Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Tuesday that the ability of terrorist organizations to move people, weapons and money across the many borders of Central and South America could be constrained only by increased cooperation among the governments and militaries in the region. At the start of meetings with defense ministers from the Western Hemisphere, Mr. Rumsfeld cited the skill of the groups Hamas and Hezbollah - which are on the United States government's list of terrorist organizations - in raising money in the region. And he warned that smugglers' routes now used to move illegal workers toward the United States border could just as easily be used by terrorists.
In outlining Washington's vision for cooperation, he complimented recent military exercises that included naval and coast guard ships and air force jets from the United States, Panama, Chile and six other nations, and focused on skills at intercepting smugglers' vessels and guarding the entrances of the Panama Canal. Members of Mr. Rumsfeld's delegation acknowledged that although there was broad agreement on the dangers of narcotics trafficking and links between criminal organizations in Latin America and the United States, not all nations in the hemisphere shared Washington's definition of terrorism, which focuses on Islamic extremists like Al Qaeda. "Solidarity is a problem," a senior Defense Department official said.
Ministers presented a united face on the topic, at least in public. "This is a subject of extreme concern to us," said Nelson Herrera, Ecuador's minister of defense. Mr. Rumsfeld emphasized that security threats of the 21st century could not be solved by any one country working alone. "The enemies of civil order in this world - whether they be hostage takers, gangs, criminals, narco-traffickers, terrorists - they look for weaknesses," he said. "The only real way to defeat the terrorists is to put pressure on them across the board," Mr. Rumsfeld said. "We have to deny them safe havens. We have to seek them out where they are. And we have to cooperate internationally in reducing their ability to raise money."
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
11/17/2004 2:50:23 AM ||
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[N]ot all nations in the hemisphere shared Washingtonâs definition of terrorism, which focuses on Islamic extremists like Al Qaeda.
Assholes. Like they won't ever be on the target list.
#3
maybe we really do need a wall. With so much modern technology available, I fail to see how increasing the flow of legal workers and decreasing the flow illegal workers could not be achieved.
#4
We need to push for more reform in Mexico. If they can finally rise up to industrialized status they can take over responsibility for Latin America.
#5
rjswartz---that is the right idea. I have thought about it for a long time, but how can it be done? It seems like corruption is part of the culture, so how can the cycle be broken? And that culture is being exported to the US through many illegal aliens.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
11/17/2004 11:00 Comments ||
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All these Latin American nations aren't going to do a damned thing until the enemy is right at their doorstep, at which time they'll likely scream for Yanqui help/protection.
#7
Rummy's exposing the deeper flaw in all the "world community" multilateralist mumbo-jumbo: most nations on this planet are run by kleptocratic, incompetent governments that don't really govern. You can't batten the hatches when the ship of state's not seaworthy to begin with.
Banana republics are merely milder versions of failed states. Most Latin American governments, like most governments outside of the developed world, are not fully capable of defending their borders. And as in Russia, Nigeria, indonesia, and a hundred other nations, Latin nations' economic assets tend to be viewed as the private domain of a kleptocratic regime that embraces a few dozen powerful families and the nation's "security" services.
The notion that a Mexican regime that is throughly infiltrated by the drug trade will somehow prove an effective counter-terrorist link strikes me as ludicrous.
Militants of Aslan Maskhadov and Shamil Basayev have been increasingly engaged in extortion rackets against local officials, federal forces spokesman Ilya Shabalkin told Interfax on Wednesday. "They have sent letters to some of the district officials, signed by the ringleader Asadulla, ordering them to gather several thousand U.S. dollars from local residents and pass them over to illegal armed groups," Shabalkin said.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
11/17/2004 3:45:13 PM ||
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Think of these payments as taxes. Or you could think of taxes as an extortion racket (which it kind of is - a request you can't refuse).
There is tension around Chechen families in Pankisi Gorge, Georgia, Ilya Shabalkin, spokesman for the antiterrorism headquarters in the North Caucasus said. "Recently citizens who visited relatives in Georgia have informed Chechen law enforcement agencies about the tense situation developing with regard to the Chechen families that moved to Pankisi Gorge in Georgia," he said. According to him, the followers of Wahhabism have started to aggressively propagandize in the villages in Pankisi Gorge. "They use the intimidation and physical threats," he said.
That's their style, isn't it?
Local inhabitants say that Wahhabis, who are practically all armed, mainly spread extremist propaganda to young people. They have widely bribed people with small sums for only formally joining the Wahhabi community or going to a sermon, he said. The Wahhabis morally influence unmarried women. "Women are forced to become a second or third wife of a Wahhabi," he said.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
11/17/2004 3:07:22 AM ||
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#1
It's always true: "follow the money" - and, of course, that trails leads back to a narrow strip of sand... the same one most of the shit leads back to.
#2
Ultimately, Saudi Arabia MUST BE TOTALLY CONQUERED and ALL WAHHABI clerics and ideas exterminated. The only question is: WHEN? We may or may not see that in less than 5 years. It could possibly be as far out as 15 to 20 years, but I do not think Saudi Arabia will survive that long.
#3
leaddog2, I promise we will read your posts faithfully even if they are not in bold and italics. See? You read beyond my first sentence. Oh, and if you would be so kind as to add something concrete to support your opinions, e.g. why do you think Saudi Arabia won't survive another 20 years, that would be helpful to those of us like this little housewife who don't have your knowledge and insight. Thanks ever so much!
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/17/2004 16:11 Comments ||
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No bold or even italicized predictions here but I too would be surprised if the House of Saud does not fall within the next 15-20 years. More like House of Cards.
From East-Asia-Intel.com, requires subscription
South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun used his U.S. trip over the weekend to bluntly oppose any possible tough measures by the a re-elected President George W. Bush to end North Korea's nuclear weapons ambitions. Appeasement with a US umbrella is more to his liking
S. Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun speaks in Los Angeles, on Nov.13. He urged the U.S. to talk to N. Korea and avoid a policy based on force. I think that the policy is based upon talk, backed up with force. Remember that the Norks use talk, er tantrums, backed up by possible nukes stashed away.
In a speech at a meeting of the Los Angeles-based World Affairs Council on Saturday, Roh called on the U.S. to refrain from employing force against North Korea, including military attacks and a blockade, which he warned would almost certainly ignite another war on the Korean peninsula. It seems to me that a blockade is an act of war, which would require a heavy-duty provocation by the Norks before we started a blockade. Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
11/17/2004 4:29:14 PM ||
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Bring everybody home now. SKor, you're on your own.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
11/17/2004 20:01 Comments ||
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If Roh wants Kimmie's A-bombs on his doorstep, that's his choice. Ask him if he's sure and then bring everybody home. But he'd do well to contemplate where that leaves Japan. Does he want Japan armed to the teeth too? That's what he's going to get. And we won't be working with him on missile defense -- I'm going to shrug when Kimmie launches a missile and the radioactive debris field drifts onto South Korea.
"Roh also said there was no evidence to support claims that North Korea was linked to terrorist organizations."
Refresh my memory. Wasn't a shipload of missiles hidden under a load of concrete intercepted just a year or two?
Posted by: Tom ||
11/17/2004 20:27 Comments ||
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Lee is the main architect of Seoulâs policy to seek closer ties with North Korea and distance Seoul from Washington.
[...]
"This could further strain the relations between Seoul and Washington," the diplomatic source said.
We don't need to defend you guys. You wanna run into Kim's arms, well, there won't be much of an objection. Oh, and please don't send any "refugees" here.
#4
Here it is. Scuds for Yemen hidden under bags of cement on a ship of dubious registry and flag. Yeah, no misbehaving going on here. Sure.
Posted by: Tom ||
11/17/2004 20:34 Comments ||
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Um, why is anyone surprised by this? Roh's attitude towards the US has been pretty evident for years.
Pfah.
Posted by: too true ||
11/17/2004 20:36 Comments ||
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It seems that Roh has his own agenda. It would be infinitely better if SKor, Japan, and the US had a cohesive position vis a vis the Norks. Roh's position puts his country at great risk. This is an exceedingly dangerous position, and the gov't and political leadership of SKor better get it together really quick, or SKor will be left in the cold. The US and Japan will fall back to defense in the waters around SKor. I cannot believe this asshat. But the decision is up to the SKor elected officials.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
11/17/2004 21:07 Comments ||
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Of course, having an SKor airliner blown up by NKor with half of the SKor cabinet aboard is not terrorism.
Posted by: ed ||
11/17/2004 21:41 Comments ||
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The sea blockade against North Korean Nuclear Weapons and missles is ongoing. We need to remove ALL Americans from Seoul ASAP. Let Roh stew!
#9
Leaddog2: dude! the all bolds, like all caps - makes you look like a nut. People skip such posts by nature. If you want to make a diff, tone it down.
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/17/2004 22:33 Comments ||
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Japan's draft proposal for a revised constitution presented by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has first been released, suggests the name change of its military from "Self Defense Forces (SDF)" to "Self Defense Army" and authorizes the use of military power overseas.
"Imperial Army" was thought to bring back bad memories.
This draft proposal abolishes the principles of "ban on possession of war potential" and "renunciation of war" under the current "Peace Constitution," and therefore the implementation of constitutional amendment is expected to trigger the "militarization" of Japan. According to the Yomiuri Shimbun on November 17, the LDP' research commission on the constitution confirmed the ground-breaking draft proposal. The ruling party is planning to decide on its own version of a draft of the constitutional amendment by November next year, marking the 50th anniversary of the party. The recently revealed draft proposal specifies the deployment of the "Self Defense Army," which possesses the necessary military power for individual and collective right to self defense, and the authorization of military action overseas for international contribution. Also, it stipulates the emperor as "head of Japan," Japanese flag as "national flag," and "Kimikayo" as its "national anthem," those of which had not been mentioned under the current constitution, representing the symbol of Japanese militarism. This draft proposal devised by the right-wing forces within the LDP is likely to become the source of controversy since it fully denies the cornerstones of the current constitution, the ban on war potential retention, and the collective right to self defense.
The Norks and Chinese will blow a gasket over this one. I expect the other countries in the neighborhood won't be too happy either.
Posted by: Steve ||
11/17/2004 1:42:39 PM ||
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Someone better fetch Kimmie-boy his brown pants. I think I smell something.
#3
Does this mean they'll have a Self Defence Army Navy like the PLA Navy?
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
11/17/2004 14:05 Comments ||
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Well, the Norks and the Chinese have had their chance to cool things. They ought to read some of those manga magazines that destroy Tokyo every 6 months - if the Japanese can 'do' that to their own cities, they ought to think about what they might they might do to enemies.
They also have quite a few nuclear power stations, so I would assume that weapons grade material is going to be readily available.
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
11/17/2004 14:34 Comments ||
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No matter how hard I wish for it, his probably will not happen. It would be strong leverage for the U.S. when dealing with the Norks, and the Chinese. The U.S. wouldn't have to say anything about the Japanese being on our side (They already know it) and it would scare the hell out of them. The best chance for the final defeat of Communism in Asia is for Japan to force China into an arms race, forcing them to collapse. It worked with Russia, and it can work with China.
China has already begun reforming, perhaps this would expedite it. If they don't continue reforming, they crumble. Norks fall with'em, probably even before China. Either way, problem solved.
Posted by: Mike ||
11/17/2004 14:47 Comments ||
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If they are gonna change the name they could have at least made it something cool like Star Force! Admiral Wildstar reporting for duty sir!
Japan has told Russia it will not be satisfied with the return of just two of the four disputed Kuril islands. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suggested at the weekend that Moscow might return two of the islands. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said on Tuesday Tokyo would insist that all four islands seized by Soviet troops in 1945 be returned.
I confess little sympathy for the Japanese here. Next time, don't start a war.
The long-running dispute has prevented both sides from formally declaring an end to World War II hostilities. A Japanese government spokesman said Tokyo was hoping to discuss the dispute during the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit in Chile later this week. "If the two leaders [Mr Koizumi and Russian President Vladimir Putin] have a chance to meet, I think they will discuss the issue there," said Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda. However Mr Koizumi said on Tuesday that "Japan cannot be content" with the return of just two of the islands. "We maintain the policy of concluding a peace treaty only after clarifying who owns the four the islands," he told reporters.
Which two of the three islands? Iturup and Kunashir might be worth having; Shikotan's a postage stamp with not much of anything but bad weather.
The three islands and a cluster of outcrops are currently inhabited by a small community of Russian fishermen and their families. Mr Koizumi recently restated his country's claim to the territory, known in Japan as the Northern Territories and in Russia as the southern Kurils. Moscow's offer is based on a promise by former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, made in 1956, to return two of the islands - a pledge that was never fulfilled. In a Russian television interview, Mr Lavrov said the present Russian government should live up to the commitment. "We acknowledge this declaration, but its realisation requires a dialogue," he said. "No one has ever discussed how to perform this in practice."
"What can we get in exchange for the other two?"
Lavrov's statement was considered in Russia as an attempt to probe public opinion on the issue. Earlier this month Russia settled a territorial dispute over several river islands on its border with China.
Posted by: tipper ||
11/17/2004 10:16:59 AM ||
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I agree. You start a war, you have to accept the consequences. There are no do-overs.
#2
"What can we get in exchange for the other two?" That is exactly the question. Russia should push for Japanese expertese/financing to upgrade the transsiberian railroad. Make it a bullet train so they can help shift some population over to the Pacific coast where the money is going to be made this century and ship some resources back to Moscow.
#4
I could be wrong here, but didn't the Soviets declare war on Japan AFTER we dropped the first bomb? Sooooooooo, maybe the Japs have a small case here.
Posted by: Weird Al ||
11/17/2004 11:55 Comments ||
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Forget it. Russia's Far East is already lost. Putin doesn't even exercise real authority there. Its regional governments under the thumb of corrupt and brutal dictators masquerading as "governors", and in any case these regions will be effectively overrun by Chinese interests within a generation.
Kiss em goodbye, Volodya. You've got enough trouble on your hands in European Russia.
#6
One way of reclaiming the area is to convince a more sympathetic population to head East. I wouldnt' give up on half of my nation so quickly if I were Putin.
Australia's newly re-elected government has pledged to boost its anti-terror capabilities, strengthen links with its regional neighbors and continue to reform the country's booming economy. The conservative coalition government of Prime Minister John Howard delivered its key agenda points for its fourth consecutive term of power at the opening of the 41st Australian parliament on Tuesday. "Australia continues to face a challenging international and regional security environment," the government said in a speech delivered by Australia's titular head of state, Governor General Michael Jeffery. "The government will maintain a strong stand against international terrorism and the threat of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. It will also respond to the adverse impact that failing states have on our national security."
Jeffery said the government intended to keep a controversial election promise to create six Australian police "flying squads" for quick deployment across borders to "disrupt terrorist networks." Canberra also will create a counterterrorism and intelligence training school for Southeast Asian and Pacific countries. "The Australian government places high priority on strengthening cooperation with our regional neighbors and offering assistance in capacity building in the fight against terrorism," Jeffrey said. "The government will maintain a strong stand against international terrorism and the threat of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction."
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: God Save The World ||
11/17/2004 9:42:26 PM ||
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Good on ya, Howard. Kick ass at home - and take no lefty prisoners whipping your economic engine back into shape and reforming your anti-terror capabilities. Awesome Aussies - has a nice ring to it, heh.
#5
Howardâs re-election campaign was marred by a terror bombing of Australiaâs embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia. No Australians were killed, but nine Indonesians died in the explosion, which was regarded as the first terror attack directly aimed at an Australian target.
Funny, I thought the nightclub bombing in Bali was the "first" attack on the Aussies. As I recall, some 100+ Aussie travellers were killed in the bombing. After reading, I guess it's technically correct, as it was the first AUSTRALIAN target, but does a target have to be a country's property for the jihadis to make a point toward a certain country???? I think not.
Posted by: BA ||
11/17/2004 10:33 Comments ||
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Via Lucianne: SNIP
Bild, which is Germany's biggest selling tabloid, splashed the proposed Muslim holiday across its front page. "By the beard of the Prophet - send Trittin into the desert wilderness!" declared the paper on its front page, which included a photo-montage of the minister with a turban and thick beard. A further photo-montage showed thousands of Muslims bowed in prayer in front of Berlin's Reichstag which houses the federal parliament. Now there's a way to win friends and influence people. Can you imagine the uproar here??? So many comments running thru my mind I don't know where to begin.
Posted by: anonymous2u ||
11/17/2004 11:06:39 AM ||
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Ironically, the same type of mindset that embraces such insanity is the flip side--the same type--of people who become rabidly xenophobic and racist when the line is crossed. It is the easiest thing in the world for them to jump from "everybody is equal and we all are brothers" to "kill the inhuman foreign devils". Maybe that is why they get along so well with the hard corps fundie types of Islamist, but not the moderates. They understand inviting some stranger into their tent with utter hospitality one second, then slashing them to death with a knife the next--all on some whimsical pretext. "Allah says we must greet all strangers warmly. But he looked longingly at my goat so I must kill him to avenge my family honor!"
French President Jacques Chirac says he is "not at all sure" the world has become safer with the removal from power of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. In a BBC interview Mr Chirac suggests the situation in Iraq has helped to prompt an increase in terrorism.
Strange, I haven't noticed an increase in terrorism in the U.S., have you?
The interview, to be aired on BBC Two's Newsnight programme on Wednesday, comes ahead of his visit to the UK this week.
President Chirac also maintains that any intervention in Iraq should have been through the United Nations. "To a certain extent Saddam Hussein's departure was a positive thing, " Mr Chirac says when asked if the world is safer now, as US President George W Bush has repeatedly stated. "But it also provoked reactions, such as the mobilisation in a number of countries, of men and women of Islam, which has made the world more dangerous to French business interests," Mr Chirac says. "There's no doubt that there has been an increase in terrorism and one of the origins of that has been the situation in Iraq. I'm not at all sure that one can say that the world is safer."
He also signals that he believes Britain's support for the US-led war has brought few dividends. In an earlier interview with British journalists, Mr Chirac said Prime Minister Tony Blair had received nothing in return for backing the Bush administration. "I'm not sure it is in the nature of our American friends at the moment to return favours systematically," he said. "I am not sure, with America as it is these days, that it would be easy for someone, even the British, to be an honest broker."
Does the French language have a word for 'honest', or does Chirac have to switch to English?
Posted by: tipper ||
11/17/2004 10:20:50 AM ||
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Blah, blah, blah. Ribet, ribet, ribet. Same old, same old. Slimey frog.
Posted by: Tom ||
11/17/2004 10:24 Comments ||
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Perhaps the war in Iraq has made the world less safe for appeasers, but from the US side of things it appears far safer to have things blowing up in Iraq and Netherlands rather than Manhattan and Washington DC.
#5
"He also signals that he believes Britainâs support for the US-led war has brought few dividends. In an earlier interview with British journalists, Mr Chirac said Prime Minister Tony Blair had received nothing in return for backing the Bush administration."
And what the Hell, may I ask, have we ever received from France for liberating them from the Nazis? Absolutely nothing.
Blair has earned our respect and our trust-- two things this corrupt Frog probably cannot even understand, much less value.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
11/17/2004 10:46 Comments ||
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Monsieur Chiraq is "not at all sure" about so many things these days. I think Rantburg's own JFM may well have called it correctly when he diagnosed senility.
#7
I see the French and all are working their time-tested technique of appeasement on Iran and its nuke program. IIRC, Chamberlain got an agreement from Chancellor Hitler in 1936, which resulted in WW2 in Sept. 1939. So that little accomplishment bought him 3 years and the the biggest sh*tfest the world has ever seen.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
11/17/2004 10:55 Comments ||
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#8
Dear Diary:
Of course the Iraq War was a mistake. Before the War,Saddam paid millions to me and my friends. Now,nothing! What is worse,others now see that I cannot protect my special friends and they are starting to refuse to pay me protection money. Now I have to send my Army to some piece of merde African country to show you cannot mess w/me.
And another thing. How does that stupid cowboy have a better smirk than me? Everyone knows Frenchmen have the best smirk in the world,yet that accursed idiot has a smirk that is far better than mine. Ah,the trials God has put me through while I restore France to the glory that is rightly mine,I mean,Hers.
Posted by: Stephen ||
11/17/2004 11:03 Comments ||
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#9
The headline I'd like to see:
"Rice Questions Viability of Chirac-Led France"
Posted by: Mike ||
11/17/2004 11:13 Comments ||
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#10
Chirac said Prime Minister Tony Blair had received nothing in return for backing the Bush administration. "Iâm not sure it is in the nature of our American friends at the moment to return favours systematically," he said.
Oh, Mssr Chirac, you truly are floundering. First of all, that presumption has really not been put to the test yet. You better hope it never is. Britain has nothing to fear-they have given so much in this fight on terror and therefore have solid American loyalty and gratitude towards them. France, on the other hand, has given little and in some instances, has actually taken instead of given. France SHOULD be concerned about who they're going to get help from. Their unwillingness to lift their own weight and help in the WoT DOES kinda leave their bare butt hanging out the window.
France's ingratitude never fails to astound. It is amazing that, after the Ivory Coast/UN/American position yesterday, France still doesn't recognize or appreciate America's helping them out. Well, we can't be held accountable for your intellectual shortcomings Jacques. Apparently, you are not a quick study.
Of course, we can always accommodate his prediction that he will get nothing from us, should France and its leadership choose to remain parasitic, ingracious and provocative.
#11
Chirac makes the same fatal error that many buffoons in the past have made. He assumes that openly sneering at someone accomplishes something, like a nasty small boy hiding behind a chain link fence cursing at a police officer. The officer *does* notice, but he does nothing at the time. Later, when he chances on the nasty small boy alone in a dark alley, well...actions speak louder than words.
#12
He also errs in assuming Blair got in the WOT to get something from the U. S. as opposed to doing something in the national interest of the U. K. with the U. S. Some times nation's interests are coincident and they do not need to be part of coalitions of the bribed, the coerced, the bought and the extorted, like France.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
11/17/2004 11:32 Comments ||
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Chirac's game is pretty obvious-- it's the same one France's elite has been playing since 1945: triangulate between the US and its primary rival.
Gain the benefits of US heavy lifting on global security and economic matters while positioning yourself as the spokesman for those who resent the US.
In the middle east, this means championing jihadists and fascists. Aside from a few more contracts for Total and Alcatel and Bouygues, what benefit does this pro-fascist policy provide France? Is it worth it?
Really, if the French want to continue the triangulation policy, wouldn't it be smarter to cozy up to China rather than a collection of neck-sawers, stonethrowers and piddling little RPG-hurlers?
#14
"such as the mobilisation in a number of countries, of men and women of Islam"
What mobilisation would that be, Jacques? The highest estimate I have seen of the number of "insurgents" in Iraq is 50,000 (and the Marines have recently adjusted that number downward by a thousand or two.) This is out of a total Arab population of about 260 million. So, seething aside, the byword still seems to be: start the Jihad without me.
If he's referring to Muslim unrest in Sweden or the Netherlands, it's hard to see how those developments were caused by us rolling tanks into Baghdad without putting blue helmets on our tankers first.
Posted by: Matt ||
11/17/2004 11:58 Comments ||
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#15
You mean France is NOT supporting the liberation of Iraq? This changes EVERYTHING! Get George Bush on the line..tell him to stop the invasion!!
#16
Imam Chirac needs to either officialy allign himself with the jihadists so that we can 'officially' include him in the axis (he has been an unofficial member in my book for some time now) or shut up.
#17
I wish W would call these @sshats out on the carpet for being the appeasing, corrupt, obnoxious, smelly, whiny, cowardly, arrogant, weaselly, opportunistic, anti-American f*cks that the world knows them to be. It's amazing -- an entire country full of dirtbags.
Posted by: Tibor ||
11/17/2004 13:12 Comments ||
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#18
Why is the world being safer the criterion by which the war should be judged? Was the world safer in 1943 when the US was ramping up its war effort? The world will not be safer until our enemies are defeated and that will take a long time.
Posted by: open source ||
11/17/2004 14:01 Comments ||
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#19
Open source...you're trying to mix LOGIC and FRANCE. Doesn't work.
#21
Much of what Chirac says is designed to keep is butt out of pound me in the ass prison. The minute Chirac is not longer the Premire has butt is going to be indited for crimes he has been involved in before he became Premire.
Everything he does is either about gettting money for his political slush fund or staying out of a French court. He has a small amount of support in France. He and his party were literally the lesser evil in the last election. These statements resonate with the average narrow minded frenchman/woman.
To understand Chirac you must understand France beyond the sterotype.
#23
Once upon a time in a nice little forest, there lived an orphaned bunny and an orphaned snake. By a surprising coincidence, both were blind from birth.
One day, the bunny was hopping through the forest, and the snake was slithering through the forest, when the bunny tripped over the snake and fell down. This, of course, knocked the snake about quite a bit.
"Oh, my," said the bunny, "I'm terribly sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I've been blind since birth, so, I can't see where I'm going. In fact, since I'm also an orphan, I don't even know what I am."
"It's quite OK," replied the snake. "Actually, my story is much the same as yours. I, too, have been blind since birth, and also never knew my mother. Tell you what, maybe I could slither all over you, and work out what you are, so at least you'll have that going for you."
"Oh, that would be wonderful" replied the bunny. So the snake slithered all over the bunny, and said, "Well, you're covered with soft fur; you have really long ears; your nose twitches; and you have a soft cottony tail. I'd say that you must be a bunny rabbit."
"Oh, thank you! Thank you," cried the bunny, in obvious excitement. The bunny suggested to the snake, "Maybe I could feel you all over with my paw, and help you the same way that you've helped me."
So the bunny felt the snake all over, and remarked, "Well, you're smooth and slippery, and you have a forked tongue, no backbone and no balls. I'd say you must be French
That's fine. We remember the "missed a good chance to shut up" quip. And the "shitty little country" quip.
In Europe, it's hard for some to think of Condoleezza Rice — Colin Powell's expected replacement as U.S. secretary of state — without recalling the low points in trans-Atlantic relations that grew out of the war in Iraq. After all, it was Rice who raised eyebrows last year with her Machiavellian suggestions for how Washington should treat European opponents of the U.S.-led invasion. "Punish France, ignore Germany and forgive Russia," Rice was widely quoted as telling associates in the spring of 2003.
Sounds good to me. And don't forget to ignore Spain. Oh, and trade Belchium in on a dog and shoot the dog.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/17/2004 11:03:12 PM ||
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#2
In America, it's hard for some to think of (Chirac, Shroeder, Putty, Wu-Tang Clan, etc.), without recalling the low points in trans-Atlantic relations that grew out of the war on American interests. After all, it was (Chirac, Shroeder, Putty, Wu-Tang Clan, etc.) who have raised eyebrows (and anger) over the last 3 years with their Bozo The Clown suggestions of how the US should conduct its foreign policy.
But that's just me, I'm sure John Leicester, Associated Press Writer, knows all and sees all. After all, heh, he has a "Press" card.
#3
"If she is named ... we will continue to have the same relations," Barnier told Europe-1 radio. "With the United States, the moment has come, looking ahead of us, to rebuild, to renew this trans-Atlantic relationship."
Better tell that to your Premier, Minster Monsieur Barnier. The comments and actions of Chirac have done more to damage US european relations than any thing Bush has supposedly done. Chriac has not failed to speak and act badly towards the US.
I hope Rice gets your nuts in a vice and keeps them there.
#4
Chirac will find it hard to 'give the lady a wide field of berth'. Interesting to see whether he distances himself (France) like he did with Alawi of Iraq; pawn her off on the Foreign Minister.
How will the Islamists like Saudis and Iranians react to Condi who is black (and therefore regarded as a slave) and a woman who is not dressed in a potato sack from her head to her heels.
How will the treasonous MSM spin the interaction between Condi, who represents the fulfilment of Martin Luther King's dream, and Muslims who are:
* Oppressed
* Misunderstood
* Victims of prejudice
* Simply following the 'religion of peace'
#6
The German government seems to be more optimistic about Rice, if we are to believe the Spiegel: Rice is a friend of Germany".
She didn't leave a bad impression during the reunification talks in 1990 when I personally met her.
She shouldn't ignore Germany. And I don't think she will. Nothing will piss off France more than better US-German relations. Because they can't do nothing about it and must even make a good face.
#7
Lol, TGA. Hit 'em where it hurts, heh. You guys have to unload Shroeder first, before we really can get things back on track. He made a hash of relations. And I want that BMW shaft-drive touring cycle, too, damnit. But I won't buy it until we're back on level ground with each other, lol!
#9
I have no doubts that you're right and that Condi understands what you're saying - well ahead of knuckle-draggers like me, lol! She'll know how to handle our end, I'm sure. And you know what? It just hit me: I can't even remember when I had such clear confidence in our SecState!
#10
I think people will be more willing to deal with her because they know of her access to the President. Powell was Mr Nice Guy but... well, you know.
It's, as we say here, a 'double-whammy' or a 'two-fer', she's going to trouble the French (who will have to listen as she has the ear of someone who takes no prisoners) and as for the guys in the M.E, I cannot *wait* for her first visit there - they are going to totally freak out...
You know, fellow RBers - Nov 2004 has been soo-perb, and there's still two weeks to go!
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
11/17/2004 5:37 Comments ||
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#12
So true, Tony (UK) - I know there are serious troubles ahead, but I feel more confident today than I did even at the fall of Baghdad.
With the right people in the right places, Dubya can afford to do what needs to be done and know he's getting the best effort from his people - under the circumstances. With State and CIA working against him for the last 3 years, for example, 6 months from now, at worst I hope, they'll be neutral, instead of active opponents. Isn't that an amazing indictment?
Powell, as Mr Nice Guy, as TGA pointed out, served at the pleasure of the President, so on first blush one would assume he would ride herd on State and minimize, if not root out, the subversion. But now we know that didn't happen. Hell, nothing happened except Powell did precisely what he was instructed to do - no more, no less.
Tenet, graciously allowed to stay on for 3+ years at CIA - was even less gracious. We find that it was even worse there. Not only were they lazy / incompetent at their assigned jobs (as a whole), but there were even more subversive element there actively seeking to undermine Bush, such as Plame and her asshole husband Joe Wilson, not to mention Shuerer and his Anonymous tell-all book. What a clusterfuck!
FBI? Well, that's a long-standing sore point for me - and it's transparent to everyone today that their only value is to be able to tell you, 3-6 months after the event, who killed you and how. Kickass forensics. Counter-intel? Uh - not if upper and mid level mgrs are involved, they'll sabotage or actively oppose anything that doesn't bring the glory to HQ. Amazing political jungle.
Y'know, it's amazing things didn't go much worse than they did, IMO. Without the few he could count on, such as Rummy and Franks, it would have.
And now I feel the reverse is true - I look forward and fully expect he won't have one or both hands tied behind his back this term.
#13
Don't due that Fred,I like dogs.As fine a machine as the the BMW is,there is nothing like an American Iron Horse.Harley's V-rod is supposed to be a sweet ride.
#14
raptor - I haven't ridden the V-Rod or the Titan or any other bike in the last 7-8 yrs, so I am talking through my hat to a degree...
I owned a '74 HD Shovelhead stretched 18" over, pullbacks, custom bodywork, chrome everywhere, granny seat, etc. Used to hang my briefcase over the seat spike, put my Johnston & Murphys up on the hiway pegs and cruise to work in a 3-piece. A good laugh watching the civilians' double-takes, heh. The problem was that it sucked (mushy feel) for around town (tight turns, gravel, etc) and the chain drive vibration caused me to lose sensation in my hands / lower arms on the highway on runs over 2 hrs. I had made it unsuitable for either, in other words. If I were to do it over again, I'd leave the handlebars / fork / frame alone, heh. But now I'm an old man and I want to tour, so I (think I) want a shaft drive. Know of any other "debugged" shaft drive cycles of 1000cc or better displacement? Heh.
#15
The other player to watch is the MSM. Rich Galen says to watch how often they call her Condi as opposed to how often they called him Colin or even Collie. The MSM is going to hate her policies but have a hard time using their favorite tactic of dumping on her personally when dealing with people with whom they disagree on issues of substance.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
11/17/2004 7:18 Comments ||
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#19
Re. memorable quotes, let's not overlook French Prime Minister Raffarin's admonition to the editors of Le Figaro: "the Iraqi 'resistance' are our best allies."
#22
How will the Islamists like Saudis and Iranians react to Condi who is black (and therefore regarded as a slave) and a woman who is not dressed in a potato sack from her head to her heels.
I think how they will react is a strong reason why she was selected. Bush is saying to the Islamic mobocracies, "I don't give a f*ck what you think. This woman has my ear and my finger's on the button. Disarm and get rid of your Islamic insurgencies, or suffer the consequences."
#24
Punish France? I believe Bush just did that a bit by selecting Condi for Secretary of State. Saying exactly what he means was a new concept for France, and now we have a Secretary of State who will also pull no punches. How long do you think it will take before France realizes that they have to read the lines, not read between the lines?
Posted by: Tom ||
11/17/2004 8:54 Comments ||
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#25
Brilliant, Lex.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
11/17/2004 9:04 Comments ||
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#26
They had better start calling her Ms. Rice or Ms. Secretary of State, or there will be hell to pay...
They should call her Doctor Rice with an occasional PhD thrown in out of respect. I'm sure she worked very hard and earned both her Doctorate and PhD and should be respected for both on their own merits.
#27
.com: "Know of any other "debugged" shaft drive cycles of 1000cc or better displacement?"
If you're serious about touring, and want the most dependable/reliable "debugged" shaft drive bike there is, then the only choice is the Honda Goldwing.
I would stay away from the Euro bikes, sure, some of them are nice, but if you ever have a problem...
With the Honda you have reliability and an extensive dealer/parts network. Besides, I believe it is built here in the US.
Just my opinion based on personal experience.
-AR
Posted by: Analog Roam ||
11/17/2004 10:10 Comments ||
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#28
I believe the correct term is Madam Secretary. But I spoze they won't use the term until she's sworn in and assumes the office. And I'm with the Instapundit in hoping she takes a week or so of vacation time before she starts work.
#31
It's "Dr. Rice" until January 20, 2009; then it's "Madam President." (Let us hope, anyway.)
Posted by: Mike ||
11/17/2004 11:16 Comments ||
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#32
TGA: âAn aggressive U.S. stance towards Germany would "help" Schröder and France would benefit most.â
Ignoring Germany seems about right. It wonât help US relations with Germany but as long as German politicians and media use anti-US propaganda to whip up local support the relationship isnât going to improve.
Ignoring Germany and punishing France will help US relations with countries that are or could be good allies. For too many years there has been no penalty for attacking the US and little benefit for being a good friend.
#35
Help Tony (without screwing Israel or appeasing the mullahs). Build up Poland. Promote Turkey in the EU.
Other than the above, ignore Europe. Asian Century now. All the threats, and most of the opportunity, arise from the near and far east. Long past time we shifted resources and attention toward India, China, Russia.
#36
.com,not knocking the BMW,it is a damn dependable,comfortable ride.But as Analog says the Goldwing is just as comfortable and dependable plus almost every town in America has a dealer.
As to Harley they have come alooong way in the last 20 years(the engine of the V-road is designed by Porche).Personally I'm just partial to Harley,ain't nothing that sounds or feels like a hot patato between your legs.
#38
Ignoring is always the best way to stop attention-getting bad behavior. But that said, Americans aren't interested in riding herd over the Euro attitudes. It's really up to the Euro's themselves to realize that their governments are not serving their interests by focusing blame on America instead of their fixing their creaking, socialist, nanny-states.
I think the thing that Bush has done best is to just ignore the useless rehetoric and get on with buisness - with our without the support of those who use him as a shiny object to distract the children from their own home-grown failures.
As the Islamist threat grows in Europe - Western Europeans, wishing to hold onto their way of life, will have to choose between the self-destructive blame/shame path of the Paleo, v/s finding a meaningful way to save their own civilizations from the Islamist threat.
#39
while there is nothing in French culture or near history to suggest that they will not continue along the path of bribes/appeasement to meet their threats, I beleive that the remainder of Europeans will eventually face and fight back against the real threats facing them.
#40
Watch on MSM references to the following: Kissinger, George Schultz, Mad Albright, and Rice. All have doctorates. Level of respect will be indicated by titles.
But what she's called concerns me less than the job she has at State. The last few days have initiated calls for a good house-cleaning to go on at Foggy Bottom. I think it's easier said than done. Who knows what it takes to fire somebody there for not being an effective employee? Dunno, but I have come across a blog called "The Diplomad", the voice of conservative leaning State diplos. It's pretty entertaining and would be worth a visit.
Good luck Dr. Condoleeza Rice. Just remember that a lot of folks under you have their bureaucratic and/or own political agendas to grind. Please let them know they work for you. Plus, make sure that anybody who has insulting cartoons toward you or Bush (Based on published reports last year) on an office wall has to take it down or get canned. (Has anyone seen Oliphant's cartoon today?)
Posted by: chicago mike ||
11/17/2004 14:46 Comments ||
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#41
I admire Dr Rice greatly and wish her the very best. She will do fine, if the MSM coverage doesn't succeed with their PR campaign of projecting failure. Otherwise, it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Gossip is a powerful tool. The administration needs to keep up the heat on her detractors to show their disdain for the chauvinism, racism and liberalism which alone form the basis of doubts.
#42
But that leaves in place Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, a strong-willed hawk who often clashed with Ms. Rice. Most notably, she took over control of the occupation of Iraq, creating an Iraq Stabilization Group. Her aides had made no secret of her opinion that Mr. Rumsfeld had failed to devote enough planning, attention or resources to making a success of the occupation.
Their relationship worsened after the abuse of detainees at Abu Ghraib, the American run prison west of Baghdad, became publicly known. Ms. Rice, her associates say, had warned Mr. Rumsfeld to pay attention to detention issues, but the defense secretary often sent subordinates to meetings on the subject.
So there is no end of speculation about whether Mr. Rumsfeld will have the kind of relationship with Ms. Rice that he had with Mr. Powell: one of constant bickering. Mr. Rumsfeld tried to tamp that speculation down on Tuesday, telling reporters traveling with him in Quito, Ecuador, "I have known Condi for a good number of years," and adding that "long before this administration, we were friends."
"She is an enormous talent," he said. "She is experienced, very bright, and as we all know, has a terrific relationship with the president, which is a very valuable thing."
But he acknowledged that tensions would inevitably occur, and, he said, "It is the task, the responsibility, the duty of people who are participating in that national security process to make sure that the issues are raised and discussed," a process that he said "has worked very well in this administration."
Ms. Rice's associates said they expected that there would be fewer and less heated arguments in the future, partly because Mr. Rumsfeld would be more wary of Ms. Rice and her relationship with the president.
Its from the NYT (hat tip Belgravia Dispatch) so take with as much salt as you deem necessary.
#43
So there is no end of speculation about whether Mr. Rumsfeld will have the kind of relationship with Ms. Rice that he had with Mr. Powell: one of constant bickering.
Bickering or hot arguments on policy? While there are interesting points in the excerpt, it sounds more like a personality play.
We should expect no less from people in positions of such major power and responsibility than tough skins and the willingness to argue out their points until the better argument wins the day.
#44
Ignoring is always the best way to stop attention-getting bad behavior. In my experience laughing at them is even more effective. Ever wonder why Islamic and Leftist trolls don't last at RB. It's because being ridiculed all the time is too psychologically painful.
Disregard all the dezinformatsiya fed us by his admirers in the MSM. Aside from defusing Indo-Pak, what did this man achieve while in office? Nothing except supply Bob Woodward with all the material he needed for his book.
In the process Powell did much to undermine his president, making him probably the worst Sec State of the last twenty years. Among his contributions, he:
-- opposed intervening to halt fascist slaughter in Iraq as Sec State, just as, while Head of the JCS, he opposed intervening to halt fascist slaughter in the balkans
-- pushed for and got the totally unnecessary and ultimately disastrous second UNSC resolution in early 2003
-- traveled less and achieved less than any SecState in recent memory
-- did nothing, absolutely nothing, to persuade any of the Bush admin's European critics to let up their attacks on the admin
-- covered for this underperformance by smirking and winking to NYT and other reporters about his disagreements with his president.
Good riddance, Colin. You've disserved your country long enough.
#46
How pathetic is it that nations are offended that they might be ignored. Everyone wants America's attention, just a wink from time to time to confirm their own importants. Pathetic.
#48
raptor, rkb, AR - Thanx - I've never had a thing for Honda cycles and hadn't even spent 5 minutes tco look (dumb, yes), but I'll belay that and get on the stick to check out the GW. If you've ridden, especially road trips (I did a 1400 mile trip in 2 days once - a killer), you know what I'm talking about re: vibration, heh. The Easy Rider icon was a joke. Raptor - you're right about the feel and roar of a Harley - nothing to match it. Like riding a rocket on a knife edge. Thx, all, your expertise is appreciated!
On-topic:
As for the issues of recalcitrant people in CIA / State who are Civil Service, they should follow a recommendation I made at Aramco where we had the same problem: you can't fire a Saudi. I suggested creating a group - a deadbeat unit. Reassign them to it. It receives no substantive work, is privvy to nothing, and serves no purpose other than as a holding pen. If you're stuck with shitheads, then isolate them, stigmatize them as fools and slackers (to kill credibility for their tell-all books to come), no meetings, no memos, no email, no raises, no promotions, no Christmas Party invites, no nothing - and pray they'll have enough self-regard to resign. Certainly give them no access nor influence - and fraternizing with them is a ticket to oblivion.
Doctor Madam Secretary Rice will exact respect on behalf of the US from all she meets - or they will know they have been relegated to the peanut gallery, I'm sure.
I understand from several places that Rummy will probably leave in about 6 months - and I hope James Woolsey is offered the SecDef position.
McCain can jump off the nearest cliff - he contends with Skeery in face count.
#49
I haven't suddenly turned into a Schröder fan, just to reassure you. But he seems to gret at least a bit of his shits together. From what my usually well informed sources tell me France has gotten a bit too close to him for his taste and he doesn't really dig Chirac's obstructionist policies (which can only hurt Germany).
While a German military engagement in Iraq is out of question right now (Schröder's electorate would kill him), the German Bundestag, rather quietly, approved to stock up on money and soldiers when it comes to international WOT missions (Afghanistan has it's own separate budget). The reform of the Bundeswehr will make it possible to deploy HALF of all soldiers internationally. There is a "Rumsfeld reform" going on that goes largely unnoticed (even in Germany) because the only thing that is noted is the cutting of troops and money. But those cuts concern the now unnecessary, costly parts of German defense. Too many bases, too heavy equipment. The new Bundeswehr will be far more mobile and probably be able to deploy up to 125000 troops abroad by 2010.
The German defense minister Struck seems to be doing a good job.
"Ignoring" Germany would not be the wise thing to do because Germany is willing to do more, just not in Iraq. Iraq is not "sellable" for now. Securing the Mediterranean is a different story.
And remember: The Bundeswehr soooo much favors the USA over France.
#50
I went to an Oktoberfest party last month at the Bundeswehrkommando facilities at Dulles International Airport. It was outstanding. Traditional music, excellent sauerbraten, endless bier and reisling, and a whole bunch of cutie pie German military men. Yum!
#54
Well, I do think that Germans and Americans should move forward - there is no reason not to. However I think Schroder threw his "anti-American/hate-Bush" dice and lost. I think if Schroder wants to mend fences - then fine, but don't expect Bush to come begging.
Look, there is no anti-German sentiment on the part of the American people - but we've changed since 9/11. Too many Chirac, Schoreders, Erdogans, have backstabbed us and then believed if it didn't work out, that they could just smile and go back to business as ususal.
This is not a game that Euro's leaders, who refuse to help us fight for Western survival, can expect Americans to come back wagging their tail after throwing us a couple of bones. We are ticked that our soldiers are dying while Chirac mouths off.
Again, this is not about a beef with the German people. Other than the French - Americans are happy to mend the fences...but on terms of real frienship and cooperation - not the "we'll be nice to you when we feel like it" kind.
I'd say our relationship with Germany should be this: - one of not obstructing efforts to to work together.
Canada is discussing a role in the Middle East peace process, following the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, Prime Minister Paul Martin said Tuesday. Talking to reporters after meeting with his cabinet, Martin did not go into details.
"I will say no more!"
There has been speculation that Canada is prepared to provide targets police officers to help the Palestinian Authority restore the rule of the thugs order on the West Bank and Gaza strip. But, privately, Canadian officials have said it is unlikely that Canada would provide any significant number of peacekeeping troops, because the country is already fully stretched in peacekeeping and stabilization operations in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Haiti. Asked when Canada would begin discussing a potential role in the post-Arafat Palestinian territories, Martin said: "We've already started discussions." When Arafat's death was announced, Martin said: "Canada calls on Palestinians, and all peoples of the Middle East, to reflect on the tremendous cost of conflict and, building on the legacy of their leaders and the guidance of their governments, to renew their commitment to peace."
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/17/2004 12:14:05 AM ||
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âCanada calls on Palestinians, and all peoples of the Middle East, to reflect on the tremendous cost of conflict and, building on the legacy of their leaders and the guidance of their governments, to renew their commitment to peace.â
Uh, considering the Paleo half of the equation, the only named party (lol), I detect a slight contradiction in terms: "peace" and "legacy".
Rather confusing... Martin must be referring to another Middle East, between Quebec and Ontario, perhaps.
#3
...Canadian officials have said it is unlikely that Canada would provide any significant number of peacekeeping troops, because the country is already fully stretched...
Aw, c'mon Canada! It's nearly winter- surely your three soldiers and their cranky Inuit guide must've returned from their show-the-flag expedition in the Northern Territories by now. Bet they're more than willing to go to Gaza and thaw out.
President Bush will make his first official visit to Canada on Nov. 30, meeting Prime Minister Paul Martin for talks ranging from security for the world's longest undefended border to commerce between these major trading partners, officials said Tuesday. The visit will focus on ``ways to build on our excellent cooperation'' on terrorism, , cross-border security, democracy and economic growth, said White House press secretary Scott McClellan. Martin said he hopes to deal with trade issues stemming from mad cow disease and the softwood lumber imports. Some other topics Bush is likely to address include military staffing in Afghanistan and training and nation-building aid in Iraq. Since taking office, Martin has worked to improve ties with Washington and end sometimes outspoken criticism of Bush by some members of the ruling Liberal party.
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/17/2004 12:05:36 AM ||
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Bush to Visit Canada on Nov. 30
Oh why bother.
Posted by: Rafael ||
11/17/2004 1:02 Comments ||
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#2
I'll be holding my nose on that visit. "W" will probable secure as much out of Paul Martin, as he has out of his old pal Vicente Fox on the other side! Two nice warm cozy friends (with ten foot poles)hidden under the beds.
#3
Look on the bright side. Bush may give away the goods, but in return, he will make it so that Canada will have to keep all those liberals who fled north after the election.
#4
We should tell Dubya to take a .45 ACP - no Secret Service needed - and when the Canuck Moonbats believe they see an opportunity and try to arrest him for "war crimes", he should bag a few and bring 'em home for stuffing. Much more fun and edifying than shooting geese - and they'll prolly look pretty spiffy mounted on the walls of Camp David cabins.
(2004-11-15) -- President George Bush today added to his "record of fundamentalist bigotry" by replacing his departing secretary of state, who is black, with National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, the daughter of a minister who has admitted to praying to God up to 10 times per day, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.
"It's another step back toward the stone age," said an unnamed ACLU spokesman. "This is a perfect illustration of how hard it is for black men to keep good jobs in this country because of the policies of this administration. It's clear that Bush dumped Secretary Powell because he's black, and will replace him with Condi Rice, because she shares the president's extreme religious views."
The ACLU has filed suit to block the appointment of Miss Rice on the grounds that having an openly-Christian person heading that department would violate the separation of church and state.
Posted by: Korora ||
11/17/2004 12:03:57 AM ||
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Ott's a phreakin' genius. Poking fun at the demonstrably least bigoted administration in US history as bigoted, thus highlighting the truth, is awesome, heh.
#3
"having an openly-Christian person heading that department would violate the separation of church and state"
Take note. The ACLU believes that no openly-Christian individual should be in any position within the US Government. Guess they are kicking themselves for not being around to condemn our founding fathers.
#6
Already happening, though not quite as Scott Orr presents it. In the MSM scheme, Powell as an "authentic" ie non-conservative black man cannot be caricatured or criticized. As for Condi, MSM cartoonists are already showing hideous buck-toothed blackfaced caricatures of her as a puppet, as the "don't know nuthin' bout birthin no babies" mammy from Gone WIth The Wind, etc....
Mr. Alanssi, it turns out, is the prosecutors' central witness against Sheik Ali Hassan al-Moayad, a Yemeni cleric and Islamic political leader accused of funneling millions of dollars to Al Qaeda and Hamas. In early 2003, Mr. Alanssi helped investigators lure Mr. al-Moayad and an assistant to Frankfurt, Germany, for a meeting with another FBI informant. During the meeting, Mr. Alanssi served as translator for the men, in conversations that are now the main evidence against Mr. al-Moayad and his codefendant, Mohammed Mohsen Yahya Zayed. Nice crowd he hangs out with.
Prosecutors planned to call Mr. Alanssi to testify against the two men in Brooklyn at their trial, set to start in January. Prosecutors now face the prospect of calling a disturbed witness who has expressed deep resentment toward the FBI and an unwillingness to cooperate further with the government. In another potentially damaging setback, the Washington Post reported yesterday that Mr. Alanssi described a series of inducements he said the FBI promised him. D'oh! RTWT.
Posted by: someone ||
11/17/2004 3:10:16 AM ||
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well, well, wasn't his little dispaly of madness convenient. Wonder who agreed to pay him more to pull his little discrediting stunt.
Note to FBI - pay half up front and the other half on delivery.
In response to the Coleman/Levin complaint letter of last week:
"Annan turned over all oil-for-food documentation to Volcker," U.N. spokesman, Fred Eckhard, told The New York Sun. Since Mr. Volcker now controls all related documents, he was the one answering the senators' letter, he added. Ah, Kofi, always with someone to hide behind.
Mr. Volcker wrote yesterday that after the middle of next year, when his team completes "a definitive report" on the U.N.'s management of the program, "we fully anticipate" that "substantially all" relevant documents will be released. This, he added, would provide "a basis for congressional and public review of our conclusions." "Once we get our whitewashalibi story together, then you might see something. Maybe."
But for now, he wrote, his team needs to keep a delicate balance between "essential and desirable transparency and disclosure" and a "degree of confidentiality and simple fairness." "You ain't getting bupkus."
He therefore politely declined to guarantee the release of documentation specifically requested by the senators, which relates to the British-based shipping inspection company that was a U.N. contractor, Lloyd's Register. According Mr. Volcker, those documents are related to "a sensitive area involving allegations of bribery, and undue influence." "Anything interesting, you definitely can't get."
Lloyd's Register was replaced by the U.N. in February 1999 by a competing Swiss-based shipping inspection company, Cotecna, which had business relations with Mr. Annan's son, Kojo. Ding, ding, ding!
Posted by: someone ||
11/17/2004 3:24:51 AM ||
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Has Volcker gone over to the Dark Side? Hmmm. There must be much more here than meets the eye and made it into this story. Levin? Grandstanding twit & asshole - complete with his patently absurd glasses down on the end of his nose and hair combed over to cover the bald spot. A silly poseur. But Volcker... time will tell, I guess.
#5
Lloydâs Register was replaced by the U.N. in February 1999 by a competing Swiss-based shipping inspection company, Cotecna, which had business relations with Mr. Annanâs son, Kojo.
#7
and MS's beat goes on - can you provide evidence, links, etc. ?
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/17/2004 8:50 Comments ||
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#8
These guys need to be advised that they have 30 days to turn over copies of all pertinent information or our U.N. payments stop and diplomatic immunity is null and void for all suspects. Show your cards or get out of Dodge.
Posted by: Tom ||
11/17/2004 9:10 Comments ||
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#9
and MS's beat goes on - can you provide evidence, links, etc. ?
If he looked at the evidence, he wouldn't be defending Annan.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
11/17/2004 9:34 Comments ||
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#10
Volcker's investigation is a joke. How can you carry out a credible investigation if you have no subpoena power?
#11
Re #7 (Frank G):
I'll provide links for any detail you ask about. That's not the problem.
The problem is that people who say Kojo Annan was involved with any UN decisions or activities don't provide any evidence.
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
11/17/2004 10:17 Comments ||
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#12
Perhaps it's time for there to be a major sewage leak somewhere in Manhattan. Or maybe just an intermittent problem with the water delivery to that same area of Manhattan.
#13
Mike, can you reconcile an eight month Volcker study with a lack of evidence. And that's without subpoena power! Smells like a "wait long enough and it will fade away" operation to me.
Posted by: Tom ||
11/17/2004 10:30 Comments ||
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#14
Coleman is not going to let it fade away. This is a career builder for him.
Volker and Kofi also probably know that when the information gets out, Kofi's history. Half of Volker's job is to convince Kofi the information will get out. Coleman's helping here. Kofi simply cannot destroy the amount of incriminating information that is likely floating around financial institutions regulated by the U. S. and subpoenable by Coleman.
The other half of Volker's job, is to cut a deal for Kofi so that he leaves in glory and isn't prosecuted. Sevan and Kojo along with other small fry will probably have to be sacrificed. Kofi will sget a little mud on his skirt, but will leave his post on 12/31/06.
The real question is who will follow him. Is there anybody on earth acceptable to le Grand Chiraq, W, Pooty, Blair and Hu?
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
11/17/2004 10:48 Comments ||
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#15
The problem is that people who say Kojo Annan was involved with any UN decisions or activities don't provide any evidence.
The problem is, no one says that. What they say is that Kojo and/or his employer were on the receiving end of money funneled through his employer based on decisions made, in part, by his father.
Nice try to set up a strawman, though. Next time, leave off the pumpkin head -- they tend to rot.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
11/17/2004 11:06 Comments ||
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#16
Re #15 (Robert Crawford)
In other words, you have no evidence that Kojo Annan was personally involved in any UN decisions or activities.
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
11/17/2004 11:50 Comments ||
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#17
Kujo's a small-fry. Whether or not he was personally involved is essentially irrelevant. What is relevant is that his father was involved, and his employer got a lucrative contract.
#18
It's not about the son; it's his pappy who's the real perp here. Claudia Rosett, as usual, has the goods on Kofi-- read her long, careful and devastating indictment of Kofi's involvement: http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/cRosett/?id=110005904
#19
Beyond the speculations about Kojo Annan, does anybody have any evidence at all of anything improper in Contecna's acquisition and performance of its UN contract?
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
11/17/2004 12:25 Comments ||
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#20
Mike, you haven't presented any evidence that little-green-men-from-outer-space performed bizarre sexual experiments on you when you were a child, therefore your whole line of thinking is baseless.
#26
I love it. The Dems believe (wrongly, IMO) that they just lost the presidential election based on "moral values." So now we're looking at a scandal bigger than a hundred Enrons, one that involves the UN in a mass murderer's money-laundering and influence-peddling and terror-supporting schemes. I would think that Sen. Levin and his peers on the Dem side of the aisle will try to get on the side of justice and morality in this one. No wiggle room for the Multilateralist Friends of the UN this time.
Don Kofi, you're finished. The entire Senate's against you, buddy, and you're going down.
#28
Unfortunately, Lex, the Oil-for-Food deal is more evidence of why Saddam had to go and why the UN cannot be trusted. For your scenario to play out, the Dems would have to act as if they believe Bush was right, the UN was wrong, and they're on the side of moral values.
That just AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
11/17/2004 15:52 Comments ||
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#29
Their base is their problem. Lotsa folk in Cambridge and SF think Kofi and the UN can do no wrong.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
11/17/2004 15:56 Comments ||
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#30
That's history. All the Dems' pundits now are converging on the theme that Dems need to get serious about the votes of winning heartland working-class religious folk and get serious on foreign policy. See northern snob lefty Harold Meyerson's admission that "the White House is worth a drawl", and New Republic arch-lib Peter Beinart on how the Dems need to finally get serious about national security.
What better way to start than to trash Don Kofi? This is win-win for any clever and serious Dem Senator. I'm betting Obama will jump on this.
#31
Trashing criminals' money-laundering schemes plays well in the heartland, suggests some semblance of foreign-policy seriousness and doesn't require any Dem to openly endorse Bush.
If they're smart, they'll be all over this. No-brainer. Which of course doesn't guarantee Boxhead or Pelosi or Kennedy will jump on it....
#32
I hope you're right Lex but I also hope you won't be offended if I believe it when I see it.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
11/17/2004 16:11 Comments ||
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#33
No offense taken. I'm skeptical of the old guard. My continued membership in the Democratic Party is on the line on this one. I'm watching carefully.
#34
I'd be surprised if they jump on it. The Dem party is so decayed I don't think they are capable of such a common sense move.
That they've seized the "moral values" issue to direct their blame - as if Bush was elected by buck-toothed, deluded, dolts - shows me that shame and blame is still all they can muster.
They are smart and we're stupid, don cha see?
Kofi won't take the blame any more than Sadaam will. The Democratic party has, for a very long time, been about 60's wonderbread children not wanting to grow up and act like adults. Once you stop singing "Imagine" and acknowledge Utopia doesn't exist, you have given up on the sunny side of life and are doomed to a mundane, life of boring trudgery.
#35
I'm starting to wonder if Sylwester is on the UN payroll
You got any links on that? Or is it pure speculation? If you do have links are the names spelled correctly? Is Kofi Kofi mentioned? Are NGO enumerated properly? Has decorum been preserved? Where's my Sioux Headress? Where is JM from Guam?
#36
Saw Fox on the opening of the hearings(damn it I wanted more nothing on C-Span 1 or 2)Sen.Levin also braught up the US State Department.That members knew about the shinanigans and ignored(possably condoned or aided and abetted)them,I'm curious to see whose name is mentioned.If true my respect and admiration for Powel just took a serious nose dive.
#37
Powell's an empty suit. The most over-rated figure in US politics today. And one of the most feckless Secretaries of State we've seen in twenty years.
Officials in Jakarta denied that Indonesian militants might be among Islamic insurgents fighting US forces in Iraq. The denial came amid reports that jihadist texts written in Indonesian have been uncovered by US Marines fighting in the rebel stronghold of Fallujah. Marine forces fighting around Fallujah's al-Kabir mosque - an insurgent flashpoint - found Indonesian books calling for holy war when they stormed the building to end sniper attacks. While the militants had already fled into the warren of nearby alleys, the texts and other books from Pakistan were found strewn on the floor along with abandoned AK-47 rifles and grenade launchers, Newsweek magazine reported.
Indonesia's chief foreign spokesman Marty Natalegawa denied the Marines' discovery meant Indonesian fighters were among the ranks of anti-coalition insurgents. "There is no way to confirm they are there, but there have not been any reports to us," he told AAP. "We need to see something more factual and we need to see something concrete. I don't accept there are any there." But western security experts and diplomats in Jakarta are privately concerned Indonesian jihadists may have joined foreign fighters in Iraq. "The fear is that these people will come home again one day and provide a fresh hard-core for groups like Jemaah Islamiah," one senior western envoy said. "Afghanistan has already served as a training ground. Iraq may be shaping as another." But Natalegawa said the only Indonesians believed to be in Iraq now were a group of thirty students and a handful of women married to Iraqis.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
11/17/2004 2:48:43 AM ||
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Who cares whether the Indos acknowledge anything? What is just is. Knee-jerk denial is for fools. As the story quotes, they may be dealing with the hard reality of these clowns coming home, soon. Better drop the PR pose and get serious, Marty old boy.
WASH POST LEAD THURSDAY: U.S. has information indicating Iran is working on developing nuclear missile... Developing...
[From Drudge, no link as yet. Thought you'd like to know how UN averts another crisis.]
#2
lol! .com - I'm guessing today's fifth graders could catch on faster than these guys.
I just saw a great segment on Dennis Miller (msnbc) tonight. Those of you west of Eastern Time zones should tune in. (it also comes back on at 11:30 or 12:30 ...i think)
I generally don't like political food fights - but this was particularly interesting because they had an actor (two bit - can't remember who) spewing the regular liberal memes and it was interesting to me, that when allowed to talk in an unsheltered environment, with an intelligent opponents, how shallow and stupid they seem. Air head, dumb jock are the terms that come to mind.
End result - this guy walked away feeling self-righteous as he enlightened...no...condescended to the great Republican unwashed...but he just seemed dumb. Interesting how times have changed.
The father of the Pakistani atomic bomb, Abdul Qadeer Khan, delivered in 2001 weapons grade highly enriched uranium to Iran which plans to use it to build a nuclear bomb next year, an Iranian opposition group claimed in Vienna Wednesday.
Khaaaaaaaannnnnnn!
"Khan has delivered a quantity of HEU to Iran in 2001", Farid Soleimani, a senior official of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, said at a press conference in Vienna. He said the Iranians have also received nuclear weapons designs from the Khan black market network. Khan gave the Iranians "the same weapons design he gave the Libyans as well as more in terms of weapons design," Soleimani said.
Wouldn't surprise me at all.
He said that for the Iranian military, 2005 "is the target base for the first bomb". Khan has admitted to being the ringleader of a smuggling network that supplied Iran, Libya and North Korea with sensitive nuclear technology. Soleimani is a senior official of the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), which in 2002 exposed two key nuclear sites Iran had been hiding, including a uranium-enrichment plant in Natanz. The NCRI is the political arm of the Mujahadeen Khalq, which the United States considers a terrorist orgnization.
Wherein lies the problem, can we trust the intel they provide?
Soleiman said Iran had a parallel nuclear program, with the military hiding uranium enrichment facilities while showing inspectors of the Vienna-based UN watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) civilian facilities.
Posted by: Steve ||
11/17/2004 1:09:22 PM ||
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Via Bill Hobbs:
Blackhawk Down author Mark Bowden, whose new book, Road Work: Among Tyrants, Beasts, Heroes, and Rogues is a collection of articles previously published by The Atlantic, has a must-read piece in the December issue of The Atlantic in which he interviews several of the Iranians who, 25 years ago, stormed the American embassy in Tehran and triggered the 15-month hostage crisis... His description of a trip to the old embassy site in Tehran with documentary filmmaker David Keane in hopes of taking video inside the former embassy, only to be rejected, is ... amazing.
We had gone about ten steps when Blue Shurt came running back out. "No," he cried. "It has been decided that you can only take still pictures - no moving pictures." That was when we gave up. We had already taken still pictures, on our earlier visit. As we made our way of of the compound, crossing the sidewalk onto Taleghani Avenue to hail a cab, the three young Revolutionary Guards came running after us. We wondered for a minute if the procedures wer going to change yet again. The guards all spoke to Ramin in Farsi, smiling and gesturing toward us, and then he relayed their comments: "They want me to tell you that they are embarrassed, that they think this is silly. They want to apologize on behalf of their country."
Ramin grinned as the soldiers huddled around him, grabbing at him in a friendly way. "They want me to tell you that they love America." The soldiers flashed big smiles at us and nodded approvingly. And right there in front of the DEATH TO THE USA sign, in front of the faded banners denouncing "The Great Satan," one of the Revolutionary Guards raised his thumb high into the air and said in halting English, "Okay, George W. Bush!"
Posted by: anonymous2u ||
11/17/2004 11:28:39 AM ||
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#1
You can't post stories like this anymore. It breaks my heart to hear about these poor bastards. I don't think I can handle it properly anymore. At some point, I'm simply going to begin yelling at, and beating anyone that doesn't think America should promote Freedom about the face, head, neck, and chest areas. Then I'm going to start them on fire and make s'mores.
Anyone up for some Brats?
Posted by: Mike ||
11/17/2004 12:30 Comments ||
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#3
Faster and then some....what's our window - 12 months, maybe?
Posted by: Rex Mundi ||
11/17/2004 13:29 Comments ||
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#4
some possible prereqs for revolution in Iraq
1. CIA reform. I mean really, these are guys who are gonna do the heavy lifting. How long will it take to transform the directorate of Operations? More than 12 months, I think.
2. Democratic elections and some stability in Iraq. The model of Iraq, (combined with the less important model of Afghanistan) will stir things up, esp. when Iranian pilgrims to the Shia holy cities see demo in action. We have elections in January, but without more stability, and further development of the constitutional processes, this wont be enough. 12 months is possible, but optimistic
3. Stability in Iraq sufficient to relieve the overstretch on US troops. Not that I think change in Iran will be done by invasion, but it will be necessary to "backstop" the covert actions.
#5
I think Sistani could, if he so desired, move the timetable up quite a bit. His strength in this depends on how much support he still has in Qom, and how the elections go in Iraq.
#6
Drives me crazy too. I want peace with those guys but it looks like madness. I hope we never go into Iran unless it's for a popular uprising and then only covert.
#8
Does it strike anyone else here that our "friends" in the future are yellow, brown and black?
And our white heritage despise us?
Japan has been a really good ally, all things considered. I think Afghanistan will, too. And Iraq, Iran and Africa, tho it's going to take an extremely long time.
#9
Back in the late 1960s and early 1970's, when I was a student at the University of Oregon, we had a lot of Iranian students who were very radical. If only the USA would stop supporting the Shah, they said, the Iranians would immediately develop a wonderful democracy. The reason Iran was governed by tyrants, they said, was solely because of the USA's support for the Shah. Oh, how dreamed of the day when the Ayatollah Khomenei would return victoriously to Iran.
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
11/17/2004 22:55 Comments ||
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#10
MS - Sounds like one of those classic be careful what you wish for stories. I feel sorry for the Persians... to have gone from the Shah to the Mad Mullahs, and still under the thumb of the latter.
An educated population, with far more liberal values and aspirations than their Arab neighbors. I hate it when they're lumped together. I believe these people would actually create a decent representative democracy if they had the chance. I favor the decap / topple / uprising scenario, but hey, that's just my opinion. And yes, I've worked with 3 Iranians whose parents got them out before the hard curtain fell - and they all adapted and fit in without a hiccup. So, based on a sample of 3 personal expereinces, I think they're good people and they could do it.
#11
All the Iranians I've worked/work with are fairly secular, but love their country and obey their religious calling without falling into the hate-America/Blackhat syndrome. The difference is education. Persians are well-educated, but the mullahs are destroying that for future generations. Time to knock them off their perch and let the people take care of them
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/17/2004 23:11 Comments ||
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Prominent Iranian dissident Ebrahim Yazdi, who was facing charges of seeking to overthrow the Islamic regime, has been handed a "heavy prison term", the government Iran newspaper said yesterday. The daily said the hardline-controlled judiciary had convicted Yazdi of "acting against national interests, propagating against the regime, helping opposition groups, insulting the supreme leader (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) and other officials and possessing unauthorised weapons." The paper did not elaborate on how many years the "heavy prison term"Â stipulates that Yazdi, who had boycotted his trial, must be jailed for. "I have no information on this sentence, but I will appeal any sentence with all legal means available," Yazdi told AFP.
Surprised they didn't shoot him.
Yazdi, 73, who heads the banned Iran Freedom Movement, was accused in November 2001 of "attempting to overthrow the regime" and "propagating against the regime". On October 2, Yazdi boycotted the first hearing of his trial on the grounds the court was "not competent". He had demanded an open court with a jury. Yazdi was a close aide to Iran's revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini during his final years in exile in 1978 in France, and served as foreign minister in the provisional government of Mehdi Bazargan. The Iran Freedom Movement, founded in the 1960s by Bazargan, is a liberal nationalist opposition movement seen as close to Iran's reformers. The group was tolerated until 2001 but is now banned in Iran because it questions certain principles of the Islamic Republic.
Like, for example, who put the current bozos in charge.
In March 2001, nearly 60 members and sympathisers were arrested on charges of wanting to "overthrow the regime" on the eve of presidential elections won by the reformist Mohammed Khatami. Fifteen of them were condemned to sentences of up to 11 years in prison, and are awaiting the outcome of their appeal.
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/17/2004 12:16:42 AM ||
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It's dangerous to talk back to judges in Iran. You can be hanged from a crane for such cheek. But then again maybe that only happens if you are a young girl with no power and no connections.
#2
2nd thought: He's an elderly man. They probably sentenced him to 40 years to make sure he dies in prison and they want to keep it quiet because harsh sentences like that can spark revolution.
The question of arming Iraq's new army with weapons of Soviet and Russian manufacture was raised in principle by the American side, the chief of Russia's General Staff, Colonel-General Yuri Baluyevsky told journalists in Brussels. He said the initiative came from the commander-in-chief of NATO forces in Europe, U.S. General James Johnes. When asked why the Americans suggested this, Baluyevsky explained that the Untied States may be increasingly aware that it makes no sense arming the Iraqi army with fourth and fifth generation military hardware. "The Iraqi army is unprepared for this. It is also unnecessary. The main task of the Iraqi army now is not protection from foreign threats, but stabilization of the situation in the country." Sooo... What he's saying is, "American hardware is to good for the Iraqi Army. Plus, they are already familiar with the outdated Russia junk anyway." I can see this as making sense from a cost perspective for Iraq, and a safety perspective for our troops.
(Not wanting good hardware in the hands of terrorists)
Posted by: Mike ||
11/17/2004 5:44:30 PM ||
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This is Russia's carrot if it becomes a little more cooperative on Iraq. An olive branch, perhaps?
More than 150 rebels in northern Chad have defected to the national army, the central African country's Defence Minister Emmanuel Nadingar said on Wednesday. Nadingar told Reuters the men were members of the Movement for Democracy and Justice in Chad (MDJT), which launched a rebellion in 1998 against President Idriss Deby's government in the north of the former French colony. The government portrayed the defections as a success for its efforts to disarm the rebels and end the six-year uprising, but the MDJT said the authorities were exaggerating a decision by a small number of its fighters to return to civilian life. "152 members of the MDJT decided to accept the hand of peace offered by the president and return to life within the law," the minister said. He said they were on their way to a military training centre, where they would join the regular army. Nadingar said he expected more defections.
But Mahamat Mahadi Ali, the MDJT's deputy foreign representative, told Reuters the defectors numbered only about 20 men who simply wanted to become civilians and were not from the group's heartland. "There has not been any move to join the army as such," he said. "This is a non-event for us." The group still attracts volunteers to a fighting force of about 1,500, he said by telephone from France. Despite various peace deals, the MDJT still fights sporadic battles with government forces in the remote Tibesti region, which boasts the highest mountains in the Sahara desert.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
11/17/2004 3:27:41 PM ||
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Last year, the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) issued a specification for the SOF (Special Operations Forces) Combat Assault Rifle (SCAR). At the time, the U.S. Army was also developing a new assault rifle, the XM-8, and it was thought that SOCOM might use a version of the XM-8 for its own needs. SCAR, however, is somewhat different from the XM-8. For one thing, SCAR must be able to quickly change barrels and receivers so that it can fire 5.56mm, 7.62mm (large cartridge, like the M-14 and American medium machine-guns) or the short, AK-47 7.62mm rounds. Moreover, SCAR has to be even more rugged and reliable (and expensive to build) than the XM-8. As a result, the XM-8 lost out to a custom weapon from the Belgium firm, FN Herstal.
SCAR is actually two different rifles, the "light" version (5.56mm) and the "heavy" (7.62mm). Maximum number of weapons to be ordered will be 155,000 (84,000 standard lights, 28,000 closer-quarter combat versions of the light rifle, 12,000 light sniper types, 15,000 standard heavies, 7,000 heavy close-quarters combat conversions of the heavy rifle and 12,000 heavy sniper rifles.) Meanwhile, the U.S. Army has given all other rifle manufacturers one more chance to submit weapons to compete with the current Heckler & Koch XM-8. This is a sign that official acceptance and mass production is not far away. However, not all of the senior army, or Department of Defense, brass are willing to spend the billions of dollars it will cost to reequip the troops with the XM-8. There should be a decision by next year, however. Meanwhile, SOCOM will have SCAR, even if the army ends up not getting the XM-8.
Unconfirmed rumor has it that the XM8 recently failed a US Army test. It apparently suffered some kind of mechanical failure. The Marines don't want the XM-8 either, they issued a contract for replacement M-16s earlier this year.
Posted by: Steve ||
11/17/2004 2:19:28 PM ||
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#1
Just recalls that the Army copy of the German MG didn't pass tests in WWII only to find out later the contractor made some errors in duplication. It would be much later the Army would adopt the M60 MG which is very similar to the German model, vice the Browning models.
If the services are once again getting out of the standardization mode for their own 'unique' weapons, like they've done on uniforms, the costs are going to compounded. There has got to be a balance between getting what the servicemembers REALLY needs in their hands and what some think they need driven by trying to get the last 5% capability out of a new system. Perfect is the enemy of just good enough. It also has the consequence of making $500 hammer contracts.
Posted by: Don ||
11/17/2004 15:25 Comments ||
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#2
Are any of these new weapons using the metal storm technology? I'm not saying they need to fire a million rounds a minute but having no moving parts has to be an advantage when it comes to cleaning the thing.
#5
Okay, so what about the other rumors I've heard, which is that (1)Everybody will go over to the 6.8mm SPC round, (2)M-16s will be retrofitted with Barrett uppers to facilitate this change, and (3)XM-8s will be chambered for 6.8mm SPC from the get-go? This is getting logistically complex, which, as Don noted, can be expensive and potentially dangerous.
Posted by: Jonathan ||
11/17/2004 20:04 Comments ||
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#6
Mrs. D, no Metal Storm is not even close to being operational anywhere. It requires special ammunition which is not part of the current logistical train. Interesting technology though and it offers mor benefits than just super-high rate of fire.
Jonathan, it would be Ronnie Barrett's dream that everyone went over to his 6.8 upper, but I would not hold your breath.
November 17, 2004: In October, 2004, American fighter bombers, having had their fire control software modified to allow for the use of the 500 pound JDAM (GPS guided) smart bomb, began using the smaller bomb in Iraq. Air Force F-16s and Navy F-18s were the first aircraft to drop the smaller smart bomb. The air force is modifying software and hardware on its B-2 bombers to enable them to carry 80 of the 500 pound JDAMs. B-1 bombers will be able to carry 84 of the bombs, and B-52s about the same number. F-16s and F-18s can carry about a dozen of the 500 pound bombs, versus four of the older 2,000 pound bombs. This enables the aircraft to hit more targets in one mission.
When you can drop one in somebody's hip pocket, you don't always need a big bomb.
The 500 pound JDAM is favored for combat in urban areas, because it is less likely to injure nearby civilians, and friendly troops can be closer to the target when the bomb goes off. For the older 2,000 pound JDAM, troops had to be at least 500 meters away when the bomb went off. With the 500 pound bomb, troops can get as close as a hundred meters, which shortens the time it takes to get to the target area to deal with any surviving enemy troops, or simply to make sure other enemy troops don't move back into the rubble.
The next one in the pipeline is the 100 pound Small Diameter Bomb.
Posted by: Steve ||
11/17/2004 1:52:37 PM ||
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#1
If they ever get the GPS-guided artillery rounds down pat, the Air Force won't have to spend quite as much time circling around.
#4
Something worth mentioning here is that the drawback to this smaller precision munition and its potential to not cause as much collateral damage is the outcry that will result when something goes awry. The media and a lot of the public are getting/have been spoiled as a result of the last couple of conflicts we've been engaged in where U.S. casualties, collateral damage, and civilian casualties have been relatively light. Never mind that nothing is always perfect; the media and various critics of military action will scream bloody murder if in the future a bomb goes astray by a few feet, misses the target and ends up causing unintended casualties among non-combatants.
#5
B-a-r - And these critics will be the same people who can't match socks, make change, or find their car keys, much less program their VCR / TiVo, lol!
Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad have again called for a unified leadership to be set up following Yasser Arafat's death. The groups want to be part of a joint leadership until presidential elections scheduled for early January 2005. For now, both groups are refusing to participate in the election. They argue that the vote will only be used to install a leader associated with Mr Arafat's Fatah movement, which has always held the levers of Palestinian power. But the powerful Islamist movement, Hamas, and its sister party, Islamic Jihad, say that they should now be drawn into the power structure. "We are opposed to any monopoly on power." Unless we have the monopoly
Posted by: Mike ||
11/17/2004 1:34:35 PM ||
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A government that does not have a monopoly on force in its own territory is no government at all. The Paleos are heading straight towards a de facto solution imposed by Israel (the wall), a civil war, or most likely both. Not surprising, but depressing.
#2
"Palestinian Authority" was an oxymoron when Arafat was alive. There is no government to speak of, and elections in this context will be meaningless. Methinks Bush's four-year horizon needs to be stretched a bit. Like a few decades.
#3
Would it be inappropriate for me to Ululate in anticipation of the oncoming Paleo Civil War?
Posted by: Mike ||
11/17/2004 14:32 Comments ||
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Interesting potential scenario:
"Unified Leadership" II=Terrorist group representatives and non-terrorists working in the same coalition government POST-election. We didn't deal with Arafat because he was both the symbol and coordinator of the terrorists. I hope we have considered the above potential coalition and prepared that aspect of our policy accordingly. (AFAIC, any group affiliated with terrorists acts should not be at the bargaining table or be seen as a legitimate partner for negotiations-Palestinians have their part of the bargain to keep, too; but are Blair and the Europeans of that mind as well?)
#5
What's interesting here is that a TERRORIST ORGANIZATION is attempting to call the shots, with little in the way of official opposition. Not a very good reflection on Paleo society or its "government".
"Israel mercenaries assisting the Ivory Coast army operated unmanned aircraft that aided aerial bombings of a French base in the country," claimed French television station TF1 on Wednesday morning.
You just knew they'd find a way to blame the Jews somehow.
Le Monde newspaper also reported Wednesday that a group of 46 Israeli advisors operated an eavesdropping and intelligence center for the Ivory Coast military. An Israeli defense source quoted Wednesday morning on Israel Radio said there is no truth to the French reports that Israelis assisted the Ivory Coast in its attacks on French military installations.
Just targeting data
. According to the source, the Israeli unmanned aircraft confiscated by the French in the Abidjan airport, had been legally sold to the Ivory Coast by a private company not connected to Israeli military industries.
Well, not officially at any rate.
Following the confiscation of the unmanned aircraft, France asked Israel to clarify the circumstances of their presence in the West African state and Israel promised to stop supplying the Ivory Coast with military equipment. Nevertheless, the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem said in response that "Israel is unaware of the matter."
"Aircraft, what aircraft?"
The United Nations Security Council on Monday imposed an immediate arms embargo on Ivory Coast to spur the African country to end anti-foreigner rampages, while France concluded the evacuation of more than 5,000 westerners fleeing the violence. The Security Council's resolution Monday also said that further sanctions, including a travel ban and an asset freeze, could be imposed if the peace process with northern rebels isn't back on track within a month.
You are going to hold the rebels to the same standards, right? Hello?
Israel decided to suspend arms sales to Ivory Coast in response to a French request, the Defense Ministry announced on November 9. The request came in the wake of recent turmoil in the West African country. Ivory Coast warplanes killed nine French peacekeepers and an American aid worker in an airstrike on the rebel-held north. France, Ivory Coast's former colonial ruler, wiped out the nation's air force on the tarmac in retaliation, sparking massive anti-French rampages by mobs of thousands in the fiercely nationalist south. France had already requested two months ago that both the Israeli government and private Israeli arms merchants stop exporting weapons to the Ivory Coast, since this endangered French soldiers. Over the past year, the Defense Ministry has continued to grant export permits to Israeli arms traders doing business with Ivory Coast. Aeronautics Defense Systems, which is based in Yavneh, is one of the Israeli companies that has sold military-related goods - including drones and riot-dispersal equipment - to Ivory Coast. In addition, arms dealer Moshe Rothschild has sold Ivory Coast ammunition and light weapons made in Eastern Europe.
Posted by: Steve ||
11/17/2004 1:15:38 PM ||
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"Israel mercenaries assisting the Ivory Coast army operated unmanned aircraft that aided aerial bombings of a French base in the country," claimed French television station TF1 on Wednesday morning.
I certainly hope so!
Quit backing the murdering ROPâ¢, Froggies, and maybe we'll welcome you back into the fold of civilized nations.
Maybe.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
11/17/2004 15:02 Comments ||
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Israel has historically had strong relations in non-muslim sub-Saharan Africa, going back to the days when Israel was run by Socialists and was seen as a quasi(but successful) less developed country. This went underground to some extent after 1967, but continued nonetheless, in fields from agriculture and water, to construction, to security affairs. When the Israelis rescued the hostages from the terrorists at Entebbe in 1976, Kenya cooperated with the Israeli mission. Since Oslo Israel has revived its African relationships.
My impression has been that Israels ties are stronger in anglophone Africa, esp Kenya, Uganda(when it wasnt under Amin) Ghana, Ethiopia, etc. This could be seen by the French as penetration into their sphere, and resisted as such.
The French are really big on anniversaries. Anyone know what they are planning for the centennial of the exculpation of Capt. Dreyfus?
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
11/17/2004 15:28 Comments ||
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#4
Interesting, apparantly Belurussian mercs are in the area as well. It's like a little proxy war of people who really don't have a beef against each other. And the French are looking bad as a result.
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas failed at talks with militants on Wednesday to win a commitment to end attacks on Israelis in the run-up to Jan. 9 elections for a replacement to Yasser Arafat, political sources said. Abbas is likely to be Fatah's main candidate to succeed Arafat as president on a platform of more dead infidels renewed talks. Palestinian political sources said Abbas obtained a pledge at the talks with leaders of Fatah armed groups as well as Hamas and Islamic Jihad to work to restore internal order but not to suspend attacks on Israelis.
"We live to die by killing Jooos!"
Faction sources said Hamas and Islamic Jihad also told Abbas they would probably not field candidates for president, sticking to a policy of boycotting Palestinian self-rule institutions that might deal with Israel, which both groups want to destroy.
I'm just gabberflasted at the matter-of-fact reporting of the aims of Hamas and IJ. I know I shouldn't be, but I am.
Outgoing Secretary of State Colin Powell is due to visit Israel and the West Bank on Monday, lending weight to President Bush's vow to help create a Palestinian state in Israel-occupied areas during his second four-year term. But veteran Palestinian moderates in Arafat's old guard are hampered by a lack of popular credibility at home.
Veteran Pali moderates in Arafat's old guard? Who are they trying to kid?
They face a big challenge from a younger militant generation angered not only by high-level corruption but the failure to attain Palestinian demands via past dialogue, particularly a halt to Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank. Many Palestinians smolder over what they see as an Israeli bid to impose a solution with a unilateral plan to withdraw from tiny Gaza next year but keep much of the West Bank.
Too bad, terrorists. Somebody has to be the grownup here, and that's Israel.
Sharon has said he would consider renewing contacts toward peace only if new Palestinian leaders clamp down on militants.
#1
am I wrong to believe that they will become so bogged down in political infighting for the crown, that we can all just stand back and watch as they self-destruct?
#2
From what I can tell, the upcoming Palestinian election will be like holding a beauty pageant in a Leper colony. Small wonder the Palestinians are considered the Pollacks of the Middle East. Why do we continue to countenace this charade? These people are not capable of self-goverenance.
#3
abbas is the "veteran Pal moderate" Of course thats a pretty awkward phrase - does it mean a veteran Pal whos a moderate, or a Pal whos a veteran at being a moderate? Certainly Abbas aint a life long moderate - can anyone find one who has ANY influence among Pals? But he WAS apparently pushing for moderate policies from the time of Oslo forward, and was widely reported to be aghast at Arafats flat rejection of the Taba peace proposal, and of the call to Intifada. After that he was no longer really a member of Arafats "guard", old or otherwise. He became Pal PM only cause the US essentially imposed him on Arafat, and Arafat proceeded to out maneuver him.
With Arafat rotting in hell, the question becomes what will Abbas try to do, and what will he be capable of doing. I, for one, am not willing to prejudge that either way at this point.
His unwillingness to give in to Hamas on the date and format of Pal elections is a good sign, but more important will be how he deals with the Hamas violence that is likely to result.
#4
This is a complete farce. The Israeli-Palestinian war will end, if it ever does, the way all wars end: when one side gives up. I'm not betting on that side being Israel.
#5
plenty of wars end with no clear winner. You could say that still means a side giving up, in fact both sides. Israel has certainly given up the claim to ALL the West Bank. On the Israeli side the question is whether it will give up 95% of the West Bank. Barak was willing to, and I suspect the majority of Israelis are. Its not clear what Sharon is willing to give up, exactly. As for the Pals, it seems Abbas was willing to give up alot, and at least to the point of not being willing to reject the Taba out of hand. Whether he will really give up the "right of return" is a matter of some debate. Whether the rest of the Palestinian Polity will give up as much as Abbas would is another difficult question. Im not optimistic about the outcome, but farce it is not.
#7
I agree that Arafat probably never accepted Israels existence. I am not convinced that Abbas and Dahlan dont accept it.
Certainly Israel will never accept its own destruction. The question of the West Bank is however tied with the question of Israels existence, in that improvements over the 1967 green line are widely seen in Israel as needed for the sake of security, to insure Israels existence. Barak and others thought the offer at Taba did that. Some doves think an even more generous offer (the Geneva accords) would still do so. Sharon has given the impression that he thinks the Taba lines were not adequate to Israels security, and thus existence.
#8
What are the chances that a coherent Palestinian regime will emerge that will renounce, in its foreign words and its domestic ones, and in deeds as well, the commitment of every Palestinian armed faction to the destruction of Israel?
#9
The Paleo terrortories is the first society in the history of the world where the majority of the population is incapable of supporting itself. It exists as a giant UN run welfare scheme. The notion that a Paleo state will somehow magically solve this problem is absurd. Destroying Israel would be unlikely to solve it either. I can not see how this will end other than badly for the Paleos.
#11
"What are the chances that a coherent Palestinian regime will emerge that will renounce, in its foreign words and its domestic ones, and in deeds as well, the commitment of every Palestinian armed faction to the destruction of Israel?"
Foreign words - 100%, Arafat already did that, but this was contradicted by his domestic words, and even more so by his actions, as you correcly imply. Chance that regime will emerge which will do all you suggest, including renouncing right of return, and effectively cracking down on those who continue to call for violence - id say 40 to 50%. Odds of it surviving for more than 12 months, say about half of that. This at any time in the next 3 years. But the odds are NOT unaffected by Israeli actions.
#13
LH, if your probabilities are correct, then to use Bush's capital investment metaphor, I'd say that the expected return on US invested capital in the "peace process" is somewhere around the ROIC for pets.com. Or maybe the ROIC on Delta Airlines bonds.
More evidence of Bush's cunning and good judgment. Won't get snookered as Clinton did.
#14
It depends what capital he has to invest. Going in personally like Clinton did would certainly be a mistake, besides I cant see Dubya doing something like that even if the payoff was high, not a "details" guy. Just as well. Appointing a special envoy, sending Rice to the region, etc, putting SOME pressure on Sharon to keep give some space to Abbas, would all make sense however.
And you assume (at least implicitly) that the only return is if there is if a coherent Pal regime emerges with the desired policies. In fact there are benefits to the United States from acting even if that does not occur. Notably in softening attitudes among the (sigh!) fence sitters in the muslim world. And reconciling with those Europeans who are reconcilable. And helping out Tony. And yes, these are all real benefits - (no Putin isnt going to substitute for Blair anytime soon, and yes there are reasonable people in Europe, whom we need, and yes, there ARE fence sitters in the muslim world).
#17
LH, can't buy any of your purported benefits. As the earlier commenter asserted, surrender by the Palestinians is the pre-requisite here. Sure, in this case it won't look so simple, but that's the sine qua non. Surrender as to destroying Israel, that is. Everything else of course is open to discussion, please sit and have some more tea ... .
But the "fence-sitters" in the Muslim world are mostly of no consequence, and also mostly not fence-sitters when it comes to irrational anti-US feelings anyway. All that we need from them is for them to continue to be weak and demoralized and thus marginal and for their scared/intimidated/bribed regimes to cooperate on essential matters with us. Europeans already provide adequate cooperation, including even contemptible fools like the French. Their need for us makes any need for them undiscernibly small by comparison. Blair's articulate and engaging, etc., but so are some friends of mine. The Conservatives in the UK may be leaderless and pathetic, and Labor half-useless, but whoever follows Blair will have to deal with reality, and will knock him aside for domestic reasons having no relation to PR peace offensives in the MidEast.
External intervention in the mess has almost invariably resulted in more deaths, more suffering, and prolonged impasse -- precisely because without Palestinian and Arab surrender on the fundamental question, all such intervention is pocketed when it walks the Israelis back and contemptuously discarded when it comes to Arab obligations (see last 30 years for examples).
Ninety-nine percent of the change, hard decisions, internecine conflict, and china-breaking must take place on the Palestinian and wider Arab side. "Interventions" by outsiders will simply delay and dilute all of these, as it always has. One can only hope that Dubya follows his correct instincts and avoids any pernicious, naive attempts to "help," and further that he torpedoes any Euro-meddling as well. Given the nihilism, racism, and death-cult that now permeate the Palestinian side, it's a safe bet that it'll be 10-20 years before any real change takes place.
It's to the point where advocates of mediation have to account for their apparent indifference to Palestinian degradation and death.
Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qorei set up a special committee Wednesday to probe the cause of Yasser Arafat'sdeath as officials were to head to Paris to seek answers from French medics. After chairing a meeting of his national security council, Qorei revealed he had ordered the establishment of the committee, including representatives from the health and interior ministries as well as the intelligence services. "The committee was asked to make contact with all individuals and parties who can contribute towards clarifying the ambiguity that has been surrounding the death of President Arafat and also in view of the surfeit of questions that have been raised by the Palestinian public," a statement from his office said.
Translation: "We need to get our stories straight so this coverup can work."
Arafat died in a French military hospital last Thursday at the age of 75 after sinking into a coma. The Arab world has been abuzz with suspicions that he was poisoned, with many conspiracy theorists pointing the finger at Israel. To date, French officials have said that Arafat's medical file can be released only to "eligible parties", such as his family. Arafat's former senior advisor, Nabil Abu Rudeina, also revealed that a special delegation was to head to France within the next few days. "A Palestinian delegation is going to France to ask the French government to hand over the medical report about the real reason for Arafat's death," Abu Rudeina told AFP in Ramallah. Abu Rudeina did not give exact details of the make-up of the delegation nor its timetable but added that it would head to France "very soon."
Posted by: Steve ||
11/17/2004 1:00:04 PM ||
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I know Ima kinda scquimishy, but isn't the idea of probeing a dead Arafish sorta icky?
They're cheaper than Samoans, but you get what you pay for...
A detachment of Fijian troops has left to take up peace-keeping duties for the United Nations in Iraq. The UN has re-established a presence in Baghdad after withdrawing last year when its headquarters was bombed. Fiji's Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase, said the country, a former British colony, was proud to be part of efforts to bring stability to the Gulf. His government was the first to agree to provide troops specifically to protect UN officials in Iraq. The Fijian soldiers, who marched through the capital, Suva, earlier this week, were given an emotional send off. Around 130 troops will spend the next six months protecting the United Nations in Iraq as the country prepares for national elections. Last year 22 UN workers, including the special envoy, Sergio Vieira de Mello, were killed in a bomb attack in Baghdad. Fiji has a long history of sending its forces to the world's trouble spots, including the Solomon Islands, East Timor and Lebanon.
It's one of their bigger export crops.
More than 2,000 soldiers from Fiji are currently serving in the British army. They have a reputation for loyalty and courage. A 27-year-old Fijian sniper, who was part of the Black Watch regiment in Iraq, was killed by insurgents earlier this month.
I've heard they are so good the government doesn't like them hanging around back home. Afraid they might get "ideas".
Posted by: Steve ||
11/17/2004 8:43:32 AM ||
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I'm hungry.
Posted by: me me Spam ||
11/17/2004 17:23 Comments ||
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#2
I don't know anything about Fijians, but wouldn't you want fighters with "loyalty and courage" on your side?
#3
Fiji is a lovely place with very warm and friendly people , but u seriously dont wanna screw around with them , some are huge hehe . I sometimes wondered what the fijians eat ! hopefully their diet in Iraq will be jihadis for breakfast , lunch and tea .
Big respect goes out to these people , they have the morals and conviction to do a great job in whatever they do .
A newly declassified U.S. intelligence report details the plans of Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida terrorist network to establish itself in Chechnya because the Russian enclave is "unreachable by strikes from the West." The Defense Intelligence Agency Intelligence Information Report [pdf file] was obtained by the public interest group Judicial Watch Oct. 30 through a Freedom of Information Act request made nearly four years ago regarding the Clinton administration's decision in 1998 to bomb the al Shifa pharmaceutical factory in Sudan and suspected al-Qaida terrorist training camps in the area of Khost, Afghanistan. "This report provides a deeply disturbing 'snapshot' of what the U.S. intelligence community knew about the activities of bin Laden and his associates back in 1998," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. "The global scope and rabid fanaticism of these Islamist terrorists is spelled out in no uncertain terms, including their intense interest in WMDs," Fitton said. "Documents such as these give the American people some idea of the terror threat facing the West."
The report is derived from handwritten documents obtained through a classified intelligence project nicknamed "Swift Knight." It includes a description of how al-Qaida envisions achieving its goals through methods that include "ethnic cleansing" and "control over nuclear and biological weapons." Also, mentioned is the tactic of "latent penetration," a reference to so-called "sleeper cells." The report, with extensive information about al-Qaida's activities in Central Asia, confirms the existence of a secure, terrorist transport "route to Chechnya from Pakistan and Afghanistan through Turkey and Azerbaijan."
It also provides basic biographical information on bin Laden and his formation of al-Qaida. According to the report, the documents were written during the first two weeks of October 1998. The dual-site bombing operation by the U.S. that year, codenamed "Infinite Reach," reportedly was in retaliation for the Aug. 7, 1998, bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. The spellings, references and phrases in the report are verbatim transcriptions from the original handwritten document, Judicial Watch said, rendering, for example, to the al-Qaida leader as "Usam ben Laden."
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
11/17/2004 3:04:11 AM ||
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#1
[Establish a base] "unreachable by strikes from the West."
#2
Hmm,I am under the impression that B-52,-1,-2,& ALCM's can pretty much strike anywhere on the planet.Throw in some HALO qualified operaters and the bad guys are bread crumbs(not much toast left from a cruise missle or jdam strike).
#6
I think the Russians learned from their Afghanistan experience and ours. When the going gets tough, cluster bombs work better than helicopter gunships. I hope Osama goes to Chechnya.
Posted by: Tom ||
11/17/2004 10:57 Comments ||
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A web site that reportedly contained speeches by Suleiman Abu Ghaith, an alleged spokesman for al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, was shut down by a Swedish internet provider after the site was traced to its server. Spray Network, a subsidiary of Lycos Europe, shut the site down after being informed of the site, said Fredrik Skaerheden, a Spray Network spokesman. "We have a very clear policy that any material that in any way may urge or encourage criminal acts or violence is immediately removed," Skaerheden told The Associated Press.
The web site, www.members.lycos.co.uk/abugaith1, reportedly contained several audio files of Abu Ghaith giving speeches and sermons in Arabic, and contained several violent and bloody images. According to the Middle East Media Research Institute, or MEMRI, which first traced the site to the Swedish server, at least one of the sermons called for Muslims to give their lives to fight the United States. A report on MEMRI's Web site quoted the sermon as hailing bin Laden and describing the Jihad fighters as people who "seek death as others seek life and seek Allah's promise in the Koran and sacrifice their property, their blood, and their lives as a sign of the sincerity of their faith." Anyone can create a web site for free on Lycos' servers, Skaerheden said, adding that many of the Lycos Europe member sites are hosted by Spray's servers in the Swedish capital, Stockholm.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
11/17/2004 2:43:20 AM ||
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people who "seek death as others seek life"
Relgion o' Peace, yup. Can we please stop tiptoeing around this death cult and simply refer to it as the new fascism?
This is simply the arab version of European death-cult fascism-- "Viva El Meurte!" in arabic, the old SS/Totenkopf wine in a new bottle.
The Indian Army, the world's fourth largest, is 20 percent short of its total manpower requirements, its chief, Gen. N.C. Vij, said yesterday.
Particularly for MiG pilots.
The shortage was particularly acute in the case of short service commissioned (SSC) officers, he said. "We need to bring in more SSC officers," Vij told reporters on the sidelines of an army function on the outskirts of Bangalore. Vij said efforts were under way to improve the service conditions of both regular commissioned and SSC officers to make a career in the army more attractive for the youth. The Indian Army is 1.2 million strong.
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/17/2004 12:21:12 AM ||
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1.065 billion people. That's a small army.
China has about the same population (1.3 billion), but 6 million strong army.
#3
Between India and China, there is expected to be 25 million or so "extra" males, with no hope of employment, or, because of slanted demographics, a chance of ever getting married. So unless some disease like the Spanish Flu, which primarilly killed young men, comes along, there is gonna be a heap of trouble. Maybe if they fought a nice, extended, low tech trench warfare war?
#4
Reading stuff like this just makes me happy that i live in a society where i get to make my own choices regarding my life.
I don't feel sorry for that girl at all, nor the millions of other Muslims around the world.
Sympathy towards Muslims & Islam is something that i am not compatible with & never will be.
Its not our fault they live in such a shit infested hell hole, ruled by retarded Sharia Laws that revolve around a pathetic religion known as Islam.
We've tried to help the Muslims countless numbers of times in the past and they just keep spitting in our faces.
Let their deaths be their freedom.
Posted by: God Save The World ||
11/17/2004 20:15 Comments ||
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#5
Ignore my above posting - it showed up in the wrong place !
Posted by: God Save The World ||
11/17/2004 20:17 Comments ||
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#6
The lure of high paying (for India) call center and other foreign company jobs is probably cutting into the college educated men who might have considered a military career in India.
Posted by: Laurence of the Rats ||
11/17/2004 21:30 Comments ||
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The United Nations top human rights official on Tuesday denounced the killing of civilians and injured people in Fallujah, saying violators of international humanitarian law must be brought to justice. Louise Arbour, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, spoke in general terms and did not specifically mention insurgents' attacks against hostages or a U.S. military report that it is investigating the videotaped fatal shooting of a wounded man by a U.S. Marine in a mosque in Fallujah. "There have been a number of reports during the current confrontation alleging violations of the rules of war designed to protect civilians and combatants," Arbour said in a statement. "All violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law must be investigated and those responsible for breaches — including the deliberate targeting of civilians, indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks, the killing of injured persons and the use of human shields — must be brought to justice, be they members of the multinational force or insurgents," Arbour said.
Does that mean she's going to send the UN cops in to arrest the Bad Guyz? Didn't think so.
I suspect she has two standards for what is an "indiscriminate and disproportionate" attack. We're supposed to be able to control ourselves, something she doesn't ask the Moose-limbs to do ...
She also complained of she said was a lack of independent access to civilians trapped in Fallujah during the U.S.-led assault and an absence of information on the number of civilians casualties. A relief convoy of ambulances and supplies was unable to enter Fallujah because of fighting in the city Monday, Red Crescent officials said.
They shoulda stopped when the RC showed up, right? (Where do they get these people?)
Posted by: Fred ||
11/17/2004 11:00:03 PM ||
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#1
We did stop before and let the Red Crescent terrorist ammo resupply vehicles ambulances come through. Didn't work. Now we learned and we did not let them through this time.
On the violations of human rights, maybe Kofi Annan and the UN should be brought to justice for the Rwanda genocide. Or is that forbidden to be discussed?
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
11/17/2004 0:26 Comments ||
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#2
In other news....We are still awaiting any type of response from the UN on the thousands of murder in Dafur.
P.S. Note to military. Get your head out of your ass and stop embedding journalist!
#3
The current UN personages of Louise Arbour and Kofi Annan will go down in the anals of UN history as the most ineffective and worthless representatives of the plights; of even their own country's well being. Annan has accomplished less for Africa than even Idi Amin!
#4
I am again inviting Kofi Annan and the UN to leave my country. Louise Arbour may travel to Iraq. We will not impair any investigation she might desire to make. We will not protect her however. I give her about an hour unkidnapped.
#7
Hand wringing and skimming off the top -- that's about all the U.N. ever does besides accumulating parking tickets.
Posted by: Tom ||
11/17/2004 10:52 Comments ||
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#8
Mike, I don't understand why you are such a Kofi apologist. Rwanda was in Kofi's area of responsibility when the genocide occurred. It did not occur out of thin air. He did nothing to head it off or warn, loudly and insistently, that it could take place. He is playing the same role again with Darfur. You may say that the Sec Gen has no power and is only a figurehead, but in my mind that is a cop out. This individual does not seem to have the capability to convince anyone of anything other than Israel and America are bad. That means that he is ineffective.
#11
Re #8 (Remoteman)
In other words, you don't have any arguments for an indictment, and you don't have any ideas about what the UN should have done differently.
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
11/17/2004 11:46 Comments ||
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#12
The U.N.'s main function these days is to DENOUNCE the United States! Now that the Democratic Party has taken over that role I believe the U.N. is redundant...and should be asked to leave!
#14
What is wrong with you MS,it doesn't take a flash of insight for Kofi to stand-up in the General Assmebly and demand military intervevtion to stop genocide.Isn't that what he is supposed to do,I would think that should be part of the job discription.The U.N.in general and Kofi in particular are directly responsable for the genocide in Rawanda,Dafur,former Yugo republic(don't even try the ehnic cleansing is not genocide crap,won't wash)and you,Mike,plus people like you bare a good deal of responability too.It is people like you that permit,excuse and ignore genocide that allows Kofi&Co.to get away with it.You got any complaints take it up with Kofi,I'm sure he will get right on it.
#15
If Kofi Annan had demanded military intervention, would you personally have supported it?
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
11/17/2004 14:45 Comments ||
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#16
As a two-step plan, Mike, yes:
1) We say yes and contribute troops
2) France, Germany, Brazil, Chile, Russia, Poland, Japan, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Netherlands, UK, Australia, India, all our "allies"...say yes and contribute a proportionately equal number of troops.
Step 2 is where the real problem emerges, isn't it?
#17
Mike S, Jules hits the nail on the head. Kofi should have had the stones to stand up before the GA and demand action from the member states. He should have been in front of the media generating additional pressure. The fact is that he did next to nothing an a million people died. Then, to demonstrate how functional and effective the UN is, he get PROMOTED to Sec Gen. Are you kidding me?? And all you can do with respect to the UN in every one of your posts relating to the topic is apologize for them. Wake up. Kofi had his thumb up his ass and lots of people died. He is doing the same shit now. He is a stain.
#21
Anan's guilt with regard to Rwanda goes way beyond not demanding action. jAs the UN official responsible, he deliberately ignored desperate reports of genocide and requests for help until it was conveniently too late to impact the outcome.
IMO that was criminal. He has gallons of blood on his hands for his actions as a UN official before becoming SecGen.
Posted by: too true ||
11/17/2004 19:25 Comments ||
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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.
French President Jacques Chirac says he is "not at all sure" the world has become safer with the removal from power of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. In a BBC interview Mr Chirac suggests the situation in Iraq has helped to prompt an increase in terrorism.
Palestinian leader 
Palestinian prime minister 
