KABUL, Afghanistan, Jan. 16, 2007 The Afghan National Army is making tremendous progress and is a factor on the battlefield, officials here said today. Progress has been slower for the country's national police, however. Army Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, the commander of Combined Forces Command Afghanistan, said that the progress of the army is truly impressive, particularly given the status of Afghanistan when officials began forming this force in 2002.
Afghanistan had a 20 percent literacy rate, and the country had limited infrastructure and no political structures or army. I was here in 2002-2003 when we began this process, Eikenberry said. I used the expression in 2003 that we, the United States, wanted the Afghan army more than the Afghans did. I came back in 2005, and I was using the expression that we wanted the army about as much as the Afghans did.
Now I will firmly tell you in 2007 that the Afghans want this army more than we do, he continued. And thats the critical metric. We can help train and army, we can help equip an army, we can help build facilities for the army, but only the Afghan people can breathe a soul into that army.
(SomaliNet) The transitional federal government Tuesday has agreed to reopen three FM stations and Al-Jazeera TV office in the capital after hours of close doors meeting with its administrators. Shortly after the government acceptance all three broadcasters began to air their regular programs and continued normal activities.
The National Security Agency officers in Mogadishu had intensive meeting with directors of Shabelle Radio, Horn Afrik Radio and TV, IQK Radio and Al-Jazeera office discussing over how their stations would speed up the awareness of introducing peace and security in the Somalia capita and throughout the country. We have been told to stop broadcasting the sensitive reports that might damage the peace and stability and urged to encourage activities of establishing peace and security, Mohamed Amin, the deputy director of Shabelle Media Network told Somalinet after the meeting.
Amin said the NSA offices dealt in good manner telling us the best way to promote peace in the country and avoid anything that might cause sensitivity. No conditions have been set before the officials of the independent media stations.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/17/2007 00:00 ||
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"we know where you live..."
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/17/2007 9:12 Comments ||
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"We have been told to stop broadcasting the sensitive reports that might damage the peace and stability and urged to encourage activities of establishing peace and security,
(SomaliNet) Somalis interim Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi said Tuesday the African Union peacekeepers will be deployed in Somalia as soon as possible as Ethiopian government declared to pull its forces from Somalia within weeks. The premier made the statement in a speech to the transitional parliament in Baidoa city, southwest of the capital. He returned there yesterday.
He has underscored that his government made progress in the security issues in Somalia since the government took control of Mogadishu Dec. 24, 2007. About 40 foreign armed insurgents were captured, those were hiding in Mogadishu and now they are going under investigation over their involvement of the Islamist activities, said Gedi. He added that the government achieved the success through force, not by begging. Normally, the government is needed to be powerful. he said.
Mr. Gedi also talked about the meetings his government had with Somali clans to stabilize the capital. Gedi assured that AU peacekeepers will arrive Somalia soon to help the transitional federal government establish peace and security and train more security forces.
His latest comment came as waves of insurgent attacks against the Ethiopian forces supporting the transitional federal institutions continue. Gedis stay in Baidoa is part of campaign aimed to vote against the speaker of the parliament Sharif Hassan Sheik Aden who is away from the country for political rift with the president and the prime minister.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/17/2007 00:00 ||
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(SomaliNet) South Africas President, Thabo Mbeki, has said that his government will use this week to reflect upon sending its troops to war ravaged Somalia. "Yesterday again I met the foreign minister of Kenya who had been sent by the East Africa region ... They are requesting we should assist with the deployment of troops in Somalia. I did say to the minister we will look at the matter this week," Mbeki said on national television.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/17/2007 00:00 ||
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Jeez, just what the Somalis need : a bunch of half-trained, AIDS-infected, ANC cadres sent there to make propaganda points for Mbeki. The SADF used to be a major military on par with the Brits or Israelis, now it is one giant dumping ground for the ANC and it cannot even maintain its equipment.
KUWAIT CITY - Kuwaits supreme court Tuesday upheld the jail sentences imposed against five nationals in two separate cases for joining the anti-US insurgencies in Afghanistan and Iraq. In the first case, the court upheld the five-year sentences handed down against Maqbool Fahd Al Maqbool, 27, Mohammed Al Mutairi, 27, and Adel Yussif Buhaimed, 37, for travelling to Afghanistan to fight under Al Qaeda command against US and other NATO troops.
The three men had also been convicted with a fourth man still at large of financing the October 2000 attack on the destroyer USS Cole in the Yemeni port of Aden in which 17 US sailors were killed.
And we should be sure to be waiting to collect these three mooks the day they get out of the Kuwaiti slammer.
In the second case, the court upheld the three-year jail sentences handed down against Abdullah Al Shimmari and Ali Al Subaie for travelling to Iraq with the aim of fighting US troops there. The court also confirmed an additional two-year sentence against Shimmari for using a forged passport to return to Kuwait.
The supreme courts judgements are final.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/17/2007 00:00 ||
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...One site (name escapes me this AM)suggested that there's another reason the Saudis want this lovefest: they've quietly dismissed the idea of any kind of OPEC production cut. If oil prices collapse (and a LOT of oil industry commentators are now talking about at least a brief drop to $35 a barrel), the Saudis will take a hit - but they will be much better placed to absorb it than will - ta-DAHHHH!! - the Iranians. If oil goes under $50 a barrel, the MMs will be looking at a massive hit on an already shaky economy. The idea is that if the Iranians get invited to a regional meeting and they're bleeding money, they might be a bit more willing to actually do something.
Myself, I don't think it'll work - the MMs have way too much personal prestige and power tied up in their many nefarious activities - but I think it's at least worth a try.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
01/17/2007 8:19 Comments ||
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#3
All the Iranian have to do is lob a couple of missiles towards the general direction of the Saudi peninsula; faster than talking and market price correction will be instantaneous.
Posted by: john ||
01/17/2007 9:11 Comments ||
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#4
john, that would be all the excuse we would need to smack them.
#5
There are 158 targets between Kharg Island and Bandar Abbas. There are 52 targets between Bandar Abbas and Chah Bahaar. There are 32 targets between Kharq island and Abadan. Twenty-one B-1s, eight B-2s, and 40 B-52s can destroy all those targets within six hours, with conventional weapons. That still leaves two Carrier Battle Groups, and infantry landing force, all the extra airpower in Iraq, Turkey, Afghanistan and elsewhere free to roam. Iran keeps shaking its fist at the "little satan" and the "big satan", when they should be keeping their mouths shut and a low profile. "Interesting times" once again...
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
01/17/2007 18:38 Comments ||
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I think this is the same story as the one posted by Fred below, but this one has the details.
A British-born terror suspect was on the run last night after breaking his control order and evading police by taking shelter in a mosque. The man, aged 26, is thought to have escaped abroad after claiming that he wanted to undertake terror training in Afghanistan.
Opposition MPs last night demanded that the suspect be identified. Currently there is an anonymity order in place and the Government has not applied to overturn it. Nothing more important for British liberty than to keep terror suspects anonymous
The man, who is of Pakistani origin and lives in Manchester, was only placed under the control order this month. But within four days he disappeared. Police sources say that the man failed to show up at a local police station to surrender his passport. He was traced to a nearby mosque, where community leaders say he had sought sanctuary. Police rarely enter a mosque: they began discussions with both local community figures and leading officials connected to the mosque.
It is understood that while these talks were taking place, the young suspect was helped to escape through a back entrance while officers from Greater Manchester Police were stationed outside. Intelligence sources believe the man has left the country and is thought to be already in Pakistan.
Whitehall officials said it is not known whether the person inside the mosque who helped this suspect escape knew that he was under a control order.
Oh no, they'd never help one of their own escape from the infidel coppers. Course not.
The suspect is one of 19 men subject to the control orders, which the Government was forced to adopt after the courts ruled that it was unlawful to hold terror suspects without trial. The Shadow Home Secretary, said: This latest failure demonstrates what we said some time ago. This legislation has achieved the remarkable double of being both repressive and ineffective at the same time.
He demanded that the Home Office name the terror suspect on the run.
#5
Well if they dont name him , at least name the mosque which aided and abetted a known criminal with terrorist ties , and close the thing down . forever .
SYDNEY'S most influential radical Muslim cleric has been caught on film calling Jews pigs and urging children to die for Allah.
Firebrand Sheik Feiz Mohammed, head of the Global Islamic Youth Centre in Liverpool, delivered the hateful rants on a collection of DVDs called the Death Series being sold in Australia and overseas.
"Today many parents, they prevent their children from attending lessons. Why? They fear that they might create a place in the their hearts, the love, just a bit of the love, of sacrificing their lives for Allah," Sheik Feiz says in the video.
"We want to have children and offer them as soldiers defending Islam. Teach them this: There is nothing more beloved to me than wanting to die as a mujahid (holy warrior). Put in their soft, tender hearts the zeal of jihad and a love of martyrdom."
An Australian citizen born in Sydney who has spent the past year living in Lebanon, Sheik Feiz was exposed this week in a British documentary Undercover Mosque.
Investigators found Sheik Feiz's DVDs being sold by children in the carpark of the Green Lane Mosque in Birmingham and other Islamic bookshops. The entire set can be bought online for $150.
"The peak, the pinnacle, the crest, the highest point, the pivot, the summit of Islam is jihad," he declares in the film, before denouncing "kaffirs" (non-Muslims).
"Kaffir is the worst word ever written, a sign of infidelity, disbelief, filth, a sign of dirt."
In an excerpt from a video lecture series called Signs of the Hour, Sheik Feiz then ridicules Jews as pigs.
Sheik Feiz - who just two weeks ago said he felt like an "alien" in his own country - leads about 4000 followers through his Global Islamic Youth Centre in Sydney's southwest.
He also accused Australian authorities of being over-zealous in their approach to clerics like him.
"There are no sheiks preaching chaos there. No one is telling people to raise arms against the Australian community," he said.
Sheik Feiz left for Lebanon just before the arrest of 23 men in Sydney and Melbourne in November 2005.
#2
Sheik Feiz Mohammed :
Today many parents, they prevent their children from attending lessons. Why? They fear that they might create a place in the their hearts, the love, just a bit of the love, of sacrificing their lives for Allah.
Gee, for Allah? Different Allah than the one we used to think Muslims worshipped. I guess that this :
is who he really is getting instructions from...
Most Importantly, we can all send him a message and tell him what we think about his encouraging children to be suicide bombers (direct from the website (in Red, the color of Hell):
This is your opportunity to ask Sheikh Feiz any questions that you may have.
Send your questions to (Sheikh Feiz) Sheikh@giyc.com.au
Be mindful that Sheikh Feiz is very busy and he will do his up most to get back to you asap.
Busy? Yup, busy talking with Osama by carrier pigeon, methinks!
#7
If the Brits were astute enough to have laws against inciting violence it seems to me that Undercover Mosque documentary would be a good excuse to close the mosque. Turn it into a pub where you can get some pork pies and beer. Think I'll go get a slice of sausage pizza for lunch.
#15
I don't think you would have to be a shrink to understand what the Shakes problem is.
'Every minute in the world a woman is raped, and she has no one to blame but herself, for she has displayed her beauty to the whole world," Sheikh Feiz Muhammad told a packed public meeting in the Bankstown Town Hall last month. "Strapless, backless, sleeveless - they are nothing but satanical. Mini-skirts, tight jeans - all this to tease men and to appeal to (their) carnal nature."
There was pressure on Muslim women to unveil, the sheikh said, and this was because "they want you to be available for their gross, disgusting, filthy abomination! They want you to be a sex symbol!" The woman who wore the hijab was hiding her beauty from the eyes of "lustful, hungry wolves", he said.
#16
yep...he has issues. Someone laughed at his peepee at an early age, and he has impure thoughts, caused by his mama and "all the rest of the whores"
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/17/2007 19:53 Comments ||
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ALMOST a year after violent protests against Danish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, the editor who commissioned the drawings said they had prompted a vital debate on the integration of Islam in the West.
Flemming Rose, culture editor of daily Jyllands-Postenm, said he had published the 12 cartoons depicting Mohammed to defend free expression against what he saw as self-censorship over Islam in Denmark and Europe.
The cartoons sparked protests by Muslims around the world in which at least 50 people died. Many Muslims regard any image of the Prophet as blasphemous.
The cartoons didn't create a new reality, they just made an existing reality visible. This reality is about differences in culture that have been taboo to discuss in Europe, Mr Rose said.
Mr Rose declined to say if he would publish the cartoons again but added he did not accept the premise that the protests and deaths were a direct result of the drawings.
Jyllands-Posten published the 12 cartoons in September 2005 about Mohammed, including one depicting the founder of Islam with a bomb in his turban.
The Turkish intelligence community envisions the demise of Iraq and several other Middle East states by 2015. Turkish sources said the intelligence community has issued an assessment that predicted the collapse of several Middle East countries torn by ethnic and religious tension. The community has urged the government to prepare for such a scenario. "In this period that we are currently in, we will see the process by which many nations will lose the marathon of history," National Intelligence Organization Undersecretary Emre Taner said.
Taner was reflecting a threat analysis drafted by the organization, known by its Turkish acronym, MIT. In an address on Jan. 5, Taner warned that several Middle East states could soon collapse, which would imperil Turkey as well.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/17/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
The Federated Kurdish States is not such an appealing prospect is it?
#5
It might be a good thing if Iraq were to split, with Kurdistan forming a greater Kurdistan with their parts of Syria and Iran restored to them, and southern Arab Iraq united with Iranian Khuzestan.
#6
I think what they're trying to say is that Turkey stands ready to pick up the pieces and reestablish the Ottoman Empire. I can't wait for them to clash with the new Persian Empire.
(ht Drudge) As Reporter Pam Hess recently commented, "nobody is asking the national security questions if we retreat (cut and run) from Iraq for fear of appearing to carry Bush's water. And the American public is getting screwed." And she did use the word "screwed". Iraq's just like Vietnam and Iwo Jima all rolled up together. FU Hagel.
By ANNE FLAHERTY
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Senate Democrats working with a well-known Republican war critic are developing a resolution declaring that President Bush's troop build up in Iraq "is not in the national interest," said people familiar with the document.
The resolution also would put the Senate on record as saying the U.S. commitment in Iraq "can only be sustained" with popular support among the American public and in Congress, according to officials who are knowledgeable about the draft.
These officials would speak only on grounds of anonymity because the drafting is still under way. Sen. Chuck Hagel, a Nebraska Republican and potential 2008 presidential candidate, is helping Democrats with the wording of the anti-war resolution.
"It is not in the national interest of the United States to deepen its military involvement in Iraq, particularly by escalating U.S. troop presence in Iraq," it says.
The resolution will be cosponsored by Sens. Carl Levin and Joseph Biden, as well as Hagel. Levin, D-Mich., chairs the Armed Services Committee, and Biden, D-Del., heads the Foreign Relations Committee.
The Senate leadership is expected by Thursday to propose the resolution, with debate planned around the same time that Bush delivers his State of the Union speech next Tuesday.
Hagel's agreement to help Democrats champion the resolution amounts to a setback to the administration and to Bush, who has argued vehemently that some 21,500 additional U.S. troops are needed to help the Iraqi government calm sectarian violence in Baghdad and Anbar province.
Bush announced on Jan. 10 that he planned to augment the more than 130,000 forces in Iraq with the additional 21,5000 troops.
Earlier, Bush summoned Republicans skeptical of the war to the White House to discuss the issue as Democratic House and Senate leaders maneuver for votes to gauge GOP opposition to Bush's policy.
The White House refused to say who was invited to meet with Bush.
The resolutions in Congress seemed likely to be largely symbolic and they would not affect the Pentagon's war budget or challenge the president's authority over U.S. forces. Such votes, however, could be a shot across the bow to Bush.
The resolutions also would help Democrats measure GOP support for more aggressive legislative tactics, such as cutting off funds for the war.
Such a vote puts many Republicans in an uncomfortable position. They will have to decide whether to stay loyal to an unpopular GOP president and risk angering voters disillusioned by the war or buck the party line.
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., said Wednesday she thinks there should be a cap on U.S. troops in Iraq and said she wants "to condition American aid to the Iraqis on their meeting political benchmarks."
"I am opposed to this escalation," she said on NBC's "Today" program. "The Bush administration has frankly failed to put any leverage on this government," said Clinton, considered a likely 2008 Democratic presidential front-runner, although she has not yet entered the race.
Bush has been trying to sell his revised war plan to the public in a series of television interviews. He told PBS's Jim Lehrer in an interview broadcast Tuesday that keeping his old policies in place would lead to "a slow failure," but withdrawing from Iraq, as some Democrats and other critics suggest, would result in an "expedited failure."
"I am frustrated with the progress," Bush said. "A year ago, I felt pretty good about the situation. I felt like we were achieving our objective, which is a country that can govern, sustain and defend itself. No question, 2006 was a lousy year for Iraq."
Several GOP members of Congress have offered only lukewarm endorsements of Bush's plan.
Republican Rep. Chris Shays _ who scraped by in the November elections while his GOP Connecticut colleagues Rob Simmons and Nancy Johnson lost their seats _ said his vote would depend on what Democrats come up with. He said he supports the troop push if there are guarantees offered by the Iraqis that they will reach a political settlement.
Lining up behind Bush in the Senate are Republican stalwarts and a few members who have long backed sending more troops to Iraq, including Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
Acknowledging their party is divided on Iraq, Republican leaders are trying to stave off a showdown in Congress by casting Democratic efforts as a political ploy to embarrass the president.
Republicans are also discussing alternative proposals, including one House resolution promising to keep funding for troops in combat.
The White House cautioned lawmakers about the consequences of voting against a buildup.
"The one thing the president has said is, whatever you do, make sure you support the troops," press secretary Tony Snow said at the White House. "And the question people who support this resolution will have to ask is, how does this support the troops?"
#2
Wonder how cowardly they'd retreat before Cromwell. The Donks keep playing this game [Vietnam, Somalia, Iraq], one day they might find out. Then when no one comes to their aid, they'll understand what Jefferson meant when he cited the 'consent of the governed'. It's never been about casting votes. Dictators have too many records of 99% votes. It's the willingness of the people to lay on it the line when real power is at hand that determines 'consent'.
DEARBORN -- About 40 Muslim Metro Detroiters say they were stranded at an airport in Frankfurt, Germany, and given a series of explanations about why they could not board their Northwest Airlines flight to Detroit Metropolitan Airport. A spokesman for Northwest said Tuesday that the travelers, who were returning from a pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, reported to the gate about 20 minutes before their connecting flight was to take off. They were barred from making the trip by airline and international flight rules, he said.
But the Muslim travelers, including two imams, and their advocates -- the Council on American-Islamic Relations -- adamantly rejected the airline's statement at a press conference Tuesday, saying flight rules were at least the third reason given for why the pilgrims could not board the Jan. 7 flight. "We arrived at the gate at least an hour and 30 minutes before the departure," said Imam Sayed Hassan al-Qazwini of the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn. "Others who came after us were allowed to board the airplane."
Qazwini and other travelers said airline staff in Frankfurt told them to stand to the side and offered no explanation for why they were not processed for boarding. Some of them had boarding passes. Then, they say, they were told by airline and airport officials that the flight was overbooked. Subsequently, they said, they were told that because their flight from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to Germany was a charter flight, their information for the flight to Metro Airport was not properly recorded in computers. Some of the travelers were left in the Frankfurt Airport for more than a day.
It's a conspiracy!
But a spokesman for the airline said Tuesday the problem was simply a matter of the travelers appearing too late at the gate in Frankfurt. "They showed up at the last minute," said Dean Breest, a Northwest spokesman. "Those who showed up in time were allowed on the plane. Some of them had boarding passes, and they were allowed on the plane. The others were late. We did work with all of them to make sure that they were on other flights that day."
The airline released a statement saying, in part, "Northwest Airlines policy states that passengers must check in for international flights at least 60 minutes prior to departure and be on board the aircraft at least 30 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time."
But the travelers said Tuesday they can't believe the airline would offer the explanation now. Several said that after landing in Frankfurt at 7:30 a.m. for their 10:20 a.m. flight to Detroit Metro, they proceeded immediately to the departure gate to check-in. "We were told to stand to the side an hour and 55 minutes before the plane took off, after a 45-minute security check," said Jennifer Zreik, 29, of Dearborn. "We were in line before everyone else was."
Qazwini said he hopes the airline will apologize and compensate the travelers affected by the delay. Without a resolution to the issue, Qazwini said he will consider contacting other Muslim groups to urge a boycott of Northwest. The travelers are considering legal action.
#7
Oh, blow me. How about this: "ex-Army officer complains about treatment in Frankfurt." I flew out out of there for the holidays, and just about fuckin blew my lid. Got there plenty early. Waited in line to get into another line. Noticed that check-in for Lufthansa flights to the US and Israel are separated off from all others, grouped and screened together.
Then, it was off to throw away our lighters, then to the security checkpoint; shoes off, the works. 100 meters later, we had to do it all over again at a second checkpoint (in case we picked up a time bomb at duty free in between, I guess). Shoes off, the works -- plus, a pat-down that involved a shocking level of interest in my bra and panties. I mean, shocking -- yet they won't lift a Muslim woman's veil? It was such a struggle to stay in control, I actually blurted out, "was it as good for you as it was for me?" Thankfully, I suppose, she didn't understand.
All that, only to find that meals on board came with metal knives.
We endure these indignities only because our governments would rather hassle us compliant sheep in the name of "tolerance," than get off their duffs and pulverize these muzzie assholes already. My reward for obediently showing up three hours early is to get my zooch felt up, and these guys are whining? Sympathy in my book is right between shit and syphilis.
#9
The official rating is 9.76 (an extra 0.04 deducted for failure to label the pat-downer as "a Nazi bull leather dyke").
Truly superb rant, though.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
01/17/2007 17:28 Comments ||
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#10
Inform all the complainers that they're now on the "no-fly" list, and that idiots who can't comprehend the need to get to the airplane on time shouldn't be allowed to fly.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
01/17/2007 18:03 Comments ||
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#12
IIUC, latin for "casabas" or more colloquially, "rack"
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/17/2007 19:50 Comments ||
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#13
When I was a kid, "zooch" was my mother's word for "down there." Mind you, we were out in the open, not screened off anywhere, and I was not given the option.
However, to be fair, she wasn't truly "a Nazi bull leather dyke" -- just one of those infuriatingly meticulous Germans who live to scrutinize your papers.
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad flights to the US get the Israeli-grade security workover. But I get the sense that Germans privately enjoy having an excuse to harass Americans and Israelis. Can't imagine why.
#14
Thank you, Frank, exJAG. Mama was a health care professional, Daddy a medical research professor, so we used the proper technical terminology at home. I really appreciate the opportunity to learn an entire segment of vocabulary that I was missing. (Mr. Wife explains things, too. For some reason he still finds this amusing.)
Prime Minister Stephen Harper should stand up to the U.S. government and make it stop pressuring Canadian banks into denying U.S. dollar accounts to customers of certain nationalities, Muslim groups said yesterday. The groups decried as discriminatory a Royal Bank decision to deny U.S. dollar accounts to citizens of six sanctioned countries - including Iraq, Iran and Sudan - even if those customers also hold Canadian citizenship.
Mohamed Elmasry, president of the Canadian Islamic Congress, said that the Royal Bank and other banks should refuse to comply with U.S. regulations, and he called on the prime minister to fight Washington for infringing on Canadian sovereignty.
"It's unacceptable," he said in a telephone interview from Waterloo, Ont. "It seems the Americans are blackmailing Canadian banks to follow their policy.
"We will ask the prime minister to intervene to protect Canadian citizens, immigrants and visa holders from intimidation by Americans." Elmasry added that the Royal Bank should "not succumb to Americans dictating what we can and cannot do in Canada."
But Royal Bank spokesperson David Moorcroft said the bank has no choice but to comply with U.S. government regulations aimed at fighting terrorism financing and money laundering and at enforcing sanctions.
The rules apply to citizens and/or residents of Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Cuba, North Korea and Myanmar who want to use U.S. dollar chequing accounts. The same rules apply to banks around the world, Moorcroft said.
He said cheques drawn on U.S. dollar accounts for transactions outside Canada are processed in the United States and therefore must comply with that country's laws. "Clients open (accounts) in U.S. dollars primarily to make payments into the U.S. or in other countries that will be processed through the U.S.," Moorcroft said. "If you want to use their currency, in their country, through their clearing-and-payment system, they want you to obey their rules."
Moorcroft said the United States has been stepping up its enforcement of the long-standing rules over the past year and any bank that doesn't comply faces fines and even the loss of access to the U.S. payments system. A pair of European banks have already been assessed fines running into the millions, he said. "If we didn't apply this policy properly, we could lose the right to provide this service to over 600,000 people."
Moorcroft said a couple of dozen people have been denied U.S. dollar accounts while a small number of clients have had their accounts taken away.
Several other banks take a different view on the issue. Spokespersons for the TD Bank, the Bank of Montreal and the Bank of Nova Scotia said they don't deny U.S. dollar accounts to citizens of countries on the list as long as they meet normal requirements. A National Bank spokesperson said the bank does comply with the U.S. regulations, although it has never had occasion to refuse an account to a client for that reason.
Salam Elmenyawi, president of the Muslim Council of Montreal, called the enforcement of U.S. regulations in Canada discriminatory, racist and a denial of the presumption of innocence. "Take an Iranian, for example, who is a good Canadian citizen or landed immigrant, why would he be prevented from having an account?" Elmenyawi asked. "How can this advance any cause?
"How can another country come to interfere with us and say: 'I will force you to act against your constitution and I will force you to discriminate in such a way'?" He said banks enforcing the rules should reverse their policy and the federal government should get involved to "ensure our institutions aren't bullied."
But a spokesperson for the federal Finance Department said wire transfers, cheques and drafts drawn on U.S dollar accounts pass through U.S. institutions to be processed and are subject to U.S. law. "At the end of the day, the Canadian government does not have the legislative authority to change U.S. law," said Eric Richer, a spokesperson for Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. "It's up to the Canadian banks to determine how to comply with U.S. law with respect to their U.S. dollar accounts."
Richer declined to comment on the possibility of a diplomatic effort to get the rules changed.
#1
"How can another country come to interfere with us and say: 'I will force you to act against your constitution and I will force you to discriminate in such a way'?"
I dunno. How can someone come to another country and demand we follow their religious practices?
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
01/17/2007 7:40 Comments ||
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#2
"Take an Iranian, for example, who is a good Canadian citizen or landed immigrant, why would he be prevented from having an account?" Elmenyawi asked. "How can this advance any cause?
Nice slip-up, Salami. That would be a Canadian of Iranian descent, wouldn't it? Muzzie first, always
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/17/2007 10:01 Comments ||
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#3
Be reasonable, see it our way. Or get your US bucks cut off.
#4
So the problems or failures of Islam is due to the Mackenzie Bros. not giving enough??? IOW, sounds like ME'sters want a return to controversial 1970's-style Arab dollars account practices.
#3
BTW is Hagel a RINO? I disliked Hagel for being too conservative on domestic issues before I disliked him for his foreign policy positions. Is it that hard to admit there are genuine Republicans who are WRONG?
#6
Hagel IS a self-promoting idiot, and a Senator, but that's redundant. He should be hoist on his own comments to his constituency by the Republican party, bet the voters don't understand how much he strays...the MSM loves him, because he's willing and eager to stab the Pres. He's a traitor to his party
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/17/2007 19:09 Comments ||
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#7
OH NO!!! Republican Stalwart Olympia Snowe has signed on (to the unsigned draft) as well!!!
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/17/2007 20:19 Comments ||
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WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 Senate lawmakers sharply criticized the Bush administration on Tuesday for failing to provide refuge in the United States for the most vulnerable of the Iraqis fleeing the violence at home.
The United Nations estimates that two million Iraqis have fled the country and that 1.7 million are currently displaced within the country. Of those, roughly 500,000 have been displaced since February, with roughly 40,000 to 50,000 more fleeing their homes each month. Among them are Iraqis who have been threatened or attacked for working with American troops and companies.
In testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Ellen Sauerbrey, an assistant secretary of state, acknowledged that only 466 Iraqis had been admitted as refugees since the American invasion of Iraq in 2003. She said that expanding the resettlement of vulnerable Iraqis in the United States was a top priority. Ms. Sauerbrey said the State Department was considering several options, including offering the Iraqis refugee or other special status, and expediting the processing of Iraqi religious minorities and of refugees who have worked for the American government.
The bipartisan panel of senators called for prompt action, warning that the United States was abandoning many Iraqis who had helped the United States as translators, guides and contractors at great personal risk.
They're trying their best to turn Iraq into Vietnam, complete with boat people.
We have a special obligation to keep faith with the Iraqis who have bravely worked for us and have often paid a terrible price for it by providing them with safe refuge in the U.S., said Senator Edward M. Kennedy, the Massachusetts Democrat who leads the Judiciary Committees immigration subcommittee.
Not that you'd know anything about loyalty.
Senator Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania, asked Ms. Sauerbrey why the Bush administration was not doing more. Thats a very small percentage of those who are in need, Senator Specter said of the number of Iraqis resettled in the United States. He raised particular concerns about the status of 20,000 available refugee slots for the current fiscal year, which have yet to be allocated to any refugee group. Why not use them now when there is such a crushing need? Mr. Specter asked.
Because the idea is to fix Iraq, not to bring them all over here.
Within the Bush administration, there was, until quite recently, considerable hope that improving security in Iraq would lead many of the displaced to return home. In the Bush administrations proposed report on refugee admissions, which was submitted to Congress last fall, officials said they hoped that significant numbers of Iraqi refugees will ultimately be able to return to Iraq.
That view has changed, officials say. At present more Iraqis are fleeing their homes to other areas of Iraq and to neighboring countries than are returning, Ms. Sauerbrey said.
#1
For once I actually agree with the Swimmer. If we are going to bug out of Iraq, we should not leave our 'terps behind to be slaughtered. They and their families should be offered refuge - "they can do the jobs Americans won't" (like translate all those documents from the Saddam era that are still piled up?)
#2
Why not use them now when there is such a crushing need?
Maybe Senator its because Syria and the other syndicate regimes have been willing to accept only the refugees with suitcases full of cash. A flood of seething uneducated peasants across their border may help them realize there is a downside to their actions. Sometimes a little Imminent Humanitarian Crisis is just what the doctor ordered.
#3
Highly doubt and don't believe that Dubya will purposefully, unilaterally "bug out". Again - is why new 9-11's/Amer Hiroshimas are important to Dubya's enemies. IMO As long as Dubya breathes, or until a new POTUS is chosen ala 2008, BTWN NOW + 2008 [JAN 2009]THE USA WILL STAY IN IRAQ + ME, THE USA WILL UNILATERALLY AND MILITARILY DEFEND ISRAEL, ME ALLIES-MODERS, JAPAN, SK, + TAIWAN. ETC. AS LONG AS DUBYA BREATHES, AS LONG AS DUBYA IS POTUS. "FASCIST/FAR RIGHT" > the DemoLeft is too PC saavy to say to Amer voters en masse that that WOT > "JUSTIFIED" ANTI-US SOCIALISM IN AMERICA + ANTI-US OWG, LIMITED vz FULL GOVT-ISM + TOTALITARIANISM, ......etal. I strongly doubt it does not matter to Amer's Leftist-Socialist enemies whether [anti-US] Socialism andor OWG is voluntarily = forcibly imposed on America. In addition, pre-9-11 and afterwards it was well-reported by various News/Net pundits that Osama = Radical Islam was purchasing or had purchased types of WMDS, including but not limited so-called "suitcase" or other mini-nukes on the black market. IFF THESE REPORTS ARE ONLY PARTIALLY ACCURATE OR RELIABLE, THE USA MUST PRESUME THAT A WMD + NUCLEARIZED ATTACK(S) AGZ AMERICA, INCLUDING AGZ THE US GOVT ITSELF IN WASHINGTON DC, IS PLANNED OR BEING PLANNED TO TAKE PLACE. US INTEL, etc. must presume that Dubya, the Congress, key Fed Agencies, and the National Command Authority ARE CURRENT + FUTURE TARGETS FOR CONVENTIONAL ANDOR NUCLEARIZED/WMD ATTACK. THIS IS WHY DUBYA IS CORRECT AND TO BE LAUDED FOR FIGHTING RADICAL ISLAM "OVER THERE", AND DITTO LAUDED FOR DOING SO DESPITE KNOWING HE COULD BE TARGETED TO GLOW-IN THE-DARK OR BLOWN TO ATOMS. A LIMITED ATTACK TO HURT = HUMILIATE AMERICA CAN EASILY BE TRANSFORMED INTO A FULL-SCALE ATTACK OF NATIONAL ANNIHILATION/DESTRUCTION ONCE A VIABLE OPPORTUNITY(S) IS RECOGNIZED BY AMER'S ENEMIES.
As similar to Japan's infamous BANZAI/GYOKUSAI ATTACKS from WW2, iff one believes that Radical Islamists see success + self-worth only in the afterlife, THEN ONE MUST ACCEPT THAT AMERS ARE DEALING WID DEDICATED FANATICS WHOM PREFER TO KILL AS MANY AMERS AS POSSIBLE BEFORE BEING DESTROYED THEMSELVES, TO CAUSE AS MANY AMER MILFOR + CIVILIAN CASUALTIES IN ORDER TO DEMORALIZE, DELAY OR STOP AMERICA = AMER MIL FORCES, FROM VICTORY.
Americans want $$$, NOT to rule other nations that don't wanna be American. THAT BEING SAID, WORSE-TO-WORSE AMERICANS WILL ATTACK, CONQUER + DESTROY OTHER NATIONS TO SAVE OURSELVES AND OURS. AMERS ARE LOUSY AT STARTING WARS BUT D**** NED OUTSTANDING + UNEQUALED IN WINNING = FINISHING THEM.
ORLANDO, Fla. - New airport screening technology that was trotted out Tuesday was supposed to let passengers keep their footwear on while passing through security. But several travelers complained they had to kick loafers or heels off anyway, even after standing in a kiosk that reads their biometric information and uses radio waves to test for explosives and metal. The scanners are part of a new program at Orlando International Airport that promises shorter screening lines for those who pass a federal background check and pay a $100 annual fee.
But all shoes with metal must still be removed for additional screening because the agency has not approved the devices' ability to distinguish between safe and unsafe metals, said Shawn Dagg, Verified Identity Pass senior vice president.
``That was a bit disappointing. I thought all the hype was that this was going to let you keep your shoes on,'' said Clay Breazeale, a salesman who flies about twice a week. ``The machine simply detected this little piece of metal, so I had to take my shoes off.''
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/17/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
If the scanner would speak in the way of The Manolo, and make the suggestions of other super-fantastic shoes from the zappos.com, it might be much more popular. I know my wife would love it, anyway.
#2
Good lord, eLarson, don't do things like that -- I lost a full half hour of my life looking at things I can't afford! Mr. Wife is seriously lucky I don't have a shoe fetish.
#3
Okay, I admit it: I dig The Manolo. There. I said it.
The Express (DC-area commuter newspaper from the WashingPost family of papers) picks up his column every Friday. It's great writing, even if I don't understand the whole shoe thing.
President General Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday told top army commanders that Pakistan would destroy any hideout used by militants it finds on its territory. Any hideout/sanctuary being used by terrorists/miscreants shall be knocked out wherever it is found, ISPR quoted the president as saying at the 100th Corps Commanders Conference at General Headquarters. The ISPR said the participants decided that the political process in FATA to control extremism and terrorism would continue, but we shall not allow any illegal cross border activity or any terrorist to take refuge in our area, which shall be dealt with by direct military action.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/17/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Yeah like turning a blind eye to Taliban in 4X4 Toyotas fully armed crossing the border!!!!
"Well, an end to *some* faith between us. We'll leave the door just a tiny bit ajar, just in case. And a nightlight in the hall. Just don't let the infidels catch you, 'k?"
Four Afghan refugee camps in Pakistan are to be closed down and residents from two of them sent back to Afghanistan, Ambassador Mahmud Ali Durrrani told the Washington Times on Monday. He said the repatriation of refugees was part of the governments strategy to better control the 1,550-mile border Pakistan shares with Afghanistan. An agreement on the plan was reached on Sunday with national and local leaders in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Balochistan, Durrani told editors and reporters of the newspaper. We had seen some level of activity, (and so) we thought we need to strengthen our systems, he said. It is a porous border; it is a very difficult border.
The four refugee camps hold tens of thousands of the 3 million refugees in the country. Two would be closed around March and the other two later, said the ambassador, adding that arrangements would first be made to receive the refugees in Afghanistan.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/17/2007 00:00 ||
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Yet another UN subsidized terror base. There is no reason why a single refugee needs to be in Pakistan.
FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq, Jan. 16, 2007 Two of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team's most valuable assets never talk about work, preferring to let the results speak for themselves. Even with their quiet demeanor, they have uncovered numerous weapons caches and explosives, and have become two of the most popular members of the unit. They are the unit's two military working dogs, Blacky and Frisko. Blacky, a 2-year-old German shepherd with a dark chocolate coat and is handled by Air Force Tech Sgt. Michael Jones. Jones, from Kingswood, W. Va. Frisko, a 6-year-old black-and-brown German shepherd is handled by Senior Airman Adam La Barr of Rome, N.Y. Both teams are attached to the 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Regiment.
The dogs are trained to sniff out explosives and chase down insurgents. Getting them ready for those essential tasks is up to their handlers. The initial training takes about 90 days. The first step is getting the handler and dog comfortable with each other. Handlers bathe and groom the dogs and learn each other's personalities. Next, the dogs are drilled in obedience, and they begin sniffing for explosives.
The time and training pays off on the battlefield, Jones said. Merely having a dog along pays dividends against insurgents. "Just seeing a dog deters them from running away or trying to pass weapons and explosives through," he said. But the intimidation and heightened senses would be useless without human input.
"The dog and handler are a team," Jones said. "One can't work without the other." Part of the handler's role is to point out areas for the dogs to search. Handlers base the dog's training plan around areas the dog needs to improve. "Blacky is not as good at finding things high up...so in training, I make it where he would want to go up high. I put a couple of training aids up, to show him, sometimes, it's up there," Jones said.
In the real world, though, the trainer wouldn't know where the bomb is placed. This is where the dog's nose comes in handy, and the handler has to understand the dog. When Blacky comes upon a suspected explosive, he reacts passively. "He won't be aggressive, he won't paw at it," Sergeant Jones said. "We don't want that, if there's a bomb in there.
Instead, Blacky sits by the suspected explosive or lies down, if it is lower. Sometimes the response can be even more subtle. "I look for changes in his behavior, to see when he's curious about something," Sergeant Jones said. Frisko reacts in a similar way, but each dog has his own method, La Barr said.
The dogs have found multiple weapons caches and explosives in recent months. When they find something, the dogs get a treat, of sorts. Their handlers break out a misshapen lump of rubber that vaguely resembles a beehive. Blacky and Frisko get to play with the object as the reward for making a find. "They know if they find something, they're going to get that one toy and they're excited," La Barr said.
While people naturally gravitate to the dogs, handlers stress it's important to remember they are not pets. "Everyone thinks they can play with them. That might soften them up, or it could be seen by the dog as an attack," La Barr said. "They are trained to be handler-protective. He's still an animal." As such, the handlers never allow anyone to pet the dogs.
The dog teams' workload is intelligence-driven, but they usually go on about five missions each week. While the basic job is always the same, it's an ever-changing game.
"We adapt our techniques to what the enemy would be using," Jones said.
Posted by: Bobby ||
01/17/2007 08:17 ||
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#1
Have always thought , alot of dog teams over there would be handy , not just for sniffing explosives and such . Most middle easterners in my experience have a in-built fear of dogs , and treat them much the same as vermin , but are scared sh1tless of them . Deploying dogs and such in riot/civil disturbances could also have a knock on effect , disuading people to take up their 'struggle' further , and isolating the real scum .
#3
Blacky and Frisko are my heroes! Love dogs. And it's pretty effective to use them against people groups who are not familiar with dogs . . . fear of the unknown, and all. WOOF!
Saudi Arabia believes the Iraqi government is not up to the challenge and has told the United States that it is prepared to move its own forces into Iraq should the violence there degenerate into chaos, a senior U.S. official told NBC News on Tuesday.
We should call them on this. You want to protect the Sunnis? C'mon in, pay the full tab, provide financial assistance to the Maliki government as well. And we'll expect your troops to whack the 'foreign' jihadis in Anbar.
Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal made no effort to mask his skepticism Tuesday about President Bushs proposal to send 21,000 more U.S. troops to Iraq to stem sectarian fighting. We agree with the full objectives set by the new plan, Saud said at a joint news conference in Riyadh with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is traveling in the region selling Bushs plan. We are hoping these objectives can be accomplished, but the means are not in our hands. They are in the hands of the Iraqis themselves.
In fact, Saudi leaders are privately deeply skeptical that the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki could implement the U.S. plan, the senior U.S. official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to NBC News Andrea Mitchell, who is traveling with Rice.
The Saudi government has signaled in the past that it would oppose an early withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq, fearing it would leave minority Sunni Muslims at the mercy of Shiite Muslim militias. The Saudis primary concern is the Sunni population of Anbar province, the senior U.S. official. The official said the Saudis had informed Washington that they were considering a plan to send troops into the province if Bushs plan failed.
Because they can't let their cousins come to harm from the near-infidel Shi'a.
A White House spokesman declined to comment on the report, which Rice downplayed during a briefing for reporters. She said such a scenario was why it was important for the U.S. plan to produce a unified Iraq. Ive briefed the presidents plan on Iraq at all the different stops, Rice told reporters. There is, I think, very good support for the American commitment there, very good support for the objectives the president wants to achieve.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/17/2007 07:50 ||
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#1
...Oh dear Lord, NO.
During Operation Desert Storm, on at LEAST two occasions that we know of, Saudi aircraft sent on strike missions into Iraq and Kuwait instead flew out to sea, jettisoned their bombs and came back. They apparently either forgot AWACS was out there or figured that Allan would hide them or something, but it got to the point where LTG Horner's staff had to pull an amusingly wicked little stunt to get the attention of the Saudi air commander and get it to stop. My point here is that if Saudi officers under almost certain electronic surveillance would pull something like this to avoid hitting their Muslim brothers, what do you think Saudi soldiers would do if they don't think anyone can see them?
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
01/17/2007 8:25 Comments ||
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#2
I think this was more of a threat to the Maliki and them on just who thier daddy is? They understand full well if they don't produce and we tell the Saudi's to come play it will be flip the script all over again.
#3
I think we might get around the problem by suggesting that the Saudis send some military and police intelligence units to Anbar province, to aid in identification of al-Qaeda and Iranian infiltrators to the coalition forces, not directly to the Iraqi government they don't trust.
They would not be strong enough to challenge the Iraqi army, but could give direct reports to Riyadh, to act as rumor control, and could be allowed limited access to the Shiite south to help our now ongoing program to identify and bust up Iranian espionage networks.
#6
...but it got to the point where LTG Horner's staff had to pull an amusingly wicked little stunt to get the attention of the Saudi air commander and get it to stop
Tell us more, Uncle Mike! /me suspects an amusing story which will not increase my respect for the Saudis.
When the air war started, our AWACS guys noticed some Saudi Tornado flights either going off course, heading out to the Gulf and then returning or more-or-less heading for their targets, then turning around short of said targets. Draw your own conclusions as to why, but the important thing is that the Tornado crews were reporting that they'd hit their targets, but 'malfunctions' were preventing any strike camera footage. (These were all in the same unit, BTW.)
Our guys realized something was up, and notified BGen Buster Glosson's ops staff at Riyadh. He in turn notified LTGen Chuck Horner, the Coalition air commander. He told our guys to quietly talk to the Saudis with maximum discretion and respect for their sensibilities. Our guys expressed their deep concern over the situation, and the Saudi AF general attached to the Coalition air staff assured our people that there would be no more 'malfunctions'. There were no 'malfunctions' for a couple days, then it happened again. This time, the staff went straight to Horner, who was faced with a dilemma: if the Saudi pilots could get away with this, it could spread to the other Islamic contingents. On the other hand, flatly accusing or even suggesting the Saudi pilots - in public or in private - of cowardice or dereliction of duty could have had serious diplomatic repercussions. It was one of the USAF staff officers who came up with a brilliant solution.
Every morning, the Coalition air commanders had a briefing detailing what was going on in the air war. Each one was given a printed strike summary that detailed every sortie flown in the previous 24 hours. The RSAF commander sat down, opened his summary, and a few pages in saw in black and white a statement (with the facts to back it up) that over the last few days it was becoming apparent that some Saudi pilots were refusing to attack Iraqi targets, and this matter was being referred to the highest authorities. The Saudi general apparently turned white as a ghost and broke into a cold sweat - but no one else seemed to have noticed. What the RSAF general didn't know was that his summary was the ONLY one that had that page in it - no one else had even known about the incidents, much less seen that briefing page. The RSAF general somehow made it through the rest of the briefing without having a coronary, and bolted out of the room when they were done.
Whatever he did when he left, it must have worked - for the rest of the war, there were no reports or indications of ANY kind that Saudi pilots were doing anything other than flying their missions as ordered.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
01/17/2007 19:02 Comments ||
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#13
A Saudi general acting like a kid trying to get away with not doing his chores.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
01/17/2007 20:57 Comments ||
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Wotta great story, Mike. Thanks for taking the time to tell it.
I don't know if the ineffectiveness of the Saudi pilots is due to sympathy for their co-religionists or simply lack of motivation. I do know our military is always being dumped on for either being mindless order-following robots or endlessly fighting the last war. In truth, they live and die by their adaptability and problem solving skills.
Here we have an out of the box solution that not only solves the problem permanently, but manages to diplomaticly preserve the dignity of our 'allies'. And it's hellaciously funny besides. My compliments to y'all. I'm glad you're on our side.
And I suppose some commendation is due to the RSAF guy for not wetting himself.
file under: Barf Alert, "Me, Myself and I want to be relevant"
Following are excerpts from an interview with former U.S. president Jimmy Carter, which aired on Al-Jazeera TV on January 14, 2007.
Jimmy Carter: Most of the condemnations of my book came from Jewish American organizations, which think that I believe there is racial segregation inside Israel. I dont base it on that. My whole book is written about Palestine and its lands, and about what is going on against the Palestinian people, which is, in my view, very similar, and in some cases even worse, than what happened to the blacks in South Africa. keep digging asshole!
Interviewer: Why, in your opinion?
Jimmy Carter: I think the reason is that the U.S. wants to topple Hamas and [believes] that if it punishes the Palestinian people severely, the Palestinians will have to change their minds. I dont know how true this is, but its not legal, proper, or morally right to deprive an entire people of the basic necessities of life, because they participated in a democratic process and voted freely. Carter is a hazard to all free people everywhere and so Unbelievably stuck on his-self that he willfully distorts reality [sic lies] in the belly of the beast [Al-Jiz TV] against the USA & Israel for his own personal "Legacy Greatness"!
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/17/2007 11:54 Comments ||
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#6
Hey, Jimmuh - their brothers in Islam are perfectly free to send them money if they like, and can manage to stuff it into Dahlan's shorts. But I as a US citizen for DAMN sure don't have to finance Hamas.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
01/17/2007 15:17 Comments ||
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#13
Can someone go back to the old Woody Allen Movie, "Love & Death". There was a scene of the "Village Idiots Convention". Could someone see if they can spot Jimmuh as one of the attendees?
Palestinians live in poiverty because of the corrupt violent nature of their leaders, and if any one says anything truthfully, they get murdered by that leadership. The Israleis are just defensing themselves. This is not an arguement about the founding of Israel, and how all that happened (and how the Palestinain leadership uses legitimate arguments about that, twists them to their own designs to whoop up the masses), this is an issue of who is the blame for the poverty of the average Palestinian. And I say that it is the leadership (so-called) of the Palestinians...and the surrounding countries such as Syria, Jordan, Saudi, and Egypt. Israel is a good whipping boy because of geopolitical concerns....
Jimmuh, as usual is clueless...yes, the criticisms are mostly from Jewish organizations, are you surprised? Certainly the complaints of the Palestians, the way you framed them come off as anti-Semitic. There are legitimate areguements for the Palestinains, but there is no excuse for suicide bombings, kidnappings and the like, and as long as the Palestinian leadership continues to persue such policies, there is no use talking to them...
#15
I don't recall hearing many stories of folks being allergic to peanuts before Mr Peanut became Prez. WHAT is CARTER spraying his peanuts with? How has it affected him? Did he get the spray from that UFO or is the effect from the RABBIT biting him?
3dc : Please refer to my post above. The rabbit problem... You are getting close... Probably some blood-borne disease affecting his brain...that he acquired from that rabbit all those years ago...
#17
OWG, Power. Control, PC Blameless-ness and Gubmintism matters more to the Lefties now that proving their ideo works or is best for anyone let alone the entire World. Jimbo is indeed slowly destroying whatever credibility or respect he achieved post-Presidency, AND DOING IT UN-NECESSARILY. THEY DIDN'T WANNA LIVE IN THE USSR OR RED CHINA DURING THE COLD WAR OR EVEN POST-1917, YET THE LEFTIES TRUST AND WANT A FAILED, STAGRESSING STAGFLATING COMMIE EMPIRE AS MODEL FOR USA-WORLD OR FUTURE OWG, MORE THAN THEY DO ANY AMER "EMPIRE". Unless ANNAPOLIS made a mistake in Jimbo "making the grade" as Middie = commissioned Naval Officer, Jimbo's loyalty =leadership is for the wrong reasons.
The Justice Ministry announced Tuesday evening that it was opening a criminal investigation into Prime Miniser Ehud Olmert for his alleged involvement in various corruption scandals, Channel 10 reported. Olmert is suspected, among other things, of interfering in the tender for the state's controlling interest in Bank Leumi.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/17/2007 00:00 ||
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How about an investigation about being a complete and total wussy.
Senior Kadima officials said Tuesday evening that if the criminal investigation against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ran into complications, the party would not wait for the probe's results and would work to replace Olmert as party chairman, Army Radio reported. State Prosecutor Eran Shendar announced earlier in the evening that the state was opening an investigation into the prime minster's alleged involvement in the Bank Leumi tender affair. Guess that's as good a reason as any. I'd guess Kadima's still toast.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/17/2007 00:00 ||
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Kadima keeps beating the odds. Every other centrist third party attempt - Rafi, DMC, Derech Shlishi, Merkaz, failed. DMC was the only one to get many seats, but they didnt get a PM, and they fell apart.
Kadima, even under Sharon, was expected to be another failure, another Rafi. After Sharons illness, it was expected to disappear. Instead it elected a PM.
So Olmert is gone. Where do Livni and the other Likud defectors go? Back to Likud, to enjoy the tender mercies of Bibi and the Likud Central Committee? To Labour? No, theyre stuck. Where does Peres go? Back to Labour? I dont think so? And where do Kadima voters go? To a Likud led by Bibi that wont negotiate even with Abbas? To a Labour that has put cabinet seats ahead of policy considerations?
Unless Labour nominates someone very good to succeed Peretz, someone who can win the centrist voters without alienating the base, I think Kadima survives. They do poorly in the next election, but they survive. And are around to come back next time.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz's surprise decision to resign Tuesday night opened a tight race over which general would succeed him and become Israel's 19th chief of staff. The frontrunner among potential successors is Maj.- Gen. (res.) Gabi Ashkenazi, currently director general of the Defense Ministry and the former deputy chief of staff. Ashkenazi lost out to Halutz in the race for the top job in the summer of 2005. Another leading candidate is Maj.-Gen. Moshe Kaplinsky, the current deputy chief of staff. Perceived as a capable infantry officer, Kaplinsky rose through the ranks of the Golani Brigade, which he eventually commanded.
As Halutz's deputy, Kaplinsky is an obvious choice although his active participation in the war - he was appointed Halutz's "representative" in the Northern Command - has tainted him and may have ruined his chances at getting the appointment.
If Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz are looking to clean the stables in the IDF with a new chief of staff, they might prefer to bring back into service a former general, someone like Ashkenazi, who did not play an active role during the war against Hizbullah. As a former Golani Brigade commander and head of the Northern Command, Ashkenazi has a great deal of experience and time in Lebanon under his belt, certainly an advantage for the next chief of staff who will need to continue dealing with the fragile situation along Israel's northern border.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/17/2007 00:00 ||
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Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said on Monday the Islamist militant group Hamas would never recognise Israel. "Nope. Nope. Ain't gonna do it."
Haniyeh, a Hamas leader, said in an interview from Gaza with Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollahs al-Manar television: Hamas will never recognise the legitimacy of the occupation (Israel). "Don't even ask."
Hamas will never show flexibility over the issue of recognising the legitimacy of the occupation, he added. "No way, Jose!"
Haniyeh said there had been an encouraging start to efforts aimed at forming a Palestinian national unity government with rival movement Fatah. I am full of hope that these efforts could succeed and I hope that the national unity government could see the light in the nearest time possible if the intentions were honest, he said. "So they can't have nothin' to do with no daggone Zionists, neither."
At least 30 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah called for new elections last month, raising the stakes in his power struggle with Hamas. Some Palestinians fear the fighting could lead to civil war. "Small price to pay for Arab honor and dignity, ain't it?"
Haniyeh renewed his rejection of Abbass election call. He said Hamas would never agree to conditions set by Western powers, which also included accepting previous interim peace accords signed in the 1990s by the Palestine Liberation Organisation with Israel.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/17/2007 00:00 ||
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Thank G*d for small favors (woudn't stop USDOS from pressuring Israel to appease the bests, still).
A Thai Muslim from Narathiwat was arrested here Wednesday for allegedly smuggling in eight Muslims from Cambodia and Vietnam.
Ahama Dareng, 49, was arrested at the Rong Klua Market near the Cambodian border at 11:30 am when police found eight illegal immigrants inside his van. Pol Lt Col Srimuang Siriwiset, an officer of the Aranyaprathet Immigration office, said three of the immigrants were Cambodian women and four were Vietnamese women and another Vietnamese man. All were Muslims.
#2
Captain Ed notes that the Saudis have 3mbbl extra daily capacity, which exceeds the 2.5mbbl actual Iranian daily output, and apparently the Sunni Saudis mean to put the screws to the Iranians, agreeing to make up any shortfall when the Iranian output is CUT OFF...LOL
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/17/2007 18:22 Comments ||
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Nonsense. Bush cannot make an unprovoked attack on Iran. The Iranians will not be dumb enough to oblige him.
#4
NS Iran has been actively supply munitions for the terrorists which are specifically designed to destroy even up-armored American vehicles. They've already provided the 'casus belli'.
Impact on them (lots, if the attack is done right), or on the rest of the world (zilch, except for the leftist whine)?
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
01/17/2007 20:54 Comments ||
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#7
Where the UNO is concerned, "Casus belli" also includes making direct or overt threats of harm to another UNO member-state, which Moud + officios have done repeatedly. GOOD OR BAD, THE USA AND ONLY THE USA HAS BEEN CHARGED SINCE WW2 FOR MAKING SURE THE UNO SUCCEEDS/WORKS, THAT THE MISTAKES OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS ARE NOT REPEATED. Within this specific narrow scope, ITS THE UNO THAT SHOULD OBEY THE USA, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. Ditto THE USA > IS THE UNO = OWG??? Radical Iran's repeated threats agz Israel has already justified = qualified Iran for IMMEDIATE UNSC MIL ACTION. IFF RADIC IRAN IS BEHIND FATWAS, ETC. OF WAR-TERROR AGZ AMERICA, either as PRINCIPAL or CO-SPONSOR, then unilateral US mil action + "casus belli" is pre-justified/qualified as well. ISSUE > "SHOULD WE ATTACK", NOT "CAN WE" OR "ARE WE JUSTIFIED IN ATTACKING". LEFT/MSM > Amer is a BULLY IMPERIALIST FASCIST BRUTE iff we attack, we're WEAK WUSSY iff we don't - EITHER WAY, etal. "JUSTIFIES" ANTI-US NATIONAL-GLOBAL SOCIALISM + OWG. Whem Dubya's critics use the label FASCIST = FAR RIGHT ahz him and America, what they are truly saying or arguing that AMERICA IS SSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHH, CCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC [Robin Williams], DDDDDDDDDDDD
DDDDDDD [Deny Deny Deny ...] A SOCIALIST NATION, ONE THAT IS SEEMINGLY OR ALLEGEDLY DIVIDED/TORN BETWEEN GOVT-CENTRIC RIGHTIST SOCIALIST CONSERVATIVE [FASCIST = LIMITED COMMIE], VERSUS GOVT-CENTRIC LEFIST-SOCIALIST [FULL-TOTE COMMIE], LIMITED TOTALITARIAN vs FULL TOTALITARIAN, etc.
A Rightist = "Fascist" doesn't give a damn who reads the records, a Communist does becuz Commies are always ALways ALWAYS blameless. Righties gener admit to their decisions + actions however good or bad, Lefties don't.
#8
NS, America is always good for a short victorius war, it is just the mess of occupation or a prolonged conflict that discourages the populace, particularly when there is a continuous drumbeat by the KGB trained "journalists" of the American media. If we just bomb the hell out of them and then seal off the country to let them stew in their own juices it would be seen as a great victory.
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad believes neither Israel nor the United States would dare attack the Islamic Republic over its nuclear program, a Spanish newspaper quoted him on Wednesday as saying.
The Iranian president was responding to a question about an article in Britain's Sunday Times on January 7 that said Israel had secret plans to destroy Iran's uranium enrichment facilities with tactical nuclear weapons.
"They well know the power of the Iranian people. I don't think they would ever dare to attack us, neither them nor their masters. They won't do such a stupid thing," Ahmadinejad told El Mundo during a visit to Nicaragua, referring to Israel.
Conservative Iranian leaders, such as Ahmadinejad, see Israel as a stooge of the United States in the Middle East.
Iran does not recognize Israel and Ahmadinejad has previously called for it to be "wiped off the map."
"That regime wants to hurt the Iranian people. They have many dreams but they are not all powerful," said the Iranian leader.
Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, echoed the president's comments in Tehran when asked about the possibility of an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities.
"We have considered all the options and don't take these things that they say too seriously. They have enough brains not to carry out such mindless acts," Larijani was quoted as saying by Iran's official IRNA news agency on Wednesday.
Israel has refused to rule out pre-emptive military action against Iran on the lines of its 1981 air strike against an atomic reactor in Iraq, although many analysts believe Iran's nuclear facilities are too much for Israel to destroy alone.
Asked about whether he wants to see Israel destroyed, Ahmadinejad avoided a direct answer, but seemed to refer to an earlier statement in which had said that Israel would be wiped out "just as the Soviet Union was wiped out."
"Where is the Soviet Union?" he told El Mundo, "It has disappeared."
The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously last month to impose sanctions on Iran to try to stop its uranium enrichment program, which Tehran insists is peaceful.
The United States, which suspects Iran hopes to develop nuclear weapons, says it wants a diplomatic solution to the deadlock but military force remains an option.
Israel has said it will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons.
#6
Actually, with Olmert as PM of Israel, Ahmadinejad is correct. But with the investigations of him proceeding, Olmert may not be PM for much longer. That would change a lot on the Israeli side.
As for a US attack, it has not been taken off the table and therefore remains as a known alternative.
#7
Of course, if Kadima was talking about removing him from the party rolls because the investigation reached a certain point, Olmert might just try a Clinton move : bomb someone to distract attention from him.
#8
Mahmoud Ahmadiisnutz has no clue... Piss off the Israleis, and you could be in a whole world of hurt. Add to that the points about Olmert's troubles re: "personal issues" ading fuel to the fire...
#9
WOT > the greatest or ultimate battlefield is to be fought within the halls of the US Congress-NPE.
The Dems are deliber allowing Dubya to do what he + Admin want to do vv Radical Iran - bwtn now and 2008, Dubya-GOP MUST get the blame for any new 9-11/Amer Hisroshima. WOT > LEFT > between FASCIST = LIMITED COMMUNISM-GOVT-ism; vz FULL COMMUNISM-GOVT-ism, LIMITED TOTALITARIANISM vz FULL. DUBYA'S MSM/PERT-verified "FAILURES" goes to the OVERT/PUBLIC JUSTIFICATION OF "FULL", i.e. why AMER MUST BE SOCIALIST WID GUBMINT IN CHARGE OF EVERYTHING; WHY ANY AMER/DOMESTIC SOCIALISM MUST BE ANTI-AMERICAN, and WHY AMERICA MUST GIVE UP SOVEREIGNTY + CONTROL OF ENDOWMENTS TO A OWG =WORLD GOVERNING COALITION PC/DENIABLY DOMINATED BY RUSSIA-CHINA. MSM > "America must be controlled", "Amer must be constrained", "The World must be protected from Bully/Imperialist America", etal. WHY FASCIST AUTHORITARIANISM MUST JUSTIFIABLY SURRENDER TO COMMIE TOTALITARIANISM.
Credit where credit is due: the man is reviving the lost art of personal correspondence in an electronic age...
Iran's hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday that he sent a message to Saudi King Abdullah proposing that they cooperate in helping stabilize Iraq. "We, Saudis and other neighboring countries can help the Iraqi people to take the lead to consolidate their government's capability to stabilize and maintain security in their country," Ahmadinejad told the Saudi-owned satellite television channel. "I sent a message to King Abdullah in this regard and the answer, generally, was positive," the Iranian president said in the interview taped Saturday in Venezuela, one of the countries on his Latin American tour. Iran's top national security official, Ali Larijani, had delivered a message to Abdullah, the official Saudi Press Agency reported Sunday, but did not reveal its contents.
#1
I wonder if the letter was any more coherent then the one he wrote Bush.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
01/17/2007 1:15 Comments ||
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#2
King Abdullah with message in hand:
WTF is this babble about? This guy is crazier 'n shiite. He sez, "let's divide up Iraq. I get the oilfields and you get the western desert." Send a message back, Mahmoud, saying, "Yeah, right." Bet you a billion that he will say that my answer, generally, was positive.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
01/17/2007 1:55 Comments ||
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#3
King Abdullah's message would be more like:
Dude, how much is this going to set me back? Cause if it's over $300,000 I'm going to have to bow out. The camel trade has been terribly poor this year, weevils got into the dates and don't even get me started on oil. Besides that my 767 blew out a frickin turbine fan on the way to Dubai and that's really gonna put me back some bucks. Combine that with the 2Mil I lost at the Blackjack tables and I can't afford to pay attention.
#4
King Abdullah's message would be more like:
I'm gonna tell the Americans and Israelis to watch out for prevailing winds before they bomb the shit out of Iran. I'll denounce them afterwards of course, but you'll still be dead and your nation crippled you crazy shiite bastard.
A US push to halve UN nuclear agency aid to Iran as part of Security Council sanctions is facing resistance from traditional US allies in the European Union as well as from developing nations, diplomats said Tuesday. Resistance from developing nations on the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency was expected. Most of them usually support Teheran when it asserts it has the right to develop its uranium enrichment technology, and they fear a precedent that could hurt their access to IAEA technical cooperation if Iran's programs are pared back.
But from Washington's point of view, any European opposition would be worrisome. It could erode attempts to present a unified Western front on how to deal with Iran's nuclear defiance and open chinks that could be exploited by Teheran in its attempts to weaken international opposition to its attempts to enrich uranium - a process that can create fuel for energy but also the fissile material for nuclear warheads. "The Americans said at least 50 percent of the technical cooperation programs now in place with Iran will not go through" an IAEA review of the more than 15 projects now in place, said a diplomat accredited to the IAEA, one of seven who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity for discussing confidential information.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/17/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Screw the UNO, cancel payments to the UNO + give Amer taxpayers their giant helluva personal tax refund = national rebate. But of course, this is Amerika, NOT America; the mighty USSA = weak anti-sovereign SSR/USR, the Land of the "Monica Defense" where our elected Leaders really Really REALLY R-E-A-L-L-Y RRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEAAAAA
ALLLLLLYYYYYYY D *** YOU told the Truth when they KNOWINGLY, WILFULLY, andor ADMITTEDLY LIED, MISLED, and DECEIVED PEOPLE = LAWFUL AUTHORITIES, ergo the Gubmint can't do it, BECUZ UNO/ANNA > AMERICA MUST INSTALL "PROGRESSIVE/SOCIALIST" GOVTS IN ME. D *** ng it, the UNO wants to make it absolutely undeniably unequivocally undoubtedly unconditionally categorically Clinton-clear that it rejectacepts/acceptajects any and all Amer $$$, espec as paid out by mainstream Amerika's sacred Repub-Rightist Fascist National Comunism.
#3
The Eunicks are trying to play both sides of the game again. Do they really need to hedge their bets? Do they think Iran will ultimately win an we lose?
Do they think the 12th imam is going to come out of the well and lead them to world domination?
#5
Allies resisting US push to halt UN aid to Iran.
Of course they are, because to the (ironically self-identified) anti-capitalists, everything is for sale. Sacrificing Western security? Don't worry, America, it'll all be ok and we'll share tea with the mullahs. They aren't serious about nuking Israel. Just pay off the Iranians so we can soothe their wounded Islamic ego. Bribes are business; just fork over the aid, close your mouth and run along. It's all about strengthening the international community. We'll get back with you, America, about consequences when danger is already sitting on our doorsteps. We'll get back with you, America, with pleas to help when help can no longer be had.
All pretensions to the contrary, stupid is as stupid does.
Iran has denied it asked Saudi Arabia to ease tension with Washington over a disputed nuclear programme and Iraq but analysts said on Tuesday Tehran may be trying to prevent US-allied Arab states lining up against it. A Saudi official said on Monday that Irans chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, had delivered a message from Iranian leaders to the Saudi King, urging him to convey a message of goodwill from Tehran to Washington. (The report about) Iran asking Saudi Arabia to mediate between Iran and America is baseless, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini was quoted as saying by state-owned Iran newspaper. Hosseini could not be reached for further comment. State media has only said Larijanis visit was to improve relations.
Analysts said Larijanis visit to Riyadh may be part of efforts to prevent Sunni Muslim Arab states, like Saudi Arabia who fret about Tehrans atomic ambitions, from lining up against Shiite Muslim Iran, a worry expressed by Irans leadership.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/17/2007 00:00 ||
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TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- A radiant unidentified flying object was observed in the sky of Central Sepidar in the vicinity of Bouyer Ahmad in western Iran at 19:00 hours local time (15:30 GMT) Monday. Witnesses told FNA that the object has been observed for one complete hour while moving southwards.
In a similar incident last Wednesday, an Unidentified Flying Object crashed in Barrez Mounts in the central province of Kerman. Deputy Governor General of Kerman province Abulghassem Nasrollahi told FNA that the crash, which was followed by an explosion and a thick spiral of smoke, has caused no casualties or damage to properties. He further denied earlier reports that the explosion has been the result of a plane or chopper crash, reminding that all the passing aircrafts have been reported as sound and safe.
"No, no, certainly not!"
The official further stated that investigations were underway by police and other relevant authorities in this regard.
While other reports spoke of meteors, Nasrollahi said there were no conclusive witnesses in that regard, yet he did not dismiss the possibility that the crash has been caused by a meteor. Eye-witnesses assured that the explosion has been caused as a result of the crash of a radiant unidentified flying object onto the ground.
Meantime, an informed source told FNA that the object has been on fire and there has been thick smoke coming out of it prior to the crash, concluding that the object couldn't have been a meteor as meteors do not smoke. The source also said that the crash has been witnessed by people in several cities, and mentioned that the rendezvous point was located 100 kilometers from the provincial capital city of Kerman.
He said that people in the city of Rafsanjan also reported to have witnessed a similar incident several days ago. Similar crash incidents have been witnessed frequently during the last year all across Iran, and officials believe that the objects could be spy planes or a hi-tech espionage device.
I hadn't realized the Air Force was flying saucer shaped Predator drones ...
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/17/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Something tells me that hi tech espionage planes don't do much good if they keep starting on fire and crashing.
They probably just don't want to admit that its their own planes that are crashing. F-14s?
Posted by: Mike N. ||
01/17/2007 0:37 Comments ||
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#2
Lots of UFO activity in Iran lately. I think space aliens have been secretly observing them for some time now and finally said to themselves these guys are idiots, let's go kick their asses.
#6
Mike N, I hope so, I hope so. If I were in the position... I would use the UFO mythology to its fullest. Even complete with funny markings in the case of a crash of the UAV craft. Or, I would even crash one on purpose, so the funny markings, somewhat exotic alloys and a blob of protein with some newly engineered DNA chains (does not have to make sense biologically, as long as it is anything but) get some exposure. ;-)
#15
Maybe its INDIA DAILY,com > UFOS CAN DISABLE MISSLES WORLDWIDE. Any ICBM, etal. Anywhere, Anytime, Any Country. *OTOH, ISRAEL > possible attack agz Iran planned? for February 2007???
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KABUL, Afghanistan, Jan. 16, 2007 The Afghan National Army is making tremendous progress and is a factor on the battlefield, officials here said today. Progress has been slower for the country's national police, however. Army Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, the commander of Combined Forces Command Afghanistan, said that the progress of the army is truly impressive, particularly given the status of Afghanistan when officials began forming this force in 2002. 
(SomaliNet) The transitional federal government Tuesday has agreed to reopen three FM stations and Al-Jazeera TV office in the capital after hours of close doors meeting with its administrators. Shortly after the government acceptance all three broadcasters began to air their regular programs and continued normal activities. 
(SomaliNet) Somalis interim Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi said Tuesday the African Union peacekeepers will be deployed in Somalia as soon as possible as Ethiopian government declared to pull its forces from Somalia within weeks. The premier made the statement in a speech to the transitional parliament in Baidoa city, southwest of the capital. He returned there yesterday. 
(SomaliNet) South Africas President, Thabo Mbeki, has said that his government will use this week to reflect upon sending its troops to war ravaged Somalia. "Yesterday again I met the foreign minister of Kenya who had been sent by the East Africa region ... They are requesting we should assist with the deployment of troops in Somalia. I did say to the minister we will look at the matter this week," Mbeki said on national television.
KUWAIT CITY - Kuwaits supreme court Tuesday upheld the jail sentences imposed against five nationals in two separate cases for joining the anti-US insurgencies in Afghanistan and Iraq. In the first case, the court upheld the five-year sentences handed down against Maqbool Fahd Al Maqbool, 27, Mohammed Al Mutairi, 27, and Adel Yussif Buhaimed, 37, for travelling to Afghanistan to fight under Al Qaeda command against US and other NATO troops.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 Senate lawmakers sharply criticized the Bush administration on Tuesday for failing to provide refuge in the United States for the most vulnerable of the Iraqis fleeing the violence at home.
Senior Kadima officials said Tuesday evening that if the criminal investigation against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ran into complications, the party would not wait for the probe's results and would work to replace Olmert as party chairman, Army Radio reported. State Prosecutor Eran Shendar announced earlier in the evening that the state was opening an investigation into the prime minster's alleged involvement in the Bank Leumi tender affair.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said on Monday the Islamist militant group Hamas would never recognise Israel. 
Iran has denied it asked Saudi Arabia to ease tension with Washington over a disputed nuclear programme and Iraq but analysts said on Tuesday Tehran may be trying to prevent US-allied Arab states lining up against it. A Saudi official said on Monday that Irans chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, had delivered a message from Iranian leaders to the Saudi King, urging him to convey a message of goodwill from Tehran to Washington. (The report about) Iran asking Saudi Arabia to mediate between Iran and America is baseless, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini was quoted as saying by state-owned Iran newspaper. Hosseini could not be reached for further comment. State media has only said Larijanis visit was to improve relations. 
