ||
Top||
#19
One loaded B2 from Diego Garcia can change the whole course Zimbabwe.
Posted by: ed ||
02/21/2006 16:10
Comments ||
Top||
#20
Sounds indiscriminate to me, ed. Better put a laser kit on every one of those or you're over THE LINE, bubba.
#24
There can't be much left to bomb in Zimbabwe, besides the presidential palace. Didn't Mugabe have the suburbs and part of the city pulled down?
wxjames, that last was well said, in my opinion. But we didn't kill all the Japanese, either. Truman authorized using nuclear bombs to get their attention, so we wouldn't have to.
Radical Islam has been warring against the West for a generation -- they've just now become overconfident enough to crow about it. Hopefully we won't have to go medieval on them -- but OldSpook said something a long time ago (I think when the contractors were murdered, then their burnt bodies hung from Fallujah bridge (can someone correct me on that?), when the rest of us were calling for the rubble to be bounced) along the lines of: we will do what it takes to win, but coldly and calmly, not in the heat of anger. That really impressed me, as you can see, even though I don't remember his exact words (and I don't know how to do a quick search to find them, darn it!). As I've hung out here, and read the words of people who actually know something about war and peace, and the waging thereof, I've become confident that we will win this one. We lost the battle of VietNam because we walked away; but we won the Cold War nonetheless. Likewise, after knowing y'all here, I have faith, bone deep, that we will win this Long War in the end. And I know that we will do what it takes along the way -- coldly and calmly. And without killing them all -- although if it takes too long, they may push us to killing most.
#28
I've made this point before, but there is significant evidence that we will respond in a manner that is consistent with the attack that provokes the response.
What we did to Japanese in WWII was horrific and beyond the scale of anything else done in wartime as far as the numbers of civilians killed per day or per raid. But those raids were done at the end of the war, after we had fought the Japanse soldiers to the death. It was the opinion of our leadership at the time that there was no alternative. Even so, they were extremeley concerned about the potential outcry from US citizens.
If we are hit hard (nuke, etc.) we will respond with corresponding savagery. Until then, I seriously doubt you will see a total war response to any provocation. Yest I agree with LOTP and TW, we will get this done. I fear that it will get very, very ugly before it is over, but we will win.
#29
The rant is great but this post seems to be flawed. First the "state" run media is running this story? Why? The government/dictator would only let this out for a reason. You cant flush a Koran down the toilet let alone a baby, no matter how small. This story seems to fit in a propaganda attempt to get money for something and to pull on our hearts to do it.
Posted by: 49 pan ||
02/21/2006 21:39
Comments ||
Top||
#30
No one who ever stood the watch with the nuclear fire ever says "nuke 'em all." It's an easy thing to say when you don't know what it means, not so easy for those who do. It is a triumph of the American will that it has been over 60 years since nukes were used in anger. I can't begin to say how good it feels to see B2s dropping iron bombs and the Navy talking about converting boomers to launch conventional warheads.
#31
So, in the big picture, what is to be done with cases like Zim-bob? Does the country have to go totally down the toilet, literally and figuratively, until Bob is removed by Zim's own citizens?
Obviously, the UN will do nothing. Who makes the decision for regime change? Zimbabwe does not have a big pile of diamonds, platinum, copper, oil or some other resource that NA, Europe, or China wants, so there is no direct interest in regime change except humanitarian.
So what happens? Do we feel bad and hope folks inside the country take out Bob, and let it go.
It's like Somalia. It is a first class sh*thole. But who charges themselves with the authority to unf*ck the place?
And we see the same slippery slope happening to South Africa. But is it in our interest to go in and rearrange their heads to stop this insanity?
I guess that the bottom line comes down to how a situation affects our national interest. We certainly do not have the resources to take on the world.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
02/21/2006 22:39
Comments ||
Top||
#32
Quite a pedigree, lotp. Don't be too hard on besoeker. I don't think he's a troll; I think he's just had a hard week. He often makes sound, if harsh, sense. I remember something here (I think it was the Murtha foolishness) that caught me on a bad day and I wrote a frothing rant that had people calling for cleanup in the aisles. Later on I could see the wisdom in their opinion but it took a while to get back to the "I used to be disgusted but now I try to be amused" mindset.
Hopefully that's what is going on with him. JMHO, with thanks to Elvis Costello ;-)
Posted by: mac ||
02/21/2006 22:59
Comments ||
Top||
#33
Absolutely disgusting, the lazy buggers. From the earliest of times simple human dignity and sanitation dictated the burial of the dead, even if dug with a stick or bare hands.
#34
Besoeker, it's time for you to check your disdain for other races at the door before entering Rantburg. You have now been warned openly, since more gentle feedback is being ignored.
It is in indeed in a class with infacts in the dumpster as we see here in the states all to often. If they give birth to your own flesh and blood (or abort), and do not have the human decency to give the infant a proper burial or call someone who can, you are both lazy and WORTHLESS! I stand by my comment and would say further that "it is time" for you to stuff your continued allegations of "racisim" up your fat you know what! Making the use of the four letter werd "lazy" a 'holocaust denial' violation equivalent is simply thought policing communism. I am too old and have humped too far to listen to that kind of kak from someone who would not make the comment in a face off. RWV's comment is spot on by the way.
Here's one for you: Early this month, in front of 200,000 screaming supporters in Havana's Revolutionary Square, Cuban dictator Fidel Castro bestowed Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez with UNESCO's 2005 International Jose Marti Prize for promoting Latin American heritage, liberty and values.
Huh? Chavez? Liberty?
I'm not sure what the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization folks are "partaking" of, in their cushy Paris headquarters, but the notion that Venezuela's caudillo is deserving of an award espousing these ideals (not to mention presented by Castro in Havana) simply boggles the mind.
It might be time for Washington to reconsider its membership in - and its $80-plus million annual contribution to - this misguided U.N. agency.
But hold on - it gets worse. Not only was giving the award to Chavez a searing insult to the real Jose Marti, a 19th century Cuban liberal thinker who opposed all forms of tyranny; the event also turned into a raucous anti-American hate-fest pumped-up by blistering Chavez and Castro speeches.
The aged Castro, who by some accounts slurred his way through his speech, praised his island-prison Cuba, his protégé Chavez and Jose Marti and spewed predictable volumes of anti-American bile, calling the U.S. a world menace.
As Papa Castro presented the certificate (and $5,000 in loot) to Venezuela's Fidelito, the crowd cheered wildly, and waved Cuban and Venezuelan flags, chanting: Cuba y Venezuela, una sola bandera (i.e., "Cuba and Venezuela, only one flag").
Hardly unpredictable at a Cuban government-orchestrated rally...
In a mind-numbing 2œ hour speech that only a despot (or, maybe, Bill Clinton) could give, Chavez called the U.S. a "brutal, cynical, murderous empire," promising that "we will do everything to shred it."
He also praised his newest anti-U.S. compadre, the recently elected leftist Bolivian president, Evo Morales.
Said Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.): "It is astonishing and beyond the pale that a man such as Chavez, who poses a very real threat to democracy, not only in Venezuela, but in the entire region, and has engaged in virulent anti-American attacks, was honored by UNESCO."
That's only the half of it. Chavez has seized private property, closed radio and TV stations for anti-government content and jailed critics. He has consolidated single-party rule, stacked the courts with Chavistas and won a 2005 election by stuffing ballot boxes, according to Steve Johnson, a Latin America expert.
While Chavismo is a blight on the lives of Venezuela's middle class and the liberties of one of Latin America's (once) oldest democracies, Fidel's Mini-Yo (i.e., "Mini-Me") has used Caracas' significant oil wealth to dole out generous social services to the poor, making Chavez wildly popular.
In the region, Washington believes that Chavez is stoking the flames of his "Bolivarian Revolution" in places like Nicaragua, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. Chavez also supports Colombian FARC narco-guerillas in addition to providing them sanctuary in Venezuela.
The darling of the new authoritarian Left, Chavez has become chummy with Iran, negotiating a number of economic and trade deals. Caracas also defended Iran's right to develop nuclear energy (read: nuclear weapons) earlier this month by voting "no" when the IAEA agreed to report Tehran to the U.N. Security Council over its atomic aspirations.
Besides being a big fat finger in the eye of the U.S. and Marti's legacy, what does giving the award to Chavez say about UNESCO, a highly controversial organization that Washington boycotted from 1985 to 2003?
UNESCO was founded "to contribute to peace and security by promoting collaboration among nations through education, science and culture in order to further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law and for the human rights and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the world."
Exactly how does honoring Chavez support UNESCO's mission?
Without question, elevating Chavez's stature through a U.N. award is an egregious violation of UNESCO's charter - and the latest setback for the U.N.'s rapidly declining moral standing on human rights and democracy.
If anything, UNESCO should be rewarding the tireless efforts of little-recognized champions of human rights that toil in obscurity for individual freedom and dignity in places like Cuba and Venezuela, as Nile Gardiner, a U.N. analyst, puts it.
It's wise for UNESCO to remember that it's the U.S. that is one of its largest benefactors, forking over 22 percent of UNESCO's budget. It should also understand that this sort of outrageous anti-American, anti-freedom Theater of the Absurd won't be tolerated, either.
Peter Brookes is a Senior Fellow at the Heritage Foundation. Mr. Brookes focuses on foreign policy and national security affairs. This column appears in the New York Post.
#1
"outrageous anti-American, anti-freedom Theater of the Absurd"
Damn. Perfect description of the UN and everything it represents, in practice. I guess this make Bolton and Dauth and the few others with a modicum of intelligence something like ushers. I think we should give them bigger flashlights. And stun batons. Then mix it up awhile for the entertainment value. Then pull the plug. Big finish.
#2
wasn't UNESCO almost out of business by Reagans' actions? They had to rehabilitate their image...sounds like they're back to the same old ways
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/21/2006 10:49
Comments ||
Top||
#3
"Chavez also supports Colombian FARC narco-guerillas in addition to providing them sanctuary in Venezuela."
This is a very matter-of-fact statement, even for Brooks who usually inserts a qualifier like "rumored to be" or "suspected". He no doubt is referring to Rodrigo Granda. Even Brooks would have to admit that evidence of Chavez's "support" for Granada is mostly speculation. (albiet very plausable)And the information regarding Granda's capture is at best sketchy. Perhaps Brooks knows something the US State Dept, Negroponte, or Rumsfeld aren't willing to publicly say. Or maybe he thinks his opinion has more impact without those pesky qualifying statements.
#1
sounds great dosnt it, but i'm not a fan of defence tech site, always seems to lean way to much toward the sceptical anti bush anti terror side of things,some of there articles seem like positve anti iraq war propaganda that saddam himself wouldhave been proud of! it has picked up though in last few months (maybe the guy writing it realised iraq wasnt a 'Quagmire!').
#2
I have high school physics, but I do understand processes. There is no limit to how deep a process weapon could penetrate. Essentially, the problem is for the previous stage in the process to clear the way for the next stage in the process. Simplisticly you could view the process as progressively drilling a hole using a series of small explosions (which is how miners do it), until you reach the target's depth and then detonating the big bang. A UAV, if it had the payload capacity, could do this easily.
#3
It's the same drilling a big hole in steel, you start with a small drill bit, and follow with a larger drill bit, repeat until you have the size hole you want.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
02/21/2006 8:34
Comments ||
Top||
#4
or you collapse the exits and vents and let eveyone inside die a slow lingering death. Inshal'lah!
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/21/2006 10:03
Comments ||
Top||
#6
Sounds a lot like something I postulated a couple of years ago. I was actually thinking about busting stuff that was buried, where the debris from the initial hit would refill the crater and protect the target from subsequent hits. To compensate for that effect, one hits the initial target a second time before the debris has a chance to fall back into the crater. To do this the initial charge has to be shaped in such a way as to protect a small path that it came in on. Think of those circus-type stunts where the magician stands in a box and blows it up around him, then walks out. Anyway, instantaneously after the first charge hits and detonates, blasting the first layer of protection away, a second charge hits in exactly the same place. It might even be tethered to the first charge to make sure it follows directly to the same target at a specified time delay. It is more important that it hit the same point than that the first charge hit any specific point. One could potentially chain a whole series of these charges together to keep knocking on the same spot until it was totally ablated.
#8
Interesting and I would guess it would be a lot like a sabot round for tanks. Or at least operate like one. A single round looking like a spear, with a disc 1/4 the way back. The disc is a shape charge and on impact blasts the tip of the spear forward. The rest of the spear follows directly behind and detonates.
Posted by: 49 pan ||
02/21/2006 20:50
Comments ||
Top||
AUSTRALIA would send about 200 extra troops to Afghanistan to help reconstruction efforts, Prime Minister John Howard said today.
Mr Howard said the troops would be part of a Dutch-led provincial reconstruction team (PRT). The latest deployment will take the total number of Australian troops in Afghanistan to about 500. "Australia has decided to send an Australian Defence Force reconstruction to Afghanistan," Mr Howard said. "It will begin deploying, we think, late in July."
Mr Howard said the Australians would be deployed over two years.
Last month, the Government decided to send an extra 110 troops and two helicopters to Afghanistan, increasing its military commitment to 300 personnel as coalition forces battle a resurgent Taliban.
The Government for some time has given its in-principle support to sending another 200 troops as part of a reconstruction effort to help rebuild the war-torn nation. Mr Howard said the Australian contingent would be a mixed security and reconstruction taskforce. Asked if he had received assurances the troop commitment would not stretch Australian Defence Force (ADF) capabilities, Mr Howard said: "Very much so. Very, very much so.
"We are confident that, based on the advice that we have received, that it can be carried out without imposing an unreasonable or unfair strain on the ADF."
The troops would go to Afghanistan with specific objectives and would not intervene in domestic matters such as the problem of the cultivation and selling of opium, Mr Howard said. "Dealing with that is overwhelmingly the responsibility of the local authorities," he said. "These additional forces will go there with particular targets in mind. They will go to a particular province, they will be part of a Dutch-led reconstruction force and will act in accordance with their mission objectives."
#1
Thank you, Prime Minister. You must be proud of him, Oztralian -- he's been upfront about the situation lately, saying and doing what we could only wish other world leaders would.
I'm starting to come to the conclusion that they can't be civilized because they're Arabs. I keep telling myself that's not the case, and they keep trying to prove me wrong.
Twenty-three Iraqis were killed and scores more wounded in a slew of attacks across the country on Monday, including a suicide bombing claimed the lives of a dozen people on a Baghdad mini-bus.
Killing large numbers of civilians enhances that Arab dignity and honor to no end...
The fresh bloodshed comes as the ethnic and religious factions debate whether to form a government of national unity following December general elections that gave the Shiites a majority in the 275-seat parliament.
"Governments of national unity" are invariably weak and ineffective. Better to have one party in charge and a loyal opposition to keep them honest.
In the days bloodiest attack, a suicide bomber killed 12 people Monday on a mini-bus in a Shiite neighborhood in northern Baghdad, an interior ministry official said. Rescue teams were combing the blackened vehicle to extract charred human remains. At least eight wounded were rushed to the hospital, he added. The attacker struck in Kadhamiyah, which has been regularly targeted by Sunni Muslim extremists intent on fanning sectarian strife among Iraqs religious groups.
So form a government of national unity with them instead of hunting them down and killing them like dogs. I'll come to the conclusion we're winning the war when every case like this is solved and the results publicized.
The bombing came as US ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad warned Monday that ethnic and religious conflict was the fundamental problem in Iraq.
Thank you for that statement of the obvious.
The US diplomat vowed not to fund any security forces run with a sectarian bias amid allegations that Shiite death squads have infiltrated the Iraqi police.
What they're doing is actually needed, but they're not being discrete about it. And it also, needed or not, sets a horrible precedent — witness Algeria. The police force has to present the aspect of absolute impartiality, regardless of what it's forced to do behind the scenes. It would be far better to put together a nameless organization, doe what needs done, then fold it when the crisis is past.
In other violence Monday, five Iraqis were killed when their truck convoy carrying building materials came under rocket and automatic weapons fire north of Baghdad, police in the northern city of Tikrit said. A group of 15 cars struck the convoy, which was delivering supplies to a US military base, at 6:30 am at Nabai, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of the Iraqi capital, police said. Five of the drivers in the nine-truck convoy were killed, while three others were wounded, and six of their heavyweight vehicles were destroyed, they said.
Seems like somebody should be able to track down a convoy of 15 cars and do terrible things to the drivers and passengers...
A bomb attack targeted the Abu Ali restaurant in the centre of the northern city of Mosul, killing five people, including one policeman and wounding 21, some 14 of whom were policemen, medical and security sources said. Police said that one man who had been seen eating his breakfast placed a bag underneath the counter before walking out. A civilian driving in his car was killed early Monday in Balad, north of Baghdad, by armed men. At least 19 day labourers waiting to be hired for work were wounded by a bomb explosion Monday morning in central Baghdad, an interior ministry official said. I was thrown back and everything was flying around me, said Ammar Jabbar Karim, 28, who was wounded in the arm and both his legs. Day labourers have repeatedly been targeted by bombers, especially those from poor Shiite neighbourhoods or those working for US-led coalition forces.
Meanwhile, three US soldiers were wounded Monday morning when a roadside bomb hit their Humvee military vehicle in southern Iraq, the US military said. The attack occurred at around 08:45 am, some 20 kilometres south of the holy city of Karbala, the military said. Insurgent attacks are often blamed on militants from Iraqs Sunni minority, powerful under deposed president Saddam Hussein, but who have lost out politically to the Shiites in postwar Iraq.
Two Macedonians kidnapped near the southern Iraqi port of Basra last week were freed Monday, a British official said. The two men, employed by ECOLOG, a contracting company, working with British forces in Basra, were abducted Thursday while traveling from the citys airport to the companys offices.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/21/2006
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[17 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
So are the Irish incapable of being civilized? Just checking to see if my Gaelic cousins are as similarly burdened by genetics as my Arab cousins.
For the love of Christ, man, those are innocent Arabs being butchered. It's not as if the victims have any say in their own slaughter.
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
02/21/2006 8:38
Comments ||
Top||
#2
what Mitch said.
As for the politics, if the possibility were there to have a Kurdish-Allawi govt and put SCIRI in opposition id be all for that. But the votes didnt turn out that way. Assuming UIA stays united, its gonna be the core of any govt. And a UIA led govt thats NOT a national unity govt is going to be - well lets say problematic. Thats why Kalilzad is pushing for a national unity govt (oh and national unity govts arent always ineffective - in Israel in the 80s a national unity govt tamed inflation)
Oh, and it IS a very good idea to have some Sunni parties in the govt.
DUBAI - US lawmakers objections to a Dubai companys takeover of US port operations is a backlash from the Sept. 11 attacks, not an expression of wider anti-Arab sentiment among American politicians, the top US envoy for public diplomacy said here on Monday.
In a discussion with reporters, Undersecretary of State Karen Hughes said she didnt believe the gathering objections represent a general Islamophobia among American lawmakers, as a Dubai newspapers opinion article Monday alleged. I would hope that is not the case, Hughes said. I hope the people of the United Arab Emirates and the government will understand that in a democracy, there is a process of debate.
No wonder the folks in the UAE were bewildered!
Hughes defended the Bush administrations security review of Dubai government-held Dubai Ports Worlds $6.8 billion purchase of London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co. But the lawmakers are questioning about security concerns in light of the fact that a couple of the Sept. 11 hijackers did come from the UAE, Hughes said. Since that time, and over a period of years, the UAE has been a long-standing good friend and a strong partner in the war against terror.
Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, who plans to discuss the lawmakers objections during a visit to the Emirates this week, has pushed for a more open discussion of the security oversight DP World has undergone. Secretary Rice says we will have to go to Capitol Hill and get the administration to explain a little more fully the thorough review that was done, Hughes said. The administration will be doing that, Im sure, in the days ahead.
Newspaper opinion articles in Dubai have blamed the US backlash on political grandstanding ahead of this years congressional elections and a general American sense of Islamophobia. An op-ed article on Monday in a local newspaper said the controversy demonstrates that Islamophobia is rising and has become like an infectious disease that spreads amid political and media circles in the West.
A phobia is when you're inappropriately afraid.
Hughes arrived in Dubai on Sunday after a two-day visit to Doha Qatar, where she attended the US-Islamic World Forum and implored regional leaders to wipe out terrorism. Hughes, who greeted reporters with a few words of halting Arabic, wore a necklace inscribed in Arabic calligraphy.
She spoke out Monday against caricatures of the Prophet Muhammed (PTUI PBUH) that have sparked deadly protests across the Muslim world. The cartoons were offensive. I can understand why Muslims are offended by them, she said.
Americans, Hughes said, refrain from using racial and ethnic slurs not because they are outlawed, but because of a general sense of decency. I think that could be a model for the mainly European newspapers that printed the offending caricatures, she said.
Except for the American Left, which doesn't mind slurring Evangelicals, Mormons, Jews, Catholics, Southerners, Kansans, Koreans, Cubans, ...
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/21/2006
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[15 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
You think the lefties would stop if some masked Catholics kidnapped Chuck Schumer, gave him a Nick Berg haircut, and sent the videotape to Fox News?
Posted by: mac ||
02/21/2006 7:08
Comments ||
Top||
#2
The cartoons were offensive? C'mon Karen, get real.
#3
She spoke out Monday against caricatures of the Prophet Muhammed (PTUI PBUH) that have sparked deadly protests across the Muslim world. The cartoons were offensive. I can understand why Muslims are offended by them, she said.
Fire her. She's not representing us overseas; she's abasing herself to her future paymasters.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
02/21/2006 10:30
Comments ||
Top||
#4
I dunno, RC. I think they're at least mildly offensive, too.
I just think the muslims need to get over it.
Posted by: too true ||
02/21/2006 18:26
Comments ||
Top||
#5
The UAE is running out of oil; hence the last minute splashy developments (that they won't be able to pay for). No oil: no leverage; no interest; no need for public diplomacy.
Unidentified men blew up another gas pipeline (well number 19) in Pirkoh on Monday. No casualty was reported and the local administration closed the gas well. Also, suspected tribal militants fired rockets at security forces in Kohlu and Dera Bugti. Reportedly, three rockets were fired at the Gori Nala checkpoint and at security forces in Moodah and Treman. No casualties were reported. Security personnel arrested Lal Din, Minham and Lakkan from the Pirkoh and Loti gas fields. The men are allegedly involved in terrorism cases.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/21/2006
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[18 views]
Top|| File under:
SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister John Howard has criticised the minority of Muslims who "rave on about jihad" and have "extreme attitudes" towards women, saying they do not fit into Australian society. Islamic leaders immediately condemned the remarks as "offensive and ignorant", saying they would fan the flames of prejudice against Islam.
Better watch it. They'll declare jihad on you.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/21/2006
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[20 views]
Top|| File under:
#2
I like John Howard. At some point, Christians should tell the Muslim governments of places like Saudi Arabia that they find their attitudes toward and statements about Christianity to be "offensive and ignorant."
#10
They're right. The PM's comments really rile people up about Islam. Barbaric behavior by guys quoting the Koran doesn't do it, nor their treatment of, well, anybody who isn't a Muslim male.
#12
John Howard has criticised the minority of Muslims who "rave on about jihad" and have "extreme attitudes" towards women, saying they do not fit into Australian society.
Only a culture that is utterly incapable of understanding Cause & Effect could possibly manage to be offended by Howard's remarks. I long to see how Australian society will make sure there is no place for these twisted f&cks to "fit in." Mass deportations would be delightful.
#13
Australian Prime Minister John Howard has criticised the minority of Muslims who "rave on about jihad" and have "extreme attitudes" towards women, saying they do not fit into Australian society.
I think I found the logic problem. Make that Majority of.... they work hard raving on about jihad and having extreme attitudes towards women (and cartoons) and you shouldn't deminish their accomplishments like that Johnny.
#14
#12 : "Cause & Effect" don't exixts for them. All sins are washed away with their next ritual prayer's ablution. Too bad for them, Cause & Effect operates like the Law of Gravity.
JAMMU - Kashmirs main separatist alliance on Monday rejected an invitation by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to attend a conference to boost a peace process in the restive Himalayan region.
The conference, scheduled for Saturday, has been called by New Delhi to widen the dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir where a revolt against Indian rule by Islamist militants has killed more than 45,000 people since 1989. Singh has called minority Hindu groups in the region, pro-India political parties as well as separatist groups for the peace conference but has not invited nuclear rival Pakistan with which New Delhi has a separate peace process.
The All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC), a conglomerate of separatist political groups, said it will not attend as New Delhi had not taken measures in Kashmir to ease the ground situation for Kashmiris that would have built trust ahead of dialogue. The Hurriyat has decided not to participate in the conference as it opines that it would harm the peace process rather than benefit it, Hurriyat chief Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said in a statement from Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir.
"We might get whacked on the road, and you can't tell me that wouldn't harm dialogue, especially my end of it!"
The alliance also said Singh had not invited Pakistan to the conference. It said it wanted Islamabad to be part of three-way talks between New Delhi, Islamabad and the alliance over the region, which is the cause of two of three India-Pakistan wars. Pro-Indian political parties in the state as well as Kashmiri Hindu groups have said they would attend the conference.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/21/2006
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[10 views]
Top|| File under:
Accusations of spying and tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats might seem the stuff of historic ideological battles between Washington and Moscow. But such cold war antics look set to take centre-stage in the saga of deteriorating ties between the US and Venezuela, home to the largest energy reserves in the Americas.
At the weekend, Hugo Chávez, Venezuelan president warned Condoleezza Rice, US secretary of state, against trying to build an international alliance to curb his governments expanding tentacles of influence across Latin America.
I will sting those who rattle me, so dont mess with me, Condoleezza, he said, blowing Ms Rice a kiss during his Sunday television programme.
ewwww
On Friday, he insisted that the US would receive no more oil if it crossed the line in its supposed efforts to undermine his revolution. The volley of threats follows Mr Chávezs expulsion two weeks ago of the USs naval attaché in Caracas on allegations of co-opting Venezuelan officers into passing secrets to the Pentagon. The US reciprocated with the expulsion of the chief of staff at Venezuelas embassy in Washington.
Analysts believe some of the recent provocations come because Mr Chávez is seeking to radicalise his anti-imperialist credentials ahead of elections in December. He has already begun his re-election campaign by insisting that his true opponent will be George W. Bush. Relations with the US are deteriorating and they are going to get worse, says Adolfo Salguiero, an international relations analyst in Caracas. At some point this year we could well face a grave diplomatic crisis as Chávez attempts to rally nationalist sentiment ahead of the election.
Mr Chávez, who has been in power for seven years, recently reiterated his prediction of an inevitable showdown with the US. He may be right.
he's certainly trying to provoke one
US officials have in recent weeks determined that the Venezuelan president is not only their top political irritant in the region, but that he is also undermining US interests.
Ms Rice said last week that the US must pursue an inoculation strategy to curb Mr Chávezs oil-funded influence in the region. A united front against some of the things that Venezuela gets involved in was needed to contain Mr Chávezs activism in Latin America, Ms Rice told the House of Representatives.
Caracas has financed billions of dollars worth of projects in the region, and Mr Chávez has made clear his support for candidates and movements with an anti-US stance.
He has in the past threatened to sever oil supplies to the US, even if most analysts have dismissed such a threat as economic madness. Venezuelan oil is especially heavy and can only be processed in US-based refineries owned by Citgo, the Venezuelan state-owned oil companys refining and marketing subsidiary in the US.
However, the US Government Accountability Office, Congresss non-partisan investigative agency, is examining the risks for the US economy of losing its most secure supplier of oil.
Ms Rices recommendation appears to put flesh on the bones of the idea of containing Chávez suggested a year ago by only the most hawkish members within the Bush administration. People familiar with the policy development in Washington say it has gelled as a result of recent appointments in the area of security. The policy is to convince the governments of South America that Chávez is a danger to the hemisphere, if not to the US, said a US security consultant who has been party to the discussions.
Robert Zoellick, deputy secretary of state, is believed to have advised Ms Rice recently of the risk of neglecting Latin America. Similar views have been taken, the consultant said, by Porter Goss, chief of the Central Intelligence Agency, John Negroponte, director of national intelligence, and Patrick Maher, the national intelligence officer for the western hemisphere.
The US has vetoed the sale to Venezuela of military equipment from Spain and Brazil, on the grounds that the hardware contains US-made components. Meanwhile, Mr Chávez has extended warm relations to radical movements in the Middle East. Venezuela said recently that it would welcome leaders of Hamas, the militant Palestinian Islamic group. It is also backing Irans position on its nuclear programme.
#1
Chavez surely doesn't think that he will be able to keep or operate the Citgo refineries in the US if he decides to shut off the oil to America. Like many US Democrats, he thinks rules are for Republicans. If Chavez isn't very careful, Condoleeza Rice and George Bush will jerk a knot in his tail that will end the Chavez thugocracy.
#3
I get the impression that Hugo sees that hes running out of "Technically Legal" maneuvers. But it appears he still hasnt grasped his role in the Pimp/Whore dynamics. Refusal to recognize this will most assuredly result in a Bitch-Slap like hes never seen.
#4
kook, hugo is president of a population of 14 million and he see's his revolution as correcting that demographic inconsequentiality.
hugo is like all the lefts useful idiots, belicose and vastly over rated. If hugo was the revolutionaries revolutionary, he'd help those dying in the camps of North korea with food and some compassion for these poor souls suffering. Predictably he wont do this because its the ideology of the left that bankrolls incidious behavior in order to expand its power. hugo thinks his revolution will expand across latin america, with him at the center......how many venezuelans will die between the start of this trip and the abrupt end is really the question.
Whats not up for debate is the fact that hugo and hugos ego are all that matters to hugo and his followers, no different than kim, and pol and all those whose blueprint he follows. Failure is the only option when your intellectual bank is rupt.
#5
It would be as simple as locking the gates to CITGO for a week and he will come crawling. He is a creature that we are allowing to operate. We should slap them down faster than we do, which seems to be few and far between. This guy will get momentum and friends like Kim and Hamas and expand his capabilities. We should do something now. Not war, but economically, and make it significant. Threaten to nationalize, US that is, the CITGO refineries in the best interset of eminent domain.
Posted by: 49 pan ||
02/21/2006 21:25
Comments ||
Top||
#6
Russia's ARMYPRESS.com has an article describing that there are no legal obstacles preventing Russia from selling MIG fighter aircraft and other types of asets to Chavez. ARMYPRESS also has an article about NORTH AFRICA will be a new region of competition between the USA and Russia for local arms deals.
HALIFAX (CP) - Five Canadian warships were set to leave Halifax on Monday for an intense, three-week training exercise that will see them working with the U.S. navy. The vessels were to join three U.S. destroyers, along with Canadian fighter jets and land forces.
HMCS Montreal, the flagship of the exercise, was to be joined by HMCS Ville de Quebec, Summerside, Moncton and Preserver. Canada's only operational submarine, HMCS Windsor, was also set to take part. About 1,000 personnel were expected to participate in the exercise, set to take place in waters off Nova Scotia, Norfolk, Va., and Boston, Mass.
Navy spokesman Lt.-Cmdr. Ken MacKillop said two such training exercises are typically scheduled each year. "This one is an excellent chance to exercise the Joint Task Force Atlantic command and control concept, so they will be working more jointly out there using the headquarters here to run the operation," he said.
Joint Task Force Atlantic is one of several regional command centres responsible for conducting domestic operations under Canada Command. The centres were announced last year to focus on disasters at home. MacKillop said this week's exercises will also allow Canadian and American units to work as a cohesive unit. Combat capabilities will be tested in the areas of anti-submarine warfare, electronic warfare and boarding operations.
It's the first time Preserver has conducted fleet operations since its $40-million refit last year.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/21/2006
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[9 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
And the whole world is asking .... when did Canada get five warships?
Posted by: Formerly Dan ||
02/21/2006 0:24
Comments ||
Top||
PARIS - France on Monday rejected a Syrian accusation that it was working with anti-Syrian political forces in Lebanon in a bid to oust the countrys embattled head of state. France does not interfere in Lebanons internal affairs, a foreign ministry spokesman said in response to the charge, which was made by an unnamed official in the office of President Emile Lahoud.
You have to go to the Ecole Nationale d'Administration for years and years to learn how to say that sort of thing without your lips falling off ...
which explains why French is pronounced so differently from other Romance languages ...
Its action is aimed on the contrary at stopping SyrianIranian foreign interference in the country and allowing the Lebanese to recover their full sovereignty and independence in line with UN resolution 1559, said the spokesman, Denis Simonneau.
The official from Lahouds office has accused French President Jacques Chirac of personally supervising a group working with the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority to push the president out of office. Lahoud has been under severe pressure ever since Lebanese security officials close to him were arrested over the murder of former prime minister Rafiq Hariri and a UN probe accused his Syrian allies of involvement in the killing.
Still waiting on him to hit that banana peel in the middle of the door ...
The anti-Syrian parliamentary majority late Thursday gave the president a month-long deadline to resign. But Lahoud, effectively boycotted by France since his extension, has repeatedly vowed to serve out his full term.
France had already angered the presidents supporters by co-sponsoring with the United States a series of Security Council resolutions critical of Syria and its Lebanese allies.
Good. Perhaps the grand strategy will get some results ...
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/21/2006
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[14 views]
Top|| File under:
CARACAS: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez launched a new verbal attack on Sunday against US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, bluntly warning her "don't mess with me, girl".
"Or what, buster?"
I've seen the Condi 'double-claw' move. Hugo, surrender now.
Responding to remarks before the US Congress last week in which Rice called Chavez a "challenge to democracy" in Latin America, Chavez warned the top US diplomat to back off. "She messed with me again," he said in his weekly "Hello President" television show, deliberately mangling her name as "Condolences." Last week, after her US Congress testimony, Chavez dismissed Rice as "the imperial lady". He vowed that Washington would fail in its bid to arouse international opinion against Caracas, and accused the George W Bush administration of fomenting transit strikes and other unrest to destabilize his country.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/21/2006
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[9 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Nice pic. Does Chavez have a new metal hanging around his neck? And aren't nipple-covers supposed to be worn inside your clothing? Someone consult Janet Jackson.....
Federal agents padlocked a Toledo-based Muslim charity and froze its assets yesterday, citing a government investigation into possible links with Hamas terrorists. KindHearts, a $5 million-a-year charity with headquarters in West Toledo will not be able to access any of its funds or property while the investigation is under way.
LAHORE: The government has ended the house arrest of Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, but has asked him not leave Lahore. Dawa Information Secretary Habibullah Salfi told reporters on Monday that the government had ended Hafiz Saeed's house arrest on Monday, but had banned him from travelling to any other districts.
Hafiz Saeed was placed under house arrest on Friday when he wanted to attend a demonstration against the publishing of caricatures of the Prophet (PBUH) by several European newspapers. "A senior Lahore Police official told Hafiz Saeed on Monday morning that orders of his house arrest had been withdrawn, but that he could not travel to any other city or province of the country," Salfi said, adding that the government did not give any prior notice to Dawa about restrictions on Hafiz Saeed's travel.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/21/2006
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[21 views]
Top|| File under:
Denmark and Norway on Monday condemned as incitement to murder a Pakistani clerics offer of a reward for anyone who kills any of the 12 Danish cartoonists who lampooned the Prophet Mohammad.
No scare quotes required. "Murder" is murder. And you forgot to say "PTUI" after you mentioned the Profit.
Its murder and murder is also forbidden by the Holy Quran, Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller told a news conference with his colleague Jonas Gahr Stoere from Norway, which has been dragged into the row after a paper there published the cartoons. Islam is also a religion of peace, mercy and forgiveness.
Demonstrably it's not...
"That is why it is my opinion, but also the opinion of many Muslims, this is un-Islamic, he said.
And equally demonstrably it's the opinion of learned but fly-blown Pak and Indian holy men that it's just as Islamic as can be.
A Pakistani Muslim cleric and his followers offered rewards on Friday amounting to more than $1 million for killing one of the Danish cartoonists, who have been under police protection since the storm of protest broke out last month. If the West can place a bounty on Osama bin Laden and Zawahri we can also announce reward for killing the man who has caused this sacrilege of the holy prophet, cleric Maulana Yousef Qureshi said, referring to the al Qaeda leader and his deputy Ayman al Zawahri.
The cartoonists didn't kill anyone, but that doesn't matter, does it?
At Friday prayers in the city of Peshawar, he set a bounty of 500,000 rupees and two of his congregation put up rewards of $1 million and one million rupees plus a car.
My patience meter is heading for the sub-zero area. I don't have any money, but anyone who pops a holy man will definitely receive my best wishes.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/21/2006
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[17 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Danish cartoonist should fake his own death, collect the million.
Takes money away from the mouthfrothers and he can then live in peace unafraid of fatwas.
#2
If I was a better person, I'd feel indignation. However, my ability to feel indignation was eroded by 10 years of Euro (in particularly Scandinavian) support for Paleo cottage-industry genocide against me and mine.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
02/21/2006 8:30
Comments ||
Top||
#6
hmmm, just thinking about the face transplant that took place last month; maybe we could have the cartoonist have a face transplant and be made to look like Osama and advertise this, with these death threats abounding this may make it interesting. lol.
Posted by: Jan ||
02/21/2006 12:02
Comments ||
Top||
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - The two Koreas will hold high-level military talks next week for the first time in nearly two years, South Korea's Defense Ministry said Tuesday. The general-level talks will be held on March 2-3 at the northern side of the truce village of Panmunjom on the inter-Korean border, the ministry said in a statement.
Feel the love!
At the upcoming talks, the two Koreas will discuss ways to prevent accidental clashes off the peninsula's western coast and designating joint fishing areas, the ministry said.
The high-level military talks have been on hold since June 2004 amid the North's criticism of joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States. During a meeting of lower-level military officials earlier this month, the two sides agreed to hold general-level military talks in late February or early March.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/21/2006
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[13 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Sounds like they've decided to schedule a mutual "stimulation" session....
GUJRANWALA: More than 200 people were food poisoned after having dinner at WAPDA Town Marriage Hall on Sunday night. The people had come from Qila Didar Singh and were served with lunch boxes in the marriage hall. On their return to Qila Didar Singh, they started showing signs of food poisoning. Ten people fainted, while 20 people were taken to Javed Hospital Qila Didar Singh, 24 to Zahid Asghar Minhas Hospital, 24 to Latif Hospital while others were taken to different clinics of Qila Didar Singh.
"The party was ruined! Simply ruined!"
Posted by: Fred ||
02/21/2006
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[14 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
"....would this be much more serious if the man someone had died?"
Minorities in Lahore are worried by the recent incident in which prominent Christian singer A Nayyar was robbed and forced to recite Kalima.
That's when you accept Islam. Now he can be killed if he doesn't bump his forehead five times a day...
A Nayyar was walking to his house in Canal Park near Punjab chief ministers house after recording songs at 2am on February 16 night, after he was dropped by a friend on the main road. Five or six unidentified young men, some of them wearing bandanas, stopped him, stole his money and after recognizing him, beat him up asking him to recite the Kalima, Mrs Nayyar told Daily Times. The young men ran away when people came out of their houses. Nayyar, who was injured, was not available for comment.
Mrs Nayyar said that they wanted to report the incident to the police and A Nayyar would visit the police station on Tuesday (today). She said the incident might be linked to the recent protests against controversial cartoons published in European newspapers. She said that they would lodge a formal complaint today (Tuesday). The incident has been condemned widely, and citizens said even if it was a routine robbery, it was alarming that young criminals forced a Christian to recite the Kalima for fun.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/21/2006
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[12 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Does this kalima by any chance begin with "fuck you"?
I could get down with that.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
02/21/2006 14:01
Comments ||
Top||
#2
Unfortuntely no.
It is the "there is no god but allen and mo' is his messenger" bit.
Remember, "there is no compulsion in islam" TM
So say your kalima before I'm forced to thrash you.
And "islam is a religion of peace" TM
Believe it or I'll behead you...
Posted by: john ||
02/21/2006 14:10
Comments ||
Top||
#3
The Muzzies obviously have no difficulty with the cognitive dissonance thingy, just like the Lefties in the West.
Roman Catholics in New Zealand have been urged to boycott a television network for its plan to show an episode of South Park that features a bleeding statue of the Virgin Mary. The episode, titled Bloody Mary, is due to be screened on May 10 by TV Works - a subsidiary of Canadian-owned Canwest International - on its C4 free-to-air network. The episode shows a statue of Mary bleeding, taken to be a miracle until Pope Benedict 16th suggests it is simply menstruation.
Well. Obviously the cartoonists must be killed.
New Zealand's seven Roman Catholic bishops issued a letter on Sunday urging the country's half a million Catholics to boycott TV Works' TV3 network news and companies that advertised products on the station. The bishops' letter, read at Masses and published on the church website, called the episode's depiction of Mary "ugly and tasteless".
You're not used to that yet?
"Making known the extent of our offense might give them pause to consider that press freedom is not as license to incite intolerance or to promote hated or derision based on religion, race or gender," the letter said.
So, which embassies are New Zealand Christians going to burn down?
TV3 earlier this month apologised to Muslims for causing offense after it screened the Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad. The publication of the cartoons, first in Denmark then several other countries, prompted angry demonstrations in many Muslim countries, and deadly riots in Afghanistan and Pakistan. TV Works' chief operating officer Rick Friesen said if Catholics thought they might be upset by the South Park episode they should not watch it.
That's the same thing they told the turbans, right?
"We absolutely expect there's segments of society that would be offended by the programme," he said. Prime Minister Helen Clark said she had not seen the episode but it sounded "revolting". TV Works was free to run the programme but had to weigh that freedom against a potential viewer backlash, she said.
I'm sure the local KFC is toast. Knights of Columbus are going to be exploding all over the place.
agree it's not gonna happen, Fred. OTOH it's a bit rich for the station to apologize to Muslims but deliberately give offense to Catholics. (Of whom I'm not one BTW, just sayin ...)
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
02/21/2006 2:22
Comments ||
Top||
#3
South Park has depicted Mohamed in the past (see zombietime's excellent photo essay). I cannot wait until Muzzies start protesting South Park. Unlike the silly Danish cartoons, South Park's satire is sharp and hilarious (and obscene too). They offend politically correct liberals way more than they do conservatives.
#4
Hey, I really like South Park! Does this mean I'm a bad catholic?
Awww, damn... now I'm going to Hell (like all bad catholics and non-catholics, of course), and it's not even for my wild sex life and frenzied carnal habits (I wish! I sincerely wish!...), but because of a tv cartoon... truly, I'm a total failure.
#5
I take it next week they'll run the South Park "Bestest Friends" episode with Jesus and Mohammad and tell the muslims "not to watch it" if they fear being offended?
Either fair is fair - or it's submission to islam.
#6
I love South Park too! This is my neck 'o the woods, lol.
I remember being in Prague after South Park was out for a year and they had t-shirts with all the regular phrases written on them but in czech not english. Freakin hilarious.
Folks can't take this stuff seriously, we need to be able to laugh at ourselves.
Posted by: Jan ||
02/21/2006 11:53
Comments ||
Top||
#7
"Gene! Pull the Bloody Mary episode, sub in the MechaStreisand episode."
The [Pakistani] Foreign Office has called for the equal treatment of Pakistan and India as nuclear weapons states that are not signatories to the Non Proliferation Treaty, after France joined the United States in signing nuclear cooperation deals with New Delhi, APP reports.
Might as well. They're both crawling with Islamists, and they've started acting similarly lately.
Pakistan's civilian nuclear agencies are under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards and the exceptions being given to India should be given to Pakistan as well, FO spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said at a weekly press briefing on Monday. Umer Farooq adds: Pakistan and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) will talk to the European Union and international community about the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that have caused an uproar in the Muslim world, Aslam said.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/21/2006
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[15 views]
Top|| File under:
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada will not help fund a new Hamas-led Palestinian government unless the militant group rejects violence and agrees to recognize Israel, Foreign Minister Peter MacKay said on Monday. He also said Canada was reviewing the C$25 million ($22 million) it gives each year to the Palestinian Authority to fund aid projects.
MacKay was sworn in two weeks ago as part of the new right-of-center Conservative government, which defenders of the Jewish state hope will come down more on Israel's side than the previous Liberal administration. MacKay told Reuters that Canada wanted Hamas to recognize Israel's right to exist, renounce violence against Israel and agree to stick to the terms of previous peace deals between the two sides. "These are inalienable positions we cannot move away from. Without it (agreement by Hamas), it's going to be next to impossible to move toward giving assistance to the new Palestinian government," he said in a telephone interview.
"We're calling for a clear signal (from Hamas) ... The establishment of democratic institutions is incompatible with continuous advocacy for terrorist violence," he said.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/21/2006
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[12 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
That money would go a long way toward repairing the submarines.....
#8
sad how money speaks volumes (thank God it does)while integrity to do the right thing doesn't.
Posted by: Jan ||
02/21/2006 11:10
Comments ||
Top||
#9
Are they a bunch of total welfare cases or what? Pretty much describes the majority of Arabs. They live on Oil, un, or U.S. welfare because we are dumb enough to give it to them. Comes under that heading "Teach a man to fish...." These yahoos haven't fished in generations and they have had nothing to but seethe at have good the Jews have it and they don't.
Save the Children, a non-government organisation (NGO), has appealed for £5.5million to international donors, including the Department for International Development (DFID), the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) to help restore the education system in the quake-hit areas. Rebuilding all schools will take years. It is completely unacceptable for children to miss out on their education. It will have a negative effect on their future, Peter Sykes, the emergency programme manager, said.
I think we've spent quite enough money on Pakistan for now. I imagine the Danes and the Norwegians feel about the same way.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/21/2006
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[16 views]
Top|| File under:
#2
Ima tapped out. I give to Rantburg. Go talk to the Soddies, Swampy.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
02/21/2006 2:30
Comments ||
Top||
#3
Are they going to educate them in Western values, math, reading and spelling, etc.?
Or just madrassah the boys and treat the girls like the property doormats they are?
Decide. Then we'll talk.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
02/21/2006 13:59
Comments ||
Top||
#4
And if we only had a tax, we could skim from it, throw a few crumbs at this, and ignore your objections and demands for accountability! Damned Americans! It's unfair that you have so much wealth!
KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) - Sudan's vice president told a visiting U.S. delegation that the country opposed a proposal to deploy international peacekeepers to Darfur, but was committed to negotiations to end tensions in the region, state media reported Monday.
"Just as soon as the Janjaweed finish up, tensions will be a lot lower!"
Despite the Sudanese objections, U.S. Ambassador John Bolton on Monday accused the U.N. and some Security Council members on Monday of moving too slowly toward setting up the U.N. force. Bolton expressed frustration with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and U.N. officials over the pace of preparation for the mission, which would replace 7,000 African Union troops. He also said African and Arab diplomats on the Security Council needed to move more quickly.``We're prepared, but the main thing, I think, is to get the internal U.N. operation to be moving more quickly, which we'd like to see,'' he said.
"I'm disturbed at your lack of ... movement."
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said United Nations officials were in talks with African leaders about the force and that planning for the mission ``is moving full-steam ahead.'' The African Union's mandate in Darfur expires on March 31.
``Sudan rejects replacement of the African Union forces with United Nations forces,'' Vice President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha told the 11-member U.S. congressional delegation Sunday night after they returned from Darfur, according to a Monday report by the state-run Sudan News Agency.
Even if they're the same troops.
SUNA said Taha told the delegates that Sudan was committed to resolving the Darfur problem through peaceful negotiations, and blamed the rebels for procrastinating in the ongoing peace talks in Nigeria.
Samani Al-Wasilla, state minister of Foreign Affairs, said Taha told the U.S. delegation the conflict in Darfur was ``a situation of security violations and intertribal fighting over water and grazing areas and could not under any circumstance be described as a genocide.''
"No, no! Certainly not!"
The delegation, led by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, left Sudan Sunday night.
Oh, there's a big help.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/21/2006
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[11 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
This had to have had delgation's undies in a twist. On one hand, it's the kind of deployment they would support. On the other, if they do...
#7
UN forces can be useful when backed by British paratroopers, as in Sierra Leone.
The default approach seems to be to send ill-equipped, ill-trained, ill-lead troops with no authority to shoot back or go in hot pursuit. But you could imagine a parallel universe where somebody with sense had a say in the selection of the forces and the rules of engagement.
Posted by: James ||
02/21/2006 13:43
Comments ||
Top||
#8
How does this jibe with the "UN forces are always useless" meme?
I don't think the meme was 'always useless'. More like 'generally useless'. 'Generally useless' means that there may be a smidge of competence, more if Western troops are used.
Three paramilitary soldiers were kidnapped in South Waziristan and two suspected foreign Al Qaeda militants were reported killed in North Waziristan in a clash with a tribal group on Monday. Official sources said the soldiers were kidnapped few hundred yards from their base in Tiarza, north of Wana, when they were making phone calls from a public call office late on Sunday, sources told Daily Times. We are clueless about their whereabouts, an administration official said. Militants appear to be involved in the incident, he said on condition of anonymity.
Good Gawd, Inspector! How do you do it?
The Sunday kidnapping of three soldiers comes two months after militants took two paramilitary soldiers hostage from Wanas Rustan bazaar on December 7. A day after their kidnapping, bodies of two of them were found close to their base in Wana.
No word on what happened to the rest of them.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/21/2006
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[11 views]
Top|| File under:
A newspaper in Saudi Arabia has stopped publishing after printing some of the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. Shams (Sun) has been suspended as part of an investigation into its decision to publish the cartoons that have caused anger across the Muslim world. It printed them next to articles urging Saudis to take action against Denmark where the cartoons first appeared.
Three weeks ago, Shams, became one of few newspapers in the Arab world to print some of the cartoons. The paper, which is aimed at the country's young people, said it was doing so to mobilise the campaign in Saudi Arabia against Denmark. But whatever the motive behind it, the mere fact of publishing the cartoons does not seem to have gone down well with the authorities.
Sources in Saudi Arabia have told the BBC that the ministry of media and culture has launched an investigation into the paper's decision to print the images. As a result, they say that the ministry has now suspended the paper. Executives at Shams contacted by the BBC did not wish to confirm this, but the paper did not appear on Monday.
Shams was started just two months ago in a tabloid format aimed directly at Saudi young people. There has been nothing like it on Saudi news stands before.
and you've got to wonder when another one will arise.
It has tackled issues in fresh ways - such as the role of women in Saudi Arabia - as well as reporting on entertainment, culture and sport in a style tailored for the young. Sources in Saudi Arabia have told the BBC that some of its articles have stirred controversy by going against the prevailing views of the conservative establishment that runs the country.
KANO: Ten people died on Monday and more than 40 injured in the northern Nigerian city of Bauchi following clashes between Muslims and Christians over the supposed desecration of the Koran, a Red Cross official said. The official however pointed out that the violence was not linked to Saturdays riots in northern Nigeria over the publication of cartoons of Prophet Mohammed by a Danish newspaper which claimed at least 24 lives.
"Nope. Nope. We got riots enough to serve every need."
The incident started at 10am today at the Government Comprehensive High School, after a teacher allegedly confiscated a Muslim religious document a female student was reading in class, Red Cross disaster management official Adronicus Adeyemo said, citing reports from the town. It later spread to the town. Ten people died, six of them burnt and more than 40 others were injured, some of them with machetes, he said.
Because she took a book away from an inattentive student.
Residents of Bauchi said that the students beat up the teacher after assuming that she had confiscated the Holy Quran.
Ah, yes. There is bravery in numbers, isn't there?
The rumour spread like wildfire across the city, sparking the violence, they added. Bauchi trader Sani Haris said that the students peers went on the rampage in the school, destroying property and prompting school authorities to call in the police who restored order after firing teargas.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/21/2006
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[29 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Well, "no big deal", if I may (horribly) say so.
Right after 9/11, the Nigeria deathtoll of inter-religious-non-specified-violences(tm) was about 10 000, with hamlets attacked by crowds brandishing portraits of UBL, like in Indonesia right after the NYC attacks... most of them deaders were christian minorities living in muslim north, of course...
Since 2001, there was the Miss world riots, more ethnic cleasing, more sharia, more arabization, more burnt churches... one of the unreported bloody frontiers of the ROP... ah, if only they could be paleostinians, then perhaps this would make international news.
Anyway, the *usual* numbers of christians killed for their faith around the world is about 8000-10 000 a month.
No need to say which other revealed religion is the most responsible for theses persecutions, I guess.
#2
Let's be clear about this. The Muslims started to burn some 30 churches after a local paper published pictures of the pedophile for prophet. These current riots are simply the Christians fighting back. Good for them.
NEW DELHI: The Indian opposition, ruling alliance partners and Left parties asked the government on Monday to show the door to United States Ambassador David Mulford for interfering in the countrys internal matters. Mulford had sent a letter to the West Bengal chief minister calling on him to stand down from his anti-US stances and accept foreign direct investment in the retail trade.
Give them a Wal-Mart. Good idea.
How can an American official direct an Indian chief minister, asked the angry members. Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee advised the members to maintain dignity and not accuse the government of surrendering.
Maybe you should spend less time being dignified and more time being productive.
CPI (M) group leader Basudeb Acharia raised the issue and BJP, Shiv Sena, Janata Dal (U), Akali Dal, Biju Janata Dal, Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party agreed that the ambassador had transgressed diplomatic etiquette by advising the chief minister. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Das Munshi said that he would convey the members concern to the prime minister and asserted that the government had never compromised upon national dignity. However, the leftists staged a walk out, saying they were not satisfied with the governments response. No other opposition party joined them.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/21/2006
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[14 views]
Top|| File under:
The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) on Monday vowed to continue protesting against cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad (may his skidmarks bleach out peace be upon him) until the European newspapers that published the caricatures apologise and pledge not to print such material in future.
"We'll tell you what you can publish and not publish, infidels!"
Speaking at a National Consultative Council meeting here, MMA leaders announced a schedule of protests against the cartoons. The religious parties alliance will organise nationwide protests on February 24 (Friday) and in Lahore on February 26. The MMA leaders warned the Punjab government not to try and stop the Lahore rally. The MMA also called a wheel-jam and shutter-down strike on March 3, when rallies are planned in several other Muslim countries. The alliance will hold a million march in Karachi on March 5 and the MMA Supreme Council will meet in Quetta on March 7 to plan future protests. Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, told reporters that the council condemned the government and police for firing teargas at protestors in Islamabad on Sunday, and demanded the release of political workers arrested to prevent them taking part in the demonstration.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/21/2006
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[16 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Why the heck would a newspaper in Denmark care if they are protesting instead of working in Quetta?
#2
Yeah, skidmarks are one of the great untold occupational hazzards in prophethood, especially when you take into account the fact that your only toilet-paper is your left hand.
KUWAIT CITY - A cut in oil production may be necessary at OPECs meeting next month as over-supply may reach two million barrels per day (bpd) in the second quarter, the Kuwaiti energy minister said on Monday. We believe the market is well-supplied and we believe the second quarter will be over-supplied ... with between 1-2 million bpd, Sheikh Ahmad Fahd Al Sabah told reporters in parliament.
So much for the Chicken Littles on the Left (yes, you, Mr. Krugman) who keep saying that oil production has peaked ...
We have to wait for our March meeting. If necessary and if prices will go back to be determined by supply and demand, we have to do our cut, Sheikh Ahmad said. But if prices continue as they are now ... we will continue to support stable prices for the future, he said.
The oil price is being driven higher by factors other than supply and demand, the Kuwaiti minister said, adding that he believes current prices are reasonable. I think that prices now, with the geopolitical problems and weather, are reasonable because everybody thought that, with these problems, the increase will be more, he said.
Oil prices jumped higher on Monday after fresh unrest in Nigeria slashed output in the country, and as the market kept a close watch on talks in Moscow to resolve a standoff over Irans nuclear programme.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/21/2006
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[16 views]
Top|| File under:
Police have charged 23 people with setting fire to two Christian churches during protests in Sukkur over desecration of the holy Quran.
That's the way Islamists pay honor to God, of course...
About 400 people attacked and damaged the churches, one of them in a convent school, in the city on Sunday. We have arrested 23 people on charges of attacking the churches and have registered cases against them, said local police chief Akbar Arain on Monday. All these people were arrested last night. The situation remained peaceful and under control today.
"We'll let 'em go for lack of evidence in a few days. Nothing to worry about."
A man accused of burning pages from the holy Quran was also in police custody, said Arain.
"He's gonna be there for a really long time. Prob'ly forever."
He said the man, a Muslim who converted from Christianity a few years ago, had burned the pages and tried to blame his father-in-law, a Christian with whom he had a property dispute.
Gosh. That's never happened before, has it?
Meanwhile, officials said that police and paramilitary soldiers were patrolling Sukkur after the riots. Troops are guarding churches and other installations while authorities have increased security in Christian-dominated areas, they added. Traders went on strike in protest at the sacrilege, closing shops, markets and commercial districts, while the government shut all schools for security reasons. Three provincial ministers rushed to Sukkur and met with Muslim and Christian leaders to calm the situation. I am sure that after meeting the leaders of both communities the situation will return to normal, said Sindh government spokesman Salahuddin Haider.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/21/2006
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[14 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Wait, this is odd. "He said the man, a Muslim who converted from Christianity a few years ago, had burned the pages and tried to blame his father-in-law, a Christian with whom he had a property dispute."
Am I understand to this to mean that they accepted the word of an infidel (his father-in-law) over a Muslim? Or do they worry about an inverse of Moriscos?
Posted by: James ||
02/21/2006 14:12
Comments ||
Top||
Austin Bay reports on declassified, captured Al Qaeda documents that shed light on the long war - and on the extent of their planning and strategy. Short excerpt - RTWT:
On page 11 the failure of Muslim organizations to instill genuine hard militancy. This puts the Cartoon Wars in a new light. Al Qaeda has had ten to fifteen years to harden these organizations.
Inability to transform civilian Islamic missionary groups into military organizations capable of resistance and self defense:
This could be the most valuable lesson relating to the Islamic missionary groups in the Arab & Moslem countries. The battle may have erupted unexpectedly; however a large sector of the Moslems (Especially the leaders) knew that it was inevitable, those leaders did not prepare nor plan. Those missionary groups brought their peaceful missionary style and methods to the fight, the sheik failed miserably when he wore the generals hat. It is astonishing to see and hear leaders of Moslem organizations preaching jihad and claiming that dieing for Allah is their ultimate wish, yet they fail for tens of years to instruct religiously and train militarily for that fight, they could not produce documents for emergency (e.g. passports), or save money for tough times. They were unable to mobilize effectively and in a hurry, those organizations were ineffective and eventually collapsed.
But to Al Qaedas strategists, Syria proved to them that some form of Islamist revolution would work...
JALALABAD: Hundreds of Afghans shouted support on Monday for Osama Bin Laden and threatened to join Al Qaeda during a protest against cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad (may his drip clear up peace be upon him), while Pakistani Islamists vowed to broaden their campaign. In an attempt to cool the controversy, Pope Benedict said the world's religions and their symbols had to be respected. The student protest against the cartoons in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad passed peacefully in contrast to a weekend of deadly rioting in several countries, including Nigeria, where 28 people were killed, and Libya, where 11 people died.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/21/2006
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[8 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Well please,by all means,join alqaeda. Save us the trouble of distingushing who you really are.
Posted by: Arthur ||
02/21/2006 8:21
Comments ||
Top||
LUCKNOW: An Islamic court in India has issued a fatwa, or religious decree, condemning to death the 12 artists who drew the controversial caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad (may he always make bail peace be upon him). The decree was issued on behalf of the Idar-e-Sharia Darul Kaza Islamic court in Uttar Pradesh state by its religious head in Lucknow.
Death is the only penalty for the cartoonists who had drawn sacrilegious cartoons of the Prophet (PBUH), Maulana Mufti Abul Irfan, the religious head of the court, said on Monday. The courts ruling is binding on Muslims, but can be challenged under Indian law. Irfan said it was clearly written in the holy Quran, that anyone who insulted the prophet deserved to be punished. He said the fatwa was applicable wherever Muslims live. Jaffaryab Zilany, a member of the authoritative national body of Muslim clerics, the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board, said however that although the fatwa was legitimate under Islamic law, it had no legal binding in India.
I think Mohammad reaching the funny papers has been the tipping point, where Islamism finally thinks it's strong enough to impose itself on the rest of the world. I don't think the Bush administration has realized this, though the Euros occasionally seem to have an actual handle on it. A predatory religion whose first recourse is to pronounce death sentences on anyone in sight is not one that the rest of the world can live with, unless the rest of the world surrenders. Personally, I'm against that.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/21/2006
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[17 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Right on cue the UN, Kofi Annan and the "International Community" go dumb.
Section 115
"abetment of offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life"
Section 108 "abetment in India of offences committed or meant to be committed outside India"
Posted by: john ||
02/21/2006 6:01
Comments ||
Top||
#3
Indian Penal Code
Meaningless, unless the Indian authorities rouse themselves to press charges. Do you think they'll do it, knowing the riots and bombings that will follow?
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
02/21/2006 6:03
Comments ||
Top||
#5
maybe it's time to relook at our job/trades agreements that we have in place with India.
I for one don't want to buy goods or services from a country that has a court that "issued a fatwa, or religious decree, condemning to death the 12 artists who drew the controversial caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad"
We need to put pressure on them via their pocketbook since this seems to be the only thing they listen to.
Posted by: Jan ||
02/21/2006 11:41
Comments ||
Top||
#6
Dang it, just when I was gettin' used to the Indian accent for Customer Service calls, they had to go and do this!
Posted by: BA ||
02/21/2006 11:50
Comments ||
Top||
#7
Indians have been looking a pictures such as that below - the UP state minister who called for the beheading of the cartoonists - with a mixture of shock and horror.
Is this India or is it Pakistan?
How far has talibanisation progressed in UP?
These are the elected leaders of UP - the most populous state in India?
Posted by: john ||
02/21/2006 11:53
Comments ||
Top||
#8
And there will be a backlash to this surge in muslim aggressiveness in UP.
Posted by: john ||
02/21/2006 12:24
Comments ||
Top||
#9
why was you guys attack whole world when a building goes down fools
#10
We're just attacking you personally. It's just your penis envy misplaced god complex take makes you hallucinate that you are the world.
Posted by: ed ||
02/21/2006 15:56
Comments ||
Top||
#11
Unesh Hupoger3245, who you calling fools?!
Posted by: Jan ||
02/21/2006 15:56
Comments ||
Top||
#12
why was you guys attack whole world when a building goes down fools
To make sure it never happens again. Not in our country, not even in yours. That is, unless you hide military personnel or equipment in your tallest skyscrapers. Oh, and by the way, vis "fools", please get stuffed.
N'DJAMENA, Chad -- Two top army generals related to President Idriss Deby have crossed the border into neighboring Sudan, an official said Monday, raising the prospect that dissatisfaction within Chad's military runs deeper than previously suspected. Gen. Sedi Aguid and Gen. Issaka Diar have been in eastern Chad for two months with permission, but they crossed the border into Sudan without authorization to join relatives there, the official said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
Deby left to shop in Paris for a private visit to Paris on Wednesday for an unspecified number of days.
The official declined to say if the generals had joined any of the Chadian rebel groups on the border, formed in part by scores of soldiers who deserted late last year. It is up to Sudan to explain what the officers are doing in their territory, he said, declining to give further information.
"I can say no more!"
Chad hosts about 300,000 refugees who fled the 3-year-old conflict in Sudan's western region of Darfur, and has helped mediate peace negotiations. Last year, scores of defectors from the Chadian army joined a number of Chadian rebel groups based in the area bordering Darfur - indirectly drawing Chad into the Darfur conflict.
Sudan has accused Chad of harboring Darfur rebels, while Chad has said Sudan backs Chadian insurgents. Rights groups have said Chadian and Sudanese militias in Darfur have launched frequent cross-border raids, killing Chadian civilians. Deby seized power in 1990 after launching a rebellion from bases in Darfur, and there is growing concern the Chadian insurgents are attempting to pull off the same feat.
In December, the army repulsed two main rebel groups that tried to take the eastern Chad town of Adre. About 300 rebels were killed, the army said. Tension between Chad and Sudan has since risen, with each accusing the other of backing the rebel groups, and Chad saying it is in a state of war. On Feb. 8, however, both countries' presidents signed an accord on steps to reduce border tensions, including creating a border force. The agreement was signed in the Libyan capital, Tripoli.
That worked well, didn't it?
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/21/2006
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[11 views]
Top|| File under:
A young Jewish man who died after being kidnapped and tortured may have been the victim of an anti-Semitic attack, French officials say. Seven people are under investigation for kidnapping and "murder linked to the victim's religion". Justice Minister Pascal Clement said one of the suspects had made it clear he had attacked Ilan Halimi "because he was Jewish, and Jews are rich". The 23-year-old died on the way to hospital last week. In a case that has shocked France, the phone salesman was discovered naked, bound and gagged, and covered in burns near the Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois train station near Paris.
he had also been sadistically cut many times according to yesterday's account
State prosecutor Jean-Claude Marin had previously ruled out anti-Semitism, saying that the suspects were unemployed and motivated by money.
les miserables, it's not their fault you know ...
Was that Jean Valjean who just made gagging noises?
They've got Inspector Clouseau on the case, they'll have an arrest any moment now ...
On Monday, Prime Minister Dominique de Villepinwho is a man told an annual meeting of Jewish community leaders that the judge handling the case was investigating leads pointing to an anti-Semitic attack. "We will do everything we can to arrest the authors of this barbarous crime and bring them to justice," he added.
We're waiting.
Jewish community leader Roger Cukierman urged the government to "provide the whole truth" about the case.
Halimi went missing on 21 January after a date with an unknown woman, who approached him at his workplace in central Paris. He is thought to have been held on a housing estate in Bagneux, in the Paris suburbs. The young man's kidnappers sent a 400,000 euro (£273,500; $475,000) ransom demand in e-mails and text messages to his family, which they were unable to raise. The sum later dropped to 5,000 euros, after which the gang broke off contact. The same gang is believed to have attempted six other kidnappings since the end of last year. Fifteen people, aged 17 to 32, were arrested last week in connection with Halimi's death, but five have since been released. An arrest warrant has been issued for Yussef Fofana, said to be the gang leader, and two women believed to have acted as bait for kidnap targets.
#1
Actually, according to teevee, the gangleader may have beat it to native Ivory coast.
As for the crime's racist motive itself, the denial was rather difficult to maintain given the proofs, and so the word of "discretion" given by official jewish orgs and Dominique Galouzeau "de villepin" (who's a man, at least that's what I'm told) couldn't be maintained.
Now, msm are busy whitewashing the gang ("troubled kids", "lost boyz without limits", "a bunch of pieds nickelés/lil' rascals",...), the leader himself is supposed to be a "shy, nice kid" who turned bad in prison, you see the type...
There was a march in Ilan's memory, which sparked a few sad outbreaks of stupidity (such as right-wing jews going after north-africans who smirked, after a black, after cars,...), but even if the msm has been either quiet about that demonstration or has insisted on the violence, according to witnesses it was a sad and dignified event.
This is not the first jew senselessly killed by a muslim (at least third, IIRC), but each time it was a crime "by an unbalanced man" (like this DJ savagely slashed by a muslim "friend" who told the victim's mother right after the killing "now I've killed my jew, I'm going to Heaven"...).
There were also lots of less-reported incidents (like a "normal" gangrape in the 'hood turning into a torture session after the girl's David star necklace was spotted by the charming rapists, instead of just ending with the "youths" p*ssing on their victim like it's their - true...- habit).
Note that while this is an another "defining event" in the awakening of frenchs (???), after the march 2005 violent attack on a highschool students demonstration even the über-PC "Le Monde" had to acknowledge was motived by racial hatred, after the failed constitution, after the ramadan riots, after the cartoons jihad,..., you must still undertand there are about 500 "motiveless" violents assaults against french citizens each and every day (and 9 weapons-based assaults against teachers).
This time it's a jew, but the vast majority of victims of crimes, assaults, racial attacks,... are non-jews, and have not the "luxury" of antisemitism to help them get vindication.
By the way, Ilan was saving money to emigrate to Israel, because of France's new climate of racial tension. Sad.
#2
Which reminds me : a website had (this was removed from the archive, probably due to possible liabilities) a legal proposition for readers to manifest their indignation about this sad case; they actually, in all legality, found the adress of the gangleader's family, simply by using public databases, and proposed that whoever is willing to do so send a respectful and courteous (no death threats, insults and the like) letter to the nice people who raised "the brain of the barbarians", as he calls himself, in such a spirit of tolerance and well-meaning.
Adress is
Fofana Fatouma 13 allee Prunier Hardy 92220 BAGNEUX France
To the mods : feel free to edit if you think this might cause you any kind of problem.
#3
sparked a few sad outbreaks of stupidity (such as right-wing jews going after north-africans who smirked, after a black, after cars,...)
They've seen what works.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
02/21/2006 7:35
Comments ||
Top||
#4
For thoses pesky french-speakers (who speak french, nowadays, except a few africans and middle-eastern despots?), vid of the silent march for Ilan, with a testimony by the mother and uncle of a young jew whose throat was slashed by a muslim friend in 2003 (the DJ evoked in the precedent comment).
#5
Maybe the poor Jewish folks can flee to Israel for protection. What are the remainder of you French going to do once they have departed ? The next outrages will be perpetrated on you. I am very much ashamed of you gutless wonders and hate to admit my heritage from the Alsace. Why do you permit these outrages ? Bring back the guillotine !
#7
Btw, Sarko sez that the gang had links with the CBSP (Comité de Bienfaisance et de Secours aux Palestiniens), an UOIF (french muslim brotherhood, main player of the "french islam") affiliated islamic charity which funds paleo terror, and that an abundant salafist literature was found at the home of several suspects.
That's why the "crapulous" motive couldn't be maintained anymore, that and the racial slurs, the koran-reciting,...
#8
The name (and the fact he is from Ivory Coast) points that the bastard is Black. Like Dieudonné he is an Uncle Tom who cares about Palestinians instead of Blacks.
#9
That's why the "crapulous" motive couldn't be maintained anymore, that and the racial slurs, the koran-reciting,...
"Crapuleux" from "crapule": low life is French police slang for a murder perpetrated for monetary motive on a person unknown to the attacker like when a person is killed in the street in order to steal his wallet.
Murders about a heirloom, passional crimes and pollitically motivated crimes aren't called crapuleux.
#11
"Crapulous" could be a slang back formation from the slang term crap, meaning fecal matter or shit, which was itself a back formation from Crapper, named for the inventer of the toilet, or so I understand. Given some of the sites a5089 hangs around, he may have picked it up from some bright young people, of the sort who feel clever when they use couth to describe those who are not uncouth (how very clever I thought myself when I was young!)
This headline could only be written by the Seattle PI.
The 43-year-old Hamas activist tapped by the Islamic militant group to form a new Palestinian government has a reputation as a pragmatist who prefers compromise to conflict with Palestinian rivals. Ismail Haniyeh, a former university administrator and student organizer for Hamas, was presented as the group's choice for prime minister in a meeting Monday with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who was expected to hand him a written request to form a government in a second round of talks on Tuesday.
Haniyeh, who unfortunately escaped an Israeli assassination attempt in June 2003, rose to prominence after Israel killed Hamas founder Sheik Ahmed Yassin and his successor as Hamas leader, Abdel Aziz Rantisi, a year later. He is married with 11 children and lives on a narrow street overflowing with sewage in the same beachfront refugee camp on the edge of Gaza City where he was born in January 1963.
Haniyeh's parents fled the village of Jourra in what is now southern Israel during the 1948 war that accompanied the founding of the Jewish state.
And naturally Ismail thinks he deserves to get it back.
He studied in U.N. refugee schools in the coastal strip and graduated from the Islamic University there in 1987, with a degree in Arabic language.
Which is like getting a degree in English Lit from Enormous State University here at home.
He was active in student politics, became a close associate of Yassin and was expelled by Israel to south Lebanon in 1992 along with more than 400 other Hamas activists. He returned to Gaza a year later, becoming dean of the Islamic University, and in 1998, he took charge of Yassin's office.
A tall man with an imposing presence, Haniyeh is known as an able terrorist negotiator. He served as a liaison between Hamas and Palestinian Authority, established in 1994 and dominated by Abbas' Fatah movement until its electoral defeat last month. He is said to enjoy good relations with Abbas.
Hamas has killed hundreds of Israelis in suicide bombings and remains committed to Israel's destruction, but Palestinian political analyst Talal Okal says Haniyeh believes that political goals can also be achieved by nonviolent means. "He is not a believer in violence all the way," Okal told The Associated Press. "He understands that there are other means of struggle that can be followed."
He just wants all the Joooos killed, that's all.
Hamas has observed a yearlong truce with Israel and says it would consider a long-term armistice if Israel follows last year's Gaza pullout with a withdrawal from the West Bank.
Nevertheless, after the party won 74 of 132 seats in the parliament - the Palestinian Legislative Council - Haniyeh dismissed Western calls for Hamas to disarm and renounce violence. "The Europeans and Americans want to tell Hamas that you can keep one of two: weapons or the legislative council," he said. "We say weapons and the legislative council, and there is no contradiction."
Somewhere, up in the sky, a drone is watching, watching ...
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.
Jordan's King Abdullah II appealed Tuesday for cooperation between the Muslim world and the international community to promote the true image of Islam as a religion which rejects extremism and terrorism. "True Islam is a religion of moderation and forgiveness," the king told visiting British Home Secretary Charles Clarke, Jordan's state-run Petra news agency reported.
At least seven more people have been killed on the fourth day of the heaviest fighting seen in the Somali capital for several years. Supporters of some of Mogadishu's militia leaders have clashed with an armed Islamist group which says it is trying to establish law and order. Their opponents say the Islamic courts are terrorising local people. More than 22 people have died since fighting began on Saturday - many of them civilians hit by stray bullets. 
The American ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, criticized Secretary-General Annan yesterday for employing double standards over sending U.N. troops to the war-torn Sudanese region of Darfur.
A Shining Path guerrilla commander believed responsible for an ambush that killed eight policemen in December has died in a shootout with authorities in Peru's jungle, police said Monday. 
AUSTRALIA would send about 200 extra troops to Afghanistan to help reconstruction efforts, Prime Minister John Howard said today.
Twenty-three Iraqis were killed and scores more wounded in a slew of attacks across the country on Monday, including a suicide bombing claimed the lives of a dozen people on a Baghdad mini-bus.
Unidentified men blew up another gas pipeline (well number 19) in Pirkoh on Monday. No casualty was reported and the local administration closed the gas well. Also, suspected tribal militants fired rockets at security forces in Kohlu and Dera Bugti. Reportedly, three rockets were fired at the Gori Nala checkpoint and at security forces in Moodah and Treman. No casualties were reported. Security personnel arrested Lal Din, Minham and Lakkan from the Pirkoh and Loti gas fields. The men are allegedly involved in terrorism cases.
JAMMU - Kashmirs main separatist alliance on Monday rejected an invitation by Indian Prime Minister 
Accusations of spying and tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats might seem the stuff of historic ideological battles between Washington and Moscow. But such cold war antics look set to take centre-stage in the saga of deteriorating ties between the US and Venezuela, home to the largest energy reserves in the Americas.
PARIS - France on Monday rejected a Syrian accusation that it was working with anti-Syrian political forces in Lebanon in a bid to oust the countrys embattled head of state. France does not interfere in Lebanons internal affairs, a foreign ministry spokesman said in response to the charge, which was made by an unnamed official in the office of President Emile Lahoud.
CARACAS: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez launched a new verbal attack on Sunday against US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, bluntly warning her "don't mess with me, girl".
Federal agents padlocked a Toledo-based Muslim charity and froze its assets yesterday, citing a government investigation into possible links with Hamas terrorists. KindHearts, a $5 million-a-year charity with headquarters in West Toledo will not be able to access any of its funds or property while the investigation is under way.
LAHORE: The government has ended the house arrest of 
Denmark and Norway on Monday condemned as incitement to murder a Pakistani clerics offer of a reward for anyone who kills any of the 12 Danish cartoonists who lampooned the Prophet Mohammad. 
GUJRANWALA: More than 200 people were food poisoned after having dinner at WAPDA Town Marriage Hall on Sunday night. The people had come from Qila Didar Singh and were served with lunch boxes in the marriage hall. On their return to Qila Didar Singh, they started showing signs of food poisoning. Ten people fainted, while 20 people were taken to Javed Hospital Qila Didar Singh, 24 to Zahid Asghar Minhas Hospital, 24 to Latif Hospital while others were taken to different clinics of Qila Didar Singh.
Minorities in Lahore are worried by the recent incident in which prominent Christian singer A Nayyar was robbed and forced to recite Kalima. 
Roman Catholics in New Zealand have been urged to boycott a television network for its plan to show an episode of South Park that features a bleeding statue of the Virgin Mary. The episode, titled Bloody Mary, is due to be screened on May 10 by TV Works - a subsidiary of Canadian-owned Canwest International - on its C4 free-to-air network. The episode shows a statue of Mary bleeding, taken to be a miracle until Pope Benedict 16th suggests it is simply menstruation. 
KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) - Sudan's vice president told a visiting U.S. delegation that the country opposed a proposal to deploy international peacekeepers to Darfur, but was committed to negotiations to end tensions in the region, state media reported Monday.
Three paramilitary soldiers were kidnapped in 
KANO: Ten people died on Monday and more than 40 injured in the northern Nigerian city of Bauchi following clashes between Muslims and Christians over the supposed desecration of the Koran, a Red Cross official said. The official however pointed out that the violence was not linked to Saturdays riots in northern Nigeria over the publication of cartoons of Prophet Mohammed by a Danish newspaper which claimed at least 24 lives. 
NEW DELHI: The Indian opposition, ruling alliance partners and Left parties asked the government on Monday to show the door to United States Ambassador 
The 
KUWAIT CITY - A cut in oil production may be necessary at OPECs meeting next month as over-supply may reach two million barrels per day (bpd) in the second quarter, the Kuwaiti energy minister said on Monday. We believe the market is well-supplied and we believe the second quarter will be over-supplied ... with between 1-2 million bpd, Sheikh Ahmad Fahd Al Sabah told reporters in parliament.
Police have charged 23 people with setting fire to two Christian churches during protests in Sukkur over desecration of the holy Quran. 
JALALABAD: Hundreds of Afghans shouted support on Monday for Osama Bin Laden and threatened to join Al Qaeda during a protest against cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad (
LUCKNOW: An Islamic court in India has issued a fatwa, or religious decree, condemning to death the 12 artists who drew the controversial caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad (
A young Jewish man who died after being kidnapped and tortured may have been the victim of an anti-Semitic attack, French officials say. Seven people are under investigation for kidnapping and "murder linked to the victim's religion". Justice Minister Pascal Clement said one of the suspects had made it clear he had attacked Ilan Halimi "because he was Jewish, and Jews are rich". The 23-year-old died on the way to hospital last week. In a case that has shocked France, the phone salesman was discovered naked, bound and gagged, and covered in burns near the Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois train station near Paris. 
On Monday, Prime Minister 
