Dutch troops in Afghanistan were forced to fight when they were attacked at the army base in Kandahar which they have taken over temporarily from Canadian troops, the Dutch newspaper, Trouw, reported Wednesday. On Monday evening some 100 enemy fighters attacked the Martello camp with light weapons and heavy mortars. The camp was attacked again on Tuesday morning. But this was said to have been a "minor action."
There were no fatalities among the Dutch troops, said the paper. The Dutch Defense Ministry said an undisclosed number of attackers were killed. Another national newspaper, De Telegraaf, said 10 Taliban soldiers were killed in the attacks. Some 100 Dutch troops have temporarily occupied the camp in the neighboring province of Kandahar because the Canadians and their NATO allies have their hands full with the large-scale operation against Taliban strongholds. Safeguarding the camp is also in the interest of the Netherlands, since Martello is situated on the supply route of the two Dutch camps in Uruzgan, said the paper.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2006 00:00 ||
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The sending 1,400 Dutch troops to Afghanistan in August was controversial and it eventually won political backing on the understanding the contingent would concentrate on reconstruction in Uruzgan rather than battling the Taliban. Dutch Defence Minister Henk Kamp told MPs last week providing occasional assistance was covered by the mandate agreed by parliament. "There is no question of a structural deployment outside the province of Uruzgan," he said.
The Dutch Socialist Party sought clarification of the issue following reports that the regional command of the Nato-led international force wants more freedom to use troops more effectively in southern Afghanistan.
Posted by: Steve ||
09/07/2006 8:10 Comments ||
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#4
The Dutch were flying F-16's in support of the NATO mission. I wonder if they got to play in the mud?
KANDAGAL, Afghanistan U.S. troops on Wednesday launched a fearsome barrage of artillery and rockets into a mountainous militant stronghold in eastern Afghanistan where they suffered their deadliest combat loss over a year ago. Plumes of smoke rose over the top of pine tree-forested mountain ranges in Kunar province's Korangal Valley, where scores of troops from the New York-based 10th Mountain Division are trying to curb militant attacks in this volatile region bordering Pakistan. "We have had nonstop contact for several days and the enemy is on the run," said Staff Sgt. William Wilkinson, 36, of Charlotte, North Carolina, who heads a team firing mortars toward militant positions. "We have cut them off a couple of times and they are not doing as well as they thought they would."
No militant casualty figures were available from the heavy bombardment of locations some three miles deep into the Korangal Valley, where Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters have set off roadside bombings and staged ambushes targeting American and Afghan forces operating in the region. The Korangal Valley was the scene of a June 28, 2005, ambush by militants of a four-man U.S. special forces team, three of whom were killed and the other rescued days later. A U.S. helicopter sent to find the special forces also crashed in the valley on June 28, killing 16 American troops in the deadliest single attack on the U.S. military since the war began here in 2001.
"This is a place where the Taliban and Al Qaeda have (been) known to roam freely and right now we are putting a stop to that," Wilkinson said. The echo of cannon fire rumbled through the valley overnight and Wednesday as Howitzers fired round after round of 155 mm artillery shells toward insurgent positions. Tracer fire lit up the nighttime sky and Apaches helicopters fired rockets into hilltop positions.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Paybacks are a bi+ch, aren't they? :-)
Must not have any tunnels handy if they haven't melted away yet. Keep that in mind for the future!
#2
If this doesn't stop, given the latest "agreement" NWaz has with the Pak Govt, we will begin policing the area ourselve swith long range artillery and airstrikes, and LRRPs.
The Pak Govt has basically washed its hands of the region with that agreement. It wasnt a surrender as much as it was a "Careful what you wish for, you might jsut get it" deal.
THEN:
"Hey you want Pak Govt troops out, they are out. You want tribal govts to run things? You got it. You wan Al Qaeda to be accepted? Fine, you can do whatever you want. Just remember, our troops are not going to be interfering with your little Talib paradise up here, leave us alone and we leave you along"
LATER:
What? You say American SF are killing your leaders, US Infantry is setting ambushes right on the border, US helicopters are prsuing you across the border and trashing your villages? You say yoru chiefs houses are being bombed and your villages are bing shelled day and night? OH, thats too bad. Remember, you wanted Pak troops out so we are out."
Even Later:
You want the border secure from Americans killing you and demolishing your tribe's vilalges? SOrry, YOU secure it, its what you demanded we do, "stay out of your business". The only alternative to letting the Amricans slam your asses is for the tribes to disarm completely, toss out the Arabs, and let the central govt put non-tribal Pak troops back in there."
Smart move by Pervez if this is what he had in mind.
#5
N.B.: Out of the blue, Perv suddenly makes North Wazoo a "safe haven" for Taliban and al-Qaeda, and then *suddenly*, the US commences a major-ass attack in the Afghan province adjacent to it.
Why do I smell a big honking trap?
I suspect our intent is to herd as many Taliban as possible into North Wazoo, and then set up "anvil" positions along the border, so there is no coming back.
Once that border area is tight as a drum, then whenever it gets a mind to, the Pak army could enter North Wazoo in force and just slaughter those a-holes, and nowhere to run to.
#6
Anonymoose, Pakistan's army has never seriously gone after the Talibanized tribals, only the Bugti tribals - which doesn't upset the Islamist parties. Why on earth would they so drastically change attitude now?
A SUDANESE newspaper editor who was kidnapped by unknown armed men was found beheaded, a day after he was reported snatched from outside his home in the capital Khartoum, an Interior Ministry source said. A photograph showed Mohamed Taha's body bound at the feet and hands with his severed head next to his body, a witness said. He was found on a dirt street in a middle-class residential district of southern Khartoum. No one has claimed responsibility for the killing.
Kidnapping of civilians is common in Sudan's war-torn western region Darfur and was a feature in the south during large-scale conflict there, but is very rare in the capital. Mr Taha was arrested last year and his al-Wifaq paper closed for three months after it published a series of articles questioning the roots of the Prophet Mohammed, which were condemned by Sudan's powerful Islamists.
Local papers quoted Mr Taha's family as saying a group of men bundled him into a car outside his home in north Khartoum and sped off towards central Khartoum. Mr Taha was an ally of the Government, which took power in a military coup in 1989. The government in northern Sudan follows strict Sharia law but has been opposed by some Islamist organisations.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2006 00:00 ||
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Yemen's port city of Aden was hit Wednesday evening by a series of explosions in a district where arms depots are located, witnesses said. A short circuit caused an old weapons depot in Jabal Hadid area in Aden to explode, said the Yemeni Defense Ministry, noting that some of the ordnance went off.
Another workmans' comp claim for Mutual of Allan.
A government source told the press that an explosion hit the storage facility as officers prepared some ammunition for scrapping. Initial investigations were under way, said a security source, adding no casualties were reported.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2006 00:00 ||
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PABNA: An outlawed party leader was shot and slaughtered by the members of another extremist group at Dhopaghata village in Sadar upazila Monday night, reports UNB. The victim was identified as Dulal Hossain Kata, a top leader of ''Bahini'', a local extremist group, and son of Jinat Ali of the village. Police said some 10-13 cadres of Purbabanglar Communist Party (Janajuddha ML) dragged Dulal out of his house at about 11am and took him to a nearby filed where they shot and slaughtered him. On information, police recovered the body Tuesday morning and sent it to General Hospital morgue for autopsy.
"Another one, Dr. Quincy!"
Purbabanglar Communist Party (Janajuddha ML) claimed responsibility for the killing.
"Yup. We dunnit!"
A case was filed.
"Case number 201-304, State versus Party or Parties Unknown! How do the party or parties unknown plead?"
"Not guilty, yer honor!"
"Not guilty, y'say?"
"Yeah, yer honor! They all got alibis! They wuz all at an unspecified place at the unspecified time! We got witnesses!"
"And who're the witneses?"
"Persons unknown, yer honor!"
Expect the RAB to clean up the commie 'loose links' in the next couple of days.
Meanwhile, a robber leader was killed in an encounter between his cohorts and RAB at Goyeshpur in Sadar upazila early Tuesday.
Sadar upazila, where even the Purbo Banglar commies have to travel in pairs. It was dark in the wee hours of the morning...
The deceased was identified as Syed Mondol alias Soyed, son of late Moham Mondol of Harinarayanpur village. Soyed, who was also a leader of Purbo Bangla Communist Party(ML), was wanted in various cases including of four murders.
He had the death penalty on 12 systems...
RAB sources said acting on a tip off, they went to Goyeshpur at about 1 am while a gang of robbers were taking preparation for committing robbery.
"Butch, you'll be the lookout. Muggsy, you can cosh the mark... Hark! What's that?"
"What's what?"
"It's the RAB!"
As soon as the elite force reached the spot, dacoits opened fire on RAB vehicle, triggering the battle.
"Open fire, youse guys!"
Syed Mondol was caught in the "crossfire" and injured seriously.
"Hey! I ain't even been arrested yet and Ow!... Ow!... Hey! Stop that! You're hurting me!... Aaaaiiiieeee!"
When he was taken to Pabna General Hospital doctors declared him dead.
"Rosebud!"
"He's dead, Jim!"
A pistol, bullets and sharp weapons were recovered from the scene.
"What's that?"
"It's a sharp stick, sir!"
"Put it in the evidence bag!"
"Where's the rest of the bullets?"
"In the back of Syed's head, sir. You want me to ask Dr. Quincy for them?"
"Don't bother, we don't handload ammo anyway."
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2006 00:00 ||
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AMSTERDAM Detectives have found two guns in a communal cellar of a residential complex in The Hague. The Public Prosecutor's Office (OM) in The Hague suspects the weapons belong to a Muslim terror organisation allegedly headed by Samir A, a Dutchman of Moroccan descent. Police, attached to the anti-terrorist operation codenamed Piranha, arrested a 23-year-old woman who lives in one of the homes in the complex. Sources said the suspect is Soumaya S., the wife of Nouredine el F. He is serving a five-year sentence for possession of a submachine gun in Amsterdam in June 2005. S. was sentenced to nine months for illegal possession of a weapon.
The guns in The Hague were found in plastic bags on Monday last week after the cellar was flooded in heavy rains. A company was hired to pump out the water and the weapons were discovered during the work. Handwritten documents in Arabic were also found in the bags.
A. is currently in custody on suspicion of attempting to procure heavy firearms and planning terrorist attacks. He is also suspected of heading a Muslim terrorist cell and is said to have close ties to the Hofstad Network. However, A. has been cleared of terrorism charges by the Dutch courts on several occasions. He faces another court appearance on 16 October.
Police said the plastic bags contained a Czech-made CZ Scorpion 61 submachine pistol, a Smith & Wesson handgun and two ammunition clips and 300 pointed bullets for the submachine gun. The Czech weapon, the police said, bears a "great similarity" to a gun shown in the background of a video testament made by A. This video, similar to recorded statements made by Muslim suicide bombers, was seized earlier in the investigation. Witnesses questioned as part of operation Piranha told detectives the terrorist network had a bag containing three firearms. Investigators believe El F. was caught with the third gun.
Mohammed Bouyeri, the man jailed for life for murdering film director Theo van Gogh, was a leading member of the Hofstad Network. A. has not been prosecuted for membership of that group.
Posted by: Steve ||
09/07/2006 07:54 ||
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#1
Gee, what a strange coincidence.
Posted by: Captain America ||
09/07/2006 8:35 Comments ||
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Must be them Amish or Swedish Lutherans. Can't be muzzies. No, no. Must not anger your future overlords.
This is not news but a very telling analysis of what Israeli LLLs did to their nation when they achieved power and very possible future path our own LLLs would take US down in Iraq if they get the chance. The only difference will be just like Iraq is many times larger than Lebanon so will be the consequences of our error if such path is chosen in Iraq.
I believe we have already reached this step with our Academics bureaucrats ect.. already lost their stomach and looking for a way out anyway out. Fortunately for US so far they have been held back and denied success but we see the openings of such with the tying of our military CIA NSA hands limiting our abilities to fight which in turn will ramp up the pain to hasten our decision.
The saddest part of this article to me is that even today in Israel Barak and his LLLs supporters have not been forced to admit their absolute error. This will mean in the future once memories get a little hazy they will pop out again pushing the same ignorance. They should be forced to pay for their errors with humiliating results so they are so utterly discredited that they will never again stick their nose into security issues were they have neither the grasp of history or stomach to participate in.
I have not seen the coming ABC special on the path to 9-11 but I hope it is finally the beginning of the crucifixion of Clinton for his utter failure of security issues during his 8yrs. Multiple multiple attacks the hollow peace accords pushed on Israel with their LLLs assistance. Somalia, Iraq 98, Coe, Nairobi, Kenya, 93 World trade, multiple acts of war and then the very near misses Millennium bombing plot, the attempt over the pacific to down 10 air craft ect . On and on while Clinton worried about feeling your pain and making speeches declaring those will be brought to justice while at the same time losing the stomach when the agents called back for a green light to do what needed to be done.
History is the Future and those who dont learn from histories mistakes are doomed to Repeat them.
A VIDEO tape showing al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden apparently meeting the perpetrators of the September 11 attacks has been aired for the first time today.
Arab television channel Al-Jazeera broadcast the tape just days ahead of the fifth anniversary of the deadly strikes on US cities and as the US Senate agreed to fund a new intelligence unit to hunt down bin Laden.
Al-Jazeera said the footage documented the "daily life" of al-Qaeda operatives as they trained and prepared for the attacks in the mountains of Afghanistan.
In one scene bin Laden is seen greeting a fighter against the backdrop of a mountain.
The video is said to feature two of the 19 Islamist militants that took part in the 9/11 attacks, Saudi nationals Hamza el-Ramdi and Wael el-Shemari.
They speak of the situation faced by Muslims in Bosnia and Chechnya.
Fifteen of the 19 attackers on September 11 were Saudis, and Al-Jazeera said it had only aired a few minutes of a document that lasted about an hour-and-a-half.
The footage also shows hand-to-hand combat practice between people wearing masks over their heads.
As the film went to air, the US Senate unanimously approved an additional $US200 million to this year's defence budget to fund an intelligence unit that would seek to hunt down bin Laden.
The measure, approved by a vote of 96 to 0, also requires the US Defence Department to report to Congress every three months about progress made toward apprehending bin Laden, the mastermind of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks.
The legislation was prepared by Democrats Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan as an amendment to the 2007 Defence Appropriations Bill being debated in the Senate this week.
"Osama bin Laden, the head of al-Qaeda, planned, financed and organised a terrorist operation that killed thousands of Americans. It has now been more than 1800 days since those attacks, and this man is still on the loose," said Mr Conrad.
"The Senate agrees that it is chief among our priorities in the war on terror to bring the mastermind behind September 11 to the justice that a mass murderer deserves," he said.
"Our amendment makes certain that bringing Osama bin Laden to justice will be one of our country's most important priorities, and that he is pursued with real energy and with focus, clarity and a specific set of goals," said Mr Dorgan.
Al-Jazeera today also broadcast a recording attributed to the head of al-Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, in which he said he was sure of victory against US-led forces in the country.
The recording was also posted on an Islamist Internet site, but its authenticity could not be immediately established.
In the internet statement, Muhajer urges Sunni Muslims to kill at least one US citizen within the next two weeks.
"Oh followers of (Taliban leader) Mullah Mohammed Omar, oh sons of (Al-Qaeda leader) Osama bin Laden, oh disciples of (slain Al-Qaeda in Iraq leader) Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi ... I urge each of you to kill at least one American within a period not exceeding 15 days," he says.
"I do not doubt for an instant victory (against US-led forces in Iraq)."
Muhajer calls President George W. Bush a "liar" and a "dog".
#1
None of this, not even the 9-11 hijackers' last will and testaments on tape with Osama, will ever make the Muslims believe that this atrocity was not a Jewish conspiracy.
#6
And just what does the Senate expect the Defense Department to do that isn't already being done? Are we going to launch another spy satellite? Are we going to buy and operate more Global Hawk reconnaissance drones JUST to fly over certain regions of Pakistan? Are we going to try to put "people" on the ground in the Pakistani tribal areas? Are we going to create another "division" at DIA to spend all their time looking for OBL, and nothing else? Are we going to add additional troops to DIA, NSA, and other intel organizations?
The US senate just showed the entire world they don't have a clue about anything, and this includes both political parties. That same $200 million could be used to provide a dozen Predator drones and people to operate them, and could go a long way toward closing our southern border. Add another $200M to fund sixteen platoons scattered from San Diego to Brownsville, plus some budget money for UH-60 transport helis and firepower, and you could CLOSE the southern border.
All the Senate did was pass a "feel-good" piece of crap to try to win re-election in two months. Their actions need to be recognized for what they are.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
09/07/2006 20:39 Comments ||
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MIRANSHAH, North Waziristan - With a truce between the Pakistani Taliban and Islamabad now in place, the Pakistani government is in effect reverting to its pre-September 11, 2001, position in which it closed its eyes to militant groups allied with al-Qaeda and clearly sided with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
While the truce has generated much attention, a more significant development is an underhand deal between pro-al-Qaeda elements and Pakistan in which key al-Qaeda figures will either
not be arrested or those already in custody will be set free. This has the potential to sour Islamabad's relations with Washington beyond the point of no return.
On Tuesday, Pakistan agreed to withdraw its forces from the restive Waziristan tribal areas bordering Afghanistan in return for a pledge from tribal leaders to stop attacks by Pakistani Taliban across the border.
Most reports said that the stumbling block toward signing this truce had been the release of tribals from Pakistani custody. But most tribals had already been released.
The main problem - and one that has been unreported - was to keep Pakistan authorities' hands off members of banned militant organizations connected with al-Qaeda.
Thus, for example, it has now been agreed between militants and Islamabad that Pakistan will not arrest two high-profile men on the "most wanted" list that includes Osama bin Laden, his deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri and Taliban leader Mullah Omar.
Saud Memon and Ibrahim Choto are the only Pakistanis on this list, and they will be left alone. Saud Memon was the owner of the lot where US journalist Daniel Pearl was tortured, executed and buried in January 2002 in Karachi after being kidnapped by jihadis.
Pakistan has also agreed that many people arrested by law-enforcement agencies in Pakistan will be released from jail.
Importantly, this includes Ghulam Mustafa, who was detained by Pakistani authorities late last year. Mustafa is reckoned as al-Qaeda's chief in Pakistan. (See Al-Qaeda's man who knows too much, Asia Times Online, January 5. As predicted in that article, Mustafa did indeed disappear into a "black hole" and was never formally charged, let alone handed over to the US.)
Asia Times Online contacts expect Mustafa to be released in the next few days. He was once close to bin Laden and has intimate knowledge of al-Qaeda's logistics, its financing and its nexus with the military in Pakistan.
Militants at large
"Now they [Pakistani authorities] have accepted us as true representatives of the mujahideen," Wazir Khan told Asia Times Online at a religious congregation in Miranshah. "Now we are no longer criminals, but part and parcel of every deal. Even the authorities have given tacit approval that they would not have any objections if I and other fellows who were termed as wanted took part in negotiations."
Wazir Khan was once a high-profile go-between for bin Laden and one of his closest Waziristan contacts. He was right up there on the "wanted" list. Now he can move around in the open. "The situation is diametrically changed," he said.
From a personal point of view, things have changed for Wazir Khan and others like him, but in the bigger picture things have also changed diametrically.
Pakistan, the leading light in the United States' "war on terror" and a "most important" non-North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally, is returning to the heady times of before September 11 when it could dabble without restraint in regional affairs, and this at a time when Afghanistan is boiling.
"The post-September 11 situation [in Pakistan] was draconian," a prominent militant told Asia Times Online on condition of anonymity. "All jihadi organizations were informed in advance how they would be [severely] dealt with in the future and that they had better carve out an alternative low-profile strategy. But some people could not stop themselves from unnecessary adventures and created problems for the establishment. This gave the US the chance to intervene in Pakistan, and over 700 al-Qaeda mujahideen were arrested.
"Now the situation changed again ... we know the state of Pakistan is important for the Pakistan army, but certainly we know that the army would never completely compromise on Islam."
The truce between Islamabad and the Pakistani Taliban in Waziristan has been a bitter pill for Washington to swallow, although Pakistan's pledge to allow foreign troops based in Afghanistan hot pursuit into a limited area in Pakistan softens the blow a bit.
Islamabad's overriding concern, though, is to earn some breathing space domestically, as well as get Uncle Sam off its back.
The situation in Waziristan was becoming unmanageable - it's already virtually a separate state - and trouble is ongoing in restive Balochistan province, especially since the killing at the hands of Pakistani security forces of nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Bugti. Fractious opposition political parties have shown rare unity in attacking the government of President General Pervez Musharraf on the issue.
Redrawing the map
An article by retired US Major Ralph Peters titled "Blood borders" published in the Armed Forces Journal last month has given Pakistan some food for thought over manipulating the geopolitical game on its own terms and conditions.
Peters, formerly assigned to the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, where he was responsible for future warfare, argues that borders in the Middle East and Africa are "the most arbitrary and distorted" in the world and need restructuring.
Four countries - Pakistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Turkey - are singled out for major readjustments. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are also defined as "unnatural states".
Though the US State Department was quick to deny that such ideas had anything to do with US policymaking, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey read much between the lines of talk of restructuring their boundaries.
Among Peters' proposals was the need to establish "an independent Kurdish state" that would "stretch from Diyarbakir [eastern Turkey] through Tabriz [Iran], which would be the most pro-Western state between Bulgaria and Japan".
Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz recently visited Turkey and then Lebanon, where he announced that his country would not send any peacekeeping troops to the latter. Ankara then said that if peacekeeping forces tried to disarm Hezbollah, Turkey would pull out of the peace mission. These decisions are the result of back-channel diplomacy among Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan.
Across Pakistan's border in Afghanistan, the Taliban have control of most of the southwest of the country, from where Mullah Omar is expected soon to announce the revival of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan - the name of the country before the Taliban were driven out in 2001. Once the proclamation is made, a big push toward the capital Kabul will begin.
The sounds of jail doors opening in Pakistan will jar with the United States, as will Islamabad adopting a more independent foreign policy and, crucially, aligning itself with the resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan, which once again could become a Pakistani playground.
Posted by: john ||
09/07/2006 20:09 ||
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#1
Pakland needs to be reminded they have no assets we REALLY need. We'll overfly and if they give us shit, we'll destroy their air force. If they threaten our troops in Afghanistan, we'll restore Arclight. If they try to perpetrate int'l terrorism, what's the difference from current reality? If they threaten India, we'll supply them with Patriot+'s... They have NO oil or anything else we need. Seal them off and bomb the edges to take out Madrassahs, Talibs and ISI assholes. Naval blockade and air shoot-downs... FUCK EM
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/07/2006 21:56 Comments ||
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#3
although Pakistan's pledge to allow foreign troops based in Afghanistan hot pursuit into a limited area in Pakistan softens the blow a bit. ...
An article by retired US Major Ralph Peters titled "Blood borders" published in the Armed Forces Journal last month has given Pakistan some food for thought over manipulating the geopolitical game on its own terms and conditions. .. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey read much between the lines of talk of restructuring their boundaries.
To me the most important bits of a very useful article. We already knew Pakistan and Musharraf are not on the side of the angels in this thing.
#4
Thus, for example, it has now been agreed between militants and Islamabad that Pakistan will not arrest two high-profile men on the "most wanted" list that includes Osama bin Laden, his deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri and Taliban leader Mullah Omar.
The top three perps of the 9-11 atrocity. Pakistan could not send a more clear message. We need to send one too.
Excellent program - I'm in.
Me too, Frank. The buck shit stops here and now. Screw any of their potential use as an ally against China. 'moose, you reading this?
#11
n early May 1999, the Pakistan Army decided to occupy the Kargil posts, numbering around 130, and thus control the area. Troops from the elite Special Services Group as well as battalions of the Northern Light Infantry (a paramilitary regiment not part of the regular Pakistani army at that time) backed by Kashmiri guerrillas and Afghan mercenaries covertly and overtly set up bases on the vantage points of the Indian-controlled region. Initially, these incursions were not spotted due to the heavy artillery fire by Pakistan across the Line of Control, which provided cover for the infiltrators. But by the second week of May, the ambushing of an Indian patrol team, acting on a tip-off by a local shepherd in the Batalik sector, led to the exposure of the infiltration. Initially with little knowledge of the nature or extent of the encroachment, the Indian troops in the area claimed that they would evict them within a few days. However, reports of infiltration elsewhere along the LoC made it clear that the entire plan of attack was on a much bigger scale.
The Government of India responded with Operation Vijay, a mobilisation of 200,000 Indian troops. However, because of the nature of the terrain, division and corps operations could not be mounted; the scale of most fighting was at the regimental or battalion level. In effect, two divisions of the Indian Army,[15] numbering 20,000, plus several thousand from the Indian Paramilitary Forces and the air force were deployed in the conflict zone. The total number of Indian soldiers that were involved in the military operation on the Kargil-Drass sector was thus close to 30,000. The number of infiltrators, including those providing logistical backup, has been put at approximately 5,000 at the height of the conflict.[16] This figure includes troops from Pakistan-administered Kashmir that were involved in the war providing additional artillery support.
Miran Shah, 7 Sept. (AKI/DAWN) - The political authorities and tribal militants have exchanged weapons and vehicles in the tribal region of North Waziristan which lies on Pakistan's border with Afghanistan. The weapons swap was part of the implementation of Tuesday's peace agreement between the government and the pro-Taliban militants. Sources said that the administration returned 24 AK-47 rifles and eight pick-ups to the militants, also known as Pakistan Taliban, in Miran Shah, the regional capital. The rifles and vehicles had been seized in army operations in the restive region.
An official said that six more vehicles would be returned to the militants. The militants handed over three G-3 rifles, some wireless sets, berets and badges to the authorities during the swap on Wednesday. According to the agreement, both the parties will return each others arms and communication equipment snatched during the operations.
Tens of thousands of Pakistani troops have been fighting foreign Islamic militants and local supporters in the tribal belt. The North Waziristan peace deal calls on tribesmen to expel foreign militants and end cross-border attacks in return for a reduced military presence.
Posted by: Steve ||
09/07/2006 08:10 ||
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#1
That's it. Fremont County Colorado has more weapons than that. And these guys beat the Pak's?
And we are worried what they will do if we attack the Taliban in thier country?
KHAR: Suspected militants targeting a pro-government tribal elder fired rockets at his home on Wednesday, missing him but killing a 12-year-old girl, an official said. Five rockets were fired during the attack near the Afghan border in Kaga, a village in Bajur, said government official Javed Mahsud. He said that four of the rockets hit the home of tribal elder Fazal Mabood, injuring no one, but a fifth rocket landed in a nearby home and killed a girl there.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2006 00:00 ||
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Police foiled a suicide bombing attempt on Wednesday by seizing a vehicle loaded with explosives near Quetta, Aaj television reported. Police tried to stop a suspected vehicle outside Quetta, but the riders opened fire at the policemen. Police retaliated and the men fled leaving their car behind. Three bombs and several explosive devices had been planted in the vehicle. Police sources said the vehicle was coming from Chaman border, adding that the suspected militants could have targeted some important place in Quetta.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2006 00:00 ||
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The Khasadar force has taken control of the check posts vacated by the security forces after a peace agreement with local Taliban militants in North Waziristan, Geo television reported on Wednesday. The channel reported that personnel of the Frontier Constabulary would remain deployed at some check posts to stop smuggling. The channel also reported that NWFP Governor Ali Jan Orakzai would meet the tribal jirga that negotiated the peace agreement.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2006 00:00 ||
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A car bomb killed eight Iraqi civilians and wounded 38 others in northern Baghdads Qahira district on Wednesday, said police. The car bomb was detonated by a remote control on the side of a busy road during morning rush hour. A second bomb detonated as police cordoned off the scene of the attack, but it did not cause further casualties. An Interior Ministry source who quoted hospital tallies said six people were killed in the bomb blasts and 46 wounded.
Also on Wednesday, an Iraqi militant group led by Al Qaeda posted a web video on Wednesday showing the killing of two Iraqi national guardsmen, whom the group branded collaborators with the US-backed Iraqi government. The video by the Mujahideen Shura Council, an umbrella group led by Al Qaeda in Iraq, showed two men in military uniforms giving their personal details on camera while holding military identification cards.
The video then showed the blindfolded men being killed by a single shot in the head. Meanwhile, the arrest of Al-Qaeda in Iraqs second-in-command took place in June, and not a few days ago as the Iraqi government had initially announced, said the US military spokesman in Iraq. Maj Gen William B Caldwell said Hamed Jumaa Farid Al-Saeedi, also known as Abu Humam or Abu Rana, was arrested on June 19. He said that other suspects had been arrested as well, but that their names had not yet been made public.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2006 00:00 ||
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A nephew of Iraqi parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani was kidnapped on Wednesday night in northern Baghdad, a police source told Xinhua. The abduction occurred at about 10:30 p.m. (1830 GMT) when the car of Ahmad, al-Mashhadani's nephew, was intercepted by unidentified gunmen in a district north of Baghdad, the source said on condition of anonymity. The gunmen kidnapped Ahmad and left the scene immediately, the source said.
Iraqi parliament reopened its second legislative term on Tuesday after a month-long recession amid mounting sectarian violence. The parliament voted to extend the state of emergency for 30 days throughout the country, except in the northern autonomous Kurdish region. On Wednesday, al-Mashhadani urged in a parliamentary session that Iraqi leaders had just months to mend their differences.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2006 00:00 ||
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Iraqi authorities hanged 27 convicted "terrorists" today, an interior ministry spokesman announced. "Twenty-seven terrorists were hanged today in Baghdad. Most of them were Iraqis," said interior ministry spokesman Abdul Karim Khalaf. He said they were convicted for attacks on Iraqi civilians and sentenced to death, in an execution order signed by an Iraqi vice president.
In September 2005 Iraq hanged three convicted murderers in the first executions since the toppling of former dictator Saddam Hussein. The authorities reinstated the death penalty which was abolished after the US-led invasion of March 2003.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2006 00:00 ||
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cat. garden variety hanging in Iraq. [not including the Uday specials etc.]
traditionally the Iraqis never practiced the 'long drop' technique on their condemned prisoners. [like we used to on a regular basis]
Historically they either lifted the condemned up off the ground by the neck 'suspension hanging' or had an executioner hold on to the condemned during the lift thus 'helping the rope' stretch the neck.
Cypriot authorities were searching an impounded cargo ship on September 6 after being tipped off that the Syria-bound vessel was carrying an illicit stash of weapons.
Its bill of lading said it was carrying meteorological equipment. We have been informed that Interpol had information of its possible involvement in arms smuggling, Cyprus ports authority chairman Chrysis Prentzas told state radio.
State radio said metal pipes were found on board the Panamanian-flagged Grigorio 1 which could be the casing of a weapons system.
Something has been found which can be used for meteorological purposes but it can also have a military use and we are checking this out, a source close to the enquiry told AFP.
The ship anchored off the southern port of Limassol on Sept. 5 after leaving Egypts Port Said for Latakia in Syria and was immediately boarded by a special Cyprus police unit and explosives experts armed with a search warrant.
Police said the documentation did not match the description of the goods on the ship and that they were questioning the eight-man crew about the suspect cargo.
Cypriot newspaper Phileleftheros quoted unnamed officials as saying they were almost certain that some of the items on board were part of a missile launcher.
Report: US seeks to block missiles for Hizbullah
The Jane's Defense Magazine reported on Thursday that Israel and the United States have intensified efforts to prevent Hizbullah from replenishing its arms depots, which dried out during its 34-day war with Israel.
The magazine reported that on July 19, US intelligence satellites spotted Iranians "loading eight Chinese-designed C802 anti-ship cruise missiles and three launchers onto a transport aircraft at the military section of Mahrebad Airport outside Tehran for shipment to Hizbullah via Syria ."
On July 20, Turkish officials refused to allow the Iranian plane entry into Turkish airspace and the flight was cancelled.
Israel maintains that arms shipments bound for Hizbullah have been airlifted to Syria, but no further details have been given.
The magazine said these flights landed at three Syrian air bases the military section of the Mezze International Airport in Damascus, Nasiriya, 40 km from the Lebanese border and Qusayr, north of Damascus and 25 km from the Bekaa Valley.
Israeli aircraft destroyed most of the bridges and roads linking the two countries, but Israeli intelligence services believe ancient mountainous smuggling trails were used to transport arms to Hizbullah during the 34-day war.
Posted by: Captain America ||
09/07/2006 08:27 ||
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#1
naval, idiot. "Navel"s what you keeping picking lint out, gathering your insightful thoughts
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/07/2006 8:48 Comments ||
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#2
I dunno. Let's try blockading their navels with buckshot.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
09/07/2006 8:59 Comments ||
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JERUSALEM Local terror groups are working with Hezbollah to turn the Gaza Strip into the Palestinian version of south Lebanon by smuggling in heavy weaponry and rockets, building war bunkers and preparing for a large-scale confrontation with Israel, a senior terror leader in Gaza told WorldNetDaily.
"We learned from Hezbollah's victory that Israel can be defeated if we know how to hit them and if we are well prepared," said Abu Ahmed, northern Gaza leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror group. "We are importing rockets and the knowledge to launch them and we are also making many plans for battle."
South Lebanon is largely dominated by Hezbollah, which developed an arsenal of more than 10,000 rockets it used to launch daily attacks against Israel's northern communities during the group's 34-day confrontation with the Jewish state which ended last month. Israel says Syria and Iran provided Hezbollah with rockets and advanced weapons, including anti-tank missiles, for use during battles.
Yuval Diskin, director of Israel's Shin Bet Security Services, told the Knesset last month that since the Jewish state withdrew from Gaza, the Palestinians successfully have transferred from the neighboring Egyptian Sinai desert hundreds of tons of advanced rockets; anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles; rocket propelled grenades; raw explosives; rifles; ammunition and other heavy weaponry. Israel vacated the Gaza Strip one year ago. "If we don't move to counter this smuggling, it will continue and create a situation in Gaza similar to the one in southern Lebanon," Diskin said.
Abu Ahmed said Diskin's assessment was accurate. "I think Diskin made those statements to try to distract the Israelis from their losses in Lebanon by focusing on another area, but he is right. We are turning Gaza into south Lebanon," the terror leader said.
Abu Ahmed said his group is receiving help from Hezbollah to import long-range rockets and train in guerrilla warfare tactics. "We have warm relations with Hezbollah, which helps with some of the training programs," Abu Ahmed said. "We don't have anything to be ashamed of that we are dealing with Hezbollah and that we are receiving training and information from them."
He said Hezbollah maintains cells in the Sinai. "The Sinai is an excellent ground for training, the exchange of information and weapons and for meetings on how to turn every piece of land into usable territory for a confrontation with Israel," Abu Ahmed said.
The terror leader said Palestinian groups are developing war bunkers inside Gaza similar to the underground Hezbollah lairs Israel found during last month's war in Lebanon. "Our preparations include the building of special bunkers. Of course we are taking into consideration that Gaza is not the same topography as Lebanon," Abu Ahmed said.
During its confrontation with Hezbollah, Israel destroyed scores of complex bunkers that snaked along the Lebanese side of the Israel-Lebanon border. Military officials said they were surprised by the scale of the Hezbollah bunkers, in which Israeli troops reportedly found war rooms stocked with advanced eavesdropping and surveillance equipment they noted were made by Iran.
Abu Ahmed said the most important "tool" in the "Palestinian resistance arsenal was rockets. He said his group learned from Hezbollah that Israel can be defeated with missiles. "We saw that with the capacity to bombard the Israeli population with hundreds of rockets every day we can change the strategic balance with Israel," he said.
Since Israel's Gaza withdrawal, Palestinian terror groups have been regularly firing rockets at nearby Jewish communities. The terrorists generally have fired three versions of Qassam rockets, improvised steel projectiles filled with explosives and fuel. Qassams can travel between one and five miles depending on the sophistication of the particular rocket.
Israel has noted improvements in Qassams, including rockets carrying double engines.
Israeli security officials say a large number of Katyusha rockets have been brought into Israel. Katyusha's can travel about 12 miles and can deliver large payloads. Hezbollah fired more than 2,000 Katyusha rockets into Israel in July and August, devastating many northern towns.
Last month, Islamic Jihad fired a Katyusha rocket into the Israeli Negev. It landed in an empty area. In June the group fired a Katyusha-like rocket that traveled about nine miles. "The Katyusha we fired (last month) shows we can have every weapon we need," said Abu Ahmed. "It is only a matter of a small period before Gaza is ready for war."
#7
This goes to show that the land for peace initiative is total crap. The loss of control of the Philadelphi border has led to massive smuggling, Hezbollah infiltration and a potential 2 - front war for Israel. Iran has effectively boxed in Israel by using Syria as a proxy army, Lebanon and Hezbollah in the North and Gaza in the West. If Israel gets any more bright ideas about conceding parts of the West Bank they will be effectively surrounded as the Negev is not a conducive area for retreat. With all of this deterrent strength and US political impotency Iran is securing a major victory here. A massive PR campaign needs to be launched as well as preparations to counter all of these threats. Similar to Binny's hit on Masood, Syria is going to have to be hit very soon. Issue is Israel will need a causi belli.
#8
Once again, the only solution to the problem is to end the status quo. Make it abundantly clear to the Gazans that for each and every attack they commit *or allow to be committed* against Israel, a small part of Gaza land adjacent to Israel will be confiscated (and paid to its owner for by eminent domain if necessary to soothe the "fairness" crowd.)
That land shall forever cease being part of Gaza. It will have an additional section of wall built around it, and it will be "no-man's land", used solely by the Israeli army as "military training area". It will be bulldozed flat, without buildings, crops, trees or any people permitted on it.
And under NO circumstances will it EVER be returned. Unauthorized entry into the area will be treated like unauthorized crossing of the existing wall.
Each land confiscation will be a legal act, based on evidence of a given attack from all of Gaza, NOT just the land confiscated. And the Israeli government will clearly state to the Gazans, with EACH AND EVERY confiscation, EXACTLY WHY that land in particular was confiscated.
It will take HUNDREDS of future attacks for the Gazans to start suffering any major consequences from such confiscations. Before they would have to adjust for a significant decrease in living space.
But, if LAND is all they care about, then Israel must fight back by taking their LAND. Other methods, all the way up to ethnic cleansing, will not work.
#11
"We learned from Hezbollah's victory that Israel can be defeated if we know how to hit them and if we are well prepared," said Abu Ahmed, northern Gaza leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror group. "We are importing rockets and the knowledge to launch them and we are also making many plans for battle."
They apparently didn't catch the part about having someplace to run. Nasrallah had a hole in Syria and his "army" could flee acroos the Litani and beg the UN to intervene. The IDF (which hopefully will have learned from the Lebanese conflict) will clean out a Hamas trapped in Gaza.
#12
Moose, good plan. I would like to see the US take Gaza as a test grounds. However, we must give free hand to disciplining the Gazans without regard for human rights. When we find a terrorist, we torture the shit outta him and bury him with pig poop. Eventually, we would kill all of the men, free the women, and save the children. We could also get those farms up and running so the Gazans would earn a living and learn a trade. When Israel had control of it, they did not force change, but allowed the PLA to handle the day to day government. Big mistake. If Iraq has taught us anything, it's that muzzies are incapable of choosing progress over regress. The ONLY solution is to eliminate Islam.
#13
If Hamas, Hezbollah, et. al. start firing bigger rockets from Gaza, the Israelis should notify the Egyptians that one gate will be opened to evacuate all women and children and then the Israeli Defense Force will start at one end of Gaza and roll through to the other crushing all resistance (killing anyone who even looks like he might have evil thought). The Strip will be thoroughly inspected, all weapons destroyed, and anything related to the Lions of Islam confiscated. The rubble will be disinfected and the women and children allowed back in.
"We're preparing for war! Now with 50% more seething!"
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
09/07/2006 19:49 Comments ||
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#17
#7: "This goes to show that the land for peace initiative is total crap."
It was only land for peace to the Israelis, RightWing. To the Arabs, it was land for promises. And they lied.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
09/07/2006 19:52 Comments ||
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#18
teh Paleos should declare war and suffer the immediate consequences. Let's get this shit over, and get on with burying the dead
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/07/2006 19:56 Comments ||
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#19
That land shall forever cease being part of Gaza. It will have an additional section of wall built around it, and it will be "no-man's land", used solely by the Israeli army as "military training area". It will be bulldozed flat, without buildings, crops, trees or any people permitted on it.
And under NO circumstances will it EVER be returned.
I've backed this idea from the instant I ever saw it. This represents the only non-violent solution with a glimmer of hope to succeed. Once the Palestinians find themselves crowded onto a postage stamp, they'll be a lot easier to take out with one bomb more tractable regarding some sort of peace settlement. No land given back, just a nice little peaceful parcel the size of a postage stamp.
These psychotic goons deserve a glaring reminder of the endless opportunities they've thrown away. Every time they look at a map of the fence and see it crenellated like a Medieval castle wall-top, they can ponder the wisdom of their intransigent hatred of Israel.
"We're preparing for war! Now with 50% more seething!"
Definite contender for a "Snark of the Day Award".
#20
Hamass learned nothing. The Hezbollocks had land to retreat to, and hilly, difficult-to-negotiate terrain that wasn't exactly ideal for the use of artillery. Gaza is as flat as a pancake, loong and narrow, and perfect tank and artillery terrain. All Israel has to do is pull up several thousand artillery pieces (I hope the US supplies MLRS to Israel, with lots of reloads), and start smashing. Israel could destroy everything over six inches high, and bounce the rubble. To "clear" those bunkers, just spray an area with gasoline, let it seep into all the niches and crevices. then ignite it with willie pete. Won't have to worry about "rescuing" the paleostains - there won't be any left. If Israel finds Hezbollocks training sites in the Sinai, nuke 'em, and threaten Cairo or Aswan if there's a repeat.
"Lessons learned" my a$$.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
09/07/2006 21:23 Comments ||
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#21
#19 Zen - Thanks! :-D
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
09/07/2006 22:12 Comments ||
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#22
Always a pleasure, Barbara. You have one of the highest SRFs (Snark Reliability Factor), at this entire board.
An Islamic Jihad (Holy War) militant was shot dead by Israeli forces in the northern West Bank city of Jenin on Wednesday afternoon, security sources and witnesses said. They said that Muhahed al-Sabe, 26, commander of Islamic Jihad's armed wing Saraya al-Quds in northern West Bank, was killed in gunbattle with members of Israel's undercover elite forces.
According to the sources, the Israeli forces withdrew from the area after clashing with more Palestinian militants. Before the withdrawal, about 25 military vehicles stormed the city to provide cover for the elite forces. There was no word on more casualties.
Al-Sabe spent three years in an Israeli prison and was released last year. Israel accuses him of being behind a number of attacks against Israeli soldiers in the West Bank. In another development, Palestinian medics said that five Palestinian militants were wounded when an Israeli army aircraft fired one missile at a group of militants east of the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip.
Earlier on Wednesday morning, two Palestinians, a militant and a 16-year-old boy, were killed in the area by Israeli soldiers backed by tanks and bulldozers, security sources said.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2006 00:00 ||
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The military, quoting civilian sources, reported yesterday that Abu Sayyaf chief Khadaffy Janjalani and Indonesian Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) bomb expert Umar Patek may have been wounded after a heavy firefight with government troops in the jungles of Patikul, Sulu. Missed him by that much, Chief.
Col. Allan Luga, chief of the Armed Forces Operations Center at Camp Aguinaldo, said the military is still verifying the reports, which quoted civilian sources who allegedly saw the wounded Janjalani and Patek. "Omar Patek and Janjalani were wounded as per report from civilians. We are still confirming this. Until such time that we confirm that, we cannot really say that they were wounded during the encounter with the Marines," Luga said.
He said there were specific reports from civilians that Janjalani was hit in the back. He added there are reports that four wounded Abu Sayyaf bandits were seen being carried on horseback in the jungle. Luga said relentless operations since Aug. 1 in Patikul and Parang towns have forced the militants to split into Pray for sepsis.
two main groups, with the larger band of about 150 to 200 guerrillas led by Janjalani heading toward Mt. Sinumaan. Also sighted with Janjalanis groups were Patek and another JI member Dulmatin, who uses only one name, and Abu Sayyaf leaders Radullan Sahiron, Isnilon Hapilon and Abu Solaiman. The smaller group, composed of 30 to 40 bandits, went to Mt. Tukay in Parang town, where the latest encounter with the Marines occurred.
The military said that two soldiers and two Abu Sayyaf bandits were killed while several others were wounded in that encounter. Luga said two soldiers were killed and three others were wounded on Wednesday, while one Abu Sayyaf bandit was shot dead before dawn Thursday. The body of another guerrilla believed to have been killed on Wednesday was also recovered yesterday. Two Abu Sayyaf members were also captured on Tuesday. He said the latest casualties came after six Marines were killed and 19 wounded on Monday in one of the biggest operations against the Abu Sayyaf group protecting Dulmatin and Patek, the two Indonesian militants belonging to the al-Qaeda-linked JI. "We have the upperhand." Luga said. "Thats the reason why they split into groups, so that the concentration of the troops would be diverted. But, as Ive said, we have employed a lot of soldiers in the area, so they are on the run."
Reinforcements due
Luga said fresh reinforcements were headed for Jolo Thursday, including a battalion of 500 special forces troops to augment about 1,500 soldiers and Marines. The offensive in the area was prompted by the recent sightings of Janjalani and the Indonesian fugitives who are both wanted for allegedly helping plan the October 2002 bombings in Bali that killed 202 people, most of them foreign tourists. Western Mindanao Command chief Maj. Gen. Eugenio Cedo said the Abu Sayyaf members encountered by government troops were probably trying to reinforce Janjalanis group that was reported to be trapped in Patikul. Cedo flew to Sulu yesterday morning, after leading the funeral service at Edwin Andrews Air Base in Zamboanga City for the six Marines who were earlier killed in the fighting.
The slain soldiers were identified as Corporals Isagani Zamora, Judy Gatan and Ryan Socratez and Privates First Class Harold Almodobar, Jayson Paiton and Gilbert Parsia II. Cedo said additional troops are arriving in Sulu to join the offensive and prevent the bandits from escaping. Two Marines who were wounded in the fighting are currently confined at the Camp Navarro General Hospital inside the Western Mindanao Command (formerly Southern Command) headquarters in Zamboanga City. Pfc. Nicholas Polmo said that during the firefight, he noticed one of the Abu Sayyaf leaders, believed to be Janjalani, riding on a horse moving around and directing the assault on the soldiers. Polmo said he tried to shoot the horse rider, but he moved fast and trees blocked his line of fire. "Janjalani was moving around directing all the followers to hit us," said Polmo who sustained bullet wounds on his thigh and abdomen. He said it was hard to recognize the presence of the two JI members Dulmatin and Patek among the bandits because it was early dawn and still dark. Marine Pfc. Dante Advincula said his group was able to penetrate the outer perimeter of the Abu Sayyaf position. Advincula, who was shot in the right side of the head by sniper fire, said the troops engaged the bandits. Some of Abu Sayyaf members are believed to be equipped with night vision goggles. Gee, would those goggles be from the British batch that Iran has been handing out like party favors to all the terrorists?
"So we stood with the mission to hit their core and put our stand," he said after coordinating with their commanders. He said their 28-man Marines commando unit, that was also equipped with night vision goggles, began creeping towards the Abu Sayyaf position at Luba Hill in barangay Tugason on Sunday night. -
An Indonesian court on Thursday sentenced a telephone repairman to eight years in jail for his role in last year's suicide bombings on the resort island of Bali.
Dwi Widyarto, 33, was "found, legally and convincingly, guilty of having taken part in terrorism," judge Wayan Rena Wardana presiding over the case in a court in the Balinese capital Denpasar was quoted by AFP as saying.
The bombings on October 1, 2005 killed 20 people. That's the entire report. Posted here to preserve in the RB archives.
Nine Navy warships were deployed yesterday in an attempt to seal off Sulu to keep the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits being pursued by ground troops from escaping by sea. As the Navy's recently acquired PS 38 and the other 78-foot gunboats and patrol craft ringed the island, Maj. Gen. Eugenio Cedo, Armed Forces's Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) chief also asked the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to assist in patrolling the shorelines of the island.
The WestMinCom also sent soldiers to all government and private hospitals in the Zamboanga Peninsula to check if there were wounded bandits admitted there. "Our ground commanders with their respective fighting units are continuously pursuing the bandits with out let-up and we are determined to cripple and bring peace back to Sulu province," said Cedo.
A large number of the Navy's Marines and the Army's regular troops and Scout Rangers, who are equipped with night-vision goggles, crawled toward enemy lines in the thickly forested area straddled by five mountains in Jolo, Sulu. The ground troops were backed by the Air Force's strike wing and helicopter wing. As of press time, there were no reported clashes as pursuit operation is still going on.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Let's just hope none of the commanding officers has a kid going through college.
DEBKAfile Exclusive: Spy fever sweeps Hizballah after breaking up two Israeli Mossad rings which included Lebanese Shiite agents Here's some follow-up on the article I posted about Hezbollah being penetrated by Mossad elements.
Hizballahs dreaded Special Security Apparatus is reported by our intelligence sources in Beirut and Israel as having broken up two spy rings of Lebanese agents which the Israeli Mossad planted inside Hizballah before and during the Lebanon war. One worked out of Beirut, the second in South Lebanon. The two networks, according to DEBKAfiles sources, planted bugs and surveillance equipment at Hizballah command posts before and during the war. They also sprinkled special phosphorus powder outside buildings housing Hizballahs war commands and rocket-launchers as markers for air strikes.
Israel warplanes and helicopters were able to hit these locations with great accuracy. Well before the war, the Beirut ring had penetrated the inner circles of Hizballah high-ups and was reporting on their activities and movements to Israeli controllers. Its center was located in Beiruts Shiite district of Dahya, the Hizballah stronghold. Short anonymous phone calls would give agents their rendezvous for picking up orders and spy equipment and dead drops for relaying their information. The second network was composed of two cells operating out of the village of Itrun opposite Kibbutz Yaron and Bint Jubeil further west. Run by veterans of the South Lebanese Army (the force Israel created during its occupation), its job was to paint targets for the Israeli Air Force and artillery. Their leader was Mahmoud al-Jemayel. Envelopes with their orders and espionage devices were left at a pre-assigned spot along the security fence on the Lebanese-Israeli border.Halil Mantsur, an Itrin villager, was in charge of communications through the security fence; Muhammed Bassem, a Shiite from Bin Jubeil, ran field operations. The ring had 20 operatives recruited from South Lebanese villages and a number of Palestinians from the camps around Tyre and Sidon. They were paid $500 per month for spying on Hizballah. A local taxi driver drove the operatives to their assignments and returned them to their homes.
The Beirut ring was the more sophisticated. In addition to tactical intelligence-gathering, its wings spread outside Lebanon. Its leader, Faisal Mukleid, 29, a Shiite from Jarjuara village, was captain of small freighters which carried smuggled drugs and stolen goods between Mediterranean ports on the Italian and Egyptian coasts. In 2000, Mukleid was picked up by the Italian navy in a customs raid. In a cell awaiting trial, he was contacted by the Mossad. In no time, he was sprung and flown to Israel where he spent several months learning how to use eavesdropping and surveillance equipment. The Lebanese Shiite sea-captains first mission in Lebanon was to recruit relatives and fellow Shiites and get them planted inside the Hizballah leadership. Towards the end of the year, he and his wife joined up as members of Hizballah. Their devotion and zeal was such that they were soon promoted to the high ranks of the organization. Together with the agents they recruited, they quickly reached positions on the personal staffs of top political and military leaders, whom they accompanied more than once on trips to Tehran.
Exposing the Israeli spy rings in their midst has made Hizballahs top people extremely jumpy and suspicious. One of their discoveries from an inquest of the war they fought with Israel in July and August is that their command structures in South Lebanon were heavily penetrated by agents working for Israel intelligence. Now they are looking over their shoulders for spies they may have missed. Tuesday night, Aug. 29, Hizballahs security officials detained two non-Lebanese Arabs wandering around the ruined Dahya district, taking photos and drawing maps. Several forged passports were found in their possession. The captured Israeli agents are locked up in Hizballah jails awaiting their fate. The Hizballah security service has drawn up dossiers for their indictment, but is uncertain how to proceed. The Lebanese prosecution authorities, once dominated by Syrian influence, can no longer be counted on for convictions.
#1
O-kay, this is more like it.
Now who wanted extra butter on their popcorn?
Posted by: N guard ||
09/07/2006 20:50 Comments ||
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#2
Actually, N guard, it would have been a helluva lot better if these agents hadn't been unmasked. They were a huge asset for Israel and probably helped to save many lives on top of ensuring the destruction of Nasrallah's little Maginot line.
#4
"the chief aides to Nasrallahas well as his local commanders and masseure were uncovered as spies" - Debka assist to the Hezb purges
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/07/2006 21:16 Comments ||
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#5
gromgoru, if this is Hezbollah just spinning their wheels, then I say, "Keep at it, boys." I'm just curious as to how well penetrated their organization really was. Sadly, Debka is not low-sodium fare so there's very little way of knowing.
IDF forces uncovered a weapons cache in a tunnel in south Lebanon on Tuesday night. The tunnel was a meter and a half deep and ran along the Israel-Lebanon border reaching a Hizbullah outpost.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Hizbollah bugged out at the first instance of ceasefire. That suggests that the terrorists were somewhat captive.
#9
I'll try and find somebody plumper for day after tomorrow. I've already got tomorrow's picked out.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2006 11:01 Comments ||
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#10
Thank God we have cable now and don't have to wear those antennae anymore.
Posted by: Dar ||
09/07/2006 11:15 Comments ||
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#11
Don't mean to rain on the parade but what is Peggy Knudson doing today? Collecting social security. Visiting the senior citizen's center? AAPR? Hip replacement?
#13
JohnQC, what the lady is doing today is irrelevant, if we men failed to be in the right time and place it's our own loss, we can but gaze on an image of beauty and sigh.
Posted by: Colin MacDougall ||
09/07/2006 12:43 Comments ||
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#14
JohnQC,
Saddly, according to IMDB, she died in 1980 at age 57. (A mere child)
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.
KANDAGAL, Afghanistan U.S. troops on Wednesday launched a fearsome barrage of artillery and rockets into a mountainous militant stronghold in eastern Afghanistan where they suffered their deadliest combat loss over a year ago. Plumes of smoke rose over the top of pine tree-forested mountain ranges in Kunar province's Korangal Valley, where scores of troops from the New York-based 10th Mountain Division are trying to curb militant attacks in this volatile region bordering Pakistan. "We have had nonstop contact for several days and the enemy is on the run," said Staff Sgt. William Wilkinson, 36, of Charlotte, North Carolina, who heads a team firing mortars toward militant positions. "We have cut them off a couple of times and they are not doing as well as they thought they would."
A SUDANESE newspaper editor who was kidnapped by unknown armed men was found beheaded, a day after he was reported snatched from outside his home in the capital Khartoum, an Interior Ministry source said. A photograph showed Mohamed Taha's body bound at the feet and hands with his severed head next to his body, a witness said. He was found on a dirt street in a middle-class residential district of southern Khartoum. No one has claimed responsibility for the killing.
Yemen's port city of Aden was hit Wednesday evening by a series of explosions in a district where arms depots are located, witnesses said. A short circuit caused an old weapons depot in Jabal Hadid area in Aden to explode, said the Yemeni Defense Ministry, noting that some of the ordnance went off. 
PABNA: An outlawed party leader was shot and slaughtered by the members of another extremist group at Dhopaghata village in Sadar upazila Monday night, reports UNB. The victim was identified as Dulal Hossain Kata, a top leader of ''Bahini'', a local extremist group, and son of Jinat Ali of the village. Police said some 10-13 cadres of Purbabanglar Communist Party (Janajuddha ML) dragged Dulal out of his house at about 11am and took him to a nearby filed where they shot and slaughtered him. On information, police recovered the body Tuesday morning and sent it to General Hospital morgue for autopsy.
KHAR: Suspected militants targeting a pro-government tribal elder fired rockets at his home on Wednesday, missing him but killing a 12-year-old girl, an official said. Five rockets were fired during the attack near the Afghan border in Kaga, a village in Bajur, said government official Javed Mahsud. He said that four of the rockets hit the home of tribal elder Fazal Mabood, injuring no one, but a fifth rocket landed in a nearby home and killed a girl there.
Police foiled a suicide bombing attempt on Wednesday by seizing a vehicle loaded with explosives near Quetta, Aaj television reported. Police tried to stop a suspected vehicle outside Quetta, but the riders opened fire at the policemen. Police retaliated and the men fled leaving their car behind. Three bombs and several explosive devices had been planted in the vehicle. Police sources said the vehicle was coming from Chaman border, adding that the suspected militants could have targeted some important place in Quetta.
A car bomb killed eight Iraqi civilians and wounded 38 others in northern Baghdads Qahira district on Wednesday, said police. The car bomb was detonated by a remote control on the side of a busy road during morning rush hour. A second bomb detonated as police cordoned off the scene of the attack, but it did not cause further casualties. An Interior Ministry source who quoted hospital tallies said six people were killed in the bomb blasts and 46 wounded. 
A nephew of Iraqi parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani was kidnapped on Wednesday night in northern Baghdad, a police source told Xinhua. The abduction occurred at about 10:30 p.m. (1830 GMT) when the car of Ahmad, al-Mashhadani's nephew, was intercepted by unidentified gunmen in a district north of Baghdad, the source said on condition of anonymity. The gunmen kidnapped Ahmad and left the scene immediately, the source said. 
Iraqi authorities hanged 27 convicted "terrorists" today, an interior ministry spokesman announced. "Twenty-seven terrorists were hanged today in Baghdad. Most of them were Iraqis," said interior ministry spokesman Abdul Karim Khalaf. He said they were convicted for attacks on Iraqi civilians and sentenced to death, in an execution order signed by an Iraqi vice president.
JERUSALEM Local terror groups are working with Hezbollah to turn the Gaza Strip into the Palestinian version of south Lebanon by smuggling in heavy weaponry and rockets, building war bunkers and preparing for a large-scale confrontation with Israel, a senior terror leader in Gaza told WorldNetDaily. 
An Islamic Jihad (Holy War) militant was shot dead by Israeli forces in the northern West Bank city of Jenin on Wednesday afternoon, security sources and witnesses said. They said that Muhahed al-Sabe, 26, commander of Islamic Jihad's armed wing Saraya al-Quds in northern West Bank, was killed in gunbattle with members of Israel's undercover elite forces. 
