#1
Israel is not motivated to cause Lebanon's breakup. In fact, the destruction of Hizbollah would end effective Syrian sovereignty over the south. If Lebanese forces are attacked, it could only be part of a tactical move as lotp suggests.
#5
Exactly. You've got another nasty civil war in potential here. Lebanon is one of the few ME countries left with a non-Muslim population in large numbers. Add jihadists, shake well.
Sen. Evan Bayh, weighing a run for president in 2008, challenged the Democratic Party to establish an agenda aimed at middle-class voters, a critical constituency that he said the party has let slip away.
"We may consider ourselves the party of the middle class, but too many middle-class Americans no longer consider us their party," the Indiana Democrat said Monday. "They have left the Democratic Party in droves - costing us the last two presidential elections and the last six congressional elections. If we don't learn some lessons, we'll lose in 2006 and 2008 as well, and we must not let that happen."
In his speech, Bayh said the party has focused most of its attention on the needs of lower-income Americans, but it also must address issues that matter to people on the next rung up the economic ladder.
"Without an agenda that speaks directly to the middle class and all who aspire to it, we will no longer be the party of Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy and Clinton. And we will not be a majority party," Bayh said, invoking the names of former Democratic presidents.
Moreover, Bayh said: "The country's not going to fulfill it's potential."
The two-term senator and former Indiana governor delivered what his advisers called a "major address" in Washington and then in Iowa, the first caucus state in the presidential primary process.
Bayh has been a frequent visitor to Iowa as he decides whether to seek the Democratic presidential nomination in what already is considered a crowded field. A recent state poll showed him trailing far behind other potential Democratic contenders.
Bayh dismissed the results, saying polls change over time, and acknowledged that he's considering running for president. He said that should he decide to run, creating opportunities for the middle class will be a focus of his campaign.
"I'm going to make it the centerpiece, not the afterthought," Bayh said as he laid out proposals for making college more affordable, curtailing rising health care costs, strengthening retirement accounts and conserving energy - a full 18 months before the Iowa caucuses.
More like the party of the work ethic challenged willful poor, job-security-at-any-cost-to-society union members, and ultra-rich transnational socialists.
His laundry list in the last sentence does nothing to indicate to me that he is serious about changing, either. Note to Sen. Bayh: Americans don't want to be Europeans. If they did, they'd have already moved there.
Posted by: no mo uro ||
07/17/2006 20:45
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#2
we don't need your steenkin' programs for the benefit of the middle class, Donks. What we need is for you to get out of our way as we move up the economic ladder
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/17/2006 21:27
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#3
we will no longer be the party of Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy and Clinton.
#4
I feel your pain bro. However, the leftists and wackos have hijacked your party and turned it into a freak show. They are defeatist and anti-American, but hey, good luck with your senate run.
Coalition forces in Afghanistan had a long string of successes against terrorists during the last two days, military officials reported. They killed four suspected terrorists today, attacked the safe house of a known Taliban commander last night, thwarted a terrorist attack from a hospital yesterday, and confiscated a large weapons cache yesterday.
Coalition forces killed four suspected al Qaeda terrorists, detained three suspected al Qaeda terrorists and destroyed a weapons cache during an early morning raid today in Kwost province near the village of Pelan Kheyl. The operation was to capture or kill an al Qaeda operational leader who is a significant threat to Afghan and coalition forces in the Khowst province, officials said.
Elsewhere, Afghan and coalition forces attacked the safe house of a known Taliban commander in the Sangin district of Helmand province last night. A variety of intelligence assets identified the extremist's location before the compound was attacked with joint fire and the building destroyed, officials said. The commander's name will be withheld for security reasons until his death is confirmed, officials said.
Coalition forces had been watching the safe house and saw no evidence of non-combatants or signs that civilians were affected by the strike, officials said.
In a separate operation, a group of Taliban extremists attacked Afghan and coalition security forces yesterday. The extremists attacked the combined force with machine-gun fire from inside a hospital in the Nawzad district center of Helmand province, which they were using for cover.
Despite receiving direct fire, the coalition ground commander held off returning fire until he was able to confirm that neither patients nor staff members were inside the hospital. Afghan National Police helped confirm this information.
After positively confirming that only enemy fighters were in the hospital, the coalition troops launched a single precision-guided munition at the enemy machine-gun position to minimize damage and impact only that position, officials said.
"The coalition, working with the Afghan national security forces, is determined to root out these enemy safe havens and help establish the conditions for reconstruction and aid to come to the people of Nawzad," Col. Thomas Collins, a coalition spokesman, said. "The Afghan people should have the opportunity to live in peace without fear, and they deserve the chance for a better future."
This was the 17th straight day of fighting between Afghan and coalition forces and enemy fighters, officials said.
In other news, coalition forces confiscated a significant weapons cache during a cordon-and-search operation yesterday in the Bermal district of Paktika province. The weapons recovered included rifles, AK-47s, shotguns, ammunition, powder charges, a suicide bomber belt and various improvised explosive device parts. Foreign passports, airline tickets and other extremist documents also were recovered.
#1
Sounds like more punk, tali-gangstas are taking dirt naps. Interesting that the Afghani chiefs are worried that a whole generation of afghan men may be wiped out.
"Olmert told the Knesset 'Israel will not agree to live with rockets fired on its citizens, he added. "Only a nation that can protect its freedom deserves it.'" Olmert channeling Ben Franklin? (Paraphrase: 'Those who seek security above freedom will not have or deserve either.')
#6
All I've seen is a story that show the NORK and SORK guards glaring at one another and has an American soldier say it's an unreal place and always tense.
Posted by: Laurence of the Rats ||
07/17/2006 19:57
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#8
He saw some GIs eating kimchee. The inference is obvious.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
07/17/2006 20:02
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#9
I've been trying to get a handle on this one. Best I can tell CNN ran a screen bug, which was picked up by a Freeper. However, it is propagating fiercely, so a confirmation or denial from someone who knows what the hell is going on should be coming out shortly.
Some Korean vets comments so far were that whenever anything hot happens in the ME, the Norks start acting up, which gets our side going. We are pretty on edge there right now anyway, what with them possibly having a second long range missile on the pad near ready to launch.
Vermont's Democratic Party is maneuvering to keep the Democratic candidates for the state's open US Senate seat off the November ballot, as party leaders seek to clear the way for independent Representative Bernard Sanders in his bid for the Senate...
#4
I don't see a problem. All they're doing is admitting what we all know.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
07/17/2006 20:01
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#5
Bernard Sanders is an overt, card carrying socialist.
The Democrats are doing everything possible to get him elected.
Conclusion: the Dems actively desire to promote socialism as an outcome.
Out of the closet, now and forever. The next time a Dem claims that they aren't a de facto socialist party, this bit needs to be shoved into their face.
Posted by: no mo uro ||
07/17/2006 20:50
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Gunmen killed two policemen in the centre of the capital of Chechnya on Monday in a blatant daylight attack, jerking Grozny out of the relative peace of the last few months. Officials declined to comment on the incident. Passers-by recognised the two dead men as policemen. Witnesses said the attackers sprayed the two men with machine-gun fire.
"We were standing on the street and saw how two people came out of a building on Victory Avenue. People in a car opened fire on them," said Zaira, who works at a beauty salon nearby. "They fired back and wounded one of the attackers. One woman was injured, and taken off to hospital."
The two bodies lay on their backs on the central Victory Avenue, one of them with obvious bullet holes in his leg and chest, before being gathered up and loaded into a car. A Stechkin pistol -- a type only issued to special forces -- lay on the ground between them.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/17/2006
17:34 ||
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MIAMI, Florida (AP) -- The FBI initially sought terror suspect Jose Padilla's cooperation to help prevent what intelligence sources indicated might be an imminent al Qaeda attack, an FBI agent testified Monday. Padilla refused and was later implicated in an alleged radioactive "dirty bomb" plot and declared an enemy combatant.
Russell Fincher, an agent in the FBI's New York-based unit investigating Osama bin Laden, testified at a pretrial hearing for Padilla that he met him at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport in May 2002 believing he could gain information on al Qaeda's plans. "I believed there was a terrorist act that was going to happen. I believed he had knowledge of that. I needed his help," Fincher said of Padilla. "I didn't want to arrest him."
Fincher said that during a five-hour interview Padilla talked freely about his criminal past as a Chicago gang member, his conversion to Islam and his travels in Egypt, Pakistan and elsewhere. But when his story didn't add up, Fincher said he confronted Padilla with terrorist allegations and asked if he would testify before a grand jury about his purported al Qaeda connections. "He stood up and told me the interview was over and it was time for him to go," Fincher said. Padilla was arrested on a material witness warrant, which allows a person with direct knowledge of alleged criminal acts to be taken into custody.
A month later, President Bush designated him an "enemy combatant" and he was placed in military custody. He remained there until November, when he was charged in an existing Miami case. The charges in the Miami case do not mention the "dirty bomb" plot but do claim that Padilla trained at an al Qaeda camp in Afghanistan. Padilla has pleaded not guilty.
The hearing Monday concerned whether Padilla was officially in law enforcement custody when the FBI agent interview him and, if so, whether he was properly advised of his rights. Padilla's lawyers said his statements should be barred from trial if those rights were violated. U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen T. Brown did not indicate when he would rule. Fincher testified that Padilla wasn't read his Miranda rights until the interview ended. But he also said that Padilla agreed repeatedly to talk with the FBI agents, was never handcuffed or otherwise restrained and never requested a lawyer. The initial pretext for Padilla's airport interview was the discovery by customs officials that he was carrying more than $10,000 in cash but had declared only $8,000.
Although he did ask three times to call his mother in Florida, each time he changed his mind, Fincher said. When the FBI offered to contact her for him, Fincher said, Padilla declined because he didn't want her to think he was in trouble again. The FBI also offered to put Padilla up in a hotel to rest so the interview could resume the next day, but again Padilla refused, saying he wanted to clear up the issue about the cash. "He didn't believe it was a big deal," Fincher said.
Padilla is scheduled to go to trial in September along with two others on charges of participating in a North American network that supported Islamic extremists worldwide.
Posted by: Steve ||
07/17/2006
17:24 ||
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WASHINGTON -- With the Internet's No. 1 search engine under fire for playing political favorites with content, a search of Google's political contributions as recorded by the Federal Elections Commission shows a staggering $463,500 went to Democrats in the last three election cycles with a paltry $5,000 going to Republicans....
They are liberal assholes, further jaded by almost instantaneous wealth beyond our miserable working ilk's wildest dreams. Of course they give their money to Donks. From one Ass to another.
#1
Yeah. I was born in 82. It wasnt that long ago in the context of things. Do you think you would be more open to it now?
Kohl: Open to what?
A missile defense program. Kohl: Oh, for us you mean?
#2
So many of these Democrats seem totally out of touch with reality. Only the ones on the security and foriegn relations commities even know what is on the news headlines. But that doesn' stop the rest of them from commenting.
United States intelligence officials believe that the current crisis in the Middle East, that began with incursions into Israel and abductions of soldiers followed by terrorist attacks against the Israeli people, is being fomented by Iran.
The hatred of the Jewish State is no where more evident than in Iran with rhetoric reminiscent of the dark days of Hitler's rise to power. Meanwhile there are a number of so-called experts, such as former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who continue to tell the American people and the world that while the Iranian government despises Israelis, the people of Iran don't share those views of hatred and ill-will.
Unfortunately, the truth is the Iranian people share their leaders' hatred for the Jews, according to a recent survey conducted by a polling company owned by an Arab-American, who was allowed access to the Iranian population.
Iranians showed almost total agreement, regardless of age or gender; when asked if the state of Israel is illegitimate and should not exist, 67% agreed and only 9% disagreed, according to the Zogby International poll.
Also, a majority (64%) said they would be willing to suffer through a bad economy if that were the price the country had to pay to develop its nuclear program. Also, 25% said they would blame the United States if the United Nations imposed nuclear-related sanctions, although nearly 40% said they were not sure whom to blame. Only one in six would blame Iran's own government. If their country were to develop nuclear weapons, 25% said it would make the Middle East a safer place, but 35% disagreed with that statement.
Despite tensions between the United States and Iran, most Iranians -- nearly two-thirds -- said they don't believe that the two countries will go to war in the next decade. Iranian men were more interested than women in making the economy work better. Among men, 47% said the economy should be a top government priority, while just 33% of women agreed. The older the respondent, the less important they considered development of a nuclear arsenal.
When it came to their view of the United States, there was a split between the generations. Older Iranians were much more likely to admire the American people and society than younger Iranians. John Zogby, President and CEO of Zogby International, hypothesized that this generational split may be due in part to the lack of exposure to Americans over the past two decades.
Younger and older Iranians would favor a more conservative, religious society, while those aged 30-49 said they would favor a more liberal, secular culture. What is striking is that just 15% said Iranian culture should stay just the way it is right now. Women were more likely than men to say they wanted a more liberal, secular society.
Among those Iranians with Internet access, 41% said they wanted a more religious culture, compared to 33% who said they wanted a more secular society.
The attitudes of younger Iranians toward the government, people and policies of the United States have been shaped by years of isolation, largely conservative religious leadership, and anti-US rhetoric. This group is consistently more negative in its attitudes towards Americans and the American government than are older Iranians. However, new technology, including satellite television and the Internet, could be used as tools that connect young Iranians with other nations in the region, and the West, according to Zogby.
Those technologies -- Internet access and satellite TV ownership -- appeared to influence attitudes among Iranians, as did gender. Iranians with access to the Internet or satellite TV were significantly more likely than their "unconnected" compatriots to identify the United States as the country they admire the most.
They were also significantly less likely to pick the US government as the one they admire the least: one in three Iranians without Internet access (34%) chose the United States as least admired, compared with fewer than one in five Iranians with Internet access (18%), the poll shows.
The American government also appeared to attract more admiration from Iranians who favor a more secular or liberal direction for Iran.
#5
Zogby starts with an opinion and manufactures a poll that supports it
Posted by: Captain America ||
07/17/2006 20:07
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#6
The poll confirms what I suspected of Iranian opinion, conditioned as it is. I believe that anti-regime action should not involve heavy attacks on Teheran, because the real capitol of Iran is: Qom. Attack Qom, miltary targets on the strait of Hormuz and the missile launch and nuke sites, and everything else will fall into place. Ahmadinejad has been looking like a winner to Iranians; once he loses that image, he is gonzo.
SUFFOLK A naked man clutching a pigeon was arrested over the weekend after beating the bird against a car. Two Whaleyville residents had just pulled into their driveway Friday night when Juan Lopez, 30, of Kellam Road in Virginia Beach came up and repeatedly pounded the pigeon on the car, police said. The people got out of the car and went to a neighbors house where they called the police.
"Attention all cars, be on the lookout for a nude dude with a dead squab. That is all"
After a short chase, police caught Lopez in nearby woods. Im not sure whether hes mentally disturbed or under the influence of narcotics, but he was obviously having some sort of issue that night, said Lt. Debbie George, Suffolk Police Department spokeswoman.
This is why Debbie gets the big bucks
Police discovered that Lopez had destroyed two of the homeowners bird cages, freeing 15 small chickens and four pigeons. He killed four birds, George said. Lopez was treated at Sentara Obici Hospital for cuts and scratches. Hes charged with burglary, destruction of property and assault with a dead wigeon larceny of poultry.
Posted by: Steve ||
07/17/2006
16:12 ||
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#1
larceny of poultry
You've got to be kidding me.
A naked man clutching a pigeon was arrested over the weekend after beating the bird against a car.
Didn't we see that in the Monty Pythons interludes, more or less?
SOME of the main fundraisers for the terror group suspected of masterminding the Bombay train bombings are operating from Britain, according to Indian intelligence officials. The officials accuse Britain of failing to act against a number of wealthy businessmen, who they claim are using bogus charities to funnel up to £8 million a year to Kashmiri militants groups, such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, which remains the main suspect for orchestrating the synchronised bombings that killed 182 people.
Manmohan Singh, the Indian Prime Minister, raised the terror link with Tony Blair at the G8 summit in St Petersburg yesterday, reminding him that India handed over a detailed dossier three years ago identifying 14 men living in Britain and was assured the suspects would be investigated. Since then nothing has been done, and the money still coming from Britain helps to pay for the terrorist camps where we believe the bombers were trained and this atrocity was planned, a senior Indian security official said last night.
Gordon Brown pledged that the Treasury would use new laws to shut down terrorist fundraising and ordered that the bank accounts of 54 organisations be frozen, although records show that last year Whitehall only recovered £9,318.
Britain talks about the need for all nations to get tough together, but more money comes from the UK to Kashmiri terror groups than any other country, the official added. One of those identified in the dossier is reported to be a Pakistan-born multimillionaire businessman who owns at least two luxury homes in London.
You just knew it'd be a Pak, didn't you?
Professor Paul Wilkinson, of the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence at the University of St Andrews, said: It is very sad the figure for the money still flowing to the likes of Lashkar has not been substantially reduced by now. It is difficult to track the money trail, but we should put more resources to doing so.
The funding from overseas has helped terror groups to set up a string of new training camps in Bangladesh, close to the border with India. Al-Qaeda-trained militants are reportedly running up to 13 camps, and MI6 and other Western intelligence agencies have been monitoring the traffic of young recruits to these centres including a number of volunteers based in Britain. British security agencies had been warning that groups closely linked to al-Qaeda were planning to stage bomb attacks in India, using local sympathisers to carry out their operation.
Scores of Indian-based militants are alleged to have attended the al-Qaeda run camps near Bandarban and Chittagong. Security chiefs believe that the mastermind behind the bombing on seven commuter trains used one of these camps in Bangladesh to finalise plans for the attack. Anti-terrorist officers involved in the hunt for the Bombay bombers travelled to the border town of Tripura yesterday to question 11 men from the port city who were said to have been caught trying to cross back into Bangladesh. The men are believed to be militant members of the outlawed (Student Islamic Movement of India), which police allege helped in the bomb plot.
Teams of armed officers continued with their mass round-ups yesterday, with further raids on a number of shanty towns around Bombay. So far they have detained more than 1,300 men, but the police face mounting public criticism at their failure to arrest anyone involved in the terror network that is believed to have been living in Indias financial capital for at least three months.
D. K. Shankaran, the chief secretary of Maharashtra state, of which Bombay is the capital, said last night: We believe police will be able to zero in on the culprits within a week. As he left for St Petersburg Mr Singh, said: We will impress upon the leaders gathered at the G8 summit that the international community must adopt an approach of zero tolerance toward terrorism anywhere.
He also made a thinly veiled attack on Pakistan, which he has blamed for sheltering terrorists, adding: The international community must isolate and condemn terrorists wherever they attack, whatever their cause and whichever country or group provides them sustenance and support.
Talks planned for Thursday between the countries foreign ministers were postponed yesterday, with Indias Foreign Minister giving warning: As a result of these terrorist attacks, it is becoming very difficult to take forward the peace process.
Millions are expected to take part in a two-minute silence to be staged in Bombay tomorrow at the time of the first explosion. Bollywood stars who live in the city will join politicians, police and survivors of the attack in a public show of defiance against the terrorists.
Posted by: Steve ||
07/17/2006
16:08 ||
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#4
It comes back to "follow the money." The Saudis fund the Paks, the Paks get the cheese, the cheese stands alone. And boom. Deal with Saudi money and Iranian money, and 80% (WAG) of the terrorism goes away.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
07/17/2006 16:51
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#5
What a damn shock this is. My dear Brits, you'd better start riding herd on this Paki problem you've got there. Get rid of them now. Your window of opportunity is closing. You'll soon be swimming in shit just like the Frogs, thanks to Al-Shiraq.
#7
Professor Paul Wilkinson, of the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence at the University of St Andrews, said: It is very sad the figure for the money still flowing to the likes of Lashkar has not been substantially reduced by now. It is difficult to track the money trail, but we should put more resources to doing so.
Not so easy there, mister professor guy. Wait'll the NY Times Telegraph gets a hold of the details of your financial tracking system and runs it front page. Sadly, I think we're gonna have to take down the MSM as well as the funding sources (Saudi) before all is said and done.
Posted by: BA ||
07/17/2006 21:41
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#8
"Perhaps you'd like to offer a final solution?"
Exactly! Nothing less than what they have planned for us. A little of the: Ye Olde Testament Tyme Religion might just do them a world of good. I know I would sure feel better.
#9
M. As much as a reaproachment can make everypony feel better 180 odd deaders are a SCAR that God no matter what its hive cannot heal. Some sympathy please for the splattered jamlike stain that is family remains?
The Syrian embassy said it was offering "safe haven" to Americans and other citizens wishing to flee Lebanon, where nearly 200 civilians have been killed during a massive Israeli military bombardment.
"Now, while thousands of United States citizens are stranded in Lebanon attempting to flee the ongoing massacre there, Syria has opened its borders to US citizens as well as citizens of other nationalities," the embassy said in a statement. Yes, You too can be a hostage. Apply now to the Hezb Allan School of Kidnapping and Submission. Learn the tricks of the Stockholm Syndrome that professionals like those at Hezb Allan use. Make big money and avoid prosecution on all Federal and State charges using secrets taught in our classes. Call now. Operators are standing by.
"In Syria, US and citizens of other nations find a safe haven from the barbaric and atrocious acts of the Israeli army in Lebanon," it said, adding that already a "huge influx of US and foreign nationals" have entered Syria. I didn't know the Israeli Army was taking hostages!
Syria was waiving visa requirements for entry and offering "all sorts of humane assistance to the thousands of refugees coming from Lebanon including medical attention," it said.
"From Syria, US citizens can return safely home."
US military helicopters flew 43 people out of Lebanon Monday and preparations were underway to evacuate potentially thousands of US nationals by air and by sea, officials said.
Other foreign capitals also rushed to evacuate frightened nationals from the escalating conflict, as Israel indicated it may provide windows in its six-day-old aerial bombardment to facilitate safe passage.
#6
"O Oysters," said the Carpenter,
"You've had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?'
But answer came there none--
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one.
#7
"In Syria, US and citizens of other nations find a safe haven from the barbaric and atrocious acts of the Israeli army in Lebanon"
A fine piece of propaganda, that--aimed at convincing gullible Westerners here and abroad that lil' ol' Syria ain't nothin' tah worry 'bout, yah hear? It's that blastid Isril, don't yah know . . .
The Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) in Mumbai on Monday said forensic reports have revealed the use of RDX, ammonium nitrate and fuel oil in the seven blasts that rocked commuter trains on July 11.
Must have used the RDX as a booster to set off a larger charge of ANFO.
ATS chief KP Raghuvanshi told reporters that traces of explosives found at the blast sites were very small in quantity and forensic experts had taken time to anaylse them. The assistance of the National Security Guard and the Forensic Science Laboratory in Hyderabad was taken to come to a conclusion, he said.
Stating that investigations are at a critical stage, Raghuvanshi said the blasts were the handiwork of someone "beyond the border" but did not name any organisation. He denied media reports that two persons had been arrested by security agencies in central India and said he was in touch with the police in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi police.
Posted by: Steve ||
07/17/2006
15:36 ||
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Kabul, 17 July (AKI) - Afghan president Hamid Karzai has signed a decree authorizing the introduction of a moral police force to ensure strict adherence to Islamic injunctions. The Afghan service of the BBC said Karzai approved the creation of a commission formed by high court president Fazlollah Shinvari, religious affairs minister Nematollah Shahrani and judge Mohammad Ghasem, who will define the powers of the new corps in charge of Taleban-style moral policing.
You gonna be hauling women into soccer stadiums and shooting them again? Think real hard about that..
Karzai reportedly gave in to pressure from the Ulema Council, which wanted him to approve the measure.
Posted by: Steve ||
07/17/2006
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Posted by: john ||
07/17/2006 15:50
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#5
You can't escape the social formating. No way out. If I've understood correctly what I've read, islam is not a religion, it is a Law and an ideology used by conquerors, first the arabs, to justify/stabilize their conquests. The individual and the collectivity has to SUBMIT to this Law. Is this what's happening here?
#6
Probably time to settle for lower expectations on afghanistan; just having a stable, pro-Us, independent, sane regime should do.
If the afghans wants 7th, let them live it, not worth the trouble socio-engineering their society to meet our criterias. We should acccept all cultures and civilizations aren't equal.
Btw, I do not have much hope for iraq too (still think it was a nice strategic move) when it comes to liberal democracy, I would like to be proven wrong, though.
#7
You're correct, A5089. But trying was a necessary step before proceeding to the next part of the WOI (War on Islamofascism). What will be fun is watching Iraq tank on Hillary's watch.
#9
By that I meant a regime at least neutral or friendly to "us", can stay in power all by itself or with reasonable propping up, and which doesn't slaughter its citizens. The way they wish to live : "no skin..." etc, etc.
And from there, preferably, containment of the muslim threat by keeping relationships with muslim countries to bare minimum of necessities, by shutting down mass immigration & cultural dhimmitude, and by treating them as what they are : historical ennemies we should remain very self-conscious about. "Trust, but verify". No more free pass.
Of course, won't happen. They've got one HUGE quality. Petro-dollars.
#10
I'm sorry, I can't explain myself well.
What I would like (sweet dreams) is containment; separation from the islamic world, relations kept at a minimum (business) with them on a quid pro quo only, while always being firm on principles and unaccomodating; turn their advantages into disadvantages, let them fight among themselves to see who will manage to sell us oil, let them stew in their demographical growth without having the opportunity to export their population surplus into the West, let them devise their own technology themselves instead of leeching from the developed world.
If it means civilizational apartheid, I'm all for it, as long as we're determined to stay on top.
#11
Sounds like a plan anon5089. And I don't think it won't happen nor is too late. However, the initiator for the West to do something as radical as that is going to be horrific.
As for the Afghans, well they seem to have made their bed, and I for one have no wish for any more of our soldiers to die for them. I do think we should annihilate the poppy fields before we go though.
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
07/17/2006 16:37
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#12
What will be fun is watching Iraq tank on Hillary's watch.
God help us all...
The Hildebeast won't be blamed though. The MSM and the DNC will spin things such that the entire blame will fall on Bushitler and the evil GOP.
#13
I'm more or less convinced we won't find any actual charismatic revolutionary leaders in Arabia or Islam or tribal societies - and most certainly not in combination. All of these "institutions" are authoritarian, violent, and barbaric throwbacks which rigorously and viciously "select" against the individual, against peaceful coexistence, and against change.
Ahmed Shah Massoud might have been the exception...
I guess the survivor Karzai is as close as we've seen - probably because he's not an Arab. When I'm feeling generous, I discount his Islamic and tribal baggage and put it down to trying to bring others with these usually fatal impediments along, ever so slowly.
But he's still got 2 out of 3 fatal flaws working against him.
Afghanistan has the same problem as Iraq - it's an absurdity: yet another Yugoslavia. With Islam added for that special flavor of insanity.
#14
What could I have done? I'm a better person than George Bush so things just should have gone better. It's really all Karl Rove's fault, the vast right-wing conspiracy so ruined Iraq that there was just no way people of good conscience, like myself, could possibly have done anything.
#15
Afghanistan has never been anything but a remote, backward outpost of civilization. Its only value to us is to box in Iran. Same as Iraq. In passing thru, we gave them a chance to move up several centuries in civilization. They declined. To be expected really. Just apply Agent Orange to their poppies and retreat to the western bases near Iran. If any warlord comes close, smokem'. Irag cannot be held together as a normal country either, because it's merely a collection of tribes. Just like telling the Cheyenne and Apaches that they have to live together. Couldn't happen.
#16
In the end, Afghanistan is not important. Focus our efforts on the big islamic threats: 1. Iran, 2. Saudi 3. Mohammedans in the west 4. Nuclear states.
And if the west wants to keeps hostilities at a level less than total war, then ALL muslim territories must be completely quaranteened. That means no trade, immigration, relations. Convert our transportation to only use the oil we produce. It will take 10 years, but is doable and much cheaper than the course we are following. Conversion or return of the ummah. Force the muslim to canibalize each other, not feed on the west. Any atrocity against us met with overwhelming force, destruction of oil and economic infrastucture, and seizure of large amounts of territory. Wild and crazy in Ibiza is finished. It's Martel the Hammer time.
Posted by: ed ||
07/17/2006 21:10
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#17
Its not Taliban, but it looks like Taliban-lite as someone said. The Afghans appear to forget that there were nearby states that would have allowed American planes to carpet bomb Pastho-Afghanistan after 9-11, in preparation for a bloody Northern Alliance takeover. That can still happen. US alliances are not written in stone. Oh yeah, Karzai is a Pashto.
You mention "containment." The Western allies were forced to adopt that policy when the Soviets nuclearized. "Containment" is only a default option where liberation poses high costs.
My generation rolled back Communism. This generation should roll over Islamofascism while it is possible. One of my neighbors doesn't lose sleep over the fact that he napalmed VC concentrations in Vietnam. Snipers and smart bombs can't win wars.
Why are you 18-30 year olds afraid to kill in large numbers?
With the correct intelligence, enough of them can.
We Know who you are, who you walk your dog with, your mistress quite frankly it's best not to talk about and that decision you made last week about that import deal was quite frankly illegal.
Do we need to kill you? No, not yet, cos we know.
"Why are you 18-30 year olds afraid to kill in large numbers?"
Slaughter, for the sake of it has never been the western way of waging war, we'll quite happily nuke your grandmother and your city and condemn your future generations to mutatic soup if neccessary, but please don't condemn us for showing restraint in a situation that is not yet total war.
#21
pihkalbadger, you're a fewkin moron. You don't know my mistress, I don't want to know what you did to my dog, and you wouldn't know total war if it came in and bit you on the ass. You should get off your high horse, STFU, or screw you and sheep that's currently dragging you by its fanny.
He received the Distinguished Service Cross, the nations second-highest combat medal, for his extraordinary heroism in action under heavy machine-gun fire during street fighting in Manila, Philippines, in 1945.
According to newspaper articles that year, Father Heindl entered a Bilibid Prison watchtower under fire to offer prayers for a dying soldier, then carried the body out. He returned to the tower and carried a wounded man through Japanese fire to safety. Two days later, he crawled through enemy rocket and mortar fire to drag a wounded officer to an aid station. He carried other casualties to safety and administered last rites to the dying, the newspaper reported.
The Fearless supreme leader of Somalia's increasingly powerful Islamist movement has warned world powers against backing peacekeepers for the lawless nation where his forces are now dominant. Speaking as the international contact group on Somalia were to meet to discuss options for restoring stability in the Horn of Africa country, Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys said such a force was unnecessary and would be resisted.
He also rejected charges that the Supreme Islamic Council of Somalia (SICS) wants to replace the weak Somali transitional government as the main authority in the country but urged it to drop its refusal to meet with his group. "I am appealing to the countries meeting not to ignore the political realities in Somalia," he said on Monday, as the contact group members prepared to meet in Brussels amid growing signs the international community may back peacekeepers. "They should not concentrate on sending peacekeepers who are not needed here," he told AFP from his home region of Galgadud in central Somalia. "Mogadishu ... is peaceful: it was pacified without any intervention from the international community," Aweys said, referring to the ouster of warlords in June after months of bloody fighting by Islamist militia.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/17/2006
14:52 ||
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Christian and Muslim Lebanese political personalities have received direct threats from Hezbollah should anyone of them go on public television and criticize the Party of God in the media, Hezbollah will not hesitate to retaliate and assassinate them. The ones who are speaking up support for Hezbollah are doing it on the base of fear.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/17/2006
14:50 ||
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#1
No prob, I'm sure Dom will fix that little detail, him being to lebanon to bring the Grandeur and the Rayonnement of France there and all.
#3
that's it....eliminate any support you might have had by threatening Lebs. Sounds like desperation and isolation
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/17/2006 15:19
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#4
My idea would be to extricate the Lebanese politician's and their immediate families from Lebanon to a safe location and let them pass Hezballah location coordinates to the IAF. Of course, through a third party. My suggestion would be Australia.
Put Lebanese politician's back in power after the Party of Allah is destroyed.
A little intervention to prevent their Iranian neighbors from stirring up trouble via this particular group.
British forces have detained the leader of the Shi'ite Mehdi Army in southern Basra province in the latest operation against rogue militia leaders blamed for worsening sectarian violence in the country.
The man, identified on Monday by comrades in the Shi'ite group as Sajad Abu Aya, was arrested early on Sunday in a major British military operation involving helicopters and hundreds of troops in which one soldier was killed and another wounded.
"We got the man we wanted," military spokesman Major Charlie Burbridge told Reuters on Monday, while declining to identify by name two men captured in the town of Garma just north of Basra city, Iraq's main oil hub.
The main suspect was "strongly suspected of involvement in planning and directing terrorist attacks on civilians in Basra, executions, and attacks on coalition forces", Burbridge said.
Security has deteriorated sharply over the past year in Basra, where there is a complex network of criminal gangs and warring Shi'ite militias. Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has declared a state of emergency to crack down on the violence, which threatens oil exports, the backbone of the Iraqi economy.
Southern Iraq has been relatively free of the violence gripping other parts of the country, but the region has seen increasing roadside bomb attacks on British troops, who number about 7,000. Britain's visiting defence minister said in May the violence had reached "unacceptable" levels.
A spokesman for the Basra office of radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al Sadr, who controls the Mehdi Army, confirmed Abu Aya had been arrested. He described him as a militia leader, but local residents said he was in overall command in the province.
Burbridge said the detained suspect was "believed to have been acting against the wishes of Sadr".
Posted by: Fred ||
07/17/2006
14:48 ||
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#1
One of our boys was killed capturing this swine. I wonder if our lads have been reading about the RAB adventures. Surely there's a few round of bullet and shutter gun nearby...
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
07/17/2006 16:09
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Israel Will Eliminate Hizbullah and Hamas
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert addressed the Knesset and the world Monday evening, saying Enough! and promising to fight until the threats of Hamas and Hizbullah are removed from the region. Olmert began the speech by offering condolences to families of the soldiers and civilians killed in the last six days of war. I want to offer a big hug to the families of the kidnapped and to the sons themselves.
The prime minister went on to say that Israel has been threatened on its borders and though the Jewish State did not request these battles, it will not back down from fighting them. We stand at a national moment of truth. Will we agree to live under this evil threat or will we fight There is no more just struggle than that we are now engaged in, Olmert said, invoking the names of the grandmother and grandchild killed in a missile attack in Har Meron, 50-year-old Andrea Zeidman of Nahariya, killed while eating breakfast on her balcony, and Ella Abouksis, the teenage girl killed protecting her younger brother from a Kassam rocket on a Sderot street prior to the Gaza withdrawal. Our enemies were mistaken to think that our desire to show restraint was a sign of weakness, Olmert boomed.
In a reiteration of his refusal to negotiate with Hizbullah or Hamas prior to the release of the kidnapped soldiers, Olmert said: It is of regional and international interest to control and dismantle the terror organizations and remove this threat from the Middle East. We intend to do so. Olmert explicitly pointed the finger at Iran and Syria, saying Hizbullah and Hamas are nothing but emissaries, sent and supplied by enemies of peace in Tehran and Damascus.
He also said that even if Lebanon had no involvement in last Wednesdays attack on an IDF patrol along the northern border, which killed eight soldiers and resulted in the kidnapping of two others, it holds full responsibility for the attack launched from its sovereign territory and the same goes for the PA with regard to the Kerem Shalom attack. Opposite the Palestinians we will fight until terrorism ceases, Gilad Shalit is brought home and the Kassam rockets stop, Olmert said. "We will attack every terrorist staging area, destroy every terrorist base and liquidate members of the terror groups. Israel will not agree to live in the shadow of the threat of missiles and rockets on its citizens."
Our position in the north was backed up by the G8 yesterday, he continued. We demand a complete end to hostilities, the return of the two kidnapped soldiers and the compliance with the relevant UN resolutions We withdrew to recognized borders according to the entire international community. Olmert recited the mishebeirach, the prayer for Divine protection for the IDF during his speech from the Knesset podium.I am more proud today than any other day in my life to be a citizen of the State of Israel, Olmert concluded. We will not surrender and we will not back down.
Senior Tanzim Terrorist in Custody
(IsraelNN.com) IDF officials reported earlier on Monday night that senior Hevron area Fatah Tanzim terrorist Yousef Mahmud Ahmed Vered was taken into custody by IDF soldiers during the night.
Iranian Missiles Destroyed by IAF
(IsraelNN.com) Lebanese media is reporting IAF fighter planes struck a truck carrying long-range Iranian manufactured missiles on their way to Hizbullah.
Israel Police: No Border Policeman was Kidnapped
(IsraelNN.com) Israel Police a short time ago released an official announcement that all border police troops are accounted for; stating the Fatah al-Aqsa claim that a border policeman was kidnapped is untrue.
Opposition Leader Netanyahu Takes the Podium
(IsraelNN.com) Likud Party leader and opposition leader MK Binyamin Netanyahu addressed the nation from the Knesset following Prime Minister Ehud Olmerts address. We will defeat Hizbullah because our cause is just we are witness to the difficult blows, the destruction of homes and how the children look on in horror but our spirit is not broken.
Hizbullah has set its goal to destroy the Jewish People and the State of Israel and the terror organization is not alone, mentioning Hamas and Islamic Jihad, as well as Syria.There is no room for weakness and concession, only for strength, determination and fortitude.
Netanyahu mentioned how the Hizbullah rockets pound Haifa and other cities, Druse area as well, citing how Haifa is a mixed city living in peace, Jews and Arabs side-by-side.
Posted by: Steve ||
07/17/2006
14:47 ||
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#1
Wonder if a new National Government has been considered.
#2
Israel better not do the ceasefire thingy while Hizb is on the ropes. They can talk about it, but just do not do it. Hamas and Hizb'Allah need to be destroyed. Period. The world, by pushing negotiations with Hamas and Hizb'Allah, are, in effect, giving legitimacy to terrorist organizations, and tacitly condoning the connections between these organizations and their Syrian and Iranian backers.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
07/17/2006 16:14
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"Opposition Leader Netanyahu Takes the Podium"
He'll be taking more than the podium, soon. From his speech today: "There is no room for weakness and concession, only for strength, determination and fortitude. Niiiice!!
Tehran, Iran, Jul. 17 The Supreme Commandant of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps described the United States, Britain, and Israel as an axis of evil.
I'm sorry, "Axis Of Evil" is copyrighted. We prefer you use the alternate phrase, "Axis Of Whoop-ass"
Today, the global axis of evil the U.S., the Zionists, and Britain are showing their true colours of world devouring and exploitation through their occupation and the killing of defenceless people, Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi said on Sunday. His remarks were reported by the state-run news agency ISNA.
The problem of the usurper regime of Israel is that it is facing a powerful and invisible army called the Islamic resistance Hezbollah of Lebanon. It is better if the Zionists end their attacks on the Gaza Strip and against Lebanon and release Palestinian and Lebanese prisoners to reach a ceasefire before they face a disgraceful defeat, Safavi said.
"Quit kicking our butts or you'll be sorry!"
He accused the U.S. of giving Israel a green light to carry out military attacks in Lebanon. The U.S. created this event to cover up its defeat in Afghanistan and Iraq, he said.
Whatever..
Safavi added that the fate of the Middle East, Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran are intertwined from a political, security, and economic standpoint.
I believe that's the plan
Posted by: Steve ||
07/17/2006
14:26 ||
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Let's see...arms (of all sizes and calibers) smuggled or openly moved across the border from Eqypt (Paleostinians and Hamas) and Syria (Hezbollah); arms smuggled into Gaza from transport ships (Paleostinians and Hamas); regular rocketing of Israeli civilian areas (Paleostinians, Hamas & Hezbollah); current rocketing of civilian areas of Israel 25+ miles from the borders (Hezbollah)...
#13
Actually, we are the Axis of Good. But, since you want a fight, we're in.
Iranianutbars: remember that 40% of your refined oil products, are imported because your Ayatollah centrist system constrains modern production methodology.
RIYADH (Reuters) - U.S. ally Saudi Arabia on Monday stepped up its criticism of Lebanese and Palestinian militants, saying their actions had allowed Israel to wage war against their people. "Some elements and groups have got loose and slipped into taking decisions on their own that Israel has exploited to wage a ferocious war against Lebanon and to imprison the entire Palestinian people," a cabinet statement said.
Must be those miscreants again
"Saudi Arabia stands together with the legitimate and reasonable-minded national forces in Lebanon and occupied Palestine to combat these dangers to the Arab and Muslim nation," it added.
"If there were any, that is"
Saudi Arabia last week criticized Hizbollah and its backer Iran saying "elements" in Lebanon and "those behind them" were responsible for an Israeli offensive on its northern neighbor to stop strikes by the Shi'ite guerrilla group.
Saudis can see Iran's fingerprints all over this
The unusually frank comments have provoked heated debate in the Arab world, where sympathy toward resistance to perceived U.S.-Israeli hegemony in the region runs high.
The Saudi statement on Monday included an oblique criticism of Washington for blocking a U.N. Security Council resolution calling on Israel to end a simultaneous offensive in the Palestinian territory of Gaza. "Some countries' total support for Israeli policies has hindered taking a decision," it said.
Posted by: Steve ||
07/17/2006
14:20 ||
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#1
This is progress, of a sort. Looks as though the various governments of the greater Arab world are perfectly content to watch Hizbollah and Hamas attain glorious martyrdom. They may send flowers to the funeral afterward, but that's about it.
Posted by: Mike ||
07/17/2006 14:41
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#2
The simple fact is that they see both Hizbullies and HamAss as an extension of Iran interests. And they are right.
They are vewy, vewy apprehensive about Iran for obvious reasons, and would like to see both Iran's outlets sacked, by whomever, even Joos. And if Israel can decapitate both Syria and Iran somehow, they may issue official grunts of displeasure and condemnations, but unofficially, they would praise the divine providence.
#4
(sarcasm on) Nope. This is all wrong. Just read Juan Cole's site and listened to Kevin Barrett. It's a USCIAFBIKARLROVEGEORGEBUSH plot...just like 9/11. You moonbat right wing nuts are all wet. (Sarcasm off)
We had a kitten with eight legs, once, thankfully dead during delivery. Really weird beast.
A kitten has been born with two faces and veterinarians don't understand why.
The kitten was born Wednesday morning in Ohio. It has two mouths that meow in unison, two noses and four eyes that have not opened yet.
The little boy who owns the cat said he hasn't decided on a name for the kitten yet, but said he wants to name it Tiger.
Two other kittens were in the same litter, but they are normal.
Veterinarians say this occurrence is very rare, but the kitten could be just fine. It has already begun nursing just like the other kittens in the litter.
The IDF assessed that a report earlier Monday that an Air Force jet was downed over Lebanon was likely referring to an Iranian-developed long-range Zelzal missile. It was unclear whether there was an attempt to launch the missile or whether the blast and blaze were resulted from some sort of experiment.
The IDF said reports that an IAF air craft was downed over Lebanon were not true. (Hanan Greenberg)
#2
Crater evidence indicates that the IAF targeting is dead on. I saw 3 craters in a dead straight line, right down a runway at Beirut airport. Presumedly, they are hitting target buildings with the same accuracy.
Saudi Arabia blames Hezbollah for Israel offensive on Lebanon
By Reuters
U.S. ally Saudi Arabia on Monday stepped up its criticism of Lebanese and Palestinian militants, saying their actions had allowed Israel to wage war against their people.
"Some elements and groups have got loose and slipped into taking decisions on their own that Israel has exploited to wage a ferocious war against Lebanon and to imprison the entire Palestinian people," a cabinet statement said.
- Notably the Saudis put an anti Israel coda on it that Reuters didn't pick up. It is actually possible that the Saudis, having realized that Islamist (even Shia Islamist) suicide bombs can go off in their country also realize that kidnappings and missile attacks can also hit Soddyland.
#1
In a comment in another thread, I talked about the risk that Israel is facing. There is also a lot of opportunity here if the US and Israel play their cards right and the Euros don't step in and screw everything up.
A suicide bombing in downtown Jerusalem was thwarted Monday, after a 25-year-old Palestinian was caught carrying a bomb in a bag on a main city thoroughfare, police said. The male suspect, a West Bank resident, was stopped by police on the city's Jaffa Road near the Jaffa Gate for a routine security check during the late-morning incident. The man was arrested on the scene, after the estimated five kilograms of explosives were found in his bag.
During his initial police interrogation, the suspect confessed that he was carrying a bomb and said that he came to the area to carry out a terror attack, Jerusalem police spokesman Shmuel Ben-Ruby said. The Palestinian had planned to blow himself up in a suicide bombing, deputy Jerusalem police chief Shimon Koren told reporters. It was not immediately clear if the suspect was affiliated with any major Palestinian terror organization or if he acted on his own.
The streets in the area were quickly closed off to traffic, as police sappers neutralized the explosives on the scene. Police choppers could be heard hovering in the air shortly after the arrest, in an apparent effort to track any accomplices the suspect may have had as well as to prevent any further attacks. Later in the afternoon, the bomb was taken to an isolated location to be destroyed.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/17/2006
14:06 ||
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#5
Bush is doing great. By this point in our last prez's career the comments were about sex with that woman and his aids falling dead all over DC. I hope the far left choke on it.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
07/17/2006 14:44
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#6
It is neither cursing nor swearing. It is vulgarity. Dammit!
#7
It's sad that this sort of stuff is now newsworthy.
Not the G-8 summit, not the wars in Afghanastan, Iraq,Lebanon, Palestine, not the Iranian nuclear crisis, but bush saying a naughty word. Wow!
#9
If the president says a few more swear words, we can win this war, damn it!
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
07/17/2006 16:52
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#10
He's just following my. Hey Bashar you worthless cockroach, go fuc* yourself! There, I said it..... again!
Posted by: Dick Cheney ||
07/17/2006 18:16
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#11
There was a commentator on NECN this evening who was complaining that not only was Bush crude, etc. etc. but he talks with his mouth full. He had more to say about the lowlife but I'm afraid I switched channels....
#12
George and Tony were talkin more than enough "bidnezz" to qualify for writing todays off as a business lunch.
Hey Cindy, figured out a way to "write off" your business "fast" today?
#13
So maybe he talks with food in his mouth, but he hasn't puked on anyones lap yet as his old man did. Does he have any more dinners with Puti before he departs Russia ?
BAGHDAD The combined efforts of U.S. Air Force Airmen and Multi-National Division Baghdad Soldiers foiled the efforts of terrorists attempting to emplace an improvised-explosive device Monday south of Baghdad.
Airmen from the 11th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadrons Joint Terminal Attack Controller unit notified Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 67th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, of reports from their F-15E Eagle pilots of four men digging beside a road.
The Soldiers moved to investigate the report and, upon arrival, saw the four suspects flee the area in a van.
The F-15E pilots departed the area to refuel and handed the operation over to an F-16 Falcon aircrew, who followed the suspects movements from the sky and spotted them abandoning their vehicle. ROE need tweeking - missile release called for here.
The pilots continued to relay the information to the JTAC on the ground.
The JTAC was able to lead the Soldiers on the ground to the vehicle, where they discovered four 152mm rounds and detonation cord.
#3
They probably didn't smoke 'em because they could not be positive it wasn't a band on the way home from playing at a wedding. It is my understanding that they have to have positive ID on a target before hitting it with bombs, missiles, or artillery, and that's tough to do from an F-16.
#4
The ROE are always slanted on the side of caution which is probably correct when you think what a mess a 2000lb JDAM can do to a fluffy duck. In this case however perhaps "inter-service communication" could of continued in the form of an army UAV finding out where these fuckers went.
Al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigades, Fatah's military wing, issued a statement claiming that their operatives had kidnapped a soldier from the Border Guard Police in the West Bank. The statement also contained the name of the allegedly kidnapped soldier.
The IDF is currently investigating the claim. (Ali Waked, Efrat Weiss)
#5
The Israelis should invade the West Bank, they should just mark off a big piece of it, and declare it to be the new Israeli border, their new policy of land confiscation for criminal acts.
When the construction crews show up to build a wall around it, I bet the Paleos would release that soldier real quick.
#6
Couldn't agree more 'moose. Michael Medved suggested that the Israelis should announce a policy under which they would irrevocably reclaim one square mile of Gaza or the West bank for every terrorist act against them (every rocket, every kidnapping, every attempted homicide bombing, etc.). In a few years they'd have pushed the Paleos right out of the country.
Rapid Action Battalion Public Affairs Office
Press Release Writing Course
Using the official RAB 'Crossfire' Format, write a sample press release. Ensure the following items are included; 1: Capture/Arrest, 2: Interogation/Questioning, 3: Confession, 4: Arms Recovery, 5: Ambush, 6: Retaliation, 7: Attempted Escape, 8: Death, 9: Recovered Arms, 10: Rap Sheet. Extra credit for including phrase 'Communist Party'.
Four criminals were killed in 'crossfire' incidents between their accomplices and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and police at Jessore, Feni and Chuadanga yesterday.
Exercise One: Two were killed when two Rab teams came under attack from the cohorts of the criminals they were travelling with in Jessore, our Jessore correspondent reports.
The dead Harun-ur-Rashid, 38, and Aslam Hossain, 37, were from Talbaria of Sadar upazila of Jessore. Sources claim they were regional commanders of Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) ML faction.
Rab said, Harun and Aslam were captured at Segunbagicha, Dhaka on Saturday and were taken to Jessore after they gave confessional statements that they had arms hidden there. "Split into two teams, we carried out an arms recovery operation," a Rab official said. Harun was taken to Krishnabati in Sadar upazila while Aslam was taken to Sheikhhati near Jessore town, he added.
Rab sources said the accomplices of the outlaws ambushed the teams early yesterday. "They were trying to free the criminals and Rab retaliated," a Rab source said. Harun and Aslam received bullets and were rushed to Jessore General Hospital where the doctors declared them dead.
Rab recovered a pistol, a pipe gun and 11 bullets from the spots. Their accomplices however managed to escape. The dead were accused in over a dozen cases including five murder cases with Talbaria Police Station and four murder cases with Laujani Police Station in Jessore.
Exercise Two: A criminal was killed in 'encounter' between Rab and his accomplices at Hazari Road in Feni early yesterday, our Chittagong University correspondent reports.
The dead was identified as Abu Zaher, also known as Chhota Arju, 30, of East Ukilpara in Feni town.
According to sources, a squad of Rab-7, after a tip off, arrested Abu Zaher at his residence at Ukilpara around 4:00am on Saturday. During interrogation at Rab headquarters at Patenga in Chittagong, Zaher confessed to Rab of his involvement in the killings of Zakir Hossain, Contractor Jalil, Kamal, Swapan and Nayan in Feni. The elite force launched an operation taking Zaher with them for hidden firearms and his cohorts around 2:30am yesterday.
As the Rab team reached Hazari Road Zaher's accomplices opened fire on them forcing it to retaliate. During the gunfight, Zaher received bullets when he tried to escape custody. He was rushed to Feni Medical College Hospital where on-duty doctors declared him dead, said a Rab press release.
Two light guns (LG) and four live shells were recovered from the spot. Zaher was an accused in nine criminal cases including six murder cases.
Exercise Three: A regional leader of PBCP Janajuddha faction Majibul, also known as Nojibul, of Maheshpur of Alamdanga upazila in Chuadanga was killed in 'crossfire' between police and his cohorts early yesterday, BSS reports. Alamdanga police sources said Majibul was arrested the previous day at Bhangbaria of the same upazila.
Police, as per his confession, took him to his village to recover hidden firearms. Sensing the presence of police, his accomplices opened fire on the police team which resulted in a brief gunfight.
Majibul received bullets as he was trying to escape police custody and died on the spot, sources said. The police recovered a few firearms and ammunition from the spot. Majibul was an accused in four murder and four explosives cases, the sources added. Grading of papers will now commence.
Posted by: Steve ||
07/17/2006
13:59 ||
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#1
Extra credit to be given for the use of such advanced vocabulary words as miscreant or cohort.
#3
Oooh, ooh - I know that one. A shuttergun is very similar to a zip-gun.
Do I win a prize?
These stories crack me up - what must the Doctors think as the stiffs are brought in?
Doc Quinzay: Hmm, here come the 'elite' Rab unit with another deader
Newbie: How do you know he's dead, we've not looked at him yet?
Doc Q: Look, it's 3:30am, they've been off to "recover the weapons", and look at the grin on the Chief, he's punched someone's ticket tonight. Hi Chief, how's it going?
Chief: Hi Quinzay, could you see if you can do anything for our suspect, he's in kindofa bad way?
Doc Q: Where's his head?
Chief: Bannerjee! you oaf! You did it again!
Newbie: Is that a shutter gun?
Bannerjee: Yes it is, the only one in Jessore!
Chief: Bannerjee!, shaddup!!
...fade to black...
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
07/17/2006 18:48
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#4
Join the Purba Bangla Communist Party today! Immediate openings for Regional Commanders.
Reasonable salary and phantom cohorts available.
Islamist militant groups Al-Ghurabaa and the Saved Sect were today named by the Home Secretary as the first to be banned under new legislation outlawing the glorification of terrorism.
John Reid laid an order in Parliament which will make it a criminal offence for a person to belong to or encourage support for the two groups, to arrange meetings in their support, or to wear clothes or carry articles in public indicating support or membership.
The two UK-based groups are both believed to be offshoots of Al-Muhajiroun, the militant organisation founded by Omar Bakri Mohammed, the controversial cleric who fled to Lebanon last year. They were involved in protests earlier this year against the publication of cartoons of the prophet Mohammed in a Danish newspaper.
Continued on Page 49
JERUSALEM - An Israeli airstrike in Lebanon on Monday destroyed at least one long-range Iranian missile capable of hitting Tel Aviv, military officials said.
Israeli aircraft targeted a truck carrying the weapons before they could be launched, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of military regulations. The force of the blast sent at least one missile flying into the air, but it fell nearby.
During nearly a week of fighting, Hezbollah militants have fired missiles up to 25 miles into Israel. But officials have raised concerns the guerrilla group could strike Tel Aviv, about 80 miles south of the border with Lebanon.
#1
This was not a missile; it was a family of poor farmers, all women and children, with their belongings packed in a piece of drainpipe because the evil Jooos destroyed their little red wagon. And the baby bunnies too.
As sectarian violence soars, many Sunni Arab political and religious leaders once staunchly opposed to the American presence here are now saying they need American troops to protect them from the rampages of Shiite militias and Shiite-run government forces.
The pleas from the Sunni Arab leaders have been growing in intensity since an eruption of sectarian bloodletting in February, but they have reached a new pitch in recent days as Shiite militiamen have brazenly shot dead groups of Sunni civilians in broad daylight in Baghdad and other mixed areas of central Iraq.
The Sunnis also view the Americans as a bulwark against Iranian actions here, a senior American diplomat said. Sunni politicians have made their viewpoints known to the Americans through informal discussions in recent weeks.
The Sunni Arab leaders say they have no newfound love for the Americans. Many say they still sympathize with the insurgency and despise the Bush administration and the fact that the invasion has helped strengthen the power of neighboring Iran, which backs the ruling Shiite parties.
But the Sunni leaders have dropped demands for a quick withdrawal of American troops. Many now ask for little more than a timetable. A few Sunni leaders even say they want more American soldiers on the ground to help contain the widening chaos.
The new stance is one of the most significant shifts in attitude since the war began. It could influence White House plans for a reduction of the 134,000 troops here and help the Americans expand dialogue with elements of the insurgency. But the budding accommodation is already stirring a reaction among the Shiites, who make up about 60 percent of the population but were brutally ruled for decades by the Sunnis.
In Adhamiya, a neighborhood in north Baghdad, Sunni insurgents once fought street to street with American troops. Now, mortars fired by Shiite militias rain down several times a week, and armed watch groups have set up barricades to stop drive-by attacks by black-clad Shiite fighters. So when an American convoy rolled in recently, a remarkable message rang out from the loudspeakers of the Abu Hanifa Mosque, where Saddam Hussein made his last public appearance before the fall of Baghdad in 2003.
The American Army is coming with the Iraqi Army do not shoot, the voice said, echoing through streets still filled with supporters of Mr. Hussein. They are here to help you.
Sheik Abdul Wahab al-Adhami, an imam at the mosque, said later in an interview: Look at what the militias are doing even while we have the American forces here. Imagine what would happen if they left.
Even in Sunni-dominated Anbar Province, where insurgents are carrying out a vicious guerrilla war against foreign troops, a handful of leaders are asking American commanders to rein in Iraqi paramilitary units. Sheiks in Falluja often complain to American officers there of harassment, raids or indiscriminate shooting by Iraqi forces.
A year ago, the party of Tariq al-Hashemi, a hard-line Sunni Arab who is one of Iraqs two vice presidents, was calling for the immediate withdrawal of foreign troops.
The situation is different now, Mr. Hashemi said. I dont want the Americans to say bye-bye. Tomorrow, if they were to leave the country, there would be a security vacuum, and that would lead inevitably to civil war.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the American ambassador to Iraq, has been at the forefront of American efforts to bring Sunni Arabs into the political process. Part of that strategy is to crack down on Shiite militias and push for amnesty for some guerrillas.
This month the American military has stepped up operations against the Mahdi Army, a volatile Shiite militia, and the top American commander, Gen. George W. Casey Jr., said last Wednesday that the Americans would hunt down death squads that are a driving force behind the rising bloodshed.
Some Shiite leaders deride the American policy toward Sunnis as appeasement. This strategy will destroy their goal of establishing democracy in Iraq, said Abbas al-Bayati, a prominent Shiite legislator. Compromising with the insurgency will encourage the insurgents to do more and more violence in the region.
#5
Sympathy meter really gorb, and anchored on zero.
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
07/17/2006 15:36
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#6
This is a good thing. We need the Sunnis and the Sunnis need us. The Sunnis, like former Nazis in post-WWII Germany will be key to rebuilding the country. And strong Sunni and Kurdish representation in the gorvenment will keep idiots like Sadr and the Iranians at bay. A million plus Sunnis have already fled Iraq, and that's a bad thing.
Splitters! Cracks are becoming fissures in Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez's self-declared revolution, as armed groups of leftist supporters clashed in recent weeks in a rough and poor barrio in skirmishes that left at least four dead.
The gunfights are the first between Chávez supporters in public and seem to illustrate the rough scramble over the benefits from Chávez's oil-fueled government as well as bitter jealousies among leaders of Chavista groups. ''Wherever you go in this country, you'll find a [poor neighborhood] . . . where there are internal fights,'' said Alberto Garrido, a longtime Chávez watcher and author of several books on the man and his ideology.
Posted by: Laurence of the Rats ||
07/17/2006 14:08
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#3
Red on red!
Posted by: Mike ||
07/17/2006 14:23
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#4
Some Tupamaros maintain their vigilante role and run government literacy and after-school programs, while others engage in criminal activities. But all are armed and seem to have benefited financially and socially from Chávez's rise to power. Some have government jobs, while others are living off the leftovers from the government's increased social spending.
Sounds like Massachusetts...except everybody's got automatic weapons.
#5
Sounds like Massachusetts...except everybody's got automatic weapons.
So it's more like Detroit, then?
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
07/17/2006 14:46
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#6
In some ways, Chavez reminds me of Alexander Kerensky, best known as being the president of the short-lived democratic Soviet Union, and having the personality of John Kerry mixed with Pee Wee Herman, alternatively boring and bureaucratic, and paranoid and panic-stricken.
He issued guns to the peasants, too. Guns that were used to overthrow his government a short time later.
#7
Hugo is such a fan of Marxism that he has now created his own version of the Red Guards wars in China. Also, arming the most likely candidates for gang activity is not the smartest move in the world. I am sure the local branches of the cocaine cartels are ever so grateful for the new hardware.
Israel would agree to a cease-fire in its six-day-old offensive against Hezbollah if the Lebanese guerrillas withdraw from the border area with Israel and release two captured Israeli soldiers, a senior official said Monday. The official, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the diplomacy, said Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had conveyed Israel's position to Italy's prime minister, who is trying to broker a cease-fire deal.
Israel had previously demanded the full dismantling of Hezbollah as a condition for ending hostilities. However, the senior official said Israel would agree to Hezbollah merely leaving the border area _ with the Lebanese army taking its place. Big. Mistake.
Not to worry: this is like GWB demanding that the Taliban hand over OBL. Wasn't gonna happen, and Dubya knew it in advance. That freed his hands to do what needed to be done.
The Israelis know that Hezbollah can't pull back from the border. The whole point of Hezbollah's existence is that they're one of the only terrorist resistance movements directly confronting the evil Jooooz. Take that away and there's no point to supporting them. They have to be on the border to have a role, so they won't pull back.
Likewise, Hezbollah isn't going to just hand back the prisoners: the point of snatching them was to barter for the release of Paleo terrorists prisoners currently held by the Israelis. A successful swap would demonstrate to all the Paleos and other Arabs in the region that Hezbollah is big-heat. Likewise, handing the prisoners back meekly while being pounded would demonstrate that Hezbollah is a bunch of pansies.
The demands seem reasonable to the rest of the world, or at least reasonable enough that days will be wasted by the striped-pants crowd trying to work out an 'accomodation'. In the meantime the IAF continues to gob-smack the Hez terrs. I predict that when the point comes that the Euros try to force the Israelis to cease and desist, the Israelis will come up with another set f seemingly-reasonable demands that will prolong the process.
#1
when the point comes that the Euros try to force the Israelis to cease and desist, the Israelis will come up with another set f seemingly-reasonable demands that will prolong the process.
A clever and very observant people.
#2
I hope you're right this time Steve. But the way this will end is that the "international community" will force something down Israel's throat in order to stop the apocalyptic destruction that is worse that what they've said they will take. So they should be kicking butt as hard as they can and saying and leaking nothing.
#3
I think if they can force the Hez out of South Lebenon, the army and people can, and might want to, take a big wet bite out of their asses. I don't know that much about Lebanese politics, just what I read on Pajamas, but the Hez don't seem to be too popular right now. They arent the only radical assholes with guns in the country either.
#4
I see nothing that leads me to believe that the Israelis are going to make this anymore meaningful than that half-assed Gaza thing. What the hell was that anyway?
I think Ohlmert is trying to fake the world into thinking he's not a puss.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
07/17/2006 13:05
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#5
Right. And after the shooting stops, everybody will go back to how evil the Zionists were for destroying their country. And the French will say, yes, yes, shitty little country. And the Lebanese will be rewarded by having the UN rebuild their country with the US and Japan paying ahlf. And then they'll forget and HezbAllan will be back in business.
#7
Hamas is a terrorist group. By nature, the infrastructure of a terrorist group such as Hamas is not as substantial as that of a Nation. Targeting the infrastructure of any group is over-rated unless you are going to use it to your advantage. Do something with that advantage? I suspect Israel will not. Time will tell.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
07/17/2006 14:03
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#8
Mike, you're absolutely right about Hamas as a terror group, although it's worth noting they've put a lot of effort into tunnels etc. that are being destroyed.
But what I had in mind was Hamas as the governing party in Gaza, including their offices, records etc. but also their public image.
#9
The old "make 'em an offer they can't accept" trick.
Posted by: Mike ||
07/17/2006 14:43
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#10
These money quotes were from Israeli spineless bastards leaders concerning attacks from the types of rockets that are now entering Israel.
Many months ago, I have been agruing with many here at RB that the Gaza extraction was going to be a failure. For example, the tunnel that was dug to kidnap Cpl. Shilad would have been quickly identifed by the Gaza Jewish residents and notified the IDF. Also, I disagreed with Ehud Barak giving up Golan Heights.
The premise of the counter arugement was that: Give up land to the terrorists and if they misbehave, "bomb the crap out of them and pass the popcorn." I am all for destroying Hamas, Hezballah and the like, but large scale action could have avoided if land was not given up in the first place, starting with Barack. We now see what has happened.
Mike N. (below above #4) is correct. This is just a Kerry clone pretending to be tough.
These quotes start with statements the flipflopper-in-chief, Sharon. Pay attention to the timeline between the first and second quote. Anybody keeping up with Israeli politics can quickly figure out that Sharon's disengagement plan was just a political ruse to divert attention from his financial indictment problems and the criminal activites of his children. One of his son's has already been convited and sentenced to jail.
"If we cut and run, Gaza will be taken over by terror organizations ... Gaza's squares shall be transformed into launching platforms of Katyushas toward Ashkelon ... The only way to defeat terrorism is by controlling its bases." Likud MK Ariel Sharon
Maariv, June 12, 1992
"The purpose of the Disengagement Plan is to reduce terror as much as possible, and grant Israeli citizens the maximum level of security ... These steps will increase security for the residents of Israel and relieve the pressure on the IDF and security forces in fulfilling the difficult tasks they are faced with. The Disengagement Plan is meant to grant maximum security and minimize friction between Israelis and Palestinians." Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
Herzliya Conference-December 18, 2003
"Every time there is a wave of terrorism, all sorts of 'experts' say that we should unilaterally get out of Gaza. If we do so, the Gaza Strip will become a cancerous thorn of terrorism, 1,000 times more dangerous than it is now. What will we do when katyushas are fired from Biet Yachie on Ashkelon and from Biet Hanoun on Sderot?" Tourism Minister and Moledet Leader MK Rehavam Ze'evi
Knesset Minutes, March 1993
"We're familiar with the Likud's horror stories. They promised us Katyushas from Gaza, but Gaza has been under the primary control of the Palestinian Authority for more than a year now, and there hasn't been a single Katyusha." Prime Minister, Labor MK Yitzchak Rabin
Jerusalem Post-June 20, 1995
"We must take into account that after withdrawal, Ashkelon, a major Israeli city, will be within the effective range of Kassam rockets. In the future, when sea and airports are built in Gaza and we will have no control, they will have Katyushas with a longer range that can also reach Kiryat Gat or southern Ashdod." Major General (Res.) Yakov Amidror
Maariv, February 5, 2004
Now that Israel in this situation: one, Israeli citizens will never vote for Labor or Kadima again for years to come. BTW, Kadima is DEAD, they just don't know it yet. Olmert and Peres have become utter fools in Israel. Two, Israel should be left alone to destroy everything they feel necessary, to destroy. Sec. of State Rice is making a trip to Israel. I am worried that she is going there to tie Israel's hands, which would make the U.S. WoT, hypocritical.
#11
Ariel Sharon's new Kadimah party was elected into power despite their headliner being struck down by a major stroke because enough Israelis accepted that the old ways are not effective. Olmert has to know that if he accepts a world-imposed hudna like Israel always did in the past, not only will he lose the next election to the Greater Israel crowd, but Israel will end up dying of a thousand cuts -- as was the direction before Sharon changed the paradigm. The Palestinians had their test with Gaza and failed, as did -- sadly -- the Lebanese with their Cedar Revolution. And there is no Bill Clinton in the White House to undermine them.
#12
because enough Israelis accepted that the old ways are not effective.
tw,
Many in the U.S. also, realized that the old ways are not effective, that's why there is a majority GOP in Congress. Unfortunately, many GOP are now behaving like the Democrats, e.g. border, foreign port sales. KadimaGOPers will be in trouble this November. Only America first (conservative) GOPers will be elected this November. Likewise, I see Likuid coming up in the ranks. Americans will and have seen the light and I suspect the majority Israeli's will also, in the next election.
#13
#5 Nimble Spemble Right. And after the shooting stops, everybody will go back to how evil the Zionists were for destroying their country. And the French will say, yes, yes, shitty little country. And the Lebanese will be rewarded by having the UN rebuild their country with the US and Japan paying ahlf. And then they'll forget and HezbAllan will be back in business.
NS, you don't quite grasp how much it will cost to rebuild Lebanon.
Also, you miss a point. Next opportunity you've look up interviews with "Israeli on the street". IMO, it is not the world's pressure that drove the appeasement, it's Israelis desire for Peace that overrode facts. Now, this mass delusion is beginning to fade. As to the world pressure, I've noticed that toughther Israel behaves, the more USA support (and that the only thing that really matters) Israel gets.
#14
lotp, While I agree with you most of the time, I do not here.
#1) No. It is not worth noting that they have destroyed tunnels. These tunnels are almost worthless, certainly not essential.
#2)As for thier governing infrastructure, there wasn't any. They did no governing. They did the same thing as the PA before them, milked international aid. The only way to hurt that is to break up the U.N. and get rid of the Arab dictators.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
07/17/2006 16:04
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#15
With Olmert backing down on the demand that Hezbollah disarm, he is providing the means for Hezbollah to kill his countrymen in perpetuity. The ol' "give it another try-what can we lose" approach is misguided and suicidal. He obviously took someone's advice-did WE pressure him to back down on the demand that Hezbollah be disarmed in order to try to bring Chirac into this convoluted single-message from the West?
When is the world going to learn-by catering to nations that are led by parties with both militant and political wings, we are ensuring our own defeat and the loss of many innocents' lives? Under this failed worldview-the one our allies have yielded to and want us to go along with, too-sovereign governments under Hamas and Hezbollah are effectively sheltered from responsbility for their murderous actions and the conflict over Israel continues endlessly.
#17
The Paleos are people, too! We must ignore the obvious failures of diplomacy - we just didn't apply enough nuance or give enough aid. Violence is never the answer! Our focus must be to nurture and preserve that most precious Tranzi illusion commodity: stability.
#18
Based on the fact that the G8, UN, cannot agree to condemn Israel, and that the US, Canada, Australia, even Saudi Arabia have condemmed Hebollah, I think the Israelis can do whatever they wish. I suspect everyone is really watching Damascus and Tehran for a reaction, see how far the IDF can push.
Waiting for the Mullahs.
Posted by: john ||
07/17/2006 17:48
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#19
Democratic Israel has the moral authority and moral restraint to do whatever the fuck it wants. Funding and training from Syria and Iran neither of which politicaly recognise Israel has to stop, until then the "middle east crisis" which has been going on since our grandparents time (100 odd years/ya arguin!) will continue.
Former US President Bill Clinton who many Arab thoughts was more even-handed on the Palestine question than his predecessors shocked many when he asserted in Toronto last week that had Israel been attacked by Iraq or Iran during his presidency, he would have been ready to grab a rifle, get in a ditch and fight and die.
The Israelis know that if the Iraqi or the Iranian army came across the Jordan River, I would personally grab a rifle, get in a ditch, and fight and die, Clinton told the crowd at a fund-raising event for a Toronto Jewish charity Monday
Posted by: Captain America ||
07/17/2006
11:16 ||
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#1
Right -- and now, Demo are calling that Bubba himself be sent to the Middle East as a "special envoy."
#2
Remember for the left, its not about reality, its about how they feel. Feelings trump doing something tangable and lasting, particularly if it means getting your hands bloody to make it happen.
#5
This is laughable.You weren't at all willing to grab a rifle for the US and take your ass to the front in Viet territoty. In fact, you went thru all sorts of machinations to get out of any type service at all. Really convincing Bubba.
#6
"...he would have been ready to grab a rifle, get in a ditch and fight and die.
This reminds of a Cindy Shitbag Sheehan essay in which she stated that if America was directly attacked, she would grab a hair pin and fight the terrs.
#7
Clinton taqqiya. Next week before a muslim audience ...
Posted by: ed ||
07/17/2006 11:57
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#8
Has Mr. Clinton ever actually shot a bullet-propeller of any sort? I haven't, and were I presented with such a situation, we'd all be better served if I loaded for someone actually likely to hit what he/she aimed at. Or brought out the tea cart to keep up their strength... ;-)
#16
Anyone could grab a rifle, crawl into a ditch, and die.
What would that do?
Would Bill Clinton be willing to do something _useful_ like actually send the country to war against a terrorist sponsoring state? Bush has done it twice so far, and all he's gotten from Bill Clinton's party as a result has been a load of shit.
(And as usual, don't get me started about ANWR).
Posted by: Phil ||
07/17/2006 14:01
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#17
If Bill Clinton, or Jimmah Cahtah for that matter, would crawl into a ditch and die, the state of the world would be improved appreciably.
#18
Not that I disagree with all the above statements, but note that this article is back from 2002. But, carry on...I love all the imagery being brought to the surface about "dear old bill" (PTUI).
Posted by: BA ||
07/17/2006 14:30
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#19
Nice quote from Bill but as we all know he double speaks everything. I have to note he never really says just "who" he would be fighting for. He certainly did not say fight and die for the defence of Israel.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
07/17/2006 14:36
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#20
This lying sack of shit plumbs new depths yet again.
Wonder what it costs to keep all those backhoes on retainer?
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
07/17/2006 14:44
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#21
Now, now, now, don't be so hard on the poor man; he just may be telling the truth. After all, Monica Lewinsky is Jewish (IIRC), just like the Israelis, and she was near and dear to his, er, heart.
Posted by: Mike ||
07/17/2006 14:45
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#22
Bill would probably also die for a handjob and a Big Mac...
#23
Excuse me. Lil' Billy didn't say he would actually "grab a rifle and fight" he said he would be ready to. When listening to this guy you have to know what the meaning of "IS" is.
#28
The Israelis know that if the Iraqi or the Iranian army came across the Jordan River, I would personally grab a rifle, get in a ditch, and fight and die,
Talk has never been cheaper.
#33
Firstly, he is clearly saying what the listeners wanted to hear. Nothing new there. My gripe is that this is a perfect example of what he thinks about the infantry, and probably by extension the military in general. The visual; die in a ditch with a rifle in hand.
Jeez Bill!! No, no, no, no, no! You make the OTHER SOB die in a ditch, damn it! Get it right!
Posted by: Whiskey Mike ||
07/17/2006 20:55
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#34
He might have learned that, had he not dodged the draft.
Money Quote:
What should the Israelis have done instead? They should have treated Hezbollahland as a country, which it basically is, and attacked it. They should have treated Lebanon as a separate country, which it basically is, and left it alone. Mainstream Lebanese have no problem when Israel hammers Hezbollah in its little enclave. Somebody has to do it, and it cannot be them. If you want to embolden Lebanese to work with Israelis against Hezbollah, or at least move in to Hezbollah's bombed out positions, don't attack all of Lebanon.
Israel should not have bombed Central Beirut, which was almost monolithically anti-Hezbollah. They should not have bombed my old neighborhood, which was almost monolithically anti-Hezbollah. They should not have bombed the Maronite city of Jounieh, which was not merely anti-Hezbollah but also somewhat pro-Israel.
Israelis thinks everyone hates them. It isn't true, especially not in Lebanon. But they will make it so if they do not pay more attention to the internal characteristics of neighboring countries.
Moderator note: links go in the 'source' box, not in the text. Thx, AoS.
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
07/17/2006
11:08 ||
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#1
I like Mike alot, but he is wrong on this hizzies made up 20% of Lebs govt and it went rogue attack another country. Basically it declared war on Israel, so Israel is attacking the country that attack it.
#3
djohn - 80% of the Lebanese govt is non-Hezb, most of that anti-Hezb. Israel's best course is not to change that situation.
This looks like a rogue Hezb operation not supported by or coordinated with the Lebanese government (Iranian and Syrian govts are probably a different story). Totten has spent a lot of recent time in-country in Lebanon trying to learn about exactly these issues so I'd lean to thinking he knows what he's talking about unless you have better info to lay on the table.
#4
This has become personal for Totten, and that's entirely understandable.
But Israel is totally justified in exacting a military price on a government that has failed to disarm Hezbollah. That price has thus far been minimal compared to the damage the IDF could wreak upon Lebanon. Totten should keep that in mind.
#5
I am sorry, but the 80% cannot control the 20% then you are going to get hammered. Lets say Mexico lob 100 missiles into Texas the US would not seperate good Mexicans from the bad when we invaded. We would take out anything that we thought could be used by the enemy.
#6
I sort of see where Totten is coming from. What I would like to see is the MAP of "Hezbollahland".
From all I've read while they are dominant in the south, they are also dominant in sourt Beirut and the Bekka valley. I'm sure that Israel is trying to keep to those areas but there is nothing stopping the Hezbs from moving in and out of "Lebanon". If Michael can garuntee that the Hezbs stay in Hezzieland I'm sure that the Israelis will only attack them there.
#7
There's another dimensiont to this, Alan. Hezb'Allah are using national assets like the coastal radears, the airport etc. to carry out their attacks. It's not jsut a matter of punishing Lebanon - those assets HAVE to be taken away from Hezb'Allah if the attacks are to be ended.
#8
Might one speculate that Israel sent feelers out to the non-Hezbollah part of the Lebanese government to see how much cooperation they could count on, and found the response less than encouraging?
#11
"Totten has spent a lot of recent time in-country in Lebanon trying to learn about exactly these issues so I'd lean to thinking he knows what he's talking about unless you have better info to lay on the table."
Lebanese radar used in targeting.
Hesb'Allah allowed to keep arms and essentially control southern Lebanon
No coherent policy either before or after this event coming from the Lebanese government.
Lebanon border with Syria not under serious control by the former.
Most importantly, Hesb'Allah having free travel in Lebanon.
(RIA Novosti) - Law enforcers have detained a relative of Shamil Basayev, Russia's most wanted man until he was killed last week in a special operation, in the southern republic of Daghestan, a spokesman said Monday. Nikolai Varavin said that Ibragim, 24, the husband of Basayev's sister, was the head of a militant group that had been active in the Kurchaloi, Nozhai-Yurt districts in the east of Chechnya and the central region of Urus-Martan. He added that, according to law enforcement agencies' information, Ibragim was also traveling to the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku, where he handled financing for militant groups in Chechnya and the Pankisi Gorge in Georgia.
"Uhhh... Put the pliers away! I'll talk! I'll talk!"
"Volodya, do you care what he has to say?"
"Not me, Sasha. You want the Number 6 or the Number 8?"
Oh man, I didn't know they even made a Number 8 ...
Number 8's are the extra-large channel-locks that fit around their skull.
News that Shamil Basayev, who claimed responsibility for the 2004 Beslan school massacre and other atrocities, had died broke on July 10 when the head of Russia's Federal Security Service said the terrorist had been killed during a special operation in the North Caucasus republic of Ingushetia.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/17/2006
10:32 ||
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Negotiations are being held with Russia for moving the first President of Georgia Zviad Gamsakhurdia's tomb to the Georgian capital of Tbilisi from the Chechen capital of Grozny.
Zviad used to term himself "The Saddam Hussein of the Caucasus."
Georgia's foreign ministry spokesman Nato Chikovani told the APA's Georgia bureau that the first president's spouse Manana Archvadze-Gamsakhurdia and his sons appealed to the Ministry for moving the grave to Tbilisi. The reason why is because Russian representative office in Chechnya warned about building of a government residence in the place where the grave is. Chikovani said Georgian Foreign Ministry sent a note to Russian Foreign Ministry for delaying the construction of the government residence in Grozny in the period of negotiating and until the place of Gamsakhurdia's grave is determined in Tbilisi. "But we have not yet received any reply from Russia," the spokesman said.
Georgian Patriarch has also joined the process of moving the first President's tomb to Tbilisi. The then President Gamsakhurdia was buried in Chikashkari as he was born in Georgia but his spouse MananaArchvadze-Gamsakhurdia insisted on moving his tomb to Grozny later on.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/17/2006
10:26 ||
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Space shuttle Discovery and its crew of six returned to Earth through overcast skies Monday, ending a successful mission that put NASA back in the space station construction business. Discovery glided down through an overcast sky onto the Kennedy Space Center runway at 9:14 a.m., allowing NASA to declare total victory for the first time since before the 2003 Columbia disaster. It was so cloudy, shuttle commander Steven Lindsey couldn't spot the runway until about a minute before landing.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/17/2006
10:25 ||
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#1
That's what instrument approaches are for. Total victory? How about a design and testing for the next generation of spacecraft. The Shuttles are dangerous, tired, and in dire need of a replacement.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
07/17/2006 11:52
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#2
The Shuttles are dangerous, tired, and in dire need of a replacement.
I believe the shuttles are supposed to be retired in 2010 when a new vehicle comes online (along with heavy lifters for the heavy lifting).
#4
shuttles are supposed to be retired in 2010
Ha! They were supposed to be retired in the 1980s IIRC. I'll believe NASA has a replacement when I see it.
#5
AP I believe the ceiling dropped like a rock at the last moment. Check out the video from the HUD if you can find it. Crazy cool. I kept waiting and waiting and the clouds were still there and dropping! Even at breakout viz was really marginal. Figure it happened sudden like.
July 17, 2006: The Taliban Summer offensive continues to fail in spectacular fashion. While the Taliban war parties still roam southern Afghanistan, terrorizing tribesmen, closing schools and driving out government officials, Afghan and Coalition troops continue to catch up with the Taliban and kill them. The results have been disastrous for the Taliban, who have lost over a third of their gunmen in the last few months.
The word is getting around that, if you join the Taliban fighters, you eventually get blown up, or shot, by the foreign troops. This is causing desertions, and more difficulty for Taliban recruiters. It's the Afghan custom, to desert a faction that appears to be losing.
Posted by: Steve ||
07/17/2006
09:22 ||
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#1
It's the Afghan custom, to desert a faction that appears to be losing.
Not just Afghan, in that part of the world. Strong horse/weak horse? I can live with that.
#5
Of course, gromky, but it isn't nearly as fun if one dies ineffectively, eg all of us dead but the infidels only got a little splinter, or we're running around the countryside all hot and hungry, while they camp on the hillsides above and shoot us down... and the world media doesn't even notice.
ST PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) - A microphone picked up an unaware President Bush saying on Monday Syria should press Hezbollah to "stop doing this shit" and that his secretary of state may go to the Middle East soon. Bush was talking privately to British Prime Minister Tony Blair during a lunch at the Group of Eight summit in St Petersburg about an upsurge of violence in the Middle East, not realizing a microphone was recording what he said.
"I think Condi (Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice) is going to go pretty soon," Bush said.
Blair replied: "Right, that's all that matters, it will take some time to get that together."
"You know how long it takes a woman to pack for a trip"
The two leaders also referred to an offer by Blair to help. Blair said Rice has "got to succeed" if she goes out to the region.
Bush replied: "What they need to do it to get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this shit."
.....before I really get f*&king pissed off and f&%kin bomb their f@$king asses back to the bleeping stone age."
Shortly afterwards Blair noticed the microphone and hastily switched it off, but not before the recording had reached news media.
Posted by: Steve ||
07/17/2006
09:07 ||
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#1
Sounds like Bush is in a real hurry to get that UN peacekeeping force going.
#2
I am starting to wonder about of dear friend Blair. He is a Leftist and this mic was discovered on by him of course after the slip of tongue. Also remember back the leaked memos about Aljazera, about planning on invading Iraq before openly admitted, about many other instances.
Maybe our mole and leaker is a little closer than thought.
#3
I kind of like this - what I heard on the inadvertant open mike is exactly what I would have expected. Same points, same words, same inflection. None of the typical politician's BS double-speak, one thing to the public, and something totally different in private (think Clinton, or muslim 'leader').
#9
Hence Iran is the primary source of the problem while Syria is more of a bit player / hanger-on. If this conversation was really intended to be private I'd expect Bush would have addressed the statement to either Iran, as the main source of the problem, or Iran and Syria, as the joint source of the problem. To me the fact that he singled out the weak sister of the pair for a comment that should send Baby Assad running for the nearest bomb shelter lends a bit of support to the above comments that this might not have been an accident.
Or maybe I just want to believe that Karl Rove really is this good. ;)
SOMETHING big hasn't happened in the current round of fighting between Israel and its terrorist foes. That absence represents a potentially fatal change in Israeli policy.
For all of the air-attacks on targets in Lebanon, the Israeli Defense Force has not sent in ground troops. If IDF tanks don't thrust across the border in force in the next few days, it will reflect the greatest crisis of will in Israel's history.
Israel is signaling its enemies that it's afraid to risk its soldiers' lives. And the terrorists read the message clearly. This caution will only encourage Israel's enemies - just when the seemingly inevitable advent of Iranian nuclear weapons poses the greatest threat to Israel since 1948.
Israel faces enormous challenges and metastasizing threats. Like cancer, those threats will only grow worse if not treated aggressively. By trying to establish "psychological leverage" over the Lebanese government and population with attacks on the country's civilian infrastructure, Israel played into the hands of its enemies and came off as a bully in the eyes of the world. Attempts to wage "war-lite" have a heavy price.
Israel is in a fight for its life, but looks irresolute for the first time in its history. It appears shockingly weak where it counts most, in strength of will. And will is one thing Israel's fanatical enemies do not lack.
If, in the coming days, we do not hear the roar of IDF tanks pursuing Israel's enemies, we may one day hear a new lament for the children of Zion.
#2
This is crap. Israel is acting properly. Strategic strikes and covert ops to conserve forces and maximumize effect should be the rule of the day. They are surrounded by the enemy and should only commit forces when they know it will be decisive.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
07/17/2006 9:48
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#4
Remember also that Lebanon is tactically not just one country, but two. That is, Syria, on the flank, has to be seen as a serious threat to any ground assault. So any advance is Lebanon has to not only be long, but wide enough to keep the Syrians from dividing the Israeli forces.
This would be done with a quick thrust just north of the border, with lots of SAM support and artillery to pound every ground access from Israel north, cutting off the Israelis in Lebanon. Then the Syrian air force would turn the tables on the trapped Israelis.
The new Russian SAMs the Syrians have could then really punish the IAF trying to protect their ground forces. At that point, even the Lebanese army could be a player.
#9
I think that Peters editorial is ill-timed. If the Israelis really mean to destroy Hezbollah, they are going to have to take some enormous risks. Somehow, they've got to be able to cut Lebanon in two, encircle Hezbollah, and then squeeze until the damn thing dies. A frontal attack across the Lebanese border doesn't work since Hezb will just retreat/go to ground, forcing the Israelis to occupy Beirut again and subjecting their lines of communication to constant harrassment.
I honestly don't know if Israel has the will or resources to attempt this. I personally don't think that they have any choice. But Peters is off the mark here. I agree with 6 that Israel is shaping the battlefield right now. If they haven't attacked in a month, then Peters screed will have more standing.
#12
I think he misses the mark as well. If Israel invades Lebanon in anything more than a smash and dash back to Israeli territory it will eventually be used against them. Brutal occupation and then any withdrawl turned into chased out.
Best not to go in if staying becomes more painful politically. Best case scenerio is to get the lebanese military to occupy the region after Isreal has hammered it and done raids and done as much damage as possible short of full blown tank columns and occupation.
Let the Leb military say they chases Israel out as they drove over the skulls of Hezbollah, whatever it takes to prop up the right people and remove the wrong ones.
#13
How odd that he would time this article to come out before the Israelis would be able to go in. It's like he's trying to communicate directly with Olmert and tell him what needs to be done.
He's a good historian. I think he's falling prey to that desire to direct from the keyboard rather than to report.
#15
Austin Bay has been reporting (via AT&T) that Israel has sent troops into Lebanon, probably about sundown, Lebanon time. Israel has full night vision capabilities, I doubt Hezbullshit has the same.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
07/17/2006 22:11
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DEBKAfile Exclusive reveals: Hizballah leader Hassan Nassrallah and top command are holed up in Hermel, the northern Lebanese panhandle bordering Syria. Among them, according to DEBKAfiles military and Iranian sources, are Hizballahs chief of staff Ibrahim Akil, its head of intelligence and terror Imad Mughniyeh and commander of special operations Halil Harab. The group fled their Beirut HQ Saturday night, July 15, and went to ground in the emergency staff bunkers prepared in advance of their July 12 attack on Israel. After failing to prevent the top Hizballah leaders escape from Beirut, the Israeli air force headed north Monday morning, July 17, and is clobbering the Hermel region.
DEBKAfile adds: The Hermel drug-farming pocket bordered north and east by Syria is the haunt of smugglers who use the remote, strategically placed region to move fighters, weapons, cash and drugs across Syria into Iraq and as a staging post to other parts of the Middle East. The smuggling gangs overlord is Mughniyeh,
you just KNEW he was involved somehow, didn't you?
a triple Hizballah-Iran-al Qaeda agent and terrorist executive, who has figured high on the US wanted terrorist list for more than two decades. On his orders, the smugglers recently relocated their main operation from the Syrian-Iraqi border to the Syrian-Lebanese border in preparation for the new warfront against Israel. In the last 48 hours, Iran has used this illicit route to beat the Israeli air, sea and land blockade and pump quantities of rockets, anti-air and anti-tank missiles and other advanced weapons systems to Hizballah for a fresh escalation.
Syria's role in this smuggling operation is critical. DEBKAfiles Iranian sources add that the holds of all the Iranian passenger flights landing in Damascus from Thursday, July 13, have been crammed with weapons for Hizballah.
Friday and Saturday, 25 Iranian Revolutionary Guards officers, anti-tank and anti-air missile experts, arrived in mufti in the Syrian capital. They were led by the smugglers across mountain routes into Lebanon. Mughniye, a confidant of Iran's Ali Khamenei and Osama bin Laden, is constantly at Nasrallahs side. He is believed by Israeli intelligence to have engineered the kidnap of the two Israeli soldiers on which sparked the hostilities July 12.
#2
As long as they are bombing in the Bekka - don't forget the bunker busters for one of the alleged sites of Saddam's WMD. (One alleged site was Bekka Valley the other in the Syrian desert)
A chance to destroy that stuff should not be passed up.
#3
You can safely bet that tunnels lead directly into Syria from the Lebanese side, they went there to escape and have no intention of having thier flight to saftey interrupted by above ground transport. 90% chance that they are already on the Syrian side.
KABUL -The US-led coalition in Afghanistan said it had killed four-suspected Al Qaeda and detained three others during a raid on Monday aimed at a senior member of the terror network in eastern Afghanistan. A provincial governor said the four men killed in the early morning operation in Khost province were an Afghan religious leader or mullah and three Arabs.
Nailed a Holy Man, did they?
The coalition said it was not sure if the targeted man, whose name and nationality were not revealed, was among those killed or was among three others captured in the operation in a village 15 kilometres (nine miles) from the Pakistan border.
Coalition forces killed four suspected Al-Qaeda terrorists, detained three suspected Al-Qaeda terrorists..., it said in a statement that gave few details.
The coalition forces said they also destroyed a weapons cache in the operation in Pelan Kheyl village, Bak district. The purpose of this operation was to capture or kill an Al-Qaeda operational leader who is a significant threat to Afghan and coalition forces in the Khost province, the statement said. The dead men were a local Afghan mullah and three Arab men, provincial governor provincial governor Sarajuding Patan told AFP.
Three Arab 'tourists'?
The coalition patrol in the area came under attack from this house and when the coalition forces returned fire, they killed the mullah and three Arabs, he said.
I love a story with a happy ending
Three brothers of the mullah were arrested by coalition forces, Patan said.
The governor said the Arabs were buried soon after the incident, apparently in a bid to hide their nationality. He did not say how it was known they were Arabs.
Holier than thou attitude, un-fired AK, curly-toed track shoes...
... unwilling to lift anything heavier than their wallets ...
The mullah, Mawlavi Zainul Abidine, was well-known in the area, villager Gul Mohammad told AFP.
A nephew of the mullah had died a number of days ago. People were visiting the mullah to offer condolences and prayers. The three killed with him might be his guests who stayed over, Mohammad said.
Right........
Al-Qaeda militants are believed to be fighting alongside the Taleban movement in Afghanistan in a growing insurgency against the government of President Hamid Karzai.
Posted by: Steve ||
07/17/2006
08:56 ||
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#1
"A nephew of the mullah had died "
Any word on the cause of his (nephew's) death? 'Work accident' or heart failure - makes a difference in the total picture.
"patrol in the area came under attack "
Or was it just celebratory gunfire - do they do funerals the same way they celebrate weddings?
#2
I must say, I'm surprised that Mullah Omar hasn't bought the farm yet. The coalition seems to be boosting their tally of senior jihadis pretty handily.
A senior army source told the Knesset's Foreign Affairs Committee that Israel has begun flattening ground a kilometer from the Lebanese border for military needs. The same source added that Hizbullah posts should not be reestablished in the area.
The sources said the Air Force has "struck Hizbullah forces hard." He added that Israel has intelligence on places storing missiles, and that the Air Force is striking the targets.
Damascus, 17 July (AKI) - Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on Monday met with Syrian president Basher al-Assad and delivered a letter by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the crisis that has gripped the region.
Giving him his orders
The letter serves to "confirm Iran's position by Syria's side and its support in the face of whatever threats or aggression," the official Syrian news agency SANA said. The letter appeared to be a warning to Israel which has accused Syria and Iran of supporting Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and stoking the current crisis in region.
Posted by: Steve ||
07/17/2006
08:42 ||
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Needs a snarky comment but I am overwhelmed by the potential. French PM travelling to Beirut to express solidarity France is today sending Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin to Beirut to express support for Lebanon, President Jacques Chiracs office said. The prime minister was to meet with Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora to express support and solidarity from the French to the Lebanese, Chiracs office said in a statement made in St Petersburg, Russia, on the side of the G8 Summit.
#9
Does anyone know his exact iteneray and locations ? Is he visiting his Hezb friends or have they all cleared out ? Is he near an airfield or radar location ? Just asking.
#14
A while back, commenters said that Matignon (PM residence) insiders leaked that dominique galouzeau "de villepin" had two hopes so he could get back on its feet (he's been a dead fish floating belly up since the CPE crisis) :
- that France would win the world cup.
Close, but no cigar (boy, I'm sure that match with Togo cost taxpayers a lot of unmarked bills from Matignon's secret funds!).
- and that there would be a severe crisis in the ME (probably thinking about iran), so he could show the french they need a Real Stateman(Tm) like you-knwo-who to lead them in these perilous times. Basically, he wished for the un iraq sideshow redux, so he could get standing ovations from the "pacifist crowd" and from african and muslim delegates again.
This may be it.
#15
Dumb question, but how does de Villepin plan on getting to Beirut? Haven't all the runways been destroyed? Is he going to fly to Israel and take a chopper or something? I suppose it's not a major detail, but I was just wondering since it seems like it could be risky.
#17
"Ahmed, that cute little Frenchman in coming here!"
"Ah, Mahmoud. Do you think he will hold me?"
"Of course, Ahmed. He is French after all, and reportedly - a man's kind of man, if you get my meaning."
"Oh, Mahmoud. That kind of talk gets me so excited. Hold me."
Did'nt I say something the other day about how a bunch of stuffed shirts and do-gooders are going to try to get the Israeli's to back off and get a ceasefire declared?
LEBANESE television stations said today that an Israeli aircraft had been shot down over Lebanon and showed footage of debris falling from the sky, but the Israeli military said no aircraft had been downed. "There was no such thing," an Israeli security source said.
Lebanese security sources said they could not confirm that it was a plane, suggesting it might have been a fuel tank ditched by an aircraft.
Israeli aircraft pounded Lebanon today for the sixth day after Hizbollah guerrillas captured two Israeli soldiers and killed eight in a cross-border attack last Wednesday.
The US president, in St Petersburg for the G8 summit, has insisted Israel is defending itself against terror and Hezbollah is the root of the crisis. George W Bush added that the Israelis had to be mindful of the consequences of their actions, as fresh air strikes and rocket attacks were reported.
French President Jacques Chirac spoke out in defence of Lebanon.
The leaders of the world's eight top economic powers have begun working meetings focusing on energy supplies. With global energy use likely to increase by 50% in the next 25 years, Russian President Vladimir Putin is keen to convince other G8 members his country can be relied on as a supplier.
But Russia's G8 agenda has already been overtaken by events in the Middle East, the BBC's Steve Rosenberg reports. With eight of the world's most powerful leaders meeting for talks, he says, they are under pressure to find a way to end the hostilities.
"As a sovereign nation, Israel has every right to defend itself against terrorist activity," Mr Bush said after bilateral talks with UK Prime Minister Tony Blair on Sunday. "Our message to Israel is defend yourself but be mindful of the consequences."
The root cause of the conflict, he added, was Hezbollah and its ties with Syria and Iran. Hezbollah, he said, "was the start of this".
Speaking before the first summit working meeting of the day, France's president said that forces "who jeopardise the security, stability and sovereignty of Lebanon must be stopped". He urged "the protection of civilians, moderation and a durable ceasefire" in both Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.
Our correspondent notes that working out a common G8 position on the crisis will not be easy with a clear division emerging between the US on one hand, and France and Russia on the other.
President Putin has suggested Israel has ulterior motives in Lebanon rather than simply the return of abducted soldiers. "We condemn any terrorist act including hostage-taking but we have the impression that besides the return of its abducted soldiers, Israel is pursuing other, wider goals," he said on Saturday.
#2
If Bush would publicly say to Israel, "Do want you need to, and don't worry about Europe or Russia. I'll take care of them." I would send him one of my girlfriends for a weekend. I would even let him choose which one.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
07/17/2006 10:01
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#3
Good lord, Mike N., how many girlfriends have you got? And does your wife know? ;-)
#6
Shitrack and Phrawnce need to be told to sit in the corner until they can grow up. The problem is Iran pulling strings in Syria, Lebanon, and with Hamas and Hezbollah. The current president of Lebanon, emile lahoud, needs to be hung from the radar mount of an Israeli Saar-5 class boat, cruising up and down the coast of Lebanon for all to see. Vlad Putin needs to meet Vlad the Impaler in a dark alley somewhere in Moscow. Both France, with an almost negative GDP growth, and Russia, a failed state, need to be dropped from the G-8, possibly along with a few others. Israel needs to crush Hezbollah and hit the offices of Hamas and the PLO in Damascus, possibly also the Presidential Palace and a few dozen offices - especially Ba'ath party headquarters. I'd use a medium-sized nuke for that last one, if Buffs aren't available. The Israelis need something that will rattle the rats in the sewer from 10 miles away, like an ARCLIGHT strike, and use it on downtown Damascus. There are enough rats there that need to be "disturbed".
What I would LOVE to see is a combined US/UK/Israel strike on Damascus, Qom, and Tehran, plus all the oil infrastructure in Iran. Let the world know that we will no longer tolerate "this shit", as the President so aptly said.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
07/17/2006 17:29
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#7
What I would LOVE to see is a combined US/UK/Israel strike on Damascus, Qom, and Tehran, plus all the oil infrastructure in Iran.
You may just get your wish Patriot. You might even see some other straphangers besides the UK.
President Bush cursed Hezbollah's attacks against Israel in private conversations with foreign leaders Monday that were picked up by a microphone. Bush expressed his frustration with the United Nations and his disgust with the militant Islamic group and its backers in Syria as he talked to British Prime Minister Tony Blair during the closing lunch at the Group of Eight summit.
"See the irony is that what they need to do is get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this (expletive) and it's over," Bush told Blair as he chewed on a buttered roll. He told Blair he felt like telling U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who visited the gathered leaders "to get on the phone with (Syrian President Bashar) Assad, make something happen."
The unscripted comments came during a photo opportunity at the lunch. Bush and Blair clearly did not realize that a live microphone was picking up their discussion.
Posted by: ed ||
07/17/2006
07:36 ||
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#1
Bush at his finest. Stop the group hugs and continue to talk sense.
Posted by: Captain America ||
07/17/2006 7:47
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Israeli ground troops entered southern Lebanon to attack Hezbollah bases on the border, a government spokesman said Monday, but rapidly returned to Israel after conducting their military operations.
Israel's six-day-old offensive against Hezbollah following the capture of two Israeli soldiers has been primarily an aerial campaign, but government spokesman, Asaf Shariv, said the Israeli army chief of staff confirmed that ground troops had gone into Lebanon, if only briefly.
A military official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information, said that a small group of Israeli troops had crossed into Lebanon overnight to attack a Hezbollah position, but then returned to Israel. "There was a small operation in a very limited area overnight," the source said. "That is over."
Israel has been reluctant to send ground troops into southern Lebanon, an area that officials say has been heavily mined by Hezbollah and could lead to many Israeli casualties.
Israel would also want to quickly withdraw from the area, rather than get involved in a prolonged conflict like its 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon that ended in May 2000. The bloody nature of the fighting at the that time and the high number of casualties finally forced the government to cave into public pressure to withdraw from southern Lebanon and end the contentious occupation.
Posted by: ed ||
07/17/2006
07:32 ||
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#1
Sssh! It's a surprise
Posted by: Captain America ||
07/17/2006 7:40
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#2
Fox News reports IDF denies ground assault.
Posted by: Charles ||
07/17/2006 7:43
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#3
What I'd like to see is a ground attack similar to Sherman's march across Georgia. Holding territory is not productive; just blast through and destroy anything of value to the enemy. I'm thinking Hezballah has anticipated an Israeli ground invasion for years, and seems to have lit this match in order to CAUSE such an invasion, so thinks they are prepared to make it very costly to Israel (and they may be right.) If Israel has any kind of amphibious landing capability perhaps they will try an Inchon move near Sidon to allow them to do their Sherman march at the back side of the Hezballah border defenders.
#4
What I'd like to see is a ground attack similar to Sherman's march across Georgia.
The area is heavily mined - one reason Israel would prefer to avoid a ground assault if possible. As I recall, they took heavy casualties entering Lebanon last time around, many from mines.
#5
Ahh shoot. The breaking headline made it sound like the start of something big.
Posted by: ed ||
07/17/2006 8:33
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#6
I wouldn't be surprised to see Israel run feints like this for several days to test Hiz reactions and wear them out. I still doubt Israel goes in. It's what Hiz wants.
#9
Mines? Well Hiz. wants all their terrorist buddies released from Israeli jails. Seems like a good chance to do so. Line'em up and march 'em north to clear the mines.
Posted by: Laurence of the Rats ||
07/17/2006 9:11
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#10
Sometimes the simplest solutions work the best, LotR.
Posted by: ed ||
07/17/2006 9:14
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#11
Lotp,
I think right now the airforce is the best approach. I think after a couple of weeks of ponding from the air we may also see some very limited surgical ground action (I even guess some Commando actions have been done before and are occuring right now- but these are of the Shu-Shu type).
The Only chance for massive ground action I see is if substantial syrian or iranian forces cross the border into lebanon, or if the amount and type of new weapons smuggled to the Hizzbies exceeds a critical amount.
Its better for everyone that the lebanese army soldiers will die pushing the shiites out of the south, rather than our own soldiers.
Posted by: Elder of Zion ||
07/17/2006 9:22
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#12
Laurence, I like your thinking. Minefields are perfect for prisoner transfers. We can start the ball rolling with a few Gitmo volunteers.
Gunny Highway says '
Ya gotta ask yourself, Is Allan with me today ? Do I feel lucky ? Well, do ya, punk ?
#16
At least it was, 6, until those dastardly Jooooos shelled the area, lol! I fully expect the links on the side of this page to be to "Nice relaxing vacation in Beirut" by the end of the day, lol.
Posted by: BA ||
07/17/2006 14:45
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#17
I've received a Stratfor freebie about this, won't post it here, given the high esteem Stratfor is held in by regulars, but here is the money quote final paragraph : Therefore, it follows that the most likely explanation for the delay in a ground assault is that the Israelis are going to take some more time in deploying their forces at the border, allow the air campaign to continue for another day or two, accept the civilian casualties from Hezbollah's rockets and strike back some time this week. But with those rockets coming in, they don't have that many days to wait. Israel's government is not fractious. There is no sense of unease about the situation. Therefore, we have to stay with the view that a broader ground attack is likely early this week.
#18
Israel MUST invade on the ground, and stay there until they kill every last Hezzie. Barring that, we'll see them back, same Bat Time, same Bat Channel.
Center-right ruminations follow, so youve been warned. And if these seem like far-right ramblings, you really need to get out more.
A few people wrote to ask why I linked to that shallow cup of froth on the HuffPo the other day; not a few asked why I condemned this but not that, which was the condemnable thing of the week for some. Fine. Consider it condemned. I should just come up with an all-purpose graphic of myself with my lips cinched tighter than a chickens rectum, with the words IF YOU THINK I SHOULD CONDEMN IT THEN I PROBABLY DO, because I am not a great fan of high-octane bile delivered via firehose 24/7. As I have said before, to no effect, I dont believe that people who disagree with me are BAD and EVIL and want the country DESTROYED. (Which is why its always amusing when the courtesy is not returned. The other day at the park I had a mild little conversation with a nice woman wearing a black rubber bracelet that said I DIDNT VOTE 4 BUSH, just in case the matter came up at this childrens birthday party; the moment she discovered I would be voting against Mike Hatch for governor a man she didnt particularly like the temperature dropped 95 degrees, and she excused herself. Because people like me are RUINING MINNESOTA, I guess, and whats worse is that were doing it intentionally. With foreknowledge of the disastrous consequences, which we want.) I think there are ideas that have unfortunate consequences, but for the most part theyre held by people who believe they will have fortunate outcomes. Im sure most people who read this site who disagree with me have the same opinion. We want the best, and the struggle to find agreement is only fruitful if we respect each others motives. You don't have to respect the arguments, of course, but you have to respect the speaker, right up until the moment when they confirm your suspicions and reveal themselves as an utter diq. After that, well, have fun. (Some people in the public sphere come conveniently pre-revealed, which makes them fair game.)
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Mike ||
07/17/2006
07:19 ||
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A long time ago, the press called those who commit mass murder in a market, terrorists.
Dozens of heavily armed attackers raided an open air market Monday in a tense town south of Baghdad, killing at least 41 people and wounding 42, police and hospital officials said. Some reports put the death toll far higher. Most of the victims were believed to be Shiites.
The attack in Mahmoudiya began about 9 a.m. with a brief mortar barrage, followed by an armed assault by dozens of gunmen. They killed three Iraqi soldiers at a checkpoint, then stormed the market while firing automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenades, police Capt. Rashid al-Samaraie said.
Following the attack, police rushed to the market, arresting people at random in an attempt to find the assailants, witnesses said. In Baghdad, lawmakers allied with radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr stormed out of a parliament session to protest the killings.
The attack also sent shock waves through Mahmoudiya, an agricultural center with Shiites living in the town center and Sunnis in the outlying neighborhoods. Frantic relatives milled about the hospital, scuffling with guards and Iraqi soldiers who tried to keep order. "You are strong men only when you face us, but you let them do what they did to us," one man shouted at a guard.
Some of the victims were transported to hospitals in Baghdad, where a Shiite television station, Al-Forat, put the death toll at 72. Police said most of the victims were Shiites, and it appeared the raid was part of the escalating campaign of tit-for-tat sectarian killings that have plunged the country to the brink of civil war.
Mahmoudiya has long been a flashpoint of Sunni-Shiite tension and the scene of frequent bombings and shootings. It is located in the "triangle of death," an area of frequent attacks on Iraqi and U.S. troops and Shiites traveling between Baghdad and religious centers to the south. Al-Forat aired quotes from Shiites blaming the attack on Sunni religious extremists and expressing outrage over the failure of mainstream Sunni politicians to stop them.
Posted by: ed ||
07/17/2006
07:14 ||
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#1
The end game has the Sunnis cleared from the Sunni Triangle south of Bagdhad.
A powerful earthquake sent a two-metre-high tsunami crashing into a beach resort on Indonesia's Java island Monday, damaging hotels and sending boats smashing into houses, a witness told a local radio station. People fled to a local hill to escape the wave on Pangandaran beach in west Java, a woman identified as Teti told el-Shinta radio station. All the houses are destroyed along the beach, she said. At least three people were killed, witnesses said.
The earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.2 hit at 3:24 p.m. local time and caused tall buildings to sway in the Indonesian capital and at least one other city on Java Island for around two minutes, witnesses said. A strong magnitude 6.1 aftershock later shook the southern coast of Java, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
The Japanese and Pacific tsunami warning centres did not give the depth of the quake, but local media reports quoting Indonesian officials said it was more than 30 kilometres below the ocean floor.
All of us in the free world owe Israel an enormous thank-you for defending freedom, democracy, and security against the Iranian cat's-paw wholly-owned terrorist subsidiaries Hezbollah and Hamas. Israel is doing the Lord's work. They are defending their own homeland and very existence, but they are also defending America's homeland as our frontline democratic ally in the Middle East. Commentary's Norman Podhoretz was exactly right when he coined the term World War IV to describe the global terror conflict. Repeatedly hostile actions by the totalitarians in Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, Hamas, and North Korea are all connected. So are the recently foiled terrorist-cell-block plans in Canada, the U.S., London, and elsewhere around the globe. We are fortunate to have a staunch ally like Israel to assist us in this fight.
As Ben Stein recently put it, "God bless Eretz Israel. God bless Israel for having the cojones to stand up for herself." But supporters of freedom and democracy must also say a prayer for President George W. Bush, who has steadfastly stood up for Israel. He outright refuses to publicly ask Israel to stand down.
Continued on Page 49
By David Warren
Southern Lebanon, then Gaza, were two strips of occupied territory from which the Israelis withdrew entirely and unilaterally, removing all Jewish settlements from the latter. As I, and various other "rightwing nuts" predicted, the vacated territories were immediately used as platforms to attack Israel proper. They fell quickly into the hands of the terrorist organizations, Hezbollah, and Hamas, respectively. With direct Israeli supervision withdrawn, the smuggling of weapons increased radically. Effectively fenced in, so they could not send suicide bombers across the Israeli border, the new masters turned instead to rocket attacks and tunnelling.
When the Israelis withdrew, I wrote that they would have no choice but to return to both territories, and clean them out. We are now at that stage. Both Hamas, in Gaza, and Hezbollah, in southern Lebanon, are now proxies of Iran. Hezbollah was created directly by the ayatollahs as a terrorist organization in 1982, to attack American and Israeli targets then in Beirut. Over time, Hezbollah added various charitable operations, creating a false front behind which it could recruit Jihadis, attract and launder foreign donations, cache weapons and ammunition, etc.
German police officers get a discount of 7 euros when they buy Femi-X, a herbal aphrodisiac for women which is sometimes refered to as the female equivalent of viagra. When the police officers buy a packet of 15 Femi-X pills they pay only 32 euros instead of 39. In addition they receive a free DVD with sex tips. Andreas Schuster, the police chief in Brandenburg, the province surrounding Berlin, told Bild Zeitung that Germany needs more children and the police want to set a good example. We all want more children. The Brandenburg Police is prepared to do its duty. Perhaps this pill will be helpful in this regard.
Germanys fertility rate is no longer sufficient to sustain its population. The number of elderly Germans (over 65 years old) is expected to rise from 17.5% of the population today to 27.9% by 2050. While the Germans do not have enough children, however, this does not necessarily imply that they do not have enough sex. Sex and procreation are not necessarily the same. The use of Femi-X pills by police officers will not help the demographics unless chief Schuster can convince his female officers not to use contraceptive pills with their Femi-X pills.
Germany has another demographic problem. In 2004, for the first time in recent history, the number of Germans leaving their country was greater than the number of immigrants moving in. There were 145,000 German emigrants and 128,000 immigrants. Most of the emigrants leave for the United States. One couple who moved to Florida told Die Welt: Here our children have a future in which they will not have to fear unemployment and social decline. Perhaps moving to America will be a better fertility boost for young couples than using Femi-X. The best aphrodisiac may be to leave the welfare state.
#1
The brain drain continues to favor the US. The smart and ambitious ones come here. The lazy and dense stay behind.
As for chick cops getting randy - cool. I dated a cop once - and she was really fun and adventurous. We finally had to declare the handcuffs as out of bounds, LOL.
#5
"The brain drain continues to favor the US. The smart and ambitious ones come here. The lazy and dense stay behind."
Well the problem is, they tend to bring their socialist tendencies as well. Just like Californians and Urbanites that move someplace to get away from the destruction they caused, only to begin the process all over.
Lets see...I do believe that it is called gentrification, only without the good aspects.
But, I guess we could always look at them as good breeding stock for when we can re-introduce them to their native range. You know, after we exterminate the Arabs/Mohammedans. God willing of course.
Posted by: BA ||
07/17/2006 13:39
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#7
Is Manolo a plant? ...like a CIA plant, not the flora type.
Posted by: Rafael ||
07/17/2006 14:24
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#8
"Is Manolo a plant? ...like a CIA plant, not the flora type."
Actually, I think of myself as being in the Cacti family, 'cause I'm so prickly!
CIA? That is funny. Why would you think that?
Face it, plenty of liberals/moonbats etc. move from someplace complaining of high taxes, bad schools and blah³, only to set about turning their new home into exactly what they left behind.
Don't believe me, ask the folks in Wyoming and Montana how they feel about all the Californians that moved there.
Or all the Massholes that moved across the line into Connecticut(sp?) and proceeded to crap the place up.
Well, it does say Local at the top of this. Just thought some might be interested. MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. Robert Brooks, the chairman of Hooters of America, Inc. who made his fortune selling chicken wings served by scantily clad waitresses, was found dead at his home Sunday, officials said. He was 69. It was unclear how Brooks died, but the Horry County coroner's office told The (Myrtle Beach) Sun News that an autopsy would be performed Monday. Several calls to the coroner's office by The Associated Press were unanswered.
Chris Hardwick, owner of Hardwick Funeral Home of Loris, told the AP he was handling Brooks' funeral arrangements.
Since opening its first store in Clearwater, Florida, in 1983, the chain has expanded across the United States and into more than a dozen foreign countries ranging from Taiwan to Venezuela. Hooters has about 61 million annual visitors to its some 425 restaurants.
Brooks and a group of Atlanta investors bought expansion and franchise rights for the chain in 1984. He eventually bought majority control and became chairman. Brooks was named Entrepreneur of the Year by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce in 1996, according to the company's Web site.
#10
Headline writers live for moments like this. Also, when I lived in Southern California, you could always depend on the guys announcing the current weather conditions on the radio to say "LA is sunny and 75 degrees, Anaheim is slightly overcast and 72, and Huntington Beach is enjoying 69..."
Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) ||
07/17/2006 10:10
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#11
No doubt, died of blocked arteries. A lot of grease on an order of ten of those wings. that is what made them so good.
#14
Since opening its first store in Clearwater, Florida, in 1983, the chain has expanded across the United States and into more than a dozen foreign countries ranging from Taiwan to Venezuela. Hooters has about 61 million annual visitors to its some 425 restaurants.
What a entrepeneur! And, here's to hopin' that Chavez chokes on a wing-bone! Gotta wonder how many of those "annual visitors" are repeat buyers, lol. Finally, Brett you remind me of a snafu my father in law had at a place similar to Hooters. He needed change, and when the (scantily clad) waitress came up, he asked her "Do you have 2 nipples for a dime?"
Posted by: BA ||
07/17/2006 13:19
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Minal Hasan was exploring careers - Teacher? Journalist? - when two planes sliced through the World Trade Center.
In the days and months that followed, friends and relatives exchanged tales of harassment, dubious arrests and assaults nationwide. Someone threw rocks at Hasan's car. Someone else spat at her.
The Fremont, Calif., woman then followed an increasing number of American Muslims, rocked by the fallout of Sept. 11: She applied to law school.
Continued on Page 49
#3
A close friend of mine from law school is now one of these screeching immigration attorneys. Her family fled Iran shortly before the fall of the shah. She was raised in San Fran, and engaged to an Irish Catholic -- but she got religion shortly before we graduated. Harangued me for an hour over lunch about the dirty Joooz, and told me how pleased she was with her fiance's reversion to Islam (Muslim women can't marry infidel dogs, y'know). Also took her 3-4 tries to pass the bar exam.
Of course, she was only the first of many friends who wound up fighting for the enemy. Sad. Reminds me of the Civil War.
#5
On a more general level, I think that 9/11 was very effective in its secondary goal : it forced everybody to take side.
And I personally know at least three muslims, not fundies or anything, real "Moderate Muslims" (complete with conspiracy theories about how terror in Israel is actually masterminded by the jooos for appearing as "victims", who got "more muslim" (stopped eating pork, for one of them) after 9/11.
They see the true victims of 9/11 as *muslims*. what perverse victimization ideology.
#6
SPoD, I see your mother never taught you any manners. Astonishingly, some of us are good guys. Who do you think sticks up for soldiers slapped with bogus, politically motivated charges. Who do you think encourages commanders to fight right up to the razor edge of the law. Who do you think prosecutes muzzie terror plotters and financiers. Who do you think fights CAIR's endless defamation lawsuits, and university administrations that punish students for "hate speech." Who do you think is on the other side of the aisle every time the ACLU, AI, HRW, etc. insists the Constitution requires us to commit collective suicide. And on and on. There are very many lawyers actively engaged in the good fight, and this nation would collapse far more quickly without us. We happen to emphatically agree with your characterization of the legions of Islamo-leftist scum engaged in lawfare against their own countrymen. So try not to trash us all, please.
Out in civil society Lawyers are job killing scum. Lawyers harm our society much more than they help it. There is no justice in the law and 99.9% of lawyers are totally devoid of any sense of justice all. All Lawyers care about is what is legal. Justice and right never enter into it. It is all about getting over on someone legally. We actually need about .01% of the current number of Lawyers we currently have.
Again thanks for doing your job in the military. Perhaps you can reconsider your civilian occupation.
#8
Muslims serve Muslims. Muslims are loyal only to Islamic states, and movements working to set up Islamic states. Muslims form a front-line for hostiles Islamic states. Muslims are a present danger, and can be nothing else than a future danger. If the Muslim presence in the Free World is not check, we will go from facing danger to: catastrophe.
No believer in Koran hate-murder incitement should live on free soil. Let's take Middle East oil, and let locals live as slaves to the moon-god, within confined areas.
#9
Of course we'd be better off with 0.1% of the lawyers we have now. But that's wishful thinking, not reality. The reality is, the US would be finished in short order without substantial numbers of right-thinking attorneys fighting off the Islamo-leftist onslaught. The alternative is simply allowing the enemy to hijack the courts and transform our system of government. The extent to which they're successful at this anyway underscores the need to oppose them at every opportunity. An army of lawyers parallel to their own, however distasteful that is, is necessary to accomplish that.
If there was a better solution, I would support it wholeheartedly. Until then, we'll do whatever we can to defend the country on the home front. All the while, getting shit on by Islamists, leftists, and the press, and "friendlies" like you too. I do hope you hate the jihadis just a hair more than you hate lawyers, cuz sometimes it's hard to tell.
#10
Fight the good fight, exJAG. I and many others here are not anti-lawyer. And yes, I've been on the receiving end of anger-making legal maneuvering too.
#11
I don't hate lawyers I just have no respect for them. Although I hate islamofascists I can assure no jihadi ever stole food off my table, money out of my familys bank account or killed off the chance of competeting for a living wage job for folk like me. Lawyers have done that though. So who should I fear more? At least you can walk around a rattle snake you don't dare take your eyes off of or turn your back on a lawyer.
#12
Thanks, lotp. Believe me, I'll be locked & loaded and first in line if/when the time comes. The spousal unit (also JAG) has dibs on journalists and broadcast towers, I have dibs on lawyers and professors. Not to sound extreme or anything, but litigation often impressed me with its suicidal pointlessness.
BTW, I'm a chemistry professor these days. Got tired of arguing with idiots. ;)
#14
I'd like to return to the focus of the thread, which is Muslims + law = bad juju. Another friend of mine from law school, a fluffy suburban girl, is Egyptian with a Muslim mother and a Coptic father. When she came of age, she was allowed to choose, and she chose Islam. But it was purely ornamental, mostly a declaration that she was multicultural and all that. She had an expensive-looking Qur'an sitting on her bookshelf that looked like it'd never been cracked open, right next to a closet full of miniskirts. For the hell of it, I'd fast with her during Ramadan -- then at dusk we'd stuff our faces with pepperoni pizza. Pepperoni. Heh.
So I e-mailed her after 9/11 -- first to make sure she was okay, as she worked in Manhattan -- but also to ask WTF, explain this Islam thing to me. I never heard from her again.
I know exactly one Muslim lawyer whose loyalty to the U.S. trumps their loyalty to the ummah. I hope it does, anyway, because she's a convert and an Army LTC. Have to admit it creeps me out.
#16
I've got stories to bash lawyers with the best, but it is amazing how prosperity and progress seem to follow the common law. Common lawyers are an expression of the wealth of a society. So I guess I want more. But I'd rather teach chemistry than argue with one.
#17
Lawfare. I wonder how many will pledge the supremacy of US law over sharia? Not that they can ever be trusted with taqiyya and kitman as formal doctines in islam.
Sort of on topic:
Lawyers in the US: 1 million
(70% worlds lawyers, 5% of population)
Doctors: 800,000
Police: 700,000
Something is really F'd in these numbers. Especially when there is a shortage of Americans in science, engineering, medicine and other technical (and productive) fields.
Posted by: ed ||
07/17/2006 8:49
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#18
Something is really F'd in these numbers. Especially when there is a shortage of Americans in science, engineering, medicine and other technical (and productive) fields.
Not really. There is a shortage of H1B visa holders otherwise known as SLAVES/INDENTURED SER. There are no shortages of over 40 engineers, docs etc who have been forced out for H1B slaves or OUTSOURCING by traitorous multi-nationals like my old (spit) "batwings" company.
#19
Maybe lawyer outsourcing is needed to destroy the profession.
Posted by: ed ||
07/17/2006 9:44
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#20
"Lawyers are just below pond scum IMNSHO."
Hey, easy there, SockPuppet. I'm married to one, and he works his conservative ass off defending everyday "joes" against insurance companies that love ripping people off. Kind of works like this: Mr. so-and-so gets hit on the head at work (example) and the entire left side of body is paralyzed as a result. Mr. so-and-so is "covered" by insurance and has been paying premiums (in addition to employer premiums paid) to "insure" against just such a situation for the last 20 years. But ACME insurance company dinks around and doesn't pay this guy for medical or rehab, and to make matters worse, now Mr. so-and-so can't work because all he ever knew how to do was to drive a delivery truck. Of course, no one wants to hire Mr. so-and-so either at this point, cuz he drools, and like I said, the left side of his body is no longer functional. He could gain some practical improvement with physical therapy and be re-employable in some capacity, but, like I said, ACME insurance company is too busy fucking around with his benefits and 2 years go by. He loses his house and his car. His marriage fails. And instead of being a productive member of society, he's on public assistance. He's demoralized and has lost faith in the system and in himself--and all thanks to ACME insurance company and their profit-sucking, "screw the little guy" mentality.
Call lawyers scum if you want to and don't respect them, but I hope you get someone as noble and tenacious as my husband if you ever are injured in a work or automobile accident.
IMNSHO, the real scum are the multi-billion-dollar-a-year insurance companies who spend millions circulating false stories about trial lawyers "driving up insurance costs through nuisance cases."
As in any other profession, GOOD men make good lawyers, and BAD men make bad lawyers. (can substitute lawyers with teachers, engineers, journalists, doctors, restaurant owners, retailers, CEOs, etc.).
If you were hurt by a lawyer unfairly, then he or she WAS most likely an immoral jerk--but some of this is in the eye of the beholder: i.e., I'm quite certain that malpracticing doctors and dirtbag insurance companies and their scum lawyers aren't too fond of my husband.
ON TOPIC: Have to wonder how many of these Moslim lawyers will be involved in going after Islamic child molesting pedophile mullahs . . . oh, never mind. That's criminal law, and probably a confusing arena for Moslem lawyers. Sounds like being a lawyer is just another venue for pissing and moaning and playing the blame game. And, guess what--the money ain't that good. Like all other professions, except for the top 3 % most lawyers make median incomes. They'll find that out sooner rather than later. Ha! What is really irksome is that they Moslem lawyers seem only to be concerned about defending MOSLEMS regarding civil rights issues. They are certainly missing the bigger picture regarding the practice of law and the role of law in society. As usual, it's all about them.
#21
This is dangerous to the whole US legal system , just like ACLU, LaRazza, etc. These useless bastards are very effective at totally tying up the system with their myriad inane filings. If we just had judges with any shred of common sense , they would immediately dismiss these false claims and move on. Then the nonsense would stop.
#22
SPoD sits at home posting on Rantburg at all hours of the day and night, while jerkin' his Gerkin' whining about how he can't/won't/doesn't find/have a job.
He blames everyone but possibly himself. Hey SPoD, if there aren't any jobs where you're at, go to where the jobs are. And BTW, most Community Colleges have these things called classes that help make one more attractive to employers.
#23
Well said, ex-lib. (It's Mrs. Cingold if I recall correctly, yes? Our occasional expert on Malaysia?) SpoD, I understand your feelings because sadly you do have a solid basis in experience for them, but you were unnecessarily rude to some good people who are on the right side of the most important thing. Professor ExJAG, interesting juxtoposition of professions you chose -- clearly you enjoy endeavors that require lots of knowledge and very clear thinking. ;-) And based on your experience, it sounds to me like the Muslims in our midst are going to force us to force them to openly declare which side they're on, and respond accordingly -- leaving a few true apostates here and a lot of true believers sent back where their ancestors came from. Not before the next president is sworn in though, I suspect. (How? Lie detector tests would be a good start, I think. The latest CAT/PRT/MRI scan machines are amazing, and I believe we know which part of the brain is used for lying... and I don't see how anyone can claim torture for that.)
#24
So True, SPoD's taken classes -- in several different fields. But he lives in a small town, the kind where being in the right circles matters, and his wife loves her job, so leaving isn't really an option. SPoD is good people, he's just got this one issue.
#26
cingold is the resident "expert" (although I don't think he'd say that) on Indonesia (grew up there). He knows a ton of great lawyer jokes, but he's taking some stupid insurance nonsense to the court of appeals (not that they listen--bunch of lazy, pro-insurance twerps, IMO) today and is unreachable. If he gets back in I'll tell him to post a couple.
Hope you can be imaginative in your situation SPOD and find something you like to do. Think outside the box and try to get in touch with something you REALLY groove with. If you do, I know you'll find a way to make it happen. A "plan B" and "plan C" really help too, in difficult circumstances.
#28
I've had both experiences: one lawyer we "hired" to help us deal with the state with our disabled son totally screwed us over - to the tune of about $7000 in "charges". I wrote to the head of the company, documented exactly what we had contracted to do, and totally refused to pay the bill. Still haven't after 15 years. At the same time, I had a Social Security lawyer that helped me get disability benefits with one hearing. Good and bad. I see a problem with Islamic lawyers trying to practice in the United States. We have ONE law for all of us. We will not play Sharia games, and any Judge that falls for that ruse will be on my target list in a nanosecond.
BTW, SPoD, the fastest growing job in the US is medical transcriptionist. It's even quite possible to work from home, over the Internet. My brother and sil make about $70K a year doing it. It might be hard in a small town, but if there's a larger town nearby, you can telecommute. My oldest daughter is taking classes for it now. Of course, you have to be a relatively speedy and accurate typist, and you have to learn the lingo.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
07/17/2006 17:51
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A series of bomb attacks in Thailand's Muslim south were launched by militants to coincide with a meeting of Islamic leaders in Central Asia next week, a top Thai security official said on Saturday.
Militants in the Thai southernmost region, annexed by largely Buddhist Bangkok a century ago, were trying by all means to have their struggle for a Muslim sultanate recognised by the Muslim community, said National Intelligence Agency chief Jumpol Manmai.
"They exploit all occasions, diplomatically or violently, to have their struggle recognised, especially by the OIC," Jumpol told Reuters, referring to the 57-nation Organisation of the Islamic Conference.
A three-day meeting of OIC foreign ministers is due to start on Monday in Azerbaijan, where the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan and Cyprus will top the agenda, the OIC said in a statement.
Thai Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon, whose country has observer status, will attend, his spokesman said.
At least 60 small bomb attacks took place on Thursday and Friday in the southern provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, killing at least two and wounding more than 30 people.
Security officials said they expected more explosions as more than 200 small bombs like those used in the past week had been smuggled from Malaysia into the region of 1.8 million people, most of them ethnic Malays who feel more connected to Malaysia than Thailand.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar urged Bangkok not to make Kuala Lumpur a scapegoat or a bogeyman for the unrest in the south, Malaysian state news agency Bernama reported.
"Pointing an accusing finger to this party and that party will not help in restoring peace and security but in fact will further worsen the situation," Syed Hamid told reporters in the southern Malaysian state of Johor on Friday.
Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur have exchanged verbal attacks since the separatist insurgency re-emerged in the Thai Muslim south in January 2004. More than 1,300 troops, civilians and militants have been killed.
By Cliff Kincaid The July-August issue of Foreign Policy magazine has an article, "How to Defuse the Bolton Bomb," attacking U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton. It is written by Barbara Crossette, identified as U.N. bureau chief for the New York Times from 1994-2001 and now "a consulting editor at the United Nations Association of the United States." The latter is a main component of the pro-U.N. lobby.
But the Times affiliation is what is most interesting. Here we have a case of a former reporter and bureau chief for the Times who covered the United Nations and now works for the pro-U.N. lobby and has put her name on an article attacking America's Ambassador to the world body. This is an example of the "revolving door" between politics and journalism. One has to be a fool to suppose that Crossette's left-wing bias only emerged after she left the employ of the Times. Her work for the U.N. Association demonstrates that left-wing reporters covering the U.N. will always have a home in the U.N. lobby after they leave journalism.
Before going to work for the U.N. Association, she worked for something called U.N. Wire, funded by U.N. sugar daddy Ted Turner.
The piece is laughable. "As is his right," she says, "Bolton has replaced staffers at the mission in New York with loyalists and true believers." She cites only one, Richard "Terry" Miller, who had been added to the Bolton team at the U.S. Mission. Crossette neglects to mention that Peggy Kerry, John Kerry's equally liberal sister, is still at the U.S. Mission to the U.N., where she handles relations with left-wing non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Bolton can't replace her-or most of the staff up there-because they are considered career civil servants.
Continued on Page 49
#1
Those bitching and moaning are perfect contraindicators. Bolton's doing a righteous job. I'll start to worry if they stop squealing.
As for Rice, I suspect there's truth in the worry that Rice has been listening to the jaded bitches at State - and is losing her perspective.
You know, I think Bush should yank her and all of the intel heads out of their chairs and take them to Camp David for a week - let 'em get away from the agency sluts and get their heads straight, again. Maybe bring in a cult deprogrammer or two, LOL. Then get back in there and kick some serious ass.
#2
You know, I think Bush should yank her and all of the intel heads out of their chairs and take them to Camp David for a week - let 'em get away from the agency sluts and get their heads straight, again. Maybe bring in a cult deprogrammer or two, LOL. Then get back in there and kick some serious ass. Posted by: flyover 2006-07-17 05:02
Cirtification of "cult deprogramming" should be mandetory before any of those donks can enter the State cafeteria or executive dining room. What a bunch of brokeback, swishing wing nuts. No wonder General Powell would rather work on his Volvo than discuss his tenure at State.
#3
We've been easing off of UN reform because we have two difficult projects before the UNSC right now. But it is just the timeout between rounds. We have already made ourselves clear to Kofi, and within the last few weeks have been joined by Japan, also a sizeable contributor, that also is demanding reforms.
Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah made his first appearance since the start of clashes with Israel, saying Sunday that his group had "complete strength and power" and would act without limits in future attacks. Hezbollah had "no choice" but to hit the northern Israeli city of Haifi with rockets Sunday after Israel struck civilians in Lebanon. "As long as the enemy acts without limitations, it is our right to act similarly," he said.
Speaking on the militant group's Al-Manar television station, Nasrallah denied an Israeli accusation that it was receiving help from Iran that included advanced missiles. Nasrallah said he taped the message at 1 p.m. Sunday, an apparent attempt to disprove Israeli media reports that he was wounded in the pre-dawn bombing of his Beirut headquarters by Israel. The message aired about 7 p.m. He urged global Muslim support for his guerrillas, who he said are "longing" to fight Israeli forces in any ground invasion. He promised "surprises."
Posted by: Fred ||
07/17/2006
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#4
Meanwhile, the tough talking Hez leader hides in his bunker...
Posted by: Captain America ||
07/17/2006 7:49
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#5
I hope everyone realizes that if Israel weren't around, they'd be fighting each other. It's really a psycho-social historical cultural regional type of thing.
Interestingly, one of the translations I heard late last night used this term ("surprises") specifically in the context of hidden/surprising weaponry that Hezzbollah supposedly has. I pray its not what I think it is, but if so, we could see this get really nasty really quick. Of course, it won't last long, if they use chem/bio/nuclear. Israel will open a can so quick, the MM's won't even be able to blink. First, Beirut, then Damascus, then Tehran.
Posted by: BA ||
07/17/2006 13:50
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#11
Yes BA, surprises is definitely not what we want to see at the moment.
Is Nasrallah crazy enough to do it? I hope not.
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
07/17/2006 16:04
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#12
I'ma not holdin' my breath on this one, Tony. Sanity is not these guyz' strong point and neither is the cause/effect realization thingy.
Posted by: BA ||
07/17/2006 20:48
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Militant groups have gone underground for fear of a government crackdown following the Mumbai train blasts and suicide attack on Shia cleric Allama Hassan Turabi in Karachi. Sources in the militant groups told Daily Times that the leaders of banned militant organisations - such as Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Millat-e-Islamia (earlier known as Sipah-e-Sahaba), the Maulana Masood Azhar-led Jaish-e-Muhamad and the Maulana Abdul Jabbar-led Khuddam-ul-Furqan had asked their members to go into hiding following the Mumbai bomb blasts and suicide attack against Allama Turabi in Karachi. The sources said the militants feared a government crackdown similar to the one it launched after the 7/7 terrorist attacks in London last year.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/17/2006
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#1
Lions of IslamTM. If you had some acid and a woman's face to throw at...you might get one of the younger ones to surface.
#2
How do you say "Buck-buck-braaawk" in whatever language these "militants" speak?
Posted by: Mike ||
07/17/2006 1:08
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#3
Just as their holy book teaches them. Can any nation feel safe when it allows islam to flourish in it's borders. The list of muslim attacks and the countries they have happned in shows what allowing islam to prosper in your nation causes. ROPMA
Armed tribesmen fighting the government in Dera Bugti have spurned official claims that tribal leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti and his allies have deserted their positions and taken refuge elsewhere. "The Nawab is still there and bravely fighting against forces engaged in constant bombing and shelling," said Wadera Alam Khan, spokesman of the tribal fighters, while calling from an unknown place via satellite phone. He said the government was losing its war against the tribesmen and had thus been driven to "baseless propaganda". He said that not more than 35 people had surrendered before the government in an official ceremony at Bakad area. Khan said that helicopters had continued shelling and bombarding Paylawag and Kanza on Sunday. "They also destroyed some 40 empty houses belonging to local people," he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/17/2006
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Katyusha rockets landed in Upper Nazareth and Givat Ela on Sunday night. There were no reports of casualties or damage.
Posted by: Fred ||
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#1
Time to dust off the Cobalt Devices! Christianity is under attack, and if any of the three most solemn sites of Nazareth, Bethleham, or Jerusalem is targeted, Israel must take a stand with their "LOG [Light Of God] Missiles"!
#2
Christianity is under attack, and if any of the three most solemn sites of Nazareth, Bethleham, or Jerusalem is targeted, Israel must take a stand with their "LOG [Light Of God] Missiles"!
Nope. I don't remember paleos/muslims suffering *any* consequences, even diplomatical, to their occupation/ransacking (using Bibles as toilet paper, using altar as table, mistreating priests, and stealing valuable as they left) of the Church of Nativity.
In fact, the perps got out unharmed thanks to pressure from the so-called "christian" West.
And the same goes for the destruction/reconstruction as a mosque of the jewish tomb of Joseph.
Just imagine the HOWLING, both by the Moderate Muslims and the progressives everywhere, if a Holy Site of islam had been just been "desacrated", for example by a jewish soldier farting in its general direction...
#3
Actually you just gave me a great idea.
As you know Israel has some Katyushas and other soviet munitions taken as booty from the Egyptian army in the 1973 war.
Why don't the Israelis fire a couple of those on the Al-Aksa moskkkkk right in the middle of one of Hizbollahs Katyusha attacks.
This would catch few birds with one missile :
1) get rid of the damn mosskkkkk of the "religion of peace"
2) Have Nasrallah become the target of a whole bunch of "seething arab masses" and "Magic Fatwa's (TM) from now till Kingdom cometh.
3) It may also (hopefully) have a deleterious effect on Nasrallah's life expectancy (statistically speaking , of course).
#4
Again, firing unguided rockets into urban areas. We need to lend Israel a few B52s.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
07/17/2006 8:56
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A 5089, there were many Paleo terr's that never left the Church of the Nativity thanks to the effective use of certain remote weapon technologies. In fact it was the effective use of these systems that got them to leave without any damage to either the hostages or the structure.
#7
We need to lend Israel a few B52s.
Where would you use them, except the Bekaa Valley? The residents of Beirut aren't our enemies. Using them too close to the Israeli border would cause destruction on the "hezbollah militants", but would also probably break the eardrums of half the Israeli Army in the area. Now, if Ein-el-hellhole were the target, then go for it!
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
07/17/2006 14:54
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Beirut would not be the target. Israel is acting in as prudent a manner as anyone could expect. Using precision weapons strategically is the only way. If they are to destroy Hammas or Hezbullah then eventually they will have to deal with Syria and Iran, the masters of this war. With that they will need a bit of help in strategic reach, B52's. It's just time to get up off our asses and reach back to the deep fight and hit those who are really running this war.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
07/17/2006 15:38
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SEOUL: South Korea's army will develop a new military command centre later this year to combat missile and artillery threats from North Korea, Yonhap news agency said Sunday. "In line with a military overhaul plan, the command will be established between September and October," an unnamed government source told Yonhap. "It will be based in the central part of the country and is expected to boost South Korea's anti-artillery capabilities sharply," the source added. The new command centre will have all of the army's artillery and missiles, presently run by individual military units, under its control.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/17/2006
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#1
I think the South Koreans realise they won't have a security blanket any more.
#4
North Korea = Iran > Most = All of any Nukes andor other WMDS used in "self-defense" or asymmetric "people's war/resistance" against alleged US-Allied invasion forces will be detonated on their own soil, against their own families, people, and .........pet camels/dogs. Someone tell Seoul to boost their WMD treatment skills and centres.
Pakistan Muslim League (PML) Secretary General Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed condemned the Mumbai blasts as a crime against humanity and urged India not to derail the peace process between the two countries. In an interview with the New Delhi Television (NDTV) and talks with the media here, Senator Hussain said terrorism had no religion or boundaries and was a universal threat that could only be countered collectively. Whether it is terrorism in Mumbai or in Karachi, both India and Pakistan are victims of terrorism and can curb, contain and crush it only by joining hands against this enemy of mankind, he said.
"Don't shoot," he added. "To be more specific, don't shoot at *me*. Us Paks are really the injured party in this whole affair. Ask anybody!"
Referring to the allegations in the Indian media against Pakistan in the aftermath of Mumbais blasts, Hussain said that hawkish elements in the Indian establishment must avoid the temptation to use the Mumbai terrorist attacks for Pakistan-bashing. He said without any evidence or proof, the hawkish elements had started disturbing the bilateral peace process by cancelling the foreign secretaries talks and stopping Indian parliamentarians from attending a Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Pakistan. He said that such steps would be an unfortunate development, since the peace process and confidence building measures had been pursued by the leadership of both countries with the support of the public. The reversal of the peace process by India is disappointing and is contrary to the interest of peace, stability and security in South Asia, he said.
Somebody remind me exactly how India reversed the peace process by being bombed.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/17/2006
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Somebody remind me exactly how India reversed the peace process by being bombed.
India is supposed to continue talking while being attacked.
In tha Pak logic, India is to blame because it is not showing flexibility.
Flexibility is defined as giving concessions - "what is mine is mine but what is yours is negotiable". India must negotitate away its territory.
Even after all this, attacks will continue because, well, these are "revenge" attacks - for the Babri Masjid, for Gujarat, for the roadside shrine that the traffic police demolished, for the hindoo man that farted in from of a mosque last week etc muslims are full of anger and need for "revenge".
Posted by: john ||
07/17/2006 12:43
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I'd LOVE to see India wipe out Karachi and Rawalpindi, along with just about every member of the ISI they can find, then invade with a few million soldiers to get the rest. It's about time "Pakistan" became India's x'th province - again. Take "Bangladesh" with them. I've got enough stamps from both "countries".
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
07/17/2006 19:45
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Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels on Sunday attacked an army camp in eastern Sri Lanka with mortars, wounding one soldier and a civilian, while two ethnic minority Tamils were shot dead in the north, authorities said, in the latest violence to threaten a four-year-old cease-fire. Rebels fired mortars at the Selvanagar army camp in Trincomalee district, 215 kilometres northeast of the capital, Colombo, said an official at the Media Centre for National Security, speaking on condition of anonymity in accordance with policy. He said the army retaliated with mortars, and the exchange of fire lasted nearly half an hour.
In the northern peninsula of Jaffna, unidentified men fatally shot two ethnic Tamil civilians in Point Pedro, 300 kilometres north of Colombo, a police official said, without giving further details. TamilNet, a pro-rebel web site, identified the victims as Vaseekaran Navartnam, 25, and Paheerathan Navartnam, 20, and said they worked as auto-rickshaw drivers. They were shot by men riding a motorcycle, it said.
Also on Sunday, police found the bullet-riddled body of a Tamil civilian in Kalkuda, Batticaloa district, 225 kilometres east of Colombo. The areas police chief, Maxi Procter, identified the victim as Arumugam Kamalanathan, 23, and said he had been abducted by an armed group on Saturday night from his home.
Posted by: Fred ||
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Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean accused President Bush last night of being weak on national defense and absent in the escalating violence between Israel and Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon. In remarks at San Diego State University, Dean urged activists to fan across the nation including deep into the heart of Republican-rich red states to tell voters that Bush has failed as president including in national defense, which Republicans tout as their core strength. There are a lot of things we can say when we knock on the door (of voters), Dean told hundreds at San Diego State's Open Air Theatre. You know, people say the Republicans are tough on defense. How can you be tough on defense if five years after 9/11, Osama bin Laden is still at large, the Iranians are about to get nuclear weapons, North Korea's quadrupled their nuclear weapons stash. . . . Explain to me how it is that this president is tough on defense? I think this president is weak on defense and he's hurt America because he hasn't done the right thing, Dean said.
Dean was the keynote speaker on the second day of a three-day conference called DemocracyFest, billed as part conference, part festival for progressive activists. Tucker Bounds, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee, dismissed Dean's attack on Bush's national security policies. Howard Dean is the chief spokesman of a party that has highlighted obstruction and hasn't provided real answers that matter to the American people, Bounds said. He's not going to be able to come into San Diego and disguise the fact that the Democratic Party doesn't have real answers for the issues that are important to the American people.
Introduced by comedian and radio host Al Franken, Dean touched on various high points of the Democratic Party's national agenda, including a higher minimum wage, environmental protection and voting initiatives. Dean was especially pointed in an area the Bush administration has long claimed as its home turf a muscular national defense. Dean said the Bush administration's decision to go to war against Iraq and its overall foreign policy have hurt America's standing in the world. This country is in the worst shape since Richard Nixon, and probably before that, Dean said. We've lost the high moral high ground everywhere in the world. We want to be respected around the world again. We want our moral authority to be restored, because part of defending America is not just well-armed troops; it's having the high moral ground.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
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"Introduced by comedian and radio host Al Franken"
#2
Fordesque - they probably left "failed" out because it is still a work in progress(?)
Posted by: Captain America ||
07/17/2006 0:31
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Words fail. These people live in an alternate reality where one can say anything if it somehow attacks George Bush. I suppose they are operating on the H. L. Mencken philosophy that no one ever lost money by underestimating the stupidity of the American voter.
#4
How can you be tough on defense if five years after 9/11, Osama bin Laden is still at large, the Iranians are about to get nuclear weapons, North Korea's quadrupled their nuclear weapons stash.
Solved easily enough, Howie. Nuke Wazoo, Nuke Iran, Nuke North Korea.
You up for that, Mr. Hard-Ass?
#8
This could be amusing, if the rank and file actually take Mr. Dean's suggestions seriously. My neighborhood is prime housecall territory, as it was down here that John Kerry lost Ohio -- and I've enjoyed lovely, long chats with the religious people who come by to convert me, at the end of which I generally assign homework (readings and questions to ask their religious leader, because thus far none have had the knowledge to counter my counterarguments). It could be very amusing, for me at least, to discuss the current world situation with someone who desires to convert me to his political position. ;-)
#9
I'd say shoot the idiot to put him out of his own misery, but he's the best friend the Republican party has right now. I'll go along with just about anything to keep the donks from winning one extra seat.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
07/17/2006 19:38
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Someone oughta rap the Guv on the head just to bring him out of his stupor.
Militants blew up a Pakistani diesel fuel truck outside a police station in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, police said. No casualties were reported. The truck entered Afghanistan from Pakistan on Saturday and was bound for the capital, Kabul, with a full load of fuel when a remote control-detonated bomb struck the vehicle, said local police Gen Abdul Basir Salangi.
She musta made a really big boom. Allan will be ever so pleased.
Question is, was the bomb on the truck before it left Pakistan? Did anybody tell the driver?
Posted by: Fred ||
07/17/2006
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#1
Uh, oh! Now they're gonna have the Teamsters Union all over their ass.
'WAR never solves anything" is a much-loved slogan of the peace movement. And excepting the fact that Nazism and fascism perished at the sharp end of a bayonet, perhaps the peaceniks have a point. After all, nothing demonstrates the moral superiority of military passivity like the genocides of Rwanda, Srebrenica and Darfur, ne c'est pas?
But even at its best, war is a dirty business. During one of the most morally sublime campaigns in one of history's most ethically defensible conflicts, the good guys inadvertently killed thousands of innocent bystanders. Yet should the Allies have refrained from invading Normandy because 20,000 friendly civilians would die during the campaign to liberate Europe? Would humanity have been better served by perpetuating French suffering under the boot heel of Nazi oppression?
Collateral casualties are a tragic consequence of even the most well-executed military campaigns. But we consign ourselves to pacifism if we set our moral threshold so high to preclude any action that might inadvertently cause non-combatant deaths. And in the cruel world we inhabit, the vulnerable irrelevance of pacifism is an engraved invitation for tyranny to run wild.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
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Remember, Paleos and Sunnis, etal. the controversies wid Shia Islam will NOT end just becuz one day Israel may potens surreally be defeated or destroyed, ala America vs Secular Socialist + God-based Socialist, America vs Russia + China/unified Asia. Sunni + Shia may had saved Islam and World from America-West-Israel, but can Sunni + Shia save whats left of the world or Islam from each other???
DASKA: The Satrah police have registered a case against four 'Qadiyaanis' accused under section 298-C of the Pakistani Penal Code for preaching 'Qadiyaaniat' publically in Mianwali Bangla of Daska tehsil.
Ethel, better go get Fred's pills. The locals been preachin' their heresy again, you know how Fred gets...
According to the FIR, four local 'Qadiyaanis' namely Asghar Ali, Naeem Akram Bajwa, Prof Iftikhar and Shehzad Ahmad preached 'Qadiyaaniat' publically in the village. One month ago, they had also preached their teaching to a local Muslim villager, Mukhtar Ahmad, and forced him to embrace 'Qadiyaaniat.' The villagers have protested against anti-Islam activities and unabated preaching of 'Qadiyaaniat' in the village. They have urged the police to ensure the early arrest of the accused.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/17/2006
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Oooh-kay...
Now I just need to figure out WTF "Qadiyaaniat" might be...
#2
Qadiyani = Ahmediya, a sect of islam that is outlawed in Pakistan.
To get a Pakistani passport you must swear an oath that you hate Ahmediyas.
This is to prevent members of the sect from receiving a passport and thus being able to go to Mecca on Haj pilgrimage.
Pak sends a computer database of known Ahmediya muslims to Saudi Arabia so authorities there can arrest them on entry.
The only Pakistani citizen to win a Nobel Prize, the particle physicist Abdus Salam (born and educated in British India) is not even mentioned in Pak textbooks (though AQ Khan is) because he was a member of this sect.
It is ironic that the Ahmadiyya Jamaat was at the forefront of the partition lobby for the creation of Pakistan.
Posted by: john ||
07/17/2006 16:09
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#3
They got their "Land of the Pure" but they were not pure enough for it !
Posted by: john ||
07/17/2006 16:11
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From some dumbass link:Qadiayaniat (so called ahmadiat) is a non-genuine religion parallel to Islam, aiming at shaking the very foundations of Islam under the umbrella of anti-Islam imperialist forces. They are nothing but a gang of traitors, apostates and infidels. The purpose of this site is to disclose the anti-Islamic character of these heretics. Needless to say that it is the primary religious duty of every Muslim to struggle against this evil.
IAF helicopters continued to strike Hizbullah targets in Lebanon late Sunday night. Army Radio reported that a water reservoir near a military base, a bridge, and a gas station had been hit. Three Lebanese soldiers were reported wounded.
Posted by: Fred ||
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Either Amr Moussa or Jerry Lewis, I'm not sure which. I'm sure it's not Dean Martin or Ethel Merman, though...
CAIRO: The spiraling Middle East crisis has exposed deep divisions within the Arab world and forced its leaders into a frank admission of helplessness. After an emergency meeting of Arab League foreign ministers on Saturday, the 22-member bloc admitted it was impotent in the face of Israel's deadly attacks on the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. "Don't ask me what to do," the League's secretary general, Amr Moussa, told reporters after the meeting.
Without Jerry's Amr's decisive leadership the Arab world would be in sad shape, by golly...
Analysts said the huge rift between Western allies such as Egypt and Jordan and radical states like Syria had proved impossible for diplomats to bridge. "The main structure of the Arab League is the idea of consensus, so meetings always come up with the lowest common denominator," said Nadim Shehadi, a Middle East specialist with the London-based Royal Institute of International Affairs.
An apt description. "How low can you go?"
Saturday's meeting "was a bit more revealing," he said. "There are real divisions at this time especially to do with relations with Iran on the one hand and with the United States and Israel on the other." Western allies, Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia have all tempered condemnation of the scale of the Israeli reprisals with criticism of the "adventurism" of Hizbullah in seizing two Israeli soldiers last Wednesday. Jordan's King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak warned on Friday of the risk of "the region being dragged into adventurism that does not serve Arab interests." Saudi official media have also used similar language.
Not as surprising as it appears on the surface, since many Arabs lump Jews and Persians in the same category...
But for states like Yemen, the crisis should force countries like Egypt and Jordan to cut all ties with the Jewish state. "We must take swift steps with sincere intentions to solve the Arab-Arab differences which create an obstacle to reaching a unified Arab position," Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Kurbi said, calling on all Arab states to "end any cooperation with Israel." At the post-meeting news conference, Moussa pronounced the Middle East process "dead" and called on the UN Security Council to take back responsibility from the so-called quartet of the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the United States.
Posted by: Fred ||
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(KUNA) -- Two British Royal Navy ships are heading to the Middle East to support a possible evacuation of Britons from Lebanon, it was reported Sunday. Aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious and assault ship HMS Bulwark are being deployed as safety fears increase, the satellite TV station Sky news said. An estimated 10,000 British citizens in Lebanon have been warned to prepare for a quick departure if fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah intensifies.
Posted by: Fred ||
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#1
Damn. I was hoping they were being sent for offshore bombardment platforms. Nothing like the big naval guns to perk things up in the combat zone.
#4
I am guessing quite a few of those "nationals" that want to flee are full blown "Party of God" members in good standing. I am hoping they take the old women and children first and only take the males after all the women and children are safely away and careful vetting. This is the Religion of Pantywaists™ we are dealing with after all. Who in their right mind would be in Leabanon anyway?
#5
The French can't come out and play : their carrier keeps dropping its propellor, and has to be towed back to port. They may send a minor fleet later, to be the ferry service back to France - after the US helolifts their civilians out to them.
#6
'I refuse to leave this area despite the heavy shelling...I want to die at home,' one man, Ali Haidar told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa in Haret Hreik.
The balcony view of your flat is just lovely. That's where I'd be sitting.
#10
There was a little boy stood on a burning log,
rubbing his hands with glee.
He said, "Oh Mother England,
did you light my smile; or did you light this fire under me?
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday pledged there would be "major decisions" on a crackdown on Kurdish separatists after they killed eight security forces earlier in the day. Members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) killed seven Turkish soldiers and a village guard when they attacked security forces near the town of Eruh in southeast Turkey on Sunday, the semi-official Anatolian news agency said. "This PKK terror organisation has continued its attacks ruthlessly," Erdogan told his Justice and Development Party (AKP) officials in televised comments during a visit in eastern Turkey. "We have so far tried to be patient and solve the issue in a democratic manner. But yet again they killed eight children of ours. This is no longer bearable," he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
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#1
I wonder if these PKK, would like some of the AK47 & explossives that IDF took of Paleos?
#3
We have so far tried to be patient and solve the issue in a democratic manner.
That's a big lie. There is NO democracy in Turkey proper, but the situation is even worse in Kurdistan.
The pashas never should have said that Kurdish women and children were fair targets for TSK, but since they did, it makes one wonder exactly what NATO armies are all about.
Posted by: Azad ||
07/17/2006 12:02
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#4
You might want to reconsider that, Tayyip. The Peshmurga might start eating Syria any day now. I don't think you will want to attract attention if they do.
(KUNA) -- A high-ranking Iraqi military officer and two of his bodyguards were injured as a result of a bomb explosion that took place southwestern Kirkuk. An Iraqi police source told KUNA that the bomb targeted the officer's convoy while passing through the Kirkuk-Riyadh highway. In another incident, two people were killed and one was abducted when unidentified gunmen launched an attack on a group of trucks on the Kirkuk-Tikrit highway.
Meanwhile an Iraqi police statement said that 20 people were killed and injured in different incidents in Iraq today. The statement said that unidentified gunmen killed four policemen and helped ten prisoners who were apprehended in a hospital lobby in Baquba in Diyala province to escape.
Unidentified gunmen launched missiles targeting residential areas in Baquba. Three people were killed and 11 others were wounded.
One civilian was killed and another injured as a result of an attack at their vehicle in the town of Baladroz south of Baquba. Iraqi police said today the head of the Iraqi Olympic Committee and five other hostages were released. Police added that the committee president Ahmad Al-Hijayah and a number of the committee members were released after being found in different locations.
A group of gunmen have stormed a meeting of sports officials' just days after the coach of Iraq's national wrestling team was killed. The gunmen, were wearing camouflaged Iraqi police uniforms, used at least ten vehicles for the kidnapping, police officials said.
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NEW YORK (AP) - Iran's most prominent dissident said Sunday that the war in Iraq has hurt his country's reform movement by giving its regime an excuse to stifle dissent.
Journalist Akbar Ganji said in an interview that the West can best promote change in Iran by lending moral support to the country's democratic movement. ``We do not want the regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran. However, this is our problem. Any intervention by any foreign power would bring charges of conspiracy against us,'' he said. ``What has happened in Iraq did not support our movement in any significant way.''
Instead, he said, it gave Iran's regime an excuse to crack down on dissidents, accusing them of colluding with the U.S. and promoting an invasion of the Islamic republic.
Ganji, 47, spoke with The Associated Press during a world tour to raise awareness of human rights violations in Iran. He joined protesters outside U.N. headquarters on a symbolic three-day hunger strike aimed at forcing the Iranian regime to release political prisoners.
Since his release, Ganji has toured Europe and collected the World Association of Newspapers' Gold Pen of Freedom award. On Monday, he will collect an award for his fearless writing from the National Press Club in Washington.
Ganji said he plans to return to Iran, and expects to be jailed again, but is not afraid. ``My goal during my world tour is to show the world that there is an alternative, there is another voice in the region,'' he said. ``That's the voice of peacefulness, liberty, human rights and a democratic Islam.''
Ganji said that, until oil revenues are wrested from state hands, there will be virtually no democratic nations in the Middle East. ``Oil is the greatest factor that prevents democracy to take root in the region. Petroleum states have no need for their people,'' he said. ``They do not depend on taxation and therefore there is no accountability to the people.''
Ganji, who was imprisoned in 2000 after writing a series of articles accusing Intelligence Ministry agents of killing dissidents, said he was tortured repeatedly during six years in prison.
Posted by: Steve White ||
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What was I thinking. We should just leave them to their own devices and they'll just go away.
#2
Take out all of the Iranian gasoline refineries and terminals and a few offshore oil platforms with a 100 TLAMs and SLCMs...let the black hats twist in thw wind.
#3
Sorry Mr Ganji, but you may have noticed that people's patience with Iran is just about up, and we're sick and tired of hearing everything blamed on 'the war' as though the ME was sorting itself out beforehand.
My advice; stay out of Iran for a while, the whole situation there is about to change, and you being in jail isn't going to help matters.
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
07/17/2006 2:08
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And typically, this is from the Al-Grauniad. The whole tableau of the ME is about to change, and those useful idiots are just re-iterating the same old story - it's our fault, we're not worthy, yadda^3
Nitwits.
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
07/17/2006 2:11
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#5
Generally, Muslims are supporting Islamofascism, so any notion of democracy that can sell among them means: one vote for Mullah tyranny. Just because a "Roadmap to Middle East Peace" was devised, that doesn't mean that there are not current insurmountable obstacles in its path. In fact, the Road Map followed early Islamofascist success.
I'm with Gingrich and Ledeen, this is World War 3. Revive the Roadmap, after we prep the foundation.
#6
``My goal during my world tour is to show the world that there is an alternative, there is another voice in the region,'' he said. ``That's the voice of peacefulness, liberty, human rights and a democratic Islam.''
#7
No war? Ok I guess we should just pester them with resolutions and strongly worded statements at the UN until they get a nuke arsenal that can wipe Europe off the map. Then we'll be in a much better position to get annihilated negotiate.
#10
The only movement I await in the ME is the anti-Allan movement. No prayers 5 times a day. No mosques loud speakers. No bearded men, but the right to bare arms.
#11
lol, Mr. James...you aren't suggesting nekkid bare armed women-folk, are ya?
Posted by: BA ||
07/17/2006 13:59
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BTW, I have a big beef with this guy's assertion that we're not lending "moral support." Good grief the Prez stated it specifically in this year's SoTU Address, and subsequently in MANY other speeches. However, like others here, we have a long memory (thanks, Jimmuh), and the Mad Mullah's need a smack and hard. I'd love for the long-awaited "Tehran street overthrow" to work, but they need to move and move quickly, as nukes will NOT be allowed of the MM's.
Posted by: BA ||
07/17/2006 14:02
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#13
BA, you're expecting this guy to think in a logical fashion, or accept that the US has done something right. Not going to happen mate.
You're absolutely right that time is running out for the 'moderates' in Iran to pull their finger out and dump the MMs.
I do agree with him on one point though;
``Oil is the greatest factor that prevents democracy to take root in the region. Petroleum states have no need for their people,'' he said. ``They do not depend on taxation and therefore there is no accountability to the people.''
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
07/17/2006 15:52
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#14
``They do not depend on taxation and therefore there is no accountability to the people.''
#15
Tony, you're right. I assumed that the anti-mullah movement in Iran would contain some thinkers who follow logic. However, it appears that logic is not a course taught anywhere where Islam is present. Much like the cause/effect thingy.
Posted by: BA ||
07/17/2006 21:00
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Those behind last week's bomb attacks on Indian commuter trains are enemies of joint Pakistan-India efforts to bury a history of hostile relations, CNN on Sunday quoted Pakistani Foreign Minister Khursheed Kasuri as saying.
Kasuri, however, did not speculate on the identities or origins of any suspects in Tuesday's eight bomb blasts on commuter trains in Mumbai. The coordinated bombings killed 182 people and injured more than 800. "Well, one thing I know, that these people do not wish Pakistan and India's peace process well. They are the enemies of the peace process, and we condemn this unequivocally," Kasuri told CNN when asked who he thought was responsible for the attacks. In the interview, aired on Sunday night, Kasuri condemned the blasts as a "dastardly act." Some Indian officials have blamed the bombings on Islamic militants, which New Delhi alleges are aided by Pakistan, a charge Pakistan denies.
Posted by: Fred ||
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Okay, so, can you like em kill them?
Posted by: Captain America ||
07/17/2006 0:32
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Democratic lawmakers in the U.S. pressed President George W. Bush to involve the U.S. more directly in trying to negotiate a halt in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. ``Condi Rice ought to be going to the area immediately,'' Senator Christopher Dodd, a Connecticut Democrat, said of the U.S. secretary of State today on ``Fox News Sunday.'' ``This is a situation that could spin out of control.''
The knuckle-draggers at the leftist Washington Monthly were saying the same thing, so I assume the talking points got out there okay.
The U.S. is continuing to rely on the efforts of a United Nations mission and those of governments in the region to begin negotiations, and Rice said she is ready to make a trip to the region to prod along negotiations ``when I believe that I can make a difference.''
Which we can't right now since we have no influence over one side in the fight: Hezbollah, Syria, Hamas and (especially) Iran aren't waiting to see what we think before deciding their next move. As it stands, we're going to see whether the Israelis will create some new 'facts on the ground' before doing something.
``Simply going in and shuttling back and forth, if you don't know where you're trying to go, is not going to help,'' she said in a separate interview on the Fox program. Republican and Democratic lawmakers agreed that Israel is justified in striking at Hezbollah militants, who kidnapped two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid and have fired missiles into Israeli towns. In response to the abductions, Israel has conducted dozens of air strikes in Lebanon. ``Any country, particularly Israel, has the right to defend itself and to protect its citizens as we do,'' Republican Senator George Allen of Virginia said in the Fox interview.
The lefties are upset that Bush and Condie aren't 'doing something' -- what they mean is, aren't doing something to restrain the Israelis.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/17/2006
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#1
Any question why Americans don't trust the donks on national security.
Posted by: Captain America ||
07/17/2006 0:30
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I've got it! Put the Donks in charge of this! Form a high level delegation, limited to only a few dozen of the "most elite Democrats" America has to offer (they can argue amongst themselves to decide who that might be, since they enjoy arguing so much). For security reasons, sneak them into Lebanon and send them as a group to tour the devastation at night, surrounded by Hezb'allah fighters for protection . . . .
#4
Diane Fienstien wants a buffer between Israel and the Hezbollah blood thirsty scum. I guess the buffer will have to be as wide as the range of the rockets the Hezzies are firing. About 90 miles ?
Senator Fienstien, you are a moron.
#5
I don't know Mr. James, if the buffer zone was all Leb territory - say some where past the Litani it might work. Matter of fact I think that what the IDF is trying to create - a Hez free zone.
(KUNA) -- The Israeli radio said Sunday that a Lebanese fighter was killed after a group of Lebanese fighters tried to infiltrate into an Israeli army camp north of the Jewish state. The army noticed that a group of Lebanese fighters were approaching the settlement of Qiryat Shemona north of Israeli. The Lebanese then tried to infiltrate into the army base but were met by Israeli gun fire which killed one of them.
The army said that "intruders" were trying to initiate attack similar to the one done by Hezbollah which led to the death of eight Israeli soldiers and the abduction of two soldiers last Tuesday. Earlier today, Hezbollah's Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah affirmed that more attacks will be conducted by the militia's forces.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/17/2006
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Beirut - Apocalyptic scenes covered most areas in the predominantly Shiite Hezbollah hotbed areas in southern Lebanon following a night of fierce Israeli shelling on Sunday. Nine-storey buildings were totally destroyed in what used to be named 'Hezbollah's security square,' while bridges have been reduced to rubble and roads in this part of the capital simply no longer exist.
The cockles of my heart are all toasty warm...
A walk through the Haret Hreik, Bir Al Abed and Musrafiyeh areas is like walking through a ghost town. Few Hezbollah militants wearing army fatigues were seen venturing through the rubble to assess the damage inflicted by the strikes.
We heard the other night they were getting mighty scarce...
'I refuse to leave this area despite the heavy shelling...I want to die at home,' one man, Ali Haidar told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa in Haret Hreik.
Your choice, Ali...
Destruction is everywhere in what used to be an area heavily populated mostly by Hezbollah followers. Further into the capital, the scene is a bit different, but roads were empty and people were confined to their homes and to watching their television sets, despite that it is a Sunday, which is normally a day of recreation in Beirut. 'We are all home watching developments on television and praying that the world community will find a solution to implement a ceasefire as soon as possible to spare the civilians losses,' Nayla Saba, a Christian woman in the area of Ashrafiyeh told dpa. 'I think Hezbollah this time underestimated their enemy and did not expect such a retaliation for the capturing of the two Israeli soldiers on Wednesday,' she added.
Picked right up on that, didn't she?
Two Christian women near a church in east Beirut expressed their anger against Hezbollah and held the movement responsible for the destruction and human losses. 'They want an open war,' said Georgette Hadad. 'Look what they did to the people...Their guerrillas are not dying but the people are.'
Meanwhile, supermarkets in the capital were opened Sunday to try to supply the Lebanese with food supplies. A supermarket manager told dpa, 'we will stay open 24/24 to try to supply the people with their needs in these difficult times.'
Posted by: Fred ||
07/17/2006
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#1
Cleveland Wrecking Co. Grind them into dust...
keep up the great work Israel!!
#2
'Hezbollah land' a scene of apocalyptic destruction
I wonder how the msm would have called the germans towns right after WWII described by my grandfather? There's no comparing the israeli bombing in "hezbollah land", sporadic and targeted thanks to precision-guided munitions, to indiscriminate allied waves after waves of high-ex bombs followed by incendiaries.
This is like the UN envoy calling the few buildings leveled at "jeningrad" (sic) the "worst destruction he could ever see/imagine", this really needs a sense of scale.
#3
If they think Shiite areas are apocalyptic, they should never view pictures of Dresden the day after the firebombing. Or what was left of Tokyo after the firebombing either.
#6
MY guess is that's beruit, and that is the "Apocalypse". Two smoke plumes is the horrific scene, sheesh. They call bus bombings "Militant attacks" but targeted and precise attacks at terrorist infrastructure "Apocalyptic".
Posted by: Charles ||
07/17/2006 7:42
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#7
Two guyz, one balcony, a TV with a soon-to-be-dead ranting lunatic, torched hezbollahs, enuf?
Posted by: Captain America ||
07/17/2006 7:42
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#10
I made a trip to Gdansk Poland back in the early 90s. When the Germans went through that city the order was to leave no building standing. This was on of Hitlers example of total war. After the war the Pols rebuilt the city with the old bricks trying to get the same bricks to the right buildings. Very inspiring.
Beirut, on the other hand, is not apocalyptic nor is it all out war. It is nothing more than a small insignificant country that harbors terrorists. Israel is showing great restraint with their strategic strikes against an enemy hosted by Lebanon.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
07/17/2006 8:51
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#11
Yeah, they are showing so much restraint that I think they may actually perpetuate the situation if they don't kick it up a notch.
#12
Strenuous avoidance of civilian casualties was not a factor until the Vietnam War. In face of a mobile missile attack, those who launch and hide bear the responsibility for any casualties.
If I hear the term "disproportionate response" one more time, I will puke. Hear what the "Supreme Leader" of Iran has to say about the war on Hizbollah, etc: http://www.leader.ir/langs/EN/index.php?p=news&id=3181
#14
I don't recall these reporters using the word "apocalyptic" to describe the destruction, via plane crash, fire and collapse of the entire 9 building World Trade Center complex on 9/11. I guess "apocalyptic" is a word that journalists use only when people are not Americans are affected.
#21
I still say we need to show the islamonutz "apocalypse" with a 40-ship cell of B-52s down through some area, such as Sidon or Tyre, or even better, Qom. These little shitistan warlords think they have firepower: let them see what 2,760 (69x40) 750-lb bombs can do when dropped in a seven-minute timespan. Let the "reporters" gather, and watch them come crawling out with their noses, ears, and eyes bleeding from the overpressure, if they escape at all. Let the Iranians, Saudis, Iraqis, Paks, Syrians, "palestinians", or Egyptians know what we can REALLY do if we get pissed off enough. They don't appreciate our holding back, so why continue? If they don't respect you, you might as well make them fear the mere hint you might get angry with them. We're being too damned nice, and if we're not careful, we'll lose this war.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
07/17/2006 15:13
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You read it here first, folks.
2006-07-17 15:13 - Old Patriot calls in the first ARCLIGHT strikes of WWIV.
Nothing like a little ROLLING THUNDER to get someone's attention.
Aw, it must have been such a beautiful moment. There was a conference of Vietnam-era draft dodgers and deserters in B.C. last weekend, coming together after all these years to celebrate their deep-seated courage in avoiding service in the Vietnam war by coming to Canada. They unveiled a statue showing a Canadian welcoming two fleeing Americans with open arms. The sculpture was originally to have found a home in a municipal setting, but the national uproar it touched off sees it now in a private gallery in Nelson.
I think the fuss would have been more muted had the statue perhaps better reflected the reality of those times. Shoulda been a chicken hiding behind a beaver.
Yep. A beautiful moment. That is if you were born without the capacity to feel shame. Let's get something clear here. Vietnam was a moral war. A bunch of folks written off at the time as loonies by the left predicted that if South Vietnam fell it would become a brutal Communist dictatorship that would herd dissidents into concentration camps, that other south Asian nations would also fall. Well, after Saigon fell, those predictions came true. Life in Vietnam, particularly for ethnic Chinese, became so horrific that it gave birth to the boat people, who were thousands of desperate souls who crammed themselves and their children into leaky boats and cast themselves into the ocean to get away from the monsters who'd "liberated" their homeland. They became fodder for sharks and pirates, but it was worth the risk to get out of yet another "people's democratic republic" under a red flag.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
07/17/2006
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#1
This was no conference, it was a support group of pussies and cowards. I hope their guilt and shame haunts them well beyond their graves.
#2
...I don't - and never have had - a problem with someone who honestly and truly opposes a war, and follows the LEGAL means to oppose it. The ones who ran and hid - they are the true cowards.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
07/17/2006 6:23
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#3
Another Communist, Pol Pot, who conquered Cambodia, was worse. He killed off millions of his own countrymen; their skulls are still heaped in pyramids around that nation.
Being a lefty neo-marxists means never having to say you're sorry. It goes along with one of the major principles of elitism - one set of rules for yourself and another set of rules for everyone else. Or as George Orwell wrote - four legs good, two legs better.
#5
Mike,
Cassius Clay/Mohammed Ali earned some respect from me when he took jail time rather than running or wiggling out of the draft. He put his money (a lot!) where his (big) mouth was.
#6
In WWII, commies were sent to the Aleutians, along with individuals who after a beer or two just couldn't help but blurt out any military secrets they knew.
Some wit in the Pentagon used one such battalion for an experiment that any physician could have told him wouldn't work.
The concept was that if people routinely ate a large amount of cellulose with their meals, would they "learn" to digest it?
Well, no. However, it must have given many officers at least a little satisfaction to know that such pests were spending half the day eating paper, and the other half on the toilet.
MUMBAI, India Authorities lowered the death toll from the synchronized bombings of Mumbai's commuter train network, saying Sunday that 182 had been killed. Officials previously said that at least 200 died and more than 700 were injured in Tuesday's blasts. The new toll was released by Sanjay Joshi of Maharashtra state's disaster response coordination agency, who also said that 842 people were injured. Of the injured, 286 remain hospitalized, he said. Mumbai is the capital of Maharashtra. Officials said the death toll had been too high because some of the dead were counted twice by separate emergency agencies before being added to the overall tally.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/17/2006
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The 9/11 numbers dropped, too, once they became real instead of hypothetical. May they continue to drop for Mumbai.
Valley under fire: Afula, Nazareth Illit, Migdal Haemek and Jezreel Valley communities were bombed Sunday night shortly after 11:00 p.m. The attack was the first of its kind on the valley area. Frightened citizens from around the area reported that alert signals sounded in the town, followed by the echoes of rocket blasts. The rockets apparently landed in open areas.
Earlier, at 10:15 p.m. rockets were fired towards Shomra in the Western Galilee. The rockets landed in open areas, but sparked a fire near the town. Fifteen soldiers were lightly injured from smoke inhalation.
The army assessed that Hizbullah was focusing efforts on attacking during daylight hours to increase the likelihood of hitting civilian populations, hence the brief abatement in attacks Sunday evening. Shortly afterwards rocket barrages landed near Ramat Yishai east of Haifa, officials say. No one was injured and no damage was reported.
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/17/2006
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#1
Should one of their missiles (Hizbullah) score a direct hit into Nazareth or Bethleham, my advice to the IDF would be to detonate a small nuclear device on the Bekaa Valley as a final warning!!
You just have to read this whole post "Surprised" at the link.
[..]
And then you read something like Hal's latest rant and you ponder the arab mentality. We are the only people in the world who talk about dignity and honor when it comes to military conflict, and who will continue fighting losing wars, unprepared and undermilitarized, because of reasons such as "our pride and dignity" and then wonder why the fuck we lose. I mean, can you imagine if the americans acted the same way? They would never have left Vietnam. They would stay in Iraq forever. You don't see a single american saying "we should stay in Iraq because our national pride and dignity are wounded by the insurgents attacks". Only we would use some half assed justification to keep fighting wars we can't win, where we keep getting our asses kicked, and some how don't see the folly in it at all.
And all of this talk about Israel targeting civillians really pisses me off. Let me clear it up for you once and for all: Hamas and Hezbollah don't have military bases: they plan, operate and attack from homes, where their families are. The Israelis, in order to retaliate, they have to attack those homes, which always lead to those women and children, who live in those houses, to die. If Hamas and Hezbollah don;t want civillians to die, don;t fuckin plan your attacks or launch your attacks near civillians. But you know they do this on purpose, so it would look bad on the Israeli if they attacked. Dude, they called the airport 1 hour before they hit it to have it evacuated, they warned all of southern Beirut yesterday to take cover because they don't want to kill them. Not hezbollah. Hezbollah doesn't give a shit who their missiles hit. And somehow, they remain blameless in the arab mind: after all, they are not jews. Listen, you can not talk shit about how you will beat and destory Israel, and then scream "Humanatarian crisis" when they hit you back. Either suffer the consequences of your actions or SHUT THE FUCK UP. I am sick and tired of your fuckin POSING!
I keep thinking that this is the opprutune time for the lebanese army to go in and disarm hezbollah, and end this once and for all. But they won't. Not because they are above it or because of some notions of nationalism or shit like that: they hate Hezbollah more than Israel does. They simply won;t do it because their army is on permenant vacation and can not be botherd to actually fight, well, anyone.
[..]
#2
Lebanon = Paleos > a true nation-state is one that is capable of not only defending territory from all comers but also capable of controlling the most anarchistic or violent stratums/
segments/elements of their own society. Iff Lebanon and Lebanese people(s) can't = won't do that, they have no nationa-state hence better for the country to be divided or given to those whom can. LEBANON RIGHT NOW IS AT RISK OF BEING ANOTHER POLAND OR SUDETENLAND, ETC. And iff one believes that North Vietnam wanted or had an interest in the southern Vietcong being wiped out by America during Tet 1968, SUNNI MUSLIMS = TET VIETCONG, as vv the Radical Shias and Tehran.
#3
The second highest ranking VietCong ever, who later defected to France, clearly stated in his memoirs that the NVA deliberately use Tet as a means of exterminating the nationalist elements of the VC. The NVA was stunned by the media backstabbing on the US military, and then pushed Tet for all the political hay they could make.
(KUNA) At least nine persons were wounded three of them critically on Sunday in twin bomb explosions in two different areas of Southwest Pakistan, said Police. A home-made bomb went off in a shop in Barkhan area, about 340 kilometers east of Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province, police sources told KUNA. They said the explosion wounded nine persons and three of them are said to be in critical condition.
In a related incident, a bomb went off near a government office in Naushki area, 140 kilometers northwest of Quetta, on Saturday night, said sources. They said there was no life loss but the explosion shattered windowpanes of several buildings.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/17/2006
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TEHRAN, Iran Iran said Sunday that Western incentives to halt its nuclear program were an "acceptable basis" for talks, and it is ready for detailed negotiations.
That was a pretty quick 180. They rejected them yesterday. They've already picked up on the fact that the Hezbies are going down?
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice responded that Iran should talk directly to negotiators if it wants to discuss the six-nation proposal. Frustrated world powers agreed Wednesday to send Iran to the U.N. Security Council for possible punishment, saying Tehran had given no sign it would bargain in earnest over its nuclear ambitions. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters in Tehran that, "We consider this package an appropriate basis, an acceptable basis (for talks). Now is an appropriate opportunity for Iran and Europe to enter detailed negotiations. Sending the dossier to the U.N. Security Council means blocking and rejecting talks." Asefi called on the eight major world powers meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, to choose dialogue with Iran. "We can achieve acceptable results in this path," Asefi said.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/17/2006
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#2
At worst, it's going to turn into a protracted gab session filled with all kinds of indecipherable twists, turns, rants, balks, backtracking, and hair-splitting. At best, it will be a short one. In any case, better not put up with it for longer than it takes the military to set up for a good thumping. It will be a waste of time, which is all they are looking for and desire right now. String enough of these together, and you have yourself a bomb or nuclear material fit for handoff to any qualified terrorist organization.
#3
Tehran getting nervous US is not acting like we did in the past and not stopping Israel. They are beginning wonder if they just fell into a trap. bwhaaaaaa
#5
Jaw jaw is over. Jaw jaw is better than war war but war war could even be replaced by Jew Jew. If Jew Jew is let loose on Iran, Iran will lose everything.
Great article about how Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, is restoring old WWI and WWII aircraft to flying specs. He has about three dozen ranging from a Jenny Curtis to a P-47, Bf 109, etc., all of which are not only in flying condition, but are taken out and flown.
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/17/2006
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#1
Ooooh . . . cool!
Posted by: Mike ||
07/17/2006 1:03
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I thought maybe Syria was trying to get theirs off the ground ....
#3
``They'd fly up to the German line, shut the engine off, drop their bombs, start the engine, go back, land, rearm, refuel, go back and do it again ... up to 10 times a night,''
#4
"Crites said a collection like Allen's reminds visitors `that freedom really isn't free. There was a price that was paid, and these planes played a very big part of that.'"
Would put money on Allen voting "AnyoneButKerry"...
#5
This is cool. Now if we could get the confederate air force and Allen to have a fly in it would be The finest show ever.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
07/17/2006 9:18
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The CAF paradox is that even with pristine restoration, a lot of those old birds just aren't safe. This costs the lives of far too many CAF pilots, and the crashed plane is gone for good.
Eventually, I hope they do what classical car buffs do and re-create those aircraft but out of much stronger materials and safer engineering. Then they can fly the reproductions for the look and feel, and keep the originals in good condition for future generations.
Posted by: Mike ||
07/17/2006 11:49
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I went to an air show last month and saw a demo of a C-47 flying with a B-25. I think the C-47 was restored, but the B-25 was all-but-built from scratch.
#10
You cannot restore theose planes to flying specs because quite simply the high-octane fuel they used is no longer produced. To give an example the Hawker Tempest used 130 octane fuel. But jet planes use kerozen not gasoline, Cessnas and similiar airclub planes don't need such high octane fuel and racing cars (at least for Formula One) are restricted to commercially available fuel ie 98 octane at best.
So warbird owners have to reduce engine compression rates in order to use "civilian gasoline". It is perhaps possible for a (hefty) price to have very high octane gaoline specially manufactured for warbirds but given these are 60 year old airframes and engines I don't think it would be a good idea to fly them at top performance.
Posted by: Mike ||
07/17/2006 16:23
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That's quite a collection. I volunteer to fly the Spitfire, the Mustang, the BF-109, the P-47, the P-38, the Haybusa, the F-6F, the F-86, the Zero and the Mosquito.
IF there was ever any doubt that Israel's response to Hezbollah's hail of rockets was proportionate to the threat they pose to Israeli security, it has been dispelled by attacks launched from southern Lebanon deep into Israel. With Hezbollah guerillas apparently well-armed thanks to money and material from Iran and Syria, Israel has been obliged to strike back in self-defence and to protect its civilian population in the north, including Haifa and Tiberias, a city hitherto thought to have been beyond the range of Hezbollah's rockets. Reports that Hezbollah has an armoury of thousands of rockets capable of reaching Israel's heartlands -- and conceivably its capital, Tel Aviv -- leave it no option because, it's worth repeating, Israel is facing an implacable enemy that denies its right to exist and wants to wipe it from the map.
Hezbollah appears to have little sympathy for its host country, Lebanon. By attacking Israel -- no doubt taking the opportunity to strike by snatching two Israeli troopers while Israel was preoccupied with its mission to free a kidnapped soldier in Gaza to the south -- Hezbollah has invited a red-blooded reaction. No nation can sit back watching missiles rain down on its territory. Retaliation with a purpose has been Israel's modus operandi. It has hit key highways and Beirut airport to make it difficult for Syria to resupply or reinforce Hezbollah, while also attacking the source of the rockets and those who are launching them. If that includes the head of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah -- reported yesterday to have been wounded in an Israeli air raid, reports denied by Hezbollah -- then that's the brutal reality of what Israel must do to survive.
Moreover, Israel is doing Lebanon a favour by containing Hezbollah, a parasitic organisation that has outstayed its welcome in the new but fragile democracy that is Lebanon. Better late than never, Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora says there can be no sovereign Lebanese state without disarming Hezbollah. Sadly, the Lebanese Government has been unwilling to take the hard steps necessary to achieve this end. Lebanon's army of about 70,000 soldiers is far superior to Hezbollah's guerilla force, estimated at about 6000, but does not appear to have the will to tackle the task of ridding Lebanon of its unwelcome guests. And given that the Lebanese army could spilt along sectarian lines if ordered to disarm Hezbollah, Mr Siniora should thank Israel further: he gets to keep a relatively unified army intact, while also watching Hezbollah arms and missile sites being destroyed, and its influence on Lebanese politics collaterally reduced.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
07/17/2006
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(KUNA) -- Police Sunday arrested over 90 Afghan nationals for illegal stay in the country and also involvement in minor crimes from Southwest insurgency-hit Province, said police sources. The Afghan nationals were arrested in different raids from various areas of Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan, sources told KUNA. Sources said they belong to Urazgan, Zabul and Kandahar provinces of Afghanistan. They added that cases under Foreign Act have been registered against them.
More, from Daily Times...
Sixty Afghan nationals were arrested in a raid in Pashtoonabad and another 22 were arrested from Satellite Town, an official source told Daily Times. He said that the remaining 10 Afghans were arrested from Berwery and Saddar police station areas. He added that the police had registered cases against them under the Foreigners Act. We believe that the arrested Afghans had links with the Taliban, but it would be premature to say anything till the investigation is completed, said another officer.
Wonder what brought that on?
Posted by: Fred ||
07/17/2006
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#1
Musta walked into the police station by accident
Posted by: Captain America ||
07/17/2006 0:22
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(KUNA) -- The Iranian Minister of Defense Brig. Mustafa Najar on Sunday denied claims suggesting Iran provided weapons to the Lebanese Hezbollah party and that these weapons were used against Israel. Speaking during a meeting with his assistants here today, Najar said rumors on use of Iranian weapons by Hezbollah against Israel fell in line with the "psychiatric war to broaden the conflict in the region".
Israel claims that the missile that has recently struck an Israeli warship in the ongoing conflict was an Iranian weapon and with the participation of several Iranian soldiers.
Najar denounced the Israeli attacks on Lebanon, noting that the "Islamic world holds the United States of America responsible for the crimes committed by Israel against the Lebanese and Palestinian people". He lashed at the US for attempting to exercise its "full hegemony" on energy sources in the area and to guarantee the safety of Israel by enlarging the scene of war.
He said the "green light was given to Israel to launch its attack on the innocent people", noting that Israel was "a source of tension in the region and a display of state terrorism'. He warned the ongoing Israeli aggression would give birth to "defeat and regret for the Zionist entity" of Israel.
Posted by: Fred ||
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#3
"Islamic world holds the United States responsible" - yet more evidencia for Dubya & Admin to order those extra security personnel and measures. WHEN IT COMES TO POWER, DEMOLEFT > SAVING AMERICA = AMERIKKKA + WORLD FROM BUSH-GOP-CAUSED/BLAMED NEW 9-11's = WEIRDLY AND MYSTERIOUSLY, PC/PDENIABLY SURVIVING SAME. The DemoLeft's answer to the alleged National and geopol disasters and chaoses wrought by Male Brute GOP-Conservatism is anti-sovereign, pro-OWG, anti-Amer Amer Motherly Communism-Totalitarianism-Secularism. Utopianism is best achieved when no one knows why they are being gulagged or exterminated.
#4
Mustafa can rest assured that we will find a way to get even with the vipers of tehran.
We have a very long memory and an even longer invisible arm.
Posted by: Elder of Zion ||
07/17/2006 9:06
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...noting that Israel was "a source of tension in the region and a display of state terrorism'.
They're dreadfully slow on the uptake aren't they. Point is Mustafa, people in the real world have had it with your rancid BS. Sort yourselves out, toot sweet, cut the psychotic Jew-bashing and start to get along with people 'in the region'. If not, one alternative you'll be looking at is a much smaller atlas of Iran...
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
07/17/2006 19:01
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Hezbollah denied Sunday Israeli reports that its leader Hassan Nasrallah had been wounded in a Beirut air raid. "We deny categorically that Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has been injured," a Hezbollah official said following the Israeli media reports. "This is mere Israel propaganda."
Israel's privately run Channel Two television had reported that Nasrallah had been wounded in the latest raid. Israeli government ministers have made no bones about their desire to see the Hezbollah leader eliminated. "He can benefit from no immunity. We will wipe him out at the first opportunity. That's why he had better pray to Allah," Zeev Boim, minister for immigration and an ally of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, said Saturday.
General Gadi Eisenkraut, operations chief at Israel's central command, told army radio the military was checking the reports that Nasrallah had been hurt. "According to our evaluations, he was in a bunker several dozen metres underground in the Dahiya neighbourhood," the general said. Army radio reported that analyses of Nasrallah's voice in recent telephone conversations suggested "very high tension" and "psychological distress". The radio charged that he had not been seen in public since last Wednesday. Questioned on public radio, another Israeli general, Yonantan Locker, confirmed the air force had the capability to "destroy bunkers". "We have already done it and we will continue to do it," he said, declining to comment on Nasrallah's health or whereabouts.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/17/2006
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Memories of bouncing rubble over Saddam's bunkers in attempts to find and kill him. Didn't work, for whatever reason (wrong bunker, too much rubble.) Guess eventually the Israelis will drag Nasrallah, dazed, dirty and lousy, out of a hole somewhere.
A navy warship blasted the vicinity of Beirut's airport with four missiles Sunday, setting a fuel storage tank ablaze, security officials said. Sunday's bombardment was the fourth time Israel hit the Rafik Hariri International Airport located on the southern edge of the capital since Wednesday when it began its strikes on Lebanon.
The latest attack was the second time IAF air raids ignited a fire in the airport's fuel storage tanks. On Friday, warplanes, in one of two attacks that day, blasted a runway igniting a fire in several fuel storage tanks. The airport has been closed since Wednesday, when aircraft fired missiles at its three runways, forcing the facility to shut down.
Posted by: Fred ||
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I do feel very sorry for those innocents caught in the crossfire...and there are innocents. However, as Edmund Burke said, The only thing necessary for the triumph [of evil] is for good men to do nothing.
As long as "peace-loving" muslims lay down for the islamo-scumbags...this, like Afghanistan and Iraq, will happen more frequently worldwide.
(KUNA) -- One person was killed and four injured in two seperate incidents in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir Sunday. One person died in an encounter between guerrillas and Indian security forces at Handwara in north Kashmir's Kupwara district Sunday, news agency Indo-Asian News Service reported. In another incident an explosion occurred when gunmen hurled a powerful hand grenade at a bunker of the Indian paramilitary Border Security Force (BSF) in the Sopore town of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir Sunday, the news agency reported. The grenade after hitting the bunker exploded on the road injuring the four civilians.
Posted by: Fred ||
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WASHINGTON - Israel has no plans at this present moment to attack Iran and Syria, the countrys chief spokesman told US television on Sunday, although he charged both countries with playing a key role in recent kidnappings of its soldiers. There is full responsibility on the shoulders of Iran and Syria, spokesman Isaac Herzog told ABC televisions This Week program, without ruling out future attacks against the two countries.
The responsibility lies on them, and we know it and we will remember it, Herzog said. Nonetheless at this present moment we are focused on Lebanon.
"Tomorrow, who knows?" he added.
Israel has correctly blamed Iran and Syria of having deep influence over the Hezbollah militants who captured two Israeli soldiers in an attack that sparked Israeli military retaliation.
Posted by: Steve White ||
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Isaac Herzog: Israel has no present" plans to attack Syria, Iran
#3
DEFENSETECH.org has a good article on Israel's strategy which I agree with, which can be summed up as Israel may not, for the moment, desire to invade Lebanon but neither will it allow Syrian andor Iranian main units easy access into central and southern southern Lebanon. Meanwhile, FREEREPUBLIC. com has an article from FREE-LEBANON.com which allegedly claims two of the captured Israelis are being held in the Iranian embassy in Beruit!? Both Islamist terrorist and Syrian-Iranian conventional soldier will be hard-pressed to escape Israeli detection, or destruction, iff Israel's anti-logistics/
reinforcement strategies against Lebanon's coasts and roadways, etc. succeeds. DAN GILLERMAN, Israel's ambassador to the UNO, made it clear on O'Reilly that despite Israel proclaiming its current lack of intent to invade or occupy southern Lebanon, Israel is keeping all options open for future action, and that Israel will do what it is needed to survive and protect her existence.
#5
Israel has no plans at this present moment to attack Iran and Syria, the countrys chief spokesman told US television on Sunday...
while sitting in front of a pile of folders, maps and photographs.
Posted by: Laurence of the Rats ||
07/17/2006 9:22
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They should. Fox News showed evidence of Syrian missles crashing into Isreal. The evidence? the loaded buckshot that the Syrian-made missle covered the street with. I think Assad needs a section of his palace flattened.
Posted by: Charles ||
07/17/2006 9:52
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"Oh, these old things? They've been lying around forever...."
(KUNA) -- Iraqi security officials in Kirkuk said in a statement on Sunday that they arrested a terrorist cell accused of several terrorist operations in the area. The statement added the terror cell included members who were divided into planning and implementing of terrorist operations.
Among there operations were a failed assassination attempt on Kirkuk's governor Abdurrahman Mustafa, the assasination of director of the Labour Union in Kirkuk Bushra Ismail, in addition to a car bomb attack on Al-Rafidain Bank which killed 25 poeple. The statement also said the arrest was made by Iraqi police forces of the Al-Asaysh directorate and incorporation with Iraqi military.
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Liberal activists, including some California Democrats, are furious with Sen. Barbara Boxer -- a leading critic of the Iraq war -- for her active support of Sen. Joe Lieberman, a Democrat who staunchly defends the war in Iraq. Lieberman is fighting for his political life in Connecticut, facing an anti-war opponent, cable magnate Ned Lamont, in an Aug. 8 Senate primary. Lieberman, his party's nominee for vice president in 2000, has already announced he will run as an independent in the fall if he loses the primary.
That decision has divided his Senate colleagues and Democrats nationwide. And the Lieberman race has ignited a fiery debate among Democrats, now raging on political blogs, about loyalty, political principles and whether the three-term senator has betrayed his party and should be tossed out. Boxer, a California Democrat, said she decided to support Lieberman, and campaign for him in Connecticut, even though ``we have no common ground surrounding the issue of the Iraq war.'' Lieberman has been one of her ``staunchest allies'' on the environment and reproductive rights, two issues very important to her, Boxer said in a statement. ``I will be campaigning with him to let the voters know about his record on those issues.''
Posted by: Fred ||
07/17/2006
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Watchin' BB cry reminds me of what's right in this world
Posted by: Captain America ||
07/17/2006 0:41
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Interesting (and telling) that the current 'litmus test' for Donks is repudiation of national survival. The Dems are headed toward self-immolation. I just hope they don't take the rest of us with them.
#6
I thought these were the people who said their differing viewpoints and open course of debate made them stronger? That it was the source of their strength?
#7
How can any Dem win anything when their party is divided in half over 3 different issues? You can't be pro-war and anti-war at the same time, one half of them won't vote for you if you are in the other camp. I don't get it.
#12
I don't know which is worse when I read the word "Babs," BB or BS (Streisand). "Yooooouuuuu are the wind beneath my wings....."
Speakin' of wings, did you guyz hear that Hooters' founder's titzup? Sorry, borrowed that one from the rants over at that story, but I couldn't resist.
Posted by: BA ||
07/17/2006 20:39
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(KUNA) -- At least two people were killed and 17 injured when Israeli warplanes bombarded the Beirut-Damascus highway Sunday night, security and medical sources said. They told KUNA in separate statements that ambulances rushed to the scene of the attack to assist the injured and recover the dead. The Israeli jet fighters also bombed sites in Baalbek in eastern Lebanon. The Israeli warplanes continued shelling different areas nationwide.
Posted by: Fred ||
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Gunmen kidnapped a senior Iraqi Oil Ministry official Sunday. Attackers stopped Adel Kazzaz, director of the North Oil Co., shortly after he left the ministry. They beat his bodyguards and whisked him away, ministry spokesman Assem Jihad said. The North Oil Co. runs Iraq's oil fields around the northern city of Kirkuk. The other major fields, in the south, are run by a separate company. Both are government-owned. Kazzaz was in Baghdad to attend a meeting with ministry officials, Jihad said.
The northern fields have been plagued for years by sabotage attacks on pipelines and other infrastructure. Exports were restored last month after a long delay but halted again last week and not expected to resume soon.
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Prime Minister Tony Blair has scotched notions that he might quit office in the coming months as bad news piles up for his governing Labour Party. He has seen his popularity dip and has been politically weakened by a series of scandals in his party over recent months -- the latest blow being the arrest of Lord Michael Levy, Labour's chief fundraiser, by police investigating alleged corruption in the way Britain's main political parties raise money. And Lord Roy Hattersley, a former Labour deputy leader, weighed in Sunday, urging the prime minister to step down at the centre-left party's conference in September.
But Blair, at the annual summit of the Group of Eight industrialised democracies in Saint Petersburg, gave his strongest indication yet that he intends to stay in office for at least another year. He said he did not want a "great bout of speculation" about his departure timetable. "I'm not sitting there, you know, obsessing the entire time about when the precise date is and all the rest of it," he told BBC television on Sunday. "I've made it clear all the way through, I'll carry on doing the job. And so I look forward to next year's G8 of course, but in the end the most important thing is to do the job," he added.
Posted by: Fred ||
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A grand tribal jirga has been formed to discuss ways to establish peace in North Waziristan Agency and address the problems of the people of the agency. The jirga consists of 45 members representing all the tribal agencies and the Frontier Regions and will begin working from July 20, an official press release said. President General Pervez Musharraf announced the formation of a grand tribal jirga during his address at Governors House, Peshawar on April 26, said FATA Governors Secretariat Spokesman Shahzaman Khan. The people of FATA had appealed to the president to form a jirga that was inclusive of all tribes, the spokesman said.
He said that continuous violence in North Waziristan during the past three months and the change in NWFP governorship had delayed the formation of the jirga. NWFP Governor Jan Orakzais meetings with the leading maliks, clerics and other stakeholders in FATA and the ceasefire announced by militants in the agency had improved law and order in the area, he said. The situation was now conducive to the process of peace talks, which will hopefully restore peace in Waziristan, the spokesman said.
The jirga will first visit Miranshah and is expected to bring all the stakeholders on board to discuss measures necessary for peace in Waziristan, he said. The spokesman reiterated the governments resolve to develop Waziristan with special focus on unemployment and illiteracy in the agency. Poverty alleviation in FATA is a top priority for the NWFP governor, the spokesman said.
Posted by: Fred ||
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Maybe they'll whip up a fine Lashkar, been awhile since we've heard the drums.
IAF aircraft fired missiles at targets across Lebanon early Monday, killing nine and wounding 38 in a surge of reprisals after Hizbullah rockets slammed into new targets deep inside Israel. Three of the dead were Lebanese soldiers who were killed when aircraft attacked a small fishing port at Abdeh in northernmost Lebanon. Witnesses and media reported seven other soldiers were unaccounted for after the early Monday attack. There was no immediate comment from the IDF.
Posted by: Fred ||
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Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, returning to her red-state ties, chastised Democrats Saturday for taking on issues that arouse conservatives and turn out Republican voters rather than finding consensus on mainstream subjects. Without mentioning specific subjects like gay marriage, Mrs. Clinton said: We do things that are controversial. We do things that try to inflame their base.
We are wasting time, the senator told a group of Democratic women here, on part of a two-day swing through a state that could provide an alternate hub to New York if she starts a national political campaign. On recent weekends, Mrs. Clinton has been traveling the country and raising money at an extraordinary pace. But the trip to Arkansas this weekend had a more sentimental feel, reuniting Mrs. Clinton with her former political allies and giving her a platform to broadcast her more centrist background.
After speaking to the Arkansas Federation of Democratic Women, Mrs. Clinton was scheduled to visit the first home in Fayetteville that her husband bought for her, and where they were married. But she made the trip solo: Former President Bill Clinton has been in Africa, visiting projects run by the Clinton Foundation. Mrs. Clinton said her husband had called her to report that he had learned on his trip that the American ambassador to Malawi was from Arkansas, part of what she jokingly referred to as the Arkansas diaspora.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/17/2006
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This from an expert on being a waste
Posted by: Captain America ||
07/17/2006 0:41
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Clinton, in Arkansas, says democrats are "Wasting Time oxygen."
#5
the pic is frightening! Sad but true I think she is right. If the Dems don't slide toward the center they will turn this country into a single party system.
But more important is her husband. Sounds like he is following the Jimmy Carter school of retired prezes. Now we will have to tolerate another moonbat ex prez out there saying stupid crap.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
07/17/2006 9:40
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In other words, "quit f*cking around and nominate me!"
#7
She's not telling the Dems to BECOME more centrist, she's saying to LOOK like they are, so they can win elections. Once in power, it will be another story. Typical neofacist crap.
#8
exactly, ex-lib. That pic completely haunts me. And, I'd add, with all the press on the National party, I can't see how they'd even win elections for dog catcher come November. Of course it does help when you can "Vote now and vote often."
Posted by: BA ||
07/17/2006 13:35
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Hey, ex-lib, long time no see. How are things going?
(I might have tried talking to you earlier, and missed your response. I'm having a lot of crisis days these days...)
Posted by: Phil ||
07/17/2006 14:07
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Hey Phil. I haven't had time to surf the "Berg" in quite a while. Busy writing. Didn't even know Lebanon/Israel was heating up until cingold told me. Ha! I gotta get out more . . . Nice to read everyone's posts.
(KUNA) -- The number of casualties in the cafe explosion in southern Kikruk increased to 13 deaths and 26 injured, according to ta statement by security forces Sunday. Initial reports on the explosion, which caused major damages to the cafe, stated that the numbers of casualties were nine deaths and 13 injured. The reports also indicated that TNT explosives were used in the attacks but later on, investigations revealed that the explosion was caused by a suicide bomber.
Posted by: Fred ||
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(KUNA) -- Three people were killed on Sunday and twenty others were wounded in a bomb explosion near a crowd of workers in the center of the Iraqi capital, police said. The wounded were moved to a hospital for treatment.
In a separate incident, Multinational Forces (MNF) said Sunday one of its soldiers was killed due to a bomb explosion targeting his patrol in the southern part of the Iraqi capital. The statement did not report other details about the accident and did not specify the exact location.
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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan stands by the people of Lebanon, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz told his Lebanese counterpart Fouad Siniora on Sunday. Pakistan "strongly condemns the violence being committed against Lebanon" and urges that the loss to life and property stop immediately, Aziz told Siniora in a phone call, an official statement said. "Pakistan strongly stands by the Lebanese people and fully respects their sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said. "We appeal to the world community, the permanent members of the Security Council, the UN and other relevant bodies to intervene," he added.
Posted by: Fred ||
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"Well, maybe not fight exactly. But we will fire off useless inflamatory rhetoric on TV and swagger around as if we had some stake in this matter, or prominence in the world."
QUETTA: The law enforcement agencies put two prominent members of the Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP), which is headed by Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, under house arrest on Sunday. Security forces have been deployed at the residences of Senator Agha Shahid Bugti, JWP secretary general, and Humayun Khan Marri, JWP provincial president. "I have been kept under house arrest since this morning," Senator Bugti told Daily Times via telephone. He said that Hamayun Khan Marri was also under house arrest. "Our house arrest comes only two days after the kidnapping of my brother Bilal Bugti and another JWP activist Murtaza Bugti in Karachi. This is an illegal and unconstitutional action which we strongly condemn," he added.
I agree fully with Senator Bugti. This illegal and clearly unconstitutional action must be met with Resistance®. It is most certainly his Legitimate Right. I urge him to begin his Resistance® immediately, while he has the element of surprise. If he waits for Bugti backup, the window of opportunity will close.
Law enforcement personnel deployed at the residences of the JWP members said they had orders to restrict the movement of the two Baloch leaders. "We will stay here until the checks clear we are ordered to leave," one guard said.
Posted by: Fred ||
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This is awful. Thrown into the bugalow by the coppers. We may need the drums.
BAGHDAD - Saddam Hussein spent a ninth day without food on Sunday, the U.S. military said, continuing a hunger strike to demand better protection for defence lawyers after a third advocate was killed in Baghdad last month. Theres no change, said Lieutenant Colonel Keir-Kevin Curry, a spokesman for U.S. military detention operations in Iraq. Despite their refusal to eat, theyre still deemed to be in good health.
The 69-year-old former president and three co-defendants, whose trial for crimes against humanity resumes in a week, have been refusing food since eating dinner on the evening of July 7, the military says. Saddam has been drinking sweet coffee and other liquids, Curry said.
Ah, the Cindy Sheehan 'fast'.
The military has not identified the three other hunger strikers. Three senior Baath party followers are on trial with Saddam, along with four minor party officials.
Posted by: Steve White ||
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Poor Sammy. I sure hope his mustache survives this ordeal.
America warned North Korea yesterday to resume talks on its nuclear weapons programme or face further international sanctions. Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state, issued the threat hours after the United Nations Security Council passed a unanimous resolution condemning Pyongyang's test-firing of ballistic missiles. "If they do not want to face some of the additional pressures that can be brought to bear on them, they will eventually realise that they have to come back to the talks," Miss Rice said. "That is really the only game in town."
But the Security Council resolution, which has the force of international law, was immediately rejected by the Stalinist state. Indulging in its familiar high-octane rhetoric, it described the international community's position as "gangster-like" and a prelude to war. North Korea said it would "bolster its war deterrent for self-defence", shorthand for the nuclear weapons programme thought to have produced six to eight devices.
Posted by: Fred ||
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Whatever happens in East Asia vv the Norkies will have to be done by the Norkies or Chicoms ala ISRAEL vs. HEZBOLLAH-HAMAS in the ME - Dubya & Co. have gotta know that NK's missles may be NK's only chance = hedge to break free from Beijing's control. The USA wants trading partners, while the Norkies = Russo-Chin Commies = Muslims > want modernity, etal. which they are NOT going to get [short of destroying the USA] without anti-Commie, anti-Socialist/Govt'ist, anti-Mullocracy deregul + liberalizations. Ironically, Dubya and USA have a valid stake in seeing NK keep its missles for a while yet. NK is presently controlled by China, and the last thing China wants is to see its ambitions-designs for Chinese-and Communist-centric Asian-Pacific hegemony threatened by anti-comradely fellow Commie missles. Dubya should continue to milpol strengthen America's capabilities and Allies in the PacRim while waiting for the Norks andor China to make the first blow. Its a "Chicoms wanna exterminate 200Milyuhn Americans + control 1/2 of USA" thingy.
Three Kassam rockets landed in Sderot on Sunday night. One of the rockets landed in a residential neighborhood, causing structural damage. No casualties were reported.
Posted by: Fred ||
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At least 230 people were killed or injured in clashes in Darfur between two tribes fighting for control over grazing land in the area, a Sudanese official was quoted as saying on Sunday. The Sudan Media Center, a pro-government news agency, reported the first official comment on the clashes that lasted three days last week between the Rizzaigat and Habania Arab tribes in south Darfur. The head of the attorney general's office in south Darfur, Ahmed Ali al-Muktasi, was quoted as saying that the Habania tribe suffered some 200 casualties, and that 30 members of the Rizzaigat were killed or injured. Police and army reinforcements have blockaded the area in a bid to restore calm, the agency said. Fighting between nomadic tribes over water and pastureland in drought-stricken areas is common in Sudan.
Posted by: Fred ||
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Barbed wire and over-grazing by sheep herders from the east are to blame. Send them more ammo and Winchesters. The problem will eventually resolve itself.
#3
Two tribes? That's been the problem all along. I wonder why the official didn't happen to mention the tribes' relative skin colours. Anybody know more about the Habania and Rizzaiga tribes? The 200:30 death rate could be indicative, unless it just means a successful ambush.
#4
Nope, nuddin' to see heres. Youz guyz need to pay attention to the 120 or so women, children, bunnies and duckies that have been killed by the Jooooooos in Beirut.
#5
A Sudanese official from the government run Sudan Media Center briefed a jaded media today. Explaining that genocide is just a tribal spat over water rights.
But nobody gives a fuck today as we have exciting pictures just in, over to you in lebanon bob.
SAINT PETERSBURG: Iran should respond directly to the negotiators involved in a six-nation nuclear energy offer if Tehran wants to discuss the proposal, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday.
Tehran said earlier in the day that the package - drafted by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany - was an "acceptable basis" for talks, and invited world powers for detailed negotiations over its disputed nuclear programme. The response comes four days after Tehran missed a July 12 deadline to respond to the offer, prompting the six powers that drafted the proposal to decide to refer Iran to the Security Council for possible punishment.
'Nother words, nobody's impressed...
Posted by: Fred ||
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Gee, da ya think the G-8 guys have caught on?
Mebbe the Mad Mullahs overplayed their hand, too?
Posted by: Bobby ||
07/17/2006 8:38
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Russian President Vladimir Putin said Sunday at the G8 summit in St. Petersburg that his country was in contact with a number of groups in an effort to secure the release of the three kidnapped IDF soldiers. Putin added that he had reason to believe that the efforts were not in vain, Army Radio reported.
Posted by: Fred ||
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And the eight soldiers ambushed? Good luck with that, Putty
Posted by: Captain America ||
07/17/2006 0:37
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He wants to be a contendah, and here's his chance. His success is, a priori, a mixed blessing.
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.
Gunmen killed two policemen in the centre of the capital of Chechnya on Monday in a blatant daylight attack, jerking Grozny out of the relative peace of the last few months. Officials declined to comment on the incident. Passers-by recognised the two dead men as policemen. Witnesses said the attackers sprayed the two men with machine-gun fire.
The 
Cracks are becoming fissures in Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez's self-declared revolution, as armed groups of leftist supporters clashed in recent weeks in a rough and poor barrio in skirmishes that left at least four dead.
Former US President Bill Clinton who many Arab thoughts was more even-handed on the Palestine question than his predecessors shocked many when he asserted in Toronto last week that had Israel been attacked by Iraq or Iran during his presidency, he would have been ready to grab a rifle, get in a ditch and fight and die.
(RIA Novosti) - Law enforcers have detained a relative of 
DEBKAfile Exclusive reveals: 
KABUL -The US-led coalition in Afghanistan said it had killed four-suspected Al Qaeda and detained three others during a raid on Monday aimed at a senior member of the terror network in eastern Afghanistan. A provincial governor said the four men killed in the early morning operation in Khost province were an Afghan religious leader or mullah and three Arabs. 
French PM travelling to Beirut to express solidarity France is today sending Prime Minister 
LEBANESE television stations said today that an Israeli aircraft had been shot down over Lebanon and showed footage of debris falling from the sky, but the Israeli military said no aircraft had been downed. "There was no such thing," an Israeli security source said.
A powerful earthquake sent a two-metre-high tsunami crashing into a beach resort on Indonesia's Java island Monday, damaging hotels and sending boats smashing into houses, a witness told a local radio station. People fled to a local hill to escape the wave on Pangandaran beach in west Java, a woman identified as Teti told el-Shinta radio station. All the houses are destroyed along the beach, she said. At least three people were killed, witnesses said.
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. Robert Brooks, the chairman of Hooters of America, Inc. who made his fortune selling chicken wings served by scantily clad waitresses, was found dead at his home Sunday, officials said. He was 69. It was unclear how Brooks died, but the Horry County coroner's office told The (Myrtle Beach) Sun News that an autopsy would be performed Monday. Several calls to the coroner's office by The Associated Press were unanswered.
Minal Hasan was exploring careers - Teacher? Journalist? - when two planes sliced through the World Trade Center.
The July-August issue of Foreign Policy magazine has an article, "How to Defuse the Bolton Bomb," attacking U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton. It is written by Barbara Crossette, identified as U.N. bureau chief for the New York Times from 1994-2001 and now "a consulting editor at the United Nations Association of the United States." The latter is a main component of the pro-U.N. lobby.
Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah made his first appearance since the start of clashes with Israel, saying Sunday that his group had "complete strength and power" and would act without limits in future attacks. Hezbollah had "no choice" but to hit the northern Israeli city of Haifi with rockets Sunday after Israel struck civilians in Lebanon. "As long as the enemy acts without limitations, it is our right to act similarly," he said.
Militant groups have gone underground for fear of a government crackdown following the Mumbai train blasts and suicide attack on Shia cleric 
Armed tribesmen fighting the government in Dera Bugti have spurned official claims that tribal leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti and his allies have deserted their positions and taken refuge elsewhere. "The Nawab is still there and bravely fighting against forces engaged in constant bombing and shelling," said Wadera Alam Khan, spokesman of the tribal fighters, while calling from an unknown place via satellite phone. He said the government was losing its war against the tribesmen and had thus been driven to "baseless propaganda". He said that not more than 35 people had surrendered before the government in an official ceremony at Bakad area. Khan said that helicopters had continued shelling and bombarding Paylawag and Kanza on Sunday. "They also destroyed some 40 empty houses belonging to local people," he said.
Pakistan Muslim League (PML) Secretary General Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed condemned the Mumbai blasts as a crime against humanity and urged India not to derail the peace process between the two countries. In an interview with the New Delhi Television (NDTV) and talks with the media here, Senator Hussain said terrorism had no religion or boundaries and was a universal threat that could only be countered collectively. Whether it is terrorism in Mumbai or in Karachi, both India and Pakistan are victims of terrorism and can curb, contain and crush it only by joining hands against this enemy of mankind, he said.
Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels on Sunday attacked an army camp in eastern Sri Lanka with mortars, wounding one soldier and a civilian, while two ethnic minority Tamils were shot dead in the north, authorities said, in the latest violence to threaten a four-year-old cease-fire. Rebels fired mortars at the Selvanagar army camp in Trincomalee district, 215 kilometres northeast of the capital, Colombo, said an official at the Media Centre for National Security, speaking on condition of anonymity in accordance with policy. He said the army retaliated with mortars, and the exchange of fire lasted nearly half an hour. 
Democratic National Committee Chairman 
Militants blew up a Pakistani diesel fuel truck outside a police station in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, police said. No casualties were reported. The truck entered Afghanistan from Pakistan on Saturday and was bound for the capital, Kabul, with a full load of fuel when a remote control-detonated bomb struck the vehicle, said local police Gen Abdul Basir Salangi.
DASKA: The Satrah police have registered a case against four 'Qadiyaanis' accused under section 298-C of the Pakistani Penal Code for preaching 'Qadiyaaniat' publically in Mianwali Bangla of Daska tehsil. 
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday pledged there would be "major decisions" on a crackdown on Kurdish separatists after they killed eight security forces earlier in the day. Members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) killed seven Turkish soldiers and a village guard when they attacked security forces near the town of Eruh in southeast Turkey on Sunday, the semi-official Anatolian news agency said. "This PKK terror organisation has continued its attacks ruthlessly," Erdogan told his Justice and Development Party (AKP) officials in televised comments during a visit in eastern Turkey. "We have so far tried to be patient and solve the issue in a democratic manner. But yet again they killed eight children of ours. This is no longer bearable," he said.
(KUNA) -- A high-ranking Iraqi military officer and two of his bodyguards were injured as a result of a bomb explosion that took place southwestern Kirkuk. An Iraqi police source told KUNA that the bomb targeted the officer's convoy while passing through the Kirkuk-Riyadh highway. In another incident, two people were killed and one was abducted when unidentified gunmen launched an attack on a group of trucks on the Kirkuk-Tikrit highway.
Those behind last week's bomb attacks on Indian commuter trains are enemies of joint Pakistan-India efforts to bury a history of hostile relations, CNN on Sunday quoted Pakistani Foreign Minister Khursheed Kasuri as saying.
Democratic lawmakers in the U.S. pressed President George W. Bush to involve the U.S. more directly in trying to negotiate a halt in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. ``Condi Rice ought to be going to the area immediately,'' Senator Christopher Dodd, a Connecticut Democrat, said of the U.S. secretary of State today on ``Fox News Sunday.'' ``This is a situation that could spin out of control.'' 
(KUNA) -- The Israeli radio said Sunday that a Lebanese fighter was killed after a group of Lebanese fighters tried to infiltrate into an Israeli army camp north of the Jewish state. The army noticed that a group of Lebanese fighters were approaching the settlement of Qiryat Shemona north of Israeli. The Lebanese then tried to infiltrate into the army base but were met by Israeli gun fire which killed one of them.
Beirut - Apocalyptic scenes covered most areas in the predominantly Shiite Hezbollah hotbed areas in southern Lebanon following a night of fierce Israeli shelling on Sunday. Nine-storey buildings were totally destroyed in what used to be named 'Hezbollah's security square,' while bridges have been reduced to rubble and roads in this part of the capital simply no longer exist. 
MUMBAI, India Authorities lowered the death toll from the synchronized bombings of Mumbai's commuter train network, saying Sunday that 182 had been killed. Officials previously said that at least 200 died and more than 700 were injured in Tuesday's blasts. The new toll was released by Sanjay Joshi of Maharashtra state's disaster response coordination agency, who also said that 842 people were injured. Of the injured, 286 remain hospitalized, he said. Mumbai is the capital of Maharashtra. Officials said the death toll had been too high because some of the dead were counted twice by separate emergency agencies before being added to the overall tally.
(KUNA) At least nine persons were wounded three of them critically on Sunday in twin bomb explosions in two different areas of Southwest Pakistan, said Police. A home-made bomb went off in a shop in Barkhan area, about 340 kilometers east of Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province, police sources told KUNA. They said the explosion wounded nine persons and three of them are said to be in critical condition.
TEHRAN, Iran Iran said Sunday that Western incentives to halt its nuclear program were an "acceptable basis" for talks, and it is ready for detailed negotiations. 
(KUNA) -- Police Sunday arrested over 90 Afghan nationals for illegal stay in the country and also involvement in minor crimes from Southwest insurgency-hit Province, said police sources. The Afghan nationals were arrested in different raids from various areas of Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan, sources told KUNA. Sources said they belong to Urazgan, Zabul and Kandahar provinces of Afghanistan. They added that cases under Foreign Act have been registered against them.
(KUNA) -- The Iranian Minister of Defense Brig. Mustafa Najar on Sunday denied claims suggesting Iran provided weapons to the Lebanese Hezbollah party and that these weapons were used against Israel. Speaking during a meeting with his assistants here today, Najar said rumors on use of Iranian weapons by Hezbollah against Israel fell in line with the "psychiatric war to broaden the conflict in the region".
A navy warship blasted the vicinity of Beirut's airport with four missiles Sunday, setting a fuel storage tank ablaze, security officials said. Sunday's bombardment was the fourth time Israel hit the Rafik Hariri International Airport located on the southern edge of the capital since Wednesday when it began its strikes on Lebanon. 
(KUNA) -- One person was killed and four injured in two seperate incidents in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir Sunday. One person died in an encounter between guerrillas and Indian security forces at Handwara in north Kashmir's Kupwara district Sunday, news agency Indo-Asian News Service reported. In another incident an explosion occurred when gunmen hurled a powerful hand grenade at a bunker of the Indian paramilitary Border Security Force (BSF) in the Sopore town of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir Sunday, the news agency reported. The grenade after hitting the bunker exploded on the road injuring the four civilians.
(KUNA) -- Iraqi security officials in Kirkuk said in a statement on Sunday that they arrested a terrorist cell accused of several terrorist operations in the area. The statement added the terror cell included members who were divided into planning and implementing of terrorist operations.
Liberal activists, including some California Democrats, are furious with Sen. Barbara Boxer -- a leading critic of the Iraq war -- for her active support of Sen. Joe Lieberman, a Democrat who staunchly defends the war in Iraq. Lieberman is fighting for his political life in Connecticut, facing an anti-war opponent, cable magnate Ned Lamont, in an Aug. 8 Senate primary. Lieberman, his party's nominee for vice president in 2000, has already announced he will run as an independent in the fall if he loses the primary.
Gunmen kidnapped a senior Iraqi Oil Ministry official Sunday. Attackers stopped Adel Kazzaz, director of the North Oil Co., shortly after he left the ministry. They beat his bodyguards and whisked him away, ministry spokesman Assem Jihad said. The North Oil Co. runs Iraq's oil fields around the northern city of Kirkuk. The other major fields, in the south, are run by a separate company. Both are government-owned. Kazzaz was in Baghdad to attend a meeting with ministry officials, Jihad said. 
Prime Minister Tony Blair has scotched notions that he might quit office in the coming months as bad news piles up for his governing Labour Party. He has seen his popularity dip and has been politically weakened by a series of scandals in his party over recent months -- the latest blow being the arrest of Lord Michael Levy, Labour's chief fundraiser, by police investigating alleged corruption in the way Britain's main political parties raise money. And Lord Roy Hattersley, a former Labour deputy leader, weighed in Sunday, urging the prime minister to step down at the centre-left party's conference in September.
A grand tribal jirga has been formed to discuss ways to establish peace in 
IAF aircraft fired missiles at targets across Lebanon early Monday, killing nine and wounding 38 in a surge of reprisals after Hizbullah rockets slammed into new targets deep inside Israel. Three of the dead were Lebanese soldiers who were killed when aircraft attacked a small fishing port at Abdeh in northernmost Lebanon. Witnesses and media reported seven other soldiers were unaccounted for after the early Monday attack. There was no immediate comment from the IDF.
Senator Hillary 
(KUNA) -- The number of casualties in the cafe explosion in southern Kikruk increased to 13 deaths and 26 injured, according to ta statement by security forces Sunday. Initial reports on the explosion, which caused major damages to the cafe, stated that the numbers of casualties were nine deaths and 13 injured. The reports also indicated that TNT explosives were used in the attacks but later on, investigations revealed that the explosion was caused by a suicide bomber.
(KUNA) -- Three people were killed on Sunday and twenty others were wounded in a bomb explosion near a crowd of workers in the center of the Iraqi capital, police said. The wounded were moved to a hospital for treatment.
QUETTA: The law enforcement agencies put two prominent members of the Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP), which is headed by Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, under house arrest on Sunday. Security forces have been deployed at the residences of Senator Agha Shahid Bugti, JWP secretary general, and Humayun Khan Marri, JWP provincial president. "I have been kept under house arrest since this morning," Senator Bugti told Daily Times via telephone. He said that Hamayun Khan Marri was also under house arrest. "Our house arrest comes only two days after the kidnapping of my brother Bilal Bugti and another JWP activist Murtaza Bugti in Karachi. This is an illegal and unconstitutional action which we strongly condemn," he added. 
BAGHDAD - Saddam Hussein spent a ninth day without food on Sunday, the U.S. military said, continuing a hunger strike to demand better protection for defence lawyers after a third advocate was killed in Baghdad last month. Theres no change, said Lieutenant Colonel Keir-Kevin Curry, a spokesman for U.S. military detention operations in Iraq. Despite their refusal to eat, theyre still deemed to be in good health.
America warned North Korea yesterday to resume talks on its nuclear weapons programme or face further international sanctions. Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state, issued the threat hours after the United Nations Security Council passed a unanimous resolution condemning Pyongyang's test-firing of ballistic missiles. "If they do not want to face some of the additional pressures that can be brought to bear on them, they will eventually realise that they have to come back to the talks," Miss Rice said. "That is really the only game in town."
Three Kassam rockets landed in Sderot on Sunday night. One of the rockets landed in a residential neighborhood, causing structural damage. No casualties were reported.
At least 230 people were killed or injured in clashes in Darfur between two tribes fighting for control over grazing land in the area, a Sudanese official was quoted as saying on Sunday. The Sudan Media Center, a pro-government news agency, reported the first official comment on the clashes that lasted three days last week between the Rizzaigat and Habania Arab tribes in south Darfur. The head of the attorney general's office in south Darfur, Ahmed Ali al-Muktasi, was quoted as saying that the Habania tribe suffered some 200 casualties, and that 30 members of the Rizzaigat were killed or injured. Police and army reinforcements have blockaded the area in a bid to restore calm, the agency said. Fighting between nomadic tribes over water and pastureland in drought-stricken areas is common in Sudan.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Sunday at the G8 summit in St. Petersburg that his country was in contact with a number of groups in an effort to secure the release of the three kidnapped IDF soldiers. Putin added that he had reason to believe that the efforts were not in vain, Army Radio reported.
