'The FBI issued a fresh warning Saturday that terrorists may be interested in using small planes to carry out suicide attacks.
FBI supervisory special agent Steven Berry said the agency had issued an "intelligence update" to law enforcement regarding small planes but he declined to be more specific.
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association said on its Web site the alert was issued because the FBI "has received information indicating that terrorists may still be interested in using small general aviation aircraft for suicide attacks in the United States."'
I'd like to issue my own warning. The events of terrorism and, much more important, the mechanics of it and the workings of the structure behind it, are of utmost importance to us all today. They are much more important than Anna Kournikova's breasts or other appurtenances, who killed Chandra, or Winona LaDuke's opinion on most anything.
But there's another extreme to which we can go, and that's to panic over non-existent, hypothetical threats, or unlikely threats, or to take the legitimate wariness the threat of terrorism induces, turn it into outright fear and then wear it like a bucket over the national head. Take an entire evening and a 12-pack, and anyone with a three-digit IQ can come up with probably a hundred ways terrorists might kill or maim large numbers of us. Of that hundred ways, the Bad Guys have probably throught of somewhere between three and ten in their own bull sessions, and of another 90 or 97 that we didn't.
Guarding against the likely makes good sense. Guarding against the unlikely is a waste of resources that could be spent on better things, like beer. Making political points by hollering "what-did-he-know-and-when-did-he-know-it" is cheap and tawdry and should be punished with the National Finger. And issuing a warning a day about everything from Cessnas full of dynamite to frogmen to exploding apartment complexes dulls the nation's willingness to listen when there really is a wolf.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
05/26/2002 08:47 am ||
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#1
I fully intend to panic when I see a small plane dropping scuba divers into the ocean with nuclear suitcase bombs attached. These people will then enter the US, drop their bombs in apartments that they have rented -- and blow them all up.
Assuming, of course, that they don't get the Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State Building, or Statue of Liberty -- or whatever -- first.
Ahem.
Pardon me, I'm putting some earplugs in until the howling stops. Wake me if anyone gets nuked, ok?
The U.S. Army's second-in-command said Saturday that the al-Qaida terrorist network is trying to establish a safe haven in Pakistan, and the United States will deal with it when the time is right. That's a warning, Perv...
Gen. John M. Keane said the United States and its coalition allies have denied Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida network the use of Afghanistan as a base and removed the Taliban as the government supporting them. What few al-Qaida fighters remain, he said, have been reduced "to small groups hiding in the mountains." They can wave their guns and roll their eyes and threaten bloodcurdling vengeance, but they're not in charge anymore...
"We have broken their will and they are trying to establish another safe haven now in Pakistan, and we will deal with that. When the time is right, we will deal with that one as well," Keane said during an address to members of the 101st Airborne Division based at Kandahar airport in southern Afghanistan. "The only way we can protect the American people ... is to kill those who would kill them. There is no other way to do it." Now that is a man after my own heart.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
05/26/2002 09:44 am ||
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Iran confirmed recent U.S. reports Sunday that it had conducted a successful test flight of a ballistic missile capable of reaching Israel. Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani said that Iran tested the Shahab-3 missile earlier this month, Tehran radio reported. "To enhance the power and accuracy of Shahab-3 missile ... we will continue our missile program, and the recent successful tests were carried out in the same context," the state radio quoted Shamkhani as saying. U.S. officials said Thursday that Iran had carried out a successful test of the Shahab-3, which has a range of about 800 miles - adequate to reach Israel and U.S. troops stationed in Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and eastern Turkey.
The test is believed to be the missile's fifth. Some tests have failed, U.S. officials said. Shamkhani said the test "should not be considered a new production or a new step to increase the missile's range," the radio reported. This is something that's going around, isn't it? What causes this determination to go to war with the United States and have one's country dismantled? I think it's because Binny and Mullah Omar got away. If they had ended their days dangling in public at the ends of a couple ropes with lots of press coverage and some nice posturing at the UN and Mary Robinson being treated for the vapors, we wouldn't have this problem. If we'd hanged the mullahs, the ayatollahs would be able to imagine the same thing happening to them.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
05/26/2002 09:01 am ||
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The "mouse that roared" syndrome?
Posted by: bob ||
05/26/2002 13:21 Comments ||
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Excerpts from a discussion with Chechen bigwigs, including Shamsudin Nashkhoyev, who is a member of the Chechen Supreme Military Majlis al-Shura and the Amir's political adviser:
SHAMSUDIN: Oh no, the only time a Jew becomes impudent is when he feels firm support behind him... And certainly Putin will receive a Jew in Kremlin, who offers beautiful anti-crisis programs and is even... «worried» about Orthodoxy in Russia. What's more, Putin had to receive a whole caravan of rabbis. It was a ritual visit. And the head of the Jewish community, as you remember, stated that there is no anti-Semitism among Russian upper strata, and they are not bothered by nation-wide hatred towards the Jews, i.e. «household anti-Semitism». It was also stressed that for the first time the Kremlin walls are seeing such bearded Jews (as you know, the Kremlin was never out of the shaven ones).
Although, the host was sort of being cunning, because during Yeltsin a whole drove of Chassidic Jews entered Kremlin premises. Bearded, with black hats on, they were complacently making transparent hints at their victory and they were demanding their old books back which were confiscated from them by the Soviet power. Apparently such ritual will also be continued during the third figure in Kremlin, unless the remains of the empire tumble before that.
Saad Minkailov - member of the Chechen Supreme Shari'ah Court:
SAAD: There are many other things ahead. In the end I would like to remind a famous Hadith of Prophet Mohammed (p.b.u.h.): «The time will come and there will be a great war between Muslims and Jews. The Jews will be chased everywhere and every stone, and every tree, where they will be trying to rescue will say: «Here, a Jew is hiding behind me! Kill him!» They say there was a time when one of the Palestinian patriots brought up this Hadith in the heat of the dispute, he said that there would be war between «Arabs and Jews». And they say that Moshe Dayan (who was Israel's Defense Minister back then, Russian-born, his real name is Mikhail Dayanovich) corrected the disputant: «First, the Hadith does not say «Arabs», it says «Muslims», and second, those will not be today's Muslims...»
Maybe forty years ago it was a right evaluation of the situation by Israeli Minister. But according to today's panic activity of the Jews all around the world it feels the the «RIGHT TIME» has come, and so have the «RIGHT MUSLIMS».
WaPo, are you reading this? This aren't the Muslims in the Street in Grozny. These are the guys driving the "Chechen separatists."
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
05/26/2002 11:09 am ||
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Amir of Jamaat-i-Islami, Qazi Hussain Ahmed has said that the Organization of Islamic Conference should convene its meeting at the earliest to review the situation arising out of tension between India and Pakistan. In a letter addressed to all the heads of states of Muslim countries, the JI chief said that the aggressive posture adopted by India was posing a serious threat to the regional security and if they [Muslim states] did not take timely notice, Indian jingoism could put the entire region in flames of war. Qazi's the man behind the attacks that are designed to bring on Indian retaliation. Blaming Indian "jingoism" is pro-forma...
In his letter, Qazi Hussain Ahmed said that India had been levelling allegationsagainst Pakistansince Sept 11 and had amassed its forces on its border with Pakistan and now its leadership was threatening Pakistan with dire consequences. Not that the allegations were unfounded, mind you...
He said instead of taking notice of the reign of terror unleashed by the Indian forces in Kashmir and Gujarat, the international community had turned a blind eye to Indian adventurism. Kashmir is swaming with Pak-controlled gunnies. India deserves to be slapped for Gujarat, but it has nothing to do with the daily Kashmir Korpse Kount. And they're trying to clean up the Gujarat mess...
"Instead of advising India to exercise restraint, the United States is holding wargames with India and supplying it more annihilating armoury," he said. Qazi Hussain said that the trio comprising American, Zionist and Indian forces was being strengthened against the Islamic world, while cooperation between the three was also growing in China, Central Asian Republics, Afghanistan and Gulf states. Yeah. Damn them Zionists! Damn them heathen Hindoos! Damn them Merkins!
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
05/26/2002 10:32 am ||
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Pakistan followed one widely criticized missile test with another launch Sunday as the international community struggled to contain the country's rising tensions with neighboring India. Officials said the military conducted the first-ever test of a new short-range missile, the Hatf-III or Ghaznavi. With a range of 176 miles, the missile could reach the border regions of India, where hundreds of thousands of soldiers face Pakistani troops in a standoff. If I was a State Department functionary, skilled at negotiation and with a talent for seeing the other side's point of view, I'd still see that as a slap in the face.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
05/26/2002 08:55 am ||
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<STATMENT OF THE OBVIOUS>
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee warned the international community again that India's patience was wearing thin, and that New Delhi would not tolerate terrorist attacks against its citizens indefinitely. In a hard-hitting speech that was broadcast live on television, Vajpayee said the world should understand that India's patience and tolerance were not without limits. "When the world is fighting terrorism and American forces are in Afghanistan fighting the forces of terrorism, then how and for how long can India tolerate terrorism?" he said in Manali, a hill resort 250 miles north of New Delhi, where he is currently taking what has been described as a five-day vacation.
The prime minister said he regretted that India had not struck at militant groups soon after a terrorist attack on the Indian parliament Dec. 13. "India should have taken action against cross-border terrorism soon after the attack on the Parliament," he said. </STATMENT OF THE OBVIOUS>
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
05/26/2002 09:10 am ||
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Germany will recall non-essential diplomatic staff working in Pakistan because of an increased terrorist threat, the foreign ministry said Saturday. "Only diplomatic personnel whose presence is essential will remain," said a spokesman, without saying how many people were being repatriated. Around 40 personnel currently work at the German embassy in Islamabad and 10 others in the consulate in the southern port city Karachi. Perv's gotta benoticingthis. And I haven't seen anything about them pulling out of New Delhi.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
05/26/2002 10:05 am ||
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Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that Islam teaches peace and harmony, but the West is trying to depict a distorted image of the religion. Damn us for doin' that!
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, he said the world was confronted with an issue which threatened peace at the global level but, he added, the United States was using this pretext to exploit the under-developed and poor nations, particularly Muslim states. Ummm... No. We're hunting down Fazl's buddy, the Saudi millionaire...
The maulana said that every individual and nation had the right to struggle for freedom. However, he deplored, the freedom fighters in Kashmir and Palestine were being labelled terrorists by the United States. That's just because they blow up noncombatants without warning, murder children in their beds, and cut people's heads off. What the hell kind of reason is that?
The JUI leader said that the West was strengthening its economy with the help of resources of Gulf and Muslim states but it was an irony that the same resources were being used against Islam and Muslims in shape of weapons. Maulana Fazl said it was the time the West realized that a new global order based on equality and justice was the need of the hour. He asked the US leadership to think and decide whether a system based on injustice and exploitation could flourish. Well, I dunno. How have you been doing with it?
He stressed the need for dialogue to avoid expected reactions to the US policies. He said the Muslim world was ready for dialogue with the West to end this situation and to work for global peace. Does that mean Fazl surrenders? I doubt it...
Referring to the Indian threats, the maulana said: "We want to make it clear that despite all our differences with rulers, the whole nation will stand firm by armed forces in event of any aggression." Now that he's set it up, he just can't wait for it to happen.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
05/26/2002 10:45 am ||
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Assailants armed with meat cleavers killed an opposition politician after pulling him from a car in Bangladesh, police said Sunday. A former home minister in the car with him was unhurt. Abdul Kuddus, 50, a leader of the Awami League, the main opposition party, suffered head and body wounds and died en route to a hospital, a police official said on condition of anonymity. Former minister Mohammad Nasim was in the car with Kuddus but was not hurt in the attack Saturday in his home district of Sirajganj, about 65 miles northwest of the capital, Dhaka, the official said. Two of Nasim's aides were injured in the attack. There were about 20 assailants and all of them escaped, the official said. Police said they did not know of any motive.
Nasim blamed the attack on Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's governing Bangladesh Nationalist Party. The BNP denied involvement. Nasim, an Awami League lawmaker, was the country's home minister, in charge of law enforcement, from 1996 to 2001. Islamic politix at its best...
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
05/26/2002 09:27 am ||
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Israeli forces entered the West Bank town of Qalqilya on Sunday in what Israel said was an operation to stamp out terrorist activity. The Israel Defense Forces said "regular and reserve" troops were executing searches and arrests and a curfew had been imposed in Qalqilya. Similar military operations were executed Saturday in two other West Bank towns — Bethlehem and Tulkarem. Israeli troops continued to operate in and around Tulkarem at midday Sunday but had withdrawn from Bethlehem. The Bad Guys seem to be trying for a boomer a day. The IDF appears to be countering with an incursion a day.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
05/26/2002 09:50 am ||
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Four Israeli tanks entered the Palestinian-controlled city of Gaza early Friday and destroyed three small industrial workshops that an Israeli military spokesman said manufactured Qassam rockets. The incursion occurred hours after a suicide bomber in a car attacked a Tel Aviv nightclub early Friday, injuring one person. Troops also arrested five Palestinians suspected of involvement in terror acts in the towns of Dura and Itbaka south of Hebron, in Zatra southeast of Bethlehem, and in the Qalandiyah refugee camp south of Ramallah, an Israel Defense Forces spokesman said. The tactic appears to be slap and counterslap. The Israelis can't let a single one go by, and they've got to make it cost the lemmings Palestinians more than it costs them. If they back off, it'll be perceived as a lack of resolution by the Bad Guys...
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
05/26/2002 09:56 am ||
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Taking quick advantage of Shas's absence from the government, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon instructed his office to ensure that by noon today a timetable be drawn up for the importation of some 6,000 Thai agricultural workers. Former Shas ministers Eli Yishai and Shlomo Benizri had effectively held up implementation of a February cabinet decision to bring the number of foreign agricultural workers to 24,000. The agricultural sector has been badly hit by the Palestinian violence and subsequent loss of Palestinian workers. "Holy chips, Mahmud! We blew up our jobs!"
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
05/26/2002 08:17 pm ||
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At least 19 wedding guests were electrocuted when the bus they were riding in snagged a high-voltage power wire in northern India. The wedding party was on its way to the bride's home when baggage that belonged to the guests and was piled high on the roof, became entangled in the wire overhead. Eighteen people died at the scene and one person died later in the hospital, said A.N. Kanojia, a police inspector in Motipur. Seven people suffered minor burn injuries. The groom and 34 other passengers in the bus escaped unhurt, said Niranjan Lal, Bahraich district superintendent of police. Dear Emily Post,
Most of my wedding party was electrocuted on the way to the reception. Should I put a sympathy card in with each thank you card? Or should I mail them separately?
(signed)
Patna
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
05/26/2002 09:36 am ||
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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.
