(SomaliNet) The president of the semi autonomous region of Puntland, Gen. Adde Mussa Hersi, on Sunday has paid short visit to Adado town in Galgadud province, central Somalia. The president and his delegation met the officials of Adado and it is not known what Mr. Adde had discussed with them.
Galgadud was one of the provinces administered by defeated Islamic Courts Union that are now based in the port city of Kismayu, southern Somalia. It is not yet clear the objectives behind Adde Mussas trip to the region but it came as the situation in Galgaudud is calm and under the control of the Ethiopian and Somali government forces. It is for the first time that Mr. Adde visited Galgadud central region since he was elected as president of Puntland.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2007 00:00 ||
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(SomaliNet) We did not lose the war neither did we lay down arms. America was defeated in Somalia let alone poor Ethiopians. We never asked international jihadist brothers to come to our aid before, now we ask everybody who wants to die in a wholly war to come to us. These and more came from defiant top Islamist, Mr. Ahmed Mohamed Islam who controls the only remaining Islamist stronghold, Kismayo city.
Mr. Islam told BBC Somali Service that they will fight and defeat the Ethiopians calling Somalia president and premier nothing more that men in a basket who are being tossed around by Meles Zenawi, the Ethiopian prime minister.
The toughest question came when asked why did you spare Mogadishu but not Kismayo? Some people argue if the Islamic Courts had the courage to save Mogadishu residents from Ethiopian tanks, why not Kismayo, the third largest city in Somalia. He justified their decision to vacate Mogadishu without a fight arguing Mogadishu was not strategically the right place to fight head on with the Ethiopians. However, he promised that they will fight a different war in all parts of the country including the capital. You will see what happens He said.
Mr. Islam promised his men will come out victorious at the end of this conflict. God willing, the world will remember what we are going to inflict on the enemy. He said. His Mogadishu counterparts were as difiant hours before they disappeared in thin air.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
ATTN:
Dear Sir/M,
I am Mr. Abuja Mohamed Islam, son of top Islamist, Mr. Ahmed Mohamed Islam, who was until recently the head of the Somalian National Uranium Corporation.
According to Somalian Banking policy, the sum of $0.25, the paid up capital of the Somalian National Uranium Corporation, cannot be legally accessed, except through an arrangement of convenience with a foreign national.
My proposal is that I am looking for a foreigner who will stand in as the guarantor to beneficiary, and OPEN a Bank Account abroad to facilitate the
transfer of this money. This is simple, all you have to do is to OPEN an account anywhere in the world and send me its detail for me to arrange
the proper money transfer paperwork, and facilitate the transfer of the $0.25...
#2
I would Abuja Mohamed Islam but my accountant has spent the last year delictly ballencing my portfolio worth in excess of 750,000,000 $US. my investments ie. accounts/roperties/stocks/bonds/ and lotto tickets just so the IRS will be happy. smothered under as I've just recently inhearted .
I would Abuja Mohamed Islam but my accountant has spent the last year delicatly balancing my portfolio worth in excess of 750,000,000 $US. my investments ie. accounts/properties/stocks/bonds/ and lotto tickets just so the IRS will be happy.
I can't afford to upset the huge financial apple so I'll have to pass thank you
The MSM can always, ALWAYS find "some" to support their forthcoming meme and this is it. I learned this from James Taranto. Here is the LAT in it's glory.
In a country divided evenly between Muslims and Christians, there are worries that the foray next door could lead to instability at home
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia -- The headline in an Ethiopian newspaper drew familiar, if unflattering, comparisons to another nation's faster-than-expected victory in a war abroad. Batter up!
"Mission Accomplished," blared Addis Ababa's Daily Monitor in a story about Ethiopian forces' triumph over Somali Islamists last week. Sa--wiiiiiing! SMACK!!!
In 2003, the same phrase adorned a banner behind President Bush as he declared an end to major combat operations in Iraq, though the battles and bloodshed proved far from over. MSM hits another anti-Bush Home Run! Let's tie Somalia to Bush so we can start the shred the Opians, just like they do the US and Western militaries. Lead us, al-Pelosi!
Just as the Iraq invasion has divided Americans al least as far as what the MSM reported the Dhimmis said, Ethiopians are split on their government's decision to get involved in Somalia's brewing civil war by sending troops across the border. "brewing"? In freaking Somalia? Dude, get your metaphors right.
After just a week of fighting, Ethiopian troops have enabled Somalia's transitional government to regain control of a vast swath of southern Somalia that had been seized by Somalia's Islamic Courts Union over the past six months. By Thursday morning, Ethiopian and Somalia government troops reached the outskirts of the capital city of Mogadishu, with Islamic forces appearing to have disappeared into the populace. Run, hide, kill from behind women and children.
Ethiopian leaders are calling the military intervention a smart pre-emptive strike against the spread of religious extremism in the Horn of Africa. They say the world should thank Ethiopia for defeating a coalition of militant Islamists that U.S. officials accused of having links to terrorism, including al-Qaida. Of course! And the MSM, EU, AL, UN, AU will hate you for upsetting muzzies!
Others worry the foray could backfire over time by stirring political instability at home or driving Islamic terrorists to set their sights on Ethiopia. Oooooh. The dreaded instablity. Mr. Baker, save us, please?
Ethiopia has no opinion polling to measure public attitudes and recent government crackdowns against opposition leaders and journalists have made some afraid to express their views. Who can't even say "We can say no more". Fascist Christians.
But nearly everyone, including Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, agrees that the issue has sparked debate. "It's natural to have disagreements on fundamental issues," Mr. Meles said Thursday. Yet he stressed that Ethiopian people overwhelmingly support the action in Somalia. Ya see, we have had the honor of muzzie depradations for over 1300 years and we don't like 'em. So Buzz off!
Earlier this month Ethiopia's parliament voted in favor of a Somalia engagement by about 75 percent. Though the vote suggested a resounding endorsement, opposition leaders said it was the closest tally they've had in a legislative body heavily dominated by Mr. Meles' party. One parliament member who is part of Mr. Meles' political coalition abstained, a rare act of defiance. There are always some 'dissidents'
Noting that Islamists have threatened to resort to guerrilla tactics against Ethiopians, opposition leader Beyene Petros said he was not convinced that the threat posed by the Islamic courts merited Ethiopia's declaration of war. Oooooooh. The muzzies might hurt you, I mean us.
"Ethiopia should not be bogged down in a problem that is not ours," he said. "This is not Ethiopia's problem. It's all of Africa's." No. It is a problem for the neighbors first and foremost as they threatened us.
He also expressed concern that the government might use the perceived threat of terrorism to crack down against political enemies. After last year's disputed election, Mr. Meles was criticized for his response to large student demonstrations. Nearly 200 were killed and many elected opposition leaders remain in prison awaiting trial for treason. No reference to Pinochet...yet?
Supporters of the intervention in Somalia point to the Islamists' declaration of a "holy war" against Ethiopia. "See, they said they wanted to either kill us, make us slaves and rape our women, or become muzzies. We decided on the option of War to save the lives of our prople and future".
"It's self-defense," said Amare Aregawi, editor of the newspaper The Reporter. "People always say, 'Don't touch the terrorists. You'll aggravate them,' " said Mr. Aregawi, a former rebel fighter. "What are we supposed to do? Flatter them?" How did that ever get by the LAT's editors. Pointing out the obvious to the oblivious.
Others said the Islamists in Somalia were merely a front for international jihadists or other enemies of Ethiopia. Duh!
"I believe this whole thing came from Eritrea," said Michael G. Kirstus, 29, a customs house worker. International experts said Eritrea dispatched 2,000 troops to aid the Islamists, though the government denied it. There, of course. And soddiland, and afshitistan, and egypt, and syria, and iran, and pakiland.
Allegations of U.S. involvement have been another hot-button issue in Ethiopia. Many believe the United States used Ethiopia to launch a proxy war against the Islamists. Boooooosh! killing dark people!
"This was an American-made war," said Akmel Negash, 22, a student. Akmel Don't even rate a real arab name, huh.
Mr. Meles on Thursday denied American soldiers or weapons were used in any battles, though he noted that the United States and Ethiopia have a long-standing agreement to share intelligence. The US gave us no: satellite photos, live satellite coverage, GPS support, signals intelligence or anything like that. They suggested we use a manuver called "Attack and destroy in detail". That was it.
"We are not fighting anybody's war," Mr. Meles said. "We are fighting to defend ourselves." Ya silly f**ks! Wake the f**k up!
Mr. Meles said that during a visit this month by U.S. Gen. John Abizaid, the American commander advised against a Somalia invasion. "He shared his experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan with us and he indicated that we have, to the maximum extent possible, to avoid direct military intervention in Somalia," Mr. Meles said. "And we told him that our RoE is simply "kill the enemy", so we did that and won, You should try it".
The war against Somalia's Islamists has been a touchy topic in Ethiopia's Muslim community. The country is about evenly split between Christians and Muslims, though Christians have dominated the government and Muslims were often oppressed. Though the communities have largely coexisted in peace, earlier this year, Muslim and Christian villagers clashed in southwest Ethiopia over a conflict about religious holidays. More than a dozen were killed and churches were burned. Ooooooh, touchy muzzies ya say. How unusual. Only churches burned, huh? Never seen THAT before, eh? WOW, am I shocked..NOT
"Muslims in Ethiopia are angry," said Isaac Eshetu, 25, a student. "For 2,000 years they've been living as strangers in their own motherland." So, muzzies were in Ethiopia in 100AD. Inreresting, as the big paedo Mo wasn't born for almost 400 years. LMAO. Muzzies: the new Whiners.
He said he opposes violence or imposing his religion on others, but "as a Muslim, I would like to live under an Islamic government." "Then I could take the nice Christian's house and daughters as my own. Makes sense to me." ALL Some Muslims questioned whether Ethiopia's Christian leaders launched the attack because they feared an Islamic government in Somalia might encourage Ethiopia's Muslims to seek the same. Duh. LMAO. Somehow muzzies never seem to notice how shitty all the 'islamic' countries are.
Other Ethiopian Muslims said they supported the war. "I'm Muslim, but I don't identify with them," said Mohammed Arab, 33, a waiter in Addis. "They believe in holy war. I don't." Love this! "Look, I just want to make a living, have a wife and kids and be happy, ok? I just want to pray to allan and hopefully get into the garden, 'cause it is soooo tough here.
He said he opposes violence or imposing his religion on others, but "as a Muslim, I would like to live under an Islamic government."
Golly! As a Jew, I prefer to live under a secular government, where citizens of all religions are treated with scrupulous equality, including the Muslims. Why d'you suppose he's so insecure that he needs his religion to be legislated?
#3
As a Christian, I would be proud to have Trailing Wife as a neighbor. And I would be just as happy to have Taoists living over the fence on the other side and Hindus across the street. But my ecumenicism stops at the door of the man who would lock up all our daughters and make us bow and scrape toward some faceless demon. This far and no further.
The Algerian government said Sunday it regretted the execution of Saddam Hussein and hoped the hanging of the former Iraqi president would not lead to increased levels of violence in Iraq. "Algeria regrets the execution of former President Saddam Hussein on Eid al-Adha, a sacred day ... of clemency and generosity for all of the Arab and Muslim world," the government said in a statement. Saddam's execution Saturday coincided with Eid al-Adha, the most important holiday on the Islamic calendar, which began Saturday for Sunni Muslims.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2007 00:00 ||
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I regret his execution, too.
I regret that it wasn't done 15 years ago.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
01/01/2007 0:14 Comments ||
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If the Queen or that worthless lump Charles were worth a damn, she would use one of her many billions of pounds to create a Caribbean military brigade to protect England from harm, when emergencies threaten.
Since the government has abrogated one of the few REAL duties of a government, national defense, then they have lost their legitimacy.
If a crisis did occur, the Queen could move to Canada, appoint a Lord Protector of England to purge the government of such fools, backed by a mechanized brigade loyal only to the Queen.
The first act of the Lord Protector would be the conscription of a new English Army, followed shortly thereafter by the expulsion from England of foreign individuals disloyal to the crown.
North Korea issued a New Year's message on Monday calling for great efforts for strengthening defense capabilities as it celebrates its possession of nuclear weapons. North Korea's "nuclear deterrent serves as a powerful force for defending peace and security in Northeast Asia and guaranteeing the victorious advance of the cause of independence," said a joint editorial carried by North Korea's Rodong Sinmun and two other major state-run newspapers.
North Korea traditionally marks New Year's Day with a joint editorial by the country's three major newspapers representing its communist party, military and youth militia force. "All soldiers must mercilessly defeat any invasion of the US imperialists," said editorial, calling for efforts to make the whole communist country an impregnable fortress.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2007 00:00 ||
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#3
There's got to be some scam here we don't grasp. No one can lose this many vehicles constantly without the populace revolting. Somehow the government must be repaying the loss. Of course, maybe that's why they are selling off gov't property to stay afloat.
An American woman has been refused treatment by a doctor in Blekinge in southern Sweden because of her nationality. The woman's husband has now reported the incident to the Medical Responsibility Board.
Valery Johansson, who lives in a small town just outside Nashville, Tennessee, was in Sweden to celebrate Christmas with her husband's family. On Christmas Day, worried that she may have contracted strep throat, she sought medical help. Her husband and niece made an appointment for her at a clinic in the town of Karlshamn. "We went up there and the nurses were really nice. They did some swab tests, which they then passed on to a doctor," Johansson told The Local.
But when the American woman, accompanied by her husband and niece, went to meet the doctor in his treatment room, he declined to examine her.
Rather than introduce himself, the doctor waved the patient's papers and shouted "she doesn't have strep throat, she doesn't have strep throat". He then added that he would not treat her. "He said he didn't like Americans," said Johansson.
He also disliked hearing English spoken in his treatment room and soon walked out.
"We just couldn't believe it. We were left standing there with our mouths hanging open," said Johansson.
According to Johansson, the doctor was a Palestinian who objected to American foreign policy in the Middle East. Somebody should record this docs name and have him get mugged or something... At the minimum it should be a diplomatic incident flagged for major discussion with the EU!
Her niece followed the doctor into the office to confront him but was told: "I don't deal with people like that".
When Johansson returned to the clinic the following day she was met by a manager, who apologised and encouraged her to report the matter to the Medical Responsibility Board. The nurses were also embarrassed by the doctor's behaviour and repaid the 820 kronor that Johansson had handed over in advance for her treatment. They too advised her to report the doctor.
In the report Johansson has claimed that she was discriminated against on ethnic grounds. Before returning to the United States at the beginning of January she also intends reporting the incident to the American Embassy in Stockholm.
#1
The woman should consider herself lucky that the doctor came out of the closet, as opposed to remaining silent. He could have easily smiled and prescribed something that would have harmed or killed her. It ain't Nashville or Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Medical treatment for US CITS traveling overseas is a risky affair. Always has been.
#2
Last I heard, the modern version of the Hypocratic Oath requires a commitment to never refuse service to a patient. I suppose that offends shariah. Dollars for dimes says the pali imposed huge costs on Swedish tax payers to acquire that degree.
#3
The Hypocratic Oath is supposed to supersede ALL other concerns, you do you'r upmost to help whomever needs help. Full stop. I dont give a f*ck if its religion, war or a wish to cut cheese you will help people. He should be BANNED from practicing medicine. Evil C*nt.
#5
more like 'hypocritical' oath
the loving nurturing doctor.
What a jackass.
I always carry several types of antibiotics with me when I travel. thanks to connections ;) haven't ever needed any, but just feel better to have them in case. I would never go to a medical facility outside of the US.
Although, these days I don't even feel good about leaving the states.
Posted by: Jan at work ||
01/01/2007 11:04 Comments ||
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#6
Between the manager's and the nurses' actions (the next day), sounds like they didn't much care for this "doctor" either. Probably couldn't say/do anything until he stepped out of line, but he did, so they all turned on him. Good for them.
Posted by: BA ||
01/01/2007 11:31 Comments ||
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#8
I also agree with Besoeker, she's very fortunate to be alive. Actually, if I were the patient and saw a camel doc enter the room I would have left, no matter how ill I felt. Go to another town and recieve treatment from a real physician.
#9
According to the facts presented, this physician's behavior is unconscionable. But apparently, medical ethics in the middle east has become oxymoronic. Zawahiri and Basher are physicians, as was Rantisi. Mengele would be pleased.
#10
Amen Besoeker, Better they come right out with the prejudice. I have never EVER met a Paleo that I liked. I have met Saudis, Jordanians, Lebanese, and Iraqis that I generally like. Paleos come off as expecting people to understand why the world owes them everything and we should understand why they have to kill all the Jews. Ans before you ask yes they have the same twisted attitude even if they were born and raised in the U.S.
#11
I spent a lot of time working in Sweden with the Royal Swedish Air Force, FMV, and FFV in the late 70's and visited there again in the 80's. This is so out of keeping with the Swedes and Sweden I know that it is almost unbelievable. The real Swedes in the clinic must have been near death from embarassment. It bothers me that vermin like this can take advantage of Scandanavian generosity to spread his filth beyond the borders of his own land.
After numerous refusals over three and a half years, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has released the first known public copy of the U.S.-Mexico Social Security Totalization Agreement. The government was forced to make the disclosure in response to lawsuits filed under the Freedom of Information Act by TREA Senior Citizens League, a 1.2 million-member nonpartisan seniors advocacy group.
The Totalization Agreement could allow millions of illegal Mexican workers to draw billions of dollars from the U.S. Social Security Trust Fund.
The agreement between the U.S. and Mexico was signed in June 2004, and is awaiting President Bush's signature. Once President Bush approves the agreement, which would be done without Congressional vote, either House of Congress would have 60 days to disapprove the agreement by voting to reject it.
"The Social Security Administration itself warns that Social Security is within decades of bankruptcy -- yet, they seem to have no problem making agreements that hasten its demise," said Ralph McCutchen, Chairman of the TREA Senior Citizens League.
The U.S. currently has 21 similar agreements in effect with other nations, which are intended to eliminate dual taxation for persons who work outside their country of origin. All of the agreements are with developed nations with economies similar to that of the U.S.
For example, a worker who turns 62 after 1990 generally needs 40 calendar quarters of coverage to receive retirement benefits. Under totalization agreements, workers are allowed to combine earnings from both countries in order to qualify for benefits. The Agreement with Mexico, like other totalization agreements, would allow workers to qualify with just six quarters, or 18 months, of U.S. coverage.
But Mexico's retirement system is radically different than that of other participating countries. For example, only 40 percent of non-government workers participate in Mexico's system, whereas 96 percent of America's non- government workers do. In addition, the U.S. system is progressive, meaning lower wage earners get back much more than they put in; in Mexico, workers get back only what they put in, plus accrued interest.
"I applaud the persistent efforts of TREA Senior Citizens League to try to get documents from the U.S. Government about the U.S.-Mexico Social Security Totalization Agreement," said Rep. Walter Jones (news, bio, voting record) (R-N.C.). "The American people are finally beginning to get some of the information regarding this Agreement that they have been seeking for so long."
According to the SSA, the Social Security Trust Fund will begin paying out more than it is taking in by 2017, and will be exhausted by the year 2040.
#1
Article: The Agreement with Mexico, like other totalization agreements, would allow workers to qualify with just six quarters, or 18 months, of U.S. coverage.
If they paid in, they should get bennies. But after 18 months of contributions? How do Americans get in on this deal?
#2
Scuse me ? If you are an illegal immigrant working and paying into SS, then you are a criminal, and should be deported. The only thing you get to bring back with you are the hairs on your ass.
Another thing; who made this secret agreement ? The SS administration ? What the hell is going on here ?
If some bureaucrat made this agreement, then I want his lifeless limp body hanging from his jail bars.
The reason this democracy works so well is that laws are debated and voted on before being dumped on the masses. We can watch this on CSPAN and CSPAN2. We must put an end to legislation which is added to bills without open debate.
Time to write your representatives again.
#3
under whose name and SSN did the illegals pay in? This sounds like another loan to Mexico via the citizens to try and keep that kleptocracy afloat...talk about pissing me off
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/01/2007 14:30 Comments ||
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This is abso-fucking-lutely wrong!
Streamline USCIS procedures for legal immigration so it is not such a costly bureaucratic nightmare for many applicants.
#5
wxjames: Scuse me ? If you are an illegal immigrant working and paying into SS, then you are a criminal, and should be deported. The only thing you get to bring back with you are the hairs on your ass.
I understand and sympathize with your point of view. If I had my druthers, we'd confiscate everything they own, give each of them twenty lashes with a sturdy rattan cane and imprison them for three years apiece before deporting them. Like Singapore.
But our current policy is to not confiscate their assets. I would consider what they've paid into Social Security their assets. If we're going to take that money, we should take everything they own as well. And I don't have a problem with that.
#7
DFMD: In 2040 when you're retired and eating tins of cat food - at least you'll know where the Soc. Sec. money went.
If you're relying on Social Security to furnish your retirement income... Let's just say that that you're better off spending 10% of your paycheck on Lotto tickets. Nobody wants to hear it, but saving for a rainy day is always the best policy. And retirement means decades of rainy days, given today's life expectancies. Start saving today, because the government will inevitably have to renege, either by dropping benefits or raising the eligibility age.
#9
Zheng Fei - or the government can tax the hell out of our kids and place a hefty tax on the assets of anyone who had the foresight to save for retirement.
#10
DFMD: Zheng Fei - or the government can tax the hell out of our kids and place a hefty tax on the assets of anyone who had the foresight to save for retirement.
I would bet on reneging - even the Euros are cutting benefits. And Euro politicians are pretty insulated from taxpayer displeasure. Plus - even if they place a 50% tax on your retirement assets, you still have 50% left.* 50% of nothing is nothing. Like I said, nobody wants to hear it, but the only prudent thing to do is to accumulate savings *today* for your retirement - they're the equivalent of rainy decades.
* To date, I've only ever heard of taxes on gains, not on the assets themselves. Unless you're dealing with a tax-deferred IRA account. But that's a different story. You gotta pay taxes sometime.
#14
I can see the Feds taxing your retirement income easily. They already tax the regular [earned] income of the productive segment of society to give [unearned] to the unproductive segment (welfare). Its a simple step to taxing the [earned] retirement savings of those who saved for their retirement to give to those who didn't save for theirs.
After all people shouldn't be denied the 'good live' during their retirement simply because they chose (of their own free will) to spend their income rather then save it.
#15
CF, Social Security retirement benefits are already taxed as income by the FEDS.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
01/01/2007 18:32 Comments ||
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CF: I can see the Feds taxing your retirement income easily. They already tax the regular [earned] income of the productive segment of society to give [unearned] to the unproductive segment (welfare). Its a simple step to taxing the [earned] retirement savings of those who saved for their retirement to give to those who didn't save for theirs.
Income and savings are two different things. There are no taxes on savings today, only income from savings. Say you have $1000 in a savings account. The government doesn't tax you on the $1000 principal - it taxes you on the interest income generated from the $1000. Could the government start taxing savings? Sure. But let's look at this rationally. Which demographic group is most inclined to vote, and which demographic group has the most savings? It's not young people. Wherever Social Security funding is coming from, it's not coming from a tax on savings.
#17
The capital markets can deal with capital gains taxes and dividends taxes. What it cannot deal with is a tax on principal. The Thai stock market went down 20% in a single day because the central bank decided to try out an indirect tax on the principal itself. I can't see federal policymakers doing anything so self-defeating economically, not to mention fatal to their political ambitions.
#20
I see your point ZF. But I think you are asking the wrong question. We should be asking which is the larger demographic group - those who saved for retirement or those who didn't. Its not old vs young but those who planned ahead and saved enough vs those who didn't save enough or depend entirely on SS. I'm not sure which is the larger demographic group.
Most of the retirement funds these days are done 'pre-tax' in that it is not taxed when it is earned and placed in the fund but when it is withdrawn - this is usually when you are retired and have a smaller income (and lower tax rate). I'll eventually have to pay taxes on that $100 I placed in my 401K last month but it will be at a lower tax rate - since I will (presumably) have a lower income.
Florida taxes principal? I've looked it up and don't see it. Besides, retirees wouldn't flock there if it did. In fact, I don't see that Florida taxes either capital gains or dividends.
#22
Here ya go, ZF. Apparently it's been repealed, but Florida did assess a tax based on the value of assets like stocks, bonds, etc. I first ran across this when we applied for a mortgage. We had to pay a one-time tax based on the value of the loan.
BTW, the retirees come here for two real reasons, neither one of them the lack of a state tax. Sunshine and early bird specials! ;)
Islamabad, Jan. 1 (PTI): A former Central Intelligence Agency official has alleged the United States seldom had an ally like Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, who has been more than willing to further its interests.
The former head of the CIA unit for tracking Osama bin Laden, Michael Scheuer, said the steps taken by Musharraf to help the US in Afghanistan were not in "Pakistan's interests".
"The truth is that virtually none of the many things Musharraf has done to assist the US in Afghanistan has been in Pakistan's national interest. By sending the Pakistani Army into the Pashtun regions he brought his country to the brink of civil war," he told the Daily Times.
He said it was wrong for the US to assume that Musharraf's Pakistan was an "American proxy" with national-security interests mirroring those it had.
In future, when America's "defeat" in Afghanistan will be apparent, and if he survived, Musharraf will reflect on his relationship with President Bush and say - as President Lincoln said about Union General McClellan - "Poor George, I did all I could to help him, but he proved unable to do anything to help himself," the former CIA official said.
He claimed that US and NATO forces in Afghanistan would ultimately face defeat and the Karzai government would fall.
"By failing to accomplish the only mission that had to be accomplished in Afghanistan, the US is now faced with a growing insurgency that probably already outnumbered the combined US-NATO force," Scheuer said.
Posted by: john ||
01/01/2007 09:09 ||
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#1
Even if I believe this about Perv, it does not follow that Pakiland itself is an ally.
#2
CIA? What have they gotten right? If they told me it was gonna be sunny out today, I'd take an umbrella.
Posted by: Mark E. ||
01/01/2007 11:12 Comments ||
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#3
JHC, the Pervert is no friend of US. Just a typical two-faced muzzie. The CIA is a running joke. FU VietNam ,Cuba and now Iraq. Disband these bunch of jokers.
#4
I can think of quite a number of people that are better allies for the US than Musharrif: Stephen Harper of Canada, John Howard of Australia, Tony Blair of Great Britain, and President Abe (and his replacement) of Japan. Even the government of India is a better ally than the government of Pakistan. Scheuer is a self-agrandizing fool that has about as much credibility in foreign affairs as Lucy van Pelt.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
01/01/2007 15:30 Comments ||
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#5
OP: Scheuer is a self-agrandizing fool that has about as much credibility in foreign affairs as Lucy van Pelt.
Please don't knock Lucy. What she made crystal was that every time it looks like you have a clear shot, someone will take the ball away. In contrast, all Scheuer has to offer is a bunch of meandering, incoherent observations of zero predictive value.
It is not an international crime to engage in nuclear weapon proliferation and there is no binding international requirement to notify the International Atomic Energy Agency of all transfers of equipment vital to producing fissile materials and nuclear weapons, according to one of Americas leading nuclear experts. George Perkovich, director of the non-proliferation programme at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, writes that Dr Abdul Qadeer Khans operations were detected well before news of them broke in 2002. And most of the networks key technology suppliers and middlemen were Europeans whose activities were well known to their governments. More than technological determinism, the problem was political-legal laxity, he points out in a short study titles Democratic bomb: failed strategy.
Perkovich writes, Since the mid-1960s, the United States has not sought to pressure or cajole Israel to give up its nuclear weapon capabilities. Israels discretion is not demonstrating that it has nuclear weapons has facilitated Washingtons tacit support; the fact that it is a democratic friend makes it worthy of a double standard. The Bush administration extends the logic of US treatment of Israel into a strategic principle. India is the first explicit application of the strategy.
He points out that the Indo-US nuclear cooperation treaty abandoned a long-standing international approach to non-proliferation that prohibited nuclear cooperation with any states that do not apply international safeguards on all of their nuclear facilities. He quotes US under secretary of state Nicholas Burns, who said, If people are bothered by double standards in the world, they happen all the time. We treat law-abiding democratic countries that are friends of ours differently than law-breaking authoritarian governments.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2007 00:22 ||
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#1
Khan network broke no international law
That's because there ain't no such thing.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
01/01/2007 0:27 Comments ||
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Sure there is International Law, Ms Skolaut.
Several, in fact.
1. Thou shall not harm Muslim interests, nor question any particulars of Islam.
2. Israel breaks the International Law by existing.
3. Dictatorships are morally superior.
#5
That's because nobody thought anybody would be stupid enough to do something like that.
Sort of like the same reason the UN and the US congress are in such a sorry state. Nobody made any rules against filibusters or earmarks or pork barrel legislation or other acts of stupidity because the founders figured it couldn't ever degrade that far. Oh well.
#6
India is a democracy. Pakistan is a military dictatorship. To the Left it is nothing new to oppose any representative government and offer groveling worship of any dictator. Though Lenin himself would have balked at supporting the Dark Ages barbarians who now have the power to level cities at a stroke.
The intelligence agencies have unearthed a plan of the banned militant organisation Lashker-e-Jhangvi (LJ) to target prominent Shia leaders and scholars and carry out suicide attacks on Shia worship places in various parts of the country, Daily Times has learnt. In a report to the Interior Ministry, the intelligence agencies have said that the LJ has reactivated its activists for attacks on Shias and their mosques and imambargahs. They have also mentioned in the report that LJs underground militants will accelerate their activities as the holy month of Muharram nears, sources said.
The report says that LJ activists could target Shia leaders and scholars in various parts of the country. Among the Shia worship places, Jamia Al-Muntazir in Lahore, Qasr-e-Zenab in Bhakkar, Qasr-ul-Qaim in Sargodha and Imambargah Kharadar and Jamia Islami in Karachi could be attacked. In the backdrop of the intelligence report, the Interior Ministry has directed security agencies all over the country to take strict security measures at Shia worship places to counter possible LJ attacks.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2007 00:13 ||
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Red on red. I guess islam just can't help itself. They're not alone, but at least the Christians had the Reformation. Here's a comment from a friend of mine in a recent email:
"I have a friend who said he couldn't understand how 2 groups of people could have such a battle going on when they have, essentially, the same
religion. I reminded him that the Thirty Years War was fought in Germany from 1618 to 1648 between 2 groups of Christians - the Catholics and the Lutherans - whose only major difference in doctrine is that one says church leaders should be celibate and the other says they may marry. THAT was a nasty war. Germany started the war with a population of 18 million and ended the war with a
population of 6 million."
Christianity learned to live with various sects, factions, and denominations. Islam has refused to even CONSIDER there may be more than one way to Allan. Until they do, they're a danger to themselves and everyone around them. If they never learn, the only choice will be to so thoroughly ridicule their "religion" no-one would take it serious, or eliminate it.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
01/01/2007 15:36 Comments ||
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The Iraqi government ordered the closure of independent television channel Sharkiya on Monday for reporting false news and inciting sectarianism, the Interior Ministry said.
Sharkiya is owned by a London-based Iraqi businessman and says it takes an independent editorial line, although many viewers see it as leaning towards a minority Sunni Arab viewpoint.
Interior Ministry spokesman Brigadier General Abdul Karim Khalaf said the government had ordered the channel to close indefinitely. "We warned them many times not to broadcast any false news which would increase the tension in Iraq," Khalaf told Reuters, declining to specify which reports were false.
The closure took place two days after the execution of former President Saddam Hussein, which angered many of his fellow Sunni Arabs. Asked if the move was prompted by Sharkiya's coverage of the execution, Khalaf said: "In the last three days if you watch their channel you can see they are leading people to violence and increasing sectarian tension," he said.
Posted by: ed ||
01/01/2007 20:47 ||
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THE hunt for Saddam's missing billions was stepped up yesterday amid speculation he amassed a $57 billion fortune during his 30-year reign. Much is said to be invested through dummy corporations in Switzerland, Japan and Germany and some is hidden as cash and diamonds in numbered bank accounts in Europe and the Middle East. But Iraqi and US investigators, led by the FBI, US Treasury agents and State Department accountants, have been unable to identify the fake companies or the numbered accounts.
After a brief period of co-operation when he was first captured, the dictator refused to help further. In a report submitted to the CIA in 2005, former UN arms inspector Charles Duelfer estimated that Saddam had amassed more than $15 billion "through illicit means" between 1990, when UN sanctions were imposed, and 2003.
But Iyad Allawi, who was interim prime minister of Iraq in the aftermath of the allied invasion, said the figure was far higher. He said information suggested Saddam had salted away an astonishing $57 billion through a network of bank accounts around the world.
$5.5 billion came from an illegal oil-for-trade deal he signed with Syria between 2000 and 2003.
Investigators also want to interview two of Saddam's three daughters, Raghad, 39, and Rana, 37, who both live in Jordan. Raghad, known as "Little Saddam" because she shares her father's temper, has been accused by the new Iraqi Government of using some of the cash to help finance the terrorist insurgency.
Investigators also want to interview at least two of Saddam's three wives. One is Samira Shahbandar, who was rumoured to be his favourite wife. The other is Nidal al-Hamdani, the general manager of the Solar Energy Research Centre in the Council of Scientific Research, whose husband was also persuaded that divorce was better than death.
Posted by: K. Annan ||
01/01/2007 11:10 Comments ||
Top||
#2
GREETINGS. MY NAME IS RAGHAD HUSSEIN, DAUGHTER OF THE FORMER PRESIDENT OF IRAQ SADDAM HUSSEIN. BEFORE MY FATHER LEFT OFFICE, HE PLACED 57 BILLION DOLLARS IN AN OVERSEAS BANK ACCOUNT. I NEED YOUR ASSISTANT, KIND PERSON, TO TRANSFER THIS MONEY......
Posted by: Steve ||
01/01/2007 11:22 Comments ||
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#3
Sounds like some very dangerous cash to have access to.
(2006-12-30) Reporter Bob Woodward said today he would soon allow his Washington Post editors to publish a secret interview he did in 2005 with former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in which the dictator questioned U.S. President George Bushs rationale for invading Iraq.
Mr. Woodward, who recently permitted his employer to publish a similar covert interview with the late former President Gerald Ford, said Mr. Hussein agreed to the no-holds-barred chat on the condition that the transcript be embargoed until after he retired from public life, which he did earlier today.
I have always thought that President Bush did the right thing when he ordered the invasion, Mr. Hussein told the star reporter. However, I never understood why he made WMD such a big deal. Those canisters are so easy to hide and ship, and the lab just looks like any other lab after we scrub it.
Mr. Hussein said if he were a U.S. president he would not have wasted 12 years negotiating toothless resolutions in the United Nations Security Council, but would have extended the Iraq no-fly zone border to border, and also made it a no-drive, no-walk, no-breathe zone until the Baathist regime fell.
If Bushs father had tried to take Baghdad in 1991, we would have run like a herd of goats from a pack of wild dogs, he said. Id be living in peaceful seclusion in Geneva now, working on my memoirs with Judith Regan, and trading old war stories by email with the exiled former leaders of Saudi Arabia, Iran, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon and so on.
Mr. Woodward said he would not comment on rumors that he will soon publish interviews with singers James Brown and Lou Rawls, cartoonist Joseph Barbera, actors Don Knotts, Jack Palance, Glenn Ford, June Allyson, Dennis Weaver, Shelley Winters and Jane Wyatt, as well as Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin and sportscaster Curt Gowdy, all of whom died in 2006 and may have been secretly critical of Mr. Bushs rationale for invading Iraq.
Islamic groups held a large militant march down the main streets of Nazareth this weekend, highlighting for some here the plight of Christians in this ancient city where Muslims have become a majority and members of the dwindling Christian population say they suffer regular intimidation.
Nazareth, considered one of the holiest cities for Christians, is described in the New Testament as the childhood home of Jesus. It contains multiple important shrines and churches, including the famous Church of the Basilica of the Annunciation, the site at which many Christians believe the Virgin Mary was visited by the Archangel Gabriel and told that she had been selected as the mother of Jesus.
The Islamic Movement, the main Muslim political party in Nazareth, said it organized yesterday's march to celebrate Eid ul-Adha, or the Feast of the Sacrifice, which commemorates the Muslim belief Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son Ishmael for Allah. Christian and Jewish faith dictates it was Isaac, not Ishmael, whom Abraham almost sacrificed.
Continued on Page 49
#1
"The Islamic Movement's Zohbi told WND he is "optimistic" the mosque will eventually be built. "It's just a matter of time before we (the Islamic parties) dominate the city council and then the situation will be different," he said."
Zobhi might temper his "optimism" by considering that others are optimistic that the Third Temple will be built on the site currently occupied by a few Islamic relics.
"Islam shall rule all"!?!
I think they are about to be evicted from the Big Brother house.
#3
so, what is the policy of the israeli gov. Let Bethlehem and Nazareth be dominated by Muslims?
Very Strange............
Posted by: very ||
01/01/2007 14:11 Comments ||
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#4
The Palestinian Territories have complete self-government, very. It's not for Israel to impose her own morality, nor is there any reason to interpose on behalf of the Christian Palestinians , who've made it very clear they agree with their Muslim compatriots how they feel about Israel and Joooos.
#5
"Very strange" > prob for the same reasons on how a LIMITED ATTACK/WAR can suddenly devolve into a full-scale ATTACK/WAR OF [TOTAL]ANNIHILATION, when wanting to only = merely hurt or embarrass the USA-West becomes more than that when opportunity arises.
The fighting between Hamas and Fatah militants hasn't played out just in the streets of the Gaza Strip. The rivals also pummeled each other over the airwaves with such epithets as "mercenary death squads," "child killers" and "Zionists." The rhetoric, coupled with the stations' power to quickly rally their armed supporters in the streets, has led to fears that the broadcasters could fan the flames into full-blown civil war. "If we wanted, we could burn down Gaza," said a smiling Ibrahim Daher, director of Aqsa Radio, the Gaza voice of Islamic Hamas.
Fatah has been locked in a power struggle with Hamas since losing legislative elections in January, which handed Hamas control of most of the Palestinian government. The tensions have routinely erupted into fighting, most recently after a drive-by shooting Dec. 11 which killed the children of a senior security official loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah. That round of fighting killed 17 people. For the next two weeks, Hamas' Aqsa Radio and Fatah's Radio Shabab enthralled listeners as they reported fierce clashes and angry marches, and gave air time for callers and leaders to abuse their opponents.
On Radio Shabab, callers described Hamas gunmen as "child killers" - a reference to the drive-by shooting - or as "the mullahs" - a jab at Hamas' close ties to Shiite Iran. Hamas' Aqsa Radio rarely reported Hamas gunmen's deadly assaults on Fatah targets. The broadcasts regularly labeled opponents as "mercenary death squads" and "coup plotters." One senior Hamas official called his rivals "Zionists" - tantamount to a death sentence in Gaza's militantly anti-Israel society. In another report, an Aqsa correspondent reported - falsely - that Fatah gunmen were firing at their own supporters in the southern town of Khan Younis.
"Radios play at incitement," said Daher. "There's no neutral radio in Gaza, it's all factional." Even so, Daher and all the other stations said they tried not to incite people against each other.
Ibrahim Abu Naja, head of a mediation committee that got Hamas and Fatah to halt fighting, saw things differently. "We are aware of how major a role radio plays in creating tensions and provoking fighting," he said. Abu Naja said he repeatedly demanded that radio stations tone down their rhetoric.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
'The rivals also pummeled each other over the airwaves with such epithets as "mercenary death squads," "child killers" and "Zionists."'
What, no "cursed infidels"? Apart from "Zionists",
the other "epithets" are close to the mark.
#5
"If we wanted, we could burn down Gaza," said a smiling Ibrahim Daher, director of Aqsa Radio, the Gaza voice of Islamic Hamas.
You must be very proud. But tell me, could you, if you wanted, build Gaza into a decent place to live, the sort of place that might have something to contribute to the civilized world? Has it occurred to you that although an auto wreck can destroy a car, it takes a lot more ingenuity and cooperation to design and build one? It's also more interesting and useful than blowing it up. Is it your goal to someday be able to burn down all of Palestine from the river to the sea? Dare to dream.
Posted by: Baba Tutu ||
01/01/2007 4:31 Comments ||
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A Hamas spokesman has claimed progress is being made in a deal to free a captured Israeli soldier in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. On Sunday, Abu Obedia, a Hamas spokesman, was reported to have said on Israeli public radio that there had been "a breakthrough".
Both sides, however, are clear that nothing has been finalised. Obedia said: "There is an important breakthrough in contacts for the release of the captured soldier Gilad Shalit. If these contacts continue in the current direction, the exchange of prisoners could happen very soon."
But Saeb Erekat, the Palestinian chief negotiator, has said talk of a deal is premature and Miri Eisin, the Israeli spokeswoman, declined to comment, saying: "We never give out information on this sensitive issue". Erakat said: "According to my information, it's too early to talk about a deal at the moment."
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
He's long dead, move along.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
01/01/2007 12:54 Comments ||
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#2
He wasn't 'captured' he was kidnapped.
I do hope he's alive. But think he may be dead already and the Palieo's are just trying to get free prisoners released. Why not if Olmert is stupid enough to fall for it.
Local people stood by and did nothing as two teachers were shot and burned by suspected militants in Yala
The wife of a teacher who was shot dead and set on fire by suspected militants has accused local villagers of doing nothing while her husband and his colleague were set ablaze.
On Friday, suspected militants shot dead Chamnong Chupatpong, the director of the Ban Bado elementary school, and a teacher, Manoe Sonkaew, and set their bodies on fire on a road just 100 metres away from the village school at which they worked in Yala's Tambon Yupo.
Kawin Chupatpong said the attack on her husband and his colleague had taken place in front of the villagers, who remained inside their homes instead of coming out to help the two victims.
"My husband has been helping them and educating their children for the past decade, and the differences in our religious beliefs was never an obstacle. But this shows that our good deeds were not reciprocated," Kawin said.
"My father and his school helped raised money for the construction of the local mosque, so the children could have a place to pray. He even used his own money," said the couple's daughter Monthida, a senior at Kasetsart University.
Police Maj-General Phaitoon Choochaiya, commander of the Yala Provincial Police, told reporters yesterday that the absence of eyewitnesses has made his work much more difficult.
He said the brutal attack had sent a chilling message to the entire community, and hence the refusal of the villagers to come forward with information.
Yala deputy governor Nathaphon Wicheanpert said the level of brutality was part of a strategy by the militants to test their recruits to see how far they were willing to go.
More than 1,900 people, mostly Muslims of Malay ethnicity, have been killed in the deep South since January 2004.
Authorities said a new generation of militants have effectively shattered the fabric of the local community by singling out monks and teachers, along with security officials and their informants.
Somart Suwanthawi, deputy director of Education District One in Yala, described the incident as "unthinkable".
"We have to accept the fact that the villagers are very scared. This has forced them to stay away from these kinds of incidents," Somart said.
Colonel Shinawatra Mandej, commander of Yala's Task Force 1, said security units were looking to come up with a new strategy to better protect teachers.
Chamnong and Manoe were armed with handguns but apparently were no match for the militants.
Fearing attacks by Global Jihad and Hizbullah, the UNIFIL has raised the level of alert around its bases in southern Lebanon, a high-ranking officer in the multinational force told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday. According to the officer, threat-warnings recently relayed by the IDF regarding potential threats were "taken seriously" and were being handled with extreme caution. The officer refused to say what changes had been made to security procedures in UNIFIL bases, except that "necessary measures" were taken. "This threat is serious," the high-ranking officer said, "and we are taking the necessary precautions."
Two weeks ago, Brig.-Gen. Yossi Baidatz, head of Military Intelligence's Research Division, told the cabinet that there were increasing signs that Global Jihad elements were establishing a presence in Lebanon and planning attacks against UNIFIL. The high-ranking UNIFIL officer said the Global Jihad terror cells posed a direct threat to the multinational force in southern Lebanon, particularly to its French, Italian and Spanish soldiers.
UNIFIL issued a year-end press release over the weekend saying it now had more than 11,000 peacekeepers in its area of operations, Lebanon south of the Litani River. The latest addition to UNIFIL came with the recent arrival of troops from Qatar, marking the first time that the country has contributed to a UN peacekeeping mission. UNIFIL currently has 11,083 personnel from 26 countries, including 9,167 ground troops and 1,777 naval personnel.
UNIFIL said its troops destroyed 1,019 explosive devices over the past week, including rockets, grenades, cluster bombs and antitank and antipersonnel mines. Since the cease-fire went into effect on August 14, UNIFIL sappers have destroyed 16,819 explosive devices, remnants of the monthlong war between Israel and Hizbullah. On Friday, two Belgian UNIFIL soldiers were lightly wounded when they stepped on a cluster bomb during a mine-clearing operation in southern Lebanon.
According to a high-ranking source in the IDF Northern Command, UNIFIL has been doing an exemplary job in preventing Hizbullah from reestablishing outposts along the border or bearing arms in public in southern Lebanon. Its Spanish, French and Italian soldiers, he said, were particularly effective in locating and destroying Hizbullah weapon caches.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/01/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
"Fearing attacks by Global Jihad and Hizbullah, the UNIFIL has raised the level of alert around its bases in southern Lebanon"
Looking for sympathy, unifilidiots?
Check the dictionary - you'll find it right between sweat and syphalis.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
01/01/2007 0:17 Comments ||
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#2
Perhaps they can call in air support from the IAF.
AL-QAEDA'S deputy leader said yesterday that any Muslim woman who wears the veil in Western countries is a supporter in what he described as a fight between Islam and "Zionist Crusaders".
Ayman al-Zawahri issued what amounted to an al-Qaeda New Year message to the world in an audio tape posted on the internet , calling on militant groups in Iraq to unite and urging Palestinians not to co-operate with the Palestinian Authority.
The authenticity of the tape could not be verified, but it was posted on websites used by al-Qaeda and other insurgent groups in Iraq and the voice of speaker sounded like Zawahri's. The statement - said to have been issued by al-Qaeda's "media arm" al-Sahab - praised Muslim women who insist on wearing the Islamic veil despite pressures not to in some Western lands.
He described anyone doing that as "a soldier in the battle of Islam against the Zionist- Crusader attack".
Al-Zawahri also said Palestinians should stop co-operating with their democratically elected government.
He declared: "O mujahideen brothers in Palestine ... the traitor secularists cannot be your brothers, do not give them legitimacy or take part in their assemblies, which are opposed to Islamic principles.
"How can [Palestinian President] Mahmoud Abbas... or [his aide] Mohammed Dahlan be our brothers when they have grown fat on the Jews' bribes and the Americans' gifts."
On Iraq, he added: "I send congratulations to the leader of the Islamic State in Iraq, the mujahid sheikh Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, and all the brave jihadi groups... invite them to unite."
Baghdadi heads the so-called Islamic state announced by al-Qaeda and other Sunni militant groups in Iraq in October.
Al-Zawahri has often criticised Hamas for taking part in elections, saying this would lead to the recognition of Israel. Palestinian officials rejected his most recent comments as "interference... a gift to the Zionist occupation...We call on Zawahri not to intervene in Palestinian internal affairs," said Abu Qusai, spokesman of al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, part of Mr Abbas's Fatah movement.
Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said: "We think differently from Zawahri. We adopt the moderate Islamic attitude." Fawzi, you crack me up!
Sounds like Persian gold, goons, and hardware trumps Sunni fanatacism.
Like dude we only kill Jooos, bomb US Embassies, and barraks where US soldiers sleep. There is no way Hammas is gonna fight toe to toe with any Western nation! We enjoy playing the victim card in the Joo hating muzzie loving press!
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
01/01/2007 11:34 Comments ||
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#2
He's absolutely candid in that statement. Algerian refugees from the 90's civil war noted that the multiplication of muslim headgear was a telling sign of the rapid islamization of society; it was the case for lebanon, it was the case for algeria, and it is happening all over Western Europe right now, following the "plan" of the muslim takeover as explained as candidly as zawahri here to a french writer by an algerian islamist.
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.
(SomaliNet) We did not lose the war neither did we lay down arms. America was defeated in Somalia let alone poor Ethiopians. We never asked international jihadist brothers to come to our aid before, now we ask everybody who wants to die in a wholly war to come to us. These and more came from defiant top Islamist, Mr. Ahmed Mohamed Islam who controls the only remaining Islamist stronghold, Kismayo city. 
North Korea issued a New Year's message on Monday calling for great efforts for strengthening defense capabilities as it celebrates its possession of nuclear weapons. North Korea's "nuclear deterrent serves as a powerful force for defending peace and security in Northeast Asia and guaranteeing the victorious advance of the cause of independence," said a joint editorial carried by North Korea's Rodong Sinmun and two other major state-run newspapers. 
An American woman has been refused treatment by a doctor in Blekinge in southern Sweden because of her nationality. The woman's husband has now reported the incident to the Medical Responsibility Board.
It is not an international crime to engage in nuclear weapon proliferation and there is no binding international requirement to notify the International Atomic Energy Agency of all transfers of equipment vital to producing fissile materials and nuclear weapons, according to one of Americas leading nuclear experts. George Perkovich, director of the non-proliferation programme at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, writes that Dr Abdul Qadeer Khans operations were detected well before news of them broke in 2002. And most of the networks key technology suppliers and middlemen were Europeans whose activities were well known to their governments. More than technological determinism, the problem was political-legal laxity, he points out in a short study titles Democratic bomb: failed strategy.
THE hunt for Saddam's missing billions was stepped up yesterday amid speculation he amassed a $57 billion fortune during his 30-year reign. Much is said to be invested through dummy corporations in Switzerland, Japan and Germany and some is hidden as cash and diamonds in numbered bank accounts in Europe and the Middle East. But Iraqi and US investigators, led by the FBI, US Treasury agents and State Department accountants, have been unable to identify the fake companies or the numbered accounts.
The fighting between Hamas and Fatah militants hasn't played out just in the streets of the Gaza Strip. The rivals also pummeled each other over the airwaves with such epithets as "mercenary death squads," "child killers" and "Zionists." The rhetoric, coupled with the stations' power to quickly rally their armed supporters in the streets, has led to fears that the broadcasters could fan the flames into full-blown civil war. "If we wanted, we could burn down Gaza," said a smiling Ibrahim Daher, director of Aqsa Radio, the Gaza voice of Islamic Hamas. 
A Hamas spokesman has claimed progress is being made in a deal to free a captured Israeli soldier in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. On Sunday, Abu Obedia, a Hamas spokesman, was reported to have said on Israeli public radio that there had been "a breakthrough". 
AL-QAEDA'S deputy leader said yesterday that any Muslim woman who wears the veil in Western countries is a supporter in what he described as a fight between Islam and "Zionist Crusaders".
