KABUL (Pak Tribune) Minister for Mines engineer Mohammad Ibrahim Adil has said that Chinese investors are eager to invest in mining sector in Afghanistan.
Speaking at a news conference after return from his two-day visit to China, the minister said the Chinese investors wanted to explore the mining sector. They did not invest in the past because they were not fully informed about the prospects.
He said during his meetings with officials and investors, he had informed them about the investment-friendly environment in Afghanistan. They were also briefed about security and told that 80 percent of the country was peaceful.
He said after briefing them on security, laws and investment opportunities, several companies had shown interest in coming to Afghanistan to venture in the mining sector.
The minister said Turkey was the only country which had invested in the mining sector while Britain would soon start its project. He said the Chinese officials had been asked to extend the China-Tajikistan railway track to Hajigak Port of Afghanistan.
The minister said during his meetings, he had asked the Chinese authorities to pay the one billion dollar of $10 billion China had allocated for the poor countries. The Chinese authorities promised to cooperate with the Afghan government, said the minister.
KABUL - Pakistan is the main source of Afghanistan's insecurity, the country's intelligence chief said on Thursday, adding that there could be no peace here if the war against Islamic militants was not shifted to include Pakistan.
In the strongest comments by an Afghan official yet, director-general of intelligence Amruallah Saleh said enemy training sites and organisational and financial resources all lay inside Pakistan.
"Pakistan has not given up its interference and aggression," Saleh told parliament's lower house, which is considering his renomination as intelligence chief.
Saleh conceded there were shortcomings in the Afghan government, but said the source of insecurity lay on the other side of the Durand Line dividing Afghanistan from Pakistan. The meat of the problem "As long as the war against terrorism is not extended openly and seriously from Afghanistan, we cannot restore full security in our country," he said.
"The enemy's organisation set-up, the enemy's financial resources, the enemy's training sites and all it has, lie on the other side of the Durand Line where our arms can't reach."
Worst fighting since 2001
Fighting in Afghanistan is at its worst since a US-led coalition drove the hardline Islamist Taleban from power in 2001. Most of the increase has been in the south and east, the Taleban's heartland bordering Pakistan.
Both Islamabad and Kabul are major US allies in its war on terrorism, but they have exchanged harsh words in recent months over the campaign against the Taleban, once supported by Pakistan, undermining already long uneasy ties.
More than 1,800 people have been killed in the Taleban-led insurgency, attacks by drug barons and in operations involving foreign forces this year, mostly in the south and east.
The toll includes more than 80 foreign soldiers.
Saleh said his organisation had given Pakistan intelligence showing Taleban and other militants operating in Pakistan.
"But until today, none of the training camps has been closed," he said.
New Delhi makes the same charges against Pakistan over support for militants fighting Indian rule in Kashmir. Pakistan denies supporting any militants.
Pakistan and Afghanistan have had a troubled relationship since Britain partitioned the subcontinent into India and Pakistan in 1947. Much of the trouble is over border disputes.
Pakistan used to be the Taleban's main supporter, but switched to become a major US ally in the war on terrorism after the Al Qaeda network, which Taleban sheltered, carried out the Sept. 11 attacks against the United States.
Islamabad is battling militants, most of whom fled from Afghanistan to Pakistan, and says it does all it can to curb cross-border infiltration.
It also says there are people in President Hamid Karzai's government who want to spoil relations with Pakistan.
Karzai, who has led Afghanistan since the Taleban's fall, has also in the past urged the world to extend the war against the militants beyond his country's borders, but has held back from specifically naming Pakistan.
BAIDOA: Embattled Somali Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi on Monday appointed a new, scaled-down cabinet to replace a dissent-riddled, two-year-old government dissolved earlier this month.
Goes along with his scaled-down milita and scaled-down land holdings.
Gedi named the 31-strong slate as tensions rose anew between his weak transitional administration and Somalia's newly dominant Islamists...
Gedi named the 31-strong slate as tensions rose anew between his weak transitional administration and Somalia's newly dominant Islamists over fresh charges that neighboring Ethiopia has sent troops to support the government. The alleged presence of those soldiers along with disagreements over whether and how to engage with the Islamists had paralyzed Gedi's previous cabinet, which collapsed under mass resignations before being disbanded on August 7. The agreement to form a new government was part of an Ethiopian-mediated plan to salvage the administration whose limited authority is being challenged by the Islamists who control Mogadishu and much of southern Somalia.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/22/2006 00:00 ||
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Meet the new Govt. Just as powerless as the old Govt.
(IsraelNN.com) South African Arabs, working through the Palestine Solidarity Committee, demonstrated outside the American consulate in Johannesburg Sunday to rally support to cut diplomatic ties with Israel. They chose the American consulate as the site for the protest because of the Bush administration's support for Israel's retaliatory action against Hizbullah terrorist attacks. Protest leaders charged that Israel "committed war crimes and it is time that our government withdrew the ambassador from Israel."
Posted by: Fred ||
08/22/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
South Africa is 80% Christian. As far as I know, only Muslim countries don't have diplomatic relations with Israel. But that's not even all of them.
#2
True enough, Zhang Fei, but the ANC now rules South Africa and they owe the Arabs big time for the years they were in exile. Also, the ANC (excluding Mandela) has not missed an opportunity lately to miss an opportunity. They knifed Taiwan in the back for the PRC, and they will do the same to Israel for the Hizb'allah and the Paleoswinians.
DHAKA - The Nationalist-Islamist coalition government in Bangladesh has given recognition to Islamic religious schools which strictly follow an academic regime based on the Koran, the holiest book of the Muslims, officials said on Tuesday. The decision to recognize the Qaumi madrassas was announced overnight by Prime Minister Khaleda Zia to a team of Islamic clerics who had called on her at her office. The assembled clerics, mainly belonging to the Islami Oikkyo Jote (IOJ), cried out Mashallah and Alhamdulilla, to record their appreciation of the government decision. The decision has come belatedly but then it is better late than never, said IOJ top leader Mufti Fazlul Huq Amini who is also a pro-government lawmaker.
Official recognition of these educational establishments were resisted so far because of fears that this would lead to a spurt in religious extremism in the Muslim-dominated country rocking its fragile democracy. This recognition is a victory of extremists who want to Islamize the impoverished country, said anti-fundamentalist politician Rashed Khan Menon
The IOJ is a partner in the four-party governing coalition under Zia which has been ruling the country since October 2001. The official recognition of the Qauni madrassas will qualify the graduates from these strictly Koran-based schools for getting government jobs.
Who beter to rule an Islamic state?
The Qaumi madrasses are different from the Alia madrassas which are supervised and monitored by the government. A recent survey showed 15 per cent of the school-going children in Bangladesh go to madrassas.
Posted by: Steve ||
08/22/2006 11:12 ||
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Pakistani wannabees.
Posted by: ed ||
08/22/2006 11:26 Comments ||
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(IsraelNN.com) Students at British universities are "bread and butter" for radical Muslim recruiters, according to a Leeds University student who joined the extremist Hizb ut-Tahrir group and then quit. He accused university officials of turning a blind eye to the problem instead of dealing with it. Terrorism experts told Reuters News Agency that religious extremism poses a potential danger on campuses. University administrators denied that they are being complacent and added they are working with police.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/22/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Given that British Academia chose -- twice -- to boycott Israel's researchers and those who associate with them, this isn't so much turning a blind eye as approval for fellow travellers, I imagine.
North Korea said it had the right to launch a pre-emptive attack to counter a U.S.-South Korean joint military training drill, its official media reported on Tuesday. U.S. and South Korean troops began military exercises on Monday dubbed Ulchi Focus Lens that are aimed at testing command structures and communications. The annual exercises have been held without incident since they began in 1975 and the North usually brands them as a prelude to invasion and nuclear war.
But the drills this year are being held with tensions high on the peninsula after North Korea test-fired a barrage of missiles on July 5 and reports last week it may preparing to test a nuclear weapon. In its KCNA news agency, North Korea said the drills were "an undisguised military threat and blackmail against the DPRK (North Korea) and a war action." "The Korean Peoples' Army side, therefore, reserves the right to undertake a pre-emptive action for self-defense against the enemy at a crucial time it deems necessary to defend itself," the agency cited an army spokesman as saying.
Ok, and we reserve the right to make your country glow in the dark.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - U.S. and South Korean forces launched annual joint military exercises Monday, mostly computer-simulated drills that North Korea has labeled a rehearsal for invasion and demanded be canceled. The exercise took place amid renewed concerns about North Korea after a news report last week said the communist country might be preparing to conduct its first known nuclear test.
Some 17,000 troops, including 10,000 Americans, are participating in the exercises named "Ulchi Focus Lens," which have been conducted every year since 1975, said U.S. military spokesman David Oten. "It's defensive, it's not a provocation," Oten said.
The exercises, which run through Sept. 1, join together command posts from across the Pacific region and in the United States. "The exercise is designed to train, evaluate and improve combined and joint procedures and plans that are critical to the defense of the peninsula," Oten said.
But the North reacted angrily Monday by banging a spoon on its high chair vowing to sternly respond and called the military drills an unpardonable military provocation and tantamount to a declaration of war against the communist nation, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported, citing Radio Pyongyang.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/22/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
...tantamount to a declaration of war...
Yawn. Wish I had a buck for every time we've heard that.
#3
I guess the world is quiet enough now that Kimmie believes he will be heard...
Just a follow up... I see where N. Korea is now saying that this joint military operation is enough evidence that it gives them the right to conduct a preemptive strike.
First and last mistake... errr...make that second, no third, no... oh never mind I lost count a long time ago... but one thing is sure it would be the last.
#4
We are already at war with North Korea. We've both agreed to a truce, but the war isn't over. We could, legitimately, declare the "truce" null and void, and engage in whatever military action we chose against the NORKS. With allies like Japan, it may be very, very bad for little Kimmie if we did so.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
08/22/2006 10:50 Comments ||
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This is the inquest on the Australian soldier who 'accidentally' shot himself in Baghdad.
THE officer who conducted the initial assessment into the death of Private Jake Kovco in Iraq believed the soldier's roommates had withheld information. Major Mark Willetts carried out the first interviews of witnesses to the incident on April 21, including Pte Kovco's roommates, codenamed soldiers 17 and 19. Soldiers 17 and 19 have both previously told the board of inquiry into Pte Kovco's death that while they were in their barracks room with Pte Kovco when he was shot, they did not see how it happened.
"I believed without substantial evidence that they were withholding evidence," Maj Willetts told the inquiry today. "I find it difficult that two men in the room would not have had more information in regards to what happened. It was not so much a feeling as a logical deduction. It's a small room, there were three people in there, it would have been very difficult not to have known what was going on in there."
Major Willetts was refused permission to enter the room at the Australian embassy compound in Baghdad but observed it from outside and saw photos. Even though he felt the soldiers were not telling him everything they knew, Major Willetts said he did not pursue the matter because his role was to make a brief assessment rather than conduct an investigation. Under cross examination by Colonel Les Young, representing Pte Kovco, Major Willetts said a more aggressive line of questioning could have extracted more information from soldiers 17 and 19. "Possibly, or I might have shut them down," he said. "I didn't take an adversarial approach with any of the witnesses, I tried to keep it as a discussion more than anything else."
His assessment was completed within 24 hours of the shooting, with most of his interviews conducted 18 to 20 hours after the incident. Major Willetts also told the inquiry that soldier 21, who was in an adjoining barracks room, was adamant he heard someone cry "Allah Akbar" which translated means God is great 10 seconds before the shooting. Nothing has come out on soldiers 17 and 19, like their religous orientation or whether they spoke Arabic. Frankly I smell a PC-driven coverup.
"He was quite adamant, in fact he was emphatic he heard Allah Akbar," he said. Now why would someone shout God is great in Arabic a few seconds before a coalition soldier was shot in murky circumstances. Soldier 21 retracted those claims when giving evidence to the inquiry last week.
In his report, Major Willetts concluded the shooting was an accident. "I found no evidence to suggest the gunshot was anything but an accidental shooting," he said. "I was unable to confirm who fired the pistol but believe Pte Kovco accidentally inflicted the wound himself."
MAN accused of making hate calls to Jewish groups in Perth during the peak of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel has appeared in court. Tadeusz Edmund Krysiak, 41, appeared in Perth Magistrate's Court today for allegedly using a telephone to make abusive, harassing and anti-Semitic calls to Jewish community groups in Perth. He was charged with four counts of using a phone service to harass.
Mr Krysiak was not required to enter a plea and was granted bail on the condition he does not attempt to contact or approach any Jewish community centres or places of worship. The matter was adjourned until November 13.
IT IS impossible to vilify Islam without also vilifying Muslims, because the two are indistinguishable, the Victorian Court of Appeal was told yesterday.
"If one vilifies Islam, one is by necessary consequence vilifying people who hold that religious belief," Brind Woinarski, QC, told the court.
Mr Woinarski was appearing for the Islamic Council of Victoria in the appeal by Christian group Catch the Fire Ministries and pastors Danny Nalliah and Daniel Scot against a finding under Victoria's religious hatred law that they vilified Muslims in 2002. The Racial and Religious Tolerance Act defines vilification as inciting hatred, serious contempt, revulsion or severe ridicule against a person or class of persons.
Cameron Macaulay, for the pastors, argued that the act explicitly confined the prohibition to vilifying persons, not the religion otherwise it could operate as a law against blasphemy. Instead, it recognised one could hate the idea without hating the person.
Justice Geoffrey Nettle asked Mr Woinarski: "There must be intellectually a distinction between the ideas and those who hold them?" "We don't agree with that," Mr Woinarski said. "But in this case it's an irrelevant distinction, because Muslims and Islam were mishmashed up together."
Justice Nettle: "Are you saying it's impossible to incite hatred against a religion without also inciting hatred against people who hold it?" Mr Woinarski: "Yes."
Mr Macaulay said orders by Judge Michael Higgins against the pastors to take out a newspaper advertisement apologising and not to repeat certain teachings were too wide, and beyond his powers under the act.
He said it was surprising that the pastors could hold the beliefs but not express them. "They are restrained by law from suggesting or implying a number of things about what in their view the Koran teaches: that it preaches violence and killing, that women are of little value, that the God of Islam, Allah, is not merciful, that there is a practice of 'silent jihad' for spreading Islam, or that the Koran says Allah will remit the sins of martyrs.
"Contentious or otherwise, these are opinions about Islam's doctrines and teaching. Statements of this kind are likely to offend and insult Muslims but their feelings are not relevant under the act." Mr Macaulay said the act burdened free speech, contravened international treaties Australia had signed and breached the Australian constitution.
The act, amended in May, has been controversial. Opponents rallied against it outside Parliament earlier this month, and some Christians vowed to make it an issue at the state election.
This case has been monitored by Christian and Muslim groups overseas, and at one point Judge Higgins had to assure the Foreign Affairs Department he was not considering jailing the pastors after a flood of emails from America.
#1
IT IS impossible to vilify Islam without also vilifying Muslims, because the two are indistinguishable
Okay, there's got to be a catch in here somewhere. What the guy's point?
So, if I villify Islam for its generally atrocious treatment of women, I'm also defaming all of those Muslim men who do not beat or abuse their wives? That is to say, these guys are unable to distinguish themselves from the overall negative practices of their faith?
Muslims had better get real used to hearing the word "facism" connected with "Islam". Even in its most fundamental form, Islam is facistic. Its up to those who want to change their religion to begin distancing themselves from Islam's negative characteristics. If they want to sit around and decry how they're being slandered, their lack of concerted effort to institute genuine reform will rapidly paint them as part of the problem and not any portion of the solution.
#4
"The Racial and Religious Tolerance Act defines vilification as inciting hatred, serious contempt, revulsion or severe ridicule against a person or class of persons."
Clearly then the Koran itself is guilty of all these contextually but why is it not on the dock? We do live in self-inflicted bizarre PC times by mind crippling choice of foolish conventions.
#5
The real background story, unfortunately, is that you can villify Christians and Christian symbols all you want. When it comes to the muzzies, however, don't even look at them wrong, or you'll be accused of 'hate'. Look at these type of 'hate speech' or 'hate crime' cases that are being brought up all over the world, and find me one muslim who is being charged for villifying Christians or Jews.
OK then, I'll bite. Hey muzzies, I do HATE your religion. Deal.
#6
Why didn't he just order them to bend over and grab their ankles.
Shit! It's written in black and white, you can go to the mosque and hear them say this stuff. What more do you need to make accusations of this nature. I don't think the law was meant to apply to people telling the truth.
#8
And what was this heinous hate crime? Reading from the koran. Now apply the law to all. For the act of villification, arrest and deport all the koran readers. It's not only the right thing to do, IT'S THE LAW.
Posted by: ed ||
08/22/2006 9:25 Comments ||
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Read carefully...
IT IS impossible to vilify Islam without also vilifying Muslims, because the two are indistinguishable, the Victorian Court of Appeal was told yesterday.
"If one vilifies Islam, one is by necessary consequence vilifying people who hold that religious belief," Brind Woinarski, QC, told the court.
Mr Woinarski was appearing for the Islamic Council of Victoria in the appeal by Christian group Catch the Fire Ministries and pastors Danny Nalliah and Daniel Scot against a finding under Victoria's religious hatred law that they vilified Muslims in 2002. The Racial and Religious Tolerance Act defines vilification as inciting hatred, serious contempt, revulsion or severe ridicule against a person or class of persons.
The guy who is saying this is the guy SUING the christian pastors. He wants to silence them and their preaching, so he denies that there SHOULD BE an intellecutal distinction between Islam as a religion and its adherents. The pastors are appealing the lower court's conviction, and he wants the conviction to stick.
Justice Geoffrey Nettle asked Mr Woinarski: "There must be intellectually a distinction between the ideas and those who hold them?" "We don't agree with that," Mr Woinarski said. "But in this case it's an irrelevant distinction, because Muslims and Islam were mishmashed up together."
No they weren't: he was SAYING that they were.
The problem here is that the law forbids certain kinds of speech regardless of veracity of it. CAIR has SUED for certain kinds of speech, but later always dropped the cases and never took any to court because in the US, truth is the ultimate defense. That's not the case in many western nations, and you can be prosecuted (not sued, but prosecuted) for telling the truth if the truth offends someone. That's the situation here.
The ultimate weapon against Taquyia (lying to preserve the reputation of Muslims and Islam) is to present the truth. Thus, suppressing the free expression of truth is goal #1 of Islam in Western Civilization. IMHO, those nations that criminalize truth-telling in the name of sparing people's feelings deserve whatever punishment God issues on the day of Judgment.
#10
The Racial and Religious Tolerance Act defines vilification as inciting hatred, serious contempt, revulsion or severe ridicule against a person or class of persons.
Under the plaintiffs concept one could not vilify any idea without vilifying the holders of that idea, including (presumably):
Socialim/socialists
Capitalism/capitalists
God/anyone who believes in god
Atheism/anyone who does not believe in god
Liberlism/liberals
conservatism/conservatives
etc.
#12
Ptah, "sparing people's feelings" should never be done at the expense of truth and rights. We must villify what is vile and sheer fascistic effort to subjugate freedom in the name of being "offended". It's just sheer subversive Arrogance in sheeps clothing.
#13
During the tribunal proceedings, it was found offensive to Muslims to quote the unholy Koran, as a right of defense. Ergo: the judgment for the Muslims, was executed without Fair Hearing. Proceedings were Inquisitional, and the pastors were expected to admit to hate propagation, and take their pre-determined punishment. Stalin's Show Trials revealed a greater respect for due process than this exercise in surrogate Shariah enforcement.
The Defendents could say that Muslims are subject to jihad terror conscription, but they couldn't quote the unholy Koran ordenance, "Jihad is prescribed to you." The decision was based on the mentality of the generation of dhimmis who were indoctrinated in the benign-Muslim dogma of Karen Armstrong, John Esposito, and the rest of the tenured morons who subvert American resolve.
#14
Lets try and be fair about this. Every Muslim knows that they will have to forfeit their life if they attack any section of the Koran. It's called apostasy.
So why should anybody else expect to get off scott free if they do the same?
It's only fair that they suffer some punishment, isn't it?
I mean, why should Muslims be the only ones to suffer?
/sarcasm off.
Johannes Mocken, the prosecutor in Dusseldorf, said Teheran had obtained the global positioning systems (GPS) through Iranian merchants living in Germany.
The delivery was first reported by a German television current-affairs programme, Fakt, which said seven German-made systems were exported but German authorities managed to stop three more.
The systems use signals from satellites to help fly unmanned aircraft. Hezbollah deployed several drones of unknown origin in its recent month of fighting with Israel.
(VIDEO) Israelis walking by Eiffel Tower notice hundreds of demonstrators waving Hizbullah, Lebanon flags. 'There was an atmosphere of euphoria. They spoke about Hizbullah restoring the dignity of France's Arabs'
Dorit Siton
Two Israelis who walked by the Eiffel Tower in Paris on Saturday evening could not believe their eyes. Hundreds of demonstrators, many of them Arabs, were carrying Hizbullah and Lebanon flags at the Trocadero area.
"I am amazed how supporters of terrorists are allowed to demonstrate like this. It's like letting al-Qaeda and their supporters demonstrate freely," Shmuel Hess told Ynet. Well, it's not like France had any trouble with hizballah before, I mean, except for the Drakkar bombing and the 53 paras killed there, or the 80's hostages hidden from mosque to mosque, left to die from cancer without pain medication, or the hizballah spiritual adviser Hussein Moussawi saying "you, french, may be won't have in your generation the islamic republic of France. But, it's a certainty, your grandsons or perhpas your great-grandsons will live in it. Inch 'Allah ! For islam is good for everybody."...
Hess, who took a trip from Tel Aviv to the French capital, recounted: "We passed there at around 7 p.m., after we saw them getting organized with flags the day before. Hundreds were standing with Lebanese flags and Hizbullah flags."
"We stood there for a quarter of an hour. There was a lot of enthusiasm and harsh words. Flags of Nasrallah and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez were waved. The ambassador of Venezuela, with a flag of Lebanon on her clothes, was also there and received a warm round of applause.
"It all took place right at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. It was amazing to see it. There was food and drinks. We whispered and tried not to stand out. It seemed hard to understand, holding yellow Hizbullah flags with a drawing of weapons. Young people, French Arabs."
Another Israeli woman who witnessed the demonstration said: "They sang the Lebanese national anthem. There was an atmosphere or euphoria, these are people who seemed to be of a relatively top class and not a horde. They spoke about how Nasrallah restored their dignity of the Arabs in France and thanked those who let them stand there and demonstrate in the area."
"There was someone who said that since the establishment of the State of Israel there have only been wars in the area and that the Israelis want to take the Lebanese lands because of the water," she added.
#1
Lemme get this straight. Hezbollah gets half of Lebanon flamed, many of their own guys iced, shoots hundreds of grapeshot rockets arbitrarily into civilian areas, and goes crying and whining to the UN for a ceasefire. That gives these idiots a restored sense of dignity as Arabs?
I don't get it, maybe I never will.
Would hezbollah claim victory if there were only one of them to crawl out of the rubble and taunt the IDF soldiers as they left? Would he have driven out the IDF single handedly? They are infuriating.
#3
"They spoke about Hizbullah restoring the dignity of France's Arabs'" Quite right the French haven't surrendered to anyone in a couple of years, it's up to Hizbullah to pick up the slack.
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/22/2006 11:04 Comments ||
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#5
This is a disgrace for France. However, we have the exact same thing now going on in Dearborn. I cannot understand why any Americans allow this f**king filth to march and mount support for Hezbs on our streets.
#9
"What I find really strange is why would anyone from Israel want to go to Phrance"
Cheaderhead, they probably go for the same reasons I do. Although I despise the French government, and a large portion of the French people, I've always had a great time in Paris. The food, the wine, and the coffee can't be beat.
#10
Speaking is a means to achieve objectives. If a praiseworthy aim is attainable through both telling the truth and lying, it is unlawful to accomplish through lying because there is no need for it. When it is possible to achieve such an aim by lying but not by telling the truth, it is permissible to lie if attaining the goal is permissible. (Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri, The Reliance of the Traveller ( ÚãÏÉ ÇáÓÇáß ), translated by Nuh Ha Mim Keller, amana publications, 1997, section r8.2, page 745)
#11
"It all took place right at the foot of the Eiffel Tower."
Which the terrorists will destroy at their earliest opportunity. It will break my heart to see such an icon of the industrial revolution be desecrated, but the French will have deserved it in spades.
#3
Isn't it funny (NOT) that the eu doesn't consider them a Terror Organiztion. I guess to them they are some Jihadi Social club with strange initiation rules (suicide bombing).
Republican Sen. John McCain, a staunch defender of the Iraq war, on Tuesday faulted the Bush administration for misleading Americans into believing the conflict would be "some kind of day at the beach."
The potential 2008 presidential candidate, who a day earlier had rejected calls for withdrawing U.S. forces, said the administration had failed to make clear the challenges facing the military.
"I think one of the biggest mistakes we made was underestimating the size of the task and the sacrifices that would be required," McCain said. "Stuff happens, mission accomplished, last throes, a few dead-enders. I'm just more familiar with those statements than anyone else because it grieves me so much that we had not told the American people how tough and difficult this task would be."
Those phrases are closely associated with top members of the Bush administration, including the president.
Bush stood below a banner proclaiming "Mission Accomplished" on May 1, 2003 after the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime. The war has continued since then, with the death of more than 2,600 members of the U.S. military. Vice President Dick Cheney said last year that the Iraqi insurgency was "in its final throes."
McCain said that talk "has contributed enormously to the frustration that Americans feel today because they were led to believe this could be some kind of day at the beach, which many of us fully understood from the beginning would be a very, very difficult undertaking."
Posted by: Captain America ||
08/22/2006 19:14 ||
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#1
"worm" is right. He's been riding his heroic activities in the VN war to cover his anti-American activities: Keating Five, Campaign speech restrictions, Gang of 14 on Jjudicial appts. I will not vote for him. He'll be 72 in 2008. Retire, asshole
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/22/2006 20:31 Comments ||
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#2
Spot on Frank.
Plus, I don't remember the prez ever saying Iraq would be a walk in the park. In fact I remember him saying it would be one more step in the long tough war on terror (to paraphrase). Anyways, I'm past the point of caring what this rino thinks anymore. He can't even decide that it's a good idea to secure our border - pandering jagoff.
BTW & OT - NO MATTER WHAT YOU CALL IT -IT IS F*CKING AMNESTY JOHN!
#3
I always get the feeling that McCain's public concern for ethics covers a real sense on his part of some serious failings, ethical and other.
I have no idea what happened in North Vietnam, and I am grateful for his service. But I sometimes wonder if he got broken in ways that are hidden now, but still active.
Posted by: Janos Hunyadi ||
08/22/2006 21:03 Comments ||
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#5
From the man who brought us the Kill the First Amendment Campaign Finance Reform Act.
"I think one of the biggest mistakes we made was underestimating the size of the task and the sacrifices that would be required,"
As compared to what John, Germany? Japan? Korea? They at least have democracies, something the Donks never let the Vietnamese have. Maybe your previous Republican Presidents in the 19th Century should of left Arizona to the Apache cause, you know, the whole process took to much time, resources, and lives for it to evolve into a state.
A federal judge has ordered a Justice Department probe into how CBS News obtained a story two years ago disclosing an FBI investigation into a pro-Israel lobbying group, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Judge Thomas Ellis III issued the order last week in connection with the prosecution of two former Aipac employees, Steven Rosen and Keith Weissman. The two men are facing criminal charges of conspiracy to acquire and disclose classified information.
Judge Ellis instructed the Justice Department "to conduct an investigation into the identity of any government employee responsible for the August 2004 disclosure to CBS News of info. related to the investigation of defendants/whether the investigation relied on info. collected pursuant to" the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, according to an entry placed on the docket of the Alexandria, Va.-based court yesterday. A more detailed opinion explaining the judge's ruling is under seal. It is not clear whether Judge Ellis wants the alleged leak prosecuted, but disclosure of information from a foreign intelligence wiretap is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
On August 27, 2004, CBS reported that the FBI was about to arrest "a mole working at the highest levels of the Pentagon." The report by Lesley Stahl on the "CBS Evening News" said the FBI had used "wiretaps, undercover surveillance, and photography, to document the passing of classified information from the mole, to the men at Aipac, and on to the Israelis." Ms. Stahl's report did not cite any sources by name or organization, but CBS made several references to the thinking of "federal agents" and "investigators."
According to court records, Messrs. Rosen and Weissman were confronted at their homes that same day and FBI agents carried out search warrants at Aipac's offices in Washington. The timing raises the possibility that CBS learned of the probe from someone outside the government. However, it is also possible that the FBI acted after discovering that the network was about to make the investigation public.
Word of the new leak investigation met with distress from press advocates already weary from similar battles, including the jailing of a New York Times reporter in the CIA leak probe and an ongoing effort to force two San Francisco Chronicle reporters to name their sources for stories about steroid use in baseball.
Didn't think about what might happen when you opened this door screaming about who leaked Valeria Plame's name, did you? Heh heh
"The flurry is definitely turning into a snowstorm," the executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Lucy Dalglish, said. "This pattern is getting particularly annoying where people are covering legitimate news stories. The judge gets ticked off and orders his own investigation that's kind of a new twist to this."
Ms. Dalglish said the new probe is likely to result in pressure on CBS. "Justice goes back and talks to everyone who had their hands on the FISA warrants and gets affidavits from everyone saying, No. It wasn't me,'" she said. At that point, "The logical investigation is that you would get Lesley Stahl or her producer to identify who their confidential source is," Ms. Dalglish said.
Yes
And that's just what will happen. You can't subpoena the reporters (apparently) until you've gone 'round the table collecting denials from all the gummint employees. But as soon as Lesley fingers one (and she will because jail cells are so icky) that employee is nailed not just for leaking information, but also for perjuery. Heh.
Ms. Stahl did not return a call seeking comment for this article. Attorneys for the government and the defense also did not respond to requests for comment on the development.
Judge Ellis ordered the investigators to report back to him by September 15, but the chances of completing a serious leak probe in that time frame seem slim. An inquiry into leaks to the New York Times about planned raids on Islamic charities has been under way for five years.
You gotta wonder what is taking so long.
The Pentagon "mole" referred to but not named by CBS in its report, Lawrence Franklin, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. He is cooperating with prosecutors.
While the outcome of the leak inquiry could be embarrassing to the government, it also poses a challenge to defense lawyers in the case, who have portrayed their clients as champions of the First Amendment and the press. It is a defense motion that prompted Judge Ellis to order the CBS probe.
Posted by: Steve ||
08/22/2006 11:41 ||
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#1
A free press does not mean a press free to reveal national security secrets. Some how these 'reporters' fail to understand this. The government agencies concerned should prosecute and jail them until they do.
#6
"The flurry is definitely turning into a snowstorm," the executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Lucy Dalglish, said.
In August? Now I'm convinced about global warming...
#1
We need to be aware of these enclaves...Dearborn/Detroit, Patterson, N.J., So. Florida, and the Bay area. Maybe Dallas and L.A.. If you reside in these areas, keep your eyes open. These bastards are easy to spot.
#3
We have bunches of muzzies here in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. But they'll get a really big surprise if they pull that intifada crap here. There are plenty of well informed, and might I add well armed Rednecks here just itching for an opportunity to give some payback. And most of the cops can be counted on to take their time responding.
#4
Right on, Tex Red...you are absolutely right about people keeping an eye on these folks..some folks patience has run thin and outsiders that are seemed to be a threat to a native Texan are dealt with quickly and resolutely. Being well armed is a good thing in Texas. Its legal to carry handguns and know how to use them. Keep this in mind Abdul..
Posted by: Live to Ride ||
08/22/2006 17:18 Comments ||
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#1 We need to be aware of these enclaves...Dearborn/Detroit, Patterson, N.J., So. Florida, and the Bay area. Maybe Dallas and L.A.. Fulton County Ga.
#6
Despite this history, the ICBR had no trouble securing a zoning permit for a proposed 9,000 square-foot mosque. No one -- not the police department, not the mayors office, not the zoning board -- raised an objection.
Nothing that the next election can't fix. Some intrepid soul should file injunctions to halt further construction at these mosques. The numerous convictions of those who seek to utilize these places speaks for itself.
#7
They didn't raise an objection because they didn't freaking know about it or that it was a freaking mosque!!!
The PD, the Mayor's Office, nor the Zoning Board in most towns gives a rip about what is being built. That's the job of the Planning Commission and they don't always tell anybody else (indeed, they're not really required to in most towns and cities) what's being built unless it's going to impact something like parking and traffic.
A federal judge on Monday threw out one count in the terror indictment against alleged Al Qaeda operative Jose Padilla and his co-defendants, concluding that it repeated other charges in the same indictment. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke leaves intact two other terror-related counts against Padilla and the others alleging a conspiracy to provide material support to Islamic extremist causes worldwide.
The count that was dropped charged a conspiracy to "murder, kidnap and maim persons in a foreign country." Cooke ruled that charge was unnecessary because the alleged illegal acts were already covered by the other terror-related counts in the indictment. Prosecuting all three charges, she said, would violate the Constitution's ban against double jeopardy, or prosecution of the same charges twice.
PESHAWAR: Custom officials on Monday seized 6,640 kilogrammes of hashish, with an estimated market value of Rs 200 million, from an oil tanker near Aman Garh area in Nowshera district. A customs department spokesman said that officials had acted on a tip-off made to Collector Custom Sher Zawaz Khan and had deployed personnel along GT Road to seize the contraband goods.
Customs officials stationed near Aman Gahr Bridge signalled to the driver of the oil tanker (TKA 924) that he should stop. The driver, however, ignored the warning and accelerated the speed of the vehicle. Customs officials then pursued the tanker until the driver eventually pulled over. Two drug carriers then opened fire and fled the scene. Customs official Rahim Dad Khan said that the culprits disappeared into the bushes after open firing. Khan said that the drug cache would have sold for more than Rs 200 million on Peshawar's black market, while this price would have doubled if it had been sold in Punjab.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/22/2006 00:00 ||
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August 22, 2006: Iraqi terrorists are increasing their use of roadside bombs, but having less success with them. Currently (as of July 2006), 2,625 roadside bombs were used, up from 1,454 in January. There are several other interesting trends accompanying this increased use of bombs. Fewer of them are being used against American troops. Now, twenty percent are being used against Iraqi soldiers and police, compared to nine percent in 2005. Iraqi civilians are hit by ten percent of the bombs now, compared to five percent last year. The increased number of bombs used against Americans are having less impact, with American casualties from roadside bombs declining.
The quality of the bombs has been declining, as the talent pool of bomb makers and placers is diluted by more demand for their services, and increasing casualties caused by American and Iraqi counter-terrorism efforts. The larger number of bombs is due to two factors. One, more American troops are operating in the Sunni Arab heartland, especially Anbar province (western Iraq). These are the last refuges for the diehard Sunni Arab supporters of secular or religious dictatorship in Iraq. While over a quarter of the Sunni Arab population has fled the country, those that remain recognize that the roadside bomb is still their most effective weapon. Getting bombs made and planted costs money (the bomb makers and planters offer their services to the highest bidder), and the diehard Sunni Arabs are spending like there's no tomorrow. For them, there is no tomorrow if the government gains control over all of Anbar, so it's a matter of use it or lose it.
For Americans operating in Anbar, there's a lot more road space to check for bombs. UAVs are constantly patrolling roads the troops use, as are teams of troops equipped with night vision equipment and other sensors, and a direct line to smart bomb equipped aircraft overhead. But the (cash) incentives for getting a bomb to damage American vehicles was so great, that there are still Sunni Arabs willing to try. But it's becoming a lot more dangerous. The bombs are not as well made, with wires replacing wireless detonation because of the success of American jammers. Using a wire makes it more dangerous for the crew who sets off the bomb, and more of them are getting wiped out. Unlike Baghdad, which is largely patrolled by Iraqis now, in the wide open spaces of Anbar, if the Americans spot you, they will usually get you.
Posted by: Steve ||
08/22/2006 11:33 ||
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While over a quarter of the Sunni Arab population has fled the country
Very interesting. Where did they go to, pray tell?
#2
Almost twice as many bombs are being deployed, with nearly as large an increase in 'successful' deployments. Individual bombs are not as successful as in the past, and the detonation efficiency is down, but because of the huge increase in deployments the net increase of casualties is still slightly up from previously.
That said, they are deploying against considerably softer targets in order to gain even this marginal increase in effect. AND a much greater proportion of the counter-bomb effort is now being handled by Iraqi forces. That makes it sound like the Iraqi forces are getting fairly close to US effectiveness on this battlefront. Looks a bit like light at the end of the tunnel may not be an oncoming train.
#3
Mostly Jordan. But before Saddam was overthrown, more than 20% of Iraqis were already exiled. Since the war there has been a net inflow with Sunnis leaving and Shiites and Kurds returning.
Posted by: ed ||
08/22/2006 13:39 Comments ||
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Muslims seem to have a serious problem with the concept of "winning" and "losing".
To win takes in many considerations, to lose is usually a pretty clear cut case. All over the Arab world I see them struggling with these concepts, claiming victory in the middle of a destroyed town, littered with the dead of their clan. A war is not one battle, a win is not always clear for either side. It seems very important to the muslim psyche to proclaim a win, even when they have very little to be bragging about, or even when they have obviously lost.
As his trial on the charge of genocide began Monday, Saddam Hussein insisted he was still the president of Iraq and refused to enter a plea on accusations of ordering massacres, deportations and chemical attacks to annihilate the country's Kurdish minority.
Still singing the same old song. Queue the clowns and revolver jugglers...
Saddam Hussein insisted he was still the president of Iraq and refused to enter a plea...
For most of the five-hour session, the defiant Saddam sat stone-faced in a courtroom in the fortified Green Zone of Baghdad, listening to prosecutors give a detailed account of how he and six co-defendants embarked on an eight-stage military campaign in 1988 to eliminate the Kurds from swaths of their mountainous homeland in northern Iraq. Prosecutors said the campaign, called Anfal after a Koranic phrase that means "the spoils of war," killed at least 50,000 Kurds and resulted in the destruction of 2,000 villages. More than an hour into the session, they presented grim photographs of mass graves, including one with the body of a young girl, and cited orders from one of Saddam's top aides telling military commanders to rid many villages of "human or even animal presence."
Posted by: Fred ||
08/22/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Of course he's still president of Iraq - just ask Uday and Qusay, they'll tell you!
#1
Oups! One fears esteemed Ms. TW might have fumbled a little, links points to "Hezbollah won't be dropped from terror list, Day says". Damn those changing frontpage articles! Hé hé hé, I love to point out others people's mistakes, makes me feel smarter and take comfort it doesn't just happen to me. Petty.
The Defense Ministry has suspended a panel's review of the military's performance during the just-ended war in Lebanon, security officials said.
Defense Minister Amir Peretz appointed the panel last week following widespread criticism of military failings during the 34-day offensive against Lebanese Hizbullah guerrillas. But the panel's operations were frozen Monday night until the government decides whether to order a broader inquiry into the conduct of the war, the security officials said.
Earlier on Monday a preliminary report was issued by the Knesset subcommittee established by MK Ami Ayalon (Labor) to investigate the issue. The report declared that the government mishandled the management of the home front during the war in the North.
The subcommittee, a part of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, was created during the fighting and was charged with examining the condition of the home front throughout the conflict.
Among the report's initial conclusions is a criticism of Defense Minister Amir Peretz's decision not to initiate the government's standby "Emergency Economy" (Melah) plan, which would mobilize civilians, along with government and security service infrastructure, to aid in times of crisis.
According to the report, Peretz only discussed utilizing the plan on July 22, ten days after the beginning of hostilities, and immediately rejected it, apparently in contradiction with advice he received from experts.
Due to this decision, the IDF's Home Front Command was permitted to operate only at partial capacity, without the ability to mobilize reservists and resources on a significant scale to aid in operations.
The subcommittee also said that government ministries and agencies in the North appeared to be at a virtual stand-still during the conflict.
And this government is still in power? Israel is in real trouble. REminds me of the U. S. in the 1970s. I hope they find their Reagan. But they don't seem to be looking very hard.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haneya on Monday urged Pope Benedict XVI to intervene and secure the release of all Hamas ministers and lawmakers held in Israeli prisons. "I expect more efforts from the pope to lift the siege on the Palestinians and end the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian land," Haneya told Archbishop Antonio Franco and his delegation which is on a visit to the Palestinian territories.
Franco convoyed the pope's greetings for Haneya, and asserted the Vatican's solidarity with the Palestinian people and their just cause...
Haneya asked the delegation to present a demand for the pope to intervene in helping release all abducted ministers and lawmakers, the Prime Minister Office said in a statement. Israel has held three ministers, the deputy prime minister and 29 lawmakers from Hamas as part of a campaign on West Bank Hamas officials since the capture of an Israeli soldier in the Gaza Strip in late June. According to the statement, Franco convoyed the pope's greetings for Haneya, and asserted the Vatican's solidarity with the Palestinian people and their just cause.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/22/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
No bargain, the Pope has dealt with Nazis before
Posted by: Captain America ||
08/22/2006 0:42 Comments ||
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Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haneya on Monday urged Pope Benedict XVI to intervene and secure the release of all Hamas ministers and lawmakers held in Israeli prisons.
I can just hear the Pope now; "Sure thing, guys, right after there's some churches and synagogues built in the territories."
Again, the rectal cavities who have the nerve to come forward with such outrageous suggestions really need to pay for it in blood. While the Palestinians are ostensibly a more religiously diverse society than, say, Saudi Arabia or Iran, they are run by and support a government whose principal aim is universal sharia law. End of story.
An Italian official said Monday that two IDF soldiers kidnapped by Hizbullah terrorists on the northern border are still alive but not in "great" condition. The head of the Italian Senate Defense Committee, Sergio de Gregorio, told the Reuters news service that Iran wants Italy to negotiate with Hizbullah for the release of the hostages. De Gregorio said that Iranian national security director Ali Larijani promised he would personally ask Hizbullah to negotiate with Italy over the prisoners. Hizbullah is heavily supported by Iran and Syria. Italy is one of Iran's biggest trade customers. "Italy has excellent relations with Israel and good relations with Iran, as we are the top trade partner."
It appears that they are in good condition, but not great, said de Gregorio. They are alive. He did not give further details, other than to say that Larijani told him that he will ask Hizbullah to negotiate only with the Italians. A third soldier, IDF Corporal Gilad Shalit was abducted three weeks earlier by Hamas terrorists who attacked an IDF base at the Kerem Shalom border crossing with Gaza and Egypt. His whereabouts remain unknown.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/22/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
And we all know who will lead the UNIFIL forces
Posted by: Captain America ||
08/22/2006 0:44 Comments ||
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Hey Mr. Olmert! What about your face-to-face promise to the families of these men that Israel would not stop the assault until they were returned safely. You are a liar, Sir.
#4
From the Italian FM "It's reasonable to expect that Hizbullah will lay down their weapons, but we won't be able to send our troops if the IDF keeps shooting."
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert tried to defuse growing public anger Monday over his handling of the war against Hezbollah, promising to rebuild rocket-scarred border areas but rejecting peace talks with Syria, a key supporter of the Lebanese guerrillas.
I don't think anything bodes well for Olmert's political future, but chatting with Assad probably bodes worse than most things.
With efforts to recruit troops for an international peacekeeping force facing resistance from Europe, the week-old truce appeared increasingly fragile. The Israeli army, which is waiting for the U.N. force to arrive before fully withdrawing from southern Lebanon, said its soldiers shot two Hezbollah guerrillas who approached in a "threatening manner" late Monday. A Hezbollah official called the report "untrue and entirely baseless."
"No, no! Certainly not! They were... ummm... somebody else!"
Although Italy offered Monday to command the enhanced international force, many European countries are apparently hesitant to commit troops because of questions about whether they will be called on to disarm Hezbollah fighters, who have largely melted back into the civilian population. Indonesia, Malaysia and Bangladesh have offered front-line troops but Israel does not want them because those Muslim nations have not recognized the Jewish state.
Yeah, there's something not quite right about having hostile troops on your border as a peacekeeping force.
Since the U.N.-brokered cease-fire took effect, ending 34 days of war, the Israeli public's frustration with the performance of the government and the military has grown steadily. On Monday, hundreds of reservists signed a petition calling for an official inquiry, some marching outside Olmert's office to demand his resignation. Olmert's government, a coalition headed by his centrist Kadima party and the moderate Labor party, is in no immediate danger of collapse.
Unless Israeli attention spans are really, really short, its eventual ouster should be a certainty...
It could be brought down only by parliament, which is in recess until October, and it is not clear whether the public storm will last until then. "I think Olmert will simply allow the anger to pass and get on with his business," said Gadi Wolfsfeld, a professor of political science at Hebrew University. He said none of the parties in the ruling coalition are eager to hold new elections, and there is no leader in Kadima with the clout to replace him.
Ummm... I'm thinking Netanyahu, here, who's admittedly not Kadima. But the war would have gone differently with him at the helm. I don't think anyone doubts that.
The war, launched in response to a Hezbollah raid in which two soldiers were captured and three killed, initially enjoyed broad public support that withered as the fighting dragged on and the Israeli death toll grew.
The death toll grew while the government dithered and "sent signals." Had the IDF and the north taken the same number of casualties and dismantled Hezbollah, as they said they were going to do at the start of the festivities, the public would have known they'd been in a fight, but they'd have been happy to be victorious.
Critics said Israel's political and military leaders were indecisive, set unrealistic goals and settled for an insufficient truce. The harshest criticism has come from reserve soldiers, who form an integral part of the military. Reservists returning from Lebanon complained about poor command and a lack of food, water and equipment. "No goal was achieved. ... Nothing was done in this war," Roni Elmakyes, whose son Omri was killed in the fighting, told Israel Radio.
If you start out saying Hezbollah can no longer exist, and you end up with Hezbollah claiming victory — whether justified or not — you haven't accomplished what you set out to do.
Even the army's leadership began to show signs of dissent. Brig. Gen. Yossi Hyman, the outgoing head of infantry, said this week that "we all feel a certain sense of failure."
Because you failed?
Olmert has said he is ready for an investigation, but did not say what kind. An independent commission could call for the resignation of government and military officials. During a tour of the north Monday, Olmert appeared cool toward such an inquiry, saying the second-guessing would undermine the army. "I won't play this game, the game of beating ourselves up," he said.
Then go ahead, resign, and call new elections.
The defense ministry has already established a team to look into the war, but the panel of retired generals has been derided as toothless. Olmert's tour stops included Kiryat Shemona, one of the hardest-hit border towns, and the Arab village of Maghar, which also came under Hezbollah rocket fire during the fighting. Facing local officials, Olmert pledged speedy reconstruction and defended his government's performance. He also appeared to pin some of the blame on his predecessors, saying his government had been in power for just two months when the war broke out.
But the IDF's been around since 1948. The operation showed the classical signs of government setting tactics, over-reliance on air power, misguided attempts to avoid enemy casualties, and lack of integration of air and ground forces.
"We knew for years that there was a great danger, but for some reason, we didn't translate that understanding into action, like we just did," he said. "We knew what Iran was doing, what Syria was doing, arming Hezbollah. We acted as if we didn't know."
You found out. But Hezbollah as a military force shouldn't have been a match for the IDF. Period.
Olmert also rejected a proposal by some members of his Cabinet to resume peace talks with Syria, a key Hezbollah supporter. He said talks could resume only if Syria stops supporting militant groups. "Syria is a committed, aggressive member of the axis of evil, which starts in Iran," Olmert said. "Before we negotiate with (President) Bashar Assad, let him stop launching missiles, by means of Hezbollah, onto the heads of innocent Israelis."
Posted by: Fred ||
08/22/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
If you start out saying Hezbollah can no longer exist, and you end up with Hezbollah claiming victory whether justified or not you haven't accomplished what you set out to do.
#5
And that idiot wanted to pull out of Judea and Samaria ("west bank"). Israel is less than 10 miles wide at one point. The Arab enemy deserves occupation. I would go further with de-terrorization. And I would toss a 500 yard napalm radius around any place where rockets or missiles were launched (except for desert locations).
#7
History and events often culminate to give some men the chance at greatness. The greatness may be fleeting, or it may be lasting. In these world changing crisis moments, if greatness is present in a man, it will rise to the surface. I think of Churchill during WWII, Lincoln during the Civil War, and even (though some would laugh) George W. standing in the rubble at ground zero with a megaphone.
Alas, Ehud was also given an opportunity for greatness. But the only things that rose to the surface were fear, mediocrity and incompetence. The sooner Israel is rid of him, the better.
#8
Somebody pinch me. You are telling me that Israel is at war and the parliament is in recess ?
Nothing is phalking serious anymore.
Nothing should come between an elected scumbag and his vacation. Jooos who think that way deserve to die.
#10
Olmert can save his political future if he does a few things now. (1) Address the issues the reservists are complaining about. Get everything ready to go to war at a moments notice and do it now (2) Declare the Cease-fire over as soon as there is proof of Syria helping Hezbollah rearm (3) Drive tanks straight to Damascus to start off the next round. Smash the military, disarm everything, hand the government over to the Kurds or Jordan, and then head into the Ba'ka valley on your way home to drive Hezbollah South into Israeli defensive positions.
That would truly send the message to the Islamic world that needs to be sent and could solve Israel's Northern border problems for good (or for decades). It would also help Iraq in the long term as it would free up one borders worth of problems.
PARIS - The new UN force being deployed to Lebanon is allowed to use force to defend itself or civilians and to enforce a buffer zone along the Israeli border, but cannot actively seek out Hezbollah arms caches, according to UN documents obtained by Le Monde. The French newspaper said Tuesday the rules of engagement contained in the documents also did not allow the force to intercede if hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah flared up again.
A 21-page text marked UN restricted, dated August 18, sets the conditions under which the force of up to 15,000 soldiers -- mandated under UN Resolution 1701 -- can use, or threaten to use, weapons. According to the Le Monde article datelined from New York, the UN document said UNIFIL is authorised to use appropriate and credible force in self-defence. It can also use proportional force to prevent the buffer zone between the Israeli border and Lebanons Litani river from being used for hostile activities; to counter resistance in enforcing its mandate; or to protect civilians.
I have no idea what that means -- proportional force? How in hell is a good unit commander supposed to figure that out on the fly?
Le Monde said a second document -- marked UN confidential -- clearly stated that it was up to the Lebanese army to take control of the buffer zone and to disarm Hezbollah.
We are not going to actively seek out Hezbollahs arms, a high-ranking UN military official told Le Monde. But if, during a patrol, we come across a cache, our mandate is to seize those rockets. The official added that UNIFIL road checkpoints were also permitted to seize weapons found in stopped vehicles, and that lethal force can be used to stop the occupants from forcing their way through.
Unless the vehicle contains an Italian communist correspondent.
But if a UNIFIL unit comes across Hezbollah firing a rocket into Israel, it should alert the Lebanese army and not use force against the militia itself, even though a strict interpretation of the UN mandate might allow that, the official said. The same sidelining of the UN force would apply if Israel mounted another raid in Lebanon and the Lebanese militaries retaliated, he said. We will not put ourselves in the middle, we will try to stop them by other means, he said.
Which means you're useless -- the whole point is to get into the middle.
But if Israel targets civilians, we will have to find counter-measures by blocking access roads or putting observers in place, even if that is very dangerous, he said.
What if the Hezbies target civilians?
The article noted that objections by the Lebanese government stymied Frances effort to give the UN force powers under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which would have permitted military force to back all aspects of the mandate. Nevertheless, a UN official said UNIFIL had a robust mandate that contained some elements of Chapter VII rules of engagement, and a wide degree of autonomy.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/22/2006 21:25 ||
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Hattip Best of the Web. The Iranian government's pledge of 500 million dollars to Hezbollah has angered many Iranians who say they are still awaiting money to help rebuild their homes that were damaged by wars and natural disasters, informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.
The anger is particularly fierce in the Khuzestan district, which sustained severe damage during the Iran-Iraq war, and in Bam, which was hit hard by an earthquake three years ago.
Hezbollah is reportedly handing out wads of cash to residents of southern Lebanon to help rebuild their homes. The money is thought to originate from Tehran, but Iran is downplaying allegations that it has allocated hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to Lebanon.
Spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Hamid Reza Asefi, said on Sunday that Iran was examining ways to help Lebanon, but added that nothing has been decided yet.
Informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that spontaneous demonstrations were staged in Bam and in Khuzestan on Friday as protesters shouted slogans critical of Hezbollah and the government. They were demanding their homes be rebuilt instead of the government intervening in Lebanese affairs.
Iran is reportedly Hezbollah's main benefactor, providing the organization with weapons, funding and fighters. But Tehran insists the support it provides to Hezbollah is moral, not material.
Elsewhere, Hezbollah's representative in Iran has ruled out the disarmament of their Lebanese counterparts and said the group will buy new weapons if necessary.
By someone named Ali Nouri Zadeh, which sounds like an Iranian name to me, giving the article a more interesting perspective, I think.
#1
Welcome to the upshot of electing a genocidal government. Your own needs and wants may just end up taking a back seat to Ahmadinejad's obsessions. As always, this astonishing dilemma centers upon that eternal and unknowably mysterious Islamic enigma, frequently referred to in the West as Cause & Effect.
#2
thwack! - the sound of a million palms hitting foreheads in Iran when they realise that the poison dwarf actually meant what he said about genocide...
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
08/22/2006 17:27 Comments ||
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...joined by the sound of Uro and US libruls doing the same...
Iran said on Tuesday it was ready to start immediately what it called "serious" talks with six world powers about their offer to defuse Tehran's nuclear standoff with the West.
The previous seven years or so have been marked by "frivolous" talks, but now they're ready to get "serious," but they're not actually going to do anything the six powers call for.
Chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani delivered Iran's formal response to the offer at a meeting with foreign envoys from the six world powers in Tehran. No details of the response were immediately available. Iran has given no sign of heeding a key United Nations Security Council demand that it freeze uranium enrichment, and Western diplomats said they were expecting an "ambiguous" response.
"Ambiguous" is diplotalk for a "no" answer that's not accompanied by a "go to hell."
"Although there is no justification for the other parties' illegal move to refer Iran's case to the Security Council... the answer was prepared ... to pave the way for fair talks," Larijani said. "Iran is prepared to hold serious talks from August 23," he was quoted by Iran's student news agency ISNA as saying.
"We are prepared to hold 'serious' talks from August 23rd until approximately the time of the Last Trumpet, give or take six weeks either way, or we manage to nuke New York and Washington, whichever comes first."
He said Iran was ready to play a "constructive" role regarding all issues in the package.
"We will gladly assist the six powers in constructing a house of cards so they can avoid doing anything while we go about our business of regional and eventual world domination."
"The representatives of the six world powers should return to talks to reach an understanding about all the issues mentioned in the offer, including nuclear issues, long-term technical and economic cooperations as well as security cooperation in the region," Larijani said. One European diplomat said: "The answer was handed over. It is a comprehensive answer. The Iranian side said they would welcome a continuation of negotiations."
But they're not going to do anything called for. But the Euros will "welcome" the talks.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/22/2006 11:57 ||
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#6
As IF the last 30 years were forgotten. Their souls are vacant and their hearts rotted. Looking for their idols in a Romanian Oil Well instead of that little well with stale water. Idol worship can be dangerous. Good luck Iranians, but I detest your "leadership". The childish thugs with bugs coming out of their beards. The seven dwarfs. Good luck trying to construct Anything out of that mess of animal intestine that is the mullahs. I have a little Plastic Key with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's name on it. He will need it when he walks through the mine field he laid. He will not get passed Simon with that, Simon has been well instructed. The coming of their "Prophet" is their night flight into hell. Say hey to Mo for me when you get there. He has not the nerve to come up again - that little bastard.
Happy "enrichment"!
Love what you done with the place. It is like home improvement with only termites.
President Bush yesterday announced $180 million in new humanitarian aid to Lebanon and urged quick deployment of an expanded international peacekeeping force to provide a security buffer between that nation and Israel, though he said the task of disarming Hezbollah will be left to the Lebanese government.
"Our nation is wasting no time in helping the people of Lebanon. In other words, we're acting before the [international peacekeeping] force gets in there," Mr. Bush said at an hourlong press conference, in which he also pledged to remain in Iraq through the end of his presidency. "We've been on the ground in Beirut for weeks," Mr. Bush said, adding that the U.S. has already distributed about $25 million in aid, or half of the previous commitment made in July. Interesting, that. Who is distributing, and who else is there?
Yesterday's new aid brings the total commitment to $230 million and includes $42 million to help Lebanon's military prepare for deployment in southern Lebanon, money to rebuild schools in time for the school year and a response team to help clean up an oil spill off the country's coast.
Mr. Bush said he also will ask Congress to extend loan guarantees to Israel to help that nation rebuild. Acknowledging who repays loans, and who just takes. A businesslike approach.
#5
I read a 122mm GRAD rocket is $200. Thanks for rearming, and more, the Hezzbies, Mr. Bush. You've saved the Iranians a good chunk of change tp spend on their nuclear bombs.
Posted by: ed ||
08/22/2006 12:30 Comments ||
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"We must fight terrorism on all fronts, oh and by the way Israel, lay off of Hezbollah for right now, okay?"
"All funding for terrorism must be cut off at the roots, no money for Hamas! Oh and here's umpteen million for a people who have voted terrorists into office."
I realize that politics is the art of compromise, but someone dearly needs to instruct Bush in how to deal with those whose sole objective is to kill us with all due haste.
#12
If you like those mixed signals Z, check this out wrt illegal immigration:
During the Clinton yrs 95-98, *each yr* the fed gov'mt arrested roughly 14,000 illegals and fined about 100+ or so businesses for hiring illegals.
In Bush admin yr 2004 (the only yr there are stats on currently) - only 159 illegals were arrested and only 3 businesses were fined.
Now, I will take Bush over the huxter any day of the week but this is obscene. Our federal gov't to include most of the hacks in the senate do not give a rip about U.S. sovereingty so long as some major repub donors get their non-union cheap labor and the dimmys get their assumed voting block of ignorant illegals. Pathetic. Almost time for a revolution in the jeffersonian sense.
#13
Most of this will go into the USAID black hole. But over the last month I know of a couple NGOs that were funded to go in and provide aid, mostly to the hospitals and clinics.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
08/22/2006 15:33 Comments ||
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AMSTERDAM The Netherlands will contribute troops to the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, according to reports on Tuesday. According to RTL news on Tuesday, the Netherlands will send naval vessels to patrol the Lebanese coast. But Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister Bernard Bot, who is on a tour of the Middle East, was not asked by Israeli politicians to add a Dutch presence to the peacekeeping forces when he met them on Monday.
The same day, Italy announced it was willing to lead the UN forces, and Italian Foreign Affairs Mninister Masssimo DAlema told La republica newspaper he expected countries like Belgium and the Netherlands, countries with real armies to contribute.
Unlike the French?
Bot will discuss what his countrys contribution might be when he meets the Lebanese premier Foad Sinora on Tuesday afternoon, before returning to the Netherlands later that day. On Monday Bot held discussions with his Israeli colleague Tzipi Livni, Defense Minister Amir Peretz and Vice-Premier Shimon Peres. The visit to Israel was part of a longer trip to the region. On Sunday, he spoke with the Palestinian authorities.
The Christian Democrat CDA minister also plans to talk to families of war victims and a wounded Israeli soldier of Dutch extraction. During his discussions with Israeli colleagues, Bot called for restraint in military actions in the south of Lebanon. He also said the UN peacekeeping force needed to have soldiers from Muslim countries for it to maintain credibility.
Posted by: Steve ||
08/22/2006 10:32 ||
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#1
It's gonna look like a regata off the coast of Lebanon though on land it's looking Eurofrei.
Posted by: ed ||
08/22/2006 11:28 Comments ||
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#2
Confusion over Dutch role in Lebanon security mission
Brussels, 22 August (AKI) - The European Union is confident there will be agreement between its 25 member states on a "significant presence" in the planned international peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, EU sources told Adnkronos International (AKI) on Tuesday. The comments come ahead of Wednesday's meeting of EU ambassadors in Brussels to discuss the contribution of EU countries to the peacekeeping mission, a meeting which EU defence ministers may also attend, the sources said. UN Security Council Resolution 1701 calls for 15,000 troops to be deployed.
France and other countries requested Wednesday's meeting in order to clarify the rules of engagement and the mandate of the planned peacekeeping force in Lebanon. France, has so far signalled it is prepared to send just 200-300 troops, citing concerns at the possibility that its soldiers might have to disarm guerrillas from militant Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah and/or come under fire.
Italy's government has indicated it would be prepared to head the international peacekeeping force - a proposal that has received support from the Israeli and Lebanese governments. Italy's foreign minister Massimo D'Alema has said the country would contribute 2,000-3,000 troops to the proposed force, provided Israel did not violate the UN-brokered ceasefire.
The Finnish EU presidency is currently considering D'Alema's proposal to convene an emergency summit of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Friday over the question of the EU contribution to the force. "We are evaluating the proposal, and are holding a series of consultations with our European partners to evaluate the various options but no decision has yet been taken," an anonymous EU presidency source told AKI.
The EU is expected to contribute 5,000-9,000 troops. Soldiers would come from Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands, as well as from Italy, D'Alema told Italy's La Repubblica daily on Tuesday. He held out hopes that France might up its contribution to 2,000 troops.
Posted by: Steve ||
08/22/2006 09:29 ||
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#1
Typical, they whine and cry about the evil war but when the rubber meets the road they have meetings and discussions. Hizbullah must be shaking with fear from the impending deployment of eu troops.
#2
I'd personally like to see a deployment of 7500 NATO troops, 5000 Japanese, and 2500 Indians, primarily Ghurkhas. The rules of engagement should include that the only armed force allowed in the area south of the Litani are Lebanese Army troops. Offer a $50 bounty for the death or capture of any armed person not in the Lebanese Army, and $500 for the capture of any rocket launcher or weapons cache. Send ANOTHER 10,000 troops into the Bekaa with similar orders. Use troops from Brazil, the Philippines, Korea, and Fiji. Let the fun begin.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
08/22/2006 12:16 Comments ||
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The Iranian government has told senior European officials that it will not accept the only condition set by the Bush administration and its Western allies for talks on the country's nuclear program and will continue enriching uranium, despite the threat of international sanctions, several senior U.S. and European officials said yesterday. Diplomats in Washington, Tehran and European capitals said the Iranian government is willing to enter negotiations and to consider a freeze of the program, but it will not accept a freeze as a precondition for the talks.
Ali Larijani, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, informed Javier Solana, foreign policy chief for the European Union, of the decision in a phone call over the weekend. The two men will likely meet again today, along with representatives of France, Britain and Germany, to discuss the Iranian position. But U.S. officials said they would push for strong financial sanctions against the Tehran government and expected support from Europe.
The Iranian position is nearly identical to its initial reaction to the offer, which was presented in June and includes a package of U.S.-backed economic and political incentives. U.S., British and French diplomats concluded yesterday, after receiving word of Iran's intention, that the government simply bought time to advance its nuclear program, rather than scale it back as the U.N. resolution requires.
In Tehran, the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said the nuclear program is peaceful and will continue. "The Islamic Republic of Iran has made its own decision, and in the nuclear case, God willing, with patience and power, will continue its path," Khamenei was quoted as saying by state television. Mohammad Saeedi, the deputy director of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, told an Iranian news agency that "under current circumstances, the suspension of uranium enrichment is not possible." Still, he said Iran's response would be "very comprehensive" and would provide "a suitable opportunity for the West to solve the nuclear dossier through negotiations."
It's all very peaceful in our neighborhood, also. I've been out tot the well twice and seen no leprechauns or imams. Another beautiful day. Someone should nuke Tehran just to liven things up.
#1
Hope the Tridents are gassed up, oil checked and the windshields washed.
Posted by: ed ||
08/22/2006 11:29 Comments ||
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#2
U.S., British and French diplomats concluded yesterday, after receiving word of Iran's intention, that the government simply bought time to advance its nuclear program, rather than scale it back as the U.N. resolution requires.
Wow. You must have to be, like, really, really smart to be a diplomat.
TOKYO, Aug 21, 2006 (AFP) - Japan, which is almost entirely dependent on Middle Eastern oil, will oppose United Nations sanctions on Iran's energy sector over its nuclear program, a newspaper said Monday.
Tokyo will propose that any sanctions initially avoid touching Iran's oil exports, of which Japan is the biggest overseas buyer, the Yomiuri Shimbun said, quoting unnamed sources. "The government hopes to avoid losing oil supplies from Iran, which account for about 14 percent of total oil imports," the top-selling daily said.
"The government concluded that economic sanctions are inevitable as a means to apply international pressure on Iran," the Yomiuri said. "However, a ban on Iranian oil exports would deal a blow to the global and Iranian economies, so the government decided to propose that financial sanctions be imposed first and the oil embargo be shelved for the time being."
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/22/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Which means that when push comes to shove we'll be forced to bomb Iran's petroleum network out of commission. That will only take longer to remedy and have more adverse impact. It's really about time the rest of the world gets a clue about Iran. Just because they are out of Iranian missile range doesn't mean they can ignore the implications of Iran's nuclear quest.
TEHRAN, Aug 21, 2006 (AFP) - Hezbollah's representative in Iran has ruled out the disarmament of the Shiite Lebanese militia and said the group will buy new weapons if necessary, in an interview published Monday. "There will not be disarmament, the UN resolution has not demanded that either," Abdullah Safieddin told Shargh newspaper, on the eighth day of a UN-brokered ceasefire to end the month-long Israeli offensive in Lebanon aimed at crippling Hezbollah.
However, UN Resolution 1701 which laid out the ceasefire calls for the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon and prohibits any sales or supply of arms and related materiel to Lebanon except as authorized by its government.
"God willing, we will have no problem. If anybody wants to resist they will seek to buy arms if need be," Safieddin said.
"Pshaw, Abdullah, you know yer money's no good in this-here store!"
"Well, I don't want to take advantage of ya."
"Nonsense! Whaddit'll be? We got some nice Fajr missiles here!"
"As long as the army does not have the capability to defend the country we have to defend it."
For instance, they can't defend the country against you.
Israel wants Hezbollah guerrillas pushed back to the north of Litani River -- 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the border -- in the hope of ending the hail of rocket attacks that were unleashed during the 34-day war. Safieddin dismissed the call, saying: "Hezbollah does not have a (military) base. It is the residents of south Lebanon. They cannot send them out.
"Hezbollah will remain as it is. We even believe this war made the spirit of resistance more serious. We will do our political work but we will defend our country too."
Ein volk, ein unmah ...
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/22/2006 00:00 ||
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They reject the pre-rejectment of the post-rejectment of the ... of the ..., and don't you forget it.
Tehran, Iran, Aug. 21 Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced on Monday that Tehran would continue with its nuclear work despite the looming August 31 deadline set by the United Nations Security Council for it to suspend uranium enrichment.
With its experience and achievements over the past 27 years, the Islamic Republic of Iran has made up its mind. On the nuclear program and other issues it is up against it will continue powerfully on its path, putting its faith in God and with patience and perseverance, and it will see its sweet fruit, Khamenei said. His remarks were reported on state television.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/22/2006 00:00 ||
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The Bulgarian government is ready to send a contingent of up to 50 soldiers to join the UN peacekeeping mission in south Lebanon, the Sofia News Agency reported on Monday. Bulgaria's contingent will be stationed in the headquarters of the UN force in the Lebanese village of Nakura, near the border with Israel. They will guard humanitarian aid shipments, VIPs and various convoys. The Bulgarian troops, expected to depart by the end of next month, will bring with them new armored Mercedes trucks. The Balkan country will also deliver humanitarian aid to Lebanon.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/22/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Which proportionally is more than twice what France is sending.
(IsraelNN.com) Hizbullah leaders asserted Monday night that their terrorist guerillas will remain in southern Lebanon until they are assured that the Lebanese army "can handle the problem of Israeli aggressions and the Israeli danger on Lebanon and liberate the land and prisoners."
"And how long do you think that'll be?"
"'Bout 700 years, give or take."
Sheikh Naim Kassam told the Arab Al Jazeera television station Hizbullah terrorists "have to enhance the Lebanese army and give it its role." He said Hizbullah would honor the United Nations Security Council ceasefire resolution although it calls for the disarming of terrorist groups not authorized by the Lebanese government.
Hezbollah describes itself as a "resistance," not as a terrorist group or as a militia. Therefore, even though the resolutions are aimed squarely at it, the Lebs maintain the pretense and Hezbollah remains armed to the teeth.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/22/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Hizbollah is an attack entity. If Israel did not exist, those animals would attack other countries. They are like vermin, and should be so treated.
#3
Israel doesn't have any B-52s, or other heavy bombers. Traditionally, they're required for "carpet bombing".
Carpet bombing's never been particularly useful against well-constructed bunker complexes, anyways. It's more of the sort of thing you use for armies in the open, field fortifications, or civilian populations. If you could carpet-bomb bunker complexes, we could have bombed North Korea sensible, instead of always holding back for fear of the artillery-bunker complex north of Seoul.
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
08/22/2006 10:56 Comments ||
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#4
The "civilian population", which is the Hezbs, is exactly what needs to be totally destroyed here. Since there will be no UN forces appearing, I suggest Condi & Bolton introduce a new resolution, which they're so good at, to depopulate Lebanon to Litani River until final understnding can be reached.
There are 500,000 Pakistanis living in the United States and they are prospering, according to a forthcoming book by Adil Najam, a young Pakistani academic at Tufts University, Boston. The mean household income in the United States in 2002 was $57,852 annually, while that for Asian households, which includes Pakistanis, was $70,047. By contrast, about one-fifth of young British-born Muslims are jobless, and many subsist on welfare, the book says.
A report on the Pakistani community appearing in the New York Times on Monday notes, Hard numbers on how many people of Pakistani descent live in the United States do not exist, but a forthcoming book from Harvard University Press on charitable donations among Pakistani-Americans, Portrait of a Giving Community, puts the number around 500,000, with some 35 percent or more of them in the New York metropolitan area. Chicago has fewer than 100,000, while other significant clusters exist in California, Texas and Washington DC.
You can keep the flavour of your ethnicity, but you are expected to become an American...
The newspaper report, filed from Chicago, describes in colourful terms a stretch of the sprawling citys Devon Avenue, part of which is named for Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and part for Mahatma Gandhi. Comparing Pakistani-Americans with their British counterparts, the report quotes Nizam Arain, a lawyer of Pakistani descent who was born and who grew up in Chicago, You dont have the same siege mentality. Asked whether terror cells like those found in Britain could also spring up here, Junaid Rana, an assistant professor at a local university, said, It makes it sound like it couldnt happen here because we are the good immigrants: hard-working, close-knit, educated. But we are talking about a cult mind-set, how a cult does its brainwashing. Omer Mozaffar, a Pakistani-American working for a doctorate at the University of Chicago, stated, You can keep the flavour of your ethnicity, but you are expected to become an American.
The newspaper quotes Pakistani poet, broadcaster and gay rights activist Ifti Nasim as saying that in Pakistan, his flamboyance would not be tolerated, but here he calls his acceptance the litmus test of the society. Like many, however, he has moments of doubt, saying, Pakistani society in Chicago has made a smooth transition so far, but you never know. Outward signs of religious devotion will arouse little suspicion in America compared with how they tend to be now viewed in Britain.
Before, a good 70 percent of the women who came into his shop were veiled, he said. Now the reverse is true, and far fewer men wear traditional clothes
However, a change would appear to have taken place because of recent accusations against Muslims of planning to stage terrorist acts in Europe and elsewhere. According to the New York Times report, For the past eight years, Abdul Qadeer Sheikh, 46, has managed Islamic Books N Things on Devon Avenue, which sells items like Korans, prayer rugs and Arabic alphabet books. He says that since September 11, he has seen signs of the bias that has existed in Britain for decades developing here. He describes a distinctive fear of being seen as Muslim, even along Devon Avenue. Before, a good 70 percent of the women who came into his shop were veiled, he said. Now the reverse is true, and far fewer men wear traditional clothes.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/22/2006 00:00 ||
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#4
You can keep the flavour of your ethnicity, but you are expected to become an American...
Yes! I've been trying to find a simple, articulate sentence to express my view of immigrant integration and this man nailed it. Can we get "Explain this sentence in your own words: You can keep the flavour of your ethnicity, but you are expected to become an American..." as an essay question on the citizenship test?
#7
yes SOP, the Pak community in the US is constantly being solicited by Islamic charities and other Islamic orgs; sometimes the solicitation gets coersive
a lot of the wealthier Paks are pretty sick of this and a few Paks have decided to become non ethnic but most try to plead financial distress and some get tricked into giving more than they can afford
#8
The Census Bureau puts the Pakistani population in the U.S. at 153,533 for the 2000 census. The number climbs to 204,309 if one includes those of partial Pakistani ancestry.
The claim of 500,000 Pakistanis in the U.S. is highly doubtful.
#9
It's as accurate as the claim of 7 million muslims in the US, or 8 million or 11 million depending on how much stress CAIR is under at the time. The most reliable survey was done in 2001 and was less than 2 million. Though the number of muslims doubled in the 1990's. (Thank Clinton) Since Sept. 2001, muslim immgration better have halted and those here encouraged to return.
Posted by: ed ||
08/22/2006 12:21 Comments ||
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#10
****ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE ALERT****
In my daily life, I know a half-dozen or so Pakistani immigrants. All of them are upper-crust, educated in private schools in Karachi, speak English better than Urdu. Half are Sunni, half are Shia.
None are exactly chomping at the Islamist bit. One fellow homebrews beer in his basement, but doesn't dare tell his family back in Pakiland, who are still mad at him for marrying an American woman.
Another gal told her parents to stuff it when they wanted her to wear the headscarf when she reached puberty. She also does not identify herself as a Muslim.
Of course, it could all be a clever ruse to cause me to lower my guard and scratch them off my "Folks to Kill When Al Qaeda Nukes Chicago" list.
#12
I'd imagine we've got very different profiles of Pakistani immigration here versus Britain. Commonwealth imigration policies had the Brits taking in many unskilled Pakistani workers in the 50s and 60s who never really integrated.
Farrukh Dhondy had a piece in the WSJ a couple of weeks ago looking at the cultural aspects of Pakistani immigration to Britain
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
BAIDOA: Embattled Somali Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi on Monday appointed a new, scaled-down cabinet to replace a dissent-riddled, two-year-old government dissolved earlier this month.
(IsraelNN.com) Students at British universities are "bread and butter" for radical Muslim recruiters, according to a Leeds University student who joined the extremist 
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - U.S. and South Korean forces launched annual joint military exercises Monday, mostly computer-simulated drills that North Korea has labeled a rehearsal for invasion and demanded be canceled. The exercise took place amid renewed concerns about North Korea after a news report last week said the communist country might be preparing to conduct its first known nuclear test.
PESHAWAR: Custom officials on Monday seized 6,640 kilogrammes of hashish, with an estimated market value of Rs 200 million, from an oil tanker near Aman Garh area in Nowshera district. A customs department spokesman said that officials had acted on a tip-off made to Collector Custom Sher Zawaz Khan and had deployed personnel along GT Road to seize the contraband goods. 
As his trial on the charge of genocide began Monday, Saddam Hussein insisted he was still the president of Iraq and refused to enter a plea on accusations of ordering massacres, deportations and chemical attacks to annihilate the country's Kurdish minority.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haneya on Monday urged Pope Benedict XVI to intervene and secure the release of all Hamas ministers and lawmakers held in Israeli prisons. "I expect more efforts from the pope to lift the siege on the Palestinians and end the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian land," Haneya told Archbishop Antonio Franco and his delegation which is on a visit to the Palestinian territories. 
An Italian official said Monday that two IDF soldiers kidnapped by Hizbullah terrorists on the northern border are still alive but not in "great" condition. The head of the Italian Senate Defense Committee, Sergio de Gregorio, told the Reuters news service that Iran wants Italy to negotiate with Hizbullah for the release of the hostages. De Gregorio said that Iranian national security director Ali Larijani promised he would personally ask Hizbullah to negotiate with Italy over the prisoners. Hizbullah is heavily supported by Iran and Syria. Italy is one of Iran's biggest trade customers. "Italy has excellent relations with Israel and good relations with Iran, as we are the top trade partner."
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert tried to defuse growing public anger Monday over his handling of the war against Hezbollah, promising to rebuild rocket-scarred border areas but rejecting peace talks with Syria, a key supporter of the Lebanese guerrillas.
PARIS - The new UN force being deployed to Lebanon is allowed to use force to defend itself or civilians and to enforce a buffer zone along the Israeli border, but cannot actively seek out Hezbollah arms caches, according to UN documents obtained by Le Monde. The French newspaper said Tuesday the rules of engagement contained in the documents also did not allow the force to intercede if hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah flared up again.
Iran said on Tuesday it was ready to start immediately what it called "serious" talks with six world powers about their offer to defuse Tehran's nuclear standoff with the West. 
Brussels, 22 August (AKI) - The European Union is confident there will be agreement between its 25 member states on a "significant presence" in the planned international peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, EU sources told Adnkronos International (AKI) on Tuesday. The comments come ahead of Wednesday's meeting of EU ambassadors in Brussels to discuss the contribution of EU countries to the peacekeeping mission, a meeting which EU defence ministers may also attend, the sources said. UN Security Council Resolution 1701 calls for 15,000 troops to be deployed.
The Iranian government has told senior European officials that it will not accept the only condition set by the Bush administration and its Western allies for talks on the country's nuclear program and will continue enriching uranium, despite the threat of international sanctions, several senior U.S. and European officials said yesterday. Diplomats in Washington, Tehran and European capitals said the Iranian government is willing to enter negotiations and to consider a freeze of the program, but it will not accept a freeze as a precondition for the talks.
TOKYO, Aug 21, 2006 (AFP) - Japan, which is almost entirely dependent on Middle Eastern oil, will oppose United Nations sanctions on Iran's energy sector over its nuclear program, a newspaper said Monday. 
TEHRAN, Aug 21, 2006 (AFP) - Hezbollah's representative in Iran has ruled out the disarmament of the Shiite Lebanese militia and said the group will buy new weapons if necessary, in an interview published Monday. "There will not be disarmament, the UN resolution has not demanded that either," Abdullah Safieddin told Shargh newspaper, on the eighth day of a UN-brokered ceasefire to end the month-long Israeli offensive in Lebanon aimed at crippling Hezbollah. 
Tehran, Iran, Aug. 21 Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced on Monday that Tehran would continue with its nuclear work despite the looming August 31 deadline set by the United Nations Security Council for it to suspend uranium enrichment.
(IsraelNN.com) Hizbullah leaders asserted Monday night that their terrorist guerillas will remain in southern Lebanon until they are assured that the Lebanese army "can handle the problem of Israeli aggressions and the Israeli danger on Lebanon and liberate the land and prisoners."
There are 500,000 Pakistanis living in the United States and they are prospering, according to a forthcoming book by Adil Najam, a young Pakistani academic at Tufts University, Boston. The mean household income in the United States in 2002 was $57,852 annually, while that for Asian households, which includes Pakistanis, was $70,047. By contrast, about one-fifth of young British-born Muslims are jobless, and many subsist on welfare, the book says.
