a bunch of trigger-happy fly-boys shot up a village wedding in western Iraq, killing 45 guests including many children, and a Baghdad singer loved by millions
How do you say "lying crock of shit" in Arabic?
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
09/03/2004 15:28 Comments ||
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#6
Barbara:
"John Kerry"
Posted by: Chris W. ||
09/03/2004 15:33 Comments ||
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#10
"Thus it went on, until the Second World War, and afterwards, through the eight years of the French war in Algeria, the Israeli repression of the Palestinians and the bombing of Iraq during the 12 years of post-Gulf War sanctions."
Note how he slips "the Israeli repression of the Palestinians" in without refering to any incidents or providing evidence of deliberate attacks on civilians.
Typical bullshit propaganda, but done with a degree of skill: find one or two incidents that really happened, and embellish and invent the rest.
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
09/03/2004 19:15 Comments ||
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#12
Time to start planning the Centennial celebration. I suggest something spectacular, a simultaneous pyrotechnique display in Damascus, Istanbul, Cairo, Tehran, Qom, Islamabad, Riyadh, Mecca, and Medina; something in the low megaton range.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
09/03/2004 19:28 Comments ||
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Al-Qaida may have an alliance with a violent Central American gang that has established a presence near the Texas-Mexico border, according to members of the U.S. House Select Committee on Homeland Security. Mara Salvatrucha, an El-Salvador-based gang, has met with the terrorist group and may attempt to infiltrate the U.S. border, committee member U.S. Rep. Solomon P. Ortiz, D-Texas, said Thursday at the Veterans International Bridge at Los Tomates. "We have been in contact with El Salvadoran officials and they have verified that al-Qaida has been active in these gangs," Ortiz said. "(The gang members) are all over the place. We know (they) are in the Virginia area and across the border in Matamoros and possibly here."
The committee members' concern has been heightened with the new developments of al-Qaida and Mara Salvatrucha, Ortiz indicated. "This would be a dangerous, new development of international criminal enterprises to expand the (al-Qaida) threat to non-Islamic forces, and it should be examined more fully by law enforcement and intelligence forces," Ortiz said. Ortiz also noted that he has intelligence reports that Middle Easterners have been sighted on the banks of the Rio Grande. "We are not here to alarm the community, but we have a responsibility to protect our homeland and to give those in the front line of defense, which is the Border Patrol and local police department, what they need," Ortiz said.
Turner said: "The truth of the matter is the porous border that we have, particularly our southern border, represents one of the greatest security gaps that we have in this country today in the war on terror. "We have got to recognize the reality and likelihood that terrorist cells are already in our country and are certainly trying to get here. We have got to make the investments in homeland security that are necessary to make this country safe."
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
09/03/2004 12:54:44 PM ||
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#1
Not surprising. Most Americans are not aware that most most Latin Americans receive a healthy dose of anti-americanism from the moment we are born. Maybe the dose is not as intense as the one given to muslims but it is strong enough to create an alliance with the latter.
#2
This is an issue for the Hispanic community to deal with just as much as Islamo-facism is for the Muslim community. While there is some anti-Americanism doled out in Central and South America, I don't think it has the mind bending power of Allan behind it. Basic Christian morals for most of the population means sane thinking. I would hope that it would also lead to the outing of any scum that would support Al Q.
Posted by: remote man ||
09/03/2004 13:18 Comments ||
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#3
Remote man,
You are absolutely right in your analysis but you do not need the majority of latins solidarizing with muslims terrorists to cause a lot of damage. Look at how Chavez in Venezuela is brainwashing the poor. He is telling them that the reason for their deplorable economic status is the US and the Venezuelan "olirgarchy." He is als very vocal in all his home speeches about the plight of muslims due to US imperialistic tendencies. The poor and educated will equate the two and that is a problem!
The trial of four Argentine police officers and a car thief, accused of providing the vehicle used in a deadly terrorist bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, ended Thursday in the acquittal of all the defendants. It was the longest, most complex trial in Argentine history, nearly three years, with 1,284 witnesses. The verdict was reached 10 years after the attack on the Argentine Jewish Mutual Association, which killed 85 people and wounded more than 300 in what remains the deadliest anti-Semitic incident anywhere since World War II. For months, prominent Jews had warned that judicial misconduct and an official cover-up were ruining a true inquiry and preventing the main culprits from facing justice.
Carlos Saúl Menem, who was president of Argentina at the time of the bombing, at first blamed Islamic extremists from Iran. Governments that came to power after he left office in 1999 have accused Mr. Menem of deliberately ignoring promising leads that might have implicated the state intelligence apparatus and other groups loyal to him. In their final ruling, the judges asked for an inquiry into the conduct of his minister of the interior, Carlos Carach. "Carlos Menem is the culprit and is a criminal fugitive,'' Marina Degtiar, speaking on behalf of relatives of the victims, said at a recent ceremony for the 10th anniversary of the attack on the center, known by its Spanish initials as AMIA. "So many facts still lie with impunity beneath the ruins,'' she added. In 2003, arrest warrants were issued for four Iranian government officials who were accused of organizing and carrying out the attack. They included a former ambassador to Argentina. Iran responded with vague threats against Argentina, and Britain would not allow the former ambassador to be extradited after he was found there.
#2
The whole thing is a mess. On top of the traditional combination of venality and incompetence there are suggestions ("we have seen documents that we cannot share with you") that the then Chairman of AMIA - who was under investigation for involvement in illegal banking practices - cut some sort of deal with the Menem government. Ten years, no convictions, no leads, move on, nothing to see, just some dead Joos...
#4
Sometimes I put Argentina in the old France joke. Everyone was so pissed off and jealous of the pampas.... but then god created the Argentine. It take a ferocious fuck up to screw up the land of Argentina.
The European Union asked Russia to explain the bloody end to the siege of a school by Chechen gunmen on Friday with huge loss of life.
"Wotsa meaning of this outrage?"
In a statement in the name of the presidency of the 25-nation EU, Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot said all countries should work together to prevent such tragedies. "But we also would like to know from the Russian authorities how this tragedy could have happened," he added.
Hmmm... Lemme see. It was the first day of school. All the little kiddies showed up in their new clothes, ready to learn the alphabet and how to add and subtract. Approximately 40 Bad Guys, including Chechens, Ingush, Arabs, and an Ossetian who looked something like P.Diddy showed up, shot up the joint, killed some of the kiddies, killed some of the parents, killed some of each other, dropped the roof of the schoolhouse on everybody, and then tried to get away, hiding among the distraught parents. That about cover it?
Interfax news agency said more than 200 people were killed when the siege ended in a shootout between the gunmen and troops. Around 700 more were reported to be in hospital. EU ministers avoided direct criticism of Moscow's handling of the hostage crisis and expressed sympathy with the Russian people and government. British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said "terrorists" were to blame for the death toll and declined to comment when asked whether Russian authorities had bungled the chaotic rescue bid.
Kinda hard to bungle an operation that has no good outcome, isn't it?
"I know that from President (Vladimir) Putin downwards, there was a complete commitment by the Russian government to do everything they could to save the life of the innocents," Straw said. At an afternoon news conference, with accounts of the events in North Ossetia still confused, Bot said it was difficult to judge from a distance whether the right decision had been taken. "I must assume they did their utmost to find a negotiated deal with the hostage takers and that has failed and they saw no other way out but to take these measures," he said.
#3
"But we also would like to know from the Russian authorities how this tragedy could have happened," he added.
Well, the details are a little sketchy right now, Bernie, but I think - I think - this may have happened because a bunch of mooselimb fanatics (but I repeat myself) decided to attack a school and massacre children. Any other stupid fookin questions?
#4
Ya know, I would find it HIGH-LARIOUS if the Russians announced that they have evidence pointing toward Islamic groups in Western Europe giving support to the terrorists, and that the Russian Army was being dispatched westerward on a "Fact Finding" mission.
Posted by: Laurence of the Rats ||
09/03/2004 19:01 Comments ||
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#5
"I must assume they did their utmost to find a negotiated deal with the hostage takers and that has failed and they saw no other way out but to take these measures," he said.
So the first thing this guy assumes is that a deal is negotiated with the terrorists. Appeasement worked great in Spain and the Phillipines. We will see how France does with appeasement.
In a statement in the name of the presidency of the 25-nation EU, Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot said all countries should work together to prevent such tragedies.
More platitudes. Work together. The history of the EU, except for their hard working police, intelligence, and counterterrorism agencies, speaks otherwise. Bot and Co are making my blood boil. I think that I will squeeze some lemons and make lemonaid. These statements of the EU really piss me off!!!!
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
09/03/2004 19:03 Comments ||
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#6
Looks like Vlad's little tete-a-tete with Jacques and Gerd was useful in building better relations among the powers of Europe. This will also help the Russians reach a decision about joining the EU.
NATO should offer a commendation to the Ruskies, even if it is unwarranted.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
09/03/2004 19:04 Comments ||
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#7
Watching the news this evening, I sat open-mouthed as blame was heaped on the Russians for the carnage. "How did they let this happen" etc. UNBE-FUCKIN'-LIEVABLE! How perspective-inverted do you have to be to overlook the fact that the terrorists were responsible for what happened?
#9
I'm losing it here - I cant believe the fucking shit coming from this piece of shit.
I may regret my lanuguage in the morning, but not now - not now.
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
09/03/2004 19:08 Comments ||
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#10
Bush gets it.
US President George Bush called the siege âanother grim reminder of the length to which terrorists will go to threaten this civilised worldâ.
âWe mourn the innocent lives that have been lost,â Bush said. âwe stand with the people of Russia, we send them our prayers for this terrible situation.â
#12
I feel for you Bulldog. But we have Fox News to watch where news is more on a level playing field. I can even tell you the last time I watched broadcast news (other than local stations). I am sure CNN, MSNBC, etc. are towing the same line. Time to kicks some islamists butt in Europe. I feel for the families and I hope they get swift justice.
#14
This article can be read two ways. Either (a) the EU is filled with busy-body know it alls who are acting all high and mighty over the Russians in their time of crisis or (b) the EU really wants to know what happened so they can avoid that sort of thing when a school in Europe is invaded by Islamofascists.
#22
...the Russian Army was being dispatched westerward on a "Fact Finding" mission...
Well, I was going to write this amusing scene wherein Willy and Joe explain to "Hans" that they ain't seen no Russkies, there ain't been Russkies around these here parts for years, and they ain't trained to identify Russkies no more anyways, all the while mumbling "Hey, Ivan", and "How's it goin', Yuri?" asides, but TGA went and ruined it:
*Sigh*
Commie tyranny jokes aren't any fun with you around. Now that you're gone and spoiled everything, you wanna unpack that one for us?
#23
OMG EUrocrates from Brussels are slowly eroding British power even within our own country , making everyone in Europe a 'soft target' and now some plonker says this : >>
Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot said all countries should work together to prevent such tragedies
Where are they on this war with these maniacs .. I'll tell ya ... aiding and abetting the true criminals , not helping anyone else with their retarded embarrassing statements . and running like cowardly dogs at the first sniff of trouble .. and if this is them working together to prevent such tragedies then I am a hat stand
I am sick and tired of the Uk being the backbone of Europe whilst most other nations act like a weak bladder
I hope, truely hope that Britain can use what little power we have left in Europe to shaft all these butt monkeys so hard I actually see them squirm for a change instead of look smug .. Arrogant fuckheads ...... oohh boy am i angry
#26
(EU)Bot is a Dutch? I thought he is a Belgian--that would explain it. Actually, there seems to be an e(u)pidemy of a mental disorder that is hard to comprehend.
Innane fooktard. I am so glad I left that sorry place (Europe) 20 years ago! I think I would go berserk if I stayed.
#27
Where does the EU/Bot get off asking the Russians how they dealt w/terrorists w/in their own borders? Bot's tone comes off badly to me on this. I believe how Russia handles terrorists in their own country is their business. I definitely mourn their dead but have been in the military long enough to know that you don't question the commander on the scene when your miles back in the rear. I think Putin needs to tell the EU to GFT.
#28
I notice that this article, like so many others that make me puke, came from Rooters. So I got curious and looked up Rooter's self-description on their website. The first thing they have to say under "Strategy" is:
"Our goal is to transform Reuters into a focused information company that exploits its core skills, scale and brand to deliver the right products at the right price with great service."
The only thing not spelled out about their prostitution is who's picking up the tab, though I guess that is self-evident. Later in the same section, they blame it on failing financial markets..... I knew they must have a good reason......
Posted by: B ||
09/03/2004 21:24 Comments ||
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#30
I think that Bot is trying to be the first to call for an independent commission. He will follow-up by demanding that Putin apologize to the families of the victims for his lack of omniscience and presentience.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
09/03/2004 21:54 Comments ||
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#31
I hope the Russians respond to the EU with the very best bureaucratic blather that money can buy, expressly thanking them for their condolences and offers of support against the forces of evil, providing them absolutely no details and phrased in such a way that the Euromandarins have to spend weeks just figuring out what the heck they just said. Not just a brush-off, but showing such withering contempt that they don't even try to be comprehensible. "Please pass the sweet and sour shrimp."
#32
Anonymoose, I hope Putin goes for the two word answer with the 2nd being "off."
Posted by: Super Hose ||
09/03/2004 23:44 Comments ||
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#33
What will it take for Americans to realize that France is not an ally and that Russia should be an ally?
It seems like a message from on high: during the same week, two terrorist outrages, one against French, the other against Russian nationals. The French dispatch diplomats to tell every muslim thug from Algiers to Teheran that France opposes America, France is on the same side as the brave resistance fighters in Iraq.
The Russians do not attempt to curry favor with the terrorists or their bedfellows, instead sending Spetsnaz to kill the terrorists and save as many of their children as possible while doing so.
Which of these nations is a natural ally of the US in the war against the jihadists? WHY THE F*** CAN'T THIS NATION'S FOREIGN POLICY ELITES RECOGNIZE THAT FRANCE IS NOT ON OUR SIDE IN THE MIDDLE EAST?
Transfer 500 or more of the Paris Embassy staff to New Delhi, Moscow and Ankara immediately. End this nonsense. Focus on the nations that can truly help us crush AQ and contain a nuclear Iran.
#34
Your definition of "natural ally" is different to mine, lex -- kinda like saying that the Soviet Union was a more natural ally than the UK during WW2, because Soviet Union was willing to sacrifice millions and millions of its own people to kill the Germans while UK valued the lives of its civilians more, and hesitated a long time before committing to the war.
I, on the other hand, prefer to use common ideals in order to name "natural allies". Mere ruthlessness doesn't create "natural allies". The same ruthlessness you see Russia using in Chechenya (Putin don't care who gets killed, innocent and guilty alike) is that same ruthlessness that made Russia give Iran nuclear technology (Putin don't care if Tel Aviv gets nuked).
Rethink your "natural allies" position. At best the Russians are an ally of need, same as Stalin in WW2 who first made his deals with the Nazis and then had to fight against them. At worst they're on the enemy side and likely to remain there. It is still them that help out Iran with the nuclear technology, it's still them from what I hear that provided all those anti-GPS (or whatever you call them) devices to Iraq -- that doesn't change.
They really do think they're hot shit, don't they?
They're half right....
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
09/04/2004 0:29 Comments ||
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#36
Aris: I don't know whether the Russians are really ruthless or simply wading in a well-known river in Egypt, if you know what I mean. I think supplying Iran with those sorts of technologies will ultimately be bad for them.
Barb: I'm reminded of Lois McMaster Bujold's line: "They think they're the wave of the future, but it's only sludge flowing downhill."
Posted by: Phil Fraering ||
09/04/2004 1:10 Comments ||
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#37
Aris, you make a very good point.
It doesn't make sense for Russia to fight IslamoFacists at home in Chechnya, then arm them with nukes and other weaponry in Iran, Iraq under Saddam and maybe Saudi Arabia.
Putin needs to get clear on this.
I know he and President Bush have a pretty good relationship and I'm sure that Bush offered him help today.
Both men need to draw the Chechen conflict as a hotbed of Islamist murder and a new battlefield in the global war and stop calling it an internal Russian "human rights" problem.
The US also needs to change sides in Kosovo as that as is also another hotspot in the war and we're now on the wrong side!
#38
Aris - I don't see any logic in your rather strange distinction between what you call "ruthlessness" and what you call democracy, as if democracies can never act ruthlessly in defense of their interests. Our NATO alliance, you may recall, included a fascist regime in Spain and an authoritarian socialist regime in Portugal. In 1946 we sought out Nazis to help us infiltrate and contain the Soviets. We armed the mujahiddin when it served our interests to do so and we should help Russia now.
In ten years' time, the picture may look a lot different, but our concern must be to destroy AQ and contain a nuclear Iran. Those objectives trump all others, because as soon as Iran gets nukes, AQ will be setting off dirty bombs in Manhattan and on containers in the ports of LA and Oakland and Houston and a dozen other places.
As to your straw man: I never defined the glue of an alliance as "mere ruthlessness"-- those are your words. Alliances are formed of cold, hard interests. Hence France, a nation that shares many "common ideals" with us and that is converging rapidly with the US in the economic and social spheres, nonetheless perceives its interests in the middle east to be in direct conflict with ours and therefore refuses to act as an ally. In fact, aside from supporting Lebanese democracy with us, they are severely undermining every middle eastern policy we have.
Very clearly, as regards the hot war against Al Qaeda and the cold war against Iran, we have what Russia needs and vice-versa. Is Putin a thug? Probably. Is Chirac a corrupt old thief who at this very moment is telling every arab who will listen that France sides with the jihadists in Iraq against Allawi and the US? Certainly.
You're living in the wrong century. France matters less to us today than Russia or India does. At a minimum I think you need to expand a bit your definition of what constitutes a useful ally.
#39
Oh, Aris, nice job you Greeks did on the Olympics security. Despite the media break ins there were no attacks as so many predicted (myself included). That's something to be pretty damn happy about since the Olympics was the biggest damn target in the world for a while there.
EFL from EU Observer
... Speaking to journalists on Wednesday (1 September), Graham Watson, head of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), the third-largest group in European Parliament, said that Liberals "have resisted and will continue to resist" such plans. The proposals - originally proposed by the British and recently revived by German interior minister Otto Schily - have been supported by the incoming Commissioner for justice and home affairs, Italian right-winger Rocco Buttiglione. Mr Buttiglione explained the proposals last week in a Reuters interview. "The camps would take in immigrants who, for example, arrive from sub-Saharan Africa, to offer them humanitarian aid and information about job possibilities in Europe. But they would also investigate, identify and send back those who don't meet the criteria or who would not be able to integrate."
Rocky road for Rocco
However, Mr Watson promised that his group would provide tough opposition to the project, threatening, "If Mr. Buttiglione chooses the road of confrontation he can expect a rocky ride". He stopped short of threatening to vote against Mr Buttiglione. The EU rules state that the European Parliament can reject the whole Commission but not individual members...
Asylum applications dropping
Despite high-profile disasters involving illegal immigrants drowning off EU coastlines, statistics show that asylum claims have dropped sharply in Europe. A report released yesterday (31 August) by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) showed that asylum applications in traditional destinations such as France, Germany and the UK have fallen sharply whilst claims in the new EU member states have risen. Overall, according to the UN, "The 25 European countries included in the report received 147,340 claims during the first six months of this year, a drop of 18 per cent compared to the same period last year".
Posted by: Super Hose ||
09/03/2004 1:35:32 AM ||
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Despite divisive debate over a new law banning religious signs in the classroom, compliance was widespread as France's public schools opened the fall term, Education Minister Francois Fillon said Thursday. It was easier for 16-year-old Nadia Arabi to remove her Islamic head scarf than to defy the new law, or to risk contempt for breaking a national chain of solidarity for two Frenchmen held hostage by militants in Iraq. Nadia was not alone. But that was seen less as a sign of surrender by conservative Muslims than part of the national effort - with the Islamic community at the forefront - to save two French journalists held by Islamic radicals demanding that the law be scrapped. The French government firmly refused the demand. ``It is clear that the international context has played a non-negligible role'' in the peaceful return to school, Armand Martin, head of Raymond Queneau High School in Villeneuve d'Ascq, told LCI television. His school, outside the northern city of Lille, held the unofficial record for girls wearing Muslim head scarves last year - 58, according the newspaper Le Monde. Fillon said only 240 schoolgirls in all of France showed up in head scarves Thursday, compared to 1,200 counted last year. Only 70 refused to remove their scarves when they walked through the school door, he said.
Islamic organizations have been at the heart of a show of solidarity for French efforts to win the release of reporters Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot, and Muslim families were reminded of the need for discretion. The Union of Islamic Organizations of France, the leading Muslim fundamentalist organization and a vocal opponent of the law, participated in a delegation of Muslim leaders who went to Iraq on Wednesday. ``We must be responsible,'' one member of the mission, Mohammed Bechari, warned in an interview published Thursday in the newspaper Le Figaro.
There's an interesting concept.
During a visit to the Jacques Brel High School in a heavily Muslim district of northern Paris, Fillon argued that the hostage-takers had unwittingly created national unity in France. That remained to be seen. Others said the law is making them choose between their country and their religion. Standing outside a mosque in northern Paris, 37-year-old Naser Admar said he interpreted the law as a message that Muslims aren't welcome. ``They're trying to get rid of us,'' said Admar, a refrigerator repairman with two young daughters. ``When my girls are old enough to wear head scarves, I'll send them to school in Algeria.''
Bon voyage!
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/03/2004 12:57:32 AM ||
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#1
Can't the French just cave?
Nasers idea about sending them to Algeria is foretelling. How about living in Algeria fool?
#2
I don't know how much of this story is true, especially concerning Muslim solidarity against the kidnappings, but if the French have taken a step toward secularizing Islamic Culture in France...then credit must be given to France for taking steps we would not take in the United States. It is also my understanding that French Police have no compunction about profiling Arab men.
There are many ways to skin a cat, and this Islamic cat has more than 9 lives, so if the French work on one technique while we work on another, more power to them.
This will take a while to see how this shakes out in France, but if it is effective in the long term then props and thanks will be due to the French for finding something that works.
I think that forcing the girls to remove their head-scarfs is terribly symboic and important in this struggle.
Fortunately for the girls, they can say and use the excuse that they are only following French law.
A win-win for everybody...except for Islamic extremists.
#5
.com, maybe for High School. The wig would be enough of a challenging change in to the center of gravity of a young girl.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
09/03/2004 2:36 Comments ||
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#6
Ok, I'll be the curmudgeon in this poop-fest...
Take two steps back, and ask yourself what is going on here? Is this really a serious issue? Of import and worthy of hushed tones and respectful demeanor? Some cloth covering the hair of certain females? You know, there is no end to this shit, right? There are 25,000 more strictures in the Suras and Haddiths that'll have be haggled out, after this one. Some easy ones... Those school menus, segregated public transportation. Segregated classrooms and instructors. Segregated schools. Etc, ad infinitum, ad nauseum.
The point is that either you do or you do not cater to religion in your public institutions and social forms. And all on a level playing field - same rules for all, right? Fishy Friday. Headscarves. Smell the same to me.
I see quibbles, posturing, and temporary uber-nuanced compromises, not solutions leading to permanent resolution.
Announcer: "Congratulations, Mrs Presky! You win!"
Mrs Presky: "But, but, it's a bag of shit!"
Announcer: "But it's really great shit, Mrs Presky!"
Cue organist, roll credits.
This is what happens when I don't get the tits I want. ;-)
#7
I volunteered in schools that had many muslim children. The young elementary school girls hated the scarves and would rip them off and stuff them into their cubes as soon as they entered the room. The girls who were a bit older, they tended to leave them on. Sine they were all relatively new immigrants - I'm not sure if that was a function of age or length of time in country.
#8
.com, I'm offended by Muslim males youths throwing acid in faces of Muslim female youths. The hijab, turbans, yamulkes, doo-rags, Amish hats or even NY Yankee ball caps do not offend me.
The hijab becomes offensive when it becomes mandatory.
If you're national vacation schedule necessitates the import of large numbers of Muslim factory workers, then many of them will probably bring their customs with them. Our Chinese railroad workers certainly remained culturally separate. Many integrated after a period of time, yet our country is not threatened by the continued existence of Chinatowns in most large cities.
What cannot be tolerated is lawlessness. The US has imported quite a few lawless elements. We have been much better off once these lawless elements have been attacked. It takes a while. There are still some elements of the Sopranos that are not totally fictional.
I think France is making a mistake in addressing the wrong behavior. Jail and deport the thugs and the violent Imans. Let the little girls do their hair as they please. Whether its cultural or religious or whatever, let them be. If you want them to wear something else, then marketing is the answer not a government edict.
Besides little girls and little boys should wear whatever the hell their parents tell them to as long as it is not sexualized Britney paraphernalia. The world needs fewer child soldiers, child prostitutes, and child laborers. Sexualized elementary students are not needed either.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
09/03/2004 3:49 Comments ||
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#9
If I were the Muslims I'd change tactics and start forcing the little girls to wear black ski masks to school. Its not religious, it covers the head and face as well as a burka, and it would have a very intimidating effect.
#10
I've read polls that say most French muslim *men* opposed this ban, but most French muslim *women* supported it.
The reasons are clear -- in the current circumstances of Islamofascist intimidation, dejure permitting the headscarf is defacto making it mandatory. There have been little girls raped by Islamic gangs with the excuse that not wearing a headscarf was making them "prostitutes".
On my part, since I'm always in favour of freedom in *practice*, not just in theory, I find myself supporting the ban also.
Besides little girls and little boys should wear whatever the hell their parents tell them to as long as it is not sexualized Britney paraphernalia.
Nah, Shipman, little girls and little boys should wear what the hell the parents tell them only when they are within their parents' care. In school hours they are under the care of the school system and should wear what the school tells them and what the school feels wouldn't cause disruption. If their parents wanted them to go naked to school or wear neonazi t-shirts, that wouldn't be allowed either, I'm quite sure.
#11
The reasons are clear -- in the current circumstances of Islamofascist intimidation, dejure permitting the headscarf is defacto making it mandatory. There have been little girls raped by Islamic gangs with the excuse that not wearing a headscarf was making them "prostitutes"...I find myself supporting the ban also.
Me, too.
For me, the scarf is not a garment-it is a symbol which blares the message that women must be cowed to prove their allegiance to Islam, their worthiness, and their sexual purity. A religion that forces belief is both fragile and abusive.
#12
The ban still doesn't address the underlying issues. I'm pretty sure that the gang-rape boys are not going to cease their activities just because the hijab cannot be worn in class. While the French congratulate themselves for their steadfastness, they will fail to notice the hijabs going back on the heads 15 feet from the school bus stop.
The problem has been addressed symbolically, by that I mean totally ineffectively. I don't have any brilliant ideas on thug control either, other than jailling perpetrators and in the case of "honor killings" committed to restore "family honor" the entire family could be deported. If the French require replacement workers, we can send them Mexican illegals by the plane-load.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
09/03/2004 16:04 Comments ||
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#13
Super Hose, you are right, but also miss the point. The women without Hajibs will be considered whores by those same boys whether they were forced not to wear them or not. So you have the males killing, maiming, and gang raping the females and the Islamic community population growth in France drops significantly.
Add to that the fact that France has a bad name in the Islamic world because of this and they are unlikely to see a lot of immigrants anymore. The Muslims will go to England or Germany instead.
Three members of the Congressional Homeland Security Committee visit the Valley Tuesday with concerns for tighter security measures along the Texas-Mexico border - particularly in the Rio Grande Valley. Action 4 News has learned that Al Qaeda cells - each group having from seven to fifteen suspected terrorist members can be found just across the Rio Grande Valley in Mexico. "We know from intelligence reports that there are middle easterners that are making their way in our direction," said U.S. Congressman Jim Turner during a news conference at the Veterans Memorial International Bridge in Brownsville. "We don't know their purpose, but we do know that they are there and those reports are coming in increasing numbers. So it should be a wake-up call."
Action 4 News has learned that federal agents have been placed on heightened alert. Local law enforcement agencies have also been notified to keep a watchful eye out for possible terroristic movement. "I think they know exactly where they might be, so I feel very comfortable knowing that once we get the right information we can put a stop to it," said U.S. Congressman Solomon Ortiz. But there is a problem says Ortiz and the other homeland security committee members who say the Texas border is not secure enough. And that is why they wanted to see the border facilities first hand.
Another major concern is the increasing number of Central and South American immigrants who are coming into the country. "We do have a very serious problem... The Salvatrucha gangs are very serious, very viscous and we have confirmed that they have had contact with Al Qaeda," said Ortiz. El Salvador, Honduras, even Brazil are among the Central and South American countries where gangs have been potentially infected by Osama Bin Laden's recruitment for terror. Members of the House Homeland Security Committee say surveillance is there but the nation is not secure. It's a critical border shortfall committee member Sheila Jackson Lee is bringing to light. "We have failed to pay attention to some of these areas and provide full funding."
The committee points to a billion dollar border upgrade for technology, manpower, training, equipment and most of all detention cell space. Statistically some 400,000 illegal immigrants are detained each year. Thousands every day. But with only 19,000 detention cells to hold them, it's a border battle Congressman Turner says we are losing. "About 80 to 90 percent of those released into our country never show up for a hearing. You know that represents a serious security threat to this country and it's got to stop." The lawmakers agree on one clear message: "We need help!"
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
09/03/2004 12:38:24 PM ||
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I cannot say this enough: Venezuela under Hugo Chavez is the country to watch. He has enough money, hatred/resetment towards the US, and a fairly large muslim population to pose a clear and present danger.
#2
Statistically some 400,000 illegal immigrants are detained each year. Thousands every day.
But with only 19,000 detention cells to hold them, itâs a border battle Congressman Turner says we are losing.
"About 80 to 90 percent of those released into our country never show up for a hearing. You know that represents a serious security threat to this country and itâs got to stop."
The lawmakers agree on one clear message: "We need help!"
Why in the hell are we "detaining" these people???? Anyone caught sneaking across the U.S./Mexico border should be deported IMMEDIATELY, no questions asked. That'll solve the problem real quick.
It's not a matter of needing help, it's a matter of adjusting policy and procedure so as to not make it needlessly difficult for ourselves. If doing so means less "sensitivity" with regard to border jumpers, tough. This problem with illegal border-crossers has been going on for too long, and it's pretty obvious that playing nice isn't the answer.
#3
BAR-I like your idea of deportation, but there is a problem. If we do not have diplomatic relations with the detainee's country of origin, we cannot deport-we intern him instead-sometimes for decades. Paying room and board for terrorist scum for decades isn't going down my throat easily. Anyone know how many/which countries we do not have diplomatic relations with, and whether any of them are jihadist states?
#4
If we do not have diplomatic relations with the detainee's country of origin, we cannot deport-we intern him instead-sometimes for decades.
The solution is simple; the people picked up crossed over from Mexico, so they get immediately sent BACK to Mexico, regardless of their ethnicity, and regardless of what the Mexican authorities think. We should not be obliged to send back people any further than where they were caught crossing over from. If the Mexicans have a problem with this approach, then maybe they should do something about what's happening on THEIR side of the border.
#6
We do have them, CF-I don't know the exact term-is it detention or internment, but that's what we do. I just don't like the idea of keeping them alive for years and years.
We need a immigration policy overhaul by the Bush administration. The current wooing of Vincente Fox and absolution of illegals makes me sick-it is putting our country at great risk.
#7
My question is why the hell dont we have the detetion facilities?
As I see it, the problem with more detention facilities is the pressure to use them instead of doing the right thing, which would be to send them back promptly. With adequate detention facilities (which cost $$$ to build, BTW), we end up with their occupants' upkeep for the time we have them, and the taxpayer inevitably ends up paying for this. ALL of it. (don't count on any Mexican peso contributions)
Long article in the Dar Al Hayat, just a few nuggets:
Syria has turned herself into cannon fodder in the campaigns directed against her during the American presidential election battle-a result of her miscalculations in the Lebanese presidential elections. She has led herself into an international trap that will be hard to get out of now that her presence and control in Lebanon has entered the domain of the UN Security Council following a French-American initiative. The miscalculations of Syria's leadership regarding the consequences of her excesses in subjecting the Lebanese political scene to Syrian expectations has led to a rare European-American joint counter-effort that could likely materialize into a precedent-setting international resolution against her.
Once that happens, boy, y'r toast! Just ask... ummm...
Syria's miscalculations have also provided the United States with an important gateway from which to monitor and anticipate Syrian positions in the entire Middle East region, particularly her positions towards Iraq, Iran, Palestinian organizations, and Hizbollah in Lebanon-threatening her with measures that could be enforced by means of a Security Council resolution and with international blessings.
I love it when a plan comes together.
Until recently, the unofficial reactions coming from international quarters have warned against the extremism of the hawks and neo-conservatives and the dangers of their plans for Syria should George W. Bush be re-elected. There was an almost spontaneous and unanimous international objection to the targeting of Syria and a kind of support for Damascus in the face of the campaign against her.
That would be the F6 key on the Arab League's official press release processor...
Such was the case until the Syrian leadership committed a fatal mistake in its role in the Lebanese presidential elections-the first mistake of its kind since Bashar al-Assad became president. The mistake was not only an act of contempt and an affront to the Lebanese Constitution-to the ministers, deputies, and all those who were summoned to Damascus to be informed of Syria's decision to extend Lebanese president Emile Lahoud's term even if it required a forced constitutional amendment. The mistake was also one of miscalculating the consequences of alienating France and the United States and challenging them by crossing the red lines and degrading the Lebanese Constitution and amending it for narrow political expediencies.
Takes a lot to put La Belle France and the USA on the same sheet of music. Not that it'll last long...
And to the extent that the Security Council draft resolution is of French and American making, with overwhelming European support, then Damascus has put itself in a predicament that will be hard to overcome.
Time to call in the Arab League again, and then point with alarm at the Zionists, of course...
She has given American and Israeli extremism the greatest gift of all as a result of her own extremism in seeking sole control over the Lebanese political agenda.
Right on cue...
Amidst the American presidential elections and to Republican and Democrat alike, Syria now finds herself being held up as a prime example of a predator nation preying on another's sovereignty. The extremists in the Republican Party have never lacked the desire to place Syria on the list of nations to be punished, by military force if necessary and via Israel if permitted.
It's my guess we'll take Iran apart first. Syria is to Iran as Lebanon is to Syria. Once Iran's been toasted, Syria and Lebanon cease to be problems...
Those same extremists would have liked to conclude the Iraq campaign by striking Syria, but they stopped short of doing so after a decision not to engage in unnecessary wars right before the presidential elections. Syria is next in line for a military strike on the extremist agenda, as is Iran.
Making a list, checking it twice.....
Like I say, I think we'll bypass Syria. Iran's gone off the deep end, not even trying to conceal their nuke program anymore...
Until now Iran has in typical fashion avoided committing mistakes that would provide Israel or extremist hawks and neo-conservatives with the excuse to implement their long-hoped-for agendas. Iran possesses political sophistication and wisdom and understands how to gauge international indicators.
I think they need to send those gauges in for recalibration.
The Syrian official position is that the Security Council acted outside the dictates of its authority and intervened in the internal affairs of Lebanon and infringed upon the latter's bilateral relations with Syria. This position lacks international support and will not have international protection. Syria is much better off admitting that she made a mistake and would be wise to correct the wrongs it committed as pertains to the Lebanese presidential elections. It is in Syria's interest to consider seriously withdrawing her forces from Lebanon and severing her ties to radical organizations accused of terrorism.
They should, but they won't.
Regardless of the results of the American presidential elections, the next president will surely have inherited a Security Council resolution that will present him with numerous options for actions against Syria-including measures that might go beyond what is rational.
Why, it's almost like it's part of a plan, or something.
Posted by: Steve ||
09/03/2004 1:52:38 PM ||
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#1
So this means Frawnce is behind us? I hope we're wearing our butt plugs on this one......
#4
Well, I think its time for Israel to stop pretending she doesn't rule the world through the veil that is America. Its time for Israel to act to her full capacity. Bush got Iraq, the rest of the Middle East is the natural prey of Zionism!
(See what you started, UFO? How happy will your little friends be when it is revealed that the future history of the Arab world was all your very own fault?)
In a story Thursday about Iran's nuclear activities, The Associated Press quoted an Iranian official as saying Iran's uranium conversion facility in Isfahan, in central Iran, has a capacity of converting 30 tons of uranium ore into hexafluoride gas annually.
And your mistake was?
The official, Ali Akbar Salehi, a senior adviser to Iran's Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi, contacted the AP on Friday to say he had misspoken and that the Isfahan plant can convert more than 300 tons of uranium ore a year.
Thanks, that makes me feel a whole lot better.
Posted by: Steve ||
09/03/2004 1:42:58 PM ||
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A reliable Iranian source confirmed that Brig. Gen. Qassim Sullaimani, the commander of Al-Quds corps in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, told a closed seminar that Iran provides facilities to the Jordanian extremist scholar, Abu Mosaab Al-Zarqawi. Al-Zarqawi is accused of conducting most of the suicide operations and attacks in Iraq. Sullaimani justified this cooperation because Al-Zarqawi's activities in Iraq "serve the high interests of the Islamic Republic." Among these interests is the prevention of a federalist secular regime in Iraq that cooperates with the United States...
Posted by: Anonymoose ||
09/03/2004 11:31:09 AM ||
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The Security Council on Thursday night passed an American- and French-sponsored resolution pressing Lebanon to reject Syrian intervention in its politics and calling on all foreign forces to leave the country. The vote on the 15-member panel was nine in favor, none against and six abstaining. A minimum of nine votes - and no veto by any of the five permanent members - are needed to approve a Security Council resolution. Syria has 20,000 troops in Lebanon and has controlled the country's politics for decades, but Thursday night's action was prompted by a sudden move by Damascus to let the president it backs, Ãmile Lahoud, stay in office beyond the end of his term on Nov. 24. Last weekend, under Syrian prodding, the Lebanese cabinet changed language in its constitution limiting presidents to one six-year term so that Mr. Lahoud could remain another three years. The Lebanese Parliament is expected to endorse the amendment on Friday, a development that John C. Danforth, the American ambassador, cited as the reason for rushing the resolution forward. The resolution called for "the strict respect of the sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity and political independence of Lebanon under the sole and exclusive authority of the government of Lebanon throughout Lebanon." It also called for the disbanding of all militias, which it said were compromising Lebanon's ability to govern itself. Washington has designated Syria as a sponsor of terrorism.
Anything in the resolution about disbanding the Syrian army?
Mr. Danforth told the Security Council that the resolution was also aimed at ending the presence of Syrian and Iranian forces in Lebanon. In a direct reference to Syria's intervention this week in Lebanon's politics, the resolution declared its support for "a free and fair electoral process in Lebanon's coming presidential election conducted according to Lebanese constitutional rules devised without foreign interference or influence." Addressing the council before the vote, Mohammed Issa, secretary general of Lebanon's Foreign Affairs Ministry, said that Lebanese did not object to Syria's involvement in their country.
"No, no! Certainly not!"
Syria's ambassador, Fayssal Mekdad, denounced the resolution as "interference in the internal affairs of Lebanon."
Wouldn't it have been better to let the Lebanese ambassador make that statement?
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/03/2004 12:42:48 AM ||
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UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 2 - The Security Council on Thursday night passed an American- and French-sponsored resolution pressing Lebanon to reject Syrian intervention in its politics and calling on all foreign forces to leave the country.
Now all that's left is the little problem of getting the Syrians to actually play along....
#4
# 3 - traditional role as protector of Lebanese Christians I suspect - My guess (anyone know for sure?) is that most Lebanese Christians now are unhappy with the extent of Syrian domination, and with the proposed constitutional change. To oppose the US on this would be to forfeit the friendship of the traditionally heavily francophone and francophile Lebanese Christian community, and that losing influence over that community to the US and Israel was not worth it just to stick US and Israel in the eye once again.
French policy, recall is NOT that they are in alliance with Syria, Iran et al - France is in alliance with no one but France. Theyre NOT our enemies in the WOT - They just strive to maintain their influence in ways that are frequently orthogonal to the WOT. Maintaining French power often requires inconsistency on other issues.
#5
Lebanon's parliament voted overwhelmingly Friday to extend the term of Syrian-backed President Emile Lahoud, despite a U.N. Security Council resolution warning Damascus against interfering in Lebanon. Ninety-six deputies voted in favor of a constitutional amendment extending Lahoud's six-year mandate, with 29 opposed and three absent. Fireworks boomed over Beirut's city center, which security forces had locked down ahead of the vote in parliament. Most deputies are allied to Syria, which has some 17,000 troops and final authority in Lebanon. The results of the vote had been a foregone conclusion since a hastily convened cabinet last week recommended the amendment. Some deputies said Syrian authorities had forced their hand on the issue. The move came on the heels of meetings between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and senior Lebanese officials which both advocates and critics of Syria's influence in Lebanon said made the will of Damascus clear.
Attaboy, I knew you had it in you.
Posted by: Steve ||
09/03/2004 15:55 Comments ||
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Wouldn't it have been better to let the Lebanese ambassador make that statement?
Bet he can't drink a glass of water while doing it.
Rebel Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said US forces can never defeat his Mehdi militia in a defiant speech read out to 2,000 supporters during the first weekly prayer since the end of a brutal three-week standoff with American troops. Sadr aides initially said the cleric planned to deliver the sermon from a makeshift pulpit on the street outside the Kufa mosque, which was closed last week after militants pulled out under the peace accord. But he abandoned the idea amid fears it could raise tensions. Iraqi security forces sealed off roads and fired warning shots near the city in an effort to keep the jostling crowds in check.
"Many, but not all, think that the American army is invincible, but now it's appeared only truth is invincible," Sheik Jaber al-Khafaji, said in a statement read on Sadr's behalf. "America claims to control the world through globalisation, but it couldn't do the same with the Mehdi Army."
Last week's accord that ended three weeks of fighting between US forces and Sadr militiamen in Kufa's twin city of Najaf gave the interim government control of the city. It also disentangled US forces from bitter street fighting while allowing Sadr and his militants to walk away free - and keep their guns. But Sadr interpreted the American withdrawal from Najaf's devastated Old City as a sign of US military weakness. "We should keep in mind the lessons of what happened in Najaf," the cleric said.
Continued on Page 49
#3
That's kinda typical Arab: get your ass kicked and claim victory. That last time the Arabs won a real victory, the guys they were fighting wore periwigs...
No. I'm wrong. Periwigs came in after that...
Posted by: Fred ||
09/03/2004 23:22 Comments ||
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#4
Hey, I ain't dead. To me, that's a win. Too bad about those couple of thousand other guys though.
EFL. In case anyone cares. Apparrently, not a lot did.
Eighteen days after they began a hunger strike demanding improved humanitarian conditions, Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails resumed eating last night. The Palestinian Authority, through Hisham Abdel Razak in Gaza, claimed the prisoners had won '90 percent' of their demands. But the Prison Service claimed it 'broke' the strike without violence, and there were no negotiations with the prisoners. Bullshit.The only thing they got was hungry...
Both sides know that despite the enormous respect of Palestinian society for the prisoners, and despite the Prison Service's own uneasy respect for the highly disciplined prisoner associations behind bars, the strike never completely captured the imagination of the Palestinian public, won few sympathetic headlines in the Israeli press, and failed to spark much in the way of international interest that would put pressure on Israel. In other words, nobody gave a shit, boys. So, bon appetit!
One explanation for the failure to grab public attention on the Palestinian side was a Lebanese TV channel's version of 'the American idol' program, known in Israel as 'a star is born,' and which on the Rafi Hariri-owned TV station built up to a nail-biting final competition between a young Palestinian man and young Libyan. Attention throughout the Arab world was on the song competition, and with the voting for the winners seemingly the most democratic election in the Arab world — using SMS text messaging via cellphones — the assumption was the Palestinian, with a self-effacing personality, sympathies of the Arabs, and intense local patriotism (including fifty percent discounts on the Palestinian cellular company's fees for SMS messages for the purpose), was the favorite. "Mahmoud is starving himself to death."
"Hey, shut up! "Palestinian Idol's" on!"
Typically, it might almost seem for the Palestinians, for whom nothing ever seems to go right, he lost. Zionist plot. Had to be...
In short, with the strike failing to spark a new round of civil unrest in the territories, and as it receded from the headlines, both sides were able to climb down some of the tall trees they had climbed. There is a long tradition of quiet negotiations between the Prison Service and the prisoners, and that probably is what went into play over the last few days. To save each other face, the prisoners were saying that they were only 'temporarily' suspending their strike and Yaacov Granot, the Prison Services Commissioner, was saying that 'now that the strike is over it will be possible to examine what humanitarian improvements can be made' in the prisons. The Great Palestinian Prisoner Hunger Strike of 2004, which began with such fanfare, was over. Another proud moment in "The Struggle". With predictable results.
#5
Just reiterating - I'm not happy that these turds are still alive.
The paleos can't even do a hunger strike properly - for shame!
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
09/03/2004 20:06 Comments ||
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Come now, we know that this hunger strike was "broken" by Israeli traditional methods, and they don't set the broken bones or apply casts. It's as revealing as it is sickening to read the hate spewed by Zionists on this board.
#7
Wouldn't bother me a bit if that's what happened, UFOOL. Reality is, nobody cared. Not there own people, not the usual international asshat suspects, nobody.
See at link; IMHO this is tinfoil hat-grade BS, especially coming from that site, but I post it anyway for informative purpose. Bruguiere is certainly credible: did he really made these declarations, or it is pure propaganda?
#1
You know, I have one simple request. And that is to have sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads! Now evidently my cycloptic colleague informs me that that cannot be done. Ah, would you remind me what I pay you people for, honestly? Throw me a bone here!
Posted by: Dr. Evil ||
09/03/2004 15:16 Comments ||
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General Shabalkin is in the firm belief that namely the Chechen terrorists broke down the shuttle âColumbiaâ on 1 February 2003, just before landing, and besides that, the Chechen terrorists were involved in the Chernobyl nuclear holocaust in April 1986â.
Woooooh, General, better lay off that hash!
Posted by: Steve ||
09/03/2004 15:27 Comments ||
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These lasers certainly are dangerous...if they hit you in the eye.
Impact lasers working on carbon dioxide...are especially dangerous.
I saw a CO2 laser in operation once. It was indeed very cool and especially dangerous. Needs a lotta juice, though. That's the problem with your directed energy weapons; they suck up power.
Here's a laser FAQ. The section on high-power lasers says:
The CO2 laser represents the classic heat ray of science fiction. I have no doubt that the Martians in H. G. Wells' "The War of the Worlds" used CO2 lasers powered by cold fusion generators (probably with superconducting electrical backup storage) for their directed energy weapons.
So apparently the Chechen sympathizers have discovered cold fusion, or Mr. Fusion, or matter-anti-matter reactors.
After certain technical profiling, the same devices can bring down space satellites, and even space ships...These devices detonate the charges at a distance of six thousand kilometers, by means of alternating vibro-impacts easily overcoming all protective structures, including 10 m thick leaden walls of nuclear repositories.
Oh, yeah, I buy it.
By the way, a google search turns up no "The Nuclear Armageddon" by Bruguiere in the Boston Globe or anywhere else.
#4
These same people would tell you it's impossible for the United States to build laser-powered (or other sorts) of antimissile weapons, but will say that Chechens have made wonder-weapons in workshops in the bombed-out basements of Grozny and the caves of their mountain redoubts.
Posted by: Phil Fraering ||
09/03/2004 23:52 Comments ||
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We all remember the statue of the little girl comforting a mourning soldier. Ft. Hood held a memorial dedicated to 81 who died in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Be sure to click on the More Photos and see the statue in its final resting place. Just wanted to share this with you. EFL
In a halting voice, Sgt. Maj. Ronald Riling read aloud a list of names as 200 civilians and 5,000 soldiers stood mute under a grumbling gray sky Thursday morning. They were the names of 80 soldiers and one civilian contractor killed in the line of duty as part of Taskforce Ironhorse, a group of 33,000 that included Fort Hoodâs 4th Infantry Division. Formed in January 2003, the task force, which was composed of soldiers from all over the country, was one of the first to be sent to Iraq when the war began. By April, the entire task force had returned home and disbanded.
While the names dissipated into the breeze, now there is a physical space to mark their lives. Thursday morning, Fort Hood officials opened a new memorial to commemorate those 81 who were lost from April 2003 to February. The memorial, which was constructed with donations from soldiers and private businesses, features one plaque for each person who died. The plaques are mounted on a wall that curves around a bronze statue.
Posted by: Sherry ||
09/03/2004 11:21:51 AM ||
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Residents of the Shiite holy city of Najaf took to the streets Friday Oh, oh.
to press for the withdrawal of the Mehdi Army militia of radical cleric Moqtada Sadr. They musta heard Zell Miller's sermon speech replayed on tape at the Mosk.
The demonstration followed Friday prayers -- the first to be held in the city after three weeks of fierce fighting between Sadr's followers and U.S.-backed Iraqi national guards. Good sign the Tater at least got peeled, if not boiled.
Witnesses said Iraqi police fired shots in the air to disperse the crowd and avert any clashes between the demonstrators and members of the Mehdi Army who have yet to evacuate the city. Why? Such clashes reduce the need for further clashes.
Iraqi police took preventive security measures ahead of prayers in Najaf and nearby Koufa amid rumors that Sadr might be leading the Friday sermon.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
09/03/2004 10:56:27 AM ||
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Sistani asked for the Iraqi National Police at the shrine and the Iraqi National Guard in Najaf, for protection fo the shrine and the people.
Sadr's mafia composed of released criminals and religious thugs has worn out its welcome.
Although the Western press has played up Sadr, the process of him becoming discredited is well along - discovery of mutilated bodies found in the Imam Ali Mosque, the damage and destruction in the area, the finding of beer cans, and the defecations in the Shrine are all over the place inthe Irtaq press, and are starting to weigh heavily against Sadr everywhere in Iraq except possibly the slums of Baghdad. His duplicity is coming to light as well as he goes back on his word, and the "disrespect" shown to him by Sistani and the religious leadership is also taking a toll.
Funny how the Western Press was too busy declaring a Win for Sadr in Najaf to notice all the evil he did there and that the Iraqi people are uncovering and publicising it for themselves.
The MS is almost single-handedly becoming the best thign Sadr has going for him - the gloss over the evil and exxagerate his survival. Militarily, morally, and politically, Sadr lost the battle of Najaf, yet the western press seems to have missed it completely.
The photograph above shows an International Solidarity Movement volunteer interfering with an Israeli Defense Forces soldier in a military zone by warning terrorists of the soldier's firing position. What army in the world would tolerate this besides Israel's?
Posted by: Super Hose ||
09/03/2004 02:08 ||
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In how many other countries of the world would the nitwit with the keffiyeh go home without sucking that gun butt first?
Posted by: Fred ||
09/03/2004 12:01 Comments ||
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Ok, I'm confused. Is that a boy or girl? I suspect he/she/it is even more confused than I about its gender.
Posted by: ed ||
09/03/2004 12:06 Comments ||
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#3
Hopefully the soldier pop a few rounds off which will attract some incoming.
He is under cover. The Useful Idiot is not. Guess who catches the RPG shrapnel or stray bullet?
#9
Frontpage mag says that "it" is a "she". ooookaaay.
I'm guessing that these pictures are "training photos", rather than the real thing.
I don't think he's copping a feel - he'd be vomiting.
Posted by: B ||
09/03/2004 12:49 Comments ||
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#10
Were I in the soldier's shoes, that little punk with the Arafart headdress around its neck would have gotten a swift elbow in the face, followed by removal from the area by dragging it away by its scarf.
Posted by: Chris W. ||
09/03/2004 14:08 Comments ||
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I'm with OldSpook. Draw some incoming fire and let the dupe catch a slug. Either that or declare open season on these maggots. Such interference represents active contribution to the enemy terrorists and needs to be treated as such. Can't the soldiers carry some sort of mace-dye combo to "paint" these turds for later interception? A good dose of pepper spray in the face would make these rectal cavities STFU, well, except maybe for some loud moaning or screaming.
#15
Don't think this is a picture of the "girl" mentioned in the article. There's a picture of Jamie Spector here, different person. I'd say the above photo is a IDF training exercise, with someone posing as a activist to get soldiers used to being harrased. Everyone, including the building, is way too clean.
Posted by: Steve ||
09/03/2004 16:28 Comments ||
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"Now, in this exercise, we have four movements:
1) the right elbow comes up, lifting the target's arm
2) you turn (smartly!) right to check your flank
3) the target's dentition comes into unfortunate accidental contact with the barrel of your weapon
4) you return to your "ready" position"
The Turkish government hinted Sept. 1 that it may send troops into Iraq to fight Turkish Kurd rebels there. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul told reporters here that Turkey would do "whatever its security required." "The United States is not yet in a position to launch a military operation against the [rebel group] PKK," Gul said in an apparent sign of growing Turkish impatience with the United States. "We shall not proceed by relying on another country. We know how to deal with our enemy." An estimated 4,500 to 5,000 armed militants of the separatist PKK, also known as Kongra-Gel, reportedly are holed up in the mountains in northern Iraq. The group, which seeks independence for Turkish Kurds, is recognized by Turkey and the United States as a terrorist organization. Despite repeated assurances to Ankara, the United States, the occupying power in Iraq, has not proposed any military offensive against the PKK. U.S. officials have said they plan no such military action in the near future. Some 30 Turkish security forces personnel have been killed since June, when the PKK ended its unilateral, five-year cease-fire with Turkey.
I guess we don't really need to worry about stopping at the Syrian, or Irani borders. The MiddleEast seems to have its own rules.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
09/03/2004 1:44:26 AM ||
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F@*k 'em, if they pull this shit. Then establish Kurdistan.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
09/03/2004 10:59 Comments ||
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I hope if they cross the border, the Iraqi National Guard opens up on them, with US air support.
Well, the idiots in Turkey now are getting the payback for excluding US forces from using Turkey in the Iraq war. The insurgency would not be as large in central Iraq, allowing US forces to pay more attention to the PKK instead of the Sunnis - remember that the 4th ID was supposed to roll in from the north and into the Sunni triangle, Allujah, Ramadi, etc. But instead of getting the Sunni Triangle beat down and occupied early on, they were allowed to fester as the 4th ID floated off the coast of Turkey, before sailing around the Suez, and unloading in the south in Kuwait. So now we have forces deployed in that area, instead of to the north and at the borders.
#4
Amen, OS. Turkey deserves all this and more. Their betrayal was HUGE, lower profile than that of France, but perhaps more significant. The blame for a large percentage of current difficulties, particularly in the Sunni triangle, can be laid directly on Turkey's doorstep.
The 52-year-old Javed Ibrahim Paracha is one of the most controversial politicians of Kohat because of his deeply held anti-Shia beliefs. He was actively supported in the 2002 contest for a national assembly seat by the banned sectarian-terrorist organisation, Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan. He came to politics early as a student leader representing the Deobandi student wing of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam. To remain involved in student politics, he spent most of his life in educational institutions doing four masters in law, history, Islamiyat and Arabic from the University of Peshawar.
Later, he broke away from JUI of Fazlur Rehman after developing differences with the JUIF leadership. He contested the 1997 election on a Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz platform and won it. He was also opposed to the Deobandi parties' move to put together an alliance by including in it a Shia party. When sectarian violence was at its peak, Paracha was appointed the head of Sunni Supreme Council, an organisation he has been leading for ten years now. The SSC primarily focuses on countering the Shia sect.
Paracha is widely known to have instigated sectarian violence in the Hangu district and parts of the tribal Orakzai Agency during the nineties. His anti-Shia views were very clear when TFT interviewed him in 1998. Today, he tries to play this down. Two former deputy commissioners of Kohat TFT spoke with were agreed that Paracha is a born troublemaker. One of them said: "He is a master of using the religious card to blackmail bureaucrats." Recently, the government has alleged that he was involved in facilitating the terrorists suspected of blowing up federal targets on the Independence Day. Paracha denies the charge and has moved the provincial High Court. TFT spoke with him in Kohat regarding the latest charges and his general reputation as a sectarian troublemaker.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
09/03/2004 4:44:46 AM ||
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This Clown doesn't have enough lead in his diet.
I think Putin's reputation should be well beside the point at the moment. This is from the Telegraph, not from the Russian press...
Despite President Vladimir Putin's assurances yesterday that he wanted a peaceful solution to the stand-off in North Ossetia, the Russian leader's reputation for toughness when dealing with Chechen terrorism suggests that he will not be mulling over whether to use force to end the siege, but how and when. In past incidents, his tactic has been to try to secure the release of as many hostages as possible without making concessions - and then send in commandos. Smart cookie. But depriving the hostages of food (& possibly water) makes playing Putin's long game more difficult.
Almost certainly, if he follows that path, he will rely on Spetsnaz, the Russian special forces formed during the cold war. Members of Alpha, its most elite unit, are trained in counter-terrorism techniques and are among the world's most experienced when it comes to storming buildings. Alpha was the first Spetsnaz unit formed in the 1970s on the orders of the Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev after Palestinian terrorists killed several Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics. Shrouded in mystery during the Soviet era, Spetsnaz emerged from the shadows with the end of the cold war. Like other Russian military units, the 1990s were a time of poor morale and general malaise. Bad pay and a lack of discipline meant that many of their number were recruited by shady security gangs to carry out dirty work. Their operational ability was sapped by bad leadership.
In 1995, after more than 100 Chechen rebels, led by the warlord Shamil Basayev, took 2,000 hostages in a hospital in the southern Russian town of Budennovsk, Alpha and other units were ordered to attack. But the operation turned into a humiliating debacle. Despite air support and back-up from another Spetsnaz unit, Alpha failed to take the building and suffered many casualties. Basayev was later able to negotiate a deal that allowed him and his fighters to leave unmolested, and Moscow was forced to promise to enter negotiations on ending the war.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Bulldog ||
09/03/2004 4:21:31 AM ||
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This week's suicide attack in Israel has sparked a war of words between Israel and Syria and increased pressure on the Israeli government to finish the West Bank barrier that many Israelis believe saves lives. As Israel mourned its 16 dead from Tuesday's twin bus bombings in the southern desert city of Beersheba, officials ratcheted up their rhetoric against Syria, hinting at possible military action. The militant group Hamas, whose leaders are based in Syria, claimed responsibility for the attacks. Syria and Hamas, apparently fearful of an Israeli strike, accused Israel of trying to aggravate tensions. Although no Israeli strike appeared imminent - security officials said they had not begun discussing the possibility - the heated rhetoric underscored Israel's growing impatience with Syrian support for Palestinian militants.
"Don't make us come in there!"
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told Israel's president that the bus bombings, the deadliest attack in Israel in nearly a year, were carried out on direct orders from Hamas leaders in Damascus, the Syrian capital. A senior adviser to Sharon, Raanan Gissin, warned earlier that neither Hamas nor Syria was "immune" to an Israeli strike. Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said Syria's support for terrorists "will have very clear consequences."
"And we aren't telling you again!"
However, the chief of Israeli military intelligence refused to draw a straight line from Beersheba to Syria. "We did not directly connect the terror attack that was carried out in Beersheba to the (Hamas) headquarters in Damascus," Maj. Gen. Aharon Zeevi-Farkash said in an interview with Channel 10 television. But he also stressed there is "wide and comprehensive support from Damascus" for militants in the West Bank and Gaza. Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa was quoted as saying threats would "worsen the already aggravated situation in the region." Ahmed Haj Ali, an adviser to the Syrian information minister, said Syria was taking the Israeli talk seriously.
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/03/2004 1:08:54 AM ||
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Bombings are OK but threats would "worsen the already aggravated situation in the region."
Posted by: Super Hose ||
09/03/2004 2:24 Comments ||
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#2
Lol, SH! Spot-on. Everyone (read: media idjits, Arab League & similar) keeps up the steady drumbeat about the fragile stability of the region. Lol! What stability? That pause between attacks? Between wars? The fucking hudnas? Between murder-bombers?
There's nothing to preserve in the region except Israel. All the rest, Fug'em. Fast and hard, like you did when you were young and in a hurry.
#3
"The West Bank barrier that many Israelis believe saves lives."
"Believe?"
This is exactly the same spin the BBC put on the wall in its report on the Beersheba bus bombings. It seems the BBC and Associated Press can't bear the idea of Jewish lives actually being saved.
#8
Come now, how many Jews were caught recently staging 'anti-Semitic' attacks in France, Germany, US and elsewhere? During WWII Zionists refused to let Jews leave Germany in order to force Hitler to intern them in labor camps where many died due to malnutrition and typhus as did German soldiers in the field.
Obviously your paymasters in Tehran must be pleased by your work. On the other hand, ihe Mossad only does away with effective people, not the subnormals like you.
#11
Who is this UFO clown? Zionists refused to let Jews leave Germany during WWII???The only way Jews were leaving Germany during that war was on board trains headed east. This "forced" Hitler to intern them??? This guy isn't just on drugs, he's actively hallucinating. Or he's been reading muslim newpapers. Same difference. TGA. Agree. This guy is so far off the deep end he would be funny, except the subject is anything but funny.
#12
DLS, must be nice to have the advantage of a censored forum where the opposition's supportive evidence is filtered out. Anyway, pre-1978 biographies of Ben Gurion and Menachem Begin substantiate what I said about Zionists, and BTW, in her 1975 autobiography Golda Meir coined 'The Holocaust' which thereafter for the first time started appearing in English dictionaries.
#15
Encountering Rantburg's trolls makes you realise how much absolute crap people out there actually believe. There is truly no limit to human credulity. UFO: you are a brainwashed fool. I feel sorry for you. Your life has been a waste of time and energy.
#16
and BTW, in her 1975 autobiography Golda Meir coined 'The Holocaust' which thereafter for the first time started appearing in English dictionaries
To pay for the Crusades, both the French and the Brits went looking for ready money...the Jews weren't allowed by law to own land, but they could operate businesses and lend money. So when times got tight...who do you call..."moneylenders", when they had too much of your money...just force them out, or kill them.
Thus, for UFO...may I submit this piece of history:
Holocaust - Literally "fire that causes destruction", it has become associated virtually exclusively with the murder of six million Jews by the Nazis during WWII. As a term holocaust was first coined in 1189 by Richard of Devizes when describing the massacre of Jews in England following the coronation of Richard the Lionheart.
#17
RN, this is the first time (I think) that term was specifically associated with the massacre of Jews. The term itself is much older and comes from the Old Greek holókauton, for "a completely (holos) burnt (kaustos) sacrificial offering". Therefore Jews prefer the Hebrew word "Shoah" (השואה), which means "desolation". I remember hearing the term Holocaust during the Nurenberg Trials, although only in English. In Germany the term was only widely known after the film "Holocaust" had been shown in 1979. Shoa (with spelling variation) is used increasingly often now, in order to avoid the theological ("sacrificial") meaning associated with "Holocaust".
For those interested in the varieties of Holocaust denials, the Wikipedia article is a good start.
#18
RN, now that you mention it, the Crusaders did not make Jews wear a yellow badge as a decoration, but to warn potential victims of their predatory nature, just as Hitler did hundreds of years later. BTW, in one of the above named pre-1978 biographies there's reference only to a 'European Holocaust' which Jews hijacked subsequently -- do a Google search, the URL is censored here.
#19
Read the comments and you'll get a clue as to what we think of your nature, UFO. Why do you hang around here where everyone thinks you're scum? Are you a masochist as well as an idiot? Or just here to pimp your pervert website?
#20
Bulldog, make a donation to Rantburg before asking Fred to clean up your garbage, he's not your servant. Good Lord, this is just about the biggest crowd of Zionists on the web.
#22
this is just about the biggest crowd of Zionists on the web
Thank you for the compliment. But you ought to be careful -- we rule the world, you know, and now you've made yourself a target. Keep an eye out for funny tasting food and drink, symptoms of painful and embarrassing diseases, or odd little mistakes in your personal and financial records...at least to start with. We'll start to get creative later, ok?
#23
RN, now that you mention it, the Crusaders did not make Jews wear a yellow badge as a decoration, but to warn potential victims of their predatory nature, just as Hitler did hundreds of years later. BTW, in one of the above named pre-1978 biographies there's reference only to a 'European Holocaust' which Jews hijacked subsequently.
#24
RN, now that you mention it, the Crusaders did not make Jews wear a yellow badge as a decoration, but to warn potential victims of their predatory nature, just as Hitler did hundreds of years later. BTW, in one of the above named pre-1978 biographies there's reference only to a 'European Holocaust' which Jews hijacked subsequently.
Senator John Kerry called on President Bush on Thursday to take the lead in stopping the killing of civilians in the Darfur region of Sudan by declaring it a genocide, pushing for tough United Nations sanctions on the government, backing the deployment of an international force and raising money for relief aid.
Kerry just doesn't pay attention, does he?
As a United Nations special envoy, Jan Pronk, briefed the Security Council in New York on his findings that Sudan had failed to rein in the Arab militias attacking black Africans in Darfur, Mr. Kerry said the choice facing the Bush administration was "whether to give Sudan another pass or, finally, to punish the real perpetrators of the violence. Many governments want to evade the issue yet again. I hope ours will not be one of them."
He's for it now, but he'll turn against it as soon as Bush proposes something.
But wait? What about letting the UN take the lead? I thought that was what we were doing now? Or did I miss something?
An estimated 50,000 black Africans have been killed and 1.2 million have been displaced by marauding Arab Janjaweed militias armed and encouraged by the Sudanese government. The United Nation has characterized the campaign of raping women, razing villages, destroying crops and poisoning water supplies as ethnic cleansing, and Congress has declared it genocide. A report by Secretary General Kofi Annan on Wednesday used the term "scorched-earth policy." In a sternly worded
Yep. That'll take care of it...
report based on the findings of Mr. Pronk, Mr. Annan said that attacks against civilians were continuing, that a vast majority of militias had not been disarmed and that "no concrete steps have been taken to bring to justice or even identify any of the militia leaders or perpetrators of these attacks, allowing the violations of human rights and the basic laws of war to continue in a climate of impunity."
Comes as a surprise, doesn't it? The Sudanese are usually so cooperative...
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/03/2004 12:28:31 AM ||
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Why should Bush do anything, Kerry? I thought your UN homies had an ultimatum on the table for the Sudanese. We wouldn't want Bush to screw up your precious diplomacy.
Just shut up until November 3rd, Kerry. It's over for you.
Posted by: Chris W. ||
09/03/2004 0:46 Comments ||
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How about you (Kerry) asking MommaT for an advance to buy 50,000 AKs and ammo for $100 a pop. You can even ask her to ferry it to Sudan in her private jet. Yea, she will make you earn it, but this time you can actually feel good after you are done.
Posted by: ed ||
09/03/2004 1:03 Comments ||
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Kerry understands how these genocides can get out of hand. Let the North Vietnamese loose and the mass graves can fill up faster than the beleagered peasantry can dig.
As a step, how hard would it be to enforce enact and enforce a "no-fly" zone?
Posted by: Super Hose ||
09/03/2004 2:41 Comments ||
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He's for it now, but he'll turn against it as soon as Bush proposes something.
My thoughts exactly.
Whoever's pink (Steve?), you beat me to it. ;-p
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
09/03/2004 12:00 Comments ||
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I'm Mr Green, don't know who Mr Pink is. Maybe some other Steve, there's a Army of us, you know.
Posted by: Steve ||
09/03/2004 12:51 Comments ||
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I'd think we'd probably try to get some special forces guys in there, evacuate the Christians and Animists to a safe position further south, then take out a few of the most schizo Arab commanders causing the problem. Then we tell "Euro-man" and his ambulance chasing side-kick to shove it, and let the adults handle the situation.
This is according to al-Beeb. This compares to the US number of 3m people or about 1% of the population. This is perhaps why Chechens have little problem getting logistical support throughout Russia.
The Muslims of Russia number about 20 million, or 15% of the population. Perhaps four to five million of these are practising Muslims, although their higher birth-rate and increasing cultural and religious self-confidence mean that Muslims are likely to increase both in absolute numbers and in their proportion of the population.
Posted by: Zhang Fei ||
09/03/2004 12:13:26 AM ||
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Here's a question, Rantburgers: Is it better to be a Muslim or a Communist?
I vote Muslim.
Posted by: Chris W. ||
09/03/2004 0:30 Comments ||
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Is it better to be a Muslim or a Communist? I vote Muslim.
Is it better to be a fecal peanut or fecal corn? You decide. I vote for flushing them both.
#4
gonnorhea or aids?
I vote for the clap, er, communists.
That disease ran its course in less than 150 years and is known to be curable, while Islam has plagued the civilized world for 10 times as long.
#8
Send the Mormon missionaries to Russia and convert the mulsims. No more bombs and schoolyard hostages, but lots of LDS literature left on the front door.
On a more serious note, the muslims of the FSU are probably ripe for conversion since both communism and islam have failed to improve their lives.
Posted by: ed ||
09/03/2004 0:55 Comments ||
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Muslims are 15% of Russiaâs population
Considering how Russia's boundaries cross some 11 time zones, the 15% figure is not at all surprising. However, there may be some surprises in store for that 15%, depending on the hostage situation's outcome. Current analysis predicts that Putin's standing will not be harmed drastically by any catastrophic results from the school hostage crisis.
For once, the spotlight's glare is fixed rather firmly on Muslim involvement with this atrocity-in-the-making. While Americans do indeed love their children, you need to factor it by a couple of times to approach Eastern European familial ties. The terrorists have a golden opportunity to forever brand themselves as heartless demons should they permit these children to be harmed.
In some ways, were it not for the incredibly senseless violence that awaits, this is one of the best possible scenarios. The world will get a profound and lasting demonstration of terrorism's limitless capacity for cruel and mindless slaughter. Unlike the Palestinian-Israeli strife, the vast majority of these hostages cannot possibly be construed as active combatants of any sort.
Should harm befall these innocents, radical Islam will inflict upon itself untold damage and disgrace, such as it roundly deserves. There will little or no way to spin this into any sort of shining victory. Self-immolation, more like.
#13
The one minor difference is the Communists remembered WWII. They knew that if they attacked the West with force and failed, they were toast. The Muslims haven't experienced it yet.
#14
Maybe, they need to bring back Stalin. He didn't put up with any nonsense from them.
"The single worst Link: episode in Chechen history occurred in 1942/1943 when Stalin accused the Chechens of collaborating with the Nazis and ordered the deportation of the entire nation to Kazakhstan.
More than a quarter of the population died and it wasn't until 1957 that the survivors were allowed to return."
#15
Way better to be a Communist. You have the possibility to grow up, see the light, renounce your Marxist ways and become a libertarian. As a Muslim, the only upgrade path is to become an apostate marked for death.
#16
Why doesn't Russia spin some of the areas off? I can't imagine that the Moslems areas adding that much to the Russian economy. If they still plan to keep Chechnya, they can more effectively canton the islamo-kooks, if they pull the ethnic Russians out of some of the hinterlands and declare the Moslem population forever free. Kind of a reverse ethnic cleansing.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
09/03/2004 2:46 Comments ||
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Why doesn't Russia spin some of the areas off?
Most of the Muslim areas are located around the Caspian Sea, home to vast supplies of (you guessed it) Oil. Any independent states would claim their share of the oil wealth.
Stalins deportations
There is very little proof of any Nazi collaboration by the Chechens, and certainly nothing compared to the millions of Ukranians, Belorussians, Cossacks and Balts who fought alongside the Axis armies against the Soviets. The deportations are one of the main region Russia has such difficulties in Chechnya to begin with.
Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
09/03/2004 4:53 Comments ||
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This is perhaps why Chechens have little problem getting logistical support throughout Russia. If IIUC the Dagestanis, at least dislike the Chechens and Islamism in general, and most of the Volga Tatars are moderate. I think most of the suppor within Russia the Chechens get is from other Chechens (some of whom live in Moscow) rather than from non-Chechen muslims. (Of course the Chechen Islamists DO get support from OUTSIDE russia, notably from Arabs)
By JIM KRANE, Associated Press Writer
The fight with renegade Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is not over and the U.S. military must retake his stronghold in Baghdad's Sadr City slum, a top U.S. commander said Thursday. Maj. Gen. Peter Chiarelli, commander of the Army's 1st Cavalry Division, said action is necessary before the volatile cleric has a chance to rebuild his Mahdi militia, which was devastated in recent fighting. "He's decided the best thing for him to do is to go underground and regroup," Chiarelli told The Associated Press. "We're not going to allow that to happen." In many respects, this is good news in that by continuing his resistance al-Sadr is not integrating with Iraq's political structure. Far better that we manage to cap this dirtbag in some dustup than he becomes a driving political force for any Iraqi theocracy.
The Mahdi Army hasn't launched a significant attack on U.S. troops in two days, Chiarelli said. The rebel leader has not made a public appearance since the remnants of his militia departed Najaf's Imam Ali Shrine after a peace agreement last week. U.S. military officials believe thousands of al-Sadr's inexperienced fighters were killed in two bouts of battles in Shiite cities in south-central Iraq, as well as in streets of Sadr City in east Baghdad, a district named after the cleric's father. That fighting began in April and flared again last month. But militiamen remain heavily armed and in control of the northern half of Sadr City, a densely populated district of small alleys filled with booby traps and hidden bombs, he said.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Zenster ||
09/03/2004 12:09:59 AM ||
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Of course it's not over. al-Sadr still breathes.
Posted by: Chris W. ||
09/03/2004 0:29 Comments ||
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Great post Zen! And the beat goes on. I hope the Gi's can put an end to the pricks fantasy. Bring on another wannabe.
#3
I caught a small glimpse of some bomb sight video on Fox news today. Anyone know where it can be found. It was a bunch of bad guys being taken out running down the street at night. I am not sure of the location or date.
#6
gromky, while Sadr himself is no towering pillar of statesmanship, he still represents one of the main thrusts for Iranian-style domination in Iraq. Rest assured that Sistani, too, is a significant proponent of theocracy, but he seems more willing to play within the established guidelines. Sadr's willingness to incite violence and continually disrupt any progress towards some degree of normalcy is a more significant issue. Getting this maggot down to room temperature will go a long way towards bringing law and order to Iraq.
#7
Salam made a trip through Sadr-ville on the 31 st. I am waiting for somebody of Arab persuation to claim that the Americans are violating the principles of hudna by refusing to let our enemy reconstitute and reload.
...For a warlord, Ismael Khan seems like a hard-working and shrewd administrator. I followed his schedule for some days, sitting in on meetings with local police chiefs, Kabul military commanders, and the odd Uzbek diplomat. A crowd of petitioners--cripples, favour-seekers, women asking for permission to divorce--crowded the anterooms. Like the Doge of Venice, Ismael Khan personally empties sealed suggestion boxes that have been set up at main points in the city: blue boxes for complaints against officials, white boxes for disputes between citizens. As a rule, officials are dismissed after two complaints are received against them. The street lights were connected in the poorest areas first.
But Ismael Khan's rule is more than just one man's quest to rebuild a city he clearly loves. It is perhaps the first experiment in Islamist-style modernisation, at least in Afghanistan. Against the backdrop of communist-forced secularisation and then the Wahabi-inspired fanaticism of the Taleban, moderate Islamists like Ismael Khan are the functional equivalent of conservatives. Reform and modernisation, they say, must come from within the philosophical roots of their own society and should gain religious sanction in order to be palatable and permanent. Even at the height of the war with the Soviets, I watched him argue with villagers: 'Why don't you set up a school? The Prophet, peace be upon him, taught that in search of knowledge we must go as far as China.' More recently, I heard him denounce men who drive their wives to suicide by keeping them locked up inside their houses. 'You must give education to your daughters, so they can be helpful to your children. And what kind of men are you to rely on marriages arranged for money!' If the provincial villagers who were listening are to accept radical changes at all, they are more likely to do so from a local Islamic leader than from some UN do-gooder.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Super Hose ||
09/03/2004 12:00:00 AM ||
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One step at a time. The article makes it sound like he has the right idea.
Some say we 'bombed Afghanistan out of the stone age'. I think we get a bit impatient and want them to skip the bronze and iron and all the rest of the ages. Sometimes that isn't possible.
But I still question the possibility of a 'moderate Islamist'. Especially if said moderate is also a warlord.
Posted by: Kathy K ||
09/03/2004 20:31 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
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.
