#4
I mean whoever it is seems nice (makes her own clothes, good cook, etc.) But Mary Ann was always decently fed.
Maybe camera fella was deh ghey or something.
[Dawn] Nato troops said they killed several insurgents preparing to attack a major international conference in Kabul, with the Afghan capital under security lockdown for the high profile event on Tuesday.
The alleged militants were killed during a raid on a house on the southern edge of the city overnight, Nato's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said, suspecting the Taliban of plotting an attack on the conference.
Two other militants were captured while "pursuing a Taliban facilitator believed to be in final stages of preparation for attacks against the Kabul conference," it said.
Automatic weapons and ammunition were impounded, the military said.
Isaf had already said that others had been captured elsewhere in the city last week also said to be plotting attacks on the landmark meeting.
The Taliban have stepped up attacks on the heavily fortified Afghan capital and last month fired rockets towards a giant tent where a domestic peace conference was held during President Hamid Karzai's opening address.
But thousands of Afghan and Nato forces on Tuesday led watertight security measures, shutting roads and banning traffic within several kilometres (miles) of the foreign ministry where the conference was taking place.
The airport was shut, Monday and Tuesday declared public holidays and access to even pedestrians seriously restricted by armed police and soldiers manning makeshift checkpoints and security barriers in the heart of the city.
The interior ministry said suspected militants fired rockets into Kabul late Monday, landing near the airport but causing no casualties.
Karzai used the landmark conference -- billed as the largest international gathering in Kabul -- to say that his government was working to assume full leadership by 2014 and demanded greater control of aid money.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/21/2010 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Taliban
Although this morning started with relative serenity, residents in Mogadishus eastern districts witnessed some of the most intensive confrontations in the past months.
Clashes between fighters loyal to Al-Shabaab, the most radical Islamist group opposing the Transitional Federal Government, and the pro-government forces that included the peacekeepers serving the African Union Mission in Somalia, Amisom, have been extremely heavy in the last three days. The heavy exchange of fire appear to have reached its climax on Tuesday night as the pro-government forces tried their best to push back rebel advances towards Villa Somalia, the state house in Mogadishu.
Nearly twenty people have been reported to have died and over sixty injured as assumed by ambulance servicemen in the Somali capital. Most of the dead belonged to the fighting sides although innocent civilians generally absorbed the brunt of the confrontations. Ali Yusufey Mukhtar, a resident in Bondhere, one of the affected districts, said that most of the people in Bondhere and Shibs districts have already fled the heavy fighting in the past two days and nights.
Sheikh Abdulaziz Abu Musab, the spokesman of Al-Shabaabs jihad operations, claimed that his fighters captured strategic positions, especially in Bondhere district, which is closer to the presidential palace. He added that attacks by the pro-government forces were rejected. On the other hand, the TFGs Bondhere District Commissioner, Abdullahi Hersi Warsame alias Stikin, claimed that the rebels were pushed back and the government forces will continue to pursue them.
[The Nation (Nairobi)] A Kenyan officer was killed by militiamen suspected to be members of al Shabaab.
Another (General Service Unit) GSU officer was seriously injured during the incident that occurred at Liboi on the Kenya-Somali border on Tuesday.
The director of operations at police headquarters, Mr Julius Ndegwa, said the officers were ambushed at around 9am, and denied reports that a third had been abducted.
"One of them was killed while the other survived. There was no exchange of fire," he said.
Mr Ndegwa said more information would be given in an official statement from police spokesman Eric Kiraithe.
On patrol
However, a police official, who spoke on condition that he is not named because he is not authorised to speak to the press, said the two GSU officers were attacked after the Somali militiamen crossed into Kenya.
This statement was contradicted by another officer, who said the officers were on patrol when they were attacked.
Last week, 76 people were killed in Kampala, Uganda, in an attack that al Shabaab has claimed responsibility for.
In April, a joint police and military force was deployed to Liboi in Garissa District following an incursion by members of the Somali Islamist group.
The militia are said to have thrown a grenade into the GSU camp, injuring some officers.
Al shabaab, which has links with the al Qaeda terror network, has besieged the transitional government in Somalia and has threatened to attack Kenya over its deployment of soldiers to the border.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/21/2010 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: al-Shabaab
[The Nation (Nairobi)] A Kenyan vessel held hostage by pirates four months ago was released on Tuesday morning.
MV Sakoba which was captured in March with some 10 Kenyan crew members has started its voyage to the port of Mombasa.
According to Mr Andrew Mwangura of the East African Seafarers Assistance Programme, the Kenyan vessel was released alongside a Belgium registered ship. Both are headed for Mombasa.
It was still not clear whether any ransom had been paid for their release. The captors were at first asking for $7 million.
MV Sakoba had 16 crew among them two Senegalese, one each from Cape Verde, Namibia, Spain and Poland.
"The release of the two vessels now brings the number of those still in the hands of pirates to 20 with 368 crew members," Mr Mwangura told the Nation.
The Belgian vessel, UBT Ocean, had 21 crew members.
Mr Mwangura said the vessel was hijacked last week somewhere between Kenyan and the Tanzanian coasts.
"The pirates have been using her to launch attacks on other vessels and as bait to lure other ships into their net," he said.
Before its release the vessel was in Harardheere, 700 miles north east of Mogadishu.
Somali pirates have wreaked havoc in the Indian Ocean over the past three years, hijacking commercial ships and making away with millions of dollars in ransom payments.
This is despite heavy presence of international navies that have been deployed in the busy Gulf of Aden and in major commercial routes in the Indian Ocean to protect vessels.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/21/2010 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Pirates
SUSPECTED Kurdish rebels blew up a pipeline carrying natural gas from Iran to Turkey, forcing the shutdown of the conduit, officials said today.
The powerful blast occurred overnight at a section of the pipeline near the eastern Turkish town of Dogubayazit, in Agri province, several kilometres from the Iranian border, a local official said by telephone, without giving other details.
"The explosion is believed to have been carried out by members of the separatist terrorist organisation," Agri Governor Ali Yerlikaya said, referring to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
Security forces were looking for the perpetrators, said the statement, carried by Anatolia news agency.
Television footage showed a large blaze raging over the pipeline after the blast which Anatolia said shattered the windows of nearby buildings.
A Greek investigative journalist has been shot dead outside his home in Athens in an attack linked by police to leftist militants. Sokratis Giolias, 37, was shot more than 15 times in the Athens neighbourhood of Ilioupoli. According to colleagues, he had been about to publish the results of an investigation into corruption.
Police said ballistics tests tied the killers' guns to previous attacks by the Sect of Revolutionaries. They had initially discounted the idea that leftist militants might have killed Mr Giolias. The Sect of Revolutionaries (SR) has threatened members of the media in the past. Last year they attacked the headquarters of private broadcaster Alter TV, without causing any injuries.
No group has yet said it was behind the killing of Mr Giolias.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/21/2010 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Commies
[Al Arabiya Latest] Spanish authorities closed a mosque in the island of Ibiza and arrested its imam after charging him with beating several Muslim students in the mosque school, local press reported.
The Spanish Civil Guard closed the main mosque in the town of Sant Antoni, located in the Mediterranean island of Ibiza, and arrested its imam Kharin , who is of Moroccan origins, on charges of mistreating and beating 12 students at the School of Arab Culture, the Spanish language newspaper Diario de Ibiza reported.
Sant Antoni local police started conducting investigations about the imam after receiving several complaints from parents who reported that their children were being beaten with a stick on their heads, arms, and backs while taking their Arab culture lessons in the mosque's school. Being beaten with a stick is a part of Arab culture, isn't it?
Muslims on the island were taken by surprise although most of them declined to talk to the press amid reports that the police cautioned them against doing so in order not to tarnish Spain's image as far as liberties and freedom of faith are concerned.
Those who agreed to speak to the press expressed their disappointment about the closure of the mosque where they take their children in order to learn the Quran and Arab history and culture.
Moroccan-born Anissa, who wears the Islamic headscarf, enrolled her four-year old girl in the school and is one of the very few Muslims who agreed to speak to the press.
"I send my little girl to the mosque to learn about her religion and culture," she told the Diario. "I also went there to pray and learn more about Islam. Now, neither can be done."
Posted by: Fred ||
07/21/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
Beating is a long-established part of learning the Koran by heart.
Read the line.
Read the line.
Read the line.
Recite the line - if you make a mistake you get a stroke of pain
etc.
Posted by: lord garth ||
07/21/2010 8:38 Comments ||
Top||
#2
I'd put ruler wielding nuns up against stick wielding imams any day
[Arab News] Spain's Parliament has rejected a proposal to ban women from wearing in public places Islamic veils that reveal only the eyes.
The proposal was debated late Tuesday; 183 lawmakers opposed the ban, 162 lawmakers voted for it and two abstained.
The nonbinding proposal had been put forward by the leading opposition Popular Party, which portrayed it as a measure in support of women's rights. The ruling Socialist Party opposed the ban.
Other European countries have also debated banning body covering clothing such as burqas or niqabs. Within Spain, the city government of northeastern Barcelona and some neighboring town councils have banned the wearing of such garb in public buildings such as town halls and hospitals.
Opponents of a ban say it will harm democracy and violate religious rights while supporters say it is a matter of national security and of adaptation to local customs.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/21/2010 00:00 ||
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[11127 views]
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#1
This is going to hurt the socialists big time in the next elections. But I suspect the key will be if the conservative 'People's Party' (ironic, I suppose), is willing to offer the regions greater autonomy, in exchange for their support.
Otherwise, or perhaps at the same time, I would not be surprised to see the rise of a party modeled on that of Geert Wilders.
#3
Anyone know how to make the Cervantes statue into a golom
I believe the technique involves writing the secret name of God on a scrap of paper, then placing the paper in the statue's mouth. Unfortunately, I am not privy to God's secrets.
#4
Danggit! Would have been worth the flight to see that in person. Olives, Anchovies, and Ass Kicking sounded much better before learning I would need to paint myself metallic and stomp around with a noise maker ;)
Kurdish rebels killed six Turkish soldiers and wounded 15 in an overnight raid Tuesday on a military outpost along the border with Iraq, indicating the resiliency of their low-level insurgency and the failure of efforts to reach a peace accord. Another soldier died in a separate attack.
Troops backed by helicopter gunships surged into the mountainous area after the attack, even as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan acknowledged that military action alone would not end a 26-year conflict rooted in the grievances of Turkey's Kurdish minority.
"There is no magic wand," Erdogan said in a weekly address in Parliament. "If we look at it as merely a question of security, we would be wrong. We have done so for years. The results are clear. But this issue has sociological, psychological, diplomatic and many other aspects."
According to the prime minister and Anatolia news agency, rebels from the Kurdistan Workers' Party, known by its Kurdish acronym PKK, fired rockets and other weapons at the unit at around 2 a.m. At least one rebel was killed, and clashes were underway later in the day.
The fighting happened near the town of Cukurca in Hakkari province in southeast Turkey, a frequent site of attacks by PKK militants who slip across an Iraqi border that is difficult to police because of its remote and rugged landscape.
In a separate attack Tuesday, suspected rebels fired on a military vehicle near the town of Gurpinar in Van province, north of Cukurca, DHA news agency reported. One soldier died, and the attackers fled.
A recent decision by jailed PKK chief Abdullah Ocalan to leave decisions to rebel commanders in the field led to more ambushes, said Carina O'Reilly, Europe analyst for London-based Jane's Country Risk. She said there could be more attacks in urban settings if the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons, a PKK branch with some autonomy, become more active.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/21/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
afterv whatb theb kuds have went thoguh under sadam and the way then turks ahve actyed towards the isrealis i hope they getb their ass kiicked
Posted by: chris ||
07/21/2010 0:12 Comments ||
Top||
#2
and yes i'm drunk
Posted by: chris ||
07/21/2010 0:13 Comments ||
Top||
#3
Turkey has lost close to 100 troops in 2010.
It may be that Ergodan's anti military measures have suppressed the Turkish ability to respond
Posted by: lord garth ||
07/21/2010 1:10 Comments ||
Top||
#4
Not to worry Chris, this is Rantburg.
Or in the words of the awesome Senator from Kansas..... Bob, Bob, Bob, Dole ...
I didn't realize Mendel Rivers was a drunk till I saw him sober one day.
The Islamic fundamentalist who threatened "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone has been arrested by the FBI.
Zachary Chesser, 20, was reportedly charged with providing material support a Somali terrorist group affiliated with al-Qaeda.
The man was stopped while attempting to board a plane in New York City after being placed on a no-fly list.
A university drop-out, Chesser allegedly posted a message on the radical Islamic site Revolution Muslim warning the "South Park" creators they will "probably end up like" a Dutch filmmaker who was murdered for presenting a negative portrayal of the Islamic faith.
The "South Park" gang angered some by an episode that showed (or attempted to show before Comedy Central censored the image) the Prophet Muhammad.
Some Smoking Gun documents with more details here which includes this tidbit: After the "South Park" post, Chesser had a falling out with his parents over the ensuing controversy.
Security officials thwarted a major terrorist attack in Mardan when they killed three suicide bombers and two of their aides close to Mardan Cantonment training grounds on Tuesday.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations, three suicide bombers blew themselves up in vain when they were challenged by guards deployed outside the training area of the Punjab Regiment centre in Mardan.
Two terrorists providing cover to the suicide bombers were also killed in an exchange of fire with troops, in which four of the officials were also injured.
Another two men covering the attackers are still missing and security forces cordoned off the area to apprehend the absconding terrorists, the ISPR said.
"An attack on the Punjab Regiment centre in Mardan was averted this morning by the security forces," an official said.
"Five attackers, including three suicide bombers were killed when they tried to enter the training area. Four soldiers were injured," the official added.
Police sources said 25 suspects had been arrested in a search launched jointly by the army and police in the residential areas adjacent to the training centre.
They have been moved to an undisclosed location for interrogation.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/21/2010 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: TTP
Israel Defense Forces troop fired at suspected militants that had approached Gaza's northern border with Israel, Israel Radio reported on Wednesday, with two suspected militants reportedly killed in the incident.
According to Palestinian sources, one militant was killed on the spot, while the second fatality succumbed to his wounds several hours after the incident. Six militants remained hospitalized, the sources reported.
According to initial reports, Israeli tanks targeted a suspected militant squad after receiving reports that a squad near the northern Strip town of Beit Hanoun had intended to fire an anti-tank missile toward another IDF unit. An Israeli military spokeswoman said soldiers opened fire on suspects approaching a border fence but had no further comment. Palestinian medical workers claimed 7 people were wounded, including a 10-year-old girl. No other details were immediately released.
The militant killed in the incident was reportedly a central Islamic Jihad militant.
[Al Arabiya Latest] Russia has delivered 50 armored personnel carriers to Jordan where they are now waiting to be transferred to the Palestinian security forces, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday. "The official ceremony for the receiving of the special equipment took place on July 19 in Jordan where it was delivered by sea," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
"The Russian armored vehicles will be there until the Palestinian and the Israeli sides agree on the time and ways of its transfer to the western bank of the Jordan River," it added. "We consider it important to do it without delay," the statement said.
The Palestinians will receive the armored vehicles for free and Russian specialists have already taught Palestinian drivers and mechanics how to operate them, the foreign ministry added.
Moscow has friendly relations with the Palestinians dating back to the Soviet era, when it provided support to Yasser Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organization.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/21/2010 00:00 ||
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[11124 views]
Top|| File under: Palestinian Authority
#1
did they apint bullseyes onn theme?
Posted by: chris ||
07/21/2010 0:48 Comments ||
Top||
#6
Better hurry. Even tho designed for the Russian Army, they still need a modicum of mLuv. Half will be junk in 3 months, a quarter sold to the Juice.
#7
Following on to what Lex said, I think this may be a sign of a tacit Russia-Fatah alliance. These vehicles wouldn't last long against the IDF but could prove formidable when, for example, surrounding a Hamas safe house in the West Bank.
Posted by: lord garth ||
07/21/2010 14:47 Comments ||
Top||
#8
#2 Nothing is ever "for free."
Renowned Russian Reliability!
note how the mechanics have already been ...um...er...trained to work on them.
Posted by: Mike Hunt ||
07/21/2010 18:34 Comments ||
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A team of security officers escorting a group of teachers has narrowly escaped injury in a roadside bomb attack in Narathiwat's Rueso district.
The blast was reported to Rueso district police at about 8.30am yesterday while the six-member security team was clearing the road for the teachers to travel to Ban Samakkhi and Ban Suwari schools. No one was injured as the impact of the explosion went in the opposite direction, Pol Lt Ukrit Sangkhamani, who is heading the investigation, said.
The bomb was home-made, weighed 5kg, was stuffed in a metal box and detonated by mobile phone, he said. The blast left a crater in the ground and mobile phone fragments were found nearby, Pol Lt Ukrit said.
In Sungai Kolok district, one of nine military ranger volunteers wounded in a bomb attack on Monday was rushed from the district hospital to a larger one in Songkhla's Hat Yai district after his condition became critical. Sungai Kolok police were still trying to determine the identities of two male teenagers captured on a surveillance camera at a roadside pavilion the day before the the bomb went off.
In Yala, the provincial police commander has ordered all eight police stations in the province to be careful when responding to bomb attacks as a second bomb is often set to target investigators.
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.
Although this morning started with relative serenity, residents in Mogadishus eastern districts witnessed some of the most intensive confrontations in the past months. 
A Greek investigative journalist has been shot dead outside his home in Athens in an attack linked by police to leftist militants. Sokratis Giolias, 37, was shot more than 15 times in the Athens neighbourhood of Ilioupoli. According to colleagues, he had been about to publish the results of an investigation into corruption.
[Al Arabiya Latest] Spanish authorities closed a mosque in the island of Ibiza and arrested its imam after charging him with beating several Muslim students in the mosque school, local press reported.
Israel Defense Forces troop fired at suspected militants that had approached Gaza's northern border with Israel, Israel Radio reported on Wednesday, with two suspected militants reportedly killed in the incident. 
