A few simple reminders as we get towards the new year:
Appropriate pics only in comments and posts. Please do not post 'NSFW' images to the Burg. Some of us read the Burg quietly at work, or in mixed company, or at libraries, etc. This has been a problem lately. Don't do it.
Provide a source for your post. If you don't your post will be deleted. None of the moderators have enough time to look for the source of your post. I have been enforcing this lately.
Don't promote your own blog here. Rantburg is a news aggregation service as well as a blog. Sources for posts should be from the news, not your blog. Always provide a link to the news, and put it in the source box.
We focus on the WoT and matters related to the WoT. That includes general thuggery around the world, such as Zim-bob-we, and the politics surrounding the WoT. The farther away it is from that, the less likely people here want to read it here on Rantburg. We assume y'all read other weblogs for the other news. Now that the election is over, particularly, we'll be focusing on the WoT, including the efforts (or lack thereof) of the new US administration in that regard. Political scandals that impact national governments important to the WoT are always welcome.
Your opinion is welcome. Opinion is also for your own original articles, for everyone, but especially for Rantburg regulars. If you have an opinion, post it there. And don't forget your byline.
No ellipses and no 'snips'. Readers assume you're editing the post to just the good stuff (see above). Therefore you don't need ellipses or [SNIP]'s to tell us that you edited the post. Since you gave us the source URL (right?) a reader can always go to the original.
Your comments are in hilite (yellow) text. Use the 'HILITE' button. Start your comments on a separate line. If you do it will look like this. This is the ONLY acceptable format for your comments.
Don't put a leading line space before or after, as illustrated. And don't bury it like this. Do not use italics instead of hilite. Do not insert FONT commands: Fred has already settled the proper font and size for your snark. And do NOT put your comments into blockquotes.
Strikout text can be placed in-line in the text. Some here complain when we use too much of it. Unless you've got a sure-fire 'mad-libs' winner, use strikeout text sparingly.
And as always, thanks for all your support. You make Rantburg a special place.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/18/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[5 views]
Top|| File under:
#4
Is there a handy list somewhere of the "Roadside America" killfilter words, so that we can avoid using them? I know a few I've stumbled across, and have to ponder my post for a while trying to figure out where to replace a vowel with an asterisk.
#5
Fred doesn't publicize that, Anonymous ... it would just make spammers' jobs easier. If it's any consolation, I end up admiring weird roadside attractions from time to time too.
#7
If it's any consolation, I end up admiring weird roadside attractions from time to time too.
I always enjoy my trip. Several times I've failed to return. Do check out President's Hall in Central Florida under the failed and fading attractions. Look for Citrus Tower.
December 18, 2008: A lot of the fighting in Afghanistan isn't about religion or "expelling the foreigners." No, it's usually about money, power and tribal politics. The current Afghan government is having the same problems "running the country" that the Taliban did. These were the same problems the loose coalition that defeated the communist government in the early 1990s had. These were the same problems that the monarchy had for over a century, even though the kings were usually well aware of what they were dealing with (a loose coalition of tribes and ethnic groups that don't really get along, but really can't afford to be at war for a long time.) Afghanistan has always been a poor country. Banditry can be sustained indefinitely, especially now that the foreign troops and NGOs are here, with all manner of things to steal. Afghans don't consider it theft if you take something you need (or, let's face it, just want) from someone outside your tribe. That's just taking care of your own. And therein lies the problem. There is no Afghanistan, just a patchwork of tribes and tribal alliances. Within the larger tribes there are often nasty rivalries between large clans. Then there are the newly rich drug gangs, which are tribe based, and have changed the power relationships among some of the tribes.
The "Taliban" (religiously conservative, and violent, factions) are on a mission from God to impose strict lifestyle rules, and turn the country into a religious dictatorship. The Taliban were unable to do that by the end of 2001, and are less likely to do it in the future. But fueled by a share of the drug profits and the proceeds of other criminal enterprises (especially extortion and kidnapping) they can still entice poor, but adventurous, country boys to come along and raise some hell. And usually get killed by smart bombs the star struck kids cannot comprehend. Meanwhile, more and more of the tribes are getting a clue and making peace with the central government. While the national rulers tend to be thieves, they are also willing to share the loot. That's another ancient Afghan custom, and U.S. and NATO commanders are willing to play along in order to prevent the country from slipping back into anarchy (real anarchy, not the Taliban terrorism that passes for it these days) and once more becomes a terrorist haven. The foreign generals believe it will take another year or two of smart bomb magic to kill enough thrill seeking tribesmen, to get all the tribes on board. The math is simple; the foreign troops can kill Afghans much better than the other way around. Even the most pro-Taliban tribes eventually come to realize that, and live with it. The country will not be peaceful at that point. There will still be the drug gangs and bandits (groups of armed tribesmen out of steal or settle some feud). But that's been going on for thousands of years, and won't change until the national police get themselves pulled together. That will take another generation or two. For most Afghans, "police" is an alien concept, and the corruption of most of the cops in service has been really bad public relations.
U.S. and NATO commanders are fed up with the "protection" scam being run them on the supply route from Peshawar, in the Pakistani tribal territories, to Kabul. The road runs through the 50 kilometer long Khyber pass, and that is but one part of a 500 kilometers trip over generally bad roads. The tribes that live along the road expect to be paid, as do the criminal gangs near the dozen truck staging areas (where shipping container are loaded). Some 50,000 of those containers a year carry U.S. and NATO military supplies. That's about half the traffic, which has increased greatly since the Taliban were tossed out of power in late 2001. Getting each container from the Pakistani port of Karachi to Kabul costs several thousands of dollars in fees, bribes and wages to Pakistanis, Afghans and assorted greedy officials and tribesmen along the way. Some tribal leaders say they are only interested in keeping the trucks from bringing alcohol and pornography into Afghanistan, but the bottom line is how much cash gets into the pockets of some of the gunmen living along the route.
The Taliban continue to get slaughtered whenever they mass, and get spotted by foreign troops. It's the damn smart bombs, and the UAVs that always seem to show up at the wrong time for the tribal gunmen. In response, the Taliban have tried to use more suicide and roadside bombs. There were 264 of these encountered in October, and 315 in November. Most of these bombs are poorly constructed and deployed. They are spotted, or don't go off. It takes 40-50 roadside bombs to kill one foreign soldier. A dozen or more local civilians are killed instead, which makes the Taliban roadside bombing program very unpopular. Civilians often tip off police when they see bombs being planted. Recruiting suicide bombers is difficult. One recent suicide bomber was a thirteen year old boy, whose explosives killed himself and three British troops.
US troops and Afghan police raided a compound housing people with Al Qaeda links in eastern Afghanistan, killing three militants, the US military said on Wednesday. People who were in the compound said the dead were civilians and that none of them had fired on the troops, according to Jahangir Pashtun, a spokesman for the governor's office of Khost province. Witnesses told Pashtun the US troops opened fire on the compound. US military spokesman Col Gregory Julian said the three people killed, one of them a woman, had been specifically targeted as 'known individuals with Al Qaeda links'. He said two of them fired directly on the troops and another attempted to fire. "These were known insurgents and they had weapons and they attempted to engage us and we beat them to it," Julian said, adding others were detained, including one person "believed to be in direct contact with Al Qaeda leaders outside of Afghanistan". The aim of the raid had been to capture the targeted people, Julian said. The incident occurred in Khost city, the province capital. At least one other woman was wounded and taken to a coalition medical facility.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/18/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[5 views]
Top|| File under: Taliban
The US government said Wednesday that it believes a new UN Security Council resolution on Somalia authorizes air strikes against pirates in Somali territory.
The resolution "authorizes states cooperating with the Somali Transitional Federal Government to extend counter-piracy efforts to include potential operations in Somali territorial land and air space, to suppress acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea," the State Department said in a statement.
The 15-member Security Council unanimously approved Tuesday a new resolution authorizing for one year international military operations on Somali territory in agreement with the transitional government.
However, contrary to an earlier draft, the final version of resolution 1851 does not explicitly say Somali air space can be used. "The resolution urges countries to establish an international cooperation mechanism as a common point of contact for counter-piracy activities near Somalia," the State Department said in response to a reporter's question to clarify the situation.
It also urges countries to pursue "efforts to enhance the judicial capacity of regional states to combat piracy, including the judicial capacity to prosecute pirates," according to the statement. "We believe this resolution marks an important step forward in the international community's efforts to suppress and prevent acts of piracy off the coast of Somalia," it said.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/18/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[5 views]
Top|| File under: Pirates
#1
One step closer to the Dreaded ARCLIGHT, right?
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (QIM) vigour is constantly dropping amid counterterrorism efforts of Algerian Government, US State Department Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Ambassador at Large Dell L. Dailey, told Al Hayat newspaper, yesterday.
Dell L. Dailey further mentioned that bilateral differences between Morocco and Algeria have never affected counterterrorism cooperation between the US and these two countries. He said: "our bilateral relations with Algeria and Morocco in the field of counterterrorism remain at a very high level." He further added: "Algerians are so cooperative."
On another side, General Dailey said he considers al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (QIM) as "bankrupt organization." He further mentioned that the Jihad stand is no more able to raise enough money to its different branches worldwide, saying: "QIM's vigour is constantly dropping amid pressures of Algerian Government, while it finds significant difficulties when it comes to transfer funds." Looks like it's time for a bailout. Mahmoud! Call...somebody! "Mr. Paulsen, Mr. Hank Paulsen to the white courtesy phone please ..."
However, General Dailey has assumed that members of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb are persuaded that their organization has been captured by men of Osama Bin Laden to satisfy goals of Al-Qaeda (mother organization), rather than goals already set by the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat, GSPC.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/18/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in North Africa
#1
"Time for a bailout" > Aaaaawww, I wanted to say it!
Turkey detained 15 suspected al Qaeda members in an operation on Wednesday in Turkey's largest city of Istanbul, the state-run news agency Anatolian said. More suspects could be taken into custody, Anatolian reported, quoting unnamed officials.
On Wednesday a Turkish prosecutor charged two suspected al Qaeda members over an attack on the U.S. consulate in Istanbul in July that killed three police officers, Anatolian reported.
Islamist militants have carried out bomb attacks in Turkey in the past. In 2003, al Qaeda militants killed more than 60 people in a series of bombings in Istanbul.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/18/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in Europe
The Bush administration moved Wednesday to clamp down financially on a New York City business suspected of acting as a front company for Iran's Bank Melli, which has been accused of providing support to Iran's nuclear program. "This scheme to use a front company set up by Bank Melli - a known proliferator - to funnel money from the United States to Iran is yet another example of Iran's duplicity," said Stuart Levey, the Treasury Department's under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.
The Treasury Department covers action ASSA Corp. of New York City as well as its parent, ASSA Co. Ltd., located in the Channel Islands. Any assets belonging to the companies found in the United States are frozen and Americans are prohibited from doing business with them.
The U.S. government alleged that ASSA Corp. was created by Bank Melli to hold its interest in a building located at 650 Fifth Ave. in New York. The building's construction had been partly financed by a Bank Melli loan, Treasury said. ASSA Corp. co-owns the building through a partnership formed with the Alavi Foundation of New York, called 650 Fifth Avenue Co., the government said.
The United States alleged that ASSA Corp. "has repeatedly transferred rental income generated from the 650 Fifth Avenue partnership back to Bank Melli through ASSA Co. Ltd." The government alleged that ASSA Corp. has shared financial and other information on a regular basis with Bank Melli. The department said its action does not interfere with the business or other activities of the building's tenants.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/18/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[2 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
650 Fifth Avenue is a fairly swanky address isn't it? That's going to sting.
1979 Auchi founds General Mediterranean Holding, procuring arms for Saddams regime
1980s Auchi begins bankrolling Rezko real estate deals in Illinois
1991 Barack Obama interviews with Rezko for a position at his low-income housing development business, Rezmar
1993-1996 Obama takes on Rezko as a client at his Chicago law firm, representing various Rezmar housing projects
1995 Rezko starts to bankroll Obama's political career, in the end raisinga total of more than $250,000 for his various campaigns
October 2002 Obama gives speech opposing war with Iraq
June 2003 Rezko holds lavish fundraiser for Obama at his Illinois mansion, providing key seed money to launch his U.S. Senate campaign
April 2004 Auchi meets with Rezko, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and State Senate President Emil Jones Jr., Obama's career mentor, at the Four Seasons hotel in Chicago.
Newly elected U.S. Sen. Obama also attends event
2005 U.S. bars Auchi from entry, after Pentagon accuses him of Iraqi fraud
2005 Rezko lobbies Illinois and U.S. officials for Auchi to be allowed back into the U.S.
May 23, 2005 Auchi wire-transfers $3.5 million to Rezko
June 15, 2005 Obama partners with Rezko in purchasing adjacent properties on South Greenwood Avenue in Chicago's leafy Kenwood district
January 2006 Rezko sells Obama adjoining 10-foot strip of land
June 2008 Rezko convicted of taking kickbacks from companies wanting to do business with the state of Illinois
NOW I MUST GO BATHE... THE FILTH SEEMS TO RUB OFF THE WORDS.
#3
Hey!
One of those guys you are talking about is BLACK!
You MUST be a goose-stepping racist if one of them is black. Don't you know that makes you impervious to criticism?
#4
Great job on summary Besoeker. Too bad McPain and his minions couldn't have done as much. Then get the little dandy to make it one of the main issues of the campaign.
#7
Excerpted from an American Thinker article:
The sudden emergence of Auchi into this story indicates Rezko's deals may include a money trail leading back to dead Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Auchi's Saddam links trace back to a failed 1959 assassination attempt on the life of then-Iraqi-prime-minister Abdul Karim Qasim.
Auchi's General Mediterranean Holdings company was also the largest private shareholder in Banque Nationale de Paris which later merged with Paribas to become BNP Paribas. At Saddam's insistence, billions of dollars of Oil for Food transactions passed through BNP from its 1995 inception until 2001.
In January 2004, Iraqi newspaper Al-Mada published a list of 270 Oil for Food beneficiaries. The list was translated and published on line by The Middle East Media Research Institute. Hundreds of millions of dollars of Oil for Food money was illegally diverted to buy Saddam favor from the United Nations, possibly reaching as high as Secretary general Kofi Annan's son. Also receiving million's from Saddam's slush fund were heads of state and their associates from Russia, France, China, and numerous Islamic countries.
The Auchi-Obama links go beyond the mansion deal. The Times of London February 1 reports uncovering, "state documents in Illinois recording that Fintrade Services, a Panamanian company, lent money to (an) Obama fundraiser in May 2005. Fintrade's directors include Ibtisam Auchi, the name of Mr. Auchi's wife."
Auchi, a Chaldean Christian, was later pardoned by Qasim. As Saddam's Baath party took power, Auchi prospered. He went to work for the Iraqi Ministry of Oil in 1967. He rose to be Oil Ministry Director of Planning and Development before leaving Iraq in 1979. His brother was apparently killed by Saddam's regime as were family of many high-ranking Baathists. But there are also claims that Auchi continued secretly working for Saddam's intelligence services, a kind of dual reality not uncommon in the twisted world of Saddam's upper echelons.
What is certain is that Auchi prospered mightily collecting "commissions" on sale of weapons and other goods to Iraq in the 1980s and 1990s. Living in the UK, he is now listed as Britain's 18th-richest man. The Times of London reports, "On the 20th anniversary of his business in 1999, Mr. Auchi received a greeting card signed by 130 politicians, including (Prime Minister) Tony Blair, (Conservative Party leader) William Hague and (Liberal-Democratic Party leader) Charles Kennedy...."
In spite of his British connections and an earlier 2004 US visit, Auchi was denied entry into the US in 2005. It is believed that he was attempting in 2005 to win a US visa with the help of Rezko several as-yet-unnamed Illinois political figures. Among Auchi's many international awards is a 2005 election as an "Honorary Member in the International College of Surgeons in Chicago, Illinois." Obama has denied trying to help Auchi.
Auchi has played a role in BNP since the late 1970s. When BNP was privatized by the French government in 1993, Auchi acquired stock in the banking giant through his Luxembourg-based company, General Mediterranean Holdings. Auchi played a key role in BNP's 2000 merger with Paribas. According to the New York Times, "As recently as 2001, General Mediterranean Holdings described itself in an annual report as one of largest single shareholders in BNP Paribas." Saddam used Oil for Food fraud to channel millions of dollars to heads of state, activists, terrorists, and journalists--many of whom returned the favor by backing Saddam in 2003 when the US finally invaded.
In 2003 Auchi was convicted in France for receiving about $100 million in illegal commissions as part of a scandal involving the French oil giant Elf Aquitane. The UK Guardian wrote:
"(Elf was) the biggest fraud inquiry in Europe since the Second World War. Elf became a private bank for its executives who spent £200 million on political favours, mistresses, jewellery, fine art, villas and apartments."
Auchi's General Mediterranean Holdings also has connections to the new Iraq-connections which lead right back to Tony Rezko. Auchi's company helped finance a 250 megawatt power plant in the Kurdish town of Chamchamal, Iraq, teaming up with Rezko and Iraq's former Minister of Electricity, Aiham Alsamarrae. Alsamarrae, a Chicago resident with dual US-Iraqi citizenship is accused of graft involving Iraq reconstruction projects-an embarrassing connection for the war critic Obama.
The Taliban shot dead a man in South Waziristan Agency, accusing him of spying for the United States, an official said on Wednesday. The man was identified as Ismail Khan after his bullet-riddled body was found dumped in the middle of a road near Wana, a security official told AFP. "A note found on his body said all those spying for the US will suffer the same fate," the official said, adding the man appeared to be an Afghan national. Locals said masked men had abducted Khan a few days ago from Wana, NNI reported.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/18/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[8 views]
Top|| File under: TTP
#1
Another cab driver?
Is this some sort of cover story for eliminating competing cabbies?
Security forces targeted Taliban hideouts in various areas of Bajaur Agency on Wednesday but there were no reports of casualties. The troops fired mortars and artillery shells at Taliban hideouts in Bai Cheena, Kosar and Tandar Gate areas of the agency, officials said. Meanwhile, Taliban spokesman Maulvi Omar said rival cleric Pir Samiullah and his followers were killed for opposing the Taliban in Swat. He said the remaining 18 followers of Samiullah taken hostage by the Taliban would be executed soon. He told reporters over telephone that the tribal militias formed against the Taliban had failed. Meanwhile, at least two men were killed in a powerful explosion in a cave in Parang Tehsil of Mohmand Agency, official sources told APP. Seven men were in the cave in Dambar area for hunting when explosive materials dumped inside it detonated. Awal Sayed and Mosa Khan were killed in the explosion.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/18/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[8 views]
Top|| File under: TTP
Indian troops killed four militants in Indian-held Kashmir (IHK) on Wednesday and clashed with protesters, as the valley held the latest leg of multi-stage elections.
Troops also defused a bomb in Anantnag district minutes before voting centres opened on Wednesday morning for the day-long polls, a police official said. "It was planted by militants on the edge of a road," an officer said. In the neighbouring district of Shopian, security forces shot dead two top commanders of Hizbul Mujahedin.
One of the slain, Rais Ahmed, had escaped from police custody last month while being escorted to a court. In northern Baramulla district, police said, troops shot dead two more separatists during a gunbattle on Wednesday afternoon.
Later in Anantnag, police wielding batons dispersed scores of anti-election protesters. Despite the clashes, voters turned out in large numbers. Wednesday's voting was the sixth and penultimate stage of the always tense election process in IHK.
Separatist politicians and militants had called for a boycott of the polls, arguing that elections strengthen New Delhi's hold over IHK. The first five rounds of voting saw turnout of more than 50 percent. "Over 60 percent eligible voters took part in today's (Wednesday's) polling," senior government official Masood Samoun told reporters in Srinagar.
A strict security clampdown was imposed in Srinagar to prevent protests by anti-election separatists, who want to secede the region from India and join it with Pakistan or make it independent. The polls are staggered to allow time for troops to be moved around and provide adequate security. Srinagar votes in the final stage on December 24.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/18/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[8 views]
Top|| File under: Hizbul Mujaheddin
Jerusalem Maan Assassinating Hamas leaders is one option being explored as Israeli troops prepare for the end of the ceasefire, according to a Thursday report in the Israeli daily paper Maariv.
The paper quoted military sources as saying Arab countries advised Israel to assassinate major Hamas leaders if they reject the truce. The story appeared on page two of the Hebrew paper and claims un-named Arab states have given Israel the green-light to use extra-judicial means to ensure the disappearance of Hamas leaders in case the party refuses to extend the truce. Fed up with their "Palestinian brothers" are they?
The article, by Israeli journalists Ben Kesbit and Amir Raybot, claimed that Arab heads of state sent secret letters to the Israeli government. They hinted that the assassination planning was a major factor regarding why no major military action has been undertaken so far.
Those listed as candidates for assassination are: Making a list
Checking it twice...
De facto Prime Minister in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh
De facto Minister of the Interior Said Siyam
De facto Minister of Foreign Affairs Mahmoud Az-Zahhar
Head of the military wing of Hamas in the Gaza Strip (The Al-Qassam Brigades) Ahmad Aj-Jabary
Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council and leader of the Popular Committee against the Siege in Gaza Dr Jamal Al-Khudari
Secondary leaders in the Al-Qassam Brigades Ibrahim Ghandur and Muhammad Deif, who have both survived several assassination attempts, were also on the list. Looks like Mashaal can continue to disco the night away in Damascus...
The Egyptian-brokered ceasefire is set to end on Friday.
GAZA CITY - Israeli warplanes conducted two nighttime air strikes against the Gaza Strip following rocket fire against Israel, witnesses said Thursday.
The raids, which targeted metal workshops in the towns of Jabaliya and Khan Yunis in the north and south caused extensive material damage but no injuries, witnesses and medical sources said. The Israeli military confirmed the air strikes and said the workshops were used to manufacture rockets.
There has been upsurge in rocket attacks and Israeli reprisal air strikes ahead of the expiration Friday of a six-month ceasefire.
A Palestinian man was killed during an Israeli air raid on Gaza on Wednesday, a day in which 19 rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel according to the Israeli military.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/18/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[2 views]
Top|| File under: Hamas
#2
I would like to know why is not some type of anti-missile system covering Gaza. I read (probably here) that they have a fancy new radar but I have heard nothing about what anti-missile hardware might be in the pipe. Is Israel keeping a new system under wraps? Or are they suffering from the Not Invented Here Syndrome?
#4
The world has changed somewhat recently but the darn sickening old media is still trying to redirect unworthy focus on such endless Baalestinian barfs.
Palestinian militant factions in the Gaza Strip said Wednesday they were unlikely to extend an Egyptian- brokered six-month truce with Israel that expires on Friday.
Both Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the current, outgoing Israeli government meanwhile welcomed UN Security Council resolution 1850, adopted Monday in New York, which called the Israeli- Palestinian negotiations relaunched in Annapolis, Maryland one year ago 'irreversible.'
They called the Titanic 'unsinkable' ...
The resolution also called for negotiations on all of the core issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict 'without exception' and, initiated by the US and Russia, was a bid by the Annapolis process' key sponsors to safeguard progress made thus far, ahead of Israeli elections on February 10.
Abbas meanwhile urged all factions in Gaza to keep the truce with Israel, while Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak said earlier that his country would not shrink from launching a military offensive in Gaza if necessary, but was also not 'running toward' one.
'Calm in Gaza will be met with calm,' he reiterated to a conference in northern Israel late Tuesday.
Palestinian fighters in the strip fired 15 self-made rockets into southern Israel on Wednesday, in addition to one mortar shell, a military spokeswoman in Tel Aviv said, adding they brought the total number launched since Tuesday to 25. One of the missiles landed in the centre of the town Sderot, two kilometres from the Strip, injuring two people. Several others were treated for shock, and several vehicles were damaged.
Abu Obaida, a spokesman for the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the radical Islamic Hamas movement ruling Gaza, said his movement was not 'rushing' toward extending the truce. The al-Qassam Brigades 'regards the calm (truce), in its current form, as unsuitable for extension,' he told reporters in Gaza.
Both Israel and Hamas have been using the Hebrew and Arabic terms for 'calm' to describe the truce, underscoring that it is an informal and indirect agreement between two parties which do not recognize each other.
Other armed factions active in Gaza also voiced negative assessments about the truce. Naffez Azzam, of the Islamic Jihad, said it had 'served the Israeli occupation rather than the Palestinian people' and criticized the undetermined stance of his faction.
The Islamic Jihad claimed credit for firing most of Wednesday's rockets, saying they were revenge for the killing of one of their militants during an Israeli arrest raid in the West Bank city of Jenin earlier this week. The Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) too claimed responsibility for some of the rockets.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) said 'Friday will be the final end to the calm, which already collapsed in the middle because of Israel which increased its attacks and tightened its siege on the Palestinian people,' a Gaza leader, Kayed al-Ghoul said.
The truce, which had largely held for five months, began disintegrating in early November, when five Hamas militants were killed in a heavy clash near the Gaza border with Israeli soldiers, who had uncovered a tunnel dug by militants and who Israel had said had planned to infiltrate into its territory.
Although sporadic, one-off rockets also landed in Israel before that November 4 clash, militants have stepped up their rocket fire since then. Israel has responded by renewing its near-total blockade of the strip, shutting its border crossings to all but periodic shipments of basic humanitarian aid.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/18/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: Hamas
Officials say a Philippine court has convicted four Abu Sayyaf militants for killing two people during a 2001 attack on a southern resort.
The militants planned to kidnap Western tourists at the Pearl Farms resort on Samal Island in Davao del Norte province in May 2001 but their speed boats ran aground at low tide -- a blunder noticed by guards, who opened fire at the attackers, prosecutor Aristotle Reyes said.
A guard and another resort worker were killed in a shootout before the militants backed off, he said.
Abu Sayyaf militants Halik Abdani, Javier Sirri and Yusop Saddai were convicted of murder and sentenced by the Pasig regional trial court last Monday to a prison term of up to 40 years, according to a copy of the decision seen by The Associated Press.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/18/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: Abu Sayyaf
A Georgia judge ordered a Muslim woman arrested Tuesday for contempt of court for refusing to take off her head scarf at a security checkpoint. A judge ordered Lisa Valentine, 40, to serve 10 days in jail, said police in Douglasville, a city of about 20,000 people on Atlanta's west suburban outskirts. Valentine violated a court policy that prohibits people from wearing any headgear in court, police spokesman Chris Womack said.
The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations urged federal authorities to investigate the incident as well as others in Georgia. The group cited a report that the same judge barred a local woman and her 14-year-old daughter from the courtroom last week because they were wearing Muslim head scarves.
"I just felt stripped of my civil, my human rights," Valentine told The Associated Press Wednesday from her home, after she said she was unexpectedly released once CAIR requested the federal investigation. Municipal Court Judge Keith Rollins said that "it would not be appropriate" for him to comment on the Valentine case. He declined further comment.
Anyone smell 'set-up'?
Posted by: Fred ||
12/18/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[2 views]
Top|| File under: Global Jihad
#1
"I just felt stripped of my civil, my human rights,"
Just you wait for the body cavity search, dearie.
Posted by: ed ||
12/18/2008 1:14 Comments ||
Top||
#2
The fine edge of the subversive jihad chisel shall not be allowed.
#11
Likely they need to update their rules. The old rule was any headgear, but this typically ran afoul of Jewish kippah (or yarmulke). The new rule allows headscarves for religious reasons, after a search by a female for contraband or weapons.
If you are jailed, however, they can strip you naked if they want, citing security or "suicide watch".
#13
Howdy losers and rejects!
How does it feel to be a (fascist) minority in your own country...heh...heh?
What kind of logic do you expect from a bible thumping judge living in the bible belt?
You can't wear any headgear in court-even a thin piece of cloth? What kind of a device can one hide under a head scarf less than .25 millimeters thick?
So how about gloves? Mittens? Socks? How about slacks? Full-sleeve shirts? A three piece suit?
How about having pockets on clothing? Hey...and neck ties, bow ties...
Neck ties...what practical use do they have? They could be dangerous too.
I say to the respectable lady-sue the state of Georgia for $500 million. If they don't give you the money-publicize your case. We'll boycot the U.S.A...like we did Denmark, if we have to.
And just wait 'till we get the Caliphate. They won't dare squeak at a Muslim!
Anyway, most good Americans (unlike the Rantburger, Mcain lovin', facsist, red-neck trash) will be supporting you.
Publicize your case...and let these Rantburger type losers become even more insignificant than they already are!
#16
Damn, I could only wish/dream that all muslims boycott our country, in fact, you should all take it a step further and repatriate yourselves to the paradises you came from in the M.E. - that would be awesome. You're all exactly right, the U.S. sucks so bad and is so fascist that you should all immediately return to whatever desert oasis you came from. I, for one, would donate a $100.00 per muzzy to help you w/your airfare.
#18
Sure, Justice. I want you to keep worrying about piddely ass shit like this, and cartoons, and teddy bears named Mo, and whatever new insignificant little thing the average person would dismiss as an inconveinence but which sends a garden variety quack Muslims like yourself into a disfunctional, impotent rage.
I happen to think it's our best weapon. So keep doing our job for us.
#19
Da Judge did exactly the correct thing. When CAIR intervened she was cut loose. This is really bothersome. Did some mucky-muck in DC place a call to Georgia ? Smells like ratshit to me.
#20
So she gets 10 days in jail for muttering an expletive after being turned away at a checkpoint? That's an extreme overreaction. It should be struck down on appeal, and overall the effect will be a win on the multiculti side.
#22
believe me judges in these small towns in GA you don't mess with. We had one here retire this year and i remember when he first started he was going too hand out a million years of jail time. He tried his damndest too follow his words
#24
JUSTICE, I tried to warn you that the mods were gonna pooplist you. You can't just come around here and drop your turds and expect us to swallow it without giving some facts to back it up. Then you might want to answer a question or two from the rest of us in a civil, well reasoned manner.
Posted by: Abu Uluque6305 ||
12/18/2008 16:16 Comments ||
Top||
#25
They are testing our defenses, systematically. They learn.
#27
Yes, they're trying for an inch or two, then with the help of useful idiots like (tiny crucifix phobic) ACLU, demand a yard, to be followed by a mile soon after.
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.
A few simple reminders as we get towards the new year:
US troops and Afghan police raided a compound housing people with Al Qaeda links in eastern Afghanistan, killing three militants, the US military said on Wednesday. People who were in the compound said the dead were civilians and that none of them had fired on the troops, according to Jahangir Pashtun, a spokesman for the governor's office of Khost province. Witnesses told Pashtun the US troops opened fire on the compound. US military spokesman Col Gregory Julian said the three people killed, one of them a woman, had been specifically targeted as 'known individuals with Al Qaeda links'. He said two of them fired directly on the troops and another attempted to fire. "These were known insurgents and they had weapons and they attempted to engage us and we beat them to it," Julian said, adding others were detained, including one person "believed to be in direct contact with Al Qaeda leaders outside of Afghanistan". The aim of the raid had been to capture the targeted people, Julian said. The incident occurred in Khost city, the province capital. At least one other woman was wounded and taken to a coalition medical facility.
The US government said Wednesday that it believes a new UN Security Council resolution on Somalia authorizes air strikes against pirates in Somali territory.
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (QIM) vigour is constantly dropping amid counterterrorism efforts of Algerian Government, US State Department Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Ambassador at Large Dell L. Dailey, told Al Hayat newspaper, yesterday. 
Turkey detained 15 suspected al Qaeda members in an operation on Wednesday in Turkey's largest city of Istanbul, the state-run news agency Anatolian said. More suspects could be taken into custody, Anatolian reported, quoting unnamed officials.
The Bush administration moved Wednesday to clamp down financially on a New York City business suspected of acting as a front company for Iran's Bank Melli, which has been accused of providing support to Iran's nuclear program. "This scheme to use a front company set up by Bank Melli - a known proliferator - to funnel money from the United States to Iran is yet another example of Iran's duplicity," said Stuart Levey, the Treasury Department's under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence. 
The Taliban shot dead a man in South Waziristan Agency, accusing him of spying for the United States, an official said on Wednesday. The man was identified as Ismail Khan after his bullet-riddled body was found dumped in the middle of a road near Wana, a security official told AFP. "A note found on his body said all those spying for the US will suffer the same fate," the official said, adding the man appeared to be an Afghan national. Locals said masked men had abducted Khan a few days ago from Wana, NNI reported.
Security forces targeted Taliban hideouts in various areas of Bajaur Agency on Wednesday but there were no reports of casualties. The troops fired mortars and artillery shells at Taliban hideouts in Bai Cheena, Kosar and Tandar Gate areas of the agency, officials said. Meanwhile, Taliban spokesman Maulvi Omar said rival cleric Pir Samiullah and his followers were killed for opposing the Taliban in Swat. He said the remaining 18 followers of Samiullah taken hostage by the Taliban would be executed soon. He told reporters over telephone that the tribal militias formed against the Taliban had failed. Meanwhile, at least two men were killed in a powerful explosion in a cave in Parang Tehsil of Mohmand Agency, official sources told APP. Seven men were in the cave in Dambar area for hunting when explosive materials dumped inside it detonated. Awal Sayed and Mosa Khan were killed in the explosion.
Indian troops killed four militants in Indian-held Kashmir (IHK) on Wednesday and clashed with protesters, as the valley held the latest leg of multi-stage elections.
GAZA CITY - Israeli warplanes conducted two nighttime air strikes against the Gaza Strip following rocket fire against Israel, witnesses said Thursday.
Palestinian militant factions in the Gaza Strip said Wednesday they were unlikely to extend an Egyptian- brokered six-month truce with Israel that expires on Friday. 
Officials say a Philippine court has convicted four Abu Sayyaf militants for killing two people during a 2001 attack on a southern resort.
