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Iraq-Jordan
Zarqawi's Political Strategy for US Election
2004-10-20
Zarq's plan: he's writing letters to the voters of Clark County, Ohio.
Islamist militants leading attacks on foreign troops in Iraq have announced an alliance with al-Qaeda, with the aim of influencing the US election result, experts on extremism say. Several Islamist websites broadcast a statement this week saying that militants led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who have claimed responsibility for numerous kidnappings and killings, have pledged allegiance to Great Caesar's ghost Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda leader. "The Zarqawi statement is timed to come just before the US election," a leading Islamist who follows the Iraqi groups closely said on Tuesday. "What they want to tell the American people is that Bush has turned Iraq into a battleground for al-Qaeda."
umm, hasn't Bush been saying exactly that? And that it is better to fight al-Qaeda there than here? And that this Iraq is central to the war on terror? And that this is why we must be committed in Iraq, not wishy-washy?
"The groups in Iraq want to show that al-Qaeda officially exists in Iraq," said Mustafa Alani, director of the security and terrorism centre at the Gulf Research Center in Dubai. "These people are aren't stupid, and their political timing is certain to defeat their stated goal right. There's an agreement on timing between the jihadists in Iraq and al-Qaeda, but the link is ideological, not operational. There is no group in Iraq that is receiving orders from al-Qaeda," Mr Alani said. A dissident with links to Islamist groups said on Tuesday that the formation of the alliance with al-Qaeda was unlikely to radically alter the military capability of the insurgents. "But there must have been discussion with Osama bin Laden on this agreement," the dissident said. "Nobody below him would have been able to authorise it," he said, adding: "All jihadis are regarding Iraq as the main field of jihad. They are investing their human and other resources there. They are feeling that Iraq is going to be a turning point in the current history of the battle between the Muslims and the Americans."
Posted by:sludj

#34  HHGTTG Phase 3...
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5
Episode 6
Posted by: .com   2004-10-20 11:36:27 PM  

#33  Oops - forgot to mention - they're MP3s about 12MB and about 25-30 min in length each. It sound like they have some of the original actors, too.
Posted by: .com   2004-10-20 11:10:40 PM  

#32  tw - it's been interesting looking around. I found DVD's on eBay in the $20-$25 range that may be the original as shown on PBS, may not - and more.

The funniest thing is that the BBC has continued the series - in "phases" which appear to be series extensions. They are in phase 3 now. I downloaded the first 6 episodes (in MP3) of phase 3 from an obscure (to me) UseNet Group. I've listened and there is much overlap, but new chars and new storylines, of course, to keep it interesting.

The bad thing is that I'm so far out of the HHG loop (because I was out of civilization for most of the last 10 years) and can't be sure what is what, lol!

If you're into UseNet, I found the new series / phase 3 files in:
alt.binaries.sounds.radio.bbc

I'll upload them and post links so you can d/l them - on THIS thread - within the hour. That will introduce you to the new phase, anyway!
Posted by: .com   2004-10-20 11:04:29 PM  

#31  That's the one, Desert Blondie. My local NPR station has played the radio series twice during my sojourns Stateside, so I made two non-intersectingly incomplete sets of tapes. Very frustrating.

BTW, best wishes for all happiness for both of you in the years to come!
Posted by: trailing wife   2004-10-20 10:21:29 PM  

#30  .com -- You don't mean that 1981 series based on the BBC tapes? Just rented it off of Netflix.
"So long, and thanks for all the fish!"
Posted by: Desert Blondie   2004-10-20 5:07:34 PM  

#29  ima love public domain stuff :)
Posted by: half   2004-10-20 4:48:30 PM  

#28  My husband's favorite! And the reason it took me several years to pursuade him that the girls would enjoy going to summer camp. Heh, your very own self, buddy.
Posted by: trailing wife   2004-10-20 4:27:17 PM  

#27  Here's something to hold you while I look, heh...

Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh
Posted by: .com   2004-10-20 1:30:33 PM  

#26  The whole 13-part (42 minutes each) PBS series??!!?! No - sorry! I wish I did!

I'll look around - mebbe, just mebbe, it can be had... I have many "odd" sources, but I can offer no guarantees! I'll snarf up whatever I can lay my connection vacuum on, heh.
Posted by: .com   2004-10-20 12:50:34 PM  

#25  OMG, .com, THANKS! I've saved the files for their delectation. DO YOU HAVE THE WHOLE THING??? If so, please send it to me post haste -- that will take care of Xmas/Hanukkah gifts for the whole family!!!!!!! (yes, I'm excited. Sorry, all)
Posted by: trailing wife   2004-10-20 12:37:10 PM  

#24  tw - Lol! You've obviously done an excellent job raising them! Here are a few WAVs you and they might enjoy:
News
Philosophy
Science
God
Theory

Enjoy!
Posted by: .com   2004-10-20 12:18:00 PM  

#23  .com, my girls know that the answer is always 42, and did book reports on Hitchhiker's Guide -- much to their teachers' puzzlement. Its so nice that the younger generation has good taste (they're into Pink Floyd, too)
Posted by: trailing wife   2004-10-20 12:01:26 PM  

#22  "I'm all for a thorough prosecution of war against Al Qaeda and radical Islam, but it must be done right."

Just like fighting prostitution and money-laundering, right?
Posted by: Pappy   2004-10-20 11:52:12 AM  

#21  tw - A fellow HH - Cool! I mourned the passing of Adams as if he were immediate family, sigh. And yewbetcha, got my towel, my guide, digital watch, Panic! glasses and I'm ready for that hyperspace bypass, lol! Still looking for Trillian, however, heh!

The secret is to bang the rocks together, guys!
Posted by: .com   2004-10-20 10:49:37 AM  

#20  You know that at the time of WTC attack on 9/11, it was already Sept 12 in Afghanistan?

No it wasn't. It wasn't even Sep 12 in Sydney, Australia, where I was living at the time. It was 10 or 11pm on Sep 11.
Posted by: Angie Schultz   2004-10-20 10:44:44 AM  

#19  Okay, let me get this straight... The best candidate that the Democratic Party can come up with is an ultra-liberal, flip-flopping, pacifist Francophile senator from Massachusetts who we wouldn't even be seeing if he hadn't married the ketchup and pickle queen in a church that should have excommunicated him years ago. Kimmie, the Iranian mullahs, and Chirac are campaigning for him. Zarqawi thinks he is, but actually Zarqawi's helping Bush too. Meanwhile Soros is sending me junkmail in triplicate telling me that I should vote his preferences because, after all, he's a billionaire. You know something? -- you can't make this stuff up! But it really leaves me wondering about the sanity of my neighbor down the street who has a Kerry sign on his front lawn.
Posted by: Tom   2004-10-20 9:12:55 AM  

#18  SON OF TOLUI, ...blessed day...

Darn, of course you HAVE to know! You don't say which one son of Tolui, but lemme guess... Hulugu!
(I thought that the writing style is rather familiar--LGF).
Posted by: Memesis   2004-10-20 8:04:14 AM  

#17  .com, you seem the type who always knows where his towel is.
Posted by: trailing wife   2004-10-20 7:46:45 AM  

#16  febuary 10, 1258--the day the abbasid caliph and all his retainers surrendered to hulagu--blessed day--he killed all the muzzies but let the caliph live for a while longer in a rope a dope obeiescence type mode--then he had him strangled after the caliph told him where the gold was--his later conversion to islam was a political move to control his subjects in the il-khanate which was persia and surrounding territory--his wife was a nestorian christian--he didn't kill the christians in bagdad--just the muzzie fuckfaces--works for me
Posted by: SON OF TOLUI   2004-10-20 2:46:42 AM  

#15  Any of you guys familliar with HHG? This AlQ law enforcement mentality / approach reminds me of the "B" Ark guys, after they've crash landed, unable to invent the wheel - because they can't decide what phreakin' color it should be. We've all been infected by the Fibbie Flowcharts of Doom. Pfeh.
Posted by: .com   2004-10-20 2:38:40 AM  

#14  .com has it right. The only category that matters to me is throat slitters and their supporters.
Posted by: Classical_Liberal   2004-10-20 2:38:17 AM  

#13  Jan Sobiesky, September 12, 1683.
You know that at the time of WTC attack on 9/11, it was already Sept 12 in Afghanistan? That is no coincidence.

But, from our POV, is is a good date. The day after...
Posted by: Memesis   2004-10-20 2:32:11 AM  

#12  OK, Conanista. What about that Polish King who saved Vienna, and Europe, from the Moslem invaders? can we have a day to celebrate his achievement?
Posted by: Kalle (kafir forever)   2004-10-20 2:26:00 AM  

#11  This largely an issue of semantics. AQ is not a sharply delineated organization. I.e. we can't say that AQ stops here and non-AQ starts. A lot of us use AQ as a generic term like the 'Russian mafia' to mean fundamentalist inspired islamic terrorists (becuase the religous label is non-PC). Saddam was up to his neck in sponsoring Islamic terrorism. Whether the individuals were in contact with UBL or not, is neither here nor there.

I've just noticed .com has made the same point a little more colorfully :-)
Posted by: phil_b   2004-10-20 2:22:50 AM  

#10  Kalle, Hulugu adopted islam later on (1260). That is not a good image to convey, i'd reckon.
Posted by: Conanista   2004-10-20 2:18:58 AM  

#9  Official. That's a funny word for such a scattergun set of fuckwits. Hell, they can't even keep their ID cards sorted. Twin Rivers Jihadis of Doom, Pasty Cavewall Smears of Death, Suicide Pregnancy Machine Brigades, The Industrial Shredders for Oily Food Regime, Glowing Rag Domed Killers of Qomeini - it's all a bit muddled. I'm thinking they just need a Day Runner and an account at Kinko's.

Who the fuck really cares? Dickie Clarke Tracy?

Fry 'em up now, and debate the genealogy later. Over a case of cold ones, if that floats your boat. Just my 2 cents.
Posted by: .com   2004-10-20 2:14:43 AM  

#8  "I'm all for a thorough prosecution of war against Al Qaeda and radical Islam, but it must be done right."

Doing it right is fighting it in the middle east where these islamo-fascist murders come from. Not in New York city or Washington state. I would hope this is a great recruiting tool for Al-Qaeda. I hope Iraq is a huge magnet that draws these terrorist morons like so many iron filings. Kill them off as quick as they can be recruited. I want the US to disrupt their operations every day and in every way. Kill off their leadership as quick as it assumes power. Kill them there not here. Don't let them think if they hold with and support islamo-fascism they can sleep well at night. Who do you think scares Al-Qaeda that pair of fops Kerry and Edwards or President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney?

"Fight smart.™" and "Fighting it right.™" are ® defeatist talk © of the DNC Kerry/Sorros Edwards campaign 2004.
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom   2004-10-20 2:00:29 AM  

#7  Could we introduce a Hulugu Day to celebrate the massive defeat of Islamofascism?
Posted by: Kalle (kafir forever)   2004-10-20 1:55:07 AM  

#6  my read is that zawquari gave his "bayah"--oath of allegiance-- to ubl because he's running out of money and moonbats--he was fiercely independent as he doesn't want an alliance with the apostate shia who he depises more than the kufr and ubl builds jihadi bridges with shites in the enemy of my enemy mold--but zawk is giving up his numero uno rights because his tits are in the ringer--he's losing guys right and left--this way he gets to slip into iran with ubl and stay a macher while keeping his head attached to his shoulders--its a ghazi thing--these guys think they are knights under the banner of the prophet--they believe this medieval apocalyptic bullshit--where is hulagu khan when you need him
Posted by: SON OF TOLUI   2004-10-20 1:47:38 AM  

#5  There is no evidence that the Baathists were directly involved in 9/11, but there is plenty of evidence that they were talking and cooperating with Al-Qaeda.
Posted by: Kalle (kafir forever)   2004-10-20 1:05:51 AM  

#4  "a lot of evidence demonstrates formal contacts between the Baathist tyranny and the Al-Qaeda thugs prior to the liberation of Iraq".

Well, the bipartisan 9/11 commission said there was scant evidence, and I believe V.P. Cheney even recently claimed in the debate that he never said there was any link between Saddam and Al Qaeda.

So unless you have evidence they don't have, I'm not quite sure where your getting that from.

I'm all for a thorough prosecution of war against Al Qaeda and radical Islam, but it must be done right.
Posted by: Strategic Armchair Command   2004-10-20 1:03:11 AM  

#3  SAC, actually a lot of evidence demonstrates formal contacts between the Baathist tyranny and the Al-Qaeda thugs prior to the liberation of Iraq.

Plus, we're at war with all Islamofascists, including the Paleostinkians Saddam used to preserve, protect, and finance.
Posted by: Kalle (kafir forever)   2004-10-20 12:54:57 AM  

#2  Anyone who claims that "Al-Qaeda officially exists in Iraq" has got to be a Republican operative. Just ask Carter, Moore, Dean, Gore, and Kerry - the quincumvirate from hell.
Posted by: Kalle (kafir forever)   2004-10-20 12:52:16 AM  

#1  To be fair, that's like lighting a house on fire and then being commended for trying to put it out. Previous to the invasion, all intelligence points to the fact that there was little Al Qaeda presence, activity, or connection to or with Iraq. Transforming Iraq into an Al Qaeda battlefield is only a good thing if the number of Al Qaeda is stagnant and they are all simply drawn to one area to be decimated.

However, the number of Al Qaeda isn't stagnant. And the war in Iraq has been a recruitment blessing that only Allah or, apparently, George W Bush, could have granted to Al Qaeda.
Posted by: Strategic Armchair Command   2004-10-20 12:51:35 AM  

00:01