AUSTRALIA will send troops to strife-torn central Mindanao in the southern Philippines under a landmark defence agreement designed to upgrade Canberra's role in the regional fight against Islamist terrorism.
As US-backed Philippines forces close in on Bali bombers and Jemaah Islamiah kingpins Dulmatin and Omar Patek, on southern Jolo island, Australian defence forces are planning military exercises with their Philippines counterparts in the Mindanao heartland of local and foreign al-Qaeda-linked terrorists.
Major-General Nehemias Pajarito, commander of the Philippine army's 6th infantry division, said he would meet with Australian ambassador to The Philippines Tony Hely and his defence attache Chris Burns tomorrow at military headquarters outside Cotabato City to discuss the details of the escalated defence co-operation program.
Talks would centre on how the forces, in their joint exercises, would monitor al-Qaeda-linked terror cells and training camps.
The exercises, tentatively scheduled for later this year, are subject to ratification of the status of forces agreement between The Philippines and Australia by the Philippine Senate.
"They (the Australians) want to come here and participate in the monitoring of the ceasefire (with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front)," Major-General Pajarito said.
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front separatist group has led an insurgency in the region for more than three decades but is now involved in official peace talks.
Major-General Pajarito said Mr Hely planned to bring up Australia's hopes of playing a larger role in the peace process, through aid projects.
Already Australia has promised 30 river boats to aid local forces in their search for armed rebel groups linked to JI and the allied local kidnap-for-ransom group, Abu Sayyaf.
While The Philippines and Australian military would like to conduct large-scale military exercises, the number of troops allowed will depend on political support in the Philippine Senate.
Up to five JI members are believed to be operating terrorist cells in the area, in league with dozens of renegade MILF commanders, who are violating the group's 2005 disavowal of links with terrorists.
The Australian military faces stiff local opposition to the proposed deployment, with the local mayor warning foreign terrorists could flock to Mindanao to begin a campaign of violence against an Australian troop presence.
"The Australians should send more economic assistance, not military presence," Cotabato City's Mayor, Muslimin Sema, said. "That will just create problems. Al-Qaeda could come here and create violence as a reaction."
#1
Senate confirmation? They will say two guys at the div level. Then talk about it for a year. Don't give them a single piece of equipment without a training and maintenance package or 30 boats will turn into three in six months and the senate will bitch the Ausies gave them trash.
The Ausie have a lot at stake here with extremism moving in their direction. Good luck.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
01/28/2007 19:59 Comments ||
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#2
good intervention at the "root cause" - money and lives well spent. Go Aussies!
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/28/2007 20:41 Comments ||
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#3
Anybody watching the weather map?
Aussie's may get some help.
A judicial magistrate on Saturday remanded Khalid Khawaja, a former official of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), into custody for three days for distributing hate material and carrying banned literature.
The magistrate also directed the investigation officer to produce Khawaja in the court on January 30. Sub-Inspector Ghulam Mustafa, who is investigating the case, failed to produce the hate material seized from Khawaja in the court during the hearing. Later, he sought time and then produced the material in the court. Aabpara Police Station House Officer Safeer Bhatti said that police had seized a book titled Fatw-e-Rasheedia and other hate material from Khawaja. The police had arrested Khawaja on Friday and shifted him to an undisclosed location before registering a case against him under Section 295A of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
Khawaja was reportedly helping the district administration and Jamia Hafsa management settle the issue of a madrassa building on an encroached land. He was also reportedly in contact with the families of missing people and helping them arrange press conferences and protests in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. In a related development, Amna Masood Khwaja, the chief coordinator at the Islamic Centre for Research and Defence of Human Rights, told a press conference that secret agencies had put peoples lives at risk. Khalid Khawajas wife also accompanied her. She termed Khawajas arrest illegal and demanded his release.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/28/2007 12:41 ||
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#1
He had a copy of Spencer's "The Real Mohammed".
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
01/28/2007 14:31 Comments ||
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A spokesman for militant leader Baitullah Mehsud in South Waziristan denied the groups involvement in recent attacks on law-enforcement agencies in Tank district. The denial from the militant group came a day after an attack on a police vehicle killed one policeman in Tank, a district adjoining South Waziristan.
The spokesman, Zulfiqar Mehsud, called reporters over the telephone from an unknown location, and told them that the Baitullah Mehsud-led group had no link with any sort of violence in Tank. We condemn the recent violence in Tank district, he said. Only anti-state elements can be suspected of doing such things. The group previously vowed to avenge a January 16 airstrike on a suspected Al Qaeda hideout.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/28/2007 12:38 ||
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The control of Quetta city has been handed over to the Frontier Constabulary (FC) to ensure law and order during Muharram. Heavy contingents of FC and armed personnel carriers have been deployed on all entries to the city, sensitive locations and imambargahs. Army has been put on high alert and suspected vehicles and people are being searched. The stern measures follow a suicide bomb explosion in Islamabad.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/28/2007 12:29 ||
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#1
"Muharram is so called because it was unlawful to fight during this month; the word is derived from the word haram meaning forbidden. It is held to be the most sacred of all the months, excluding Ramadan".
Yep, deploy for a month of no fighting, I have never heard such BS. Kill them all.
ISLAMABAD - Two senior police officers were killed and six people were wounded when a bomb exploded late Saturday near a Shia mosque in a marketplace in Pakistans northwestern city of Peshawar, police said.
As Frank G noted about a similar bombing yesterday, this can't be the work of Hek's boys -- whoever did this was competent.
The blast occurred in Qisakhawani bazaar in Peshawar, capital of the Northwest Frontier Province, bordering Afghanistan. It was the second attack in Pakistan in two days, after a suicide bomber blew himself up at a top hotel in Islamabad on Friday, killing himself and a security guard who prevented him from entering the hotel.
Pakistani security forces are currently on high but not high enough alert across the country amid religious rites of Shia Muslims commemorating the 7th century martyrdom of the prophet Mohammads grandson.
BAGHDAD, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Two U.S. soldiers were killed when their helicopter crashed north of the Shi'ite holy city of Najaf on Sunday, the U.S. military said.
A Reuters reporter saw a U.S. helicopter come down after a burst of machinegun fire and he saw a trail of smoke from the helicopter before it came down.
Iraqi police said it had crashed during a battle with gunmen north of Najaf in which 250 gunmen were killed.
Iraqi police said it had crashed during a battle with gunmen north of Najaf in which 250 gunmen were killed.
A U.S. statement said the helicopter "went down" but did not say whether it was shot down.
"While conducting operations to assist Iraqi Security Forces that were attacked earlier today, a Multi-National Division - Baghdad helicopter went down at approximately 1:30 p.m. (1030 GMT) north of An Najaf," a U.S. statement said.
"Two soldiers were killed when the helicopter went down. Their remains have been recovered," it said.
U.S. and Iraqi forces killed 250 gunmen from a Muslim cult in Sunday's battle involving U.S. tanks and helicopters near Najaf, Iraqi police, army and political sources said.
The day-long battle was continuing after nightfall, Colonel Ali Nomas told Reuters. A Reuters reporter on the scene saw several American tanks and other armoured vehicles arriving at the site of the battle, 160 km (100 miles) south of Baghdad.
The fighting in Najaf, 160 km (100 miles) south of Baghdad, began as hundreds of thousands of pilgrims converged on the other main Shi'ite holy city of Kerbala, 70 km (40 miles) to the north, for the climax of the annual Shi'ite rite of Ashura.
#1
Details of the day's fighting were sketchy and the origins of the fighters unclear. An Iraqi army source said some of the dead wore headbands declaring themselves a "Soldier of Heaven".
The governor of Najaf province said the group had gathered in orchards near the city and had been planning to attack the main Shi'ite clerical leadership on Monday. It is the climax of the annual Shi'ite rite of Ashura, marking a 7th century battle which entrenched the schism between Shi'ite and Sunni Islam.
Earlier, the governor described the fighters as Sunnis, the majority in the Arab world and the once dominant minority in Iraq, where Shi'ites have been in the ascendant since the U.S. invasion of 2003. The two sects are embroiled in conflict that many fear is descending into all-out civil war.
But political and security sources said they were followers of Ahmed Hassani al-Yemeni and described him as an apocalyptic cult leader claiming to be the vanguard of the Mahdi -- a messiah-like figure in Islam whose coming heralds the start of perfect world justice. He had been operating from an office in Najaf until it was raided and closed down about 10 days ago.
Najaf governor Asaad Abu Gilel told Reuters the authorities had uncovered a plot to kill some of the clerics on Monday, to coincide with the climax of Ashura: "There is a conspiracy to kill the clergy on the 10th day of Muharram," he said, referring to Monday by the Muslim calendar.
The Reuters reporter about 1.5 km (1 mile) from the fighting said he heard intense gunfire and saw U.S. helicopters rocket groves sheltering militants. He saw smoke trailing from one helicopter before it came down in the midst of the fighting.
#2
According to one Iraqi political source, hundreds of fighters drawn from both Sunni and Shi'ite communities were still fighting. A Reuters reporter at the scene, 160 km south of Baghdad, saw U.S. tanks and heard blasts after dark and an Iraqi officer said F-16 jets were bombing the area.
#3
For the past several weeks, Sunni insurgents, including Arab fighters from outside Iraq, have stockpiled weapons and dug trenches amid the orchards in apparent preparations to attack the thousands of Shiite Muslim travelers observing the religious holiday of Ashura, Iraqi officials said.
Iraqi police stormed the Zarqaa area early Sunday morning, but took heavy gunfire from the orchards, where an estimated 350 to 400 fighters were entrenched, according to Col. Majid Rashid of the Iraqi army in Najaf.
#4
U.S. and Iraqi forces killed 250 gunmen from a Muslim cult
Redundancy alert!
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/28/2007 16:31 Comments ||
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#5
Typical Al-Rooters coverage zeroing in on the helicopter part of the story. Maybe the reporter was feeding the ammo for the machine gun....but the gunmen description is a welcome departure from 'insurgents'.
Finally, fierce clashes erupted early this morning between US and Iraqi forces with a large group of militants northeast of Najaf. News reports are giving contradicting accounts on the identity of those militants; on the one hand we have the Washington Post and Reuters say they are Sunni insurgents.
On the other hand the Iraqi website Sot al-Iraq says they are a radical Shia group who call themselves "Jama'at Ahmed al-Hassan" or the followers of Ahmed al-Hassan and that their leader, Ahmed al-Hassan claims to be the messenger of Imam Mehdi. An Iraqi journalist from Najaf told a similar story on the phone to al-Jazeera and said the group is a radical Islamist one that was formed after the fall of Saddam's regime.
A Najaf police spokesman, colonel Ali Jrew told al-Hurra TV that the name of the group is "Soldiers of Heavn" and that their leader's name is Abu Gumar al-Yamani and explained "This terrorist group was planning to kill a number of senior clerics and they claim Imam Mehdi is going to appear soon our action was based on intelligence we gathered recently and we had arrest warrants". The BBC is still not sure of the group's identity.
I'm personally more inclined to believe the story of the two Iraqi sources. After all it's hard to believe that Sunni insurgents could establish a base that hosts several hundreds of armed men this close to Najaf.
#7
Arab fighters from outside Iraq, have stockpiled weapons and dug trenches
Still fighting a war long ended. I hope those trenches received a good dose of cluster bombs.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
01/28/2007 17:31 Comments ||
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KBK - good link, I read that earlier. Iraq the Model seems to get great scoop which bears out authentic when all is said and done....unlike Rooters
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/28/2007 18:32 Comments ||
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#9
U.S. and Iraqi forces killed 250 gunmen from a the Muslim cult in Sunday's battle involving U.S. tanks and helicopters near Najaf, Iraqi police, army and political sources said.
Likey Frank said, there fixed that for ya.
Posted by: BA ||
01/28/2007 19:14 Comments ||
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#10
NBC News at first couldn't bear to say anything besides, "250 Iraqis were killed." Later in the segment it became "alleged insurgents." But the correct term (are you listening, John Siegenthaler?) is "Muslim religious fanatics." These people don't want to take over Iraq, they want to kill Sistani, or maybe Sadr.
#11
But political and security sources said they were followers of Ahmed Hassani al-Yemeni and described him as an apocalyptic cult leader claiming to be the vanguard of the Mahdi -- a messiah-like figure in Islam whose coming heralds the start of perfect world justice.
Similar violent cults have been a feature of Islamic history. They have declared temporal Muslim leaders illegitimate infidels and have drawn followers from both Sunni and Shi'ite believers, proclaiming a unity of inspiration from Mohammad.
NAJAF, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraqi and U.S. forces Sunday killed an estimated 250 to 300 gunmen in the Shiite holy city of Najaf during heavy fighting, an interior ministry official told CNN.
Those killed were part of a contingent of about 600 gunmen, stationed outside the city, who planned to attack Najaf, take control of the province, and kill Shia clerics including Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the official said.
The insurgents were responsible for downing a U.S. helicopter with a missile near Najaf, the official said. The official said the number of 250 to 300 killed is an Iraqi police estimate based on the type of artillery used in the battle and the number of insurgents involved in the fighting.
#1
Happy hunting, indeed! I wonder if the bad guys were Baathists, Al Qaeda, or Iranian-led Shia planning to take out the competition?And if 250-300 are dead, I wonder how many are merely injured more or less horribly?
British soldiers believe they have the upper hand after seizing up to 500 mortar rounds from militants in southern Iraq.
Acting on intelligence, around 250 soldiers from 1 Yorkshire Battlegroup carried out dawn raids in Az Zubayr, near Basra. Ammunition, light rockets, bomb-making paraphernalia, radio equipment and timer units were discovered at a house. Around 500 mortar rounds were later seized from a compound where troops had earlier spotted men transferring weapons into two vehicles.
Lieutenant Jamie Metcalfe, of 1 Yorkshire Battlegroup, said of Saturday's early-morning operation: "We certainly never expected to find what we did. The fact that we found such a large amount of ammunition that could be used for either mortar attacks or for producing improvised explosive devices means we have certainly put them on the back foot.
"The men we have detained will be taken to a detention facility where they will be processed by the Iraqi judicial system."
The battlegroup, made up of soldiers from 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment and 38 (Seringapatam) Battery 40 Regt Royal Artillery, has been in Iraq since October last year.
#3
"The men we have detained will be taken to a detention facility where they will be processed by the Iraqi judicial system." ... <S>then promptly released.
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Mortar shells rained down Sunday on a girls' secondary school in a mostly Sunni area of western Baghdad, killing five pupils and wounding 21, witnesses and police said. At least seven other people died in bombings and shootings across the capital, in primarily Shiite areas.
Sunday's mortar attack occurred at the Kholoud Secondary School in the Adil neighborhood of western Baghdad. Several projectiles exploded in the courtyard of the school, shattering windows and spraying pupils with shards of glass. Blood smeared the stone steps and walkways. Hours after the attack, grieving parents wept as girls' bodies were placed inside wooden coffins. Police said four girls were killed instantly and a fifth died later of her wounds.
The area has been the scene of reprisal attacks by Sunni and Shiite extremists that have persisted as U.S. and Iraqi soldiers prepare for a massive security crackdown. A Sunni group, the General Conference of the People of Iraq, accused Shiite militias and said the markings on the mortars indicated they were manufactured in Iran.
Elsewhere, a bomb exploded about 7:30 a.m. in a minibus carrying passengers to a predominantly Shiite neighborhood in eastern Baghdad on Sunday, killing one and wounding five, police said. The explosive was hidden in a bag left by a passenger who left the bus before it detonated. The bus was heading to the Shiite district of Sadr City, which has been targeted several times in the past.
A parked car bomb exploded in an intersection near an outdoor market in the Sadr City district about five hours later, killing at least four people, two of them women, and wounding 39, police said. The sprawling Shiite slum is a stronghold of the Mahdi Army that is loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and has blamed for much of the country's violence.
About five minutes later, a bomb hidden in a bag exploded in an outdoor market in the Baiyaa neighborhood in western Baghdad, another mostly Shiite area. At least two people were killed and 17 wounded, including two children, police said.
Outside the capital, a car bomb exploded near a mosque in the Sunni city of Fallujah, 40 miles west of Baghdad, killing two civilians and wounding four, police said.
Also Sunday, drive-by shooters killed a high-ranking Shiite official at the Iraqi industry and mines ministry, along with his 27-year-old daughter and two other people. Insurgents have frequently targeted high-ranking Iraqi officials who are seen as collaborators with the U.S. forces.
Two car bombs killed 15 people in a mainly Shia Muslim area of Baghdad on Saturday in the latest in a series of attacks by militants on crowded shopping areas in the Iraqi capital. The week-long string of bombings has further disrupted life in Baghdad, spreading fear among the citys 7 million residents awaiting a planned US-backed offensive to tighten the governments fragile grip over its largely lawless capital.
Prime Minister Nuri Al Malikis office said US President George W. Bush had expressed his full backing for the Baghdad security plan during phone talks with Maliki on Saturday. Bush has said he will send 21,500 extra troops to Iraq, most to Baghdad, but has run into fierce opposition from the new Democrat-dominated Congress as well as public disapproval.
In Washington, tens of thousands of people demonstrated to press Bushs administration to get out of Iraq, chanting Bring our troops home. Troops who have served in Iraq and their families joined some US legislators, peace groups and actors, including Vietnam war protester Jane Fonda, to urge Congress and Bush to stop funding the war.
When I served in the war, I thought I was serving honourably. Instead, I was sent to war ... for causes that have proved fraudulent, said Garett Reppenhagen, a former sniper, who was cheered by the crowd.
Saturdays attacks occurred in New Baghdad in the east of the capital, targeting weekend shoppers thronging shops and market stalls selling fruit and exotic birds. A Reuters journalist saw eight bodies being loaded into ambulances and body parts lying in the street. Dead birds lay in cages in an area that appeared to have been reserved for a bird market. Several cars were ablaze.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/28/2007 00:00 ||
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Jordan's highest court rejected an appeal by an Iraqi woman sentenced to death for her role in the al-Qaida-led triple hotel bombing that killed 60 people in Jordan's worst terror attack, according to court documents obtained Saturday. 35-year-old Sajida al-Rishawi was intended to be one of the suicide bombers in the November 9, 2005 attack. She entered a hotel ballroom with her husband, both strapped with explosives belts. Her husband set off his belt, ripping through a wedding party in the room.
Initially, al-Rishawi said in a televised confession that her own belt failed to detonate and she fled, but she later told her trial that she was an unwilling participant in the attacks and never tried to set off her blast.
Al-Rishawi was one of seven defendants in the case. The other six remain at large and were tried in absentia last year in Jordan's military court. Like al-Rishawi, the six were sentenced to death by hanging last September. Al-Rishawi appealed her sentence immediately. But Jordan's Appeals court said it ratified the military court's death sentence because al-Rishawi was guilty beyond doubt of possessing explosives and having had the intention and the will to carry out terrorist attacks whose outcome is destruction and death.
The appeals court's decision is final, but it can be overturned by Jordan's King Abdullah II, the ultimate authority in the kingdom. An average of 10 people - mostly men - are executed each year for crimes that include terrorism and premeditated murder.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/28/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Initially, al-Rishawi said in a televised confession that her own belt failed to detonate and she fled, but she later told her trial that she was an unwilling participant in the attacks and never tried to set off her blast.
set her in an empty field and let her "Test" the belt, "help" with a remote detonator attached.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
01/28/2007 8:44 Comments ||
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#2
swear to God she looks like one of the Monty Python guys..."Life of Brian" perhaps?
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/28/2007 8:47 Comments ||
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#3
On second thought, handcuff her to a post, no running toward the "Testers"
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
01/28/2007 8:48 Comments ||
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#4
She entered a hotel ballroom with her husband,
"Ballroom" dancing at the end of a rope soon I hope.
#5
Wonder how close she's gonna feel when she gets to hell and sees her hubby partying with his 72 raisins? So much for dancing with him in "paradise" honey.
Posted by: BA ||
01/28/2007 11:38 Comments ||
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#6
According to some, she gets to be the prettiest of his 72, since technically she'll have died for his cause. No guarantee that she'll be the most beloved, though. Or that he actual gets 72 -- what if it's one 72 year old virgin, and she's the prettiest part... whatever that might be on a 72 year old virgin.
Gunmen from the rival Hamas and Fatah movements battled in Gaza City for a third straight day, firing mortars and grenades in clashes that killed seven people in the increasingly bloody power struggle over the Palestinian government. "Take that, yew varmints!"
Saturday's deaths brought to 25 the number of Palestinians killed since Thursday, with at least 68 people wounded and efforts to forge a coalition government at a standstill. "Mahmoud! Duck!"
"Aaaaaiiiieeee!"
"Dang! That's 26!"
The latest fighting, which began on late Thursday after a Hamas activist was killed in a bombing, has been among the deadliest in nearly two months of clashes. "Tell 'em we need more ammunition up here!"
Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, of Hamas, and a spokesman for President Mahmoud Abbas, of Fatah, both appealed for calm. "Calm, youse guys! We need calm!"
But after a brief lull, fighting flared up again. [BANG! BANG! BANGETY BANG!]
"Mustafa! What're you doin'?"
"I'm calmly shootin' at them Fatah varmints!"
In a clear jab at the moderate Abbas, Haniyeh criticized 'troublemakers who are trying to veer away from the path of our people' by receiving 'dirty American funding and arms.' The White House is seeking some USD 85 million to help bolster Abbas' forces. "Yeah! It's them Americans! Widdout dem, we'd be calm as yez please!"
The violence has been fueled by Abbas' pledge to call early elections if the talks between Hamas and Fatah fail. Abbas, who is out of the range of fire traveling in Europe, said this week he would move forward with his election plan if the coalition talks fail to produce results within three weeks. Hamas, which defeated Fatah in parliamentary elections, last year, opposes a new vote. There's assuming they won't defeat them this time.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/28/2007 00:00 ||
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The numbers go up so quickly we at Rantburg can't keep up.
Six Palestinians were killed Saturday - including a 6-year-old boy - in clashes between Fatah and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, bringing the number of fatalities since fighting began Thursday to 21.
The fighting between the rival Palestinian factions continued throughout the weekend, despite a cease-fire agreement reached on Friday.
Worked well, didn't it.
The incidents began on Thursday night, following the death of a Hamas militant who was killed in a car bomb in the Jabalya refugee camp. Heh. I love this part.
Hamas blamed Fatah for the blast, but the group affiliated with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas maintained that the explosion was the result of a "work accident," a euphemism for an accidental blast resulting from the preparation of an explosive device. LOLOL! The paleos got this phrase from the blogs. LOLOL.
He starts blaming mixups with red and green wires and we're all going to feel psychic.
On Friday, 14 people were killed in the Gaza Strip, including a two-year-old toddler who was killed by Fatah gunfire. Six Palestinians were killed Saturday, and dozens were injured. At least 50 militants from both groups were abducted and are being hld hostage.
Early Friday morning, a senior Fatah terrorist official, Nabil al-Jarjir, was assassinated, after Hamas claimed he was involved in the blast that killed one of their members on Thursday night. The murder resulted in gunbattles throughout the Gaza Strip.
The two-year-old was killed when a Fatah gunman fired against a passing car in Khan Yunis, suspecting it was carrying Hamas militants.
Drive-by's in Newark are more accurate than that.
Another Hamas militant was shot dead while driving, as he called out to passersby to attend a Hamas demonstration.
Friday night, Fatah and Hamas representatives met with Interior Minister Saeed Sayam, but the meeting did not result in an effective cease-fire and the clashes continued. A special Fatah force managed to rescue a senior official, Mohammed al-Shlayel, whose home was besieged by Hamas militants. Seven Haman gunmen were killed in the incident and dozens were injured.
Update at 0015 EST: loyal citizen mhw comments that the toll now is 24. Keep it coming, kids!
#5
"work accident," a euphemism for an accidental blast resulting from the preparation of an explosive device. LOLOL! The paleos got this phrase from the blogs. LOLOL.
I think the blogs got it from Jooooooooo Forces spokepersons.
#8
St. Alphonso's Pancake Falafel Breakfast where I stole the margarine.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
01/28/2007 10:27 Comments ||
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#9
Six Palestinians were killed Saturday - including a 6-year-old boy - in clashes between Fatah and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, bringing the number of fatalities since fighting began Thursday to 21.
Only in Paleo land can you count Thursday as the "weekend". Guess it's like that French-Socialist 4-day "work week," eh? Gotta have more time to "play" in Paleoland.
Posted by: BA ||
01/28/2007 11:35 Comments ||
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#10
Total intra-paleo gaza fatalities from dawn Jan 25 to dusk Jan 28 now at 26 per latest Haaretz report.
#14
Grom, I think every day is a "day of rest" for them. Elsewise, they'd be hard at work making their own economy run, and trying to feed their own family.
Instead, they (were) at the teet of Saddam for splodydopes, and it's nothing but seething and blowing up Joooooos 24/7. Not a very *productive* bunch, and thusly, I'd say that every day of the week is a "weekend" in Gaza.
Posted by: BA ||
01/28/2007 21:23 Comments ||
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#15
latest off AP is 29.
Note,though, IIUC Gaza pop is far higher than 400K.
In any case this is different from Baghdad, where mainly civies are killed. The dead in Gaza, IIUC are mainly trained Hamas and Fatah gunmen (and their superiors) any evidence to the contrary?
GAZA CITY - Another four Palestinians died on Saturday in clashes between rival factions in Gaza, bringing to 19 the death toll in three days of bitter fighting that has torpedoed talks on forming a unity government. The four were killed in early morning firefights in central Gaza City, medical sources said.
Rival supporters of the ruling Hamas movement and the Fatah faction loyal to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas have fought running gun battles and fired off volleys of mortars and grenades in the densely populated streets of Gaza City since Thursday night, medics and witnesses said. In addition, tit-for-tat kidnappings continued with 19 members of both Fatah and Hamas nabbed in three different abductions in the Gaza Strip, according to security forces.
The fighting, the fiercest since the Hamas won parliamentary elections one year ago, has also left around 50 people injured, medical officials said.
The streets of Gaza City were deserted Saturday as storekeepers shuttered up their shops and residents stayed put in the relative safety of their homes. But the fighting resumed Saturday evening as Hamas gunmen perched on the roof of a Gaza City mosque traded ineffectual fire with Palestinian security officers in the neighbouring headquarters of the preventative security force.
Lots of posing, shooting from the hip, macho leveling of arms, eye-rolling and face-making, but precious little accurate small arms fire.
Among the victims of the two-day surge in violence were a two-year-old child who was caught in the crossfire of a firefight in the south Gaza town of Khan Yunis and a 16-year-old boy killed in Jabaliya, according to medics.
Typical Paleo in-fighting.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/28/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Rage, where it rightfully belongs! Jolly good and poetic.
#3
gunmen perched on the roof of a Gaza City mosque
And the other guys fired back? At the Mosque?
Oh, the horror! Where's the outrage, I wonder?
Posted by: Bobby ||
01/28/2007 9:41 Comments ||
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#4
It's a Sunday, Bobby. The U.N.'s off work on the weekends. Wait for another Sternly Worded Letter(™) from them on Monday. Of course, it'd very well blame the Joooos, too.
Posted by: BA ||
01/28/2007 11:32 Comments ||
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Three Arab Islamic government ministers escaped a bomb attack by less than half an hour on Sunday morning at the Pattani branch of the Yala Islamic College. The bomb, presumably hidden by southern insurgents, exploded at the end of the soi leading to the school in Yarang district, police said.
The three ministers of Islamic affairs had just ended their tour of the school, accompanied by Interior Minister Aree Wong-araya. They are from Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The latter country provides strong support for the Yala Islamic College, which is closely identified with the Wahabbi sect of Sunni Islam prevalent in Saudi Arabia.
Three Border Patrol Policemen guarding the school and the visiting ministers were lightly wounded by the bomb, apparently set off by a timer or cellphone.
The latest attack happened one day after Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont visited the province. He supported the teaching of Islam in state schools for the first time.
The military has embarked on a final assault against the Abu Sayyaf Group and its terrorist ally, Jemaah Islamiyah. The major offensive involves 8,000 soldiers and represents the final stage of Oplan: Ultimatum, said Brig. Gen. Ruben Rafael, commander of Task Force Comet, which was formed late last year to go after the terrorist groups.
With their leaders Khadaffy Janjalani and Abu Solaiman dead, Abu Sayyaf has been reduced into smaller groups, Rafael said. The deaths of Janjalani and Solaiman have dealt a big blow to the already disorganized group.
The groups, run by so-called sub-leaders, were expected to re-group soon and join forces to stop the military assault. Rafael would not confirm reports that the aging Radullan Sahiron and the younger, more aggressive Albader Parad have taken over the ASG top leadership. But he said the remaining ASG leaders including Isnilon Hapilon should not be underestimated because they were also capable of leading the ASG remnants citing their vast experience with the group being senior leaders.
Rafael said the 8,000 troops were enough to finish the job of wiping out the Abu Sayyaf. I have enough forces there to go after them but how we are going to deal with the terrorist group, I would not tell you. That is my secret.
Rafael said the troops have been recharged and re-energized and are raring to go after the terrorists following their successive operations, which resulted in the killing of Janjalani and Solaiman. Government forces have kept the ASG bandits on the run forcing them to split into smaller groups though they have already been virtually trapped in the jungles of Sulu. We have also kept the two JI bombersDulmatin and Omar Patekrunning with ASG bandits, Rafael said as he confirmed intelligence reports that the duo, who allegedly masterminded the 2002 Bali bombings that killed more than 200 people mostly Australian tourists, were still in Jolo.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/28/2007 00:04 ||
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way to go guys!
Posted by: bk ||
01/28/2007 11:50 Comments ||
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COLOMBO - Sri Lankas navy attacked and destroyed three Tamil Tiger boats on Saturday as the rebels launched their first assault on the port of Colombo in 10 years, the defence ministry said. Naval craft blew up one boat after the three were spotted near a restricted zone before chasing and sinking the other two, leaving an unknown number of casualties, the ministry said.
Navy foils an LTTE (Tamil Tiger) attack at Colombo harbour, one LTTE boat destroyed at 5:30 am, the defence ministry said in an initial statement on its website, before later reporting the other two boats had also been sunk.
Work at the Colombo port was briefly disrupted by the attack but was soon back to normal, officials said. This proves again the Port of Colombo is one of the safest ports in the world, Ports Minister Mangala Samaraweera said during a visit to the site.
Famous last words ...
A foreign container vessel, Pelaponesian Pride, flying a Panamanian flag, was damaged by the explosion of the second rebel boat hit by the navy, Navy Rear Admiral B.A.G.G. Peiris told reporters. A container burst open and came off its original position as a result of the shockwaves, he said, adding the vessel was not hit by naval fire. The ship, which last called at the port of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, was heading for a berth in Colombo port, Peiris said.
Residents reported hearing gunfire near the ports high-security zone at the time of the attack. The military said they arrested three people from one boat while the fate of others aboard the remaining craft was unknown. The detection was initially made by the land sentries manning the southern perimeters of the Colombo harbour High Security Zone, who informed the naval craft at sea, the ministry statement said.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/28/2007 00:00 ||
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I was lucky enough (sarc) to visit Columbo during the ACDU days. As phuqued up as it was, I cannot help but believe an attack would only improve it. If I were the Rebels, I woud look for a real port, one of some significance. (If OTOH, Columbo IS a significant port, Sri Lanka is really the end of the world.)
The army restored order in the Lebanese capital Friday as mourners buried victims of a bloody student clash that took a dangerous sectarian tone, prompting leaders to appeal for calm in an effort to keep the country from sliding deeper into violence. A rare curfew in Beirut was lifted early Friday, imposed after factions supporting the Western-backed government and Hezbollah protesters trying to bring it down turned a university campus into a battle zone a day earlier.
At least three people were killed and dozens injured after mobs faced off with homemade clubs and stones. Army officers reported snipers opening fire during the melee. The violence eclipsed a major achievement a continent away - an international donors' conference in Paris raised some $7.6 billion to help rebuild Lebanon's economy, ravaged after last summer's 34-day war between Hezbollah and Israel.
Embattled Prime Minister Fuad Saniora returned to Lebanon on Friday and urged leaders to work toward ending the political deadlock "because remaining as we are is frightening." Saniora's closest ally, Sunni leader Saad Hariri, also said late Friday he was ready to work with his foes for a settlement. "The world has stood by us. It is not acceptable that we let ourselves, our brothers and friends down. It is a waste to let the results of Paris ... be threatened by the internal storm," he said.
Talks between the Hezbollah-led opposition and Saniora's government broke down in November over the militant group's demands for greater power, which was emboldened after it survived Israel's onslaught on Lebanon during the summer war. Hezbollah, which is Shiite Muslim, has kept relentless pressure on Saniora's administration, which is backed by Sunni Muslims and smaller Christian allies. On Tuesday, roadblocks by Hezbollah and its opposition allies brought most of Lebanon to a standstill.
The showdown has forced Lebanon's patchwork of religious groups and factions to chose sides - as they did during the devastating 1975-90 civil war, during which about 150,000 were killed. Then, it was mostly Muslims against Christians. Now, it's a power struggle pitting Sunnis against Shiites with Christians split between the two sides. The turmoil also has made Lebanon a stage for wider Middle East proxy struggles with Iran and Syria backing Hezbollah, and Washington and allies hoping to keep Saniora in power.
Leaders for both sides appealed for calm Thursday, but on Friday, provocative remarks from politicians threatened to whip up tensions again. Talal Arsalan, an opposition politician, accused the pro-government groups of being an "organized crime syndicate" that wanted to turn Lebanon into another Iraq. "You should not think that Beirut is Haifa or Mount Carmel," warned senior pro-government Christian leader Samir Geagea, addressing Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in a reference to the group's rocket attacks on the Israeli regions during the summer war.
Thousands of mourners buried two slain Hezbollah supporters Friday. In a military style send-off, farewell shots were fired and 29-year-old Adnan Shamas' body was paraded beside a color guard holding the yellow Hezbollah flag. Relatives wept amid cries of "blood for blood" and "revenge."
In eastern Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, a Hezbollah leader said Hassan Mortada's blood was shed for unity. "What is happening in Iraq and Palestine is enough," said Sheik Mohammed Yazbek. Tarik el-Jadideh, the Sunni neighborhood hit hard in Thursday's clashes, remained tense despite the army's presence. Elsewhere in the capital, schools were closed and traffic was light.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/28/2007 00:00 ||
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The violence eclipsed a major achievement a continent away - an international donors' conference in Paris raised some $7.6 billion to help rebuild Lebanon's economy, ravaged after last summer's 34-day war between Hezbollah and Israel.
Has anyone raised money to help rebuild Israel's economy?
#6
I'd like to be sitting next to her roasting some nuts by an open fire.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
01/28/2007 15:20 Comments ||
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#7
Teddy often sit nude in high heels, Thoth?
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/28/2007 15:46 Comments ||
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#8
Hi,
I found your blog via google by accident and have to admit that youve a really interesting blog :-)
Just saved your feed in my reader, have a nice day :)
#9
Well, Florian. Sit down, read away and get ready to learn some stuff. We welcome you into the fold, especially if you see the threats to our Western ways of life like we see them. If not, well, I hope you learn some stuff anyways.
Posted by: BA ||
01/28/2007 19:10 Comments ||
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#11
Bist Du denn in Deutschland, Florian? Herzlich wilkommen! Es gibt einige von uns die jetzt da wohnen, und eine Menge mehr die da gewohnt haben. ;-)
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.
ISLAMABAD - Two senior police officers were killed and six people were wounded when a bomb exploded late Saturday near a Shia mosque in a marketplace in Pakistans northwestern city of Peshawar, police said.
NAJAF, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraqi and U.S. forces Sunday killed an estimated 250 to 300 gunmen in the Shiite holy city of Najaf during heavy fighting, an interior ministry official told CNN.
British soldiers believe they have the upper hand after seizing up to 500 mortar rounds from militants in southern Iraq. 
By Sameer N. Yacoub
Jordan's highest court rejected an appeal by an Iraqi woman sentenced to death for her role in the al-Qaida-led triple hotel bombing that killed 60 people in Jordan's worst terror attack, according to court documents obtained Saturday. 35-year-old 
Gunmen from the rival Hamas and Fatah movements battled in Gaza City for a third straight day, firing mortars and grenades in clashes that killed seven people in the increasingly bloody power struggle over the Palestinian government. 
GAZA CITY - Another four Palestinians died on Saturday in clashes between rival factions in Gaza, bringing to 19 the death toll in three days of bitter fighting that has torpedoed talks on forming a unity government. The four were killed in early morning firefights in central Gaza City, medical sources said.
The army restored order in the Lebanese capital Friday as mourners buried victims of a bloody student clash that took a dangerous sectarian tone, prompting leaders to appeal for calm in an effort to keep the country from sliding deeper into violence. A rare curfew in Beirut was lifted early Friday, imposed after factions supporting the Western-backed government and Hezbollah protesters trying to bring it down turned a university campus into a battle zone a day earlier.
