After a week of battle, Afghan and international forces pushed the resurgent Taliban out of a key district north of Kandahar. Afghans affected by an outbreak of Taliban fighting in a strategic district bordering the southern city of Kandahar have returned to their villages after a week of crisis sparked by the death of a tribal strongman.
So it only took a week to spank the latest Talibunny 'offensive'.
Local authorities said Sunday that life was returning to normal following successful operations by Afghan security forces and Canadian troops to dislodge Taliban fighters from the lush agricultural lands of Afghandab district.
The insurgents were apparently intent on capitalizing on the death of Mullah Naqib, the former mujahideen warrior who led the Alokozai tribe of the district, north of Kandahar city. For years, Mullah Naqib had kept the Taliban out of a district that offers a perfect route for attacking Kandahar city, the spiritual home of the hardline Sunni movement from its emergence in 1996 through its removal from power by US-led forces in 2001.
But up to 300 Taliban fighters entered the district last week, less than three weeks after Mullah Naqib's death created a political vacuum in one of southern Afghanistan's most important tribes. The fighters, who local sources say were all in their mid-20s, remained for two days and came within 15 miles of the provincial capital. They occupied and trashed Naqib's ancestral home before being expelled by more than 600 Afghan and international forces.
Then they got whacked and fled ran away.
The swift collapse of political authority in the province highlights the reliance of overstretched international forces on friendly power brokers remaining loyal to the government of President Hamid Karzai. Rising insecurity, official corruption, and the widespread belief that the government has failed to deliver basic public services have all undermined popular support, according to a European diplomat who spoke anonymously.
Of course he did.
"It is very worrying that an area that had previously been secure should become vulnerable to the Taliban," he says. "But the big problem is, who is sitting on the fence? Are they going to remain against the insurgents or join them?"
In the case of Arghandab, the local tribe remained loyal. Lt. Commander Pierre Babinsky, spokesman for international troops in Kandahar Province, says the Afghan Army and police force had played a vital role in expelling the Taliban. "This was one of the first truly joint operations between Canadian and Afghan forces operating together as equal partners," he says.
So the locals stayed loyal, the ANA proved itself competent, and the Canadians were their usual outstanding selves. Game, set, match.
The police and Army have been the focus of intense training efforts to leave them capable of operating without direct foreign support and holding Taliban-free territory.
Much of the local police success against the Taliban fighters appeared to be because it is not yet a fully reconstituted force purged of tribal identity. With most of the fighters drawn from the Alokozai, analysts said, they were fighting out of tribal loyalty rather than as professional police officers.
Last week's political and military drama certainly did may have demonstrated the Taliban's weakness as a conventional military force. According to Haji Padshah, a tribal elder, "The Taliban are so weak that even our women could have beaten them."
The NATO-led forces refused to give estimates of Taliban deaths, but Sayed Agha Saqib, the regional police chief, says 50 were killed, 40 injured, and eight captured.
As best as they could tell from the disconnected body parts.
The apparent attempt to seize Afghandab also represented a surprising tactical step backward for the Taliban, which has been forced to abandon conventional military tactics in favor of kidnappings and suicide bombs.
So it wasn't much of a 'struggle' for the good guys after all, despite the hand-wringing from the CSM.
Rates of insurgent attacks and terrorist violence are at least 20 percent higher this year, with an average of 548 incidents per month compared with 425 in 2006, according to a UN report published in September, with most of the victims being ordinary Afghans. Adoption of these so-called "asymmetric" tactics have caused acute concern because they are much harder to prevent and have proved effective in undermining public confidence.
A Kabul-based Western analyst said that the Taliban were prone to forgetting their limitations as a military force. But according to Sarah Chayes, a former journalist who has lived for years in Kandahar city, the Taliban never had any ambition to seize control of Afghandab. "Far from being annihilated by the security forces, they actually executed a fighting retreat," she says. "It's clear that they wanted to send a very strong message ... saying that 'our advance is inevitable and we can dance on the roof of Mullah Naqib's house within three weeks of his death.' In Kandahar, it just knocked people sideways."
And then we knocked them dead. Deal.
Protecting the exposed flanks of the city will be tough for overstretched Canadian forces. The Taliban's assault forced commanders to move men and equipment out of the other districts that border the northern edge. "We would like to have more resources," Commander Babinsky says, "but the work we have done training the Afghan Army units mean we did not have to leave any districts unsecured."
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/05/2007 00:00 ||
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The fighters, who local sources say were all in their mid-20s, remained for two days and came within 15 miles of the provincial capital. They occupied and trashed Naqib's ancestral home before being expelled by more than 600 Afghan and international forces.
sounds like a rave party while the parents are away
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/05/2007 9:52 Comments ||
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Much of the world's attention on Afghanistan is now focused on the countrys Pashtun-dominated south and east, where Taliban fighters are battling NATO troops and U.S.-led coalition forces. But there is a different kind of tension in northern Afghanistan.
Illegal ethnic-Tajik, Uzbek, and Hazara militias in the north appear to be using the threat of a resurgent Taliban as an excuse to hoard weapons and more forcefully protect their interests, such as ruling over land they have controlled since the Talibans collapse or defending drug export routes that are a major source of income.
Experts say the entrenchment of the militias, who once fought together against the Taliban, reflects divisions and mistrust among regional commanders of different ethnicities which -- if left unchecked -- could exacerbate tensions in the country at a time when its security situation is already on a razors edge.
Continued on Page 49
Not much sympathy for those NGOs types, but this is yet an another example of an african dictator feeling empowered enough to bully his supposed protector (chad is propped up by the french military), this time about the upcoming darfur force, by literally taking some hostages as bargaining chips; those folks were fools, but they acted in plain sight of both the chadian and french gvts, and all this mess is a pretext to bully France; note that in the "conservative" sarkozy gvt, you've got an african-french minister who use this to loudly claim that "daddy's africa is no more", that is turning this hostage taking into a denunciation of colonialism.
AN al-Qaeda affiliated "propaganda" man in charge of supplying Al Jazeera with videos and online documentation has surrendered, saying he regreted what he had been doing, Algerian daily Liberte said today.
The daily, quoting unnamed security sources, said Abu Abderahmane had used the internet to communicate with the Qatar-based channel, as well as sending it videos, and CDs either directly to Doha or its Morocco branch. Abderahmane's Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb group grew out of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) in January after winning approval from Osama bin Laden to rename itself an al-Qaeda affiliate.
This article starring:
ABU ABDURAHMANE
al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb
Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat
Posted by: trailing wife ||
11/05/2007 17:38 ||
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#1
Speaking of ALGERIA = NORTH AFRICA, Zawi and his boyz reportedly have released a new video calling for any and all moder or non-Islamist Govts in North Africa to be overthrown including but not limited to LIBYA = "THE COLONEL".
#2
That has pretty much been par for the course since 1979, Joe. We leave the dictators in power (and at times openly and covertly support them) because the alternative is much, much worse.
#3
COUNTERTERROR BLOG > AL QAEDA'S TEXT EDITOR on OBL > LIVE UNDER ISLAM OR DIE; + JIHAD WATCH > CHECHEN REBELS DECLARE US, UK, ISRAEL LEGITIMATE TARGETS FOR GLOBAL JIHAD. Declares Islamic Emirate of Caucasus [Russia].
RIYADH (KUNA) -- Saudi Interior Minister, Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz, has confirmed the Kingdom's plan to build a security wall along the borders with Iraq.
The Saudi Ministry received 14 applications from local and international firms to build the iron curtain-style security wall, Prince Naif said in statements Sunday night noting that the offers were being studied.
Meanwhile, the Saudi Minister warned against any attempts for "sectarian divisions" in Iraq, a matter that would take a heavy toll not only on the country's stability but on the region as a whole.
On a potential US strike against Iran, Prince Naif said he hoped such strike would not take place.
He also stressed the close collaboration among the Interior Ministries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states for combating terrorism.
Saudi Arabia signed anti-terrorism agreements with Oman and the UAE and will soon sign similar ones with Kuwait and Qatar.
As for the agreement the Kingdom is due to sign with Italy during a visit by King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz today (Monday), Prince Naif said it is a comprehensive security agreement that covers combating terrorism, drugs, money-laundering, criminals extraditions and the exchange of relevant data.
Referring to the Saudi nationals who returned from the US Guantanamo detention camp, Minister Naif said that the Ministry had managed to merge them in the society anew through intensive efforts. He also revealed that they would soon start trying suspects in blasts that took place in the Kingdom
#7
Just as long as they shoot any Saudis trying to get out.
I think the Iraqis can handle that.
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/05/2007 15:41 Comments ||
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#8
Saudi Minister confirms building a wall along Iraq borders
With gates, of course, (Freedom)fighters free access out. Where they instantly become terrorists, until re-admitted, then they're innocent civilians again.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
11/05/2007 16:48 Comments ||
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Sheikh Sabah AlAhmed AlJaber AlSabah the Prince of the State of Kuwait expressed his warm congratulations and that of the Kuwaiti people to the Fearless Leader of Libyan Revolution and the Libyan people on Libya's Security Council membership.
The Prince of the State of Kuwait emphasized Kuwait's support to Libya and the efforts it will assume in the Security Council to ensure peace security and prosperity in the world. Will that involve more tortured western hostage and ransoming?
#1
So does this mean that G'Daffy becomes a General instead of a Colonel? Just askin'..........
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
11/05/2007 22:34 Comments ||
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#2
Generaly speaking, Napoleon was only a Caporal, before getting his rank elevated to General during Fench Revolution. Granted, he apparently deserved it. In fact, he was often refered to as Le petit caporal, being something like 5'4" tall (small).
Asharq Al-Awsat has obtained a copy of the private correspondence between Lebanese Islamist Omar Bakri Muhammad Fustuq, who lives in Lebanon, and the British embassy in Beirut.
The embassy has categorically rejected granting him an entry visa to visit his six children and wife who live in the British capital, London, until further notice. A letter issued by the British embassy in Beirut, a copy of which was received by Asharq Al Awsat from Bakri by e-mail, stated, "The ban on your entry into Britain remains valid, as it has been since the decision of the British Home Office on 12 August 2005." the statement also said, "Any application you will submit in the future to enter Britain will be like the previous one. Most likely, you will not be allowed to enter Britain."
Asharq Al-Awsat spoke to Bakri in a telephone interview in which he stated that "The British embassy has even refused to give me an appointment for an interview. For this reason, all contacts were made by telephone and e-mail. I had expected that the British authorities would refuse to grant me a visa for a short visit in order to be next to my daughter during her surgery, in view of the embarrassment that my visit may cause, if it is accompanied by a media clamor."
Bakri also revealed that members of the British media have come to Beirut and monitored the moves and contacts he made to get an appointment to visit the consulate. The Lebanese Islamist expressed the belief that the real reason for banning him from entering Britain is his religious position, namely that, "the British, US, and other foreign forces in Afghanistan and Iraq are occupier and enemy forces. The Muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq have the right to, and even should, confront and resist them."
Bakri, founder of the Banned fundamentalist groups Al-Muhajiroun and Al-Guraba [the Strangers] in Britain, left London for Beirut in the wake of the London terrorist attacks in July 2005, which claimed the lives of 52 people.
This article starring:
Al-Guraba
Al-Muhajiroun
Omar Bakri Muhammad Fustuq
Al-Muhajiroun
Posted by: Fred ||
11/05/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Missing the handouts from the infidels are we Omar?????
Posted by: Paul ||
11/05/2007 5:53 Comments ||
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#2
Actually Paul, though living in Lebanon, he still is probably dependent on handouts from infidels.
#5
The Lebanese Islamist expressed the belief that the real reason for banning him from entering Britain is his religious position, namely that, "the British, US, and other foreign forces in Afghanistan and Iraq are occupier and enemy forces. The Muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq have the right to, and even should, confront and resist them."
Yet, the "enemy" is supposed to roll over and let you have your way? What is it with these Muslim scumbags that makes every little need of theirs a humanitarian crisis and every misstep of ours an insult to all Islam? Bakri is #16 on my list, right after Tariq Ramadan and Taj al-Din al-Hilali.
#6
The embassy has categorically rejected granting him an entry visa to visit his six children and wife who live on the dole in council housing with a people-carrier purchased by tax-paying infidels in the British capital, London, until further notice.
European nations, finally realizing that their social welfare policies were being exploited by Islamic terrorists, and Islamic radicals in general, are increasingly responding to extradition requests from Moslem countries that are trying to retrieve terrorists wanted for murder and mayhem in their homelands. In the past, European nations (and the United States) had refused these requests because they believed, with some justification, that the men faced torture (to extract information about other terrorists) and execution (for terrorist acts).
Events of the past few years have changed minds. Dozens of actual (a few) and attempted (many) terrorist attacks in Europe have led to dozens of successful extraditions. The torture and execution issues are still there, but have assumed less prominence in the face of hundreds of Europeans killed by Islamic terrorists, and thousands of additional deaths only narrowly averted. European intelligence agencies, and journalists have also publicized how Moslem "refugees" exploit the European social welfare system, and abuse European hospitality in general, in order to have a safe place for their families (who are subject to imprisonment back in the old country, as "hostages" that encourage terrorists to surrender). The terrorists themselves often live off welfare benefits, while working on terrorism projects, or engaged in criminal scams to raise more cash for the cause. As a practical matter, the terrorists often get carried away with the gangster lifestyle, and their terrorism efforts suffer. But local police are still glad to see these guys gone, if only to lower the crime rate. Many Islamic radicals are being expelled, even though they are not wanted for crimes in their homeland, for encouraging terrorism in Europe.
The torture issue has been diminished by the European realization that such practices are common throughout the Middle East and are often more effective than Western interrogation methods, in obtaining useful information. It's become fashionable in the West to believe that torture does not work in intelligence work. But the long history of torture in the 20th century, especially during World War II, demonstrates that it does work, as unsavory as it might be to modern sensibilities.
Posted by: ed ||
11/05/2007 13:46 ||
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Geez, too bad the writers are on strike. There's probably an unprofitable movie in this story someplace...
#2
The torture issue has been diminished by the European realization that such practices are common throughout the Middle East and are often more effective than Western interrogation methods, in obtaining useful information. It's become fashionable in the West to believe that torture does not work in intelligence work. But the long history of torture in the 20th century, especially during World War II, demonstrates that it does work, as unsavory as it might be to modern sensibilities.
The Islamist terrorist organization the al-Aqsa Brigade threatened the DF in an interview with Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten.
"This party is dealing in the blood of the Danish population. It is dangerous," said al-Aqsa Brigade spokesman Khaled al-Jabbari. "We do not wish to see the Danish people as an enemy, but this could lead to actions."
DF Party leader Pia Kjærsgaard told Jylland-Posten that they would not give way to terrorists under any circumstances, and had the support of Denmark's Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
"It is of course completely unacceptable that a terrorist organization like the al-Aqsa Brigade tried to frighten a free democracy," Fogh Rasmussen said.
#2
"We do not wish to see the Danish people as an enemy, but this could lead to actions."
The usual vague and veiled threats of unnamed terrorist violence. Khaled al-Jabbari needs to turn up in some back-alley with a Dansk steak knife in his back.
#3
I wouldn't piss off the Danes, as seeing they are the only ones in Europe standing up to you guys at the moment. I can guarantee you wouldn't like the outcome.
#9
Wasn't it the Danes that used the Blood Eagle method of execution?
It was performed by cutting the ribs of the victim by the spine, breaking the ribs so they resembled blood-stained wings, and pulling the lungs out. Salt was sprinkled in the wounds.
Well Norsemen anyhow.
Be careful O Great Lions of the Al-Aqsa brigade, be very careful - these aren't kids on buses, and hate can so easily go both ways...
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
11/05/2007 17:12 Comments ||
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American travelers' personal data would for the first time be exported to all European Union states by airline carriers flying to Europe under a proposal to be announced this week.
The data, including names, telephone numbers, credit card information and travel itinerary, would be sent to EU member states so they could assess passenger risk for counterterrorism purposes, according to a draft copy obtained by The Washington Post. The European Commission proposal would allow the data to be kept for 13 years or longer if used in criminal investigations and intelligence operations. It would cover all passengers flying into and out of Europe, not just Americans.
Now let's see who squawks about this. I'm waiting for the ACLU and other Leftie types to explain why it's perfectly okay for the EU to have this data but not our homeland security people.
Airlines already share data with U.S. authorities on passengers entering the United States. A handful of countries, including Canada and Australia, have similar laws. The European proposal was apparently modeled after an agreement signed in July between the United States and Europe dealing with passenger data from European flights entering and leaving the United States.
Under the proposal by Franco Frattini, European commissioner for freedom, security and justice, airlines or computerized reservation systems would send at least 19 pieces of data on each passenger to data-analysis units set up by each state. The data fields also would include e-mail addresses, names of accompanying passengers and open ones for such special requests as meals or medical service.
Under the proposal, no personal data that could reveal race, ethnicity, political opinions, religion, trade union membership or health or sex-life information could be transmitted. Any such data that was shared would have to be deleted immediately by the data-analyzing units, the proposal says.
That takes care of most of the useful information.
The proposal must be approved by all 27 E.U. states to become a Europe-wide law, though individual states could introduce their own programs. It would affect about 30 million people who fly from North America to Europe each year.
The move is part of an effort to combat terrorism by sharing information globally, and it is fueling concerns of loss of privacy and control over personal data. "It almost becomes an arms race with one country adopting a data-gathering system without reflecting on whether or not the system is required," said Allison Knight, staff counsel for the Electronic Privacy Information Center.
And why should we need the data, Allison, when those pesky terrorists haven't tried anything on a North Atlantic flight this past month ...
Frattini has made clear that he believes a policy requiring Passenger Name Record data from airlines would be beneficial to combating terrorism in light of terror attacks in Madrid and London. "The Union is at least as much a potential target of a terrorist attack as the United States, and the use and analysis of passenger name records is an important law enforcement tool to protect our citizens," Frattini told the European Parliament in September.
The U.S. is "definitely open to the idea," Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Laura Keehner said. "It would be fair of the Europeans to ask the same information of us that we're asking of them. We are open to finding ways to make our respective homelands secure."
The U.S.-E.U. pact was opposed by civil libertarians and liberal politicians, many of whom have said they do not favor an E.U. equivalent. But some have suggested retaliating with a mirror policy. Sophie in 't Veld, a member of Parliament from the Netherlands, said Frattini's proposal would "undermine the credibility" of the E.U., which criticized the E.U.-U.S. pact. "We still do not have sufficient evidence of how effective the use of these data are in the fight against terrorists," she said.
You wouldn't understand, Sophie, but the security experts don't want to detail how they use the information in a public forum, so as not to compromise their methods.
The European countries' units would analyze the data to identify people and their associates who may be involved in terrorism or organized crime. It would also create and update "risk indicators" for assessing them and provide intelligence on travel patterns and other trends relating to terrorist offenses and organized crime, according to the proposal. The data could be used in criminal investigations and prosecutions.
James Harrison, a Sacramento attorney and director of the Identity Project, a privacy organization, said that the prospect of analyzing the data to create risk assessments is "alarming." "Congress forbids the U.S. from conducting algorithms on passenger data domestically," he said, referring to a ban on testing algorithms assigning risk to passengers not on government watch lists. "That is exactly what they are talking about here."
So perhaps Congress should revisit the ban.
E.U. officials said that all non-Europeans would be protected under the scheme by European states' data-protection laws, while U.S. privacy laws apply only to U.S. citizens. In the case of passenger data, the United States has extended administrative Privacy Act protections to non-U.S. citizens. The Department of Homeland Security also has an online redress site open to all.
But, in 't Veld said, "Even if there were 27 excellent data protection schemes, if you are an American citizen, and travel around Europe for a month, who will you turn to? Ask yourself: How good is your Hungarian?"
All I need to do is find my consulate ...
Another difference between the U.S.-E.U. pact and the European proposal deals with sensitive information such as religion, sexual orientation and union membership. Under the U.S.-E.U. deal, that information can be used in exceptional cases, "where the life of a data subject or of others could be imperiled or seriously impaired."
Douglas Lavin, regional vice president North America for the International Air Transport Association, called the European proposal "a positive step" in terms of harmonizing data-sharing policies, but said he is concerned about an international patchwork dealing with passenger data. "We don't want to be faced with conflicting laws in this area," he said.
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/05/2007 00:00 ||
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Under the proposal, no personal data that could reveal race, ethnicity, political opinions, religion, trade union membership or health or sex-life information could be transmitted. Any such data that was shared would have to be deleted immediately by the data-analyzing units, the proposal says.
like....[scoff] ...who else would use it besides the data-analyzing units? That is one of those sentences that someone somewhere sent up a chain of command before it made it into print. It is feel good PR statement but it means nothing.
#3
One of the main reasons for collecting these data is to have a large database upon which to use sophisticated data mining techniques. Therefore, of course the data are kept permanently. In many large databases, "old" data are not deleted, but rather flagged as being old or out of date. Such data can be quite useful.
#4
Back in the 'good old days', you surrendered your passport to the hotel lobbyist to permit a police screen of any wants or warrants when I was in Europe. So, what's new, other than credit cards.
#5
Under the proposal, no personal data that could reveal race, ethnicity, political opinions, religion, trade union membership or health or sex-life information could be transmitted.
So, basically, they leave you open to credit card fraud while studiously avoiding any information that might be relevant.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
11/05/2007 11:19 Comments ||
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#6
Well, Robert, they need a source of funding for the data mining deal........why not make it self-financing? Heh.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
11/05/2007 11:27 Comments ||
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#7
The number one rule of "Database Nation": Nothing goes away anymore.
Posted by: ed ||
11/05/2007 13:59 ||
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#1
This is one of the classic situations where American ideals and American interests may diverge big time.
That's putting it rather lightly. The simple fact remains that America is literally handcuffed to Musharref. Imposition of martial law leaves Benazir Bhutto's potential arrival on the political scene delayed if not permanently forestalled. That Musharref shows no intention of purging the ISI indicates he is most likely trying to preserve the status quo of Pakistan's terrorist subtext while still pretending to fight the GWoT. All of this points towards an incredibly unstable situation that could dissolve into chaos at a moment's notice (i.e., Musharef's assassination).
At the risk of being blunt, better that all Pakistan be bathed in high energy plasma than have any of their nuclear weapons fall into terrorist hands. This ominous possibility is one that Pakistan itself created by assembling a nuclear arsenal amidst such constant political turmoil and extremism. In no way can the West be blamed for such imprudent conduct upon their part. Pakistan's obsession over attaining nuclear parity with India may well prove to be their unintentional death knell.
#2
"better that all Pakistan be bathed in high energy plasma than have any of their nuclear weapons fall into terrorist hands"
Pakistan has 169 million people. Would you kill 169 million people to avoid one nuke in terrorist hands?
#3
"Would you kill 169 million people to avoid one nuke in terrorist hands?"
Depends. But in any case we aren't literally talking about killing every human being in the country. That is just pure exaggeration.
If a nuke were actually used against us that originated in Pakistan, then yes, I would favor the complete incineration of the entire country to bare rock. Not a single human, bird, squirrel, or blade of grass left alive.
Otherwise, I would hope Pakistan can get this worked out themselves.
#4
No. Most likely we might be able to hit a few select storage sites with tactical nukes to deactivate their nuclear arsenal. Unfortunately, Pakistan has tied so much of its international prestige to possessing nuclear weapons that they could just as easily try and shuttle them around to prevent such a scenario. The insanely high risk factors elevated by such an ill-advised strategy might then make it necessary to blanket them with nuclear explosions.
The entire nation of Pakistan is worth less than Rhode Island in my book. As I noted in my initial post, it is they who have brought to potential catastrophe upon themselves. Rather than invest in their nation's prosperity, they instead squandered untold billions of dollars upon developing and building a nuclear arsenal that places not just their local region, but the entire world at risk.
There is a price for such recklessness and irresponsibility. It may well prove to be their very existence.
Posted by: ed ||
11/05/2007 15:46 Comments ||
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#6
Yes, Darrell. Remember, if you will, how quickly Iran fell to Ayatollah Khomeini. One minute nobody ever heard of the guy - next minute he's the Ruler of Persia. I can't say that I'm an expert on Pakistan but from where I'm sitting it looks like the same think could happen there any time now. The big difference would, of course, be Pakistan's nukes.
Now, the problem with MAD (if you remember your Cold War acronyms) is that it doesn't work with mad men. You want one of those nukes going off in New York City? Tel Aviv? London? I don't.
I don't want it going off anywhere. I am extremely uncomfortable with the idea of radioactive fallout circulating around the globe no matter where the original explosion occurred. I don't want that stuff in my environment. But I'd rather have the original explosion in Pakistan than here.
Let's just hope that Bush has a better plan. I still like the idea of Perv and some of his closest associates living in security and luxury somewhere in the south of France in exchange for those nukes being turned over to the US or India. Hell, I'd even let China have them. Then we could leave PakiWakiland to the crazies and let them seethe all they want.
#7
The big issue in all of this is the fact that Pakistan is a nuclear power, with as many as 95 nuclear warheads. Many of these designs are far more powerful than the first-generation devices
A few years ago I heard 40-50 warheads. So that numbered doubled in a few years. And some are reported to be deuterium/tritium boosted. Fun times ahead.
Posted by: ed ||
11/05/2007 15:53 Comments ||
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#8
The simple fact remains that America is literally handcuffed to Musharref.
Not quite. We want to be handcuffed to the nukes. But they're under the control of Perv. So we settle for being handcuffed to him. The moment he looses control of the nukes, we drop him like a hot potato.
So the question becomes, to whom will he lose them? Is the situation comparable to Iran or the Philippines?
And what are the reactions of the other interested parties, India, China and Russia? While it would be fun for some terr to nuke the Great Satan, having a nuke in the back woods of Pakistan and detonating it on the CONUS are two very different things.
Aw com'on, ed, you weren't really expecting an honest answer to such a well-posed and salient question, were you?
But I'd rather have the original explosion in Pakistan than here.
A deft summary of the issue.
We want to be handcuffed to the nukes. But they're under the control of Perv. So we settle for being handcuffed to him. The moment he looses control of the nukes, we drop him like a hot potato.
My point as well. The problem is that once Musharref gets "dropped" (all puns intended), there is not going to be anyone to "pick up", save the remote chance of installing Benazir Bhutto. Even that premise assumes she can survive longer than it takes for the devil to get his shoes on.
Worst of all is how the moment things go titzup in Pakistan, Iran gets hurled onto the back burner. This is like some perverted "perfect storm" of major crises. Why is it absolutely no surprise that underneath every one of these damned rocks we find Islam there, slithering around?
#10
In the coldest possible way, look at the bottom line here. Islamism in Pakistan that threatens to obtain nuclear weapons means mass extermination. How so ever it is done, or by who.
This could mean using a neutron bomb that would only kill lifeforms in the threatening area, leaving all buildings untouched, such as in the Waziristans or the city of Swat.
More likely, the introduction of a self-limiting, yet highly lethal biological weapon, designed to wipe out every person in a region in a week then die out itself.
It does mean the death of hundreds of thousands, or even some millions of people. But the alternative is the same, if Islamists obtain a nuclear weapon. Just different people. Possibly us.
Anything other than a stable Pakistan is intolerable. This means that Islamism has to end in that country, and for good.
We have tried to unify Pakistan under Perv's control, but he is really their last hope. Unless he can immunize his country from the possibility of Islamists taking control, then the Islamists must die.
If Perv quickly falls to Islamists, then not just the US, but China and Russia may be obligated by treaty to secure their nuclear weapons. And under such circumstances, there would be no limit to the amount of force used to accomplish that mission.
#12
Just get them shipboard. Remind Perv that his bets are all hedged if he has control over the nukes and an escape hatch to take them with him. That means load them on ships the he can control, and keep them out of the hands of his opponents and of India. If it comes to him having to leave, those are his ticket out and great welth as he turns them over to the US or GB for "safekeeping" on Diego Garcia.
#13
One thing is for sure - Ghandi was right. India should NEVER have been partitioned into India and Pakistan. The facts that it was done so along ethnic lines means the Muslims in Paki have never been forced to deal with the modern world nor other cultures. ANd thats how we have the Taliban, etc.
#16
If a single nuke from Pakistan goes missing we can assume the worst. We make a statement as official policy that unless it is returned we reserve the option of nuking Mecca if we are hit with a nuke.
I wouldnt give one second of warning. AND I would absolutely demolish pakistani facilities, stocks, and round up all relevant personnel and put them aside with no lawyers and no rights.
If pakistan got in my way I would make whoever gave me a problem bend over and kiss his butt goodbye.
American security is five stars, anything less is not an option. There is no law when your life is threatened. Old Spook is right. Take all the nukes offshore and use them as perv's ticket out if necessary.
If anybody fails to cover this problem 100%...get a rope.
I would kill Jesus and the entire Holy family before I would allow a single nuke to be in Islamist hands. 169 mill Pakis.? You got it.
as Anonymoose sez":
In the coldest possible way, look at the bottom line here. Islamism in Pakistan that threatens to obtain nuclear weapons means mass extermination. How so ever it is done, or by who.
This could mean using a neutron bomb that would only kill lifeforms in the threatening area, leaving all buildings untouched.
More likely, the introduction of a self-limiting, yet highly lethal biological weapon, designed to wipe out every person in a region in a week then die out itself.
It does mean the death of hundreds of thousands, or even some millions of people. But the alternative is the same, if Islamists obtain a nuclear weapon. Just different people. Possibly us.
Anything other than a stable Pakistan is intolerable. This means that Islamism has to end in that country, and for good.
We have tried to unify Pakistan under Perv's control, but he is really their last hope. Unless he can immunize his country from the possibility of Islamists taking control, then the Islamists must die.
If Perv quickly falls to Islamists, then not just the US, but China and Russia may be obligated by treaty to secure their nuclear weapons. And under such circumstances, there would be no limit to the amount of force used to accomplish that mission.
We wouldnt wait to say hello charlie if Perv goes down.
#18
"So Darrell, tell us how many you would kill?"
As few as possible to do the job. I reckon that's at least a few short of 169 million, don't you? Tell me something: how do you think it looks to the world that you would rather "all Pakistan be bathed in high energy plasma than have any of their nuclear weapons fall into terrorist hands"? You appear to be as crazy as the Islamists. You justifiably hate them for being willing to kill you, yet you would willingly kill them and a hundred million innocents if given the chance. Personally, I find both you and the Islamists to be caught up in evil ways.
Nobody who knows me would call me a dove -- and many would call me a hawk -- but I'm not going to advocate killing more people than have to be killed to neutralize the threat. You guys are savoring words like "exterminate" and phrases like "blanket them with nuclear explosions" and "complete incineration of the entire country to bare rock." It's shameful.
Only to an appeaser like you who not only refuses to answer ed's very pertinent question but cannot come up with any sort of realistic game plan. By the way, "As few as possible", does not qualify as a strategy. All of us hope for that same outcome, it just so happens many of us understand thatdespite all humanitarian concernssuch a constrained reponse may not even be a remote option.
Face ed's question fairly.
So Darrell, tell us how many you would kill?
Please feel free to run away. When confronted with this exact same question, you've done the exact same thing many times in the past.
#22
COUNTERTERROR BLOG > THE REAL CHAOS IN PAKISTAN + PAKISTAN'S NUKES MAY FALL INTO OTHER/FREE HANDS. Pakis secret nucprogs + unauthorized nuctech-weapons proliferation. AQ Khan's network never disassembled or destroyed - Iff Osama = Radical Islamism doesn't get nukes from the post-USSR "black market/mafias", can get it their own backyard = Pakistan.
#23
If Islamists took over Pakistan, I would be willing to kill as many as X or even 2X of Pakistanis to preemptively eliminate a nuke that could possibly kill X of us. But that is very different than wiping the country clean. Zenster, you seem to have strong urges to wipe every Muslim country clean, nukes or none.
A fine one you are to talk about my lack of a game plan, Zenster. You don't have a game plan -- you have a genocidal streak. And not staying up until midnight and not suffering fools gladly is not running away, it's not suffering fools gladly.
#26
Given weather patterns, migration of survivors, general panic that would result among Pakistan's neighbors, sympathetic attacks by others, economic damages, etc., likely more than 169 million would die.
As to 'how many should one kill', it's a nice, clean, theoretical argument uncluttered by reality. Few of us here have the background or experience to make such a decision. And few have any concept of what possibly might happen afterwards.
Me, I don't know. It would depend on the situation, and what intelligence, assets, options, and how much time is available. Fortunately the decision would be waaay above my paygrade (this time).
#27
Wipe Islam clean. That is--the political parasitical ideology, a cult, pretending to be a religion. Then all the problems related to it would disappear in no time. Yea, other problems would arise, they always do, but not in the global scope as this.
The question is how. Broad answer: Destroy the pillars it rests upon.
No mater what, some eggs would break, no other way to make an omelete. But the alternative is to go after muslims, and in all likelihood, if the disease that is Islam gets untreated, we would have to act as an organism attacked by a lethal organism, to resort to genocide.
Unfortunately, I don't see any motions towards the first option, which would almost assuredly result in the second one.
#28
From what I've read the last few days, the so-called Pakistan experts haven't got a clue how this is going to play out. I like Old Spook's plan: move the nuclear material out of reach of the vicious children. The problem is, I have no faith this government will convey the options to General (etc.) Musharref in a way he will understand as non-negotiable and unavoidable.
From what I can gather, the Islamists are interwoven throughout the Pakistan army, which means the army supporting the imposition of martial law is also undermining it. I still don't think we need to use our own nuclear bombs; surely we have plenty of conventional toys that make really big booms and bounce the rubble nicely. Suddenly destroying a significant number of mosques around the country, not to mention arms markets in Peshawar and elsewhere, particularly the Taliban provinces, would send an interesting message. The mosques will be easy to find -- they're the big, ornate things with towers for the muezzin to project the call to prayer five times a day.
Or perhaps some here with more military understanding than this little civilian housewife could make some serious suggestions. Would it be better to let the air force do bombing runs, use missiles from our ships in the regions, or start by firing from the Afghan side of the border?
#29
TW, your guesses are as valid as any others. No one is really an expert on Pakiwaki... too many factors in play. All that is apparent is that it would prove to be one helluva bloody mess, no matter how it is sliced.
#32
Just need to convince Perv that the ONLY way he will retain those nukes is to move them to where WE can protect them - and him. And thats in a port city, near an airfield. Fortunately they have one of those. This way they get to keep them as a deterrent against India (for their own paranoia), it gives Perv a good escape hatch, and they are WAY away from the islamo-nutjobs and ISI the capitol.
And incidentally, well in reach of a battalion of Rangers dropping in from Balad AB Iraq and the old Soviet base in Afghanistan (Iraq & Stan come in handy!), Marines from an LPH over the horizon, tomhawks and SEALS from a converted Ohio SSGN, and carrier based aircraft, as well as a plain old "Face Saving" "escort" service by the US Navy for Perv and a tin can of his choice with the Nukes aboard.
This is our best hope - and its what State and DoD should be working on right now. Get the nukes located and accounted for, get them in a secure-able area, and get them as far away from the Talib and ISI as you can and as close to the water as you can.
Unfortuanlye State seems more insterested in punishing the Paks, and DoD under dickhead Fallon seems more intent on pissing on the Pakis to prove a point than covertly encouraging their military and command officers to work out "back-channel" deals for us to support them in the less Islamic areas near the coast in exchange for us helping them to secure the nukes.
Dumbasses. Fallon and Rice need to be fired for incomptence.
We dont need to kill 169 million, thats asenine to even talk about it.
Kill 10-12 of the right ones (pour encourager les autres) plus the top 5 in the ISI would be all we need to turn things our way temporarily , then after we get the nukes controlled, the rest of them can fight a civil war.
Advocating mass nuclear devastation is not only stupid, its the fallback of the unimaginative and incompetent.
ISLAMABAD Pakistan will hold a general election by mid-January, and the national and provincial assemblies will be dissolved in 10 days time, Attorney General Malik Abdul Qayyum told Reuters.
"It has been decided there would be no delay in the election and by November 15, these assemblies will be dissolved and the election will be held within the next 60 days," Qayyum was quoted as saying.
Pakistan's Western allies have sought reassurances that elections would go ahead as expected in January after President Gen. Pervez Musharraf suspended the constitution and imposed emergency rule on Saturday.
In Washington, meanwhile, U.S. President George W. Bush is urging Musharraf to quickly return to civilian rule and release people detained under an emergency decree, Reuters quoted the White House as saying Monday.
"We cannot support emergency rule or the extreme measures taken during the emergency," Perino reportedly said. "Such actions are not in Pakistan's best interest and damage the progress Pakistan has made on its path to democracy."
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's government Monday denied rumors sweeping the country that the deputy army chief had placed President Pervez Musharraf under house arrest following the declaration of an emergency.
"It's a complete hoax, totally baseless and malicious. People will treat it with the total contempt it deserves," said deputy information minister Tariq Azeem. "The president has just administered an oath to the federal sharia (Islamic law) judge and before that he briefed foreign diplomats on the situation," Azeem added.
Musharraf imposed a state of emergency on Saturday citing spiralling militancy and a hostile judiciary, in a move that came as the Supreme Court was due to rule on the legality of his October 6 re-election as president.
Musharraf had tipped vice chief of army staff Ashfaq Kiyani to take over his military role after pledging to hang up his uniform before being sworn in for a second term. That step was expected by November 15, the end of his current term, but was pending the Supreme Court judgement on the whether his election victory was valid.
Some of this we know already from other stories, but it's a good summation if you're just coming on to the story on a Monday morning.
Police and soldiers emboldened by state of emergency powers swept up hundreds of activists and opposition members on Sunday, dragged away protesters shouting "Shame on you!", and turned government buildings into barbed-wire compounds.
Gen. Pervez Musharraf's government said parliamentary elections could be delayed up to a year as it tries to stamp out a growing Islamic militant threat -- effectively linking two of the greatest concerns of Pakistan's biggest international donors: the United States and Britain.
Not that Perv actually plans to do anything about the jihadis other than asking them to keep it down a little.
Increasingly concerned about the unfolding crisis, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Washington was reviewing billions of dollars in aid to its close terrorism-fighting ally. Britain is also examining its assistance. "Some of the aid that goes to Pakistan is directly related to the counterterrorism mission," Rice told reporters traveling with her. "We just have to review the situation."
But, she said, she did not expect the U.S. "to ignore or set aside our concerns about terrorism."
No, of course not, but I sure hope we're not expecting Perv to be our man there in the near future.
The proclamation of an emergency in the country is a short-term arrangement and the country will be soon put on a normal constitutional course, Foreign Secretary Riaz M Khan told foreign envoys during a briefing on Sunday.
The Foreign Office (FO) arranged the briefing to inform the envoys about the latest situation in Pakistan regarding the emergency. Official sources told Daily Times that the envoys were told that the emergency was a short-term arrangement to meet the extraordinary situation that had arisen due to the increasing attacks of militants and the interference of the judiciary in executive affairs. The sources said the government was keen to address the concerns of foreign governments regarding putting the Constitution in abeyance after the emergency.
This article starring:
Foreign Secretary Riaz M Khan
Posted by: Fred ||
11/05/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
As I understand it, he's getting rid of the Muslim Judges who want to have the say in elections, in other words "The hell with the vote WE DECIDE" and now they're under arrest.
Sounds good to me, You listen to the press having hysterics seems to confirm this, otherwise they pointedly not-notice, but the Muslims getting evicted OH MY GOD, HOW AWFUL, (Fits perfectly).
Remove the muslim Judges, then restore things to rule by LAW, not by "Terrorist Manual One"(The Koran)
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
11/05/2007 17:04 Comments ||
Top||
LAHORE (SANA): President Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) and Amir Jamaat-e-Islami Qazi Hussain Ahmed on Sunday called for a nation wide protest against President Pervez Musharraf, urging people and lawyers community to come onto the streets to overthrow the country's military leader. Talking to media here on Sunday the JI Amir said that People will come on the street for a full fledged movement against the present regime and will throw out the military dictator. Earlier Qazi Hussain Ahmed made a protest call while addressing a congregation of 20,000 people near the eastern city of Lahore a day after General Musharraf proclaimed emergency rule "to combat terrorists and interference by judges." The MMA President condemned ban on private television channels and arrest of political workers. He also denounced in strongest terms the emergency and proclamation of Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO). Pakistani lawyers also announced a countrywide strike on Monday as the government took off air all private television news channels and arrested scores of opposition leaders and political activists to stifle an outcry against emergency rule and suspension of the constitution.
#1
The MMA isn't a nation-wide movement. Those jihadis - ie terrorists - received 10% of the national vote. They are popular mostly in NWFT and Balochistan.
PESHAWAR (NNI): The chief justice of Peshawar High Court Justice Talaat Qayyum Qureshi administered oath of office to Justice M. Raza Khan, Justice Jehanzeb Rahim and Justice Raj M. Khan as Judges of Peshawar High Court at the premises of the court here on Sunday. With this the total strength of the judges of the court who have took oath under Provisional Constitution Order No.1 of 2007 has reached to nine.
Just taking note: Provisional Constitution Order No.1 of 2007
Majority of the people were in a state of harrasment and confusion over what they are supposed to behave like after the President imposed emergency
ISLAMABAD (PPI)The posh markets of Islamabad presented a deserted look in the morning on Sunday, a day after the Chief of Army Staff and President General Pervez Musharraf imposed emergency in the country. According to the survey conducted by this scribe, majority of the people were in a state of harrasment and confusion over what they are supposed to behave like after the President imposed emergency. Most of the illiterate people who could not make a difference in emergency.
LAHORE: Secretary for religious affairs, Waqeel Ahmed khan said that Hajj schedule would not be affected because of protest of PIA engineers.
Note: Pak Int'l Airlines conveniently went on "strike" the day before Perv dropped the hammer, which kept most of Pak's politicians out of Karachi and in their home districts.
He said that Fifty nine thousand and fifty eight people will go for Hajj this year and that black list tour operators will not get licenses again. He was addressing a press conference in Haji Camp. He said that we are grateful to government of Punjab on allotment of 59 Kanal of land for Haji camp.
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush on Monday pledged fresh help to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in fighting Kurdish rebels, declaring them "an enemy of Turkey, a free Iraq and the United States."
In an Oval Office session, Bush offered intelligence sharing to help combat the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. Bush also said top military figures from the United States and Turkey would be in more regular contact in an effort to track the movement of the guerrilla fighters.
"I made it very clear to the prime minister that we want to work in a close way to deal with this problem," Bush told reporters.
With Turkish troops massed on the border of his country, Erdogan is weighing a major cross-border attack against the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, rebels in northern Iraq. The guerrillas have killed more than 40 Turks in the past month in cross-border raids, and pressure is growing on Erdogan to hit back.
#1
There's an interesting op-ed in the Washington Times today (registration required, but it's free), from a reporter who just got back from a stay with the PJAK -- the Kurds fighting against Iran. He says:
A Turkish invasion of northern Iraq will directly benefit another key regional player, the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Little known in Washington is the strategic and military alliance forged recently between U.S. NATO ally Turkey and U.S. arch-enemy Iran.
Since August, Iran and Turkey have jointly battled Kurdish rebel groups based in Northern Iraq. When the cross-border shelling of Iraqi villages began Aug. 16, Turkish gunners opened fire against PKK bases along Iraq's border with Turkey, while Iranian gunners simultaneously took aim at guerrillas of the Party of Free Life of Iranian Kurdistan, commonly known as PJAK.
The PKK and PJAK occupy completely different areas of northern Iraq, separated from each other by 11,000-foot mountain peaks and breathtaking canyons. The PKK faces north, toward Turkey, and directs its activities against Turkey. PJAK faces east, toward Iran, and since 2004 has been conducting political and guerrilla operations inside Iranian Kurdish areas. In the two months since the recent fighting began, PJAK guerrillas told me they have killed 200 Iranian Revolutionary Guards troops in 21 separate clashes, most of them provoked by the Iranian side.
In the PJAK bases I visited, there was not only no PKK presence: There was no hint of political, military or strategic cooperation between the two groups. PJAK seeks to democratize Iran through a broad-based political struggle, backed by "self-defense forces" whose purpose is to deter repressive actions by the Revolutionary Guards and other security forces. They do not seek a military confrontation with the regime, nor are they asking for U.S. military assistance. PJAK has no involvement and, indeed, does not endorse the actions against Turkey by the HPG self-defense forces, commonly (and erroneously) known as the PKK.
Part of Iran's goal is to get Turkey to carry its political water in Washington. Iran's leaders hope Mr. Erdogan will convince the State Department and the White House to accept the Iranian fable that PJAK is merely the "Iranian branch" of the PKK. If there is any covert cooperation, it is between Iran and Turkey. Turkish military officers are today stationed at Revolutionary Guards headquarters in Urmieh and in other Iranian cities close to northern Iraq, where they advise Iranian troops in counterinsurgency methods.
And yet, the CIA and the State Department appear more eager to talk to the Iranian regime than they are to talk with PJAK, whose president, Rahman Haj Ahmadi, they refused to meet during a recent trip to Washington this summer.
An Australian army officer serving in Iraq says Diggers are disappointed with the media coverage of their positive work in the troubled nation. Major James Kerr said he and the rest of the 550 Australian soldiers in Overwatch Battlegroup West III had completed 34 projects since May, including rebuilding schools and orphanages, and training Iraqi police on how to handle militias.
The group, based at the Tallil air base, had also provided irrigation systems and pedestrian bridges to help the Iraqi people.
"The boys get disappointed with what they see in the media. There's no focus on what we're achieving here, it's more of a focus on the political side and it's really upsetting for them," said Maj Kerr, a 33-year-old from Sydney. "They're out on the ground speaking to local Iraqis, training local Iraqis and helping them improve their skills so in time - and we don't know when - those guys will be able to take over and sort things out in Iraq.
"If you spend your whole time in Iraq and then all you read in the paper is something a politician said about Iraq, it makes it really hard for the guys.
"It's understandable that the media want to sell papers so they just focus on how many bombs went off in Baghdad. That's of interest to us but that doesn't affect what we're doing.
"Here in the south I think we're having an excellent effect. And I think the guys have done very well to improve the life of the Iraqis in the area.
"It's all stuff that is going to help Iraq sort itself out. All we hope is that message gets home. It's not a political issue, we just want people to know we're doing a good job."
With the November 24 federal election looming, the Iraq war is high on the agenda. If Labor wins power, Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd has pledged to withdraw combat troops from Iraq, while Prime Minister John Howard has promised to review Australia's role there.
"It's a bit hard for us, we're always apolitical and whatever the Government decides we'll go with," Maj Kerr said. "But I think that the training we have done and the things we have put in place will help the Iraqis. If we stay we'll be able to do more but if we leave we'll at least have given them a start on what they need."
#1
heh. The Major just doesn't get it, does he? One should be flattered when the MSM drags your name through the mud. It is a compliment of the highest order. No greater honor and all of that.
#2
Traitors, 5th columns come in many shades. In the Twin Cities WCCO, KSTP, KARE11 and Fox 9 have all received complaints about their anti-troop coverage.
To them any good news means America might be right and these bottom scum can't have that.
#1
They realize that the Germans, Japanese, and South Koreans got a better deal than the South Vietnamese.
These people didn't go to Harvard, Yale, Princeton, etc, but somehow figured it out what the faculties of each and everyone of those 'esteemed' institutions haven't.
To protect their future, I'd highly recommend they invest heavily in lobbyists for Washington, not Baghdad.
#3
Lots of sunnis in Anbar putting their lives on the line. I think it's a bit more than money - it's avoiding a total bloodbath, caught between the sunni Islamicists and the Shia.
The head of the Hamas government in Gaza said Sunday that the Islamic group has no intention of taking over the West Bank by force and is ready to resume dialogue with its political rival, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
However, Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas also launched a scathing verbal attack on the Abbas-installed rival government in the West Bank, saying it has persistently tried to undermine Hamas's rule and even cooperated with Israel in tightening a blockade of Gaza.
Haniyeh delivered a 90-minute speech to hundreds of supporters at a Gaza City convention center.
Hamas enforced a new policy, barring journalists who did not obtain a Gaza government press card from covering the event. Most journalists inside the hall were from Hamas-affiliated media, while others, including representatives of foreign news organizations, left after being denied entry. Some followed Haniyeh's speech on TV.
Hamas seized Gaza by force in June, prompting Abbas to fire the Hamas-led government and replace it with a Cabinet of relative moderates in the West Bank. Each side has accused the other of being illegitimate.
After the June takeover, Israel furthered tightened its blockade of Gaza, allowing only basic supplies and medicine in, and enabling only humanitarian hardship cases to leave.
Haniyeh on Sunday accused the West Bank government of cooperating with Israel. "Palestinian politicians were involved in tightening the siege of Gaza," he said, without referring to Abbas by name.
He also said Hamas activists were being systematically persecuted by Abbas's security forces in the West Bank. In recent months, hundreds of Hamas activists have been detained, and the West Bank government has closed Hamas-linked charities and tried to dry up funding for the group.
Haniyeh said Hamas would not hand over its weapons in the West Bank, adding that "anyone who believes he can erase this great movement from the history of our people is completely mistaken."
Yet he denied that Hamas is plotting to take over the West Bank by force. Last week, a Hamas leader in Gaza had caused an uproar among Abbas's aides when he said Hamas activists would one day pray at Abbas's headquarters in the West Bank, as they had done in Gaza. "I want to emphasize here that all the reports that we want to repeat what happened in Gaza in the West Bank are baseless, and this is not going to happen," Haniyeh said.
Haniyeh also offered to resume talks with Abbas on a national unity government. Abbas has said he would only do so if Hamas apologizes and returns Gaza's security installations to his forces. "We consider Hamas to be part of the Palestinian people and we are ready for dialogue if it backs off from its coup," Abbas said Sunday.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/05/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Possible referring to DEBKA's article on how HAMAS' boyz were engaged in training exercises whose focii was the kidnapping of Israeli citizens and Americans, plus how to cause as many Israeli casualties as possible [read - politicians].
The leader of a radical Palestinian group said Sunday that his faction and another hardline faction are trying to mediate between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party and Hamas.
Nayef Hawatmeh, Secretary-General of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, told the Associated Press in an interview that he was mediating along with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. He added that the two Damascus-based groups have proposed a ten-point mediation plan to bring Fatah and Hamas to the negotiating table.
The plan calls on Hamas to restore Gaza to how it was before its militants took over by from Fatah by force in June. It also says Fatah and Hamas should end media "incitement campaigns" and stop arrests to prepare the ground for talks. It calls for new presidential and parliamentary elections and for an investigation into clashes between the two groups. Hawatmeh said the plan was submitted to Hamas and Fatah officials last month and that the DFLP and PFLP were still waiting for a response.
In July, Israel agreed to a request by President Abbas to allow Hawatmeh to enter the West Bank for a meeting of a top Palestine Liberation Organization policy-making body, a step that Abbas hoped will provide him added legitimacy among Palestinians. Hawatmeh then decided not to attend the meeting saying he rejects Israeli conditions.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/05/2007 00:00 ||
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Hamas supremo Khaled Meshaal said yesterday that he welcomed talks with the movements Fatah rivals but would not beg, according to a statement posted on a Hamas website. We open our doors to a national dialogue and a solution to internal conflicts because we believe in the importance and the necessity and the need of the Palestinian people for this, but we will not beg, Meshaal said.
So it's really more of a monologue. Just like always.
Meshaal, who heads the Islamist movements powerful political office in Syria, went on to warn Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas against attending an international peace meeting expected in the United States later this year.
Hamas has repeatedly said that the meeting aimed at reviving peace negotiations with Israel, which have been dormant since 2000 is a US and Israeli ploy to normalize relations with Arab states. (US President George W.) Bush is not trustworthy, and he wants to save himself from his failure in Iraq... There is no political horizon, the only real horizon is in unity between Hamas and Fatah, Meshaal said.
The organizers of the conference want nothing but normalization with the Arabs, and they will do nothing but increase Arab and internal divisions to prepare for new assaults against Iran and Syria, and Lebanon and Gaza. His comments came a day after Abbas met Hamas members in the West Bank for the first time since the Islamists seized power in Gaza after routing his forces in a week of bloody street battles in June.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/05/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
is a US and Israeli ploy to normalize relations with Arab states
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice heard a strong message from Israel on Sunday that security must precede the creation of a Palestinian state, as she sought to bridge gaps ahead of a peace meeting.
Making her eighth visit this year for shuttle diplomacy between Israel and the Palestinians, Rice lowered expectations of an imminent agreement on a joint document for the US-sponsored conference she hopes could revive peace talks.
The internationally drafted peace plan has made next to no progress since it was adopted in June 2003, and has already missed its first deadline for creating a Palestinian state living in peace alongside a secure Israel. Israeli negotiators, headed by Livni, and their Palestinian counterparts have been divided for weeks over a joint document they are supposed to draw up for the meeting aimed at reviving the peace process after a seven-year hiatus.
Not a single word has yet been written for the conference document and wide gaps remain between Israel and the Palestinians, although both sides have agreed that commitment to the roadmap would be part of the statement.
Another terror state: The meaning is security for Israel first and then the establishment of a Palestinian state because nobody wants to see another terror state in the region, said Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, greeting Rice for breakfast.
Though we need to find a common ground with the pragmatic Palestinian leaders, they need to understand that the implementation of future understandings will be implemented only according to the roadmap. The Palestinians want the document to tackle the most intractable problems of the conflict - namely borders, refugees and the status of Jerusalem - and a timetabled implementation, while Israel favours a looser statement.I dont expect to reach an agreement on a document, Rice told reporters travelling on her plane to Tel Aviv late on Saturday.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/05/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
strong message from Israel on Sunday that security must precede the creation of a Palestinian state
It is really not that complicated; the only obstacle to peace being that one side wants to obliterate the other.
#2
So, now we finally have deal-breakers coming from both sides of the table. The Palestinians are demanding that Israel surrender its territorial integrity and Israel is demanding that the Palestinians abandon their life's mission of killing Jews. This is gonna work out just peachy keen.
#3
CHINESE MILITARY FORUM > JORDAN WANTS CHINESE HELP IN DEAD SEA CANAL PROJECT. From "the RED" [Red Sea], to "the DEAD" [Dead Sea]. Also, WAFF.com?TOPIX > CENTRAL ASIAN STATES WANT NEW "SILK ROADS", to Turkey and Europe.
Have you seen this in the mainstream media? I didn't think so:
Organizes of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing have published a list of "prohibited objects" in the Olympic village where athletes will stay. To the surprise of many, Bibles are among the objects that will not be allowed
.
To think just a few weeks ago ChiCom bureauweenies were purring that they would offer religious services for foreigners at the Olympics. Services may have to be conducted without benefit of Bibles. Not that you need a Bible to worship the only god recognized by the Chinese regime or our media: Government Power.
There are some 10 million Catholics in China, divided between an "underground" church loyal to the Holy See and the state-approved church that respects the Pope as a spiritual figurehead but rejects effective papal control. So are they going to ban the Koran as well? No.
But it seems that the bible ban is limited only to those staying in the Olympic Village. The official website of the Beijing Olympics clearly states that each visiting foreigner is recommended to take no more than one Bible into China.
#1
Actually, few Roman Catholics own a Bible, and if they do it is the "Douay" version. The Vatican assigns to clerics the role of transmitters of church doctrine. The faithful are deemed unqualified to understand the New Testament. As a former RC, who attended hundreds of hours of catechism instruction, be aware that at NO time did a priest either read from a Bible or ask indoctrinates to read from same. In fact, Bibles were not present in class. Having a monopoly on understanding, allowed the RC leadership to peddle "indulgences" for centuries.
Loyola wrote: "Thou shalt be prepared to believe that that which is black is actually white, should the church so dictate." He wrote that in contempt of the Reformation. Later, Pope Pius 9, wrote a "Syllabus of Errors" in which he pronounced specified political freedoms and scientific thinking, as anathema.
Former president Hashemi Rafsanjani issued yet another warning during last weeks congregational prayers calling on government officials to stop making comments that may endanger the nation. Unlike previous times when administration officials dismissed any such warnings and responded with harsh attacks, no official reaction has been voiced yet.
Rafsanjani, who also serves in the Expediency Council and is the president of the powerful Assembly of Experts, made his remarks on the anniversary of 13 Aban, when Iranian revolutionaries took over the U.S. embassy and kept dozens of American diplomats hostage for more than a year. Rafsanjani also referred to the Greater Middle East Initiative as one of the enemys many onspiracies: The enemy has dangerous thoughts in mind and it is necessary that people and officials are alert.
Noting that Iran is facing threats, sanctions and negative attacks, Rafsanjani said, During the [Iran-Iraq] war, we were victims of chemical weapons but we did not even embark on making or using chemical weapons, not even to retaliate. Our people and officials must be alert in order to courageously protect the peoples interests in these times, and not allow thoughtless and careless remarks to cause trouble for people and set our interest on fire.
Last week, former president Mohammad Khatami said that the publics awareness of the country and worlds general affairs must increase, and that it is the peoples right to know what is taking place in their country and abroad.
In its main editorial, Etemad Melli daily wrote that Rafsanjanis warning cannot be regarded just as another development in Irans domestic struggle for power. According to this paper, a quick glance on the material published in reputable sources and White House briefs shows that significant events will take place in the future. Etemad Melli also wrote we should not forget that people like Rafsanani, Karoubi, Khatami, Sanei, Nateq-Nouri, and Mahdavi Kani have a more important role in protecting and defending the Islamic revolution and Republic than the newcomers.
Diplomat and long-time ally of Rafsanjani, Morteza Banak, summed up Rafsanjanis warning: More than half a century of experience in politics has trained Mr. Rafsanjani well in the area of politics, and by examining the issues, information and the news that he receives Rafsanjani has realized that Iran is in a special situation.
#1
Rafsy is worried about his family companies, and the hundreds of millions that he took from Iranians in sweetheart contract deals. And don't forget the strike breaking work that he has received at tax payer expense.
#3
dont be fooled by this guy...bad cop / worse cop
Posted by: dan ||
11/05/2007 8:58 Comments ||
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#4
Rafsanjani, who also serves in the Expediency Council and is the president of the powerful Assembly of Experts
Do these commie and totalitarian regimes all get their nomenclature from "1984", or what? Someone tell me, why does it take a frickin' "Assembly of Experts" to figure out that maybe it's not such a hot idea to go around poking everyone in the eye?
Thousands of young Iranians proclaimed "Death to America" on Sunday as they celebrated the 28th anniversary of the storming of the US embassy in Tehran by student radicals. A massive crowd, composed mainly of schoolchildren bussed in to central Tehran, gathered outside the site of the former US embassy, known locally as the "Den of Spies."
"Death to America! Death to Israel!" the young people shouted, wearing bibs that depicted the burning of the US and Israeli flags.
Interior Minister Mostafa Pour Mohammadi, in a keynote address, hailed the embassy seizure as "a great and glorious event" from which Iranians were still drawing inspiration. But he also cautioned Iranians to cut down on consumption to deflect what he called the latest plot of Iran's arch enemy the United States — namely sanctions over Tehran's nuclear programme. "We have to devise very clear plans so the pace of our progress is not stopped. All of us in our households can bring down our consumption expenditure by 10 percent. Our culture of consumption needs to be changed. We need to send a call to the young people," he said.
Pour Mohammadi described warnings of US military action against Iran as a "joke," but also called on Iranians to show "national solidarity" in order to defeat the plots. The interior minister gave the address after unexpectedly replacing former top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani who had been announced as the main speaker by official notices last week.
This article starring:
Ali Larijani
Interior Minister Mostafa Pour Mohammadi
Posted by: Fred ||
11/05/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
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#1
See also IRAN-DAILY.com > US EMBASSY TAKEOVER REPRESENTED IRANIAN NATIONAL WILL + ARABS CAN HELP ENRICH URANIUM IN IRAN + URANIUM ENRICHMENT WILL NOT STOP articles.
Two senior envoys dispatched by French President Nicolas Sarkozy held talks Sunday with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad on the political crisis in Lebanon, the French presidency said. Sarkozy's top aide Claude Gueant, the secretary general of the presidency, and national security adviser Jean-David Levitte met with Assad in Damascus, said presidential spokesman David Martinon. "These talks took place as part of efforts led by France over the past several months to advance the search for a solution to Lebanon's current crisis," Martinon said.
Presidential elections in Lebanon have been twice deferred due to a lack of consensus over who should replace the pro-Syrian President Emile "Liverlips" Lahoud, whose term runs out on November 24. The French presidency underscored that a "solution" to Lebanon's political crisis hinges on "an election before November 24" of a president able to rally broad support.
This article starring:
David Martinon
Emile Lahoud
Nicolas Sarkozy
Posted by: Fred ||
11/05/2007 00:00 ||
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[1 views]
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MP Mohammed Hajjar, a member of the Democratic Gathering Bloc headed by Druze chief Walid Jumblatt, on Saturday accused Hezbollah of preparing for civil unrest across Lebanon. He said former cabinet minister Wiam Wahhab was to carry out the plan in the mountains, former MP Abdul Rahim Mrad in the Bekaa, Gen. Michel Aoun in Jbeil (Byblos) and Kesrouan, Muslim scholar Fathi Yakan in the north, and former cabinet minister Suleiman Franjieh in Zgorta - al Zawiya region.
Hajjar, in an interview with Kuwait's daily Assiyassa, indicated that the unrest could be sparked once the March 14 ruling majority elect a president by a half-plus-one vote of MPs. "This is what Gen. Aoun pointed to when he talked about an expected coup, and which Hezbollah leaders daily threaten with," Hajjar added. He urged the Lebanese army and security forces to launch raids in search of weapons to be used during the turmoil "upon clear orders from the Syrian regime."
This article starring:
Abdul Rahim Mrad
Fathi Yakan
Michel Aoun
Mohammed Hajjar
Suleiman Franjieh
Walid Jumblatt
Wiam Wahhab
Posted by: Fred ||
11/05/2007 00:00 ||
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[1 views]
Top|| File under: Hezbollah
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.
After a week of battle, Afghan and international forces pushed the resurgent Taliban out of a key district north of Kandahar. Afghans affected by an outbreak of Taliban fighting in a strategic district bordering the southern city of Kandahar have returned to their villages after a week of crisis sparked by the death of a tribal strongman.
Last week's political and military drama 
RIYADH (KUNA) -- Saudi Interior Minister, Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz, has confirmed the Kingdom's plan to build a security wall along the borders with Iraq.
Asharq Al-Awsat has obtained a copy of the private correspondence between Lebanese Islamist 
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's government Monday denied rumors sweeping the country that the deputy army chief had placed President Pervez Musharraf under house arrest following the declaration of an emergency. 
An Australian army officer serving in Iraq says Diggers are disappointed with the media coverage of their positive work in the troubled nation. Major James Kerr said he and the rest of the 550 Australian soldiers in Overwatch Battlegroup West III had completed 34 projects since May, including rebuilding schools and orphanages, and training Iraqi police on how to handle militias.
Hamas supremo Khaled Meshaal said yesterday that he welcomed talks with the movements Fatah rivals but would not beg, according to a statement posted on a Hamas website. We open our doors to a national dialogue and a solution to internal conflicts because we believe in the importance and the necessity and the need of the Palestinian people for this, but we will not beg, Meshaal said.
Thousands of young Iranians proclaimed "Death to America" on Sunday as they celebrated the 28th anniversary of the storming of the US embassy in Tehran by student radicals. A massive crowd, composed mainly of schoolchildren bussed in to central Tehran, gathered outside the site of the former US embassy, known locally as the "Den of Spies."
Two senior envoys dispatched by French President 
