nice article with cool pics of artillery ops in Afghanistan
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/17/2010 11:39 ||
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#1
As a former Arty/Anglico guy, this article hit home. Gotta love the King of Battle. The King don't walk and the King don't swim (not well anyway). Incredible photos and worth a look for that reason alone
Posted by: Butthole Africa Billy (the artist formerly known as Bangkok Billy) ||
01/17/2010 12:58 Comments ||
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#2
Wowser pix! Nice to hear from a war correspondent that is on our side. Also loved this comment:
Arty lends dignity to what would otherwise be a vulgar brawl! 0811 usmc 69-71
Posted by: Dave UK ||
01/17/2010 14:11 Comments ||
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#4
The cannoneers just loaded and counter-fired and finished them. Probably few people on base realized that the “cannon cockers” had conducted an ambush-by-howitzer.
ambush-by-howlitzer - wow. And beautiful pics too!
[Al Arabiya Latest] Three Muslims accused of gunning down six Egyptian Christians on the Coptic Christmas Eve will stand trial before an emergency security court, the state prosecutor said on Saturday. Can I put ten dollars on "not guilty, not enough evidence"? Twenty on "judge threatened by mob to find them innocent." See! It's in the Koran!
Not guilty! Next...
See! It's in the Koran!
The prosecutor, Abdel Magid Mahmud, said in a statement that the three men were charged with premeditated murder aimed at harming national interests.
The suspects were arrested a day after they allegedly shot dead the six Copts and a Muslim policeman along a stretch of road with churches and a shopping mall in the southern village of Naga Hammadi on Jan. 6.
The drive-by shooting took place after worshippers emerged from midnight mass before Christmas, marked by Copts and other Orthodox communities across the world on Jan. 7.
The killings, which were condemned by Pope Benedict XVI, sparked outrage among Egypt's Copts, who make up about 10 percent of the country's 80 million people, and led to clashes with police. A number of Muslim and Coptic homes and stores were attacked and burnt in the ensuing violence.
Sectarian clashes occur regularly in Egypt, particularly in the rural south, but the attack was the bloodiest since 20 Copts died in clashes in 2000.
Egyptian human rights activist Hafez Abu Saada said the trial would be the first conducted by a state security court over a sectarian attack. The courts are usually used for terrorism cases and allow no right of appeal.
"It's a message of reassurance to the Copts and to affirm the government's concern towards this case," he said.
Copts complain of discrimination in the Muslim majority country. They are permitted to build churches only after they get presidential permission and must apply to their governor to renovate churches.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/17/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
6 misdemeanors and 1 felony. Next!
Posted by: ed ||
01/17/2010 1:36 Comments ||
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[Al Arabiya Latest] Egypt's main opposition movement, the Muslim Brotherhood, has appointed Mohammed Badie, a conservative figure, as its new leader, his predecessor announced on Saturday.
Badie, a veterinary professor at a southern university, was "chosen by consensus by members of the consultative council," Mohammed Akef told a press conference in Cairo.
They elected a dog doctor?!? How times have changed.
Just remember their hatred of us is driven by poverty ...
A vet in Cairo is still mostly going to deal with violated herbivores, which is a road to desperation and despair.
The Brotherhood, Egypt's largest opposition group, is officially banned but controls a fifth of seats in parliament after it ran independent candidates in the last general election in 2005.
It also has affiliates in other Muslim states, some with official status. Egypt's Brotherhood leader is in theory the movement's chief on the international front but groups in other countries are autonomous in practice.
The choice of Badie, the group's eighth supreme guide since it was founded in 1928, signals a return to a less high-profile public role than in the last poll when the Brotherhood's supporters fielded 160 candidates, analysts say.
Born in 1943 in the Nile Delta town of Mahalla el-Kubra, Badie was jailed for nine years in the 1960s after being accused of membership of a Brotherhood military cell that allegedly planned the overthrow of the government.
He was later responsible for ideological education within the group.
Presumably he now approves of the latest publications addressing MB concerns around jihad, taqfirs, itjihad, and related subjects.
Badie's election came after a bitter dispute between conservatives in the group, who place the emphasis on strengthening the organization and ideological outreach, and reformists, who advocate a more active public role for the group.
Akef resigned last year before the end of his term in office in protest after conservative members of the Brotherhood politburo opposed a promotion for Essam Erian, who is associated with the group's reformist wing. The conservative wing has been seen to consolidate its control in subsequent politburo elections, in which the group's deputy chief Mohammed Habib and reformist leader Abdel Moneim Abul-Futuh lost their seats.
Analysts say the new leadership team and a campaign of arrests by police were likely to encourage a shift away from public life.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/17/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
Mohammed Badie? I feel a snark coming?
Nah too easy.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
01/17/2010 18:20 Comments ||
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When the degree of difficulty is 0.0, it's hard to get a good score.
Yemen's Houthi fighters say they have shot down a Saudi helicopter as the Saudi foreign minister denies that Riyadh is being involved in a military offensive in Yemen.
A Houthi spokesman says the chopper crashed near Al-Khouba on the Saudi-Yemeni border. Al-Khouba is a border city in the Saudi Province of Jizan.
The development comes as Tehran took a swipe at Saudi Arabia for its violent military offensive against the civilians in northern Yemen. "Saudi Arabia was expected to mediate in Yemen's internal conflict as an older brother and restore peace to the Muslim states, rather than launching military strike[s] and pounding bombs on Muslim civilians in the north of Yemen," said Iranina President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal, however, denied any Saudi involvement whatsoever in military attacks against the Yemeni Shia fighters, known as the Houthis. "I don't know where he (Ahmadinejad) got this accusation ... that the kingdom is waging war on the Houthis," al-Faisal said in Riyadh.
He added that even the Houthis don't say such a thing. "The real accusation is that Iran is the one that meddles in Yemen's internal affairs."
Meanwhile, it has been reported that at least 15 civilians were killed in the latest Saudi airstrikes in Yemen on Friday.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/17/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
at least 15 civilians were killed in the latest Saudi airstrikes
#2
Glenmore, it's apparently amazing what a determined farmer can do with just a lil ole rifle, never mind Iran's latest surface-to-air missile launcher.
Three armed al Qaeda militants were captured in Yemen early Saturday, close to the Saudi Arabian border, a Yemeni security source said. The militants had weapons, explosives and leaflets with them, the source said, asking not to be named.
On Friday, six al Qaeda militants were killed in an air strike in northern Yemen in a stepped-up government campaign against the Islamist group.
Yemen, which gained a reputation as a haven for al Qaeda after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, came under the spotlight after crackdowns on the group in Pakistan and Afghanistan raised concern it was becoming a training and recruiting centre for militants.
Yemen stepped up its operations against al Qaeda after a Yemen-based wing of the group said it was behind an attempt to blow up a Detroit-bound U.S. airliner on Dec. 25.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/17/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
Their escape is scheduled for 7:00 PM Tuesday.
Posted by: ed ||
01/17/2010 1:39 Comments ||
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Suspected U.S. unmanned aircraft fired on a house in Pakistan's volatile tribal region Sunday, killing at least a dozen people in an area hit by a surge of such strikes since the beginning of the year, intelligence officials said.
Four missiles slammed into a building in the Shaktoi area of South Waziristan that intelligence officials said was used by Uzbek militants fighting with the Pakistani Taliban. A suspected drone strike in the same area on Thursday targeted a meeting of militant commanders in an apparently unsuccessful attempt to kill the Pakistani Taliban's chief.
Sunday's drone strike was the 10th since the beginning of the year, an unprecedented volley of attacks since the CIA-led program began two years ago. The strikes have targeted both North and South Waziristan, areas dominated by Taliban and al-Qaida militants waging war against both the Pakistani government and coalition troops in nearby Afghanistan.
#1
four missiles? Should saved one or two for the rescue/cleanup effort
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/17/2010 10:03 Comments ||
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whoops - criticized too soon: LWJ (via WZ): At least three unmanned aircraft, the Predators or Reapers flying from bases in Afghanistan and Pakistan, targeted Hakeemullah Mehsud in a compound in the Shaktoi region in North Waziristan, an area that borders South Waziristan."The target was a militant compound," a Pakistani intelligence official told AFP. "The toll has gone up and 20 militant deaths have been confirmed."
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/17/2010 10:08 Comments ||
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#3
four missiles? Should saved one or two for the rescue/cleanup effort
More likely one missile and three secondaries.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
01/17/2010 12:54 Comments ||
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At least six soldiers have been wounded in the Pakistani-administered Kashmir valley when a bomber targeted a military vehicle. The attack took place on Saturday near the town of Rawalakot, near the de facto border with India.
Initial reports said the blast left two of the troopers dead. No group has claimed responsibility for the bombing so far. This is the second bomb blast that has rocked the town this month. Nearly ten days ago, a military school was rocked by a bomb in the area. That attack left three people dead.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/17/2010 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] Two security officials were injured as militants attacked a convoy in the Spin Qabar area of Bara Tehsil on Saturday, reports DawnNews. One militant was killed and two were seriously injured as security forces retaliated after the attack on the convoy, officials said.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/17/2010 00:00 ||
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Five terrorists were killed in clashes with security forces, while two security forces personnel were injured in a remote-controlled bomb attack in Spin Qabar area of Bara on Saturday.
Sources told Daily Times that terrorists attacked a security forces convoy with a remote-controlled device in the Spin Qabar area at around 3pm, injuring two military personnel. A militant was killed in clashes with security forces during search operations following the attack. Also, four other terrorists were killed after a shell landed on a militant hideout. Separately, security forces conducted search and clearance operations in Jabrai Chinkolai, Gidar Sar, Shin Bargane, Shalun and Chungai, arresting six suspected terrorists. The forces also conducted operations at Hassan Khel Bannu and apprehended two suspected terrorists and recovered a cache of arms and ammunition, APP reported. Also, terrorists fired rockets at a checkpost near Pash Ziarat.
Dispensary: Seperately, unidentified terrorists blew up a civil dispensary at Sultan Khel in Landikotal on Saturday.
According to the local political administration, unidentified terrorists planted explosive material inside the dispensary and the three-room facility was completely destroyed in the attack. NATO oil tankers parked nearby were not damaged and no casualties were reported in the blast.
Held: Seperately, a wanted terrorist and six others were arrested from the Benazir Hospital Rawalpindi, a private TV channel reported on Saturday. Nasim Khan, a resident of Swabi, was captured on a tip-off, while he received treatment at the hospital after sustaining injuries in an encounter with NWFP police.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/17/2010 00:00 ||
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Asmatullah Muaviya, one of the main commanders of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan's Punjab chapter, was among the 10 persons killed in a US drone strike on January 14 in South Waziristan, a private TV news channel reported on Saturday.
The drone had targeted a terrorist compound at Shaktoi village on Thursday. Muaviya was responsible for recruiting and training young men from Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir for suicide attacks across the country. Earlier, a local news agency also reported the death of Qari Hussain and Muhammad Mehsud in the Shaktoi strike. Qari Hussain, who had a Rs 50 million head money, was believed to be a "master trainer" of suicide bombers.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/17/2010 00:00 ||
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A former Iraqi airline pilot who has been in custody for seven months was accused on Saturday by Iraqi authorities of orchestrating the 2003 bombing of the U.N. Baghdad headquarters in which 22 people were killed.
Then-U.N. envoy to Iraq Sergio Vieira de Mello, a Brazilian, was among those who died when a truck bomb exploded at the Canal Hotel, which served as the U.N. operations centre before and just after the 2003 U.S. invasion.
The suspect, identified as Ali Hussein al-Azzawi or Abu Imad, has been charged with supervising several other attacks also, including an attack on an Iraqi army troop carrier in 2006 and bombings in eastern Baghdad in 2007 and 2008, Baghdad security spokesman Major General Qassim al-Moussawi said.
"He is the direct perpetrator of many terrorist attacks and on top of them, supervised the planning of the bomb attack on the U.N. headquarters in August 2003 ... and he is responsible for linking Qaeda terrorist networks in Europe and Iraq," Moussawi said at a news conference.
Azzawi was arrested in Baghdad on June 26, Moussawi said. He did not say where the suspect had been for the last seven months or why the charges were announced only now.
Moussawi showed videotapes of what he described as the confessions of three men, two Iraqis and a Saudi, who said they had received orders from Azzawi.
The Saudi, who identified himself as Mohammad Abdullah Hassan, said Azzawi acted as a financial manager for al-Qaeda in addition to planning attacks.
"He used to distribute money to the soldiers and heads of the districts (in Diyala province) when he came to meet us," said Hassan, who appeared in the video with several days' growth of beard and wearing a dark blue prison uniform.
Moussawi said Azzawi also negotiated ransoms with the relatives of foreigners kidnapped in Iraq, but did not give further details.
Moussawi said Azzawi had been a pilot for Iraqi Airways, the state-owned airline. He played a short video clip of Azzawi in which the suspect only gave his name, birth date and address.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/17/2010 00:00 ||
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[Ma'an] Explosives were discovered in a metal scrap shop by a resident from the town of Ithna, west of Hebron on Thursday, and informed the police of his find, head of the local police department Awad Ramadan said.
"A resident noticed suspicious objects inside a store and called the police in Ithna," he said. I believe that's called "product"...
"A patrol was dispatched to the scene where the police bomb squad was called to discover if the explosives were weapons left behind by the Israeli army. The bomb squad detonated the explosives without causing damage or injuries." Hey, Moshe. Ya want your grenades?
Nah. I don't feel like lugging them back.
Okay...
The owner of the shop was questioned, who told police that the explosives were purchased from the Israeli city of Ashdod and "vowed not to buy such items," Ramadan said. Ya promise?
...yeah.
Okay.
Ramadan urged residents not to handle any suspicious items and to inform the police immediately, keeping children away from the area.
Saleh Muhammad Al-Hathalin, 12, was transferred to the Hebron governmental hospital to undergo treatment for his injuries.
Police rushed to the scene and are investigating the incident, suspecting the explosive to be a device left over by Israeli forces, the report added. ...or his "science fair" project dad was "helping" him with.
Medical sources said Al-Hathalin was injured in his left hand and stomach. His condition was described as moderate.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/17/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
Is it just me, or has there been a recent spike in West Bank activity?
[Ma'an] Seven Palestinians from Gaza suffered burns after a fire broke out in one of the smuggling tunnels in the border town of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, on Saturday. Smoke, Mahmoud?
Sure. Why n...AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!
The seven injured were taken to An-Nasser and Ash-Shifa hospitals in Gaza City to undergo treatment for their injuries, sources at the Abu Yousef Najjar hospital told Ma'an.
In December three Palestinians were killed after a tunnel collapsed beneath the Egypt-Gaza border. The three were reported missing, and later found by rescue workers.
Smugglers maintain a large network of underground tunnels along the Rafah border, importing arms and ammo goods made scarce by an Israeli-led blockade of Gaza.
Accidents in the tunnels are frequent. According to the Palestinian human rights organization Al-Mezan, 120 people have been killed working in the tunnel trade since its inception approximately three years ago.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/17/2010 00:00 ||
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[Iran Press TV Latest] An improvised explosive device was detonated near the office of Khorasan Razavi province's governor general, leaving one person dead.
The bomber apparently detonated his explosives late on Saturday after security forces detected something suspicious about him and moved in his direction. "A man detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) at around 8 p.m. local time (1630 GMT) in downtown Mashhad after he came under suspicion by law enforcement officers patrolling the neighborhood," Fars news agency quoted the police and security chief of Khorasan Razavi province, Amirullah Shamaghdari, as saying late on Saturday.
The attacker was critically injured in the explosion and was taken to hospital, where he died hours later. Shamaghdari said no one else was injured in the blast, adding that the incident did not cause any damages.
The police have launched an investigation into the incident as the motive behind the attack remains unknown. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the incident. Earlier reports had suggested that a "sound bomb" targeted the governor general's office.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/17/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
"sound bomb"
Now that's a band name.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
01/17/2010 9:56 Comments ||
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#2
Not "Sound bomb" say "Concussion Bomb"
and you'll be more accurate.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
01/17/2010 18:24 Comments ||
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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.
[Al Arabiya Latest] Egypt's main opposition movement, the Muslim Brotherhood, has appointed Mohammed Badie, a conservative figure, as its new leader, his predecessor announced on Saturday.
Five terrorists were killed in clashes with security forces, while two security forces personnel were injured in a remote-controlled bomb attack in Spin Qabar area of Bara on Saturday.
Asmatullah Muaviya, one of the main commanders of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan's Punjab chapter, was among the 10 persons killed in a US drone strike on January 14 in South Waziristan, a private TV news channel reported on Saturday.
A former Iraqi airline pilot who has been in custody for seven months was accused on Saturday by Iraqi authorities of orchestrating the 2003 bombing of the U.N. Baghdad headquarters in which 22 people were killed.
[Iran Press TV Latest] An improvised explosive device was detonated near the office of Khorasan Razavi province's governor general, leaving one person dead. 
