Reappointed as defense minister was Mohammed Fahim, the Panjshiri who controls many of the Northern Alliance forces still in Kabul. Fahim was also named a deputy president.
Also reappointed as foreign minister was Dr. Abdullah, Fahim's fellow Tajik, who had been the Northern Alliance's main public face during the final weeks of its campaign to retake Kabul.
The other Panjshiri who had held a top Cabinet office, Yunus Qanooni, was named education minister. Qanooni offered his resignation as interior minister last week as the loya jirga convened.
A Pashtun, Taj Mohammed Wardak, was named interior minister â a key post because of the ongoing fight against al-Qaida and Taliban fugitives.
Ashraf Ghani, Karzai's adviser and most visible advocate in recent months, was appointed to lead the finance ministry. He is a former official with the World Bank.
Many delegates, particularly ethnic Pashtuns from eastern and southern Afghanistan, said it would be unacceptable to keep power restricted to Panjshiris in the top three ministries of the Afghan government. Pashtuns have been deeply worried they would be shunted aside in a Tajik-dominated government. They also worry about being lumped in with the Taliban, whose leadership was predominantly Pashtun. Seems like there would be pretty good reason for doing just that. It wasn't the Pashtuns who tossed the Talibs, and it hasn't been the Pandjiris who've been doing most of the fighting and arguing and providing of safe haven since their departure.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/19/2002 10:45 am ||
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A day before the Loya Jirga began on June 10, Khost warlord Pacha Khan Zadran had told reporters that ex-king Zahir Shah was the only viable candidate for the presidency and warned of further violence were he not to be elected. Or even if he was. What the hell?
But the following day, Shah announced he would not seek any political post in Afghanistan's transitional government and the assembly elected Karzai soon after. Now delegates say Zadran has returned to Khost. Got in his huff and drove away, did he? That happens pretty often when Pashtuns can't have their way...
Zadran's walkout has alienated everyone including the president-elect and the ex-king the warlord claims to support so strongly. But that's okay, because he put on a show. People paid attention to him. If people don't pay attention to you, you're nothin'...
This new development is the latest controversy involving the military chief, who was appointed governor of Paktia by Karzai in the first days of the interim administration. A series of unpopular decisions and intense political rivalry in the province prompted the local council to replace him with another local strongman, Taj Mohammad Wardak. Zadran resisted, and dozens of people were killed in the ensuing violence. "But that's okay, long as us Pashtuns get our way."
Bet he spit when Wardak was named interior minister.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/19/2002 10:45 am ||
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General Secretary Kim Jong Il provided field guidance to the newly built Taedonggang brewery. "Yesh. Breweriesh 'r' very (hic!) important..."
All the production processes of the brewery ranging from brewing to fermentation, packing and forwarding are computerized. The brewery equipped with the latest facilities and having a big production capacity was completed in a little over one year. Kim Jong Il praised its builders for their feats, looking round the structures built on the highest level and the production processes based on the latest technology. Watching good quality beer coming out in an uninterrupted flow for a long while, he noted with great pleasure that it has now become possible to supply more fresh beer to people in all seasons. He set forth important tasks which would serve as a guideline in the management and operation of the brewery. "Yesh! Thatsh right! More beer!"
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/19/2002 11:49 am ||
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So, I wonder what percentage of N.K.s grain havest went to brew the beer the Dear Leader saw yesterday? Wnd just how many days this year that brewery will run?
A man was arrested Wednesday for allegedly building a homemade biological weapon with a lethal toxin from the castor plant, the FBI said. FBI agent Norm Brown said there was no known connection between the man, Kenneth Olsen, and terrorists. "In our opinion, the public has nothing to fear from this incident," Brown said. They said something like that about anthrax when it first appeared...
Olsen, 47, was allegedly making ricin, a deadly extract of castor beans. Traces of ricin have been found by U.S. troops in Afghanistan at suspected Al Qaeda biological weapons sites. The Spokane County Sheriff's Office began investigating Olsen last August and the FBI later became involved, Brown said. There was no sign of a bomb in the man's house and the FBI said it would not comment on any alleged motive. Ricin is twice as deadly as cobra venom. In very small doses, it causes the human digestive tract to convulse -- hence the laxative effect of castor oil. But in larger doses, ricin causes diarrhea so severe that victims can die of shock from massive fluid and electrolyte loss. Maybe brewing up a batch of deadly but obscure poison to bump off the little woman and collect the life insurance. Maybe just a nut and not even homicidal. Or maybe something else.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/19/2002 02:10 pm ||
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Defence Minister George Fernandes acknowledged on Wednesday that Pakistan was acting to stop Islamic rebels infiltrating into Indian territory, but added the Army would remain on a state of high alert in the Kashmir. Good idea. Even if those coming in have slowed, those already there haven't left.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/19/2002 10:45 am ||
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President Gen Pervez Musharraf is attempting to reverse more than a decade of institutional and public support for Islamic militants, reports Christian Science Monitor. "Opinion is split among the Pakistani intelligence corps whether to wash their hands permanently of the freedom fighter outfits or to put a temporary lid on their activities to appease international opinion," the paper quotes Pakistani intelligence sources as saying. My guess is that they'll try and make it temporary. Given the short attention span of the rest of the world, there's every likelihood they'll be back up to speed in six months.
According to the paper, those within the military favouring a temporary freeze contend militants may be needed again if the international community fails to persuade India to negotiate with Pakistan and Kashmiris to reach a political solution to the long-running dispute, which remains on the agenda of the UN Security Council. The paper estimates that between 3,000 and 5,000 motivated, hard core fighters are aligned with about a dozen Islamic groups, which have thrived on donations from the public as well as support from the Inter-Services Intelligence. In other words, they still intend to get their way, and if they can't do it by negotiations, then they'll go back to what hasn't been working, but makes their little beturbanned hearts go pitty-pat.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/19/2002 10:45 am ||
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Pakistani troops are patrolling remote areas of the tribal regions of the Frontier province for the first time in the hunt for Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters crossing from Afghanistan. The army has set up checkpoints in the North and South Waziristan areas in a "historic first" operation, it said. "Such cooperation from tribal areas ... marks a historic first for Pakistan," Lt-Gen Ali Mohammad Jan Aurakzai told tribal elders, according to the statement. "Never before has the army penetrated these remote stretches ruled by tribal custom." Y'mean, this marks the first time the central government has actually asserted authority over this part of the country? In 50 years? Amazing.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/19/2002 10:45 am ||
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Indian Kashmir's main separatist alliance on Wednesday asked that its leaders be allowed to visit Pakistan occupied territory to negotiate a ceasefire to help resolve the half-century dispute. Abdul Gani Bhat, the chairman of the All Party Hurriyat Conference, said members of the alliance wanted to travel to Pakistan occupied Kashmir to meet with leaders of the "mujahedin". "We will negotiate peace with them and a peaceful resolution to the dispute of Jammu and Kashmir," Bhat told reporters in Srinagar. "We would want a ceasefire to happen," Bhat said. "Obviously if a forward movement is intended, we will have to give peace a chance." Until they can get some more arms and ammunition in there...
The Hurriyat, comprising two dozen groups that favour either independence or its accession to Pakistan, had urged Pakistan-backed rebels to reciprocate a unilateral ceasefire on offensive operations India announced in November 2000. But most militants spurned the request and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee withdrew the ceasefire after six months. Since fire hadn't ceased...
During the truce Hurriyat leaders also asked to travel to Pakistan, a request India denied. Bhat said the Hurriyat had wanted to convert Vajpayee's ceasefire "into a meaningful, purposeful and substantive political process. But the visit for one reason or the other did not happen." Probably had something to do with all the dead bodies.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/19/2002 05:02 pm ||
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Jammu and Kashmir Mass Movement (JKMM) has termed the Kashmir struggle as an indigenous movement and emphasised that the Al-Qaeda network has no link with this struggle. Just ignore all those Pak bodies. Is this a new group, or just one I've never heard of?...
JKMM spokesman said the statements of US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld are baseless and illogical in which he pointed the involvement of Al-qaeda network with Kashmir movement. He said that only Kashmiris are fighting for their right of independence in the valley. All those Paks? They're Kashmiris at heart. The dead ones used to be Kashmiris at heart...
He pointed that the movement has a history comprising of over half a decade. The Spokesman pointed the statements of US defence Secretary clearly indicates the dual standards and stance of world coalition about the seriousness of resolving the core issue of Kashmir. "Why's ever'body always pickin' on me?"
He also strongly criticised the suppressed role of United Nations. The Spokesman while quoting the statements of the Chairman JKMM said that United Kingdom should play an effective role for giving the right of self-determination to the suppressed Kashmiris. He urged the UN to play the same effective role for resolving the Kashmir issue as it did for Central Asian states and East Timor. That sounds like pretty much a replay of the lines Qazi's been pushing lately, so we can guess the alignment of the Mass Movement.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/19/2002 05:11 pm ||
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Authorities have freed around 160 Saudis detained upon returning from Afghanistan over the past few months, Arabic daily Al-Hayat reported yesterday. The men were released after interrogation established that they were not affiliated to the Al-Qaeda network and had not participated in Al-Qaeda operations âthat threatened the security of the Kingdom or other countries,â the newspaper said. "Welcome home, Mahmud."
"Thank you. Happy to be here."
"You a terrorist? It sez here I gotta ask."
"Nope, not me."
"What do you use that machinegun for?"
"Elk. I like to shoot elk."
The freed Saudis had gone to Afghanistan to fight alongside the former ruling Taleban militia âout of religious fervor,â a Saudi security source told AFP yesterday. Saudi authorities âdistinguish between those who were driven to Afghanistan by religious zeal and those who are members of Al-Qaeda and threaten the Kingdomâs and other countriesâ security,â the source said. "The 'religious fervor' bunch wore white turbans and beat other men's wives. The real al-Qaeda bunch wore, uh, black turbans and beat other men's wives. Or was it the other way around? No matter. There's a difference."
The Saudis released by the authorities had returned to the Kingdom during the past few months via Iran and other neighboring countries. Some of them had gone to Afghanistan before the Sept. 11 terror attacks on the United States. And others after, hoping to get a whack at a few infidels. We know.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/19/2002 10:45 am ||
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More Soddy subversion of the counter-terror war.
If they continue to threaten our security, we might just withdraw recognition of their territorial sovereignty. The Wahabis aren't the only ones who can put a table-cloth on their heads, and call themselves, Mufti Sahib. The Sods would have to upgrade about ten degrees before they could even call their disgusting little tyranny a banana republic.
The Kingdom-based International Islamic Relief Organization said yesterday it had sent more than SR303 million to Muslim victims of natural disasters in Europe during the past 15 years. The organization said it had sent money to Muslims in 24 European countries affected by floods, earthquakes, hurricanes and volcanoes. The countries included Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Germany, Norway and France. Director General of the organization Adnan Basha said it had also sent food supplies and clothes worth about SR104 million. Without Soddy charities, Norway would have been wiped out by volcanoes by now. It's a fact. You could look it up somewhere.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/19/2002 10:45 am ||
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The volume of Saudi-US trade dropped considerably in the first two months of this year, according to an official American report. While US exports to the Kingdom fell by 30 percent, the Kingdomâs exports to America dropped by 39 percent in the same period. The imports from the US had dropped by six percent in 2001 compared to the previous year. The major Saudi exports to the US are petroleum and petrochemical products, while the Saudi imports are parts of aircraft, machinery, food products, furniture and motor vehicles. That would seem to indicate that the oil industry is looking for sources elsewhere. Sunoco already says they're not using Soddy oil. Wonder how many other companies are doing the same?
Meanwhile, British Ambassador to the Kingdom Derek Plumbly said the peopleâs boycott of Western products would run counter to the interests of Saudi investors more than anyone else. Most of the companies that happened to be the target of the boycott use Saudi capital employing a large number of Saudi workforce. âIt is quite natural that the boycottâs impact will be directly felt by Saudi nationals. Hence, the objective of the boycott will not be served,â he added.âUnder this circumstance, those who call for the boycott should reconsider it.â That's pretty normal with boycott actions. Doesn't seem to stop them, though. The whole boycott thing leaves me cold, mainly because there are so many of them. I put them in the same category as divestiture drives, which are more usually hysterical posturing than anything substantial. One the other hand, if given my druthers, I'druther not buy gas that puts dollars in the Soddy pocket or own stock in any country that benefits a Middle Eastern Arab country â or Iran or Pakistan.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/19/2002 07:38 pm ||
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Israel will retake parts of the West Bank and hold them as long as terror attacks continue, the Israeli government said, outlining its response to a Palestinian suicide bombing on a Jerusalem bus that killed 19 passengers. The statement, issued after late-night consultations between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his top Cabinet ministers, said Israel's actions would include "a change in the way Israel responds to murderous acts of terror." The statement said Israel would capture and hold Palestinian Authority territory "as long as terror continues." The Israeli government statement said Israel will shortly take Palestinian territory, noting that "additional acts of terror will lead to taking of additional areas." They tried the "land for peace" thing and it didn't work. Now they can try "you lose land for no peace."
Late Tuesday, Israeli tanks moved into Jenin, cutting the town off from an adjacent refugee camp. Then tanks moved into the camp as attack helicopters fired from above.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/19/2002 10:46 am ||
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Israeli security forces shot and killed a Palestinian from the militant Islamic Jihad group Tuesday. Israeli media said the Palestinian, Yusef Besharat, was responsible for the March 26 killing of two European observers from an international force stationed in Hebron. Besharat was shot and killed by Israeli forces after his car was stopped at a roadblock near the West Bank city of Hebron. Another man with Besharat was arrested. Palestinians said Besharat was stopped at the roadblock and told to remove his clothes, standard army procedure for checking for suicide bombers. They said he was then shot in the head. Well, that'll put him in the boneyard. I know I should be saying something like "poor fellow," but this sympathy meter's been giving me trouble lately... Knowing the Paleostinian talent for truth-telling, I'd have my doubts the episode happened just as described. But even if it did, too bad. That could have something to do with my feeling that the only way to wipe out terrorism is to ruthlessly kill all the terrorists we can find.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/19/2002 10:46 am ||
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Gee, I wonder why the IDF troops have a hair-trigger approach to security?
A suicide bomber, possibly female, blew up near a hitchhiking stop in the French Hill neighborhood of northern Jerusalem killing at least seven people and wounding over 40 others. Two of the fatalities died in surgery after the attack. Four of the wounded are listed in critical condition. The Fatah's "Raed Karmi Branch" of the Aksa Martyrs Brigades took responsibility for the attack, in a telephone call to Abu Dhabi satellite TV, and Hizbullah's Al-Manar satellite TV, in Lebanon. "Zionists, leave our land because we will not stop our operations as long as there is an occupation," said the statement. It's becoming pretty obvious that the only possible response to this sort of thing is counterterror. When there's nobody on the other side to reason with, all you can do is kill them.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/19/2002 11:47 am ||
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I think that it is well past time that Israeli jets and helicopters bomb the return addresses of Palestinian terrorist. Do Palestinians take buses? One day can be "blow up all Palestinian bus" day. The next day can be "blow up all Palestinian cafe" day. I think that they would get the message in a week or so. The EU would pay to clean it up. I would rather the Israelis live than receive the world's crocodile tears as in the Holocaust.
President Bush stood by Israel Wednesday in its dramatic decision to seize Palestinian areas in response to the latest terrorist bombing in Jerusalem. The president, whose plans to announce a peace plan were set back by this week's violent rush of events in Israel, intends to propose the establishment of a Palestinian state with provisional boundaries, but only after dramatic Palestinian reforms that he believes could take as much as a year to implement. I'd call a year pretty optimistic. Try "forever," and you're closer.
As Israeli troops moved into three West Bank towns early Wednesday, White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said: "The president understands Israel's right to self-defense, particularly in the wake of an attack of this severity." The presidential spokesman was reacting to an Israeli government announcement, after the deadliest Palestinian suicide bombing in six years, that its troops would gradually reoccupy Palestinian areas until the attacks cease. Thay means they're there to stay.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/19/2002 11:52 am ||
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The Israelis need to reoccupy the Palestinian areas, chase the Palestinians out and then level every building in the area that they are occupying. They need to make it painfully clear to the Palestinians that they will suffer whenever one of their own commits a homicide bombing. When the Palestinians are homeless and destitute, they should understand that their sons, brothers and friends brought it down on them. Only this kind of action will change the mindset of the Palestinians from cheering for the bombers to reviling them for causing pain to the survivors.
Israeli helicopters began attacking targets in the Gaza Strip Wednesday night less than three hours after a homicide bomber killed seven people in Jerusalem. The strikes began shortly after a Palestinian suicide bomber detonated himself at a bus stop in Jerusalem, killing seven others in the second such attack in the city in two days. The helicopters struck a metal workshop in Khan Yunis as well as points in Jebaliya refugee camp just north of Gaza City and the Gaza City neighborhood of Zeitun. Israel has often said that places like metal workshops are used to manufacture bombs and other weapons used by Palestinian militants in attacks on Israelis. On Wednesday night, ambulances streamed into the streets of Jebaliya camp, the largest refugee camp in the Palestinian territories, where at least one building was damaged. It'll make sense if they're targeting the Hamas Bigs like Sheikh Yassin. Otherwise it's just expending ammunition.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/19/2002 02:22 pm ||
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In an outline for a final peace deal presented to the United States, the Palestinians hint at softening positions on refugees and offer Israel sovereignty in parts of the Old City of Jerusalem. The proposal was delivered to Secretary of State Colin Powell in Washington last week by visiting top Palestinian Cabinet Minister Nabil Shaath. With the new proposal, the Palestinians apparently hoped to generate good will in the increasingly critical administration of President Bush. The unofficial outline adheres to long-standing Palestinian positions, such as seeking traditionally Arab east Jerusalem as capital of a Palestinian state, but appears to soften other positions. So at the same time that's happening there are back to back autoboomers. Who's jobbing whom?
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/19/2002 05:15 pm ||
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Anti-Israel thugs militants considered terrorists by the United States met here Tuesday with senior members of the Lebanese government and praised suicide bombings against the Jewish state just as 19 people were killed in such an attack in Jerusalem. Is the Lebanese government on the list yet?
Among those who attended the meeting were Moussa Abu Marzouk, a senior official of Hamas, Ahmed Jibril, founder of the Syria-based Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. At the meeting Maher Taher, a Palestinian member of the radical Syria-based PFLP, pledged continued attacks. "Today the United States is doing all it could along with Israel and, unfortunately, in collusion with some Arab governments to crush the intefadeh (Palestinian uprising)," he told the conference. "They want basically to stop the martyrdom operations and the heroic military operations because it is the most effective weapon ... so that they can impose surrender and humiliation." Surrender and humiliation are anathema to Arabs. So are good faith, honesty and negotiations. Those are for whimps. Real Arabs prefer revenge. And guns. Big guns...
A former Lebanese prime minister, two Cabinet ministers and several Lebanese lawmakers, including some from Hezbollah, participated in the conference. Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who heads the Shiite Muslim Amal movement, said "Israeli terrorism left the Palestinians no option but martyrdom." Berri's the speaker of Lebanon's parliament...
The Lebanese government has pledged itself to the U.S.-led war on terrorism, but considers groups such as Hezbollah and others attacking Israel to be freedom fighters, not terrorists. Terrorists kill non-combatant civilians. They shoot and bomb indiscriminately. Freedom fighters... uh... it's different.
The conference opened shortly after the bombing with participants insisting that Palestinians were fighting for their lives. "The Palestinian people have the right to choose the means of struggle available which enable it to defend itself, all of which have been exhausted," said Ali Akbar Mohtashemi, an Iranian parliamentarian and former interior minister. Muhtashemi is known as the Midwife of Hezbollah. He turns up at this sort of meeting regularly. He belongs on somebody's hit list...
Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader, scoffed at the possibility of Israeli retaliation and said the Jewish state should be dismantled and replaced by a Palestinian one. "We don't want to kill anyone or throw anyone in the sea. Let them return from where they came from," a smiling Nasrallah told the conference, adding that Arab nations could even finance such an exodus of Jews. Put him on the list, too.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/19/2002 07:54 pm ||
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Philippine troops have recovered one of four Indonesian seamen abducted by gunmen from a tugboat in waters near Sulu, the military said yesterday. But the fate of the three other Indonesians seized by the group on Monday remains unknown. Shipping officials had said the gunmen were suspected to be members of Abu Sayyaf. Ferdinan Joel, second officer of the tugboat, was recovered by troops and police in Luuk town in Jolo yesterday morning, Armed Forces Southern Command (Southcom) chief Major Gen. Ernesto Carolina told reporters. Carolina gave no other details on how troops recovered Joel. The four were kidnapped from a Singaporean-owned tugboat as it was towing a barge loaded with coal off Basilan island. Could be Abu Sayyaf trying to regain some sort of protection, could be another group — MILF used to like that sort of thing, and the Pentagon Gang. Or it could be a business rival.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/19/2002 10:46 am ||
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The leader of the Pentagon kidnap for ransom group and two other detainees bolted yesterday from their cells in Camp Crame, the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters. National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force (NAKTAF) chief Hermogenes Ebdane identified the escapees as Faisal Marohombsar, Abdul Macaumpang, and Rolando Patiño. Marohombsar is a chief suspect in the kidnapping of Italian priest, Fr. Guisseppi Pierantoni. He was arrested in Quiapo, Manila last February. Patiño was arrested last month as a suspect in murder last New Yearâs Eve of Young Officersâ Union (YOU) self-proclaimed spokesman Baron Cervantes. Ebdane said guards discovered the escape during the morning roll call of detainees. The NAKTAF chief said the three men destroyed the padlock of their cell and scaled the wall of the âhighly securedâ compound.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/19/2002 07:57 pm ||
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Moroccan authorities have arrested a senior al-Qaida recruiter known as "The Bear" who is suspected of plotting attacks against Western interests in Morocco, U.S. officials said yesterday. Abu Zubair al-Haili, a Saudi who weighs more than 300 pounds, is considered among the top 25 al-Qaida lieutenants of Osama bin Laden. Before Sept. 11, he ran some of bin Laden's training camps in Afghanistan. During the U.S.-led war against the Taliban and al-Qaida, he helped evacuate al-Qaida operatives from the country. He has been in Moroccan custody since early last week, officials said. How he came to Morocco is unclear. Reinforces my opinion of the importance of the guys who ran the camps within the organization...
Al-Haili was a close associate of Abu Zubaydah. Like Zubaydah, al-Haili was central to al-Qaida's international recruiting network, accepting recruits into training and placing them in overseas cells, officials said. Al-Haili has not been tied to specific al-Qaida terrorist operations, but officials said his knowledge of al-Qaida operations and terrorist cells would be useful to interrogators. U.S. authorities are believed to have access to whatever information al-Haili provides interrogators. And they don't even have to hit him...
His arrest is the latest in a series of breaks in the U.S. war on terrorism, both in Morocco and elsewhere. On Monday, three alleged Saudi al-Qaida members were charged in connection with a plot to bomb U.S. and British warships crossing the Straits of Gibraltar between Morocco and Spain. The Boat Boys, and their lovely wives...
The Moroccans had previously arrested Mohammed Haydar Zammar, who allegedly recruited chief Sept. 11 hijacker Mohammed Atta into al-Qaida in Germany. Zammar, a German of Syrian descent, was sent to Syria, where he remains in custody, according to a German intelligence official, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
In Saudi Arabia, authorities announced yesterday that they had detained 11 Saudis, an Iraqi and a Sudanese, in connection with plots to attack targets in the country. The Sudanese man, Abu Huzifa, has admitted he fired a surface-to-air missile at a U.S. warplane near Prince Sultan Air Base, south of the Saudi capital of Riyadh, according to a U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity. The missile apparently missed; the launch went undetected. Huzifa is suspected of being an al-Qaida cell leader. He was detained by Sudanese authorities in his home country and turned over to Saudi Arabia. Then they sprang 160 other thugs...
Separately, Pakistan has deported to the United States an American who was detained while trying to enter Pakistan from Afghanistan. The State Department said the man, who was taken into custody by Pakistani authorities on May 4 for visa violations, is not believed to have terrorist links and is not under arrest or detention in the United States. Spokesman Richard Boucher said a second American was detained in Pakistan on May 27 and is still being held. Boucher had no other details except to say that a U.S. consular official was in phone contact with him. Pakistani sources said the two were Afghan Americans and identified them as Mohammed Tayyab and Asfar Khan. A brief, but very enjoyable flurry of tearin' 'em up. Hope we can have a lot more weeks like this one...
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
06/19/2002 05:35 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.
