Australian David Hicks, captured a week ago, will soon be handed over to US military forces by the Northern Alliance.
Yeah. Use the US to store your rubbish.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/15/2001 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
Seventeen Afghans and one Turk have been arrested at the Pak-Afghan border near Miran Shah while crossing into Pakistan. 112 captured Pakistani jihadis kicked out of Afghanistan by the forces of Haji Abdul Qadeer in the eastern Nangarhar province were arrested by Pakistani authorities. 31 Arabs, all Yemenis â the largest known group yet to escape from Tora Bora â were arrested as they tried to enter Pakistan. They were unarmed and uninjured. They will join 95 al-Qaeda previously arrested in Pakistan fleeing Tora Bora. The arrested Al-Qaeda fighters included 30 Saudi nationals, 10 Malaysians, six Singaporeans, six Yemenis, five South Africans, four Turks, five Britons, two Albanians, two Jordanians, two Sudanese, three Swiss, three French and one Dutch.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/15/2001 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
The Afghan Islamic Press said Sayed Jafar Nadari, leader of a small militia army from the Ismaili sect, had taken control of 80 per cent of Pol-e-Khumri. The agency added that 150 Northern Alliance fighters were killed. Nadari, a former general in the Afghan army, served as governor of Pul-i-Khumri during President Rabbani's 1992-96 government. He since turned against Rabbani and is trying to reclaim his position following the Taliban's withdrawal from the town. Nadari is also believed to be aligned with General Abdul Rashid Dostum. The US and Australia have dismissed an AIP report that 10 United States and two Australian soldiers had been captured or kidnaped by Northern Alliance forces in the operation.
AIP is not the most reliable news source in the world, but if the report of fighting at Pul-e-Khumri is accurate, the development must please Hekmatyar no end. The capture/kidnap part is extremely doubtful.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/15/2001 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
The last pocket of al-Qaeda resistance at Tora Bora appeared to be crumbling as groups of al-Qaeda were captured or fled and others debated over two-way radios whether to surrender. Osama bin Laden's praetorian guard have been under relentless attack by U.S. warplanes and tribal forces of the eastern alliance. Top commander Haji Zahir said al-Qaida leaders told him they were ready to surrender, but after two surrender agreements fell through this week, he remained skeptical. "We won't accept conditions at all. We just want them to surrender. I told my forces to hold their positions, because I don't believe them," he said. Some al-Qaida could be heard debating a surrender over two-way radios. Alliance commander Mohammed Khan said a group of Arabs wanted to surrender but that a group of Chechen fighters was trying to persuade them not to do so. Earlier, two emissaries approached the front line to announce 300 men wanted to give up, but the men never emerged. While some al-Qaida tried to surrender, others fled. Three captured Arabs reported 50 al-Qaida leaders left on mules bound for the Pakistani border, only a few miles away. Another group of 60 Chechens was reported to have fled, leaving six wounded and many dead behind. Another group of 50 al Qaeda were reported to have surrendered.
Sounds like they're finally breaking up for real. That "Hey, we're gonna surrender" trick has stopped working. Wonder if it'll work even once in Somalia?
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/15/2001 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the man who gave Afghanistan the "dog-eat-dog," has complained that the interim government in Kabul is serving US interests. The interim Cabinet of Ministers âis acting under the dictation of Washington and carrying out its policy aimed at the establishment of American hegemony in Afghanistan and in the region as a whole,â the bloodthirsty warlord said. He says that a secret agreement was allegedly concluded in Bonn that in the future the power in the country will go to the King and all the anti-American forces will be removed from governing the country.
And this is a bad thing because...? If Hekmatyar's against it, I'm for it.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/15/2001 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
More than 300 al Qaeda fighters have surrendered to Afghan forces at Tora Bora in recent days, adding to an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 terrorist or Taliban prisoners being held by rebel groups elsewhere in the country. The prisoners are part of an expanding intelligence-gathering operation in Afghanistan in which U.S. Special Forces and CIA officers have been examining seized al Qaeda documents, computer hard drives, videotapes and telephone books. The material has already produced names and phone numbers of al Qaeda members in other countries and led to some additional arrests.
Oooh. Neat. You cut off the head and you get to go through its contents, too.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/15/2001 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
Jordan and Turkey will join European countries at an international conference in London to determine the make-up of a multinational stabilisation force to be deployed in Afghanistan. Their participation in the mini-summit confirms for the first time that the two countries will play a key role in the force deployed to support the new interim Afghan government.
Turkey will probably be of good use. The Jordanians are probably more a gesture of good faith than a working force.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/15/2001 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
Al Qaida stragglers are still lurking in Kunar province, says its new anti-Taliban governor. Malik Zarin Khan said al Qaida gunmen were hiding along with local Taliban, and that these people carried heavy artillery. Khan called upon all the tribal heads to unite against the evil forces to save Kunar from destruction. Khan said the followers of al Qaida in Kunar were mostly Arabs. He warned that if these people are not handed over, a bloody civil war might break out in Kunar.
Not unexpected, except perhaps for the heavy artillery. Seems like more of a warning from the new governor to the local barons to straighten up. Also implies he has some power to back up the demands.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/15/2001 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
Osama bin Laden's voice has been identified on tactical radio intercepts at Tora Bora.
Voice printing's fairly old technology. Should be pretty reliable by now.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/15/2001 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
U.S. Marines plan to build a prisoner-of-war camp at Kandahar's airport to house up to 300 al-Qaida fighters they hope will surrender or be captured near Tora Bora in eastern Afghanistan. Significant that they hadn't built one to this point. Doubt if they expected any prisoners up until the end game. Now the ones they get will probably be more valuable than the Mazar-e-Sharif fodder.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/15/2001 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
A Frenchie who fought with al-Qaida was being treated in a Pakistani hospital under heavy guard after he was wounded in a U.S. airstrike. Abdur Rehman, 21, received military training at an al-Qaida camp six months ago, and told interrogators that between 80 and 100 other French citizens also were trapped in Afghanistan. Rehman speaks English, Arabic and French. Five Arabs who crossed the border with him also were taken into custody, and three of them were being treated at the same facility. Intelligence officials said the men had been arrested by anti-Taliban forces in Afghanistan and were sent to Pakistan for treatment and interrogation.
Wonder if he's a genuine Jacques or an Abdoul? Either way, he'll probably like Wake Island.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/15/2001 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
Riot police fired water cannons at protesters in freezing temperatures as a street protest in Brussels against globalization, coinciding with an EU summit, turned nasty as they usually do. Organizers put the turnout at 30,000 people. Police estimated the numbers at 12,500.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/15/2001 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
More than 400 people have protested against the military action in Afghanistan and any escalation of the war against terrorism. Glasgow traffic ground to a halt as members of the Scottish Coalition For Justice Not War marched through the city centre before massing at the Central Mosque. The crowd, which included members of Scottish CND and Unison, braved the cold to hear speakers, including Labour MPs George Galloway and Mohammed Sarwar and Scottish Socialist leader Tommy Sheridan. Mr Galloway said Prime Minister Tony Blair must act to prevent US military action against other nations.
Don't worry, this part of it's almost over. Won't they be happy then? Cheese! Brits actually vote for these people? Who counts the ballots?
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/15/2001 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
F.B.I. agents raided the offices of two of the nation's largest Muslim charities in what Bush administration officials described as a broadening of its campaign to shut a financial pipeline to terrorist groups overseas. The government announced few details about the raids on the charities, the Global Relief Foundation and the Benevolence International Foundation, both of Illinois, and refused to say what terrorist groups might be linked to them. The Federal Bureau of Investigation would not say what information it seized.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/15/2001 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
Pakistan put its armed forces on high alert following threatening statements by Indian leaders in the wake of an armed attack on parliament in New Delhi. Still don't think he's taking it seriously. He's trying to arafat.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/15/2001 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
Fundamentalists in Pakistan are ripping into the Musharraf government for its crackdown on religious schools (madari). Leaders of schools in âJumatul Widaâ (last Friday of Ramadan) sermons declared their opposition. Mosques echoed with anti-Musharraf and anti-interior minister speeches. âThe time has come to wage Jihad against infidel rulers,â the Moulvi ranted in Lal mosque. âMadaris are the fortress of Islam. They are nurseries for the Muslim. Who are Musharraf and Moin to launch a crackdown against them?â shrieked the Moulvi of Syyedna Ali Masjid in Peshawar.
Musharraf would do well to mend his fences with India and crack down hard on the moulvis and on his own intel service and its terror networks. He's being slammed from three allied sides. If Gen. Gul doesn't meet with an unfortunate accident soon, it may be too late for Musharraf.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/15/2001 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under:
One of the five gunmen involved in the suicide attack on Parliament House tried to trigger explosives kept in the trunk of a car, which could have caused "catastrophic" damage. "There was a wire coming out of the car," a source revealed. "One of the terrorists was running with it and had tried to trigger the explosives but was shot dead before he could ignite it."
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/15/2001 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
In a nationwide sweep, police have picked up at least fourteen people in connection with the investigation. Five suspects were picked up from Sopore in Kashmir. Two people, whose names matched that of the buyer of the car used by terrorists in the attack were also detained for questioning. At least seven Kashmiris have also been detained in the capital, one in Uttar Pradesh and two in Maharashtra in connection with the probe.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/15/2001 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under:
The Indian government served a verbal demarche to Pakistan on Friday demanding the arrest of Lashkar-e-Tayyeba and Jaish-e-Mohammad leaders and freezing of their assets. "We will take action against anybody from Pakistan involved in these acts, if at all proved," President Gen. Pervez Musharraf said. "Having said this, whatever our analysis is that the proof is inadequate at the moment. In fact, there are lot of indications which may implicate a design behind this operation. So we would like to be very sure. We need concrete evidence that if it is a terrorist act and if at all any one has been involved, we would like to move against them." Musharraf also warned India against any "precipitous action".
Musharraf doesn't appear to realize how close to war he is with India, or maybe he's counting on the US to hold them off.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/15/2001 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[2 views]
Top|| File under:
At the southern end of Gaza, a Palestinian militant carrying grenades attempted to cut a fence and enter the Jewish settlement of Gush Katif, but was shot dead by the Israeli military. Afterward, Israeli tanks moved into Palestinian territory east of Rafah, on the border with Egypt.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/15/2001 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
Palestinian security forces in Gaza shut down the offices of two newspapers, one belonging to Hamas, the other Islamic Jihad. Ghazi Hamad, the editor of Hamas' Al Risaleh newspaper, said he was considering legal action.
A bit late, aren't we? It's the organizations that need to be dismantled, and that's a lot harder to do. Being Palestinians, they'll do the easy part and then stop.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/15/2001 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
The United States vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution backed by the Palestinians that condemned terror acts and called for an end to the Mideast violence. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Negroponte, said the measure was aimed at isolating Israel politically.
The usual response. It's become tiresome. We can all agree on the words, and then we'll niggle on what the words mean.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/15/2001 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
More than a Israeli dozen tanks, accompanied by armored personnel carriers and jeeps, entered Beit Hanoun at the northern tip of Gaza. The forces came under fire and shot back. Four Palestinians were killed, including a 12-year-old boy, according to witnesses and Shifa Hospital in nearby Gaza City. The dead also included a Palestinian police officer whose car was hit. Four fellow officers in the car were wounded. Overall, about 40 Palestinians were injured in the town.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/15/2001 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
Security forces seized 50 kgs of RDX explosive after checking a bus in Kashmir and arrested three persons. The explosives were being transported from Srinagar to Anantnag. Seven people, including a girl and a woman who entered the crossfire, were killed during a fierce gunbattle in Sopore district of Kashmir. Four militants and an Indian soldier were killed, besides the woman and girl. In Rajouri district, gunmen barged into a house and shot it up, killing a couple and critically injuring their son. The gunmen escaped.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/15/2001 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
To avoid trouble over freezing of their assets by the US, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba are reported to have changed their names. Jaish-e-Mohammad has matamorphosed to 'Al Furqan' and Lashkar-e-Taiba has renamed itself to 'Pasban-i-Ahle Hadith'. Both the outfits have changed their names following their inclusion in the US State Department's terrorist watchlist and visa negative list. Both are part of the 'Muttahida Jihad Council', an umbrella body of Kashmiri militant outfits.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/15/2001 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
Saudi Arabia has been given no evidence its citizens helped carry out the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, its Interior Minister Prince Nayef said. The United States listed 15 Saudis among the 19 men accused of hijacking the planes used in the attacks. Osama bin Laden, the chief suspect in planning the devastation, is Saudi-born. "So far, we've received no evidence or documents from the American authorities that justify the suspicion or accusations raised against Saudi Arabian citizens," Prince Nayef prattled. The Saud family has presented no evidence to the United States that it is fit to rule Arabia, either.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/15/2001 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
Plans for a bomb attack on London have been discovered in a terrorist base in Kandahar. There is no indication whether the writer had already left on his mission to Britain before the 11 September attacks. In step-by-step instructions it describes how to construct a huge remote-controlled van bomb - identical to those used by al-Qaeda against the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania with lethal effect in 1998. A scribbled note on top of one page suggests the intended target was Moorgate in the centre of London's financial district.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/15/2001 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
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.
