Paula Lloyd, Human Terrain Team member and Social Scientist, passed away on 7 January at approximately 1400 at Brooke Army Medical Center, as a result of the burns she received in Kandahar, AF, this past November. She received second and third burns over 60% of her body when an Afghan man threw flammable liquid on her and set her on fire. The Afghan was killed, alledgedley by her team mate..
Paula's undergraduate degree was from Wellesley College and she earned a graduate degree from Georgetown University.
She was also a Staff Sergeant in the US Army Reserve.
#3
Really? I thought "fatal" was as bad as it gets.
Rather than chide you for misplaced snark, I will simply note that the article is dated 6-Nov-2008 and the obit is from 9-Jan-2009. The intervening days could not have been pleasant.
The Human Terrain project embeds anthropologists with military teams to provide knowlege of local cultures. It is strongly opposed by academia on the grounds that anything to do with the US military is evil.
#4
Is this the women whose teammate shot and killed her attacker on the spot and is currently up on charges for it?
WHAT< thats fucking outrageous
Posted by: sick of it ||
01/09/2009 13:21 Comments ||
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#5
It's a little more complicated than that...
ARLINGTON, Va. — An Army Human Terrain Team member has been charged with murder in connection with the killing of an Afghan man who set another team member on fire.
Don Michael Ayala, a contractor working for the Virginia-based firm Strategic Analysis Inc., allegedly shot Abdul Salam while the man was restrained in U.S. custody, according to an affidavit filed in federal court.
On Nov. 4, Ayala was on a patrol about 50 miles west of Kandahar along with two other team members and a platoon of soldiers. During the patrol, Salam lit a container of flammable liquid and threw it at one of the team members, Paula Loyd, the affidavit said.
Salam tried to get away, but Ayala forced him to the ground, where he was handcuffed. "After about 10 minutes, a soldier approached the location where Ayala had Salam detained and informed the personnel in the area that Loyd was burned badly," the affidavit said. "Ayala pushed his pistol against SalamÂ’s head and shot Salam, killing him instantly."
A social scientist in the Army's controversial Human Terrain program was en route to Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas after being set on fire in and apparent Taliban attack in Afghanistan. It's the third time in five months that a Human Terrain Team member has been killed or seriously wounded.
Paula Lloyd was interviewing locals in the southern village of Maywand on Tuesday as part of her duties in a Human Terrain Team, which embeds civilian cultural experts into U.S. combat units. She approached a man carrying a fuel jug and they began talking about the price of gas. Suddenly, the man doused Lloyd in a flammable liquid and set her on fire. She suffered second- and third-degree burns over 60 percent of her body, a Human Terrain source told Danger Room.
The injuries could have been worse. Lloyd's teammate immediately threw her into a nearby water source to douse the flames, then Lloyd was sped to a nearby medical facility. Fortunately, the first doctor to treat her was a U.S. Army burn specialist. After being stabilized, Lloyd was evacuated to the military's Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany and is now en route to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. Lloyd is in "stable, but guarded condition," the source said.
The Taliban took credit for the attack on their website. The Taliban has a long history of setting women on fire as a way of punishing them for perceived immodesty.
And there, folks, is the face of the enemy that needs to be wiped from the face of the earth.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
01/09/2009 14:22 Comments ||
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#8
Like Brer Rabbit says, sounds like an accidental mis-fire to me. No further investigation necessary.
#11
Nope, sorry, this wasn't a gun-cleaning accident.
This was murder.
Mr. Ayala was pissed that his outstanding team member, Ms. Lloyd had been killed. I understand that.
But the perp who did it was restrained and in custody. He was neither a flight risk nor a threat to anyone. Under our current military code, you can't just off him.
That's the difference (one of them) between us and the Taliban.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/09/2009 16:38 Comments ||
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#12
That's the difference (one of them) between us and the Taliban.
And the difference of a few seconds in time. If Ayala had shot the guy moments earlier, Ayala would be the hero.
I'm guessing the outcome will be some kind of pre-trial plea bargain.
#13
Steve White said "That's the difference (one of them) between us and the Taliban."
Um, it's not the important difference. The important difference between the Taliban and us is that they'd like to come to our houses and kill us and all of our children in horrible ways.
In contrast--in the absence of their threat to us--I would be perfectly content to wish them well and leave them to their sheep and their religion.
This is the important difference between us and the Taliban: They want to kill us because we are different; we only kill them to defend ourselves.
One legal definition of insanity is that a person is legally insane if he would have committed the same crime with a cop at his elbow.
If you burned a good woman friend of mine to death in front of me, well, ... I am a pretty peaceful guy ordinarily but I would not want to know what I'd do in those circumstances.
Bush should pardon this guy, Ayala.
Posted by: Some guy ||
01/09/2009 23:06 Comments ||
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The Saudi supertanker seized by Somali pirates in the world's biggest ever hijacking has been freed following a reported ransom payment of $3m. Last night the US navy released a photo showing a small package apparently containing the ransom parachuting to the deck of the Sirius Star from a small aircraft.
The Sirius Star, which was carrying 2m barrels of oil when it was captured on November 15, sailed from the pirate lair of Harardheere on Somalia's eastern coast today.
Two Britons – chief engineer Peter French, from County Durham, and second officer James Grady, from Renfrewshire – are among the crew of 25 who were all reported to be unharmed.
"All our people have now left the Sirius Star. The ship is free, the crew is free," Mohamed Said, one of the pirate leaders, told Agence France-Presse by telephone.
"There were last-minute problems but now everything has been finalised."
A regional maritime group confirmed the release. An associate of the pirates, who call themselves the Central Regional Coastguard (CRC), said the owner of the ship, the oil giant Saudi Aramco, had paid a ransom of $3m (£2m). The pirates had originally demanded $25m. There was no immediate comment from the company on the release of the ship or the ransom claim.
The hijacking of the 330-metre long vessel was the culmination of a dramatic surge in piracy off Somalia this year. Both the $100m cargo and the daring nature of the attack, which took place 500 miles off the coast of Kenya, prompted numerous governments around the world to send warships to the region.
The shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden, to Somalia's north, and the Indian Ocean, to the east of the lawless country, are among the busiest in the world. With no effective government on land to stop them, at least five Somali pirate gangs equipped with speedboats, AK-47 machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades attacked more than 100 ships near the Horn of Africa in 2008, netting tens of millions of pounds in ransoms. More than a dozen ships, including the Faina, a Ukrainian vessel carrying 33 T-72 battle tanks, are still being held along Somalia's east coast.
The Sirius Star, whose cargo represents a quarter of Saudi Arabia's daily oil production, was en route to the US when it was hijacked. Andrew Mwangura, the head of the East African Seafarers Association, said the supertanker was headed south-east this evening. It was too large to dock at Mombasa, Kenya, but could anchor in deep waters to allow the crew to come ashore in a smaller boat, he said.
The pirate gang's income may increase in the coming days. The CRC is also believed to be holding the Faina, tugboats from Nigeria and Indonesia, and two Turkish cargo ships. Negotiations for the release of all the vessels were close to concluding, Mwangura said.
"These pirates could get a lot more money in the next few days. Maybe they can now take a holiday."
The number of successful attacks by Somali pirates dropped significantly in December, with only two vessels captured. Maritime analysts say merchant ships have been taking protective measures to avoid being boarded by gunmen, while the glut of international warships on patrol has been a deterrent. The EU now has a dedicated naval fleet escorting ships in the region, while the US navy announced that it had created a new international force specifically to deal with Somali pirates. Individual countries such as Russia, China and Iran have sent their own warships to patrol Somalia's coast.
Posted by: john frum ||
01/09/2009 17:44 ||
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#1
Posted by: john frum ||
01/09/2009 17:46 Comments ||
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#2
When the ship was hijacked, the cargo was worth $100Mil, today when released its value was only $60Mil !!
Posted by: Tom- Pa ||
01/09/2009 19:40 Comments ||
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Who is paying? Are they gonna actually "battle" them or take pictures of them while they sail away with another boat? Wouldn't it be cheaper for Bambi to offer the pirates a bailout?
#2
Only took them a year to figure out that it was lopsided enough to be able to take it on safely. Anyone with a couple of 50-cals on a stable platform could take the lead on this one.
#4
UNCLAS NNS090108-01. New Counter-Piracy Task Force Established
From Commander, Combined Maritime Forces Public Affairs
MANAMA, Bahrain (NNS) -- The Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) established Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151) Jan. 8 specifically for counter-piracy operations.
Naval ships and assets from more than 20 nations comprise the Combined Maritime Forces. U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Terence "Terry" McKnight has been named the commander of the new task force which will be fully operational by the middle of January.
The CMF created the Maritime Security Patrol Area (MSPA) in the Gulf of Aden in August of 2008 to support international efforts to combat piracy. Coalition efforts included CTF-150 assets patrolling the area with ships and aircraft. However, the charter for CTF-150, established at the outset of Operation Enduring Freedom, was for the conduct of Maritime Security Operations (MSO) in the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Oman, the Arabian Sea, Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. Operations included the deterrence of destabilizing activities, such as drug smuggling and weapons trafficking.
The establishment of CTF-151 will allow CTF-150 assets to remain focused on those activities, giving CTF-151 the ability to focus solely on the counter-piracy mission.
"Some navies in our coalition did not have the authority to conduct counter-piracy missions," said Vice Adm. Bill Gortney, CMF commander. "The establishment of CTF-151 will allow those nations to operate under the auspices of CTF-150, while allowing other nations to join CTF-151 to support our goal of deterring, disrupting and eventually bringing to justice the maritime criminals involved in piracy events."
Gortney highlighted the reduction in piracy events in the region due to merchant mariners' proactive measures. He also continued to caution that the efforts of coalition and international navies won't solve the problem of piracy.
"The most effective measures we've seen to defeat piracy are non-kinetic and defensive in nature. The merchant ships have been doing a great job stepping up and utilizing these methods to defeat piracy attempts. That's a great first step. But the problem of piracy is and continues to be a problem that begins ashore and is an international problem that requires an international solution. We believe the establishment of CTF-151 is a significant step in the right direction."
CTF 151 is a multinational task force that conducts counter-piracy operations in and around the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and the Red Sea and was established to create a lawful maritime order and develop security in the maritime environment.
For more news from Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/Commander, U.S. 5th Fleet, visit www.navy.mil/local/cusnc.
#6
Let the Russians and Chinese take the lead on this one...
The Euros, the Malaysians, etc. won't let their forces go under the authority of those two nations.
Look, it's a no-win situation. The warships from the various nations will show up, but thanks to their politicians, they won't do anything unless the Americans are there to take the heat 'contribute'.
Only took them a year to figure out that it was lopsided enough to be able to take it on safely. Anyone with a couple of 50-cals on a stable platform could take the lead on this one.
Put your resume into NAVPERS, gorb. I'll bet the Navy will make you an 3-star in a week.
i guess they will put our forces under control of someone like France just for good measure, and so we don't actually kill one of the pirates
I didn't realize we had so many JAFOs Military Geniuses.
Yes, it's a clusterf*ck. It'll stay a clusterf*ck because:
1. The shipowners don't want the navies involved. So they pay ransom - it's part of the cost of doing business. As long as the pirates don't kill off the crews, the owners are gonna keep doing what they've been doing.
2. Much as you all don't like it, the navies like to follow laws and expect to know how much and authority they've been given. You aren't going to be the ones facing court-martial, especially with a new administration coming aboard. The days of Stephen Decatur are past, over, done with.
3. The nations that sent ships really don't want to be involved. They (wisely) aren't going to give the UN the authority. They aren't going to waste the time in meetings trying to come up with some set of legal procedures to deal with the pirates. So they'll patrol, escort some ships, send a helo or two over a couple of skiffs, and once in a while have to rescue some of their non-merchant nationals (like the French did). It looks like they're doing something without having to really do something.
Lastly, this is not a war. This is not even a crisis. This is a problem. A problem on the ass-end of the world, with the merchants not really wanting to be rescued by some warship. That may change, But for now, it is what it is. Deal with it.
#7
Put your resume into NAVPERS, gorb. I'll bet the
Navy will make you an 3-star in a week.
OK, Pappy, I never claimed to be a genius, nor did anyone else. So obviously you're in a mood to not play nice. It's working wonders for your diplomatic skills in everyone's eyes. So I'll just translate for you:
Whats so hard about just whacking these guys? Throughout history the world has been down the road with these kinds of folks more times than we can count. I'm sure by know we could have some kind of procedures in place to take care of them whenever they start to act up. So why don't we? They are never that difficult for a government to take care of, or at least in this case they aren't. Why do people have to lose their lives, either directly or through the funds these terrorists collect, before they are just blown to Kingdom Come as soon as they are spotted?
#8
what ever happened to sending in the Marines? werent they created originally to deal with just this sort of problem (ie Barbary Pirates)
Posted by: Ceaser Augustus ||
01/09/2009 11:57 Comments ||
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#9
I'll add problem #4 to Pappy's list --
4. The area to patrol is LARGE. The Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean off of Somalia combined is a lot of square miles to cover. There are multiple shipping lanes, and the pirates have been getting bigger, longer-range mother ships. So if you're going to cover the area properly you need a lot of naval assets.
That means lots of frigates and helos. They can stay on station for a certain length of time and then need to rotate with other frigates. We're not going to put a carrier in the region, nor will the Euros. Our assets are busy in other places around the world, and a 300 ship Navy only goes so far. And a far number of our ships aren't right for this problem. The Euros have small navies and can't contribute more than a frigate or two each.
Just trying to coordinate the naval ships from a dozen countries is daunting in and of itself. Trying to get the merchant fleet to cooperate (especially as Pappy notes, they may not particularly want to cooperate) is tougher.
This isn't a job I'd want if I were a military genius, which I'm not.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/09/2009 12:07 Comments ||
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#10
Pappy,
It doesn't take much thought to grasp that the 'do nothing' approach can still include convoying groups of ships through areas. Assembly points and rules of conduct aren't that hard even if its something dug up from Navy or Admiralty archives. If the owners are stupid enough to go it alone without participating in convoys, fine, it is their problem, particularly when national governments start clamping down on monetary transfers as part of the WOT. Little hard to make the business as usual payoff when the funds can't transfer.
#11
P2K, the convoy system is not appropriate here. That takes a significant amount of coordination even when every ship is under a single command. To have it done with a bunch of independent ship owners would be well nigh impossible.
The reason it is impossible is because those ship owners do not have the incentive to do it. Their ships are being taken hostage in some cases (relatively few compared to the level of overall ship traffic). So they pay a ransom to get their ships and crew returned. The key here is that the ships (asset) are being returned and not sunk (as they were in WWII). Thus, minimized incentive.
And how are you going to get say, an Iranian ship, to cooperate in sailing with a US-lead convoy? Herding cats.
Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151) will operate from the USS San Antonio (LPD 17) which will act as a command ship, and initially will be supported by two unnamed warships. It will be interesting to see what kind of helicopters we see flying off the USS San Antonio (LPD 17), we have recently seen AH-1s and UH-1s on the flight deck, and it will be interesting to see if it becomes Marine airmen who become the sharp end of the spear.
#13
OK, Pappy, I never claimed to be a genius, nor did anyone else. So obviously you're in a mood to not play nice. It's working wonders for your diplomatic skills in everyone's eyes.
You're right. I'm not in the mood to play nice. This was (and sort of is) my bread-and-butter for years. There are times when the Holy Nine-Iron has to come out to get you all to pay attention.
Whats so hard about just whacking these guys? Throughout history the world has been down the road with these kinds of folks more times than we can count.
Yes, and we'll continue to have issues. Because there are long-standing laws in place that unfortunately place restrictions on just going in and whacking them.
Think for a moment. There's a reason that 'territorial waters' exist, even for an Islamic dump like Somalia. It's because it also exists for every other nation on the planet with a coastline. If you can't wrap your mind around that. just think of it as an inter- national version of property-rights.
I'm sure by know we could have some kind of procedures in place to take care of them whenever they start to act up. So why don't we? They are never that difficult for a government to take care of, or at least in this case they aren't.
We don't have procedures in place for the same reason that everyone is bitching about the bailouts. Politics, international relations, everyone having a different concept of whatthe problem is or a different idea how it's to be approached, et cetera.
Why do people have to lose their lives, either directly or through the funds these terrorists collect, before they are just blown to Kingdom Come as soon as they are spotted?
In this instance, the loss of life has been low, either through non-deliberate shooting or health issues. The pirates have not systematically executed the crews. And they won't. That's bad for business, for one thing. That will also bring about the procedures that you're pressing for.
Again, the owners don't want the navies involved. The navies, for the most part, don't want to be involved. The insurance companies aren't complaining (yet); many shipowners are self-insured and each ship is separately incorporated. It's the ass-end of Earth, and aside from the few 'interesting' cargoes, there's really nothing that threatens any nation's security or international security.
#14
problem #4 above is exactly why a kinetic soultion is required. when pirates are encountered, they are destroyed. you cant cover the entire area, but you can remove pirates one by one until business conditions persuade the locasl that becomming shark chum is not the optimal way to look cool and pick up chicks.
the marines would be well suited to coming ashore, and removing the support and supply areas from the pirates. you don't have to hold it, only deny its usability to the bad guys. scorched earth works for me. with no goats to relieve the tension of the long nights and weeks at sea, the pirates will self-deport to a more hospitable locale.
rinse, repeat
Posted by: Abu do you love ||
01/09/2009 15:28 Comments ||
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#15
problem #4 above is exactly why a kinetic soultion is required. when pirates are encountered, they are destroyed
Sure! All we have to do is find the pirates. We just need to blanket the Gulf of Aden and the rest of the Somali coastline (maybe even down past Kenya) with warships. We have to figure out if they're really pirates or if they're just militia out for a nice boat ride, or heavily armed fishermen.
Oh, we can wait for them to attack a ship? What a marvelous idea! We just have to have a warship or an armed helo in the vicinity. What if they're already on board? What if they toss their weapons overboard when they see a helo or a C-130 gunship or a frigate coming?
Again, it's a no-win situation. The Americans are needed there as a unifying force, but mostly to take the heat. I don't have the warm-and-fuzzies that Obama will stand behind the Navy if something happens.
the marines would be well suited to coming ashore, and removing the support and supply areas from the pirates.
That's the more-likely option and one that seems to have more support. Again, there's going to have to be consensus and authority to do so. But the assets are there or will be.
#16
Problem with 'cleaning out' the support/shore installation is that, as Pappy, notes, it's the ass-end of the earth.
Which means as quickly as we clean an area out it'll pop right back up. The pirates don't have much but they don't need much.
Which means we'd have to garrison Somalia proper and Puntland. That's not happening.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/09/2009 16:45 Comments ||
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#17
There is not enough "loss" here to justify either the force that is already being deployed or any kind of ground force. While I would love to smoke some mother ships and eliminate a ground base or two, the reality is this is just not going to happen. This is going to be a low-level irritant for some time. If the irritant gets too, well, irritating, then harsher measures will be applied. Until then, it is mostly theater, and plenty expensive theater at that.
#22
U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Terence "Terry" McKnight has been named the commander of the new task force which will be fully operational by the middle of January.
"Terry" and the Pirates. At least someone in USN still has a sense of humor or timing.
KARACHI - In line with a compliance list recently handed over by US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia and Central Asia Richard Boucher, Pakistan was was due on Thursday to launch a crackdown against the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LET) and other jihadi organizations.
But the operation, which was to be coordinated by the Ministry of Interior, police and the Intelligence Bureau, was halted at the 11th hour by the Pakistani military establishment, well-placed contacts in Pakistan's intelligence quarters have told Asia Times Online.
And instead, powerful National Security Advisor retired Major General Mahmood Durrani was fired. He and other senior government officials had earlier admitted that Ajmal Qasab, the sole survivor of the 10 terrorists who launched a bloody attack on the Indian city of Mumbai on November 27, was Pakistani. The men had already been linked to the LET, a banned group in Pakistan.
Durrani has been a crucial link between the US, the government of Pakistan and the Pakistan military.
The new year began with a fresh initiative in the US-led "war on terror" in terms of which Boucher unfolded a two-prong approach: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari was to seek reconciliation with India by complying with its demands following the Mumbai attack, and Zardari was to visit Kabul to establish better coordination with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
The head of US Central Command, General David Petraeus, is soon to launch a surge in Afghanistan that will double the number of US troops from 30,000 to 60,000. At the same time, Pakistan's tribal areas, where militants have extensive bases, will become open hunting grounds for Afghan and Pakistan tribal militias backed by joint patrols of the national armies of the two countries, in addition to North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces.
The first segment of the American package concerning India has, however, now been shot down with Durrani's dismissal, throwing into doubt the remaining part. This leaves Zardari's civilian government awkwardly caught between the competing desires of the US and its own military establishment.
After the exit of former president General Pervez Musharraf and the election of a civilian government early last year, Durrani's role as a go-between became crucial as he tried to balance the pressures on the government.
Durrani had a close rapport with American decision-makers on South Asian affairs and had been involved in backchannel American-sponsored efforts on disputed Kashmir and on Afghanistan. He was for a time Pakistan's ambassador in Washington.
After the Mumbai attack, a move was made to establish a National Intelligence Authority as a counterweight to the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence, which has consistently been accused of dragging its feet in the "war on terror". A Pakistani professor at Harvard, who used to work as Zardari's staff officer and once was in the police service, was suggested to head this new body, but on the military's intervention the scheme was shelved.
Earlier, under US pressure, the Pakistani government had managed to outmaneuver the military by having the Jamaatut Dawa declared by the United Nations a front organization of the LET and having it placed on a terror list, along with the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
This gave the government justification to arrest leaders of the Jamaatut Dawa. However, the military establishment warned that unless India provided evidence against them, they must be released, and the government concurred.
The government then prevaricated, even claiming that leader Masood Azhar was at large and could not be traced anywhere in Pakistan. Neither Washington nor Delhi bought into this, and pressure was exerted for civilian agencies such as the police and the Intelligence Bureau to take action.
Provincial Home Departments prepared lists of wanted militants and action was about to start on Thursday after Durrani and others had set the scene by admitting that Qasab was Pakistani.
This was too much for the military leaders and they issued a "note of advice" to the president and Prime Minister Yousuf Gilani that Durrani had to go immediately.
The government buckled, and Washington has lost a vital point man as it prepares for a new phase in Afghanistan. US vice president-elect Joe Biden, who is due to visit the region soon, has much to be concerned about.
Posted by: john frum ||
01/09/2009 15:57 ||
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#1
Its Friday... maybe everybody should quit early and have some drinks...
Anybody want to say the magic word for drinks?
A??????t
#7
A few dozen tac nukes to "isolate the battlefield", plus maybe a little napalm, and you've got yourself a deal, 3dc. ARCLIGHT over Rawalpindi/Islamabad, tac nukes in the Tribal Agencies, MOAB the ISI, and use the F-150 to pick up the dead bodies. Have no idea why we need a Q-ship to deal with Pakiland, though - unless you load it up with nekked wimmen and sail it up and down the coast, popping islamic eyeballs out of their sockets. Or maybe we can hijack Pak television and play some more of that Polish Pr0n...
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
01/09/2009 18:09 Comments ||
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A New Year's CIA strike in northern Pakistan killed two top al-Qaeda terrorists long sought by the United States, including the man believed to be behind September's deadly suicide bombing at a Marriott hotel in the Pakistani capital, U.S. counterterrorism officials told The Washingon Post today.
Agency officials determined in recent days that among the dead in the Jan. 1 missile strike were a Kenyan national who used the name Usama al-Kini and who was described as al-Qaeda's chief of operations in Pakistan and his lieutenant, identified as Sheikh Ahmed Salim Swedan, the sources said. Both men were associated with a string of suicide attacks in Pakistan in recent months and were also on the FBI's most-wanted list for ties to the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in East Africa.
Kini, who had been pursued by U.S. law enforcement agencies on two continents for a decade, was the eighth senior al-Qaeda leader killed in clandestine CIA strikes since July
Kini, who had been pursued by U.S. law enforcement agencies on two continents for a decade, was the eighth senior al-Qaeda leader killed in clandestine CIA strikes since July, the officials said.
The CIA declined comment on the reported strike, citing the extreme secrecy of its operations on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border where al-Qaeda is believed to be based. However, a U.S. counterterrorism official confirmed that the two died in a CIA strike on a building that was being used for explosives training. "They died preparing new acts of terror," said the official, who insisted on anonymity because the agency's actions are secret.
Details of the attack were sketchy, but counter-terrorism officials privy to classified reports said the pair was killed by a 100-pound hellfire missiles fired by a pilotless drone aircraft operated by the CIA. The strike took place near Karikot in South Waziristan, a province in the rugged autonomous tribal region of northern Pakistan that has long been a haven for al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters.
This article starring:
Sheikh Ahmed Salim Swedan
al-Qaeda
Usama al-Kini
al-Qaeda
Posted by: Fred ||
01/09/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
As amny Netters like to say - Pics, or it didn't happen!?
#2
Holy fish in a barrel, Batman. Is it necessary to even guide the missiles when they are shot tnto that general area? They are hitting two Tangos every pop. Pakistan is a cornacopia of sociaopaths.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
01/09/2009 1:44 Comments ||
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New Year's Missile Strike Kills Top Al-Qaeda Operatives
Hats off to our Boyz and Girlz and for the Superb Job they have accomplished!!
Well Done!
Including of course the Spooks who have developed the new tools to Track America's enemies (software etc.) and of course the old fashion way too with plenty of intuition and hard work before that CIA grindstone!
Is it really a clever idea for Obammi to tap some outsider to lead the CIA at this time??
Why shouldn't he be choosing one of the many gifted in house CIA personal from its own ranks?
How about we Go with a more traditional in-house trained Spook with a lifetime of insight & savvy instead of a Political Hack who's mediocre at best.
Wasn't Leon the *Intern chaperone* for all the wealthiest kids who's parents gave big bucks to the Clinton re-election campaign??
/I fart in Obammis general direction...
Posted by: Red Dawg ||
01/09/2009 2:35 Comments ||
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#4
Good shooting, folks, and happy hunting in the future.
As for Pinata, er, Peneta; I don't know, maybe herding spoiled Klintonista Kids is good preparation for dealing with terrorists and ruthless dictators.
#7
and thank you guys for killing them so we don't have to feed and cloth them and give them Korans and then have the EUniks complain about our treatment of them.
Aswat al-Iraq: Iraqi police forces seized on Thursday a cache containing different kinds of munitions in eastern Baghdad, according to a security source. "Intelligence tip-offs by local residents have led a police force today (Jan. 8) to seizing amounts of heavy and light munitions hidden inside an abandoned house in al-Husseiniya neighborhood, eastern Baghdad," the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. "The munitions included mortar shells of 80 mm. caliber," the source added.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/09/2009 00:00 ||
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#2
There aren't enough secured warehouses in Iraq to store all the ammo that's been found since 2003. That doesn't necessarily mean the Iraqis shouldn't keep everything they find, but sometimes it's just not practical. It should be fireworks time again soon...
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
01/09/2009 12:41 Comments ||
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#3
They're always blowing it up where it lays though.
They should do something more fun with it, like put it on a wheeled cart and roll it down a hill towards the mahdi army neighborhoods.
Aswat al-Iraq: The Iraqi army on Thursday detained 18 wanted persons during a search campaign conducted in northern Mosul, a security source in Ninewa said. "A force from the Iraqi Army Quick Intervention's 3rd Brigade conducted on Thursday (Jan. 8) a search raid in al-Qahira neighborhood, northern Mosul, arresting 18 wanted men," the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. "The arrests were made based on intelligence tip-offs by local residents," he said, adding the detainees were considered "important targets" for security forces.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/09/2009 00:00 ||
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Aswat al-Iraq: Policemen in Diala are searching for a female suicide bomber on the loose in the district of Baladruz, southwest of Baaquba, a security source revealed on Thursday. "Confessions given by a female suicide bomber called Kareema Ismail Hussein held that a second female bomber is on the loose in Baladruz, (45 km) southwest of Baaquba, who is planning to attack the Husseini processions in the district," the source, who asked not to have his name mentioned, told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. "Bomber Hussein gave the confessions after she had been arrested on Tuesday while wearing an explosive belt and was on her way to target a Shiite mosque in the district," the source added.
Diala is one of the areas that mostly witnessed blasts by female suicide bomber -- 22 attacks, particularly in Baaquba. Baladruz had been the scene of a deadly suicide attack by a female bomber wearing an explosive belt inside a Shiite mosque in 2007, killing and wounding 80 people.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/09/2009 00:00 ||
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We expected anything else?
Solidarity rallies with the war-battered Gaza Strip led to scuffles between dueling Palestinian factions on Friday, reflecting competing efforts to assert legitimacy over the fractured Palestinian political scene.
Police loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stood by while protesters allied with his Fatah Party struck demonstrators from the rival Hamas with flag sticks. According to news agency AFP, the clashes erupted after the Hamas rulers of Gaza had called for a second week in a row for Palestinians to mark a "day of wrath" against the Israeli bombardments.
Fist fights erupted and security forces used teargas and batons to disperse the demonstrators who had taken part in rival protests.
Thirteen people were taken to hospital and several others were detained, witnesses said. Police spokesman Adnan Dameiri said no one was detained, but that some protesters were removed from the scene. West Bank police have suppressed Hamas rallies in recent weeks, preventing supporters from waving their flags and marching through city centers.
Simmering tensions between Hamas and the Fatah party burst into all-out street warfare in June 2007, when the Islamists seized the Gaza Strip and ousted forces loyal to the Western-backed president, who now only holds sway in the West Bank. Looks like that "Palestinian Unity™" thing still needs some work...
For the first time since Operation Cast Lead was launched, an Israeli journalist was allowed to enter the Strip alongside the fighting forces. What does it look like on the frontline?
Gaza City was quiet most of the day, but it was exactly this calm that had Givati Brigade Commander, Colonel Ilan Malka, so concerned: "Everyone should drill the procedure for thwarting attempted abductions. That's what (Hamas) are aiming for now. We also have to review the procedures for thwarting suicide attacks against the troops," he told his officers in one of the security briefings.
The warning is not an empty one. By night, the IDF had scores of abduction alerts, suggesting Hamas is preparing to kidnap soldiers in the area Givati forces were deployed in."When we took over the area so aggressively, Hamas pretty much disappeared," Malka said, standing in his impromptu headquarters on the outskirts of Gaza City. "But I'm convinced they are still here, either underground or in hiding. They will venture out to try and abduct soldiers so they can boast accomplishments."
Malka is proud of Givati's achievements – the brigade was able to penetrate Hamas defenses within hours and take over a fortified and booby-trapped hub with virtually zero resistance. His primary concern right now is to keep the scene from turning into a snare.
We stopped in a backyard of an auto shop. The APC (armored personnel carrier) backed up until it nearly touched the wall – or the hole in the wall – into which we leaped out. The Givati force moved through holes cut into the wall surrounding each house, as they took over the neighborhood, careful not to expose themselves to sniper fire or to the traps laid for them in the buildings' foyers. We're here with several reservists form the brigade's reconnaissance company. They have a large reserve force and the Palestinian neighborhood soon rustles with officers who have come to join the fighting.
"I couldn't stay home when the guys are fighting," said Omri, while on the way to meet Lieutenant Colonel Ofer Levy, the brigade's deputy commander. "We try not to stand next to windows, so to avoid sniper fire," explains another officer, ducking under a wide window. In the kitchen, we find remnants of meal left abruptly. The homeowners, like more than a 1,000 of the neighborhood's residents, fled following IDF warnings.
Levy said that Hamas operatives were caught so off guard that they left their explosives in plain sight and vanished. The soldiers, he added, keep uncovering tunnels; but before we can visit one, a more urgent matter must be dealt with: The Brigade's commander, who is in a GOC security assessment, orders all fighting, projectile fire and aerial strikes stop at 1 pm for three hours of a "humanitarian pause," at which time local residents would be able to stock up on essential provisions. "We can't go forward but we can fire if we are in danger," I'm told.
One of the company commanders runs over and excitingly tells us that the "Caterpillars" – D9 bulldozers used by the IDF – have uncovered a tunnel full of containers; but someone tells him that this tunnel is a familiar find. We head out to inspect the tunnel, which is located in fairly dangerous territory, in order to decide what to do with it. We get a short security briefing, individual "combat numbers" and off we go, moving through the alleys, the soldiers pointing their weapons at the top floors or the holes in the walls, as need be. Hamas is nowhere to be found, but it could reappear at any moment. We arrive at an open area and the troops deploy quickly. We are treading through the Gaza quagmire – and there is a lot of it around.
We run across a local family in one of the buildings. Grandparents, a few young parents, some children and a few toddlers. Sitting on a rug, their legs are covered in blankets and two soldiers are standing guard nearby. "What about them?" I ask. "They're free to go if they want to, but they don't want to," said Eilon Perry, Givati's operations officer. "They informed us they would be staying in the house and we have no choice but to accept that."
The family suddenly notices the cameras, and immediately, the expression on their faces changes. "We have no food," they say in Arabic, as one of the youngsters suggests we interview him in English about their plight. Givati troops are extremely concerned about being portrayed as abusing innocent civilians. Perry points to a stack of canned goods, water bottles and other provisions. "We provided some of that and they cook and eat quite well," said Perry. The Palestinians seem to understand him and one of them smiles. It's a war – they had to try.
A sniper lies in wait on one of the building's top floors, peeping through a hole in the wall. Those holes are the scars left across Gaza, the ones that will be there long after the IDF leaves. The commander and his soldiers recite a prayer before heading out to the tunnel again. The number of religious soldiers and settler youth in the brigade and in other IDF combat units is high and increasing, I'm told. The officers tell me how important the support of the home front is to them. There is a real sense of accomplishment and they are convinced that the ground incursion is important. Many of them fear the military would avoid it and believe that it is the only way to secure peace and quiet for southern Israel. "Besides, we got tired of hearing how Israeli citizens are getting hit while we did nothing about it," said Alon from the Golan Heights, while petting his dog. He is an Oketz serviceman – the IDF's K-9 unit – which is a pivotal part of the force. The troops have two bomb-sniffing dogs with them, sniffing the entryway to each house before we go in. The dogs are equipped with special boots on their paws, to keep them from being hurt by the shredded metal and broken glass covering the ground.
We make our way to the tunnel on foot at first, but the last leg is exposed to the neighborhood north of us. The company commander and I go into the belly of a tank that lets us out at the tunnel's entrance. Nobody is taking any chances. The tunnel is built out of a vertical shaft leading into an underground passageway lined with cement. It is clearly packed with explosives and would be dangerous to move through. The tunnel leads into a house some 300 yards away. "My god," said the commander. "It leads up to that houseÂ… I almost decided to camp there for a few hours before I saw it was booby-trapped. Had we stayed there we would have been in for a very nasty visit."
Through the entirety of the "humanitarian pause" in the fighting, the streets were empty. Maybe it was because the stores were closed and maybe because the neighborhood, which was crowded up until a few days ago, is empty. The force is patrolling through it, uncovering weapon and rocket caches; D9 bulldozers follow, ripping out launching pads. Other operational activities target buildings suspected as rocket manufacturing facilities and weapons' labs. Still, caution is the order of the day and the company is vigilant – they are happy to report having only a few minor casualties since the operation began, and say that things have been quiet in their sector. They pray it stays that way. This is definitely not the same military we saw in the Second Lebanon War. I wouldn't want to run into any of these warriors in a dark alley.
Just before we turn back, I ask the brigade commander how long he thinks they would be staying in the Strip. "For as long as we have to," he says. "I honestly don't know. We're ready to say for weeks, or months." Will the operation be expanded? "We currently have no such plans," he said, trying to keep a businesslike expression. His officers were already looking at a map of another area in the city.
The tactical success of the Israeli military incursion into Gaza over the past week confirms a lesson we noted after the five-day Russian conquest of one-third of Georgia in the Caucasus last August: Main Battle Tanks still rule ground war, whatever the high-tech, guerrilla-war and minimum-army enthusiasts say to the contrary.
In the first four days of its ground forces' incursion into Gaza, Israel inflicted an estimated 500 military fatalities on the forces of Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Movement, not counting the many civilians killed in the fighting. But the Israeli army forces involved suffered only five or six fatalities.
This obviously reflected the extremely poor military performance of Hamas so far. Hamas' military weakness has been in striking contrast to the very impressive performance against the Israelis of Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Shiite Party of God, in the mini-war in southern Lebanon in July 2006. On that occasion, Hezbollah forces were well dug in and they used improvised explosive devices very effectively against Israel's much vaunted, homemade Merkava (Chariot) Main Battle Tanks.
Hamas had had plenty of time to equip itself with IEDs and to train its cadres how to use them. Also, the densely populated urban maze of Gaza City should have provided plenty of opportunities to inflict significant casualties on the Israeli Main Battle Tanks. But so far Hamas forces have had negligible impact on them.
Part of the contrast obviously reflects the renewed emphasis on training, unit cohesion and sheer disciplinary toughness that Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak and his highly respected Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi have had upon the Israel Defense Forces -- Zahal.
But there is another factor as well: While tanks have many vulnerabilities in different aspects of modern ground and guerrilla war, it is impossible to conquer a country, win a full-scale battle or hold occupied hostile territory without them.
#1
Israel hasnt gone into the cities in a major way, at least not yet. And Hamas is not as well provided with anti tank missiles as Hezbo was from what I understand.
So this may be a victory for Mubarak, a marginal victory so far for Israel, but a big win for the MBT? I don't think so.
#2
"And Hamas is not as well provided with anti tank missiles as Hezbo was from what I understand."
Exactly. And if you think about this for a moment, it flies in the face of what Jimmy Carter was apparently trying to say. Hamas has had a lot of time to smuggle weapons. It is obvious that they didn't use their resources to obtain weapons they could use in a defensive way and instead obtained only offensive weapons.
They apparently had every opportunity to arm themselves with anti-tank and anti-personnel weapons but chose instead to arm themselves with mortars and missiles that they lobbed across the border. There is nothing "defensive" about those smuggling tunnels or Hamas' weapons.
They are bloody terrorists and the world will be a better place without the likes of them in it.
One man was lightly injured in a terror attack in the central Israeli city of Rehovot on Friday afternoon. A Jenin resident armed with an axe arrived at the city's main city and threatened to harm passersby. He was arrested by policemen passing by before managing to hurt additional people.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
01/09/2009 17:33 Comments ||
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#4
From the Army of Steves,™ half-empty.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
01/09/2009 17:33 Comments ||
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#5
Still in beta
Actually pretty well into beta since there are several Talon/SWORDS deployed in Iraq. Word has it that the USMC likes what it sees in the Gladiator so far, too. What's not as advanced are the TTP*s to deploy them, at least by US troops, and in particular how more autonomous systems might be used offensively.
Israel deployed armed robots along the border in 2007. Like the Talon/SWORDS these have a human in the loop for firing offensively. I haven't tracked their success / problem rate with these, however.
The UN Security Council approved a resolution Thursday calling for an immediate and durable cease-fire between Hamas and Israeli forces now fighting in the Gaza Strip.
The vote was 14-0, with the United States abstaining.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the United States "fully supports" the goals, text and objectives of the resolution but abstained because the US "thought it important to see the outcomes of the Egyptian mediation" with Israel and Hamas, aimed at achieving a cease-fire. That's two knives in Israel's back miss Condolizza
The vote followed three days of intense negotiations between ministers from key Arab nations and the council's veto-wielding Western powers - the United States, Britain and France.
Jerusalem quickly responded to the decision by saying that no UN resolution would dictate when Israel would end its operation in Gaza. Senior officials told Israel Radio early Friday morning that only the achievement of goals defined by the Security Cabinet would establish the cessation of military activity. Brave words---why I'm pessimistic?
#2
The IDF has now gotten to the point where they can start destroying Hamas combat tunnels. Probably need at least 48 hours to do significant work here.
Also, Hamas is still able to fire off rockets; 30 Wednesday, 25 Thursday. IMO, the Hamas faithful will be hurt badly if the rocket fire goes under 5 or so.
#4
The vote followed three days of intense negotiations between ministers from key Arab nations and the council's veto-wielding Western powers - the United States, Britain and France.
Pop Quiz Folks! What interested party is not listed here and was not included in the 'negotiations'?
The United Nations on Thursday said it was indefinitely suspending all humanitarian aid deliveries in the Gaza Strip, citing a series of Israeli attacks on U.N. facilities and personnel during the 13-day Israeli offensive.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/09/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
oh sure , what about hamas stealing the supplies and selling them for pirates and and using their ambulances for troop transports? but their is a silver lining too this, it makes gaza an even mpre hellhole for the shitheads
#3
Read an article today which claimed that UNRWA headquarters is *located* in Gaza. Why did I not know this? When UNRWA officials complain about the Gaza war, it's important to understand that they, themselves, are under siege.
In short, Hamas isn't a government. UNRWA is the de facto government of Gaza. Hamas is, effectively, the "militant wing" of UNRWA, the same way that the IRA used to be the militant arm of Sinn Fein.
I don't think I understood Gaza until today. I was under the impression that UNRWA was essentially a neocolonialist organization. That's partially true, but what I failed to understand is that successful colonial apparatuses are primarily local in character - the Raj was largely staffed by Indians, and Cortes' army was 90% native. In other words, UNRWA isn't neocolonial - it's plain old 18th-century vanilla colonial. Except they've recruited the local Fists of Righteous Harmony to do their dirty work for them.
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
01/09/2009 9:19 Comments ||
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#4
Uncertainty shrouds UN driver's death
Who killed the Palestinian driver of an aid truck and wounded two others as their convoy made its way into the Gaza Strip through the Erez crossing during Thursday's "humanitarian cease-fire?"
According to the foreign media, who based their information on UN sources, IDF tank shells blasted the truck. According to the Magen David Adom medic who claimed to have taken the Palestinians to an Israeli hospital, the truck actually came under Hamas sniper fire.
The medic, who asked not to be named, said he got his information from soldiers in the field, but by press time - some eight hours after the incident - the IDF Spokesman's Office was still unable to provide a response or to establish contact with the relevant sources in the field.
Adding to the confusion, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said it had evacuated the victims, but the MDA medic said soldiers told him they had gone in, at great personal risk, to evacuate the wounded Palestinians.
UN officials in New York placed the blame squarely on Israel, not just for the Erez incident, but also for a separate episode in which a marked UN ambulance convoy sent to retrieve the body of an UNRWA worker killed by an air strike came under small arms fire near Beit Hanun on Thursday afternoon. No one was injured in that incident.
John Ging, the director of operations in Gaza for UNRWA, said via video link that "the verbal assurances have run out in terms of credibility. We cannot rely on firm commitments given from the Israeli side," Ging told reporters. "To have Israeli forces on the ground firing at and now hitting convoys that have been specifically cleared - this is real-time clearance?"
Ging acknowledged, however, that he could not be absolutely certain that the attacks came from IDF forces, telling a reporter who asked whether other combatants may have been responsible, "There is a conflict going on."
#5
IDF has to be happy about this. The UN is providing aid and comfort to their enemy. Get the UN outta there and keep 'em out. This is war, damn it. If you're gonna fight a war then fight it to win and don't let the bleeding hearts get in your way. It's better for everybody to get this thing over with in the shortest time possible.
#6
The UN is providing aid and comfort to their enemy. Get the UN outta there and keep 'em out.
Unfortunately, the UN has been the enemy of Israel since at least the 1956 war. They're not giving "aid and comfort" - they're actively supporting and enabling HAMASS and all the other anti-Israel forces. The UN is part of the problem - not only here, but in dozens of other places around the world. Time for it to die.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
01/09/2009 12:48 Comments ||
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When thousands of heavily armed Israeli soldiers poured into the Gaza Strip on Saturday night, Hamas pulled back.
Rather than stand and fight against the Middle East's strongest army, the Islamist movement opted for a tactical withdrawal, with its fighters melting away into the strip's sprawling cities and refugee camps, according to Gaza residents and Israeli military analysts and officers.
Now, Hamas appears to be daring the Israeli troops to follow.
"They're hitting here and there with antitank missiles and mortars. Overall, though, they're not confronting the Israeli presence in Gaza," said retired Gen. Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces. "They're challenging the Israeli military to enter the built-up areas."
For Israel, the temptation to move in is great: After 12 days of air-, sea- and land-based attacks that have weakened the Islamist movement's capabilities, Israeli leaders are weighing whether now is the time to try to deal a death blow to Hamas. That, analysts say, would require an expanded ground operation in the twisting alleys of Gaza's main population centers.
But the risks of broadening the campaign are high. Until now, Israeli casualties have been lighter than the military had expected. Six Israeli soldiers have died in five days of ground operations, although only two were killed by Palestinians. The four others died as a result of "friendly fire" incidents.
Analysts say that unleashing ground forces in Gazan cities and refugee camps would almost certainly allow Hamas to launch a campaign of urban warfare featuring sniper fire, suicide attacks and car bombs. The death toll would rise on both sides when Israel is already under international pressure to end its offensive. Palestinian health officials say more than 680 people have been killed in Gaza since the operation began, about a third of them women and children, according to the United Nations.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/09/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
Its better to do it now than later after Obambi offers Hamas a life line. Two-three weeks is what they've got tops.
#2
tactical withdrawal, with its fighters melting away
WaPo makes it sound like some Hamas new grand plan. In truth, Hamas has never faced its enemy in force. It has always hidden amid the populace. That's why Israel started this campaign with precision bombing -- the Hamas facilities were dispersed everywhere from residential houses to mosques to university buildings. And to hospital basements. Lions of Islam indeed.
#4
Now that you have them bottled up with their supply line cut off (UN Welfare), keep them under siege and starve them out. They'll have to start moving around in just a few days.
#8
A siege might be best here. Lebanon proved that going in built up areas is hard and will be expensive in Israeli lives. I guess it all depends how much pressure the Israeli government is willing to take from the world over a prolonged siege. In the past, the government has proven to be the weak link in any battle plan.
#9
Hamas is counting on the fact that either an invasion or a seige will be costly in GAZAN lives, to the point where world opinion will force the Israelis to back off. Killed or captured Israelis are just icing on the cake.
#10
they were elected by the palestinians to represent them, I think they get what they get, poor babies
Posted by: sick of it ||
01/09/2009 11:59 Comments ||
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#11
Screw 'em. Bomb the entire area into the ground. If Gazans are unable or unwilling to shake off the chains of Hamass, they deserve to die. Tough on the women and kids, but hey, life's REALLY tough when you're stupid. I have no sympathy for the mind-deranged that call themselves "muslims".
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
01/09/2009 12:52 Comments ||
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#12
#8
its been noted that in 1982 it took 3 months to pry Arafat out of Beirut.
OTOH the Gemayel govt didnt stick, so that may not be the best model.
#13
I think it was old Tricky Dick Nixon who said "It's not so much important that they love us as it is that they respect us." Or something to that effect. I think Israel could benefit from that philosophy in this case. Nobody's ever gonna love 'em, especially Gazans, so they need to get some respect. They need to win this thing by whatever means are necessary and to hell with world opinion. Everybody knows that's what Hamas will do eventually if they aren't stopped.
#17
The Gamayel government didn't stick because Pencilnecks Daddy boomed the Gamayel originally intended to take the reigns and Israel was left with the 'Other Gamayel'.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
01/09/2009 14:47 Comments ||
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#18
The famous quote "Let them hate, so long as they fear" has often been mis-attributed to both Machiavelli and Caligula, but it actually originated from the Roman poet and literary scholar Lucius Accius.
yeah. the point is, whatever follows hamas rule in Gaza is likely to be just as byzantine and just as messy as Lebanon. Which raises the question of just how much its worth push Hamas out (given that saying that long is going to be costly to Israel on many levels)
#21
Iranian "AID" Ship on its way to Gaza...already passing through Suez Canal in Egypt.
Iranian Press TVreports:
"An Iranian aid ship, destined for Palestinians, has reportedly entered Egyptian waters and scheduled to dock at the port of Gaza on Saturday.
According to IRIB, the ship, with 2000 tons of "humanitarian aid", passed through the Suez Canal and will head for Gaza "After obtaining needed permissions".
"The Iranian ship carried medicine and foodstuffs including rice, flour, sugar as well as a group of medics and nurses.
The Islamic Republic has also sent several consignments of humanitarian aid to the tiny land via Egypt so far. "
FROM> http://muqata.blogspot.com/
Not so. Gaza is not a 'factioned' as Lebanon. And the population of different religions were changing dramatically in Lebanon. IE Shia were becoming an increasing percentage with more influence and power via Mullahs and other religions, like Christians were becoming a smaller percentage.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
01/09/2009 16:23 Comments ||
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#24
well yeah its not the same. No shia, druze, or maronites in Gaza. But you DO have fatah, whatever hamasniks survive the collapse of Hamas rule, Islamic Jihad, Al Qaeeda, various clans (dogmush, etc). The point is its not as simple as "Hamas falls, fatah takes over, all is peaceful and quiet" Chaos is more likely than that. NOw, if its a 25% chance of a complete Fatah takeover, 25% of utter chaos, and 50% of something in between, how much is that worth it to Israel, versus having a weakened Hamas stay in power?
Hama Rules?
President Assad identified the rebellion as emanating from Syria's fourth-largest city — Hama — and he literally leveled it, pounding the fundamentalist neighborhoods with artillery for days. Once the guns fell silent, he plowed up the rubble and bulldozed it flat, into vast parking lots. Amnesty International estimated that 10,000 to 25,000 Syrians, mostly civilians, were killed in the merciless crackdown. Syria has not had a Muslim extremist problem since.
#26
RE: #21:
what are the chances the Israeli Navy turns the Iranian 'aid ship' around like it did the 'Dignity' last week?
i think they will allow it through.
This BTW is a debate in Israel right now, IIUC. Olmert wants to stay in Gaza till Hamas falls (redeem his whole term in office, i guess) Barak wants to declare victory, sign a deal, and get out. Livni wants to declare victory, and get out without a deal, to avoid giving indirect legitimacy to hamas, and in the belief that a free hand to go back in is a better way to avoid more rocket fire than anything they will get in any deal.
#28
The famous quote "Let them hate, so long as they fear" has often been mis-attributed to both Machiavelli and Caligula, but it actually originated from the Roman poet and literary scholar Lucius Accius.
Are you sure? Sounds like Fred speaking from his Neptune.
The only advantage to having a Hamas in control in Gaza over having a fight to fill the power vacuum is that with a recognized authority there's somewhere to place blame for the attacks on Israel.
However, and this is most important, Israel is in position to determined who will govern Gaza. If they want Fatah, then it will be, if they're willing to make it happen.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
01/09/2009 19:20 Comments ||
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#30
Duh. You are absolutely right, Scooter. I tossed that off without stopping to correctly remember Machiavelli's point, which was that an effective Prince might need to instill fear but should be careful to avoid causing hate if possible.
And here comes in the question whether it is better to be loved rather than feared, or feared rather than loved. It might perhaps be answered that we should wish to be both; but since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved.
For of men it may generally be affirmed, that they are thankless, fickle, false studious to avoid danger, greedy of gain, devoted to you while you are able to confer benefits upon them, and ready, as I said before, while danger is distant, to shed their blood, and sacrifice their property, their lives, and their children for you; but in the hour of need they turn against you.
The Prince, therefore, who without otherwise securing himself builds wholly on their professions is undone. For the friendships which we buy with a price, and do not gain by greatness and nobility of character, though they be fairly earned are not made good, but fail us when we have occasion to use them.
Moreover, men are less careful how they offend him who makes himself loved than him who makes himself feared. For love is held by the tie of obligation, which, because men are a sorry breed, is broken on every whisper of private interest; but fear is bound by the apprehension of punishment which never relaxes its grasp.
Nevertheless a Prince should inspire fear in such a fashion that if he do not win love he may escape hate. For a man may very well be feared and yet not hated, and this will be the case so long as he does not meddle with the property or with the women of his citizens and subjects. And if constrained to put any to death, he should do so only when there is manifest cause or reasonable justification. But, above all, he must abstain from the property of others. For men will sooner forget the death of their father than the loss of their patrimony.
(AKI) - US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice has endorsed a proposal by Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and the ruling Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip. "We need urgently to conclude a ceasefire that can endure and that can bring real security," Rice told the United Nations Security Council late Tuesday.
"In this regard we are pleased by and wish to commend the statement of the president of Egypt and to follow up on that initiative," she added.
The UN Security Council was meeting to consider a report from UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, in a bid to resolve the crisis.
As international diplomatic efforts continued to bring an end to Israel's military offensive in Gaza, bomb attacks continued in the coastal strip overnight while troops advanced on the ground on the twelfth day of Operation Cast Lead.
The Israeli air force attacked about 40 targets in Gaza overnight, including 15 arms smuggling tunnels and Hamas weapons caches, the military said.
According to the proposal presented by Mubarak, Israel and Palestinian factions should accept an immediate ceasefire and hold talks to establish long-term arrangements.
Rice stressed that the United States insisted on a ceasefire that was "durable and sustainable" and would not result in a return to the situation on the ground before Israel launched its air and ground offensive almost two weeks ago.
The Israeli army reported no missile launches from Gaza into Israel on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Israel said it would allow humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/09/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
Deceptive headline. Note that this is wishful thinking between Rice and Mubarak. So far Israel hasn't agreed to anything more than the current 3 hour cease fire.
Paratroopers in northern Gaza have uncovered a map prepared by Hamas that shows how the terror group prepared for the IDF's incursion by deploying different types of bombs as well as snipers throughout the town of Atatra. The handwritten map is based on a bird's-eye view of the town, likely taken from Google Maps. On the map, Hamas split the town into three sectors - red, blue and green - and highlighted important sites such as mosques, a gas station and a fuel depot.
"On the map, the terrorists also marked sniper positions, as well as the location of roadside bombs, antitank bombs and land mines," Chief Intelligence Officer Brig.-Gen. Yuval Halamish said on Thursday.
The map was discovered by soldiers from the Paratroop Brigade during operations in Atatra and was translated in the field and used to minimize casualties.
Halamish said the map showed how Hamas does not hesitate to use civilian infrastructure for its terrorist activity. A brown dot marked next to a mosque represents a sniper position. "This is a civilian area, and you can see on the map how Hamas booby-trapped the entrance to homes to hit the IDF," Halamish said.
In another case, a large bomb was marked next to a gas station. Had it been detonated it would have likely destroyed the gas station, killing and wounding civilians who live in the area.
In another case, soldiers discovered a mannequin dressed like a soldier at the entrance to a home, Halamish said. Had soldiers entered the home, the mannequin would have exploded, collapsing the floor and causing the troops to fall into a tunnel, where Hamas men would have tried to abduct them.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/09/2009 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Hamas
#1
Bring up the 155's. Decimate the entire area. Take out the town and environs for 10 kilometers each side. Next.
Israel and Hamas have opened a new front in the two-week old war in Gaza, using text messages, phone calls and leaflets to intimidate and influence the other side.
Palestinians say they have been receiving daily phone calls and text messages from the Israeli army warning them against supporting Hamas and asking for information about the whereabouts of its members.
Hamas, in turn, said it has sent menacing text messages to Israeli mobile phones and jammed radio stations, according to a report over the weekend in the U.K.'s Guardian newspaper. "The messages say that the Palestinian resistance missiles will reach you wherever you are and your government won't be able to protect you," Abu Mujaheid, spokesman for the Palestinian Resistance Committees, was quoted as saying.
According to Israeli Ynet news dozens of Israelis have received text messages in Hebrew that read: "Rockets on all cities, shelters not protect, Qassam rocket, Hamas.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/09/2009 00:00 ||
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[6 views]
Top|| File under: Hamas
#1
So both sides have enlisted their middle schoolers. What alert level instructs you to protect your person from swirlies and coverd wagon style wedgies?
Posted by: Super Hose ||
01/09/2009 1:38 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Rockets on all cities, shelters not protect, Qassam rocket, Hamas
#5
for a precision bomb from an F16, press 1
for a helicopter gunship, press 2
for artillery counter batter fire, press 3
To hear this menu in Spanish, press 4
To repeat this menu, press 9
To talk to a customer rep, please stay on the line.
The Hamas leadership rejected on Thursday an Egyptian truce plan for the Gaza Strip saying it lacked the "valid basis" that would secure Israel's pull out of the Gaza, reopening all border crossings and lifting the blockade against the Palestinians.
A statement by the Damascus-based ten Palestinian factions, including Hamas, said they "didn't see in the Egyptian initiative any valid basis for any acceptable solution as it includes articles deemed risky for the Palestinian resistance and its future."
It added that the aim of the Egyptian move was "to impose restrict on the resistance movement, blockading it while giving the enemy the free hand. The initiative could only help the enemy achieve the results they are unable to attain so far."
The Palestinian factions said it questioned the participation of Arab parties in the plan, but didn't name these countries.
A two-man delegation of Emad al-Alami and Mohammed Nasr flew back to Damascus on Wednesday night after having lengthy talks in Cairo with Egyptian officials, including intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, to discuss the initiative with Hamas's Syrian-based leadership.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak put forward a truce plan for the ravaged territory late Tuesday aimed at ending Israel's assault which has killed more than 700 Palestinians and ending militant rocket fire.
The plan hopes to install a temporary cease-fire followed by an official truce, the securing of Gaza's border and the opening of crossing points to and from the isolated territory.
The factions reiterated in the statement their demands of "stopping the aggression, immediate withdrawal, lifting the siege and opening the crossing points, particularly Rafah." They also rejected the idea of deploying international observers in Gaza.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/09/2009 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Hamas
#1
Hamas demands that they continue to get the stuffing kicked out of them until a better deal is presented. They are obviously banking on the fact that the Israelis will get bored with winning or will find the overwhelming stench will eventually offend them.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
01/09/2009 1:50 Comments ||
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#4
The UNSC Res is too vague to sub for a ceasefire plan, and seems most realize that. The real practical stumbling block right now seems to be Egypt. Israel isnt going to accept a deal that doenst effectively prevent Hamas from rearming, both for the practical reason that Hamas rockets damage Israel AND the peace process, and because to do so would mean a loss of face. Given that Egypt has been ineffective at stopping smuggling, Israel needs EU troops/observers at the Rafah crossing, on the egyptian side. Mubarak hasnt signed off. Methinks hes looking for some hefty baksheesh.
#7
ION HAMAS, PAKISTANI DEFENCE FORUM > [Unconfirmed at this time] HAMAS is claiming that its LR AL-QASSAM/GRAD ROCKETS have successfuly struck Israel's TEL NOF airbase, which is also believed to house Israeli nuclear weapons???
* ISRAELFORUM News > US EX-PENTAGON CHIEF WILLIAM PERRY: ISRAEL WILL NOT SIT IDLE WHILE IRAN FINALIZES NUCLEAR STEPS; + ANGER OVER GAZA GROWS IN ARAB STREETS. Muslim Govts. legitimacy vee US-Israel and pro-Muslim/Islam Policies being questioned = new scrutiny by many locals.
MUSLIM separatists torched the homes of 30 Christian families in an attack on a southern Philippines village, the military said on Thursday.
No casualties were reported following Wednesday's raid by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on the farming hamlet of Sangay, but the rebels are still occupying the area, said regional military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Julieto Ando. 'The rebels set on fire a total of 30 houses of Christian civilians. The problem there has something to do with land conflict,' Col Ando told reporters.
Some 500 families have fled Sangay for the nearby town of Kalamansig, Col Ando added. The military estimates about 150 armed guerrillas deployed in the village after it was sacked.
The government suspended peace talks with the 12,000-member MILF last year after the guerrillas attacked Christian villages across the island of Mindanao in protest at a Supreme Court ruling blocking a proposed peace settlement. The draft accord, subsequently ruled unconstitutional by the court, would have given the MILF control over large areas of Mindanao that it deems as the large Islamic minority's 'ancestral domain'.
The fighting at one point displaced half a million civilians, according to international relief agencies that continue to serve the affected population.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/09/2009 00:00 ||
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IsraelNN.com) The Lebanese Army Friday arrested what it said was a squad numbering seven people who it says are responsible for the Katyusha rocket attack Thursday against Israel's North.
The suspects admitted that they were members of the Lebanese Hamas movement.
The Lebanese Army and a UNIFIL force discovered an additional, ready-to-launch rocket pod.
A new Lebanese Shiite group that hopes to vie for the leadership of the resistance declared the launch of the Arab Islamic resistance and said thousands of fighters and volunteers are expected to join, according to an interview with the founder.
In the statement issued Wednesday, council founder Sayyed Mohamed Ali al-Husseini announced that the group aims to fight the enemies of Arabs and stressed the Arab identity of the group as opposed to Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran.
The anti-Hezbollah Islamic Arab Council is made up of more than 3,000 fighters and so far received requests by more than 1,500 volunteers seeking to join the group, particularly from the Gulf region.
"The new resistance group is now a military organization and has training camps in Lebanon and enough weapons to face any enemy," Husseini told AlArabiya.net. "The training of the fighters was completed three months ago."
When asked about the source of funding, Husseini said it comes from individuals and not countries: "Launching an Islamic Arab resistance is a free resolution any Arab body can support it."
Husseini told AlArabiya.net that the group manufactured a rocket called Orouba--meaning Arabism--and that it will be very special.
Despite being a competitor of Hezbollah, especially in the coming parliamentary elections, Husseini said he doesn't mind that the two groups cooperate in case Israel, which he called "the first enemy of the Arab nation," attacks Lebanon.
Husseini said the new resistance group is open anyone to join, whether Sunni or Shiite.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/09/2009 00:00 ||
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[4 views]
Top|| File under: Hezbollah
#1
I'm torn between hoping the CIA funded this outfit and hoping that all 3,000 fighters are hit with a daisy cutter while slumping to parade rest for morning quarters.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
01/09/2009 1:34 Comments ||
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#2
Since when CIA funded Muzi organizations are not Jihadi?
When submitting articles, please make sure that you have:
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Oh, and by the way - Barbara is running a special on popcorn and the O Club has a couple different beers on tap. Mostly cold but we have one small keg at room temp for our Brit friends. Chips, pretzels, bar nuts (pun intended) and cheese dip are out on the sidebar -- help yourself.
I just received a new boxcar-load of popcorn for my Industrial-Strength Popcorn Machine™ (the train is backing into my Specially Approved Subdivision Rail Siding™ right now), so popcorn's two for one tonight.
Get it while it's hot! :-D
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
01/09/2009 19:59 Comments ||
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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.
Paula Lloyd, Human Terrain Team member and Social Scientist, passed away on 7 January at approximately 1400 at Brooke Army Medical Center, as a result of the burns she received in Kandahar, AF, this past November. She received second and third burns over 60% of her body when an Afghan man threw flammable liquid on her and set her on fire. The Afghan was killed, alledgedley by her team mate..
A New Year's CIA strike in northern Pakistan killed two top al-Qaeda terrorists long sought by the United States, including the man believed to be behind September's deadly suicide bombing at a Marriott hotel in the Pakistani capital, U.S. counterterrorism officials told The Washingon Post today.
When thousands of heavily armed Israeli soldiers poured into the Gaza Strip on Saturday night, Hamas pulled back.
MUSLIM separatists torched the homes of 30 Christian families in an attack on a southern Philippines village, the military said on Thursday.
