Posted by: Fred ||
03/22/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
Birthday/Daily Gam Shot
Virginia Grey aka Joan Sutton in "The Big Store" aka Mimsy in "Madame X" aka Connie Beach in "Tarzan's New York Adventure" aka Rita Dane in "Flame of Barbary Coast" (Died in 2004 at age 87)
At least 42 people have been killed in fresh festivities between pro-government forces and al-Shabaab ... Harakat ash-Shabaab al-Mujahidin aka the Mujahideen Youth Movement. It was originally the youth movement of the Islamic Courts, now pretty much all of what's left of it. They are aligned with al-Qaeda but operate more like the Afghan or Pakistani Taliban. The organization's current leader is Ibrahim Haji Jama Mee'aad, also known as Ibrahim al-Afghani. Fazul Abdullah Mohammed, a Kenyan al-Qaeda member, is considered the group's military leader... fighters over the control of a border town in southern Somalia.
"Our fighters tried to seize the border town (Dhobley) and killed more than 35 al-Shabaab Islamic exemplars, mainly foreigners. We will continue our cooperation until we make sure the region is firmly under good hands," said a government official.
Hundreds of heavily armed forces backed by Kenyan troops entered the strategic town on the border between Somalia and Kenya on Sunday while attempts by government forces to beat them back was repulsed by the Islamic exemplar group, a Press TV correspondent reported on Monday.
Eyewitnesses also said that four civilians were among those killed, in addition to six others that were maimed.
Somalia has been the scene of deadly festivities between rival factions for over two decades, leaving up to one million people killed.
There are more than 1.4 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Somalia. More than 300,000 IDPs are sheltering in Mogadishu alone.
Most of the displaced live in poor and degrading conditions on makeshift sites in southern and central Somalia, according to the United Nations ... aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society... High Commissioner for Refugees.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/22/2011 00:00 ||
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Six Libyan villagers are recovering in hospital after being shot by American soldiers coming in to rescue the U.S. pilots whose plane crash-landed in a field.
The helicopter strafed the ground as it landed in a field outside Benghazi beside the downed U.S. Air Force F-15E Eagle which ran into trouble during bombing raid last night.
And a handful of locals who had come to greet the pilots were hit - among them a young boy who may have to have a leg amputated because of injuries caused by a bullet wound
#2
This afternoon NPR interviewed the Libyan doctor who treated one of the downed pilots as saying he didn't trust any of them for a long time after he was picked up & brought to her. He mentioned he didn't know which side they were on.
#3
That is the problem with involving yourself in a civil war. Who is the "good" guy? Especially if you don't know what the fuck is happening on the ground as well.
#6
Barry's little African adventure is going to end up being a disaster.
Posted by: Jefferson ||
03/22/2011 18:29 Comments ||
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#7
"Barry's little African adventure is going to end up being a disaster."
And why not, Jefferson? Little "Barry" is a disaster himself. :-(
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
03/22/2011 18:48 Comments ||
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#8
S&R guys are very focused on getting pilots out in as good a condition as they can, and destroying what remains behind. They are not people to trifle with.
Analogy: pilots are cubs. S&R is mama grizzly with a foul temper. Do not get between mama grizzly and cubs or you're gonna get cut.
#1
Note the guys taking pictures of the components in the wreck, and the ordnance still somewhat intact. Who wants to bet that stuff wwas being sold to the Iranians/Chinese and others in a bidding war as that video is being taken. I'm sure the USAF wanted to get boots on the ground to evaluate and recover things, and equally sure that the Bumbler in Chief denied the request, worried about press more that technology transfers and reverse engineering of weapons systems to deal with our capabilities. Glad the dipshit in charge has his priorities straight.
#2
Looks like it burned after it crashed (and pretty intensely, at that). Doubt if any of the weaponry still aboard has any electronics capable of being recovered. The aircraft electronics were probably also pretty well fried. Looks like someone tossed in a thermite grenade after they evacuated.
Posted by: OId Patriot ||
03/22/2011 16:16 Comments ||
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#3
Not a fuel fire?
The pictures of the Libyan rebel MiG jet that went down in flames still showed it with paint on it.
It's all the rage, telephoning enemy generals at home to say, "We know where you are, so you probably want to lay down your arms before we send you your own, personal Storm Shadow missile." MI-6 is nothing if not fashionable.
Won't work in Libya. Coalition forces had troops on the ground for Iraqi generals to surrender to. The only people on the ground for Qaddafy's generals to surrender to are the rebels. The rebels will cut these Generals to pieces.
#2
Unlike Egypt and Tunisia, scenes of successful popular uprisings recently, Libya is not a Twitter or Facebook society and it is far easier for Gaddafi to control exactly what his people know.
Much of the country still relies on state media for ‘information’ and listened yesterday as Gaddafi insisted: ‘This is a crusader war against the Muslim people, especially against the Libyan people. They believe they will terrify the Libyan people.
‘These are only terrorist means, and only the forces on the ground will be victorious.’
Jam their broadcasts or blow up the TV and radio stations. Substitute our own. Especially in Tripoli.
Air-dropping pictures of a little girl with scraggly facial hair and military costumes hiding under a bed would get his goat. Don't forget the teddy bear! It would also look good as a backdrop for a news anchor telling them the real story would be good, too.
Air-drop cheap short-wave radios with crank power supplies that a family can easily hide away. Maybe with a little screen to receive messages. Maybe even a keypad so they can send texts to allies if we can arrange some kind of system to pick up communications like this.
Offer $50,000 for his head on a platter or information leading to his capture by rebels. It's huge to them, but not so huge as to be unbelievable.
A US warplane has crash landed in a Libyan field in the area around Benghazi, The Telegraph can disclose.
The two crew members on the F-15E fighter jet ejected to safety. One has already been recovered by US forces, who say they are in the process of rescuing the other. It is understood that at least one of the crew members was initially rescued by rebel Libyan soldiers after ejecting from the aircraft. Both crew members suffered minor injuries.
The crashed plane was discovered by a Telegraph journalist reporting in and around Benghazi, the rebel-held city. It is thought the F-15E fighter jet came to ground after suffering a mechanical failure.
The US military confirmed that one of its jets had crash landed but said that it had not been shot down.
Vince Crawley, a spokesman for the US military's Africa Command, said that one crewman had been recovered and one was "in process of recovery". Crawley said the crash occurred "overnight." He declined to give the location of the incident and also would not say how the rescued crewman was picked up.
This is the first coalition aircraft to have crash landed during the Libyan conflict following the third night of air strikes.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/22/2011 07:54 ||
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#1
And now we'll find out if they really appreciate the effort or not.
#2
AF.mil: Both crew members ejected and are safe.
The aircraft, based out of RAF Lakenheath, England, was flying out of Aviano Air Base in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn at the time of the incident.
The identities will be released after the next of kin have been notified.
#3
...Fox is now saying that they ejected at fairly high altitude and got separated. The Marines got one out with an Osprey and the rebels got the other one and got him to the proper authorities.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
03/22/2011 10:54 Comments ||
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#5
WTF are we doing in the middle east? Does anyone know who these 'rebels' are? Does anyone care that Iraq and Afghanistan are declared 'Islamic Republics'? For Ch***ts sake, Iran declared war on the US, by invading us, in 1979! Why aren't we bombing the sh%t out of that country?
Posted by: jim ||
03/22/2011 11:32 Comments ||
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#6
From the photos it looks like the Tornado is on a anti-vehicle rather than anti-building role...
#7
General purpose loadout. 2 Paveways and 3 Brimstone.
Posted by: Oscar Spineck3066 ||
03/22/2011 13:01 Comments ||
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#8
Totally agree Jim.
Pakistan and Iran should be are targets not Libya!
Posted by: Paul ||
03/22/2011 13:42 Comments ||
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#9
we may never know if the crash occurred because the pilot was trying to follow a complex ROE and had to make maneuvers beyond the aircraft's capability.
but that is possible
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
03/22/2011 14:09 Comments ||
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#10
Qadaffy forces continue to advance in some areas. The rebel forces simply do not have the proper boots on the ground to stop the advances. Obama and Hillary encouraged up risings in the middle east. Things unravel now is their fault.
By the way, the rebels are hard core Islamists. Look at thier flag.
#12
Whettle, you are a Dumbass. That flag is the Libyan Flag prior to Daffy's military coup. From wikipedia
The flag of the Kingdom of Libya was adopted when Libya gained independence in 1951 from Italy. It consisted of a white crescent-and-star on a triband red-black-green design, with the central black band being twice the width of the outer bands. The design was based on the banner of the Senussi dynasty from Cyrenaica
(1951–1969)
Posted by: No I am The Other Beldar ||
03/22/2011 16:57 Comments ||
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British sources confirmed that seven Storm Shadow missiles were ready to be fired from a British aircraft, but the strikes had to be curtailed due to crews from CNN, Reuters and other organizations nearby. Officials from Libya's Ministry of Information brought those journalists to the area to show them damage from the initial attack and to effectively use them as human shields.
The curtailment of this mission led to a great deal of consternation by coalition commanders, sources told Fox News, but they opted to call off the mission to avoid civilian casualties.
During a Pentagon briefing on Monday, coalition commanders said the huge compound was targeted due to its air defense systems on the perimeter and a military command and control center. It was not targeted to kill Qaddafi, commanders said.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/22/2011 00:00 ||
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WASHINGTON, March 21 | Mon Mar 21, 2011 - U.S. and coalition military forces enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya are there to protect civilians and not to provide close-air support for opposition forces fighting Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, the head of U.S. Africa Command said on Monday.
U.S. Army General Carter Ham said the military mission in Libya was "very clear" and he was not concerned that the objectives would grow and change in the coming days. He said he had no orders to directly attack the Libyan leader.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/22/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
what ineffable twaddle
You are firing missles at an enemies tanks as they are approaching and won't admit to providing "close air support"?
Pedantic sophistry. To quote the '80s "gag me with a spoon"
#3
They're not providing close air support because the rebels have no means of communicating with coalition air forces. If the rebels had tanks, they'd probably shoot those too.
#4
They are going to have to put in some USAF Combat Air Controllers with either Marine recon or Seals to ID friendlies and prevent mis-strikes. Problem is there is so much chaos there how do our guys ID friendlies.
Posted by: Retired LEO ||
03/22/2011 21:21 Comments ||
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#5
Somethings could not be helped...
To wit,
* DAILY MAIL.UK > FARCE AS ARAB JETS [Qatari] ALMOST RUN OUT OF FUEL. Qatari Air Force's effort to support UN NFZ agz Muammar - first t'were blown off course by winds, then their fromation almost crashed into the sea
due to low fuel.
* Uh, uh, "YES YOUR HIGHNESS, I REGRET TO INFORM YOU THE REPORT IS ITS TRUE, THE SEA/OCEAN WEIRDLY-N-MYSTERIOUSLY DASTARDLY ATTACKED OUR FLIGHT ON THE WAY TO LIBYUH"!
British intelligence is warning Colonel GaddafiÂ’s generals that it could be fatal to remain loyal to the Libyan leader. MI6 spies and military officials are contacting commanders in Tripoli trying to persuade them to defect, the Daily Mail can reveal.
Posted by: Oscar Spineck3066 ||
03/22/2011 00:00 ||
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[Tolo News] Western war planes have targeted a building in Libya's capital Tripoli which is believed to be one of Col Muammar Qadaffy's main commands.
No casualties have been reported resulting from the strike.
US officials say Col Qadaffy himself is not a target of the air strikes, but they are aimed at destroying Qadaffy's defence bases and his military. On the other hand, if he's standing out in the rain nobody will mind if he gets wet.
A Libyan Official claimed that the alliance's air raids have so far killed 64 people. ... all of them harmless old granny ladies and little kiddies and puppies and kittens and baby ducks...
Pentagon Chief Robert Gates has said that the United States had no intention of expanding the military operation to include troops on Libyan soil. If the rebels can't pull it off with NATO air support then they can't pull it off...
After the United Nations, aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society authorised action to protect Libyan civilians from government forces, the US, UK and La Belle France begun the biggest intervention into one of the world's major oil producing country. The military intervention in Libyan air space started on Saturday afternoon and French warplanes were the first ones to go. Go, Frenchies!
The US and French have said that Qatar is ready to send four planes in a bid to join the coalition air attacks on Libya.
It has been a month now since the beginning of uprising against Col Qadaffy's 42-year-old rule. Col Qadaffy has announced to fight back in response to the strikes.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/22/2011 00:00 ||
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"If the rebels can't pull it off with NATO air support then they can't pull it off..."
I am good with that.
Of course, we do have to remember we are dealing with the average Arab here. But against Arabs...well...its not impossible. Plus its Moslems against Moslems.
Does Obama actually sit down in the same room with anybody from the Pentagon and discuss any of this face to face with say...someone...anyone...in a nasty old uniform?
Would, Obama, could Obama be seen sitting with Generals and Colonels, breathing the same air in the same room..well, I know its hard to imagine...but maybe? And could it be well,,,possible? And they actually discussed things? Came to agreements, meeting of the minds, that sort of thing...exchanged views...dialogued even...
...like: " let's kill the monkey son of a biych, what do you think, General?" Or maybe: "What's the best way to get control of a port and a pipeline and get a few Tankers in there and load up, when can we pull that off , Colonel?" And just maybe:" What does Intell project on those weapons shipments to al-Gombah and the rebels? Are we in touch with their head of Operations to cut Kadaffy off from his Oil fields and give us a landing site so the French can land a Brigade of Can-Can girls in full battle dress?" "When can the Italians deliver the girls and the hairdressers?"
"General, I want to announce the price of Oil is going down this month at some point, what do you project from the Saudi pretty-boys?"
General Chisoss, move that mirror a little closer and bring in the photographers, I feel a Speech coming on.
#2
Jasliek, Dribble, 5, (five)!, sinktraps before lunch. It doesn't seem you got the 'burg thing, maybe best to go preach elsewhere before Joe the Plumber gets round with a REALLY big plunger.
#6
We need to build a dam to contain all that dribble - the sinktrap just aint cutting the mustard
Posted by: Oscar ||
03/22/2011 14:42 Comments ||
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#7
If I wanted blank spaces in my news, I would read the Zimbabwe Herald.
Those blank places are archived in the sinktrap, Rhodesiafever. Go to that word in Dribble's post; you will be taken directly there. But Dribble takes lascivious pleasure in dwelling on viciousness, and we are not interested in displaying his onanism.
#8
I'm sorry, I hit Submit too quickly. You'll notice, Rhodesiafever, that where Dribble behaves himself, his comments remain untouched. He has not yet been banished to Road Side America.
#9
"He has not yet been banished to Road Side America."
When/if y'all ever decide to ban him/her/it, could you do it to Road Side Iran?
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
03/22/2011 18:57 Comments ||
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#10
Well dribble's comments seem unmatched in their zeal, depths of depravity and lack of brevity. I cop to going over to the sink trap to see what is there, because if nothing else, you can never call ahead of time what zany stuff is going to be there.
Posted by: Fi ||
03/22/2011 19:14 Comments ||
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#11
I raise your 9 irons to an ALLOUETTE K-Car and a pony.
[Arab News] Arab League chief Jerry Lewis doppelgänger Amr Moussa ... who has been head of the Arab League since about the time Jerry and Dean split up ... said on Monday that he respected a UN resolution that authorized military action on Libya, after earlier comments suggested he was concerned by actions taken by Western powers.
In Moscow, Russia's prime minister strongly criticized the UN resolution allowing international use of force in Libya, saying it reminds him of the Crusades.
The leader of Al-Qaeda's North Africa branch also warned Libyan rebels not to trust America and the US role in the international coalition bombing Muammar Qadaffy's forces.
Amid the criticisms, a front man of the Libyan rebel movement on Monday said the rebels welcome more air strikes by foreign forces against Qadaffy's army, but clarified that they do not want foreign ground troops to intervene in the war.
the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon's meeting with the vaporous Arab League comes a day after Moussa said that Arabs did not want military strikes by Western powers that hit civilians when the League called for a no-fly zone over Libya.
In a joint presser with Ban at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo after their meeting on Monday, Moussa said: "The Arab League position on Libya was decisive and from first moment we froze membership of Libya ... Then we asked the United Nations ... aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society... to implement a no-fly zone and we respect the UN resolution and there is no conflict with it."
"It is for protecting civilians and that is what we care about. We will continue to work on the protection of civilians. We urge everybody to take this into consideration in any military action," he said.
When the UN chief left after the meeting at the Arab League, a group of protesters angry about international intervention in Libya converged on him and his security detail.
The protesters, carrying pictures of Libyan leader Muammar Qadaffy ... a proud Arab institution for 42 years ... and banners critical of the United States and UN, blocked his path as he tried to walk away from the building. Ban returned inside and apparently drove out of the league from another exit.
On Sunday, Arab League chief Amr Moussa questioned Arab participation in the coalition after saying the international attacks went beyond the mandate to impose a no-fly zone.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/22/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
I might need a little help with the concept of the "Arab League", here What is the difference between Amr Moussa and Moussa Khoussa, or is it Koussa Moussa?
Are they related to each other and if so, in what way?
And who is Willie the Gimp? is he head of the Libyan rebel faction in charge of Oral Hygiene and Plastic airways?
And what have the Liberal Democrats in Congress done to support the rise of shrapnel debridements and sucking chest wounds by Arabs working to get their "respect" back.
PLUS, a question which has been nagging me for quite some time" What do Arabs wear under their dresses, you know, those dishdassha thingys? Is it like kilts or what?
[Asharq al-Aswat] Western forces launched a second wave of air strikes on Libya overnight and officials in Tripoli said a missile intended to kill Muammar Qadaffy had destroyed a building in his fortified compound.
"It was a barbaric bombing," said government front man Musa Ibrahim, showing pieces of shrapnel that he said came from the missile. "This contradicts American and Western (statements) ... that it is not their target to attack this place."
There was no comment on the strike from attacking forces.
The first air strikes on Saturday halted the advance of Qadaffy's forces on the rebel-held eastern city of Benghazi and had targeted Libya's air defenses in order to let Western warplanes patrol the skies of this oil-producing north African desert state.
The second wave of Western air strikes also hit Qadaffy's troops around Ajdabiyah, a strategic town in the barren, scrub of east Libya that rebels aim to retake and where their fighters said they need more help to take the fight to the enemy.
"If we don't get more help from the West, Qadaffy's forces will eat us alive," rebel fighter Nouh Musmari told Rooters.
The U.N.-mandated intervention to protect civilians caught up in a one-month-old revolt against Qadaffy drew criticism from Arab League chief Amr Musa, who questioned the need for a heavy bombardment, which he said had killed many civilians.
Musa said on Monday however that the League respected the U.N. resolution while stressing a need to protect civilians.
The United States, carrying out the air strikes in a coalition with Britain, La Belle France, Italy and Canada among others, said the campaign was working and dismissed a ceasefire announcement by the Libyan military on Sunday evening.
STRIKES "FOR A LITTLE WHILE"
Henri Guaino, one of French President Nicolas Sarkozy's ...23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. Sarkozy is known for wanting to revitalize the French economy whether the Frenchies want to or not. In foreign affairs he has promised a strengthening of the entente cordiale with the United Kingdom and closer cooperation with the United States. He married singer-songwriter Carla Bruni, who has a really nice birthday suit, in 2008... closest aides, said the strikes were not aimed at ousting the autocrat who has ruled Libya for 41 years but told RMC radio that they were likely to last "a little while."
Britain's Defense Ministry said one of its submarines had again fired Tomahawk cruise missiles as part of a second wave of attacks to enforce the U.N. resolution but that one air force mission was called off because of civilians in the target area.
"As the RAF GR4 Tornados approached the target, further information came to light ... As a result the decision was taken not to launch weapons," a ministry front man said, adding this underlined the British commitment to protecting civilians.
The Libyan government urged people in towns, cities and tribes to join a march from Tripoli to Benghazi "so we could exchange condolences, ... announce forgiveness ... and then we could sit down as one family ..."
The intervention in Libya is the biggest against an Arab country since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Withdrawal of Arab support would make it much harder to pursue what some defense analysts say could in any case be a difficult, open-ended campaign with an uncertain outcome.
Asked about Musa's concerns about the conduct of the campaign, Michele Flournoy, Under Secretary at the U.S. Department for Defense, told the BBC:
"I think that may be the case that people don't understand the military dimensions of what was required to establish the no-fly zone but I can tell you that we continue to have ... statements of support from a number of Arab countries."
Italy said it had warplanes in the air, after U.S. and British warships and submarines launched 110 Tomahawk missiles on Saturday night and Sunday morning.
Vice Admiral Bill Gortney, director of the U.S. military's Joint Staff, told news hounds there had been no new Libyan air activity or radar emissions, but a significant decrease in Libyan air surveillance, since strikes began Saturday.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/22/2011 00:00 ||
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they (the strikes) were likely to last "a little while."
Makes it sound like an afternoon of croquet rather than a military operation. Hopefully, they will be done by cocktail hour.
#2
"The Libyan government urged people in towns, cities and tribes to join a march from Tripoli to Benghazi "so we could exchange condolences, ... announce forgiveness ... and then we could sit down as one family ..."
I am all go with that if KaDaffy is right up there like Martin Luther King arm in arm with some of his closest friends. It would be inspiring to see a man of the Religion of Peace marching arm in arm with the common people of his colorful little nation. When it comes to Peace KaDaffy should make a Cindy Sheehan and lead from the front... and Show no Mercy.
[Asharq al-Aswat] The European Union's top foreign policy official brushed aside concerns Monday that the coalition supporting military action against Libyan leader Col. Muammar Qadaffy is already starting to fracture, saying the head of the vaporous Arab League was misquoted as criticizing the operation.
NATO, meanwhile, was struggling with its own internal divisions, having been blocked so far by member Turkey from participating in enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya.
Support from the Arab League had been critical to international action against Qadaffy's regime. But on Sunday, hours after the international operation began, the league's chief was quoted as telling news hounds in Cairo that it should not have included attacks on targets on the ground.
"What happened differs from the no-fly zone objectives," Amr Musa was said. "What we want is civilians' protection not shelling more civilians."
But EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said Monday there had been a misunderstanding. She spoke on her way into a meeting of EU foreign ministers at which Libya will be discussed.
"Musa was misquoted, as I understand it," she said. She did not specify her understanding of what Musa actually said.
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, however, offered Musa's comments as evidence that Germany's decision not to participate in the operation had been justified.
"This does not mean that we are neutral," Westerwelle said on his way into the same meeting. "This does not mean that we have any sympathy with the dictator Qadaffy. It means that we see the risks, and when we listen closely to what the Arab League yesterday said, unfortunately we see that we had reasons for our concerns."
Westerwelle said Germany would focus on broadening economic and financial sanctions against the Qadaffy regime.
Late Sunday, NATO's top decision-making body approved a military plan to implement the U.N. arms embargo on Libya. But so far it has failed to agree on a separate plan for the alliance to enforce the no-fly zone because of opposition from Turkey, which has vast business interests in the north African country.
Officials said the North Atlantic Council will discuss the no-fly plan when national envoys meet in Brussels on Monday, and may issue an order to alliance forces to implement it. The Council requires the consensus of all 28 member states to endorse such an order.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday that Turkey has conditions for its support.
"NATO should only enter Libya to determine that Libya belongs to Libyans and not to distribute its natural resources and richness to others," Erdogan said, speaking in Soddy Arabia. And he said the operation must end without turning into an occupation.
A decision to participate would require the approval of all 28 NATO members.
Early Sunday, U.S. French and British planes began bombarding Libyan military targets with a barrage of Tomahawk cruise missiles and precision bombs. Late in the day, a cruise missile blasted Qadaffy's residential compound.
A rebellion against Qadaffy's 42-year rule broke out last month. Initially rebels made significant progress, but forces loyal to Qadaffy turned the tide and retook control of significant amounts of territory.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/22/2011 00:00 ||
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OH WHEN...when will the noble Asrabs get their "respect" back.....?
"Musa Musa al Koussa was misquoted, as I understand it," she said. She did not specify her understanding of what Musa actually said."
#2
"Libyans to Libyans and not distribute its natural resources and richness to Others" > Yokay, I'll bite, SUBJECTIVELY SPEAKING ISN'T THAT CONTRARY TO THE IDEALS, TENETS + REQUIREMENTS, ETC, OF SO-CALLED "GLOBALISM", e.g. "ANTI-NATIONALISM/STATE NATIONALISM" + BIG POWERS GIVING + SHARING TO THE SMALLER/LESSOR POWERS???
Lest we fergit,MSM-NET > Artics on GLOBALISM = "NOT THE DECLINE OF THE US [US-West] BUT THE RISE OF THE REST OF THE WORLD/EVERYBODY ELSE"???
[SEXY SLINKY CAMERON "WHATEVER HAPPENED TO 'WHATS MINE IS ALSO YOURS, BABY!?'" DIAZ Movie here].
[Asharq al-Aswat] La Belle France said Sunday that Qatar will join the international operation against the forces of Libyan leader Muammar Qadaffy ... a proud Arab institution for 42 years ... within hours.
French Defense Ministry front man Laurent Teisseire said Qatar warplanes will join the operation alongside French jets, as a "historic partner" of La Belle France in the Arab world.
Speaking to news hounds in Gay Paree, he said the Qatari contribution will come "in the hours to come." He gave no other details.
La Belle France has sent about 15 planes to eastern Libya on Sunday, French military front man Thierry Burkhard said. He said no civilian casualties have been reported by French forces in the region.
La Belle France sent the first planes to Libya on Saturday, and fired the first strikes launching the military intervention aimed at protecting Libyan civilians.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/22/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
And now presenting the award-winning drum major of UWTF.
[Jerusalem Post Front Page] Forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Qadaffy ... a proud Arab institution for 42 years ... are bringing civilians from nearby towns to the rebel-held city of Misrata to use as human shields, a rebel front man told Rooters on Monday.
The report could not be independently verified and there was no immediate comment from Libyan officials. The front man also said seven people were killed in Misrata in fighting on Sunday, while a resident put the figure at eight.
The Misrata resident also told Rooters that armed pro-Qadaffy forces, dressed in civilian clothes, were in the centre of the city. He said the city, 200 km (130 miles) east of Tripoli, was surrounded by Qadaffy's troops and water supplies were still cut off.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and Arab League Secretary-General Jerry Lewis doppelgänger Amr Moussa ... who has been head of the Arab League since about the time Jerry and Dean split up ... addressed the situation in Libya during a Monday speech in Cairo, as Western forces continued air strikes on Libyan Leader Muammar Qadaffy's forces.
"We fear a humanitarian crisis; thousands of lives are at risk" in Libya, Ban said.
He welcomed Arab league support at what he called a "critical juncture," adding that "we need one global voice" in order to maintain a no-fly zone.
"The UN stands read to help protect civilians and promote reform," Ban said, mentioning Yemen and Bahrain, as well as Libya. "You cannot hold back demands for democracy and reform."
Amr Moussa says the vaporous Arab League "does not want to see any bloodshed among civilians as we have seen." He added that Libya has been suspended from the League.
"We decided that the Arab League will ask the UN to issue a resolution to have a no-fly zone that will protect civilians," Moussa explained. "This was clear, and we are committed to that."
Moussa said the Arab League "respected" the UNSC decision. "We have no objection to that because it specified that there will be no land troops occupying Libya."
Posted by: Fred ||
03/22/2011 00:00 ||
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[Al Jazeera] Libyan government forces have fallen back from the rebel-held city of Benghazi, following air raids by Western-led forces.
Rebel fighters on Monday tried to follow up the retreat by forces loyal to Muammar Qadaffy, the Libyan leader, advancing from positions some five to 10km from Ajdabiya.
But they retreated in disarray when they came under heavy fire from Qadaffy forces in Ajdabiya.
Tony Birtley, Al Jizz's correspondent, reporting from an area close to Ajdabiya said there was fierce fighting in outside the city.
"There's been heavy fighting ... as opposed to the more usual light or sporadic fighting... and heavy shelling going on ... the rebels told me there have been heavy casualties and there are a number of corpses between here and the town [of Ajdabiya] that they have been unable to reach."
He said the road between Benghazi and Ajdabiya was littered with the "burnout wreckage of what was Qadaffy's armour and tanks", destroyed in air raids by coalition forces.
Shamsudin Abdulmola, from the opposition national council, told Al Jizz: "The Libyan free forces seem to be allowing the coalition to clear the road ahead of heavy artillery and military forces which were planning to attack civilian populated areas.
"They're holding back until the roads are cleared out and then the advance of the volunteers takes place."
Elsewhere, forces loyal to Qadaffy surrounded the town of Misrata killing at least nine people, cutting off its water and bringing in human shields, the Rooters news agency reported, citing residents.
Coalition jets continued to patrol the UN-sanctioned no-fly zone over Libya, but launched no new attacks after air raids over the weekend scattered Qadaffy's forces.
A cruise missile attack hit a three-story building in Qadaffy's Bab al-Azizia compound in Tripoli late on Sunday, the first reported attack on the Libyan leader's military control centre.
Libyan authorities invited journalists to visit the site of the attack early on Monday morning.
Mussa Ibrahim, a front man for Qadaffy, called the attack a "barbaric bombing" but said no one had been hurt.
He declined to say whether Qadaffy himself was inside the compound, the same site that was bombed by the US in 1986.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/22/2011 00:00 ||
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"He said the road between Benghazi and Ajdabiya was littered with the "burnout wreckage of what was Qadaffy's armour and tanks", destroyed in air raids by coalition forces."
Do you get the impression about the Libyan rebels that they are about as organized as the girls down at the Ice Cream Parlor? What makes me think of a bunch of Arabs in T-shirts and Toyotas? Shooting in the air and playing CD's...that sort of thing. Fearsome as Mexicans on Pulque.
At least 60 Somali refugees decamped Yemen due to the unrest situation in country and reached to the port town of Bosasso. ...Puntland's major port, population about 250,000, most of them shady characters who hang around waterfront saloons and carry knives and brass knuckles...
One of the refugees, told local media news hounds that the Somalis were accused by Yemenis of being mercenaries fighting on behalf of Yemeni leader President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh.
''We decamped from Yemen due to poor living conditions, social inequality, instability, lack of freedom, oppression, current political unrests and many other reasons," Mr. Osman told media outlets. Seems Puntland is a better bet than Yemen these days...
According to UN agencies in Somalia, at least 250 Somali refugees returned back to their native country from Yemen since 26th January when anti-government protests rocked the country.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/22/2011 00:00 ||
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[Iran Press TV] The Iranian Embassy in Bahrain has denied a report No, no! Certainly not! that one of its staff members was involved in smuggling weapons out of Manama's Salmaniya hospital.
The Iranian Embassy ...You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy!... issued a statement on Monday dismissing all such allegations as baseless and fabricated, Tut tut! Made up out of whole cloth, I assure you, including the pictures! according to Mehr News Agency ...And if you can't believe Mehr News Agency who can you believe?....
Alayam daily newspaper, which is owned by an advisor to the Bahraini monarch, published a fabricated story claiming an Iranian embassy staff member was caught by Bahraini security forces while trying to smuggle weapons and a communication system out of the hospital.
According to Alayam, staff at the hospital were cooperating with the Iranian Embassy and the communication system was used to transmit information to the Iranian side.
The Iranian Embassy's statement was sent to all major media outlets in Bahrain, including the Alayam daily, but none have published it.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/22/2011 00:00 ||
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[Al Jazeera] Several protesters were tossed in the calaboose in Soddy Arabia on Sunday at a demonstration demanding the release of thousands of prisoners, held captive for years without trial.
They were among dozens of men and women who tried to push their way into Riyadh's interior ministry building, which was fortified with up to 2,000 special forces and 200 police vehicles, according to the News Agency that Dare Not be Named news agency.
"We have seen at least three or four police vehicles taking people away," said an activist there who declined to be named.
"Security forces have tossed in the calaboose around 15 people. They tried to go into the ministry to go and ask for the freedom of their loved ones."
Some people were seen arguing with police but were not shouting chants or bearing protest placards, at the third such demonstration this month by families demanding information on the fate of relatives, held secretly on security or terrorism charges.
Protests are banned in the kingdom, the world's top oil exporter.
Saudi interior ministry front man Mansour al-Turki did not confirm the arrests, saying: "There are many people who come to the ministry to see different officials for different reasons."
King Abdullah, the ruler of Soddy Arabia - a country with some two-thirds of its 25 million population under 30 - on Friday offered a $67bn worth of wage increases, jobs and construction projects, but gave no political concessions.
The move was seen as an attempt to stave off the unrest that has swept the region.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/22/2011 00:00 ||
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Seem the huddled Arab masses have switched hobbies: Jihad out, Revolt in.
[Asharq al-Aswat] Mohammedanholy men urged Yemeni soldiers to disobey orders and a third minister resigned after the gunning down of more than 50 protesters calling for an end to President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh's rule.
Leading holy mans said Saleh was responsible for the slaughter following Mohammedan prayers in Sanaa on Friday, the worst day of bloodshed in more a month of violent unrest.
"We call on the army and security forces to not carry out any order from anyone to kill and repress" demonstrators, a group of influential holy mans in the deeply religious country said in a joint statement.
They also called for Saleh's elite Republican Guard troops to be withdrawn from the capital, where anti-regime protesters have continued a sit-in near Sanaa University despite a state of emergency called after Friday's violence.
Saleh has declared Sunday as a "national day of mourning" for the "martyrs for democracy," while blaming the opposition for "incitement and chaos" that had led to the killings.
Youth activists organising the sit-in panned Saleh's declaration as insincere. "After getting blood on his hands ... he cried crocodile tears for the martyrs," they said in a statement.
The opposition says the president -- a key US ally in the war against Al-Qaeda in the region -- must resign this year but he has refused to leave until his current term expires in 2013.
He has also offered to devolve power to parliament under a new constitution, a pledge rejected as "too late" by the opposition which says the president cannot be trusted to honour his promises.
Human rights minister Huda al-Baan announced late on Saturday that she was resigning in protest at Friday's bloodbath, where the undersecretary at her ministry, Ali Taysir, has also stepped down.
Baan became the third Yemeni minister to quit in as many days.
Minister of tourism Nabil al-Faqih resigned on Friday over the "unjustifiable use of force" against protesters, while Yemen's minister of religious endowments, Hamoud al-Hattar, quit earlier in the week.
The chief of the state news agency Saba has also stepped down, saying he would join the protesters, as has Yemen's ambassador to Leb.
Friday's carnage followed repeated US appeals for restraint and respect of human rights ... which are not the same thing as individual rights, mind you... in the impoverished country, which is also struggling to contain a southern secessionist movement and a Shiite revolt in the north.
US President Barack B.O. Obama strongly condemned the crackdown and called on the key US anti-terror ally to live up to its own pledge to allow peaceful protests.
"Those responsible for today's violence must be held accountable," he said.
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said she was "dismayed" by the violence and demanded Saleh stand by his own vow announced on 10 March to protect the right to peaceful protest.
Western diplomats have repeatedly issued similar calls since violence erupted a month ago in Yemen, where the corpse count after Friday's bloodbath has doubled to around 80.
Rights activists have said the United States should reconsider its military aid to Yemen, where US special forces troops are helping to train local anti-terror units engaged in the fight against Al-Qaeda's Yemen-based offshoot.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/22/2011 00:00 ||
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[Arab News] Rival tanks deployed in the streets of Yemen's capital Monday after three senior army commanders defected to a movement calling for the ouster of the US -backed president, leaving him with virtually no support among the country's most powerful institutions. Looks like the end is in sight here...
Maj. Gen. Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar, commander of the army's powerful 1st Armored Division, was the most senior of the three commanders to join the opposition. He announced his defection in a message delivered by a close aide to protest leaders at the Sanaa square that has become the epicenter of their movement. The question now becomes whether Saleh's gonna do a Ceaucescu or if he's gonna decamp at 2 a.m. with the national treasury in his luggage...
It's Yemen. The national treasury probably fits into a single wheeled carry-on, if converted into American hundred-dollar bills.
Some of the tanks and armored vehicles deployed in the Sanaa square where protesters have been camping out to call for the resignation of President President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh, ... Saleh initially took power as a strongman of North Yemen in 1977, when disco was in flower, after serving as a lieutenant colonel in the army. He had been part of the conspiracy that bumped off his predecessor, Ibrahim al-Hamdi, in the usual tiresome military coup, and he has maintained power by keeping Yemen's many tribes fighting with each other, rather than uniting to string him up. ... whose forces opened fire from rooftops and killed more 40 demonstrators on Friday. Others were deployed at state TV, the Central Bank and the Defense Ministry. It's probably getting hard to tell which tanks belong to which side...
Saleh, who has cooperated closely with a US -backed offensive against his nation's branch of Al-Qaeda, looked to be far closer to what analysts increasingly have called inevitable: a choice between stepping down after 32 years in power or waging a dramatically more violent campaign against his opponents. If he does that he'll go into the Qadaffy category...
A senior opposition leader said contacts were underway with the president over a peaceful way out of the ongoing crisis. One option under discussion, he said, was for Saleh to step down and a military council takes over from him to run the country till presidential and legislative elections are held.
The leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the contacts, declined to say how much progress the talks have made, but gave 48 hours as the likely timeframe for a breakthrough.
Also Monday, Saleh sent his foreign minister to Soddy Arabia, Yemen's powerful neighbor and the on-and-off backer of the Yemeni leader, with a message to King Abdullah. The contents of the message were not known. That'd probably be a request for GCC intervention like Bahrain got. The answer will likely be "no."
At least a dozen tanks and armored personnel carriers belonging to the Elite Republican Guards, an elite force led by Saleh's son and one-time heir apparent, Ahmed, were deployed outside the presidential palace on Sanaa's southern outskirts, according to witnesses. The deployment appeared designed to counter the presence of elements of the 1st Armored Division elsewhere in the city.
All three officers who defected belong to Saleh's Hashid tribe. A Hashid leader said the tribe, eager to keep the president's job for one of its own, was rallying behind Maj. Gen. Al-Ahmar as a possible replacement for Saleh.
Saleh has now lost support from every power base in the nation. He fired his entire Cabinet Sunday ahead of what one government official said was a planned mass resignation, a series of ambassadors have quit in protest and Sadeq Al-Ahmar, the chief of the Hashid tribe, said Monday that he too was joining the opposition.
Regional TV stations reported that dozens of army commanders and politicians were joining the opposition, but there was no immediate independent confirmation.
Maj. Gen Al-Ahmar has been close to Saleh for most of the Yemeni president's years in power. He has close associations with Islamist groups in Yemen that are likely to raise suspicions in the West about his willingness to effectively fight Al-Qaeda operatives active in the country. He is a veteran of the 1994 civil war that saw Saleh's army suppress an attempt by southern Yemen to secede. Now they can deal with another one...
Al-Ahmar also fought in recent years against Iranian catspaws in the north of the country. His defection to the opposition was welcomed by protesters, but the warm reception may not guarantee him a political career in a post-Saleh Yemen given his close links to the president. Popular among troops and viewed as a seasoned field commander, Al-Ahmar also has widely been seen as a rival to the president and his son, who saw him as a threat to him succeeding his father.
Speaking to Qatar-based Al-Jazeera television from Sanaa, Al-Ahmar said the death of scores of protesters at the hands of security forces on Friday made him decide to back the opposition after weeks of trying to mediate between Saleh and the protesters. "The demands of the protesters are the demands of the Yemeni people," he said. "I can no longer fool myself, it is not the custom of men or tribes to do so."
The two other officers who announced their defection were Mohammed Ali Mohsen and Hameed Al-Qusaibi, who both have the rank of brigadier. Yemen's ambassadors to Jordan, Syria and parliament's deputy speaker also announced Monday they were supporting the opposition, further undermining Saleh's weakening authority.
On Saturday, crowds flooded cities and towns across Yemen to mourn the dozens of protesters killed when Saleh's security forces opened fire on the demonstration in Sanaa.
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Posted by: Fred ||
03/22/2011 00:00 ||
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I'd cast Powers Boothe to play President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh in the TV Movie
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/22/2011 14:44 Comments ||
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[Iran Press TV] Yemeni Houthi fighters are now in control of the northern province of Sa'ada following festivities with security forces which left at 20 people dead.
The fighters have also clashed with Yemeni government forces in the neighboring province of al-Jawf, local sources said.
"Fighting between sock puppets of the Medes and the Persians, Yemeni troops and their tribal allies killed 20 people in the north" AFP quoted the sources as saying on Monday.
The Shia Houthi fighters, who have fought the Yemeni regime for their rights, have been frequently pounded by Yemeni fighter jets and helicopter gunships.
The fighting broke out on Monday after Yemeni troops tried to retake the control of a strategic military installation near the northern province of Al-Jawf, which the Houthi fighters had taken over.
The Yemeni government launched Operation Scorched Earth in 2007 to uproot the Houthis, whom Sana'a accuses of seeking to restore the Zaydi imamate rule, tossed in a 1962 coup.
The fresh festivities came as thousands of protesters across the country have been calling for the ouster of embattled President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh since mid-January. Dozens have been killed and hundreds more maimed during anti-government protests.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/22/2011 00:00 ||
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[Iran Press TV] Five Yemeni ambassadors to European states have called on embattled President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down, the country's envoy to La Belle France says.
The ambassadors to Gay Paree, Brussels, Geneva, Berlin and London as well as the Yemeni consul in Frankfurt "sent a message to President-for-Life Saleh ... exemplifying the Arab's propensity to combine brutality with incompetence... urging him to respond to the demands of the people and resign to avert bloodshed," Khaled al-Akwaa said.
He added that the Yemeni ambassador to Cuba has also signed, AFP reported.
The envoys join a host of senior Yemeni officials who have either jumped ship resigned from their posts or voiced support for protesters demanding Saleh's ouster.
Several military commanders have joined the opposition while Yemen's Ambassador to Soddy Arabia Mohammad Ali al-Ahwal has voiced support for protesters.
Yemeni deputy parliament speaker and the governor of the southern province of Aden along with the country's ambassadors to Syria, Japan and the UN have also stepped down.
More than 50 of people have been killed and scores of others maimed during armed attacks by Saleh loyalists since the beginning of the popular revolution in January.
Top Yemeni tribal leader Sadiq al-Ahmar also joined a number of influential Yemeni holy mans who have called on Saleh to meet the demands of protesters and end his decades-long rule to avoid further violence and bloodshed.
Late on Sunday, President Saleh sacked his entire government amid continued pressure from the oppression-weary public. He, however, did not show any sign that he would heed protesters' demand and step down.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/22/2011 00:00 ||
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President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh sacked the government on Sunday and later reappointed it as a caretaker government until a new government is formed. There's a good chance that'll be when he's gone...
The decision included ordering the government to manage the ordinary public affairs but there were no new appointments. They'd just quit anyway. It sounds like the balance has shifted away from his supporters...
It came amid the escalating protests demanding the ouster of the regime across the republic and two days after killing 52 protesters and injuring hundreds, tens seriously, in the square of change outside Sana'a University. That was not a brilliant tactical move.
Security forces out of uniform and pro-Saleh thugs sniped and rubbed out the protesters after hundreds of thousands finished the Friday prayers in the square, where tens of thousands have been conducting a sit-in demanding the departure of Saleh for more than a month.
The move also came after collective resignations of officials including ministers, Yemeni ambassadors and other bigwigs from their posts and from the General People's Congress, the ruling party.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/22/2011 00:00 ||
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A Jeep Liberty was identified as similar to one of the vehicles involved in the ambush of Comandante Aguilera Sunday. A Ford Contour sedan was also spotted as part of the convoy carrying the shooters.
This second attack makes good a threat delivered via graffiti in Chihuahua city in two different locations Sunday. The messages were signed by La Linea, the brutal armed wing of the Juarez drug cartel.
The messages warned that unless the Chihuahua state attorney general (PGJE), Carlos Manuel Salas, resigned for supporting the Sinaloa driug cartel in Chihuahua, one state police agent per day would be attacked.
Manuel Salas has been the Procuradora General Justicia Estado since the newly elected Chihuahua governor Cesar Duarte took office in October, 2010. He took over from former Chihuahua PGJE Patricia Gonzalez, who left the office under a cloud of charges she was in the pay of the Juarez drug gang.
Her brother, Mario Gonzalez, was murdered in November last year following a video released in which he was recorded saying Gonzalez was in the pay of the Juarez drug gang. Mario was kidnapped three weeks before the video was released.
#1
A Jeep Liberty was identified as similar to one of the vehicles involved in the ambush of Comandante Aguilera Sunday. A Ford Contour sedan was also spotted as part of the convoy carrying the shooters.
I blame autos from north of the border on the Mexican violence. /sarc
Weapons were found on an Iranian cargo plane forced to land in southeast Turkey on Saturday, Turkish media reported Tuesday. For peaceful jihadi purposes, of course.
According to reports, the arms plane left Tehran with military ammunition for Syria. Several crates containing weapons and ammunition were removed from the aircraft.
Turkish media reported that the plane was forced to land in a military airfield at the United Nations' request following information indicating it was carrying nuclear materials. It was further reported that rocket launchers, mortars, rifles and explosive materials were found in one of the main cabinets on the plane.
Turkish newspapers stated this was the first time that a plane was forced to land in such circumstances since 2006.
Last Wednesday, another Iranian plane was forced to land in Turkey. The Turkish foreign ministry said at the time no suspicious materials were found.
Better late than never. He does, however, abide by the War Powers Resolution in his notification (PDF link).
Amidst claims by members of Congress that they were insufficiently consulted, and ensuing White House pushback, President Obama Monday officially notified congressional leaders that at “approximately 3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, on March 19, 2011, at my direction, U.S. military forces commenced operations to assist an international effort authorized by the United Nations (U.N.) Security Council and undertaken with the support of European allies and Arab partners, to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and address the threat posed to international peace and security by the crisis in Libya.”
The notification was part of the president’s “efforts to keep the Congress fully informed, consistent with the War Powers Resolution,” but given complaints from both Democrats and Republicans in Congress, and the fact that the war started two days ago, it had the effect of a rather discomforting “While You Were Out…” note.
Let's cut Bambi a little slack on this one: the War Powers Act gives him two days, and he did it within two days.
The White House has pushed back against claims that Congress was insufficiently consulted, noting that the president met with congressional leaders the day before the attack and the administration has provided testimony and background briefings on the latest from Libya.
The president pledged in his letter, as he has in his public remarks, that the “strikes will be limited in their nature, duration, and scope” and “will set the stage for further action by other coalition partners.”
Sounds like he doesn't plan to ask for an 'authorization for the use of force' but rather intends to be done within the 60 day time frame allotted in the Act.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/22/2011 00:00 ||
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Now all he has to do is explain how Libya was a attacking us or a serious threat to us. Which they aren't, but everyone will give him a pass for the end-around the Constitution because it avoided a massacre that he was helping to cause through inaction.
Posted by: Charles ||
03/22/2011 11:39 Comments ||
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Coincidence Pelosi was briefly hospitalized in Italy, citing exhaustion after a long flight? I secretly was hoping for more long-term incapacitation but won't express those thoughts exactly out of respect for RB.
#4
Obama said he would do as much during his candidate days, pointing towards Somalia as an example. Agree though this absolute bare minimum treatment is a bit insulting, as he is way past the Just Trust Me.
#5
VARIOUS MUSLIM BLOGGERS > are proclaiming the Libya NFZ to be an OBAMA/US/UNO FARCE as Gaddafi had already ordered his Air Forces to stop flying + stand down on base when the NFZ was first announced, + had also ordered a halt + pullback to his feared Benghazi "final offensive/
campaign" agz the Rebels - YET, DESPITE SEEMINGLY OBEYING THE UN MANDATE TO STAND DOWN, MUAMMAR + BOYZ WERE ATTACKED ANYWAY BY THE US-EUROS.
Uncle Saddam made a similar complaint in his day.
* ION FREEREPUBLIC > OBAMA: GADDAFI CAN STAY.
* SAME > OBAMA: WE SAVED [Libyan = Civilian]LIVES, via pro-NFZ Airstrikes.
versus
* NEWS KERALA > GADDAFI NO LONGER HAS WHEREWITHALL TO LAUNCH TERROR STRIKES ON US: EXPERTS. Been out of it = inactive for too long -its gonna take Uncle Muammar a while to work out the rust as per TerrOpsPlanning???
* DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > ANTI-AMERICAN EXTREMISTS [Fighters = Iraq] AMONG LIBYAN REBELS US HAS VOWED TO PROTECT.
ARTIC = On a Per Capita basis LIBYUH, espec EASTERN LIBYA, has send more Foreign Fighters to oppose the US = US-ALLIES in IRAQ than any other Muslim country, as per the "SINJAR DOCUMENTS" captured from AL-QAEDA back in 2007.
Talibs rubbed out four rustics on Monday after accusing them of spying for the United States in Pakistain's northwestern tribal belt, officials said.
Three bullet-riddled bodies were dumped on a roadside in Datta Khel village, 35 kilometres west of Miramshah, the main town in North Wazoo tribal district, local administration official Wahab Khan told AFP.
The body of another primitive was found in Mir Ali village, 25 kilometres east of Miramshah, Khan said.
"The bodies had multiple bullet wounds and were mutilated," Khan said and added that notes found on bodies said Taliban had killed them because they were spying for the United States.
Another report said the bodies were found with notes outlining their alleged role in the March 17 drone strike. The notes warned that anyone who helped the US would face a similar fate. That would tend to discredit the claims that the deaders were all just local village wise men, gathered to solve some local problem and play cards.
Assuming that anything in the notes is true...
Local intelligence officials confirmed the executions. "Ayyup! They're deader'n rocks, all of 'em."
Militants frequently kidnap and murderrustics in the troubled region on alleged charges of spying for the Pakistain government or US forces in neighbouring Afghanistan, where Taliban fighters have been waging a vicious insurgency for nine years.
North Wazoo is a known hub of Taliban and al Qaeda-linked Death Eaters where the United States wants the Pakistain military to launch a ground offensive as soon as possible. Pakistain has consistently countered that its troops are too overstretched to launch an assault there.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/22/2011 00:00 ||
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Security agencies on Monday nabbed the criminal mastermind and two of his accomplices involved in the Faisalabad suicide kaboom from Islamabad.
Officials of the security agencies told DawnNews that the target of the attack was the ISI office and the planning was done the tribal region.
The juggedcriminal mastermind Usman Ghani alias Abdul Jabbar was the key planner of the attack, officials added.
Sources said that he got his training from Afghanistan in 2007 and in 2009 he moved to North Wazoo where he joined the Qari Imran ... the Qari Imran training camp is located in South Wazoo. It is named after its commander, Qari Imran alias Hakeem Nasir of the Mehsud group. Dawn describes Qari as an al-Qaeda controller, and the camp specializes in turning out boomers. 10 to 15 bad boyz were dronezapped at the camp on September 11th, 2008... group. Later, he was assigned the task to bomb the ISI office in Faisalabad.
With the help of his accomplices Khalid Habib, Asif, Tipu and Qari Imran, Ghani planned the attack. The security agencies were trying to nab the other culprits involved in the attack.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/22/2011 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] Police on Monday tossed in the clink three members of a gang involved in murders in the city and recovered arms from them, DawnNews reported.
The new CCPO Bloody Karachi Saud Mirza in his news conference said that the tossed in the clink criminals Rao Mohammad Arasto, Nadeem Khan and Babar belonged to the Mudassir Chief group.
The killers were professionals and they had rubbed out 30 people including political workers, added Mirza.
Police had also recovered two Kalashnikovs, seven rifles and huge cache of ammunition from them.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/22/2011 00:00 ||
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[Iran Press TV] A new wave of political violence in Pakistain's southern province of Sindh has claimed the lives of at least 16 people, security official say.
Clashes broke out between supporters of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Awami National Party (ANP) in the port city of Bloody Karachi, AFP reported.
The MQM, supporting the rights of migrants, is a partner in the Pakistain People's Party-led coalition that rules Sindh province.
"At least 16 people belonging to coalition parties have been rubbed out since Saturday," said Sharfuddin Memon, the home ministry consultant of the province.
Memon said that "faceless myrmidons outfits" were behind the fresh festivities.
"The Islamic exemplar organizations are involved in murders in a bid to dislodge the government because we are taking action against them," Memon said.
A fresh wave of violence hit Pakistain's largest city and commercial capital since January when 17 people were rubbed out.
In 2010, at least 155 people were killed in Bloody Karachi -- which is plagued by ethnic and sectarian killings, crime and kidnappings -- after a politician was assassinated in August.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/22/2011 00:00 ||
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[Ma'an] The armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Paleostine ... Paleostinian Marxist movement, founded in 1967. It is considered a terrorist organization by more than 30 countries including the U.S., European Union, Australia, Canada, and Antarctica. The PFLP's stated goal is the establishment of a socialist State in Paleostine. They pioneered armed aircraft hijackings in the late 60s and early 70s... - General Command said Monday that its fighters fired a home-made projectile toward Israel early in the day.
The projectile headed toward an Israeli moshav near the Gazoo border, a statement from the Jihad Jibril Brigades said.
"Resistance will continue to confront the Israeli occupation," the statement added.
According to the Israeli military, three projectiles fired from Gazoo landed on the Israeli side of the border, with two said to have been fired at military targets and claimed by the Popular Resistance Committees on Sunday afternoon. The second reported launch, which was said to have landed near Ashkelon though police were reportedly still looking for the projectiles, has not been claimed by resistance factions.
On Saturday, according to Israeli police, 49 projectiles were launched toward Israel.
In a Sunday statement, the Popular Resistance Committees said the recent barrage, which it called operation "winds of change," was in response to "the offensive on Gazoo."
Earlier on Sunday, Israeli tanks launched fresh attacks against targets in the central Gazoo Strip, leaving one man injured by shrapnel. Medics said he was taken to hospital.
On Sunday morning, medics were permitted to retrieve the bodies of two 17-year-old Paleostinians killed by Israeli fire the night before.
During the day on Saturday, an Israeli air strike injured at least five Paleostinians in Gazoo City and damaged power lines, cutting electricity to neighborhoods in central and northern Gazoo.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Saturday that Israel would use "all means necessary to protect its citizens.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/22/2011 00:00 ||
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[Straits Times] A POLICE official says suspected Abu Sayyaf ...also known as al-Harakat al-Islamiyya, an Islamist terror group based in Jolo, Basilan and Zamboanga. Since its inception in the early 1990s, the group has carried out bombings, kidnappings, murders, head choppings, and extortion in what they describe as their fight for an independent Islamic province in the Philippines. Abu Sayyaf forces in Basilan and in Zamboanga Peninsula were, by June 2003, believed to number less than 500, down from more than 1,000 a year earlier. Abu Sayyaf is closely allied with remnants of Indonesia's Jemaah Islamiya... gunnies kidnapped the skipper and two other crew members of a fishing boat then called their company to demand ransom, in the latest reminder of the lingering danger of the battle-crippled terrorist group.
Police Director Felicisimo Khu Jr. says the three were fishing with other crew members off southern Sulu province Saturday when Abu Sayyaf gunnies aboard a motor boat approached and kidnapped them at gunpoint. The gunnies called the captives' fishing company the next day, apparently to demand ransom.
Mr Khu said Monday that the new kidnappings and a recent deadly bombing in Sulu indicate the danger posed by the gunnies despite their many battle setbacks and underscore the difficulty of fighting terrorism.
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03/22/2011 00:00 ||
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[Al Jazeera] Syrian troops have been deployed in the southern city of Daraa a day after an anti-government protester was killed when forces reportedly fired on a demonstration.
News agencies, citing residents, said that thousands of Syrians marched on Monday in the town following the funeral of Raed Akrad, the killed protester.
A resident told the AFP news agency that "mass of demonstrators started to march from the cemetery towards al-Omari mosque after the burial".
"Just God, Syria and Freedom," and "Revolution, revolution" demonstrators chanted, the resident said.
Another witness said security forces had been deployed to block protests, but people had gathered regardless.
However Rula Amin, Al Jizz's correspondent in Daraa, said the situation on Monday was "very tense but it is quiet".
"There are a lot of security, the army as well as police, there are a lot of checkpoints. But we didn't see any protests, people told us there was a funeral this morning but it ended with no festivities," she said.
Protesters have been demonstrating in Syria since last week, calling for an end to corruption and 48 years of emergency law. They have also been protesting against the killing of five civilians in a similar demonstration three days ago.
On Sunday crowds set fire to the courthouse and other buildings, including the headquarters of the ruling Baath party.
The protests are becoming a major challenge for Bashar Assad, Syria's president, as activists inspired by the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt call for action.
Daraa is primarily an agricultural community, and its economy has been hurt by falling water levels in recent years.
The region also houses thousands of people who left their homes in eastern Syria because of an ongoing water crisis.
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03/22/2011 00:00 ||
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[Jerusalem Post Front Page] Hundreds of people demonstrated against the Syrian government in the town of Jassem on Monday, activists said, as unrest spread in southern Syria.
"They are staging a sit-in the center of the town," one of the activists said.
The Syrian army deployed on Monday at the entrances to the southern city of Deraa as officials tried to calm passions following protests for freedom in which five non-combatants were killed, residents said.
Thousands of mourners marched at the funeral of 23-year-old Raed al-Kerad who died on Sunday, the latest of five protesters to be killed by security forces. Mourners rolled their eyes, jumped up and down, and hollered poorly rhymed slogans real loud demanding political freedom and an end to corruption.
"God, Syria, freedom. The people want the overthrow of corruption," they chanted.
The slogan is a play on the words "the people want the overthrow of the regime," the rallying cry of the revolutions that overthrew the entrenched leaders of Tunisia and Egypt and spread across the Arab world.
The mourners later gathered at the al-Omari mosque in the old quarter of Deraa near the border with Jordan.
Troops set up checkpoints at the entrances of Deraa and were checking identity cards. The Syrian justice minister arrived at a city hall.
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03/22/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
I wonder what's happening in the Kurdish North, and across the border in Iraqi Kurdistan?
[Asharq al-Aswat] Abdul Rahman al-Attiyah, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), announced that the Gulf States were standing by Soddy Arabia, in opposition to the Iranian attacks on the Saudi Embassy in Tehran, and its consulate in Mashhad.
Al-Attiyah, speaking to news hounds in Riyadh yesterday shortly before his departure to Abu Dhabi, believed that the attack witnessed by the Saudi diplomatic mission in Mashhad was a "flagrant violation" of the Vienna Convention, which governs diplomatic relations between states.
The Secretary General of the GCC strongly condemned the attacks against the headquarters of the Saudi diplomatic mission operating on Iranian territory.
With regards to the incidents, al-Attiyah said: "we completely reject this attack. It is contrary to international laws and conventions, and is a flagrant violation of the Vienna Convention, governing diplomatic relations between states".
Al-Attiyah confirmed that the GCC would stand by Soddy Arabia against such attacks, saying: "we, the GCC, stand with Soddy Arabia and whatever action they choose to adopt in this regard".
Soddy Arabia's diplomatic mission was attacked by Iranian demonstrators, amidst the backdrop of intensifying Iranian allegations of "Saudi interference" in Bahrain.
However, The ever-popular However... Abdul Rahman al-Attiyah saluted the role played by Soddy Arabia and the Gulf States, in the context of consolidating security and stability in the Arab Gulf, alluding to the situation in Bahrain. He said that Riyadh, along with its Gulf allies, had undertaken a courageous stand in order to maintain the security and stability of Bahrain.
The Secretary General of the GCC described talk of the Joint Peninsula Shield Force entering into festivities with protestors as agenda-driven.
In response to allegations that the Joint Peninsula Shield Force had clashed with Bahraini protestors, al-Attiyah said: "In reality these allegations have been repeated a lot, we hear of them through biased media stations and news agencies, and they are not related to the truth".
Al-Attiyah described the task delegated to the Joint Peninsula Shied Force, saying: "the [Joint Peninsula Shield] Force entered Bahrain under the defense cooperation pact which it is governed by, in order to protect institutions. Its mission is strategic in nature; it does not interfere with internal security. Bahrain's security forces are ready and able to maintain security, stability, and civil peace".
With regards to the situation on the ground, the GCC Secretary General pointed out that matters in Bahrain were returning to normal, after "external interference" had ceased. Here he did not name specific parties, yet Iran is believed to have played a role in fueling the Bahraini opposition, and provoking them to carry out general civic disobedience.
Al-Attiyah told news hounds yesterday: "Bahraini affairs should be conducted under the guidance of King Mohammed bin Isa al-Khalifa, and we hope that the dialogue called for by the King, and undertaken by the Crown Prince, will achieve security and stability, and restore matters to normal. The King has resolved many issues [in the past], either through his wise vision for a reform project which he called for 10 years ago, or through what the Crown Prince has achieved with national dialogue".
Al-Attiyah stressed that calm was returning to Bahrain, with the end of external interference into Bahraini affairs, saying: "I hope that things will return to how they were, after the intervention in Bahraini affairs has ceased, which was manifested in the sit-ins and protests. We believe that such sit-ins and protests were not in the interests of the security and stability of Bahrain. We appreciate and value the King's call to engage in national dialogue".
With regards to the meeting that was attended by al-Attiyah, along with the King of Bahrain and the Foreign Ministers of Soddy Arabia and Qatar, on the eve of the arrival of the Joint Peninsula Shield Force in Bahrain, the GCC Secretary General said: "the GCC, either through the meeting conducted by the King of Bahrain and attended by the Foreign Ministers of Soddy Arabia and Qatar, or otherwise, has done everything in the interests of security and stability in Bahrain. There is nothing more than the member states seek to do in this regard, and they have been dedicated to this issue in all events and forums".
The GCC Secretary General made these comments to the press as he ceremonially laid the foundation stone for the expansion of the Secretariat headquarters, which were built in 1986. He also laid the foundation stone for a new "Intellectual Property Training Centre" at the GCC headquarters in Riyadh.
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03/22/2011 00:00 ||
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[Asharq al-Aswat] The Saudi Foreign Ministry announced that it had filed an official complaint to the government of Tehran, in response to attacks witnessed by their diplomatic mission operating in Iranian territory.
Asharq al-Awsat learned that two separate attacks were recorded over a 48 hour period, against the Saudi Embassy in Tehran, and its consulate in the city of Mashhad.
A source told Asharq al-Awsat that the Saudi Foreign Ministry on Saturday summoned the Iranian Ambassador, in order to deliver a formal complaint to him, regarding the attacks against the headquarters of the Saudi diplomatic mission in his country.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry, in a statement, expressed Riyadh's severe condemnation for the attacks against its diplomatic mission operating in Iran.
On Saturday, the Saudi consulate operating in the Iranian city of Mashhad was subjected to an attack by Iranian groups, in a dangerous escalation that threatens the security and safety of Saudi diplomats working in Iran.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry statement holds the Iranian government fully responsible for the protection of the Saudi diplomatic mission, and all its employees on Iranian territory, under international laws and conventions.
The source pointed out that the Saudi Foreign Ministry has formally complained to the government of the Islamic Theocratic Republic of Iran, noting that the Kingdom will consider what steps to take in light of the Iranian response.
The official source at the Saudi Foreign Ministry refused to comment on what future steps could be taken by Riyadh, with regards to its relationship with Tehran, declining to talk about it until Tehran has responded to the attacks on the Saudi diplomatic mission on its territory.
Asharq al-Awsat learned from its sources that the Saudi Embassy in Tehran came under attack from demonstrators last Thursday, with stones being thrown at the embassy building. The sources indicated that the demonstrators held up banners bearing anti-monarchy slogans.
The attacks on the Saudi Embassy in Tehran did not lead to any injuries, as Thursday is considered the beginning of the weekend in Iran, [thus no employees were present].
The Saudi Embassy in Tehran and its consulate in Mashhad will close their doors this week, in order to mark the Iranian Nowruz Gala, and will resume work next Saturday.
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03/22/2011 00:00 ||
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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.
al-Shabaab
A US warplane has crash landed in a Libyan field in the area around Benghazi, The Telegraph can disclose.
[Tolo News] Western war planes have targeted a building in Libya's capital Tripoli which is believed to be one of Col Muammar Qadaffy's main commands.
Jerry Lewis doppelgänger Amr Moussa
the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon
[Asharq al-Aswat] Western forces launched a second wave of air strikes on Libya overnight and officials in Tripoli said a missile intended to kill Muammar Qadaffy had destroyed a building in his fortified compound.
leader Muammar Qadaffy
[Al Jazeera] Several protesters were 
"Those responsible for today's violence must be held accountable," he said.
President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh,
[Iran Press TV] Five Yemeni ambassadors to European states have called on embattled President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down, the country's envoy to 
Wazoo
suicide kaboom
[Dawn] Police on Monday 
[Iran Press TV] A new wave of political violence in Pakistain's southern province of Sindh has claimed the lives of at least 16 people, security official say.
Popular Front for the Liberation of Paleostine
[Al Jazeera] Syrian troops have been deployed in the southern city of Daraa a day after an anti-government protester was killed when forces reportedly fired on a demonstration.
[Jerusalem Post Front Page] Hundreds of people demonstrated against the Syrian government in the town of Jassem on Monday, activists said, as unrest spread in southern Syria.
[Asharq al-Aswat] Abdul Rahman al-Attiyah, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), announced that the Gulf States were standing by 
[Asharq al-Aswat] The Saudi Foreign Ministry announced that it had filed an official complaint to the government of Tehran, in response to attacks witnessed by their diplomatic mission operating in Iranian territory.
