Source: NNI An anti-government radio has started its broadcasting in east Afghanistan's Paktia province, the state news agency BIA reported. The radio station, which named itself "Resistance Voice of Afghanistan," recently broadcast an ultimatum to instigate local people to resist the central government led by President Hamid Karzai. "Mahmoud! Some guy on the radio said we should resist the central gummint!"
"Damn, Ahmed! Where's my gun?"
The location of the radio, which broadcast with changing frequencies, was not clear, the BIA report said. Afghan Information Minister Sayed Makhdoom Raheen told Xinhua that such anti-government broadcasting was from mobile radio transmitters on vehicles among mountains, covering limited areas. He said the government was concerned about anti-government broadcasting and would take measures against such activities. "I want to hear the message, too, Ahmed. Tune him up, will ya?"
"Sure... Damn. He's not there anymore."
"Maybe you were mistaken."
"Prob'ly was. Wanna go out for pizza, instead?"
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
01/10/2003 10:16 am ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
The fact that these outlaw radio broadcasts occur and are so mobile means three things:
1. The bad guys still have money.
2. The bad guys are having trouble recruiting followers.
3. The bad guys are having trouble buying decent weapons.
#3
Do afghani mountain goat farmers have radios to listen these cranks?
I can here sounds of joe strummer of the clash singing "this is pirate radio on pirate satellite" coming from a little walkman in the hands of mahmood the goatherder now....
Posted by: Frank Martin ||
01/10/2003 13:10 Comments ||
Top||
#4
Denial. Denial. Denial. It is a fact that President Bush's Pakistani beneficiaries are allowing the MMA government of NWFP to facilitate jihad against American troops. The slavish pro-Bush majority in America is denying that which the enemy is admitting.
Source: Agencies, Jihad Unspun
Hizb-i-Islami Afghanistan, party of former Afghan prime minister, Gulbaddin Hekmatyar, has split, which has at least short term implications to the resistance movement against the internationally sanctioned government of Hamid Karzai. The split comes after Hekmatyar announced he was expelling two main leaders of the party's central council, Qazi Mohammad Amin Waqad and Qutubuddin Hilal, for hobnobbing with the Karzai-led administration in Kabul, The News learnt here Wednesday. The expulsion order from Hekmatyar was released in Peshawar on January 4. However, almost immediately, a similar "executive order" of the central council, released in Peshawar the same day, also announced the "expulsion" of Hekmatyar, claiming he was no longer the leader of Hizb-i-Islami. "You're fired!"
"No, you're fired!"
"What about them infidels?"
"They're fired, too, goddammit!"
The announcement signed by Hekmatyar, accused Waqad and Hilal of "betraying the cause in the interests of the United States" by holding talks with the Karzai government. The "executive order" signed by the central council, condemns Hekmatyar for allegedly allying himself with "the Arabs of al-Qaeda and the Taliban." Is this a domestic altercation? Should we leave the room?
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
01/10/2003 10:16 am ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Now I'm waiting for the "own goals". .45 caliber expulsions.
Animal rights campaigners in Niger are protesting against the government's decision to allow groups of visitors from the Gulf to hunt protected animal and bird species. They have lodged a formal complaint with the government, which has said it was paid $300,000 to allow the hunting of endangered species of gazelle and birds of prey. A ban on hunting these species has been in force for a year. But government officials in Niger say the ban can be lifted temporarily if a waiver fee is paid.
The annual hunt launched in Niger last week has sparked off protests amongst the population and the local press.
Royal parties from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been hunting on a large scale. What a surprise!
The Gulf princes have been using big-calibre guns and cargo planes to carry the booties and live game to their respective countries in spite of the restrictions on hunting in Niger, Ibrahim Sani, a spokesman for environmentalist party RSV Niima says. The war-like hunting operations have given rise to vehement protests in Niger. In response to the criticism, a spokesman for the Ministry of animal resources and the environment, Abdou Mamane, said that the Arab guests had paid $300,000 to get carte blanche to hunt in Niger. Money talks. I expect very soon to hear outrage and demands for sanctions from PETA and the World Wildlife Fund. Hello, anyone out there? (sound of crickets chirping) What I thought.
Posted by: Steve ||
01/10/2003 09:53 am ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
"Arab hunters spark anger in Niger"
I was so angry I couldn't finish the article. It's against the law to hunt Arabs here, but they are not the pests in America that they are in Niger, what with their slave caravans and traveling boy-brothels. I really don't understand these anti-hunting fanatics. It's not like Arabs are an endangered species or anything and Niger is nowhere close to their primary breeding grounds, like Egypt and Palestine.
Anti-hunting activism is false compassion. Throughout the Arab world, we see the results of not adequately culling the herd: an increase in mental disease, overcrowding of habitat leading to violent outbreaks, breakdowns of instinctive mating patterns, lemming like suicide drives, and many other manifestations of natural evolutionary pressure having been side-tracked.
#3
If the West didn't give these desert tent boys OUR oil, they wouldn't have a leisure class. If I had my way the House of Saud would be fighting for jobs as cab drivers.
Three suspected members of the separatist ETA group were arrested in the Southwestern French city of Dax Friday, and a Paris prosecutor recommended stiff prison sentences for 10 other alleged ETA members. The latest arrests -- two women and a man -- took place early Friday, an Interior Ministry spokesman told United Press International. Note to the French cops - no skylights in the cell this time.
All three were carrying automatic rifles and were "known people ... on the other side of the Pyrenees" mountains, in Spain. One of the suspects is believed to be involved with financial operations for the separatist Basque group, while another is believed to be a seasoned commando, the spokesman said. He declined to reveal their names. ETA has mostly staged attacks in Spain during its more than 30-year campaign for an independent Basque state. But the group appears to be expanding its operations in France, where it also claims a chunk of the territory should be part of any future Basque homeland. As long as they confined their operations to Spain, the French looked the other way. When they started making noises about wanting a piece of France, however....
Earlier this week, French officials apparently discovered an elaborate plot to assassinate a well-known French anti-terrorist judge. The elements of the plot, tracking the daily work schedule and habits of judge Laurence Le Vert, were found among documents allegedly belonging to Ibon Fernandez Iradi, considered a top ETA commando. Meanwhile, during a separate trial in Paris, the public prosecutor recommended prison sentences ranging from 5 to 10 years for almost a dozen other ETA suspects, six of them in absentia. The stiffest sentence was recommended for Ignacio Gracia-Arregui, considered to be the former head of ETA. Arrested in 2000, he refused to answer questions during his trial this week, denied accusations, and spouted a stream of political diatribe. Besides the recommended prison sentence, magistrate Michel Debacq also demanded Gracia-Arregui be banned from French territory. A verdict is expected Monday. Banned from France, that'll show him!
ETA's stepped-up presence in France has been complemented with a tougher crackdown on Basque extremists by French police, and better cooperation between French and Spanish anti-terrorism officials in recent years. Many convicted ETA terrorists are extradited to Spain for a new trial, after serving out a first prison sentence in France. Bet the foods better in the French jails.
Posted by: Steve ||
01/10/2003 01:19 pm ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
German authorities arrested two Yemeni men Friday on suspicion of belonging to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terror network, media reports said. Ntv television said the men were arrested in Frankfurt at the request of U.S. authorities. The mass-circulation Bild Zeitung said the men were arrested at Frankfurt international airport. The U.S. Embassy in Berlin refused comment, referring calls to the German Interior and Justice Ministries. The Interior Ministry refused comment and the Justice Ministry spokesman was not immediately available. More to add to our collection...
FOLLOWUP:
One of them was named by security sources as Mohammed Ali Hassan Sheik al Mujahed, in his fifties, who is thought to be imam of a large mosque in the Yemeni capital Sanaa. A German Government spokesman said he expected the two would be extradited to the US as quickly as possible. Oooh! He's a sheikh and an imam. I'll bet he's studying for his mufti degree, too. And on top of it all, he's a mujahed. This boy's an all around talent...
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
01/10/2003 08:30 pm ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
With a little more good hunting luck we will have the only matched set still in existance.
#2
The guy on the radio - and who should know better than he? - sez one of the Yemenis is a sheikh, who's a money man for Qaeda.
I think I have the breakdown in my head now: anybody who's not a mufti is a sheikh, unless they're an imam or a mullah, except that a mullah can also be a sheikh, and if he's a Shi'ite he's an ayatollah, not a mullah...
I think.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/10/2003 13:49 Comments ||
Top||
#3
Could this book ever be written? "A dummy's guide to middle eastern politics and related terminology definitions?"
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
01/10/2003 20:16 Comments ||
Top||
An airport baggage handler who was arrested in Paris when weapons and explosives were found in his car was the victim of a set-up, police said on Friday. The man, Abderazak Besseghir - a French national of Algerian origin - consistently denied knowing how the arms got into the boot of his car. And I mocked him for it, sorry.
Two pistols, five cakes of plastic explosive, two detonators and a safety fuse were discovered in his car at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport at the end of December. But a former Foreign Legion soldier, who said he had seen Mr Besseghir handling the weapons in an airport car park, admitted on Friday that there had been a plot to frame him. And a very good job it was. Looks like somebody in the French police didn't buy it though.
It was the result of a long-standing family feud, a BBC correspondent in Paris says. Police now believe Mr Besseghir's claims that his in-laws tried to frame him because they hold him responsible for the death of his wife in a fire three years ago. Mr Besseghir is expected to be released on Friday afternoon. The former soldier and an accomplice are now being held in custody. For a very long time, I hope.
Mr Besseghir, 27, had no criminal record and the firm that employed him at the airport said he had given them no cause for suspicion in the three years he had worked there. He had only recently had his security clearance to work in restricted areas of the airport renewed. Fingerprints found on the weapons did not match Mr Besseghir's - though police became more suspicious after tests apparently revealed traces of explosives on the back seat of his car, and in his locker at the airport. It's always those little details that bite you in the ass.
Mr Besseghir's wife Louisa died after jumping from a window in a fire at their home in July last year. Though the coroner's verdict was suicide, her family blamed Mr Besseghir, who they said had tried to stop her leaving him. Sorry, Mr. Besseghir. We didn't believe you. My advise now is to sell the book and movie rights for as much as you can.
Posted by: Steve ||
01/10/2003 09:26 am ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
O.K., so the in-laws framed the guy. That still leaves the interesting (at least to me) question of where did the "...five cakes of plastic explosives, two detonators, and a safety fuze..." come from?
Posted by: Patrick Phillips ||
01/10/2003 10:45 Comments ||
Top||
#2
My guess, the former French Foreign Legion soldier was hired to get and plant these items in the car. No problem getting this stuff if you have the right connections, he would.
Posted by: Steve ||
01/10/2003 11:15 Comments ||
Top||
#3
I was right. "The prosecutor said former soldier, Marcel Le Hir, admitted that he placed the explosives in Besseghir's car in collusion with another man, Patrick Pouchoulin, who was also being held in custody."
Reports say Marcel was working as a security guard at the airport.
Posted by: Steve ||
01/10/2003 12:22 Comments ||
Top||
After visiting Palestinian President-for-Life Yasser Arafat (1929-2003?), Gretta Duisenberg, the wife of the European Central Bank (ECB) President, said she as well as the Palestinian leader condemn suicide bombings. Well, we should certainly listen to her opinion!
Her visit to the occupied Palestinian territory, which is aimed at drawing attention to Palestinians plight, has lured criticism from Jews and her home country, the Netherlands. And it takes a lot to embarrass the Netherlands...
Meeting with President Arafat, Duisenberg said the Palestinian leader, like her, denounced suicide bombings. "I asked him," she said, "how he felt about suicide bombings. I condemned them and so did he." That settles that, doesn't it? I mean, if you can't trust Yasser, who can you trust? Except for Gretta, of course.
"We want peace for both countries," she added, referring to the Israeli state and a future Palestinian state. "And ponies. We both want ponies."
The 60-year-old pro-Palestinian woman has been an embarrassment a political activist for the Palestinian cause for years, creating a problem for her husband, Wim Duisenberg, who heads the ECB. "Fergawdsake, Gretta! I have to appear in public, you know!"
Duisenberg, who is the chairwoman of a Dutch-Palestinian support group called Stop the Occupation, aroused criticism after the Dutch foreign affairs ministry said she had used her diplomatic passport to enter the occupied territories, which it said should only be used on official business. One Dutch politician has called on the government to rescind Duisenberg's diplomatic privileges. Duisenberg dismissed the suggestion as ludicrous nitpicking, the NY Times reported. She added that she has had a diplomatic passport for 17 years, dating from when her husband was president of the Dutch central bank and that she has no other passport. "So I can use it for whatever I want. 'Cuz I'm important, and you're not. So just shuddup."
The Duisenbergs have regularly received death threats and accused of being anti-Semitic because of Gretta's support for Palestinian rights to independence. A postcard suggesting you "drop dead" is not a death threat. It's a wish, even if it's a fervent wish...
Duisenberg has repeatedly defended his wifes right to act like a goof on her beliefs, and denied claims that she supported suicide bombings.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
01/10/2003 12:47 pm ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
How many times has AraFart "condemned" splodeydopes now? Is anyone keeping count? Or is it a case of "why bother, the asshole's lying. Look, his mouth is flapping..."
Salim Jiwa for The Ottawa Citizen
Canadian Muslim leader Riasat Ali Khan, who was killed Monday, was to testify at the trial of a man accused of uttering death threats after he was evicted from a mosque in Vancouver last year. Police had been looking for the man since he failed to appear for his first court hearing Dec. 6 on a charge of uttering death threats in which both Mr. Khan and a former associate of convicted bomb plotter Ahmed Ressam were expected to testify. Faiez Khamis Izahdeh allegedly vowed to kill fellow Muslims at the Jamiah Mosque on West 8th Avenue. Took 'em long enough to get around to admitting the killer's likely a fellow proponent of violence Muslim. They were touting this as a "hate crime."
A member of the congregation, Mr. Izahdeh's trial was to begin Tuesday. Mr. Khan died early Monday after he was shot five times in the back outside his home in suburban Surrey. Mr. Izahdeh, who was given a suspended sentence after being convicted of assault charges several years ago, had been ordered to stay away from the mosque as part of his bail condition. "Someone had uttered threats against my dad and a few others at the Vancouver mosque," the victim's son, Haroon Khan, said yesterday. "My dad had attended the mosque and a man was becoming very belligerent and he had asked the man to leave. A man said, 'You are all cowards and I will slaughter you all.'" "Yes! Yes! The killing was totally justified! He didn't let me have my way! How could a jury convict me of killing him for that?"
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
01/10/2003 10:29 am ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
Two men arrested after a gun battle in the Pakistani city of Karachi on Thursday have told interrogators their names and given their nationalities as Egyptian and Yemeni, police sources say. The two al-Qaeda suspects - Egyptian Abu Amar and Yemeni Abu Hamza - were detained after a raid by Pakistani police and FBI agents. Interrogators are trying to check whether the names are genuine. They've never seen a real Arab ID either.
The men are still in Pakistani custody and have not been handed over to the United States. Checking to see if they are cannon fodder, in which case they'll hand them over, or big shots. If they have really good connections, it will just be a case of mistaken identity.
Pakistan has arrested more than 400 al-Qaeda suspects since the start of the American-led campaign against the movement. Most of them have been handed over to the US. Thursday's raid was carried out in the Gulshan-e-Maimar district on the outskirts of Karachi. The men threw at least three hand grenades and fired automatic weapons at the security forces during the raid, but none was injured. More Arab marksmen
The pair surrendered after the anti-terrorist police and paramilitary rangers returned several dozen rounds of automatic fire. More than that, I'll bet.
At least one man in the house escaped, reportedly with gunshot wounds, and was still being hunted on Friday. Also arrested was a former international field hockey player, Shahid Ali Khan, and six family members who lived in the bottom half of the two-storey house. They were all released late on Thursday. The wife is a big shot fundi member.
BBC correspondent in Islamabad, Zaffar Abbas, says Karachi is one of the few places where al-Qaeda and Taleban members are believed to have hidden since the start of the US-led military campaign in Afghanistan more than a year ago. One of the few places? Try all of Pakistan!
Posted by: Steve ||
01/10/2003 10:52 am ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
Source: NNI
A top Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal leader, Hafiz Hussain has warned Washington of dire consequences if the US armies tried to enter Pakistani territory from Afghanistanâs side. "Sir, we've received a warning from Hafiz Hussain to stay the hell out of Pakistan!"
"From who?"
"Hafiz Hussain."
"Never heard of him. You ever heard of him, Dick?"
"Nope. Nobody I know."
"Condi?"
"I dunno. Let me check my notebook... Nope. You're sure it's spelled that way?"
It would be suicidal attempt for Americans, he said in an exclusive interview with NNI here on Tuesday. âPakistan is an independent and sovereign country. We neither interfere in othersâ affairs nor do we let anyone interfere in our affairsâ, Hafiz Hussain said and added, âThis was our policy before September 11, but after that the military rulers joined the US-led coalition against Taliban and opened the door for foreign interference.â "Yar! We'll kill 'em all! We'll gnaw their bones! Yar!"
The religious parties, he said, opposed the military governmentâs move and resisted. âThe leadership was arrested, cases of treason registered and put in jails.â Then, unfortunately, they were sprung â dozens of fat guys in turbans, all hollering "jihad!"...
Hafiz Hussain Ahmed who is also the secretary-general of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F), said, âNow America is launching armed operations in tribal areas and FBI is conducting raids in Pakistani cities in the name of al-Qaeda. This is creating a lot of problems for Pakistan.â "I mean, some of our leading citizens are getting jugged or bumped off in shootouts..."
MMA has decided to at least resist FBI activities in two provinces of Pakistan, Balochistan and NWFP âbut because the tribal areas are directly under control of the Federation, we are not in position to do it.â He said he has filed an adjournment motion with the chair in the National Assembly in this regard. Yasss... Pass a resolution. That'll do it.
He however warned in clear-cut terms that it would be suicidal for Americans to dare enter Pakistanâs territories from Afghanistanâs side. âTribals do not accept Pakistani laws, not only the arms sale is a usual business there, heavy weapons are also being manufactured in the tribal areas. Any adventure by Americans would also create problems for Pakistanâ. I dunno. Sometimes I think that a good, solid incursion by bloodthirsty Merkins into NWFP and Balochistan would actually solve a lot of problems for Pakland. But somehow I'm convinced that if the B52s ever showed up over Peshawar and Quetta, Fazl and Sami and Qazi and Hafiz Hussain would be in Lahore.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
01/10/2003 10:31 am ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
#2
"Sovereign and independent" my butt. The MMA slobs including the 700 pounds of jihad pork - AKA: Qazi H.A. and F. Rehman - are more Arabic than the Arabs. Qazi's JI was instrumental in getting the obligatory teaching of Arabic, set in the Pak constitution. If Qazi was more dependent, he would be on puppet strings. In fact, if he gets any fatter, he might require assistance to move. Oink!
Singapore has said that it has discovered close ties between Jemaah Islamiah - widely blamed for the Bali bombing - and other Islamic militants in South East Asia. A White Paper published by Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs said the training of JI militants was carried out at the base of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a Philippines group. I'm not surprised. Are you surprised? I'll bet the Singaporeans aren't surprised...
The report said that sometime in 1997, the MILF allowed JI to set up its own training facility within the MILF's headquarters at Camp Abu Bakar on the southern Philippines island of Mindanao. "Training within this camp ranged from the basic to more specialised training in explosives-handling," it said. Just one of those little fraternal Islamic gestures...
The 50-page report also revealed more details of alleged plots by JI to attack Western interests in Singapore in 2001 or 2002. It said that JI was planning to import Arab suicide bombers to carry out the attacks on US naval facilities, the Israeli embassy and the Australian and British high commissions. All the usual intended attack victims...
It also warned of daily repercussions from the JI arrests for the Singapore bomb plot. "Besides, JI, other militant groups in the region may also want to mount attacks to show their solidarity with JI and to retaliate", for the detentions. These would be local versions of the Secret Army of Doom — pickup teams...
Singapore will now "investigate more deeply" groups such as the MILF, the report said.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
01/10/2003 08:26 pm ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
The spiritual leader of Australia's 300,000 Muslims was leading prayers at Lakemba mosque a day after his roadside arrest, accusing police of acting in a "Rambo way" and the Federal Government of political point scoring. Sounds like His Excellency the Grand Mufti is acting like Diana Ross... Sheik Taj el-Din Al Hilaly, who carries the title of Mufti of Australia and is imam of Lakemba mosque in Sydney, condemned the Federal Government's $15 million counter-terrorism advertising campaign as a political game played to win votes. He said he was disappointed the Government had chosen to "import" a terrorism problem it did not have. "There has not been any terrorist act in Australia [and] I don't believe there's any credible threat of a terrorist attack in Australia," he said through an interpreter. "Why get worked up when there aren't any corpses yet? Well, not in Australian streets, anyway. Just wait... There's lotsa time."
Sheik Al Hilaly, 62, is facing charges of resisting arrest and assaulting police, as well as three other traffic charges, after he was pulled over on King Georges Road, Wiley Park on Monday. He claims he has scratches and bruises from handcuffs, while Campsie police superintendent John Richardson said the arresting officer had grazed knuckles from the incident. Not from dusting the Mufti's nose, unfortunately...
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
01/10/2003 10:16 am ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
How do you get to be a Mufti? Can I buy a diploma over the Internet or something?
He's just mad they discovered the garter belt when they searched under his robes.
#3
He's grand mufti, one would think that takes some time, but he still speaks through an interpreter. Why does everyone try to assimilate into the west except the members of the Religion of Peace (TM)
A Canadian man has confessed he was sent to Southeast Asia by al-Qaeda to organize a terrorist cell that plotted a massive assault that involved setting off simultaneous truck bombs at six Western buildings in Singapore. A 50-page report released yesterday by the government of Singapore provides the first official details of the terrorist activities of Mohammed Mansour Jabarah, a 20-year-old student from St. Catharines.
It said Mr. Jabarah had admitted he was dispatched by al-Qaeda after Sept. 11 to help local Islamic militants plot bombings at Western embassies and commercial sites. He travelled throughout the region using the alias Sammy, meeting secretly with high-level members of al-Qaeda's local affiliate Jemaah Islamiyah, it said. "So far, Maohammed Mansour [Jabarah] has revealed that he was the liaison person between al-Qaeda and the Southeast Asian operatives," the report said. He's a very important catch
The report also said he has admitted he discussed terrorist attacks with Riduan bin Isamuddin, alias Hambali, the man believed to have staged the Oct. 12 bombing of a nightclub on the Indonesia island of Bali that left almost 200 dead, including two Canadians. News that yet another Canadian has taken part in a terror campaign comes as Liberal politicians such as Denis Coderre, the Immigration Minister, are complaining that Canada is being unfairly branded a terrorist haven. David Harris, a former Canadian Security Intelligence Service agent, said Mr. Jabarah's confession should set the government straight. "Let's pray for an end to Mr. Coderre's embarrassing pose as a wounded victim of American security 'paranoia.' " he said. "It's an ingenue role that doesn't wash." Ooooo, I like that!
A graduate of a Catholic high school in St. Catharines, the Kuwaiti-born Mr. Jabarah went to Pakistan following his graduation and was dispatched by al-Qaeda to Malaysia in September, 2001. Bet he went to "grad school" in Pakistan first
In Kuala Lumpur, he approached Jemaah Islamiyah members "with a plan to use truck bombs to attack targets in Singapore." Mr. Jabarah arrived in Singapore in October to brief local terrorist leaders about his plan. At a meeting in one of the operatives' cars, he asked the others "for their suggestions on other possible targets. They identified the Australian and British high commissions as targets because of their proximity to the U.S. embassy. They also explored 'soft' targets and identified several commercial buildings in the city housing American companies." Mr. Jabarah scouted the targets. He also collected videotapes of the sites. One videotape was labelled "Visiting Singapore Sightseeing" in order to disguise its purpose. Because TNT was difficult to obtain in the region, the cell decided to use ammonium nitrate instead. By the time the plans were in place, the group had accumulated 17 tonnes of the explosive. The operation was to use six trucks. Each would carry three tonnes of ammonium nitrate (by comparison, the truck bomb used in Oklahoma City contained two to three tonnes of the explosive). "Sammy would bring his people down to Singapore to rig the bombs at the secured warehouse," the report said. "The trucks would then be driven and parked at designated points near the targets. "The local cell members would then leave the country as unknown suicide bombers arrived. These suicide bombers [believed to be Arabs] would be brought down to Singapore just a day before the planned attack." Guess the JI locals weren't holy enough to drive the trucks
The attacks were to take place between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. the following morning. The bombings never occurred because authorities found out about the plot and arrested several key members. Mr. Jabarah was arrested in March in Oman. Authorities handed him to Canadian intelligence agents, who brought him back to Canada. Knowing he would likely be charged by the United States, he decided to co-operate with U.S. investigators. He went voluntarily to the United States and is being held at an army base in New York. Fort Drum, maybe?
Since Mr. Jabarah's arrest, Canadian Muslim and Arab lobby groups have portrayed him as an innocent victim of the post-Sept. 11 anti-terrorism crackdown and demanded that Ottawa launch an investigation into his case. Mansour Jabarah, his father, called the allegations lies. "No, this is false, 100%. They are lying, everywhere they are lying," he told the National Post in an interview from Kuwait City. He said his son knew nothing about terrorist plots. "He knows nothing! Nothing! What, he confessed? That's a lie too! They, ah, beat it out of him! Ya, that's it!"
But the Singapore government report shows that Mr. Jabarah has himself admitted to being intimately involved in planning acts of terrorism designed to kill Western civilians, and that he did so even after the atrocities of Sept. 11. Canadian officials suspect Mr. Jabarah has entered into a plea bargain with the U.S. Justice Department in exchange for his cooperation, but his lawyer declined to comment and his father said he had no knowledge of such a deal. "I don't know anything either!"
Posted by: Steve ||
01/10/2003 02:22 pm ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Mansour Jabarah, his father, called the allegations lies. "No, this is false, 100%. They are lying, everywhere they are lying," he told the National Post in an interview from Kuwait City. He said his son knew nothing about terrorist plots.
If his son knew nothing, then his full name must be "Mohammed Mansour Jabarah Schultz".
The Jordanian government's latest official denial is that this month's joint military exercises with its long-time British allies have nothing to do with Iraq, which some Jordanian officials said they expected "after January." A mixed squadron of 14 RAF Tornado, Harrier and Jaguar warplanes have deployed in Jordan's southern desert for the 2-week exercise "Desert Thundercat." But the rule in Jordan is that "when the government denies anything, it means it's true." Kuwait and Iraq officials had a round of talks in Amman this week on the fate of Kuwaitis who went missing during Iraq's occupation. The meeting came just 10 days after the government vehemently denied that such a gathering would be in Jordan.
Posted by: Steve ||
01/10/2003 11:33 am ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Jordanian government officials, speaking on condition of anonimity, today denyed that there was any such place as Jordan. If there were such a place as Jordan, it certainly wouldn't be in the Middle East. The Cowardly Lion and the Scarecrow refused comments.
Twenty members of the 49th Materiel Maintenance Squadron here spent more than 70 days at a deployed location working 12-hour shifts to erect portable shelters for B-2 Spirit bombers. Probably Diego Garcia, right?
Moving the B-2s to forward locations will significantly shorten combat missions, which have been as long as 44 hours from Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. The Axis of Evil lives far from Mo...
"We hand-picked a team with a core of troops who had experience in B-2 shelter construction during the test and evaluation phase. Their experience along with a lot of ingenuity and hard work paid off as they finished the two shelters about three weeks ahead of the original schedule despite a number of modifications required in the field." ...but it's probably a lot closer to the 'deployed location'
#1
The B-2 has one heck of a logistical tail. You can't send them out only half-buttered up. Let's hope the mighty USAF knows what it's doing...
Posted by: Anna ||
01/10/2003 18:45 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Check out the details on this shelter at http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/systems/xldahs.htm
It is a remarkable portable structure! Lots of room and air-conditioned to boot. There is also a link to some pictures of the structure on the page.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
01/10/2003 18:55 Comments ||
Top||
#3
Dude--
Of course it is air conditioned. We are talking about the USAF here. It probably has cable too.
More than 1,200 soldiers in a Florida National Guard combat unit have been called up for active duty as part of the U.S. build-up for a possible war against Iraq, a guard spokesman said on Friday. A further 600 soldiers from the guard's 124th Infantry regiment were on alert for possible mobilization, spokesman Lt. Col. Ron Tittle said. It is largest call-up of Florida National Guard units since World War II. There was no word of where they would be sent or if they would see action.
"I don't know exactly where they are going. The operations we're asking them to support are Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom," Tittle said, referring to the U.S. "war on terror."
He added, however, that they had been issued desert camouflage uniforms. Ron, that would be a hint they are going to some place with a lot of sand. Could be Las Vegas, but don't get your hopes up.
"They are combat soldiers. It's a light infantry unit, highly mobile," Tittle said. Troops from the 2nd and 3rd Battalions, with more than 600 soldiers headquartered in Orlando and Panama City, traveled to Fort Stewart, Georgia, this week to begin further training. The Miami-based 1st Battalion, was placed on alert on Thursday for possible mobilization. Tick...tick...tick..
Posted by: Steve ||
01/10/2003 03:13 pm ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
One of six Yemeni-American men charged by the U.S. government of supporting al Qaeda is due to plead guilty on Friday, a U.S. official said. Faysal Galab is due to appear in court in Buffalo, New York, for a plea hearing at 3:30 p.m. EST. Further details were not available. Galab and the other six men -- all of whom are U.S. citizens of Yemeni descent -- pleaded not guilty in October to charges of supporting al Qaeda by attending a camp in Afghanistan in 2001. They were arrested in Lackawanna, New York, a city near Buffalo and close to the U.S. border with Canada. U.S. prosecutors have accused the men of "conspiracy to provide material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization" and a second count of providing material support to al Qaeda. First guy to cop a plea gets reduced sentence in exchange for ratting out his buddies. Galab cracked first.
Posted by: Steve ||
01/10/2003 03:02 pm ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
Canadian Forces planners are "putting everything on the table" for a contribution to any war in Iraq, military sources say, including a brigade group of up to 3,000 mechanized infantry, armour and artillery troops that would fight alongside U.S. and British soldiers. One source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the navy, air force and army are pushing to make the maximum effort possible despite well-publicized shortages of equipment, funding and personnel. "Everything they could possibly send to Iraq, they will ... if the government gives the go-ahead," said the source. See next paragraph for why he wants anonymity. He wants to keep his job.
But some observers say the military's contingency plans to send everything from CF-18 fighters to a large formation of ground troops to Iraq are being stymied by the Prime Minister's Office and the Department of Foreign Affairs, which object to Canadians becoming involved in combat. "The government is not terribly happy with the idea of fighting a war," said Colonel Alain Pellerin, a retired army officer and executive director of the Conference of Defence Associations. "That goes against their idea of what our image should be -- that we're peacekeepers; we don't fight wars. "The PMO and [Privy Council Office] have been particularly hard line about that." Remember, it's the Canadian Liberal Government standing in the way, not Canadians in general.
However Col. Pellerin said those objections may not stand up to pressure from Washington. "The bottom line is the Americans expect something from Canada," he said. "And they would like to have them contribute to land operations."
The Canadian Forces has, for the past few months, been making extensive plans in anticipation of a possible war in Iraq, and one senior defence planner said the army has indicated it could send an entire brigade group to the conflict.
"The feeling among the army is that this is their last chance to show the country what they can do." Before the budget cutbacks leave them with three guys and a rifle they take turns with.
A brigade group is about 3,000 soldiers, built around an armoured battalion and one or more mechanized infantry battalions. The source said the infantry would be drawn from the 2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, in Gagetown, N.B.
The plan would draw the armour - including squadrons of Coyote armoured reconnaissance vehicles and C-2 Leopard tanks - from the Royal Canadian Dragoons, based in Petawawa, Ont.
The 3rd Battalion of the RCR, the regiment's light infantry battalion, is another possibility for deployment with the brigade group. That battalion is the army's designated "rapid reaction unit." Another military source said the Canadian Forces' joint operations group, the central co-ordination unit for major operations, has already sent a small reconnaissance group to the Gulf to check out possible sites for a Canadian headquarters in the region. The source said one plan under consideration would see a Canadian battalion of about 1,000 soldiers joining allied forces arrayed against Iraq as a "first wave," along with a headquarters for the full brigade group. Other battalions and smaller units such as engineers, artillery and support elements could be added as they arrive.
"That's the template they used in Kosovo and as far back as Korea," the source said. "One battalion became the nucleus of the Commonwealth Brigade."
An air force officer, who also asked not to be named, indicated that a squadron of CF-18s has been offered for any fight in Iraq. Although the jets are in the process of a badly needed upgrade to their airborne electronics, the source said the military hopes a small number will be ready in time to allow them to operate with British and U.S. forces. The air force has also been replenishing its supply of "smart" bombs, almost all of which were used during the bombing campaign over Kosovo.
Heather Brunner, a spokeswoman for the Department of National Defence, said Canadian military planners are already involved in discussions with the Americans. "There is a small military liaison team engaged in discussions with the U.S. military authorities right now," she said. "[They're] looking at determining the needs and appropriate contributions should the use of force become necessary."
However, Ms. Brunner said all the plans being laid are still hypothetical. "It's not appropriate to speculate at this time what our specific contribution might be." John McCallum, the Defence Minister, has said that at minimum, two navy frigates, transport planes and two surveillance aircraft now patrolling the Persian Gulf region in the war on terrorism could be transferred to operations against Iraq. The commandos of JTF-2, who were withdrawn from Afghanistan late last year for a rest, could also be easily and quickly transferred to an allied force in Iraq. Col. Pellerin said the proposal to send a large body of Canadian ground troops to Iraq is possible, but said time is not on the defence planners' side. "They would have to commit themselves now or very soon," he said. "They would have to make an announcement like the Brits or the French did this week that they feel it's prudent to begin real preparations." Hope you guys can join the party. Good luck.
Posted by: Steve ||
01/10/2003 02:44 pm ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
"The government is not terribly happy with the idea of fighting a war," said Colonel Alain Pellerin, a retired army officer and executive director of the Conference of Defence Associations. "That goes against their idea of what our image should be -- that we're peacekeepers; we don't fight wars. "
Our IMAGE!!? WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK AN ARMY IS FOR, YOU BRASSHAT MORON?
This is just revolting. And so should be the Canadians.
#2
surrender monkeys. a government of freaking surrender monkeys.
Rather than ship them to Iraq, they should just march and cleanout Ottawa. might actually catch a few terrorists.
Posted by: john ||
01/10/2003 17:56 Comments ||
Top||
#3
Uhh, excuse me but who do you think provided escort for the trip to Gitmo from Afghanistan for all those talibs you guys rounded up? Yup, JTF2.
Personally I think the Canadian gov't should provide more funding for JTF2 rather than the regular army. JTF2 is pretty darn good.
From Eyewitness News - Fayetteville, NC.
Eyewitness News has learned more troops from the heart of Carolina are making plans after getting word they'll be shipped out to southwest Asia. Medical teams at Fort Bragg are getting reading to deploy. Sources close to the deployment of troops to southwest Asia at the Pentagon tell Eyewitness News about 25,000 members of the 18th Airborne Corps, which has its command at Fort Bragg, will be deployed as part of the troop build up for possible war against Iraq. Now, many of those troops will not come from Fort Bragg itself, but other units under command of the 18th Airborne Corps. We've already seen the 3rd Infantry Division from Fort Stewart get shipped out. They are under Fort Bragg's command. And Eyewitness News has learned that a large element of the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum New York and parts of the 101st Airborne Division will also be sent to either Qatar or Kuwait. Both of those units are also under Fort Bragg's command. Locally, sources say the 44th Medical Brigade is making preparations to deploy. We're told at least 30 doctors from Womack Army Medical Center have been told to get ready to be sent overseas. We're also told their replacements have already been hired. In addition to the doctors, supporting Fort Bragg medical units, military police, communications specialists, soldiers from the First Corps Support Command known as "COSCOM," and engineers are being sent in support of the yet un-named operation.
Pentagon sources tell Eyewitness News those units will ship out in the next six to eight weeks. Beginning to look like the end of February
Posted by: Steve ||
01/10/2003 02:04 pm ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
A National Guard attack helicopter unit based at Raleigh-Durham International Airport received orders Thursday to mobilize for duty. The 1st Battalion of the 130th Attack Helicopter Regiment has 328 troops and 24 Apache helicopters at full strength. A guard spokesman declined to say if the unit will now be at full strength. The battalion will begin gathering Friday and be fully mobilized at the end of the month. Guard Captain Robert Carver says the troops then will move to an Army post somewhere in the United States for training. It's unclear where they'll go after that. Bet I can guess where
The unit was mobilized in 1991 for Operation Desert Storm. Being a Guard unit, I expect they still have vets from then.
More than 60 members of 3rd platoon of the 14-51st Motor Transportation Company in Boone have been placed on alert status and told to prepare for possible deployment. The heavy truck transportation unit that supports elements of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg. Humm, this is the first I have heard about the 82nd. The 101st has been involved in the HQ planning exercise in Germany.
Posted by: Steve ||
01/10/2003 01:54 pm ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
82nd's still holding down Afghanland, aren't they?
Posted by: Fred ||
01/10/2003 14:18 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Yep. Two battalions just came back from there, a new one just went over, and another's on the way. They seem pretty well occupied for the moment.
About 7,000 Marines from Camp Lejeune and a number of fighter pilots from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base will leave for the Persian Gulf region over the next few days as tension with Iraq continues to grow, officials said Friday. Three Virginia-based ships capable of carrying more than 3,000 Marines also received orders Friday to deploy, the Navy said. The USS Ponce and USS Saipan pulled away Friday morning from the Norfolk (Va.) Naval Station. The USS Gunston Hall also received orders. Officials wouldn't say if they would carry the troops from Camp Lejeune. Most likely they will carry some of them
The Camp Lejeune Marines will be part of a Carolina Marine Air-Ground Task Force that will include infantry, tanks, amphibious vehicles, supply specialists and aircraft, said base spokesman Sgt. Greg Thomas. They will follow more than 1,000 other Marines from the base already sent to the Gulf region, including a unit flown out Wednesday whose job is to unload supply ships and inspect equipment aboard five cargo ships normally stationed in the Mediterranean Sea. One ship in the group has a 500-bed hospital and matting to construct an airfield and control tower.
At Seymour Johnson, also in North Carolina, all 4,500 members of the 4th Fighter Wing are on alert, base spokeswoman Lt. Beverly Mock said, but not all will head to the Gulf immediately. She declined to say how many would leave in the next few days. F-15 Strike Eagles - two seat fighter bombers
Cmdr. Anthony J. Pachuta, commanding officer of the Ponce, also wouldn't reveal where his ship was going or how long it might be gone. He said he told his sailors seven months ago to be prepared to leave on a moment's notice because of the ongoing war on terrorism. "You have to be ready to run the race at any time," he said. In the blocks, waiting for the starting gun
Posted by: Steve ||
01/10/2003 01:46 pm ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
Critics of a newly-launched Iraqi Shiite Muslim opposition group disrupted a meeting hosted by its founder Abdel Majid Al-Khoei in the holy city of Qom, central Iran, the state news agency IRNA reported Thursday. The opponents of Khoei and his moderate Shiite Assembly of Iraq disrupted the meeting which was "attended by a number of Iraqi refugees living in Qom", the agency said. They chanted slogans such as "go back to the United States". Abdel Majid al-Khoei is a son of the late Grand Ayatollah Khoei, a top Iraqi Shiite cleric who died under house arrest in 1992 in the holy city of Najaf south of Baghdad.
He is also secretary general of the London-based charitable Al-Khoei Foundation, which also branches in New York and Montreal.
"Iraqi Shiites, who make up the majority in Iraq, have never enjoyed a legal status and place in the country, and now is the time to change that," Khoei said before his speech was disrupted. The United States "wants to change the Iraqi regime for its own interests, and the interests of the Iraqi nation fall in line with this policy," he added. Sounds like he agrees with us, today anyway.
IRNA did not give details on the political affiliation of his critics at the meeting. But we can guess.
Most Iraqi Shiite opposition groups have offices in Iran, notably the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), an armed fundamentalist group. They're the "Real" holy men.
Posted by: Steve ||
01/10/2003 01:08 pm ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on January 10, 2003.
Sharif Ali bin Hussein, the leader of Constitutional Royal Movement, and Ayad Allawi, the leader of Iraqi National Compromise, the opponent groups that aim to overthrow Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq, will come Turkey in the beginning of next week. Ankara permitted groups who will attend opponents conference in Irbil city in north of Iraq on January 15, to reach the region via Turkey. Opponents will conduct important contacts in Ankara while they proceed to Iraq. While the government is going to give a message to Saddam Hussein by sending State Minister Kursat Tuzmen to Baghdad, it follows a contradictory policy by holding direct contact with opponents who aim to overthrow Saddam Hussein. Keeping both options, war/peace, open.
Turkey and the United States reached compromise on memorandum of understanding necessary for site-survey at Diyarbakir, Mus and Batman bases and Iskenderun and Mersin ports which are expected to be used during possible military operation against Iraq. A 150-member U.S. military group is expected to start site-surveys shortly after signing of memorandum of understanding today. The United States said that bases in Turkey would be ready in 45 days.
The memorandum of understanding on rules that 150 U.S. soldiers who will inspect bases and ports in Turkey will obey is complete: If soldiers commit a crime, Turkey has the right to try the soldiers. The General Staff received a letter from the Prime Minister for signing of the memorandum of understanding referring to NATO principles. They'll fall under the same Status of Forces Agreement(SOFA)that other U.S. troops stationed there do.
Washington said that ''positive result should be given in the possible shortest time.'' Ankara is awaiting. Turkish Armed Forces says, ''the worst decision is better than indecisiveness.'' U.S. State Department Undersecretary Marc Grossman told Turkey's Ambassador in Washington Faruk Logoglu on January 6 that if Turkey supported the United States, intervention to Iraq would last short and there would not be so much loss. Grossman said that they would support Turkey's economy and Turkey would have the right to speak when the region was being shaped up. Otherwise, he said, the operation would cost too much. Help us and we'll be out of your hair in no time. By the way, the checks in the mail.
Prime Minister Gul did not respond a question about a news story claiming that if Turkey did not allow dispatch of U.S. troops to Northern Iraq via its territories, the dispatch would be made via the Greek Cypriot side. Humm, we're playing the Greek card. That's like rubbing salt in a open wound to the Turks. Cyprus could be used as a air base, but it's no good for a ground force.
Posted by: Steve ||
01/10/2003 12:46 pm ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
'Global security'(globalsecurity.org) is reporting that there are 4,000 US troops based in turkey, yet turkey is constantly stating that they will not allow US troops in turkey. Which is hard to understand considering they are a NATO nation and obliged under treaty to do so.
Posted by: Frank Martin ||
01/10/2003 13:17 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Turkey's playing a game old Turkey watchers are thoroughly familiar with. She's simply holding out until the very last moment. A common secret is that the Turkish generals would love to have a free hand in northern Iraq to slaughter the Kurds, but this "operation" would be a bit difficult with US troops in the immediate vicinity. Also, Ankara feels her mouth water over the Kirkuk oilfields, which she feels they're hers by right of God (pardon, Allah...) And she also needs cash -- lots and lots of it -- because the Turkish economy has gone to the dogs and it ain't rising any time soon (give 'em another 50 years to work out the basics).
In the meantime, Turkey does not let up in also claiming supremacy in the Aegean, by violating, daily and massively, Greek air space and fueling instability in the Eastern Med. Where the Turks are boxed in is Cyprus, where their illegal invasion and occupation of almost half the island has now made Turkey an occupying power of EU soil. This is one the rocket scientists at the Turkish general staff just didn't expect. But history is both harsh and unforgiving...
In all, the US needs Turkey, at least in the short run re. Iraq, but in the longer term American officials will have to decide whether a Turkey brimming with guns and having zero friends in the neighborhood would be the desirable "rampart" to defend US strategic interests. Remember what happened to that other "rampart," Iran, about twenty-odd years ago...
By the way, all those in the US who believe Turkey will be entering the EU and thus she will have the time and the incentive to "stabilize should be thinking this through again. I'd give Turkey as much chance of entering the EU as the Romanovs reclaiming their throne in Russia.
PS: Re. Frank's comment, Turkey is NOT obliged by NATO treaty to host US troops on her soil unless NATO is directly involved in war and the (in)famous Article 5 has been invoked. Bilateral agreements do stand though, and a special memorandum between the US and Turkey would serve the purpose fine.
#3
Just to give you a further measure of Turkish "cooperation" in times such as these: According to one of the largest-circulation Turkish dailies, "Milliyet" (Jan 8), a 150-man strong US military advance team, tasked to inspect Turkish bases for logistics/tactical readiness et cetera, has been snarled because the Turks have insisted ALL US military personnel be subject to Turkish laws. The DoD is reluctant to agree to such terms, especially when the US currently displays the highest sensititivity to questions of extra-territoriality and non-prosecution of its military personnel serving on missions in foreign countries. The Turkish military, according to this report, want the 150 US soldiers under Turkish law so that if "thousands" of US soldiers arrive for the Iraqi operation, their legal status will be the same. "Milliyet" also said that the USG insisted the advance contingent comes under NATO regulations, something that the Turkish generals rejected outright. The paper further reported that the Turkish foreign ministry is conducting "studies" of Turkish "rights" over Iraqi oil based on arrangements reached back in 1926. Turkey is determined to sink its fork and knife (and a few bayonets) in Iraqi flesh and it won't allow the US to have its way without obstruction, bickering, and a bottom-line deal that allows some form of permanent Turkish sway over parts of northern Iraq. Would the Bush administration be willing to agree to that?
Posted by: Steve ||
01/10/2003 15:07 Comments ||
Top||
#5
I stand both corrected and educated. Thanks.
Posted by: Frank Martin ||
01/10/2003 15:52 Comments ||
Top||
#6
For the record, the Associated Press reported (Jan. 10) that Turkey has finally agreed on the terms for the 150-man contingent. No mention of what exactly the arrangements are, or anything about the legal status question.
Two days of fighting between scores of rival tribes using spears and guns killed at least 52 people in northeastern Uganda, an army spokesman said Friday. The clashes erupted Monday when Pokot tribes crossed the border from neighbouring Kenya and attacked Karamojong herdsmen in Nakapiripirit district, 380 kilometres northeast of Kampala, said Maj. Shaban Bantariza. The fighting ended Tuesday when the army intervened, Bantariza said. At least 35 Pokot and 17 Karamojong were killed, he said, adding that the death toll could rise as more bodies are discovered in the remote area. Both the Karamojong and the Pokot tribes are nomadic herders who traditionally attack neighbouring tribes to steal cattle. In recent years, the practice has become deadly as small arms have filtered into the hands of the tribesmen. That'll do it
The surviving Pokot tribesmen escaped with dozens of cattle after launching the latest raid, Bantariza said. "Git yer shootin irons, boys! We'll teach them thar Poko's they can't git away with that no more!"
Posted by: Steve ||
01/10/2003 12:26 pm ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Jeepers, google range war. Looks like it was a prime preoccupation in the old West.
#2
Check-out Gila County,Arizona(U.S.),where I live.
Besides ranching we had gold/silver/and copper to fight over.About 10 miles from my home is a grave sight.Seems the County Sherief murdered a family sick with Cholora,then decided to hang a horse thief for good measure.
History Channel:Haunted History
Tombstone,The Town to Tuff to Die.
Turkey's government, treading a fine line with its population's sensitivities on participation in the imminent U.S.-led military action against Iraq, is embarrassed by parliamentary leaks that Ankara permitted a 36-member CIA team, accompanied by Turkish intelligence officers, to cross into northern Iraq last September and October. While there, the team grabbed 150 Iraqis suspected of being intelligence officers, who were then spirited to a third country for interrogation. The Famous Undisclosed Third Country again
Although formal approval for U.S. hopes to push some 50,000 troops through Turkey still awaits (problematic) parliamentary approval, Ankara has agreed to let a 150-man Pentagon team examine three Turkish ports and six air bases for possible use in the upcoming campaign. Washington has formally requested not only the use of Incirlik airbase, but airbases in Batman, Diyarbakir, Afyon, Ãorlu, Sivas and Kaklic, along with the ports of Mersin Tasucu, Içel (Mersin), and Ãskenderun (Alexandretta)."
Posted by: Steve ||
01/10/2003 11:29 am ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Holy Moly! Batman?!? Is there really an airbase in "Batman"??? I'm sure the Bat-plane and Robin must be stationed there!
The official line may still be that the Ark Royal is leaving Britain for long planned operations, but on board the message is very different. Crew members have been told they could soon be fighting a war and on the eve of their departure they say they are more than ready. With 3,000 marines now set to join the six vessel taskforce being led by the Royal Navy flagship, its commander, Rear Admiral David Snelson said a "classic use of maritime power" has been prepared.
With 45 troop-carrying helicopters replacing the planes usually found on board the ship, he says deployment will ensure there is a "ground combat capability in the Gulf region". Ah ha, helicopter assault. Going inland, are we?
The Ark Royal's skipper, Captain Alan Massey, said "The line I take with my ship's crew is that we always hope for the best but plan for the worst." It is a message backed up by the marines' lieutenant colonel, Ben Curry, who said his troops were ready to do whatever was necessary - whether it was combat or training. Underlining the marines' flexibility he said: "One of the most unique things is being on a ship where we can wait for months at a time and then at a moment's notice fly to where we are needed." Suprise!
Posted by: Steve ||
01/10/2003 11:20 am ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Lessons learned from our Marines. Why get your feet wet if you don't have to?
Hamas urged Iraq on Friday to open its doors to Muslim volunteer fighters and form squads of suicide bombers as the United States continues preparations for a possible war to topple Saddam Hussein. Speaking to hundreds of supporters, Abdel Aziz Rantisi, a Hamas leader, said Iraq should train and outfit cells of suicide attackers with "thousands of highly explosive belts" to fight American and British troops in Iraq. If that happened, I think we'd regard it as a downright unfriendly act...
The remarks were unusual for Hamas. Since it was formed at the start of the first Palestinian uprising in 1987, Hamas leaders have said the group's focus is its conflict with Israel and they have not sought involvement in other battles. "We urge the Iraqi leadership to open the door for Muslim volunteers who should perform their role in defense of Iraq because all Muslims were targeted by the USA," Rantisi said to the crowd of about 2,000 people. Not as precisely targeted as doing something that stoopid will get you, though...
The demonstrators shouted pro-Iraq slogans and set fire to American, British and Israeli flags. "We call on the Arabs and Muslims to burn the land under the feet of the American invaders, especially our brothers in Saudi Arabia because this war is not against Iraq, it's against the Islamic nation," Rantisi said. "And Soddy Arabia leads the Islamic nation, at least that part of it that likes explosions and corpses..."
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
01/10/2003 11:01 am ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
"Hey Sarge, you shoot these guys center mass and they explode!" "Cool, let me try!"
Posted by: Steve ||
01/10/2003 11:18 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Nice of them to go to places where we can kill them, like the pscyo Pakistani's moving over to fight and die with the Taliban.
#5
Saddam is one of Hamas' sugardaddies and if he gets whacked and Iraq comes under new management, Rantisi's boys will have to hope Saudi can make up the difference--something Saud might be reluctant to do after they've just seen what we do to terrorist bankrollers.
Iraq has illegally imported missile engines and fuel and unsuccessfully tried to buy aluminum tubes, but it is unclear they were meant for banned weapons, UN arms inspectors told the Security Council Thursday, January 9. "Mahmoud, order two dozen missile engines, wouldja?"
"Sure, boss. We ain't gonna use them in missiles, are we?"
"No, no! Certainly not!"
"Well, what are we gonna use them for?"
"Ummm... Something else."
"Inspections have confirmed the presence of a relatively large number of missile engines, some imported as late as 2002," chief UN inspector Hans Blix said in a statement to the council made available to Agence France-Presse (AFP). In a three-hour closed briefing, Blix told the council Iraq had also imported raw materials for the production of solid rocket fuel. "But that doesn't mean they were gonna use it in rocket fuel. There's other uses it could be put to."
"Like what?"
"Explosives."
All military sales to Iraq are banned under council resolutions adopted after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990. But the resolutions do not forbid Iraq to have conventional arms. They do bar Iraq from possessing nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and missiles with a range of 150 kilometers (93 miles) or more, and insist on the destruction of those already in Iraqi hands. "There! See? I took the warhead off. It doesn't work without the warhead, so mark that one destroyed..."
Blix said the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission had yet to determine whether the imported engines were intended for missiles in that category. "There's no smoking gun," Blix said yesterday, as the bullets from the smoke-free weapon whizzed around his ears.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
01/10/2003 10:41 am ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
The very fact that they havent found anything is a material breach. It says very clearly that Iraq has taken steps to hide and obfuscate those items there are were known (and admitted by them!) to be in their possession in 1992.
Has the UN inspectors ever found a weapon on any of their monmitoring tasks? They monitored the North Koreans for 10 years and never reported any problems, all while the NK govt admitted that they were in fact working on weapons the entire time!
I still believe that the best weapons inspectors in the world, the only ones with a measureable track record at disarming tyrants, is the 101st Airborne.
Posted by: Frank Martin ||
01/10/2003 15:59 Comments ||
Top||
North Korea has announced its withdrawal from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, according to the official North Korean news agency monitored in Seoul. But the secretive communist state said it has no intention of developing nuclear weapons, despite the pullout. "Oh, certainly not!"
The withdrawal — which is to come into immediate effect — comes as two North Korean diplomats begin talks with New Mexico's state governor in what some had hoped was a sign the tension is easing over Pyongyang's nuclear buildup. Bill Richardson — a former U.N. ambassador and energy secretary during the Clinton administration — hosted the two Thursday evening at the governor's mansion in Santa Fe. He is to meet with them again on Friday. Richardson told reporters before the delegation arrived that he had been in touch with the Bush administration and "they're fully supportive of this effort." "Alright. I guess so. See if they make any sense to you..."
A senior administration official told CNN that Richardson is expected to pass along a message that the United States may be willing to give assurances in writing that it has no intention of attacking North Korea — a condition that would only be given if the Communist nation agrees to give up its pursuit of nuclear weapons.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
01/10/2003 10:16 am ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[2 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
The longer these negotitations take, the worse off the North Korean government's hold on power gets. NK is trying to create a crisis in the hopes we will buy it off, like the Clinton's did, with oil and aid. But what they are demanding is the aid, while still breaking their promises. I don't think Bush will fall for it, will stall as long as possible and sit back and watch the NK government either fall, or if it takes the stupid option of attacking the south, wipe it out.
Posted by: Ben ||
01/11/2003 3:54 Comments ||
Top||
Tehran Times
In an emergency meeting of Iranian diplomats and representatives at the embassy in Kabul, the secretary of Iran's Embassy warned of high risk of being targeted by terrorists. The secretary noted that Al-Qaeda members of Arab origin who knew the local languages and wore Afghan costumes had entered Kabul with the aim of carrying out a suicide bombing against the Iranian Embassy and killing Iranian diplomats. Planting bombs in diplomatic vehicles and an explosion in front of the Embassy's main entrance are included in the Al-Qaeda members' plans, he said. The Iranian diplomat expressed his grave concern that the embassy, as well as the representative offices of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Broadcasting Organization (IRIB), and the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) lacked any means of defense and security and called for better security. The Medes and the Persians weren't particularly concerned about us taking out the Talibs. They couldn't make their airspace available for face reasons, but they were happy to continue their support for the Northern Alliance and let us tromp the Kabul government. I seem to remember that there were a couple assassinations of Iranian diplos in Kabul, and in Pakistan they're also considered fair game.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
01/10/2003 10:16 am ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Asking how they feel about being on the receiving end of Terrorism is lost on these people.
Iraq has made a direct appeal to Africa for more help in preventing a war with the United States. The call came during the Afro-Arab Parliamentary conference currently taking place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The president of Iraq's parliament, Sudoom Hammadi, said that his country believes African countries can do more than they have so far to put pressure on the US. What exactly? Pout, make faces, write strong letters of protest?
He acknowledged the help that his country has received up to now from the continent, but said that Iraq needs an increase in bilateral relations with individual countries to reduce the impact that United Nations sanctions are having on his country.
He said that African countries must now raise their voice within the UN and also express their views directly to the US Government. So far at the parliamentary conference all the African delegates have expressed support for Iraq and the consensus that has emerged is that the problem should be solved by the UN. Mr Hammadi said he welcomed the expression of solidarity coming from the delegates. They're afraid that someone might get the idea that what is going to be done to Iraq might work in their little hellholes
He said that Iraq does not desire war but warned that Iraq will fight fiercely if it is attacked. He said Iraq has no other option but to defend its independence. Mr Hammadi recognised that American troops are currently stationed in Africa, for example in Djibouti, but said he was sure that Africa as a whole backs his country's cause. They'll make a lot of noise, but that's as far as it will go.
Posted by: Steve ||
01/10/2003 09:39 am ||
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.
