[Al Arabiya Latest] Egypt's three most prominent religious leaders have backed a government ban on the niqab, or full face veil, in dormitories and examinations, saying it had no basis in Islam.
In October, Sheikh Mohamed Sayed Tantawi, the head of al-Azhar, a major seat of Islamic learning, issued a religious edict barring the niqab in Azhar-run all-girl schools and in dormitories.
The minister of higher education subsequently banned it in university examinations.
"Al Azhar is not against the niqab but against its misuse," the government-run al-Akhbar newspaper cited Tantawi on Tuesday as saying. He said it was a social habit that had no roots in sharia (Islamic law).
Earlier this week, Tantawi joined Mufti Ali Gomaa, Egypt's highest religious legal authority, and Hamdy Zakzouk, minister of religious endowments, in a forum on the niqab. Other religious leaders also attended.
Egypt's government has long been wary of Islamist thinking and in the 1990s crushed Islamists seeking to set up a religious state. It also is keen to quell opposition ahead of parliamentary elections next year and a later presidential vote.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/23/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
a social habit that had no roots in sharia
That is what we infidels have been saying all along. And it is a very worthy habit in some cases (Rosie O'Donnel comes to mind.)
#3
The thought of Helen Thomas, even in a niqab, gives me nightmares. Why can't that woman do the world a favor and retire - preferably to some place like Rapa Nui?
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
12/23/2009 16:53 Comments ||
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MOSCOW The prime minister of Lithuania, a former Soviet republic that broke from Moscows orbit and is now a member of NATO, accused the United States on Tuesday of using Soviet methods to set up two secret prisons in Lithuania for terrorism suspects.
The prime minister, Andrius Kubilius, said the United States had reached what he contended were clandestine and illegal arrangements with the Lithuanian secret services for prisons that were outside civilian control. Mr. Kubilius made his remarks on the day that the national security committee in the Lithuanian Parliament released a report that determined that the country was the site of two small secret prisons, though it did not indicate how they were used.
The report was based on testimony from politicians and national security officials. It was initiated after ABC News described Lithuanias role in hosting so-called black sites, and other questions were raised about its activities in the fight against terrorism.
Arvydas Anusauskas, chairman of the national security committee, said state security officials received requests from the C.I.A. to establish detention facilities.
He said it was not clear who was housed in the facilities because five planes that apparently transported people to Lithuania were never inspected by civilian officials. The report contended that state security officials never informed senior government officials, like the prime minister, about the prisons, which supposedly could hold a handful of people.
The scandal over the secret prisons has shaken Lithuanias political system and could lead to an overhaul of the security services. The intelligence chief has already resigned.
Mr. Kubilius did note that Lithuania is a strategic United States ally, and cooperation in many fields, including secret operations and counterterrorism, is very important. But he said it was deeply worrying that security officials established the prisons without oversight from senior civilian officials.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/23/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
These so-called Terrorists should have been first given trial in a New York criminal court (or a civil court if they had not been read their rights), and if found guilty they should be fined or imprisoned accordingly (provided you can still find them).
The CIA officials responsible for this should be imprisoned.
[Al Arabiya Latest] French judges could release an Iranian agent jailed for the murder of a former prime minister as early as next month, his lawyer said Tuesday, after France accused Tehran of seeking a prisoner swap.
On Monday, France's Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Iran wanted France to free convicted assassin Ali Vakili Rad in exchange for the release of 24-year-old French researcher Coltilde Reiss, who is on trial in Tehran.
Reiss, a young teacher who was accused of taking part in anti-government protests, is due to appear in court on Wednesday in Iran and her family is hoping for a rapid verdict and her return to France.
Iran's ISNA news agency quoted the public relations office of Tehran's Revolutionary court as saying the "second stage of the trial dealing with Clotilde Reiss's charges" would be held on Dec. 23.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/23/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
If France wants Coltilde released then grab the spawn of an Ayatollah. There are plenty around sinning their way across Europe.
Posted by: ed ||
12/23/2009 1:26 Comments ||
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#1
Meanwhile Barry releases and repatriates these scum individually to restart their terrorism careers and slay more innocent civilians and US soldiers. Welcome to the Chicago work-around.
The five U.S. nationals detained recently by the Pakistani security forces have said that they do not regret planning attacks in connection with jihad against the U.S. forces in Afghanistan, according to a Pashtu-language newspaper.
The five American nationals were recently arrested in the town of Sargodha in Pakistans Punjab province.
Martyrdom is our aim. We will get martyrdom if we are hanged [executed], Usman Anwar, a police investigative officer, quoted the detained U.S. nationals as saying, according to a report in the Pashtu-language newspaper Wrazpanra Wahdat.
Ramy Zamzam, one of the detained U.S. nationals, told interrogators that they had planned to obtain martyrdom but we did not succeed, adding that they do not regret organizing their plan for jihad.
The five Americans, including three of Pakistani origin, one of Egyptian descent and the other of Yemeni origin, were arrested by Pakistan security forces in Sargodha on December 9.
#2
But hanging, done improperly and filmed, can be a great deterrent. Little too much weight on the feet and the head goes . . . POP! Just like the weasels they are.
Posted by: Jame Retief ||
12/23/2009 13:13 Comments ||
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#3
How about if we sew you up in a pig-skin and bury you alive?
#4
Cut their Achilles tendons, tie their hands behind their backs, a noose around their necks, and toss 'em behind a slow garbage scow on its way from Karachi to Mogadishu. Any survivors can be freed.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
12/23/2009 17:39 Comments ||
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#5
Little too much weight on the feet and the head goes ...
As someone on the Burg noted a long time back, the drop table is expressed in feet, not meters ...
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/23/2009 18:07 Comments ||
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reveals clandestine US incursions into Pakistan as part of a secret war in the northwestern tribal region regularly hit by CIA drone attacks.
American special forces conducted multiple illegal raids into Pakistan's tribal areas, which were never declared to the Pakistani government, the unnamed officer told the Guardian.
The incursions, only one of which has been previously reported, occurred between 2003 and 2008, involving helicopter-borne elite soldiers crossing the border in the night.
"The Pakistanis were kept entirely in the dark about it. It was one of those things we wouldn't confirm officially with them," he said.
The revelation comes amid growing anger in Pakistan against the CIA-led drone program that, according to local media, has killed many civilians in the lawless tribal belt along the border with Afghanistan, due to see an additional infiltration of 30,000 American soldiers shortly.
The US publicly acknowledged only one of the raids by its special forces in September 2008, prompting strong condemnation from Pakistan's foreign office, which described it as "a grave provocation." The military also threatened retaliatory action.
But the ex-NATO officer said that was the fourth raid of previous years, adding one of them was to rescue a crashed Predator drone because they did not trust Pakistani forces.
Washington has recently sent several senior officials to Islamabad to ask Pakistani officials for action against alleged al-Qaeda and Taliban-linked militants in North Waziristan, and an expansion of CIA drone strikes into the western province of Balochistan.
But Pakistan's intelligence officials reject such requests and accuse the US of "scapegoating" Pakistan for its own failures in Afghanistan.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/23/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
If these raids happen (they probably do), and if Pakistan doesn't want them to, and if Pakistan was in control of the region, then it stands to reason that Pakistan would stop the raids.
I figure Pakistan wants them to happen, but can't admit it, and couldn't stop them in any case.
#2
Screw Pakistan. The sooner it ceases to exist, the sooner the rest of the world will experience far fewer problems. As for the "former NATO Officer", s/he really needs to have and up-close-and-personal meeting with an axehandle between the eyes.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
12/23/2009 17:43 Comments ||
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#3
No doubt the same "NATO officer" that tells Press Iran that the Americans are bombing Iran's Houthi puppets with chemical weapons. Pity PressIR can't even match the accuracy of a stopped clock.
Posted by: ed ||
12/23/2009 18:46 Comments ||
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[Geo News] President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday said, as the monster of militants and extremists was created by the international community in the past to fight the rival ideology, it was their responsibility to help Pakistan in this fight and contain its negative fallout on the country.
Well golly, I thought that's what we were doing with our Predator and Special Forces attacks.
He said that non-state actors wanted to push sovereign countries to go to war. To guard against it, the international community needs to join hands, he said.
The President was talking to General Jean-Louis Georgelin, Chief of Defence Staff French Armed Forces, who called on him here at Aiwan-e-Sadr today.
During the meeting matters relating to militancy and defence cooperation between Pakistan and France came under discussion.
The President said that Pakistan attaches great importance to its relations with France and stressed on comprehensive up-gradation of bilateral ties with enhanced trade, investments, sustainable market access and deeper mutual cooperation in other areas that could prove beneficial for both the countries.
The French Chief of Defence Staff appreciated Pakistan's role in the fight against militancy and the sacrifices of the armed forces and law enforcing agencies.
Minister for Defence Ch. Ahmed Mukhtar, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Tariq Majeed, Secretary General to the President Salman Faruqui, Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir and Spokesperson to the President former Senator Farhatullah Babar also attended the meeting along with senior officials of both the countries.
French Ambassador Daniel Jouanneau was also present in the meeting. President Zardari on the occasion also conferred Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Military) on General Jean-Louis Georgelin.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/23/2009 00:00 ||
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[The News (Pak) Top Stories] Ajmal Kasab, who is being prosecuted by the Indian government in connection with the Mumbai terror attacks, informed the special court in Mumbai on Tuesday he was never given training in Pakistan.
Kasab told the court, which is recording his final statement on the prosecution evidence that he was not a "Jihadi" and had not undergone any training at Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) camp. Kasab said he was a cook with a catering company in "Sara-e-Alamgir" near Jhelum in Pakistan.
What was he doing in Mumbai then? That's an awfully long way from Jhelum. Did he take a wrong turn making a delivery?
Denying any involvement with LeT and JuD, Kasab said he had never met Hafiz Saeed, Zakiur Lakhvi, Abu Kahfa and Abu Hamza.
"I heard the names of LeT and JuD from the police here. Crime Branch officials had shown the photograph of Lakhvi," Kasab said. When judge, ML Tahaliyani asked if he was introduced to one Maj-Gen Saab at the training camp, Kasab said, "This is absolutely wrong."
When special judge referred to his "confessional statement" that Hafiz Saeed had told 30 boys at the LeT training camp that they would have to lay down their lives for liberating Kashmir, Kasab said: "This is absolutely wrong."
He said the police had threatened to administer electric shocks to him if he did not give a statement to the magistrate, Kasab said the police had prepared the confession and forced him to recite it.
Disowning his confessional statement, he said it was given under duress. "The police had taken Rs2,400 from me on November 25, which I had kept for my return ticket. Those currency notes did not have any marks on them. These notes have something written on them," Kasab said.
No doubt the writing says, "Kasab's money." Again, what was he doing in Mumbai, and how does he claim he got there?
Posted by: Fred ||
12/23/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
He shoulda taken a left at Albakoiky.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
12/23/2009 8:50 Comments ||
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Through its partnership with the Iraqi military, coalition forces have made progress in marginalizing many of the most egregious practices of the old regime. Brutal interrogation methods are no longer the norm, and blatant bribery has at least been stigmatized to the point where it takes place behind closed doors. But despite the best efforts of advisor teams and training initiatives, many of the same problems continue to plague the Iraqi Army (IA) senior leadership: a lack of detailed planning, an inability to trust and encourage initiative in subordinates, and a high level of corruption at the expense of the enlisted soldiers.
Despite being in the "new army," Iraqi generals and field grade officers have still spent a majority of their careers in the "old army." Not surprisingly then, the Saddam-era tendencies manifest themselves most prominently amongst these officers, who view themselves as benevolent Bedouin sheiks, graciously bestowing patronage on their tribesmen (their troops) and competing for prestige amongst the other prominent tribal leaders (other officers).
While they pay lip service to the idea of serving their country and their fellow Iraqis, their actions reveal that they have very little genuine concern for anyone other than themselves. In short, it seems that their reasons for being in the IA are simply the paycheck and the social prestige accompanying their rank and position. We therefore need to shift our advisory efforts away from these incorrigible senior officers and focus instead on the still malleable company grade officers. Otherwise, the poisonous, old-order mentality will inevitably seep into the minds of these young officers still learning what it means to be leaders and soldiers.
As an advisor to an IA colonel over the past 10 months, my experiences have strongly spoken to these points. My counterpart constantly insists on offering me tea, food, and gifts as a way of demonstrating his great generosity. I find that I am always the one initiating any kind of work-related conversation, and whenever I do, he seems forlorn that I have ruined our social time together by injecting such a depressing subject. Despite my title of advisor, my counterpart has curiously never once asked for my advice.
When he fails to produce a convenient excuse to avoid acting on one of my recommendations, he simply ignores it. Although his performance has been tolerable, or "Iraqi good enough," he is far from what I would objectively describe as professionally competent, hard working, or even honest. He sleeps for the better part of each afternoon, so I have made it a habit to not bother visiting him then. Whenever I do visit, I rarely find him engaged in anything work related but rather socializing with other officers or watching television.
To be sure, my counterpart maintains his appearance as a staff officer by attending required meetings and doing what few tasks the division commanding general assigns him. As long as he fulfills these minimal requirements, he will continue to enjoy the benefits of his position, to include a well-furnished, air-conditioned office; his own air-conditioned living quarters with satellite television; his own shower and toilet; three soldiers who act as his personal servants by attending to his every need; and 7 days of paid vacation per month. With so few real responsibilities and so many benefits, what incentive does he have to heed my recommendations? Despite the fact that I enjoy a very amiable relationship with my counterpart, he and I both know that he does not have to listen to my suggestions, so he ignores them.
The difference in rank between my counterpart and me can only minimally account for this problem. I have watched officers of similar rank to their counterparts encounter the same obstacles. Some advisors may disagree with this analysis based on their successes with their Iraqi counterparts. I will concede that, as mentioned above, advisors have successfully reduced or marginalized the most blatant fraud, waste, and abuse of the IA senior leadership. But regardless of rank, no advisor will be able to alter the fundamental mindset of an Iraqi senior officer: what's in it for me?
Conversely, consider the IA's company grade officers, who have spent most of their careers in the new army. Unlike the Iraqi senior officers, whose attitudes toward the advice of their advisors ranges between indifference and annoyance, the Iraqi junior officers are still openminded and eager for instruction. Outside influences have acted upon these officers early enough in their lives to broaden their perspectives. They do not necessarily accept the defeatist worldview of the older generation--life is not necessarily a zero-sum game, individuals can effect change in their lives, there is reward in sacrificing for a larger purpose. While still proud of their Arab heritage, they are nonetheless more willing to shun the aspects of their culture that prove to impede progress of their nation. In general, they are more punctual. They are more willing to admit when they are wrong or when they do not know how to do something. Like their senior officers, they are very hospitable. I am always offered tea and food when I am the guest of a junior officer. But when the time comes to discuss business, I have found that they devote their attention entirely to the matter at hand. My experience with one Iraqi first lieutenant exemplifies the remarkably more receptive and openminded attitude of Iraqi junior officers.
When I approached this lieutenant about conducting intelligence training with some of his soldiers, he was more than interested; he was enthusiastic. On the first day of training, he had his soldiers seated in the classroom 15 minutes early, note-taking materials out and ready to receive instruction. The 13 soldiers he brought with him were attentive throughout the class, asked questions, and were actively engaged in the training. Toward the end of the training, I conducted a practical application exercise with the class on questioning techniques in which I acted as a "source" and the Iraqi soldiers asked questions. When a soldier would ask poor questions, I would stop the exercise, providing constructive criticism so that the rest of the class could learn from his mistakes. Unlike what would happen if an advisor ever constructively criticized a field grade officer in front of others, these soldiers did not get their feelings hurt or feel like I was making a personal attack on them. The class' professional atmosphere--as set by the Iraqis themselves--prevented such pettiness and was a direct reflection of the lieutenant's composed demeanor. At the end of the day, the lieutenant's reward for his efforts was his fly-infested living quarters, shared with another lieutenant. The stench that surrounded his crowded living area from the combination of rotting food, standing water, and burning trash was nauseating. And yet, despite having no running water, intermittent electricity, and only a small fan for relief from the stifling heat, the lieutenant was as gracious a host as any Iraqi colonel or general.
With these factors in mind, why then is the brigade level and above the focus of our advisory effort in Iraq? What motivation to change are we giving the senior officers of today's IA, comfortable in their ornate offices and entrenched in the top-down, centralized system of the old regime? Life is good for the average senior Iraqi officer, and he has no intention of risking all that he has attained for the sake of such lofty ideals as service to country. Unfortunately, I fear that no amount of advising will ever change this mindset. Thus, instead of doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result, our partnership with the IA should move forward with a new direction and purpose. The future of the IA and, consequentially, the future of American strategic interests in Iraq, lie in the next generation of senior officers, or those currently serving as company grade officers. Unlike their alleged "leaders," Iraqi junior officers are willing to receive criticism constructively, allowing advisors to offer honest recommendations without the fear of transgressing upon the Arab cultural norms designed to protect egos. Unfortunately, they receive hardly any attention from our advisor teams. Thus the primary influences on Iraqi company grade officers are the corrupt and incompetent field grade and general officers above them. As long as this continues to be the case, these junior officers will learn from the example of their predecessors and adapt their practices. In 20 years the result will be an IA with the same type of leaders and the same problems of today. To a degree, the old army mentality has already begun to permeate the junior officer ranks as an inevitable result of the example set by their leaders. Influencing Iraqi junior officers today so they are better senior officers tomorrow will be a critical step toward preventing this outcome.
[Ma'an] President Mahmoud Abbas said in an interview published on Tuesday that he stopped a third Palestinian intifada from occurring during the Israeli offensive against Gaza last winter
Speaking to New York's Wall Street Journal, Abbas also said he would not allow another uprising to take place as long as he stays in office.
"I will not allow a new intifada. As long as I'm in office, I will not allow anybody to start a new intifada. Never never. But if I leave, it's no longer my responsibility and I can't make any guarantees. It could happen," he said.
"It's not my business to follow up. I promise and I can do. And I already promised and I did during the invasion of Gaza. At that time everybody asked me to go to a third intifada, but I prevented anybody from doing it."
Asked? But everybody said the intifadas were a spontaneous expression of the Palestinian popular anger.
In the interview he also denied reports that the CIA is working closely with PA security forces who torture detainees.
Oh no, my dear. That's the kind of thing the security forces -- of the various Palestinian groups -- long ago worked out all by their very own clever selves.
The issue resurfaced last Thursday in an article in the UK daily The Guardian, which reported that, according to western diplomats and other officials, the CIA seemed to be supervising the work of the Preventive Security Organization (PSO) and General Intelligence Service (GI).
"We have no relationship with the CIA at all. We have a relationship with the State Department. The State Department sends us some Americans to train and rebuild the Palestinian security apparatuses. That's it," Abbas was quoted as saying.
"There is US training of our forces," he said, "We don't deny that at all. But not just American. Russia, and Jordan and France and many countries help in training us. And [US security coordinator Kieth] Dayton's team is from a number of countries, not just America. America gives us nothing but training,"
The Guardian's report also quoted PA officials reporting that between 400 and 500 Hamas are held by the security forces.
At least the detainees died in PA custody in 2009.
No doubt they had reason to be grateful for the release.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/23/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
"I invented the Internet during the Gaza War." looked too retro, eh....?
[Ma'an] As rumors of a pending prisoner exchange circulate, Israel's Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth published bios of nine Palestinian prisoners it says are the names holding up a swap deal.
The nine are: Marwan Al-Barghouthi, Abdallah Al-Barghouthi, Abbas Al-Sayyed, Ahmad Sa'adat, Ibrahim Hamid, Yahia Sanwari, Ahlam Tammimi, Amneh Muna and Qahera Al-Sa'di, are allegedly on the list of 450 names specified by Hamas negotiators for release. The other 550 prisoners under the deal would be up to Israeli discretion.
The following is a translated version of the Israeli article:
Marwan Al-Barghouthi -- Accused of organizing the bombing of a Tel Aviv supermarket, a second in a wedding hall in the city of Hadera, a third in Jerusalem's Madrahov Street in Jerusalem and a fourth targeting a car near Ramallah killing a child and a rabbi.
Abdallah Al-Barghouthi -- A Hamas engineer, he is accused of planning the bombing of the Moment Coffee in Jerusalem, the Sbarro pizza restaurant, a disco and an Israeli bus near Tel Aviv. In total he stands accused of killing 66 Israelis.
Abbas Al-Sayyed -- The military commander of Hamas in Tulkarem, he stands accused of orchestrating the bombing of the Park Hotel in Netanya which killed 30.
Ahmad Sa'dat -- General Secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP); He stands accused of orchestrating the assassination of Israeli Tourism Minister Rechavam Zeevy. The attack was said to be response to the assassination of PFLP General Secretary Abu Ali Mustafa earlier that year.
Ibrahim Hamid -- Stands accused of planning the bombing of Zion Square, Moment Coffee shop and the Hilel coffee shop in Jerusalem and of bombing a disco in Rishon Litzion and of a bus in Tsarfin.
Yahia Sanwari - Detained since 1988, his brother Mohammed is accused of organizing the capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit after he formed Hamas' security apparatus.
Ahlam Tammimi -- The first Palestinian woman to join Hamas, she stands accused of assisting in the bombing of the Sbarro pizza restaurant which killed 15.
Amneh Muna -- Accused of abducting an Israeli youth after luring him into Ramallah via internet chat. She is also accused of killing the young man.
Qahera Al-Sa'di -- She is accused of transporting the man who executed a bombing operation in 2002 on Jerusalem's King George Street.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/23/2009 00:00 ||
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DUBAI Six of Osama bin Laden's children and one of his wives, missing since the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, are under house arrest in Iran, newspapers reported on Wednesday, quoting a family member. "Until a month ago we did not know where the siblings were," Omar bin Laden, 29, the fourth son of the Al-Qaeda chief, told the Saudi-owned newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.
Omar bin Laden, who lives in Qatar, said he only learnt his family members were still alive after receiving a call last month from his brother Uthman, who had been lent a mobile phone by a young Iranian. Saad, 29, Uthman, 25, Fatima, 22, Hamza, 20, and Bakr, 15, along with Hamza's mother Khairiya are under house arrest in Tehran, Omar said, while a sixth sibling, Iman, 17, recently sought asylum at the Saudi embassy in Tehran.
Omar's brother Saad was rumoured to have been killed in a US drone strike 18 months ago in Pakistan. British newspaper The Times reported 11 of bin Laden's grandchildren were also living in the high-security compound outside Tehran.
The group fled Afghanistan just before the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States and walked to the Iranian border, where they were detained and taken to the walled compound by guards, the Times said. "The Iranian government did not know what to do with this large group of people whom nobody else wanted, so they just kept them safe. For that we owe them much gratitude," Omar said. Protective custody, so to speak. Weighing heavy to the custody side.
His relatives are said to be living as normal a life as possible, cooking meals, watching television and reading, but they are allowed out on shopping trips only rarely.
The Times said Iman escaped from the compound during one such trip last month and fled to the Saudi embassy. "Iman has lived for more than 25 days inside the Saudi embassy," Omar said.
Fuad Qassas, the Saudi charge d'affairs at the kingdom's embassy in Tehran, confirmed Iman was staying there, according to Asharq Al-Awsat, which said she has been seeking permission to leave Iran, so far without success.
Omar said five of his father's other children are currently in Saudi Arabia, while three, along with his mother Najwa, are in Syria. He hopes the family in Iran will be granted permission to leave. "We just want to be together as a family. I have now got 11 nieces and nephews, born either in Afghanistan or Iran that I have never seen. Some people may find this story unnerving, but the child can't be judged by the sins of their father," the Times quoted him as saying. True, but we don't have to care either
Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast did not deny that six members of the bin Laden family were in Tehran, at a weekly press conference on Tuesday. Likely not worth much as hostages, but it doesn't cost much to hang on to them either.
Osama bin Laden, now in his 50s and rumoured to be in poor health, is the world's most-wanted man with 25 million dollars on his head. He is thought to be feeding worms hiding out in mountains on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
#2
Please someone tell me what Barry will do when it is discovered the bin Laden residing comfortably and running his entire network from an Iranian safehaven?
A senior Iranian lawmaker says Tehran does not take rumors of US Senator John Kerry's proposed visit to Tehran seriously.
The American bimonthly, Foreign Policy magazine on Friday reported that Kerry had "offered" to travel to the Iranian capital to broker "a last-ditch agreement" with Tehran over its nuclear program.
He has all the charisma of Bambi in negotiating agreements ...
"American senators have time and again wanted to visit Tehran or to negotiate with members of the parliament," Iranian MP Alaeddin Boroujerdi said.
"Their policy with regards to Iran, especially during [Barack] Obama's term ... has not changed at all," he added.
This attitude "has left Iran with no reason to believe in negotiations," the lawmaker continued.
Last year, Hossein Taqavi, a member of the Majlis National Security Commission, said the US congresswomen have requested a meeting with female members of Iran's Majlis. Iran had also made public another official US request for talks between the American congressmen and the Iranian parliamentarians.
While attending the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in October 2008, the Iranian lawmakers reportedly received a letter from the US officials in Washington, asking for a meeting.
The West accuses Tehran of pursuing a military agenda with its nuclear program, despite the UN nuclear watchdog's constant monitoring of Iran's nuclear facilities. The two sides came close to ending the dispute through a nuclear deal back in August, but the powers' refusal to appease Iran's concerns over details of the agreement led to a temporary break down in talks over the issue.
The UN-backed proposal, which was first floated by the Obama administration, required Iran to send most of its domestically-enriched low-grade uranium out of the country for further refinement of up to 20 percent. Iran needs the fuel for the Tehran reactor, which produces radioisotopes that are used in cancer treatment procedures in over 200 hospitals across the country.
Despite having accepted the general aspects of the draft deal, Iran refused to officially accept the proposal, as its concerns about the other side's commitment to its obligations were not addressed.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/23/2009 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
Flight Documents Detail a Complicated Itinerary That Included Tehran; Plane's Cargo Described as 'Oil Industry Spare Parts'
There's a cute little map at the link showing the itinerary. Scroll down to the bottom of the page.
A plane loaded with weapons from North Korea that was recently impounded in Bangkok was bound for Iran, according to documents obtained by arms-trafficking experts.
The destination of the Ilyushin-76, which Thai authorities have said carried 35 tons of armaments, has been unknown. Thai officials said the plane flew to Pyongyang via Bangkok to collect its cargo, then returned to Bangkok to refuel on Dec. 11. It was seized during that stop and its five crew members were detained by Thai police.
#2
Gee, I wonder if Svetlana has any connection to Viktor Bout. The string of shell companies is one of his trademarks but probably common in that line of "work".
#3
A flight plan for the IL-76, obtained by researchers in the U.S. and Belgium, shows that after Bangkok the plane was due to make refueling stops in Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates and Ukraine before unloading its cargo in Tehran.
Um, why would they fly past Tehran to take on fuel in Ukraine just to reverse course and go back to Tehran? Don't they take Discover in Tehran?
Something more here that we don't know about (go figure)....
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.
