Ethiopian troops have withdrawn from a key town in central Somalia. Islamist insurgents say they now control Guriel, where Ethiopia had a big military base to secure the road linking the two countries. A BBC correspondent in Somalia says it is not clear why the Ethiopian troops withdrew without any fighting.
Guriel was a stronghold of the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), which lost power to Ethiopian-backed government troops a year ago this week. The BBC's Ayanleh Hussein in Guriel says residents have been cheering the Ethiopians' departure. During the occupation the local hospital was out of use as it was used as the Ethiopians' military base, he says.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/29/2007 00:00 ||
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South Koreas parliament voted Friday to keep troops in Iraq for one more year, a move aimed at cementing the alliance with the United States in the face of North Koreas nuclear ambitions.
The MPs endorsed a government proposal to extend the contingents stay until December 2008 but to halve the size of the force to about 650, a spokesman for the National Assembly said. The force reduction has already taken place, with about 600 troops returning home over the past few weeks. The remaining 650 will stay for one more year, the defence ministry said. President Roh Moo-Hyun had called in October for the troops to continue their reconstruction and medical mission for another year.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/29/2007 00:00 ||
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David Hicks, the first Guantánamo Bay prisoner convicted of terrorism charges, will walk free from an Australian prison tomorrow after more than six years in captivity. The 32-year-old former kangaroo skinner will apologise to the Australian people for the inconvenience he has caused when he leaves the maximum security Yatala prison in Adelaide, his father said.
However, Terry Hicks insisted that his son had been pressured into admitting terrorism charges in a plea bargain which saw him sent home from Guantánamo in May. "There'll be some sort of apology," Terry Hicks said. "It is important to him that he gets this message across and thanks everybody who has been supportive of him."
He added: "Nothing's really been proved, nothing's been in a proper court system, all that's happened is that David signed a piece of paper to get out of the place."
US officials portrayed Hicks, who was captured while guarding a Talitank alongside Taliban forces in Afghanistan in December 2001, as a committed al-Qaida supporter who had met Osama bin Laden a number of times. His lawyers countered that the Muslim convert, who has since renounced the faith, was an immature adventurer who only went to Afghanistan after his application to enlist in the Australian army was turned down.
Immature young lad. On a grand adventure. With a gang of blood-thirsty jihadis. And a rifle of his own.
Hicks spent more than five years at the US detention centre in Guantánamo Bay, where his family say he became depressed and withdrawn.
No kidding; being in a U.S. military slammer would sure depress me.
He became the first person convicted at a US war-crimes trial since World War II after he pleaded guilty in March to providing material support to al-Qaida. Under the plea bargain, Hicks was allowed to serve the remainder of his sentence in Adelaide, but in return forfeited any right to appeal his conviction and agreed not to speak to the media for a year from his sentencing date.
He admitted his guilt. Case closed. Next!
Australia's government has concedes that the gagging order may not be enforceable in Hicks' home country, where he has not been convicted of any crime. On release, Hicks will be subject to a form of control order obliging him to report to police three times a week and obey a curfew, among other restrictions.
Hicks' long incarceration without trial prompted human rights campaigners to condemn the country's then prime minister, John Howard, for not pushing the US for his release. The new prime minister, Kevin Rudd, who defeated Howard in a November election, was a strong critic of Hicks' treatment and the military tribunal system that convicted him.
However, Rudd has not challenged the plea deal and said today that Hicks would have to accept the control order. "Mr Hicks should be treated no differently to any other Australian citizen in these circumstances and our expectations of Mr Hicks is that he would comply with the requirements which have been imposed upon him," he told reporters.
Mr. Rudd does not seem to be a complete ninny...
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/29/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
"he'll apologize, but it won't be sincere"
I'd like David and Terry Hicks to get the beat-down they deserve, three times a week
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/29/2007 7:36 Comments ||
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#2
The family is trying to get around Aussie law so that he can sell his story
Posted by: john frum ||
12/29/2007 7:59 Comments ||
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#3
His lawyers countered that the Muslim convert, who has since renounced the faith...
Yeah, well those Aussie ladies are somewhat ... comely, and burkas just don't do 'em justice ;)
But heard of what happens to apostates from the Religion of Pieces (TM) David?
The five major Madh'hab (schools of Islamic jurisprudence) agree that a sane male apostate must be executed.
Whoops!, looks like you lucked out - loo-oo-ser!
I was in Oz in Feb of this year and there was a large banner unfurled down the length of a church steeple in Melbourne saying 'free David Hicks' - I frowned heavily and went off in search of a beverage or three...
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
12/29/2007 9:15 Comments ||
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#4
He added: "Nothing's really been proved, nothing's been in a proper court system, all that's happened is that David signed a piece of paper to get out of the place."
Still, that means he copped to it all.
So shut the fuck up, pops.
Hillary Clinton Friday called for ponies all 'round and an independent, international probe into Benazir Bhutto's murder, as turmoil wracking US anti-terror ally Pakistan reshaped debate in the White House race. The Democratic front-runner weighed into the crisis just six days before first 2008 party nominating contests, as candidates brandished their national security credentials following the ex-Pakistani premier's death.
"I'm calling for a fully funded, independent, international investigation," Clinton said in an interview with CNN. "I think it's critically important that we get proper expense accounts and five-star lodging while my husband seeks answers and really those are due first and foremost to the people of Pakistan," Clinton said.
Put Bill in charge and it's a two-fer.
The former first lady suggested the probe could be along the lines of the incredibly effective international investigation that followed the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri in 2005. "I don't think the Pakistani government at this time under President (Pervez) Musharraf has any credibility at all. They have disbanded an independent judiciary, they oppressed a free press."
She gave the interview from her hotel in Des Moines, Iowa, in a presidential-style setting with the backdrop of an American flag, bolstering the claims of experience and leadership on which she is pinning her campaign.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/29/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
GUAM K57 TalkRadio > PHILIPPINES: {Brigidia]ARROYO AND [Corey/Corazon]AQUINO CONDEMN BHUTTO ASSASSINATION; + REALCLEARPOLITICS > BHUTTO MURDER TOOK OUT THE KET TO US STRATEGY IN ASIA.
#6
Compared to the reactions from her rivals and some repubs (chough, huck, chough), it sounds like her handlers gave her the right copy to read. Paks aren't retarded, they've been watching lawyers in suits being beaten by the cops for the last few weeks. Why wouldn't they blame Mushie for this, considering Bhutto blamed him herself?
An independent look is the way to go. Who would trust anything that came from the government? FBI is a no-go, so the question is: Who would the population trust?
#11
IMHO the comments made by the entire Donk field should disqualify them from being President. Shows a massive lack of experience for everyone. Richardson is the stand out idiot calling for Perv to resign. Whom does Richardson think will step up to the plate in Pakland if Perv steps down now? Answer: Taliban or someone willing to kowtow to them.
President Bush today used a "pocket veto" to reject a sweeping defense bill because he dislikes a provision that would expose the Iraqi government to expensive lawsuits seeking damages from the Saddam Hussein era.
In a statement, Bush said the legislation "would imperil billions of dollars of Iraqi assets at a crucial juncture in that nation's reconstruction efforts."
The president's objections were focused on a provision deep within legislation that sets defense policy for the coming year and approves $696 billion in spending, including $189 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Also in the legislation were improved veterans benefits and tighter oversight of contractors and weapons programs.
Continued on Page 49
#1
Brendan Daly, spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said, "The House rejects any assertion that the White House has the authority to do a pocket veto." When adjourning before Christmas, the House instructed the House clerk to accept any communications -- such as veto messages-- from the White House during the monthlong break.
A Democratic congressional aide pointed out that a pocket veto cannot be overridden by Congress and allows Bush to distance himself from the rejection of a major Pentagon bill in a time of war. In a message to Congress, the president said he was sending the bill and his outline of objections to the House clerk "to avoid unnecessary litigation about the non-enactment of the bill that results from my withholding approval, and to leave no doubt that the bill is being vetoed."
Democratic aides said they have not ruled out any legislative options, including dropping the language on lawsuits against Iraq and sending the rest of the bill back to Bush.
In other words - W kicked your ass again, San Fran Nan
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/29/2007 7:57 Comments ||
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#2
The sponsor of the contested provision, Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., said the provision would allow "American victims of terror to hold perpetrators accountable -- plain and simple."
He must not have got the memo about how there were no terrorists in Iraq until Hussein was ousted.
U.S. officials suspect a Taliban leader may be behind the plot to assassinate former Pakistani Prime Minister and opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, a senior official said Friday. The official identified Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud as a leading suspect, saying there's "good information that leads us to believe he is the guy responsible."
On Saturday, a spokesman for Mehsud denied his involvement, The Associated Press reported.
"Lies! All lies! Nyaaaaaaaah!"
Earlier Friday, the Pakistani Interior Ministry said it had "intelligence intercepts" indicating he was behind Bhutto's death the day before in Rawalpindi. "As you all know, Benazir Bhutto had been on the hit list of terrorists ever since she had come to Pakistan," said the Interior Ministry spokesman, Brig. Javed Iqbal Cheema. "She was on the hit list of al Qaeda."
And the military and the ISI and ...
Cheema said the Pakistani government intercepted a phone call Friday in which Mehsud "congratulated his people for carrying out this cowardly act."
Cheema said his government had "irrefutable evidence" that al Qaeda was "systematically targeting our state institutions in order to destabilize the country."
That's sorta what terrorists do, isn't it?
In the phone intercept that Pakistani officials released Friday, Mehsud is apparently speaking in the Pashto language to another militant, whom he called Maulavi Sahib, or religious leader. The following is from the transcript:
Mehsud: Congratulations to you. Were they ours?
Maulavi Sahib: Yes, it was us.
Mehsud: Who was there?
Maulavi Sahib: Saeed was there, second there was Bilal from Badar and Ikramullah.
Mehsud: All three of them did it?
Maulavi Sahib: Ikramullah and Bilal did it.
Mehsud: Then congratulations.
Maulavi Sahib: Where are you? I want to meet.
Mehsud: I am in Makeen [town in the southern part Waziristan]. Come over. I am at Anwar Shah's house.
Later in the conversation, Mehsud said, "Fantastic job. Very brave boys, the ones who killed her."
No one has accepted responsibility for Bhutto's death on radical Islamist Web sites that regularly post such messages from al Qaeda and other militant groups.
Robert Grenier, former CIA station chief in Pakistan and former head of the CIA's counterterrorism center, describes Mehsud as an Islamic radical leader in northwest Pakistan's South Waziristan closely associated with the Taliban. Grenier said that Mehsud spoke publicly before Bhutto's return to Pakistan in October after her self-exile that the former prime minister was marked for assassination.
The Los Angeles Times reported Friday that Mehsud allegedly pledged to dispatch suicide bombers against Bhutto but that Mehsud has denied that allegation.
"No, no, certainly not! Nyaaaaaaah!"
The Interior Ministry also said earlier the suicide bomber belonged to Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a Sunni Muslim militant group with links to al Qaeda, Pakistan's GEO TV reported. There was no sign the group has claimed responsibility for the attack on the Pakistan opposition leader. The U.S. State Department lists Lashkar-e-Jhangvi as a terrorist organization and said it had links to the Taliban. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf banned the group in 2001.
Also Friday, the state-run news agency Associated Press of Pakistan reported al Qaeda had claimed responsibility for killing Bhutto. The agency quoted Cheema as saying, "Al Qaeda in a statement has accepted the responsibility of her assassination, as in the past she had been receiving life threats from this terrorist group."
CNN could not independently confirm that al Qaeda has claimed responsibility.
On Thursday, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin citing an alleged claim of responsibility by al Qaeda for Bhutto's death, a DHS official said. But FBI and other law enforcement officials said the claim was unsubstantiated and that federal officials are not making any comments about its validity.
Italian news agency Adnkronos International apparently was the source of this claim, saying the terror network's Afghan commander and spokesman Mustafa Abu Al-Yazid had telephoned the agency with it. "We terminated the most precious American asset which vowed to defeat [the] mujahedeen," the Italian news agency quoted Al-Yazid as saying.
The DHS official said the claim was "an unconfirmed open source claim of responsibility" and the bulletin was sent out at about 6 p.m. Thursday to state and local law enforcement agencies. FBI spokesman Richard Kolko said the validity of such a claim is "undetermined." Kolko said the FBI and the intelligence community is reviewing it "for any intelligence value." Any word about the ISI enabling this?
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif said on Friday that if the government goes ahead with parliamentary elections next month, it will destroy the country.
If the government is adamant about holding elections on January 8, it is going on a self-destructive path which will not only destroy the government itself, but will also destroy the country, AFP cited Nawaz as telling reporters at a press conference at the residence of PML-N leader Raja Ashfaq Sarwar. They are not going to be credible, he said. Most of the mainstream political parties have announced their boycott.
In protest: Online quoted him as saying in unequivocal terms that his party would not participate in the upcoming elections in protest against the assassination of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairwoman Benazir Bhutto at a rally outside Liaquat Bagh. He said the PML-N shared the PPPs grief, and this was why the party was boycotting the polls. He said the only reason the government could hold elections in January would be to allow the PML-Q an opponent-free win.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/29/2007 00:00 ||
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President Pervez Musharraf contacted Benazir Bhuttos husband, Asif Ali Zardari, and Pakistan Peoples Party Senior Vice Chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim by telephone and expressed his sorrow and grief over the assassination of the former premier. The president told Zardari that the whole nation equally shared his (Zardaris) grief and assured him that the incident would be fully investigated and those found responsible would be exposed. Musharraf urged the government and political parties to jointly wage a struggle against terrorism as we can extricate the country from the dangers and crisis through the elimination of terrorism.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/29/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
those found responsible would be exposed.
Tho not necessarily punished and perhaps even rewarded.
Posted by: Thomas Woof ||
12/29/2007 6:26 Comments ||
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#2
I believe the usual sequence is that they be exposed, then they reject the accusation. That completes the entire process.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/29/2007 8:19 Comments ||
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He claimed that her killing was part of a well-planned conspiracy. She had been receiving threats continuously since her arrival in Pakistan on October 18, he said.
In a statement issued on Friday, he said the murder of Pakistan Peoples Party chairperson Mohterma Benazir Bhutto was target killing. He claimed that her killing was part of a well-planned conspiracy. She had been receiving threats continuously since her arrival in Pakistan on October 18, he said.
He said the suicide attack on former interior minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao and firing on the rally of PML-N workers was a clear indication that the rulers had failed to protect the life and property of the Pakistanis. He said anti-Pakistani forces were behind the incidents and the government had failed to trace them. He called upon all the political parties to unite on one platform to develop a consensus on the prevailing political situation and to establish a civilian caretaker government.
This article starring:
QAZI HUSEIN AHMED
Jamaat-e-Islami
Jamaat-e-Islami
Posted by: Fred ||
12/29/2007 00:00 ||
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The Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP) has announced to boycott the coming general elections in protest to the murder of Pakistan Peoples Party chairwoman Benazir Bhutto. In a joint press statement issued on Friday, JUP head Shah Muhammad Anas Noorani and secretary general Qari Muhammad Zawar Bahadar said the Liaqat Bagh tragedy was a conspiracy against the solidarity of Pakistan. The JUP will boycott the elections as a protest to this tragedy, they said.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/29/2007 00:00 ||
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The Jamiat Ulema-e-IslamFazl (JUI-F) on Friday demanded timely general elections, while the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) called for the postponement of the January 8 polls. The JUI-F and JI are major components of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA). JUI-F NWFP chief Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan said the elections should be held on time because any delay in this regard would create more chaos that would go beyond the control of the government. He said timely elections were necessary to transfer power to elected representatives. The Awami National Party (ANP) said the election issue should be decided in consultation with all political parties including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
Posted by: Fred ||
12/29/2007 00:00 ||
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Bill Gates donates funds for Polio vaccination
According to daily Jang, two American organisations, the Gates Foundation and the Rotary International has donated 20 crores worth of dollars for World Health Organisation (WHO) polio vaccination drive. WHO will use this money in under developed countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Nigeria. WHO has appealed for more funding from around the world.
Ulema to protest against Moses film
As reported in daily Khabrain, Tehreek Hurmat Rasool (PBUH) has condemned the private channel for the sinful act of showing The Ten Commandments and vowed that a protest will continue unless the channel apologises and reitirates that no such film would be shown next time. The members of Tehreek Humat Rasool (PBUH) were Jamiat Ahl Hadees, Jamaat Ut Dawa, Majlis Ahrar and Majlis Khatum Nabuwat.
France expelled Ulema for declaring jihad
As reported in Daily Pakistan, an inquiry commission in France has recommended expelling 17 ulema (religious scholars) for declaring jihad and speeches in favour of mujahideen. The majority of these ulema belong to Tunis, Algeria, Morocco, Turkey and Pakistan. A Pakistani Imam Masjid Abdur Rehman had already been expelled. The commission said that these ulema promote jihad and criticise other religions.
Lindsay Lohan voted as most stupid actress
As reported in Daily Pakistan, Hollywood actress Lindsay Lohann got the award of the most stupid actress by the survey conducted by The New York Daily News. Britney Spears was at number 14 and Mel Gibson was at 24 out of total 25 entries.
Voting for MMA and PMLQ is sin
As reported in daily Nawa-e-Waqt, the tribal ulema council chairman Allama Abdul Hadi issued a fatwa after consultation with ulema karam and muftian Azzam. The fatwa said that voting for Jamiat ulema Islam, Jamaat Islami, Muttahida Majlis Ammal and PMLQ is haram and a voter would be committing highest sin. These parties have conspired against Islam, and the religious lobby in Pakistan.
Fake degree of ex federal minister
As reported in Daily Pakistan, the nomination papers of the ex Federal Minister for Health, Mohammd Nasir Khan, were rejected due to his fake BA degree. In the court of a Additional Session judge, the PPP candidate from NA 115 Narowal objected to the foreign degree of the ex minister. The personal secretary of Nasir Khan said that the degree from Nairobi University is recognised by HEC and that he had fought the previous election on the same degree.
Why did Abdullah Gill come to Pakistan?
Famous columnist Haroon ur Rashid wrote in daily Express, that the riddle of the President of Turkey Abdullah Gills visit to Pakistan has been solved. He came to tell opposition leaders that they should try to remove the military hegemony in steps while remaining a part of the system. Whoever thought of this idea was some American intellectual or the advisor of Pervez Musharraf.
People should get ready for beatings and jails
As reported in Daily Pakistan, the leader of the PML N, Nawaz Sharif addressing a crowd in Mansehra said that the future of Pakistan can become safe if the people get ready for beatings on the street and going to jail for the rights. His conviction has grown stronger by 100 percent with the rejection of his nomination papers. He was forcefully removed from the people and made a prisoner for eight years.
Judiciary had created its own parallel government
As reported in daily Express, the leader of the muslim conference Sardar Qayyum said the emergency was necessary for Pakistan. Politicians and ulema had become redundant. Armed agencies were formed in every house. The judiaciary had created its own parallel government. Foreign invasion was invited. Every person was trying to conquer another person. The Army and the president had no option but to impose emergency.
Memory of a chimpanzee better than a human
As reported in daily Jang, research showed that a chimpanzees memory is better than a humans. Up till now a wrong assessment of human memory was established. Scientists in Japan issued the result of their research after young chimpanzees showed better results than university students.
Illiterate nuclear power of the world
Senior columnist Munnoo Bhai wrote in daily Jang, that according to a survey, half of the worlds illiterates are living in South Asia which includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The continent of Asia has 75 per cent of the worlds illiterates that consists of 75 per cent of women and children. The literacy rate in Pakistan improved only 3 per cent during the last 50 years.
Iran tested its Ashura missile
Sarerahe wrote in daily Nawa-e-Waqt, that Iran has successfully tested its Ashura missile with target range of 2000 km. Now Iran has arranged to create mourning in the lines of evil. When Iran makes an atomic bomb they should call it tazia so that the world will know that those who commemorate Karbala can force Karbala on others.
A forgotten prisoner of Islamabad
Famous columnist Abdul Qadir Hassan wrote in daily Express, that the political process has started and PPP has even issued their manifesto. I am reading and listening to everything and was waiting that some body shall mention another prisoner in Islamabad like chaudhry Iftikhar. His name has been forgotten by everyone. Nation is agreed about the person of Dr Qadeer who has performed a miracle in descending society of Pakistan.
Six bomb blasts on CD shops in Lahore
As reported in daily Pakistan, unknown assailants attacked audio cassettes and CD shops that destroyed six shop including a barber shop and video repair shop. Police received letters that threatened to attack the shops if they didnt stop their business of CDs and cassettes. The first two bomb blasts destroyed government middle school and one private school.
Assassination bid of grand Saudi mufti foiled
As reported in daily Nawa-e-Waqt, a conspiracy to kill the grand mufti of Saudi Arabia Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah and the head of the supreme ulema council, Sheikh Saleh Alfauzan has been foiled. According to Saudi Newspaper 28 extremists were arrested who were planning to kill them. The Saudi grand mufti had said that extremists are exploiting young men in the name of jihad and they shall not participate in war of Afghanistan and Iraq.
I hate the madrassa people
As reported in daily Nawa-e-Waqt, police arrested the culprit Abdul Khaliq who said he hated the madrassa people in Qilla Saifullah, Balochistan. The suspect Abdul Khaliq told the police that he received military training from Jihadi groups and brought hand grenades from Afghanistan. The culprit belongs to Balochistan and often travels to Afghanistan. Students of madrassa identified Abdul Khaliq in police custody.
Hudood laws are not Islamic
As reported in daily Khabrain, speaking to a seminar justice (r) Majida Zaidi said that there is no mention of punishment for intoxication in the holy Quran. Therefore the hudood laws for intoxication are not according to Islam. Hudood laws dont provide justice but can be used for cruelty and oppression. The rights of women are equal in all religions.
Shukran ya akhi (thanks brother)
Lyrical columnst Irfan Siddique wrote in daily Nawa-e-Waqt, that the Saudi ambassador in Pakistan is a very attractive personality. Hr met the ambassador when he presented his credentials to President Rafiq Tarrar. Every Ramadhan, the ambassador sends dates from the orchards of Hijaz. The respected ambassador never forgot to invite him to his house on the national day of Saudia Arabia. Maybe this time the ambassador had arranged a gathering without informing him but their affectionate relationship doesnt allow him to hold such suspicion. After September 10, his two columns might have hurt Janab Ali Aseri but now they have become the part of past and Nawaz Sharif is back in Pakistan. He now apologises to the ambassador and hopes that he will not forget to invite him to gathering at his home.
Posted by: john frum ||
12/29/2007 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
#1
Mel Gibson was the 24th most stupid actress?
these idiots have gender identity issues
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/29/2007 8:08 Comments ||
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#2
Ulema to protest against Moses film
As reported in daily Khabrain, Tehreek Hurmat Rasool (PBUH) has condemned the private channel for the sinful act of showing The Ten Commandments and vowed that a protest will continue unless the channel apologises and reitirates that no such film would be shown next time. The members of Tehreek Humat Rasool (PBUH) were Jamiat Ahl Hadees, Jamaat Ut Dawa, Majlis Ahrar and Majlis Khatum Nabuwat.
There's the scene where Moses casts down the tablets toward the idolaters, and they explode, incinerating all those sinners. Mohammed contradicted that account, saying that Moses would NEVER break tablets Allah wrote upon.
The members of Tehreek Humat Rasool (PBUH) were Jamiat Ahl Hadees, Jamaat Ut Dawa, Majlis Ahrar and Majlis Khatum Nabuwat.
PBUH??? That's reserved for the Prophet's name (crap be upon him). Someone is doing some serious ass-kissing here.
#4
Memory of a chimpanzee better than a human
As reported in daily Jang, research showed that a chimpanzees memory is better than a humans. Up till now a wrong assessment of human memory was established. Scientists in Japan issued the result of their research after young chimpanzees showed better results than university students.
Let's see their Quake scores, better than mine Hummm?
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
12/29/2007 22:49 Comments ||
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Pakistan moving towards elections on January 8 next year, the issue of whether the elections will be free and fair has acquired great importance. Opposition parties already allege they will not be; the government claims they will be. Who is right?
Historically, Pakistan has never had fair elections except in 1970. As far as the upcoming elections are concerned, the process of rigging has already started. However, but the real show will be staged on the day of the elections. The technique of rigging adopted on election day is the outcome of meticulously conducted research. The voters, the returning officers or the international observers cannot detect how the secret hand plays its arithmetic magic. This is how it goes
Posted by: john frum ||
12/29/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
I suspect this happens here. Ever notice how those contested races that go the opposite way you expect them to are always swung by just a very few votes?
I think voter fraud is the biggest threat that our democracy faces. It is too easy for young and agressive activists to think they are doing good when they muster the troops, felons, dead and homeless to vote early and vote often. And without proof of identity, cheating is the easiest way to win.
WASHINGTON - Pakistans nuclear weapons arsenal is secure despite political turmoil after the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, the Pentagon said on Friday. Our assessment is that the Pakistani nuclear arsenal is under control, said Pentagon spokesman Col. Gary Keck. At this time, we have no need for concern.
I'm not sure I'd phrase it that way.
U.S. military and defense officials have said Pakistans nuclear weapons remain securely under the control of the Pakistani military. Those officials have repeatedly called the Pakistani military a responsible steward of the arsenal and said it would remain out of countrys political conflict.
Concern about the security of the arsenal surfaced in November, when Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency, prompting protests and arrests.
Despite the Pentagons assurances, some experts and U.S. lawmakers have argued instability raises risks in Pakistan, where the military is still suspected by some of at least knowing about the smuggling activities of Pakistans A.Q. Khan network that sold weapons technology to Iran, North Korea and Libya.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/29/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
SPACEWAR > PAKISTAN IS A FAILING NUCLEAR POWER. Not exactly - YET - but defini gettin' there.
#2
I'm wondering if there is some way their nukes might just 'happen' to spontaneously detonate in their storage locations? Some kind of red-green wire maintainance 'accident' or something?
#7
I seriously wonder how well-maintained the things are. It's my understanding that without regular and rigorous maintenance by well-trained technicians, the things are simply shiny, radioactive paperweights.
#8
I wonder how sophisticated and secure the safing system is for Pak nukes. A lot of things in sequence must happen for US nukes to go off.
There was a thread around here sometime back. The Pakistanis weren't allowed access to US safety-tech. There was worry it could fall into the hands of the Chineese. I can't understand why we'd worry about a nuclear power having the latest in failsafe stuff. Urban legend sez the technology was purposely leaked to the USSR in the sixties for both sides peace of mind.
Someone here knows this.... I can't remember the poster tho.
Posted by: Thomas Woof ||
12/29/2007 6:37 Comments ||
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#11
As recently as 8 months ago, Pakistan's longest range missile was the Ghauri-III, which only has a range of 2500 km.
This still would not threaten the West, especially not the U.S., which
at its closest point is over 11,000 km away; however, it would be able to reach Jerusalem, which is approximately 2200 km away.
ISLAMABAD - Pakistans interior ministry said on Friday that opposition leader Nawaz Sharif is one of several politicians under threat of attack following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. There are other people who are under threat and whenever we receive information we pass it on to the concerned people, ministry spokesman Brigadier Javed Cheema told a news conference.
It's almost as if he's warning people.
Asked to give examples, he named Sharif as well as Islamist leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman and former ministers Sheikh Rashid and Aftab Sherpao.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/29/2007 00:00 ||
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Reporters Without Borders on Thursday welcomed the release of Faisal Abbas Ghazala, the correspondent of the satellite TV station Kolsat, after more than a month in detention in Mosul.
Ghazala was released on December 21, but despite this the French organization called on the Kurdistan regional government "to show greater care and moderation in its measures affecting the news media" in the area. "Journalists are being subjected to more and more restrictions in Iraqi Kurdistan, which was until now regarded as a haven of peace and safety for the press," the organization said.
"The regional government has used the recent clashes between the Turkish army and PKK rebels based in Iraq to restrict journalists movements and activities. The draft press law recently adopted by the Kurdish parliament would, if ratified by President Barzani, be a very retrograde step." The released Ghazala, 34, had been accused of terrorism and he had been held after unceremonious arrest at his home for a total of 31 days. Ghazala told Reporters Without Borders he did not understand why he had been targeted. "They entered my home with an arrest warrant without taking the trouble to send me a previous summons, to which I would have definitely responded," he said. While held, Ghazala was questioned by his coverage of bombings that had taken place in the region.
The Reporters Organization remarked that the Kurdish regional government banned journalists from going to meet PKK rebels who have found refuge in the Qandil mountains on the border between Iraq and Turkey. The Euphrates News Agency (FHA) reported that Kurdish Prime Minister Nechervan Barzani met with media representatives a few days later and asked them not to publish articles "running counter to Turkish interests." On 11 December, the Kurdish national assembly voted a new draft law introducing heavy fines and prison sentences for press offences. The law has to be ratified by President Massoud Barzani in order to take effect. The president told representatives of the Kurdish Union of Journalist that he was going to reject the law and would ask parliament to amend it. But for the time being, nothing has been decided, the Organization indicated.
Baghdad will mark the first anniversary of Saddam Husseins execution on Sunday as a city transformed, largely as a result of thousands of his loyalists forging new alliances with the American military.
The rushed and chaotic circumstances of Saddams final hours - the Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki personally ordered his hanging on the eve of a major religious feast - illustrated the dramatic rise of Shia Muslim power in Iraq following the US overthrow of the Sunni-dominated regime in 2003. Mobile telephone cameras caught the executioners taunting Saddam on the gallows with sectarian slogans.
But instead of inflaming the Sunni insurgents, the event provided an opening for US commanders to co-opt fighters to battle extremists linked to al-Qaeda.
Saw the writing on the wall, they did ...
The flagship of the post-Saddam reversal of fortune is Amariyah, a district desolated by the civil war. It has regained a sense of security unimaginable when President George W Bush ordered a surge of troops in Baghdad a year ago. Armed American allies patrol triumphant in the streets having driven out al-Qaeda-linked extremists.
We fought the terrorists and we won, said Shami Karim, a 27-year-old fruit stall holder and gun-toting Knight of Mesopotamia, the name given to the £150-a-month guards co-opted to control the district. We like to live in peace and are glad that no one in Baghdad can call us terrorists. It has taken a long time but we appreciate the Americans.
ISRAEL says it has seized a truck carrying chemicals used to make explosives hidden in bags marked as EU aid for the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
The army said 6.5 tonnes of potassium nitrate were in bags marked as sugar from the European Union for Palestinians in the coastal enclave.
EU officials in Jerusalem had no immediate comment.
The cargo in a Palestinian truck was travelling in the occupied West Bank and seized several weeks ago at an Israeli checkpoint, the army said.
The EU is the largest provider of humanitarian assistance to Gaza. Israel tightened its military and economic cordon of the Gaza Strip after Islamist Hamas seized the territory in a June war with secular Fatah.
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia has no plans to sell its advanced S-300 anti-aircraft missile system to Iran, a Russian government agency said on Friday. "The issue of supplying Iran with S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems, raised by mass media, is not on the agenda, is not being considered and is not being discussed with the Iranian side at the moment," Russia's Federal Military and Technical Cooperation Service said on its Web site.
"No, no, certainly not!"
Iranian Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said on Wednesday Russia had agreed to sell the system to Iran. "The S-300 system, under a contract signed in the past with Russia, will be delivered to Iran," Najjar told Fars News Agency, without giving details. "The timing of the delivery ... will be announced later," he added.
S-300 missiles are longer-ranging than the TOR-M1 surface-to-air missiles which Russia, in a deal criticized by the West, earlier this year said it had delivered to the Islamic Republic under a $1 billion contract.
"Russia and Iran continue their civilized relationship in the sphere of military and technical cooperation, respecting in full regulations of international export legislation and (their) international obligations," the Russian federal agency said. It gave no further detail.
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12/29/2007 01:19 ||
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#1
Russia has no plans to sell its advanced S-300 anti-aircraft missile system to Iran
New clues have surfaced in the murder of Brigadier General Francois el-Hajj former chief of Lebanese army operations , after authorities identified the owners of the BMW car that was used in the Dec. 12 assassination, according to local media reports.
Beirut dailies An Nahar and As Safir on Friday said progress has been made in the investigation into el-Hajj's murder after the Lebanese intelligence service obtained pictures of the two men who bought the car that was used in the bombing.
The BMW vehicle that was rigged with over 35 kilograms ( 77 lbs) of explosives was bought in the village of Abra east of the southern port city of Sidon. An Nahar said the intelligence apparatus in south Lebanon was able to determine how the car was purchased prior to the explosion in Baabda that killed el-Hajj and his bodyguard, Kheirallah Hadwan. It said the two suspects are believed to be Lebanese.
Meanwhile, As Safir raised questions as to why the suspects' photos were not published in the media. It quoted sources, however, as saying that a U.N. international probe investigating the assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri and seven other anti-Syrian figures has demanded that the suspects pictures not be published.
Saeed Mirza, Lebanon's prosecutor-general, described as "inaccurate" the reports by An Nahar and As Safir and asked for an investigation into the matter. Hajj was a leading candidate to succeed the present army chief, General Michel Suleiman. His assassination was described by some analysts as a message to Suleiman, whose candidacy for president has been supported by both March 8 and March 14 alliances, but faces an uphill battle due to a set of precondition the opposition is trying to impose prior to the presidential election. The majority alliance called these preconditions extortion and blackmail
Posted by: Fred ||
12/29/2007 00:00 ||
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Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea accused Hezbollah of seeking to restore Syrian influence over Lebanon. Geagea said the Iranian and Syrian backed March 8 camp was "hampering (the election process) . because it is trying to restore Syria's influence over Lebanon."
In an interview with New TV late Thursday, Geagea pointed out that Hezbollah "in line with a strategic thinking wants to reinstate the Syrian umbrella over Lebanon because it has big plans that require an umbrella to protect it." He said Hezbollah's "scope of operation is farther than Lebanon. It starts from al Maghreb and ends in Pakistan."
Is there anybody in that part of the world who's not a megalomaniac?
Geagea said Hezbollah's concerns were unlike those of the Lebanese government "whose only concern is the Lebanese people."
Geagea stressed the need to elect Army Commander Gen. Michel Suleiman as President "since he is a compromise" candidate "and (since) there is nothing to prevent this step from being achieved, and the rest of the issues would be discussed afterward." He also urged Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun to meet him as head of the Lebanese Forces on "the presidential election issue without preconditions."
Posted by: Fred ||
12/29/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
ION, see also NEWSMAX > ISRAEL PREPARES FOR WMD WAR [mostly BIOWAR + CHEMWAR]. Tel Aviv has started passin' out the "How-To" Booklets.
Lebanons presidential election will be delayed until the end of next week, a senior political source said on Friday, in what would be the eleventh delay to a vote first scheduled to take place more than three months ago.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/29/2007 00:00 ||
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TEHERAN - Russia has delivered a second consignment of nuclear fuel to Irans Bushehr power plant, the official news agency IRNA quoted the deputy head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organisation as saying on Friday.
The second consignment of fuel for the Bushehr nuclear plant arrived in Iran on Friday, Ahmad Fayazbaksh said, adding that the delivery was the same amount supplied in the first consignment on December 17.
Russia will deliver a total of 82 tonnes of nuclear fuel to Iran over two months in eight separate consignments.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/29/2007 00:00 ||
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Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Naji Otri sacked on Friday 28 state employees on corruption charges. The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) said that the sacked employees were working in a number of public-related state departments in a number of governorates and the decision to sack them was related to impartiality. The Syrian government has pledged to fight corruption in state agencies and had previously issued several decisions to sack a number of employees in the country.
Posted by: Seafarious ||
12/29/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
They were cutting in on HIS share of the corruption.
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.
David Hicks, the first Guantánamo Bay prisoner convicted of terrorism charges, will walk free from an Australian prison tomorrow after more than six years in captivity. The 32-year-old former kangaroo skinner will apologise to the Australian people for the inconvenience he has caused when he leaves the maximum security Yatala prison in Adelaide, his father said.
Hillary Clinton Friday called for 
U.S. officials suspect a Taliban leader may be behind the plot to assassinate former Pakistani Prime Minister and opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, a senior official said Friday. The official identified Taliban leader 
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif said on Friday that if the government goes ahead with parliamentary elections next month, it will destroy the country.
President Pervez Musharraf contacted Benazir Bhuttos husband, Asif Ali Zardari, and Pakistan Peoples Party Senior Vice Chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim by telephone and expressed his sorrow and grief over the assassination of the former premier. The president told Zardari that the whole nation equally shared his (Zardaris) grief and assured him that the incident would be fully investigated and those found responsible would be exposed. Musharraf urged the government and political parties to jointly wage a struggle against terrorism as we can extricate the country from the dangers and crisis through the elimination of terrorism.
Bill Gates donates funds for Polio vaccination
Voting for MMA and PMLQ is sin
Pakistan moving towards elections on January 8 next year, the issue of whether the elections will be free and fair has acquired great importance. Opposition parties already allege they will not be; the government claims they will be. Who is right?
WASHINGTON - Pakistans nuclear weapons arsenal is secure despite political turmoil after the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, the Pentagon said on Friday. Our assessment is that the Pakistani nuclear arsenal is under control, said Pentagon spokesman Col. Gary Keck. At this time, we have no need for concern.
ISLAMABAD - Pakistans interior ministry said on Friday that opposition leader Nawaz Sharif is one of several politicians under threat of attack following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. There are other people who are under threat and whenever we receive information we pass it on to the concerned people, ministry spokesman Brigadier Javed Cheema told a news conference.
Baghdad will mark the first anniversary of Saddam Husseins execution on Sunday as a city transformed, largely as a result of thousands of his loyalists forging new alliances with the American military. 
