(AHN) - United States General Dan McNeill assumed command of NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan replacing British Gen. David Richards. Command of NATO's 35,500 troops in Afghanistan was transferred from the British military to the U.S. military in a 'change-of-command' ceremony on Sunday. According to the Associated Press, McNeill said, the International Security Assistance Force's mission was to facilitate Afghanistan's reconstruction so the Afghan people might enjoy a peaceful atmosphere. "We will quit neither post nor mission until the job is done or we are properly relieved," McNeill said.
Of the 26,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, 14,000 fall under NATO command. The number of U.S. troops there is the highest it has been since the Taliban was ousted from power in 2001 because it had given refuge to Osama bin Laden there. Meanwhile, the Taliban recently issued a new threat. It said that 2,000 suicide bombers were ready to launch attacks during the spring season in Afghanistan. The Taliban warning might make NATO's job difficult in spring.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/05/2007 00:00 ||
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Thank Gawd, it's about time the adults are handed the reigns.
Posted by: Captain America ||
02/05/2007 15:57 Comments ||
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(SomaliNet) African Union mission is now visiting in the Somalia capital Mogadishu to prepare for the deployment of AU peacekeeping force in the war torn country as insecurity looms large in the city with more killings and attacks by Islamist insurgents. The AU delegation which reached the capital yesterday met officials of the interim government and discussed with them over paving the way for the arrival of four thousand strong African troops in Somalia to replace the Ethiopian forces. Earlier, the government of Ethiopia said it would pull out its forces out of Somalia in three phase withdrawal.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/05/2007 00:00 ||
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Taking a census of the young nubile children, no doubt.
(Xinhua) -- Nine Chinese oil workers who were kidnapped last week by an armed group in Nigeria, were released safely on Sunday morning, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The nine were set free at 6:35 a.m. (Beijing time) following 11days of tough diplomatic efforts, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said in a statement. The released workers will return to China soon, she added.
A Chinese oil company compound was attacked by an unidentified armed group in southern Nigeria on Jan. 25. Nine workers were kidnapped and the others moved to a safe place.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/05/2007 00:00 ||
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An Islamic school is poisoning the minds of pupils with lessons in hate, a former teacher claims. Colin Cook, 57, says textbooks used by children as young as five at the King Fahd Academy in Acton describe Jews as "repugnant" and "apes" and Christians as "pigs". Pupils have allegedly been heard saying they want to "kill Americans", praising 9/11 and idolising Osama bin Laden as their "hero". There are fears that it could become a breeding ground for terrorists with Mr Cook warning: "The school could produce a dangerous harvest." Its sister school of the same name in Bonn has been singled out by the German intelligence services as a meeting place for activists linked to terrorism.
Mr Cook, a Muslim convert, taught English at the school for 19 years until he was sacked in December last year. He claims he was fired after blowing the whistle on the school for covering up cheating by children in GCSE exams and is bringing a tribunal claim for unfair dismissal, race discrimination and victimisation. He also alleges that when he complained to school management about the content of the curriculum and questioned whether it complied with British laws, he was told: "This is not England. It is Saudi Arabia".
He said that the school was "very good" until the majority of British teachers left in 2005. He said: "Since then, there has been a move towards a pro-Saudi agenda. It is clearly racist and very divisive. I understand now why the pupils express anti-Western views at school. It is deeply immoral to put such ideas into the heads of young children."
Mr Cook's solicitor Lawrence Davies said: "Faith schools are legitimate but they must not be used to propagate a racist agenda. Every faith school must be properly inspected. And those that promote the terrorist mindset must be called to account."
#2
I am wondering if there is * any * barbarity these people can commit that will finally make us sit up and take notice, let alone do something about it. In the meantime, these children are being thrown to the wolves. If we were remotely serious at the idea these were British schoolchildren - especially the girls and young women - we would never allow them to be exposed to this rape cult.
#3
When a fatwah is issued stating that 'kufr' children can be eaten for breakfast by muslims there may be some short-lived, mild concern.
Posted by: Howard UK ||
02/05/2007 9:16 Comments ||
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#4
See attached website of a textbook monitoring service. I would recommend downloading the report on Iranian education. The message that the Ayatollahs are preparing for World War 3 needs to get out there. Screw negotiations and occupations. Qom and the non-proliferation sites need to be nuked; Teheran and the rest of the country will fall into place.
#5
Would probably suck if they had a really bad fire there or...something.
Especially if their sprinkler system was shutdown for repairs and the doors were, like, nailed shut...
#6
Wait a minute, I thought the Joos were the "sons of apes and pigs." Now, they're apes, and us Christians are pigs. Man, I need to keep up with the Soodi teachings, that's for sure.
And, I applaud Mr. Cook for standing for what's right. Especially seeing that he's a Muslim convert. Of course, I also worry for him, cause I'm sure there'll be a fatwa issued for his head soon.
Posted by: BA ||
02/05/2007 15:15 Comments ||
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#7
BA,
I hear you when you say you applaud Mr. Cook. But this artilce leaves quite a few questions unanswered.
Cook was teaching at King Fahad for 19 years. He says (implies) things starting going downhill in 2005 when a majority of British teaches left the King Fahad Academy. Really? So what happened prior to the walk out by a majority of Brit teachers. Cirriculum change?
Betcha a dollar to a donut the cirrcilulm has been KSA rather than Brit for a long time. A very long time. The "white, unconverted conscience" of Mr. Cook finally caught up with him. I'm betting Cook realized he sold out his country (GB) and people (white anglo-saxon) years ago by teaching for so long a cirriculumn born of pure hate after converting to islam. I mean, really, do you think this guy Cook just heard of the koran calling people of the book "pigs and apes" and calling for their destruction recently? Cook says he was "sacked" in December of 2006.
What happened in 2005 that caused the Brit teachers to walk as a group? Maybe, say July, 2005 (7/7)? They'd been teaching these muslims in school for years and they knew there were teachers teaching the kids to hate infidel and they wanted no more part of it. A steady paycheck wasn't worth it anymore to assist in treason against their country. I'm not saying the Brit teachers were doing the teaching. I'm saying they knew King Fahad was teaching it by imams imported from KSA.
Posted by: Mark Z ||
02/05/2007 17:58 Comments ||
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#8
Good points, Mark Z. I (naively) took the MSM's spin on it w/o questioning his quotes. You make some very valid points, and raise some very good questions that any true reporter should ask of Mr. Cook.
Posted by: BA ||
02/05/2007 22:07 Comments ||
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Twice as many terror plots have been disrupted since the July 7, 2005, suicide bombings as has previously been made public, according to Britains security services, the Sunday Telegraph reports. Police raided properties in Birmingham last Wednesday after foiling an alleged plan to kidnap a British Muslim soldier. A further six plots, which have been kept secret until now for security reasons, had been planned by groups across Britain since the London Underground and bus bombings in 2005, Sean Rayment writes in the Sunday Telegraph. The revelation demonstrates the scale of the task facing MI5 and the police, who are now discovering or disrupting some kind of terrorist plot in the United Kingdom every six weeks.
Up to 12 plots of all kinds have been discovered in the past year and a half, says the report. Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller, the director-general of MI5, revealed last November that there were an estimated 1,600 suspected terrorist involved in at least 200 networks in Britain. It is understood that details of the previously undisclosed plots have been kept secret because no arrests were made and many of those involved assumed that their plans had ground to a halt for natural reasons, such as a failure to acquire specific material.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/05/2007 00:00 ||
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ISLAMIC terror cells in Britain have been instructed to carry out a series of kidnappings and beheadings of the kind allegedly planned by the nine terrorist suspects arrested in Birmingham last week. The strategic assassination instruction was issued by Al-Qaedas leaders in Pakistan and Iraq to dozens of their followers in this country. It was uncovered by MI5 last autumn, senior security sources say. As a result police are on standby for multiple attempts by terrorists to kidnap and then behead people across Britain. MI5 is conducting a counter-terrorism surveillance operation to prevent such an attack.
The alleged attempt to kidnap and behead a Muslim soldier or soldiers in Birmingham was just the first of a series of planned attacks, security sources say. The revelation explains the recent deployment of a permanent SAS unit to London. The unit has been placed on 24-hour standby to respond to a terrorist attack in the capital. It would aim to carry out a hostage rescue mission within minutes of being alerted.
Muslim police officers serving in London may also be given extra protection. The Association of Muslim Police is in talks with the Met, which is expected to carry out a risk assessment of the dangers. One well placed source said: Cells in the UK have been alerted to carry out this type of attack as opposed to the more sophisticated type of bombing in which you place a large number of volunteers at risk. All you need for a beheading is a bit of courage and a sharp knife.
The order to encourage low-tech assassinations is said to follow a review by senior Al-Qaeda planners after an alleged plot to smuggle bombs onto airlines was foiled by police last August. The order encouraged followers to adopt the tactics used by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the former Al-Qaeda leader in Iraq, who was behind the abduction, torture and beheading of Ken Bigley, a British engineer, in Iraq in 2004. Bigley, 62, was kidnapped and filmed on video begging for Tony Blair to end the war before being beheaded. Footage of his execution was later posted on the internet.
After learning of the alleged Birmingham plot to behead a British Muslim soldier returning from Iraq or Afghanistan last autumn, the Ministry of Defence spent several months trying to establish how many soldiers fitted into this category. After focusing on soldiers in the regular army, the Royal Marines and the Territorial Army, officials whittled the list of potential targets down to fewer than 10. These soldiers were warned about the potential threat and advised on protection measures, or given the means to protect themselves. Sources said several of the suspects were personally acquainted with the Muslim soldier who was said to have been lined up as their first victim. The soldier, a corporal in military intelligence, is said to be under close protection.
The surveillance operation in Birmingham was stepped up at the beginning of last month when scores of detectives were seconded from the Greater Manchester police to join their colleagues in the West Midlands anti-terrorism unit. The decision to arrest the nine suspects is said to have been made after one of them was seen buying a video camera in an electronics shop last weekend. According to another source close to the investigation, those involved in the plot were supplying equipment and computer hardware to Al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan. One of the suspects had recently returned from a trip to Pakistan.
There were also claims this weekend that several of the arrested men attended the Hamza mosque in the Sparkhill area of Birmingham. An official at the mosque, who refused to be named, said it was a centre for a group called Tablighi Jamaat, described by western security services as a conveyor belt to Al-Qaeda. The groups British headquarters is in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, where two of the London bombers regularly attended. In a statement, mosque officials said they could not confirm the claims.
Despite intelligence about the new UK strategy security sources say that Al-Qaeda has not entirely dropped more traditional terrorism tactics. At least two cells are believed to be preparing attacks using cars packed with fertiliser explosives to cause mass casualties. Armed guards were last month deployed outside the Bacton gas terminal in Norfolk following intelligence that it had been scouted by known terrorist suspects. Intelligence suggested the suspects were discussing how to carry out a car bomb attack.
A Whitehall official said MI5 was now monitoring about 280 terror suspects. Each was suspected of serious intent to carry out an attack. Cells are being closely observed in at least four British towns and cities.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/05/2007 00:00 ||
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The order encouraged followers to adopt the tactics used by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
Copying the behaviour that turned much of Iraq and the Arab world against Al Qaeda in Iraq? What a clever decision that is, to be sure.
#6
@anymuse; actually there's this story out today: Muslims to pay school's legal fight to uphold niqab ban . You could have knocked me over with a feather! - of course this could just be taqqiya, but you've gotta give it a chance, haven't you? ;)
@rjschwarz: Yes. Things could get very nasty. People are starting to get pissed off over here - the revelation that one of the failed tube suicide bombers had angled his rucksack to point at a mother and child was not received too well...
But of course, the release of these Al-Qaeda stories over recent days has *nothing* to do with Bliar being 'interviewed' by the law, has it now? The whole ZaNuLabour edifice is crumbling - trouble is that dour Scots git Brown (the Chancellor) has basically put us in hock to anything up to a trillion quid with his dumbass spending plans and future-proof pensions for a vast array of government drones.
Where's King Arthur when you need him...
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
02/05/2007 13:08 Comments ||
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#7
Hope the earlier story about one terror plot foiled every six weeks doesn't bust the streak; but I gotta believe the law of averages is gonna catch up. Then we will see what the UK is really made of.
Part of me is hoping the people take back their government, but it ain't happened here, yet, so I am not optimistic.......
#9
Obviously the eney doesn't learn from history either.
While not strictly using beheading as an assassination technique the IRA's war on the UK via bombings and targeted assassination did very little to win them fruends and admirers and taught Scotland Yard and company about how to counteract a domestic insurrection.
Okay, Brits - go to it and remember Malaya and the IRA and the lessons you taught them.
North Koreas top envoy to six-party talks on its nuclear programme has told former US officials Pyongyang wants more than half a million tonnes of fuel oil a year in return for suspending its atomic reactor, a Japanese daily said on Sunday.
The demand would exceed the energy assistance North Korea received under a 1994 agreement with Washington, which collapsed when the current nuclear crisis began in 2002. The Asahi Shimbun said that North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan had set out Pyongyangs position when he met former US State Department official Joel Witt and nuclear expert David Albright in the North Korean capital last week. Kim and other North Korean officials said the country would halt the operation of its reactor at Yongbyon if it obtained energy assistance equivalent to more than 500,000 tonnes of fuel oil a year, the Asahi said, quoting the two Americans.
North Korean officials also demanded that Washington lift its financial sanctions against the country as well as removing North Korea from the list of terrorism-sponsoring nations, the daily said.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/05/2007 00:00 ||
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Give them oil poisioned with salt, all machinery grinds to a halt.
Idiots.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
02/05/2007 8:46 Comments ||
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this is difficult to comprehend
NKor already gets at least 10 times that much oil each year from the PRC.
It may be that the 500k metric tons would be used to fatten some offshore accounts for some of the biggies (especially because it is coupled with the financial issue).
#4
I would tell em to shove thier nukes and have fun, lean over to China and let them know we are now considering the Norks under their umbrella hence we will see Norks as China. Lay out written plan that if Norks launch nuke or get cought selling a nuke or as much as one gram of nuclear material or technology we don't pass go it straight to NUCLEAR RESPONCE ACROSS THE DECK ON BOTH NORKS AND CHINA.
China wont let US santion the Norks into submission then they are responsible, allowing our selves to be threatened into ransom is a recipe for both higher future ransom at random and others sticking there hands out. It would also do alot to make old Puty reconsider the political cover he is giving Iran who he knows is unstable.
#6
LOL, our "nuclear expert" has a last name of Albright? Geez, these diplomacy talks may be more hopeless than I thought.
I wonder if'n he's related to Maddy or not?
Posted by: BA ||
02/05/2007 15:07 Comments ||
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#7
#2: this is difficult to comprehend
NKor already gets at least 10 times that much oil each year from the PRC.
It looks to me as a propaganda measure, then they can broadcast "Look The Americans knuckled under to us, see we're powerful and this is proof the Americans are afraid of us"
Bang the dish on the highchair and scream is all they have, so they use it a lot.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
02/05/2007 18:40 Comments ||
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#8
Sorry. posted too quickly,
It's also a trick, they have absolutely no intention of stopping their nuke program but it's great propoganda if they can "Trick the great Satan" into giving them goodies thinking they will stop.
Lying is part of their culture, it doesn't have the same stigma that it does here.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
02/05/2007 19:02 Comments ||
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#9
Fool me once, fool me twice, fool me every time.
by Martin Peretz, The New Republic(LRR to read full story)
(h/t Instapundit)
George Soros lunched with some reporters on Saturday at Davos. He talked about spending $600 million on civil society projects during the 1990s, then trying to cut back to $300 million, and how this year it will be between $450 and $500 million. His new projects aim, in Floyd Norris's words, to promote a "common European foreign policy" (read: an anti-American foreign policy) and also to study the integration (or so he thinks) of Muslims in eleven European cities. He included among his dicta a little slight at Bill and Melinda Gates, who "have chosen public health, which is like apple pie." And then, after saying the United States was now recognizing the errors it made in Iraq, he added this comment, as reported by Norris in The New York Times' online "Davos Diary": "To what extent it recognizes the mistake will determine its future." Soros said Turkey and Japan were still hurt by a reluctance to admit to dark parts of their history and contrasted that reluctance to Germany's rejection of its Nazi-era past. "America needs to follow the policies it has introduced in Germany. We have to go through a certain deNazification process." ...
No, you are not seeing things. He said de-Nazification. He is not saying, in the traditional manner of liberal alarmists, that the United States is now where Weimar Germany was. He is saying that the United States is now where Germany after Weimar was. Even for Davos, this was stupid. Actually, worse than stupid. There is a historical analysis, a moral claim, in Soros's word. He believes that the United States is now a Nazi country. Why else would we have to go through a "certain de-Nazification process"? I defy anybody to interpret the remark differently. The analogy between Bush's America and Hitler's Germany is not fleshed out, and one is left wondering how far he would take it. Is Bush like Hitler? If it is "de-Nazification" that we need, then in some sense Bush must be like Hitler. Was the invasion of Iraq like the invasion of Poland? Perhaps. The more one lingers over Soros's word, the more one's eyes pop from one's head. In the old days, the Amerika view of America was propagated by angry kids on their painful way to adulthood; now, it is propagated by the Maecenas of the Democratic Party. . . .
In the same conversation at Davos, Soros announced that he is supporting Senator Barack Obama, though he would also support Senator Hillary Clinton. So my question to both of those progressives is this: How, without any explanation or apology from him, will you take this man's money?
SEN. Barack Obama might want to tell George Soros to shut up, now that the Hungarian-born billionaire has equated the George W. Bush administration with the Third Reich. Soros, who spent $26 million trying to beat Bush two years ago, is a key supporter of the media-darling Illinois Democrat's presidential campaign. But last week at Davos, Soros made folks like Gwyneth Paltrow and Sean Penn look downright patriotic.
Posted by: Mike ||
02/05/2007 10:14 ||
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He wants the De-nazification but the incorporation of communism. Filled with re-educational camps, of course.
#3
What makes this worse is that Mr. Soros survived the real Nazis as a Jewish schoolboy. So this isn't just Progressive hyperbole, but hatefulness being spewed by someone who knows better.
#5
In 1944 at age 14 Mr. Soros was sent to live with a Catholic family so as to be sheltered from the mass deportations that were occurring in Hungary. The man of that family, according to stories I've read, was part of a group that would relieve Jews of their gold and money just as they were being put on trains for deportation to the concentration camps.
And Soros would go along and help him.
Used to be on Wiki but got edited out (heh). I've seen it elsewhere.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/05/2007 10:42 Comments ||
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#6
Speaking of wiki, this proves, once again, that we truly are living in bizarro world, aren't we?
#7
There was a good biography of Soros in the WSJ a few years ago (Rantburg version here). One interesting passage:
Mr. Soros has admitted to having "carried some rather potent messianic fantasies with me from childhood, which I felt I had to control, otherwise they might get me in trouble." Having made his mark, he now seems to give them free rein. He told one interviewer that he had "godlike, messianic ideas," and another that he sometimes thought of himself as "superhuman." To still a third he explained that his "goal is to become the conscience of the world."
Posted by: Mike ||
02/05/2007 11:15 Comments ||
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#8
That arrest warrant still open in France for currency manipulation George?
#10
So basically, he's calling on the US to get rid of the Democrats. They are the Nazi's after all. I mean, it's classic, they have the race superiority ideal, they like to kill old people, babies and the handicapped or mentally ill. They want to kill anyone who disagrees with them and ensure that EVERYONE obeys the party line or else.
Thousands died and were murdered in Asia when Soros believing that the Pound Sterling was overvalued bet [speculated] and won himself an evil 1.1 billion [1992] when the Pound tanked.
That mud should be thrown on the little tyrants face anytime he criticises anyone. After all his Highness pretends to be above us all and yet appoints himself to be the Chief Defender of all the "little people".
#18
Mr. Soros has admitted to having "carried some rather potent messianic fantasies with me from childhood, which I felt I had to control, otherwise they might get me in trouble." Having made his mark, he now seems to give them free rein. He told one interviewer that he had "godlike, messianic ideas," and another that he sometimes thought of himself as "superhuman." To still a third he explained that his "goal is to become the conscience of the world."
Sounds like an Anti-Christ character. I wonder if he was taking notes from Left Behind.
#19
Ask Mr. Soros about his role in the 1997 destabilization of the currencies of Indonesia, Philippines and Malaysia (plus three or four smaller countries). He almost single-handedly pulled that off.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
02/05/2007 14:56 Comments ||
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#21
#16: Well, I guess we know how he feels about the US. Perhaps he'd rather have someone else in charge?
Yep, King Soros.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
02/05/2007 15:18 Comments ||
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#22
All soros is, can be framed by the understanding that all socialists are manifesting their self interest. In the case of soros at the pinnacle of the de-lite food chain, he wants to be like lil kim, he wants it his way. all soros all the time....
I challenge soros to come forth....and do explain the socialist record...any country any time...socialism is what it is, a system that allows the few to scam everyone else.
Not surprised that politicians might drink from soros cup are you? The bought and paid for always do what comes natural.
#25
I would put him on a one way direct flight to Malayasia, they would like to spend some time with them. He also is doing everthing he can to tank out economy for his own profit. People have been killed for less.
#26
SPoD...your right soros is the father of reflexivty...a scheme where traders run the tape lower as she goes. Price suppression for the purpose of accumulation......get long this market cause judgement day for the reflex school is being unfurled.........
WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. John McCain sought to weaken support for a resolution opposing President Bush's Iraq war strategy Sunday, saying proponents are intellectually dishonest. ``I don't think it's appropriate to say that you disapprove of a mission and you don't want to fund it and you don't want it to go, but yet you don't take the action necessary to prevent it,'' said McCain, top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee and a 2008 presidential candidate from Arizona.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., called GOP efforts to block a vote on the resolution ``obstructionism.'' Neither a Senate majority nor voters, she said, will tolerate such a delaying tactic. ``If we can't get this done, you can be sure a month or so down the pike, there's going to be much stronger legislation,'' she said.
The Senate, where Democrats hold a 51-49 working majority, has tentatively set an early test vote for Monday on the nonbinding resolution by Sen. John Warner, R-Va. In a bid to attract more GOP support, Warner added a provision pledging to protect money for troops in combat.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/05/2007 00:00 ||
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McCain's goal, per Hugh Hewitt, is to get the whole vote to collapse so that nothing gets passed, and (of course) to ensure that everyone sees him as the protector of our military.
I no longer like the honourable senator, but he's banking on his reputation to say what must be said if it isn't all to melt down now.
I've seen stories on the great dogfights of Korea and Vietnam. Tonight I saw the last 20 minutes of The Hunt for Bin Laden, which focused on special forces operations in Afghanistan.
I recommend the series to Rantburgers who'd like a different perspective on the War on Terror. The link gives some of the times, and of course, you can buy the DVD's!
Me? I'm gonna set up the Tivo to record some of the episodes.
If Mrs. Bobby will permit it, of course.
Posted by: Bobby ||
02/05/2007 19:04 ||
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I've been watching that for a couple of months now. Excellant with interviews with the actual soldiers involved.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
02/05/2007 19:38 Comments ||
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#2
Very well done series. It just tells the story, no political slant.
Law would still require him to hold elections unless that's too 'dangerous'.
ISLAMABAD The government is giving serious consideration to a proposal for the president to issue a proclamation of emergency on account of internal disturbance and fears of politics of agitation by the opposition, English daily The News reported yesterday. "Given the internal security situation, the proposal to impose emergency by the president is gaining ground with each passing day," the paper quoted "a senior official privy to this development", which he thinks would be the most effective answer to the rapidly changing scenario.
The official said the imposition of emergency by the president would be one option and if the proclamation is endorsed by a joint sitting of parliament it would automatically extend the term of the National Assembly for a period not exceeding one year and not extending, in any case, beyond a period of six months after the proclamation has ceased to be in force. "The government is privy to secret consultations of the opposition to launch agitation by opting for politics of destruction," said the senior official before adding "in that case, the proclamation of emergency would be a must."
The proclamation of emergency is issued by the president under Article 232 (1), which says: "If the President is satisfied that a grave emergency exists in which the security of Pakistan, or any part thereof, is threatened by war or external aggression, or by internal disturbance beyond the power of a provincial government to control, he may issue a Proclamation of Emergency." The parliament can then extend the life of the National Assembly for a maximum of one year. The government has an overall majority in the parliament.
A constitutional expert told KT that even if emergency is imposed, the presidential election would have to be held this year between September 16 and October 15. Similarly the life of the provincial assemblies cannot be extended and their elections would be due by January 2008. Such a prospect would play into government game plan. Gen. Musharraf can get himself reelected and then 'oversee' elections to the provincial assemblies.
The News said recent spree of suicide attacks at different places along with the incoming reports of the opposition camp to flex their muscles by going to the streets would be dealt with by a constitutional option of imposing emergency. When asked, the senior official did not rule out the option of declaring emergency much before the present assemblies complete the 5-year term, as it would simultaneously help the government to extend the period of the National Assembly for at least 12 months.
The News, however, reported that its correspondent contacted a senior member of the ruling party who said there was no such move in the offing and no such circumstances existed that called for imposition of emergency. He said the PML is fully capable of handling political issues and it was interacting with the opposition to resolve outstanding issues.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/05/2007 00:00 ||
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So how long do you have to have an emergency before it becomes a chronic condition?
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
02/05/2007 10:55 Comments ||
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#2
Famous old quote, "There's nothing quite so permanent as a Temporary Measure".
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
02/05/2007 15:23 Comments ||
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#3
Law would still require him to hold elections
Well, overthrowing the government is against Pakistani law too and that little fact didn't stop Perv, so elections may be a while in coming.
He is a master at rigging them though...
Posted by: john ||
02/05/2007 16:59 Comments ||
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Paramilitary forces to comb region ahead of grand operation
The government has ordered the deployment of thousands of paramilitary personnel across the tribal areas ahead of a major offensive in the volatile South and North Waziristan agencies to hunt for high value terrorist targets, Daily Times has learnt. "Mahmoud!"
"What, Ahmed?"
"The drums! I... I... I wish they'd stop."
Sources in the Interior Ministry said that the government had ordered the deployment of 2,000 personnel each of the Frontier Corps and Levies in Waziristan to comb the region ahead of the grand operation.
Security forces are expected to begin a grand operation in the troubled Waziristan tribal region to hunt down al Qaeda and Taliban militants, including Baitullah Mehsud, who is holed up in the area, the sources said, citing a decision made at a high-level meeting held late on Saturday night.
The meeting was held at the Interior Ministry with Interior Secretary Syed Kamal Shah in the chair. NWFP Governor Ali Muhammad Jan Orakzai, the States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) secretary, Crisis Management Cell (CMC) Director General Brig Javed Iqbal Cheema and other senior officials of the Interior Ministry attended the meeting.
The sources said that the security forces and political administrations of these two tribal agencies had been asked to block all the entry and exit points and land routes leading to other agencies in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) so that no militant could escape or sneak into settled areas.
The meeting also reportedly decided that the operation would be carried out solely by Pakistani security forces and the government would not seek assistance from US-led coalition forces in Afghanistan.
Intelligence reports have pointed to the presence of high value militants like Baitullah Mahsud in the area, said the sources. Mehsud was reportedly involved in the kidnapping and murder of two Chinese engineers along with their Pakistani driver working at the Gomal Zam Dam in 2004. His group has also been mentioned as the suspected perpetrators of a suicide attack on an army recruitment centre in Dargai late last year in which 42 cadets were killed.
The sources said that the government might give the status of nazim and deputy nazim to all former and present maliks to strengthen political agents. The government has trained over 2,000 men for the Levies force that will serve as the official force under the political agents.
Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Sherpao did not confirm or deny the major development, saying such operations were carried out by the Pakistan Army.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/05/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Presence of 'high value' militants
And please lead from the front like real men instead of hiding in your burkas behind women and childrean in Paki-land. allan is calling you home.
#2
Sources in the Interior Ministry said that the government had ordered the deployment of 2,000 personnel each of the Frontier Corps and Levies in Waziristan to comb the region ahead of the grand operation.
In other words, give them a heads up to get out of town before the excrement hits the rotary device.
Israeli military chiefs oppose launching a major ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, defence officials said, despite some concerns that bitter fighting there between armed Palestinian factions could boil over into a fresh spate of attacks on Israel. Eventually they'll have to go back into Gaza, but better later than sooner. Let the Paleos have a good time, let the corpse counts mount up, and just keep them confined to their playpen. Do it just right, and when the last Paleo standing decks the second-last Paleo standing, all they'll have to do is waltz in and arrest him.
Since Thursday, 28 Palestinians have died in Gaza fighting between the militant Islamic Hamas and President Mahmoud Abbas Fatah. Lots more to go...
The Israeli daily Haaretz on Sunday said the military and the Shin Bet intelligence agency were concerned that Hamas accusations that Israel is backing Fatah could provoke new attempts to carry out suicide bombings or other attacks on Israel. The paper cited top military sources as saying that while no Israeli assault was imminent, an operation on the scale of the Defensive Shield offensive of 2002, in which Israel reoccupied West Bank towns after a series of suicide bombings could become necessary in Gaza. How close is Israel to getting sucked into the Gazan vortex? Closer than one might think, Haaretz wrote in a front-page analysis, saying that the chief opponent of a major ground operation had been outgoing armed forces chief Dan Halutz.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/05/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Watching the Gazans crapping in their own house reminds me that small dogs are the hardest to house train.
#2
We seem to forget how before the withdrawl, most suicide bombers came from the West Bank, not fenced off Gaza. For an Israeli reinsertion to make sense, FIRST Hamas would have to win the Civil War or that would have to be a deal between Fatah and Hamas that allows Hamas a free hand. THEN, despite the fence, and the international boycott, Hamas would have to manage to pull off some strategicallt meaningful attacks. I think strat meaningful suicide attacks through the Gaza fence are unlikely, so it would probably only be a rocker campaign, one more effective than past rocket attacks out of Gaza, that would do it. The intervention then would likely be short term, a raid to break up the missile assets, hurt Hamas, and, if they can, free Shalit (Lebanon done right) rather than a renewed occupation. I doubt the improved intell from occupation outweighs the material and political costs.
(Xinhua) -- Exiled politburo chief of Hamas in Syria Khaled Meshaal said on Sunday that Hamas would try its best to make Mecca talks succeed. "The Palestinian dialogue is the only way to solve disputes and boost the national unity and partnership," Meshaal told a press conference.
He welcomed Saudi King Abdullah's invitation for himself and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to hold talks in the Muslim holy city of Mecca on Tuesday, asserting that the talks must not fail. "The situation does not afford failure. I say to Abu Mazen (Abbas): we have no option but to succeed," the leader of the ruling Islamic Resistance Movement said.
The forthcoming talks between Meshaal and Abbas would be their second in a fortnight. They met on Jan. 21 here in Damascus but the meeting failed to bring about a breakthrough in forming a Palestinian national unity government. "Our latest meeting with ... Abbas in Damascus was a step on the way for bringing stances together ... Syria was pushing all Palestinians towards reconciliation," Meshaal said.
Meshaal also called for an immediate stop of the fighting between Hamas and Abbas' Fatah movement, which he considered as "an exceptional behavior" between the two factions. "The Palestinian blood is prohibited and shouldn't be spilled except in resisting the occupation," he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/05/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
I am hoping they fail. I am hoping Hamas and Fatah kill each other in the thousands.
The sooner the myth of a Palestinian state and people is ground under the wheels of history the better.
The fierce internal clashes among Palestinian factions have shocked many Palestinians and Arab governments, who fear that the continuing bloodshed is damaging the Palestinian image before the world, Palestinians say. This fighting affects everyones morale, said Daoud Kuttab, a Palestinian analyst who teaches at Al Quds University here. We always felt we had this one big asset, our social unity as Palestinians, but to see it shredding, with lives being shed without much concern, is horrible. Weve lost a lot of sensitivity to these deaths, to those killed by the Israelis and ourselves.
Even as the Bush administration has moved in its second term to try for significant progress toward peace, Palestinians say that their own infighting is making it too easy for Israel to argue that the time is not right now to promote a Palestinian state. Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia have intensified efforts to stop the fighting, some of the worst internal Palestinian violence in years, and to push the warring Fatah and Hamas factions into a unity government of some type, no matter how fragile.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/05/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
We always felt we had this one big asset, our social unity as Palestinians"
Which is why the penultimate punishment for a West Bank Palestinian is to be exiled to the Gaza Strip, and vice versa.
#2
"...continuing bloodshed is damaging the Palestinian image before the world..."
Heh! For many observers these recent events only reinforce their previous held perceptions of the Palestinian people and their so-called leaders. Reality suggests that this is the obvious manifestation of decades of opposing criminal syndicates jockeying to govern a culture that has been spoon-fed on a cradle to grave indoctrination of hate and self-loathing. Then again, this is the NYTimes so what they really mean by image is, of course, victim.
Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse on Sunday invited Tiger rebel proxies in parliament to join an ongoing all-party effort to hammer out a settlement to the islands drawn-out separatist conflict. In his 59th Independence Day address, Rajapakse asked the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to join the All Party Conference to prepare a political solution to the conflict, which has claimed more than 60,000 lives since 1972.
I also wish to make this appeal to the Tamil National Alliance represented in parliament, who have so far not entered into dialogue or understanding with us, he said in his address to the nation. It is only by joining with us that the innocent Tamil people of the north can be liberated from terrorist intimidation and the misdeeds of violence, Rajapakse said. If you are anguished in fear and anxiety and lack in human freedom, however much democratic the political ideology you claim to follow, I must state in all honesty that none of you are free men, he said.
The TNA has 22 seats in the 225-member national parliament and its parliamentarians are proxies of the Tiger guerrillas. If the TNA joined in an all-party effort, the government would be within striking distance of cobbling together the two-thirds majority needed to change the constitution after 18 opposition legislators defected last week, analysts said.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/05/2007 00:00 ||
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A former president of Lebanon accused Syria of plotting a coup d'etat against his country's democratically elected government. Amin Gemayel, whose son Pierre, the country's industry minister, was assassinated in November, said he does not know who was responsible for the killing. But in an interview broadcast on CNN Sunday, he said he believed Syria was behind recent Hizbullah-led demonstrations aimed at toppling the government of Prime Minster Fuad Saniora. Syria, he said, wants to prevent the government from endorsing an international tribunal to prosecute the suspected killers of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/05/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Oh My, Who to root for?
A pox on both your houses.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
02/05/2007 8:51 Comments ||
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#2
Pretty clear who to root for if you ask me, the Siniora govt. Why would we be neutral between them and Hezbollah?
A military attack on Iran could unleash disastrous consequences for the Middle East and the wider world, a coalition of unions, faith groups and think tanks warned in a report released Monday. The document, "Time to Talk," said a military strike, which many believe is being planned by the United States, could further destabilize neighboring Iraq, undermine hopes for Israeli-Palestinian peace and embolden hard-liners in Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government. It said an attack on oil-rich Iran could also drive up fuel prices, harming economies around the world. "The possible consequences of military action could be so serious that governments have a responsibility to ensure that all diplomatic options have been exhausted," the report said. "At present, this is not the case."
The report was compiled by 17 groups, including the Amicus and GMB trade unions, aid agency Oxfam, the Muslim Council of Britain and the Foreign Policy Centre, a left-leaning think tank. Among the document's backers is Sir Richard Dalton, British ambassador to Iran between 2002 and 2006. Dalton acknowledged the threat posed by Iran's nuclear ambitions, but said "recourse to military action other than in legitimate self-defense is not only unlikely to work but would be a disaster for Iran, the region and quite possibly the world."
"A very bad idea, indeed. Somebody might get hurt."
He urged the United States to show "firmness, patience and a commitment to diplomacy" in dealing with Iran.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/05/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
That convinced me! Bomb! Bomb! Iran!
Of course these people don't mention what would happen in Iran develops a nuclear weapon... oh.. I forget the victims would only be jooos... (at least at first) so they don't care...
#2
Twist the Magic Kingdom's arm....get the price of oil down to $40 per barrel for the next 2 years...continue to cut off those who are building infrastructure in Iran...order popcorn and wait for the internal fireworks.
#3
Lest we fergit, LUCIANNE/OTHER > SURRENDER TO WEAK[ER] NATIONS; + WAFF.com > CHIRAC WILLING TO ACCEPT IRAN WID SEVERAL NUKES???, + CHIRAC> TO SURRENDER OR FIGHT, + AYMAN ZAWAHIRI remark > USA IS SAFE AS LONG AS NOTHING HAPPENS TO RADICAL ISLAMISTS.
#6
Used to be, left-wing groups issued "communiqués"; when did they switch to issuing "reports"?
Posted by: Dave D. ||
02/05/2007 6:10 Comments ||
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#7
Bomb, bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran.
Bomb Iran, Afghanistan
and Pakistan.
Leave Rockin and a Rollin
Rockin and a Reelin, Bomb Iran.
(Music courtesy of the Beach Boys song Barara Ann.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
02/05/2007 7:50 Comments ||
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#8
Crap. Leave em' Rockin and a Rollin'.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
02/05/2007 7:51 Comments ||
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#9
The report comes from the tin foil hats folks--Muslim Council of Britain, Oxfam, left-leaning think tank, etc.
Bombing is an option and Iran has to know that. A nuclear armed Iran is a very dangerous Iran to the region and to the West.
#10
further destabilize neighboring Iraq
How could it be further destabilized (except perhaps by...IRAN)? undermine hopes for Israeli-Palestinian peace
Bwahaha! Let's see...0 - 0 = ? embolden hard-liners in Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government
Are there harder-liners than Nutjob? drive up fuel prices, harming economies around the world
Wait a second, low fuel prices would drive up global warming!
How can they put out this drivel with a straight face?
"recourse to military action other than in legitimate self-defense is not only unlikely to work but would be a disaster for Iran, the region and quite possibly the world."
..Just a couple days ago an American diplomat publicly and clearly invoked that part of the UN Charter that states every nation has the right to military action in legitimate self defense. Makes me wonder what kind of pretzels the UN and the Usual Suspects will twist themselves into to deny us that.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
02/05/2007 8:55 Comments ||
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#12
I think a broken Iran would make the area safer, since it is Iran sponsoring 50-60% of terrorism anyway. The Saudis do most of the rest.
#14
WTF? Most Iranians are well aware that the Ayatollahs are looting the national treasury. The fact that the tyrants need to operate fascist storm troopers - Basijis - proves fear of the people.
#15
It WOULD be disastrous. It might delay the Islamic takeover of Europe by several decades. Not only that, but if Bush is successful, the Left would have to go into their back yards and eat green worms.
OT
Am I the only guy who thinks Bush should give a speach against eating rat poison? Then the Left, in defiance of anything Bush says . . .
Al
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
02/05/2007 10:14 Comments ||
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#16
Anyone with a pea for a brain can see what is really at stake.
The end of Islam ?
#20
The longer this idiocydiplomacy goes on, the surer I am that the opponents of military action against Iran actually want Iran to get the bomb - cf. ChIrak's freudian slip the other day, and the increasing rate of op-eds and studies saying Iran with nukes could be contained.
#22
OE 6990: I would caution you that the collective memory of Rantburgia is very long; and I hope you don't become one the 'Hundreds served.'
This has been a public service announcement......
I'm well aware of the collective memory of Rantburgia. I'm also only human, and prone to making mistakes myself. If I was repeatedly doing something...oh, like spelling "speech" as speach, or "definitely" as definately, I would hope that someone would gently and humorously clue me in so I wouldn't continue to make myself look stupid.
#24
lol, "Speach": (noun) a pronouncement given in front of an audience at a location in South Georgia (State in the United States of America).
I nominate this one as the new word of the Year. Kinda like "truthiness" last year, eh?
Posted by: BA ||
02/05/2007 15:03 Comments ||
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#25
OH, and I noted that the only "faith group" mentioned was the Muslim Council of Britain. I'd assume the MCoB is much like CAIR is here in the States. How "truthy."
Posted by: BA ||
02/05/2007 15:04 Comments ||
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#26
Potatoe
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
02/05/2007 15:13 Comments ||
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#27
And all this time, I thought teh was an internet abreviation of the. It's prolly just a typoe.
The nuclear brinkmanship between Iran and the West is expected to step up a gear amid predictions that Tehran is about to announce that it has begun industrial-scale production of enriched uranium. Iran has started installing about 3,000 centrifuges, the machines that can turn uranium into fuel for nuclear reactors or bombs, at a huge plant in Natanz - a prime target if the US or Israel conclude that there is no other way to stop Iran acquiring the bomb.
For all Iran's bluster, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) believes that technological setbacks mean it is still some years away from being able to produce enriched uranium on a big enough scale. But fear of imminent bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities is so strong that Robert Gates, the new US Defence Secretary, said at the weekend: "We are not planning for a war with Iran."
Posted by: Fred ||
02/05/2007 00:00 ||
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(AHN) - Lebanon's Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah admitted that his group receives weapons and money from Iran via Syria. However, he also added that the group that fought the Israelis in last summer's month-long war, also received support and from other 'moderate' Arab countries such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
In an interview with Dr. Saad El Din Ibrahim for the Kuwaiti daily newspaper Al Rai Al Aam, Nasrallah told Ibrahim - who is a vocal opponent of the Egyptian regime in Cairo - that it is no secret that Iran is aiding Hezbollah. Nasrallah also said that his group had miscalculated in last summer's war, which was triggered by the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers that sparked the Jewish state's bombardment of their northern neighbor. "Perhaps we erred, only God does not make mistakes, and we have apologized to the Lebanese people for this and have paid a heavy price in blood. We do not hesitate to sacrifice our children in the name of our righteous struggle," Nasrallah said.
In response to Ibrahim's question of becoming a pan-Arab leader Nasrallah quickly denied any such ambitions, saying that Lebanon is the only arena in the region that Hezbollah will take an active role in. "My agenda is based on one principle, ridding the oppression and injustice from which the Shiite sect in Lebanon suffers and turning the Shiites into genuine partners in leading and creating the state, and removing the Israeli threat," Nasrallah continued.
Haaretz reported that Ibrahim said he met with Nasrallah a few days before in Lebanon. Haaretz also identified Ibrahim as the chair of Cairo's Ibn Khaldun Center for Development Studies.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/05/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
"However, he also added that the group that fought the Israelis in last summer's month-long war, also received support and from other 'moderate' Arab countries such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia."
Yeah, but thats no more "aid" than my check to Allstate is "aid".
#2
Hez b allah has a number of funding sources. One of the biggest (who knows how much) is money extorted from Shia businessmen. The business pay either a percentage of gross or a weekly-negotiated rate or such.
The war damaged the commerce of several Shia heavy zones. No doubt this has reduced the 'take' from the internal extortion biz. Hezballah has also had to take funds out of the mahdi endowment fund to pretend to rebuild neighborhoods. No doubt the Hezballah finance dept complained to Nasr allah about all this.
#3
I still say that if the 4th ID had marched through Syria (after being turned down by Turkey), this whole mess wouldn't exist. Hindsight, I know, but it still could work...
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
02/05/2007 13:44 Comments ||
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After years of rising concern about left-wing anti-Semitism, the New York Times reported this week about a study for the American Jewish Committee. Written by professor Alvin Rosenfeld of Indiana University, the study describes the spread of a virulent anti-Zionism in many quarters on the left that has helped legitimate anti-Semitism. Some people have seized on the study to argue that these extreme anti-Zionists are really anti-Jewish bigots. Critics reply that criticizing Israel, even harshly, doesn't prove animus toward the Hebrew people.
So, how can you tell if you're a good liberal who simply thinks the West Bank settlements are bad policyor a closet Judeophobe whose progressive views mask a serious attitude problem? Take this quiz and see.
1. Who deserves the most blame for the Iraq war?
a) George Bush, Dick Cheney, and Donald Rumsfeld
b) Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle, and Bill Kristol
c) Blame? Don't you support the troops?
2. Which group exerts too much influence on America's Mideast policy?
a) Conservative jingoes
b) Not the Jews per se but a "pro-Israel lobby" composed mainly of wealthy New York financiers (who may well all attend the same shul)
c) Arabists at the State Department
3. How would you characterize debate about America's Mideast policy?
a) Robust, with a full range of opinions available in various publications
b) Nonexistent, since all criticism of Israel is "taboo"
c) Biased, because the Sulzberger family of the New York Times is afraid to seem "too Jewish"
4. Which state's offenses against humanity bother you most?
a) Sudan
b) Israel
c) Massachusetts
5. Criticism of Israel is:
a) Sometimes warranted, but needs to be kept in context and perspective.
b) The civic duty of every truly patriotic citizen who cares about America's self-interest.
c) Why are you always criticizing Israel?
6. What do you think of Joe Lieberman?
a) I liked him OK when he ran with Gore, but he lost me on Iraq, school vouchers, and Social Security.
b) The most dangerous man in the Senate
c) At least there's one Democrat who isn't soft on terrorism!
7. On what basis is Iran a threat to world peace?
a) I'm concerned that its unchecked nuclear-arms program will destabilize the region.
b) I'm afraid Israel will use its saber-rattling as a pretext to start World War III.
c) I pray Ehud Olmert will have the chutzpah to pull another Osirak.
8. Jimmy Carter's use of the term "apartheid" in his new book is:
a) intended to provoke debate but clearly ill-considered
b) a gutsy, rare example of someone "speaking truth to power"
c) more of the same from the putz who put Andy Young at the UN
9. Which describes your view of the Holocaust?
a) The most horrific crime in recorded history
b) A tragedy that, incidentally, gets far more hype than the Turks' slaughter of the Armenians or the white man's annihilation of the Indians
c) Child's play compared with what Iran's Ahmadinejad has planned
10. The term neoconservative suggests:
a) Erstwhile leftie radicals who grew disenchanted with the welfare state.
b) A cabal of pro-Israel intellectuals who have hijacked our foreign policy.
c) A code word for "Jews" used by the people who answered (b).
Your Results
Give yourself 1 point for each (a) answer, 2 points for each (b) answer, and 0 points for each (c) answer.
0-3: OK, you're not an anti-Semite. But you're not a liberal either. You win a lifetime subscription to Commentary and this sheaf of old AIPAC newsletters.
4-7: You display trace elements of atavistic fears. Your prize: a copy of The Plot Against America.
8-12: Phew! You're an unbigoted liberalpainfully capable of striking a middle ground and excruciatingly tolerant of all points of view. Please enjoy this complete set of Barack Obama's speeches.
13-16: You're clearly not nuts about Zion, but Abe Foxman won't be calling you just yet. To be safe, steer clear of any petitions emanating from British universities. Meanwhile, please claim your dinner with Tony Judt and two tickets to My Name Is Rachel Corrie!
17-20: You're an anti-Semite! You win a tour of synagogues in Italy, Argentina, and Turkey bombed by militants who are merely anti-Israel and not anti-Jewish. Also, an extended director's cut DVD of The Passion of the Christ.
Joe Lanzmann is the pseudonym of a liberal Jew who fears retributionthough precisely from whom he's not sure.
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.
An Islamic school is poisoning the minds of pupils with lessons in hate, a former teacher claims. Colin Cook, 57, says textbooks used by children as young as five at the King Fahd Academy in Acton describe Jews as "repugnant" and "apes" and Christians as "pigs". Pupils have allegedly been heard saying they want to "kill Americans", praising 9/11 and idolising Osama bin Laden as their "hero". There are fears that it could become a breeding ground for terrorists with Mr Cook warning: "The school could produce a dangerous harvest." Its sister school of the same name in Bonn has been singled out by the German intelligence services as a meeting place for activists linked to terrorism. 
Twice as many terror plots have been disrupted since the July 7, 2005, suicide bombings as has previously been made public, according to Britains security services, the Sunday Telegraph reports. Police raided properties in Birmingham last Wednesday after foiling an alleged plan to kidnap a British Muslim soldier. A further six plots, which have been kept secret until now for security reasons, had been planned by groups across Britain since the London Underground and bus bombings in 2005, Sean Rayment writes in the Sunday Telegraph. The revelation demonstrates the scale of the task facing MI5 and the police, who are now discovering or disrupting some kind of terrorist plot in the United Kingdom every six weeks. 
ISLAMIC terror cells in Britain have been instructed to carry out a series of kidnappings and beheadings of the kind allegedly planned by the nine terrorist suspects arrested in Birmingham last week. The strategic assassination instruction was issued by Al-Qaedas leaders in Pakistan and Iraq to dozens of their followers in this country. It was uncovered by MI5 last autumn, senior security sources say. As a result police are on standby for multiple attempts by terrorists to kidnap and then behead people across Britain. MI5 is conducting a counter-terrorism surveillance operation to prevent such an attack. 
George Soros lunched with some reporters on Saturday at Davos. He talked about spending $600 million on civil society projects during the 1990s, then trying to cut back to $300 million, and how this year it will be between $450 and $500 million. His new projects aim, in Floyd Norris's words, to promote a "common European foreign policy" (read: an anti-American foreign policy) and also to study the integration (or so he thinks) of Muslims in eleven European cities. He included among his dicta a little slight at Bill and Melinda Gates, who "have chosen public health, which is like apple pie." And then, after saying the United States was now recognizing the errors it made in Iraq, he added this comment, as reported by Norris in The New York Times' online "Davos Diary": "To what extent it recognizes the mistake will determine its future." Soros said Turkey and Japan were still hurt by a reluctance to admit to dark parts of their history and contrasted that reluctance to Germany's rejection of its Nazi-era past. "America needs to follow the policies it has introduced in Germany. We have to go through a certain deNazification process." ...
WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. 
The government has ordered the deployment of thousands of paramilitary personnel across the tribal areas ahead of a major offensive in the volatile South and North Waziristan agencies to hunt for high value terrorist targets, Daily Times has learnt.
(Xinhua) -- Exiled politburo chief of Hamas in Syria Khaled Meshaal said on Sunday that Hamas would try its best to make Mecca talks succeed. "The Palestinian dialogue is the only way to solve disputes and boost the national unity and partnership," Meshaal told a press conference. 
The fierce internal clashes among Palestinian factions have shocked many Palestinians and Arab governments, who fear that the continuing bloodshed is damaging the Palestinian image before the world, Palestinians say. This fighting affects everyones morale, said Daoud Kuttab, a Palestinian analyst who teaches at Al Quds University here. We always felt we had this one big asset, our social unity as Palestinians, but to see it shredding, with lives being shed without much concern, is horrible. Weve lost a lot of sensitivity to these deaths, to those killed by the Israelis and ourselves.
A former president of Lebanon accused Syria of plotting a coup d'etat against his country's democratically elected government. Amin Gemayel, whose son Pierre, the country's industry minister, was assassinated in November, said he does not know who was responsible for the killing. But in an interview broadcast on CNN Sunday, he said he believed Syria was behind recent Hizbullah-led demonstrations aimed at toppling the government of Prime Minster Fuad Saniora. Syria, he said, wants to prevent the government from endorsing an international tribunal to prosecute the suspected killers of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri.
A military attack on Iran could unleash disastrous consequences for the Middle East and the wider world, a coalition of unions, faith groups and think tanks warned in a report released Monday. The document, "Time to Talk," said a military strike, which many believe is being planned by the United States, could further destabilize neighboring Iraq, undermine hopes for Israeli-Palestinian peace and embolden hard-liners in Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government. It said an attack on oil-rich Iran could also drive up fuel prices, harming economies around the world. "The possible consequences of military action could be so serious that governments have a responsibility to ensure that all diplomatic options have been exhausted," the report said. "At present, this is not the case."
The nuclear brinkmanship between Iran and the West is expected to step up a gear amid predictions that Tehran is about to announce that it has begun industrial-scale production of enriched uranium. Iran has started installing about 3,000 centrifuges, the machines that can turn uranium into fuel for nuclear reactors or bombs, at a huge plant in Natanz - a prime target if the US or Israel conclude that there is no other way to stop Iran acquiring the bomb.
(AHN) - Lebanon's Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah admitted that his group receives weapons and money from Iran via Syria. However, he also added that the group that fought the Israelis in last summer's month-long war, also received support and from other 'moderate' Arab countries such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
