A UK government inquiry into the intelligence used to justify the war in Iraq is expected to conclude that Britainâs spies were correct to say that Saddam Husseinâs regime sought to buy uranium from Niger.
Egyptian-born Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi has been accused of making anti-Semitic remarks and supporting suicide bombers. BBC religious affairs correspondent Martha Doyle said although respected in the Arab world, his visit has angered leaders of Jewish community groups. Labour MP Louise Ellman said it would be "an outrage" to let him visit, and create "enormous security problems". The Liverpool MP accused Dr Al-Qaradawi of encouraging women and children to be suicide bombers and seeking the destruction of Israel. Mrs Ellman is calling for his speeches to be monitored.
But the Muslim Association of Britain Association for Cultural Domination in the UK, which is hosting Dr Al-Qaradawi, regards him as a moderating voice. The organisation claims that his views on suicide bombers are irrelevant. On its website, it said Dr Al-Qaradawi arrived in London on Monday for a week-long visit during which he would take part in a number of functions. That included chairing the European Council of Fatwa and Research, which will open under the auspices of Mayor Ken Livingston at the Greater London Assembly in London on Wednesday, it said. Our correspondent said the cleric had publicly supported Palestinian suicide bombers. He is expected to preach at the Finsbury Park mosque in north London, where imprisoned Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Masri was imam, she said. Dr Al-Qaradawi, who is based in Doha in Qatar, has been banned from the US since 1999.
So much for the infamous Finsbury Park Mosque becoming a more moderate institution as promised. The organisation claims that his views on suicide bombers are irrelevant Sheesh! I can only imagine MI5/6 have this one planned in orderto drag the scum out of the woodwork for a photo opportunity.
Posted by: Howard UK ||
07/07/2004 4:38:26 AM ||
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I told you all "Blunket" would let him in and give him pocket money to boot. Europe is doomed. They just don't get it. Islam wants them converted or dead. So they bend over and grease up for islam being totally ignorant of the facts and getting all hot and bothered about "diversity". France is already done for Charles Martel is spinning in his grave.
#4
But the Muslim Association of Britain Association for Cultural Domination in the UK, which is hosting Dr Al-Qaradawi, regards him as a moderating voice.
You folks think that this guy is radical? Hellz Bellz, this guy is a moderate. We've got guys that breathe fire when they talk, like Smaug the dragon!!
European Council of Fatwa and Research
That title is one that I should have thought of, but I have not been in the fatwa business for many a moon. Imagine what goes on there....Bunch of guys in tater-tot-type turbans, sitting around in a circle on the floor, eating postachio nuts and cranking out fatwas on this, that, and the other. What a life. It would all be humorous, except that these guys believe their own s**t and are very serious.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
07/07/2004 11:11 Comments ||
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#5
Is the Finbury Park Mosque fireproof? Just wondering.
#6
Yep, his views on suicide bombings are irrelevant and why should these Jihadists think any differently? After all, Jack Straw gave him a visa, right? In spite of all the crap the Sheikh espouses, so the Turbans know what works and what doesn't in post-modern UK. In fact, I bet the Sheikh returns to the UK after this trip is over. What, me worry?
Posted by: Michael ||
07/07/2004 13:52 Comments ||
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#7
The organisation claims that his views on suicide bombers are irrelevant.
I am extremely glad to see so many others catch on this one particular turn of phrase. Pure and simple, IT'S A DEALBREAKER! Nobody is permitted to intentionally overlook other people's intention of actively abetting mass murder. Both conscience and morality dictate against any such idea.
That Britain is incapable of rejecting this monster's temporary visa represents a slow suicide by neglect. If Europe remains incapable of making a unified rally against this sort of overt sedition, they are doomed.
People keep talking about driving a "wedge" between moderate Muslims and their jihadi counterparts. I propose that the only effective "wedge" is death. Those who lean overmuch towards the side of terrorism will be sheared off into the void along with the truly diseased portion as well. This is truly necessary as part of ensuring that all promotion of such psychopathic tendencies ceases immediately. Anyone who actively and openly advocates terrorism needs to go on a wetworks list.
PC-Mania at it most dangerous worst!When the sreaming horde of North Korean commies charge over the DMZ, the South Korean troops could always hand out flyers saying, "Welcome, canât we all get along?"
South Koreaâs National Security Council Secretary Gen. Yi Chong-Sok recently told South Korean military officers to reduce their feelings of hostility toward the enemy. Yi told the officers during a military academy speech June 19: "It will make a stronger military when soldiers serve along the barbed-wire fences [in the Demilitarized Zone] with enhanced sense of citizenship and pride and affection for the country, rather than with hostile feelings toward enemy forces, will it not?" (This guy must have been speaking to Kerry recently)
One general then asked Yi, "I understand you are saying that arousing hostile feelings toward the enemy alone cannot render our military stronger. In that case, how can we educate our men on their perspectives toward the enemy in the reality where the North and South are confronting each other?"
Yi then sought to clarify his statement: "I only mentioned a general idea. I did not say it with North Korea in mind." Whom then, Turkmenistan, Iceland maybe ?
Japan, both north and south harbor "bad feelings".
The government of South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun has been criticized for having pro-North Korea views.
(We do not need to wonder why any longer.)
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
07/07/2004 3:24:46 PM ||
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#1
I'm not sure that we should leave 24,500 troops in the ROK. It's time to deploy them elsewhere. Fifty years is a long time to protect increasingly ungrateful and inhospitable people. Let them figure out their true feelings when they don't have the US to hide behind.
#6
We need to keep on our timetable for drawing down all of our troops in SKor. We will have plenty of airpower for air support. The SKors have all the resources for their defense. All that they need is the will, and that will be up to them. Heaven knows that we sacrificed 50,000 good men for their freedom. I hope that they appreciate it, but I have my doubts on the younger generation.
Posted by: Alaska Paul in Lake Minchumina, AK ||
07/07/2004 21:01 Comments ||
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#7
I think we should pull our troops and walk away. If the SKORS fall to the NORKS and millions are killed, it might just be the wake up call that the free world needs.
I know it sounds heartless, but there seems to be a willfullness to ignore the evil that exists in this world. Maybe a serious dose of reality might turn things around.
Besides, I'm tired of the U.S. having to foot the bill for a growing collection of ungrateful asshats.
THE SLOVAK Security Council did not debate the ultimatum of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Ladin urging European countries to pull out of Muslim countries by July 15, Interior Minister VladimÃr Palko said on July 6.
The council, he said after the meeting, is concerned with the security of citizens, regardless of statements by certain individuals, the news wire TASR wrote. Also discussed were transport, defence, and the national security system, including the protection of civilian aviation.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
07/07/2004 3:02:37 PM ||
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Spanish police probes into the Madrid bomb massacre in March conflicted with initial government claims that the explosive was of a kind used by the Basque separatist group ETA, a public enquiry heard on Wednesday.
A parliamentary committee of enquiry wanted to know why the government of former prime minister Jose Maria Aznar had drawn such quick conclusions about the substance, although police had no immediate evidence and laboratory tests later refuted the claim.
The then interior minister Angel Acebes made the claim to journalists within hours of the blasts killing 191, thereby casting suspicion on ETA.
Bomb disposal chief Juan Jesus Sanchez Manzano told the enquiry no one in his squad had identified the substance titadyne, the dynamite brand used by ETA since 2000.
He said police had established by 14:00 on March 11 that dynamite had indeed been used. But it had not been until after 02:00 the following morning that it was identified as another type, Goma-2 Eco.
But a document had already emerged from the interior ministry at midday on March 11 claiming "elements indicating that the explosive used was that normally used by ETA."
The then interior minister Angel Acebes told a press conference at 13:30 the same day that the explosive was the same as that normally used by ETA, thereby casting suspicion on the Basque separatist group that has been conducting a violent campaign for independence for the Basque country in northern Spain.
The public enquiry was set to examine specifically the order and detail of events between the moment the commuter bombs went off and a general election - won by Spainâs Socialists - on March 14, three days later.
Part of the enquiryâs brief is to examine whether Aznarâs conservative government had been justified in its assertion in the period leading up to the vote that the main line of inquiry focused on ETA.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
07/07/2004 3:08:44 PM ||
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In fact the governmennt was told it was Titadyne a kind of explosive commonly used by ETA who stolme eight tons of it. In fact it was goma2 who is no longer used by ETA (they have enough Titadyne for years) But some spanish papers tell it was impossible for explosive experts to mixup the two explosives who (textually) "smell as different as an apple and a banana". And still the governement received the false clue who pointed at ETA. Also between the bombings and the election radios belonging to socialists received info pointing to islamist footprints before the governement so the governemnt looked like it was lying.
AMSTERDAM − Belgian police have arrested a Dutch resident of Moroccan origin on suspicion of involvement in the Madrid train bombings in March. The man was arrested on 1 July when the suspect − identified as El Houcine el H., of the southern Dutch city Weert − applied for asylum in Belgium, Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant reported on Wednesday.
A spokesman from the federal prosecution office in Brussels said that the suspect was accused of preparing an international terrorist attack from Belgium. He said the arrest was linked to arrests carried out on 8 June, when Belgian authorities raided homes in Brussels, Schaarbeek and Antwerp and arrested 15 people.
The detainees − who originate from Palestine, Jordan, Egypt and Morocco − were accused of holding links with the Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group (GICM). Four suspects are still being held on remand. The four suspects are alleged to have formed an operational group that used Belgium as its base and could have been sent anywhere across the globe to carry out terrorist attacks. The terrorist cell was allegedly managed from Italy.
Meanwhile, the brother-in-law of the Dutch suspect, Khalid B., who also lives in Weert, was previously arrested in the Netherlands on possible suspicion of involvement in the Casablanca attacks on 16 May 2003 which killed 43 people. Dutch police arrested B. − who has both Belgian and Moroccan nationality − during a routine traffic control in the Dutch province of Limburg in January. A check of his identity indicated that Morocco had issued an arrest warrant for him.
Morocco has since requested the extradition of B. and the Roermond Court in the south of the Netherlands will hand down its ruling on Friday. The court previously ruled on 18 May that that it could not come to a judgement on the extradition request because the Moroccan documents were too vague. It requested more information.
Morocco claims that B. underwent paramilitary training to become a member of GICM and was entrusted with setting up a Belgian terror cell and the recruitment of new members. Morocco bases its accusations on testimony from another GICM member. The two Moroccan brothers-in-law are almost certainly included on the list of 150 potential terrorists that Dutch secret service AIVD keeps under 24-hour surveillance.
El Houcine el H. has undergone military training in Afghanistan and has had contact with Chechen rebels. His wife, Samira, who he lives with in Weert, confirmed the claims in the regional Belgian newspaper Het Belang van Limburg, but denied her husband was involved in any terrorist attacks.
The AIVD − which has frequently warned in the past against radical extremists believed to be active in the Netherlands − has refused to comment about the two brothers-in-law. A spokeswoman said releasing information could harm investigations.
Posted by: Steve ||
07/07/2004 8:56:36 AM ||
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#1
He's a Dutch citizen and he requested political asylum in Belgium to avoid prosecution for setting up a terror cell in Holland? And then he set up a terror cell in Belgium? These Moslems sure are pests.
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
07/07/2004 12:59 Comments ||
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The tip of the Tulip Conspiracy.
It's a gouda thing they nip this in the bud.
Responding to the air-travel anxieties since 9-11, an airline pilot and two aviation security experts have compiled a book to help passengers and crew defend themselves in the case of a terrorist attack. "Never Again" is a "self-defense guide for the flying public'' with some 200 illustrations of hand-to-hand combat situations that could unfold in an airline cabin. "Unless law enforcement is aboard, passengers and flight attendants are the first line of defense," co-author Mark Bogosian told WorldNetDaily. An American Airlines captain, Bogosian notes that prior to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, flight crews were trained to cooperate with hijackers, but the suicide operation that turned airliners into missiles changed everything. "That scenario was never imagined or talked about in our training," he said. Bogosian's co-authors are security experts Michael Regan and Tommy Hamilton, a SWAT team commander for the police force at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
The authors emphasize that if air marshals are on board, passengers must cooperate and do exactly as they are told. But Bogosian knows from experience that not all flights are staffed with law enforcement. If he had his way, the book, which originally was developed for airline crews, would be in the seat-pocket of every airliner. "The information in this book is just too valuable to not be made available to the public," he said. Along with disarming tips â in case a terrorist was able to get a gun on board â it provides numerous self-defense moves, ways to take away a knife or box cutter and information about dozens of ordinary items in aircraft cabins that can be used to thrwart an attack. Bogosian emphasizes, however, this is not a "whack 'em up" book, but a carefully measured approach to an attack that begins with analyzing the situation and using the standard levels of the "force continuum" employed by law enforcement. "It starts with a professional presence," said Bogosian. "Sometimes all it takes is a crew member with passengers at his side to quell an attack."
Posted by: Steve ||
07/07/2004 10:54:26 AM ||
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#1
Center aisle Taebo classes. Could be a winner.
Posted by: ed ||
07/07/2004 11:00 Comments ||
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#2
Archie Bunker says you should pass out guns at the ticket counter. You can't hijack a plane when everyone on board has a gun.
Posted by: Chris W. ||
07/07/2004 11:03 Comments ||
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#3
In the "rock, paper, scissors" of airplane judu, pot of steaming hot coffee defeats box cutter every time.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
07/07/2004 11:05 Comments ||
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#4
Hey SH - It's light outside! On night shift, now? I was beginning to think you were a vampire!
#5
My advice: stay in the aisle. They can only come at you one at a time.
Posted by: Rafael ||
07/07/2004 12:08 Comments ||
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#6
Be a pack, not a herd.
Posted by: Formerly Dan ||
07/07/2004 12:42 Comments ||
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#7
Clarification*: They [the terrorists] can only come at you one at a time.
*in case there are any jihadis reading this
Posted by: Rafael ||
07/07/2004 13:27 Comments ||
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#8
I always get an aisle seat (more for convenience and emergency exit purposes, but whatever). Since 9/11 have made a habit of hanging on to the soda can (if I can get one), bending it in half til it breaks (giving a decent sharp edge), then tuck that stump in the seat pocket. Wonder if that's in their book.
From everything I heard about Flight 93, the best trick (IMO) was the use of a serving cart as a battering ram to get the cockpit door open.
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/07/2004 14:20 Comments ||
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#10
All good ideas... still the best idea
is 80 pissed off and scared passengers
deciding to kill with whatever is handy
including their handies.
Belts... good belts.
#14
The biggest problem post-Flight 93 is not hijacking, but rather how to keep the passengers from killing perceived would-be hijackers. The last couple of times someone made a move for the cockpit, the passengers beat them to within an inch of their life.
#15
RWV if it was a real attempt and it was thwarted by passengers... I expect finding two limbs tied together would be a trick. Angry, scared apes are very, very vicious.
#16
Uh, since 99.99% of the potential (and past) hijakers are male, a simple grasp, twist, and jerk motion will stop them in their tracks. And probably kill them.
Just sayin', 's all.
(For anyone who can't figure out what you're supposed to "grasp, twist, and jerk," just stay in your seats and let the big girls handle it.)
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
07/07/2004 18:31 Comments ||
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Oh, yeah - and then slice their jugular with the edge of a credit card. :-)
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
07/07/2004 18:33 Comments ||
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#18
there'll be no blood in that jugular if your first move worked Barb :-)
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/07/2004 18:56 Comments ||
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The Council on American-Islamic Relations-Florida calls on all Muslims worldwide to sign our petition, "Not in the Name of Islam." ... The petition reads:
We, the undersigned Muslims, wish to state clearly that those who commit acts of terror, murder and cruelty in the name of Islam are not only destroying innocent lives, but are also betraying the values of the faith they claim to represent. No injustice done to Muslims can ever justify the massacre of innocent people, and no act of terror will ever serve the cause of Islam. We repudiate and dissociate ourselves from any Muslim group or individual who commits such brutal and un-Islamic acts. We refuse to allow our faith to be held hostage by the criminal actions of a tiny minority acting outside the teachings of both the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.
As it states in the Quran: âOh you who believe, stand up firmly for justice, as witnesses to God, even if it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be against rich or poor; for God can best protect both.â
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
07/07/2004 12:11:15 AM ||
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#1
Lol! PR at its finest. CAIR must be worried about their Anti-CAIR lawsuit and the evidence accumulated. Wow. What a trip. 3 years late and about as believable as, well, all those previous PR attempts which don't amount to fuck-all in the real world.
#3
hey, lets give them a break. Despite having endured Hussein Ibish's tirades at my college, I honestly hope that they are starting to see the truth and are making an honest effort to stand against terrorism. Let us assume the best and stand behind them. For there, we can support them if they are good, and knive them in the back if they are not :)
#5
Lookie here...while Muslim Americans sign petitions against terrorism on July 05, however on July 06 the same anti-terroist Muslims say they will not vote for Bush, the president whose platform is the WOT...duplitious perfidy!...and why are we not surprised? https://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?id=33918&page=NB I got to wondering what Muslim-Americans think about this year's presidential election, especially given that so much has happened over the last four years. 9-11. Iraq. The Mideast. The Patriot Act. So I sat down with 11 North Texas members of this key religious swing group, and here's what I learned...Participant after participant lambasted the way America's seen in the world, particularly in Muslim countries. Then there's the Patriot Act. And the roundup of Muslims after 9-11. Both are far from forgotten. After an hour of listening, it was no surprise to learn very few of these registered voters plan to support the president...their preferences track an April Zogby poll in the four states with the greatest Muslim populations.
#6
" "He needs a public campaign against prejudice
against Islam," declared Uzma Feroze, a North Texan now living with her
children and husband in Dubai."
2 observations here:1)Uzma,you should inform your partners in crime that suppoting terrorist thugs tends to cause people to distrust and vilify Muslems.As an example not all members of the Bloods or Cripes are gang bangers,never the less I wouldnt trust any of them.
2)If this Jurno interviewed her and her family in Teaxas and they are now in Dubai,they must have beat feet in a hurry.
#7
those who commit acts of terror, murder and cruelty
of course as the fine print footnote upside down in ultraviolet says, "killing infidels, especially Jews, is by definition not terror, murder or cruelty"
#8
"He needs a public campaign against prejudice against Islam,"
No. The US needs a public campaign to translate the Mosque sermons, Arabic news reports and public statements and broadcast it to the American public so they can realize the lies, blood libel and call for terrorism and murder that is spewed out each day. The US desperately needs a TV show to expose and understand the vile hateful call to murder that is spewed out across the Arab lands each day. Hell, expand the expose to other countries media and public figures, and you can have enough programming to fill a network 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. I predict a ratings bonanza.
Posted by: ed ||
07/07/2004 9:21 Comments ||
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Just don't read the fine print:
No injustice done to Muslims can ever justify the massacre of innocent people...
#10
This reminds me of those âDrug Freeâ and âGun Freeâ in neighborhoods that are anything but. When I start to read stories of Muslims identifying bad guys, then I will believe this crap. I also agree with BH that they only see Muslim as the innocent everyone else is fair game.
#13
When I start to read stories of Muslims identifying bad guys, then I will believe this crap.
FBI Announcement: Terrorist Abdullah bin Hussien, has been arrested, after having been fingered to the FBI by his cousin, Ahmed bin Hussein. Now that we've announced that in public, ahmed will enter the witness protection program, at considerable cost to taxpayers, and disruption to his life. However we did that, cause, like there are some guys out there who need proof that at least SOME American muslims REALLY mean theyre against terrorism. And its so important to us provide such proof that we'll blow our informants, and waste govt money to do so. Otherwise these guys might - i dont know - post something nasty to the internet.
John Ashcroft to FBI director - You did WHAT????!!!!!
Back in Greece there's the saying "Better late than never".
Shut your yap, CAIR
All of you are going to have to decide whether you want Muslims to speak out against terrorism or whether you don't.
Chris, you chose "I don't". If a muslim had said the same (that CAIR should shut its yap and not condemn terrorism in this way), what would you think of him?
the same anti-terroist Muslims say they will not vote for Bush
So? They must not only be anti-terror, they must also collectively turn Republican in order for you to accept them?
No matter how y'all try to present it, this petition is a step forward.
"Back in Greece" eh? I will withold judgement of the fine philosophical Greek outlook on terrorism until after the Athens Olympics.
"A step forward". You are correct. However, this is after nearly three years of obfuscating every attempt to get to the truth of the HOLY WAR the terrorists are waging against us while CAIR makes endless excuses for them and claims that any arrests or prosecution of those belonging to the Muslim faith are "unjustified" at best and "racist" at worst.
CAIR has consistently been one of the worst offenders when it comes to ascribing motives to law enforcement that just aren't there, and for being in the front lines against any measure that defends this nation from future Islamic terrorist attacks. These scum cavort with the enemy for years and you expect me to slobber all over them when they CLAIM to turn over a new leaf? Please.
Posted by: Chris W. ||
07/07/2004 12:17 Comments ||
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#18
LH, You know what I am talking about. Not just one guy turning in his cousin. If this was a Baptists, Catholic, or Jewish fundamentalists problem the clergy and the congregation would be LOUDLY against this action. Case in point would be the idiots bombing abortion clinics and shooting doctors. This was WIDELY denounced by the Christian community from the top down. What we hear from CAIR and their ilk is that we should understand the root causes of Muslim anger and that itâs because the JOOOOOOSSSSS live in the Middle East. Itâs time for the Muslim community to decide whose side they are on. If they remain silent or give quasi acceptance then they deserve whatever backlash that comes their way. Personally I think the round up of suspect Muslim males a very responsible move on the part of the FBI. I would also have felt that way if Irish Catholics or Protestant Germans had been responsible for 9/11 and that group had been targeted by the FBI.
#19
Was your comment (#10) only aimed at CAIR? Look, Ive got problems with CAIR too. But there are plenty of American muslims who HAVE been denouncing terrorism since 9/11. And there are plenty who have been doing things from joining the US military or serving CIA and NSA as translators to informing.
Now I happen to agree with you that the post 9/11 detentions made sense, and I understand that most American Muslims disagree. But not everyone who disagrees with a particular policy is pro-terror.
Oh, and by the way, I was in an Orthodox synagogue a few weeks after the Rabin was assasinated by someone who happened to be an Orthdox Jew. The topic of the sermon? "Secular Israelis are discriminating against the Orthodox" - a story of an Israeli busdriver refusing to let an Orthodox Jew on the bus - the moral - the Orthodox have rights too. Self-pity is widespread in this world Im afraid. And the tendency to circle the wagons.
#20
To little to late,Aris and LH.Until I start hearing CAIR,ISA,etc condemning terrorist at the top of thier lungs.When I start seeing Muslems start pointing fingers and nameing names then I might accept a petition at face value.Thier silence in the face of Islamic terrorisam,covert and overt suport has squandered any good will I had for these orginazations.This petition is just a bunch of hog wash.
#21
The US needs a public campaign to translate the Mosque sermons, Arabic news reports and public statements and broadcast it to the American public so they can realize the lies, blood libel and call for terrorism and murder that is spewed out each day.
I agree, ed. Information is king and America needs an earful of exactly what sort of bilious crap is spattered about all through the Muslim community.
As to CAIR, only one saying comes to mind:
A day late and a dollar short.
Yes, it's a good thing for them to have done. No, it is not persuasive nor effective because this statement is almost three years too late. CAIR's statement smacks of remediation instead of properly active engagement.
Any Islamic organization currently toying with damage control is a few kebabs short of a Ramadan feast. The time for such protestations is well past. What's called for now is active participation in the abatement of militant jihadists and a purge of Islamists from their ranks.
Anything less will effectively seal the doom of all Muslims. Time is running out for those who pretend to wish against terrorism while neglecting to take productive measures in thwarting it. If peaceful reform and change does not come from within it will be visited upon Islam from without, most likely in a very violent form.
#22
No matter how y'all try to present it, this petition is a step forward.
Not if CAIR has to urge their constituents to sign it. If they really eschewed the use of terrorism, such efforts would have been embraced without a need to solicit participation, and would not have waited until this late date to happen.
#23
The petition is a great idea, notwithstanding the nature of CAIR. The petition will need to be signed by LOTS AND LOTS of Muslim bigwigs, and its signing will have to be accompanied by a number of other positive actions to convince us that Islam is a religion seeking peaceful coexistence with the rest of the world. Our trust in Islam's peaceful intent has been squandered and will need to be earned back.
When we see the top Muslim authority in EVERY COUNTRY in the world insisting to his flock that THERE ARE MUSLIM TERRORISTS in the world tearing apart the faith, then we have a fledgling hope. If you say you are against terrorism but you cheer, hide, fund, or abet terrorists, this petition will rightfully end up in a pile of ridicule and the consequences to Islam will be deserved. And the petition doesn't even touch sharia or anti-Semitism, which will never be tolerated by the West. The petition is only one step, but a necessary step for reconciling the Muslim faithful with the rest of humanity.
To LH-I disagree about the assertion that "plenty of Muslims" denounce terrorism; it certainly doesn't match my experience. My line of work involves contact with people of every faith and country; most of the Muslims I have encountered will not say a word against jihadis, Osama, etc. Any criticism about terror is immediately disqualified with "the reasons why they did it" sermon. Self-examination and self-critique are still wanting in Islam.
#24
There are a number of Moslems who have provided translation services, information services, etc. to the FBI and CIA.
Many of them are secular Moslems who desperately fear their jihadist coreligionists. A lot of them require anonymity. However, I don't think even in the US, that the secular Moslems represent the majority of Moslems.
Even in the US, there are many hard core jihadists. Some are sophisticated enough to say that they oppose terrorism but consider killing anyone who they don't like as self defense of the Umma (most of CAIR members would be in this class). Some, however are hard core and openly support terrorism.
Does anyone seriously think that even 5% of Moslem Americans will sign the CAIR petition?
Does anyone think even 20% of American Imans will sign it?
#25
as a practical matter getting thousands of people to sign ANY Petition is hard work. Do you think we could get 5% of the American Jewish population to sign a petition for the survival of Israel? I mean we could, but it would be a huge organizational effort. We probably call a much higher percentage for the UJA campaign, but that takes massive resources, professionals, volunteers, phone banks, etc and its taken years of learning to get to that point. So if they cant get 5% to sign that wouldnt prove anything - just they cant put organize well enough to put it in front of everyone (and quite frankly, among friends here, im not unhappy that CAIR isnt as well organized as the American Jewish community)
You could go by polls, but as mhw says, its not hard to lie to a pollster. Hell its not hard to lie to acquantainces, is it? I dont think we're ever gonna prove anything one way or the other, at least not to everyones satisfaction.
#26
You're right about the impracticality of getting all Muslims to sign. But perhaps that isn't the final goal anyway; the petition might have more meaning if the mosque leaders would do it. As far as worshippers of any religion go, doesn't the instruction for approved behavior come from on high?
Within a week or two after the murder of Rabin you could have gotten 98% of all Rabbis to sign a statement saying that the murder was a sin.
Organizing the laity would, as you say, be more trouble but if all the 98% of rabbis had asked their congregation to sign, you could have gotten at least 50% of all Jews to sign it.
The point as bomb a rama might say is that this didn't need to be done. The whole kahal instantaneously denounced it sincerely and completely without weasel words.
Everyone hide under the desk, the grand ayatollah of baloney has spoken again.
TEHRAN: Iranâs supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned the United States on Monday that any attack on the Islamic republicâs interests would be met with a global response, state-run Tehran television reported. "If the enemy attacks our scientific, natural, human or technological interests, the Iranian people ( want theâsupremeâ schmuck to drop dead)
will cut off its hand without hesitation (ya right..)
and place in danger the interests of the aggressor everywhere in the world," he told a crowd of thousands on a visit to Hamadan in western Iran. (The same old song and dance, well maybe no dancing..)
According to the official news agency IRNA, Khamenei was responding to US allegations that Iran was damaging Washingtonâs interests. "The United States says that we have endangered their interests," Khamenei said, adding: "If anyone invades our nation, we will jeopardise their interests around the world." (More bla, bla & more bla.)
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
07/07/2004 3:15:03 PM ||
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US to Iran: I raise you one nuclear retaliation for your global retaliation.
#4
To me the question is: are they acting nervous because we are about to do something or because they are? I'd like to think we have the initiative here, but don't see evidence of that fact.
#5
These guys definitely need lessons from the KCNA. Their tripe comes across more as the bombastic, impotent seething of the Palestinians more than the frothing, spittle-spewing threats from the North. S2D2.
#6
I think the Iranian what-passes-for-government is starting to realize that a lot of its "fixes", sneaky tricks and tentacles around the world have suddenly become inoperative.
Like Japan in the 1930s, they have ambitions to do all sorts of things, mostly involving forcibly taking other people's stuff. Things like the Saudi oilfields, Iraq, and maybe even fomenting trouble up in Central Asia.
But with the invasion of Iraq, a lot of these programmes have gone up in smoke, leaving them with only what (they think) is their ace in the hole--nuclear blackmail.
Trouble is, that's like thinking you have a winning hand at poker because you have a single ace.
#9
All this bluster falls into the "methinks the man doth protest too much" category. Iran is finally under the magnifying glass and they are beginning to squirm, that's all. Their bellicose blather is a direct result of them knowing how complicit they are in much of the region's unrest. No amount of bravado can cover up the fact that they are completely helpless before America's military might.
#10
I would think that the Iranians would have learned that GWB has done exactly what he said he would do in other military situations. The Black Turbans are hanging alot on the November elections, IMHO. If they cause too much trouble, even in this election year, they are going to get their asses kicked. Their oil flow can be shut down quickly and at no risk to us.
Posted by: Alaska Paul in Lake Minchumina, AK ||
07/07/2004 21:15 Comments ||
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#11
Iran is no longer in charge of Iraq. Must not be a good feeling.
#12
DPA, I agree 100% at the big picture strategy level. Just concerned with the tactical timing of this missive.
Maybe, as stated, NK no longer providing missile tech, just press release scripts. Maybe Tater was the best Iran has and the Army destroyed him. I want to be optimistic.
#13
The United States knows that the Iranians need to test detonate an initial yield. The Iranians just want to be sure we don't go nuts afterward!! Israel will "drop bricks" if this happens, and we are straining the 'chains' to keep them calm. I hope it doesn't work!
TEHRAN: Iranian riot police have lined the streets of the capital, Tehran, to crack down on chaotic traffic but students see a show of strength ahead of this weekâs anniversary of unrest in 1999. July 8 is a time of tension as students mark the pro-reform protests that turned violent after attacks by hardline militia killed at least one person inside a university dormitory. "Special police forces are helping the traffic police to restore order and enforce traffic laws," the official IRNA news agency quoted police chief Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf as saying. "The plan has helped the flow of traffic in major cities, especially in Tehran," deputy police chief Mohsen Ansari told IRNA. With 22,000 deaths on Iranian roads each year, few doubt something needs to be done. But others were less than reassured by the special police units in camouflage paramilitary uniforms dangling batons and pepper spray at junctions around Tehran.
Student leader Abdollah Momeni told Reuters the presence of special police forces created "a menacing atmosphere to prevent student protests". Since the 1999 pro-reform protests, the student movement has been severely weakened by the arrest and imprisonment of many of its leaders. Students said they doubted any protests would take place this year in Tehran. President Mohammad Khatami has been sidelined by powerful conservatives and retains little of the popularity that swept him to office in 1997 due to his failure to stand up to hardliners.
Since April, new traffic rules have banned sharing a front seat, using a cellphone or smoking while driving, and made the use of seat belts mandatory. But student leader Matin Meshkini said riot police were put in the streets several months ahead of the student anniversary to conceal their real motive. "They wanted to show that no special forces were brought to the streets just because of the anniversary," he said. Some analysts said the conservatives, who won parliamentary elections in February, are on course to complete their political comeback in presidential elections in mid-2005. "By using troops they want to show people that they were able of doing everything including solving the traffic issue," said Saeed Leylaz, a political analyst. A European diplomat in Tehran called the display of special forces a show of strength by conservatives. "There has to be a worry that it is part of something more significant," the diplomat said.
Some analysts said the conservatives wanted to militarise the atmosphere and said troops could stay on the streets after July 8, to strengthen conservatives grip on authority. "They want to display their power by using force and reminding people that they are ready to use force," said an analyst who asked not to be named. But many Iranians say that whatever the motive for deploying the riot police, they have solved Tehranâs traffic problem and cut pollution. "Although watchful presence of police is scary, the traffic is much better than before," said Hassan, 45, a taxi driver.
Yeah, and Musolini made the trains run on time.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
07/07/2004 2:02:57 AM ||
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This is how the crack down in Ft. Lauderdale started.
INVESTIGATORS tracking the spread of nuclear technology and know-how through the clandestine sales network of the Pakistani scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan believe that Syria might have acquired centrifuges that can purify uranium for use in nuclear bombs. Khan, the so-called father of Pakistanâs nuclear programme, is known to have helped Iran, Libya and North Korea to acquire centrifuges and other nuclear components on the black market, but American intelligence sources believe his net was cast wider. A hero in his own country, Khan was sacked as President Pervez Musharrafâs special scientific adviser this year after admitting that he had passed on nuclear secrets to other countries.
John Bolton, the US undersecretary of state for arms control, has voiced fears that Khan had âseveral otherâ customers seeking to acquire the bomb. âThere is more out there than we can discuss publicly,â he told the United Nations in April. âItâs one of the reasons why the depth of our concern about the international black market in weapons of mass destruction is as substantial as it is.â Danielle Pletka, an expert on Middle Eastern nuclear proliferation at the American Enterprise Institute, said: âThereâs very wide suspicion that Syria was part of the A Q Khan network.â The scientist visited Syria in the late 1990s and is thought to have met Syrian officials secretly in Iran. Pletka claims the scientist cut a deal with Musharraf, limiting his confession to the three countries that were already proven to be part of his nuclear sales ring while avoiding mention of three other interested parties: Syria, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
I figured as much.
âThe Syrians have long had a chemical weapons programme but to the best of peopleâs knowledge never had a nuclear programme, but there is mounting evidence that this is no longer the case,â Pletka said. The CIA reported to Congress last year that it viewed âSyrian nuclear intentions with growing concernâ. Recent intelligence intercepts suggest that Syria not only might have acquired centrifuges, but might be operating them. Opinion is divided in the intelligence community as to the extent of the threat. The American State Department said: âThe United States government has consistently outlined our concerns with regard to Syriaâs pursuit of weapons of mass destruction. We are very interested to learn the scope of the A Q Khan network, but we are not in a position to say with certainty that Syria has centrifuges.â Bolton has been frustrated by limited co-operation from Khan and his associates. âIf part of that network is exposed, you donât really know whether youâve exposed all of it or not, or brought it down,â he said earlier this year.
The Paks won't let us question Khan directly, and the Malayians have kept a tight lid over Tahir, so far.
Tensions with Syria have been ratcheted up by the conflict in Iraq. There are concerns that the Syrians are letting fighters, terrorists and weapons cross its borders and the prospect, however distant, of a nuclear-armed Baâathist state is particularly chilling to Americans. The acquisition of centrifuges would be an important step towards obtaining the weapons-grade material needed to develop a nuclear bomb. âItâs no secret the Syrians have historically sought an answer to Israelâs overwhelming conventional superiority and have an active biological and chemical weapons programme,â said Steven Cook, of the Council on Foreign Relations. âIf they could acquire a nuclear option it would shift the strategic situation in the region.â Cook doubts, however, that Syria has the capacity and infrastructure to produce a nuclear bomb, even if it has acquired some of the technology. âTheyâd still be looking to buy missiles,â he said.
Earth to Steve, Syria builds Scuds, that's all they need to hit Israel.
President George Bush imposed trade sanctions on Syria last month, claiming that its actions posed an âunusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy and economyâ of America. He accused Syria of pursuing weapons of mass destruction and missiles, in particular advanced chemical weapons capabilities.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
07/07/2004 1:41:42 AM ||
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#1
The world is definetly a much more dangerous place now than it was 20 years ago. The genie is out of the bottle, and the US is the only country with the stones to jam him back in. I have my doubts that we will though.
#9
mojo - When I saw the post, I recalled seeing a piece way back when in Defense Weekly about a system that would counter the shot reaction - similar to earthquake-damping. IIRC it indicated that in the vacuum, sitting at a LaGrange point, they could precisely calculate the damping req'd to maintain station. Hey, I dunno if they were right. The subscription wasn't mine, damnit, long gone. It was preceeded, IIRC, a couple of months earlier by some incredible super-slow motion shots of a proto-rail gun firing a piece of plastic, looked like a Bic pen cap, hitting a block of pig iron 2.5 inches thick at approx 2.5 km/sec. Liquified the iron and the plastic projectile wasn't even singed. Biggest eye-opener in memory for me - and the materials crowd, too, as they suddenly discovered some new behaviors when materials were stuck by hyper-speed shock waves, heh.
#10
Sucker'd go thataway, in a hurry.
Simple way to correct that would be to build a double barreled gun, fire a equal mass in opposite direction. One down to your target on earth, one into empty space to cancel each other out. Similar to a recoiless rifle.
Posted by: Steve ||
07/07/2004 16:30 Comments ||
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#12
Damascus might go nuclear, but only as a target not as a power. I suspect that one or two of the ambiguous weapons in the bunkers at Dimona have Assad's name on them. He pushes too hard and they'll be delivered.
TEHRAN: Iranian authorities have slapped a ban on any commemorations marking the fifth anniversary this week of anti-regime student unrest, officials announced on Tuesday. In a statement carried in the Iranian press, security affairs chief for Tehran Ali Taala said the decision to bar gatherings had been taken by the interior ministry, and a request for a student event outside Tehran University had been rejected. A similar decision has also been applied in the central Iranian city of Isfahan, press reports said. In addition the Tehran University campus will also be shut down for the anniversary. A pro-reform student group said it had been informed the measure was taken to âdisinfect the campus because of cockroach infestationâ, the student news agency ISNA reported. On July 9, 1999, pro-democracy students clashed with police in Tehran and other cities in unrest sparked by a heavy-handed police and vigilante raid on a smaller dormitory protest over newspaper closures. On the anniversary itself in 2003, protestors merely took to the streets in their cars, with the sidewalks and universities patrolled by huge numbers of police. This year the anniversary falls on Thursday, July 8, due to the difference in the Gregorian and Persian calendars.
Meanwhile, Iranian riot police have lined the streets of the capital, Tehran, to crack down on chaotic traffic but students see a show of strength ahead of this weekâs anniversary of unrest in 1999. âThe plan has helped the flow of traffic in major cities, especially in Tehran,â deputy police chief Mohsen Ansari told IRNA. With some 22,000 deaths on Iranian roads each year, few doubt something needs to be done. But others were less than reassured by the special police units in camouflage paramilitary uniforms dangling batons and pepper spray at junctions around Tehran. Student leader Abdollah Momeni told Reuters the presence of special police forces created âa menacing atmosphere to prevent student protestsâ. Since the 1999 pro-reform protests, the student movement has been severely weakened by the arrest and imprisonment of many of its leaders. Students said they doubted any protests would take place this year in Tehran.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
07/07/2004 2:01:56 AM ||
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why aren't we broadcasting Radio Free Iran to stir this stuff up?
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/07/2004 9:55 Comments ||
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#2
Yo, that is a real good question. or....maybe a lot of unstated 'assistance' to the right people is taking place on the ground, air and sea. opps Gulf.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
07/07/2004 23:42 Comments ||
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From Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
The fifth anniversary of 18 Tir (8 July) -- the day in 1999 when uniformed police and plainclothes vigilantes attacked a Tehran University dormitory with fatal results -- is looming. .... Said Robati, who heads the Tehran University branch of the Office for Strengthening Unity (OSU) student organization, said that in a 1 July letter to the Tehran governorate-general his group formally requested permission to hold a rally outside the universityâs main gate.... Robati said two days later that upon returning to the governorate-general he and his colleagues were informed verbally that a permit would not be forthcoming and any kind of off-campus rally would thus be illegal. ...
The OSU split into two wings in 2002. The majority Allameh wing wanted to withdraw from mainstream politics, while the smaller Shiraz wing preferred to continue its support for the president. These divisions and the accompanying apathy were remarked on by members of the Sixth Parliamentâs "student faction," all of whom were in the OSU, during a 9 May ceremony at Allameh Tabatabai University. Tehran parliamentarian Fatimeh Haqiqatju reminded the gathering that the student movementâs most important duty is "criticizing power," "Sharq" reported on 10 May. She urged the students to be actively involved with the upcoming presidential election, and she commented that there is a "language of despair" in the student movement. She warned that the conservatives find the student movement is an irritant that must be controlled, and they are trying to sow discord. Shiraz parliamentarian Reza Yusefian observed that because issues are viewed from an individualistic perspective there is no longer a student "movement."
In mid-May the OSU met at Khajeh Nasredin Tusi University. In a speech to the students, Tehran representative Ali Akbar Musavi-Khoeni urged the OSU that it must behave as a cohesive entity, "Vaqa-yi Itifaqi-yi" reported on 15 May. Apparently, the gathering took Musavi-Khoiniâs words to heart. Members of the Shiraz and Allameh factions held lengthy discussions, and subsequently voting for new Central Council members took place. According to "Vaqa-yi Itifaqi-yi" on 16 May, the new council reflects the reduction in differences between the two factions. "These elections showed that the spell has been broken, and that the obstructions and external threats have been neutralized and that there is consensus among Islamic Student Associations," Abdullah Momeni of the OSU commented, according to Hambastegi of 17 May. ...
The outcome of the Central Council elections was unexpected, according to a report in the 6 June issue of "Sharq." The individuals elected to leadership positions were veterans of the student movement "who are well past their student years and student characteristics." The newspaper warned that the age gap between OSU leaders and the average university student precludes easily creating a relationship. The OSU will begin to function more like a party, and to outside observers it will be the "flag-bearer of Iranâs reform movement." The two wings, according to Sharq, believe that it is time to bury the old OSU.
An article by Central Council member Majid Haji-Babai in the 28 June Sharq suggests that the outcome of that funeral could be dramatic. He says ideas for ending the student movementâs disunity included a "student parliament" and the Office for Fostering Democracy. The latter was an elitist version of the OSU, Haji-Babai writes, and the former would have been all-inclusive and nationwide. The student parliament, furthermore, would require direct voting by the students and would require cooperation from the universities and the regime.
Another problem, Haji-Babai writes, is that these two ideas only deal with the domestic situation. The "tens of thousands" of Iranians studying in the United States and Europe have created dynamic Iranian organizations at their individual institutions, and it would be a mistake to ignore them. What is required is a National Union of Iranian Students modeled on the old Confederation of Iranian Students that was active internationally from the 1950s onward. This entity could coordinate all the student organizations and play a powerful political role.
Developments in the OSU are noteworthy because it is one of the countryâs biggest student organizations and because it played a key role in Khatamiâs 1997 election victory. Nevertheless there are other organizations that have advocated more radical action against the regime. One of these is veteran activist Heshmatollah Tabarzadiâs Democratic Front. It is unlikely that Tabarzadi will be part of any student union, and it is similarly unlikely that the OSUâs new tendency will have a lasting impact.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
07/07/2004 7:37:43 AM ||
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note this OSU seems to be a moderate pro-Khatami group, not the more radical Student movement that has protested in the past. If elements in the OSU are becoming radicalized, that could be significant.
Families of U.S. citizens killed or hurt in terrorist attacks in Israel filed an $875 million lawsuit against Arab Bank, accusing it of channeling money to Palestinian terrorist groups and making insurance payments to beneficiaries of suicide bombers. The lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court, claims the Jordan-based bankâs New York branch laundered Saudi aid to terrorists. The branch first converted the money into dollars and then sent it to local branches in the West Bank and Gaza Strip where it was paid out to terrorists and terrorist organizations, the suit alleges. The bank also worked with Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad to distribute insurance money to beneficiaries of suicide bombers, including their families and those wounded or captured by Israeli security forces, the lawsuit alleges. "We have a mountain of evidence that will prove that the bank not only knows about the terror financing, but is actively involved and using its New York branch to launder the money," Mark Werbner, the lead attorney for the families, said in a statement Tuesday. Officials with Arab Bank, which is based in Amman, Jordan, said in a statement issued from New York that they had not seen the complaint but that allegations they transferred funds inappropriately from Saudi Arabia to terrorists or their families are "completely false and totally irresponsible." Arab Bank has "a deserved reputation for sound, ethical operations," the statement said.
Then their lips fell off.
Plaintiffs in the lawsuit, Linde v. Arab Bank, are six U.S. families whose members have died or been hurt in attacks in Israel. Among them is Courtney Linde, the widow of John Linde Jr., a security guard from Missouri who died when a bomb tore apart a vehicle in a U.S. diplomatic convoy in the Gaza Strip last October. "John was a wonderful and gentle person, but he was also a Marine, and I know he would have wanted me to fight for him," Courtney Linde said in statement Tuesday. Arab Bank has 30 branches across the Middle East, Europe, the United States, Australia and North Africa.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
07/07/2004 2:05:16 AM ||
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This is good news. I'm glad they do business in the US because they actually fall under the jurisdiction of our courts, rather than a mythological international court or some such nonsense. I first thought it ws some kind of "international" court filing, thank G-d that's not the case.
Better call Jackie Childs, Arab Bank.
Posted by: Chris W. ||
07/07/2004 11:14 Comments ||
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#2
Coca cola gives money to em all the time....proceeds from mecca cola....
In excerpts from an exclusive interview with Aljazeera, a former Guantanamo detainee reveals details of torture, abuse, and religious persecution. Wissam Abd al-Rahman Ahmad said he was captured in Iran, transferred to a Kandahar detention facility in Afghanistan, and finally imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay.
That's interesting. How'd we capture him in Iran?
Claiming he was beaten and routinely insulted with profanities while in Afghanistan, Ahmad said that US soldiers tried to 'break' him using psychological warfare. "They stripped me naked with a bag over my head. One of the soldiers turned me around, removed the bag and I saw a female soldier looking at me," he said.
"She pointed at my pee-pee and laughed!"
"They knew that it is an insult to our religion to appear thus before women," he said.
"It's because our doinkers are so tiny!"
But Ahmad claimed that although he had been beaten and abused, he was asked only one question - his relationship to al-Qaida and Usama bin Ladin. "I told the interrogator, who spoke with an Egyptian accent, that I had no involvement with al-Qaida or anyone, but the man proceeded to insult me and threaten that he would perform profanities on my mother," Ahmad told Aljazeera. The former Guantanamo detainee - now in Jordan - had told his interrogators that Pakistani intelligence knew of his whereabouts the whole time and could corroborate his story. However, nothing compared to the agony of seeing the Quran defiled, Ahmad told Aljazeera.
"The agony! I just... I just... I couldn't take it! I'm scarred for life! Wanna see?"
"Put your pee-pee away, dammit!"
"I could bear all the obscene abuse and all the beatings but I was agonised to see one US soldier stomp on the Holy Quran, while another soldier in Kandahar threw it into the toilet," he said. While in detention at Bagram air base, Ahmad recounted how a female soldier entered his cell to search him. She had brought a dog with her and she proceeded to give the dog the Quran to sniff through. The full interview is to be broadcast in a special segment on the Aljazeera Satellite Channel later in the week.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/07/2004 11:33:21 PM ||
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#1
Oh Ethel Wahina, my pills! Lol! I love sacred object abuse. My personal favorite pasttime is defiling stuff. Sigh.
#3
However, nothing compared to the agony of seeing the Quran defiled, Ahmad told Aljazeera...but I was agonised to see one US soldier stomp on the Holy Quran, while another soldier in Kandahar threw it into the toilet,"
That caused a boo-boo in my terrorist heart.
"I told the interrogator, who spoke with an Egyptian accent
Foreign aid to Egypt FINALLY paying off, perhaps, after all the years of zilch???
Ahmad recounted how a female soldier entered his cell to search him. She had brought a dog with her and she proceeded to give the dog the Quran to sniff through
Pet-oowie! I thought this was supposed to be a search for dog food. Instead my nostrils and my canine eyes are shocked by nutty Quran commands like "kill the infidels and their furry friends"...yuk, that deserves a big growl, heck, maybe even a giant bite in the smallish male privates I see before me...
Posted by: rex ||
07/07/2004 1:14 Comments ||
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#4
My bet is that Ahmad had a civil union with Osama. "Performance profanities on my mother," well it beats the goat I guess (I suspect not by much however).
Posted by: Capt America ||
07/07/2004 1:54 Comments ||
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#5
...threw it in the toilet -- oh, that's just the bobbing for apples contest.
Posted by: Capt America ||
07/07/2004 1:55 Comments ||
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#6
What Losers! After so many centuries of cultural inbreeding, they can't even lie well. I was hoping for something along the lines of "1001 Guantanamo Nights", like the Arabian classic but with jumper cables and women's panties.
#7
I wanna know what the dog would have done if given the prisoner to "sniff through."
A decent bite might have been too much to ask. Recent news regarding canine preferences of Muslims vs. Zoroastrians shows that Muslims might be too bad even for the dogs.
#10
Muslims are not "filthy trash" nor are they some of the stupidest people on earth. The actions of those claiming to be Muslims, such as beheading innocent civilians or crashing airliners into tall buildings, blaspheme Islam far more than Halfass Pete can imagine on a good day.
Posted by: Ben ||
07/07/2004 4:08 Comments ||
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#11
At least their mothers are in a position to say 'no' unlike Muslim women.
Posted by: Howard UK ||
07/07/2004 4:22 Comments ||
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#13
So what, Guess who? you'll get banned again, too.
BWAHAHAHAHA.
And I'm 99% certain that this story about the Koran being 'defiled' was made up to rile the Moooooslims back home and to make the sympathetic Western journos weep over the cruel American 'crusaders' behavior.
Posted by: Jen ||
07/07/2004 4:54 Comments ||
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#14
They (muslims) will consider just about anything as defiling their religion. I witnessed an infidel and a muslim woman almost come to blows at the gym. The reason: the muslim woman pulled out her rug to pray and the shadow of the infidels was defiling the moment.
#15
Whatever happened to that guy who snuck into the girls dorm and took naughty pictures of himself and the gals' possesions?
Maybe in return for a pardon we can slip him into Karbala with a digital camera.
#18
Frankly, I believe his story. Certainly he was stripped naked, a bag was placed over his head, and then he was shown that a woman was present.
There's nothing unbelievable about his claim that his interrogator spoke with an Egyptian accent and insulted his mother.
Maybe he was beaten somewhat, as he himself defines that term (someone else might say he was just treated roughly).
I believe a female soldier might have brought a dog into his cell and that the dog might have sniffed his Koran. The part about some guard throwing his Koran into a toilet is the hardest to believe, but it might have happened. Maybe this prisoner threw a huge tantrum about the dog and the Koran, so one of the guards reacted that way to show who was the boss.
It seems from the story that all this happened in Kandahar, not in Gitmo.
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
07/07/2004 8:15 Comments ||
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#19
Yup, I'd rather have my bible in the loo than my head rolling around the floor.
Posted by: Howard UK ||
07/07/2004 8:26 Comments ||
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#20
Stupid people worry about a defiling book (ie GUESS WHO)
#27
Hmm, funny--nothing about how beforehand he said (and of course he would have said) it was good so many Americans died in 9/11. These boys never ask for this-they are always only good boys!
#31
Personally, I keep a copy of the Quran in my bathroom. That way, if I run out of toilet paper at an inopportune moment, I can simply tear pages from it to put to good use.
#35
Sweetiepea: If you bothered to *read* what is in the pages of the Quran, you would soon find that what is printed there "is NOT very nice", including exhortations to kill infidels, take women as spoils of war, etc, not to mention Mo-ham-head's assorted forays into rape, murder, and pedophilia. In short, Rushdie was right--the book is filled from cover to cover with "Satanic Verses".
Antisemite: Run along, the adults are having a discussion here.
#44
I still look at Voices of Palestine it's very informative have a look.
Depends on what you mean by "informative". For the majority of posters here, it's proof that the Palestinians aren't worth a plugged nickel. For you, it's proof that others hate Jews as much as you do.
#48
Besides the fact that this clown is a lying ahole. None of what he detail can be proven. But that doesn't matter to Al Jackarammait's intended to get the diptards riled up and teh BBC putting it on the fron to it's news.
#54
I still look at Voices of Palestine it's very informative have a look.
After all I visit sites who's views are wrong(like here)so maybe you should visit sites which are right
From Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
The voter-registration center in the Tolkan area of Panjwai District of Kandahar Province was attacked on 5 July, Hindukosh News Agency reported the next day. According to the report, a group of suspected neo-Taliban attacked the center for about an hour, during which one person trying to obtain a voter-registration card was wounded. ....
Unknown assailants attacked two vote-registration centers in Logar Province on 5 July, Afghanistan Television reported the next day. According to the report, "opponents" attacked a center located in a secondary school in Hesarak village and blew up a second center. There were no casualties reported in the attacks. Afghanistan Television reported that loyalists of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the radical leader of Hizb-e Islami, and members of Al-Qaeda have threatened to disrupt the elections.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
07/07/2004 11:40:16 PM ||
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From Khilafah
.... Several western bodies have dubbed Darfur a flashpoint. However the saddening Sudanese situation should be understood in light of the US backing of the SPLA (Sudan Peopleâs Liberation Army), coupled with the pressure placed on the Khartoum government. What also needs to be considered is the threat of US intervention and the plan to divide the country of Sudan on âethnicâ lines. This spells a dire future for Sudan and the region as a whole. Following the blood letting in Iraq the US government seems all the more insistent on its hegemonic ambitions. Its propaganda programs are in motion, planting the seeds for either an invasion or a mighty application of pressure. ....
One of the principal elements of the treachery that the government of Sudan has agreed to be a part of is the complete acquiescence to Americaâs goals. America aims to deceive the world into believing that it dreams of a magnificent peace through a negotiated settlement. The recent past suggests she is consumed by a rampant desire to impose her will and achieve her post-911 objectives under the guise of fighting terrorism and security global stability. ... The plans achieved a pinnacle of deception in July 2002 when ... the government of Sudan claimed it would establish peace and maintain the unity of the people and territory of Sudan. Yet with everything that has the fingerprint of the kafir colonialist, the reality is far removed from what is touted as fact. The agreement allows the right to self-determination for the South within a period of six years from the agreement, this guarantees the division of Sudan. ...
It was mentioned in the news that the government disapproved of the withdrawal of the human rights organisations from Darfour, requesting them to stay and look after the affairs of the citizens. The government, before anyone else, knows that these organisations work to spread the civil war and smuggle in weapons in food parcels and have contact with the centres of the rebellion as we saw happen with the United Nations plane which was impounded while transporting weapons and equipment to the rebels in Darfour and before that we saw the same thing with the Red Cross plane. [The Office of the Official Spokesman of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Sudan, âAli Saâeed âAli (Abul-Hasan), 23 December 2003] ...
The Spokesman highlights that the key to the enflaming of the Janjaweed Militias as well as the rotten situation vis-a-vis the civil war is the labeling of its people Arab and African as a means of division and inciting the various sections upon the patriotic basis. These labels have no place in the vocabulary of the Muslims but are modern constructs advocated by those with vested interests. ....
What makes an Arab superior to an African or vice versa? There is nothing that intrinsically elevates or relegates either to a position of superiority or inferiority. ... When Islam graced the lives of an arrogant and tribalistic people it changed the prevalent outlook to one rooted in ideas. ... The government cannot provide this objective arbiter because it bases itself upon a separation of Islam from the rule of state. The rebels too have placed themselves in the position of proxies to America, and are blinded by their lust for power over the land and domination of the people, they too base themselves upon the divisive bond or patriotism. Both parties have forfeited any right to rule over Sudan, they have involved themselves in the killings and neither hold anything resembling an elevated principled position, they have disgraced the people and wronged themselves. ...
The Muslims must take back control away from the intervention of America and Britain in our lands, they do not seek anything but the exploitation of our resources and to act as barriers to the resumption of justice through the implementation of Islam. ... The only thing that stands in the way of America and her plans designed for the whole Islamic world is the Khilafah state on the way of the Prophethood. Let us strive with all our energies to establish it. We will please Allah (Subhanahu Wa Taâaala) and live in dignity in the world and be from among the righteous in the Akhirah.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
07/07/2004 11:24:18 PM ||
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#1
The US had 15-20,000 M60 tanks in storage. It's way past time to take some of them out of mothballs and give them to those being attacked by Arab supremists. After hundereds of years of African slaughter and slavery,let them be on the receiving end of the slaughter. Same for the thousands of aircraft, missile systems, trucks, ships, and millions of rifles. They are paid for and only gathering rust.
If the Arabs want the Khilifah, fine by me. As long as it only encompasses two-camels-and-goat-tent Khilifah village in the deep, deep Arabian sands.
Posted by: ed ||
07/08/2004 7:16 Comments ||
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An Iraqi military check point that is situated at the western bank of Shat El Arab north to the city of Faw at the Iraqi-Iranian border named Shehan was subjected to Iranian fire on Friday. The same thing happened to some Iraqi army patrols between Gazeel and Hadida north to Basra. Colonel Dhafir Sabah Al Timemi mentioned that this was the 4th time the Iranians have opened fire on Shehan check point during the last week in addition to several other aggressions along the line from the north of Basra down to Al Shalamja.
Colonel Timemi said also that Iraqi border guards have captured 83 Iranians who were trying to cross Iraqi-Iranian borders illegally. He said that these Iranians were detained in Al Shalamcha border check point, interrogated and then were handed over to the Iranian side. The Colonel whoâs the Iraqi border guards chief in Basra said that the Iraqi side showed discipline and did not respond to the Iranian aggression in the same manner. He mentioned that he was under pressure from the British forces in Basra to respond similarly but he refused saying that this was a âpurely Iraqi-Iranian issueâ and that thereâs no place for any interference from the coalition forces operating in Iraq. English translation provided by Omar and Ali at Iraq the Model
#5
Anon--Some of those 83 may be pilgrims or relatives, i.e. women and children, crossing the border to visit religious sites or families, so don't get too trigger happy.
Posted by: Dar ||
07/07/2004 21:38 Comments ||
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The announcement Wednesday of a new national security law is the most dramatic in a string of recent moves by Iraqi officials, both local and national, to get tough on crime and insurgents. It illustrates the new interim governmentâs priorities - and underscores the use of hard-line practices often avoided by US soldiers and the now-defunct US-run Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA).
In Baghdad, for example, the police and interior ministry are now conducting large-scale sweeps throughout the city to capture alleged criminals; in the Shiite shrine city of Najaf, local officials have imposed a 7 p.m. evening curfew to deal with insurgents; local judges have reinstated the death penalty that the US occupation had suspended; and the Interior Ministry says it will soon begin removing tens of thousands of squatters from government buildings.
Iraqi public opinion is broadly supportive of almost any measure that could bring the situation in Iraq under control. "The US never did anything to stop the gangs,ââ says Mohammed Hassan, a fruit vendor in Baghdadâs tough Bettawain neighborhood, where Iraqi forces arrested over 150 alleged criminals last week. "Iâll support [Prime Minister Iyad] Allawi if he keeps it up."
Dealing with crime, or socially sensitive issues like squatters, was largely avoided by the US occupation, a practice dating back to the failure to control looting in the wake of the invasion. The declaration of an emergency under the new security law would allow Prime Minister Allawi to temporarily set aside many of the protections in an Iraqi Bill of Rights that CPA head Paul Bremer touted as one of the major achievements of his tenure.
"I donât distinguish between insurgents and criminals - their targets are the same, the Iraqi people," says Interior Minister Falah Hassan al-Nagib, who is in charge of Iraqâs domestic policing and intelligence operations. "A priority for the Iraqi people is dealing with organized crime."
At the street level, the new government is starting to use tough tactics against criminals rarely seen since the fall of Saddam Husseinâs regime. But most Iraqis are delighted that Allawi has vowed to reinstate the death penalty, and say the US was too soft on alleged criminals.
"Maybe people were reluctant to provide information to non-Iraqis,ââ says Col. Adnan Aziz, an interior ministry spokesman. "Now weâre rebuilding our security systems, which were dissolved after the invasion, and people respect us. Theyâre helping us to make them more secure."
On June 28, the first major act of the new government was the encirclement of Bettawain and the mass arrests made there, led by Major General Hussein Ali Kamal, a Kurd who helped lead the effort against the Ansar al-Islam - an Al-Qaeda-linked terror group - in the Kurdish north before the US invasion.
General Kamal assembled a team two months before the handover to pay informants and gather intelligence on kidnap gangs and thieves in Bettawain, central Baghdad, which is populated by many immigrants from the Sudan and seen by Baghdadis as a hotbed of criminal activity.
Interviewed in his office amid the ringing of four cell phones and "Tom & Jerry" fighting it out on TV in the background, Kamal says he used satellite photos from the US to identify criminal hideouts and escape routes, and was ready to move when sovereignty was handed over.
He said he targeted criminals because their activities, more than the suicide attacks and roadside bombs that plague US and Iraqi forces, are what most Iraqi people fear. About 165 men were arrested, with 100 of them later released. He says that the 65 still in detention have confessed to crimes ranging from theft to kidnapping, rape, and murder.
"We had some coalition backup, but this was a fully Iraqi operation,ââ says Kamal. "This is just the first of many steps. Our reports are that crime is already going down. Weâve got a program and weâre going to stick with it."
That raid, however, was not without problems, with witnesses in the neighborhood saying some of the arrested men were beaten severely with sticks and rubber hoses. An interior ministry official turned down a Monitor request to go on the next similar raid. "Weâve only been in power a few days. There are still some violations and corrupt officers. Give us time and weâll clean it up."
Shortly after the arrests were made, teams of US soldiers surrounded the Interior Ministry and demanded the captured men be released into their custody, prompting a tense standoff. Iraqi officials contacted senior US officers, who told the soldiers to stand down. The Interior Ministry official says that "low-level" US officers were involved, and were seeking to protect some of the rounded-up Iraqis who had served as US informants in the area.
Ali Adnan Daud, a calm 17-year old from Iraqâs Shiite south, was rousted out of bed by police who stormed the flophouse where he was staying. He was kicked to the ground and taken away with his four brothers and released after three days.
"They had pictures of the men they wanted. When they figured out we were clean, they let us go,ââ says Ali, who works at a construction site in the Green Zone. "Iâm not too upset. I think itâs good theyâre being so tough with the criminals."
LESS sanguine was Ibrahim Idris Mehdi, an imposing native of Sudan who immigrated to Iraq 32 years ago. He says he was mistreated, and displays marks on his wrists from what he says were three days of having his hands tied. "They just dragged me off the street, stole 60,000 dinars ($40) from my pocket, and locked me up for three days,ââ he says. "If they want to go after criminals, fine. But some of those cops are thieves."
The interim government is also moving to take back control of the government sites and Baathist buildings that have been occupied for more than a year by squatters. Some dwellings are bomb-scarred ruins with just a little shelter from the rain, while others are intact government buildings in some of the most expensive parts of the city.
"We know this is sensitive, but this is also a priority for us,ââ says Minister Hassan. "We will try to distinguish between the ones who are really homeless and the others who have simply rented out their homes and gone to live somewhere else for free." Rents were strictly controlled by Hussein - with some apartments going for as little as $5 a month - and after the war landlords increased rents, causing many Iraqis to seek free shelter.
At the ornate Television and Radio complex - painted tiles of Sumerian scenes adorn its trash-strewn courtyard - in Baghdad, squatters complain they face increasingly heavyhanded police efforts to dislodge them. "They come here and fire weapons at night, theyâre really increasing the pressure,ââ says Mohammed Abid Zain, an unemployed man whoâs lived here for a year.
His teenage wife, Lemia, nine months pregnant, sits quietly next to him in their room, while he explains they have few options. "Theyâve offered us $100 to get out of here, but we need a place to live,ââ he says. "Last week they cut off the water and electricity. But weâre not going. They can tear this place down around us."
Across town at the former Iraqi Air Force Officers Club, Rania Jassimâs four children scamper around her as she looks out from her home in a former changing room beside what was once the swimming pool. "Weâve heard they want us out, but unless they give me a place to live, weâre in big trouble," she says. Ms. Jassimâs husband, was a taxi driver killed in a carjacking shortly after Baghdad fell. She says she bought her home from earlier squatters for $200, who had put in a new wall for privacy. She says an American officer recently visited the complex and said that it was going to be converted into a US base. "Weâve been told that weâll get houses somewhere else, but I donât trust them," she says.
The announcement of the security law came after days of rewrites and delays because of US and some Iraqi concerns that human rights could be trampled on in the event an emergency was declared. There were also worries the appointed Allawiâs powers would be so broad that he could suspend elections scheduled for January and effectively remain in power indefinitely. Emergency laws have been used by Arab strongmen to avoid elections.
Iraqi Human Rights Minister Bhaktiar Amin told reporters that he understood concerns about limitations on individual rights, but emphasized there are limits and protections in the new law that should prevent abuses. "The lives of the Iraqi people are in danger," he said.
Minister Hassan said: "We realize that this law might restrict some liberties but there are a number of guarantees in this law that ensure the rights of the people."
The six-page emergency law has provisions that, in theory, protect against the decades-long martial law in Arab countries like Syria and Egypt that have kept undemocratic regimes in power.
Any emergency would apply only to a specified geographic area and will be limited to 60 days. An emergency would have to be unanimously approved by Allawi and the three-member presidency, a group that represents Kurdish, religious Shiite, secular Shiite, and Sunni interests. The need for unanimous agreement should prove a break on Allawiâs power. The Iraqi courts will also be allowed to review the order.
The security law prohibits Allawi from abrogating any part of the Transitional Administrative Law, the interim constitution that the US helped to write.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
07/07/2004 3:06:03 PM ||
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#1
"The US never did anything to stop the gangs,ââ says Mohammed Hassan.
Anti-American bias in the international media sanctioned the chaos by branding us as imperialists, ruining any chance we could be viewed as a positive force for change in Iraq. It soured any possibility that our phenomenal troops could do what the Iraqi forces are now doing. I am thankful to our troops for sticking it out and wish the Iraqis the best in breaking the back of these insurgents. Now Iraqis are free to pursue a reasonable course that balances rights with self-preservation.
#3
jules and DPA both sound right here. Actually this story is much better than the usual. There's detail and plausible balance that's normally lacking from most coverage. Especially encouraging are the reactions -- even the "worse" one -- from the guys wrongly rousted up by the cops. It seems most people are on board for a clean-up. I also like the police comment about needing time to clean up their own force -- assuming it's not just telling an American reporter what they want to hear, it's a good sign.
#5
I'm glad to hear about the provisions in the security laws. As optimistic as I am about Iraq's future, it could all be gone in a second if the country shifts back to business-as-usual as far as the ME is concerned - and part of me cynically waits for the day when that happens. I really hope it never does.
Posted by: The Doctor ||
07/07/2004 21:44 Comments ||
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#6
Ditto here, Doc, but people don't change culture that quickly....give em a year or so. Keep free elections open and people won't choose to be beaten and subjugated. That's by nature imposed. Crackdown's what's necessary right now though - make it harsh, brutal, and short. Is there a George Washington among these people? Someone to lead, guide, then get out of the way when things get moving in the right direction? Won't be among the Sunnis or Shiites, I'd guess...maybe a Kurd
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/07/2004 21:50 Comments ||
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BBC-News
Wednesday, 7 July, 2004, 19:05 GMT 20:05 UK
Arabic satellite channel al-Jazeera has broadcast a video that purportedly shows gunmen holding a Filipino man hostage in Iraq. The video warned that he would be killed unless the Philippines withdrew its troops within 72 hours. The Philippines has about 50 military personnel in the US-led coalition. If confirmed, the seizure of the Philippines national would be the latest in a spate of kidnappings of foreigners in Iraq. Al-Jazeera showed a videotape of three gunmen and a man dressed in an orange jumpsuit kneeling in front of them. Behind them was a banner that said the groupâs name was the Iraqi Islamic Army - the Khaled bin al-Waleed corps. It has not been heard of previously.
The channel reported that the group had said it had already killed an Iraqi security guard accompanying the Filipino, who it said worked for a Saudi Arabian company working with US forces. The Associated Press news agency reports that the videotape displayed the hostageâs Philippines identity card, which gave his name as Hafidh Amer, suggesting he may be a Muslim. On Tuesday, al-Jazeera apparently received a video of an Egyptian truck driver taken hostage in Iraq by a group calling itself the Iraqi Legitimate Resistance. The Associated Press said it had seen the video, in which a man, who identifies himself as Alsayeid Mohammed Alsayeid Algarabawi, stands surrounded by armed, masked men. Meanwhile, there is still no news of a Lebanese-born US marine reported killed at the weekend but who is, according to his family, alive and has been freed.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
07/07/2004 3:27:48 PM ||
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Afghan security forces have arrested three Americans and four Afghans after a shootout in the capital and accused them of illegally detaining and interrogating locals, security officials said on Wednesday. A U.S. embassy spokesman identified one of the Americans as Jonathan K. Idema, who the U.S. military says has misrepresented himself in the past as a U.S. government or military official.
Police said they exchanged small-arms fire during the raid on the illegal jail in the relatively upmarket Karteh Parwan district of Kabul on Monday, but there were no injuries.
A senior intelligence Afghan official, who did not want to be identified, said the suspects had been using a private house to detain local people. "They carried illegal arms," he said. "They arrested and interrogated people illegally."
Either he's got a scam going on or he's a nut.
Police said several bearded Afghans, apparently detained by the group, were found in the house. Members of the group detaining them were wearing local and foreign military uniforms. "We are investigating to find out what they were up to," the intelligence official said. U.S. embassy spokesman Roy Glover said he understood three of the men had identified themselves as Americans, including Idema, who had been visited by U.S. consular staff.
The U.S. military said in statements this week that Idema had "allegedly represented himself as an American government and/or military official". "The public should be aware that Idema does not represent the American government and we do not employ him," they said. An Afghan journalist working for a U.S. television network said a man he knew as Idema had tried to sell what the American described as al Qaeda training videos to U.S. networks.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
07/07/2004 3:11:34 PM ||
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I look at the Central Command web site frequently. It began to occur to me that Iâd seen a rather high number of press releases about Marine deaths in al Anbar province. The screen capture above shows what the search engine turned up for the last 45 days. I count 30 [but there may be duplicate reports].
It looks like there was a spurt of fighting in late May, 2004, and another beginning around June 25 and continuing to date. Marine policy is to announce nothing with regard to the circumstances of the death.
We do have enough experience to draw a conclusion or two from the data. Given the number of dead, there is serious fighting going on in Western Iraq. Based upon past fighting, the enemy is incurring their own deaths at a rate of 5 or 10 to one.
Who are we fighting? Syrians? Baathists? Islamists?
The Marines are in a hell of a fight and we donât know diddly about it.
#3
What sort of bothers me is the number of clusters (three or four on one day.) To me that suggests either small patrols getting hit hard or larger units in, as Chuck puts it, a hell of a fight.
To put the number in perspective, my recollection is that the entire First Marine Division lost 30 Marines in the three-week campaign to take Baghdad.
Rest in Peace and thank you.
Posted by: Matt ||
07/07/2004 15:29 Comments ||
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#8
I've heard the same IED cause of the casualty clusters as Sherry and RWV. I think if there was a lot if direct fighting we would hear about it.
Posted by: remote man ||
07/07/2004 17:21 Comments ||
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#9
Thanks for the link, a4021; what I really wish I had, though, was a decent reference, where I could obtain both US armed forces casualties over a specified time period (like May or June) and compare with Iraqi civilian casualties from insurgent terrorism during the same time period.
Posted by: Phil Fraering ||
07/07/2004 17:33 Comments ||
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#10
This and another news item suddenly click. What if the Syrians and Iranians are both trying to destabilize their borders with Iraq at the same time?
Creating personnel-intensive border distractions to draw US and Iraqi personnel away from the cities, thus giving their operatives some breathing room. As long as nothing *too* provacative happens, they can get away with it. Plus, there is the bonus that any infiltrators who can get through both add to the in-country troublemakers and identify the weak spots along the border.
#11
Note that only one of the releases talks about an IED. I looked at all of the press releases and did not find any duplicates. The death on May 24th is classified as non-hostile. The two deaths on June 24 were in the Stan. So, 27 dead in the last 45 days from combat.
#12
What REALLY pisses me off (as a reservist and father of a son who is a NROTC-Marine Opton) is that they are still forcing our guys to drive those suicide wagon-HUMVEEs. Armored or not, those things are killing our men and women.
What they need to do as a stop-gap is to bring back the old Vietnam guntruck.
http://www.guntrucks.com/
You put steel plating around the driver cab, truck bed, and underneath. With the driver and gun crew elevated it would protect them from the normal IED.
#14
Chuck, anecdotally it seems the assholes got better with practice with their mortars. I'd expect Allawi to loosen ROE to alllow suppression and pre-emptive strikes more. He doesn't want to die either
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/07/2004 21:53 Comments ||
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#15
Ship, imho, it's just the sad price of doing lots of patrols in injun country. Peace keeping in a low intensity environment is a dirty, ugly, unglamourous job that involves many casualties on the friendly side. Any info on how many dirt-bags we clipped in the process? Prolly in the area of 10 to 1. So maybe 270-300 douche-bags got vented in the process. Definitely no consolation to the families of the deceased but would be considered acceptable percentages to the commanders. War sucks anyway you slice it though this one was necessary imho.
#16
Possibly Syrians, or Iranians, but more likely its the cannon fodder that the Iranians ans Syrians are funnelling into Iraq to try to destabilize it.
The quartet of Middle East mediators are "sick and tired" of Palestinians failing to carry out reforms and told them on Wednesday to act soon or risk losing international support and aid, diplomats said. Gee, only a few years late. The American cowboy president figured this out long ago -- even without State Dept. help
But envoys from the United States, United Nations and European Union and Russia told Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie that the world had run out of patience with Arafatâs "empty promises" of reform. Gee, not bad for the clueless triplets of the quartet -- only two years behind Dubya
"If security reforms are not done, there will be no (more) international support and no funding from the international community," a senior diplomat close to the talks in the West Bank city of Ramallah told Reuters.
Hey, careful with that feather! You almost knocked me over!
In a statement, the quartet said action was crucial to salvage a moribund "road map" peace plan for a Palestinian state on land captured by Israel in a 1967 war and to "seize the opportunity represented by Israelâs Gaza withdrawal." "Crucial" and "roadmap" cannot properly go in the same sentence, sorry
The demand for reforms echoed a similar call from Egypt, which is ready to help ensure security in Gaza if Arafat consolidates a dozen security forces to three and gives greater authority to the prime minister. All hail Egypt, pioneer for MidEast reform
Egypt gave him until the end of August to make changes. But despite Arafatâs promises, there is scant sign of action. Iâm incredulous -- are they sure?
Is the red binder still there?
"Arafat has done nothing or very little ... There is total disillusion with the Palestinian Authority," the diplomat said. Guess you should have been paying more attention to the cowboy American president, who by the way is a moron according to the very, very smart people in your media and governments
Results so far in voting for Fatah district representatives in Gaza showed big gains for reformers. A senior Fatah official backing reform said results showed a majority for followers of Gazaâs reform-minded ex-security chief Mohammad Dahlan, who has often clashed with Arafat. Now remember the morals of this story: thereâs no military solution to difficult problems, Israel must dare not build the apartheid wall, the US must take a more even-handed approach, and Bushâs bold approach has only alienated allies and regional powers. Gigantic "heh".
#3
Verlaine, are those your yellow comments? You rock again and again! I especially like the shot back across the Atlantic about cowboy American presidents. Crow must taste bad served with Dijon mustard...
#4
Yes, those comments are his, and yes, they're pretty darned pithy. When you see a post from someone other than Fred, Steve Y, Dan or me, you can safely assume that the bright yellow comments (margin left) belong to the person who posted. Fred, Steve Y, Dan and I use different colors when we butt in add to the comments. My comments are the salmon-background ones.
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/07/2004 14:19 Comments ||
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#5
Jules and Steve, thanks for your kind comments. And I forgot to put quote marks around the word - apartheid - in the final comment, should be "apartheid" wall. Don't want my bitter, furious, acid sarcasm to be confused with the idiotic sentiments of the clueless using that word without quotes ...
#7
Results so far in voting for Fatah district representatives in Gaza showed big gains for reformers. A senior Fatah official backing reform said results showed a majority for followers of Gazaâs reform-minded ex-security chief Mohammad Dahlan, who has often clashed with Arafat
The plan is working. To ditch Arafat, you need an alternative. Abu Mazen wasnt strong enough. Qurei didnt try. Give Dahlan a chance, and give him some turf to get started.
#8
How pleasant to see some sort of start in starving out one of the most recalcitrant terrorist regimes. I only have one question:
Why did it take so long for much of this world to realize that Arafat was nothing but an obstruction to any and all progress?
I realize that there were many who wanted zero progress, but the big stakeholders should have been able to overlook such internecine hooey.
Personally, I must give most of the credit to Israel. Their unabated and continuous elimination of terrorist leadership served up constant notice that death was the only option for them. By posing such an unwavering barrier to terrorist coercion, the internal rot of Arafat's corruption in Palestine was allowed to run its course.
#9
The problem is people are fed up with these folks and taking chances-taking chances usually just delivers dead bodies. I don't know Dahlan, and since I don't know him, I will listen and watch for news about him, his history, and his beliefs and see how they match up with his current words and actions. Anyone know why he is an EX-security chief?
#10
Jules - cause when Mazen was appointed PM by Arafat, under US pressure, Dahlan was a Mazen ally - Mazen pressed to appoint Dahlan Interior Minister, and Arafat refused. When Mazen went down, Dahlan went down with him.
#11
Postit Yellow, Screech Yellow, Salmon and Lime Green. An interesting and delightful pallette.
Lucky I think EE and Iban Mayo going to go absolutely nutso in the hills since they have nothing to loose.
You are getting your Kaos now for sure!
EE did dang well in the Team Timer today and I'm to understand they are not usually very good at it.
I think I may root for Heras.
But, I'm conflicted and easily lead. :>
The Cairo-based Union of Arab Lawyers denounced Saddam Husseinâs trial on Wednesday and claimed the head of the Special Iraqi Tribunal trying the deposed dictator was linked with an Israeli law firm. The âconditions under which (Saddam) was arrested (and) prosecuted totally fail to respect either judicial procedures or international charters related to human rights and fair trial,â the union said in a statement. âTherefore this trial is nul and void, in all its procedures and verdicts.â It said the handing of the former president as a prisoner of war to Iraqi authorities by the occupation forces violated the Geneva Conventions. âThe court in front of which President Saddam Hussein is being tried is a special exceptional court established by the so-called Interim Governing Authority,â the statement continued. âThis authority itself was formed by a decree issued by Paul Bremer, the (former) representative of the American occupation in Iraq,â it said, implying the court was illegitimate.
The union also claimed the new interim government amended the Iraqi penal code to insert a statue sanctioning the death penalty especially for the Saddam trial. It also charged the Iraqi media formed by the occupation authorities was biased against Saddam and already decided he is guilty and should be sentenced to death. It finally alleged that Salem Chalabi, who is presiding over the tribunal handling the crimes of the old regime, was affiliated with a law firm âin the Zionist entity (Israel) which is in a state of war with Iraq.â It did not name the firm or give any evidence to back up its charge.
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/07/2004 14:23 Comments ||
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#2
Why would Arabs need lawyers? Can't they just read the perfect Quran and find out what they're supposed to do?
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
07/07/2004 17:21 Comments ||
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#3
Actually they're just pissed that they can't muscle their way to the trough of Saddam's stolen money as part of the defense team. Any trial from which a lawyer can't make money is to him null and void.
#5
Somehow, I just knew the Joooooooooooos were behind it all..."Zionist entity" my ass, if Sharon had been allowed free reign in '73 the Mubarak entity would no longer exits...Inshallah...
#6
I don't care if they have 10k members on his defense team. There are going try him (and his merry men), convict them, and (hopefully public) hang them. Remember the Nazi leaders had lots of lawyers and it didn't save many of them. There might be one or two cronies that escape the hangman's noose but the majority will not be alive a year from now.
#7
And yet these same lawyers would have no problem doing the same things if it was a Westerner that was being put on trial . . . and besides, what happened to the "imperialist" US taking away Iraq's free will? Now that the Iraqis have it, the other Arabs don't like what they're doing with it, so it's illegal?
I was unaware that Israel was at war with Iraq.
And is this the same Chalabi we arrested because of some Iranian connections earlier this year?
Posted by: The Doctor ||
07/07/2004 21:55 Comments ||
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#8
wrong Chalabi
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/07/2004 22:05 Comments ||
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#9
Ah. I had hoped so.
Posted by: The Doctor ||
07/07/2004 22:13 Comments ||
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#10
It's his kid.
Posted by: ed ||
07/07/2004 22:32 Comments ||
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An Iraqi militant group has warned Arab states not to send troops to Iraq, saying they would meet the same fate as US soldiers, according to a video broadcast by an Arab TV channel in Cairo. The previously unknown Islamic Temper Tantrum Anger Brigades issued the warning after Jordan, Bahrain and Yemen made conditional offers of troops to the interim Iraqi government last week. An editor at the Dubai-based Al-Arabiya channel said the tape was apparently delivered to the satellite stationâs offices in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. âWe warn all Arab countries of the repercussions of sending troops to Iraq,â said one of four men in the video, reading from a statement. Arab âcountries sending troops to Iraq would face the same fate as the American forces in Iraqâ, he added.
#11
You know with all these groups making masked videos threatening just about everyone under the sun I'm seeing some cool ideas for the upcoming fall reality show line ups.
How about:
Iraqi Idol - contestants show off their beheading skills. Audience votes off losers who can't do the job with one stroke
A TOP Taliban commander was arrested in southern Afghanistan and admitted distributing more than $US1 million to supporters of the ousted militia, a senior intelligence official said today. Intelligence agents captured Mullah Mujahid yesterday evening in a raid on a compound in Shah Wali Kot, a district of Kandahar province 240 kilometres south-west of the capital, Kabul, said Abdullah, the Kandahar intelligence chief.
"We got a tip that he was hiding in that house, so we surrounded it and caught him," said Abdullah, who goes by one name.
Note how the Afghan intel agents understand the word, "surrounded."
A second suspected Taliban militant, Nisar Hamed, was also detained.
It was unclear if they were arrested peacefully. Abdullah said Mujahid was a Taliban commander in Takhar province before a US bombardment drove the hardline militia from power in late 2001.
Posted by: Steve ||
07/07/2004 1:09:30 PM ||
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Better call Fredericks of Hollywood-he may need some backup incentive to talk.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
07/07/2004 16:48 Comments ||
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#4
They didn't just take them out a shoot them? These bastages never tell the truth. No useful info will be gained from them. Put their heads on poles.
I was away on the 4th, so I didn't see if this was reported.
CAIRO, July 4 â Iraq might not oppose attacks by US troops based in Iraq on neighboring states if they were backing "terrorists" and "insurgents", Iraqâs interim Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told a leading British newspaper Sunday, July 4. "Foreign support for terrorists is ongoing, very risky and very dangerous. But it will backfire on those governments. A stable and peaceful Iraq is a better neighbor for them," Zebari told the Sunday Telegraph.
A better neighbor, but a bigger threat to their continued rule.
He said the interim government had gathered intelligence detailing the support provided to "insurgent groups" by some neighboring nations. He said "insurgents" had benefited from financial support, logistical assistance and training from neighboring governments. Although he did not name the countries, senior Iraqi officials told the paper that he pointed fingers at Iran and Syria.
Don't forget the Magic Kingdom.
Zebari further said that the provisional government of Iyad Allawi will publish concrete evidence this week on the involvement of foreign governments in assisting "insurgency".
Oh goody, I can't wait.
"Since we started to look at the security situation, we have seen how foreign governments have been helping terrorists," stressed Zebari. He continued: "Why they are doing it we cannot say, but we know where the support is coming from. We have plans to put this before the public within days and it will have substantial impact." Both Syria and Iran have been accused by the United States of supporting anti-occupation operations inside Iraq. US President George W. Bush imposed sanctions on Syria on May 11, accusing Damascus of supporting terrorism and failing to close its borders to "insurgents" looking to fight US forces in Iraq. Some Senators feared the law "could later be used to build a case for a military intervention against Syria".
Would that be the Senators from Massachusetts and North Carolina?
In a separately-related development, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami and his visiting Syrian counterpart, Bashar Al-Assad, both called Sunday for the rapid departure of foreign troops from Iraq.
Ok, we'll take the scenic route, east or west, depending on traffic conditions.
"This crisis was predictable, and its source was the aggression and occupation of Iraq by the United States," Khatami told reporters after he greeted Assad, who arrived in Tehran earlier on Sunday for a two-day visit. "There is no ambiguity between us and Syria where Iraq is concerned. The solution is the quick end to the occupation, the installation of a government comprising all elements of the Iraqi people and the cooperation of the international community to bring stability and reconstruction," he said.
For his part, Assad said "Iraq is on the top of our list of preoccupations" although he said the two would countries also discuss "Palestine and the halt in the peace process". "Regarding Iraq, we have always been in agreement with Iran on the need for Iraq's territorial integrity, a representative government and the departure of the occupying forces," he added. The Syrian President paid a short visit to Tehran in February 2003 to get his orders on the eve of the US-led war against Iraq, after an earlier trip in January 2001. Khatami last visited Syria during a May 2003 tour of Arab states. Coming at a critical stage for both countries, Assadâs visit is primarily meant to cement bilateral relations to stand up to the daunting challenges ahead facing Damascus and Tehran.
They got that last part right.
Posted by: Steve ||
07/07/2004 10:14:49 AM ||
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Some Senators feared the law "could later be used to build a case for a military intervention against Syria".
Would that be the Senators from Massachusetts and North Carolina?
No, as they both voted for the Syria Accountability Act. The vote was 89-4, and the four nos were Jeffords, Enzi,Chafee, and Byrd. One Republican, one "RINO", one ex-Rep turned Dem-leaning Independent, and the Grand Kleagle himself. No mainstream Dems. The bill was cosponsored by Sen. Boxer of Calif.
#2
A sovereign Iraq is is a beautiful place. I'd like to order a cart of folding chairs for the upcoming cage match.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
07/07/2004 11:08 Comments ||
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#3
More good news for the US and it puts a huge hole into the theory that the Iraqis hate us, hate our culture, and hate our political system. They are standing up against their dictatorship neighbors and showing mucho cajones by siding with the "Great Satan".
If I were to play devil's advocate, the only objection to this would be to claim that Iraq is showing a warlike mentality and this constitutes a threat to their neighbors. I think that's nonsense, but that's the way the LLLs and the Arab Street will spin it.
Posted by: Chris W. ||
07/07/2004 11:11 Comments ||
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#4
'Hawk, thanks for the research. Unless Sr. Marcia lied to me in high school math, 89 + 4 = 93. Do you know who the seven abstentions were?
Posted by: Mike ||
07/07/2004 11:13 Comments ||
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#5
Some Senators feared the law "could later be used to build a case for a military intervention against Syria".
So what's wrong with that? Unless, of course, they don't have a problem with just letting fly missiles and bombs on Damascus at some point in time without having to "build a case", which is just fine with me.
#6
Mike - probably Kerry missed the vote, like 90% of the others
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/07/2004 11:18 Comments ||
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Mike at least one was Leiberman. Who was pretty obviously pro. Usually absent Senators pair off - the fors and against who cant make it agree to cancel each other out. On something as lopsided as this, there probably werent any antis to pair off with.
#8
Use trebuchets to launch pig carcasses in embassy grounds then declare it an infidel holy site.
Posted by: ed ||
07/07/2004 11:35 Comments ||
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#9
"There is no ambiguity between us and Syria where Iraq is concerned.
Yes, it's quite obvious those two countries regard Iraq as low hanging fruit that is ripe for the picking.
The solution is the quick end to the occupation, the installation of a government comprising all elements of the Iraqi people and the cooperation of the international community to bring stability and reconstruction," he said.
The installation part is going about as well as can be expected. This latest development is one of the few really bright spots in some time as it represents a significant new alignment of Iraqi and American regional goals.
As to a "quick end to the occupation ..." Well, that's going to take a little more time. You see, Iran and Syria have been occupied by dictatorships for some time and toppling such entrenched tyrants takes a while ...
#10
'Hawk, you da man! There's a job waiting for you at the reference desk of the Rantburg Public Library & Pistol Range if you're looking for some extra income.
Posted by: Mike ||
07/07/2004 15:00 Comments ||
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American and Iraqi joint patrols, along with U.S. Special Operations teams, captured two men with explosives in Baghdad on Monday who identified themselves as Iranian intelligence officers, FOX News has confirmed. Senior officials said it was previously believed that Iran had officers inside Iraq stirring up violence, but this is the first time that self-proclaimed Iranian intelligence agents have been captured within the country. The Defense officials also confirmed to FOX News that in recent days there has been significant success in tracking down "known bad guys" based on information from local citizens. While those captured arenât from the list of former regime members or from terror leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawiâs network, they are "active" bombers and organizers of recent violence.
The arrest of the two Iranians suspected of attempting to carry out a vehicle bombing has focused new attention on how Tehran is trying to protect its interests in the country it fought for eight years in a devastating war. So far, Iran is believed to have used money, not guns, to influence Iraq â particularly by spreading wealth among Shiite political factions â while avoiding a direct confrontation with its longtime rival the United States.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
07/07/2004 10:07:48 AM ||
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while avoiding a direct confrontation with its longtime rival the United States.
not for long, I bet
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/07/2004 10:10 Comments ||
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2 in the hat, put 'em in garbage bags, mail 'em home.
#5
Strip them naked, bath them in olive oil and turn them loose in a central location of the Saudi lost quarter. Have a notary public certify the oders so that we can prove that we didn't order their execution.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
07/07/2004 11:12 Comments ||
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#6
How about making a broadcast video parading them around with blindfolds on and making them publicly admit their guilt and associations? The resulting collective shrieking from the usual NGOs and other groups would probably be quite revealing. (not that we didn't already know what the deal is with them, but....)
#8
Wonder if the Iraqis might make some wonderful mischief by bringing this matter (the whole foreign intervention issue) to the UNSC? Emergency session. Cuban Missile Crisis-style evidence on the table. Demand for sanctions against Syria/Iran unless they take steps to halt cross-border sabotage activity.
Of course no short-term real-world change would result, but it would be a terrific way to put the bad guys on the defensive, and put the matter out in the open, front-page. If the UN's sitting there in all its mostly pernicious and useless glory, let's use the f***er to apply diplomatic baseball bats to our enemies' craniums.
#9
Verlaine they "authorites" would just claim.
"They are joos! It's a Zionist plot! We know nothing of this. It is a jooish plot to defame the prophet and Iran!" Al Jackarama will make a 2 hr program out of it.
#10
Lets take that one step further,Verlaine.Corordinate with the DIA/CIA,next time some of these guys are captured transport them in total secrecy to N.York and frog march them right down the central isle of the U.N. General assembly.Give the U.N. no advanced warning at all,talk about"Shock and Awe".
EFL
Three days after he was reported beheaded, a U.S. Marine held captive in Iraq has been released, his family said Tuesday. But the mystery surrounding the Marine, Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun, was not fully resolved: His family said they had not spoken with him directly. "We received a sign that he is alive and he is released and everything is OK," his older brother Sami Hassoun, 26, said in a telephone interview from Lebanon, where Wassef Ali Hassoun was born and where some of his family live. "The sign is something that came directly from him. There is something that nobody else could possibly know. It's a certain clue. He is alive and he is released."
Well, he was alive when he sent that message. I'll believe he's released when he walks into a US base or embassy.
A Lebanese government official also said Hassoun was released, though his whereabouts were unknown. The kidnappers freed the 24-year-old Marine after he pledged not to return to the U.S. military, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity, The Associated Press reported. The two statements were positive signals for Hassoun's relatives in Lebanon and the United States, who have seen their hopes rise and plummet amid contradictory Internet messages by Iraqi militants about the Marine's fate. Hassoun, who worked as an Arabic translator, disappeared from his base June 20. A videotape was broadcast June 27 by Al-Jazeera, the Arab news network, that showed Hassoun blindfolded, with a sword held above his head. In that tape, the group Islamic Response said it would behead him if the Americans did not release all of their prisoners. Saturday, two Islamist Web sites carried a message attributed to the leader of another militant group, the Army of Ansar al-Sunna, saying it had beheaded Hassoun and would shortly release images of his death. That message, which was addressed to President Bush, also said the corporal had been involved romantically with an Arab woman and had been lured off his base, according to the AP.
Sounds like he was thinking with his.....gun.
In an unexpected twist, Ansar al-Sunna posted an Internet message Sunday saying that it had not killed Hassoun and that someone had put a false message on the two Web sites. Then Monday, Islamic Response issued a statement saying Hassoun had been moved to "a place of safety."
It almost sounds like two different groups are fighting over him.
His brother Sami Hassoun would not provide details of the sign he said the family had received that the corporal had been released but said the family was much more hopeful about his safety than in recent days. "We are still crossing our fingers and praying to see him again," Sami Hassoun said in an interview from Tripoli, Lebanon. "It's a much better mood than the last couple of days. We are optimistic."
Sorry, I'm not.
Posted by: Steve ||
07/07/2004 9:50:46 AM ||
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On the way home tonight I heard that he contacted the embassy in Beirut. So I guess he's out.
and no details will come during the 6 months, thus Kerry/Edwards wonât have to address it they can just say,
"too soon to prejudge". This is a major victory for the dems.
BY PAUL A. VOLCKER
The multibillion-dollar Oil-for-Food Program of the United Nations, in operation from 1996 to 2003, was designed to provide humanitarian assistance to an Iraqi population suffering grievously under the regime of Saddam Hussein. The central idea was to permit exports of Iraqi oil only so long as the financial proceeds were used for the purchase of food, medical supplies and, after a time, other essential imports for the Iraqi people. Grave charges have been made that, whatever the humanitarian purposes, billions of dollars were lost in the process, $4 billion to $5 billion by a preliminary estimate of the U.S. General Accounting Office........ As a matter of priority, we seek to answer conclusively the allegations of corruption within the U.N. professional staff. We aim to provide, hopefully in six to eight months, the truly definitive report on the administration of the Oil-for-Food Program.
Posted by: mhw ||
07/07/2004 10:02:18 AM ||
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If they include a check.mark box on my tax form, I'm in for $10 to support Volcker's investigation.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
07/07/2004 11:14 Comments ||
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Better thorough than half-baked. We need to hold the UN's feet to the fire on this and make sure that the UN gets no US dollars until we get a full account. I don't know that the investigation will reveal anything valuable anymore, though, given the fact that they've had time to "clean house" and given many governments' outright complicity or, at minimum, complete acceptance of corruption as the cost of doing business.
A car has exploded in Gaza City injuring at least three people. Witnesses said they had seen Israeli gunships flying overhead at the time of the explosion and one report said fragments of a missile had been found. An unconfirmed report said the injured passengers belonged to the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Ah, too bad. That they're only injured, that is.
Palestinian security officials said they were checking the possibility that the explosion was caused when a bomb detonated prematurely in the car.
"Could be a lot of reasons. Cars sometimes just blow up on their own, this is Gaza."
Several prominent militant leaders have already been killed in Israeli missile strikes this year. The Israeli army had no immediate comment.
"Ari, next time, two missiles!"
Posted by: Steve ||
07/07/2004 8:40:05 AM ||
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reports that only the engine blew, windshield intact witnesses: we didnt see nuthin, we just ASSUMED it was an Israeli missile, what with gunships there and all.
Possibilities
1. It was a genooine accident, just coincidence that Israelis were nearby. Call click n' clack, not All things distorted.
2. It was a premature bomb. Again a coincidence (not that wild a one - hell there are probably lots of times when Israeli gunships are patrolling Gaza, no?)
3. Israelis have some tech to remotely detonate Pal bombs?
#2
If the package blew up in their laps, I am not sure these Hamhocks will want to recover knowing their "package" also blew up. Nothing more embarrassing than to enter the heavenly whorehouse carrying their fruit-of-the-loins in a small box.
Posted by: ed ||
07/07/2004 9:39 Comments ||
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#3
"Call click n' clack, not All things distorted."
#4
Good picture of the car here. From the blast damage, it looks like the explosion took place in front of the engine almost on the front bumper which is cut in half. Looks like a missile strike that just missed, engine compartment shielded the passengers from the blast. Anyone planting a bomb would have put it under the car and they would have carried one in the trunk or in the passenger compartment. Go take a look.
Posted by: Steve ||
07/07/2004 9:50 Comments ||
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ok, so a missile that missed the windshield.
Tom Malliazi: hey, we dont do that stuff, let me reroute this one to Deborah Amos.
#9
From the looks of the blast came from the engine compartment and not outside (likely from below). Notice that the windshield and other windows are cracked but not broken? The hood would have deflected the blast out the front and explains why the grill is missing. If it was a missile it went through the hood and exploded on the engine. I am guessing an RPG through the front grill or a small bomb in the engine compartment. Maybe a hit from a rival group or Mossad? I would spread either rumor around and make them think twice before they get in a car.
But he also faces growing calls for reform from within his own Fatah, a long-dominant nationalist movement whose decline has boosted the appeal of Islamic militant groups sworn to Israel's destruction.
Results so far in voting for Fatah district representatives in Gaza showed big gains for reformers.
A senior Fatah official backing reform said results showed a majority for followers of Gaza's reform-minded ex-security chief Mohammad Dahlan, who has often clashed with Arafat.
Some Fatah sources said Arafat -- still seen by many Palestinians as a symbol of the dream for statehood -- was dismayed by the Gaza results. They said he had tried to obstruct the organizers at the outset, but denied he had ordered a halt.
The Iraqi government has announced a law allowing it to impose emergency security measures. Prime Minister Iyad Allawi signed the law on Wednesday giving the government the power to impose curfews, set up checkpoints and detain suspects. But the measures can only be applied temporarily and in specific parts of the country.
First letter - "F"
There has been no let-up in violence, with street fighting and mortar attacks on buildings in central Baghdad. Correspondents say that while the US-led coalition is already able to impose tough security measures, the law will give the new authorities a legal shield as it fights insurgents. An interior ministry official told the BBC there had been extensive discussions during the drafting to avoid what he called "undue infringement of human rights". "We realise that this law might restrict some liberties but there are a number of guarantees within this law for the rights of people," said Justice Minister Malik Dohan al-Hassan, as the law was announced at a news conference. BBC Middle East analyst Roger Hardy says that there can nevertheless be no doubt that Mr Allawi is giving himself sweeping powers. Iraqi officials introducing the new law said people should be protected in the current climate of violence. "The lives of the Iraqi people are in danger, they are in danger from evil forces, from gangs of terrorists," said Human Rights Minister Bakhtiyar Amin. Mr Amin described the law as being similar to the controversial US anti-terror Patriot Act.
Oh dear god, no! Anything but that! Look at the horror that has resulted here!
Our correspondent says that if the measures lead to human rights abuses that would certainly alienate many Iraqis. But for the moment, he says, it looks as if most Iraqis are ready to give the prime minister a chance. Interim President Sheikh Ghazi al-Yawar and other officials have signed the law.
Key points are as follows:
The government can impose curfews in violence-hit areas, but only in specific parts of the country.
It can conduct cordon and search operations and arrest individuals, particularly those found to be in possession of weapons.
It can intercept mail and eavesdrop on telephone conversations.
The government should state its reasons for declaring an emergency and specify the area where it is to be applied. It should also make the public aware of when these measures start and their duration.
The period of the emergency should not exceed 60 days, or be terminated if the reason for imposing it ceases to exist. The emergency will be subject to renewal after 30 days.
The prime minister is given the right to assign governors, including military leaders, to be in charge of specific areas.
Mr al-Hassan said the US-led coalition could help enforce the new law if the government requested it, but this would only happen in exceptional circumstances. The justice minister also showed journalists a list of foreign fighters arrested during the insurgency. All the fighters were "regrettably" Arabs, he said.
I'd like a copy of the list, please?
Posted by: Steve ||
07/07/2004 8:30:51 AM ||
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Bwahaha! I beat the Army of Steve - FINALLY! After years and years of trying, the day has finally come! I have triumphed! I have beaten all of the massed Steves in posting a story. Whew. Long time comin'.
#2
Sounds like a pretty decent law, that will give the govt important tools, but wont turn it into a permanent emergency regime like some of the countries in the region.
#3
Hey, Allawi, let the Marines loose (this goes for our P.C./politicos in the Defense Dept. too), and I GUARANTEE that the "period of emergency" will NOT exceed 60 days! Hel#, probably won't even have to renew it after 30 days!
Posted by: BA ||
07/07/2004 11:00 Comments ||
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#4
Oh no! Iraq imposes new restictions and tells their people in advance what will be considered a violation and what will not! Oh the horror! This would never have happened under Saddam...
I'd love to see the Iraqis TCB when it comes to these scum insurgents. They can take the gloves off with impunity; something the ultra-scrutinized USA is not allowed to do without Special Reports on our every move...
Posted by: Chris W. ||
07/07/2004 11:20 Comments ||
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The rebel attack in Russian republic of Ingushetia which killed 90 people last month had been planed long time ago, a Russian prosecutor said Tuesday.
Investigation shows that Chechen rebel field commanders Shamil Basayev and Doku Umarov instructed their followers to launch attacks in the republic that borders the breakaway Chechnya, said Prosecutor General Vladimir Ustinov.
The goal of the attack was to kill as many law enforcement officers as possible in revenge for their successful counter-terrorist campaign, and to seize arms, Ustinov added.
The victims included 62 law enforcement officers and 28 civilians, and 93 people were wounded, he said, citing final figures.
Among some 200 to 300 armed attackers, half were Ingush residents and the rest were Chechens, Arab mercenaries, and even women, Ustinov said.
The heavily armed guerrillas staged simultaneous attacks on June 22 on police and government buildings in three towns of Ingushetia, clashing with law enforcement forces.
Several senior local officials, including Ingushetiaâs acting interior minister Abukar Kostoyev, were among the victims.
Investigators have confirmed the names of over 100 guerrillas involved in the attack and 16 suspects were detained.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
07/07/2004 8:36:07 AM ||
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The men who beheaded American Nicholas Berg in Iraq said they had rejected ransom offers and killed him to avenge Muslims who suffered at the hands of American-led forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a new audio tape. The 1-hour recording, which was first posted on Islamic Web sites Tuesday, carried a voice purporting to be that of Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. His Tawhid and Jihad Movement has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks on American-led occupation troops. The voice said there had been attempts - including offers of ransom - to save Bergâs life, but the speaker did not identify who was behind the rescue bids. "They were ready to give us whatever sums of money we asked ... to save this infidelâs life, but despite our desperate need of money to fund our jihad, we preferred to take revenge for our sisters and our nation," the voice said.
Furthermore, the speaker attacked Muslim clerics, in particular top Iraqi Sunni cleric Harith al-Dari, for criticizing Bergâs killing rather than supporting "Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Palestinian territories and Indonesia" and "stopping the rape of our Muslim sisters in Abu Ghraib prison. Havenât you heard them (the clerics) condemning the beheading of the American Berg. They condemned (the killing) because they were afraid of fighting the infidels (Americans)." Muslim religious leaders and Arab officials condemned Bergâs beheading as un-Islamic, while many Islamists through Islamic Web sites have said decapitating foreigners was justified.
In the meantime, Jordanian authorities have reportedly arrested a brother-in-law of suspected Al Qaeda operative Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, following his appearance in a documentary on Al Jazeera television, according to family sources. Saleh al-Hani, 38, was arrested at his home in Zarqa, north-east of Amman, by plainclothes policemen who gave no explanation for his arrest, sources told AFP news agency. Hani, who is married to one of Zarqawiâs sisters, was seized just days after he participated in a program aired on the Doha-based Arab satellite news channel, the sources said. A journalist, Hani contributed articles to Al-Jihad, a magazine published in Afghanistan where he had first met Zarqawi before marrying one of his six sisters, Hani told Al Jazeera. Television correspondent Yasser Abu Hlale said Haniâs remarks in the program were biographical and not of a political nature. The program also aired the first ever video pictures of Zarqawi.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
07/07/2004 8:29:17 AM ||
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#9
Why is he showing his hand? Because this type can't help himself. Easy to anger, highly emotional, it's a pattern. And it's why they are so fundamentally weak. They'll always go for the the quick rush tactical "victory" over strategic success every time. Just look at the record.
Guess the cease-fireâs over ...
At least five people were killed and 11 wounded when a suspected Tamil Tiger suicide bomber blew herself up inside a police station in the Sri Lankan capital on Wednesday, shattering more than two years of relative peace.
Police said the woman detonated the bomb as she was being frisked, but that the target was government minister Douglas Devananda, a Tamil who is a vocal opponent of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
"A female has gone into the ministry of Douglas Devananda and wanted to meet him... Permission was not granted. People from ministerial security followed her and these officials took her into the police station. While they (police) tried to search her she exploded herself," said police spokesman Rienzie Perera.
"It is obvious Douglas was the target," he said.
No one claimed responsibility and the Tigers offered no immediate comment about the attack, which happened on Colomboâs main thoroughfare, near the prime ministerâs official residence and across the road from the U.S. and British embassies.
The Tigers terrorized the capital with numerous suicide bomb attacks during the war and on Monday they observed "Black Tiger Day," which commemorates their suicide bombers.
But while they have mostly respected the Norwegian-brokered truce, human rights groups accuse them of targeting rival Tamil politicians, mostly in the islandâs east, where a split within the LTTE has complicated the peace bid.
Since the split, local media have said, Devananda has been in contact with Karuna, the commander of the renegade rebel faction.
The rebels have a very strong presence in Devanandaâs seat of Jaffna, and on visits there he stays barricaded in an old cinema under army protection.
Police said apart from the bomber, all four dead were police officers, including two women.
Broken glass and blood covered the floor of the police station, which was under heavy guard.
"I saw many people being pulled out with injuries, including one with no arm," said one witness.
The director of Colomboâs National Hospital said 13 people had been brought in for treatment, of whom four had died.
"We have not been informed of any more people coming. These people here are not critical," Hector Weerasinghe told Reuters, referring to the nine wounded being treated in his hospital. Six were police officers, he said.
Witnesses said those in hospital were crying and in shock, surrounded by grieving police officers trying to offer comfort.
In Colombo, attention turned to the fate of the cease-fire, which has brought the island peace of mind, a rebounding economy and a capital largely free of checkpoints and roadblocks.
Monitors overseeing the truce and a Norwegian official said they had had no comment from the Tigers regarding the truce.
But the rebels have stepped up their rhetoric against the army in the past week, accusing it of helping a rival faction led by a breakaway commander known as Karuna to foment violence in his eastern stronghold, where gun attacks killed one and wounded three on Monday.
The military has repeatedly denied the charges, despite a government spokesman admitting it had helped Karunaâs faction.
Military spokesman Colonel Sumedha Perera said it was too early to say if security would be stepped up.
"There is no fresh deployment, but we have put troops on alert," he said.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
07/07/2004 8:27:02 AM ||
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The usual suspects are eroding justice over Saddam -- justice denied?
"When defending Adolf Eichmann, lawyers for the fugitive Nazi began by questioning the right of an Israeli court to try him. The Serbian dictator Slobodan Milosevic, who is to present the case for his own defense next week, long ago called the U.N. International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague a "false tribunal." So no one should have been surprised last week when Saddam Husseinâs first statements before Iraqâs special tribunal -- quoted above -- also turned the tables on his accusers, questioning the judgeâs competence and the courtâs legitimacy.
Hussein called the court a "theater" to help Bush in his election campaign. But Hussein himself was setting the stage for what could become, if care is not taken, a discredited trial. He is correct in implying that no judge can pronounce on his case with clear authority, and even evidence of his regimeâs mass murders might not prevent him from achieving some sort of "victory." Contrary to popular belief, nearly all war crimes trials have been conducted under a cloud of questioned legitimacy. They have succeeded or failed not because of the courts conducting them, but because of the politics surrounding them. (end of excerpt)
Posted by: Capt America ||
07/07/2004 1:00:00 AM ||
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#3
Don't have to know THAT who, moron, only the IP who... which RB has. Then it's buh-bye! We don't give a shit who you are. What you are is sufficient.
As for Sadaam's weight loss, I beleive he's watching his carbs. I don't picture him as a Jenny Craig type of guy and there are no Subway franchises in Iraq to my knowledge.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
07/07/2004 11:27 Comments ||
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#23
Antiwar(s)-Antiwar Confronter-Sweetiepeas-Junifer-Gentle should be so happy! Sadaam is now taking his health seriously, and by shedding extra pounds has decreased his risk of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes. He was pretty tubby before, so they can have confidence now that their illustrious leader is much better off. (A lot less stress, too, in prison, without a country to run, WMD's to manufacture, people to torture, women to rape, oil to steal and deals to make with France, Germany, Syria, Russia and China--just eat, sleep, refuse to answer questions, workout. It's not too bad.)
#34
I'M BACK AND MY IDENTITY WILL NOT BE REVEALED YOU WILL NEVER GUESS WHO.BWAAHAHA
THE COURT TO TRY SADDAM IS A BASTARD COURT MADE UP OF COLLABORATORS WITH THE BUSH REGIME
BUSH DROVE A CAR INTOXICATED
Posted by: Guess Who ||
07/07/2004 8:27 Comments ||
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#35
I don't know who Guess Who is but he or she sure disagrees with you guys
#39
Mucky he was pretty hot in his younger years. Have you seen a picture of Saddam when he was young? He's looking a bit the worse for wear now though
A senior security official in Algeria has said that a big explosion last month was caused by a car bomb. The explosion, on 21 June, injured 11 people and damaged the main electricity plant in the capital Algiers. Algeriaâs main Islamic group, the GSPC, said it carried out the attack, but until now officials had suggested that the blast was due to a technical fault. The bombing suggests Algeriaâs Islamic militants want to show they can still attack at the heart of the state.
The Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) said at the time that the attack proved the authorities did not have control of security in the capital.
And now, admitting it was a car bomb, Algeriaâs police chief Ali Tounsi has said more than 500 extra police officers will be deployed in Algiers to reinforce security. In the mid 1990s - at the height of the civil war - bomb attacks by Islamic militants in Algeria were commonplace. But in recent years security has greatly improved.
By attacking a major energy installation in the capital, Algeriaâs Islamist militants hope to shake public confidence and scare away the investors the government so keenly wants.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
07/07/2004 1:31:54 AM ||
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World Notice: protect your electrical infrastructure.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
07/07/2004 11:33 Comments ||
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The West Country solicitor defending Saddam Hussein announced yesterday that he was stepping down amid reports that his partners were upset about the adverse publicity his involvement was generating. As mainly a divorce specialist, Tim Hughes, 36, seemed an unlikely candidate to be the only British member of the former Iraqi strongmanâs international defence team. For one thing, he had no previous experience of a case involving a political prisoner, although last year he did successfully defend a gamekeeper accused of using illegal poisons. Ho ho ho.
Mr Hughes was recruited to the 20-strong team by Emmanuel Ludot, a French advocate hired by Saddamâs family, who he got to know during a year working for a Paris law firm. But yesterday, barely a week after landing a role in the worldâs most high-profile criminal trial, Mr Hughes said that he wanted nothing more to do with it. In a statement, he admitted flying to Jordan last week at the invitation of Mr Ludot for what he thought was a conference about the legal issues surrounding Saddamâs detention and trial. But "when I arrived I found myself plunged into a strategy review with Saddam Husseinâs defence committee," he said.
To make matters worse, Mr Hughes was then - apparently unwittingly - cast in the role of the defenceâs press spokesman. "Calls were coming in from the worldâs media," he said. "I was the only natural English speaker there, so they asked me to deal with a call from the BBC and then to be the groupâs spokesman." It was this media attention which appears to have so upset his colleagues back at Bevan Ashford in Tiverton, Devon. The firm specialises in commercial matters rather than criminal ones. And although it boasts that its clients include "many household names", it has evidently decided that a line had to be drawn at the worldâs most infamous tyrant.
On his return from Jordan, Mr Hughes was summoned to a meeting with his partners at which it was decided that his "involvement was going beyond the original purpose of his visit". "I shall not be going out there again," he said. A spokesman for Bevan Ashford yesterday denied that there had been a "showdown" with Mr Hughes. "We are looking at internal procedures to see if there are any lessons to be learnt," he said. He stressed that neither Mr Hughes nor the firm had ever taken on Saddam Hussein as a client. "The matter is now closed." Yesterday, Mr Hughes, a father of three, was back on more familiar territory at Exeter magistratesâ court representing a woman accused of stealing £30 of picture frames from Cancer Research UK. Not Scrappleface! Itâs true, apparently.
Posted by: Bulldog ||
07/07/2004 6:51:50 AM ||
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"I was surprised at the negative reaction that my choice to defend the Butcher of Baghdad has elecitted."
He's probably direct mailing Aristide, Chuck Taylor, Lit'l Kim and Bob Mugabe as this posts.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
07/07/2004 11:39 Comments ||
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#2
I'm surprised he wouldn't treat this as an opportunity. Lots of lawyers have specialty practices built around divorce, ambulance chasing, class action and other lucrative areas.
The whole idea of a strongman dictator who uses a country and its people as his own personal Walmart/whorehouse is soooo last millennium. As the desire for self-determination spreads, more of these thugs are going to be tossed out. SH mentions a list of likely near-term candidates. Considering that most of them have huge piles of money stashed away, it should be a lawyerly bonanza.
#3
The West Country solicitor defending Saddam Hussein announced yesterday that he was stepping down amid reports that his partners were upset about the adverse publicity his involvement was generating.
[...]
A spokesman for Bevan Ashford yesterday denied that there had been a "showdown" with Mr Hughes. "We are looking at internal procedures to see if there are any lessons to be learnt," he said.
How about asking beforehand about the scope of your involvement, and the possible consequences thereof?
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - Afghan and U.N. officials failed Tuesday to agree on a date for national elections, further muddying the timetable for the oft-delayed vote designed to anchor Afghanistan's recovery from decades of war.
A vote for president looks likely in late September or October, despite a string of attacks on election workers and voters that have been blamed on Taliban militants. But Afghan officials say worries about logistics and intimidation by warlords could yet push the election of a 249-seat parliament - a far more difficult vote to organize - into next year.
President Hamid Karzai and members of the U.N.-sponsored electoral commission emerged from a meeting at the presidential palace in Kabul without a final deal. "We can have the presidential election," said Agriculture Minister Hussain Anwari. "But the commission says it needs six months for the parliamentary vote."
I'd ask why, but then I think about the Palm Beach butterfly ballot.
The election was originally set for June, but was postponed to September to allow more time to register voters and demobilize unruly militias. With more delay looming, Afghan officials now talk of holding the vote in the Afghan month of September, which runs from Sept. 22-Oct. 21 under a solar calendar.
Originally, voters were also to concurrently elect a new parliament as they choose a president. But officials say that the two votes may now be separated. Anwari said the government wanted both polls wrapped up before November - before the harsh winter sets in - crowning a two-and-a-half-year drive to stabilize the country after a U.S. bombing campaign drove the Taliban from power at the end of 2001. But the United Nations is concerned that if the parliamentary vote is held too soon, anti-Taliban warlords who allied with the United States will consolidate their grip on the country after the failed drive to disarm them.
And they can't have that, can they?
Only about a quarter of the militiamen supposed to disarm by the end of June have given in their weapons. No new deadlines have been set. Electoral officials also have no census data to calculate the distribution of seats in parliament, and there are no laws yet on campaign finance or media access for 2,000 expected candidates.
Yeah, how can they have an election without an Afghan version of McCain-Feingold in place?
Said Mohammed Azam, spokesman for the electoral commission in which the United Nations holds half the seats, declined to give details of Tuesday's talks. He said the timetable should be settled "quite soon" - although it wasn't immediately clear if more talks were scheduled for reaching a final decision.
So far, about six million Afghans have registered to vote, out of an estimated 10 million eligible. Registration has also been uneven, with election teams still unable to enter parts of the Pashtun-dominated south rocked by a series of Taliban attacks apparently designed to disrupt the process.
So they don't get to vote. Then we tell all the people there why. And let them solve the problem.
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/07/2004 12:20:09 AM ||
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the real outrage here is the failure of NATO to come through. Come on guys, y'all claim that Iraq is a distraction from Afghanistan? So why dont undistracted French and German troops take over here? Only a few hundred French? What gives? Chirac is so intent on punishing the US, he'll do it at the expense of the people of Afghanistan? Feh!
The United States has secretly moved out more than 1.7 tonnes of enriched uranium and other radioactive materials from Iraq.
This is the uranium they didn't have, right?
Washington on Tuesday said the operation, carried out just days ahead of the 28 June handover of power to the Iraqi interim administration, was aimed at preventing the materials' use for the manufacture of a radiological bomb or in a nuclear weapons programme. "This operation was a major achievement for the Bush administration's goal to keep potentially dangerous nuclear materials out of the hands of terrorists," Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said in a statement. "It also puts this material out of reach for countries that may seek to develop their own nuclear weapons," he said. The operation involved 20 US nuclear experts from the Energy Department's secret laboratories as well as an undisclosed number of US troops. US personnel packed the low-enriched uranium and roughly 1,000 other highly radioactive devices, loaded them on a military plane and hauled them to the US on 23 June. Abraham said the operation was consistent with "relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions" and aimed to "ensure the safety and security of the Iraqi people." The International Atomic Energy Agency and Iraqi officials were briefed in advance about the removal.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/07/2004 11:39:36 PM ||
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That's right, Al Jizz, it was a black helicopter op using Jooo see-thru-walls technology. And while we were there, we put on our invisi-cloaks, given to us by our bud, Harry Potter, and sneaked into many Holy Moskkks. We touched things, too. Thus they are defiled. Figure out which ones. Did I mention the ham fat we smeared on the...
#2
Not so fast, dotted one. Even Al Jazeera noses out a truffle occasionally, especially when it's on the DOE's web site.
I'm still confused, though. Is this the uranium he didn't buy from Africa? Are these, at long last, the WMDs? And what moonbats will believe it if they're in the US?
#4
You're not supposed to ask questions like that. It doesn't show your absolute trust and devotion to the Press to question their um...well, can we apply the word BIAS to them? Bah, announcing "I'm a reporter" is tantamount to saying, "Hey, I'm a traitor" these days.
#5
1.77 metric tons * 1000 kg/ton * 2.2 lb/kg * 3% (typical of low enriched uranium) = ~150 kg weapons grade (80% enriched) material. The minimum amount required to support a chain reaction varies with the density of the material, type of device and shape of the core but you can make a pretty big bang with 15kg in the right geometry. Tomorrow's page 1 above-the-fold NYT headline "US Removes Enough Uranium to Construct 10 Nuclear Weapons from Iraq". Riiiiight.
#6
Freebies for us, and a no lose proposition. If that Uranium exists, then we've got the smoking gun ergo invasion blah blah is justified based upon the last round of pinko logic.
If it "doesn't" exist, then we finish refining it and light it off over Iran's facilities and claim that they had an accident. Since that Uranium didn't exist, it shouldn't match any known signature.
#8
Good thinking Brutus!
We can use our German scientists to enrich their
uranium that wasn't bought by their Germans from Niger. Then we can detonate it over the Iranian reactor which was built by Russians using designs from their German scientsts who stold them from our German scientists. I think it's a plan.
#11
AzCat - Bravo! Thx work the math workup - it would take phreakin' days to google up the pertinent info to do it from scratch. Thx, again - your expertise is appreciated!
#13
From the DOE site, it seems that this uranium was left over from Iraq's earlier nuclear research program: The nuclear research complex...was once a central institution for Iraqâs nuclear weapons program before being dismantled in the early 1990s, following the first Gulf War.
(I wonder why the IAEA didn't get rid of it? /sarcasm)
#15
The only "secret" is why the new outlets will bury this story after, perhaps, an initial headline. Now, back to your regularly scheduled 24 hour coverage of Abu Gharib and Scott Peterson.
Posted by: Chris W. ||
07/07/2004 11:30 Comments ||
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#16
If this stuff dates from before the 1991 cease-fire, was Saddam required under those terms to have turned this stuff in?
I would be shocked if he failed to comply with terms and the IAEA didn't do anything about it.
#17
The 1.77 tons of LEU is not news people, this was legally purchased from Italy prior to Gulf War I, and put under IAEA seal at the facility after 1991. You may all remember that when the Marines went into this facility last year they found that looters had broken some of the seals, and they found one building showing higher than expected levels of radiation. Everyone went asshat over it at the time but they didn't find anything beyond what they expected to find there, which was all documented previously.
I would also point out that AzCat's math is incorrect. It should be 1.77 metric tons * 1000 kg/ton * 3% = 53.1 kg, not 150 kg. There's no need to convert kg to lbs there. Furthermore, it is highly unlikely that the process would be done at 3%. Probably closer to 1% yielding only around 17 kg of HEU - enough for one decent bomb.
In any event, we all need to be careful about jumping the gun on these sorts of things. This is not WMD, though it was intended for WMD in the early 90's. This is not "new" news, except it is good to know that the material has been accounted for and is now under lock and key. Hats off to DOE and DOD for successfully bringing this stuff under control.
Posted by: Blue ||
07/07/2004 18:46 Comments ||
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#18
Oops, good catch Blue ... thanks. A couple of the stories however did claim that what was removed was "3% - 5% enriched". Of course that and four bucks will get you a coffee these days. ;)
#19
Now, the UN is whining that the US removed the material without proper authorization: U.N. Didn't OK Uranium Transfer to U.S.
El Baradei and his hench-drones are obviously afraid we'll use the material use in our nefarious plan to develop nuclear weapons.
{moonbat mode}Just imagine what the evil Bushitler/HELLiburton/AshKKKraoft clique could do to terrorize the genocidal dictators peaceful peoples of the Middle East if they got their oily capitalist paws on nuclear weapons!
Oh, wait a minute.{moonbat off}
#20
I think blue brings up a very good point. I think we all pretty much knew that Iraq had these weapons before hand. What pisses me off is that they say that they don't.
Am I wrong in thinking that they were supposed to get rid of this material. Were they supposed to just let it sit there, while they buy more from Nigeria. I mean does it even matter if they try to buy more from nigeria when they have enough material to make a single bomb right there. Especially when they kick out weapons inspectors, to make sure they aren't using it.
Honestly what the hell constitutes a WMD then? Enough radioactive material for 1 atomic bomb, isn't enough? I can't possibly believe there are people whose justification for a WMD is an actually silo filled with atom bombs.
Posted by: just me ||
07/07/2004 23:09 Comments ||
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Chechnyaâs rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov said on Tuesday he had enough men and firepower to fight Russian forces for another 20 years and issued a death threat to the regionâs likely next president.
"Yar! Yer toast!"
But his defiance met a swift rebuff from Chechen Interior Minister Alu Alkhanov, whose Kremlin backing makes him a sure winner of next monthâs poll to replace the regionâs assassinated president.
"Let's make it a race. You see if you can kill me first, and I'll see if I can kill you first. Winner gets to be president!"
In an interview published on a Chechen rebel Web site, Maskhadov said any Kremlin-backed leader faced an early death. "Whoever occupies this puppetâs chair -- his days are numbered. Heâll be in power only until the arm of the Mujahideen reach him," he said in an interview on www.kavkazcenter.com. Whoever wins, "his end will be the same if he comes to power with a Russian constitution and policy," he added.
"Don't bother me! I'm feelin' my oats!"
But the pro-Moscow Alkhanov told reporters he was used to being on the rebelsâ hit-list."They have wanted to kill me since 1991," he said. "We have a good Russian saying: if youâre frightened of the woods, donât go in."
"I ain't scared of nobody named 'Aslan.' What the hell kind of name is 'Aslan'? Makes me think of butt cheeks!"
He [Aslan] said his fightersâ work was far from over. "There are sufficient forces ... to fight for another 20 years without us over-exerting ourselves," he said. "We must force out Russians from our country. This is our duty. There should be no âelectionsâ. The people know this." The August 29 election was called after Kadyrovâs death and Russiaâs military command in the region is on heightened alert for the possibility of attacks aimed at disrupting it. "The rebelsâ aim is to frighten the civilian population, to destabilise the situation and disrupt the election," military spokesman Ilya Shabalkin told Interfax news agency. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who came to power in 2000 talking tough on crushing the rebels, has taken a no-negotiation attitude in dealings with Maskhadov, the elected president of Chechnya during a period of de facto independence in the 1990s. Maskhadov has offered Moscow talks on condition it withdraws it troops -- a proposal scorned by Alkhanov. "Even if we said today we want to have talks with him, he would never do it. Not with us, not with anyone," he said.
Ingushetiaâs pro-Moscow president, Murat Zyazikov, said he would welcome any talks to end the conflict that has spread to his own region which, like Chechnya, is mainly Muslim. "I would support any dialogue within Chechnya that will bring peace, accord and stability," he told reporters in Moscow. Zyazikov, whose tough stand against suspected rebel sympathisers has been blamed by many for last monthâs raid, called for a tightening of security to prevent further attacks. "There are attempts to push this over into Ingushetia, but we are fighting against it," he said.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
07/07/2004 10:17:02 PM ||
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KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court sentenced three members of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi to death on Tuesday, finding them guilty of killing at least six Shias, lawyers said. The three members were convicted in five separate terrorism cases, including the killing of a Shia cleric in May 2001. They also killed a Shia doctor and a businessman the same year, said state prosecutor Mazhar Qayum.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/07/2004 11:11:30 PM ||
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Sentencing is one thing. I'll buy it when I see a piano leg driven through each of their hearts. Of course, this is a travesty - they were only Shi'a infidels, after all.
The split in the Tamil rebel organisation took another dramatic turn with the Tigers alleging that at least two frontline ministers of the former United National Front and the party's General Secretary had met a renegade leader of the rebels who fled to Colombo. Four of the female Tamil rebels who accompanied renegade V. Muralitheran alias Karuna from eastern Batticaloa had decamped and regrouped with the rebel organization to which they revealed that Former Ministers Rajitha Senaratne and S.B. Dissanayake met Karuna in a Colombo hotel.
It was just for drinks, though. Nothng happened...
Hey! He's a popular guy! Knows all the latest dance steps...
Last week a junior UNF nominated MP Ali Zahir Maulana resigned from Parliament after accepting that he accompanied Karuna to safety on April 12, as revealed by the four women rebels, but the party disassociated itself from any involvement and the leadership denied any knowledge of the move.
"We know nothing! No-thing! Tell them, Hogan!"
Party sources said the UNF was divided over this whole issue of alleged support to Karuna and the recent revelations that senior ministers had met him in Colombo was embarrassing for the party that denied knowledge of Maulana accompanying Karuna even as the LTTE were poised to close in on the renegade.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/07/2004 11:42:17 PM ||
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The Afghan militia fired mortars at Pakistani Gursal and Spinabara check posts in Mohmand Agency on Monday night, prompting Pakistani forces to return fire. The firing that started around 10:45pm continued till 12:30am. However, no loss of life was reported. This is the third time in a week that the Afghan militia has fired at the Pakistani posts. The political authorities of the agency have confirmed the firing incident.
"Yeah. It was gunfire, alright!"
The clash comes a week after Pakistanâs military said that soldiers patrolling in the region exchanged fire with Afghan attackers. One Pakistani civilian was reportedly wounded. Pakistan blamed âmiscreants from across the borderâ for initiating the shooting. US, Afghan and Pakistani military officials then began holding regular meetings to improve communication and coordinate operations.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/07/2004 10:56:25 PM ||
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"Where's my turban and drum, honey? I gotta go on a stakeout!"
"Yer drum's in the closet, but yer turban's not back from the cleaners. Here. Wear this!"
"I can't go on a stakeout in a porkpie hat! The other Muslims'd laugh at me!"
The search for two wanted tribesmen in South Waziristan Agency has met with little success as a tribal lashkar will now guard their houses to arrest them if they visit family.
"Yar! Just let 'em try and come home! Arrrrr!"
A tribal elder told Daily Times that a 60-man lashkar each will stay at Maulvi Abbas and Muhammad Javedâs homes, both men wanted by the government for terrorism.
"Is Maulvi Abbas home?"
"He ain't here. Come back later!"
"We'll wait. Mahmoud, bring the drum!"
They will be arrested if they try to meet their families. The political administration set a July 10 deadline for the surrender of the two men, warning that partial lifting of sanctions could be withdrawn if no progress was made by Saturday.
"Yeah! Youse guys're gonna get it!"
Meanwhile, a 30-member delegation from Shakai will leave Wana for Peshawar on Wednesday to meet NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah. The meeting follows Mondayâs agreement with the government by four tribes in Shakai to fight foreigners and support the government.
"Yeah! We'll murderlize 'em! Hrowf! Hrowf!"
Former federal minister Faridullah Khan, who helped broker the agreement and the surrender of wanted men Eda Khan and Dilwar Khan, will lead the delegation. Official sources said that the governor might announce a special development package for Shakai after the tribes agreement to support the government against foreigners linked to Qaeda.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/07/2004 10:58:05 PM ||
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The government has made a computerised record of those involved in anti-government and sectarian activities in the country.
"That's it, by Allah! We should have a database!"
"We can put it on the network!"
"But wait! We need a name... Something catchy..."
The Sectarian Terrorism Activities Record (STAR) is held by the Interior Ministryâs National Crisis Management Cell. It was compiled in one year under a special package sponsored by the US government, sources told Daily Times.
It took 'em a year? What'd they use? Soddy programmers?
The names of activists of banned religious organisations, those involved in sectarian violence and terrorist sympathisers have been collected.
"Oh, we're makin' list
And checkin' it twice,
Gotta find out who's naughty and nice..."
Intelligence and law enforcement agency officials collected photos and fingerprints of jailed activists of banned religious groups and those involved in sectarian activities.
"'At's it, Muggsy! Snarl pretty for the camera!"
"Damn, Ahmed! All these guys really do look alike!"
"It's the turbans, Mahmoud..."
However, official sources refused to reveal how many people had been fingerprinted and photographed.
"I can't say. I haven't learned to use the database yet..."
Brigadier Javed Iqbal Cheema, director general of the NCMC, is overseeing the project. The funds for the STAR project were released under a 2002 agreement between Pakistan and the United States. The US government gave $70 million to the Pakistani government to purchase modern equipment to curb terrorism.
I'da done it a lot cheaper than that...
Posted by: Fred ||
07/07/2004 10:43:57 PM ||
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#1
One flaw: how do you fingerprint a guy whose had his hands blown off like our buddy Captain Hook?
#9
Shipman---I was thinking iris scans, but a bunch of 'em are missing the key ingredient there, too. We will just have to develop the database with a variety of identifiers, depending upon what is left on the frame.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
07/07/2004 11:14 Comments ||
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LAHORE: Police arrested over 150 foreigners, mostly Afghans and Arabs and some African religious students, for living in Pakistan illegally, police and security officials said on Tuesday.
"Arrest us if you will! This is such a nize place, we just couldn't bear to leave!"
The arrests were made during a weeklong operation in Punjab and the arrested men are being interrogated at various detention facilities, said Tariq Saleem, deputy police inspector general. However, he would not say whether the suspects had any links with terror groups. âI am not in a position to say anything about it at this stage,â he said.
"I can say no more!"
Mr Saleem said the raids were carried out by police in major cities in the province, including Lahore, after authorities received reports that some foreigners were involved in âcriminal activitiesâ.
Brief vision of Pak cops plunging six abreast into the steamy underworld of Punjab, getting the hairy eyeball from people named Muggsy and Butch and Mahmoud...
An intelligence official said at least two suspects arrested in Faisalabad were believed to have been involved in âanti-state activities. They might have links with Al Qaeda and Taliban.â
That's never happened before... Has it?
He gave no other details.
He can say no more!
Pakistan in recent years has taken several steps to reduce the number of militants in its seminaries. Under a government policy, no foreign student can stay in Pakistan without getting clearance from his own embassy and the Interior Ministry.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/07/2004 10:29:21 PM ||
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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.
