Most knew what the night held; bankruptcy has been a long time coming. Stockton has been in negotiations with its creditors since late March under AB 506, a new California law requiring mediation before a municipality can file for reorganization of debt. It was the first use of the law, and policy analysts who watched its torturous and tedious progress have titled their report on it "Death by a Thousand Meetings." Mediations ended Monday at midnight. AB 506, designed by the Dems to protect their Union buddies. How Stockton found itself so mired in debt can be seen everywhere in the city's core. There is a sparkling marina, high-rise hotel and promenade financed by credit in the mid-2000s, mere blocks from where mothers won't let their children play in the yard because of violence.
During the economic boom, this working-class city with pockets of entrenched poverty tried to reinvent itself as a draw to Bay Area refugees and a popular site for conventions. It offered generous city employee pension plans and benefits.
Vast housing tracts of two-story homes were built at the city's edges. Private citizens, like the city, bought on credit. Those neighborhoods would soon have among the highest rates of foreclosures in the nation. The crime rate was out of control long before the housing crash. It helped make the crash worse when it finally took place.
Indeed, when the bust came, few places fell as hard as Stockton. The city has the second-highest rate of foreclosures in the country and the second-highest rate of violent crime in the state. Awh, the beauty of Multiculturalism!
Authorities stormed an arriving cargo ship believed to have Pakistani stowaways on board - some of which are reportedly dead. It's a long trip, y'see, and Mahmoud suspected his Mom of having illicit relations with somebody who wasn't a close relative so he killed her. That was two days out from Karachi.
But then her cousin Chaudry had to take Dire Revenge™ for the murder of his kinswoman so he killed Mahmoud and Mahmoud's little brother Dildar.
Mahmoud's and Dildar's second cousin Ali, whom everybody in the shipping container suspected of being a Shiite because of his name, was just going for Chaudry with a box cutter when they called a jirga. That was on day four, so the stench was already pretty ripe.
Whilst the ship was being boarded by pirates in the Gulf of Aden the shipping container elders argued the merits of the case based on Islamic law. They finally decided to give Mahmoud's 4-year-old daughter, Fatima Bibi, to Ali in marriage, citing the appropriate passage from the Sura of the Cow, and everybody was if not friends then at least cohabitants of the shipping container. Everybody actually felt pretty good when the Danish navy showed up and arrested the pirates.
After that the voyage to Noo Joisey was actually uneventful except for a few acid splatters here and there and Ali grunting like a boar hog every time he mounted Fatima Bibi, which was three or four times a day.
The ship came in to New Jersey's Port Newark this morning to waiting Port Authority police, Customs Enforcement, Border Patrol and Coast Guard officials. "Ready men?"
"Ready chief!"
"Cheeze! What is that smell?"
"What's that grunting sound?"
"Is that the shipping container? The green one that looks like it has the corner rotted out by acid?"
Coast Guard spokesman Charles Rowe told NBC New York that crew members on the Ville D'Aquarius heard what sounds like people in a shipping container on the ship. "Narcisso, what is that sound?"
"Which sound, Ramon?"
"There. That one!"
"You mean 'grunt-grunt' and then 'Oh, cousin-uncle!'"
"Yeah. That's the one."
"Dunno. I been hearing it since a few days after we left Karachi."
"Maybe we should call the Coast Guard!"
"Good idea. It may be ghosts."
"Or Paks!"
"Bite your tongue!"
The ship's manifest said the container in question was carrying machine parts to be unloaded in Norfolk, Virginia. "By Allen's Hennaed Beard! That Ali is like a machine!"
"He's gonna kill that girl like that."
"Eh. It's only a girl."
Rowe said the boarding party didn't open the container at sea in an effort to control the situation, following protocol. "What's protocol call for in this kinda situation, Ramon?"
"I dunno. We can't very well knock and holler 'open up in there!'"
"Why not?"
"It's locked from the outside."
"Oh. How about if we just bang on the wall and holler 'keep it down in there fergawdsake!"
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
11:12 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[23 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Rowe said the boarding party didn't open the container at sea in an effort to control the situation, following protocol.
Posted by: Water Modem ||
06/27/2012
11:12 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[12 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
These people should be mocked for the rest of their lives. You should not be able to say the names "Hillary Clinton" or "Barack Obama" without someone responding "smart diplomacy!" to raucous laughter.
Posted by: Andy Claique6507 ||
06/27/2012 15:15
Comments ||
Top||
#2
Putin is the new leader of Russia. People will have to deal with that. This writer wrings his hands in defeat. Putin seams to be a strong leader and will simply do what leaders do to benefit his home country and surrounding areas. My belief is the Russian people don't want war period. Putin must deliver a strong economy. Should he fail he will face country wide anarchy. He respects strong leadership in my opinion. I am hoping Romney will deliver that leadership and reestablish a working relationship. Our media prays upon fear much too often.
How can this be a 'winning' tactic? Is it even happening or is it just politicians trying to make points out of girls being hysterical?
The recent mass poisonings of Afghan students were plotted in Miranshah, North Waziristan, Pakistan, which is considered by some to be militant headquarters, the Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS) said June 25.
The Haqqani Network and Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) were involved in some, if not all, of the school poisonings, NDS officials contend.
Not long after the NDS made that observation, another attack occurred June 25, when as many as 100 girls were poisoned at the Rahmat Abad high school in Sar-e-Pul Province.
Tolo News said the victims, between the ages of 7 and 18, were taken to a hospital for treatment.
That was the third poisoning in three days in Sar-e-Pul, and a total of about 300 girls have been affected.
Earlier, on June 19, someone poisoned 116 students in the Karta-e-Solh School in Bamiyan Province.
As soon I left the classroom, I smelled an odor, said Nahid, one of the students who suffered a headache and stomach pains during the incident.
All of the students have similar symptoms which include headache, stomachache, and shivering proving that they all have been poisoned, said Baber, a doctor at the Bamiyan provincial hospital.
Another poisoning occurred in Bamiyan Province about a month earlier. Nobody has been arrested in either of those cases, but arrests have been made in other poisoning cases.
Hundreds of students, mostly schoolgirls, have also been poisoned in incidents in Takhar, Balkh, Nangarhar and Khost provinces during the past few months.
Arrests made
The culprits have used two approaches a liquid and a powder in the attacks, the NDS said. The militants have sprayed liquid poisons in school yards and mixed the powder with drinking water, the NDS said in a statement June 6. Wouldn't it be easier to mix a liquid in drinking water and sprinkle powder on the ground? And just what poisons are being used? Poisons that seem to sicken without killing while being administered in wildly varying dosages?
Further investigation showed the suspects received the poison and orders to attack from militants in Miranshah, the NDS said.
On June 5, after terrorists poisoned a girls high school in Khajeh Ghar District, Takhar Province, Afghan security forces caught two suspects in possession of large amounts of toxins.
Authorities later nabbed 13 other suspects in connection with one of the Takhar cases. Qari Khalil (a member of the IMU and the Taliban shadow deputy governor of Takhar) and Mullah Yaqub, a Taliban commander, were among those arrested.
Afghans say militants take advantage of poverty in pockets of the country, paying desperate Afghans to commit crimes against their countrymen, and some of the arrests in Takhar support this assessment.
Four of the suspects include schoolteacher Maulvi Najibullah and his wife, Bibi Aisha (Yaqubs cousin), as well as Shukria and Sima Gul (ninth- and eleventh-grade students, respectively). And authorities say the students received 50,000 AFN ($1,000) in exchange for poisoning the Bibi Hajareh School.
Other than her conservatism, there is little about Mia Love that doesn't stand out in Utah. She is a black Republican, a 36-year-old mother of three, a fitness instructor and mayor of a growing town.
Now, her congressional race against a popular incumbent whom Republicans have struggled to defeat has made Love a minor celebrity among GOP stalwarts. She may be the reason Rep. Matheson has decided to vote AG Holder in contempt
She recently introduced herself to a group of teachers, standing in the gilded state Capitol, which historically has been the domain of white men, by describing her Haitian American father.
"He said: 'Mia, your mother and I never took a handout. You will not be a burden to society,' " she said with a stern smile. " 'You will give back.' "
Most of the teachers already knew of Love, whose race against six-term Rep. Jim Matheson (D) has become one of the country's most closely watched congressional contests.
If she wins, not only would she help Republicans keep control of the House, but she would become the first black Republican woman to serve in Congress. Love, who is Mormon, also could go a long way toward helping presidential candidate Mitt Romney, putting a fresh face on his church and his party as both try to appeal to an increasingly diverse nation.
As a result, independent groups and both political parties are expected to pour millions of dollars into the contest. The race, in a district where Republicans have dominated, is rated a toss-up by the Cook Political Report.
Republicans are effusive about their candidate.
"Mia has a great opportunity to extend the message of liberty and economic freedom in ways that a lot of us can't, and we're excited about that," said House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (Wis.) after hosting a fundraiser for her in Park City on Friday night.
It was only two months ago that Love caught statewide attention at Utah's Republican convention, where she blew her opponents out of the race by winning support from 70 percent of the delegates. Under the state's primary rules, candidates with at least 60 percent go into the primary election unopposed.
Without an opponent in the primary Tuesday, Love has been able to spend her time raising money, preparing for the match-up against Matheson and raising her profile. She has not shied away from the provocative, saying that "government is not your salvation" and pledging to join the Congressional Black Caucus to take it apart "from the inside out."
"Mia Love is the type of candidate that Republicans have been trying to recruit," said Jessica Taylor, a senior analyst at the Rothenberg Political Report. "On paper, this is a district that they should have won awhile ago."
Love is running in a congressional district created in 2010 amid negotiations to give Washington, D.C., a vote in the House. Utah's new congressional map carved up Matheson's old district, tossing in even more Republicans. So he hopped to the newly drawn 4th district, which contains about a third of his old territory. If you care to donate
#2
By allowing guns to infiltrate Mexico's drug cartel, we thought we could trace them up the ladder to the leaders. Take off the head and the body dies.
Working blooding phueching well in Afghanistan isn't it? Interesting use of the personal pronoun "we".
#3
...not everything is our business. And in the political arena, there are things that should be and need to be kept quiet.
So much for the most transparent administration in the history of the universe. That's the problem; the MSM (such as CNN) has been running interference, carrying water for Obama, and abetting criminality by a bunch of thug dipwads who try to find ways to skirt and get around the law and the Constitution. What's going on must be what Reverend Wright meant by the chickens coming home to roost. Karma is indeed a b!tch.
#5
He draws an analogy between F&F and the Osama mission. Which is kind of odd, because we actually know more about the Osama mission than we do about F&F.
Posted by: Matt ||
06/27/2012 12:22
Comments ||
Top||
#6
By allowing guns nuclear weapons to infiltrate Mexico's drug cartel Al Qaeda, we thought we could trace them up the ladder to the leaders. Take off the head and the body dies.
The Obama Administration is proof brainless bodies CAN live.
An assistant village leader was gunned down in an ambush in Yala province late Tuesday morning.
Adong Maseng-bangee was heading back home on his motorcycle from his rubber plantation on a local road when gunmen hiding in the roadside trees fired on him with shotguns. He fell from his motorcycle and tried to escape, but the gunmen followed, shot him again at close range and then fled.
The Appeals Court on Wednesday sentenced a member of the Pattani United Liberation Organisation (PULO), a separatist movement, to life in prison, reversing the Criminal Court's decision to drop all charges against him.
Prosecutors indicted Koseng, or Useng, Cheloh, a PULO member, on charges of rebellion and illegal assembly of weapons and men to conduct terrorist activities.
The court was told that between 1968 and Feb 10, 1998 Koseng and other PULO members had recruited Muslims into the separatist movement, extorted protection money from businessmen in the five southern border provinces and used the money to set up armed units to conduct terrorist activities, including attacks on government installations, destroying rail tracks with bombs and burning down bridges and schools, causing extensive damage and a large number of casualties.
The Criminal Court on Dec 1, 2008 dismissed the case against Koseng on the grounds that evidence against him was doubtful. The state appealed. The Appeals Court today reversed the Criminal Court's decision and sentenced Koseng to death.
The death sentence was commuted to life on the grounds that his testimony was useful.
#2
I think the cops are confused too. They probably would have done something if the freagin higher-ups let them.
Posted by: Charles ||
06/27/2012 12:40
Comments ||
Top||
#3
Take note of how Obama in the beginning of the video emphasized the "Hussein" part of his full name. He IS emphasizing his Muslim religion, especially when he tells of how hard it is supposed to be elected with the namen "Hussein" in the United States of America, supposed a Christian nation.
#5
IIRC the Saudis were in the lead to "buy" Detroit + other bankrupt Michigan locales for FTZS/EEZ purposes, whilst China wanted to purchase or acquire Michigan as compensation for the US failure to pay its massive public debt to them.
D *** MG IT. ARE THE CANADIANS = MACKENZIE BROS. GOING TO INVADE AS REVENGE PAST US INVASIONS AGZ THEM???
Thursday will be a big day, in the American Republic, if the Supreme Court indeed pronounces upon ObamaCare. Its decision is likely to include surprises, pleasant and unpleasant to all parties, and the arguments will themselves be unexpected to many. This is because the court currently has, among its nine members, perhaps six who are genuinely learned in the law, and therefore capable of thinking outside received media and academic categories.
It makes more sense to comment before the decision, than immediately afterwards, when pundits will fixate upon the immediate political implications. This is understandable in a presidential election year, when the fallout from the ruling will be substantial. The election result could depend on how the respective parties spin it -- so that, for instance, apparent defeat in court could be turned into victory in November, or a close finish turned into a rout.
But to my mind, the benchmark the justices will inscribe may have a larger consequence, as precedent, farther down the road. For the question about the "individual mandate" -- whether the U.S. federal government has the power, under the "commerce clause," to compel the citizen to purchase something he does not want, and may consider to be morally abhorrent -- goes to the heart of Roosevelt's New Deal, and the American Nanny State that was erected upon it.
#2
...the court currently has, among its nine members, perhaps six who are genuinely learned in the law, and therefore capable of thinking outside received media and academic categories.
I wonder who these members are in the author's mind? Most likely Kagan and Sotomayor. Who's the third?
#3
Kagan's a lefty shill. I heard some excerpts from her irt the on going Obamacare debate - I can't believe she has a law degree and is on SCOTUS. She clearly does not understand the Constitution or that you cannot simply make it say what you want it to in order to meet current political or economic exigencies.
#4
I'm not sure who the third one would be either. Hm!
I don't think Kagan is a lefty shill. She's more of a useful idiot than a hardcore ideologue, and she's way too intimidated by the power of her position to do anything crazy with it. She sounds dumb about the Constitution because she's used to be a litigator, whose job is not to be *know* but to *argue.* To take every position, however asinine, futile, or contradictory, leaving it to the wisdom of the impartial judge to decide who's slightly less whacked in the head. She's used to being "down here," not "up there."
Iran is pulling out all the stops in backing their man in Syria. Word is that the Hezzies have deployed from Lebanon.
Heavily armed Hezbollah convoys and buses have been spotted in Syria according to reports from the Free Syrian Army, so salt to taste
According to Riad al-Asaad, the commander of the rebel Free Syrian Army, providing a buffer zone for refugees along one of the international borders of Syria is no longer an option. Morale among Syrian units is said to be in collapse and the FSA is requesting assistance in the form of arms and communications equipment. The Syrian 4th Division is said to be short on equipment and in complete collapse. they are trapped!
#1
4th division has heavy armor (its usually called the 4th armored division) and has the best trained and best paid troops
Hezbollah forces might have some value to the 4th division but they can't just 'take over' so the Hezbollah forces would more likely be used for just plain civilian butchering or for shooting would be defectors/deserters.
Posted by: lord garth ||
06/27/2012 7:36
Comments ||
Top||
#2
How many times did it get reported that Mubarak was fleeing Egypt back in the day, and it never happened?
#3
this could be a good thing. FSA could actually hurt Hezbollah a lttle bit and kinda show them they aren't the badasses they claim too be. Any way this goes I don't see any problems with it since they willl be killing each other.
Posted by: chris ||
06/27/2012 12:34
Comments ||
Top||
Understated, but accurate. And Islamic version of the Spanish civil war mayhaps.
The FSA and Hesb'allah probably have about the same experience levels. A few with military background, some that have seen fighting as jihadis, and some more with minimum training. There's likely a significant leavening of Iranian 'volunteers' among the Hezzies.
Might also prove interesting for Leb if Hesb'allah gains significant combat experience out of this.
#7
Iff this situation continues, it will be all that Israel + IDF need to validate war on Iran - whatever fears Tel Aviv has as per any Hezzie Hizzie Huzzie Hussie ... takeover of Lebanon goes double for SYRIA + ITS HUGE WEAPS ARSENALS.
Israel = Syria-Lebabon.
USA = MilTerr takeover of Nuke-armed Pakistan.
#9
Pappy, considering who they are fighting, I question the value of that "combat experience"
Think 'combined arms'; a capability Syria still possesses. Hesb'allah senior leadership may have gotten training from the Iranians (and perhaps the North Koreans), but field experience is more valuable.
And I was thinking more along the lines of them taking over Lebanon.
[Dawn] A barrage of cross-border artillery and rocket attacks from Pakistain have forced thousands of Afghan villagers to flee their homes, witnesses and officials in Afghanistan said on Tuesday.
The shelling was reported in eastern Kunar province ... which is right down the road from Chitral. Kunar is Haqqani country..... after Pakistain accused Afghanistan of giving safe haven to snuffies who infiltrated the border to kill 13 Pak soldiers.
Afghanistan and Pakistain typically blame each other for Taliban violence plaguing both sides of their mostly non-existent border.
"More than 500 families have been displaced in two districts of Dangam and Nari due to continued Pak rocket shelling in the past two weeks," said Wasefullah Wasef, a front man for the provincial government in Kunar.
Afghan families are large and typically number seven to 10 people.
"The shelling has intensified after the recent incident in which some Pak soldiers were killed by Talibs," Wasef told AFP.
Wasef said officials "believe" the rockets were fired by Pak troops, who are operating along the border against homegrown myrmidons.
The Pak military was not immediately reachable for comment.
Mohammad Fazel Naseh, provincial head for refugees, told AFP: "So far 343 displaced families from Dangam district, and more than 270 families from Nari and Marawara districts have been registered." Mohammad Yusuf, police chief of Nari also accused Pakistain's military over the shelling.
"We have intelligence that the rockets are fired from Mighty Pak Army posts situated directly on the other side of the border," he told AFP.
Locals in Dangam district told AFP that three residents, including a woman, were maimed on Tuesday after rockets fired from Pakistain slammed into a home.
"Many people have already left their homes in the past two weeks. We have stayed, but we can not venture out of our hiding places because of the continued shelling," a local resident said.
"We are poor people, we demand the government take action to protect us," added another resident, Abdul Qader.
Pakistain said 13 soldiers were killed after snuffies crossed from Afghanistan into the northwestern district of Upper Dir, a key transit route that neighbours the Swat ...a valley and an administrative district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistain, located 99 mi from Islamabad. It is inhabited mostly by Pashto speakers. The place has gone steadily downhill since the days when Babe Ruth was the Sultan of Swat... valley where Pakistain defeated a Taliban insurgency in 2009.
Six were killed in gunbattles on Sunday and another seven had their heads chopped off after going missing, the military said.
The Pak Taliban grabbed credit for the attack.
On Monday, Pakistain summoned the deputy Afghan ambassador in protest and to demand that Kabul "take appropriate measures" to stop incidents in the future.
Pakistain says rebels have regrouped in eastern Afghanistan.
Its troops have been fighting local Taliban for years but US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta ...current SecDef, previously Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Panetta served as President Bill Clinton's White House Chief of Staff from 1994 to 1997 and was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1993.... has warned that Washington is running out of patience over Pak havens for snuffies who attack Americans in Afghanistan.
Islamabad imposed a blockade, now in its seventh month, on overland NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A cautionary tale of cost-benefit analysis.... supplies into Afghanistan after US air strikes killed 24 Pak soldiers along the Afghan border on November 26.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[9 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
#1
The reporter isn't doing his job. There aren't any quotes from Karzai about civilian casualties.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[8 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Happy Birthday/Daily Gam Shot
Magali Noël [Turkey/France] aka Fanny in "La Dolce Vita (The Joy of Life)(1960) " aka Gradisca, The hairdresser in "Amarcord (1973)" aka Fortunata in "Fellini Satyricon (1969) " aka The Princess in "Tropique du Cancer (Tropic of Cancer)(1970)" aka Claudia in "Le mois le plus beau (The Most Beautiful Month)(1968) " aka Mrs. Franchetti in "The Man Who Had Power Over Women (1970)" aka Prudenzia in "Racconti proibiti... di niente vestiti (Tales prohibited ... of no clothes)(1972)" aka Signora cacchiò in "Paolo Barca, maestro elementare, praticamente nudista (Paul's Boat, a primary school teacher, almost nude)(1975)" aka Maria in "Le chemin perdu (The Lost Way)(1980)" (age 80)
[Dawn] An alleged key plotter in the 2008 Mumbai attacks now in Indian police custody had been living in Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in their national face... for two years and was "talent-spotting" for another "massive attack", an Indian police official said on Tuesday.
Sayeed Zabiuddin Ansari, also known as Abu Hamza and Abu Jindal, was cooled for a few years Please don't kill me! at Delhi airport on June 21 on his arrival from Saudi Arabia. Police revealed his arrest only on Monday, after interrogating him for five days about the three-day rampage in the financial hub of Mumbai that killed 166 people.
Until his arrest, Ansari had been living in Saudi Arabia on a Pak passport, an official at New Delhi's anti-terrorist police unit told Rooters on condition of anonymity.
During his stay in the desert kingdom, Ansari sought to recruit volunteers for another Mumbai-style attack, the official said. He would not say where the planned attack was to have taken place or even whether India was the target.
Asked how India had learned of Ansari's whereabouts, the official said: "We had inputs and we acted on them." He would not elaborate, but some Indian media, quoting sources, said the United States, which has sought to deepen its counter-terrorism relationship with India, had provided the information.
The Hindu newspaper, quoting government sources, said the arrest came after months of painstaking diplomatic talks between Riyadh, Washington and New Delhi. Indian officials had travelled to Saudi Arabia to lobby for him to be handed over, it said.
It was not clear whether Ansari was in Saudi custody before his deportation from the kingdom or even how he had travelled to Delhi. One newspaper said the Saudis had asked India to send a plane to take him home.
The Saudi embassy in Delhi could not be reached for comment.
Indian media, quoting intelligence and police sources, said Ansari had admitted during interrogation to training the attackers, teaching them Hindi and speaking to them by telephone during the attack. He said Hafiz Muhammad Saeed ...who would be wearing a canvas jacket with very long sleeves anyplace but Pakistain... , the suspected criminal mastermind of the attack and founder of the LeT, was present in the Bloody Karachi "control room", media quoted the sources as saying.
Washington has offered a $10 million reward for information leading to Saeed's arrest.
Ansari's arrest casts a fresh spotlight on Pakistain's history of backing thug groups as a tool of foreign policy.
They say sunshine is the best disinfectant...
Pakistain's ISI military intelligence agency nurtured the emergence of the LeT in the early 1990s to serve as a proxy to fight Indian forces in Kashmire.
Pakistain denies backing thug groups, but experts believe the security establishment maintains a relationship with LeT.
Pakistain's government has not commented on Ansari's arrest.
A Gulf-based source familiar with the Ansari case said Pakistain had exerted pressure on Saudi Arabia not to release him into Indian custody. "The ISI wanted Abu Hamza to be handed over to Pakistain rather than anywhere else," he said.
An Arab diplomat in Islamabad expressed surprise that Saudi Arabia had handed over Ansari to India.
"This makes no sense that the Saudis would help India and anger the Paks. The Saudis see Pakistain as their nuclear guarantee against Iran and they would never go against the ISI," he said.
And yet they did. Perhaps the Saudis are annoyed at the new friendship growing between Pakistan and Iran, with that oil pipeline planned to run between the two.
India's Foreign Ministry and analysts played down any suggestions that Ansari's arrest could damage diplomatic talks with arch-rival Pakistain on a host of disputed issues.
"This arrest is unlikely to have a negative impact on talks between India and Pakistain unless further investigations reveal that the cooled for a few years Please don't kill me! person was used by Pakistain to plot another terror attack on India," said B. Raman, a former top Indian intelligence official and now security analyst.
There is that little stumbling block, neatly laid by Pakistan in its own path.
The Mumbai attacks heightened tensions between nuclear-armed India and Pakistain, which have fought three wars since 1947, and have continued to cast a pall over fragile relations ever since.
Ten hard boyz arrived on the Mumbai shoreline in a dinghy on Nov. 26, 2008, before splitting into four groups and embarking on a killing spree. They held off elite commandos for up to 60 hours in two luxury hotels and a Jewish centre in the city. The only attacker to survive was sentenced to death in 2010.
A voice believed to belong to Ansari was recorded talking to the gunnies attacking the Jewish centre. He is reported to have told the attackers to convey to the media that the "attack was a trailer and the entire movie was yet to come."
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[18 views]
Top|| File under: Lashkar e-Taiba
#1
So-o-o-o after Penn State, those FBI Boyz searching for Islamic extremists in the US Army will be off to Saudi Arabia next.
Where, as per the Secret Service, they may get in trouble wid the local Hooker Babes???
#2
NEW KERALA > PAKISTAN SUPPORT FOR 26/11 [Mumbai attack] CONFIRMED: CHIDAMBARAM, following arrest in India of Abu Hamza aka ABu Jindal.
* DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > ATTEMPT TO INCREASE PRESSURE ON [post-Salala] PAKISTAN WID ARREST OF ANOTHER [Mumbai = 26/11] MASTERMIND |INDIA ARREST OF MUMBAI ATTACK PLANNER SHEDS LIGHT ON PAKISTANI ROLE.
* SAME > [Abu Hamza/Jindal arrest] MARATHWADA BECOMING "NEW PAKISTAN, SAYS BAL THACKERAY [Shiva Sena Chief], hence also poses a national security threat to India.
"Land of Saints" Marathwada devol into "Land of
Evil/Terrorism" = a major or strategic battlefield for Hindu-vs-Muslim Extremists.
* SAME > US PAYS HIGH PRICE FOR PAKISTAN ROUTES CUTOFF: ADMIRAL. USN VADM. Mark Harnitchek.
PAK-centered SDN only costs the US 1/3 of the average US$20,000 cost to ship a container from the US to Afghanistan - NDN thru CENTASIA is over 3X-more costly.
VERSUS
* SAME > "DON'T BLAME US, ABU HAMZA IS INDIAN"!- PAKISTAN.
A US drone strike targeting a Death Eater compound in Pakistain's northwestern tribal district killed at least five cut-throats late Tuesday, security officials said.
The unmanned aircraft fired two missiles on the compound in the Shawal area, some 50 kilometres southwest of Miranshah ... headquarters of al-Qaeda in Pakistain and likely location of Ayman al-Zawahiri. The Haqqani network has established a ministate in centered on the town with courts, tax offices and lots of madrassas... , the main town of North Wazoo tribal district, near the Afghan border.
The area is considered to be a hub of Taliban and al Qaeda activity.
"At least five cut-throats have been killed and three have been maimed. The compound was completely destroyed," a security bigshot based in Beautiful Downtown Peshawar city told AFP.
All those killed were fighters linked with local warlord Hafiz Gul Bahadur, another security official based in Miranshah told AFP.
Bahadur, who is allied with Afghan Taliban, is accused of fighting US-led troops across the border.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[18 views]
Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in Pakistan
[Dawn] KOHAT/GHALANAI: A terrorist was killed and another received injuries in an encounter in Gula Bera area near Junglekhel here on Monday, officials said.
They said that a policeman was also injured in the encounter. They said that they were tipped off by intelligence agencies about entry of two snuffies from Hangu into Kohat.
Police after spotting the car tried to intercept it at several checkposts, but the driver ran over barricades and sped towards Kohat city. The rider squads of police stopped the car at Gul Bera area of Junglekhel where a shootout took place between police and the terrorists.
As a result, officials said, Sahibur Rehman, a resident of Hangu district ... Hangu is famous for its greenery, hills, beauty and water. Most of the people of this area are Bangash & Orakzai Pashtuns. Part of the Bangash are Shia. The Orakzai and the Sunni Bangash are determined to kill them... , was killed and Shaukat, a resident of South Wazoo Agency, was tossed in the slammer Don't shoot, coppers! I'm comin' out! in injured condition. They said that Gul Sher, a policeman, was also injured when he was hit by the car.
The dead and injured were shifted to KDA divisional headquarters hospital.
In Mohmand ... Named for the Mohmand clan of the Sarban Pahstuns, a truculent, quarrelsome lot. In Pakistain, the Mohmands infest their eponymous Agency, metastasizing as far as the plains of Beautiful Downtown Peshawar, Charsadda, and Mardan. Mohmands are also scattered throughout Pakistan in urban areas including Karachi, Lahore, and Quetta. In Afghanistan they are mainly found in Nangarhar and Kunar... Agency, the body of a kidnapped primitive was found in Kung area of Khawezai tehsil on Monday.
The victim, Akbar Shah, was kidnapped by unidentified persons from his shop in Kung area on Sunday. No group has, so far, grabbed credit for the kidnapping and subsequent killing of the primitive.
Meanwhile, ...back at the alley, Slats Chumbaloni was staring into a hole that was just .45 inch in diameter and was less than three feet from his face ... political administration tossed in the slammer Don't shoot, coppers! I'm comin' out! two rustics in Khawezai tehsil under the collective responsibility clause of Frontier Crimes Regulation while four others were tossed in the slammer Don't shoot, coppers! I'm comin' out! in Haleemzai tehsil on charges of having links with myrmidons.
The tossed in the slammer Don't shoot, coppers! I'm comin' out! rustics were shifted to lockup in Ghalanai for interrogation.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[11 views]
Top|| File under: TTP
[An Nahar] Malian rebels opened fire on protesters in the northern town of Gao Tuesday, killing at least one person and leaving several injured, witnesses told Agence La Belle France Presse.
The march was organized to protest the death of a local government official who was shot on Monday in Gao, which was seized by Tuareg and beturbanned fascisti nearly three months ago.
"We are marching to protest the death of our municipal councilor," said teacher Oumar Diankante, who said it was the Tuareg rebels' National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) who opened fire on the protesters.
"I have seen one person dead already, others say there are several dead," he added.
"This is serious! The rebels (MNLA) are shooting at us because we are marching," another witness said on condition of anonymity.
A hospital source in Gao said "five people with bullet wounds" had been admitted, but that it was not clear whether it was the MNLA or Islamist group Ansar Dine (Defenders of Faith) who had opened fire.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[7 views]
Top|| File under: Ansar Dine
Yet another possible setback for the Democratic party. According to the Saint Louis Beacon, Missouri senator Claire McCaskill ...Now, why would I pay taxes on my airplane? Send the bill to the taxpayers!... , who is in the middle of a tough reelection fight, might skip the Democratic convention in September.
"A campaign aide said the senator's schedule for September was still in flux," the Beacon reports. "McCaskill expects to be in a tough re-election battle."
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[19 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
The Democrat charged with trying to win back the House majority is telling his candidates that it's OK to skip the party's national convention.
Rep. Steve Israel, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, told a gathering hosted by Reuters his advice has nothing to do with President Obama.
That's his story and he's sticking to it. Alternate headline--Titanic goes down as passengers frantically rearrange the deck chairs while the crew yells--"Everything is O.K.
So there I wuz, reading about a possible alien message we got in 1977 and haven't answered yet. I can understand that. I do it with emails all the time -- I want to think about what I want to say in reply so I don't look too dumb and there it sits in my queue until if I ever do actually answer it the sender's forgotten all about it and possibly about me.
I think it's great that we're finally going to answer. But one of the links included in the article led to "7 Huge Misconceptions About Aliens." This was enough of an exercise in reasoning based upon not much at all to set my teeth on edge. Since the site pushes a book called "Life's Little Mysteries" I'm guessing the rest of the mysteries they're addressing are just as wobbly.
The first of the "misconceptions" is that they'll "come in peace," in which they quote Stephen Hawking's opinion that the outcome of aliens arriving would be "much as when Christopher Columbus first landed in America." Possibly that's so, but why would they want to invade us or enslave us or whatever? Think of the logistics that would be involved in mounting an invasion force: ship sizes, amounts of supplies, numbers of gnixels required to prevent snurb... It's probably much more likely they'll arrive out of curiosity, wanting to see what's on the other side of their own solar system. Why did we launch Pioneer or Voyager? Certainly not to conquer Ganymede, even if it was inhabited.
Next they say it's likely that "They didn't put us here," to whit, that there's no planet Nibiru that seeded the earth with life. I'm guessing Life's Little Mysteries is correct on that one. Occam's Razor suggests that since the evidence says we evolved here it's likely we did: no interstellar spores, no Arisians, no Gods from Outer Space. That means different evolutionary strains.
The idea of different evolutionary strains leads Life's Little Mysteries to the illogical conclusion that "They're immune to Earth's bacteria." I'm not sure one idea follows from the other. It seems to me that if you're going to get bitten by a bacterium it wouldn't take much of it to cause an alien's entire immune system (always assuming the alien has a system) to go plumb Oskarspiel. The bacterium would be chock full of DNA and Izzglk the Galactic Overlord would be full of EMB or something. He'd turn into a gigantic pus ball as the alien equivalent of white cells swarmed or he'd explode or maybe just peg out quietly with an overdose of the wrong kind of protein, kind of like a dose of snake venom. (Poul Anderson used that one in The Man Who Matters. I kind of identify with Nicolas van Rijn. Except for his bank account.) Nothing happening would probably be the least likely option.
Along the same lines, "Life's Little Mysteries" is of the opinion that "They won't eat us." Probably they won't if they're not immune to earth's bacteria. They'll be dead. If they're protoplasmic it would still be iffy -- depends on what kind of protoplasm, doesn't it? There are lots of things that have evolved right here that are inedible even though they're protoplasmic. And if they've got copper-tinged blood they certainly won't like us, assuming they've got blood rather than sap or ichor or something we haven't thought about yet. Who knows? Maybe they're solid all the way through. But it's just as likely they'll find us just tasty with a bit of horseradish.
It's entirely likely that "They won't mate with us," given the above. Science fiction used to be overrun with aliens who were human except for their antennae or pink hair or whatever, presumably to include their pee-pees. Then the aliens became green with bug eyes or lizards or Admiral Akbar of the Calimari. Every once in awhile a writer (think Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle) would come up with aliens who weren't even bilaterally symmetrical. There were even horny robots. It's pretty hard to imagine having sex with something that isn't bilaterally symmetrical, though there are some people who don't insist on their partners being bipedal. I think we can all draw the line where the mating process is similar to earthworms or carp or something.
The next jump of illogicality is that "They won't come in 'person'." The idea here is that the alien supercivilization will send robots to do its exploring instead. "[A]ny race of beings would be expected to advance in a similar fashion to humans, gradually becoming more and more efficient through the invention of machinery." But we've just admitted that they may not be bilaterally symmetrical and that they might mate like earthworms, so why should they do anything similarly to humans? They may become more efficient in spurts, rather than gradually becoming more and more, or they might become more efficient and then less efficient. Or they might very reasonably distinguish between 'efficient' and 'effective.' Or they might be logical (Live Long and Prosper!) and thus sufficiently similar to humans that they use the machines as tools to eliminate where they don't want to bother going in person, saving the good stuff for themselves.
Finally "Life's Little Mysteries" gets around to admitting that "They might not exist." They could have put that one first and saved themselves a lot of typing. But just given the number of stars in our galaxy it's virtually certain that life does exist and probably lots of it. The law of averages turns into the law of certainty when you hit numbers with lots of zeroes to base 10. Or even to base 2. The problem isn't with the aliens' existence, but with getting to them -- given the limitation of the speed of light they might as well not exist. But until we do get there we won't know, will we?
Unless they answer our reply to their email.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[2 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
It's entirely likely that "They won't mate with us,"
Unless they meet Captain James T. Kirk. He'd screw anything
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/27/2012 15:11
Comments ||
Top||
[Dawn] A police constable of the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) and an activist of a banned sectarian outfit were among seven people killed in different parts of the city on Monday as the ongoing wave of targeted attacks mostly on political and sectarian grounds continued unabated.
A doctor was rubbed out in a drive-by shooting in Lyari ...one of the eighteen constituent towns of the city of Karachi. It is the smallest town by area in the city but also the most densely populated. Lyari has few schools, substandard hospitals, a poor water system, limited infrastructure, and broken roads. It is a stronghold of ruling Pakistan Peoples Party. Ubiquitous gang activity and a thriving narcotics industry make Lyari one of the most disturbed places in Karachi, which is really saying a lot.... late Monday night, police said.
They added that Dr Mohammad Ali Shah was targeted near Kamil Gali close to Lyari Town office when he was returning home after closing his clinic in the same locality.
"The motive for the killing is not yet clear," said Napier SHO Inspector Imdad Khawaja.
Earlier during the day, an activist of the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistain ...a Sunni Deobandi organization, a formerly registered Pak political party, established in the early 1980s in Jhang by Maulana Haq Nawaz Jhangvi. Its stated goal is to oppose Shia influence in Pakistain. They're not too big on Brelvis, either. Or Christians. Or anybody else who's not them. The organization was banned in 2002 as a terrorist organization, but somehow it keeps ticking along, piling up the corpse counts... was bumped off near the Godhra Colony bus stop in New Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It may be the largest city in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... , said police.
They added that Mohammad Imran alias Bata, in his late 20s, was shot at while he was walking to a bus stop. "He sustained two gunshot wounds to his chest and head and was struck down in his prime," said an official at the New Bloody Karachi Industrial Area cop shoppe.
"The attackers wearing helmets were seen speeding away from the crime-scene," he added.
Imran was a resident of Godhra Colony but he had not been seen in the area for the past few months, said the official.
As the body was shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, tension gripped the thickly-populated locality where traders pulled down shutters and traffic on roads turned thin. Police Sherlocks saw the incident linked with recent sectarian killings.
Police constable bumped off
In North Bloody Karachi, 32-year-old police constable Nisar Abbasi was returning home after his duty hours when he was killed near Anda Mor, officials said.
They added that the victim sustained gunshot wounds to his head and was struck down in his prime.
"The victim was associated with the special investigation unit of police," said Khawaja Ajmair Nagri SHO Inspector Chaudary Mohammad Afzal.
The SHO added that there were different eyewitness accounts of the incident, with some saying that he was intercepted by two gunnies riding a cycle of violence while others stating that there were two more men on another motorbike providing cover to the attackers.
Two found rubbed out
Two residents of Lyari were found rubbed out within a radius of a kilometre from 24 Kee Market bus stop in Baldia Town, police said.
They said they believed both victims had been kidnapped before being killed and their bodies were dumped on a vacant plot and along a storm drain, respectively.
"The legs and hands of 36-year-old Naveed Hanif were found tied with rope, and there were gunshot wounds visible on his body," said an official at the Baldia Town cop shoppe.
He added that the victim, a resident of Lyari, had been missing since Sunday evening.
Meanwhile, ...back at the secret hideout, Scarface Al sneeringly put his proposition to little Nell... the body of the other Lyari resident was found in a neighbouring locality.
"The victim, identified as 27-year-old Ghulam Nabi, was found rubbed out along the drain in Swat ...a valley and an administrative district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistain, located 99 mi from Islamabad. It is inhabited mostly by Pashto speakers. The place has gone steadily downhill since the days when Babe Ruth was the Sultan of Swat... Colony, a kilometre from 24 Kee Market bus stop," said an official at the Saeedabad cop shoppe.
He added that the victim had sustained two gunshot wounds to his head.
Police Sherlocks did not find any credible evidence about the people or their motive for the killing, but said they had reasons to believe that gang warfare in Lyari claimed their lives.
Body found
A gunny bag containing the body of a youngster was found in Ramswami, said police.
They added that the suspicious-looking bag was spotted in a narrow street of the locality. "Clad in shalwar kameez, the victim, in his 20s, remained unidentified," said an official at the Nabi Bux cop shoppe.
He added that severe torture marks were visible on the body. After a medico-legal examination at the Civil Hospital Bloody Karachi, the body was shifted to the Edhi morgue for want of identification.
Fisherman killed
In the early hours of Monday, a fisherman was bumped off in Machhar Colony over what police said 'personal enmity'.
"Mohammad Jaseem, 26, was killed inside his home," said an official at the Docks cop shoppe.
"It was not a assassination but the result of some personal dispute. The victim originally hailed from Bangladesh and had been living here with his family for the past several years," added the official.
After sunrise, a large number of residents staged a protest demonstration over Jaseem's killing.
A heavy contingent of Rangers and police was deployed on Mauripur Road to prevent an untoward incident. The protesters burnt tyres on roads, causing a severe traffic jam. The crowd dispersed following successful talks between senior police officials and area elders.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[15 views]
Top|| File under:
[An Nahar] Somali government forces supported by African Union ...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful... peacekeepers and tanks on Tuesday took control of a key Islamist rebel base just to the north of the capital, officials and witnesses said.
The allied forces entered the town of Balad, 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of Mogadishu at around midday with no resistance from the al-Qaeda affiliated Shebab rebels.
"We have taken control of Balad and the surrounding villages. The Shebab Islamic fascistifled the area before we arrived," General Ali Araye Osoble, Somali military front man said.
Whoever controls Balad controls a key bridge across the River Shabelle on the road to the city of Jowhar and the north of the country.
Osoble said the push into Balad was part of a broader military operation, carried out jointly with the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) aimed at wresting areas outside the capital from the Shebab.
Witnesses told Agence La Belle France Presse loud kabooms followed the entry of the troops into the town but that calm was soon restored.
"Tanks, military trucks and infantry troops poured into the town. They set up bases at the cop shoppe and the central district offices," Mohamed Gagale, a witness said.
Gagale said he saw army personnel raid houses and businesses after marching into the town.
"Shots were fired but no casualties have been reported. The army is now in full control," Adan Ibrahim, another witness said.
The fall of Balad is the latest blow to the Shebab rebels who last month lost control of Afgoye, formerly one of their major strongholds on the outskirts of the capital.
Ever since they were pressured into abandoning their fixed positions in Mogadishu last August, the rebels have suffered a series of military losses, including major towns such as Beledweyne and Baidoa.
They have so far held on to the port of Kismayo, from which they draw most of their revenue.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[9 views]
Top|| File under: al-Shabaab
(Sh. M. Network)- Somali president Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed and the president of the self-declared Somaliland Ahmed M. Silanyo, congratulated the people of Somalia in the country and abroad the anniversary of the Independence of the Somali Republic.
On the occasion of the 52nd, the daySomalia's northern regions attained internal self-rule from the colonist of United Kingdomin in 1960,Somalia president also wished the people of Somalia a blessed and happy Independence Day on 26th June in 1960.
"I want to express my excellent wishes to Somalia and its citizens both in the country and out of the country on the occasion of 26th June, the 52nd anniversary of the Independence," said Somali president Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[8 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
A half century of independence. Man, did they really make a success of it. Yay.....hooray......
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
06/27/2012 17:14
Comments ||
Top||
[Yemen Post] At least five Al-Qaeda prisoners beat feet from the central prison in Yemen's western, port city of Hodeida on Tuesday, two days after the escape of ten terrorist suspects from the central prison in the southern port city of Aden, Almasdar Online reported, quoting a security source.
The website did not report details about the prison break, coinciding with reports about the fleeing of Al-Qaeda operatives to Oman after the army defeated Al-Qaeda and cleared all cut-throats from Abyan ...a governorate of Yemen. The region was a base to the Aden-Abyan Islamic Army terrorist group until it dropped the name and joined al-Qaeda. Its capital is Zinjibar. In March 2011, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula declared the governate an Islamic Emirate after seizing control of the region. The New York Times fastidiously reported that those in control, while Islamic hard boyz, are not in fact al-Qaeda, but something else that looks, tastes, smells, and acts the same. Yemeni government forces launched an effort to re-establish control of the region when President-for-Life Saleh was tossed and the carnage continues... province.
Two months ago, two prisoners, who were incarcerated Yez got nuttin' on me, coppers! Nuttin'! on suspicion of links with Al-Qaeda, beat feet from the Aden prison. One of the two was sentenced to death.
Several jail breaks have been reported in Yemen in recent years, mainly by terrorist suspects.
About 93 inmates including 88 terrorist suspects beat feet from Yemeni prisons since June 2011, triggering doubts about the measures taken by the authorities to guard the jails.
In June 2011, about 63 Al-Qaeda suspects beat feet from the central prison in Mukalla city of Hadramout ...the formerly independent Qu'aiti state and sultanate, annexed by Communist South Yemen in 1968, encompassing a region along the Gulf of Aden, extending eastwards to the borders of the Dhofar region of Oman. The people are called Hadhramis and speak Hadhrami Arabic. The city Tarimis estimated to contain the highest concentration of descendants of the Prophet Muhammad (PTUI) anywhere in the world, approximately seven in every square yard... and in December about 13 beturbanned goons from the central prison in Aden.
Years ago, tens of Al-Qaeda suspects including big shots beat feet from the central prison in the capital Sanaa through a tunnel they dug to outside the prison.
In the past few months, the forces launched a US-backed offensive and cleared Al-Qaeda bad boys, retook their strongholds in Abyan province, in a major victory under the new government.
The offensive has been continuing to hunt the remaining cut-throats in other provinces amid fears Al-Qaeda may think to reseed or to intensify suicide kabooms.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[18 views]
Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in Arabia
[An Nahar] The United Nations ...the Oyster Bay money pit... mission in Syria will remain suspended because conflict between government and opposition forces is intensifying, a top U.N. official told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday.
And U.N.-Arab League ...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing... envoy Kofi Annan ...Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh and so far the worst Secretary-General of the UN. Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize for something or other that probably sounded good at the time. In December 2004, reports surfaced that Kofi's son Kojo received payments from the Swiss company Cotecna, which had won a lucrative contract under the UN Oil-for-Food Program. Kofi Annan called for an investigation to look into the allegations, which stirred up the expected cesspool but couldn't seem to come up with enough evidence to indict Kofi himself, or even Kojo... has still not secured agreement on a political transition plan that all the major powers can back so that an international meeting on the conflict can go ahead this week, diplomats said.
Herve Ladsous, U.N. peacekeeping chief, said civilians in Syria face "increasing danger" and "conditions are not conducive to resume operations," diplomats at a closed Security Council meeting on the conflict said.
The almost 300 unarmed U.N. monitors halted operations on June 16 as Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Oppressor of the Syrians and the Lebs... 's crackdown against opposition groups intensified.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[18 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
[Dawn] Four suspected robbers and a police constable were killed in two shootouts in the areas of Ichhra and Factory Area on Monday.
Ichhra police said that two gunnies held the family of Zeeshan Malik who were passengers on a car on Pir Ghazi Road at 3:15am and looted jewellery from them.
Four Mohafiz Force officials, riding two bikes, saw the robbery and challenged the suspects.
The suspects shot upcoppers which was returned.
The crossfire left a robber fatally injured. One of the constables also suffered a bullet injury in the head. The other suspect fled after leaving the bike behind.
The injured were rushed to a hospital where both of them succumbed to their head wounds. The dead were identified as Khurram Shahzad and Constable Ali.
Model Town SP Operation Athar Waheed said Khurram was included in the Top 20 list of most wanted criminals. He said Khurram was released from a jail two months ago.
In another robbery, Factory Area police said, three robbers, riding a bike, looted cash, cell phone, watch and a ring from Amjad on Ghazi Road around 3:30am and fled. The victim alerted Rescue 15 police about the incident. The patrolling police spotted the motorcyclists near Punjab Society. The suspects opened fire on police and broke windscreen of police vehicle.
Police claimed it returned fire and killed one of the suspects while the others tried to escape but were killed by police fire.
They were later identified as Naseer Ahmad of Sahiwal and Ali Sher and Muhammad Ali, alias Mani, of Pakpattan.
Cantonment SP Operation Maroof Safdar Wahla said the suspects were wanted in a dacoity-led murder case of Naseerabad and had committed several robberies in Lahore.
He said the bike the suspects used was snatched from a citizen on Walton Road few days ago, adding police seized weapons and looted items on them.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[12 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
[NY Times] Buoyed by support from its NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A single organization with differing goals, equipment, language, doctrine, and organization.... allies, Turkey escalated its warnings against Syria on Tuesday, even as some American and allied officials privately raised questions about whether the Turkish warplane shot down by Syrian air defenses -- provoking the denunciation -- had been on a spy mission.
In response to the downing, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey warned Syrian forces to stay clear of their troubled border or face a military response to any perceived threat. Mr. Erdogan's bellicose tone came as ambassadors from the Atlantic alliance, seeking to avoid a wider conflict, held emergency talks in Brussels at Turkey's behest.
After the meeting, the NATO secretary general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said the alliance considered Syria's actions in shooting down the Turkish warplane to be "unacceptable."
While the American and allied officials emphasized that some intelligence reports flowing in since the downing last Friday were murky and often conflicting, they said a preliminary analysis of the available data suggested that there may have been more to the aircraft's mission that just a routine training exercise to test Turkey's air defenses.
They pointed to several unanswered questions about the episode, including why, given the tensions between the two countries, Turkey was flying an unarmed reconnaissance plane so close to the Syrian border, where the aircraft was struck, and whether it received any warnings to leave Syrian airspace.
Syria maintains that the plane was brought down by antiaircraft fire well within its airspace. But Turkey says the plane was attacked over international waters after straying briefly into Syrian space.
American military and NATO officials said they were examining these claims as well as radar tracks and other classified information to better understand what happened.
But the officials said they were loath to publicly challenge an ally's version of the downing, which the White House and the State Department have condemned as unjustified and have cited as an example of the recklessness of the security forces loyal to Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad The Scourge of Hama... of Syria.
"On a political level, NATO is taking the Turks at their word," said a senior United States official who has reviewed classified reports of the episode.
One senior NATO diplomat said that even if the Turks were spying, it should not alter the international reaction. "When this happens between neighboring countries, you give a warning and then send up interceptors," said the official, who was not authorized to speak on the record. "You don't just shoot down the plane."
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[13 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
[Saudi Gazette] An Egyptian court Tuesday tossed out a government decree allowing the army to arrest civilians, a setback to military rulers preparing for this week's formal handover to Mohamed Mursi, Egypt's first Islamist president.
The Moslem Brüderbund and other opponents of military rule were furious when the army-backed interim government empowered soldiers to arrest civilians, effectively reinstating Hosni Mubarak's ...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011... hated state of emergency, which lapsed on May 31. "The court has blocked the decision of the Justice Minister that gave military and military intelligence officers powers of arrest," said Cairo administrative court Judge Ali Fikry.
But Brotherhood officials said they had struck some accords with the generals on the president's prerogatives, on an assembly that is supposed to write a long-delayed constitution, and on the fate of the dissolved Islamist-dominated parliament.
"We do not accept having a president without powers. The solution being worked out now is scaling back those restrictions so that President Mursi can deliver to the people what he promised," said Essam Haddad, an aide to the president.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[9 views]
Top|| File under: Arab Spring
#1
Next "The judges can't be reached for comment"?
#2
President Mursi can deliver to the people what he promised
What did he promise again? Oh, yeah, he promised Sharia and all the strictures and demands of the Koran. How long till we see the total gutting of any secular tendencies in the army and the public executions like Afghanistan under the Talibs?
Turkish daily says tanks, armored vehicles mobilized following downing of Turkish fighter jet by Syrian army
Turkey has deployed a large number of tanks and other armored vehicles to the Syrian border amid rising tensions with Damascus ...The place where Pencilneck hangs his brass hat... over the downing of a Turkish fighter jet by the Syrian army, Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported Tuesday.
Meanwhile, ...back at the Hubba Hubba Club, Nunzio had his hands full of angry bleached blonde... Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Despoiler of Deraa... addressed his new government and said his country was in a real state of war. He gave no sign of a softer approach towards a pro-democracy revolt by ordering his newly appointed government to direct all policies towards winning.
"We live in a real state of war from all angles," Assad told a cabinet he appointed on Tuesday. "When we are in a war, all policies and all sides and all sectors need to be directed at winning this war."
Assad snubbed countries that have been calling for him to step aside, saying the West "takes and never gives and this has been proven at every stage".
According to Hurriyet Daily, the Turkish deployment included 15 armored tanks in addition to long-distance guns and other military vehicles. "The convoy was heavily guarded en route to the border fearing an attack by Kurdish rebels," the report said.
The move comes hours after Turkish Prime Minster Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to retaliate against Damascus over the downing of its fighter jet.
Erdogan said that Turkey changes the rules of engagement with Syria and branded its former ally as "a clear and imminent threat".
#3
Should declare Eastern Syria (or all of Syria) as Kurdistan and get the Kurds involved and hopefully moving there. Might see Iran and Iraq happily send Kurdish troops to help.
#4
rjschwarz, Turkey is going after the Kurds in Iraq right now. We may have a new short round to deal with. I don't trust the man at all. His country as I recall is in a slump. He may wish to divert attention.
(Sh.M.Network)-Somalia's president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed will attend the global anti-piracy conference that begins here tomorrow to affirm his country's commitment to fight the menace.
Mr Ahmed will also seek to shore up support and funding for development initiatives to root out piracy.
He will be among foreign ministers, senior government officials from more than 50 countries and heads of maritime industries at the two-day convention, which ends on Thursday.
Titled "A Regional Response to Maritime Piracy: Enhancing Public-Private Partnerships and Strengthening Global Engagement", the conference was organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the port operator DP World.
It will take place at Al Jawhara Gardens Hotel in Jumeirah.
"The president is here to show the world that the country wants piracy to be eradicated once and for all," said Hussein Mahamed, the charge d'affairs of the Somalia embassy in the UAE.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[8 views]
Top|| File under: Pirates
[Dawn] The watchman of a government primary school that was blown up here last week has confessed that he carried out the blasts in the building on the orders of Death Eaters, according to police Sherlocks.
"It is a unique case. In all other cases of terrorism, the government servants haven't cooperated with forces of Evil to such extent to blow up the building that is guarded by them," an investigator told Dawn on condition of anonymity.
He said that so far forces of Evil had targeted 36 government buildings including schools, hospitals and checkposts in the district.
The building of government primary school for girls in Ghulam Banda area was destroyed in two kabooms on June 22.
Police incarcerated Into the paddy wagon wit' yez! the watchman, who remained unhurt despite the fact that he was present in the building at the time of blasts, for interrogation.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[12 views]
Top|| File under: TTP
Send for the smelling salts -- someone is feeling faint!
For the United States' first century, Americans elected their leaders in full view of their neighbors, gathering on courthouse steps to announce their votes orally or hand a distinctive preprinted ballot or unfolded marked paper to a clerk. Such a public process made elections ripe for bribes and threats, although the scene around American polling places never matched Australia's, where a population of criminals and goldbugs made electoral intimidation something of a democratic pastime. To end such shenanigans, each of Australia's colonies began shifting to a secret ballot during the 1850s, and in 1872 England followed suit.
A decade and a half later, the reform crossed the Atlantic. Louisville, Kentucky, enacted a so-called Australian ballot in 1888, and 32 states did the same by 1892--over the objections of machine politicians. By the turn of the century, most of the country had changed the public spectacle of Election Day into a solemn occasion for curtained isolation. This shift coincided with a dramatic drop in turnout rates, from nearly 80 percent of the eligible population in 1896--which had been typical for the era--to 65 percent eight years later.
As modern civic activists have tried to increase turnout, their focus has been on reducing the hassle of participation. The most-successful reforms of the past decade, however--early in-person voting, "no excuse" absentee ballots, elections entirely by mail--appear not to have lured new people to the polls so much as merely made it more convenient for regular voters to cast their ballots.
What actually works is mimicking some part of the 19th century's surveillance culture. The most effective tool for turning nonvoters into voters--10 times better than the typical piece of preelection mail, according to a 2006 Michigan experiment--is a threat to send neighbors evidence of one's apathy. Other experiments have found gentler approaches that serve a similar function: merely reminding citizens that whether they cast a ballot is a matter of public record, or promising to print the names of those who do in a postelection newspaper ad, can boost turnout too.
By introducing shame into the calculus of citizenship, the researchers behind these tests increased the psychological cost of not voting. In so doing, they restored the sense--sadly lost for a century--that voting ought to be not a personal act but a social one.
#2
And Australia's crimians and goldbugs (what the hell is that?) have nothing on the modern day SEIU Thug.
And I don't want someone who is so apathetic (or so lazy) that they can't get off their fat ass and vote - to vote. I don't think we should have motor-voter and I think we should be required to go down and re-register every 4-6 years. The only possible excemption would be those who are physically unable to vote.
They are just too apathetic or lazy to research the issues or make a decision outside of "ohhh... this canidate's hot!" (see MSM).
And by they - I meant those who are to lazy to go vote at the polls - not those unable to physically go (they should be able to vote by mail) - provided they have proof they are unable to physically go to the polls.
#4
And what steps will be taken to prevent voter intimidation (if you don't vote for our candidate, we will have a duty make you face the consequences of your oh-so-obvious dedication to oppression for oppression's sake)?
When not performed out of medical necessity, circumcisions constitute a 'severe and irreversible interference into physical integrity,' Cologne judges rule
Parents having their sons circumcised can be brought before a judge for causing bodily injury, even if they did so for religious reasons, a regional court in Germany has ruled.
The recent landmark decision will likely draw the condemnation of Jewish and Moslem communities, although official representatives have refrained from commenting so far, saying they first want to study the reasons given for the judgment.
Following the judgment by the District Court of Cologne, neither the rights of parents nor the constitutional freedom of religion can justify interventions such as circumcision, according to Financial Times Deutschland, which first reported the story.
University of Passau jurist Holm Putzke told the FTD the decision could have far-reaching ramifications.
"As opposed to many politicians, the court was not deterred by fears of being criticized for anti-Semitism or hostility toward religion," he said. "This decision could not only influence future jurisdiction, it could also lead the relevant religions to change their attitude with respect to the fundamental nature of children's rights."
The case that prompted the ruling took place in Cologne, when a 4-year-old boy, circumcised by a Moslem doctor, began bleeding two days after the surgery and needed to be brought into the emergency room.
The state prosecutor's office learned of the case and sued, leading the district court to rule that the circumcision was a "severe and irreversible interference into physical integrity."
Today, there are about 200,000 Jews in Germany, about 5,000 of them in the western city of Cologne.
Legal experts told the paper they assume that other courts in Germany could deal with similar cases and that the question of religiously motivated circumcisions will end up in the country's Supreme Court.
The online edition of the Jewish Press website quoted Rabbi Aryeh Goldberg, vice president of the Rabbinical Center of Europe, saying the Courts decision is unacceptable and gravely violates religious freedom.
He added that the decision is contrary to human rights ...which are usually open to widely divergent definitions... charter of the European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... , to which the German legal system is committed, and undermines the basic right to worship in the German Constitution.
It is not the first time that Colognes prosecutorial and legal system has triggered national controversy in Germany.
In 2010, the public prosecutor ruled that a cartoon exhibit, widely believed to be anti-Semitic, did not meet the criteria of incitement to hate because it did not constitute hatred of Jews and the petitioner, who objected to the exhibit, was not Jewish. One cartoon shows a man sporting a Star of David on his bib as he devours a young Paleostinian boy with a fork draped in an American flag and a knife with the word Gazoo. A glass filled with blood stands next to to his dinner plate. Gerd Buurmann, the non- Jewish resident, who termed the exhibit anti-Semitic, has waged a two-year campaign to prevent the permanent cartoon and photo exhibit to be displayed on the central square in Cologne.
He filed a criminal complaint against Walter Herrmann, the organizer of the anti-Israel exhibit, for violating Paragraph 130, an anti-hate-crime law that bars incitement against minority groups. Colognes prosecutor rejected the complaint.
#2
The state prosecutor's office learned of the case and sued, leading the district court to rule that the circumcision was a "severe and irreversible interference into physical integrity."
Are we still "tood to go" with Intraamniotic Injection of Saline?
#7
They had this same sort of penilelitist issue on the ballot in The National Socialist People's Rainbow Republic of San Francisco but cooler heads eventually prevailed, and the issue was yanked.
[Dawn] An anti-terrorism court on Monday deferred till June 30 the hanging of two condemned prisoners belonging to the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi ... a 'more violent' offshoot of Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistain. LeJ's purpose in life is to murder anyone who's not of utmost religious purity, starting with Shiites but including Brelvis, Ahmadis, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Rosicrucians, and just about anyone else you can think of. They are currently a wholly-owned subsidiary of al-Qaeda ... , who had been sentenced to death in a doctor's killing case.
Following the dismissal of their appeals by the superior judiciary as well as the mercy petition by the president, an ATC had on June 11 issued black warrants for the two LJ activists -- Attaullah alias Qasim and Mohammad Azam alias Sharif -- and fixed June 26 for their execution.
However, a clean conscience makes a soft pillow... a court official said that jail authorities, through an application, informed the court that the two condemned prisoners had filed an application for the postponement of the hanging on the ground that they might enter into a compromise with the complainant party.
The application was placed before Judge Bashir Ahmed Khoso, the judge in charge of the ATC-III, who deferred the execution for five days.
Both the convicts were sentenced to death by an ATC in July 2004 for killing Dr Ali Raza Peerani on sectarian grounds in June 2001 in the Soldier Bazaar area.
The prosecution said that Dr Peerani came out of his clinic in Soldier Bazaar and was about to drive off his car when two motorcyclists opened fire on him, leaving him seriously maimed.
He was rushed to a hospital where doctors pronounced him dead He's dead, Jim! on arrival.
The police tossed in the clink Drop the gat, Rocky, or you're a dead 'un! banned LJ chief Mohammad Ajmal alias Akram Lahori and his accomplices on June 29, 2002 within the remit of the Defence cop shoppe and they disclosed their involvement in the present case, it added.
A case was lodged under Section 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistain Penal Code read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 at the Soldier Bazaar cop shoppe.
Meanwhile, ...back at the argument, Jane reached into her purse for her .38... the Sindh Bar Council announced on Monday that a complete boycott of court proceedings would be observed across the province on Wednesday in protest against what it described as the election of a corrupt man as prime minister.
According to a statement issued by the SBC, the council and all bar associations of Sindh will protest against the election of Raja Pervez Ashraf as the PM since the apex court had issued directives against him for his role in the rental power plants scam.
It said SBC vice chairman Ghulam Mohammad Abbasi, president of the Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It may be the largest city in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... Bar Association Mahmoodul Hasan and chairman of the SBC executive committee Abbas Ali appealed to the lawyers of the province to stay away from courts, hold general body meetings and stage
rallies to mark the day.
Reacting to a reported move to make the chief justice accountable to parliament, they warned the government to refrain from making fun of the constitution.
An all Pakistain lawyers' representative convention held in Lahore on June 23 had announced that a black day would be observed across the country on June 27 against the election of Raja Pervez Ashraf as prime minister, but the following day the vice chairman of the Pakistain
Bar Council and the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association in a joint statement rejected the strike call.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[15 views]
Top|| File under: Lashkar e-Jhangvi
[An Nahar] The FBI is investigating more than 100 suspected Islamic Death Eaters in the U.S. military, following the 2009 "lone wolf" attack by an alleged al-Qaeda sympathizer that killed 13 people at a Texas army base, a news report said Monday.
About a dozen of the cases are considered "serious" threats involving suspects believed to be actively planning attacks or in contact with dangerous cut-thoats, National Public Radio reported.
The potential internal threats come from active duty military as well as reserves and civilians with access to military installations, the radio broadcaster reported.
The Pentagon declined to comment on the investigations.
The FBI discussed the investigation at a joint House and Senate committee closed-door hearing last December, according to NPR.
"I know one can say that as a percentage of the millions of people in active military service or working with contractors, the numbers you talk about are a small percentage of the total," Joseph Lieberman, the senator who presided over the hearing, told NPR.
"But the reality is it only took one man, Nidal Hasan, to kill 13 people at Fort Hood and injure a lot more."
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[13 views]
Top|| File under: Global Jihad
#1
of course the fact that the Islamic extremists are all, well, moslem, doesn't really mean anything at all... its just a statistical quirk
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
06/27/2012 0:28
Comments ||
Top||
#2
I know it's totally out-of-the-box thinking, ....but are any of those under "investigation" enrolled in flight training or excited about becoming chemical officers or nuclear engineers?
#4
"Lone Wolves" make excellent intelligence sources, enable thousands of IR's to be written, and generally require little care and feeding.... until they go crackers before an overseas deployment and begin killing people.
#8
About a dozen of the cases are considered "serious" threats involving suspects believed to be actively planning attacks or in contact with dangerous cut-thoats, National Public Radio reported
Well, as long that they complete mandatory diversity-awareness training, I'm sure it'll all turn out alright...
[An Nahar] The United States said Tuesday that a "desperate" Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Despoiler of Deraa... was slowly losing his grip on power, citing defections and fighting raging increasingly close to Damascus ...The place where Pencilneck hangs his brass hat... Washington offered new support to its NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's headquartered in Belgium. That sez it all.... ally Turkey after Syrian forces shot down one of its fighter planes and also pushed back on Russia's insistence that Iran should take part in a planned international conference on Syria.
"Clearly, Bashir al-Assad has been slowly -- too slowly -- losing his grip over his country," White House front man Jay Carney said on Air Force One as President Barack Obama On this Memorial Day, as our nation honors its unbroken line of fallen heroes -- and I see many of them in the audience here today... flew to a campaign event in Atlanta.
"I would note that recent high-level military defections to Jordan and Turkey are another testament to the regime's loss of control over the situation in Syria."
"It is clear, however, that Assad is desperate to hang on to power at all cost, as evidenced by his continued use of air power and Shabiha gangs."
A steady stream of high-ranking military officers have defected to Turkey in recent days and several pilots have made their way to Jordan.
Carney said it was also a "fair assessment" that deadly combat around elite Republican Guard posts in the Damascus suburbs between rebels and army units was a further sign of Assad's declining authority over his country.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[12 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
#1
As soon as they start behaving like a dictator, that means they fear losing control.
[Dawn] An Urdu-language pamphlet distributed by snuffies in Pakistain's tribal regions has warned health workers to stay away from polio ...Poliomyelitis is a disease caused by infection with the poliovirus. Between 1840 and the 1950s, polio was a worldwide epidemic. Since the development of polio vaccines the disease has been largely wiped out in the civilized world. However, since the vaccine is known to make Moslem pee-pees shrink and renders females sterile, bookish, and unsubmissive it is not widely used by the turban and automatic weapons set... vaccination campaigns or face dire consequences. Meh. So don't vaccinate your brats. No skin off my fore.
"Polio and other foreign-funded vaccination drives in Wana sub division would not be allowed until US drone operations in the agency are stopped," warned the pamphlet issued by Mullah Nazir, commander of his own faction of the Taliban in South Wazoo.
The warning is not the first to come from tribal snuffies since a Pak doctor was convicted of assisting the CIA in locating former Al Qaeda leader the late Osama bin Laden ... who no longer exists... by running a fake polio vaccination campaign in Abbottabad ... A pleasant city located only 30 convenient miles from Islamabad. The city is noted for its nice weather and good schools. It is the site of Pakistain's military academy, which was within comfortable walking distance of the residence of the late Osama bin Laden.... last year.
Mullah Nazir's handout calls the "traitor Dr Shakeel Afridi's fake campaign in Abbottabad" proof that "infidel forces are using media, education and development as a tool to gag Moslems."
A ban similar to the one in Wana was imposed earlier in North Waziristan Agency by the Hafiz Gul Bahadar faction of the Taliban, who are alleged by the United States of having close links to Al Qaeda and the Haqqani network.
The Mullah Nazir and Hafiz Gul Bahadar groups have remained the prime target of the US drone operations in Pakistain's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), as the US-led coalition forces blame the two groups of harbouring al Qaeda-linked imported muscle besides sending them across the border into Afghanistan.
Despite global eradication, Pakistain is one of just three countries where polio remains endemic, along with Afghanistan and Nigeria.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[13 views]
Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in Pakistan
#1
Once again, gentlemen, you make the questionable assumption that I can be threatened by YOUR children's plight, which is caused by YOU.
In short, keep the health workers out if you like - I care not a whit.
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan told Syria to beware the wrath of Turkey after the shooting down of a warplane and said he had ordered the armed forces to react to any military threat from Syria near the two countries' border.
Erdogan's warning to Syria reflected increased tensions not only on the Mediterranean coast, where the aircraft was shot down last Friday, but on a long common land border criss-crossed by rebels fighting Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad. Sonny, disguised as Fredo, trying to be Mike... In Syria itself, Damascus ...Capital of the last overtly fascist regime in the world... suburbs were gripped by the worst fighting in the capital since the uprising against Assad began 16 months ago. The city had long been seen as a bastion of support for the president.
"Our rational response should not be perceived as weakness, our mild manners do not mean we are a tame lamb," he told a meeting of his parliamentary party. "Everybody should know that Turkey's wrath is just as strong and devastating as its friendship is valuable."
NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Originally it was a mutual defense pact directed against an expansionist Soviet Union. In later years it evolved into a mechanism for picking the American pocket while criticizing the cut of the American pants... member states, summoned by Turkey to an urgent meeting in Brussels, condemned Syria over the incident that resulted in the loss of two airmen. The cautious wording of a statement demonstrated the fear of Western powers as well as Turkey that armed intervention in Syria could stir a sectarian conflict across the region.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[25 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
#2
The Maasai give no warning when offended, death by the blade can arrive very swiftly, without comment or remorse. Something to be said for the tribal ways, nothing lost on meaningless dialogue and bluster.
#5
And so the Blame Game begins - the RF-4 is being proclaimed as shot down by an Iran-made AD Sys, inferring that any US-Israeli, etc. air campaign agz Iran's NucProgs will be more costly as per air losses than what the former perceive.
Another is that the RF-4 was a wily dastardly deceptive "false flag" Mil Ploy intended by Turkey [US-NATO?] to lure Syria into initiating direct milaction which would justify Turkey [US-NATO?] devastating mil response agz Baby Assad + Syria???
[Dawn] The army confirmed on Monday to have lost 13 men in Upper Dir district in Sunday afternoon's attack on its patrol team from across the Afghan border.
Having earlier denied that any attack had taken place, it said on Monday it had lost six men in the ambush in the Sabir Kalley area on Dir's western border with Afghanistan. Eleven others were believed missing.
A senior army officer said that seven of the missing men "had reportedly been killed and then beheaded".
The confirmation came shortly after Pak gun-hung tough guys who had fled from Swat ...a valley and an administrative district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistain, located 99 mi from Islamabad. It is inhabited mostly by Pashto speakers. The place has gone steadily downhill since the days when Babe Ruth was the Sultan of Swat... during the military operation of May 2009 to Afghanistan and were reportedly living in Kunar province ... which is right down the road from Chitral. Kunar is Haqqani country..... claimed to have killed 18 soldiers.
"We have bodies of 17 of them," Sirajuddin, front man for the Swat chapter of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain, told news hounds on phone.
But a front man for the central TTP in North Wazoo said four of the 11 missing soldiers were alive.
The army officer said more than 100 gun-hung tough guys "from their safe haven across the border" intruded into Pakistain and attacked the patrol in the afternoon on Sunday with heavy weapons.
"Pakistain Army has lodged a strong protest with their counterparts across the border for not acting against myrmidons present in safe havens in Afghanistan," he said.
This was the third such attack this month in a border stretch of about 10km in Upper Dir, raising apprehensions about a tough summer when melting snow will improve visibility and make movement across the mountainous region easier.
Local people said Pak gun-hung tough guys were operating from their base about 5km from the border in area where there was no presence of Afghan or NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Originally it was a mutual defense pact directed against an expansionist Soviet Union. In later years it evolved into a mechanism for picking the American pocket while criticizing the cut of the American pants... forces.
They said 11 of the killed and missing people were from the army, six paramilitary personnel and one civilian.
The growing cross-border attacks have caused concern among people in Barawal, the main town in Upper Dir's border region.
Troops were deployed along the border in September last year to prevent gun-hung tough guys from crossing into Pakistain and attacking villagers and security personnel.
The past 10 days have seen a dramatic increase in turbans' attacks.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[15 views]
Top|| File under: TNSM
[CBS] Now that the politically potent National Rifle Association is keeping score, some Democrats may join House Republicans if there's a vote to hold Attorney General Eric Inaction Jackson Holder in contempt of Congress in a dispute over documents related to a botched gun-tracking operation.
The chief Democratic House head counter, Rep. the mealy-mouthed Steny StinkyHoyer ... Nancy San Fran Nan Pelosi's second banana, or plaintain, or mango, or whatever he is... of Maryland, declined to tell news hounds how many defections he expected, but acknowledged that some in his party would consider heeding the NRA's call for a "yes" vote.
The gun owners association injected itself last week into the stalemate over Justice Department documents demanded by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The NRA said it supports the contempt resolution and will keep a record of how members vote.
An NRA letter to House members contended that the B.O. regime "actively sought information" from Operation Fast and Furious to support its program to require dealers to report multiple rifle sales.
The program, which began last August, imposed the requirement for sales of specifically identified long guns in four border states: Texas, Caliphornia, Arizona and New Mexico. A federal judge upheld the requirement.
Republicans want Eric Inaction Jackson Holder to become the first attorney general to be cited by the House for contempt, because he has refused to give the Oversight and Government Reform Committee all the documents it wants related to Operation Fast and Furious.
Unless a last-minute deal is worked out, always a possibility in Congress, the contempt vote is scheduled for Thursday -- the same day the Supreme Court is to announce its ruling on the legality of the nation's health care law.
A vote to hold Holder in contempt of Congress wouldn't send any documents to the Oversight committee and its chairman, Republican Rep. Darrell of Caliphornia. President Barack Obama In case you missed it, this week, there was a tragedy in Kansas. Ten thousand people died -- an entire town destroyed... has claimed executive privilege, a legal step that presidents have used to maintain secrecy of internal administration documents.
Obama invoked what is known as "deliberative process privilege," a claim designed to broadly cover executive branch documents. However Issa, in a letter to the president, said Obama was misusing the narrower "presidential communications privilege," which is reserved for documents to and from the president and his most senior advisers.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[10 views]
Top|| File under:
#2
CNN + FOX NEWS this AM > looks like "last-ditch" talks at compromise have utterly failed.
Eric's ass is now grass - unless a miracle happens, its only a question of how many contempt-n-obstruction of Justice, Congress charges will be levied on the final list???
And iff he'll spill the beans on what the Bammer + top Admin knew???
#3
I'm betting that Team Ogabe is going to brazen this out. The MSM has so far succeeded in keeping F&F out of the consciousness of all but the most obsessive political/current affairs junkies (such as those of us here at the 'Burg). Some VERY conservative friends, who I think of as intelligent and reasonably well-informed folks, had absolutely zero knowledge of F&F until I mentioned it to them. Beside the smokescreen surrounding F&F, you have the upcoming SCOTUS ruling on Obamacare, which the MSM will damn sure use to keep F&F somewhere between the sports section and the Safeway weekly-specials ads.
Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) ||
06/27/2012 1:45
Comments ||
Top||
#4
My sensing is a number of factors have placed Team Obama desperately on the ropes. The White house leaks scandal which is in it's infancy will surely soon begin to grow legs. The actual F&F event is now a side issue with the Nixonian cover-up the main event. Holder will likely not survive, and Articles of Impeachment could even be levied against The One. Has anyone seen Joe Biden recently? While I joined yesterday's chorus of Jimmy Carter mockers, he's got a point with the Drone Zapping, which is gaining negative momentum with our "friends" overseas. Add to this the issue of presidential toxicity and the declining turn out at the Democratic Convention [soon to be held at a cabin on Lake Norman]. With the anticipated sinking of Obama Care this week, he'll likely throw out some wild-eyed EO counter punch distraction, that will grab the news and anger many. Obama's "Good War" in Afghanistan is developing a very serious case of the suck, as are our relations with Pakistan, Turkey, Syria, Egypt, and Russia. Lastly, as campaign financial backers sense a potential November loser, Team Obama's resources are rapidly being depleted. No tickie, no ride.
Aside from a rained out golf game this week end, about the only thing that could make this month worse for Team Obama would be a scandalous Rielle Hunter-Lite [white woman in the oval office] disclosure or a Condi Rice decision to run as Mitt's VP candidate.
If we must, I for one am totally on board with a Biden - Pelosi ticket.
#5
Bezo, "Holder will likely not survive, and Articles of Impeachment could even be levied against The One"
Doesn't take any notice of the time factor. It is little more than 4 months till the election and most of that will be taken up with campaigning and vacationing. Holder may quit but that's about all that could happen before Nov.
Everything else will be postponed to next year and depending on the winners and losers all bets are off.
Keep hammering this to kill off any hope of Zero winning but with the MSM proclivities that may not be enough.
#9
The significant piece not yet picked up on by the MSM or COngress appears to be the coincidence of F&F and the opening to Mexican Law Enforcement of the ATF weapon tracking database. One site was put in the US Embassy in Mexico City and Mexican LE was allowed to run guns associated with cartel violnce against the US database. So the data would make it look like the bulk of cartel violence was from weapons from US gun shows and dealers. Only one problem, the database does not reflect the serial numbers of US Military Weapons, specifically all those given to Latin American governments, both US made and foreign made, and which have been sold out the back of the armories to the Cartels. So even though the majority of major cartel violence might be with milspec weapons, only the ones run against the ATF database would be linked to the US. Gee, does it look a little clearer now?
The Arab Spring has spawned a new generation of British-born Death Eaters after al-Qaeda lured dozens of would-be bombers abroad to train for possible attacks on the UK, the head of MI5 warned.
Jonathan Evans said the terror network has taken advantage of the unstable region, in the wake of last year's revolutions, to spread its influence and create new bases for attacks.
British would-be jihadis are known to be receiving training in the likes of Libya and Egypt, mirroring what has already happened in the Yemen and Somalia.
And they could return to attack the UK in what is a "new and worrying development", he said.
Mr Evans, the Director General of MI5, warned of the emerging threats in a rare speech, his first in almost two years.
In his talk, he also:
: Revealed that the intelligence services and police are preparing for a potential threat from Islamic fascistiand even lone wolf Death Eaters should the Eurozone collapse.
: Warned State-sponsored and criminal cyber attacks risked "real world damage" including one British company which has suffered estimated losses of £800m after being hacked.
: Suggested a potential return to State-sponsored terrorism by Iran.
: Said it would be "extraordinary and self-defeating" if the Government's proposed new email and phone snooping powers did not go ahead.
Popular revolts across Arab nations were last year welcomed around the world and resulted in, among others, the end of Hosni Mubarak ...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011... 's reign in Egypt and Muammar Qadaffy ...a proud Arab institution for 42 years, now among the dear departed, though not the dearest... regime in Libya.
Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister, described events at the time as "incredibly exciting".
But in the inaugural Lord Mayor's Annual Defence and Security Lecture in London last night, Mr Evans warned a new terror threat has emerged from an "Arab world in radical transition".
He said while the events offered long term hope there was a "more immediate problem" as al-Qaeda has returned to its native home.
"Today parts of the Arab world have once more become a permissive environment for al-Qaeda.
"This is the completion of a cycle -- al-Qaeda first moved to Afghanistan in the 1990s due to pressure in their Arab countries of origin. They moved on to Pakistain after the fall of the Taliban.
"And now some are heading home to the Arab world again. And a small number of British would be jihadis are also making their way to Arab countries to seek training and opportunities for turban activity, as they do in Somalia and Yemen.
"Some will return to the UK and pose a threat here. This is a new and worrying development and could get worse as events unfold."
#5
I understand the concern about state intrusion, Bright Pebbles, but OTOH given the way that AQIM has spread into e.g. Mali and collaborated with Tuaregs closely in the wake of the Libyan 'liberation', it's quite likely that both Libya and Egypt really are now hosting training centers.
#6
It's totally unfocussed and just makes claims that a rag-bag of civil service promoted state intrusion will do anything except run up false positives.
As MI5 etc are vast opaque bureaucracies managed by ex-public schoolboy types, I guess their utility per pound spent is almost negative...
(Sh. M. Network)-An official in Somali army says at least Eight people, mostly Al Qaeda-affiliated Islamic fascistiwere killed and seven others maimed in a heavy battle between government soldiers backed by Kenyan military forces in Lower Jubba region, south of the country.
The combat erupted after Al shabab agents with rocked propelled grenades and machine-guns attacked on Somali and Kenya army bases in Badhadhe town on Tuesday morning, a town straddles Somali-Kenyan border.
"At least five Al shabab fighters dead and seven others sustained variety of wounds during the attack and counter-attack in Badhadhe town, said Somali army commander, who asked not to be named.
"Three from both warring sides were killed early on Tuesday fighting inside the town," said a local resident.
Colonel Arab Ahmed Ali, a TFG military commander, told press that the situation has returned into normal and the town remains under Somali and Kenyan military control.
Al shabab officials were unavailable to reach for comments on the Somali military claim.
2 February 2012, Badhadhe -- some 180km (110 miles) south of port Kismayo town -- fell to Somali and Kenyan troops after heavy fighting ... as opposed to the more usual light or desultory fighting... with Al shabab turbans.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[5 views]
Top|| File under: al-Shabaab
Coming off its least-watched month in primetime in 20 years in May, CNN has taken another big ratings blow: The cable news network has registered to its lowest-rated quarter in primetime since 1991. For this year's second quarter, CNN hit a low among total viewers and the key adults 25-54 demographic, with all primetime programs posting steep declines. The network averaged 446,000 total viewers and 129,000 in the 25-54 demo in primetime. Compared to last year's second quarter, that's down 35% and 41%, respectively. Rival Fox New Channel, meanwhile, with 1.79 million primetime total viewers on average, was down 1% from its 2011 second-quarter numbers. FNC lost 14% in the 25-54, bringing in 355,000 viewers. MSNBC was down 13% in total primetime viewers, with 689,000 on average, and down 17% in the 25-54 with 217,000. The quarter ran March 26-June 22.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[18 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Yokay, I'll bite, who's the walking clusterfuck(s?) oer in Marketing Research - methink the true CNN "as is" demographic are actually those Older Males Age 40/45-54.
Males + Young People Age 25-39 or younger are all on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, IPAD + NOTEPAD, ETC. NET; Age 17-24 prolly don't even watch regular TV until the post-dinner evening hours, or the time just before they're ready to go to sleep.
That leaves Women or Young Females for most of the daytime + late afternoon, + IIRC the Babes didn't watch CNN that much anyhoo even at the height of its 1980's-1990's popularity. AFAIK Babes don't watch daily news as much as Men, let alone 24-7-365.
#2
Why doesn't CNN just start reporting the news honestly without slant or bias?
Their ratings would improve overnight.
But nooooooo! Ideology must come first.
#9
Pappy, you need an iPod. You can put whatever you want on it and use it to drown out annoying noises in public places such as people chewing gum, babies crying or Piers Morgan.
Er, dunno because I never watch it myself but I'm told CNN has attempted to be less biased and that's the reason for the decline...not as rabidly leftist as MSLSD nor as rabidly right wing as FOX. What? You mean a non-biased outlet cannot survive? But, like I said, I never watch any of them. FOX, MSNBC, CNN...they're all BORING, superficial and shallow. When CNN first started the first thing I noticed was that after about half an hour they would start to repeat themselves. If you watched one half hour of it you saw just about all the content they had for an entire news cycle. It was like watching Dan Rather and the CBS Evening News over and over and over...all day long. I was hoping for a little more depth. My solution was to turn it off.
Gimme Anthony Bourdain. So now, CNN has stolen him from the Travel Channel and done just that.
#11
Last I was in an airport, I was surprised by the number of not CNN channels on. Its like if half the dentist offices cancelled their Newspeak subscriptions they would go out of business too.
Bourdain. I find him to be a prissy know-it-all who seeths disdain for American culture yet not brave enough to become an ex-pat. He is at his best when in mooselimb countries making jokes about getting smashed at the local wedding. To his credit, he has made a fine career for himself, is witty, and his attitude works well for what No Reservations is.
#15
IIRC the demographics indicate the the network viewers are literally dying off, very high on the older age bracket. Consider the unintended effect of Death Panels Obamacare on those Big Three.
The Virginia governor indicated on Tuesday the Mitt Romney camp might be considering him for vice president.
Gov. Bob McDonnell shifted from his usual response when questioned about a potential vice presidential bid while speaking on WTOP's "Ask the Governor." He had previously indicated he was not actively seeking the position, but might consider it if asked.
On Tuesday, he told WTOP he would not comment now that Romney is openly vetting candidates, such as Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a Tea Party favorite.
"I'm not discussing the vice presidential vetting process," said McDonnell, the governor of the nation's top state for business, according to a 2011 study. "You can address those questions to the Romney campaign."
The change in tone indicates he might soon become one of the other public figures Romney is now openly vetting for the position.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[7 views]
Top|| File under:
[Dawn] Adviser to prime minister of interior affairs, Rehman Malik Pak politician, Interior Minister under the Gilani administration. Malik is a former Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) intelligence officer who rose to head the FIA during Benazir Bhutto's second tenure. He later joined the Pak Peoples Party and was chief security officer to Bhutto. Malik was tossed from his FIA job in 1998 after documenting the breath-taking corruption of the Sharif family. By unhappy coincidence Nawaz Sharif became PM at just that moment and Malik moved to London one step ahead of the button men. He had to give up the interior ministry job because he held dual Brit citizenship. while talking to media persons outside the Supreme Court of Pakistain has said the top leadership of the outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) has been killed, DawnNews reported.
He added that some low-level-leaders of the banned outfit still exists in many cities though.
The adviser to the PM condemned the attack carried out by the TTP on a private television network office in Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It may be the largest city in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... .
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[12 views]
Top|| File under: TTP
[Saudi Gazette] The General Intelligence was able to decode symbols used for passing messages by an Al-Qaeda operative, the Prosecutor General said while reading out charges in the ongoing trial of the Cell of 55 in a special court Tuesday. Defendant No. 46 tried to trick security agencies by using code language when passing messages. He used the words "players" and "playground" (Al-La'ibeen and Al-Mal'ab in Arabic) to refer to the cell members and Riyadh city, respectively.
The Special Penal Court in Riyadh looked into charges against 10 defendants in the cell Tuesday. The Prosecutor General confirmed that the 10 defendants joined a terrorist cell, carried out armed acts and wasted national resources.
The prosecution accused Defendant No. 50 of beating up a prison guard in Madinah, grabbing the gate key from him, opening the main door, opening several prison cells, inciting the prisoners to riot, attempting to commit suicide, tampering with power cables and starting a fire inside the prison, among other charges.
Defendant No. 41 was charged with attending Jama'at Al-Tableegh gatherings, and keeping videos of terrorist operations and pictures of wanted terrorists.
The prosecution leveled eight charges against Defendant No. 42. They included meeting with and providing cover to wanted terrorists, inquiring about the health of Saleh Al-Aufi, asking his brother to remove cell phones from the room where they met to protect against eavesdropping, and monitoring the movement of Lt. Col. Al-Sawat who died in a terrorist attack in Al-Sharayea district in Makkah.
Defendant No. 43 faced 21 charges. They included contributing to purchase four cycle of violences for training bully boyz in liquidation operations and using them to flee the country.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[11 views]
Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in Arabia
[Dawn] Key commander of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) Dara Adamkhel, Umar, was killed in encounter in Badbher area of Beautiful Downtown Peshawar, officials confirmed
The TTP Death Eaters was with some other Death Eaters in Badbher when he was bumped off in the gun-battle by the police.
Umar was a close aide of Commander Tariq Afridi group of the TTP splinter group.
Police also recovered a hand grenade and a pistol from the car the other Death Eaters managed to escape.
The police conducted a search operation in the area after the clash and nabbed Maw! They're comin' to get me, Maw! five suspects.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[13 views]
Top|| File under: TTP
[Yemen Post] Yemeni Minister of Electricity Dr. Saleh Sumai said that the sabotage attacks targeting the power supply lines and oil pipelines are politically-motivated.
In an interview with the state-run television, Sumai said that the current crisis in the energy sector caused by the repeated sabotage attacks is triggered by the political faults of the former regime and stressed that the National Unity Government (NUG) would avoid committing the same mistakes.
The Marib province, he explained, is not connected to the national electricity network and revealed that the NUG is working to provide Marib, where the biggest power station in the country is based, with 20 megawatt of power and make it a part of the national grit.
Speaking about the NUG's resolve to protect the public services, Sumai pointed out that the government is going to deal with the sabotage attacks as criminal acts and that it would secure the power supply lines no matter what the sacrifices would be.
"Yemen has changed and people must realize the change and adopt to it," he said.Yemen only has 800 megawatt of energy while Somalia, its neighbor which is harshly-hit by civil wars and conflicts, has 1200 megawatt of power, according to the minister.
Sumai noted that the power transmission lines have been subjected to attacks in certain areas and by certain people since the eruption of the revolution which triggered a wave of unrest throughout the country. He further stressed that before February of last year, the power lines have never come under sabotage attacks.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[13 views]
Top|| File under: Arab Spring
[An Nahar] Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has agreed to attend an international meeting on the Syria conflict in Geneva on Saturday, Russia's U.N. envoy said Tuesday.
U.N.-Arab League ...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing... envoy Kofi Annan ...Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh and so far the worst Secretary-General of the UN. Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize for something or other that probably sounded good at the time. In December 2004, reports surfaced that Kofi's son Kojo received payments from the Swiss company Cotecna, which had won a lucrative contract under the UN Oil-for-Food Program. Kofi Annan called for an investigation to look into the allegations, which stirred up the expected cesspool but couldn't seem to come up with enough evidence to indict Kofi himself, or even Kojo... wants to hold the meeting of the major powers in Geneva in a final bid to get agreement on a political transition plan for Syria.
Annan has not yet officially announced the meeting, however, and the comments by Russia's U.N. envoy Vitaly Churkin are the first sign that it will go ahead.
Because of the "grim" situation in Syria "we need to work even harder. What I can tell you is that Sergei Lavrov has officially accepted the invitation to come to the action group meeting in Geneva" on Saturday, Churkin told news hounds before Security Council talks on Syria.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[13 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
A Mexican Navy helicopter reported missing on June 22nd is presumed crashed, according to Mexican news accounts.
According to a news item posted on the website of El Universal news daily, the Panther AS565 helicopter had been dispatched last Friday from a navy base in Manzanillo, Colima, bound for a base in Minatitlan, Veracruz on the east coast of Mexico.
The aircraft was carrying four unidentified Mexican navy personnel.
According to news reports, the bird departed International Airport Playa de Oro in Colima at about 1135 hrs and was expected to make contact with air traffic control in Urupan, Michoancan by 1210 hrs. Contact was never made.
According to news reports, the bird had undergone maintenance prior to returning to base in Veracruz state.
According to information provided by a representative of the Mexican Sixth Naval Region, search operations by air and ground have been underway since.
According to the El Universal report, residents of La Barranca del Muerto in Tecalitlan municipality in Michoacan reported hearing a crash near their area. Navy officials said that search operations have been underway since receiving those reports.
A separate report in El Universal said that air traffic personnel had received communications from the bird at around 1710 hrs. That report probably fuels Mexican navy officials' hope that at least some of the crew may be alive.
That area in Michoacan is very remote and rugged, difficult to access by road since it is marked by ravines and mountains.
According to Wikipedia the Eurocopter Panther is actually built in Brazil. Only four birds total are in the Mexican Navy inventory.
Chris Covert writes Mexican Drug War and national political news for Rantburg.com
(Sh. M. Network)-At least seven people are reportedly killed more than number were maimed in a heavy fighting ... as opposed to the more usual light or desultory fighting... between two armed militias loyal to local clans dwell in a township near Buhodle city of Togdheer region, reports said.
The firefight broke out after tribal fighters carrying weapons attacked a village run by band of militia loyal to another clan in the area, according to a local resident.
At least seven combatants from both warring sides are confirmed to have been killed in the festivities.
The cause of the skirmish could not be independently verified as the both rival sides have yet to release any comments on the violence.
The town of Buhodle is one of the disputed areas in northern Somalia between the newly established Khatumo state, Puntland ...a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe in the Nugaal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998. Puntland and the equally autonomous Somaliland seem to have avoided the clan rivalries and warlordism that have typified the rest of Somalia, which puts both places high on the list for Islamic subversion... and Somaliland.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[7 views]
Top|| File under:
Western intelligence officials have long feared such a scenario - a convert to Islam who is trained in terrorist methods and can blend in easily in Europe and the U.S., traveling without visa restrictions.
Officials from three European security agencies confirmed Monday the man is "operational," meaning he has completed his training and is about to receive a target. All spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case publicly. They declined to name the man, who has not been accused of a crime.
European security services, including in Norway, have warned in recent years of homegrown, radicalized Mohammedans traveling to terror training camps in conflict zones. Many of the known cases involve young men with family roots in Mohammedan countries.
But the latest case involves a man in his 30s with no immigrant background, the officials said. After converting to Islam in 2008, he quickly became radicalized and traveled to Yemen to receive terror training, one of the officials said. The man spent "some months" in Yemen and is still believed to be there, he said.
The official said the man has no criminal record, which would also make him an ideal recruit for Al Qaeda.
The man has not been accused of a crime in Norway, where traveling abroad to attend terror training camps is not a crime per se.
[An Nahar] Embattled Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Sonny, disguised as Fredo, trying to be Mike... said on Tuesday that his country, in the grips of an anti-regime uprising now in its 16th month, is in a "real situation of war."
"We are witnessing a real situation of war," state news agency SANA quoted him as telling a meeting of the new Syrian cabinet.
But Assad insisted that "when one is in a state of war, all our policies and capabilities must be used to secure victory."
His remarks came as the United States on Tuesday said that a "desperate" Assad was slowly losing his grip on power, citing recent defections of army officers and soldiers to neighboring Turkey and Jordan.
"Clearly, Bashir al-Assad has been slowly -- too slowly -- losing his grip over his country," White House front man Jay Carney said.
Syria has been hit by deadly violence that has claimed more than 15,000 lives, monitors say, since an uprising erupted in March 2011 against Assad's regime.
Assad, who has made rare public appearances since the uprising erupted, insists that his regime is battling "armed terrorist groups."
On June 3 he told parliament of his determination to crush the rebellion "at any price."
Western powers have repeatedly warned against a civil war in Syria.
On Saturday Assad issued a decree forming a new government, less than two months after controversial parliamentary elections boycotted by the opposition.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[13 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
[An Nahar] Russia on Tuesday said its regional ally Syria's downing of a Turkish jet should not be viewed as a provocation and urged all nations to tone down their rhetoric over the incident. Go ahead. Shoot a Russian plane down. See what they call it.
"We believe it is important that the incident is not viewed as a provocation or an intentional action, and that it does not lead to destabilizing the situation," the foreign ministry said in its first comment on Friday's Phantom 4 jet downing.
"The escalation of political propaganda -- including on the international level -- is especially dangerous when there are efforts under way to mobilize all influential outside players" in arranging a lasting grinding of the peace processor.
The statement was issued only moments after Moscow's ambassador to the United Nations ...what started out as a a diplomatic initiative, now trying to edge its way into legislative, judicial, and executive areas... said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had accepted an invitation to attend an international meeting on the conflict in Geneva on Saturday.
The U.N. announcement came as a surprise because the meeting has still not been formally agreed by Western and regional governments amid infighting over participation in the talks of close Syria and Russia partner Iran.
Russia supplies air defense systems to Syria and had remained conspicuously silent about the plane downing even as NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A cautionary tale of cost-benefit analysis.... leaders met to consider the Western military bloc's response.
The Moscow statement urged all sides to exercise "restraint" and for Turkey and Syria to establish direct dialogue that could help avoid a potential military escalation between the two uneasy neighbors.
"We believe that the best line of conduct in this situation is restraint and constructive cooperation between Turkey and Syria aimed at clearing up all the circumstances of the incident and preventing such tragic events from happening again," the ministry statement said.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[20 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
#1
Russia Says Syria Downing of Turkey Jet Not a 'Provocation'
#4
If the wreckage is found in Syrian waters, it should be amusing to hear Turkey's explanation. After all, Erdogan did call the jihadist volunteers attempting to smuggle arms to Hamas "peace activists".
#5
The jury is still out amongst the MilBlogs/
Forums as to whether it was Russian forces, present or en-route; or Russian-controlled Syrian ADS Network that originally downed Turkey's RF-4???
* DEFENCE FORUM INDIA > SYRIA TO RECEIVE NEW RUSSIA ARMS SOON: THINK-TANK [CAST = Russia]
* FYI DEBKA > claims that British SPECOPS have entered Syria, + that Assad's Presidential coumpound has been attacked.
[An Nahar] Rebel forces and Syrian army units engaged in deadly combat around elite Republican Guard posts in the suburbs of Damascus ...Capital of the last remaining Baathist regime in the world... on Tuesday, as 86 people were killed across the country, a monitoring group said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the corpse count consisted of 50 civilians, 32 soldiers and four rebels.
"Violent festivities are taking place around positions of the Republican Guard in Qudsaya and aAl-Hama," eight kilometers (five miles) from central Damascus, the head of the Observatory, Rami Abdel Rahman, told Agence La Belle France Presse.
Twenty-eight people were killed in and around the capital, including 14 people in al-Hama and 11 in Qudsaya during shelling by regime troops.
"This is the first time that the regime uses artillery in fighting so close to the capital," Abdel Rahman said.
"This development is important because it's the heaviest fighting in the area and close to the heart of the capital."
Abu Omar, a front man for activists in the Damascus region, told AFP via Skype that "all communication has been cut off in and around al-Hama and Qudsaya."
He charged that regime forces "stormed the areas with tanks" and also spoke of a "massacre" although he gave no further details.
The official SANA news agency said, meanwhile, that government forces clashed with "armed terrorist groups" in al-Hama.
"The gangs attacked citizens and law enforcement forces and blocked the Old Beirut road to use it as a smuggling route for weapons," SANA said.
"Dozens of bad boyz were potted in the festivities," while others were tossed in the calaboose ... anything you say can and will be used against you, whether you say it or not... , SANA said.
Weapons were also seized, including "rocket-propelled grenade launchers, sniper rifles, machine guns and a large amount of ammunition," the agency added.
The Observatory reported that five people were killed in the eastern city of Deir Ezzor, where several neighborhoods came under army bombardment, while three were killed elsewhere in the province.
Six civilians and two rebels were killed in the northwest province of Idlib, among them three civilians and one rebel killed in Khan Sabul.
In central Hama province, a rebel battalion commander and a defected officer were killed during festivities between the army and rebels.
Elsewhere in central Syria, one person was killed in shelling on the Khaldiyeh neighborhood of Homs.
Six people died in the southern province of Daraa, known as the cradle of the uprising, including three who were killed during shelling on the town of Kafr al-Shams as the army tried to gain control over the area.
Another civilian was rubbed out by troops in the northern province of Aleppo ...For centuries, Aleppo was Greater Syria's largest city and the Ottoman Empire's third, after Constantinople and Cairo. Although relatively close to Damascus in distance, Aleppans regard Damascenes as country cousins... At least 32 soldiers were also killed on Tuesday in fighting with rebels in various parts of Syria.
On Monday, 95 people were killed, including 61 civilians, as the army pounded rebel strongholds and other towns and cities.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[14 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
#1
When they are putting one another to the sword, they are not fighting us. Please do not intervene.
[Saudi Gazette] Ten terrorists belonging to the Al-Khafji cell were sentenced to a combined total of 80 years in prison and were barred from traveling abroad for a total of 84 years in a preliminary verdict issued by the Special Penal Court in Riyadh Tuesday.
The leader of the cell was proved guilty of six charges, and was sentenced to 15 years in prison from the date of his detention (Nov. 10, 2005). The 15-year imprisonment includes five years for money laundering and the rest for other crimes including possession of unlicensed firearms. He will be barred from traveling abroad for 15 years after his detention period.
Defendant No. 2 was proved guilty of three charges, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison from the date of his detention (Nov. 10, 2004). He cannot travel abroad for 10 years after completing his prison term.
Defendant No. 3, who was facing three charges, was proved guilty of two of the charges and was sentenced to two-year prison from the date of his detention (Jan. 15, 2005). He will be barred from traveling abroad for five years after completing his jail term.
No verdict was issued against defendant no. 4 since he was not present in the court.
Defendant No. 5, who was proved guilty of two charges, received a prison term of eight years from Dec. 20, 2004, the day he was detained. He will be barred from traveling abroad for eight years.
Defendant No. 6, who was proved guilty of two charges, was sentenced to 10 years in prison from Dec. 20, 2004, the day he was detained. After serving his jail term, he will be barred from traveling abroad for 13 years.
Defendant No. 7, facing three charges was proved guilty of all the charges, and was sentenced to 13 years in prison from Nov. 21, 2004. After being released from prison, he will be barred from traveling abroad for 13 years.
Defendant No. 8 was proved guilty of three charges and was sentenced to six years in prison from April 18, 2005, the date of his detention. He will be barred from traveling outside the Kingdom for six years.
Defendant No.9, found guilty of four charges, was sentenced to jail for nine years from Jan. 1, 2005, the date he was detained. He will be barred from traveling outside the Kingdom for nine years.
Defendant No. 10, facing two charges, was sentenced to two years behind bars from the date of his detention (Nov. 20, 2004). He will be barred from traveling abroad for two years.
Defendant No. 11, facing two charges, was sentenced to jail for five years from Nov. 29, 2004 and will be barred from traveling outside the Kingdom for five years after completing his jail term.
All the defendants requested to appeal the verdict.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[8 views]
Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in Arabia
[Investors] Another weekend of violence in the president's hometown, now run by his former chief of staff. If you want to see the fruits of a presidential second term, look at the decline of his city.
President B.O. and Rahm Emanuel, current mayor and former White House chief of staff, brought the "Chicago Way" to Washington in more ways than one. Not only did they bring a style of bare-knuckled backroom politics of intimidation and cronyism, they brought a statist philosophy of government knows best that has left America's Second City a second-rate city with nowhere to go but down.
Last weekend was all too typical in Chicago these days, with four dead and 29 maimed throughout a city that's been home to one of the nation's toughest gun laws. Chicago has become the murder capital of America with a 50% increase in violence for the past year.
Obama recently paid his hometown, where he maintains a residence, a visit. As Wayne Allyn Root, writing on FoxNews.com, noted, 35 were maimed and seven killed in shootouts with the president home that weekend. Included in that violent mess was a 16-year-old girl. Three of the murder victims were killed in one hour on Sunday morning. It was the third weekend in a row with gunshot murders and injuries in the double digits.
The Windy City briefly shone during the recent NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's headquartered in Belgium. That sez it all.... summit, held in a cordoned-off high-security enclave on the city's postcard Lakefront . The local Fraternal Order of Police took the occasion to erect billboards around town reminding people that for a decade the city has been 1,000 coppers short of complying with the legal minimum for police protection.
Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas recently disclosed a staggering $108 billion debt tab across various governing bodies in the county that translates to $63,525 per Chicago household. Unfunded pension liabilities make up nearly a quarter of that. Not all the debt is Chicago's, a city with the nation's highest sales tax, but enough of it is.
Chicago lost 200,000 people from 2000 to 2009. The only one of the nation's 15 largest cities to lose people. Of all cities, it fell between Detroit, reigning champion of progressive urban decay, and hurricane ravaged New Orleans, in the number of people fleeing to greener pastures.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[7 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
...and Chicago slowly shifts into position behind Detroit.....
[Yemen Post] Al-Qaeda operatives have left Yemen to the neighboring state of Oman after they were attacked in South Yemen, an Omani newspaper said on Tuesday. Betcha Sultan Caboose is cheezed...
The newspaper quoted the Secretary-General of the Foreign Minster Badar Al-Boseedi as saying that Al-Qaeda operatives infiltrated to Oman and actions were taken to pursue them.
He further said that the Omani authorities have not placed in durance vile Keep yer hands where we can see 'em, if yez please! any infiltrators so far, asserting that Omani authorities are alert, pointing out that the they contacted with neighboring states regarding the issue.
Yemen's army backed by rustics managed to defeat Ansar Al-Sharia beturbanned goons in attacks against their strongholds in South Yemen and some of the beturbanned goons escaped to the Omani borders.
Yemeni media sources said that Al-Qaeda beturbanned goons beat feet from Jaar and Zinjibar to some valleys of Abyan ...a governorate of Yemen. The region was a base to the Aden-Abyan Islamic Army terrorist group until it dropped the name and joined al-Qaeda. Its capital is Zinjibar. In March 2011, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula declared the governate an Islamic Emirate after seizing control of the region. The New York Times fastidiously reported that those in control, while Islamic hard boyz, are not in fact al-Qaeda, but something else that looks, tastes, smells, and acts the same. Yemeni government forces launched an effort to re-establish control of the region when President-for-Life Saleh was tossed and the carnage continues... and set up training camps there.
According to Akhbar Alyawam Newspaper, al-Qaeda beturbanned goons set up a training camp in an areas close to Al-Mahafad district of Abyan, indicating that a Saudi diplomat Abdullah Al-Khaldi and a Swiss teacher Sylvia Abrahat were transferred to this area.
Meanwhile, ...back at the dirigible, Jack stuck the cigar in his mouth, stepped onto the gantry, and asked Got a light, Mac?
Von Schtinken stopped short, lowering the dagger and trying to control his features. If you light that thing, Herr Armschtröng, he pointed out, his voice tense, we all die!... Yemeni officials said Al-Qaeda beturbanned goons implanted landmines before they fled from key southern strongholds, pointing out that they killed nearly 73 civilians over the past week.
Yemeni officials has made clear that engineering teams have removed some 3,000 land mines around the city and near the southern town of Jaar. The killed civilians were residents of the area.
The Yemeni army captured Jaar and Zinjibar after a two-month offensive to uproot al Qaeda gunnies from large swaths of land they captured during last year's political turmoil.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[18 views]
Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in Arabia
[Saudi Gazette] South Africa's economy is still in the apartheid era and blacks must wrest control of the continent's financial and mining powerhouse from the white minority, President Jacob Zuma said Tuesday.
"The structure of the apartheid economy has remained largely intact and has not included higher or inclusive growth," Zuma said as he opened a key policy conference of the ruling African National Congress (ANC).
During talks with the apartheid regime before the end of white minority rule in 1994, the party "had to make certain compromises in national interest and these were absolutely necessary," Zuma said.
"The ownership of the economy is still primarily in the hands of white males as it had always been," he said. "The ANC must democratize and deracialise the ownership and control of the economy by empowering the African community and blacks in general."
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[17 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Uh, uh, AS PER 1990's CLINTONISM POST-APARTHEID BLACK SOUTH AFRICA IS DEMANDING ITS RIGHT TO BE ATTACKED + FORCIBLY ISLAMIZED???
gut nuthin.
Does Zuma know the Hard Boyz geographically aren't that far away???
#3
"The ownership of the economy is still primarily in the hands of white males as it had always been,"
Soften it, soften it a bit Jacob my china. Use terms like.... "top two percent of wage earners" or "greedy Wall Street moguls". Those mines are yours for the taking, don't ruin it!
#7
Go ahead. It should serve as an interesting experiment in government and economics, and a fine example for others. I just want to know what they are going to do after Whitey done gone. Bring in the Chinese to run the place?
#8
SA is a tragedy in progress. The place is blessed with a tremendous amount of natural resources. Now the ANC is doing the communist way, and they will destroy the country. Nice going guys.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
06/27/2012 17:32
Comments ||
Top||
#9
How long until "Redistributin' B Hard" becomes a catchphrase?
#10
Sheesh, in the vernacular, described as kaffirmation, been going on for years and has never worked. What the Rhodesians fought against written into a bigger wasteland at the expense of war debts and decolonization.i
#11
I understand patriotism and all but I will never understand Jews living in Germany or Whites living in Southern Africa. The time to leave is before the burning your property stage.
[Dawn] The presidential ordinance issued to give constitutional protection to all legislative and administrative measures taken by Yousuf Raza Gilani as the prime minister between April 26 and June 19, was challenged in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, DawnNews reported.
The petitioner, Shahid Orakzai, was of the view that the issuance of the presidential ordinance violates the parliament's right of law making.
The ordinance also tries to undermine the constitutional rights of the apex court, the petitioner said.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[12 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
[LA Times] Stockton residents braced for a fateful City Council meeting on Tuesday night that could result in the city declaring bankruptcy.
The Stockton City Council will discuss whether to seek protection from creditors under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.
The working-class port city -- where much of Caliphornia's agricultural exports set sail -- lived largely on credit during economic boom times. The city borrowed millions of dollars for ambitious, eye-catching projects in the mid-2000s. Up went a sports arena, hotel and promenade. The city booked a Neil Diamond concert as a kickoff to better times. Houses in sprawling tracts sold quickly and with high mortgages.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[7 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
calling Stockton a 'port city' is a bit of a stretch.
Yes, it does have a port and its big and it has managed to get a lot of grants for physical improvement, However, it is only a small blip when it comes to traffic. About 100 ton equivalent units ship to or from there each year as opposed to about 2 million TEUs to/from the port of Oakland.
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
06/27/2012 18:06
Comments ||
Top||
A Cairo airport official says Hosni Mubarak ...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011... 's last prime minister who was defeated by an Islamist in the race for Egypt's new president has left the country for the United Arab Emirates.
The official says Ahmed Shafik flew out of Egypt at dawn Tuesday with his three daughters and grandchildren, just hours after the country's prosecutor general opened an investigation into allegations that he wasted public funds during his eight-year-term as a civil aviation minister under Mubarak.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
06/27/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[7 views]
Top|| File under: Arab Spring
#1
...flew out of Egypt at dawn Tuesday with his three daughters and grandchildren, and his account numbers and pass-words FIFY
So much of what happens in the ME leaves me torn hoping both sides lose big.
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.
How Stockton found itself so mired in debt can be seen everywhere in the city's core. There is a sparkling marina, high-rise hotel and promenade financed by credit in the mid-2000s, mere blocks from where mothers won't let their children play in the yard because of violence.
Authorities stormed an arriving cargo ship believed to have Pakistani stowaways on board - some of which are reportedly dead.
Iran is pulling out all the stops in backing their man in Syria. Word is that the Hezzies have deployed from Lebanon.
[Dawn] A barrage of cross-border artillery and rocket attacks from Pakistain have forced thousands of Afghan villagers to flee their homes, witnesses and officials in Afghanistan said on Tuesday.
...a valley and an administrative district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistain, located 99 mi from Islamabad. It is inhabited mostly by Pashto speakers. The place has gone steadily downhill since the days when Babe Ruth was the Sultan of Swat...
[Dawn] An alleged key plotter in the 2008 Mumbai attacks now in Indian police custody had been living in 
A US drone strike targeting a
Mohmand
Yet another possible setback for the Democratic party. According to the Saint Louis Beacon, Missouri senator 
So there I wuz, reading about 
The idea of different evolutionary strains leads Life's Little Mysteries to the illogical conclusion that "They're immune to Earth's bacteria." I'm not sure one idea follows from the other. It seems to me that if you're going to get bitten by a bacterium it wouldn't take much of it to cause an alien's entire immune system (always assuming the alien has a system) to go plumb Oskarspiel. The bacterium would be chock full of DNA and Izzglk the Galactic Overlord would be full of EMB or something. He'd turn into a gigantic pus ball as the alien equivalent of white cells swarmed or he'd explode or maybe just peg out quietly with an overdose of the wrong kind of protein, kind of like a dose of snake venom. (Poul Anderson used that one in The Man Who Matters. I kind of identify with Nicolas van Rijn. Except for his bank account.) Nothing happening would probably be the least likely option.
It's entirely likely that "They won't mate with us," given the above. Science fiction used to be overrun with aliens who were human except for their antennae or pink hair or whatever, presumably to include their pee-pees. Then the aliens became green with bug eyes or lizards or Admiral Akbar of the Calimari. Every once in awhile a writer (think Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle) would come up with aliens who weren't even bilaterally symmetrical. There were even horny robots. It's pretty hard to imagine having sex with something that isn't bilaterally symmetrical, though there are some people who don't insist on their partners being bipedal. I think we can all draw the line where the mating process is similar to earthworms or carp or something. 
A police constable of the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) and an activist of a banned sectarian outfit were among seven people killed in different parts of the city on Monday as the ongoing wave of targeted attacks mostly on political and sectarian grounds continued unabated.
cycle of violence
(Sh. M. Network)- Somali president Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed and the president of the self-declared Somaliland Ahmed M. Silanyo, congratulated the people of Somalia in the country and abroad the anniversary of the Independence of the Somali Republic.
At least five Al-Qaeda prisoners 
The 
...Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh and so far the worst Secretary-General of the UN. Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize for something or other that probably sounded good at the time. In December 2004, reports surfaced that Kofi's son Kojo received payments from the Swiss company Cotecna, which had won a lucrative contract under the UN Oil-for-Food Program. Kofi Annan called for an investigation to look into the allegations, which stirred up the expected cesspool but couldn't seem to come up with enough evidence to indict Kofi himself, or even Kojo...
Four suspected robbers and a police constable were killed in two shootouts in the areas of Ichhra and Factory Area on Monday.
Buoyed by support from its 
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
(Sh.M.Network)-Somalia's president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed will attend the global anti-piracy conference that begins here tomorrow to affirm his country's commitment to fight the menace.
When not performed out of medical necessity, circumcisions constitute a 'severe and irreversible interference into physical integrity,' Cologne judges rule
An anti-terrorism court on Monday deferred till June 30 the hanging of two condemned prisoners belonging to the banned 
[An Nahar] The FBI is investigating more than 100 suspected Islamic 
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
An Urdu-language pamphlet distributed by 
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan told Syria to beware the wrath of Turkey after the shooting down of a warplane and said he had ordered the armed forces to react to any military threat from Syria near the two countries' border.
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
the mealy-mouthed Steny 
(Sh. M. Network)-An official in Somali army says at least Eight people, mostly Al Qaeda-affiliated 
Coming off its least-watched month in primetime in 20 years in May, CNN has taken another big ratings blow: The cable news network has registered to its lowest-rated quarter in primetime since 1991. For this year's second quarter, CNN hit a low among total viewers and the key adults 25-54 demographic, with all primetime programs posting steep declines. The network averaged 446,000 total viewers and 129,000 in the 25-54 demo in primetime. Compared to last year's second quarter, that's down 35% and 41%, respectively. Rival Fox New Channel, meanwhile, with 1.79 million primetime total viewers on average, was down 1% from its 2011 second-quarter numbers. FNC lost 14% in the 25-54, bringing in 355,000 viewers. MSNBC was down 13% in total primetime viewers, with 689,000 on average, and down 17% in the 25-54 with 217,000. The quarter ran March 26-June 22.
[Dawn] Adviser to prime minister of interior affairs, 
[Saudi Gazette] The General Intelligence was able to decode symbols used for passing messages by an Al-Qaeda operative, the Prosecutor General said while reading out charges in the ongoing trial of the Cell of 55 in a special court Tuesday. Defendant No. 46 tried to trick security agencies by using code language when passing messages. He used the words "players" and "playground" (Al-La'ibeen and Al-Mal'ab in Arabic) to refer to the cell members and Riyadh city, respectively.
Key commander of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) Dara Adamkhel, Umar, was killed in encounter in Badbher area of 
(Sh. M. Network)-At least seven people are reportedly killed more than number 
Western intelligence officials have long feared such a scenario - a convert to Islam who is trained in terrorist methods and can blend in easily in Europe and the U.S., traveling without visa restrictions.
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
Russia on Tuesday said its regional ally Syria's downing of a Turkish jet should not be viewed as a provocation and urged all nations to tone down their rhetoric over the incident.
Rebel forces and Syrian army units engaged in deadly combat around elite Republican Guard posts in the suburbs of 
[Saudi Gazette] Ten terrorists belonging to the Al-Khafji cell were sentenced to a combined total of 80 years in prison and were barred from traveling abroad for a total of 84 years in a preliminary verdict issued by the Special Penal Court in Riyadh Tuesday. 
Another weekend of violence in the president's hometown, now run by his former chief of staff. If you want to see the fruits of a presidential second term, look at the decline of his city.
South Africa's economy is still in the apartheid era and blacks must wrest control of the continent's financial and mining powerhouse from the white minority, President Jacob Zuma said Tuesday.
The presidential ordinance issued to give constitutional protection to all legislative and administrative measures taken by Yousuf Raza Gilani as the prime minister between April 26 and June 19, was challenged in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, DawnNews reported.
A Cairo airport official says 
