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UK to boot Captain Hook, al-Faqih
Today's Headlines
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Britain
UK to boot Captain Hook, al-Faqih
Britain (search) is ready to act within days against "a number" of people to either deport them or bar them from the country under new anti-terrorism measures aimed at extremists, the government said Wednesday.

Foreigners who "seek to create fear, distrust and division" will no longer be welcome, Home Secretary Charles Clarke (search) said after publishing new criteria he will use to decide who will be targeted.

The measures, adopted in response to last month's transit bombings, are expected to be directed primarily against radical Islamic clerics and extremists who come to Britain and preach hatred.

The identities of those who could face action was not revealed, but among those who might make the list are firebrand Palestinian cleric Abu Qatada (search), who has been called Usama bin Laden's (search) spiritual ambassador in Europe, and Saad al-Faqih (search), a Saudi who has been accused of providing support to bin Laden's Al Qaeda (search) terror network.

The new criteria covers those who foment, justify or glorify terrorist violence; seek to provoke terrorist acts or crimes; or promote hatred between communities.

"By publishing the list today, I make it absolutely clear that these are unacceptable behaviors, and will be the grounds for deporting and excluding such individuals from the U.K.," Clarke said.

"We have a number of names that we are considering at the moment," he said, noting that action would be taken in some cases "very quickly — within a few days."

Senior Brazilian officials, meanwhile, met with the police watchdog group investigating the killing of a Brazilian wrongly identified as a terrorist last month — when London was on high alert.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission's (search) chairman, Nick Hardwick, said after the meeting he believed his investigators had all the information they needed to conduct their inquiry into Jean Charles de Menezes' (search) killing — including some crucial video from the Tube station where the 27-year-old electrician was shot.

Police fired seven times into Menezes' head at close range after tailing him into a subway car July 22, the day after failed bombing attacks on the British capital's transit system. Those attacks came exactly two weeks after the July 7 suicide bombings, which killed 52 commuters.

"A Brazilian citizen was killed, and we believe that someone should be considered guilty," said Manoel Gomes Pereira (search) of Brazil's Foreign Ministry, who came to London as part of the three-member delegation. "This case creates a situation in which the government and the family in Brazil must deserve some answers."

Hardwick appealed for patience to let his team investigate why Menezes was mistaken for a suicide bomber.

"I still don't know the truth of what happened," Hardwick said. "When I know what happened, I'll tell the public."

But he said: "I believe that I have all the information that I need" to complete the investigation.

The IPCC has said it would have a report ready by the end of the year, but its publication might be delayed if any criminal or disciplinary proceedings against the officers involved were under way.

Meanwhile, Clarke said the new criteria to expel or ban people from Britain were necessary to meet a "real and significant threat" of terrorism. He won support from opposition parties, but was slammed by members of Britain's 1.8 million-strong Muslim community and human rights activists.

"The idea that foreign preachers who don't speak English are radicalizing British youth who speak nothing but English is absurd," said Massoud Shadjareh, chairman of the Islamic Human Rights Commission. (search)

Critics also expressed concern about the fate of those deported. Britain won an agreement from Jordan to honor the human rights of anyone deported there. Jordan is seeking the extradition of Qatada, who was convicted in absentia in 1998 and again in 2000 for involvement in a series of explosions and terror plots.

London is seeking similar pledges from other North African and Middle Eastern states, many of which are widely believed to use torture.

Britain needs those pledges because as a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights (search), it cannot expel anyone to a country where the suspect is likely to be tortured.

"Certainly, the human rights of people who are criminals, they have to be looked after," Clarke told ITV television. "But more important in my view are the human rights of the people against whom the criminals commit their acts."

James Welch, legal director of the human rights group, Liberty, said he was concerned by the government's new attitude. "What has always separated us from terrorists is that we do not torture people or send them to be tortured," he said. "That is the standard we need to maintain."

Before the publication of the new criteria, one of Britain's most reviled firebrand preachers, Omar Bakri Mohammed, left his London home for Lebanon last month. The government later declared that Bakri, who had lived in London for 20 years, would be barred from returning.

Others who could find themselves targeted are Abu Hamza Al-Masri, an Egyptian-born preacher awaiting trial on charges of encouraging the murder of Jews and non-Muslims; and Mohammed al-Massari, a Saudi dissident who runs a Web site that posts videos of suicide bombings in Israel and Iraq and anti-Western and pro-al-Qaida propaganda.

Separately, London's Evening Standard (search) reported Wednesday that suspected suicide bomber Hasib Hussain tried to call the other three attackers from his cell phone just before detonating his bomb on a double-decker bus July 7. Citing security sources, the newspaper said that Hussain apparently made the calls after service was suspended on the subway system, forcing him to take bus No. 30.

The other three didn't answer, and seconds later, Hussain allegedly detonated his bomb on the bus, which The Evening Standard said police now speculate had not been an initial target. Scotland Yard (search) refused to comment.
Posted by: Dan Darling || 08/25/2005 16:33 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I'm sure there'll be no end of virgins waiting to wipe Capt Hook's ass for him.....er, no
Posted by: Frank G || 08/25/2005 18:11 Comments || Top||

#2  I wonder what he does do to wipe his ass. Or pick his nose?
Posted by: John Q. Citizen || 08/25/2005 18:23 Comments || Top||

#3  Never shake his left hook.
Posted by: Ominerong Flash6240 || 08/25/2005 19:15 Comments || Top||

#4 
Posted by: BigEd || 08/25/2005 19:24 Comments || Top||

#5  Is the photo reversed?
That's a right hook.
Posted by: Redneck Jim || 08/25/2005 20:12 Comments || Top||

#6  he lost both hands
Posted by: Frank G || 08/25/2005 20:19 Comments || Top||

#7  Isn't pixy dust being expedited into US custody?
Posted by: Captain America || 08/25/2005 20:29 Comments || Top||


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Failed assassination attempt against Ingush leader
Two bombs exploded Thursday on a roadside in Ingushetia, wounding the southern Russian republic's prime minister in an apparent assassination attempt, officials said - the latest sign of growing violence across the heavily Muslim North Caucasus region.

Ingushetia Prime Minister Ibragim Malsagov was hospitalized after the attack in the city of Nazran, but his life was not in danger, said Fyodor Shcherbakov, an aide to the Kremlin envoy to the region.

Malsagov's driver was killed and two other people were wounded in addition to Malsagov, said Nikolai Ivashkevich, a spokesman for the southern regional branch of the Emergency Situations Ministry. Malsagov, the second highest-ranking official in the region, was hurt in the hand and the leg.

The top police official in Ingushetia, Interior Minister Beslan Khamkhoyev, said two explosives placed about 10-15 yards apart detonated within 10 seconds, the Interfax news agency reported. The attack occurred near one of the city's outdoor markets as Malsagov's motorcade passed.

Lying in a hospital bed with bandages wrapped around his head and hand, Malsagov told state-run Channel One television that he had been traveling on a road near his home in the middle of a three-car motorcade when there was an explosion in front by the first vehicle.

``Naturally, I automatically jumped out to run over and see what happened, and then there was another explosion,'' Malsagov said. He blamed ``forces that want to destabilize the situation.''

Russian television networks showed footage of what appeared to be Malsagov's black Mercedes, its rear window a maze of cracked glass, and of a deep crater by the roadside.

Nazran is the main city in the Ingushetia region, which has suffered frequent spillover violence from neighboring Chechnya to the east, as well as attacks by its own militants and criminal gangs.

The top prosecutor for southern Russia, Deputy Prosecutor General Nikolai Shepel, said in televised comments that the attack seemed to have ``the same signature'' as other terrorist attacks that have struck the North Caucasus, adding, ``I mean the international organizations that unfortunately are present in the south of Russia.''

Russian authorities are eager to link their fight against militants in the North Caucasus with the international struggle against terror, and often point to alleged international involvement in attacks in the region. Government critics say flawed Kremlin ethnic policy and corruption among regional leaders are major causes of the violence.

Last week, Nazran police chief Dzhabrail Kostoyev was wounded when unknown assailants detonated a radio-controlled land mine as his car was passing.

The republic's police and security forces were also targeted in a devastating overnight assault by militants in June 2004, in which some 90 people were killed. Chechen rebel leader Shamil Basayev claimed responsibility for that attack and for the hostage crisis that killed more than 330 people last September at a school in Beslan in North Ossetia, which borders both Chechnya and Ingushetia.

The republic on Chechnya's eastern border, Dagestan, has also been plagued by frequent bombings and other attacks targeting government and law enforcement officials.

Authorities in other republics of the North Caucasus have also battled militants they say are Islamic extremists. Analysts have expressed concern that major violence could break out in the region even as Russian and local government officials assert that life is returning to normal in Chechnya, devastated by two separatist wars in the past decade.

In the Stavropol region, north of the band of largely Muslim republics, one police officer a two gunmen were killed in a shootout Thursday in the village of Yanangui, a duty officer at the regional Interior Ministry said. Another gunman was detained.

The Interfax news agency quoted an unidentified regional police official as saying the gunmen were suspected Islamic extremists.
Posted by: Dan Darling || 08/25/2005 17:26 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  OMG! Pat Robertson's opened a can of worms.
Posted by: jpal || 08/25/2005 19:17 Comments || Top||


Europe
Spaniard arrested for sending out al-Qaeda faxes threatening the Vatican
Spanish police said on Thursday they had arrested a Spanish man on suspicion of sending threatening faxes in the name of al Qaeda.

The man, identified only as J.R.M., would be charged with "making threats in the name of a terrorist group", a police spokesman said.

The faxes were written in Arabic and sent to four or five editorial offices, including newspapers and a television and radio station, the spokesman said.

Newspaper ABC said it had received one of the faxes and that the threat it contained was against the Vatican and connected with the war in Iraq.

The police spokesman was unable to say whether there were likely to be more arrests or whether there were grounds to think al Qaeda was actually involved.

"We always take them (threats) seriously ... sometimes the person later turns out to be a crackpot," he said.
Posted by: Dan Darling || 08/25/2005 16:22 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  "identified only as J.R.M"
Does the 'M.' stand for Mohammed? Or maybe Menendez? Makes a difference.
Posted by: Glenmore || 08/25/2005 18:24 Comments || Top||


Salafists Call For Strikes In Europe
For the first time, a leading Al Qaida-aligned group has called for Islamic attacks in Europe. The Salafist Brigade for Call and Combat has called on Muslims to strike targets in France. The Salafist group called on "Muslim brothers in France" to track and ambush senior officials in France. The group designated French officials in the field of politics, military and economy as targets. "Our real enemies aren't only the military rulers, but also numerous civilians known for their allegiance to French leaders," the Salafist Brigade said in a statement posted on an Al Qaida-aligned website. "Support your brothers in Algeria by tracking these criminals in France."
Posted by: Fred || 08/25/2005 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  AQ hasn't used assasination as a tactic in the West, which is in a way surprising since history says its a more effective tatic than random bombings.
Posted by: phil_b || 08/25/2005 2:01 Comments || Top||

#2  Phil_b
AQ hasn't used assasination as a tactic in the West, which is in a way surprising since history says its a more effective tatic than random bombings.

It's also a lot harder + a lot less sutisfying to certain types of mentality cf. Al Qaeda’s Fantasy Ideology By Lee Harris
Posted by: gromgoru || 08/25/2005 2:15 Comments || Top||

#3  More indicia for Dubya to watch his six, and the GOP and non-Clinton Dems and pols to watch theirs.
Nuthin' sezzez Communism, Totalitarianism, Regulation, and Hillary than Congressmen and Pols glowin-in-the-dark, when alleged GOP-Rightist Bushite "Fascist" "Authoritarianism" just t'aint good enuff to protect the Nation, Grandma, or your pet dog, "for the children's sake" and "save the Glaciers", etc.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 08/25/2005 5:06 Comments || Top||

#4  RB's own Wm. Faulkner.
Posted by: Alaska Paul || 08/25/2005 11:11 Comments || Top||

#5  gromgru, the top politicians don't have to be the target. How well can France defend all of the ministers, mayors, police chiefs, principals of schools and their families?

Effectiveness in Assassination depends on how uncivilized Al Queda wants to be.
Posted by: rjschwarz || 08/25/2005 11:14 Comments || Top||

#6  RB's own Wm Faulkner.... Hey Joe what's your thoughts on Snopery/Clintonism has it relates to the moral choices of Montgomery Ward Snopes?
Posted by: Shipman || 08/25/2005 14:44 Comments || Top||

#7  It guess it depends on how assimiliated they are. If they get the European mindset, when told the Strike, they'll all walk off their jobs.
Posted by: Jackal || 08/25/2005 15:30 Comments || Top||


Home Front: WoT
Syrian Had Inside Knowledge of 9/11 and London Bombings
Posted by: SwissTex || 08/25/2005 12:25 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Not sure this guy's credible. That begin said, however, his assertions call the 9-11 Atta timetable into question.
Posted by: Angise Hupiting3791 || 08/25/2005 12:50 Comments || Top||

#2  I think I posted this the other day - I'd be pretty interested in finding out what our guys think about Sakra and his claims.
Posted by: Dan Darling || 08/25/2005 16:03 Comments || Top||

#3  Is this man between the ages of 37 and 50? When did he emmigrate from Syria? He might conform to a pattern I've seen before.
Posted by: Rory B. Bellows || 08/25/2005 16:21 Comments || Top||

#4  This seems to be a follow-up of an article written on the 15th
Posted by: SwissTex || 08/25/2005 16:22 Comments || Top||

#5  This guy is bogus, bogus I tell ya.

He is worst than an infidel!!
Posted by: Captain America || 08/25/2005 20:35 Comments || Top||


Southeast Asia
Filippinos kill 2 unidentified hard boyz
UNIDENTIFIED gunmen ambushed two pro-government militiamen on a village in the southern Philippine province of Maguindanao, officials said.

Officials also said a home-made bomb, planted in the neighboring province of North Cotabato, was disarmed before it could explode.

The militias were onboard a jeep when gunmen opened fire on them Wednesday near Nabundas village, killing both men instantly, said Army Major General Agustin Dema-ala, commander of the 6th Infantry Division based in Maguindanao province.

"Troops were sent to track down the ambushers. Two of our militias were killed and we are still investigating the motive of the attack," he said.

In Kabacan town, security forces disarmed the bomb, fashioned out from a mortar rocket and rigged to an electronic detonator, after civilians discovered the explosive in the busy business district and immediately informed the authorities.

Officials would not say if Abu Sayyaf militants, whose group is tied to al-Qaeda terror network, were behind the ambush and failed attempt to bomb Kabacan.

But authorities have previously linked the group to the series of ambuscades and bombings in the southern Philippines.

Last week, Abu Sayyaf gunmen killed a soldier and wounded ten others in fierce fighting in Maguindanao's Talayan town, where security forces were pursuing militant leader Khadaffy Janjalani, chief of the Abu Sayyaf group.
Posted by: Dan Darling || 08/25/2005 16:29 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:


Iraq-Jordan
Breaking: Attempted Hit On Talabani Convoy. 8 Dead, 15 Injured
First report: Gunfire on Iraqi president Talabani's convoy killed 8 bodyguards, injured 15.
Officials claimed Talabani was not in the convoy which was attacked as it passed Tuz south of Kirkuk heading from Kurdistan to Baghdad.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 08/25/2005 20:29 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  This happened HOURS AGO.
Posted by: Grins Sluper5274 || 08/25/2005 20:32 Comments || Top||


Gates of Fire (Michael Yon)
Posted by: CrazyFool || 08/25/2005 14:02 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Too long to post and its all good.
Posted by: CrazyFool || 08/25/2005 14:06 Comments || Top||

#2  The terrorist that wounded Kurilla was captured before in Decenber with a sniper rifle, an AK, pistols, a silencer, explosives and other weapons.

He was released.
Posted by: Penguin || 08/25/2005 14:33 Comments || Top||

#3  Kurilla went in with 2 other guys. These other guys froze. And these are professionals. I can't imagine the kinds of issues you would get with draftees.
Posted by: Zhang Fei || 08/25/2005 14:48 Comments || Top||

#4  This part really bugs me. It's wrong:

That December day, Khalid Jasim Nohe and two compatriots tried to evade US soldiers from 2-8 FA, but the soldiers managed to stop the fleeing car. Then one of the suspects tried to wrestle a weapon from a soldier before all three were detained. They were armed with a sniper rifle, an AK, pistols, a silencer, explosives and other weapons, and had in their possession photographs of US bases, including a map of this base.

That was in December.

About two weeks ago, word came that Nohe's case had been dismissed by a judge on 7 August. The Coalition was livid. According to American officers, solid cases are continually dismissed without apparent cause. Whatever the reason, the result was that less than two weeks after his release from Abu Ghraib, Nohe was back in Mosul shooting at American soldiers.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis || 08/25/2005 15:36 Comments || Top||

#5  Michael Yon's dispatches are indispensable to anyone wanting to understand what's happening on the ground in Iraq. That they aren't featured on page 1 of the NYT says everything one needs to know about our despicable MSM.

Someone send a link to Chuck Hagel.
Posted by: Kirk || 08/25/2005 15:41 Comments || Top||

#6  I'ts tough to imagine any MSM reporter picking up a carbine and going into the shop to help CSM Prosser. To help the terrorist, yes; to help CSM Prosser, no.

By the way, Yon has noted a couple of times that the M-16 and the M-4 aren't adequate. I don't know if that's true, but I've never seen that complaint in the MSM -- only complaints about body armor and vehicle armor. The difference is that Yon sees the mission as whacking bad guys, and the MSM sees the mission as avoiding casualties.
Posted by: Matt || 08/25/2005 16:03 Comments || Top||

#7  M-16 and the M-4 aren't adequate

If you read Blackhawk Down, it spells out the dissatisfaction some of the troops have with the stopping power of the rounds. For this reason, one of the Delta guys (think it was Shughart) used an M-14, which'll definitely ruin your day.
Posted by: Dreadnought || 08/25/2005 16:13 Comments || Top||

#8  Dispatches you will never read in the MSM. Thanks Michael Yon. God bless our soldiers.
Posted by: John Q. Citizen || 08/25/2005 16:20 Comments || Top||

#9  No Matt, to the MSM the mission is to get as many americans killed as possible while allowing the terrorsts to escape.
Posted by: CrazyFool || 08/25/2005 16:31 Comments || Top||

#10  Unbelievable. One of the best stories I've read on the war since "Thunder Run" -- and with pictures!
Posted by: Mizzou Mafia || 08/25/2005 16:32 Comments || Top||

#11  I'ts tough to imagine any MSM reporter picking up a carbine and going into the shop to help CSM Prosser.

This guy obviously has his priorities straight. That's more than can be said for a lot of members of Big Media.
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama || 08/25/2005 16:39 Comments || Top||

#12  Would be delighted to see him writings portrayed on the big screen. What a movie this story of Deuce Four could be!

Now theirs is a war story that deserves to be told.
Posted by: Sherry || 08/25/2005 16:51 Comments || Top||

#13  Opps -- above -- exchange his for him... couldn't get preview to work!!
Posted by: Sherry || 08/25/2005 16:52 Comments || Top||

#14  ZF, exactly why I don't ever want to be in a foxhole with another draftee.
Posted by: Deacon Blues || 08/25/2005 16:56 Comments || Top||

#15  Sherry, you're right, but the movie would have to produced entirely outside of Hollywood circles (which can be done.)

Kurilla for President in 2008.
Posted by: Matt || 08/25/2005 17:07 Comments || Top||

#16  Question -- what happens to those two guys that froze? More training, or moved from the line?
Posted by: Sherry || 08/25/2005 17:27 Comments || Top||

#17  Every time I read Yon's work I'm amazed at his wordsmithing. Examples:

The Kiowa swooped and banked hard in front of the car, firing three more shots through the front hood, the universal sign for "stop."

...the plan was so cleverly contrived that the leadership at Deuce Four had to grudgingly acknowledge its excellence, even though the idea had originated from higher-up.
Posted by: Xbalanke || 08/25/2005 18:03 Comments || Top||

#18  About two weeks ago, word came that Nohe's case had been dismissed by a judge on 7 August. The Coalition was livid. According to American officers, solid cases are continually dismissed without apparent cause. Whatever the reason, the result was that less than two weeks after his release from Abu Ghraib, Nohe was back in Mosul shooting at American soldiers.

Thanks to Seymour Hersh and Dan Rather. Worth more than an entire battalion of trained terrorists to the enemy. One of the most effective units the enemy has engaged against US forces.
Posted by: Elmemble Ulaitch5567 || 08/25/2005 18:11 Comments || Top||

#19  Ran across Yon the other day,definatly impressed me.Check his sight daily.
Main problem with the m-16/m-4 is it is too light a round traveling at to high a velocity and being steel jacketed,it punchs a nice neat hole,with little other tissue damage.Now if the troops wanted to get real nasty they would cut an x in the top of the round.
Then it would be ripping off arms.
Posted by: raptor || 08/25/2005 18:15 Comments || Top||

#20  Why Raptor! That would violate the terrorists rights!!! Back to the re-education center sensitivity training for you!

(Can you imagine the MSM spin if they did just that!)

Posted by: CrazyFool || 08/25/2005 18:28 Comments || Top||

#21  "Then it would be ripping off arms."
Yeah, but violating the Geneva Conventions.
Posted by: Glenmore || 08/25/2005 18:30 Comments || Top||

#22  With respect to Yon's picking up and firing the rifle, he is former Spec Ops guy. I think he knows what he is doing.

I was surprised that he named names on the two trainees who froze and didn't mention anything more. My guess is that they were given a right ass chewing by the other members of Deuce Four.
Posted by: remoteman || 08/25/2005 19:24 Comments || Top||

#23  I know I am going to piss many of you off. Oh well, I gotta say what I think. When I read what Michael wrote I couldn't help thinking why are we enganging an enemy on their terms. Having Marines kick in doors only to be met by a suicidal insurgent firing a superior weapon loaded with armor piercing rounds. Have Soldiers do daily convoy patrols so that some jackass with a spare cellphone and an 8'th grade education constructs and plants an IED in their path. Why, with all of our technology and the trillions of dollars we spend on it, why are we not crushing this enemy with overwhelming power. Yeah, I know war stories are nice to read. But think...Do we want another 'Blackhawk Down' ? I want us to stop placing more value on civilian casualties than on American casualties. I want more armor. I want to know where the hell is the U.S.A.F. in this war ! I want a plan to win. I want my son and to come home, alive. FIGHT, WIN, OR GET THE HELL OUT.
Posted by: Marine Dad || 08/25/2005 19:38 Comments || Top||

#24  Kurilla for President in 2008.

I'm with you... but will he be 35 yet?
Posted by: eLarson || 08/25/2005 19:51 Comments || Top||

#25  Fuck me sideways - his writing is damn fine. It's not the first time I've read his work, nor will it be the last.

I am massively impressed with what the American forces are doing in Iraq - commentaries like this just show how utterly pitiful the Abu Ghraib recidivists are.

Hats off to LTC Kurilla, and to all the members of Deuce Four.

To those who haven't - please - read the linked article, I promise you'll be uplifted by it.
Posted by: Tony (UK) || 08/25/2005 19:53 Comments || Top||

#26  MD,

I just got through reading the article. I also don't understand why the marksman/sniper in the helicoper is giving warning shots. We need to blast these bastards out of the sky and if that means killing some civilians so be it. Hell, the Shiite's are killing women and children on purpose.

The fact that the commander was in the same OR with a known terrorist tells me that we are not really interested in winning, just buying time until the Constitution is signed.

The Israeli's would've taken the commander to the OR and took the terrorist to a interrogation room. If he spills valid beans then he gets a morphine shot.

I am with you Marine Dad, let's blast these terrorist with some overwhelming power. Take out half a city if you have to. It's the only thing they understand. GWB says that we are taking the fight to the terrorists, then let's really take it to the terrorists. When we go house to house, we are playing into their hands. If they go into a house, get some air power and blast the house, period.

Story time is over. It's time for a reality check and tell the pencil pushers to get out the way.

Posted by: Poison Reverse || 08/25/2005 19:59 Comments || Top||

#27  Sherry, I had exactly the same thought yesterday in the discussion on why Hollywood is having such a dismal time at the box office. Deuce Four would make one hell of a movie without any need to fictionalize. I predict it would be the blockbuster of the decade.
Posted by: phil_b || 08/25/2005 20:25 Comments || Top||

#28  Yea, but what would John Wayne have done to those pilgums?
Posted by: Captain America || 08/25/2005 20:38 Comments || Top||

#29  I was watching the Battle of Falluja (I think part 2) on the history channel the other night. The civilians had all left and we were fighting door to door. I wondered why we didn't just level the shit hole instead having Tango heads sniping at our guys.
Posted by: John Q. Citizen || 08/25/2005 21:06 Comments || Top||

#30  MD & JQC, it's without a doubt a PC war. If it weren't, the number in the casualties column would probably be a lot lower.
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama || 08/25/2005 21:25 Comments || Top||

#31  With poll numbers for Bush slipping... as the MSM is so quick to tell us.... I just got to believe.... give us some of that American kick a** and watch those poll number sky rocket! (opps, litl'e old Southern lady, such language.)

However, this is my only comparison to Vietnam.. and those were my years... not protesting. Our guys of that day, their message was the same as today... let us win. They fought with the politics tying at least one hand behind their backs, it not, at times, both hands.

For a long time, I admired Bush, cause he was letting our incredible military fight, doing their job. Now?

IMHO.... his poll numbers are down, not because we are against the war, or what it is about... but because, our guys are fighting with one hand behind their backs. They can't shoot folks, if they capture someone, "catch and release" and they are gone... so what's left? How do you confront an enemy if you have to sign your life away if you shoot someone? And if you don't sign your life away, that second front of the enemy, the MSM is sure to give you your 15 minutes of fame, as you kill a "freedom fighter." So, you cuff him, send him to an AC cell, with 3 squares a day, medical benefits never even imagined, food that is prolly better than I feed myself each night, and then, be released to go do something bad again, and return to this resort managed by the United States of America.

Bush changes that, and watch those poll numbers zoom back up.

In my heart, I just really want to think, he's just waiting for them to get this constitution thing together.... get it voted on in October (he still has that Sept appearance before the infamous UN ) and then, let's go about winning this thing, and get back that oopmmmed we had in the spring, with democracy on the move with all those "protest babes!"
Posted by: Sherry || 08/25/2005 21:40 Comments || Top||

#32  Sherry, amen. The best PR Bush has is frequent rotations back of troops who've been there, fighting the good fight, seeing progress, doing good deeds, contra the MSM medi drumbeat. I'd like to see more interviews and Bush/troop speeches that bypass the "quagmire" talk so heavily enforced by the MSM
Posted by: Frank G || 08/25/2005 21:50 Comments || Top||

#33  BAR, I am beginning to think, expecially after PR's comment, that the problem is that the Army has now converted from the war fighting ROE to law enforcement ROE. Seems like a big mistake to me, but re-enlistment rates are staying up, so the men at the front must be OK with it. But it sure makes me want to puke.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis || 08/25/2005 22:13 Comments || Top||

#34  My Take:

Illegal combatant.
Direct fire ant atempt to kill 2 different soldiers.

Drumhead court martial on the spot. Taken to the alley, 9mm to base of skull, bayonet to open his belly and spread his entrail for the crows.

We do that, they stop fighting. Or sooner or later they run out of bodies to throw at us.
Posted by: Elmush Angolet8785 || 08/25/2005 23:01 Comments || Top||

#35  Thats me by the way.
Posted by: Oldspook || 08/25/2005 23:02 Comments || Top||

#36  I'm fine with that
Posted by: Frank G || 08/25/2005 23:04 Comments || Top||

#37  Good plan -- and screw what the MSM says about it.

Hearts and minds my ass. How will they respect us if we do this 'catch-and-release' shit. Catch and Release damn near got LTC Kurilla killed.
Posted by: CrazyFool || 08/25/2005 23:14 Comments || Top||

#38  According to USMA Register of Graduates, LTC Michael Erik Kurilla, Class of '88, will be 40 years old in May 2006. Former Company Commander with 3/75th Rangers.

I have great respect and admiration for LTC Kurilla - I just wish he wasn't leading point. His value as a orchestrator of systemic destruction of the enemy's overall ability to wage war - that was much more important than his role as a rifleman.

The fact that Kurilla and Prosser were at the leading edge of battle - while much to their credit as warriors - makes me wonder what is going wrong over there. This approach - duplicated 100 times - virtually wipes out our ability to wage war.

The bad guys can always scrougnge up another batch of islamo-loonies and criminal thugs - but even at a trade-off of 1,000 bad guys to one Bn Cdr, we lose.

My best wishes to the valiant Bn Cdr, for a full recovery.

Posted by: Lone Ranger || 08/25/2005 23:21 Comments || Top||

#39  ..the problem is that the Army has now converted from the war fighting ROE to law enforcement ROE.

Yeah, that blurb about "cases" being "dismissed" leads me to believe the same thing. The Armed Forces are not police, nor should they be used as such, and the ROE should reflect that.
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama || 08/25/2005 23:30 Comments || Top||

#40  Time to switch to shotguns. IIRC, we never signed that part of the Convention.
Posted by: Ulase Snimble3984 || 08/25/2005 23:39 Comments || Top||

#41  LR: I have great respect and admiration for LTC Kurilla - I just wish he wasn't leading point. His value as a orchestrator of systemic destruction of the enemy's overall ability to wage war - that was much more important than his role as a rifleman.

The fact that the Battalion Commander is running up alleys going after 3 guys is a travesty. I wish him the best, but this is a real waste of human resources. Great guy, but that is not his job. And the fact that two GI's froze instead of trying to get him out is inexcusable. You always protect your king.
Posted by: Zhang Fei || 08/25/2005 23:47 Comments || Top||

#42  It just occurred to me that if the Command Sergeant and Mike Yon hadn't jumped in, the terrorists might have captured a Battalion Commander alive. This is really cutting it close. Kurilla's got guts to spare, but he shouldn't have been there.
Posted by: Zhang Fei || 08/25/2005 23:52 Comments || Top||


US Army Colonel Awarded Distinguished Service Cross in Iraq
An Army colonel was given the second-highest award for valor Wednesday for his actions during a furious firefight last year in Iraq when he rallied some Iraqi commandos to defend their position against an insurgent assault.

Col. James H. Coffman Jr., who was wounded during the Nov. 14 gun battle at Mosul, received the Distinguished Service Cross in a ceremony in Baghdad.

Last November, insurgents attacked several police stations in Mosul, leading to chaos in parts of the city. According to the military's account of his actions, Coffman was with a group of Iraqi commandos moving to reinforce one police station that was under attack when insurgents ambushed them. All but one of the commando team's officers were killed or seriously wounded early in the fight, leaving Coffman, an adviser to the commandos, and the single Iraqi officer, to direct the battle.

"Coffman exhibited truly inspirational leadership, rallying the commandos and organizing a hasty defense while attempting to radio higher headquarters for reinforcements," his award reads. "Under heavy fire, he moved from commando to commando, looking each in the eye and using hand and arm signals to demonstrate what he wanted done."

During the fight, he was shot in his left hand, his shooting hand, a shot that wrecked his gun. He picked up AK-47s from the wounded Iraqis and kept shooting, using his right hand. He also redistributed ammunition among the surviving Iraqis who were with him.
Whoever has the "Duty Honor Country" image block, this is were to post it - he is one of my classmates - USMA 1978 - 'Nice job, Jim
The battle lasted four hours, ending only after U.S. armored vehicles and air support arrived. Coffman consented to be evacuated for medical treatment only after all of the Iraqi wounded were evacuated.
Posted by: Lone Ranger || 08/25/2005 13:35 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Good job Colonel. I love seeing our officers and NCOs lead by example and it is great that the Iraqis saw this first hand.

Courage may be taught as a child is taught to speak - Euripides

Few men are born brave; many become so through training and force of discipline - Vegetius
Posted by: mmurray821 || 08/25/2005 15:08 Comments || Top||

#2  Well earned by a soldier who knows his profession and what responsiblity means.
Posted by: MunkarKat || 08/25/2005 16:38 Comments || Top||

#3  Awe-some. This Colonel transcended the cultural gap and quite probably saved many Iraqi lives that day.

You must be feeling pretty proud Lone Ranger.
Posted by: Tony (UK) || 08/25/2005 18:50 Comments || Top||

#4  saw him interviewed on Fox - seemed a truly humble and honorable man
Posted by: Frank G || 08/25/2005 20:00 Comments || Top||

#5  It seems the best ones are always the humblest. Outstanding job, Colonel.
Posted by: eLarson || 08/25/2005 20:20 Comments || Top||

#6  Outstanding. I saw where GW awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor. I wonder how many have been awarded in the Iraqi War.
Posted by: John Q. Citizen || 08/25/2005 21:46 Comments || Top||

#7  Only one MOH awarded during the Iraq war that I am aware of.
Posted by: mmurray821 || 08/25/2005 22:51 Comments || Top||


Iraq rebels treated in hostage deal-Italy Red Cross
Looks like somebody's picked a side...
ROME (Reuters) - The Italian Red Cross treated "four presumed Iraqi terrorists" at its Baghdad hospital in order to secure last year's release of two kidnapped Italian aid workers, a senior Red Cross official was quoted as saying on Thursday.
Maurizio Scelli, the outgoing commissioner of the Italian Red Cross, said the deal to free the two Italian women, Simona Pari and Simona Torretta, was kept secret from U.S. officials."The mediators asked us to treat and save the lives of four presumed terrorists sought by the Americans, wounded in combat. We hid them and brought them to the doctors with the Red Cross, who operated on them," Scelli told La Stampa daily in an interview.
So Maurizio, you kept them alive to probably kill even more people? Do you sleep well at night? Unfortunately, you probably do.
"We also treated four of their children, sick with leukemia."
Awwwwwwwww...I guess that makes it okay.
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's office, which has denied previous accusations it paid a ransom to win the aid workers' release, said on Thursday the Red Cross was independent and did not answer to the government."The government of the (Italian) Republic and its offices have never conditioned or influenced (Red Cross) operations which are carried out in full autonomy," a statement said. Cooperation between Italy and the United States had always been "close and reciprocal" in Iraq, it added.
Scelli, who was present at the September 28 handover of the two aid workers, said he was deeply involved in negotiations to free the women. He told La Stampa the decision to hide details about the operation from U.S. officials was approved by Gianni Letta, Berlusconi's right-hand man.
The Italian Red Cross better hope they don't need any favors over there anytime soon.
"Keeping the Americans in the dark about our efforts to free the hostages was a non-negotiable condition to guarantee the safety of the hostages and ourselves," he said. Scelli said he had consulted at the time with Italian intelligence agent Nicola Calipari, who was shot dead in March this year by U.S. troops at a Baghdad checkpoint during a subsequent rescue operation for another Italian hostage.
Well now. Doesn't this explain some things?
Italy and the United States issued differing reports on Calipari's killing, with the U.S. military pinning much of the blame on the Italians, partly for failing to communicate that a rescue operation was underway.
Looks like they may have been right maybe?
Posted by: tu3031 || 08/25/2005 09:26 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's office, .... said on Thursday the Red Cross was independent and did not answer to the government."The government of the (Italian) Republic and its offices have never conditioned or influenced (Red Cross) operations which are carried out in full autonomy,"....
And the article goes on: He(Scelli) told La Stampa the decision to hide details about the operation from U.S. officials was approved by Gianni Letta, Berlusconi's right-hand man. So which is it? The Italian Red Cross is independant or were they working hand in glove to deceive their American "allies"?
Posted by: GK || 08/25/2005 10:02 Comments || Top||

#2  Irresponsible behavior by the Italians
Posted by: bgrebel9 || 08/25/2005 10:07 Comments || Top||

#3  Idiotic. Next they'll set up a regular schedule of procedures and services available with the corresponding number and type of aid workers that need to be threatened or, depending upon the total cost, actually kidnapped.
Posted by: MunkarKat || 08/25/2005 10:19 Comments || Top||

#4  Do they hafta name names? How about, "Just treat these guys, or we'll kidnap somebody"?

Ya know, treating hurt bad guys is O.K., not notifying the good guys that bad guys are being treated is aiding the enemy.

Sounds like something Hawkeye Pierce would do on MASH. In fact, I think he did spring a guy who Col. Flag wanted Pierce to save so Flag could execute him later....
Posted by: Bobby || 08/25/2005 10:27 Comments || Top||

#5  "We also treated four of their children, sick with leukemia."

So four terrorists all had a child with leukemia? Dear lord, at least make up something reasonably believable. And to think I now appreciate the musings of Baghdad Bob.
Posted by: Doolittle || 08/25/2005 11:32 Comments || Top||

#6  Did they charge the appropriate co-pay and submit the cpt codes?
Posted by: Angise Hupiting3791 || 08/25/2005 11:33 Comments || Top||

#7  Hmmm I wonder if maybe one of those terrorist were old Zarq himself. Not sure about the timetable but I believe the time Zarq was wounded was right around the time the Italian communist reporter was rescued. I wonder if the "doctor source" that had seen Zarq in Ramadi and confirmed his wounds was these jerk offs.

One thing I just dont get about these damm hostages is if I was in charge of the Iraqi theater I would take some of those GPS chips that are small enough to insert into a person/dogs I believe is what they are currently used for and require every foreigner coming to Iraq to get one. That way if they were kidnapped you pull up the signal circle the helo's to get a fix and bamm bait. If we kept the how to to this down it would look like we had moles all in thier network cause we would be raiding and capturing these hostage takers. Huge demorilaztion of the enemy and great PR for us. The more overwhelming our power looks the better.
Posted by: C-Low || 08/25/2005 12:30 Comments || Top||

#8  Did they charge the appropriate co-pay and submit the cpt codes?

LOL! JihadShield - because you're not just a nut about to blow himself up in a crowded public square, you're family.
Posted by: Dreadnought || 08/25/2005 13:52 Comments || Top||

#9  Wonder if the surgical component includes follow up visits post op? Too bad IRC doc's probably don't insert gps units free of charge.
Posted by: MunkarKat || 08/25/2005 14:27 Comments || Top||

#10  Roger that ... I had suggested that 2 yrs ago to Col. Hackworth 2 yrs ago. I guess the Pentagon has other concerns... pity.
Posted by: Phiper Gletch8915 || 08/25/2005 16:22 Comments || Top||

#11  The Red Thingy violated it's claimed neutrality. Shoot them on sight now. They willingly gave aid and comfort to not just terrorists but criminals who kidnap.
Posted by: Sock Puppet 0´ Doom || 08/25/2005 16:30 Comments || Top||

#12  he did spring a guy who Col. Flag wanted Pierce to save so Flag could execute him later

You seen Robert's boy Alan on a successful TeeVee show sense? Ima talking chick flicks like Same Slime You're Hear, Ima talking about a career NIPPED! NIPPED IN THE BUD! Understand?
Posted by: Col. Flagg || 08/25/2005 17:06 Comments || Top||

#13  Why would anyone be shocked that the gov't of Italy would play to both sides of this conflict ? Hell, they did the same thing in WW2. The real tragedy is this: The "Coalition of the Willing" has become something that better deserves a Monty Python kind of title. How about this suggestion: "Coalition of the kind of Willing as long as it doesn't take too long and we can stay in our camps so we don't get a boo-boo and let the Americans and Britts handle this while we accept the foreign aid money that Uncle Sam is paying for our Support".

Damn, where the hell is Colonel Kurtz when we really need him (again) ? Time to pull out. Let them have their civil war (hey we did alright in 1861). If the wrong guys win...nuke 'em.
Posted by: Marine Dad || 08/25/2005 18:41 Comments || Top||

#14  FYI:
Islamofascist forums are printing a call from banisadr to rally against the occupation of Iraq, after Friday prayers to the Muslim Moon "deity" (Allah the dick wad god of the stupid)
Posted by: Vlad the Muslim Impaler || 08/25/2005 20:25 Comments || Top||

#15  Absolutely, GK. Which is it?

Helping those who have been wounded, with nothing expected in return? Or bargaining for the sale of humans, which is what kidnapping is, at its heart. I suppose it's probably not the first instance the Red Cross has been involved in the sale of humans.Maybe one of our longer-lived rantburgers can name other instances?

For some people in this world (in this case, the head of the Italian government), no deal, even one involving human trafficking, is out of the bounds of basic human decency.

America-there are very few people in this world who see things the way we do. Maybe Australians, maybe Brits.
Posted by: jules 2 || 08/25/2005 21:21 Comments || Top||

#16  Don't forget these two hostage women were really Muslim or Muslim sympathizers. I remember seeing pics of these two fake hostages with headcovering when they were in Italy.

This was a setup to get medical aid to someone very important. The terrorists aren't going to risk something like this for a regular jihadi.
Posted by: Poison Reverse || 08/25/2005 21:54 Comments || Top||

#17  the women played along - enablers of terrorists are targets. Take them out if they're back in country. Let Italy bitch about it
Posted by: Frank G || 08/25/2005 22:01 Comments || Top||


Tater says "cool it" (until the US leaves)
A radical Shiite cleric called on his followers Thursday to end clashes with Shiite rivals so that stalled talks on a new constitution can proceed. Fighting continued for a second day after the cleric's office in Najaf was burned and four of his supporters were killed. Following the appeal by cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, leaders of the country's political factions met to try to reach an agreement on the draft constitution. Thursday was the final day of a 72-hour extension granted Monday night by parliament after Sunni Arabs blocked a vote on the charter, which was accepted by Shiite and Kurdish negotiators.

After meeting with 15 Sunni members of the constitution drafting committee, Iraq's President Jalal Talabani said consensus on the new constitution could be reached soon. But Shiite representative Khaled al-Attiyah said there was not need to vote because "the job was done" when the draft was handed to parliament on Monday. Another Shiite, Nadim al-Jabiri, said there would be no vote on Thursday because the draft will be approved or rejected in a popular referendum on Oct. 15.

In calling for calm, al-Sadr urged "all believers to spare the blood of the Muslims though it's OK to continue to kill infidels and to return to their homes. "I will not forget this attack on the office ... but Iraq is passing through a critical and difficult period that requires unity," he told reporters in his home in Najaf. He demanded that Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, leader of the rival Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, or SCIRI, to condemn "what his followers have done." SCIRI has denied any role in the attack on al-Sadr's office.
"Wudn't us."
"I urge the believers not to attack innocent civilians and not to fall for American plots that aim to divide us," al-Sadr said. "We are passing through a critical period and a political process."
Just another American plot. You know how insidious we are...
The crisis erupted Wednesday when al-Sadr's supporters tried to reopen his office across the street from the Imam Ali mosque in Najaf, the most sacred Shiite shrine in Iraq. Rivals tried to stop the move, fights broke out and the office was set afire. Armed attacks against offices of al-Sadr's movement and SCIRI then spread across the Shiite heartland of central and southern Iraq. Twenty-one pro- al-Sadr members of parliament and three top government officials announced they were stopping official duties in protest of the Najaf attack. Legislator Bahaa al-Araji said Thursday the suspension will continue "until Fearless the leader's demands are met and until the investigation is over."

SCIRI members torched a building belonging to al-Sadr's movement in the Baghdad suburb Nahrawan, said police Lt. Ayad Othman. In retaliation, al-Sadr's followers set fire to an office of SCIRI's Badr Brigade militia in Baghdad's heavily Shiite neighborhood of Sadr City. Clashes also broke out in Amarah, where al-Sadr's militiamen attacked the headquarters of the Badr group with mortars. Five attackers were killed, al-Sadr officials claimed.
Meaning that Badr Brigade's better with small arms than the Tater Tots are with mortars. I guess AK's are easier to aim...
President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, telephoned al-Sadr on Thursday to appeal for restraint. Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Chalabi, a Shiite who has cultivated ties to al-Sadr, condemned the attack that triggered the uprising and promised that "the government will start an immediate investigation" into the incident. During his news conference Thursday, al-Sadr criticized the Shiite-led government, in which SCIRI plays a major role. "What we want is that the voice of people be louder than the voice of the government," he said. "There is elements who fired shots near Imam Ali Shrine, and we know who are stationed near the shrine. Anyone who committed aggression on the al-Sadr office will receive his punishment."

Al-Sadr also criticized portions of the draft constitution, saying it was not strong enough against Saddam Hussein's Baath party. Al-Sadr also spoke out against federalism, which is also opposed by the Sunni Arabs. "We reject federalism and if America has schemes, it should not try to implement those schemes," al-Sadr said.

Sunni Arabs also insist that the factions agree unanimously on the draft constitution. But if al-Sadr's allies in parliament continue their boycott, it would be difficult for the draft's supporters to argue that it had the support of all Iraqi communities.
Posted by: Jackal || 08/25/2005 09:08 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  did anyone else see the pic of al sadr on MSN? some one needs too really tell him about an amazing invention called the toothbrush or is that against Islam.
Posted by: Thraing Hupoluper1864 || 08/25/2005 9:34 Comments || Top||

#2  also sounds like the tater tots are getting whooped by the locals
Posted by: Thraing Hupoluper1864 || 08/25/2005 9:35 Comments || Top||

#3  #1. Sadr is being an infidel for not following the teachings of the Prophet who said, "Make a regular practice of mishwak for verily it is the purification for the mouth and a means of the pleasure for the lord." The natural miswak toothbrush is made of the roots of the miswak -- AKA the toothbrush tree.
Posted by: GK || 08/25/2005 10:17 Comments || Top||

#4  Bravely sir Tater runs away!
Posted by: mmurray821 || 08/25/2005 10:43 Comments || Top||

#5  I suspect that Iran ordered tater to make a power grab among the Shiites, hoping to disrupt a federalist constitution, which has got them very worried. Unfortunately for tater, his tots no longer have their edge against the now far more powerful and prepared SCIRI and Badr organizations, who won't stand for his antics and have quick backup from the Iraqi police and the US, if necessary. They gave him a royal thumping, and now the police are on a lookout for his followers. This means the only thing he can do is plead for "peace" from his opponents, and order his MPs to stall as much as possible in parliament, while he tries to save his own nasty ass. It remains to be seen what his Iranian handlers will do about his failure.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 08/25/2005 10:48 Comments || Top||

#6  Man, and I thought Montgomery County politix were murky...
Posted by: Seafarious || 08/25/2005 11:31 Comments || Top||

#7  So Sadr is fighting against Badr ?
Does the Mad Hatter know about this ?
Posted by: wxjames || 08/25/2005 11:46 Comments || Top||

#8  What is sad is that Prez and the Prime Minister haven't been able to organize a squad to rough Tater up a bit or permanently shut him down.
Posted by: mhw || 08/25/2005 12:15 Comments || Top||

#9  Shoulda bumped the guy off while it was relatively easy to do and the price to pay relatively low.
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama || 08/25/2005 12:43 Comments || Top||

#10  Yeah, BAR, where's Pat Robertson when you need him.
Posted by: GK || 08/25/2005 14:07 Comments || Top||

#11  my vague impression is that this is now a three side battle for dominance over the Shiites, among Sadr, SCIRI, and Jaafari and the other Shiites. Note Sadr is gung ho against a Shiite autonomy region. SCIRI is gung ho for it. Jaafari and his Dawa party seem cool to it. Kinda makes sense. SCIRI is more extreme than Dawa, and can dominate a southern zone, while Dawa is better positioned to take a role in a Shiite dominated national Iraqi govt. It would also make sense that Sadr is more motivated to fight SCIRI than Dawa. Although friendly to the Sunnis, Sadr is religiously extreme. SCIRI is thus more his rival for votes and influence than the more moderate Dawa.
Posted by: liberalhawk || 08/25/2005 14:15 Comments || Top||

#12  Tater should have been a toated tot a long time ago.
Posted by: John Q. Citizen || 08/25/2005 16:22 Comments || Top||

#13  Hard to understand why his teeth would be bad - I thought he flossed daily (with Iranian MM pubic hair.)
Posted by: Glenmore || 08/25/2005 18:35 Comments || Top||

#14  Frozen taters? Bahhhhaaaa
Posted by: Captain America || 08/25/2005 20:39 Comments || Top||


Israel-Palestine
Five Terrorists, Jew Killed in West Bank
JERUSALEM (AP) - An Israeli military raid on a West Bank refugee camp left five terrorists militants dead Wednesday and an Orthodox Jewish man was stabbed to death in Jerusalem - an eruption of violence a day after Israel completed its evacuation of 25 settlements.

At the Tulkarem refugee camp, Israeli soldiers surrounded a house and exchanged fire with terrorists militants inside and outside, witnesses said. The bodies of the four dead terrorists were brought to the Tulkarem hospital an hour after the incident. Residents said they were members of Islamic Jihad. A fifth Palestinian later died of injuries, Israel Radio reported.
Ah, the sucking chest wound.
Israeli military officials identified the terrorist Palestinians involved in the confrontation as top local leaders of the Islamic Jihad, responsible for the last two suicide bombings in Israel - in Tel Aviv in February and Netanya in July.

Earlier in Jerusalem, a Palestinian terrorist stabbed two young ultra-Orthodox Jews in the Old City, police said, calling it a terror attack. One of the victims later died of his wounds. The terrorist assailant escaped. Israeli media reported that the dead man was a young seminary student from Britain. His name was not released.
Posted by: Steve White || 08/25/2005 01:14 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Jew Killed in West Bank

Orthodox Jewish man was stabbed to death in Jerusalem

ipso facto Jerusalem is in the West Bank!
Posted by: Spereting Close6384 || 08/25/2005 8:53 Comments || Top||

#2  "Israeli media reported that the dead man was a young seminary student from Britain. His name was not released."

Bias doesn't begin to describe AP. They have to quote Israeli media for anything that happens in Israel because all their propaganda machine journalists are in the Paleo offices. The above AP sentence is false. The British student's name was released.

"stabbed two young ultra-Orthodox Jews in the Old City"

When reporting this story, notice they are using the words "ultra-Orthodox." These two students were NOT ultra-Orthodox or Orthodox. There were just students. First of all, what in the heck is, ultra-Orthodox? I only understand Orthodox. Also, the AP is not stating that the other person that got stabbed was an American student. The AP is simply trying to put a moral equivelance betweeen Jews who get stabbed and Paleo's who do the stabbing.

"The United States issued a statement saying the barrier "is a problem to the extent that it prejudges final borders, confiscates Palestinian property or imposes further hardship on the Palestinian people."

They failed to mention that this is an Foggy Bottom statement and does not the reflect the views of GWB.

"Palestinians claim all of the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem for a state, complaining that that barrier route unilaterally sets a border. Palestinians have praised Israel's pullout from Gaza and the West Bank, but insist it must be followed by an exit from the rest of the territory."

When they use the word "territory" by itself, it is code word for ALL of Israel.
Posted by: Poison Reverse || 08/25/2005 9:30 Comments || Top||

#3  Perhaps a "sucking head wound?"
Posted by: Anonymoose || 08/25/2005 10:49 Comments || Top||

#4  ipso facto Jerusalem is in the West Bank!

It's AP. I'm surprised they didn't refer to Jerusalem as al-Quds.
Posted by: Colt || 08/25/2005 11:57 Comments || Top||

#5  Ultra-Orthodox is a legitimate classification, Poison Reverse. Regular Orthodox Jews generally live observant Jewish lives (obeying all the 600+ Commandments in the Old Testament, plus the rules devised by the Rabbis in the Talmud to protect the Commandments, plus whatever has been concluded by the leading rabbis as appropriate to changing conditions up to the present) while still in the World. The Ultra-Orthodox withdraw from the World-as-it-is to their own little enclaves and bitterly resent the establishment of Israel as pre-empting God's plan for the Messiah to do so at some future date. They tend to live off charity in order to spend all their time studying Jewish lore. They are not, however, mystics like the Chassids portrayed so nicely in the musical Fiddler on the Roof.

Otherwise, your criticism stands.

Popcorn? I made a bowl big enough for everyone.
Posted by: trailing wife || 08/25/2005 12:31 Comments || Top||

#6  mmmmmmm
Posted by: Frank G || 08/25/2005 12:41 Comments || Top||

#7  tw,

So it exists. Thanks for the clarification.

Would you agree that ultra-Orthodox is the modern word for Levites. The Levites also had to live on only what was donated to them. That's why God via Joshua didn't give the Levites land of their own. I believe groups of 50 Levites had to live among each of the other tribes for the reason stated above.


Posted by: Poison Reverse || 08/25/2005 14:10 Comments || Top||

#8  Levites are members/descendants of a specific Hebrew tribe. Some members of the tribe are still identifiable - I think most people with the name of Cohen are Levites. (Modern DNA research has shown that Jews traditionally identified as members of the various tribes are in fact related through a common ancestor back approximately 3000 years.) The Ultra-Orthodox have chosen to conform to an extremely strict interpretation of the Levitical (a-ha) law, but aren't necessarily part of the Levite tribe, although I'm sure some are.
Posted by: VAMark || 08/25/2005 16:30 Comments || Top||

#9  Ima have a house/schul of Lebovitchers (?) up the road, very nice people, located in a residential neighborhod because all the adherents walk to schul..... except for the yuts from FSU who haven't bought in 100 percent... they allowed to drive. Every Friday night is something of a mad house parking wise. Still all in all a net gain for the neighborhood if you're not shy about asking questions....
Posted by: Shipman || 08/25/2005 17:14 Comments || Top||

#10  Lebovitchers are one of several branches (!!) of the Chassids, Shipman. glad to hear they're nice.

PR, the Ultras aren't Levites, who were the Temple Priesthood, descended of Moses brother Aaron. They are still around, still only allowed to marry -- literally -- within their tribe. Look for families names like Levy, Levi, Cohen, Kahn.

More later, I've got a soccer run ;-)
Posted by: trailing wife || 08/25/2005 17:38 Comments || Top||

#11  tw & VAMark,

I got what I need. Thanks.
Posted by: Poison Reverse || 08/25/2005 18:06 Comments || Top||

#12  The thing about the Ultra-Orthodox in Israel is not only that they do not accept the existence of Israel, but they want to impose their version on Judaism on all. Make the mistake of driving through their neighborhood on the Sabbath (Fri sundown through Saturday full dark) and they will furiously stone the car. They fight for legislation forbidding the selling or serving of non-kosher food throughout the country, and to order businesses and public transport shut down on the Sabbath. And, their boys refuse to join the Army to protect the country whose existence they resent. They want to go back to the old days, when the Rothschilds, et al, supported their ancient communities, allowing them to spend their time in study and prayer without the burden of fund-raising.
Posted by: trailing wife || 08/25/2005 22:01 Comments || Top||

#13  See "Prejudicial Ingrates". I find little about the Orthodox to admire. The mainstream Jews need to bitchslap them back into their minority status and make them acknowledge it. The lack of national military srvice has to end - makes them too elite to dirty their hands.
Posted by: Frank G || 08/25/2005 22:13 Comments || Top||


Afghanistan/South Asia
Tales from the Crossfire Gazette (vacation edition)
Another suspected underground operative was killed in a gunfight with the police on the Kushtia-Meherpur highway under Mirpur upazila in Kushtia early Wednesday, raising the crossfire death toll to 378 since June 2004.
Alas, another dacoit meets an untimely and completely unexpected end, demonstrating once again that while crime usually pays in Bangladesh, when it doesn't it's a real bitch.
An Alamdanga police squad arrested Abdur Rashid Sagar, 42, believed to be a regional commander of the underground Purba Banglar Communist Party (Janajuddha), at a village in Kushtia upazila lair headquarters on Tuesday.
Not just a dacoit but a Commie as well. Someone at the RAB is going to be promoted for this.
He was wanted in more than a dozen criminal cases, including eight murders, the police claimed.
Not likely that his mother loves him then.
Based on his statement, ...
"Ooch! Ouch! Do ya have to squeeze so hard?"
...a police team took Sagar to Mirpur upazila to track down his sidekicks associates.
No mention as to the time, but I'm betting it was a dark and stormy night ...
As the team came closer to Sadarpur, a group of armed men opened fire, resulting in a shootout in which more than 50 rounds were exchanged.
"Cheez it boyz, it's the RAB! Open ineffectual fire!"
Half an hour later, after the gangsters had retreated, the police found Sagar critically wounded.
Oh no! How ever could that have ever happened?
He was taken to the Mirpur upazila health complex where on-duty doctors declared him dead.
"He's dead, Jim. Tag him and ship him off to Dr. Quincy."
Posted by: Steve White || 08/25/2005 00:59 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  What? No "Several Rounds of Bullet" recovered, no "Shutter Gun"

Getting sloppy boys.

By the way I finaly got a description of just what a "Shutter Gun" really is.

We here in the USA call them "Paintball Guns"
Posted by: Redneck Jim || 08/25/2005 20:00 Comments || Top||


Inside Bangla’s Jihadi Groups - Gained experience overseas
First in a series being run by the Daily Star
A deep pocket filled by oil rich hands, virtually unrelenting access to arms, an insidious nexus with mainstream political parties and the government's blind eye to them -- the deadly concoction that have made it possible for the religious terrorist groups to thrive in Bangladesh. The Daily Star investigation spread over several months has found over 30 religious militant organisations have set up their network across the country since 1989 with the central objective of establishing an Islamic state. These militant organisations are Harkatul Jihad, Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Jagrata Muslim Janata, Bangladesh (JMJB), Islami Biplobi Parishad, Shahadat Al Hiqma, Hizbut Towhid, Hizb-ut-Tahrir, Ahle Hadith Andolon, Towhidi Janata, Bishwa Islami Front, Juma'atul Sadat, Al Jomiatul Islamia, Iqra Islami Jote, Allahr Dal, Al Khidmat Bahini, Al Mujhid, Jama'ati Yahia Al Turag, Jihadi Party, Al Harkat al Islamia, Al Mahfuz Al Islami, Jama'atul Faladia, Shahadat-e-Nabuwat, Joish-e-Mostafa, Tahfize Haramaine Parishad, Hizbul Mojahedeen, Duranta Kafela and Muslim Guerrilla. Many of their activists are Afghanistan and Palestinian war veterans who fought there after receiving training in Pakistan, Libya and Palestine. After returning to Bangladesh, these militants scattered over the country and started militant activities since the early 1990s. Sources said over 200 Bangladeshi Jihadis were killed and 500 wounded in battles in Afghanistan, Lebanon and Palestine.
I'd expect many of these are sisters orgs to the Pak Jihadis, certainly the bewildering number of groups with an identical ideology seem inspired by their western cousins.

When they returned from foreign frontiers, a number of them set up madrasas as cover, mainly toeing the Qwami line, which is the more orthodox system of Islamic education and needs no government registration. They chose the forests of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, mosques and the Qwami madrasas mainly in the north to train their activists. They also set up their network in Dhaka, starting from Kamrangir-char, and later spreading to Kafrul, Adabar, Shekhertek, Basila and Demra. Operating under different names, the groups maintain close contact with each other. Although the intelligence agencies had made various reports on these militant groups and recommended their bans, the government remained mysteriously silent since 2002. Rather, some militants arrested at various places with evidence of subversive activities got free as the cases against them were not properly pursued.
The conservative BNP government and her Islamist allies are soft on the Jihadis, if you read all those Crossfire reports, the RAB almost exlusively targets left-wing extremists - the opposition Awami League being seen as close to the leftists.

In the wake of the recent bomb blasts, The Daily Star investigation found most JMB and JMJB leaders were in the past members of the Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS), the student front of ruling coalition partner Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh. Sources said the militants hide their identity by using the names of different organisations. Many have joined the Tablighi Jamaat, the religious movement supposed to be non-violent and non-political. Whenever the militant groups come under police suspicion, they quickly change name to continue their activities. The JMB is a case in point that has so far changed names 18 times, intelligence sources said. By their own claims, the militant groups have some 10 lakh (one hundred thousand) members across the country. An intelligence report says about 80,000 of them took training in arms and explosives. Only the JMB has 10,000 full-timers, 1lakh part-timers and 10 lakh trainees. JMJB leader Bangla Bhai on May 12 last year claimed in an interview with The Daily Star that he has over 30,000 activists working in 57 districts. Harkat-ul Jihad (Huji) has over 25,000 trained activists, according to some Huji men. But intelligence source says the claim is exaggerated and the organisation has around 15,000 members who are now working for different Islamic parties after crackdown on the group in 1999. Each group has various wings -- the largest looking after publicity and recruitment, the wing that takes armed training is comparatively small. Another branch works as 'intelligence wing', mixing up with the common people and activists of other parties and attending political and cultural programmes.
Posted by: Paul Moloney || 08/25/2005 00:25 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Paul, you are a treasure!
Posted by: trailing wife || 08/25/2005 3:06 Comments || Top||

#2  The RAB rarely bumps off exchanges crossfire with anyone named Achmed or Mahmoud...
Posted by: Seafarious || 08/25/2005 8:38 Comments || Top||


Inside Bangla’s Jihadi Groups - Training Camps
EFL
On January 22, 2001, Chittagong police held Salumullah Selim, a 45-year-old man, from a residence in the port city. On interrogation, they learned the true nature of his identity -- he is the army chief of an Arakan militant outfit called Arakan Rogingya National Organisation (ARNO). Records showed he was previously arrested in 2000. More quizzing brought out further startling information. He admitted to police that he trained local madrasa students in armed combat. According to him, more trainers from African and Middle Eastern countries frequently visit Bangladesh to train local Islamist militants. Intelligence agencies have reported the presence of militant camps in Ramu, Ukhia, Mongkhola, Dalujhiri, Chhagalnaiya and Jarulchhari. Police arrested 11 suspected Islamic militants, including an infamous adherent of Bangla Bhai's Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB), and two Rajshahi University (RU) students at a training camp some 15km off Rajshahi city on July 19. Police seized diaries from their possession that detailed training methods, descriptions of sophisticated arms and also contained revolutionary Islamic slogans and songs, some of them anti-US. The diaries also described different types of detonators, their construction and operation, and where the bomb-making materials can be found. The notes also mentioned commonly used arms in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Russia. "Such lessons are not even given to police and the BDR [Bangladesh Rifles]," commented a highly placed source in the law enforcement agencies.

That the claims of the seized diaries are not empty was proven when police recovered both arms and explosives from militants at different places. The arrestees also admitted having links with international arms dealers and smugglers. On March 11, 2003, police recovered time bombs, detonators, petrol bombs, high-powered RDX explosives, bomb manufacturing equipment, audio recorders, mobile phones, cameras, several hundred cassettes, books on the operations of 200 militant groups and their donation receipts, and electronic wires from a Chapainawabganj house of a Jamaat leader rented by five Jama'atul Muhahideen Bangladesh (JMB) members. The recovery also included some books written by Maulana Massud Azhar, a close associate of Laden. According to intelligence reports, the militants buy arms from rebel groups in India, Myanmar, Pakistan, Thailand and China, which then come to Bangladesh by road and sea routes.
Posted by: Paul Moloney || 08/25/2005 00:34 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


4 Jama'atul Mujahedin Bangladesh bigs held at airport
Immigration police yesterday arrested four suspected Islamist militants trying to board flights bound for Dubai and Saudi Arabia at Zia International Airport (ZIA).
Gosh. Vicious bad guyz on the run from the law have never tried to hide there before, have they?
Satkhira police meanwhile have named Jamaatul Mujahedin Bangladesh (JMB) chief Shaikh Abdur Rahman as the main accused in five cases lodged on the same number of bomb blasts carried out in the district town on August 17. The charge follows confessions of four arrested JMB activists to their involvement in the terror attacks under the leadership of Abdur Rahman. According to a BDNEWS report, all the four arrested at the ZIA are top JMB leaders. They are Kabir Hossain and Abdur Razzak of Barisal, Shafiqur Rahman of Madaripur and Mohammad Alam of Savar.
The definition of "top leaders" is probably pretty fluid — anybody from the runner level up, would be my guess.
Posted by: Paul Moloney || 08/25/2005 00:25 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  It goes as high as any of the 13,000 or so "Number 3's" in the org chart...
Posted by: Seafarious || 08/25/2005 8:40 Comments || Top||


Bomb explosion near Miranshah
MIRANSHAH: A remote-controlled bomb went off 25 kilometres from Miranshah in North Waziristan on Wednesday, damaging an army water supply tanker. The bomb was planted in the Madakhel Saraey area of the Datta Khel Bazaar. Sources said the device badly damaged the army vehicle, but no loss of life was reported. Local authorities are investigating the incident.
Posted by: Fred || 08/25/2005 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


11 Taliban killed in raids by US, Afghan troops
Eleven suspected Taliban rebels, including a local commander, died in two separate raids by US and Afghan troops ahead of Afghanistan’s key parliamentary elections, officials said on Wednesday. Five Taliban were killed and two were arrested early on Wednesday during an operation in Chora district of strife-torn Uruzgan province, which is in southern Afghanistan. “The joint forces launched an operation in the area and after hours of fighting they killed the five Taliban, among them a famous Taliban commander called Mullah Painday Mohammed,” Uruzgan governor Jan Mohammed said.

A large cache of weapons and explosives were also seized, he added. Six more Taliban were killed on Tuesday when joint forces surrounded a house in Sahak, a remote village in the restive southern province of Zabul, where the rebels were manufacturing remote-controlled roadside bombs, an official said. “After more than one hour’s exchange of fire, six Taliban were killed and lots of weapons, explosives and remote-control devices were seized,” said provincial spokesman Gulab Shah Ali Khail. There were no casualties amongst the Afghan or US-led troops, he said.
Posted by: Fred || 08/25/2005 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Good work. Who does the media thinking is winning in Afghanistan? Do all the 'peace protestors' want the US to withdraw from there as well?
Posted by: Homer from London || 08/25/2005 2:45 Comments || Top||

#2  a famous Taliban commander called Mullah
Painday Mohammed


reporters for the DailyTimes are always slipping nugets in.
Posted by: Red Dog || 08/25/2005 3:55 Comments || Top||

#3  it's good to see allan's virgin-making factory on overtime again.
Posted by: anymouse || 08/25/2005 11:47 Comments || Top||


Africa: North
Egypt Increases Security At Suez Canal
Posted by: Fred || 08/25/2005 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Afghanistan/South Asia
Qadeer Gave Centrifuges to North Korea: Musharraf
Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf has given details for the first time on the kind of nuclear technology that former top Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan transferred to North Korea, a Japanese media report said yesterday. Musharraf reportedly told Kyodo news agency in an interview that Qadeer provided centrifuge machines and their designs to North Korea. “Yes, he passed centrifuges — parts and complete. I do not exactly remember the number,” Musharraf told Kyodo in Islamabad.

Musharraf’s spokesman Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan said the Pakistani leader had confirmed that Qadeer provided centrifuges for enriching uranium and their designs to North Korea in an interview Tuesday, but added that the technology was only a small part of what would be needed to develop a nuclear bomb. Qadeer, regarded as the father of the program that built Pakistan’s nuclear bomb, confessed in early 2004 that he had spread sensitive technology to Iran, Libya and North Korea without the knowledge of the government.

Qadeer, who is accused of operating an international black market network in weapons technology, was subsequently pardoned by Musharraf but is still kept under house arrest in Islamabad. The Pakistani government has since given only scant details about the transfers that Qadeer made, particularly to Pyongyang’s secretive communist regime.
Posted by: Fred || 08/25/2005 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  The Pakistani government has since given only scant details about the transfers that Qadeer made, particularly to Pyongyang’s secretive communist regime.

WHY? Why have the Paki's given only scant details?

Would the details reveal even more alarming developements? [transfers to terrorists?]

Was tecnology lifted from a western ally years ago? [agents still in place]

Could it be that a proxy delivered and helped transfer centrifuge machines and their designs?

Were warhead designs also transfered?

Could it be that the scope of the network would be comprimised, Norks, Iran, Libya, Saudi Arabia, etc.?


Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, “Yes, he passed centrifuges — parts and complete. I do not exactly remember the number,”



[Hey Pres. Musharraf, we just got intel that there are two 10 MegaTon devices looking for you..We'd tell you more but we can't remember.]
Posted by: Red Dog || 08/25/2005 1:07 Comments || Top||

#2  Now he just has to figure out how Pakistan ended up with North Korean NoDong missiles in its arsenal.
Posted by: Paul Moloney || 08/25/2005 1:12 Comments || Top||


Africa: North
Police Storm Sinai Militant Strongholds
Egyptian security forces stormed four militant strongholds in the northern Sinai Peninsula early yesterday, fighting intense gunbattles and arresting 26 people in a massive search for suspects linked to recent bombings in the rugged desert region. A total of 650 people have been arrested in Sinai since a force of some 4,000 security personnel backed by armored vehicles launched the sweep Sunday through Sinai’s desert plains and soaring mountains, a police official said.

Authorities were looking for suspects in a triple bombing that killed at least 88 people last month at Egypt’s popular Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh on the southern tip of the Sinai. That attack came 10 months after bombings at two other Sinai resorts near the Israeli border, Taba and Ras Shitan, that killed more than 30 people. Yesterday’s shootouts occurred at four locations near the Israeli border, where police stormed suspected militant hide-outs, two police officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters. One battle continued last evening at the top of Al-Halal Mountain, about 50 kilometers from the border, where a key suspect in the attacks - Salem Khadr El-Shenoub - was believed to be hiding with other militants, a security official said. The 900-meter-high mountain is full of caves and valleys, and Shenoub booby trapped entrances with explosives. Police were using loudspeakers, calling on the militants to surrender.
"Come out witcher hands up, youse guys!"
"You'll never take us alive, coppers!"
Three security men were wounded in a land mine explosion in Qusaima, site of another of the battles. The mine was believed to have been left over from the Arab-Israeli wars of 1968 and 1973.
"Mahmoud! Don't step on [KABOOM!]... that."
In a separate clash Tuesday, a police officer and two suspected militants were wounded in a shootout east of the Suez Canal between the security forces and suspected militants responsible for the Sharm El-Sheikh and Taba bombings. Almost all those arrested so far in the Sharm and Taba attacks are Egyptians, and authorities have not said whether they believe the suspects were members of homegrown militant cells inspired by foreign, Al-Qaeda linked organizations or were directly linked to outsiders.
They really don't have to be. The Egyptians have enough insiders they've released from jug. And the cannon fodder they're looking for may well never have been in jug.
So far, the new sweep has not reached the level of the wholesale roundup conducted after the Taba bombings. Two men charged in the attacks are on trial in Cairo but deny they were involved. Nearly 3,000 people were detained in that roundup, and some have voiced concern the Sharm bombings may have been the work of disaffected Egyptians in retaliation for the heavy-handed response to the Taba attacks.
Posted by: Fred || 08/25/2005 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Egypt is going to find controlling the Gaza Strip highly interesting. If I were Mubarek, I'd let someone else win the election -- and the pain to follow -- and live quietly on the interest from my Swiss bank accounts.
Posted by: trailing wife || 08/25/2005 1:48 Comments || Top||

#2  TW
If I were Mubarek, I'd let someone else win the election -- and the pain to follow -- and live quietly on the interest from my Swiss bank accounts.

Ever heard of an Arab leader going into retairment?
Posted by: gromgoru || 08/25/2005 2:21 Comments || Top||

#3  Of course not, gromgoru, but then Mubarek isn't me, either. So instead he is going to spend the rest of his sanity alternately bouncing Gaza rubble and pleading with the Palestinians to behave nicely... and trying to guard against suicide bombers in Cairo. Egypt will go from being a sad mess to a total disaster as a result, and serve them right for all those years of verbally and materially supporting terrorism.
Posted by: trailing wife || 08/25/2005 3:16 Comments || Top||

#4  TW
Egypt will go from being a sad mess to a total disaster as a result, and serve them right for all those years of verbally and materially supporting terrorism.

And dissing Rev. Tom (Malthus). Never forget dissing Rev. Tom.
Posted by: gromgoru || 08/25/2005 3:24 Comments || Top||

#5  think they'll still be unable to find/shut down those tunnels from Sinai to Gaza? Bet their efficiency goes waayyyyyy up all the sudden.
Posted by: Frank G || 08/25/2005 8:56 Comments || Top||

#6  Three security men were wounded in a land mine explosion in Qusaima, site of another of the battles. The mine was believed to have been left over from the Arab-Israeli wars of 1968 and 1973.

Isn't that the same explanation they tried to use for the last terrorist bomb in the Sinai area? Does anyone believe them?
Posted by: Robert Crawford || 08/25/2005 9:38 Comments || Top||

#7  Ummm... Lemme think. No.
Posted by: Fred || 08/25/2005 9:58 Comments || Top||

#8  Nice pic. The "Surprise Visit" boys...
Posted by: mojo || 08/25/2005 11:13 Comments || Top||

#9  This is from the Multinational Forces and Observers in the Sinai (MFO)

http://www.mfo.org/files/Trilat_2004_report.pdf

The Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Detachment rapidly responds to unexploded ordnance (UXO) hazards in the MFO area of operation. Over the past year, the detachment responded to incidents involving UXO ranging from 20 MM anti-aircraft rounds to landmines. The detachment’s MFO mission includes educating new personnel about the types of UXO and explosives hazards they may encounter in the Sinai. Special attention is provided to training site commanders, gate guards, and members of the Civilian Observer Unit.
Over the past year, the EOD Detachment conducted Remote Site inspections ensuring that accurate hazard area maps are posted with current changes, a mine pit is constructed outside the site perimeter for the placement of unexploded ordnance, and that the site commander knows how to respond to and report UXO. The Detachment conducted over 55 site verifications of known hazard areas to determine location, quantity and type of explosive contamination, and current use/condition of the area. EOD also conducted over 50 verifications at TOP sites to assess UXO contamination in the area.
Posted by: SwissTex || 08/25/2005 11:20 Comments || Top||


Afghanistan/South Asia
15 Held for Bangla Booms
Police yesterday arrested 15 more suspected activists of a banned group blamed for the serial bombings which rocked Bangladesh last week. Two people were killed and 100 others were injured in the serial bombings which rocked Bangladesh last week, sources said. No one claimed responsibility for the blasts aimed at spreading fear and panic, police said. Copies of a leaflet found at the bomb sites carried a call by Jamatul Mujahedeen for Islamic rule in Bangladesh. “We are looking for the mastermind, his associates and some 500 activists who are believed to have been involved in the coordinated bombings,” a police officer in Dhaka said.

Hundreds of bombs went off nearly simultaneously across Bangladesh last Wednesday, hours after Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia had left for a visit to China. She came back cutting short the trip, and ordered an immediate crackdown on the suspected militants. Mashud, who heads Islamic organizations that finance hundreds of madrasas in Bangladesh, is also suspected of having financed the Jamatul Mujahedeen. “We cannot disclose everything now for the sake of the investigation,” an official said.

So far more than 170 extremists have been detained. Many of them told police they were members of the Jamatul Mujahedeen group and acted under orders from group leaders, especially the fugitive Shaikh Abdur Rahman. Rahman, on the run along with close associates, is thought to have fled the country. Police could not confirm this. Analysts say the government should act immediately and decisively to crush the militants.
Posted by: Fred || 08/25/2005 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Iraq-Jordan
Jordanian government asks Iraq to hand over suspects
Al Qaeda in Iraq claimed responsibility for the Katyusha attack last Friday, that narrowly missed a US warship in the Red Sea port of Aqaba, as the hunt for those responsible for the attacks in the port city of Aqaba continued on Tuesday with the Jordanian government asking Iraq to hand over suspects linked to attack who had sought refuge in its territories. Sources in Amman indicated officials contacted their counterparts in Baghdad as well as the U.S military in Iraq and informed them that three men had returned to Iraq and provided them with their names and description.

The group headed by Jordanian Abu Musab Al Zarqawi claimed responsibility for the failed attacks on Tuesday. The internet statement, which could not be authenticated, was signed Abu Maysarah al Iraqi the group’s spokesman. It justified delaying its claim until five days after the attack "so that the brothers could finish retreating." «God has enabled your brothers in the military wing of the al-Qaeda in Iraq to plan for the Aqaba invasion a while ago,” the statement said."After finishing the preparations and deciding on the targets, your brothers launched the rockets.”

Tuesday night Interior Minister Awni Yirfas said: "The investigation shows a link to al-Zarqawi.” Last week, a group calling itself the Martyr Abdallah Azzam Brigade of the al Qaeda organization in the Levant and Egypt claimed responsibility for firing the Katyusha rockets, two of which fell in the port of Aqaba narrowly missing the US military ship, USS Ashland and causing limited material damage. A third hit the Israeli city of Eilat. A Jordanian solider was killed and another injured in the attack.

The authorities in Amman hopes Iraq will capture the perpetrators and return them to Jordan where they will face trial. This comes as the main suspect in the bombings, Syrian national, Mohammed Hassan Abdallah al Sihly, caught in Amman, provided his interrogators with information on the three other men who took part in the attack, believed to be. It was reported two of the wanted men are al Sihly’s sons. Jordan has also exchanged information with the intelligence services in Syria to and discussed recently uncovered plans to undermine the stability in Jordan. Al Sihly revealed during questioning his links to extremist groups inside Syrian some who were planning to attack the Jordanian intelligence building in Damascus.

Across the Jordanian capital on Tuesday, police officers were deployed at roadblocks to check the identity of drivers coming in and out of the city. The ongoing investigation by the Jordanian security services have so far revealed the attackers prepared eight rockets for launch in a shop they had rented a few days earlier in an industrial zone in the port. Four of these successfully exploded, one towards the airport in Eilat, which is adjacent to Jordanian territory by the Red Sea, and three other hit the Military Hospital , dock no.7, and dock no.3 on the Jordanian side. According to the findings, the suspects had timed the rockets to go off eight hours after they were installed to allow them to escape the city. But the rockets went off prematurely 57 minutes later. This technical glitch has assisted the authorities in their search for clues. One man was arrested in the Al Shalala neighborhood, a poor and overcrowded part of the city. The authorities pointed out that the investigation would have progressed at a much slower pace had the rockets not misfired.
Posted by: Fred || 08/25/2005 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  "Jordanian government asks Iraq to hand over suspects"

Not all of them, just the ones that we mention by name. After all, they're our citizens. Besides, we have pliers and we know how to use them.
Posted by: Poison Reverse || 08/25/2005 9:33 Comments || Top||

#2  why won't jordan hand over the saddam family too then you in good faith
Posted by: Thraing Hupoluper1864 || 08/25/2005 9:38 Comments || Top||


Five Iraqis killed, seven injured in Najaf clashes
Five Iraqis were killed and seven others were injured due to clashes in Najaf between protestors and followers of the Shiite Cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr, said Wednesday Iraqi police sources. The sources said the clashes took place due to disagreement between Al-Sadr's followers and the protestors regarding renovating the old part of Najaf. On the other hand, Al-Sadr's followers accused the police of causing deaths and injuries by shooting back opening fire at them.

Iraq's Interior Minister Bayan Jabr said authorities have sent special-forces and army units to contain the situation as ordered by Premier Ibrahim Al-Jafari to seal off all Najaf's entrances and implement the curfew starting at 11 p.m. tonight. The adversaries, added Jabr, will be gathered to settle the matter once and for all, adding that Iraq's government refuses such actions. In statements to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), some of the city's residents said the protestors had set fire in the office of the martyr Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammed Al-Sadr, father of Muqatada, but the fire has not been verified by Al-Sadr's followers.

In a similar development, armed confrontations broke out in Baghdad between Al-Sadr's followers and members of Badr Corps, part of the Supreme Council of Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI). According to witnesses, the followers of Al-Sadr launched attacks against Badr Corps offices in different areas of Baghdad.
Posted by: Fred || 08/25/2005 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  "will be gathered to settle the matter once and for all"

Cage match? Pay per view?
Posted by: glenmore || 08/25/2005 7:15 Comments || Top||


SCIRI headquarter in Basra attacked
The headquarter of the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) came under a mortar attack on Wednesday night, eyewitnesses said. The shelling followed by machinegun fire caused a huge blaze at the SCIRI media complex, which groups a number of local radio stations, the Al-Nakhil television station and the council's daily newspaper, said the eyewitnesses. A state of high tension has been prevailing in the southern city as a result of the Najaf and Baghdad clashes between SCIRI militiamen and followers of the Shiite Cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr. Five Iraqis were killed and seven others were injured due to clashes in Najaf between SCIRI members and followers of Sadr after disputes over renovating the old part of Najaf.
Posted by: Fred || 08/25/2005 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Two Iraqis killed, 13 wounded in clashes, blasts
Two Iraqis were killed, 13 were wounded, on Wednesday in a car bomb attack and clashes between gunmen and security authorities. Police sources and witnesses said that an explosive-laden car exploded in western Baghdad, followed by severe clashes between gunmen and Iraqi and US forces. An Iraqi Police source confirmed that two Iraqis were killed and 13 others were wounded, some in critical conditions, noting that death tolls may increase. Witnesses said that many ambulance vehicles rushed to the site, while some Iraqi police cars were set on fire.
Posted by: Fred || 08/25/2005 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:



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