To Stem Taliban Resurgence, U.S. Military Leaders Win Over Village Elders Bold, full of hope, and with a healthy fear for their speck-on-a-map villages, the Afghan elders arrived at this U.S. firebase recently for a change-of-guard ceremony.
Expected to be a gracious host but with little suitable food and after being caught off-guard by the elders who had arrived one day in advance U.S. Army Capt. Dennis Sugrue invited the handful of weathered men to join him for lunch on cushions on the floor.
The air was thick with concerned expectation. The U.S. officers hoped to win these elders as allies against a growing insurgency with promises of development projects and friendship. And there has been some progress: a growing number of project requests, and even help finding insurgent locations.
But would there be enough food, when the lids were removed, to honor the Afghan guests? Or would the two Army captains find themselves embarrassed by a meager offering?
After the lids were swept from two large platters, the assembled party caught its collective breath. Two small grilled chickens would be enough meat to forge closer bonds between these Afghan elders and their American hosts. Business could commence.
KABUL - NATO will assume responsibility for security across the whole of Afghanistan from Thursday when it takes command in the east from US-led coalition forces, a senior NATO official said on Tuesday.
NATOs International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) already commands forces in the north, west and south, as well as in the capital, Kabul. On Thursday it takes command of 10,000-12,000 US troops in the east.
In two days, on October 5, NATO security assistance will be expanded to all of Afghanistan and most of the U.S forces that are still operating on their own command right now in the east will join the overall ISAF organisation, NATOs senior civilian representative, Daan Everts, told a news conference.
The US troop transfer had been expected later in the year, but alliance officials said battles with resurgent guerrillas in the south showed the urgent need to pool British, Dutch and Canadian troops under NATO with the US forces. Bringing the whole country under one command will also improve efficiency, alliance officials say.
With the inclusion of the US troops in the east, the NATO force in Afghanistan will number between 32,000 and 33,000, a NATO official said.
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/04/2006 00:00 ||
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To be frank, he seems to include the jihadists in those too... thoses pesky meddling wannabes who might throw a wrench in the slow-mo conquest of the world, by acting too much, too openly, and too early.
Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abd Al-'Aziz: We Will Cut Off Tongues of Those Who Try to Distort Islam With Reform and Progress - They Are Serving the West
The following are excerpts from a speech by Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abd Al-'Aziz, which aired on Al-Majd TV on September 25, 2006. To view the clip, click here.
Prince Nayef bin Abd Al-'Aziz: "Brothers, we are not alone in this world. We are not living on a planet of our own. We are living in the center of this world, with all its good and evil. I say clearly that the evil of this generation is far worse than that of other generations. Everybody should know that our country - because it is the country of Islam, and because it is a country that implements the Koran and the Sunna - is the primary target for the things that are happening in the world."
"We are being targeted from many directions. I say, with the utmost pain and sorrow, that we are being targeted by those who claim to be Muslims. These people have become preachers, instruments, and implementers of the will of the enemies of Islam, whether knowingly or unknowingly."
"Jihad is here. We must wage jihad against the enemies of Allah here. The enemies of Allah are in our midst. They claim to be Muslims, although they are as far as can be from Islam. They call themselves 'reformists' or 'preachers,' and say that we support the West. They are hostile to us on these grounds. Yet at the same time, the Westerners and others claim that we are the birthplace of these people. Where are we? Why don't we tell these people who we are? Why don't we argue with them, discuss things with them? Why don't we respond to everything they say? Why don't we restrict the ignorant among us, or even those who think they are Islamic scholars?"
"The enemies of the Muslims have used Muslims and Arabs to corrupt Islam and the Arabs. I don't think any of you present denies this fact."
"Is it not an insult to Islam in general that someone so plain and worthless like Osama bin Laden is considered important? Does anyone accept this? Not only is he worthless, but he is an agent. He was an agent of foreign intelligence agencies, and he still is - him and those who support him. Who established Al-Qaeda?" Yeah, islam is the victim, here! Conspiracy! Gotta be the joooooos!
"Al-Qaeda has taken advantage of bin Laden's money, and they put him in the forefront, because he is affiliated with the Saudi kingdom. Even though he is from another country, he received Saudi citizenship. Who is Al-Zawahiri? We must ask ourselves, Who is Abdallah 'Azzam, the spiritual father of these people?"
"My brothers, the danger is even greater. Even those people have become tools in the hands of the enemies. Unless we face reality with truth, courage, and evidence, and if we do not stop all the transgressors who are trying to distort Islam with their claims of reform and their corrupt progress - this will be dangerous. These people have been tempted by the West, and have been employed in its service. We are familiar with their relations with foreign elements. We are fighting them and will continue to fight them, and we will cut off their tongues."
#3
There's nothing here a half-dozen nukes couldn't clean up in about 30 minutes. Make that neutron weapons, and it'll take about six weeks for the last of them to die, but it'll clean up the mess. I'm sure the Air Force already has the target coordinates. Wahabbi fundamentalism and the "12th Imam" bullcrap account for about 98% of the trouble with islam. Destroy them. They have no redeeming qualities, and neither do their adherents.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
10/04/2006 14:12 Comments ||
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#4
More and more evidence points back to the Majic Kingdom. Time to deal with those buggers.
#7
Sh*t. I meant *But* you gotta love Wahhabi Muslims! And that's what Prince Knife-in-Your-Back Nayef is all about. Good ole Soddy Wahhbaism mixed with a nice dose of Egyptian-imported Muslim Brotherhood Salafism.
An estimated 5,000 injured troops are being prevented from joining front-line operations because they are languishing on health service waiting lists. Military doctors have told The Daily Telegraph of the "absolute scandal" of soldiers having to wait for treatment while a fully equipped military hospital lies virtually empty.
The substantial number of troops classed as P7R temporarily injured and not fit for active service has emerged as the Army struggles to fill the gaps on the front lines in Afghanistan and Iraq. If they were treated more quickly, they could return to action to help colleagues stretched by five years of fighting terrorism. While the military medical services are facing substantial difficulties, it has emerged that the Royal Hospital Haslar, at Gosport, Hants, which is due to become a civilian hospital next March, is vastly under-used.
Dr Peter Golding, a consultant physician there, said he was being sent two or three referrals a week, some travelling from Scotland and Germany, because their local hospitals "could not cope". "It is an absolute scandal that the military do not get the preferential treatment they need," he said. "What is more ridiculous is that more soldiers are getting injured on operations and they are being sent all over the place, whereas they should be in one secure wing."
The Daily Telegraph reported this week that a wounded paratrooper being treated at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, at Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham, had been harangued by a Muslim visitor after being placed in a public ward. It can also be disclosed that injured SAS soldiers have been treated at Selly Oak, which will increase security worries.
After initial treatment at Selly Oak, troops are sent to their local hospitals and GPs and have to take their place in NHS queues.
Liam Fox, the shadow defence secretary, told the Conservative Party conference yesterday: "To have our troops return home wounded and put them in civilian wards is simply unacceptable."
Dr Golding, a former Royal Navy doctor, said that 70 disillusioned military consultants had left the Services in the past five years. "What we are seeing is that a large number of Servicemen cannot be deployed on operations because of their injuries. But here at Haslar we have a fantastic set-up which is being ignored and is closing.
"There is no reason for P7R troops not to be taken through Haslar but the military has set its heart on Selly Oak."
The Ministry of Defence has admitted that it has no precise figures on troops' injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan before this year, beyond recording 6,600 casualties in Iraq between 2003 and last year. More detailed statistics have been published since January after media pressure.
Haslar hospital, which has perimeter fencing, security lighting and MoD guards, can hold up to 350 beds, including eight intensive care units and four high-dependency units. It also has a pool to help rehabilitate troops who have had limbs amputated. Its orthopaedic department is described as outstanding. Unlike Selly Oak, which has recorded the highest rates of the superbug MRSA, it is one of the cleanest in the country.
Haslar, which handles some civilian patients, will be handed over to the Portsmouth health trust in March while the city waits for its delayed £200 million new hospital to be built in 2010.
The MoD said Selly Oak's "excellent health care" and training opportunities could not be met at Haslar and it was working to introduce military-only wards. "Security of our personnel is paramount and the appropriate level of security is in place at Selly Oak," it said.
#2
It's not socialism SPOD (e.g. Israel was a socialist country when I was in obligatory military service---never heard of a soldier having to wait for medical treatment). It's tranzi sabotage.,
#3
Sad but that's socialized medicine with some LLL Mo0b@+ism thrown in. If the idiots in the U.S. had their way the military would be behind everyone else in health care. Yes I know they are all pro military today, but not too long ago they would have dismembered the Military Hospital system in a heart beat and replaced with one like they have in the UK.
#4
It's the end result of socialism. If there is one employer and you don't fit in politically, gee, suddenly you can't find a job. If there is one health care system and you don't fit in politically, well, gee, you'll have to wait 6 months for surgery.
Once you get the Ministry of Plenty, the Ministry of Love comes right along behind.
#5
I think it would be great for the United States to build an emergency medical facility for all ISAF forces in somewhere like Italy (Aviano AB?) or Germany (since Landstuhl is pretty busy), and treat ALL the more severely wounded. It doesn't have to be fancy - a "MASH" type unit would be sufficient, if properly staffed and maintained. Create another one in Afghanistan and one in Iraq. Provide medical care on an "as-needed" basis for as long as it takes to get these people back on their feet, including members of the Iraqi and Afghani armies. Work with the host countries to help them build their own facilities capable of providing equal care. Sure, it'll take awhile, but watch morale in our allies' armed forces go up in the meantime. Screw "socialized medicine" into the concrete.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
10/04/2006 14:21 Comments ||
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#6
Send over the USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) or one of her sister ships. It could probably be there in a week or so.
U.S. Ambassador John Bolton urged the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday to respond to North Korea's threat to conduct a nuclear test, saying it would be a grave threat to international peace and security. "Obviously the ballistic missiles, if mated with nuclear weapons, would be a very grave threat to international peace and security," Bolton said shortly before consultations among the 15 council members. "Given the very strong action by the council in July condemning the North Korean ballistic missile tests, I think it's important we're prepared to follow up here," Bolton said.
North Korea's foreign ministry released a statement on Tuesday saying Pyongyang would conduct its first-ever nuclear test, blaming a United States' "threat of nuclear war and sanctions" for forcing its hand.
North Korea's foreign ministry released a statement on Tuesday saying Pyongyang would conduct its first-ever nuclear test, blaming a United States' "threat of nuclear war and sanctions" for forcing its hand. The Security Council adopted a resolution to impose weapons-related sanctions on North Korea in response to its flurry of missile tests in July. That resolution demands that North Korea suspend "all activities" on its ballistic missile programs and bans imports from or exports to North Korea of missile-related items. Bolton said the council could consider what "preventive diplomacy" it could take to stop the North Koreans from conducting a test of a nuclear device."
"I don't know what the rationale in Pyongyang is, but I think it is a test of the Security Council. I think it's a test of how the council responds," Bolton said.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/04/2006 00:00 ||
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I bet the UN heeds the call and swings into inaction
Posted by: Captain America ||
10/04/2006 1:23 Comments ||
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#2
Let them make at least one underground test - it will take care of some of the tunnels.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
10/04/2006 1:24 Comments ||
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#3
I'm sure the Earth Net of seismic detectors are 'clicking away' waiting for the big NORK Booomm! I just wonder if they'll go for the dramatic and explode the thing above ground like the US did in the 50s; what flare and excitement!! But they have to make sure the winds are out of the west first!
#4
Somehow I expect the reaction given and the reaction Darth expects will not even be close much less in the same time zone: look for continued dithering with scattered apathy. A chance of reserved surprise of the Norks actually figger out how to hook the blue (or is it red?) wire to the battery......
#5
Well it will be very interesting if they have some type of serious test malfuntion and downwind drift clouds take it all South...... or North, whahahhaa. I wish them well.
Prime Minister John Howard has launched a scathing attack on Australia's left-wing intelligentsia, questioning its loyalty to the nation over the past decades.
In a speech delivered last night for the 50th anniversary of the conservative magazine Quadrant, Mr Howard said the left had a history of denigrating the nation and was now doing the same with the war in Iraq, describing Islamic terrorism as the new tyranny.
He said Australian universities were still breeding leftists and described pro-communists of decades past as ideological barrackers for regimes of oppression opposed to Australia and its interests, Fairfax reports today.
Mr Howard said the left was wrong in its view that the Cold War was an equal struggle between the ideologies of the United States and the Soviet Union.
It became the height of intellectual sophistication to believe that people in the West were no less oppressed than people under the yoke of communist dictatorship, Mr Howard said in his speech.
Mr Howard praised Quadrant for its record of countering stultifying orthodoxies and dangerous utopias that have, at times, gripped the Western intelligentsia. I love this guy. We have some spades that need calling out... Can we, like, borrow him for a little while, mebbe?
#1
He is a most persistant man - "Lazarus with a triple bypass" as he referred to himself. He deserves to have his say and thank goodness he's no fool.
#2
What a damned shame he's ineligible for the presidency. Let's trick people into amending the Constitution "so Arnold can run", and then nominate Howard.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
10/04/2006 7:25 Comments ||
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#3
Unless he's doing it with a battle ax, its futile. The major attraction of being a left intellectual is that you'll never have to change your mind.
Posted by: mac ||
10/04/2006 19:00 Comments ||
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#2
As always, a worthwhile read. Some of the money lines:
The best way to deal with the Islamic world is to have as little to do with it as possible. We should ban Muslim immigration. This could be done in creative and indirect ways, such as banning immigration from nations with citizens known to be engaged in terrorist activities. We should remove all Muslim non-citizens currently in the West. We should also change our laws to ensure that Muslim citizens who advocate sharia, preach Jihad, the inequality of infidels and of women should have their citizenship revoked and be deported back to their country of origin.
I disagree. Per David D.'s eleven options list, isolationism and containment will not work. However, Fjordman's policy of exclusion and deportation is valid and needs to be implemented right away.
Im tired of hearing the You turn into what you fight argument. The British, the Americans and the Canadians didnt become Nazis while fighting Nazi Germany, did they? They bombed the crap out of the Nazis, and then went home. The truth is, we will become like Muslims if we DONT keep them out of our countries, since they will subdue us and Islamicize us by force.
Like .com says, we need to drop all this Order of the Garter bullshit and start getting all Medieval on these assholes. Niceness is a thing of the past so long as there is a single jihadist left alive on the face of this earth. We are being beaten to death with our own niceness.
The Buddhists of Central Asia undoubtedly held the moral high ground in relations to Muslims. They are all dead now. In the end, it is possible that we will win or lose by the sword. At the very least, we must be prepared to back up our ideological war with force on certain occasions. Holding a higher moral standard isnt going to defeat an Iranian President with nukes, threatening another Holocaust.
Screw the moral high ground. VICTORY is the one single irreplaceable element we need to hold dear in any strategy we adopt. If Islam insists upon a holocaust, let's give it to them.
we are naïve in believing that the deeds of Hezbollah, Hamas, Al Qaeda, the whole Islamic Jihad, are done by a bunch of non-state actors. In real life theyre agents of nation states (Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Russia, China, North Korea, at least) who want to weaken the West by a proxy war.
This may the single most important passage in this entire article. RUSSIA and CHINA are involved in this up to their ears. We are idiots to ignore this. I have been shouting this to the rafters. It's high time to begin choking off Russia and China. Either they toe the line in truly fighting the war on terrorism or we begin strangling their economies so that they can do as little harm as possible.
For Europe, the most important thing to do right now is to dismantle the European Union in its present form, and regain national control over our borders and our legislation.
Nice to see someone bring this out into the open. The EU is a failed concept and must be thrown upon the dustheap of history.
Europeans should also adopt legislation similar to the First Amendment in the American Constitution, securing the right to free speech. The reason why European authorities are becoming increasingly totalitarian in their censorship efforts is to conceal the fact that they are no longer willing or able to uphold even the most basic security of their citizenry. We need to get rid of hate speech laws. Europe needs free speech more than ever.
If the price of preserving free speech is allowing all forms of hate speech, then so be it. That's a nusiance I'm willing to accept. After all, we allow these Islamic swine to chant "Death to America" on our own soil. It's about time that Muslims heard a good dose of their own filth spewed back at them. And, no, I'm not afraid of turning into them if I take the occasion to spell it out to Muslims just what a massive group of psycho genocidal fucktards they are.
#3
Actually, I think we'll be forced to, Zen. Anyone who knows what actually transpired in WW-II (for example, pick any Pacific Island we forcibly took from the Japanese) and Vietnam (pick any engagement, from the bars of Saigon to the Au Shau Valley) knows that what we aspire to is seldom possible in the reality of warfare. When I see the MSM sniffing or screeching (same thing, actually) over engagements in Iraq or Afghanistan where it gets truly bloody, where a split second (such as the wounded guy that was put down and made some embed famous - x10000 in Fallujah, Ramadi, Operation Anaconda, etc) is your eternity, it reminds me that we must re-learn these lessons every single fucking time.
I'm sure Broadhead6 and others here can confirm and expound or state it more eloquently.
People are pretty damned resilient. 20 years of "peace" and they snap back into Pollyannas who worry about wardrobe malfunctions... right up until it comes here to our shores. Then we shall see the navel-gazers get real or get dead.
#4
As far as I am concerned, we already are forced to, .com. This is open war and our enemy has abandoned all trappings of any indentifiable nationality or ethnicity. We are obliged to respond in kind and begin cleaning out these Islamic hellholes however and wherever we see fit.
Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon and on down the line in that order until we've eradicated this foe. They will not rest until the kuffar's neck is under the sword. We must not rest until complete and overwhelming victory is on our hands. That's what it took with the Nazis and Japanese and that is what it will take this time around, too.
#5
#3 .com: "Then we shall see the navel-gazers get real or get dead."
Um, would it be tacky to choose Door #2?
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
10/04/2006 23:03 Comments ||
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#6
Heh, Barbara. I think it will come here and get in our faces before we get serious. We'll prolly do some of the big items, such as Iran, but we won't seriously try the quarantine idea - cuz, of all things, it's socially unacceptable - and that's worse than sad as it's the only option that might prevent the worst.
#7
I'm armored up, .com, but they gotta wait a couple months 'till I get my right arm back in action. Not as a good shot left-handed (& reloading lh sucks).
Doubt the Pussies Lions of Islam™ will get the guts anytime soon, tho.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
10/04/2006 23:19 Comments ||
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#8
We didnt quarantine AIDs and look what happened.
#9
I've been thinking about your #4, Zen. There are two (at least) levels of "already there" - individual and the state.
The state will get there first, though it's hard to tell round these parts, lol. Individuals acting together won't come until / unless it's in their 'hood, burning down their church or killing their kids at the mall. If this occurs in more than a handful of places, I fully expect a jihad on their asses to materialize - by armed folks who just don't cotton to assholes telling them they have to submit.
The state, on the other hand, can do much more much sooner - and Bush has, in fact, done a lot to turn this country to face the threat and begin the process of whacking Bad Guys. What else he will do before Jan 20, 09, I dunno. I sure hope it includes Iran. November will be a big deal in that regard. Lose the House and/or Senate and that would not happen. I don't want to lose 2+ years and I just don't trust anyone else to do the right thing, except maybe Giuliani or Romney.
Spanish villages are abandoning the centuries-old tradition of burning effigies of the Prophet Muhammad for fear of offending Muslims.
According to reports, local authorities have toned down the rituals to preserve Islamic sensibilities and avoid a repeat of the furor that followed last year's publication of Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad.
The annual festivals, across Catalonia, Valencia, and the Balearic Islands, feature locals donning medieval costumes to re-enact battles between "Moors and Christians" during the Reconquista period.
The fiestas celebrate events in 1492, when the Catholic kings of northern Spain defeated and expelled Islamic forces, ending more than 800 years of Moorish rule in the Iberian Peninsula. Traditionally the festivities have culminated with the burning of mannequins of the Mahoma, a figure based on the Prophet Muhammad, to represent the final defeat of Islam in the region. But, according to reports, local authorities have toned down the rituals to preserve Islamic sensibilities and avoid a repeat of the furor that followed last year's publication of Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/04/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
I like the fact that nobody is going to burn effigies anymore. That means everybody is going to stop ... right.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
10/04/2006 0:08 Comments ||
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#2
Prepare to hand Andalucia back to its rightful owners and your soon to be masters...
Posted by: Howard UK ||
10/04/2006 5:53 Comments ||
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#3
November 5th coming up. Gonna burn Guy and the Pope, Howard?
#9
How about we burn Riyadh instead, and see how the muzzies react? I'm sure we still have a few million Tokyo-style firebombs handy somewhere. All those long robes and fancy pointy-toed sandals will probably burn quite well. This PC-bullsh$$ is equal to surrender in the eyes of the islamofruitcakes.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
10/04/2006 14:28 Comments ||
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Mexico on Wednesday predicted that the United States will likely never build 1,125 kilometers (700 miles) of new fencing along the border that divides the two nations. President Vicente Fox's spokesman Ruben Aguilar said the U.S. Congress is unlikely to approve funding needed to finish the project. "There is no money to build it, so it won't be built," Aguilar told reporters. "Even though the wall was approved, there is no funding."
No one knows how much the border fence will cost, but Congress sent a bill to the White House making a $1.2 billion downpayment on it. A 14-mile segment of fence under construction in San Diego is costing $126.5 million.
On Monday, the Mexican government sent a diplomatic note to Washington criticizing last week's U.S. Senate vote to authorize the new fencing as part of congressional efforts to combat illegal immigration. And on Tuesday, all eight parties in Mexico's Congress joined forces to exhort Fox to use all the diplomatic means at his disposal to try to stop the construction of the fences. The bill must still be signed into law by President George W. Bush. Mexico is lobbying Bush to veto it.
U.S. State Department spokesman Tom Casey said Tuesday U.S. officials were talking to Mexico about the issue of immigration, but he did not give details. Aguilar said on Tuesday his country still wants a comprehensive immigration reform that would allow more people to migrate to the United States legally. "The wall will be useless and unworkable," Aguilar said, adding that it would affect the environment, ecology, and even the reproduction of some species.
Posted by: ed ||
10/04/2006 18:43 ||
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#1
You keep using that work won't. I do not think it means what you think it means.
#3
If it's so certain to be useless and unworkable, then why are you scumbags so afraid of it? FOAD, Mexico. I'd like to see us shoot every illegal that comes across the border and throw the wounded/dead bodies back on your side--just like you do with Guatemala. You Mexes are lying, hypocritical bastards and the sooner we break relations with you, close the border, and let you stew in your own piss, the better.
Posted by: mac ||
10/04/2006 18:54 Comments ||
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#4
There is no money to build it, so it won't be built," Aguilar
We'll cut aid to Mexico and Pakistan and spend the leftovers here at home.
#5
I don't think they'll actually build it either. They passed it and gained themselves two years for some other issue to come up and distract us rubes.
Posted by: Laurence of the Rats ||
10/04/2006 19:18 Comments ||
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#6
not a chance, and the desert portion can easily be a virtual detection/apprehend/ship their ass back region. A solid triple fence is NOT necessary, sea to gulf. The Mexicans are sure getting uppity about something that will never get built, huh?
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/04/2006 19:45 Comments ||
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#7
btw - Bush signed it, Senor Fox.
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/04/2006 20:04 Comments ||
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#9
Catch and release guts any of the border control efforts. Until it is made massively unprofitable to smuggle cheap labor across the border, then nothing will happen. (BTW, I have nothing against the individual workers other than their flouting of our laws. The ones that I have inevitably come in contact with seem to be good people except for the fact they shouldn't be here.)
(2006-10-02) White House sources today said that President George Bush, under increasing pressure to win the peace in Iraq, will fire embattled Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, and nominate Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward as his replacement.
The unnamed sources said the president made the decision after reading Mr. Woodwards new book State of Denial.
Its clear that Bob Woodward gets more solid information from people at the Pentagon, State Department, National Security Council and White House than Rumsfeld does, said one anonymous official. Rummy and Bush are arrogant and work in a vacuum which leads to bad decisions. Everybody talks to Woodward, plus hes humble and nobody has a better grasp on what would have worked in a given situation.
Mr. Woodward declined to comment for the record, but unnamed associates said the venerated journalist would jump at the chance to use his fabled powers of hindsight to lead the Pentagon. Plus it would allow him to work more closely with all of his unnamed friends in the top echelons of government.
Bob Woodward is best-known for a series of anonymously-sourced articles he wrote with Carl Bernstein more than three decades ago that resulted in a movie starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman.
#2
Bob Woodward is best-known for a series of anonymously-sourced articles he wrote with Carl Bernstein more than three decades ago that resulted in a movie starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman.
By Scott Ott
(2006-09-28) House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, today criticized former President Bill Clinton for what she called his failure to connect the dots and do more to protect terrorist detainee rights before 9/11.
Rep. Pelosis remarks came in the wake of Congressional passage of new terrorist detainee legislation that would enable U.S. troops and intelligence officers to aggressively question suspected terrorists, and would provide for trial by military tribunal for enemy combatants.
None of this needed to happen, said a visibly shaken Rep. Pelosi, In the years before 9/11, the Clinton administration utterly neglected the opportunity to push legislation that would have prevented the horror of secret CIA detention facilities and the desperate inconvenience of Guantanamo Bay.
The presumptive House Majority Leader said that since 9/11, cultural insensitivity has fueled a disregard for the Constitution that makes terrorist detainees among the most vulnerable members of society.
People have become so obsessed with not being blown up, she said, that theyre willing to deny Constitutional rights to a foreign person just because he happens to belong to a group that has sworn to destroy America.
Mrs. Pelosi suggested the nation has lost its moral compass, and should remember the Golden Rule which says, do not unto others until others have already done unto you and you can prove it in court.
She also paraphrased the Bible in saying, If your enemy saws off your head, turn to him also the other head, unless you dont have a second head, in which case, offer him an arm and a leg.
People have become so obsessed with not being blown up, she said, that theyre willing to deny Constitutional rights to a foreign person just because he happens to belong to a group that has sworn to destroy America.
So close to reality, as practiced by Pelosi & Co, that it's scary. Ott rulez.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, Oct. 3, 2006 People who value freedom must stand up and defend it, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here today. Rumsfeld is in Nicaragua to attend the seventh conference of the Defense Ministers of the Americas. He met earlier today with Nicaraguan President Enrique Bolanos and held a news conference with Nicaraguan Defense Minister Avil Ramirez.
If you believe in freedom, and if you enjoy being able to get up in the morning, go where you want, work where you want and say what you want, send your children off to school with reasonable confidence that they'll come home, then you have to defend a free way of life, Rumsfeld said during the news conference.
Rumsfelds comments on the war on terrorism were in response to a question from a Nicaraguan journalist who asked if the U.S. was considering changing its defense policies in response to international criticism. He said some parties will always disagree with choices U.S. leaders make.
Now you can debate exactly how it should be done, or whether it should be done, he said. But that fundamental issue is what's facing free people everywhere in the world. And simply because someone doesn't like that, in my view, is not a reason to pretend, to stick your head in the sand and pretend that that's not the case.
He said the goals of Muslim extremists are clear and posted around the Internet: Terrorists want to overthrow moderate Muslim leaders and replace them with extremists, build a supreme Muslim kingdom across most of the world, and to have a small group of extremist clerics making up the rules for everyone else. And if people don't behave the way (the clerics) want, then they cut off peoples heads, Rumsfeld said.
He was careful to characterize the struggle with extremism not as a fight against Islam, but a fight between moderates and extremists within Islam. I believe there is this struggle within the Muslim faith between this very small number of violent extremists and the overwhelming majority of the Muslims in the world, hundreds of millions of them, Rumsfeld said. Overwhelmingly they do not support the violent extremists who go around cutting off peoples' heads, blowing up buildings, killing thousands of human beings.
He said free people have a choice between defending their way of life or doing nothing. They're attacking the ability of a people to be free, and you have got a choice, he said. You can acquiesce and let them win, or you can decide that you're not going to acquiesce and not let them win.
Posted by: Bobby ||
10/04/2006 10:52 ||
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#1
". . . in the words of founding father John Quincy Fillmore, "shan't not our very tone be encrazed?"
ROTFLMAO! Next time some leftie gets all up in my grill, I gotta remember that one. Can't reason with 'em, so I may as well bat 'em around like a cat toy.
#2
Consider then also how the White House nefariously and slimily released the entire NIE, thereby strangling in its crib the beautiful newborn narrative of the grieving New York Times and its Anonymous Sources
I have never before choked on oatmeal.
Posted by: Bobby ||
10/04/2006 7:35 Comments ||
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CHICAGO (Reuters) - The government can continue to use its warrantless domestic wiretap program pending the Justice Department's appeal of a federal judge's ruling outlawing the program, an Appeals Court in Cincinnati ruled on Wednesday.
The ruling overturned District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor's decision last week to deny a lengthy stay in the case, which is expected to end up with the Supreme Court. In August, Taylor ruled that the National Security Agency's five-year-old surveillance program, implemented as part of the government's war on terrorism, violates the civil rights of Americans.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed the suit in March on behalf of scholars, attorneys, journalists and non-profit groups that regularly communicate with people in the Middle East.
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/04/2006 17:07 ||
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#1
Apparently Ms Diggs-Taylor was wrong. Someone could question her ruling. Hmmm?
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/04/2006 17:16 Comments ||
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Foreign students studying in around 400 seminaries have yet to get documents from their countries certifying that their governments have no objection to them studying in Pakistan, and this may lead to their expulsion from the country. Official sources told Daily Times that the Interior Ministry had sent letters to 51 countries through the Foreign Office seeking confirmation that the students were their nationals and asking them to state in writing that they have no objection to their nationals studying in Pakistani madrassas. This condition was put in place after the July 7, 2005, bombings in London by British nationals of Pakistani origin. Pakistan was mentioned in connection with the bombing after it emerged that one of the bombers had spent time at a madrassa here.
Following the attack, President Gen Pervez Musharraf announced that foreign students would be sent home. The sources said that around 1,200 foreign students had been deported since then, but around 800 foreign students were still studying in seminaries in Pakistan. The federal government decided not to grant visas to foreigners wishing to gain admission to Pakistani seminaries.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/04/2006 00:00 ||
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The Indian Home Ministry on Tuesday decided to put on hold the October 20 execution of a Kashmiri man who was sentenced to death by the Supreme Court for his alleged involvement in an attack on Indian parliament in 2001.
Although Afzal Guru, a surrendered militant, has perpetually refused to file an appeal for clemency, his wife Tabassum filed a mercy petition on Tuesday at the presidential palace (Rashtarpati Bhawan). A presidential spokesman confirmed that a petition had been filed and it would be duly processed. Tabassum told reporters that her husband had not filed a mercy petition himself because he had lost confidence in the judicial system.
Home Ministry sources said that a meeting of senior officials took up the issue, and decided to put Afzal's execution on hold till a final decision was made. The president refers all such petitions to the Home Ministry. The president has not done this yet, but the ministry decided to defer the execution after confirmation that a petition had been received.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/04/2006 00:00 ||
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I didn't know testicular atrophy ( a disease originate in either yurp' or DC) was contagious...
(JT) - The government on Monday said Qatar broke from Arab ranks by voting against Jordan's candidate to succeed UN chief Kofi Annan. "What concerns more in Jordan is not the offensive act against us, but [Qatar's] lack of commitment to a unanimous Arab League decision to nominate Prince Zeid for the post," Government Spokesperson Nasser Judeh told reporters yesterday at a weekly press briefing, which was attended by Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit.
Following a September Arab League meeting in Cairo, foreign ministers urged Arab representatives at the UN to support the nomination of Prince Zeid. According to Judeh, Qatar spoke at the meeting of a moral commitment to another candidate. But this candidate was not the South Korean [Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon], Judeh said. He did not elaborate.
On Saturday, a senior Jordanian official told Agence France-Presse that Qatars envoy to the United Nations broke ranks with a unanimous Arab stand in Thursdays straw poll to back Ban to succeed Annan. The Qatari representative not only broke with the unanimous Arab position, he even campaigned for the South Korean candidate.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/04/2006 00:00 ||
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I think it would be good if Kofi's successor was a particularly rabbid Wahabbi.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
10/04/2006 0:44 Comments ||
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Iran on Tuesday suggested France should lead a consortium to produce enriched uranium on Iranian soil, in a new attempt to ward off the threat of sanctions over its nuclear ambitions. "The best solution to dispel the worries about Iran's nuclear activities is not to demand a suspension" of enrichment, the deputy head of Iran's atomic energy organisation, Mohammad Saeedi, told AFP.
I don't speak the language, but I believe that's Farsi for "Up yours."
"We have an idea that technically and legally is the best solution. It is that France creates a consortium with Eurodif and Areva to carry out enrichment in Iran and thus they can closely monitor our nuclear programme," he added, referring to France's enrichment specialist and its parent company.
EU chimes in:
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who has been leading talks aimed at persuading Iran to suspend the sensitive nuclear activity, described such French monitoring as "interesting" but in need of further examination.
"I think I need to go lie down now. Can someone bring up some Pepto?"
"The Iranian proposal for French monitoring of uranium is interesting," Solana told reporters in Finland, adding the suggestion "needs analysis". We have discussed since the very beginning the possibility of a control," he said. "We discussed it lightly before, it may be an idea that can be discussed now more in detail."
France don't look too happy though:
The French foreign ministry however reacted cooly, describing the proposal as "unexpected" and saying it was still awaiting a response from Iran in its talks with Solana on whether to suspend enrichment.
I am responsible for ensuring the work that the American people are paying for is being completed, Adlard said. I act as the construction manager for a natural gas liquids (NGL) plant, a natural gas liquids/liquid petroleum gas (NGL/LPG) plant, and an LPG bulk storage facility," he said.
Adlard works on a daily basis with five Iraqi engineers who each work at the various plants in his area "I help them to understand the work that is being completed so they can effectively make daily reports. I also instructed them on our inspection and test planning processes, he said.
Working with the Iraqi engineers is something which Lamoureux also takes pride in as well. He said teaching the Iraqis about the benefits of proper use of safety equipment is particularly rewarding. Were making a difference over here, he said. And I believe in what we are doing. The projects Im working on will have a positive impact on the future of Iraq. Oil is their major export, plus they need to be self sufficient in LPG. The things Im working on will make that a reality. More at link
Posted by: Bobby ||
10/04/2006 10:57 ||
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The Iraqi court trying Saddam Hussein postponed the verdict in the former leader's first trial and said Tuesday that the judges are considering the possibility of recalling some witnesses. The court is due to convene Oct. 16 for the first time since it adjourned July 27 to allow the five-judge panel to consider their verdicts against Saddam and seven co-defendants on charges of crimes against humanity for a crackdown against Shiites in the 1980s.
A verdict had been expected on that day, but court spokesman Raid Juhi said the Oct. 16 session ``will not be for the verdict. It's for the judges' review of the evidence.'' Juhi said he could not say when the verdict would be issued.
Saddam and his co-defendants face possible execution by hanging if found guilty in the charges, connected to a crackdown on Shiites in the town of Dujail launched in 1982. That has raised concerns that such a verdict could stoke the Sunni-led insurgency and rampant sectarian violence that has plagued the country. Minority Sunnis were dominant under Saddam but lost power to Shiites, who comprise some 60 percent of Iraq's population, after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 and tensions between the Islamic sects have been on the rise.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/04/2006 00:00 ||
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#4
It could be a M98 Mauser, it appears to be a commercial version rather than military. It's fully stocked up to the muzzle like some of their carbine models, but it looks to be full sized model. Saddam is a big guy, 6 foot 1 inch, so the weapon looks smaller.
Posted by: Steve ||
10/04/2006 13:57 Comments ||
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#5
Thanks Steve. Looked like possibly a Turk or a Swedish Cavalry... Mannlicher stock etc. Wonder who ended up with that little gem?
JERUSALEM Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' stated recognition of Israel's right to exist is part of a "political calculation" aimed at ultimately destroying the Jewish state, a terror group leader and member of Abbas' Fatah party told WND in an interview.
The leader said the Fatah party does not recognize Israel and that any final accord that doesn't include flooding the Jewish state with millions of Palestinians will not be supported by the Fatah party and will lead to Palestinian civil war.
"The base of our Fatah movement keeps dreaming of Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jaffa and Acco," said Abu Ahmed, Fatah member and leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in the northern Gaza Strip. "There is no change in our position. Abbas recognizes Israel because of pressure that the Zionists and the Americans are exercising on him. We understand this is part of his obligations and political calculations."
The Brigades is the declared "military wing" of Abbas' Fatah party. Together with the Islamic Jihad terror group, the Brigades has taken responsibility for every suicide bombing inside Israel the past two years, including an attack in Tel Aviv this past April that killed an American teenager and nine Israelis. The Brigades also has carried out scores of deadly shooting and rocket attacks against Israeli civilians in recent months.
Brigades leaders are members of Fatah. The terror group's founder, Marwan Barghouti, is an elected Fatah official and is largely considered one of the most popular Fatah figures. Several top Brigades members serve in Abbas' Force 17 personal security detail.
Abbas and Hamas the past few months have been negotiating the possibility of forming a national unity government in part to end international sanctions imposed on the Palestinian Authority after Hamas won the majority of parliamentary seats earlier this year. But the unity talks reportedly fell through because of Hamas' refusal to recognize Israel's right to exist. Fatah and Hamas have been clashing in Gaza and the West Bank the past few days.
The U.S. and Europe label Hamas a terror group, while Fatah largely is considered "moderate," in part for its purported willingness to accept Israel. The U.S. has given large sums of financial aid and weapons to Fatah since late Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat signed the Oslo Peace Accords with the Jewish state in 1993.
Abu Ahmed explained Fatah itself has never officially recognized Israel.
"It is the PLO, which is a separate entity, that recognized Israel,and this was a step, a tactical step that had as its goal to bring the resistance and the revolution closer to the lands of Palestine," Abu Ahmed said.
The PLO was the official governing body of the Palestinians until the A was formed following the Oslo Accords. Subsequent Israeli-Palestinian agreements were signed officially by the Fatah-led PA but not by Fatah as a party.
Still, Fatah leaders, including Abbas, have made scores of statements recognizing the Jewish state.
But Abu Ahmed commented, "There is an opportunistic class at the head of the Fatah leadership that for personal and political interests says it accepts the existence of Israel. There is no change in our official position. Fatah as a movement never recognized Israel. It is the PLO who did so for the reasons I mentioned."
'Al Aqsa Brigades loyal to Abbas'
The U.S. State Department considers the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades a terror organization.
A State Department spokesman yesterday told WND the Brigades is "separate" from Abbas' Fatah party. But Abu Ahmed explained his Brigades group is "one and the same" with the Fatah party.
"We are members of Fatah, and there are normal organic relations between us and the Fatah. We are in the Al Aqsa Brigades because we are Fatah members. We participate in all political decisions making of the Fatah movement."
Abu Ahmed said Brigades members consider Abbas their legitimate leader and answer ultimately to the PA president.
"Of course we are loyal to Abbas. He is our elected leader. We would of course prefer if his policy toward Israel was different, but we understand his obligations and calculations, and we do not consider ourselves limited by these calculations," the terror leader said.
Abu Ahmed explained the difference between Hamas and Fatah is that the Fatah party "is ready to discuss a political arrangement for the Jews."
But he said any arrangement must include the "right of return" of millions of Palestinians to Israel.
"We demand [any agreement with Israel] be based upon the principles that the great majority of our people support and first of all the right of return to the refugees, which mean that there cannot be any recognition of the Zionist entity.
"If any Palestinian government will dare sign a deal without this it means that this government has decided to throw away the fate and destiny of more than four million Palestinian refugees, and we cannot accept this."
The "right of return" is widely seen by Israelis as a ploy to flood Israel with millions of Palestinians, thus threatening the country's Jewish character.
Israel has a population of about 6.9 million; about 5.3 million are Jewish; nearly 1.3 million are Arab. The Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and West Bank claim a population of 3.8, but recent studies found the current Palestinian population may be inflated by up to 50 percent, with some major cities even being counted twice.
Abu Ahmed pointed to recent opinion polls showing upwards of 70 percent of the Palestinian public does not support Israel's right to exist.
He warned if the PA concludes an agreement with Israel that does not include the "right of return," it will result in civil war.
"We will fight such a government that would make an agreement (without the "right of return"), even if this may lead to a civil war. We are of course not interested in such a war but we want to ensure that any political process does not give up any of our holy principles," Abu Ahmed said.
#1
This fucker can't even hold together the patch of dirt and the lunatics he's in charge of now.
Might wanna think about trying to do that first, and from the way he's going, that should keep Israel in existence for about 1000 more years.
#2
"The "right of return" is widely seen by Israelis as a ploy to flood Israel with millions of Palestinians, thus threatening the country's Jewish character."
Just to get a discussion going-what laws does Israel currently have in place regarding:
* official state religion
* rights of other faiths in Israel
I imagine that most Rantburgers agree that right of return would be disastrous for Israeli Jews, but let's consider another way of confronting it. Isn't it possible that a future "right of return" agreement could be made toothless by enacting appropriate laws? We in the West are busy thinking about ways to decapitate sharia laws in our home countries; why shouldn't Israel think about ways of making "right of return" unattractive to Muslims? Just curious.
#3
actually, AFAIK, AAMB is NOT considered the official military wing of Fatah. Fatah has several affiliated militant groups, plus the offical PA security forces which were dominated by Fatah before Hamas won the election, and which are still fighting to maintain Fatah control. AAMB was founded during the second intifada, apparently with support from Yasser Arafat, but that doesnt mean they have official status within Fatah.
#4
The "Right of Return" is seen by the Palestinians as a way to overwhelm Israel proper with Muslim voters before the planned differential population increase occurs. This is one aspect of Mahmoud Abbas' preferred method of erasing Israel from the map -- conquest by law and treaty rather than by the sword. Whether or not the head of the AAMB speaks for the entire Fatah conglomerate, the aims of all are the same, merely the methods differ. Those who truly wish for peaceful accomodation with Israel either speak of it very privately, or end up somehow dead, and that's been so since the 1920s.
#6
"The base of our Fatah movement keeps dreaming of Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jaffa and Acco"
So they can turn them into toilets like Gaza City and Ramallah. Ah, what a lofty goal.
"There is an opportunistic class at the head of the Fatah leadership that for personal and political interests says it accepts the existence of Israel. There is no change in our official position. Fatah as a movement never recognized Israel. It is the PLO who did so for the reasons I mentioned."
A Rantburgerer couldn't have said it better. Paleo Taquiyyah. When will people wake up?
"recent opinion polls showing upwards of 70 percent of the Palestinian public does not support Israel's right to exist"
The crux of the problem. A diseased group mentality that cannot be overcome by negotiation or concession.
Debunking the myth of the 'palestinian people' ought to be at the center of all Israeli and US efforts, but alas, it is not. The day the US government and the Israeli government added the word 'palestinian' to their vocabulary, they were doomed to failure with these cretins.
How do they cut their losses without causing the destruction of Isreal? The answer is that they cannot. In a war where the enemy's non-negotiable starting point is your destruction, your only option is to destroy them before they do the same to you.
#7
I agree. This is all garbage, as I've said many times before. The only solution is to run the Strip population into Egypt and the WB pop into Jordan, blow up Rafah and the Allenby Bridge, and tell the world that the "Palestinian problem" is now permanently solved. They'll bitch for a while--but they'll eventually accept it.
Posted by: mac ||
10/04/2006 19:34 Comments ||
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Abbas recognizes Israel because of pressure that the Zionists and the Americans are exercising on him. We understand this is part of his obligations and political calculations."
All taqqiya, all the time.
Unless Abbas publically denies this (a lot of good that would do anyway), all future credibility just went out the window, not that there was very much to begin with.
Even if this is a calculated move to paint Abbas into a political corner, it really doesn't matter. Things have deteriorated way too far for much progress to be made with this current round of terrorist fuckwits. No one on the Palestinian side of the fence is the least interested in actually building anything. All they do is delude themselves and drool over the prospect of taking over Israel's vast wealth and resources without having to lift a hand.
The one swift and final way to remove "right of return" from the table is to demand reciprocity in terms of Jewish right of return or compensation for their lost property as they were forced to move to Israel. The prospect of giving the Jews land or even a thin dime so repulses the Muslims that they would sooner fight to the death than consider such a notion. And that is what we really need to do. Killing all of these disagreeable fucks is the only possible way to put an end to this insanity.
#9
Mac: "The only solution is to run the Strip population into Egypt and the WB pop into Jordan, blow up Rafah and the Allenby Bridge, and tell the world that the "Palestinian problem" is now permanently solved."
Zen: "Killing all of these disagreeable fucks is the only possible way to put an end to this insanity."
I understand your frustration-I've had it with these f*ckwits, too. But do you know of a single political party willing to do what you describe? No.
Would such a party be able to get a POTUS elected? No.
Is it likely that EVERY SINGLE "ALLY" of the US except Israel is going to side with "Palestinians" on right of return? Yes.
So we need to find another solution. I like your reciprocity idea, Zen. Or we could work the "absolutely-no-aspect-of-sharia-in-Israel" angle--property rights, divorce and marriage, penalties for theft and adultery-outlaw the whole shabang.
#10
Or we could work the "absolutely-no-aspect-of-sharia-in-Israel" angle--property rights, divorce and marriage, penalties for theft and adultery-outlaw the whole shabang.
Jules, please check out today's article by Fjordman. Outlawing all aspects of sharia law is precisely what he recommends. If we have to simply stall out all negotiations by insisting upon Jewish right of return, then so be it.
I must sadly agree with you that no world leader currently has sufficient stones to simply confront the Palestinians with their own death wish. This is the only thing that will ever shut them the fuck up.
#11
"Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' stated recognition of Israel's right to exist is part of a "political calculation" aimed at ultimately destroying the Jewish state, a terror group leader and member of Abbas' Fatah party told WND in an interview."
In other news, water is wet. And the sun rises in the East.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
10/04/2006 23:12 Comments ||
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#14
Yup, 3dc. But even if we managed to do it - everyone else would just enjoy the (then) cheaper oil and not make the effort. In the end, just getting off the oil tit won't change the threat to the West much. The shitheads will still have the cash and the motivation.
October 4, 2006: Israel has found, in the past five years, that the best way to shut down attacks by terrorists is to go after middle management and technical staff. These are the people most responsible for making terrorist attacks actually happen. It's not the suicide bombers themselves, and it's not the top people in the terrorist organizations, it's the people in the middle. As a practical matter, there are too many potential suicide bombers to even try to go after that element. As for the top leadership, they are not as critical to the operations of the terrorist organization as was once thought. Moreover, if you nail the top guy, there are plenty of potential replacements. There's another problem with killing the top dog, as there tends to be a diplomatic back-blast when you whack the head of a prominent terrorist organization. These guys tend to have spent some time hob-knobbing with world leaders. Some respectability rubs off, and heads-of-state don't like seeing their peers getting assassinated.
This is what it comes down to when Israeli politicians urged that Hizbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah go to the head of the hit list. There are several reasons for this. The more obvious one is that Nasrallah is pretty much personally responsible for getting 1,200 Lebanese and 150 Israelis killed over the Summer. Many Lebanese would also love to see Nasrallah get lit up. But the Summer violence brought in all the diplomats and peacemakers for Nasrallah to play with, conferring some legitimacy on the warlord running south Lebanon. But there's a more pragmatic case for killing Nasrallah. Unlike many other terrorist organizations, Hizbollah doesn't really have a lot of depth. Nasrallah would be missed, especially if you were fond of a guy who might, at any time, make suicidal decisions. Nasrallah's decision to kidnap Israeli soldiers last July was a big error in judgment, and many Hizbollah leaders admitted it. Nasrallah will probably do something stupid again, unless he is replaced by one of less adventurous (and less capable) subordinates.
For the moment, the Israelis have taken Nasrallah off their hit list. Officially, anyway. If nothing else, this makes Nasrallah nervous and keeps him on the move.
Posted by: Steve ||
10/04/2006 09:17 ||
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#1
This is what we should be doing with our own mafia as well. The idea that you allow crime to happen under the watchful authorities, so they can spend years to get the kingpin is and always was dumb. Once the distribution channels and the bad guys are coordinated, there is always someone else willing to step up to the top spot. Better to just stop the crime and disrupt the networks.
#3
If I wanted to get rid of the mafia I'd whack a few lower level Dons in such a way to start a gang war.
Either that or get a lot of info from your spies. Grab a Don, and then leak things your spy learned but give the captured guy credit. Doesn't matter if you don't have enough to prosecute him, he'll be dead when he hits the street.
(UPI) -- The Palestinian Authority will not renew its fuel and natural gas contract with its Israeli supplier in 2007 -- leaving the Palestinians three months to find another fuel source amid an already-tenuous energy situation in the territories.
They just keep digging, don't they.
Dor Alon has been supplying gasoline to the PA since 1994, a contract extended earlier this year for another five years. The company is the PA`s sole provider of fuel, in a deal that Israeli business magazine TheMarker in May reported was worth about $338 million annually.
Meanwhile, according to the company`s latest financial information, 40 percent of Dor Alon`s $1.9 billion in revenues come from the PA. The loss of the deal with the PA will be a major blow to the company, which informed the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange of the news during the Yom Kippur holiday break on Monday.
'The Palestinian Authority came to the company requesting an improvement in the conditions ... for fuel and gas that (the authority) purchases from the company. Dor Alon did not agree to this request, and as such, the PA informed the company that starting at the beginning of 2007, it does not intend to continue purchasing fuel and gas from the company,' Dor Alon told United Press International through a spokesman.
At least three times since [Hamas came to power], PA checks to Dor Alon in payment for fuel have bounced. In May, the PA missed a $7.8 million payment, after which Dor Alon temporarily halted supply. In March, the company cut the PA`s fuel supply after a $23 million check bounced, and resumed delivery after an EU money transfer to the PA.
According to reports published at the time, West Bank gas stations reported shortages of diesel fuel and gasoline each time Dor Alon pulled the plug on supplies, and long lines formed as Palestinians tried to stock up.
This didn't generate the usual clue ...
It is unclear where the PA will turn to get its fuel now.
Maybe Hugo will open Citgo stations throughout Gaza.
The Palestinians are also facing a severe electricity shortage in Gaza, following the June 28 Israeli air force bombing of a new 140-megawatt power station there. The loss of the power station meant the loss of 60 percent of Gaza`s electricity. Opened in 2001, it was one of the most advanced stations in the Arab world, financed jointly by Enron and a Palestinian company. It was also intended to eventually supply power to the West Bank, through a link to the Israeli grid.
'After Gaza`s power station was destroyed the budget of about $50 million (that had been supplying fuel to the power station) was diverted toward providing fuel for generators across the Gaza Strip,' Al-Ahram report said. 'Between 200,000 and 300,000 liters of fuel are distributed to more than 200 delivery points in Gaza every week in a program overseen by PriceWaterhouseCooper,' the report said. The newspaper estimated that Gaza holds less than two weeks` worth of fuel in reserves.
They can still afford ammo, though.
According to the Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs, 'in 2005, about 85 percent of the West Bank and Gaza Strip local authorities were connected to electricity networks. For 215 of the local authorities which were connected, the Israeli Electric Corp. was the main electricity source, for 165 it was the (East) Jerusalem Electric Company, for 68 the local community council, for 22 private generators and 61 had other sources.'
However, last week the Israeli Ministry of National Infrastructures announced that it had approved cross-border power lines between Jordan and the West Bank city of Jericho, to supplement the East Jerusalem Electric Company with Jordanian electricity. While this solution does not address the territories` need for fuel, it may ease the electricity crunch there.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said on Monday that Israel had offered to release up to 1,000 prisoners in exchange for captured soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit, but Hamas had turned down the proposal.
"[There was] a deal that could have freed 900 to 1,000 prisoners, but sadly they have decided to keep holding him," he told Al-Arabiyeh Television.
Egypt has been mediating between Israel and Hamas over the release of Shalit, who was abducted at Kerem Shalom on the Gaza border on June 25.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
10/04/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Fine. Start offing a Hamas prisoner each day until they change their minds.
October 4, 2006: The government is sending its Special Action Force (police commandoes) to help in tracking down NPA camps, and putting local NPA groups out of action. The NPA has been on the ropes for several years now, as popular support has ebbed, and being declared an international terrorist organization, cut off much foreign support. More people are willing to inform on NPA, or fight back themselves. So the NPA is increasingly vulnerable.
Posted by: Steve ||
10/04/2006 09:04 ||
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Washington - The top U.S. intelligence official says Iran could have a nuclear weapon within four to nine years, but that it still has time to turn away from that path. Speaking in his top floor office overlooking the Potomac River, Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte says Iran is determined to get nuclear weapons and will have them soon if not deterred from its current course.
"We do not have any fast facts that could demonstrate to you a particular date by which we are certain Iran will have a nuclear weapon," he said. "But yes, it is our judgment, based on all the information available to us, that Iran is determined to acquire nuclear weapons and, secondly, that they are on a path to achieve that within the next several years. The estimate that we have made is that somewhere between 2010 and 2015 is when we judge Iran is likely to have a nuclear weapon if it continues on its current course."
Reminder: the intelligence community said in 1947 that the USSR could have an atomic bomb in 5 to 10 years. The Soviets exploded one the following year.
Negroponte says that even though Iran does not yet have any nuclear weapons capability, evidence that it is moving in that direction is persuasive. "You have to have insights into intention, you have to look at past behavior," he added. "I mean, among the factors we consider in the case of Iran is that in the past they've had a secret military program until it was revealed. We know that for 20 or 30 years Iran has been interested in acquiring nuclear capability. You can judge from their procurement practices. There is a whole variety of indicators that you can look at to get some sense of exactly what the intentions of a country are."
Asked if the intelligence failure on Iraq complicates convincing people of Iran's intentions, Negroponte admits that people do raise that issue, but adds that the intelligence system is much improved. "We have done quite a bit of work on 'lessons learned' from the situation in Iraq, different mechanisms and procedures to improve the quality of our intelligence collection and analysis and our judgments," he added. "And, secondly, I think our principal partners and friends in the international community share with us exactly the same concern about Iran's intentions."
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/04/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Bottom Line, the Administration is ready to pass this "problem" to the next President, while "W" continues to nest egg the Iraq problem.
#4
So, it was - what - six months ago? that these experts said Iran was ten years away.
So in six months, they advanced six years? I don't like that math.
Posted by: Bobby ||
10/04/2006 7:01 Comments ||
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#5
The Iranian ambassador to the UN had just finished giving a speech and walked out into the lobby where he met the United States ambassador John Bolton. They exchanged pleasantries and as they walked the Iranian said, "You know I have just one question about what I have seen in America."
Ambassador Bolton said, "Well, anything I can do to help you, I will."
The Iranian whispered, "My son watches this show 'Star Trek' and in it there is Chekhov who is Russian, Scotty who is Scottish, and Sulu who is Chinese, but no Iranians. My son is very upset and doesn't understand why there aren't any Muslims on Star Trek."
Bolton laughed, leaned toward the Iranian ambassador and whispered back, "It's because it takes place in the future."
Posted by: Bobby ||
10/04/2006 7:56 Comments ||
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#6
We'll know for sure how long it took when one is detonated the USA or Israel.
#9
All in all just how many "unofficial" nuclear weapons programs are out there? And how many nations if they really wanted to, could get the bomb?
The last time I actually heard anything about this there were something over 36 countries actively pursuing nuclear weapons programs "unofficially" - ie they had programs that could be quickly turned to nuclear weapons manufacture (or within a reasonable period of time).
The list of countries that could get a weapon "quickly" varies according to what you might call the definition of "quickly", but, as I recall, includes, but is not limited to,
Japan
South Korea
Germany
South Africa
Brazil
Canada
Australia
Ukraine
Essentially, any country that maintains an active nuclear reactor or nuclear reactor research program could potentially have the capability of converting such research programs to nuclear weapons programs.
From Wikipedia,
The U.S. Department of Energy initiated a program in 1978 to develop the technical means to convert research reactors from the using highly enriched uranium to the use of low enriched uranium, in support of its nonproliferation policy. [1] By that time the U.S. had supplied research reactors and highly enriched uranium to 41 countries as part of its Atoms for Peace program.
Also, from the same Wiki article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research_reactor) is the comment that there are currently 283 research reactors operating.
The list possibly includes Syria (they have an advanced exchange program involving nuclear and particle physics and physicists with the west and, the last I saw, were looking at building a rather large "international" accelerator facility),
The list used to include Libya (but somebody apparently "saw the light" and it was not an air/ground burst),
I just recently posted that I seemed to recall that Japan was once thought to have been able to put together all the components for a nuclear device within 10 days.
It should also be noted that power sources used to generate medical isotopes and power sources for research beamlines, while called other things (likely for politically-correct reasons) are, or could be easily converted to be, nuclear reactors by any conventional definition - which means there's a buttload of potential reactor sources out there).
Also note - there's a process called "boosted fission", which I know very little about, which requires an active neutron source and can be used to boost uranium from natural to enriched to highly enriched to weapons grade fuel - and, according to several sources, can also lead to fissionable yields in low-grade sources.
Now, I'm no expert, and the experts can feel free to correct any of the above if I actually am wrong, but this is what I know and have read (and some of it's a shock to me as well - though it explains a helluva' lot of stuff up here at LBNL).
During the fighting in Lebanon Hezbollah received direct intelligence support from Syria, using data collected by listening posts jointly manned by Russian and Syrian crews. Hezbollah was also fed intelligence from new listening posts built on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights, which are operated jointly with Iran.
This information was confirmed in recent reports by the defense journal Jane's. Syria's centrality to the collection and transfer of intelligence to Hezbollah is based on separate agreements Damascus signed with Moscow and Tehran on intelligence cooperation.
The agreement with Russia is much older than the one with Iran, which was signed earlier this year. As happened with the significant numbers of advanced Russian anti-tank missiles procured by Syria and transferred to Hezbollah, Russia found itself operating indirectly in favor of the Lebanese Shi'ite organization in matters of intelligence.
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Posted by: Fred ||
10/04/2006 00:00 ||
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The United Nations explained Tuesday the "rules of engagement" that will be used by its peacekeepers who are supervising a cease-fire in south Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel since August 14. The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said it could resort to the "use of force beyond self-defense," but did not give details on the means which will be used.
"UNIFIL commanders have sufficient authority to act forcefully when confronted with hostile activity of any kind," a UN statement said. "All UNIFIL personnel may exercise the inherent right of self-defense. In addition, the use of force beyond self-defense may be applied to ensure that UNIFIL's area of operations," it said.
According to the statement the UN mandate is aimed at protecting "UN personnel, facilities, installations and equipment; ensuring the security and freedom of movement of UN personnel and humanitarian workers; and protecting civilians under imminent threat of physical violence."
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
10/04/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Are you preparing the excuse to fire on the IDF on the next go ?
#4
I don't know....given my druthers, I'd much rather shoot at the Hezzies than the IDF. Cause you shoot at the IDF, they're gonna kill ya. Regardless of what the politicians are saying, you can bet the boots on the ground know that fact DAMN well.
#7
I'd hate to think about the climate here, if the IDF (aka "Tsahal" for frenchies, wonder why, an another illustration of the jooo obsession of France?) shoot back at french forces. Hysteria wouldn't be strong enough a word to describe it.
#8
Chirac has zero chances of being reelected. Except in case of an international crisis (say with Iran) by playing the card of Asterix opposing the big bad Americans or by having French forces shoot at Israelis while "defending Lebanon".
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Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
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Bold, full of hope, and with a healthy fear for their speck-on-a-map villages, the Afghan elders arrived at this U.S. firebase recently for a change-of-guard ceremony. 
KABUL - NATO will assume responsibility for security across the whole of Afghanistan from Thursday when it takes command in the east from US-led coalition forces, a senior NATO official said on Tuesday.
An estimated 5,000 injured troops are being prevented from joining front-line operations because they are languishing on health service waiting lists. Military doctors have told The Daily Telegraph of the "absolute scandal" of soldiers having to wait for treatment while a fully equipped military hospital lies virtually empty.
U.S. Ambassador 
Prime Minister John Howard has launched a scathing attack on Australia's left-wing intelligentsia, questioning its loyalty to the nation over the past decades.
Spanish villages are abandoning the centuries-old tradition of burning effigies of the Prophet Muhammad for fear of offending Muslims. 
(2006-10-02) White House sources today said that President George Bush, under increasing pressure to win the peace in Iraq, will fire embattled Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, and nominate Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward as his replacement.
2006-09-28) House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, today criticized former President Bill Clinton for what she called his failure to connect the dots and do more to protect terrorist detainee rights before 9/11.
CHICAGO (Reuters) - The government can continue to use its warrantless domestic wiretap program pending the Justice Department's appeal of a federal judge's ruling outlawing the program, an Appeals Court in Cincinnati ruled on Wednesday.
Foreign students studying in around 400 seminaries have yet to get documents from their countries certifying that their governments have no objection to them studying in Pakistan, and this may lead to their expulsion from the country. Official sources told Daily Times that the Interior Ministry had sent letters to 51 countries through the Foreign Office seeking confirmation that the students were their nationals and asking them to state in writing that they have no objection to their nationals studying in Pakistani madrassas. This condition was put in place after the July 7, 2005, bombings in London by British nationals of Pakistani origin. Pakistan was mentioned in connection with the bombing after it emerged that one of the bombers had spent time at a madrassa here. 
The Iraqi court trying Saddam Hussein postponed the verdict in the former leader's first trial and said Tuesday that the judges are considering the possibility of recalling some witnesses. The court is due to convene Oct. 16 for the first time since it adjourned July 27 to allow the five-judge panel to consider their verdicts against Saddam and seven co-defendants on charges of crimes against humanity for a crackdown against Shiites in the 1980s. 
(UPI) -- The Palestinian Authority will not renew its fuel and natural gas contract with its Israeli supplier in 2007 -- leaving the Palestinians three months to find another fuel source amid an already-tenuous energy situation in the territories.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said on Monday that Israel had offered to release up to 1,000 prisoners in exchange for captured soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit, but Hamas had turned down the proposal. 
Washington - The top U.S. intelligence official says Iran could have a nuclear weapon within four to nine years, but that it still has time to turn away from that path. Speaking in his top floor office overlooking the Potomac River, Director of National Intelligence 
