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Today: 72 articles and 193 comments as of 13:25.
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Area: WoT Background    Non-WoT    Opinion        Politix   
Drone Strikes Kill 16 in Afghanistan
Today's Headlines
Headline Comments [Views]
Page 1: WoT Operations
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Page 2: WoT Background
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Page 3: Non-WoT
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Page 4: Opinion
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Page 6: Politix
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Good morning
Posted by: Fred || 01/12/2010 00:00 || Comments || Link || [5 views] Top|| File under:


#2  The real "Rosebud"...
Posted by: tu3031 || 01/12/2010 19:22 Comments || Top||


--Tech & Moderator Notes
Tech note
We've had a bad boy posting spam to comments on an article from last month. There are now 26,000 of them. I've patched one hole that I've found, but there's obviously another one there, too.

That's part of what's been slowing the system down. Other factors have been the Chinese hammering at the door with book attacks. I've banned about a dozen IP ranges and I'm not done yet.

I apologize for the slowdown.
Posted by: Fred || 01/12/2010 15:12 || Comments || Link || [5 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Testing to make sure I didn't break comments patching the hole.
Posted by: Fred || 01/12/2010 15:26 Comments || Top||

#2  Funny how the ChiComs can't keep their folks from attacking sites beyond the Great Firewall, huh?

Well, not funny funny. Funny weird.
Posted by: mojo || 01/12/2010 15:28 Comments || Top||

#3  At this moment clicking on the basic rantburg address gives a message to download something, which I bypassed by going the :8080 route.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 || 01/12/2010 18:17 Comments || Top||

#4  I got the same thing as well, came in via :81
Posted by: IG-88 || 01/12/2010 18:57 Comments || Top||

#5  I think I've got that "download" thing fixed now. I'm busy banning IP addresses, most of them from China, right now.
Posted by: Fred || 01/12/2010 19:13 Comments || Top||

#6  China doesn't need a great firewall, we'll wind up making one for them. Not disagreeing with your actions, just thinking they're highly ironic.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain || 01/12/2010 19:18 Comments || Top||

#7  Funny how the ChiComs can't keep their folks from attacking sites beyond the Great Firewall, huh?

IIRC, hacking is officially a capital crime in China.

Also IIUC, much of it is carried out by the military there.
Posted by: lotp || 01/12/2010 19:57 Comments || Top||

#8  I'm assuming this is a military exercise.
Posted by: Fred || 01/12/2010 20:02 Comments || Top||

#9  That'll look impressive on a resume. "Beat Chinese Army". I'd notice that...
Posted by: tu3031 || 01/12/2010 20:06 Comments || Top||

#10  We're back to our normal configuration. If things get terrible, try 207.114.86.29...
Posted by: Fred || 01/12/2010 20:27 Comments || Top||

#11  Sorry. The bot's still working us. I'm going to switch us back to emergency mode while I look at the code.
Posted by: Fred || 01/12/2010 20:42 Comments || Top||

#12  thx Fred for your patience and perseverance
Posted by: Frank G || 01/12/2010 21:02 Comments || Top||

#13  I'm not sure I'm going to be able to fix their wagons. They seem to have a copy of the comments data entry page for just the one date. I can change all the code I want and it's not going to have an effect on their clone. I'm afraid I'm going to have to write a trigger that will delete any comments posted for that day.

I hate hard-coding crap like that...
Posted by: Fred || 01/12/2010 21:36 Comments || Top||

#14  Fred, a friend of mine is deeply involved in Wares and hacker schtuff. One thing he did that has worked in the past is to write up a bunch of code (several pages of it), set it to report to ONE IP address, compiled it, and every time that site tried to get into his system, the garbage code would be sent back, addressed to the base directory of the offending IP. It's not a nice thing to do, but it's probably better than nuking them. Of course, if some of this crap is originating in Iran, nuke away.
Posted by: Old Patriot || 01/12/2010 21:51 Comments || Top||

#15  Fred? What is best in life? To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentation of the women.

Posted by: Frank G || 01/12/2010 21:52 Comments || Top||

#16  but then...I'm a soft touch
Posted by: Frank G || 01/12/2010 21:53 Comments || Top||

#17  I'm going to leave the setup the way it is overnight. I'll give our normal configuration another try in the morning.
Posted by: Fred || 01/12/2010 22:15 Comments || Top||

#18  Can you change the database backend so that it only recognizes comments to articles posted in the current date?


Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain || 01/12/2010 22:45 Comments || Top||

#19  I'll have to. But I'm beat to death at the moment. I'll do it tomorrow morning, unless work's on fire...
Posted by: Fred || 01/12/2010 22:51 Comments || Top||

#20  Major Earthquake : Haiti - Carib. Have Emergency Watch : Tsunami ( Low Key ) : TQ Cuba - Bring Emergency Water Supplies Check for : Safety To : Wharehouses Water Purifaction : AntiBiotics : Pencillin : Hepatitis Vaccine Cholera Vaccine Check : Assurances : Calm : Tents For : Survivors Airlift : Emergency Food Rations : America : Jevity : Help : Haiti Relief Bank Of Honolulu c/o Number 1 Box Honolulu , Hawaii Aiea
Posted by: Flusons Stalin3209 || 01/12/2010 23:34 Comments || Top||

#21  Google ' may end China operation ' Internet giant Google says it may end in China after hackers targeted Chinese human rights activists e-mail accounts ! ' : Source : BBC
Posted by: JohnStansfield8826 || 01/12/2010 23:53 Comments || Top||


Afghanistan
Drone Strikes Kill 16 in Afghanistan
The United States military said Tuesday that it had killed 16 insurgents in two airstrikes using “unmanned aerial vehicles,' or drones, which are highly unusual in Afghanistan and more frequently associated with attacks on militants in neighboring Pakistan.

In a statement, the American command in Kabul said the attacks began early Monday with a strike on an suspected safe house at Now Zad in Helmand Province, one of the most contested areas in the growing battle between the American-led coalition and Taliban insurgents. The attack killed 13 militants, the statement said. A second operation in the Nad Ali district of Helmand killed three insurgents, the command said.

On both occasions, the drones fired Hellfire antitank missiles. It was not immediately clear whether the use of drones signaled a significant tactical shift in the campaign against the Taliban after a year in which the number of allied deaths soared.
Posted by: tipper || 01/12/2010 11:39 || Comments || Link || [5 views] Top|| File under: Taliban


Africa Horn
Rival Somali Islamic militias clash, killing 14
[Asharq al-Aswat] At least 14 people have been killed in clashes between rival Islamic militias battling for control of a strategic western Somali town, witnesses said on Monday. A moderate Islamic group allied to the government, Ahlu Sunna Waljama, launched an attack Sunday against its rival in Belet Weyne, which borders Ethiopia and is on a major road leading to the capital, the witnesses said. The clashes between Ahlu Sunna Waljama and Hizbul Islam continued Monday.

Belet Weyne resident Omar Adam said he saw the bodies of eight people, mostly civilians, on the streets. Another resident, Ibrahim Qayle, separately said he has counted six bodies belonging to Islamic fighters.

Saida Ahmed, a nurse at Belet Weyne Hospital, said more than 20 wounded people, mostly civilians, have been admitted at the hospital because of the fighting. Many businesses in the town are shuttered because of the fighting and no public transport is available.

For months, rival Islamic groups and the government have battled for control of Belet Weyne, which is the capital of the central Somali region of Hiran. Islamic insurgents control much of southern Somalia and have been trying to expand the territory they control.
Posted by: Fred || 01/12/2010 00:00 || Comments || Link || [4 views] Top|| File under: Islamic Courts


Africa North
Militants threaten to kill French hostage
[Iran Press TV Latest] A group calling itself al-Qaeda of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has threatened to execute a French hostage if four militants held in Mali are not released within 20 days.

"The Mujahideen have decided to inform the French and Malian governments of their only condition and demand for the release of the French hostage Pierre Kamat, which is the release of our four prisoners arrested by Mali several months ago," the statement read on a website used by the group on Sunday.

Kamat was kidnapped on November 25 in Mali.

"We call upon the French public and the family of the kidnapped to put pressure on the Sarkozy government and to prevent it from committing the stupidity, which was committed by [British Prime Minister] Gordon Brown against the British citizen," the group said.

Last May, AQIM executed British hostage Edwin Dyer who was kidnapped at the Mali-Niger border.
Posted by: Fred || 01/12/2010 00:00 || Comments || Link || [4 views] Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in North Africa


Algeria jails 11 on terror-related charges
[Maghrebia] An Algerian court arraigned nine young men on charges of financing armed fighting groups in the Mascara region, El Watan reported on Sunday (January 10th). The suspects, all in their teens and twenties, were arrested last Wednesday in Mamounia. Three other alleged support network members remain at large.

In related news, an Algiers court sentenced two men to prison for charges of recruiting young men for al-Qaeda in Iraq.
Posted by: Fred || 01/12/2010 00:00 || Comments || Link || [5 views] Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in North Africa


Africa Subsaharan
Togo Deaths Stir Fear Ahead of World Cup
Posted by: Besoeker || 01/12/2010 00:00 || Comments || Link || [5 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Mark McGuire Admits : To : Steroids ! Nothing to worry about in 1998 ! Baseball Career ! Legal Steroids : Duffers , Golfers , Tigah Woodz , RaceTrak Jockeys , Football and Lacrosse , or Croquet Playahs , etc. ! : Nissin Top Ramen : Ramen : In The Cup : Ramen , etc! Eat : It : Nekkid : RAW : Uncooked : In The Pack ! Rippizit Open : Munch It : Immediately ! Good : For Arthritic Neck : Joints : Feel Good ! Beats : Arthro 7 ( Seven ) Canadians : Drug : Got : Opiates ! ReSale : Las Vegas : Bonzer : 50 States : All : America ! Yo's : RAMEN : LEGAL ! Sold : AT : GAY HEALTH FOOD STORES : AZe : RAW MEN : RAMEN !
Posted by: Clineng Protector of the Jutes8940 || 01/12/2010 0:38 Comments || Top||

#2  From the WSJ article: A spokesman for the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda, which claimed responsibility for the attack, warned it was "only a prelude to a series of targeted operations" against Angolan security forces. The group, known as Flec, has been seeking independence from Angola for more than 30 years. A rebel leader said Flec had targeted Angolan forces and mistakenly killed members of the Togolese squad. "We are saying sorry to the Togolese," Flec's president and co-founder, Nzita Tiago, said in an interview.

We're really sorry we shot up the Togolese soccer team, we were just trying to kill policemen.

Clineng: Eating Ramen either cooked or uncooked, or, say, you happen to be unclothed, is one of the worst things you can do for arthritis. Over half of the flavouring packet consists of the gout-causing chemical MSG.
Posted by: Ralphs son Johnnie || 01/12/2010 2:04 Comments || Top||


Arabia
Kuwait bourse bomb threat turns out to be hoax
[Al Arabiya Latest] Kuwait's stock exchange building was closed and evacuated on Monday after receiving a bomb threat, which later turned out to be a hoax, officials said.

Defense forces were searching the basement and staff were told not to approach the building.

"A bomb has been reported. We are still working on it. So far, there is nothing," a police official said at the scene.

The threat came after the end of Monday's trading session.

The high-rise stone and glass building is home to trading houses and brokerages, forms a central part of the city's financial district and is surrounded by major banks.

Kuwait's stock exchange is the second largest by value in the Middle East.

Police and security guards told bystanders not to approach the building and ambulances stood at the ready nearby.

After the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on U.S. cities, there were a number of al Qaeda-inspired attacks in Kuwait, including a raid that killed one U.S. Marine and wounded another in October 2002. The government has since waged a largely successful campaign to stamp out violence by Islamist militants.

In August of 2009, Kuwaiti authorities foiled an al Qaeda-linked plan to bomb a U.S. Army camp and an oil refinery in the OPEC oil exporting state.

In the past year, shopping malls and schools in Kuwait have also been the target of bomb threats which later turned out to be bogus.
Posted by: Fred || 01/12/2010 00:00 || Comments || Link || [9 views] Top|| File under:


Houthis 'seize 3 Yemeni bases in north'
Houthi fighters in Yemen say they have managed to capture three military bases after fierce fighting with the government forces near the northern city of Sa'ada.

The fighters released a statement on Monday, saying that they had seized the military bases after a long battle with Yemeni forces, prompting them to launch attacks against civilians in the area.

According to the report, Yemeni forces targeted and destroyed several residential homes, mosques and historical buildings.

Meanwhile, Yemeni military sources claimed that they killed a dozen fighters during the clashes in the day. They said eight soldiers were also killed in the fighting.

Yemen launched its Operation Scorched Earth against the Shias in the countrys northern provinces in August 2009.

The government accuses the Houthis of violating the terms of a ceasefire in 2009 by taking foreign visitors hostage. The fighters deny the charges, saying they seek to put an end the government's discriminatory policies against Shia minorities.

The attacks have so far killed scores of civilians and displaced thousands of others.
Posted by: Fred || 01/12/2010 00:00 || Comments || Link || [8 views] Top|| File under:

#1  IIRC STARS-N-STRIPES > YEMEN RIPE FOR EXPLOITATION BY AL QAEDA.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 01/12/2010 1:37 Comments || Top||

#2  WORLD NEWS > YEMEN POVERTY BREEDS TERROR; + IRAN FM MOTTAKI: US WANTS TO TURN YEMEN INTO ANOTHER AFGHANISTAN.

* SAME > US MARINES TELL AFGHANS: WE WON'T BE HERE FOREVER.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 01/12/2010 2:03 Comments || Top||


Bangladesh
Robber killed in 'shootout'
Leader of an inter-district robbers gang was killed and one of his accomplices injured in a 'shootout' with police in Hathazari upazila in the district yesterday.

The dead was identified as Khalil Dakat, 37, son of Mansur Mian of Harpara village under Rauzan upazila while the injured was Abul Hossain, 27, son of Abdus Sattar of Borodighir Par area under Hathazari.

Sources said a team of Hathazari police took position at Fatehpur on information that a gang of robbers was preparing to commit a robbery at Bhabanipur village under the Hathazari upazila.

Eight robbers on board two CNG-run auto-rickshaws appeared on the scene around 1:30am. As soon as police intercepted the auto-rickshaws, the robbers started shooting at them, resulting in a gunfight.

After a 15-minute long gunfight, the criminals fled the scene leaving bullet-hit Khalil and Abul Hossain, the CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver, on the spot, said Additional Superintendent of Police (Hathazari) Babul Akter.

The injured were taken to Hathazari upazila health complex and later shifted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital where Khalil succumbed to his injuries around 4:00am, said ASP Babul. His body was sent to CMCH morgue for autopsy.

Meanwhile, police recovered six local firearms, 33 cartridges, a grill cutter and some equipment they use in robbery from the auto-rickshaws. Two cases were filed with the Hathazari Police Station in this connection.

Police said Khalil was kingpin of recent robberies in the upazilas and was wanted in over 15 cases with robberies at Rauzan, Rangunia, Hathazari, Patiya, Boalkhali and city's Chandgaon police stations.

Khalil was also involved in the killing of Wasa office assistant Siddique Ahmed after a robbery at Boalkhali on December 14 last year.

Terming Chittagong a robbery-prone area, SP Morshed said a total of 72 incidents of robbery took place in 2009 while 49 incidents in 2008. A total of 388 robbers were arrested and of them, 266 robbers gave confessional statements under section 164 in 2009. He claimed they nabbed most of the ringleaders of robbers and the incidents of robbery have been fever now.
Posted by: Fred || 01/12/2010 00:00 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under:


India-Pakistan
US think-tank hints at ISI hand in CIA attack
The suicide strike on the key U.S. intelligence base in Afghanistan had hallmarks of an operation carried out by a national intelligence service, a leading U.S. think-tank has said, apparently hinting that it could be the handiwork of Pakistan's ISI or its rogue elements.

“The hit was by all account a masterful piece of trade craft beyond the known abilities of a group like Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan,' U.S. think-tank Stratfors said.

“The Jordanians penetration of the CIA was less like the product of an insurgency than an operation carried out by a national intelligence service. And this is the most troubling aspect for the U.S.,' the think tank said.

The speculation about a possible ISI hand in the suicide attack is being traced back to U.S. and Afghan government sources who said in the analysis of explosives used, it was found they were of standard military grade which points to the ISI.

Stratfors deduction comes even as al-Jazeera TV said the Jordanian bomber Khali Abu Mulal al-Balawi was brought to the U.S. base in Khost in eastern Afghanistan by car from across the border in Pakistan.

The agency which was one of the TV channels which beamed a footage of al-Balawi alongside Pakistan Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud said the video showed “there was clearly a link between Pakistani Taliban headed by Hakimullah Mehsud and some of the al-Qaeda elements operating in Pakistan.

The Arab TV channel said, this video was expected and “everybody in the tribal border areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan was told al-Balawi had recored a message before he went to his mission to blow the American Chapman base.' The channel said that the video would provide the Afghan government “more ammunition' with which to criticise their counterparts in Pakistan. “This is definitely something that is going to put more pressure on the Pakistanis in the future and will definitely make the Afghans and the Americans change their strategy as far as dealing with eastern Afghanistan.'

Stratfors, in an in depth analysis of the hit on the CIA base, said as the Jordanian bomber exited the vehicle on December 30, the security guards at the Chapman base noticed he was behaving strangely. As the guards moved towards al-Balawi screaming for him to take his hands out of his pocket, the Jordanian instead of complying detonated the suicide device he was wearing.

The explosion, Stratfors said killed the bomber, three security contractors, four CIA officers and the Jordanian intelligence official who was his handler. But the vehicle shielded other CIA officers at the scene from the blast. The CIA officers killed included the chief of base at Khost and an analyst, who was the agency's foremost expert on al-Qaeda.

“The U.S. cannot hope to reach a satisfactory solution in Afghanistan unless it can win the intelligence war. But the damage done to CIA in this attack cannot be overestimated. At least one of the agency's top analysts was killed. In an intelligence war, this is equivalent to a sinking of an aircraft carrier in a naval war,' Stratfors said.
Posted by: || 01/12/2010 10:27 || Comments || Link || [4 views] Top|| File under:

#1  A window of opportunity arose for some unhinged looney with brains who found himself in an unprecedented position of access and trust due to the supposed nature of his work.

Standard military grade explosives can be picked up anywhere in that neck of the woods .

Well thats my thoughts .

May they rest in peace.
Posted by: Oscar || 01/12/2010 10:42 Comments || Top||

#2  This paints a different picture. If he detonated when he exited the vehicle, he had not gone through the bodily security check yet, which would answer one of my questions as to how he avoided a check. But then the question is, why were so many CIA officers meeting him at the vehicle?
Posted by: Number 673927 || 01/12/2010 11:04 Comments || Top||

#3 
Pakistanis are running Jordanian triple agents? Hmmm...
Posted by: Parabellum || 01/12/2010 12:06 Comments || Top||

#4  It was a Pakistani General that commanded the Jordanian operation against the Palestinian rebellion (Black September)
Posted by: john frum || 01/12/2010 13:41 Comments || Top||


Thirty suspected militants arrested in Kohat
[Dawn] The police and frontier constabulary arrested 30 suspected militants including 10 foreigners during a search operation in DIG Kohat region. Meanwhile, two terrorists surrendered during the operation, DawnNews reported.

The joint operation was carried out by the police elite force and frontier constabulary in the remote areas of Samana, Bagato, Doaba, Serozai, Thall, Mardo Khel Banda and Shahu Khel.

During the operation, two militants -- identified as Naseeb Shah and Sakhi Islam -- who had been involved in kidnappings and IED attacks on security forces, handed themselves over to the police.

They were later shifted to unknown location for interrogation.

Meanwhile, ten Afghan nationals were arrested for travelling without valid documents and identity cards. They had been staying in the Hangu district illegally.

Similarly, 20 other criminals were also nabbed from different parts of the district along with weapons and ammunition. The seizure included four Kalashnikovs, five shot guns, three rifles, eight pistols, 425 cartridges of different bores and three kilograms of hashish.

The police has registered separate cases against them. Further investigation is underway.
Posted by: Fred || 01/12/2010 00:00 || Comments || Link || [3 views] Top|| File under: TTP


Taliban commander nabbed from Karachi
[Dawn] The Special Investigation Unit arrested an alleged commander of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan from Orangi Town in Karachi on Monday, DawnNews reported.

According to the SIU officials, the arrested Hayatullah Hamyo was one of the TTP commanders in Swat.

Police sources told DawnNews that the alleged militant had been working for PTCL (Pakistan Telecommucation Company Limited) and maintained a low profile.
Posted by: Fred || 01/12/2010 00:00 || Comments || Link || [4 views] Top|| File under:


Eight militants, one soldier killed in South Waziristan
[Dawn] Eight militants have been killed while one soldier lost his life during operations in South Waziristan on Monday. Security forces have also arrested six suspected militants in Swat.

According to ISPR, security forces have cleared the area around Katori Sar including Jangwam where eight militants were killed during an encounter.

Militants fired with small arms on a check post at Pash Zairat, killing one soldier and wounding three others.

Forces carried out a search and clearance operation at Shiekh Yousaf Adda and apprehended two suspected terrorists and three IEDs have been diffused in Kund area.

Security forces also conducted search operations in Sar near Tilligram, Gishar, Jaikot, Devolai, Aboha near Barikot and apprehended six suspected terrorists.

Four militants also voluntarily surrendered themselves to security forces at Khawazakhela and Shalhand near Derai.
Posted by: Fred || 01/12/2010 00:00 || Comments || Link || [4 views] Top|| File under:


Key suspect arrested in Lakki Marwat
[Dawn] Security forces arrested a key suspect along with an accomplice involved in Shah Hassan Khel suicide attack in Lakki Marwat District, which left more than one hundred villagers dead.

Official sources said the explosive expert Qari Farman, who was fleeing from Lakki Marwat wearing a burqa, was arrested from Adamzai area on Monday.

Officials accused him of arranging explosives and preparing the suicide car for the attack, and added that he was also involved in an attack on the distirct Nazim in the past.

The local police did not comment on the arrest but sources said the suspect has been shifted to an unknown place for interrogation.

Shah Hassan Khel village had been targeted by the militants for preparing lashkars and fighting the militants. According to the lashkar chief Mushatq Marwat, they had been receiving threats from the militants in the North Waziristan agency.

Sources also believe the real master minds of the attack Qari Manwar and Ashraf, are based in North Waziristan Agency.
Posted by: Fred || 01/12/2010 00:00 || Comments || Link || [9 views] Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in Pakistan


Two tribal elders shot dead in Mohmand
[The News (Pak) Top Stories] Unidentified people shot dead two tribal elders in the Pandyalai subdivision of Mohmand Agency on Sunday, tribal sources said.

Also, security forces dynamited the houses of two local commanders of militants during a search operation in Safi Tehsil.Tribal sources said the slain elders were identified as Malik Adam and Malik Mukhtiar of Safi Tehsil. "The unidentified people killed Malik Adam when he resisted a bid to kidnap him from his Hujra," the sources added.

In another incident, unidentified armed men kidnapped Malik Mukhtiar and shot him dead. Later, his body was found in the Shah Alam Pul area near Peshawar. Meanwhile, security forces destroyed the houses of two militant commanders, identified as Zahir Khan alias Balla and Said Umar alias Zarqawi, in the Aaye Kor area during the operation.
Posted by: Fred || 01/12/2010 00:00 || Comments || Link || [5 views] Top|| File under: TTP

#1  Another of the more poignant reasons for keeping Muslim world-crawl at bay... they will assassinate leaders anywhere, and even if they agree with them about Islamic Supremacy.
Posted by: Ralphs son Johnnie || 01/12/2010 3:28 Comments || Top||

#2  I recall ' Tom Mix 'killed in Concentration Camp as that of being SS Murderer and not John Demjanjuk ! circa 1972 Czechoslovakia or Poland : Eastern Europe : Campaign Hilo High School
Posted by: Omavish Lumumba1153 || 01/12/2010 23:46 Comments || Top||


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Israeli Robots Remake Battlefield
Israel is developing an army of robotic fighting machines that offers a window onto the potential future of warfare.

Sixty years of near-constant war, a low tolerance for enduring casualties in conflict, and its high-tech industry have long made Israel one of the world's leading innovators of military robotics.

"We're trying to get to unmanned vehicles everywhere on the battlefield for each platoon in the field," says Lt. Col. Oren Berebbi, head of the Israel Defense Forces' technology branch. "We can do more and more missions without putting a soldier at risk."

In 10 to 15 years, one-third of Israel's military machines will be unmanned, predicts Giora Katz, vice president of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd., one of Israel's leading weapons manufacturers.

"We are moving into the robotic era," says Mr. Katz.

Over 40 countries have military-robotics programs today. The U.S. and much of the rest of the world is betting big on the role of aerial drones: Even Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Shiite guerrilla force in Lebanon, flew four Iranian-made drones against Israel during the 2006 Lebanon War.

When the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003, it had just a handful of drones. Today, U.S. forces have around 7,000 unmanned vehicles in the air and an additional 12,000 on the ground, used for tasks including reconnaissance, airstrikes and bomb disposal.

In 2009, for the first time, the U.S. Air Force trained more "pilots" for unmanned aircraft than for manned fighters and bombers.

U.S. and Japanese robotics programs rival Israel's technological know-how, but Israel has shown it can move quickly to develop and deploy new devices, to meet battlefield needs, military officials say.

"The Israelis do it differently, not because they're more clever than we are, but because they live in a tough neighborhood and need to respond fast to operational issues," says Thomas Tate, a former U.S. Army lieutenant colonel who now oversees defense cooperation between the U.S. and Israel.

Among the recently deployed technologies that set Israel ahead of the curve is the Guardium unmanned ground vehicle, which now drives itself along the Gaza and Lebanese borders. The Guardium was deployed to patrol for infiltrators in the wake of the abduction of soldiers doing the same job in 2006. The Guardium, developed by G-nius Ltd., is essentially an armored off-road golf cart with a suite of optical sensors and surveillance gear. It was put into the field for the first time 10 months ago.

In the 2006 Lebanon War, Israeli soldiers took a beating opening supply routes and ferrying food and ammunition through hostile territory to the front lines. In the Gaza conflict in January 2009, Israel unveiled remote-controlled bulldozers to help address that issue.

Within the next year, Israeli engineers expect to deploy the voice-commanded, six-wheeled Rex robot, capable of carrying 550 pounds of gear alongside advancing infantry.

After bomb-laden fishing boats tried to take out an Israeli Navy frigate off the coast off Gaza in 2002, Rafael designed the Protector SV, an unmanned, heavily armed speedboat that today makes up a growing part of the Israeli naval fleet. The Singapore Navy has also purchased the boat and is using it in patrols in the Persian Gulf.

After Syrian missile batteries in Lebanon took a heavy toll on Israeli fighter jets in the 1973 war, Israel developed the first modern unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV.

When Israel next invaded Lebanon in 1981, the real-time images provided by those unmanned aircraft helped Israel wipe out Syrian air defenses, without a single downed pilot. The world, including the U.S., took notice.

The Pentagon set aside its long-held skepticism about the advantages of unmanned aircraft and, in the early 1980s, bought a prototype designed by former Israeli Air Force engineer Abraham Karem. That prototype morphed into the modern-day Predator, which is made by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.

Unlike the U.S. and other militaries, where UAVs are flown by certified, costly-to-train fighter pilots, Israeli defense companies have recently built their UAVs to allow an average 18-year-old recruit with just a few months' training to pilot them.

Military analysts say unmanned fighting vehicles could have a far-reaching strategic impact on the sort of asymmetrical conflicts the U.S. is fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan and that Israel faces against enemies such as Hezbollah and Hamas.

In such conflicts, robotic vehicles will allow modern conventional armies to minimize the advantages guerrilla opponents gain by their increased willingness to sacrifice their lives in order to inflict casualties on the enemy.

However, there are also fears that when countries no longer fear losing soldiers' lives in combat thanks to the ability to wage war with unmanned vehicles, they may prove more willing to initiate conflict.

In coming years, engineers say unmanned air, sea and ground vehicles will increasingly work together without any human involvement. Israel and the U.S. have already faced backlash over civilian deaths caused by drone-fired missiles in Gaza, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Those ethical dilemmas could increase as robots become more independent of their human masters.

Corrections & Amplifications
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. manufactures the Predator unmanned aerial vehicle. A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that General Dynamics Corp. manufactured the UAV.
Posted by: gorb || 01/12/2010 15:41 || Comments || Link || [4 views] Top|| File under:


Foreign activist detained in overnight incursion
[Ma'an] A Czech activist was seized by the Israeli military during a late-night raid in Ramallah's city center on Monday.

Eva Novakova, 28, the International Solidarity Movement's media coordinator, was detained from her Manara square residence at 3am Monday and carried out by soldiers, witnesses said and Israel's army confirmed.

During the raid, the army occupied a number of rooftops adjacent to the Palestinian Authority police headquarters in Ramallah, according to the ISM, a Palestinian-led movement committed to resisting Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories.

An Israeli military spokesman said forces carried out an operation to apprehend an individual who was illegally residing in Ramallah. He said the detainee was transferred to civilian police custody.

It was not immediately clear if the Israeli government considers Ramallah off-limits to foreigners.

According to Novakova's lawyer, Omer Shatz, Israel's "Oz" immigration task force also took part in the operation. Israeli security sources denied that the special police task force was involved.

In any case, Shatz noted that immigration police "work under the authority of the Israeli Ministry of the Interior, and as such have no jurisdiction in the occupied Palestinian territories. This arrest is part of the continued and illegal use of the immigration police against activists, for political purposes."

Shatz also said Novakova was being held in Givon detention center awaiting deportation to the Czech Republic. Agence France-Presse reported that the activist was already en route to Ben Gurion International Airport.

Last week, President Mahmoud Abbas said the PA was considering scaling back security ties with Israel on operations in certain Area A sites such as Ramallah, which were supposedly placed under PA security forces' full control in mid-2008. "If the coordination does not lead to a halt in the incursions and the provocations, we will think anew," Abbas said.

Monday's raid follows an arrest wave targeting activists and organizers throughout the West Bank. Such incursions have been conducted in the villages of Bil'in -- where 32 residents were arrested in the past six months, Ni'lin, where 94 residents were arrested in the past 18 months, as well as the larger Palestinian cities of Nablus, Ramallah and East Jerusalem, the ISM reported.

Among those detained in this recent campaign were five members of the Bil'in Popular Committee, accused of incitement, including Adeeb Abu Rahmah, who had already been held in detention for almost six months, and Abdallah Abu Rahmah, the Bil'in committee coordinator.

Activists Wael Al-Faqeeh, Jamal Juma and Mohammed Othman of the Stop the Wall organization, involved in anti-wall and boycott, divestment and sanctions campaigning, were also detained recently. All three were being held without charges and on secret evidence.
Posted by: Fred || 01/12/2010 00:00 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under:


Sheikh Saleh banned from entering Jerusalem
[Ma'an] Israeli military authorities issued on Monday an order banning Sheikh Raed Saleh, leader of Israel's Islamic movement, from entering Jerusalem for six months.

Saleh was summoned to the police station in Wadi Ara where he was handed the order. He was presented with a similar order limiting his freedom of movement three weeks prior, which expired on Monday. The new order was attached with a colored map designating the areas off-limits for the sheikh.

"We will reserve the permanent and perpetual right to enter the city of Jerusalem at any moment, without permission from anyone. At the same time, the evidence gathered confirms that 2010 will be a year of a fateful decision on the present and future of occupied Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, especially if we connect these orders with the occupation's false attacks, aimed at Judaizing Jerusalem and their plans to destruct Al Aqsa Mosque," Saleh said in a statement.

Zahi Njedat, a lawyer representing the Islamic Movement, said the decision to ban the sheikh from entering Jerusalem was unjustified. "Israel's decision is invalid because the Israeli occupation's presence in Jerusalem is invalid, and what is based on falsehood is false."

"Hence, we say to you, that Sheikh Raed Salah retains his right to enter the city of Jerusalem when he deems it ... and know that your military orders and sham courts will not deter us and will not prevent us from communicating with Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque or our people, the Jerusalemites."
Posted by: Fred || 01/12/2010 00:00 || Comments || Link || [4 views] Top|| File under:



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Two weeks of WOT
Tue 2010-01-12
  Drone Strikes Kill 16 in Afghanistan
Mon 2010-01-11
  Iraq integrates over 40,000 Sahwa militiamen
Sun 2010-01-10
  Five killed in NWA drone attack
Sat 2010-01-09
  Fresh US drone attack kills 5 in Pakistan
Fri 2010-01-08
  New York: Two Qaeda-linked suspects arrested
Thu 2010-01-07
  Pak Talibase hit twice by drones; 17 killed
Wed 2010-01-06
  Yemen sends thousands of troops to fight Qaeda
Tue 2010-01-05
  Two Qaeda bad guyz banged in Yemen
Mon 2010-01-04
  Fresh US drone attacks kill 5 in Pakistain
Sun 2010-01-03
  Yemen sends more troops to al-Qaida strongholds
Sat 2010-01-02
  At least six killed in two drone attacks in North Wazoo
Fri 2010-01-01
  US drone strike leaves two dead in Pakistan
Thu 2009-12-31
  7 CIA workers killed in suicide kaboom
Wed 2009-12-30
  Iran MPs call for 'maximum punishment' of protesters
Tue 2009-12-29
  Iran MPs rally against populace


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