More than four years after the invasion of Afghanistan, 20,000 U.S. soldiers are still there, pitting their diplomatic skillsand massive airpoweragainst the Taliban's terror tactics
This now, too, is war: an American colonel striding through the market of a mud-walled Afghan town, scanning the produce. There's lots of itfresh tomatoes, peppers, carrotswhich one vegetable seller attributes to a new storage facility in nearby Kandahar functioning as it should. Otherwise, the produce would be overpriced and imported from Pakistan. All this, in some indirect way, is good news for the American military, which for four years has been fighting an infuriatingly low-level war in the mountains of Afghanistan. If there's plenty of food, according to this line of thought, the locals are doing well and will support President Hamid Karzai's fragile coalition government in Kabul. And if they support the government, they won't help the insurgents, who have kept 20,000 American soldiers pinned down in an almost forgotten war.
As a result, Lieutenant Colonel Mark Stammer walks through town every week or so to take the pulse of the community. Minutes earlier he finished up a visit to a local girls' schoolbuilt with American moneywhere he had knelt down in front of the headmistress and knifed open several boxes of school supplies for the children. The supplies had been sent by his wife, and included soccerballs bought by the women's soccer team at the University of Texas. The schoolmistress thanked him, and another person added that if he "heard anything" he would let Stammer know. By that, he meant that he would call if he got word of Taliban activity in the areawhich, in turn, might allow Stammer to pre-empt an attack on American soldiers.
By all measures the situation in Afghanistan may be skidding dangerously off the rails. American military deaths in the past yearnearly a hundredalmost equal those for the three preceding years combined. According to a recent internal report for the American Special Forces, opium production has gone from 74 metric tons a year under the Taliban to an astronomical 3,600 metric tons, an amount which is equal to 90 percent of the world's supply. The profit from Afghanistan's drug traderoughly $2 billion a yearcompetes with the amount of international aid flowing into the country and helps fund the insurgency. And assassinations and suicide bombings have suddenly taken hold in parts of Afghanistan, leading people to fear that the country is headed toward Iraq-style anarchy.
Posted by: john ||
03/30/2006 16:10 ||
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#1
Doom ! Despair!! Agony!!! That poor man really needs to take a Seratonin re-uptake inhibitor or he'll become seriously depressed. For the first time in two generations the Afghan people have the chance to build a peaceful society, and they are slowly and inconsistently inching in that direction. It would be absurd and unfair to expect them to reach the standards of Western civilization in less than half a decade, even if they didn't live in that particular neighborhood.
#2
If you want to make an American intelligence officer blanch, ask him whether the Pakistani military is supporting the Taliban. Officers like McGary seem willing to talk about it all day longit's their men who are dying, after allbut intelligence officers inhabit that awkward world where politics and war intersect, and the wrong question can literally set them to stammering.
Posted by: john ||
03/30/2006 17:28 Comments ||
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#3
I hope with left the Indian Government a copy of
#4
Junger's most well-know piece of writing is "Perfect Storm", in which the entire fishing boat crew drowns at the end, so we're not talking about a guy who necessarily looks on the bright side of things. (Good movie, though- you get to watch George Clooney drown.)
Posted by: Matt ||
03/30/2006 17:58 Comments ||
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#5
I hope with left the Indian Government a copy of
"Lithium 6 for Dummys"
"India also did not reveal whether the fusion material used in the thermonuclear device was lithium deuteride, tritium, or both. Bhabha started producing lithium 6 almost a decade ago and began producing tritium even earlier. Bhabha also recently opened a tritium production plant, which can extract significant quantities of tritium from the heavy water irradiated in its CANDU power reactors."
Posted by: john ||
03/30/2006 18:09 Comments ||
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#7
How long are the Paks going to get away with this?
Posted by: john ||
03/30/2006 18:14 Comments ||
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#8
I find it hard to fathom why we have not made a major operation (Airstrikes followed by napalm, followed by ground troops) to destroy the bulk of the poppy fields and deny our enemies that economic resource.
At the very least it might convince the poppy growers to stop paying for Taliban soldiers. At very most it might bankrupt then and help us win.
#9
I don't read this as doom and despair, or waah, waah. I see a guy who is not a Ranger reporting on their life - full pack, 10,000 feet, dealing with sh*t. It's a tough job - both the soldiers' job and Junger's. Sometimes the news is bad, sometimes it's good, and mostly you just won't know for a while, but you just keep doing your job.
#10
Matt, "The Pefect Storm" is actually a true account of the Andrea Gail. No one actually knows what happened but the Andrea Gail was lost in the fall of 1991. I was living in the Boston area at the time and it was big news there.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
03/30/2006 19:11 Comments ||
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#11
rjschwartz:
We should use napalm.
We have napalm.
We can't use napalm.
In the campaign against Baghdad, we used concrete-bombs.
The enemy got the message.
#12
I find it hard to fathom why we have not made a major operation (Airstrikes followed by napalm, followed by ground troops) to destroy the bulk of the poppy fields and deny our enemies that economic resource.
Immediately after any such strike, the jihadis would gather up a school full of children, take them into a burnt-out field, tie them up, douse them with gasoline, and set them on fire. Once the flames burnt down, they would invite every camera crew they could find to show the world "what the Americans did".
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
03/30/2006 20:48 Comments ||
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CAPE TOWN SA has condemned what it terms collective punishment of the Palestinian people for electing Hamas, Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad said yesterday.
Speaking ahead of todays state visit by Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas, Pahad said government was planning to work closely with Hamas, which recently won elections for the Palestinian parliament.
SAs approach is contrary to that of the US, European Union and Israel, which have deemed Hamas a terrorist organisation and responded to its victory by threatening diplomatic isolation and a funding freeze for the Palestinian Authority unless Hamas recognises Israel and renounces violence.
The Abbas visit comes against the background of another major shift in Middle East politics with victory for the new and moderate Kadima party in Israeli elections this week.
Briefing the media on Abbas visit, Pahad said the changes in the region presented an historic opportunity for both Palestine and Israel to take a new approach to the resolution of their conflict.
He said it was unacceptable that those clamouring for democracy in Palestine should now reject the result because they did not like the peoples choice.
This was particularly worrying since the Palestinian election was considered fair and transparent.
SA will interact with whatever authority the Palestinians have chosen, Pahad said.
On the issue of certain countries threatening to withhold donor funds because of Hamas election, he said such measures could only make matters worse.
The Palestinians should not be collectively punished for exercising their democratic rights, Pahad said.
He said the Abbas visit was eagerly anticipated in SA and it was hoped that Abbas would enlighten President Thabo Mbeki on the situation in the Middle East.
Mbeki and Abbas were expected to discuss the relations between SA and the Palestinian territories. They will also discuss the peace process between Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Pahad said he and Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils would visit Palestine next week to assess how SA could boost the peace process. He said he hoped that they would also get the opportunity to meet the new Israeli leadership.
#1
Surprise meter please. I hope the community is keeping a close eye on the nuclear power reactors built by the French at Koeberg. I'd put nothing past the ANC.
Words right from the camel's mouth. Parse as necessary.
Saudi Ambassador in Washington Prince Turki Al-Faisal said on Wednesday not the US Administration, but rather the Congress and the American public opinion are the two major challenges the Kingdom has to deal with to improve its image. "Our relationships with the US Administration are graded at very good when it comes to cooperation on issues of interest to both nations," Prince Turki told a small group of Arab journalists based in Washington. But the relationship with the Senate and the House of Representatives, which both speak sometimes negatively about Saudi Arabia, is something of paramount challenge to Saudi Arabia.
Bush is in the position of having to maintain a semblence of cordial relations with the princes, due to a lot of factors, including oil and the desire to avoid open confrontation with the entire Muslim world. Not being given to hasty actions, he's taking the WoT one piece at a time, with Soddy Arabia and Pakland down the list, after the way has been prepared. Congress, a beast with 565 bellies and probably half that number of brains, doesn't feel the same constraints. The public, even the public that's not paying close attention, sees where the impetus toward holy war is coming from and feels an instinctive dislike for the Arab Master Race.
Saudi Arabia, a strategic ally to the United States, has come under a barrage of criticisms since the September 11 attacks by US some lawmakers, accusing the Kingdom of supporting Islamic radicalism and inability to take concrete actions of reform.
Most such criticisms have been well-justified.
Such accusations, categorically denied by the Saudi Government, have badly tarnished Saudi Arabias image in the United States despite the fact that the US Administration maintained close contacts with the Kingdom, praising it for its leading role in the fight on terrorism.
The denials of the obvious have made the Tragic Kingdom look stupid and duplicitous. That's why the public doesn't like them.
The Saudi diplomat said the September attacks, engineered by a number of Arab nationals with close link to Osama Bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network among whom 15 of 19 some were identified as Saudi nationals, have doubled the responsibility of Saudi Arabia to prove its innocence to the growing number of Americans whom he described as "lacking basic knowledge of Saudi Arabia."
Some of the rest of us have acquired that basic knowledge of Soddy Arabia. We really don't like them.
Prince Turki, who has been traveling to a number of cities in America within efforts to improve his country's image, said many of the people he met with had negative picture about Saudi Arabia.
Crawling with holy men, chopping people's heads off, exporting jihad to the rest of the world, spittle-spewing, xenophobic sermons at Friday prayers at the Grand Mosque... Shucks. I can't see why anybody's got a negative opinion of them.
"These two issues are the major challenges to us. We need not to focus our efforts in Washington, we need to travel to real America if we want to establish good picture of our countries," he said in reference to small and big cities in the United States.
Cut a few holy men's heads off and opinion might start to change.
Posted by: Captain America ||
03/30/2006 0:32 Comments ||
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#2
Crawling with holy men, chopping people's heads off, exporting jihad to the rest of the world, spittle-spewing, xenophobic sermons at Friday prayers at the Grand Mosque... Shucks. I can't see why anybody's got a negative opinion of them.
You forgot the secret nuclear program, and the secret ballistic missile program.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
03/30/2006 7:43 Comments ||
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#3
I'll disagree a bit in that I care very little what goes on in Soddiland. I hardly care how many hands they cut off as long as they don't try to export their sewer of a political, social systems and religion outside their borders. That's where the rub comes. But then I don't think much of the French either. The major difference being the French don't generally fly our airplanes into our buildings.
#4
Saudi Arabian funding has globally transformed Islam, allowing the triumph of a rabid version of the faith that is dedicated to world domination. With the recent spike in the price of oil, such funding has only increased. I see no evidence that anyone in the US government is taking this particular "root cause" of terrorism seriously. We need -- above all else -- an American leader who understands this. Increasingly, the people do. Will our leadership follow?
#5
Crawling with holy men, chopping people's heads off, exporting jihad to the rest of the world, spittle-spewing, xenophobic sermons at Friday prayers at the Grand Mosque... Shucks. I can't see why anybody's got a negative opinion of them.
You forgot the secret nuclear program, and the secret ballistic missile program.
And, RC, you must add the lovely sands of the desert, and the 120+ degree temps in the shade. Makes for a lovely getaway. Not to mention that ali baba and the 4,000 princes live in royalty while the rest pursue their miserable lives in squalor. Quite the lovely stop, if you like the Middle Ages, lol.
Posted by: BA ||
03/30/2006 11:39 Comments ||
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#6
The major difference being the French don't generally fly our airplanes into our buildings.
Well, no; but the way things are looking, they'll be using their nuclear missiles on us in 20 years.
The BNP-Jamaat rift has widened in the district following renewed clash between the leaders and activists of the two parties. The clash erupted as the district unit of Madrasa Shikhhak Parishad, a front organisation of Jamaat-e-Islami, yesterday brought out a procession and held a meeting at Shaheed Abdur Razzak Park accusing BNP of attacking the major coalition partner.
District unit general secretary of Madrasa Shikhhak Parishad Maulana Abdul Bari presided the meeting. In the meeting, the speakers demanded arrest and punishment to BNP leader Abdur Rouf, also chairman of Alipur Union Parishad (UP) for criticising Jamaat Ameer Maulana Matiur Rahman Nizami and beating madrasa teacher Maulana Abu Sayeed. Terming Rouf as 'Kafir' and godfather of criminals, they demanded his arrest and punishment. They threatened to launch a tougher agitation if the authorities failed to take action against him.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/30/2006 00:00 ||
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The Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) will soon start a combing operation in four outlaw- infested southwestern districts to mop up the extremists. "The operation may start anytime, may be even tonight," said a Rab official yesterday evening, seeking anonymity. As part of the operation, the anticrime force will intensify their vigil in the border areas, he added.
Sources said Rab has taken the decision as killings and extortion are going on rampantly in Chuadanga, Meherpur, Jhenidah and Kushtia districts. The elite force has already set up camps at different places in these districts. Some 61 people including BNP and Awami League activists, outlaws and other people have been killed since January this year in these districts. The increase in murders has created a sense of insecurity among people in the trouble-torn region.
Rab Director General MA Aziz Sarkar yesterday held a closed-door meeting with the superintendents of police (SPs) of the four districts at Chuadanga to discuss the operation. Sources said the meeting discussed the latest positions of the outlawed groups, especially the four factions of Purba Banglar Communist Party (BPCP), which are more active than others. The SPs briefed the Rab DG on the extremists' activities in their districts.
The meeting also discussed the drive against Islamist militants in the four districts. The SPs of Chuadanga and Meherpur were asked to intensify their drive against banned Islamist outfit Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) as police are yet to submit charge sheets in the cases filed for the August 17 serial blasts in the two districts. A dozen of underground parties are carrying out extremism in the region and they have around 4,000 armed cadres, according to police.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/30/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
REQUISITION 39274
Items required:
Shutter gun 1 ea
Country gun 1 ea
Rounds of bullet 4 ea
Date required:
March 31, 0100-0500
Justification:
Arrest of extremist, seizure of weapons cache, encounter of henchmen.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told a news conference in Tokyo that the al-Qaida terrorist network eyes Japan as a possible target.
"We know that bin Laden has talked about Japan as an enemy, a country that he wants to punish. We could never assume that something won't happen," he said, Kyodo News reported Wednesday.
Speaking to the press at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo Tuesday, Chertoff, who oversees the anti-terrorism measures of the U.S. government, emphasized the importance of strengthening bilateral relations between Japan and the United States to fight terrorism by enhancing such means as nuclear radiation detection at ports for cargo as well as immigration controls.
His visit to Japan is part of an Asian tour that includes China and Singapore and is meant to win support for new anti-terrorism efforts.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
03/30/2006 00:27 ||
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Mr. Killjoy strikes again. Watch that sushi.
Posted by: Captain America ||
03/30/2006 0:34 Comments ||
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March 29: Norwegian Ambassador Janis Bjorn Kanavin on Wednesday reiterated his governmentâs commitment to support international initiatives for a universal ban on publication and broadcast of sacrilegious material concerning holy prophets.
He was speaking to a delegation of Tanzeem-i-Ahl-i-Sunnat clerics from Gujrat and Gujranwala. The meeting had been arranged on the request of the clerics.
Ambassador Kanavin said the question was not that of merely calling for new international legislation, but it should be seen if the countries were willing to abide by their international commitments.
Referring to the caricature issue, he said Islam and Christianity taught forgiveness and it was because of this the editor whose magazine reproduced the Danish cartoons was forgiven by the Muslim community after an extensive dialogue in which the motives behind the publication of cartoons were questioned.
He said now it was time for a constructive community to take centre stage. We have to move on, he added.
Mr Kanavin hoped that dialogue between Muslims and Christians could promote inter-faith harmony.
One of the members of the delegation, Afzal Qadri said the clerics would now be meeting ambassadors of other western countries in this connection.
The delegation parried a question regarding the reason for such a belated move for reconciliation and said lot of time was consumed in making contact with the Norwegian embassy.
#2
Morons, total fricking morons. Just when a united front is most called for these idjits tremble and cower like the spineless cowards they are. They richly deserve their coming dhimmitude.
#3
just the ambassador to pakiwakiland making nice with the locals, with some doublespeak that means nothing. Ambassador Kanavin said the question was not that of merely calling for new international legislation, but it should be seen if the countries were willing to abide by their international commitments.
Which international commitments? I dunno, some international commitments. International commitments are important. Think about guys. Now is my limo back to Islamabad ready?
Referring to the caricature issue, he said Islam and Christianity taught forgiveness and it was because of this the editor whose magazine reproduced the Danish cartoons was forgiven by the Muslim community after an extensive dialogue in which the motives behind the publication of cartoons were questioned.
yeah, its all about forgiveness. Muslims forgive the JP, we forgive the muslims, and I'll forgive you for dragging me out to this godforsaken stinkhole. Is my limo back to Islamabad ready yet?
He said now it was time for a constructive community to take centre stage. We have to move on, he added.
Yes, we must move on. Let focus on something important, like world trade in fisheries products. Now dammit Olaf, where in blazes is that limo??
Mr Kanavin hoped that dialogue between Muslims and Christians could promote inter-faith harmony.
Dialogue, thats it, its all about dialogue. Thats what diplomats get paid for, doncha know? Ah, theres my limo, at last. Hasta la vista, guys, and my sympathies to the next diplo you drag out here.
Tank-armed Turkish Army troops besieged the southeastern provincial city of Diyarbakr on Wednesday where streets turned into battle zones in escalating violent clashes between the Turkish government troops and Kurdish activists, Anatolia news agency reported. -- The news agency said 70 people have been arrested since the clashes erupted two days ago, adding that the Kurdish activists set buildings afire in the city.
According to initial reports from the city, several journalists and policemen were wounded in the clashes that inflicted damage, estimated at million of dollars. Facades of many stores have been damaged or destroyed and a four-storey building housing a bank has been set ablaze. Buildings housing security forces have been attacked with stones by the agitated demonstrators. A demonstrator who attempted to raise a picture of Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned chief of the outlawed Workers Part of Kurdistan (PKK), was shot dead in a town near the city.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/30/2006 00:00 ||
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#2
If there are PKK in Diyarbakr (as implied by the guy trying to raise a portrait of dear Apo), they are definitely bad guys. Here is a pretty good primer on the PKK, what they want, and how nasty they are.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
03/30/2006 1:22 Comments ||
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In "Abdul Rahman's Family Values," Time Magazine (thanks to all who sent this in) reveals "an official police report on the Christian convert in Afghanistan" which "alleges a tawdry domestic life."
It never seems to occur to Time that anyone in Afghanistan might have any interest in blackening Abdul Rahman's name, and they retail these stories from supposedly disinterested officials and family members (that's right, the family that turned him in for apostasy) without critical comment.
Most importantly, these stories are a gigantic red herring, of interest only to the most befogged dhimmis. It doesn't matter if Abdul Rahman is a deadbeat dad, a father stabber, a mother raper, or the second coming of Adolf Hitler. If he is any of those things, of course he should be prosecuted in a sane society by a sane court system. But ultimately whether he is or is not those things is irrelevant to the question of whether or not he is free, or should be free, to leave the Islamic religion in Afghanistan.
He said he was a Christian, you see, so Time Magazine has to portray him in a negative light. Time's enemy, after all, is Christianity, not the global Islamic jihad.
By attempting to divert attention away from that central question, Time Magazine deserves the opprobrium of all free people everywhere.
#2
I do find it a bit alarming, this suddenly more outward embrace by the left of Islam.
Waldenbooks and Borders and just about every other free speech outlet folding on the cartoons. The defence and embrace by the left of enrolling a Taliban murderer by Yale. I could go on and on. They are dropping even the pretense of ,that they once claimed to represent, and willingly and openly joining their side.
This willingness, of those who claim to be "progressives", to embrace Islamists who stand for the antithesis of everything they have ever claimed to stand for is indeed shocking and very, very, troubling.
Time's smear of Rahman is less about their hatred of Christianity than it is their alignment with Islam in their fight against America.
#3
Yes indeed, 2b -- the left is now the right, and the right the left. If you care about -- at the global scale -- such issues as religious freedom, women's rights, human dignity, and even the rights of homosexuals, then the left has no place for you.
This is all so weird that I sometimes think that I'm going crazy -- or that the whole world is. But I can thank Rantburg for helping me maintain some sense of reality. (Confession: I was, until recently, a liberal democrat -- and all of my friends and family members still are. They, unfortunately, can't even begin to understand how they are betraying their own ideals!)
#4
PI - I share your feelings of shock and dismay about how "liberals" and "progressives" have dealt with the war on Islamic fascism. As a gay guy who has felt perfectly comfortable in an Amsterdam "coffee house", some find it counter-intuitive for me to support Bush. But I agree with Mark Steyn when he says that the WOT should be the left's issue. Who has done more to give hope to the highly oppressed women and gays of the Middle East - Bush or Clinton (or any other Democrat for that matter)? One would think that toppling the Taliban (and Saddam) would be considered a significant accomplishment for the rights of minorities. And one would also think that, even for far lefties, the issue of court-mandated gay marriage would seem trivial in comparison (to put it mildly). But to some (not all, fortunately) of my friends, the reflexive antipathy for Bush makes this point difficult to grasp. When I watched the Twin Towers go down, the scales on my eyes came crashing down with them. I decided to educate myself about Islam (reading Lewis, Spencer, Pipes) and military strategy (Keegan and Hanson). But if I had had to rely soly on the MSM for my information, I still might have seen Bush as a bumbling failure. Thank God for the blogosphere, especially Instapundit, LGF, MEMRI, Starship Clueless (I still miss this one trememdously), and Rantburg! Without the internet, one sees only a funhouse-mirror distortion of what is really happening, with glimpses of the truth few, far-between, and uncoordinated.
Democrats on Wednesday proposed a wide-ranging strategy for protecting Americans at home and abroad, an election-year effort aimed at changing public perception that Republicans are stronger on national security. Republicans, for their part, criticized the national security policy statement as a stunt.
"We are uniting behind a national security agenda that is tough and smart, an agenda that will provide the real security President Bush has promised, but failed to deliver," Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said.
His counterpart in the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Democrats were providing a fresh strategy - "one that is strong and smart, which understands the challenges America faces in a post 9/11 world, and one that demonstrates that Democrats are the party of real national security."
They spoke at a news conference at Union Station, near the Capitol, in front of banners reading "Real Security." They were flanked by some of the Democratic Party's top authorities on national security, including retired Gen. Wesley Clark and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
In the strategy, Democrats vowed to provide U.S. agents with the resources to "eliminate" Osama bin Laden and ensure a "responsible redeployment of U.S. forces" from Iraq in 2006. They promised to rebuild the military, eliminate the United States' dependence on foreign oil by 2020 and implement the recommendations of the Sept. 11 commission. Those are many of the same proposals Democrats have offered before.
Republicans refused to let Democrats portray themselves as stronger than them on the GOP's signature issue.
"Their behavior has been totally inconsistent with what they're now promising to do," said Vice President Dick Cheney. Interviewed on Fox News' "Tony Snow Show," Cheney said he did not believe Democrats had a credible plan for tracking down bin Laden and that their plan to move U.S. forces out of Iraq this year "would be a strategic retreat."
"It makes no sense at all to turn Iraq over to the terrorists," Cheney said. "We can succeed in Iraq, we can complete the mission."
Indeed, the Democratic statement lacks specific details of a plan to capture bin Laden, the al-Qaida chief who has evaded U.S. forces in the more than four years since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. But Democrats suggest they will double the number of special forces and add more spies to increase the chances of finding al-Qaida's elusive leader.
Democrats also do not set a deadline for when all of the 132,000 American troops now in Iraq should be withdrawn.
They say: "We will ensure 2006 is a year of significant transition to full Iraqi sovereignty, with the Iraqis assuming primary responsibility for security and governing their country and with the responsible redeployment of U.S. forces."
The latest in a series of party policy statements for 2006, the Democrats' national security platform comes seven months before voters decide who will control the House and Senate.
Bush's job approval ratings are in the mid- to high-30s, and Democrats consistently have about a 10 percentage point lead over Republicans when people are asked who they want to see in control of Congress.
With the public skeptical of the Iraq war and Republicans and Democrats alike questioning Bush's war policies, Democrats aim to force Republicans to distance themselves from the president on Iraq and national security or rubber-stamp what Democrats contend is a failed policy.
Democratic strategists say their polling shows Democrats leading in all other areas - such as the economy, health care, education and retirement security - and having closed a gap in polls with Republicans on national security.
For months, House and Senate Democrats have tried to craft a comprehensive position on national security, but they have splintered, primarily over Iraq.
Republicans have sought to use that division to their own political advantage, claiming that Democrats simply attack the president and his fellow Republicans without presenting proposals of their own.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
03/30/2006 00:30 ||
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Reid: Reminds me of a toothless barking bloodhound.
Posted by: Captain America ||
03/30/2006 0:36 Comments ||
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House Democrats said "we will provided a fresh national security strategy - one that will make use of strong Steely Dans and will communicate with smart Vagina Monologues".
#8
Same as republican plan, but all credit goes to deminocrats and all criticism to republicans. Plan name will change to "Security for All Americans, not Just the Wealthy".
#9
Pander here, pander there, pander everywhere. These stratergeries sound very pie-in-the-sky if you ask me. Do they want to claim that Bush wouldnt capture Bin Laden if he could? And other than putting more boots on the ground, whats their plan? FYI the number of people on the ground is in direct proportion to the casualties (injured/dead). Also I dont think (correct me if I misspeak) that you can simply double the number of special forces (Delta, Seals, etc). They are a select group among select people. Further, I dont remember any Democrat ever saying we need more spies. Sound to me that their plan is simply to throw more $$$$$ at a problem and hope it will work out. Reid/Pelosi/Kerry: Axis of stupidity.
#10
A plan that's "tough and smart" (Reid) and "strong and smart" (Pelosi). Almost sounds as if they're campaigning for Repubs doesn't it? Too bad they'll lose again, in my estimation.
*snicker*
Of course, maybe they could insert Pelosi, with her whip, into Waziristan and capture binny and crew. Or, insert the dimlight from Searchlight (Reid) there with her to help capture binny. CS nails it...it's their same song and dance, as always...just throw $$$ at it and that'll "fix" the problems. No details, just more money, folks. And, the whole Spec Ops thing is probably lunacy. It takes a lot of time, money and investment to get those guys where they are...not exactly something that'll happen overnight, even with unlimited $ thrown at it. Paint me skeptical on what they'd really do once in office too (to the military).
Posted by: BA ||
03/30/2006 11:56 Comments ||
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#11
The Democrats are behind a strong and smart plan for national security. Maybe. And maybe I'm a Chinese jet pilot.
The US military plans to detonate a 700 tonne explosive charge in a test called "Divine Strake" that will send a mushroom cloud over Las Vegas, a senior defense official said. "I don't want to sound glib here but it is the first time in Nevada that you'll see a mushroom cloud over Las Vegas since we stopped testing nuclear weapons," said James Tegnelia, head of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. we're sending the video to Tehran
Tegnelia said the test was part of a US effort to develop weapons capable of destroying deeply buried bunkers housing nuclear, chemical or biological weapons. "We have several very large penetrators we're developing," he told defense reporters. Big Dong?
"We also have -- are you ready for this - a 700-tonne explosively formed charge that we're going to be putting in a tunnel in Nevada," he said. "And that represents to us the largest single explosive that we could imagine doing conventionally to solve that problem," he said.
The aim is to measure the effect of the blast on hard granite structures, he said. "If you want to model these weapons, you want to know from a modeling point of view what is the ideal best condition you could ever set up in a conventional weapon -- what's the best you can do. And this gets at the best point you could get on a curve. So it allows us to predict how effective these kinds of weapons ... would be," he said.
He said the Russians have been notified of the test, which is scheduled for the first week of June at the Nevada test range. "We're also making sure that Las Vegas understands," Tegnelia said.
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/30/2006 11:58 ||
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damn. The picture format overlaps the text. Help, mods?
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/30/2006 12:05 Comments ||
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#4
Iran has no f*cking clue what is coming to them if they keep on their same nuclear path.... no f*cking clue. W. should just send the words: SHOCK AND AWE to the government of Iran as a warning.
#5
It's not exactly what you would call man portable is it. In some ways it reminds me of the gargantuan artillery pieces the Germans were in love with. Massive destructive potential but extremely limited utility.
#6
That's the size of a whole fleet of semi-trailers - what kind of wings do you put on this thing if you want to deliver it air freight?
Big as it is, it is still just a few percent of the bang of the only nuclear weapons used in war (so far).
#10
LOTR and RD---My thoughts exactly. 700 tons (1.4 million pounds) is a sizeable load to carry on an aircraft. A 747 carries, say 150 tons, and a C-5A a similar load. Since we cannot test nuclear weapons physically, even underground, by treaty, a 700 ton blast would be about right to test bunker busters of the fission type. You do not need big nukes if you can get them close enough to the target to maximize the shock wave.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
03/30/2006 14:37 Comments ||
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#11
Further on this: .....DTRA Halliburton and CAT Tractor initiative. Modeled after the Big-Boy of WWII fame, the 700 tonne device dubbed the BF-DRP (Big F - Deep Rock Penetrator) can be incrementally delivered by SOF personnel to an undisclosed secure area few kilometers of the target site, assembled and pulled to the target area via a remote controlled lightweight palmer, muffled D9 CAT. A maritime version dubbed BF WAVE WNOS (Big F Wave - Which No One Survives) is under development as well. Little F variants are not being developed at this time.
The Pentagon plans to detonate 700 tons of conventional high explosives in Nevada in a June 2 test designed to gauge the effectiveness of weapons against deeply buried targets, officials said on March 30.
"I dont want to sound glib here, but its the first time in Nevada that youll see a mushroom cloud over Las Vegas since we stopped testing nuclear weapons," James Tegnelia, director of the Pentagons Defense Threat Reduction Agency, told a small group of reporters.
The test, dubbed "Divine Strake," is sponsored by Tegnelias agency and is set to be conducted at the Energy Departments Nevada Test Site in Nye County, about 65 miles (105 km) northwest of Las Vegas.
"All explosives, given the right thermal characteristics, will create a cloud that may resemble a mushroom cloud," the Defense Threat Reduction Agency said in a statement. "The dust cloud from Divine Strake may reach an altitude of 10,000 feet (3,048 meters) and is not expected to be visible off the Nevada Test Site."
Nuclear tests at the site sent mushroom clouds billowing high into the air and became tourist attractions in the 1950s, but surface tests ended in the early 1960s.
Pentagon leaders have expressed concern about potential U.S. adversaries building deeply buried bunkers containing chemical, biological or nuclear weapons stockpiles or command-and-control structures that are difficult to destroy with existing weapons.
The agency said the test will involve detonating 700 tons of the Ammonium Nitrate-Fuel Oil, or ANFO, a commonly used agent in commercial blasting operations. Officials said the tests primary purpose is to examine ground shock effects on deeply buried tunnel structures, and the explosion will take place above an existing structure.
Tegnelia said because of the power of the explosion, officials will notify Russia and make sure authorities in Las Vegas understand the test.
He noted the Pentagon is currently developing several very large weapons intended to penetrate the ground to get at deeply buried and hardened targets.
Tegnelia said the "Divine Strake" test represents the largest conventional explosion Pentagon officials could imagine triggering to address the issue.
A strake is part of a ships hull.
Posted by: john ||
03/30/2006 17:53 Comments ||
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#18
Jimma Chauter is not going to like this one bit:
Excerpt:
"Our government has abandoned the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and spent more than $80 billion on a doubtful effort to intercept and destroy incoming intercontinental missiles, with annual costs of about $9 billion. We have also forgone compliance with the previously binding limitation on testing nuclear weapons and developing new ones, with announced plans for earth-penetrating "bunker busters," some secret new "small" bombs, and a move toward deployment of destructive weapons in space. Another long-standing policy has been publicly reversed by our threatening first use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states. These decisions have aroused negative responses from NPT signatories, including China, Russia and even our nuclear allies, whose competitive alternative is to upgrade their own capabilities without regard to arms control agreements." --A Dangerous Deal With India By Jimmy Carter
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
#20
In order to drop the big bomb on the Islamic garbage dump, Iran radar and command structure would have to be taken out. A huge armada would have to be sent to attempt neutralization of air and anti-aircraft defenses. Once done, the Iranians would use their mobile missiles against US and Israeli ground targets, and US naval vessels in the Persian Gulf. Some of these attacks would be successful.
Given the nature of the enemy, a single loss of American life would be undeserving. Ergo: I would set a proliferation example on the Middle East by using tactical nukes against Iranian targets, and then declare total zonal destruction of any area from which Iranian missile attacks were launched. The Iran terrorist entity imports 40% of its refined gasoline supplies, and these could be halted while existing facilities destroyed. Mere hints of Kurd and Azeri independence would cause Iran's leaders to sue for peace. The disgrace would cause the overthrow of the Ayatoilets, without considerable loss of civilian life.
I resent Jimmy Carter thinking - first use of nukes are against our values - that all but force lengthy, unworkable and costly, conventional war solutions.
Some of us wanted a post-9-11 declaration that those attacks constituted a WMD attack, and a disproportionate response with WMDs. Where would we be if that happened? US support in the Middle East would have risen. Instead, the same jihad-clerics who ordered 9-11 are now poised to take power throughout the Middle East.
Ahmadinejad's low regard for the US rests on America's tolerance of Hizbollah presence on Israel's borders. If you want our nukes to gather dust in face of WMD acquiring animals who incite, "Death to America" rants at every opportunity, be aware that US has used nukes on 2 occasions. Imperial Japan you know about, but be aware that during the nuke-monopoly period Russian occupation troops were ordered out of Iran (how ironic) under US nuclear-extortion. It is time for a 3rd use: vs genocidal Iran. Check your local library for a copy of the following book, by a liberal, on the monopoly period:
"The Winning Weapon: The Atomic Bomb in the Cold War, 1945-1950": Herken, Gregg.
We don't do that...yada, yada, yada...ad nauseum. We better.
#24
We've been working 24/7 at Pantex developing the small nukes for a long while now. Must be getting close to being able to produce. Someone was correct. Checking the damage effects here. Then if we have to scale up the yield slightly, we will. We're hoping that the shock waves do the job underground, without too much leaking to the general populace. Delivery by missile. No defense to worry about. They won't see them coming. Flight time will be short. Russians won't be able to detect and tip them off.
#28
"In order to drop the big bomb on the Islamic garbage dump, Iran radar and command structure would have to be taken out. A huge armada would have to be sent to attempt neutralization of air and anti-aircraft defenses. Once done, the Iranians would use their mobile missiles against US and Israeli ground targets, and US naval vessels in the Persian Gulf. Some of these attacks would be successful."
Actually not really, if this is to simulate a tac nuke strike you can deliver it by Tomahawk. Now if we REALLY wanted to send a message it'd be by a dozen nuclear armed Tomahawks sporting 200 kt warheads.
#29
I've been lurking at Rantburg for a couple of years, posting since Nov '05. I work at a large military facility - Senior Security. KOS? LOL - Doggie is the bitch princess.
We don't need to use nukes to stop the Mullahs. Sure, we might have to put 2 or 3 in the same spot to achieve the desired results, but so what? Simple to do with GPS. And regards the efficacy of our attack, I submit Doggie hasn't a first-hand clue.
First use of nukes? NO. When the political riot over RNEPs played out, President Bush dropped it - the support wasn't there. The repercussions for first use without congressional approval would certainly be impeachment - and he would be convicted.
Obviously some people have failed to pay sufficient attention for the last 60 years, or they're trolling idiots who know less than nothing about American policy. And if we were going to use nukes, we wouldn't be futzing about with 700 ton conventional weapons. Isn't that obvious?
Howling at the Moon is both a sick puppy and a troll with multiple agendas. I've seen the sick voyeurs come to Rantburg and use it for a dump for their ills for a long time. He / She is nothing new. These people should pay Fred by the hour.
Abstract:
Two- and three-dimensional computational fluid and solid dynamics calculations were performed to predict the airblast and dust environment for the DIVINE STRAKE high explosive field test. The DIVINE STRAKE test is planned to be a large-yield, buried burst detonated at the Nevada Test Site. The early-time airblast, crater formation, and ejecta environment were calculated using the two-dimensional CRALE code. This solution was then overlayed onto two- and three-dimensional MAZe code computational meshes. The MAZe calculations simulated the airblast environment as well as the propagation of the dusty environment produced by the ejecta and subsequent dust sweep-up. The airblast environment will be compared to test measurements when they become available, while the predicted dust environment will be used to aid in planning of the test.
and
Non Ideal Airblast Effects from Urban and Natural Terrain
xxx, yyy, ARA
Abstract:
Non-ideal airblast is produced from detonations over urban and natural terrain. Mechanical effects of a blast wave reflecting off non-ideal surfaces produces shielding and channeling effects that may be considerably different than those from a detonation over an ideal surface. Work in the area non-ideal airblast generated from urban and natural terrain is presented.
Divine Strake is a high-explosive (HE) test sponsored by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and is scheduled for the summer of 2006 at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). The test is a detonation of a 700 ton buried heavy AN/FO charge above a tunnel structure. The main purpose of the test is to study ground shock effects on deeply buried tunnel structures. Of secondary interest is the airblast produced by a buried charge and its modification as it propagates over the local terrain.
Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) recently sponsored a number of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) airblast calculations of the upcoming event. SNL contracted Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) to perform two- and three-dimensional (2D and 3D) predictive airblast calculations for the test. The CFD calculations were run with SHAMRC and characterize the airblast environments induced by the non-ideal charge configuration and the surrounding terrain. They include 2D calculations with and without terrain and with a responding and non-responding ground model. A single 3D calculation with a non-responding ground model was also completed. Results of the calculations provide test planners with environments that can be expected at instrumentation and test structure locationS. A single, 3D calculation with a realistic ground model is planned once the charge and detonation site details are finalized.
ARA has also completed several SHAMRC calculations investigating non-ideal airblast over urban and natural terrain under a contract with DTRA for the Near Surface Weapons Effects Tools â 3D (NSWET-3D), Airblast/Thermal task. One set of calculations modeled a nuclear detonation in New York City. The buildings were generated automatically from ArcView shapefiles, placed on a flat ground surface, and modeled as non-responding. One of these calculations was run under the Capability Applications Project (CAP) sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) High Performance Computing Modernization Program (HPCMP). Another set of calculations modeled the Smoky nuclear event at NTS. The calculations included models of natural terrain, thermal heating of the terrain surface, and dust sweep-up from the surface.
Initial contract appeared to be bid at: $301,925.00
oops...
One document was redacted as a PDF but I could read it as google converted HTML in googles cache....
Security at Los ALamos needs to look into that weakness. Discrete G. and co-projects were also mentioned along with names of people and orgs.
I will send the google link to our mod
#1
HARTLAND TWP. - A stolen tanker truck authorities were concerned could "potentially be used as a weapon of mass destruction" was found Tuesday at a Mobil gas station in northeastern Livingston County.
The 2001 Freightliner was fully loaded with 2,000 gallons of diesel fuel when it was taken Monday evening in Oakland County. It was empty when it was found, said Trooper Jason Hoogstra of the Brighton post of the Michigan State Police. With diesel fuel prices at $2.59 a gallon Monday, the load would be worth more than $5,000.
Posted by: Steve ||
03/30/2006 8:01 Comments ||
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#2
I am no expert, but isn't diesel fuel less explosive than regular gasoline? I believe I read it's less volatile and more viscous. Hence the need for winter-formulation diesel, as otherwise it will "freeze"...
Clearly, diesel fuel is highly combustible and could cause damage if it leaked and were lit, but could a diesel tanker actually be made to explode?
DERA GHAZI KHAN: Syed Nazeer Naveed Shah, intellectual, social activist and vice chairman Biatul Maal, said the killing of six million Jews by Hitler is a concocted story. The vice chairman said denying the holocaust in Europe is an offence, while defaming the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is considered freedom of expression. He said one gets ten years imprisonment if he expresses a different view on the holocaust, while publishing of caricatures satirising the Holy Prophet (PBUH) was considered freedom of expression. He said Iranian President Mahmood Ahmadinazad divulged the secret of the Jews, adding that the killing of six million Jews during the Second World War was a made-up story. He said Jews concocted the story to prove themselves aggrieved and victimised.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/30/2006 00:00 ||
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Sure enough. And once we're done expunging this world of Islam I'll work double hard to make sure no one ever allows it to be called a "holocaust."
#3
"He said Iranian President Mahmood Ahmadinazad divulged the secret of the Jews"
Let's see, do I want to believe the deranged, scumbag, nutcase President of Iran, or do I want to believe the benevolent old man I worked with about 15 years ago who was an American soldier who saw the Nazi's handiwork up close and personal? I'll take American for six million, Alex.
Pakistan on Wednesday rejected as "fabricated" a German magazine report that said Saudi Arabia was working secretly on a nuclear programme with help from Pakistani experts. "It is a fabricated story and motivated by vicious intentions," Foreign Office Spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/30/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Come on, you guys, Israel's a sitting duck. Launch a few their way, nothing will happen.
#1
"[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]"
Pretty nice writeup by UN staff for a 'non-sponsored' entity. More like how the Grey Lady advances the CommunistSocialistLeft Wing Democrat agenda.....ooops, I forgot, that never happens.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
03/30/2006 17:17 Comments ||
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United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Tuesday that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is the specialized agency for dealing with technical aspects of Iran's nuclear program. He told reporters at United Nations Headquarters here that there ought to be no competition between the Security Council and the IAEA because as far as technical matters are concerned since the agency has the necessary expertise and should have the final decision on these matters and not be restricted in its authority by the Security Council.
"I hope that the Iranian nuclear program has not reached a dead end as apparently both Iran and the negotiating parties are willing to come to negotiations. Iran should heed recommendations of IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei to do more to persuade the international community that the country's nuclear program is for civilian purposes," Annan said.
Annan said that foreign ministers of four Western states will discuss the Iranian nuclear program in Berlin on Wednesday. The issue that is at stake is whether the authority to decide Iran's nuclear case should rightly rest with the Security Council or the IAEA.
Asked about his preference, Annan said that the Security Council has the right to study the case as it has been brought to its attention but that technical matters need the expertise of the IAEA for resolution.
#1
One could argue that had the IAEA done their job, it wouldn't require the UNSC. And, since the UNSC is equally worthless,....
Posted by: Captain America ||
03/30/2006 0:44 Comments ||
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#2
"I hope that the Iranian nuclear program has not reached a dead end..."
Interesting choice of words.
As for the rest, it's not about technical expertise, as if the IAEA has more than the US, it's purely political will - and has been for about 2 years. As for "rights", what fantasy does he inhabot? -- he has no say in the matter, never did, and never will.
#5
Iran should heed recommendations of IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei to do more to persuade the international community that the country's nuclear program is for civilian purposes," Annan said.
Last time Iran's "civilian" side stated it's intent as to why it's pursuing nukes, it sounded like a Hitler rally. Makes me shudder to think what the "military" side thinks.
Posted by: BA ||
03/30/2006 11:45 Comments ||
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#6
Man, I'll bet Kofi's just hoping he can sweat this out until December. Then it's, put in his papers, 100,000 grand a speech on the lecture curcuit, and a million dollar deal to write his self-serving biography of lies... an even better gig then he has now.
#7
I trust we have Anon's phone tapped. Any idea this ass comes up with has been paid for in full. It would be prudent to know who is paying him, and why.
In a speech sure to exacerbate divisions back home, pro-Syrian Lebanese President Emile Lahoud on Wednesday praised the roles that Syria and the militant Hezbollah guerrilla group play in his country. Addressing heads of state and ministers on the second day of an Arab League summit in Khartoum, Sudan, Lahoud said he was certain that fellow Arabs supported ongoing national dialogue talks between Lebanon's leaders. "Lebanon...is confident that its current quest for consensus and unity will be embraced and supported by Arabs, starting by its neighbor Syria, the country that has always stood by (Lebanon's) its side," Lahoud said. "This would strengthen choices expressed freely by the Lebanese, foremost among those is Lebanon's commitment to its right to recover its remaining occupied territory in the south, notably the Shebaa Farms," he added, speaking of an Israeli-occupied territory on the border of Lebanon, Syria and Israel.
Lahoud also spoke of the need to protect the national resistance, a reference to the militant Hezbollah guerrilla group, which he described as "a symbol for steadfastness and dignity." The final declaration of the Arab summit expressed support for Lebanon's resistance, or the Iranian and Syrian-backed Hezbollah. "The summit affirmed Lebanon's right to maintain the resistance against Israeli occupation, using all means," he said. But Lahoud's comments were sure to anger the anti-Syrian majority in Lebanon, which has been calling on Lahoud, a close Syrian ally, to resign. He has refused.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/30/2006 00:00 ||
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You know, I'm beginning to think that the word "dignity" is doublespeak for "idiocy."
The Arab summit's final statement issued Wednesday stressed Arab "support for Lebanon's natural right to resistance and right to free all its occupied territories." The statement also identified the Shebaa Farms and Kfar Shouba Heights as occupied Lebanese territories, and expressed the support of the Arab states for "the Lebanese government's calls to confirm the Lebanese identity of Shebaa Farms and demarcate it according to acceptable UN procedures."
The regional backing came on the heels of an argument between Lebanon's President Emile Lahoud and Premier Fouad Siniora over Hizbullah's military wing. The argument reportedly erupted after Siniora, who participated in the Khartoum meeting independently of the Lebanese delegation headed by Lahoud, demanded the removal of a clause pledging support to the armed "Lebanese resistance." Lahoud protested Siniora's request, which led to an argument between the two leaders, according to one diplomat who requested anonymity. "I am president of the official delegation, and I speak in the name of Lebanon," Lahoud reportedly said. The president also accused Siniora of trying to destroy any Lebanese consensus on the resistance.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday from the Sudanese capital before returning to Beirut, Lahoud said: "The way Siniora spoke before Arab leaders gave the impression that the Lebanese people disagreed on the natural right of the Lebanese resistance to carry on its struggle until the rest of Lebanon's occupied land is freed, and this is not the case." In a separate news conference, Siniora said his words had been intentionally misinterpreted by Lahoud in order to achieve "imaginary goals."
Posted by: Fred ||
03/30/2006 00:00 ||
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Of course, no one important participated in the conference. No Soddies, no Egyptians, etc.
Posted by: Captain America ||
03/30/2006 0:46 Comments ||
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Arab leaders meeting in Sudan have promoted a land-for-peace offer to Israel, even as Israelis voted in polls that could give their next government a mandate to impose permanent borders with the Palestinians. The annual Arab League summit demanded the opposite approach - a return to Middle East peace talks sponsored by international mediators - and leaders criticised threats to cut aid to the Palestinian Authority when Hamas takes office. The leaders also reached a summit deal to provide funding for cash-strapped African Union troops in Sudan's Darfur region amid international pressure to accept the dispatch of a UN force.
A draft final communique, which is not expected to undergo substantial changes, reaffirms an Arab initiative of 2002 which offers Israel peace in exchange for withdrawal from land occupied in the Middle East war of 1967. Israel rejects the offer. The statement calls on donor countries to respect the electoral choice of the Palestinians, who gave Hamas a sweeping victory in January, and fulfil commitments to give them aid.
Foreign ministers meeting at the weekend recommended their governments maintain aid to the Palestinian Authority at $55 million a month and waive Iraqi debt worth billions of dollars. Nasser al-Kidwa, the Palestinian foreign minister, said: "It is basically to continue with the funding as it has been."
Posted by: Fred ||
03/30/2006 00:00 ||
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You don't get funding. Democratically electing terrorists and declaring your national imperative is genocide makes you terrorists and enemy combatants.
Electing terrorists democractically does not magically turn them into anything else. It simply shows the choice of Palestinians to join with terrorists - by majority vote.
We respect your electoral choice to become dead. fools.
"land for peace" - you lost the damn war. It's a chance you take when you attack a country. Piss off. Couldn't do it the first time around - or the next or the next or the next or....
Did you notice the Arab meeting voted no more funds for you either. You're screwed, people. Wanna change your minds - democratically that is - throw 'em out - and vote to live?
No? Didn't think so. You know your role in the muslim world. Eliminate Israel or you don't exist in the minds of any other muslim.
The 18th Arab summit has ended with the usual pledges of solidarity with Palestinians and Iraqis and a surprise announcement from Saudi Arabia that it will not host the 2007 gathering. Addressing the final session of the two-day Arab League summit in Khartoum on Wednesday, Ghazi al-Gusaibi, the Saudi labour minister, said the next meeting should instead be held in Egypt although he gave no reason for his country's refusal to act as host. The Saudi move is being seen by some as indicative of a growing impatience with the Arab League's lack of executive power.
The annual meetings of the 22-member league regularly focus on challenging regional issues, but are often criticised for concluding with resolutions that are long on rhetoric and short on concrete action. This year key states Saudi Arabia and Egypt were among 10 countries not to send heads of state to the meeting. Announcing the Saudi decision, al-Gusaibi cited an Arab League resolution stipulating that Egypt, home to the league's headquarters, should host the 2007 summit if the chair country did not want to.
Amr Moussa, the Arab League secretary-general whose term was extended for five years at the summit, sought to play down the Saudi decision, saying Saudi Arabia and Egypt had jointly agreed to have the next summit in Cairo. He said he saw no problem "as long as everyone was satisfied" with the decision.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/30/2006 00:00 ||
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A letter from President Bush to Iraq's supreme Shiite spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, was hand-delivered earlier this week but sits unread and untranslated in the top religious figure's office, a key al-Sistani aide told The Associated Press on Thursday. The aide who has never allowed use of his name in news reports, citing al-Sistani's refusal to make any public statements himself said the ayatollah had laid the letter aside and did not ask for a translation because of increasing "unhappiness" over what senior Shiite leaders see as American meddling in Iraqi attempts to form their first, permanent post-invasion government.
The aide said the person who delivered the Bush letter he would not identify the messenger by name or nationality said it carried Bush's thanks to al-Sistani for calling for calm among his followers in preventing the outbreak of civil war after a Shiite shrine was bombed late last month. The messenger also was said to have explained that the letter reinforced the American position that Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari should not be given a second term. Al-Sistani has not publicly taken sides in the dispute, but rather has called for Shiite unity.
The United States was known to object to al-Jaafari's second term but has never said so outright and in public. But on Saturday, U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad carried a similar letter from Bush to a meeting with Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, leader of the largest Shiite political organization, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq. The al-Sistani aide said Shiite displeasure with U.S. involvement was so deep that dignitaries in the holy city of Najaf refused to meet Khalilzad on Wednesday during ceremonies commemorating the death of the Prophet Muhammad. The Afghan-born Khalilzad is a Sunni Muslim.
The United States is believed to oppose al-Jaafari because of his close ties and strong backing from radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who has a thousands-strong heavily armed militia that was responsible for much of the violence that hit the country after the Feb. 22 bombing of an important Shiite shrine in Samarra, north of Baghdad. At a news conference Thursday, al-Jaafari said he had met with Khalilzad a day earlier and that the U.S. ambassador denied remarks attributed to him about the prime minister's candidacy for a new term. "I don't care much about these matters. I look at the Iraqi people and the democratic mechanisms," al-Jaafari said.
Al-Sadr, who is staunchly anti-American, met with al-Sistani in Najaf on Thursday but emerged without making a statement. The stalemate over forming a new government for Iraq, in its sixth week after the certification of the vote in parliamentary elections Dec. 15, is focused on al-Jaafari's candidacy, opposed by minority Sunni and Kurdish politicians as well as many moderate Shiites. He was nominated for a second and permanent four-year term by one vote and with al-Sadr's backing. The Iraqi constitution dictates that the largest parliamentary bloc is entitled to select the prime minister. The Shiite United Iraqi Alliance holds 135 seats in the 275-member legislature.
#1
Sistani was probably too busy on his latest fatwa about sex with goats
Posted by: john ||
03/30/2006 18:13 Comments ||
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#2
Gee whiz, wotta surprise. Sistani probably actually believes Allah delivered his minions from Saddam.
It's preaching to the choir, but the time has come to destroy Sadr. It's at least 2 years overdue. He was clearly a murderer of competing "religious figures" and an Iranian agent from the very beginning. The Najaf campaign is a perfect parallel to Fallujah I. We allowed politics to stop what was a very beneficial cleansing campaign of Sadr's militia and murdering cult - recall what they found in the Najaf mosque. Perhaps we should've made sure Sistani stayed in London, by whatever means, so it could have been finished properly. Learn our lesson and finish now.
We are definitely at a 'crisis point' and the crisis is more political than military in nature. The attempt to remove or marginalize the Sadrs from the political process is now underway and the outcome is by no means certain.
The player to watch here is SCIRI (the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq). Muqtada al-Sadr has threatened Hakim, SCIRI's leader, as well as other members of the United Iraqi Alliance if Jaafari was not chosen as Prime Minister. It appears there is a real break between SCIRI's political wing and Iran (which is why Iran is throwing its weight behind Sadr.) SCIRI's Badr Brigades are said to be Iranian controlled, and may very well be, but the political party itself is not. They support Sistani, who leads the leads the Najaf school of Shia Islam, and opposes the Qom school which is based out of Iran. This is a major schism in Shiite Islam. Sistani opposes the Khoemeist brand of governance. SCIRI does not back Sadr, and will be the kingmaker here. SCIRI can cross the lines (and Fadihla will likely follow) and create the unity government. My opinion is the Army will back the unity government. The Iraqi Army has acted as an apolitical organization to date, and there is no indication this will change.
[..]
http://memritv.org/Transcript.asp?P1=1088
Al-Fayhaa TV Hoax: A Telephone Interview from Jail with Saddam Hussein
Following are excerpts from an Al-Fayhaa TV hoax. The station faked an interview with former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein. The interview was aired on Al-Fayhaa TV on March 28, 2006.
Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
03/30/2006 02:24 ||
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Has Scrappleface opened a Baghdad office?
Posted by: Fred ||
03/30/2006 8:35 Comments ||
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Iraqi Kurdistan National Assembly (IKNA) discussed Wednesday a draft law for counter-terrorism in Iraq's Kurdistan region. Speaking to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), IKNA's Information Adviser Tareq Jowhar said the anti-terrorism law has 15 articles that go in accordance with Iraq's law and other regulations. He added that the law was proposed by Kurdistan Regional Government's President Masoud Barzani and was prepared by IKNA's legal committee within the past two months.
He explained that the law includes a definition for terrorism and detailed punishment for terrorists and persons assisting initiators of terrorist activities. While the council approved three of the law's articles after thorough deliberations, the remaining articles will be discussed on Thursday.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/30/2006 00:00 ||
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Hamas adopted a strident tone after its cabinet won approval in the Palestinian parliament, with one MP declaring "jihad is our way". The parliament, dominated by members of the Islamist group, approved the cabinet line-up by 71 to 36 on Tuesday. The cabinet was expected to be sworn in on Wednesday by Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president whose long-dominant Fatah faction refused to join the new government.
Chanting "God is Greatest" after the vote, Hamas parliamentarians hugged and kissed Ismail Haniya, their prime minister-designate, who vowed not to abandon the fight against Israel. Cmere ya big lug. All this talk about killing Jews makes me want to plant a big wet one on yer scruffy face.
One Hamas MP, Hamed Bitawi, said: "The Quran is our constitution, jihad is our way, and death for the sake of God is our highest aspiration." His comments stood in contrast to a more conciliatory speech by Haniya on Monday in which he stressed the new government's push for peace and dialogue. The earlier speech drew fire from some MPs for not stressing resistance.
Change of tone
In presenting the cabinet for parliamentary approval on Monday, Haniya sought to reach out to the West by saying his government was ready for talks with the "Quartet" of Middle East mediators on bringing a "just peace" to the region. Hey keep it down youse guys Im trying to get some money over here!
In contrast, on Tuesday, Haniya said: "We were born from the womb of resistance, we will protect resistance and the arm of resistance will not be touched." Addressing Mariam Farhat, a newly-elected Hamas parliamentarian whose three sons died fighting Israel, Haniya said: "This the fruit of the sacrifices by martyrs, including your sons. You've got to be proud of this day."
Israel seized on Haniya's change of tone, saying it reflected the new government's "extremist" policies. Mark Regev, the foreign ministry spokesman, said: "I hope the sort of remarks we heard today help to dissolve any possible illusion that might exist as to the true character of this new Palestinian leadership."
After the vote, Haniya and several newly approved cabinet ministers prayed at the house of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the co-founder of Hamas who was killed by an Israeli airstrike in 2004. "We are coming to congratulate you and to say that the blood of our Sheikh [Yassin] did not go in vain," Haniya told Yassin's widow. Grrrr seethe Grrr
The Palestinian president has called on Ehud Olmert, whose Kadima party won Israel's general elections on Tuesday, to negotiate with Palestinians and not opt for unilateral solutions if peace is to be given a chance. "The result [of the vote] was expected. But what is more important now is that Olmert changes his agenda and abandon his unilateral plans to fix the borders," Mahmoud Abbas said on Wednesday on the sidelines of an Arab summit in Sudan's capital.
Olmert ran on a platform that advocated annexing the largest settlement blocs from the West Bank and unilaterally withdrawing from those beyond the separation wall Israel is building in the occupied territory. He also wants to fix the Jewish state's hitherto undefined borders by 2010. In separate comments made just before his departure from Khartoum, Abbas repeated his rejection of any unilateral Israeli actions. "We want negotiations and not to dictate unilateral solutions," he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/30/2006 00:00 ||
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"Please let us explode a few more bombs in Tel Aviv next time before you pull back unilaterally. You're making us look bad."
Hamas has formally taken power, with the Palestinian president swearing in its 24-member cabinet, including 14 ministers who served time in Israeli prisons. Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president who is a moderate from the defeated Fatah movement, administered the oath to some of the cabinet ministers in a brief ceremony at Gaza City's parliament building on Wednesday. With Israel banning the travel of Hamas leaders between the West Bank and Gaza, the remainder of the ministers held a separate ceremony in the West Bank. The two settings were hooked up by videoconference.
Now they're officially in charge. If they hold true to form, they'll now proceed to screw things up even worse than they are, if that's possible.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/30/2006 00:00 ||
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Goons in suits.
Posted by: Captain America ||
03/30/2006 10:28 Comments ||
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Officially in Charge. First agression and it's war. I give 'em about 40 hours.
Islamic leaders in Indonesia, the most populous Muslim nation, criticized U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair for joining the invasion of Iraq, saying the U.S.-led occupation has fueled terrorism.
Blair, who is on a one-day visit to Indonesia, met five Muslim leaders including Din Syamsuddin, chairman of Muhammadiyah, Indonesia's second-largest Muslim organization in Jakarta today. Blair also visited an Islamic school in the Indonesian capital.
``We advise Britain to pull out troops in Iraq because the occupation in Iraq is fueling radicalism, extremism and new terrorists,'' Syamsuddin told reporters after meeting Blair. ``There's a misunderstanding between the West and the Muslim world. The West stereotypes Islam as a violent religion, terrorism and a threat, while the Muslim world hates the West which it demonstrates by using threats, violence and terrorism.''
Global terrorist attacks surged to 635 incidents in 2004 from 190 cases in 2003 and 198 attacks in 2002 according to U.S. State department data. The U.S. invaded Iraq in March 2003. In Indonesia terrorist attacks killed 23 people including the three suicide bombers in the beach resort of Bali in October. Bali was also the site of an attack which killed 202 people in 2002, while 52 people were killed in attacks in London in July last year.
Blair's policy in Iraq was also criticized by teenagers at the Darunnajah Islamic Boarding School in the capital.
``Did your Excellency ever ask your best friend George W. Bush to stop the war in Iraq?'' Rezar Risky, a student in the school asked Blair. ``America is completely wrong.''
``We will not agree about Iraq,'' Blair said in response. ``There is a process now in Iraq for the people to vote a government in. When you are 18 you can go and vote for your government. That is a good thing.''
Another student who didn't give his name asked Blair how he would feel if he had lost his family in the war or lived in constant fear of his life. There's room in the article for this question, but none for Blair's response?
Indonesia and the U.K. agreed to set up an Islamic Advisory Board to boost understanding between the West and the Islamic world, Blair said.
The Islamic leaders Blair met ``are all moderate but critical,'' Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said at a press conference with the prime minister.
Blair today pledged 25 million pounds ($43.5 million) of aid mainly to improve health care in Indonesia. The Southeast Asian nation will also get easier access to military equipment and training and closer educational and police ties.
Blair's spokesman Tom Kelly said before the visit that the prime minister hoped that by encouraging a ``moderate democratic Muslim country'' he would find ways of tackling the extremism that leads to terrorism.
``I hope he got more understanding about Islam because Islam is a part of our world,'' said Abdullah Gymnastiar, an Islamic preacher, who met with Blair today. ``I would like to say this was going better if the leader had a clean heart. Don't destroy other countries.''
#1
``I hope he got more understanding about Islam because Islam is a part of our world,'' said Abdullah Gymnastiar, an Islamic preacher, who met with Blair today. ``I would like to say this was going better if the leader had a clean heart. Don't destroy other countries.''
You mean like East Timor?
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
03/30/2006 7:41 Comments ||
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``I hope he got more understanding about Islam because Islam is a part of our world,'' said Abdullah Gymnastiar, an Islamic preacher,
Amid the heated debate about Islam and the global war on terrorism, Indonesia has emerged as a voice of reason and moderation, one that can bridge the gap between the Muslim and non-Muslim worlds.
For too long, Muslims in the Middle East, both the Arabs and the Persians, have dominated the international scene in defining what Islam is and what Islam should be.
As the world's largest Muslim country and a key member in Asean, Indonesia needs to reconsider its place in the international arena and strive to live up to its full potential.
Observers say Indonesia, which embraces a more progressive form of Islam, should play a more active role in Muslim communities in Southeast Asia.
While some see it as a moral obligation that Indonesia has for other fellow Muslims, others think it's only a matter of time and practicality before the world's largest Muslim country takes up the responsibility that comes with its sheer size and status.
Indonesia's input could help mend fences - in Malay-speaking southern Thailand, where 1,200 people have been killed since January 2004, or the southern Philippines, where decades-old separatist violence continues.
In a recent interview with The Nation, a leading Indonesian scholar of Islam, Dr Jamhari (who, like many Indonesians, uses only one name), called for more dialogue among Muslim communities within the region.
As the director of the Centre for the Study of Islam and Society at the State Islamic University in Jakarta, Jamhari praised plans to open a private Indonesian Islamic school in southern Thailand.
He said that active alumni from this institution, Pondok Gontor, which has more than 200 schools across Indonesia, would help pave the way for more educational exchange, understanding and tolerance between communities and states.
Like most institutions in Indonesia, Pondok Gontor teaches a moderate form of Islam and embraces an Islamic jurisprudence that is compatible with both the Malay and Indonesian ways of life, he said.
Jamhari dismissed as a "romantic notion" that somehow Islamic scholarship in the Middle East is superior to what is available in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. He said Islam in Indonesia was very compatible with Islam in southern Thailand, and of course, people in the two regions speak a similar language.
At a seminar at Chulalongkorn University earlier this week, the rector of State Islamic University, Professor Azyumardi Azra, said Thais should be happy when Thai Muslim students choose Indonesia as a place to study, because their experience will expose them to a very progressive and liberal form of Islam. Part of this model includes a particular relationship between religion and the democratic process.
Azyumardi described the presidency of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as a "period of consolidation for Indonesia" in which the state, civil society, non-government organisations and other stakeholders are coming together as "a pillar of democracy".
Besides the push for moderation, Islam in Southeast Asia must also be understood in the context of the ongoing development of person-to-person links among Muslim communities in the region.
Because schools in Malaysia employ the Roman text, more Malaysian Muslim students are turning to traditional pondoks in southern Thailand to maintain their knowledge of yawi, the Malay language written in Arabic text.
And as Thailand begins to teach standard Bahasa Malayu in public schools, teachers from Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia can be recruited to help with instruction.
Indeed, there is no stopping person-to-person contacts, and states must learn to live with this situation - in fact, they should encourage and facilitate these arrangements.
Southeast Asian countries should understand that the political borders of their respective countries were not drawn in stone; these lines on the map are a legacy of the colonial past.
The state should also let go of the age-old fear that stronger Muslim communities in the region would somehow challenge the progress made by nation-states.
Malays in southern Thailand and Moros in the southern Philippines have taken up arms against their respective states, but, with the exception of the underground Jemaah Islamiyah organisation, there is no indication that these two regions are planning to export their fights to neighbouring countries. The fact that violence is confined to political borders suggests that both groups understand that any settlement must be reached within the nation-state.
Therefore, what is needed is freedom of movement, with the understanding that person-to-person contacts will strengthen local Muslim communities and give them a sense of pride and dignity that they enjoyed prior to the arrival of their colonial "masters".
While extra precaution is understandable in these times of trouble, officials must carry out their duties with common sense.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
03/30/2006 00:39 ||
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Between 1965-67, Muslim paramilitary organizations - with secret aid of the government of Indonesia - slaughtered up to 500,000 ethnic Chinese, many of whom were Christian. The dictatorship spoke of alleged Communist subversion, and Muslim clerics responded with extermination fatwas. During the invasion and occupation of East Timor, 300,000 Christians were slaughtered. Christians are subject to persecution 24-7-365. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/151/43.0.html
#2
Javanese Islam (sometimes called Abanagan) used to be very lax and open-minded, heavily influenced by Buddhism and Hinduism. It is now dying out, having been largely replaced by the orthodox form of the religion (actually, not a religion at all, but a death cult aimed at global domination). It's the same story across much of the Muslim world -- thanks in good part to Saudi money (much of which was originally our money).
Radical Islamists in Irans western province of Lorestan were invited during a ceremony on Wednesday to enlist in garrisons to carry out suicide attacks against the United States.
The Peoples Headquarters in Continuation of the Path of the Martyrs in Lorestan, a newly-founded government-backed group, began enlisting martyrdom-seeking volunteers to confront possible threats by America and the West against Iran.
The government-run news agency Mehr reported that the organisation comprised of religious delegations and martyrdom-seeking garrisons.
The radical group said that it was prepared to carry out its real duties on the orders of Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Another state-organised group, which avowedly trains suicide bombers against Western infidels and Zionists, recently announced that it had enlisted 53,900 people to carry out martyrdom-seeking operations.
The Headquarters to Commemorate Martyrs of the Global Islamic Movement, an organisation set up by Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in 2004, offers volunteers three choices: To carry out suicide attacks against the infidels occupying Iraq, against Israel, or against controversial British author Salman Rushdie.
#1
offers volunteers three choices: To carry out suicide attacks against the infidels occupying Iraq, against Israel, or against controversial British author Salman Rushdie.
What? No Danish cartoonist option? No East Timor? No Return Andalusia to the Ummah?
Iran's Ambassador to Moscow said here on Wednesday that the high ranking Iranian and Russian officials are agreed on the basics of establishing a center in Russian soil to enrich uranium for Iran. Gholam-Reza Ansari told Russia's Itar-Tass news agency that all the same, the time and place of the next round of talks on the matter are not decided yet.
We've agreed to agree on the concept...
The Iranian envoy referred to the existence of certain pressure lobbies abroad that "create obstacles in the way for smooth proceeding of the negotiations on the issue," setting example of the remarks made by the Director of the British Ministry of Foreign Affairs John Sawyers on the issue. Ansari evaluated the previous rounds of bilateral talks on the matter as "positive and constructive, expressing hope that Iran's Bushehr nuclear reactor would become operational at the scheduled date.
Calling Russia "Iran's trustworthy partner" he said, "The Iranians view Bushehr plant as the symbol of good and close cooperation between our countries."
Stressing that the newly emerged conditions should not affect making operational the Bushehr Nuclear Reactor, the Iranian diplomat said, "Our bilateral cooperation in construction of new nuclear reactors, too, should not be affected by the prevailing Western hue and cry." Ansari reiterated, "The contract for construction of Bushehr plant was signed many years ago, in full accordance with the international rules and regulations." He concluded his remarks expressing hope that the Russians would respect their commitments in this respect 'this time'.
#4
The Iranians somehow think that kissing up to the Russians will protect them from the UN Security Council. They don't seem to recognize that it's not the UN Security Council that is going to smack them soon.
#5
They're not kissing up to the Russians because they're hoping the UNSC will go easy. That's more the Russians' objective.
This is more a matter of wanting Russian reactors, getting pressure from Moscow to play along, and bending a bit, however unwillingly. Don't think it'll change anything in Iran one iota.
Getting a little urge toward self-preservation, are we?
Several Iranian reformists have sent a message to Irans supreme spiritual fearless leader Ali Khamenei warning against the damage that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's policies are causing their country Asharq Al-Awsat can reveal. The group includes former lawmakers and ministers in the government of the reform-minded president Muhammad Khatami, who was succeeded by Ahmadinejad in August 2005. One of the signatories of the message told Asharq Al-Awsat that hardliner Ahmadinejads statements and policies are dragging the country to a destructive confrontation. He added that this confrontation will not be with the United States alone, but also with NATO, since America will not hit Iran single-handedly.
Actually, America will hit Iran virtually single-handedly. The NATO countries just won't raise a stink about it, since they're starting to develop their own urge toward self-preservation, however slowly.
The former lawmaker said a senior European official who has good connections with the reform movement in Iran, sent a letter to former Iranian president and head of Iran's Expediency Council Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, warning of the negative implications the presidents policies will have in Washington and other European capitals. He said that the Iranian leadership should take quick and decisive steps to silence Ahmadinejad and change the current course of foreign policies.
It's the curse of the "plain-talkin' populist." So often, that "plain talk" is just plain stoopid. It's what happens when you don't recognize the constraints that the rest of the world has saddled itself with.
The signatories requested a meeting with decision makers and experts to discuss the crisis in Iran. They also asked Khamenei to release political prisoners and to allow freedom of media. Iran is going through one of the most severe periods in its history, the message concluded. And you, as the countrys supreme leader the life or death of Iran is in your hands.
Problem there is that Mahmoud is Fearless Leader's pet boy.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/30/2006 00:00 ||
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Your last inserted comment says it all, Fred. Ahmadinejad is the mouthpiece of the M²s. The so-called Iranian reformists are feeling the pucker factor go up exponentially, as they come to realize that the M²s really believe their own tripe they put out for public consumption.
"We don't want to die because of these nutjobs!" They are actually saying. Messkit, meet $h*t.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
03/30/2006 2:21 Comments ||
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Give it another month and there will be no more reformist left in Iran.
Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and Syrian President Bashar Assad decided Tuesday to meet in Damascus in the near future, after the two officials held a meeting on the sidelines of the Arab League summit in Khartoum. "I told President Assad I want to schedule a meeting with him and Syrian officials in Damascus to discuss demarcating the borders and establishing diplomatic relations," Siniora told reporters.
Assad, whose relations with the anti-Syrian coalition dominating the Lebanese Cabinet are strained over the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri, welcomed the idea, according to the premier. Siniora quoted the Syrian president as having responded: "we should carefully prepare our agenda before we meet."
However, Syrian sources in Khartoum denied any such agreement, saying Assad and Siniora "simply shook hands" in their first encounter since July 2005. Siniora said upon his arrival in Khartoum Monday night that he would seek a meeting with Assad after Lebanon's leading politicians decided the premier should follow up on recent decisions made during an ongoing national dialogue in Beirut.
The relevant agreements pertained to demarcating the borders and the occupied Shebaa Farms. Siniora, who attended the summit despite the presence of President Emile Lahoud "for more adequate Lebanese representation," did not participate in the opening session. The premier had said the night before that he would attend the event.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/30/2006 00:00 ||
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United Nations special envoy Terje Roed-Larsen reportedly told the French foreign minister this week that his report to be submitted to Secretary General Kofi Annan on April 19 on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1559 should be followed by the issuing of a new resolution concerning Lebanon. According to sources quoted in Wednesday's issue of Sada Al-Balad, Roed-Larsen said during a Monday meeting with Philippe Douste-Blazy that he hoped his report was "strongly supported by the members of the Security Council and would result in drafting a new resolution."
The sources added that the envoy suggested the resolution should cover three points: "demarcation of the Syrian-Lebanese borders, the establishment of diplomatic relations between both countries, and the disarmament of Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias." Roed-Larsen was also said to have noted "international and regional agreement on the three points," in addition to asking France to set all the details related to deliniating the borders, establishing embassies and disarming the militias. According to the sources, Larsen proposed three possible solutions to the Shebaa Farms dispute: a Lebanese-Syrian agreement, international arbitration, or an Israeli withdrawal. The sources said the envoy was "pessimistic about disarming the Palestinian factions," which he said "would take some time."
The sources further quoted Roed-Larsen as having said the campaign to topple President Emile Lahoud should be dropped "due to the opposition voiced by China, Russia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt." Roed-Larsen said he did not visit Damascus during his recent tour of the Middle East on "the advice of the U.S. administration, which told him not to meet with Syrian officials before the issuing of the new resolution."
Posted by: Fred ||
03/30/2006 00:00 ||
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The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday unanimously adopted a French-drafted resolution to commence formal negotiations between UN chief Kofi Annan and the Lebanese government on the establishment of a tribunal to try the killers of former Premier Rafik Hariri.
In a closed-door session, the 15-member panel voted to take the final step toward establishing the hybrid court; it will now be up to Lebanese authorities and Kofi Annan to determine the final details of the tribunal. A draft resolution sponsored by the U.S., the U.K., and France was circulated to the Security Council this week. It affirmed the international community's desire to establish a hybrid tribunal along the lines drafted by Lebanese and UN authorities.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/30/2006 00:00 ||
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Rana Qoleilat, the Al-Madina Bank executive wanted on suspicion of involvement in a banking scandal, said she was innocent of all allegations in her first media appearance Tuesday. The fugitive alleged from her Brazilian prison cell that her ex-husband Adnan Abu Ayyash paid Syria's former intelligence chief in Lebanon Rustom Ghazaleh to have her thrown in jail. In an interview with Brazil's Globo Television, Qoleilat said: "Rustom Ghazaleh was extorting money from rich and influential Lebanese like me."
A transcript of the interview was published in Lebanese daily Al-Mustaqbal Tuesday. "I was jailed because I didn't pay Ghazaleh. It was my ex-husband who paid him to put me in jail," she added.
Qoleilat blamed Al-Madina's collapse on Ayyash, who she claims withdrew $490 million to invest in the stock market. "That is when all the troubles began," she said. The couple were married for 10 years from 1992. When Ayyash was unable to return the money, Qoleilat and her family "rushed to his aid" so that he could reimburse the bank's depositors, she added. "When the scandal broke, they started accusing me, when I didn't steal anything. I didn't need to steal because [Ayyash] gave me complete freedom over his private accounts," she said. "He is using his influence to keep me in prison to humiliate me," she said, adding "he threw me in a pit full of rats and garbage."
Posted by: Fred ||
03/30/2006 00:00 ||
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Borders and Waldenbooks stores will not stock the April-May issue of Free Inquiry magazine because it contains cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad that provoked deadly protests among Muslims in several countries.
"For us, the safety and security of our customers and employees is a top priority, and we believe that carrying this issue could challenge that priority," Borders Group Inc. spokeswoman Beth Bingham said Wednesday.
The magazine, published by the Council for Secular Humanism in suburban Amherst, includes four of the drawings that originally appeared in a Danish newspaper in September, including one depicting Muhammad wearing a bomb-shaped turban with a lit fuse.
Islamic tradition bars depiction of Muhammad to prevent idol worship, which is strictly prohibited.
"What is at stake is the precious right of freedom of expression," said Paul Kurtz, editor-in-chief of Free Inquiry. "Cartoons often provide an important form of political satire ... To refuse to distribute a publication because of fear of vigilante violence is to undermine freedom of press â so vital for our democracy."
Bingham said the decision was made before the magazine arrived at the company's stores. Borders Group, based in Ann Arbor, Mich., operates more than 475 Borders and 650 Waldenbooks stores in the United States, though not all regularly carry the magazine.
"We absolutely respect our customers' right to choose what they wish to read and buy and we support the First Amendment," Bingham said. "And we absolutely support the rights of Free Inquiry to publish the cartoons. We've just chosen not to carry this particular issue in our stores."
The cartoons, which were reprinted in European and American papers in January and February, sparked a wave of protests around the Islamic world. Protesters were killed in some of the most violent demonstrations and several European embassies were attacked.
#2
I don't blame the booksellers, who justifiably are concerned about the "deranged" taking out their vile against innocent employees.
It's not the booksellers at fault. It is the radical Islamists who are at fault.
Posted by: Captain America ||
03/30/2006 10:00 Comments ||
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Sig HEIL, Borders and Waldenbooks!!! Put on those Brownshirts and bow down and worship Adolf mohammed and your islamic masters. Why don"t you just throw them in the streets and burn the magazines? Maybe you should start banning Jooooooooooos, or maybe make them wear a "Star of David" when they come in the store?
#4
And so, what could just as easily have been a unified front crumbles like so much dried bovine fecal matter. Fortunately, I do not shop at either store so boycotting them will be more pleasure than pain.
I become increasingly angry that, when the initial demands for apologies over the cartoons were made, the White House did not simply publish several pages of Arab cartoons that are so derogatory towards the West. A demand for reciprocity should have been made, then and there, without the least backing down.
Instead, Europe, the White House, America's broadcast and newspaper media and too many corporate entities have cowered in the face of a gigantic threat to our free speech. All of them should be deeply ashamed.
#5
"For us, the safety and security of our customers and employees is a top priority, and we believe that carrying this issue could challenge that priority," Borders Group Inc. spokeswoman Beth Bingham said Wednesday.
And, Benjamin Franklin replied, "Those who would trade their freedoms for security will end up with neither." While, actually, I don't feel this is a true 1st Amendment issue (as relates to government dictating what can/can't be said), it would be nice to see such a big company stand up for America. I mean, good grief, I gotta think they wouldn't have sold that many anyways, but now, their stand will make me stay away from their stores, as well as drive many to look elsewhere for copies of the cartoons themselves. I mean, our press has basically self-censured themselves from printing the actual cartoons themselves, and those who aren't internet savvy need a way to see what all the brew-ha-ha was about. Shame on Borders.
Posted by: BA ||
03/30/2006 12:05 Comments ||
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Sadly, my preferred grocery store is next to a Borders, making them entirely too convenient to boycott. The nearest Borders is an hour's drive away, and there *aren't* any independent bookstores around.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
03/30/2006 12:15 Comments ||
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Perhaps someone should have a look to make sure that they aren't selling anything that would be found offensive by Christians, Jews, Athiests... Or, for that matter, Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Communists, Socialists... Americans, Mexicans, Japanese, Canadians, Italians, Chinese, Taiwanese, Ethiopians, Russians, Koreans...
What the hell, just close the stores.
#8
"For us, the safety and security of our customers and employees is a top priority, and we believe that carrying this issue could challenge that priority,"
I'll assist in that desire by staying far enough away as possible in order not to create an attractive crowded target. There's always Amazon for my business.
#9
Mr. Wife's great uncle used to give us a subscription to that magazine every year for Christmas, alternately with the Skeptical Enquirer (which did a lot of interesting debunking studies). We'd let it slide for a couple of years, but I think I need to start again. Both magazines have interesting web sites -- although I b'lieve it's Free Inquiry that sometimes goes over the top atheist... and had an entire issue full of articles arguing strongly against responding to the 9/11 attacks at the time. The Amazing Randi (the magician who debunked that Israeli spoon bender) is on their board of directors, as I recall.
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.
Saudi Ambassador in Washington 
The BNP-Jamaat rift has widened in the district following renewed clash between the leaders and activists of the two parties. The clash erupted as the district unit of Madrasa Shikhhak Parishad, a front organisation of Jamaat-e-Islami, yesterday brought out a procession and held a meeting at Shaheed Abdur Razzak Park accusing BNP of attacking the major coalition partner. 
The Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) will soon start a combing operation in four outlaw- infested southwestern districts to mop up the extremists. "The operation may start anytime, may be even tonight," said a Rab official yesterday evening, seeking anonymity. As part of the operation, the anticrime force will intensify their vigil in the border areas, he added.
Tank-armed Turkish Army troops besieged the southeastern provincial city of Diyarbakr on Wednesday where streets turned into battle zones in escalating violent clashes between the Turkish government troops and Kurdish activists, Anatolia news agency reported. -- The news agency said 70 people have been arrested since the clashes erupted two days ago, adding that the Kurdish activists set buildings afire in the city.
The US military plans to detonate a 700 tonne explosive charge in a test called "Divine Strake" that will send a mushroom cloud over Las Vegas, a senior defense official said. "I don't want to sound glib here but it is the first time in Nevada that you'll see a mushroom cloud over Las Vegas since we stopped testing nuclear weapons," said James Tegnelia, head of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. 
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Tuesday that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is the specialized agency for dealing with technical aspects of Iran's nuclear program. He told reporters at United Nations Headquarters here that there ought to be no competition between the Security Council and the IAEA because as far as technical matters are concerned since the agency has the necessary expertise and should have the final decision on these matters and not be restricted in its authority by the Security Council.
Asked about his preference, Annan said that the Security Council has the right to study the case as it has been brought to its attention but that technical matters need the expertise of the IAEA for resolution.
In a speech sure to exacerbate divisions back home, pro-Syrian Lebanese President Emile Lahoud on Wednesday praised the roles that Syria and the militant Hezbollah guerrilla group play in his country. Addressing heads of state and ministers on the second day of an Arab League summit in Khartoum, Sudan, Lahoud said he was certain that fellow Arabs supported ongoing national dialogue talks between Lebanon's leaders. "Lebanon...is confident that its current quest for consensus and unity will be embraced and supported by Arabs, starting by its neighbor Syria, the country that has always stood by (Lebanon's) its side," Lahoud said. "This would strengthen choices expressed freely by the Lebanese, foremost among those is Lebanon's commitment to its right to recover its remaining occupied territory in the south, notably the Shebaa Farms," he added, speaking of an Israeli-occupied territory on the border of Lebanon, Syria and Israel.
The Arab summit's final statement issued Wednesday stressed Arab "support for Lebanon's natural right to resistance and right to free all its occupied territories." The statement also identified the Shebaa Farms and Kfar Shouba Heights as occupied Lebanese territories, and expressed the support of the Arab states for "the Lebanese government's calls to confirm the Lebanese identity of Shebaa Farms and demarcate it according to acceptable UN procedures."
The 18th Arab summit has ended with the usual pledges of solidarity with Palestinians and Iraqis and a surprise announcement from Saudi Arabia that it will not host the 2007 gathering. Addressing the final session of the two-day Arab League summit in Khartoum on Wednesday, Ghazi al-Gusaibi, the Saudi labour minister, said the next meeting should instead be held in Egypt although he gave no reason for his country's refusal to act as host. The Saudi move is being seen by some as indicative of a growing impatience with the Arab League's lack of executive power. 
A letter from President Bush to Iraq's supreme Shiite spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, was hand-delivered earlier this week but sits unread and untranslated in the top religious figure's office, a key al-Sistani aide told The Associated Press on Thursday. The aide who has never allowed use of his name in news reports, citing al-Sistani's refusal to make any public statements himself said the ayatollah had laid the letter aside and did not ask for a translation because of increasing "unhappiness" over what senior Shiite leaders see as American meddling in Iraqi attempts to form their first, permanent post-invasion government.
Iraqi Kurdistan National Assembly (IKNA) discussed Wednesday a draft law for counter-terrorism in Iraq's Kurdistan region. Speaking to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), IKNA's Information Adviser Tareq Jowhar said the anti-terrorism law has 15 articles that go in accordance with Iraq's law and other regulations. He added that the law was proposed by Kurdistan Regional Government's President Masoud Barzani and was prepared by IKNA's legal committee within the past two months.
Hamas adopted a strident tone after its cabinet won approval in the Palestinian parliament, with one MP declaring "jihad is our way". The parliament, dominated by members of the Islamist group, approved the cabinet line-up by 71 to 36 on Tuesday. The cabinet was expected to be sworn in on Wednesday by Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president whose long-dominant Fatah faction refused to join the new government.
Addressing Mariam Farhat, a newly-elected Hamas parliamentarian whose three sons died fighting Israel, Haniya said: "This the fruit of the sacrifices by martyrs, 
The Palestinian president has called on Ehud Olmert, whose Kadima party won Israel's general elections on Tuesday, to negotiate with Palestinians and not opt for unilateral solutions if peace is to be given a chance. "The result [of the vote] was expected. But what is more important now is that Olmert changes his agenda and abandon his unilateral plans to fix the borders," Mahmoud Abbas said on Wednesday on the sidelines of an Arab summit in Sudan's capital.
Hamas has formally taken power, with the Palestinian president swearing in its 24-member cabinet, including 14 ministers who served time in Israeli prisons. Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president who is a moderate from the defeated Fatah movement, administered the oath to some of the cabinet ministers in a brief ceremony at Gaza City's parliament building on Wednesday. With Israel banning the travel of Hamas leaders between the West Bank and Gaza, the remainder of the ministers held a separate ceremony in the West Bank. The two settings were hooked up by videoconference.
Iran's Ambassador to Moscow said here on Wednesday that the high ranking Iranian and Russian officials are agreed on the basics of establishing a center in Russian soil to enrich uranium for Iran. Gholam-Reza Ansari told Russia's Itar-Tass news agency that all the same, the time and place of the next round of talks on the matter are not decided yet.
Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and Syrian President Bashar Assad decided Tuesday to meet in Damascus in the near future, after the two officials held a meeting on the sidelines of the Arab League summit in Khartoum. "I told President Assad I want to schedule a meeting with him and Syrian officials in Damascus to discuss demarcating the borders and establishing diplomatic relations," Siniora told reporters.
United Nations special envoy Terje Roed-Larsen reportedly told the French foreign minister this week that his report to be submitted to Secretary General Kofi Annan on April 19 on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1559 should be followed by the issuing of a new resolution concerning Lebanon. According to sources quoted in Wednesday's issue of Sada Al-Balad, Roed-Larsen said during a Monday meeting with Philippe Douste-Blazy that he hoped his report was "strongly supported by the members of the Security Council and would result in drafting a new resolution."
The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday unanimously adopted a French-drafted resolution to commence formal negotiations between UN chief Kofi Annan and the Lebanese government on the establishment of a tribunal to try the killers of former Premier Rafik Hariri.
