Representatives of an Afghan militant group are holding talks in the Maldives, officials said Thursday. Maldives government spokesman Mohamed Zuhair says 15 representatives of the Afghan government and seven Taliban members met Thursday and would meet again over the weekend.
Posted by: ed ||
05/20/2010 17:30 ||
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Long the subject of allegations of criminality, a half-brother of President Karzai has for the first time faced public accusation from within the Afghan Government.
According to the report, one tract of land owned by the ministry is occupied by 290 shops and four hotels built and later sold by one of Mr Wali Karzai's relatives.
A dossier prepared by Major-General Sher Mohammad Zazi, the Corps Commander of the Afghan Army in Kandahar, was leaked yesterday. It accuses Ahmad Wali Karzai of using his influence to help associates in the illegal appropriation of government land around the southern city of Kandahar, where he leads the Kandahar Provincial Council and wields huge influence.
Mr Wali Karzai responded by demanding an investigation to clear his name and announced that he and the rest of the council would go on strike.
He added that he wanted the United Nations and the international media to witness any investigation. The dossier says: "These irresponsible individuals and land occupiers have not paid rent or are charging their tenants rent that exceeds what theyre paying the [Defence] Ministry to use the land."
According to the report, one tract of land owned by the ministry is occupied by 290 shops and four hotels built and later sold by one of Mr Wali Karzais relatives. His associates are occupying another piece of land once used by the Afghan National Army.
Last week a senior Western diplomat described a continuing struggle between factions loyal to Mr Wali Karzai and the Presidents Popolzai tribe on the one hand, and the former provincial governor and head of the rival Barakzai tribe, Gul Agha Sherzai, for control of the vastly profitable industries the war generates in the south. "Hes a polarising figure in a titanic battle of turf between the Sherzais and Karzais -- the convoy business, convoy security, international contracts, land, probably dope," the official said.
The Times questioned Mr Wali Karzai last week on the allegations of land appropriation in Daman, close to Kandahar City and Hijran Kareez. Denying the claims, he said: "We [the Karzais] have lots of land. I dont need land. If I can take care of my own land that would be good."
A Defence Ministry spokesman offered little support to General Zazis claims. "I heard about this case," said General Zahir Azimi, "but the corps in Kandahar has not sent any official letter."
In view of an imminent offensive in Kandahar, The Times understands that Nato commanders have decided that they have little choice but to seek the co-operation of Mr Wali Karzai. General David Petraeus, head of US Central Command, held talks with the Presidents half-brother this month.
A Colombian newspaper disclosed a report issued by the Colombian intelligence agency according to which training camps are based in the states of Apure, Monagas, and Aragua. They allegedly accommodate members of Basque terrorist group ETA, some Iranian groups, and members of FARC's Front 59.
Members of Basque terrorist group ETA and "some Iranian groups" are allegedly trained by members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in camps located in Venezuela, according to a report issued by the Colombian intelligence agency, said on Wednesday Colombian newspaper El Espectador.
"In these camps, located in Apure; Maturín (state of Monagas); Santa Cruz de Aragua and the suburbs of Maracay (Aragua state) there would be members of Basque terrorist group ETA, some Iranian groups and members of FARC's Front 59," said the report issued by the Colombian Administrative Department of Security (DAS), a secret intelligence service.
According to the newspaper, a DAS protected witness "reported that he met a liaison who is in charge of taking civilians to the FARC training camps," Efe quoted.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/20/2010 00:00 ||
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JALALABAD, Kyrgyzstan - A state of emergency was declared in Jalalabad on Wednesday after two people died and 74 were injured in clashes between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in southern Kyrgyzstan, a Central Asian ethnic tinderbox.
Kyrgyzstan has been in turmoil since a popular revolt toppled President Kurmanbek Bakiyev on April 7, kindling big power fears of a civil war in the impoverished former Soviet republic, which hosts both U.S. and Russian military bases.
Kyrgyz special forces fired into the air to try to prevent thousands of Kyrgyz from storming an Uzbek-funded university in Jalalabad, the home region and power base of Bakiyev.
"We condemn all attempts to foment violence and sow the seeds of discord among our people, especially between Uzbeks and Kyrgyz," acting President Roza Otunbayeva told reporters in the capital Bishkek. "We hope that common sense will prevail and that we shall be able to prevent a conflict."
But in what could be a sign of growing instability, Otunbayeva's government later said she would act as president until the end of 2011, after which she will be replaced.
She's indispensable, of course ...
Interim leaders had previously said a presidential election could take place sometime this year.
Otunbayeva's government declared a state of emergency in Jalalabad and the adjoining Suzak district until June 1, and imposed a nightly curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Once the curfew took effect on Wednesday evening, the streets of Jalalabad were empty and the situation became calm and stable, local interim government official Zamir Sabirov told Reuters by telephone.
Kyrgyz protesters had gathered before to demand the arrest of local Uzbek leader Kadyrzhan Batyrov, who they said had called for the creation of an autonomous Uzbek district in Kyrgyzstan, and they pelted the University of the Peoples' Friendship with stones. A Reuters witness heard shots fired from inside the university and about 2,000 ethnic Uzbeks came out and shouted to the crowd of Kyrgyz: "We shall never give up our Budweiser university."
Despite the state of emergency, neighbouring Kazakhstan¡¯s Foreign Ministry said it would reopen its border with Kyrgyzstan on May 20. It had been closed when turmoil broke out in April. The border with Uzbekistan remains sealed.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/20/2010 00:00 ||
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Posted by: ed ||
05/20/2010 17:55 ||
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#1
Back then 'twas the now-former USSR = SOVIET UNION, CZECHO-HUNGARIAN SOVIET INVASIONS = "PRAGUE SPRING(S)", + POTUS Nixon's new "PING-PONG" rapprochement wid RED CHINA + MAO TSE-TUNG [Mao Zedong] to counter the Soviets.
Again, both NORKOMS + SOuth Korean Leftists-Socialists-Govtists are still promising PAN-KOREAN SOVEREIGNTY, FREEDOMS, PROSPERITY, ETC. including RECOVERY OF KOREAN ANCESTRAL LANDS/DOMAINS, which in LT is getting more and more impossible for DPRK = Kimmie per se to achieve.
2010-2012 ISLAMO-IRANIAN NUCLEARIZATION > IMHO, iff Kimmie = DPRK does decide to escalate vee unilateral MIL STRIKE, in parallel or not ala RADICAL ISLAM TERRSTRIKES, IT WILL FIRSTLY BE AGZ A MAJOR US OR CHINESE TARGET(S), NOT AGZ SOUTH KOREA.
#2
Back then 'twas the now-former USSR = SOVIET UNION, CZECHO-HUNGARIAN SOVIET INVASIONS = "PRAGUE SPRING(S)", + POTUS Nixon's new "PING-PONG" rapprochement wid RED CHINA + MAO TSE-TUNG [Mao Zedong] to counter the Soviets.
Again, both NORKOMS + SOuth Korean Leftists-Socialists-Govtists are still promising PAN-KOREAN SOVEREIGNTY, FREEDOMS, PROSPERITY, ETC. including RECOVERY OF KOREAN ANCESTRAL LANDS/DOMAINS, which in LT is getting more and more impossible for DPRK = Kimmie per se to achieve.
2010-2012 ISLAMO-IRANIAN NUCLEARIZATION > IMHO, iff Kimmie = DPRK does decide to escalate vee unilateral MIL STRIKE, in parallel or not ala RADICAL ISLAM TERRSTRIKES, IT WILL FIRSTLY BE AGZ A MAJOR US OR CHINESE TARGET(S), NOT AGZ SOUTH KOREA.
North Korea's rubberstamp parliament will unusually convene again next month, the North's official Korean Central News Agency said Tuesday. The session comes just two months after parliament convened on April 9.
This is the first time that the Supreme People's Assembly has convened twice in the span of just two months. When former North Korean leader Kim Il-sung was in power, parliament met twice a year -- in the first and second half. But since Kim Jong-il came to power, sessions have been held only once a year.
There were two sessions in 2003 but they came six months apart. "It is extremely rare for North Korea's parliament to convene twice a year and is a sign that an urgent matter has come up," a Unification Ministry official said. Experts say the "urgent matter" is most likely the fallout from the sinking of the South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan.
"The announcement of the results of the investigation into the sinking and consequent sanctions against North Korea will both be announced at the end of this month, and the SPA session is probably North Korea's emergency response," speculated Nam Joo-hong, a North Korea watcher at Kyonggi University.
Experts say the SPA is likely to deny sinking the ship and adopt a statement denouncing the South.
Kim's recent visit to China may also be on the table. Kim Young-soo, a North Korea expert at Sogang University, said, "North Korea will probably exaggerate the accomplishments of the China visit and tout them in front of the North Korean people." Nam said, "The recent summit between Kim Jong-il and Hu Jintao was an unusual meeting that was made to look like a demonstration of the special relationship between the two countries, but both North Korea and China were dissatisfied with the results. The SPA session will be an attempt to contain the fallout."
Others speculate that the session will be asked to ratify various measures to secure the handover of power from Kim to his third son Jong-un. Kim Yong-hyun of Dongguk University said, "There appears to be a need to speed up the reshuffle of officials at the powerful National Defense Commission and other organs." This is why, experts say, the first vice minister of the People's Armed Forces Kim Il-chol (80) was recently put out to pasture.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/20/2010 00:00 ||
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President Lee Myung-bak told Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama on Wednesday that Seoul has found conclusive evidence that North Korea sank the Navy corvette Cheonan in March. "In announcing the results of the Cheonan probe tomorrow, clear and definitive material evidence will be presented that no country in the world and no one can refute," Lee told Hatoyama on the phone, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Lee Dong-kwan.
Oh don't worry, there will be deniers, and the New York Times will find several for quotes ...
A high-ranking government official said the evidence discovered at the scene includes a pair of propellers, propulsion shaft and four rudders of a torpedo. "The propulsion shaft bears the serial number 'XX1' and the Korean letter meaning number." More numbers are believed to have followed those designations, but investigators were apparently unable to decipher the serial number more precisely. One source said the Korean letter meaning number, which was part of the serial number, was engraved in a font commonly seen in North Korean propaganda material.
Which means that whether the torpedo was manufactured in Nork-land, China or some Eastern-bloc country, it has a Nork inventory number. Hard to argue with that.
But I'm betting that if the torpedo was built elsewhere, particularly in China, the SKors will conveniently forget to mention that fact.
Investigators probing the sinking are to announce their findings at 10 a.m. on Thursday. Announcements will include the fact that the format of the serial number and the quality of the material are identical to those found on a North Korean torpedo the military obtained seven years ago. A serial number in Korean meaning "no. 4" is also engraved on the torpedo obtained seven years ago, one source said. "Investigators have discovered that the font used and the way the serial numbers are inscribed are identical. Investigators concluded that the torpedo was North Korean through analysis of the metallic composition of the propeller and the characters found on the propulsion shaft."
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/20/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
"In announcing the results of the Cheonan probe tomorrow, clear and definitive material evidence will be presented that no country in the world and no one can refute"
Preemptive strike before the 'international community' blurs everything.
#4
well, now that we have the "clear and definitive material evidence" someone better start drafting a stern letter. pretty sure the Norks will get the message on that if they haven't picked up on it so far.
Posted by: abu do you love ||
05/20/2010 8:51 Comments ||
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#5
But I'm betting that if the torpedo was built elsewhere, particularly in China, the SKors will conveniently forget to mention that fact.
I don't see that it matters where the torpedo was built, only that it belonged to NORK and was used to sink a SKOR ship, all else is deliberate fog and obfuscation.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
05/20/2010 11:53 Comments ||
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Might have been both built and FIRED from a Chinese sub. The Chinese view that entire area as their primary domain.
China fell silent Wednesday as investigators were poised to announce findings of their probe into the sinking of the South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan on March 26, with all signs pointing to the conclusion that Beijing's closest ally North Korea was behind the shipwreck.
Xinhua news agency and the English-language China Daily kept mum as the press worldwide reported leaked information that evidence points to North Korea, including the serial number found on fragments of a torpedo.
The unofficial Chinese media did not carry any reports either -- in contrast to media in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore that treated this story as top news. The Chinese Foreign Ministry offered no comment.
Global News, the sister newspaper of the People's Daily, the Chinese Communist Party's organ, on Tuesday carried a commentary by Jin Linbo, a researcher with China Institute of International Studies, who called for "equidistant diplomacy toward both Koreas." The institute is a think tank affiliated with the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
"We have to say what is right is right and what is wrong is wrong," Jin said. South Korean feelings that China is siding with North Korea will clear "if we respond to the Cheonan shipwreck in an objective and fair way, not trusting what only one side is saying."
"China can play a constructive role on the Korean Peninsula only if it tries to protect its relations with South Korea as well as North Korea," he added.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/20/2010 00:00 ||
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It forces the question, what did China know and when did China know it?
China is apparently displeased that South Korea and the U.S. are maintaining strong cooperation after tentatively concluding that the Navy corvette Cheonan was sunk in a North Korean torpedo attack. Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Barack Obama discussed the matter on the telephone Tuesday morning and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to fly to Seoul for consultations.
The Foreign Ministry plans to brief ambassadors from about 30 countries on the findings of an official investigation.
But Chinese Ambassador Zhang Xinsen reportedly told the ministry that he will not attend the briefing and send charge d'affaires Xing Haiming on his behalf. It appears the decision was not made by Zhang himself but came from Beijing.
A government official said it is "normal" for foreign embassies to send a deputy to a meeting arranged by the host country if the ambassador is unable to attend. But another official said, "We hope Ambassador Zhang will attend the briefing himself."
During a bilateral summit in Shanghai on April 30, Seoul offered to tell Beijing of its findings in advance, but Beijing reportedly declined the offer citing procedural problems.
In a public meeting on April 4, Unification Minister Hyun In-taek told Zhang it is important for the Chinese government to "play a responsible role." But China says it can only attend a briefing that is completely closed to the public. The ambassador told opposition party leaders there was no "solid evidence" that the Cheonan was sunk by North Korea and the matter is between the two Koreas.
A source in Beijing said, "China is trying to decline advance notification of the findings from South Korea using complicated excuses, which gives a clue to China's general attitude." During a bilateral foreign ministers' meeting Saturday, Chinese delegates merely repeated their country's earlier call for a "scientific and objective investigation."
Zhang on Monday pointedly met only Democratic Party leaders, who appear bent on denying North Korean involvement in the sinking, but did not pay a visit to ruling Grand National Party leaders. It has been customary for new foreign ambassadors to visit both ruling and opposition party leaders to introduce themselves and visit ruling party leaders first.
The GNP said Zhang expressed his intention to pay a visit before formally assuming his post here but nothing has come of it so far. The Chinese Embassy said the envoy saw only DP leaders on Monday because his schedule fit in with theirs, adding it had no information about a planned meeting with GNP leaders.
Adding a big dollop of disrespect ...
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/20/2010 00:00 ||
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Federal authorities today for the first time asserted a direct link between one of the Pakistani men detained in Massachusetts last week and the alleged Times Square terror bomber.
In an immigration court hearing this afternoon, a government witness testified that alleged bomber Faisal Shahzad's cell number was programmed into Aftab Ali Khan's phone. The government also contended that Shahzad's first name was found on an envelope in Khan's Watertown room.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent also testified that Khan's wife, U.S. citizen Lila-Charlotte Fatou Sylla of Cambridge, had told ICE that the couple's marriage was a sham "purely for financial gain." Sylla said Khan had agreed to pay her $1500-$2000, and was paying the debt off in small increments over time, the agent said.
Khan appeared at the hearing via closed-circuit video from Suffolk House of Correction.
Khan's lawyer disputed the government's allegations.
"He was very affirmative with me that he does not have any connection with the New York City bomber," said Saher Macarius. Oh. Well. Let him go, then!
Khan, 27, is being held on immigration violations. He has not been criminally charged. His uncle, Pir D. Khan, 43, and a third man, Mohammad Shafiq Rahman of Maine, were detained May 13.
AP article, which I usually try to mask with comments, but I gotta go to work. The article discusses small scale attacks on the east coast, and concludes that 15 of 30 known terror plots since 9/11 have come in the past year. Prolly 'cuz Bush hid all his plots!
Posted by: Bobby ||
05/20/2010 06:12 ||
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#1
Prolly 'cuz Bush hid all his plots!
Could these have possibly racist, Bush/Darth-Cheney 'stay-behind' revenge plots designed to wreck Barry's first term? Just say'n.
Facebook said Thursday it may consider making content that is considered objectionable by Pakistan inaccessible to users in the country.
"We are analyzing the situation and the legal considerations, and will take appropriate action, which may include making this content inaccessible to users in Pakistan," Facebook said in an e-mailed statement.
A Pakistani court ordered on Wednesday that Facebook should be blocked because of a page inviting people to draw caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed.
Protestors took to the streets in Pakistan on Wednesday to protest against the Facebook page.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the country's telecommunications regulator, said on Thursday that it was also blocking YouTube because of its "sacrilegious" content, after trying all possible avenues to get the two sites to remove material it considered derogatory.
Though Facebook said it would consider making the content inaccessible in Pakistan, it has reservations.
"We are very disappointed with the Pakistani Courts' decision to block Facebook without warning, and suspect our users there feel the same way," Facebook said in the statement.
YouTube did not respond to a request for comment.
While some kinds of comments and content, such as criticism of a certain culture, country, religion, lifestyle, or political ideology may be upsetting for someone, that alone is not a reason to remove the discussion, Facebook said.
Facebook said that when dealing with user-generated content on global Web sites, there are occasions where content that is illegal in one country is not, or may even be protected, in another.
Most companies approach this issue by preventing certain content from being shown to users in the countries where it is illegal and that is Facebook's approach as well, it added.
The PTA said earlier on Thursday that it would welcome the authorities at Facebook and YouTube to contact the PTA for resolving the issue to ensure religious harmony and respect.
The Facebook page that triggered Pakistan's anger increased the number of fans on Thursday to about 88,000. The page is called "Everybody draw Mohammed Day!" and features a number of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed.
#2
about 80,000 ppl signed up for the draw muhammad facebook page
Posted by: chris ||
05/20/2010 16:39 Comments ||
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So did ANYBODY draw Mookhamid ??
As of 6y pm there were over 105,000 liking the Facebook page; there are over 11,000 images, from straight photos to drawings to a three year old's scribble submitted by its mother.
RAMALLAH, West Bank - US envoy George Mitchell and ineffectual Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas met on Thursday for their first meeting since indirect peace negotiations with Israel were launched earlier this month.
Following the discussions in the West Bank's political capital Ramallah, Mitchell was scheduled to hold a working meeting with Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erakat, a Palestinian official said. Before the talks, Erakat said they would address final status issues, referring to core disputes in the decades-old conflict such as the fate of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees.
But he also warned that continued Israeli settlement activity, including in annexed Arab east Jerusalem, could scupper the talks.
More of the same ...
Mitchell plans to shuttle between Washington, Jerusalem and Ramallah as part of the so-called proximity talks launched on May 9. He met Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak on Tuesday and planned to hold talks with hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later on Thursday.
In an attempt to dictate terms, no doubt.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/20/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
ISRAELNN > JORDAN RIVER - DRYING UP? + TOPIX > ISRAEL BLAMES SYRIAN DAMS FOR SHRINKING JORDAN RIVER.
* YNET NEWS > REPORT: PA WILLING TO HAVE NATO FORCES [presence]IN FUTURE STATE.
* HAARETZ > MUBARAK: TERROR MAY SPREAD [Israel-ME-World] IFF ISRAEL CONTINUES STALLING PEACE TALKS.
The PA is repor seeing the next two months to achieve an acceptable TWO-STATE SOLUTION wid Israel as based on 1967 borders.
#4
The Palestinians expect the United States to do what the Palestinians, Jordanians, Egyptians, Syrians, and Lebanese have been unable to do - force Israel out of lands (including Jerusalem) that were lost in the 1967 war. It won't happen as long as Jerusalem is part of the Palestinian demands. O'bumble's behavior in this mess is disgusting. The entire US political establishment is ensuring there will never be peace in the Middle East - exactly as the Arabs plan.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
05/20/2010 13:16 Comments ||
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TEHRAN - Irans intelligence minister Wednesday accused three Americans hikers held in Iran for the past 10 months of being spies, just hours before their mothers are expected in Tehran, ISNA news agency reported.
Iran acted in accordance with Islamic teachings and in a humanitarian way,' Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi was quoted by the agency as saying, referring to a decision by Iran to grant visas for the mothers to travel to Tehran to see their children in prison.
Shane Bauer, 27, Sarah Shourd, 31, and Josh Fattal, 27, were detained last July 31 after straying across Irans border in what they described as a mistake while on a hiking trip in northern Iraqs Kurdistan region. The trio are being held in Tehrans notorious Evin prison. Washington insists they are innocent and should be released.
Despite them being spies and entering Iran illegally, they were dealt with according to religious teachings and in a humanitarian way,' Moslehi said.
We have to see how the Americans will react towards the innocent Iranians kidnapped and transferred there,' he added.
Sounds suspiciously like a ransom demand, doesn't it ...
Why not? It worked with Carter ...
Moslehi first made the allegations that the trio were spies in April when he said Tehran has compelling evidence that three Americans arrested in Iran last year were cooperating with intelligence services.' He did not elaborate.
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki had said in December that they faced charges of entering the country illegally.
The three mothers were expected in Tehran Wednesday evening after being granted visas for Iran last week. Iran has given no official indication it is preparing to release the trio and simply arranging the visit by the mothers was considered a breakthrough in the impasse, one of many irritants in the US-Iranian relationship.
The Swiss government, acting as go-between in the absence of US-Iranian diplomatic relations, had to broker the visit.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/20/2010 00:00 ||
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#3
Meh, it'd be news if he admitted that they aren't spies, as that'd vaporize any justification he'd have for his minions having kidnapped three tourists & imprisoned them in harsh conditions. The latter would be an admission of banditry on the part of his illegitimate and piratical regime.
That'd be interesting. After all, the difference between signal and information is *expectation*. Surprise us, and you've told us something.
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
05/20/2010 9:25 Comments ||
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#4
So they've already been beheaded, nice of them to clear that up for us.
No, they were on television today being visited by their mothers, who went to Iran to petition for their release.
#7
I wonder... one story I read said they were hiking in Kurdistan. It's possible Iran pulled a North Korea and darted across the border to kidnap truly innocent hikers who really hadn't ventured into Iran at all.
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.
