Maybe not, but right now he's behind bars and the odds are pretty seriously against him beating this rap. He might do it but if he does it's going to cost him most of what money he's got left. As someone who has no doubt but that Simpson's a double murderer, he has absolutely no sympathy here. I hope he never sees the light of day as a free man again. It won't make up for the murders but it's a start at reparation.
With Indian Air Force helicopter gunships killing hundreds of rebels and infantry combat vehicles punching through rebel positions, Indias largest-ever deployment of soldiers on foreign soil has taken on a muscular new turn in the heart of Africa.
The Democratic Republic of Congo's internal conflict -- whose resolution is a test case of strong global intervention -- has led an Indian brigade under the United Nations mission (known by its French acronym MONUC) to rework its peacekeeping strategy from a velvet glove to an iron fist.
The first signs of the changed Indian posture were visible late September in Masisi in the collapsing eastern province of North Kivu, the epicentre of the conflict between rebels and government troops. UN North Kivu brigade commander Bipin Rawat, who learnt his trade in Kashmir and India's northeast, ordered Mi-25 and Mi-35 attack helicopters of the IAF to strafe positions tightly held by the private army of rebel general Laurent Nkunda.
The underutilised Russian-made IAF gunships fired a salvo of rockets that killed hundreds of Nkunda's rebels. The offensive sorties allowed ill-equipped and ill-trained Congolese government troops drive back rebels who had come menacingly close to seizing Masisi, which is on a vital road axis some 80 km from North Kivus capital Goma.
I'm guessing Nkunda was thinking that the Indians were going to behave more like the mighty Uruguayans ...
Indian Army infantry combat vehicles, used only for a cosmetic show of force thus far, rumbled into life with machineguns blazing and cannon punching through rebel defences in the flashpoints of Tonga and Kanyabayonga where Indian posts are located.
"In the past one or two years, some degree of passivity has seeped into our operations," Brigadier Rawat told the Hindustan Times. He said UN rules allowed the use of force in specific scenarios. "Weve decided to fight with our equipment," said Rawat, who took charge of the Indian brigade this August.
There are now more than 4,500 Indian troops with the UNs costliest peacekeeping mission in the Congo, a sprawling (the size of western Europe), dangerous and notoriously unstable country formerly known as Zaire. It was here that heavyweight boxing champion Muhammed Ali knocked out George Foreman 34 years ago in a world-famous bout called "Rumble in the Jungle".
The Congo is home to half of all Africas forests and has enough diamonds, gold and copper to make it the continent's richest country. But it has come to represent the worst of Africa: most of its 60 million people live on less than $1 a day and its women and children have suffered almost unimaginable sexual violence.
It was first ravaged in the late 19th century by Belgium's King Leopold, who ran it as a personal colony. Later, one of Africas worst dictators, Mobutu Sese Seko -- backed for strategic reasons by the West -- famously squandered public money on Concorde charters to Disneyworld and million-dollar shopping sprees to Brussels and Paris.
After Seko was deposed 11 years ago, the Congo descended into bloody patchwork of war and butchery that claimed the lives of 3 million Congolese and at its height embroiled nine countries. To growing criticism of its irrelevance, the UN then launched its mission to stabilise the Congo, with 2006 seeing the first democratic elections in 40 years. The Congolese turned out in millions to vote in Joseph Kabila as president.
Rawat said his message is that Indian troops "will walk the extra mile to protect the Congolese people", whose mistrust of MONUC has grown manifold in recent weeks. "It is not a pretty picture to see an Indian soldier, tested in the hottest of fires, hunker down in a jeep even as unruly crowds pelt stones," said Rawat. "Its happening here. Locals are asking what difference has MONUC made."
That changed when an 8,000-strong crowd recently took shelter at a 10 Assam base in Masisi when the Congolese army traded heavy machine gun and mortar fire with the rebels. The crowd clapped as IAF attack helicopters fired rockets. Rawat said his soldiers would resist "the temptation to go over the top at all costs".
Thats because all rebel groups are signatories to a January 2008 peace accord, and the key mission of troops is to bring them to the negotiating table.
India has a long history of deploying troops in the Congo: the first Indian blue berets (the colour used on UN duty) served from 1960 to 1965. It is the only UN mission where an Indian soldier -- Captain G.S. Salaria -- was awarded the Param Vir Chakra. He died in 1961, trying to save the Katanga province from falling to rebels.
Posted by: john frum ||
10/05/2008 16:39 ||
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The United Nations has said that a total of 77 tanks and 15 jet fighters were secretly imported by Kenya last year alone. According to official documents from the United Nations published by the Sunday Nation newspaper, two rocket launchers and more than 40,000 automatic rifles and machine guns were also brought in. Yet the Kenyan government has not reported its arms purchases to the United Nations as required by international agreements. Instead, Kenya told the UN it had not imported any arms at all, the documents were quoted as saying.
According to the newspaper, the purchases are detailed in a report by Ukraine to the United Nations in which it said it had exported the tanks and guns, among other weapons. "The jet fighter imports from Jordan are shown in a report published on the internet this week by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute which tracks the international movement of arms," said the newspaper.
Since 1993 when the register was first compiled, Kenya has been reporting that it made no imports and no exports of arms.
The purchases represent a significant rearming of Kenya's military. As a sovereign nation, Kenya has a right to buy and sell arms. Kenya treats virtually all information about its military as classified, though a lot of information about its strength and armaments can be gleaned from officials and academic sources.
The report by the Stockholm Institute shows that Ukraine inherited millions of small arms and light weapons after the collapse of the Soviet Union, ending up with over 7 million small arms and light weapons which it has over the years exported to different countries. The top five importers were the United States, Britain, Libya, Azerbaijan and Georgia. "Ukraine has made significant progress in improving transparency and controlling exports in recent years," wrote Paul Holtom of the institute.
According to the latest report released by the Ukrainian government, Kenya imported 40,000 automatic rifles and submachine guns and 405 grenade launchers last year. "Although Kenyan officials made it clear that the 33 T-72 tanks, grenade launchers and ammunition aboard the hijacked Ukrainian ship MV Faina were part of a larger deal under which tanks, artillery and small arms and light weapons were delivered by Ukraine in 2007, these weapons did not appear in Kenya's recent submission to UNROCA for 2007," Holtom said.
Significantly, he pointed out, the report to UNROCA of no imports or exports was made on September 26 this year, the same day that MV Faina was hijacked off the coast of Somalia and just hours before it was expected to dock at the port of Mombasa, east Kenya.
#2
I confess some sympathy for Kenya. They live in a dangerous neighborhood. Somalia, Uganda, Ethiopia to the north and west. All the craziness of the Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi isn't that far away. And they have a Muslim minority population. Sure the government there is 3/4 hosed, but they do need to defend themselves in a bad situation.
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/05/2008 13:46 Comments ||
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#3
Raila Odinga, their prime minister, will only have to wait a few months until his cousin is installed, then he can have the pick of US advanced weaponry for free.
The High Court (HC) will hear tomorrow two petitions filed by Awami League President Sheikh Hasina, now abroad on parole, seeking bail in the Niko and barge-mounted power plant corruption cases against her.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/05/2008 00:00 ||
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Supporters of reformist and pro-Khaleda faction of BNP engaged in a clash Friday at Gauranadi in Barisal that left at least 35 people including a policeman and a journalist injured.
Traffic movement on Barisal-Dhaka highway was disrupted for hours and a number of shops and vehicles were vandalised at Gauranadi Bus Stand during the clash.
After the clash Nur Alam Howladar, Gauranadi municipality mayor and upazila BNP president, resigned from his party post. Barisal north district BNP President Abdur Rob told The Daily Star that upazila BNP vice-president Abul Hossain Mia will take over from Alam.
Witnesses, police and party leaders and workers said the clash started around 10:30am when former BNP lawmaker Jahiruddin Swapan, who was in the reformist BNP faction led by Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, along with his supporters was heading towards Gauranadi Press Club. When his motorcade reached Gauranadi Bandar, local Jubo Dal General Secretary Badiuzzaman Mintu and his supporters obstructed the motorcade.
They claiming themselves to be of pro-Khaleda faction, attacked and vandalised three motorcycles belonging to the followers of Swapan in front of the shop of Wahidul Huq Khan, also a local BNP leader.
The groups clashed and the clash lasted for an hour and a half. Chases and counter chases took place along with hurling brick bats. Traffic movement on the highway was disrupted.
Shops of supporters of Swapan and their rivals were vandalised, witnesses said.
Police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control around 12:45pm. They escorted Swapan and his followers out to Sharikal.
Leaders and activists of both BNP factions, Wadud, a constable of Agoiljhara Police Station, Giasuddin Mia, local correspondent of Dainik Samakal, two pedestrians Kulsum Begum and Ali Hossain were injured. Seventeen of them were admitted to hospitals in Gauranadi and Agoiljhara.
Jubo Dal leader Badiuzzaman Mintu claimed that locals resisted Swapan and his followers.
Swapan, however, said there is no division in the party and the party is united under Khaleda Zia. He said a number of misguided leaders and activists created the unwanted situation which is harmful to the party.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/05/2008 00:00 ||
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Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed has said the caretaker government wants to continue with the state of emergency until the general elections to "retain control" over the old problems of money and muscle power during polls.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/05/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
Oh, I thought they were talking about Democrat goals for our economy. Nancy and Harry are doing a bangup job of it. But the Big O seems to be a Big Zero in the drive. He isn't leading Democrats and the country to disaster like he should be doing.
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
10/05/2008 10:48 Comments ||
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President Evo Morales said Saturday that Bolivia does not need U.S. help to control its coca crop, stepping up his anti-Washington rhetoric days after rejecting an American request to fly an anti-drug plane over the South American nation's territory.
Morales also compared U.S. counter-drug efforts in the country, including Drug Enforcement Administration flights, to espionage.
"It's important that the international community knows that here, we don't need control of the United States on coca cultivation," the president told a gathering of coca farmers. "We can control ourselves internally. We don't need any spying from anybody."
U.S. Embassy spokesman Eric Watnik said the DEA makes periodic requests to fly a plane transporting U.S. and Bolivian anti-narcotics personnel around the country. The aircraft is not used for surveillance, he said.
Relations between Washington and La Paz have increasingly deteriorated in recent weeks. Morales expelled the U.S. ambassador last month, accusing him of supporting deadly protests organized by his conservative opposition. The former ambassador denies the allegations.
Washington responded by ousting Bolivia's ambassador and later placed the Andean nation on an anti-narcotics blacklist, saying Morales has not sufficiently cooperated with international anti-drug efforts.
"We've certified Bolivia twice before under the Morales government, even though they have taken a very different approach to counter drugs, especially to eradication, than previous governments," Thomas Shannon, the top U.S. diplomat for Latin America, told The Associated Press on Thursday.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/05/2008 00:00 ||
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Germany will guarantee all private savings accounts, says Chancellor Angela Merkel, as a major bank struggles to stay in business. Ms Merkel was speaking after an emergency meeting with the central bank and financial regulator.
Hypo Real Estate, Germany's second biggest commercial property lender, is in trouble after a 35bn euro ($48bn; £27.2bn) rescue plan collapsed. Hypo has said it will study alternative measures to fund its business.
"We will not allow the distress of one financial institute to distress the entire system. For that reason, we are working hard to secure Hypo Real Estate," Ms Merkel said.
The BBC's Tristana Moore in Germany says the government is under intense pressure to save the bank before markets reopen on Monday. But out correspondent says tax-payers must also be convinced that a bail-out would be justified.
On Saturday, European leaders at a Paris summit stopped short of offering a US-style bank bail-out plan.
The collapse of Hypo Real Estate will put further strain on other financial institutions in other countries, struggling against a crisis of confidence in the global financial system.
Posted by: john frum ||
10/05/2008 12:01 ||
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The leaders of Europe's four main economic powers held crisis talks on the global financial meltdown on Saturday, brushing aside a dispute that killed off talk of a joint bailout package.
After U.S. President George W. Bush signed off on a 700-billion-dollar handout to Wall Street, the financial world's eyes turned to Europe in the hope of more measures to free up capital and reassure jumpy markets.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi were to seek a coordinated response to the credit crunch, which has drained liquidity from banks and stock markets and undermined flagging growth rates.
"I want the message to go out from this meeting today: No sound and solvent banks should be allowed to fall because of a lack of liquidity," Brown told reporters ahead of the closed door meeting.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/05/2008 00:00 ||
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BARACK Obama has accused Republican rivals John McCain and Sarah Palin of a low blow after the vice-presidential candidate said he "palled around" with terrorists.
Mrs Palin raised Senator Obama's connection with Bill Ayers, a member of the Vietnam-era radical group the Weathermen, after a New York Times report outlined the link between them.
The group carried out a series of bombings on the Pentagon and other government buildings. The Times report backed up Senator Obama's assertions that he is only loosely connected to Mr Ayers in Chicago's local politics.
But Mrs Palin accused the Illinois senator of "palling around with terrorists" and said the Democrat was therefore "not a man who sees America as you and I do, as the greatest force for good in the world".
Senator Obama has hammered Senator McCain and Mrs Palin for engaging in low-blow personal attacks a month from election day.
"Senator McCain and his operatives are gambling that he can distract you with smears rather than talk to you about substance," Senator Obama told a giant crowd in North Carolina, estimated by police to number at least 28,000 people.
"They'd rather tear our campaign down than lift this country up. That's what you do when you're out of touch, out of ideas, and running out of time," he said, ahead of the second presidential debate on Wednesday (AEST).
A new Obama campaign TV ad called Senator McCain "erratic" and "out of touch". It featured footage of a shuttered factory, a panicked financial trading floor and a family struggling to make ends meet.
It juxtaposed those images with remarks from top McCain adviser Greg Strimple, who said the campaign was "looking forward to turning a page on this financial crisis" and instead attack Senator Obama record in the Senate.
"We're facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and John McCain wants us to 'turn the page' on talking about the economy?" Senator Obama said, drawing derisive jeers from the rally crowd.
Senator McCain is preparing for Wednesday's debate near his ranch in Arizona, and is seen as needing a game-changing performance to turn the tide in the build-up to the November 5 (AEST) vote.
On the home stretch of the campaign, Senator Obama said he would hammer away at the issues as crisis sweeps through Wall Street and batters household budgets.
The polls are breaking his way both nationally and in battleground states. A national tracking poll by Gallup gives Senator Obama 50 per cent support, compared with 43 per cent for Senator McCain.
Senator McCain's campaign more or less gave up on winning Michigan late last week, surrendering one of the states Republicans had targeted with substantial money and resources.
#2
"BARACK Obama has accused Republican rivals John McCain and Sarah Palin of a low blow after the vice-presidential candidate said he "palled around" with terrorists."
Truth hurts, huh, Bambi?
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
10/05/2008 19:15 Comments ||
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#3
The louder they scream, the closer to the truth the statement is.
#4
His record, thin as it is, is beyond citind citing, lest you be called a racist. Welllll I'll start: you, sir, are a soft-marxist empty suit with a tolerance of terrorist friends, a long-term participation in a black hate-filled church, a wife who's received a puffedup-employment salary based on the pork you delivered, a lie-filled resume, and a coward who votes "present" for any tough votes. Besides that, and your thin-skinned brownshirt responses to criticism, I have absolutely nothing good to say about you or your hate-filled bitter wife. But I'm sure you're probably nice to your children...so I guess that's something.
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/05/2008 19:39 Comments ||
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#5
Wow, even the Australian media's in the tank for him.
#9
Just a reminder.... Hank Paulson will be jobless in a couple of months. Unless he really gets on the stick, he'll not have spent the $ 7B USD that congress just handed him. What that means is, if elected, the Obamessiah will appoint one of his pals to look after the dough. Any doubt where those dollars will go?
Frank waited until he was "47 years and 3 months old" to come out of the closet. By that time, he says, "I was pretty sure that if I came out I would not lose my job in Congress. I thought it would diminish my influence in Congress. It did not." His base in suburban Boston, in fact, is so safe that he hasn't had to make a campaign commercial for TV in 16 years.
He thinks the average American is "less homophobic than he thinks he's supposed to be and more racist than he's willing to admit."
Frank credits President Clinton for doing "anything a president could do by his own executive action to fight anti-gay and lesbian prejudice." But his "biggest disappointment" with Clinton is on the "don't ask, don't tell" issue of gays in the armed forces, which he regards as a meaningless compromise. "I think because of his own problems, obviously with Vietnam, the one area of public policy where he almost always caved is the military."
Unlike other aspects of his private life, Frank warms to the subject of his homosexuality, becomes softer and less irritable as he talks about it. He smiles and jokes and is generally more cordial.
He recently broke up with Herb Moses, whom he referred to as his "lover," after a relationship of more than 10 years. The two are still friends.
Frank delights in telling stories about their experiences. Once at a charity ball, a woman asked them to stop dancing together. "It was going to be a fast dance and it became a slow dance and we weren't very good at it. The music changed on us in the middle. There may be some people who were uncomfortable but we just said, 'Look, we're not.' Our rule was very simple. We almost never did anything to make a point. But we never not did anything to make somebody else's point. We just decided we're going to live the way we want to live and if that bothered people that was their problem."
They made an exception once at a White House Christmas party when they saw then-Rep. Bill Dannemeyer (R-Calif.), "who was the arch, foolish homophobe," Frank says. "I noticed Bill Dannemeyer staring at us and I ran my fingers through Herb's hair, which, you know, I never did in public. And he looked a little sort of mildly puzzled, but then he kind of snuggled up to me. That was more to annoy Bill Dannemeyer."
He is still amused by the "spouse pin" issue. Congress distributes these pins for parking and other amenities, and Herb Moses had one. But "a bunch of right-wingers" demanded that Gingrich rescind the perk for Moses. Ultimately, Congress issued him a "domestic partner" card instead. "Herb may have the only domestic partner card. And his will expire in three weeks."
Frank says he is dating someone new but he's not yet ready "to be pinned." He doesn't know whether this will become another committed relationship, but he did take his new friend to the White House congressional Christmas party last week.
Before her son came out of the closet 11 years ago, Barney Frank's mother didn't have a clue he was gay. Barney had dated women, though whenever things got serious he would break up with them.
"He said he had something important to tell me and I was prepared for the worst," she says. But "to me that was not the worst. I was a little down, but not for long. I mean, he's still Barney."
#1
Anyone outside of the 'inner circle' bother reading the rag for anything other than its usefulness to fill blogs with the usual effective factual analysis of its lack of integrity and misconstrued data masquerading as facts?
so far in the tank they're lodged in the undergravel filter
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/05/2008 14:10 Comments ||
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#5
"whitewashes"
Isn't that racist somehow?
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
10/05/2008 15:17 Comments ||
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#6
N.Y. Times whitewashes Obama-Ayers connection.
There you go, Barbara S., all better now.... But I've now implied that the A-O connection was "dirty" (needed a wash) as contrasted with "Plugs'" assertion that The Annointed One was "clean."
OMG, now where do I turn to assuage my white guilt?
#9
I'm surprised the New York Times felt forced to actually run any story on the subject. This will give a few more people a reason not to vote for Candidate Obama.
#10
They're trying to innoculate Obama against the attack that Palin kicked off, hoping a little of the truth will create antibodies against the full impact.
Guwahati, Oct 5: Police recovered nine more bodies overnight in the violence torn Assam districts of Udalguri and Darrang, taking the toll in three days of clashes between two communities in the area to 16, officials said Sunday.
"The casualties as of now is 16 killed and about 50 wounded, some of them critically, besides about 20 villages have been affected. Around 200 houses were torched in the group clashes," a police official said.
The clashes took place despite an indefinite curfew in violence-hit areas and soldiers staging flag marches, besides the presence of police and paramilitary troopers.
"We have asked security forces to take all possible steps to stop the violence and help restore calm in the area," Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said.
"Shoot-at-sight orders have been issued against perpetrators of violence," he added.
Gogoi Saturday suspended the police chief of Udalguri and transferred the district magistrate for dereliction of duties. Violence broke out Friday between two communities in Rowta in Udalguri, about 100 km north of Guwahati. In the last two days, the violence had spread to the adjoining district of Darrang.
"The situation is tense with miscreants setting ablaze about 50 houses overnight," the police official said.
A large mob armed with bows and arrows, machetes, spears, besides country made guns, have been roaming the violence hit areas to target villages of rival communities.
Thousands of villagers have fled their homes and are taking shelter in makeshift relief camps set up by the police.
"There are an estimated 10,000 people of various ethnic communities sheltered in camps. These people had fled fearing attacks or belonged to villages where miscreants had torched their homes," the official said.
The immediate provocation for the clashes was the attack on a group of Village Defence Party (VDP) volunteers early Friday by armed miscreants.
"The VDP members belonged to the tribal Bodo community and were attacked by members of a religious minority group and that sparked off the clashes," the official said.
In August, the area witnessed similar clashes between two communities in which about 10 people were killed and several injured.
Posted by: john frum ||
10/05/2008 08:22 ||
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#1
There are reports of Pakistani flags flying over the Muslim majority villages.
Posted by: john frum ||
10/05/2008 8:30 Comments ||
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#2
John,
Assam is a long way from Pakistan. What do you attribute the locals flying Pakistani flags to - infiltration from Bangladesh?
IMO, Pakistan and Bangladesh are two nations that really, really don't deserve to exist, and India would be perfectly within its rights to exterminate them (not the people, just the countries).
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
10/05/2008 18:19 Comments ||
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#3
They are all Bangladeshi in origin.
The state Congress party has facilitated these illegals, issuing them ration cards and voter IDs, to secure their voting base. Their numbers are so large now however that they have begun to support Muslim parties, not the Indian National Congress. The UFLA which claims to be fighting for independence actually attacks Biharis and other Indian nationals and favors the Bangladeshis.
The local Assamese are now a minority in their own state.
Posted by: john frum ||
10/05/2008 20:01 Comments ||
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#4
Should I be getting my tea from some where else?
NEW DELHI: The situation in Assam has turned critical as communal clashes between the local tribals and Bangladeshi migrants continue in Udalguri and Darrang districts of the state. According to unconfirmed reports, over 25 people have been killed in clashes.
On Sunday the violence has spread to Rauta village in Udalguri district, about 80 kms east of Guwahati, where a large number of houses have been burnt down. The continuing violence which is spreading in these central districts has pushed the administration to extend the shoot at sight orders.
On Saturday the government had issued shoot at sight orders to paramilitary forces and the Army in order to curb the violence.
Since Friday, more than 200 houses were set ablaze in about six villages. Curfew was imposed in Darrang district last night after fresh incidents of arson and looting were reported. Army has been deployed in the area.
The governmnet has so far been tight-lipped on the number of casualties.
Shoot-at-sight orders were issued on Saturday in Assam's curfew-bound district of Udalguri, where seven people were killed and more than 50 injured in clashes between two communities even as a cluster of villages were set ablaze, officials said.
Violence broke out Friday between two communities in Rowta in Udalguri district, about 100 km north of Guwahati. "The situation is tense with the violence spreading to new areas in the district even as five more bodies were recovered, all of them shot at with poison-tipped arrows and hit with crude sharp implements," a police official said, requesting anonymity.
More than 50 people were wounded, some with bullets. "More than 200 houses were set ablaze in about six villages," the official said. Thousands of villagers have fled their homes and are now sheltering in makeshift relief camps set up the police.
Posted by: john frum ||
10/05/2008 07:36 ||
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Salmina Digal remembers her grandfather quoting an aborigine proverb to tell her that to Kondhs, their land, its forests, mountains and streams, was as precious as their mother. "From her we came and to her we will go," he would often tell her.
But all that has suddenly changed for the 45-year-old woman, forced by the rabid fury of those she can't fight, to give up everything her ancestors loved. The recent violence against Christians, most of them tribals like her, has forced at least 50,000 out of the only home they have ever known. Today, they are crowded into refugee camps both in Kandhmal and in cities such as Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.
Some have taken shelter in the camps but many others have not. They continue to hide out in the homes of friends and relatives. But wherever they are, the common thread running through their stories is fear of persecution. They recount tragic tales of separation -- mother from child, husband from wife, brother from sister, friend from friend. Salmina's son, Ajit has been missing since clashes broke out on August 24, after gunmen shot dead Swami Laksmananda Saraswati, a Hindu leader who had a large following in Kandhmal and beyond.
"I knew things would go wrong," Salmina said, pain, anger and helplessness etched on her face.
Talking in Kui, her tribal language, she said, "Even my daughter-in-law is missing. I hid in the forests but others in the family went back. They wanted to check if our house was fine. I am told they are not there in the camps at Kandhmal. Can someone find them for me? My husband died a few years ago and I am all alone. What will I do?"
At the Peyton Sahi Relief camp, where 35 families and 130 distraught tribals are cramped, waiting for every little news that trickles out of Kandhmal, Chabila Naik, a man who ran an orphanage for 60 children in Sarangada, said, "I am looking for a house in Puri to shift the little ones. They spent three days in the forest after our houses and churches were razed. I will never forget their frightened faces." Though the children are now safe and in a camp, Naik hasn't gathered the courage to meet them. "Who knows when I will be able to hold my children," he wept.
The stories are unending, each more heart-wrenching than the other. Naranjan Pradhan, a 33-year-old from Raikia is still looking for his brother. "On the morning of August 24, we heard on the radio that Swamiji had been killed. But before we could make plans of escape, we were caught, beaten, murdered and hounded out. Riots broke out in Raikia the next day. Soon, roads were blocked and vehicular movement cut off to trap us all inside. They burnt my house. My wife, two sons and two daughters are at one relief camp and I am at another. It's been so many days I haven't seen them. I especially miss my eight-year-old twins so much."
One family, which didn't want to be named, said they had to leave their old mother in the jungles as they walked through rain and darkness for 60 hours to get out of Kandhmal. "We had no choice," the son said, tears pouring. "I could either save my wife and two kids or stay with her and ask for death for all of us. But I am sure God has saved her, though I have no idea where she is." Then he suddenly takes Jesus' name in penitence.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/05/2008 00:00 ||
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Pressure on Saturday appeared to be mounting on the Centre for effective intervention in Orissa in the wake of continuing violence against Christians by Sangh Parivar outfits and the demand for imposition of President's rule.
Home Minister Shivraj Patil, who was asked by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at Friday's Cabinet meeting to come out with an apprisal of the situation, is understood to have sought a report from the Governor.
Mr. Patil spoke to Governor M.C. Bhandare to discuss the situation in the State, Home Ministry sources said.
The Centre was unhappy with the Naveen Patnaik government for the violence in the state against the Christian community and said despite half a dozen warnings, the Orissa government was not able to control the situation. The situation in Orissa acquired greater attention from the Centre after the embarrassment suffered by Dr. Singh when he met the leaders of the E.U. in France during the week when they raised the issue of attacks on Christians.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/05/2008 00:00 ||
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WASHINGTON The Pentagon has notified the US Congress of its offer to sell India CBU-105 Sensor Fuzed Weapons (SFW) worth $375 million to help the Indian Air Force to develop and enhance standardisation and operational ability with the United States.
This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to strengthen the US-India strategic relationship, the Pentagons Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) told the US Congress on September 30, a day before the Senate approved the India-US civil nuclear deal.
It will also help improve the security of an important partner, which continues to be an important force for political stability, peace and economic progress in South Asia, the agency said, assuring lawmakers the proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region. The proposed sale comes three weeks after US offered India a $170 million deal for the sale of two dozen Harpoon air to ground anti-ship missiles during Defence minister A.K. Antonys visit to Washington.
India intends to use the Sensor Fuzed Weapons to modernise its armed forces and enhance its defensive ability to counter ground-armoured threats. The missiles will assist the Indian Air Force to develop and enhance standardisation and operational ability with the United States. India will have no difficulty absorbing these missiles into its armed forces, the DSCA said.
Hear that, nation-to-the-west?
There will be no adverse impact on US defence readiness as a result of this proposed sale, it added. The SFW a 1,000-pound class weapon is designed to accurately detect and defeat a wide range of moving and stationary land and maritime target threats with minimal collateral damage, while not leaving a single hazardous dud. India, DSCA said, has requested a possible sale of 510 CBU-105 Sensor Fuzed Weapons, 19 CBU-105 Integration test assets (12 live tails, seven inert tails) and five CBU-97 Integration test assets as well as associated equipment and services.
The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $375 million. India, the agency said, has requested offsets for the deal, but at this time agreements are undetermined and will be defined in negotiations between India and the contractor. The prime contractor will be Textron Systems Corporation of Wilmington, Massachusetts. The SFW contains 10 BLU-108 submunitions, each with four smart Skeet warheads, for a total of 40 warheads. One SFW can simultaneously detect and engage many fixed and moving land combat targets within 121,400 sq mts. This wide-area capability enables the SFW to halt an invading force and attack air defence sites while significantly reducing the number of aircraft sorties, it says.
Designed for stand-off deployment from a wide selection of aircraft, SFWs versatility and superior lethality make it the weapon of choice for anti-armour, destruction of enemy air defence and many other combat missions. SFW can be deployed from US or North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) tactical aircraft in all weather conditions, day or night, and is presently certified on most US Air Force fighter and bomber aircraft.
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/05/2008 00:00 ||
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#2
I think the Himilayan they picked up a few months ago is still clawing the furniture and causing enough havoc for them. Couldn't happen to a more deserving group of commissars.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
10/05/2008 18:25 Comments ||
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develop and enhance standardisation and operational ability with the United States
The former Iranian president Seyyed Mohammad Khatami says he needs assurance of his executive powers before running for presidency. Khatami said Saturday 'reaching a compromise with the Iranian nation for their requests' and 'receiving assurance for the implementation of his plans' are his two preconditions for running for president in Iran's 10th presidential election scheduled for 2009.
With the country's presidential election nearing, the former Iranian president has recently become an outspoken critic of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's administration. Khatami has criticized the 'aggressive' policies of the current administration, arguing that such policies provide grounds for the enemy to justify its acts against the country. "Aggressive and blistering rhetoric plays into the hands of the enemy, harming the country and the system," Kargozaran newspaper quoted Khatami as saying in September.
While there has been widespread speculation that Khatami may run for office in 2009, the former Iranian president has yet to announce his final decision on the issue.
In a new move, Khatami questioned the executive powers of presidents in Iran, saying that the current circumstances prevent the president from implementing his decisions. "If there is no possibility of executing new policies and various obstacles are put in the way [of the president], introducing even the best of plans would only mean deceiving the nation," said Khatami.
The former Iranian president said he was not concerned about the outcome of next year's election but added that he does not seek power at any cost.
Earlier in September, Khatami whose presidency extended from 1997 to 2005 and ran on the reformist platform called on his camp to prepare for a strong reappearance in the country's political arena.
Iran's 10th presidential election is scheduled to take place on June 12, 2009.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/05/2008 00:00 ||
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A new national newspaper, the "Khorshid" or "Sun", hit the newsstands on Saturday, published by an aide to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Like its mass-circulation British namesake, the full color daily will cover all topics from political issues to sports and soap operas.
No 'Page 3' girl?
The centerfold of Khorshid is a picture illustrating a current news story.
Umm, that's not a 'centerfold' ...
Initial circulation is targeted at 200,000, which publisher Mohammad Paryab hopes to build up later. Khorshid, whose launch has been expected for a few months, has gone on sale only eight months before the country's next presidential elections, prompting speculation it might serve as a campaign tool for the re-election of Ahmadinejad. "If we wanted to do that, we would have allocated 10 to 12 pages of the 24-page newspaper for political news," said Paryab, who used to be deputy government spokesman and secretary of the presidency information council.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/05/2008 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.
Supporters of reformist and pro-Khaleda faction of BNP engaged in a clash Friday at Gauranadi in Barisal that left at least 35 people including a policeman and a journalist injured. 
President Evo Morales said Saturday that Bolivia does not need U.S. help to control its coca crop, stepping up his anti-Washington rhetoric days after rejecting an American request to fly an anti-drug plane over the South American nation's territory. 
Out and About- December 18, 1998 
A new national newspaper, the "Khorshid" or "Sun", hit the newsstands on Saturday, published by an aide to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Like its mass-circulation British namesake, the full color daily will cover all topics from political issues to sports and soap operas.
