France says it does not yet know whether a French female journalist yeah, she's cute. Pic at link.
missing in Iraq since early on Wednesday has been taken hostage, and has urged journalists not to travel to Iraq. "We don't know what this is," Foreign Minister Michel Barnier told LCI television in an interview on Friday. We're Clueless
"We are worried because we have no news, but we don't know for sure. So as I'm speaking, there are several hypotheses and I don't know which is the correct hypothesis," he added. There's a lot that clown doesn't know
Barnier said France was working with Iraqi authorities to try to find Florence Aubenas, who works for French newspaper Liberation, and her Iraqi interpreter Hussein Hanoun Al Saadi. We have made it our top priority, efendi
"We have visited the hospitals. We are looking for her," he added. A French diplomatic source said on Thursday Aubenas could have been killed, injured, kidnapped or arrested. eloped, escaped, converted to islam, abducted by aliens, the list goes on and on. Mon dieu.
President Jacques Chirac said he was concerned by Aubenas' disappearance and urged journalists not to go to Iraq. "At the current time, the safety of war correspondents cannot be assured in Iraq," Chirac said in his New Year greetings to journalists. "That's how it is. French authorities formally advise against sending journalists to that country. We already know the truth about the ugly Americans. You don't need to leave Paris to make up your articles"
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
01/07/2005 8:24:32 AM ||
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#1
If the reporters all leave, who would the Terrorist show off to? Who would hear thier message? Sometimes Jacques dose'nt think.
#2
Maybe the ransom budget is drained and that's why he wants them out.
Posted by: Laurence of the Rats ||
01/07/2005 9:08 Comments ||
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#3
I suspect she was not grabbed by space aliens.
If Chirac can't be botherd to protect his citizens why should we? We are the evil incarnate according to your French media you don't need our help.
#10
Doc - You're too modest, heh. I think you must've helped out Al Zarqi, then, with his fashion sense and image. It appears that he's wearing black pantyhose on his head - in the latest "tuck in the ends" - aka "The Seamless Look" style... you know the one - from behind one can see there is a cute bow. I used to marvel at the precision with which the Saudis styled their kaffiyeh, with a crisp crease, the folds set just so, and the fan belt, a crowning glory, for that layered look and set at just the right janty angle, for that air of mystery and elan. Very spiffy!
#11
Who says the French can't learn? Pay ransom for kidnapped reporters and suprise!suprise!suprise! the terrorists will kidnap another.
Posted by: Stephen ||
01/07/2005 11:37 Comments ||
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#12
Stephen...so true!
I guess she thought that she'd be OK cause the terrorists would see her as French instead of as an infidel.
I feel very sorry for her, but if there is a silver lining, it might be that the Euro's and lefties finaly get a clue that criticising Jews and Americans or sympathizing terrorists will shelter them from the Islamist threat about as much as blacks were sheltered from the wrath of the KKK by criticising other blacks or trying to understand their motives. Bottom line...we're all infidels...just like to the KKK, all were black. One dead is as good as another.
#4
The men came first, as migrant workers in the late nineteen-sixties, to do jobs that the Dutch no longer wished to do: hard and dirty jobs in industry, or cleaning buildings and streets.
And the meek shall inherit the earth.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
01/07/2005 9:46 Comments ||
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US attorney-general nominee Alberto Gonzales faced blistering criticism today for his role in shaping administration policies blamed for the torture of terrorist suspects. Democrats said the policies had put Americans at greater risk. "Those abuses serve as recruiting posters for the terrorists," Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont said at a Senate confirmation hearing for Gonzales, President George W. Bush's White House counsel. "America's troops and citizens are at greater risk because of those actions," the Judiciary Committee's top Democrat, Sen Leahy, said.
Let me guess: someone had a camera on?
"The searing photographs from Abu Ghraib (prison in Iraq) have made it harder to create and maintain the alliances we need to prevail." At issue are a memo Mr Gonzales approved that said only the most severe types of torture were not permissible under US and international agreements, and another he wrote that described parts of the half-century-old Geneva Conventions on the treatment of prisoners of war as "obsolete" or "quaint." At the packed hearing, Mr Gonzales denounced torture and vowed if confirmed as attorney general to abide by international treaties. "I want to make very clear that I am deeply committed to the rule of law," Mr Gonzales said.
Republicans were quick to come to Mr Gonzales' defence, though some voiced concerns about the treatment of prisoners and the memos. But even Democrats conceded he had the votes to be confirmed as the first Hispanic-American to serve as the nation's top lawman. Chairman Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, praised Mr Gonzales and asked:
"Do you approve of torture?"
"Absolutely not," Mr Gonzales said.
"Do you condemn the interrogators' techniques at Abu Ghraib shown on the widely published photographs?" Senator Specter asked.
"Let me say senator that as a human being I am sickened and outraged by those photos," Mr Gonzales said.
Many of the questions focused on Mr Gonzales' January 2002 memo on how the Geneva Conventions should not apply to Taliban and al-Qaeda prisoners captured during the Afghanistan conflict. Senator John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, introduced Mr Gonzales, a former Texas Supreme Court Justice, at the hearing, saying: "Now, I hate to ruin a good story for the president's political opponents. But there is one important problem with this criticism: Judge Gonzales is right."
Mr Gonzales was questioned about an August 2002 memo he approved which was recently withdrawn and replaced that outlined how to avoid violating US and international terror statutes while interrogating prisoners. The memo was behind many of the harsh techniques inflicted on detainees at the US Naval Base in Guantanamo, Cuba and other locations. "The issue of your commitment to the rule of law is what most concerns us," Massachusetts Democrat Senator Edward Bagogas Kennedy said. "With the consent of the Senate, I will no longer represent only the White House," Mr Gonzales said. "I will represent the United States of America and its people. I understand the differences. In the former, I have been privileged to advise the president and his staff; in the latter, I would have a far broader responsibility to pursue justice for all the people of our great nation."
This one is done. 80 - 20 in the full Senate vote.
Posted by: Anon5607 ||
01/07/2005 12:16:38 AM ||
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#1
Why do Democrats, socialist and wankers not understand the 1949 Geneva Accords do not apply to terrorists? The US is not part of any treatiest subsequent that would apply. It has to be willful ignorance and stupidity.
#3
SPoD, I suppose you also think that Democrats, socialists and wankers did not cheat their way into the Washington governorship? There is nothing they won't do for their religion politics.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
01/07/2005 8:34 Comments ||
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#4
I see I am again full of good spelling. :D that should read treaties (of course.)
The Democrats not cheat? That would be an outrage Mr D.
#9
Highlight of the day: Ted Kennedy questions him about "water torture".
Yeah, the irony. Like James Taranto says, "Mary Jo Kopechne could not be reached for comment."
Posted by: BA ||
01/07/2005 10:40 Comments ||
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#10
tu3031: Ted Kennedy questions him about "water torture".
The Chinese water torture does not exist (and never did) - at least in the sense described - of a steady drip of water on one's head. It's as Chinese as the phrase "may you live in interesting times", et al, which is to say, quite possibly the creation of Hollywood scriptwriters for the Charlie Chan movies.
#11
hmmm - I never could figure out how to getout of those Chinese Handcuffs⢠- those woven tubes that constrict on your fingers as you try to pull them out....been stuck for days at a time
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/07/2005 11:47 Comments ||
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#12
"Why do Democrats, socialist and wankers not understand the 1949 Geneva Accords do not apply to terrorists?"
Oh, they understand perfectly well, same as you or I; they just don't care about truth anymore. I'm no longer sure they ever did.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
01/07/2005 11:49 Comments ||
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#13
The searing photographs from Abu Ghraib...
Searing pictures...the electric shock "pose" picture was disturbing, but searing? I haven't seen any searing pictures.
#14
FG: I never could figure out how to getout of those Chinese Handcuffs⢠- those woven tubes that constrict on your fingers as you try to pull them out....been stuck for days at a time
To my knowledge, that's another one of those made-up references - the Chinese used steel manacles like everyone else.
#17
Was an....ahhhmmmaaaa... Oldsmobile used in... ahhhmmmaaa... this... ahhhhmmmaaaa...water toture?
Posted by: Edward M. Kennedy ||
01/07/2005 12:37 Comments ||
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#18
My sympathy, BH. Jon Stewart's little spiel last night on the Daily Show didn't help matters any (at least not in my house). Hang tough, my dear, and remember it isn't you she's really mad at. Your life together is here, not over there, so maybe try a little romantic seduction tonight (or tomorrow, if you need a little longer to calm down), to remind you both what's really important.
Good luck. A good marriage is very much more important than differences in politics.
#19
Thanks, tw. Things aren't so bad, it's just annoying. Especially when she gets around her family. Her brother, who I otherwise respect greatly, has quaffed deeply from the Mike al-Moor koolaid.
#20
Actually, after reading the Heather MacDonald article in City Journal, I think that, MSM hysterics aside, it's not such a bad thing for our society to finally have an open debate (such as it is) about terrorism. Sure, there'll be losts of idiocy spoken, but that's easy to shoot down, as BH showed. And we will likely emerge with something closer to consensus, and at a minimum be able to put forward our side's arguments in an open forum. Call me an optimist, but I think that's far better than being on the defensive the next time a frat-house haxing photo hits the tabloids and MSM screamsheets.
#21
Glad it was only a hissy fit, then, BH. Save my wise and soothing words for when someone needs them -- we're low on tumeric at this end, and I can't promise I'll ever be this clever again.
Mr. Wife, on the other hand, may wake up one night soon to find himself beaten with a frying pan... as happened to a distant cousin of his once upon a time (Mrs. Cousin was apparently committed shortly thereafter, but that's another story).
I do agree with you lex, but as someone who prefers her discussions to be on a more dispassionate level, I'm finding the process more uncomfortable than I'm comfortable with. *sigh*
#22
BH - your B-I-L fires off a neural path for me... Anybody have any workable theories regards why people who are, otherwise, functional can go into total suspension of intellect which is required to subscribe to all the LLL conspiracy stuff? I recall a joke where, upon hearing the intro theme music for Entertainment Tonight, the cartoon character unscrews his head and places it on the nightstand, saying, "Well, I won't be needing this for the next hour." Okay, mindless "entertainment". But when did this same abdication of intellectual scrutiny and healthy skepticism start seeping into some of our major tributaries? How? Why? I am boggled - by Zen, for example. What I wouldn't give to understand how people can be seduced into such moonbattery as Gore is the rightful President, etc. What a waste.
#23
"Anybody have any workable theories regards why people who are, otherwise, functional can go into total suspension of intellect which is required to subscribe to all the LLL conspiracy stuff?"
Well, this doesn't apply to all of them, for sure, but with many people it's simple ignorance: as with my LLL brother, their idea of keeping informed of current events is to plunk their lazy asses down in front of CNN for 30 minutes a day. They truly believe they're being told the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. It doesn't occur to them that most of what they're told is dumbed-down bunk concocted to get them to vote for the nearest Democrat.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
01/07/2005 21:40 Comments ||
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#24
Okay - but even that (I'll swallow whatever these people tell me) is a suspension of disbelief that begs the question regards what was once called healthy skepticism... Hell the Romans institutionalized the phrase "let the buyer beware"... I accept it for some, but it still boggles, bro.
#25
Healthy skepticism is all but dead, PD. Most people don't have the time which skepticism demands-- or I should say they're not willing to devote the time. You and I, and likely most of the other people who frequent Rantburg, are current-events junkies: to us, keeping up with what's going on in the world, and trying to figure out what's "really" happening, is our drug of choice.
Most other people could care less. They devote a few minutes a day, at most, to current events to they end up just swallowing the pre-packaged drivel prepared for them by the liberal MSM without thinking about it very much.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
01/07/2005 22:39 Comments ||
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#26
Lol - you have the weight of evidence for 48% of American voters on your side, lol! That is a skeery number, too. Heavy sigh.
#29
Nah, I'm just gonna stand my ground, right here.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
01/07/2005 23:13 Comments ||
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#30
.com, I don't get it, either. 'Twas Mr. Wife that taught me not to believe what I see, hear and read as, based on his own experience doing plant start-ups around the world (all except sub-Saharan Africa, China and Australia), US domestic news sources tell no more than the partial truth -- slanted -- and often not even that much. And yet, he believes Jon Stewart implicitly, and everything he sees on CNBC. I think it must be because he dislikes GWB's smirky fratboy attitude, as he sees it, so very much, and chooses to believe the worst of everyone associated with him. *Sigh*
#31
So Hubby's stance is a visceral dislike? Surely Skeery didn't score well, either, there is much to feel queasy about with him... He must've been torn, Nucular MonkeyBoy vs. Lurch the Windvane. Had actions and gumption be in the equation, it would've been a no-brainer. Your patience must've been sorely tried, heh.
#1
Torture is listening to Barry Manilow, Barbara Streisand, or John "F" Kerry or in general, baseless liberal diatribes based on "Feelings" and little logic.
#6
Read the article, and weep. This is the most depressing, and infuriating, account I've read in the last four years. In essence it shows that our interrogation of prisoners is not only completely feckless and hamstrung by Pentagon lawyer-imposed self-constraints that go far beyond those in the Geneva convention--which doesn't even apply!-- but that the media narrative that 1) Gitmo was the torture laboratory for techniques 2) extended to Iraq and used in the Abu Ghraib frat parties is complete, utter horseshit.
Gitmo was and is no more torturous than a club med. The Abu Ghraib nonsense was not sanctioned by anything Rumsfeld wrote or ordered, and in any case was completely unrelated to interrogation. And on top of all of this, our ridiculously mild and overscrupulous techniques are not eliciting much information at all. Farce and tragedy combined.
#7
Hey! I like Barry Manilow! And the Beachboys, and Mozart, and John Lee Hooker, and.... And my children loved the Barney song when they were little. Listening to things you don't like is merely torment, which I don't believe is even mentioned in the Geneva Conventions. ;-)
WASHINGTON — A report from the CIA's independent investigator is expected to conclude officials at the highest level of the agency are to blame for pre-Sept. 11 intelligence lapses. The report by the CIA's inspector general, John Helgerson, which is nearly complete, concludes that senior leaders should be held accountable for failing to provide adequate resources for combating terrorism, the New York Times reports in its Friday editions.
Accountability, what a concept!
Among those who receive the most pointed criticism in a draft version are former CIA Director George Tenet and former Deputy Director of Operations Jim Pavitt, both of whom resigned last summer, the newspaper said. The report quoted current and former intelligence officials. The report has been reviewed by select government officials. A CIA spokesman declined to comment on the investigation. A former intelligence official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that Tenet has reviewed a small portion of the report and was given an opportunity to respond.
The official said the report discusses accountability for the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 — primarily based on the inspector general's review of a joint House-Senate inquiry into the attacks. In a statement, former Tenet spokesman Bill Harlow said no one in the U.S. government was more aggressive dealing with the threat of terrorism before 9/11 than Tenet.
"The vast, vast majority of more than two-thirds of the top Al Qaeda leaders that have been killed or captured have been taken out through the efforts of George Tenet's CIA," Harlow said. "Mr. Tenet was correctly characterized by many as 'running around with his hair on fire' prior to 9/11, when others in government — including Congress and the executive branch — were downplaying his concerns."
Some in Congress have been eager to see the report released since CIA Director Porter Goss, a former Republican congressman from Florida, took over in September. West Virginia Sen. Jay Rockefeller, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, wrote Goss in the fall about the report's progress and "the appearance that the inspector general's independence is being infringed." The agency has said the report is not being stalled, and that Goss is carefully considering how to handle it, including what to do about forming an accountability panel.
Posted by: Steve ||
01/07/2005 10:51:29 AM ||
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#1
Sounds like the CIA is not leak proof -- what a revelation. Can't even prevent their own confidential IG reports from leaking to MSM.
The CIA needs an enema!!
Posted by: Captain America ||
01/07/2005 13:38 Comments ||
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Army leaders are considering seeking a change in Pentagon policy that would allow for longer and more frequent call-ups of some reservists to meet the demands of conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, a senior Army official said yesterday.
Reservists are being used heavily to fill key military support jobs, particularly in specialty areas, but Army authorities are having increasing difficulty limiting the active-duty time of some normally part-time soldiers to a set maximum of two years, the official said. He described the National Guard's 15 main combat units as close to being "tapped out."
To avoid pushing reserve forces to the breaking point, the official also said, a temporary increase of 30,000 troops in active-duty ranks that was authorized last year will probably need to be made permanent, especially if U.S. troop levels in Iraq remain high. He said significant troop levels may be required in Iraq for four or five more years.
The official declined to be named because of the political sensitivity of the troop issue and the lack of decisions. But he said that the Army probably will ask Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld in the next several months to change the policy on mobilization of reservists. "It's coming," he told a small group of Pentagon reporters. "I think we're going to have this discussion this spring."
snip
The system of reserves/national guard is the weak reed of the U. S. military. The individual reservists and guardsmen are making incredible sacrifices but on behalf of a system that isn't fair to them or the country. After Viet Nam the military thought they could use the reserves as their stay out of long ugly wars card. The shortcomings of this policy are now apparent. The regular Army and Marine Corps shoud be expanded permanently, now, if we are serious about the War on Terror.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
01/07/2005 7:55:57 AM ||
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Let's remember that at the time of the first Gulf War, the active Army strength was around 750K. During the 90's, both the Dem's and the Rep's cut the level to below 500k. Anybody remember any down and loud fights to keep it higher? I don't. And while the regular force was being sliced up, both parties did work their best to keep their home state NG resources from as deep a cut as the active. This is the price of those games. The increase in the new budget of around 24k is still too little. However, to create integrated cohesive units of major size takes over a year. Bodybags can be filled in 90 days. We are well behind on the power curve on this and will remain so till the pol's stop talking and start delivering.
Posted by: Don ||
01/07/2005 9:51 Comments ||
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Both parties had "spent" the "Peace Dividend" from the Fall of the Sov Union long before it actually arrived - but arrive it did, and so went the money that once supported those troop levels.
Y'know, the differences between Geo43 and Geo 41 grow starker by the day. Many useful and potentially useful programs were scrapped. Even James Baker, whom I once considered a Master of the Game, has lost his shine for me... and I don't know if he was an idiot like Geo41 / Scowcroft, or just following his marching orders.
Of course, all of those errors were intensified, exacerbated, and repeated at an alarming rate by the Clintoons in an orgy of idiocy I hope we never see the likes of, again.
And now the tab comes due for these moronic policy eggs - hatched long after the clowns who came up with them have vacated the premises. This is the bane of corporations and government alike, for the accountability and timely corrective actions are muddled, at best, or criminally stupid assholes get off scot-free, at worst.
#3
in the late '90s there was plenty of GOP pushing to increase the DoD budget, which did succeed in some expansion. All the concerns were related to readiness, overstretch of the AIR FORCE, and missile defense. NO push for larger numbers of ground pounders.
First big push Im aware of was by neither political party, but by the army brass, led by Shinseki, who was pushing for it at least from the start of Bush 43.
Bush 43 made its principle defense priorities transformation, and missile defense. No effort to increase the size of the army or USMC Jan 20, 2001 to Sept. 11, 2001. Or from Sept 11 2001 to March 2003. Or from March 2003 till the last few months.
Looks like theres lots of blame to go around ( if blame is warrented). But as Dot com and others have taught me, the blame game is not real fruitful.
At least change is finally taking place, and thats good.
#4
The force that we presently have is the most advanced strike force ever put in the field, and was designed as such. Somewhere along the line the second half of the equation got lost, however. The strike force can take ground, but it takes old fashioned mass numbers of bodies to hold what has been taken. Oops.
Posted by: Weird Al ||
01/07/2005 14:59 Comments ||
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Mrs. D -- I concur with you. The reserves and reservist families are making incredible sacrifices in the WoT. Much of this is attributable to the early-1990's cut-backs and the supposed "peace dividend."
It takes years to tool up a bigger military. I liken our situation to the one before WWII, when General Pershing was tasked to perform a rapid buildup of forces.
Unfortunately, as we are tranforming the military, we have not adequately been building it up fast enough. When President Bush mentioned the Axis of Evil, we should have been in buildup mode. That would not have prevented the heavy burdens faced by our fine men and women in the Reserves, but it would have given us an earlier start.
Our hope is that the Iraqi military can be sufficiently brought up to speed soon. With the situation in Syria and Iran, Iraq may be just a transit point.
Posted by: Captain America ||
01/07/2005 16:07 Comments ||
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The planners knew from the very beginning the Reserves and NG would be called on in huge numbers. Yet here we are with no clear plan for the future. Lots of jingoistic yapping -
Helmley is a bull in a china shop - he'll break the Reserves and blame everybody but himself. He is an active duty officer running the Reservists into the ground, cussing them when they leave and blaming his superiors for it.
The Reserves have gained valuable combat experience - leaders have emerged. Units have distinguished themselves. Use this as a building block for the future.
Restructure the force - units that have not been mobilized should be turned into MP, Civil Affairs and Transportation units. Mobilize them for a year train them for 3-4 months and deploy them for the balance of the year.
Give the used up units a rest - at least two years off.
This is an opportunity to strengthen the Reserve force - our leaders should recognize that. Not cry and moan because they have mismanaged.
In the eyes of the U.S. government, Abdelhaleem Ashqar is a terrorist who worked for and funneled money to the militant group Hamas. He is under house arrest, awaiting trial on racketeering and obstruction charges. To Ashqar, though, the case against him is a badge of honor he hopes will bolster his candidacy as one of seven men seeking to succeed Yasser Arafat as president of the Palestinian National Authority. Ashqar, 46, is running as a long-shot candidate in the Jan. 9 election while confined to his Virginia townhouse. He could get up to life in prison if convicted. No trial date has been set.
The former university professor is one of 10 people who qualified to appear on the ballot; three of those candidates have since dropped out. Among those who withdrew is another prisoner, Marwan Barghouti, who is serving a life sentence in an Israeli jail and had been considered a leading contender for the post before throwing his support to front-runner Mahmoud Abbas. The federal prosecution of Ashqar is the culmination of an investigation that has stretched over a decade. Several times, the government offered him immunity in exchange for his testimony in front of a grand jury. Ashqar refused to testify, and when he was jailed on civil contempt charges in 1998 as a result, he went on a six-month hunger strike that placed his life in jeopardy. He was fed through a tube against his will. He also went on a two-month hunger strike last year after again being jailed on contempt charges. "They wanted me to testify against other Palestinians, wanted me to betray my cause, betray my people," Ashqar said. "I cannot do it."
The government alleges Ashqar helped funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars to Hamas in the early 1990s and participated in coded telephone conversations discussing, among other things, the killing of a Hamas member who was not obeying orders. Ashqar denies that he is a Hamas member and said the case is politically motivated. He pointed out that Hamas is boycotting the election, a decision he strongly disagrees with. "I do think some people will sympathize with me," Ashqar said of the Palestinian perception of his prosecution. "They have been following my case since 1998, and that works to my behalf. But I am also counting on my vision of leadership."
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
01/07/2005 00:00:00 ||
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If the Palestinians actually elect this person, they deserve the result. But they won't, not when they have locals who can do the job even more badly.
An extremist Islamic group with alleged Al Qaeda (search) links has set up a relief camp on Indonesia's tsunami-stricken Sumatra island, raising concerns it could stir up sentiment against U.S. and Australian troops helping distribute aid.
The Laskar Mujahidin (search) group posted a sign at its camp that read — in English — "Islamic Law Enforcement." Its members said Thursday they have been collecting corpses, distributing food and providing Islamic teaching for refugees here in predominantly Muslim Aceh province.
The presence of the extremist group, known for killing Christians in a sectarian conflict elsewhere in Indonesia (search), has generated fears that U.S. military personnel and others doing relief work could become terror targets.
It also underscores the fine line that foreigners, especially the U.S. military, must tread between being welcomed as Samaritans or viewed as invaders in a country where suspicion of outsiders runs deep.
U.S., Australian and South Korean government officials said they were aware of security threats and were taking precautions. One major aid agency said its staff had been ordered not to fly in U.S. helicopters.
Analysts said Islamic terrorists known to operate in Indonesia would be foolish to try to attack anyone helping the hundreds of thousands of tsunami victims, because it could result in aid groups pulling out and sour the militants' chances of building popular support.
But they warned that radical groups helping the relief effort would also try to stoke anti-Western sentiment — and wait for an opportunity to attack if public support for outside help wanes.
Ship-based U.S. Navy and Marine helicopter crews have flown scores of missions to coastal villages in recent days, delivering food and water and sometimes bringing injured survivors to the airport in Aceh's provincial capital, Banda Aceh. The Americans have been welcomed with gratitude.
A U.S. official in Aceh said on condition of anonymity that U.S. forces were aware of Laskar Mujahidin's presence.
"You've got to be on your toes," the official said. "We're watching them. Something can happen."
Lt. Cmdr. John Daniel, a spokesman for the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier battle group, said chopper crews were not taking special security precautions and that Indonesia's military — which has long fought separatist rebels in Aceh — was helping with security.
"We feel safe with the Indonesian military there," Daniel said. "We are cautious, but we're not doing anything special."
Australia's Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said his government had examined the potential terror threat and there was no cause for alarm. "We monitored this but we have no evidence of it being a problem," Downer said.
Among those brought in on military aircraft were 50 members of Laskar Mujahidin, according to Jundi, a member of the group. Like many Indonesians, he uses one name.
Jundi said Laskar Mujahidin has set up four posts in Aceh and has sent more than 200 members to Banda Aceh, where they have joined other aid organizations at a camp near the military airport.
The militant group was founded in the late 1990s to attacks priests and churches in eastern Indonesia's Maluku islands, which have pockets of Christians. Sectarian violence there left about 9,000 dead in 1999-2001.
The guerrillas worked in small bands, were often described as Ninjas, and reportedly wore masks when fighting. The organization's fighters numbered about 500 at its height in mid-2000.
The group, from Indonesia's main island of Java, is unlikely to attract much support among native Acehnese — a fiercely independent people. Three years ago, residents drove out another radical Islamic group, Laskar Jihad, which tried to open branches in the province.
Laskar Mujahidin has been accused of having links to foreign-based terrorist groups including Al Qaeda, according to a report by Sidney Jones, an expert on Indonesia's Islamic radical groups. It also reportedly accepted aid offered by an emissary of Usama bin Laden, Jones wrote.
In a speech Thursday in Singapore, Jones said Laskar Mujahidin's motives on Sumatra may have to do with fears that the foreign humanitarian effort was a veiled attempt to convert Muslims to Christianity.
Jundi said the group would not interfere with foreign troops — as long as they kept strictly to humanitarian operations.
"We are here to help our Muslim brothers," he said. "As long as they are here to help, we will have no problem with them."
But their presence highlighted the persistent danger of terrorism in Indonesia, and militant groups' murky, overlapping links.
Laskar Mujahidin was once headed by Abu Bakar Bashir, an Islamic cleric now on trial as an alleged leader of Jemaah Islamiyah, which has close Al Qaeda links. Some Jemaah Islamiyah members helped the Sept. 11 hijackers.
Indonesian police said the threat was exaggerated — a position Indonesian officials frequently took on Islamic terror groups before the Bali attack.
"This group is here for humanitarian reasons," said Indonesia's chief detective, Lt. Gen. Suyitno Landung. "We should not be prejudiced against them. I'm worried the media is exaggerating the threat of this group."
Against such a backdrop, the South Korean government issued a warning Thursday that it had "acquired intelligence that our relief groups in Indonesia and some other areas are becoming a possible target of terror attacks."
A South Korean Foreign Ministry official told the AP on condition of anonymity that the statement was "not based on verifiable intelligence" and was a "precautionary warning."
European governments and aid groups said they received no special terror warnings.
But Michel Brugiere, director of Medecins du Monde, or Doctors of the World, said that "given the context of the area where we are operating, we have very strict security measures in place."
"Our teams are told that they should not fly in American army helicopters, since we're concerned that they could be a particular target," Brugiere said.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
01/07/2005 12:11:51 PM ||
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TEHRAN (MNA) -- Iranian Navy commander Rear Admiral Abbas Mohtaj on Thursday dismissed a report that Israeli submarines had entered the Persian Gulf to attack the Bushehr nuclear power plant, asserting that Iran would deliver a strong response to any hostile action in the Persian Gulf. "Anyone who wishes to do an evil act in the Persian Gulf will receive a resolute and forceful response from us," the rear admiral told the Mehr News Agency.
Mohtaj said reports that Israeli Dolphin submarines have entered the Persian Gulf to target the Bushehr power plant with harpoon missiles are part of the psychological warfare program being waged against Iran by the Zionist media.
"Such a plan may have been tentatively proposed, but it would not be practicable in the operational stage. "Today, the Naval Forces have full control over all surface ships and submarines which enter the Persian Gulf waters."
On the recent decision by the National Geographic Society to use an unacceptable name for the "Persian Gulf", he stated that the idea of changing the name of the Persian Gulf is also part of the psychological warfare program orchestrated by the U.S. that is meant to sow discord among Persian Gulf littoral states because there would be no room for the U.S. to rampage through the Persian Gulf if regional countries united. Mohtaj added that a new map has recently been published in Afghanistan claiming that some cities in northwestern Iran belong to Afghanistan.
Oops, released that map a little early
Posted by: Steve ||
01/07/2005 4:15:41 PM ||
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"Mohtaj added that a new map has recently been published in Afghanistan claiming that some cities in northwestern Iran belong to Afghanistan."
Isn't that the same logic used by Saddam with respect to Kuwait? Very interesting........
Posted by: Captain America ||
01/07/2005 16:31 Comments ||
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I think I've seen this movie before.
And it didn't work out too well for the Iranian navy as I remember.
#9
Is respond strongly some kind of code word for "die in large numbers?
As for the Harpoons, there is a version called SLAM - Stand-off Land Attack Missile. Basically, a Harpoon with GPS and some other goodies from the Walleye and Maverick.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
01/07/2005 22:18 Comments ||
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If I read the esteemed Ken Pollack's analysis right, RADM Mohtaj may be more a political hard-liner than a military leader:
After [generally apolitical Rear Admiral 'Ali] Shamkhani was made Defense Minister [in August 1997] the regime chose not to have one man succeed to both of his former posts, thus Iran again has separate commanders for each of its naval forces. Tehran chose Rear Admiral Abbas Mohtaj to head the regular Navy and appointed Brigadier General 'Ali Akbar Ahmadian as commander of the IRGC Navy.
... Mohtaj had been Shamkhani's deputy in the regular Navy, and when Shamkhani was out of the country he had served as acting commander of both forces. Unlike Shamkhani, Mohtaj was a vocal supporter of confrontation with the West and export of the Iranian revolution. Thus it is significant that Mohtaj was not rewarded with Shamkhani's job. It suggests that a decision was made to eliminate the post of combined-navies commander because it was too powerful bureaucratically...Khatami may have prevented Mohtaj's elevation to combined-navies chief to limit Mohtaj's ability to interfere with his intended reforms.
TEHRAN (MNA) —- Mohammad Sa'idi, the deputy director for planning and international affairs of the Iran Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO), said in Mashhad last week that maintaining possession of the nuclear fuel cycle is the Islamic Republic of Iran's main strategy, the Tehran daily Qods reported on Thursday. In a speech at a conference entitled "Nuclear Dossier, Victory, Defeat or Withdrawal", Sa'idi stressed that if Iran concludes that the European Union intends to waste time, it will immediately resume nuclear fuel production.
Pointing to Iran's nuclear strategy, which was officially formulated in 1988 at the Supreme Council for Technology under the supervision of the president, he said that Iran would enjoy advanced technology and industry in the fourth decade after the Islamic Revolution in view of its current nuclear energy potential. Sa'idi also referred to Iran's 1992 uranium hexafluoride (UF6) contract with China, saying that the Chinese refused to cooperate with Iran due to U.S. pressure. "After losing hope in China, we approached Russia, but the Russians also refrained from cooperation after nine months of delay. "In 1988 we had no other choice but to make use of our own potential and the few nuclear experts in the country."
Iran's nuclear experts have an average age of 25-27, he said, emphasizing that except for the Bushehr nuclear power plant, Iran has not used foreign experts in any of its nuclear projects. This year 3.5 tons of UF6, which is the most strategic nuclear material, and 20 tons of UF4 were produced in Iran, he noted.
He also announced that the Russians have set new conditions for Iran concerning the two countries' earlier contract on returning Iran's spent nuclear fuel to Russia.
That's encouraging
"Unfortunately, the new conditions have led to problems for the country, but we have tried to facilitate the process in order to maintain Iran's interests," Sa'idi stated. Asked about Europe's proposal to sell Iran a light water reactor, he said, "What is important for Iran now is a heavy water research reactor. Besides, buying a light water research reactor from Europe would be problematic for the country," he stated. The only guarantee Iran will give Europe is that it will not pursue a nuclear weapons program, the IAEO deputy director stated. Sa'idi noted that in its agreement with Europe, Iran announced that it would continue the suspension only until June, adding that uranium enrichment activities would resume from that date onward.
On the arrest of three nuclear spies said to have been members of the IAEO, he stated that the spies were three low-level IAEO employees.
He stressed that Iran would not accept anything beyond the terms of the additional protocol to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). "When they saw our indigenous nuclear capabilities, the Westerners realized they couldn't take a stance toward Iran similar to the one they took against Libya. They transferred all of its nuclear equipment to Washington on one plane," Sa'idi said.
Referring to threats to attack Iran's nuclear installations, the IAEO deputy director stated, "We are not worried at all." If an attack is made, Iran will be capable of reconstructing all its nuclear installations in a year, he added.
Uh huh, want to bet on that?
"But in that case, we will not allow any inspections of our nuclear assets anymore," Sa'idi said in conclusion.
Iranian nuclear negotiator Sirus Naseri said that Iran will not accept the European Union's proposal to provide nuclear fuel to the country. Iran has not yet observed any indication that the Europeans intend to waste time, he said at the "Nuclear Dossier, Victory, Defeat or Withdrawal" conference in Mashhad, the Qods daily reported on Thursday. "The fact that the Europeans have proposed to offer fuel to Iran is considered in itself a victory for the country, although this was not what we were aiming for," said Naseri, who heads the Iran-EU nuclear working group."If they had suggested this seven or eight years ago, we might have accepted, but now we won't," he added.
Naseri predicted that an extensive propaganda attack would be initiated about Iran's nuclear program in the next six months. "Of course we have also taken the necessary precautions," he stressed. Naseri said the nuclear issue had become a challenge for Iran, adding that there is a certain potential in the nuclear program that could provide exceptional opportunities for the country.
Pointing out that the recent negotiations between Iran and Europe were their most intense in the past 25 years, he said Iran-EU ties would be seriously damaged if the process of talks failed to reach an appropriate conclusion.
The nuclear negotiator added that Iran has followed a very difficult path with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) over the past 16 months.
He said that terrorism is one of the issues on the agenda of Iran-Europe olitical-security working group but added that discussions would only focus on the Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) and the Al-Qaeda terrorist network.
The Europeans are well aware that Iran will simply break off negotiations if they use threatening language or attempt to deceive the country, he stressed. "If they make mischief, it will not be difficult to end the whole show," he observed. Asked about Europe's agreement to help Iran join the World Trade Organization (WTO), Naseri stated that this was not a response to a demand from Iran "but a proposal from Europe". However, it seems that they have failed to live up to what they proposed themselves, Naseri said.
Posted by: Steve ||
01/07/2005 4:08:35 PM ||
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Ok,now everyone who thinks Iran would honor any of its agreements in any area please raise your hands!
#2
If an attack is made, Iran will be capable of reconstructing all its nuclear installations in a year, he added
"Of course, all workers would die fom radiation and need replacement every 4 weeks, but we could"
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/07/2005 16:29 Comments ||
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What a complete farce.
This is Exhibit A in my case that we waste far, far too much bandwidth on the Europeans and should be diverting political, diplomatic and intellectual resources to our relations with Asian powers that actually can help (or harm) us.
#4
these Nazi-like pictures are beginning to bother me. It's like Hitler rose from Hell and is back in business. Combine that with the influx of blatant, outright, propaganda being broadcast into our homes and the rise in anti-semitism among the left and it makes you wonder.
#7
They've never even slowed down any aspect of their quest - in any of these rope-a-dope sequences with the E3. The E3 is a bunch of tools. This is poop for the PR guy.
The Iranian opposition group that exposed the nation's covert nuclear weapons program two years ago said yesterday that supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ordered the effort to continue in secret. The opposition group, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), also disclosed the existence of what it said is a new uranium enrichment facility in central Iran that is nearing completion.
Speaking to reporters in Paris yesterday, Mohammad Mohaddessin, chairman of the NCRI's Foreign Affairs Committee, said the Iranian regime is "playing a double game" with Europe. "Khamenei has ordered his regime to not only continue the enrichment of uranium, but to buy time and accelerate the project in order to make the bomb as quickly as possible," Mr. Mohaddessin said. "Khamenei has ordered his diplomats and his negotiators to prolong the negotiations as much as possible, possibly by between eight and 12 months, which is exactly the time needed to complete the bomb," he said.
The Bush administration and European powers have branded the NCRI a terrorist group, mainly because its military wing was sheltered by Saddam Hussein at bases in Iraq, from which it launched attacks in Iran. The group, however, gained credibility in August 2002 by exposing another secret uranium enrichment facility being built underground in Natanz, 150 miles south of Tehran, and a heavy water production facility at Arak, about 120 miles southwest of Tehran.
That exposure triggered the current nuclear standoff with Iran, by forcing the Islamist regime to open these sites to the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Talks today between European negotiators and Iran represent a "last-chance" at getting the Tehran regime to stop enriching uranium and avoid the threat of U.N. sanctions. In exchange, the Europeans are offering technical assistance such as helping Iran build a light-water power reactor and providing a supply of reactor fuel and trade incentives.
Mr. Mohaddessin said that while the regime was negotiating with Europe, it was also putting the finishing touches on a major site that would be needed to produce large quantities of enriched uranium. The site, located in Isfahan in central Iran, would convert uranium oxide, called "yellowcake," into uranium hexafluoride gas, a stage prior to enrichment.
He said a test center for centrifuges had been constructed with "utmost discretion" near the site, and that between 120 and 180 centrifuges will be installed there. Uranium hexafluoride is fed into centrifuges for enrichment.
Mr. Mohaddessin credited a network of sources inside Iran for his information.
That would include the spies that Iran arrested. Hope he has more of them.
A spokesman at the British Foreign Office, reached by telephone, declined to comment on Mr. Mohaddessin's charges but said there was "nothing to lose" by continuing to negotiate.
"If we do get compliance, that's all well and good, and if we don't, there's more chance of a consensus at the next [IAEA] board meeting because all options would have been looked at," he said.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
01/07/2005 12:06:47 PM ||
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January 7, 2005: Iraqi government officials, including the head of intelligence, are making a lot of noise about Syrian support for the anti-government forces. It's never been a secret that most of the anti-government activity was organized and funded by Baath Party members. The Baath Party has controlled Iraq and Syria for nearly forty years. The Arabic word baath means "resurrection" or "renaissance." The party had its origins in the desire of Syrian secular Arab nationalists to break with the medieval past and create a new form of government for Arab countries. The Baath Party was officially founded in 1947 and sought to create a secular and socialist form of government. The Baath Party only caught on in Syria and, in 1954, Iraq. The Baath Party platform caught on, and in February, 1963, Baath took control in Iraq, and a month later in Syria. In Syria, Hafez al-Assad originally led the party. His son runs it, and Syria, today. In Iraq, Baath had trouble holding on to power. But by the late 1960s, Baath was in full control, and Saddam Hussein was running the party. That created a problem, however, as both Assad and Hussein insisted that their branch of the party was running the Baath movement. The two men could not agree on who was in charge, and became bitter enemies. For example, Syria sent troops to join the coalition assembled to oust Iraq from Kuwait in 1991, and has long supported any Iraqis that opposed Saddam (and Hussein returned the favor.)
But when Saddam was deposed in 2003, many senior Iraqi Baath Party members fled to Syria, and made peace with the Syrian branch of the party. This put the Syrian Baath Party in a tough position. Bashir Assad took over in Syria when his father died in 2000. Bashir was not groomed to run the country, but instead trained as a doctor. However, his older brother died in an accident, and it was up to Bashir to keep things together. This is not an easy job. Syria does not have Iraq's oil wealth, and the Syrian Baath Party is run by an even smaller minority (Alawite Moslems, 12 percent of the population) than was the case in Iraq (where Baath was run by Sunni Moslems, who were 20 percent of the population.) Worse yet, Al Qaeda considers Alawites just as heretical, and worthy of death, as the Shiites. To further complicate this situation, Syria has long been an ally of Shia Iran, mainly because Iran was a longtime enemy of Iraq.
The Syrian Baath party is in a very difficult situation. They became corrupt, as did the Iraqi Baath party, and turned into a police state. While not as brutal as Saddam's Baath, the Syrians were more effective. The elder Assad was not as eager to invade his neighbors (except for several failed attempts against Israel.) The Syrian Baath Party is thus less hated by Syrians than the Iraqi Baath Party was by Iraqis. But Syria is also full of unhappy citizens who would welcome a more honest and effective government. But like Arabs everywhere, most Syrians are either unwilling or unable to do the deed. And now the Syrian Baath Party sees, as its deadliest enemy, a democratic government in Iraq. Such an development could inspire Syrians to get rid of the Baath Party. Face it, being a dictator is like having a tiger-by-the-tail. It's tough to hold on, but letting go is fatal. So the Syrian Baath Party supports the remaining Iraqi Baath Party in their struggle to regain power in Iraq. But this is a dangerous game, especially as it becomes more and more difficult to deny Syrian support for Iraqi Baath violence inside Iraq. The Syrians try to have it both ways, by insisting that there is no support for Iraqi Baath, while having Syrian police and border guards look the other way as the Iraqis move money and people through Syrian into Iraq.
The Syrian Baath party also has things like loyalty (to fellow Baath members in Iraq) and greed (all that Iraqi oil money they are now getting) to worry about. They can't just tell the Iraqi Baath Party members to go away, despite American demands that they do just that. And then there is fear. A democratic Iraq will be an anti-Baath Iraq. Syria's only friend in the neighborhood is Iran. But even there, it is the minority of Islamic conservatives that dominate Iran, that supports Syria. The majority of Iranians see Syria as another oppressive police state, and an Arab one of that. Most Iranians have an ancient disdain for Arabs in general.
Syria, under the Baath Party, has no friends and few prospects. It cannot, or will not, turn on the Iraqi Baath Party, and, as a police state, certainly doesn't want an democracy next door. But Syria gains nothing by admitting any of this. It comes down to how long Iraq, and the coalition forces, will tolerate the lies.
Posted by: Steve ||
01/07/2005 9:47:56 AM ||
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The elder Assad was not as eager to invade his neighbors (except for several failed attempts against Israel).
Uh, what about Lebanon?
Posted by: Phil Fraering ||
01/07/2005 11:00 Comments ||
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The use of an and then a consonent is incorrect. The word an should be followed by a vowel not democracy.
#3
Generally true, Rightwing - but the rule is based on pronunciation, not spelling. Many words that begin with "H" are like that. For example: "an hour", or "an honor".
And this concludes our English lesson for the day!
#4
Turned into a police state? Hell, they started out as a police state - the Ba'ath Party is directly modeled on the German National Socialist Party. You don't get much more fascist that that...
DEBKAfile Exclusive: (add salt) Unidentified drone crashes at Arak nuclear site in central Iran, according to sources close to Iranian Revolutionary Guards ex-commander Rezai. Evidence in wreckage of intelligence-gathering at presumed uranium enrichment site. Last week, Iranian air force commander said mystery aircraft reported by witnesses over sensitive sites would be shot down.
Posted by: Steve ||
01/07/2005 9:26:01 AM ||
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.com, I thought you were going to link to Gary Larsen's classic pic on that topic (I don't have it, but it shows, in the mirror, a huge, hairy ogre eyeball). But yours is better. LOL!
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/07/2005 12:38 Comments ||
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Dr Steve - Funny you should mention that, I'm on a Larsen cartoon hunt right this minute, and the last 30 or so, lol! I've picked off about 35, so far - haven't seen the Ogre yet, unfortunately... will post it if I do!
There are Great Minds... and then there are Grate Minds, lol! ;-)
Former Attorney General Ramsey Clark who recently announced he's joining Saddam Hussein's legal team is now explaining his decision, insisting that Americans have demonized Saddam, and "one of the greatest barriers to peace is demonization."
Clark specifically condemns images of Saddam from prison, saying, "The savage presentation of [Saddam], disheveled, with his mouth open, people probing in his mouth, the dehumanization ... this is hardly the road to peace if you want respect for human dignity."
I would have preferred a picture of him hanging by a piano wire, but that's just me.
Clark adds, "In presence [Saddam] is reserved, quiet, thoughtful dignified, you might say, in the old-fashioned sense."
"I'm John F. Kerry, Ramsey Clark supported me, and I approve of this................he said what?."
Posted by: Steve ||
01/07/2005 3:49:15 PM ||
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Believe me, Ramsey, you don't have to explain yourself. It was a foregone conclusion you'd slither on your belly into Baghdad eventually.
#8
Oh man I feel so sorry for Ramsey. He will cry like Boxer when they send Saddam to the gallows. Hopefully the trial will last until the mid-term elections so all the LLL politicians can voice their strong opposition to the hanging of the tyrant Saddam. Can you say 70-seat majority?
#9
..insisting that Americans have demonized Saddam,..
I don't suppose any of the barbarity that occurred on his long watch (not to mention the things that happened with his approval) had anything to do with that......did it?
#10
"one of the greatest barriers to peace is demonization."
I would have thought dumping your citizens in mass graves, gassing minorities and warring with your neighbors was a barrier to peace. But what do I know? I'm just a simple American.
Was Ramsey Clark really the Attorney General or is that just a drug-addled remembrance from the 60's?
#11
Clark really was AG under President Johnson. In fact, he was the AG, J. Edgar Hoover's boss, at the time of the original COINTELPRO operation to discredit anti-war activists and when MLK and Robert Kennedy were assasinated in 1968. These are, of course, staples of the Moonbat conspiracy industry.
Clark should by all rights be the prime suspect in these conspiracies, but he is somehow never mentioned.
Outlaw leader killed in shootout
An outlawed party leader was killed in a shootout between police and his accomplices at Gilatola area in Sadar upazila here Thursday. Iqbal Hossain Soikat (38), a leader of outlawed Purbo Banglar Communist Party, was arrested along with one cut rifle, seven rounds of cartridges and four cocktails from Gilatola area early today, Police said.
According to his statement, police took him to a place near Bhoirab River to recover arms.
Our regular readers know what happens next
But the joy of the story is in the telling ...
"As we reached near the Kohinoor Rice Mill, the accomplices of the extremist opened fire. We returned the fire triggering a fierce gunfight," said the leader of the police team, which conducted the operation. Iqbal was hit in the crossfire and died while trying to run away, they said. Police constable Akther Hossain and Liton Roy were also injured in the gunfight.Soikat was an accused in several cases including murder.
Listed terror burnt to death
MEHERPUR, Jan 6: A listed terrorist has been burnt to death by some unknown assailants in Gangni, reports UNB. Police today recovered the body of Panna, leader of his terror gang, from a kiln at Brojopur village. His family recognised the charred body.
"Yeah, that's him. He's looked better."
Klin workers told police that a group of armed men threw Panna with his hands and legs tied into the woven at night on December 2.
Some 863 people were killed last year
MAGURA, Jan 6: Some 863 people were killed in separate incidents in 10 districts of Khulna Division last year ,reports UNB. Political rivalry, family feuds, extortion, clash over establishing supremacy and factional clash among the extremists were the reasons behind the killings.
Welcome to friendly Bangladesh
According to police, 167 people were killed in Khulna district, 132 in Kushtia, 121 in Chuadanga, 114 in Jessore, 109 in Jhenidah, 99 in Bagerhat, 42 in Satkhira, 33 in Narail, 28 in Magura and 18 in Meherpur district.
Posted by: Steve ||
01/07/2005 10:12:59 AM ||
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I'm sorry. I'd love to put a membership card in the Purbo Banglar Communist Party up on my wall.
And, hey, the folks in the Meherpur district have a lot of catching up to do.
January 6, 2005: The new 6.8mm rifle round developed for SOCOM (Special Operations Command), will be available commercially later this year as the 6.8mm Remington SPC (Special Purpose Cartridge). The manufacturer says the round won't be available to the public until the middle of the year, because of the need to produce sufficient quantities of the round for military contracts. There have been some problems in manufacturing the 6.8mm SPC. Remington began work on the new round in 2002. It used the case from the old Remington .30-.30 (which was not a true .30-.30, as it was rimless.) SOCOM has been testing the 6.8mm round in M-16s and M-4s modified to accommodate it. The 6.8mm round is more accurate at longer ranges and has more hitting power than the 5.56mm round the M-16 was originally designed for. Out to about 600 meters, the 6.8mm round has about the same impact as the heavier 7.62mm round used in sniper rifles and medium machine-guns.
During the 1930s, the Germans studied their World War I experience and concluded that a less powerful and lighter rifle round would be more effective. This resulted in research on a smaller 7mm round, but with World War II fast approaching, this effort eventually produced a shortened regular (7.92mm) rifle round. During that war, the Germans developed the first modern assault rifle, the SG-44. This weapon looked a lot like the AK-47, and that was no accident. The SG-44, like the AK-47, used a shortened rifle cartridge that was developed before the war (7.92mm for the Germans, 7.62mm for the Russians, which is still used in the AK-47). This gave the infantryman an automatic weapon that could still fire fairly accurate shots at targets 100-200 meters away. The SG-44, and the AK-47, had about the same stopping power as the 6.8mm SPC at those shorter ranges. What a coincidence. The AK-47 didn't have the accuracy of higher powered bullets, but the Russians didn't see this as a problem, because most troops using it had little marksmanship training. If they had to kill someone, they could fire at full auto. The U.S. M-16, and its high speed 5.56mm round, was more accurate than the AK-47 when firing individual shots at shorter ranges. But the wounding power of the 5.56mm (.22 caliber) bullet fell off rapidly at ranges over a hundred meters. The American military, and especially SOCOM, train their troops to fire individual shots, and do it with great accuracy at any range. A number of new rifle sights have made even easier to do, and makes first round hits at longer ranges easier to make. This made the longer range shortcomings of the 5.56mm round more obvious.
SOCOM has been using the 6.8mm round in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the users like it. But there is resistance from senior (non-SOCOM) generals to any consideration for replacing the 5.56mm round with the 6.8mm. To further complicate matters, there's a new 6.5mm "Grendel" round being tested as well, and some troops prefer it to the 6.8mm SPC. This is because the 6.5mm round is more accurate than the 6.8mm one at ranges beyond 500 meters. At the moment, no decision has been made about any replacement for the 5.56mm round.
Posted by: Steve ||
01/07/2005 10:05:53 AM ||
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So there is a chink in the 5.56mm's armor, now. Good. May the best cartridge, upper receiver win - as selected by the people whose asses are on the line.
#2
I also think the 6.5mm "Grendel" will be better, because the higher ballistic coefficient also adds up to higher sectional density, which will be more important in a world with cheap and readily available body armor.
Posted by: Phil Fraering ||
01/07/2005 11:04 Comments ||
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GREAT! The civilian version may be available to celebrate the next New Years.
January 7, 2005: Hollywood has come up with a cost effective way to train forward observers, a chore long thought to be impossible. Artillery forward observers (FO's) are extremely popular people with combat troops. That's because the FO can call down enormous amounts of firepower on short notice. But there was always a problem with FOs, they were difficult to train. No, not the technical stuff like radio procedure, recognizing targets and getting the distances right. The problem was that there was no practical way to have FOs actually practice the whole drill (spotting the right target, calling in the right information, and then seeing the effects of the artillery fire.) The only training the FOs got was costly live fire exercises, or actual combat. This led to troops being nervous when in the company of an inexperienced FO.
Being part of their OJT program would make anyone nervous.
The U.S. Army recently came up with a solution by combining video game simulation with set design. The "Urban Terrain Module" is a stage set of a wrecked apartment. Out the "window" is a large video screen that shows various urban battlefield scenes. The FO trainees use their binoculars and "radio" to spot targets and call in fire. At the other end of the radio is someone who enters the FOs instructions into the simulation, which shortly shows the effects of the fire outside the "window." If the FOs screw up, the shells or rockets will land in the wrong place. The FOs have numerous day and night scenarios they can run through. There is another "Outdoor Terrain Module", which has a hummer parked on sand, in front of another large video screen, again showing typical scenes.
To enhance the experience, these two stage sets are equipped with an substantial array of speakers, to provide audio feedback. Just testing and debugging these two modules has enabled the army to train several hundred FOs. Eventually, the modules will be made portable, by fitting all the gear into several shipping containers. The army wants to expand the number of troops qualified as FOs, and these modules will make that possible. The army is also pressing the air force to allow soldiers to be trained as air controllers (FOs that call in bombing missions from aircraft overhead.) The army already has FOs calling in firepower from helicopter gunships, and sees no problem in adding air force bombers. The air force doesn't want to lose control of the air controllers, but the new army simulators may prove to be the final incentive needed to allow army FOs to call in bombing missions.
Posted by: Steve ||
01/07/2005 10:01:31 AM ||
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This is NOT new. I went thru similar training on a system at Ft Hood prior to Desert Storm. I wasn't even a FO ...just an 11B (Infantryman for you non-military types) Our simulator was a combination of a projection screen with a terrain model in front of it for "depth". You would use a "radio" to call for fire and then the video screen would show the impacts...you would then adjust fire. It was a tad crude, but still good training. Our simualator did not have the stage setting for the actual observer...just a classroom setting. I'm sure it is better now, but this is not new.
January 7, 2005: American casualties in Iraq have shown some unusual patterns, at least compared to previous wars. Accidents account for 18 percent of the deaths. However, the number of accidental deaths has been steadily declining, from a peak of 31 in May, 2003. Ten percent of all deaths have been caused by vehicle accidents, and 71 percent of those were single vehicle accidents. Iraqi drivers are particularly aggressive, and traffic rules are rarely obeyed. Rollovers accounted for 54 percent of vehicle deaths. The poor condition of the roads was a major factor in 30 percent of the traffic accidents.
Blast injuries (from roadside bombs and shells) was the major cause of 40 percent of all deaths, while bullets and shell fragments were the major cause for another 29 percent. Four percent of deaths were caused by drowning. Central Iraq is a very wet place. This was also the first war were the lowest ranking troops did not account for the largest share of the deaths. In Iraq, junior NCOs (ranks E-4 to E-6) accounted for 56 percent of deaths, while the lowest ranks (E-1 to E-3) accounted for 28 percent. Officers accounted for 11 percent of all deaths. This pattern reflects the demographics of the all-volunteer armed forces, which is an older force (average age of the dead was 26, and 43 percent were married.) The reservists, who comprise 22 percent of the dead, also tend to be older.
Posted by: Steve ||
01/07/2005 9:58:23 AM ||
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From MEMRIAhmad Al-Baghdadi, a professor of political science at the University of Kuwait, recently published an article in the Kuwaiti daily Al-Siyassa and later in the Egyptian government weekly Akhbar Al-Yaum in which he called for outlawing and disbanding the Muslim Brotherhood organization, and confiscating its sources of funding. He also criticized U.S. policy on this subject, claiming that it is too lenient with organizations like the Muslim Brotherhood. The following are excerpts from the article:(1) 'What is Preventing the U.S. from Adding the Muslim Brotherhood to the Terrorist List?'
"Three senior Arab political leaders accused the Muslim Brotherhood organization of terrorism: the Saudi Minister of the Interior claimed that they bit the hand that fed them in the Saudi kingdom; the late Syrian president Hafez Al-Assad could not find any solution to their terror other than to obliterate them ... and recently, the Egyptian president [Hosni Mubarak] said openly and clearly that the Muslim Brotherhood organization is a terrorist organization that Egypt does not need. By Allah, only Satan needs them.
"Following these pointed, clear, and unwavering statements, what is preventing the U.S. from adding the Muslim Brotherhood organization to the terrorist list, and what is preventing the U.N. Security Council from considering them as such [i.e. a terrorist organization], as was done recently in the case of the Saudi separatist [Sa'd Al-Faqih], who incited to hold demonstrations in the [Saudi] kingdom? If this [adding the Muslim Brotherhood to the terrorist list] were to happen - and we hope that it will - it would necessarily lead to the freezing of all of the organization's bank accounts in all of the Arab countries and in the West, and its leaders would be considered international outlaws for supporting terrorism."
'The Policy of Bribing Religious Organizations is a Total Failure'
"Perhaps the most puzzling thing is the U.S.'s silence regarding the Muslim Brotherhood, despite the fact that [this organization] supports terrorism, whether by supporting Bin Laden ... or by publishing terrorist fatwas, or by calling to destroy democracy...
"Does the U.S. expect this organization to become like the Turkish Justice and Development Party [the ruling party in Turkey,] and expect to have political contacts with it, assuming that it is an opportunistic party operating by the principle of 'the ends justify the means?' [Is] the U.S. expecting that the Muslim Brotherhood organization will similarly agree to maintain political contacts with the U.S.?... If the conservative right-wing in the U.S. believes this, it is mistaken, since this political organization, which [only] exploits religion, does not believed in rights, justice, or equality, nor does it believe in human rights - so how can the U.S. believe them? Is this not pure nonsense?
"Let's assume for the sake of argument that this indeed happens [that the Muslim Brotherhood turns into an opportunistic party] and that it submits to the will of the U.S. in order [to fulfill] its desire to take power. What [though] will the U.S. do with the new Salafi2 Jihad movement, which is not ready for a cease-fire with the infidels and whose sole goal is to destroy the U.S. from within and from outside? Will the U.S. buy it like [it wants to buy] the Muslim Brotherhood?
"The policy of bribing religious organizations is a total failure, since these religious organizations are like snakes. You can never know when and where they will bite you. Thus, the best policy for dealing with [these] snakes is to kill them right off, in order to ensure your own wellbeing. Reliance on these organizations means the destruction not only of democracy, but also of the future which the U.S. aspires to achieve through its 'Greater Middle East' program."
'The Region has No Future as Long as Organizations like the Muslim Brotherhood Exist'
"Therefore, the region has no future as long as organizations like these continue to exist - and in particular the Muslim Brotherhood organization, which is the most widespread organization and the one with the most funds in Islamic banks. Thus, there is no solution other than to destroy them politically and economically. Does the U.S. need clearer proof than [that furnished by] the Egyptian president's latest statements to the German weekly Der Spiegel?3
"Staying silent in the face of the Muslim Brotherhood's social, political, and economic activities [only] multiplies its strength and reach. The day will come when the only solution for this will be confrontation, and it is better that this be now and not later. The solution is simple: to put [these organizations] on the international terrorist list and to force all the countries that have contacts with these organizations to dismantle them and to confiscate their funds. There is no other solution."
So, why haven't we?
Posted by: Steve ||
01/07/2005 9:40:49 AM ||
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#1
...what is preventing the U.S. from adding the Muslim Brotherhood organization to the terrorist list?
#2
"Does the U.S. expect this organization to become like the Turkish Justice and Development Party [the ruling party in Turkey,] and expect to have political contacts with it, assuming that it is an opportunistic party operating by the principle of 'the ends justify the means?'
Answer - um yeah. Or at least theres a chance. And we're hardly gonna take the opinions of Baby Assad, Hosni Mubarak, and the Saudi royals as definitive.
A dangerous game maybe, but no course is without risks.
Opinion surveys indicate that most Palestinians (65 percent) still back Fatah, which has been the leading political party for over a decade. Jailed Palestinian politician Marwan Barghuti gets 22 percent, and various smaller candidates, including terrorists, get the remaining 13 percent. This is the problem. Most Palestinians want peace with Israel, if only on economic grounds. But the terrorist groups that Fatah, and other Palestinian leaders, have long refused to oppose, still flourish. Fatah candidate for president, Mahmud Abbas, makes public statements asking the terrorists to stop their attacks, then turns around and praises the terrorists for their attacks. Palestinian popular opinion still supports the terrorists. Palestinians want peace, but they also want terrorist attacks to continue against Israelis. The January 9th elections are apparently not going to change much. While most Palestinians want peace, the Palestinian terrorists have no intention of halting their attacks.
Posted by: ed ||
01/07/2005 5:12:39 AM ||
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#4
Slowly, quickly....it doesn't matter to them so long as it is in large numbers, ideally so that the streets run with Joooish blood. Finish the wall soon, please.
#7
For a humorous analogy of the Paleo situation, check out this page and, taking the alligators as Paleos and the rest of the characters as those against whom they seethe, in varying degrees, view the cartoons for 1/03 - 1/07... Enjoy, heh.
#8
hehe the picture 'stop ahead , no stopping any time .' reminds me of Kiltimagh, County Mayo Gun Club . Has a sign on entrance saying ' Kiltimagh Gun Club , No shooting !'
Front-running candidate Mahmoud Abbas called Thursday for peace talks with Israel after this weekend's Palestinian presidential election, a sharp contrast to days of hard-line campaign pronouncements that included his labeling Israel the "Zionist enemy." Abbas changed his tone in an unlikely place — the West Bank city of Nablus, a stronghold of militant groups and semiautonomous armed gangs that rule refugee camps and neighborhoods, and carry out bloody attacks on Israelis. At a news conference, Abbas said that after Sunday's election he would welcome peace talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon — vilified by many Palestinians because of harsh Israeli measures during the current conflict. "After the elections, we will start negotiations," Abbas said. "Ariel Sharon is an elected leader and we will negotiate with him. We will put the 'road map' on the table and say that we are ready to implement it completely." The internationally backed "road map," which envisions an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, was presented in June 2003. Implementation quickly stalled because Palestinians failed to disarm violent groups and Israel did not dismantle dozens of unauthorized West Bank outposts and freeze construction in veteran settlements.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/07/2005 00:00:00 ||
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[Off-topic or abusive comments deleted]
Posted by: diaspora every 79 years TROLL ||
01/07/2005 4:12 Comments ||
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#2
Cleanup on asile #1, fred.
Abbas is being the typical Palestinian, to believes he can work both sides of the asile and avoid being called on it. consequences need to be imposed on him, rather than him being shielded from them.
#4
good morning 'diaspora every 79 years' - congratulations on winning 'Dumba$$ of 2005' award , and the year is only a few days old .. /cheer!!! Not many have acheived that lofty status so quickly , but you are a shining example for all other stuffed muppets to aspire to .
#5
what a diseased little shit. No heaven for you, Diaspora!
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/07/2005 8:35 Comments ||
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#6
I dunnoh, Ptah. given the situation, how could a Pal politician NOT try to work both sides of the aisle. Im reminded of Churchill's comments on the waverings of Vichy generals in North Africa during Torch "baffled by a problem, the like of which, gentle reader, you have not been asked to solve".
Which of course did not prevent the allies from being tough or imposing consequences - necessary - but the choice of consequences must reflect a real understanding of what is possible, and a focus on achieving the result.
#8
It looks like Abbas is following the tradition of Arafish of taking all sides of the issue just to muddy the waters. What he really means is "down with the Joooos!"
#9
I agree with Spot and mjh. He said this in English (yeah, we'll sit down with you's guys and talk), but in Arabic, he's shouting "Death to Israel, drive them into the sea." Charles Krauthammer has a great article on this today at townhall (see )
Posted by: BA ||
01/07/2005 10:07 Comments ||
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#10
Dang link button!
Posted by: BA ||
01/07/2005 10:10 Comments ||
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Posted by: BA ||
01/07/2005 10:10 Comments ||
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#12
Liberalhawk,
I agree with you that Abbas is walking a tight rope.
IMHO the thing that really matters is what he does not what he says.
If he gets elected, I suspect he will be given a 3 months grace period to see what he does.
If he keeps doing the "double speak" act he is quickly going to be classified as an Arafish clone
and shunned by Israeli Government.
#13
call me pollyanna - but I'd like to see the Paleo's get the leader that represents the ideals that most of them really want, whatever that might be. Why, you ask, since they obviously want the Jews to be pushed into the sea? Because a naive little part of me believes that if they get what they want, and it doesn't achieve the results that they want, then they will (if elections are free and fair) dump them and try another, and another and another until they finally realize that they'd rather have jobs and prosperity than jew hating rhetoric.
#14
I don't I think I ever witnessed a LH and EoZ battle /joke. Move along kids, there is nothing to see here.
As usual, I am not trusting of ANY peace deal from the Mooselimbs. The Paleo's mentioning peace is just an excuse to buy more time until they can regroup the terrorists and weapons. Personally, I think this big mention of peace is code word for a upcoming terr attack against the Jews. When the Israeli's retaliate, the Paleo's can blame the Jooos for BREAKING the fragile peace deal.
Hence, the (brand new term /sarcasm off) "circle of violence." I hear that Ashleigh Banfield, just loves the term.
#15
The bottom line is that this problem has only one solution, and it ain't peaceful. This is war. Only a complete trouncing of Hamas and the Palestinians' other attack dogs can bring peace here.
Bush is exactly right not to invest significant bandwidth on this tar baby. Especially not while the most crucial region, by far, demands urgent strategic attention. Asian Century now. Look west, 'mericans.
#16
Something nobody in the media nor supporters of the Paleos ever mention is there already has been "peace talks", and that obligations and responsibilities have already been spelled out. The issue is whether the Paleos will ever live up to their end of any deals.
#17
The Israeli's should take say, 50 square miles of land out of the Paleo's land each time they break a deal. When they're all crammed in the last little bit, then the Paleo's can be pushed into the sea, just like they want for the Jews. It's time for their to be severe consequences for their acts.
#18
expel the West Bank Jews squatters back to Russia
http://www.wrmea.com/archives/December_2004/0412013.html
hunt down and expose the terrorist jews supporting the bastard state of iszrael
Posted by: diaspora every 79 years ||
01/07/2005 4:12 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.
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France says it does not yet know whether a French female journalist 
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Opinion surveys indicate that most Palestinians (65 percent) still back Fatah, which has been the leading political party for over a decade. Jailed Palestinian politician Marwan Barghuti gets 22 percent, and various smaller candidates, including terrorists, get the remaining 13 percent. This is the problem. Most Palestinians want peace with Israel, if only on economic grounds. But the terrorist groups that Fatah, and other Palestinian leaders, have long refused to oppose, still flourish. Fatah candidate for president, Mahmud Abbas, makes public statements asking the terrorists to stop their attacks, then turns around and praises the terrorists for their attacks. Palestinian popular opinion still supports the terrorists. Palestinians want peace, but they also want terrorist attacks to continue against Israelis. The January 9th elections are apparently not going to change much. While most Palestinians want peace, the Palestinian terrorists have no intention of halting their attacks.
Front-running candidate 
