The head of slain American hostage Paul M. Johnson Jr., who was kidnapped and beheaded by terrorists last month, was found by security forces during a raid that targeted the Saudi Al-Qaeda chief, a statement from the Interior Ministry said. The ministry said Johnson's head was found in a refrigerator during a search of three locations after the raid late Tuesday that hit the home of Saudi Al-Qaeda leader Saleh Muhammad Al Oufi a former security officer and fourth on Saudi Arabia's list of most-wanted terrorists.
The Soddies have been diligently searching for Johnson for a month, and for al-Oufi even longer, but they never thought of popping by his house and looking in the fridge? Honest to Gawd, we don't make this stuff up... Maybe they do...
The statement did not make it clear if the head was found in the house where Al-Oufi was living with his family.
"Bring me my breakfast, woman!"
"I can't stand it! Every time I open the fridge, he's staring at me!"
"The Saudi authorities have informed the US mission that they found what they believe to be the head of Paul Johnson Jr.," said Carol Kalin, spokesperson for the US Embassy in Riyadh, and added that the mission was in the process of contacting Johnson's family in order to identify the head.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/21/2004 11:13:10 PM ||
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looking for the Arabic version of Sam Peckinpah to make a movie of this?
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/21/2004 23:21 Comments ||
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Security forces shot and killed another top terrorist on the government's most wanted list during a raid in the capital late Tuesday night. "Eisa ibn Saad Al-Awshan and Miejib Abu Ras Al-Dosari were killed and three others were wounded and arrested" during a raid on a villa in the northern King Fahd neighborhood, a statement from the Interior Ministry said.
Neither of them is al-Oufi, we might add...
Al-Awshan, a Saudi, was No. 13 on the ministry's list of 26-most-wanted terrorists. Security forces rushed to a villa on Abi Razi Street after a loud explosion was heard, reportedly caused by a hand-made grenade being prepared by the suspects. A fierce gunbattle erupted after security officers besieged the area. Locals said the terrorists used automatic weapons and fired several shots from rocket-propelled grenades, causing three nearby cars to explode. The ministry said armed men inside the villa engaged in an exchange of fire with security forces before fleeing, and that three policemen were slightly hurt.
"Yeah! Them guys with the turbans just tromped right over 'em..."
Saudi forces sealed off all access streets to the area while helicopters helped in the search for at least eight suspects who managed to escape from the villa.
"Come out witcher hands up! Yer... uhhh... surrounded... or somethin'!"
Two "suspects" were also detained during the search of the three locations that followed the gunbattle, reported the ministry.
"Take him in, Mahmoud! He's got a suspicious look to me!"
"Hey! That's my cousin Ahmed!"
"Well, take that guy in, then!"
The statement followed unconfirmed reports that one of the suspects gunned down during the raid was Saleh Muhammad Al-Oufi, the alleged Al-Qaeda chief in Saudi Arabia. Oufi, a 38-year-old former police officer, is No. 4 on the most-wanted list. He was reported to have replaced Abdul Aziz Al-Muqrin, who was killed with three associates in the capital on June 18 shortly after their "Al-Qaeda in the Arabian peninsula" posted photos on websites showing the beheading of American aeronautics engineer Paul Johnson. Saudi authorities are keeping Saleh Al-Oufi's family in custody after the shootout, the ministry stated, as it was evident that Al-Oufi had been living in the villa along with his family.
The Soddy coppers never thought to drop by his house to see if he was home?
Al-Oufi is believed to have fled the scene after security forces arrived.
So he's not titzup...
Police found rocket-propelled grenades, a SAM-7 surface-to-air missile, vast quantities of explosives and ammunition and SR360,000 during the operation. The clash came as Saudi leaders made a final call for Al-Qaeda-linked extremists to turn themselves in under the pardon and was the first incident of its kind since July 1, when police said two of the Kingdom's most wanted men were killed in a shootout. The authorities have said they will not extend the amnesty. "We hope that those remaining will be reasonable enough to use the period left to turn themselves in," said Defense Minister Prince Sultan ibn Abdul Aziz. Prince Sultan insisted security forces had the upper hand in dealing with the terrorists. "The deterioration of this deviant group and the downfall of its figures one after the other confirm that Allah is looking after this country," he said. Sheikh Awad Al-Qarni, an Islamic scholar in favor of mediation efforts, however saw the response as more favorable. "It seems that the amnesty produced great results through the positive response from some of those wanted," he said, adding that the "violent group has been immensely weakened."
Four guys surrender, one of them in a wheelchair, and it's great results? For whom?
Posted by: Fred ||
07/21/2004 10:58:07 PM ||
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....was No. 13 on the ministryâs list of 26-most-wanted terrorists.
So did the Saudis pass out a half deck of cards?
A Qatari court heard details of an appeal by two Russian intelligence agents against their life sentence for killing a former Chechen president in the capital Doha earlier this year. The hearing, which was adjourned to 29 July, was held on Wednesday behind closed doors at the request of defence lawyer Muhsin Dhiab al-Suwaidi who cited "the confidentiality of information" linked to the process. Al-Suwaidi told reporters after the one-hour session - held under tight security - that he had explained to judge Abd Allah al-Saadi "the reasons for submitting the appeal".
Anatoly Bilashkov and Vassily Pokchov were jailed last month for 25 years, equivalent to a life term in Qatar, for the 13 February killing of Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev, a former Chechen president who lived in Doha. Judge Ibrahim Salih al-Nisf said then the court had been lenient in not sentencing the pair to death, as the prosecution had sought, and mentioned that the "Russian leadership" had ordered the killing. Moscow has insisted the two are innocent. Both men had pleaded not guilty to the car bombing after the Friday prayers that killed Yandarbiyev and wounded his 13-year-old son.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/21/2004 10:17:45 PM ||
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The head of a US man kidnapped and killed in Saudi Arabia has been found in a police raid, security sources say. The head of Paul Johnson is said to have been discovered in a refrigerator during a police raid on an apartment in the Saudi capital Riyadh.
Bastards
Johnson was abducted by militants linked to al-Qaeda in June. Photographs of his beheading were published on an Islamist website. Johnson had been a helicopter engineer for a US defence contractor. The civilian's family had been pressing US officials to establish the whereabouts of his body. More details follow shortly.
Posted by: Steve ||
07/21/2004 8:57:50 AM ||
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#1
I still think we ought to send a delegation of Apache and Sioux leaders to explain to these people what happens when you convince the American public that you are just 'savages'. Scalps, heads, all the same. And a lot of America's original inhabitants' decendents are not enjoying the 'good life' of the American dream even to this day without a whole lot of generational guilt felt by most of the present population of the country.
Posted by: Don ||
07/21/2004 9:25 Comments ||
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#2
What!? Musab or someone wants to do an Idi Amin on the head as well?
#5
What most people don't understand is that the western expansion featured a number of setbacks and outright defeats of the American military, just read up on the Seminole Wars in Florida. The overall result however is plain to be seen.
Posted by: Don ||
07/21/2004 14:28 Comments ||
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#6
Why the fridge? Did they invest in the Ted Williams Jr plan for their victims?
Posted by: Super Hose ||
07/21/2004 22:50 Comments ||
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#7
trying to keep a cool head
*rimshot*
I'm here til Friday, try the veal!
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/21/2004 22:53 Comments ||
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Saudi security forces killed two wanted terrorists and arrested three others in a Riyadh clash in which three policemen were wounded, officials said Wednesday. An interior ministry source said the incident occurred late Tuesday night when policemen went to inspect a suspected terrorist hideout in the crowded King Fahd district north of Riyadh. "The security forces came under heavy fire, including bombs and rocket propelled grenades ... They returned to the source of fire and a clash erupted," the source said. He explained that another group of militants had been called in from outside the district but fled when confronted by security forces. They were still being hunted in Riyadh's neighborhoods. One of the dead militants is believed to be Saleh al-Oufi, who had replaced Saleh al-Muqrin, the main al-Qaida operative in Saudi Arabia, killed by police on June 18. The source said police seized a quantity of arms and arrested al-Oufi's family, notably his wife and three children, who were at the scene of the clash.
"Youse kids stay in the car! I'll handle this!... Ow!... Ow!... Aaaarrrggghhh!"
"Paw! They kilt Paw!"
Posted by: Fred ||
07/21/2004 8:06:00 AM ||
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One of the dead militants is believed to be Saleh al-Oufi, who had replaced Saleh al-Muqrin, the main al-Qaida operative in Saudi Arabia
Now that there's a job opening, I'm sure Khaled al-Harby will be willing to step in and take charge. That was the plan, right?
Posted by: Steve ||
07/21/2004 8:42 Comments ||
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It looks as though Al-Qaida is having really high turn-over with their head of operations in the Arabian Peninsula position! Hamas seems to be having a similar problem with their leadership.
At the next Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula meeting: "Congradulations Mohammed! You've been promoted to leader of Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula. Please, tell us how you feel about your promotion..." "Well, first of all I'd like to thank BOOM! BOOM! AHHH! " And then someone says "Well, it looks as though the position is open again!"
#3
Al-Oufi wasn't the real leader of al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia. Neither was al-Muqrin or al-Hajj, for that matter.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
07/21/2004 9:53 Comments ||
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#4
c'mon Dan - you can't leave that unfinished!
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/21/2004 9:56 Comments ||
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#5
He can say no more.
Posted by: Mr. Davis ||
07/21/2004 10:28 Comments ||
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#6
hes referring Louis Attiyah, the ideological heavyweight - click on the al oufi link in the above article and see past discussions of the AQ leadership in KSA
#7
still the rapid disappearance of the OPERATIONAL heads of AQ in KSA would still seem to be a good thing. It still looks to me like it takes a good deal of CYNICISM ;) to deny that. Of course some here may have a VERY sound basis for cynicism.
#8
I cheer their demise every bit as much as the next guy. Muqrin, Hajj, and Oufi were all Krazed Killers by any standard you want to invoke. But as long as Louie's still in business (or al-Hawali and Co for that matter), all that's being done is a regular attrition to the common rubes with no attention being paid to the middle management.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
07/21/2004 13:47 Comments ||
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#9
The real moment of truth will come when the air raid sirens start screaming over Riyadh as the first Buffs make their high-altitude initial strikes against the REAL terrorist leadership in the Middle East - the House of Saud. Until that happens, all the rest is just cat-and-mouse playing around the edges.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
07/21/2004 21:26 Comments ||
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The pan-Arab satellite news station al-Jazeera reported Wednesday that al-Aoofi, believed to be Al Qaeda (search)'s chief operative in Saudi Arabia, may be among the dead or wounded militants. Hopefully true. He is more likely "surrounded".
Posted by: Ol_Dirty_American ||
07/21/2004 7:44:31 AM ||
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WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush on Wednesday signed legislation to develop and stockpile vaccines and other antidotes to chemical and germ attacks, saying the measure will "rally the great promise of American science and innovation to confront the greatest danger of our time."
The legislation, called Project BioShield, provides the drug industry with incentives to research and develop bioterrorism countermeasures. It speeds up the approval process of antidotes and, in an emergency, allows the government to distribute certain treatments before the Food and Drug Administration has approved them. "We know that the terrorists seek an even deadlier technology, and if they acquire chemical, biological or nuclear weapons we have no doubt they will use them to cause even greater harm," Bush said in the Rose Garden. He said the legislation sends a message about America's direction in the war on terror - that the United States refuses to stand idle "when modern technology might be turned against us."
U.S. officials are hoping that Project BioShield will yield enough new-generation anthrax vaccine to dose 25 million people. Federal health officials also hope that the $5.6 billion program will provide antidotes for botulism and anthrax, a safer smallpox vaccine and a long-awaited children's version of an anti-radiation pill.
The program received bipartisan support in Congress. It passed the House on a 414-2 vote July 15. The discovery of sarin gas in a roadside bomb in Iraq and ricin and anthrax attacks against the Capitol spurred the Senate to pass it 99-0 in May.
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/21/2004 2:25:07 PM ||
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A bomb explosion wounded a Palestinian Fatah official and his daughter at a refugee camp in south Lebanon Wednesday, security sources said. The man, who was not identified, was wounded when gunmen tossed a hand grenade at his home in the Safsaf neighborhood in Ein el-Hilweh, the largest of 12 Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. The incident reflected divisions within Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat's mainstream Fatah movement, the sources said. Ein el-Hilweh, home to some 70,000 Palestinian refugees, is outside the control of Lebanese authorities and has turned into a haven for outlaws and criminals in the last few years.
No! Really?
Also Wednesday, thousands of Palestinian refugees demonstrated in another Lebanon camp in support of Arafat whose authority was challenged two days ago by rebellious Fatah members in Gaza who are demanding an end to rampant corruption in PA institutions. The protesters raised giant pictures of Arafat as they shouted "Yes for President Arafat, Yes for national unity under Arafat ... We will not accept any replacement for him."
They keep those giant posters at home in their closets, and when the urge to demonstrate spontaneously comes over there, they're right there....
Posted by: Fred ||
07/21/2004 8:03:18 AM ||
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yech! A blowup of Arafish's ugly mug?
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/21/2004 9:39 Comments ||
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Mebbe they should become a sister city to Gaza City?
U.N. chief calls for lots of girly action to restore morale security
Monday, July 19, 2004 Posted: 7:25 PM EDT (2325 GMT)
RAMALLAH, West Bank (CNN) -- Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ahmed "So Fire Me" Qorei said Monday that Gaza was in "chaos," as two officials each claimed to be chief of general security in Gaza and the West Bank. "I tell you that badge is mine, al-Majeida!"
"Get your own, you little pipsqueak!"
Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat, facing an unprecedented challenge to his power, said and did nothing as usual. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan called on Arafat for some casual sex to "take the time to listen" to Qorei and other leaders. "What is important is taking the spotlight off of my son with the action that needs to be taken on the ground to bring it under control, and for the Palestinian Authority... to being [willing] to reform -- particularly to bring the security forces under one command," he said. In case you haven't noticed, Kofi. It hasn't happened yet and it won't happen anytime soon.
The unrest in Gaza began Saturday, when Arafat replaced Abdel Razik al-Majeida as head of national security with Mussa Arafat -- the Palestinian leader's nephew. After the announcement, about 2,000 demonstrators filled the streets of southern Gaza, complaining that Yasser Arafat was replacing "corruption with more corruption." And how, exactly, is this news?
Several leaders of Arafat's Fatah movement resigned in protest. Sunday violence in Gaza included the burning of Palestinian intelligence offices in Khan Yunis by Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades -- a military offshoot of Fatah that Israel and the U.S. State Department consider a terrorist organization. The boys are just trying to eliminate any competition in advance.
Qorei, who has twice tried to resign after demanding greater power to revive peace efforts with Israel and to fight the turmoil and poverty gripping Gaza, met with his Cabinet on Monday to discuss the upheaval. At a news conference in Ramallah, West Bank, Qorei said his written resignation still stands but that he had not received a written response from Arafat since filing his resignation letter.
Qorei said Monday that his Cabinet members had formed a committee to meet with Arafat to convey their growing concerns over the Gaza violence. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan called on Arafat to "take the time to listen" to Qorei and other leaders. Last week, U.N. Middle East envoy Terje Roed-Larsen warned the Security Council that the Palestinian Authority "is in deep distress and is in real danger of collapse," and blamed Arafat for not carrying out promised reforms. Such realistic analysis was immediately condemned by the Palestinian Authority as offending Arab sensibilities and hastily retracted by Annan with profuse apologies.
"The events have borne [Roed-Larsen's assessment] out," Annan told reporters at the United Nations in New York. "But that is not anything to take satisfaction from as with all my other global efforts." He encouraged Arafat to work "with the Egyptians and the Jordanians and the international community to reform his security apparatus." In addition to firing al-Majeida and naming his nephew as security chief, Arafat announced Saturday that he would consolidate the 12 security organizations in Gaza into three units: national security, armed forces and police. "We's gots to funnel all the dough through a central skimming accounting operation."
Yet despite apparently being sacked, al-Majeida maintains that he still holds his position. Speaking in Gaza, al-Majeida told reporters he had been reinstated as head of national security after his dismissal Saturday. Meanwhile, Mussa Arafat maintained he was still in control, Palestinians sources said. After his Cabinet meeting, Qorei said, "Who is corrupt and who isn't corrupt? These are the questions that are being raised, but this is not how corruption is solved." More simple to ask "who isn't corrupt" and leave it at that.
He called on all Palestinians to "put an end to chaos and violence" as a way to "achieve our national goals." "How rightfully joyful the Israelis are these days," Qorei said. "The only winners are our enemies." Militant's house remodeled at no charge explodes
Also Monday, the house of a Palestinian militant leader exploded in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza, wounding three people. Sources in the Palestinian Popular Resistance Committees, an umbrella organization representing a number of Palestinian militant groups, said the house belonged to Abdel Karim El Kuka, a leader in the group. Witnesses reported seeing an Israeli drone aircraft in the sky just before the blast. The Israel Defense Forces had no immediate comment. Palestinian security sources said the people who were wounded had been handling an explosive device. In this case, one that had just been delivered by air-mail.
Kuka had left the house shortly before the explosion and was not injured, the Popular Resistance sources said. One of the wounded was seriously hurt and two others suffered lighter injuries, the sources said. Israel responded by expressing official regret for the minimal loss of Palestinian life.
Pakistan Air Force jets and army helicopter gunships bombed militants' positions in Santoi and Mantoi mountain regions in the South Waziristan tribal area on Tuesday. With fierce clashes continuing, families were seen leaving the area. Witnesses said air strikes were launched after security forces captured some key locations, north of the Shakai Valley, and bombed militants' positions on hilltops. The Director-General Inter Services Public Relations, Maj-Gen Shaukat Sultan, told Dawn from Islamabad that security forces arrested one militant and seized a rocket launcher. He added that the identity of the arrested militant had yet to be ascertained.
Unofficial reports said that four soldiers of the 10 Punjab Regiment and two tribesmen were killed in Tuesday's clashes while three other army troops sustained injuries. However, the ISPR spokesman denied that the army had suffered any casualty. Officials and witnesses said that F-7 planes and helicopter gunships carried out massive bombardment on militants' positions in Santoi, Mantoi and Dand areas. Maj-Gen Sultan said that the security forces operating in the region were using weapons and fire-power as per operational requirements. He did not say anything about the use of jets and helicopters. Long-range artillery was used from Tiarza and Zari Noor Brigade Headquarters targeting hideouts of foreign and tribal militants in the mountains. Residents in Shakai said that security forces had moved further towards Santoi, Mantoi and Dand where several locations had been secured. The PAF warplanes also dropped bombs on the peaks of the forested Bosh Ghar mountain. Reports said that intense fighting was underway between the security forces and militants who were hiding in the mountains on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and using rockets, missiles, mortar shells and heavy machine-guns against the troops. Local people said that despite massive shellings and bombings, the militants were offering tough resistance to paramilitary forces and regular troops. Due to the bombing and artillery fire, incidents of forest fire had been reported from the Bosh Ghar area, posing threat to pine-nut trees. The political authorities shifted 12 of the 26 tribesmen who had surrendered on Monday to Peshawar for interrogation, an official said in Wana on Tuesday. These tribesmen are accused of sheltering foreign militants in Shakai.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/21/2004 10:24:55 PM ||
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At least five Iraqis have been killed in clashes in Ramadi, a doctor in a city hospital said. The doctor Iyad Muhammad said they included three brothers who were killed on Wednesday in their car by a roadside bomb planted to target US patrols.
"Mahmoud! What if this thing goes off?"
"Don't worry, Ahmed! I got another one in the trunk!"
In other incidents on Wednesday, at least 12 people including a US soldier were killed in a string of attacks in Baghdad. At least four people were killed when a car bomb ripped through a residential neighbourhood, sending body parts hurtling onto the roof of nearby houses, the interior ministry said. Three mutilated bodies were seen covered in white and green cloth near to where the blast occurred down a small side street flanked by low-level apartments in southeast Baghdad.
Al-Jizz is really into those mutilated bodies...
"The car does not belong to anyone in the neighbourhood. Someone came, put it there and left," said Hashim Hussein, 28, who lives in the area. "There were five men standing in the street next to the car who are the victims of the explosion which was very powerful to the extent that body parts were thrown to the roof of the neighbouring houses," said Hussein.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/21/2004 10:14:53 PM ||
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A two-storey building in the Khan Younis refugee camp in southern Gaza Strip has come under fire from an Israeli helicopter. Witnesses said the helicopter fired a missile at the building early on Thursday. There were no immediate reports of casualties. The Israeli army later said the air force had targeted a weapons workshop of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas. It claimed the attack was followed by a "series of explosions indicating there was a large amount of explosives inside." Locals however said the two-storey building housed a home and a metal foundry. Dozens of neighbours gathered at the scene of the blast, some of them trying to extinguish the blaze, while others combed through the rubble in search of casualties. Thursday's air strike came as Gaza coped with a wave of internal strife over demands for Palestinian President Yasir Arafat to reform his security apparatus and delegate wider powers to his Prime Minister Ahmad Quraya.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/21/2004 10:06:48 PM ||
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New server is installed, with a few more glitches than I expected, but not that many. Processor runs at 3.2 GHZ and we have 2 GB of memory, so we should sing, until the script kiddies find their way in. Holler when the bugs come out -- once I get the mail server running again...
Posted by: Fred ||
07/21/2004 7:32:00 PM ||
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#1
hooray! ima not been able see this place two days. was geting wory it was retire.
Edited
A militant group said Wednesday it had taken six more hostages — three Indians, two Kenyans and an Egyptian — and would behead them if their countries did not immediately announce the withdrawal of their citizens from Iraq. In a statement given to The Associated Press, the group, calling itself "The Holders of Our Own Dicks the Black Banners," said it had abducted the six truckers and would behead one of them every 72 hours starting at 8 p.m. (noon EDT) Wednesday if their nations did not pull out of Iraq and the company they work for did not close its branch here. None of the countries are part of the 160,000-member coalition force in Iraq. Hey Abu, let's force those Kenyan soldiers out of Iraq.
What, there aren't any? Arrgh, what do we do with these hostages?
Maybe we could trade them for a couple of draft picks and a hostage to be named later.
#1
well then, Kenya should withdraw all troops from...Kenya! Yeah! That's the ticket!
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/21/2004 13:21 Comments ||
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#2
A militant group said Wednesday it had taken six more hostages â three Indians, two Kenyans and an Egyptian â and would behead them if their countries did not immediately announce the withdrawal of their citizens from Iraq.
Brought to you by Spain and the Philippines. Please, send them your personal thanks.
#3
Maybe the Phillipines can return, pull out again and pay 6 bills for the pleasure. They seemed to enjoy it so much last time.
Posted by: Scott R ||
07/21/2004 13:44 Comments ||
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#4
They should reserve a less brutal method of homocide for nationals of states not partitipating in the coalition - maybe asphixiation. If they don't, the terrorists are actually encouraging Kenya to send troops aren't they? :-)
Posted by: Super Hose ||
07/21/2004 14:09 Comments ||
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#5
Where is Tom (the man who thought the Philippines pulling out to save a man's life was noble)? Tom, get ready to reset that win-win scoreboard. These are the repercussions of the Philippines and Spain's actions.
#3
Denver Post link is overwhelmed, but it looks likely all lead back to Al Sabah...I could believe chem/bio warheads, but nukes? Suspicious they were buried under concrete....
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/21/2004 9:44 Comments ||
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#4
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's Interior Ministry dismissed as "stupid" a report in a local newspaper on Wednesday that said three nuclear missiles had been found near the town of Tikrit.
A senior U.S. military official told reporters he had no information on the report in the newspaper al-Sabah. He said officials were checking the report. Asked by Reuters about the report, a spokesman at the Interior Ministry said: "It's stupid."
LOL - no diplospeak there
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/21/2004 9:45 Comments ||
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#5
It's too early to "find" WMDs. They can only "find" WMDs after the January elections. If Iraq has a 'legitimate', elected government when WMDs are found, then it can find them everywhere -- without ANY threat that any member of the UN Security Council could use EXISTING Security Council resolutions to interfere with Iraq OR demand the US leave immediately.
It doesn't make much sense on the surface, but it goes back to decisions the Security Council made during the Cold War, covering many peripheral issues surrounding nuclear, chem and bio weapons.
The US, and now Iraq, are following a bizarre but ritualized dance, finding, then utterly ignoring and concealing WMDs in a systematic fashion, much to the unofficial chagrin of France, China and Russia.
#10
Here's a interesting tidbit: The report could not be authenticated by the interior ministry or the national security department, but the paper noted Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiar Zibari made a surprise request recently to Mohammed el-Baradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to resume inspections for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
Huuummmmm
Posted by: Steve ||
07/21/2004 14:52 Comments ||
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MAJOR GRAINS OF SALT:
Iraqi security reportedly discovered three missiles carrying nuclear heads concealed in a concrete trench northwest of Baghdad, official sources said Wednesday. Did not know the IP had a nuke team. Kinda doubt they do.
The official daily al-Sabah quoted the sources as saying the missiles were discovered in trenches near the city of Tikrit, the hometown of ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. "The three missiles were discovered by chance when the Iraqi security forces captured former Baath party official Khoder al-Douri who revealed during interrogation the location of the missiles saying they carried nuclear heads," the sources said. When?!
They pointed out that the missiles were actually discovered in the trenches lying under six meters of concrete and designed in a way to unable sophisticated sensors from discovering nuclear radiation. The sources said al-Douri, who is related to former Vice Chairman of the Iraq Revolution Council and Saddam's right-hand man Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, was captured after Iraqi police intercepted an e-mail message in which he set a meeting with another former Baath official. Did not know the IP could intercept emails, though they may have had some tech support from the US.
The report could not be authenticated by the interior ministry or the national security department, but the paper noted Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiar Zibari made a surprise request recently to Mohammed el-Baradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to resume inspections for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq If he was serious about finding nukes, el-Baradei is the last guy he'd call.
Posted by: JAB ||
07/21/2004 9:29:34 AM ||
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#1
Why is this page two?
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
07/21/2004 9:32 Comments ||
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#2
Seems to violate military logic to have your missiles buried under concrete when your enemy is rolling tanks across the border.
Then again, Saddam was a real genius of rare nature...
Posted by: Laurence of the Rats ||
07/21/2004 9:33 Comments ||
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#3
The Iraqi Interior ministry called the report stupid
#4
While the story's probably nothing, remember that Saddam figured we'd never invade, and that if we did, his fedayeen would kill a few soldiers and chase us right back out.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
07/21/2004 9:36 Comments ||
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#5
The official daily al-Sabah
So that would be the Kuwaiti official daily, I take it? There are worse sources, but yeah, Id take this with salt.
Agree with RC that buried under concrete is credible. Cite for ODA's quote from Iraqi Interior Ministry.
Also agree its probably nothing - prewar intell indicated a nuclear program, but not that they had warheads. This seems like a distraction from the real shocker, which is confirmation that they WERE seeking African Uranium.
#8
oops - I missed this - looked on PG 1 - please delete my post
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/21/2004 9:49 Comments ||
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#9
The report has already been debunked.
But, no if you bury nukes and don't maintain them then they go bad relatively quickly. The radiation leakage from the nuclear material damages the warhead.
We're nearly certain that Saddam quickly disassembled and moved WMD equipment/programs just before and perhaps even during the early phases of the war. It's entirely conceivable that he'd dig a trench & pour concrete over the top of the crown jewels of his WMD program, particularly if the reports of the insurgency being his prewar plan for regaining power are true. Or he might just have been hiding them from UN inspectors, rather than from the invading forces.
While the weapons would degrede w/o maintenance, degradation to a non-functional state might well take years. But even if components of the weapons did degrade to the point where the weapon wasn't usable as-is, it's likely that the nuclear pit at the heart of the weapon would remain useful and that's the one piece that's still difficult to obtain. Depending on the size and enrichment of the pit and the quality of its airtight casing, it might be decades, centuries, or even longer before the pit became unusable.
Even the fact that the proverbial al-Mayberry Gazzette broke the story might tend to increase rather than decrease the likelihood that it's true. Iraq is filled with terrorists, terrorists who'd dearly love to have access to WMD, and any story confirming caches is likely to set off a massive treasure hunt that we'd rather avoid (IMHO this is why we've been spiking every WMD story that's come along). It's entirely possible that al Mayberry Gazzette was small enough to be beneath the radar and hadn't been read the riot act on that point. Besides this is a spectacular story if true and the mainstream press and possibly even the larger local press would be highly skeptical without official confirmation.
It also doesn't give me much heartburn that the prewar intel that's leaked into the public domain didn't include mention of these alleged warheads. Anybody really believe that our alphabet soup agencies really pour all of their knowledge out to the public? Me either. And even if they did, they've been caught seemingly flat-footed WRT the state of advancement of several WMD programs, most recently Libya. And we're talking about a handful of warheads here, not the infrastructure necessary to support their production. The former could easily be hidden from prying eyes, the latter less so and we've seemingly missed the scope of the latter on numerous occasions in other localities lately.
Credible? Maybe but we'll never know. This one will quickly vanish into the fog of war (or whatever the equivalent is in a nominally post-war state).
Groups purportedly linked to al Qaeda have vowed to attack Japan, Poland and Bulgaria unless they withdraw from Iraq, the latest attempts to rattle the U.S.-led coalition after Manila pulled out its troops under pressure.
Japan, however, vowed on Wednesday to keep its 550 non-combat troops in place despite the threat.
"For the rebuilding of Iraq, we must continue our support and not give in to terrorism," Deputy Cabinet Secretary Masaaki Yamazaki told a news conference in Tokyo.
A different group claiming to be the European wing of al Qaeda warned Bulgaria and Poland of attack, the latest in a wave of warnings against U.S. allies in Iraq, where insurgency has raged since the invasion to oust Saddam Hussein last year.
"To the crusader Bulgarian government which supports the Americans, we ask you for the last time to withdraw Bulgarian forces from Iraq or we will turn Bulgaria into a bloodbath," said the statement.
"To Poland and the despicable Prime Minister Marek Belka, withdraw your forces from Iraq or you will hear explosions ripping through your country when we want," it added.
The authenticity of the statement could not be confirmed.
Yamazaki said Japan was checking the credibility of a statement purportedly from a group led by Islamic militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, but said its stance on Iraq remained unchanged.
Japan's troops are based in the southern Iraqi town of Samawa, a spot that has seen little of the kind of violence suffered by other parts of Iraq.
The threat against Poland and Bulgaria came from a previously unheard-of group and was posted on a Web site not normally used by militants.
It said both countries would face attacks similar to the train bombings in Madrid in March and the September 11, 2001, attacks on U.S. cities.
"We are waiting for information from other partner countries and have no confirmation that the terrorists are planning any concrete actions on Polish territory," Poland's Deputy Defence Minister Janusz Zemke said in response.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
07/21/2004 9:27:27 AM ||
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it is about time the West started to publically threaten the countries that support these asshats!
Posted by: Dan ||
07/21/2004 14:03 Comments ||
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Let's take a look at the players: Bugaria - these guys were semi-official hit men for the Soviets, I hope they retained their cajones; Japan - will the samurai spirit of Yamato prevail over decades of subservience to the oil sheiks; Poland - will the world's most Catholic nation bow down to Allah?
#3
will the world's most Catholic nation bow down to Allah?
Yes. Because their hatred of Jews blinds them to the real state of the world.
Posted by: Rafael ||
07/21/2004 22:33 Comments ||
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#4
Hatred of Jews?? WTF?
Have you seen a bigger hawk on supporting Israel on this site than moi? Roman Catholic....but not Polish. I don't see it, Raphael, gonna have to call bullshit on that one
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/21/2004 22:37 Comments ||
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#5
Frank G, I was talking about Poland. Roughly 50% antisemitic. Maybe an exaggeration, but not by much. A lot of antisemites in my family so I know what I'm talking about, unfortunately.
I'm Roman Catholic too, and Polish by birth, and also a supporter of Israel. I would have been called "Jew" if I said this on one of the Polish forums.
Posted by: Rafael ||
07/21/2004 22:53 Comments ||
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Six people have died after Taliban fighters attacked Afghan government and U.S. forces in the south of the country, a provincial official says. Four of the dead were Taliban fighters.
The attack in Uruzgan province on Tuesday, came on the same day that security forces arrested two prominent Taliban supporters in separate incidents, one a brother-in-law of fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar. "Taliban ambushed coalition forces, one civilian woman, four Taliban and one government officer were killed," the governor of Uruzgan, Jan Mohammad Khan, told Reuters.
U.S. military spokesmen were not immediately available for comment.
"We can say no more!"
Taliban supreme leader Omar is believed to be orchestrating the insurgency from somewhere in hiding. On Tuesday, security forces captured one of his brothers-in-law in Uruzgan, which is Omar's home province. The man, Mullah Amanullah, was being moved to Kabul on Wednesday into the authority of the central government, Khan said.
"Paging Victoria's Secret ..."
Khan declined to give any details of the investigation into Amanullah or say if he had information about Omar's whereabouts.
Authorities in Helmand province, to the south of Uruzgan, said they had captured a deputy of the Taliban's top commander in southern Afghanistan, Mullah Dadullah. The deputy, Kaka Sardar, was caught while travelling by motorbike on Tuesday. He had a satellite telephone and a pistol with him, said the governor of Helmand, Sher Mohammad Akhunzada.
"Awright Mugsy, drop the rod and putcher hands up!"
"Go screw, copper, I'm callin' me mouthpiece!"
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
07/21/2004 9:25:16 AM ||
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I was talking with a couple of friends of mine a week or so ago about Vietnam, and something was mentioned about Hmong crossbows. That set me thinking - let's arm a few hundred Afghanis with crossbows, and help them learn to use them. Imagine a crossbow dart attached to 100 yards of thick nylon string and an inflated goat's bladder (they already use 'em for some kind of Afghan sport, so they're familiar with 'em). Let 'em shoot darts into the spokes of a motorcycle of some of these taliban as they go zipping by, and watch what happens when the goat bladder gets sucked into the steering fork. At 80KPH you should be able to toss an 180lb full Mullah about 350 feet - a bit less if he's packing an RPG launcher.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
07/21/2004 21:17 Comments ||
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#3
why not crossbow in the mullah's neck? Tie off the line....lol
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/21/2004 22:01 Comments ||
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PESHAWAR: The security forces using artillery and helicopters attacked hide-outs of suspected foreign militants in Shakai, killing 10 of them, a senior security official said on Tuesday. The troops attacked two hide-outs in Shakai, a village in South Waziristan which has been the scene of several army operations in recent weeks, said the official, who spoke only on condition of anonymity. Military spokesman Maj-Gen Shaukat Sultan confirmed the attack on militants' hideouts, but did not give details on the number of suspects killed.
"I can say no more!"
The army inflicted unspecified casualties on the militants, the spokesman said. He said militants had been "flushed out" from the area. "Flushed out means that they have either been killed or pushed out," he said, declining to say how many fighters had been killed or wounded. "They (the militants) suffered fatalities," he added. "They have lost the heights which they have been occupying and now security forces occupy them." Shaukat Sultan said a suspected foreign fighter carrying rockets and a rocket launcher had been captured in Tuesday's operation.
"What's with the rocket launcher, Mahmoud?"
"Elk season coming up, I wanted to get ready."
Behroz Khan adds: Heavy fighting and bombing by the Pakistani fighter jets was reported in Santoi and Mantoi areas of the South Waziristan Agency on Tuesday amid reports that the security forces were narrowing the circle around militants resisting the advancement of army and paramilitary troops. "Heavy bombing is going on in Santoi and Mantoi valleys and reports reaching Wana suggest that noose around the militants has been tightened," said Muhammad Noor, a local journalist based at Wana.
Yeah, we heard that one before.
However, no details about casualties and damage to property were immediately available. But locals said that both sides seem to have suffered heavy losses. No official confirmation of the claims was available till filing of this report. "About 80 to 90 fighters are believed to have been trapped in the area and the intensity of fighting shows that the situation is grim," said a local source requesting not to be named. The army, the source said, used F-7 fighter jets and pounded hide-outs of the militants with regular intervals. The heavy bombing, the source said, was indicative of the fact that the security forces faced stiff resistance and thus resorted to bombing to weaken the resistance by destroying bunkers and hide-outs of the foreign fighters. The security forces have taken control of almost all the high peaks in the area and the advancement towards Dand area, where heavy fighting is reported between the warring sides, was under consideration. Witnesses said the security forces pounded the surrounding hilltops and Dand area with heavy guns from the Ziaray Noor Army Colony and Tiarza aimed at dislodging the entrenched militants.
Meanwhile, a Jirga of the Ahmadzai Wazir held at Kari Kot area decided to hand over four persons each from the Karmazkhel and Malikkhel sub-tribes of Ahmadzai Wazir to the political administration today (Wednesday), as the two most wanted militants, Maulvi Abbas from the Malikkhels and Javed Khan of Karmazkhels, still refuse to surrender to the government. The government has charged the two among others, with giving protection to foreign nationals, who are blamed for the ongoing insurgency in South Waziristan.
The Jirga, presided over by Malik Noor Ali Karmazkhel, would take up the issue of opening roads with Political Agent Asmatullah Gandapur when the eight tribesmen are surrendered to the authorities. Roads to Wana and other parts of the agency are close for all kinds of traffic and the economic blockade of the area continues. "Only the roads will be opened in reward for surrender of the eight tribesmen, while thousands of shops and business centres would remain sealed until both sides agree on some sort of arrangement to resolve the issue," said Muhammad Noor. On the other hand, a detainee, Malik Noor Ali, who had been sent to the DI Khan Jail under the collective responsibility, has been freed on a seven-day parole to negotiate peace with his tribesmen and help resolve the issue, which lingers on since March. Another Jirga is scheduled to meet at Wana today (Wednesday).
Posted by: Steve ||
07/21/2004 8:52:37 AM ||
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"But Inspector, that will just create a tempting target for the Zionist missiles!"
"You're right, Legume, leave the usual suspects be."
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on Wednesday ordered an investigation into the shooting of a key critic of his unrelenting grip on power as Palestinian officials warned of dire consequences for law and order in their territory. Nabil Amr, a lawmaker seriously wounded by a sniper's bullets, issued a plea for calm and hinted that someone was trying to silence him.
Y'think?
"Please don't kill me!"
A sniper shot Amr in the West Bank city of Ramallah late Tuesday. An advocate of reforms for years, Amr had increased his criticism of Arafat in recent days as the leader refused to relax his control over security forces. Palestinian officials condemned the shooting and warned of serious ramifications. A spate of kidnappings and riots plunged the West Bank and Gaza Strip into turmoil in recent days, leading to a reshuffling of the Palestinian security forces and the resignation of the prime minister. "If we can't restore public order and law ... this will bring the greatest damage to the Palestinian people and their cause," said senior Palestinian Cabinet Minister Saeb Erekat. "It's the whole social fabric that is collapsing now."
Posted by: Fred ||
07/21/2004 7:51:40 AM ||
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#1
I'm sure they will assign the same yahoos that investigated teh Fullbright scholarship bombing.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
07/21/2004 22:42 Comments ||
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New online statements by purported militants threatened attacks against three U.S. allies - Poland, Japan and Bulgaria - if they don't pull their troops from Iraq, a day after a Filipino hostage was released because the Philippines bowed to insurgents' demands and withdrew its tiny contingent. The new threats against Poland, Japan and Bulgaria were worrying signs that militants may be emboldened by their success against the Philippines. The United States and other coalition allies had criticized the government for agreeing to withdraw its 51-member contingent to save the life of truck driver Angelo dela Cruz, who was kidnapped two weeks ago.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
07/21/2004 7:39:45 AM ||
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#1
this stuff confuses me.. the solution is so obvious but no one does it.
Dumb terror gunny threatens nation A, nation A responds with "For every one of our people you kidnap I will increase our presence by 2, for every one killed I will increase our presene by 5, and for everyone of our children that you even scratch I will send 10
they will test it.. but once it is shown you meant it... they will stop
#3
As I said somewhere, don't the jihadis place road-side mines all over the place? Release the 2 harpies and chances are they meet one of these, Allan's willing. [wink, wink]
#8
Lex, findiing Zarqawi is a problem. Raising the price on his head to $40M and flooding Iraq with flyers with the info may spark flames of greed. Worked with the 2 Saddam's spawns.
As for what to do with him once found, I would invite the families of those that lost their members to this animal (not that loon Berg Sr., tho), to an enclosure Zarqawi would be held, and I'd go outside, leaving it to their discretion.
The server crashed mere moments after I went to bed last night. I'm hoping to swap it out this afternoon for the new, improved model. We can then expect a flood of bugs of other flavors, as all the things I overlooked in setting it up kick in.
Sorry for the outages. I'm pretty sure they're mechanical.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/21/2004 7:35:17 AM ||
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Servers, why do they hate us?
Posted by: Steve ||
07/21/2004 8:28 Comments ||
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#2
Are you sure Sandy Berger didn't have access? Check his, um, socks.
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/21/2004 10:54 Comments ||
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#3
Remember use only Babbage Brand Oil for the servos.
#4
Woo-hoo! Are you back in business now with a new box, Fred?
Posted by: Dave D. ||
07/21/2004 19:35 Comments ||
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#5
Once I get all the bugs shaken out we should run about 90 miles an hour.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/21/2004 19:38 Comments ||
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#6
I tried to access the site earlier today (first time in several weeks), and kept getting some really weird error message. I was beginning to get a bit testy - almost ready to go out and start building a B-17 in my back yard there... Of course, then I'd have to recruit a crew to fly it... and find a few "discarded" 500-lb or 1000-lb bombs (this is Colorado - not that hard, believe me)... and pick an appropriate target or two. Now THERE'S the hard part - winnowing down the target list. There's been a recent 'run' on that position: Sandy Berger...the perrenial favorite fat-man, Michael Moore...a new replacement for the Dixie Chicks, Linda Ronstadt...the ever-(un)popular Terry McAuliffe...our Columbine visitor, Laughing Bill...Johnnie the War Hero Kerry...Teddy "I can't swim, but I float, like all S***" Kennedy. Glad you're back up and running, Fred, VERY glad! (I'm gonna keep the plans for that B-17 handy, though...)
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
07/21/2004 21:08 Comments ||
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#7
Glad to see you're up and about. I hope you're feeling better.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/21/2004 22:57 Comments ||
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Outraged press release blaming this on Israel in 4 ... 3 ... 2 ...
Former Palestinian cabinet minister Nabil Amr has been shot and injured by gunmen in Ramallah in the West Bank. Mr Amr, an ex-information minister who is now a Palestinian MP, was hit twice in the right leg as he was walked home late on Tuesday, his family said. Forensic results will not be available as the slugs dug out of Amr's leg have already "vanished" from Palestinian Authority evidence lockers.
Medics said Mr Amr, who has been urging democratic reforms in the Palestinian Authority, was not seriously wounded. "Nah, just a warning, guv!"
The attack comes amid the growing lawlessness in the Gaza Strip were militants are demanding reforms. Earlier on Tuesday, Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei - who wanted to quit over the issue - agreed to stay in his post for the time being. The Palestinian leadership is embroiled in a crisis over who should run the security and intelligence services. So, nobody's particularly happy about Egypt stepping up to the plate, eh? Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Zenster ||
07/21/2004 12:14:23 AM ||
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Egypt aint gonna run the services in any case. What theyre fighting about is whats been at issues since early in 2003 - whether the services are placed under the control of the PA cabinet, particularly an independent Interior Minister under an independent PM, or whether they remain under the control of Arafat.
#2
..whether the services are placed under the control of the PA cabinet, particularly an independent Interior Minister under an independent PM, or whether they remain under the control of Arafat.
As long as Arafart is still in either the West Bank or Gaza and has a pulse, there is little chance of this happening. Not that it would necessarily mean much, but still...
#4
I read somewhere that he will probaby lose the leg. I think any outspoken critic of Arafat should be granted a free trip to the Cleveland Clinic for a complimentary fitting of one of Lt Dan's brand magic legs.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
07/21/2004 22:39 Comments ||
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Israeli forces and Lebanese Hizbollah guerrillas have traded fire on the border killing at least one Hizbollah fighter. The fighting comes a day after a Hizbollah official was killed in bomb blast in Beirut, which the group has blamed on Israel. The Israeli army says the gunfire began when snipers at a Hizbollah base near the border opened fire at an Israeli military position in western Galilee. It says helicopter gunships also fired at the Hizbollah position. Hizbollah played a key role in forcing Israel to end its 22-year occupation of southern Lebanon in May 2000. Hizbollah guerrillas took up positions on the border after the Israeli withdrawal and fighting has flared sporadically since then.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
07/21/2004 12:04:26 AM ||
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Hizbollah hasn't fired any missiles into Israel in a while even though they have several thousand. I wonder how good the maintenance on those missiles is.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
