Six Bangladeshi peacekeepers under United Nations command were demoted, dismissed or reprimanded for their roles in a sex-abuse case while on assignment in the Sudan, but U.N. officials are powerless to bring charges or prosecute the soldiers for their alleged crime.
Nonetheless, Jane Holl Lute, assistant secretary-general for peacekeeping operations, thinks the punishment is enough.
"I think it sent a very clear message," Lute told reporters Friday...
#6
I guess I have a different take on this. The UN deserves criticism for not vetting these peace keepers in the first place as well as allowing for the culture of carnality to continue. But punishment for the offenders has to come from the country of origin. Otherwise serious participation in multinational forces would most likely cease to exist. Blame Bang for the light punishment not the UN.
#8
You can't expect muzzies to respect anyone but other muzzies, and only when they're the "right" sort. I'm not surprised that there's a problem with UN "peacekeeping" forces. There's always a problem when you have a bunch of arrogant young men with power but no adult supervision. Since the UN is determined to be unaccountable for anything they do, such problems will only grow in frequency and extent.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
01/09/2007 14:56 Comments ||
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#9
Exactly, U.N. officials are powerless
Because it's deliberate.
There are very few nations willing to subordinate their troops to total UN authority.
Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf said on Monday there would be no negotiations with Islamists who ruled the capital Mogadishu and large parts of southern Somalia before they were ousted late last month.
With regard to holding talks with the courts (Islamists), this will not happen, he told Al Jazeera television in an interview before he flew to the Somali capital for the first time since he became president in 2004. Yusufs entry into Mogadishu on Monday capped a remarkable turn-around in the capital after Islamists were routed by advancing Ethiopian and government troops on Dec. 28. Some Islamists have vowed to fight on. But others meeting in Yemen have offered the prospect of talks to ease the countrys latest crisis and Washingtons top envoy to Africa has promoted dialogue as a way to secure a lasting peace. But Yusuf seemed to rule out this possibility. Ay-yup. "With regard to holding talks with the courts, this will not happen" would seem to rule out the possibility. (Where do they get these people?)
I thought the Aethiops eased the latest crisis rather well ...
Posted by: Fred ||
01/09/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Nice to see that common sense is not totally extinct.
#2
With regard to holding talks with the courts (Islamists), this will not happen"
Brings up an interesting question: If the government won't talk with them, what will they do with them? All I can think of is 1) Leave 'em alone (not likely) or 2) Kill them all.
#1
Worthy American citizens... I am not appealing to the murderers, thieves, invaders, occupiers, liars, and racists among you, or to those who have undertaken to serve as agents of Israel.
Hmmmmmmm... if you go by what these people think of us, who's left?
#3
Rather than execute Bush, I suggest we execute the person that had final approval of giving the Egyptians $2B each year in excahnge for not attacking the Jews.
Remind me again, which president was that?
Posted by: Mark Z ||
01/09/2007 13:00 Comments ||
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#4
By a strange coincidence, I think the owners and staff of Roz Al-Mordor should be executed.
#5
We should drop the hint that the Israelis have placed a nuclear device in the Aswan Dam during construction, and will set it off if Egypt doesn't clean up the mess in Gaza. Let this worm and his co-conspirators continue to live in their fantasy world where they think someone actually listens to them.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
01/09/2007 15:01 Comments ||
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#6
Great comments!
I've actually begun to wonder if that Egyptian aid package could finally be vulnerable. It's always been tied to Israel's share on the Hill. A lone adult super-power has to swallow fairly hard about 10 times a day, but boy wouldn't it feel sweet to b***h-slap Cairo good and hard.
In a Sept. 11, 2006, video, Ayman al-Zawahiri declared that "Osama bin Laden has told me to announce to the Muslims that the GSPC (the Algerian-based Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat) has joined al-Qaida. This should be a source of chagrin, frustration and sadness for the apostates (of the Algerian regime), the treacherous sons of France."
Treacherous sons of France? Think Jacques and Dominique are paying attention?
There is some question as to whether this pronouncement represents a strategic gain for al-Qaida in North Africa or is indicative of the declining fortunes of the GSPC. Nevertheless, it helped to reinforce concern in some quarters, most notably in Washington but also in European capitals, the U.N. and the African Union, that terrorists might gain a firmer foothold in the more remote, largely ungoverned areas of the Sahel, a region composed of four countries, Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Chad that covers an area roughly the size of the United States.
Islamic fundamentalism has been part of the Sahelian political and social landscape for well nigh 60 years now. Its proselytizers, adherents and fighters have moved easily across the porous borders of this vast, sparsely populated desert region. Jihadi elements are a small but not insignificant presence in the Sahel, plying their trade in fundamentalist ideology and holy war alongside (and often in close collaboration with) smugglers, drug dealers and kidnappers.
#4
And just how did Al-Zipperlip get the mesage; did Osama been Decayin communicate via a oiuja board?
Why not have motormouth communicate with all us infidels directly instead of going though his towel-boy????
#5
The US has had special operations units working in the Sahel for most of the past five years, with some very good results. Mali, in particular, has seen a vast improvement in the armament, training, and logistics of its small army. We've also dug several hundred wells, done thousands of medical missions, and helped build at least a dozen major roads. There's a group here in the Springs that's working in the area planting trees and other vegetation that will help stop the desertification of the area AND provide a cash crop. No "evangilizing", just improving the lives of the locals and providing some stability. It works.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
01/09/2007 15:08 Comments ||
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The secretive leader of a Nigerian terror group is threatening "a more ruthless" set of attacks on U.S. and European oil facilities, including burning workers alive on offshore oil rigs. Nigeria is the fifth largest supplier of oil to the Untied States, and security experts fear new attacks, in combination with parallel attacks in the Mideast, could lead to oil at $120 a barrel and U.S. gasoline prices of $5 to $6 a gallon. "Every little spike in Nigeria causes us serious problems when it comes to global oil prices," said Ann Korin of the Institute for Analysis of Global Security.
In a series of e-mail exchanges with ABCNews.com, the self-proclaimed leader of a group called MEND, or Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, said previous attacks and kidnappings that had avoided loss of life do not seem to be working. "We have the capacity to be as ruthless and as callous as attacks witnessed in Iraq," said the writer who goes by the name of Jomo. In previous e-mail messages, Jomo had correctly predicted a series of car bombs in the oil-producing region. Jomo also produced photographs of four foreign oil workers he said MEND had kidnapped and continued to hold. He said the four, who worked for the AGIP company, were well but "are presently being watched by guards under instruction to shoot them if any attempt is made to release them without proper authorization."
Jomo said his group wants all oil companies to leave the Niger Delta now, blaming them and the Nigerian government for the impoverished conditions of the people who live in the region. "How can you explain a situation where we account for all nigerias [sic] wealth and we live without electricity in shacks made of cardboard and straw? How can you explain my people drinking from salty creeks in which they bath and defecate?" he wrote.
MEND and other militant groups in the area have launched an increasingly violent series of attacks against foreign oil facilities and workers. Nigerian officials acknowledge that hundreds of billions of dollars in oil revenues have been stolen or wasted by corrupt officials. In an interview to be aired tonight on ABC World News and Nightline, the head of the Nigerian anti-corruption agency, Nuhu Ribadu, says the violence "is a direct result of the corruption thing we are talking about."
Ribadu said one of the governors in the Niger Delta has stolen at least $300 million, and "we found he has properties in about eight countries in the world now," Ribadu said. The governor, who has denied the charges, is in custody, awaiting trial.
In response to ABC News' request for comment, AGIP released the following, "ENI [AGIP's parent company] is working with the Nigerian authorities and the [Italian Foreign Ministry's] crisis unit for a positive resolution to the deplorable affair of the kidnapping of its employees in Nigeria." AGIP also said, "ENI has had no direct contact with anyone except the Italian foreign ministry and the Nigerian authorities."
Posted by: Fred ||
01/09/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
"How can you explain my people drinking from salty creeks in which they bath and defecate?"
That is really hard to explain. Unless one considers sheer ignorance a stupidity.
WE ARE MEMBERS OF MEND, (THE MOVEMENT FOR THE EMANCIPATION OF THE NIGER DELTA). WITH OUR KIDNAPPINGS AND BOMBINGS, WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY ACCUMULATED THE SUM OF SIXTEEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS(US$16.5M).
WE BELIEVE YOU WOULD BE IN A POSITION TO HELP US IN TRANSFERRING THIS FUND (US$16.5M) INTO A SAFE ACCOUNT. PLEASE CONTACT US AS SOON AS POSSIBLE WITH YOUR ACCOUNT DETAILS.
JOMO
#4
bigjim: He very well may drive a Mercedes. He probably uses one of the Internet qiosks to avoid getting traced, though. The rest of his tribe probably live in those huts and gripe about what the upstream folks dump in the water.
Posted by: James ||
01/09/2007 14:13 Comments ||
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#5
It's not very bright to keep poking a sleeping bear with a sharp stick. That bear just might wake up and do some "wetwork" on a bunch of the pokers. I'd hate to see that happen, but it's better than playing "nice" with a bunch of idiots.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
01/09/2007 15:11 Comments ||
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#6
"I'd hate to see that happen"
Why, #5 OP?
Personally, I'd love to see it happen - the sooner the better. In many places, too.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
01/09/2007 16:23 Comments ||
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TOKYO (AP) - A U.S. nuclear submarine and Japanese merchant ship collided in the Arabian Sea late Monday, but there were no injuries on either vessel, the U.S. Navy and Japanese officials said.
There was no damage to the fast-attack USS Newport News or the ship that affected either vessel's ability to navigate, said a Navy official, who requested anonymity because the details of the incident had not yet been released. The official said the Navy was going to check for any other damage after daybreak Tuesday. The cause of the collision, which occurred late Monday night local time, is still under investigation, the Navy official said.
The Japanese government received word of a crash from the U.S. side but was still investigating details, said Naoki Kumagai, deputy director of the U.S. security division at Japan's Foreign Ministry.
Commander Kevin Aandahl of the U.S. 5th Fleet in Bahrain said he had no immediate details.
"I can confirm that an incident took place between one of our submarines and a merchant ship," he said.
Japanese oil company Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. said the ship involved is the tanker Mogamigawa operated by Kawasaki Kisen Ltd., Kyodo said. It was traveling from the Persian Gulf to Singapore and was carrying a crew of eight Japanese and 16 Filipinos.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/09/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
What is it with Japanese ships/boats and nuke subs, anyway?
#2
Another load of Iranian oil. Too bad it didn't sink. Now they know there's a cluster of subs with nukes below the surface and 2 carrier attack groups above the water. No wonder the Ayatollah had a stroke. Tried to have a shit fit, but his cancer laden bowels prevented that and applied extra pressure on his pea brain and blew out all circuits. What a damn shame.
#10
Conjecture: sub was using tanker for a moving shield to obscure its presense, got too cute/too close.
Posted by: Whiskey Mike ||
01/09/2007 10:34 Comments ||
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#11
If a sub can't avoid that then what hope of finding the iranian mini subs?
Try crossing a New York intersection with your eyes closed. Supertankers are dime a dozen in a heavily traveled area, especially in a constricted one as the Straits of Hormuz. Now, isolate out all the very similar sounds that are not only travelling straight line but also bouncing and echoing around from the shallows and the intense thermoclines in a hot and shallow body of water. Now also include the requirement of not letting others know you're there (known as trying to be stealthy), also called traversing SUBMERGED. It's easy for the tanker itself to have masked it's own prop sounds because those things are so huge. Add the possibility it had a load of oil, those ships can be down in the water over 50 feet of draft.
I'm always amazed at the people who think it's so friggin' easy to look out the periscope. Well, maybe their "Seaview"-like forward windows were dirty or sumthin' moron.
#13
First thoughts. (1) How useful is a sub if they can't see a tanker and avoid it? Something else is going on. (2) What is the likelyhood the sub tried to stop the tanker at sea and the tanker refused to stop? Collision resulted. (3) If I was a bad guy I'd make false reports of ship collisions with US ships I knew to be in the area to embarrass the captains and cause some havoc amung the American Navy about wtf?
#14
(2) What is the likelyhood the sub tried to stop the tanker at sea and the tanker refused to stop?
Slim and none. And Slim, he's out of town. Seriously, subs are not generally used for the interdiction of surface vessels. Surface warships are used for that. Carry on.
Posted by: Chuck Darwin ||
01/09/2007 11:46 Comments ||
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#15
My guess was that Japan being a friendly who could be trusted. The US Sub was using the Oil Tanker's prop wash to drown out himself so he could sneak into the gulf were I imagine a big fat tanker would be headed. This is a shame he hit becuase that will be one less sub in theater. Guesing that it took the sub out of action becuase I would imagine if it hadn't caused serous damage it would never have made news just another odd sound on a big ship in the middle of the ocean known only by the 20 or so crew on board.
#18
Another thought, how strict are the Japanese when it comes to flagging tankers? Is it guaranteed that this is from a Japanese company, or could it be closer to Liberia and Panama where everyone can be flagged. I assume it's a Japanese company but it changes the picture if it's not.
#20
think comment #10 has it pegged; something caused the tanker to check up or the sub overtook faster that anticipated. either way, not good for the sub CO and not good for us since repairs are needed. unscheduled pitstops suck.
I am surprised that it hadnt happen earlier. We have had boats in that area since late 79. Emergency Deep is a no shi**er when you are there. Whats worse is when two contacts 120 degrees apart on the scope are in fact the same super tanker. High pucker factor.
Hopefully no one was injured.
and
Friends -
I was on one of the first group of nuke boats in there in the winter of '79, after the hostages were taken. Right up at the mouth of the straits. Trust me, it was duckin' and dodgin' tankers at PD for 80 days. Not surprised at this at all.
And Emergency Deep was kinda chancy as well when you were spending a lot of time in water that was less than 500 ft.
Tehran, 9 Jan. (AKI) - Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is preparing to leave Tehran on Friday for a tour of Latin America which will lead him to Venezuela, Nicaragua and Ecuador. Ahmadinejad, who had already visited the region in September, is scheduled to land Saturday morning in the Venezuelan capital Caracas where he will be greeted by president Hugo Chavez, his closest ally in South America.
On Sunday, Ahmadinejad will travel to Nigaragua's capital Managua, where he will meet his Nicaraguan counterpart Daniel Ortega.
The president's trip will end in the capital of Ecuador Quito where he will take part in the swearing in ceremony of the new president, Rafael Correa, and where he is also scheduled to meet Bolivia's president Evo Morales, another close ally in the Iran-led anti US international alliance. Since his election as president in June 2005, Ahmadinejad has forged close alliances with Latin American countries led by anti-US governments including Cuba along with Venezuela, Bolivia and Nicaragua.
Meanwhile Tehran has announced that the state-owned cinema production company will produce an hour-long documentary on Chavez.
#6
Mojo, it seems to me that a mid-Atlantic 'accident' would work well. I wonder if the USN is testing any missiles in the area? Gosh, I would hate if an unfortunate accident were to happen where his plane hit our test missile.
Japan is drawing up contingency plans to deal with an influx of North Korean refugees caused by a military emergency or civil anarchy. Japanese government officials estimate an emergency could lead to an exodus of as many as 150,000 "boat people," who would overtax Japan's social services, the Asahi Shimbun quoted unidentified officials Saturday.
The figure, the first released, is the product of a study by a special task force of the Cabinet Security Council. The group studied North Korea's eastern shoreline ports, vessels available and other factors. They estimated refugees heading to Japan would likely try to enter the country through the Kyushu and Chugoku regions, where Japan could currently accommodate "several tens of thousands."
The study reportedly suggested that in the event of a massive exodus from North Korea, Japan relocate to third countries some of those who reach the country.
South Korean officials estimate between 2 million and 4 million North Koreans would seek sanctuary abroad as a result of military conflict, regime collapse or a catastrophic disaster leading to anarchy.
#2
Another boatlift from Socialist Utopia - greatest prob is making sure their own army doesn't sink 'em. Some Korean Netter > civil anarchy is already beginning + Kimmie & Co. may be gone as early as next year. Question is whether any post-Kimmie regime will still be Commie, i.e. Hardline vs Reformist???
#5
Spec35: I hope for the sake of your soul that's just a joke that misfired. The North Korean people are the wretched of the earth, cursed to live under the most evil of tyrranies. I say shoot the tyrants, not their victims.
Given all of the historical enmity between peoples in that part of the world, it's refreshingly decent of the Japanese to make these sorts of preparations.
Posted by: Mike ||
01/09/2007 10:38 Comments ||
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"...properly tried in a court of law..."
Hey doofus, exactly what laws are applicable?
What court has jurisdiction?
Are you saying that the US has police authority anywhere in the world? If so, cool. We won't have to worry about extradition anymore.
These transi buffoons should get the extended tour of Gitmo themselves. After 50 years, or so, let them out to write their report.
#6
I would settle for a rigorous enforcement of the Geneva Conventions. Firing squads at 9:00, 12:00, and 15:00 hours.
Posted by: ed ||
01/09/2007 16:31 Comments ||
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#7
Great photo, great comments, great continuing case of gas because State never ever responds to this nonsense with substantive, sharp-edged smack-downs. And there are those within who want to do so.
#1
Actually, I'm waiting for Nancy Pelosi to join the EUropeans in their criticism of American actions. In fact, I expect Pelosi to start cutting off funds for actions such as the one in Ethiopia. Any day now.
#2
Then W should veto any funding bill that doesn't contain sufficient funds for current operations. The Democrats don't have the votes to override.
Posted by: Jonathan ||
01/09/2007 15:29 Comments ||
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#3
As I understand it, the airstrikes were conducted with the permission of the internationally recognized 'government' of Somalia, so what's the EU beef?
#4
Wouldn't it be fun to move Sixth Fleet assets to Haifa.
Posted by: ed ||
01/09/2007 17:07 Comments ||
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#5
Technically, to the extent that the War Powers Act is constitutional (heh), GWB has to inform the Congress of what we did in Somalia sometime in the next 90 days. If Congress votes a resolution of disapproval (both houses), then further activities in Somalia would be prohibited. It would require GWB to get a new authorizing resolution.
The whole idea of the WPA was to give presidents the flexibility to act in emergencies while explicitly reserving to Congress its powers to declare and make war.
Of course, if GWB notifies Congress on April 8th that on this past January 8th the AC-130s chewed up a whole bunch of Islamists, that will be, oh, 89 days too late for the Islamists. I think we could all live with that.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/09/2007 21:04 Comments ||
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MADRID - Batasuna, a Basque political party banned for its links to ETA, called on the armed separatists to return to a nine-month ceasefire on Monday, nine days after a powerful ETA bomb killed two people at Madrid airport.
Batasuna is considered to be ETAs political wing, although there is no formal link, and Mondays comments added to evidence of what appeared to be a break in communication between the two.
We want to call on ETA to keep to the commitments and objectives it set in its statement of March 22 (when it declared a permanent ceasefire), Batasuna leader Arnaldo Otegi told reporters in the Basque city of San Sebastian.
ETA has not officially claimed responsibility for the bomb which wrecked a car park at Barajas International airport on Dec. 30, but one of the warning calls was made in its name. ETA has not made any statement breaking the ceasefire, as it has done with other truces, and in recent days other Batasuna officials have expressed surprise at the attack and have said the party deeply regrets that people died.
Media and analysts have speculated the car bomb may have been planted by a splinter group.
Batasuna has distanced itself from ETAs attacks but has stopped short of condemning its violence, a prerequisite for the party to be made legal and take part in elections again.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/09/2007 00:00 ||
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I know others have posted thumbnails of the Samburglar, but for the life of Me, I can't find the file name.
A House committee released a report today concluding former National Security Adviser Sandy Berger went to extraordinary lengths to compromise national security and that the Department of Justice could not assure the 9/11 commission that it received the documents it requested.
Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia, ranking Republican member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said his staff's investigation reveals Berger "compromised national security much more than originally disclosed." "It is now also clear that Mr. Berger was willing to go to extraordinary lengths to compromise national security, apparently for his own convenience," Davis said.
As WND reported, a newly released investigation report by the National Archives and Records Administration showed President Bill Clinton signed a letter authorizing Berger's access to the classified documents.
Last year, Berger plea bargained a criminal sentence on the charge of unlawfully removing and retaining classified documents. A judge gave him no prison time, a $50,000 fine, 100 hours of community service and a ban from access to classified material for three years.
Davis said the 9/11 commission "relied on incomplete and misleading information regarding its access to documents" Berger reviewed.
The commission was never told Berger had access to original documents that he could have taken without detection, Davis stated. "Mr. Berger's review of documents did not conform to the usual requirements for reviewing classified documents in a secure facility and under strict supervision," he said. "The archives staff's failure to contact law enforcement immediately and their contacts with Mr. Berger about the missing documents compromised the law enforcement effort."
Davis said the "compromised law enforcement effort contributes to reduced confidence that the 9/11 commission received all the documents it requested. The execution of a search warrant before Mr. Berger knew there was an investigation would have either located additional documents or enhanced confidence that he stole no others than those he admitted to taking," he said.
Davis also said the public statements of the former chief of the public integrity section, Noel Hillman, were "incomplete and misleading. Because Mr. Berger had access to original documents that he could have taken without detection, we do not know if anything 'was lost to the public or the process,'" Davis said.
The congressman contended the Justice Department's assertion that Berger's statements are credible after being caught is "misplaced." "One wouldn't rely on the fox to be truthful after being nabbed in the hen house," Davis said. "But the Justice Department apparently did." I dunno about foxes, but I'd never trust a Leftist with, well, anything.
Davis also referred to revelations last month from the National Archives investigation, which revealed Berger left stolen highly classified documents at a construction site to avoid detection.
The document upon which Berger focused was the National Security Council's "Millennium After Action Review" on the Clinton administration's handling of the al-Qaida terror threats in December 1999. Then-Attorney General John Ashcroft testified before the 9-11 commission about the millennium report, urging the panel to ask why the document's warnings and "blueprint" to thwart al-Qaida's plans to target the U.S. were ignored by the Clinton administration and not shared with the incoming Bush security staff.
Posted by: Mohammed ||
01/09/2007 18:23 ||
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#1
Can he be shot now? He'd make an excellent example to the treasonous left.
#3
"I know others have posted thumbnails of the Samburglar, but for the life of Me, I can't find the file name."
Maybe Fred's got a pic of a toad somewhere? That'd do in a pinch...
Posted by: Dave D. ||
01/09/2007 19:58 Comments ||
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#4
"Good ol'" Sandy visited the archives on multiple occasions... Why Couldn't he get what he wanted in 8 hours?
...upon which he stole single-copy version documents and stashed them under a trailer at a construction site... Dead drop
...retrieving them later and taking them home with him... So he could accurately reproduce them, except for some revisions and edits in his hand-written notes in preparation for substituting them for the originals
...where he cut them up with scissors... What, no shredder?
...and threw the pieces away. Later, he went looking for the trash truck. Really! Somehow, Sandy, I don't see you dumpster-diving in a garbage truck.
Speaking as a security professional, I would have removed his skin, slowly.
#5
First, and foremost, Sandy B. is a COWARD, as are most, if not all, Clintonistas. Secondarily, Sandy B. is a TRAITOR to his country.
I don't expect most Dems, liberals, or leftists to understand. Because if they did , Sandy would be in prison, and the war in Iraq would have been won long ago. In which case we could move on to other areas in the ME and SE Asia.
The reason, the only reason, we have not succeeeded in Iraq to date, can be laid at the feet of the Dems, liberals, and the leftists here in the USA and Europe.
Posted by: Mark Z ||
01/09/2007 20:38 Comments ||
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#6
Sandy didn't just steal and destroy documents, he also took the occasional break during which he chatted on the phone with someone. I seem to recall the chats being described as "heated". I suspect he was telling someone what he had found in the archive and the person he called was telling him what to destroy and what to leave.
The Dems are led by traitors and crooks; their attacks against Bush are out of fear he'd expose them.
Why he hasn't is a mystery to me.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
01/09/2007 21:18 Comments ||
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The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a challenge to federal airport regulations requiring passengers to show identification before they board planes.
The justices, without comment, let stand an appeals court ruling against Libertarian activist and millionaire John Gilmore. Gilmore wanted the court to force the federal government to disclose the policy that requires passengers to produce identification.
Unless the regulations are made public, air travelers have no way to determine if the regulations call for impermissible searches, Gilmore said in court papers. The Justice Department has said that demanding ID protects passengers' safety.
The case is Gilmore v. Gonzales, 06-211. Unless a law or regulation is made public, it cannot be legally challenged over its constitutionality. And in this case, there is a powerful argument that the law would be unconstitutional. So if the law is kept secret, it can still be used.
A military judge granted defense lawyers access to computer files Monday that attorneys said are needed to defend a soldier charged with killing two superior officers in Iraq.
New York National Guard Sgt. Alberto B. Martinez, 39, of Troy, N.Y., is the only soldier known to be charged with killing his direct superior officers in Iraq during the war, a crime known as "fragging."
Martinez is accused of killing Capt. Phillip Esposito, 30, of Suffern, N.Y., and 1st Lt. Louis Allen, 34, of Milford, Pa., by setting off grenades and a mine in their room at one of Saddam Hussein's former palaces in June 2005. They were his superior officers in the 42nd Infantry Division of the New York National Guard.
Defense lawyer Maj. John Gregory had sought access to classified and unclassified files, as well as a forensic computer expert to help.
The judge said the defense should have copies of unclassified files and greater access to classified material, and suggested he would assign a qualified agent from the Army's Criminal Investigative Command to the defense team.
The judge, Col. Patrick Parrish, didn't rule on a defense motion to appoint a crime scene investigator. Last week, Parrish ordered the government to pay for an independent investigator for the defense.
Gregory said the defense wants to hire a former director of the Oregon State Police Crime Lab to do forensic tests. Capt. John Benson, a prosecutor, argued that the defense has had access to government experts who examined evidence and the crime scene.
In a similar case, a jury at Fort Bragg sentenced 101st Airborne Division Sgt. Hasan Akbar to death for killing two officers and wounding 14 soldiers in March 2003. He threw grenades into troop tents and fired on soldiers at a camp in Kuwait. Akbar wasn't under the command of the officers who were killed.
#5
From what I can gather on the neet this guy had problems before he deployed. I may be wrong but the circumstnces point to his guilt and if so they should hang him and Akbar together.
#7
Dread, I've sat on both. At no time in a jury trial was I as a member of the jury able to ask further questions of the witness or request witnesses to be [re] summoned for further questioning. The judge in a courts martial acts as the technical administrator, but the tribunal has powers above that of a civilian jury which simply sits and listens.
#9
No need to be sorry, DN. I'm just not used to military judges dicking around with civilian theatrics, so I'd forgotten that Akbar got a change of venue due to concerns that he'd be "unable to get a fair trial" at Campbell, or some shit like that. Worked out great for him too, LOL.
The Supreme Court on Monday criticized as insufficient efforts by authorities to trace at least 16 people believed to be held by Pakistani intelligence agencies for suspected links with Islamic militants.
Judge Mian Shakirullah Jan, hearing a case brought by relatives of the missing, accused the government of wasting time. He said the efforts of "concerned authorities" to trace the missing "are not satisfactory" and urged them to "speed up."
Human rights activists and relatives have been holding protest rallies for the past several months, demanding the release of dozens of men believed to have been clandestinely abducted by the Pakistani intelligence agencies.
Relatives say the men have been held for periods ranging for months to several years with no opportunities for a hearing or to contact their families. In the case brought late last year before the Supreme Court, 41 people were alleged to be missing.
Deputy Attorney General Nasir Saeed Sheikh told the court Monday that 25 of the people have been traced while 16 remained unaccounted for.
"The Ministry of Interior has made very sincere efforts and left no stone unturned to trace the missing persons," he said. "The ministry would continue its efforts."
Amna Janjua, who has spearheaded the case, said in court her husband was "still in the custody of (intelligence) agencies" - which Sheikh denied. Janjua said she had not been able to meet with any agency.
The judge adjourned the case until Jan. 15.
Pakistan, a key ally in the U.S.-led war on terror, says it has arrested about 700 al-Qaida suspects in the past five years, but is increasingly criticized by rights groups for secret detentions. First my car keys, now this. Maybe the wife remembers where I put them.
The Pakistan embassy has taken exception to allegations that Islamabad is providing covert assistance to the Taliban to fight NATO and US forces in Afghanistan.
The charge was made some days earlier by veteran correspondent Arnaud de Borchgrave in the Washington Times. In a rejoinder published on Monday, embassy spokesman M Akram Shaheedi says that on the contrary, President Pervez Musharrafs geopolitical assessment has led him to direct the Pakistan security agencies to wage war against Taliban and Al Qaeda, as these evils pose grave danger to the peace and security of Pakistan and Afghanistan and consequently to the world at large. Pakistans leadership understands that the fight against the Taliban is in the countrys national interest. As such, how can Pakistan repeatedly choose the Taliban as Afghan rulers, the official asks?
Shaheedi refers to a UN Security Council report released on September 2005, which states that the insurgency in Afghanistan is indigenous and its current centre of gravity falls in and around the provinces of Afghanistan - Kandahar, Helmand, Uruzgen and increasingly, Farah. He writes that Pakistan would like to see Afghanistan as a strong, prosperous and vibrant country. Peace in Afghanistan will be a catalyst to the security of Pakistans western borders and a prelude to opening up of vast opportunities to promote Islamabads commercial and cultural ties with the Central Asian Republics, he points out. It will surely strengthen Pakistans hand to effectively address militant and extremist tendencies in society, the letter to the newspaper adds.
According to Shaheedi, Pakistans people and its leadership know very well that the Taliban are a real danger to their country. It is in pursuance of that realisation that Pakistan has decided to fence and selectively mine the border to eliminate the slightest chances of terrorists infiltration. It reflects countrys firm resolve in counter-terrorism. Pakistan is eager to strengthen relations between the two countries.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/09/2007 00:00 ||
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"No, of course we'd never do that. Why would anyone acuse Paks of this treachery ? We are now so humiliated that we're going to kill you and all traces of your family, your pets, and anyone else who might have ever met you."
Qazi Hussain Ahmed will not quit as president of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) and his recent statement that he wants to resign was only a message of anger to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl), MMA sources told Daily Times on Monday.
Even if Qazi tries to step down, the MMA Supreme Council will not accept his resignation, the sources said. Currently the leaders of all MMA parties are in favour of Qazi as president and if he tries to quit his resignation will be rejected, said the sources. Qazi is a strong proponent of the idea that MMA legislators must quit parliament, in protest at the Womens Protection Act, but is being opposed by Maulana Fazlur Rehman, chief of the JUI-F. The sources said Qazis threat to quit was an expression of anger at Fazl.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/09/2007 00:00 ||
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'He is all talk and no Trousers' as they say in the UK
PAKISTAN military ruler Pervez Musharraf and exiled former prime minister Benazir Bhutto are on the verge of a remarkable political deal that will pave the way for presidential and parliamentary elections in the country in the next few months. Central to the arrangement will be Ms Bhutto's agreeing to General Musharraf's election to another five-year term as president - even though, ever since he seized power in a coup in 1999, she has been implacably opposed to his regime.
Reports yesterday said Ms Bhutto would also retreat from demands that General Musharraf step down from his job as army chief of staff and get out of military uniform before running for a further term as president. The quid pro quo for Ms Bhutto, who lives in exile in London and Dubai, would be an agreement from the military regime to allow her to return to Pakistan and lead her Pakistan People's Party in elections for a new National Assembly and provincial assemblies that will follow the presidential election expected in June.
Reports yesterday said that after months of intensive negotiations between emissaries from General Musharraf and representatives of Ms Bhutto, the President's side had agreed that she would not be arrested when she returned home and that corruption cases against her in Pakistan would be mothballed. After the elections, the power-sharing between different political forces would see the position of prime minister go to Ms Bhutto's PPP, reports said. But whether Ms Bhutto would become prime minister remained uncertain, as General Musharraf has repeatedly insisted he would not permit her return to power or her running for public office.
It seems there may be a difference between allowing her to return home and participating in the election process - despite the corruption charges hanging over her head and that of her husband, Asif Zardari - and actually being a candidate for office in the election. Attempts to contact Ms Bhutto last night proved fruitless, but it is believed her view is that if the PPP wins the assembly elections, the political momentum generated would sweep her back into office as prime minister. Trucking with General Musharraf is, however, a very high-risk strategy for Ms Bhutto, who has spent a lifetime promoting civilian rule and whose father was hanged by a previous military ruler, General Mohammad Zia ul-Haq.
Certainly, many who have supported her in the past, despite the reality that her periods in office as prime minister were badly tainted by allegations of corruption, will have misgivings about doing any deal with General Musharraf. But it appears she now recognises that General Musharraf is probably immovable by any means other than another military coup, and that she has no alternative but to accept a deal with him, even though aspects of it may be regarded as humiliating.
Given the extremely difficult political challenges confronting General Musharraf - mainly due to the rapidly increasing power of Islamic fundamentalist groups who support al-Qa'ida and the Taliban and want to see a hardline Muslim regime running Pakistan - most analysts believe he needs all the political help he can get, and having Ms Bhutto and the PPP on side would be an important addition.
Last night's reports speak of emissaries from General Musharraf and Ms Bhutto "nearing a final settlement" after months of protracted negotiation, though PPP officials appear skittish about just what stage the negotiations have reached.
There is also confusion about a possible role for the country's other former prime minister living in exile, Nawaz Sharif, who bases himself in London and is another former sworn enemy of Ms Bhutto with whom she now finds common cause. Like Ms Bhutto, Nawaz Sharif has been saying publicly that nothing in the world will stop him from returning home and contesting the elections.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/09/2007 00:00 ||
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She mus like monkeys in uniforms
Posted by: Captain America ||
01/09/2007 8:12 Comments ||
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this would presumably remove the MMA from power. Good if it happens. But I'll believe it when I see it.
Now a Powerpoint file. Used to be a pdf. Highlights:
Iraqi Statistics Show December 2006 Was the Deadliest Month for Iraqi Civilians:But not according to everyone; read on.
According to a combination of statistics released by the Iraqi Health, Interior and Defense ministries, December was the deadliest month for the country's civilians in 2006 with a death toll of 1,927 - compared with 1,846 in November and 1,315 in October.
Although the US military does not release Iraqi civilian casualty numbers, the Iraqi Interior Ministry spokesman, Brigadier General Abdul Kareem Khalaf, disagreed with the released Iraqi statistics, saying that the latest figures were too high and that the civilian toll in December was about half what was being reported and was one of the lowest monthly totals of the year. Facinating. Ain't democracy wunnerful?
Iraqi Army Captures Al-Qaida Terrorist Cell Leader:
Iraqi Special Operations Forces with Coalition advisors captured an al-Qaida in Iraq (AQI) terrorist cell leader December 26 in al-Yusifiyah south of Baghdad. The AQI cell leader was allegedly responsible for the kidnapping of two US soldiers from a checkpoint in Yusifiyah in June as well as numerous other kidnappings, murders and violent crimes in the area. The two soldiers were later found tortured and murdered.
Maliki Would Reject a Second Term:
Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki said in a published report in the Wall Street Journal that he wished he could leave office before the completion of his four-year term and would not run again.
I didn't want to take this position, Maliki told the Wall Street Journal in an interview published January 2. I only agreed because I thought it would serve the national interest, and I will not accept it again. Maliki said it was impossible that he would serve a second term.
I wish I could be done with it even before the end of this term, he said in the interview, which was conducted December 24. I would like to serve my people from outside the circle of senior officials, maybe through the parliament, or through working directly with the people.
Electricity:
Baghdad has received no power from Haditha Dam since December 4, and since December 27 it has also received none from northern generating plants, reducing daily electricity service in Baghdad to five to six hours.
Iran to Loan Iraq $1 Billion:
Iranian Economy Minister Davoud Danesh Jafari announced that Iran will provide a $1 billion loan to Iraq for reconstruction. The Iraqis have committed to use Iranian contractors and experts for the proposed projects. The two sides reached the agreement during the visit to Iran of Iraqi Finance Minister Bayan Jabr (SCIRI).
2007 Budget:
Khaled al-Attiyah, first deputy-chairman of the Iraqi parliament, announced that the general budget for 2007 is $41 billion, with security allocations of $7.5 billion. The budget has been referred to the Economic and Investment Committee in the Parliament for consideration. A final report is expected after the Eid al-Adha.
Saddam Hussein Executed, Execution Taped by Cell Phone:
The sentence of the Iraqi High Tribunal (IHT) against Saddam Hussein was carried out at a prison in Baghdad the monrning (sic)of December 30.
The execution was recorded on a mobile phone, which was later leaked to the public. The scene was broadcast on al-Jazeera television and posted on the Internet, prompting a worldwide outcry and large protests among Iraq's minority Sunnis, who lost their preferential status when Saddam was ousted following the US-led invasion of March 2003.
Iraqi authorities reported January 3 the arrests of two guards and an official who supervised Saddam Hussein's execution and said the guard force was infiltrated by outsiders who taunted the former dictator and shot the unauthorized mobile phone video. This version was received with widespread skepticism by many Iraqis, who regard Islamist Shia politicians close to the government as the lead suspects. Whaddabout the Joooos?
CCCI Convicts 48 Insurgents:
The Central Criminal Court of Iraq (CCCI) convicted 48 security detainees December 8-28, for various crimes including murder, kidnapping, illegal possession of special category weapons, violation of the terrorist laws, failure to renew resident identification, possessing and using a fake ID, use or attempted use of explosives and illegal border crossing.
Since its organization under an amendment to Coalition Provisional Authority order 13, in April 2004, the CCCI has held 1,809 trials for Coalition-apprehended insurgents. The proceedings have resulted in the conviction of 1,569 individuals with sentences ranging up to death.
Seoul Moving to Allow Companies to do Business in Iraq :
South Koreas Foreign Ministry announced December 29 that South Korea is considering allowing its firms to conduct business in Iraqs northern Kurdish region given the improved security situation in the region.
South Korea has prohibited its people and firms from entering or doing business in Iraq since the kidnapping and murder of a South Korean worker in May 2004.
Foreign Minister Zebari Receives Russian Ambassador:
Minister of Foreign Affairs Hoshyar Zebari received Vladimir Chamov, the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Iraq December 28. A range of issues were discussed including security and political developments in Iraq and means to enhance bilateral relations between the two countries.
Kidnapped Contractors Shown on Video:
Four Americans and an Austrian abducted in November in southern Iraq spoke briefly and appeared uninjured in a video believed to have been recorded nearly two weeks ago and delivered January 3 to The Associated Press.
The men security contractors for the Crescent Security Group based in Kuwait appeared separately on the edited video. Three of them said they were being treated well.
The kidnappers were not seen or heard in the nearly two-minute video, but a title that read The National Islamic Resistance in Iraq. The Furkan Brigades was shown at the start of the video.
The men were kidnapped November 16 when suspected militiamen in Iraqi police uniforms ambushed a convoy of trucks being escorted by Crescent Security on a highway near Safwan.
This brief draws from multiple sources. References are cited on the following pages. (See link)
Posted by: Bobby ||
01/09/2007 14:56 ||
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Shocking. Truly, shocking. I have no idea why Sunni Iran would run a terror network in Iraq
Posted by: Rep. Sylvestre Reyes, (D-Texas) - Chairman of the House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence ||
01/09/2007 14:00 Comments ||
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From the article: Al-Quds Force is headquartered in the building that once used to house the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and where American diplomats were held captive for 444 days shortly after the Islamic revolution overthrew the Shah in 1979.
That should be easy enough to handle. Embassies are sovereign territory. We "have the right" to blow up our embassy at any time. Waitin' for those conventional Trident missiles I guess.
The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees has appealed for $60 million to help Iraqis fleeing violence.
In a statement released at its Geneva, headquarters Monday, the agency said the funds would help finance protection and assistance programs for refugees and internally displaced people affected by the Iraq conflict in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey.
The agency said the flow of people from Iraq is the largest long-term population movement in the Middle East since the displacement of the Palestinians with the creation of Israel in 1948.
"The longer this conflict goes on, the more difficult it becomes for the hundreds of thousands of people displaced and the communities that are trying to help them -- both inside and outside Iraq," said U.N. High Commissioner Antonio Guterres.
It is planned that 200,000 of the most vulnerable IDPs will be assisted by the funding the agency receives. Most are now living in urban areas such as Amman, Jordan, and Damascus, Syria.
About one out of every eight Iraqis is now displaced. The agency now estimates 40,000 to 50,000 flee their homes every month, with up to 2.3 million IDPs expected by the end of 2007.
Estimates of Iraqis who have fled to neighboring states include 500,000 to 1 million in Syria; up to 700,000 in Jordan; up to 80,000 in Egypt, and up to 40,000 in Lebanon, the agency said. Turkey has an unknown number of refugees.
#1
"The agency said the flow of people from Iraq is the largest long-term population movement in the Middle East since the displacement of the Palestinians with the creation of Israel in 1948."
Ugh. Another manufactured "crisis." Besides the fact that Paleos voluntarily "displaced" themselves in the total absence of coercion, one would think that the 20 million Muslims who have colonized Europe in the last 20 years constitutes "the largest long-term population movement in the Middle East."
I don't suppose the UNHCR will be appealing for aid to help Europeans (or Hindus or Buddhists) fleeing from Muslim violence anytime soon.
Next best thing to having him back from Hell to tell us in person.
BAGHDAD - Saddam Hussein and his cousin Chemical Ali discussed how chemical weapons would exterminate thousands before unleashing them on Kurds in 1988, according to tapes played on Monday in a trial of former Iraqi officials.
I will strike them with chemical weapons and kill them all, a voice identified by prosecutors as Chemical Ali Hassan Al Majeed is heard saying. Who is going to say anything? The international community? Curse the international community, the voice continued.
Rat bastard. Hang him.
Yes, its effective, especially on those who dont wear a mask immediately, as we understand, a voice identified as Saddam is heard saying on another tape.
Sir, does it exterminate thousands? a voice asks back.
Yes, it exterminates thousands and forces them not to eat or drink and they will have to evacuate their homes without taking anything with them, until we can finally purge them, the voice identified as Saddam answers.
With Saddams chair empty, nine days after he was hanged, Majeed and five other Baath party officials were being tried for their roles in the 1988 Anfal (Spoils of War) military campaign in northern Kurdistan. Prosecutors said 180,000 people were killed, many of them gassed. Many Kurds regret the chief suspect can no longer face justice for his role in the campaign against them, but they hope others share his fate on the gallows.
I hope they have some solace knowing that the evil bastard was hanged.
Majeed, who faces charges of genocide, is considered the main enforcer of the Anfal campaign.
Defendants have said Anfal was a legitimate military operation targeting Kurdish guerrillas who had sided with Shia Iran during the last stages of the Iraq-Iran war.
Except that chemical weapons are outlawed even in legitimate military operations.
Chief Prosecutor Munqith Al Faroon also played on Monday video showing women and children lying dead on village streets and mountain slopes after what he said was a chemical attack ordered by Saddam. These are the honorable battles they claimed to have launched against the enemy, he told the court.
Judge Mohammed Al Ureybi, in his first order of business, formally dropped charges of genocide and crimes against humanity against Saddam. He cut off the microphones when Majeed stood up and started to read the Koran in tribute to his former chief.
Looking tired and sporting an uncharacteristic white stubble, Majeed refused to take his chair and insisted on reciting a prayer as he stood behind Saddams empty chair. Make him sit down, make him sit down, Ureybi ordered the bailiffs.
"Bailiff, hit him!"
"Yes your honor!"
[thump] [thump]
"Oooooowwww ..."
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/09/2007 00:00 ||
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I will strike them with chemical weapons and kill them all, a voice identified by prosecutors as Chemical Ali Hassan Al Majeed is heard saying. Who is going to say anything?
Answer:
"Whereas Iraq has consistently breached its cease-fire agreement between Iraq and the United States, entered into on March 3, 1991, by failing to dismantle its weapons of mass destruction program, and refusing to permit monitoring and verification by United Nations inspections; Whereas Iraq has developed weapons of mass destruction, including chemical and biological capabilities, and has made positive progress toward developing nuclear weapons capabilities" -- From a joint resolution submitted by Tom Harkin and Arlen Specter on July 18, 2002
"Saddam's goal ... is to achieve the lifting of U.N. sanctions while retaining and enhancing Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs. We cannot, we must not and we will not let him succeed." -- Madeline Albright, 1998
"(Saddam) will rebuild his arsenal of weapons of mass destruction and some day, some way, I am certain he will use that arsenal again, as he has 10 times since 1983" -- National Security Adviser Sandy Berger, Feb 18, 1998
"Iraq made commitments after the Gulf War to completely dismantle all weapons of mass destruction, and unfortunately, Iraq has not lived up to its agreement." -- Barbara Boxer, November 8, 2002
"The last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October of 1998. We are confident that Saddam Hussein retained some stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, and that he has since embarked on a crash course to build up his chemical and biological warfare capability. Intelligence reports also indicate that he is seeking nuclear weapons, but has not yet achieved nuclear capability." -- Robert Byrd, October 2002
"There's no question that Saddam Hussein is a threat... Yes, he has chemical and biological weapons. He's had those for a long time. But the United States right now is on a very much different defensive posture than we were before September 11th of 2001... He is, as far as we know, actively pursuing nuclear capabilities, though he doesn't have nuclear warheads yet. If he were to acquire nuclear weapons, I think our friends in the region would face greatly increased risks as would we." -- Wesley Clark on September 26, 2002
"What is at stake is how to answer the potential threat Iraq represents with the risk of proliferation of WMD. Baghdad's regime did use such weapons in the past. Today, a number of evidences may lead to think that, over the past four years, in the absence of international inspectors, this country has continued armament programs." -- Jacques Chirac, October 16, 2002
"The community of nations may see more and more of the very kind of threat Iraq poses now: a rogue state with weapons of mass destruction, ready to use them or provide them to terrorists. If we fail to respond today, Saddam and all those who would follow in his footsteps will be emboldened tomorrow." -- Bill Clinton in 1998
"In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including Al Qaeda members, though there is apparently no evidence of his involvement in the terrible events of September 11, 2001. It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons. Should he succeed in that endeavor, he could alter the political and security landscape of the Middle East, which as we know all too well affects American security." -- Hillary Clinton, October 10, 2002
"I am absolutely convinced that there are weapons...I saw evidence back in 1998 when we would see the inspectors being barred from gaining entry into a warehouse for three hours with trucks rolling up and then moving those trucks out." -- Clinton's Secretary of Defense William Cohen in April of 2003
"Iraq is not the only nation in the world to possess weapons of mass destruction, but it is the only nation with a leader who has used them against his own people." -- Tom Daschle in 1998
"Saddam Hussein's regime represents a grave threat to America and our allies, including our vital ally, Israel. For more than two decades, Saddam Hussein has sought weapons of mass destruction through every available means. We know that he has chemical and biological weapons. He has already used them against his neighbors and his own people, and is trying to build more. We know that he is doing everything he can to build nuclear weapons, and we know that each day he gets closer to achieving that goal." -- John Edwards, Oct 10, 2002
"The debate over Iraq is not about politics. It is about national security. It should be clear that our national security requires Congress to send a clear message to Iraq and the world: America is united in its determination to eliminate forever the threat of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction." -- John Edwards, Oct 10, 2002
"I share the administration's goals in dealing with Iraq and its weapons of mass destruction." -- Dick Gephardt in September of 2002
"Iraq does pose a serious threat to the stability of the Persian Gulf and we should organize an international coalition to eliminate his access to weapons of mass destruction. Iraq's search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to completely deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power." -- Al Gore, 2002
"We are in possession of what I think to be compelling evidence that Saddam Hussein has, and has had for a number of years, a developing capacity for the production and storage of weapons of mass destruction." -- Bob Graham, December 2002
"Saddam Hussein is not the only deranged dictator who is willing to deprive his people in order to acquire weapons of mass destruction." -- Jim Jeffords, October 8, 2002
"We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction." -- Ted Kennedy, September 27, 2002
"There is no doubt that Saddam Hussein's regime is a serious danger, that he is a tyrant, and that his pursuit of lethal weapons of mass destruction cannot be tolerated. He must be disarmed." -- Ted Kennedy, Sept 27, 2002
"I will be voting to give the president of the United States the authority to use force - if necessary - to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security." -- John F. Kerry, Oct 2002
"The threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real, but as I said, it is not new. It has been with us since the end of that war, and particularly in the last 4 years we know after Operation Desert Fox failed to force him to reaccept them, that he has continued to build those weapons. He has had a free hand for 4 years to reconstitute these weapons, allowing the world, during the interval, to lose the focus we had on weapons of mass destruction and the issue of proliferation." -- John Kerry, October 9, 2002
"(W)e need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime. We all know the litany of his offenses. He presents a particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation. ...And now he is miscalculating Americas response to his continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction. That is why the world, through the United Nations Security Council, has spoken with one voice, demanding that Iraq disclose its weapons programs and disarm. So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real, but it is not new. It has been with us since the end of the Persian Gulf War." -- John Kerry, Jan 23, 2003
"We begin with the common belief that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and a threat to the peace and stability of the region. He has ignored the mandates of the United Nations and is building weapons of mass destruction and the means of delivering them." -- Carl Levin, Sept 19, 2002
"Every day Saddam remains in power with chemical weapons, biological weapons, and the development of nuclear weapons is a day of danger for the United States." -- Joe Lieberman, August, 2002
"Over the years, Iraq has worked to develop nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. During 1991 - 1994, despite Iraq's denials, U.N. inspectors discovered and dismantled a large network of nuclear facilities that Iraq was using to develop nuclear weapons. Various reports indicate that Iraq is still actively pursuing nuclear weapons capability. There is no reason to think otherwise. Beyond nuclear weapons, Iraq has actively pursued biological and chemical weapons.U.N. inspectors have said that Iraq's claims about biological weapons is neither credible nor verifiable. In 1986, Iraq used chemical weapons against Iran, and later, against its own Kurdish population. While weapons inspections have been successful in the past, there have been no inspections since the end of 1998. There can be no doubt that Iraq has continued to pursue its goal of obtaining weapons of mass destruction." -- Patty Murray, October 9, 2002
"As a member of the House Intelligence Committee, I am keenly aware that the proliferation of chemical and biological weapons is an issue of grave importance to all nations. Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process." -- Nancy Pelosi, December 16, 1998
"Even today, Iraq is not nearly disarmed. Based on highly credible intelligence, UNSCOM [the U.N. weapons inspectors] suspects that Iraq still has biological agents like anthrax, botulinum toxin, and clostridium perfringens in sufficient quantity to fill several dozen bombs and ballistic missile warheads, as well as the means to continue manufacturing these deadly agents. Iraq probably retains several tons of the highly toxic VX substance, as well as sarin nerve gas and mustard gas. This agent is stored in artillery shells, bombs, and ballistic missile warheads. And Iraq retains significant dual-use industrial infrastructure that can be used to rapidly reconstitute large-scale chemical weapons production." -- Ex-Un Weapons Inspector Scott Ritter in 1998
"There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively to develop nuclear weapons and will likely have nuclear weapons within the next five years. And that may happen sooner if he can obtain access to enriched uranium from foreign sources -- something that is not that difficult in the current world. We also should remember we have always underestimated the progress Saddam has made in development of weapons of mass destruction." -- John Rockefeller, Oct 10, 2002
"Saddams existing biological and chemical weapons capabilities pose a very real threat to America, now. Saddam has used chemical weapons before, both against Iraqs enemies and against his own people. He is working to develop delivery systems like missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles that could bring these deadly weapons against U.S. forces and U.S. facilities in the Middle East." -- John Rockefeller, Oct 10, 2002
"Whether one agrees or disagrees with the Administrations policy towards Iraq, I dont think there can be any question about Saddams conduct. He has systematically violated, over the course of the past 11 years, every significant UN resolution that has demanded that he disarm and destroy his chemical and biological weapons, and any nuclear capacity. This he has refused to do. He lies and cheats; he snubs the mandate and authority of international weapons inspectors; and he games the system to keep buying time against enforcement of the just and legitimate demands of the United Nations, the Security Council, the United States and our allies. Those are simply the facts." -- Henry Waxman, Oct 10, 2002
#2
Again, iff Saddam is to be held up as universal, pan-Arab/Muslim/Islamist "MARTYR", which IMO can only be for "resisting" any and all US-Western influence/activities in the ME, and to inlcude arch-rival IRAN, what purpose was served, other than unilater selfish power, for gassing the Kurds, abusing and killing non-Kurdish Muslim opponents, and the Iran-Iraq War, etc. attaining hatred-angst agz himself from both enemies and allies???
#3
I told 'em to remove Saddam's empty chair. Just rearrange the line-up in the cages to 2-2-2. I'll suggest it again. I think the empty chair is just a distraction (or as with Ali Quimiawi today, a prop for the defendants). Ali's bad sleeping habits might just be connected to his former boss's recent appointment with that heavy rope. I'm hopin'.
#5
If found guilty, the "defendants" should be placed in an airtight container, and the same gas they used on the Kurds be pumped in. They should be arranged in a hexagonal pattern on the floors of one of Saddam's palaces to be executed, so that each one can watch his co-conspirators die, even as they do.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
01/09/2007 15:33 Comments ||
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A Sunni Iraqi MP accused Iran of deploying thousands of fighters near Iraq's borders with Saudi Arabia to "transmit disorder" into the kingdom, reported a Saudi newspaper on Monday. "Iran has started recently forming a 10 000 military brigade, dubbed 'Brigade of Mecca', with bases in Al-Samawah and Al-Nakhib Desert (in Iraq), near the Iraq-Saudi border, in order to transmit disorder across borders," Al-Watan quoted MP Mohammad al-Daeni as saying.
Saudi Arabia had recently announced plans to build a massive security fence along its borders with the war-torn country, mainly to prevent infiltration of al-Qaeda supporters who are feared to be training in Iraq.
Daeni also claimed that Iranian intelligence "controls all of Iraq's governmental institutions, mainly the ministries of defence, interior, transport, health, and oil". He charged that thousands of Iran's radical revolutionary guard are "operating in Baghdad, killing on a daily basis" Sunni Arab residents. "Iran controls (also) the oil fields of Majnoon," in Iraq, near the borders between the two countries that fought a fierce war in the 1980s.
Daeni described the "Iranian occupation" of Iraq as being "more dangerous that the American occupation because it aims to establish a Persian empire starting with control over Iraq and the Gulf".
The newspaper did not mention any proof for Daeni's allegations and the Iranian government was not immediately available for comment because of a public holiday.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/09/2007 00:00 ||
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"Transmit disorder across borders" - IOW, attack Saudi Arabia, neighbors, and espec MSM-reported [e.g. ASIA TIMES]US lines of logistics and base supports.
#1
"Our biggest fear is that he might stand trial in Israel," said Don Bryant, Damra's friend and president of the Greater Cleveland Immigrant Support Network. "This is a nightmare for him."
#3
"Our biggest fear is that he might stand trial in Israel," said Don Bryant, Damra's friend and president of the Greater Cleveland Immigrant Support Network. "This is a nightmare for him."
Standing trial is a nightmare, eh? For helping Islamic Jihad kill Israelis, eh? The worst that could happen is that he's sentenced to life in prison. Contrast that with what happens to people who help Israel. They're killed -- but only after a lot of torture.
Palestinian tensions in Gaza surged Monday as the ruling Hamas movement issued a warning to a strongman of the rival Fatah faction a day after his vitriolic attack on the Islamists at a huge rally. Hamas accused Mohammad Dahlan, a Fatah MP, of trying to bring down the government "on the orders of his boss [US Secretary of State] Condoleezza Rice," according to a statement released in Gaza. "We place the responsibility for each drop of Palestinian blood spilled personally on Dahlan along with his putschist movement," Hamas said. "We firmly warn against any attempts on Hamas leaders, members of its armed wing or its executive force. Those who play with fire will be burned."
On Sunday Dahlan launched a bitter tirade against Hamas during a mass rally in a Gaza City stadium attended by tens of thousands of Fatah supporters. He said the death of Mohammad Ghraib, a colonel in a Palestinian security force loyal to Fatah, "marks a turning point in our relations" with Hamas. Ghraib was killed Thursday during an assault by Hamas supporters on his house in Jabaliya in the north of the Gaza Strip.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/09/2007 00:00 ||
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#4
"Putschist?" Sounds like Hamas has been reading waaay too much Mein Kampf. Pretty soon they will be talking about needing Israel for Lebensraum and Hamas having a drang nach Osten to seize control of the West Bank from Fatah.
There's nothing new in the lengthy Sunday Times report on Israel's plans to attack Iran.
What is interesting, though, is the timing of the report - following a similar one, less noticed perhaps, two days earlier in The Spectator. What both reports have in common, aside from their timing, is that they both highlight the possibility that Israel might use neutron bombs and that both were written by veteran journalists with Israeli connections.
That brings to mind another less well-known Israeli capability: planting false stories in prestigious foreign publications to serve hidden interests.
There are still valid arguments for Israel going ahead with a military operation against Iran, perhaps even a non-conventional one. But the current leadership, which is still reeling from the Lebanon war and which prefers Sderot to suffer a couple of Kassams a day to getting entangled in another bloody operation in Gaza, is hardly the leadership to take Israel into a daring operation so far away. Ouch! I hope the both current and the former Ehuds are reading this.
Instead the government would prefer to rely on the vague promises of US President George W. Bush that he won't leave office in two years with the Iranian threat still intact. But since the US cooperated with the ineffectual watered-down Security Council sanctions resolution that was finally passed last month, Israeli fears have grown that the administration has lost the stomach for another front in the Middle East. Perhaps a few stories of the crazy Israelis' plans to go it themselves, and even use some of their own nukes in the process, might convince the Americans that it would be better if they did the job themselves.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
01/09/2007 10:55 ||
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#1
That brings to mind another less well-known Israeli capability: planting false stories in prestigious foreign publications to serve hidden interests.
#2
If I were Israel I'd have let almost nobody know about such an operation and there would be hangings if anything were leaked.
If I were to attempt to destroy Iranian nukes they would be taken out in such a way that it looks to the ignorant as if the destruction was actually a problem at the Iranian nuclear site and not an attack. Either sabotage at the site, or a low yield nuke of the type Iran might develop.
#3
Here's an odd thought: what if whoever leaked the story discovered that nobody really cared? That is, one day later, nobody is talking about it: no buzz.
So to keep the story in the press, the leakers come out to say that the story was leaked.
I mean, who would think that a story about nuclear war would just fall flat? That in itself should send up warning flags that something is seriously haywire.
Obviously, the story was written to *do* something, not just inform. So somebody must really be scratching their head. It's like the world doesn't care if Israel nukes Iran.
#6
Yea, moose, that is one aspect of the story, to gauge whether anyone cares. The second part is to plant a false info, IMHO, so Iranians would expect certain modus belli and prepare that way, while some other dish is cooking.
#7
The PYWAR of the PSYWAR of the PSIWAR of the INFOWAR of the COUNTERWAR, etc. As Hollywood would say, WHATS THE MOTIVATION? espec given INFORMATIONCLEARINGHOUSE > HOW THE US CAN LOSE THE WAR article [2004]. Its called the SUNBURN MISSLE, which has been used as evidencia by var Netters/Bloggers that IRAN IS ALREADY A COVERT NUCLEAR POWER, OR AT MINIMA POSSESSES = LONG POSSESSED NUMBERS OF TACTICAL NUKE WARHEADS.
Iran has arrested a "spy" working in parliament's research centre accused of passing information on its nuclear programme to an outlawed armed opposition group, a top MP and state radio said on Tuesday.
Ahmad Tavakoli, a leading MP who heads the research centre, told the Fars news agency that the unidentified individual had been "arrested with the cooperation of the intelligence ministry".
The accused had worked since 2001 at the research centre, which provides background information to help draft legislation, he said.
"During this time he was collecting information and transferring it to the Monafeghin (hypocrites)", he said, using the authorities' customary shorthand for the banned People's Mujahedeen opposition group.
Tavakoli did not give further details or say when the individual was arrested but state radio said he had been giving "nuclear information to the Monafeghin".
"The accused's case has been completed for trial and soon the trial will start," Tavakoli added.
Amid increasing tensions over Iran's controversial nuclear programme, the authorities have arrested several "spies" in recent years. The People's Mujahedeen in 2003 revealed the existence of sensitive Iranian nuclear sites that had hitherto been kept secret.
Lebanese army commander General Michel Suleiman said the military will protect public institutions from any "break in" attempt by Hizbullah-led protestors who threatened to launch serial demonstrations as of Tuesday to topple Premier Fouad Saniora's government.
"The Lebanese army will by no means allow any break into any public or private institution," Suleiman said in an interview published by the daily As Safir on Tuesday.
Suleiman said the role of the Lebanese army is "to protect the demonstrators but we will not tolerate any disturbance."
The opposition, spearheaded by Hizbullah, decided to launch on Tuesday serial protests targeting public offices throughout Lebanon after its 37-day sit-in in downtown Beirut failed to topple Premier Fouad Saniora's government. Time's running short ...
The decision was announced by ex-minister Talal Arslan after a meeting of opposition representatives Monday at the residence of Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun in suburban Rabiyeh, north of Beirut.
The General Federation of Labor Unions (GFLU) staged a sit-in Tuesday near offices of the finance ministry to protest against a six-point socio-economic recovery and reform plan adopted by the Saniora government.
Tehran, 9 Jan. (AKI) - Iranian reformist lawmakers have started collecting signatures in Parliament to demand the impeachment of the country's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. So far, 38 signatures have been collected out of the 72 required to formally summon Ahmadinejad and request his impeachment. Noureddin Pirmouzen, a deputy with the reformist minority, says it is nonetheless "positive to remove the head of question" the head of the executive branch.
"Many actions of the current government and of president Ahmadinejad have led the country to an extremely worrying political and economic situation," Pirmouzen told the Iranian news website Aftab.
Referring to a resolution of the UN Security Council unanimously approved on 23 December which imposes sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear programme, the MP said "it is the last straw which has made Iranians loose their patience." The international community fears Iran is trying to build nuclear weapons and has repeatedly asked the government to halt sensitive nuclear work - a demand ignored by Tehran which claims its programme is solely for civilian use.
"Parliament cannot sit still in front of the current situation and watch as the economy worsens because of the government's insanity inability," he added.
Issa Saharkhiz, editor and political analyst, told Adnkronos International (AKI) that "Ahmadinejad's golden era is over."
"I don't think Ahmadinejad will leave the presidency before his mandate expires but I am also convinced he will not succeed in winning a second term," added Saharkhiz. "Many factions and personalities who supported Ahmadinejad's candidature at the 2005 presidential elections have already abandoned him and don't spare criticism, even harsh and direct, of the president and his government."
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad became president after an overwhelming victory in June 2005 but his then contender, Ali-Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, and moderate conservative rivals of the president did far better than Ahmadinejad's allies in December polls to elect local councils and the powerful watchdog, the Assembly of Experts.
Looks like the post-Khamenei sub-carpet wrestling is in full swing. And more than a bit of the Persian version of taqqiyah, too.
#3
Hellfire, folks. If ya kick the king, ya better kill him, so to speak. If they do not get enough signatures to impeach AND convict Dinnerjacket, they have only succeeded in making a hanging list for said Dinnerjacket.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
01/09/2007 21:41 Comments ||
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#4
GFL on that one, guys.
Y'all's wills made out? :-D
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
01/09/2007 22:31 Comments ||
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A senior officer in the volunteer Basij militia said on Monday Iran could block oil traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz if the West threatens its economy over Tehrans nuclear programme. Given Irans authority over the Strait of Hormuz, the passageway to more than 40 percent of the worlds energy, we have become so strong that the worlds economic and energy security are in the hands of Iran, deputy Basij commander General Majid Mir Ahmadi was quoted as saying by the semi-official Fars news agency.
We can exert pressure on the US and British economies as much as we ourselves are put under pressure, he said. US allies, especially those who host US military sites or facilitate American strategies against us, are exposed to our threat, Mir Ahmadi added. This is the Islamic republics strategy in the Persian Gulf security for everyone or for nobody.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/09/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Gee, that's kinda inconvenience the Chinese, won't it?
#4
Bold but stupid words for a country that imports its gasoline and relies on oil exports for money. Maybe they are planning to switch to a sand-based economy when push comes to shove.
#6
...Man, for people so obsessed with history, they got lousy memories. Do they remember at all what happened the LAST time they tangled with the USN?..
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
01/09/2007 9:01 Comments ||
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#7
Exerting "pressure" is one thing, relieving it is another.
And what's with a "senior officer" in the "volunteer" militia? I know a few Kentucky Colonels - do they count?
#11
"The hills are alive (around Bandar Abbas) with the flame of napalm..."
Sure, guys, go ahead. Now, meet Mr. Sledgehammer flights I, II, and III. Oh, and you can't do sh$$ when you're dead.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
01/09/2007 19:57 Comments ||
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Dinnerjacket is working off the principle of inductive reasoning. He has made repeated threats, the West has flinched repeatedly. He keeps making threats, Europe flinches. So he keeps up the same behaviours. But there are carrier groups in the neighborhood. There are Marines sailing to the theater. And there is quite a gaggle of B-52s and their crews with the necessary munitions being maintained in Diego Garcia.
Bottom line: the world will not let this little big mouthed maggot take away a great percentage of its life blood. So, do you feel lucky today, punk?
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
01/09/2007 21:50 Comments ||
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Iran's top ayatollah Monday called on Muslim nations to preach togetherness between Shia and Sunni in the face of what he termed an Anglo-American plot. Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khameni told an audience in Tehran that the ongoing sectarian violence in Iraq was the result of U.S. and British agitation aimed ultimately at Iran.
Iran's IRNA news service said the bloody feuding between Shiites and Sunnis in Iraq was caused by the West as a cover for its failed policies in not only Iraq and Afghanistan but Palestine and Lebanon as well. He also cautioned Arab leaders not to form alliances with the United States and Britain against Iran, whose nuclear program has led to calls for economic sanctions, according to IRNA. "Even though such an alliance takes shape, it will not work, because it would be an alliance against Islam," Khamenei said.
He repeated that Iran would not cancel its nuclear enrichment program, and that Iranian influence in the Persian Gulf was beneficial to the entire region. "Helmuth, speaking for Boskone, out!"
Posted by: Fred ||
01/09/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Hold on a sec, this is the muhula that is 'possed to be in a stable condition. Is his lip moving? Upper, lower?
He seems to be repeating himself. Someone should check whether there were some recent Iran's purchases of Japanese androids.
#2
What, no mention of Israel? Even the brainwashed Europeans, and Holliwood stars with delusions of being directors, know were the source of all evil lies!
#4
" Iran's top ayatollah Monday called on Muslim nations to preach togetherness between Shia and Sunni in the face of what he termed an Anglo-American plot"
A clasic R.O.P. moment. Western holy men usually preach togetherness without reasoning it.
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.
Six Bangladeshi peacekeepers under United Nations command were demoted, dismissed or reprimanded for their roles in a sex-abuse case while on assignment in the Sudan, but U.N. officials are powerless to bring charges or prosecute the soldiers for their alleged crime.
The secretive leader of a Nigerian terror group is threatening "a more ruthless" set of attacks on U.S. and European oil facilities, including burning workers alive on offshore oil rigs. Nigeria is the fifth largest supplier of oil to the Untied States, and security experts fear new attacks, in combination with parallel attacks in the Mideast, could lead to oil at $120 a barrel and U.S. gasoline prices of $5 to $6 a gallon. "Every little spike in Nigeria causes us serious problems when it comes to global oil prices," said Ann Korin of the Institute for Analysis of Global Security.
Tehran, 9 Jan. (AKI) - Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is preparing to leave Tehran on Friday for a tour of Latin America which will lead him to Venezuela, Nicaragua and Ecuador. Ahmadinejad, who had already visited the region in September, is scheduled to land Saturday morning in the Venezuelan capital Caracas where he will be greeted by president Hugo Chavez, his closest ally in South America. 
Japan is drawing up contingency plans to deal with an influx of North Korean refugees caused by a military emergency or civil anarchy. Japanese government officials estimate an emergency could lead to an exodus of as many as 150,000 "boat people," who would overtax Japan's social services, the Asahi Shimbun quoted unidentified officials Saturday.
MADRID - 
Qazi Hussain Ahmed will not quit as president of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) and his recent statement that he wants to resign was only a message of anger to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl), MMA sources told Daily Times on Monday. 
PAKISTAN military ruler Pervez Musharraf and exiled former prime minister Benazir Bhutto are on the verge of a remarkable political deal that will pave the way for presidential and parliamentary elections in the country in the next few months. Central to the arrangement will be Ms Bhutto's agreeing to General Musharraf's election to another five-year term as president - even though, ever since he seized power in a coup in 1999, she has been implacably opposed to his regime. 
Reports yesterday said that after months of intensive negotiations between emissaries from General Musharraf and representatives of Ms Bhutto, the President's side had agreed that she would not be arrested when she returned home and that corruption cases against her in Pakistan would be mothballed. After the elections, the power-sharing between different political forces would see the position of prime minister go to Ms Bhutto's PPP, reports said. But whether Ms Bhutto would become prime minister remained uncertain, as General Musharraf has repeatedly insisted he would not permit her return to power or her running for public office. 
It seems there may be a difference between allowing her to return home and participating in the election process - despite the corruption charges hanging over her head and that of her husband, Asif Zardari - and actually being a candidate for office in the election. Attempts to contact Ms Bhutto last night proved fruitless, but it is believed her view is that if the PPP wins the assembly elections, the political momentum generated would sweep her back into office as prime minister. Trucking with General Musharraf is, however, a very high-risk strategy for Ms Bhutto, who has spent a lifetime promoting civilian rule and whose father was hanged by a previous military ruler, General Mohammad Zia ul-Haq. 
A Sunni Iraqi MP accused Iran of deploying thousands of fighters near Iraq's borders with Saudi Arabia to "transmit disorder" into the kingdom, reported a Saudi newspaper on Monday. "Iran has started recently forming a 10 000 military brigade, dubbed 'Brigade of Mecca', with bases in Al-Samawah and Al-Nakhib Desert (in Iraq), near the Iraq-Saudi border, in order to transmit disorder across borders," Al-Watan quoted MP Mohammad al-Daeni as saying. 
Palestinian tensions in Gaza surged Monday as the ruling Hamas movement issued a warning to a strongman of the rival Fatah faction a day after his vitriolic attack on the Islamists at a huge rally. Hamas accused Mohammad Dahlan, a Fatah MP, of trying to bring down the government "on the orders of his boss [US Secretary of State] Condoleezza Rice," according to a statement released in Gaza. "We place the responsibility for each drop of Palestinian blood spilled personally on Dahlan along with his putschist movement," Hamas said. "We firmly warn against any attempts on Hamas leaders, members of its armed wing or its executive force. Those who play with fire will be burned."
A senior officer in the volunteer Basij militia said on Monday Iran could block oil traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz if the West threatens its economy over Tehrans nuclear programme. Given Irans authority over the Strait of Hormuz, the passageway to more than 40 percent of the worlds energy, we have become so strong that the worlds economic and energy security are in the hands of Iran, deputy Basij commander General Majid Mir Ahmadi was quoted as saying by the semi-official Fars news agency.
