[KhaamaPress] Abdullah Khanjani, head of the Political Committee of Afghanistan’s National Resistance® Front, confirmed senior commander Hasib Panjshiri has been killed.
Hasib Panjshiri, a senior military commander of Afghanistan’s National Resistance® Front (NRF), has been killed, the group’s politicianship confirmed on Thursday.
Abdullah Khanjani, head of the National Resistance® Front’s Political Committee, confirmed Panjshiri’s death in a video statement on Thursday evening, describing him as a "great commander." Khanjani did not provide details about the circumstances of his death, while Kabul has not issued an official statement on the incident.
According to informed sources familiar with the incident, Panjshiri was traveling with seven other NRF fighters from Panjshir toward Andarab in Baghlan province when their convoy was ambushed in the northern Salang area. The group was reportedly traveling in two Toyota Hilux vehicles, with four fighters in each vehicle, and was heading to carry out an operation in Andarab.
The sources said the resistance fighters had checked the route before departing and believed it was safe to travel. However,
a woman is only as old as she admits... the Taliban ...Arabic for students... allegedly learned of their planned movement and set up an ambush along the route in northern Salang.
A fierce clash reportedly erupted after the convoy entered the ambush. The four fighters traveling in the first vehicle were killed during the fighting. Panjshiri, who was in the second vehicle with three other fighters, was also killed in the confrontation. The fate of the three men who were with him remains unknown.
Earlier on Thursday, al-Mersaad, a media outlet affiliated with Taliban intelligence, claimed Panjshiri had been killed in an operation carried out by special forces. The National Resistance® Front later confirmed his death but did not verify the details of the operation or disclose the location and timing of the incident.
Ali Maisam Nazary, the NRF’s head of foreign relations, also confirmed Panjshiri’s death in a Facebook post, without providing further information about how he was killed.
Hasib Panjshiri was one of the National Resistance® Front’s most prominent military commanders under the leadership of Ahmad Massoud. Before the collapse of the former Afghanistan government in August 2021, he served in Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security ...the Afghan national intel agency... (NDS) special forces.
[ToloNews] The US Department of State says it is aware of the bombing near a school in the Dasht-e-Barchi area of Kabul’s 18th police district.
A State Department spokesperson told Voice of America that the United States is aware of the bombing and has launched an investigation into the incident. Why?
The bombing, which injured around 42 children, occurred last Monday.
Earlier, Saudi Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start... , Qatar ...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi... , Syria, UN agencies and the Moslem World League also condemned the bombing.
The United Nations ...a lucrative dumping ground for the relatives of dictators and party hacks... Children’s Fund (UNICEF) expressed concern over the bombing and called for an investigation into the incident. Get to it!
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] Pirates hijacked two vessels carrying 22 Indian citizens off the coast of Somalia, the Hindustan Times reported on August 21.
The Eritrean-flagged tanker Sibu 1 was hijacked by six pirates in the Gulf of Aden, approximately 55 km off the coast of Yemen and Somalia.
"The crew includes 16 Indian citizens, one Syrian citizen, one Sudanese citizen, and one Iraqi citizen, while the nationality of one sailor has not yet been confirmed," the article wrote.
All 20 crew members are safe.
Earlier, pirates hijacked a tanker loaded with oil products in the waters between the coastal towns of Hafun and Bandarbala in the Bari region of Puntland province, as it was en route from the port city of Berbera in Somaliland to the Somali capital Mogadishu.
Previously, in May, armed men hijacked an oil tanker off the coast of Yemen. The pirates boarded the vessel, seized it, and sailed it toward the Gulf of Aden, heading for Somalia. Later, thanks to the prompt action of the coast guard, the vessel's precise coordinates were determined, and efforts to recover it began.
The Gulf of Aden separates Yemen from Somalia. The portion of Yemen located near the gulf is partially controlled by the Houthis. The waters near Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden have historically been considered among the most dangerous in the world due to high levels of piracy.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said six armed individuals boarded a tanker off Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... , seized control of the vessel, and diverted it toward Somalia.
UKMTO said on Thursday that it had received a report of an incident 136 nautical miles (252km) east of Yemen’s Al Mukalla, where the Seamull tanker, also known as SIBU 1, broadcast a distress call that it was being approached by an unauthorised vessel while travelling westwards in the Gulf of Aden, Al Jazeera reported.
"UKMTO has received confirmation that the tanker has been boarded by six armed persons who are now in control of the vessel and redirecting to Somalia," UKMTO said in a statement.
"Authorities are investigating. Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO."
The maritime security monitor provided no further details and did not say whether the tanker or its crew were safe.
The SIBU 1 has been seized in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, as the Gulf of Aden feeds into the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, the fastest maritime link between Asia and Europe. Roughly 12 to 15 percent of global trade by value passes through the canal each year, along with about 30 percent of the world’s container traffic.
Piracy was rampant off the coast of Somalia in the 2000s and peaked in 2011 before being curbed by international naval deployments and new security measures for commercial shipping.
The attack follows a marked resurgence since April in Somali piracy, which had been largely dormant for more than a decade until this year.
Five cargo ships are currently held hostage — including an oil tanker that was seized in July about 26 nautical miles (48km) off Yemen’s Hadramout ...the formerly independent Qu'aiti state and sultanate, annexed by Communist South Yemen in 1968, encompassing a region along the Gulf of Aden, extending eastwards to the borders of the Dhofar region of Oman. The people are called Hadhramis and speak Hadhrami Arabic. The city Tarimis is estimated to contain the highest concentration of descendants of the Prophet Muhammad (PTUI) anywhere in the world, approximately seven in every square yard... province.
Between 2005 and 2012, Somali pirates were blamed for more than 1,000 attacks, worth approximately $400m in ransom payments, prompting an international crackdown that all but ended hijackings in 2013.
[DM] Jihadists have kidnapped and slaughtered scores of people in an attack during Friday prayers in central Nigeria.
The exact toll of the attacks, which also hit the village of Binzi in Niger State, was unknown, federal representative Jafaru Mohammed said.
Jibril Ahmad, a civilian who survived the attack, said: 'Soon after finishing the normal Friday prayer, the armed group of Lakuwara, in their hundreds, wielding guns, knives and machetes, began to attack us.'
'They slaughtered some of our people, saying we are not practising the true teachings of Islam,' Ahmad added.
Some are understood to have escaped when another jihadist group, known as Mahmuda, started clashing with the militants.
It was also confirmed today that armed men abducted over 60 worshippers from a nearby mosque.
Police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun said the attackers stormed Kpenya Mosque in the Dekara district of the Borgu local government area at about 2pm on Friday after first attacking Gidan-Zana and Kpenya villages.
'The developing report indicated that no life was lost, while joint security detachment has been deployed to the area for assessment and rescue operations,' Abiodun said in a statement.
A resident told Reuters the attack appeared coordinated and occurred simultaneously in Dekara and three other communities in Borgu while residents were observing Friday prayers. Reuters could not immediately verify the account independently.
Africa's most populous country is battling a 17-year insurgency by jihadist groups, who have made such abductions a key tactic - including the 2014 kidnapping of hundreds of schoolgirls in the town of Chibok.
The insurgency is concentrated in the northeast, though Friday's attack was in the west of the country, an area that has seen increased activity by armed groups and militants from the Sahel as the conflict has splintered.
Two Persons Abducted in Bauchi as Security Forces Launch Rescue Operation
By Zagazola Makama
Two persons have been abducted by suspected kidnappers in Nasarawa Gwaram, Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
The incident occurred at about 12:20 a.m. on Aug. 20, when troops of 33 Artillery Brigade, deployed at a Forward Operating Base in Alkaleri, responded to information about the kidnapping.
The troops, working alongside other security agencies and local vigilantes, mobilised to the area and confirmed that two victims had been abducted.
Security forces have commenced efforts to rescue the victims and apprehend the perpetrators.
Troops and other security personnel are currently conducting operations within the area to track the fleeing kidnappers and prevent further attacks.
Troops Repel Terrorist Attack on FOB Gajibo in Borno
By Zagazola Makama
Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have repelled an attempted attack by terrorists on a Forward Operating Base (FOB) at Gajibo in Borno State, forcing the attackers to retreat after a fierce exchange of fire.… pic.twitter.com/ccHz79hwBC
Troops Repel Terrorist Attack on FOB Gajibo in Borno
By Zagazola Makama
Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have repelled an attempted attack by terrorists on a Forward Operating Base (FOB) at Gajibo in Borno State, forcing the attackers to retreat after a fierce exchange of fire.
Zagazola Makama reports that the incident occurred at about 3:32 a.m. on Aug. 20, when troops of 81 Division Task Force Battalion deployed at FOB Gajibo sighted an unspecified number of terrorists advancing towards the base from two different directions.
The troops immediately engaged the attackers with indirect fire, forcing them to retreat in confusion.
The terrorists subsequently regrouped and launched another advance towards the FOB, but the troops maintained their defensive positions and engaged them with superior firepower.
The sustained response again forced the attackers to withdraw in disarray.
So far “right” that he meets far left Antifa round the back. Some call it the left-right horseshoe.
[IsraelTimes] A teenager who allegedly has links to neo-Nazi ideology is arrested by Canadian federal police following an FBI tip indicating he was planning to attack a school.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) say their US counterparts had shared intelligence about the youth several weeks ago.
He is suspected of using artificial intelligence to plan an attack on a Montreal school, and of posting threatening messages on the Telegram platform targeting various groups.
“Investigators had reasonable grounds to fear that the suspect might commit crimes related to violent extremism,” the RCMP statement says.
RCMP spokesman Erique Gasse tells AFP that the suspect is “affiliated with neo-Nazi ideology” and was targeting Muslim, Haitian and LGBTQ groups.
[KhaamaPress] An Afghan national has been sentenced to 51 days in prison in the United States after illegally crossing into the country from Canada, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York.
The office said Monday that Khan Afzal Ahmadzai, 30, of Kabul, entered the United States on June 3 by walking across the international border near Champlain, New York, without undergoing immigration or customs inspection.
US Border Patrol agents arrested Ahmadzai after he entered the country, prosecutors said. He later pleaded guilty to illegally entering the United States and was sentenced to 51 days in prison.
After completing his sentence, immigration authorities will begin proceedings to remove him from the United States, according to the prosecutor’s office. Authorities also said Ahmadzai had previously attempted to enter the United States.
The case comes as thousands of Afghans remain in uncertain immigration situations in the United States and in countries across the region, including Pakistain and Gulf states, while awaiting decisions on asylum, resettlement or other immigration pathways.
In the United States, the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program provides a legal immigration route for eligible Afghan nationals who worked for or on behalf of the US government and meet the program’s requirements. The SIV process is separate from asylum, refugee resettlement and cases involving unlawful entry.
Many Afghans in Pakistain continue to face uncertainty over their legal status and the possibility of deportation, while Afghan communities in Qatar ...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi... also include people awaiting longer-term immigration or resettlement solutions.
The case highlights the risks faced by Afghans seeking to reach countries where they hope to obtain protection or a more secure future. However,
you can observe a lot just by watching... Ahmadzai’s case specifically concerns illegal entry into the United States and the resulting criminal proceedings and should not be treated as representative of Afghan SIV, refugee or asylum cases.
[Dawn] Security forces have eliminated 49 faceless myrmidons in separate intelligence-based operations in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan ...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it... , the military’s media wing said on Friday.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), "over the last few days, security forces conducted a series of high-tempo joint intelligence-driven operations along with police, as part of relentless counter-terrorism campaign aimed at eliminating Indian Proxies, Fitna Al Khwarij and Fitna Al Hindustan".
The state uses the term Fitna al-Khawarij for the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban ...mindless ferocity in a turban... Pakistain (TTP) and refers to designated Balochistan-based groups as Fitna al-Hindustan to highlight India’s role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistain.
ISPR said that the operations resulted in "major successes, inflicting significant blows to the terrorist networks" with the elimination of 49 terrorists.
In KP, at least 12 faceless myrmidons belonging to Fitna Al Khwarij were killed in Bannu, North Wazoo, Orakzai and Khyber districts in "high-tempo" intelligence-based operations.
ISPR added that explosives, IED detonating remotes, weapons, ammunition and cycle of violences were recovered from the slain faceless myrmidons and subsequently destroyed.
While in Balochistan, ISPR said 37 faceless myrmidons of the Fitna Al Hindustan were eliminated in ten IBOs in Mastung, Mach, Khuzdar, and Panjgur districts.
"A significant quantity of weapons, explosive drums and remote detonation equipment were seized and destroyed," it added.
ISPR said that security forces remained "resolute and unwavering" in defending the nation’s frontiers.
"Sanitisation operations are being conducted to eliminate any other Indian sponsored Kharji/ terrorist found in the area," the statement read, adding that "relentless counterterrorism campaign under vision "Azm e Istehkam" (as approved by Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan) by security forces and law enforcement agencies of Pakistain will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign sponsored and supported terrorism from the country."
On August 12, security forces eliminated 18 faceless myrmidons in Balochistan’s Surab district while on Aug 9, 15 bad boyz were potted in multiple IBOs in several areas of Balochistan. Two days before that, the military’s media affairs wing said that 10 bad boyz were potted in two separate engagements in KP.
According to the Pakistain Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, an Islamabad-based think tank, violence linked to terrorist attacks and counter-terrorism operations intensified sharply in July, making it the deadliest month of 2026, with 112 security personnel among 205 people killed.
According to the report, the security situation deteriorated most significantly in Balochistan, where the overall corpse count increased by 241pc, from 109 in June to 372 in July, followed closely by mainland KP, which recorded 154 deaths in July, compared with 75 in June, representing an increase of 105pc.
[Dawn] Security forces killed five terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the Killi Suran area of Panjgur under Operation Raddul Fitna 3, it emerged on Thursday.
Security forces said that intelligence was received regarding the movement of terrorists planning an attack. They said that five terrorists were killed in the incident while several others were wounded.
Security forces also said that a large quantity of weapons, ammunition and equipment was recovered from the terrorists. They added that the killed terrorists were involved in robbery, extortion, kidnapping for ransom, targeted killings and attacks in Panjgur and surrounding areas.
Security forces said operations under Operation Raddul Fitna 3 would continue as part of efforts to eliminate militant threats and restore security in the region.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi commended security forces for thwarting the “nefarious designs” of the terrorists affiliated with Fitna-al-Hindustan, according to a statement issued by his ministry.
The state has designated Balochistan-based terrorist groups as Fitna-al-Hindustan to highlight India’s alleged role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistan.
“The successful operations of the security forces against enemies of peace in Balochistan are commendable,” the statement quoted Naqvi as saying.
He added that the nation stood united against terrorism and in solidarity with the security forces.
Thursday’s operations are the latest in a string of actions being taken as Balochistan continues to grapple with security challenges.
On Tuesday, more than nine terrorists were killed in an IBO in Ziarat, Harnai and Surab under Operation Raddul Fitna 3. On Monday, two terrorists were killed and three others were injured in an IBO in the Killi Zaik area of Balochistan.
[Rudaw] Iraqi security forces arrested 50 suspected drug traffickers and seized a narcotics manufacturing laboratory, the Iraqi National Security Service (INSS) said Friday, marking the latest bust in a sweeping nationwide crackdown on narcotics.
“Detachments of the National Security Service in Anbar Governorate have successfully dismantled a network involved in drug trafficking and distribution,” the INSS stated, noting that “the operation resulted in the arrest of 50 network members, as well as the seizure of a laboratory dedicated to manufacturing narcotic pills.”
During the first five months of 2026 alone, Iraqi authorities have confiscated more than 1.5 tons of narcotics and secured nearly 2,500 convictions in drug-related cases.
Impressive.
Operations led by the anti-narcotics directorate have scaled to involve international coordination, establishing 36 liaison channels with foreign counterparts to strengthen intelligence sharing and field cooperation.
The security and investigative measures resulted in the successive apprehension of the individuals, ultimately dismantling the network's activity completely,” the INSS said, adding that “information obtained from the investigations led to the discovery and seizure of a laboratory used to manufacture narcotic pills.”
The operation also resulted in the seizure of over 2.5 kilograms of crystal meth and approximately 15,000 narcotic pills.
🇮🇱 JEWISH HIKERS ATTACKED AFTER ENTERING PA VILLAGE
A group of Jewish hikers who apparently entered the Palestinian Authority village of Sa’ir in Gush Etzion by mistake were attacked by dozens of Arab rioters throwing rocks.
🇮🇱 JEWISH HIKERS ATTACKED AFTER ENTERING PA VILLAGE
A group of Jewish hikers who apparently entered the Palestinian Authority village of Sa’ir in Gush Etzion by mistake were attacked by dozens of Arab rioters throwing rocks.
Several Israelis were injured. A security official who arrived at the scene opened fire after being attacked, causing Palestinian casualties, according to the IDF.
The IDF evacuated the hikers and opened an investigation into the incident.
A Hamas terror operative armed with a knife was captured by Israeli troops after crossing into the IDF-held portion of the Gaza Strip today, the military says.
According to the IDF, troops of the 99th Division operating in central Gaza spotted the Hamas operative approaching the…
A Hamas terror operative armed with a knife was captured by Israeli troops after crossing into the IDF-held portion of the Gaza Strip today, the military says.
According to the IDF, troops of the 99th Division operating in central Gaza spotted the Hamas operative approaching the "Yellow Line."
"The forces monitored the terrorist, and after he crossed the Yellow Line, took him for questioning in Israel," the military says.
The IDF killed a Hamas terrorist on Wednesday who entered Israel on October 7 and took hostages, the military announced on Friday.
The terrorist, Sabahi Sami Mahmoud Shahata, was a Hamas platoon commander, and had previously been involved with the November 2023 handover "ceremony" of hostages back to Israel, the IDF said.
U.S. Sailors observe an MH-60R Sea Hawk landing on the flight deck aboard USS Ross (DDG 71). Ross is one of more than 20 warships supporting the U.S. blockade against Iran. As of Aug. 21, U.S. forces have redirected 68 commercial vessels, disabled 3 and boarded 2 to ensure… pic.twitter.com/kpNJ8TzEqC
IRNA says obtaining special permission for Iraqi tankers was one of Baghdad’s main requests during Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf’s visit to Iraq.
The US re-imposed its blockade of Iran's shipping and ports on July 13 as a deal to halt the war between them broke down in an attempt to cut off oil sales - Tehran's primary source of hard currency - compounding earlier losses from wartime strikes on its energy infrastructure.
The number of offers for Iranian oil cargoes to China for September and October delivery has declined from July and August cargoes, four trade sources familiar with the matter said. The offers have declined as barrels already in ships on the water have been sold, they said.
[IsraelTimes] Iran-backed terror group hails its ‘close and fraternal relationship’ with Tehran after being accused of operating in ‘service of the Iranian regime’
Hezbollah said on Friday that the United States "will not deter" its resistance against Israel after Washington announced new sanctions on the terrorist group, accusing it of serving Iran.
The US Treasury Department amended Hezbollah’s legal designation on Thursday to note that it operated in "service to the Iranian regime under the command of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps."
It also announced new sanctions targeting 10 people who are allegedly part of a network that transfers cash to Hezbollah.
"All these unjust sanctions and classifications will not deter us from adhering to the path of resistance and the right of Leb ...an Iranian satrapy until recently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel... and the Lebanese to defend their land, illusory sovereignty and resources," Hezbollah said in a statement.
The terror organization, armed and funded by Iran, stressed that it "does not need anyone to vouch for its Lebanese identity and patriotism."
"Our close and fraternal relationship with the Islamic Theocratic Republic of Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... is a relationship we cherish and are proud of," it added.
The Treasury statement said Hezbollah had a network that utilizes "couriers traveling on commercial airline flights between Lebanon, The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire... , the UAE, and Iran to move up to hundreds of millions of dollars between jurisdictions" to evade sanctions.
Washington designated Hezbollah a foreign terrorist organization in 1997, and in 2001 updated its classification to a specially designated global terrorist group.
A US State Department official who requested anonymity said the US for years had "documented the operational, financial, and logistical integration" between Hezbollah and the Quds force, the IRGC’s foreign operations arm.
Hezbollah was merely "an extension" of the Quds force, the official said, and "not a Lebanese resistance movement."
Hezbollah said the latest move aimed "to target the resistance, its community, its environment, and its supporters, and to besiege and pressure them" to protect Israel.
The American decision comes as the US facilitates direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon — which have technically been at war for decades — to end hostilities that erupted when Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the broader Middle East conflict by launching rockets at Israel in support of Iran. Israel responded to the Hezbollah attacks with a heavy air campaign and ground invasion.
In June, Lebanon and Israel signed a framework agreement that calls for the disarmament of Hezbollah, a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from south Lebanon and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the region, starting in "pilot zones."
Sporadic fighting has continued, however, and on Friday the Israel Defense Forces said it struck a building in southern Lebanon after several suspects crossed the ceasefire line and entered it. Soldiers of the Kfir Brigade spotted the suspects crossing into the military’s buffer zone in the area of the village of Baraashit. The army said the suspects who entered the building "posed a threat to IDF troops," and that a short while later, the Israeli Air Force struck the site.
Three separate oil spills are spreading through the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, and the risk of additional oil spills continues to rise as the conflict surrounding the Strait of Hormuz widens, the New York Times reported on Friday.
Oil tankers are typically equipped with advanced navigation equipment and transponders to reduce collisions and spills.
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.
...Arabic for 
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start...
Somali pirates
...mindless ferocity in a turban...
...an Iranian satrapy until recently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel...
