[AnNahar] Thousands of children in war-torn Somalia are facing death or disability due to an outbreak of highly contagious measles, the United Nations ...a formerly good idea gone bad... said Tuesday.
Recent rates of infection are four times higher than the same time last year, and a vaccination campaign must be "urgently conducted to prevent thousands of avoidable deaths", the U.N. children's agency UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) warned in a joint statement.
The outbreak comes amid renewed warnings impoverished Somalia risks sliding back into acute crisis less than three years since a devastating famine, amid poor rains, escalating conflict and aid funding shortfalls.
As lord garth said, pounding themselves into dust.
"We have a very high number of malnourished Somali children," UNICEF chief for Somalia Sikander Khan said.
"Malnourished children here are more susceptible to disease, and are more likely to die or suffer life long disability such as blindness, deafness or brain damage as a result of contracting measles."
WHO head for Somalia, Ghulam Popal, said the outbreak was "extremely alarming", warning that 10 percent of children infected could die from complications.
Around half a million children have been vaccinated in recent months, but the U.N. says some five million in total need protection.
In some parts of Somalia -- notably southern and central regions including areas where African Union ...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful... troops are battling Al-Qaeda linked Shabaab turbans -- immunisation rates are as low as 15 percent.
Less than a third of children aged under a year were vaccinated countrywide in 2013.
Somalia was the hardest hit by extreme drought in 2011 that affected over 13 million people across the Horn of Africa, with famine zones declared in large parts of the war-ravaged south.
One in five children dies before their fifth birthday with measles one of the main causes, according to the U.N.
The measles campaign would cost some nine million dollars (6.6 million euros), but aid agencies are already struggling to raise the funds needed for other emergencies in the country.
[Fox News] The terrorists who attacked the U.S. consulate and CIA annex in Benghazi on September 11, 2012 used cell phones, seized from State Department personnel during the attacks, and U.S. spy agencies overheard them contacting more senior terrorist leaders to report on the success of the operation, multiple sources confirmed to Fox News.
The disclosure is important because it adds to the body of evidence establishing that senior U.S. officials in the Obama administration knew early on that Benghazi was a terrorist attack, and not a spontaneous protest over an anti-Islam video that had gone awry, as the administration claimed for several weeks after the attacks. The paralogism unveiled.
I had to look that up (thanks for the new word, Besoeker!). If you, dear Reader, share my ignorance, it means a piece of illogical or fallacious reasoning, especially one that appears superficially logical or that the reasoner believes to be logical. In short, truthy logic.
Eric Stahl, who recently retired as a major in the U.S. Air Force, served as commander and pilot of the C-17 aircraft that was used to transport the corpses of the four casualties from the Benghazi attacks -- then-U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens, information officer Sean Smith, and former Navy SEALs Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods -- as well as the assault's survivors from Tripoli to the safety of an American military base in Ramstein, Germany.
#1
If I had to guess, I'd wager the above is the primary reason neither our Champ or the Beast's diary or "personal notes" on Benghazi will ever see the light of day. They've lowered the 'cone of silence by weaving [either inadvertently or intentionally] high-level Special Intelligence into the documents.
#5
Good News!!! The NSA must have all of the conversations. Also, if anyone got the tail number on the aircraft they left on then we know who bankrolled the attack. Surely the CIA or NSA got that number.
[LATIMES] riminal court on Wednesday handed down a 15-year jail term for a leading figure in the 2011 uprising against Hosni Mubarak ...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011... in connection with a protest last year against the military-backed government. It was the first such verdict under new Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi.
The heavy jail term for activist Alaa Abdel Fattah and his 23 co-defendants appeared to bode ill for any easing of a wide-ranging crackdown on political dissent that has taken place over the last 11 months in Egypt. The sentences were the longest yet for liberal freedom fighters targeted in recent months.
Meanwhile, ...back at the fist fight, Jake ducked another roundhouse, then parried with his left, then with his right, finally with his chin... Sisi took the unusual step of making a hospital visit Wednesday to a woman who was sexually attacked by a mob during celebrations of his election victory, with her ordeal captured on a widely shared video. The government has come under strong criticism from activists for failing to stem widespread sex harassment in public areas.
"Our honor is being assaulted in the streets," the presidential office quoted Sisi as saying. "This is unacceptable, and we can't allow one more incident like this."
Posted by: Fred ||
06/12/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
You can drive down the blvd. in Cairo and see the Private Clubs with the pool and the cabanas for senior military officers and their families ( only ) and some people are more equal than others apparently.
But then Moslem fighting men need to get their rest. And the cool sunglasses, don't forget the Gucci sunglasses.
Posted by: Big Thromoth3646 ||
06/12/2014 7:05 Comments ||
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#2
Golly. That was neither original nor profound, Hemingway. Have you tried writing for The New Republic? They go for that kind of thing over there. Do you remember Private Scott Thomas Beauchamp? We do.
[AnNahar] An Egyptian court extended for a further 45 days Wednesday the detention of an Al-Jazeera ... an Arab news network headquartered in Qatar, notorious for carrying al-Qaeda press releases. The name means the Peninsula, as in the Arabian Peninsula. In recent years it has settled in to become slightly less biased than MSNBC, in about the same category as BBC or CBS... journalist who has been on hunger strike for nearly five months, judicial sources said.
Abdullah Elshamy, who works for the main Arabic channel of the Qatar-based network, was enjugged Into the paddy wagon wit' yez! August 14 when police dispersed supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi ...the former president of Egypt. A proponent of the One Man, One Vote, One Time principle, Morsi won election after the deposal of Hosni Mubarak and jumped to the conclusion it was his turn to be dictator... in Cairo.
Elshamy, who has yet to face trial, has been on hunger strike since January 21 to protest his detention, according to his family.
The authorities have been incensed by Al-Jazeera's coverage of their crackdown on Morsi supporters, in which more than 1,400 have been killed in street festivities and at least 15,000 locked away Drop the rosco, Muggsy, or you're one with the ages! Elshamy's family told AFP in May that he had shed 40 kilograms (88 pounds) since he began the hunger strike.
Three other Al-Jazeera journalists with the network's English-language channel are held in Egypt and on trial for defamation and supporting Morsi's Brotherhood.
The trial of Australian Peter Greste, Egyptian-Canadian Mohammed Fadel Fahmy, Baher Mohammed and 17 other co-defendants has sparked an international outcry.
On June 5, prosecutors demanded the "maximum" penalty for all 20 defendants in this trial.
Remember when Al Jazeera was flying so near the sun, before they bought Al Gore's ill-starred cable tv channel? It seems they flew too near and melted their wings.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
06/12/2014 00:00 ||
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Long piece from The Blaze on the escape of two young girls from Boko Harem, what they saw, and what it means. Harrowing. Boko Harem may be the number one terrorist group, from a lot of contenders, that most needs to be stomped hard.
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/12/2014 00:00 ||
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[AnNahar] Yemen shut down a newspaper and television channel owned by former president President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh ... Saleh initially took power as a strongman of North Yemen in 1977, when disco was in flower, but he didn't invite Donna Summer to the inauguration and Blondie couldn't make it... Wednesday without giving any reason, a member of Saleh's said.
Both media outlets are often singled out for their coverage, seen as biased against the government formed after Saleh bowed to street pressures and resigned in 2012.
"Yemen Today television channel and newspaper were shut down today" after the government approved a "decision by president Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi," Sultan al-Barakani, the head of the General People's Congress parliamentary bloc, told Agence La Belle France Presse.
"Forces belonging to the presidential guard shuttered the headquarters of the television and newspaper and seized their equipment," he said, adding that no explanation was given for what he called a "dangerous precedent."
The closure came as the interior ministry urged people to "avoid responding to suspicious calls inciting violence," as thousands erupted into the streets of Sanaa to protest power cuts and water and fuel shortages.
Although weakened, Saleh still heads the influential GPC and retains the loyalty of some elements in the military. Critics accuse him of impeding the country's political transition.
In February 2013, the United Nations ...an idea whose time has gone... reiterated a threat of sanctions against anyone who interferes in the delicate transition process, naming Saleh explicitly.
[Ynet] The European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... General Court said on Wednesday it had annulled an asset freeze imposed by the EU on Syria International Islamic Bank.
The court said the EU had failed to prove that transactions carried out by the bank "involve a particularly high risk that the money comes from the Syrian regime."
"Dammit, Guenther, if we let Assad fail, it'll be a lot more than 10,000 jihadi bad guys wandering freely across Europe!"
Posted by: trailing wife ||
06/12/2014 00:00 ||
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[AnNahar] Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel on Wednesday staunchly defended the swap of five Taliban detainees for U.S. soldier Bowe Bergdahl, insisting it was the "right decision" despite the risks involved.
The choice to go ahead with the exchange was a "tough call" but President Barack Obama Because I won... faced few options and needed to act given Bergdahl's deteriorating health, Hagel told politicians.
"In the decision to rescue Sergeant Bergdahl, we complied with the law, and we did what we believed was in the best interests of our country, our military, and Sergeant Bergdahl."
Seeking to counter a barrage of criticism from Republican politicians over the deal, Hagel said he endorsed Obama's decision because "America does not leave its soldiers behind."
"We made the right decision, and we did it for the right reasons -- to bring home one of our own people."
The May 31 exchange was in keeping with past U.S. conflicts and there was no option to prosecute the Taliban detainees held at the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Hagel said.
But the Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Buck McKeon, blasted the decision as "deeply disturbing."
"This transfer sets a dangerous precedent in negotiating with terrorists," McKeon said in his opening statement.
"It reverses longstanding U.S. policy and could incentivize other terrorist organizations, including Al-Qaeda, to increase their use of kidnappings of U.S. personnel," he said.
McKeon accused the B.O. regime of failing to properly consult with politicians over the swap and that the move violated laws governing the transfer of Guantanamo detainees.
Some Democrats in Congress have also criticized the White House for not keeping politicians fully informed of the situation.
Hagel acknowledged that the administration may have fallen short on that count.
"We could have done a better job of keeping you informed," said Hagel, but added it was an "extraordinary situation" that could have unraveled if word had leaked of the plan.
#1
The"deteriorating health" excuse has already been de-bunker, Chuckles.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
06/12/2014 9:03 Comments ||
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#2
Hagel said he endorsed Obama's decision because "America does not leave its soldiers behind."
Of course - just ask Ambassador Stevens and the others with him (two of which were Seals). They will tell you! Obama and his staff will never leave anyone behind,
#3
Hagel said he endorsed Obama's decision because "America does not leave its soldiers behind."
Part of the fundamental transformation of America the champ talked about.
Quintus Arrius: Now listen to me, all of you. You are all condemned men. We keep you alive to serve this ship. So row well, and live.
"This raises two issues. One, the idea that Durant was traded for Somali prisoners was news to me. Back in 1993, President Clinton said "no deals" were made to secure Durant's release and Adid called the move a 'goodwill gesture.' The top lawyer of the DOD, however, just contradicted that version of events. It should be noted that Preston worked for the DOD before -- under President Clinton. If anybody would know the truth, it's Preston." Que the bus!
#1
The problem here is Clinton did not publish his deal with Adid. Obama, ever the amateur, telegraphed to the world that we dealt on this one. We negotiate with every hostage taker, from bank robber to nation states, but we do it in private, the results are kept secret, we dont keep it a secret from congress and then broadcast it to the world after. Obama is so D%^ked up I think he does this shit on purpose just to hurt this nation.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
06/12/2014 11:24 Comments ||
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#2
Bergdahl is a feint, little more than a maneuver designed to distract or mislead. This entire episode to include Bergdahl's useful idiot parents are another in a never ending saga of Rose Garden theater. There are other agreements in play with the release of these five, senior TB leaders.
[DAWN] Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah on Thursday said that incompetence shown by the airport security paved the way for the hard boy attack which killed 37 people on Sunday night.
Speaking to media representatives in Mirpurkhas, he said the attack was conducted by "well-trained terrorists," who managed to infiltrate into the airport premises due to security negligence.
The chief minister dispelled the notion of a rift between the federal and provincial government on the Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... airport attack, saying both the governments were on the same page to take action against culprits behind the attack.
Earlier, addressing a conference organised by Provincial Disaster Management Authority in Karachi, Shah said that harsh statements issued at the time of the attack were only replies to questions raised by the federal government.
"I was disappointed when (Federal Interior Minister) Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan visited Karachi after the attack and did not bother to meet the provincial stakeholders on the issue," he said.
The chief minister said that a high-powered investigation committee was formed soon after the attack to ascertain those lapses which provided the terrorist a chance to carry out an attack on a highly sensitive location.
He termed the attack as the worst of its kind he had witnessed in his entire life, saying that prompt response of the security forces saved many lives along with government installations.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/12/2014 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] The Pakistain Army on Wednesday decided to intensify air strikes on myrmidon hideouts in the wake of recent attacks across the country.
The decision was taken by the Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif during a meeting of the Formation Commanders at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.
In the meeting it was also decided to track down bully boyz and monitor their movements across the country. To dismantle terror networks, the army resolved to coordinate closely with intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
The half-yearly meeting was attended by all Corps Commanders and Formation Commanders, where comprehensive briefings on the security situation of the country as well as professional matters relating to the military came under discussion.
It also reviewed the goals achieved in North Wazoo and Tirah Valley.
The army chief said the sacrifices rendered by those in the war against terrorism would not be in vain. The participants were briefed on targets of recent air strikes. It was also decided that the Airport Security Force (ASF) would be trained by the military in order to counter future attacks.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/12/2014 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] Describing Pakistain as being in a 'war zone', Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan promised in the National Assembly on Tuesday that there would be a review of security options and a 'reaction' to Sunday night's deadly terrorist attack at Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... airport.
Briefing the house about what he called 'raw courage' shown by security personnel in their battle with heavily armed bad boys, in which 29 people were killed from both sides, he also called for patience and a united struggle to face a 'serious security situation' facing the country.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
06/12/2014 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] In a survey conducted in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... airport, local secret police found the cargo area of Islamabad airport lightly guarded and other weaknesses in the security there.
I'm shocked and appalled by this discovery. Completely unexpected, it was, given that Pakistan is a Third World country, and headed downward.
Dawn has learnt that the Special Branch of police immediately reported to Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif that the airport needed extra, and better-armed, guards, CCTV cameras and firefighting equipment to secure it against the very present terrorist threat.
A security official said they were considering lowering the alert level at the Islamabad airport but dropped the idea after the latest eruption on the fringe of the Karachi airport.
Earlier, the secret police had conducted a routine security inspection in March and suggested, among other measures, imposing a ban on the use of mobile phones by people visiting the airport to improve its security.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/12/2014 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] The visit of Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen to Pakistain was cancelled at the eleventh hour for unknown reasons.
However, a clean conscience makes a soft pillow... it is believed that it happened due to the prevailing security situation, especially in light of the attack at Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... airport, Dawn has learnt from officials in the Foreign Office, interior ministry and police.
Consequences. Always a surprise in some circles.
President Abdulla Yameen was scheduled to arrive in Islamabad on June 11 for a three-day visit.
During his visit, he was to meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... and also visit his country's embassy. He was also scheduled to meet representatives of various chambers of commerce, sources said.
All security arrangements had been finalised, they said, however the Maldivian embassy informed the Foreign Office that the trip had been postponed for an indefinite period.
The embassy of Maldives had not replied officially but hinted that the attack at the airport was the reason for cancellation, the Foreign Office source said.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/12/2014 00:00 ||
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[AnNahar] Uzbek fighters were involved in the all-night siege of Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... airport that killed 37, murderous Moslem sources said Wednesday, highlighting how the Pak Taliban can draw on international murderous Moslem networks to carry out major attacks.
The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), an Al-Qaeda affiliate that has been mainly based in Pakistain's tribal belt since the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, claimed the "martyrdom" of 10 of their fighters during this week's assault in a statement posted on various Taliban-linked websites.
The attack extinguished a nascent grinding of the peace processor and raised questions about how the Taliban were able to penetrate the airport serving Pakistain's economic hub.
"At midnight of Monday ten brave martyrdom seeking mujaahids of Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan wearing their explosive-filled vests attacked a very special section of Karachi International Airport of Pakistain," the English-language statement attributed to IMU said.
The page included photographs of 10 black-turbaned fighters wearing green tunics and white trainers while carrying assault rifles, in what appeared to be a snowy mountainous region.
"This martyrdom operation was carried out as the Dire Revenge™ to the latest full-scale bombardments and night attacks with fighter jets by (the) Pakistain Apostate Army," the statement added.
A senior Pak Taliban official confirmed that Uzbek fighters were involved in the attack but did not say how many.
He told AFP: "Yes, the attack on the Karachi airport was a joint operation of TTP and Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.
"The foreigners are also our Mohammedan brethren and we all are Mohammedan Mujahideen. So we can't elaborate on how many Uzbeks and how many Paks participated in this action," he added.
A security bigshot indicated that the group was partly Uzbek and partly Pashtun, while a second intelligence official in Karachi said the attack may have been coordinated with the help of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi ... a 'more violent' offshoot of Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistain. LeJ's purpose in life is to murder anyone who's not of utmost religious purity, starting with Shiites but including Brelvis, Ahmadis, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Rosicrucians, and just about anyone else you can think of. They are currently a wholly-owned subsidiary of al-Qaeda ... , the sectarian murderous Moslem outfit deeply embedded in Pakistain's major cities.
"We believe that the LeJ has coordinated the attacks," the Karachi official said.
Karachi police meanwhile announced Wednesday they would press murder and terrorism charges against Taliban front man Shahidullah Shahid, 10 "unknown" attackers and accomplices, in what was seen as a symbolic move.
Ten heavily armed forces of Evil laid siege to Karachi airport throughout Sunday night and the early hours of Monday morning in one of the most brazen attacks on a key installation in recent years.
Security analyst Imtiaz Gul said IMU fighters had migrated to Pakistain's tribal areas after being forced to flee from Afghanistan following the U.S.-led invasion.
"They have been under the protection of the Pak Taliban for some time. The Uzbeks are dependent on them for shelter and survival and are used as their foot soldiers in operations," he said.
Foreign murderous Moslems, mostly Uzbeks and Chechens are believed to have been involved in other major attacks in recent years, including on a Karachi naval base in 2011 and the military headquarters in 2009.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
06/12/2014 00:00 ||
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The US has 35,000 troops stationed in the Middle East including 10,000 in Kuwait -- plus 10,000 troops, an F-16 detachment and a Patriot missile battery in Jordan
President Obama completed his troop withdrawal from Iraq in December 2011, leaving the country in the hands of government security forces
The White House said Tuesday that Hillary Clinton deserves credit for 'ending the war in Iraq, responsibly winding down the war in Afghanistan, and decimating and destroying core al-Qaeda'
Three GOP senators warned that the Iraq mess is a preview of Afghanistan once the U.S. completes the Obama-led troop draw-down there
The Islamic State of Iraq in Syria (ISIS), formerly known as Al-Qaeda in Iraq Islamic State of Iraq, is capturing cities, seizing money and oil, and displacing hundreds of thousands of people
America has provided the Iraqi government with copious military materiel but doesn't plan to respond to ISIS's advances with troops
Instead, Washington has told Baghdad to 'step up to the plate' and help its people in ways that freeze out terror groups
The current turmoil in Iraq is a feature, not a bug, for the progressive Left in the U.S. (and Western Europe). This is what ANSWER and Code Pink, the World Can't Wait and the rest, all wanted. They wanted Iraq to fail after Saddam's fall.
Why? Because it reinforces, in their minds, their ideology and world-view. America is evil, and therefore anything -- anything! -- we do must fail. If we removed Saddam and helped Iraq to a (somewhat) democratic republic, that must fail. If we chased the Taliban out of Kabul and gave the Afghanis a chance to have a country, that must fail. If we support Israel, Israel must fail (not just fail but splatter).
And most of all -- America is successful, so America must fail.
The 'narrative' here is hard left, progressive and Orwellian. Their Hobbesian ideology can't win in a peaceful, prosperous country so that country must fail. Hence the Cloward–Piven strategy that clearly has been at work the past five years. Mr. Obama's foreign policy is but one part of this. Notice all the different parts of the world that are falling apart at about the same time -- from Iraq to Venezuela, from the South China Sea to Libya, we have major troubles. Notice how this complements the major domestic troubles of the collapse of our borders, the ruinous debt and the take-no-prisoners political approach of the Left.
I suggest that this is not an accident. The Obama administration was not blindsided by the recent collapse of the Iraqi army in the Sunni west of that country. They weren't blindsided by the weakness of the al-Maliki government.
They've known -- and approved.
The real centerpiece of the Obama/Clinton/Kerry mideast strategy is for the middle east to fail. When it does, so does America.
That's the point.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/12/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
• The White House said Tuesday that Hillary Clinton deserves credit for 'ending the war in Iraq, responsibly winding down the war in Afghanistan, and decimating and destroying core al-Qaeda'
#4
I've seen it argued that we had to try, to give us justification for what may, or more accurately, will likely come in the future...the true arc light, rubble bouncing to eliminate the Islamic threat. The Iraqis had a functioning, fairly stable, by regional standards, democracy. But they just couldn't make it work. It goes against their nature to make such a system work. It will not work out well for them. Sad for the innocents.
#6
I would support shifting troops to Kurdish country, including the Embassy staff. Treat the place as a defacto country but otherwise let Sunni and Shia work out their differences.
#7
In some ways, Iraq is still sorting out WWI and the Balfour Agreement and that nasty back door agreement to subdivide the ME into French and English fiefdoms.
Common sense then and now would have said you don't put Shia, Sunni and Kurdish folks in the same room and expect them to play nice.
Iraq should have been three countries in 1924 and it looks as if it is going to morph into such an arrangement in 2014. My only regret is how the empty suit pissed away a really good effort at bringing a working democracy to the ME.
Posted by: Bill Clinton ||
06/12/2014 22:43 Comments ||
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Posted by: Uncle Phester ||
06/12/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
a few airstrikes aren't going to stop ISIS
Posted by: lord garth ||
06/12/2014 0:10 Comments ||
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#2
Hey, BO will personally fly those airstrikes. Although I wonder if you can get into a flight suit with Mom jeans?
Posted by: Steven ||
06/12/2014 4:11 Comments ||
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#3
Won't happen. The White House turned them down. Iraq was Bush's war, the end-state of which must result in disaster. Besides, we'd be bombing our Soodi friends, whom we bow to. If you're currently located in the US Embassy Baghdad, you might wish to make sure your affairs are in order.
#7
Don't they know game 4 is tonight? And no, this afternoon the opening World Cup game. Sorryz, good luck with your peace negotiations with the determined barbarians.
#8
If you're currently located in the US Embassy Baghdad, you might wish to make sure your affairs are in order.
If you're in the US embassy anywhere Baghdad you need to go to the market and buy a whole lot of ammo, 'cause Obama's got a fundraiser to go to.
Posted by: frozen al ||
06/12/2014 14:17 Comments ||
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#9
AIrstrikes on the billions of dollars of aircraft, weapons, vehicles and armor we left there? Jesus, we just armed the new nation of AQ with the elements of modern war, and they got 1/2 billion in cash from the bank in Mosul, as well as refineries. What a colossal *uckup the mutt in whe WH has made out of the ME. COuld you be any more stupid of is he really the Manchurian Candiate, ValJar as mummy?
Posted by: frozen al ||
06/12/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
What's there to defend with a bunch of corrupt petty politicians in charge, all fighting among themselves for power or a piece of the action. [not that anyone in the Beltway will pay attention to that warning]
#2
The leftists in D.C. really do believe the old 60's anti-war meme: "What if they gave a war and nobody came?" The only problem is when the other side doesn't believe this meme which is most of the time.
#3
The problem is we care for their freedom more than they do.
Same thing happened in Vietnam where some Vietnamese folks started to think it was the US's war so why get killed. Then when Uncle Sam left they found the war wasn't entirely over.
[AnNahar] Powerful Shiite holy manMoqtada Tater al-Sadr ... the Iranian catspaw holy man who was 22 years old in 2003 and was nearing 40 in 2010. He spends most of his time in Iran, safely out of the line of fire, where he's learning to be an ayatollah... , who led the once-feared Mahdi Army militia, on Wednesday called for the formation of units to defend religious sites in Iraq.
Sadr said in a written statement that he was ready "to form peace units to defend the holy places" of both Mohammedans and Christians, in cooperation with the government.
His call came after Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said the government would arm citizens who volunteer to fight Death Eaters, following the fall of Iraq's second city djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... and a swathe of other territory to jihadist Sunnis on Tuesday.
But Sadr's involvement in the formation of such units would almost certainly be unacceptable to Iraq's Sunni Arab minority, members of which are also deeply mistrustful of Iraq's Shiite-led government.
Before he suspended its activities in 2008, Sadr's Mahdi Army -- once estimated to have up to 60,000 members -- played a major role in the country's Sunni-Shiite sectarian conflict.
Bloodshed in Iraq is now running at its highest levels since 2006-2007, the height of that sectarian conflict, in which tens of thousands were killed.
[Ynet] Paleostinian President the ineffectual Mahmoud Abbas ... a graduate of the prestigious unaccredited Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow with a doctorate in Holocaust Denial... condemned Tuesday the rocket fire into Israel's southern communities earlier in the day. Abbas demanded all Paleostinian factions respect the ceasefire deal that was signed between Israel and Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, after Operation Pillar of Defense and was included in the recent unity deal between Fatah and Hamas.
Abbas said in a statement that respecting the ceasefire deal harms the security interest of the Paleostinian people and that attacking Israel gives it an excuse to continue its attacks in Gazoo.
We always ask, but what did he say in Arabic? The second question now is whether his people can take control over an unwilling population. Abbas lost Gaza to Hamas once before.
[Ynet] More than half of Paleostinians are against renewing negotiations with Israel, while less than one third think they should be restarted, according to a new poll conducted by a West Bank research center.
The survey, conducted earlier this month by the Paleostinian Center for Public Opinion, found that 56.3 percent of Paleostinian adults believe the negotiations should not be restarted due to Israeli intransigence on prisoner releases and halting settlement construction, and just 30.3 percent say the talks should resume.
They've got much more urgent things to think about just now: the outside money and outside interest are running out, and if Abbas can't wrest control from Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the whole thing will blow up in their faces.
[Ynet] A report in Iran's Fars News Agency quoted a Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, official as praising Iran for its ongoing support of Hamas' Gazoo government.
"The relentless supports of the Islamic Theocratic Republic of Iran and its stances in supporting the Paleostinian government in the Gazoo Strip in the last 7 years have helped the government to overcome many problems and obstacles," Hamas's Youssef Rezqeh reportedly told Fars Wednesday.
According to the report he underlined that the Iranian government has always supported the Paleostinian cause and "resistance forces" have benefitted from the aid.
[Ynet] Israel refused entry to Paleostinian businessman Munib al-Masri into the Gazoo Strip, Paleostinian news agency Ma'an reported Tuestay.
Al-Masri, who is close to Paleostinian President the ineffectual Mahmoud Abbas ... a graduate of the prestigious unaccredited Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow with a doctorate in Holocaust Denial... , said that this was supposed to be his first visit to the Gazoo Strip since the establishment of the unity government, and was meant to monitor the economical situation in the Gazoo Strip and organize an investment conference which was scheduled to be held in the final quarter of this year.
Quid pro quo, dood. Your buddy, Abbas wrote to the EU, et al, asking them to intervene in Israel's treatment of your hunger-striking terrorists. Consequences are a biatch.
[Ynet] A senior Israeli security source responded to news that a rocket from the Gazoo Strip had hit Israel, and said "the rocket fire proves the Paleostinians have a pseudo-government, not something real. This is proof that (Paleostinian President Abbas) does not control the strip.
"Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, has already said after the unity government was announced that it would not lay down its arms and will continue its struggle against Israel. Abbas will not have to pay the price for today's rocket fire, and the sovereign in Gazoo is still Hamas.
"Abbas has the chance to show he control the Gazoo Strip, he should prove it."
Gauntlet thrown. Let's see if President the ineffectual Mahmoud Abbas ... a graduate of the prestigious unaccredited Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow with a doctorate in Holocaust Denial... is able to pick it up.
[Ynet] The No. 2 in Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, says he hopes to move from his base in Egypt to his native Gazoo Strip following the formation of a Paleostinian unity government last week.
Moussa Abu Marzouk also told The News Agency that Dare Not be Named that reconciliation efforts between his Islamic myrmidon movement and Paleostinian President the ineffectual Mahmoud Abbas ... a graduate of the prestigious unaccredited Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow with a doctorate in Holocaust Denial... have been bumpy. The 63 year old said Tuesday that "there are problems, (but) it's not a crisis."
[AnNahar] A senior Paleostinian official has called for international action against Israel over the detention without charge of more than 100 Paleostinians who have been on a long-term hunger strike.
"I am writing on behalf of the Paleostine Liberation Organization and President the ineffectual Mahmoud Abbas ... a graduate of the prestigious unaccredited Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow with a doctorate in Holocaust Denial... to request your immediate intervention on behalf of the approximately 130 Paleostinian detainees and prisoners currently on hunger strike in Israeli prisons," Saeb Erakat said in a letter obtained by AFP Wednesday.
"We call on you to call on Israel to annul the policy of administrative detention and to condition deepening your bilateral ties with Israel pending Israel's fulfillment of all its obligations," he wrote in English.
Administrative detention is a procedure dating back to the pre-1948 British mandate under which military courts can hold suspects without charge for periods of up to six months, which can be renewed indefinitely.
The letter, issued on Tuesday, was sent the European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... 's member states, Brazil, South Africa and India.
It was also sent to U.N. Security Council members, but not to non-permanent member Australia, which recently said it would no longer refer to annexed east Jerusalem as "occupied," infuriating the Paleostinian leadership which wants it as capital of their future state.
Israel Prisons Service told AFP there were currently 250 inmates refusing food, 90 of them for over six weeks of whom 75 had been hospitalized.
IPS spokeswoman Sivan Weizman said this was the longest-ever mass hunger strike of Paleostinians held by Israel.
Some 5,000 Paleostinians are being held in Israeli jails, with nearly 200 in administrative detention.
U.N. chief the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon ... of whom it can be said to his credit that he is not Kofi Annan... has urged Israel to either charge or release the striking prisoners without delay.
Meanwhile, ...back at the secret hideout, Scarface Al sneeringly put his proposition to little Nell... Israel pushed forward with plans for a bill to enable doctors to feed hunger strikers against their will.
Parliament on Monday approved the bill in its first reading, ahead of a series of debates in a committee and two further plenum votes before it passes into law.
But the draft legislation, composed by the internal security ministry, has raised objections not only among left-wing, liberal and Arab politicians, but also from the Israel Medical Association which has urged Justice Minister Tzipi Livni to block the bill.
In a letter to Livni, the IMA warned the move would be "in total contradiction to internationally-accepted medical ethics" and Israel's medical ethical code.
Force feeding poses a "danger" to the health of those on hunger strike "and is against the non-maleficence principle," said the letter which was signed by IMA head Doctor Leonid Edelman and Professor Avionam Reches, chairman of its ethics bureau.
"The proposed law is wrong ethically and professionally, it won't only damage the patients and their medical condition, but also Israel's world standing," they wrote.
"We can't accept a law that places doctors in a battle they should have no part of, in total contrast to their professional and ethical duties."
Making friends and influencing people, in the inimitable jihadi/mafia way.
[AnNahar] Gazoo's banks reopened Wednesday after being closed for six days by Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, forces, an official said, in a dispute that is the first challenge to a new Paleostinian unity government.
"All automatic telling machines at bank branches in the Gazoo Strip are working again today," said a statement from Jihad al-Wazir, head of the Paleostinian Monetary Authority, the Paleostinians' central bank.
Hamas forces withdrew from outside banks, where they had been preventing the use of ATMs.
All banking services would be available on Thursday morning, Wazir said.
Hamas demanded Thursday that the Paleostinian Authority take employees of the disbanded Gazoo government onto its payroll, after the PA's Gazoo-based staff received their salaries but their Hamas counterparts went empty-handed.
After scuffles broke out at ATMs, Hamas security forces closed the banks.
The row over pay was the first hitch in a reconciliation deal between Hamas and the Paleostine Liberation Organization that began with the formation of a new unity government.
The PA has so far refused to pay Hamas's 50,000 civil servants, who are not registered as its employees because they were appointed after the Islamist movement ousted bitter rivals Fatah -- which dominates the PLO -- from Gazoo in 2007.
Although Hamas allowed banks to reopen Wednesday, it continued to levy financial pressure by confiscating a number of card machines from Gazoo shops and supermarkets so customers could not pay by credit card.
[Debkafile. Salt to taste warning standard.] IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz's cryptic remark Monday, June 6, that "The Israeli Air Force will next month dramatically change its mode of operation," meant that a decision has been taken to start directing the IAF's fire power against military and terrorist targets in the Syrian and Iraqi arenas -- in particular the al Qaeda forces foregathering ever closer to Israel's borders with Syria, Iraq and Jordan. By aerial fire power, the general meant not just warplanes but also Israel's long-range unmanned aerial vehicles and helicopters.
He was lecturing to the Herzliya meeting of the Interdisciplinary Center's policy and strategy institute.
On May 28, foreign sources were quoted as reporting that the Israeli Air force had shut down its last AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters squadron, which had served manly for strikes against armored and ground targets. Instead, lighter and cheaper drones have been commissioned for use against those targets.
Asked what he meant by "a dramatic change in the IAF's mode of operations," Gen. Gantz replied: A different kind of enemy is at our door. It is "more mobile, better at concealment and comes from farther away."
If we count the jihadists present in the northern part of the map (.i.e., north of Israel) and add them to those scattered in the south and east (Iraq, Jordan and the Sinai Peninsula), we come to a total of 50,000 armed Islamist fighters, he said..
So how do we handle them? Two divisions? That may work for the Gazoo Strip. But this enemy is widely scattered and not susceptible to our usual military tools. Still, we are obliged to deal with this menace and "we also have the opportunity to do so."
That was all the chief of staff was ready to say on the subject.
He made it clear that conventional military divisions are obviously no use for combating Al Qaeda's 50,000 Death Eaters because they are not a standing, regular army deployed on fixed front lines. They move around stealthily in deeply remote desert regions and wadis, which are often unmarked even on military maps.
But they do have command centers, some of them mobile, and are beginning to take over strategic points in Syria and Iraq, including main road hubs, bridges, small towns and oil fields and pipelines.
The intelligence to support aerial combat against these targets is also different from the kind which supported the IDF hitherto.
Gen. Gantz touched on this when he said: "We understand that we must turn to a method of warfare that hinges on intelligence, which means bringing our intelligence into those places."
In other words, before Israeli aerial vehicles approach jihadist targets, Military Intelligence Corps combat field units must be on hand, operating over broader stretches of terrain than ever before.
All this adds up to the IDF and IAF undergoing a process of radical change in its military-air-intelligence strategy, which, say debkafile's military sources, brings them close to the American methods of operation in Afghanistan and Pakistain to be introduced after the US troop withdrawal at the end of the year.
It is safe to assume that the two armies will work together in close rapport in the war on Al Qaeda.
The Gantz doctrine has not been accepted by all of Israel's generals and commanders. On May 21, former Navy Chief, Brig. (Res.) Elie Merom made bluntly critical remarks on what he referred to as the "monopoly on firepower in depth" which Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon proposed to award the IAF. He said this imbalance was unhealthy, that the air force has many limitations and putting all one's eggs in one basket is asking for glitches and uncertain consequences.
Merom added: "These days, automatic fire can be initiated from any platform just as well and accurately as from airplanes. It's also cheaper."
A kind of competitive dispute has sprung up among the IDF's top generals and commanders over whether it is the task of the armed forces to define and locate targets for the air force to strike, or whether other combat units can manage to provide firepower of the same quality, efficacy and precision as the air force.
#1
Howdy TW, You have always researched and posted some incredible articles, but since I've been back your posts are just "off the charts". You are obviously very "plugged in".
Asymmetrical Triangulation | AT
Posted by: Herb Hitler8891 ||
06/12/2014 21:14 Comments ||
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#2
A kind of competitive dispute has sprung up among the IDF's top generals and commanders over money. The Israeli military is being asked to do more with less which is not going down well.
"Iraq and Syria are merging into a single battleground. Each country's collapse has destabilized the other. Previously national concerns, like the removal of the Assad dictatorship or the increasing centralization of Iraq's government, are now secondary to the larger, transnational turmoil -- a vast regional war that sharply escalated this week." It appears that "Leading From Behind" (TM) is not working out so well?
#2
The Fucking democrats only know one play book and that was written in 1974 as they did everything possible to make the South Vietnamese government fail. They did the same thing to make sure the Sandinistas stayed in power in Nicaragua and tried to prop up the commies in El Salvador.
Now they dust off the play book and instead of furthering a communist take over of a previously US supported semi-democracy, they support a well organized collection of Islamic fanatics in the destruction of a US supported government in Iraq...is Libya far behind.
So we run and hide from Iraq and Afghanistan, we give weapons to fanatics to overturn dictators and then leave the common people to twist in the wind to the whims of sadistic fanatics.
Bush didn't start it in Syria or Libya and he did leave Iraq in some semblance of order...
Gad Zooks this guy just wants us to all die under the rusty knife of the jihadists.
So what's the overs and unders on the next MAJOR terrorist incident in the US and what's the overs and unders on Obama trying to declare martial law and suspending elections?
Posted by: Bill Clinton ||
06/12/2014 20:14 Comments ||
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[AnNahar] Western countries that back the revolt in Syria have started to shift position on the conflict because of the danger posed to them by jihadists, according to Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Oppressor of the Syrians and the Lebs... "The United States and the West have started to send signs of change. Terrorism is now on their soil," said Assad, according to remarks published in a Lebanese newspaper that backs the Damascus regime.
"An American went kaboom! on Syrian soil, while a Frenchie (of Algerian origin) killed Jews... in Brussels," said Assad, according to Al-Akhbar newspaper.
A 29-year-old Frenchie of Algerian origin who spent more than a year fighting in Syria is being held in jug on suspicion of a May 24 shooting that killed four people in Brussels.
Late last month, the United States said an American national carried out a suicide kaboom in the north of Syria.
Leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized nations have announced a decision to tighten their defenses against the risk of terror attacks by European jihadists returning from Syria.
According to Al-Akhbar, Assad said "current and former U.S. officials are trying to get in touch with us, but they do not dare to because of the powerful lobbies that are pressuring them."
Syria's war began as a peaceful movement demanding political change, but later morphed into an armed rebellion attracting foreign jihadists after the Assad regime unleashed a massive crackdown against dissent.
[AnNahar] Syrian rebels backed by the international community called Wednesday for help to fight the jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ... the current version of al-Qaeda in Iraq, just as blood-thirsty and well-beloved as the original... in the east of the war-ravaged country.
The Free Syrian Army ... the more palatable version of the Syrian insurgency, heavily influenced by the Moslem Brüderbund... 's appeal came a day after ISIL spearheaded a jihadist Sunni offensive in neighboring Iraq that claimed the country's second-biggest city djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... and a swathe of other northern territory.
"The Supreme Military Council calls on all friendly and brotherly Arab nations, particularly Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... , Turkey, Qatar, the UAE and Jordan, to give aid to the brigades on the ground in Deir Ezzor province so they can confront the terrorist ISIL organization," the FSA said in a statement.
ISIL, which emerged in the Syrian conflict in 2013, grew from al-Qaeda's Iraq affiliate, though it has since split with the global terror network and faced criticism from its head Ayman al-Zawahiri ... Formerly second in command of al-Qaeda, now the head cheese, occasionally described as the real brains of the outfit. Formerly the Mister Big of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Bumped off Abdullah Azzam with a car boom in the course of one of their little disputes. Is thought to have composed bin Laden's fatwa entitled World Islamic Front Against Jews and Crusaders. Currently residing in the North Wazoo area. That is not a horn growing from the middle of his forehead, but a prayer bump, attesting to how devout he is... It aims to establish an Islamic state straddling Syria and Iraq, but has faced a major backlash from rebels and al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, Al-Nusra Front.
The backlash has all but forced the group from Idlib and Aleppo province, but it has entrenched itself in Raqa and the eastern province of Deir Ezzor -- the scene of fierce festivities in recent weeks.
The fighting in the oil-rich province has killed more than 630 people in just 40 days and displaced more than 130,000 civilians, says the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
ISIL was initially welcomed by some in the armed opposition when it entered the conflict but its quest for hegemony and systematic abuses against civilians and rival rebels have sparked anger.
Moderate and Salafist tough guys and Al-Nusra Front have been battling ISIL since early January, in fighting that has killed more than 6,000 people
Posted by: trailing wife ||
06/12/2014 00:00 ||
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[AnNahar] The regime of Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Scourge of Qusayr... said Wednesday it is willing to help Storied Baghdad in the fight against "terrorism", a day after jihadists overran Iraq's second city djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... "The foreign-backed terrorism that our brothers in Iraq are facing is the same that is targeting Syria," said the foreign ministry.
Damascus is "ready to cooperate with Iraq to face terrorism, our common enemy", it said in a statement.
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ... the current version of al-Qaeda in Iraq, just as blood-thirsty and well-beloved as the original... is a radical jihadist group operating in Iraq and Syria. It aims to establish an Islamic emirate stretching across the two countries' borders.
ISIL bully boyz spearheaded a jihadist offensive on Tuesday that claimed the province of Nineveh and its capital Mosul, as well as other parts of northern Iraq.
In Syria, ISIL controls large swathes of the oil-rich province of Deir Ezzor, which borders Iraq.
"This terrorism is a threat to peace and security in the region and the world," said the Syrian ministry, calling on the U.N. Security Council "to decisively condemn these terrorist and criminal acts, and to take action against the countries supporting these groups."
In Syria, the regime has systematically branded peaceful opponents, rebels and jihadists alike as "terrorists" backed by the Gulf.
But rebels and dissidents opposed to Assad's regime have turned against ISIL because of their quest for hegemony and systematic abuses.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
06/12/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
Welp,looks like the moooslem version of the 30 Years War is getting ready to kick off. Gotta make the Shia an early favorite, due to the BOMB factor.
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 Arab news network headquartered in Qatar, notorious for carrying al-Qaeda press releases. The name means 
Wazoo
[DAWN] In a survey conducted in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the 
Moqtada 
the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
Zawahiri
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
