No. 5284 Randolph Rd., in a Rockville shopping center, is a modest Parcel Plus store where small businesses rent mailboxes by the month. It's also the address used by at least 42 undocumented immigrants living in states along the Eastern Seaboard to fake a Maryland residence so they could get a driver's license, records show.
Most of them got away with it, authorities say, evidence that Maryland - the last holdout east of the Colorado Rockies in the nationwide effort to tighten rules on how states issue driver's licenses - has become a magnet for illegal immigrants from Georgia to Delaware seeking driving privileges. Not to mention ID. Then they can get flying lessons, and ...
Along with New Mexico, Hawaii and Washington state, Maryland does not check the immigration status of drivers when they apply for a license. The policy has made the state vulnerable to widespread fraud by illegal immigrants living outside Maryland - as well as to criminals seeking to create false identities - according to court records and interviews with state officials.
And in some cases, state workers who issue licenses have run sophisticated schemes right out of Motor Vehicle Administration branches. Many of those employees have been successfully prosecuted. Many of those who have been caught.
Security is the chief concern cited by Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) and lawmakers as the General Assembly debates whether to require license-seekers to verify their lawful presence in the country. It's a change the Democratic-controlled legislature has resisted out of sensitivity to immigrants. But to comply with a federal law known as Real ID, the state must show this year that legal residents have access to a secure, nationally recognized license.
Immigrant rights advocates support a two-tiered system that would also comply with federal law by allowing newcomers without proof of legal status to get a limited license for driving - but not to board airplanes, enter federal buildings or cross borders. Haven't they already crossed the border without papers?
O'Malley and other opponents say that wouldn't stop the fraud problem. If it doesn't pass its own law, Maryland would be forced to meet an early deadline to put into effect other costly provisions of the Real ID law.
Kuo could not say how many undocumented immigrants from other states have obtained a Maryland license. But he noted that although there are at most 300,000 illegal immigrants living in the state, since 2006 his agency has processed about 350,000 licenses for drivers using foreign documents without U.S. visa stamps. That's an interesting correspondence of numbers.
Maryland's license is considered so insecure that some states, including Colorado, Arizona and Oklahoma, no longer accept it as a proof of identity for relocating drivers. Similar concerns have led the District to deny all out-of-state licenses as proof of identity. Virginia still accepts them.
Posted by: Bobby ||
03/28/2009 17:31 ||
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#1
Let's see if the nym stays, got security about s low as it'll go.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
03/28/2009 20:46 Comments ||
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(CNN) -- Erik Roberts, an Army sergeant who was wounded in Iraq, underwent his 13th surgery recently to save his right leg from amputation. Imagine his shock when he got a bill for $3,000 for his treatment.
Army Sgt. Erik Roberts was badly wounded in Iraq with two comrades in April 2006.
"I just thought it was bull---- that I'm getting billed for being wounded in Iraq doing my job. I always put the mission first, and now that I was wounded in Iraq, they're sending me bills," he said. "I put my life on the line and I was wounded in combat, and I came back and they're not going to take care of my medical bills?"
It's a level of outrage shared by his mother, as well as the doctor who performed the surgery.
"It's hard to understand why we're not taking care of guys like Erik whose injuries are clearly related to their service. They deserve the best care of anybody," said Dr. William Obremskey, an Air Force veteran and surgeon at Vanderbilt Orthopaedics in Nashville, Tennessee. "For him to be responsible for $3,000, I think, is a little ridiculous or is uncalled for, particularly in this situation."
His mother, Robin Roberts, put it more succinctly: "Why should any soldier pay one penny of a medical bill from injuries that occurred while they were fighting in a war? That's what really frustrates me."
The Department of Veterans Affairs has now decided to pay his bill, but only after prodding from a U.S. senator who got involved after CNN brought it to his attention.
Roberts, of Warren, Ohio, is one of more than 31,100 U.S. troops to have been wounded in Iraq. An additional 4,262 have died in the war.
Roberts was wounded April 25, 2006, when roadside bombs tore through his Humvee in western Baghdad. Heat from the flames ignited the Humvee's ammunition, which popped off all around. See Roberts describe getting blown up. Roberts and his buddies, A.J. Jefferson and Luke Murphy, were badly wounded and bleeding on the ground after jumping from the burning vehicle. They were saved by comrades who rushed to help them.
"The truck automatically filled with smoke. There was fire coming from the middle of the truck. And I just feel my whole right side just like kind of explode," Roberts said. "I thought at that moment that my life was over, so I started praying."
All three soldiers survived the attack, but Murphy lost his leg. Days later, on his 23rd birthday, Roberts returned to the States. He underwent a series of life-saving surgeries, including 12 different ones to repair his fractured right leg. A metal rod was inserted in his upper leg to help the fracture heal.
#3
I doubt Eric Shinseki had anything to do with this, but his boss probably does. If this continues, all veterans need to march on Washington. It worked in 1919, and it worked in 1946. If that's what it takes, we need to do it again in 2009. If Zero tries something, we can always go back heavily armed.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
03/28/2009 17:41 Comments ||
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#5
OLd Patriot is right. Start a march on Washington. You will have plenty of company. Even many of us you never served, let alone were injured will join this march. This is an exceptional break of of the government's commitment to our protectors. There is absolutely no excuse for this.
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
03/28/2009 19:15 Comments ||
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#6
Veterans ride to the wall every year. Might be time to spark them with the cause.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
03/28/2009 19:31 Comments ||
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#7
Ride to the wall starts the 14th of May and the rolling thunder rally is memorial day, the 25th.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
03/28/2009 19:41 Comments ||
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#8
Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Roberts home state of Ohio who serves on the Senate's VA committee is who went to bat for Roberts.
#10
Youre right crazy fool. Messing with Vets is not a pissing contest that can be won. You may piss on them, but youll end up soaked in piss every day till next sunday. Heck, even a homeless vet with detachable prosthetic legs under a bridge will still go pugilistic on you with their leg if they have to. Nobody had better fuck with our vets.
#11
sorry i got a little worked up. I should have used a different word besides the f word. thats how pissed this double dealing crap theyre pulling on our vets gets me. sinktrap away if needed.
Libya wants Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to allow humanitarian organisations back into Darfur, AP quoted Libya's UN ambassador Abdurrahman Mohamed Shalgham as saying on Thursday (March 26th). Also Thursday, Al-Bashir stopped for a short visit in Sirte for talks with Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi. By travelling to Libya, Al-Bashir defied an International Criminal Court warrant for his arrest on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/28/2009 00:00 ||
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Although Dr Nazir-Ali has been in charge of the Rochester diocese for nearly 15 years, the decision to quit - which will see him leave his post later this year - has come as a surprise.
The bishop is aged only 59 and potentially could have stayed in post for another decade. He was a leading contender to succeed George Carey as Archbishop of Canterbury, but has become increasingly outspoken at the direction of the Church since Dr Rowan Williams's appointment.
A spokesman for the bishop said that he wants to turn his attention to working with the persecuted church. "Bishop Michael is hoping to work with a number of church leaders from areas where the church is under pressure, particularly in minority situations, who have asked him to assist them with education and training for their particular situation," he said.
Dr Nazir-Ali, who became the Church's first Asian bishop when he was appointed to Rochester in 1994, has taken a strong stand against the rise of Islam in Britian.
He warned last year that parts of the country have been turned into "no-go" areas for non-Muslims and challenged Dr Williams's claim that the introduction of sharia law is unavoidable. As a result of his warning, the bishop received death threats saying he would not "live long" and would be "sorted out" if he continued to criticise Islam.
Posted by: ed ||
03/28/2009 09:25 ||
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#1
Quit? Or asked to resign over his comments regarding djimmitude?
#2
what a shame. It will not be long before threatening individuals as a means to control society will happen here as well. Since the government is not helping to protect citizens like Nazir-Ali, then he is probably wise to take up his fight on another front.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
03/28/2009 13:56 Comments ||
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#4
A telling comment on the Church hierarchy that he is leaving. I look forward to reading interesting things about the reverend gentleman, now that he is not constrained by Church policy and positions. I also look forward to seeing what the next Asian bishop has to say -- because surely the Archbishop Dr. Williams will not want to be seen as replacing a Black with a White.
#4
LOL they'd be my last choice for intervention. Unless, of course, you believe that the Imams have absolutely no irrational grievances against the ways of the West.
(They do get a little touchy if someone insults their prophet (perceived or not).
Hezbollah is using the same southern narcotics routes that Mexican drug kingpins do to smuggle drugs and people into the United States, reaping money to finance its operations and threatening U.S. national security, current and former U.S. law enforcement, defense and counterterrorism officials say.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/28/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
No Sh IT? I had Hezbullah living next to me for 3 years before you wrote this article.
#4
The Iran-backed Lebanese group has long been involved in narcotics and human trafficking in South America's tri-border region of Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. Increasingly, however, it is relying on Mexican narcotics syndicates that control access to transit routes into the U.S.
Which means that when the Mexican cartels are shut down, Hizb'allah loses export ability, yes?
#5
Rantburgers and people along the southwest border have had this concern for some years. Is there anyone in Washington that is awake to the interests of the US and not involved in some self-interests that involve some Ponzi scheme to get rich, vote trolling, or some PC crap?
#6
If President Bush was going to be impeached, his failure to secure our southern border would have been a valid article. His passive resistance to doing anything down there was a gross dereliction of duty.
Hillary Clinton going down to Mexico and apologizing for our contribution to the problem showed weakness and where her head was really at. We and Europe have a serious drug problem. The money generated by this trade is staggering, all going to narco lords or terrorist organizations. But Mexico has been a country with a corrupt govt for many years. The money from the narco trade has bought off anyone in govt that needs to be bought off.
So what do we do?
1. Build the wall and a no-go zone along the border.
2. Patrol it with the military. People sneaking through are subject to lethal force.
3. Get energy independent as much as possible. Mexico is unstable and thus our crude supplies could be cut off by the fall of the govt.
4. Get food independent from Mexico.
5. Give assistance to the Mexican govt where appropriate. However we cannot bail them out. We are broke.
None of this will happen because the Big O Admin is more concerned with our global image and want to be loved. We have a marxist regime that is bent on dismantling the fundamental tenants of our republic. Hezb'Allah is a symptom of the bigger problem, but not the main problem, which lies in the Congress and the White House.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
03/28/2009 12:18 Comments ||
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#7
I saw question Tim Geither being questioned before Congress recently. I think it was Donald Manzullo doing the questioning. Geither could not answer what authority gave him the power to do the things he is doing and proposing. He had extreme difficulty answering the questions. One of the reasons the Democrats have difficulty answering such questions is that they do not particularly like the Constitution as a foundation to carry on the business of government. It is a documented to be circumvented rather than followed.
#8
The second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence provides the path to be followed when government doesn't meet the needs of the people. Obambi may be just the president to drive enough people to the extremes of changing government from the outside, not the inside.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
03/28/2009 14:10 Comments ||
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#9
I don't know WTF this mean's but I'd like to repeat it some it can become some sort of memcleche.
#10
Maybe it means that Miz Rice was instrumental in getting the Juice to call off their offensive against Hezbollah in 2006. She should have sent arclights instead to help the Juice break their bunkers and break them. They need to be broken.
Which means that when the Mexican cartels are shut down, Hizb'allah loses export ability, yes?
I wouldn't hold my breath. There's just too much corruption on both sides of the border. They can't properly see the threat posed by terrorists because they're blinded by greed.
#11
2006, 2006.... hmmm. What else was happening in that part of the world in 2006 that might have influenced the Bush administration?
Hey, I've got it!!! maybe the fact that we had not surged into Iraq yet, that the insurgency was at its full flower and that the Iraqi govt wasn't really stable at all yet.
Oh, and add in the deep desire of Iran to draw us into an all-out regional conflict in which we'd truly be mired, since we would NOT use nukes etc.
You know, there's a lot to disagree with in the Bush policies. But it's awfully easy to sit back and call for arclights when you're not in the Oval Office. Things look a lot different when you're responsible for the impact of decisions on our troops and allies in theater, not to mention the follow-on effects.
Leaving Hizb'allah wasn't a great option. It was, arguably, a reasonable one in the circumstances.
#13
The problem with leaving Hezbollah intact in 2006 is they now threaten to take control of Lebanon giving the Mad Mullahs a vassal state right next door to Israel and making a mockery of democracy in the Middle East. Uh-huh. Didn't really expect W to authorize an arclight. I know he knows more than I do. But I don't have any faith in the UN peace keepers either. Whenever the Hezzies start feeling their oats again, or whenever it suits their Iranian masters, they will make more trouble. Can we arclight 'em then? I just thought it'd be the thing to do with those bunkers that gave the IDF such a tough time.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
03/28/2009 22:25 Comments ||
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#16
I'd like to sign up for that newsletter. Any writing that blames Condi for Isrels decades long failure to deal with the Hezzies is bound to be an interesting read.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
03/28/2009 23:28 Comments ||
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#17
It's a violo-erotic fantasy to think that arclighting Lebanon would have 'dealt' with Hezballah.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
03/28/2009 23:30 Comments ||
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A North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman on Thursday warned that any action by the U.N. Security Council in response to the North's planned rocket launch will be viewed as a ''hostile action'' that will cause it to reverse its denuclearization, according to a Korean Central News Agency report.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/28/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
Where's the threat? Did they actually stop their nuclear development or something while I wasn't looking?
Japan gave its military the green light on Friday to shoot down any incoming North Korean rocket, with tensions high ahead of a planned launch that the US and allies say will be an illegal missile test. Japanese and US warships have already deployed ahead of the April 4-8 window, when the North has said it would launch a communications satellite.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/28/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
STARS-N-STRIPES > Report confirms CHINA HAS A NEW SUB BASE [Attack, Boomer Subs] on HAINAN ISLAND, reportedly to help expand its reach to anywhere in the SOUTH CHINA SEA + INDIAN OCEAN.
*INDIA = War scenario with CHINA includes possibility of MYANMAR + BANGLADESH aligning wid PRC.
* WORLD MIL FORUM > IIUC CHINA CONTINUES TO DESIRE, WORK FOR STRATEGIC RAPPROCHEMENT WITH JAPAN AND ASIA AGZ USA.
#2
BHARAT RAKSHAK [India Forums]> JAPAN TO GO NUCLEAR IFF UNIFIED KOREAS ARE NUKE-ARMED; + CHINA DROPS ANCHOR ON INDIA'S BACKYARD [Asia Times-old]/THE "H FACTOR" AND THE EVIL WITHIN [CHINA, Sri Lanka, + new Hambantanota FreePort dev project agz INDIA].
#3
If the Norks provoke the Japanese to go nuclear & rearm, they will finally have done something incredibly stupid & dangerous. Kim should not reawaken the Bushido; he would learn who the tough guys really are.
#8
Sell the Japanese the "Kitty Hawk" when she's decommissioned later this year. We might also drop a few hints on how to build, operate, and deploy a carrier battle group. I'm sure the Japanese can "upgrade" the "Kitty Hawk" to something that would give the Chinese leadership heartburn from nose to toes, plus would probably build a couple of additional carriers for a nuclear strike force. Who knows, we might even want to sell them some of our decommissioned nuke subs. Kimmie may be bat-sh$$ crazy, but he's not stupid. I doubt he'd want to take on a nuclearized Japan any time soon.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
03/28/2009 14:17 Comments ||
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Germany is home to several hundred "potentially dangerous Islamists" including a hard core of around 100 people classed as dangerous, a senior Interior Ministry official said on Friday.
Between 60 and 80 "jihadists" out of some 140 have returned to Germany, who had undergone training in camps in the Tribal Areas on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, State Secretary August Hanning said. "The danger should not be underestimated. The 60 to 80 who have returned make up the overwhelming majority of up to around 100 people whom we class as dangerous," Hanning told the Tagesspiegel daily's Saturday edition.
"On top of that there are about another 300 potentially dangerous Islamists. All in all we are talking about a circle of around 1,000 people," said Hanning, who used to head German foreign intelligence agency, the BND. He added he was worried about the possibility of attacks in the run up to this September's general election in Germany. "The threats do not mention the elections directly. But in the view of jihadists in Pakistan the election is important because it will determine Germany's foreign policy in the future," he said.
"We remember that the attacks in Madrid in 2004 were carried out a few days before elections in Spain," he said, referring to the commuter train bombings. A number of videos -- sometimes in German or with German subtitles -- have emerged in recent months warning of future attacks on German soil because of the presence of 3,500 of the country's troops in Afghanistan.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/28/2009 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in Europe
#1
Germany is home to several hundred "potentially dangerous Islamists"
#2
Make it illegal to go abroad to participate in terror training camps as "conspiracy to commit murder" or "employment by a foreign criminal organization", then convict those who have done so... and thoroughly examine all their friends.
A postmaster from Nottingham who refused to serve customers who could not speak English says he feels "let down" after losing his job.
Sri Lankan-born Deva Kumarasiri worked at the sub post office on Sneinton Boulevard before being moved to another branch in Netherfield. He claimed non-English speakers made it difficult to do his job properly.
On Thursday, Mr Kumarasiri was told by the agency that employed him that his contract would not be renewed. "I feel definitely let down because it was the 5% of the ethnic minorities who made this fuss," said Mr Kumarasiri. "They don't want integration and they are the ones that made me leave the Sneinton post office. The other 95% are suffering because of that.
"People are ringing me and sending me e-mails, I have that many fan mails, all helping me out," he added.
His employer, agency Newrose Personnel, was unavailable for comment.
Mr Kumarasiri said he was now in negotiations with a friend who had offered a post office for him to run.
Managers at the Post Office had said the service was for all and they were concerned about the impact on trade.
Mr Kumarasiri's policy had also been criticised by the local Racial Equality Council and MP for Nottingham East, John Heppell. Mr Heppell said: "This was a little bit strange. What do you do with tourists?
"If I was abroad and if someone refused to sell me a stamp because my French or German was not good enough, I think I would have every right to be offended and I suspect people in this country would be offended by what this man was doing."
Mr Kumarasiri had told the BBC he had turned away about six customers who had wasted his time and annoyed other customers by not being able to understand English
Posted by: john frum ||
03/28/2009 18:43 ||
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The great-grandson of India's first prime minister was arrested today as police investigated charges against him of making hate speeches and inciting violence against Muslims ahead of next month's national elections.
A political furore erupted after Varun Gandhi, 29, was filmed at two political rallies earlier this month comparing a rival Muslim politician to Osama bin Laden and threatening to cut the throats of Muslims. Gandhi belongs to the powerful Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, which has produced three prime ministers over six decades and has long promoted a secular government and tolerance for religious minorities. He is a member of the opposition Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata party, which has refused to drop him as a candidate.
Gandhi drove today through the streets of Pilibhit, a town in the state of Uttar Pradesh about 135 miles east of New Delhi. He is seeking a parliamentary seat in the town -- a constituency once held by his mother, Maneka Gandhi -- and was accompanied by thousands of supporters waving saffron Hindu flags.
The chief judicial magistrate, Nitin Kumar, said Gandhi turned himself in at the court where he will remain until Monday, when he can seek release on bail.
If convicted, Gandhi could be disqualified from running for office and imprisoned for up to three years.
On 17 March, India's election commission directed officials in Uttar Pradesh state to file a criminal case against Gandhi for promoting hatred.
Gandhi, a descendant of the former prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, denied making the comments, saying the video had been tampered with. "I am innocent. I have been falsely implicated in a conspiracy," he told reporters today.
The commission said it was "fully convinced and satisfied" that the video "has not been tampered with, doctored or morphed".
The footage has been broadcast repeatedly on Indian television channels in the last fortnight. "All the Hindus stay on this side and send the others to Pakistan," he says in the video. "This is the lotus hand," he says, referring to the symbol of his party. "It will cut their throats after elections."
A minister in India's Gujarat state government has been accused of leading a Hindu mob who attacked Muslims during riots in 2002, in which more than 1,000 people died. Maya Kodnani, the minister of education and child welfare, surrendered herself to authorities for arrest on Friday.
Hindu mobs rampaged through Muslim neighbourhoods, towns and villages in Gujarat between February and April 2002 after Muslims were blamed for a fire on train that killed 60 Hindu pilgrims.
Kodnani's arrest is a major embarrassment for the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of general elections that begin next month. The BJP is the main opposition to the federal ruling alliance led by the Congress party.
A team appointed by the supreme court to investigate several of the most deadly riots said that Kodnani and Jaideep Patel, a leader of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad party, led mobs that attacked Muslims in at least two areas where at least 106 people were killed. "The charges against Mayaben Kodnani includes abetment to murder, conspiracy to kill people and use of firearms," Mitesh Amin, Kodnani's lawyer, told reporters after her arrest.
If convicted she faces between seven years and life in jail.
Patel, who also was arrested, is expected to face similar charges. They have both protested their innocence. "We are both innocent, we have been falsely charged in the case and we will prove it," Patel said.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/28/2009 00:00 ||
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Unveiling a sweeping new strategy for the Afghan war -- US President Barack Obama warned on Friday that Al Qaeda was a cancer that could devour Pakistan. "Al Qaeda is actively planning attacks on the US from safe havens in Pakistan ... to the terrorists who oppose us, my message is ... we will defeat you." "We will insist that action be taken ... one way or another," he said, indicating that the US would act on intelligence against terrorists if Pakistan does not.
He said Pakistan and Afghanistan were inextricably linked. Obama said the US military would also shift the emphasis of its mission to training and expanding the Afghan army.
Obama plans to send 4,000 more US soldiers to train the Afghan army, along with hundreds of civilian personnel. The US would also step up military and financial aid to Pakistan. "The situation is increasingly perilous," said Obama in a sombre speech.
Obama said that together with the UN, the US would form a 'contact group' -- including Iran, Russia, India and China -- bringing together countries with a stake in the region's security.
He said his strategy had one "clear and focused goal -- to disrupt, dismantle and eventually defeat Al Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan".
"For the American people, this border region has become the most dangerous place in the world ... the safety of the world is at stake." "This [area along Pak-Afghan border] almost certainly includes ... Osama Bin Laden and Ayman Al-Zawahiri ... Pakistan's government must be a stronger partner in destroying these safe havens," he said. Obama set no timetable for the strategy, but said the US would set benchmarks for the Afghan government.
He said the key to defeating Al Qaeda was strengthening the civilian government of Pakistan. He said he would triple US aid to over five years and attempt to peel away more moderate Taliban factions. But he said, "We will not provide a blank check [to Pakistan]."
Key points of afghan strategy
* Disrupt, dismantle, and defeat Al Qaeda terrorists and their safe havens in Pakistan
* Triple US aid to Pakistan to $7.5bn over 5 years
* Help Afghan govt rely on itself while better and more honestly ensuring its people's security
* Build up and train the Afghan security forces
* Boost civilian govt in Pakistan and strengthen economic opportunities for Pakistanis
* Urge UN to take a lead role in generating world assistance for Afghanistan and Pakistan
* Overhaul the way US foreign aid is managed, funded and allocated
* Set up a new contact group on Afghanistan, including Iran
* Ensure that aid to Afghanistan is accompanied by steps to ensure greater govt accountability
* Send US engineers, agricultural and other experts to Afghanistan to help counterparts
* Encourage Afghan govt in its efforts to convince moderate Taliban to lay down their weapons
* Strengthen efforts to build Pakistani security forces capable of defeating terrorists
Posted by: Fred ||
03/28/2009 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
#1
My sincere thanks to General Petreaus and his staff for the roadmap and handoff to United States National Security Advisor, General James Jones. Nice work gentlemen. Now let's see if Barry can properly execute.
#3
Quite reasonable in concept (though too vague & idealistic to be practical in places). But no strategy has any chance of working unless everyone (your troops, your allies and your enemies) believe you mean it and have the will to follow through. That 'will', or lack thereof, is going to be severely tested before the success of the strategy can be known.
#4
#4 - I find your comment enlightening and would like to subscribe to your newsletter
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/28/2009 10:24 Comments ||
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#5
Exactly, Glenmore. The key element to almost all foreign policy matters that is never, never discussed. And among the chief differences between unimpressive and generally ineffective putzes like Clinton (and, likely, Bambi) and, uh, that very unpopular guy we just had (and his father, WRT Kuwait).
But one element puzzles me. Among the many many smart and successful major changes made during the Bush years - which were either ignored, or viciously attacked, or somehow a combo of both, as in this case - was a reorganization of how foreign aid is planned and allocated. The NGOs and other usual suspects in the brain-dead lefty gravy train, er, "development" community were outraged ("outraged, I say!") by the changes, naturally, which involved putting a priority on places that did something productive with the aid and showed some movement towards open/democratic systems (evil neocons!).
So I'm wondering what the new crew is doing on this.
Meanwhile, it all sounds reasonable, and of course is just more of the same, since what else are we going to do?
I remain convinced that our interests in A'stan remain negative: prevent use as a safe haven by our enemies. Anything beyond/above that is gravy, and oughta be very very carefully weighed as to cost/benefit.
What always gets me with successive US administrations is the lack of clear strategic goals and objectives. They are the things that drive our actions. Nebulous statements about democracy, evil doers, securing peace is just so much pablum, with no disrespect to pablum.
You develop your goals and objectives. You state them clearly, so the citizens understand what they are and the stakes involved. You make it clear to the world. Then everything else is a means to achieve those goals and objectives.
People in the present and past administrations can talk but they cannot communicate. Or maybe they do not want to. And it is not getting any better.
War strategy is not helpful if you do not have clearly stated strategic goals and objectives.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
03/28/2009 12:52 Comments ||
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#10
Sounds like he recognizes the threat at least. But he's still frighteningly naive about how to deal with it. Right now I'm getting a real bad LBJ feeling about this.
Just like China and Russia were the real problems in Vietnam, Pakistan is the real problem in Afghanistan.
Talk about benchmarks for the Afghan government and strengthening the Pak government is completely unrealistic. The Pak government/ISI (Which one is calling the shots? Only they know for sure.) is the biggest enemy we have in that region and there will never be an Afghan government that can defend itself. Never has been and never will be.
Trying to bring in the Iranians, Russians and Chinese also strikes me as being monumentally unrealistic. Why would they help us? They're too busy laughing at us. China wants to keep the Paks just like they are so they can be used against India. That's been their strategy all along. At least the Chinese are consistent.
Finally, if Obama wants to be taken seriously there should be no more demoralizing talk about exit strategies. It makes me sick to think of our brave troops doing their duty over there without question while politicians like Obama try to make up their feeble minds.
There's the problem right there, EU. Bambi is only interested in giving away the country.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
03/28/2009 20:22 Comments ||
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#13
No timeline? OMG, my buddies at MoveOn will be outraged! This is Obama's war, and he isn't giving peace a chance! He's expanding the war into Pakistan. But, Mikey Moore says that Pakistan didn't attack us on 9/11. So why would we kill poor, innocent, bunny-loving Pakis?
Ooops, I just soiled my Depends. Time to login to Kos and order a new box.
The IAEA Boards of Governors failed to find a successor to UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohammed ElBaradei for the second time running. I might be interested. What's it pay?
Posted by: Fred ||
03/28/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
Sorry, Fred. Knowing that this is the UN we're talking about, I think A. Q. Khan has got the job locked-up.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/28/2009 10:40 Comments ||
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#4
Jimmy Carter?
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/28/2009 10:45 Comments ||
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#5
#4: Jimmy Carter? Posted by: Frank G||
Not even the IAEA is THAT stupid, Frank. I doubt Bill's interested, and Fred knows too much. In fact, I doubt that anyone outside the Muddled East is even in the running. Gotta keep that dhimmitude going until Iran has a nuke, you know.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
03/28/2009 14:24 Comments ||
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#7
just threw that out, cuz he served on a nuke boomer, and certainly wouldn't deliberately be any more effective in stopping the muzzie bomb proliferation. Plus, he hates the Juice. Sounds like a natural
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/28/2009 14:41 Comments ||
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Tel Aviv denies reports that Gilad Shalit will be released this weekend saying that it has not reached a prisoner swap deal with Hamas.
An anonymous Hamas representative in Cairo talking to a leading Arabic-language daily said on Friday that a deal may come up within the next 24 hours while Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office said that no progress has been achieved in the indirect negotiations on a possible prisoner swap.
Hamas demands the release of over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 450 specifically named ones, in return for the freedom of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit who was captured in 2006.
The next 24 hours could prove decisive in the indirect talks between Israeli and Hamas representatives in Cairo, the unidentified Hamas politician told al-Hayat. The paper said a deal may be 'imminent'.
Israel wants Hamas to exclude certain prisoners Tel Aviv refuses to free and present a new list to Egyptian mediators. Among the 450 identified prisoners on Hamas' list, Israel has reportedly agreed to free only 320 claiming it would not release prisoners who were involved in suicide bombings and other deadly attacks against Israelis.
On Thursday, Egypt's official MENA news agency cited an unnamed Egyptian official as saying that the pace of negotiations has accelerated in recent days.
Talks broke down last week, reportedly after Hamas demanded the release of some 1,400 Palestinians jailed in Israel and insisted on selecting the names of the first 450 to be released.
However, on Friday, al-Hayat's Hamas source said both sides were showing 'more flexibility' on the issue of Palestinian prisoners on Israel's 'black list'.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/28/2009 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
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Top|| File under: Hamas
#1
Trying to make "Hamas reality" come true again.
Turkey''s prime minister reiterated on Friday his readiness to resume mediation of Israeli-Syrian peace negotiations that were disrupted in late December by the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip, according to a report by AFP.
...
Posted by: Fred ||
03/28/2009 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[6 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
#1
After his little spat with Shimon Perez at Davos, the one all over YouTube? I wouldn't want him in the same country, were I one of the negotiators. He is not an unbiased interlocutor.
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.
Libya wants Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to allow humanitarian organisations back into Darfur, AP quoted Libya's UN ambassador Abdurrahman Mohamed Shalgham as saying on Thursday (March 26th). Also Thursday, Al-Bashir stopped for a short visit in Sirte for talks with Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi. By travelling to Libya, Al-Bashir defied an International Criminal Court warrant for his arrest on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.
Although Dr Nazir-Ali has been in charge of the Rochester diocese for nearly 15 years, the decision to quit - which will see him leave his post later this year - has come as a surprise.
