Rantburg may be a little light today. I've been trying since yesterday to figure why some code I've written is trying to divide a perfectly good whole number by zero instead of by another whole number...
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/12/2002 01:13 pm ||
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#1
Your idea of light is my idea of 'serious posting'.
As for dividing by zero -- perhaps your code has decided to become fascinated with infinity? ;)
Posted by: Kat ||
06/12/2002 19:18 Comments ||
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#2
My code hates me. :(
Posted by: Fred ||
06/12/2002 20:58 Comments ||
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#3
Hate it back. Works for me.
Posted by: Joe Katzman ||
06/13/2002 4:01 Comments ||
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6:00 pm - 6:30 pm World News - Kim Jong Il tells us what is wrong with the world
6:30 pm - 7:00 pm Local News - What did Kim Jong Il do today? Did Kim Il Sung do anything or is he still dead?
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm All in the Family - Kim Il Sung give his son Kim Jong Il a country.
8:00 pm - 9:00 pm Kim Jong Il the Capitalist Swine Slayer - Kim Jong Il reduces capitalism to nothing more than an accident of history while attending Kim Il Sung University and picking up girls
10:00 pm - Midnight North Korean Bandstand - Kim Jong ll reviews all the new songs written about him and his father that day - It has got a good beat and you can give on the spot guidance to it.
If you haven't visited Corsair the Pirate yet, do so. Do it now, in fact.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/12/2002 08:56 pm ||
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German troops from the International Security Assistance Forces stopped two trucks full of armed men driving toward the loya jirga site Wednesday. Spokeswoman Lt. Col. Helen Wildman said at least one man got out and aimed a gun at the Germans, who immediately disarmed them. Afghan police then took four men into custody. Wildman quoted a liaison officer from the Afghan national police force as saying the men were bodyguards of Ahmad Wali Massood, a member of the Panjshiri faction in the northern alliance. Ahmad Wali is Ahmed Shah Masood's brother. Bodyguards are probably a necessity. (It's not true that when they were both tads Mom and Pop Masood used to refer to the late Lion of Pandjir as Ahmed Beav.)
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/12/2002 01:11 pm ||
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Interim leader Hamid Karzai appeared set to become head of state on the second day of the loya jirga, but it appeared that little would get done quickly. The meeting started late, with selection of a chairman to lead the loya jirga topping the agenda. Karzai's election as head of state was all but assured when the other two contenders - former King Mohammad Zaher Shah and ex-President Burnahuddin Rabbani - bowed out and endorsed him. That left only one opponent - Masooda Jalal, a female employee of the World Food Program. Although Jalal was not expected to win, her candidacy reflected the demands of women for a voice in public affairs after years of discrimination by the Taliban. Karzai as head of state is probably a bad idea, but I can't seem to put my finger on why... Maybe it's because Rabbani used to be president and Hekmatyar was prime minister and Kabul ended up getting rocketed to rubble. Karzai at some point will have something along the lines of a prime minister...
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/12/2002 01:05 pm ||
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At the loya jirga, delegate Safar Mohammed, drew cheers and applause when he questioned the presence of warlords and military commanders at the meeting. "We were told that this loya jirga would not include all the people who had blood on their hands. But we see these people everywhere. They are the ones who had the guns. I don't know whether this is a loya jirga or a commanders' council," Mohammed said. He also said 1,500 delegates were supposed to be attending but 1,700 were on hand. Official delegates were chosen in U.N.-sponsored district elections, held across Afghanistan for nearly a month. "Who are all these other people? Why are they here? The commissioner has not explained who they are," he said. "All the governors are here, the warlords are here. Who chose them?" Maybe they should consider handing out credentials? If there are only 1500 credentials, and there are 1700 applicants, somebody should have some 'splainin' to do. Either that, or somebody'll get conked on the turban and have his taken away by Person or Persons Unknown®. (I just love the Democratic Process)...
Organizing commission chairman Ismail Qasim Yar responded: "It's up to the people to decide. And whoever they chose is here." And a few other people, too...
The European Union special representative Klaus-Peter Klaiber said he was also surprised that warlords were participating in the loya jirga. "I was amazed to see in the first and second rows those so-called warlords sitting together," he told a news conference. "It tells me only one thing: the interim administration has decided to try to integrate former warlords into policy-making in Kabul. If they succeed, that will be an achievement." As long as the hard boys with guns aren't the totality of who's in charge, it'll be an achievement. The problem is that they usually end up being so. On the other hand, cutting out the guys who did the actual bullet dodging against first the Sovs and then the Talibs seems pretty mean-spirited. If they'd lost, they'd have been hung or run out of the country, so a slice of the pie when the dust is settling seems fair.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/12/2002 01:08 pm ||
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Self proclaimed Prophet Yousaf Kazab on Tuesday was shot dead in Kot Lakhpat Jail. According to initial reports, a death convict prisoner and a member of outlawed militant organization Sipah-e-Sahaba, Muhammad Tariq opened fire on Kazab in the jail with a pistol he was hiding in his clothes killing him on the spot. Yousaf Kazab received five bullets in his chest and succumbed to his injures before any medical aid reaches. Jail authorities have sent the body of the victim for autopsy. Yousaf Kazab was convicted to death sentence by a lower court last year for false claim of being prophet. He was being kept in Kot Lakhpat Jail after he challenged his conviction. Perhaps it's my cynical nature, but there seems to be a whiff of fine antique flounder about this one. It's bad enough that it's against the law to be a prophet in Pakland — though it's apparently legal to be any other kind of lunatic. But why, pray tell, was a death row thug able to obtain the pistol he used to pot the guy?
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/12/2002 01:06 pm ||
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London-based Kashmiri expatriate Professor Ayub Thakur, who is one of many links through which Pakistan's ISI funnels money for terrorist outfits in Jammu and Kashmir, was a member of the right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI). He has been under the scanner of Indian security agencies since the 1970s. Thakur is one of Qazi's myrmidons? Ain't that interesting...
Thakur was a lecturer in nuclear physics at Srinagar's Kashmir University before opting for a job at the King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah. He has also had a brief stint as a researcher at the Bhaba Atomic Research Centre in Srinagar. Jeddah? You mean the one in Soddy Arabia? Now, ain't that coincidental?
His links with Geelani and the ISI were revealed in intercepted telephone conversations with Dukhtaran-e-Millat head Asiya Andrabi during February-April this year. In the intercepts, Thakur and Andrabi were heard discussing ways to send money for the 'jehad' in J&K. Andrabi is now absconding. "Oh, the hip bone's connected to the thigh bone. The leg bone's connected to the knee bone..."
Till the early eighties, Thakur was the general secretary of the Islami Jamaat-e-Tulba, the student wing of the J&K JeI. As head of the Jamaat-e-Tulba, he would liaise with the Saudi-based World Association of Muslim Youth and made visits to Dhaka and Malaysia. He was held under the Public Safety Act after he tried to hold an international conference of the Jamaat-e-Tulba. Sure is nice of the Soddies to host all those good-cause organizations...
Thakur, who continues to hold an Indian passport, moved to London in 1984 and founded the World Kashmir Freedom Movement six years later with the help of Birmingham-based immigrants from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Besides being a fund-raiser for Kashmiri separatist outfits, Thakur has been trying to bring together over 15 UK-based Kashmiri organisations under one umbrella. Not favourably disposed towards the moderates in the Hurriyat, Thakur reportedly is in touch with Ghulam Nabi Fai, another JeI leader who lobbies with US politicians, and UK-based Naseem Geelani, who runs the J&K Human Rights Council. And that little disquisition brings to light all sorts of connections leading from Qazi to his Kashmir allies, to the Saudis, and throughout the world. That boy has been busy...
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/12/2002 02:16 pm ||
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#1
Nuclear physics eh? Guess that might be more useful than Persian Lit.
Posted by: Tom Roberts ||
06/12/2002 15:59 Comments ||
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The police said seven militants were killed on Wednesday near Jammu when a gunbattle erupted between two militant groups. Members of the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen outfits fired at one another in remote Mithwan village, in Doda district, some 185 km north of Jammu. "The gunfight took place in Mithwan village and lasted for well over an hour. Six Hizbul militants and one Lashkar-e-Taiba militant were killed in the clash," said the police spokesman. The militant groups have not confirmed the incident. The Hizbul Mujahideen is the dominant militant group in Kashmir. But not for long, by Gar!
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/12/2002 06:18 pm ||
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The joint teams of FBI and ISI are following the tracks of wives and children of Arab nationals having links with Al Qaeda in the mountains along the NWFP-Punjab border. These women and children went missing after getting tipped to raids conducted four days ago at the residence and Madressah of former JUI MNA Maulana Shaheed Ahmad. A highly-placed source told Dawn on Tuesday that the army intelligence and personnel of Special Services Group had sealed all entry points into Punjab from Karak to arrest these Afghan women and their seven male companions who had taken refuge at the house of Maulana Shaheed Ahmad three months ago. That'll probably work about as well as sealing the Afghan-Pak border did...
The raids were conducted at the Warana area in the Mombati village after the intelligence agencies bugged the telephone of Maulana Shaheed and detected suspicious conversations between some women in Arabic a few days ago. The Intelligence Bureau was asked to confirm the presence of these women and their relationship with Arab nationals after which a joint raid was conducted which proved futile. An inquiry is currently under way to ascertain how the news of expected raid was leaked to the suspects who later escaped to some unknown place. Ummm... Start with the little guy at the cop shop with the squinty eyes, the one they call Abdul the Weasel...
A source who is privy to the investigations and raids told Dawn that there were 12 women, five children and seven men residing in the house of Maulana Shaheed who turned out to be the wives of some Arab nationals fighting in Afghanistan. Four of the men left for Karachi a fortnight ago leaving behind their rest of companions. "Honey, I'm gonna run down to Karachi for a few days and cut somebody's head off. If Abdul the Weasel calls, leave a pouch of gold on the front porch and go to your Aunt Fatimah's..."
Last week, the FBI and army personnel cordoned off the residence of Maulana Shaheed. After holding talks with the Maulana they were allowed to search the place. However, the raiding team could not find any of the wanted women in the house. The authorities questioned Maulana and his son Shah Abdul Aziz. Later, both of them were released. Since then the telephones of Maulana's residence and Madressah are dead and nobody has seen them for the last many days. Wotta surprise.
An official of the local police while confirming the raid said that police were usually not informed about the purpose of the operations conducted by the army. "Wudn't us coppers that tipped 'em off. Nope. Nope."
A leader of JUI told Dawn that they had the resources to protect the lives of the fighters and their families and nobody would be allowed to harm them. They were at a safe place and in strong hands, he claimed. We knew they were in bed with al-Qaeda, so that doesn't come as any surprise.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/12/2002 08:26 pm ||
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Secretary of State Colin Powell on Wednesday began to sketch out the Bush administration's plans for a Palestinian state, saying in an interview with an Arabic newspaper that the process may begin with a transitional or temporary state. Powell on Wednesday said President Bush would round out his consultations with Middle East leaders Thursday with the Saudi foreign minister and then, "in the very near future," announce how he intends to secure a Palestinian state.
The president and Powell have insisted on democratic reform within the Palestinian Authority. But at the same time Powell has indicated the process of reform should not halt establishment of a state on land held by Israel. "The president has not retreated from his goal," Powell said. "He knows that in order to achieve this vision, it might be necessary to set up a temporary state as a transitional step." Powell reiterated that any Palestinian state should be democratically ruled. I think it would be a good idea to give Palestine it's own state. Then the Israelis could just declare war on the sonsofbitches and get it over with.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/12/2002 01:06 pm ||
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Morocco has dismantled a group that has been linked to al Qaeda and suspected of preparing suicide attacks on U.S. and allied warships in the Strait of Gibraltar. Three Saudi nationals were picked up in mid-May and are believed to have confessed to planning to use Zodiac inflatable boats packed with explosives against NATO warships. The wives of two of the Saudi men were arrested Monday. They are being interrogated with their husbands and the third Saudi national. "The two young women were apparently married to Saudi nationals preparing terrorist attacks in the Mediterranean. They were aware of what the men were doing," an official said without giving their names and ages. A police official said that the leader of the group, Abdallah el-Gareh, 32, had been picked up at the Casablanca airport and was still being questioned by police. One of the two women arrested was Gareh's Moroccan wife. Police suspect the women were used as couriers between al Qaeda and its members in Morocco. I hope el-Gareh said "Here's lookin' at you, kid" as the Moroccops were dragging him off and beating him with truncheons...
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/12/2002 01:06 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.
