Egyptian border police shot and seriously injured a Turkish man trying to illegally cross the border into Israel on Thursday, a security official and medics said.
The Turkish national was attempting to cross into Israel along with six members of his family, said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press. He added the man was immediately evacuated to a local hospital after being shot in the head. According to the official, the man did not comply to the order, but continued crossing the barbed wire barrier marking the borders with the Jewish state, prompting police to open fire.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/19/2007 00:00 ||
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#2
This can't be true. Pakistan to make war against Waziristan? How can the ISI allow this? Besides, the Army officers will order their troops to surrender, lead them into ambushes, etc. Same as Mao and his moles in the Nationalists.
#3
Optimist that I am, I think this just might be a tipping point.
Posted by: Mike ||
10/19/2007 7:45 Comments ||
Top||
#4
The Taliban just can't play nice. They try and try to assassinate Musharif and now make a run at Bhutto. They kidnap and decapitate Pak troops. The Pak government, ISI notwithstanding, has come to realize these people are not their friends and should be introduced to Allah as quickly as possible.
#6
The fact that Shitte units are being deployed highlights the seriousness of this offensive. Just like when Iraq brings in the Kurds into Sunni areas to pacify them. There is no love lost therefore the actions will be more decisive.
I believe Bhutto is a Harvard Grad. Perhaps the West and her exile has openned her eyes to the cruel realities facing her failed nation-state.
Given the growing militancy and the recent adventure by militants when they took control of the traffic system in Swat district, the government has moved additional army contingents to Swat to launch a possible military operation within a few days, sources told Daily Times on Thursday.
On July 8, 2007, the government moved army contingents to Swat to launch a military operation against militants after they fired at a military convoy killing four troops including a major and a lieutenant. However, a peace jirga and the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) government made efforts to avoid any military operation.
This time, the sources said, a military operation in Swat is likely as
The government has moved an additional 15,000 army troops to the Swat valley in the past 15 days.
the government has moved an additional 15,000 army troops to the Swat valley in the past 15 days.
The sources said the military operation against the militants might begin in the next few days. Sources added that the security forces had set up two new check posts in the Ayub Break and Fiza Gutt areas, while other posts were also being set up before the operation. Its the first time we have seen such a large-scale army deployment in the valley, Jumma Khan, a Mingora resident, told Daily Times by phone. He said the entire Swat valley and its adjoining Dir districts were in the grip of fear. Another resident, Muhammad Shabir, said this was the first time he had seen police armoured personnel carriers (APC) were patrolling the Mingora Bazaar in such large numbers. The process of army deployment will be complete within two days and an operation against the banned Tehrik Nifaz Shariah Mohammadi (TNSM) is expected soon after, the sources added.
This article starring:
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal
Tehrik Nifaz Shariah Mohammadi
Another resident, Muhammad Shabir
Jumma Khan, a Mingora resident
Posted by: Fred ||
10/19/2007 00:00 ||
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Dozens of people have been killed during an assassination attempt on the former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in Karachi.
Not like it was unexpected. If there's any surprise at all it's the timing.
Two bombs went off in a procession welcoming her back to the country after eight years in exile. Her bullet-proof bus had just passed when the blasts happened.
If I'da been her, I'd probably have wanted to travel by tank...
She was unhurt and has been taken to her house in the city but at least 89 people were killed and over 100 others wounded.
She was unhurt and has been taken to her house in the city but at least 89 people were killed and over 100 others wounded. An initial small explosion was followed by a huge blast just feet from the vehicle. At least one of them was thought to be a suicide bombing.
Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf said the attack represented "a conspiracy against democracy."
Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf said the attack represented "a conspiracy against democracy" and the US also condemned the atrocity.
Ms Bhutto's procession had been heading to a rally near the tomb of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. Hundreds of thousands of people had lined the route. Militants linked to al Qaeda, angered by her support for the US war on terrorism, had threatened to assassinate her.
Christina Lamb, Ms Bhutto's biographer, was on the truck at the time of the explosions. She told Sky News of the terrifying moment that one of the bombs went off, covering her in blood. "We had been on the bus for about nine hours, there were huge crowds and we were talking about what a great atmosphere there was. Suddenly there was an enormous blast and a huge ball of orange flame came across the front of the bus. Everybody just screamed. I was covered in blood, but it wasn't mine, it was somebody else's. There were about 20 people on top of the bus, it was pretty exposed in retrospect."
She added that Ms Bhutto had by chance gone downstairs in the bus away from the blast at the time it went off. "I'm sure she feels really devastated that this has happened," she added.
Probably not quite as bad as she'd be feeling if she'd been shredded, like Baitullah wanted.
Four bullets were reportedly fired at the convoy but were held by the reinforced glass on the bus.
Earlier, Ms Bhutto pledged to fight for democracy as she ended her exile over allegations of corruption amid chaotic scenes at Karachi airport. With tears in her eyes as she walked off the plane that had brought her from Dubai, Ms Bhutto waved at supporters and said: "I feel good. I counted the hours, the minutes and the seconds just to see this land, sky and grass."
The 54-year-old said she was fighting for democracy and to help her country defeat the extremism that she said had given it the reputation as a hotbed of international terrorism.
Some 2,500 paramilitary troops had been deployed around Karachi airport and 10,000 more were on standby for her homecoming.
Brushing off fears of Islamic militant attack, Ms Bhutto told Sky News in an exclusive interview this week that only she could bring democracy back to Pakistan. Ms Bhutto's return follows negotiations with President General Pervez Musharraf, who seized power in a 1999 coup.
132 killed in suicide attacks
At least 132 people were killed and hundreds injured late on Thursday night as suspected suicide bombers targeted former prime minister Benazir Bhutto on her return from eight years in self-imposed exile... The attack bore the hallmarks of Al Qaeda and resembled assassination attempts by militants linked to the terrorist network on President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in recent years. Intelligence reports also warned of threats of suicide attacks against Ms Bhutto by militants linked to Al Qaeda, the Taliban and Baitullah Mehsud, the Sindh home secretary said on Wednesday.
The blasts hit two police vehicles which were escorting the truck carrying Ms Bhutto. The target was the truck, senior Karachi police official Azhar Farooqui told Reuters.
Suicide bombing: SP Raja Umer Khitab told Daily Times the first blast was a suicide attack. He said the police had recovered part of a torso wearing a suicide jacket, as well as the head and hands and feet of the suicide bomber. According to witnesses, the bomber tried to enter the inner security cordon of PPP workers around Ms Bhutto but was stopped, and then he set off the explosion. Witnesses said the second blast originated from a golden-coloured Pajero parked on the road.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/19/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
"We kill reformers on sight." What a great message to send the rest of this world. And people wonder why I'm so cynical about Islam ever finding a way to peacefully coexist. As someone else put it, "the peace of the grave" is all that awaits Islam. Muslims simply will not have it any other way.
#2
There ain't gonna be any democracy in Pak-Land for a looooooong time. The boomers and jihadis will see to that. Sing my tune or you get boomed, that's their slogan.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
10/19/2007 0:46 Comments ||
Top||
#3
It will take a lot more Muslim-on-Muslim bloodshed before the reformers in the Islamic world develop the hardened attitude necessary to deal with the militants.
Incidents like this serve to clarify the dividing line in the upcoming conflict - to quote the words of a prescient president of the United States, "You're either with us or against us in the fight against terror."
#4
I'm surprised the head Waki Pakis haven't accused Bhutto of setting off the blasts herself to garner public sympathy and get credit for her courage. Actually, if one could believe anybody over there could build a predictably 'safe' bomb, that idea isn't actually that wacky. Certainly saner than Troother theories.
#6
Im sure Perv didnt do this. He was counting on Bhutto to strengthen him politically.
How much involvement ex-ISI, or even current ISI had, alongside Taliban/AQ, I have no idea.
Big questions - how does this play on the Paki street - do all those folks who dont like Perv, and have been tending toward Sharif, now rally around Bhutto? Does this solidify the alliance between Bhutto and Perv, who have both been targeted by radical Islamists?
#9
The two-bomb attack seems like the classic Al Qaeda MO. The first boom kills a bunch of people. The survivors rush to see what they can do to help and then the second boom gets them.
Posted by: Abu Uluque6305 ||
10/19/2007 11:40 Comments ||
Top||
#10
All true Islamists are "radical Islamists". The rest are apostates.
This will finally become a key understanding in the West or its epitaph.
I wrote MNF-I to ask if they had stopped reporting enemy losses. Here is the response. It appears we may have killed them all.
For Iraq, there has been no change in policy and MNF-I units have been operating continually. We have just seen more captures and less violence in general recently.
We have, for example, seen a drop in the level of security incidents during Ramadan this year. In 2004 through 2007, Ramadan in 2006 provided the highest level of security incidents. For Ramadan in 2007, there was approximately a 38 percent decrease in security incidents from Ramadan in 2006.
We think the surge in operations is having an impact, and we certainly welcomed Muqtada al-Sadr's pledge that Jaysh al-Mahdi would stop attacks, which many groups have honored, and which certainly hasn't hurt. Finally, we have killed or captured many al-Qaeda in Iraq senior leaders, which is hindering their ability to respond to our operations, as well.
#3
Well we are still taking fatalities (although for the first 19 days of Oct the rate was about half the Sept rate- itself low compared to the previous 12 months0.
#4
Remember that there are two sides to the equation. Not just us taking down the bad guys, but also building up the good guys. And with every passing day, the bad guys get weaker and the good guys get stronger.
At a particular point, the Iraqis will be fully policing and protecting themselves, and the US forces footprint will recede until we just occupy bases, providing air support and intelligence coordination.
Psychologically, we have to retrain the Iraqis so that they are so self-confident and strong that when an incident happens, they don't respond to it in the Arabic way, but in the right way. From that moment on, the become a modern state, and stop making enemies of their own people.
#6
We have just seen more captures and less violence in general recently.
Maybe some of these captives would respond to a little re-education...heh, heh, heh. Maybe like Clockwork Orange only specifically tailored for jihadis.
Posted by: Abu Uluque6305 ||
10/19/2007 15:38 Comments ||
Top||
#7
This is how an insurgency ends, with a whimper.
I have noticed that in DC there is less talk of Iraq and more talk of other things including Iran (W ratched up the rhethoric with his WW3 comment). The papers are quiet and so is TV - even NBC saw fit to take Olberman on Sunday night football. The Dems are so desperate to keep associating calamity with Iraq they sent out their senior senile Trotskyite (Pete Stark) to throw a few bombs about Iraq and W in discussing the SCHIP vote. When you add up the politics and news value its what they call a "snore".
Posted by: Jack is Back! ||
10/19/2007 16:12 Comments ||
Top||
#9
This is how an insurgency ends, with a whimper.
First thought: "don't get cocky, kid!", it will continue to taper off for the next few years.
Second thought: Eggdzactly, NS. No surrender ceremony on the deck of a carrier, just the surviving terrorist scum quietly slinking back to their parent's basements, with a ringing "never mind" sounding across the Internets.
Of course, whenever they post their fantasies to Kos, myDD, etc. some poor schlub at the NSA is going to have to read it. Oh, well.
Posted by: N guard ||
10/19/2007 18:36 Comments ||
Top||
#10
Lulls over. 11 killed in Iraq Monday and Tuesday, 5 today. 12 killed in Afghanistan today.
Elsewhere, uncertain. Pakiwaki is an area that has a potential for some form of jihadi offensive. Whether AQ or some otherly named outled is not that relevant, same shite, essentially.
Rats are also leaving for Eurabia and it is likely that they will stir some trouble there, especially in more dhimmified regions.
#13
It's kinda like having fire ants. You can chase them out of your yard, but they just go next door. It is not until everyone gets on board with the eradication program that you wipe them out.
Baghdad - Two people were killed and one injured when gunmen attacked the convoy of Barham Salih, a deputy to Iraq's prime minister, in north Kirkuk while an oil pipe was bombed in the south- west of the city, sources said Friday.
Gunmen hiding in a house opened fire on Salih's convoy, which was en route to Baghdad, when fierce clashes between his security guards and the attackers broke out, the source added. One of Barham's staff and a militant were killed and an employee was wounded in the clashes, the source said. Salih was not in the convoy at the time of the attack as he was on a mission abroad.
Also Friday in Kirkuk, unidentified gunmen bombed a secondary oil pipe in the south-west of the city causing a huge fire and thick black smoke, an Iraqi police source said. A source from the North Oil Company said maintenance teams were trying to contain the situation, as they waited for firefighters to extinguish the blaze. The pipe transports crude oil from Kirkuk to the refinery in Bayji city.
Separately, a district police chief Abdullah al-Jabouri survived an assassination attempt when gunmen attacked his motorcade Friday in south-west Kirkuk, a police source said. Two of al-Jabaouri's security guards were wounded in the attack, the source added.
Meanwhile, one US soldier was killed and three were wounded when a bomb targeted their vehicle in the northern province of Salahaddin, media reports said Friday citing the US military. The attack occurred Wednesday, the reports said without giving further details.
In other news, US-led coalition forces discovered two houses used as makeshift prisons and freed five hostages held for ransom in Buhriz village in Baquba, the capital of Diyala province, 60 kilometres north-east of Baghdad, the US military said. The forces also discovered two weapons caches and detained six Iraqis, acting as guards for the prisons, the statement added.
Coalition forces captured three wanted individuals and detained an additional 12 suspected terrorists Thursday during operations targeting al-Qaeda networks throughout Iraq.
Coalition forces captured a wanted individual southwest of Tarmiyah, who is believed to be a member of the terrorist network in the city responsible for the majority of car-bombing and improvised explosive device attacks. Reports also indicate the network is involved in extortion, intimidation, weapons trafficking and the facilitation of foreign terrorists. In addition to the targeted individual, Coalition forces detained seven suspected terrorists on site.
Northwest of Tikrit, Coalition forces captured another wanted individual and detained three others for their alleged involvement in the movement of foreign terrorists. The targeted individual was also allegedly involved in facilitating false documentation and terrorist funds, and is believed to have ties to Syrian-based extremists attempting to communicate with the al-Qaeda in Iraq senior leader Abu Ayyub al-Masri.
During an operation in Baghdad, Coalition forces targeted and captured an individual reported to be involved in kidnapping operations and attacks on Coalition forces. Intelligence reports indicate the individual has links to various Special Groups leaders operating throughout Baghdad. In addition to the targeted individual, Coalition forces detained two suspects.
Targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq networks and criminals responsible for vicious attacks against innocent Iraqis and their security forces is a top priority, said Maj. Winfield Danielson, MNF-I spokesman. We will continue to find and dismantle terrorist networks that try to deny the Iraqi people a future of their own choosing.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/19/2007 00:00 ||
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In an effort to rid al-Qaeda from their perceived safe havens, Iraqi Security Forces, with support from Coalition Forces assigned to 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, conducted Operation Market Fury in support of Operation Greywolf Hammer II, focusing on Muqdadiyahs Al Suk market area.
This operation was critical for the improvement of the local economy in Muqdadiyah, said Col. David W. Sutherland, commander of Coalition Forces in Diyala province. Prior to al-Qaeda moving in, this area was the primary market for the Muqdadiyah region, but became deserted due to the terrorists hatred and destruction.
Soldiers assigned to 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment and Iraqi Soldiers from 3rd Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division, conducted a detailed search of the market area discovering two house-borne improvised explosive devices, three weapons caches and reducing three other IEDs set to detonate on the roads along the market area.
During the five-day operation, ISF and CF Soldiers killed two unknown enemy forces and detained three others.
Now that the area is secure, the local government can begin assessing the market to work on reconstruction and other essential services needed for the area to be fully functional, said Sutherland.
In a community where most of the citizens income stems from agriculture, having a market place that is secured, accessible to all citizens, and open for business is definitely a step forward and a sign of the progress across the province, he said.
There is great economic potential in Diyala, and operations like Market Fury will continue to open the door to a more prosperous future for the people who have the same hopes, wishes, dreams and desires as we do, Sutherland said.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/19/2007 00:00 ||
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An Israeli Navy ship was fired upon in the waters of the southern Gaza Strip near Rafah on Thursday afternoon. The IDF said that the shots came from the direction of a Palestinian fishing boat. The navy returned fire but no casualties or damages were reported.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/19/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
I'm amazed that Israel didn't deliver the Palestinians their first submarine.
Soldiers from the IDF's Engineering Corps came under fire shortly after midday Thursday during an operation along the security fence in central Gaza. No one was wounded and no damage was caused.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/19/2007 00:00 ||
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The blast taking place in a shopping mall in the capital region of the Philippines Friday might be a terrorist attack, said a high-level security official of the country. "This is not an accident. We are looking into a possible terrorist attack," Norberto Gonzales, Philippine National Security Adviser told the media.
"Legume! Bring me my cap and my saxophone! The game is afoot!"
The explosion took place at around 1:30 p.m. local time (0530 GMT) in Glorietta, a classy shopping mall in the country's financial city of Makati, Metro Manila. The explosion ripped through the roof of the mall and damaged nearby shops. Debris from the blast were scattered on the streets. Eight people have been confirmed dead while 89 were wounded and 10 others are still missing in the blast according to reports as of 8:00 p.m. local time (1200 GMT).
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo called for an emergency security meeting following the explosion and afterwards urged Filipinos to remain vigilant. "We urge all sectors to remain vigilant as the government steps up security measures to protect our people," she said in a statement.
That'll be a first.
"We assure everyone that a full blown investigation is now underway. The Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines are on highest alert and are fielding an additional 2000 personnel to secure our public places and to prevent a possible similar occurrence," the president added.
The president also warned groups against exploiting the deadly blast for political gain. "I warn those who seek to exploit this incident to destabilize our government for their selfish political motives," she said.
The blast occurred a week after the PNP revealed plans by Abu Sayyaf, an antigovernment Islamofascist militant group to launch attacks after Ramadan ended on Oct. 12. PNP chief Avelino Razon earlier admitted that before the explosion, the police had received information on planned bombings in Metro Manila. "We have reports in the past and we have taken actions on the report," he said.
Nevertheless, the PNP said that they cannot categorically say if the explosion was the handiwork of terrorists.
This article starring:
Abu Sayyaf
Posted by: tipper ||
10/19/2007 11:44 ||
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Sri Lankas military said Thursday that its troops killed 27 suspected Tamil Tigers in renewed clashes in the islands north, although the rebels dismissed some incidents as attacks on civilians.
The Sri Lankan navy fired early Thursday at a cluster of Tamil Tiger boats off the northwest coast. They recovered an abandoned rebel boat with four bodies and three survivors, the defence ministry said in a statement. A pro-rebel website, however, said the boat was carrying seven civilians who were fleeing Sri Lanka for India, and that at least at least three members of the same family were killed. Elsewhere in the north, the military claimed it killed 23 rebels in sporadic clashes across the embattled north and northeast over the past 24 hours. No independent confirmation of the claims was immediately available, and there was no comment from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Both sides are known to exaggerate casualty figures.
ICRC pulls back: Firing across the northern frontline of Omanthai forced the International Red Cross (ICRC) to pull back its staff on Wednesday, ICRC spokesman Davide Vignati said. ICRC work along the frontlines to provide safe passage for civilians who want to cross between government-held areas and the Tamil Tigers northern mini-state.
The decision was taken after few security incidents yesterday (Wednesday) which has jeopardised the safety of our personnel. We will return after we secure a guarantee for the safety of our staff, Vignati said. Meanwhile, the rebels also accused Sri Lanka warplanes of bombing a civilian settlement in a rebel-held area in the north on Wednesday, Tamilnet.com reported. Eight bombs, dropped in two sorties, fell close to civilian settlements and exploded.... No one was hurt as the bombs missed the houses, the website said. The defence ministry was not immediately available for comment.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/19/2007 00:00 ||
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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.
Given the growing militancy and the recent adventure by militants when they took control of the traffic system in Swat district, the government has moved additional army contingents to Swat to launch a possible military operation within a few days, sources told Daily Times on Thursday.
Baghdad - Two people were killed and one injured when gunmen attacked the convoy of Barham Salih, a deputy to Iraq's prime minister, in north Kirkuk while an oil pipe was bombed in the south- west of the city, sources said Friday. 
The president also warned groups against exploiting the deadly blast for political gain. "I warn those who seek to exploit this incident to destabilize our government for their selfish political motives," she said.
