Nigeria refusing South Africans entry, lucky them and the foreign minister branding Pretoria racist xenophobic. Uitlanders (outsiders). Old habits tie hard, but then again it helps in the prevention and spread of pestilence and crime.
Cyd Charisse aka Vicki Gaye in "Party Girl (1958)" aka Ninotchka Yoschenko in "Silk Stockings (1957)" aka Dancer in "Singin' in the Rain (1952)" aka Gaye Dawn in "Key Largo" aka Gabrielle Gerard in "The Band Wagon (1953)" aka Fiona Campbell in "Brigadoon (1954)" aka Rosa Senta in "East Side, West Side (1949)" aka Maria Corvier in "Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956)" aka The Widow in "Black Tights (1961)" aka Tula Ellice Finklea (Died in 2008 at age 86)
Just as reading aloud the verse of Shakespeare or Dr. Seuss
sets the mind to a rhythm and meter.
Watching Cyd move through those portions of the screen
inside the historic and narrow aperture of film,
she still sets a rhythm across that space and time
that enchants the soul and mind.
#5
Were that I could construct a poem in an hour as sublime as her least eyelash.
Just watch the Bandwagon, or Singing in the Rain, or any of her other work. They are magnificent, and the work is inside the camera, which makes it doubly hard.
She is as important as Gene Kelly and Grace Kelly, but with the grace neither have.
#1
1 Kings 14:10, KJV: I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone.
Obama's doing real good on this one.
#2
Luke 2:1, KJV again: all the world should be taxed
Doing perfect on this one, too!
Luke 2:3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
That's for his 2nd term.
#3
Ecclesiastes 10:5-9 NIV: 5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun,
the sort of error that arises from a ruler:
6 Fools are put in many high positions,
while the rich occupy the low ones.
7 I have seen slaves on horseback,
while princes go on foot like slaves.
BINGO!
Iran's rulers faced more international pressure today when a six-nation group including the US, China, Russia, France, Germany and Britain united today to demand that nuclear inspectors be allowed into one of its military sites.
"Sure fellers, just hang on a sec whilst we finish mopping up, we shore do want our facility to be nice n' purty for yas [Mahmoud, git yer ass in gear and get rid of that damned plutonium!]"
The countries delivered a joint statement to the International Atomic Energy Agency that urged the regime to open up its Parchin base, which was singled out in a report by the organisation last year. It said that intelligence provided by foreign powers suggested that the site could be being used for research into the technology required for nuclear weapons.
Iran denies the claims, yet it refused access to an IAEA inspection team earlier this year.
The six powers said in a statement: "We urge Iran to fulfil its undertaking to grant access to Parchin."
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also popped up today to welcome US President Barack Obama's statement that there is a diplomatic "window" before any planned strike on Iran's nuclear energy programme was executed. His stance was widely seen as trying to restrain the evil Jooooz dampening down war hysteria from within the US and its key ally Israel.
'War hysteria' being defined as resisting the annihilation of Israel...
Mr Khamenei, the top member of the country's unelected ruling elite, told other clerics on the 86-member so-called Assembly of Experts that "this talk is good talk and shows an exit from illusion."
But he attacked Mr Obama's support for sanctions against the country which says it is pursuing a legal nuclear power programme
A British hostage has been killed in a Special Forces operation to free him from al-Qaeda aligned kidnappers in Nigeria.
David Cameron named the man as Chris McManus who was killed with fellow hostage Italian Franco Lamolinara.
It is understood a Special Boat Service operation to free them from al-Qaeda aligned kidnappers failed.
The effort to free Mr McManus, from the North West of Nigeria, and an Italian hostage was launched by Nigerian forces with the assistance of the UK.
The Prime Minister said the pair appeared to have died at the hands of their captors, either before or during the course of the rescue bid.
The hacking group Anonymous took down several Vatican websites on Wednesday, saying it was targeting the "corrupt" Catholic Church, a day after a high-profile bust of the group's alleged leaders.
"Anonymous decided today to besiege your site in response to the doctrine, to the liturgies, to the absurd and anachronistic concepts that your for-profit organisation spreads around the world," the hackers said in a statement.
"This attack is not against the Christian religion or the faithful around the world but against the corrupt Roman Apostolic Church," said the statement, posted on the Italian-language version of the Anonymous website.
Aside from taking down www.vatican.va, the hacking group also claimed responsibility for attacking several Vatican-related sites including that of its newspaper.
Anonymous tried and failed to attack the Vatican website last year.
#2
Looks like it's back up. Could have just been a DDoS.
Either that or they're taking credit for the 'Solar Flares'.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
03/08/2012 15:24
Comments ||
Top||
#3
To be honest, taking down the Vatican site is a bit like swatting a fly with a Buick. I'll be impressed when they take town the Kremlin's intranet site. Of course, they won't since it would bite the hand that feeds them.
U.S. Senator John Kerry, ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice and economist Lawrence Summers have been shortlisted to be the next World Bank head, a source close to the institution told AFP.
The source added that the United States had yet to make a final decision.
Kerry was the Democratic presidential candidate in 2004, when he lost to then-president George W. Bush, and currently serves as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Rice previously served as a senior national security advisor to President Barack Obama during his successful 2008 White House campaign, and was a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a prominent Washington think tank, for several years.
Summers served as Secretary of the Treasury under president Bill Clinton from 1999 to 2001 and is currently a Harvard University economics professor.
Last month World Bank President Robert Zoellick announced he would be stepping down when his five-year term ends on June 30.
#2
Sorta like having Eric Holder, Jamie Gorelick or Ron Johnson in charge at Fannie Mae.
I'm wondering where Gorelick's name was: she's certainly one of the usual suspects. Perhaps Champ's crew is realizing that she's irrevocably tainted?
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/08/2012 12:20
Comments ||
Top||
#3
She did her part in helping to destroy the country with her Wall(TM) and then getting on the 9-11 Commission. She is Emeritus now.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
03/08/2012 22:15
Comments ||
Top||
#4
If having been "Kicked-upstairs" several times in the past is qualifying criteria, which usually is the case, Panetta just might be able to submit "his availability".
Health and Human Services Sec. Kathleen Sebelius appeared flummoxed by questioning from Sen. Ron Johnson (R., Wis.) at a hearing on the new health care law Wednesday.
Nice volley back and forth...
Johnson challenged Sebelius over a number of the Obama administration's claims about the new health care law, namely that it will reduce the deficit and allow individuals to keep their current healthcare plans.
On several occasions, Sebelius professed to have "no idea" what Johnson was talking about.
Transcript at link. Fucking idiot.
Oh no, no idiot at all. She was put in an impossible situation. Of course it adds to the deficit. She knows it full well but she dare not say that because it will kill Champ's re-election campaign right there.
It's like how Panetta yesterday hinted that Champ needs only international approval to start a war, not Congressional approval. Since that's what Champ thinks and has already done with the Libyan War Kinetic Action, you think Panetta will say anything different to the Congress?
No my friend, these folks are a lot of things, but they aren't idiots. This game is played at a very high level.
#8
"Sebelius Has 'No Idea' If Obamacare Adds to the Deficit"
Period.
Posted by: Barbara ||
03/08/2012 19:48
Comments ||
Top||
#9
She is getting paid to do exactly this - shrug her shoulders and look the confused grandma.
Look, she knows dead babies saves money, and she knows government activity costs money, by her own words the other day.
In our (Kansas) defense, she is not a Kansan, she is of a professional political family tree from Ohio who found a booster, got her elected to any office available at the time..it just so happened the % showed Comissioner of Insurance in Kansas. Her boosters allowed her a State of the Union dissending opinion long ago, in exchange she didn't take a crap without getting direct marching orders from HQ, hell it took her 3 days to make a statement about Greensburg and when she did it was Global Warming and W's fault (KS Nat Guard troops were in Iraq at the time but not the MASH unit caugh caugh (then didn't go to their homecoming because KU won some ballgame)), so she poured millions into that boondoggle to pump the green movement.
No, she was selected for HHS for this very moment. Instead, grill her about dead babie=great savings, and why she has signed waivers which bypass the legal prosecution of lawful Congressional bills that is unless of course the law is illegal. She is not good on her feet so get her off script.
#10
These people don't have any idea about what anything costs. Furthermore, they don't give a flip. That is why a second term would be disastrous. But then I tend to think that is the plan. What was it Napolitano called terrorism--"man-made disasters?" Hmmmm.
#11
parroting the part/Obama line in the face of factual and constitutional evidence otherwise, is NOT "playing at a very high level". I'd like to see prison sentences for Holder, et al for violating their oths
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/08/2012 22:55
Comments ||
Top||
First, Barack Obama won't make a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline, until House Republicans force his hand and he denies approval. Then Obama claims to want an "all of the above" energy policy and the White House "welcomes" the news that TransCanada would start building the pipeline anyway. Just how "welcome" was that news? According to Politico, Obama has begun to lobby Senate Democrats against an effort that would expedite approval for Keystone:
President Barack Obama is intervening in a Senate fight over the Keystone XL oil pipeline and personally lobbying Democrats to reject an amendment calling for its construction, according to several sources familiar with the talks.
The White House lobbying effort, including phone calls from the president to Democrats, signals that the vote could be close when it heads to the floor Thursday. The president is trying to defeat an amendment that would give election-year fodder to his Republican critics who have accused him of blocking a job-creating energy project at a time of high gas prices.
The pipeline would create 20,000 jobs and provide a much-needed expansion of North American oil resources to American refineries in the Gulf of Mexico. Even the NYT's Joe Nocera recognizes the ability of Keystone and the massive amounts of natural gas in the US to free us of our dependency on overseas oil resources. Obama's own State Department -- on which Obama tried to lay the blame for the permit rejection -- stated in a report that the Keystone pipeline was strategically critical for the US, and that the risk to the environment was overstated:
TransCanada Corp. (TRP)'s proposed $7 billion pipeline to Gulf Coast refiners poses "no significant impacts to most resources" along its route across six states, a U.S. State Department environmental review found. ...
The pipeline is needed to maintain supplies of heavy crude oil to Gulf Coast refineries as imports decline, according to today's State Department report. Imports from Mexico andVenezuela are falling while refining capacity in the Gulf Coast is projected to rise by 500,000 barrels a day by 2020.
Alberta oil is separated from sand and clay with intense heat in a process that releases more greenhouse gases than pumping conventional crude. Representative Henry Waxman, a California Democrat, has said the pipeline will carry "the dirtiest source of transportation fuel" available.
With gas prices spiking upward, voters will wonder why Obama seems so keen on blocking a pipeline that will create jobs, bring more supply on line, improve the US strategic position on energy, and pose little risk to the environment. That doesn't look at all like an "all of the above" solution, or a "welcoming" attitude, does it? He was against it, before he was for it, before he was against it. But only if that is what you want.
He's against and has always been against it. But he also knows it will hurt his re-election campaign, and so has to play this game.
Fooled you with the title?
Pakistan has charged Osama bin Laden's three widows with illegally entering and living in the country, the interior minister said Thursday.
The three women have been in Pakistani detention since May last year, when U.S. commandos raided the house where they, bin Laden and several of their children were staying. The commandos shot and killed bin Laden, and then buried his body at sea.
Rehman said the three had been charged in court, but he did not say when. It was unclear if they had a lawyer.
He said their children were free to leave Pakistan, but could stay with their mothers for the duration of the trial.
A Pakistani legal expert contacted about the case, Hashmat Habib, said the maximum punishment the women could receive was five years in jail. One of their relatives has reportedly visited Pakistan recently to urge authorities to let them leave the country. The decision to charge them could be a formal part of that process.
#1
There's an old saying - "A unit ready for parade is not prepared for combat and a unit prepared for combat is not prepared for parade."
While attention to presentation is important, it's also a warning indicator that time and effort is going to be placed in the 'appearance of military' and not 'military', form over function.
#2
It's often abbreviated by saying that it is the difference between "militarism" and "militancy". A militarist is a believer in form before function.
#3
I read through the list, really nothing different than what the USMC already has as grooming standards. The environment dictates; there are things you will do in the field that won't go in garrison. Just the way it is. If your on an ETT and living w/hajjis, probably not a big deal if you don't shave or have a reg haircut. Back in garrison - unless you have a med-chit - no reason not to shave & have a reg haircut. Good Marines can do and handle both environmental standards.
#4
In writing this the SMA has simply beclowned himself with a long list of crazy rules.
This list should be as simple as:
Your body is your weapon, maintain it daily and keep it clean, neat and sharp.
Your uniform is hard-earned and respected by the American people, be worthy of that respect, and look the part when in uniform.
Soldiers greet one another in a formalized and courteous way in order to respect the duties each owes the other.
All soldiers are authorized to pull, tug, or yank on the exposed hair of another. I encourage you to keep yours short enough to avoid mishaps from your friends or our enemies.
Any soldier not meeting these tenets, may be preferentially selected for odious duty by his commanding officer or senior NCO until the shortfall has been corrected.
Extended or repeated shortfalls demonstrate a failure to obey a lawful order, and as such are a serious matter under the UMJ.
Although, last time I checked, the Constitution expressly put the authorization for military action in congress' lap. Other nations do NOT get to choose when we pull the trigger or not.
Can we run all of these jokers out of office now please?
#2
I listened to the recording. The only real problem is that Panetta has a poor command of the English language.
It helps to understand how US involved coalitions work.
1) The president tries to get other nations to join the coalition. Then the US military coordinates with these other militaries to figure out the mission objectives and logistics, assignments, ROEs and other details. No congressional involvement at this point.
2) While the president is doing this, he informally keeps in touch with the senate so they know what's going on and put in their two cents. However, they do not vote on it until after hostilities have commenced and the War Powers Act requires the president to report to them.
3) At that point, they may choose to vote in favor, vote against (unlikely), or do nothing.
4) However, while this is going on, the militaries are cooperating in all sorts of ways that congress is not involved in at all. The military does not want them involving themselves and trying to micromanage the conflict.
Importantly, while only the congress can declare war, because of the Geneva Conventions, congress will never again declare war, as such. This has been the case since the Korean conflict, a "police action", not a war.
The one exception will be if a major power declares war against the US first, as did the Japanese and the Germans in WWII. Then the US can "declare war back."
#3
3) At that point, they may choose to vote in favor, vote against (unlikely), or do nothing.
Or they can cut all funding for any operation. They hold the purse strings by law. The Founding Fathers prior history as English subjects influenced their writing of the Constitution with the retention of that specific power.
#1
We have to re-elect Obama to find out what the strategy is.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
03/08/2012 12:03
Comments ||
Top||
#2
This should have been prepared for from the very start. The first government should have been all American military.
While it was running things efficiently, every orphan in the country would be brought to Kabul and put in a secure boarding school, where they would have been intensively trained to become the new Afghan government and military leadership.
The second tier would have been taught business to modern international standards. Eventually any and all international funding would go directly to both groups.
The next stage would be to spread this program out to all large cities, in which by law, all children would attend public boarding school taught by western teachers. All secular, and completely segregated from their countrymen.
Third, only public school educated children would be eligible for any public service job.
While this was going on, the US could have easily afforded enormous public works projects at the standard Afghan wage, tent and board, for every Afghan who otherwise would be idle. For every male in half the country, it would have amounted to about $1b a year.
Any Afghan male not in school or gainfully employed, would be detained, then put in school or gainfully employed. Or arrested for outstanding offenses.
#3
Obviously the Afghan's problem is with the nuances of 'graft'. Just scroll down the 'Rant to "Despite $885m from Feds, D.C. has no count of jobs from stimulus".
#4
"We don't need no stinkin' strategy!" WE have helped create Mexico redux in the near east: graft, corruption, drugs, and an ineffectual central government.
#5
WE have helped create Mexico redux in the near east: graft, corruption, drugs, and an ineffectual central government.
borgie me boy, don't be so bloody arrogant. WE didn't create this at all. This has been the modus operandi of that part of the world since before Alexander the Great.
I'll give you that we didn't stop it but we haven't stopped the tide from coming in and out either. Graft, corruption, drugs and bad government is the normal condition of the whole world. Any times or places that are different are outliers and probably short lived.
#7
The reason pols adore Nation Building so phueching much is because it so delightfully mirrors the ultimate NANNY STATE!
Plus it means jobs, expense accounts and White Toyota Land Cruisers for their kids and friends...
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/08/2012 14:46
Comments ||
Top||
#8
Besoeker: That's why they don't like it, because it is the one time when a nanny state works.
Typically, a nanny state in peacetime is created by an inefficient government as a way to appear that it is doing something, when it ignores the big issues. East Germany, for example, was utterly transfixed by minutiae while the country was falling down around them.
But an example of an efficient nanny state that worked was the MacArthur(PBUH) administration of Japan.
His intent was to replace what *didn't* work in Japanese society and culture with what did. And the systems He replaced it with *worked* like nothing the Japanese had ever seen. It rebuilt and restored Japan in short order, and their constitution, written by Him, was almost sacred to them long after he left.
In the case of Iraq, our military should have replaced every system they had, given photo ID cards, with encrypted information on the back to every Iraqi, etc. It would have sped their recovery immensely.
#9
This should have been prepared for from the very start. The first government should have been all American military. The electorate was NEVER willing to do this, but in its profound ignorance of what Afghanistan is all about, just followed the leader.
#10
The electorate was NEVER willing to do this,..
Actually, the ruling caste would never allow it. Can't have the electorate see real effective and efficient government in action orchestrated by others that could be used as an example to compare to their own inept and self serving behaviors.
Hardly surprising, Nazism was based on Blut und Boden
They're into organic farming, oppose GMOs and worry about endangered species protection. Right-wing extremists are increasingly active in typically left-wing movements. Experts say the trend is troublesome.
"Environmental protection should be inherent to cultural progress." That's a statement that could easily be attributed to any environmentalist group. Instead it comes from the National Democratic Party (NPD), a far-right but still legal German party, and it's another sign of how right-wing groups are increasingly latching on to environmental topics.
The connection between right-wing extremism and environmentalism is not new, but experts believe the growing trend represents a real threat, because it helps push extremist views into the mainstream.
Two recent publications have responded, seeking to educate the public by explaining what's behind such efforts, and debunking certain lines of reasoning within them.
Certified organic - and neo-Nazi too?
This past January, the Heinrich Böll Foundation, which is connected to Germany's Green party, released a book examining right-wing environmental thinking. It focused on the eastern German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where so-called nationalistic colonies have been established.
#1
It's not a cloak (they aren't Romulans but Nazis).
Real Nazis loved animals, were environmentally concerned,and even intended to outlaw smoking after the war.
Have you got health insurance? I do. Wouldn't it be nice if everybody did? Just think:
No more worries about losing your health care if you lose your job, or just get a different one. Ah, peace of mind at last.
No more freeloaders who go uninsured and expect those of us who pay insurance premiums to take care of them when they fall ill. It would be only fair.
No more overcrowded emergency rooms -- the most expensive and least efficient way to deliver medical care -- because people use them instead of carrying health insurance. What an improvement that would be.
Health insurance is such a good idea, the wish was father to the law. Which is why we now have Obamacare, and will soon have more of it if Washington and the states can ever figure out just how it's supposed to work. Along with doctors and hospitals and insurance companies and the whole health-care industry and, oh yes, patients.
All will be watching how the new health-care system develops -- some with hope, others with fear, most with a mix of both.
This much is certain: There will be changes. Settled law and settled habits will have to be changed. There will be objections. From the states, among others. Medicaid costs are already mounting from state to state across the country -- a harbinger of the fiscal challenges to come. But that's no problem for Washington. It'll just pass another (unfunded) mandate.
Some churches won't want to pay for procedures that violate their beliefs, like contraception, sterilization and abortion. But there's no rush. They have a whole year to figure out how to violate their conscience. Maybe their objections can be papered over by a little creative accounting or verbal prestidigitation here and there.
The word for this process is accommodation. There's no problem, no expense, no objection that can't be met, or at least postponed, or talked away, or discreetly hidden. But start recognizing some conscientious objectors, and the danger is you have to recognize all of them. Soon everybody will want to follow his own conscience. That's no way to maintain an unconscionable law.
Don't fret. It'll all be nice. Just leave it to government. It knows best. And it's all for our own good. The velvet glove will be so soft that after a while we won't notice the iron hand inside.
The important thing is that nothing come between Washington and the people, rulers and ruled. Not the states or church or family or conscience or any of the intermediate layers of government and society that have separated them till now. Edmund Burke called them the "little platoons" of a nation, and was much attached to them. But they're outdated. Modern times demand modern remedies -- organization, control, direction from the top. That way, all our needs will be recognized and met. Even invented. It'll be nice. Why not lie back and enjoy it?
A French visitor to this then-new democracy saw it coming. In his two-volume guide to "Democracy in America" that remains the most relevant study of our system, he pointed out the two great contending forces in the American psyche -- the love of liberty and the drive for equality. His conclusion:
Democratic nations are peculiarly susceptible to a soft form of despotism that doesn't so much dictate to its people as embrace them, infantilize them, smother them ever so gently in its all-encompassing arms.
We would all be saved the trouble of making our own decisions, providing our own necessities (like health care) and generally thinking for ourselves. Which was always a bother anyway.
In a different era, when the nation was paralyzed by a Great Depression and its own fears and uncertainties, Americans looked to Washington not just for leadership but also salvation. How nice it would be if there were no such things as unemployment, uncertainty, instability, recurring crises and all the other ills that a free people is heir to. Why not pass a law to that effect?
It was called the National Industrial Recovery Act and was passed in the first flood of New Deal emergency legislation in 1933 -- toward the end of the fabled Hundred Days. It covered just about everything in the economy -- every wage paid for every job, every price for every item manufactured, even down to every chicken slaughtered in New York City.
But it didn't last. The designers of this grand scheme had overlooked a detail or two, like the Constitution of the United States and a Supreme Court willing and able to enforce it. The day of reckoning came May 27, 1935, when the Supreme Court's classical conservatives (like Charles Evans Hughes) and classical liberals (like Louis Dembitz Brandeis) united to strike down the whole scheme as unconstitutional. The court's decision was unanimous. (Schechter Poultry v. U.S., popularly known as the Sick Chicken Case.)
Why? The law was too broad, too detailed, too intrusive. It delegated comprehensive legislative powers to an all-powerful, unelected federal agency, the National Recovery Administration, Gen. Hugh S. Johnson in command. Much the way Obamacare provides that the vast American health-care industry, making up roughly one-sixth of the national economy, be minutely regulated by a select, secretive, arbitrary bureaucracy.
The Supreme Court is due to begin its hearings on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, the formal name for Obamacare, come March 26.
Excerpt: They said Obama wants to cap his presidency with a visit to Iran that would usher an era of U.S. reconciliation with Teheran (maybe they will keep him?????).
Posted by: Water Modem ||
03/08/2012
08:51 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
I would say Iraq served that purpose. Iran paid no price for involvement and felt encouraged to continue their attempts at intimidation and hegemony.
#2
The answer to the question is no. But there are interesting parallels.
The Spanish civil-war was a proxy war fought by the leading nations of the world. It was a World War fought in a fish bowl.
All the leading nations of the world (let's call this the G8, China and India) have taken a pass on the Syrian civil-war. So, in their place the leaders of the region are stepping in to fight their proxy war in the Syrian fishbowl.
I suppose someone could say that the Spanish civil war was a regional proxy for Europeans, just as the Syrian civil-war will be a regional proxy for the middle-eastern countries. But in the thirties Europe was so much more powerful than everywhere else it is absurd to compare the relative importance of Europe in the 1930s to the middle east of today. So such an argument is simply absurd.
But it further seems to me that the countries fighting this proxy war are so weak vis-a-vis the leading nations of the world that whatever they do would easily be overturned by any one of the leaders as soon as it became important.
Thus the Syrian civil-war is a regional battle between regional powers that is of little importance to any leading nation or any nation outside the region.
It is analogous to the recent regional wars in Congo, Sudan, and Cambodia. It will not be important nor long remembered, except as an example of man's inhumanity to man.
Question: If a nation is truly at danger and has 55 GBU-28s why not just take one apart and copy it? I can't see patent rights trumping national life.
Posted by: Water Modem ||
03/08/2012
08:44 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
I've been wondering about this one myself. The original modern bunker busters were just discarded 8" howitzer barrels.
I suspect the problem is found in obtaining the right kind of casings, because those are "heavy industrial" manufacture, uncommon outside nations with major heavy steel industries.
The second problem is aircraft that can carry and drop them. Apparently Israel does have those, as well as some refueling capability.
But the great worry is one of expense and degree of difficulty using conventional weapons is so great that it increases the temptation to use nukes.
#2
I suspect the problem is found in obtaining the right kind of casings, because those are "heavy industrial" manufacture, uncommon outside nations with major heavy steel industries.
They make their own tanks, I doubt it's a technical problem. I can't imagine that IMI or Urdan couldn't crank them out if needs be. The problem's probably more likely about capacity. Israel's a small country with limited resources. They can do all sorts of things, but they have to concentrate. Same reason why they fly Apaches instead of making their own, even though they probably could machine up their own given time and sufficient provocation.
Now that I think about it, why do they still make their own Merkavas? Inertia from the old Eisenhower-Kennedy days when they couldn't buy new iron from the US?
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
03/08/2012 11:09
Comments ||
Top||
#3
I suspect the problem is found in obtaining the right kind of casings, because those are "heavy industrial" manufacture, uncommon outside nations with major heavy steel industries.
#4
Actually, much of the high grade alloy steel comes via Urdan Industries, an Israeli company that also has industrial manufacturing in Michigan, a much better place to get suitable steel (some of which must be approved by the US for export.)
This is a longstanding strategic concern. Japan had little capacity to make high grade steel, so before WWII they imported every bit of US scrap steel they could get. (Which even then was looked at with suspicion by those in the know. It was one of the first things the US banned for export before the war, along with oil.)
#5
WH denies tech in exchange for delay in bombing by Israel:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03/08/panetta-us-preparing-military-options-for-iran/
As noted yesterday, Israel has indigenous capabilities (nukes) if forced to go it alone....
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader, has welcomed comments by President Barack Obama pushing diplomacy and not war as a solution to Tehran's nuclear ambition.
Iran's state TV reports Khamenei as praising a recent statement by the US president saying he saw a "window of opportunity" to use diplomacy to resolve the nuclear dispute. It is one of the rare cases in which Iran's top leader praised an American leader.
However Khamenei said the West's sanctions on Iran would fail.
Mr Obama on Tuesday said diplomacy can still resolve the nuclear crisis and accused his Republican critics of "beating the drums of war."
Osama bin Laden accepted that he may be betrayed by someone close to him and viewed death as a release from years of declining health, according to a new account of his life in Pakistan.
#1
Unfortunately this is probably as close as we're going to get, because there's no more data and the heroic efforts to wring more precision out of the data are, while not completely exhausted, not likely to improve things much.
The Fermilab p-pbar collider would create Higgs (if it did) with largely different production mechanisms than CERN's p-p collider, and of course the detectors are different, so these are independent measurements. That makes the results more powerful than they look--both sets of groups are independently validating each other's conclusions.
Posted by: James ||
03/08/2012 7:54
Comments ||
Top||
#2
It's always good to get the perspective of a professional working in the field. Thank you, James.
#3
Higgs has been so elusive that it has generated some very interesting theories, which even if far fetched, raise the bar of future inquiry.
One that is interesting to ponder is what if gravity is not a physical thing at all, but is "virtual", caused by distortions of space-time by mass-energy?
This may overlap with a different theory that Higgs exist, just not entirely in space-time, perhaps like dark matter.
#7
Typical article that tries to say something about nothing.
In essence, they can't prove that it exists, and have no positive evidence that it exists. All they are willing to say (but not willing to "bet the house on it") is that the particle, by theory, should exist in a space generated by the experimental capabilities of the two particle accelerators available to four different teams (two per device). The teams results, all pulled together, indicate that the particle is definitely NOT in the searches of regions of that space. They have extrapolated from their own search rate of that space to predict that the entire space will be covered competely by the end of 2012.
#4
Cheap humor aside,The Rahmulator keeps pledging that no local taxpayer funds would be used to host these 2, now 1 event.
However, the City is presumably on the hook for the concessions made to 2 major trade shows whose long signed contracts were signed off on years ago. The National Restuarant show, with 60,000 attendees was "velvet gloved" to take place in February and the Confectioneers convention swapped out their beautiful May in Chicago dates to accomodate the Presidents G8 "fundraiser". Concessions translates to real $$$ in most peoples books.
#1
Heh. Silly Rabbit. Of course they can't show any new jobs created. It was never intended to create jobs. It was intended to keep unionized government workers in the donation feeding system for the party.
#3
Oh, come on, there are LOTS of new jobs in DC! Government is the only 'business' in the country that has been growing, and it has grown a lot. But maybe those jobs - lobbyists, regulators, administrators etc. - are counted in Virginia and Maryland, and not DC.
#4
Noteworthy in that there is not a damn word in the article that this was done at the behest of the CIA, which is half the reason the FBI is so upset.
Shades of "The President's Analyst". An eerily prophetic comedy. It was written by Theodore J. Flicker, who was a founding member of America's first improvisational comedy group that spawned many others.
#1
Women"" vote (fluke is anything but" Than in order every voting block type classification compartmentalized way to go down the list of lesser voters.
Some animals are more equal than others....
And my teeth are grinding and my chest is tight.
There is no fiber in democrats anymore. They are lose bowels full of themselves.
#1
First stone tools, now Mayors. What will they think of next?
Posted by: Eric Jablow ||
03/08/2012 7:20
Comments ||
Top||
#2
Just because you're a conspiracy theorist doesn't mean your stopped watch isn't still right twice a day.
In particular, they noted the extensive connections between Obama's family and the CIA, which of course they assumed was nefarious.
But what if it isn't? That is, the US has had several presidents that were formerly military, and one who had been head of the CIA. There really shouldn't be any reservations about a former agent, or someone from a CIA-associated family, running for president.
However, if one such person has their background intentionally, and expensively, garbled by the CIA, this does become somewhat problematic, because the public does have a "need to know" what the *real* background of its elected officials is.
I suspect that some bad judgment was involved, based on the possibly correct assumption that Americans would not elect someone with a deep, known and functional agency role, as distinguished from an appointed and political role, with the intelligence community.
So in future, if the CIA wants to pull another stunt like this, or allow one to happen, it needs to do so as if it was a separate political party, at first only fielding candidates for public office who are known for their moderation and inoffensiveness *after* they have left behind all association with the agency.
Running a candidate for US senate, and then POTUS, or *allowing* them to run, as if it was a covert operation, is a serious no-no, and the CIA should be chastised for doing it. It presents a major conflict of interest and a corruption of the system.
Whether or not a punishment is inflicted to the agency for doing this is of little concern. They did it and got away with it. Once. That is enough. If they ever try this stunt again it should be regarded as an anti-American act, and they should be severely criminally punished.
#2
Minorities will be forced out. Doesn't matter how many generations have lived there. Many different minorities live there, all will suffer. What people fear of them or what wealth they have makes them a target. The Obama way.
#3
Infidel colonialists....behold the Zimbabwe model. More lebensraum ("living space") is required for the faithful. Those who refused to leave will suffer class exclusion, extreme taxation, relentless crime, and disappearance.
#1
...I just finished reading TFA in the dead tree WSJ - short version is that the USAF Colonel we thought was a victim of Sudden Jihad Syndrome was actually he victim of someone who was about to get caught.
We need to leave now and tell these 12th century barbarians that they're on their own, and the next time they allow their country to be used as a base for an attack anywhere, the response will be delivered by ICBM.
And then DO it.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
03/08/2012 12:03
Comments ||
Top||
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/08/2012 7:46
Comments ||
Top||
#3
Fixed it.
Please do NOT just copy and paste very long links into a comments box. It breaks the Burg. Please embed the link using the tool in the palette that is there for the purpose.
Thank you. AoS
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/08/2012 8:34
Comments ||
Top||
#4
Steve the fun hater... ;)
Use the link button for the code people. Keeps Steve from getting heartburn. :p
#5
Yawn. Sorry, folks, this is indeed a smoking gun. It pisses me off immensely. Affirmative Action pisses me off and this goes way beyond that. But I don't believe it'll make a dime's worth of difference in November. We knew about Bill Ayers, Saul Alinsky, Jeremiah Wright, etc. before November 2008 and it didn't matter. It won't matter this year either. That's because you won't hear a peep about it on ABC, CBS or NBC. There will be no mention of it in the New York Times or any other major newspaper. You talk to most people and they never even heard of Andrew Breitbart. Sorry, but that is the sad truth. We're just not there yet.
#7
Strangely, South Africa's onerous "BEE" (Black Economic Empowerment) programs are designed to assist the MAJORITY, while our, nearly as onerous Affirmative Action programs are designed to assist the MINORITY.
Somewhere, investigate that incessant ringing! It could be a TELEPHONE! (or am I just crazy)
Why is the Los Angeles Times sitting on a videotape of the 2003 farewell bash in Chicago at which Barack Obama lavished praise on the guest of honor, Rashid Khalidi former mouthpiece for master terrorist Yasser Arafat?
At the time Khalidi, a PLO adviser turned University of Chicago professor, was headed east to Columbia. There he would take over the Universitys Middle East-studies program (which he has since maintained as a bubbling cauldron of anti-Semitism) and assume the professorship endowed in honor of Edward Sayyid, another notorious terror apologist.
The party featured encomiums by many of Khalidis allies, colleagues, and friends, including Barack Obama, then an Illinois state senator, and Bill Ayers, the terrorist turned education professor. It was sponsored by the Arab American Action Network (AAAN), which had been founded by Khalidi and his wife, Mona, formerly a top English translator for Arafats press agency.
#9
Please do NOT just copy and paste very long links into a comments box. It breaks the Burg. Please embed the link using the tool in the palette that is there for the purpose.
Thank you. AoS
Sorry--got the memo too late for my previous post re: GBU's to Israel.
#10
This is not about Obama as much as the media that is simply the official sockpuppet of one party. Like the Chinese torture bit where drop by drop the victim is driven insane, a strategy to release stuff like this over the next number months will hammer away at the state media's smoke and mirrors routine in its attempt to reelect their man. This just reinforces what their opponents pretty much knew. Given his own actions in the last three years, it makes it harder and harder to keep the swings in a 'comfy feely' perspective that he really isn't a hardcore redistributionist.
Mexican Army units conducting counternarcotics operations throughout Mexico since March 1st have seized 2,651.05 kilograms of marijuana, 159.875 kilograms of methamphetamine, 45 liters of liquid methamphetamine, 7.222 kilograms of opium gum, MP $29,770.00 (USD $2,312,81) and USD $20.00 (MP $257.43) in cash.
A Mexican Army unit with the 13th Military Zone conducted a traffic stop in on Avenida Juarez in Ruiz municipality in Nayarit state March 1st. Soldiers seized 4 kilograms of opium gum and detained one unidentified suspect.
An army unit with the Mexican 42nd Military Zone came under a small arms attack near the village of Tejolocachi in Matachi municipality in Chihuahua state March 1st. Army counterfire killed one suspect. It is presumed by the account that a number of suspects managed to escape army gunfire. Soldiers seized in the aftermath 2,647.15 kilograms of marijuana. Munitions and other contraband seized include three rifles, 32 weapons magazines, 952 rounds of ammunition and two vehicles, one of which was stolen.
Mexican Army units with the 26th and 29th Military Zone seized a number of weapons and some drugs in several municipalities March 1st in Veracruz state. Operations were conducted in Xalapa, Jaltipan, Cosoleacaque, San Andres Tuxtla and Coatzacoalcos municipalities. Seized contraband included seven rifles, two handguns, 22 weapons magazines, 662 rounds of ammunition, personal quantities of marijuana and cocaine, and three vehicles. A total of seven unidentified individuals were detained.
A unit with the Mexican 3rd Military Zone in Baja California Sur seized weapons, drugs and cash March 2nd. The unit was on patrol in La Paz municipality when soldiers detained two unidentified individuals and seized 3.9 kilograms of marijuana, 0.480 kilograms of cocaine, 1.875 kilograms of methamphetamine, two handguns, 20 rounds of ammunition, three weapons magazines, MP $22,340.00 (USD $1,735.59) in cash and two vehicles.
A Mexican Army unit with the 19th Military Zone detained one unidentified individual following an exchange of gunfire in Veracruz state March 2nd. The unit was on patrol in Ciudad Cuauhtemoc municipality when it came under small arms fire. Army counterfire ended the attack, forcing an unknown number of armed suspects to flee the scene. Soldiers seized two rifles, two grenades, 24 weapons magazines, 290 rounds of ammunition, one machete and three vehicles. Two unidentified individuals, said to be kidnap victims, were freed.
An army detachment with the 9th Military Zone discovered a hidden synthetic drug laboratory in Sinaloa state March 2rd. The unit was on patrol in the village of Los Paredones in Culican municipality when it found the lab hidden in the brush. Soldiers seized 158 kilograms of methamphetamine, 45 liters of liquid methamphetamine, 25 kilograms of sodium acetate, 75 kilograms of caustic soda, 25 kilograms of tartaric acid, one kilogram of iodine, 433 liters of ethyl alcohol, 470 liters of white gas, 360 liters of monomethylamine, 265 liters of hydrochloric acid, 80 liters of acetic anhydride, 40 liters of acetone, 335 liters of an unknown substance, and various containers.
An army unit with the 12 Military Zone rescued one kidnapping victim and detained two suspects in San Luis Potosi. The unit responded to intelligence acquired
*ring, ring* "Mahmoud de la Paz the Weasel here. Listen closely, I will say this only once."
and went to a building near Del Llano to affect the rescue. Soldiers also found one handgun, seven weapons magazines, 203 rounds of ammunition. MP $3,880.00 (USD $301.43) in cash, and tactical and communications gear.
A Mexican Army unit with the 15th Military Zone discovered a hidden synthetic drug laboratory in Jalisco state March 2nd. The unit was on patrol near the village of Los Cedros Ixtlahuacan in Quinces municipality when it found the lab. Materiel seized included 250 grams of glass methamphetimine, 480 liters of hydrochloric acid, 350 liters of acetone, 125 kilograms of caustic soda. 105 liters of chemical, 73 kilograms of tartaric acid. 50 liters of ethyl alcohol. 15 kilograms of ammonium chloride, 95 kilograms of unidentified chemicals and various containers and equipment.
The laboratory is the 10th lab dismantled in Jalisco state since January 1st.
A separate army unit on the same day executed a traffic stop on the Jamay-La Barca road in La Barca municipality, detaining one unidentified individuals and seizing personal quantities of marijuana and cocaine.
An army unit with the 9th Military Zone seized a number of weapons in Sinaloa state March 2nd. The unit was operating in conjunction with air units in the area locating three abandoned vehicles. Seized weapons and munitions included 12 rifles, one 40mm grenade launcher attachment,
One hopes Operation Gunrunner wasn't involved in that acquisition...
41 weapons magazines, and 2,001 rounds of ammunition.
Mexican Army units with the 26th and 29th Military Zones seized a number of drugs divided for retail sale, and in personal quantities in three separate incidents in Veracruz state March 5th. A total of seven unidentified individuals were also detained.
In the village of Guayabal in Cardel municipality, soldiers seized 33 bundles of marijuana, 2,500 doses of powder cocaine, 1,000 doses of crack cocaine, four rifles, 2,870 rounds ammunition, 120 weapon magazines, one grenade launcher, one rocket launcher, one rocket, three grenades and two vehicles.
In Minatitlan municipality, soldiers seized one rifle, one handgun, three weapons magazines, 33 rounds of ammunition, one vehicle, communications gear, MP $3,550.00 (USD $275.79) and USD $20.00 (MP $257.43) in cash.
In Nanchital municipality, soldiers detained one unidentified individual with personal quantities of powder and crack cocaine and communications gear.
Units with the Mexican 9th Military Zone seized a number of weapons in Sinaloa state March 6th. The unit was on patrol near the Sindicatura de Gato de Lara in Angostura municpality when it seized four rifles, one handgun, 21 weapons magazines, 1,315 rounds of ammunition, tactical gear and five vehicles.
While setting up a military checkpoint in Coicoyan de las Flores in Oaxaca, military personnel with the 28th Military Zone found a burlap bag containing opium gum. A total of 3.222 kilograms of opium gum was found.
Badanov's Burnt Blunt Special
Personnel with the 42nd Military Zone incinerated 2,200 kilograms of marijuana its elements seized March 1st following a firefight. The incineration was performed near Ciudad Cuauhtemoc, Chihuahua on the base of the Mexican 2nd Infantry Battalion.
[Dawn] Syria's Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said on Wednesday that Damascus ...The City of Jasmin is the oldest continuously-inhabited city in the world. It has not always been inhabited by the same set of fascisti... was ready to cooperate with a Chinese initiative to end the bloodshed and begin dialogue between the regime and the opposition.
After meeting Chinese envoy Li Huaxin, Beijing's former ambassador to Damascus, Muallem said Syria welcomed a six-point peace plan and was "ready to cooperate" with the plan aimed at "halting the violence," the official SANA news agency reported.
Damascus was also ready to "cooperate with the envoy of the United Nations ...an international organization whose stated aims of facilitating interational security involves making sure that nobody with live ammo is offended unless it's a civilized country... " and the Arab League ...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing... , former UN secretary general Kofi Annan, who is due in Syria on Saturday, the minister added.
Li Huaxin, quoted earlier in Al-Watan newspaper, said he had already met Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmad Arnus to discuss China's "six-point vision" on the year-long crisis in Syria.
The Chinese initiative, unveiled by Beijing on Sunday, calls for an immediate end to the violence and for dialogue between the regime of Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Leveler of Latakia... and the opposition.
Syria's main opposition alliance has previously ruled out dialogue while Assad remains in power.
Beijing's proposal rejects foreign interference or "external action for regime change" in Syria but supports the role of the UN Security Council "in strict accordance with the purposes and principles of the UN charter." Li is expected to meet representatives of opposition groups headed by Hassan Abdel Azim of the National Committee for Democratic Change, Luay Hussein and Kadri Jamil, according to Al-Watan.
China and Russia have been widely criticised for vetoing two UN Security Council resolutions condemning Syria's bloody crackdown on 12 months of anti-regime protests.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/08/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[2 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
[Dawn] Four men, including an activist of the Awami National Party, were rubbed out in as many localities on Wednesday, police said.
They said that the ANP worker, Rehan Mehsud, 28, was a resident of Fateh Mohammad Gabol Goth in Machhar Colony and the police found him maimed near an area CNG station. He was shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where he died, they added.
Sohrab Goth SHO Abdul Ghaffar Jumani said that the victim was a labourer and hailed from South Wazoo.
He said that according to the victim's family he had been missing since Tuesday night. He was a worker of the ANP, he added.
The police said that some tribal enmity might be a probable reason behind the killing.
They said that the victim's family would lodge an FIR after the burial.
In another incident, a young man was rubbed out in a Gulistan-e-Jauhar locality on Wednesday, police said.
The incident took place near the Hilltop wedding hall, where two gunnies riding a cycle of violence targeted a passer-by, Badshah Khan, 42, and rode away.
The police said that the victim suffered multiple bullet wounds to the head and back and died before he could be shifted to hospital.
Later, the body was shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for medico-legal formalities.
DSP Shakeel Awan said that the victim was a resident of the Sachal area and the police found a Police Qaumi Razakar card in his pocket.
He said that he was posted in Gadap Town. The motive for the killing could not be ascertained immediately, but it appeared that he was killed owing to some personal enmity, he added.
Till late at night, no case was registered.
In the third such incident of the day, a scrap dealer was rubbed out at Ahsanabad Mor near the Superhighway within the remit of the Sohrab Goth cop shoppe, police said.
Abdul Rehman, 40, was targeted by gunnies and the body was shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for medico-legal formalities, they added.
The police said that the victim was a resident of Faqeera Goth in Sohrab Goth and dealt in scrap in the same area.
Quoting the victim's brother, the police said that Rehman had received a phone call in the early hours of Wednesday following
which he had gone to meet someone in Ahsanabad.
The victim, father of 10, hailed from the interior of Sindh.
The area SHO said that a business dispute could be a probable motive behind the killing.
In yet another incident, a young man was rubbed out in the Gardan area on Wednesday, police said.
The killing took place within the remit of the Nabi Bukash cop shoppe near Shoe Market. Sabir Husain Qureshi, 43, a resident
of Ranchhore Line, was passing through the area when assailants on a cycle of violence targeted him near Taj Mansion, they added.
The police said that the victim suffered gunshot wounds to the chest and was struck down in his prime.
The body was shifted to Civil Hospital Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It may be the largest city in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... for medico-legal formalities.
Nabi Bux SHO Naseeruddin Shah said that the victim was a butcher and also a member of the meat merchants association.
Quoting his family, the area SHO said that the victimn had a dispute with some relatives. The family would lodge an FIR following the funeral, he added.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/08/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
[Bangla Daily Star] Awami League President Sheikh Hasina yesterday asked her arch rival Khaleda Zia Three-term PM of Bangla, widow of deceased dictator Ziaur Rahman, head of the Bangla Nationalist Party, an apparent magnet for corruption ... to respond to the allegation that Pakistain's Inter Services Intelligence paid five crore rupees for her campaign during the 1991 parliamentary elections.
The ISI has moved beyond funding Bangladeshi jihadi groups to buying politicians? How exciting, but however will they sustain it after American funds are cut off?
Citing a recent report in the Dubai-based newspaper Khaleej Times, which made the allegation, she said, "To those who resorted to genocide and who had been defeated, you [Khaleda] sold the country [interest] by taking money from those defeated forces in 1971. The people of Bangladesh won't forgive you. Why did you take money from the defeated forces? People want to know. One day you have to answer to the people."
The prime minister was addressing a huge rally before the city's Suhrawardy Udyan to commemorate the historic March 7. It was the first public meeting of Hasina in the capital after she became prime minister in 2009.
Leaders, workers and supporters of the Awami League, its different associated bodies, pro-ruling party organizations, freedom fighters, and different professionals' organizations joined the rally. The ruling party men crowded the area from the Jatiya Press Club to Science Laboratory intersection and New Market to Kakrail.
This was the largest campaign to show off its public support by the ruling party since it assumed power in 2009. Lawmakers of Dhaka and its adjacent districts along with their supporters brought out a procession after the rally from Institution of Engineers' Bangladesh. The procession ended at Bangabandhu Bhaban in Dhanmondi.
Hasina during her speech alleged that the leader of the opposition wanted to protect war criminals. "But I want to say that you [Khaleda] won't be able to protect them...I want to say firmly that the trial of the war criminals will be held on this soil, Inshallah."
She urged all to be aware of those trying to protect the war criminals and sought help from all for completing the trial of war criminals.
Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam at the rally accused the opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zia of being a paid agent and broker of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). "She has adoration for Pakistain and for this she took 5 crore rupee from the ISI ahead of the 1991 general elections. And for this reason she has been giving utmost importance to Pakistain's interests, putting aside the interests of Bangladesh..."
Ashraf, also LGRD and Cooperatives minister, urged the opposition leader to place the BNP's proposal on the process of holding the next parliamentary elections and give up its "chaotic anti-government programmes".
"Join parliament, place your proposal and sit for discussion on the process of holding the next polls. The Awami League is ready to sit with you," Ashraf made the call.
Thousands of Awami League men started gathering in front of Suhrawardi Udyan around noon with banners, festoons, placards and portraits of the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Within three hours the entire road from Shahbagh to Jatiya Press Club turned into a human sea. Bangabandhu's historic March 7 speech was being played on loud speakers as well.
Band parties with drum beaters led processions of different units of the Awami League and its wing organizations to the rally. Some people were seen with painted faces and bodies. A symbolic gallows on a van was taken there where symbolic war criminals were showcased to be hanged. Musicians were singing patriotic songs on trucks decorated like stages. Some party men brought elephants and horses decorated with colourful banners on them that drew the attention of the gathering.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/08/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[1 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
Posted by: Mike Ramsey ||
03/08/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[2 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
So IIUC, SecDef Panetta = doing a Senator John Mccain as per calls for unilateral US intervention or mil action [Mccain = air strikes] in Syria widout need for UN/UNSC Mandate???
#5
California will boom, unemployment will plummet, and all this nonsensical talk about California's best days being behind it will cease. But for this to occur, monetary policy must be righted.
In other news: Carnival Cruise line to raise and refit Star's Luxury Liner Titanic.
#6
Also ! Show How Much Dissent By Showing Ron Paul Also : Running As : Democrat As In Republican Party As : 3rd Party : Occupation : Party Stalwart Party : Leader ! California : Obama - Democratic Presidential Party Head : 88% Ron Paul 12% ! Shows Butter Vs. Guns Issue : Economic Factors : In All : 50 Democratic Primaries ! Etc. ! Holland : Germany : France : Christiania : Freelandia : Amsterdam : Europe : Etc ! Go For -It - RON
Posted by: Support Ron Paul : Democrat ||
03/08/2012 14:24
Comments ||
Top||
#7
I'd like to be optimistic about beating Obama, but I don't see how that happens with a Dole/McCain Republican leading the ticket.
Met a guy recently, Californian (big C cuz he is a good one) rep for a furniture company, said I recognized his brand name from a made in USA furniture search I did a couple years back. Asked, why the Vietnam sticker? He said emminant domain - shut down their factory to build a school.
#13
ca, cia, washington, hollywood,brainwashed dipshits all the same life goes on. when is the last war the cia has won anyways? They have lost the most important one in their own back yard(America)oops they helped the enemy. Love the brainwashed dorks they had print up books and circulate Alien Magic and the UfO nuts. Hope r2d2 gets back with the secret message from Afghanistan so we can win!
Posted by: Pearl Bluetooth8457 ||
03/08/2012 21:37
Comments ||
Top||
#14
Nice try, Pearl honey, but you can't hold a candle to our Joe Mendiola.
Posted by: Barbara ||
03/08/2012 23:12
Comments ||
Top||
#15
B, Wull Yu-uh. JM just goz missing a cupla times a week.
Prolly jus at hiz lokl Elks Lodg 2nite or giving a speech at a Regional MENSA conference somewhere. Guam, perhaps?
An 84-year-old woman went to vote in Fall River on Super Tuesday and was told she was dead.
Maureen McCloskey has been voting for years without any problems. She didn't expect anything unusual Tuesday, until she learned she wasn't on the list of registered voters.
"The warden, she looks at me and she says 'Oh, you died," McCloskey told WBZ NewsRadio 1030 Wednesday. "They put me on the 'deceased' list."
Surprised, McCloskey said, "I'm still alive and kicking."
It turned out there was some kind of mix-up with the new city census. They figured it out, McCloskey voted and she said she plans on continuing to vote for many years to come.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/08/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
This is MA home of the bluest of blue. They usually encourage dead people to vote......early & often.
[NY Times] An Indian journalist has been set to sit in solemn silence in a dull, dark dock, in a pestilential prison with a life-long lock as part of an investigation into the bombing last month of a van carrying the wife of an Israeli diplomat, an attack for which Israeli officials have blamed Iran.
The suspect, Mohammed Kazmi, appeared in a New Delhi court on Wednesday after his arrest earlier in the week. The blast occurred on Feb. 13 in New Delhi, the same day that an explosive was discovered and defused inside the vehicle of an Israeli diplomat in Ukraine.
A day later, an kaboom occurred, apparently accidentally, at a home in Bangkok used by three Iranians.
Five Iranians, actually, but only some New York Times journalists have mastered such complicated higher mathematics as counting in the single digits.
Israeli officials have said the three episodes are part of a coordinated attempt by Iran to attack Israeli diplomats, a charge denied by Iran.
The Press Trust of India news agency reported that Mr. Kazmi, 50, worked for an Iranian news agency in New Delhi. Rooters, citing Mr. Kazmi's lawyer and family members, said he worked for the Indian state television ... and if you can't believe state television who can you believe?
channel, Doordarshan, and freelanced for Iran's Islamic Theocratic Republic News Agency. A police front man, Rajan Bhagat, would not comment directly on specific reports but said obliquely that details reported broadly in the Indian news media on Wednesday were correct.
"This is a very sensitive matter and nothing more can be divulged at this stage," Officer Bhagat said. Mr. Kazmi has been charged with criminal conspiracy. The Press Trust reported that an investigation showed that Mr. Kazmi had been in touch with a suspect believed to have actually carried out the attack, in which a motorcyclist pulled up in traffic and attached an bomb to the targeted vehicle.
The diplomat's wife, who was maimed along with several others, was apparently en route to the American Embassy School in New Delhi to collect her children. The attack occurred on a street directly across from the official residence of India's prime minister.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/08/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[0 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
Fars?
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/08/2012 20:55
Comments ||
Top||
#1
Drink the cool aide and increase the Republican victory. Good move. I suspect he's hoping if he gets enough inboard it will seem a bit less insane and corrupt to oppose Keystone but more likely will be intraparty fighting anew posture on the issue.
Six British soldiers were killed when their armoured vehicle was hit by an kaboom in Helmand ...an Afghan province populated mostly by Pashtuns, adjacent to Injun country in Pak Balochistan... province in southern Afghanistan, British military officials said on Wednesday, taking the British toll to 404 since the 2001 US-led invasion to oust the Taliban.
The soldiers, five from the 3rd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment and one from the 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, were on a mounted patrol on Tuesday when their Warrior Armoured Fighting Vehicle was struck, the British Ministry of Defence said.
"One of the Warriors suffered catastrophic damage in the course of that kaboom," Brigadier Patrick Sanders, commander of Task Force Helmand, told journalists in the picturesque provincial capital Lashkar Gah.
The attack, on Helmand's border with the unruly Kandahar province, marked the biggest single loss of life for British troops in Afghanistan since 2006. Britannia is the second largest contributor to the NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's headquartered in Belgium. That sez it all.... -led war after the United States.
The Britons' vehicle was hit by a roadside kaboom, the deadliest weapon used by jihad boys, said senior Afghan police official Mohammad Ismail Hotak in Helmand.
"It is a reminder of the huge price that we are paying for the work we are doing in Afghanistan and the sacrifice that our troops have made and continue to make," British Prime Minister David Cameron ... has stated that he is certainly a big Thatcher fan, but I don't know whether that makes me a Thatcherite, which means he's not. Since he is not deeply ideological he lacks core principles and is easily led. He has been described as certainly not a Pitt, Elder or Younger, but he does wear a nice suit so maybe he's Beau Brummel ... told the BBC.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/08/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[0 views]
Top|| File under: Taliban
Paleostinian flag factory complains of lost profits as flag-burning demand diminish.
RAMALLAH -- Workers in a Paleostinian flag factory that manufactures Israeli flags, as well as the flag of many Western countries, faced layoffs and pay-cuts on Tuesday, as managers blamed a slowdown in global Islamic protests for dropping profits.
The 'International Jihad and Accessories' factory in Ramallah employs 3,000 workers and exports a staggering 99 percent of its stock for public flag burnings in countries around the world, plant owner Muhammad Abu Jihad Muhammad told news hounds. The remaining 1% of flags are sold to local customers to be burned in public protests in the West Bank, Gazoo and east Jerusalem.
However, there's more than one way to stuff a chicken... as public Islamic protests dwindle in the West, Muhammad said demand for flags to burn has plummeted.
"Our best years were 2005 and 2006, during the riots over the Danish cartoons," Mohammed said, referring to the protests over the 12 caricatures of the Islamic prophet Mohammed published in Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten in September 2005.
The cartoons "That was a wonderful time for us, because there was a lot of demand for many different flags," the factory owner said, adding that furious Mohammedans from around the world had ordered Danish, Swedish, Norwegian and even Finnish flags to burn as outrage over the cartoons grew.
"Normally, people mostly order American and Israeli flags -- they are our biggest sellers," he said. "But with the cartoon protests, we really diversified and offered our customers different flag options, from all across the European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... The 1989 fatwa against Salman Rushdie's controversial novel The Satanic Verses also led to increased profits, as thousands of Mohammedans flocked to the streets to burn British flags, as well as copies of the offending book.
Muhammad said he is hoping -- and praying -- for another Islamic scandal that will lead to more orders for flags, improve cash flow and save his factory, and called on supporters of the Paleostinian people to help.
"All it takes is another global Islamic scandal," he said.
Fatah official says talks over formation of unity gov't will remain on hold until Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, allows elections commission in Strip.
Fatah and Hamas agreed two weeks ago to delay the talks over the formation of a unity government that would be headed by Paleostinian Authority President the ineffectual Mahmoud Abbas ... a graduate of the prestigious unaccredited Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow with a doctorate in Holocaust Denial... , as envisaged by the Qatari-brokered reconciliation agreement between the organizations.
Since then, the two sides have traded allegations over who was responsible for the delay.
Fatah said that the decision to postpone the talks was taken at the request of Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, who is facing strong opposition within his movement over the pact.
Hamas, on the other hand, said it was Abbas who requested the delay, citing Israel's refusal to permit Arab residents of Jerusalem to cast their ballots.
Abbas was originally hoping to hold long overdue presidential and parliamentary elections in May this year.
The proposed unity government's main task was to prepare for the elections and rebuild the Gazoo Strip.
Several Hamas leaders have come out against the reconciliation agreement signed by Abbas and Mashaal in Doha last month, arguing that the Hamas leader did not consult with them before signing the deal.
Jamal Muhaissen, a member of the Fatah Central Committee, accused Hamas of preventing the Central Elections Commission from registering some 250,000 voters in the Strip, a process which he said was expected to last six weeks.
Muhaissen said that once the commission completes its work, Abbas would issue a decree calling for new elections in line with the agreement between the two parties.
Azerbaijan, Baku -- The NATO Transit Center at the Manas airport is extremely necessary and important for the maintenance of the stabilization process in Afghanistan and the United States is ready to discuss with Kyrgyzstan the question of the future of Air Base, U.S. ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Pamela Spratlen said in an interview with the Turkish national channel (TRT), KirTAG reported on Wednesday.
"We can not speculate about the future, but I would like to note that this is a very, very serious issue and we are ready for discussions with our Kyrgyz partners on the future of transit center after the expiration of an existing contract in 2014," said Spratlen.
She said the United States are grateful to Kyrgyzstan for 10 years of cooperation on transit center, as well as reaffirmation of the adherence to the policy of existing agreement on the transit center before it expires in 2014.
Spratlen noted that the current transit center of Manas is extremely necessary and important, so Washington has always stressed its appreciation to Kyrgyz partners for the opportunity to stay here. Transit Center is a place through which 100 percent of the military go to Afghanistan and back again through it, she said. It is also very important for air refueling during operations in Afghanistan, held for the protection of space and ensuring that terrorists can not use it as a safe haven.
The ambassador said the transit center at the Manas international airport carries one single mission, and it is to support the stabilization process in Afghanistan and to prevent the emergence of extremist sanctuaries there.
And statements about some other missions, as my colleague from Moscow ambassador McFaul stated, and any other reports on other missions are not true," she said in an interview.
The American air base, which was renamed to the transit center was established at the Manas international airport in Bishkek in December, 2001, and today there are about 1,200 soldiers. The base is important for the NATO operation "Enduring Freedom" in Afghanistan. Agreement on the deployment of U.S. air base in Kyrgyzstan is valid until 2014.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/08/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
The Chinese, of course, will never accede to any public demands given the loss of face it would cause.
The Asia Journalist Association on Tuesday urged China to recognize North Korean defectors as refugees. In a statement, the association expressed concerns over a group of 31 North Koreans who are facing repatriation after they were arrested by Chinese police while seeking to flee to the South last month.
The journalists said the North Koreans were merely fleeing their repressive country to seek a better life elsewhere, which is not a crime.
The association has 41 member nations in the Asia-Pacific region, and 16 associate members including the U.S. and Brazil.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/08/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
[Dawn] A jirga of Kukikhel ...a tribe of primitives inhabiting Khyber Agency. They are a branch of the Afridi tribe. Traditionally they have been migratory, tromping between Jamrud and the Rajgal valley with the seasons. The tribe has had mustache-cursing relationships with several other tribes, including the Zakkakhel and Kambarkhel, and with the Mullagori. They make welcome most anyone with a turban and automatic weapons, but every once in awhile they get together a tribal lashkar to mollify the government... tribe has asked all gangs to vacate its area immediately, threatening to take action against those, who provide shelter to Islamic fascistion its soil.
"Besides putting his house on fire, a fine of Rs1 million will be imposed on anyone found guilty of sheltering Islamic fascistiin kukikhel area," Haji Zabita Khan, a tribal elder, told Dawn.
The jirga, held in Triah valley the other day, was attended by hundreds of Kukikhel elders and rustics.
The tribal elder said that use of force would be their last option to expel Islamic fascistifrom the area as first they would try to convince gangs through negotiations.
The jirga decided to hold talks with all groups including Taliban of Tariq Afridi group, Lashkar-e-Islam, Tawheedul Islam of Zakhakhel tribe and Ansarul Islam to stop them from using the soil of kukikhel for any type of violence.
"Kukikhel is a peaceful tribe. We will not allow anyone to shed blood of innocent people on our soil," Zabita Khan said.
The jirga also demanded of the Tirah-based Ansarul Islam to refrain from providing passage to Death Eater groups in the areas under its control. Ansarul Islam, a rival group of Mangal Bagh ...a former bus driver, now head of the Deobandi bandido group Lashkar-e-Islam and the Terror of Khyber Agency... -led Lashkar-e-Islam, is based in Bagh-Maidan area of Tirah valley near Orakzai Agency ... crawling with holy men, home to Darra Adam Khel, the world's largest illegal arms bazaar. 14 distinct tribes of beturbanned primitives inhabit Orakzai agency's 1500 or so square kilometers... Kukikhel tribe had succeeded in expelling Taliban from its area after fierce fighting in October last year but paid a heavy price for that in August last year when Islamic fascisticarried out a suicide kaboom on a Friday congregation in Jamrud, killing more than 50 rustics.
Taliban of Tariq Afridi group had also warned of more such attacks against Kukikhel tribe. Sources said that holding a jirga was a significant development and it reflected that influence of Taliban had diminished at least in Kukikhel dominated areas of Tirah valley.
Meanwhile, ...back at the scene of the crime, Lieutenant Queeg had an idea: there was a simple way to tell whether Manetti had been the triggerman -- just look at his shoes!... headless body of a grade IX student was found in Akkakhel area of Bara on Wednesday.
Local sources said that unidentified killers had slit the throat of Abdul Mateen, student of a private school, and left his body in Gud Malang locality.
Nobody has grabbed credit for the gruesome murder.
KILLED: At least three persons were killed when rival groups clashed in Tirah valley on Wednesday.
Sources said that Lashkar-e-Islam and Zakhakhel dominated Tawheedul Islam exchanged heavy gunfire in Naree Bara locality to gain control of Tol Mela hilltop.
Sources said that at least three persons were killed and many others injured in the clash. Both sides have reportedly used mortars and rocket launchers against each other. It could not be immediately ascertained as to which group suffered casualties.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/08/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[0 views]
Top|| File under: Lashkar-e-Islami
[Dawn] The Election Commission of Pakistain disqualified on Wednesday Sindh politician Waheeda Shah from contesting election for two years for slapping EC staff at a polling station in her constituency during recently held by-elections.
The commission also nullified the result of the election for the PS-53 seat which Ms Shah had won.
The PPP candidate will not be able to contest any election till March 6, 2014, unless the Supreme Court already seized with the matter overturned the ECP's decision taken by 3-2 majority.
Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Hamid Ali Mirza and Roshan Ehsani, a member of the commission from Sindh, wrote notes of dissent.
ECP front man Mohammad Afzal Khan told news hounds that a date for a fresh election for the Tando Muhammad Khan seat would be announced later.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/08/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[0 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
[Dawn] FOR once, news about two women who were declared 'kari' is positive. A jirga held in the Chak area of Shirkarpur district had decreed that they should be murdered. Had the crime been carried out, the women would have suffered double injustice of the most serious nature given that they were declared 'kari' not because they were suspected of extramarital relations, as is usually the case, but because they had been kidnapped by some men of a rival tribe. Fortunately, media reports raised the alarm. After receiving instructions from the inspector general of the Sindh police, the local police swung into action and recovered the women from a house in Dur Mohammad Shar village.
This success should be followed up by the police making every effort to pursue and bring to book the organisers of the jirga that decided to play judge and jury. Locals believe that police are delaying this task because the organisers of the jirga have been provided shelter by influential political elements. All such suspicions must be put to rest in order to send out a strong signal that crimes in the name of honour will not be tolerated. The media, as this case illustrates, has a crucial role to play here. If news of the intended crime gets out, the probability increases that the law will intervene or that the perpetrators will stay their hand. This case should encourage news hounds and news organizations to make renewed efforts to publicise any and all instances where someone's rights are being threatened. Moreover, the media constitutes an important tool for shifting the societal mindset towards a more progressive trajectory and in shaping a society that resists crimes of honour. Such practices have not yet been controlled in their entirety in Pakistain, but as this case illustrates, the battle can be won and lives can be saved.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/08/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[1 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
[An Nahar] Two suicide car boomings on Wednesday killed at least seven people in Tal Afar, north of Storied Baghdad ...located along the Tigris River, founded in the 8th century, home of the Abbasid Caliphate... , the Iraqi interior ministry said in a statement.
"According to initial reports, a terrorist attack of two car booms aimed at shops in Tal Afar killed seven people and maimed 14 others," the ministry said.
A source in the interior ministry later put the toll at 12 dead and 19 maimed.
"A car boomwent kaboom! outside a restaurant. And when people gathered, a jacket wallahwent kaboom!" among them," the source told Agence La Belle France Presse.
Athil Nujaifi, the governor of Nineveh province, said that at least five people had been killed in one of the kabooms.
"There was a car kaboom in Tal Afar and there were victims. I have heard of five dead and I do not know many are injured," he said.
The attack in Tal Afar comes two days after suspected al-Qaeda gunnies stormed the town of Haditha in western Iraq, in a pre-dawn shooting spree and killed 27 coppers.
Tal Afar, located in northern Iraq, was hailed as a model town in March 2006 by former U.S. President George W. Bush due to the low levels of violence at the time.
The violence in Iraq has declined in recent years after peaking in 2006 and 2007.
According to official figures, 150 people were killed in February.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/08/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[0 views]
Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in Iraq
For a map, click here. For a map of Tamaulipas state, click here
By Chris Covert
Unconfirmed reports say that as many as 10 armed suspects have been killed in fighting in Miguel Aleman, Tamaulipas Wednesday, according to El Diario de Juarez news daily.
While the report credits the Mexican Secretaria de Defensa Nacional (SEDENA), the controlling agency for the Mexican Army, with providing some of the information, SEDENA has yet to release a report on its website.
According to the report, one encounter began around 1400 hrs on Bulevar Miguel Aleman when a Mexican Army unit on patrol attempted a traffic stop near Zona Centro of the city near the intersection of calles Insurgentes and 10th.
Instead of stopping, suspects attempted to flee the area while exchanging gunfire. The gunfight continued on in the Del Norte and Gomez colonies.
At about 1500 hrs Twitterers reported observing a military helicopter in the area. In the Gomez colony army units cordoned off an area around a residence, which remained cordoned until 1800 hrs. It is unknown if any arrests were made in the Gomez colony operation.
Reports are that as many as 12 are dead, but no official reports have been released.
In another report El Diario de Juarez said that four separate grenade attacks took place in Reynosa Tuesday, according to Twitterers in the area.
The first grenade attack took place outside am Elektra store at about 1235 hrs. Reports say two individuals travelling aboard a Chevrolet Blazer SUV threw the bomb.
A second grenade was thrown, location unknown, at around 1305 hrs, and a third was thrown at about 1520 hrs near a police station. A fourth grenade landed at the municipal gymnasium at about 1735 hrs.
Anger is rising in southern Thailand after two soldiers turned themselves in after a 16-year-old Muslim girl in Pattani province was raped. The reports have left the Muslim population enraged that the military had not taken swift action against the soldiers immediately and that the incident happened at all.
A local sheikh said, "It is disgusting that in our country, soldiers think they can ruin lives and use violence against our women. We know the soldiers are guilty, but if the government doesn't take hard action, we will rise up", warning the government that Muslims "will not stand by and allow our honor to be put in the mud."
Oh, so they're going to bomb up the countryside and gun down a bunch of teachers. Wait, that's already happening...
Privates Winai Klangwichai and Somyos Jantharaphut surrendered Tuesday in Pattani city, to face charges of gang rape and forcefully separating a girl from her parents. Winai was accused of raping the girl in January and Somyos allegedly filmed the act and posted it on the Internet, leading to a police investigation into the incident.
Gazoo's ruling Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, on Wednesday sent conflicting signals on whether it would stay on the sidelines if war breaks out between Israel and Iran. Hamas front man Fawzi Barhoum said that the group has only "humble weapons that aim to defend and not to attack." This limited arsenal "does not give us the ability to be part of any regional war," he said.
Later Wednesday, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency quoted another senior Hamas official in Gazoo, Mahmoud Zahar, as saying that "retaliation with utmost power is the position of Hamas with regard to a Zionist war on Iran."
#1
This limited arsenal "does not give us the ability to be part of any regional war,"
A very rational stance, which suggests it is unlikely to be the HamAss Plan du Jour. But let me suggest a possible scenario: the moment the HamAssians poke their heads out of their hidey-holes, the IDF comes down like a (metric) ton of bricks, no holds barred, no quarter given and most importantly, no concern for collateral damage, for they have greater concerns than your annoyances and want to get back to the Main Event as soon as possible. You will have your bumper crop of rubble and dead - women, children, bunnies, kittens, and misc. civilians - but the world's attention and news cameras will be focused elsewhere.
An unappealing outcome for most, but given the genetic predisposition to Glorious Failure that seems endemic in the Arab world, I'd bet money on it.
Iran has not been forthcoming about its nuclear program and may have failed to declare some facilities to the UN, ineffective International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano said in an interview with CNN on Wednesday.
"Iran is not telling us everything. That is my impression. We are asking Iran to engage with us proactively, and Iran has a case to answer," Amano stated.
Amano said that the IAEA has safeguarded a number of Iranian nuclear facilities which the Islamic Theocratic Republic has declared to the agency.
"For these facilities and activities, I can tell that they are in peaceful purpose," Amano said. "But there are also, there may be other facilities which are not declared, and we have the indication or information that Iran has engaged in activities relevant to the development of nuclear bombs," he stated.
Philipp Missfelder, deputy front man for Chancellor Angela Merkel ...current chancellor of Germany. She was educated in East Germany when is was still run by commies, but in 1989 got involved with the growing democracy movement when the Berlin Wall fell. Merkel is sometimes referred to by Germans as Mom... 's party, tells 'Post' military option against Iran can't be ruled out.
BERLIN -- Israel's vital security interests are integral to the interests of the Federal Republic, according to Philipp Missfelder, the Germany deputy front man for Chancellor Angela Merkel's party in the Bundestag.
In a wide-ranging telephone interview with The Jerusalem Post on Friday, the Christian Democratic Union deputy covered the pressing security issues unfolding in the Middle East.
"The Chancellor is 100 percent right that Israel's security is in Germany's national interest," he stressed. "Israel's military capacity should not be underestimated."
"It was a mistake in the fall to rule out a military option," Missfelder continued. "Obama was correct in how he handled it. The military option must remain on the table because, if not, the negotiating strategy will not be taken seriously by Iran."
Last November, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, of the pro-business Free Democratic Party, spoke differently: "We reject a discussion about military options" in connection with the Iranian nuclear threat, he said.
Additionally, in February, German Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere delivered a grim assessment of Israel's capability to knock out Iran's nuclear facilities. He said an IDF strike on Iran would be "highly unlikely" to succeed, and would cause "obvious political damage."
The 32-year-old historian is viewed by close followers of German-Israeli relations as a politician who seeks to breathe new life into strengthening the security bond between Israel and the Federal Republic.
Israeli diplomats in Berlin have praised Missfelder's unwavering support for the security of the Jewish state over the years.
"Germany's population wants to be the like the Swiss and stay out of conflicts, such as the one in Afghanistan," Missfelder told the Post. "But that is no longer possible.
There is a joint responsibility towards Israel, to say to the German population that we have a new role in Europe and the world."
When asked about what the UN has characterized as civilian massacres by Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Trampler of Homs... 's regime, Missfelder said, "Syria shows the region is in upheaval...There is no unity in the UN...[They are] no longer in the position to engage in protected responsibility in connection with Syria. Many have criticized [former president George W.] Bush for intervention, but the US should take more responsibility."
He noted that a military option for Syria would be very difficult after the Libya decision, and one option would be to arm the opposition.
Missfelder added, "We will not profit from instability, friends of Israel and the West -- and Israel belongs to West, in my view. My main concern is Iran will win great influence."
In regard to the so-called "Arab Spring," he said he was very skeptical in the beginning: "It was great that young people became political. But foreign policy is very serious.
There is romanticism in the world of art, but in foreign policy that is ridiculous."
Egypt and Yemen, he said, are the largest question.
"Egypt is a challenge," he continued. "It has not become easier. The Konrad Adenauer Foundation worked successfully in Egypt, but now is massively prevented. I cannot say that I was disappointed [when] I saw this development. It is not clear who will take over power on the long term."
The Konrad Adenauer Foundation is a think tank affiliated with Missfelder's party that promotes pro-democracy work.
Missfelder observed that the EU government in Brussels tends to be pro-Paleostinian.
"Brussels is orientated on the Paleostinians. I know this phenomenon from the Left in Germany," he said.
Critics argue that the Left movement in Germany and many Left Party deputies have focused the bulk of their foreign policy work on criticizing Israel and advocating for the Paleostinians -- including, at times, the Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, terror group in the Gazoo strip.
For a map click here. For a map of Nuevo Leon state, click here For a map of Monterrey city, click here
By Chris Covert
Nine more dead have been uncovered in a mass grave in an eastern Nuevo Leon village, raising the death toll in the area to 13, according to Mexican news accounts.
Tuesday March 6th, a Mexican Army unit with the 8th Military Zone was dispatched to a farmhouse in the village of Santa Ana in Juarez municipality, where a mass grave was found containing four bodies. Several unidentified individuals in the area were also detained by soldiers in the same incident.
A third grave was later found in the area with bodies or parts of bodies totalling seven. An additional two bodies were found in further exhumations in the area.
Last July, the remains of 18 unidentified individuals were found in Juarez municipality by Mexican Army units. Graves were found in Hilda and La Escondida colonies of the village of Palos Altos. Correction: The last report on the mass grave find in Santa Ana village in Juarez municipality said Juarez municipality was located 45 kilometers to the northwest of Monterrey. Juarez is in fact seven kilometers to the east. The error has since been corrected.
[Dawn] Bangladesh high court has ordered police to sue 17 professors for allegedly distorting the country's liberation war history and maligning its founding leader in a school textbook, lawyers said Wednesday.
In a deepening row over who called Bangladeshi people to launch armed resistance against Pakistain in 1971, the court also summoned 30 other professors who wrote or edited the textbook, a top state prosecutor said.
"It ruled on Tuesday that the book distorted liberation war history as it dropped the name of father of the nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the proclaimer of independence," additional attorney general M.K. Rahman told AFP.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who is fondly known as Bangabandhu (friend of Bengal) was Bangladesh's first president and led the the country to independence from Pakistain after a bloody nine-month war in 1971.
"The textbook wrongly said Major Ziaur Rahman was the proclaimer of our independence. It also dropped Bangabandhu from Sheikh Mujibur's name," he said. I wasn't paying real close attention at the time, being busy with other things, but I never heard of Ziaur Rahman at the time, and I heard lots about Sheikh Mujib.
Bangladesh's independence remains a bitter political issue as Ziaur Rahman's widow is now leader of the opposition, while Sheikh Mujibur's eldest daughter is the current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
An angry, decades-long debate about who actually called for the armed resistance still divides national politics in Bangladesh.
The book on civics was originally written in 2000 with "correct information, but an edited version made the distortion in 2009" when Hasina stormed back to power, said lawyer Belal Hossain, who represented the petitioners.
The court in January ordered seizure of millions of copies of the textbook in the same dispute.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/08/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
[An Nahar] Former Prime Minister Fouad Saniora noted on Wednesday that some sides in Leb who are accusing others of meddling in the Syrian crisis are in fact guilty of these charges.
He said: "Those calling for the freedom in Leb cannot do so while simultaneously supporting the Syrian regime."
He made his statements during the launch of the Mustaqbal ... the Future Movement, political party led by Saad Hariri... movement's political document on the Arab Spring, entitled "Al-Mustabqal and the Perspectives of the Arab Spring."
Saniora said: "At the outbreak of the uprising against the Syrian regime, the charges of conspiracy and treason have flared up against supporters of independence and those who express their solidarity with the Syrian people's uprising against its despotic regime."
"These accusations stemmed from the pretext that those who are supportive of the Syrian people are guilty of 'conspiring against the Resistance That'd be the Hezbullies, natch... ' and that the specificity of Lebanese-Syrian relations requires a non-interference in Syrian affairs," he noted.
"In Leb, those who really interfere in Syrian affairs by the autocratic methods of yesteryear, are those who proclaim loud and clear every day in the media, on the ground and in all Arab and international forums, that they support the Syrian regime against its people, or that they distance themselves from any interference in Syrian affairs," declared the former premier.
He stated that the year 2011 witnessed the kaboom of Arab youth movements, which started in Tunisia and spread to other Arab countries, especially those with military and security regimes.
"These movements had four characteristics: the large number of participants, their diversity, a majority of youth, and their insistence on the peaceful nature of their movement despite the oppression they suffered since the first day," noted the MP.
"They also shared the same slogans and goals: freedom, dignity, pluralistic democracy, justice, and civil State," added the head of the Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc.
"We consider the Arab change a period of maturity," Saniora remarked.
"It places the Arab world, including us, at the gateway of a new future filled with the ambitions of our youth, to establish political regimes on the basis of the respect of rights and public freedoms, especially religious freedoms, of the safeguard of human dignity, and of justice and good management of the public affairs," he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/08/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[6 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
Spaghetti wire in the streets do not show a long term commitment to any land. They turned Paris into Caracas. F*****G Genius. Why didn't al whore think of that?
[An Nahar] Defense Secretary Leon Panetta ...current SecDef, previously Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Panetta served as President Bill Clinton's White House Chief of Staff from 1994 to 1997 and was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1993.... said Wednesday the United States is looking at delivering radios or other non-lethal aid to Syria's rebel forces but warned of the risks of military action against Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Supressor of the Damascenes... 's regime without international consensus or a unified opposition.
While outraged at the killing of civilians in Syria, the U.S. government is opposed to taking "unilateral" military action and favors pursuing diplomacy to force Assad to step down, Panetta told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Asked by Senator Richard Blumenthal if the United States was ready to deliver communications equipment to Syrian rebels, Panetta said: "I'd prefer to discuss that in a closed session but I can tell you that we're considering an array of non-lethal assistance."
His answer marked the first time President Barack Obama I inhaled. That was the point... 's administration had suggested it was ready to provide direct assistance to Syria's rebels, who are badly outgunned by the regime's tanks and artillery.
The Pentagon chief condemned the Syrian regime's violent crackdown but expressed caution about military intervention, citing a lack of international consensus, a deeply divided resistance and the risk of fueling a civil war.
"We are reviewing all possible additional steps that can be taken with our international partners to support efforts to protect the Syrian people, end the violence, and ensure regional stability, including potential military options if necessary," Panetta said.
"Although we will not rule out any future course of action, currently the administration is focusing on diplomatic and political approaches rather than a military intervention," he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/08/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[4 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
[Dawn] Pakistain on Wednesday rejected the report of International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) on Pakistain's nuclear programme and termed it highly exaggerated and part of an insidious propaganda campaign.
Foreign Office front man while commenting on the report said, "Pakistain's strategic programme was modest aimed at maintaining a credible minimum deterrence to ensure national security."
The Spokesman emphasised that Pakistain's primary focus had been on economic development and welfare of its people.
He added that Pakistain was opposed to arms race in South Asia or in any other part of the world.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/08/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[0 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
The Mossad has warned Turkey that Israel's diplomatic missions in the country could be in danger of Iranian "kabooms," Turkish daily Hurriyet reported on Wednesday, citing a story aired on the NTV news channel.
According to the report, the Israeli intelligence agency sent a letter to its Turkish counterpart warning of a plot by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Quds Force to attack Israeli targets on Turkish soil.
Four individuals have already entered Turkey from Iran and are in possession of weapons and materials to be used in the attacks, the report added.
According to Hurriyet, Turkish intelligence sources neither confirmed nor denied the NTV report.
#1
Of course, far be it from MOSSAD to try and sour the waters between Turkey and Iran. Though it would be highly entertaining if an "Iranian" assassination team tried to pull of a hit against Erdogen.
[Dawn] Supreme Court adjourned the contempt of court case hearing against Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani ... Pakistain's erstwhile current prime minister, whose occasional feats of mental gymnastics can be awe-inspiring ... till March 8, DawnNews reported.
Defence and Cabinet Secretary, Nargis Sethi acknowledged that two summaries were sent to Prime Minister by the Ministry of Law.
A seven-judge SC bench, headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk was hearing the case.
Gilani's counsel, Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan was ordered by Justice Nasirul Mulk to submit appropriate evidence pertaining to the case, on which, the counsel submitted the summaries.
Justice Nasirul Mulk said that the documents should have been submitted by the counsel before the starting of the proceeding.
Nargis Sethi informed the court that she was the Principal Secretary of PM from December 15, 2008 till January 17, 2011.
She said the responsibility of Principal Secretary is to assist PM to perform tasks related to the public affairs.
The court asked to record the written statement of Ms Sethi.
Aitzaz Ahsan complained that the court did not let him ask few questions.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/08/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[0 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
[Dawn] Interior Minister Rehman Malik Pak politician, current Interior Minister under the Gilani administration. Malik is a former Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) intelligence officer who rose to head the FIA during Benazir Bhutto's second tenure. He later joined the Pak Peoples Party and was chief security officer to Bhutto. Malik was tossed from his FIA job in 1998 after documenting the breath-taking corruption of the Sharif family. By unhappy coincidence Nawaz Sharif became PM at just that moment and Malik moved to London one step ahead of the button men. appeared on Wednesday before the Abbottabad ... A pleasant city located only 30 convenient miles from Islamabad. The city is noted for its nice weather and good schools. It is the site of Pakistain's military academy, which was within comfortable walking distance of the residence of the late Osama bin Laden.... Inquiry Commission and claimed that at no stage was the government aware of the late Osama bin Laden's ... who is now neither a strong horse nor a weak horse, but a dead horse... presence in Pakistain, an insider told Dawn. Oh, sure. The most wanted man in the world living 30 miles from the capital and within walking distance of the nation's military academy. Nobody ever noticed him shopping at the PX there.
The commission is investigating the US commando raid in Abbottabad on May 2 last year which left Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden dead.
The minister gave a detailed briefing to the commission, which lasted six hours, about the internal security system, country's visa policy and presence of undocumented Democrats in the country.
The commission is expected to complete its report soon because it was waiting to incorporate the statement of the interior minister to the report.
During the briefing, the minister admitted the failure of civil intelligence agencies in tracking down the Al Qaeda founder.
However, there is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened... it was for the first time that a government official told the Abbottabad Commission that the government was unaware of Osama bin Laden's presence in the country.
The commission, headed by Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal, also interviewed Interior Secretary Khawaja Siddiq Akbar, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General Javed Iqbal, the Director General of Passports and other officials of the interior ministry.
The commission also summoned Chief Commissioner of Islamabad Tariq Pirzada and Inspector General of Islamabad Police Bani Amin.
It is learnt that the government could not make arrangements for repatriation of Osama bin Laden's family members to their country.
The family was taken into custody from a house in Bilal Town, Abbottabad, where Osama bin Laden was hiding.
The sources said that wives and children of Osama bin Laden were illegally living in the country and they had no travel documents.
Lack of documentation is said to be the main reason behind the delay in repatriation of the family.
They said the government would wait for the release of the inquiry report of the Abbottabad Commission and guidelines under which family members of the Al Qaeda leader could be sent to their country.
The sources said that information about activities of foreigners and their residences in the country were obtained from interior ministry officials. The interior minister also presented a documentary record about foreigners living in the country.
The commission was also given a report on hiring of houses by foreign nationals in Islamabad as the commission believed that some members of Osama's family had stayed in Islamabad.
The commission asked the Islamabad IG to name the authority that monitors hiring of houses by foreign nationals in Islamabad.
The commission was informed that the Foreign Office and local administration/police were responsible for dealing with such cases.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/08/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[0 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
Four soldiers were killed and another one seriously wounded when a bomb exploded on a rural road in Narathiwat province late Wednesday night. Twelve soldiers were returning from providing security for people at a Buddhist temple in two jeeps when a 20 kg home-made bomb was detonated.
The explosion blew one jeep into two pieces and instantly killed Sgt Dejpol Saiwannee, Cpl Sompong Kaesanan, Pvt Suwat Ninpak and Pvt Kamol Panthong. Pvt Suriya Jachalee sustained a serious injury and was taken to the hospital.
[An Nahar] Speaker Nabih Knobby Berri Speaker of the Lebanese parliament, a member of AMAL, a not very subtle Hizbullah sock puppet... has stressed that National Struggle Front leader Walid Jumblat was still part of the March 8 parliamentary majority despite accusations that he had joined the March 14 Those are the good guys, insofar as Leb has good guys... opposition.
In remarks to several newspapers published Wednesday, Berri said: "The March 14 team should be comforted. Walid Jumblat is still in the majority ... and still one of its leaders."
His remarks came after several parties said Jumblat, who is also the head of the Progressive Socialist Party, went back to support the March 14 coalition following a decision by his politicians to boycott last Monday's legislative session along with opposition MPs.
On Tuesday, Change and Reform bloc leader Michel Aoun ...a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hizbullah... said that Jumblat was never part of the parliamentary majority and accused him of only seeking to ensure his own interests.
Aoun's accusation along with criticism by other members of the March 8 forces ... the opposition to the Mar. 14th movement, consisting of Hizbullah and its allies, so-called in commemoration of their Mar. 8th, 2006 demonstration of strength in Beirut ... came despite assurances by Jumblat that his bloc's decision to boycott the session lied in its insistence on finding a political solution to a dispute on extra-budgetary spending.
"This doesn't mean that we are no longer part of the ruling majority," he was quoted as saying on Monday.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/08/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[6 views]
Top|| File under:
Authorities placed in long-term storage a 39-year-old man suspected of killing his girlfriend on Tuesday by shooting a homemade cannon into a room of their remote Caliphornia trailer home.
Richard Dale Fox, who was treated for wounds he suffered in the blast, was booked on suspicion of detonating an bomb in a manner resulting in death, said San Diego Sheriff's Department homicide Sergeant David Martinez.
The bizarre blast and death occurred just north of the Caliphornia town of Potrero, which is across the border from Tecate, Mexico, and less than 40 miles inland from San Diego.
Martinez said it was "too early to say" if the Tuesday morning blast was accidental, but authorities had previously indicated Fox was drinking at the time and that he was distraught as emergency responders arrived at the trailer home.
Authorities declined to comment on the nature of the homemade cannon or the projectile it fired, but Martinez said Fox used explosive powder from fireworks to ignite the contraption.
The woman inside the home who was killed by the cannon blast was Fox's 38-year-old girlfriend, Martinez said. Officials had earlier described her as Fox's wife and had said her age was 33.
The name of the woman, who police said died at the scene of shrapnel wounds, was not immediately released.
She was inside the trailer home with the couple's 4-year-old child and three adults, and all those occupants were unharmed, Martinez told news hounds.
Fox was transported to a hospital with leg injuries suffered in the blast. After his treatment, Fox was booked into jail. No bail has been set.
The couple's mobile home trailer, dotted with solar panels on the roof, is located in mountainous terrain strewn with boulders, in a rural area where sheep and dogs occasionally wander the roads.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/08/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Methinks GOMEZ ADDAMS [Addams Family] could get away wid shooting a live cannon inside his own house, but I don't think this Guy will.
China says most of its workers have started returning from Syria as conditions there worsen, although about 100 people are still there looking after projects.
Commerce Minister Chen Deming told a news conference on Wednesday that the remaining workers were looking after property assets and projects, but did not say where in Syria they were or how many were leaving.
What on earth is China doing in Syria, of all places? It's not as though Syria has any significant raw materials China could use.
Philipp Missfelder, deputy front man for Chancellor Angela Merkel's party, tells 'Post' military option against Iran can't be ruled out.
BERLIN -- Israel's vital security interests are integral to the interests of the Federal Republic, according to Philipp Missfelder, the Germany deputy front man for Chancellor Angela Merkel ...current chancellor of Germany. She was educated in East Germany when is was still run by commies, but in 1989 got involved with the growing democracy movement when the Berlin Wall fell. Merkel is sometimes referred to by Germans as Mom...
''s party in the Bundestag.
In a wide-ranging telephone interview with The Jerusalem Post on Friday, the Christian Democratic Union deputy covered the pressing security issues unfolding in the Middle East.
"The Chancellor is 100 percent right that Israel's security is in Germany's national interest," he stressed. "Israel's military capacity should not be underestimated."
"It was a mistake in the fall to rule out a military option," Missfelder continued. "Obama was correct in how he handled it. The military option must remain on the table because, if not, the negotiating strategy will not be taken seriously by Iran."
Last November, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, of the pro-business Free Democratic Party, spoke differently: "We reject a discussion about military options" in connection with the Iranian nuclear threat, he said.
Additionally, in February, German Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere delivered a grim assessment of Israel's capability to knock out Iran's nuclear facilities. He said an IDF strike on Iran would be "highly unlikely" to succeed, and would cause "obvious political damage."
The 32-year-old historian is viewed by close followers of German-Israeli relations as a politician who seeks to breathe new life into strengthening the security bond between Israel and the Federal Republic.
Israeli diplomats in Berlin have praised Missfelder's unwavering support for the security of the Jewish state over the years.
"Germany's population wants to be the like the Swiss and stay out of conflicts, such as the one in Afghanistan," Missfelder told the Post. "But that is no longer possible.
There is a joint responsibility towards Israel, to say to the German population that we have a new role in Europe and the world."
When asked about what the UN has characterized as civilian massacres by Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Trampler of Homs... 's regime, Missfelder said, "Syria shows the region is in upheaval...There is no unity in the UN...[They are] no longer in the position to engage in protected responsibility in connection with Syria. Many have criticized [former president George W.] Bush for intervention, but the US should take more responsibility."
He noted that a military option for Syria would be very difficult after the Libya decision, and one option would be to arm the opposition.
Missfelder added, "We will not profit from instability, friends of Israel and the West -- and Israel belongs to West, in my view. My main concern is Iran will win great influence."
In regard to the so-called "Arab Spring," he said he was very skeptical in the beginning: "It was great that young people became political. But foreign policy is very serious.
There is romanticism in the world of art, but in foreign policy that is ridiculous."
Egypt and Yemen, he said, are the largest question.
"Egypt is a challenge," he continued. "It has not become easier. The Konrad Adenauer Foundation worked successfully in Egypt, but now is massively prevented. I cannot say that I was disappointed [when] I saw this development. It is not clear who will take over power on the long term."
The Konrad Adenauer Foundation is a think tank affiliated with Missfelder's party that promotes pro-democracy work.
Missfelder observed that the EU government in Brussels tends to be pro-Paleostinian.
"Brussels is orientated on the Paleostinians. I know this phenomenon from the Left in Germany," he said.
Critics argue that the Left movement in Germany and many Left Party deputies have focused the bulk of their foreign policy work on criticizing Israel and advocating for the Paleostinians -- including, at times, the Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, terror group in the Gazoo strip.
[An Nahar] Suspected Islamists attacked a prison, cop shoppe and local government office in northeastern Nigeria, wounding at least three coppers, officials and residents said Wednesday.
"The (police) station was set ablaze," police front man Samuel Tizhe told Agence La Belle France Presse of the attack in Konduga on Tuesday night. "They attacked the secretariat and prison ... They started with firing, then they put explosives."
Residents said they suspected the attackers were members of Islamist group Boko Haram ... not to be confused with Procol Harum, Harum Scarum, possibly to be confused with Helter Skelter. Currently wearing a false nose and moustache and answering to Jama'atu Ahlus-Sunnah Lidda'Awati Wal Jihad, or Big Louie... , though Tizhe declined to comment on who the suspects were.
The front man said at least three coppers were maimed but no deaths had been reported. He could not say whether any prisoners had decamped during the attack.
Konduga is some 40 kilometers from Maiduguri, which has served as the base of Boko Haram, blamed for scores of attacks that have killed hundreds, mainly in Nigeria's north.
While Maiduguri has been repeatedly hit by violence, Tuesday night's incidents marked the first major attack in Konduga.
Residents said gunnies stormed the town on Tuesday evening, shooting and bombing the cop shoppe and local government headquarters. One resident said a church was also attacked, but police had not confirmed the information.
Hundreds of people decamped the violence, though calm had returned on Wednesday morning. The extent of the damage was not immediately clear.
"We had just finished our evening prayers when kabooms and shootings erupted which set the divisional cop shoppe, the local government secretariat and a church on fire," one fleeing resident told AFP by telephone.
Another fleeing resident said "the bombing and the shooting were horrifying and forced us to abandon our homes".
"Up to 300 hundred people moved out to neighboring Uturu and Mantamari villages," he said.
Boko Haram has been blamed for increasingly deadly and sophisticated attacks in Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation and largest oil producer.
It grabbed credit for the August suicide kaboom of U.N. headquarters in the capital Abuja which killed at least 25 people, while its deadliest attack yet occurred on January 20 in Kano, Nigeria's second-largest city.
The Kano attack saw coordinated bombings and shootings that left at least 185 people dead.
Violence blamed on the sect, whose goals remain largely unclear, has since 2009 claimed more than 1,000 lives, including more than 300 this year alone, according to figures tallied by AFP and rights groups.
There has been deep concern over whether Boko Haram has formed links with outside cut-thoat groups, including al-Qaeda's North African branch.
Diplomats say that while it appears some Boko Haram members have been receiving training abroad, there has been no evidence of operational ties with foreign groups.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/08/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[0 views]
Top|| File under: Boko Haram
A newly released satellite image shows that North Korea has made progress in building a light-water reactor to expand its nuclear program, a private nonproliferation group said Tuesday.
The Feb. 3 image of the nuclear complex at Yongbyon was taken nearly a month before North Korea agreed to freeze major nuclear activities in return for US food aid.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has signaled that the government could seek permission from Parliament to deploy troops in Syria in the event of ongoing violence in the country escalating to the point where it will undermine Turkish national security, Today's Zaman reported.
En route to Nakhichevan after a diplomatic visit to the Netherlands on Wednesday, Davutoğlu said Turkey is currently placing emphasis on finding a diplomatic solution to quell the violence in Syria, which has been continuing for over a year, but has not ruled out other options.
"Turkey is ready to discuss every option in order to protect its national security," Davutoğlu emphasized, responding to a question on whether the government would seek parliamentary authorization to deploy Turkish troops in Syria.
Davutoğlu also noted that Turkey would not allow Syria to use the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) as a trump card against Turkey, which is a friend-turned foe for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
"Turkish security forces are monitoring a number of PKK groups entering Turkey from Syria. Turkey would not allow any country to undermine its security," Davutoğlu indicated.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/08/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[5 views]
Top|| File under:
[Dawn] Central character of the 20 years old Mehran Bank Scandal Younis Habib has resurfaced, he was summoned by the apex court in a case relating to disbursement of money among different politicians by the ISI, DawnNews reported on Wednesday.
Speaking to DawnNews, Habib, who has spent 20 years of his life underground, said that he was not willing to talk to media. "I will say whatever I want to say in the Supreme Court," he added.
The apex court had also summoned former army chief Aslam Baig and former ISI chief Asad Durrani along with the former chief of Mehran Bank in a 16 years old case filed by Air Marshal (retd) Asghar Khan.
Habib is suspected to have given money secretively to Durrani on army's directives, who disbursed it among different politicians against Pakistain People's Party (PPP) government back in 1990-91.
The court will resume hearing of the case on March 8.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/08/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[0 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
[An Nahar] Tunisia has accepted that Soddy Arabia will probably never hand over ousted leader Zine el Abidine Ben Ali to face trial in his homeland, the new president said in an interview to be broadcast Thursday.
Former president Ben Ali has lived in exile with his wife Leila in Soddy Arabia since January 14, 2011, when he decamped Tunisia amid an uprising that sparked a string of regional protests known as the Arab Spring.
"I think they will never extradite Ben Ali. We do know, we have tried with them many, many times," Moncef Marzouki, who was sworn in as Tunisian president in December, told BBC World News.
"We will probably keep putting the pressure on them to have this man here in Tunisia, but as I told you, I don't believe that they will accept because they have their own tradition, they have their own laws.
"And we do not want to have problems with them about this problem because we have also social and economic ties with Soddy Arabia and we want to keep them."
Posted by: Fred ||
03/08/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[0 views]
Top|| File under: Arab Spring
Philipp Missfelder, deputy front man for Chancellor Angela Merkel's party, tells 'Post' military option against Iran can't be ruled out.
BERLIN -- Israel's vital security interests are integral to the interests of the Federal Republic, according to Philipp Missfelder, the Germany deputy front man for Chancellor Angela Merkel ...current chancellor of Germany. She was educated in East Germany when is was still run by commies, but in 1989 got involved with the growing democracy movement when the Berlin Wall fell. Merkel is sometimes referred to by Germans as Mom... ''s party in the Bundestag.
In a wide-ranging telephone interview with The Jerusalem Post on Friday, the Christian Democratic Union deputy covered the pressing security issues unfolding in the Middle East.
"The Chancellor is 100 percent right that Israel's security is in Germany's national interest," he stressed. "Israel's military capacity should not be underestimated."
"It was a mistake in the fall to rule out a military option," Missfelder continued. "Obama was correct in how he handled it. The military option must remain on the table because, if not, the negotiating strategy will not be taken seriously by Iran."
Last November, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, of the pro-business Free Democratic Party, spoke differently: "We reject a discussion about military options" in connection with the Iranian nuclear threat, he said.
Additionally, in February, German Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere delivered a grim assessment of Israel's capability to knock out Iran's nuclear facilities. He said an IDF strike on Iran would be "highly unlikely" to succeed, and would cause "obvious political damage."
The 32-year-old historian is viewed by close followers of German-Israeli relations as a politician who seeks to breathe new life into strengthening the security bond between Israel and the Federal Republic.
Israeli diplomats in Berlin have praised Missfelder's unwavering support for the security of the Jewish state over the years.
"Germany's population wants to be the like the Swiss and stay out of conflicts, such as the one in Afghanistan," Missfelder told the Post. "But that is no longer possible.
There is a joint responsibility towards Israel, to say to the German population that we have a new role in Europe and the world."
When asked about what the UN has characterized as civilian massacres by Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Trampler of Homs... 's regime, Missfelder said, "Syria shows the region is in upheaval...There is no unity in the UN...[They are] no longer in the position to engage in protected responsibility in connection with Syria. Many have criticized [former president George W.] Bush for intervention, but the US should take more responsibility."
He noted that a military option for Syria would be very difficult after the Libya decision, and one option would be to arm the opposition.
Missfelder added, "We will not profit from instability, friends of Israel and the West -- and Israel belongs to West, in my view. My main concern is Iran will win great influence."
In regard to the so-called "Arab Spring," he said he was very skeptical in the beginning: "It was great that young people became political. But foreign policy is very serious.
There is romanticism in the world of art, but in foreign policy that is ridiculous."
Egypt and Yemen, he said, are the largest question.
"Egypt is a challenge," he continued. "It has not become easier. The Konrad Adenauer Foundation worked successfully in Egypt, but now is massively prevented. I cannot say that I was disappointed [when] I saw this development. It is not clear who will take over power on the long term."
The Konrad Adenauer Foundation is a think tank affiliated with Missfelder's party that promotes pro-democracy work.
Missfelder observed that the EU government in Brussels tends to be pro-Paleostinian.
"Brussels is orientated on the Paleostinians. I know this phenomenon from the Left in Germany," he said.
Critics argue that the Left movement in Germany and many Left Party deputies have focused the bulk of their foreign policy work on criticizing Israel and advocating for the Paleostinians -- including, at times, the Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, terror group in the Gazoo strip.
Some forty-eight North Korean defectors are awaiting repatriation in detention centers in China's Liaoning and Jilin provinces, and some have tried to commit a suicide, Liberty Forward Party lawmaker Park Sun-young said Wednesday.
The figures given by various activist groups vary widely. Park had earlier spoken of "hundreds" of defectors facing repatriation. She now says 25 are held in the Shenyang detention center, 10 at a military camp in Anshan, Liaoning Province, and the rest in another military camp in Baishan, Jilin Province. All three sites are close to the North Korean border.
"Last month, 14 North Korean defectors were arrested in several locations such as Kunming, including a baby," Park said. "Some of those detained in Shenyang are said to have tried to take their own lives earlier this week for fear of deportation to the North."
Sources earlier said Pyongyang sent 30 security officials to China on Feb. 28 to demand the repatriation of arrested defectors. According to an intelligence official here, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un recently ordered security forces to "wipe out three generations of those who betrayed their homeland," suggesting the defectors would face heavy punishment if they are repatriated.
Park is to travel to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Saturday to seek international cooperation to prevent China from repatriating them.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/08/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
An Iranian man wanted on arrest warrant issued by US attempted to buy hundreds of M4 submachine guns in Czech Republic, Czech Position reported. Detectives from the special unit to combat organized crime (UOOZ) arrested Iranian national Behruz Dolatzad, Czech Television (CT) reported Tuesday evening.
Dolatzad travelled to the Czech Republic after failing to strike a deal to buy submachine guns in the U.S. state of Arizona, where U.S. intelligence services were alerted.
"Our detectives in Prague arrested a foreign national who they subsequently charged on two criminal accounts relating to illegal trade with military equipment," spokesman for the anti-organized crime unit Pavel Hantak told CT, adding the unit cannot divulge any further information for now on the arrest which took place on February 16.
An official at the Iranian consulate in Prague told CT public television that it had received no information about the arrest of an Iranian national in Prague.
According to CT's information, Dolatzad travelled to the US in 2011 to buy arms and signed a contract for the delivery of 3,000 M4 fully automatic rifles to Iran in the state of Arizona.
See, we should have just sold them to Mexico...
When that deal didn't work out Dolatzad travelled to the Czech Republic where Czech detectives followed him having received a tip-off from US intelligence.
In Prague, Dolatzad reportedly signed a contract for the delivery of 500 M4 sunmachine guns to Iran for 40,000 (around Kc 996,000). During his stay at the Hotel Clarion in the city's Old Town, the Iranian national was under constant surveillance. He was arrested in the hotel by agents posing as arms dealers. According to CT's information, Dolatzad posed as a representative of an Iranian firm, Teheran Fanavar, reportedly established 12 years ago. The company presents itself as a trader in textiles, domestic appliances and electronics.
Almost 180 Czech entities hold arms export licenses. Over the past few years arms exports from the Czech Republic have been worth between 175 million and 220 million annually.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/08/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
[An Nahar] The U.N. humanitarian chief briefly visited the battered Homs neighborhood of Baba Amr with a Syrian Red Islamic Thingy team on Wednesday, as Washington revealed it is mulling non-lethal aid to the rebels.
Valerie Amos was stopped from going into areas of Homs still held by the opposition, despite receiving assurances from Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem in earlier talks that she could go to any part of the country, her spokeswoman Amanda Pitt told Agence La Belle France Presse.
"She says that the parts they saw were completely devastated," Pitt told AFP. "She said Homs feels like a city that has been completely closed down.
"There were very few people around. They did see a few people looking for their belongings, that kind of thing."
The group "tried to get into opposition areas, but they were not able to do so. Security was definitely an issue. They heard gunfire as well," Pitt said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a child was among four people rubbed out on Wednesday in Khaldiyeh, a Homs neighborhood where rebels remain active.
They were among 19 people killed in violence nationwide, the Britannia-based watchdog added.
But the Local Coordination Committees, the main activist group spurring protests on the ground, gave a higher corpse count.
Security forces killed 26 people in Homs, seven in the northwestern province of Idlib, two in the northern province of Aleppo ...For centuries, Aleppo was Greater Syria's largest city and the Ottoman Empire's third, after Constantinople and Cairo. Although relatively close to Damascus in distance, Aleppans regard Damascenes as country cousins... , three in the southern province of Daraa and two in the restive countryside around Damascus ...Home to a staggering array of terrorist organizations... , the LCC said.
The Red Islamic Thingy and the International Committee of the Red Thingy had been trying since last Friday to enter Baba Amr -- the target of a month-long bombardment to oust rebel fighters -- but the government repeatedly barred them from evacuating maimed civilians and delivering desperately needed supplies.
Amos and the Red Islamic Thingy team were only able to make a lightning tour of Baba Amr during her hard-won visit, ICRC officials said.
"Amos entered with the team of volunteers from the Syrian Red Islamic Thingy, which stayed 45 minutes in the district," ICRC front man Hisham Hassan said in Geneva.
Aid was being distributed to the displaced civilians in the areas where they had found refuge and some 350 families had been given assistance over the past two days, he said.
Last week, ICRC president Jakob Kellenberger called the government's decision to deny aid workers access to Baba Amr "unacceptable."
The authorities said the earlier ban was prompted by safety concerns but the opposition charged that the delay was aimed at allowing time for the regime's "crimes" to be covered up.
Amos flew in to Damascus for a two-day visit after an international outcry over the earlier refusal of Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad The Scourge of Hama... 's regime to let her in.
She is to be followed by U.N.-Arab League ...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing... envoy Kofi Annan on Saturday.
The former U.N. chief was in Cairo on Wednesday ahead of his first visit since his appointment as international envoy for Syria.
In his talks with Amos, Muallem "underlined Syria's commitment to cooperate with the delegation within the framework of the respect, illusory sovereignty and independence of Syria," state SANA news agency said.
Observatory chief Rami Abdul Rahman said the overall corpse count since last March has now reached almost 8,500, with civilians accounting for three-quarters of those killed.
Meanwhile, ...back at the Alamo, Davy was counting their remaining cannon balls and not liking the results... U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta ...current SecDef, previously Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Panetta served as President Bill Clinton's White House Chief of Staff from 1994 to 1997 and was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1993.... said Washington was looking at delivering non-lethal aid to rebel forces, while warning of the risks of military action against Assad's regime without international consensus or a unified opposition.
While outraged at the killing of civilians in Syria, the U.S. government is opposed to taking unilateral military action and favors pursuing diplomacy to force Assad to step down, Panetta told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Asked by Senator Richard Blumenthal if the United States was ready to deliver communications equipment to Syrian rebels, Panetta said: "I'd prefer to discuss that in a closed session but I can tell you that we're considering an array of non-lethal assistance."
His answer marked the first time President Barack Obama I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody... 's administration had suggested it was ready to provide direct assistance to Syria's rebels, who are badly outgunned by the regime's tanks and artillery.
The Pentagon chief condemned the Syrian regime's crackdown but expressed caution about military intervention, citing a lack of international consensus, a deeply divided resistance and the risk of fueling a civil war.
"We are reviewing all possible additional steps that can be taken with our international partners to support efforts to protect the Syrian people, end the violence and ensure regional stability, including potential military options if necessary," Panetta said.
"Although we will not rule out any future course of action, currently the administration is focusing on diplomatic and political approaches rather than a military intervention," he said.
Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki renewed an offer of asylum to Assad in an interview to be shown Thursday, after Russia said the Syrian leader said there was no question of it granting the Syrian leader refuge.
Incoming president Vladimir Putin ...Second President of the Russian Federation and the first to remain sober. Because of constitutionally mandated term limits he is the current Prime Minister of Russia. His sock puppet, Dmitry Medvedev, was installed in the 2008 presidential elections. Putin is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law. During his eight years in office Russia's economy bounced back from crisis, seeing GDP increase, poverty decrease and average monthly salaries increase. During his presidency Putin passed into law a series of fundamental reforms, including a flat income tax of 13%, a reduced profits tax, and new land and legal codes. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to Putin. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile... had rejected the idea of Russia offering Assad refuge as a way of helping put an end to nearly a year of bloodshed in its Soviet-era ally.
"We are not even discussing this question," news agencies quoted him as saying.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/08/2012
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[5 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
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.
Health and Human Services Sec. Kathleen Sebelius appeared flummoxed by questioning from Sen. Ron Johnson (R., Wis.) at a hearing on the new health care law Wednesday.
First, Barack Obama won't make a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline, until House Republicans force his hand and he denies approval. Then Obama claims to want an "all of the above" energy policy and the White House "welcomes" the news that TransCanada would start building the pipeline anyway. Just how "welcome" was that news? According to Politico, Obama has begun to lobby Senate Democrats against an effort that would expedite approval for Keystone:
Have you got health insurance? I do. Wouldn't it be nice if everybody did? Just think:
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
Four men, including an activist of the Awami National Party, were 
Khaleda Zia
Six British soldiers were killed when their armoured vehicle was hit by an 
David Cameron
FOR once, news about two women who were declared 'kari' is positive. A jirga held in the Chak area of Shirkarpur district had decreed that they should be murdered. Had the crime been carried out, the women would have suffered double injustice of the most serious nature given that they were declared 'kari' not because they were suspected of extramarital relations, as is usually the case, but because they had been kidnapped by some men of a rival tribe. Fortunately, media reports raised the alarm. After receiving instructions from the inspector general of the Sindh police, the local police swung into action and recovered the women from a house in Dur Mohammad Shar village.
Iran has not been forthcoming about its nuclear program and may have failed to declare some facilities to the UN, 
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
Pakistain on Wednesday rejected the report of International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) on Pakistain's nuclear programme and termed it highly exaggerated and part of an insidious propaganda campaign.
Supreme Court adjourned the contempt of court case hearing against Prime Minister 
[Dawn] Interior Minister 
Michel Aoun
Authorities 
North Korea
Central character of the 20 years old Mehran Bank Scandal Younis Habib has resurfaced, he was summoned by the apex court in a case relating to disbursement of money among different politicians by the ISI, DawnNews reported on Wednesday.
An Iranian man wanted on arrest warrant issued by US attempted to buy hundreds of M4 submachine guns in Czech Republic, Czech Position reported. Detectives from the special unit to combat organized crime (UOOZ) arrested Iranian national 
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
...Second President of the Russian Federation and the first to remain sober. Because of constitutionally mandated term limits he is the current Prime Minister of Russia. His sock puppet, Dmitry Medvedev, was installed in the 2008 presidential elections. Putin is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law. During his eight years in office Russia's economy bounced back from crisis, seeing GDP increase, poverty decrease and average monthly salaries increase. During his presidency Putin passed into law a series of fundamental reforms, including a flat income tax of 13%, a reduced profits tax, and new land and legal codes. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to Putin. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile...
