A criminal mastermind has managed to hack into Blogger, inconveniencing who knows how many people. Kaptain Kaos strikes! Wow. Brilliant. Never seen anything like it. But then, it's to be expected. This is obviously the same guy who put the "back door" into Drugstore.com a couple years ago and now boasts that he hasn't paid for Clearasil since he was twelve. Gosh, betcha his Mom's proud!
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/26/2001 ||
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Russian army engineers have defused nearly 5,000 explosives in Kabul and in the Salang tunnel. Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu expressed hope that the tunnel, a vital link between northern and southern Afghanistan, could be reopened to cars in February. But he added that its ventilation system and lights still need to be restored in cooperation with French and British agencies.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/26/2001 ||
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Pakistan's coast guard arrested 43 Afghan nationals with suspected ties to Osama bin Laden and Taliban spiritual leader Mullah Mohammad Omar. Maj. Mohammad Akram said the men were taken into custody near Karachi. They are being interrogated. Ow.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/26/2001 ||
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The new Afghan government has nearly completed an investigation into the Taliban regime that reveals the fundamentalist regime was run and controlled by Al-Qaeda and elements of the Pakistan government. An official of the Afghan interior ministry said it "was a Taliban government only in name." The ministry plans to soon provide a complete list of the large number of Pakistani citizens who held key posts in the ousted regime, including ministerial berths. Colonialism? Could Pakistan be initiating a self-destructive war with India to divert attention from its shameful conduct across its other border?
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/26/2001 ||
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Northern Alliance troops, sifting through piles of papers found in the rubble of the Rishkor al-Qaeda camp south of Kabul, say there's enough evidence to suggest that many men were trained there for missions in Kashmir. They have come across documents which prove that Laskhar-e-Taiba and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen men were trained with the Arabs and Pakistanis. "They used to come from Pakistan, stay here for two-three months and fan out after the training," says Commander Popal who moved in from Charikar with his troops.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/26/2001 ||
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A Pakistani daily, quoting a Taliban commander, reports that Bin Laden died of a serious lung disease in the Tora Bora mountains. "He's everywhere! He's everywhere!"
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/26/2001 ||
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Al Qaeda has access to scores of tramp freighters around the world, and the United States fears Osama bin Laden could rendezvous with his "navy" on the Pakistani coast and sail to freedom. "He's everywhere! He's everywhere!"
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/26/2001 ||
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"After three months since the blessed attack that took place against the head of the snake - the United States - and after two months since the crusade started against Islam, we would like to speak on some of the implications of those incidents," Osama bin Laden said on the latest tape aired on al-Jazeera. "It has become crystal clear that the West in general, led by the United States, are full of hatred against Islam. Hatred that cannot be defined." Some people just can't imagine that other people might actually dislike them personally, y'know? Sadly, he doesn't look dead as of the purported date of the tape, which is sometime between November 16th and December 11th or thereabouts.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/26/2001 ||
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The resolution Richey Kemmling introduced in the Senate of the Associated Students of the University of Washington supporting the war has been assailed as racist and some student groups are pushing a resolution that urges the school to adopt an anti-war stance. "The reason why a lot of students from the (minority clubs) were against the war resolution was because our purpose for existing is to make things more equal and get rid of institutional racism - and, in this war, a certain ethnic group was singled out,'' said Alex Narvaez, an Associated Students board member. ''There are a lot of innocent people in Afghanistan.'' Uh, guys? Afghans are white. Like, Caucasians, y'know? And the Northern Alliance, those guys who were on our side from the beginning? They're Muslims. And the innocent people in Afghanistan? We stopped the Bad Guys from whipping them and cutting their heads and hands and things off. Oh, and they killed 4,000 of our people, many of whom were just like you, and they didn't care what color or faith they were. (I thought students were supposed to learn stuff. Haven't they been paying attention?)
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/26/2001 ||
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"Reid" attended a London mosque at the same time as Zacarias Moussaoui, accused of helping to plot the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. "Reid" was a petty criminal with a string of convictions for crimes such as muggings and served time in several prisons in England. He converted to Islam while in custody. He remains under suicide watch pending a psychological examination. Which should confirm that he is in fact crazed as well as an attempted multiple murderer and terrorist. Sounds like a real good candidate for a military tribunal followed by a firing squad.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/26/2001 ||
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Prisoners in Afghanistan say Maxwell Smart"Richard Reid" underwent training at al-Qaeda training camps there. Some prisoners under U.S. control (and there aren't that many) said they recognized "Reid," also known as Abdel Rahim, and remembered him as being "high strung." That's Arabaic for "a nut bag." We kinda get the impression from the comments of those who knew him that he's not the brightest bulb on the string, too.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/26/2001 ||
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Pakistani troops shelled forward Indian positions and villages in the Kargil sector, forcing villagers in the area to flee. The Pakistani shelling was retaliated by Indian troops, and the exchanges were continuing.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/26/2001 ||
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Pakistan media reports have stated that missiles directed against India have been put on alert. Pakistan is reportedly in possession of Chinese-made M-11 and M-9 missiles with strike ranges varying from 600 to 750 kms, 'Ghauri I and II' (1150-1500 kms) and 'Shaheen-II' (2500 kms). India has 150-km range 'Prithvi-I' and Agni-II. Both these missiles can be fired from mobile launchers. India also possesses medium-range missiles of Russian origin. Bad move on both sides. Somebody's going to have to offer a compromise, and the people responsible for the initial attack are going to have to be rounded up. Perhaps Khofi Annan would like to actually earn his Nobel Prize here?
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/26/2001 ||
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External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Nirupama Rao said steps announced by Pakistan against terrorist outfits Lashkar-e-Tayyeba and Jaish-e-Mohammad were "not adequate" and that "much more needs to be done". Pakistani officials insisted they would continue their crackdown on Jaish and Lashkar-e-Tayyeba but the task is complicated by the fact that Musharraf has alienated many hardliners by his support for the US-led war against the Taliban. Poor man's on a tightrope, put there by his own intel service. Maybe he should move against them first? The Indos would probably be happy to help.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/26/2001 ||
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Iraq claimed that one of its surface-to-air missiles hit an allied jet fighter patrolling the skies over southern Iraq, but that the plane did not go down and was seen flying toward Saudi Arabia. The United States and Britain denied any of their planes were hit. Maybe it was someone else. We're sure Iraq wouldn't tell lies about something. Maybe it was Mexican.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/26/2001 ||
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Saudi Shura Council Chairman Muhammad ibn Jubair has called on Muslims to concentrate their efforts to overcome the crisis they are facing since the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States and the subsequent war in Afghanistan. He spoke a meeting with visiting Iranian Parliament Speaker Mehdi Karubi. Karubi said he agreed that "Muslims were undergoing a very difficult and sensitive period since there is a plot against Islam and Muslim peoples... Innocent people are being killed in Palestine and other innocent people were killed during the anti-terrorism campaign launched after the attacks in New York and Washington." Karubi has also voiced Tehranâs opposition to expanding the US-led war on terror to include Iraq. "We are against any (eventual) American campaign against the Iraqi people. Muslim countries must use all their capabilities to prevent such a campaign from targeting Iraq," he said. "The duty of all Muslim countries is to stand against excuses by the US administration" to justify expanding the anti-terror campaign." Looks like the new anti-American axis is starting to firm up: two repressive regimes who can't turn their backs on their people, and which have a lot to lose once we start getting close to the real "root causes" of the conflict. Iran now has an Afghan rock on its eastern border, and it doesn't like the thought of a pro-American Iraqi hard place to its west. The ayatollahs have seen what's happening to rule by mullah, and they don't like that even a little bit. The Saudis have left enough tracks in financing their anti-western networks to know we'll eventually trace it back to them. The current crop of princelings and their puppet clerics could find themselves living someplace like Yemen while Hashemites - or Turks - roll in their oil money.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/26/2001 ||
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Israeli and Palestinian security commanders met for the first time in a week to try to shore up a tentative truce. The two sides agreed on rebuilding the landing strip at Gaza International Airport that was destroyed by Israeli bulldozers. Opening hours at the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt were to be extended. The Israeli military lifted its blockade of Jericho. The city had been under closure for most of the 15 months of fighting.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/26/2001 ||
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Israeli troops entered the village of Azun, which is under joint Israeli-Palestinian control, and arrested 17 suspected militants. Besides arresting men from Arafat's Fatah movement, they also detained members of Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Five of those arrested were Palestinian policemen.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/26/2001 ||
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Palestinians opened fire on Israeli troops near the Jewish settlement of Kadim, then sought refuge in a house in Jenin, under Palestinian control. Israeli tanks drove about 300 yards into Jenin and soldiers encircled the house, firing two tank shells at the building. Both sides reported persistent gun battles at the scene. A Palestinian policeman was wounded in the fighting.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/26/2001 ||
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An Egyptian military court has begun the high security trial of 22 members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood arrested in a post-11 September crackdown on Islamist activity.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/26/2001 ||
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From August 1, 1999 to date casualties of Russian military forces in the Northern Caucasus totaled to 2355 killed and over six thousand wounded. We're not the only ones fighting terrorists - nor is Afghanistan the only fight against al-Qaeda.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/26/2001 ||
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Japanese prosecutors demanded the death penalty for former Aum Supreme Truth cult executive Tomomitsu Niimi for his key role in the deadly 1995 sarin gas attack on Tokyo's subways. The prosecutors charged the former Aum executive officer with planning and executing 11 crimes, including involvement in all seven murder cases brought against the cult between Feburary 1989 and April 1995.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/26/2001 ||
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Russian forces struck rebel positions in isolated mountain regions of Chechnya with ground-attack jets and bombers. Helicopters flew more than 30 sorties to support ground forces during the offensive, which destroyed a large mountain base and a transmitter, and triggered rockslides to block rebel movements. In other fighting, seven Russian soldiers and two policemen were killed in rebel attacks. Federal troops detained more than 50 people suspected of rebel activitiy in three villages. Hmmm. Sounds pretty familiar. Betcha the SpetsNaz has been real busy the past few weeks.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/26/2001 ||
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A dozen Maoist rebels and six civilians were killed in violence around Nepal, as King Gyanendra said the campaign against the insurgents was proving successful.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/26/2001 ||
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A Canadian citizen for whom Prime Minister Jean Chretien once went to bat is on a list of nine al Qaeda members most wanted by the United States. The list named nine Arabs - five Saudi-born and four Egyptian-born - as the most wanted al Qaeda members. Name Number 9 was that of Ahmad Sa'id al-Kadr, or Abu Abdurrahman, 53, an Egyptian-born Canadian citizen who operated Afghanistan operations of Human Concern International, a Canadian-headquartered charity. Kadr was detained by Pakistani police in connection with the Nov. 9, 1995, bombing of the Egyptian Embassy in Islamabad. While he was in prison, Prime Minister Jean Chretien was on a state visit to Pakistan and raised Kadr's case with then-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Kadr was released a short time later and joined bin Laden in Afghanistan. Good to have friends in high places, isn't it. I'm sure he'd do the same for you or me, too.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/26/2001 ||
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Lashkar-i-Taiba has shifted its offices from Pakistan to Jammu and Kashmir. It will now be headed by Maulana Abdul Wahid of Poonch, who replaces Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, chairman of the Jamaat al-Dawa, the new name for the Markaz al-Dawa wal-Irshad. The Jamaat will carry out a political, religious and reform program in Pakistan. The Jamaat, he said, would also discharge its obligations with respect to the defense of the country. Translated, they've moved outside Pakistan to pretend they're not a Pakistani organization. The parts of Jammu and Kashmir they've moved to are in the Pak-controlled areas, otherwise the Indos would annihilate them. Mullah Wahid reports to Hafiz Saeed, who remains the big cheese. Changing the name of the "holding company" confuses issues with things like watch lists and for people with short attention spans. The organization itself will continue its efforts to subvert Pakland on political and religious fronts while attempting to look virtuous, and if the government interferes with them too much they'll launch a Taliban-style revolt against Musharraf in favor of someone more compliant. Not real subtle, are they?
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/26/2001 ||
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The United States has asked Yemen to allow Marines to take part in a hunt for members of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network, a Western diplomat and Yemeni officials said. The diplomat, who spoke on condition he not be further identified, said that besides the request that Marines be allowed to join the chase, the United States has proposed setting up a joint task force in Yemen that would includes officials from the CIA and other agencies to coordinate operations.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
12/26/2001 ||
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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.
