Kuwaiti Islamist deputies plan to question Information Minister Mohammad Abolhassan for allegedly failing to protect morality and control music concerts, a senior Islamist MP said yesterday, piously.
Failure to protect morality? Oh, horrors! Oh, hold me, Ethel!
"There is a defect in the ministry's performance in protecting morality and the minister's supervision over the media is lacking and negative," said Waleed Al-Tabtabai. "The grilling is ready ... It will be submitted after the month of Ramadan," which ends on Nov. 14," Tabtabai, who is known for his morality campaigns and calls to observe strict Islamic rules, told reporters.
I don't ever want to hear anyone in this country mocking the Puritans again...
"We (parliamentarians) have seen no serious intention by the minister or any ministerial bodies to impose any regulations, for concerts or TV programs," Tabtabai said referring to programs he has condemned as "indecent".
"Those wimmin! They have titties! You can tell!"
Abolhassan came under fire earlier this year for allowing the staging of a pop concert by young stars of the Lebanese reality TV show Star Academy, which led the government to ban all forms of dance at concerts and requiring families and unaccompanied men to sit separately.
And the citizenry of Kuwait didn't rise up to mock Tabtabai and his fellows?
Tabtabai said fellow Islamist MPs Awwad Barad Al-Enezi and Faisal Al-Muslim would join him in the questioning. Tabtabai said the new rules were not being strictly implemented by the Information Ministry, prompting them to initiate the grilling. The quiz is likely to be backed by the Sunni Islamic Bloc, which consists of about 15 lawmakers in the 50-member house. It could lead to a no-confidence vote, which, if passed, would mean the automatic dismissal of the minister.
"Nope. Nope. We just can't have it. Next thing you know, people'll be smiling and singing and dancing... Allan knows where it'll end maybe even in bed!"
After several years of banning public concerts, Kuwait has recently resumed granting permits for well-known Arab pop singers despite opposition from Islamic MPs.
"Piss off, MPs! Give us a song or two, Cutie-pie!"
Islamists have also asked that unrelated men and women be seated separately at concerts by Arab singers held during a festival each February.
"What do you mean by 'separately'?"
"The men in Kuwait, the women in Jordan should do."
Over the last year Bahrain has also seen Islamist protests against pop concerts.
"Stop that unseemly frivolty and mirth!"
Some protests have turned violent. One outcry led to the cancellation of the Arabic version of reality TV show Big Brother that was being filmed in the Gulf state.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/22/2004 9:37:41 PM ||
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As many as 29 North Koreans entered a South Korean school in Beijing on Friday and requested asylum, adding to a surge in large-scale defections from the communist nation. Twenty-three women and six men entered the school through its unlocked, unguarded back gate, South Korea's national news agency Yonhap reported. "We fled North Korea and want to live in South Korea," they were quoted as saying.
"Got anything to eat? Say! That's a tasty-looking begonia you've got on your desk!"
An Asian diplomat in Beijing confirmed that more than 20 North Koreans had entered the school.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/22/2004 11:18:31 AM ||
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#1
This is becoming a continuing theme in China.
How long will it take before the NKorean nut case calls them all home.
Oh...maybe that's it...the recall has begun and the mad rush for freedom is afoot!
Spanish police said on Thursday they had detained three Pakistanis and six Iranians suspected of drug trafficking and money laundering. The police said the nine men were picked up in a raid in Madrid after a series of violent robberies during which some of the suspects had posed as police officers. All nine face expulsion following the raid which ended a monitoring operation begun in August.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/22/2004 11:06:58 PM ||
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#1
There has been commentary that concentration on the WoT has lead to neglect of the war on drugs. I am very pleased to note that, in actuality, the two are connected -- such that tracing the links of the one leads to arrests/convictions of the other. Coupling this with the large numbers of arms that in the past three years have been either used up or captured and blown up, I have come to believe that in the not to distant future the world will be a delightfully safer place. Well done, all!
Read carefully. Lots of meat in this article.
Judge Baltasar Garzon, who is also in charge of investigating suspected al-Qaeda activities in Spain, will take statements on Friday from 10 Algerian North African inmates of Spanish prisons believed linked to an alleged terror cell accused of planning to attack the country's top criminal court, the Audencia Nacional. He will also question Saturday eight Islamic extremists arrested Tuesday in connection with a planned attack on the court. Interior Minister Jose Antonio Alonso said Tuesday that the eight men arrested this week "were devising" an attack on the headquarters of the Audiencia Nacional or some other judicial body" in the Spanish capital. The Audiencia Nacional handles high-profile cases such as terrorism and drug trafficking. The suspects to be questioned Friday all hail from North African nations and have been placed in isolation. Investigators so far have turned up books belonging to one of the suspects that justify martyrdom, reinforcing the hypothesis that the group was planning a suicide attack. Justice Minister Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar supported recommendations to isolate and separate Muslim extremist inmates, a measure he said would also cut down on the activities typical of organized crime.
Someone's caught on that you can't leave these guys in with the general population. Don't anybody tell Amnesty International.
Three of the men belong to Algeria's Armed Islamic Group and had already been charged in connection with the March 11 attacks in Madrid that left nearly 200 people dead. Six March 11 suspects, including the suspected cell leader, Allekema Lamari, killed themselves in early April as Spanish police surrounded their hideout. Judge Lopez also said Madrid will eventually seek the extradition of Mohammed Achraf from Swiss authorities. Achraf, currently jailed in Zurich, is believed to be the head of the terror cell broken up this week.
#2
Iberian Notes once posted that while Spain screamed about GTMO and Abu G., the other guys they caught before get 4 years in solitary before their case is tried, IIRC.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - The attorney for an Islamic charity whose office was searched by FBI agents last week says the charity has no ties to global terrorism or to a Sudanese group with a similar name that is under federal investigation.
"Lies, all lies! Er, what was the question again?"
Attorney Shareef Akeel said the Islamic American Relief Agency-USA has no connection to the Islamic African Relief Agency, which the Bush administration has accused of helping raise more than $5 million to finance Osama bin Laden and other terrorists. "IARA-USA condemns any act of terrorism, any support of terrorism and any heinous use of a charity to support terrorism," Akeel told The Kansas City Star in an article published Thursday. He was speaking on behalf of Mubarak Hamed, former president and executive director of the Islamic American Relief Agency. Last week, the FBI's regional terrorism task force seized computers and records from the group's office in Columbia, Mo. Authorities also searched a storage locker and Hamed's home, as well as the home of a contributor in Wolcott, Conn. No one has been arrested or charged in what the FBI has described as a criminal investigation.
That comes later.
The Treasury Department designated Islamic African Relief Agency, based in Khartoum, Sudan, and five senior officials of the charity as supporters of international terrorism. The charity's assets and accounts were frozen and the department made it illegal to contribute to the organization. The Treasury Department has said it has tied the Missouri office to the Sudanese group, but Akeel denied any connections. "All I can tell you is IARA-USA has its own board. It's a separate entity that's organized in America. It has a completely separate organization than the one in Sudan," Akeel said.
Posted by: Steve ||
10/22/2004 10:06:02 AM ||
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Convicted French terrorist Lionel Dumont, who visited Malaysia no less than six times, had secretly met up with another al-Qaeda suspect Andrew Rowe, a British national, in Penang on at least two occasions. The two men have been accused by security authorities of wanting to blow up London's Heathrow Airport but it was aborted when intelligence agencies caught on to their plan. "The two met at a rented house in Penang for their meetings. We can confirm that but we cannot reveal more information as security forces are still continuing their investigations," a source said.
The plan to blow up Heathrow Airport was foiled when security agencies received intelligence about it and put the airport on full alert in February last year. Unknown to the two, security agencies had already put the tail on them. Dumont, who is of Algerian descent, and Rowe, of Jamaican descent, are now in the custody of German and British authorities respectively following their arrest last year. Rowe is also a Mujahideen fighter like Dumont having fought in Bosnia and Afghanistan.
The Star had reported yesterday that Dumont had entered Malaysia six times between 2002 and 2003, using a forged passport bearing the name Tinet Gerald Camille. The 34-year-old militant was arrested in Germany in December last year. Rowe was nabbed in Dover in October 2003 as he crossed over from France through the English Channel tunnel. The 32-year-old unemployed from northwest London, has been charged for three offences of possessing articles for use in terrorism. He was also charged with two counts of making a record of information for terrorist purposes. The charges against Rowe refer to a pair of socks attached with a cord, instructions on how to use mortar and a "substitution code." He has denied all charges and is being remanded until January 2005 under the Terrorism Act when he is due to face trial.
Security sources said the German, British and Malaysian agencies are investigating more about the two, said to be linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network. "The agencies suspect the two had wanted to use mortars to fire shells at the control tower, runways and passenger planes at the airport in March 2003," said one source. The source said Dumont last entered Malaysia in Sept 2003 and had stayed for only a few hours, probably on transit to another destination. He had used Japan as a base for a year travelling around the region and Europe. The Malaysian police also believed that Dumont had met several Arabs while in Malaysia. He has been blamed for several incidents including an attempted bombing of a police headquarters prior to the start of the Group of Seven economic summit in Lyons, France, in June 1996. Dumont is suspected of planning to set up an al-Qaeda cell in Japan, where he set up a second hand car business, as well as to raise funds for the network via money laundering. He had fought as a mujahideen in Bosnia to fight the ethnic war in early 1990s and had linked up with an Egyptian radical group, Takfir Wal Hijra (Renunciation and Exile). A former French soldier in Somalia, he was also active in a French radical group who called themselves Groupe Roubaix.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
10/22/2004 1:20:35 AM ||
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#1
So these are "militants", eh? Exactly what military do they belong to?
#2
Is that a car? Looks like gym equipment. If it is a car I reckon it's worthy of an 8.
Posted by: Howard UK ||
10/22/2004 12:28 Comments ||
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#3
Is that the one for the euphoniously named Al-Ghoul?
If it is, it gets at least a 8 for being the last ride of a leader of Hamas.
Have to deduct points for no parade of bloodstained rags, no visible would-be jihadis promising dire revenge......
#8
Like I said yesterday, there are alot of tempting targets at a car swarm. But, seriously, look at Fred's picture in #4 comment. There is a kid there that can't be more than 12 years old. And the parents let him hang around a car swarm? Real family values.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
10/22/2004 13:03 Comments ||
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#9
And the parents let him hang around a car swarm? Real family values.
Hell, his parents are probably with him in the swarm somewhere. It's probably their idea of a family outing.
#10
These car swarms are extremely ghoulish, don't ya think?
Posted by: Rafael ||
10/22/2004 13:23 Comments ||
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#11
Does anyone here know why the Palis do the car swarm? Seriously, are there any Palestinian lurkers that can enlighten me on this? What purpose does it serve? I thought the South Vietnamesse were death entralled but man, this is something else.
#12
same reason Jesse Jackson ran to MLK's death balcony and from the pool of blood on the deck, smeared his shirt: to prove he was there and thatclose to "the big guy" when he bought the farm.
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/22/2004 13:39 Comments ||
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#13
Fred! - How is the crispy critter gonna handle the virgins when he leaves that fist behind. I guess it's, "allah Akhbar, Baby!", and hope for the best...
On that point alone, is the Israeli Yassinization of these fools is a deterrent for some?
#14
I rate it a 8.5. I would rate it a 10 if it weren't for the missing rubber duckies.
If the Paleo kids are missing a half day of school for ALL the unscheduled car swarms, do they get to make it up in the summer? It has got to be a detriment to the minimum credit hours they need, to pass. Maybe there are free credit hours available for propaganda photo-ops.
#22
I'd give it a 6, only because it looks like there's a body part in the lower left. Much too calm for a car swarm; I suspect the Palestinians are getting jaded.
#27
lol is this the one where the mainstream media said 'plaistinians inspect the damage' inspect ,inspect wtf its a full on car swarm not some kinda vehicle maintance pit stop. I'd give it a 8 outa 10 because theres not enough gore, i like it when some jihadi clown runs out clutching a limb or an ear or maybe even a heart then cheers as if its some sort victory. brilliant stuff,just what you'd expext from an arab
Posted by: Shep UK ||
10/22/2004 16:54 Comments ||
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#28
Where are all the women? How come the Joooooo's don't send five, six or seven more Virgin rewarders into the crowd?
#30
I'm not sure WHO the severed forearm belongs to in the photo above, but I AM sure the guy was busy whacking his koran at the time of death.
Posted by: Mark Z. ||
10/22/2004 18:40 Comments ||
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#31
Crispy murderous critter is good for a few points, but with very little visible seething or slogan chanting and absolutely NO visible ululating women... 6.
Now for the Israeli crsiping of this critter and his personal ass-munch. 11.
Next?
Posted by: Mac Suirtain ||
10/22/2004 18:52 Comments ||
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#32
I rate it a 5. No missile streaming in to the picture.
#33
I give it a 4 - no ululating women.... no handing out of crispy internal organs.... No tearing each other to shreads. Rather poor performnce all in all.
No offense, but it's a lousy pic by the Paleo photog, due to lousy timing and a lousy dispatch. By getting fried alive, there were no shredded and bloody limbs (+2) for anyone to hold aloft (+2). The person holding it aloft must face the camera and look as if he's screaming bloody murder (+2).
For the Israeli crisping this critter: *holds up card* 8.
Hate to disagree with Mac Suirtain (#31), but the guy who offed the Imam "spiritual" leader of Hamas outside of the mosque at 3 in the morning (I forget his name, and good riddance), scores highest: the corpse was bloody, ripped apart, and looked just positively awful.
NOW, if we got a pic of the face of said crispy critter displayed in #19 and #20, AND he had a look of terror and agony, as if he burned to death alive, THEN I will recant my 8 and award an 11.
Ptah Aetyptus, Judge and originator of the KCNA Rant Rating system (c)
#36
Am I capturing the scoring elements appropriately? Not sure what each is weighted but what we're looking for is:
1. Ululating women
2. Visible charred, shredded and bloody body parts
3. Onlooker screaming bloody murder while holding up severed limb (no requirement on fingers and toes still being attached)
3. Some emotion frozen, preferably "What-the-fuck-surprise", on the face of the target
4. Vomiting onlookers
5. Onlooker engaging with cell phone
6. Flames
7. Multiple deaths involved
8. Onlookers raining blows down upon other onlookers
9. Corporate logos on shirts or better yet, Kerry / Edwards campaign t-shirt on an onlooker OR a Kerry / Edwards bumper sticker on target vehicle
Yes, of course, you are correct. If only the Paleostani's would have broken the crispy crust up a bit beforehand and generously distributed the jellified filling, I am sure they could have inched closer up on the wheelchair vampire of Gaza's martyrdom phot0 spread, which *was* clearly an 11.
Perhaps they are saving their next masterpiece for the Ariofat himself.
Posted by: Mac Suirtain ||
10/22/2004 22:24 Comments ||
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#39
The Yassin rubout was still the best.They showed that crippled piece of human garbage...top of his head blown off..the inside of his skull looked like a bowl of pasta.
Posted by: incarnate of lee atwater ||
10/22/2004 23:57 Comments ||
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#41
Ummm, you've caught a superset, Lurker. Here's an analysis of the rundown
1. Ululating women Remember, we're rating a Palestinian CAR SWARM. Ululating is CELEBRATION, not MOURNING. A Ululator would be identified as a collaborator with the Jooos and be raped and slaughtered.
2. Visible charred, shredded and bloody body parts Correct. See Yassin and #41's photo.
3. Onlooker screaming bloody murder while holding up severed limb (no requirement on fingers and toes still being attached) Correct, but only if looking into camera. Points off for not looking into camera, or holding up a CAR part, not a body part.
4. Some emotion frozen, preferably What-the-fuck-surprise", on the face of the target Mandatory bonus points, but not required for a perfect 10. These should be identified as Yassin points, and require elevation of the Swarm into the pantheon of the classics.
5. Vomiting onlookers never seen any. Not required, but scoring due to its appearing is optional and left to the judge. Besides, getting the timing right would be incredible. Merely looking sick may probably qualify for half points. Full points MANDATORY if the shmuck is a dead ringer for a Democrat Celebrity or elected Official.
6. Onlooker engaging with cell phone Not mandatory, but bonus points if looking at the car with a shocked look on his face. Otherwise, zip.
7. Flames Not only not required, but positively counterproductive!!! The Swarm MUST be hard up against the mangled remains of the car to even QUALIFY for the Car Swarm Competition. Existance of flames would spoil the "milling mass of humanity" look essential for basic qualification. Actual shots of Paleo idiots dancing while in flames for getting too close to the attacked car should be disqualified for jumping the gun. HOWEVER, they may be shoo-ins for the Darwin Awards, and professional courtesy would require us directing the photos thereto, or to a more appropriate competition.
8. Multiple deaths involved My gut feel says no, but relentless logic dictates otherwise: A Hellfire missile is a damn expensive piece of ordinance, and shouldn't be wasted on a Terrorist leader who is not high enough on the pecking order to merit bodyguards and a driver. I would say that a mandatory 2 points be assessed AGAINST Shin Bet due to lousy intelligence fingering a terrorist asshole this low in the food chain.
9. Onlookers raining blows down upon other onlookers ONLY in the event that it is clear that the reason for the contention is a body part (see #2)
10. Corporate logos on shirts or better yet, Kerry / Edwards campaign t-shirt on an onlooker OR a Kerry / Edwards bumper sticker on target vehicle. Scoring optional. However, this rule is flawed by requiring existance of the presence of a specific campaign, implying that the basic need for the IDF to generate Car Swarms will disappear by 2004. Not damn likely. Modify "Kerry/Edwards" to the more generic "American Democratic Presidential Candidate ticket", and you'll have a winner!
There are two other rules you missed, and should probably be #1 and #2, with the others suitably re-numbered:
11. There must be a mass of humanity surrounding the wreckage. Hell, what's a car swarm without an actual swarm, a veritable MASS, a teeming SEA, of bodies? No mass, automatic disqualification. Ex. The Death-By-Hellfire-From-Predator shot of the burnt out 4 wheeler in Somalia. Emotionally satisfying? YES! True Justice? Absolutely. A Car Swarm? No way. There wasn't even a lizard visibmly sunning itself on a rock, fer cryin' out loud!
12. One or more individuals ON the wreckage. Lack of said individuals is CLEAR EVIDENCE that the photograher snapped too soon: The photographic equivalent of a premature ejaculation. Immediate disqualification of the photo, but not for any qualifying shots by the same photographer at the same Blessed Event.
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/23/2004 18:46 Comments ||
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#43
Agreed, Frank. Ptah's da Man! Put it in the RB classics. A masterpiece of wit, well reasoned points, organization, and overall presentation. I am enlightened but emotionally exhausted by Ptah's most noble essay.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
10/23/2004 19:04 Comments ||
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#44
*bows* Thank You, Thank you! We at the War College live to educate...
Defiant Palestinian militants pounded Jewish settlements in the southern Gaza Strip with mortar fire Friday, following the killing of a top Hamas militant in an Israeli airstrike. Tens of thousands of angry Hamas supporters joined the funeral procession for Adnan al-Ghoul, 46, a founder and deputy chief of the Hamas military wing who was on Israel's most-wanted list since 1990. Mourners and leaders of the Islamic militant group threatened revenge attacks against Israel. "Hamas is loyal to the blood of its martyrs and will continue on the path of holy war and resistance until we achieve victory by defeating the Zionists," Ismail Hanieh, a Hamas leader, said in a rare appearance at a Gaza City mosque.
I think Ismail might be on the list, too...
Posted by: Fred ||
10/22/2004 11:04:36 AM ||
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#1
"Hamas is loyal to the blood of its martyrs and will continue on the path of holy war and resistance until we achieve victory by defeating the Zionists,"
translated into hebrew: "kill us"
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/22/2004 11:20 Comments ||
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#2
Why don't the Israelis just bomb the funeral procession as well?
#4
Because Israel's targeted assassinations are semi-tolerated by the Jew-haters of Europe, but if they killed too many terrorists AT ONCE that would be too much for them to stomach.
The same mentality operates against US military actions in Iraq. Kill a few here and there and that's fine. Bomb a house and kill more tan say 10 and the whole world of NGOs and America-haters gets excited and out comes a logorrhea of irrational bile.
#8
...they killed too many terrorists AT ONCE that would be too much for them to stomach. The same mentality operates against US military actions in Iraq.
That's because killing terrorists should only be done at 'nuisance' levels.
#9
One militant preparing to fire a mortar shell at Neve Dekalim was killed and another was gravely injured. Palestinians said the dead man was a known Hamas activist. It was unclear if the men were hit by Israeli fire or the mortar shell exploded prematurely.
Oh good. Another scenario for their new video game. "Martyr or Idiot? You make the call."
Margaret Hassan, the kidnapped director of CARE International in Iraq, appeared on a videotape aired Friday, weeping and pleading with British Prime Minister Tony Blairto withdraw troops from Iraq "and not bring them to Baghdad" because "this might be my last hour. Please help me," a haggard and terrified Hassan begged in the video, aired by the Arabic television station Al-Jazeera. "This might be my last hour. Please help me." Hassan — an Irish-British-Iraqi national who has been doing humanitarian work in Iraq for 30 years, including distributing medicine and food — at one point broke down in tears and buried her face in a tissue. "The British people, tell Mr. Blair to take the troops out of Iraq and not bring them here to Baghdad. That's why people like myself and Mr. Bigley have been caught. Please, please, I beg of you," she said.
"I dont want to die like Bigley," referring to British hostage Kenneth Bigley who was decapitated on a video posted this month on an Islamist Web site. Before his slaying, his kidnappers released two videos of Bigley pleading for Blair to act to save him. Though women have been kidnapped in Iraq's wave of abductions, none have been killed, and all have been freed unharmed. The wrenching appeal by Hassan, who was kidnapped on Tuesday in Baghdad, puts new political pressure on Blair's government, a day after it agreed to a U.S. request that it redeploy troops from the south to the Baghdad region in order to free up U.S. troops to assault insurgents. Blair's Downing Street office had no immediate comment on the video.
The kidnappers — who pulled Hassan out of her car at gunpoint — have pointed in previous statements to her British citizenship. Born in Dublin, she also holds Irish citizenship and was naturalized as an Iraqi after marrying an Iraqi. In the tape, Hassan — visible from the shoulders up — stands in front of a bare wall. The tape did not include any claim of responsibility nor did it show any of the kidnappers. An editor at Al-Jazeera, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the network received the tape Friday but refused to say how or where. He said the tape included only Hassan's statement. I'd like to comment on this article, but quite frankly, I'm speechless. Other than to say we must not allow these dreadful men to bully their way into power one butchery at a time. Please stand fast, Britain.
Posted by: Seafarious ||
10/22/2004 10:52:31 AM ||
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#1
It seems pretty clear that Al-Jazeera is an accomplice in publicizing propaganda movies of human slaughter and terrified victims.
I am pretty sure the UK will not surrender military operations to such blackmail.
But will they tolerate the "contribution" of Al-Jazeera? Why is this Islamofascist front still around?
#3
It may not do much to military ops, but it will shorten Tony Blair's political career span. If they release film of her beheading, I fear the reaction in Britain. Any thoughts, Bulldog et al?
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
10/22/2004 11:43 Comments ||
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#4
...I hope I am not misconstruing this, but:
The tape did not include any claim of responsibility nor did it show any of the kidnappers.
This seems very out of character for these monsters. Combined with Miss Hassan's statement, I am hoping that what we're seeing isn't staged..
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
10/22/2004 11:47 Comments ||
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#5
Mike - I think this was like an auction tickler...
"We have a bona-fide weeper here, ready and willing to say anything you care to script. She's unbranded and will have the UK Press by the short 'n curlies. So, who's interested in screwing with Blair? What's our opening bid?"
#6
When such a film is shown, the Brits should react with the disgust and anger due the jihadis for conducting such barbaric beheadings, instead of buying into the politically popular opinion that kidnappings and beheadings are forms of legitimate resistance. Tony should not be punished for refusing to buckle to the deadly blackmail of the barbarians.
But the harsh truth is that you almost certainly will die, so the question for you is whether you will summon up some courage and deny the jihadists the chance to make another recruiting tape, or die like a coward.
Harsh? Yes. But Bigley-ism must be stopped in its tracks. A monster has been unleashed. Unless ordinary people find some courage in them and refuse to give in to emotional blackmail, there will be many, many more such victims.
Courage, girl. No one will remember what you did before now, but everyone you love, and millions more, will remember how you carried yourself during your final days.
#9
#1
Al-Jazeera? hy is this Islamofascist front still around?
your comment stupid mother f$%&cker display your level of inteligence go back to your father testicles, becouse you scum! do not deserve this life
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
10/22/2004 12:24 Comments ||
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#11
She's Irish.
Posted by: Howard UK ||
10/22/2004 12:26 Comments ||
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#12
I have no confidence in "the British people" to support their Prime Minister, he'll have to hold out on his own ...
And lex, I'm sorry to say, but the answer is no, she wants to go out a coward just like Ken Bigley.
Posted by: Edward Yee ||
10/22/2004 12:30 Comments ||
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#13
Still f*ckin angry though.
Posted by: Howard UK ||
10/22/2004 12:32 Comments ||
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#14
Bigley-ism, and I'm hesitant about coining the phenomenon under a single individuals' name, seems to spring from the diminution of courage; the advance of moral ambiguity as a result of radical egalitarianism and the inevitable puncturing of the leftâs rejectionist fantasy (Iâm with the oppressed third worlders) by an ugly reality. The pleading raises one's hackles because it is clearly an effective propaganda tool by Islamofascist thugs waging an asymmetric war (assuming they are conversant in such concepts), and it is ineffective but intimate narcissism by the victim.
#15
Imagine yourself in that situation. There are literally millions of people around the world watching you, waiting to see how you will behave.
Your choice is really very simple: you can deny your killers the satisfaction of making you cringe, weep, and play along in their little snuff film. Or you can say No, I won't play your game, because it requires me to renounce everything that I love and hold dear in life.
Is that really a difficult choice for someone with anything like a sense of dignity? Or any parent: What lesson would you want to impart to your children-- here's your dad, he's a coward, his cowardice has been broadcast around the world, and he has aided a group of monsters in their efforts to recruit more monsters in their cause of slaughter?
#16
One item that should be considered in the evaluation of the hostages' behaviour is that the terrorists seem to have a fully stocked pharmaceutical cabinet at their disposal. Unfortuantely, by the time we find out the truth these deaths may only be footnotes in a very ugly story.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
10/22/2004 12:52 Comments ||
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#17
The worst aspect of Bigley-ism is the personal appeals to Tony Blair. This is a variety of emotional blackmail that any Briton, hell, any member of civilization, must find utterly repulsive. Shame on the press for playing along.
#18
One think that is perplexing: how come she has been active (living?) in Iraq for the last 30 years? what kind of deals had she made with the Baathists?
Not that it matters to her current ordeal, just wondering about the real story. Since her husband was Iraqi, did he live in the UK or in Iraq? who's side was he on? where is he now?
You'd think she'd have the wherewithal to hold her chin up high (like the Italian hostage did) and show her thugish captors how a, "...CARE worker dies!!!"
Posted by: Don Yassin ||
10/22/2004 15:06 Comments ||
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#20
This poor lady will die at the hands of Islamofascists. Please do not express disdain for someone so clearly helpless. She' can't defend herself Please pray for her and the victims that were murdered before her.
But please do not show this anger at someone who cannot defend herself, and who know nothing of war and death.
#21
I don't know if this hostage is a player or an innocent-but I have to admit, if she is an innocent and I were in her place, I'd be sh*tting my pants and gulping bile and sleepless for days obsessing over what was to happen. I would try my very best to do what you say, lex and don yassin, because I do admire the Italian hostage who stood proudly defiant of his executioners, I admire that courage and integrity. I hope I would have the courage to do that in that situation. But imagine that nightmare threat hanging over you.
#22
Thank you, Badanov. It is important to remember that it is the Islamist Pigs who are the enemy. It is up to our leadership to stand tall and lead our nations.
#23
Some observations and questions about the abducted lady. First, let's get this very clear: I hope she escapes alive. And I'd like to know more about her background.
She's been living in Iraq for 30 years. She married an Iraqi and has an Iraqi passport.
She could travel (and did travel) back and forth between Iraq and the UK.
It is known that after the invasion of Koweit and during Gulf War I she chose to stay in Iraq. Apparently the war against Iran didn't prompt her to leave Iraq either.
Since 1991, she had been lobbying British MPs to lift sanctions, she had been complaining that the UN was (deliberately?) starving poor children, and in 2002 she warned of a humanitarian disaster should the Coalition attack Saddam.
When did she ever denounce the Baathist regime?
How did she manage to live and travel so freely under that dictatorship? who picked her and let her run that CARE charity org in Iraq since 1992?
Who is her husband and what has his role been under the Baathist regime? is she a Moslem convert?
#24
And what in God's name was she doing moving around Iraq unprotected?
Anyone with an ounce of sense in their little brain would be carrying an assault rifle and a sidearm!
Posted by: Don Yassin ||
10/22/2004 16:05 Comments ||
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#25
Sorry, badanov, but this woman has already seen the emotional blackmail that was used against Bigley. She has no excuse for her disgraceful behavior. If she has even half a brain she will know that her words will encourage still more kidnappings and cause the death of many more hapless victims like herself.
There is a point at which people of good will must stand up and refuse to play the emotional blackmail game. We reached that point quite a while ago.
#26
Another alternative to consider is that given the potential answers to Kalle's questions and the anomalies Mike pointed out in #4, this may actually be a put on to destabilize Tony.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
10/22/2004 17:36 Comments ||
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#27
From the time of Bigley, still applies!
"In a report on the predicament of British engineer Ken Bigley, kidnapped by the evil murdering holy warriors of Zarqawiâs Tawhid wal Jihad gang, Scotland on Sunday has a quote from the Islamic kidnappers that was ignored in other media reports, but perfectly illustrates the mentality of these creatures: Help in the grip of evil. (Hat tip: Chris Lynch.)
âGiven the sensitivity, we are saying nothing,â one Downing Street official explained. Privately, Blair recognises the Bigley familyâs predicament is âghastlyâ, but he will not negotiate with terrorists.
This does not seem to bother the hostage-takers. They began taunting Western governments over their efforts to seek their citizensâ release from captivity. Late on Friday a fresh message appeared on a website believed to be used by al-Zarqawi which read: âWhat is laughable is the insistence of the ministers of all infidel nationalities on the phrase âno negotiationsâ. As if there was any question of negotiation. Far from it - they must obey the demands of the Mujahadeen. If you refuse, we slaughter.â
Posted by: Don Yassin ||
10/22/2004 17:57 Comments ||
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#28
Boy, do I wish the SAS or Delta Force boys could nab Zarqawi! Failing that, a few tons of napalm dropped on their neighbourhood would do. That would teach them the REAL meaning of slaughter!
#29
I have not seen the video tape of Hassan. I did, however, hear the audio portion of the video on the radio while coming home from work. Unless Hassan is a damn good actress, I think the kidnapping is for real and this isn't a stunt by the left wing. Upon hearing Hassan's words my only thought was this: In the face of an awful death I pray I can muster more courage and dignity than she (and Bigley) demonstrated. In the face of evil Bigley died without honor. Given what I heard on the radio today, I suspect Hassan will do likewise.
Posted by: Mark Z. ||
10/22/2004 18:26 Comments ||
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#31
Lex, I am not saying pay ransom or give in to blackmail, but for Christ's sakes, the women is clearly terrified. You have to have some sympathy that she is facing her mortality, and not in a way any of us should wish to face it.
Where the hell if your humanity? Are we not fighting against this barbarity that is Islam? Are we not fighting against terrorism which these public acts so clearly are?
Doesn't fighting terrorism mean we must also preserve our high implicit value we hold on human life, that not just marks open and democratic societies, but also our own personal values? Are not our values, democracy, free markets and our rights worth preserving and worth expressing.
Sympathy for this poor woman's plight would go a long way towards bolstering the fact we are in this not just for ourselves but for everyone? After all, in the war on terror we are all combatants whether we want to be or not.
#32
The woman is begging to the wrong people -- she should be begging to her captors. But she is not because they will make what little remains of her life far more painful if she does not play her assigned role. The begging makes it all the more imperative that we not give in to these demons and that we silence their accomplice, Al-Jazeera. Al-Jazeera needs to take a few hard hits from out of nowhere.
Posted by: Tom ||
10/22/2004 18:43 Comments ||
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#33
To the people highlighting Bigley and Hassan as hostages who act cowardly: who the hell hasn't acted cowardly, by your definition? I could name names, including a fair few Americans, but I think that's pretty damn insulting to people whose lives were and are on the line. Only one man that I'm aware of, Fabrizio Quattrocchi, behaved in the sort of defiant manner I assume you think you yourselves would be capable of - the rest have died disgusting deaths in misery and fear. And recall that Quattrocchi was the only one of his group to be killed. His defiance, admirable though it was, didn't seem to do him any favours in the getting-out-alive stakes.
Calling murder victims cowards is about as sick as you can f***ing get...
#34
A car bomb at the headquarters of Al-Jazeera for being part and parcel to the producton of these videos is in order. The hostages that have been released all have said Al-Jazeera was there filiming. Al-Jazeera knows where they are. Al-Jazeera is part of the kidnap gang. TakeAl-Jazeera out of the equation. A bomb everytime they show one of these videos.
I hope this lady gets out of this OK but I don't hold out great hope for her as this is the muslim cult of death we are talking about.
#35
Bulldog: To the people highlighting Bigley and Hassan as hostages who act cowardly: who the hell hasn't acted cowardly, by your definition? I could name names, including a fair few Americans, but I think that's pretty damn insulting to people whose lives were and are on the line. Only one man that I'm aware of, Fabrizio Quattrocchi, behaved in the sort of defiant manner I assume you think you yourselves would be capable of - the rest have died disgusting deaths in misery and fear. And recall that Quattrocchi was the only one of his group to be killed. His defiance, admirable though it was, didn't seem to do him any favours in the getting-out-alive stakes.
Bulldog - only three people have been shown begging for their lives. The Filipino, Bigley and this woman. Everyone else kept a stiff upper lip. The defiant Italian's reaction was broadcast by accident. Jihadis get to show what they want to show. The fact is that everyone else went to their deaths stoically. Except for these three people. These folks are the scum of the earth.
Bulldog: Calling murder victims cowards is about as sick as you can f***ing get...
They did not have to be in Iraq. They chose to be. Most faced their fate bravely and without complaint. These three are blaming everyone except themselves and the terrorists. This is why they are cowards. They couldn't take the heat. They should never have been in the kitchen.
#36
Bulldog: Calling murder victims cowards is about as sick as you can f***ing get...
I think you have also forgotten the brave souls who are either dead or wounded because they refused to be kidnapped and fought back. If you submit, you deserve what you get. (I have a Samson complex - I believe in pulling the temple down over my enemies. If I were in Iraq, they would not have taken me prisoner. Even if the only prize I got in return for my life was an attacker's eye, I would have done it).
#37
An appropriate response by Tony Blair to the blackmail demands made by the terrorists through the pleadings of Mrs. Hassan: I'm ordering another 25,000 British Marines to Fallujah and Baghdad.
Posted by: Mark Z. ||
10/22/2004 21:24 Comments ||
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#38
I've seen the video, but isn't it unusual for Zarqawi's hard boys to take women hostages? And considering #23's comments (plus other media sources that agree), there's at least the possibility that this is a repeat of the two Italian women hostages scenario. If the terrorists are willing to release a lefty Aussie journalist after googling his long record of anti-Americanism, I'm going to be a bit skeptical.
#39
if it isn't another situation like the two italian traitor babes, we can't condemn her. I would also like her to be strong like the dead italian, but jeebus, I don't think I have the standing to criticize her. I agree with Blair's response - 25K more angry troops - don't let the hostage-takers benefit
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/22/2004 22:49 Comments ||
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#40
Bulldog - only three people have been shown begging for their lives. The Filipino, Bigley and this woman. Everyone else kept a stiff upper lip. The defiant Italian's reaction was broadcast by accident. Jihadis get to show what they want to show. The fact is that everyone else went to their deaths stoically. Except for these three people. These folks are the scum of the earth.
Which folks are you referring to?
I suppose those American hostages who "screamed" as their throats were cut were being 'stoic'? Let me remind you that I didn't start this filthy argument. Don't try to make out most other victims have died with dignity. There is no dignity for anyone involved in this sort of shit.
Has it occurred to you that the British hostages have been allowed to plead for their lives because their killers think they can use such footage to try to put pressure on Blair? The Americans taken with Bigley may not have even been given the chance to beg for mercy. Their killers know that Bush wouldn't make any concessions, whereas Blair's position is much weaker, and both sides know that Zarqawi would be exceedingly unlikely to ever release American hostages alive, anyway.
Most faced their fate bravely and without complaint.
It seems you haven't read transcripts or reports of, or actually seen any of the murder footage have you?
These three are blaming everyone except themselves and the terrorists. This is why they are cowards. They couldn't take the heat. They should never have been in the kitchen.
They are/were trying to save their skins. I think in the same situation, many, if not most, people would do the same. Using your logic, I suppose girls who wear short skirts deserved to get raped, huh?
A TURKISH welder kidnapped in Iraq and threatened with death if his company did not withdraw from the neighbouring nation has escaped his captors, his family said today.
"I am outta here!"
Abdurrahman Yildirim, 21, was who reportedly abducted last week, called his family on Wednesday to say he escaped and was free, his uncle Mehmet Balli said by telephone from the southern town of Osmaniye. Yildirim's mother, Fatma, told the Anatolia news agency that her son fled when one of his captors left the door open where he was being held.
Oboy! More executions coming up! Even better!
He then went to a market and contacted Iraqi police. He was later brought to US authorities, Fatma Yildirim was quoted as saying. Turkish news reports have said kidnappers threatened to kill Yildirim if his company, Kulak Construction Company, did not withdraw from Iraq. A Foreign Ministry official confirmed that Yildirim had been kidnapped and was threatened with death, but could not immediately confirm that he was free.
Do they think he's lying? Or that he's not him?
Yildirim told his family that he was taken to an Iraqi hospital after he escaped. "His condition is good, but the boy is in shock," Balli said. He had no further details on Yildirim's release. Officials from Yildirim's company were not immediately available for comment. Last week, a video that appeared on an Islamic website showed militants in Iraq beheading a man identified as a kidnapped Turkish driver. He was the sixth Turk slain by militants who oppose the US-led occupation of Iraq. Most of the victims have worked for or alongside coalition interests in the country. More than 150 foreigners have been kidnapped in Iraq. Some kidnappers seek ransom money, but others have political objectives such as the withdrawal of foreign companies or troops serving in the US-led multinational force. While six Turks have been slain by the militants, more than 30 others have been freed by their captors.
Posted by: tipper ||
10/22/2004 10:48:52 AM ||
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A French citizen has been identified among insurgents killed by US forces in Iraq, a French newspaper reports. The 19-year-old, named as Redouane, is said to have died in a US air raid on Falluja on 17 July, says Le Figaro. He is the first French national known to have died fighting against the US-led coalition. Tunisian-born Redouane, who belonged to an Islamic group in France, is thought to have travelled to Iraq from his home in Paris via Syria earlier this year. His brother Boubakeur, 21, who travelled with him, was arrested by Syrian officials and remains in custody. Le Figaro says the radical Islamic group frequented by the brothers was investigated earlier this year in the western Paris suburb of Levallois-Perret. The paper says its sources know of two other French nationals in Falluja and believe around 10 others have travelled to Iraq. Most are thought to be men of Tunisian origin who had been living in Paris. France, which opposed the US-led war against Saddam Hussein, has no troops in Iraq.
No troops on our side at any rate.
Posted by: Steve ||
10/22/2004 9:15:52 AM ||
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#1
It's a start.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
10/22/2004 10:29 Comments ||
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#2
France, which opposed the US-led war against Saddam Hussein, has no troops in Iraq.
You mean, had no troops. As Prime Minister Raffarin said to Le Figaro's editors, "The Iraqi resistance are our best allies."
U.S. warplanes have pounded and obliterated suspected weapons storage sites in Falluja, according to the U.S. military. Doctors at Falluja General Hospital said the Friday assault killed at least six people. The U.S. military said it had no reports of casualties. The airstrike was another Marine assault on targets in the Sunni Triangle city, considered a terrorist and insurgent stronghold. Marines have been launching airstrikes on Falluja for weeks, and the latest assault comes during a stepped-up U.S. and Iraqi air and ground campaign that began last week. Interim government officials are warning that there will be a full-scale offensive against the Abu Musab al-Zarqawi network and other fighters if citizens fail to hand militants to authorities. But the activity in Falluja came as an influential Sunni leader -- Sheikh Fakhri al-Qasi speaking for the Al-Shura Society for the Sunni people -- warned U.S.-led forces not to conduct an offensive in the city and said such an assault would meet stiff opposition.
"We shall have Dire Revenge!"
In overnight action, troops saw 20 armed terrorists people toting crates of ammo and equipment from one storage area to another building in Falluja about 10 p.m. Thursday. Fifteen minutes later, Marines fired precision-guided bombs at a building and obliterated it, causing secondary explosions. Ten minutes after that assault, warplanes took out the second building, and that caused a number of prolonged secondary explosions. Earlier Thursday, Marines said they fought with "several groups of terrorists insurgents" from the outskirts of Falluja.
I wonder if the actual assault on Fallujah will be rather anti-climatic -- the Marines are reducing everything worth reducing beforehand.
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/22/2004 9:20:25 AM ||
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#6
But the activity in Falluja came as an influential Sunni leader -- Sheikh Fakhri al-Qasi speaking for the Al-Shura Society for the Sunni people -- warned U.S.-led forces not to conduct an offensive in the city and said such an assault would meet stiff opposition.
Enough of this BS. Send in the cavalry and cut these bastards down where they stand, one after another. Let's see just what kind of "opposition" they have to offer.
#7
Sure. But first, we'll take away a lot of their dangerous toys. And a few of them along the way, just to make the point.
The goal here is to support the interim government and make elections both possible and reasonably representative. We all know we could flatten the city any time we choose to - militarily, that is, we can do it. And it's frustrating to wait and to pull back.
But keep the big game in mind. We win when signficant progress is made towards a stable, representative government in Iraq. Fallujah, annoying and dangerous as it is, is just a tactical step along the way to that goal. Battle discipline is all in these situations. We're playing for bigger stakes than just a town with tradition of generations of lawlessness, plus the outside thugs and fanatics.
Divide and conquer. It's going on now -- both the dividing and the conquering -- in Fallujah.
Posted by: too true ||
10/22/2004 10:40 Comments ||
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#8
Steve S. :
I can only assume the secondary explosions are from highly flammable baby ducks and bunnies
'Osama is our hero!'
Quoted in daily Insaf, Mufti Kifayatullah, senior adviser to the chief minister NWFP and secretary information of MMA, stated that in the eyes of his party and government Osama bin Laden was a hero. He cautioned that Mr Mushahid Hussain secretary general of the PMLQ should be careful in calling him an enemy of the Muslims on TV. He said the rulers of Pakistan first earned dollars by inviting the mujahideen to fight jihad; they once again got paid by the Americans by getting the mujahideen killed. He said Osama bin Laden was a Muslim in the real sense. He appealed that Faisal Saleh Hayat should be removed as federal interior minister. He said he was not physically in touch with the Taliban but his party was bound ideologically with the Taliban.
'This man is corrupt!'
Writing in Jang Nazeer Naji stated that British High Commissioner met National Security Council adviser Mr Tariq Aziz and told him that one political head of a government department was involved in smuggling Pakistanis illegally to the UK and that his people were receiving Rs 5 lakh as bribe from each illegal traveller and sending it up to the department chief. The UK High Commissioner had then met Chaudhry Shujaat and bluntly told him that the man was corrupt. Finally when he met President Musharraf and told him the truth he was told that investigation was on and that some step would be taken soon. The columnist expected that in the new cabinet of Mr Shaukat Aziz the man would be dropped.
Kargil decision was right!
Ex-ISI chief General (Retd) Javed Nasir wrote in Nawa-e-Waqt that within one hour of becoming army chief General Pervez Musharraf posted six lieutenant generals including one who was corps commander Chaklala (general Aziz). This man had been presenting the Kargil Operation to prime ministers and had done so in 1989 to Ms Bhutto who had rejected it. But as the best instructor of the War Wing in National Defence College, Musharraf knew that if Pakistan tried to recapture Siachen from India, the latter would be incapable of resisting the Pakistani operation. He was right in this assessment.
Cost of hajj
Writing in Jang, Javed Chaudhry said that in the year 2004 181,000 Pakistanis will go for hajj to Saudi Arabia. These people will pay Rs 1.05 lakh each as hajj fee. In all, a sum of Rs 19 billion 18 crore and 15 lakh will paid by those wishing to go to hajj. Yet the country was full of people who were not even poor because they lived below the poverty line and did not have enough food to eat.
Population born jails
Column Sarerahe in Nawa-e-Waqt quoted Maulana Fazlur Rehman as saying in a seminar that very soon the NWFP province will allow prisoners to have the company of their wives. The maulana was very happy that Pakistan would soon have a special population born in jails.
99% wine-drinkers are Muslim
Quoted in Khabrain, owner of Murree Brewery 66-year old MP Bhandara stated that 99 percent of those who drank his alcoholic beverages were Muslims although the country allowed sale of his products only for the consumption of non-Muslims. He said his product was in competition with foreign brands which were smuggled because the government did not allow their import. Bootleggers sold Scotch whiskey going around in Mercedes cars and no one could stop them. Foreign brands of alcohol were being smuggled from China and India. Murree Brewery was set up in 1860 by the British but consumption was banned by prime minister Bhutto, after which General Zia further tightened the laws against drinking. Mr Bhandara said he was trying to export his products to Indian restaurants in the UK.
Fraud in the name of Islam
According to Khabrain, a company named SN International in Thokar Niaz Beg in Lahore started business as jihad against the un-Islamic practice of riba (bank interest). It told its clients that they could take loans from the company to buy consumer goods without paying any interest on the borrowed sum. The company did roaring business while its owner Prof Nasrullah made fiery speeches in favour of Islam. It accumulated Rs 40 million after which the owners absconded from the scene. It now came to light that the Islamic company owed large amounts of money to consumer goods sellers and to the 'members' who had bought its membership.
Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
10/22/2004 6:12:05 AM ||
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Fraud in the name of Islam
Damn! How is that possible? Next thing you'll be telling me is 99% of wine drinkers are Muslim.
Dozens of families fled their mountainous village near the Afghan border as Pakistani troops, backed by helicopter gunships, kept up a barrage of artillery and mortar fire aimed at Al Qaeda -linked militants led by a former Guantanamo Bay prisoner hiding there. The rebels fired rockets on Thursday at a nearby army base, but they landed in a field and caused no casualties, said an official in Wana, the main town in South Waziristan. Three civilians were killed when an army-fired mortar exploded at a roadside restaurant in Spinkai Raghzai village Wednesday, an intelligence official said on condition of anonymity. "We could hear artillery fire the whole night," said Alam Gul Bitani, who lives in neighboring Jandola village.
He said dozens of families, many on foot, and carrying their children and bundles of possessions, were streaming into his village to avoid the siege by about 1,000 troops, which began Wednesday. The militants - led by Abdullah Mehsud, a former Guantanamo Bay prisoner blamed for masterminding the kidnapping of two Chinese engineers - have fired back at the troops with mortars and guns. Sherpao said troops have surrounded Spinkai Raghzai, about 55 kilometers (35 miles) northeast of Wana, to capture Mehsud, who was released from the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in March.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
10/22/2004 1:19:07 AM ||
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A military judge jailed a US Army sergeant, described in court as a typical all-American boy, for eight years yesterday for sexually and physically abusing Iraqi prisoners. The sentence for Staff Sgt. Ivan "Chip" Frederick, 38, is by far the toughest of those handed down to three soldiers now convicted over abuses at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib Prison. Frederick, who sat impassively through the two-day court-martial at a US base in Baghdad, appeared shaken and looked at the floor after Judge Col. James Pohl announced his verdict, which included a dishonorable discharge and a demotion.
Tough nails, ain't it?
Defense counsel Gary Myers said the sentence was excessive and he would appeal. Frederick, the most senior soldier indicted in the scandal, pleaded guilty to five charges that included assault, committing an indecent act and dereliction of duty. The church-going father of two, who was a prison guard in civilian life, admitted helping tie wires to the fingers and private part of one prisoner and telling him he could be electrocuted, and forcing three hooded detainees to masturbate. In one of the most notorious of abuses committed last year and to which the charges were related, naked, hooded prisoners were also made to form a human pyramid while other military police posed for photographs with them. Two psychologists who testified for the defense described Frederick as an introvert who depended heavily on others and had a strong desire to please, which they said helped explain why he did not discipline his colleagues for abusing prisoners.
"He was a quiet boy. He liked bunnies and kittens. They never lived long, though..."
"Give me an image of the all-American boy and it's this young man," said San Francisco-based doctor Philip Zimbardo. "He is a wonderful young man who did these horrible things." Myers said that Frederick, who was in charge of the night shift at Abu Ghraib, was poorly trained for the chaotic conditions he encountered. The counsel argued that the military chain of command must bear some responsibility.
I don't think so. Much as we may occasionally joke about it here, sadism isn't part of the training. These guys were playing sex games, and they lost.
My sympathy meter actually gave a false positive reading, until I remembered how high a price tag came with that one night of debauchery.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/22/2004 9:29:32 PM ||
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#1
it's going to be a long 8 years for Mr. Panty Boy. I'm sure he'll be the defacto belle of the ball at Levenworth.
#3
I get a lot of things, but I do not get this guy going to jail. This guy was a prison guard in civilian life. There is no way he did all these things at a U.S jail. The reserves didn't teach him all these methods. I want to know why the contractor MI's are not going to jail. The MI's are the ones that taught him and ordered him to do things. I know the contractor MI's don't direct authority over him but happend in this case, is that Sgt. Frederick's CO's ordered him to obey the contractor MI's.
Here is what would help me. I need a real world experienced (possibly 10yrs or more) NCO here at RB to explain to me 1.why I am wrong? and 2.why this Sgt. is going to jail even for 1 day?
#4
PR, he earned jail time for acts unbecoming a Staff NCO. If these prisoners (no matter how bullshit I find this) were accorded the geneva convention then he needed to protect them from humiliation etc. To me, that's the key question, did we give non-uniformed combatants geneva rights? I heard we did. Second, he knocked up a junior soldier (Lyndie England) in his command. That's fraternization of the worst kind and earns him a lengthy brig stay. 8 yrs seemed excessive to me, I would of said 3 yrs and BCD for combo of geneva violations and banging a junior soldier in his chain of command.
You raise a good point that I've been unable to find out. What's the deal w/the MI's and what was their involvement? This bothered me from the get go. Was Frederick told by his CO to obey the MIs? If so, then all are culpable and should be prosecuted. What's right is right. I'm concerned that there might be witch-hunting of junior troops if the officers in the chain gave tacit approval to the so-called abuse. I say it's "so-called" because I could give a fuck how they made these pussies get in a naked pyramid. Much ado about nothing imho. BTW-fuck seymour hersch.
As far as Sgt. Frederick knocking up Lyndie, he broke quite a bit of military and moral laws. The report stated that he is "church-going". If he is a dedicated "father of two" and "church-going", what's he doing commiting adultery and/or fornication? Conversely, since I am not qualified to cast the first stone, I won't. That's between him and Jesus.
But, the truth of the matter is, there are all kinds of sexapade's going on in the military and everyone knows it. The Sgt. happened to get caught. Bottomline, in my opinion, he is just another casuality of "lower-level troop" scape goating. I am, like you, sick of it.
#8
They probaby won't know whose it is till they do the DNA test.
For the damage he did this country and its armed forces, I wouldn't have been unhappy if this guy saw the muzzle end of a firing squad.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
10/22/2004 10:02 Comments ||
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I thought Lynndie was carrying Graner's baby?
Posted by: Seafarious
I believe that the answer to this question is who knows? Until paternity tests are done we have no idea who fathered her child.
Recall that there were videotaped orgies going on with England and one other female soldier playing mattressback. Your guess as to who sired the child is as good as anybody elses.
PR- When looking at someones actions you can say that what theyr are doing is a sin, that is not judgemental. The fact that they are sinning is between them and God, you should not attempt to insert yourself in condemning them to Hell. Fact of the matter this guy knew better than to do what he did and now must not only face the music with the military, but with his family and his religion.
My only sympathy with this entire group is that they should have known better than to take pictures. Without pictures it would all just have been Urban Legend.
Posted by: Jame Retief ||
10/22/2004 10:07 Comments ||
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I would also be interested in if the CO gave instructions for security to cooperate with MI on interregation techniques and follow their instructions. Even still, an E-6 is commonly in charge of a security detail/squad and should have reported the unusual techniques to his first sarge or his CO. Seems the whole security company was seriously lacking in leadership, training or both. Allowing picture taking and cameras in a secure facility without any control is the serious breach and the CO should take full reponsibility for that. 8 years? Well, again, Fredrick should have stopped that and thats what bought him the eight years. If no pictures were taken, he might have just gotten reprimanded if anything.
I think you need slowly read my response to Jarhead. Which part of my quote "Conversely, since I am not qualified to cast the first stone, I won't. That's between him and Jesus.", do you not understand?
BTW, I never used the word "hell", that's your word, not mine.
#12
..I had expected maybe 3 and a kick for Frederick, and I do consider 8 years a bit heavy - but on the other hand, people - prison guards or not - will think twice before doing ANYTHING that stupid again.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
10/22/2004 11:55 Comments ||
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Christians are commanded, via Paul, to note people who behave in a disorderly way and avoid them. That's a long ways from the stones in the hands of the people to which Jesus directed the phrase "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone".
I discuss the entire incident as part of a larger discussion of Capital Punishment at my website here.
#14
Actually, Poison Reverse, the idiot had been up on charges several times at the prison where he worked for the same kind of behaviour. I remember reading about it here at Rantburg. I may be mistaken, but I think that the attitude that engendered these acts were what drove him out of the regular army in the first place. (Feel free to scroll through Rantburg's archives to find the details. Its been posted on more than once in the past year.)
You won't find a stronger defender of our military here at Rantburg than me -- as some of you know -- and for precisely that reason I think the punishment is more than appropriate.
The Jordanian authorities yesterday sent to trial before the State Security Court 20 Egyptians and Bengalis whom Amman said were arrested earlier this month while trying to infiltrate into Syrian territory from Jordan, according to the official Petra news agency. Petra did not give further details as to the indictment list, and it was not clear so far whether the defendants intended to infiltrate into Syria for work or for proceeding to Iraq later to join the resistance raging there against US-led multinational forces. The United States has repeatedly accused Syria of facilitating the infiltration of Muslim and Arab militants to Iraq for joining the Jordanian fugitive Abu Mussab Zarqawi, who is widely believed to be the mastermind of most of attacks against US troops and the allied Iraqi police force.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/22/2004 9:16:23 PM ||
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Two French journalists abducted in Iraq mark their 65th day in captivity on Friday, with an agonising uncertainty persisting over the pair's fate despite intense diplomatic efforts for their release. Georges Malbrunot and Christian Chesnot were seized along with their Syrian driver Mohammed al-Jundi on August 20 on the highway between Baghdad and the Shiite holy city of Najaf. France, taken aback that French nationals were potential kidnap victims despite its stringent opposition to the US-led invasion of Iraq, embarked on a string of efforts to locate the hostages and obtain their liberation. But despite calls from French leaders, Arab satellite television stations, and Iraqi clerics for their release, the pair remain in the hands of their captors.
#1
Still have their heads? It pays to be French sometimes, sorta... In this case, it seems, the pay offered has been sufficient to peak interest, but insufficient to consummate a deal. I guess the UNSCAM gig was blown a little early. Mebbe Yippie-boy will help...
#2
Mabrunot and Chesnot probably are in their second round of job interviews. These aren't choirboys...These are hard lined, anti-semitic, pro-palestinian pro-Arab supporters. Chances are they were kidnapped quite by accident because they were hanging out near a US camp.
I'll make a bet that they are currently putting together a documentary/propoganda film at this very moment...with the appreciation, approval, and cooperation of their murderous hosts. Any takers?
âWhy were we condemning terrorism? Why were we not totally espousing the Palestinian position? We must put pressure on the Jewish state without showing any understanding and making any compromises.â---Georges Malbrunot
#5
Nice allusion at the end of the Olivier Guitta piece to France, like Chamberlain, wanting to avoid terrorism and preserve honor and instead getting terrorism and dishonor.
Arab terrorists fired an anti-tank missile this afternoon at a school bus traveling in the vicinity of the Jewish town of Morag, in the Gaza region. In what was described as a "miracle", the missile totally missed the bus. Simultaneous with the missile strike, the terrorists opened fire with automatic weapons. There were no injuries to Israelis in the attack.
The jihadees new terror target of choice are the smallest among us.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
10/22/2004 12:10:39 AM ||
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#1
The Paleos have found a new way to target children. But I'm certain in the John Kerry school of diplomacy, there is a reasonable manner in which to talk to these people.
Personally, I prefer .45 ACP between the eyes.
Posted by: Douglas De Bono ||
10/22/2004 8:26 Comments ||
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As expected the MSM is giving cover to their terrotist allies by totally ignoring the story.
ABC News: Hamas leader killed [Its israel's fault]. UN says hundreds of Palios homeless [Its israel's fault!]. This story - IGNORED. I guess they haven't found a way to blame israel yet.
CNN and BBC also do not mention this that I could see. Haven't seen it anywhere else.
I guess the deliberate targetting and attemted murder of schoolchildren is ok -- as long as its Jews being killed and Muslims doing the killing.
#3
Click here to donate to the Mossad. >>Don't we all wish.<< Can't wait for more retaliation. And of course I will get full coverage of the maneuver since it will be Hamas blood flowing in the streets.
#4
The Paleos have always targeted children -- this is nothing new. I think it was in the 60's that they took an Israeli elementary school hostage a la Breslan, and murdered all within the walls. In 1948 they were fond of attacking the orphanage kibbutzes, where the young Holocaust surivors had been resettled.
MULTAN: Army intelligence and other intelligence agencies arrested three militants, belonging to a banned sectarian organisation, from a village near Jehanian while they were going to their hideout on Wednesday. They were wanted for a number of sectarian killings and several cases had been registered against them. After intelligence officers intercepted them, they ran in different directions leaving their motorcycle of doom behind.
"Beat it! It's the federales!"
However intelligence teams had already blocked all the exits and arrested them.
"Surprise! Stick 'em up!"
The officers have taken the three men to an undisclosed location. "We will reveal their identities and their involvement in various cases after we beat it out of themthey fell down the stairs a half dozen times a thorough investigation," an official told Daily Times and asked not to be named.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/22/2004 10:36:34 PM ||
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The political administration on Thursday served notice to Mehsud tribesmen to launch house-to-house searches to track down militant Abdullah Mehsud, the mastermind behind the kidnapping of two Chinese engineers. The Mehsud tribesmen sought time to persuade the local population to start the search operation.
"Oh, yeah? How long will you need?"
"About 12 years!"
They said many tribesmen had shifted to safer places to escape the crossfire between the army and militants and the search operation would be difficult without their permission. However, the administration refused to give them much time and convened a Mehsud jirga for today (Friday) to discuss the search operation. Meanwhile, army helicopter gunships pounded a suspected hideout of Abdullah's a short time before sunset after the shooting between the army and militants had stopped temporarily on Thursday afternoon, security officials said. Military spokesman Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan neither denied nor confirmed the attack, saying "engagements" took place at short intervals. A gas station caught fire in the attack, sources in Jandola told Daily Times.
"We're almost out of gas, Mahmoud!"
"Let's stop up here, Fatimah... Whoa! I think we can make it a little further!"
"The attack happened at around 4:00pm," they added. A military source confirmed that the firing had temporarily stopped in the afternoon to let a jirga recover bodies from the area. "Logically speaking, the shooting must stop before the political administration-backed jirga goes in to negotiate with tribal elders," he added. A Mehsud elder in Tank said the jirga recovered three bodies. "One was of a soldier while three were civilians," he said.
(counting on fingers) "One, two, three, four.....three, that's three bodies."
Posted by: Fred ||
10/22/2004 10:31:44 PM ||
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Police produced Syed Irfan Ali, an alleged terrorist arrested on Wednesday, in an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Multan for judicial remand for 14 days on Thursday. Zahoorul Haq, the ATC No. 1 judge, remanded accused Irfan for an identification parade in which the real estate agent and the owner of the car used in the Rashidabad bomb explosion would recognise the alleged terrorist, police said. Akhtar Bharwana of Jhang, an activist of Pasban-e-Islam, was a mastermind of the Rashidabad bomb explosion, said Irfan, 32, in police custody. He said Pasban-e-Islam was organised by Ali Nasir Suhail of Jauharabad, Khushab, when the government banned Sipah-e-Muhammad. He was killed in a shootout in Jauharabad, he added. He said the group had been involved in 82 terrorist activities since 2000.
Irfan told police that his accomplices, Ali Shah of Rawalpindi and Amjad Shah and Ghulam Abbas of Bhakkar, were Pasban-e-Islam's active workers. According to Habib Ahmed Khan, a sub-divisional police officer, Irfan had confessed that his group had planned to eliminate leaders of banned Millat-e-Islamia. They wanted to drive the car near the venue of the meeting but they had to park the car mid-way. "We used a remote-controlled device for the blast when the meeting was over," he said, adding: "I visited Islamabad to kill Maulana Azam Tariq and used police uniform and a blue light-fitted car to escape checking. I got the remote-controlled bomb and explosive material from Jhang." He said Bharwana was arrested on charges of the murder of Maulvi Shoaib of Rawalpindi but was later released on bail. Then he went to Iran. He was also involved in Mallu-Morr (Jhang) terrorist activity in which five Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan activists were killed. He said he came to Multan to plan terrorism and stayed at an inn near Gaddafi Squre. He posed himself as Ghulam Raza and produced a fake identity card.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/22/2004 10:59:18 PM ||
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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.
Kuwaiti Islamist deputies plan to question Information Minister 
Spanish police said on Thursday they had detained three Pakistanis and six Iranians suspected of drug trafficking and money laundering. The police said the nine men were picked up in a raid in Madrid after a series of violent robberies during which some of the suspects had posed as police officers. All nine face expulsion following the raid which ended a monitoring operation begun in August.
The 19-year-old, named as 
A military judge jailed a US Army sergeant, described in court as a typical all-American boy, for eight years yesterday for sexually and physically abusing Iraqi prisoners. The sentence for Staff Sgt. Ivan "Chip" Frederick, 38, is by far the toughest of those handed down to three soldiers now convicted over abuses at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib Prison. Frederick, who sat impassively through the two-day court-martial at a US base in Baghdad, appeared shaken and looked at the floor after Judge Col. James Pohl announced his verdict, which included a dishonorable discharge and a demotion.
