Saudi Arabia gave an apparent warning to arch enemy Iran on Wednesday by saying outside powers should not intervene in the conflict in neighboring Iraq.
Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal also said Iraq was facing a full-scale civil war with grave consequences for the wider region.
His remarks coincided with an Iranian warning that Tehran would not hesitate to defend Shi'ite Muslim holy sites in Iraq against "killers and terrorists", following advances by Sunni militants there.
Speaking at a gathering of Arab and Muslim leaders in Jeddah, Prince Saud urged nations racked by violence to meet the "legitimate demands of the people and to achieve national reconciliation (without) foreign interference or outside agendas".
"This grave situation that is storming Iraq carries with it the signs of civil war whose implications for the region we cannot fathom," he said.
#2
Not so much squirrel as a proof-positive demonstration that these A$$hats can and shall do what they want.
Notice to all not of a "right mind" has been served.
Alinsky Rule #8: “Keep the pressure on. Never let up.” Keep trying new things to keep the opposition off balance. As the opposition masters one approach, hit them from the flank with something new. (Attack, attack, attack from all sides, never giving the reeling organization a chance to rest, regroup, recover and re-strategize.)
#3
SeattleWeekly: Willpinit High School Redskins, over in Spokane County. Except they have no plans to change their mascot. At a school where more than 90 percent of the students are Indian - in the heart of the Spokane Reservation where author Sherman Alexie was raised – they’re sticking with Redskins. Said Tim Ames, superintendent of Wellpinit schools, this week: “I’ve talked to our students, our parents and our community about this and nobody finds any offense at all in it. ‘Redskins’ is not an insult to our kids. ‘Wagon burners’ is an insult. ‘Prairie niggers’ is an insult. Those are very upsetting to our kids. But ‘Redskins’ is an honorable name we wear with pride. … In fact, I’d like to see somebody come up here and try to change it.”
#7
Apache, Lakota, Tomahawk, Kiowa, Flintstones, Arrowhead, anything injun needs to be renamed. Then we rename everything with Spanish names. No more of this China town stuff. Chicago Bears is an insult to animals rights moonbats...
#11
Whatever happened to no ex=post-facto laws? Isn't this pretty much the same legally speaking,given how the 14th amendment has been so broadly applied (equal protection)?
#1
Great Map. Notice the Kurdish-controlled area in Sinjar, to the west of Tal Afar. That is crucial, as Sinjar is the main area of the Yezidis. If ISIS takes control of Sinjar, a real bloodbath could ensue. Tal Afar deserves careful attention as well, as it is home to many Shia Turkmen. Also, the Tal Afar region had been heavily Kurdish before the ethnic cleansing program of Saddam Hussein. I imagine that many members of the Peshmerga would like it back.
h/t Gates of Vienna
...The Middle East is not simply falling apart. It is taking a different shape, along very clear lines — far older ones than those the western powers rudely imposed on the region nearly a century ago. Across the whole continent those borders are in the process of cracking and breaking. But while that happens the region’s two most ambitious centres of power — the house of Saud and the Ayatollahs in Iran — find themselves fighting each other not just for influence but even, perhaps, for survival. Whatever happened to "Arab Israeli Peace Process"?
#1
Not all bad, the herds are being thinned. We have to get away from the meddling, do-gooder, attitude of trying to fix the Mideast and trying to bring about peace. We do need to communicate to them in no uncertain terms that if they screw with us again, its all over for them--it will not be nation building next time.
Looks like it. Iraq's location makes a good battle space between the two jockeying powers. And its central geography allows all the regions states to easily be pulled in.
#6
It is taking a different shape, along very clear lines
Iraq has fragmented: The Islamic State of ISIS is born. Kurdistan is all but established. Shiastan seems to have taken shape radiating out from the oil rich port city of Basra.
I could imagine Turkey retaking its former province and city of Mosul especially with its fall to ISIS. Iran may be tempted to reclaim former Persian lands west of Shatt Al-Arab.
ISIS is consolidating its territorial gains from East Syria with its gains in Iraq. It's to be seen IF Assad wins, will he try to re-incoporate parts of Lebanon into a Greater Syria.
How long can Jordan stay out of it? King Abdullah II can't be thrilled to be ISIS's bucket list.
#7
That map is dead wrong. At least int he North. Kurdish state will be larger - it will include Kirkuk, and more of the territory NW of Mosul - right up to the river bank. Thats Kurd/Turcomen area. And they do already have de-facto control of that territory with the Peshmerga in and around there.
And the Shia will not let go of Baghdad and the surrounding area due to religious shrines and Shia majority populations in some of those cities to the N/W of Baghdad.
#8
Oh, and the Kurds claim the capital is Kirkuk - they have traditionally have it as part of their ethnic area, as well as parts of the neighboring provinces. That map must have been drawn by a Turk.
#9
IMO the ISIS/ISIL-led Battle for Iraq has finally caused the West to recognize that Radical Islam's Jihad is a GLOBAL JIHAD AKA GLOBAL MOHAMEDDAN CONQUEST.
#11
OOOOPPPPSSS, my bad, forgot FREEREPUBLIC > [Slate] AL-QAIDA HISTORIAN: ISIS' NEAR-TERM GOAL IS "VAST WAR WIDIN ISLAM".
and
* RUSSIA TODAY > "DEADLY DANGER": UK + GERMANY WARN OF ISLAMIST FIGHTERS' PLAN TO ATTACK IN EUROPE.
[Once again, 1960-70's = 2014 TOM CRUISE'S NEW FLICK "EDGE OF TOMORROW" here].
Ditto as per coming Leaving-the-Earth new movie "INTERSTELLAR", or as I = MADONNA? intrepete it = "IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE GLOBAL/WORDWIDE ISLAMIC CONQUEST, A HANDFUL OF NON-MUSLIMS DECIDE THEY MUST LEAVE A TROUBLED, REPRESSIVE EARTH INTO SPACE IN ORDER TO SAVE HUMANITY + FREEDOM".
h/t Gates of Vienna
Nearly four dozen Sunni detainees were gunned down at a jail north of Baghdad, a car bomb struck a Shiite neighborhood of the capital and four young Sunnis were found slain, as ominous signs emerged Tuesday that open warfare between the two main Muslim sects has returned to Iraq.
The killings, following the capture by Sunni insurgents of a large swath of the country stretching to Syria, were the first hints of the beginnings of a return to sectarian bloodletting that nearly tore the country apart in 2006 and 2007. But, but, but, no such thing as good guys over there?
#1
"If the (Sunni militants) stay in Tel Afar, the Shiites can't go back home, but the Sunnis can," said another Shiite resident
Without a strong leader to hold the tribes together, they tend to split up - like Yugoslavia, or even Czechoslovakia.
Posted by: Bobby ||
06/18/2014 13:09
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#2
The main purpose behind ISIS massacring Shias is to spark reprisals by p*ssed off Shias on Sunnis. After which ISIS can claim to be the "protectors" of the Sunni people. ISIS cannot conquer a united Iraq.
#3
He is over the top and losing it. FOX needs to reel him in or cut him like MSNBC did Olberman. I heard Megan out did him in the ratings last week. He's on his way down.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
06/18/2014 14:36
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#4
Well gosh golly bill, Obama and Company wanted to give these guys air support. I think we will be lucky if we don't give ISIS air support and also try to bomb them at the same time. But say so we make nicey nice with Iran and start bombing...where? Anyone know where the blitzkriegs are at any moment? Gonna be able to tell the difference between bad guys dressed as civilians or when they are dressed/equipped as Iraqi government?
I hear Iran has some fancy new domestic flying machines and a new aircraft carrier - if we are to give a chunk of Iraq to Iran let them fly CAS. IMO the best chance of preventing this came what four weeks ago when Fallugah fell apart. There was some time to come up with a plan of support but for whatever reason that did not happen. Convoys of obvious technicals and cows and food wagons crossing the open would have been chow time for an A-10 but we are above such antiquated platforms right? Second best chance was to catch the spoils sent back to Syria but no airstrikes there eh? Oil exports are being disrupted as we speak, shall we lift sanctions on Iran in exchange for them letting us help them?
[DAWN] Being seen as an indirect support of Zarb-e-Azb military operation in North Wazoo, the Jamaat-e-Islami ...The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independent branch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores... (JI) has called upon forces of Evil active in the tribal belt and elsewhere in the country to shun their terrorist activities and instead join the national mainstream.
"I appeal to forces of Evil hailing from tribal areas and other parts of the country to give up the way of getting their demands met at gunpoint and instead use the people's force for joining the mainstream," JI emir Sirajul Haq said after a consultative meeting of the party on the army operation here on Monday.
"It's also need of the hour that they (the bad boys) play their role in protecting lives instead of confronting the state," he emphasised.
Syed Munawwar Hasan, former emir of the JI, became controversial after he declared forces of Evil being killed in festivities with security forces as deaders.
Rejecting the use of force, violence and war both by the state and non-state actors as against wisdom and prudence, Mr Haq said that the Nawaz government should have taken the national leadership and parliament into confidence before going for such a big decision (of army operation).
He called for keeping the talks option open despite the operation and seeking help and cooperation from tribal elders, who had been safeguarding interests of Pakistain since decades.
He said military operations in tribal areas were going on since 2004, but the situation there was becoming more complicated with the passage of time.
Recalling the unanimous mandate the politicianship of the country had given to the government in September last year for holding talks with bad boys, the JI leaders accused the government of not showing sincerity from the outset and that its stance had been like "one step forward and two steps back".
Posted by: Fred ||
06/18/2014
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Lots of photos and videos, text from the military perspective. Some Israeli politicians are calling for Hamas to be crushed in the West Bank, civil LEO are praising the PA's [unsurprising] cooperation in the effort. Ynet adds:
[An Nahar] The stable security situation in Leb was marred on Tuesday after Hizbullah ...Party of God, a Leb militia inspired, founded, funded and directed by Iran. Hizbullah refers to itself as The Resistance and purports to defend Leb against Israel, with whom it has started and lost one disastrous war to date, though it did claim victory... obtained news that a terrorist group is seeking to attack two hospitals in Beirut's southern suburbs.
Al-Joumhouria newspaper reported that Hizbullah members and the Lebanese army deployed heavily on the entrances of Dahiyeh on Monday night and boosted security measures after the bombing reports circulated.
The newspaper said that the party obtained information that a "terrorist group will attack al-Rasoul al-Aazam and Behman hospital with kabooms."
"Hizbullah implemented a precautionary deployment plan," the daily said.
Al-Jadeed television reported on Monday night that the army detained three suspects, who are currently being interrogated.
Security sources told al-Joumhouria that the bombing threats come in light of the violence in Iraq as Sunni Mohammedanforces of Evil captured large swaths of territory collaring Storied Baghdad, the capital.
In fighting on Monday, the forces of Evil seized the strategic city of Tal Afar near the Syrian border, and an Iraqi army helicopter was shot down during festivities near the city of Fallujah west of Storied Baghdad, killing the two-man crew, security officials said.
Hizbullah sources expressed fear in comments published in al-Liwaa newspaper from a rebellion in Leb similar to that in Iraq.
"Despite the stable security situation after the formation of the cabinet, dormant terrorist cells still exist," the sources said.
Informed sources denied in remarks to As Safir newspaper that the army has detained jacket wallahs, seized booby-trapped vehicles or has uncovered under ground tunnels.
On Monday, media reports said the army discovered a tunnel in one of the Paleostinian refugee camps reaching out of it.
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[Pak Daily Times] At least nine people, including two women, were killed and over 100 injured as police allegedly shot up workers of Dr Tahirul Qadri ...Pak politician, founder and head of Tehreek-e-Minhajul Quran. He usually resides in Canada, but returns to Pakistain periodically to foam at the mouth and lead demonstrations. Depending on which way the wind's blowing, Qadri claims to be the author of Pak's blasphemy law. Other times he says it wasn't him... -led Pakistain Awami Tehrik (PAT) outside Minhajul Koran Secretariat in Model Town on Tuesday.
The festivities began as police went to remove the 'illegal' security structures from the office and residence of Tahirul Qadri in Model Town on Monday night at around 2:30am, arguing that the local people had complained of troubles due to the barricades, reports said. The PAT workers tried to abort the effort, inviting severe shelling by the riot police. They rolled their eyes, jumped up and down, and hollered poorly rhymed slogans real loud and pelted police with stones as it moved a bulldozer to raze the structures. The police used tear gas to disperse the protesters. As the sun rose, heavy police reinforcements arrived and started captured the workers involved in rioting.
The area virtually turned into a battlefield as initial attempts for a negotiated settlement failed. The PAT workers gathered in huge numbers. They burnt tyres and rolled their eyes, jumped up and down, and hollered poorly rhymed slogans real loud against police and the Punjab government. The police, in a desperate bid to disperse the mob, allegedly shot up the protesters and also fired aerial shots. At least nine people were killed, and over hundred injured, mostly with bullet wounds and that too in upper parts of the body. Several bullets hit the house of Tahirul Qadri and the other nearby buildings. Police also fired tear gas which created panic among the locals.
Rescue teams reached the spot and started shifting the injured to a nearby hospital, where many of the injured were still said to be at death's door. The administration confirmed that nine bodies and over 104 injured were brought to the Jinnah Hospital, of whom around 61 had sustained bullet wounds. The hospital administration said at least 24 coppers were also among the injured. Condition of at least 15 PAT workers is said to be precarious. Three of the injured were later shifted to the LGH and five to the Services Hospital.
The hospital administration said that most of the police officials were discharged after medical treatment. They said that all coppers received minor injuries but one or two who received bullet wounds.
Emergency was declared in the city hospitals and special teams were set up to provide best medical treatment to the injured. A number of relatives and friends of the injured persons reached the hospitals to inquire after them.
Police, meanwhile, managed to remove all the barricades despite intense resistance. Anti-encroachment officials were later seen clearing the area and removing the rubble. Heavy police presence could be seen in the locality to keep the situation under control.
Police claimed that local people had complained of troubles caused by the barricaded roads.
Police says the festivities began as they tried to remove the 'illegal' security barricades from the office of Pakistain Awami Tehrik. "When police reached there to remove illegal encroachments, workers started pelting stones and threw petrol bombs from the roof," Capital City Police Officer Chaudhry Shafiq told media. The deaths resulted from 'bullets fired by workers, not police', he claimed.
Posted by: Fred ||
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[Iran Press TV] Argentina President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner says her country refuses to go along with a US judge's ruling requiring a USD 1.5 billion repayment of defaulted bonds.
Argentina cannot pay the disputed bonds in full but is still willing to remain at the negotiating table, said the president during a national address Monday night.
The statement came hours after the US Supreme Court refused to hear Argentina's appeal and left the order in place.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
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#1
The South American country may also lose use of the US financial system
Thanks to the Fed, that's becoming less and less of a problem. Another one of those Hopey Changey thingys of the transformation of America.
#7
Shipman, look at Supreme Court ruling against SpaceX on this issue. They made a mistake to sell a launch so some country that might turn out bankrupt.
#9
Argentina = Christina = is being the MilPol Agressor that future OWG SOUTH AMERICAN UNION + current Mercusor Bloc El Supremo BRAZIL was supposed to be???
[Tolo News] Three days after severing the fingers of 11 voters in western Herat ...a venerable old Persian-speaking city in western Afghanistan, populated mostly by Tadjiks, which is why it's not as blood-soaked as areas controlled by Pashtuns... province, a Taliban capo, Mullah Shir Agha, was killed in an Afghan cops operation, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) said in a statement on Monday.
The operation took place in the Robat-Sangi district, where on Saturday news broke that 11 voters had been seized by Talibs on their way home from a polling center and had their fingertips, which were stained by ink from voting, severed.
"Insurgent commander Mullah Shir Agha and one of his officers were killed in a police operation yesterday in Herat," the MoI statement read. "The pair was accused of having cut off the ink-dyed fingers of 11 voters in the western province."
According to the Interior Ministry, another turban thought to have been involved in the mutilations on Saturday was injured and taken into custody during the operation.
No police casualties were reported.
The Taliban had warned people not to participate in Saturday's vote, at pain of violent retribution. However, a poor excuse is better than no excuse at all... as was the case during the first round in April, millions of Afghan voters turned out at polls in defiance of the turbans' threats.
Ultiamtely, Saturday's voting process was described as relatively peaceful despite a series of Taliban attacks that officials said killed more than 50 people.
Both runoff candidates Abdullah Abdullah ... the former foreign minister of the Northern Alliance government, advisor to Masood, and candidate for president against Karzai. Dr. Abdullah was born in Kabul and is half Tadjik and half Pashtun... and Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai have pledged, if elected, to improve ties with the West and sign the stalled Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), which would allow nearly 10,000 U.S. troops to remain in Afghanistan post-2014 to help train and advise Afghan forces as well as conduct counterrorism operations.
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06/18/2014
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#1
which would allow nearly 10,000 U.S. troops to remain in Afghanistan post-2014 to help train and advise Afghan forces as well as conduct counterrorism operations.
Maybe someone there is watching the news from Iraq?
Posted by: Bobby ||
06/18/2014 7:51
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[DAWN] IT is hardly a secret that young people in the subcontinent, many of them underage, are regularly forced into marriages they might not desire. Indeed, so regressive is the mindset among some circles that the practice is not seen as impinging on an individual's rights and freedoms. Regrettably, this abusive practice has spread to other countries, too, via the diasporas. In the UK, thousands of cases have been documented where young people, including minors, have been forced into marriage, some on British soil and others brought back to their families' countries of origin to be coerced into matrimony. Thereafter, many are condemned to a life where they can suffer grave physical, sexual and other forms of abuse, and find it difficult to escape their circumstances. The UK has therefore taken a laudable step in criminalising the practice, with the legislation coming into effect across England and Wales on Monday. Most notably, the law applies not just within Britannia but also criminalises a British citizen being forced into marriage abroad. For good reason have campaigners welcomed the laws as a "huge step forward".
Of course, it is not just people from the subcontinent who mete out such treatment to members of their families. The UK's Forced Marriage Unit dealt with some 1,300 cases last year alone. Some 18pc of the victims were male, and the cases related to people from 74 different countries. Shockingly, though, nearly two-thirds of the cases related to the UK's South Asian community. A closer look at these numbers reveals an even more damning indictment: 10pc were linked to Bangladesh, 11pc to India, and a massive 43pc to Pakistain. If the scale of the problem is so large in the UK, we can only guess at what it might be here, where even laws criminalising underage marriage are flouted with impunity. How can this change? For Pakistain, it requires a fundamental shift in society's patriarchal and tribal mindset. Sadly, there are next to no indications of this happening.
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#1
I have worked with a couple of women who had to flee forced marriages because the husband was literally going to murder them. It is really sad. I helped one get a pay raise to a living wage even though she didn't work for me or my company. She had begged for my help with the client. Jeez.
[Libya Herald] Operation Dignity played no part in the US seizure of Ahmed Bukhatallah on Sunday, nor did it know anything about the plan beforehand, the Dignity front man, Mohammed Hejazi told the Libya Herald this evening.
Hejazi denied any knowledge of the operation. When asked how this could be, when he had claimed several times that Operation Dignity had "eyes and ears" all over Benghazi, Hejazi declined to comment.
He said however that Ansar Sharia: "has no arms and no legs. They were powerless in the face of the US operation and were unable to resist".
This evening there were reports that Bukhatallah's family were claiming that he was still at his home in Old Leythi and had not been seized by the Americans. This story has been picked up and carried by both Aljazeera TV and radio.
Posted by: Fred ||
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[CNN] U.S. special forces working with the FBI captured a key suspect in the deadly 2012 attack on the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, U.S. officials said Tuesday.
Libyan militia leader Ahmed Abu Khatallah was captured over the weekend near Benghazi, U.S. officials said. His is the first arrest and detention by the United States in connection with the Benghazi attack.
Abu Khatallah will be brought to the United States to face charges "in the coming days," said Edward Price, a front man for the National Security Council.
Abu Khatallah, who faces three federal criminal charges, will be tried in U.S. courts, said Attorney General Eric Inaction Jackson Holder ... aka Mister Fast and Furious...
Posted by: Fred ||
06/18/2014
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[Pak Daily Times] ISLAMABAD: Atwo-day International Ulema Conference on Polio Eradication to overcome the barriers to vaccination in the country concluded here on Monday.
Prominent Ulema and religious scholars from the country and aboard participated in the conference to make a strategy for having effective polio ...Poliomyelitis is a disease caused by infection with the poliovirus. Between 1840 and the 1950s, polio was a worldwide epidemic. Since the development of polio vaccines the disease has been largely wiped out in the civilized world. However, since the vaccine is known to make Moslem pee-pees shrink and renders females sterile, bookish, and unsubmissive it is not widely used by the turban and automatic weapons set... immunization mechanism.
The purpose of the conference was to bring together the religious leaders and apprise them about the challenges of polio eradication in Pakistain, particularly with respect of mis-information in the name of religion, which has resulted fears in certain communities.
The participants in the conference discussed in detail the role of Ulema in reaching children in the inaccessible areas with focus on North and South Wazoo.
They also discussed the root-causes of the barrier between vaccinators and children with focus on 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... besides discussion on current situation of polio eradication and why and where are children un-reached.
The participants also discussed how to eliminate the concerns of Ulema and ensure them that polio vaccine is not harmful for health and no element of harram is in its ingredient.
The conference also discussed guidance on strategies that can effectively overcome current situation and political challenges to polio eradication in Pakistain.
Addressing the participants, Minister of State for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Saira Afzal Tarar said that polio eradication campaign can be made result oriented with the support and guidance of Ulema.
She said that Ulema's role is very important in making public opinion and creating awareness in masses.
Saira Afzal Tarar said that provision of health facilities is top most priority of present government and it is focusing on protection of citizens from lethal diseases and solution of various health problems including eradication of polio.
She said, "In order to make Pakistain a developed country we must emerge as a healthy nation." She underscored for administration of polio vaccine drops to children for becoming a healthy nations.
She said, "Safeguarding the health of our children is not only our social responsibility but a moral and religious obligation as well.
Islamic scholars can play a leading role in educating the parents to fulfil their obligations to ensure a healthy and happy life of their children.
"She said that it is high time to eliminate concerns of those circles, who consider polio eradication campaign as dubious thing and they never accepted campaign of polio eradication.
During two-day conference, an in-depth discussion was held with focus on specific issues to eradication and immunization of polio from Central, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central... , FATA and some areas of Karachi and Quetta.
A joint statement was issued at the end of the conference.
Those Ulema who attended the conference including Maulana Hanif Jalandhari and Allama Tahir Ashrafi.
President Islamic Development Bank, representatives of Islamic Fiqh Academy, Al Azhar, World Health Organisation (WHO) and Focal Person of Prime Minister's Polio Eradication Cell Ayesha Raza Farooq attended the conference.
Posted by: Fred ||
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#1
I have to assume we did train some guys, and that they learned something. But Iraqi corruption wore away all of the benefit? Would the corruption have taken hold had we left 10,000 troops under a SOFA?
To put it another way, is the rout to be blamed on Obama for running away, or is the corruption an inevitable outcome of the Iraqi culture?
Posted by: Bobby ||
06/18/2014 12:39
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We did train them. Lots of them. I know some guys who were there on contract as recently as 6 months ago. The problem isn't them men, its the tribalism. The Sunni for the most part folded up and left the Shia unsupported in mixed units, causing the units to rout. ISIS leveraged this by executing Shia but telling the Sunni to change into civilian clothes and go home (or else joint up ISIS). This put a wedge into the units split and fell apart 0- the Sunnis figured "why fight, these guys will just let me go instead of dying for Maliki and Shias", and the Shias figured they were going to get backstabbed by the sunnis, so better to retreat and get to a Shia friendly area.
The way this was changed in 06 was that US forces were there, and the Sunni "I can just go home to my tribe" didn't work out so well - they got dug out, exposed and killed brutally efficiently by US troops. So sunnis started sticking to their units. No such ting exists now. So the Iraqi Army will have units disintegrate, until they get down to purely Shia units, which will stand and fight - and do well with their weapons and training. Sunni units and Mixed units? Not so much. And the Kurds have always tended to be Peshmerga no matter what unit they were in - they are fighters.
As far as the tribes go, from what I know (and this i sparely my OPINION and that of a few contractor friends as well), The Shia hold grudges but can be very loyal, and the Sunni are simply unreliable and very tribal. I wouldn't trust either of them as far as I could throw them, but if we do have to grab one or the other, ironically, its the Shia who I would side with (in spite of Iran). The Sunni in this region are the ones that feed the Salafists, Wahabbis, and their Takfiri offshoots - you know, the bastards that struck us in 9/11 and who fought us so hard in Iraq. Tater and the Shia militias got a lot of press, as did the Quds force support they got from Iran - but those were mainly guerrillas, not the sort that can actually hold terrain and hold towns and create a power base. Those types were the Sunni tribes. The hardest fights were the Sunni AQI fighters, and the Sunni militias in Ramadi, Fallujah, etc).
That being said, above any and all of those, I would back the Kurds if the US has to choose any side over the others.
#5
A lot of the reports you hear of regarding commanders retreating are 1) Sunni's who were bought or disloyal 2) Shia who bought their rank )pr traded family favors for it), and allowed corruption to roll in and were consequently rank cowards not military men.
For the latter the command position was a reward for loyalty or a family relationship or (worst case) a payoff. When training groups, you could tell who the real officers were, and which of them "had an uncle" working in the IA. The better officers got pulled to the better units, leaving the politicals to be billet fillers. In training, the real soldiers got the training which was hard, hot and dirty field work for a good portion of it, and the political ones somehow managed to be indoors drinking a lot of tea in the air conditioned classrooms to get their certificates. Contractors kew who was who - and trained them accordingly.
Also, from what I hear, many of the Sunni officers in Sunni units that evaporated got bought off.
Think about a typical 3rd world military - and now mix in that stupid Arab false pride and enshallah attitude, with the innate corruption of Arab culture. Now imagine how that affects how a unit operates - they tend to be very Top-down,officer centric, with no real history of a professional NCO corps, and no initiative at any below a battalion commander (excepting a few special units).
Now think about this:
Saddam (not all that an uncommon name) is a battalion commander. He got his position because he is related to the district commander, and his family has money to buy him this job and the prestige that comes with it. Saddam figures that sine the Americans are gone, but the contractors are still here, there is probably not any big fighting left to do, so why put yourself out for that kind of thing? Plus, all that sweating and field duty is beneath him - he is upper class, leave it to the lower class, all Saddam needs to do is give them orders and tell them to be on their way as a loyal subordinate should. But Saddam is contacted by someone letting him know that the ISIS knows who he is and where he lives - but they also will pay him if he will simply leave, which will give him a head start in evacuating his family. He also hears through his family connections that others in the district are being approached, and that the money is real, and others are taking it too. So, rather than left being the one holding the bag, Saddam takes the money, gives an order for his company commanders to prepare to fall back if anything happen the next day. Then Saddam goes home, packs everything, and gets out of town ahead of the ISIS coming in. The battalion no longer has a commander. Saddam isn't a total jerk - he lets his XO, friends since they were schoolmates, know that he should be leaving but warns him not to let anyone else know because the panic would cause the 2 of them to get swept up and unable to get their money and families out. The next morning at 0600, the staff shows up, but there is no XO, no Commander. Higher headquarters claims to know nothing - and why the hell are they bugging higher HQ, thats improper, have the commanding officer or XO call, not some lowly staff member. Given that the men know this commander, know that ISIS is known to be coming, and the rumors of bribes have ben circulating... its easy to do the math. The headquarters staff and soldiers all take an early breakfast break and simply do not come back. The Birgade now has lot the battalion - and the battalion no longer has a HQ.
Osama is a company commander - He is the last real level in the chain of command with any inherent authority in the IA. He is taught to lead, but never really has the tools or cultural wherewithal to command. He is utterly dependent upon the Battalion commander in terms of initiative and orders, and has done so when fighting the small rebellions out in the countryside - its how he got promoted. He is capable of directing his company in combat fire and maneuvering,, but not in setting any real objectives or what to do after orders have been carried out. What happens when he no longer can reach that Battalion HQ? He has no way to get any orders, and is incapable of setting objectives and generating orders past the old ones he has been acting on, which no longer match the reality of the situation, Even worse, the last orders passed down were to fall back if pushed - which he knows to be a recipe for failure, but which he must obey without question. Furthermore, he figured it out long ago that his battalion commander got the job because he is a nephew of the brigade commander's cousin, and is known to be easy to buy out in terms of paying him off to avoid tough duty (another company commander bought is way out of a protl exercise, which his company ended up having to do instead). Now Osama can no longer get the BN commander on the phone, or the XO - and the HQ seems to be empty when he drives up there to see whats going on. Pretty obvious to Osama that the BN commander has been bought off or else ran away. Either way, this company commander knows he has no support p the chain of command, and quite possibly laterally (that company commander who bought off his duty is useless). thinking about it. even if he stands and fights, or if his men refuse to fight (they belong to a different tribe) he might become a prisoner of ISIS. So he does the Arab thing - he quietly leaves the company area, folds up his uniform, gets his civilian clothes on, and heads for home to get his wife and kids the hell out of the city. Just like his commander did, no bribe neccesary. So this company, and others like it are headless - the neighboring commander got wind of it and leaves tot.
Hassim is an infantryman. He is fairly competent with his weapon, and can lead a fire team in combat. Good basic grunt. But what does he do if he sees his company commander disappear? He know ISIS are rolling, and executing soldiers and threatening their families. The last order he heard about was that the LT was ordered to fall back if the ISIS comes. If he is Shia, he knows his head may end up on a pike by the Takfiri. If he's sunni, he knows that they are likely to give him a pass if he's not a policeman or soldier in uniform. So what do he and the guys in his platoon do when they company commander is long gone? They bug out too. He is a good man, so he warns his squad mates what he thinks is going on, and tells them to get out. Once the men in the other platoons see this, they will drop their stuff, put their civilian clothes on and beat feet - after all if the guys over there are going then there must be something bad going on. SO now this entire company is gone along with the corrupt company to its left.
Next thing you know, the neighboring company to the right sees these guys are literally running away in civilian clothes after abandoning their weapons and positions. They panic and visibly rout themselves. Now the battalion adjacent to these finds out the battalion next to them is gone, leaving their flanks wide open. And the same dynamic plays out, from the bottom up, no corruption needed. All without firing a shot or even getting a whiff of the enemy. They are headed home to protect their wife and kids.
And that brigade that existed this morning? Its gone. No longer exists. ISIS rolls in that afternoon, and has the run of the place, producing even more IA units collapsing as they realize the units they were depending on have evaporated.
And that is how you have an entire region disintegrate - Arab culture, corruption, and nepotism in the ranks of the military - and in the Maliki government, which was where the rot started.
#8
No, the District Commander is likely on the lam too - Matter of fact, the 2 most senior commanders in Mosul have warrants out for their arrest on bribery, corruption and treason charges now.
And as for Lt Col Saddam, hey, family/tribe trumps all. And the way he tells it, the briber was a rumor, started by those disloyal subordinates just like the battalion that disintegrated next to his. He will tell the story similar to this
they were all disloyal. I tried to run the ship properly, by the book, but they fought me at every turn. The crew wanted to walk around with their shirt tails hanging out, that's all right, let them. Take the tow line, defective equipment, no more, no less. But they encouraged the crew to go around scoffing at me, and spreading wild rumors about steaming in circles, and then old yellow-strain. I was to blame for Lt. Maryk's incompetence and poor seamanship. Lt. Maryk was the perfect officer, but not Captain Queeg. Ah, but the strawberries, that's where I had them, they laughed at me and made jokes, but I proved beyond the shadow of a doubt, with geometric logic, that a duplicate key to the ward room icebox did exist, and I've had produced that key if they hadn't pulled the Caine out of action. I know now they were only trying to protect some fellow officer . . .
[NYDAILYNEWS] The suspected ringleader of the deadly 2012 Benghazi attacks, who was captured by U.S. forces over the weekend, was actually interviewed by multiple media outlets last year -- a stunning revelation that could raise questions over why it took the U.S. so long to arrest the man.
Ahmed Abu Khattala, a leader of the Benghazi branch of the terror group Ansar al-Sharia ...a Salafist militia which claims it is not part of al-Qaeda, even though it works about the same and for the same ends. There are groups of the same name in Libya, Tunisia and Yemen, with the Libyan and Tunisian versions currently most active... in Libya, was captured by American special forces in Libya Sunday for his suspected involvement in planning the fatal Sept. 11, 2012, assault that left four people dead, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens.
But Abu Khattala, whom the U.S. had charged for the crime last summer but didn't apprehend until now, has conducted multiple media interviews with U.S. outlets in recent months and years, with news hounds claiming he wasn't hard to find.
I'm sure Champ, ValJar, Hildebeast and Jahwn knew exactly where he was. That wasn't the issue...
Last August, CNN's Arwa Dawson interviewed Abu Khattala for two hours "in public at a coffee shop of a well-known hotel" in Benghazi, she explained during the segment.
"For a suspected terrorist, who may have been involved in the murder of four Americans, he's really not that difficult to find," Dawson said during her report, adding that Abu Khattala "seemed to be confident, his demeanor most certainly not that of a man who believed he was going to be detained or targeted any time soon."
Champ is trying to change the topic of conversation. Again. What's that phrase they use at the White House?
In the audio interview, Abu Khattala, through a translator, didn't deny he was at the compound the night of the attack, but said the gunfire and chaos had already erupted before he arrived.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/18/2014
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Top|| File under: al-Qaeda
#1
The Khattala capture announcement appears to have been timed to coincide with last evening's Baier and Van Susteren Fox News softball interview with the Beast. Clinton's responses to the questions came rapidly, almost mechanically, without pause or hesitation. Had she answered more speedily, her responses might have been spouted before the actual questions.
A bit to choreographed for my liking. Very disappointing to see Fox News fall into the useful idiot formation.
Rush Limbaugh is skeptical of the sudden capture of a highly-visible suspect in the 2012 Benghazi terror attack, calling it an “amazing, timely coincidence” that he was snatched from Libya just when President Obama desperately needs a foreign policy victory.Limbaugh spoke Monday afternoon about the capture of Ahmed Abu Khattala, a Libyan suspected of orchestrating the September 2012 attack on U.S. diplomats in Benghazi that resulted in the death of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.
“The news media going berserk,” he began. “Isn’t it an amazing, timely coincidence here that they have found a militia leader of the Benghazi attack and they’ve arrested him? Isn’t this AMAZING timing?”
#4
During interrogation they made him watch the video that the administration says sparked it all more than 100 times. He will be bitching and moaning about that youtube video as he arrives in New York.
#5
Rush wasn't the only one who thought it an amazing coincidence about the timing of the capture. It's just another distraction while the public is being played like a harp from hell.
Posted by: Bobby ||
06/18/2014 7:40
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#6
Is he actually guilty, or is he another filmmaker?
[Pak Daily Times] At least 15 people have been killed in a new attack near Kenya's coast, officials said Tuesday, just 24 hours after Somalia's Shabaab rebels massacred close to 50 people in the same area.
The Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist group said its fighters carried out the latest attack on a village, and that its commando unit had managed to return to base unhindered after two nights of carnage. "We carried out another attack last night. We killed 20 people, mainly police and Kenyan wildlife wardens. The commandos have been going to several places looking for military personnel," Shabaab's military front man Abdulaziz Abu Musab told AFP by telephone. "The commandos have fulfilled their duties and returned peacefully to their base," he added, without saying if the attackers were still inside Kenya or had driven back across the Somali border, around 100 kilometres (60 miles) to the north.
Police confirmed the gunnies, apparently part of the same group that massacred nearly 50 people in the town of Mpeketoni overnight Sunday, attacked the village of Poromoko, also situated in Lamu county, late on Monday. Kenyan police spokeswoman Zipporah Mboroki confirmed the new attack -- which came as brass hats were flying in to the area to coordinate security operations -- and security sources said there were 15 dead. Sunday night's assault on Mpeketoni, near the coastal island and popular tourist resort of Lamu, was the worst attack on Kenyan soil since last September's siege of the Westgate shopping mall in the capital Nairobi, in which 67 people were killed.
Witnesses described how the turbans drove into the predominantly Christian town on Sunday night, attacked a cop shoppe and then hotels and homes. The gunnies also singled out non-Mohammedans for execution, sparing Mohammedan men as well as women and kiddies. "They arrived and asked people to get out. They asked them to lie down, and then they shot them one by one, right in the head, one after another," said David Waweru, who was watching a World Cup match in a cafe but managed to hide behind a house when the Mpeketoni attack started. Shabaab said the attack was further retaliation for Kenya's military presence in Somalia as well as the "Kenyan government's brutal oppression of Mohammedans in Kenya through coercion, intimidation and extrajudicial killings of Mohammedan scholars".
Posted by: Fred ||
06/18/2014
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Top|| File under: al-Shabaab
#1
Thanks for that headline. Why that one? I dunno. I guess it's a time when little things mean a lot. I about blew a gasket seeing the NYT's take: Coast Town Attacked; Dozens Die (or something like that).
#2
Hey, dickheads, best listen to Moses:
"My rod shall smite those He opposes.
It might not be Zipporah
But someone'll clip for ya
More than the tips of yer hoses."
[WTOP] A Virginia man is furious after he was pulled over in Alexandria while driving in a funeral procession. He missed his great-grandmother's burial because of the delay, his family says.
Now Alexandria police are reviewing the stop.
With their hazard and headlights on, Heather Spinner and her husband were on Duke Street driving to the Mount Comfort Cemetery on June 12 when they noticed red and blue flashing lights in the rear-view mirror.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
06/18/2014
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#1
Sgt. Seth Weinstein, sorry buddy, but on the outset your action seems cruel, knowing your job to monitor all the public's safety is difficult at times, well, I bet you will be cleared.
As we watch Iraq go up in flames, Syria continue its internal slaughter, Libya to devolve, Somalia to sputter, Congo to slaughter, Putin to plunder, and a dozen other flash points in the world brew up, here's one more. China and India don't like each other, and with all the other adults in the world focused on other issues, this one may take on new life.
The new BJP government is keen to send out a strong signal to Beijing regarding border disputes by nearly doubling the deployment of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel on the India-China frontier. Top government sources said the ITBP will very soon have more boots on the ground to effectively guard the border that has witnessed several Chinese incursions in the past few years. The previous UPA government was often criticised for being "soft" on the issue of Chinese incursions.
The Home Ministry has approved the construction of 54 new border outposts along the disputed frontier with China. A proposal in this regard was made by the ITBP before the polls but the previous government did not go ahead on it.
With the new outposts, the number of troops on the ground too will increase. Currently, there are close to 40 outposts and nearly 15,000 troops guard the sensitive zones. Sources said the number could now go up to 30,000. "There were critical gaps regarding security on the China border that need to be filled up," said a senior Home Ministry official.
"The increase in deployment should not be construed as an aggressive approach on our part. We are only securing out territory," a top government official said.
After getting approval for the new border outposts, ITBP is drawing up a detailed report on troop deployment in critical zones. The road map for intensifying the vigil in border areas will soon be submitted to the Home Ministry, after which additional forces will be deployed.
Soon after taking charge, Minster of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju had stressed upon the need for enhancing forces, improving infrastructure and modernising the ITBP to secure the border with China. Minister of State for Environment Prakash Javadekar said last week that the government is working to fast-track clearance of infrastructure projects in areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). With no roads in high-altitude border areas, patrolling is difficult and the frontier has become vulnerable to Chinese incursions.
The roads project began in 2004 but only about 40 per cent of the work could be completed, sources said. The Environment Ministry was reluctant to give clearances for roads and the Home Ministry was unable to get contractors, thus stalling the project.
"As of now, the first phase of construction is not over. The project was divided into three to four phases," said an officer in the security establishment. But now things are likely to change as the government is making its intentions clear about strengthening vigil at the frontier.
There is an urgent need to upgrade the ITBP, which has to match the modern weaponry of the Chinese forces. As part of a mega police-modernisation plan, ITBP was sanctioned Rs.265 crore for the period between 2012 and 2017. Alarmingly, the force has not got a single penny under this plan. According to the plan, the ITBP should have received Rs.150 crore till March 2014.
This related op-ed piece provides more information.
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/18/2014
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#1
Prudent and smart. China has shown that it is not a good neighbor.
#2
The problem for the Indians is that they still haven't got their act together. The Chinese are focused and certainly give the impression, they do have their act together. Just follow StrategyPage on the Indian development and procurement programs to get the tone of the corruption problem.
Seizure of 160 computer flash sticks revealed the inside story of Isis, the band of militants that came from nowhere with nothing to having Syrian oil fields and control of Iraq's second city
Posted by: frozen al ||
06/18/2014
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#1
Our inept CIA might finally have something to work with.
[Pak Daily Times] Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif ...Pak dynastic politician, brother of PM Nawaz Sharif, chief mikister of Punjab... has said that he will resign if found responsible for the violent festivities between supporters of the Pakistain Awami Tehrik and the police on Tuesday.
Addressing a presser, he said that the deaths in the Model Town were unfortunate. "I have ordered formation of a judicial commission to probe the incident," He said that he would not rest until the commission ascertains who was responsible for the incident and that they would be punished according to the law.
The chief minister also offered condolences to Dr Tahirul Qadri and the families of the victims over what he said were unfortunate deaths. "I request the people of Punjab to please maintain patience and tolerance, even though emotions are high," he added. He also said that never engaged in the politics of bullets or batons and anyone was free to lodge an FIR against him.
On the other hand, Punjab Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Rana Sanaullah also said that Tahriul Qadri had deployed a private militia at his residence and created no-go areas. He said this (situation) would not be allowed. A case had been launched and a judicial inquiry of the incident would be conducted, he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/18/2014
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Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
[Iran Press TV] As the deteriorating security situation in Iraq once again dominates headlines in the US, America's dirty wars in the Middle East and South Asia continue with no sign of abating.
Last week, the United States carried out one drone strike in Yemen and two in Pakistain, killing an estimated total of between 15 and 22 people, according to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, an organization that tracks drone strikes closely. All of the dead were reported to be murderous Moslems; human rights ...which are often intentionally defined so widely as to be meaningless... advocates note, however, that such claims are often discovered to be inaccurate or misleading following further investigation.
The attacks received relatively scant media attention compared to the worsening violence in Iraq. But despite President B.O.'s rhetoric that "this war, like all wars, must end," there seems to be no end in sight in the often-amorphous war on terrorism. Some observers have christened this ongoing conflict the "Forever War." In a recent hearing, a top Pentagon lawyer reiterated that the list of organizations the US considers itself at war with is classified.
The two strikes in Pakistain were the first of 2014, breaking a nearly six-month pause in the CIA's drone campaign there. As Micah Zenko of the Council on Foreign Relations noted in a recent blog post, June 17th, 2014 marks 10 years of US drone strikes in Pakistain. "Never before in US history has such a lengthy and lethal military campaign been so inadequately described or justified by the government, which retains the fiction that these strikes are 'covert' and unworthy of public examination," wrote Zenko.
Here are three troubling takeaways from the recent strikes:
1. The US may be targeting enemies of foreign governments, not imminent threats to the US.
The two strikes in Pakistain came after the breakdown of peace talks between the Pak government and the Pak Taliban (TTP), which ended after a brutal attack carried out by Uzbekistan snuffies in coordination with the TTP 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, resulting in 36 deaths. Pakistain is now waging a major offensive in the tribal region of North Wazoo, aimed at dislodging murderous Moslem groups there.
Reports conflict on who the targets of each strike were, but at least one and possibly both strikes were aimed at members of the Haqqani network, frequent targets of the drone program and the group that until recently held US Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl captive. Some have speculated that following Bergdahl's release, the CIA -- which operates the drone program in Pakistain -- may have had more leeway to strike the group.
But one of the two strikes may have targeted Uzbek fighters, which could raise questions about whether the CIA is targeting threats to the US -- or enemies of the Pak government. "Generally speaking, the drones have targeted people who are perceived to be at war with the US," says Mustafa Qadri, lead author of an Amnesia Amnesty International report released last year on drone strikes in Pakistain. "But in the strike against the Uzbeks, they're targeting people who were claiming responsibility for the attack in Pakistain. It looks like we're going back to a period where there was very direct coordination between the Paks and the Americans."
Rooters quoted two officials in Pakistain's government as saying the US had "express approval" for the strikes, a drastic turnaround from recent years. The nation's Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed the opposite, however, calling the strikes "a violation of Pakistain's illusory sovereignty and territorial integrity."
The drone program in Pakistain began in 2004 with what some have called a "bargain chip killing," in which the US allegedly targeted a Pak murderous Moslem who had been deemed an enemy of the state, but posed no threat to the US. In return, as reported by The New York Times ...which still proudly displays Walter Duranty's Pulitzer prize... ' Mark Mazzetti, Pakistain allowed the CIA to use its airspace to attack members of al Qaeda.
A similar dynamic seems to be at play in Yemen. What appears to be a US drone strike killed five alleged members of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) on Friday. Though the group is generally considered the most dangerous active branch of al Qaeda, some observers are skeptical that every target is a legitimate threat to the US. "The US increasingly appears to be acting as a proxy Air Force for Yemen in its civil war with AQAP," says Letta Tayler, terrorism and counterterrorism researcher at Human Rights Watch ... dedicated to bitching about human rights violations around the world... . "It's hard to believe that the hundreds of Yemenis killed in US drone strikes all posed an imminent threat to Americans and we know that in at least some cases these strikes have unlawfully killed civilians."
2. This may be what the near-term future of US military force looks like.
As the US watches sectarian conflict expand in Iraq and Syria, pressure for the B.O. regime to intervene somehow is likely to grow. ISIS, the group behind the recent turmoil in Iraq, is arguably a greater threat to the US than local enemies in Yemen or Pakistain; Secretary of State John F. I was in Vietnam, you know Kerry Former Senator-for-Life from Massachussetts, self-defined war hero, speaker of French, owner of a lucky hat, conqueror of Cambodia, and current Secretary of State... has said the administration is open to considering drone strikes in Iraq, and the US has secretly been flying a small number of surveillance drones over the country for the last year, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Beyond Iraq, Obama has argued that rather than take unilateral military action, the US needs to partner with local governments to address local threats. In a recent speech at West Point, President B.O. said that he was "calling on Congress to support a new Counterterrorism Partnerships Fund of up to $5 billion, which will allow us to train, build capacity, and facilitate partner countries on the front lines" in countries like Mali, Libya and Somalia. This program, combined with the recent drone strikes, suggests that it's unlikely the US will shift from has been termed a "perpetual war-time footing" any time soon.
3. We still have a long way to go on transparency.
The US drone programs that currently exist are shrouded in secrecy, as would almost certainly be the case with any future programs. Human rights attorney and professor Sarah Knuckey recently referred to a "depressing pattern" of how drone strikes are discussed in the media -- from initial media reports, to investigations and calls for transparency, to official denials and anonymous defenses from the US government.
"Did the US resume drone strikes because the Pak talks had failed, or because of the Bergdahl release, or the second round of the Afghan elections, or a mix of the above?" says Rachel Reid, director of the Regional Policy Initiative on Afghanistan and Pakistain at Open Society. "Secrecy and obfuscation by the American and Pak governments means we can only speculate. Greater transparency and accountability is long overdue. The American people deserve to know who their government is killing, and how much longer this will go on."
That's a sentiment Letta Tayler, the Human Rights Watch researcher, echoes. "It is long past time for Obama to reveal who the US is killing in Yemen and why," she says, "and to make amends when strikes go awry."
Posted by: Fred ||
06/18/2014
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#1
we're going back to a period where there was very direct coordination between the Paks and the Americans.
Going back? Please.
An additional fallacy is the notion that there exists terrorist that are not a threat to the US.
This may be what the near-term future of US military force looks like.
Captain obvious.
We still have a long way to go on transparency.
Yes, there is that. But no different from other kinds of strikes. Do you think that a day went by in Clinton's 2nd term that steel wasn't being placed on target somewhere in the world?
[An Nahar] The United Nations ...an idea whose time has gone... children's agency accused Yemen's al-Qaeda affiliate of sexually exploiting children, pointing to incidents in the south in 2012 in a report published Tuesday.
Al-Qaeda loyalists forced around 100 girls, some as young as 13, to marry its fighters in the southern province of Abyan ...a governorate of Yemen. The region was a base to the Aden-Abyan Islamic Army terrorist group until it dropped the name and joined al-Qaeda. Its capital is Zinjibar. In March 2011, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula declared the governate an Islamic Emirate after seizing control of the region. The New York Times fastidiously reported that those in control, while Islamic hard boyz, are not in fact al-Qaeda, but something else that looks, tastes, smells, and acts the same. Yemeni government forces launched an effort to re-establish control of the region when President-for-Life Saleh was tossed and the carnage continues... in 2012, UNICEF said.
Taking advantage of a collapse of central authority during a 2011 uprising that forced veteran strongman 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... from power, al-Qaeda seized large swathes of the south and east.
Al-Qaeda gunnies seized swathes of Abyan province, east of the main southern city of Aden, in 2012.
Both girls and boys had been "exposed to sexual violence in conflict situations in Yemen," the report said.
"One of the forms of this violence is the forced marriage of up to 100 girls in the province of Abyan, attended by the heads and fighters of Ansar al-Sharia ...a Salafist militia which claims it is not part of al-Qaeda, even though it works about the same and for the same ends. There are groups of the same name in Libya, Tunisia and Yemen, with the Libyan and Tunisian versions currently most active... ," the U.N. agency said, using a front name adopted by al-Qaeda loyalists.
"Seven cases of forced marriage involving girls under 13 have been verified," UNICEF said.
In addition to that, "two girls were given as a gift" to members of the network by their brothers who had just joined the organization.
In other cases, fighters paid dowries of up to $5,000 (3,700 euros) to marry the daughters of families from the region, some of which earn little more than $12 per month, UNICEF said.
Most of the girls married off to al-Qaeda gunnies were abandoned by their husbands when the army retook the area in June 2012, the report said.
Some of them had given birth, the report added.
UNICEF said it was more difficult to document the sexual abuse of young boys recruited by the jihadists, but that it had recorded three cases in 2012.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/18/2014
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[19 views]
Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in Arabia
#1
Well that's just the last straw, isn't it?
Posted by: ed in texas ||
06/18/2014 8:17
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#2
What is wrong? They just followed Muhammad's example.
[Libya Herald] Vandals are smashing up historic sites and defacing ancient paintings in an apparently mindless campaign that is not only wrecking the country's rich heritage, but threatens future tourism business.
The Ministry of Tourism has condemned the destruction, which even extends to unmanned tourist offices.
It is not generally appreciated that Libya boasts the largest concentration of historic Greek sites in the world, more even, than Greece itself . The eastern town of Shahat, home to many of Cyrene's stunning Greek remains has suffered greatly at the hands of antiquities smugglers, as well as vandals.
Beautiful statues have been decapitated and forests have been burned down in the ancient Greek city designated by the United Nations ...the Oyster Bay money pit... Organisation for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) as a priceless World Heritage site.
Historic buildings all along the coast, as well as ancient paintings found in the caves of southwestern Libya have been spray-painted with graffiti.
A deeply concerned tourism ministry has urged Libyans to take responsibility for the protection of these sites. One day, when safety is restored in Libya, these unique places will be very important to Libya's tourism industry, the Ministry said. It is proposing an "Honour Treaty" which locals along with their municipalities and civil society groups will sign, recognising the importance of these "exquisite national treasures" and promising to protect them.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/18/2014
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Top|| File under: Arab Spring
#1
In 450 Cyrene's a pit;
With the silphium gone, people split.
Dust devils and scarabs,
Then camels and Arabs
And Allah's somniferous writ.
A siren in Cyrene, you hear it?
The old Apollonian spirit,
Already a ghost,
Exorcised from the coast
By the one faith on Earth that still fears it.
[DAWN] IT ought to be inexplicable and inconceivable. But the inconceivable all too often does occur in Pakistain. And the reasons are all too explicable. Whatever the claims of the Punjab government and police, a basic set of facts is already perfectly clear and incontrovertible: the Punjab police used stunningly excessive force against the supporters of Tahirul Qadri ...Pak politician, founder and head of Tehreek-e-Minhajul Quran. He usually resides in Canada, but returns to Pakistain periodically to foam at the mouth and lead demonstrations. Depending on which way the wind's blowing, Qadri claims to be the author of Pak's blasphemy law. Other times he says it wasn't him... in Lahore yesterday and every single one of the deaths and casualties that resulted from the police action was avoidable. So clear is so much of the evidence that while a judicial commission has been hastily created, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif ...Pak dynastic politician, brother of PM Nawaz Sharif, chief minister of Punjab... surely has enough grounds for immediate suspensions and possibly even summary dismissals of the coppers involved. The point is so essential that it bears repetition: the police, a force designed and meant to protect all citizens equally, simply must not be allowed to get away with extreme violence against the very citizens it is meant to protect.
If the violence was shocking, perhaps nearly as perplexing is the undefined threat the PML-N senses in Tahirul Qadri and his supporters. Mr Qadri and the Minhajul Koran/Pakistain Awami Tehrik network have tried to destabilise democracy before -- in a much bigger way than anything that they have been able to muster this time so far. But the PPP-led government in Islamabad defused the pre-2013 election crisis Mr Qadri tried to engineer by simply waiting out the preacher and his supporters and allowing the limited support for his cause to be exposed. If only the Punjab government had followed that successful template. In Punjab, the PML-N's political support, electoral base and parliamentary strength is so overwhelming that the party could easily have stood back and allowed a political nonentity with few legitimate or genuine hopes to do his worst. Somehow, though, the PML-N political ethos seems to involve using their crushing advantage to squash would-be rivals. That is as undemocratic at its core as it is illegal when the law-enforcement agencies of the province are used to further party goals.
Yet, astonishing, depressing and even sickening as the Punjab government's approach may have been, neither are the PML-N's opponents behaving in a dignified or appropriate manner. Spurred on partly by certain elements in the media that roared into action, sections of the political class have erupted seemingly less because of principled opposition to the violence in Lahore and more to try and see if they can hurt the PML-N politically. Gone is the talk of the national unity and consensus needed with the country in an undeclared state of war against militancy that just days -- hours -- earlier had been all everyone in the political class wanted to talk about. Since it was the PML-N that started this round of accusations and recriminations, it should be the PML-N that should close it quickly. Shahbaz Sharif should announce quick and appropriate punishments, judicial commission or not.
Posted by: Fred ||
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[An Nahar] Sudanese jailers removed the chains from a Christian woman, sentenced to death for apostasy, after she gave birth in prison last month, one of her lawyers said Tuesday.
The case of Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag sparked an outcry from Western governments and rights groups after a judge sentenced her on May 15 to hang.
Born to a Mohammedan father, she was convicted under Islamic sharia law that has been in force in Sudan since 1983 and outlaws conversions on pain of death.
Continued on Page 49
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[BIGSTORY.AP.ORG] Canada's government on Tuesday approved a controversial pipeline proposal that would bring oil to the Pacific Coast for shipment to Asia, a major step in the country's efforts to diversify its oil exports if it can overcome fierce opposition from environmental and aboriginal groups.
Approval for Enbridge's Northern Gateway project was expected as Canada needs infrastructure in place to export its growing oil sands production. The project's importance has only grown since the U.S. delayed a decision on TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline that would take oil from Alberta to the U.S. Gulf Coast.
The northern Alberta region has the world's third largest oil reserves, with 170 billion barrels of proven reserves.
Enbridge's pipeline would transport 525,000 barrels of oil a day from Alberta's oil sands to the Pacific to deliver oil to Asia, mainly energy-hungry China. About 220 large oil tankers a year would visit the Pacific coast town of Kitimat and opponents fear pipeline leaks and a potential tanker spill on the pristine Pacific coast.
Posted by: Fred ||
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#2
The oil's gonna go somewhere.
I'm betting that if this goes thru, it will suddenly be OK to tanker the oil to California, because they need power and everything. Whereas, if Keystone was built, a lot of common people would be using it.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
06/18/2014 8:09
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Another Obama success. What a great story this guy is. Are we ready to impeach him yet? Even Biden isn't this bad.
#4
This is a great victory for the American environmentalists. Instead of being sent to America where the oil would be refined and burned under modern pollution controls, it will now be sent to China where it will be refined and burned with no pollution controls whatsoever. Victory is ours! Woo woo!
Plus, not having the Keystone pipeline is good for certain railroads, as we have already discussed. Pity about the train wrecks on that dilapidated rail infrastructure, though.
[Iran Press TV] Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ... Prime Minister of Iraq and the secretary-general of the Islamic Dawa Party. Maliki imposed order on Basra wen the Shiites were going nuts, but has proven incapable of dealing with al-Qaeda's Sunni insurgency. Reelected to his third term in 2014... has fired several senior security forces commanders as battles with Takfiri ...an adherent of takfir wal hijra, an offshoot of Salafism that regards everybody who doesn't agree with them as apostates who most be killed... faceless myrmidons continue in the country.
The commanders were dismissed because they failed to perform their national duty, said the Iraqi premier on Tuesday.
The dismissed included Staff Lieutenant General Mahdi al-Gharawi, who is the top commander of Nineveh province, whose scenic provincial capitaldjinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... was the first to fall to the murderous Moslems' hands following their lightning advance last week.
Maliki also ordered that one of the commanders face court-martial for desertion.
Meanwhile, ...back at the abandoned silver mine, the water was up to Jack's neck and still rising. And then he smelled the smoke... several people were killed after two kabooms struck the Iraqi capital.
Earlier in the day, a new video emerged online showing what appears to be the aftermath of a massacre by Takfiri faceless myrmidons of 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... (ISIL) in an open market in Mosul.
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[Iran Press TV] Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has blamed domestic "political networks" for the recent attacks in the coastal areas, rejecting claims of responsibility by Somalia's al-Shabaab ... the personification of Somali state failure... group for the deadly violence.
In a televised speech on Tuesday, the Kenyan leader said the two attacks in the country's Lamu county had been "politically motivated" and the al-Shabaab group was not linked to the assaults that claimed 65 lives.
"Evidence indicates that local political networks were involved in the planning and execution of a heinous crime," added Kenyatta.
Late on Monday, armed assailants attacked the village of Poromoko, situated in Kenya's coastal island and popular tourist resort of Lamu, killing 15 people, including two coppers.
The assault came after armed attackers massacred nearly 50 people in the town of Mpeketoni, also located in Lamu county, overnight Sunday.
The Somalia-based group al-Shabaab grabbed credit for the attack and said, "We carried out another attack last night. We killed 20 people, mainly police and Kenyan wildlife wardens."
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#4
Bombers make movies; their whiskery
Mugs evoke romance and mystery.
Smooth thugs in palaces
Excel them in malice:
It's callous politicians make history.
[DAILYMAIL.CO.UK] An Indian teenager is worshipped as a god because he has a 7ins 'tail'.
Arshid Ali Khan, 13, has become a divine symbol in the state of Punjab.
Locals have hailed him a reincarnation of the Hindu monkey god Hanuman - and refer to him as Balaji.
However, death is not the end. There remains the litigation over the estate... Arshid has to use a wheelchair and he is considering having the 'tail' removed.
He said: 'This tail has been given to me by God. I am worshipped because I pray to god and the wishes of people come true.
Mr Qureshi, a music instructor, said: 'When he spoke for the first time at the age of one all he spoke was the names of Gods from different religions.
'It was that day I realised that he had something divine and godly about him.'
He added: 'It does not matter whether we are Moslems or Hindus, I think there is just one path for spiritualism.'
Arshid's home has been converted into a temple where his devotees come to visit him to receive his blessings and touch his 'tail'.
'A lot of people's wishes have come true after they have visited,' claimed Mr Qureshi.
'Sometimes there are childless couples who come to Balaji for help. He blesses them, and often they are then able to conceive.'
However, a person who gets all wrapped up in himself makes a mighty small package... Arshid often struggles to balance his time with his faithful devotees and attending school and playing with his friends.
He said: 'Mostly on weekdays I have to go to school but when I have a school holiday on Sunday around 20 to 30 people come to see me at my home.'
He added: 'No one teases me. Everybody wants to see my tail and so they keep asking.'
Posted by: Fred ||
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#1
Is this unusual? Oh wait I just read the article his 7 inch tail is in the back.
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region -- The Kurds of Iraq have the right to decide the future of their land, said Huseyin Celik, a spokesman for Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) on Friday.
"The Kurds of Iraq can decide for themselves the name and type of the entity they are living in," Celik told Rudaw in an interview to be published soon.
This is an interesting comment to say the least, but you can bet it doesn't extend to the Kurdish region in Turkey.
The AKP is the party of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan under whom Ankara and Erbil have built strong economic and diplomatic relations.
In case Iraq gets partitioned, said Celik, "the Kurds, like any other nation, will have the right to decide their fate."
Celik believes that Iraq is already headed towards partition thanks to "Maliki's sectarian policies."
Maliki hasn't done a united Iraq any favors. He's a Shi'a semi-Saddam...
In the past several days fighters of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have occupied most of Iraq's Sunni areas in the center of the country. They have declared war on Nouri al-Maliki's Shiite government whom they accuse of persecuting the Sunni population.
"Turkey has been supporting the Kurdistan Region till now and will continue this support," said Celik.
Turkey and Kurdistan have signed a 50-year energy deal and Kurdish oil is exported via a pipeline that connects the autonomous region to the port of Ceyhan on the Mediterranean.
Posted by: Steve White ||
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#1
The Kurds are exporting oil via Turkey. Perhaps the Turks appreciate the business and see the current Iraq festivities as likely to result in increased future flows.
#3
Turkey's Kurds, on the other hand, are a simple people who don't understand what's best for them, and frequently must be jerked into line disciplined.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
06/18/2014 8:16
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Mountain Turks? Do tell, how is the Queen's writ enforced there? Are they perhaps simple, albeit well armed, law enforcement types? Have they a sign of their official capacity?
#8
This may mean a couple of things. The optimistic part says the Turks have finally come around and realized they can't continue to alienate and repress the majority of the population of 1/3 of territory. Yeah, and next they'll be shaving off their mustaches as unfashionable.
This is a power play of some sort. First off, Kurdistan is a reality in all but the fficial law. The Kurds have established and maintain autonomous regional government, and now a military to go with it. The turks for now may just be buying time until the ISIS stuff lays out and they have whatever angle they are after.
There are some benefits: if they do recognize the small Kurdistan, that Kurdistan will probably be shipping its oil out via Turkish pipelines rather than giving in to the ISIS dominated Sunni or the Shia in the south. Thats a very nice money stream, and adds to Turkish de-facto control over more oil/gas that's going to the EU.
Third, this is a small, land-locked nation which will be at the mercy of hostile powers on all sides. This particular version of Kurdistan is no real threat to Turkey in the short run, and if they start supporting the PKK and other things inside Turkey, the Turks can then feel free to take military action against Kurdistan - which is a rather large threat.
The one thing they would worry about prior to this would be US support for Kurdistan, both economic and military - like basing and overflight rights. Under Bush that might have been a problem. But under Obama, its not going to happen since Obama seems to be all about appeasing Iran, and supporting Kurdistan would be seen by Iran as a threatening move. So the Turks get to "play" being the good guys, even as they tighten a noose around Kurdistan.
Obama being such a douchebag incompetent coward iranian-ass-kisser is having massive negative repercussions throughout the region, and this is one of them.
[Iran Press TV] A new video has emerged on the Internet showing what appears to be the aftermath of a massacre by Takfiri ...an adherent of takfir wal hijra, an offshoot of Salafism that regards everybody who doesn't agree with them as apostates who most be killed... Death Eaters in an open market in Iraq.
The video, whose authenticity could not be verified independently by Press TV, is seemingly shot in a local bazaar in the city of djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... which recently fell to the terrorist Death Eaters of the so-called 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... (ISIL).
In this video, people hysterically scream and run around while women and kiddies are seen among the dead bodies.
Over the past days, gruesome videos have been released showing atrocities of the ISIL terrorist group in Iraq.
The videos posted on a Death Eater website show several Iraqi men in plain clothes and army uniforms who have been captured by the Death Eaters.
On Sunday, pictures surfaced online showing the Death Eaters killing dozens of Iraqi men in Salahuddin Province.
Iraq's military front man General Qassim al-Moussawi has confirmed the authenticity of the photos. He says there are more reports about the mass murder of captured Iraqi soldiers.
Al-Qaeda-affiliated groups such as the ISIL have been behind many of the deadly kabooms targeting both civilians and government institutions across Iraq in recent years.
Recently, a similar gruesome video was released, purportedly showing members of the ISIL Takfiri group brutally killing Shia Mohammedans in drive-by shootings in Iraq.
Posted by: Fred ||
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#1
Evidently the issues regarding the 'non-lethal and lethal' aid and assistance to the rebels in Syria has been answered. Susan Rice now appears to be engaged with other issues.
[An Nahar] Some 5,000 Iranians have pledged online to defend Iraq's Shiite Mohammedan holy sites against Sunni gunnies who are waging war against the Storied Baghdad government, a report said on Tuesday.
The pledges were made on the harimshia.org website, which was launched by a group naming itself the Popular Headquarters for the Defense of Shiite Shrines, the conservative website Tabnak reported.
"Those who sign up are organized into units... and if the order is given by the supreme leader (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) they will go to Iraq to defend the sites," the harimshia.org page said.
Volunteers can sign up on the harimshia.org site or by SMS message.
The Iranian pledges follow a call by top Shiite holy man Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani for Iraqis to volunteer to resist the onslaught spearheaded by 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... (ISIL).
Iran is mostly Shiite and it supports the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a Shiite who spent years in exile in Iran when now executed Sunni Arab dictator Saddam Hussein was in power in Storied Baghdad.
President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday that Iran was ready to assist Iraq if Maliki's government asked, but no such request has so far been made public.
The major Shiite shrines in Iraq are in Najaf and Karbala, south of the capital, in Storied Baghdad itself and in Samarra to its north, which the hard boyz have made repeated, but so far unsuccessful, efforts to enter.
ISIL considers Shiites to be apostates.
Iraqi officials said Tuesday that ISIL fighters briefly held areas of Baquba, a short drive from Storied Baghdad, and took control of most of Tal Afar, a Shiite-majority town in the north.
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A U.S. Senate proposal tied to the NASA spending bill may thwart efforts by Elon Musk's space venture while aiding Boeing Co. (BA), the government's No. 2 contractor, a trade group president said today.
The seven-line provision would require companies seeking contracts to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station to file detailed financial reports justifying their costs. The Senate bill for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1 includes $805 million for the program. The art of Weasel wording contracts to exclude competitors is alive and well. And is the program going to produce $805 million or more in savings? Ha!
Newer contractors such as Musk's Space Exploration Technologies Corp. and Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin LLC will be at a disadvantage, Michael Lopez-Alegria, president of the Washington-based Commercial Spaceflight Federation, said in a Bloomberg Television interview. The measure would increase their costs because they would have to expand accounting staffs to do the work, he said.
The smaller companies don't have "quite the army in place to do those calculations," while Boeing is probably "best equipped" because it's so large, he said.
The space organization represents companies such as Hawthorne, California-based SpaceX and Kent, Washington-based Blue Origin. Boeing, which is also competing for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's commercial crew program, isn't a member of the federation.
#9
Gotta wonder if the reason Boeing needs an army of accountants is so they can hide all the bribes. SpaceX might not be at such a disadvantage after all.
#15
From the discussion on NASASpaceFlight.com
Quote from: JF on 06/11/2014 01:20 PM
At least Mr. Sowers screwed up enough courage to post his viewpoint here. Did he listen to anyone but himself? Will he respond to fact based objections? Nahh.
TBF he did respond a few times. I'm not sure if they were to substantive questions however.
Quote
Shelby will not post here; his position is indefensible, and he could not make any rational line of reasoning to support the positions he is taking, and would, in an ideal instance of the universe, have to admit the false premises underlying his virtually complete track record in his long term evisceratiion our nation's HSF capabilities, not to mention a good possibility of not getting any such capability back within the next few decades.
His "rationale" can be summed up in 2 words. "Marshall" and "Decata," with a side order of Alabama U. (go "The Crimson Tide" What ???)
I'm fairly sure he less about if the rest of NASA imploded as long as they, and the centres that support them, were preserved (Yes I'm aware Decata is not a NASA facility).
Keep in mind that that is exactly in line with his responsibilities of keeping the cash flowing to his state. :(
It's what the people who employ him want.
Wheather it's in line with his responsibilities for the good of the nation as a whole is another matter. :( I thought members of Congress were meant to swear some kind of oath to support the whole nation, not just the region they were elected to represent, but my education on that side of things has been fairly minimal.
The Space Access Society are more charitable. They feel a lot of this is that members of Congress basically still see NASA though the rose tinted backvision of the mid 1960's, when every mission was an exploration missions, as so little was known the environment (both LEO and Lunar) and how well (if?) the equipment they had been issued with would function.
So if people want a more sensible space programme (and a better NASA) I guess they have to engage with their bit of Congress, find out what they think about NASA and start to (gently) correct their misconceptions ("No sir 'Armageddon' was not a dramatization of real events") about it. :(
One Senator can stop the Shelby amendments cold. It all begins with one.
[Iran Press TV] The Spanish Senate has approved King Juan Carlos's abdication, clearing the path for his son to accede to the throne. The legislation to pass the throne to Crown Prince Felipe was approved on Tuesday by the ruling conservative Popular Party and the main opposition Socialists.
The law will be formally ratified by King Carlos on Wednesday and 46-year-old Filipe will be proclaimed king at a ceremony in the parliament on Thursday. Lawmakers of the country's lower house approved the abdication on June 11.
It will be the first royal succession of the post-Franco era. Seventy-six-year-old Carlos says he is stepping down after a four-decade reign so that younger royal blood can deal with the country's economic problems.
As the new King, Felipe has to restore the monarchy's image after his father fell out of public opinion in 2012 as he took a secret luxury elephant-hunting trip to Botswana at the time one in four Spanish workers was jobless and the government was teetering on the brink of default.
Posted by: Fred ||
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If the senate had voted no it might have proven awkward.
#2
As the new King, Felipe has to restore the monarchy's image after his father fell out of public opinion in 2012 as he took a secret luxury elephant-hunting trip to Botswana at the time one in four Spanish workers was jobless and the government was teetering on the brink of default.
Incredulous! The Champ would have been doing televised interviews from the ninth hole at Phakalane, telling folks back home to fokoff.
[REUTERS] The United States will provide urgently needed assistance to Iraq's security forces, but Iraqis must pull together to fight the "vicious" insurgency that threatens to break up the country, U.S. Vice President Joe Foreign Policy Whiz Kid Biden The former Senator-for-Life from Delaware, an example of the kind of top-notch Washington intellect to be found in the World's Greatest Deliberative Body... said on Tuesday.
"Urgent assistance is clearly required," said Biden during a visit to Brazil. "The bottom line here is that Iraqis have to pull together to defeat this enemy."
Biden said this would require setting aside sectarianism, building an inclusive security force and ensuring that all communities in Iraq have their voices heard.
The opportunity to do this exists now after the Iraqi Supreme Court certified the election results on Monday, he said in a statement to news hounds after visiting Brazil's president.
Washington has made clear it wants Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to embrace Sunni politicians as a condition of U.S. support to fight a lightning advance by forces from 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...
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#1
Can't wait to see "Joe of Arabia" at the drive-in.
#3
LOL Joe of Arabia hahahaha, I like the olde boy, but I can see him prancing on the roof of his Amtrak special. WHEEEEE! Now JOE! of Guam, now babes that would require Burton, Taylor, Wayne, Okawa, Katsumoto and Bruce Lee. The screen credits would take an hour to roll if done correctly. I can see it. I can see it! I suspect CGI might be necessary as well as a goodly portion of the Pacific Fleet.. Money well spent if you ask me.
[ABCNEWS.GO] Workers at the Phoenix VA Health Care System -- where Sherlocks say veterans' health was jeopardized when employees covered up long wait times for patients -- received about $10 million in bonuses, newly released records show.
Documents from the VA indicate than 2,100 employees got bonuses over the course of a three-year period, the Arizona Republic reported Tuesday.
The records, which were obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, show the bonuses kept increasing. The VA paid $2.5 million in 2011, $3.5 million in 2012 and $3.9 million last year. The merit-based bonuses were doled out to nearly 650 employees each of those years. The employees included doctors, nurses, administrators, secretaries and cleaning staff.
"The VA employee recognition and awards program provides an entire range of rewards to recognize employees who make contributions that support goals and objectives across the facility," Phoenix VA spokeswoman Jean Schaefe said.
A VA inspector general's report found that 1,700 veterans seeking treatment at the Phoenix VA hospital were at risk of being "lost or forgotten" after being kept off the official waiting list.
Posted by: Fred ||
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Well, all the employees performed at 'above average' levels. Kinda life the new Consumer Finance Board. (They scrapped their employee rating system because they couldn't pass.)
Posted by: ed in texas ||
06/18/2014 8:24
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#2
And don't forget IRS bonuses. The bureaucratic culture run rampant. Been near a couple of them there cliques to know they 'expect' the bonuses as a regular part of their pay. They long ago left civil 'service' and are now just suits with the ability and power to self reward themselves. And they do.
#3
This whole country is being run by suits with the ability & power to reward themselves. Civil servants should be satisfied with their pay & should never receive bonuses. If they don't like them conditions, let them resign & seek work in the private sector. As if there was work to be had there.
[NY Times] A major natural gas pipeline went kaboom! in central Ukraine on Tuesday, a day after the Russian energy behemoth Gazprom said that it was cutting off supplies to Ukraine in a dispute over pricing, and officials immediately labeled it a possible act of sabotage.
Utility officials said that natural gas deliveries were not interrupted and that supplies to Ukrainian customers and other European countries were flowing through alternative pipes.
The blast occurred in a sparsely populated area of the Poltava region, which lies between Kiev, the capital, and the embattled regions of eastern Ukraine where a civil war is effectively underway between pro-Russian separatists and the Ukrainian military. Video from the scene showed a huge plume of fire shooting hundreds of feet into the sky.
The kaboom destroyed a section of the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod pipeline, which runs more than 1,800 miles from Russia's Arctic north through Ukraine to the border of Slovakia. Ukraine's interior minister, Arsen Avakov, issued a statement saying Sherlocks' leading theory was that the attack was deliberate.
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[CBSNEWS] President B.O. has been facing a barrage of criticism from Republican politicians for not pushing to leave a residual troop presence behind in Iraq after 2011, but has found a defender in Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid ... the charismatic senator-for-life from Nevada, currently majority leader ... , D-Nev.
"Those who attack President B.O. for bringing our troops home are flat wrong in criticizing him for that, and they're out of step not only with the president but with the American people," Reid told news hounds Tuesday. "After a decade of war we've all had enough. I do not support putting our men and women in harms way in Iraq."
Reid, like many Democrats, was a staunch opponent of the war. But his opposition to any American troops returning to Iraq in the coming days may land him on the opposite side of the issue from Mr. Obama. The White House is considering sending a small number of American special forces soldiers to Iraq to aid the government in Storied Baghdad as it tries to fend the advance of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which has taken several towns and cities in the northern part of the country. Mr. Obama also notified Congress Monday afternoon that up to 275 U.S. military personnel have been deployed to Iraq to provide support and security to Americans and the U.S. Embassy in Storied Baghdad.
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#1
"Can't steal water rights from ranchers in Iraq to sell them to the mob. What good are they?"~
#5
This slimy little weasel doesn't run until 2016. Maybe he will be neutered in 2014 if the Pubs take the Senate. What are the odds at this time that they will?
[Pak Daily Times] Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Moslemeen (MWM)'s leader Allama Aijaz Behishti joined the sit-in of Tehrik-e-Minhaj-ul-Koran/Pakistain Awami Tehrik of Dr Tahir ul Qadri in protest against the Lahore police action against party comrades outside 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... Press Club on Tuesday Accompanied by the MWM's officials Ali Hussain Naqvi, Nasir Hussaini, Hassan Hashmi, Raza Naqvi and Asif Safavi, Allama Behishti remained with the protestors and expressed solidarity with the victims of the biased PML-N government of Punjab.
"The PML-N government is trying to target the pro-operation parties and figures because the rulers never wanted a military operation to eliminate the snuffies in Wazoo," said Allama Behishti.
He said Lahore action was a proof the PML-N government did so to divert public attention from Waziristan operation.
He said peaceful political opponents were sprayed with bullets, teargas shells and baton-charged.
He said Shahbaz Sharif-led Punjab government acted liked butcher demonstrating incivility.
He said even women were not spared and they too were thrashed and fired upon.
"We see this uncalled for brutal action against the anti-Taliban party by the pro-Taliban government who got $1.5 billion from Kingdom of 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... to toe their line," he claimed.
Allama Behishti rejected the Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah's charges against the peaceful protestors of Minhaj ul Koran and Pakistain Awami Tehrik.
He said they were not armed but Punjab government was trying to understate police action against the peaceful protestors.
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Darth Cheney Mod Note: Squinty also posted Mr. Cheney's article. When we get multiple submissions, the submission date/time is generally the primary factor.
As the terrorists of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) threaten Baghdad, thousands of slaughtered Iraqis in their wake, it is worth recalling a few of President Obama's past statements about ISIS and al Qaeda. "If a J.V. team puts on Lakers' uniforms that doesn't make them Kobe Bryant" (January 2014). "[C]ore al Qaeda is on its heels, has been decimated" (August 2013). "So, let there be no doubt: The tide of war is receding" (September 2011).
Rarely has a U.S. president been so wrong about so much at the expense of so many. Too many times to count, Mr. Obama has told us he is "ending" the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan--as though wishing made it so. His rhetoric has now come crashing into reality. Watching the black-clad ISIS jihadists take territory once secured by American blood is final proof, if any were needed, that America's enemies are not "decimated." They are emboldened and on the march.
The United States is still a potentially menacing super power in the eyes of our enemies, however, our enemies see Obama, the head of this nation, as a very weak or even accommodating.
Like a Headless Horseman, a nation that is in danger of an opportunistic attack by an enemy while Obama is President.
#2
If someone attack's the US, it's all good for Obama. The only people who would get hurt fighting back wouldn't have voted for his group anyway, so they picture it a net gain.
He'll just rub that Nobel Prize for luck, and go play golf somewhere.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
06/18/2014 8:29
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#3
Mr. Cheney acts as if he is surprised by Obama. He shouldn't be, he has had some experience early on with the likes of Baghdad Bob.
#6
Whait.
Didn't Kobe say Obama could play for the Lakers?
He does have to write like this; too many people had no idea what was going on until their meterball tweet showing Mosul's head of police placed onto the back of his knees.
#7
He could play for the Lakers but I hear he's headed for the Senior PGA tour instead, of course will still be eligible for the US Open and in due course The Masters and PGA, look for him to sweep, unless the Nobel Prize is awarded during the same time. My bet is the next one will be for Literature.
[Washington Post] ATHENS, Greece -- A self-described Satanist has been incarcerated Into the paddy wagon wit' yez! in Greece on suspicion of ritually killing a homeless woman in an Athens public square and planning a second murder for this weekend's summer solstice, police said Tuesday.
A police statement said the 22-year-old Greek suspect confessed to killing the woman with a heavy stone during a pre-dawn "ritual Satanist ceremony" in the seaside Glyfada suburb.
Police said the suspect had been working alone, and did not appear to be linked with any organized group.
The 41-year-old woman was found dead on April 20, Orthodox Easter Sunday, with severe head injuries. A nearby bench had been daubed in blood with Satanist insignia.
The statement said the suspect was arrested Monday, also in Glyfada. It said police identified him by references to the killing on social media, DNA analysis and a fingerprint on a plastic bag containing the murder weapon, found in a nearby bin.
The suspect allegedly told police that he had intended to carry out another ritual killing on Saturday, the day of the summer solstice, but it was unclear whether or not he had selected a prospective victim.
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[DAWN] Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam ...the political wing of the Pak Taliban... -Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman Deobandi holy man, known as Mullah Diesel during the war against the Soviets, his sympathies for the Taliban have never been tempered by honesty ... on Tuesday claimed in the National Assembly that that the parliament was "helpless" before military establishment's decision of conducting a military operation in Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
"The decision regarding use of force is the domain of public representatives, not the military establishment," he added.
He said that the JUI-F was not in favour of militancy in the country but the use of force had not worked in the past.
"It is time to determine whether this operation is against forces of Evil or the people of Wazoo," Fazl added.
He said that the decision was taken by the Army while the parliament had merely given approval to it.
"How one can convince snuffies that democracy is the best option if the constitution and democratic norms will not be respected by state institutions," he questioned.
He said that the parliamentarians had not honoured dozens of parliamentary resolutions regarding restoration of peace through talks.
"I know I will be penalised for my independent opinion but I want to record my protest on the pages of history," he added.
Pakistain Army on Sunday announced it had launched a comprehensive operation against local and foreign forces of Evil in North Waziristan, sealing it off.
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Army Staff Sergeant Cory Schroeder was told by University of Wyoming's (UW) student government that he would not be allowed to say the Pledge of Allegiance before its meetings because it could offend international students.
Schroeder was newly elected in May as a senator in the Associated Students of the University of Wyoming (ASUW) government to serve for the upcoming school year. He has been in the Army for over six years and completed a tour of duty in both Afghanistan and Iraq.
Schroeder became upset when he realized the meetings did not open with the option of saying the Pledge.
"Multiple senators working towards their big boy/girl "D" designator, I assume.
sat me down and said it was a 'very touchy subject' and 'we don't want to offend anybody,'" Schroeder told Campus Reform.
According to Robert's Rules of Order, which the student government follows, time may be taken out at the beginning to say the Pledge of Allegiance. Instead of saying the Pledge, however, ASUW's mission statement is read aloud, which includes striving for "accurate representation" and "responsible effective leadership". Looks like RRO needs an Order of Kumbaya?
#1
I expect it is OFFENSIVE to "international students" who come to the United States to study in OUR Universities to meet and communicate with actual Americans who even KNOW the Pledge of Allegiance. And don't you wish that YOU had such Legislators of such deep courage that they would cringe and grovel in front of foreigners and perhaps even "bow" to them as our President does. ( a Proud American himself ).
Gee , I wish I lived in Wyoming where I could grovel and bow like a real American.
Posted by: Big Thromoth3646 ||
06/18/2014 5:54
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That this happened at the Univ of Wyoming should give us all pause about the depth of the rot we face in academia, which has produced essentially a generation that cannot seem to reason, understand causality, and overcome learned political correctness to see common sense. Its our fucking country, so saying the pledge for citizens is a reaffirmation of their respect and love for it. Not American, shut up and enjoy your thoughts. Choose to take offense , please leave on the next flight!
#4
Whoever made this stupid statement needs firing, no tenure, and pull his pension too.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
06/18/2014 18:14
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#5
Just another reason why the effort to establish + entrench LEGAL SHARIA, LEGAL HINDUISM includ CASTE SYSTEM, + OTHER in Amerika is fr far FAR F-A-R FFFAAAARRR more likely to succeed than fail.
* FYI BREATBART > PETRAEUS: USA [badly] NEEDS IMMIGRATION REFORM, WASHINGTON D.C. [Pol Partisanship, Debt-to-GDP Ratio, etc.] IS A [National] SECURITY THREAT TO THE COUNTRY.
[Pak Daily Times] Pak combat aircraft destroyed a bomb making factory in the tribal region of North Wazoo and at least 25 turbans were killed in a wave of air strikes, the military said on Tuesday, as part of a major operation against Taliban krazed killers.
Pak fighter's jets have been bombing Taliban positions in North Waziristan since Sunday when the army announced it was sending troops and helicopter gunships to the region to flush out al Qaeda-linked krazed killers. "(The) operation in North Waziristan Agency is progressing as per plan," the army said in a statement.
"The cordon around all terrorists' hideouts including in the town of Mirali and Miranshah ... headquarters of al-Qaeda in Pakistain and likely location of Ayman al-Zawahiri. The Haqqani network has established a ministate in centered on the town with courts, tax offices and lots of madrassas... has been further tightened and reinforced. Last night three bad boyz were potted while fleeing from the cordoned off area in Miranshah." In its first casualties since the start of the offensive, at least six Pak soldiers were killed on Monday when a roadside kaboom hit an army convoy just north of Miranshah, the regional capital.
The operation is seen as a response to a deadly krazed killer attack this month on Pakistain's biggest airport in the port city.
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#1
The Daily Times is seriously in need of a headline editor!
A buxom young maiden of Chester,
Employed as a bathing suit tester,
On bursting a closure
Was saved from exposure
By the coat of her nice Uncle Fester.
[DAWN] The Muttahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader, Farooq Sattar, on Monday claimed that Taliban control 25 per cent 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... and warned that, if immediate steps are not taken, the commercial hub of the country could slip into a bigger crisis.
"Taliban are running a state within the state," the MQM parliamentary leader said.
Mr Sattar was speaking at a seminar on negotiations with Taliban and operation Zarb-e-Azb. The seminar was organised by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI).
The MQM parliamentary leader further stated that bully boyz and their sympathisers had made transactions of around Rs1.25 billion in various banks of Karachi, but the state was not paying any heed to this important issue.
Mr Sattar said that the whole nation is standing by the troops waging war against Taliban in North Wazoo.
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[DAWN] An official of the Sindh Reserve Police, Base-II, was rubbed out on Tuesday in the Qayyumabad ...a suburb of Korangi Town, if you know where that is... area over what police described as personal enmity.
Korangi Industrial Area SHO Mithal Shar said the constable, Adil Hussain, 26, was killed by someone travelling with him in a car in Qayyumabad on a road leading to the Clifton beach. He quoted witnesses as saying that a young man and a girl fled from the car after attacking the policeman.
The constable died before any medical aid could be provided to him. The body was shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre where doctors said the victim sustained two gunshot wounds in his head and neck. It did not appear to be a case of assassination, the SHO said, adding that the police were investigating the exact motive for the killing.
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[DAWN] FAISALABAD: Four people of a family, including an aged couple and a child, were allegedly killed to avenge a murder at Chak 273-GB, Jarawnwala, on Monday.
Reports said ninety-year-old Bashir Ahmed, his wife Sardaran Bibi, 80, daughter Hafeezan Bibi, 38 and grandson Ameer Ali, 14, were found strangled to death at their house in the village. Police started the paperwork but haven't done much else against eight people, three of them nominated --- Nasir, Asif and Murtaza.
According to initial police investigations, the suspects wanted to avenge murder of a relative and believed that one of the dear departed, Bashir, was involved in the killing.
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[An Nahar] 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... should be held responsible for murderous Moslem financing and crimes committed by bully boy groups in Iraq, the Storied Baghdad government charged on Tuesday.
Comments from Riyadh indicates it is "siding with terrorism", the cabinet said in a statement issued by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's office.
"We strongly condemn this stance," the statement read.
"We hold it (Saudi Arabia) responsible for what these groups are receiving in terms of financial and moral support."
It continued: "The Saudi government should be held responsible for the dangerous crimes committed by these terrorist groups."
The statement came just days after Saudi Arabia and Qatar blamed "sectarian" policies by Iraq's Shiite-led government against the Sunni Arab minority for the unrest that has swept the country.
The unrest "could not have taken place if it was not for the sectarian and exclusionary policies implemented in Iraq over the past years that threatened its stability and illusory sovereignty," the Saudi government said in a statement.
In March, Maliki accused both Saudi Arabia and Qatar of supporting terrorism in Iraq.
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[An Nahar] Military Tribunal Judge Imad al-Zein demanded on Tuesday the death penalty for a Paleostinian national for belonging to a "terrorist group," the state-run National News Agency reported.
According to NNA, al-Zein demanded the death penalty for the suspect, who was identified by his initials B. H., for belonging to Fatah al-Islam A Syrian-incubated al-Qaeda work-alike that they think can be turned off if no longer needed to keep the Lebanon pot stirred. and monitoring the movement of Fatah Movement official Talal al-Balaghi to assassinate him.
Balaghi is also known as Talal al-Ordoni.
The judge also issued an arrest warrant against him and referred him to the permanent military court.
Other investigation and research warrants were issued against seven suspects, who weren't identified.
The Nahr al-Bared Paleostinian refugee camp in northern Leb was almost totally destroyed in 2007 during a months-long conflict between the Lebanese army and the al-Qaeda-inspired Fatah al-Islam.
The fighting killed some 400 people, including 168 soldiers.
Later, Government commissioner to the military court Judge Saq Saqr charged a detained Syrian and four other runaways with belonging to Ziad al Jarrah Battalion.
The five men were charged with attempts to carry out terrorist acts, establish a factory to develop arms and explosives.
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[An Nahar] A man with a realistic-looking tattoo of a gun on his stomach had the real thing tucked into his waistband when he was tossed in the clink You have the right to remain silent... , police said.
Police told the Morning Sentinel (http://bit.ly/1p2LHWq ) that 41-year-old Michael Smith, of Norridgewock, showed up at a sheriff's deputy's home Thursday night. He was crying and had been drinking, authorities said.
Smith told police he had a fight with his ex-girlfriend and had stolen prescription narcotics from her, authorities said.
He was charged with stealing drugs, and his gun was confiscated. He was released from jail on $1,000 bail. His phone has been disconnected, and he couldn't be reached for comment.
Madison police Officer Eric Bronson said Smith was carrying a .40-caliber Glock but isn't facing any gun charges because Maine is an open-carry state and his weapon was visible.
Smith's next court date is Aug. 6.
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[An Nahar] Nigerian vigilantes said on Tuesday they had killed eight suspected Boko Haram ... not to be confused with Procol Harum, Harum Scarum, possibly to be confused with Helter Skelter. The Nigerian version of al-Qaeda and the Taliban rolled together and flavored with a smigeon of distinctly Subsaharan ignorance and brutality... bully boyz who attacked a village near Chibok, where more than 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped in April.
Adamsi Tar told AFP the suspected bully boyz had attacked a village about 15 kilometers (10 miles) from Chibok in volatile northeastern Nigeria, burning several homes and looting food.
As the assailants tried to flee, vigilante members opened fire on them, killing eight. One was locked away Youse'll never take me alive coppers!... [BANG!]... Ow!... I quit! and the rest fled, said Tar, the local leader of the vigilante group.
"The gunnies fired shots indiscriminately because they had no idea where the shooting was coming from. When they realized their response was futile they retreated," he said.
"Several homes and buildings in the village, including our office, were burnt along with our uniforms."
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[An Nahar] Iraqi Shiite volunteers, who had been fighting in neighboring Syria, have been heading home to battle an offensive that has brought Death Eaters to near Storied Baghdad, a monitoring group said Tuesday.
Thousands of Iraqi Shiites had flocked to Syria to fight alongside Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad The Scourge of Hama... 's forces against mainly Sunni rebels.
Many volunteered to defend the Sayyida Zeinab mosque, a revered Shiite shrine in southeast Damascus, from rebels based in the outskirts of the Syrian capital.
But as Sunni Arab Death Eaters swept up a large chunk of northern and north-central Iraq in a lightning offensive over the past week, the volunteers have begun heading home in response to a rallying cry by top Shiite holy man Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
Iraqi volunteers headed home from the Mleiha area, southeast of Damascus, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Their positions were taken over by fighters of Hizbullah ...Party of God, a Leb militia inspired, founded, funded and directed by Iran. Hizbullah refers to itself as The Resistance and purports to defend Leb against Israel, with whom it has started and lost one disastrous war to date, though it did claim victory... , which has also intervened heavily alongside Assad's forces in Syria's civil war, Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said.
"The Iraqi pro-Assad fighters' pullout from the Mleiha area was accompanied by a relative lull in the fighting around there," he said.
"But that does not mean the regime has been left defenseless, as Hezbollah has deployed new troops to fill the gap."
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#1
Hizbubs are getting all the war they ever wanted and maybe a little more.
[An Nahar] A series of bombings in Storied Baghdad and shelling in another Iraqi city killed 21 people on Tuesday, while police found the bodies of 18 security personnel north of the capital.
The violence came during a major offensive, spearheaded by 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... but involving other groups, which overran all of one province and chunks of three more in a matter of days.
In the deadliest single attack, a boom-mobilewent kaboom! in a market in the predominantly-Shiite Moslem area of north Storied Baghdad, killing at least 11 people and wounding more than 20, security and medical officials said.
Five more bombings in the capital killed a further six people and maimed 14, officials said.
In Fallujah, ... the City of Mosques, which might have somthing to do with why it's not called Center of Prosperity or a really nice place to raise your kids... a city west of Storied Baghdad that has been held by anti-government fighters for more than five months, shelling killed four people and maimed three, Dr Ahmed Shami said.
North of the capital, Iraqi police discovered the bodies of 18 security force members who had suffered gunshots to the head and chest.
The bodies were discovered 15 kilometers (9 miles) east of the city of Samarra. It was unclear if they had been executed or died in fighting.
Iraqi security forces performed poorly during the initial days of the murderous Moslem assault, in some cases abandoning uniforms, vehicles and positions to flee.
They seem to have recovered somewhat from the shock of the onslaught, retaking certain areas, but the Death Eaters have continued to gain ground elsewhere.
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#1
Back in 2006-7, the then incarnation of ISIS tried a strategy of provoking Iraq-Shia by massacring them and blowing up their shrines with the aim of radicalizing the Shia into committing similar atrocities against Sunnis. ISIS then uses the Shia payback to set itself up as the protectors of the Sunnis, thus consolidating its hold on Sunni population centers. We are seeing this same strategy playing out now.
BAGHDAD, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al- Maliki Prime Minister and acting Interior Minister, acting Defense Minister, and acting National Security Minister
on Tuesday sacked some senior security officers for their failing to halt the advance of Sunni insurgent groups, a statement issued by his office said.
"We have decided to punish a number of officers who failed in the performance of their professional and national duties," Maliki said in the statement.
Maliki fired Lieutenant General Mehdi Sabih al-Gharawi, commander of Nineveh Operations Command, his deputy Major General Abdul Rahman Handhal, as well as Chief of Staff and Brigadier General Hassan Abdul Razak, and will take legal actions against them, according to the statement.
The prime minister also fired Brigadier General Hidayat Abdul Rahim, commander of the army's 3rd infantry division. Rahim has been "referred to the military court for his trial in absentia for his escape from the battlefield to an unknown destination."
The statement said that further instructions would be issued later to sack more military leaders and bring them to justice. Remind again, why do PM's have have portfolio ministers? So that they can take the blame when things go terribly wrong. Didn't the acting defense minister put those corrupt generals in charge in the first place? Seems to me like he needs to be canned.
#1
Strange. Over here in the U.S., it seems that Obummer has thinned the ranks of the war-fighters for doing their job too well (and not paying sufficient homage).
ISIS would likely welcome deeper involvement from the IRGC.
During the second Iraq war, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was one of the United States' fiercest foes. The IRGC was responsible not only for organizing, training and equipping Shiite militants who fought U.S. troops, but also for manufacturing and importing into Iraq so-called explosively formed penetrators, or EFPs, one of the chief banes of American forces there. Also courtesy of Tehran: mortar and rocket attacks on the Green Zone in Baghdad, designed to speed the American departure.
For this reason, in addition to the deep distrust that has characterized U.S.-Iran relations since 1979, it is more than passing strange to hear both American and Iranian officials mooting the possibility of U.S.-Iran cooperation in Iraq today. The U.S. and Iran share an interest in preventing further advances by the extremist Sunni militia that calls itself the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham, or ISIS. Nevertheless, accepting Iran's offer of assistance in Iraq would be a grave mistake.
Continued on Page 49
KUWAIT: The Cabinet is preparing to discuss a report from Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Khalid Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah tomorrow about national preparations amid the security developments in Iraq. The CabinetÂ’s weekly meeting is expected to end with instructions for the Interior Ministry to reinforce security at border checkpoints, especially the northern Abdaly checkpoint in order to prevent infiltrators associated with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant from making their way in or out of Kuwait, said informed sources.
The Cabinet is also expected to make a decision to send humanitarian aid to Iraqi refugees from cities controlled by ISIL troops, and coordinate with the Iraqi government and the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council states in this regard, said the sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.
This comes amid reports indicating that army intelligence sent a recommendation to the Kuwait Army General Staff Headquarters to raise the armed forces' level of alert to level 3, which requires that one third of forces from all sectors of the army must remain in their camps.
The army has meanwhile taken measures to maintain constant communication with the Directorate General for Border Security and the State Security Department in the Interior Ministry in order to stay updated about possible security breaches at the borders, according to sources quoted by Al-Anbaa daily yesterday. Army officials have already received updates regarding the latest developments following blasts on Friday in Safwan near the border with Kuwait, said the sources who were unnamed in the report.
The daily also reported that officials at the Safwan border checkpoint informed their Kuwaiti counterparts that they have stopped receiving passengers from all nationalities into Iraq starting from Friday until further notice.
#4
Very little USAF presence if any. USAF presence in Kuwait is at Al Jaber Air Force Base, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, along with RAF British presence.
[DAWN] At least 25 foreign and local gunnies were killed early Tuesday as military jets bombed suspected terrorist hideouts in North Wazoo, the army said in a statement.
An ISPR front man said security forces destroyed six hideouts which included a murderous Moslem training camp and a bomb-making factory in Dattakhel Tehsil and Hasokhel area. He said operation Zarb-e-Arb, which was launched this Sunday, was progressing as per plan.
More than 187 gunnies have been killed since the operation was launched in the tribal region.
"The cordon around all turbans hideouts including in the town of Mirali and Miranshah ... headquarters of al-Qaeda in Pakistain and likely location of Ayman al-Zawahiri. The Haqqani network has established a ministate in centered on the town with courts, tax offices and lots of madrassas... has been further tightened and reinforced," said the ISPR statement.
'Civilian population evacuated'
The military front man claimed all civilian population has been safely evacuated after detailed verification.
"Necessary logistics and administrative arrangements for internally displaced people (IDPs) have been made by the political administration and the disaster management agency," the front man said.
"The security of (the) IDP camp is being ensured by army troops," he said, adding that air surveillance of the operational area was still underway.
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[Pak Daily Times] Tehrik-e-Minhajul Koran chief Dr Tahirul Qadri ...Pak politician, founder and head of Tehreek-e-Minhajul Quran. He usually resides in Canada, but returns to Pakistain periodically to foam at the mouth and lead demonstrations. Depending on which way the wind's blowing, Qadri claims to be the author of Pak's blasphemy law. Other times he says it wasn't him... has called police action against his workers as 'state terrorism ... any action taken by a non-Moslem state that constrains the violent impulses of Moslems or their allies ... ' and said it would not be tolerated.
Addressing the party workers via video link, he said the case of workers killing would be lodged against 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 Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif ...Pak dynastic politician, brother of PM Nawaz Sharif, chief mikister of Punjab... . He said that the government does not want military operation in North Wazoo to be successful.
He said that barriers were placed four years back. He asked why these were not removed at that time. He also said that police opened straight fire on peaceful workers. He paid rich tribute to the workers on their courage. He said that the police attacked the workers when they were sleeping.
Punjab Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Rana Sanaullah said that Tahriul Qadri had deployed a private militia at his residence and created no-go areas. He said this (situation) would not be allowed. A case had been launched and a judicial inquiry of the incident would be conducted, he said.
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[An Nahar] Turkey said it evacuated its consulate in the southern Iraqi city of Basra on Tuesday for security reasons, a week after Islamist faceless myrmidons attacked its mission in djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... and kidnapped several dozen Turks.
"In the context of the situation in Iraq, and because of the heightened security risk in the Basra region, our consulate general was evacuated today Tuesday," Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Twitter.
He said the diplomatic staff were taken to neighboring Kuwait.
Fighters from the jihadist group 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... (ISIL) kidnapped 49 Turks including diplomats and children from the Turkish consulate in Mosul on Wednesday as they captured swathes of northern Iraq.
ISIL, which Turkey included in its list of terrorist organizations in early June, also seized 31 Turkish truck drivers earlier last week.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan ... Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi only they haven't dumped him yet... said earlier "intense efforts" were being made to secure the release of the kidnapped citizens while accusing the Iraqi government of failing to protect the mission in Mosul.
But a Turkish court on Tuesday imposed a blackout on media coverage of the kidnappings "for the security of Turkish citizens".
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#1
Basra is a long way from the ISIS fighting. Is something going to come to light that will piss off the shia in Basra?
#3
Thus far I've heard that ISIS has been supported by:
* Saudi Arabia, Qatar, etc.
* The United States (back in 2012)
* Syria and Iran
and finally
* Turkey.
I suspect rumors that Turkey and/or the US _really_ support ISIS were behind a lot of the collapse of resistance in the Sunni areas of Iraq. That, and probably bribery.
This would also explain why the Turks are looking to make a deal with the Kurds. "Don't interfere with what we're doing to Iraq, and we'll leave you alone in your little mini-state."
[Iran Press TV] More than two million Iraqis have volunteered to join the fight against Takfiri ...an adherent of takfir wal hijra, an offshoot of Salafism that regards everybody who doesn't agree with them as apostates who most be killed... gunnies of the al-Qaeda splinter 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... (ISIL).
Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Hussain al-Shahristani made the remarks in the capital Storied Baghdad on Tuesday.
Shahristani said Storied Baghdad did not have the capacity to process more volunteers, adding, "No one knows when this battle will end, but we will win it."
Meanwhile, ...back at the Senate, Odius Sepulcher called for war against the Visigoths... The United Nations ...an organization originally established to war on dictatorships which was promptly infiltrated by dictatorships and is now held in thrall to dictatorships... voiced concerns over reports of war crimes committed by the bad boys.
"There is a real risk of further sectarian violence on a massive scale, within Iraq and beyond its borders," UN Secretary General the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon ... of whom it can be said to his credit that he is not Kofi Annan... said at a presser in the Swiss city of Geneva.
The UN chief called on leaders of all Iraqi factions to "ensure that their followers avoid acts of reprisal."
"I hope that with the strong support of regional countries and the international community in a broader sense, we will be able to help the Iraqi government first of all to restore peace and stability in their country," Ban added.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/18/2014
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#1
Nuke a ring around them,if they leave, they die.
(Or are sterilized, either way.)
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
06/18/2014 18:39
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[AJC] A northwest Georgia woman is accused of damaging and flooding a stranger's home -- while naked. It would be a different story entirely had she known the person whose house she flooded...
Around 6:40 p.m. Friday, a Calhoun-area homeowner reported she'd returned home to find her home vandalized "My Tupperwear!"
and a naked woman inside, the Gordon County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday. "Hello? 911? There's a naked woman in my house! She's doing unspeakable things to my Tupperwear!"
Deputies searched the Nelson Lake Road home, "You take the bedroom, Bob! Lew, you check the garage! I'll have a look in the closets!"
where they found the suspect hiding in a closet, Sheriff Mitch Ralston said. "Stick 'em up, lady! No, not those! Yer hands!"
The suspect, Suzanne Hussain, 34, lives about seven miles away and didn't know the homeowner, Ralston said. "Have we been introduced?"
"Ms. Hussain was in fact nude, "Nude" is reclining, wearing nothing but a smile and perhaps a dab of perfume. Nekkid is different.
and was acting abnormally, She was nekkid, in the closet of a stranger. That's kind of abnormal by definition, isn't it?
but was taken into custody without further incident," Ralston posted on the sheriff's office website. "I'll keep her covered, Bob. You put the cuffs on her!"
"The house was extensively damaged, including having been flooded." "Flooded?"
"I really hadda pee," she answered.
Paramedics were called to scene to evaluate Hussain, "Hmmm... Pulse is 78. Temp is 98.6. BP is 122/80..."
"Anything else?"
"Well, she's nekkid."
who was then transported to Gordon Hospital, where she was treated and released, "Nurse McClosky, find her something to wear. Then tell her to get the hell outta my emergency room!"
the Sheriff's Office said. Upon release from the hospital, Hussain was nabbed Drop the heater, Studs, or you're hist'try! , charged with burglary and criminal damage to property and booked into the Gordon County jail, Ralston said. "I almost didn't recognize her with her clothes on, Bob!"
Hussain remained in jail Tuesday afternoon awaiting a bond amount, Ralston said. She was also being held on a probation violation for a prior charge of possession of methamphetamine, jail records showed.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/18/2014
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[DAWN] Taking the nation into confidence through parliament over the government's decision to launch a military action in North Wazoo, 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... declared on Monday that the operation would continue till the achievement of the "ultimate objective".
Amid desk-thumping even from the opposition members, he expressed a resolve that the country would no more be a safe haven for terrorists.
"Let me make it clear that this country will no more be allowed to become a sanctuary for the snuffies at any cost," the prime minister said in a policy statement. He first read it out in the National Assembly and then in the Senate.
"As you know that a decisive action has been launched to purge the country of terrorism. Keeping in view all the sensitivities of a military action, a directive has been issued to start the operation that began yesterday," Mr Sharif said.
"The operation against terrorism, named Zarb-e-Azb, Insha Allah, will continue till the achievement of its ultimate objective," he declared.
"Yesterday, there could be two opinions about the operation and the talks, but now this chapter should be closed," he said, asking the nation to support the armed forces in a fight for the country's integrity.
"The whole nation, all segments of society, media and political parties should now be on the back of the government and the armed forces," he said.
In an apparent reference to reports in some political and media circles that the army and the government might not be on the same page over the military action, the prime minister claimed that the decision to launch the operation had been made after an understanding between the army and the government.
"I make it clear that during the negotiation process, the political and military leadership continued consultations and all the decisions had been made with complete harmony and mutual reconciliation."
He said the decision to launch the operation had also been made with "complete harmony and mutual consultation, following unabated terror incidents, particularly after the attack on 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".
Mr Sharif recalled that he had announced on the floor of the National Assembly on Jan 29 that the government had decided to start negotiations with the turbans to give peace a chance and a committee was constituted for holding talks with them.
At that time, he said that he had called for an end to terror activities with a belief that "terrorism and peace cannot go together".
"The nation is a witness to the fact that our sincerity and good intentions were not reciprocated."
The prime minister regretted that the negotiations spread over four and a half months could not make progress towards peace. "The world knows that on one hand, we were negotiating with these groups and on the other, our installations were being targeted through bombs," he said.
"On one hand, we were busy in pleading peace and on the other, our children, women and youths were being killed. On one side, we were peacefully talking to them while on the other, a game of fire and blood was being played from Islamabad courts to the Karachi airport," Mr Sharif regretted.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/18/2014
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#1
"from now on we will be a terrorrist heaven"
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/18/2014 11:30
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#2
oh? disbanding ISI, are we?
(and no, I'm not Harry Reid, regardless of the pic-a-nic nym)
Posted by: Harry Turkeyneck7460 ||
06/18/2014 16:08
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#3
Jeeez Henry, I'd respawn and hope for a Nimble nick.
[DAWN] THIS will indeed be the most critical battle in Pakistain's long war against bad boy insurgency. Ending its prolonged dithering, the government has finally ordered a full-scale military operation in North Wazoo rightly described as the centre of gravity of terrorism. Thousands of ground troops backed by air force jets have moved into action after the announcement of the offensive to reclaim control over the strategically placed territory.
No doubt, the decision to eliminate the terrorist den was imminent after the collapse of peace talks with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain, but the bloody siege of the international airport in 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... last week proved to be the proverbial last straw. The Sharif government was left with no choice but to declare an all-out war against those responsible for the brazen assault on the state. The incident shook the country and the demand for action became ever louder.
There was certainly no other option but to face the challenge head on. A lot of time has already been wasted because of indecisiveness on the part of our national leadership. The endless talk about talks delivering peace had exposed the weakness of the state. Despite the decision, however, the prime minister still appears unwilling to take charge and has left it to the military to run the show.
While immensely critical, the latest campaign is much more complex than any other undertaken by the security forces so far in its decade-long war in this treacherous mountainous territory. Despite the fact that the military is now much more experienced in fighting insurgency and battle-hardened, this asymmetric war was never easy. One thing is certain -- it is going to be a long haul.
This will not be the first time the Pakistain Army is carrying out an operation in North Waziristan. The earlier expedition, launched in 2004, ended in a peace deal with the tribal turbans after two years of fierce fighting. The truce allowed the turbans to not only regroup, but also strengthen their positions. It will be even more difficult to dislodge them now.
The biggest of the seven tribal agencies North Waziristan is a haven for a lethal mix of foreign and local turbans presenting an existential threat to the country. Many of the terrorist attacks in other countries also have roots in the region. The number of imported muscle in the territory is roughly estimated by the intelligence agencies to be around 8,000. More than half of them -- some 4,800 -- are reportedly Uzbek. They have not only been involved in the Karachi airport attack, they have also participated in other high-profile attacks eg, Bannu jail, Mehran and Kamra air bases.
Apart from the Uzbeks there are other foreign bad boy groups such as networks of isolated Chechens, the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group and Chinese Uighur turbans of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement. Reportedly, the majority of Arab turbans have either been killed by US drone strikes or left the region. Thousands of Punjabi turbans also moved to North Waziristan over the years, and established training camps in the restive border region.
The battle for control over this lawless region has assumed much greater gravity with the approach of the endgame in Afghanistan. Al Qaeda-linked groups present a worrying, long-term security threat for Pakistain, in fact, for the entire region.
A major concern for Pak security forces pertains to bully boyz crossing over to Afghanistan as has happened in the past, and the use of the sanctuaries for cross-border attacks. The Pakistain military has requested the Afghan cops to seal the border on their side to facilitate the elimination of bully boyz who attempt to flee across the border. But that may not work given the tension between the two neighbours.
There is certainly a greater need for cooperation and a joint strategy between Kabul and Islamabad to fight militancy. The security of the two countries has never been so intertwined as now. The bad boys' sanctuaries on either side of the border will have serious consequences for the region, particularly, after the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan.
Surely a major objective of the offensive is to secure the control of the lawless territory. But military action alone does not offer a long-term solution to an extremely complex problem. The government needs to take urgent measures to end the alienation and backwardness of the tribal region as well. The ongoing military operation provides a great opportunity to push for the long-delayed integration of the region with the rest of the country in order to end its ambiguous semi-autonomous status.
The military operation in North Waziristan is only one dimension of the wider battle against militancy and violent extremism in the country. The bad boy groups have strong networks across the country. For a long-term solution, the government needs to develop a coherent and overarching counterterrorism strategy in order to strengthen the capacity of the civilian law-enforcement and intelligence agencies. There is also need for closer coordination among the various intelligence agencies and strict enforcement of rule of law.
What is most positive is the evolution of a wider political consensus on the war against terrorism. Almost all political parties with the exception of some right-wing Islamic groups such as the Jamaat-e-Islami ...The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independent branch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores... are united in their support of the military campaign. But that unity can only be sustained by developing a strong internal security narrative.
One must learn from past military operations in other tribal regions. A major flaw in the approach was that after clearing the areas, no effort was made to establish a proper administrative system. As a result, the state's control over those areas remained tentative.
Swat ...a valley and an administrative district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistain, located 99 mi from Islamabad. It is inhabited mostly by Pashto speakers. The place has gone steadily downhill since the days when Babe Ruth was the Sultan of Swat... and South Waziristan present glaring examples of battles not fully won. The presence of the military does not provide permanent solutions. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a formal civilian system along with the military operation. Without that, the objectives of the operation will never be fully achieved.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/18/2014
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[Iran Press TV] The so-called 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... (ISIL) is a plot by the Israeli regime to drive away revolutionary forces from Israeli borders and provide a safe haven for the Zionists, a high-ranking Iranian military commander says.
"The government, army and Moslem and revolutionary people of Iraq can strengthen the Iraqi revolution... through unity and solidarity," Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major General Hassan Firouzabadi said on Tuesday.
He added that the US, which is now angry with the result of Iraq's elections, was founder of terrorist groups.
The US aims through any kind of military intervention in Iraq to foil the positive result of the country's elections, the Iranian commander said, adding, "They are still an ally to supporters of snuffies in the region."
On April 30, Iraq held parliamentary elections - its first nationwide polls since the US troops withdrew in 2011 - despite threats by al-Qaeda-linked snuffies to ruin the election process.
Iraq's electoral commission put the turnout from the elections at about 60 percent. Results from the vote showed that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ... Prime Minister of Iraq and the secretary-general of the Islamic Dawa Party. Maliki imposed order on Basra wen the Shiites were going nuts, but has proven incapable of dealing with al-Qaeda's Sunni insurgency. Reelected to his third term in 2014... 's State of Law alliance had won the largest share of votes, garnering 92 out of 328 parliamentary seats.
Firouzabadi further called on the Iraqi people to remain united to suppress the ISIL Takfiri ...an adherent of takfir wal hijra, an offshoot of Salafism that regards everybody who doesn't agree with them as apostates who most be killed... murderous Moslems.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/18/2014
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#1
Iranian military commanders should stop smoking crack.
A Marine says - 'Ignore the propaganda on the 'news' - here is what it is REALLY like here.....
"This reads so fast you will not know you even read it!
A very interesting MUST read, maybe we need to bring our guys home and leave those crazies to kill each other off.
Origins: This letter purportedly written by a Marine serving in Afghanistan began circulating on the Internet at the end of November 2001. It has since been read over the air by a variety of radio hosts, which has helped to disseminate the piece to an even wider audience.
[An Nahar] A Turkish magazine fined for publishing comments from banned Kurdish separatist group the PKK won a victory Tuesday when the European Court of Human Rights ruled that its right to freedom of expression had been breached.
The pro-Kurdish Dema Nu was hit by a number of judicial proceedings after publishing articles quoting the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
The party, which is blacklisted as a terrorist organization by Turkey and much of the international community, launched an insurgency seeking self-rule in the southeast in 1984.
Continued on Page 49
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[An Nahar] A central Florida man who weighs about 450 pounds faces multiple charges after sheriff's deputies say he hid cocaine and 23 grams of marijuana under his "stomach fat."
According to a new release, a Volusia County sheriff's deputy stopped a vehicle Friday after noticing that the passenger wasn't wearing a seatbelt.
Officials say 42-year-old Christopher Mitchell told the deputy that he's too big to wear a seatbelt. The deputy says he requested a drug-detecting dog because Mitchell and the driver appeared nervous. The dog detected the presence of drugs in the vehicle.
In addition to the drugs on Mitchell, deputies say they also found a handgun and $7,000 in cash in the vehicle.
Mitchell and the driver were jugged You have the right to remain silent... . It was not clear whether Mitchell has an attorney.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/18/2014
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#1
They wouldn't have found it if they didn't have a drug dog...
(now there's a visual you'll regret)
Posted by: ed in texas ||
06/18/2014 8:20
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#2
Is that your Ripple hiding behind your ripple ?
[An Nahar] Hizbullah ...Party of God, a Leb militia inspired, founded, funded and directed by Iran. Hizbullah refers to itself as The Resistance and purports to defend Leb against Israel, with whom it has started and lost one disastrous war to date, though it did claim victory... leader His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah The satrap of the Medes and the Persians in Leb... has said that jihadists of 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... (ISIL) would have reached Beirut had his party not sent its fighters to Syria.
"Had we not interfered in Syria at the appropriate moment, ISIL would have been in Beirut now," he told the leaders of al-Mahdi Scouts Association during a meeting on Sunday.
The Hizbullah secretary-general wondered why the party's critics have not condemned ISIL's advance on the Iraqi capital.
In the latest fighting, the snuffies took control of several neighborhoods of Tal Afar, a mainly Shiite Turkmen town between the rebel-held second city of djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... and the Syrian border, officials and residents said.
The Iraqi government has insisted it is making progress in retaking territory from the murderous Moslems, who currently hold most or parts of four provinces north of Storied Baghdad.
The security forces will be joined by a flood of volunteers after a call to arms from top Shiite holy man Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
Nasrallah lauded al-Sistani's call, saying it "aims at protecting Iraq and not just a single sect."
The Hizbullah chief hinted that some regional and Gulf countries were involved in the fighting in Iraq.
"Who is benefiting from what's going on there?" he asked.
He also raised doubt about Washington's stance as it weighs possible drone strikes against the murderous Moslems.
Nasrallah expressed relief over the improvement of the security situation in Leb. But warned that "this does not mean things have gone back to normal."
Posted by: Fred ||
06/18/2014
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#1
They also kept the bad guys from reaching Tokyo. For now.
Posted by: Bobby ||
06/18/2014 12:41
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#2
And this is the place that spawned Christianity?
I think thy are all flawed.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
06/18/2014 18:33
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#3
probably the al Nusra vs ISIS infighting had a lot to do with the weakness of the anti Assad forces the past 6 months or so
also, it seems obvious that ISIS withdrew some of their forces to Iraq for the recent push through Mosul and beyond
Posted by: lord garth ||
06/18/2014 19:18
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[Pak Daily Times] ISLAMABAD: Opposition politicians in the Upper House of parliament on Monday extended full support to 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 the military operation in North Wazoo Agency.
But they asked for special arrangements for the internally displaced people (IDPs) of the areas concerned. "The opposition supports the military operation launched in NW Agency and stands fully behind the government," opposition leader Aitzaz Ahsan told the House after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's address to the Senate over the start of a full-fledged military operation in North Waziristan. The entire House supported the military operation.
They were of the view that dealing with militancy is not the job of the government or security forces alone, and called for unity among all the stakeholders, setting aside political differences. They said it is a matter of the existence of Pakistain and observed that the government has wasted a lot of time and energy over peace talks with the Taliban, which has allowed them to re-organise. The senators said four neighbouring countries have also been complaining about terrorism activities in their countries whose main culprits are living in Pakistain.
They advised against distinctions of good and bad Taliban and called for action against turbans across the country, including south Punjab and 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... . Before the prime minister's speech in the Senate, the senators criticised the government for not taking parliament into confidence over such an important matter. Speaking on the occasion ANP's Senator Ilyas Ahmad Bilor said the government has handed over major installations and big cities to forces, but left Beautiful Downtown Peshawar ...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province), administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire. alone.
Being a front line province, he said the people of Peshawar should not be left at the mercy of the Taliban, and hand it over to the security forces. Supporting action against the turbans, PPP's Senator Farhatullah Babar demanded answers to a number of questions. He asked why the military, and not the civilian government, announced the operation. He said there is a widespread perception that the military decided to launch the operation, while the "foot-dragging" civilian government followed suit, which would only exacerbate the civil-military divide.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/18/2014
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#1
Oh. I thought it might be the U.S. Senate.
Silly me!
Posted by: Bobby ||
06/18/2014 12:40
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JERUSALEM -- Members of 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... , or ISIS, were trained in 2012 by U.S. instructors working at a secret base in Jordan, according to informed Jordanian officials.
The officials said dozens of ISIS members were trained at the time as part of covert aid to the insurgents targeting the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Syria. The officials said the training was not meant to be used for any future campaign in Iraq. Whoopsie!
#6
But BUSH!
They'll start an FBI investigation, but the DOD will have lost all the emails, and there's no paper trail (god knows they don't make you fill out forms in the mil).
Posted by: ed in texas ||
06/18/2014 8:13
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#7
Back when Al-Qaeda began flooding into Syria it became clear that no matter how much we may detest Iran and Syria, we had to focus our smiting on Al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda is a criminal syndicate. You do not train members of a criminal syndicate because, they are murderous murdering criminals. You smite criminals. This is who the smartest guy in the room decided to back?
And what did the murderous murdering criminals do? They robbed banks in Mosul and murdered thousands.
[Pak Daily Times] ALUTHGAMA: Police called off a rally by a hardline Buddhist organization on Tuesday to stop the sectarian festivities between Buddhists and Moslems from spreading, official said.
The festivities have killed three and maimed 80 in southern Sri Lanka since Sunday. The hurriedly organized rally by hardline group Bodu Bala Sena ( BBS) or Buddhist Task Force was to have been held in Mawanella, a town near Aluthgama and Beruwala that have been under a police curfew since Sunday evening. "Mawanella Police has obtained a Court order against a proposed rally by BBS," Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Piyalal Disanayake told news hounds.
However, we can't all be heroes. Somebody has to sit on the curb and applaud when they go by... there were reports that BBS supporters had distributed leaflets to residents in the Mawanella town, urging them to meet near the town clock tower and participate in the rally, which would contravene the Court order. Residents noted a heighted police and army presence in the area to disperse any crowds gathering for a meeting that could lead to more violence. In Beruwala and Aluthgama where the festivities were at their worst, the army with assistance from police special forces combed the area, gathering makeshift weapons including two swords, over 15 petrol bombs, about 50 wooden clubs and iron rods. The crude weapons were later taken into police custody.
Subsequently, the army and police together with Buddhist priests ventured into the villages, holding small meetings to foster awareness and impose calm on the still tense situation. "We are trying to make the people on both sides understand the futility of what they are doing. Rumors are running amok and further incensing the people so we are trying to make them act with restraint. The situation is now much calmer," Army General U. Madiwela told Xinhua. Sporadic unrest erupted in the southern Sri Lankan towns on Tuesday that have been under police curfew since communal festivities erupted between Moslems and Buddhists resulting in three deaths and 80 injuries when a Buddhist shop was set on fire.
On Tuesday morning police curfew that had been imposed on the towns of Aluthgama and Beruwala on Sunday evening were lifted for four hours to allow residents to stock up on essential supplies including food. People were moving freely around town despite a heavy army and police presence in the area. "About an hour before the curfew was due to be re-imposed a mob suddenly materialized out of nowhere and torched a Buddhist owned shop in Dharga town," eyewitnesses told Xinhua. Police Special Forces mobilized quickly to disperse the mob, they said, adding that the town itself remains under heavy lockdown by police and army with media being cautioned from entering the area.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/18/2014
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[Kevin Jackson, the Blacksphere] While Congress drags its feet on immigration reform, New York state lawmakers are mulling an immigration bill of their own: It would grant state citizenship to some non-citizen immigrants, including undocumented residents, allowing them to vote and run for office. Under the "New York is Home" Act, non-citizen residents who have proof of identity and have lived and paid taxes in the state for three years, could apply for legal status that would let some qualify some for Medicaid coverage, professional licensing, tuition assistance, and driver's licenses, as well as state and local--but not federal--voting rights. The responsibilities of citizenship would also apply, including jury duty. If "New York is Home" why is everyone leaving and moving to the south ?
Because "Home" is an euphemism for "income taxes."
#2
So illegal immigration moves under the control of the bureaucracy. They'll need to hire more bureaucrats to do the investigations, verify the claims, fill out the forms, etc. More workers on the gubbamint payroll, more taxes to support them - it's a democrat's dream!
Posted by: Bobby ||
06/18/2014 7:49
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#3
States that want to assist the feds in enforcing immigration laws run into all kinds of trouble. Even SCOTUS seems to be against States assisting in enforcing immigration laws. States and so-called sanctuary cities that don't want to not enforce immigration law get the green light to break laws. There is something seriously wrong going on in the country. It would seem the States who can show damage/harm/loss from hordes of illegals flooding across the border would have standing in the courts to bring a lawsuit against the Federal government.
Just for the record, NY was one of the last states to ratify the new Constitution and only did so at the end because they feared they'd be left out of commerce with the other states as the document prohibited taxing commerce between participating states. Been a long way from worrying about driving business out to importing ballot box stuffers, but they're there.
#5
When the Depp South seceded from the Union, New York (the city) juggled with the idea of declaring itself independent. Howver by the time of the unprovoked Southern agression at Fort Sumter New York was already unionist.
#7
I would encourage New York to secede from the United States. That way, no more Chucky Schumer in the Senate and Hildebeast would be ineligible to run for president. All the illegal immigrants in California, Arizona and Texas could then move to their new home in New York and everybody's happy!
#9
Spread the rumor that the WH is giving out permanent visas, big screen TVs, Obama phones, and welfare benefits. All the illegals have to do is camp out in front of the WH for their benefits. There might be chaos but on the other hand, Obummer might just give them all these things in exchange for their Donk vote.
#11
We should just put them on the bus and send them to DC and Chicago.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
06/18/2014 14:38
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#12
Seems mean to call someone a criminal just because they did something illegal like sneaking into the country. That's seriously judgemental.
And I rather like the idea of amnesty for crimes if you can get away with it for 3 years. I see great promise for the fields of bank robbery and meth cooking.
[Pak Daily Times] The Taliban on Monday warned foreign firms to leave Pakistain and vowed retaliatory strikes against the government after the Pakistain Army launched a long-awaited offensive in a tribal area.
The statement came as Pakistain's major cities braced for a backlash by deploying thousands of soldiers and paramilitaries while placing hospitals on high alert for incoming casualties. The offensive on North Wazoo was launched a week after a brazen hard boy attack on the Jinnah International Airport in 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... .
"We warn all foreign investors, airlines and multinational corporations that they should immediately suspend their ongoing matters with Pakistain and prepare to leave Pakistain, otherwise they will be responsible for their own loss," front man Shahidullah Shahid said in a statement. "This thing is clear to all that the capital gained (by Pakistain) through your activities and trade falls on innocent tribal women and kiddies like fire and iron," he added.
The group also vowed to take Dire Revenge™ on the government. "We hold 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... 's government and the Punjabi establishment responsible for the loss of tribal Moslems' life and property as a result of this operation," the statement said. "The retaliatory actions of the mujahedeen (militants) will make you a cautionary tale in history."
Shahid added the Taliban would 'burn your palaces in Islamabad and Lahore' referring to the capital city and the prime minister's hometown from where he derives his support base. "Remember that you will once again crave for negotiations and peace, but then it would be too late," he added.
The warning came as major cities beefed up their security, as troops were seen patrolling the streets of Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. "The security of the capital was already on alert, but a new alert had been issued," an Islamabad police front man told AFP.
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[Libya Herald] The bodies of five men all killed in Benghazi have arrived at the city's medical centre since yesterday.
Spokesman for Benghazi Medical Centre (BMC) Khalil Guider told the Libya Herald that the body of Zaid Amad Shamsa had been brought to the hospital this morning. He said the man had been found dead in Benghazi's Boudzera district.
A resident in the city's Al-Berka area said he had seen Shamsa kidnapped by a group of men who arrived in two cars. He added that Shamsa had been shot in the thigh when he attempted to resist his assailants. It is believed that at the time of his kidnapping he was travelling to offer condolences to friends who were grieving the death of their son.
Guider said the body of an Egyptian national had arrived at BMC yesterday. Identifying the man as Khalifa Sayed Hamed, he said Hamed had died of a gunshot wound and was in his mid-thirties.
Meanwhile, ...back at the game, the Babe headed for second base. He almost made it. Then Sheila slapped him.... Benghazi was this evening preparing for its second night of a traffic curfew, when the only way for people to get around between midnight and 6am is on foot.
Last night's ban appears to have been widely respected, though in the past week night-time traffic has diminished with travellers wary of being caught up in fighting between Operation Dignity forces and Ansar Sharia.
The traffic curfew has been imposed by the Benghazi Joint Security Room. Its men could be seen last night moving around the city centre after midnight. A road block at Al Kish near the Tripoli ...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn... Bridge came under attack at around 1am, by unknown assailants. The heavy gunfire that was heard for several minutes resulted in serious injury to a Security Room soldier, who later died in hospital.
Areas of Benghazi endured power cuts in the course of the day but until this evening, when gunfire was heard near the city centre, the level of violence appeared to have diminished. It remains unclear whether Ansar Sharia forces are still resisting the attack on their base at Sidi Faraj, which began on Sunday.
In an unusual development, air force planes yesterday bombed an airstrip at Teka, some 20 kilometres west of Benghazi. Operation Dignity front man Mohammed Hejazi told this paper that the action had been taken to stop Islamist forces from trying to fly in weapons and ammunition.
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Top|| File under: Ansar al-Sharia
[Pak Daily Times] LAHORE: Opposition in the Punjab Assembly on Tuesday took the government to task over killing of several people during a clash with the police in Model Town while Law Minister Rana Sanaullah adamantly announced that such police actions would continue in future as the government would not allow anyone to establish any "no-go area" anywhere in the province.
General discussion on 2014-15 budget was in progress on Tuesday when the news about brutal attack of police on the residence of Pakistain Awami Tehrik (PAT) Chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri in Model Town reached there, prompting the opposition to burst into severe protest.
On a point of order, Opposition Leader Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed said that security situation of the entire province had become sensitive after eight innocent citizens were killed and over 60 others were maimed as a result of straight fire from the police.
He said that riots have erupted across the province after the incident. He demanded the law minister to inform the House about facts of the incident.
The law minister was not present in the House at that time so the speaker, gauging the sensitivity of the issue, assured the House that he would call the law minister to attend the session and reply to concerns exhibited by members.
Meanwhile, ...back at the comedy club, Boogie sadly admitted that he was a better peeping Tom than he was a comedian... Labour and Human Resource Minister Raja Ishfaq Sarwar stood on his seat and said that the government was not denying the facts and that it was not interested in resolving the issue either.
When the opposition heard these remarks that the government was not going to resolve the issue, they resorted to sloganeering against the government and police. However, it's easy to be generous with someone else's money... the law minister joined the session at that point of time and informed the House that the police took action against PAT members in order to remove barriers installed or erected outside Dr Qadri's residence.
He said that they had received intelligence reports that suspicious activities were going on there and that oath on the Holy Koran was being taken from workers according to a text statement that, he said, was against the state of Pakistain. He further said that the government would not allow anyone to establish any "no-go area" anywhere in the province and that the government would take action against any such moves across the province.
He gave assurance to the House that the government would hold a judicial inquiry into the incident and would also take serious action against the culprits. He said that the government had actual footage of the incident where armed people opened fire and took anti-state oath on the Holy Koran and that the government would present it to the nation very soon.
He alleged that Dr Qadri had no services for democracy in Pakistain but that the PAT chief was instrumental only in spreading anarchy; therefore, he could not be tolerated.
He made it clear that the government would launch action against the people, who would establish no-go areas anywhere in the province.
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This isn't just corruption on a massive scale, this is an extended finger at Congress and the American people. The emails are gone because they implicate Champ (or ValJar). And Champ doesn't care about the law.
By the way, the Daily Caller points out that the IRS -- of course -- requires all emails that are part of the "federal record" to be archived, both electronically and in paper, for pretty much forever.
Posted by: frozen al ||
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#1
Oh my. Did IT screw up? I think they need to go to jail until they come up with the "lost" emails. Or can dig through the logs to prove who disappeared what and when.
#2
Bring on the Flat Tax. All withholdings sent directly to the U.S. Treasury. Pension them all off or transfer to the National Park Service. No more handling tax payers money. No more IRS scandal, no more IRS abuse !
#6
Throw a few of the arrogant a$$holes in jail for contempt/obstruction of justice and just maybe, they will start to talk more freely and with some candor. Roll them up to the top--unless they are willing to fall on their swords for the ONE.
#7
1) Shitcan every person involved in targeting with the 501(c)(4) groups. If it's a couple of hundred, good.
2) Strip them of their pensions.
3) Press criminal charges against supervisors, managers, directors, etc.
4) Cut their next fiscal year budget by 20%.
5) Repeal mandatory withholding from all forms of income. If Dems want to get permanent voters by bringing in illegals, we will get even more our way when people have to start mailing in quarterly estimated tax payments.
#10
By the way, the Daily Caller points out that the IRS -- of course -- requires all emails that are part of the "federal record" to be archived, both electronically and in paper, for pretty much forever.
They were aware there is continuous back-up of government email and paper copies at the end of the day so they used personal accounts and aliases to conceal them. 'Richard Windsor's' accounts needs forensic IT's to follow the trail to other pseudo names, which may be quite damning to discover ValJar's secret accounts. They need archive the whole lot of them for multiple federal crimes and perjury in federal facilities pretty much forever.
#12
Over a decade ago, I had a system running ME on a real piece of S hard drive, and it crashed.
I took it to some bum eff store in the middle of Kansas and had 90% recovery, 100% recovery on simple items and text - all of my e-mail information.
But today, if so motivated, I could receive an email from some government agency telling me the pizza I just phoned in could affect my BMI but that statistically speaking I prefer banana peppers early in the week but did not order them this time.
You call 7 Jacks. Playing with 1 deck. This is my bullshit face. Pick the cards up.
[DAWN] Pakistain 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... has urged Afghanistan's Caped PresidentHamid Maybe I'll join the Taliban Karzai ... A former Baltimore restaurateur, now 12th and current President of Afghanistan, displacing the legitimate president Rabbani in December 2004. He was installed as the dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001 in a vain attempt to put a Pashtun face on the successor state to the Taliban. After the 2004 presidential election, he was declared president regardless of what the actual vote count was. He won a second, even more dubious, five-year-term after the 2009 presidential election. His grip on reality has been slipping steadily since around 2007, probably from heavy drug use... to help stop hard boyz escape a major military offensive, as jets pounded Taliban hideouts in North Wazoo tribal region for a third day Tuesday.
Sharif asked his Kabul counterpart to seal their mostly non-existent border along a mountainous tribal area where the Mighty Pak Army has deployed troops and tanks in a long-awaited crackdown on murderous Moslems.
The Mighty Pak Army launched the offensive, named Zarb-e-Azb on Sunday, a week after an attack on 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 killed dozens and marked the end of a troubled grinding of the peace processor.
Exodus of hard boyz from the area had been a concern ahead of the operation, with residents and officials reporting that the majority of Taliban and imported muscle had fled to eastern Afghanistan.
Pakistain's Foreign Office spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said Sharif had requested Karzai to help stop the flow of people.
"Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called Hamid Karzai last night to request him for the closure of Afghan border to avoid exit of hard boyz to Afghanistan from Pakistain during the military offensive," she told AFP.
"The message was earlier conveyed via military sources and Afghan authorities were also requested for an action against hard boys' sanctuaries in Afghanistan which are being used for attacks inside Pakistain.
"I am not aware about the response of Mr. Karzai to these requests," she added.
Thousands of people have already fled across the border into the Gorbaz district of Afghanistan's Khost province ... across the border from Miranshah, within commuting distance of Haqqani hangouts such as Datta Khel and probably within sight of Mordor. Khost is populated by six different tribes of Pashtuns, the largest probably being the Khostwal, from which it takes its name... , according to provincial government front man Mobarez Mohammad Zadran, and are being provided with food and aid.
Posted by: Fred ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Wazoo
[Tolo News] Three days after severing the fingers of 11 voters in western 
[CNN] U.S. special forces working with the FBI captured a key suspect in the deadly 2012 attack on the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, U.S. officials said Tuesday.
[NYDAILYNEWS] The suspected ringleader of the deadly 2012 Benghazi attacks, who was captured by U.S. forces over the weekend, was actually interviewed by multiple media outlets last year -- a stunning revelation that could raise questions over why it took the U.S. so long to arrest the man.
[Pak Daily Times] At least 15 people have been killed in a new attack near Kenya's coast, officials said Tuesday, just 24 hours after Somalia's Shabaab rebels massacred close to 50 people in the same area.
[An Nahar] Sudanese jailers removed the chains from a Christian woman, sentenced to death for apostasy, after she gave birth in prison last month, one of her lawyers said Tuesday.
[BIGSTORY.AP.ORG] Canada's government on Tuesday approved a controversial pipeline proposal that would bring oil to the Pacific Coast for shipment to Asia, a major step in the country's efforts to diversify its oil exports if it can overcome fierce opposition from environmental and aboriginal groups.
[Iran Press TV] Iraqi Prime Minister 
A U.S. Senate proposal tied to the NASA spending bill may thwart efforts by Elon Musk's space venture while aiding Boeing Co. (BA), the government's No. 2 contractor, a trade group president said today.
Joe 
Harry Reid
[Washington Post] ATHENS, Greece -- A self-described Satanist has been 
Maulana Fazlur Rehman
[DAWN] FAISALABAD: Four people of a family, including an aged couple and a child, were allegedly killed to avenge a murder at Chak 273-GB, Jarawnwala, on Monday.
[An Nahar] A man with a realistic-looking tattoo of a gun on his stomach had the real thing tucked into his waistband when he was 
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
BAGHDAD, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al- Maliki 
ISIS would likely welcome deeper involvement from the IRGC.
KUWAIT: The Cabinet is preparing to discuss a report from Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Khalid Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah tomorrow about national preparations amid the security developments in Iraq. The CabinetÂ’s weekly meeting is expected to end with instructions for the Interior Ministry to reinforce security at border checkpoints, especially the northern Abdaly checkpoint in order to prevent infiltrators associated with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant from making their way in or out of Kuwait, said informed sources.
the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon
[AJC] A northwest Georgia woman is accused of damaging and flooding a stranger's home -- while naked.
Nouri al-Maliki
Cease FIRE! Cease FIRE! Pedro sez he is now ready to discuss the e-mails. 
