A Lebanese military court has sentenced a Yemeni man to 20 years in jail for bomb attacks on US targets. The court found Moammar al-Awwami guilty of carrying out "terrorist acts", forgery and attempted murder. Awwami was convicted of masterminding attacks on three US fast food outlets in Lebanon and plotting to attack the US embassy and kill the ambassador. In December, 27 men were sentenced to jail for their parts in the attacks in Beirut and the city of Tripoli. Should have gone to Iraq, then you would have been "heroic martyrs". Now youâre just jailbirds.
During his trial, Awwami, also known as Ibn al-Shahid, denied accusations of links to the al-Qaeda network. "Lies, all lies!"
The bombing campaign was carried out in 2002 and 2003. In April 2003 a bomb attack wounded three people in a McDonaldâs restaurant in Beirut. Police later found a car filled with explosives in a nearby car park. Awwami was also implicated in a plot to blow up the US embassy, after a man carrying explosives was arrested outside the building last December. Just keep him in jail, weâll be watching.
Posted by: Steve ||
03/09/2004 10:27:56 AM ||
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A martyr who dies while bombing a McDonalds restaurant will get 72 Ronald McDonalds to pleasure him for eternity.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
03/09/2004 18:35 Comments ||
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A court on Thursday issued arrest warrants for nine alleged al-Qaida militants who are believed to be abroad and are wanted in connection with last yearâs suicide bombings in Istanbul, the Anatolia news agency reported. At least three of the militants are suspected of masterminding the attacks. Istanbul prosecutors have reportedly indicted 69 people suspected of belonging to a local al-Qaida cell and accused of involvement in the bombings. Nine others, including suspected ringleaders Habib Akdas, Gurcan Bac and Azad Ekinci, are reportedly at large. Although Turkey has been searching for the suspects for months through diplomatic channels, a court on Thursday issued formal orders for their arrests- a technical procedure that would pave the way for international arrest warrants.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
03/09/2004 1:09:17 AM ||
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A German court has approved the extradition of an Algerian man accused of recruiting suicide bombers for Iraq. Abderrazak Mahjub, aged 30, is set to face trial in Italy, where he is wanted for allegedly heading a Milan-based militant cell with al-Qaeda ties. Prosecutors say Mr Mahjub, also known as the "Sheikh", was part of a network recruiting suicide bombers for attacks against US-led forces in Iraq. Details of the extradition are expected to be decided by Germanyâs government. Mr Mahjub was detained in Germany after a Milan prosecutor opened an investigation into his alleged network. He had earlier been arrested by the German authorities for plotting attacks against Spanish holiday resorts, but was released because of a lack of evidence. The Milan prosecutorâs investigation also led to the arrests of two other suspects in Italy - both of North African origin.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
03/09/2004 12:18:11 AM ||
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EFL
Iraq was three years away from producing a nuclear bomb before the 1991 Gulf War, the No. 2 Iraqi scientist on the secret atomic program said Tuesday, offering a rare insiderâs assessment. Noman Saad Eddin al-Noaimi, a former director-general of Iraqâs nuclear program, told The Associated Press the Iraqis were able to produce less than 2.2 pounds of highly enriched uranium before the program was halted. It is estimated that a bomb would require at least 22 pounds. "Producing the appropriate amount would have required at least two more years, under normal circumstances," he said. "Putting that substance into a weapon could have taken an additional year," he said on the sidelines of a Beirut meeting on the repercussions of the Iraq invasion. If only we had followed Kerryâs courageous position in 91, he could have had even more foreign leaders supporting him today.
Posted by: Mr. Davis ||
03/09/2004 12:36:47 PM ||
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Any one interested in the whole article can go here. However, Mr.D's headline links to some funny stuff.
Members of the Islamic Center in Cleveland Ohio voted 177-49 on March 8 to retain Imam Fawaz Damra, a Palestinian immigrant who has been indicted for allegedly concealing his past ties to terror groups when he applied for U.S. citizenship. This vote overruled a January vote by the trustees of the Center to place the imam on a paid leave of absence. Other members of the Center disagreed, and the dispute went before a Cuyahoga County judge, who then ordered a vote by the dues-paying members. The mosqueâs president, Dr. Ali Halabi, had originally sought to keep the imam out of the center until the federal charges were resolved. Halabi and Damra were each given a few minutes to present their cases. âHalabi said he was booed as he spoke... "I thought they would at least listen to my viewpoint."â The court had appointed lawyer James McMonagle to oversee the voting. He said,â I think they were all satisfied with the process...It was as open and as transparent as you can getâ If Damra is convicted, his congregation will probably pay him a bonus. If the board of trustees has any sense, they should all resign. This was a no-confidence vote on their leadership and judgment.
Posted by: Tresho ||
03/09/2004 5:07:55 AM ||
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THE suspected spiritual leader of Jemaah Islamiah today called Australia and the United States "terrorists". Datâs wod them are. Yup
Speaking from an Indonesian jail, where he is serving a forgery sentence, Abu Bakar Bashir claimed Americaâs Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was behind the Bali bombings that killed 88 Australians. And behind them are the people who turn their ray guns on me and give me blinding insights
In the interview, which aired on SBS television tonight, Bashir said terrorists were those who did not show their true intentions. He said both Australia and the US were intent on undermining Indonesiaâs Muslim population. And the CIA had been involved in the Bali bombings to undermine Indonesia. Canât you see the CIA made me do it
"Only the dishonest and stupid people deny that the CIA used Bali for their own purposes," he said. Thatâs why Iâm dishonest and stupid
"If weâre talking about terrorists, itâs America. People who donât show their real interests. Itâs just Americaâs tricks. America and Australia." Bashir said Americans, Europeans and Jews were all intent on undermining Islam for their own purposes. Yup, itâs them Saturday and Sunday infidels, who are to blame.
He said the September 11 terror attacks on the US were part of a holy war against America. Back off, big boy. Donât you know you canât call it a holy war anymore. Itâs an incident to be handled by the local jacks and not the military. Front and centre for you at the next politically correct meeting at the mosque.
It was wrong to call those responsible for the attacks terrorists. "I say to Muslims that to call them terrorists is a big sin," he said. Thatâs what it is, a sin, I say and you are all sinners who will burn in hell for opposing Allahâs will.
"People who call them terrorists are sinners. Theyâre Mujahideen defending Islam." And shahids, I forget to mention shahids
#2
Itâs this kind of rabid insanity that makes me think the Indonesian government is going to charge Bashir with something else to keep him out of circulation -- or just deport him back to Yemen and hope he has an accident. The Indonesians bigwigs were hoping the Courts would make up for weak charges, but setting overreaching precedents is a bad idea -- just build a better case.
#3
I think it's time to declare that wearing a turban and preaching in a mosque is a deadly sin, and that God's chilluns need to totally isolate anybody caught committing this sin. I'd recommend they all be incarcerated on the island of Martinique - I understand the volcano there is set to blow any day now.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
03/09/2004 22:39 Comments ||
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#4
Australians are the nicest bunch of "terrorists" I've ever met.
Security officials said Monday they were investigating if Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels provided training for six Indonesian militants who were reportedly arrested in Malaysia. The Indonesians were arrested two months ago in Sabah for allegedly training in a Jemaâah Islamiyah camp run by the MILF on Mindanao, a senior Malaysian official said Saturday. The Indonesians were being held under Malaysiaâs security laws allowing indefinite detention without trial, the Malaysian official said.
If true, the allegation could endanger peace talks between the government and the MILF, the main Muslim rebel group, which has denied links to the al-Qaeda-linked Jemaâah Islamiyah, National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales said. âWeâre looking at this very seriously because this will have implications on the peace process,â Gonzales said. âThey [MILF rebels] have even promised to help us run after lawless elements.â The Philippines is working with Malaysia to get more details on the Indonesian suspects and what they have told Malaysian investigators, Gonzales said.
MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu denied his group allowed Jemaâah Islamiyah militants to train in rebel strongholds, and said the government was to blame if terrorists were in Mindanao. âThey may be here, but not at the pleasure of the MILF,â Kabalu said. âThey sneak through the southern backdoor, and whose job is it to secure these borders?â
Gonzales said it was difficult to ascertain the extent of Jemaâah Islamiyahâs presence in the country, but added: âIt would be frightening to assume that theyâre no longer around and suddenly find out otherwise.â
A diplomat from a predominantly Muslim country, meanwhile, urged the Philippines to curb the activities of terrorist groups that conduct recruitment operations in Islamic schools as madrasah. The foreign dipomat said Malaysia and Indonesia have been addressing the problems of terrorism by dismantling madrasah that are being used by the al-Qaeda- linked terrorist group Jemaâah Islamiyah (JI). âIn my country, we saw our mistake in ignoring the Madrasah too late. Young Muslims have been trained to hate the government and wage jihad [holy war],â said the diplomat, who requested anonymity. He added: âThe same can happen here, say 10 to 20 years from now. The students will become full-fledged terrorists who will sow terror in the Philippines.â The Islamic diplomat said the terrorists can no longer train new recruits in Indonesia and Malaysia, prompting them to recruit in Madrasah in the Philippines.
There are now 3,000 Madaris (plural for Madrasah) in Mindanao which offer subjects on Arabic language and Islam. The Department of Education has been trying to integrate Madrasah teachings into the mainstream curriculum. However, even the local education officials in Mindanao are afraid to go inside the Madaris. He said problems of terrorism should be uprooted by stopping the terrorists from training new recruits.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
03/09/2004 1:07:22 AM ||
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Malaysia and Indonesia have been addressing the problems of terrorism by dismantling madrasah that are being used by the al-Qaeda- linked terrorist group Jemaâah Islamiyah (JI). The terrorists can no longer train new recruits in Indonesia and Malaysia.
This is real progress in the war against terrorism.
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
03/09/2004 7:47 Comments ||
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Indonesiaâs Supreme Court has reduced a jail term imposed on militant Islamic cleric Abu Bakar Bashir to 18 months, a court official said Tuesday. The ruling means that Bashir, who is said by foreign governments to have led the al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terror group, could be free within months. Supreme Court spokesman Joko Upoyo said the court had reduced Bashirâs sentence for immigration offences to one and a half years. "The time he has spent in detention will be deducted," Upoyo told AFP. A district court last September convicted Bashir of taking part in a JI plot to overthrow the government but said there was no proof he had led the network. It sentenced him to four years in jail for treason and immigration-related offences.
Wonder who put the fix in? Couldn't have been Hamzah Haz...
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
03/09/2004 12:23:39 AM ||
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#1
Hmmm ... I can think of a slice of airspace where it might be appropriate to have a Copperhead-equipped Predator drone circling, come "get-out-of-jail" day. But - probably a sovereignty issue in the way. Too bad .......
#2
I am still hopeful. Although I'm a bit rusty, I went to an Indonesian language paper. The first few sentences go like so: MA Vonis Baâasyir 1,5 Tahun
Laporan:Dulhadi Jakarta, KCM
The Supreme Court Verdict on Baâasyir is 1.5 years
Laporan:Dulhadi Jakarta, KCM Mahkamah Agung (MA) menjatuhkan vonis satu setengah tahun penjara untuk Ketua Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia (MMI) Abu Bakar Baâasyir.
The Supreme Court (SC) dropped the verdict to one and a half years in prison for the Indonesian Chairman of the Mujahidin Council (MMI) Abu Bakar Baâasyir. Keputusan MA ini diambil berdasarkan hasil sidang majelis perkara kasasi Abu Bakar Baâasyir yang diketuai Bagir Manan beberapa hari lalu. Dalam putusan MA itu, Baâasyir terbukti melakukan pemalsuan dokumen dalam pembuatan Kartu Tanda Penduduk serta pelanggaran imigrasi. Sementara tuduhan melakukan makar dan tindakan terorisme tidak terbukti.
This SC decision was made based on the outcome of the court's session considering the Abu Bakar Baâasyir appellate case that was recently chaired by Bagir Manan. In the SC decision, it was affirmed that Baâasyir falsified a document by manufacturing a Residency Card as well as violated immigration law. For the time being the charge of carrying out terrorist tactics and action was not upheld.
I think the key word here is sementara (or for the time being). I really hope to God I'm right. The rest of the article says the decision was made a few days ago. It notes that the SC's decision was lighter than the Court of Appeals, and makes a distinction I can't quite follow, again noting sementara (or for the time being). Then the article describes the lower appellate ruling in greater detail and goes on in greater detail about the specific laws violated on the charges that were upheld. It goes on to explain the court's reasoning on the charges that were unproven, but the language is a bit technical for me. The article concludes with information about his detention beginning October 28 2002. The word sementara (or for the time being) is used quite a few times in the article.
#5
It's pretty lame that under the new Indonesian democracy, the only thing they can hang on Bashir is immigration charges. The previous dictator, Suharto, would have just whacked and disappeared him, as he had a succession of Islamic extremists.
#6
Thanks, Zhang Fei. Now this makes more sense: Sementara dakwaan lainnya, menurut PN Jakpus, menyangkut memimpin dan mengatur makar, menyuruh memalsukan keterangan palsu ke dalam suatu akte otentik, dan dianggap sebagai warga negara asing yang berada di wilayah Indonesia, tidak terbukti. Dakwaan lain yang dianggap tidak terbukti adalah terkait Kelompok Jemaah Islamiyah (KJI).
For the time being the other accusation was held unproven, according to PN Central Jakarta, involving leading and directing treachery (by ordering the falsification of information in a authenticated certificate), because he was a foreign citizen that was in Indonesian territory. The other accusation considered unproven was association with the Jemaah Islamiyah Group (JIG).
IN OTHER WORDS, HOW CAN YOU ENGAGE IN TREASON IF YOU ARE âA FOREIGN CITIZEN.â I wonder if they plan on holding him until after the election, and then deporting him back to Yemen.
#7
Here's an english version, that's a bit more detailed. In part, it notes: A court last September sentenced the 65-year-old Muslim cleric to four years in jail for treason and immigration offenses, but cleared him of the main charge of heading Jemaah Islamiyah. In December, an appeals court overturned the treason conviction, but upheld the conviction for forging identity papers and leaving and entering Indonesia illegally. His sentence was reduced to three years. Both prosecutors and defense attorneys appealed that verdict to the Supreme Court. According to a copy of the Supreme Court verdict obtained by The Associated Press, Bashir was found guilty of immigration and forgery charges but his sentence was reduced to 18 months. The appeal's court verdict, which was reached on Monday, upheld the treason acquittal. No reason was given for the sentence reduction. Think they're wrong though about "No reason was given for the sentence reduction." The reasoning, I think, was that the three year prison sentence was based on the aggravating facts of the treason charges. If Bashir wasn't found guitly of treason, his sentence for the minor offenses shouldn't be increased based on the facts of an unproven charge. This is maybe a case where the prosecution should have waited longer until they had better evidence to make their case.
#8
I guess if the guy isn't actually Indonesian, they can't actually try him for treason. But they can still try him for subversion, which may be covered by espionage laws. The shortening of his sentence is clearly a sop to Indonesia's Islamists.
#9
The shortening of his sentence is clearly a sop to Indonesia's Islamists.
Zhang Fei, I hope you're not right. That would be the equivalent of Rehnquist, Scalia, Thomas, Kennedy, and OâConnor deciding to throw a case just to please Bush and Cheney. And, while I know those kinds of conspiracy theories exist, itâs a terribly serious charge. Mind you, given Indonesiaâs problems with corruption, Iâm not saying it couldnât happen -- I just donât think it has. The subversion charge was booted for lack of evidence [over eager prosecution, jumping the gun?], and the terrorism charge lost out because heâs not a citizen. That leaves the immigration and document falsification charges upheld, which are relatively minor [e.g., there must be thousands of people in Indonesia illegally at this time -- mostly tourists and missionaries].
#10
That would be the equivalent of Rehnquist, Scalia, Thomas, Kennedy, and OâConnor deciding to throw a case just to please Bush and Cheney. And, while I know those kinds of conspiracy theories exist, itâs a terribly serious charge.
There's no conspiracy, or any need for one - this is simply the way Indonesian Muslims think. American judges wouldn't do this kind of thing because they are legalistic to a fault. Also, in any legal system, where you stand depends on where you sit. Over there, where Americans are held to be the real terrorists, Bashir is the martyr, not the victims of the bombing attacks. This is why the judges could acquit him without even consulting each other - in their minds, the wrong person is in court.
#11
this is simply the way Indonesian Muslims think
I respectfully disagree -- there is not even a certainty that the Justices were Textual Muslimin, and I doubt it. I know I'm biased toward Indonesia, but (as I've stated before) the overwhelming majority of Indonesians extend religious tolerance and hate islamofascists.
#12
Well, reducing his sentence is fair enough.
I mean he only advocated that his followers kill infidels.
Now if he were to advocate that they breach the new law that would be different.
Ya see advocating killing those in the Bali nightclubs "was protecting their tradition of decency" so well deserved in their homicidal minds.
""I think there must be some restrictions on such acts because it is against our traditions of decency," said Aisyah Hamid Baidlowi, head of a parliamentary committee drafting the bill.
Heavy kissing could carry a maximum penalty of five years in jail or a $29,000 fine. Anyone caught flashing would face similar penalties."
The bill also proposes bans on public nudity, erotic dances and sex parties, with jail terms ranging from three to 10 years. Watching such shows could lead to two years behind bars.
#13
tipper, I reiterate what I said yesterday about the kissing stuff. I know I can't have a lot of credibility, 'cause I'm a lawyer and I like Indonesia, but c'mon -- that is just a proposed law -- not a passed law. We have similar stupid proposals here in the US. (See, e.g., voting teens, and I'm sure there are a lot worse proposals that have been made over the years). Look at what Bashir was charged with: Immigration violation, falsified document, treason, and being the head of a terrorist organization. The evidence was weak or nonexistent on the terrorist stuff, he can't commit treason because he's not an Indonesian, and the courts upheld the immigration and falsification charges. How long do you put someone in jail for minor stuff? Here in the US, even if we believe someone is the worst anti-social SOB around, we don't execute them for minor infractions, we build a case. As I've said before, I think they'll try to chage Bashir with something else to keep him out of circulation -- or maybe they'll just deport him back to Yemen and hope he has an accident. If you look at what Indonesia is doing in Aceh, they are not going to just let things slide.
#14
Here in the US, even if we believe someone is the worst anti-social SOB around, we don't execute them for minor infractions, we build a case.
Here's a timely supplement to my above point: Final Defendant in 'Virginia Jihad' Case Acquitted You have to trust the justice system to work, and build your case carefully enough that the bas*#%ds are convicted, not acquitted. I don't think anybody wants to live in a system that always convicts 100% of all the bad guys, because that level of conviction necessarily ends up convicting the innocents along with the bad guys just to keep from missing any bad guys (i.e., signal detection theory).
#15
Oh, and not to rant too much ; ) , make no mistake about it -- the islamofascists would love to drive a wedge between Indonesia and the West. They do want to destabilize and take over the world, including Indonesia, and will start wherever Muslims of any stripe can be found -- the more intolerant, the better. Accordingly, they have no love for the (socially tolerant, if politically intolerant and paranoid) Indonesian government (see, e.g., plot to bomb National Police HQ), and the Prosecution Service is on a collision course with them (see, e.g., mandate for same).
#16
Wonder who put the fix in? Couldn't have been Hamzah Haz...
Leading the United Development Party (PPP), Haz is Syncretic Muslimin (a mix of Islam and the indigenous mysticism). He is going to be sympathetic to a Textual Muslimin like Bashir, and want a "more Muslim nation," but I can't believe he'd support this lunatic's rabid frothing. If Haz was willing to let Bashir off the hook, the military wouldn't be trashing Aceh.
#17
If Haz was willing to let Bashir off the hook, the military wouldn't be trashing Aceh.
Isn't that more of an attempt to keep Indonesia together? Aceh doesn't want to be part of Indonesia - it just wants to be independent, the way most Indonesian provinces used to be independent kingdoms before the Dutch handed the Javanese an empire the Javanese had not conquered for themselves at Indonesia's independence.
Sorry for the short post.(cant find an article yet)
21:48 Abu Abbas, mastermind of 1985 Achille Lauro hijacking, dies of natural causes in U.S. custody in Iraq, says source
Fox News followup: Mohammed Abul Abbas, head of a Palestinian splinter group and mastermind of the 1985 hijacking of the Achille Lauro passenger ship in which an American tourist was killed, has died in U.S. custody in Iraq, Palestinian and U.S. officials said Tuesday.
"Fell down the stairs" one too many times, I hope...
The ship was commandeered by Abbas' small Palestine Liberation Front. Palestinian militants threw an elderly wheelchair-bound Jewish American tourist, Leon Klinghoffer, overboard.
That was to show how tough they were. Nobody in a wheelchair messed with them!
Abbas was captured in Iraq in April by U.S. forces. Late Tuesday, officials in Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's office said that Abbas had died in U.S. custody. In Washington, a U.S. official said Abul Abbas died recently of natural causes while in U.S. custody.
"Yup. Deader 'n a doorknob. Come down all over with the rigor mortis, he did."
The official said his health had been deteriorating.
"Ever since we caught him, in fact."
When Abbas was captured, the Palestinian Authority demanded his release, saying the United States had pledged not to prosecute him as part of a blanket promise not to press charges against Palestinians who acted against Israel before interim peace accords were signed in the 1990s.
Turns out Leon was an American. Tough, ain't it?
The United States also endorsed a 1995 interim peace dea which grants PLO members immunity for violent acts committed before September 1993, when the two sides signed a mutual recognition agreement. The 55-year-old Abbas has been a marginal figure in the PLO. He was a member of the PLO's executive committee, but left in 1991. His tiny faction has very few followers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. According to Israel's Shin Bet security service, the PLF has sent some members to Iraq for military training. In April 1996, Abul Abbas visited Gaza for the first time, as part of the amnesty offered by Israel. At the time, he apologized for the killing of Klinghoffer.
"Uhhh... Sorry 'bout dat."
In 1998, he returned to attend a session of the Palestine National Council, the Palestinians' parliament-in-exile, for a crucial vote on abrogating chapters of the PLO founding charter calling for Israel's destruction. In the end, Abul Abbas did not participate in the vote. At that time, Israeli attorney general Elyakim Rubinstein said Abul Abbas did not pose a threat to Israeli security, and that it would be unreasonable to prosecute him for acts committed before 1993.
Why not? Klinghoffer wasn't dead anymore? Maybe that works in Haiti, but not with the U.S.
U.S. commandos caught Abbas last April during a raid on the southern outskirts of Baghdad. Abbas had been convicted in absentia in an Italian court for the 1985 hijacking and sentenced to life in prison in 1986, but never served any time. His arrest came 18 years after his crime. Abbas became an internationally known figure with the seizure of the Achille off Port Said, Egypt. During the hijacking the Palestinians demanded that Israel release 50 imprisoned Palestinians, and militants shot Klinghoffer in his wheelchair and tossed him overboard. The other passengers were released after a two-day ordeal and the commandos surrendered to Egyptian authorities, who put them on a flight to PLO headquarters in Tunisia.
"Hey! This is Egypt! No law against shooting an old guy in a wheelchair and tossing him overboard!"
U.S. Navy fighters forced the flight down in Sicily. The Italians, to the Americans' dismay, allowed Abbas to flee to Yugoslavia before a U.S. warrant for piracy and hostage-taking could be served. Abbas disappeared, and international manhunts and a price on his head failed to flush him out. He next turned up in Gaza where he renounced terrorism.
What's the cliche I'm looking for?... Let's try "too little, too late." Howzat fit?
#2
"He's not pining, he's bleeding passed on." And there was hardly ever a more deserving sack of $h!t than this ratbag.
Posted by: Rex Mundi ||
03/09/2004 16:26 Comments ||
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#3
Palestinian terrorist mastermind Abu Abbas has died while in U.S. custody in Iraq, officials at the Pentagon told Fox News Tuesday. Abbas, who led the deadly hijacking of the Achille Lauro cruise ship in 1985, was captured April 15 by U.S. commandos during a raid on the southern outskirts of Baghdad â 18 years after his crime.
He had been convicted in absentia in an Italian court for the 1985 hijacking and sentenced to life in prison in 1986, but never served any time. Abbas' exact age was not available but was believed to range from 56 to 63. Abbas, whose real name is Mohammed Abbas, garnered international attention when the Achille Lauro was seized off Port Said, Egypt, by members of a PLO splinter group called the Palestine Liberation Front. Hundreds of passengers, including American Leon Klinghoffer and his wife, were taken hostage. The hijackers demanded that Israel release 50 imprisoned Palestinians.
Militants shot Klinghoffer in his wheelchair and tossed him overboard. The other passengers were released after a two-day ordeal and the commandos surrendered to Egyptian authorities, who put them on a flight to PLO headquarters in Tunisia.
U.S. Navy fighters forced the flight down in Sicily. The Italians, to the Americans' dismay, allowed Abbas to flee to Yugoslavia before a U.S. warrant for piracy and hostage-taking could be served. Abbas disappeared, and international manhunts and a price on his head failed to flush him out. His faction relocated to Iraq after the attack.
But, Sammy never helped terrorists, did he?
Posted by: Steve ||
03/09/2004 16:27 Comments ||
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#4
Not that Iraq ever supported and sheltered terrorists, of course.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
03/09/2004 16:29 Comments ||
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#5
Give Abu a burial at sea. In a wheelchair.
Posted by: Rafael ||
03/09/2004 16:40 Comments ||
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#6
I'd like to think this is a cover and hes alive and miserable in a cage.
Posted by: Yosemite Sam ||
03/09/2004 16:40 Comments ||
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#7
John "F-word" Kerry and Democrats now demand that the Bush Administration prove that we didn't torture Abu Abbas to death.
Posted by: Daniel King ||
03/09/2004 16:45 Comments ||
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#8
Died of "natural causes"? I hope it was gravity--like his head being repeatedly and strongly attracted to floor of his cell. Gravity kills, you know...
Posted by: Dar ||
03/09/2004 16:59 Comments ||
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#9
Good god.
This was the first time i realy noticed that fat lady thingy on the top of these kinds of pages, absolutely brilliant, i just spilled a very good glass of wine over my printer, and its absolutely worth it.
#10
should serve as warning - we will get you - no matter how many admins come and go we will never forget!
#7 is this true, I haven't heard anything on that yet but if it is true then kerry is a true asshat!
kerry keeps showing his true colors and aliegance - and they are not to old glory!
we all should stop buying hienz products and instead select that generic brand right next to it on the grocery shelf!
f#@%!@# asshat!
Posted by: Dan ||
03/09/2004 17:11 Comments ||
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#11
"Kill the WABBIT! Kill the WABBIT!..."
-- Elmer Fudd, "What's Opera, Doc?"
Posted by: Chad ||
03/09/2004 17:13 Comments ||
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#7 was sarcasm deluxe. But the fact that we are expectating the Dems and JFKerry to say something like this speaks volumes.
Posted by: Daniel King ||
03/09/2004 17:16 Comments ||
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#14
yea - i should of seen it but i am so incensed by the fact that we, for the first time, have a person who could become prez that actually marched under the banner of an enemy state!
Posted by: Dan ||
03/09/2004 17:24 Comments ||
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#15
I saw a snippet of Arafat today on IIRC CNN, and there is no insult intended to those of a christian faith who visit on Rantburg, but for one moment i was actually convinced that I was looking at the Pope in a 1999 television-apearance, the likenes in stature, the dazed and confused look, it was absolutely amazing.
I think the worlds fattest lady is not singing yet, but she is vigouresly clearing her throat.
#18
I'm a Democrat. If someone can prove to me that Kerry demanded that the Bush Administration prove that we didn't torture Abu Abbas to death, I will change my mind and vote for Bush.
Posted by: Lil Dhimmi ||
03/09/2004 17:53 Comments ||
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#20
Although you may have disagreed with her politics Corrie did not deserve do die underneath the treads of a Zionist D-9 bulldozer. While I can condone your politics I can't condone your making fun of the death of an idealistic (if naive) girl. There is enough blame to go around in that part of the world and we in the US must shoulder much if not most of it. Our constant meddling and anti-life politics have destroyed three generations of Palestinians Yuts. In their hopeless despair they have taken to a new form of self abuse which I fear to describe....
#21
"There is enough blame to go around in that part of the world and we in the US must...gotta...are obliged to..." CELEBRATE THE LONG-DELAYED PASSING OF ABU ABBAS. And hope he and Rachel Corrie have a jolly time on the other side of the Styx.
Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers offered an amnesty to their expelled renegade commander yesterday and stressed he was alone in his battle to break away from the main guerrilla group.
Bet he feels pretty isolated. It's just him and 6,000 gunnies...
In an interview, S.P. Thamilselvan, said the dispute would not lead to factional fighting. "Our national leader Velupillai Prabhakaran has offered an amnesty to Karuna that will allow him to lead a private life," he said. "There seems no necessity to take military action as Karuna stands only as a single individual." He said the amnesty offer had been conveyed to the renegade commander Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan, also known as Karuna, through a delegation led by Roman Catholic bishop, the Rev. Kingsley Swampillai.
Eastern-based Karuna announced last Wednesday that he and 6,000 fighters were breaking away from north-based Prabhakaran's Tamil Tigers in a dispute over troop deployment. The rebels nationwide number 15,000. Two days later Prabhakaran announced that he had expelled Karuna from the group. Muralitharan refused to relinquish power. He said on Sunday that he was the target of an assassination operation.
There was no immediate reaction from Muralitharan to the amnesty offer. Earlier, Karuna ordered his loyalists to intensify checks to prevent his former leader sending cadres to arrest him while pressing his demand for a separate cease-fire agreement with the government. Reports from the eastern province said that loyalists of former eastern military wing leader, 'Colonel' Karuna were checking buses and other private vehicles to detect whether Prabhakaran was sending his men to arrest him and take control of the east. Military officials said that the checks were also being carried out by Karuna's loyalists in government controlled areas, despite a warning that they should not carry out these checks. For the first time in the 20-year war, effigies of Prabhakaran were burnt in areas controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/09/2004 22:05 ||
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Faced with deepening rifts within its own ranks, and evidence that at least three smaller parties may soon break away, the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) is considering ending even its loose alliance with the Jamali government. It could even move for change within the National Assembly. The decision is said to have been made following the government action in South Waziristan, fiercely opposed by the MMA, and the need to draw the parties within the alliance closer together. At least three parties have stayed away from recent high-level meetings, and this is also preventing a Supreme Council meeting being called, in case the rifts become more apparent. The Jamiat Ahle Hadees (JAH), Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP) and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Sami) boycotted the MMA's presidential meeting called by its acting president Qazi Hussain Ahmed last week, indicating the rift within the alliance is worse than its leaders thought.
Sources said that Qazi wanted to settle the MMA's differences and address the concerns of smaller parties, even if this meant an end to even a loose alliance with the government. However only two party chiefs of the MMA's component parties attended the meeting called by Qazi. They were Qazi Hussain Ahmed, head of Jamaat Islami and Maulana Fazlur Rehman, head of Jamiat-Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl). Allama Ramzan Tauqir represented the Pakistan Islami Tehrik, with the lower-level representation indicating unhappiness within this group as well. "Maulana Samiul Haq, chief of JUI-S urged JUP and JAH leaders not to attend the meeting and establish a separate block within the alliance," sources said. Maulana Sami talked to JAH Ameer Prof Sajid Mir and JUP head Pir Ejaz Hashmi on the phone and advised them to take strong action against the JI and the JUI-F.
Qazi and Hafiz Ahmed tried their best to convince the disaffected leaders to attend the meeting but they refused to budge. Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, spokesman for the MMA, confirmed to Gulf News that that the three parties did not attend the meeting but he hoped they would attend future meetings. The MMA meanwhile has been informing all parties that it has decided to withdraw support to Jamali government and is pondering on an in-house change after the military action in South Waziristan. This too appears to be a move to win disgruntled parties back into the MMA fold.
I just love watching 350-pound egos compete.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/09/2004 22:00 ||
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A spate of recent reports from the region shows ongoing Islamist activity and law-enforcement efforts to contain it. One report details the state of affairs in the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) in Pakistan and Afghanistan. ....
Detailed paragraphs about Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan
[Many] IMU members fled to Pakistan after the U.S.-led antiterrorist operation smashed the Taliban movement, and with it the IMUâs stronghold in Afghanistan. ... a group of approximately 120 militants has relocated to Pakistanâs northern Baluchistan Province. The group consists of fighters from Central Asia, Tatarstan, ethnic Russian converts to Islam, and people from the Caucasus; many of them are IMU members. Operating in groups of 25-30, they have recently moved to mountainous regions of Pakistan, including the city of Quetta, capital of Baluchistan Province.
... a former IMU member, who said that the IMUâs leaders now reside in Wana, Pakistan. The movementâs leader remains Tohir Yoâldosh. His first deputy for financial affairs is Dilshod Hojiyev. The military commander is Ulugâbek Holik, nom de guerre Muhammad Ayub. All of the men are originally from Uzbekistanâs Namangan Oblast.
The IMU maintains a number of unofficial "daftars," or offices, in Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey. An office in Karachi handles financial contributions, primarily from Arab countries. According to the main source for the report, a 34-year-old Uzbek native of Navoiy Oblast who recently took advantage of an amnesty offer and returned home from Pakistan, the fighters also earn money on their own "through military operations financed by Pakistani special services against American forces in Afghanistan and through raids in Kashmir." [more]
Historian Fiona Hill of the Brookings Institution provided a useful summary of the [IMUâs] history and activities ....:
"The IMU was a self-proclaimed radical Islamic and political group, which was formed around 1997 by two ethnic Uzbeks from the Ferghana Valley with the express goal of overthrowing the government of President Islam Karimov and establishing an Islamic state in Uzbekistan. Having been expelled from Uzbekistan in the early 1990s, the two founders of the IMU (Juma Namangani, the groupâs military leader and a former Afghan veteran, and [Tohir Yoâldosh], its political leader) followed the pattern of other Islamic militant leaders. They traveled variously and separately in Muslim countries including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates -- as well as to Chechnya -- and established contacts with Islamic movements, financial sources, and intelligence services. After the 1996 Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, the IMU founders established close relations with Taliban leaders and were reported to have secured the support and financial backing of Osama bin Laden in their creation of the IMU.
"From 1997-2001, using the remove mountainous regions of Tajikistan as its base, the IMU carried out kidnappings, assassinations, and other atrocities, including a series of armed raids deep into Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan that also targeted foreign visitors and tourists. Eventually, the IMU relocated its base of operations permanently to Afghanistan, extended its mandate to overthrow all regional governments -- changing its name to the Islamic Party of Turkestan [IPT] -- and threw in its lot with the Taliban. President [George W.] Bush named the IMU as one of the terrorist movements linked to Osama bin Ladenâs Al-Qaeda network in his speech to Congress on 20 September 2001. At this juncture, reports from the region and Western intelligence sources put the numbers of IMU militants at between 3,000-5,000.... [much, much more]
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
03/09/2004 6:55:20 PM ||
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#1
Good article..
Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
03/09/2004 22:54 Comments ||
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Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden might be preparing to move from Pakistan to Afghanistan, according to sources with access to the latest U.S. intelligence.
"Fatimah, I think it's time we found a bigger place!"
U.S. intelligence found signs of a network of al Qaeda couriers and safe houses on the Afghan side of the border, sources said. Such a network could be a sign bin Laden might be planning to flee Pakistan. Pentagon officials said they think bin Laden is hiding along the mountainous Pakistan-Afghan border, but they said they do not know bin Ladenâs exact location. The officials said they think the fugitive terrorist leader is increasingly facing pressure from Pakistanâs close efforts with the United States as well as the cooperation of some tribes that rule the largely ungoverned region along the border. The Arab television network Al-Jazeera aired video Monday showing some 2,000 men from a tribe in the Wana border region of Pakistan who, under pressure from the Pakistan government, have joined the hunt for al Qaeda members. "The Wana region is like a ship, and weâre all on board," said Noor Mohammed, whom Al-Jazeera identified as a tribal leader.
"Some of us are stowaways, of course. And the really cute 12-year-olds get to be cabin boys..."
The U.S. military recently said it was increasing efforts to find bin Laden, who has eluded the United States for years. Pakistani troops arrested 25 people during a raid on the Pakistan side of border last month. It was not clear if any of the people detained were al Qaeda, but the Pakistani troops found passports, weapons and documents, Pakistani military officials said. The U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Lt. Gen. David Barno, said last month U.S. and Pakistani forces are operating on each side of the border in hopes of driving al Qaeda fighters toward the 11,000 U.S. and Afghan troops across the frontier. Pentagon officials insist that itâs only a matter of time before bin Laden is found.
#2
They (al Jez) make it sound like Bin Laden up and said âIâve had enough of this mountain life, I am going to the city.â Make no mistake if he is on the move itâs because we are on his tail. Nothing would look better during the inauguration parade than a float with Binny in a cage for all to see and through rock/shoes at!. I know that we wouldnât do something like that, but I would really like to see it.
#3
Personally, I'd like to see him spend his remaining days hanging in a cage below the Golden Gate Bridge. Just him, all alone, in a 12x12x9 cage, strong metal bottom, strong metal top, bars on four sides, small sink, small chemical toilet that can be changed from outside, cot with built-in storage space below, and one metal chair bolted to the floor. Give him one blanket, and lower his meals down to him on a rope in biodegradable containers. Let him "experience" life in the United States from that perspective for 30-40 years, or until he croaks, whichever happens first. If we catch any more senior Al-Q "leadership", hang them in the same place, just far enough apart they can't shout to one another. It'll be just punishment for bin Laden (and any deputies), and it'll stick it HARD to the LLL in in their major bastion.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
03/09/2004 16:34 Comments ||
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#4
I've always thought it would be cool for GW to suprisingly present him in chains before a State of the Union Address.
Posted by: Yosemite Sam ||
03/09/2004 16:38 Comments ||
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#6
Old Patriot I love your idea --- but there also should be a mechanism to lower the cage so people can view him like the aniamal he is -poke him with sticks!, spit on him (after eating some tasty pork-chops of course) ect..maybe even some convicts can through thier excrement on him!!
but in the end the kerry's of the world care more for aniamals like him than for the US.
Posted by: Dan ||
03/09/2004 17:18 Comments ||
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OLD PAT is a genius. Right to the point no BS. Kudos Old Pat!
The chief Hamas bombmaker and No. 1 on Israelâs most-wanted list said Israel had lost its battle to destroy the radical Islamic group and was leaving the Gaza Strip in defeat. Mohammed Deif, a shadowy Hamas leader and a five-time survivor of Israeli attempts to kill him, made a rare statement on the groupâs Web site, gloating over Israelâs planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has said he would pull soldiers and Jewish settlers out of most of the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank if peace talks with the Palestinians remain stuck in the coming months. Both sides hope to paint the departure as a victory, and many feel violence will surge in the months leading up to a redeployment. Deif said the proposed withdrawal is a sign that Israel is no longer able to withstand attacks by gunmen and suicide bombers. "If we look at the results of our Jihad (holy war) and our resistance, we will find that the enemy entity is collapsing," Deif said in an audio file posted on the groupâs Web site. "The Israeli collapse is near. With Godâs help, itâs closer than they imagine. We will witness the victory with our own eyes."
... he said, standing in the rubble of Paleostine.
Deif, who tops Israelâs list of militants marked for death, has survived repeated attempts on his life. In one of his most dramatic close calls, helicopter gunships zeroed in on his Mercedes while he was stuck in a traffic jam in a crowded Gaza neighborhood in September 2002. The pilots fired two missiles into the car, killing two bodyguards. Deif escaped with moderate wounds.
In his Internet monologue, Deif fired back, saying Sharonâs attempts to destroy Hamas had failed. "Sharon, who always refused any peaceful solutions ... the one who came to eliminate the resistance ... he is the same Sharon who has now decided on a total evacuation and full withdrawal from Gaza," Deif said. Explaining what he called a victory over Israelâs vastly superior forces, Deif goes on to say in a transcribed interview on the groupâs Web site that suicide bombers are "as efficient as a tank or a warplane."
"Our engineers and technicians work day and night to develop their capacity to hit the enemy," he said. And thereâs no shortage of willing recruits to join the ranks of suicide bombers, he said, indicating that heâs had inquiries from entire families wanting to join up. "Itâs a great honor to say we are receiving hundreds of requests from willing martyrs, and believe me when I say there are families looking to do that, for the sake of God."
Posted by: Lil Dhimmi ||
03/09/2004 12:10:07 PM ||
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this mentality is exactly why the US needs to contiue thrashing the mulla's
Posted by: Dan ||
03/09/2004 12:37 Comments ||
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Deif doesn't realize . . . Israel hasn't left Gaza in defeat, they've cleared all the friendlies out of the free-fire zone!
Where he is now.
Posted by: Mike ||
03/09/2004 12:42 Comments ||
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#3
Deif realizes that Hamas has a big credibility problem (dozens of 'well will shake the earth', 'the hounds of hell are unleshed', 'we will bring them death' announcements and not much to show for it). This effort was meant to buck up morale amongst the homicideboys.
#4
The chief Hamas bombmaker and No. 1 on Israelâs most-wanted list said Israel had lost its battle to destroy the radical Islamic group and was leaving the Gaza Strip in defeat.
Mohammed Deif, a shadowy Hamas leader and a five-time survivor of Israeli attempts to kill him, made a rare statement on the groupâs Web site, gloating over Israelâs planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
Yeah, post the statement from the web site. Real ballsy. The law of averages is not on his side, and he knows it.
#5
honestly, I wonder: do the paleos and the arab world, in general, REALLY believe this bull**it? If so, I give up. There's no hope. I'm gonna live out my life on an island, because if any part of humanity peoples believe this crapola, I don't wanna be in the same club/species.
#6
well, on the one hand, Israel IS planning on leaving to cut losses, and Hamas isnt 100% dead in Gaza. OTOH Sharon will certainly retain the right to go back as needed, unlike Baraks withdrawl from Lebanon, and Hamas seems to be hurt at a minimum. And maybe Dahlan strengthened. So its no surprise Hamas would spin this as another Lebanon - how it actually turns out we shall see.
#7
Someone should post the flat-trajectory range of the 155-mm and 175mm long rifles the Israeli Army has in its inventory, alongside the WIDTH of the Gaza Strip. Line 'em up, hubcap to hubcap, and set 'em off at odd intervals, none longer than 63 seconds.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
03/09/2004 14:44 Comments ||
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OP, I suspect the IDF is practicing counterbattery missions in a close terrain scenario as we speak, in order to deal with the Islamists's love of artillery (and their hatred for Jewish folks). It should be interesting to see how they learn and adapt to this situation.
The leadership of Pakistan was "well aware" of the "clandestine" activities of nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, who besides Iran, Libya and North Korea, could also be behind the proliferation of sensitive nuclear technologies to Syria, Turkey and Spain, according to an IAEA official. Spain huh? Must be still sore over the loss of the Armada.
"The leadership of Pakistan was well aware of the export of Pakistani nuclear technologies," the unnamed source in the International Atomic Energy Agency was quoted as saying by a Russian news agency, RIA Novosti. And if you canât believe a unnamed source in a Russian......never mind.
"It is not ruled out that besides Iran, Libya and North Korea, such supplies could have been made to Syria, Turkey and Spain," the official said. Syria is a possibility. Turkey would be a stretch, but I wouldnât rule out the military talking about it. Spain, no, unless theyâre talking about Franco, but that would have been too far back.
He, however, did not say whether the Pakistani political or military leadership or both were aware of the "clandestine" activities of Dr Khanâs "black market" acting through Dubai, Malaysia, South Korea, Switzerland, Germany, Japan, UK, and the Netherlands, offering nuclear technologies to the "interested" countries. They would of had to have been deaf, dumb and blind not to have.
Posted by: Steve ||
03/09/2004 9:51:53 AM ||
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If Spain gets Nukes we're gonna want back Pureto Rico, Cuba and the Phillipines. To avoid the horror of nuclear war I think we should give in.
#3
Hmnmmmm.... If I were King Juan Carlos, and if I had nukes, and someone wanted to "give me back" Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines, I'd threaten to nuke whoever's pushing that BS!
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
03/09/2004 14:13 Comments ||
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#4
Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!
Posted by: Rex Mundi ||
03/09/2004 16:56 Comments ||
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Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali said on Monday that no Al Qaeda network existed in Pakistan, but sometimes its activists entered Pakistan through the porous border with Afghanistan. "Itâs not really a network, more like a loosely organized group."
Talking to newsmen at the parliament house after presiding over a meeting of the PML parliamentary party and its allies, the prime minister said he had stated on various occasions that Al Qaeda did not operate from the Pakistani soil. "Oh sure, they spend the night, and sometimes they reload and talk about, you know, stuff. But you really canât consider that operating, can you?"
Some of its members kept on roaming in the hilly terrain along the border with Afghanistan but it was wrong to suggest that they were on Pakistani soil in large numbers, he added. "can bo an be mi ips?"
Posted by: Steve ||
03/09/2004 9:33:52 AM ||
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Methinks we just got a lead on that missing bong.
Jamali is definitely smoking something.
4th Infantry Division soldiers with 588th Engineer Battalion captured Abu Omar, a target suspected of attacking coalition forces, during a hasty raid near Baâ qubah Sunday. Omar was captured along with three others. Information obtained from the raid resulted in the capture of 10 individuals during a second raid at approximately 12:10 a.m. Monday. This raid also resulted in the confiscation of a light antitank weapon, four rocket-propelled-grenade launchers, 12 AK-47 assault rifles, four medium machine guns, two computers and several compact discs.
4th Infantry Division soldiers from Charlie Company, 588th Engineer Battalion captured Sheik Mohammed Moriah during a raid near Khalis Sunday. Moriah, who preaches jihad and leads the Wahabi movement in Khalis, is linked to an improvised-explosive-device attack in December.
An Iraqi Civil Defense Corpâs traffic-control post discovered five 120 and 155 mm mortar rounds while searching eight trailer trucks south of Sawaat Sunday. The ICDC soldiers discovered the rounds and an unknown number of mortar tubes in the trailers that were allegedly transporting scrap metal. The ICDC soldiers seized the contraband along with eight individuals who were taken to the Khalis jail, where they will remain until soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment can transport them to Forward Operating Base Warhorse for questioning.
4th Infantry Division soldiers and Iraqi National Police conducted a joint raid near Balad Ruz Sunday searching for three individuals suspected of murdering an Iraqi civilian. The Iraqi police captured five individuals. One of the captured Iraqis was wounded during the raid. No injuries to personnel or damage to equipment were sustained.
Inspector General Punjab Police Syed Masud Ahmed Shah on Monday said that a network of suicide bombers has been detected in the province. What gave you your first clue?
"We have come to know about the outfits and groups involved in masterminding and carrying out suicide bombing in various parts of the province. Every thing will be crystal-clear within next few days," IG Police said while talking to media persons after inaugurating the newly-constructed Investigation Center at Qila Gujar Singh Police station here. I read that as either we can expect arrests or flying body parts in the near future.
The official said suicidal attack is a new trend in the country and is considered the last option available to diehard terrorists. Iâll give him that, if youâre winning by other means it doesnât make sense to boom yourself.
To another question, he admitted that kidnapping for ransom is on rise in Punjab, but added that hectic efforts are afoot to arrest the trend. "We have taken the issue as a challenge and have directed districtsâ police to be most vigilant," the IG noted.
Posted by: Steve ||
03/09/2004 9:11:00 AM ||
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Five militants were killed in a special operation in Ingushetia (republic in the North Caucasus bordering on Chechnya), a spokesman for the regional operational staff to control the counter terrorist operation in the North Caucasus told RIA Novosti. "During a targeted special operation conducted by interior troops special purpose units, FSB and interior ministry officers, five militants were killed in Stary Malgobek (Ingushetia)." It has been established that the bandits were directly subordinate to Isa Tarshkhoyev and were part of the so-called Argun jaamat. Ibrahim Satayev, Magomed and Artur Vakhidovs were among those killed. Information on the others is being specified. Three Kalashnikov assault rifles, one of them of foreign make, four Makarov handguns, three makeshift explosive devices, five F-1 grenades, a large number of rounds and a 3-liter canister with metal balls were found at the scene. The staff spokesman said the bandits produced explosive devices, silencers; and recruited young people. By available information, Tarshkhoyevâs gang was directly subordinate to Shamil Basayev and involved with the blowing up of a car in Magas (Ingushetia) in fall 2003, as well as with numerous terrorist acts on Chechen territory.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
03/09/2004 1:15:10 AM ||
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POLICE clashed with rebels in Chechnyaâs capital, Grozny, today, leaving two of the separatist fighters dead and three officers wounded as violence persisted in the war-ravaged southern Russian region, an official said. The morning fighting in Grozny came after clashes and rebel attacks that killed three Russian servicemen and wounded seven others in the region in the past 24 hours, the official in the Chechnyaâs Moscow-backed government said on condition of anonymity. Two of the Russian soldiers were killed and three wounded in rebel attacks on federal military positions in the region, the official said. The other Russian casualties came in fighting outside a village in southern Chechnya, he said. Russian forces targeted suspected rebel position in the mountains yesterday and today, the government official said.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
03/09/2004 1:12:31 AM ||
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Magomed Khambiyev, an aide to Chechnyaâs rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov, surrendered to Russian forces, Interfax reported, citing Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov and Russian military officials. ``It is a lethal blow on Aslan Maskhadov,ââ Kadyrov said late yesterday in Chechnyaâs capital, Grozny, as cited by Interfax. ``Khambiyev was his nearest associate, who remained faithful to him until the last moment. Khambiyevâs surrender actually means the end of Maskhadov.ââ Khambiyev and his deputy surrendered after negotiations in the village of Benoi, Interfax said, citing Ramzan Kadyrov, chief of the Chechen presidential security service. He didnât say when the men gave themselves up.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
03/09/2004 1:11:47 AM ||
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Pakistan Monday announced formally that none of the high profile militants belong to al-Qaeda or Taliban among the 20 arrested in an operation at WanaâSouth Waziristan conducted last month. Major General Shoukat Sultan, Director General Inter Services Public Relations, while talking to NNI on telephone said, âAiman Al-Zawaheri or his son Khalid Al-Zawaheri were not among those arrested in the operation of February 24, conducted by Pakistanâs troops in Wana.â
Pakistan Army and paramilitary troops jointly undertook an operation against the militants of foreign origin hiding in some houses some 25 kilometers in the South of Wana, a tribal area of Pakistan bordering to Afghanistan. The official announcement on February 24 revealed that some 20 including three foreign women were arrested in the operation. Immediate after the operation, there was a rumor suggesting that the son of Aiman Al-Zawaheri--top lieutenant of Osama bin Laden was among the captured. Another rumor suggested that three foreign women belong to some Arab country and among them a wife of Aiman Al-Zawaheri was also booked by Pakistani authorities. However, Major General Shoukat Sultan and also Foreign Office Spokesman, Masood Khan did not confirm about the arrest of wife of Al-Zawaheri. âThese foreign women arrested are being taking care by the lady police officials of Pakistan,â Gen Sultan said earlier. When asked Gen Sultan to tell about the identification of those arrested in an operation at Wana, he said, âwell none of them was of high profile status in al-Qaeda or Taliban.â
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
03/09/2004 1:03:40 AM ||
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The Israel Defense Forces recently conducted a simulation "war game" about what would happen the day after Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat passes away.
What's the start date on the exercise?
The exercise examined several possible scenarios and how Arafat's death - by natural causes - would influence the domestic situation in the Palestinian Authority and its relations with Israel.... Security sources said that the exercise was not the result of any new information about Arafat's health....
Cheez, even the IDF is behind Rantburg. We've been war-gaming this scenario for months!
The army regards "the day after" as a "new chapter" in Palestinian Authority - and Palestinian - history. The assumption is that everything that will take place - the funeral, mass demonstrations, power struggles for the leadership - will lead to a change in the Palestinians' strategic relationship with Israel. The exercise included issues like where the funeral would be held, the possibility of violent demonstrations, loss of control by the Palestinian Authority, and attempts by Hamas to forcibly grab power in Gaza.
Finish the security fence!
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/09/2004 00:36 ||
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#1
Here's an idea! Why not a hypothical scenario of the day. Fred could ask various people to post a hypothetical event, e.g. 'Arafat dies, and then the person would elaborate on what they think will happen. Then everyone else posts their views.
I realize this is not news but could have a high entertainment factor.
Posted by: Phil B ||
03/09/2004 1:17 Comments ||
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#2
Great idea! - something like the 'terrorism futures' that the current administration was mooting a while back - but bottled it. I was very disappointed about that, we need new modes of thinking if we're to win this war with minimum casualties (we will win - it's just whether or not there's anything left of the Islamic world after...).
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
03/09/2004 1:56 Comments ||
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#3
After arafat dies, his wife gets fatter and fatter on all the American tax dollars our government's been stealing from us and giving to the paleshitians for 50 years.
Posted by: Danny ||
03/09/2004 2:01 Comments ||
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#4
Why not a hypothical scenario of the day. Fred could ask various people to post a hypothetical event, e.g. 'Arafat dies, and then the person would elaborate on what they think will happen.
It'll be full-blown civil war before Arafat reaches room temperature, if you can call the PA civil. Instigators: Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah everywhere else.
#14
I'm telling ya, get those Monster seats up on top of the Wall. First come, first served.
It'll be like throwing red ants and black ants in the same ant farm.
The spiritual leader and founder of Hamas said Monday that his militant organization might seek to be part of any government ruling the Gaza Strip if Israel follows through with its proposal to remove its settlements and military outposts there. Sheik Ahmed Yassin told Knight Ridder in an exclusive interview that his group might lay down its arms and participate in elections. The statements were unusual because Hamas has rejected any role in a Palestinian government that negotiates with Israel, given its charter to annihilate the Jewish nation. Yassin made his statements the same day that Hamas' armed wing distributed a videotape claiming responsibility for a suicide bombing last April at a pub in Tel Aviv, Israel.
So all this is for western consumption.
"In the event of a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, Hamas will possibly take part in the (Palestinian) Authority through elections and national consensus" on developments after the withdrawal, the cleric said, sitting at home in his wheelchair and draped in an Egyptian-woven gold-and-black scarf.
"Jes as long as I can keep sending splodydopes to their deaths martyrs to their reward!"
Yassin's comments came at a time when Palestinian leaders are scrambling to deal with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plans to pull out of Gaza unilaterally in hopes of improving Israel's security by establishing more defensible borders. His comments also suggested that Hamas may seek to fill any vacuum created by the growing weakness of Yasser Arafat's secular Palestinian Authority, which has been undermined by economic stagnation, rising crime and long-standing allegations of corruption.
Mighty big vacuum, too.
Yassin has been targeted in those strikes. Last Sept. 6, an Israeli warplane dropped a 550-pound bomb on a Gaza City apartment building where he was meeting with other Hamas leaders. Yassin, a paraplegic, escaped with a minor injury and largely has been in a spiderhole hiding ever since. "There is no doubt that Israel is materially strong, but this power hasn't worked to break down our will," he said. He pointed to the fierce resistance his gunmen offered Sunday when Israeli troops invaded two Gaza refugee camps in a five-hour firefight that killed 15 Palestinians.
Yup, they fought brave and they died. They're still dead, too, wanna see?
Yassin said Hamas was meeting with other Palestinian factions to discuss what should be done with the settlements and military outposts that Israel would abandon. In his view, the families of those killed or injured in fighting Israel should have first priority.
Assuming the Israelis don't raze them prior to exiting.
Hamas will consider a hiatus from attacking Israel if it fully withdraws, Yassin said. That includes the almost daily firing of crude rockets from Gaza into Jewish towns inside and outside the strip. "We might stop the resistance for a while in Gaza until we see what Israelis do in the West Bank and in Jerusalem," he said. "But if the occupation continues, the resistance will not stop."
"I mean, a man's gotta have a reason to jihad! Well, no he don't, but we'll have one anyways!"
Israeli officials view Hamas members as terrorists who've killed hundreds of Israelis over the years. "They really don't want to take over things in Gaza because they don't really want to deal with the dire and real responsibility. ... They are simply examining all the ways they can remain relevant," an Israeli Foreign Ministry official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The official said Hamas would lose its reason to exist if it stopped fighting Israel.
Wonder if John Kerry understands that?
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/09/2004 00:24 ||
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#1
Yassin won't need to lose any sleep until the last Israeli is out of Gaza. After that, it's up to Israel whether they allow peace to take root in Gaza, or simply start carpet-bombing the entire area.
My scenario: Day 1, the last Israeli leaves Gaza. Day 2, the western Security fence is completed. Day 3, all the gates along the security fence are suddenly found padlocked, and all the Israely border guards have been withdrawn.
There IS no "Day 4" for Yassin or Gaza.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
03/09/2004 16:13 Comments ||
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The police has arrested four suspects in connection with the Ashura killings and efforts are underway to arrest the suspects on the first information report, Balochistan Inspector General of Police Shoaib Saddal said on Monday Police blamed Al Qaeda for the suicide attack in which 47 people were killed, AFP reported. âWe have arrested four militants including one Shafiq-ur-Rehman, linked to an international terrorist organisation,â Mr Saddal told reporters. He said two of the four had links with sectarian violence in the past and their connections with the attackers would be investigated. The police chief said it was not clear whether the people whose sketches were published had links with the attackers. Mr Saddal described the arrests as a âbreakthroughâ in police efforts to unearth militants involved in sectarian attacks over the past few years. While he declined to name the intrernational organisation, a senior police officer privately told AFP that Saddal was referring to Al Qaeda. âMr Rehman received 2 million rupees from the international terrorist group and used it to construct a house in Mastung district in Balochistan,â Mr Saddal said. The house, he said, was used as a sanctuary for armed extremists who participated in last yearâs attack on the Quetta mosque. âHis friends got training in the use of heavy weapons and terrorism in Afghanistan,â the police chief said.
He said three other men detained with Mr Rehman were being interrogated. Police expects the probe to help identifying the attackers in the March 2 incident, he said. A government minister earlier claimed that most of the casualties were caused by security forces. âMost of the killings were caused by police fire instead of the attack by terrorists,â Balochistan Sports Minister Younas Changezi told AFP on Monday.âI came to know through witnesses and Shia leaders that the ATF personnel fired on the mourners after being fired upon by the suicide attackers.â Mr Saddal refused to comment, saying he could not respond while a judicial inquiry was underway. He said action would be taken against all those found guilty of attacking the mourners.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
03/09/2004 12:22:03 AM ||
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Mr Rehman received 2 million rupees from the international terrorist group and used it to construct a house in Mastung district in Balochistan. The house was used as a sanctuary for armed extremists
This does not mean that Rehman was paid or did pay two million rupees for the Quetta attack. Your headline is not supported by the story.
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
03/09/2004 7:41 Comments ||
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Hat tip JihadWatch ELF
Palestinian terrorism has a new boss: Master terrorist Imad Mughnieh, Nasrallahâs deputy of operations. He heads âThe Organization for Internal Operationsâ. His people manufacture terror attacks. From instructions for assembling devices through explanations on the exact place in the bus to explode. From ways to smuggle materiel through ways to finance terror cells. A new nightmare for the GSS.
The last time that Shadi Abdu from Nablus visited Jordan, he received a very attractive gift, a new Sony PlayStation. However, Shadiâs present, generously purchased by the Hezbollah, was not intended for playing games. Truthfully, nothing could have farther from his mind. A digital memory card, which could be removed and installed in any home computer, was concealed inside the popular game. The card came from a Hezbollah laboratory and contained clear, detailed diagrams that showed precisely how to manufacture explosives, explosive vests and roadside charges.
For three years, the Lebanese organization (with full support from Iran) has been trying to tighten its hold on the Palestinian terrorist cells. On the Israel Security Serviceâs maps, names of the Palestinian cells and terrorists, with Hezbollah connections, can be found in every city in Judea and Samaria, from Jenin in the north to Hebron in the south. The Gaza Strip, too, has not been forgotten. The Hezbollahâs take-over of Judea, Samaria and parts of the Gaza Strip began gradually, developed and gathered strength. When the flow of money from the Palestinian Authority and its security organizations ceased, Hezbollah representatives arrived with full pockets that caused the Tanzim to become addicted to Lebanese money. A friend introduces a friend and additional cells began to receive instructions from abroad. Today, almost 100% of the Fatahâs operations under the name âAl-Aqsa Brigadesâ are financed and directed by the Shiite organization and Iran. âHezbollah has become an employment agency for the Tanzimâ, explained a source from the security services.
Although the process was gradual, Israeli sources say that neither coincidence nor luck were involved. Rather, it was an official Iranian decision that Sheik Hassan Nasrallah and his cohort translated into policy. Iran and the Hezbollah established an entire organization for this purpose and invest millions of dollars annually. Recently, it appears that Hezbollah is not content with only the Tanzim and is continuing in other directions. The more they eat, the hungrier they get. The new trend is to the take-over Islamic Jihad cells and to control them directly. Ahmed Sari Hussein, a senior terrorist from Tul Karm, who received money and instructions from Lebanon without reporting it to the Jihad offices in Damascus, is a good example. The Islamic Jihad is considered a close ally of Iran and its leader Ramadan Shallah was appointed as a result of Iranian pressure. The fact that the Hezbollah is stealing Jihad activists could be a sign that Iran is pleased with the system they used with the Tanzim and wants to expand its influence in the Palestinian sector.
Two Iranian organizations are at the top of the command hierarchy that controls Palestinian terrorism: the Intelligence Ministry and the Revolutionary Guard. Beneath them are Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah and Imad Mughnieh, his deputy for the military affairs. Mughnieh heads a special group, âThe Organization for Internal Operationsâ that is responsible for all activities in Israel and the territories. The entire complex operation is managed from a small office that employs only a few people. Hezbollah assigned the task to a small group of veterans who were responsible for the military operations against the IDF in southern Lebanon. They have killed Israelis themselves and understand the needs of terrorists in the field and know how to get it to them. Now they are taking advantage of their knowledge and combat experience to operate the Palestinians by remote control. Israel is still trying to map out how the organization works. It is involved in the finest details of terror attacks including training, finances and sending the bombers to their targets. The developing portrait reveals that Hezbollah has allocated several operators to guide the terrorist activities in the territories.
One of these is Kais Obeid, the Israeli Arab from Taibeh who was involved in kidnapping Elhanan Tennenbaum. Israeli intelligence officials claim that Obeid is very valuable to Hezbollah because he can connect them directly to the field, using e-mail, ordinary and cellular telephones and every other possible means of communication. The curfews and closures on Palestinian cities and the focus on building the anti-terrorism barrier make it hard for terror cells from different cities to cooperate. This has created an absurd situation; only someone in Lebanon can see the whole picture and connect the suicide bomber in Jenin with the explosive vest in Nablus.
In the middle of last year Kais Obeid was able to recruit Firas Halaileh, an explosives expert from Nablus. Halaileh began to receive payments from Hezbollah, through messengers from abroad, in order to carry out attacks and recruit members for the Shiite organization. He took a central role in the Hezbollahâs operations in Samaria and began to supply weapons and explosives throughout Judea and Samaria. By the time he was arrested in October, he was able to connect Obeid to Bethlehem and Hebron where Hezbollah still has infrastructure.
In addition to controlling existing cells, Hezbollah is trying to establish independent cells that will have no other loyalties. Shadi Abu-Hussein, a pharmacist from Gaza, organized one of these, until he was arrested last month. For three years, he was in constant contact with Lebanon, receiving instructions and money. He sent messengers to Lebanon who returned with expertise in explosives. They tried to build rockets, shoulder-launched missiles and sophisticated explosives. Shortly before the cell was uncovered, they were in the advanced stages of producing an explosive model airplane. They built the airplane, installed the motor and had added the explosive device. They had even conducted an unsuccessful experiment. The plane took off but landed immediately. Security officials believe it was intended for use against settlements or IDF posts in the Gaza Strip.
The Hezbollah operation is highly departmentalized. The leaders make every effort to conceal their identities from the heads of Palestinian cells. For example, Ali Hussein Salah was a Hezbollah terrorist who operated cells in the Gaza Strip. In August, a mysterious explosion killed him in his car. Even though the incident received broad media coverage, his operatives did not connect the story to their contact in Lebanon. Only two weeks later did rumors spreading by word-of-mouth, lead them to understand that someone had settled accounts with their Lebanese supervisor. Hezbollah invests great efforts in smuggling sophisticated weapons into Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip. Most of the smuggled materiel is light weapons, like Kalashnikov rifles, but the security services have also captured heavier arms, including rockets and advanced missiles. However, the assumption is that if any of these had gotten through to terrorists in the Gaza Strip, they would have used them against Israel by now. In addition to familiar methods of smuggling, Hezbollah is trying to develop new channels. Investigation of Arab Israelis who were recruited by Hezbollah and arrested by the GSS, revealed plans to smuggle weapons directly into Israel, concealed as imported electronic appliances. Their assumption was that not every container entering Israel is inspected. Since smuggling weapons isnât easy, especially in Judea and Samaria, experts in explosives and other technologies from Hezbollah and Iran searched for ways to improve the Palestinianâs engineering skills. They also use the Internet. Knowledge trickles down to the field, especially in the Gaza Strip. Israeli security sources estimate that several of the sophisticated devices captured in the Gaza Strip were based on Lebanese-Iranian technology. There are training films that teach how to produce R-D-X, an especially strong explosive, and how to use it to build a catapult-like device that can propel metal balls over a distance of several dozen meters. Another shows how to build a thin explosive vest that is hard to detect. Later in the film, it shows exactly where in the bus should a suicide bomber stand so the maximum effect would be achieved. Unlike written instructions for building explosive devices, which can be found on many Internet sites, the films come with clear, visual explanations. This is a serious, professional production that demonstrates, step-by-step, how to build deathly devices. Israeli experts in the field who have seen the films estimate that even someone without any previous background could build an explosive vest after viewing them.
The Palestinian Authority is aware of Hezbollahâs activities on its home court but is doing nothing to change the situation. Arafat, either unwilling or unable to act, watches from the side as Nasrallah steals his former loyalists. The last time Arafat felt his leadership challenged, during the prisoner exchange, he did nothing. Nasrallah has won a place in Palestinian hearts â paying the Tanzim and releasing prisoners â but the PA does nothing to disconnect the lines between Lebanon and the Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip.
The security forces have difficulty understanding why the international community, and maybe Israel, too, doesnât take the intensive Hezbollah activity in its backyard more seriously. They claim that Lebanese involvement in Palestinian terrorism is much more extensive than the terrorist activity on the northern border. In the last year, Tanzim cells, directed and financed by Hezbollah, carried out 16 serious attacks in which 32 Israelis and one foreign worker were killed. Despite this, Hezbollah is still considered a threat on the northern border
Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
03/09/2004 12:05:08 AM ||
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TIKRIT, Iraq (AP) - American soldiers arrested one current and two former members of the U.S.-trained Iraqi Civil Defense Corps soldiers in an operation targeting anti-coalition forces in Saddam Hussein's hometown. The troops detained the former soldiers at a house in downtown Tikrit late Monday night on suspicion of stealing and selling weapons of the U.S.-trained force. The men are also suspected of bombing the homes of Iraqis who collaborate with American forces in Tikrit, said Lt. Col. Steve Russell, a battalion commander.
Attaboy, cousin!
Acting on information from the detained men, the troops from the Army's 4th Infantry Division arrested the current member of the Iraqi force early Tuesday on suspicion of planning attacks against coalition forces. The Iraqi soldier was on duty at the time of his arrest. In the raid on the house, U.S. soldiers confiscated parts of Iraqi government-issued AK-47 assault weapons along with Defense Corps uniforms and other equipment.
"Mahmoud, take these aspirins. You're not going to feel so good shortly."
American authorities are concerned about anti-coalition forces infiltrating the U.S.-trained Defense Corps but do not believe a large number have done so, Russell said. All three men are being held by U.S. authorities for further questioning.
Going to have to sweep out the trash every so often.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/09/2004 00:02 ||
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MOSCOW (AP) - Enriched nuclear fuel the former Soviet Union provided to Libya two decades ago was returned to Russia on Monday, the International Atomic Energy Agency said.
I assume we checked that.
Russia's Interfax news agency quoted an unidentified Atomic Energy Ministry spokesman as saying 88 nuclear fuel assemblies - bundles of rods that contain fuel used for reactors - were returned from the Tajura research center outside Tripoli, which had received it between 1980 and 1984. The Tajura facility includes a 10-megawatt reactor built in 1980 with equipment from the Soviet Union. A statement from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, said it helped Libya in recent days with the removal of weapons-grade uranium from the research facility for transport back to Russia. The uranium was 80 percent enriched and was in the form of fresh, unused fuel, the Vienna-based IAEA said in a statement. It was in fuel components containing about 28.7 pounds of fissile uranium-235, as well as about 6.6 pounds of non-fissile uranium, the statement said.
28.7 pounds of 80% enriched U-235, assuming no further loss from centrifugation, will get ya about 23-24 pounds of 99% enriched U-235. Okay, assume some losses, but you end up with 15 to 18 pounds. That's one small low-yield device.
The $700,000 fuel return operation was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy under a three-way program with Russia and the IAEA to address nuclear safety and proliferation risks. The IAEA said Russia intends to blend it down into low-enriched uranium, making it unsuitable for use in a nuclear weapon. Uranium enriched to 80 percent of the U-235 isotope is barely usable for nuclear weapons. Bombmakers prefer 90-percent or more enriched uranium. The IAEA says 55 pounds of highly enriched uranium is considered "significant," that is, sufficient for a bomb.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/09/2004 00:02 ||
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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.
