Army Gen. David H. Petraeus said yesterday that the United States had reached agreements to open "additional logistical routes into Afghanistan" through its Central Asian neighbors to the north, reducing dependence on Pakistan as the main transit route for supplies to U.S. and NATO troops.
About three-quarters of "nonlethal" supplies for the 64,000-strong U.S. and NATO force in Afghanistan -- food, fuel, construction materials and other goods -- travel by road from the Pakistani port of Karachi and across the mountainous Afghanistan-Pakistan border through the Khyber Pass. Pakistani transit convoys have repeatedly been attacked in recent months by Taliban fighters.
During an eight-day trip, Petraeus stopped in Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgystan. "There have been agreements reached" over new transit routes, he said, although he offered no specifics. One possible route includes train and truck convoys through Russia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
#1
we should be scaling back any aid to Pakland since they've done little to secure the logistics route that I can see. They were playing the "you need to pay us so your supplies get through, otherwise bad things can happen" game. Now we can tell em to "FOAD, we have other routes, oh, and that big bag of boodle you were planning on? Get it from your ISI/Taliwhack friends"
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/21/2009 8:37 Comments ||
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#2
Is it just me, or do all these countries have marauding bands of tribal bugbears roaming around their hinterlands?
#6
"additional logistical routes into Afghanistan" through its Central Asian neighbors to the north
Does this mean Kyrgyzstan and their base is still bought by the Russians or did Petraeus match the offer? Or did we use the russkies for some future quid pro quo?
#7
I'd have to dig my old Soviet railway atlas out of storage somewhere, but methinks that Russia and Ukraine are also on the list, even if Petraeus didn't recently travel there. Don't think you can get (practically speaking) from anywhere our stuff is likely to be available to C. Asia without transiting Ukraine and/or Russia. I suppose trans-shipping by rail from Poti to Baku in the Caucasus, then ferry to Turkmenistan, and thence onward might be possible, but awfully complicated.
The importance of all this would be that we're supplementing our risk of Paki shenanigans or incompetence with risk of Russian blackmail/unreliability in a pinch. That's still diversifying risk, but .....
Another thought is that some of the stuff might be available in Kazakhstan. Fuel I can see (so long as we procure from a refinery with quality controls), other stuff, not so much.
Back in the day we'd always try to procure locally for disaster relief, esp. in C. Asia. Mixed results (dirty fuel, bad grain, etc.) in some cases. But it was cool to buy yurts in one of the 'stans for earthquake shelter relief in another 'stan.
KABUL, Afghanistan -- The Afghan government has sent NATO headquarters a draft agreement that would give Afghanistan more control over future NATO deployments in the country _ including the positioning of some U.S. troops, officials said Tuesday.
The draft technical agreement would put into place rules of conduct for NATO-led troops in Afghanistan and the number of additional NATO troops and their location would have to be approved by the Afghan government. The agreement _ an attempt by Afghanistan to gain more control over international military operations _ would also prohibit NATO troops from conducting any searches of Afghan homes, according to a copy of the draft obtained by The Associated Press.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who met with Gen. David Petraeus on Tuesday and discussed how to prevent civilian deaths and the role of Afghan forces in U.S. missions, told legislators that his government sent the draft agreement to NATO about two weeks ago. As the head of U.S. Central Command, Petraeus oversees the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Addressing parliament at its opening session, a frustrated Karzai said the U.S. and other Western military allies have not heeded his calls to stop airstrikes in civilian areas in Afghanistan. He warned that the fight against militants cannot be won without popular support from Afghans.
The Afghan president urged the U.S. and NATO to follow a new military strategy in Afghanistan that would increase cooperation with Afghan forces and officials to prevent the killing and maiming of civilians. "We will not accept civilian casualties on our soil during the fight against terrorism and we cannot tolerate it," Karzai told parliament.
U.S. and NATO-led troops say militants deliberately use civilians as human shields in their fight against foreign and Afghan troops, and there have been multiple disputes over whether some of those killed in operations were civilians or militants.
NATO spokesman James Appathurai said the letter from the Afghan government has been shared with NATO nations but no discussions about it have yet taken place. "The bottom line here is we are very much willing to engage in discussion to see how we can, in cooperation with them (Afghan authorities), improve how we do business," Appathurai said.
The draft technical agreement calls for:
The deployment of additional NATO troops and their location carried out only with Afghan government approval.
Full coordination between Afghan and NATO defense authorities "at the highest possible level for all phases of military and ground operations."
House searches and detention operations to be carried out only by Afghan security forces.
If approved, the agreement would apply to all 48,000 NATO-led forces who operate under the International Security Assistance Force, including some 17,000 Americans. It's not clear if the agreement would apply to the separate U.S. coalition and its 15,000 U.S. troops, said U.S. spokesman Col. Greg Julian.
Karzai's office said that the president late Tuesday met with Petraeus and talked about ways to prevent civilian casualties. Karzai also told Petraeus that U.S. troops need to more closely cooperate with Afghan authorities and soldiers, Karzai's office said.
The latest dispute over civilian casualties arose two weeks ago, when the U.S. military said its troops killed 32 militants in the eastern province of Nangarhar, while Karzai said 17 of those killed were civilians.
Civilian deaths undermine Karzai's support ahead of his re-election bid this year. They also sap the support that foreign troops need to help the government extend its reach across the country.
U.S. Gen. David McKiernan, the commanding officer of all NATO and U.S. troops in Afghanistan, issued a directive to troops in September meant to reduce the number of casualties. Commanders have said they are advising troops to break off a battle with militants rather than risk firing into a civilian area.
Appathurai, the NATO spokesman, said that directive is meant to convoy NATO's concerns over civilian casualties.
#1
Adios, Hamid. It's obvious you don't have the stomach to fight your enemies, and you don't really want us to fight them, either. From now on, we'll just sit back in the US and bomb the sh$$ out of any group that tries to attack us or our citizens anywhere in the world they may be. You haven't seen us at our meanest. Keep screwing around, and you just might.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
01/21/2009 16:44 Comments ||
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The leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria and Qatar met on Monday to try to mend a rift pitting Cairo and Riyadh against Qatar and Syria, a Saudi diplomatic source said.
King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, leader of regional powerbroker Saudi Arabia, called on Arabs at the Arab economic summit opening in Kuwait City to rise above their differences and hosted a lunch that brought together the leaders of Kuwait, Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Qatar.
The efforts to heal a rift exposed by Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip were launched by Kuwait with the help of other Arab nations in the Gulf, a Kuwaiti source said.
The split was highlighted after Qatar hosted an Arab summit on Friday that Egyptian and Saudi leaders did not attend.
"We have to overcome Arab political differences that led to a division in the Arab ranks which can be exploited by those who want to achieve their regional ambitions" King Abdullah told the opening session of the economic summit.
He also warned that the Arab peace initiative "will not remain on the table forever."
Posted by: Fred ||
01/21/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
He also warned that the Arab peace initiative "will not remain on the table forever."
It will probably roll off the table into the spittoon.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
01/21/2009 1:24 Comments ||
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#2
He also warned that the Arab peace initiative "will not remain on the table forever."
It might as well be swept into the dustpan of history already. Israel is NOT going to agree with anything that contains "right of return" for "palestinians". Abdullah should be bright enough to figure that out on his own. If he's NOT able to do that, he's rich enough to buy someone who can.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
01/21/2009 16:50 Comments ||
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The Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal, Chittagong yesterday sentenced Javed Iqbal alias Mohammad, divisional chief of the banned Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), to 10 years' imprisonment in August 17, 2005 serial blasts case.
Or until the next Muslim holy day ...
Javed was also fined Tk 5000, in default he has to suffer six months more in jail, court sources said.
Tribunal Judge Md Shafiqul Karim declared the verdict for three bomb blasts in city's Bahodderhat, Muradpur intersection and OR Nizam Road area.
The court, however, acquitted Arshadul Alam alias T Alam, a JMB cadre and another accused in the case. The court made the verdict after the hearing of 12 witnesses.
The then Sub-Inspector Abdul Bari of Panchlaish Police Station filed the case accusing the two while the police submitted the charge sheet on January 14, 2007. Later, the charge was framed on April 19 in the same year.
Rapid Action Battalion arrested Javed along with his associate Jafar from a house in the city's Kattali area on December 14, 2005 and seized huge quantity of explosives and bomb-making materials.
Must have wanted Javed bad to let him avoid the 3 am perp walk ...
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/21/2009 00:00 ||
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The Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal, Chittagong yesterday sentenced Javed Iqbal alias Mohammad, divisional chief of the banned Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), to 10 years' imprisonment in August 17, 2005 serial blasts case.
Hmm, how "speedy" is a three year period from crime to sentencing? I wonder...
ZURICH (Reuters) – Switzerland is ready to consider taking in detainees from the U.S. prison for terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba if that helps to shut it down, the Swiss government said on Wednesday.
"For Switzerland, the detention of people in Guantanamo is in conflict with international law. Switzerland is ready to consider how it can contribute to the solution of the Guantanamo problem," the government said in a statement.
Switzerland said it welcomed the expressed intention of U.S. President Barack Obama to close the prison and would investigate security and legal implications of possibly taking in detainees.
Hours after taking office on Tuesday, Obama ordered military prosecutors in the Guantanamo war crimes tribunals to ask for a 120-day halt in all pending cases.
The camp is widely seen as a stain on the United States' human rights record under the administration of George W. Bush.
European governments, which for years have called for the camp to be closed, are under pressure to help find a home for around 245 remaining detainees. The camp has held more than 750 captives since opening in 2002, most without trial.
Under Bush, Washington tried in vain to persuade its allies, in particular in the 27-nation European Union, to take in inmates who cannot go back to their home country and who the United States does not want to accept either.
Switzerland, which is not a member of the EU, has historically attracted refugees from trouble spots around the world and is home to international humanitarian organizations like the Red Cross and U.N. refugee agency.
But its reputation for tolerance has been threatened by the rise of the right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP), and its campaigns against immigration. The SVP condemned the government overture as giving "free rein for terrorists."
Portugal was the first EU state to say it would accept detainees and France has said it is ready to do so as well, but others are less enthusiastic. EU foreign ministers will discuss the issue at a meeting on January 26.
EU Justice Commissioner Jacques Barrot welcomed on Wednesday Obama's plans to freeze military trials at Guantanamo.
"I am delighted that one of the first actions of President Obama was to turn the page on this sad episode of Guantanamo prison," he said in a statement. "For me, this is very symbolic. In a lawful state, everybody should enjoy the right to defense."
MP Geert Wilders, who leads the anti-immigration PVV party, should be prosecuted for discrimination and inciting racial hatred, Amsterdam's appeal court ruled on Wednesday.
'This is a black day for me and for freedom of speech,' Wilders told the Telegraaf on Wednesday. 'I had not expected it [this ruling].'
The public prosecution department has received dozens of complaints about Wilders' anti-Islam film Fitna and his statements in the media over the past few years. But at the end of June last year, the department said it did not have enough grounds to prosecute him and that a healthy legal system should allow plenty of leeway to people involved in political debate.
The appeal court said that while freedom of speech was important, there were limits to that freedom.
Several of the complaints relate to articles or letters by Wilders which were published in the Volkskrant newspaper. For example, in August 2007 he called for the Koran to be banned. 'I have had enough of Islam in the Netherlands: no more Muslim immigrants,' the MP wrote. He also compared the Koran to Adolf Hitler's book Mein Kampf.
Lawyer Haroon Raza, one of those who asked the court of appeal for its position, points to the 'massive social unrest' which Wilders has generated and says this is why he should be prosecuted.
As opposed to the government containing the social unrest and preserving the rights of its citizens ...
Wilders' refusal to debate the issues with Muslims themselves means that those who feel insulted by his comments cannot counter the claims he makes, Raza told the Volkskrant.
Anti-racist organisation Nederland Bekent Kleur had also appealed against the public prosecution department's reluctance to take Wilders to court. The organisation has made three formal complaints about Wilders and other PVV MPs, relating to a total of 96 statements, the Volkskrant says.
The public prosecution department said in a reaction that it would abide by the courtŽs decision but could not say when legal action would be taken against Wilders. Over the past two years, the Netherlands has prosecuted several people for calling police officers 'homo (gay) and insulting the queen.
The PVV has nine seats in parliament but according to latest opinion polls would win 12 if an election was held now.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/21/2009 11:31 ||
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#1
The ruling class will never let the serfs have their say. It has always been that way in Europe, and it always will be.
#3
Any atheist or believer in a religion other than islam, can hardly accept their beliefs. Criticism of these is hardly unconscionable. This smells like surrogate shariah enforcement.
#7
It still has a ruling class and is a constitutional monarchy (as of June 5, 1849). The EU bureaucrats of Denmark are no different than the clan leaders of Scotland after the United Kingdom came into effect. They look out for themselves at the expense of their own countrymen and country.
European Union states have engaged in a flurry of diplomatic activity following the announcement of a ceasefire by Israel and Hamas declaring its own truce over the weekend, with the EU's big three pledging naval support to prevent the delivery of weapons into Gaza.
On Saturday (17 January) at midnight, Tel Aviv declared a unilateral ceasefire, saying its objectives of degrading Hamas' ability to fire rockets into Israel had been achieved.
Hamas on Sunday followed with an announcement of a truce, giving Israel seven days to leave the occupied territory and open all border crossings to permit the entry of humanitarian aid and basic goods.
#5
I'm perplexed. The Israeli Navy has a small fleet of gunboats, many of which are stationed off the coast of Gaza to prevent smuggling. Have the smugglers been getting past the Israelis? That's the sort of thing that should be readily known given satellite imagery -- hard to hide a ship tied up at harbor in Gaza.
This seems like an empty pledge to me. It would be more useful if they pledged to stop the tunneling, and meant it.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/21/2009 11:12 Comments ||
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#7
The Israeli Navy has a small fleet of gunboats, many of which are stationed off the coast of Gaza to prevent smuggling.... This seems like an empty pledge to me.
Not if you put the two lines above together in context.
#11
ION EUROZONE, ISRAELI MIL FORUM > THE GAZA WAR COMING/CAN SPREAD TO EUROPE? + PALEOS THREATEN EUROPE WITH A MUSLIM MINORITY [Euro-Muslims + Emigres will demand their Rights includ SHARIA, OR ELSE!]???
TOPIX > VARIOUS - EUROPE'S RADICAL MUSLIMS USING SOFT POWER TO IMPOSE SHARIA.
GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba (CNN) -- The judge overseeing pretrial hearings for a terrorism suspect accused of killing a U.S. soldier hinted Tuesday at the uncertain future for the case as Barack Obama assumes the presidency. "We will reconvene tomorrow, unless otherwise ordered by the commission," Judge Pat Parrish told those in the courtroom at Guantanamo Bay.
Obama has vowed to close the naval prison at the U.S. base. It is not clear how soon that will happen or how it will affect these detainees. An executive order to close the facility could have an immediate effect on ongoing cases. Sources have said Obama is expected to issue an executive order in the first days of his presidency, though Obama has acknowledged that it would take time to implement any such order.
Parrish was recessing the hearing for Omar Khadr, 22, who was captured at the age of 15 in 2002. Khadr's attorney has said he does not believe that the Obama administration will proceed with the case against Khadr once all the evidence is presented. "Here you have a 15-year-old boy who was victimized and sent into combat by his parents," attorney William Kuebler said, adding that the U.S. government "subjected him to interrogation methods and techniques that would be illegal as applied to adults."
The military denies that Khadr's statements were derived under torture.
Hearings have also taken place this week for five detainees accused of crimes related to the September 11 terrorist attacks. The judge overseeing those cases have also indicated that the near future of those cases remains uncertain.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/21/2009 00:00 ||
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#2
Well SCOTUS had a snit so Congress per their authority under Article I, Section 8 rewrote the procedures. Let's see how the system self destructs as we make the Constitution ever more 'living' and ever more irrelevant as a literal document upon which power and authority is exercised. Hear those footsteps, that's Caesar approaching, whose path is being cleared by so many in their own little ignorant ways of removing the safeguards against his reign.
Chief of the banned Tanzim Nifaz Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM) It's banned, huh?
Maulana Sufi Muhammad They let him out of jug because he was on his deathbed...
has urged the government to implement the Shariah in Malakand Division to stop bloodshed. "All that bloodthirsty stuff'll stop just as soon as you chop a few hands off and maybe stone an adultress or two..."
"Implementation of Shariah is a must to ensure peace, progress and equal rights to the people," the TNSM chief told a press conference here on Tuesday, warning the government that it would be held responsible for any untoward incident if the Shariah was not implemented in the Malakand Division and Kohistan. Define "progress"?
The TNSM chief also demanded of the government to stop the so-called operation in Swat, which had affected the innocent people. Maulana Sufi said the TNSM should be held responsible for any untoward incident after the enforcement of Shariah in the region.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/21/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
Is this guy an actual sufi or just a guy named 'Sufi'?
Interior Adviser Rehman Malik Tuesday said that Pakistan was making headway regarding investigation of the Mumbai attacks and called for India to increase cooperation in this connection. He said while speaking to Sri Lankan Defence Secretary who called on him here today. Ă‚"We have assured the world community that Pakistan will continue the war on terrorism in the national interest,Ă‚" Malik said. Meanwhile, both sides agreed to boost defence ties and professional contacts. In this connection, a Sri Lankan delegation will soon arrive in Pakistan, it said.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/21/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
Yeah, send us more evidence we can disregard...or share with some "people".
Delhi: Days after British Foreign Secretary David Miliband upset New Delhi with his comments linking Terror to resolution of Kashmir, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has written a letter to British counterpart Gordon Brown and conveyed India's disappointment on his behaviour and comments.
Miliband's comments also appeared to have cast a shadow on the visit of Peter Mandelson, British Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. It is learnt that the British High Commission sought an appointment for Mandelson, here on a four-day visit, with Prime Minister Singh and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee but there has been no word from any of them regarding a meeting. The call-on meetings were "requested" but not granted. They were, however, not scheduled.
Mandelson, however, met Commerce Minister Kamal Nath it was conveyed to him that the visit's profile could have been "different" had it not followed Miliband's controversial remarks.
New Delhi's discomfiture with Miliband was made public by Minister of State (Commerce) Jairam Ramesh who didn't want to go for a CII event where Mandelson was going to participate on Monday. "I didn't feel like going. So I spoke to Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday afternoon and asked whether I should attend, since the MEA had expressed strong views on Miliband's style and substance. He said let me think about it, and then he called back after 2-3 hours and told me you should go and make your point," Ramesh said.
New Delhi is clearly upset with Miliband's "arrogant" behaviour which has evoked sharp reactions. The MEA even said it didn't need "unsolicited advice" and that his views were "evolving".
Mandelson, who is visiting Delhi, Pune and Mumbai, has a business delegation which has representation from various sectors including civil nuclear players such as AMEC and Rolls Royce, infrastructure companies such as Arup and Benoy and the world's largest law firm, Clifford Chance. Cairn Energy, GKN, Vodafone and Standard Chartered are also part of the delegation.
Posted by: john frum ||
01/21/2009 00:00 ||
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Express your upset concretely, India. Give the contracts to Israeli and American firms, with the statement that had the British Foreign Secretary not been such an obnoxious fool, at least some of the business would have gone to Britain.
#2
All true enough TW, but India really should be playing a quieter game here.
Among other things - the resolution of Kashmir is linked to terrorism, and as soon as Pakistan cuts it out the resolution can proceed peacefully.
Also, no need to steer all the business elsewhere. Instead simply point out that rather than contracting with UK firms, India will joint-venture with an option to buy. They've begun down the path of reversing the colonial legacy, and they simply need to continue, slowly but surely adding commercial and cultural acquisitions as they go.
Finally, keep this out of the press, meet with anyone and everyone, and at every meeting subtly remind them of the comments. Eventually the British will issue a public statement, or India will deal with the new conservative government.
India can begin to act the power role in this relationship - not always, and not wholly, but enough.
#3
I am but a simple soul, Halliburton, not suited for the subtleties of politics or diplomacy. My plan would be momentarily satisfying, but there is no doubt yours will be more effective. Well said!
The Iraqi vice president has accused Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of trying to amend the constitution to give the central government more powers.
Adel Abdul-Mahdi criticized al-Maliki's action on Tuesday, saying that amending the constitution would curtail the powers of the provincial administrations. Al-Maliki's government is monopolizing power and hindering reconstruction efforts after years of war in the country's south, he added.
But al-Maliki argues the alternative to a strong central government would be chaos.
Abdul-Mahdi's Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council party has a vested interest in a decentralized federal system since it aspires to create and dominate a self-ruled region in southern Iraq that mirrors the autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq and ensures the party's future as a major player, AP reported.
With less than two weeks to go before the provincial elections of January 31, this issue could reshape local power bases in the south and elsewhere, as critics say it could carve Iraq into a Shia south, a mainly Sunni center, and a Kurdish north.
Abdul-Mahdi, who says he has toured seven of the nine southern provinces, has described conditions there as "deplorable". He stated that the "monopoly of power" in Baghdad by the central government and its ministries must be brought to an end as it has become a hurdle to any development in the south.
"Iraq cannot be left up to the thinking of one official or one department. The constitution and investment laws must be implemented," AP quoted him as saying on Tuesday.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/21/2009 00:00 ||
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Is PM al-Maliki's last name really "Chavez"? Same behavior...
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
01/21/2009 16:57 Comments ||
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All of our blood, money, and time will be for nothing. I know there will be a civil war there within 5 years of our pullout.
Posted by: Yosemite Sam ||
01/21/2009 17:18 Comments ||
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#3
Teaching Mooslims democracy has to something akin to teaching a Duroc the backstroke. Nation building. Let's start with Indiana.
Iraq's most powerful Shiite Muslim cleric urged Iraqis to vote in provincial elections this month, the first since 2005, even if they were disenchanted with the performance of the politicians they elected last time, his office said Monday.
Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, whose words carry the force of law among devout Shiites, reiterated his neutrality in the vote, which will redraw lines of power in a country slowly recovering from six years of war. Coming in the middle of a pitched campaign, the statement seemed aimed at deflating the attempt by parties -- sometimes subtle, sometimes not -- to claim his mantle, support that was crucial in empowering a religious Shiite coalition in 2005.
"His eminence urges all residents, men and women, to participate in the coming elections, and stresses not to boycott it despite not being totally satisfied with the previous electoral experience," a statement from Sistani's office said.
It added that Sistani "stands at an equal distance from all candidates."
The use of religious symbols or sites is banned in the campaign for the Jan. 31 vote, but everyone from the Communist Party to the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, a powerful Shiite party, has resorted to Shiite imagery. One Supreme Council banner in Baghdad declared that a person should vote for its list of candidates because he is the "son of the marjaiya," a reference to the authority of Sistani and his most senior colleagues.
"People understand who's closer to the marjaiya and they can distinguish between parties on that basis," said Abdul Hussein Abtan, a Supreme Council candidate and deputy governor of Najaf, a sacred city in Shiite Islam and the home of Sistani.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/21/2009 00:00 ||
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The IDF has decided not to release the names and pictures of battalion and brigade commanders who participated in Operation Cast Lead, Army Radio reported Wednesday morning.
The decision was made in anticipation that international war crimes lawsuits would be filed against IDF officers, who could face prosecution when traveling overseas.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak has ordered the IDF to set up a team of intelligence and legal experts to collect evidence related to operations in the Gaza Strip, that could be used to defend military commanders against future lawsuits.
Called an "Incrimination Team," the group of experts has already received all of the footage filmed by IDF Combat Camera teams deployed inside the Gaza Strip, to review and decipher. All footage taken by Combat Camera soldiers is first given to brigade intelligence officers, who study it for intelligence information.
The decision to set up the team was made as part of IDF preparations for a wave of international lawsuits related to Operation Cast Lead, which Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz warned last week would be filed against soldiers following the operation.
In 2005, Maj.-Gen. (res.) Doron Almog, former OC Southern Command, avoided arrest at London's Heathrow Airport. He was warned not to disembark from his El Al flight as British detectives were waiting to arrest him for allegedly ordering the demolition of Palestinian homes in Gaza in 2002.
Using a loophole in Britain's Universal Jurisdiction legislation, Palestinian campaigners have filed private criminal complaints of "war crimes" against military personnel, even if the military personnel are citizens of other countries and the alleged charges were not committed on British soil.
In 2006, then-Gaza Division commander Brig.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi, who was scheduled to study at the Royal College of Defense Studies in London, was warned by an IDF judge that he could be arrested upon arrival. Kochavi subsequently canceled his trip to the UK.
Former Shin Bet chief Avi Dichter also canceled a trip in 2007 out of concern that a warrant might be issued for his arrest.
#4
i hate that they have too do this. It's utter bullshit that a nuniformed army has too cloak their officers too protect them against the world court. World court my ass , why won't they go after Nasrallah or any of the other terrorist leaders for any war crimes. Israel should tell them too FOAD. And by the way didn't Milosevic die of cancer or something before the world court had a chance too do anything too him. Or any of his thugs that they are just now starting too round up 15 or so years after that war ended
#1
"I spent the whole day there [Monday] and not one person came to us for help," said one doctor, who preferred to remain anonymous. "The people there are scared, scared of us and scared of Hamas."
But mostly scared of Hamass.
Must not be that bad.
Point and match go to Israel. Unless you're Muslim.
" It is an outrageous and totally unacceptable attack on the United Nations...There must be a full investigation, a full explanation to make sure it never happens again. There should be accountability through a proper judiciary system "
Ban Ki Moon
United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday called for those responsible for the bombing of U.N.-run buildings and schools in Gaza to be held accountable following Israel's 22-day assault of the impoverished strip.
"It is an outrageous and totally unacceptable attack on the United Nations," Ban said, speaking outside the still-smoldering main U.N. compound in Gaza City that was bombed during the war.
"There must be a full investigation, a full explanation to make sure it never happens again. There should be accountability through a proper judiciary system," he said.
During the Gaza assault Israel bombarded several U.N. infrastructures where hundreds of people had taken shelter. Israel apologized for the incidents but said its forces were responding to shooting from gunmen at the United Nations Relief and Works (UNRWA) facility, which U.N. officials have vehemently denied.
Hamas held a rally outside the compound during Ban's visit, calling for international recognition of its Gaza-based government.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/21/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
Sooner or later, Israel will have to start going after terrorism enablers.
#6
"It is an outrageous and totally unacceptable attack on the United Nations...There must be a full investigation, a full explanation to make sure it never happens again. There should be accountability through a proper judiciary system "
I wonder if the UN is honestly prepared to go after the "Palestinians" as Ban is suggesting here.
As Israel withdraws its ground troops from Gaza it has deployed "an army of bloggers" fluent in several languages, recruiting an all-volunteer force to combat anti-Zionism in cyberspace and escalating its battle to control Israel's image abroad. Israeli press reported Monday.
More than one million Israelis who speak a second language have been recruited to monitor blogs in English, French, German, and Spanish and more are to be recruited for Portuguese and Russian blogs, Erez Halfon, director general of the Immigrant Absorption Ministry, told the Israeli daily Haaretz Monday.
The ministry media department directs volunteers to websites that are considered "problematic" in hopes of focusing attention on the positive aspects of Israeli life and the way Israelis suffer because of being under a constant threat of terrorism, the Jerusalem Post reported Monday.
Within 30 minutes of announcing the hasbara, or public diplomacy, program five volunteers had applied, said Halfon.
The first volunteer was 31-year-old Sandrine Pitousi from Kfar Maimon, a town five kilometers (3 miles) from Gaza, who said she decided to join the program right after she heard about it on the radio. "I decided to join because I'm living in the middle of the conflict," she told the paper.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/21/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
Israel hires army of bloggers to fight image war
recruiting an all-volunteer force
I respect journalist integrity, objectivity, and logic.
#3
Gromgoru, I din't notice it immediately but this is from Al Arabiya, the Saudi news paper.
In another order of ideas, I have been told that during trhe Gaza expedition, Al Jazeera have been broadcasting more balnaced reporting than those of many western MSM. At least in westen languages. I don't know what they have been broadcasting in Arabic.
Egyptian authorities turned away dozens of foreign journalists from entering Gaza through the Rafah border crossing to cover the aftermath of the recently halted Israeli aggression on the impoverished strip.
The ban came as a surprise to the many journalists who underwent a strenuous routine of paper work and embassy certification to gain access to the beleaguered strip yet were turned away at the last minute at the border. "We crossed a long way to get to Rafah to cover post-war Gaza. And now we are told we can't enter," a reporter said to AlArabiya.net on condition of anonymity.
About 70 journalists intent on preparing field reports of Gaza were prevented from crossing the border today. They came from different countries including the U.S., Netherlands, Austria, Norway, Slovenia, Belgium, Germany, Australia, Ireland, Britain, France, Japan, Indonesia and Turkey.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/21/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
Sherman's quote comes to mind.
Posted by: Rednek Jim ||
01/21/2009 17:54 Comments ||
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#2
Thos stupid journalists can't even understand that Hamas terrorists could kill them...
#2
Don't let him back out. Tell him we'll ship him his stuff - like the rest of the UN. Gaza seems like a perfect place to dump the United Nations bureaucracy. Would definitely free up a lot of parking spots in mid-town Manhattan.
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
01/21/2009 8:36 Comments ||
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An Israeli military officer has been arrested for refusing to kill Palestinians in the three-week offensive against Gaza. Israel arrested Noam Livne in his home in Tel Aviv on Monday.
Livne cited ethical reasons for his objection to the war against civilians, saying that the army's top brass would not accept his reasons. This is the second time that Livne disobeyed the army. In 2001, he refused to go to war and was sent to prison. "This will be the second time that I am being brought in," he told Vita magazine a few hours before his arrest. "It happened before, eight years ago, when I said 'no' for the first time," he added.
Tel Aviv launched a ruthless military campaign against the Gaza Strip on December 27 with the aim of eliminating Hamas, the democratically-elected ruling party of the coastal region. They keep saying Hamas is "democratically elected." As the Spaniard pointed out to Vizzini: "I do not think that word means what you think it means."
At least 1,340 Palestinians were killed and 5,320 others were wounded during the conflict, according to Press TV correspondents in Gaza.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/21/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
It doesn't sound like a career as a military officer is in his cards.
It was a day of hurry up and wait. The hour long drive from Al Arish, Egypt to the Rafah border post was uneventful. We passed half a dozen trucks laden with food, mattresses and other goods along the way, also headed for Gaza.
When we arrived at the border, at around 9 am there were about 30 people there before us, some medical workers, some journalists. There were 7 ambulances waiting to take out injured patients and slowly the trucks carrying aid started to queue, stretching back until more than 20 were waiting for entry.
Once we were through the gates, we moved into the Egyptian border control office, who asked us to write and sign letters stating that we were entering Gaza of our own volition and that our safety was in our own hands.
After about a half an hour our passports are returned to us with Egypt exit stamps so we walk over to the exit point. We are stopped by the guards. There is a problem with Ashraf's passport and they say that I can go but he can't cross. An entry stamp instead of an exit stamp by mistake. Done. We are through on a bus that takes us to the Palestine side of the border.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/21/2009 00:00 ||
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Gaza's border with Egypt has been a focal point for aid and relief efforts coming from the outside. But as foreign journalists wait anxiously to get through what is officially a closed border, hundreds of homeless Gazans have been waiting for days trying to cross over into Egypt, and away from more than three weeks of death and destruction.
Gunshots were fired at the border yesterday by frustrated Palestinian border guards trying to maintain order as over three hundred Gazans tried to get through into the Egyptian border town of Rafah.
"It's just luck if I get through. They might stop me but what can I do," said Sameh Abu Dagga, a civil servant who worked at the now flattened Palestinian Legislative Council building in Gaza City.
"What will I do if I don't get in? I've got no idea." Some have better chances than others, depending if they hold a passport from a foreign country,
Fatiha Helmati, an Algerian living in Gaza, was one of the hundred or so who got past the gate and into Egypt. Her family took shelter in a nearby school in Khan Younis after their house was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike. Her grandfather died in the rubble.
"Gaza is a cage. People are trying to get out anyway they can. We have family in Algeria and we're trying to go and stay with them. I hope we can make it there."
It's a growing problem that the Egyptians will have to contend with. They are already sending teams of doctors in more regularly now and aid trucks are making daily trips into the strip.
But Gazans, particularly those living in Rafah have become debilitated by the Israeli offensive and now a lack of running water and electricity. And as more and more of them wait at the frontier trying to get in, the Egyptian authorities will have to decide quickly how to deal with them.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/21/2009 00:00 ||
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#3
So why aren't they sneaking out the tunnels?
Are they one way only?
Posted by: Rednek Jim ||
01/21/2009 12:46 Comments ||
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#4
So why aren't they sneaking out the tunnels?
They probably can't afford the bribes that the Egyptian border guards demand.
I find it ironic that Egyptians gladly accept bribes from Paleos who smuggle rockets and other weapons through the tunnels into Gaza but won't let Gaza civilians flee the resulting mayhem.
The Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram quoted Hamas' political leader Khaled Meshal on Tuesday as saying his Islamist group was surprised by the force Israel recently used against it in the Gaza Strip.
Meshal, who was speaking at an Arab conference on Gaza in the Qatari capital Doha, reportedly told a closed forum that Hamas had believed that Israel's 22-day campaign against it would last no longer than three days. The offensive ended Sunday, after Israel and Hamas separately declared a cease-fire. "We didn't expect the crimes that were committed against our citizens, the residents of Gaza," Al-Ahram quoted the Damascus-based Meshal as saying.
Approximately 500 Hamas militants were killed in the operation, Israeli estimates state, and hundreds more were wounded.
The IDF also killed hundreds of militants belonging to various armed factions and militias. More than 1,250 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed during the offensive. Hamas says just 48 of its fighters died in the fighting.
According to Al-Ahram, Meshal said there were meant to be massive protests in front of Egyptian embassies across the Arab world, to pressure Cairo into opening its border crossing with Gaza at Rafah.
"We had relied on the Arab street," Meshal is quoted as saying. These protests never took place, although there were major demonstrations around the world against Israel for its actions in Gaza. They let this dipshit be in charge? I wouldn't let him mow my friggin lawn. No wonder the only army they can beat is their mirror image, Fatah.
Egypt boycotted the Doha summit, suspecting that Hamas and its sponsors, Syria and Iran, would use it as a platform for a hard-line position and hurt Egypt's efforts to mediate a Gaza truce.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/21/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
"but of course it was a victory! (translation: I'm still here!")
Posted by: Grolush Darling of the Hatfields3195 ||
01/21/2009 8:51 Comments ||
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#2
"The IDF also killed hundreds of militants belonging to various armed factions and militias."
Those would be some of the “civilians” the Paleo Health officials have been squawking about.
Hamas's armed wing said on Monday it lost only 48 fighters during Israel's 22-day operation in Gaza and vowed to fight on unless the Jewish state withdrew its forces from the Palestinian enclave. "We announce to our people the martyrdom of 48 Qassam fighters," Abu Obeida, spokesman for the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, said in a televised press conference. And the citizenry no doubt believes it. Or will, with sufficient repetition...
Israel reported killing more than 500 Hamas members during Operation Cast Lead which it launched on Gaza on December 27 and ended on Sunday with a ceasefire. Gaza medics said a total of more than 1,300 Palestinians have died.
Abu Obeida also claimed that Israel lost "at least 80 soldiers" in the fighting. The Jewish state listed 10 soldiers killed.
The spokesman repeated the "victory" cry declared by Hamas leaders on Sunday as the guns fell silent and underlined that Hamas' own ceasefire would only last a week unless Israel fully withdrew troops from Gaza. The Islamist movement's capacity to fire rockets into Israel had not been reduced, he added. One of Israel's main aims during the offensive was to stop rocket attacks.
Israel's efforts, backed by the United States and European leaders, to prevent Hamas from re-arming, would also fail, Abu Obeida said. Israel had failed to achieve "any of the objectives it had set for the war ... and only killed hundreds of children, women and old people."
This article starring:
Abu Obeida
Hamas
Posted by: Fred ||
01/21/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
"We announce to our people the martyrdom of 48 Qassam fighters,"
#3
All are now fully accounted for. The balance of the slain were dedicated collaborators and future Hamas fighters. Thank you once again for the BDA and full disclosure.
#6
If the EU wouldn't put up the big bucks for rebuilding, see how many Gazans would believe Hamas claims that they did well in the war. However, even when econmic times are tough the EU will prioritize supporting groups that attack Jews.
Head of Student Basij Organization Reza Seraj said on Tuesday that 100,000 students have signed up to launch martyrdom seeking operations.
"Based on latest statistics, 100,000 students have signed up the list in `Labayk Ya Khamenei' Martyrdom Seeking Battalions," Seraj told a group of students outside former US Embassy in Tehran, dubbed as `Den of Spies', on Tuesday.
Seraj said students are ready to fully obey the Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's order for contribution to Gaza reconstruction.
#3
In a more civilized culture, these misguided souls would be "5150"ed, put under 72 hour suicide watch and given some anti-depressants.
It is cheaper to just give them some aged C-4 and a blasting cap. It is also cheaper than a fighter jet with a bomb or a rocket.
Posted by: James Carville ||
01/21/2009 10:46 Comments ||
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#4
Based on what I've read on the underground Iranian student sites and the supposed numbers of young people who believe the regime to be oppressive, this might be a cheap & easy way for a 'dissenting' young person to clandestinely immigrate, too. Once they get to somewhere outside of Persia, they may very well 'forget' what they've been sent to do. Don't know if there would be some Iranian security type standing behind them the whole way with a weapon, however.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
01/21/2009 15:00 Comments ||
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#5
well they should start training with live ammo very soon in iran so secrecy doesn't get out
#7
That is a lot of sploadadopes. For efficiency why not invite them to the stadium and just blow them up. Give their families the perfunctory martyrdom certificate. Everyone's happy. This would save the world a lot of trouble.
#8
100,000 potential martyrs, ya say? Whoa!! That's a lot of personnel to handle. Yer gonna need some help processing them all. May I suggest a Powder River S2C Curved Alley? Take a look and tell me that it ain't the prettiest little piece of processing equipment ya ever seen?
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
01/21/2009 19:41 Comments ||
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Iran said on Monday that two doctors jailed since June were among a group convicted of a U.S.-backed plot to overthrow the Islamic republic by creating social upheaval, Fars news agency reported.
Iran's judiciary said last Tuesday four people had been detained in connection with a U.S.-funded plot but did not name them.
"Among the four key elements arrested in this case there were two doctors named Arash and Kamiar Alaei," said the counter-espionage director at Iran's intelligence ministry, who was not named.
The intelligence official said the group sought to "incite social crises, organize street rallies and interfere in ethnic issues."
"These people have also committed financial and moral offences as well as security crimes."
The European Union in August called for the release of the two brothers, who were known for their pioneering work in HIV/AIDS. The U.S. State Department has also expressed concern.
Iran announced last week the group had been sentenced to undisclosed jail terms.
State broadcaster IRIB said confessions of those involved in the case would soon be aired, but did not name them. Iran has broadcast confessions in the past from people accused of threatening state security.
Iran often accuses the West of seeking to undermine the Islamic state through a "soft" or "velvet revolution" with the help of intellectuals and others inside the country.
Western diplomats and human rights groups say Iran has cracked down on dissenting voices since President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to power in 2005. Iran says it allows free speech and denies accusations it violates human rights.
The semi-official Mehr News Agency on Saturday said a Tehran court had sentenced to jail a number of people over the allegations of a U.S.-backed plot, but did not give details.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/21/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
Yup kill doctors then wonder why you're sick.
Is there a word descripition for actions below moron.
Posted by: Rednek Jim ||
01/21/2009 18:04 Comments ||
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An Iranian diplomat says the Israeli crimes committed against Gazans should alarm the world about the threat of Israel's nuclear arsenal.
Geneva-based Iranian diplomat Ali-Reza Moayyeri said Tuesday that Israel's extreme measures against Gazan civilians should bring world attention to the threat posed by Tel Aviv's stockpile of nuclear warheads.
"No word can do justice to the extent of Israel's war crimes in the Gaza over the past three weeks," said Moayyeri.
Although Israel neither denies nor admits of possessing an atomic arsenal, former US President Jimmy Carter has described Tel Aviv as the sole possessor of a nuclear arsenal in the Middle East.
Moayyeri said that Israel's refusal to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and its nuclear weapons program should be the cause of serious concern for Middle Eastern countries.
Tel Aviv has so far refused to join the NPT or submit its nuclear installations to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards.
Norwegian medics in Gaza said on January 4 that traces of depleted uranium on Gaza victims suggested that Israel used the illegal weapon in its war on the impoverished territory, which houses some 1.5 million Palestinians.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), there is a "high risk of developing cancer from exposure to radiation emitted by ... depleted uranium weapons. This risk is assumed to be proportional to the dose received."
The Geneva Convention has classified depleted uranium ammunitions as 'illegal weapons of mass destruction' due to their high radioactivity and toxicity.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/21/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
An Iranian diplomat says the Israeli crimes committed against Gazans should alarm the world about the threat of Israel's nuclear arsenal.
For once, I agree. We're a f*cking crazy country with more nukes than Europe, and your own "Islamic Republic" shouldn't annoy us Ali-Reza.
Smells like projection. It's probably the muslims could ever think one could do with nukes. Heaven forbid they should remain sheathed. If you have them, you need to use them, right?
#6
"Norwegian medics in Gaza said on January 4 that traces of depleted uranium on Gaza victims" :
the "Norwegian medic" who utters this big lie is Mads Gilbert, a well-known rabid anti-American anti-Jewish racist, who said, in the aftermath of the 9/11 atrocities, that he supported the 19 al-Qaeda terrorists who had committed them...
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.
Army Gen. David H. Petraeus said yesterday that the United States had reached agreements to open "additional logistical routes into Afghanistan" through its Central Asian neighbors to the north, reducing dependence on Pakistan as the main transit route for supplies to U.S. and NATO troops. 
KABUL, Afghanistan -- The Afghan government has sent NATO headquarters a draft agreement that would give Afghanistan more control over future NATO deployments in the country _ including the positioning of some U.S. troops, officials said Tuesday.
GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba (CNN) -- The judge overseeing pretrial hearings for a terrorism suspect accused of killing a U.S. soldier hinted Tuesday at the uncertain future for the case as Barack Obama assumes the presidency. "We will reconvene tomorrow, unless otherwise ordered by the commission," Judge Pat Parrish told those in the courtroom at Guantanamo Bay.
Delhi: Days after British Foreign Secretary David Miliband upset New Delhi with his comments linking Terror to resolution of Kashmir, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has written a letter to British counterpart Gordon Brown and conveyed India's disappointment on his behaviour and comments.
Iraq's most powerful Shiite Muslim cleric urged Iraqis to vote in provincial elections this month, the first since 2005, even if they were disenchanted with the performance of the politicians they elected last time, his office said Monday. 
The Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram quoted Hamas' political leader Khaled Meshal on Tuesday as saying his Islamist group was surprised by the force Israel recently used against it in the Gaza Strip. 
Hamas's armed wing said on Monday it lost only 48 fighters during Israel's 22-day operation in Gaza and vowed to fight on unless the Jewish state withdrew its forces from the Palestinian enclave. "We announce to our people the martyrdom of 48 Qassam fighters," 
An Iranian diplomat says the Israeli crimes committed against Gazans should alarm the world about the threat of Israel's nuclear arsenal. 
