While support for Sunni and Shia Muslims fighting US troops in Iraq is heating up on the Arab street, Arab regimes are shying away from publicly criticising US military operations in the war-torn country.
Oh, why not? Go ahead and be consistent.
Although some analysts put the Arab regimesâ low profile down to fear of antagonising Washington, others said officials are worried that Iran might be behind a revolt by militiamen loyal to a radical Iraqi Shia cleric.
It's that obvious, is it?
Arab satellite televisions have pointed out that most Arab governments have not reacted to a bloody US assault on the Sunni stronghold of Fallujah, west of Baghdad, or to clashes between coalition forces and partisans of Moqtada Sadr in the south. And for those Arab regimes that did react, their words were far weaker than those of Russia, which Friday called on the US-led coalition to refrain from âdisproportionateâ use of force and halt its offensive.
One word: Grozny.
âArab governments are keen on having good relations with the United States,â said Mustafa Kamel al-Said, a lecturer at the faculty of economy and political science at Cairo University. âSome Arab governments depend on the United States for financial assistance, others are having problems with Washington and want to improve their relationship,â he said.
Meaning it's a good time to keep quiet and see which way the wind eventually blows...
Given that âmost Arab regimes are not democraticâ, Said said that they feel threatened by Washingtonâs âGreater Middle East Initiativeâ, a reform plan to spread democracy and economic liberalisation in the Middle East. But Waheed Abdul Megeed, from the Al-Ahram Centre of Strategic Studies, disagreed, pointing out that several Arab countries, including US allies such as Egypt, did oppose the US-led invasion of Iraq one year ago. âWhat is happening now in Iraq, he said, delays the hand over of sovereignty to the Iraqis,â slated for June 30, under a timetable agreed by the US-led coalition and Iraqi politicians, and endorsed by the United Nations. Megeed said several Arab regimes consider âIran to have instigated the movement of Moqtada Sadrâ to wrestle control of some southern cities from Bulgarian, Salvadorian, Spanish and Ukranian coalition control.
And maybe even frighten them out of the alliance...
He said hardliner conservatives who ousted reformists in Iranâs controversial February elections âwant to drag the US forces in Iraq to a swamp, in order to prevent Washington from turning against Iranâ later on. âIt is very simplistic to say what is happening now is resistance against occupation, it is far more complicated than this,â he said.
Cheeze. Even an Arab scholar can see it...
As thousands of Palestinian, Syrian and Egyptian demonstrators took to the streets of their cities over the past few days, Arab League Chief Amr Moussa stood alone in the world of officialdom by saying Thursday that âwhat is happening is unacceptableâ.
Amr can't see it, though.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2004 12:47 ||
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Iran is next on the hit list for sure. They've caused way too much trouble to be ignored. And when proof comes out Iran was behind the uprising, well, if it's after the June 30th deadline we'll just be moving next door.
Posted by: Charles ||
04/11/2004 14:58 Comments ||
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How did Nigel and Percy get nabbed on terrorism charges?... Oh. Not that kind of Briton.
Yemen yesterday released two British Muslims convicted five years ago on charges of terrorism and plotting sabotage in the Arab country, police officials said. The pair, Malik Nassir Harhara, 30, and Mouhsin Ghailan, 23, were granted an early release before the end of their seven-year terms, a police official told Arab News.
That's because their behavior's been so sterling...
The official, who requested anonymity, said the two men were released from a prison in the southern port city of Aden and left for London.
"Get the hell out and don't come back..."
The two were among eight Britons of Pakistani and Arab origins convicted in August 1999 by a Yemeni court of forming an armed group and planning attacks against US and British targets in Yemen. Five of the eight were sentenced to jail terms of between three and seven years. The three others were sentenced to time served and released in September 1999.
I wonder if any of them's exploded since?
Yemeni authorities said at the time the men had been sent to Yemen on a bombing mission by the London-based radical preacher Abu-Hamza Al-Masri, also known as Mustafa Kamil. Harhara, and Ghailan, a stepson of Al-Masri, were both sentenced to seven years. Shahid Butt, 37, and Sarmad Ahmed, 26, were jailed for five years and released last December at the end of their terms. Mohammed Mustafa Kamil, 21, a son of Al-Masri, received three years. He was released in January last year. Yemeni officials said the early release of Harhara and Ghailan was aimed at improving bilateral relations, which were strained following the arrests.
Bilateral relations with whom? I'm sure the Brits are overjoyed to get them back...
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2004 12:28 ||
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50,000? Or is it the same two guys 25,000 times apiece?
Saudi Arabia said yesterday it detained 51,811 people trying to cross its borders illegally in a single month. Lt. Gen. Talal Al-Angawi, director general of the border guards, said the majority (47,599 people) was arrested in the southern Jizan province, on the long porous border with Yemen, while 702 were held at the countryâs northern border with Iraq. The southern Assir and Najran regions also saw a considerable number of arrests â 2,405 and 793. As many as 255 infiltrators were held in the Eastern Province, 53 in the Makkah region and four in the Al-Jouf region. Angawi urged Saudis and expatriates to inform the border guards about infiltrators and not to shelter them. âItâs your duty to strengthen the Kingdomâs security,â he added.
Got enough gun-waving nutcases, do you?
The Kingdom is battling a wave of militant violence linked to Al-Qaeda and believes that it is fueled by arms smuggled across its mountain and desert borders.
Holmes! How do you do it?
Saudi Arabia and Yemen recently agreed to step up security arrangements on their 1,800 km border to prevent cross-border smuggling of weapons and explosives. A joint statement after a recent visit of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh to Riyadh said the two countries would jointly patrol the border.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2004 12:27 ||
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The Kingdom is battling a wave of militant violence linked to Al-Qaeda and believes that it is fueled by arms smuggled across its mountain and desert borders.
Think the Royal family's solid gold bathroom fittings and private jets have anything to do with this?
#2
50,000 men trying to sneak in to Arabia? That proves they're nuts.
Anybody with any sense at all would be trying to sneak out.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
04/11/2004 19:57 Comments ||
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What raised my eyebrows was the "one month" part.
The INS estimates 1/2 million illegals entering the US per year. That's about 41,500 per month. They're saying even more are entering Saudi. Either something is screwy with the figure, or there's a full-scale invasion underway.
Posted by: Old Grouch ||
04/11/2004 20:32 Comments ||
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#4
These would be almost all illegal migrant workers and I expect many of them are in transit to the emirates.
Posted by: Phil B ||
04/11/2004 20:41 Comments ||
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Five British men suspected of plotting a bombing campaign appeared in a London court on terrorism and explosives charges. The five were arrested in a huge police operation last month that retrieved more than half a ton of potentially explosive fertilizer. Anthony Garcia, 21; Omar Khyam, 22; Nabeel Hussain, 19; Jawad Akbar, 20; and Waheed Mahmoud, 32, were ordered detained until their next court hearing on Thursday. They spoke only to confirm their names during Saturday's appearance at London's high-security Belmarsh Magistrates Court. The five were among eight men arrested March 30 during anti-terrorist raids across southeast England in which police seized 1,300 pounds of ammonium nitrate, a fertilizer frequently used in bombs, from a self-storage warehouse. A ninth man was arrested two days later.
Unless they've got a farm someplace, they've got some 'splainin' to do...
The raids, involving 700 police officers, were one of the largest anti-terrorist operations in Britain in years. The arrests spurred intense media speculation about a plan by Islamic militants to bomb civilian targets in Britain, but police have released no details of the alleged plot. Three of the five suspects —Garcia, Khyam and Hussein —were charged under anti-terrorism legislation with possessing the fertilizer for possible use in "the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism." Garcia, Khyam, Akbar and Mahmoud were charged with conspiracy to cause explosions, an offense that falls under ordinary British criminal law. A 17-year-old arrested at the same time was charged last week with the same explosives offense and is being held in custody. Three other men arrested in the raids were released on bail pending further inquiries into non-terrorist offenses. A Canadian, Mohammad Momin Khawaja, appeared in court in Ottawa last week on terrorist charges that police say are related to the British plot.
Also Saturday, a French national was ordered held on unrelated terrorism charges. Jacques Karim Abi-Ayad, 39, was charged Friday with possessing a document "likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism." He was ordered detained until a court appearance next Friday. He had been arrested on April 2 near his home town of Ipswich, southeast England on suspicion of holding false documents.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2004 12:20 ||
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"Anthony Garcia"? What'd he do, get lost and wander in asking for directions at the wrong time?
Note how the others all have good Scottish and Irish names. I'm shocked, shocked, I tell you; I would have bet they would have muslim names.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
04/11/2004 20:46 Comments ||
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EFL
Senior British commanders have condemned American military tactics in Iraq as heavy-handed and disproportionate. One senior Army officer told The Telegraph that Americaâs aggressive methods were causing friction among allied commanders and that there was a growing sense of "unease and frustration" among the British high command. The officer, who agreed to the interview on the condition of anonymity, said that part of the problem was that American troops viewed Iraqis as untermenschen - the Nazi expression for "sub-humans". ... "The US troops view things in very simplistic terms. It seems hard for them to reconcile subtleties between who supports what and who doesnât in Iraq. Itâs easier for their soldiers to group all Iraqis as the bad guys. As far as they are concerned Iraq is bandit country and everybody is out to kill them." The phrase untermenschen - literally "under-people" - was brought to prominence by Adolf Hitler in his book Mein Kampf, published in 1925. He used the term to describe those he regarded as racially inferior: Jews, Slavs and gipsies.
Posted by: mrp ||
04/11/2004 10:22:08 AM ||
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#1
There's the ticket. Let's defer to the Brits who, if memory serves, in 1920 sided with the Sunni minority against the Shite majority and established the blossoming rose that became, as we all know, today's peaceful and tranquil Iraq. Such unsimplistic and nuanced foreign policy of which France would be proud. I agree with Mark Steyn: contrary to established Brit policy in Iraq, it's time to rattle the Iraqi's tea cups.
Posted by: Mark ||
04/11/2004 12:49 Comments ||
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#2
"The US troops view things in very simplistic terms."
#5
This is outrageous -- the idea that US troops view Iraqis as "untermenschen." It's pretty implausible, and offensive. I especially love the "charge" that US troops think "everybody is out to kill them." Gee, where would a soldier in Ramadi ever get that idea? Let's put our savvy Brit allies up in Fallujah and see how their "soft" approach works. This is scary -- the only capable allies of any dimension we have in Iraq seem to have at least a streak of arrogant, ignorant anti-US feeling. Even discounting envy, personal issues, etc., this is disturbing.
#7
rkb: There's a reason the Brits were given what was assumed to be the softer, more friendly area to manage.
The funny thing is that the Marines were accusing the Army of being too hard-assed - while the Marines were posted in cushy spots. Now that the leathernecks are actually out in Indian country, they're responding with far more force than the Army. I find that hilarious, but at the same time, appropriate - we are finding out that terrorists cannot be appeased - they have to be either captured or killed.
#8
"This is scary -- the only capable allies of any dimension we have in Iraq seem to have at least a streak of arrogant, ignorant anti-US feeling."
Yep, that's about the long and short of it. Not too reassuring, is it? Sad to say, I think before this is over we're going to be on our own. Completely.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
04/11/2004 13:53 Comments ||
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#9
Methinks the "Senior" British Officer quoted is a fuckin' wog. Lol! Imagine these sneering inventors of snobbery complaining that US soldiers speak disparagingly of the duplicitous back-stabbing insane mullah-brained Iraqis.
So, since you invented most of the perjoratives of racism in the language, developed from your heavy-handed world-wide exploits a couple of centuries ago, what is the proper term, hmmmm?
#10
"The US troops view things in very simplistic terms. It seems hard for them to reconcile subtleties between who supports what and who doesnât in Iraq. Itâs easier for their soldiers to group all Iraqis as the bad guys. As far as they are concerned Iraq is bandit country and everybody is out to kill them."
Nothing simplistic in this inflammatory generalization is there? If this is real, the officer in question should be dismissed from the service for this arrogant, hypocritical, demonizing, and bigoted characterization of an entire allied force. The use of nazi terminology is especially inflammatory and unwarranted and a direct incitement to violence against an ally. His financial and personal records should also be checked for improper relationships, such as Muslim business contacts or an interest in Fifth Column media stocks.
#12
Field Marshall Montgomery was impossible to work with too.
Posted by: Eric Jablow ||
04/11/2004 15:15 Comments ||
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The US troops view things in very simplistic terms
At least they aren't as stupid as this guy, who creates an international incident by saying something sooo stupid while thinking he was just soo smart. Yeah...you're a real freaking brain surgeon. Get a mirror - dumbass...whose the real simpleton here?
Posted by: B ||
04/11/2004 16:04 Comments ||
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#14
Now, now, fellas, let's not get carried away. There is always some fraction of the British military for whom it is an article of faith that the bloody Yanks are utterly hopeless.
These guys are a lot of fun. As an example, I offer Dan Plesch of the Royal United Services Institute for Defence Studies. Though he's not (now, at least) in the military himself, he's got the same mindset. At the beginning of the Afghan war he was on BBC World just about every day. Every day he would say what the US was going to do, and how it would be a disaster. And every day he'd be wrong. And the next day he'd be back on to tell what we were going to do and why it would be a disaster. Strangely, his hard-hitting interviewers never asked him why he'd been completely wrong the last time he'd been on the show. Hmmm.
(If you do a google on "Dan Plesch", the first item up is a Guardian article---he writes for them a lot---from December, 2002, about how Bush would wait until much closer to the 2004 elections before any move on Iraq. The brutal Iraqi summer is alluded to, and a scenario for how the invasion of Iraq would begin is suggested. Naturally, he was dead wrong.)
#15
Angie - This guy's name rings a bell... He may have been a member of the parade of "defence experts" that were featured each day on BBC and SkyNews, marching in lockstep, who did precisely as you described throughout the run-up for both Afghanistan and Iraq. We used to laugh our asses off at their dire warnings and the constant refrain of looming military disasters - always just over the next horizon - yet never every quite cresting it...
Plesch is, indeed, a classic standard-bearer of the genre. Lessee, what do we call these guys who are professional expert testifiers in our legal system? I'm sure there's an appropriate appellation for this breed of cretin!
#16
Field Marshall Montgomery was impossible to work with too.
Yes. He is a well known shiter. Once he get's out of slow boy's school I look to slap his thin ass around.
Posted by: Georgie P ||
04/11/2004 17:22 Comments ||
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There is always some fraction of the British military for whom it is an article of faith that the bloody Yanks are utterly hopeless.
There is also a tendency to express this prejudice with what seems for all the world to be calculated stupidity, perhaps to highlight the alleged American ignorance of facts for rebuttal.
A good example would be a recent statement I heard from a British veteran. He disparaged American troops for using armored vehicles to combat the IED threat in Iraq and asserted that Royal Marines were so superior that they could defeat this threat without such equipment.
His proof? A photo of RM booties driving around in a soft-skinned Land Rover in Bosnia.
I might as well claim that I am a superior person because my Chevrolet seems to be all I need to protect myself from IEDs in Lubbock, Texas.
There are good reasons that people like the great 9-11 and Vietnam hero Rick Rescorla (and my less than heroic self, btw) left Her Majesty's forces and cast our lot with the Americans, the insufferable and often fatal arrogance of the UK military culture being one.
#19
AC - And when they're right - they're right, too, We need to pay attention and merely sift the wheat from the chaff. Anything that helps mission effectiveness and protects the people at the point of the spear works for me.
I think this story reflects a hard fact: There are definitely people everywhere, in every walk of life, who should never meet a microphone, Lol!
BTW, I wish you would run for public office again - we always need good people, preferably in positions of responsibility wielding authority with wisdom and temperance!
#20
AC? Seriously, a Chevy? My 2004 Ford F150 4x4 supercrew is much superior....
(starting new thread/flame war heh heh)
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/11/2004 18:48 Comments ||
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#21
"I wish you would run for public office again - we always need good people, preferably in positions of responsibility wielding authority with wisdom and temperance!"
(Blushing) Many thanks, .com. I was thinking about running this year, but my health problems put a stop to that.
I've been a little miffed with our local Congress-critter, one Randy Neugebauer, for being so much less responsive to constituents than his predecessor, Larry Combest.
Larry always responded personally to constituent inquiries if they were halfway reasonable (or even if they came from me), while Neugebauer seems to rely on turgid form letters, if he responds at all.
I would run against him next time, but I don't have the requisite millions lying around, so I had my eye on some sort of municipal office (though not mayor, the most thankless job in these parts and that's saying a lot).
#26
AC - LOL! Gotcha - Mayor sucks unless it's a major city. As for the millions, I get your point - and the Lubbock / Midland vicinity has seen the awl barons come and go over the years. Right now some may be re-emerging given the record prices. Even a few stripper wells can make a pile 'o cash at $30+/bbl! So you just might find some loose cash. After Googling Neugebauer you'd better be a "thumper", heh, cuz he's a Baptist in good standing! His fund raising might be a liability... his VoteMatch record is what you might call "safe"! Lol! Yeah, until he actually VOTES on something, he's a tough nut!
#27
Ok, Mr. high ranking British officer, why don't you take charge of retaking and pacifying Najaf and Kufa? These are a couple of good places to show the US how it's done. However, my bet is you are not even in Iraq, but sitting on your big fat ass in an officer's club in downtown London.
The Moroccan-dominated al-Qaâeda cells responsible for terrorist attacks in Spain were funded by bank robberies and sophisticated cashpoint machine fraud in France, investigators believe. Security officials suspect that the Moroccan-dominated cells based in Spain were sent hundreds of thousands of pounds by fellow extremists on the French side of the border, suggesting the al-Qaâeda bombings in Madrid last month were the result of international planning. Last week, French police arrested Moustapha Baouchi, a Moroccan veteran of al-Qaâeda training camps in Afghanistan, where he was known for his electronics expertise. Baouchi was able to forge bank cards with information gathered using micro-cameras implanted in automatic teller machines, said one European intelligence official. The duplicate cards were then used to withdraw money.
That's rather sophisticated. Perhaps the French can hang on to him for a while?
As well as cloning cards, Baouchiâs gang staged bank robberies in France. His brother Hassan, who was also among the six "hardcore" al-Qaâeda suspects arrested in Paris, was a security guard for a bank. One delivery of cash that he was supposed to be guarding went missing early last month after the vehicle was held up by six men. The amount of money seized has not been revealed.
Posted by: TS ||
04/11/2004 12:40:33 AM ||
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... bank robberies and sophisticated cashpoint machine fraud ... bombings ... forge bank cards ... bank robberies ... delivery of cash ... went missing ...
Islam really is the perfect religion.
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
04/11/2004 0:51 Comments ||
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#2
Great reading but the ironic conclusion lacks brains...probably your true value added here.
Posted by: eric ||
04/11/2004 1:35 Comments ||
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EIGHT prisoners who escaped from a Philippines jail with 53 others have been killed and 19 recaptured by pursuing forces, according to officials.
A pistol had been smuggled into the jail in Isabela City, the capital of Basilan Island, and was used by a prisoner to seize guns from guards to launch the breakout yesterday, officials said.
Twenty of those who bolted from the jail, which holds 137 inmates, are believed to be rebels from the Abu Sayyaf Muslim extremist group.
Among those who escaped were Abu Sayyaf leaders Abu Black, Abu Burhan and Abdulaziz Naya. They were awaiting trial for numerous abductions. "Probably it will take a long time before we get all of them," provincial governor Wahab Akbar said. "But we will not stop the hunt until all prisoners are recaptured."
"I have ordered security forces to shoot and kill the escapees if they fight back." Looks like someone has got a clue.
He said by the latest count 19 had been recaptured and eight killed, five of whom were Abu Sayyaf members.
Twenty-six remain at large somewhere in Basilan, an island with large forest cover and a known lair for armed Muslim groups, including the Abu Sayyaf.
Quoting jail guards, provincial spokesman Christopher Puno said an inmateâs wife smuggled in a .45-calibre pistol, which the inmates used to overpower the guards. They also seized a shotgun and two M-16 rifles equipped with grenade launchers from the guards, he said.
The jailbreak came just two days after soldiers outside Isabela killed six alleged Abu Sayyaf members, including Hamsiraji Sali, one of five guerilla leaders wanted by Washington over the deaths of two American hostages.
Senior Inspector William Gadayan said the escape might have been in retaliation for Saliâs death and an effort by Abu Sayyaf to regroup.
Six suspected Abu Sayyaf members were arrested in Manila last month for allegedly planning a "Madrid-level" series of bombings targeting shopping malls and railways. One has been freed on bail.
Abu Sayyaf members involved in the kidnapping of three Americans, one of whom was killed, in 2001 are allegedly among the six. FBI agents would be allowed to interview some of the captives, Justice Secretary Merceditas Gutierrez said yesterday.
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has accused 13 army soldiers of trying to disrupt an assembly of Muslims even in the presence of Malaysian cease-fire monitors. The complaint was lodged before the government-MILF Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) by Ameril Umbra, commander of MILF's 109th Base Command. Umbra said the 13 soldiers of the Philippine Army's 37th and 38th Infantry Battalions attempted to "sabotage" a gathering at Tatapan village in Datu Piang town of Maguindanao on March 27 by entering the area with firearms and without prior coordination with MILF commanders in the area. The soldiers were sent to accompany the Malaysian, who were part of an advance team of the International Monitoring Team (IMT) which would include representatives from eight members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) as well as Japan.
Huh? The troops were escorting the monitors? And MILF arrested them when they got there?
Umbra also cited a number of infractions committed by the soldiers, "in gross violations to the existing cessation of hostilities signed between the MILF and the government." He asked the coordinating committee to take proper action to safeguard the peace process from being derailed by "anti-peace and evil-minded groups out to destroy the peace talks." Umbra noted that under the arrangements made by the government and MILF panels, the IMT's security will be the responsibility of MILF if the team is at the separatist group's area of jurisdiction. MILF security officers confiscated from the soldiers four .45 caliber pistol "on full cock ready to fire," plus cellular phones. Umbra told the committee that trouble almost erupted when the soldiers refused to turn over their guns and cell phones, prompting the security officers to "overwhelm" them.
Meaning they had them outnumbered, so they roughed them up...
MILF leaders claim that other than the military commanders opposed to the peace process, a powerful local politician is suspected of being behind the planned "sabotage." The 13 "arrested" soldiers led by 2nd Lt. Eliezer M. Briann were released on the same day upon intervention by the MILF-CCCH chairman Benjie Midtimbang. The MILF also returned everything that was confiscated from the soldiers.
So Benjie realized it was a screwup and had the guys sprung, and now Arab News is spinning it.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2004 12:37 ||
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In a major embarrassment for the Philippine government, the military said Sunday it had warned that suspected militants linked to al-Qaida were planning a prison escape just days before their breakout. The escape by 53 prison inmates Saturday overshadowed President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's claims that the government is making gains in its campaign against terrorists. She had recently met with U.S. officials to address their fears about new terror threats. The military said the escape — led by several members of the al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf militant group — was a setback to the country's counterterrorism efforts. Eleven of the escapees from the jail on the southern island of Basilan were later recaptured and eight were killed, provincial jail warden Jumadil Sali said. "I've lost men in capturing some of those who escaped; a lot of efforts were exerted," said Lt. Col. Daniel Lucero. "This will greatly affect the momentum in our fight against terrorism, particularly in Basilan, but this should not deter us from recapturing them." Lucero said the military had warned officials at the Basilan jail that the Abu Sayyaf suspects were planning to escape. Military officials had asked that additional guards be posted at the jail, but it wasn't immediately clear if that had been done. Security forces continued a massive hunt for the escapees, who took two rifles and a shotgun and wounded at least three guards.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2004 12:15 ||
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Iranian President Mohammad Khatami yesterday distanced Iran from the latest violent developments in Iraq under the leadership of radical Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr, saying there was no connection between Iran and radical Shiites.
Is that just Khatami talking, or have the Big Black Turbans decided that Moqtada's going down and they're cutting the cord?
IRNA news agency quoted Khatami as saying that the latest violence and kidnapping in Iraq harms the general image of Islam and Muslims.
Which is already pretty battered...
The president stressed that Iran supports the moderate policies of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), headed by Abdul Aziz Al-Hakim, and Shiite spiritual leader Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani. Both Sistani and Al-Hakim are known to be openly supported by Tehran but at the same time regarded as political rivals of Sadr. Iran, said Khatami, was one of the first countries to acknowledge the Governing Council in Baghdad. But he added that violence and tension would continue and escalate unless the US ends its occupation and allows the Iraqi people to determine their political fate. The president had earlier this week condemned the attacks by US- led coalition forces on Shiites in southern Iraq, describing them as contrary to their initial claims of bringing freedom and democracy to the country.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2004 12:31 ||
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#1
The president stressed that Iran supports the moderate policies of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), headed by Abdul Aziz Al-Hakim, and Shiite spiritual leader Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani.
Both Sistani and Al-Hakim are known to be openly supported by Tehran but at the same time regarded as political rivals of Sadr. Iran, said Khatami, was one of the first countries to acknowledge the Governing Council in Baghdad.
My first instinct is, "He lies like a rug." My second instinct is, even if he doesn't, it doesn't matter; I'm beginning to think, as per my comments in the comments to the election post further down, that the US made a mistake in the way the governing council was selected; it should have been done more out of concern for the Iraqis and less for the concern of the various foreign factions who want to control Iraq.
Posted by: Phil Fraering ||
04/11/2004 13:21 Comments ||
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#2
The Black Hats have played him - he's proven to be a dud - you gotta know when to fold.
#3
It's tough to get a read on this from the article, but this could be a good thing: Iran might signalling that they are stepping back from their covert support of Sadr et al.
Of course, I admit much wishful thinking there.
Say, what do *you* make of these tea leaves ?
Posted by: Carl in NH ||
04/11/2004 14:32 Comments ||
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#4
Their support of Sadr hasn't been all that covert. That they're backing and covering now indicates they think he's going to lose, and some of the captured jihadis will rat them out for their sponsorship and training in Iran.
From their fears to Allah's ears. Soon.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
04/11/2004 15:20 Comments ||
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#5
Agree with .com. I'd say from that other article today about Sadr's connections with Iran - that Khatami's assurances are too little, too late and too lame.
Ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe...'
it don't matter anyhow
and it ain't no use to sit and wonder why babe
if you don't know by now...
the cat's out of the bag. Pandora's out of the box - and there isn't a do over here for Iran or Khatami.
They showed their hand when they played the Sadr card. We'll plan our future moves accordingly.
Posted by: B ||
04/11/2004 15:35 Comments ||
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#6
B - Good choice of lyrics, Lol! Here's my lyrical rejoinder!
Keep all the food lines moving
Don't come crying for more
The signs were there
You should've bought connections before.
#9
Carl in NH, your tea leaves are a little fuzzy, so I'd like you to look over these goat entrails. If you can't get a better reading, here's my Magic 8-Ball...
#10
I suspect they might be having it both ways: supporting him, in case he actually wins, and counseling sweet reason against the likelihood he loses.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2004 20:26 Comments ||
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#11
Seafarious, For something this important you have to use horse entrails....
#12
"latest violence and kidnapping in Iraq harms the general image of Islam and Muslims."
Naaaaahhhhh, It fits right in with the blinders off
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/11/2004 21:44 Comments ||
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#13
I just got one question. Why is Sadr still alive or not in jail? How come we do not have him clean shaven and covered in pig grease? Are we just waiting for the pilgrims to get the heck out of the way? Or are we just waiting on things to cool down a little?
A secret meeting of senior Islamic activists held in London last month took the decision to âstir the the Iraqi Shiite resistanceâ against the US-British led occupation of Iraq which led to the major escalation of hostilities over the last week to coincide with the first anniversary of the fall of Baghdad.
So much for the "spontaneous uprising" theory, if it's even appeared yet...
Delegates with affiliations to militant Islamic groups from across the Middle East, including many that are banned as terrorist organisations, travelled from all over Europe for the confidential closed-door sessions at various Islamic centres in central London. Representative from both Sunni and Shiite groups and from countries such as Syria, the Gulf States and Saudi Arabia attended the conference. According to an Arab source in Paris, among them were representatives of active terrorist organisations, like Lebanese Hezbollah, and some figures close to firebrand young Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr who is behind the current uprising in Iraq and now hunted by the US authorities in Iraq as an âoutlaw and fugitive from justiceâ. They also agreed to avoid any armed clashes between Sunnis and Shiites after the handover of power scheduled for June 30, and to grant al-Sadr a greater margin of manoeuvrability on the ground allowing his al-Medhi militia army to confront coalition forces and exacerbate the crisis.
The more reason to wipe them out to the last man...
A source in Europe, who asked not to be named, said âthe secret debate and decision to move the Shiite front against the the American occupation in Iraq marked the the most prominent among the recommendations finalised at the conference held on March on 13 and 14â. The Sunday Herald last night asked the Home Office if it was aware of the meeting and its repercussions. A spokesman would only restate their policy of not commenting on any matter involving intelligence agencies. It is highly unlikely that such a gathering would have gone unnoticed and unsupervised by Britainâs intelligence agencies. That points to both the UK and US governments being aware in advance of the timing for a potential escalation in violence â now being seen in Iraq. The meeting entitled âIslamic Movement and Iraq,â was instigated by the Iraqi Islamic Party without the knowledge or approval of the US-appointed governing council in Iraq, was subjected to a complete media blackout and held under maximum secrecy. The Iraqi Islamic party is London-based but works underground in Iraq, and is currently in contact with a number of Iraqi opposition factions inside Iraq to âcome together to stand up to the occupation and its agentsâ.
I'm just guessing, but I'd guess the control ultimately lies in Soddy Arabia, assuming it's a wahhabi bunch, Iran if Shiites. The odor is reminiscent of wahhabi...
âThose present at the meeting asserted that Sunni resistance alone was not enough for turning the balance of power with the occupying forces, so, they agreed to find the necessary means and move the Shiite resistance from peaceful protests to a much more effective role,â said the source. âSome were already resident in the UK, but many travelled from cities in Europe,â confirmed the French source. Asked how, given British security concerns, such movement would have been possible, the source said: âIt would have been easy for some because many represent legitimate moderate Islamic groups, but in reality are connected to militant organisations like Hezbollah to whom they would report back directly.â The source said that âdelegatesâ at the sessions clinched an agreement on a tripartite agenda, including the speeding up of Shiite inclusion in resistance operations against occupation forces.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2004 9:26:01 PM ||
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#1
This is what I like about Moderate Islam. They always seem to manage it such that someone else's hands get dirty / dead.
#2
Fascinating article, but it's not why I wish to comment.
I don't know how to link properly to other articles, so I'm asking for help: Please take note of a "speech" given by Tony Blair printed in the Guardian. A link to same can be found at Power Line. It's worthy of Rantburg link. You won't be disappointed. In fact you might find yourselves inspired. Tony Blair is a good friend to the cause.
Posted by: Mark ||
04/11/2004 22:18 Comments ||
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If the UK intelligence agencies were aware of this meeting, wonder why they didn't arrange a "work accident" while all these wankers were together? It would have saved a lot of trouble - and lives.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
04/11/2004 22:26 Comments ||
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Does anyone see here the Insidious Plots and Deep Conspiracies the Islamic world is instigating against the West? They're trying to rival the Elders of Zion! Quick, men, to your death rays!
Posted by: The Doctor ||
04/11/2004 22:37 Comments ||
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#5
Mark - when you're preparing an article or comment for posting, you merely highlight the text (left-click hold and drag your mouse or shift+left or right arrow keys) you want to be "hot", click on the "Link" button, and fill in the URL when the box pops up and click OK. It will put the HTML wrapper around your text. It looks wrong when you hover over it in the Comment Preview - but trust it - it will be correct when you submit it. And thanx for asking - links are appreciated!
US marines told today how they killed one suicide bomber and discovered a suicide bomb workshop in the Sunni Muslim bastion of Fallujah, apparently run by Iraqis and foreigners.
The building, found on Thursday when marines chased a sniper, provided new evidence of the growing role of Iraqis in suicide bombings, the marines said.
The US marines are entrenched in a near week-long campaign to rid Fallujah of insurgents after four US contractors were killed by a mob and two of them were savagely mutilated on March 31.
Iraqi police and judges have recently expressed alarm about the increasing involvement of Iraqis in suicide bombings, which US officials had previously blamed on foreign fighters thought to be slipping across the border.
Police in the holy city of Karbala charged that some Iraqis were indoctrinated and high on drugs when they were dispatched on suicide missions. Hey man! that was a blast
Top US military officials warned the radical Islamic current in Iraq relied more heavily on Iraqi nationals than foreign elements.
Members of the 1st Battalion 5th (1-5) Marines said they stumbled on the workshop when they were trying to locate a sniper position.
"There was an open storage area and a living room. There were four belts packed with explosives," said Lance Corporal James Walter, one of the men who discovered the arsenal in Fallujahâs southeastern industrial sector.
A box of old US military uniforms were also found, issued by the US Armyâs 82nd Airborne, said Lieutenant Colonel Brennan Byrne.
Marines said that they believed about 15 to 20 people had been working in the facility.
Also on Thursday, marines from the 1-5 battalion shot dead a suicide bomber, captured a second individual and found a third blood-stained belt.
Marines had come under fire and entered a home where they shot and killed the bomber.
The marines then lobbed grenades at the body to blow it up amid fears the corpse was booby trapped, said Captain James Smith.
He showed pictures of the corpse before the marines blew up the body, with a white belt and wiring attached to a bearded man lying on a tile floor.
The suicide belts were fashioned in the style of the radical Palestinian group Hamas, with a hand-held detonator, Byrne said.
Asked about the people using the workshop, he said: "It seems a mix of nationalities."
Police have arrested a militant Islamic leader on the island of Zanzibar and have begun questioning him about a series of bombings and arson attacks, police said Sunday.
Need to borrow any clubs? Giggle juice?
The cleric, Sheikh Khalid Azan, was found late Saturday after a three-week manhunt, regional police commander George Kizuguto said. "Khalid Azan was arrested in connection to different acts of violence, sabotage and vandalism, including the spate of bombings. He will appear in court soon," Kizuguto said.
Battered and bruised, we hope...
Khalid is one of the top leaders of a radical Islamic group known as Islamic Propagation and Awareness, known by its Swahili acronym UAMSHO. The group is suspected of involvement in the firebombing of a church, a moderate Muslim leaderâs home and government offices. The groupâs leaders want Zanzibar to be ruled under Sharia law, and some have called for the assassination of secular political leaders who oppose their agenda. Sheik Farid Ali, another of the groupâs leaders, was released by police in the Indian Ocean archipelago on April 1 after spending nearly two weeks in custody. The groupâs spokesman said Farid Ali had been tortured by the police and was being treated for his injuries at a hospital in Dar es Salaam, in mainland Tanzania. Police refused to comment on the allegations.
I'm usually against torture and mistreating prisoners, but in these cases I really don't care...
The Zanzibar archipelago is semi-autonomous from mainland Tanzania, electing its own president and legislature. But like the mainland, where the majority of people follow Christianity or African religions, the archipelago is run by a secular government.
Oh, horrors! Can't have that!
However, moderate Zanzibari Muslim leaders and Tanzanian and foreign officials have expressed concerns about rising extremism among young Muslims in the archipelago, which includes Zanzibar and the smaller island of Pemba.
As a shaky truce between US-led coalition forces and radical Shia insurgents was punctuated by gunmen who shot down a US attack helicopter over Baghdad killing two crew members, the coalition's commander signalled serious problems in handing over responsibility for security to the Iraqis. The US military leadership in Baghdad confirmed that Iraqi soldiers refused to help pacify Fallujah, revealing what he acknowledged were "significant challenges" in establishing reliable Iraqi security forces.
Does "significant challenges" mean that they've fired them all and are starting over from scratch? I'd stick with Kurds, if I was in charge...
Responding to reports that an Iraqi battalion, the new army trained by the coalition, had refused to fight in Fallujah, Lt Gen Ricardo Sanchez, commander of coalition forces in Iraq, said: "This one specific instance did in fact uncover some significant challenges in some of the Iraqi security force structures. We knew that there were some risks that we were taking by standing up security forces quickly, and we also know that it's going to take us awhile to stand up reliable forces that can accept responsibility for both the internal and the external security of the country."
Meaning they're no better than the Iraqi army we defeated...
As the death toll of US soldiers has mounted, Bush administration officials have placed ever greater emphasis on the role of Iraqi police officers and civil defence units to take the target off American backs. But Gen Sanchez's comments reveal the difficulties that the US-led coalition is having in creating a reliable Iraqi security apparatus. There have, separately, been reports that Iraqi police officers have not only failed to prevent attacks by insurgents, but aided and abetted the attackers.
Still a lot more work to do, even when all the Bad Guys have been killed.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2004 8:49:22 PM ||
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This is disturbing. If they won't defend freedom with the Coalitionthere what makes them reliable when we (hopefully) leave?
#2
Fred / CS - They're Arabs which means that they're definitely not defending Freedom - they don't even remotely "get" what that is - yet. And regards being no better than the Iraqi Army, well, they probably are Iraqi Army guys who vaporized when approached by the coalition forces -- and thought they could get an easy gig signing up with the CPA. Imagine their terror when they realized that we actually expected something Army-like from them! And without a fatwa, too! I figure that until we have Mullahs issuing ding-dongs to do this and do that, they'll be worthless. Life moves on money, so what we pay them means something, but it's certainly obvious now that it's the wrong currency for expecting anything more than standing around looking pretty in their new uniforms. Sigh - just my take on it.
#3
Have the guys who won't fight guard a remote camel corral in the former Scud box. Don't give them any sunscreen. Tell them they can come back to duty in a city in a couple of years when they are man enough to protect people.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
04/12/2004 0:24 Comments ||
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More than 600 Iraqis have been killed in Fallujah since Marines began a siege against Sunni insurgents in the city a week ago, most of them women, children and the elderly, the head of the city's hospital said Sunday.
No doubt. That's who Marines usually shoot, isn't it?
Statistics and names of the dead were gathered from four main clinics around the city and from Fallujah General Hospital, said hospital's director Rafie al-Issawi. Bodies were being buried in two soccer fields, one of which was visited by an Associated Press reporter. It was filled with row after row of graves. The death toll from the siege, which started early last Monday, may be even higher than the hospital's tally
Glad to hear that. Prob'ly considerably more than a fat battalion in there...
"We have reports of an unknown number of dead being buried in people's homes without coming to the clinics," al-Issawi said.
"Maw! Mahmoud's kicked it!"
"Well, bury him in the back yard! I'm makin' dinner right now!"
Asked about the report of 600 dead, Marine Lt. Col. Brennan Byrne said: "What I think you will find is 95 percent of those were military age males that were killed in the fighting."
Surely you don't mean the women and kiddy claims are propaganda?
"The Marines are trained to be precise in their firepower .... The fact that there are 600 goes back to the fact that the Marines are very good at what they do," he said. A day earlier, Byrne, commander of the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, said his battalion â one of three in or around the city â had confirmed 40 Iraqi insurgents were killed and 19 others were likely dead throughout the entire campaign.
Kind of a difference in those figures. Like a factor of ten. But that's just his battalion, and there are two battalions, plus air power...
Residents started burying bodies in the soccer fields starting Friday, when there was a pause in fighting to allow people to tend to the dead. At one of the fields, which residents dubbed the "Graveyard of the Martyrs," an AP reporter saw rows of freshly dug graves with wooden planks for headstones over an area about 30 yards wide and 100 yards long. Some headstones bore the names of women; others had markings indicating the dead were children. Khalaf al-Jumaili, a volunteer helping bury bodies, said more than 300 people had been interred in the field. Other volunteers were seen carrying bodies in blankets and lowering them into graves while bystanders shouted, "Martyr, martyr!" It was not known how many were buried at the other soccer field. Asked Sunday about the number of Iraqi casualties in Fallujah, Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt referred reporters to Marine spokesmen. But he insisted Marines are "tremendously precise" in their operations and suggested insurgents were hiding among civilians, causing civilian deaths. Nearly a third of Fallujah's 200,000 people fled the city during the lull in fighting.
And they're not the ones being buried...
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2004 8:34:37 PM ||
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Fred, Fred, Fred... puhleeze don't leave out the most important thing and only verifiable fact in the article: who "wrote" it. Lol!
I'm sure LtC Byrne was a bit surprised by the number - his comment sounds like the classic response - since there is the implied "baby-killer" tone to Mr Saadi's little yarn.
Remember what "yahoo' used to mean, folks? Still does.
#2
Let's just use their numbers. Population 200,000. One third fled. That leaves 133,333. 6oo dead = 0.45%. I'd say they're getting off pretty darned easy considering their bad attitude and lack of cooperation.
Posted by: Tom ||
04/11/2004 21:12 Comments ||
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Residents started burying bodies in the soccer fields starting Friday,
Kinda tough to play soccer with all those tombstones, isn't it?
#4
let's see, figuring 1m x 3m graves, leaving some spacing, call it a 25 x 30 grid, that's 750 graves in the 30m x 100m area, unless they're being real generous with acreage.
#5
Raj - you just fired a realization for me - in all my time driving all over the place in Saudi, I don't remember ever seeing anything resembling a graveyard as we know them... This link may explain that this won't interrupt any soccer games - if they level the field again!
#6
Where are the Western human shields when you need them? Doesn't Code Pink know they have a job to do in Fallujah? Maybe they see more need of shields in Sudan.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
04/12/2004 0:33 Comments ||
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No link yet - thus no details. Musta been "pilgrims" on the march to nowhere. I canât help wondering just how the canny Rackys knew there were foreigners...
Will post more when something shows up. Also will post if it turns out to be a bust / phoney story.
Fox didnât ID the "source" for this, yet.
BTW - they just reported that several other Americans, besides Hamill the KBR guy, are "missing."
Maybe weâll need a scoreboard page to keep up with this new Racky "growth industry"...
#4
Good link, Lux! Love the picture... Time for a caption contest?
My entry:
"No shit! A spaceship came down and hovered over them. They froze when the blue light beam hit 'em - and then *poof!* they wuz gone! Prolly the Merkins did it so they could blame us!"
British contractor Gary Teeley, seized by suspected militants in the southern Iraqi city of Nassiriya last week, was handed over to U.S.-led forces on Sunday, officials said.
"Hmmm... They're wearing masks and waving guns. They've just taken hostages. Legume, I suspect these are militants!"
"He is in the hands of American and Italian forces in Nassiriya as we speak. We'll be making sure that he is flown out of the country and back to Britain as soon as possible," said a senior source in the coalition forces. Teeley was one of a number of foreigners who have been kidnapped or gone missing in Iraq in the past week.
"... coincidentally all at once. We've no idea why."
Arab satellite news channel Al Jazeera reported that local tribes had been involved in negotiating his freedom. Italian Army Lieutenant Colonel Moneduro told Sky News the operation to free Teeley began at 3:30 a.m. on Sunday with an attack on the military headquarters of radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr'sMehdi army.
"'Atsa pretty effective negotiations!"
"After two other kinds of operations and investigations we put some pressure on these armed groups and also through negotiations we arrived at the release of Mr Gary Teeley," Moneduro said.
"This is Big Rocco. He'll be asking you some questions."
"Ummm... What's with the ax?"
He denied reports Teeley had been found tied up. "He was released by this armed militia and he was delivered to our forces," Moneduro said, adding Teeley would likely be able to leave Iraq on Monday morning.
"Cheeze! It's Big Rocco! Ditch the hostage!"
Terry Teeley, a cousin of the British contractor, told Sky News television: "(The news has) still not sunk in at the moment. I am just grinning from ear to ear. I am so happy." The senior coalition source said Teeley was being looked after at Talil air base, a huge military complex near Nassiriya which houses American and Italian forces, from where military flights regularly leave for Europe and the United States. Teeley, 37, is a consultant for a laundry firm and has lived and worked extensively in the Middle East. It was not clear exactly what work Teeley had been doing in Iraq.
The correspondent in Fallujah of Qatar-based Arabic satellite channel Al Jazeera charged Saturday that he and his television crew had been targeted by US fire in the flashpoint Iraqi city.
"I weep for you, the Walrus said..."
âOur team has become one of the objectives of the American army. Yesterday after midday, we were targeted by heavy American artillery fire and prior to that, (US) snipers fired at us,â Ahmed Mansur said in a live report from the city where American troops are battling insurgents.
"I deeply sympathize."
âWe had to leave our post to another less exposed area,â he said, adding that the teamâs morale nonetheless remained high.
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size...
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2004 12:48 ||
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Al-Jazz is inside a war zone. They are in effect, the propaganda arm of the enemy, so they should be treated as the enemy. They take that risk when they go inside Fallujah. Making an example of a couple of these guys will throttle back the rest. After all, this is war.
BTW, Happy Easter, Rantburgers.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
04/11/2004 13:20 Comments ||
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I saw some AJ footage two days ago that explains this for the dense. An AJ camera crew was crouching behind walls on a rooftop as they filmed a small column of US vehicles moving in Fallujah -- gee, why would camera crews skulking behind barriers on rooftops pointing things at advancing forces ever be subject to mistaken fire?
#4
Most of what the Iraqis say about what's going on clearly shows they have been lied to and thoroughly disinformed. On one level I think it actually makes sense to shoot these shitheads on sight - but I know it's not happening. Typically, Arabs assume you are doing what they would do... Hell, it's a damned good thing for them that they face our Marines, instead of Persians or Peshmerga - imagine if they had our firepower! Seems to me those other guys have a major payback deficit with the Sunni assholes - and Al Jizz reporters would just be icing on the cake.
Throwing Al Jizz and its ilk out of Iraq has made sense to me for a long time, now, and I've said it here before. It would prolly take a microscope to discern the substantive difference between what Al Jizz "reports" and what Sadr's "newspaper" spewed.
#5
Would be appropriate to jam al jazerra for a few days, just to send a message.But they are not the only ones playing this game.Just witness Guardian reporters behavior at CNC briefings.They make statements,rather than ask questions.
#7
They make statements,rather than ask questions.
So true, but I have to say I kinda like watching the NPRCNNABCAJBBCNYTETC reporters. It makes them look stupid, arrogant and annoying when they make such lame, childish proclaimations at the mikes. Keep digging that grave. Once it's deep enough, the earth will fall in and save everyone the trouble of having to cover the already dead and decaying credibility corpse. Pee-yew! Their reports stink.
The Enquirer has become more credible than the news media. Only the suckers and the wannabelieves give them any credence.
Posted by: B ||
04/11/2004 15:07 Comments ||
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Al Jazeera claims team targeted by US forces
With any luck!
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
04/11/2004 15:16 Comments ||
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I've seen the vile slanted rubbish these people produce at Jazeera. We'd do better not to close Sadr's newspaper but dial those artillery shells a couple of more degrees to the right. It serves them right and as Alaska Paul wrote -- this is war isn't it ?
Terrorism will not be tolerated in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the law enforcement agencies have the ability to deal with any eventuality, said Akram Khan Durrani, the NWFP chief minister. âIt is better to take the tribal leaders, religious scholars and the people into confidence before starting any action in the tribal areas,â Mr Durrani remarked.
That way, the Bad Guys have time to beat it...
He said that he had proposed to President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali that a jirga consisting of tribal elders and religious scholars should be formed to seek a peaceful solution of the issue. The tribal people are Pakistanis and they would not allow their soil to be used by terrorist elements, he said.
Even though they've been doing just that up to now...
The tribal people had their own traditions and culture and did not want their social tribal system to be disturbed, he said. In the war against the Soviet Union, every Afghani was trained and was armed and they fought a war that had been imposed on them, he said. No one will be allowed to use the Frontier province for terrorism and other anti-state activities, he said.
I dunno. Did that sound like a threat to you?
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2004 12:46 ||
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The tribal leaders people ... did not want their social tribal system to be disturbed
.
When have the tribal people ever asked about this?
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
04/11/2004 16:05 Comments ||
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"The tribal people had their own traditions and culture and did not want their social tribal system to be disturbed, he said."
Easy enough. If you don't support or shelter violent terrorists, your "traditions and culture" might have a chance of surviving more than another few years.
Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden might have escaped from Pakistan through Karachi or Gwadar. Sources have told Daily Times that US and Pakistani intelligence agencies were investigating a suspect believed to be Bin Laden who travelled from Dera Ismail Khan to Karachi in a truck. âHe might have escaped on a private ferry through Karachi or Gwadar port,â the sources said.
I'd guess this is a rumor, or that it was some tall guy with a honkin' pair of lips on him. On the other hand, if we did get him moving, we should be able to track him. But he probably knows that, assuming he's not a dried layer of dust at Tora Bora.
âInvestigations are also underway about his destination. There are equal chances that either he left Pakistan or entered Balochistan. He could have moved into Afghanistan through Balochistan,â the sources added. Sources said that US intelligence received reports some months ago that Bin Laden was staying in Dera Ismail Khan. They said a tall and slim man along with two men with small beards travelled by truck to Karachi. The sources said Bin Laden and his deputy Ayman Al-Zawahiri lived in Shawal in North Waziristan after they escaped from Afghanistan. Shawal is not very far from Dera Ismail Khan. âIntelligence agencies had proof that Osama was in Shawal till June 2003,â the sources said.
That was while they were denying he was in Pakistan?
âThe Osama and Al-Zawahiri videotapes, which were released by Al-Jazeera channel, were also shot in Shawal,â the sources said. The North West Frontier Province governor banned weapons in Shawal in August 2003. Bin Laden left the valley and was reportedly seen in the Pakistani-Afghan border area in the mid-2003, the sources said.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2004 12:42 ||
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There are equal chances that either he left Pakistan or entered Balochistan.
That's right. Slim and none. If he was alive after all this time, we'd have confirmation of his status and / or his presence in Bagram or Gitmo.
Three associates of nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan were released on Saturday three months after they were detained over the nuclear proliferation scandal. Those released were nuclear scientist Naseemuddin Ahmed, Kahuta Research Laboratories security chief Brigadier (r) Iqbal Tajwar and businessman Aizaz Jafery. âThey are not required for questioning for the time being,â military spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan said. âTheir release has nothing to do with the establishment of their guilt or otherwise. That judgement will be made subsequently when the entire investigation is complete,â Gen Sultan said.
"That should come sometime... ummm... after the Last Trumpet."
He said the three men would remain available and they could be called for questioning again if required. Four other scientists and officials of the KRL, the uranium enrichment facility, remained under detention and Gen Sultan said they were still needed for questioning. Dr Hassam said that Brig Tajawar was released as a gesture by the government since his family had not publicly protested against his detention and that probably the government did not want to bring him before the Constitutional Review Board.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2004 12:40 ||
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Three Wazir sub-tribes including the Yargulkhel, Ghanikhel and Dharikhel formed their own tribal lashkars (armies) on Saturday to help the government operation against foreign terrorists in South Waziristan Agency. Also on Saturday, the political administration compensated the families of the civilians killed and injured by the army on February 27. The three sub-tribes formed their own lashkars to flush out Al Qaeda elements from South Waziristan Agency. The lashkars searched 120 houses in Dhog, Zeri Lattha and Kaloosha areas, but did not find any terrorists, tribal elders of the three sub-tribes said.
[Knock knock!]
"Who's there?"
"It's the tribal lashkar! Any terrorists in there?"
"No! Go away! We're busy!"
"Hokay."
Meanwhile, South Waziristan Agency Chief Administrator Muhammad Azam Khan gave Rs 500,000 each to the families of those killed and Rs 200,000 each to the families of those injured in the February 27 incident where the army shot at two vehicles, killing 13 civilians. âWe regret the killing of innocent people,â Mr Khan told the victimsâ families. The chief administrator has also met members of the all-tribes jirga to discuss their mission in Wana. The jirgaâs scheduled meeting with the Zalikhel sub-tribe has been postponed and will likely take place in a day or two.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2004 12:39 ||
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A man was killed and nine others were injured when a car bomb exploded in the Defence Housing Authority here, police said. The explosion was roughly three kilometres away from the scenic Defence Golf Club where Indian singer Sonu Nigam along with Pakistani singers Fareeha Pervaiz and Amjad Sabri was performing for the first time before an avid Pakistani audience.
If the boom was 3000 meters from where they were singing, I doubt if it was directed at them, no matter how horribly they were caterwauling.
âA bomb planted in the car exploded about three kilometres away from the Defence Golf Club in Gizri in which one man is killed and three others injured,â Capital City Police Officer Asad Ashraf Mallick told Daily Times. However, the blast did not disrupt the concert, officials said.
They may not have even heard it...
"Amjad, talk to the drummer, that crescendo boom came in late!"
The deceased was identified as Farrukh Zareen Effendi, the son of a sub-inspector, Zareen Effendi. The injured were taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre JPMC and a private hospital. Two of the injured were in critical condition. Some witnesses said a Suzuki Margala car parked near the Marina Club in Gizri exploded with a bang and destroyed two other cars nearby.
"Hmmm... That's significant, I think! Legume, make a note: 'The car exploded with a bang, not a boom.'"
Officials said the car had been snatched from Muhammad Rashid in the Aziz Bhatti Police Station area just a couple of hours before the incident.
The Bad Guys grabbed it at the cop shoppe? That was fairly testicular, wasn't it?
Unconfirmed reports said it was suicide bombing, but the officials denied it. âIt was not a case of suicide bombing,â Mr Mallick said. He said the Indian singerâs concert had been arranged with a three kilometres security radius. Bomb disposal squad officials said the bomb was fixed with a timer.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2004 12:38 ||
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#1
three kilometres away from the scenic Defence Golf Club
#2
Did someone muff their putt? Now there's a good reason to [mumble-mumble] and be down right [mumble-mumble]!
Ship - Lol! Close to Crampton's Lake*, ya think?
* Colonial, 1962. Arnold Palmer puts his name on the Wall of Champions by defeating Johnny Pott by four shots in an 18-hole playoff. But the event is remembered as much for Bruce Crampton drowning approach shots at the water hazard beside the 18th green in both the Saturday and Sunday rounds to miss the playoff by a single stroke. Ever since, the water hazard has been dubbed Crampton's Lake.
Kenyan authorities will next week deport five Somali nationals for alleged links to the Al-Qaeda terrorist network. The five are among at least 14 people arrested last month at Eastleigh, a crime-prone residential district in Nairobi, on suspicion of involvement in various terrorism-related activities in the east African nation. âKenyan security agents have obtained a deportation order allowing them to repatriate the foreigners. Armed security agents will escort them to the Kenya-Somali border on Tuesday,â the Daily Nation said. The paper said, quoting a source in the office of the president, that one of the detainees is âsuspected to have links with terrorist cells operating from Somalia.â
Haven't thought about giving them about 50 years in jug, have you? Or maybe shooting them?... I thought not.
A senior police officer said that military and intelligence officers âwere this week trying to obtain orders to repatriate some Somalis who were arrested in an anti-terrorism swoop last month, because Kenya does not have anti-terrorism laws that would enable prosecutors to directly charge suspects with extremist activities.â
Perhaps you should pass some?
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2004 12:35 ||
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A senior police officer said that military and intelligence officers âwere this week trying to obtain orders to repatriate some Somalis who were arrested in an anti-terrorism swoop last month, because Kenya does not have anti-terrorism laws that would enable prosecutors to directly charge suspects with extremist activities.â
---------- CNN Article Below ----------
Bushnell offered the trial's most dramatic testimony, a detailed account of the Friday morning bombing two and a half years ago that killed 213 people, including 12 Americans who worked in the embassy, and injured more than 4,000 others.
Let's see, 213 dead and some 4,000 others injured almost six years ago. Is there any need for Kenyan "anti-terrorism" laws yet?
Peace talks to end 21 years of civil war in southern Sudan hit a snag on a dispute over the imposition of Islamic Shariah law in the capital Khartoum, officials said yesterday. Mediators in the talks between the government and the rebel Sudan Peopleâs Liberation Army expected a protocol to be signed this weekend to pave the way for the signing of a much-delayed peace deal to end Africaâs longest civil war. âThe issue of the national capital and the laws that govern it are the final obstacle right now,â Sudanâs Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail told Reuters. âIn my estimation the current session is in its final stages and the important issue that remains is that of the national capital.â The six-month-old talks in Kenya between First Vice President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha and rebel leader John Garang stalled in recent weeks over the disputed oil-rich Abyei region, and the issue of power-sharing.
There's always something to stall the talks, isn't there?
The rebels said the latest obstacle is that the government wants the capital to be under Shariah laws while the SPLA wants non-Muslims to be exempt from the Islamic law. âThe main point that has stalled the talks is the laws to govern Khartoum,â SPLA spokesman Samson Kwaje told reporters. âThe government insists that everyone must be subjected to Shariah law. We on the other hand are advocating for ... Shariah law for the Muslims and secular laws for the non-Muslims.â He said the rebels had ideally wanted the capital to be shariah-free, but had since agreed that both laws be applied. In an attempt to step up pressure on both sides, acting US Assistant Secretary of State Charles Snyder met Taha and Garang on Wednesday in the Rift Valley town of Naivasha.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2004 12:34 ||
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Suspected Taleban guerrillas have kidnapped a high-ranking local government officer in south-central Afghanistanâs Uruzgan province, an official said yesterday. âOur intelligence chief, Haji Ahmadullah and two of his bodyguards have been kidnapped by Taleban while driving to the provincial capital Tarin Kowt from a mission in neighboring districts,â a security official who asked not to be named told AFP. The official said that the three men were kidnapped Thursday and are believed to have been taken to remote Shah Wali Kot district, a southern mountainous area believed to be the main hideout for Taleban remnants in Uruzgan. Speaking by satellite phone from Tarin Kowt, the official said the kidnappers had not made any contact with government authorities but added: âWe expect them to contact us at any moment.â
"Yep. Any time now..."
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2004 12:33 ||
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Baghdad saw street fighting yesterday as teenage gunmen shot at US troops from alleys in northwest Baghdadâs Sunni Muslim Adhimiya district. Reporters saw an Iraqi shot dead in his car as he tried to flee the area.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2004 12:25 ||
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At least 20,000 worshippers, about twice the usual number, gathered for weekly prayers at a mosque run by radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, indicating that he may be winning sympathy from more Shiites as his militia challenges U.S. authority in Baghdad as well as across central and southern Iraq.
The more reason to see if he's impervious to rockets...
Aided by hundreds of young seminary students, the 30-year-old cleric and his supporters have in recent days boasted of widening support after mass protests and fighting this week with U.S. and other coalition troops.
The word for "seminary student"? Isn't that "talib"?
"Our movement is stronger today than it was a week ago," said Ibrahim al-Janabi, a senior al-Sadr aide. "But most important of all is that God is on our side," he said Friday after prayers in Sadr City, the movement's Baghdad stronghold. Al-Sadr, whose slain father was one of Iraq's top Shiite clerics, has over the past year mixed street politics, the lure of religion and the pent-up anger of a community oppressed for decades to build a base among mostly young and poor Shiites. Al-Sadr and his militia have been unpopular among most of Iraq's Shiite majority, and it's difficult to gauge the number of people who may have joined his movement since the fighting with U.S. troops began.
So far it's been difficult to guage how many of them are Iraqis...
U.S. troops moved with relatively little resistance into Kut, one of several cities seized by the militia, and drove the fighters out of much of it. The al-Mahdi Army uprising also has been largely quelled in the far south cities of Amarah and Basra — and is weakening in Nasiriyah, U.S. commanders said. But the movement still holds the southern city of Kufa and parts of Najaf and Karbala, southwest of Baghdad.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2004 12:23 ||
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I wonder how many are Iranian 'pilgrims'?
And isn't there some religious holiday or something going on which would naturally increase the crowd size?
The forces of anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in this holy Shiite city and neighboring Kufa braced Saturday for an American assault, with hundreds of men with assault rifles roaming the streets and guarding makeshift checkpoints. In anticipation of violence and because of a major religious occasion this weekend, most stores in Najaf and Kufa were closed. Some owners emptied shops of goods, storing them at home for fear of looting amid any violence, residents said. No police or coalition troops from the Spanish contingent in charge of security in the two cities could be seen. U.S. commanders suggested they will move to seize Najaf and Kufa from al-Sadr's control after the Shiite ceremony of al-Arbaeen ends Sunday.
Good idea. Make it very quick and very bloody. Lots of beturbanned bodies in the streets. That way you won't have to do it again for a few years, until they get in a new crop of stoopid.
"I usually close my store at 10 at night or even later," said Salam Nasser, a grocer in Najaf's Prophet Street. "But for the past five days, I pull down my shutters at 4. We are frightened by all the tension."
Have you considered throwing the bully boys out? I thought not.
About 1,000 U.S. troops backed by tanks swept into the southern city of Kut on Wednesday to expell al-Sadr militiamen. They met relatively little resistance. Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, deputy chief of U.S. military operations, appeared confident Saturday that American troops can do the same when they move against al-Sadr elsewhere. "It is our assessment that the al-Sadr militia doesn't have the capability to conduct prolonged offensive operations," he told reporters in Baghdad. "Everytime his militia is faced with a determined resolve of Iraqi security forces or the coalition military forces, they typically will shoot a few rounds and run away."
Kinda the hallmark of Arab military operations. But don't worry. They'll go back to skulking and beating up women and old people and holding up liquor stores.
He also said he thought the risk of outrage among Muslims the world over would keep the U.S. military from battling al-Sadr's militia in Najaf and Kufa — two cities with major Shiite holy sites. "Frankly, we don't think that the occupation armies will have the audacity to do that," he told journalists at one of the movement's self-styled Islamic courts in Najaf.
"That means they'll sit back and wait while we make faces and holler 'nanny-nanny boo-boo.' I hope."
Al-Khazali, 30, and other al-Sadr supporters often wear a white coffin shroud —a Shiite custom to signal readiness for death — during Friday prayers as al-Sadr delivers sermons at Kufa. "We are happy to die defending our leader," he told The Associated Press.
I'm sure the Marines will be happy to kill you, too.
Najaf and Kufa are mostly made up of intricate networks of twisting alleys lined by small houses, meaning U.S. troops could face deadly urban fighting that could last for days. Also, Al-Sadr's forces are deployed near the cities' Shiite shrines, and would have the advantage of fighting on their home turf.
Now, careful not to venture too far from those shrines, lads!
Some two dozen heavily armed gunmen stood guard Saturday outside al-Sadr's office on an alley near the shrine of Imam Ali, a revered Shiite saint. They occasionally sang and danced, holding their rifles aloft, and chanted slogans expressing their readiness to die for al-Sadr, who is said to be holed up inside his office.
Oooh! Slogans! You can tell a fearsome militarty machine by its selection of fine slogans.
Other senior Shiite clerics in the city — most of whom eye al-Sadr's militancy with concern — were also bunkered down behind intensified security.
... not wanting to get splattered themselves when it hits the fan.
Guards of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani, Iraq's most influential Shiite cleric, erected a metal barricade in front of the alley where he lives and hung a black curtain over the alley's entrance. At least six armed men stood guard there, three times the usual number.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2004 12:23 ||
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That's too bad. I was hoping they'd kill each other off. Guess that was too much to hope for.The main Tamil rebel group claimed control Sunday of an area where a renegade faction was based and declared a two-day truce to allow civilians to celebrate the Buddhist and Hindu New Year. Rebels from the main Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam, based in Sri Lanka's north, launched an offensive on Friday to regain control over some 6,000 breakaway Tamil rebels in the east led by Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan, also known as Karuna. Military officials have said the unconfirmed death toll from the heavy fighting was 33, including civilians. At least 13 others were reportedly wounded.
Hopefully most mortally...
"The Liberation Tigers took control of the areas held by the Karuna group on Saturday night," said TamilNet, a Web site that reports on the mainstream rebel group. TamilNet said the LTT was "consolidating strategic positions" in the region surrounding the Verugal River, some 150 miles northeast of the capital, Colombo. "Troops under the LTT are urging scattered remnants of the Karuna group in the district to surrender to them," TamilNet said.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2004 12:22 ||
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The bloodied bodies of two men, purportedly Americans killed during fighting in Fallujah, were shown on Arab TV Sunday. It was not clear when the two were killed. In the footage, aired on Al-Jazeera, gunmen seen moving around the bodies are heard saying that the two are American intelligence agents. They pointed to a burning car nearby they said belonged to the two men. One of the bodies lay sprawled on the pavement, his face bloody and his right leg drenched in blood. The other had been rolled onto his stomach, his shirt pulled up to show a bullet wound in his back. Both appeared to be Westerners and wore dark t-shirts and khaki pants commonly worn by private security contractors.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2004 12:21 ||
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Two security agents for the German Embassy in Baghdad who have been missing in Iraq for several days are most likely dead, the Foreign Ministry said Sunday.
I'd guess so...
The two German men, ages 38 and 25, were traveling from Amman, Jordan, to Baghdad on a routine trip Wednesday and were ambushed near Fallujah, according to the ministry. "Based on current intelligence, it is unfortunately highly probable that both security agents have perished," an official with the ministry said on condition of anonymity. But, "a final confirmation is still outstanding." Other vehicles in the convoy reached the embassy on Thursday after coming under fire, the ministry said. The Foreign Ministry said there was no evidence that the two men had been kidnapped. The two men were agents with GSG-9, an elite police unit. Members of the unit were sent in November to help protect the embassy and German workers helping to restore water supplies. The project was meant to signal Berlin's willingness to help in reconstruction despite its opposition to the Iraq war.
Just Iraq's little way of saying "thank you."
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2004 12:17 ||
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One person was killed and 10 others wounded last week when gunfire broke out during a demonstration in a city at the center of factional fighting in Afghanistan, U.N. officials said Sunday. The rally on Thursday in Maymana, the capital of Faryab province 260 miles northwest of Kabul, "turned ugly," said United Nations spokesman Manoel de Almeida e Silva. "There was indeed some shooting."
It's Afghanistan. They can't make breakfast without shooting...
He said four more people were injured Saturday in a clash between rock-throwing supporters and opponents of Abdul Rashid Dostum, a powerful northern warlord. The U.N. figures were the first confirmation of casualties in the province, which the Kabul government says was temporarily overrun last week by troops and supporters of Dostum. Karzai has vowed to reinstate the Kabul-appointed governor, who fled an angry crowd outside his residence Thursday. The provincial military commander also was driven out after many of his soldiers apparently turned against him. Both officials say they were targeted because of their loyalty to Karzai rather than Dostum.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2004 12:15 ||
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Vice President Dick Cheney was pledging U.S. support to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in pressing ahead with plans to double Japan's noncombat forces in Iraq despite the furor over the abduction of three citizens, U.S. officials said Sunday. The kidnapping of the Japanese civilians by Iraqi militants cast a pall over Cheney's visit to Japan, his first stop on a weeklong Asia trip that also is taking the vice president to China and South Korea. Cheney attended Easter services with his wife, Lynne, at a nondenominational English-speaking Protestant church in Tokyo. After a stop at the U.S. Embassy, Cheney planned to meet with Koizumi and other officials Monday, with the kidnappings expected to come up. The captors originally said they would kill the three captives if Japan did not pull its forces out by Sunday. Later, the kidnappers indicated they had decided to release their captives.
By early Sunday afternoon in Tokyo, a senior government official said there was still no word of a release. Japan has refused to pull out its troops, but the nation is deeply divided on their presence in Iraq. Cheney was keeping in close touch with the White House and Bush administration officials, monitoring the developments in Iraq and elsewhere," spokesman Kevin Kellems said. The vice president is asking Japan and South Korea, which both have troops in Iraq, to stay the course.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2004 12:11 ||
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A previously unknown Islamic group claimed responsibility Sunday for a recent string of bombings and shootings that killed at least 47 people in Uzbekistan. In a statement posted on at least three militant Islamic Web sites, the Jihad Islamic Group said the attacks were launched in retaliation for the secular Uzbek regime's oppression of devout Muslims.
The "Jihad Islamic Group," see, is different from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, and different form the Islamic Movement of Turkestan, and different from Hizb ut-Tahrir...
It was the first publicized claim of responsibility for the four days of explosions, suicide attacks and assaults on police that began March 28. The attacks killed 10 police officers and four civilians. Thirty-three alleged terrorists were also killed in the attacks that Uzbek officials have blamed on international terrorists linked to al-Qaida. "The Jihad Islamic Group is responsible for all the jihad operations that took place and are still going on in the Islamic state of Uzbekistan," the statement said. "These operations came as a response to the injustice and brutality practiced by the infidel leaders in this country," the statement said.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2004 12:10 ||
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Iâm getting sick of this sh*t
INSURGENTS shot down a US Apache attack helicopter in west Baghdad today, killing its two crewmembers, the military said. Heavy fighting was taking place in the area for the third straight day. "There was an AH-64 helicopter brought down by enemy fire today at about 11.05, approximately five kilometres west of Baghdad international airport. Iâm sad to report that the pilots have been declared killed in action," Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt told a press conference in Baghdad. "We have a quick reaction force on site conducting a recovery of the equipment and the personnel and our hearts go out to the families," he said, The AH-64 Apache attack helicopter carries two crewmembers.
A large force of tanks and Humvees moved into the main highways leading out of western Baghdad aimed at suppressing masked gunmen who have run rampant the past three days in the Abu Ghraib area near the airport. US troops blocked traffic on the main highway out of Baghdad, and shooting and explosions were heard from the Abu Ghraib district. At least four helicopters were seen hovering overhead. Gunmen on the highways past Abu Ghraib have been attacking military fuel convoys, blowing up tanker trucks.
An American civilian guarding a convoy, Thomas Hammil, was kidnapped in an attack on Friday that also killed a US soldier and an Iraqi driver. Hammilâs captors have threatened to kill him if the siege against Sunni insurgents in nearby Fallujah is not lifted.
Kimmitt said he had no information on reports that a second helicopter had been shot down. A total of nine US helicopters have been shot down by insurgents in Iraq since US-led coalition forces launched an invasion of the country which ousted the regime of Saddam Hussein in April 2003.
Posted by: tipper ||
04/11/2004 10:21:15 AM ||
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Aljazeera TV, meanwhile, has aired a tape showing the bodies of two men reported to be US intelligence officers killed in Falluja. Who knows, God bless their souls
A voice on the videotape said the two Americans were CIA officers working in Iraq. The videotape, broadcast on Sunday, showed the bloodied bodies of two foreign men lying on the ground, one shot in the back and another in the leg, surrounded by several Iraqi men. It was not clear when the footage was filmed or by whom.
Posted by: Cobracommander ||
04/11/2004 7:01:07 AM ||
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They could be the two missing German GSG9s.
BERLIN (AP)--Two security agents for the German Embassy in Baghdad who have been missing in Iraq for several days are most likely dead, the Foreign Ministry said Sunday.
The two German men, ages 38 and 25, were traveling from Amman, Jordan, to Baghdad on a routine trip Wednesday and were ambushed near Fallujah, according to the ministry.
``Based on current intelligence, it is unfortunately highly probable that both security agents have perished,'' an official with the ministry said on condition of anonymity. But, ``a final confirmation is still outstanding.''
Other vehicles in the convoy reached the embassy on Thursday after coming under fire, the ministry said.
The Foreign Ministry said there was no evidence that the two men had been kidnapped.
The two men were agents with GSG-9, an elite police unit. Members of the unit were sent in November to help protect the embassy and German workers helping to restore water supplies.
IRAQI gunmen danced over the bodies of their victims near Baghdad yesterday in a gruesome celebration after an attack on a fuel convoy. As the vehicles burned, one rebel battered a corpse with a tyre jack while another stole a dead manâs boots and held them up in triumph. They had attacked the US fuel convoy with rocket-propelled grenades and guns in a strike that left up to nine men dead and a pall of black smoke hanging in the sky. One US soldier was reported killed. Witnesses saw bodies burning inside the vehicles, which included military machines and tankers. The attack took place near the suburb of Abu Ghraib, a Sunni stronghold that has become the base for a series of guerilla raids on Westerners and their vehicles. After the strike, the gunman celebrated their success with relish. One man was pictured beating a body, while another danced before the cameras waving a boot in each hand. The boots were stolen from the dead driver of a destroyed fuel tanker. The roads near Abu Ghraib are now fraught with the danger of ambush. Reports yesterday said gangs of armed youths were roaming the district, many carrying rocket propelled grenades and guns.
A second US soldier was killed in an attack using bombs and small arms at Camp Cook, a US base in northern Baghdad, the military said. In Fallujah, seat of the latest eruption in fighting, US marines waited outside the narrow streets of the centre ready to begin a street-by-street assault to retake it. US forces called a 90-minute truce yesterday to allow the dead to be buried in the al-Somoud football stadium and for residents, excepting men of military age, to leave. For hours later, as the marines dug in around Fallujah, there was sporadic shooting in the city that for some Iraqis has become a symbol of defiance. One marine, Major Larry Kaifesh, said: "It is hard to differentiate between people who are insurgents or civilians. It is hard to get an honest picture. You just have to go with your gut feeling."
In the southern city of Kut, US troops claimed to have regained control from followers of the radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. Ukrainian troops had abandoned the city earlier in the week. A US helicopter struck al-Sadrâs main office in Kut, killing two inside, witnesses said. There were other clashes at Baquba, north of Baghdad, where Sunni and Shia Muslims from the mixed-population town joined in attacks on US forces. In Basra, where British forces faced no serious violent attacks, Sunni and Shia Muslims prayed together in a display of unity. Some 15 Iraqis were thought to have been killed in the Shia shrine town of Kerbala. They were shot in clashes with Polish and Bulgarian troops as thousands of pilgrims celebrated a religious festival.
In Japan, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi refused to withdraw the countryâs troops from Iraq despite death threats against three civilians held hostage by rebels. The families of the three have begged Tokyo to give in to the kidnappers and pull its soldiers out. But Mr Koizumi refused to bow to what he called "the despicable threat of terrorists".
Earlier, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw conceded that the British and Americans were facing a full-scale armed insurgency in Iraq. Mr Straw broke a lengthy official silence to admit the situation was far worse than he had expected and that the "vast majority" of Iraqis were opposed to the allied occupation.
Posted by: tipper ||
04/11/2004 9:32:38 AM ||
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I think Mr. Straw doesn't know what he's talking about; if the vast majority were opposed, we wouldn't be able to conduct combat operations in a city the size of Fallujah with three battalions. Compare and contrast the situation with Grozny, for example (as was pointed out by Belmont Club today).
(For that matter, I think it would be good if Mr. Straw started reading Belmont Club regularly).
(Or at least stopped watching Al Jazeera).
Ugh.
Posted by: Phil Fraering ||
04/11/2004 12:22 Comments ||
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Regarding the Straw quote. I heard him speak on the radio yesterday, and this "quote" is from that. However, it's quite common that the media "massage" a quote, and this is an example ...
The BBC site has what he said (it was on BBC radio) ;
#3
Alastair - And the Iraqi bloggers, as well. As should the US policy-makers. Here's to the small hope that they do, at least some of the time. There is a middle-of-stream wisdom that weaves through these many on-line discussions - worthy of official notice and consideration. Wretchard and den Beste are amazing to me for their never-fail calm - so apparent in their posts - and the clear-eyed analysis rooted in fact and relevant context.
Thx for your BBC catch - and for joining the fray! Please don't be shy!
#5
And the Sun is not the worst of the lot - but lax or intended, uncorrected instances such as this seem to become habit in some quarters.
Were it not for the Blogs... sigh. ;^)
I would've stayed on-topic, had there been only one. These conglomerations put me off. The Ukranians bailing and running, for wherever reason, when fired upon, for example, strikes me as a bona-fide story in its own right. Where's the interview with the Uke Commander and the Polish Commander he reports to - then the real story from the private who was manning the gate when the Wadhi Wrmy came to call? Sigh.
Interesting perspective on the liberal perception as well as the Arab mindset.
On television, the children are unmoving, dead in the streets, blood pooling and spreading underneath them. On radio, announcers accuse Americans of attacking helpless civilians, not even allowing them to move for treatment of their bullet wounds. In newspapers, the stories ask if the deaths of perhaps hundreds of innocent civilians is not a greater crime than the horrific deaths and mutilations of four Americans.
It's a propaganda technique to make the retaliation the subject, rather than the original crime. If you make it a habit, you lose track of cause and effect. Arabs have been doing it for a thousand years...
For the past week, those have been the images, sounds and words that Iraqis have been taking in as everything here has focused on Fallujah. In this one week, Fallujah has come to symbolize for Iraqis everything that is wrong with the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq. "When the four Americans were murdered, almost all Iraqis were horrified, and understood that the reaction must be strong," said Iraqi journalist Dhrgam Mohammed Ali, referring to the killing March 31 of four private security guards whose bodies were then mutilated, dragged through Fallujah and hung from a bridge. "But now, we see women and children dying, trying to escape and not being allowed to, and many stop remembering the dead Americans. Instead, they wonder why four dead Americans are worth so much, while hundreds of dead Iraqis are worth so little."
Because the dead Iraqis aren't killed in ambushes and their bodies aren't mutilated by jubilant Marines? Because any women and kiddies who get it aren't the targets, but the Bad Guys standing behind them?
Umm Marwa, who has fled her home in Fallujah, said the March 31 attack -- if not the crowdâs behavior -- was honorable. "The mujahedeen killed them and left them alone," she said. "It was some of the mob that was there that pulled them apart." Others, though, said even the mutilation was understandable. "Those people who dragged the Americansâ bodies through the streets, they certainly had had a brother or a father killed by the Americans; they had burnt hearts," said resident Umm Samir.
So you've got no objection to any Americans pulling the arms off dead Iraqis? After all, the Marines have lost men, too, right?
There is no official toll of dead and wounded Iraqis in Fallujah since the U.S. Marines began trying to take control of the town four days ago, but U.S. officials acknowledge many of the dead were civilians. Casualty estimates range as high as 450 deaths and more than 1,000 wounded. Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt on Saturday again defended American tactics, saying that Marines had been fired upon from mosques and from crowds containing women and children. He said Marines had tried to avoid civilian casualties, firing back in dangerous situations only in self-defense.
Great way to "defend your people," isn't it?
Residents told a different story. Many refused to give their names, saying that even talking to an American right now could endanger their lives.
Un-named sources can't be verified, can they? Great way to get the Bad Guys' story out...
But one, a doctor, said: "I was in my home for days, unable to leave, even to treat the sick, for fear of being shot. One morning, I decided I had to make it to the hospital, but just before I left, I saw my neighbor walk from his house. An American sniper shot him, once in the head. I was afraid to go out to him, to treat him. I watched him die."
How very sad. The neighbor, no doubt, was just returning the lawn mower he'd borrowed last week. That was what he had in his hand. And how come the Doc wasn't shot in the head? Could it be that he wasn't carrying anything?
One young woman asked why the Americans had to take out their anger on a whole city. "They are angry, yes, but we were not all guilty, and yet we were all punished. Every time they shot another man, his brother, his father, picked up a weapon and swore to kill Americans."
That puts them on the firing line, doesn't it?
Others echoed that sentiment. "The resistance is just some individuals, they are not a regular army. The Americans are striking as if they are fighting an army," said Salim Mubarak, 61, who fled with 19 members of his family Friday and is staying in western Baghdad.
Seems like anybody with a gun in his hand should be fair game.
Kimmitt denied that the Marines had engaged in collective punishment, but some said the damage had already been done. "Iraqis are looking at the images of Fallujah, and wondering if theyâre looking at the future of the rest of Iraq, should we ever anger the United States." said Iraqi journalist Abbas Ali Saki.
I sure as hell hope that's the case. Only Fallujah isn't rubble, yet.
Its that Arab failure to associate cause with effect. Simultaneously needing to be a victim, yet threatening dire revenge. But the last sentence is the money quote and might possibly indicate a rational policy decision summarized as âFuck with the Iraqi authorities, then the USMC is going to fuck with you. It aint nice but I think it might just work.
Posted by: Phil B ||
04/11/2004 8:01:33 AM ||
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"Iraqis are looking at the images of Fallujah, and wondering if theyâre looking at the future of the rest of Iraq, should we ever anger the United States."
#2
"On radio, announcers accuse Americans of attacking helpless civilians, not even allowing them to move for treatment of their bullet wounds."
This lament sounds so familiar. Unfortunately those who started the whole thing are not worrying about treating the wounded. Hope your marines have learned from Jenin and the hudna.
Posted by: Barry ||
04/11/2004 8:21 Comments ||
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On the subject of 'getting it' when I pulled up this page, all 4 googleads were from Iraqi companies.
Posted by: Phil B ||
04/11/2004 8:53 Comments ||
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They wonder why four dead Americans are worth so much, while hundreds of dead Iraqis are worth so little.
Worth what to whom? From our perspective, it's the rebels who don't value Iraqi lives. What's the purpose of this fighting and dying? The rebels' purpose is to prevent democracy. They are willing for tens of thousands of Iraqis to die in order to prevent democracy. They could spend all their energies to prepare for elections, but they are using all their energy to fight futile battles.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
04/11/2004 11:52 Comments ||
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How does the good Doctor know it was an American Sniper? Perhaps it was an Islamist.
We need to start equiping the marines with cameras so that they can show pictures of the islamist's shooting from crowds of women and children.
BTW: Why are there crowds of women and children out on the streets anyway? They were told to stay indoors. Where they forced out by the islamist for cover?
#7
They wonder why four dead Americans are worth so much, while hundreds of dead Iraqis are worth so little.
Because Moslems value death more than Americans value life.
#8
But now, we see women and children dying, trying to escape and not being allowed to
Like Arabs anywhere gave a sh*t about women or children. See 'Palestinians' sending retarded kids to their deaths for a few bucks and a kiss on the ass.
...and many stop remembering the dead Americans. Instead, they wonder why four dead Americans are worth so much, while hundreds of dead Iraqis are worth so little."
Answer your own question. Americans care so much for freedom and for life they are willing to die to ensure it not just for themselves, but for everyone, but more than that, they are far, far more willing to make you die if you see fit in taking those freedoms away. In large numbers if need be.
Reading excerpts from this article makes me wonder if the only freedom 'journalists' care about is making the world safe for Islam and the barbarity it is.
Incredible defeatist 'news' article, chock full of propogandida. NPR/PBS reporters could never exceed the absolute depth of moralistic and journalistic depravity the writer sinks to. Lord knows the leftists there try on a daily basis.
#12
The Fallujah jihadis fired weapons at red crescent vehicles and at Iraqi humanitarian vehicles. You won't see those images on Al Jaz or the BBC or the other pro terrorism outlets
A third round of negotiations aimed at ending the fighting in the besieged city of Fallujah will be held Sunday, a U.S. commander said. Arab TV stations reported that Sunni militants have agreed to a U.S. offer of a cease-fire. But as you read further you find they havenât.
There were few sounds of clashes in the city Sunday and a Marine commander in the south said the rebels hadnât attacked them for several hours. Earlier, insurgents who kidnapped a U.S. civilian Friday threatened to kill and mutilate him if Marines did not withdraw from Fallujah by 6 a.m. Sunday local time, or 10 p.m. Saturday EDT. The deadline passed with no word on his fate.
I'd guess he's toast by now. We'll have to hunt down the killers and kill them. We can't let any of these incidents slide, just as we can't give in to any of the demands of the hostage takers.
Mahmoud Othman, a member of Iraqâs Governing Council, said the militants have agreed in principle to a truce starting Sunday, but the deal depends on the doubtful prospect of American soldiers withdrawing from the city.
Can't do it. If we do it, we lose.
The insurgents made the offer through mediators in negotiations between council members and city representatives in Fallujah, he told The Associated Press. There was no confirmation from U.S. commanders that a deal had been struck. Lt. Col. Brennan Byrne, commander of the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, which is deployed in the cityâs south, said "there has been no contact this morning from the rebels. I can confirm that we are going to continue" attacks on the insurgents. Byrne said another round of talks would be held between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday. Arab TV station Al-Jazeera quoted an unidentified insurgent leader in Fallujah as saying a cease-fire would begin at 10 a.m. and last for 12 hours. A few hours earlier, Al-Arabiya reported that the truce started at 6 a.m. U.S. commanders have said that for a truce to hold, the militants must hand over the Iraqis who killed and mutilated four American civilians on March 31 and allow the return of Iraqi police to their stations to keep order, Othman said.
They won't comply with that. It means they lose.
Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt told reporters Saturday that fighters must also "lay down their arms" and renounce their membership in extremist groups to fully end the insurgency that has made Fallujah its stronghold.
They won't do that, either...
The Marines warned of an assault to take the entire city if the negotiations failed and moved in reinforcements around the city. Kimmitt said a third battalion of Marines had moved to the city, joining two battalions totaling 1,200 troops and a battalion of nearly 900 Iraqi security forces. "Were we not at this point observing suspension of offensive operations ... it could well have been that we would have had the entire the city by this point," Kimmitt told reporters in Baghdad. I think "lay down their arms" means the whole city will be disarmed. An extremely effective punishment in a gun culture like Iraq. As well as one the Left canât excited about.
Posted by: Phil B ||
04/11/2004 4:42:36 AM ||
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AFP reporter on BBC says fighting continues in Fallujah.
Also US helicopter shot down on west of Baghdad.
Posted by: Phil B ||
04/11/2004 6:07 Comments ||
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Steven Den Beste (http://denbeste.nu/) has a good essay up right now on this ceasefire, and how the press are distorting it. Well worth reading.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
04/11/2004 6:16 Comments ||
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This has all the appearances of politcians snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. I believe in civilian control of the military but once an objective or mission is decided on then let the military handle it till it is done. This really seems like politcal hacks have made the decison to eliminate the possibility of a victory.
Posted by: Michael ||
04/11/2004 11:12 Comments ||
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Michael, you're forgetting the Big Double Standard: If we moved in and assaulted the city, with most of the civilians still there and dying in the crossfire, we're "unspeakably cruel bullies." If we agree to a ceasefire to try to get the civilians out of the crossfire (and sorting out hostiles from friendlies is a major problem for us, and a major legitimate concern of the governing council) it shows that we're "defeated weaklings facing an unstoppable uprising." Sometimes both at the same time.
Posted by: Phil Fraering ||
04/11/2004 12:55 Comments ||
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The United States has said that it is determined to defeat the militants in Iraq, and Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whose militia is currently fighting the US-led forces, will be brought to justice. "The militant Shiite cleric, who has been indicted on charges of murder, will not stop Coalition or Iraqi Governing Council efforts... and he will be brought to justice in due course," Secretary of State Colin Powell said in an interview to ABC television.
I'm not real impressed by the IGC's actions in this...
"We have got to defeat these Sunni remnants in the Sunni triangle left over from Saddam Hussein's regime, and we've got to deal with the forces of Muqtada al-Sadr in the south. I have confidence that our military will bring this under control," he said. "I'm confident we'll get Fallujah and Ramadi under control. In the case of Fallujah, the Marines are around the city now, on the outskirts of the city," Powell said, "the Marines know how to deal with a situation like this and will go in, defeat the enemy, and retake Fallujah and Al-Ramadi".
Preferably with a corpse count high enough to give the next bunch that wants an intifadah pause...
Powell said it is important to get the security situation under control to "get on with reconstruction, get on with the political process and not lose sight of what we have accomplished over the past year and what our objective remains to be."
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/11/2004 12:46:30 AM ||
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Stay the course. Negotiate with an indicted murderer and seditionist leading an armed uprising? Negotiate with scum who murder and desecrate the dead? Not fuckin' likely. You're not facing Clinton, cheesedicks. Dubya stays on topic, on track, and on target. You're toast.
I wish it were so. Unfortunately, the only way Bush will win in November is if he gets some positive results in Iraq, and soon. Positive results meaning as little body bags as possible. It won't even be good for Bush if progress is made while the fight continues. The name of the game is to keep things calm until the election, and hope for the best. That's why we have talks of truce, cease-fires etc..
Posted by: Rafael ||
04/11/2004 7:41 Comments ||
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I think the talks of 'ceasefire' is to try to keep the ICG engaged to the extent possible. We need them for the 6/30 handover. So far they are acting like petulent children instead of future leaders of a new government in a complex, violent region.
From what I can tell, we're still fighting in Fallujah as we discuss ceasefires and truces.
#4
"Brought to justice" works for me, as long as "justice" means "deader than a doornail."
Rafael, I think you're full of it. Bush isn't directing this war, the military is. Unlike some previous occupants of the White House (think "Democrats"), Bush doesn't micromanage the military; he gives them clear goals and gets out of their way so they can do their jobs.
Notice how information (good or bad) about Iraq comes from the commanders in Iraq, not from the White House - even when Saddam was captured (by any calculations, a political as well as military victory). Now imagine the same scenario, except Clinton in the White House. The annoucement would have come from Clinton himself, so he could grab all the glory. (Yeah, yeah, I know we wouldn't have gone into Iraq in the first place if Clinton - or Gore - were in the White House; they'd be too busy kissing the UN's and Frawnce's asses to do anything to defend the US. I said imagine.)
Sadr and his minions are thugs trained and sent by Iran; they're fighting Iran's proxy war with America, joined by Baathists who can no longer torture and kill Iraqis at will and for pleasure, and who are pissed off by their loss of absolute power. The majority of Iraqis want freedom and democracy; they emphatically do not want a theocracy, or another thugocracy.
I think we'll stay the course not because of the impending elections, but because it's (1) the right thing to do and (2) we'd rather fight and kill islamic fanatics there than here.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
04/11/2004 11:18 Comments ||
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Rafael, I think you're full of it. Bush isn't directing this war, the military is. Unlike some previous occupants of the White House (think "Democrats"), Bush doesn't micromanage the military; he gives them clear goals and gets out of their way so they can do their jobs.
Amen to that.
The choice in November is a stark one: A republican who loves freedom or a socialist who hates it. Pretty clear choice.
You gotta forgive Rafael. He is apprently wearing the same filtering goggles the leftist press wears and see only doom, defeat and socialism.
#7
Rafael, I think you're full of it. Bush isn't directing this war, the military is.
Yeak ok. You're the one full of it if you think Bush (and his team) isn't giving some direction in an election year. He doesn't micromanage, true. But c'mon, it's a delicate balancing act: kill the jihadis, but at the same time don't give the impression that everything is going to hell. And the latter is a political matter.
Secondly, I don't see Bush's re-election in November as a sure bet. I hope he wins, because a half-assed job in Iraq at this juncture in the WoT isn't good, to put it mildly.
see only doom, defeat and socialism.
That's low badanov :-) I escaped socialism 25 years ago (though sometimes I wonder) and I don't intend to go back. As far as defeatism...how many here say that the ceasefires are a missed opportunity? A half-assed job is defeat in my opinion. Either see it through to completion, or don't bother.
Posted by: Rafael ||
04/11/2004 17:35 Comments ||
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Actually, you are all making an excellent argument for having some grizzled Marine Master Gunny with a glass eye, 14 Purple Fuckers, and 10-20 missing teeth take over the CENTCOM briefings.
There IS a political component, whether we like it or not. The Military DOES have the benefit of a Leader vs Manager as Prez. You're both right. Now if we had some nasty-assed old hardcase get up give the daily brief - brief would, indeed, be the operative word as he dissed the fucktard Press mooks. I can't wait for the Military to start issuing a packaged daily brief directly and cut out this "I'm Important! I'm a Star Reporter! I tripped up Kimmet!" mentality that pervades and twists the "news" they report. These stories we comment on are the "product" they crank out, after editorial seasoning. Tripe - and it's hurting us more than informing us.
.com Report Card...
Plays well with others: F (lol!)
Jordanian authorities said Saturday they had found cars carrying explosives that an underground group had planned to use to attack American interests, a senior security official said. An unspecified number of cars with explosives were found and the suspects who sought to use them were arrested, the official said. "The group planned attacks on American interests including the embassy and a number of U.S. organizations based in Jordan," he said. Security officials said earlier this month that cars with explosives had been driven into Jordan from Syria. Jordan's desert border with Syria is patrolled, but smugglers slip in regularly. Officials said that they had uncovered a group planning attacks in the kingdom and had arrested some suspects who are now under vigorous interrogation with truncheons. Three others got away, and state television has run their pictures, appealing to Jordanians to give the police information on their whereabouts.
Sure, that'll work.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/11/2004 12:43:39 AM ||
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We can't forget Zarqawi's initial focus was on Jordan. He probably won't, either.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2004 17:49 Comments ||
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A contingent of British Army Gurkhas last week rescued an Afghan governor from a mansion overrun by forces loyal to a warlord allied to the international coalition. As crowds rampaged through the grounds, eight men of the Royal Gurkha Rifles battled through the chaos into the mansion where Enayatullah Enayat, the governor of the remote Faryab Province, had taken refuge. Outside the front gate, troops loyal to the regional strongman, Abdul Rashid Dostum, set fire to the Gurkhas' vehicle, forcing them to bundle Mr Enayat out a back window.
Not a good idea to upset the Gurkhas.
Last week's stand-off brought British troops dangerously close to confrontation with the forces of Gen Dostum, a renegade adviser to President Hamid Karzai who is armed and funded by America. It was the second time in a month that a warlord had provoked a confrontation with the Afghan government as it struggles to establish the rule of law and continue the war on terror. The latest insurgency, and the fact that Gen Dostum has US backing in return for fighting al-Qaeda and the Taliban, have fuelled criticism that America's support of warlords is destabilising the Karzai regime. To the dismay of local politicians, the US-led Coalition is planning to re-arm the militias. Under Coalition proposals, up to 6,000 men would be trained as "national guards" and fight in the southern and eastern provinces where Taliban insurgents are regrouping and attacking Coalition soldiers.
It makes sense to organize them and use them elsewhere than in their home provinces. It lets them burn off all that aggression, kill Taliban and al-Qaeda, and by they time they've had a good campaign and felt like they've done something they're ready to settle down.
Gen Rahim Wardak, the deputy defence minister, pleaded with the Americans last night to stop supporting dissident warlords, saying that the Kabul government was determined to rid the country of them before elections this autumn.
That path doesn't seem to have been working very well. But getting them out of the neighborhood will help lots. Shoulda been doing that all along.
In last week's incident, Gen Dostum's forces overran Maimana, the capital of Faryab province, forcing the government to send 750 troops from the fledgling Afghan national army to restore order. Last night, the warlord's men agreed to withdraw.
Yeah, this one's going to have to get fixed. Warlords ought to think about being officers in the new army or politicians in the new government -- beats being a warlord of a wasteland. Or having a Gurkha coming after you.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/11/2004 12:36:51 AM ||
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Sounds like Dostum, and others of his ilk, needs a .45 caliber attitude adjustment.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
04/11/2004 2:14 Comments ||
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How many "countries" would our esteemed Afghanistan experts say actually exist within the borders of this particular "Yogoslavia of the East" confabulation?
What we have in Afghanistan is, in terms of the real underlying causes, not much different than the situation we have in Iraq: tribal / warlord / feudal society. Can you bring them forward several hundred years in 2 or 10 years? No, certainly not with Islam at the core of their social system. Nothing resists progress quite like Islam, it's singular in this respect, if not unique. So if they're stuck in amber far back in the past and you can't remove the roadblock that keeps them there, Islam, what do you do?
#4
Dostum was instrumental in defeating the Taliban. He is an Uzbek and I suspect the subtext here is creeping pashtunization of Afghanistan.
Posted by: Phil B ||
04/11/2004 5:16 Comments ||
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#5
Dostum isn't a spittle-spewing eye-rolling nut like the Taliban, and that's a plus. He's a hardcore old-time warlord, but one that thinks rationally, and he can be dealt with with carrots and sticks. The Pashtuns are another case...good point, Phil B
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/11/2004 10:15 Comments ||
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#6
Anybody else catch the interesting construction of the opening sentence of the second para:
"...Gen Dostum, a renegade adviser to President Hamid Karzai who is armed and funded by America."
Wonder how many readers subconsciously added a comma after "Karzai," making the sentence "Gen Dostum, ..., who is armed and funded by America."
(Or am I just being paranoid?)
Posted by: Old Grouch ||
04/11/2004 15:44 Comments ||
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OG - Nope - you're right. I read it thrice before I concluded it was just me being picky. A non-kerfuffle, kerfuffle, heh... Or is it?
#8
I have a good friend who's an ethnic Gurkha. Nicest guy in the world, but give him an assault rifle and a kukri and tell him to take a ridgeline, baby look out!
Posted by: Mike ||
04/12/2004 6:23 Comments ||
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Insurgents who kidnapped an American civilian threatened in a videotape released Saturday to kill and mutilate him unless U.S. forces withdraw from the city of Fallujah.
No surprise there.
The tape of the American, broadcast on the Arab TV station Al-Jazeera, showed him identifying himself as Thomas Hamill, 43, from Mississippi. In other footage with no audio, he stood in front of an Iraqi flag, his expression calm but wary as his captors announced their threat on his life. A voice-over read by an Al-Jazeera announcer quoted Hamill as saying he was being treated well and that he works for a "private company that supports the military action."
Wonder if Mr. Zuniga (Kos) is happy?
His wife, Kellie, contacted at their home in Macon, Miss., confirmed that her husband had been captured. She told The Associated Press he works for the Houston-based engineering and construction company Kellogg, Brown & Root, a division of Halliburton, and referred all other comment to the employer. "I am in good shape," the voice-over quoted Hamill as saying. "They were good to me. They gave me antibiotics. I have no idea what is going on in Fallujah. I hear there is a siege and people are living in some sort of prison. ... I hope to return home one day, and I want my family to know that these people are taking care of me, and provide me with food, water and a place to sleep." Hamill stood in front of the red-white-and-black Iraqi flag, its emblazoned slogan "God is great" prominent above his head. His eyes darted back and forth, but he appeared calm.
The changed the colors of the flag?
His captors warned he would meet a worse fate than four American civilians killed in Fallujah on March 31, their bodies burned and mutilated by a mob, unless U.S. forces end their assault on the city "within 12 hours, starting 6 p.m." - 10 a.m. Saturday, EDT. "At the end of this period, he will be treated worse than those who were killed and burned in Fallujah," the voice-over said.
They're not capable of much more than savagery, are they?
Hamill was snatched Friday by gunmen who attacked a fuel convoy he was guarding on the main highway on Baghdad's western edge, the latest in a string of kidnappings in Iraq. Footage released earlier Saturday showed him being whisked away in a car, a gunman in the back seat with him waving an automatic weapon.
Wonder if any ICDC or Iraqi police were in on this one?
Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt refused to comment Saturday on efforts to free Hamill or other captives, saying it "would not be helpful to discuss" any plans.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/11/2004 12:26:03 AM ||
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This sucks, but sometimes you're in the wrong place at the wrong time... other times you ask for it - and don't get it, so you get a pass. We don't know how he was caught, nor can we alter the plan to wipe out the asshats in the SunTri to maybe save one guy. I've been in a variation of his shoes - and there's just not much to say. You check your vehicle carefully, vary your route, change where you shop and where you eat, keep your eyes peeled for the unusual, carry a weapon (should've been an M-16 & .45 Cal ACP for him, it was a simple hickory axe handle for me - from Saco Hardware) in your car, not travel alone if you can help it - basically just keep your head out of your ass - that's about all you can do. KBR should be doing one hell of a security reassessment right about now.
If our guys think they know where he is and can reasonably take a shot at getting him out, rock on. If not, then that is how it goes - the odds always level out eventually. But the entire Iraq situation does not hinge upon one man - or 100 men.
#2
He is not allowed to have a weapon. His security is the military, KBR is a direct contractor to the military, and they provide convoy escort. You do remeber the convoy that was hit the other day?
#3
Soldiers lost in firefights are one thing. Killing captives and especially mutilating them should result in one less Shiite mosque. Break the rules, lose a mosque. When we run out of Shiite mosques, maybe then it will be necessary to rethink our drink. I think these maggots would reassess their game plan in a hurry when they got down to the last few most precious sites they have. Of course, we should save Karbala's Tomb of El-Hussein for last. Pack it with phosphorous and powdered metals, just for the visual effects.
#4
This is probably not the Shia, but al-Zarqawi's group. He gave orders to kidnap Americans some time ago and a recent al-Qaeda tape reiterated the strategy.
#5
The MEDIA getting all hyperbollic and teary-eyed and upset and outraged about four bodies being burned and otherwise shit on gave the Jihadi wannabe fuckwads IDEAS. Now, they KNOW they are going to make the NEWS by fiddle fucking around with HOSTAGES and CORPSES. The best attitude to have is NOT TO GIVE A SHIT one way or the other what the Islamo-fuckers do to big boys and big girls who KNEW what they were getting into a shit stew when they went to IRAQ, or joined the US MILITARY. Try the old STIFF UPPER LIP, comrade Americans. AND we need to stop allowing the MEDIA to portray AMERICANS as a gaggle of gawddamned PUSSIES.
#6
kbr - Yes, I heard that he was part of a fuel truck convoy this AM on Fox. You're saying they had a US military escort? Not very effective, was it? I haven't heard a peep about this aspect - if you have details, please post what you feel comfortable posting - a no-names version, I guess.
If I was in Iraq as a contractor, I would not take assignments in injun country unarmed, period. In fact, given the Sadr shit, everywhere but Kurdistan qualifies at the moment. One week after the Blackwater guys and within spitting distance of where it happened? Not a chance. Whomever is supervising KBR people in this zone had better wire his/her shit a bit tighter and fight for better protection for his/her people - or he/she will find himself/herself all alone. Q.E.D.
edited for brevity.
Hundreds of reinforcements joined fellow Marines besieging Fallujah on Saturday, and the U.S. military said it would move to take the city if cease-fire talks fail. Fighting raged through the center of the country, killing 40 Iraqis and an American airman. Gunfire crackled in the city, even as Iraqi government negotiators met with Fallujah leaders to persuade them to hand over militants who killed and mutilated four Americans in here March 31. Insurgents offered to call a truce if U.S. troops leave Fallujah â a condition the Americans appeared unlikely to accept. Good.
Nearly 60,000 Fallujah residents, about a third of the population, have fled over the past two days, a Marine commander said. âThe prospect of some city father walking in and making âJoe Jihadiâ give himself up are pretty slim,â said Lt. Col. Brennan Byrne, commander of the 1st Batallion, 5th Marine Regiment. He gets it, why doesnât the rest of the figure heads?
âWhat is coming is the destruction of anti-coalition forces in Fallujah ... they have two choices: Submit or die,â he told reporters. Perfect language for the Arab mind to grasp.
But they won't.
Posted by: Jarhead ||
04/11/2004 12:00:00 AM ||
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Lol! You can always tell when a Marine is talking - they don't leave any wiggle room for the weenies!
#6
The Arabs will not believe it and will not submit...
...until the second time they are given this ultimatum from the USMC, surrounded by their dead comrades that resulted from the conseqences of not taking a Marine at his word.
#8
the U.S. military said it would move to take the city if cease-fire talks fail
Well latest word is that the cease-fire is in effect, so all this talk of ultimatums is hot air...for now anyways.
Posted by: Rafael ||
04/11/2004 7:49 Comments ||
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Anon> your correct that is what it means.
We shall see what the talking heads come up/w. My estimate is that we'll be back to killing muzzy's by Monday. We'll prolly get a fix on more of their positions during the cease fire and might be able to get some Battle Damage Assessments (BDAs) back to our intel. In the interim we can reload, top off chow, h2o, & ammo and get ready for round two. So long as we've cordoned off all major thorough fare's to Fallujah so the enemy can't reconstitute - this is really no big deal for us. I bet the fallujian's medical supplies are all about used up. Heck, must find positives in every turn of the situation. We can just go Dug-out Doug on them, cordon off on block at a time and neutralize any resistors. Time becomes his enemy.
#13
Oh, they asked for the army
to come to Tulagi
But General MacArthur said "no"
He gave as his reason
It wasn't the season
Besides there is no USO
Asside from irreverant Marine humor, the press can blather an wring their hands. The bottom line is that the Marines stay their course in Fallujah and follow their battle plan. These things take time, and the press has neither the time or the patience.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
04/11/2004 14:48 Comments ||
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Well latest word is that the cease-fire is in effect, so all this talk of ultimatums is hot air...for now anyways.
Hardly hot air, if you ask me. You can read the NYT headlines all you want to and ponder possibilities over glass of brandy and a cigar. But, if you want MHO, this is is do or die. We aren't playing barbie dolls or GI joe here.
They have a choice, submit or die. Sometimes things are just that simple.
Posted by: B ||
04/11/2004 15:53 Comments ||
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silly :-p
if they submit worst we can do is jug them till the world forgets about them then hand them over to the iraqi's to be executed as saddam sympathizers.. Anything more and we lose credibility
The biggest enemy we have is American public opinion. At work people still go "Yeah but over 650 soldiers have died." Although every American death is a horrible thing, you have to look at it from a military standpoint. These numbers are EXTREMELY light casualties.
Why doesn't the press just say 380 KIA instead of counting about 250 people run over by trucks or "accidental discharges"! The press takes great pains to pump the body count.
I'm starting to get fed up with Rummy and Bush. Rummy, because his "economy of force" policy plus high tech isn't worth a damn. What he needs to do is to start raising 5 to 6 more Infantry Divisions YESTERDAY!!! (think future operations elsewhere) Boots on the grounds win the war not a couple 10 million dollar missles. (Clinton tried that remember?) If he thinks rotating 2 large chunks of the military back and forth to Iraq isn't going to send recruitment / reenlistment rates plummeting, he's nuts.
The 1200 Marines wasn't enough. (Offensive Attacks ((never mind that it's MOUT OPS)) should have a ,what, 3:1 ratio of attackers to defenders? Hmmm...)They should have brought in, at least, 2 Brigades (aprox 5,000) to start with. Then run the campaign 24/7.
Also, all of these "cease fires" make us look weak to the Iraq's and Arabs sorta like the militants are wearing us down. (the first one to get the women and children out ok, but thats it.)
As far as Bush, it's election time and now he's "asking other nations for suggestions on how to resolve it!!??" Hell man, you have Marines on the job, don't hinder them and let them get the job done! As long as the politician's continue to get in the way (or worry about if people will vote for them) things will only get worse for the soldiers and Marines. May God bless them all. ...My 2 cents.
..or take the cease-fire (which is what they have been offered). In a cease-fire nobody's doing the killing, dying, or submitting. So I don't understand your point.
98Zulu, once again, I agree with you.
Posted by: Rafael ||
04/11/2004 21:05 Comments ||
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#18
well...Rafael...I guess I'll have to give you the point that if they suspend themselves in time and stay in the ceasefire for eternity, then, you are in fact, correct.
Posted by: B ||
04/11/2004 21:21 Comments ||
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98Zulu - Oops! I just saw your post! I love Rummy, for a lot of reasons, but I have to say I'm coming to the same conclusion about boots. Either there is a moronic problem with Abizaid / Sanchez on the distribution of boots in Iraq (or even the dipshit possessive politics within the Corps that pops up when someone suggests stripping off a unit here or there to put them where they're needed - that shit goes on, too), or there just ain't enough to go around in-country. I'll say the 3:1 has been the standard for a few thousand years and makes a shitload of assumptions -- which may not apply today because there are some serious tech advantages ranging from night vision to air support to comms. So I'll wiggle a little bit right there, but I buy off on the whole as making real and solid sense. My understanding is that during our little hudna, the Marine forces have been reinforced to approximately double in number - what, 2500? - which does make you wonder, I agree, about the first pass.
#20
if they suspend themselves in time and stay in the ceasefire for eternity
Ooooooooh, I see. Stupid me. I thought this cease-fire was for real. In that case, I stand corrected.
Posted by: Rafael ||
04/11/2004 21:54 Comments ||
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#21
Look raffy .... you aren't making any sense. A ceasefire is a temporary thing by nature. There has to be an OUTCOME from a ceasefire.
It could be, I suppose, that the marines will just up and go home or that the bad guys will put down their arms and start tending to their sheep (ie: "submit")
At some point, the ceasefire will end because the bad guys either
1. the marines go home (yeah right)
2. the bad guys submit... or
3. they die
Perhaps you could explain to me other outcomes from this ceasefire.
Posted by: B ||
04/11/2004 22:18 Comments ||
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#22
A ceasefire is a temporary thing by nature.
Depends who is proposing it. It would be politically stupid for the coalition to ask for a cease-fire, then resume hostilities. So I assume the cease-fire is permanent. The outcome being resumption of the rule of law.
I do not see "submitting" as the same thing as cease-fire, btw. Submitting means surrendering; cease-fire means going back to tending sheep, for now, ready to fight another day.
I really don't understand why you're picking a fight here. Going back to what I said originally, "submit or die" means nothing if a cease-fire has been declared. Either there is a cease-fire, or there is not.
Anyway, we're arguing about semantics here. The jihadis themselves will render this disagreement moot. Let's oblige them.
Posted by: Rafael ||
04/11/2004 22:43 Comments ||
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#23
if you say so.
Posted by: B ||
04/11/2004 22:47 Comments ||
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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
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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.
