A suicide attacker detonated a bomb on Istanbul's main pedestrian shopping street on Saturday, killing five people, the city's governor said. Turkey's health minister said 36 people were wounded in the attack including 12 foreign nationals.
Governor Vasip Sahin said the explosion occurred outside a local government office on Istiklal Street, which is also home to cafes, restaurants and foreign consulate buildings. Sahin said one of wounded victims died in hospital and that the attacker was among the dead.
The private Dogan news agency said at least three of the injured are Israeli nationals and that the wounded included two children. And private NTV said at least one Iranian was among the injured. The Israeli foreign ministry confirmed Israeli nationals were injured but did not provide details.
Police swiftly sealed off the area as ambulances and a forensic team rushed to the scene. Normally packed cafes were either closed or virtually empty, with business owners in the areas making frantic calls to check in with their loved ones and assure them of their safety.
"It was one loud explosion," said Muhammed Fatur, a Syrian who works at a butcher shop near the scene of Saturday's explosion. "Police came to the scene and sealed off the area."
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was convening a security meeting in Istanbul following the attack. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Cengiz Fidaner, who owns a cafe on a side street near the explosion site, told The Associated Press "the explosion was not so big but I felt it in my heart because our people died. They want a war but our people want peace. This is because of Newroz."
Turkey had heightened security in Ankara and Istanbul in the run-up to a Kurdish spring festival of Newroz on March 21, which Kurds in Turkey traditionally use to assert their ethnic identity and demand greater rights. The German consulate, located in the same neighbourhood as the blast, had been closed in recent days over security concerns.
The U.S. Consulate in Istanbul expressed sadness and shock over the attack on its Twitter account.
Did we include a hashtag?
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/19/2016
13:59 ||
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[IsraelTimes] Police raiding an apartment building captured Europe’s most wanted runaway Friday, arresting the prime suspect in last year’s deadly Gay Paree attacks in the same Brussels neighborhood where he grew up.
Salah Abdeslam, 26, is a childhood friend of the suspected ringleader of the attacks. Investigators believe he drove a car carrying a group of gunnies who took part in the shootings, rented rooms and shopped for detonators. He may have been planning a suicide kaboom himself.
After the bloodbath, he slipped through a dragnet to return to Brussels and eluded capture for four months, despite an international manhunt. He was believed to have slipped through police fingers multiple times. At one point, Belgian authorities locked down their capital for several days but failed to find him.g
Update from The Times of Israel at 5:20 p.m. ET: Mr Abdeslam is cooperating with Belgian justice, according to his lawyer, though the poor dear had to answer the investigating magistrate's questions lying down because of his wounded leg. Two of those arrested yesterday have been released, which has been happening a lot throughout this investigation.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
03/19/2016
13:04 ||
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#1
Belgian Justice: A Spinoff of Northwoods Justice, in which 6 Mainesh wildlife officers find a home amongst the Flems and Walloons.
Ernest?
Always!
Wut?
Ernest? We must track down Moose-killer.
In Flemland?
No, we are in cool Waldonia or Poland maybe.
Let's find a Circle K and get a heat-em-up.
Ten four partner!
Found via Free Republic, which has a thread here..
When the Saudi treasury is depleted enough, they'll sell it.
Royal Dutch Shell and Saudi Aramco appear to be getting a divorce, breaking up their joint venture in U.S.-based refining assets.
The two companies joined together to create Motiva Enterprises LLC in 1998, a 50-50 joint venture that operated three refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast. But Shell and Saudi Aramco have seen their interests head in different directions. "It is now time for the partners to pursue their independent downstream goals," said Abdulrahman Al-Wuhaib, a senior vice president of Saudi Aramco’s downstream unit.
Reuters reported that the relationship started to fray after Motiva announced a $10 billion expansion of the Port Arthur refinery, doubling its capacity to 603,000 barrels per day, making it America’s largest refinery. It produced gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. A leak shortly after the expansion was completed in 2012 led to ballooning costs, exacerbating tension between Shell and Aramco. A 2015 workers strike also sparked anger between the two companies.
The Saudis wanted to shoot all the strikers?
The two companies signed a nonbinding letter of intent, a plan that would divide up Motiva’s refineries between them. The refineries have a combined capacity of 1.1 million barrels per day and are all located close to each other. The breakup will allow Saudi Aramco to take over the Port Arthur refinery and 26 distribution terminals, and Aramco will also hold onto the Motiva brand name. Shell will take over the other two refineries, Convent and Norco, both located in Louisiana. Shell said that it would operate the two refineries as one plant with a combined throughput of 500,000 barrels per day.
h/t Instapundit
The city of Ăstersund in central Sweden has decided to cancel its participation in Saturday’s Earth Hour because of the increased rape risk when streets are dark.
Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of scumbags.
Hulk Hogan may have earned his biggest victory in or out of the ring on Friday when a St. Petersburg, Florida jury awarded him $115 million in his invasion of privacy lawsuit against Gawker Media, which published clips of a 2012 sex tape he made with the wife of one of his friends. The professional wrestling and reality TV superstar sued the company that same year, seeking damages for defamation, loss of privacy and emotional pain. But wait - there's more!
Amazingly, Hogan could be getting even more from the jury, as punitive damages have yet to be decided. The jury will meet again next week to consider that argument. I hope Gawker's required to immediately put a sizeable amount of that in escrow while they appeal.
The United States and the Philippines announced a deal on Friday allowing for a rotating U.S. military presence at five Philippine bases under a security agreement inked amid rising tensions with China in the South China Sea.
A joint statement after an annual U.S.-Philippines Strategic Dialogue listed the sites as Antonio Bautista Air Base, close to the contested Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, Basa Air Base north of Manila, Fort Magsaysay in Palayan, Lumbia Air Base in Mindanao and Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu.
U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Amy Searight said the deal was reached under a 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) that grants Washington increased military presence in its former colony through rotation of ships and aircraft for humanitarian and maritime security operations.
Searight told the meeting Manila was a "critical U.S. ally" and ties had never been stronger.
I'll bet her lips never once fell off...
U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg told reporters movements of supplies and personnel to the base locations would take place "very soon."
He described the agreement, valid for an initial 10 years, as "a pretty big deal," that would allow for a greater U.S. presence as part of the U.S. rebalance to Asia and enhance the alliance with the Philippines. However, he stressed that it did not allow for permanent U.S. bases that existed for 94 years until 1991, when the Philippine Senate voted to evict them.
"This isn't a return to that era. These are different reasons and for 21st century issues, including maritime security," he said, adding that all U.S. deployments would require Philippine approval.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/19/2016
10:32 ||
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#1
Landing on a platform rolling in a swell is tough enough, but a rotating base?
...Accusing Republicans of being Hitler for assorted petty reasons dates back to the time when Hitler was still around. FDR accused Republican candidate Wendell Willkie of using "Hitler tactics" by repeating his slogans frequently. But it was the frequent associations of Republicans and Hitler by Democrats that was the true Big Lie. Its only purpose was a senseless association through the repetition of ridiculous and baseless accusations that every single Republican was just Hitler in a better suit.
...To most people, Nazi analogies summon up images of the Holocaust and a ruthless dictatorship. To the left however, any populist reaction against their rule is Nazism. In their world, there is a battle between progressive and reactionary forces. Any movement that dares to run for office by challenging progressive policies is reactionary, fascist and the second coming of the Third Reich. Republican victories are lazily attributed by liberal hacks to mindless public anger being exploited by right-wing demagogues.
...Republicans aren’t progressive. Therefore they’re Hitler. It’s really that simple.
Optimists thought that the Democrats had reached "Peak Hitler" under Bush. But for the left there is no Peak Hitler. The same tired line of attack has been trotted out for fifty years. It will go on limping around the liberal corral for another fifty years or a hundred years. The Big Lie will continue being repeated to indoctrinate each new politically active progressive with the conviction that anyone to the right is Hitler and that every election is a brand new battle to stop Hitler 2.0 from taking over America.
Goldwater was Hitler. Nixon was Hitler. Reagan was Hitler. Bush was Hitler. None of the latter three men declared the Fourth Reich, made themselves dictators for life and ran concentration camps. But the Big Lie retroactively rewrites the past by claiming that last decade’s Hitler was a decent moderate while the latest Republican Hitler is a terrifying monster. Goldwater, Nixon and Reagan were all resurrected as moderate contrasts to each other and then to Bush. The process of recreating Bush as a moderate has already begun. And so each Republican makes the electoral journey from Hitler to a political moderate whom a latter generation of liberals mourns while complaining that this latest Republican really is Hitler.
[Task & Purpose] In January 2002, less than four months after the official launch of Operation Enduring Freedom, before conventional forces were deployed beyond the confines of Kabul, the so-called Global War on Terror was almost exclusively waged by a small group of commandos in the remote mountains, deserts, and villages of Afghanistan.
Master Sgt. Anthony S. Pryor of Company A, 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group was one of those commandos.
On Jan. 23, 2002, Pryor's detachment received orders from U.S. Central Command to conduct a night raid on a suspected al-Qaeda compound in a remote area of southern Afghanistan.
Their mission was to take over an old school house while the enemy fighters slept. But almost as soon as they entered the compound, their position was compromised, and they found themselves under intense gunfire, some of it from less than 25 meters away.
"After the initial burst of automatic weapons fire, we returned fire in the breezeway," Pryor’s teammate, Sgt. 1st Class Scott Neil, told an Army reporter. "It was a mental spur -- after we heard the words 'let's go;' everything just kind of kicked in."
[Business Insider] Hotels.com has an amusing TV character called "Captain Obvious" who makes humorous commercials by saying clearly obvious things. The CIA has a director who is the exact opposite -- a "Captain Un-Reality" -- who constantly makes absurd claims contrary to facts and common sense.
During an National Public Radio interview last month, for example, CIA Director John Brennan made what may be the most bizarre statement ever by an U.S. intelligence official: "We don’t steal secrets," he said. "Everything we do is consistent with U.S. law. We uncover, we discover, we reveal, we obtain, we elicit, we solicit."
This was a ridiculous statement. Although the CIA is required to comply with U.S. law, one of its core missions is stealing secrets abroad through a variety of means that blatantly violate the laws of other nations. This is the nature of intelligence collection.
That this CIA director would say something so preposterous is symptomatic of the damage the Obama administration has done to our national security with his assistance. It also is not the only example of Mr. Brennan’s denying the obvious.
He has repeatedly echoed President Obama’s refusal to use the terms "jihadist" or "Islamist" to describe members of Islamic terrorist groups like al-Qaida and ISIS. He explained this in a 2010 CSIS speech by disputing ties between these groups and Islam.
Brennan also said in this speech that we should not label "our enemy as jihadists or Islamists because jihad is holy struggle, a legitimate tenet of Islam meaning to purify oneself of one’s community."
Brennan had a controversial tenure as President Obama’s assistant for homeland security and counterterrorism in the National Security Council. He played a role in the administration’s decision to read Miranda rights to Umar Abdulmutallab, the so-called "underwear bomber" who tried to destroy a civilian airliner over Detroit on Christmas Day 2009.
Brennan also was widely criticized for defending this decision by falsely claiming that the Obama administration had continued a Bush administration policy.
While at the NSC, Brennan also was involved in editing talking points drafted by the CIA on the 2011 attacks on the U.S. consulate Benghazi which said, contrary to available intelligence and State Department reporting, that the attacks were in response to an anti-Muslim video and were not a pre-planned terrorist attack.
Reports of Brennan’s ineptitude have grown since he became CIA director in 2013.
#1
Nice bit by Fleitz, but he only scratches the surface. The author confuses 'ineptitude' with a puppet master's clearly focused pro-Islamic strategy.
[The Telegraph] A senior British Army officer was abducted and beaten up at gunpoint while helping lead a UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, it has been disclosed.
Col Edward Dawes had his teeth smashed and was questioned for several hours after being hauled out of his vehicle at an illegal checkpoint.
Details of the incident emerged as he was awarded an OBE for his work as Chief of Staff of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
[Breitbart] In a Friday interview on C-SPAN, former U.S. Attorney for the District of Colombia Joseph diGenova held up a copy of Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Businesses Helped Make Bill and Hillary Rich and said, "I know from conversations with former FBI agents that the FBI, believe it or not, has a copy of this book, Clinton Cash."
"And they have delved into it deeply," diGenova said about the federal agents currently investigating the multiple email accounts and the private server that then-secretary of state Hillary Clinton and her aids used to conduct official government business while she was in office.
#2
They are a hierarchical government bureaucracy headed by a political appointee in competition with other enforcement organizations for annual funding. They are on their own side.
#2
But nothing, I think, could prepare us
For what we would witness in Paris...
A vision so charming,
If slightly alarming,
That night at the Folies des Heeres:
#8
It gets easier the more one practices -- and Zenobia F. started at a high level. I only hope, for his sake, that one doesn't pop out in an important meeting, in church, or during a tender interlude. Unless the audience would appreciate as we do, of course.
#9
Although I think he might have confused Dutch and German: Herr in German, Heer in Dutch, as I recall from my days trying to speak those languages. For the rest, delightful!
The United States and its allies conducted 20 strikes against Islamic State group militants in Iraq and Syria on Thursday, the coalition leading the operations said.
In a statement released on Friday, the Combined Joint Task Force said nine strikes near three cities in Syria hit several tactical units, destroyed fighting positions and a vehicle-borne explosive device, and damaged other targets.
In Iraq, 11 strikes near seven cities targeted headquarters and tactical units and destroyed vehicles, heavy machine gun positions, a tunnel and other targets, the statement said.
Posted by: badanov ||
03/19/2016
00:12 ||
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Russian jets are flying some 25 bombing raids daily to back up a Syrian government offensive to recapture the ancient city of Palmyra from Islamic State jihadists, the armed forces said Friday.
Senior commander Sergei Rudskoi insisted that the "conditions have been created for the encirclement and definitive defeat of IS armed formations in Palmyra."
"Government troops and patriotic forces with the support of the Russian air force are carrying out a large-scale operation to liberate Palmyra," he told journalists.
"On average Russian planes are flying 20 to 25 combat sorties each day," Rudskoi said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday spoke of "intense battles" going on around Palmyra as he decorated Russian officers who served in Syria and said he hoped the "pearl of world civilization" would be returned to the Syrian people.
The ongoing strikes come despite some of Moscow's jets in Syria returning home after Putin -- one of the main backers of Syrian President Bashar Assad -- on Monday ordered a surprise withdrawal of most of his forces from the war-torn country.
Meanwhile, the IS jihadist group has claimed the killing of five Russian troops in fighting near Palmyra.
"The soldiers of the caliphate, by the grace of God, have killed five Russian soldiers and six members" of the Syrian army, IS said in a statement.
The group also claimed the killing of several members of Hizbullah group in the clashes near Palmyra. A website linked to IS, Aamaq, carried a similar claim and a video showing the bloodied corpse of a man in military gear that it claimed was a Russian military adviser.
The footage also shows equipment presumably captured after the clashes, including a customized AK-74M rifle, a helmet and a compass.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not confirm either the presence of Russian advisers around Palmyra or the IS claim of the soldiers' killing.
"The advance (on Palmyra) is carried out by contingents of the Syrian army," Peskov said.
IS seized Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in eastern Syria known as the "Pearl of the Desert", last May, drawing global concern.
[IsraelTimes] Geert Wilders’ statements against Moroccan immigrants colonists could land him two years in prison
"Far-right"
...scare quotes added because in terms of economics he's a standard European Democratic Socialist..
. anti-immigrant Dutch MP Geert Wilders appeared before a top security court Friday for a hearing ahead of his trial later this year on charges of incitement to hatred.
On his way to the tribunal, Wilders tweeted: "On my way to the courthouse. Nobody will silence me. No terrorist, no prime minister and no court."
The case against Wilders centers on comments by the populist politician -- famous for his trademark peroxide blond hairdo -- at a March 2014 local election rally.
The mills of "justice" are moving slowly, indeed.
He asked supporters in The Hague whether they wanted "fewer or more Moroccans in your city and in the Netherlands?"
When the crowd shouted back "Fewer! Fewer!" a smiling Wilders answered: "We’re going to organize that."
The remark triggered 6,400 complaints from across the Netherlands,
...all of whom read about it in the papers or saw a report on the teevee...
and Wilders even faced criticism from within his Party for Freedom (PVV).
"You are here as a suspect in a criminal case. You are not required to say anything or answer any questions," Judge Hendrik Steenhuis told him as the hearing started.
Dressed in a blue suit, Wilders appeared relaxed, getting out his phone to take a video of the photographers jostling to take his picture.
"Racism and hatred towards foreigners are in direct contravention of the freedoms we have in a democratic society," prosecutor Wouter Bos told the court.
"The prosecution believes that you insulted Moroccans as a group and committed incitement to hate speech," he added, saying that while "freedom of speech is a fundamental principle .... (it) is not an absolute."
But Wilders’ lawyer Geert-Jan Knoops told a three-judge bench the case should be stopped immediately so an investigation could be launched into how sensitive documents including Wilders’ opening statement had been leaked to a Dutch newspaper.
The popular tabloid Algemeen Dagblad on Friday printed an unauthorized version of Wilders’ defense strategy as well as a draft of his opening statement which both Wilders and Knoops described as a "shocking" development.
"We believe a crime has been committed," said Knoops, adding that "communications between an advocate and his client are sacrosanct."
"We absolutely want to know what happened. There may be more documents that are in the hands of third parties," he said.
Outside the heavily-fortified court complex, a handful of supporters, waving Dutch flags and scarfs, gathered early Friday watched by dozens of police and gendarmes.
Security forces lined the road to the high-security complex, a few kilometers outside Schiphol Airport.
Some supporters wore pink hats depicting a cartoon pig, seen as an apparent insult to Islam and Muslims.
The spike in the numbers of refugees arriving in The Netherlands has polarized Dutch society, with Wilders’s party tapping into popular discontent and currently topping opinion polls.
Wilders has denounced the decision to prosecute him as "incomprehensible," telling AFP in a recent interview that he was referring to a "criminal element" among Moroccans and not to the group as a whole.
Friday’s hearing has been called to examine where the investigations stand ahead of the full trial due to start on October 31.
If found guilty, Wilders could face up to two years in jail or a fine of more than 20,000 euros.
Wilders, who has repeatedly denounced Islam and famously compared the Koran to Adolf Hitler ...late Fuehrer of Germany, founder of the Third Reich, currently communing with his pals Himmler and Heydrich. He is reincarnated every few days as a politician somebody doesn't like... ’s "Mein Kampf," was acquitted during a first hate trial in 2011 which concluded he could not be found guilty because his remarks targeted a religion and not a specific group of people.
...or as the Geneva Conventions calls them, human shields...
among them eight children, were killed on Friday in air strikes on the northern Syrian city of Raqa by unidentified planes, a monitoring group said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said five women were also among the dead in Raqa, the main Syrian bastion of the Islamic State jihadist group.
"The death toll could rise as there are around 40 wounded and missing people," the Observatory said.
Secondaries?
The Britain-based Observatory typically identifies aircraft by flight patterns and munitions used.
However, it said Friday's strikes could have been carried out "by either the Syrian regime, the Russians, or the coalition led by Washington," referring to the US-led effort to strike IS in Syria and Iraq.
But Aamaq, a self-styled news agency linked to IS, said strikes by Russian warplanes had left 17 people dead in Raqa on Friday.
On Monday, Moscow announced it would withdraw the bulk of its air force from Syria after a nearly six-month air war in support of President Bashar Assad.
It warned that it would continue targeting "terrorist groups".
Russia's military said Friday it was still conducting about two dozen combat sorties per day to back a government offensive to retake the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria from IS.
Posted by: badanov ||
03/19/2016
00:06 ||
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#1
When you hide WMDs in your basement, there's gonna be splatter.
ERBIL – The Islamic State (ISIS) extremist group has lost large territories in Syria and Iraq over the past few weeks, especially after the U.S.-led coalition forces stepped up airstrikes on the group’s key positions.
Local sources confirmed that ISIS manpower has clearly decreased, particularly in the Syrian eastern province of Deir ez-Zor. The group has been pushing its security forces, which usually operate inside the city, into the battlefields to back their fellow militants in the forefronts.
Speaking to ARA News in Deir ez-Zor, media activist Saray ed-Din said that the security situation has obviously worsened in the province of Deir ez-Zor, especially with the battles getting closer to the northern border of the province.
Due to the heavy losses in the group’s ranks following painful blows by the U.S.-led coalition forces, ISIS started to launch arbitrary arrest campaigns against civilians in Deir ez-Zor, “forcing hundreds of people to join the fighting, in a bid to compensate the unprecedented shortage in its manpower”, according to ed-Din.
Also, local activists stressed that the terror group has arrested last week dozens of civilians in the province under the pretext of “spying” for the coalition and the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG)ــwhich declared on Thursday, along with several Arab and Christian groups, a federal system northern Syria.
Ed-Din pointed out that ISIS militants stormed Wednesday midnight civilian houses in the town of Baqras, claiming they use the internet service illegally and many of them spy for the western-backed forces.
“Amid the mounting loss of fighters, Daesh [ISIS] has been depending on the Islamic police forces and the Hisba members inside Deir ez-Zor to participate in the battles,” a local sources told ARA News, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“This is to back their fellows fighting the Kurds on the borders between Hasakah and Deir ez-Zor in an attempt to prevent further advance of the Kurds and their SDF allies,” he said.
Posted by: badanov ||
03/19/2016
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[Ynet] Federal authorities say a Caliphornia, an impregnable bastion of the Democratic Party, university student who maimed four fellow students in a November campus stabbing was inspired by ISIS, but acted alone.
Congratulations, guys! It only took four months after it was reported that he had an ISIS flag and included in his notes a reminder to pray that you figured it out, but at least you got there. Faisal Mohammad's Rantburg archive can be seen here.
Four months is the minimum amount of time required to bury this deeply enough that the admission won't make the major newspapers. Twelve months would have been better. And notice the Friday late-afternoon release...
The FBI said Thursday that 18-year-old Faisal Mohammad may have become self-radicalized, drawing his inspiration from terrorist propaganda. A campus police officer shot and killed the University of California, Merced student the day of the attack.
Investigators say they found ISIS propaganda on his laptop, and evidence that he had visited the terrorist group's website.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
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ALGIERS: Militants launched a rocket attack Friday on an Algerian gas plant jointly operated by foreign companies, three years after a deadly hostage crisis at another facility in the Sahara desert.
It was the most serious such attack since the 2013 assault, when militants stormed a complex in Algeria’s remote east and began a four-day siege that left dozens dead.
There were no reports of casualties in Friday’s attack, companies and workers at the site said.
“This morning, at approximately 06:00 local time, the In Salah gas asset in Krechba was hit by explosive munitions fired from a distance,” Norwegian oil and gas firm Statoil said in a statement.
Britain’s BP, which along with Algerian company Sonatrach also operates the plant 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) south of Algiers, said no employees were hurt.
“There are no reports of any injuries to personnel at the site and the Central Processing Facility (CPF) has been shut down as a safety precaution,” it said.
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The Afghan security forces thwarted a plot to attack the residence of acting intelligence chief Massoud Andarabi earlier today. The militant was identified by the security forces before he manage to enter the residence of Andarabi, a security official said.
The National Directorate of Security (NDS) has not commented regarding the incident so far which comes amid deteriorating security situation.
The US embassy in Kabul earlier issued a security alert to its citizens in Afghanistan and warned regarding possible attacks planned by insurgent groups in Kabul to target the Nowruz celebrations.
The local residents and eyewitnesses have confirmed that gunshots were heard from the area which has now been cordoned off by the security personnel.
The anti-government armed militant groups have not commented regarding the incident so far.
Andarabi assumed charge of the Afghan intelligence earlier in December last year after the former NDS chief Rahmatullah Nabil resigned from his position. He was serving as Deputy Director of Operations before he was appointed to replace Nabil as the acting intelligence chief.
Housekeeping note: Quarterly ammunition price reports are next week.
I just finished helping an acquaintance assemble an AR-15 from a kit. The build went quickly and easily. I had been under the impression that it would be a good deal more complicated than it was.
While assembling the fire control group I noticed that it was functionally identical to the AK fire control group. I can see why someone would mistakenly say that the AR is a fine watch compared to the AK, given all the detents and springs in it, but that just makes the build complicated, not complex. The rifle is much easier to maintain than the AK, which really requires a gunsmith to change barrels, as an example.
You would need a gunsmith to change barrels in an AR given potential problems with headspacing, but it is much easier with an AR.
Months ago I found a link on the internet to an AR builder who built his lower from scratch without machining a full aluminum billet. He simply broke the drawing down into specific parts, and assembled them using button head cap screws.
He swears up and down the rifle is functional, and I believe him, but it looked terrible. He admitted problems exist with the build, namely with the takedown pins and the magazine catch, and the safety did not work properly due to the lack of any detent to control its location.
Looking over the drawings he provided, I realized that the lower parts kit for every AR fits every other AR, including the AR-10 rifle. The main difference between the two lowers is the length of the magazine well and the distance between the fire control groups and the forward pin holes.
To me, it was a pretty amazing piece of engineering to take and machine individual parts, then assemble them into an actual AR lower, and then build the rifle.
You can find a complete set of drawings here (PDF).
And don't worry. I maintain copies of this file in several computers.
In other news, eggheads at Harvard recently argued that white people should die. When the school got caught hosting such a debate, videos of the debate disappeared. Never happened.
Just weird. Whenever Russia holds one of its racial meets and invites white supremacists such as Jarad Taylor, you never hear about them arguing people of color should die.
You can view the video of Harvard's latest contribution to the coming civil war here.
Loads.
Rantburg's summary for arms and ammunition:
Prices for pistol ammunition were mostly unchanged, while prices for rifle ammunition were mixed.
Prices for used pistols and for used rifles were mixed.
New Lows:
None
Pistol Ammunition
.45 Caliber, 230 Grain, From Last Week: -.04 Each After Unchanged (2 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Ammo2U, CCI Lawman, TMJ, Brass Casing, .20 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: Today's Ammo, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Cased, .24 per round (From Last week: -.01 Each After Unchanged (5 Weeks))
.40 Caliber Smith & Wesson, 180 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (3 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Goose Island Sales, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .22 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: Freedom Ammunition, Mixed Bullets, Store brand, Brass, .22 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (1Q, 2016))
9mm Parabellum, 115 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (2 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Goose Island Sales, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .17 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: SG Ammo, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .16 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (2 Weeks))
.357 Magnum, 158 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (2 weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Goose Island Sales, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .25 per round
Cheapest Bulk: 1,000 rounds: SG Ammo, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel cased, .25 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (4Q, 2015))
Rifle Ammunition
.223 Caliber/5.56mm 55 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (3 Weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: LAX ammunition, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .22 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: Ammunition Supply Company, Tulammo, FMJ, steel casing, .22 per round (From Last Week: -.01 Each After Unchanged (2 Weeks))
.308 NATO 150 Grain, From Last Week: +.01 Each
Cheapest, 20 rounds: LAX Ammunition, Tulammo, FMJ, steel casing, .37 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: LAX Ammunition, Tulammo, steel casing, FMJ, .34 per round (From Last Week: -.02 Each)
7.62x39 AK 123 Grain, From Last Week: -.02 each After Unchanged (9 Weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Munire USA, Wolf Polyformance, steel case, FMJ, .23 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: SG Ammo, Wolf WPA, steel case, FMJ, .23 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (4 weeks))
.22 LR 40 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (4 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Ammomen, Federal, RNL .07 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 325 rounds: Natchez Shooters Supply, Federal, RNL, .07 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (4 Weeks))
Guns for Private Sale
Rifles
.223/5.56mm (AR Pattern Semiautomatic) Average Price: $500 Last Week Avg: $585 (-) ($616 (49 Weeks), $476 (25 Weeks))
California (186, 183): Smith & Wesson M&P Sport: $600 ($650 (1Q,2015), $400 (28 Weeks))
Texas (248, 237): Mixed Build: $500 ($700 (1Q, 2015), $350 (49 Weeks))
Pennsylvania (110, 109): Smith & Wesson M&P15 Sport II : $450 ($700 (48 Weeks), $300 (36 Weeks))
Virginia (138, 144): Smith & Wesson M&P Sport: $550 ($750 (1Q, 2015), $480 (14 Weeks))
Florida (299, 304): Colt AR-15: $400 ($650 (38 Weeks), $380 (50 Weeks))
#2
BLM activist advocates white genocide at Harvard.
Ain't going to happen. Time to go over the checklist again, let's see guns cleaned, oiled and in good working order (✔), plenty of ammo (✔), other essential stuff (✔) in case of urban chaos.
#3
I just finished helping an aquaintance assemble an AR-15 from a kit.
Just to pass on some advice that I found helpful. Take the time to research every single part prior to purchase. One benefit of "Complete" kits is that it takes the guess work out. The downside is the parts included typically offer basic functionality. That's fine but it may be more cost effective to purchase more desireable parts initially and avoid upgrade costs down the road.
Security forces in Somalia’s semi-autonomous region of Puntland killed more than 60 Islamist terrorists militants and regained some territory in a counter-offensive against al Shabaab, regional officials said.
Shaboobs are beginning to look like Michigan State out there...
The terrorist militant group has become more active in Puntland, a large part of northern Somalia, since moving more forces there after being pushed out of strongholds farther south by an African Union force and the Somali National Army, experts and officials say.
Omar Abdullahi, a regional governor, told Reuters that Puntland forces had killed 19 terrorists militants on Thursday and lost two of their own troops in fighting for an area called Baadqab, 90 km (55 miles) southwest of Puntland’s capital Garowe. He said his forces were still pursuing al Shabaab terrorists fighters.
Puntland police officer Major Mohamed Abdullahi said 22 al Shabaab terrorists fighters had been killed in three days of fighting that was still going on in the Zuuj hills region, and that four soldiers were killed.
“We have besieged them but fighting is not over,” he said.
On Friday, the government in Mogadishu sent extra military supplies by plane to help the Puntland forces, Information Minister Mohamed Abdi Hayir said on state radio.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/19/2016
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Shaboobs are beginning to look like Michigan State out there...
That sounds like a sports metaphor. What does it mean?
A North Korean bank operating covertly in the Chinese border city of Dandong has closed down recently, in a further sign that Beijing is now strictly complying with international sanctions against the renegade country.
Sources on Thursday said a branch of Korea Kwangson Banking Corporation in downtown Dandong closed down in late February, and that there are no rumors that it has moved to another region, as North Koreans bank branches have in the past.
North Korean banks in China officially suspended operations after the North's third nuclear test in 2013, but some continued to run illegally in Dandong while Chinese authorities looked the other way. The banks handled trade financing and loans to businesspeople in the North who engaged in trade with China.
China has also drastically stepped up searches of cargo headed to North Korea, a government source here said, bolstering staff at customs checkpoints.
The official said Beijing is also complying with the most recent UN Security Council Resolution that mandates the seizure of 31 vessels operated by North Korean shipping company Ocean Maritime Management.
A growing number of North Korean restaurants in northeastern China are closing down. "Anti-North Korean sentiment increased in China after the North's latest nuclear test, and the slowing Chinese economy also played a role," the official said.
Chinese authorities also seem to be cracking down on 20,000 North Koreans working there. The main targets are illegals with only entry passes but no work permits.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/19/2016
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Eight Sailors aboard the Norfolk-based aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) were injured this afternoon when an arresting gear parted during a routine landing by an E-2C Hawkeye aircraft.
There were no fatalities and the Sailors are listed in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries. The injured Sailors were working on the flight deck at the time of the mishap. Six have been transported to Norfolk Sentara General Hospital for treatment. Two remain aboard IKE.
The aircraft regained flight and returned safely to its base at Norfolk Naval Station Chambers Field. Initial reports are the aircraft was not damaged and no aircrew members were injured.
The ship is off the Virginia coast conducting carrier qualifications for Composite Training Unit and Joint Task Force Exercises (COMPTUEX/JTFEX) in preparation for their upcoming deployment.
An investigation is underway to determine the cause.
Posted by: Steve White ||
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Was it the arresting gear from the plane or the arresting wire? Either way, those guys are lucky to be alive. The thought of part of an arresting gear flying toward you at 100+ mph causes a real pucker factor.
A FlyDubai Boeing 737-800 has crashed in a fireball while it attempted to land at a Russian airport.
The passenger jet was believed to be making its second attempt to land at Rostov-on-Don airport in poor visibility.
A video published on YouTube appears to show a fireball as the aircraft crashes into the ground.
The jet is believed to be Flight FZ981 from Dubai. Officials say there were at least 55 passengers and crew members on board and there were no survivors.
[USA Today] WASHINGTON -- Three years after the Pentagon ordered the military services to prepare to open all ground combat jobs to women, few of them have expressed interest in a career in the infantry or other newly opened positions.
As part of an experimental program, 233 women who completed Marine Corps infantry and other ground combat schools are eligible for those jobs, but none has requested a formal transfer. Yes, zero out of 233 would certainly qualify as 'few.'
The Army sees similar results. "We’re not expecting a high propensity for infantry or armor," said Lt. Col. Jerry Pionk, an Army spokesman. Expectation management is it? It's a cock-up, a failure. Own it and move on, colonel!
The Marine Corps initially expected about 200 women a year to enter jobs previously closed to women, including a small number in the infantry.
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said opening the jobs would improve combat effectiveness because the military would draw from a larger pool of applicants for the infantry and other specialties.
“To succeed in our mission of national defense, we cannot afford to cut ourselves off from half the country's talents and skills,” Carter said.
Military officials said the interest among women in previously all-male jobs may change over time, citing the gradual progress in expanding earlier opportunities for women in the military. “Incrementally over time, it’s been one success after another,” Pionk said.
It remains to be seen whether this time will be different. The infantry, in particular, is a job that requires carrying heavy loads over great distances and living in austere conditions for long periods. The life of an infantryman has changed little over the course of U.S. military history. Yes indeed, 'changed little' over the course of U.S. military history or since the battle of Thermopylae. They have a hard enough time getting men to sign up for infantry. It's a job for tough guys.
#1
If these numbskulls continue to go all-in on the civil rights/equality thing, we need to force the "women register for the draft" down their throats. Can't do much more damage at this point, and might make for a salubrious "Learning Experience".
#2
Notice how many women are lining up for those jobs on Deadliest Catch? For some reason they are not 'proportionately' represented in these types of jobs. About as many as you'd find male elementary school teachers. In the world of potential death and dismemberment, the dirty end of the stick is handed to one gender. Where's the equality in that? Hint - its about power, not equality or fairness.
#3
Just because 'They can' doesn't mean 'They will'.
When exclusionary behavior is applied to 50% of any population, the socially perceived value of common included and excluded subtypes is diminished. Gamers, Coders, Checkout Clerks or Thumpers should not be gender selective.
#4
Not too unlike the construction industry. Companies actively recruit, offer child care, etc.
Still only about 5-6% of the 'heavy' construction trades as a whole though, and even less in the 'craft' trades (Plumbing, Electrical, HVAC, etc.). Some government contracts REQUIRE 15-25% female laborers, so it gets real tough to comply.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
03/19/2016 14:19
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Hat tip Instapundit. Long, long piece on North Korea that starts with that stupid American kid and explores what in the world a person would be thinking to want to go to North Korea 'on holiday'. Key graf:
But North Korea really is different. It’s not a country, it’s a prison camp and a torture chamber. Taking a tourist trip there means spectating on the murder and abuse of your fellow human beings, and putting hard currency into the hands of the people responsible for those crimes.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/19/2016
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I'm sure that the night time light pollution is minimal. Might make a good sky party vacation for amateur astronomers.
In his comments, Warmbier said he was offered a used car worth $10,000 by a member of the church. He said the church member told him the slogan would be hung on its wall as a trophy. He also said he was told that if he was detained and not returned, $200,000 would be paid to his mother in a way of charitable donations.
Calls to the Friendship United Methodist Church went unanswered Monday.
Warmbier named that as the church his acquaintance belonged to and there is church of that name in Wyoming.
He said he was also encouraged in his act by the "Z Society" at the University of Virginia, which he said he was trying to join. The magazine of the university's alumni association describes the Z Society as a "semi-secret ring society" that was founded in 1892 and conducts philanthropy, puts on honorary dinners and grants academic awards.
Warmbier said he accepted the offer of money because his family is "suffering from very severe financial difficulties."
Wyoming is one of the more prosperous suburbs of Cincinnati. Fortune 500 CEOs and such live in the large Edwardian houses with impeccably maintained gardens. Department heads live in the smaller houses built in the 1920s, likewise impeccably maintained. No way would the kid break the law for a $10.000 beater -- Mom and Dad bought him a new Toyota or Kia when he got his driver's license, and he'll get something appropriate when he graduates from Virginia. If the family really were struggling, selling the house and moving to something smaller in West Chester would free up considerable funds.
Nor can I imagine a lady from the church would put him up to stealing, though a college society certainly might.
An emerald-green comet will brush the Earth Monday, followed one day later by a kissing cousin that will swerve closer to the planet than any other comet in nearly 250 years.
The first and bigger of the two comets will be visible Monday to the naked eye in the southern hemisphere, as long as city lights are far away. Stargazers in the United States will probably need only binoculars to see the bigger comet in late March. Scientists, however, are bringing out the big guns. The Hubble Space Telescope, the powerful ground-based Gemini telescopes and others will be trained on the celestial visitors, which will provide an extraordinary close-up of objects usually glimpsed only at a distance.
"This is one for the record books," says Michael Kelley of the University of Maryland, who’s never heard of two comets approaching close to Earth a day apart. "It’s a fantastic opportunity for professionals to learn more about comets, and if you have a chance to try to find them ... it’s a fantastic chance to see part of history as it happens."
The first member of the pair, known as comet 252P/LINEAR, is a bright green color from the carbon gas it’s puffing out, says the University of Maryland’s Matthew Knight. 252P will slide past Earth at a distance of roughly 3 million miles. That’s well beyond the moon but near enough to put 252P in the top 10 of closest-approaching comets.
252P wasn’t expected to get terribly bright, but it has been "surpassing all expectations," says amateur comet-hunter Michael Mattiazzo of Australia. It may even be visible to the unaided eye in southern hemisphere suburbs where light pollution is low.
Astronomers discovered the trailing member of the pair, P/2016 BA14, a few months ago. It was shrugged off as yet another asteroid, or space rock. Then astronomers peering through a telescope saw it had a tail -- and was therefore a comet. That means BA14 and its larger companion "are among the closest comets to pass by Earth in recorded history," says Knight, who took the first snapshot revealing BA14 is a comet. The only comet known to have skimmed past us at a smaller distance was Lexell’s Comet in 1770.
Scientists aren’t yet sure of the nature of the relationship between 252P and its hanger-on. Perhaps BA14 broke off 252P decades ago. Both comets could be pieces from an even bigger comet, or they could be unrelated. If the upcoming studies show they’re family, they’ll provide an almost unprecedented scientific bonanza.
"Comets split relatively often," Knight says, "but we rarely get a chance to study them soon after it happens, and when we do usually only the bigger fragment survives. ...We have two fragments in this case."
"A lot of things in the sky remain immobile," says Bob King, an amateur astronomer and Sky & Telescope blogger. But anyone looking at 252P through a telescope when it’s very near will see it move, he says. "You feel a little, ‘Whoa, the solar system is closer than I thought.’... It really is a thrill."
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
03/19/2016
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carbon gas it’s puffing out
I doubt it. Boiling point of carbon is nearly 5,000C.
#3
They've found out that gear and training works or can be made to work.
Optempo is wearing them down, though. Not enough assets in depth.
They can also see that Assad is about to imitate a smoking hole in the ground, and don't want to be nearby in force when it finally hits the fan there (or they'd have to intervene).
Posted by: ed in texas ||
03/19/2016 10:31
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#4
They kept a regime that provides them the only port in Mediterranean in power. Tested/advertised weapons/operational procedures. Signaled the rest of the World that Russia is back. And showed (former) USA how it's done. If several million Allah-beasts end up in Western Europe (home of Russia's implacable enemies), it's just just a bonus.
[JudicialWatch]. (Washington, DC) -- Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeking communications between the U.S. Department of the Treasury and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of the Treasury (No. 1:15-cv-01776)).
The goal of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit is to gain access to documents involving a uranium deal approved by then-Secretary of State Clinton that is tied to major Clinton Foundation donor Frank Giustra and Russian-state issues.
The lawsuit was filed after the Treasury Department ignored a FOIA request sent on May 29, 2015. Judicial Watch's request seeks emails between key Treasury agencies and Hillary Clinton non-governmental email accounts:
Posted by: Vast Right Wing Conspiracy ||
03/19/2016
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#1
Looks like this problem wasn't fixed after all.
(IraqiNews.com) Baghdad – A source in the Iraqi police said on Friday, that nine people had been either killed or injured in a bomb blast that took place in southern Baghdad.
The source said in a statement received by IraqiNews.com, “This morning, an explosive device went off near a popular market in the vicinity of al-Yusifiyah in southern Baghdad, resulting in the death of one person and wounding eight others,” adding that, “A security force rushed to the area of the incident and transferred the injured to a nearby hospital for medical treatment and the dead to the forensic medicine authority.”
Rebels seeking independence for Western Sahara warned Thursday that “the shortest way to the resumption of war” is if the UN ends its peacekeeping mission in the disputed territory — and they say that’s Morocco’s aim.
The Polisario Front’s UN representative, Ahmed Boukhari, spoke to reporters after Morocco ordered 84 international staff in the peacekeeping mission to leave within three days and reiterated the country’s termination of $3 million in funding for the UN operation, to protest recent remarks by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Boukhari told reporters that the UN Security Council must defend the UN presence in Western Sahara.
“If there is no mission, there is a vacuum and an invitation to war,” he said.
Morocco annexed Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, in 1975 and fought the Polisario Front until the UN brokered a cease-fire in 1991. The UN mission was established to monitor the cease-fire and help organize a referendum on the future of the vast, mineral-rich territory. But the referendum has never taken place because of disputes over voter lists.
Morocco considers Western Sahara its “southern provinces” and has offered the region autonomy, but the Polisario Front insists on self-determination through a referendum for the local population.
The Security Council met behind closed doors Thursday afternoon to hear a briefing from UN political chief Jeffrey Feltman and discuss Morocco’s actions.
Angola’s UN Ambassador Ismael Gaspar Martins, the current council president, signaled deep divisions in the UN’s most powerful body, briefly telling reporters afterward that the council “expressed serious concerns” and decided that the 15 members should engage with Morocco “to make sure that the situation is stabilized.”
UN diplomats said Feltman told the council that Morocco’s “precipitate action” would make it impossible for the UN mission, known as MINURSO, to carry out its mission. He said the UN wants “cancellation or mitigation” of Morocco’s punitive actions against MINURSO, a return to a normal relationship, and a quick resumption of negotiations on Western Sahara’s future — and he stressed that the UN was counting on the council’s “unified support,” the diplomats said.
But there was a total lack of consensus among the 15 members, with France, Egypt, Senegal, Spain and Japan supporting Morocco, the diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because consultations were private.
Feltman warned that if the peacekeeping mission can’t function, the vacuum created could be exploited by Morocco, the Polisario Front or others, which would threaten international peace and security, the diplomats said.
The latest dispute, which led to a massive protest in Morocco on Sunday, was sparked by the UN chief’s use of the term “occupation” in describing Western Sahara’s territorial status during his visit this month to refugee camps in Algeria for the Sahrawis, as the region’s native inhabitants are known.
Morocco’s Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar told a news conference for French and Arab media on Thursday that “like all the countries in the world, we do not accept injustice or insult wherever it comes from.”
Mezouar said the decisions about MINURSO were “irreversible,” but he said “Morocco has left pending other decisions.” They include a threat to withdraw its 2,300 troops from all UN peacekeeping operations.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric called Morocco’s order for 84 UN civilian staffers to leave within three days “unprecedented,” saying past issues with countries over UN peacekeeping missions were worked out within months, not days.
Jeddah, Washington-Yemeni informed sources confirmed that there are Iraqi officers in a number of Yemeni cities, particularly in Tihamah Province.
Sources added that these officers are developing war plans for Houthi militants and their allies, who are loyal to the ousted former President, Ali Abdullah Saleh.
An official source told Asharq Al-Awsat that these officers are affiliated with Iraqi Ba’ath Party, and that they are participating in Yemen following a request from Saleh before the outbreak of the revolution in 2011.
According to the source, these officers provide consultations, yet their roles have altered with the Yemeni situation changing and becoming even worse than before. Today, these officers put war strategies and provide military consultations in districts and provinces that fall under the control of Houthi militias and Saleh’s forces.
The source added that these Iraqi officers were moving easily in Yemeni provinces before launching the “Decisive Storm”. However, the National Army’s progress on all fronts in the north and center and the liberation of many Yemeni directorates have negatively affected their movements and restricted them to Sanaa and few other locations.
The source also explained that the Iraqi officers in Yemen replaced the 15 Iranian experts who were arrested by the Yemeni Government.
The Yemeni official confirmed that his government will decisively deal with all foreigners involved in military operations, and it will pursue them legally.
In a common matter, White House spokesman Josh Earnest on Thursday welcomed a statement that the year-old Saudi war on Yemen was nearing the “end of the major combat phase.”
“We have expressed our concerns about the loss of innocent life in Yemen, the violence there that is plaguing that country has caught too many innocent civilians in the crossfire,” Earnest said.
“We would welcome and do welcome the statement from Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Saudi General Ahmed al-Assiri who indicated on Thursday that major operations in Yemen are coming to an end and that the coalition will work on ‘long-term plans’ to bring stability to the country.”
“We have long made the case that Yemen is in dire need of a political solution, and that that political solution needs to come as soon as possible,” Earnest added. “That’s why we have continued to urge all parties return to UN facilitated peace talks.”
On the other hand al-Asiri earlier told AFP in a press conference, “we are in the end of the major combat phase”, adding that Riyadh wants to ensure a stable security before helping with the reconstruction of the country.
Al-Assiri also said that “in any military campaign you have phases.” “Today,” he said, “we are in the end of the major combat phase.”
“The aim of the coalition is to create a strong cohesive government with a strong national army and security forces that can combat terrorism and impose law and order across the country,” al-Asiri added.
He also emphasized that the coalition’s primary duty is to build a Yemeni army. “This takes time and it needs patience,” he said.
[AllenB.West.com] As reported by the Jerusalem Post, "A delegation of Iraqi Kurds will visit Moscow in April to discuss Russian weapons supplies, the RIA Novosti news agency on Thursday cited the head of an Iraqi Kurd representation office in Russia as saying.
RIA on Wednesday quoted the Russian consulate in Iraq as saying Russia has already supplied weapons to Iraqi Kurds and that the first shipment had arrived on March 14. It said the shipment had included five Zu-23-2 anti-aircraft cannons and 20,000 shells for the cannons.
Posted by: Vast Right Wing Conspiracy ||
03/19/2016
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What China's doing in the SCS ala Scarborough Shoal may become a "line in the sand" for Manila as far as US-PH RELATIONS, or more specifically PH-OBAMA RELATIONS are concerned, as any Chinese mil assets based at Scarborough puts the PLA that much closer to the PH.
Iff Beijing can crack PH trust in the US = POTUS Obama, it can do the same vee Japan + SOKOR in NE Asia + East China Sea, + ultimately TAIWAN.
ANTI-US US POTUS OBAMA + ALIGNED ANTI-US OWG GLOBIES HAVE TEN MONTHS LEFT - MUCHO PLENTY OF TIME FOR NEW TROUBLES.
The US is seemingly supposed to be publicly humilauited or degraded in return for it unilaterally or asymmetrically giving up its Cold War, post-Cold war, + post-9-11 , etc. "Sole" Global Superpower Influence-n-Authority around the World.
SORRY TO SAY THAT, BUT IFF THE BAMMER + GLOBIES, ETAL. INTENDED OTHER NOTHING EXCEPT THEMSELVES IS STOPPING THEM FROM OUTRIGHT SAYING SO.
[TammyBruce.com]. The President’s FY2017 budget request seeks $3,865,000 in appropriations for expenditures for former Presidents, an increase of $588,000 (17.9%) from the FY2016 appropriation level. The increase in requested appropriations for FY2017 anticipates President Barack Obama’s transition from incumbent to former President," the report reads... If it can be rolled into a one time contract 'buy-out' that begins on Monday, I'm all for it. Future presidents can negotiate their own plans based on performance.
Posted by: Vast Right Wing Conspiracy ||
03/19/2016
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#1
He's going to make exponentially more than the Clintons did post presidency, ball sucking Hollywood and everyone else. Why's he worried about small shit like this?
#6
#5 I see that also. I have said for some time that he will be the first broke president. He can't manage money except for the constant begging for handouts. Someone else always foots the bill. He will live the high life for a short time. Who knows even things stronger than marijuana. Like Barry, cocaine. I wonder to what lengths the Democrats will go to cover for him or the media.
#7
Obama ought to be sued for the irreparable harm he has done to this country. He's already stolen enough; now he wants to steal more. Tell him to go screw himself and the camel he rode in on.
CETCS builds the mission avionics for a family of light surveillance planes using the Diamond DA42, the CSA-003 Scout is the ELINT variant. It has electronic signal gathering pods, processing systems, satellite uplinks and options for a nose-mounted infrared/EO camera turret.
#3
First rebuilding a Russian flattop, then authorizing Spec OPs outside the country, now mini-SaR platforms for urgent close support...somebodies keeping up with the Jones.
[IBTIMES.CO.UK] A military court in Cameroon ...a long, narrow country that fills the space between Nigeria and Chad on the northeast, CAR to the southeast. Prior to incursions by Boko Haram nothing ever happened there... has sentenced 89 members of Islamist hard boy outfit Boko Haram ... not to be confused with Procol Harum, Harum Scarum, possibly to be confused with Helter Skelter. The Nigerian version of al-Qaeda and the Taliban rolled together and flavored with a smigeon of distinctly Subsaharan ignorance and brutality... to death after they were found guilty of terrorism. They are among 850 people detained by the country over alleged ties to Boko Haram's insurgency in Cameroon.
In 2014, Yaounde passed an anti-terrorism law permitting the death penalty. These executions will be the first since the measure was introduced.
"The court sentenced 89 Boko Haram holy warriors on 16 March," a judge told Anadolu news agency on condition of anonymity. The convicts will not have the right to appeal and the judge confirmed that the "verdict was final", drawing criticism from human rights When they're defined by the state or an NGO they don't mean much... groups who urged Cameroon to rethink its justice system.
The judge added: "Nearly 1,000 Boko Haram suspects are still awaiting trial."
The decision was welcomed by locals. "I'm glad justice has been served, we support the court's decision because what they are doing is against Islam," one resident told the BBC's Hausa service.
Cameron is part of an 8,700-strong regional task force -- which includes Chad, Niger, Nigeria and Benin -- committed to fighting the terrorist organization. Since Boko Haram launched its military operations in 2009, it has unleashed a wave of terror, killing some 20,000 people and displacing 2.5 million others.
The group -- which pledged its allegiance to the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (Isis) in March 2015 as Islamic State's West Africa Province (ISWAP) -- was named as the deadliest terror organization in the world in last year's Global Terrorism Index.
More than 1,100 civilians and security force personnel have been killed in northern Cameroon in attacks blamed on Boko Haram. The country has seen a spate of suicide kabooms in recent months, with Minister of Communication Issa Tchiroma Bakary saying that 15 kabooms have taken place since the beginning of the year.
On 16 March, 20 Boko Haram fighters were killed by Cameroonian soldiers during a raid in northern Nigeria aimed at wiping out the group. During the operation in the town of Djibrila, about 10km (six miles) from the border with Cameroon, 12 hostages were rescued and weapons and armored vehicles were seized.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/19/2016
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"The court sentenced 89 Boko Haram holy warriors on 16 March," a judge told Anadolu news agency on condition of anonymity. The convicts will not have the right to appeal and the judge confirmed that the "verdict was final", drawing criticism from human rights groups who urged Cameroon to rethink its justice system.
seems to be working fine
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/19/2016 12:52
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The documents, though redacted, detail a bureaucratic showdown between Ms. Clinton and NSA at the outset of her tenure at Foggy Bottom. The new Secretary of State, who had gotten "hooked" on her Blackberry during her failed 2008 presidential bid, according to a top State Department security official, wanted to use that Blackberry anywhere she went.
That, however, was impossible, since Secretary Clinton’s main office space at Foggy Bottom was actually a Secure Compartment Information Facility, called a SCIF (pronounced "skiff") by insiders. A SCIF is required for handling any Top Secret-plus information. In most Washington, D.C., offices with a SCIF, which has to be certified as fully secure from human or technical penetration, that’s where you check Top Secret email, read intelligence reports, and conduct classified meetings that must be held inside such protected spaces.
But personal electronic devices--your cellphone, your Blackberry--can never be brought into a SCIF. They represent a serious technical threat that is actually employed by many intelligence agencies worldwide. Though few Americans realize it, taking remote control over a handheld device, then using it to record conversations, is surprisingly easy for any competent spy service. Your smartphone is a sophisticated surveillance device--on you, the user--that also happens to provide phone service and Internet access.
As a result, your phone and your Blackberry always need to be locked up before you enter any SCIF. Taking such items into one represents a serious security violation. And Hillary and her staff really hated that. Not even one month into the new administration in early 2009, Ms. Clinton and her inner circle were chafing under these rules. They were accustomed to having their personal Blackberrys with them at all times, checking and sending emails nonstop, and that was simply impossible in a SCIF like their new office was.
This resulted in a February 2009 request by Secretary Clinton to NSA, whose Information Assurance Directorate (IAD for short: see here for an explanation of Agency organization) secures the sensitive communications of many U.S. Government entities, from Top Secret computer networks, to White House communications, to the classified codes that control our nuclear weapons.
The contents of Sid Blumenthal’s June 8, 2011 email to Hillary Clinton--to her personal, unclassified account--were based on highly sensitive NSA information.
IAD had recently created a special, custom-made secure Blackberry for Barack Obama, another technology addict. Now Ms. Clinton wanted one for herself. However, making the new president’s personal Blackberry had been a time-consuming and expensive exercise. NSA was not inclined to provide Secretary Clinton with one of her own simply for her convenience: there had to be clearly demonstrated need.
And that seemed dubious to IAD since there was no problem with Ms. Clinton checking her personal email inside her office SCIF. Hers, like most, had open (i.e. unclassified) computer terminals connected to the Internet, and the Secretary of State could log into her own email anytime she wanted to right from her desk.
But she did not want to. Ms. Clinton only checked her personal email on her Blackberry: she did not want to sit down at a computer terminal. As a result, NSA informed Secretary Clinton in early 2009 that they could not help her. When Team Clinton kept pressing the point, "we were politely told to shut up and color" by IAD, explained the State security official. There is a lot more at the link. It's a bit more than personal convenience or simply not wanting to 'sit down at a terminal.' What the Beest wanted and got was a separate server and system support apparatus which was not connected to US Government Information Operations network or its pesky security, oversight, and FOIA access. In the final analysis, if one is ever published, the mishandling of classified documents will likely pale in comparison to her financial misdeeds in support of the Clinton Foundation.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
03/19/2016
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#5
I think a lot of this shit is sprinkled liberally (ha!) with falsehoods in order to make the Hildabeast look more reasonable... "look, I wanted a secure thingey like everyone else, but they wouldn't give me one!"
[BBC] The second round of the Niger presidential election takes place on Sunday 20 March, and the result may have implications for regional stability and the fight against Islamist terrorism in West Africa.
Incumbent President Mahamadou Issoufou looks set to secure a second term in office, as opposition candidate Hama Amadou has been evacuated from prison to La Belle France for specialized medical treatment just days before the run-off, raising concerns over the poll.
The former parliamentary speaker and prime minister has been in detention in the south-western town of Filingue since November 2015 over allegations of baby trafficking. He has dismissed the charges as politically motivated.
Niger is seen as a key ally in the fight against Boko Haram ... not to be confused with Procol Harum, Harum Scarum, possibly to be confused with Helter Skelter. The Nigerian version of al-Qaeda and the Taliban rolled together and flavored with a smigeon of distinctly Subsaharan ignorance and brutality... , and President Issoufou has been praised in the West for rallying neighbouring countries to fight the group.
What is the likely outcome?
President Issoufou seems poised for victory in the run-off, having narrowly missed outright victory in the first round with 48% of the vote.
Having garnered only 17%, it will be difficult for Mr Amadou to bridge the gap despite the opposition alliance backing him. Mixed messages about a poll boycott are also likely to weaken his chances.
It is still unclear if the Opposition Coalition for Change (COPA 2016) - an alliance formed to back Mr Amadou - will take part in the vote, having announced a boycott.
The opposition has said it will not recognise the outcome, saying Mr Amadou's imprisonment prevented him from campaigning, among other complaints; while the government's handling of his medical condition is a sensitive issue that could inflame tensions.
What is Hama Amadou's current condition?
The nature of Mr Amadou's illness is not clear, but the government says he has "a chronic illness which he has suffered from for three years". The 66-year-old received medical treatment for an eye condition recently.
On 14 March, he reportedly lost consciousness before being revived at the prison clinic, his doctor telling a local TV station that he had fainted.
The doctor was later locked away Yez got nuttin' on me, coppers! Nuttin'! for "revealing medical confidentiality and spreading false news".
On 16 March, it was reported that Amadou had been flown to La Belle France for "specialist treatment", with the government claiming that he was suffering from "general fatigue".
Posted by: Fred ||
03/19/2016
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Today, Friday, March 18 2016, the Baltic Dry Index climbed by 3 points, reaching 395 points.
Baltic Dry Index is compiled by the London-based Baltic Exchange and covers prices for transported cargo such as coal, grain and iron ore. The index is based on a daily survey of agents all over the world.
Baltic Dry hit a temporary peak on May 20, 2008, when the index hit 11,793. The lowest level ever reached was on Wednesday the 10th of February 2016, when the index dropped to 290 points.
(IraqiNews.com) Baghdad – On Thursday the so-called ISIS released photos of the execution of six people on charges of spying for the Iraqi government in the city of Fallujah which is considered as ISIS most prominent stronghold in Anbar Province west of the capital, Baghdad.
A1 ISIS published the photos on the social networking websites, showing the execution of the victims, who wore orange suits, with three different methods.
ISIS said in a brief statement followed by IraqiNews.com that it has implemented the so-called Islamic court’s orders against those who were convicted by spying for the government in the city of Fallujah.
Four of the victims were executed by firing squad, two of them by a pistol, while the two others by a machine gun.
One of the last two persons was executed by a bomb emplaced on his neck, while the other was beheaded by a knife.
(IraqiNews.com) al-Anbar – al-Hashed al-Sha’bi Authority in Anbar announced on Friday the killing of 18 ISIS elements in battles aimed to liberate the areas located in central al-Karma east of Fallujah, while pointed out to the destruction of a large cache of weapons.
The commander of the First Regiment belonging to the 30th Brigade within al-Hashed al-Sha’bi militia, Colonel Mahmoud al-Jumaili, said in a press statement followed by IraqiNews.com, “The joint security forces conducted a military operation to liberate the areas of al-Subaihat, Albu Jasim and al-Shahabi in central al-Karma (19 km east of Fallujah), resulting in the death of 18 [ISIS] elements.”
al-Jumaili added, “The combat forces had managed to advance into the depth of areas controlled by [ISIS] gangs in central al-Karma and destruct a large cache of weapons and rockets,” asserting that, “The cleansing battles against [ISIS] gangs in the district of al-Karma are continuing,” while pointed out to the need of “military and aerial support by the international coalition to ensure the elimination of the terrorist cells completely.”
(IraqiNews.com) al-Anbar – The leader of Anbar Operations Command Ali Ibrahim Dbon announced on Friday the killing of the ISIS so-called prince of Kabisa region during an aerial bombing by the international coalition aviation west of Ramadi.
Dbon said in a statement followed by IraqiNews.com, “The international coalition aviation, in coordination with the army’s Seventh Division, bombed a number of targets and vital headquarters that are important to the ISIS in the district of Heet and Kabisa vicinity (70 km west of Ramadi),” pointing out that, “The bombardment resulted in destructing those targets and headquarters as well as the death of tens of [ISIS] elements, including the ISIS prince for the vicinity of Kabisa known as Isaq al-Libyan; an Arab national.”
Posted by: badanov ||
03/19/2016
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This really is like the Monty Python skit of the various revolutionary groups in Life of Brian.
In its first public pronouncement in many months, the Tripoli-based Libyan Revolutionaries’ Operations Room (LROR) has announced that it stands by the administration in Tripoli led by Khalifa Ghwell and will take military action against prime minister-designate Faiez Serraj if he arrives in the capital and tries to take over the reins of government. It said it had been preparing for such action and was not ready for it.
It has also demanded the resignation of the governor of the Central Bank of Libya as recognised by the Tripoli regime, Sadik Elkabir, blaming him for the current banking crisis and severe shortage of cash available in the capital.
The LROR further stated its support for “the mujahideen” in Benghazi – the blanket term used in Tripoli to describe those fighting against the Libyan National Army and Khalifa Hafter and currently being targeted in Hafter’s Operation Blood of the Martyrs. The term enables its users to avoid any reference to Ansar Al-Sharia, one of the main components in the Benghazi Revolutionaries Operation Room.
Despite claiming to be prepared for a fight in Tripoli, it is not clear how many supporters the LROR can call on. Set up and heavily funded by Nuri Abu Sahmain, the president of the General National Congress (GNC) in 2013, ostensibly to protect Tripoli but in reality to protect the GNC and himself, it is seen as much less powerful today. It remains primarily the creature of Abu Sahmain who likewise is adamantly opposed to Serraj and his planned national unity government.
The legality of its creation and funding are still contested by a number of former GBC members as well as by a number of lawyers.
For a map, click here. You can enlarge the map, if you open it separately.
By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com
Three unidentified Ukrainian soldiers were killed and another four were wounded in a drone outfitting accident in Avdievka, Donetsk Thursday, according to Russian language news reports.
According to a news release posted on the Donetsk ministry of defense website, the seven casualties were caused by an attempt to transform a drone into a shock drone by hanging grenades aboard the vehicle. Reports are unclear about how the grenade detonated, but did stress the work was done in a tent by Ukrainian volunteers, a euphemism for members of the Right Sektor political group.
Drones are used lavishly by both sides, mostly commercially available quadracopters, although both sides deny their use. It is known that both Russian and Ukrainian military use dedicated military grade surveillance drones in their intelligence gathering operations, but both sides routinely deny it.
The casualties were members of the 13th Company, Ukrainian 58th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade, the main force involved in the Ukrainian attack on Yasinovataya.
Donetsk rebel media also reported that two Ukrainian soldiers were killed and another two were wounded in a land mine explosion in Volnovaha Thursday. According to the report, the victims were aboard a US made Humvee when it struck a mine. Volnovaha is considerably away from the line of contact in western Donetsk.
Fighting near Yasinovataya
According to a news account in tsensor.net.ua, fighting between Ukrainian forces and rebel forces continued on Thursday near Yasinovataya.
Going by an account posted by Ukrainian military journalist Dmitri Tymchuk, rebels have been using a 122mm artillery battery in their operations against Ukrainian forces. Two tanks have been spotted in the area as well.
Tymchuk said that the artillery unit previously had been used against Ukrainian forces in Avdievka, but now it was being used against Ukrainian forces near the road junction near Highway E50.
Rebel media said in the form of a news release on the Donetsk ministry of defense website, that Ukrainian forces have violated the ceasefire a total of 51 times.
Ukrainian artillery struck rebel positions in western Donetsk city, at the Donetsk airport, Spartak and Zhabunki, as well as at Yasinovataya.
Ukrainian artillery destroyed two more residences in Zaitsevo, north of Gorlovka
Fighting in the south
According to the same tsensor.net.ua report, rebel artillery in southern Donetsk has been hitting Ukrainian forces near Shirokino, Novotroitsk and Vodyadnovo. The artillery was originating from Dokuchaevsk.
Rebel media said that Ukrainian artillery struck rebel positions at Sahanka, Kominternovo and Dokuchaevsk.
Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com and on Twitter. You can read past articles about the 2014 war in southeastern Ukraine by clicking here.
(IraqiNews.com) Kirkuk – A security source in Kirkuk province stated on Thursday, that the Iraqi army’s Air Force had managed to kill three ISIS elements in an aerial strike that targeted a vehicle belonging to them in the district of al-Hawija west of the province.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said in a brief statement obtained by IraqiNews.com, “The Iraqi Air Force had carried out an air strike that targeted a vehicle belonging to the ISIS in the district of al-Hawija (55 km west of Kirkuk), resulting in the death of three [ISIS] elements in addition to burning their vehicle.”
Posted by: badanov ||
03/19/2016
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BLUF: [Guardian] Guevara is reluctant to share personal reminiscences. "I have flashes of memory but I’m not sure how reliable they are because we fill emptiness with our own visions," he says. Instead he prefers to focus on the concrete legacy by distributing his father’s ideas online, in educational materials and exhibitions.
All of which are politically toxic to a US president during campaign season. Obama will be cautious about endorsing his hosts. Officials say he will not meet Fidel Castro. Instead, he will be more intent on workshops with entrepreneurs, talks with civil society groups, a baseball match, a speech to the nation’s youth, and bilateral talks.
There is no chance he will visit the Che Guevara Study Centre for a lesson in revolution. For Guevara that is a shame: "If Obama comes, he might learn something."
[Business Times] The threat of a terrorist attack in Singapore is at its "highest level" of late as a result of the rise of the Daesh militant group, Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam warned on Friday. He said the danger is even greater than in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in the US and the arrest of Jemaah Islamiyah members here that year, and added that it was not a question of if, but when, an attack will take place.
Speaking to Home Team officers at an annual closed-door forum, he outlined a number of new initiatives to counter the terror threat, including the launching of a new national movement called SG Secure.
Shanmugam warned that the rise of Daesh has meant the threat has "increased significantly" to the point that it has morphed into a "large powerful monster".
"It is now a qualitatively different (and) much more dangerous threat. ISIS presents a far graver threat than (Al-Qaeda) or its affiliated entities ever did," he told his audience.
Shanmugam spoke of Daesh's intention to establish a caliphate in the region. As he mapped out a grim picture of the terror situation in Southeast Asia, he called Singapore a "prime target", with four possible types of threats: Attacks planned just outside Singapore, attacks involving weapons smuggled by Singaporeans or foreign militants, so-called "lone wolf" attacks by self-radicalized people, as well as those by foreign workers in Singapore who have become radicalized.
Posted by: ryuge ||
03/19/2016
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DIYARBAKIR, Turkey: A bomb attack by Kurdish militants killed a police officer in southeast Turkey on Friday and another device was defused outside a local government building, as embassies issued security warnings about expected demonstrations this weekend.
Turkey has been on high alert since a suicide bombing, claimed by a Kurdish militant group, killed 37 people in the capital Ankara on Sunday. Germany shut down its diplomatic missions and schools in Turkey, while the US and other European embassies warned citizens to be vigilant.
Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants were believed to have staged Friday’s attack on the armored police vehicle during security operations in the town of Nusaybin, near the Syrian border, security sources said.
In the town of Hani, also in the mainly Kurdish southeast, police found a vehicle loaded with 150 kg of explosives which they believed was to be detonated during events to mark the anniversary of a World War One battlefield victory at Canakkale on Friday, officials said.
“Thanks to the alertness of security forces, there was no loss of life or damage. Efforts to ensure peace and security for our people will continue decisively and uninterrupted,” the provincial governor’s office said.
LANDI KOTAL: Five suspected militants were killed in a clash with security forces in a remote area of Khyber tribal region on Wednesday midnight.
Security officials said that a group of militants attacked a border checkpost in Darmo Drab area and in the ensuing gunfight five attackers were killed. The other attackers fled, taking advantage of darkness, they added.
Bodies were brought to the Jamrud Civil Hospital where two were identified as Saeed Walikhel of Ghundi area and Sabir Shah of Malakabad.
At least five Russian speaking suspects have been arrested in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan, it has been reported.
The suspects have reportedly been arrested from Pekha district of Nangarhar province during an operation by the Afghan intelligence operatives.
A local security official speaking on the condition of anonymity has confirmed to Voice of America that the suspects include two men and three women.
The official further added that the suspects were arrested from a house during a search operation but did not elaborate further.
This comes at four people were killed following a suicide attack carried out by a foreigner woman in this province earlier in December last year.
According to the local officials, at least three children and an operative of the Afghan intelligence – National Directorate of Security (NDS) lost their lives in the attack.
The identity of the woman remained unascertained but the foreign militants have increased their insurgency activities in certain districts of Nangarhar province during the recent months.
The foreign militants are mostly operating with the loyalists of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group who are trying to establish a regional base and consolidate operations with the terror group in Syria and Iraq
Posted by: badanov ||
03/19/2016
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#1
Нохчий
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
03/19/2016 14:07
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[CATHOLICPHILLY] A Catholic aid official warned that church life faces "grave disruption" from Boko Haram ... not to be confused with Procol Harum, Harum Scarum, possibly to be confused with Helter Skelter. The Nigerian version of al-Qaeda and the Taliban rolled together and flavored with a smigeon of distinctly Subsaharan ignorance and brutality... in Cameroon ...a long, narrow country that fills the space between Nigeria and Chad on the northeast, CAR to the southeast. Prior to incursions by Boko Haram nothing ever happened there... after a local bishop confirmed the Nigeria-based group had caused a "psychosis of fear."
"This movement opposes all Western values and is also hostile to Muslims who won’t accept the reign of Shariah law," said Rafael D’Aqui, head of the Africa section at Aid to the Church in Need.
"They’re now trying to draw world attention with cross-border attacks, and since foreign priests and nuns are a key prize, the missionaries on whom the local church depends have had to leave."
D’Aqui told Catholic News Service March 16 that Boko Haram had infiltrated Cameroon’s northern Yagoua and Maroua-Mokolo dioceses after suffering military setbacks in neighboring Nigeria, despite "huge efforts" by the Cameroonian armed forces.
He added that Boko Haram marauders were still regularly taking control of whole villages, abducting child hostages to be brainwashed and used in "random suicide kabooms."
Extremist groups "are obtaining huge sums of money from Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... and elsewhere to build mosques where there were previously no Muslims and train imams in a hard, radical school," D’Aqui said. "There’s a holy warrior fraternity now, which is intent on invading and establishing a presence in Christian areas."
Catholics account for 38 percent of Cameroon’s 20.4 million inhabitants, with Protestants making up 26 percent and Muslims 21 percent, according to the U.S. State Department’s International Religious Freedom Report.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/19/2016
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[The Motley Fool] Once upon a time, there was an F-22 Raptor. It was a good plane -- some even called it "the most capable air superiority combat jet in the world" -- but it cost a lot.
At a sticker price of $412 million per plane , the U.S. Air Force couldn't afford to buy a lot of F-22s. So, to ensure it had a good quantity of fighter jets, as well as a few of good quality, the Air Force proposed a "high-low" solution. On the high end, it would buy a handful of ultra-expensive F-22s to ensure air dominance. On the low end, to boost its numbers and ensure its ability to carry a lot of bombs into combat, it would buy a whole mess of F-35 Lightning II fighter jets -- projected to cost just $35 million each. (Lockheed Martin, which builds both planes, was happy to oblige on both ends).
That was the plan. Instead, the F-35 fighter jet is turning out to be the most expensive fighter jet ever built, and is expected to ultimately cost taxpayers as much as $1.5 trillion.
#1
Instead of a simple but mighty OPTIMUS PRIME = TRIPLE-CHANGER AUTOBOT TRANSFORMER, it devol into a SUPER-DUPER-OMEGA-SUPREME/AUTOBOT CITY way wayyy way-y-y beyond anyone's dreams.
#2
And the next breakthrough technology aircraft will be so expensive that the Air Force and Navy together will only be able to buy one. They will share it on alternating days. The Marines get it on Leap Day.
#4
Aw Snowy, you know rules, it's a small town we gotta support the team, and the team sez F-35 is a stinker. Open up the A-10 and F-22 lines (486 with coprocessor!). :)
[CNN] At least eight people were killed and more than twenty others were wounded during an clash between Philippine soldiers and members of the Abu Sayyaf in Patikul, Sulu on Friday.
Three Abu Sayyaf leaders were reportedly among those injured in the battle. Military sources identified the militant leaders as Radulan Sahiron, Asari Sajali, and Almuher Yada. Seven unidentified rebels were also allegedly killed while three others were injured.
At least one soldier was killed while 15 others were wounded in the encounter.
Posted by: ryuge ||
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North Korea has yet to master ballistic missile technology that can allow a warhead to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere after flying through space, Seoul's top defense official said Friday, refuting Pyongyang's claims that it can build an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM).
On Tuesday, Pyongyang claimed it has acquired the re-entry technology with the country also releasing photos of a ground-based simulation and what is described as the tested re-entry vehicle that had a mushroom shape. The North said its test subjected the re-entry vehicle to 1,500 to 1,600 degrees Celsius of intense heat.
Defense Minister Han Min-koo said during his appearance on a local broadcast news program that existing re-entry vehicles can withstand upwards to 7,000 degrees Celsius of heat in addition to other types of ablation effects like extreme pressure and vibrations.
"I don't think North Korea has gained the re-entry technology in this test and many experts also share that point," he said.
How comforting...
On its efforts to make small nuclear weapons that can be mounted onto ballistic missiles, North Korea may have made significant strides, although the country's claim to own a real nuclear warhead is dubious, Han noted.
"North Korea has steadily conducted nuclear tests, and now it has become a realistic threat," the defense chief said, adding that the South Korean military is maintaining its readiness posture to deal with any threats.
North Korea has come very far in diversifying and making its missile arsenal more sophisticated, he said, referring to the country's programs for the submarine launched ballistic missile and the KN-08 intercontinental missile. North Korea is technically ready to conduct an additional nuclear test at any time, he also noted, saying that another nuclear test can take place at a moment's notice.
"We should squarely face the fact that North Korea's nuclear weapons are aimed at South Korea, not other countries," Han pointed out, calling for public support for denuclearizing of the North.
Posted by: Steve White ||
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Precision targeting, maybe not, but Gravity will have its way.
[Ynet] An Iraqi-born Paleostinian man previously charged with lying to Sherlocks about traveling to Syria was indicted Thursday on the more serious allegation of trying to support a terrorist group.
A federal grand jury indicted Aws Mohammed Younis Al-Jayab, 23, of Sacramento, on the new charge two months after he was incarcerated You have the right to remain silent... in Caliphornia, an impregnable bastion of the Democratic Party, on accusations of lying about traveling to fight against the Syrian government.
That charge could have brought him up to eight years in prison, but he now faces a maximum 15-year term if convicted of attempting to provide material support to terrorists.
A second man charged in the investigation, Omar Faraj Saeed Al Hardan, 24, of Houston, faces up to 25 years in prison on three charges that he tried to provide material support to the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... group.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
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#1
Iraq/Paleo/Sacramento = three strikes
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/19/2016 8:29
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Italian government has pledged 286 million euro for rebuilding Somalia, Horseed Media reports. The pledge was made at a conference held in Rome attended by the Prime of Somalia Omar Abdirashid Ali and his Italian counterpart Matteo Renzi.
I'm going to guess that 90% of the money ends up in foreign banks, but then I may be an optimist...
Speaking at the end of the conference also attended by several ministers and other dignitaries from both sides, Mr Renzi stated that his government will play a crucial role in the reconstruction of Somalia.
He added that the money pledged will be used to construct roads, improving the agricultural sector, trade and revival of the economic sector.
You can do all that on 20 million Euros?
Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid thanked the Italian government for the continuous immense support to the nation.
Since the collapse of the Central government in 1991, Italy, which once colonised some parts of Somalia, has been one of the few European nations that have provided significant support to the country in different areas.
Posted by: Steve White ||
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Good to know other governments besides ours are pissing away economic resources!
AHASAKAH – Top jihadi commander and a number of militants from the Islamic State (ISIS) radical group were reported dead in airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition south of Hasakah province, northeastern Syria, local sources confirmed on Friday.
Abu Diala al-Homsi, general commander of ISIS military operations in Hasakah, was killed along with a a number of other militants under western airstrikes.
Speaking to ARA News in Hasakah, media activist Ahmed Ramadan said that warplanes of the U.S.-led coalition targeted two ISIS vehicles in the southern countryside of Hasakah, killing al-Homsi and over 15 other militant fighters.
The targeted ISIS convoy was apparently heading towards a checkpoint for the western-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), according to the source.
“A total of 17 militants, who had been transferred by the group from the eastern suburbs of Deir ez-Zor toward its northern countryside, were killed along with al-Homsi in the U.S.-led airstrikes,” Ramadan reported, pointing out the majority of those killed hail from the eastern Deir ez-Zor province.
Since early March, ISIS has been mobilizing dozens of its jihadis –mostly form the group’s security police– in the northern countryside of Deir ez-Zor in a bid to stop the advance of the SDF and the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) on the town of Margada and its environs, according to local sources.
On Thursday, several airstrikes conducted by the U.S.-led coalition hit ISIS headquarters in the city of Mosul in Iraq’s northwestern province of Nineveh, killing ISIS governor of Mosul Alian Natiq Mabroush along with several leaders from the jihadi group.
Over the past few months, the U.S.-led coalition forces has intensified its airstrikes on strategic and vital locations for the radical group, killing dozens of ISIS top leaders and wounding more others. ISIS’s power has recently decreased, especially after hundreds of its own militants started to desert its ranks.
Posted by: badanov ||
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[Ynet] IDF and police forces tossed in the clink ... anything you say can and will be used against you, whether you say it or not... two Paleostinian minors at the entrance to the Shaar Binyamin industrial zone on Friday after finding knives on their person. The troops spotted the two walking towards a barred area of the industrial zone, which arose their suspicion. They stopped the two teens and upon searching them, found two knives in their possession. Initial investigation found the two were planning to commit a stabbing attack.
IDF and police forces were searching the area for the vehicle that drove the two to the industrial zone.
[Ynet] A Paleostinian attacked soldiers at the Gush Etzion junction on Friday, and was shot to death before being able to hurt anymore. The attacker arrived at the junction in a car with Israeli plates, exited the vehicle and made a run for the soldiers, who opened fire and neutralized him.
The troops tossed in the slammer Yez got nuttin' on me, coppers! Nuttin'! another Paleostinian who was being questioned at the scene on suspicion of being involved in the attempted attack.
[Ynet] A Border Police officer was lightly maimed from stone-throwing during festivities in Ni'lin on Friday. Troops have been using crowd dispersal measures to quell the rioting.
RAWALPINDI: At least three militants were killed in an exchange of fire during an intelligence-based raid on a militant hideout near Chillas Town of Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) on Thursday, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army. Two soldiers were martyred in the clash, it added.
“Three wanted terrorists were killed by security forces in a successful IBO [intelligence-based operation] in Tarel Valley in Gayyal Village near Chillas in Gilgit-Baltistan today,” reads a statement issued by the ISPR. It said the suspects killed in the raid were involved in attacks on civil transport, tourists and security forces on the Karakoram Highway. “Two security personnel also embraced shahadat (martyrdom) in the exchange of fire,” it added. Security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to arrest the militant on the run.
At least five terrorists were killed in a gunbattle with security forces after they attacked a military check-post in Khyber Agency late on Wednesday night. “Five terrorists were killed in an exchange of fire with security forces in Darmu Drab Pass, Khyber Agency. Troops valiantly responded and foiled terrorists’ attempt,” the ISPR said.
The incident comes two days after Army Chief Raheel Sharif confirmed death sentences of 13 hardcore militants, including one involved in the killing of foreign tourists at Nanga Parbat.
According to the ISPR, military courts tried the terrorists for their involvement in the Nanga Parbat attack, Saidu Sharif airport attack and attacks on schools, armed forces, law enforcement agencies and civilians.
[RFE/RL] A Finnish court has given a 16-month suspended sentence to an Iraqi man in a war crime case. The court in Tampere found Jebbar Salman Ammar guilty of desecrating the corpse of a slain enemy fighter in Iraq in June 2014. The man had posted three pictures of himself and a decapitated head of a man on his open Facebook page. Prosecutors had sought a two-year prison sentence.
Ammar arrived in Finland about six months ago and was detained in November.
A trial in another Finnish court opens next week against an Iraqi charged with war crimes.
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.
Russian jets are flying some 25 bombing raids daily to back up a Syrian government offensive to recapture the ancient city of Palmyra from Islamic State jihadists, the armed forces said Friday. 
[JudicialWatch]. (Washington, DC) -- Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeking communications between the U.S. Department of the Treasury and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of the Treasury (No. 1:15-cv-01776)).
[TammyBruce.com]. The President’s FY2017 budget request seeks $3,865,000 in appropriations for expenditures for former Presidents, an increase of $588,000 (17.9%) from the FY2016 appropriation level. The increase in requested appropriations for FY2017 anticipates President Barack Obama’s transition from incumbent to former President," the report reads...
[The Motley Fool] Once upon a time, there was an F-22 Raptor. It was a good plane -- some even called it "the most capable air superiority combat jet in the world" -- but it cost a lot.
